1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,720 I'm not trying to go and feed you from a fire hose, OK, but 2 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:07,120 we'll try to make the most of four weeks. 3 00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,920 But nonetheless, we deem that we need to look at self worth. 4 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,520 Because again, the more that I dig into this, this isn't just 5 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,120 something that may would need to be for first Apostolic Church, 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,560 but I believe this is something for the church or the society at 7 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:25,080 large, society at large. Because somewhere along the way, 8 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:31,960 every individual struggles to a degree with their their worth, 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:37,080 where they are in the the hierarchy of what they feel like 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,440 in the hierarchy of life. And so that's what we're going 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:42,640 to concentrate on for the next few weeks. 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,240 However, next Wednesday, the ladies are going to be shipping 13 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:50,320 off the Gatlinburg for women's Esprit. 14 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,000 And originally I was maybe perhaps going to be in that 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,120 place of taking them, driving them down. 16 00:00:56,480 --> 00:01:00,160 So I scheduled brother Zach McGee to teach on that 17 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,040 Wednesday. It looks like now I'm probably 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:06,480 going to be here because we didn't think about Mariah going 19 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:08,280 to and that just leave Trevor at home. 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,360 And I love Trevor, but boys don't mature near as quick as 21 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,680 girls do. And so just to keep all things 22 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,280 on the even playing field that he'll get up and go to bed when 23 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:24,080 he needs to and all that stuff, we're going to make a guy's few 24 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:27,200 days of it, all right, and do that. 25 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,320 So, but Zach will be here next Wednesday, although I will be 26 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:32,120 here. We're keeping that appointment. 27 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:33,880 He's going to teach. Amen. 28 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,240 And we're going to be blessed by that. 29 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,160 I'm not going to start out with a scripture tonight. 30 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,040 I know sometimes that's troubling for some, but we're 31 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,360 just going to dive in here this evening. 32 00:01:44,360 --> 00:01:46,920 I want you to use your imagination just for a little 33 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,000 bit here tonight and imagine if you will buying a beautiful vase 34 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:53,320 or if you're a real proper person. 35 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,920 A beautiful vase. That's right. 36 00:01:56,360 --> 00:02:01,320 OK, We got to hit every spectrum as to what maybe a vase to 1 is 37 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:03,920 a vase to another at a local market. 38 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:07,280 And whenever you got this, it it, it is unique, it's 39 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,759 handcrafted, it's very intricate with designs. 40 00:02:10,759 --> 00:02:14,680 There's a lot of vibrant colors on this that that catch your 41 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:16,840 eye. But whenever you get home, you 42 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:20,720 notice a small crack that's running along the side that you 43 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:24,880 didn't see before. And for a moment you you begin 44 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,920 to regret that you ever ever bought it. 45 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:32,080 You think about as a result of that what you've discovered 46 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,880 about hiding it in the corner. You've even entertained maybe 47 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,520 throwing it away. But as time passes, you start to 48 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,840 appreciate the vase more and despite the flaw of the vase, 49 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,600 still holds flowers and it brightens up whatever room that 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,240 it's in. And every time that you look at 51 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:55,240 it, you're reminded of the artist, whoever it was, their 52 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,760 intention and their care that went into creating this this 53 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,640 vase. And you understand that the 54 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:05,680 crack doesn't define the vase's value. 55 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,480 It's still beautiful, still purposeful. 56 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,520 Often times we view our lives like like that. 57 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,520 They sometimes we get caught up in our flaws. 58 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:20,520 What we see as our flaws. Maybe what other people say is 59 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,240 our mistakes or things that we wish that we could change. 60 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,400 And now we're really talking to people, right? 61 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,680 Because how many times have you just thought that there was 62 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,840 something about you that needed to be altered, whether it 63 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:42,000 appearance, personality, hair color, the list could go on and 64 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,520 on, but thought maybe you something that you wish you 65 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,160 could change. And then we find out what in our 66 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,240 lives. Guess who is the worst critic of 67 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:52,320 you? You. 68 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,800 We feel like sometimes that we're not good enough. 69 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,240 You hear it all the time. Not good enough. 70 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:01,480 You hear that? Maybe not that exact phrase, but 71 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,760 it's said in many different ways. 72 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,720 But just like the vase, we were created by our artist and our 73 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:14,520 creator with intention as well, and he made us with care. 74 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,279 Of course, I'm Speaking of God. And So what we're relaying then 75 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,860 by this little metaphor tonight is this, that even our quote UN 76 00:04:22,860 --> 00:04:26,080 quote imperfections don't diminish our worth. 77 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:32,320 Many times it's even some imperfections that really give 78 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:36,600 something that's true beauty and its purpose still is illuminated 79 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:40,240 through it in spite of what may be called quote UN quote 80 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:43,600 imperfections. And so in our lesson tonight, as 81 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,560 we begin to understand that we're created in God's image, 82 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,160 we'll understand that our self worth isn't about being perfect. 83 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,640 I think that's important, isn't about being perfect, but it's 84 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,840 about in our state of imperfection that we've been, 85 00:04:59,840 --> 00:05:04,320 and this is my title, we have been uniquely designed and 86 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:07,000 divinely loved. All right? 87 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,200 And so it's essential I think tonight before we get in too 88 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,600 deep and that is this. We need to discuss this evening 89 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:14,840 what we're going to and what we're not going to talk about 90 00:05:14,840 --> 00:05:17,640 for the next few weeks. As we come here on Wednesdays 91 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,960 nights, we are going to be teaching about self worth, not 92 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:25,640 self esteem. I know that for many that might 93 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:30,000 be like tomato, tomato, potato, potato, whatever, but I think 94 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,200 it's more than that. The noun usage of the word 95 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:36,560 esteem means respect and admiration, typically for a 96 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,000 person. However, the noun usage of the 97 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:44,680 word worth means the value equivalent to that of someone or 98 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:48,600 something under consideration, the level at which someone or 99 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:53,200 something deserves to be valued or rated for that matter. 100 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:54,640 Throughout Scripture. Bishop. 101 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:59,000 Whenever I read and I just did a little concordance run of the 102 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,960 word esteem, I found out in the Bible in our King James Bible 103 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:07,480 that the word esteem is never self orientated. 104 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:13,000 It's never self esteem. Esteem is never self orientated. 105 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,680 As a matter of fact in the Bible esteem is always others 106 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,840 orientated. The Bible says in Philippians 107 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:27,080 chapter #2 and verse #3 let nothing be done through strife 108 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:34,000 or Vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other 109 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:39,480 better than themselves. Also Paul writing to the church 110 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:45,040 at Thessalonica said in First Thessalonians 513, he says and 111 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:50,840 to esteem them, the them that is being referred to is in back in 112 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:56,240 verse #12 that them are those that labor among you or those 113 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,120 that are over you. He says to esteem them again, it 114 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:04,400 is others orientated very highly in love for their work sake and 115 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:10,760 be at peace among yourselves. Now I'm, I'm I'll try this last 116 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,400 thing. Jack Kuhashek probably that's 117 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,000 the first and the last time I'll say his last name. 118 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,000 It's going to be Mister Jack from here on out. 119 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:24,360 Mister Jack says the Bible does not emphasize self love, 120 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:30,040 although it does affirm our value as individuals. 121 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,000 Scripture denotes in Romans 12 and 3, and I don't know if you 122 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:37,320 have this in the NIV for me, but in Romans 12 and three it says 123 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,160 do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought, but 124 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,880 rather think of yourselves with sober judgment. 125 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,120 One might ask for what is sober judgment? 126 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,080 And that's a good question. Sober judgment is a realistic 127 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,560 appraisal of who you are. That means both the beauty and 128 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,800 the beast, all right, the wonderful and the terrible, the 129 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,920 the strengths and the weaknesses. 130 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:06,240 But the fact of the matter is when we come with the reality of 131 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:11,240 that sober judgment, whatever the outcome is, we have this 132 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:17,320 confidence also according to the word that God still values us. 133 00:08:17,760 --> 00:08:22,720 Beauty and beast, wonderful, terrible strengths and 134 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,480 weaknesses. Christ the scripture says you 135 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,480 know this and this is simple but this applies to us And 136 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,720 concerning self worth. Christ died for us. 137 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:38,159 Christ loved us and die for us. Romans 5 tells us while we were 138 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:43,280 yet sinners. Listen if that's the case, we 139 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:49,640 for sure was in a imperfect and still are mind you a imperfect 140 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:55,840 state yet valuable to God. Imperfect state, but value to 141 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:57,680 God. Here's what you need to write 142 00:08:57,680 --> 00:08:59,560 down in your mind. You write anything down tonight, 143 00:08:59,560 --> 00:09:03,160 write this down. Value does not equal perfection. 144 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,960 Value does not equal perfection. Or said differently, perfection 145 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:15,360 does not equal value. Sometimes it's the distinct 146 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:19,600 things, the worn things that champion the highest value. 147 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:24,720 And So what we're dealing with today in our world, and I'll put 148 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,440 this out as a disclaimer, although you all know this, I am 149 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:30,200 not a therapist. I am not a degree therapist. 150 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,560 I have friends who are therapist OK, and maybe pre adventure 151 00:09:33,560 --> 00:09:36,600 someone in the future will have them come and talk to us about 152 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,320 these things. All right, But I am not I am not 153 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,720 a therapist. But when I ever I look at the 154 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:45,480 Bible and I look at the world today and what we are up 155 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:50,280 against, the biblical view of self worth has been shadowed 156 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:55,160 really by a mindset that's been dominating in in society. 157 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:58,480 And sometimes it's even cultivated traditionally in our 158 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:03,680 own homes, in our own families. There's a belief system in his 159 00:10:03,680 --> 00:10:06,680 book The Search of Significance. I can say this last name, Robert 160 00:10:06,680 --> 00:10:11,800 McGee, spelled just like mine, boils down our struggle as a 161 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:15,840 twofold deception. This is this is the breakdown of 162 00:10:15,840 --> 00:10:17,880 self worth. This is what you struggle with 163 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,080 when you struggle with self worth twofold deception. 164 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:26,520 We believe our worth is based on our performance and then on 165 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:34,120 others opinion about us. That's the two legs that self 166 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:38,160 worth really rises or particularly falls on that we 167 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:42,840 are going to be our our worth. Our value is based upon our 168 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,440 performance and what others opinion are of us. 169 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:50,280 Now here's the thing and and we know this, sometimes people are 170 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:55,600 very forthright in sharing their opinion about right. 171 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:00,720 Sometimes they are positive or it could be good or bad. 172 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:04,520 I know sometimes we just form, you know, opinion of someone 173 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:06,480 about you just has to be negative, but they don't have to 174 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,400 be the case. It could be positive as well. 175 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:14,000 So, so sometimes people share those things, but that doesn't 176 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:18,680 whatever they say that don't even stop us from writing the 177 00:11:18,680 --> 00:11:21,560 dialogue of what we believe. They're really thinking about 178 00:11:21,560 --> 00:11:24,600 us. What I'm saying is this, someone 179 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,640 can give you a positive assessment in their opinion 180 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:31,560 about you and you can rewrite the dialogue of what was said 181 00:11:31,560 --> 00:11:35,720 and say, well, this is what they really did. 182 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:42,360 They're being nice. That that is a that is a key 183 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,080 indicator that we're struggling with somehow. 184 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:47,080 We can't accept the genuine compliment as a genuine 185 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,560 compliment. We got a pawn in office. 186 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:57,040 Well, they're just being kind. Or if they really knew me, oh 187 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,440 man, we're already deep. I'm filling the water up to the 188 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,520 loins here right now, you know? Amen. 189 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:07,320 And so when we struggle with self worth, what is the thing? 190 00:12:07,680 --> 00:12:12,480 We do not believe the best. We'd rather believe the worst. 191 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:19,680 And so when we have this performance opinion approach, 192 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,720 what that does then if if we're we buy for people's people's 193 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,240 endorsement of our performance that we can do well enough to 194 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,440 get a good star or, or we're there to hear what their opinion 195 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:35,120 is. What that does then is make us 196 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:40,320 addicted to people's approval, addicted to people's. 197 00:12:40,600 --> 00:12:45,720 So our life then rises and falls over approval or disapproval. 198 00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:50,360 And if it's disapproval, perhaps I didn't perform well enough in 199 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:55,200 order to get the approval. We can even go further. 200 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:59,120 A person that lives like that, it doesn't matter how grand 201 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:03,200 their accomplishments have been. Matter of fact, they might be a 202 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,800 person that anything they set their mind to, they can go out 203 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:07,560 and do it and they can accomplish it. 204 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,480 And then you would think, man, they're probably good because 205 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:12,280 everybody sees what they have done. 206 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,040 They get the approval of the people. 207 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:18,040 But The thing is, in order to keep that feeling of self worth, 208 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:19,960 they got to keep on being approved. 209 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:25,160 So there's always got to be another task to fulfill, another 210 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:28,480 goal to achieve, because it's through that that comes the 211 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,440 approval of people. And that's the only way that 212 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,920 they can survive in their own skin is for that constant 213 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,360 approval. And so there's that rising and 214 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,680 falling then with other people's opinion of us. 215 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:45,400 And then sometimes we endure our own up and downs by our own 216 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:52,800 opinions of us, whether it's real or not, whether it's true 217 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,520 or not. If you'll remember, we got sneak 218 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:59,120 a little genesis in here because this is where we're really at, 219 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,920 right? Things created before the end of 220 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:10,080 the sixth day in the creative chapters of Genesis were labeled 221 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:15,600 as good. But after the events of the 6th 222 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:21,760 day, which included the creation of humanity, God considered 223 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:27,760 everything very good. Stop that label. 224 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:33,280 Very good that fell even on the creation of humanity was a label 225 00:14:33,280 --> 00:14:38,120 on Adam and Eve when they had not done anything yet. 226 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:46,560 There had been no performance, there had been no per SE 227 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:50,880 achievement. There had been no dressing of 228 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,280 the garden. They hadn't done anything yet. 229 00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:59,920 Yet He calls it very good. And so that means to me that 230 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:06,520 God's evaluation must have been about them as human beings and 231 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:13,600 not human doings. It was based upon just them 232 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,400 being them without any achievement, without any 233 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,560 performance that was taking place. 234 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,240 And so as we know, we've looked at this in the in the past 235 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,760 already in the book of Genesis. But here is humanity, man and 236 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,760 woman, created on the same day as several other creatures on 237 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:33,000 the 6th day. They're made from the same 238 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,280 material, the dirt of the ground, the earth they fed. 239 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,320 You all remember they feed at this point in time of their life 240 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,560 on the same things that these other creatures have have fed 241 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:44,680 upon. They both equally have a 242 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:49,200 blessing of reproducing upon their life the creature and 243 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:53,200 humanity as well. Yet the Bible denotes that man 244 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:58,320 or humanity was created in the image of God and He was meant to 245 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,000 rule and subdue all others. Genesis 127 that we read in our 246 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:07,040 Bible. So God created man in his own 247 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:12,320 image in the image of God created he Him male and female 248 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,760 created He. Then the Hebrew word translated 249 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:21,600 man is Adam or Adam, all right? It refers to not just the male 250 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,640 portion of humanity as the verse specifies. 251 00:16:25,040 --> 00:16:32,080 It is man and woman, all right. Both genders, both sexes has 252 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:33,960 been created in the image of God. 253 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:40,280 Amen. You someone say me, I've been 254 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:45,560 created in the image of God and I want to specify both male and 255 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:49,240 female because I think that is important because some people, 256 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,560 there's some macho men believe that self worth issues are just 257 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:58,080 female issues. It's the only thing that applies 258 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,880 to the females, but that's wrong. 259 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,319 Amen. Anyone, Amen, male or female, 260 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:08,480 can have doubts about who they are or what they value 261 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,359 themselves. As matter of fact, we could 262 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,240 spend a lot of time maybe here in Genesis 1 and verse 27 and 263 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:18,680 try to define what the actual image of God, what that was 264 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:21,960 referring to or what was that, what was meant whenever he said 265 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:24,720 that we were made in the in the image of God. 266 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,240 But suffice it to say tonight that what this entails is that 267 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:34,640 there are some godly qualities. There are some godly qualities, 268 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:39,640 whether seen or unseen, that you have in your life. 269 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:41,920 Will you take that in for a moment? 270 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:48,480 You have whenever you say you're not enough, and part of that you 271 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:54,120 is godly qualities. Are you saying there's aspects 272 00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:58,080 about you that are the image and the likeness of God that's 273 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:03,640 subpar? You have some godly qualities. 274 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,680 That's a part of your life we share. 275 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:14,120 They tell us we share 50% of our DNA with a banana and over 98% 276 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:19,320 with a chimpanzee. We're made from the same ground 277 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:23,760 as other creatures, but we're no closer to being a monkey than a 278 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:32,600 banana, partly because God breathed life and to us unlike 279 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:36,720 any other created entity in the book of Genesis. 280 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:42,760 Your existence, my existence, is a result of God's action. 281 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,120 Verse 21 of Genesis 1 tells us God made us. 282 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:52,680 Verse 27 says that God created us, Chapter 2 verse 7 says that 283 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:58,000 God formed us and most notably verse 7 says that God breathed 284 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:01,320 in to us. Amen. 285 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:06,240 We are the product of God and more than anything his breath 286 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,040 came inside of us and we became a living soul. 287 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:14,360 We have God qualities about us. The Old Testament. 288 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,520 I've said this before, but the Old Testament uses two different 289 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:21,280 words for labor. One denotes a raw unskilled 290 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,800 labor, right? Somebody that's just kind of 291 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:26,640 making their way through. But there's another word for 292 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:31,680 labor that indicates skilled labor or work that is performed 293 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,720 by a Craftsman. In the Old Testament, whenever 294 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:39,280 the Bible speaks of the labor of God, it uses that second word, 295 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:44,600 which means a skilled labor, a work that is performed by a 296 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:47,720 Craftsman. Folks, when God formed you 297 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:52,880 created you, right, breathed into you all of those things 298 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:56,440 that you are not a unskilled laborer's work. 299 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:00,520 You are not some raw unskilled laborers work. 300 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:05,240 No, you are the creation. You are the craftsmanship of a 301 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:10,880 very skilled laborer that knows what he is doing. 302 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,680 I don't remember exactly where the verse is and this is nowhere 303 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,200 in my notes, but I think it's in the book of Isaiah. 304 00:20:17,320 --> 00:20:21,280 The Bible speaks about the the Lord said he he made the dumb 305 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,280 and that he made the mute. And that kind of takes us back. 306 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,400 The Lord make the dumb and the mute, the people that were 307 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,600 created that came forth that were dumb. 308 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,200 And I'm not talking about intellectually, all right, And 309 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,560 the mute, yes. And he says that's my handiwork. 310 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:39,120 I did that. You know what that means? 311 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:43,600 God doing that, that the dumb and the mute are valued. 312 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:49,080 The dumb and the mute have worth just as much as the one that's 313 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:56,760 born with Down syndrome or with there are some God qualities. 314 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,240 Hey man, it's the work of a Craftsman. 315 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,960 The book I'm filming the Holy Ghost here right now, the book 316 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,960 of Ephesians 210 speaks about us and says for we are the 317 00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:14,200 workmanship of God. We are God's workmanship. 318 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,880 Another word for that word, workmanship, is that we are 319 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:23,760 God's masterpiece. Look at your neighbor, Say you 320 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,560 look good. You're God's masterpiece, 321 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:32,360 created unto good works now, Mr. John said. 322 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:36,680 Mr. John said that a Craftsman in medieval times would work for 323 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:41,960 months on a special piece that displayed his finest artistical 324 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:46,040 skill, and finally, whenever the work was finished, he would 325 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:50,880 present it to the craftsman's Guild and in hopes of achieving 326 00:21:50,880 --> 00:21:56,320 the rank in his profession of master and the work that he 327 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,640 finished and would present would be his masterpiece. 328 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:04,080 You and I are that work unto God. 329 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,840 We are a workmanship, a masterpiece that the master 330 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,240 Craftsman has very carefully and diligently fitted and put 331 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:18,680 together this individual, this skin taupe skin, skin hue and 332 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:25,560 this this eye color and and this body shape, this body shape, 333 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:28,280 this muscle tone, this personality. 334 00:22:28,360 --> 00:22:30,720 He has fitted and formed this together. 335 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,000 That's us again. God wasn't slapping something 336 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:36,640 together. God's not just sitting down and 337 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,440 saying, well, got a bunch of scrap here. 338 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,960 You know, it's like me, I I keep all of my scrap wood from my 339 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:42,920 wood projects. I got a little thing of scrap 340 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:44,400 wood. Never know when you might need a 341 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,600 piece. Yeah, you know, type of thing. 342 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:48,800 He'll pee. I'm I'm, I'm not like he's not 343 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,000 going out to the scrap. I wonder what I can make of 344 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,840 this. No, God, he knows exactly what 345 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,400 he's looking for. Whenever he made you, He knows 346 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,600 exactly what he was putting together whenever he formed you. 347 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:01,160 Hey, man. Hey, man. 348 00:23:01,240 --> 00:23:06,480 Whenever the Bible says that he created there Kinder defines the 349 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:07,920 force. When he created, it literally 350 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:13,440 means he brought forth. It means he knit, he woven. 351 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,640 That means that he's paying attention to every detail of our 352 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,840 being. When you consider that he knit 353 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,240 or he woven, it relays the concept that there were some 354 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:29,480 complex patterns and colors. Amen. 355 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:33,480 That the Weaver and the embroidery, uh, was putting 356 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,360 together whatever he brought forth. 357 00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:39,040 You, I know there's some people here that does embroidery work, 358 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:40,880 right? Uh, huh. 359 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:42,840 Some of you have the little axes to follow. 360 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:46,920 Maybe some of your freehanders. Backside looks messy, but you 361 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:49,240 got to pay attention to what you're doing on the front side. 362 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,480 We got to make sure the colors are going to line up right and 363 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,440 there's going to be harmony. God had you whenever he was 364 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:57,920 creating you. He was doing all of that as the 365 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:02,120 creator and the Weaver. God wasn't unskillfully making a 366 00:24:02,120 --> 00:24:05,560 human being for that matter. You could take any, any portion 367 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,360 of the human body and study it in depth. 368 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:11,880 And we'll soon find out that we're the work of a master 369 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:14,760 Craftsman. Huh. 370 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:20,880 You are rare. Someone's already went negative 371 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:22,280 on me. You don't have to tell me that. 372 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:28,680 I know I'm like no one else. Nobody done went negative on me. 373 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,160 You're rare. Your DNA is unique to you. 374 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:37,840 The closest person that could have your DNA is a twin, if you 375 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,080 have one. But there's still some nuances. 376 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,440 You your DNA is unique to you. No one has your fingerprint. 377 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,520 No one has your heartbeat. No one has your voice print. 378 00:24:51,080 --> 00:24:55,440 No one has your tongue print. Then you don't have to give that 379 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,240 one at the police station, but no one, no one has your tongue 380 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:01,960 print. God created you to be 381 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,400 distinctively you. And here's the fact of the 382 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:06,560 matter, He loves you immeasurably. 383 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:13,920 Psalms 139 and verse 14 the Bible says, which is a great 384 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,320 Psalm just to read. Advise you to do so, he says in 385 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,200 verse 14. We'll probably go touch it again 386 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:23,400 later, maybe before we get done with all these things in the 387 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,720 next few weeks, I will praise thee, the Psalmist says, for I 388 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:31,360 am fearfully and wonderfully made. 389 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:39,000 Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. 390 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:45,360 The word rendered wonderfully main means to distinguish and to 391 00:25:45,360 --> 00:25:47,880 separate. You're wonderfully made. 392 00:25:48,360 --> 00:25:54,520 He made you distinguished. He made you separate. 393 00:25:55,920 --> 00:25:59,440 Not just separate from other creatures, but separate from 394 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,520 other creatures like you. He made you distinguished. 395 00:26:03,760 --> 00:26:07,320 He made you separate. So listen to Pastor tonight. 396 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:11,080 Don't hang your head because you don't look like somebody else. 397 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:15,320 Don't. Don't throw up your hands 398 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:19,200 because your nose is a little different and your shape is not 399 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:23,040 like somebody else, or your skin tone that has a different hue to 400 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:27,920 it, or your weight isn't like somebody else, or your 401 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:31,440 personality isn't structured just exactly like someone else. 402 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:36,160 Listen, God, you're like that because God fearfully and 403 00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:39,000 wonderfully made. He distinguished you. 404 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:43,560 He set you apart. We've been made separate from 405 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,240 the rest creation. We've been made separate from 406 00:26:45,240 --> 00:26:48,120 the rest of each other. And as the psalmist has, you 407 00:26:48,120 --> 00:26:51,200 know what the psalmist does. Hey, man, he says. 408 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:56,920 Marvelous are thy works, and my soul knoweth, right? 409 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,880 Well, somebody, I hope before this series is over, somebody is 410 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:04,560 closer to realizing that you being a work of God is 411 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,520 marvelous. And I hope you will be able to 412 00:27:06,520 --> 00:27:09,640 stand back somewhere along the way and know right well, God has 413 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,160 made a marvelous work right here. 414 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:14,800 God has performed and put together in fashion and created 415 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:20,960 and formed a marvelous work right here. 416 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,400 The Bible says in Second Corinthians and this is the new 417 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:31,920 American standard Bible version Second Corinthians chapter #5 418 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:39,080 and verse #14 For the love, watch this for the love of 419 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:47,280 Christ controls us. Having concluded this, that one 420 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:49,280 died for all, therefore all died. 421 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,440 So if one died for all as a representation, then all died. 422 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,600 That's what it's getting AT. And he died for all, that they 423 00:27:56,600 --> 00:28:03,160 who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who 424 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:07,760 died and rose again on their behalf. 425 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,160 Paul states emphatically to the church at Corinth that the love 426 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:20,000 of Christ controls US. What that means is, Sister 427 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:25,840 Sheila, other people's opinions should not control us. 428 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:29,320 The love of Christ should control us. 429 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:33,480 What that means is the approval of others should not be our 430 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:39,200 gauge. No, but Christ should be the 431 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:41,600 gauge. He loves. 432 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:47,680 His love controls us because His love is what led Him to die for 433 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,240 us and there is no other. We know this. 434 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:51,840 We stayed it over. I stayed again. 435 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,160 There is no other person in the entire world, past, present or 436 00:28:55,160 --> 00:29:00,920 future that has died, will die, or is dying for you. 437 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:07,800 So why be controlled? Why be controlled by the opinion 438 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:13,160 of someone who's not willing to die for you? 439 00:29:14,360 --> 00:29:17,320 Listen, your years up on this earth, you're not living it for 440 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:21,920 them and you're not living it for yourself. 441 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:28,200 We live for him who died and rose for us, or at least I might 442 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,440 say we should live for him, Robert McGee said. 443 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,400 If we base our self worth on the approval of others listen to 444 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,560 this clearly, then we are actually saying that our ability 445 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:50,230 to please others is of greater value than Christ payment price 446 00:29:50,550 --> 00:29:57,030 love rose us. We say this to couples that are 447 00:29:57,030 --> 00:29:59,430 looking to be married, already married all the time. 448 00:29:59,710 --> 00:30:04,190 I tell them this that you are complete in him, right? 449 00:30:05,830 --> 00:30:09,110 A man's not going to complete a woman and a woman's not going to 450 00:30:09,110 --> 00:30:13,160 complete a man. That has been propagated 451 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:15,440 sometimes and I cringe every time I hear it. 452 00:30:15,840 --> 00:30:17,600 He completes me or she completes me. 453 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,440 Baloney. There's only one that completes 454 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:25,080 you and that is him. That's what Colossians two said. 455 00:30:25,080 --> 00:30:28,200 We are complete in him. My wife doesn't. 456 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:31,200 My wife compliments me and I'm not talking about she said, 457 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:32,280 honey, you look fine and all that. 458 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:37,400 She does that too, but she compliments me and I compliment 459 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:39,840 her. But ultimately, our completion 460 00:30:39,840 --> 00:30:43,080 is in the Lord. I will not find completion in 461 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:47,280 someone else's opinion. I will not find completion as 462 00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:50,480 long as I conform to this particular group or setting. 463 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:56,080 No, no, my completion is in Him. You are walking a road that 464 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,480 never ends. If you're trying to find your 465 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:02,360 completion in somebody else's opinion about you or another 466 00:31:02,360 --> 00:31:05,440 relationship, you're walking the never ending Rd. 467 00:31:05,560 --> 00:31:08,680 But if you'll get sewed up in the Creator, the one who formed 468 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:12,520 you, detailed and took time to fashion you. 469 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:14,640 That said, that's my masterpiece. 470 00:31:14,840 --> 00:31:20,720 Find your completion in Him. Whether it was God as a spirit 471 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:26,520 or God robed in flesh as Jesus Christ, He is the source of our 472 00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:29,960 significance. He's the source of our 473 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,680 significance. As a matter of fact, if you look 474 00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:36,160 with Adam and Eve after the fall, there was created somewhat 475 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:40,760 of a gap and isolation from that presence of God, right? 476 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:43,400 In the real world. There was a isolation from the 477 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:45,040 source. And you know what? 478 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:49,480 We have the rest of the Bible showing us, people who were 479 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:55,960 trying to seek all these different things separated from 480 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,040 their source. They look for through Scripture 481 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:01,560 success. They look for it through 482 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:03,960 scripture wealth. They're trying to find out what 483 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,400 are they looking for their source. 484 00:32:06,680 --> 00:32:09,800 They try to find it in their prestige in the Bible. 485 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:12,280 They try to find it in the relationships. 486 00:32:12,440 --> 00:32:14,960 They try to find it in their approval of others. 487 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:20,040 Because from there there was a separation from the source that 488 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:22,640 created their significance. Amen to them. 489 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:24,880 Someone say Amen. As a matter of fact, we see this 490 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:28,720 displayed a little bit in New Testament Scripture because 491 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:32,120 whenever Jesus was walking down the road in the Bible, it's, you 492 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:35,080 know, we use it as a little Bible story and Zacchaeus of of 493 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:38,560 a small statue climbs up into a Sycamore tree to see the Lord 494 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,600 and the Lord says Zacchaeus, I'm coming to your house today. 495 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,840 And so whenever Jesus in the book of Luke 19 went to see 496 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:50,280 Zacchaeus and the Bible in so much says basically Jesus going 497 00:32:50,280 --> 00:32:53,080 his him bringing salvation to his house. 498 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:58,200 The Bible says that this same man Zacchaeus, who had explored 499 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,720 people through taxation in order to gain a better quote UN quote 500 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:13,080 status, a better self worth in life that now he's telling the 501 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:19,600 Lord, I'll give half my goods to the poor and if I've wronged any 502 00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:26,000 man, I'll repay him for food. Zacchaeus, what are you doing 503 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,760 before different people has to get work different ways. 504 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,120 The approval of people. Sometimes they have to get money 505 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,000 in order to get the approval of people. 506 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,280 That was Zacchaeus deal in order to have a good feeling about 507 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:39,600 himself and status. He had to reach a certain a 508 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:42,720 certain certain tax bracket, so to speak in order to feel like 509 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,160 he got the approval of people and that made him feel good 510 00:33:45,160 --> 00:33:48,160 about himself. Without that, he didn't feel as 511 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,840 good as he needed to be. But he was always being the 512 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:54,520 little conniving exploiter of other people's riches in order 513 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,720 to feel good about himself, because he had to have riches to 514 00:33:56,720 --> 00:33:59,960 get people's approval. But whenever the Lord came to 515 00:33:59,960 --> 00:34:02,760 his house, he says, I'm willing to give this wealth here and 516 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:03,760 this wealth here. Why? 517 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:07,000 What happened? Zacchaeus gained a new source of 518 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,920 his worth. He gained the original source of 519 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:12,760 his worth. Now that he had Jesus, that's 520 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,480 the significant source of his worth. 521 00:34:14,639 --> 00:34:17,600 He didn't need the wealth. He didn't need the approval of 522 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:18,320 people. Why? 523 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,600 He understood he had the approval, Hallelujah, of his 524 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:26,560 designer, Amen. Of his creator. 525 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:33,800 And that should impact us. Amen. 526 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,360 So our worth really needs to derive from 2 realities. 527 00:34:37,679 --> 00:34:43,800 God created us in his image and #2 Christ died for us in our 528 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:48,480 fallen state. Those two legs need to replace 529 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,280 the two legs of thinking. It's about your performance and 530 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,280 other people's opinion. You need to replace those two 531 00:34:54,280 --> 00:34:59,360 legs with I'm made in the image of God and Christ died for me 532 00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:05,000 even in a imperfect state and say Amen. 533 00:35:10,700 --> 00:35:14,060 Leviticus 27, you can go there. There's not going to be anything 534 00:35:14,060 --> 00:35:17,260 on the screen, but you can go there if you want to. 535 00:35:17,260 --> 00:35:19,260 It's the last. It's the last chapter in the 536 00:35:19,260 --> 00:35:28,580 book of Leviticus. Leviticus 27 highlights votive 537 00:35:28,660 --> 00:35:31,020 offerings, what's known and called votive offerings 538 00:35:31,060 --> 00:35:36,840 offerings that are made to fulfill a vow that is made to a 539 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:42,680 deity that's made to a God and our Leviticus 27 to be God. 540 00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:47,720 So whenever people vowed themselves unto the Lord, and 541 00:35:47,720 --> 00:35:51,640 verses 1 trade are really the ones for consideration, God 542 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:55,640 placed a place the value on them if they decided to redeem 543 00:35:55,680 --> 00:35:59,440 themselves. And so in the Old Testament book 544 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:04,840 of Leviticus, the word was derived from the priests 545 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:12,080 estimation of the individual. And they had some guidelines, of 546 00:36:12,080 --> 00:36:17,720 course, some baselines that the law presented to them, some 547 00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:23,680 worths, some values on males and females at different ages and 548 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:27,520 seasons of their life. And this was, and I denote this 549 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:30,040 because I don't want to do any error description. 550 00:36:30,040 --> 00:36:35,400 This was of a course economic value and not inherit value. 551 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:40,560 There's an economic value, a human being that's made in God's 552 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:43,800 image, of course, is priceless. So this is an economic value. 553 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,080 But the world biblical commentary says this concerning 554 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:49,720 this law. It says in this law the price 555 00:36:49,720 --> 00:36:52,880 was set on the basis of a person's strength and not on the 556 00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,440 basis of a person's intrinsic value. 557 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,640 So I want, I want to solidify that in our minds as a human 558 00:36:58,640 --> 00:37:00,440 being. The price therefore varied 559 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,280 according to age and to gender. And so please understand that, 560 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:07,600 but with that nonetheless understand this, that the 561 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:14,840 individual was required to pay the value of their life That was 562 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:19,280 determined by the priest. That was dictated by the law. 563 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:24,040 But the Bible bears out that there were cases where the 564 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:32,000 person was poor, or stated more plainly, they were too poor to 565 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,120 answer the estimation the priest had paid on them. 566 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:42,000 In other words, he could say I value you at this lay level, but 567 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:45,080 they couldn't. They couldn't meet that price. 568 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:49,360 They could answer that price because they were quote UN quote 569 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:54,280 poor, because in order to answer the price, that meant they had 570 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,840 to be able to pay it. They had to be able to reflect 571 00:37:56,840 --> 00:38:00,200 back to the priest what he valued them at. 572 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:05,320 I say all that tonight because for our purposes, not meeting 573 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:11,760 the worth our priest has placed upon us means that we've 574 00:38:11,760 --> 00:38:16,080 basically adopted or believed the lesser estimation of 575 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:20,120 ourselves. We can't match what we think of 576 00:38:20,120 --> 00:38:22,360 ourselves with what he thinks of us. 577 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:28,920 Why? Because I don't feel that 578 00:38:28,920 --> 00:38:32,720 valuable, I don't feel that worthy. 579 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:36,800 In such cases, the priest would lower the valuation to 580 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:40,560 accommodate the person's ability to pay. 581 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:44,920 Which is interesting because the estimates in Leviticus, they're, 582 00:38:44,920 --> 00:38:46,360 they're considerably significant. 583 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:49,960 Whenever you look at them in those first 8 verses, they are 584 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:54,120 quite, quite, quite pricey because the average wage or the 585 00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:59,040 average pay of a worker was about one shekel per month, one 586 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:01,360 shekel per month. When you start looking at these 587 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:08,480 evaluations, 50 shekels, 30 shekels, 10 shekels, 5 shekels, 588 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:12,600 according what we're talking about, imagine 50 shekels. 589 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:18,280 That's fifty months of wages, 50 months of wages in order to meet 590 00:39:18,280 --> 00:39:21,280 that valuation. So as a result of that, there 591 00:39:21,280 --> 00:39:25,720 were only some that could afford, if you will, their 592 00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:29,440 evaluations. Now bring all that to this 593 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:37,160 tonight that God has valued us those and we come and go, 594 00:39:37,160 --> 00:39:42,080 sometimes with self worth struggles at a level beyond our 595 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:49,040 ability to reconcile. We can't we we have a hard time 596 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:55,080 thinking that God thinks that much about me, especially when 597 00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,760 we start comparing what we think other people. 598 00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:03,440 About me. And then you got to ask your 599 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:05,680 question. Is that really what other people 600 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:11,400 think or is that what you think other people think about you? 601 00:40:14,720 --> 00:40:21,200 What's the problem then? We don't have the emotional or 602 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,280 mental currency. Fine, say it like that. 603 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:26,960 We don't have a healthy self worth. 604 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:31,520 We don't have the emotional or mental currency to match God's 605 00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:37,920 value of us. And with that though, you know 606 00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:42,640 what it should do, Jen Paschal? It should encourage us to think 607 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:49,120 what He values me that much, that in the Old Testament it 608 00:40:49,120 --> 00:40:53,880 would take this long of a time to acquire that much money in 609 00:40:53,880 --> 00:41:00,880 order to meet the evaluation. He values me that much and 610 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:03,240 that's what I want. Ringing in your ears as you 611 00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:07,320 leave this place, maybe not in a question mode, but in a reality 612 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:13,440 aha moment mode, that God evaluates me that much. 613 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:16,960 And just like the priest, I believe in this series that God 614 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:23,200 is going to begin with us at a level that we can accept until 615 00:41:23,200 --> 00:41:29,760 we will be able to answer Him with the worth that He initially 616 00:41:29,760 --> 00:41:33,400 appraised us. God's going to start where you 617 00:41:33,400 --> 00:41:35,920 are. He's going to work you toward 618 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:40,880 His original appraisal and bring you to a place if you'll stand 619 00:41:40,880 --> 00:42:03,400 with me tonight. So our performance opinion of 620 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:08,960 others, our perceived flaws, they don't determine our worth. 621 00:42:12,240 --> 00:42:15,520 Those things change. Isn't that amazing? 622 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:21,040 Your performance is an even kill people's opinion of you 623 00:42:22,640 --> 00:42:26,800 vacillates. There's some days, listen, being 624 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:29,080 a pastor, there's some days people love me and the same 625 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:34,520 person next day might hate me. I'm just being truthful with 626 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:38,040 you. It rises and falls. 627 00:42:40,280 --> 00:42:42,680 So it's not grounding those because those are changing 628 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:45,720 things. My worth is grounded in 629 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:49,240 something that's unchanging. It's the unchanging truth that 630 00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:52,120 again, I'm created in God's image. 631 00:42:53,240 --> 00:42:56,400 Christ died. He loved me and died for me. 632 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:00,920 He redeemed me. And as a masterpiece, as His 633 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:05,320 masterpiece, I hold value. Do I have imperfections? 634 00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:08,560 Yes, still. But I have value. 635 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:15,560 That worth stays intact. Despite my shortcomings, that 636 00:43:15,560 --> 00:43:17,760 worth stays intact. Amen. 637 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:19,720 Can we bow our heads all across this place? 638 00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:23,360 What we need to do is we leave this place and again, it'll be 639 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:27,200 two weeks till we come back here on the series, but we need to 640 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:30,120 leave understanding tonight is our true self worth. 641 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:36,720 You need to see yourself through God's eyes. 642 00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:40,120 You need to see yourself through God's eyes. 643 00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:48,360 You need to reflect on the way in the past that you've allowed 644 00:43:48,360 --> 00:43:53,760 other people's opinions, that you've allowed your own opinions 645 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:58,440 of yourself to be self critical. That's come along and diminished 646 00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:02,680 your worth of who you are. You've allowed voices and your 647 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:06,960 own voice into your head and mind to diminish your worth. 648 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:13,080 And you need to start this week challenging those thoughts and 649 00:44:13,080 --> 00:44:17,960 challenging those opinions that come into your mind by affirming 650 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:24,240 the truth that God has given me a undeniable value. 651 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:28,440 And you need to say, Lord, help me help. 652 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:30,200 Help Paul Mcgehear, whoever you are. 653 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:33,480 Help me to see your worth as you see it. 654 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:35,840 Help me to see myself as priceless. 655 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:40,120 Help me to see myself as loved. Help me to see myself as 656 00:44:40,120 --> 00:44:47,680 complete only in you, God, let your love for me be the measure 657 00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:51,720 of my value. God help me, Lord, to live 658 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:55,440 confidently in this world. Below that, I'm your 659 00:44:55,440 --> 00:44:58,160 masterpiece. You've been a Craftsman. 660 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:03,480 That's been intentional. Been intentional about peace in 661 00:45:03,480 --> 00:45:04,880 this individual. Together. 662 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:11,640 Sir, Sir, ma'am, some of you have. 663 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:17,080 Some of you have fell prey, some of you have fell prey to the 664 00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:24,440 voices of others, fell prey to the voices of others and and it 665 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:28,520 has left you in a worse case than what you were at first. 666 00:45:30,040 --> 00:45:34,120 There's been a mindset created in your mind and heart that is 667 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:42,280 so forged in you that you can't see past that facade. 668 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:44,120 And it's a facade. It's not real. 669 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:47,200 You can't see past that facade that's been created in your 670 00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,480 heart and mind saying who you are. 671 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:55,880 It may have come from a parent, it may have come from a spouse. 672 00:45:56,520 --> 00:45:59,480 There may have been words spoken and words said that it seems to 673 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:03,960 be forever seared in your mind. And when anything else has ever 674 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:08,000 spoken or said, or even whenever God is trying to prod on you, 675 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:13,000 you default to those things that maybe in a moment was hurtful. 676 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:18,200 In a moment that was just so paralyzing that now you allow it 677 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:22,320 to be your identity and you're not going to accept anything 678 00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:27,080 else because that was so severe. I'm telling you, I feel the Holy 679 00:46:27,080 --> 00:46:29,960 Ghost in the next few weeks that God wants to start to pull back 680 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:33,120 the layers. He wants to pull back the layers 681 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:37,960 on on those those lies and pull back the layers on those things 682 00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:40,840 that that stand in our way that we always default to. 683 00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:45,360 And he wants to heal some things that will allow him to love us 684 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:48,360 through them, allow to love us in them. 685 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:52,400 He wants to mirror himself in our lives and show us, listen, 686 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:55,840 you have some God qualities that's in you and that's more 687 00:46:55,840 --> 00:46:58,920 than commendable. That's more that's more than 688 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:03,480 reason to feel appreciative about who you are in him. 689 00:47:03,800 --> 00:47:05,560 Hallelujah. These altars are open. 690 00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:09,560 If anybody would like to find a place to pray and say, God, just 691 00:47:09,560 --> 00:47:12,840 help me in the next few weeks. God, I don't I don't want to put 692 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,400 up my facade. I don't want to put up my wall. 693 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:19,040 I don't I want to Lord, make myself vulnerable. 694 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,880 Lord to your spirit. I want to make myself 695 00:47:21,880 --> 00:47:25,280 vulnerable. Lord Jesus to your voice and to 696 00:47:25,280 --> 00:47:28,040 your word. God, you knitted me, you 697 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:31,320 embroidered me. God, you made me distinct. 698 00:47:31,360 --> 00:47:34,800 And who made me? Lord Jesus separated God from 699 00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,080 anybody else. Help me God, not to compare my 700 00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:42,440 selves among ourselves. Your word says that is not wise. 701 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,840 God, if there is to be a comparison, let it be between US 702 00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:49,120 and you and let us find that there are God qualities in our 703 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:50,960 life. Is there imperfections? 704 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:53,480 Yes, but there's still God qualities in our life. 705 00:47:53,680 --> 00:47:56,920 We have the imprint of our Maker upon our lives. 706 00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:59,640 Hallelujah. Don't allow some old 707 00:47:59,640 --> 00:48:04,280 relationship that you once had dictate your worth and dictate 708 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:08,280 your value and dictate how you view and see yourself. 709 00:48:08,480 --> 00:48:11,320 Hallelujah. Allow the voice of God to be the 710 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:15,200 loudest voice in your life. Allow the opinion of heaven to 711 00:48:15,200 --> 00:48:18,840 be the greatest thing that you look to and the cue that you 712 00:48:18,840 --> 00:48:20,240 look to. Amen. 713 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:23,800 For that appreciation and for that sense of belonging and that 714 00:48:23,800 --> 00:48:30,040 sense of stability, Hallelujah. God, God, God, God, he loved the 715 00:48:30,040 --> 00:48:32,400 whole world. Hallelujah, Hallelujah that he 716 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:36,800 gave himself for you, ma'am, for you, Sir. 717 00:48:36,960 --> 00:48:39,480 Hey, ma'am, you might be struggling right now. 718 00:48:39,680 --> 00:48:41,760 You might not be able to accept positive. 719 00:48:41,760 --> 00:48:44,480 You're just default to the negative all the time. 720 00:48:44,760 --> 00:48:47,760 Hey, man, just because there's these things that you struggle 721 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:51,360 and you war with, God wants to set those things anew. 722 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:53,360 He's going to lead you along the way. 723 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:56,560 If you can't accept that evaluation, then that appraisal 724 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:59,400 he's placed upon your life. He's going to find where you are 725 00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:02,960 and he's going to lead you, if you will, to that place of his 726 00:49:02,960 --> 00:49:05,760 original evaluation in his image. 727 00:49:05,760 --> 00:49:09,280 And he sacrificed for you and loved you. 728 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:15,160 Messiah, Spirit of the Lord, I pray against Lord, every spirit 729 00:49:15,160 --> 00:49:21,320 of fear, God, every spirit God, Lord people struggling with with 730 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:24,840 with a mode of rejection God from others. 731 00:49:25,120 --> 00:49:31,000 I pray, O God, today God, tear down mindsets, God through years 732 00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:34,120 that have been built to that time, see impenetrable. 733 00:49:34,360 --> 00:49:37,120 But I know God, your spirit is able to do a work. 734 00:49:37,440 --> 00:49:39,560 I know your word is able to do a work. 735 00:49:39,840 --> 00:49:43,840 God, you're not just a ultimate master Craftsman, but God, 736 00:49:43,840 --> 00:49:46,840 you're a surgeon as well. You know where to lay the 737 00:49:46,840 --> 00:49:49,200 scalpel. You know, Lord God, where to 738 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,320 protrude in. You know God, what needs taken 739 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,360 out. You know God, what needs 740 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:56,800 fetched. You know God, our own 741 00:49:56,800 --> 00:50:01,000 estimations, God, what needs to be lifted up and encouraged. 742 00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,360 I pray in the Holy Ghost right now. 743 00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:06,800 He Allah bosai. He, Allah. 744 00:50:06,800 --> 00:50:09,240 No, no, no, no, no, Kurama, Mama, saye. 745 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:15,520 He Allah bahaya, bahaya, your price that you're paying with 746 00:50:15,520 --> 00:50:18,720 your own life. God, that's meaningful to me in 747 00:50:18,720 --> 00:50:22,400 my life, that's meaningful to me in my value. 748 00:50:22,640 --> 00:50:25,640 That's meaningful to me, Lord, in my words. 749 00:50:26,120 --> 00:50:30,240 Kurama, Mama, Messiah, come on, someone pray right now. 750 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:33,680 Talk to God. Be vulnerable right now in that 751 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:38,520 place of prayer with the Master. Open your life, open your heart, 752 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:41,920 open your mind, open your preconceptions. 753 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:45,800 Open yourself to God. Only He can satisfy. 754 00:50:46,040 --> 00:50:48,280 Only He can complete. Only He. 755 00:50:48,280 --> 00:50:54,640 Only He, only He. Yes, yes.