1 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:11,480 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Love Quest International 2 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:14,600 Church Podcast, where we seek to love all nations, equip the 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,560 church, mobilize the equipped, and serve all. 4 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,080 We're super glad you're joining us from whenever and wherever 5 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,800 you're at in the world. Welcome to the family to get 6 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,480 your Bibles ready, get some water, get some coffee, maybe 7 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,680 some tea, and get ready to receive. 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:39,200 Let's get into it. The Bible says this, that the 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,240 Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy, right? 10 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,720 Joy is a signal of the Kingdom alive in you. 11 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:52,960 And the great thing about joy is joy translates righteousness. 12 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:54,960 A lot of Christian folk don't understand what that is. 13 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:57,440 So how the world going to understand it? 14 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:00,360 Peace. God says I give you a peace that 15 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:04,080 goes beyond your understanding. So you don't even know why you 16 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:06,240 had a peace you have. So to communicate that with 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,760 people, sometimes it's like, I don't know, I should have lost 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,880 my mind, but I have. I don't know, I got peace. 19 00:01:13,960 --> 00:01:17,560 But joy translates. I mentioned like Hallelujah, you 20 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:20,000 see someone laugh when you get it right. 21 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:22,800 It just translates. So sometimes you have to be 22 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,920 intentional about releasing joy, especially in times like this. 23 00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:30,240 Amen. Well, on this Easter, I have an 24 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,920 opportunity to do something. I want to give a shout out to my 25 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:44,320 wife too, Elder Roseanne, today's special day for me. 26 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:48,000 I've never shared a message on Easter before, so it's my first 27 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,920 time doing this. So I do it with fear and 28 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,680 trembling, but also too from my wife. 29 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:58,080 My wife grew up in LA and she would see Eastern people going 30 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,160 to church and she didn't know what all that meant. 31 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,960 Why did they do that? And she would go out to brunch. 32 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:08,560 Brunch is a God ordained thing. Long don't get in the way of 33 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:09,160 you. Jesus. 34 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:12,720 The devil didn't create brunch. It's too fabulous. 35 00:02:12,720 --> 00:02:15,840 That had to come from God. But she'll go out to brunch and 36 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:21,000 do a thing right? And but she didn't wonder why 37 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:26,520 all of those years, why living a life empty, trying to fill it 38 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:30,080 with stuff. And then she came as an adult to 39 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,760 know the Lord and accept the Lord Jesus into her life. 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,760 And finally she understood what Easter really meant and she was 41 00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,720 transformed. You know my I, I say this and I 42 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:44,840 shout out to my wife. I say this, I know a lot of 43 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:47,360 people myself. I said, Lord, I'm coming to you 44 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,240 because there's a burden in my life. 45 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,400 There's a pain that's so heavy. I need it to be lifted and only 46 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:56,720 you can lift it. Pain took me to the Lord my 47 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,920 life. My wife was the only person that 48 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:04,040 I know that's talked to me that has said, why did you come to 49 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,160 Jesus? I wanted to know love. 50 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:15,600 That's our testimony and for her to go to a place where she 51 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,760 didn't know anything about Jesus, didn't know anything 52 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,920 about Easter, what people were doing to not only knowing the 53 00:03:20,920 --> 00:03:23,360 love of God. By now having a husband who on 54 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,600 Easter morning has an opportunity to share that same 55 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,920 love with other people, not just here, but because we're 56 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,720 streaming worldwide. It's a gift of God and an honor 57 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,120 for me. And I thank God for my wife. 58 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:49,360 Amen. So this Easter, I won't have a 59 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:50,760 message. I got to charge. 60 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,120 And you'll see it in the message and we're going to go right in 61 00:03:54,120 --> 00:04:02,480 and enjoy ourselves. The title is this Full faithful 62 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:09,640 final forever. Full faithful, final, forever, 63 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:17,720 what a friend we have in Jesus. Full faithful, final, forever 64 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,839 friend. What a friend we have in Jesus. 65 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:24,600 We want to. Talk today about what that 66 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:28,560 really means and unpack that a little bit because I think 67 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,640 sometimes, you know, you can be real familiar with your friends 68 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:36,280 and then all of a sudden they're not there and all of a sudden 69 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:40,400 you go. I really appreciate who they 70 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,120 really were in my life. I didn't know. 71 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:46,440 I didn't understand what they contributed or I had taken it 72 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,200 for granted. A friend goes on a vacation, 73 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:50,480 goes on a trip or something, and then they come back into your 74 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:53,680 life and you say, wow, you know, I really recognize how much I 75 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:56,880 depend on you, how I call you and how we connect. 76 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,840 So we want to take some time to really dive into that and and 77 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:03,320 really talk about that a little bit. 78 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,520 OK, The one thing to know is this. 79 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:12,080 I'm going to go John first. John 4, KJV, Everyone say KJV. 80 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,720 Yeah, that's the OGOG scriptures, KJV King James. 81 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:23,680 So I want, I want to, I want to start here first. 82 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,640 John 4 verse 19 says this. We loved him or we love him 83 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:35,760 because he first loved us. That's why we love Jesus because 84 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:39,920 he first loved us. We wouldn't know what love is 85 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,680 had he not loved us. We would have no idea of what 86 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,440 it's like had he not loved us. OK. 87 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,000 And that's really important to understand. 88 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,200 He is the initiator. He is the activator. 89 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,080 He is the leader. He's the one that sets the 90 00:05:54,080 --> 00:05:56,080 example. He's the one that shares with us 91 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:02,880 the the Adam sin did a lot man. You know, you know why? 92 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,240 You know why? The Lord, the reason the Lord 93 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,680 wants to get everybody in Jesus and walking in love before they 94 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:13,360 get to heaven and see Adam because God don't want Adam to 95 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,520 have to deal with all of our questions like dude, bro, what 96 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:18,640 was you thinking man? Right? 97 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:20,520 Imagine, imagine you walk around heaven. 98 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:21,960 Everyone's like, oh, you're the one dude. 99 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:28,080 What was you thinking? Before Adam fell, love only had 100 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,000 one meaning. When Adam failed, sin entered 101 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,360 and because of sin things got fractured. 102 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,160 So now what something meant got twisted. 103 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,640 So now we had to differentiate between no, I don't mean like 104 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:47,840 this, I mean like this. You got it because now people 105 00:06:47,840 --> 00:06:49,640 could do parts of what things meant. 106 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,600 Before Adam failed, love had one word and meant one thing. 107 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,960 It encompass every aspect of it passing to get a real good book 108 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:59,600 Love Gone Wild talks about different kinds of love you 109 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,160 ought to get if you haven't. And so there's all different 110 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:05,200 kinds of love. And now what? 111 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:08,680 We can have a friend love, but not a sacrificial love. 112 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:10,920 We can do that. Or we can have an Eros love, 113 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,080 erotic Eros. What that means is feelings, a 114 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:18,120 sensual based love, not a sexual base, but sense based love. 115 00:07:18,240 --> 00:07:21,240 I feel like treating you nice. I don't feel like treating you 116 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:26,560 sense based love without being a friend, but in the beginning 117 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,000 love was all love included, all of that. 118 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,600 OK. And sometimes the problem is 119 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,480 this because we do live in a fallen world, when we give God 120 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:41,640 definitions, we think the God definition is the special versus 121 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:43,680 the fallen world definition is the special. 122 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,480 The God's definitions are the standards. 123 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:55,760 OK, So what do I mean? Take take an Eros kind of love, 124 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,040 sensual love. The definition of love is agape, 125 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,240 sacrificial love. Eros is different from agape. 126 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,600 Eros is a lesser or impartial from agape. 127 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:09,040 That's how we ought to talk about it. 128 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,000 But often times we talk about it like this. 129 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,960 Eros is a kind of love and agape is different from Eros. 130 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:21,360 As if this one is the standard and that is the exceptional 1. 131 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:26,120 So we as we go through this today, we're going to talk about 132 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,080 some things, but we're going to use God's standards. 133 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,200 So we love Him because He first loved us. 134 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:34,360 He had to tell us what love was. Sin had fractured and splintered 135 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,640 the idea of what love was in our lives. 136 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:41,320 We had to understand what agape was, what sacrificial love was, 137 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,600 what unconditional love was. We love Him because He first 138 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,800 loved us. He taught us, He shared with us, 139 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:49,440 He transformed us to be able to do it. 140 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:52,160 So I will say there's a corollary. 141 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:57,000 We know what a friend is because he was a friend to us first. 142 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:03,160 The only way we understand what a friend is, is that Jesus was 143 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:05,080 an example of what that meant first. 144 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:09,320 Now I know in Scripture the word friend is used prior to Jesus 145 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,080 coming, and I would suggest to you that it was trying to 146 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:17,080 capture what Jesus really came to do and be, but never fully 147 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,320 captured it. We didn't fully know what a 148 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,360 friend was until Jesus came. That's why what a friend we have 149 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,920 in Jesus, it's when he came there we really began to 150 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,560 understand what a friend really is. 151 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:33,200 We saw how a friend lives. We saw how a friend talks. 152 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:38,520 We saw how a friend deals with pain and hurt and pressure. 153 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:45,120 We know what a friend is because he was a friend to us first. 154 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:53,200 In the Bible, friend, the word friend is used 170 times in the 155 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,560 NIV New International Version, 170 times friend. 156 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:03,840 OK, here's a few of them. In Matthew 2013. 157 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:05,680 He says he'd be the answer to one of them. 158 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:07,960 I'm not being unfair to you, friend. 159 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,920 Didn't you agree to work for denarius? 160 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:13,680 That's the context of a parable. Matthew 22. 161 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:16,240 He asked, how did you get in here without wedding clothes, 162 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:19,680 friend? Matthew 2650, Jesus replied, do 163 00:10:19,680 --> 00:10:22,760 what you came for, friend. That's the Judas. 164 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,960 Luke 244 Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on 165 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,840 for a day. They began looking for him among 166 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,880 their relatives and friends. Luke 522 When Jesus saw their 167 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:37,440 faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. 168 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,800 Luke 5. Jesus answered, Can you make the 169 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:44,840 friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? 170 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:47,840 Luke 7. Luke 76. 171 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,920 So when Jesus went with them, he was not far from the house, when 172 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:55,400 the centurion sent friends to say to him, Lord, don't trouble 173 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,720 yourself. The Son of Man came eating and 174 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,200 drinking, and you say. He is a. 175 00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:03,440 Glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and 176 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:05,480 sinners. Luke 12. 177 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,160 Four. I tell you my friends, do not be 178 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,040 afraid of those who kill the body and after that can't do no 179 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:18,480 more. And when she finds it, she calls 180 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,200 her friends and neighbors together and says, Rejoice with 181 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,760 me. I have found my lost coin 182 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:26,320 friends. Jesus said to the host in Luke 183 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:28,080 14. When you give a luncheon or 184 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,680 dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or your 185 00:11:30,680 --> 00:11:33,920 sisters or your rich neighbors. If they if you do, they may 186 00:11:33,920 --> 00:11:36,600 invite you back and you will also be repaid. 187 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:42,840 The day Luke 2312, the day Herod and Pilot became friends when 188 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:44,680 they were talking about crucifying Jesus. 189 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:48,000 It's amazing what can make you friends sometimes, isn't it? 190 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:51,160 They became friends through treachery. 191 00:11:52,560 --> 00:11:56,040 The day here in Impala became friends before they were 192 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:03,400 enemies. Many, many references to 193 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:04,880 friends. The goal is not to read all of 194 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:06,680 them. Just to give you an idea of how 195 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:08,960 many times the word friend and friend shows up in the 196 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:11,480 Scriptures, right? Friend, friend. 197 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:12,800 He calls this friend that friend. 198 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,200 Friends do this. And so it's very important to 199 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,000 understand that there is a context and a reference for 200 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,880 friends in the Scriptures. And I want to take us to a 201 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,840 couple of those, one of which is Proverbs 27. 202 00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,760 Why is it important to understand what a friend is? 203 00:12:28,760 --> 00:12:30,200 Because this is the kind of friend. 204 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:34,920 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies 205 00:12:34,920 --> 00:12:41,240 kisses. A true friend will tell you the 206 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,280 truth. A true friend will be willing to 207 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,440 even hurt your feelings if indeed it means you become a 208 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:52,880 better person. You want to have the kind of 209 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,680 friends that you're willing to even let them seemingly wound 210 00:12:56,680 --> 00:12:58,800 you. Now where does the wound come 211 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:00,680 from? Sometimes the wound doesn't come 212 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:04,400 from what they do, it comes from what you try to hold on to as 213 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:07,000 they were trying to get hurt and harm out of your life. 214 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:10,400 Wounds from a friend can be trusted. 215 00:13:14,160 --> 00:13:17,560 It suggests to us that we won't. When we have friends, we won't 216 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:23,520 have perfect lives. It suggests to us that having 217 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,200 wounds is a part of relationship, part of 218 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:28,480 friendship. It also suggests that there will 219 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,840 be wounds from other folks who's not friends. 220 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:33,320 That's it. That's kind of implied there. 221 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:35,600 Wounds from a true friend can be trusted. 222 00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,280 Wounds from wounds. From someone who's not a friend, 223 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:44,320 they cause pain and hurt. Wounds from a friend can be 224 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,080 trusted. The way you understand these 225 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:49,120 kinds of wounds is about establishing friendship before 226 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:53,880 the wound comes. But an enemy multiplies kisses. 227 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,440 Be watchful of people who only multiply kisses in your life, 228 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,960 who only won't tell you what you need to know. 229 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:10,560 Won't tell you that the hard truths, won't tell you that you 230 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:14,880 are being selfish, Won't tell you you need to forgive, Won't 231 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:17,680 tell you it's not their fault, it's your fault. 232 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:19,880 You need to examine your own self. 233 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,880 The enemy multiplies kisses. Now if you understand anything 234 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:29,520 about Bible, the kisses is really familiar in the Bible. 235 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,480 Is highlighted in one aspect. Does anyone know the most famous 236 00:14:33,480 --> 00:14:36,760 reference of kiss in the Bible? Right. 237 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,960 An enemy multiplies kisses, which suggests an enemy will set 238 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,720 you up for betrayal. Be watchful of the people who 239 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,400 you never find getting close enough to you, to challenge you, 240 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,480 to prick you, to make you feel a wound of some sort. 241 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:54,080 Ask. Yourself. 242 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:55,640 Are they really being your friends? 243 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,600 Are they being enemies, multiplying kisses for your 244 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,240 future? John 15 says this. 245 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:06,160 My command is this. Love each other as I have loved 246 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,120 you. Greater love has no one than 247 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:15,320 this to lay down one's life. For one's friends, that's the 248 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,520 kind of friend you need. That's like the wound from that 249 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:23,280 kind of friend. You are my friends if you do 250 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,640 what I command. I want to speak to one other 251 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:28,640 kind of wound of a friend that comes to me right now. 252 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,880 There's a wound of a friend that comes from your friend giving 253 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,520 God space to be God in your life rather than them. 254 00:15:39,440 --> 00:15:41,520 That kind of wound makes you think you've been abandoned by 255 00:15:41,520 --> 00:15:44,640 that friend. That kind of wound makes you 256 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,240 think that friend has turned his back on you. 257 00:15:48,360 --> 00:15:50,600 That can be the most hurtful. Why? 258 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:54,760 Because you see them and you see they're not doing anything. 259 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:02,760 That kind of wound from a friend can be particularly hurtful, but 260 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:06,040 that's why you need to know they're a friend because they're 261 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:10,280 giving space for God to come in. And then that instance that 262 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,880 friend is laying down their life. 263 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,840 Because though these sees struggle, it takes everything 264 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,920 within them to trust God as well as you're trusting God. 265 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:20,520 God, I trust that you're going to be the one to comfort them, 266 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:22,640 because you're not leading me to do it right now. 267 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:25,800 God, I trust that you're going to be the one to make sure they 268 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,520 don't fall apart because you're asking me to create some space 269 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:32,360 for them to come to depend on you rather than depend on just 270 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:37,000 my touch. Laying down life for one's 271 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,200 friends. You are my friends if you do 272 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:43,160 what I command. I no longer call you servants. 273 00:16:43,160 --> 00:16:46,480 This is Jesus talking because a servant does not know his 274 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,080 master's business. Instead, I have called you 275 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,960 friends for everything that I learned from my father I have 276 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,760 made known unto you. There is the definition of a 277 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:02,360 friend who in your life is trying to show you that God is 278 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,680 your Father, who is causing you to turn towards the love of the 279 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:09,880 God has for you as a father. If they're not revealing the 280 00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,160 Father to you, then question is, are they really your friends? 281 00:17:15,520 --> 00:17:18,599 What I remember I said, by the definition, you can say, well 282 00:17:18,599 --> 00:17:21,240 now they're my friends. They don't turn me to talk to me 283 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,040 about God, but they're my friends. 284 00:17:23,400 --> 00:17:27,079 What's the definition of friend? This is the definition. 285 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,560 A friend is someone who's going to point you back to your 286 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,680 father, back to that relationship where you know God 287 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,640 as a father, back to what your Father has told you, your 288 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,560 heavenly Father. That is what a friend is. 289 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:41,920 No matter what the Flack or the consequence, they'll do that. 290 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:46,720 I've called you friends for everything that I learned from 291 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,360 my father, I have made known unto you, and that's conveying 292 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:51,640 information. Just breakdown these words a 293 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,560 little bit real quick. That word love, that's agape. 294 00:17:55,120 --> 00:17:58,400 That's that sacrificial love, that covenant love that I'll 295 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,600 stretch my hands on a cross and die for your sins, kind of love 296 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,720 that I'll live a life so I can get up for you kind of love. 297 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,080 That's that agape love life life. 298 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,440 That word life lays down his life for a friend. 299 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,560 That word life means psyche, breath or soul. 300 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,200 It means I lay down the essence of who I am. 301 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:20,400 I lay down my very identity, my very way of how I see myself. 302 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:24,840 I lay down my words, my life. I lay all of it down the essence 303 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:26,840 of who I am. And as the world knows me to be, 304 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,120 a greater love has no one than this than the one lays down your 305 00:18:31,120 --> 00:18:34,680 life for your friends. And this word friends, it's the 306 00:18:34,680 --> 00:18:37,760 word filos. Everyone say filos, it means 307 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,680 friend that has the third definition of this is to 308 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:45,280 facilitate a bridegroom. This is the kind of friend 309 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:47,760 that's going to help you get ready for your covenant, that's 310 00:18:49,080 --> 00:18:51,480 going to help you be who you need to be. 311 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,160 Now in the Bible, bridegroom suggests Jesus and his church. 312 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:57,320 So this is the kind of friend that's going to help you walk 313 00:18:57,320 --> 00:19:00,480 towards that down the aisle with you and Jesus and your church, 314 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:06,200 your relationship with the Lord. This is the kind of friend that 315 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:08,560 you lay down your life for your friends, the people who are 316 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:11,480 trying to help you get ready to make the biggest covenant 317 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:17,600 decisions of your of your life. But there is something more than 318 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:23,520 friends. Friends is not the end all and 319 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,760 the be all. There's something more than 320 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,000 friends. And it's important to understand 321 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:33,440 that because the kind of friend we have in Jesus, it's the kind 322 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,720 of friend that's trying to not only make you a friend, but to 323 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:38,320 get you to what's more than a friend. 324 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:45,440 Everyone say more than a friend. John 15 says this in verse 14 325 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,560 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children 326 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,160 of God, the. Spirit you receive. 327 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:55,480 Does not make you slaves so that you live in fear again. 328 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:58,280 Doesn't that sound like that verse we just read about? 329 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:00,880 I no longer call you servants, but friends. 330 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,160 You're no longer slaves. There's a parallel there. 331 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:09,400 So that you live in fear again. Rather, the Spirit you receive 332 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:12,600 brought you about, brought about your adoption to sonship. 333 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:17,960 And by him we cry. ABBA, Father, the Spirit himself 334 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,800 testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 335 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:25,160 There's something beyond the friend, and that's being a son. 336 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,960 We have the great friend we have in Jesus is that he doesn't just 337 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:35,040 leave us as friends. He meets us as friends and then 338 00:20:35,040 --> 00:20:39,720 he makes us sons. He makes us who we call to be as 339 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,360 children of God. Romans 8 says it continues on 340 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:49,040 and says this now if we are children, we are heirs. 341 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:55,800 He takes it beyond friends to make us heirs, heirs of God. 342 00:20:56,520 --> 00:21:01,760 And Co heirs with Christ, if indeed we share his sufferings 343 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,440 in order that we may also share in his glory. 344 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:07,160 What is his sufferings? It's the laying down of his 345 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:09,960 life. Greater love has no one than 346 00:21:09,960 --> 00:21:12,080 this doesn't mean physically dying. 347 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,440 Not necessarily. I already gave you a picture. 348 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:18,520 I'm a parent and one of the biggest sufferings I have is 349 00:21:18,520 --> 00:21:21,320 raising kids. Not because they're a problem, 350 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,720 but because I got to trust God at some point. 351 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:27,400 Will it be OK? Will people be there to love 352 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,600 them? If you've ever been to parent 353 00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:32,640 and seen your kids go out into the world, whether it's to get 354 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:36,440 their first haircut or their first day of school, or to go 355 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:40,000 off to college or go off to some university, to go off to a job 356 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,880 across the world or go off into a relationship, as a parent you 357 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:46,840 feel that suffering. You feel that having to lay down 358 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:49,760 your life and your desire so that they can grow and become 359 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:54,360 who God needs them to be. Laying down your life was the 360 00:21:54,360 --> 00:21:58,000 sufferings. Sometimes I wish it was just a 361 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:00,840 pain. I wish it was a smack on the 362 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:02,600 wrist because that'll come and that'll go. 363 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,800 This other kind of suffering don't, doesn't, doesn't release 364 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,920 that easily all the time. The kind of suffering I'm 365 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,520 talking, I'm just using myself as a parent. 366 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:16,320 See, this kind of suffering is 2:00 AM and a thought comes 367 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,520 about your child. Now you got to battle the 368 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:28,840 thought at 2:00 AM. That's sufferings, too. 369 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:31,800 If we're sharing the suffering with Sharon, it's glory. 370 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:33,560 So there's something beyond friends. 371 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:45,480 Hey, ma'am, I'll do a picture. Troy, can you come up here, 372 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:47,080 please? Troy's going to be the father. 373 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,280 He's a good father. He's a caring father. 374 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:57,160 He's a loving father. Troy's a father. 375 00:22:57,880 --> 00:23:01,480 He's going to be the father. For us, right here. 376 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:10,000 Now, now I'm going to have Pastor Dylan come up. 377 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:21,920 Pastor Dylan, he's going to be Jesus. 378 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:28,360 You, you ain't never had a friend. 379 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:29,880 You had a friend like Pastor Dylan. 380 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:33,680 OK. He going to be Jesus. 381 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:38,640 Come here, You good. Come on, Jesus. 382 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:44,520 Right. OK, spray around the moon. 383 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:48,360 I know Joyce is the beer straight from central casting we 384 00:23:48,360 --> 00:23:50,840 have. All of the Coucher man to play 385 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,640 the Lord. Did you just have a? 386 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,120 Beard. I don't know, but I Jesus got 387 00:23:56,120 --> 00:23:57,560 one. They look good too, don't they? 388 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:04,200 Jesus, OK, I'm going to have Mark come up here and some of 389 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:05,440 y'all said man, y'all call them all. 390 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:07,360 I'm embarrassed if I know it means I'm good. 391 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:09,160 They all up here with me. Y'all behave. 392 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:16,800 OK, Mark going to come here. And this is who Jesus is talking 393 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:23,560 to in that scripture. OK, you got it. 394 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:30,240 And, and Andrew, I'm going to Andrew, come up here now. 395 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,760 Andrew plays the role of the guy on the farthest outside. 396 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:36,880 I am not typecasting Andrew. But Andrew is secure enough and 397 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:39,400 he knows we love each other enough that if I ask him to do 398 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,240 this, he's not going to go home tomorrow and be like, what's the 399 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:43,360 matter? I'm like, well, you don't love 400 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:44,720 me yet. He's not going to get into all 401 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,920 of that, right? Andrew's safe casting. 402 00:24:47,920 --> 00:24:52,960 This is my brother, OK, Right here. 403 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:57,760 He's dressed up real nice, but he knows what's to be on the 404 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:02,200 outside. So we got to, I want to give you 405 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:06,840 this real picture. So when Jesus says I call you 406 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:12,240 friends, right? What he's saying is I'm getting 407 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,000 information from my father and I'm telling it to you. 408 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:20,320 OK, Turn towards him. Pastor Dylan. 409 00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:24,600 Information. My now all he's getting is 410 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,520 information about the father. Y'all got it? 411 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:33,680 That's what a friend is. He's giving you information 412 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:36,840 about the father. So what does it imply? 413 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:40,560 It implies that there is distance between this gentleman 414 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:46,840 and the father. Why would he need information if 415 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:53,080 there was no separation? Jesus is saying I call you 416 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:57,960 friends because you can't see the Father, but I'm giving you 417 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:01,640 information about the Father. Jesus is saying this before he 418 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:06,080 goes to the cross. I'm giving you information about 419 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,640 the Father. OK, you got it. 420 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:15,080 This gentleman here is connected to this one. 421 00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:21,080 Now, for as much as he tries to convey that information to this 422 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:26,960 gentleman, something will get lost in translation because he's 423 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaking of what he heard, not what he knows. 424 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:37,480 It's like telephone game, OK? And this gentleman, being 425 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:42,080 farthest away, is in the most desperate need of seeing the 426 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:46,960 Father and knowing the Father. Got it. 427 00:26:47,800 --> 00:26:54,120 So it becomes very important that this guy knows the father, 428 00:26:55,440 --> 00:27:00,240 because this guy is this guy's hope of ever knowing the father. 429 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:04,480 He don't even know that father exists. 430 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,000 He don't know that there is such a thing as a father. 431 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:09,080 You ready? He don't even know that he need 432 00:27:09,080 --> 00:27:12,480 a father. Their folk walking around don't 433 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:14,640 even know that they're in need of salvation. 434 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:25,800 The Titanic movie reference. Y'all know my brand in a Titanic 435 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,800 movie? They hit the iceberg. 436 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,120 The boat was sinking long before people knew it. 437 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,960 They didn't even know they needed saving. 438 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,840 That's this guy here. So you see the importance of his 439 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:46,640 role. You got it. 440 00:27:48,120 --> 00:27:54,920 What Jesus says is this, I'm calling you friend because I'm 441 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:57,800 giving you and sharing with you what the what the Father's 442 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,520 showing me. I'm sharing you everything. 443 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,520 So you could know what I know about the Father. 444 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:08,480 And then if he wants to be a friend to him, he's going to 445 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,920 begin to take him and talk about the Father. 446 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:14,880 Right. OK. 447 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,120 But you see the focus, it's a world focus. 448 00:28:18,120 --> 00:28:21,160 It's a earthly context focus. And if he's a good. 449 00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:22,480 Friend, this is what he's going to do. 450 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:25,400 He's going to say bro. Bro, come on. 451 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:33,920 Over here, come on over here and then if he's a good friend, this 452 00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:35,880 brother going to do what say say what I'm. 453 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:40,480 Coming. Come on, now they have a now 454 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,200 he's able to share with him about the father. 455 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:45,880 OK. But then the greatest thing 456 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:50,120 about closing that gap that you share is that what now he's able 457 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,440 to say, put your arm around his neck? 458 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:56,440 Not yet. All right, man, I can't explain 459 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:58,440 it to you as well as I explain to me. 460 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:03,680 So let me just take you to the bra who's told me myself. 461 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,440 Y'all see the relationship here OK? 462 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,720 Right, so now he can better understand the father directly 463 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,000 and the whole time he listening to Jesus talk to him about the 464 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:21,840 father, he going like I get a chance to watch it, which means 465 00:29:21,840 --> 00:29:24,840 I learned more in the watching sometimes than in the I get 466 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:30,760 different perspective. OK, what a friend we have in 467 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,360 Jesus that even when he brings someone, he's going to show them 468 00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:37,240 the father. Now he'll be a friend to the 469 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,400 friendless. Jesus don't know this joker 470 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:42,320 here. He don't know him. 471 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:51,120 But because someone who I call a friend ready brings him, that's 472 00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:53,360 enough. A friend of a friend is a friend 473 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:56,720 of mine, He said that's enough, right? 474 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:05,600 But notice Jesus doesn't say you call me friend because he don't 475 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,880 know the Father. How can he be a friend of Jesus 476 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:11,600 when he don't know who the Father is? 477 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:14,920 How can he help Jesus grow in the knowledge of the Father? 478 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:21,640 He don't know. Jesus can be his friend, but he 479 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:24,800 don't have what it takes to be a friend Jesus. 480 00:30:27,760 --> 00:30:35,400 But what this week is about? It's about Jesus not only dying. 481 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:40,320 It was just about Jesus dying. Step around here. 482 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:49,880 That's like The Cave. It was just about Jesus dying. 483 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:56,000 They're left where they are with information about the Father 484 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:00,760 first hand, some second hand and only partial first hand. 485 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:09,600 But because we celebrate today. Jesus right rising. 486 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:14,920 Now what he's able to say is this. 487 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,040 I used to tell you about the Father. 488 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:29,120 Dog, come on with me now and let me not just tell you, but let me 489 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:44,160 show you the Father. Ready not as friends. 490 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:54,160 You can know the you can be a friend of God because of what 491 00:31:54,240 --> 00:32:00,360 Jesus did. But to know God as a father 492 00:32:00,360 --> 00:32:05,000 means what you you more than friends. 493 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:19,160 You're sons now. Your sons to understand what a 494 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:22,280 friend we have in. Jesus spread out. 495 00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:27,480 Again, what a friend we have in Jesus, that one. 496 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:31,120 Wherever we are, He's telling us, the Father, what a friend we 497 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:34,760 have in Jesus and drawing us close. 498 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:41,560 And whoever we know, he's given us life to share with them so 499 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,120 they can know what a friend we have in Jesus. 500 00:32:45,560 --> 00:32:49,280 He tells us who the Father is simply and plainly. 501 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:52,400 So that way when it goes through him, to him it can be 502 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:57,080 communicated clearly what a friend we have in Jesus. 503 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:01,400 That when this brother brings his friend, Jesus says yes, no 504 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,160 problem, I'll tell him of the Father too. 505 00:33:06,040 --> 00:33:09,760 And what a friend we have in Jesus that's thinking even more 506 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,880 than about being friends. He would go die for your sin, 507 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:19,720 rise up again to do more than just be your friend and say 508 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:23,560 friends now become sons. And let me just take you to the 509 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:28,560 Father. What a friend we have in Jesus 510 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,600 that's not satisfied with your just being a friend. 511 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,080 It's not satisfied until you know your son. 512 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:46,280 That is the purpose. So much so that your son y'all 513 00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:53,280 come in this Jesus. So much so that Jesus says this 514 00:33:54,040 --> 00:33:56,040 y'all got it. Y'all son's on your own right 515 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:59,000 through me. Go ahead, be with the Father 516 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:02,760 you. You be with the Father like I 517 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:04,840 was with the Father. Ain't no interruption. 518 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:10,800 You go ahead, he says. Listen, from this point on, I 519 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,679 don't have to go to the Father for you. 520 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:16,679 You can go in my name. You can spend time with the 521 00:34:16,679 --> 00:34:19,840 Father on your own and get to know the Father yourself in the 522 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:25,000 unique way he made you. He's always there to join the 523 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,440 fun because there's nothing like when all the sons are gathered. 524 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:34,639 But you can develop this relationship on your own. 525 00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:39,360 And if he gets tough, he can lead you while he's the elder 526 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,760 brother. He can show you the ropes of the 527 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,800 household. He can show you Pops put Pops 528 00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:47,159 hide to like the last bit of snacks in the cabinet to the 529 00:34:47,159 --> 00:34:50,639 left behind the vegetables. It's a little game we play. 530 00:34:50,639 --> 00:34:53,880 He hides and he knows we know they're there and we go get them 531 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:55,040 and we it's a little thing we do. 532 00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,520 It's just how we do it, right? That's what we know we got to 533 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:00,440 call Instacart 'cause when the it's gone behind the vegetables, 534 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:03,040 that's what we call Instacart. They can bring some more, right? 535 00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:04,840 You know, you show you the ropes of the house. 536 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,320 Listen, Dad, love you. Dad's encouraging you that that 537 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:10,320 little part where you thought you was left alone. 538 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:13,680 No, that's just Dad giving you space to grow and identity. 539 00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:15,800 Hunkerman. He, he believe me, Dad know what 540 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:17,880 he doing. That's the elder brother there 541 00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:19,880 for you through the work of the Holy Spirit. 542 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:33,320 OK, you all can have a seat. That's the purpose of what this 543 00:35:33,320 --> 00:35:36,240 day is about. And the thing that's very 544 00:35:36,240 --> 00:35:41,720 interesting about the word friend is that before Jesus dies 545 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:44,520 and rises, the word friend is used. 546 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,960 But when you get to the part after Jesus rises, you get 547 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,200 something different that's used from the same root words. 548 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:59,960 Know what you get, beloved? Translated dear friend. 549 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:02,880 There's friend and there's dear friend. 550 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:08,920 Dear friend is like covenant family, not just covenant 551 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:13,760 friend, beloved. See, Paul calls the church 552 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,480 beloved. John says beloved. 553 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:20,040 Peter says beloved. It goes beyond just being a 554 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:22,960 friend. It's go beyond even just being a 555 00:36:22,960 --> 00:36:26,560 member of the family. It goes to being a dear loved 556 00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:31,360 member of the family. Though you are adopted in you 557 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,120 still dearly beloved as the one that was born. 558 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:43,680 Dearly loved. Beloved, what a friend we have 559 00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:49,120 in Jesus that He wants us to come and enter into this kind of 560 00:36:49,120 --> 00:36:57,560 relationship with Him. The challenge is this is that as 561 00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:10,760 joyful as that is, it cost us everything, and that is why some 562 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:15,320 though hearing of the Father. Still remain here. 563 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:21,320 Dude, I know I get what you're saying, but you don't get the 564 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:26,040 kind of fun I'm having right here because I know if I do that 565 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,240 I'm going to have to change some things. 566 00:37:32,560 --> 00:37:34,680 Got it. What was the keyword? 567 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,080 I'm I'm going to have to change some things. 568 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,960 So now, at least in the, at least when there's no light in 569 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,680 the dark. I can pretend like it's light 570 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:48,400 rather than really see what's going on. 571 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:57,560 And that's why this one stays here sometimes. 572 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:04,040 Because I know if I get closer, God gonna want to change some 573 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:07,120 things in me. You see the difference? 574 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:10,640 I recognize I don't have to change. 575 00:38:11,480 --> 00:38:14,280 But I don't know if I want. God to change them things. 576 00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:20,160 You know what I'm saying? I don't want to live a life. 577 00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:26,560 I hurt, I hurt this couple. We know that's married and is 578 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:29,320 having some problems. And I said, you know, there's 579 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:31,280 disbelievers. I said, you know, God can. 580 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:33,480 He says, yeah, I know. I don't know if I want them to 581 00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:39,840 though. So they still this, this 582 00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:46,080 distance here, but Jesus still comes and calls you to himself. 583 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:52,600 He still comes and calls and bids you just because you don't 584 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,760 want to know the Father because you think you're going to have 585 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:58,600 to change yourself. Just because you don't really 586 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,240 want to know the Father. Because you don't want to let 587 00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:03,520 him come in and really change your life and change your heart 588 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:06,960 and change who you are in fullness because you think you 589 00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:09,320 know something better than the one who made you. 590 00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:15,560 Jesus still keeps calling, keeps telling you about the Father. 591 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,280 I'm going to keep telling you about the Father so that one 592 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:26,840 day, one day you finally say, I'll come in on your terms. 593 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,600 Here's Jesus terms ready. Give up everything. 594 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:37,400 Get everything, Give up all of your little thing and get every 595 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:41,800 big thing. That's the deal of Jesus. 596 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,600 Give up your small peace and get peace that surpasses 597 00:39:45,600 --> 00:39:48,520 understanding. Give up your broken and pain and 598 00:39:48,520 --> 00:39:55,880 get wholeness in every air, in every way There will be. 599 00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:00,640 There will. It will require effort because 600 00:40:00,640 --> 00:40:03,120 sometimes, like when you get an injury healed, that's physical 601 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,400 therapy. You got to go through, the 602 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:07,360 injury's finished, but now I got to get better. 603 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:09,240 It's going to require effort and. 604 00:40:09,240 --> 00:40:13,520 Application. So it's not just like woo easy 605 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:17,560 pass to Disneyland and if you can do easy pass to Disneyland, 606 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,840 I highly encourage it. Side note, OK. 607 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:27,240 It's not like easy pass to Disneyland, OK, it's going to be 608 00:40:27,240 --> 00:40:30,320 work, but that's but that's what the bargain is. 609 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:35,720 Jesus says this, let go of that low kind of life and I'm 610 00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:41,800 offering you a God kind of life. And I'm offering you the 611 00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:43,880 opportunity to be a son. Now. 612 00:40:43,880 --> 00:40:45,360 I want to get in some sticky wickets. 613 00:40:45,360 --> 00:40:48,800 Everyone say sticky wickets, Al Jarreau, shout out to Al 614 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:50,960 Jarreau. Anyway, sticky wickets. 615 00:40:51,720 --> 00:40:55,320 And that's this. God is calling everybody to be a 616 00:40:55,320 --> 00:41:02,440 son, men and women. God is not, does not have gender 617 00:41:02,440 --> 00:41:04,400 confusion or anything like that at all. 618 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:06,920 And I'm saying that respectfully. 619 00:41:06,920 --> 00:41:08,600 I'm not trying to be flippant with a joke. 620 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:13,680 I'm saying he's intentional about saying sons because sons 621 00:41:13,680 --> 00:41:17,040 means a certain thing. First, it means that you only 622 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:21,840 get it through Jesus because Jesus is his son, right? 623 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:25,520 It's saying that we're all sons. What we're saying is not that 624 00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:27,960 women are called to be something different or men are called to 625 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:29,800 be something different. What he's saying is we all get 626 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:33,760 it through a son. That's how I that's the brand. 627 00:41:34,040 --> 00:41:36,920 If I have to wear a sweatshirt for the brand of my salvation, 628 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:38,920 he's going to say sunship on it, right? 629 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:43,080 Because I get it through a sun. But this is the other thing he's 630 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:50,280 saying to the women in Genesis. He was deceived, but the man was 631 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:53,440 not. He rebelled. 632 00:41:53,800 --> 00:41:55,920 You got it. You got you got twisted on you, 633 00:41:58,240 --> 00:42:03,560 but because of that you fell below the man and you've been 634 00:42:03,560 --> 00:42:06,680 bearing some stuff because of that. 635 00:42:07,240 --> 00:42:09,280 Even though you was deceiving, that man was not. 636 00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:15,840 And all throughout this life you catch a lot of hardship and 637 00:42:15,840 --> 00:42:20,880 pain. You're told what you can't do. 638 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:24,200 You're told how you put under. You're told how you're not good 639 00:42:24,200 --> 00:42:26,440 enough. You're treated like chattel. 640 00:42:27,520 --> 00:42:32,000 Men collect you like pieces of jewelry, call you concubines, 641 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:38,520 call you wives. You see your children born and 642 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:46,880 raised and off the dying war. Even though he rebelled, you get 643 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:54,680 left out of the inheritance. And even when you marry, from a 644 00:42:54,680 --> 00:42:58,000 traditional standpoint, even when you marry. 645 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:04,760 Your name comes to an end and there'll never be a reference to 646 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:15,880 you in the future. Jesus says, But in me I'll call 647 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:18,560 you son. What does that mean? 648 00:43:19,480 --> 00:43:28,280 It means in me you get all the rights that you fell off of back 649 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:33,080 here. In me you get every right of a 650 00:43:33,080 --> 00:43:37,360 first born son. Not secondary not not not a not 651 00:43:37,360 --> 00:43:42,280 a type of you get it full like everybody else in me you get a 652 00:43:42,280 --> 00:43:46,840 chance to continue to pass on the seed the legacy of the 653 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:48,960 family. Why because the spirit I can 654 00:43:49,080 --> 00:43:51,400 preach and get them. She can preach get him born 655 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,200 again. She can preach get him born 656 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:56,960 again and her born again. You can carry on the family name 657 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:59,320 like everybody, every other man can. 658 00:44:01,240 --> 00:44:05,600 What Jesus is saying that in him not only is he elevating the 659 00:44:05,880 --> 00:44:11,720 elevating on guys to him as sons, he said, daughters, I'm 660 00:44:11,720 --> 00:44:16,160 elevating you to your rightful place, a full airship, full 661 00:44:16,160 --> 00:44:24,080 authority, full power, full ability and full might because 662 00:44:24,080 --> 00:44:25,680 though you was deceived, I was not. 663 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:27,120 I always knew who you were the whole time. 664 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,960 So insane. This idea of sonship. 665 00:44:33,240 --> 00:44:37,880 What he's saying to all of us is men and women alike, you are 666 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:41,160 getting it all. Everything that I have, you are 667 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:45,040 Co heirs sharing equally, not in a diminished capacity. 668 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:48,720 So I'm not saying when we got to go around saying I'm a son, now 669 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:50,760 you can say daughter, that's fine. 670 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:53,360 I'm just trying to make you understand what God was trying 671 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:58,960 to communicate so you don't forfeit what he was saying in 672 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:02,640 the midst of what he was doing. Amen. 673 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:10,240 So. The question becomes, what do we 674 00:45:10,240 --> 00:45:15,160 do? No parent ever talks to his 675 00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:19,600 children without the hope of having a response, without the 676 00:45:19,600 --> 00:45:21,280 hope of having their life changed. 677 00:45:22,720 --> 00:45:26,200 And So what we've heard here today, what I've tried to share 678 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:29,560 with you, is why we celebrate this resurrection so hard. 679 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:32,000 Because it's about more than just Jesus. 680 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,720 Being a friend, and what a friend we do have in Jesus, such 681 00:45:35,720 --> 00:45:38,240 a friend that He doesn't leave us just as friends. 682 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:41,640 He makes us become sons and daughters, makes us walk in the 683 00:45:41,640 --> 00:45:43,880 same space. He has introduced us to the 684 00:45:43,880 --> 00:45:47,040 Father in a way that we can have relationship with God as our 685 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:50,560 Father. That's relying on him. 686 00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:59,600 But specific to who we are. In just a moment, I'm going to 687 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:07,240 ask everyone to pray and we're going to pray a prayer to 688 00:46:07,280 --> 00:46:10,480 activate. Now I'm going to say this. 689 00:46:10,480 --> 00:46:12,520 Some people say, well, prayer never saved nobody. 690 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:15,160 I ain't never seen people get saved without 1 though. 691 00:46:18,240 --> 00:46:23,560 It may not be enough, but you need to have it somewhere in the 692 00:46:23,560 --> 00:46:26,120 mix. Chocolate cake with no chocolate 693 00:46:26,120 --> 00:46:33,240 is just what, right? It don't make the cake, but it 694 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:37,040 makes the flavour. So I'm going to ask you prayer, 695 00:46:37,040 --> 00:46:38,920 prayer. The Bible says this. 696 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,200 You believe with your heart and then confess with your mouth. 697 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:47,200 The key part of you need both for all of our woodworkers and 698 00:46:47,200 --> 00:46:50,600 all of our artisans and all of our craftspeople here, I'm going 699 00:46:50,600 --> 00:46:52,560 to show off a little bit of knowledge about how to do how 700 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:55,520 you know the DIY stuff. It's like it's like a glue that 701 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:58,040 you need 2 parts to activate it. I think it's called an epoxy, 702 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:00,200 right? You need 2 pieces, two parts to 703 00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:03,920 make it work. I want to ask you to take a 704 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:07,640 moment right now and search your heart to see whether you have 705 00:47:07,640 --> 00:47:11,360 made that all out abandoned commitment to the Lord. 706 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:18,240 The reason all out why Jesus gave his full life. 707 00:47:18,560 --> 00:47:21,680 He gave his full love. He gave his full grace. 708 00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:26,480 He gave his full identity. He deserves a full commitment. 709 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:30,240 He deserves a full hearted commitment. 710 00:47:32,400 --> 00:47:36,200 And his father deserves a full hearted commitment as well. 711 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:42,440 He deserved, he sacrificed. He deserves the best sacrifice 712 00:47:42,440 --> 00:47:48,480 you can give. You can come grab these things 713 00:47:48,480 --> 00:47:53,400 at this point. And so I'm. 714 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,200 Going to give you a moment. Have you made that sacrifice? 715 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:01,200 Have you said, Jesus, you've been a friend of me. 716 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:08,160 Now I want to be a son with you. I want to be a daughter with you 717 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:12,200 to know my father. Jesus, I thank you for being a 718 00:48:12,200 --> 00:48:16,920 friend of me. But God, today I want to really 719 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:21,920 just sell it all to the walls. Today I'm talking about full 720 00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:25,200 sacrifice. God, I don't even know what that 721 00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:29,760 means. I don't even know how much it's 722 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:31,040 going to cost me. I know it's going to be 723 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:35,320 everything and I'm going to tell you right now, I may be kicking 724 00:48:35,320 --> 00:48:39,520 and screaming in parts of it. There may be times I'm like, I'm 725 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:43,120 too scared. There may be times like God, I 726 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:47,560 don't want to give that up. But I am saying right now 727 00:48:47,560 --> 00:48:51,400 though, if you can be patient with me through those times and 728 00:48:51,400 --> 00:48:55,040 He can. If you can, love. 729 00:48:55,040 --> 00:48:58,320 Me. Through those times and he can, 730 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:06,200 if you can just not quit on me and not give up on me and not 731 00:49:06,200 --> 00:49:09,800 abandon me and forsake me during those times of where it becomes 732 00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:14,120 hard to live out the sacrifice that I said I'd give today. 733 00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:16,600 And. He. 734 00:49:16,800 --> 00:49:18,640 Can. And he will. 735 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:29,360 If you can do that, I'm all in. I'm just going to bring it all 736 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:37,960 and give it all to your trust. If you've never done that 737 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:42,840 before, I'll even say this. And even if you've done. 738 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:49,240 Partial parts of that. At 25 years old my all was 739 00:49:49,240 --> 00:49:52,560 different. Now at 60 I got 3 kids. 740 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:55,360 God, you mean I got to give them up too? 741 00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:00,480 You was there when we went to the hospital. 742 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:02,160 You were there through the hardships. 743 00:50:05,200 --> 00:50:10,240 God damn my life now I know. That's why I'm willing and ask 744 00:50:10,240 --> 00:50:11,600 you to lay those down too as well. 745 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:18,600 But you'll get them back. So even if you've never made the 746 00:50:18,600 --> 00:50:25,560 full sacrifice. Take a moment, examine and 747 00:50:25,560 --> 00:50:30,000 search your own heart. Holy Spirit, we thank you that 748 00:50:30,000 --> 00:50:36,600 you're moving amongst everyone here or it's been released. 749 00:50:37,600 --> 00:50:40,320 We thank you for activating and standing on the word. 750 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:46,240 Just have an honest conversation with the Lord, honest 751 00:50:46,240 --> 00:50:52,440 conversation with God. Yeah, even if your conversation 752 00:50:52,440 --> 00:50:55,360 as well, if I don't even know what he's saying, true. 753 00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:01,080 But if there's some way you can help me under convince me or 754 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:04,600 somehow get me to open my eyes to, I'm willing. 755 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:12,240 If even if that's your conversation, a friend will talk 756 00:51:12,240 --> 00:51:13,720 with you even when you're not sure. 757 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,400 We're going to ask everyone to pray now, all everyone in the 758 00:51:21,400 --> 00:51:26,000 room to pray. And are you going to give voice 759 00:51:26,000 --> 00:51:33,080 to that wholehearted sacrifice and commitment to Jesus so you 760 00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:36,560 can know God at the Father, So you can pray with me. 761 00:51:36,560 --> 00:51:41,800 I'll, I'll begin to lead and you can begin to echo as I'm leading 762 00:51:42,680 --> 00:51:45,040 and as it reflects the commitment in your heart. 763 00:51:47,440 --> 00:51:58,480 Jesus, I understand who I was, the sinfulness and the 764 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:04,200 separation, but you've always been a friend to me, trying to 765 00:52:04,200 --> 00:52:09,360 show the Father to me. I'm ready to be transformed. 766 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:17,600 I'm ready to lay it all down and receive your sacrifice for me. 767 00:52:19,440 --> 00:52:27,880 You paid the price for my sin that separates me from God, and 768 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:34,120 I'm making a full sacrifice to pick up the life that we 769 00:52:34,120 --> 00:52:37,200 celebrate and you're getting out of that grave. 770 00:52:38,960 --> 00:52:44,720 Jesus, I love you. And more than anything, I want 771 00:52:44,720 --> 00:52:50,440 to know God is my Father too. I want to be a child of God. 772 00:52:52,160 --> 00:53:01,800 I want to be able to cry out ABBA Father, and to know that He 773 00:53:01,800 --> 00:53:04,760 loves me as much as He loves you. 774 00:53:07,320 --> 00:53:11,080 So my whole life is open. My whole heart is open. 775 00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:16,440 My past is open. My present is open and my future 776 00:53:16,440 --> 00:53:22,120 is open. I'm inviting you in to transform 777 00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:31,360 my life, to not just be a friend, but to be a son or be a 778 00:53:31,360 --> 00:53:34,640 daughter. Thank you for being with me 779 00:53:35,520 --> 00:53:39,640 through the difficult times and the challenging times ahead. 780 00:53:41,400 --> 00:53:44,800 Thank you for your love washing over me. 781 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:53,760 And I'm just receive that now. Amen. 782 00:53:57,560 --> 00:54:03,960 And I'm going to ask very quickly if that was the first 783 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:09,320 time you've ever prayed that kind of prayer, if that was the 784 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:15,840 first time you've made ever made that kind of commitment to the 785 00:54:15,840 --> 00:54:18,840 love of God and to knowing God as a Father through Jesus. 786 00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:22,760 If that was your first time, you meant it with your whole heart. 787 00:54:22,760 --> 00:54:25,840 I'm going to ask you to in a moment, just to raise your hand. 788 00:54:27,040 --> 00:54:32,840 And what's the reason? To encourage you, to let you 789 00:54:32,840 --> 00:54:37,360 know that people that celebrate you, that got your back, that 790 00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:41,280 will run with you, pray with you, cry with you, grow with you 791 00:54:41,440 --> 00:54:46,000 in every air in every way. You're not alone in the journey. 792 00:54:48,520 --> 00:54:52,280 And it's your other relatives that are celebrating the family 793 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:55,480 reunion of another son or daughter that's been back home. 794 00:54:58,960 --> 00:55:02,960 It's it's kind of like this when you having a family reunion and 795 00:55:02,960 --> 00:55:05,240 you heard that there was a cousin from another place that 796 00:55:05,240 --> 00:55:08,160 was coming you never met. And I used like, I can't wait to 797 00:55:08,160 --> 00:55:10,520 see them. That's really what it's all 798 00:55:10,520 --> 00:55:12,400 about. So if that was you and you 799 00:55:12,400 --> 00:55:15,680 prayed that for the very first time, I'm going to ask you to 800 00:55:15,680 --> 00:55:20,280 raise your hands. Amen. 801 00:55:21,840 --> 00:55:30,960 Amen. Thank you so much for tuning 802 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:33,480 into this week's sermon. We pray you were challenged, 803 00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:37,040 equipped and encouraged. Make sure to follow us on all 804 00:55:37,040 --> 00:55:40,280 platforms. That's love quest Intl church. 805 00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:42,720 We out here for real. We're really doing it. 806 00:55:42,720 --> 00:55:45,720 That's Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. 807 00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:48,160 You can find us anywhere you need to find us. 808 00:55:48,320 --> 00:55:50,200 But until next time, you know the drill. 809 00:55:50,200 --> 00:55:53,440 You know the motto, get your love fixed man and we'll see 810 00:55:53,440 --> 00:55:54,080 y'all real soon.