1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,040 Welcome to the Illuminate Church podcast. 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,640 We hope today's message is encouraging to you. 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:10,240 I got a question for you this morning. 4 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:21,040 Why are we so dissatisfied? A group did a study and they 5 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:26,040 found out that 54% of people in a marriage are dissatisfied. 6 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:34,840 For the record, not me found out that 85% of people are 7 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:40,200 dissatisfied in their work at at jobs you know going to work. 8 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:51,160 For the record, not me they found out that 47% of people are 9 00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:58,840 dissatisfied with the church. For the record, Are you sure? 10 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,560 Wait till I'm done. It's interesting, this group did 11 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,200 another study and they found out that the happiest people in 12 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,480 America are people that attend church regularly. 13 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,800 Interesting, this group also found out in the study that 14 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:19,520 fourteen and only 14% of people are satisfied with themselves. 15 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,480 In 2018, it was 31% of people satisfied with themselves. 16 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,480 That's a drop off, y'all. We live in the United States of 17 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:33,360 America, the land of opportunity, the land of 18 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:40,040 abundance. We have Walmarts, whatever you 19 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,360 need. We have Costco, we have Amazon. 20 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:50,400 You, you just press a button and then you open your door and 21 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:55,400 whoop, there it is. Why are we so unsatisfied? 22 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,440 We all have this common weakness within us. 23 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,400 It's part of who we are. And the problem is this, this, 24 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:04,360 this common weakness of being dissatisfied. 25 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:06,880 The problem is that when we are dissatisfied, you may have heard 26 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,320 me say this before, when you are desperately hungry, you will eat 27 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,320 anything, right? And so when we are dissatisfied, 28 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:18,840 we go searching for something to satisfy as we go around needing 29 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,760 needy, needy, needy. There's a seat in the Bible that 30 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:24,920 where Jesus does something that I'm not sure he does anywhere 31 00:02:24,920 --> 00:02:26,480 else. Maybe one or two other times if 32 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,080 you really study through the Scriptures. 33 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,200 He's with his disciples. He's on the Mount of Olives, 34 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:35,520 he's in the Garden of Gethsemane. 35 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,200 And he says to his disciples, I have a need. 36 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:46,960 Jesus, the Son of God says I need something. 37 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,920 The one who was the owner of a cattle, of owner of the cattle 38 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:56,120 on 1000 Hills, the wealthy, the God who has all things says I 39 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:02,080 need something. He says those disciples I'm 40 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:09,440 about to go through the crucifixion, the nails, the pain 41 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:14,160 and terror of sin and death, the rejection of my father. 42 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:19,680 I have a need. Will you pray for me? 43 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:26,440 Can you imagine the Son of God saying, I need you to pray for 44 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:27,520 me? Like what shouldn't be? 45 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,000 You pray for me. And Jesus says, no, I need you 46 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,400 to pray for me. And Jesus goes into the garden, 47 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,040 and if you remember the Scripture, he prays and it's so 48 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:42,880 intense that his blood vessels break and he sweats out blood 49 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,680 goes back to his disciples, and there they are, fervently 50 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:52,000 calling on the name of the Lord in his behalf, right? 51 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:58,160 No, he's praying over here, sweating blood. 52 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,560 And he comes back one hour later, one hour later, right? 53 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:09,080 And they're asleep. And Jesus says this to him. 54 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:15,400 The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 55 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:22,760 Weak flesh, weak flesh. I have some weak flesh. 56 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,720 Let me prove it to you. I hate Halloween. 57 00:04:28,280 --> 00:04:29,400 Thought there might be some noise. 58 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:31,840 Some would be like Boo. Some would be like yes. 59 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:37,440 Now it's for weird reasons. Halloween where we live, there's 60 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:41,400 just way too many people. Like they people bust into our 61 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:43,640 neighborhood to go collect candy. 62 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:46,440 There are certain households, I see some of you here that live 63 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:48,680 on a Main Street where they might give away thousands of 64 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,440 pieces of candy, literally thousands. 65 00:04:53,600 --> 00:05:03,440 I I also hate that adults dress up like children and children 66 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,760 dress up like adults. And I also hate that adults 67 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,280 judge other adults and children for acting the way that they do. 68 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,920 I also hate that we partner with the demonic on Halloween. 69 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,160 We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers 70 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,720 and powers and the spirit. All that in Ephesians chapter 6 71 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:25,320 and we just put them on our yard and in our house. 72 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:28,720 I could get on a soapbox, but that's not really why I hate 73 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:30,240 Halloween. The reason I hate Halloween? 74 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:33,800 When we used to practice this idea of giving out candy every 75 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,640 year, magically in our house would appear these gigantic bags 76 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:44,200 of chewy chocolate delectables. Bite size unthreatening. 77 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,000 Just a little bites. Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's 78 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:53,320 Peanut Butter cups, Twix, Kit Kat Butter finger. 79 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:58,280 Have I got everybody covered? Yeah. 80 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:05,920 I did not mention Heath or wow, Somebody just fell out in the 81 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:09,960 spirit. Or that one with coconut. 82 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:11,080 I won't even say it. Almond. 83 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:17,520 Not joy. And invariably, when these bags 84 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,800 are in my house before Halloween, I would find myself 85 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:24,600 standing at them before I heard them calling my name, and I 86 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,800 would wriggle my little hand through the plastic and just get 87 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,360 one. Probably a Snickers, because 88 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,520 Snickers satisfies. Guess what? 89 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:40,880 No, we don't. I'm here to testify. 90 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,600 I have scientifically tested that Snickers does not satisfy 91 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,680 because you have one in 3 minutes later you're standing 92 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,640 back in the bag and I could just just one more and one more 93 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:54,040 becomes 12. And scientifically, I've proven 94 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,120 that 12 does not satisfy either. Whatever it is, it just does not 95 00:06:58,120 --> 00:06:59,920 work. It's impossible. 96 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:04,320 And what happens is, is my discipline unravels because of 97 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:06,800 my dissatisfaction. If I was satisfied, I just have 98 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,240 one or none. But because I'm not satisfied, I 99 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,160 have more than 1/12/15 hundred whole bags gone. 100 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,960 Nobody knows, right? Learn the lesson with me. 101 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:23,920 Unrivaled lives often stem from unsatisfied souls. 102 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,000 The soul is unsatisfied and I need it to be satisfied because 103 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:35,800 of the discomfort of the dissatisfaction, I need this to 104 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,560 go away. So one chocolate turns into 12 105 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:46,520 or one drink turns into three or 4A night, or one quick trip to 106 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:49,320 the mall becomes or one quick trip on Amazon becomes. 107 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:56,080 This debt inducing buying frenzy when a late night look at an 108 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,760 inappropriate website becomes normal comfortable when a kid 109 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,840 spills a drink of water and a fire hydrant of rage comes out 110 00:08:05,840 --> 00:08:08,960 of your mouth. These are all symptoms of an 111 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:13,760 unsatisfied soul. Unraveling all of these 112 00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:18,200 occurrences and many many more is a never satisfied flesh 113 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:22,720 crying out. Medicate my pain, medicate my 114 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,320 failure, medicate my unhappiness of the way that things have 115 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:28,600 turned out. I'm not satisfied. 116 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:36,039 The flesh, the weak flesh cries out make it go away for me. 117 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,880 Besides chocolates, I try to satisfy myself typically with 118 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:51,200 TVI know I'm the only one. Sports glory to God movies 119 00:08:52,360 --> 00:09:01,200 Hallelujah Jeopardy any jeopardy fans what is jeopardy? 120 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:02,320 That's you get to say it that way. 121 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,000 I scientifically have tested jeopardy. 122 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,360 No, shock does not satisfy at all. 123 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:14,320 All of these things that we do, whatever it is, it's all a 124 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,760 distraction to us. I feel dissatisfied. 125 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,920 I'm going to distract myself from my dissatisfaction by doing 126 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:21,160 something. And let me ask you this 127 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,440 question. Does distracting yourself help 128 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:30,720 you or does it help the enemy? Think about it, if a burglar was 129 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,480 entering your house to steal your possessions, maybe harm you 130 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,240 and your family, is it better for you or for the enemy, the 131 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:42,840 burglar, if you're distracted? And here we are, thinking that 132 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,480 the distractions against our dissatisfaction is actually 133 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,480 helping us, when instead it's actually making us more 134 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:54,440 vulnerable, exacerbating the problem that we're facing. 135 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,600 That's what weak flesh does. Weak flesh is prone to cave, 136 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,600 prone to want. There's a constant sucking sound 137 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:05,600 from the soul of the dissatisfied. 138 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:08,280 Anyone ever remember Little Shop of Horrors? 139 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,280 Audrey too. The plant would sing feed me, 140 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:14,600 see more, feed me all night long. 141 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,120 You can do it. Anyone. 142 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:21,600 OK, It got really embarrassing really quick. 143 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:27,440 Let's move along. Weak flesh wants to be satisfied 144 00:10:27,440 --> 00:10:30,880 but can't because weak flesh is not satiable. 145 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:34,760 It's insatiable. Weak flesh is never satisfied 146 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:36,640 during the fast. What we were doing, if you 147 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,320 remember, is teaching our weak flesh a lesson. 148 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:44,520 You do not rule over me. I am starving you flesh so that 149 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,520 you will die out. And instead the Spirit of God is 150 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,680 what I will bend my knee to. The Spirit of God is who wears 151 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:53,960 the pants in my family, right, not my flesh. 152 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:02,720 Praise the Lord. So this weak flesh, the sucking 153 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:03,840 sound. And here's what I want you to 154 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:06,400 know. When you have a life that is led 155 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:13,240 by, fed by, fueled by, ruled by the Spirit of God, here's what 156 00:11:13,240 --> 00:11:18,520 happens. Complete satisfaction, total 157 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:20,760 satisfaction. The message today is entitled, 158 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:26,000 satisfied. Finally, you will be satisfied 159 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,480 when you are at your best. And the Scripture shows us when 160 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,800 you will be at your best. So I'm going to show you today 161 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,720 how you're going to be at your best so that you can and I can 162 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:39,160 experience satisfaction no longer having to binge on the 163 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:41,360 things of the world that bring us into disaster. 164 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,040 Amen. We're going to be in two places. 165 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:45,280 If you need a Bible, raise your hand. 166 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,880 We'll bring one to you. Otherwise, open your Bibles to 167 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,760 Revelation chapter 21. Just flip to the very back. 168 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:52,600 If you've gone to maps, you got a little too far. 169 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,400 Flip back a little bit. Revelation 21, the second, the 170 00:11:55,400 --> 00:11:59,160 last chapter in the Bible. Also, if you want, you can put a 171 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:04,280 pen or a bookmark on Psalm 130. That's what we'll be at the end 172 00:12:04,560 --> 00:12:06,520 of today. So Revelation 21, we're coming 173 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:07,400 to you. We're coming to you. 174 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:12,960 Psalm 130 and Revelation 21. If you're ready, say I'm ready. 175 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,320 Wait wait y'all sound too sleepy today. 176 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:19,960 I'm up here, you're there, let's be together. 177 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,720 Say I'm ready. Hey praise God Revelation 178 00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:26,400 chapter 21. Lord bless your word as we read 179 00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,000 it in Jesus name. Then this is John speaking. 180 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:36,720 He says, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the 1st heaven 181 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,680 and the first earth had passed away, and there was, excuse me, 182 00:12:40,680 --> 00:12:44,560 no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, the new 183 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:48,640 Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a 184 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:50,960 bride, beautifully dressed for her husband. 185 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,880 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, look, God's 186 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,160 dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with 187 00:12:58,160 --> 00:12:59,960 them. They will be his people and God 188 00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:03,320 himself will be with them and be their God. 189 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:05,960 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 190 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,400 There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for 191 00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,400 the old order of things is passed away. 192 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,880 He who is seated on the throne said, I am making everything 193 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:17,280 new. Then he said, write this down, 194 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:21,480 for these are the These words are trustworthy and true. 195 00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:25,560 He said to me, it is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the 196 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:28,240 beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water 197 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,120 without cost from the spring of the water of life. 198 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:35,920 To those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be 199 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,560 their God and they will be my people. 200 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,400 This, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the story. 201 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:49,000 This is called eschatology, the study of theology in regards to 202 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:53,840 the end, the final state of our souls and the final events of 203 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:57,360 all of history. In the Book of Revelation, which 204 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:01,920 we're going to study later this year in the fall, Jesus himself 205 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,200 gives John the revelation. It's just one revelation. 206 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:06,920 It's not revelations, it's revelation. 207 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,760 He gives them this vision. He gives them a promise of how 208 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,720 fangs will be in the end. This is Jesus giving this 209 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,160 promise. Now remember, this is the same 210 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,720 Jesus who promised through the prophets that he would come to 211 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,880 the earth, and Jesus fulfilled that promise. 212 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,440 This is the same Jesus who says I'm going to go to the cross to 213 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:33,320 wipe away the power and the penalty of death and sin. 214 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:38,320 It's a promise he fulfilled. This is the same Jesus that 215 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,080 promise that he would bring the Holy Spirit to the earth, a 216 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:46,400 promise that Jesus fulfilled. And now here we have Jesus 217 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,880 making this final promise, saying in the end there will be 218 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,360 no more death, there will be no more tears, there will be no 219 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,320 more separation from God's perfect presence. 220 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:01,280 Jesus made the promise and Jesus keeps his promises. 221 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:06,840 Amen. So verse 6 is key here. 222 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:15,760 Jesus says I will give free water with free refills forever. 223 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:22,800 He's saying to the unsatisfied, to the thirsty, I will satisfy 224 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:29,120 for free forever. Meaning that in heaven, our 225 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:37,640 perfect state is as satisfied people forever, not wanting, not 226 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,480 lacking. There's no needy behaviors that 227 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,680 cause us to spiral into these unraveled lives. 228 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:49,320 And all of it happens, our satisfied selves, this free 229 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:54,560 water, because the Lord God himself is present with us and 230 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:58,160 we with Him, nothing to separate us from Him. 231 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:00,800 This is the beauty of how it will be. 232 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:08,080 But wait, there's more, another promise. 233 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:09,880 You don't have to turn there. It's just one short verse. 234 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,240 Luke 2343 says Jesus answered him. 235 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:16,360 Truly, I tell you today you will be with me in paradise. 236 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:20,840 We're going to talk about this text at Easter, just a few weeks 237 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,040 away, April 5th. But just in case you're not 238 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:26,480 familiar with the story, Jesus is here on the cross. 239 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,040 He has two thieves next to him. One of the thieves makes a 240 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:32,040 profession of faith. And Jesus says to him, today 241 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,880 you'll be with me in paradise. And what Jesus is doing here is 242 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:38,760 giving us a glimpse of the way it will be in heaven, what it 243 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:40,760 will look like. He did not say today you will be 244 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,920 with me in the clouds. He also didn't say today you'll 245 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:47,880 be in the grave and later join me somewhere else. 246 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,280 He says you will be with me and he uses a specific word on 247 00:16:52,280 --> 00:17:00,000 purpose, Paradise. Paradise means park like beauty. 248 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:05,960 It means Garden of Eden and you all can imagine what you think 249 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:09,000 that looks like. I personally think it looks like 250 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:13,400 this. Take it in. 251 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,960 I don't know what that red flag fruit tree is in the middle 252 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,680 there. This is Bandon Dunes. 253 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:26,599 This is on the coast of Oregon. My dad and my brother and myself 254 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:32,840 last Easter got on a plane and went and played seven courses on 255 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:37,880 the Pacific Ocean in paradise. Look at that. 256 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,480 Even if you don't love golf, don't you want to go? 257 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,040 Just pretend like you don't. You want to go? 258 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:47,840 It's beautiful. Look at that. 259 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:53,920 Oh, sad. I just believe with all my heart 260 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,400 that the greatest glory of whatever you imagine on earth to 261 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:06,440 be paradise is like this. The tiniest crumb, the the the 262 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:10,760 smallest infinitesimal crumb of food compared to this rich 263 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:13,760 gourmet platter that God has served for us in heaven. 264 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:20,600 This is what awaits us in the end in Jesus name. 265 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:24,400 But wait, there's more, but let me just summarize so far in 266 00:18:24,400 --> 00:18:27,600 heaven we'll be with God, we'll be fully satisfied and we'll be 267 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:29,640 in paradise. That's where we are so far. 268 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,200 There's more First Corinthians 15. 269 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,040 You don't have to turn there, but look at this verse 50 says I 270 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:36,480 declared you brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood 271 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,120 cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, nor does the perishable all 272 00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:46,200 this inherit the imperishable. Listen, I'll tell you a mystery. 273 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,120 We will not all sleep, but we all will be changed in a flash, 274 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:53,200 in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. 275 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,600 For the trumpet will sound. The dead will be raised 276 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,760 imperishable and will be changed. 277 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:01,280 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, 278 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:04,920 and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been 279 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,160 clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, 280 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:10,280 then the saying that is written will come true. 281 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,400 Death has been swallowed up in victory. 282 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:17,080 Somebody say Amen. Come on. 283 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:19,240 There's so much in this verse, but what I want you to focus on 284 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:22,000 today is that at the end, everything that's perishable 285 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,840 gets replaced by what's imperishable. 286 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,440 I want you just to check out your body for a second. 287 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,560 Look around. Look anywhere you can that's 288 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:37,600 appropriate right now. Do you see your expiration date 289 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:46,120 printed on your body somewhere? I am standing in front of you 290 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:50,840 like the milk in your fridge. I'm perishing. 291 00:19:55,720 --> 00:20:00,120 You see, this didn't used to be Gray. 292 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,360 This didn't used to wiggle. How'd that happen? 293 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:10,160 While these bodies we currently live in are wasting away and as 294 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:14,080 we age, we carry around the evidence that we are perishing. 295 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:19,240 Wrinkles, sags, stooping. There's so much fun, so much 296 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,840 fun. One day my dad said getting old. 297 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:22,960 Tim is a yeah. What about it? 298 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,040 Tell me, is it not as bad as like getting old Stinks like 299 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:31,120 dad? No, in heaven. 300 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:38,600 Everything, all the pain, all the wrinkles, all the sags, all 301 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,560 the all the stooping. It all goes away and it's 302 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:51,400 replaced with a perfectly healthy forever body and you'll 303 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:54,800 be walking around like this. Be like you go to the gym like 304 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:59,600 no man, I've been to heaven. Hallelujah. 305 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,160 I can't wait. So I'm just combining all these 306 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:06,880 things together in the final destination. 307 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,200 Thanks be to God, we are in our perfect emotional state. 308 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,480 We're in our perfect relational state with the Lord our God. 309 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,960 We're in our perfect physical state, and as a bonus, we are in 310 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,120 paradise. Are you? 311 00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:21,720 Are you getting all the pieces together? 312 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:24,360 Are you getting all that? You got to talk back to me this 313 00:21:24,360 --> 00:21:27,640 morning. Come on, we will be satisfied in 314 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:29,960 every way. My point is that everything and 315 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,360 everyone are at their very best version of themselves in heaven. 316 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:38,000 That's how it's going to be. And because that's the case, 317 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:43,520 then what we are doing in heaven must also be the best version of 318 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,720 ourselves. If everything else is the best 319 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:49,120 version, then what we're doing there must also be the best 320 00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:51,120 version of who we are. Are you picking up what I'm 321 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:56,080 putting down? Revelation Chapter 7, verse 9. 322 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,400 This is what we're doing in heaven. 323 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:01,840 After this, I looked and saw a multitude. 324 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:07,280 Multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and 325 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:09,880 people and tongue. It looks like here in Illuminate 326 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,040 Church there's a lot of different people standing before 327 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:17,160 the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes 328 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,200 and holding palm branches in their hands. 329 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:21,520 And they cried out in a loud voice. 330 00:22:21,520 --> 00:22:27,640 Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, and 331 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:30,040 all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders and the 332 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:32,800 four living creatures, and they fell face down before the 333 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:35,480 throne, and they worship God, saying, Amen. 334 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:40,960 Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power 335 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:45,080 and strength be unto our God forever and ever. 336 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:47,400 Amen. Somebody say Amen. 337 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,040 Yeah. So what are we doing in heaven? 338 00:22:54,160 --> 00:23:00,200 Worshiping continually before the throne of God with the 339 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,320 angels and the elders and the four living creatures which 340 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:05,360 themselves are going to be mind blowing to see. 341 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,960 And then there's the Lord God worshiping. 342 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:10,920 I want to tell you that worship in heaven will be a different 343 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,400 experience that it is on earth because worship in heaven will 344 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,360 be interactive. Interactive. 345 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:20,560 What does that mean? There'll be no barriers at all. 346 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:23,920 It is safe to say I can almost guarantee you as far as a human 347 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:28,800 can, can explain to a person that this will be you in heaven. 348 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:33,320 Worshipping the Lord will be the very best experience of your 349 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:37,760 life in any kind of way. You think of the best thing 350 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,680 that's ever happened to you physically, emotionally, 351 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,200 relationally, spiritually in heaven. 352 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,480 It'll be the very best thing that has ever happened to you as 353 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,000 you worship the Lord. And that's what we get to do in 354 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,480 heaven forever. When Christine and I started 355 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,640 dating, we were in Gainesville together and then a few months 356 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:01,240 later I moved to Ocala. And for the next almost three 357 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:06,600 years, we long distance dated before cell phones. 358 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:12,520 It's hard to imagine. I'm in Ocala, she's in 359 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:15,040 Gainesville, I'm in Ocala. She moves to Tampa for her first 360 00:24:15,040 --> 00:24:22,680 job and a lot of phone time. How many all know that it's one 361 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,080 thing to be on the phone and it's another thing to see face 362 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:30,960 to face? Paul writes in Corinthians. 363 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,920 Now we see dimly, as if looking in the mirror. 364 00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:40,480 Then in heaven, we'll be face to face with the living God. 365 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:47,560 I don't know if you've ever been taking a nap and you heard the 366 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:51,840 pitter patter of rain. I see your faces. 367 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:56,080 Yeah. You're just, like, so cozy. 368 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,520 And then the side, like, I got to get up. 369 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,440 I got stuff I got to do. It's the worst feeling. 370 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,640 You just want to stay, but you know, you got to go. 371 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,200 Anyone. Anyone. 372 00:25:09,880 --> 00:25:12,280 Have you ever been in a hot shower on a cold day? 373 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,680 And you think as soon as I turn off that hot water, that cold 374 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:19,680 air is going to be hitting me. And you know, I just want to 375 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,320 stay here, but I know I got to go. 376 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,480 Anybody you ever been on a 5 day cruise? 377 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:32,960 It's day three and a half and you're like, I'm finally 378 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:37,560 relaxed. And then like sheer terror, it 379 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,840 hits your soul. I got to get off the boat in two 380 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,800 days. And you start thinking about it 381 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,840 and it starts ruining their vacation because you got it. 382 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:52,200 Anybody. Anybody ever been on the 13th 383 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,200 hole and start thinking, I only got four more holes left. 384 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,120 I see those hands. It's kind of depressing. 385 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,720 You're like, I'm having fun, but I know it's about to end. 386 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:04,520 You know where I'm going with this, right? 387 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,800 Man in heaven, you never have that second shoe that's going to 388 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:11,680 drop. Like you got to stop because you 389 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:19,640 got to move on. This incredibly moving, 390 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:25,440 touching, social, physical, mental, physical experience 391 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,600 that's happening, you will never have to end. 392 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:33,520 It goes on and on. You get to stay in that state 393 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:35,400 forever. I can't wait. 394 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:37,080 I have to wait and I'm glad to wait. 395 00:26:39,320 --> 00:26:41,240 Let me get to the point of the day of today. 396 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:45,400 Heaven is the only place that we will be fully, eternally 397 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,760 satisfied. The place, the actual location 398 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,600 will be the best. You will be at your best. 399 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:56,320 And the best version of you is doing one thing above all else, 400 00:26:56,560 --> 00:26:59,640 worshipping. So if that's what we get to do, 401 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:04,800 then if worship is humanity at their best state, then I ask 402 00:27:04,800 --> 00:27:09,640 you, why wait? If that's what we get to do, 403 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:13,240 then, then let's start doing it now. 404 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:17,040 I can't see him face to face now unless he decides to. 405 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:19,560 That'd be amazing. Lord, we just, I just like to 406 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,040 see the backside of you. Like Elijah. 407 00:27:21,040 --> 00:27:23,520 Just let me, just let me see any. 408 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,840 Let me see. We can't get to paradise now. 409 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,600 I still have to go through the droop of the stoop and the sag. 410 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:34,840 But what I can do that's happening there now is to 411 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,680 worship. Do the best thing now. 412 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,520 You'll be doing it in heaven. So again I say, why wait? 413 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,520 I want to show you some worship from a guy named King David. 414 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:52,920 He didn't wait. Psalm 130. 415 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,320 I know I told you to go there. He's going to turn there again 416 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,120 says this out of the depths verse one. 417 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:04,000 I cry to you, Lord, Lord, hear my voice. 418 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:07,480 Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 419 00:28:07,480 --> 00:28:10,560 If you Lord kept the record of sins, Lord, who can stand? 420 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:15,360 But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can with 421 00:28:15,360 --> 00:28:19,560 reverence serve you. And now he worships. 422 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:23,680 He says this. I wait for the Lord. 423 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:29,360 This is worship. My whole being waits, and in His 424 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:33,120 word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord. 425 00:28:33,120 --> 00:28:34,880 More than Watchmen wait for the morning. 426 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,440 More than Watchmen wait for the morning. 427 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:44,480 Israel Church, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is 428 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,560 unfailing love, and with him is full redemption. 429 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:51,320 He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. 430 00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:57,520 What's David saying to us here? Well, he's in the depths. 431 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:01,760 He's in the bad place. He's in the valley, He's walking 432 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,920 in the season. Anyone ever been there? 433 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,760 Come on. And he's there because like us, 434 00:29:07,760 --> 00:29:13,160 he has weak flesh. Without getting into the entire 435 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:16,520 story, David's story is known for the rest of the world. 436 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,760 Can you imagine if your greatest 2 sins were written down for all 437 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:21,480 the world to know for the rest of time? 438 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:26,200 David has committed adultery against his wife with another 439 00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:30,560 woman named Bathsheba. And then David has also then 440 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,680 sent for Bathsheba's husband, Uriah the Hittite, to be 441 00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:40,640 murdered on the battle lines. And because of it, he's in this 442 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,720 valley and in the depths of that valley. 443 00:29:44,720 --> 00:29:48,880 He has a choice. I can distract myself from my 444 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,480 dissatisfied soul, call for more women to be sent to me, more 445 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:59,080 food and drink to be sent to me. Or I can wait upon the Lord. 446 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:05,000 I can declare His goodness that he keeps no record of wrongs, 447 00:30:06,040 --> 00:30:09,120 that He saves me from the pit and lifts me up. 448 00:30:09,120 --> 00:30:10,520 And they're the king, by the way. 449 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:13,120 He's the king. He's the top of the food chain. 450 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:15,320 He should have everything he needs. 451 00:30:15,320 --> 00:30:18,120 And yet he falls into these unsatisfied sins. 452 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,320 And here he is worshipping. To come out of this depth. 453 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:28,480 I will worship. And he declares that his waiting 454 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:32,160 is like the Watchmen who wait for the sun to rise. 455 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:39,280 At David's time, Jerusalem's had the wall around at the temples 456 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,120 inside. And the watchman would stand on 457 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:46,000 the wall like this, and they would look east, and they would 458 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:51,840 wait, and they would wait and they would wait. 459 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:57,760 And then over the horizon, the light would begin to peak. 460 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:04,600 And as soon as I saw the glimmer of the Crest of the sun, they 461 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,440 would look down to the temple and make their declaration. 462 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,040 The day has begun, the sun has risen, and boom, the temple 463 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:15,800 would go into action. All the priests and all their 464 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:18,560 priestly duties for the day would begin once the watchman 465 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:24,200 says the sun has risen again. And the Watchmen never failed to 466 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:28,000 do their duty because the sun never failed to rise. 467 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,960 And David's waiting for the sun to rise. 468 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:41,160 David's waiting for the hope to come in the midst of his valley. 469 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:47,720 Waiting on the Lord is like getting to an intersection and 470 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:51,680 not crossing and not turning left, not turning right and not 471 00:31:51,680 --> 00:31:54,480 going backwards. I'm going to stand here until 472 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:58,680 Jesus comes himself and says we're going this way, or we're 473 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,040 going that way, or I'm going to make you sit down and rest. 474 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:09,360 But here's the good news. Jesus will come because the sun 475 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,480 always rises. And as you wait upon the Lord, 476 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,000 whatever situation you're going through, he will arrive. 477 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,840 The sun will rise and your day will begin. 478 00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:23,480 And then what happened in the temple will happen in you. 479 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:28,080 Because in the temple, they would begin their day with 480 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:34,640 worship, lighting of the candles, the sacrifices made as 481 00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:40,360 sacrifices of worship, all of its worship in response to the 482 00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:46,160 sun rising. So today, as response to what 483 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:50,000 God is doing in the room for us here today is we're going to 484 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,960 wait on the Lord and whatever you're walking through, we're 485 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,160 going to believe in the faithfulness of the sun to rise. 486 00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:00,680 The solution to come for Jesus to come and stand next to you 487 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:05,200 and say this, this is the way. Walk in it. 488 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:08,320 And our response then will be to worship. 489 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:11,760 So if you bow your heads and close your eyes, I want to pray 490 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:16,840 over you, Father, hear our prayer, hear our prayer, hear 491 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,440 our cry for help. We've come today to seek you in 492 00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:26,600 your holy place, that the sun will rise and that our response 493 00:33:26,600 --> 00:33:29,120 will be what David's is. Our response will be what it was 494 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:31,760 in the temple. Our response will be what it 495 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,440 will be in heaven forever. Us at your throne, worshipping 496 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:38,280 you, for you alone are the waymaker. 497 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:40,680 You are the Way, the truth, and the life. 498 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:47,000 We turn to no one else but to you, not to the distractions and 499 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:50,000 the brokenness of the world that leave us empty and hungry, but 500 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:53,280 instead we turn to you, waiting upon you. 501 00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:58,400 Oh Lord, shine your glory here. May your peace fall upon our 502 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:02,080 hearts. May you lift our countenances. 503 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:10,280 Grant us the way we're looking. To you, Jesus, we thank you. 504 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:15,679 In Jesus mighty name, Amen. Thanks for joining us today. 505 00:34:16,159 --> 00:34:18,760 We hope God is speaking to your heart through this message. 506 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,760 If you'd like to connect with us, you can text Connect to 4:07 507 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:28,239 588-0115 or visit Illuminate dot Church. 508 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:29,920 Have a great week.