1 00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:13,320 Today I want to talk about Echoes of Eden. 2 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:18,320 Echoes of Eden, right? Because like I said, not every 3 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,760 attack on your face looks like darkness, not every attack on 4 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,440 your faith is going to look like a massive spiritual battle. 5 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:32,520 Not every attack on your faith is going to look like a obvious 6 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:34,680 sin, right? We all know there's things in 7 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,720 the Bible that maybe we've read or that we deal with that we 8 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,040 struggle with that we have to put down that you're like, I 9 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,920 know this is wrong and I'm struggling with that. 10 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,000 I gotta get over whether it's lust or greed or gluttony or 11 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,680 whatever else. We, we oftentimes have things 12 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:51,320 that were like, I know this needs to, I need to win this 13 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:55,320 battle, right? And those ones are to an extent 14 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,280 easy to recognize, maybe difficult to overcome, but 15 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,200 always easy to recognize. But what I've learned is that 16 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,400 often times in life, it's not the obvious battles that 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:10,600 actually take us out. The obvious ones you might deal 18 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,360 with and people will struggle with, but more than more than 19 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:17,760 less, it's the the careful battles. 20 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,000 It's the battles that sound reasonable. 21 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:26,200 It's the battles that even seem positively spiritual. 22 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:34,640 Those can be the ones that often take us off the most, right? 23 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:39,040 Because deception rarely announces itself loudly. 24 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:46,640 It whispers. It whispers, and in Second 25 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:57,720 Corinthians, our first verse 1114, it says No wonder, for 26 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:04,320 even Satan disguises himself as an Angel of light. 27 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:12,280 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an Angel of 28 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:14,480 light. You have a seat. 29 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:23,520 The reason I start here in this one saw small simple passage is 30 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:30,280 because the enemy recognizes how dangerous it is to not appear 31 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:38,080 bad, but to appear of light. And we need to recognize today 32 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,600 that often times, like I said, it's not the obvious battles 33 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,560 that kick us out, It's the small, subtle ones. 34 00:02:45,640 --> 00:02:49,080 Because the enemy knows if he can influence the way you think, 35 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,120 he can influence the way you live. 36 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:57,920 If he can influence the way you think, he can influence the way 37 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:03,800 that you live, right? So we have to be aware then of 38 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:06,640 these tactics. We have to be aware then of our 39 00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:09,880 own thinking. We have to be aware of every 40 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:15,480 thought we have, right? Not all thoughts we get should 41 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,560 live in our mind, right? Some have to be held captive, 42 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,480 some have to be thrown out, some have to be put down. 43 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:28,760 Not every thought we have, good or bad, needs to stay right. 44 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:32,800 Because if the enemy can appear as an Angel of light, that means 45 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:38,720 we have to be very attuned to discernment and to scripture and 46 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,600 to our walk to actually reference that not everything 47 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:50,320 that shines is light. Because if deception was easy to 48 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:55,080 notice, less people would fall for it, right? 49 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,920 If it was easy to notice, then less people would fall for it. 50 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,560 But the echoes of Eden, the whispers of the serpent, right? 51 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,720 They're whispers that make us question. 52 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:15,000 They're whispers that distort. They're whispers that slowly 53 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,839 pull you away from what God said. 54 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:26,360 It's these things that are just subtle shifts, subtle changes 55 00:04:26,680 --> 00:04:31,400 that ultimately affect the entire outcome, right? 56 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,080 Because like we said, not everything that sounds right is 57 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:38,480 righteous. Not everything that sounds right 58 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,080 is righteous. And so how do we then, as 59 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:46,240 believers, position ourselves in places that we can discern and 60 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:51,920 understand correctly what is right, what sounds right, and 61 00:04:51,920 --> 00:04:55,120 what is actually righteous right? 62 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,560 We have to be able to understand if we're going to grow in our 63 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,080 walk with Christ, we have to discern the echoes of Eden. 64 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:05,160 And there's three things we're going to have to learn to 65 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,040 recognize. Three things we're going to go 66 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,240 over today. What he said, what you heard, 67 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:16,120 and what God meant. Deception works in these three 68 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,880 layers. What he said, what you heard, 69 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:26,760 and what God meant, right? The serpent was described as 70 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,440 crafty, and we're going to read Genesis 3 real quick. 71 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:33,840 Just the one through 6. I'm going to read the whole 72 00:05:33,840 --> 00:05:34,880 passage. I'm going to break some of it 73 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,960 down Now. The serpent was more crafty than 74 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,720 any beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. 75 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,640 And he said to the woman, indeed, has God said to you, you 76 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:46,840 shall not eat from any tree of the garden? 77 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:49,880 The woman said to the serpent, From the fruit of the trees of 78 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:56,160 the garden we may eat, but from the fruit of the tree which is 79 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,800 in the middle of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat from 80 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:02,680 it or touch it, or you will die. The serpent said to the woman, 81 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:09,320 You surely will not die, for God knows that in the day you eat 82 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:14,840 from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, 83 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:20,920 knowing good and evil. When the woman saw that the tree 84 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:23,400 was good for food and that it was the the light to the eyes 85 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,200 and the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its 86 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:30,440 fruit and ate it, and she gave also to her husband and he ate 87 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,920 it. I want to break down the tactic 88 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,760 of the enemy right here. The first thing the serpent did 89 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,160 was he did not attack God directly. 90 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,320 He attacked the certainty of the word. 91 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:51,480 He did not attack God directly. He attacked. 92 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:57,560 Do you really know what he said? Are you sure that's what he 93 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,600 meant? Are you sure that's what he was 94 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:04,080 talking about? And the first deception of Eden 95 00:07:04,280 --> 00:07:06,480 did not begin with the rebellion. 96 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:14,920 It began with a question. It didn't begin just because she 97 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:16,760 ate. It began the moment she started 98 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:25,120 to think, well what did he say? What did he mean? 99 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,000 And like it starts by saying, look, the serpent was more 100 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,800 crafty. Why? 101 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:35,880 Because not only did the enemy knew the Scripture, he knew the 102 00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:42,760 outcome of eating the fruit, which is why it's so important 103 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,360 for you, which we'll get into later, to know the Word, to know 104 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:50,120 what's being said, because the enemy knows the word, right? 105 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,840 And ultimately the serpent questioned what God spoke. 106 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,760 Then he contradicted what God wanted. 107 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:02,320 He questioned what was spoke. Then he started to contradict. 108 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:04,480 God doesn't want you to eat the fruit, but what does he do? 109 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,560 He turns disobedience and starts to flip it to seem like wisdom. 110 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:15,720 No, no, when you eat of this fruit, you'll be wise. 111 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,600 As if there's more knowledge beyond God. 112 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:28,760 He reframes disobedience to now look like reasonable. 113 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:32,720 Well, why wouldn't God want me to know things? 114 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,480 Why? Why would God not withhold 115 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,120 knowledge from me? Well, you know, God probably 116 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:46,600 does want me to know this. And righteous reasoning, reasons 117 00:08:46,600 --> 00:08:50,920 that sound holy, that seem right. 118 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:57,320 It was a delight to the eyes and desirable to make one wise 119 00:08:59,480 --> 00:09:01,280 right. This is the craftiness of the 120 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,960 enemy. It's not outright attacking God, 121 00:09:05,200 --> 00:09:09,400 it's making you subtly shift. The more dangerous thing isn't 122 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,640 for me to just tell you what you believe is wrong. 123 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,680 It's for me to start to skew how you perceive what you believe. 124 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,040 This is why movements in in scripture get off. 125 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:24,280 This is why people get off on scriptural foundations that 126 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,160 started strong but then shift into something that it's never 127 00:09:27,160 --> 00:09:30,640 supposed to be. God does want you blessed, but 128 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:33,040 that doesn't mean I just name and claim every single thing. 129 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:36,960 No, scripture is very clear that I have a right to the things in 130 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,880 which God needs me to have for the purpose I've been placed in 131 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,120 my heart. Which means God will provide 132 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,760 based upon the need, calling, and purpose He's given me. 133 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,200 God is obligated to fulfill His word based upon my calling, not 134 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:54,200 my desires, right? Why? 135 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,400 Because if I'm not careful, I can get off and I can make 136 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:01,480 something seem, look, feel right that was never intended for me 137 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:07,080 to have in the first place. So he questions, He makes them 138 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,880 question God. He reframes the disobedience as 139 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,200 wisdom, and he starts to make what they didn't need to have in 140 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:16,320 their life look beneficial for them. 141 00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,840 Not only does he reframe it as wisdom, he starts to tell them, 142 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,360 no, no, this is actually good for you. 143 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:28,280 This will actually help you do more. 144 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,360 This will actually get you somewhere. 145 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,960 This is what we talked to. I talked about this weeks ago 146 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,360 and in a message called whispers in the wilderness, right, that 147 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,920 the temptations of Christ, which we'll go over just a couple 148 00:10:40,040 --> 00:10:41,920 today. The last one was what it was. 149 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,000 I'll give you the kingdoms of the world, meaning it was Satan 150 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,720 saying, look, you were called to bring these kingdoms back. 151 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:49,320 I can give them to you and you won't have to die. 152 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,600 Satan has no problem giving you things you think you need, or 153 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:56,640 even giving you things that might help your purpose that you 154 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,160 feel you have, as long as it's not through God. 155 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:07,200 Notice the the serpent was not scared of them having the 156 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,040 knowledge, he just needed them off. 157 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,200 He didn't mind that they would gain the knowledge, he didn't 158 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,920 care what they would get from the fruit, just that God told 159 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:25,480 him not to. So he made independence sound 160 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:32,760 like enlightenment. He gave them the ability to 161 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,040 think. Oh well, if I do this I will. 162 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:41,120 I I know more now, right? As like I said, as if there's 163 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:46,520 knowledge beyond God. He then makes distrust sound 164 00:11:46,560 --> 00:11:51,920 like discernment, right? He starts causing them to 165 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:55,600 distrust the word, but then convinces them that they're 166 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:01,240 discerning something wise. This is the slippery slope of 167 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,040 deception. What did he, what did he say? 168 00:12:04,480 --> 00:12:08,080 What did he actually say? Oh no, that's not what he meant. 169 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:11,760 Because if you if you understand he, he opened the question in 170 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:13,200 the 1st place. Did he say you shouldn't eat 171 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:15,960 from the tree? Already knew? 172 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:22,000 Interesting to think about. He wasn't trying to gain 173 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,680 knowledge of what they knew from them. 174 00:12:23,680 --> 00:12:25,720 He had knowledge of what they should have known. 175 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:29,520 Which means his very first question was already trying to 176 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:31,920 see how accurate are you going to be? 177 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:37,280 How much do you actually remember? 178 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:41,400 Right, Because we know. We all know someone can tell you 179 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,600 something and if you ain't writing it down, you go back 180 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:48,520 later and then you're trying to remember what they said and you 181 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:52,280 don't get all the details like you ain't got it. 182 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:57,800 You're, I'm, I'm, I'm a live and breathe note taker on my phone. 183 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,600 I will talk to you and you might not see me because when we're 184 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,440 done, I'll turn around and I'll start typing those into my phone 185 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:05,200 because I don't want to forget. I'm the kind of person that's 186 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,840 like, if I say I'm going to pray for you, 9 times out of 10, I've 187 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:10,960 prayed for you 15 seconds after I said it 'cause I'm like, I'll 188 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,360 never be the one who says that and then doesn't do it. 189 00:13:14,640 --> 00:13:16,920 Now if the Holy Spirit prompts me to go deeper, then I'll go 190 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:19,400 back later, but at least that minimum, I'll be like, I did 191 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:23,680 pray for them because I'm not going to forget what it was or 192 00:13:23,680 --> 00:13:25,760 what the issue was. Because there's nothing worse 193 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,120 than when you have a conversation with someone, then 194 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:29,280 the next day they're like, did you do this? 195 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,560 And you're like, I forgot that you existed as a whole human 196 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:34,120 being. Honestly, after the 197 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:41,120 conversation. But then we sit in services and 198 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,360 don't pull out a notebook to write something down. 199 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:47,880 And then God gives you unction in your heart goes, Oh, that was 200 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:49,920 good. And then I think I'll just 201 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:57,880 remember, no, what are we doing to make sure that the word 202 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:03,560 spoken sits within our hearts so that when the when right, 203 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,560 because the parable, the soil, what's word is sown on good 204 00:14:06,560 --> 00:14:09,480 soil. Good soil is soil that receives 205 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:11,880 the word in. Why? 206 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:15,000 Because if the seed just sits on the top and doesn't get received 207 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:17,800 into the soil, then anything can come and take it away. 208 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:22,440 Anything can pick it out. Right now at our house, we got 209 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,120 about like a group of probably like 50 squirrels that come down 210 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:28,240 from this tree. And every morning I walk out and 211 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:32,480 they have destroyed this whole section of our grass because 212 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:34,440 there's all these little acorns sitting on top and they're just 213 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:38,000 digging them out. And so, you know, I'm a fun guy. 214 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:39,800 So I like to open the door and just let my dog. 215 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,400 And he's an Australian shepherd. So that's like his thing. 216 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,240 He'll try to like get him in a circle. 217 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,680 He's yet to successfully do it, but he gets close. 218 00:14:53,960 --> 00:14:56,960 But when seed is sown, if it just sits on, if it just sits on 219 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:00,360 Stony soil, if it just sits on top, if it doesn't get implanted 220 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,440 inside, then it's easy to be pulled away. 221 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,360 I, if I wanted to do Q&A right now, I could probably say what 222 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,440 was my first Scripture? Happy you would be like, oh, 223 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:17,480 that was 16 minutes ago. What? 224 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,520 It's because am I doing what's necessary for me so that the 225 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:26,520 word I hear, I know because there is nothing better. 226 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:30,240 There's just nothing better than when you get called into like a 227 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,600 meeting or back on a conversation and someone's like 228 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:38,920 they're wrong and you're like, Oh, no, I got all the receipts. 229 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:43,440 You're like, I can tell you when, where, what color your 230 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,840 shirt was. You had a haircut 30 minutes 231 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:51,760 before and you just feel like, man, I know every detail. 232 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,320 Bring it on. This is why some of us struggle 233 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,360 with spiritual battles. We had we, we struggle with 234 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:02,680 surface battles because we only have surface word. 235 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:10,240 We can defend maybe one attack from the enemy, but that 236 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,800 depletes our word base. And when something digs deeper, 237 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:21,440 we're like, there's nothing there for me to no, we got to 238 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:25,280 let the word grow deep roots in our heart. 239 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:27,600 Therefore it cannot just be pulled out. 240 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,680 We were cleaning out our, our, our garden the last couple weeks 241 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,000 and I got the whole thing like, you know, stripped out and I got 242 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,880 to this one massive plant at the end. 243 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,400 And I started using the shovel because that's all I had is a 244 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,120 thrifted shovel that Pastor Alyssa found. 245 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:47,600 And I'm like getting around this thing and I stick it in and I go 246 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:52,160 and it just snaps. Don't use drifted shovels. 247 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:59,480 So I call in back up and I was like, I call Seth, I call 248 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:01,520 Duncan. I'm like, hey, I need help. 249 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:04,359 And I, you know, to my extent, I was like, I just need a 250 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:06,040 chainsaw. And they're like, we can help, 251 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:07,960 we'll just take care of it. I was like, great, they show up, 252 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:09,880 they tie that thing to the back of the truck. 253 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:11,960 They're pulling that thing on the truck. 254 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:13,839 Duncan standing on the slack line. 255 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,240 I mean, this thing is rooted in there. 256 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:21,040 And I'm like, thank God I didn't just try to tackle this with a 257 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:26,520 chainsaw. But the root structure was so 258 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:30,120 firm. The amount of effort it took to 259 00:17:30,120 --> 00:17:36,720 pull that thing out was immense. It took backup. 260 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:44,000 It took a full blown truck. Is our word structure in our 261 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:50,120 life so deep that when the enemy sends his attack and says what 262 00:17:50,120 --> 00:17:53,000 did he say? Like I know exactly what he 263 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:57,840 said. I know exactly what was spoken. 264 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:03,040 See, the enemy did not tempt her with something ugly. 265 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,480 He tempt her with what was desirable. 266 00:18:07,800 --> 00:18:10,600 He tempted her with something that seemed right, that looked 267 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:21,080 good, that appeared like growth. You will be more wise, you'll 268 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:26,520 have more knowledge, you will grow if you do this. 269 00:18:30,720 --> 00:18:37,320 How often do we fall for the trap of more perceived as 270 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:50,280 blessing but is truly deception? More always seems good until 271 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,360 more takes away and is just pulling out your roots all the 272 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:59,360 time. Because what we didn't realize 273 00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:03,160 was that more was actually going to be pulling and draining us 274 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:08,520 way more than we had before and we weren't prepared for that 275 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:13,400 pulling. No, see, he, he, he makes it 276 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:19,560 seem like growth. And once obedience starts 277 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:25,400 looking unreasonable, compromise becomes easier to justify. 278 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:32,360 Once obedience starts looking unreasonable, compromise becomes 279 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:36,000 easier to justify. They just want too much of me. 280 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,160 They're just asking too much. That's just too much to try to 281 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:41,240 do that. That's not that's not even 282 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:45,920 reasonable to ask me. And then it becomes easy. 283 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:48,560 Just, oh, well, it's alright. Don't worry. 284 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:49,800 The rest of the sermon starts to pick up. 285 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:57,040 You'll be happy again. Like I said, the the serpent 286 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:03,920 never asked Eve to openly hate God, only to question him, only 287 00:20:03,920 --> 00:20:07,160 to question him. What did he say? 288 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,000 What did he say? What did he say? 289 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:13,320 He makes them rethink what was meant. 290 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,120 Once again, like we said in the beginning, he appears as an 291 00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:20,960 Angel of light, as if this conversation is fruitful. 292 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:24,720 No, we're just building each other up. 293 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:27,080 Why don't you? We're just having a good 294 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:31,800 conversation. But he's slowly chopping at 295 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:40,280 roots, softening you up. And the longer we entertain, but 296 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:44,360 we were never supposed to entertain, the weaker we get for 297 00:20:44,360 --> 00:20:51,480 the final blow that comes. What did he say? 298 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:54,000 What did he actually say? So I'm saying not everything 299 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,840 that sounds spiritual is holy. Not everything that sounds 300 00:20:57,840 --> 00:20:59,960 spiritual is holy. Not everything that feels 301 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:05,440 emotional is truth, right? Not everything you hear that 302 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,000 makes you think something is truth. 303 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,520 No, we are to search word ourself because the enemy rarely 304 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:16,680 attacks truth directly. He just tries to slightly edit 305 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:22,680 it. He's rarely trying to just make 306 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:24,680 something up. Now he's trying to alter 307 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,560 slightly enough that it takes root. 308 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:30,640 Right. This is for all my teenagers in 309 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:33,640 here. When you go to a place that you 310 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,040 were allowed to be at, but there's people there that 311 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,160 shouldn't be there, then you go back home and your mom's like, 312 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,400 where were you? And you like, oh, I was here. 313 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,640 And then you start listening. All the people that you know are 314 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,400 allowed to be there, but just casually leave out all the 315 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,320 people you know shouldn't be there. 316 00:21:53,280 --> 00:21:56,320 Like I told the truth. No, you deceived. 317 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:02,840 You reasoned yourself, I didn't lie. 318 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:04,800 No. And so was here. 319 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,520 You lied. I never said they weren't. 320 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:19,240 That's what the serpent does. If we're playing games of well, 321 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,000 I mean, yes, I did say that and I did leave that out. 322 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,200 We are deceiving. This isn't just teenagers, 323 00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:30,640 because I know we do it at workplaces when your boss asked 324 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,760 for something and, you know, you forgot and you're like, no, 325 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,320 yeah, it's I have it up in the background right now. 326 00:22:39,840 --> 00:22:44,800 Deception, like Chase. That's harsh. 327 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:50,960 It's true. Sometimes we casually accept 328 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:55,160 something that in its depth is a deception. 329 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:02,240 And the more we make those tiny deceptions OK in our life, the 330 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,560 more we open ourselves up for deception against us. 331 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,000 No, He's altering truth. We saw this in Matthew 4. 332 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:16,280 I'm going to read it real quick. This is just when Jesus was led 333 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:22,440 to be tempted. Then Jesus was led up by the 334 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,640 Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 335 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:28,560 And after he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, he then became 336 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,240 hungry. And the tempter came and said to 337 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:36,080 him, If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become 338 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:38,000 bread. But he answered and said, It is 339 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,160 written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word 340 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:43,560 that proceeds from the mouth of God. 341 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,240 Then the devil took him up to the holy city, and had him stand 342 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:48,280 on the pinnacle of the temple. And he said to him, If you are 343 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:52,440 the Son of God, throw yourself down, For it is written, He will 344 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,480 command his angels concerning you, and on their hands they 345 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,160 will bury you up, so that you will not strike your foot 346 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,360 against a stone. And Jesus said to him, On the 347 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:04,600 other hand, it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God 348 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,240 to test again. The devil took him to a very 349 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:09,440 high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and 350 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:10,960 all their glory. And he said to them, All these 351 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,200 things I will give you, if you fall down and worship me. 352 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,640 Then Jesus said to him, Go Satan, for it is written, You 353 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,840 shall not worship, or you shall worship the Lord your God and 354 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,160 serve him only. Then the devil left him, and 355 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,960 behold, angels came and began to minister to him. 356 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:32,880 The devil knows Scripture. He quotes Scripture. 357 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,520 What he hates is when you are surrendered to scripture. 358 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,120 What he hates is when you actually know it yourself. 359 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,200 What was the second temptation? It was. 360 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:54,800 This is what the Bible says. But Jesus responds with no, that 361 00:24:55,320 --> 00:25:01,920 it says it doesn't mean that that's not the context there. 362 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,880 But why can Jesus respond with that? 363 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:12,720 Because he knows the context. He understands the scripture 364 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,880 enough to then refute what's being said. 365 00:25:16,200 --> 00:25:19,400 Like I said, the enemy isn't just fighting with full lies. 366 00:25:20,240 --> 00:25:21,720 Most of the time it's pretty easy. 367 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,040 If someone comes to you and, and just completely said, Oh, well, 368 00:25:24,040 --> 00:25:26,280 the Bible says like, it doesn't actually say that anywhere. 369 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:29,920 No, it's when that half truth comes in where it's like, well, 370 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:31,400 the Bible says you're like, well, yeah. 371 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:35,920 And then I don't know if that's what it means or not. 372 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,080 That's when I find myself in a dangerous position. 373 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,680 Why? Because if I don't know truth, 374 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:50,320 how can I stand for truth? And twisted truth still poisons. 375 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:56,560 It's still poisons. Many believers never fall 376 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,320 through open rebellion. They drift through subtle 377 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:07,240 agreement with distorted truth. Many believers don't just wake 378 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:11,200 up 1 morning and give up the faith. 379 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:21,600 No, they've accepted subtle, distorted echoes of Eden that 380 00:26:21,600 --> 00:26:25,040 slowly eat at them and eat at the words sewn inside of them. 381 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:37,080 But the If the enemy can't twist what he said, then he starts to 382 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:42,320 challenge what you've heard. If he can't twist what he said, 383 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,320 then he'll start to challenge what you've heard. 384 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,560 He'll shift from questioning God to weaponizing your human 385 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:55,200 reasoning, right? Well, it would be wiser for me 386 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:00,920 to do this. Or, or, or I'm just protecting 387 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:05,480 my peace. I'm just, I'm just protecting my 388 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:11,360 peace. Sure, God will understand, man, 389 00:27:11,360 --> 00:27:14,960 that that's too extreme. They want too much. 390 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,560 I'll, I'll, I'll catch up later. I'll listen to it later. 391 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:24,760 How often do we listen to those little shifts? 392 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,320 We got our daily Bible reading. We're tired at the end of the 393 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:28,880 day and we're like, I'll just catch up later. 394 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:32,440 And then we never catch up. We miss a sermon. 395 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,240 Oh, I'll listen later. Then we never listen. 396 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:39,800 Or we listen while we're doing something else with half an ear, 397 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:49,680 expecting a full truth. I want to give him part effort, 398 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:58,720 but expect full revelation. No, see, he'll start to get in 399 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,160 your mind to reason what was said. 400 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:06,440 Proverbs 1412 says there is a way which seems right to man, 401 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:10,680 but in its end is the way of death. 402 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:15,520 See, we can have thoughts that seem wise. 403 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:21,680 We can have thoughts that are perceived as wise, but in the 404 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,440 end they are still the way of death. 405 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:31,440 There's still the way of death, and what seems wise can still be 406 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,680 wrong. And here's the thing, I want to 407 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,600 be very clear, just very clear for everyone. 408 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,720 I'm not saying that you shouldn't question what's being 409 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:46,120 preached from this platform. And if you come to Anchor Faith 410 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:47,920 Church, you know, we say this all the time. 411 00:28:48,040 --> 00:28:51,480 You should not believe anything I say just because I say it. 412 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:56,640 You as a listener are obligated to study the scripture for 413 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,640 yourself and let it bear witness with you as truth. 414 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:04,280 Reasoning in itself is not the problem. 415 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:06,920 It's not a problem for you to sit there and hear me say 416 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:07,720 something. Hmm. 417 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:12,200 The problem is, do I let my reasons keep me from scripture 418 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,720 or bring me to scripture? Do I reason myself out of 419 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:19,040 studying deeper? Oh well, that's just baloney. 420 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:25,000 I don't even need to look deeper to know that, no? 421 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:29,760 Or am I confirming thoughts? There's nothing wrong with you 422 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:31,600 having thoughts. There's nothing wrong with you 423 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,280 having wisdom. God's not afraid of wisdom, But 424 00:29:34,280 --> 00:29:37,000 what he doesn't like is when you try to take your wisdom and 425 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:42,000 place it above the Word. When you try to take your reason 426 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,000 and act like this means more than scripture. 427 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 When I place my reasons above the scriptures. 428 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,360 So what I'm saying today isn't that reasoning in and of itself 429 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:55,360 is inherently bad. But what I'm saying is when we 430 00:29:55,360 --> 00:30:00,800 let our reasoning push us away from scripture, pull us out of 431 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:04,480 the building of church, pull us away from places God's called 432 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,880 us, we should be asking the question, was that my mental 433 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:09,760 reasoning or was that actually God? 434 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:18,720 Because God will always pull you closer to Himself and truth 435 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:26,560 always pulls you higher. Growth will always demand more 436 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:32,040 responsibility. You ain't finding growth by 437 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:34,120 leaving things behind to do less. 438 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,480 We at Anchor Faith Church have heard the message on capacity. 439 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:43,480 I don't increase capacity by letting go of things. 440 00:30:44,720 --> 00:30:49,040 I increase the capacity of how much more I can hold. 441 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,040 I love going to the gym. I love squatting. 442 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,440 We put on. I love benching is really my 443 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:57,600 favorite and I got a goal this year to get 405. 444 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,080 So we've been benching. I'm putting on plates. 445 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,640 I'm building strength. I have to have a higher 446 00:31:03,640 --> 00:31:06,640 capacity. I don't tell people I bench 3 447 00:31:06,640 --> 00:31:10,200 plates because I can bench 145 LB plate three times. 448 00:31:12,760 --> 00:31:15,240 We don't say, oh, I've gotten more capacity, I'm stronger now 449 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:19,160 I can bench 3/15, 1:35 at a time. 450 00:31:21,600 --> 00:31:28,080 No, it comes by putting more plates on, more weight on more 451 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:33,280 than I had before. More pressure, more intensity, 452 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:39,200 more soreness, more need for someone else to be with me, to 453 00:31:39,200 --> 00:31:41,040 spot me through what's happening. 454 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:48,680 I'm not tackling more alone. I've never gotten under the 455 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:50,120 Bishop like I've never done this weight before. 456 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:54,800 Today's the day I'm either lifting this weight or seeing 457 00:31:54,800 --> 00:32:02,800 the Lord. No, I get more people around me 458 00:32:04,840 --> 00:32:08,560 to make sure that I'm prepared for this weight I'm trying to 459 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:14,000 hold. I surround myself. 460 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:21,920 The flesh always wants explanations, but faith just 461 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:27,520 requires obedience. Your God will speak. 462 00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,640 Your flesh will always want the game plan. 463 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:34,760 And there's nothing wrong with asking God. 464 00:32:34,760 --> 00:32:40,080 OK, what does this look like? But he's not obligated to supply 465 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:43,880 that. Sometimes he might, sometimes he 466 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:45,840 might tell you this is what it looks like. 467 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,200 Other times he might just say, I've given you enough. 468 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:53,400 Go ahead and go. I've given you enough word. 469 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:57,920 Go ahead and move, right? We saw this with Noah, who built 470 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:02,280 an ark when rain didn't exist. I guarantee he was like, what am 471 00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:06,040 I doing? And God's just like just build, 472 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:11,360 just trust me, Just trust me. Doesn't matter. 473 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:17,320 Abraham left when he had no details, no details on what to 474 00:33:17,320 --> 00:33:22,560 go, just go. Peter stepped out on the water 475 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:26,200 without it forming into solid ground before him. 476 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,960 He didn't wait to see, oh, this can hold. 477 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:39,920 He didn't go. Oh my, now he stepped. 478 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,920 Sometimes the word alone is all we need. 479 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:44,480 Why? Because Isaiah 55, eight through 480 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,480 9 says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways 481 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:51,880 your ways, or your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 482 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:55,120 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways 483 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:58,840 higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your 484 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:00,960 thoughts. Your human logic will always 485 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:07,480 ask, Does this make sense? But faith never needs a full 486 00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:10,199 explanation, it just needs your full obedience. 487 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,560 If the enemy can't get you off by twisting what was said, he 488 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:22,159 starts to make you reason. God's asking. 489 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:24,960 No, surely God did not ask you to do that. 490 00:34:26,719 --> 00:34:32,679 Quit your job that. Come on, you're already so busy, 491 00:34:32,679 --> 00:34:34,560 why are you going to start serving somewhere else? 492 00:34:35,320 --> 00:34:45,510 You heard wrong. Now we start to get in the way 493 00:34:47,270 --> 00:34:51,909 of what God wants for us. But I've personally just found 494 00:34:51,909 --> 00:34:55,110 in my life, I've never stepped out into what God's called me to 495 00:34:55,110 --> 00:34:57,390 do and been left wanting. I never stepped out into what 496 00:34:57,390 --> 00:34:58,750 God's called me to do and been lacking. 497 00:34:58,910 --> 00:35:00,870 I've never stepped out into what God's called me to do and looked 498 00:35:00,870 --> 00:35:02,670 back and be like man, I wish I would have done that different. 499 00:35:02,830 --> 00:35:05,150 When I've stepped into what God's called me to do, all I've 500 00:35:05,150 --> 00:35:06,910 seen is blessing, abundance and fullness. 501 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:17,440 But it takes the moments of not knowing where that blessing, 502 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:22,480 abundance and fullness is coming from when it doesn't make sense. 503 00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:26,760 And that's why most compromise begins with a conversation that 504 00:35:26,760 --> 00:35:31,000 sounds reasonable. Most compromise begins with that 505 00:35:31,000 --> 00:35:33,440 conversation that sounds reasonable. 506 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:36,440 Yeah, No, that makes sense. You bring that buddy in. 507 00:35:36,440 --> 00:35:40,400 I mean look at the story of Job had the worst buddies in the 508 00:35:40,400 --> 00:35:48,360 world and they all had a reasonable arguments they tried 509 00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:53,960 to present. But what did God say? 510 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:59,000 What did he say? The end of the day I'm going to 511 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:02,160 fall back on what he said. Seek counsel, ask people you 512 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:04,160 know are godly, surround yourself. 513 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:07,400 But at the end of the day, they are not God to you. 514 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,200 You got to sit back on. What did he say? 515 00:36:13,920 --> 00:36:18,800 I know what he said, right? And so we can't let compromise 516 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:21,480 and conversation then make us, you know, feel like something 517 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:22,840 sounds reasonable. We start to compromise. 518 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:24,360 We've all heard this illustration before, but it 519 00:36:24,360 --> 00:36:27,120 bears witness here, right? When airplanes take off, if 520 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:32,600 they're just 1° off, they end up in a totally different 521 00:36:32,600 --> 00:36:36,400 destination. But while they're flying for the 522 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:38,760 first, however, depend on how long they're going, the first, 523 00:36:38,760 --> 00:36:41,040 however long they're up there, everything can seem right. 524 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:47,880 You you look down, you see the right landmarks, air's fine, 525 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:52,720 nothing's off. But over time, that course 526 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:56,160 adjustment leads us to a completely different destination 527 00:36:56,160 --> 00:36:57,360 than where we were supposed to be. 528 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:04,240 That's how deception works. While you're walking in it, you 529 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:08,760 can seem fine, Life can seem good, you can feel blessed. 530 00:37:08,880 --> 00:37:11,920 You can put on appearances of everything's great, but at the 531 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:15,800 end of the day, you'll wind up at a destination God never 532 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:21,200 called you to. And what I've come to find in my 533 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:24,600 own personal experiences, God is so good at putting someone in 534 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:26,560 front of you. Most times that will give you 535 00:37:26,560 --> 00:37:28,720 something that you'll realize later. 536 00:37:28,720 --> 00:37:32,440 That man, that was where my course could have been corrected 537 00:37:32,440 --> 00:37:39,480 and I could have finished where I was supposed to, but I stayed 538 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:47,200 the wrong course. And drift goes further away and 539 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,320 drift happens in ways you don't see it, right? 540 00:37:51,320 --> 00:37:52,880 We all have kids. We've been to the beach. 541 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,080 I know when I was a kid, we would go to the beach and my dad 542 00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,040 was one of those dads that would they like to lay out and they 543 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:02,000 would set up something and then they would give us that same 544 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:07,800 speech. You see me, you see these 545 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:11,360 towels. When you're in the water, you 546 00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:16,360 stay where these towels are between this towel and that 547 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:18,000 tent. That's where you stay. 548 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,960 Then you get out in the water and you're playing and like 20 549 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:24,080 minutes later you jump up and you're like, I don't see a tent, 550 00:38:24,080 --> 00:38:26,120 I don't see a towel, I don't see a human being. 551 00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:35,840 And all the while you have no idea I'm a mile and a half away 552 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:43,560 from where I started. That drift occurs and you just 553 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:48,880 are going. No, we have to make sure we're 554 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,640 keeping ourselves on track. We have to make sure that we're 555 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:52,680 glancing. It did. 556 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:55,360 What did his words say? Why is this looking different? 557 00:38:55,360 --> 00:38:58,200 Why do I feel like I used to love doing this? 558 00:38:58,200 --> 00:39:01,200 Now all of a sudden I get I'm begrudging every time I show up. 559 00:39:04,160 --> 00:39:06,120 How's my heart? Has my heart shifted? 560 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:12,440 Has my heart drifted right? Those are checks coming. 561 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:14,160 I mean, I used to love doing this thing. 562 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:16,560 All of a sudden now I feel like it's over here. 563 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:19,360 I feel like I've. I feel like something's off. 564 00:39:19,360 --> 00:39:23,880 What's off? Because word doesn't change. 565 00:39:24,200 --> 00:39:27,680 Word doesn't move. That tent planted in where my 566 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:29,960 dad was laying out never changed. 567 00:39:31,440 --> 00:39:37,960 But I slowly drifted away. No see over distance. 568 00:39:37,960 --> 00:39:41,920 It happens. 1 compromise, 1 reinterpretation, 1 569 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:46,720 rationalization at a time. They all start to add up. 570 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:51,160 So I'm saying when we when we allow place in our life for 571 00:39:51,160 --> 00:39:57,880 little deception to be OK, it allows for the next one and the 572 00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:02,040 next one and the next one. And then we start wedging 573 00:40:02,040 --> 00:40:03,840 further and further away from the lion. 574 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:06,440 And course, God wanted us. Right. 575 00:40:06,440 --> 00:40:09,080 The tactic of the enemy is not to destroy you instantly. 576 00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:16,160 It's to slowly redirect you and long before compromise becomes 577 00:40:16,160 --> 00:40:20,280 visible. It begins as an echo of Eden in 578 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:24,160 the mind. It starts with that subtle 579 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:29,760 twisting, that subtle deception, that subtle echo that we have to 580 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,240 cake captive and throw down. Colossians 28 says see it, see 581 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:36,480 to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and 582 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:39,680 empty deception according to the tradition of man, according to 583 00:40:39,680 --> 00:40:45,040 the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to 584 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:48,320 truth. Like we said, some thoughts are 585 00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:50,720 not meant to be entertained. Some thoughts are meant to be 586 00:40:50,720 --> 00:40:52,480 taken captive. Not everything. 587 00:40:52,720 --> 00:40:57,040 I, I, I allow myself to. Not every preacher on YouTube do 588 00:40:57,040 --> 00:41:01,360 I listen to, not every book about God that's written do I 589 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:02,800 read. Not every book about the Bible, 590 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:05,920 Not every historical text is something you need to partake 591 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:10,400 in. Like we've said before, the 592 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:15,120 illusion of will, now I know more is now. 593 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:20,040 Also, just things I have to cast down is now questions I should 594 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:23,240 have never had to ask had I just not gone there, right? 595 00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:25,360 Parents, we know this. Parents, we know this. 596 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:28,240 We set up instructions for our kids. 597 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:30,680 We set up boundaries for our kids. 598 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:32,920 And they're like, come on, these boundaries are the worst. 599 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:38,440 Just slur and shackled. He's got me in a straight 600 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:42,200 jacket. And you're like, those 601 00:41:42,200 --> 00:41:47,640 boundaries are freedom because outside those boundaries that 602 00:41:47,640 --> 00:41:54,360 you perceive, knowledge that you perceive freedom is just death. 603 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:01,240 What you're longing for that you think is so glorious is just 604 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:04,280 death. It's just more questions you're 605 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:06,480 going to have to deal with. It's just more problems you're 606 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:08,640 going to have to put down. It's just more mistakes you'll 607 00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:13,200 have to answer to later. You're like, trust me, God's 608 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,920 doing the same thing is like, look, trust me, that fruit does 609 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:19,920 not bring the knowledge you need. 610 00:42:21,360 --> 00:42:25,880 And if you continue to seek me, you will find me and I will 611 00:42:25,880 --> 00:42:28,680 provide all the knowledge you need for your purpose. 612 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:33,760 I will reveal myself in every aspect of life in times and in 613 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:37,760 places that you can understand and receive it and hold on to it 614 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:41,640 and actually grow from it because there is no growth 615 00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:47,600 spiritually outside of God. There is no true spiritual 616 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:49,680 growth. I will find exploring the 617 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:57,440 mountains of Tibet. You can have an emotional tie, 618 00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:03,600 but the word is what brings us knowledge. 619 00:43:04,880 --> 00:43:06,880 The word is where we're going to find truth. 620 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:08,600 The word is where we're going to grow in. 621 00:43:08,720 --> 00:43:09,840 The word is what we're going to do. 622 00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:13,960 And that's why as as believers, we have to understand we were 623 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,240 never meant to put our mind above the word. 624 00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:21,480 We were meant to renew our mind to the word. 625 00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:28,080 There is no thought you've had that you can't find in Scripture 626 00:43:28,080 --> 00:43:30,640 that you're going to be like, God gave this to me. 627 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:37,040 God is not revealing special knowledge to you outside of the 628 00:43:37,040 --> 00:43:44,840 Bible, and if you can't anchor it in Word, then it ain't from 629 00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:50,440 Him. And if you got questions about 630 00:43:50,440 --> 00:43:52,600 the Bible and someone starts bringing Scripture and you're 631 00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:57,520 one of those people who don't bring the Bible into this, I got 632 00:43:57,520 --> 00:44:00,080 nothing for you. I look, I'm a Christian creative 633 00:44:00,080 --> 00:44:02,760 director and there's nothing more annoying to me than when I 634 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,600 post an Instagram post and someone wants to question my 635 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:07,320 theology. Question it all you want, but 636 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:08,840 then they're like, oh, well, don't well, don't bring 637 00:44:08,840 --> 00:44:09,840 scripture. We're talking about this. 638 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,640 I'm like, I'm not talking about anything else. 639 00:44:17,240 --> 00:44:19,600 The minute you say, oh, we don't need scripture, we don't have 640 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:24,360 conversation anymore. I'm not going to beat my head 641 00:44:24,360 --> 00:44:26,400 against the wall trying to philosophize with you. 642 00:44:26,400 --> 00:44:32,640 I'm like, no, what does the word say? 643 00:44:32,800 --> 00:44:39,320 Give me word chapter verse. I want chapter verse and then 644 00:44:39,320 --> 00:44:41,000 I'll grow. I want chapter verse. 645 00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,120 Then we can believe we can have conversation. 646 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,120 Bring chapter verse. Don't bring feelings, don't 647 00:44:46,120 --> 00:44:50,040 bring thoughts, don't bring Magellan. 648 00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:53,000 I don't care who else this comes from. 649 00:44:53,000 --> 00:44:55,920 That's right. What's the Bible say? 650 00:44:55,920 --> 00:45:06,400 What's the word say? What he said, what you heard, 651 00:45:07,440 --> 00:45:12,600 what God meant. Revelation. 652 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:17,320 Silence is reasoning. If you notice, Jesus never 653 00:45:17,320 --> 00:45:18,960 debated Satan. He answered him. 654 00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:24,040 Oh, that's good. He never debated Satan, he 655 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:26,880 answered him. Some of us are spending too much 656 00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:34,400 time debating people. I'm not debating with my 657 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:37,280 enemies. This is what the word says. 658 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:42,120 This is what the word says, he said. 659 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:48,080 It is written. It is written every time. 660 00:45:48,080 --> 00:45:50,200 He just answered with what does the word say? 661 00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:53,000 See where? Where Adam listened to the 662 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,160 whisper, Jesus stood on the word. 663 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:01,240 Where Adam was listening to the words being said, rather than 664 00:46:01,240 --> 00:46:06,120 just answering with what the word said, rather than giving, 665 00:46:06,240 --> 00:46:09,000 this was the word. He listened. 666 00:46:09,080 --> 00:46:12,040 He entertained. While one listened to the 667 00:46:12,040 --> 00:46:15,440 serpent's questions, the other answered with divine authority. 668 00:46:16,240 --> 00:46:19,720 And This is why the wilderness was the reversal of Eden. 669 00:46:23,240 --> 00:46:26,640 He's the second Adam. You're going through the same 670 00:46:26,640 --> 00:46:33,680 thing at the tree. Temptation, hesitation. 671 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:37,120 Listening in the wilderness. Temptation. 672 00:46:37,240 --> 00:46:37,880 What? Why? 673 00:46:37,880 --> 00:46:39,480 Listen? Oh, man. 674 00:46:39,480 --> 00:46:41,960 Jesus was sent to the wilderness to be tempted. 675 00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:43,480 Why? Because God said, yeah, you 676 00:46:43,480 --> 00:46:46,200 might have beat Adam. You're not beating this one. 677 00:46:47,240 --> 00:46:53,680 So Jesus, go, let him question. This is where your faith walk 678 00:46:53,680 --> 00:46:56,960 should be. I'm not scared of temptation 679 00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:02,400 because I know Word. I'm not scared that a challenge 680 00:47:02,400 --> 00:47:04,520 might come because I have victory. 681 00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:08,520 I'm not scared when something arises that I didn't see coming 682 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,400 because I can stand on the Word and believe. 683 00:47:14,200 --> 00:47:18,400 Temptation only messes with you when you're not rooted enough to 684 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:23,520 respond correctly. And drift comes through the 685 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:28,000 through the the the letting something sink in and meditating 686 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:35,800 on what isn't of God. And here's the thing, why do we 687 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:38,800 meditate on things sometimes? Because you don't know the 688 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:40,720 scripture enough to answer it quicker. 689 00:47:44,680 --> 00:47:47,360 So then it gnaws at you because you don't have the confident 690 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:51,880 answer. No, I get into the word. 691 00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:55,920 I study it to show myself approved so that when situations 692 00:47:55,920 --> 00:47:58,840 arise, I'm ready. This is why it says to take on 693 00:47:58,840 --> 00:48:01,200 the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is 694 00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:04,480 the Word of God. You're going into battle 695 00:48:04,480 --> 00:48:10,800 swordless, you're running around throwing punches in a sword 696 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:17,950 fight. You ain't got word, you ain't 697 00:48:17,950 --> 00:48:22,790 got weapon. And guys like, look, you are to 698 00:48:22,790 --> 00:48:26,990 be equipped with this because Psalms 119105 lets us know your 699 00:48:26,990 --> 00:48:31,470 word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path. 700 00:48:31,470 --> 00:48:35,830 Meaning, when I know His Word and I study His scripture, it 701 00:48:35,830 --> 00:48:39,440 will light the way in front of me, it will show me where to 702 00:48:39,440 --> 00:48:44,120 step, and it will keep me from drifting onto a course that's 703 00:48:44,120 --> 00:48:50,720 not lit by His Word. Because not all that shines is 704 00:48:50,720 --> 00:48:56,680 light. I need the lamp of the Word in 705 00:48:56,680 --> 00:48:59,320 front of my feet to catch the drift. 706 00:49:02,160 --> 00:49:04,960 I'm not just walking down any lit path, I'm walking down the 707 00:49:04,960 --> 00:49:11,040 path the Word lights in front of me and the word in your mouth 708 00:49:11,160 --> 00:49:13,680 will silence the echo in your mind. 709 00:49:16,240 --> 00:49:19,520 When you speak the word, it silences those thoughts. 710 00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:25,680 Joshua 18 says The book of the law shall not depart from your 711 00:49:25,680 --> 00:49:30,080 mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you 712 00:49:30,080 --> 00:49:33,200 may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, 713 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:38,240 and for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you 714 00:49:38,240 --> 00:49:45,240 will have success. Look at this, You are to 715 00:49:45,240 --> 00:49:47,440 meditate on it. Day and night should not depart 716 00:49:47,440 --> 00:49:52,320 from your mouth. Victory is not tied to the 717 00:49:52,320 --> 00:50:00,000 reading of the word. It was tied to the meditating on 718 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:03,240 of the word. It was tied to keeping it on 719 00:50:03,240 --> 00:50:05,800 your mouth. It's tied to completely 720 00:50:05,800 --> 00:50:08,960 confessing it. It was tied to not just reading 721 00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:12,640 something, but sinking it into your heart and then keeping it 722 00:50:12,640 --> 00:50:17,480 on your lips. Right, because meditate means to 723 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:25,400 murmur, to refrain, to rehearse, to speak repeatedly, to keep it 724 00:50:25,400 --> 00:50:29,080 on your lips, to have the word come forth. 725 00:50:29,800 --> 00:50:34,560 You should challenge yourself to respond with word first. 726 00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:39,120 When a situation comes, do I instantly go to OK, well, I can 727 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,000 move, you know, I need money. I can move money from this 728 00:50:41,000 --> 00:50:42,120 account to this account, to this account. 729 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:49,080 Or do I seek God and say, OK, you're my provider, I've got a 730 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:51,600 need. Now where's this going to come 731 00:50:51,600 --> 00:50:54,280 from? What am I going to do here? 732 00:50:56,160 --> 00:50:58,440 And then you follow whatever natural step he gives you. 733 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:02,680 I'm not telling you to wake up in the morning and pray over 734 00:51:02,680 --> 00:51:04,520 your closet to decide what clothes you're going to wear. 735 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:09,880 But maybe you should wake up in the morning, have a confession 736 00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,920 on your mirror that you say before you walk out the house. 737 00:51:14,280 --> 00:51:16,000 Put a little bit more word in your life. 738 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:20,360 Put a little bit more word on your lips, get into the habit. 739 00:51:20,640 --> 00:51:23,440 Like I said during worship, some of us came, we go to a moment of 740 00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:24,600 just sing a praise from your heart. 741 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:26,480 And some of you were like, I don't have a praise for my 742 00:51:26,480 --> 00:51:30,600 heart. Do I not have word in my heart 743 00:51:35,000 --> 00:51:39,120 because I should have word in my heart that's ready to come out. 744 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:44,000 Didn't have to be a beautiful melody, didn't have to be on key 745 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:45,760 with what was going on. It just need to be from your 746 00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:49,200 heart. But you can't pull something 747 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:53,480 that's not there. No. 748 00:51:53,480 --> 00:51:55,440 Am I meditating on it day and night? 749 00:51:55,440 --> 00:52:00,400 Am I keeping it before me? Because when you know the word, 750 00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:02,960 you cannot be reasoned out of obedience. 751 00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:06,680 When you know the word, you won't be reasoned out of 752 00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:08,960 obedience. You'll be able to sit back like, 753 00:52:08,960 --> 00:52:12,560 no, this is what it says. This is what I heard. 754 00:52:13,280 --> 00:52:19,600 This is what he meant, this is what he said, this is what I 755 00:52:19,600 --> 00:52:24,000 heard, this is what God meant. And when I lock in those three 756 00:52:24,000 --> 00:52:27,880 things, I'm setting myself up to not fall prey to minor 757 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:29,480 deception. I'm not setting myself to fall 758 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:39,440 prey to minor deviation in my life because information without 759 00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:43,000 obedience can create the illusion of maturity. 760 00:52:46,400 --> 00:52:50,040 But until it's applied and walked on correctly and obeyed, 761 00:52:50,080 --> 00:52:51,800 that's where true maturity comes from. 762 00:52:52,800 --> 00:52:55,000 This is why the Pharisees were the way they were. 763 00:52:55,000 --> 00:52:58,480 They knew word, they knew laws, they knew scripture, but they 764 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:01,200 didn't keep it on their lips. They didn't actually live it out 765 00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:05,160 and obey it. So they had an illusion of 766 00:53:05,160 --> 00:53:10,600 maturity, but they had no follow through with it. 767 00:53:11,720 --> 00:53:14,560 I want more than illusion of maturity. 768 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:19,160 I want to know what it means. I want true revelation on it. 769 00:53:21,760 --> 00:53:26,280 Because you can quote scripture, you can quote verses, but then 770 00:53:26,280 --> 00:53:29,640 ultimately not actually follow the convictions. 771 00:53:33,760 --> 00:53:35,960 And it's not enough to just know something. 772 00:53:36,200 --> 00:53:39,840 It's do I live it? Do I walk it? 773 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:44,680 Is it something that rests in my heart throughout my day? 774 00:53:46,560 --> 00:53:49,600 John 539 says you search the scriptures because you think 775 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:51,240 that in them you have internal life. 776 00:53:51,240 --> 00:53:55,960 It is these that testify about me, and you are unwilling to 777 00:53:55,960 --> 00:53:58,840 come to me so that you may have life, right? 778 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:01,160 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them 779 00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:02,480 you'll have eternal life. But what? 780 00:54:02,480 --> 00:54:08,800 We have to go to Him. We have to go to Him. 781 00:54:10,360 --> 00:54:13,120 It's not just about having had knowledge of Scripture. 782 00:54:13,360 --> 00:54:16,160 This is where the deception of Adam and Eve set in. 783 00:54:16,160 --> 00:54:19,920 They thought by having knowledge they would also have growth. 784 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:27,760 But knowledge without obedience does not equal growth, and 785 00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:31,800 knowledge outside of obedience cannot produce growth. 786 00:54:35,240 --> 00:54:37,560 This is why the Bible says there's many more things I'd 787 00:54:37,560 --> 00:54:41,920 like to say to you, but you're not yet ready to bear them. 788 00:54:43,640 --> 00:54:48,240 Meaning me trying to collect knowledge can also cause me to 789 00:54:48,240 --> 00:54:50,440 be in positions that I can't bear. 790 00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:58,720 It can cause me to be in places that maybe you can't handle 791 00:54:58,720 --> 00:55:02,480 what's being said because you don't have enough scripture in 792 00:55:02,680 --> 00:55:05,200 in you to know exactly what's being said. 793 00:55:05,320 --> 00:55:08,080 Therefore, when you hear stuff, you're like, I'm not and we get 794 00:55:08,080 --> 00:55:11,480 confused and God's like, well, I never intended you to hear those 795 00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:13,360 words. I never intended you to go down 796 00:55:13,360 --> 00:55:15,520 this path of study. I never intended you to be in 797 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:19,360 this conversation. I told you to be here so that 798 00:55:19,360 --> 00:55:22,920 you could grow and develop and then one day handle what's to 799 00:55:22,920 --> 00:55:28,280 come. But if we try to seek knowledge 800 00:55:28,280 --> 00:55:31,640 outside of obedience, we fall for deception. 801 00:55:36,480 --> 00:55:42,840 The answer to the echoes of Eden is in the Word of God. 802 00:55:43,080 --> 00:55:47,360 Rightly held. Rightly held. 803 00:55:48,120 --> 00:55:51,000 How do we overcome those nagging thoughts? 804 00:55:51,000 --> 00:55:53,000 How do we overcome those little whispers? 805 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:57,320 How do we overcome slight deviations? 806 00:55:57,560 --> 00:56:03,400 We study the word so that we can have it rightly approved. 807 00:56:04,120 --> 00:56:07,000 I'm telling you guys, in these day and age, it's not enough to 808 00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:12,000 listen to this stuff once. It's not enough to just sit in 809 00:56:12,000 --> 00:56:14,160 this service on Sunday and Wednesday night. 810 00:56:15,880 --> 00:56:19,640 You're spending every we what? Anchor faith church. 811 00:56:20,240 --> 00:56:22,200 We maybe do 3-4 hours on a Sunday. 812 00:56:22,200 --> 00:56:23,800 Maybe we get 3 hours on a Wednesday night. 813 00:56:23,800 --> 00:56:26,560 You're getting 7-8 hours a week in the word here. 814 00:56:27,040 --> 00:56:30,360 And you're spending the rest of those hours being attacked, 815 00:56:31,640 --> 00:56:34,400 having to deal with thoughts, having to deal with what's going 816 00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:37,960 on. No, it's not enough to just 817 00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:40,440 think that I can sit here once and I'm going to get everything 818 00:56:40,440 --> 00:56:42,800 I need. No. 819 00:56:42,800 --> 00:56:44,920 Do I go back over? Do I study? 820 00:56:44,920 --> 00:56:47,920 Do I re listen when I'm going through something? 821 00:56:47,920 --> 00:56:50,520 Do I get back in Just so everyone's clear that I love 822 00:56:50,520 --> 00:56:52,840 this on our YouTube, if you go to anchor face YouTube, you can 823 00:56:52,840 --> 00:56:54,520 go. We have playlists based upon 824 00:56:54,520 --> 00:56:55,880 subjects. If you're dealing with 825 00:56:55,880 --> 00:56:57,880 something, whether it's like, I mean, I want to strengthen my 826 00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:00,480 faith or baby man, I need to know more about finances or man, 827 00:57:00,560 --> 00:57:02,400 maybe I'm dealing with depression or man, I'm dealing 828 00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:04,240 with anxiety. They're all sorted so that you 829 00:57:04,240 --> 00:57:06,440 can sit into them and start going through every message that 830 00:57:06,440 --> 00:57:08,680 we have on there that's listed in those topics. 831 00:57:09,600 --> 00:57:11,640 Why? So that you can grow yourself, 832 00:57:13,240 --> 00:57:18,200 so you can surround yourself with word, so that you can stand 833 00:57:18,200 --> 00:57:21,440 firm when battle come, So that you can stand firm to 834 00:57:21,440 --> 00:57:24,480 temptation, so that you don't fall prey to something. 835 00:57:24,480 --> 00:57:27,640 So like I said, some of us are not under attack from obvious 836 00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:29,480 sin. We're under attack from just 837 00:57:29,480 --> 00:57:35,920 reasonable compromise. We're under attack because we've 838 00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:41,040 started to allow some compromise to sound OK. 839 00:57:42,800 --> 00:57:46,080 We've allowed a drift to feel like it's not a big deal. 840 00:57:47,960 --> 00:57:51,720 I'm floating in the ocean and I've lost my line and I'm like, 841 00:57:51,720 --> 00:57:53,800 oh, I'll course correct in a little bit. 842 00:57:56,720 --> 00:58:01,520 But the drift don't stop. It doesn't stop. 843 00:58:02,360 --> 00:58:06,440 No, it only stops when we get our word and our heart and our 844 00:58:06,440 --> 00:58:08,080 spirit in alignment to what the God says. 845 00:58:08,080 --> 00:58:10,640 And then we start moving back and putting ourselves in 846 00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:12,600 position. This is why it's not enough to 847 00:58:12,600 --> 00:58:16,560 just hear the word. We hold it, we murmur on it, we 848 00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:19,840 speak it, we confess it, we study it, we let it take root. 849 00:58:19,920 --> 00:58:22,040 We don't just quote it. We live it. 850 00:58:23,320 --> 00:58:28,000 We know it for ourselves. We know it for ourselves Because 851 00:58:28,000 --> 00:58:30,480 I'm telling you, if the enemy can twist your reasoning, he'll 852 00:58:30,480 --> 00:58:36,120 twist your direction. If he can start to just make, 853 00:58:37,480 --> 00:58:39,760 It's always the things that sound good. 854 00:58:41,040 --> 00:58:42,800 It's always the things that sound right. 855 00:58:44,160 --> 00:58:45,800 I've seen it time and time again. 856 00:58:47,680 --> 00:58:51,880 Oh well, I'll get more money. I'll just be at church less, but 857 00:58:51,880 --> 00:58:58,360 I'll be able to sow more. Oh man, I'll step out and I'll 858 00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:00,320 do this and more people will get born again. 859 00:59:00,760 --> 00:59:06,080 And maybe people do, but the enemy don't care what you do for 860 00:59:06,080 --> 00:59:09,120 God outside of what God's called you to do. 861 00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:14,920 And sometimes we do more harm trying to do things for God 862 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:17,160 outside of what God actually called us to do. 863 00:59:21,000 --> 00:59:23,960 And we reason, well, look how many people got born again at a 864 00:59:23,960 --> 00:59:25,480 place you were never supposed to be. 865 00:59:28,920 --> 00:59:32,680 Are we doing good or are we just seeing something that seems 866 00:59:32,680 --> 00:59:36,880 good? No, God's mercy shows up in 867 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:45,440 places that we act like. God moves in spite of you, not 868 00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:49,800 because of you. And we start to confuse 869 00:59:49,800 --> 00:59:53,200 blessing. Or we start to confuse abundance 870 00:59:53,200 --> 00:59:57,280 for blessing. We think because we have more of 871 00:59:57,280 --> 01:00:00,240 something now. God's blessing my disobedience. 872 01:00:04,240 --> 01:00:08,040 But how dare we profess Christ's name and not walk in his nature? 873 01:00:12,840 --> 01:00:16,360 We do more harm confessing His name, but not living according 874 01:00:16,360 --> 01:00:23,080 to His Word. No, I don't just want God on my 875 01:00:23,320 --> 01:00:28,960 on by appearance. I want to be saturated with His 876 01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:32,080 Word. I want to be standing exactly 877 01:00:32,080 --> 01:00:34,480 where He called me to be, and I can only do that by anchoring 878 01:00:34,480 --> 01:00:37,120 myself in Scripture, by knowing man. 879 01:00:37,120 --> 01:00:42,240 This is what He said, this is what I heard, this is what God 880 01:00:42,240 --> 01:00:44,200 meant. And I'm not letting anyone 881 01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:47,520 change any of those things. I'm not letting any reason twist 882 01:00:47,520 --> 01:00:49,480 me off of this. I don't care if I see the 883 01:00:49,480 --> 01:00:50,920 solution. I don't care if it makes sense 884 01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:53,440 in my human mind. I don't care if someone can make 885 01:00:53,440 --> 01:00:55,840 an argument against what I'm saying that sounds good. 886 01:00:55,840 --> 01:00:59,680 Do I know what God said? Some of us just need to get off 887 01:00:59,680 --> 01:01:03,040 the course we're on now and go back to the last word we knew 888 01:01:03,160 --> 01:01:10,000 God said because some of us are standing outside of the path 889 01:01:10,080 --> 01:01:13,320 because we've reasoned, but we knew we had a word and we just 890 01:01:13,320 --> 01:01:16,880 need to get back to the last one we heard and start resetting our 891 01:01:16,880 --> 01:01:24,640 trajectory. I got to kill the drift, which 892 01:01:24,640 --> 01:01:29,320 means I'm going back to the last place I know I heard God to. 893 01:01:29,320 --> 01:01:31,840 The last word I know came from God. 894 01:01:33,800 --> 01:01:38,120 If you got any confusion today, you got to go back to the last 895 01:01:38,120 --> 01:01:45,480 place you know you heard God and hold to that word. 896 01:01:47,800 --> 01:01:48,600 Hold to it.