This is My Father’s World!

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All right

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And I still need to get set up so

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well The title of the message if you haven’t already seen it or guessed it’s this is my father’s world

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Yeah

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And um

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the message actually this morning Oh yeah we gotta dismiss kids man We we gotta pray for these people uh kids young adults Um I’m gonna pray Is that ok I wanna pray for them father and him I just thank you so much for your holy spirit that comes upon these teachers as they teach our Children

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Lord as a father I am so grateful

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that people get to hear the gospel My Children hear the gospel from somebody else’s mouth you know and that um they ask me questions it becomes points of discussion Thank you for these teachers for every volunteer in every space from the littlest Children and infants all the way up through high school

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Father just bless them this morning in Jesus name Amen

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Yeah man Deeply deeply grateful for that As it over the years my Children come to me with questions after kids church or some discussion or the or something you know it’s always something which is Oh man love it

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So thank you If you volunteer in that world

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it’s much much appreciated at least by me

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Um So

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moving on

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this can be a hard day for a lot of people Right Father’s Day

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Uh I just want to acknowledge that you know this isn’t always awesome fun time for everybody Uh Even for fathers that have uh have great relationships with their Children maybe they didn’t have a great relationship with their fathers Maybe the reason they have a great relationship with their kids today is because they didn’t have a great relationship with their father before Or maybe it goes the other way around

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Maybe it’s hard on kids who don’t have great relationships with their fathers right

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So I just want to acknowledge that as a place

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to start

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because

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the image of our father on earth has a direct impact on how we see our father above

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And so when I make a title that says this is Our Father’s World and we sing that amazing hymn with those amazing true lyrics

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it doesn’t always inspire the same thing in everybody

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Uh That’s a bummer

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You know

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the intention of this title is to inspire actually hope

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this is my father’s world right

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And so if you struggle with your relationship with your father

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and this might be a difficult time or message uh in some ways to talk about what I want you to try to picture is something much more ideal

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than your experience

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And I hope that as we go through this it will it will help you see uh a Father like God like our God

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as that more ideal father

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So um let’s pray

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Father in heaven I just thank you for your goodness to us

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Just the way that you treat us the way that you father us

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open up our minds and our hearts to receive that Lord in every place where there is hurt and pain from relationships uh with fathers I pray that you bring your healing

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or that you had reconcile relationships

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in this way Lord And I thank you

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for making me a father

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and I thank you for the fathers in my room And I thank you for my father

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than his father

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just pour yourself out on us today in jesus’ name

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Hey man

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All right

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So I really I really I’m gonna challenge us a little bit with hope which sounds silly

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Um because hope for me

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is a kind of a weak word

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or it has been for a long time and and it may not be for you but I’m just going from my experience Hope sounds like you know I don’t know the last ditch effort

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The last thing that that is left before you don’t have anything else You know what I mean It’s like grabbing grasping at straws like oh I just I hold out this hope It’s like no it doesn’t sound very real It doesn’t sound very tangible or strong to me And so that’s often how I’ve interpreted it and maybe you haven’t but the reality is the hope is a powerful force in the universe

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It’s a it’s a massively powerful force and I’ll go on to talk about that But what I’ve started to realize

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being someone who has believed that Jesus came to the earth as a human

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depended on his heavenly father died on a cross for my sins And yours was raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of power until he returns to this earth I believe all those things And I have lived a gospel that had little or no hope in it

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for some time

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and I didn’t really think of it that way

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I didn’t see it that way but it was in my language It was in my demeanor It was in my sarcasm and my cynicism of this world and what was going to happen to it

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in this country right in our state

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And what I’ve realized is the measure of the gospel in us

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Maybe the metric of what God is doing in us And what we really believe

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is the hope we have for the future

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But also for right now

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what hope do you have

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Where have you placed your hope

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So

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Jesus taught us to pray a prayer

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your will be done

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on earth

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on earth

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as it is in heaven

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Well if we don’t really believe he wants to help us here on earth today

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then do we think maybe Jesus was just

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giving us a religious prayer to pray

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I don’t think Jesus did that ever

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But it really it really challenges me

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to think about what that means today

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You know in the next few hours the next week

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your kingdom come your will be done on earth

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That’s a big deal That’s a big deal

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So if there’s no hope for today in our gospel not sure there’s any hope at all

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Not sure

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So I’m gonna read sort of as a base text all of Psalm 33 So if you don’t get much from my message today you’ll at least have heard scriptures

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right And Psalm 33 is awesome So enjoy

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This is from the English standard version

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Shout for joy in the Lord o you righteous praise befits the upright Give thanks to the Lord with the layer make melody to him with the harp of 10 strings sing to him a new song play skillfully on the strings with the loud shouts for the word of the Lord is upright and all his work is done in faithfulness He loves righteousness and justice The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord

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By the word of the Lord the heavens were made and by the breath of his mouth all their host he gathers the waters of the sea as a heap he puts the deeps in storehouses Let all the earth fear The Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him

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where he spoke and it came to be

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he commanded and it stood firm The Lord brings the council of the nations to nothing

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He frustrates the plans of the peoples The council of the Lord stands forever The plans of his heart

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to all generations blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord The people whom he has chosen as his heritage The Lord looks down from heaven He sees all the Children of man from where he sits enthroned He looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth He who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds

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The king is not saved by his great army

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A warrior is not delivered by his great strengths The war horse is a false hope for salvation and by its great might it cannot rescue Behold The eye of the Lord is on those who fear him and on those who hope

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in his steadfast love

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that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine Our soul waits for the Lord He is our help and our shield for our heart is glad in him because we trust in his holy name Let your steadfast love Oh Lord be upon us

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man Yeah

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Oh man Well if that’s the father’s world we’re talking about you know I’m in for that Right Yeah I mean that God is strong that God saves that hope sounds like real hope Sounds like something different than I’ve thought of for a lot of my life

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And so we can see here he’s a powerful God He’s a very powerful God

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but he’s also a very good

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God

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He’s a good father

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So I’m gonna actually roll right into some more scriptures for you out of Matthew the gospel of Matthew So Jesus

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is preaching to the people It’s the famous sermon on the mount and he sees them as people who they don’t they don’t have any real shepherds in their lives They’re not getting any real guidance there’s not any real hope for them

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So he’s giving them a message of hope and then there’s a lot of correction that he’s doing a lot of a lot of things the Pharisees that interpret the law and the San interpret the law in certain ways And they weren’t helpful They were actually enslaving

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They weren’t setting people free with their theology and their tradition They were actually trapping people

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and and leaving them without hope

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right And that’s how you know doctrines aren’t from God is when they don’t set you free and when they trap you

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and when they leave you without hope

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right So Jesus is addressing these things

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and and I like how he concludes here um almost to the conclusion in chapter six He starts talking about

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what we need

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as humans like the basics you know and then more than that Matthew six starting in verse 25 Therefore I tell you do not be anxious about your life What you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body What you will put on

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is not life more than food and the body more than clothing Look at the birds of the air They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns and yet your heavenly father

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feeds them

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Are you not of more value than they

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And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his life span I love that bit Right But I feel like if I worry enough I can somehow control something

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you know but it doesn’t add even any time to my life right Man How much would you pay for to add hours to your life Is that can we do that You figured that tech out yet

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And why are you anxious about clothing Consider the lilies of the field how they grow They neither toil nor spin yet I tell you even Solomon and all his glory was not a raid like one of these But if God so glow uh close the grass of the field which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven

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will he not much more clothe You Are you of little faith

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Therefore do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear for the gentile seek after all these things And your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all

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but seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness

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and all these things will be added to you

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Wow Right

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I mean I it it’s kind of convicting every time I read this whether I read it to myself or out loud because I worry about food I worry about clothing for me for my family You know what I mean

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I it it’s hard not to sometimes So that’s a struggle for me in terms of faith You know because II I get concerned when the economy takes a dip you know I’m like well you know I’m in sales so it’s commission right So like you know the economy starts to go south I’m like what about money You know what I mean

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So I I get it I get who he’s talking he’s talking to me

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and he’s telling me hey you don’t have to sweat this stuff

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You know the rest of the world looks for that stuff But my people you guys should know

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I’m I’m your father your father in heaven

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He’s gonna take care of all of that stuff But you can seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and

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you don’t have to sweat that All that stuff’s gonna be added to you He’s a good father

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He’s a good father It’s a this is like the playbook for a good life Don’t worry about it

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He’s got it Seek the seek the things that are most important Worry about that stuff you know

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take care of people

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It’s a great playbook

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that he’s written here

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But you know he’s not just good

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as we read in Psalm 33 He is sovereign

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He is the God who knows all sees all made all

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and you know what

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He’s not nervous

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He is not afraid He is not nervous He is not concerned the way we’re concerned

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He’s not afraid for you

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and all the mistakes you make or all the mistakes I make He’s not afraid for this city

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He’s not afraid for this church He’s not afraid for the state of Texas and he is not afraid of the fate of the United States

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is not

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he’s not worried

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Does he want us to change some things I believe Yes

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Is is there a sense of urgency maybe right now Yes But you understand if you’re like me you can equate urgency and nervousness or urgency and fear Those are not the same thing

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right They’re not actually the same thing

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So there might be urgency but it doesn’t have to be full of fear

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But our sovereign God he is not afraid

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He has it all figured out

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He has had it figured out for a long time He is a powerful God

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You know one of my favorite things Speaking of CS Lewis and Chuck by the way this abolition of man But do they have a graphic novel version It’s probably more my speed

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Was that Yeah

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Oh yeah So there’s a science fiction the trilogy that Lewis wrote That Hideous Strength actually is a is a story version of the abolition of man more or less

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But I still think we should work on the graphic novel

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Um But speaking to CS Lewis right He writes the line in the witch and the wardrobe It’s how I was introduced to the guy as a kid And uh there’s this great line where

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they ask oh he’s he’s he’s a lion Is he safe

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Is he safe

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And the response is no he’s not safe He’s a lion

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but he’s good

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is good

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And there’s a difference right Especially in our culture right now we talk a lot about safety right It used to be you would tell your kids love you go have a good time now we’re like be safe make good choices and and we love you too right We’re worried about safety all the time

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We think of God as like oh God is our safe place Of course he is Here’s your refuge He’s your fortress all those things But he does ask us to do unsafe things

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because he did unsafe things

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you know

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and if you don’t believe he is in charge of all of the world

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then the unsafe things he asks you to do or some of the dangerous things that

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you might be motivated to do because you love him so much and you love people so much Um You might not have enough faith to do it to follow through if you don’t believe that he’s the all powerful mighty God of the universe who has got it worked out

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So that when things go south on you which Jesus promises they will

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things will not work out the way that you hope all the time tragedies will happen in your life pain and suffering And in fact if you follow Jesus sometimes that stuff increases

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But what he promises is that authentic piece

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authentic power to continue

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the genuine presence of God to see you through with that powerful hope in your soul to continue on

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We need a powerful God that can deliver on something like that

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is He doesn’t mince words Jesus doesn’t mince words about his life He doesn’t he’s not pitching you

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Hey this is gonna be a wonderful life You just come on to Jesus He’s gonna fix everything and you’re gonna have Cadillacs and and and boats and it’s gonna be awesome You’re gonna have some great vacations

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right

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He’s like oh

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you know some of your enemies will will be in your own household

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They’re going to drag you before synagogues and rulers and kings

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and some of you are gonna be killed Sign me up It sounds great

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But go and make disciples of all nations I will be with you

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to the end

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I will be with you

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That’s a real world promise

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Because most of us in here we know what the real world’s like

Speaker#1:
00:19:56.609 – 00:20:07.739
and we can hear a pitch We know we’re being sold something when somebody is trying to tell us oh you’re going to have the good life the American dream

Speaker#1:
00:20:08.25 – 00:20:12.3
in the sort of material sense right Because the American dream is not a bad thing

Speaker#1:
00:20:13.9 – 00:20:19.8
But what we need is somebody powerful enough to be with us when those times are tough and we start to lose hope

Speaker#1:
00:20:21.069 – 00:20:22.05
This world

Speaker#1:
00:20:22.81 – 00:20:23.979
it’s lost it hasn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:20:25.56 – 00:20:28.27
I mean suicide is way high

Speaker#1:
00:20:28.9 – 00:20:32.53
People are doing doing things to themselves and their bodies that are

Speaker#1:
00:20:34.219 – 00:20:35.56
man they’re not helping them

Speaker#1:
00:20:36.229 – 00:20:37.03
Sounds

Speaker#1:
00:20:37.839 – 00:20:40.51
are doing some serious harm Why

Speaker#1:
00:20:42.229 – 00:20:43.88
That’s gotta be a lack of hope

Speaker#1:
00:20:45.109 – 00:20:50.15
It’s got to be a belief that this other thing that I’m trying to do is going to somehow help me

Speaker#1:
00:20:52.569 – 00:20:53.88
But it’s not strong enough

Speaker#1:
00:20:58.13 – 00:21:02.079
with this God He not only is sovereign but he has a sovereign plan

Speaker#1:
00:21:03.26 – 00:21:06.4
and he’s powerful enough to make that happen right

Speaker#1:
00:21:07.199 – 00:21:22.56
I make plans all the time You know I’ve had a couple of different businesses you make business plans and then you you like you set out to execute those plans and you know sometimes you actually are successful with that plan sometimes

Speaker#1:
00:21:23.25 – 00:21:25.68
but man there’s so much I’m not in control of

Speaker#1:
00:21:26.569 – 00:21:38.89
you know besides economics there’s weather I mean weather affects business you know just ask anybody who’s ever traveled for business how much weather gets in the way especially in the northeast Right

Speaker#1:
00:21:39.489 – 00:21:52.609
Or the midwest I mean there’s so many things you can’t control so many things humans can’t control but they come up with big plans Big visions right And we love that And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing Big plan big vision great

Speaker#1:
00:21:54.02 – 00:21:56.439
You have the power to execute on all that

Speaker#1:
00:21:57.979 – 00:21:59.38
God does

Speaker#1:
00:22:00.42 – 00:22:03.189
I love what he says here

Speaker#1:
00:22:04.729 – 00:22:06.239
What he’s talking about

Speaker#1:
00:22:07.069 – 00:22:10.489
the plans that he frustrates the plans of the nations

Speaker#1:
00:22:11.319 – 00:22:18.75
but his plan the plan of his heart I like that The plan of his heart Psalm 33 He accomplishes

Speaker#1:
00:22:19.29 – 00:22:21.109
through generations

Speaker#1:
00:22:21.91 – 00:22:24.9
right He’s a he’s an incredible planner

Speaker#1:
00:22:25.699 – 00:22:30.349
and incredible at execution I’m a great planner My wife is better at execution

Speaker#1:
00:22:31.03 – 00:22:34.56
That makes sense She gets it done I plan it

Speaker#1:
00:22:36.14 – 00:22:41.16
God does both He’s powerful at both and he he’s thoughtful about it

Speaker#1:
00:22:41.81 – 00:22:43.25
through every generation

Speaker#1:
00:22:43.969 – 00:22:45.989
and that’s significant That’s a big deal

Speaker#1:
00:22:47.25 – 00:22:56.67
He’s worked hard to execute this plan and his enemy though he is powerful has been helpless to stop his plan

Speaker#1:
00:22:58.0 – 00:22:59.449
So what was his plan

Speaker#1:
00:23:01.02 – 00:23:04.54
Uh send his son

Speaker#1:
00:23:05.339 – 00:23:06.52
as a human

Speaker#1:
00:23:09.339 – 00:23:11.089
to die on a cross

Speaker#1:
00:23:12.26 – 00:23:13.699
Sounds terrible

Speaker#1:
00:23:14.3 – 00:23:15.4
Sounds like a bad plan

Speaker#1:
00:23:16.91 – 00:23:20.15
Why do I think that Because humans are ridiculously inefficient

Speaker#1:
00:23:20.839 – 00:23:23.25
Right When babies are born

Speaker#1:
00:23:24.719 – 00:23:27.569
it takes them forever to get a job

Speaker#1:
00:23:28.27 – 00:23:29.17
You know what I’m saying

Speaker#1:
00:23:30.02 – 00:23:30.939
Forever

Speaker#1:
00:23:32.119 – 00:23:57.67
It takes them forever to to even give something back Right We love our Children because they’re born to us because they were given to us and they’re a blessing to us And so we love these little infants who can’t give anything back to us at all Not in love not even really in smiles right Like early on my daughter smiles at me my first child you know I I was in love with her and she’s smiling at me and and my wife informs me that it’s gas

Speaker#1:
00:23:58.979 – 00:24:05.439
that’s she’s not smiling She doesn’t smile yet I’m like oh that’s a bummer You know

Speaker#1:
00:24:08.469 – 00:24:22.319
it takes forever forever and so much patience so much sacrifice from a parent right And from fathers and mothers you know it’s only having Children that you start to really appreciate your own parents at all Right

Speaker#1:
00:24:23.15 – 00:24:28.06
You know or maybe some of you are wiser and more loving than I am But you know

Speaker#1:
00:24:28.689 – 00:24:32.569
it took that for me to go man Boy did they give up a lot

Speaker#1:
00:24:34.05 – 00:24:42.459
just so that I could stay alive you know much less blessed with all kinds of cool experiences and stuff

Speaker#1:
00:24:43.619 – 00:24:50.359
So they’re really inefficient So God’s plan is like you know what I’ll put a human on the earth it will be my son and he’ll be born

Speaker#1:
00:24:51.13 – 00:24:57.3
like it doesn’t just appear God man You know superhero out of nowhere is as a baby

Speaker#1:
00:24:58.51 – 00:24:59.689
in a trough

Speaker#1:
00:25:01.479 – 00:25:06.619
in in in in a poor family What in the world What kind of plan is this

Speaker#1:
00:25:07.28 – 00:25:14.56
And then this kid has to he has to grow I mean he’s not he’s got he’s 30 years old before he even starts preaching

Speaker#1:
00:25:15.489 – 00:25:17.589
It took 30 years

Speaker#1:
00:25:18.839 – 00:25:32.18
Let’s get this done No we’re gonna take our time with this It’s gonna we’re gonna experience the human experience We’re gonna literally walk like we have to walk depend on our heavenly father just like we have to

Speaker#1:
00:25:33.209 – 00:25:40.939
I mean it says in Philippians that he left that stuff behind He literally left his God powers

Speaker#1:
00:25:41.52 – 00:25:42.43
in heaven

Speaker#1:
00:25:44.27 – 00:25:49.969
and came as a human to walk around like we do You know honestly it doesn’t count if that’s not true

Speaker#1:
00:25:51.81 – 00:25:55.38
because then he’s just the magic man but none of us can be the magic man

Speaker#1:
00:25:56.04 – 00:25:59.51
right But he even tells people it’s not me It’s it’s the father

Speaker#1:
00:26:00.339 – 00:26:01.589
It’s my father

Speaker#1:
00:26:02.13 – 00:26:06.989
read the gospel of John All you get is it’s my father It’s my father’s my father

Speaker#1:
00:26:07.52 – 00:26:09.38
the whole way through

Speaker#1:
00:26:10.05 – 00:26:18.5
Notice how many times he references his father in anything he does I can’t do anything with my father I don’t say anything that my father’s not saying I don’t do anything he’s not doing

Speaker#1:
00:26:19.06 – 00:26:23.28
Yeah You know it was my father that had me do that You know the father does it this way

Speaker#1:
00:26:24.15 – 00:26:40.38
You know what when you guys when after I go to the cross and rise from the dead he doesn’t tell them that explicitly But you know in the last couple you know you know like John 15 16 he’s like you’re gonna ask of the father you won’t ask me to ask the father you’ll go right to the father

Speaker#1:
00:26:42.4 – 00:26:43.319
It’s incredible

Speaker#1:
00:26:44.81 – 00:26:52.88
So his plan is to have this Jesus come and then set up a a higher moral standard That’s even more impossible to follow Right

Speaker#1:
00:26:54.02 – 00:26:54.78
No

Speaker#1:
00:26:55.9 – 00:26:56.66
no

Speaker#1:
00:26:58.02 – 00:27:00.199
it did not come

Speaker#1:
00:27:00.739 – 00:27:11.66
to give us a more impossible higher standard or new way He came to show us what it’s like to depend only on the father

Speaker#1:
00:27:13.31 – 00:27:14.619
That’s his plan

Speaker#1:
00:27:16.489 – 00:27:24.41
I wanna show you what it’s like to follow my father because he’s really good And what did the father do

Speaker#1:
00:27:25.17 – 00:27:50.27
Miracles left and right Thousands and thousands and thousands of healings He did these crazy miracles right They call him like the the the great miracles like walking on water That seems superfluous Right Unnecessary Why we walking on water I wanna walk on water frankly That’d be cool Right Feeding the 5000 feeding the 4000

Speaker#1:
00:27:50.469 – 00:28:00.43
like some bread and some fishes and whatever and then he breaks it and then it’s enough to feed everybody That’s a crazy miracle You know I just wish I could do that with pizza at my house

Speaker#1:
00:28:01.65 – 00:28:04.319
It was perpetually like good pizza though You know what I mean

Speaker#1:
00:28:05.55 – 00:28:09.56
But you know it’s like wow man these big big miracles Where did they come from

Speaker#1:
00:28:10.579 – 00:28:11.78
The father

Speaker#1:
00:28:12.39 – 00:28:23.75
Like he wanted to bless this world and this is how he wanted to do it And he wanted to show us through his son and he wanted to show what the father was like So he sacrifices himself for everybody

Speaker#1:
00:28:25.989 – 00:28:27.979
again Kind of absurd

Speaker#1:
00:28:28.589 – 00:28:36.239
Like it makes more sense especially to my American mindset that he come down and then I kick everybody’s behind

Speaker#1:
00:28:36.859 – 00:28:38.29
and just take over

Speaker#1:
00:28:39.02 – 00:28:40.92
Well that makes sense to me

Speaker#1:
00:28:42.439 – 00:28:46.719
But I’m telling you it didn’t make sense to anybody else either OK I’m not crazy

Speaker#1:
00:28:47.63 – 00:28:59.8
These guys were like wait is this the time that the kingdom will be restored to Israel You know because Jesus doing all these miracles he raised the guy from the dead Oh man Now we got a general who can raise the dead This is going to be an amazing army We got going here

Speaker#1:
00:29:01.719 – 00:29:02.599
No

Speaker#1:
00:29:03.939 – 00:29:07.479
it’s not for you to guys to know times or seasons

Speaker#1:
00:29:09.56 – 00:29:10.39
but

Speaker#1:
00:29:12.699 – 00:29:15.989
I will clothe you with power

Speaker#1:
00:29:17.56 – 00:29:18.479
power

Speaker#1:
00:29:19.939 – 00:29:21.16
I need power

Speaker#1:
00:29:21.959 – 00:29:25.089
right I need a source that doesn’t run out

Speaker#1:
00:29:26.14 – 00:29:29.339
I will clothe you with power

Speaker#1:
00:29:31.15 – 00:29:32.5
So wait around for that

Speaker#1:
00:29:34.42 – 00:29:38.109
He also wants to execute his plan not through

Speaker#1:
00:29:40.479 – 00:29:42.9
love your friends and hate your enemies

Speaker#1:
00:29:44.88 – 00:29:46.329
but love everybody

Speaker#1:
00:29:47.719 – 00:29:52.3
even your enemies right It’s a plan of love

Speaker#1:
00:29:53.78 – 00:30:00.939
It’s it’s a love conquers all mentality Now when I say that you might dial up some rom coms Right

Speaker#1:
00:30:01.579 – 00:30:02.869
Love conquers all

Speaker#1:
00:30:03.75 – 00:30:04.979
sounds silly

Speaker#1:
00:30:06.25 – 00:30:11.619
for a lot of people but it really does and it has to And if it doesn’t then we’re all without hope

Speaker#1:
00:30:12.939 – 00:30:20.93
But love is actually this very powerful thing and it includes this concept of hope I’m just gonna again read you some scripture

Speaker#1:
00:30:21.479 – 00:30:25.65
and if you got nothing else out of it you’re going to hear first Corinthians chapter 13

Speaker#1:
00:30:26.43 – 00:30:32.01
Why And actually a little bit of chapter 12 because it actually is the start of the idea

Speaker#1:
00:30:33.989 – 00:30:47.8
But this is about what love actually is I know we hear this at weddings Ok try not to tune out Follow along in your bibles If it’s helpful or your electronic device of choice with the one of 100 translations you may pick

Speaker#1:
00:30:48.579 – 00:30:57.13
and follow along First Corinthians chapter 13 Well a little bit of 12 and still let me show you a more excellent way

Speaker#1:
00:30:58.229 – 00:31:05.43
if I speak in the tongues of men and angels but have not love I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol

Speaker#1:
00:31:06.859 – 00:31:18.089
And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and have all faith So as to remove mountains but I have not love I am nothing

Speaker#1:
00:31:18.91 – 00:31:26.18
If I give away all I have I deliver up my body to be burned but have not love I gain nothing

Speaker#1:
00:31:27.449 – 00:31:30.209
Love is patient and kind

Speaker#1:
00:31:30.8 – 00:31:40.39
love does not envy or boast it is not arrogant or rude It does not insist on its own way It is not irritable or resentful

Speaker#1:
00:31:41.709 – 00:31:49.13
it does not rejoice in wrong doing but rejoices with the truth Love bears all things

Speaker#1:
00:31:49.75 – 00:31:57.329
believes all things hopes all things endures

Speaker#1:
00:31:58.06 – 00:31:59.339
All things

Speaker#1:
00:32:00.329 – 00:32:02.27
love never ends

Speaker#1:
00:32:02.959 – 00:32:16.979
As for prophecies they will pass away as for tongues they will cease as for knowledge it will pass away where we know in part and we prophesy in part But when the perfect comes the partial will pass away

Speaker#1:
00:32:17.76 – 00:32:38.42
When I was a child I spoke like a child I thought like a child I reasoned like a child When I became a man I gave up childish ways For now we see in a mirror dimly but then face to face Now I know in part but then I shall fully know even as I have been fully known

Speaker#1:
00:32:39.219 – 00:32:47.78
So now faith hope and love abide these three The greatest of these is love

Speaker#1:
00:32:49.189 – 00:32:54.03
man I you know the thing that really struck me as I was preparing for this

Speaker#1:
00:32:54.68 – 00:33:01.819
was the the the four pieces in verse seven love bears all things believes all things

Speaker#1:
00:33:02.75 – 00:33:05.739
hopes all things endures all things

Speaker#1:
00:33:06.75 – 00:33:09.16
bearing and enduring

Speaker#1:
00:33:10.119 – 00:33:11.449
That’s toughness

Speaker#1:
00:33:12.31 – 00:33:12.849
right

Speaker#1:
00:33:14.14 – 00:33:26.81
You know like when I trained for sports and soccer and football you know we train for football coach would always say we train for four quarters we play four quarters we train four quarters you know

Speaker#1:
00:33:27.76 – 00:33:37.989
and when I played soccer it would be like you run for 90 minutes You’re going to be running for 90 minutes We train for 90 minutes It’s a 90 minute game we play for 90 train for all of it Right

Speaker#1:
00:33:38.93 – 00:33:40.01
Makes sense

Speaker#1:
00:33:40.719 – 00:33:41.709
That’s tough

Speaker#1:
00:33:42.329 – 00:33:43.989
You gotta push yourself hard

Speaker#1:
00:33:44.63 – 00:33:45.869
you gotta keep at it

Speaker#1:
00:33:46.589 – 00:33:56.54
and you’re supposed to have the presence of mind to figure out what to do with the ball or to pass or run or hit or block or whatever right Like in the midst of that sorry for the sports analogy If you’re not a sports person

Speaker#1:
00:33:58.4 – 00:34:00.869
if you if you appreciate running

Speaker#1:
00:34:02.55 – 00:34:07.359
I can tell you right now with confidence I cannot run a mile Right This second

Speaker#1:
00:34:08.719 – 00:34:10.37
I would take a little bit of training for

Speaker#1:
00:34:10.908 – 00:34:11.75
you know what I’m saying

Speaker#1:
00:34:13.84 – 00:34:15.668
Endures all things

Speaker#1:
00:34:16.5 – 00:34:17.62
That’s a big deal

Speaker#1:
00:34:18.35 – 00:34:20.638
So maybe love does actually conquer all

Speaker#1:
00:34:21.85 – 00:34:24.138
If it’s the only thing that never ends

Speaker#1:
00:34:25.148 – 00:34:25.729
right

Speaker#1:
00:34:26.699 – 00:34:28.55
Anything less than that

Speaker#1:
00:34:29.148 – 00:34:30.59
apparently will cease

Speaker#1:
00:34:33.35 – 00:34:36.709
Only love can produce something that just doesn’t stop

Speaker#1:
00:34:37.689 – 00:34:42.78
It’s the only real motivation that can keep you going when things get really hard

Speaker#1:
00:34:43.678 – 00:34:44.8
when you want to quit

Speaker#1:
00:34:45.969 – 00:34:53.209
when people tell you to quit right When people tell you it’s enough only love man can drive you forward

Speaker#1:
00:34:54.29 – 00:34:58.01
It’s the one unstoppable force in the universe I am convinced

Speaker#1:
00:34:58.889 – 00:35:00.959
right It’s the one thing

Speaker#1:
00:35:01.879 – 00:35:05.219
is the one stronghold that cannot be taken down

Speaker#1:
00:35:06.229 – 00:35:07.55
So I just want more of that

Speaker#1:
00:35:08.459 – 00:35:18.31
whatever that is now that includes a whole bunch of cool stuff like gentleness kindness patience peace sounds great to me Right

Speaker#1:
00:35:18.899 – 00:35:21.719
All of those kinds of things are included

Speaker#1:
00:35:22.34 – 00:35:26.86
So they must not be weak as I had perceived for a lot of my life

Speaker#1:
00:35:28.11 – 00:35:29.36
So what are we hoping

Speaker#1:
00:35:30.76 – 00:35:31.8
Where is our hope

Speaker#1:
00:35:34.129 – 00:35:35.1
So

Speaker#1:
00:35:37.659 – 00:35:47.1
I think it’s really the thing I think hope is really at the core of the gospel Now I know it’s all driven by love but I think that’s just a you know a product of love is hope

Speaker#1:
00:35:47.77 – 00:36:06.219
and that hope that we have you know we because like I said I could I could talk a really good game You know I knew a lot of stuff a lot of Bible stuff you know um I knew a lot of theology or I know a lot of theology right I’d studied biblical languages all of that stuff

Speaker#1:
00:36:07.389 – 00:36:07.969
Bye

Speaker#1:
00:36:08.84 – 00:36:09.26
But

Speaker#1:
00:36:09.87 – 00:36:11.189
I was in despair

Speaker#1:
00:36:12.34 – 00:36:25.189
you know not externally not obviously but just again in my language is very negative about what’s happening in our nation you know and because I studied history as part of part of like my college years you

Speaker#1:
00:36:25.739 – 00:36:33.189
you kind of have a perspective sometimes other people don’t And and what I mean by that is like you see empires rise you see them fall

Speaker#1:
00:36:34.26 – 00:36:34.939
you know

Speaker#1:
00:36:35.54 – 00:36:40.79
and you and you know what the what the signs of rising are and you know what the signs of the fall are

Speaker#1:
00:36:41.469 – 00:36:49.01
And so when you see it in your own nation or whatever You’re like well you know go the way of the empires of the world whatever

Speaker#1:
00:36:49.8 – 00:37:09.699
You know Not that I didn’t believe that God wasn’t still king and I on his throne I just thought especially for our nation You know it’s just kind of done and it’s about the right time cycle It’s about on time you know 200 plus years or so in that window most most of these things kind of rise up and then they go away

Speaker#1:
00:37:13.909 – 00:37:21.52
But that’s not what Jesus wants us to have How effective is that when I present the gospel

Speaker#1:
00:37:22.1 – 00:37:29.78
you know what I mean How much desire do I have to present the gospel If I don’t even have that kind of hope if I don’t have the kind of hope that could actually maybe change culture today

Speaker#1:
00:37:30.35 – 00:37:36.06
right That the Kingdom of God maybe could come in this moment right now and while we’re here at church

Speaker#1:
00:37:36.689 – 00:37:39.949
we can experience it right Which I believe we do

Speaker#1:
00:37:42.889 – 00:37:45.159
How do you convince people

Speaker#1:
00:37:46.06 – 00:37:48.3
to follow a Jesus

Speaker#1:
00:37:49.05 – 00:37:52.169
that says in order to keep your life

Speaker#1:
00:37:52.87 – 00:37:54.229
you have to lose it

Speaker#1:
00:37:56.389 – 00:37:56.969
right

Speaker#1:
00:37:58.05 – 00:38:04.159
How do you convince people to follow a Jesus that says that if there’s no hope for something

Speaker#1:
00:38:05.459 – 00:38:13.439
what does it mean when you lose your life What does it mean when we’re trying to get the kingdom of Heaven on earth and do God’s will

Speaker#1:
00:38:15.139 – 00:38:18.429
Because what are we really hoping for What’s the world out there trying to do

Speaker#1:
00:38:19.729 – 00:38:21.409
They want to change

Speaker#1:
00:38:22.219 – 00:38:35.209
everybody Like if you listen to the talk now if you’re on linkedin or social media a lot of the stuff out there a lot of podcasts a lot of books are being written on how to be the best version of yourself right now

Speaker#1:
00:38:35.959 – 00:38:44.53
how to get there because we all want to be the best versions of ourselves Why Because we believe that means we’ll be successful We believe that means we’ll be fulfilled

Speaker#1:
00:38:45.26 – 00:38:51.02
means that maybe we can actually have a sense of greater purpose in our life

Speaker#1:
00:38:54.199 – 00:38:57.149
We want something genuine

Speaker#1:
00:38:57.85 – 00:39:02.409
because we we we have it innately in us that we are important

Speaker#1:
00:39:03.629 – 00:39:11.969
Ok We have it innately in us and every one of us that there’s something greater in us that is waiting to come out

Speaker#1:
00:39:13.489 – 00:39:16.76
right Because God placed that in every human

Speaker#1:
00:39:17.429 – 00:39:24.35
Because God means that for every human and whether you have 100 talents or just one

Speaker#1:
00:39:25.07 – 00:39:27.54
God wants to develop that in us

Speaker#1:
00:39:28.949 – 00:39:32.949
But the way the world goes about it is not the way that God goes about it

Speaker#1:
00:39:34.02 – 00:39:40.35
And people are lacking hope and they’re like oh maybe this will work Here’s seven steps

Speaker#1:
00:39:41.05 – 00:39:52.959
You know here’s five principles Here’s 12 ways to the best you now even in the Christian world right We got people standing up and they’re giving their ideas and they’re telling us

Speaker#1:
00:39:53.709 – 00:39:57.75
what would be the best way to do it And don’t get me wrong I’m not saying there’s not some wisdom out there

Speaker#1:
00:39:58.409 – 00:40:04.399
There is some wisdom out there for that Right There’s some practical things like it turns out Did you know

Speaker#1:
00:40:05.0 – 00:40:13.01
that if you wake up at about the same time every day and you go to bed at the same time every day and you go outside and you get some sunlight

Speaker#1:
00:40:14.09 – 00:40:16.11
and you get a little exercise

Speaker#1:
00:40:16.639 – 00:40:19.639
and you drink some water It’s really good for you

Speaker#1:
00:40:20.189 – 00:40:24.149
It will improve your mental state almost immediately when you start doing this

Speaker#1:
00:40:25.0 – 00:40:26.37
shocking right I

Speaker#1:
00:40:27.03 – 00:40:28.86
this is true This will help you

Speaker#1:
00:40:29.86 – 00:40:31.419
but it won’t save you

Speaker#1:
00:40:32.52 – 00:40:36.639
right You you you you become more efficient with your time

Speaker#1:
00:40:37.26 – 00:40:47.209
if you budget your money Well like Allah Dave Ramsey if you guys are familiar with that guy if you do $0 budgeting and you take care of your debts and all that stuff

Speaker#1:
00:40:47.87 – 00:40:53.199
your financial life will be way better It will it won’t save you

Speaker#1:
00:40:54.8 – 00:40:55.989
it won’t save you

Speaker#1:
00:41:02.459 – 00:41:04.85
We need something better than that for our hope

Speaker#1:
00:41:05.959 – 00:41:06.61
You know

Speaker#1:
00:41:07.139 – 00:41:08.739
we need something deeper than that

Speaker#1:
00:41:14.58 – 00:41:17.709
in this time where people are fashioning all these things

Speaker#1:
00:41:20.31 – 00:41:27.01
because they don’t save they only work on a small level they only work at a sort of

Speaker#1:
00:41:28.77 – 00:41:45.449
I wanna say superficial level they’re not gonna change you deeply they’re not gonna fulfill you in the way that you hope And in this way it reminds me of Jeremiah preaching to Judah preaching to to the people of God

Speaker#1:
00:41:46.449 – 00:42:00.669
because he says well I’ll read it and then I’ll tell you why I think it sounds like this Jeremiah 10 7 through nine who would not fear you Oh king of the nations For this is your due for among all the wise ones of the nations

Speaker#1:
00:42:01.199 – 00:42:07.28
and in all their kingdoms there is none like you They are both stupid and foolish

Speaker#1:
00:42:08.57 – 00:42:12.29
The instruction of idols is just wood

Speaker#1:
00:42:13.639 – 00:42:23.78
beaten silver is brought from Tar and gold from Muaz They are the work of the craftsmen of the hands of the goldsmiths Their clothing is violet and purple

Speaker#1:
00:42:24.379 – 00:42:27.919
They are all the work of skilled men

Speaker#1:
00:42:29.3 – 00:42:33.02
That’s what a lot of these things are It’s the work of skilled men

Speaker#1:
00:42:33.57 – 00:42:39.87
because when they stand up there they’re clothed and violet and purple And what Jeremiah means there is they they dress nice

Speaker#1:
00:42:40.56 – 00:42:41.139
right

Speaker#1:
00:42:41.689 – 00:42:49.189
They’ve got expensive stuff well crafted well engineered things

Speaker#1:
00:42:49.879 – 00:42:56.199
I have I have an appreciation for well crafted beautiful well engineered things Right

Speaker#1:
00:42:57.34 – 00:43:09.889
A lot of us do A lot of us can appreciate like oh my goodness that’s an amazing vehicle But Bentley I mean Bentleys are amazing Like if you like cars Bentleys are if you like luxury cars Bentleys are amazing

Speaker#1:
00:43:10.56 – 00:43:11.85
what a piece of craftsmanship

Speaker#1:
00:43:13.879 – 00:43:14.739
but they’re

Speaker#1:
00:43:15.28 – 00:43:16.6
we need something better than that

Speaker#1:
00:43:17.199 – 00:43:27.11
We need something better something deeper something more sure than the small superficial hope that men can give us

Speaker#1:
00:43:27.989 – 00:43:37.889
because they’ve worked a few things out and usually how it works is somebody is successful in an area and they’re like I’m successful here I’ll tell everyone else how they can be successful too

Speaker#1:
00:43:40.1 – 00:43:43.159
But it doesn’t always work for everybody

Speaker#1:
00:43:43.979 – 00:43:44.54
Right

Speaker#1:
00:43:45.05 – 00:43:49.719
It doesn’t and it doesn’t necessarily fulfill them like they get fulfilled

Speaker#1:
00:43:50.54 – 00:43:55.83
It doesn’t necessarily work It’s wisdom but it’s not enough

Speaker#1:
00:43:56.969 – 00:44:11.6
Right And that’s what we’re looking for We want more wisdom in our life We want more of these things We go to these speakers we go to these podcasts we go to these websites we order these curriculums and we think we’ll follow these and we’ll get really deeply wise

Speaker#1:
00:44:12.11 – 00:44:16.08
But the truth is we won’t even get as wise as Solomon got

Speaker#1:
00:44:16.899 – 00:44:23.629
because there’s a whole level of wisdom that has to do with discernment that following principles cannot get you

Speaker#1:
00:44:24.52 – 00:44:29.149
right So we need something greater than the wisdom of these skilled men

Speaker#1:
00:44:30.459 – 00:44:31.389
We need like

Speaker#1:
00:44:32.07 – 00:44:36.06
even the wisdom of Solomon So if you know about the story of Solomon

Speaker#1:
00:44:36.87 – 00:44:41.27
God comes to him in a dream and says hey um what do you want

Speaker#1:
00:44:42.28 – 00:44:51.6
I’ll give you anything just ask And Solomon has the wisdom at that time to say you know what I don’t know how to rule your people I have no idea what I’m doing

Speaker#1:
00:44:52.479 – 00:45:01.629
Like I don’t even know how to to to come in and go out I don’t even know what that looks like So I need your wisdom to to guide your people

Speaker#1:
00:45:02.36 – 00:45:18.03
And God’s like great answer So because you didn’t ask for gold and silver I’m gonna give all of that to you And I’m gonna give you a spirit of wisdom I’m gonna drop this on you You’re gonna be the wisest person ever to walk on the face of the planet Of course until Jesus right

Speaker#1:
00:45:19.12 – 00:45:34.459
And so his wisdom is so great And there’s the one of my favorite stories in all of the Bible is where these two prostitutes come to Solomon because one of them has lost their child

Speaker#1:
00:45:35.62 – 00:45:44.1
She rolled over in the night as you know in the ancient world you just kept that baby with you She rolled over in the night and suffocated the child Very sad story

Speaker#1:
00:45:44.879 – 00:45:47.28
There’s so many interesting issues

Speaker#1:
00:45:48.209 – 00:45:53.11
in the scripture doesn’t even address it It just says two prostitutes come to Solomon to sort this out

Speaker#1:
00:45:53.76 – 00:45:56.86
Here’s a problem Not supposed to be any prostitutes in Israel

Speaker#1:
00:45:57.77 – 00:46:04.899
Prostitution in Israel’s cult prostitution That’s idols Those are other gods not supposed to be any prostitutes in Israel

Speaker#1:
00:46:05.84 – 00:46:13.139
So what Solomon could have done like in a legalistic mind he could have said you know what you guys are gonna die anyway

Speaker#1:
00:46:14.219 – 00:46:14.77
So

Speaker#1:
00:46:16.389 – 00:46:24.149
prostitution is the death penalty worshiping other gods like that is the death penalty So just take these two out of here and we’ll kill them

Speaker#1:
00:46:25.62 – 00:46:26.949
Not what he does

Speaker#1:
00:46:27.78 – 00:46:29.12
Here’s their case

Speaker#1:
00:46:30.159 – 00:46:35.389
is a wisdom It’s something different There’s something more important going on here It’s about life isn’t it

Speaker#1:
00:46:36.379 – 00:46:41.909
About maybe second chances third chances I’m on my 33rd chance

Speaker#1:
00:46:43.669 – 00:46:49.739
So these two women are fighting over this kid They’re both claiming this child to be their child

Speaker#1:
00:46:50.699 – 00:47:00.33
And so they they make their arguments No one can tell whose kid is whose Soman says bring me a sword

Speaker#1:
00:47:01.679 – 00:47:09.86
Let’s cut the child in half This sounds cruel and terrible right Let’s cut the child in half Give one half to one woman one half to the other

Speaker#1:
00:47:10.379 – 00:47:14.909
Well the real mom’s like no let her have the kid

Speaker#1:
00:47:16.189 – 00:47:17.76
That’s what a mom would do

Speaker#1:
00:47:18.439 – 00:47:20.34
It was in in Solomon’s like

Speaker#1:
00:47:21.04 – 00:47:23.409
that’s the real mom Give the baby to her

Speaker#1:
00:47:25.05 – 00:47:26.25
genius

Speaker#1:
00:47:27.12 – 00:47:34.199
absolute genius a discernment and wisdom unparalleled in the world right

Speaker#1:
00:47:36.03 – 00:47:37.03
And yet

Speaker#1:
00:47:38.719 – 00:47:41.209
the wisdom of Solomon is not enough

Speaker#1:
00:47:42.189 – 00:47:47.459
That discernment is incredible I don’t know men today

Speaker#1:
00:47:48.149 – 00:47:52.379
especially the guys that are given the seminars who have that kind of wisdom and discernment

Speaker#1:
00:47:53.159 – 00:47:56.199
And yet we need something more than even that

Speaker#1:
00:47:57.199 – 00:47:57.75
right

Speaker#1:
00:47:58.939 – 00:48:02.639
It’s interesting Jesus in Matthew 12

Speaker#1:
00:48:03.26 – 00:48:06.139
He says something very fascinating

Speaker#1:
00:48:07.179 – 00:48:21.679
He says the queen of the South will rise up to the judgment with this generation and condemn it So he’s talking about the people that he’s preaching to He’s doing all these miracles in front of all these people And he’s talking about that generation All these people have seen this

Speaker#1:
00:48:22.3 – 00:48:31.879
and he says the queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon

Speaker#1:
00:48:33.85 – 00:48:41.939
That’s incredible by itself That’s how Wise Salmon was That’s how his reputation was She came all the way up to hear this great wisdom

Speaker#1:
00:48:42.489 – 00:48:48.659
And behold Jesus says something greater than Solomon is here

Speaker#1:
00:48:51.139 – 00:48:53.82
something greater than Solomon is here

Speaker#1:
00:48:56.37 – 00:48:57.969
and we need something great

Speaker#1:
00:48:59.56 – 00:49:14.57
Is what Solomon did is he asked a really good he asked for a great thing in asking for wisdom It was beautiful notice God doesn’t correct him doesn’t stop him He’s like oh that’s genius right Because he’s a good he’s a good dad

Speaker#1:
00:49:15.179 – 00:49:20.51
Good dads recognize like oh maybe it’s not the best answer but it’s a good one Well done

Speaker#1:
00:49:21.36 – 00:49:25.149
Is there anything that Solomon could have asked for that might have been better

Speaker#1:
00:49:27.149 – 00:49:27.969
I think so

Speaker#1:
00:49:29.419 – 00:49:33.939
I think he could have asked for a heart like his own father’s like his father David

Speaker#1:
00:49:34.899 – 00:49:39.129
to actually do all the stuff that God wanted to do to have that same heart

Speaker#1:
00:49:40.34 – 00:49:48.969
But he didn’t ask for that And God didn’t slow him down but gave him that spirit of wisdom But it wasn’t enough to save him from all of the idol worship that he did

Speaker#1:
00:49:49.729 – 00:49:56.879
And for the kingdom to be torn away from Israel after his son was born and ruined the kingdom

Speaker#1:
00:49:58.169 – 00:49:59.82
right after his son took over

Speaker#1:
00:50:02.52 – 00:50:04.479
But he could have asked for a heart like David

Speaker#1:
00:50:07.37 – 00:50:09.8
because it’s about the heart We need something greater

Speaker#1:
00:50:10.689 – 00:50:11.58
we need that

Speaker#1:
00:50:12.62 – 00:50:14.25
And that’s part of his plan right

Speaker#1:
00:50:14.879 – 00:50:20.85
When he built a new covenant and he says in Jeremiah I’m gonna take the old heart out

Speaker#1:
00:50:21.52 – 00:50:28.87
and give you a new one I’m going to remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh I’m going to put that inside you to direct you that way

Speaker#1:
00:50:30.29 – 00:50:48.86
It also seems to be a process which I would love for it to just sort of you know and I know it did when the Holy Spirit landed on me when when God saved me when when I had this experience where I had peace like I’d never known before fill my soul I know he changed that out

Speaker#1:
00:50:49.56 – 00:50:54.229
But there’s also something in my flesh that’s left behind

Speaker#1:
00:50:55.08 – 00:50:56.25
that he’s working out

Speaker#1:
00:50:57.76 – 00:51:01.199
And here’s the thing man I I can despair about that too

Speaker#1:
00:51:02.419 – 00:51:12.29
If you’re like me you’ve been bumbling and stumbling your way into the kingdom of heaven the whole time you’ve been following Jesus Now I’m pretty sure I’m worse than most

Speaker#1:
00:51:12.81 – 00:51:13.389
you know

Speaker#1:
00:51:14.56 – 00:51:19.449
but it’s been hard for me And part of the hope I need

Speaker#1:
00:51:20.06 – 00:51:22.62
is to believe that he’s not done with me

Speaker#1:
00:51:24.199 – 00:51:33.1
Part of the hope of the gospel I have to believe personally before I can believe it for other people is that no matter how many times I fall

Speaker#1:
00:51:33.75 – 00:51:35.6
he can raise me up again

Speaker#1:
00:51:37.36 – 00:51:45.399
I need that kind of faith You know I need the faith to it says a righteous man falls seven times

Speaker#1:
00:51:45.979 – 00:52:12.199
and rises seven times The idea behind that is that you’re gonna fall the righteous fall People make mistakes they make errors they do things all the dumbest things I’ve done in my life I did as a follower of Jesus by the way right Because I did that early on I made a commitment to Jesus but I did all my dumb things not all of them but so many massive life changing dumb things

Speaker#1:
00:52:13.189 – 00:52:14.939
And I can get in despair man

Speaker#1:
00:52:15.719 – 00:52:18.199
because I’ve screwed it up again

Speaker#1:
00:52:19.379 – 00:52:20.949
I’ve fallen again

Speaker#1:
00:52:21.889 – 00:52:25.01
Is he worth trying to get up again

Speaker#1:
00:52:26.969 – 00:52:38.26
Do I believe that he’s still changing me Am I falling forward What I finally decided And it took me decades to get here is as long as I’m falling forward

Speaker#1:
00:52:40.5 – 00:52:42.229
If I’m stumbling forward

Speaker#1:
00:52:42.77 – 00:52:43.76
then there’s hope

Speaker#1:
00:52:44.889 – 00:52:47.489
There’s hope and I have to look back

Speaker#1:
00:52:48.139 – 00:52:53.07
It’s good You don’t compare yourself to other people man That’ll that’ll ruin you that talk about despair

Speaker#1:
00:52:54.84 – 00:52:56.639
compare yourself to yourself

Speaker#1:
00:52:58.06 – 00:53:01.61
five years ago two years ago three months whatever it is

Speaker#1:
00:53:02.149 – 00:53:12.29
How are you doing You know what I mean Like look at it that way There could be great hope there What has the Lord already done Recounting the deeds of God and what he’s done in your life

Speaker#1:
00:53:14.01 – 00:53:15.449
But this is what he wants to bring

Speaker#1:
00:53:16.84 – 00:53:22.83
a hope that’s powerful A hope that endures really gritty

Speaker#1:
00:53:24.06 – 00:53:24.959
Tough

Speaker#1:
00:53:25.489 – 00:53:26.07
Oh

Speaker#1:
00:53:27.28 – 00:53:29.08
where is your hope

Speaker#1:
00:53:29.85 – 00:53:30.729
Is it gritty

Speaker#1:
00:53:31.489 – 00:53:32.5
Is it tough

Speaker#1:
00:53:33.379 – 00:53:34.879
Because that’s the gospel

Speaker#1:
00:53:35.61 – 00:53:50.75
That’s when you know it’s taking its effect That’s how you can hear messages and look at the witness and see of other of other even people not to try to judge them terribly But the message is their hope in it

Speaker#1:
00:53:51.54 – 00:53:56.899
Is there freedom in it Is there truth in it Is there is there something that can offer

Speaker#1:
00:53:57.76 – 00:54:02.57
this gritty toughness in a world that needs that

Speaker#1:
00:54:03.58 – 00:54:08.54
and a life if yours is like mine where you gotta have that

Speaker#1:
00:54:11.51 – 00:54:14.399
So when you look at the future of the church

Speaker#1:
00:54:15.719 – 00:54:16.979
or your city

Speaker#1:
00:54:18.389 – 00:54:23.209
or your state or your nation do you have hope

Speaker#1:
00:54:24.61 – 00:54:25.87
Do you have

Speaker#1:
00:54:26.399 – 00:54:26.979
OK

Speaker#1:
00:54:30.129 – 00:54:33.12
this is my father’s world

Speaker#2:
00:54:38.629 – 00:54:40.659
Yeah that’s a that’s a job

Speaker#2:
00:54:43.479 – 00:54:45.28
So it is Father’s Day

Speaker#2:
00:54:45.79 – 00:55:12.629
and really we end every service the same way We really believe that church doesn’t end It just changes form and we really want to promote liberty in our church So people feel called because there’s excellent food on the barbecue or excellent food waiting for you somewhere You’re welcome welcome to go But we also want to make sure that nobody leaves without receiving from God everything that he wants to do

Speaker#2:
00:55:13.159 – 00:55:18.729
And when I was hearing mel speak the thing that was really in my heart

Speaker#2:
00:55:19.58 – 00:55:20.489
is that

Speaker#2:
00:55:21.139 – 00:55:23.54
people have given ground

Speaker#2:
00:55:24.83 – 00:55:26.08
to hopelessness

Speaker#2:
00:55:26.699 – 00:55:28.709
in areas where they don’t even realize it

Speaker#2:
00:55:29.56 – 00:55:37.54
when we don’t as mel was saying when we don’t have hope for the future we don’t have hope for the nation We don’t have hope for our lives

Speaker#2:
00:55:38.219 – 00:55:42.78
It’s sneaky It’s crafty We lose reproductive power

Speaker#2:
00:55:43.29 – 00:55:57.08
and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy Does that make sense And so I challenge you before you leave Really think about if there’s any area in your life where you’ve lost hope God wants to resurrect it

Speaker#2:
00:55:57.82 – 00:56:06.419
God wants to restore it You know when you’re considering whether to come up for prayer and I’ll just invite the prayer ministers to come up to the front right now

Speaker#2:
00:56:06.979 – 00:56:11.86
If there’s any area of your life that the Holy Spirit brings to your memory

Speaker#2:
00:56:12.53 – 00:56:13.87
that you’ve lost hope

Speaker#2:
00:56:15.489 – 00:56:16.55
come for prayer

Speaker#2:
00:56:17.969 – 00:56:43.09
Otherwise may the Lord bless you and keep you May the Holy Spirit fill you may the light of Jesus Christ shine through you and may this week you go out into this world and experience God using you in mighty and powerful ways to bring life to a world that desperately needs it In Jesus name Amen The Lord bless you And you are welcome to come for prayer

Speaker#2:
00:57:01.58 – 00:57:02.439
for