1 00:00:05,840 --> 00:00:08,920 Boy, it's a good day to be in the house of the Lord. He is 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:12,600 good and he is God. And I am just 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,399 reminded this morning that my failures, my mess 4 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:20,120 ups, my lack of faithfulness is not a prerequisite 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,720 to his goodness. He is always good. He 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,520 is always on time. He is always God. And guess what? 7 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,360 He knows your name and he knows my name. And he is 8 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,780 faithful, is he not? Has he been faithful to you? 9 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,900 He is so faithful. He's good. Welcome this morning. We're so glad that 10 00:00:38,900 --> 00:00:42,460 you are in the house this morning. As we 11 00:00:42,460 --> 00:00:45,900 continue our journey this morning in the Lord, I've got one 12 00:00:46,540 --> 00:00:50,220 quick announcement for you. I want to invite you to something real special 13 00:00:50,780 --> 00:00:54,420 that's taking place here on June 5th. And 14 00:00:54,420 --> 00:00:57,820 that is an Instruments of Joy 15 00:00:58,690 --> 00:01:02,330 benefit concert featuring Land of Color, Jeremy 16 00:01:02,330 --> 00:01:04,530 Casala and Cole Burkitt. 17 00:01:05,890 --> 00:01:09,570 And this is going to be a real 18 00:01:09,890 --> 00:01:12,610 wonderful evening. Now, Springhouse has always 19 00:01:14,690 --> 00:01:18,370 looked for opportunities prayerfully to sow into Global 20 00:01:18,370 --> 00:01:21,810 Missions. And Instruments of Joy, led by our very own 21 00:01:21,810 --> 00:01:25,170 Josh McLeod, has fingerprints all around 22 00:01:25,570 --> 00:01:28,610 the globe. You're going to hear a little bit more about that next Sunday. 23 00:01:29,570 --> 00:01:33,390 But this, this is a unique, wonderful way to participate 24 00:01:33,390 --> 00:01:36,910 in Global Missions by attending this 25 00:01:36,910 --> 00:01:40,350 concert. And you're going to be entertained. It's going to be a great 26 00:01:40,750 --> 00:01:44,070 night. So I'm going to be here. My family's going to be here. I hope 27 00:01:44,070 --> 00:01:47,790 that you will make plans to come and enjoy this concert together 28 00:01:48,030 --> 00:01:51,710 as we sow into the kingdom. Amen. Amen. So mark your 29 00:01:51,710 --> 00:01:55,470 calendars on June 5th. Okay. 30 00:01:55,630 --> 00:01:59,270 Well, we are going to continue in our 31 00:01:59,270 --> 00:02:03,090 series today. Abide, arise 32 00:02:03,090 --> 00:02:06,890 in advance. We're in that arise section today. And we're 33 00:02:06,890 --> 00:02:10,610 going to read one verse of scripture. So as we read 34 00:02:10,610 --> 00:02:14,210 this today, my prayer would be that you would stand and read it 35 00:02:14,210 --> 00:02:17,930 from the pit of your stomach as if you actually believe what 36 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:21,650 you're reading. Okay? Can we do that? All right, let's read together from 37 00:02:21,650 --> 00:02:25,210 Galatians, chapter five. Here we go. It is for 38 00:02:25,210 --> 00:02:28,250 freedom that Christ has spoken. Set us free. 39 00:02:28,890 --> 00:02:32,330 Stand firm, then. And do not let yourselves 40 00:02:32,410 --> 00:02:36,250 be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You 41 00:02:36,250 --> 00:02:39,770 know, that's so good. Let's read it one more time. Here we go. 42 00:02:40,170 --> 00:02:43,810 It is for freedom that Christ has set us 43 00:02:43,810 --> 00:02:47,610 free. Stand firm then. And do not let 44 00:02:47,610 --> 00:02:51,130 yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of 45 00:02:51,130 --> 00:02:54,890 slave. Father, I'm so grateful for the freedom that we have in you. 46 00:02:55,390 --> 00:02:58,950 My prayer today is that our hearts would be open and our eyes would be 47 00:02:58,950 --> 00:03:02,710 open to know and to see the things Lord, that 48 00:03:02,710 --> 00:03:06,550 yout want to reveal to us, God, I pray, Lord, that there would 49 00:03:06,550 --> 00:03:10,270 be change for eternity as we lean into youo precepts and principles 50 00:03:10,270 --> 00:03:13,910 here. And, Lord, that yout would just speak through Me, anoint us to receive today 51 00:03:13,910 --> 00:03:17,230 in Jesus name. And everybody said, amen. 52 00:03:17,950 --> 00:03:21,800 Amen. Well, we're continuing 53 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,600 on our journey, as I said in the arise section. And I don't know, maybe 54 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,240 at the end of this, you guys can let me know if this was like 55 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,800 a sermon or not. But I was struggling a little bit this week 56 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,400 because what I felt like the Lord wanted me to do today was 57 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,840 not necessarily preach at you, but 58 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,000 instead illuminate our eyes to something that may 59 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:46,760 be right in front of us, that we may not realize. Have you ever been 60 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,240 looking for something and it's right in front of you, but you keep asking where 61 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:53,820 it is? Hey, where's my cell phone? Has anybody seen my 62 00:03:53,820 --> 00:03:57,460 cell phone? I can't find my cell phone. And eventually somebody who's 63 00:03:57,460 --> 00:04:01,300 got a keen eye looks and says, it's in your hand right now. If 64 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:04,780 they're kind, that's where the period happens. If they're not kind, they have a few 65 00:04:04,780 --> 00:04:08,619 other words that they'll call you afterward. But have you ever been 66 00:04:08,619 --> 00:04:12,380 looking for something that's right in front of you? I believe that there are 67 00:04:12,380 --> 00:04:16,180 some things at times because we become creatures 68 00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:19,980 of habit and we are products of 69 00:04:19,980 --> 00:04:23,420 the culture with which we live. I believe that there are 70 00:04:23,420 --> 00:04:26,920 sometimes that we are blinded to. And we're not necessarily 71 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,600 intentionally blind, but they're there, these blind spots. And 72 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,960 so as a pastor, this is not, Thus saith the Lord, what I'm about to 73 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,880 tell you. But as a pastor, as your pastor, 74 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:41,120 I believe that there are two very specific areas 75 00:04:41,600 --> 00:04:44,800 where we as believers miss the mark. And 76 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:48,920 it's not that we aren't attempting to make the mark, but we 77 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,240 miss the mark because we believe we have actually 78 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:55,980 achieved the mark. And we're far away from the mark. We have 79 00:04:55,980 --> 00:04:59,660 almost fooled ourselves to believing that. We can kind of check that off 80 00:04:59,660 --> 00:05:03,460 the list because we've got that under control. Let us move 81 00:05:03,460 --> 00:05:07,060 on to some other things. The first one of those two things is 82 00:05:07,060 --> 00:05:09,260 this love. 83 00:05:10,780 --> 00:05:14,220 We have a propensity to believe that we've got. 84 00:05:14,620 --> 00:05:17,580 We just know how to do this. Like, we do this really well. 85 00:05:18,380 --> 00:05:21,980 We understand what this is. We can move on to some other things. 86 00:05:22,060 --> 00:05:25,020 In fact, in 2019, when, 87 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,320 when it was solidified that I was going to be in this role, the Lord 88 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,000 gave me three very specific things for our church. And that was this 89 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,080 that we would be a church that loves big lives truth and operates 90 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:41,000 as a healthy family. And right on the cuff, if you just 91 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,240 look at that and then turn your head away, you might look and say, well, 92 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,760 that's kind of a shallow vision. You know, love, big live truth. Okay? 93 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,450 Everybody's trying to do those things, be a healthy family. No, 94 00:05:51,450 --> 00:05:54,970 I believe that these are some of the most challenging and hardest 95 00:05:54,970 --> 00:05:58,650 things that can be done. And apart from the 96 00:05:58,650 --> 00:06:01,410 Holy Spirit, we can't achieve any of this. 97 00:06:02,130 --> 00:06:05,970 Apart from the Holy Spirit, we can't achieve any of this. And I believe 98 00:06:05,970 --> 00:06:09,690 that the most challenging things of these three is not the live 99 00:06:09,690 --> 00:06:12,610 truth and not the healthy family part. It's the love, big part. 100 00:06:15,330 --> 00:06:18,930 Love. As we find in the book of Galatians, 101 00:06:18,930 --> 00:06:22,690 love is a fruit of the Spirit. It's the fruit of the 102 00:06:22,690 --> 00:06:26,330 Spirit. And so in order for us to. We don't manufacture love. In order 103 00:06:26,330 --> 00:06:30,010 for love to be evident in our lives, we have to be walking 104 00:06:30,010 --> 00:06:33,770 with the Spirit of God. Over in First John, we 105 00:06:33,770 --> 00:06:36,810 also see this in scripture. It says God is 106 00:06:37,370 --> 00:06:40,890 love. Well, anybody who says I've got a handle on 107 00:06:40,970 --> 00:06:44,610 love is kind of saying, I've got a handle on God. And 108 00:06:44,610 --> 00:06:48,060 anybody who says they've got a handle on God, I'm going to step back a 109 00:06:48,060 --> 00:06:51,500 few steps, right? No, 110 00:06:52,220 --> 00:06:55,980 it takes a lifetime to even begin 111 00:06:55,980 --> 00:06:59,780 to scratch the surface on something as enormous and extraordinary 112 00:06:59,780 --> 00:07:03,500 as love. Jesus even said, no greater 113 00:07:03,740 --> 00:07:07,340 love has anyone than this than to lay down one's 114 00:07:07,340 --> 00:07:10,700 life for one's friends. Not family, not 115 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:14,430 spouse, friend. And 116 00:07:14,430 --> 00:07:18,270 of course, Jesus was the embodiment of the truth that he rendered here when he 117 00:07:18,270 --> 00:07:21,870 laid his life down for us. Now, this is not what we're going to talk 118 00:07:21,870 --> 00:07:25,630 about today. That's the one of the two that I believe like 119 00:07:25,630 --> 00:07:29,350 are glaring misses when it comes to believers in the kingdom. The 120 00:07:29,350 --> 00:07:31,670 second of the two is freedom. 121 00:07:32,950 --> 00:07:36,790 It's freedom. It's not that we don't understand 122 00:07:37,350 --> 00:07:41,070 some of the concepts and principles of freedom, but 123 00:07:41,070 --> 00:07:44,750 instead rather it's we parade around like we are free 124 00:07:44,750 --> 00:07:48,510 while we live in bondage. We parade around and 125 00:07:48,510 --> 00:07:52,230 masquerade as free agents, as free people in 126 00:07:52,230 --> 00:07:56,070 the kingdom. Yet we have very little understanding 127 00:07:56,070 --> 00:07:59,750 of what freedom in the kingdom of God looks like. It's so easy 128 00:07:59,750 --> 00:08:03,390 to take the attributes of freedom as they're portrayed in 129 00:08:03,390 --> 00:08:06,950 the world and assign those attributes to freedom 130 00:08:07,550 --> 00:08:11,070 in the kingdom. I don't believe that those are the same things. 131 00:08:11,630 --> 00:08:14,870 Over in Psalm 16:6 it says this. The boundary 132 00:08:14,870 --> 00:08:18,190 lines have fallen for me in pleasant 133 00:08:18,670 --> 00:08:22,150 places. This Is a life verse of 134 00:08:22,150 --> 00:08:25,830 mine. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant 135 00:08:25,830 --> 00:08:28,910 places. Now, some of us. Are anybody here a rebel? 136 00:08:30,750 --> 00:08:34,350 You know, we tend to be creatures 137 00:08:34,510 --> 00:08:38,190 where somebody says, don't do that. That's the one thing we wanna do. 138 00:08:38,630 --> 00:08:42,390 And take that all the way back to the garden. God said, don't do this, 139 00:08:42,470 --> 00:08:45,550 don't do that, don't do this. You can name this, you can name this, you 140 00:08:45,550 --> 00:08:48,470 can eat this, you can do this, you can, you can, you can, you can, 141 00:08:48,710 --> 00:08:52,470 you can. Don't do that. What's the one thing we 142 00:08:52,470 --> 00:08:56,310 focus on? The one don't. Right? It's testing 143 00:08:56,310 --> 00:08:59,870 the boundaries. It's testing the lines. But I have 144 00:08:59,870 --> 00:09:03,350 found in my life that freedom is 145 00:09:03,430 --> 00:09:06,950 found within the boundaries that the King of the 146 00:09:06,950 --> 00:09:10,660 universe has set for my life. Freedom, true 147 00:09:10,660 --> 00:09:13,860 freedom, is found when I obey his 148 00:09:13,860 --> 00:09:17,100 principles, when I operate within those boundaries. 149 00:09:17,260 --> 00:09:20,900 Jesus said, narrow, narrow is the road and 150 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:24,580 very few find it. But here's the thing that I've come to 151 00:09:24,580 --> 00:09:28,220 believe. When you find the narrow road, you get to really 152 00:09:28,220 --> 00:09:32,020 experience how broad it is. There's a lot that you can do 153 00:09:32,020 --> 00:09:35,020 in the kingdom when you are free. When you are free. 154 00:09:35,740 --> 00:09:38,660 And so there's this misunderstanding or 155 00:09:38,660 --> 00:09:42,340 misattachment to freedom that I believe that 156 00:09:42,340 --> 00:09:46,140 we wrestle with. And that's where I wanna camp today. This is 157 00:09:46,140 --> 00:09:49,900 my daughter, Hadassah. And I had a better picture for this story, 158 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:53,660 but I couldn't find it this morning. And some of you have heard this story 159 00:09:53,660 --> 00:09:57,380 before, but when she was two years old, you know that one and two 160 00:09:57,380 --> 00:10:01,140 year olds, sometimes before they actually start forming words, 161 00:10:01,140 --> 00:10:03,980 they actually can understand what you're saying. And 162 00:10:04,780 --> 00:10:08,060 I came to realize that Hadassah could understand what I was saying 163 00:10:08,380 --> 00:10:11,820 one day because we were at our house and we brought in groceries, and I 164 00:10:11,820 --> 00:10:15,620 had asked Hadassah to pick up a can of beans and put it 165 00:10:15,620 --> 00:10:19,020 in the pantry. And don't you know, she walked right over there and grabbed the 166 00:10:19,020 --> 00:10:22,620 beans and put them in the pantry. And I thought, she can understand me. 167 00:10:23,340 --> 00:10:27,100 So a little bit later, we had cooked a meal for dinner, and that 168 00:10:27,100 --> 00:10:30,910 meal was spaghetti. And so she 169 00:10:30,910 --> 00:10:34,550 had spaghetti on this tray, this high top of hers. And 170 00:10:34,790 --> 00:10:38,630 just like all toddlers, she was sitting there priming proper and eating her meal 171 00:10:38,630 --> 00:10:42,310 just the way that she should. No, 172 00:10:42,630 --> 00:10:46,310 she was taking her spaghetti and she was playing with it and moving it all 173 00:10:46,310 --> 00:10:50,110 around her tray, all across the way, and she took a handful 174 00:10:50,110 --> 00:10:53,870 of the spaghetti and she did like this, and she threw it on 175 00:10:53,870 --> 00:10:57,600 the floor. Now, I realize now that my toddler 176 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:01,440 Understands what I'm saying. And so I look at her and I 177 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,760 say, no, we do not throw 178 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,520 spaghetti on the floor. No, ma'. Am. And 179 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:12,280 do you know that she, without hesitation, looked 180 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,880 me eyeball to eyeball, grabbed a handful of 181 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:19,440 spaghetti, stretched her arm out over to the 182 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:23,210 side, and it was me against her 183 00:11:25,290 --> 00:11:27,930 and threw that spaghetti against the wall. 184 00:11:28,890 --> 00:11:31,050 I had an out of body experience. 185 00:11:33,050 --> 00:11:36,330 See, I had been an educator for 15 years. I wasn't used to 186 00:11:36,489 --> 00:11:39,690 teens and kids telling me no, let alone my own. 187 00:11:40,410 --> 00:11:44,210 I grabbed our kitchen table. She was in a high chair. I grabbed our kitchen 188 00:11:44,210 --> 00:11:47,770 table. I'm telling you guys, I do not have muscles, but I could have picked 189 00:11:47,770 --> 00:11:51,570 that table up at that moment and thrown it across the window. I. I 190 00:11:51,570 --> 00:11:55,210 mean, I was. And I told Shari, come in here and take care of the. 191 00:11:55,210 --> 00:11:58,250 I've gotta go process these feelings that I have going on 192 00:11:58,570 --> 00:11:59,210 inside. 193 00:12:02,090 --> 00:12:05,130 We discipline our kids because we love them. 194 00:12:05,770 --> 00:12:09,450 And for some reason, we believe that 195 00:12:09,450 --> 00:12:13,010 we operate in this realm of freedom with a king who's not 196 00:12:13,010 --> 00:12:16,770 going to discipline us. The God of 197 00:12:16,770 --> 00:12:20,490 the universe loves you. And so that means he is willing 198 00:12:20,570 --> 00:12:23,620 to. To discipline you. Aren't you glad you came today? 199 00:12:24,500 --> 00:12:27,780 You are free to be disciplined. This morning, God 200 00:12:27,780 --> 00:12:31,620 wants us to become like him. Not just because 201 00:12:31,940 --> 00:12:35,500 he's God, which he is. Boy, he saw. I was thinking, I was pacing and 202 00:12:35,500 --> 00:12:39,140 praying down here yesterday, and I was like, lord, forgive us 203 00:12:39,140 --> 00:12:42,820 because we have so diluted all the vocabulary words I could 204 00:12:42,820 --> 00:12:46,100 come up with to give ump to describe your sovereignty, 205 00:12:46,340 --> 00:12:50,020 your bigness, your greatness. How wonderful. Even 206 00:12:50,020 --> 00:12:53,460 the word king we don't understand. We live in America, after all. 207 00:12:54,340 --> 00:12:58,180 We. Boy, the 208 00:12:58,180 --> 00:13:01,340 words go into my mind, I can't say out loud. We basically said no to 209 00:13:01,340 --> 00:13:04,620 the king. And we came over here and we said, we're not going to come 210 00:13:04,620 --> 00:13:08,420 under authority. Right. We just don't like coming under 211 00:13:08,420 --> 00:13:12,100 authority. But true freedom in the kingdom is 212 00:13:12,100 --> 00:13:15,910 a willingness to come under an authority that 213 00:13:15,910 --> 00:13:19,470 knows what's best for us, knows what's better for us than we 214 00:13:19,470 --> 00:13:23,190 do. And it doesn't look like the authority 215 00:13:23,190 --> 00:13:26,910 that we find in the world. And so what happens? And this is here's where, 216 00:13:27,310 --> 00:13:29,470 you know, I might step on some toes today. 217 00:13:30,830 --> 00:13:34,110 I believe that there are some lukewarm Christians in this church, 218 00:13:36,990 --> 00:13:39,870 lukewarm Christians in the big church, capital C. 219 00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,240 There are seasons where those of us who have the best intentions 220 00:13:45,240 --> 00:13:47,720 find ourselves in lukewarm waters. 221 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,600 And a lukewarm place is not a place that we want. 222 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,920 We want to find ourselves. And so 223 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,520 what we do is when we find ourselves in places where we may be 224 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:04,040 skirting the line of being lukewarm and being too 225 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,240 comfortable. What we think is the antidote 226 00:14:07,830 --> 00:14:11,350 to being lukewarm is to shout louder 227 00:14:11,590 --> 00:14:15,190 the biblical principles that we think we've got a handle on 228 00:14:15,590 --> 00:14:19,030 to let other people know how they should live their life as 229 00:14:19,270 --> 00:14:22,510 an excuse or a banner to say, I just want you to know that I'm 230 00:14:22,510 --> 00:14:25,710 in my word. But the 231 00:14:25,710 --> 00:14:29,030 antidote to being lukewarm is not volume. 232 00:14:29,750 --> 00:14:33,430 The antidote to being lukewarm is dying 233 00:14:33,430 --> 00:14:37,070 to yourself is a willingness to 234 00:14:37,070 --> 00:14:40,710 die to yourself. We are celebrating, as I mentioned before, Memorial Day 235 00:14:40,710 --> 00:14:44,230 tomorrow. And, guys, I can't tell you, 236 00:14:44,710 --> 00:14:47,910 cannot express to you how 237 00:14:48,550 --> 00:14:52,150 grateful I am that I can stand on this stage 238 00:14:52,150 --> 00:14:55,710 and publicly proclaim the Gospel of 239 00:14:55,710 --> 00:14:59,310 Jesus Christ without worrying about somebody coming through those 240 00:14:59,310 --> 00:15:02,950 doors with an automatic weapon to take me out, because 241 00:15:02,950 --> 00:15:06,430 it's illegal to stand here and do it. I 242 00:15:06,430 --> 00:15:09,950 celebrate the liberty to freely proclaim 243 00:15:09,950 --> 00:15:13,710 Christ. And there are men and women who gave their lives so that 244 00:15:13,710 --> 00:15:17,470 we can have that privilege. And I'm so grateful for it. 245 00:15:18,510 --> 00:15:22,310 But Scripture says in the book of Ephesians that our fight is 246 00:15:22,310 --> 00:15:25,390 not against flesh and blood. 247 00:15:26,030 --> 00:15:29,550 It is against rulers and authorities and 248 00:15:29,550 --> 00:15:32,590 powers of this dark world. 249 00:15:33,310 --> 00:15:36,430 Our world is not full of light. It is full of 250 00:15:36,590 --> 00:15:40,270 darkness. It is our fight is against 251 00:15:40,270 --> 00:15:44,110 the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of 252 00:15:44,110 --> 00:15:47,870 evil. So the greater war that's going 253 00:15:47,870 --> 00:15:50,990 on in our lives is the war against our souls. 254 00:15:51,710 --> 00:15:54,750 It's the war against our souls. And so 255 00:15:55,550 --> 00:15:58,430 I want to take us to John, chapter five today. 256 00:15:59,380 --> 00:16:03,220 If you own a Bible, a Bible is a good 257 00:16:03,220 --> 00:16:06,900 thing to bring to church. Bringing a Bible 258 00:16:06,900 --> 00:16:10,540 to church is like bringing a fork to your spaghetti 259 00:16:10,540 --> 00:16:14,260 dinner. It's a necessary part 260 00:16:14,340 --> 00:16:15,380 of the experience. 261 00:16:18,020 --> 00:16:21,700 If you don't bring a fork to a spaghetti dinner, all you get 262 00:16:21,700 --> 00:16:24,820 is mess. If you don't bring your Bible 263 00:16:27,130 --> 00:16:30,690 to your Christian walk, all you get is 264 00:16:30,690 --> 00:16:33,770 mess. A Bible is important. 265 00:16:35,530 --> 00:16:38,890 I can't afford a Bible. See Barbie, she will get you a 266 00:16:39,050 --> 00:16:42,890 Bible today. Is that true? Today we will get you a Bible today. 267 00:16:43,290 --> 00:16:46,930 It's a matter of life and death. This book, John, 268 00:16:46,930 --> 00:16:50,730 chapter five. Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of 269 00:16:50,730 --> 00:16:54,580 the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem, 270 00:16:54,580 --> 00:16:58,340 near the sheep gate, a pool which in Aramaic is 271 00:16:58,340 --> 00:17:02,180 called Bethesda, which is surrounded by five covered 272 00:17:02,180 --> 00:17:05,740 colonnades. Here a great number of disabled 273 00:17:05,740 --> 00:17:09,580 people used to lie. The blind, the lame, the 274 00:17:09,580 --> 00:17:13,380 paralyzed one who was there had been an invalid for 275 00:17:13,380 --> 00:17:16,940 38 years. When Jesus saw him 276 00:17:16,940 --> 00:17:20,540 lying there and learned that he had been in his condition 277 00:17:20,930 --> 00:17:24,610 for a long time. He asked him a question, and the question 278 00:17:24,610 --> 00:17:28,250 was, do you want to 279 00:17:28,250 --> 00:17:31,770 get well, sir? The 280 00:17:31,770 --> 00:17:35,570 invalid replied, I have no one to help me into the pool 281 00:17:35,570 --> 00:17:39,090 when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, 282 00:17:39,090 --> 00:17:42,690 someone else goes down ahead of me. Then Jesus said to 283 00:17:42,690 --> 00:17:44,290 him, poor baby, 284 00:17:47,740 --> 00:17:49,820 I see you're having a hard time getting up. 285 00:17:51,580 --> 00:17:55,100 Oh, well, let me sit by you and put my arm around 286 00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:58,300 you. That's not what my Bible says. 287 00:17:59,980 --> 00:18:02,780 Jesus said to him, get up. 288 00:18:03,260 --> 00:18:07,100 Explanation point. Get up. 289 00:18:08,860 --> 00:18:11,420 Sometimes we need someone in our life to say, get up, 290 00:18:12,710 --> 00:18:16,230 pick up your mat and walk at once. The man 291 00:18:16,310 --> 00:18:19,270 was cured. He picked up his mat 292 00:18:19,910 --> 00:18:20,950 and walked. 293 00:18:23,590 --> 00:18:27,270 So this man has been laying here for 38 294 00:18:27,270 --> 00:18:30,070 years, lame and paralyzed, 295 00:18:31,910 --> 00:18:35,550 and he wants to be healed. That seems to be what he needs. 296 00:18:35,550 --> 00:18:39,270 He needs to be healed. And Jesus comes on the scene 297 00:18:39,270 --> 00:18:42,970 and he asks him a very direct question, question. 298 00:18:43,210 --> 00:18:47,010 And the question is, do you want to get well? I'm 299 00:18:47,010 --> 00:18:50,810 going to ask another question today that can parallel that question, and it 300 00:18:50,810 --> 00:18:54,490 is this, not this. Do you want 301 00:18:54,490 --> 00:18:58,170 to be free? Do you want to 302 00:18:58,170 --> 00:19:01,770 be free? And this is the question that I am 303 00:19:01,770 --> 00:19:05,290 laying a foundation with in our church today, 304 00:19:05,290 --> 00:19:08,490 this morning. Do you want to be free? 305 00:19:09,270 --> 00:19:12,950 So Jesus walks up to this man and he says, do you want to get 306 00:19:12,950 --> 00:19:16,710 well or do you want to be free? And the man 307 00:19:17,030 --> 00:19:20,750 replies, and his reply is not an answer to 308 00:19:20,750 --> 00:19:24,070 the question. This here is a yes or no question. 309 00:19:25,270 --> 00:19:28,710 It is a yes or no question. And the man 310 00:19:28,950 --> 00:19:32,710 who has the authority and the ability 311 00:19:33,110 --> 00:19:36,230 to heal is the one asking the question. 312 00:19:38,140 --> 00:19:41,820 And so we ask this question, and what we find 313 00:19:42,140 --> 00:19:45,740 that the man gives is a bunch of 314 00:19:46,060 --> 00:19:49,660 excuses. And what I 315 00:19:49,660 --> 00:19:53,260 want to suggest to the church today is that 316 00:19:53,260 --> 00:19:56,660 we may have believers who have found 317 00:19:56,660 --> 00:20:00,060 themselves in a season of complacency. 318 00:20:00,460 --> 00:20:03,900 And God is saying, do you want to be healed? 319 00:20:04,140 --> 00:20:07,450 Do you want to be free? Free? And we say, well, 320 00:20:11,770 --> 00:20:15,530 You see, there's not been anybody here that's been able to pick me 321 00:20:15,530 --> 00:20:17,850 up and put me in the water. 322 00:20:19,930 --> 00:20:23,610 Jesus is asking, do you want to be free? And we say, well, 323 00:20:23,690 --> 00:20:26,810 God, you don't really understand how that 324 00:20:26,890 --> 00:20:30,330 individual hurt me, what that person 325 00:20:30,570 --> 00:20:33,850 did to me. God, do you want to be set free? 326 00:20:34,340 --> 00:20:36,500 Says the Lord. And our response is, well, 327 00:20:37,940 --> 00:20:41,500 God, in order for me to be set free, you're gonna have to expose some 328 00:20:41,500 --> 00:20:45,020 things that I don't know if I want those people around me to see 329 00:20:45,020 --> 00:20:48,700 those things. God, in order for me to 330 00:20:48,700 --> 00:20:52,420 set free, be set free, it's gonna require me to 331 00:20:52,420 --> 00:20:55,620 do something that I'm not quite ready to do. 332 00:20:57,380 --> 00:21:00,580 And so what happens is, is we get very 333 00:21:00,980 --> 00:21:04,820 comfortable and we set up residence in 334 00:21:04,820 --> 00:21:08,180 the bondage that the blood of his salvation 335 00:21:08,340 --> 00:21:11,460 saved us from. And our excuses. 336 00:21:12,500 --> 00:21:16,060 Our excuses are the decorations we use for the 337 00:21:16,060 --> 00:21:19,820 residence with which we live. And so we've got 338 00:21:19,820 --> 00:21:23,620 a comfortable bed, We've got a comfortable couch. And 339 00:21:23,700 --> 00:21:26,420 Jesus comes along. And here's the danger. 340 00:21:27,060 --> 00:21:30,900 Jesus comes along and he says, do you want to be free? 341 00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:34,200 And you know what our reply is? Free from what? 342 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,000 I don't even recognize that I need to be free because 343 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:43,880 I've spent more time in my bondage 344 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,960 than enjoying the freedom that's ready at my 345 00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,600 hand from you, Lord. Do you 346 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:56,200 want to be set free? I'm asking you that question today. 347 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:00,520 And I believe the Holy Spirit of God is asking you today, do 348 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,280 you want. Want to be free? Are you sick and 349 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:08,040 tired of being sick and tired? Are you 350 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:11,840 ready to move on from that thing that you have 351 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:14,640 chosen to shackle yourself to? 352 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,960 Because God, his desire for your life is not 353 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:27,640 for you to be living your life beneath the 354 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,190 call, beneath the call of a 355 00:22:31,190 --> 00:22:33,470 son and daughter of the most high God? 356 00:22:38,030 --> 00:22:41,630 And so this interaction happens. He gives excuses and 357 00:22:41,630 --> 00:22:45,350 Jesus says an imper. And actually it's an explanation point 358 00:22:45,350 --> 00:22:48,350 in my Bible, but it's an imperative, too. 359 00:22:48,910 --> 00:22:51,230 Get up, Barbie Kate, get up. 360 00:22:52,670 --> 00:22:55,870 When it's time for my daughters to go to school and we're running out to 361 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:59,920 get up, it's not a negotiation. It's 362 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,560 not a conversation. It's not. No, it's a get up, 363 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:07,400 Rich. Get up, Val. Get up, Jonathan, get 364 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:11,240 up. And Jesus is saying, do you want to be free? And we're going, 365 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:15,040 wah, wah, wah, wah, wah. And he's saying, get up. Pick 366 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:18,600 up your mat. Pick up your mat and 367 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:22,040 leave this place. In other words, forget the 368 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:25,800 decorations. Forget all the stuff that you forget, 369 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,640 all of those things. Pick up your mat and move. In order to 370 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:32,120 be free, it requires you to do something. 371 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:39,119 Now it says immediately the guy's cured. He gets 372 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,840 up and he walks away. Amazing. Miracle of miracles. Wonder 373 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,720 of wonders. Isn't that a musical fiddler on the roof? 374 00:23:49,170 --> 00:23:52,850 Look a little bit deeper into the chapter here, verse 14. 375 00:23:54,050 --> 00:23:57,850 Later, Jesus finds this guy at the temple 376 00:23:57,850 --> 00:24:01,090 and says to him, okay, where did he find him? 377 00:24:01,890 --> 00:24:05,410 Where? Okay, so Jesus found him going to church. 378 00:24:05,970 --> 00:24:09,770 He found him going to church. Hey, I got healed, so I'm at church. 379 00:24:09,770 --> 00:24:13,410 That's where I'm supposed to be. I got the T shirt. I got 380 00:24:13,410 --> 00:24:17,090 the. Hey, I got. I Got some Christian friends. I'm giving my 381 00:24:17,090 --> 00:24:20,730 tithe check. I'm giving like I'm supposed to. I'm showing up at the church. I'm 382 00:24:20,730 --> 00:24:24,570 at the church picnic. I'm at all of the things. And then Jesus says this. 383 00:24:24,810 --> 00:24:28,570 I see that you are well again. Stop 384 00:24:28,570 --> 00:24:31,530 sinning or something worse may happen to you. 385 00:24:33,930 --> 00:24:37,730 What? I mean, he was 386 00:24:37,730 --> 00:24:41,050 strolling up on Jesus like he was the home dog. He's like, hey, what's up, 387 00:24:41,050 --> 00:24:44,730 man? Thank you for healing me. I'm so glad. I'm so glad to be 388 00:24:44,730 --> 00:24:47,160 here. And you know what Jesus says? Stop sinning 389 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:52,240 or something worse may happen to you. You know what this 390 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,000 tells me, guys? It tells me that Jesus was far 391 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,840 more concerned with his spiritual sin condition than he 392 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:01,960 was with the ailment that he healed him from. 393 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,440 See, our excuses have everything to do with the ailment that he's 394 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:11,120 already set us free from. Why are we being set 395 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:14,920 free? We're being liberated so that we don't have to be entangled 396 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:18,290 in the sin that wants to kept us in bondage. 397 00:25:20,050 --> 00:25:23,090 But yet there's something attractive about that sin. 398 00:25:24,050 --> 00:25:26,850 There's something that just lures us right back 399 00:25:27,730 --> 00:25:30,930 that way. Do you want to be 400 00:25:31,330 --> 00:25:35,090 free? And 401 00:25:35,090 --> 00:25:37,970 so I want to show you this morning what I believe this looks like. 402 00:25:39,170 --> 00:25:42,290 This here is the pool of Truth. 403 00:25:44,020 --> 00:25:47,620 And it is God's desire for 404 00:25:47,620 --> 00:25:51,380 us to be far more than 405 00:25:51,380 --> 00:25:55,180 just well acquainted with his truth. And so we get 406 00:25:55,180 --> 00:25:58,500 into the pool of Truth, 407 00:26:00,580 --> 00:26:03,060 and it starts with a wading of the water. 408 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:08,740 But the ultimate goal is not that we would be wading in this water. 409 00:26:09,780 --> 00:26:13,620 The ultimate goal is that there would be full immersion into 410 00:26:13,620 --> 00:26:17,460 the truth of God's word. Now, I don't know about you, but when I go 411 00:26:17,460 --> 00:26:21,140 swimming, I don't wear a blazer. 412 00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:24,979 When I go swimming, I mean, who 413 00:26:24,979 --> 00:26:28,500 jumps in the pool with a blazer? I don't wear jeans 414 00:26:29,220 --> 00:26:32,820 when I go swimming. You know what I'm saying? I mean. 415 00:26:33,540 --> 00:26:34,100 I mean. 416 00:26:37,860 --> 00:26:39,220 And see, here's the thing. 417 00:26:44,660 --> 00:26:48,260 Now I'm not gonna take this sweater off because I don't want you to stumble, 418 00:26:48,260 --> 00:26:52,100 okay? But I 419 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:54,740 sure enough don't wear socks in a pool. 420 00:26:57,860 --> 00:27:01,230 When I'm around the pool, I wear flip 421 00:27:01,230 --> 00:27:01,790 flops, 422 00:27:04,830 --> 00:27:08,670 right? And so here I am 423 00:27:09,630 --> 00:27:13,150 enjoying the benefit of freedom for being 424 00:27:13,310 --> 00:27:16,190 in the truth of God's word. 425 00:27:18,350 --> 00:27:22,190 The truth changes things. When the truth comes 426 00:27:22,190 --> 00:27:25,870 into our life, we have to shed those outer garments, those 427 00:27:25,870 --> 00:27:29,590 outer. That filth that we've been in, so that he can 428 00:27:29,590 --> 00:27:32,650 get in and do a work on the inside of Us. Us. 429 00:27:34,090 --> 00:27:36,730 But here's what happens in American 430 00:27:37,050 --> 00:27:40,890 Christianity and in the church, in our culture and 431 00:27:40,890 --> 00:27:43,970 civilization. We get. We get here and we get in the pool and we get 432 00:27:43,970 --> 00:27:47,730 about knee deep, and we feel like we've got a 433 00:27:47,730 --> 00:27:51,530 handle on the truth of God's word. And so what happens 434 00:27:51,530 --> 00:27:54,090 is we begin 435 00:27:55,210 --> 00:27:59,010 to exchange what we can see with 436 00:27:59,010 --> 00:28:02,570 some other things. And we end up stepping out of the pool 437 00:28:03,610 --> 00:28:05,130 and setting up camp 438 00:28:08,970 --> 00:28:12,090 in the bondage with which 439 00:28:12,650 --> 00:28:13,930 we once lived. 440 00:28:16,250 --> 00:28:19,450 And so we find ourselves in this place 441 00:28:22,250 --> 00:28:24,490 and we say to ourselves, you know what? 442 00:28:26,430 --> 00:28:30,270 I'm just fine being in proximity to the Word but not immersed in it. 443 00:28:33,470 --> 00:28:36,190 Now, here's the thing. When I got out of the pool. When I get out 444 00:28:36,190 --> 00:28:40,030 of the pool, I'm wet. So I've 445 00:28:40,030 --> 00:28:43,470 got residue of truth on my body. 446 00:28:44,110 --> 00:28:47,670 True. So I've got this residue of 447 00:28:47,670 --> 00:28:51,510 truth on my body, okay? Now, when I took off my jeans. 448 00:28:51,510 --> 00:28:55,360 This is the scripture, okay? Foolishness. 449 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:59,400 The world calls it foolishness. What it looks like when 450 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,520 you're in. You're in the pool. 451 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,760 But what we have to understand is that proximity 452 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,000 to truth is not the same as surrender to truth. 453 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:16,240 And so I've got this residue on me that is truth. 454 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:20,400 And for a little bit of time, I can get by with that. But 455 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,520 there comes a point when that water dries 456 00:29:24,130 --> 00:29:27,690 because the water hits the elements of what's on the 457 00:29:27,690 --> 00:29:31,370 outside. Are you with me? And so all of 458 00:29:31,370 --> 00:29:35,010 a sudden, I've got the truth mixed with all of this 459 00:29:35,010 --> 00:29:38,530 other stuff out here. And all of a sudden I just become 460 00:29:38,610 --> 00:29:42,290 damp. Got a damp short. And I become 461 00:29:42,290 --> 00:29:46,090 dried up. And so 462 00:29:46,090 --> 00:29:49,800 here I am in proximity to. But 463 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,320 I'm not fully surrendered. And so with that, I want 464 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:55,760 to take us to John chapter 8. 465 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:01,760 In John chapter 8, Jesus has spent a 466 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,559 discourse with the Jews trying to convince them of who he 467 00:30:05,559 --> 00:30:09,280 is. And so he does this by 468 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,960 explaining who he is. And they're going back and 469 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,710 forth. And then we land on verse 31. 470 00:30:17,030 --> 00:30:20,470 And it says this to the Jews 471 00:30:20,630 --> 00:30:23,750 who had believed him. Jesus said, 472 00:30:24,790 --> 00:30:27,750 now let's look at the word Jews there for a moment. 473 00:30:28,310 --> 00:30:32,109 Is Jews singular or plural? What 474 00:30:32,109 --> 00:30:35,590 is it? Plural. That means there's more than one 475 00:30:35,590 --> 00:30:39,270 Jew. There's multiple people here. 476 00:30:40,150 --> 00:30:43,670 Okay, so it's to the Jews who had what 477 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:48,320 they did. What? Okay, so he's talking to 478 00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:51,840 multiple believers. That is a very important 479 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,640 point as we move forward in this passage. Jesus is 480 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:59,480 talking to Jews who believe. Are you 481 00:30:59,480 --> 00:31:03,160 with me? So he says this to the 482 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:06,480 Jews, multiple Jews who believe. He says this. 483 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,610 If you hold to My teaching. You are 484 00:31:10,610 --> 00:31:14,250 really my disciples, then you 485 00:31:14,250 --> 00:31:17,890 will know the truth and the truth will set 486 00:31:17,890 --> 00:31:21,690 you free. So in other words, he's saying this. He's saying, 487 00:31:21,690 --> 00:31:25,529 if you hold on to my teaching, then you 488 00:31:25,529 --> 00:31:29,330 will be my followers. And if you'll hold onto 489 00:31:29,330 --> 00:31:32,810 my teaching, if you'll be immersed into my teaching, 490 00:31:33,610 --> 00:31:37,410 then you will know the truth and the truth will 491 00:31:37,410 --> 00:31:41,220 set you free. Free. Now, they respond 492 00:31:41,220 --> 00:31:44,860 to this, and they say this. We are 493 00:31:44,860 --> 00:31:48,700 Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves 494 00:31:48,700 --> 00:31:52,340 of anyone. How can you say that we 495 00:31:52,340 --> 00:31:56,060 shall be set free? Now, I don't know about you, but I have 496 00:31:56,060 --> 00:31:59,380 read the Bible, okay? There are 497 00:31:59,860 --> 00:32:03,460 multiple occasions where I see the Jews in 498 00:32:03,460 --> 00:32:07,160 slavery. And their response, not 499 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:10,920 one. Multiple Jews. Are you listening to me? 500 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,040 Multiple Jews who say they believe what Jesus is 501 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,840 saying. They are saying back to Jesus, we ain't never 502 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,280 been slaves. Follow me. 503 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,880 Multiple Christians in today's church 504 00:32:28,840 --> 00:32:32,550 looking at the truth and saying nonsense 505 00:32:32,550 --> 00:32:35,230 and not no one stopping the nonsense. 506 00:32:36,510 --> 00:32:40,350 Because everyone, everyone has been 507 00:32:40,350 --> 00:32:42,590 succumbed to the bondage 508 00:32:44,270 --> 00:32:48,070 that each is in. And the whole community has 509 00:32:48,070 --> 00:32:51,870 been deceived. God does 510 00:32:51,870 --> 00:32:54,750 not want his bride to be deceived. 511 00:32:55,470 --> 00:32:58,870 In other words, what should have happened is one of the Jews should have said, 512 00:32:58,870 --> 00:33:02,500 hey. Could have said, hey, Jesus, we ain't never been slaves. Somebody else should' 513 00:33:02,730 --> 00:33:06,010 said, wait a second, that's not true. That's not true. 514 00:33:06,970 --> 00:33:10,490 Didn't nobody say a thing. We ain't never been 515 00:33:10,490 --> 00:33:14,290 slaves. Let me ask you a question. How do you know that 516 00:33:14,290 --> 00:33:15,690 you're not being deceived this morning? 517 00:33:19,610 --> 00:33:23,330 How do you know the words coming out of my mouth 518 00:33:23,330 --> 00:33:23,930 are truth? 519 00:33:27,130 --> 00:33:30,940 Listen, I'm asking a question that we 520 00:33:30,940 --> 00:33:34,260 need to ponder and consider and think about 521 00:33:37,060 --> 00:33:40,820 because we could very well be a group saying, 522 00:33:40,820 --> 00:33:44,540 we ain't never been slaves. And I'm 523 00:33:44,540 --> 00:33:47,540 connected to 300, 400 people. We ain't never been slaves. 524 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:52,740 So he's having this. They're having this interaction. And Jesus 525 00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:54,740 responds. He says this 526 00:33:57,460 --> 00:34:01,220 very truly. I tell you, everyone who sins is a 527 00:34:01,220 --> 00:34:04,900 slave to sin. Now, a slave has no 528 00:34:04,900 --> 00:34:08,700 permanent place in the family, but a son belongs 529 00:34:08,700 --> 00:34:12,220 to it forever. So if the Son sets you 530 00:34:12,220 --> 00:34:16,020 free, you will be free indeed. 531 00:34:17,380 --> 00:34:19,940 I know that you're Abraham's descendants, 532 00:34:21,309 --> 00:34:25,069 yet listen to this. Yet you are looking for 533 00:34:25,149 --> 00:34:28,029 a way to kill me. Listen to this, 534 00:34:30,269 --> 00:34:33,869 because you have no room for my word. 535 00:34:35,789 --> 00:34:36,589 Selah, 536 00:34:43,629 --> 00:34:46,509 We literally could be believers 537 00:34:47,479 --> 00:34:51,159 wearing the shirt, attending church, paying 538 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:54,759 the tithes, serving in the ministry, but at the same 539 00:34:54,919 --> 00:34:58,639 time killing the truth because we don't have room 540 00:34:58,639 --> 00:34:59,559 for the word. 541 00:35:05,399 --> 00:35:09,159 I am telling you What I have seen in the father's presence. And you are 542 00:35:09,159 --> 00:35:12,839 doing what you have heard from your father. Abraham 543 00:35:12,839 --> 00:35:16,640 is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham's children, said 544 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,360 Jesus, then you would do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for 545 00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:23,720 a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth. That I 546 00:35:23,720 --> 00:35:27,160 heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the works of 547 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:30,400 your own father. To which they respond, 548 00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:35,000 we are not illegitimate children. Now, 549 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,680 let's camp there for one second. This discourse is 550 00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:42,490 taken between the Jews and Jesus. In human 551 00:35:42,570 --> 00:35:46,330 reasoning, which of the two parties might be an illegitimate 552 00:35:46,330 --> 00:35:49,690 child? In human reasoning, which of the two parties? 553 00:35:51,130 --> 00:35:54,930 Jesus. Remember his story. Mary's 554 00:35:54,930 --> 00:35:58,250 pregnant. Wait, y' all aren't married? What? 555 00:36:02,170 --> 00:36:04,890 And so think about this. 556 00:36:06,420 --> 00:36:09,900 We're not illegitimate children. We're not 557 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:13,660 illegitimate children. We are descendants of Abraham. And I 558 00:36:13,660 --> 00:36:17,220 laugh at this next line. It says this. Where is it? They 559 00:36:17,220 --> 00:36:20,660 protested. The only father we have is God 560 00:36:20,660 --> 00:36:22,980 himself. They're talking to Jesus Christ. 561 00:36:29,460 --> 00:36:31,300 Somebody say stupid. 562 00:36:34,670 --> 00:36:35,710 But here's the thing. 563 00:36:39,790 --> 00:36:42,110 When we don't know the word of God, 564 00:36:43,310 --> 00:36:45,870 we say the most idiotic things. 565 00:36:47,070 --> 00:36:50,750 We execute what we believe the truth to say in 566 00:36:50,750 --> 00:36:53,710 the most idiotic, destructive ways. 567 00:36:54,830 --> 00:36:58,120 They're talking to Jesus. He said, 568 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:02,280 if God were your father, you would love me. For I have come 569 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:06,120 here from God. I have not come from my own. God sent 570 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,560 me. Why is my language not clear to you? 571 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:14,240 Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong. Listen to this. 572 00:37:14,240 --> 00:37:16,840 You belong to your father, the devil, 573 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:21,560 and you want to carry your father's desires. He was a 574 00:37:21,560 --> 00:37:25,400 murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth. For the truth was 575 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,910 not in him. He speaks lies. He speaks his 576 00:37:28,910 --> 00:37:32,550 native language. For he is a liar and the father of 577 00:37:32,550 --> 00:37:36,310 lies. Here's the thing. When you are immersed in the truth, 578 00:37:36,550 --> 00:37:40,230 if this was water in here and I was immersed in here, I can't 579 00:37:40,230 --> 00:37:43,950 hear anything. But when I'm out here, 580 00:37:43,950 --> 00:37:47,750 and I'm only in proximity to the truth, I can hear the 581 00:37:47,750 --> 00:37:51,550 Father of Lies all day long, combating and 582 00:37:51,550 --> 00:37:54,230 challenging the very truth that I say I believe in. 583 00:37:56,940 --> 00:37:59,980 Do you want to be set free? 584 00:38:00,380 --> 00:38:03,740 That's the question on the table this morning. 585 00:38:04,860 --> 00:38:08,420 Here's what this looks like. We are 586 00:38:08,420 --> 00:38:11,820 to be immersed in the 587 00:38:11,820 --> 00:38:15,660 truth. When we are immersed in the truth, 588 00:38:16,940 --> 00:38:20,140 you can no longer see me. 589 00:38:20,620 --> 00:38:24,410 All you see is Jesus. When you 590 00:38:24,410 --> 00:38:27,970 are immersed in the truth, he 591 00:38:28,050 --> 00:38:31,490 becomes bigger and you become less than 592 00:38:32,130 --> 00:38:35,730 when you are immersed in the truth. All of a sudden, 593 00:38:35,890 --> 00:38:39,610 your words and your actions evolve and 594 00:38:39,610 --> 00:38:43,290 change and look like the Savior who 595 00:38:43,290 --> 00:38:47,010 saved your life. All of a sudden you begin to 596 00:38:47,010 --> 00:38:50,740 love people in a way that. That you've never loved them before. 597 00:38:51,300 --> 00:38:55,060 All of a sudden you are generous in a way that you have 598 00:38:55,060 --> 00:38:58,580 never been generous before. Turn the other cheek. 599 00:38:58,580 --> 00:39:02,180 Jesus says you turn the other cheek. Forgive. 70 600 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:05,420 times 7. Not a problem. You are 601 00:39:05,420 --> 00:39:09,260 immersed in truth. And because of your immersion 602 00:39:09,260 --> 00:39:12,660 in the truth, the ripples of your life 603 00:39:12,900 --> 00:39:16,580 speak so much louder than the person who's sitting 604 00:39:16,580 --> 00:39:20,340 outside of the truth yelling out what they believe. They 605 00:39:21,130 --> 00:39:24,410 the Bible says on how to live. Are you with me today? 606 00:39:25,450 --> 00:39:28,730 We are supposed to be immersed in 607 00:39:29,050 --> 00:39:32,810 the word of God. It changes our lives. 608 00:39:33,210 --> 00:39:36,649 It causes us to not see anything or hear 609 00:39:36,649 --> 00:39:40,450 anything outside of the truth. And we feel 610 00:39:40,450 --> 00:39:44,290 and know and recognize his presence. We learn 611 00:39:44,290 --> 00:39:47,840 about ourselves. Do you know that God, the breather of 612 00:39:47,840 --> 00:39:51,520 stars, has so many incredible, wonderful things 613 00:39:51,520 --> 00:39:54,880 to say about you? The Father of lies 614 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:58,800 also has some things to say. But when you are immersed into the 615 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:01,760 truth, all you hear is truth. 616 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,320 May we be a church who is immersed in the church, 617 00:40:07,200 --> 00:40:11,040 immersed in the truth. May we be a church who's immersed in the truth. So 618 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,680 that when people look at our church, all they see is 619 00:40:14,680 --> 00:40:15,640 Jesus Christ. 620 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:21,400 All they see is Jesus Christ. 621 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:26,960 Here's the thing. Some people say, if I'm immersed in the church and I can't 622 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:29,320 be seen, who's going to do the fighting? 623 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,360 Who's going to do the preaching? If I'm immersed, I mean, who's going to stand 624 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:38,080 up and tell them what they need to hear? Do you know, 625 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,160 when I look in Scripture and I look at the people with the loudest voices, 626 00:40:42,120 --> 00:40:45,480 before they start their. Started their ministry, they 627 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:48,880 metaphorically signed the dotted line and said, they can take me out and kill me 628 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:51,960 for this. They were crucified, 629 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:56,200 they were speared, they were beheaded, some of them. 630 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:01,400 So before I take on the idea that I need 631 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:05,320 to be in the position of a platform to give my voice, I 632 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,840 also need to be in a position that says, listen, I'm willing to give my 633 00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:11,480 life for this. I 634 00:41:11,480 --> 00:41:15,120 believe that those who are immersed in truth speak so 635 00:41:15,120 --> 00:41:18,800 much louder, have more extraordinary voices than anybody 636 00:41:18,800 --> 00:41:22,400 who's ever been given a platform with a voice. It's not to say the 637 00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:26,080 platform isn't important. God uses the platform. But there are 638 00:41:26,080 --> 00:41:29,560 some silent warriors and ninjas in the kingdom that 639 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:33,640 go farther. I believe that they are going to be recognized before the King 640 00:41:33,720 --> 00:41:36,990 in extravagant ways, more so than those 641 00:41:37,390 --> 00:41:39,470 who are on the platform. 642 00:41:41,550 --> 00:41:44,910 We are supposed to be people who are 643 00:41:44,910 --> 00:41:48,590 immersed in truth. Why 644 00:41:48,590 --> 00:41:49,310 is this important? 645 00:41:52,270 --> 00:41:54,270 The World is confused 646 00:41:55,790 --> 00:41:58,110 about how we are supposed to live our lives. 647 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:04,280 And if we are not careful, we too, as 648 00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,960 believers in the house of God, will become confused 649 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:11,320 about how we are supposed to live our lives. 650 00:42:12,040 --> 00:42:15,480 There is no confusion in the kingdom of God. 651 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:21,040 The truth of God's word can stand alone. It 652 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:24,560 is a firm foundation. The 653 00:42:24,560 --> 00:42:28,280 answer to the problems that you have are not found 654 00:42:28,280 --> 00:42:31,640 on TV or in the world. They're found in the word of God. 655 00:42:32,430 --> 00:42:36,270 There are principles in here. Some of you have been laid up for 656 00:42:36,270 --> 00:42:40,030 38 years and God is saying, do you wanna 657 00:42:40,030 --> 00:42:43,750 be free? Do you wanna be free? He's got 658 00:42:43,750 --> 00:42:47,310 an answer for that question. He's got a peace that 659 00:42:47,310 --> 00:42:51,110 passes understanding. He's got every. He owns the cattle on the 660 00:42:51,110 --> 00:42:54,950 hill. He's got every provision that you've been asking for. He has that 661 00:42:54,950 --> 00:42:58,670 hope that he's instilled inside you. He gives you the ability to be 662 00:42:58,670 --> 00:43:02,030 faithful. He is a God above all other gods. He is a 663 00:43:02,030 --> 00:43:05,530 suprem. The world cannot take him down. 664 00:43:08,090 --> 00:43:11,930 The Father of lies must bow to the truth 665 00:43:11,930 --> 00:43:15,610 of God. And so my question 666 00:43:15,930 --> 00:43:19,729 this morning to you all, to this church, is, do 667 00:43:19,729 --> 00:43:23,410 you want to be free? And guess what? I'm not gonna leave it on 668 00:43:23,410 --> 00:43:27,130 an abstract note today. Would you stand with me, worship team? You can come 669 00:43:27,130 --> 00:43:30,650 out. The question that we have 670 00:43:30,730 --> 00:43:33,130 to deal with is, do we want to be free? 671 00:43:34,620 --> 00:43:37,260 And I believe that there are people in here who want to be free. 672 00:43:38,220 --> 00:43:41,340 Guys, an immersed life is not a passive life. 673 00:43:42,940 --> 00:43:46,700 The Word tells us that when the Son of Man is lifted up, he will 674 00:43:46,700 --> 00:43:50,500 draw all men unto himself. He can 675 00:43:50,500 --> 00:43:54,300 do the bidding for his work. Here's the deal. Does 676 00:43:54,380 --> 00:43:57,980 our life look like the Master to 677 00:43:57,980 --> 00:44:01,540 whom we say we serve? Does our lives look 678 00:44:01,540 --> 00:44:05,260 like that? Do you even know what's required of you 679 00:44:08,140 --> 00:44:11,980 when you encounter something in the world that is confusing? 680 00:44:14,060 --> 00:44:16,460 When the world adopts a philosophy, 681 00:44:17,820 --> 00:44:21,380 when the world adopts all types of things and tries to 682 00:44:21,380 --> 00:44:24,940 indoctrinate the next generation, are you prepared 683 00:44:26,070 --> 00:44:29,910 not only how to answer that with the truth of God's word by 684 00:44:29,910 --> 00:44:32,790 what it says, but how to 685 00:44:33,270 --> 00:44:36,790 encounter and how to interact with those who are rendering the 686 00:44:36,790 --> 00:44:40,510 lie. All of this has to 687 00:44:40,510 --> 00:44:44,230 do with the immersion of the truth of God's word. 688 00:44:45,910 --> 00:44:49,510 So here's my real question. My question that the broad question we're 689 00:44:49,510 --> 00:44:50,960 answering is this. Do you want to be free? 690 00:44:53,510 --> 00:44:57,150 But I'm going to pare that down a little bit more to make this 691 00:44:57,150 --> 00:44:59,750 concrete. Here's the word, here's the question. 692 00:45:00,710 --> 00:45:03,030 Are you immersed in God's Word? 693 00:45:05,830 --> 00:45:08,230 Do you know the truth of God's word. 694 00:45:09,430 --> 00:45:12,790 Now, I'm not talking about. I'm not talking about 695 00:45:13,590 --> 00:45:17,350 quantity. I'm not saying, well, you know, I read 10 chapters 696 00:45:17,350 --> 00:45:19,110 a day. Check that off the list. 697 00:45:21,110 --> 00:45:24,950 What I'm saying is, is this book alive 698 00:45:25,030 --> 00:45:28,790 in your life? Does it hold the 699 00:45:28,790 --> 00:45:32,630 authority of your opinions, your beliefs, how you 700 00:45:32,630 --> 00:45:36,310 interact with people? Do you actually know 701 00:45:36,310 --> 00:45:40,110 what this word says? Because to know the word of God is to know 702 00:45:40,110 --> 00:45:40,950 Jesus Christ. 703 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:48,520 There's this scary scripture, and this isn't meant to scare 704 00:45:48,520 --> 00:45:52,320 or manipulate. It's meant to convict. It is meant to convict. 705 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:56,840 In Matthew, Jesus says there are going to be 706 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,400 people that show up on that day and say to him, 707 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:08,320 Lord, Lord, 708 00:46:09,690 --> 00:46:11,690 I cast out demons in your name. 709 00:46:13,690 --> 00:46:17,010 Did you see that extra zero I put on that tie? Check. 710 00:46:17,010 --> 00:46:20,090 Jesus. Jesus, 711 00:46:21,130 --> 00:46:24,890 I preached in your name. I served in that ministry in your name. 712 00:46:26,890 --> 00:46:30,570 You know what he says? He looks right at those people and 713 00:46:30,650 --> 00:46:34,410 says, I do not know you. 714 00:46:37,330 --> 00:46:41,090 The only way for you to know him and for him 715 00:46:41,090 --> 00:46:44,050 to know you is to be immersed in the truth. 716 00:46:45,650 --> 00:46:49,410 Do you have a relationship with this word? I 717 00:46:49,410 --> 00:46:51,930 promise you, there's a lot of things that we're going to talk about on this 718 00:46:51,930 --> 00:46:55,690 stage, over this series and this year or whatever. There is nothing more important than 719 00:46:55,690 --> 00:46:59,490 what I'm telling you right now. Because the answers, everything that 720 00:46:59,490 --> 00:47:03,230 we're preaching here should come from this book. Get in relationship. Do you 721 00:47:03,460 --> 00:47:07,060 see what God could do? Do you know the freedom that people could experience? If 722 00:47:07,060 --> 00:47:09,540 we had a bunch of people immersed in the truth 723 00:47:10,900 --> 00:47:14,740 he would be bringing. There would be growth. It would be unstoppable. We would not 724 00:47:14,740 --> 00:47:18,460 have room to put all the people. Why? Because when he is lifted up, 725 00:47:18,460 --> 00:47:22,020 he draws all men to himself. He does not need you to lift him 726 00:47:22,020 --> 00:47:25,820 up. He needs you to die to yourself so that he will 727 00:47:25,820 --> 00:47:29,470 be lifted up. So will 728 00:47:29,470 --> 00:47:33,310 those who are gonna pray with people come forward. I have a very specific call 729 00:47:33,310 --> 00:47:36,590 this morning, and it's not even if you have a need. 730 00:47:37,550 --> 00:47:40,550 Some of you have come with needs this morning. And if your need is outside 731 00:47:40,550 --> 00:47:43,590 of this, I'll be down here. Pastor Barbee, we'll meet with you after the service. 732 00:47:43,590 --> 00:47:46,710 Be happy to pray with you. That's not what this call is for. Come on 733 00:47:46,710 --> 00:47:49,670 down here. I'm gonna need a lot of leaders. We had a salvation in first 734 00:47:49,670 --> 00:47:53,470 service. That should be a Praise the Lord. We had a salvation, 735 00:47:53,550 --> 00:47:57,170 and I mean, eternity was changed. Okay, listen. 736 00:47:59,890 --> 00:48:02,530 It's literally a matter of life and death. 737 00:48:03,570 --> 00:48:06,530 My daughters are being raised in this house 738 00:48:07,330 --> 00:48:10,770 and they are being Taught by people who are sitting in these seats. 739 00:48:11,010 --> 00:48:12,930 Guys, do you know this word. 740 00:48:17,970 --> 00:48:21,710 The other day, My diet. I don't remember what day Justin's gonna 741 00:48:22,180 --> 00:48:25,500 punch me in the face for this, but my diet the other day, mozzarella 742 00:48:25,500 --> 00:48:27,860 sticks, popcorn, and a slushie. 743 00:48:29,620 --> 00:48:33,340 It's really what it was. Let me tell you 744 00:48:33,340 --> 00:48:34,580 who felt it the next morning. 745 00:48:38,580 --> 00:48:42,180 My kids don't need cookies, popcorn, 746 00:48:42,420 --> 00:48:46,100 candy, all of that stuff that the world gives out. They need 747 00:48:46,100 --> 00:48:49,140 some meat and vegetables that are found in the Word of God. 748 00:48:51,470 --> 00:48:55,190 I want my kids and their kids and their kids to 749 00:48:55,190 --> 00:48:59,030 have a fighting chance in a world that seems to be taking over. 750 00:48:59,030 --> 00:49:02,590 But I know who has the victory in the end. I 751 00:49:02,590 --> 00:49:06,190 don't want my kids to get trampled on because we got a bunch of 752 00:49:06,190 --> 00:49:09,710 complacent, lukewarm people in their lives. 753 00:49:09,870 --> 00:49:13,310 And the way that we combat that is by getting into the Word of God. 754 00:49:14,190 --> 00:49:17,870 And so this morning, I am asking you, I am beseeching you, I am 755 00:49:17,870 --> 00:49:21,590 begging you, if your life is one that you would say, I'm not 756 00:49:21,590 --> 00:49:25,430 in the Word of God. I'm not immersed in the Word of God. 757 00:49:27,190 --> 00:49:30,949 I read sometimes, but I'm not really necessarily applying what 758 00:49:30,949 --> 00:49:34,670 I'm learning. My calendar is such that I don't. I'm not able. I just 759 00:49:34,670 --> 00:49:38,150 don't get into it. I struggle having time in the Word. 760 00:49:38,230 --> 00:49:41,870 You need a dose of hunger from the Holy Spirit. Spirit in your 761 00:49:41,870 --> 00:49:45,550 life that makes you attracted to this, that this becomes the priority 762 00:49:45,550 --> 00:49:49,390 in your life. And today, what I'm going to ask you to do is 763 00:49:49,390 --> 00:49:52,390 to come with one of these believers down here and confess 764 00:49:53,350 --> 00:49:56,830 and just say, you know what? Listen, here's the thing. We don't need to make 765 00:49:56,830 --> 00:50:00,630 this long down here because I think there's going to be multiple people. There's one 766 00:50:00,630 --> 00:50:04,390 question to answer. Do you want to be free? We don't need to. We don't 767 00:50:04,390 --> 00:50:07,910 need to. Hey, yes. My life has been. I got a 768 00:50:07,910 --> 00:50:11,520 calendar issue. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. That's what the lame man did. Jesus said, 769 00:50:11,520 --> 00:50:14,680 get up. Some of us need to get up, walk down here and just say, 770 00:50:14,680 --> 00:50:17,400 I want to be free. That's all it needs. And these people will know how 771 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:20,040 to pray with you at that moment. You want to be free? Get into the 772 00:50:20,040 --> 00:50:23,880 Word of God. Get immersed in the Word of God. Know the Word of God. 773 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:27,360 Live and breathe the Word of God. Jesus Christ 774 00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:31,120 wants to change your life radically. He wants you to be free. Does 775 00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:34,840 anybody here want to be free? Am I the only one? Am I crazy? Guys, 776 00:50:34,840 --> 00:50:36,890 let's go swimming. Come on. 777 00:50:38,970 --> 00:50:42,050 If that is you today, I want you to make your way down here. We 778 00:50:42,050 --> 00:50:45,770 may have lines here because these prayers aren't going to be hellfire, brimstone, 779 00:50:45,770 --> 00:50:48,570 long prayers. We're going to literally just agree that the Lord is going to open 780 00:50:48,570 --> 00:50:51,610 up capacity and birth a hunger in your life. Come on down right now as 781 00:50:51,610 --> 00:50:55,410 we worship. If you want to ask the Lord to help you have a 782 00:50:55,410 --> 00:50:58,410 hunger for his word and to be immersed, come now, let's pray.