1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,720 Daniel Sumoge: Good morning everyone. 2 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:01,880 It's great seeing you all again. 3 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,720 I feel like I was just up here a few minutes ago, but can we give it up 4 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,039 though real quick for the, the worship team and everyone who, uh, helps sets 5 00:00:08,379 --> 00:00:10,520 up so we can worship God together? 6 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:10,840 Thank you. 7 00:00:11,655 --> 00:00:12,995 So much to, to everyone. 8 00:00:13,155 --> 00:00:15,555 I just wanna give a, a shout out to, to Mark Lee over here. 9 00:00:15,555 --> 00:00:16,195 He is in the back. 10 00:00:16,344 --> 00:00:20,315 He's a learning av, so he is gonna use his talents to serve God in that way. 11 00:00:20,415 --> 00:00:22,154 So Mark, we're grateful for you for that. 12 00:00:22,255 --> 00:00:23,355 So thank you for doing that. 13 00:00:23,575 --> 00:00:26,715 And then, uh, as well as everyone else in the back with Stewart as well, and 14 00:00:26,715 --> 00:00:30,474 Eric as well, thank you so much for, uh, getting your early so we can, uh, do this. 15 00:00:31,055 --> 00:00:35,435 Uh, but with that being said, uh, once again, my name is Daniel Oggi, uh, and 16 00:00:35,475 --> 00:00:38,835 I will be your substitute teacher or preacher I should say this morning. 17 00:00:39,095 --> 00:00:39,755 Uh, but. 18 00:00:40,550 --> 00:00:40,840 Amen. 19 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:41,320 It's all good. 20 00:00:41,380 --> 00:00:42,680 I'm excited for this, actually. 21 00:00:42,820 --> 00:00:46,400 Uh, we're continuing this church wide, uh, not church wide, but 22 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,680 we're continuing this, uh, sermon series called The Heart of Jubilee. 23 00:00:51,260 --> 00:00:53,640 Uh, what, what's coming up in about 12 days, guys, do you 24 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:54,320 guys remember what's coming up? 25 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:55,080 It was on the announcement. 26 00:00:55,630 --> 00:00:57,960 Jubilee, the La Jubilee, correct? 27 00:00:58,140 --> 00:00:58,360 Yes. 28 00:00:58,540 --> 00:01:02,640 And we're gonna be studying out the heart of Jubilee, and it's more 29 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:03,960 than just a sermon series, really. 30 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:04,239 Church. 31 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:08,160 I really believe that this is a season of preparation and a journey we're 32 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,120 taking together through reading, reflecting, and discussing as well. 33 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:13,560 And, and it's leading up all the way up to the La Jubilee. 34 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,000 So by the time we get there, they're gonna be preaching sermons on the Jubilee. 35 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:18,200 We're gonna know what they're talking about. 36 00:01:18,210 --> 00:01:19,760 We're gonna be, ah, we heard that before guys. 37 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:20,039 Don't worry. 38 00:01:20,615 --> 00:01:22,435 But it's still a great thing to learn. 39 00:01:22,775 --> 00:01:26,595 You know, last week Marcel preached about, uh, the, the heart of Jubilee 40 00:01:26,595 --> 00:01:30,515 when it comes to the idea of reset, how God gives us a fresh start. 41 00:01:30,745 --> 00:01:31,035 Amen. 42 00:01:31,414 --> 00:01:34,275 And today we're gonna continue that, but this time we're gonna 43 00:01:34,275 --> 00:01:37,875 talk about how the heart of Jubilee, how God wants us to release. 44 00:01:38,414 --> 00:01:38,675 All right? 45 00:01:38,675 --> 00:01:40,475 And we're gonna talk about that this morning. 46 00:01:40,535 --> 00:01:44,035 But before we get into the scriptures, let's go to God in prayer. 47 00:01:44,375 --> 00:01:47,475 Father God, just thank you for bringing us here this morning. 48 00:01:48,270 --> 00:01:51,850 As we open your word, God, we pray that you can open our hearts. 49 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,690 Help us hear your voice, God, not my voice. 50 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:56,289 Just use me as a vessel God. 51 00:01:56,289 --> 00:01:57,410 But I pray we can hear yours. 52 00:01:57,430 --> 00:02:01,210 God, I pray that you can minister to each and every one of us here this morning. 53 00:02:01,310 --> 00:02:01,530 God. 54 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:02,930 Lord, we love you so much. 55 00:02:03,030 --> 00:02:04,050 And it's your son's name we pray. 56 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:04,730 Amen. 57 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:06,370 Amen. 58 00:02:06,370 --> 00:02:09,770 So as we're talking about the Jubilee, we have to understand this is a, 59 00:02:09,770 --> 00:02:13,290 there's a bigger picture here to it, and here's a timeline of what's happened. 60 00:02:13,290 --> 00:02:16,970 This takes us all the way back with Moses and when he was leading God's people. 61 00:02:17,695 --> 00:02:21,075 Out of slavery and in, in Egypt and into the Promised Land. 62 00:02:21,495 --> 00:02:25,635 You know, while they were on their journey, God was forming them as a nation. 63 00:02:26,215 --> 00:02:29,355 He wasn't just giving them laws, he was giving them a culture and 64 00:02:29,355 --> 00:02:30,795 a new identity for his people. 65 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,380 You know, part of part of this was something called the Holiness Code, and 66 00:02:35,380 --> 00:02:39,220 that was fine through, uh, Leviticus Chapter 17 and through, uh, through 25. 67 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,420 And right at the end of the section, that's when we're gonna learn about this 68 00:02:42,420 --> 00:02:44,860 radical idea that we are studying out. 69 00:02:45,040 --> 00:02:47,579 And that is the year of Jubilee. 70 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:51,220 You know, and with the Jubilee, what is the Jubilee? 71 00:02:51,220 --> 00:02:52,860 You probably are wondering, well, here's a refresher. 72 00:02:52,860 --> 00:02:57,100 Every 50 years God told his people to stop working the land to free 73 00:02:57,100 --> 00:02:58,900 anyone who is in debt or bondage. 74 00:02:59,640 --> 00:03:02,540 To return the land to their original families, and most 75 00:03:02,540 --> 00:03:05,060 importantly, to trust God to provide. 76 00:03:05,519 --> 00:03:07,579 And hopefully, as you see you, as we're gonna be studying this out 77 00:03:07,579 --> 00:03:10,620 in Leviticus chapter 25, that's where we, we will be this morning. 78 00:03:10,620 --> 00:03:13,940 Hopefully you'll see all of these in hand in scripture. 79 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,620 So if you're with me, please turn to Leviticus Chapter 25. 80 00:03:16,750 --> 00:03:20,340 We're gonna see the heart of the jubilee, but more importantly, the heart of God. 81 00:03:20,340 --> 00:03:20,579 Amen. 82 00:03:21,230 --> 00:03:21,519 Amen. 83 00:03:21,660 --> 00:03:24,040 All right, so in verse, we're gonna pick up in verse eight. 84 00:03:24,100 --> 00:03:27,959 And I encourage you guys, as we read this, try not to get into the little details. 85 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:31,959 I know for me, when I was setting this out, I, I started losing like brain cells. 86 00:03:31,959 --> 00:03:33,400 There were just too many numbers going on. 87 00:03:33,420 --> 00:03:35,920 I'm not a math major, and I was just like, God, what are you saying? 88 00:03:36,060 --> 00:03:39,000 So, try not to get caught up in those details as much, but really 89 00:03:39,140 --> 00:03:42,239 try to get caught up in what God was really trying to say from the heart. 90 00:03:42,670 --> 00:03:42,960 Amen. 91 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,280 So with that, in verse eight, we're gonna pick up in Leviticus 92 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:46,519 chapter 25 verse eight. 93 00:03:47,060 --> 00:03:49,160 It says, count off seven Sabbath years. 94 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:50,269 Seven times. 95 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,549 Seven years, so that the seven Sabbath years amount to a period of 49 years, 96 00:03:54,859 --> 00:03:56,630 then have the trumpet sounded everywhere. 97 00:03:56,650 --> 00:04:00,390 On the 10th day of the seventh month, on the day of the atonement, sound the 98 00:04:00,390 --> 00:04:04,350 trumpet through your land, consecrate the 50th year, and proclaim liberty 99 00:04:04,350 --> 00:04:06,590 through the land to all its inhabitants. 100 00:04:06,970 --> 00:04:09,030 It shall be a jubilee for you. 101 00:04:09,820 --> 00:04:13,430 Each of you is to return to your family, uh, to your family 102 00:04:13,950 --> 00:04:16,149 property, and to your own clan. 103 00:04:17,168 --> 00:04:19,418 Like I said here guys, there, there's a lot of numbers, so try 104 00:04:19,418 --> 00:04:20,339 not to get caught up into it. 105 00:04:20,358 --> 00:04:23,580 But really I want us to focus in on this word here and actually 106 00:04:23,580 --> 00:04:25,099 this phrase, but really liberty. 107 00:04:25,929 --> 00:04:26,700 This word, liberty. 108 00:04:26,859 --> 00:04:29,780 I dunno about you guys, but for me it stood out to me because we just 109 00:04:29,780 --> 00:04:31,619 celebrated 4th of July a few weeks ago. 110 00:04:32,058 --> 00:04:32,900 Fireworks, barbecue. 111 00:04:33,159 --> 00:04:36,058 And we're thinking about how when I, when I think of liberty, when it 112 00:04:36,058 --> 00:04:39,379 comes to the 4th of July, I can think more in a political sense maybe. 113 00:04:39,835 --> 00:04:43,544 Maybe it's not just about, you know, who was right, who was wrong, but here, what 114 00:04:43,544 --> 00:04:45,465 liberty, what God was trying to say here. 115 00:04:45,465 --> 00:04:50,424 What I think is, is this deep soul level of freedom that only he can offer. 116 00:04:51,284 --> 00:04:55,864 And what I love about the scripture is proclaim liberty to all its inhabitants, 117 00:04:56,444 --> 00:05:01,504 not to some of them, not to only those who, uh, are maybe in a certain class 118 00:05:01,525 --> 00:05:05,344 of people for those who own land or just to the religious leaders or for 119 00:05:05,344 --> 00:05:06,544 those who have their lives together. 120 00:05:06,544 --> 00:05:06,704 No. 121 00:05:07,624 --> 00:05:10,765 God said, proclaim it to all of its inhabitants. 122 00:05:11,354 --> 00:05:14,724 That means the liberty and freedom is for everyone. 123 00:05:15,554 --> 00:05:16,604 It's for the broken. 124 00:05:17,314 --> 00:05:21,804 It's for the burdened, for those who are indebted, for those who are 125 00:05:22,124 --> 00:05:26,205 enslaved, even for the person whose life had fallen apart and didn't see 126 00:05:26,484 --> 00:05:28,965 a way out, that was for them as well. 127 00:05:29,825 --> 00:05:32,804 You know what I love about the Jubilee is it was a fresh start. 128 00:05:33,304 --> 00:05:34,884 Who here loves to have a fresh start? 129 00:05:34,884 --> 00:05:36,484 Who here looks forward to the new year? 130 00:05:37,525 --> 00:05:38,895 Yeah, all of us do. 131 00:05:39,354 --> 00:05:42,055 And even back then, this is what it was like for them. 132 00:05:42,155 --> 00:05:45,854 It was a brand new year for them, but this one was a year 133 00:05:45,854 --> 00:05:47,015 where they got to fresh start. 134 00:05:47,435 --> 00:05:50,695 You know, if you had lost everything and were working for someone else's land 135 00:05:50,695 --> 00:05:52,775 just to survive, you got to go home. 136 00:05:53,474 --> 00:05:56,575 If you were drowning in debt, you were set free. 137 00:05:58,125 --> 00:05:58,414 Amen. 138 00:05:58,414 --> 00:05:58,695 Right? 139 00:05:58,695 --> 00:05:59,414 Think about that. 140 00:06:00,395 --> 00:06:02,295 If you were tired to hustle. 141 00:06:03,170 --> 00:06:06,469 And worn out with this endless strive of just, you know, working hard. 142 00:06:06,849 --> 00:06:11,550 God said, rest, I give you amen, man, the Jubilee. 143 00:06:11,820 --> 00:06:14,390 What I think about the, what's great about the Jubilee, it wasn't just great 144 00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:19,070 in a legal system, but it was also great in a healing system as well. 145 00:06:19,070 --> 00:06:20,190 It was a healing reset. 146 00:06:20,610 --> 00:06:23,789 It was God stepping into the middle of the people's mess and saying, 147 00:06:24,130 --> 00:06:26,310 enough, it's time for freedom. 148 00:06:27,020 --> 00:06:28,630 It's time for restoration. 149 00:06:29,219 --> 00:06:30,789 It's time to start again. 150 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,699 And for me, I don't know why as I was studying this out, it was no coincidence 151 00:06:36,009 --> 00:06:41,179 that they made this announcement during the Day of Atonement, which is the 152 00:06:41,179 --> 00:06:43,659 most sacred day in Israel's calendar. 153 00:06:44,719 --> 00:06:47,419 You know, the Day of Atonement is where the nations placed their sins 154 00:06:47,419 --> 00:06:51,179 symbolically on a goat, which where you get the term scapegoat and sent 155 00:06:51,210 --> 00:06:57,139 away, and it reminds everyone that God forgives, that God restores and God free. 156 00:06:58,139 --> 00:06:59,439 You know, that was their restart. 157 00:07:00,130 --> 00:07:03,469 And that is our restart as well, but minus the scapegoat, obviously. 158 00:07:04,409 --> 00:07:09,630 But the Jubilee wasn't just a calendar event, it was a spiritual declaration 159 00:07:10,740 --> 00:07:15,750 that no matter how bad things had gotten, God is still the God of second chances. 160 00:07:16,530 --> 00:07:20,670 God still brings people home and God still makes it right. 161 00:07:21,570 --> 00:07:25,909 And that's why this word, liberty, it means so much because in God's 162 00:07:25,909 --> 00:07:27,990 kingdom, no one is left out. 163 00:07:28,900 --> 00:07:30,469 Freedom is for all. 164 00:07:30,780 --> 00:07:31,070 Amen. 165 00:07:31,930 --> 00:07:36,230 So after you know the God's commands liberty and he proclaimed throughout 166 00:07:36,230 --> 00:07:40,670 the land for all its inhabitants, we see how this freedom and this liberty 167 00:07:40,700 --> 00:07:43,670 gets to be played out in everyday life because it's easy to save freedom 168 00:07:43,690 --> 00:07:48,349 for all, but we get to see how it looks like every day here in Israel. 169 00:07:48,349 --> 00:07:50,670 Here we see in this year, Jubilee, everyone is to 170 00:07:50,670 --> 00:07:52,030 return to their own property. 171 00:07:52,330 --> 00:07:55,710 If you sell land to any of your own people or buy land from them, do 172 00:07:55,710 --> 00:07:56,630 not take advantage of each other. 173 00:07:57,275 --> 00:08:00,174 You are to buy your own people on the basis of the number of years 174 00:08:00,304 --> 00:08:03,574 since the Jubilee, and they're to sell you to the basis of the number 175 00:08:03,574 --> 00:08:05,334 of years left for harvesting crops. 176 00:08:05,525 --> 00:08:09,134 When the years are many, you are to increase the price and when years are 177 00:08:09,134 --> 00:08:10,655 few, you are to decrease the price. 178 00:08:11,134 --> 00:08:13,534 'cause what is really being sold to you is the number of crops. 179 00:08:14,074 --> 00:08:17,134 Do not take advantage of each other, but fear your God. 180 00:08:17,894 --> 00:08:19,215 I am your God. 181 00:08:20,265 --> 00:08:24,405 You see, the year jubilee isn't just spiritual, it was also practical as well. 182 00:08:24,425 --> 00:08:28,284 It touched everything from, from the economy, from real estate to 183 00:08:28,284 --> 00:08:31,045 land and to even relationships. 184 00:08:32,225 --> 00:08:35,605 You know, in the ancient world or even today, land is everything. 185 00:08:36,585 --> 00:08:41,284 It wasn't just where you lived, it was how you survived Your land is where you 186 00:08:41,284 --> 00:08:45,685 got your food, where you got your income, where you got your inheritance, and if 187 00:08:45,685 --> 00:08:47,325 you lost your land, then essentially. 188 00:08:47,940 --> 00:08:50,160 It was like you lost your future in it. 189 00:08:51,260 --> 00:08:56,480 But here's the key is that in God's system, land wasn't sold permanently. 190 00:08:56,620 --> 00:08:56,840 Why? 191 00:08:57,350 --> 00:09:00,320 Because ultimately, it didn't belong to the people. 192 00:09:01,220 --> 00:09:02,760 The land belonged to him. 193 00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:04,840 It belonged to God. 194 00:09:05,820 --> 00:09:07,840 And when you see that, that really changes everything. 195 00:09:08,560 --> 00:09:09,080 I mean, think about it. 196 00:09:09,080 --> 00:09:13,400 If the land is God's, then I don't have a right to exploit it or to exploit 197 00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:15,400 others into selling the land for me. 198 00:09:16,245 --> 00:09:18,585 Yes, I'm just, I'm not owning the land. 199 00:09:18,645 --> 00:09:20,345 I'm just a steward of it. 200 00:09:21,195 --> 00:09:24,655 You know, I might lease it, I might use it for a time, but I don't have the 201 00:09:24,655 --> 00:09:29,775 right to hoard or manipulate it with people, and that's why what I love, 202 00:09:29,795 --> 00:09:33,215 God gave clear instructions here is he says, don't raise the price unfairly. 203 00:09:33,945 --> 00:09:36,775 Don't take advantage of someone despite their situation. 204 00:09:37,465 --> 00:09:41,495 Don't use someone's misfortune as an opportunity to have personal gain. 205 00:09:42,210 --> 00:09:46,700 Because God was really trying to teach his people during this time how to treat, 206 00:09:46,870 --> 00:09:49,140 treat each other with dignity and respect. 207 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:49,660 Yep. 208 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:54,220 He was building a society where justice and mercy mattered more than 209 00:09:54,220 --> 00:09:57,660 just making a quick profit where no one could permanently be left 210 00:09:57,660 --> 00:10:01,860 behind, where people were always given a path back to restoration. 211 00:10:03,130 --> 00:10:06,390 So when someone was selling the land, they were really just leasing 212 00:10:06,390 --> 00:10:08,990 it based on how many harvests were left in the next jubilee. 213 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:12,070 That meant everyone knew it was just temporary. 214 00:10:12,690 --> 00:10:17,430 So for example, if Michael Morris over here, he had a plot of land and 215 00:10:17,430 --> 00:10:21,110 I wanna buy it from him, and the next Jubilee is in three years, Michael 216 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,270 can't just upcharge me for those three years because everyone knows, hey, the 217 00:10:24,270 --> 00:10:26,110 jubilee's coming, the land's gonna be his. 218 00:10:27,270 --> 00:10:28,570 And I love that right there. 219 00:10:28,930 --> 00:10:32,130 'cause it's easy for us as humans to wanna make a quick buck, to want to profit, 220 00:10:32,270 --> 00:10:33,850 to do all these things to each other. 221 00:10:34,110 --> 00:10:36,010 But God is saying, no, no, no, not on my watch. 222 00:10:36,350 --> 00:10:37,915 Because I know how you people are. 223 00:10:38,535 --> 00:10:38,835 All right. 224 00:10:39,155 --> 00:10:41,675 I love you guys, but man, I just know how you guys are. 225 00:10:41,675 --> 00:10:41,915 All right. 226 00:10:41,915 --> 00:10:42,635 Let's not do that. 227 00:10:43,455 --> 00:10:46,715 And I just love that 'cause it reminds us, and the Jubilee even reminds 228 00:10:46,715 --> 00:10:52,235 us that everything we have is from God and we are called to handle the 229 00:10:52,235 --> 00:10:54,835 things we've been given with humility. 230 00:10:55,815 --> 00:10:59,715 You know, that's the kind of of community that God was building back then, and 231 00:10:59,735 --> 00:11:03,475 that's even something that is continuing to be built right now through us. 232 00:11:03,505 --> 00:11:03,795 Amen. 233 00:11:05,010 --> 00:11:10,150 So not only does God call his people to, to release what they have, not only does 234 00:11:10,150 --> 00:11:14,069 he command them to to return to their lands and forgive each other for their 235 00:11:14,199 --> 00:11:16,670 debts, but then he goes one step further. 236 00:11:17,650 --> 00:11:22,750 He tells them to stop working the land completely during the jubilee year. 237 00:11:24,010 --> 00:11:26,750 And I dunno about you guys, but reading that, I was like, what? 238 00:11:27,090 --> 00:11:28,590 You want me to stop working? 239 00:11:29,475 --> 00:11:33,655 And that's a very legitimate question, and we'll see what God has 240 00:11:33,655 --> 00:11:35,575 to say here in verse 18 through 22. 241 00:11:35,575 --> 00:11:39,535 He says, follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and 242 00:11:39,535 --> 00:11:41,575 you'll live safely in the land. 243 00:11:42,285 --> 00:11:46,175 Then the land will yield its fruits and you'll eat your fill and live there. 244 00:11:46,175 --> 00:11:50,055 In safety, you may ask, what will we eat in the seventh year if we 245 00:11:50,055 --> 00:11:51,655 do not plant or harvest our crops? 246 00:11:52,255 --> 00:11:55,455 I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land 247 00:11:55,455 --> 00:11:56,935 will yield enough for three years. 248 00:11:57,700 --> 00:12:01,570 While you plant during the eighth year, you'll eat from the old crop and 249 00:12:01,570 --> 00:12:06,330 will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. 250 00:12:07,170 --> 00:12:09,930 I dunno about you guys, but that sounds like a great deal. 251 00:12:11,130 --> 00:12:13,970 I mean, what God is essentially saying here is, Hey, I know this sounds wild. 252 00:12:14,890 --> 00:12:16,970 I know this doesn't make sense for you financially. 253 00:12:18,010 --> 00:12:21,490 I know you're used to working hard and hustling and grinding, trying 254 00:12:21,490 --> 00:12:26,930 to survive, but what I want for each and every one of you is to stop. 255 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:30,780 Let the land rest. 256 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:33,860 Let my people rest. 257 00:12:34,330 --> 00:12:34,620 Amen. 258 00:12:35,310 --> 00:12:37,370 Not only that, trust me, 259 00:12:39,540 --> 00:12:44,180 I dunno about you guys, but that is a radical call of trust in God right there. 260 00:12:45,380 --> 00:12:48,820 I mean, imagine God told you right now. 261 00:12:49,630 --> 00:12:50,780 Don't go to work for a year. 262 00:12:51,710 --> 00:12:52,260 Don't worry. 263 00:12:53,050 --> 00:12:54,140 I'll make sure you have enough. 264 00:12:55,940 --> 00:12:59,460 I dunno about you, but if he were to tell me that I, I'll be like, God are, are you? 265 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:01,020 You must have the wrong Daniel. 266 00:13:01,410 --> 00:13:06,300 Because based off my statements, based off, you know, everything I have, 267 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,980 I'm like, God, I really don't think I have enough for you to cover me. 268 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:16,330 But here, that's what God was asking Israel and to help them out. 269 00:13:16,330 --> 00:13:18,930 He didn't just say, you know, oh, just trust me without action. 270 00:13:19,910 --> 00:13:24,130 No, he said he promised to provide in advance. 271 00:13:24,850 --> 00:13:26,870 He said, I'll bless the sixth year so much. 272 00:13:27,170 --> 00:13:30,470 You'll have enough for the seventh, the eighth, and the ninth year 273 00:13:30,560 --> 00:13:32,030 while you wait for the next harvest. 274 00:13:33,290 --> 00:13:38,510 You know, God was giving them space to rest and during that time he didn't want 275 00:13:38,630 --> 00:13:40,350 'em to just rest and just nap all day. 276 00:13:40,350 --> 00:13:45,230 But no, he wanted to teach them how to rely on him, on their, not on their 277 00:13:45,230 --> 00:13:48,710 own ability to produce or grind, or to strategize their way through life. 278 00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:52,750 You see, the Jubilee wasn't just about what you let go of physically. 279 00:13:53,330 --> 00:13:55,620 It's about what you let go of internally as well. 280 00:13:56,650 --> 00:14:01,740 Your need for control, your anxiety about your future, your belief 281 00:14:01,850 --> 00:14:03,580 that everything depends on you. 282 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:05,340 All of that needs to be released. 283 00:14:05,520 --> 00:14:10,760 During the year of Jubilee, God was training his people to live differently, 284 00:14:11,380 --> 00:14:15,400 to stop running themselves into the ground, to stop living, like everything 285 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:17,360 dependent on their human effort. 286 00:14:18,390 --> 00:14:20,720 What he was trying to say to them is, I'm your provider. 287 00:14:21,345 --> 00:14:22,515 Yeah, trust my timing. 288 00:14:23,225 --> 00:14:26,675 Heck, trust my math, trust my heart. 289 00:14:28,195 --> 00:14:29,975 And I think that speaks to many of us today. 290 00:14:30,655 --> 00:14:35,215 'cause we live in a world where we feel like rest is irresponsible. 291 00:14:36,195 --> 00:14:38,535 We feel guilty if we're not doing something productive. 292 00:14:39,635 --> 00:14:44,655 We measure our worth by what we produce, by how full our schedules are. 293 00:14:45,915 --> 00:14:49,975 But God reminds us here in this year of Jubilee that you 294 00:14:49,975 --> 00:14:51,015 are not your productivity. 295 00:14:51,955 --> 00:14:52,975 You are not your hustle. 296 00:14:54,075 --> 00:14:59,055 You are a child of God and he will take care of you. 297 00:15:00,115 --> 00:15:05,595 You know, the question is, will we trust him enough to rest, to 298 00:15:05,825 --> 00:15:07,995 stop grasping and start believing? 299 00:15:08,775 --> 00:15:11,515 And I'm not talking about the rest where we just watch Netflix all day, church. 300 00:15:12,175 --> 00:15:16,075 I'm talking about the rest where we really trust God and what we're resting 301 00:15:16,095 --> 00:15:17,715 is, all right, I want to be close to him. 302 00:15:17,715 --> 00:15:18,755 I wanna learn more about him. 303 00:15:18,775 --> 00:15:22,195 But in doing so, I'm not thinking about how, oh, in this time I could 304 00:15:22,195 --> 00:15:25,235 be working right now, or maybe going to the gym, doing this and that. 305 00:15:25,295 --> 00:15:29,315 No, but using this time to really trust and rely and connect with 306 00:15:29,315 --> 00:15:35,035 him, you know, God, his people for a year of Jubilee, can we even maybe 307 00:15:35,475 --> 00:15:37,715 dedicate an hour of Jubilee to him? 308 00:15:38,865 --> 00:15:41,445 You know, that's the invitation of Jubilee. 309 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,500 You know we're gonna continue on here in verse 23. 310 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,140 It reads, the land must not be sold permanently because the land is mine and 311 00:15:50,140 --> 00:15:54,380 you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers through, throughout the land 312 00:15:54,450 --> 00:15:58,500 that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. 313 00:16:00,150 --> 00:16:02,210 If I can drop one of these mics, I would do that for God. 314 00:16:02,370 --> 00:16:07,850 'cause that was a mic drop moment for, he's saying the land is mine. 315 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:13,420 You know, and most culture back then, and even now, land meant power. 316 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:18,060 The more land you have, the more wealth you had, the more status, 317 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,220 the more security you had. 318 00:16:21,090 --> 00:16:24,020 Land was something, and I still today, people fight over in war. 319 00:16:24,850 --> 00:16:27,780 It's what family passed down for generations. 320 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:32,860 But God stops 'em right there and says, don't forget, I'm the owner. 321 00:16:33,520 --> 00:16:35,060 You're just living in it. 322 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:36,580 You're not the source. 323 00:16:37,215 --> 00:16:40,475 You're not the provider, you're just a steward. 324 00:16:42,285 --> 00:16:46,775 They were to see themselves as temporary residents, even foreigners 325 00:16:46,795 --> 00:16:48,255 and strangers to the land. 326 00:16:50,095 --> 00:16:53,015 I dunno about you guys, but that is a humbling truth right there. 327 00:16:54,335 --> 00:16:54,595 You know? 328 00:16:54,595 --> 00:16:58,915 That's how God wanted Israel to see the land, and honestly, that's how he 329 00:16:58,915 --> 00:17:00,835 wants us to see everything we have. 330 00:17:01,715 --> 00:17:04,875 I mean, think about the most valuable possession that you have. 331 00:17:06,493 --> 00:17:09,233 It may be a home that's not yours. 332 00:17:09,233 --> 00:17:09,915 That's God's. 333 00:17:10,973 --> 00:17:11,993 It may be your car. 334 00:17:13,185 --> 00:17:14,035 It's not yours. 335 00:17:14,535 --> 00:17:16,555 That's God's is. 336 00:17:16,555 --> 00:17:19,473 It's your job or your money, or your talents, your time, 337 00:17:20,714 --> 00:17:21,675 whatever it is, church. 338 00:17:22,295 --> 00:17:24,155 It all belongs to him. 339 00:17:25,575 --> 00:17:28,875 You know, this is a huge, huge part of the Jubilee, the realization 340 00:17:28,875 --> 00:17:32,435 that we're not owners trying to protect our stuff, but we're stewards 341 00:17:32,435 --> 00:17:33,955 called to reflect God's heart. 342 00:17:35,445 --> 00:17:37,304 And God's heart is generous. 343 00:17:38,074 --> 00:17:39,985 God's heart is compassionate. 344 00:17:41,225 --> 00:17:43,764 And because of all that, what does that mean for you and I? 345 00:17:45,064 --> 00:17:48,524 It means that greed can't take root in a heart that knows it's 346 00:17:48,524 --> 00:17:50,365 only borrowing what belongs to God. 347 00:17:51,145 --> 00:17:56,524 It means we can share, we can give, we can forgive and restore because we're not 348 00:17:56,645 --> 00:17:58,044 building our own small little kingdom. 349 00:17:58,574 --> 00:17:59,965 We're living in God's kingdom. 350 00:18:00,195 --> 00:18:00,485 Amen. 351 00:18:01,105 --> 00:18:03,804 And I dunno about you guys, but that is so freeing for me. 352 00:18:04,384 --> 00:18:07,514 Because when I stop trying to be the owner of everything, I can finally 353 00:18:07,514 --> 00:18:10,394 rest in the truth that God owns it all. 354 00:18:10,975 --> 00:18:14,274 And I don't know about you guys, but God proves to be a great owner 355 00:18:14,294 --> 00:18:15,554 in everything I have in my life. 356 00:18:16,215 --> 00:18:19,674 You know, I realized when I began to really trust God and just taking 357 00:18:19,674 --> 00:18:23,674 ownership in any part of my life, whether it's my, my finances, whether 358 00:18:23,904 --> 00:18:28,394 it's, uh, my marriage, my friendships, I realized like God really manages 359 00:18:28,495 --> 00:18:30,914 so much better when he's at the center of it rather than myself. 360 00:18:31,510 --> 00:18:31,800 Yeah. 361 00:18:33,219 --> 00:18:39,159 And because of that, Jubilee calls us to live open handed, trusting that God 362 00:18:39,260 --> 00:18:41,560 who provides will continue to provide. 363 00:18:42,379 --> 00:18:46,320 That's the heart of releasing, but more importantly, that's the heart and 364 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:52,439 even the invitation of Jubilee will continue reading here in verse 25 20, it 365 00:18:52,439 --> 00:18:55,560 says, if one of your fellow Israelites become poor and sell some of their 366 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,000 property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold. 367 00:18:59,690 --> 00:19:02,830 If, however, there is no one to redeem it for them, but later on 368 00:19:02,900 --> 00:19:05,750 they prosper and acquire sufficient means to redeem it themselves. 369 00:19:05,940 --> 00:19:10,030 They are to determine the value for the years since they sold it and refund the 370 00:19:10,030 --> 00:19:11,630 balance to the one whom they sold it. 371 00:19:11,980 --> 00:19:15,110 They can then go back to their property, but if they do not acquire 372 00:19:15,110 --> 00:19:19,670 the means to repay, uh, what was sold, uh, will remain in the possession of 373 00:19:19,670 --> 00:19:21,230 the buyer until the year of Jubilee. 374 00:19:21,690 --> 00:19:26,790 It will be returned in the Jubilee and they can go back to their property. 375 00:19:28,010 --> 00:19:31,070 You know, in ancient Israel land wasn't just real estate. 376 00:19:31,649 --> 00:19:32,750 It was an inheritance. 377 00:19:33,290 --> 00:19:34,110 It was an identity. 378 00:19:34,330 --> 00:19:36,310 It was a legacy being passed on to you. 379 00:19:36,770 --> 00:19:39,230 It was part of God's covenant with his people. 380 00:19:40,010 --> 00:19:42,590 So when someone had to sell their land, because they fell on hard 381 00:19:42,590 --> 00:19:47,070 times, it wasn't just a financial transaction, it was a loss of hope. 382 00:19:47,649 --> 00:19:50,990 It was a loss of security, and it can kind of feel the same 383 00:19:50,990 --> 00:19:52,149 way with us today, church. 384 00:19:53,314 --> 00:19:56,624 Maybe when, I dunno about you, but when my car breaks down, it has to go in the shop. 385 00:19:56,764 --> 00:19:57,784 I'm like, what do I do? 386 00:19:58,334 --> 00:19:59,745 Where's my sense of security? 387 00:19:59,844 --> 00:20:00,544 How do I do this? 388 00:20:00,644 --> 00:20:04,664 Or even when I was younger, I remember we, we had some, uh, issue with 389 00:20:04,664 --> 00:20:06,184 our houses and our finances of it. 390 00:20:06,184 --> 00:20:09,225 And I just remember being on edge, like, oh my gosh, like, what's gonna happen? 391 00:20:10,384 --> 00:20:14,644 You know, everything that I was feeling, they were feeling as well. 392 00:20:15,784 --> 00:20:19,004 But the beautiful thing here, what I love about what God was 393 00:20:19,125 --> 00:20:22,564 building here is God was building redemption right into the system. 394 00:20:23,064 --> 00:20:23,284 Yep. 395 00:20:23,905 --> 00:20:26,125 God said, wait for the jubilee. 396 00:20:27,044 --> 00:20:30,645 'cause in the year Jubilee, the land automatically returned to its owner. 397 00:20:31,465 --> 00:20:35,044 No debt had to be paid, no negotiations required. 398 00:20:35,345 --> 00:20:37,804 The land was just simply returned back. 399 00:20:38,875 --> 00:20:42,485 Even today, this reminds us that God is always working towards 400 00:20:42,495 --> 00:20:44,564 redemption and even restoration. 401 00:20:45,485 --> 00:20:51,854 Even when we can't see a way, it's a reminder to trust that we have is God, and 402 00:20:51,854 --> 00:20:54,455 when we lose it, he can return it to us. 403 00:20:55,814 --> 00:20:58,154 You know we're continue reading here in verse 35. 404 00:20:58,154 --> 00:21:01,274 It says, any one of your fellow Israelites become poor and are unable to support 405 00:21:01,274 --> 00:21:05,195 themselves among you, help them as you would a foreigner and stranger so 406 00:21:05,195 --> 00:21:06,955 they can continue to live among you. 407 00:21:07,574 --> 00:21:11,514 Do not take interest or any profit from them, but fear your God so that 408 00:21:11,514 --> 00:21:13,195 they may continue to live among you. 409 00:21:13,825 --> 00:21:17,285 You must not lend them money at interest or sell them food out of profit. 410 00:21:18,004 --> 00:21:22,045 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the 411 00:21:22,045 --> 00:21:24,685 land of Canaan and to be your God. 412 00:21:25,685 --> 00:21:29,245 I mean, there it is again, talking about foreigners and strangers. 413 00:21:29,745 --> 00:21:34,245 You know, God doesn't just care about the land or the the economy. 414 00:21:34,835 --> 00:21:39,895 What he cares deeply about are the people, and especially those who 415 00:21:39,895 --> 00:21:41,175 are in need, who are struggling. 416 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,179 He says, if your fellow Israelites becomes poor and cannot maintain 417 00:21:45,179 --> 00:21:47,219 themselves, you must help them. 418 00:21:48,439 --> 00:21:49,860 He didn't say try to help them. 419 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,659 He said, he didn't say, do it when it feels right for you or 420 00:21:53,659 --> 00:21:54,659 when it's comfortable for you. 421 00:21:55,639 --> 00:21:58,100 He said, you must help them. 422 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:00,139 How about you guys? 423 00:22:00,139 --> 00:22:01,860 But to me, this is not optional. 424 00:22:02,409 --> 00:22:05,020 It's not a suggestion, it's a command. 425 00:22:06,084 --> 00:22:08,584 But it's not a command just from God being all rude. 426 00:22:08,664 --> 00:22:11,745 I really believe it's a command that is rooted in compassion. 427 00:22:12,725 --> 00:22:16,745 If someone falls on hard times, he's saying, man, the community should step in. 428 00:22:17,485 --> 00:22:18,544 You don't look the other way. 429 00:22:19,044 --> 00:22:19,904 You don't blame them. 430 00:22:20,445 --> 00:22:22,064 You don't capitalize on their crisis. 431 00:22:23,044 --> 00:22:28,294 In fact, God even says clearly, no charging interest, no making 432 00:22:28,294 --> 00:22:31,935 profit off someone else's pain, and not to exploit people when 433 00:22:31,935 --> 00:22:33,014 they're at their most vulnerable. 434 00:22:34,064 --> 00:22:39,754 Because God reminds him that you were once slaves in Egypt and I brought you. 435 00:22:40,715 --> 00:22:41,594 I didn't charge you. 436 00:22:42,155 --> 00:22:44,955 I didn't oppress you, but I rescued you. 437 00:22:46,105 --> 00:22:50,965 God is calling his people to mirror this same mercy he had on his people. 438 00:22:52,195 --> 00:22:53,804 This is part of the Jubilee. 439 00:22:54,314 --> 00:22:58,685 It's a radical call to empathy because God is building a society, 440 00:22:58,745 --> 00:23:00,685 not on greed, but on grace. 441 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,569 It's God saying the, the way I love you now go and love 442 00:23:04,569 --> 00:23:06,090 each other the exact same way. 443 00:23:06,989 --> 00:23:10,769 And it shows here in verse 39, it reads, if any of your fellow Israelites 444 00:23:10,769 --> 00:23:14,329 become poor and sell themselves to you, do not make them work as slaves. 445 00:23:14,479 --> 00:23:17,929 They're to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you. 446 00:23:18,279 --> 00:23:21,449 They're to work for you until the year of the Jubilee. 447 00:23:22,129 --> 00:23:25,820 Then they and their children are to be released and they will go back to their 448 00:23:25,820 --> 00:23:30,179 own clans and to the property of their ancestors because the Israelites are my 449 00:23:30,179 --> 00:23:32,260 servants whom I brought out of Egypt. 450 00:23:32,570 --> 00:23:34,340 They must not be sold as slaves. 451 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,460 Do not rule over them ruthlessly, but fear your God. 452 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:44,379 You know, this passage just shows us a picture of God's heart for his people, 453 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:49,860 his desire for dignity and justice to be done even in the midst of hardship. 454 00:23:51,114 --> 00:23:54,294 You know, back then if someone fell into deep poverty, that they had no 455 00:23:54,294 --> 00:23:58,814 choice but to sell themselves into slavery or into servitude to survive. 456 00:23:59,725 --> 00:24:03,664 But God made sure that even then, they're not to be treated as property. 457 00:24:04,245 --> 00:24:05,904 He says, do not treat them as slaves. 458 00:24:05,904 --> 00:24:07,144 Instead treat them as hired workers. 459 00:24:07,604 --> 00:24:11,225 People with value, uh, with hope and restoration. 460 00:24:11,614 --> 00:24:16,574 They weren't to be abused, owned, or treated less as, and 461 00:24:16,574 --> 00:24:18,614 once again, the year of Jubilee. 462 00:24:19,290 --> 00:24:20,149 It brought that liberty. 463 00:24:21,050 --> 00:24:25,510 It brought them that freedom and that moment, everything got to reset. 464 00:24:26,290 --> 00:24:29,470 No matter how long they had served, they were to be released. 465 00:24:30,570 --> 00:24:30,790 Why? 466 00:24:31,500 --> 00:24:35,790 Because God makes it clear that they are my servants who I brought out of Egypt. 467 00:24:36,220 --> 00:24:38,310 They're not to be sold as slaves. 468 00:24:39,090 --> 00:24:41,870 You know, God reminds the people of their own story. 469 00:24:42,690 --> 00:24:43,830 You were once enslaved. 470 00:24:44,210 --> 00:24:47,310 You know what it's like to be treated like when you don't mattered. 471 00:24:47,610 --> 00:24:48,230 But even then. 472 00:24:49,270 --> 00:24:50,070 I still rescue. 473 00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:56,360 Do you know that in the grand picture of things, that was the heart of Jubilee, 474 00:24:57,110 --> 00:25:04,389 this idea of release, we're seeing Jesus release people from debt, from bondage, 475 00:25:05,139 --> 00:25:09,450 from burden, and hopefully, as you see here, as we were reading this scripture, 476 00:25:09,450 --> 00:25:12,490 something that stood out to me was that release wasn't just for the oppressed, 477 00:25:12,490 --> 00:25:13,490 but it was also for the oppressor. 478 00:25:14,845 --> 00:25:19,385 It was released for those under authority and in authority as well. 479 00:25:19,405 --> 00:25:23,865 For those under authority, it meant freedom from shame, from 480 00:25:23,895 --> 00:25:29,504 debt, from burden, and for those in authority, it meant released from 481 00:25:30,155 --> 00:25:34,024 greed, from pride, from control. 482 00:25:35,555 --> 00:25:39,095 You know, wherever you guys are at this morning, we either fit in one 483 00:25:39,095 --> 00:25:42,325 of those two categories, or maybe both of them, but whatever it is. 484 00:25:43,689 --> 00:25:46,539 What is it that we need to be released from? 485 00:25:47,309 --> 00:25:53,719 Because together it led to true freedom, both spiritually, relationally, 486 00:25:54,179 --> 00:25:55,679 and even emotionally as well. 487 00:25:57,149 --> 00:25:59,570 So the question is, what's holding you? 488 00:26:01,110 --> 00:26:04,209 You know, today we're not living in Mosaic law, but the heart of 489 00:26:04,209 --> 00:26:05,850 Jubilee is still alive in Jesus. 490 00:26:07,149 --> 00:26:10,769 God still calls us to release what holds us captive. 491 00:26:12,439 --> 00:26:16,739 Let me ask you honestly, church, what's holding you captive? 492 00:26:18,139 --> 00:26:21,110 What are you chained to today? 493 00:26:22,620 --> 00:26:25,479 You know, for many of us, we probably relate to a few of these 494 00:26:25,479 --> 00:26:28,600 here, but maybe what's holding us captive is guilt and shame. 495 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,909 Maybe we feel guilt and shame about the past choices we've made. 496 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,909 Maybe the lifestyle we live, maybe it's that thing nobody else knows. 497 00:26:38,955 --> 00:26:41,175 And it's heavy and it lingers with us. 498 00:26:42,675 --> 00:26:44,784 Maybe what holds us captive is materialism. 499 00:26:45,835 --> 00:26:49,564 It's this constant pressure to have more, to earn more, to show more, 500 00:26:50,355 --> 00:26:52,335 and we become slaves to the chase. 501 00:26:54,085 --> 00:26:55,254 What about control? 502 00:26:56,564 --> 00:27:00,205 The need to manage everything yourself, to not let go. 503 00:27:02,375 --> 00:27:03,405 Maybe it's bitterness. 504 00:27:05,335 --> 00:27:06,685 Bitterness towards someone else. 505 00:27:07,875 --> 00:27:10,544 Maybe it's bitterness towards someone in your family. 506 00:27:11,475 --> 00:27:13,544 Maybe it's bitterness towards someone here in this room. 507 00:27:14,715 --> 00:27:20,514 Maybe it's even bitterness towards God and it eats you alive on the inside. 508 00:27:22,395 --> 00:27:23,455 Or maybe it's just sin. 509 00:27:24,985 --> 00:27:28,215 Maybe there's a sin in your life that you constantly go back to. 510 00:27:29,304 --> 00:27:30,334 Maybe that's lust. 511 00:27:31,294 --> 00:27:34,965 Maybe it's pride, impurity, anger. 512 00:27:35,889 --> 00:27:36,939 Name it, bitterness. 513 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:38,620 It can feel like a cycle. 514 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:43,020 You just can't break and you hate it and you just keep returning to it. 515 00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:47,639 You feel guilt, but then you give in again and it's exhausting. 516 00:27:47,639 --> 00:27:49,679 And honestly, it feels like it can become hopeless. 517 00:27:51,129 --> 00:27:54,429 And what I love here is what Jesus says in John chapter eight, verse 34. 518 00:27:54,429 --> 00:28:00,790 He says, Jesus replied very truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin 519 00:28:02,850 --> 00:28:03,270 Church. 520 00:28:03,270 --> 00:28:04,470 That's what sin does to us. 521 00:28:06,189 --> 00:28:10,999 When we sin and we're, you know, we can't be open about it and it's holding 522 00:28:10,999 --> 00:28:14,949 captive to us, we become enslaved to it. 523 00:28:17,479 --> 00:28:23,299 But what's also very, I guess, encouraging maybe for us for sure, it's encouraging 524 00:28:23,319 --> 00:28:27,899 is what Jesus says next though, in verse 35, 2 36, because what I love here is 525 00:28:27,899 --> 00:28:29,620 Jesus doesn't say you're a slave to it. 526 00:28:29,620 --> 00:28:30,579 He says You can do something about it. 527 00:28:30,905 --> 00:28:31,125 Yes. 528 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,899 He says, now a slave has no permanent place in the family, 529 00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:37,780 but a son belongs to it forever. 530 00:28:38,399 --> 00:28:42,060 So if the son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 531 00:28:42,690 --> 00:28:42,980 Amen. 532 00:28:44,070 --> 00:28:47,200 Only Jesus can truly release our souls. 533 00:28:48,070 --> 00:28:51,360 Only Jesus can break the chains of sin and shame. 534 00:28:51,710 --> 00:28:54,680 Only Jesus can say, you are not a slave anymore. 535 00:28:54,980 --> 00:28:56,040 You are mine. 536 00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:00,220 And the question is, will we let him? 537 00:29:01,730 --> 00:29:05,340 When we stop holding on and let Jesus release us from what's been 538 00:29:05,740 --> 00:29:11,230 gripping us, you know, the year of Jubilee was all about release, 539 00:29:12,170 --> 00:29:14,220 release from debt, from loss. 540 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:19,540 It was a time of restoration where God's people were given a clean slate, a second 541 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,580 chance, a return to what was once theirs. 542 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:27,700 You know, the same spirit was released and is available to us through Jesus today. 543 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:31,779 You know, in Luke four, what I love, he says, uh, Jesus came to 544 00:29:31,779 --> 00:29:34,299 proclaim freedom for the prisoners and to set the oppressed free. 545 00:29:35,919 --> 00:29:37,709 Jesus is our jubilee. 546 00:29:38,769 --> 00:29:40,360 Jesus offers us freedom. 547 00:29:41,100 --> 00:29:44,909 But here's the catch though, church, we have to choose to 548 00:29:45,019 --> 00:29:46,669 participate in that release. 549 00:29:47,810 --> 00:29:52,830 We have to be willing to let go of what's holding you captive. 550 00:29:54,340 --> 00:29:56,159 The offer is on the table. 551 00:29:57,009 --> 00:29:57,870 You don't have to earn it. 552 00:29:58,289 --> 00:30:02,509 You don't have to qualify for it, qualify for it, but you do have to respond to it. 553 00:30:03,519 --> 00:30:07,049 Jubilee only help people if they trusted God enough to live in it. 554 00:30:07,789 --> 00:30:09,129 And the same is true for us. 555 00:30:10,509 --> 00:30:13,409 But if we're being honest here, we all carry something. 556 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:21,129 There's something that enslaves us, that burdens us, that robs us, peace, that robs 557 00:30:21,129 --> 00:30:23,009 us, the joy, the liberty, and the freedom. 558 00:30:24,309 --> 00:30:25,129 So what is it for you? 559 00:30:26,570 --> 00:30:28,899 What is holding you captive? 560 00:30:29,729 --> 00:30:32,149 Now, if you really want to experience Jubilee, I really think 561 00:30:32,449 --> 00:30:34,830 we first have to identify it. 562 00:30:35,699 --> 00:30:36,719 We have to be specific. 563 00:30:36,959 --> 00:30:38,439 'cause the Jubilee isn't a vague idea. 564 00:30:38,739 --> 00:30:40,999 It was meant to touch real areas of life. 565 00:30:41,979 --> 00:30:44,479 So let's identify the chains that need breaking. 566 00:30:45,479 --> 00:30:46,659 Is it the guilt and shame? 567 00:30:47,479 --> 00:30:48,340 Is it the control? 568 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:49,340 Is it the materialism? 569 00:30:49,439 --> 00:30:50,459 Is it sin? 570 00:30:50,969 --> 00:30:54,659 Because Jubilee means you don't have to stay in captivity. 571 00:30:55,469 --> 00:30:56,919 That you can overcome it. 572 00:30:58,889 --> 00:31:02,060 Next we have to, once we identify, we have to release it to God, 573 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,659 not to the heir, not to chance, but to God who declares they 574 00:31:07,659 --> 00:31:09,459 are my servants, not yours. 575 00:31:10,199 --> 00:31:12,820 So maybe if it's guilt and shame, well guess what? 576 00:31:12,949 --> 00:31:15,260 Jesus bore your shame on the cross. 577 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:17,219 You don't need to wear it anymore. 578 00:31:17,719 --> 00:31:21,020 You are forgiven and you can continue to walk in freedom. 579 00:31:21,985 --> 00:31:25,324 If it's materialism, we need to let go of earthly treasures for the 580 00:31:25,324 --> 00:31:27,644 eternal treasure of what Jesus offers. 581 00:31:28,584 --> 00:31:32,524 If it's control, then we gotta recognize that control is a myth that you're 582 00:31:32,524 --> 00:31:34,284 not in control, and that's okay. 583 00:31:35,264 --> 00:31:40,245 If it's bitterness, man, we gotta release it to God who is righteous and just we 584 00:31:40,245 --> 00:31:41,965 have to let him be the judge, not us. 585 00:31:43,044 --> 00:31:44,164 'cause this is your moment. 586 00:31:44,834 --> 00:31:46,564 This is your jubilee. 587 00:31:46,564 --> 00:31:48,004 This is our jubilee. 588 00:31:49,395 --> 00:31:54,044 What do you need to release to God today so that you can return to freedom? 589 00:31:54,835 --> 00:31:55,125 Amen. 590 00:31:55,425 --> 00:31:58,965 You know, the concept of Jubilee wasn't just for ancient Israel. 591 00:31:59,155 --> 00:32:02,325 It's a picture of freedom, release, and restoration that God 592 00:32:02,325 --> 00:32:03,845 offers each of us through Jesus. 593 00:32:04,784 --> 00:32:07,125 So let's not walk away just hearing good ideas. 594 00:32:07,325 --> 00:32:09,044 I want to encourage, let's really live it out. 595 00:32:09,745 --> 00:32:13,044 You know, let's try to live out Jubilee this week and how can we do that? 596 00:32:13,044 --> 00:32:14,245 Let's get practical here. 597 00:32:14,245 --> 00:32:15,165 Here's some action steps. 598 00:32:15,585 --> 00:32:15,965 Uh, first. 599 00:32:16,629 --> 00:32:18,899 Let's try to follow the week two reading, planning discussions. 600 00:32:18,899 --> 00:32:21,860 I dunno about you guys, but I did week one and that was just tremendous. 601 00:32:22,199 --> 00:32:24,779 You could scan the QR code if you want, but we also have hard 602 00:32:24,779 --> 00:32:27,620 copies, uh, that you can get in the back from, from Craig over there. 603 00:32:27,620 --> 00:32:30,820 We don't have enough for everyone, but if you're a hard copy person, 604 00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:32,139 please by all means grab it. 605 00:32:32,139 --> 00:32:35,620 But let's really try to do this reading plan and answer these questions. 606 00:32:35,699 --> 00:32:38,699 Take time each day to read the assigned passages and reflect. 607 00:32:39,635 --> 00:32:43,095 And don't try to rush, but really let's have the word reveal areas 608 00:32:43,155 --> 00:32:46,774 of captivity or hardness in our own life, in our own heart. 609 00:32:47,685 --> 00:32:48,985 Second, let's reflect. 610 00:32:49,695 --> 00:32:52,065 What is God calling you to release? 611 00:32:53,335 --> 00:32:57,555 Ask yourself honestly, is it guilt that cheney me to the past? 612 00:32:58,495 --> 00:33:00,715 Is it bitterness that keeps me from moving forward? 613 00:33:01,534 --> 00:33:04,835 Am I clean to control, are things I've never meant to carry? 614 00:33:05,905 --> 00:33:06,575 Write it down. 615 00:33:07,205 --> 00:33:07,575 Name it. 616 00:33:08,180 --> 00:33:09,129 Bring it to the light. 617 00:33:10,149 --> 00:33:12,210 And then lastly, we need to respond. 618 00:33:12,870 --> 00:33:14,889 We should take one step this week. 619 00:33:14,889 --> 00:33:17,450 Maybe it's a conversation you've been avoiding. 620 00:33:17,460 --> 00:33:18,649 Maybe it's a confession. 621 00:33:18,649 --> 00:33:21,129 Maybe it's simply a heartfelt prayer or surrender. 622 00:33:21,909 --> 00:33:26,210 But let's respond to it this week because the heart of Jubilee, when you think 623 00:33:26,210 --> 00:33:28,210 about it, it's simple but powerful. 624 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:33,050 It's release, release from debt, from bondage, from the 625 00:33:33,050 --> 00:33:34,129 burdens that weigh us down. 626 00:33:35,325 --> 00:33:37,495 Jubilee wasn't just meant for the past. 627 00:33:37,955 --> 00:33:42,255 We can experience Jubilee today, a spiritual reset and a fresh release, 628 00:33:42,875 --> 00:33:46,175 but for that to happen, we have to be willing to let go of what is holding 629 00:33:46,395 --> 00:33:52,735 us captive and in the closeout here in Leviticus 25 verse S Consecrate the 50th 630 00:33:52,735 --> 00:33:56,495 year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. 631 00:33:56,925 --> 00:34:00,855 That same liberty and that same freedom is available to us right now. 632 00:34:01,659 --> 00:34:06,800 And prayerfully, we each can experience Jubilee release today, not just in theory, 633 00:34:07,300 --> 00:34:11,880 not just in words, but in our hearts, in our lives, and in our walks with God. 634 00:34:12,030 --> 00:34:12,320 Amen. 635 00:34:12,909 --> 00:34:13,199 Amen. 636 00:34:13,199 --> 00:34:13,719 Thank you, church.