1 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:08,640 Thank you. Yeah. Good job, guys. 2 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:16,880 And now Pastor Jonathan has a week to learn that for you all for 3 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,280 next week. Just 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,680 kidding. Is that not the most fabulous. 5 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,100 How can you not have joy with that? How can 6 00:00:34,100 --> 00:00:37,580 you. That is what a garment of praise looks like. 7 00:00:37,980 --> 00:00:41,780 That's what a garment of praise looks like. It just. You know, every parent in 8 00:00:41,780 --> 00:00:45,460 here is grinning. You know, grandparents are grinning. Everybody's like, that is 9 00:00:45,460 --> 00:00:48,580 just so cool. If they would just be like that at home. No, I did 10 00:00:48,580 --> 00:00:52,420 not say that. I'm excited about what 11 00:00:52,420 --> 00:00:55,420 the Lord has. This is important. Muy 12 00:00:55,420 --> 00:00:59,150 importante. Because this 13 00:00:59,150 --> 00:01:02,990 is one of the things the Lord's been dealing with me about this week is 14 00:01:02,990 --> 00:01:06,590 choosing the garment of praise instead of a 15 00:01:06,590 --> 00:01:10,150 spirit of heaviness. Does anybody understand that? 16 00:01:10,790 --> 00:01:14,590 Anybody understand how sometimes we 17 00:01:14,590 --> 00:01:18,350 have to make a choice and we have to choose to put 18 00:01:18,350 --> 00:01:21,510 on the garment of praise? It doesn't just, like, automatically 19 00:01:22,070 --> 00:01:25,790 happen. You. You know, I know that's what happened in the Jetsons. But we're not 20 00:01:25,790 --> 00:01:28,990 there, and the kids are going, who are the Jetsons? Anyway? 21 00:01:31,070 --> 00:01:34,750 There are things that we have to choose in our life and 22 00:01:35,230 --> 00:01:38,350 in our spiritual walk. We make so many choices. 23 00:01:38,830 --> 00:01:42,430 And my prayer would be, I'm just gonna do with you what I did 24 00:01:42,590 --> 00:01:46,150 last week. I'm gonna walk you through where the Lord took me this 25 00:01:46,150 --> 00:01:49,910 week and worked me through some of my problems and 26 00:01:49,910 --> 00:01:53,630 my issues. And. And I 27 00:01:53,630 --> 00:01:57,150 trust he will do the same with you. Because what I believe, he's calling us 28 00:01:57,150 --> 00:02:00,710 all to do that. He wants to give us beauty for ashes, 29 00:02:01,110 --> 00:02:04,870 the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for 30 00:02:04,870 --> 00:02:06,950 the spirit of heaviness. 31 00:02:09,030 --> 00:02:12,550 Worship is a garment we must intentionally put on. 32 00:02:13,190 --> 00:02:16,710 We have to intentionally put on. I was so tickled today 33 00:02:16,790 --> 00:02:20,510 when I walked in and other people were wearing the Worship Anyway T 34 00:02:20,510 --> 00:02:23,560 shirt. Amazon link. Guys, 35 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,520 let's see how many we can get in here next week. You want to. And 36 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,280 here's the other thing. If you should take it in your heart to 37 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:35,040 get one for yourself, get one for one of the teens, one 38 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,880 of the kids. Cause you know, they ain't got no money. And 39 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,000 let's get them to worship anyway. Cause they're working through this, too. 40 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:46,800 So, Father, I thank you for your word. I thank you for your truth. I 41 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:49,560 thank you for the hope that we find in you 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,590 continually. Continually. I'm so 43 00:02:53,590 --> 00:02:57,350 grateful that we serve a God who does not change. So, Father, 44 00:02:57,350 --> 00:03:00,190 I ask that you just hover over this place. 45 00:03:00,910 --> 00:03:04,270 May your holy Spirit just penetrate our hearts. 46 00:03:04,510 --> 00:03:08,350 Teach us, Lord. We've come to learn from you not from me, 47 00:03:08,750 --> 00:03:12,590 Lord, I ask that my stuff fall in your stand. In Jesus 48 00:03:12,590 --> 00:03:15,390 name. In Jesus name. 49 00:03:17,640 --> 00:03:21,160 We'll start where we should always start, with Scripture. 50 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:25,720 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, 51 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,840 clothe yourselves with. Now, I'm gonna pause right there. There's this 52 00:03:29,840 --> 00:03:33,279 show used to be on. I guess it's still on, but it's called what not 53 00:03:33,279 --> 00:03:37,040 to Wear. I'm getting ready to share with you what you 54 00:03:37,040 --> 00:03:40,880 should wear and what you shouldn't wear. It has nothing to do with 55 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:44,520 your clothing, but it has everything to do with the decision that we make every 56 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,160 single, single day in how we walk on the 57 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,960 planet and how we choose to carry out our lives in such 58 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:55,800 a way that it glorifies our Father. So therefore, 59 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,000 as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, 60 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,000 clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, 61 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,880 gentleness, and patience. Now, he twisted this one on me 62 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,280 a little bit, or actually, the Holy Spirit impacted me a little bit with this. 63 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,960 And he had me, as I was reading this aloud over and over in my 64 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,430 office to go, Now I want you to add the 65 00:04:17,430 --> 00:04:20,910 word you. Okay? So instead, I was like, 66 00:04:20,910 --> 00:04:24,630 therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly 67 00:04:24,630 --> 00:04:28,430 loved, you clothe yourself with 68 00:04:28,430 --> 00:04:31,950 compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 69 00:04:32,510 --> 00:04:36,230 You bear with each other and forgive one another. 70 00:04:36,230 --> 00:04:40,000 If any of you has a grievance against someone, you forgive 71 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,720 me. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And 72 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,320 over all these virtues, you put on love, 73 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:50,360 which binds them all together in perfect unity. 74 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:55,080 Say it with me now. You let the peace of Christ 75 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,720 rule in your heart, since as members of one body, you were called 76 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,520 to peace. And you be thankful. 77 00:05:03,320 --> 00:05:07,160 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach 78 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:11,160 and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, 79 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:14,940 and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude 80 00:05:14,940 --> 00:05:17,940 in your heart. And you and me, 81 00:05:19,060 --> 00:05:22,740 whatever we do, whether in word or deed, we do it all 82 00:05:22,900 --> 00:05:26,620 in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through 83 00:05:26,620 --> 00:05:30,460 him. These are the clothes that we are 84 00:05:30,460 --> 00:05:33,980 to wear. These are the things that we are to clothe ourselves 85 00:05:33,980 --> 00:05:37,700 with. And so I was like, okay, Lord. You know, there's a 86 00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:40,460 couple of those I'm okay with, and there's a couple of them I can really 87 00:05:40,460 --> 00:05:44,250 grow. Need a new T shirt there, because that one's not 88 00:05:44,250 --> 00:05:48,090 really working. People are gonna come in and gonna say, compassion, 89 00:05:48,330 --> 00:05:52,130 you know, kindness. They're like, oh, I see what the struggle is here. 90 00:05:52,130 --> 00:05:52,730 Okay. 91 00:05:55,770 --> 00:05:59,450 In contrast, what to wear this, 92 00:05:59,450 --> 00:06:03,210 it says. Then he showed me Joshua, the high priest, standing before the angel of 93 00:06:03,210 --> 00:06:06,810 the Lord and Satan standing at his right side to what, 94 00:06:07,610 --> 00:06:11,290 accuse him? The Lord said to Satan, the Lord rebuke you, 95 00:06:11,290 --> 00:06:14,890 Satan. The angel said to those who were standing before him, take 96 00:06:14,890 --> 00:06:18,730 off his filthy clothes. Then he said to Joshua, 97 00:06:18,730 --> 00:06:22,250 see, I have taken away your sin, and I will put 98 00:06:22,410 --> 00:06:26,170 fine garments on you. We have the contrast here. 99 00:06:26,250 --> 00:06:30,010 We have what we've been told to put on, and then we have this 100 00:06:30,010 --> 00:06:33,690 thing that's being referred to as filthy garments. And filthy 101 00:06:33,690 --> 00:06:37,350 garments have everything to do with what it said right here. We. When it 102 00:06:37,350 --> 00:06:41,190 said the accuser. The accuser, 103 00:06:41,190 --> 00:06:44,390 we often put on garments that the 104 00:06:44,390 --> 00:06:48,070 accuser has told us to wear, Right? You're not 105 00:06:48,070 --> 00:06:51,910 worth it. They're not worth it. That one to me is even worse. When 106 00:06:51,910 --> 00:06:55,710 we stand and we're going, oh, we're gonna judge somebody else's sin when our 107 00:06:55,710 --> 00:06:59,030 rags are filthy? But to go the 108 00:06:59,030 --> 00:07:02,670 accuser, anytime you hear that voice in your spirit towards yourself 109 00:07:03,260 --> 00:07:06,860 or if you're using that voice toward anyone else, you need a spirit 110 00:07:06,860 --> 00:07:10,620 check. Because God is the judge. Amen. And we 111 00:07:10,620 --> 00:07:13,940 are not the sons of Satan. We are not the sons of an 112 00:07:13,940 --> 00:07:17,700 accuser. We are of a father who 113 00:07:17,700 --> 00:07:21,260 loves and is compassionate and kind. And he 114 00:07:21,260 --> 00:07:24,940 takes off those garments. He doesn't 115 00:07:24,940 --> 00:07:28,700 just go, I'm going to cover your filthy garments. 116 00:07:29,590 --> 00:07:32,630 He says, take them away. Get rid of them. 117 00:07:33,190 --> 00:07:36,750 Take them off. Those things, those accusations, 118 00:07:36,750 --> 00:07:40,310 those dark places, the sin that you carry. 119 00:07:40,950 --> 00:07:44,590 Because God has new garments for us. God has new 120 00:07:44,590 --> 00:07:48,230 garments for us. He has something that we are supposed to 121 00:07:48,230 --> 00:07:51,870 wear that doesn't look like that. Therefore, we 122 00:07:51,870 --> 00:07:55,550 also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let 123 00:07:55,550 --> 00:07:59,380 us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily 124 00:07:59,380 --> 00:08:03,060 ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. 125 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:07,260 What does that have to do with this? Sometimes the weights we are 126 00:08:07,260 --> 00:08:11,100 wearing, we are so acquainted with those 127 00:08:11,100 --> 00:08:14,740 weights. And not every weight is a sin. Some things 128 00:08:14,740 --> 00:08:18,420 just weigh us down, some things just weigh us down. We're carrying 129 00:08:18,420 --> 00:08:22,140 around things that we were never intended to carry. Like, for 130 00:08:22,140 --> 00:08:25,870 example, confusion. It's not a 131 00:08:25,870 --> 00:08:29,710 sin to be confused. But the Word says God is not the author 132 00:08:30,030 --> 00:08:33,510 of confusion. So we know if we're feeling that that's a 133 00:08:33,510 --> 00:08:37,110 weight, right? That's something heavy that we have chosen to take 134 00:08:37,110 --> 00:08:40,950 on judgment. The Word tells me that God is the judge and 135 00:08:40,950 --> 00:08:44,510 that God will judge us. So when we take on the role of judging 136 00:08:44,510 --> 00:08:48,230 others in that sense, that's a weight that we were not 137 00:08:48,230 --> 00:08:51,790 intended to carry. God is sovereign God is good and he is 138 00:08:51,790 --> 00:08:54,830 sovereign and he is just. There's a passage that says, 139 00:08:55,210 --> 00:08:58,930 justice and mercy have kissed. That's what 140 00:08:58,930 --> 00:09:02,330 he does. God looks and he judges with mercy 141 00:09:02,410 --> 00:09:05,450 and justice. Only he knows how to do that. 142 00:09:05,450 --> 00:09:08,890 Disappointment, frustration, comparison. 143 00:09:10,170 --> 00:09:13,850 Well, I wouldn't have done that. That's what Absalom 144 00:09:13,850 --> 00:09:16,650 said. Comparison, 145 00:09:17,290 --> 00:09:20,570 regret, fear, offense. 146 00:09:21,580 --> 00:09:24,860 And sometimes just exhaustion. Sometimes you are so 147 00:09:25,020 --> 00:09:28,540 weary, and that's just what you're carrying is that weariness, 148 00:09:28,620 --> 00:09:32,460 that weightiness, because you're dealing with these things and God's going, 149 00:09:32,460 --> 00:09:35,940 wait a minute, I have a different garment for you. See, God never 150 00:09:35,940 --> 00:09:39,580 intended his people to carry what only his shoulders were built to bear. 151 00:09:40,140 --> 00:09:43,180 You know what's so cool about this? I had been studying this in my office 152 00:09:43,260 --> 00:09:47,020 and having a kind of pretty tough day, and 153 00:09:47,020 --> 00:09:50,420 one of the elders in the house sent me a message. And he said, I 154 00:09:50,420 --> 00:09:53,770 just felt like the Lord wanted me to tell you that, that your shoulders were 155 00:09:53,770 --> 00:09:57,450 not intended to carry the weight, that it's his 156 00:09:57,450 --> 00:10:01,130 weight to carry. And I had just written that down in my notes. And 157 00:10:01,130 --> 00:10:04,890 I'm like, I love. Scripture tells us that he is a God who confirms the 158 00:10:04,890 --> 00:10:08,610 word of his servant. And I love when he steps in and he confirms 159 00:10:08,930 --> 00:10:12,250 something in our spirits. Here's what he was 160 00:10:12,250 --> 00:10:15,930 reminding me of this week. Some people have 161 00:10:15,930 --> 00:10:19,170 worn their weights for so long that they mistake it for identity. 162 00:10:21,410 --> 00:10:25,250 The weights are not who you are. They are only the garments you have 163 00:10:25,250 --> 00:10:29,090 chosen. They're the garments that you have chosen. You're like, 164 00:10:29,890 --> 00:10:33,610 I'm just an angry human. I'm just. I am just. I 165 00:10:33,610 --> 00:10:37,330 am just. I am just. And every 166 00:10:37,330 --> 00:10:41,170 time you add that weight to you, and according to the Bible that I 167 00:10:41,170 --> 00:10:44,850 read, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. 168 00:10:45,570 --> 00:10:49,330 Before even one of your days came to be, they were written in his book. 169 00:10:49,650 --> 00:10:53,410 All the days ordained for you were written in his book before even one of 170 00:10:53,410 --> 00:10:57,130 them came to be. He knew you before you were knit 171 00:10:57,130 --> 00:11:00,570 together in your mother's womb. And he said, you are 172 00:11:00,570 --> 00:11:04,330 fearfully and wonderfully made. You know, sometimes I can look at my 173 00:11:04,330 --> 00:11:08,050 kids if they're going through something or they're having a struggle, and maybe 174 00:11:08,050 --> 00:11:11,770 sometimes all they see is the struggle. But as a parent, you know what you've 175 00:11:11,770 --> 00:11:15,240 put in those kids. You know that even though they struggle, 176 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,080 there's a foundation in them that they can draw from. And even 177 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,680 when they're struggling, you can see the other side of it and go, 178 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,600 no, I know what is in there. And I believe that for 179 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,280 many of us, that's what God is Doing, going. I realize 180 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,760 I see you in this struggle, but I also see what's on the other side 181 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:37,320 of this, because I know what I've put in you. And he is 182 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,960 so faithful. Here's this. I thought this was so cool. A garment of 183 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,520 praise that translates to a garment of praise has been bestowed 184 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:47,800 to you. And it means by pure grace, 185 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,120 God has draped his joy over your shoulders. 186 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,520 By pure grace, he has draped his joy 187 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,680 over your shoulders. But we get a choice in whether 188 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:04,280 we carry that if we decide to wear that or 189 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,710 not. And it changes everything when we 190 00:12:08,110 --> 00:12:11,910 do that. Worship changes the atmosphere before 191 00:12:11,910 --> 00:12:15,750 it changes the circumstances. This is what I believe. When the Lord said, 192 00:12:15,750 --> 00:12:19,310 I want for three weeks, I want you guys to worship anyway 193 00:12:19,550 --> 00:12:23,150 for three weeks. I know it's gonna be a little bit hard, you know, 194 00:12:23,310 --> 00:12:27,030 but I want you to worship anyway. And I truly believe that 195 00:12:27,030 --> 00:12:30,230 on the other side of these three weeks, if we will do what God has 196 00:12:30,230 --> 00:12:33,830 called us to do, it doesn't mean that everything's gonna change. But worship will 197 00:12:33,830 --> 00:12:37,640 shift the atmosphere. It always does. It always does. Have 198 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,880 you ever gotten here to service early? Oh, wait, wait a minute. 199 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,240 No. Sometimes you get here a little early because, 200 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:51,960 you know, our service times can be a little bit different. And you walk in 201 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,680 the back of the room and worship's still taking place, and it 202 00:12:55,680 --> 00:12:59,480 just feels different. It just feels different when you walk 203 00:12:59,480 --> 00:13:03,220 in, because worship shifts an atmosphere. I 204 00:13:03,220 --> 00:13:06,940 love that he does that. And we get the choice before it changes the 205 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:10,740 circumstances. Worship changes the atmosphere. That's where I believe we are. 206 00:13:10,740 --> 00:13:14,420 I believe that the Lord is going, worship anyway. Worship anyway. 207 00:13:14,500 --> 00:13:17,860 Worship anyway. Somebody else who saw that they were in a battle, 208 00:13:17,860 --> 00:13:21,580 Jehoshaphat. There were all of these mighty armies coming against 209 00:13:21,580 --> 00:13:25,340 Jehoshaphat. He didn't have enough men. He didn't have enough 210 00:13:25,340 --> 00:13:28,830 strength to go and fight that battle. But this is what he did. 211 00:13:29,710 --> 00:13:33,110 King Jehoshaphat didn't answer. An overwhelming army with 212 00:13:33,110 --> 00:13:36,510 overwhelming strength, but with overwhelming worship. 213 00:13:37,070 --> 00:13:40,830 That's what he did. He decided. I got tickled. I 214 00:13:40,830 --> 00:13:44,590 was thinking about. He decided to send the worship team first 215 00:13:45,230 --> 00:13:48,750 and send them to sing. Don't you think the worship team was like, what? 216 00:13:52,270 --> 00:13:55,890 All of these guys have metal on, they 217 00:13:55,890 --> 00:13:59,650 have spears, and we've got a liar. I 218 00:13:59,650 --> 00:14:02,890 mean, seriously, it had to be, like, a little bit of a shakeup to go. 219 00:14:02,970 --> 00:14:06,170 You guys are going first. And then I was thinking, you know, 220 00:14:06,570 --> 00:14:10,370 there are probably many times when the worship team comes out and 221 00:14:10,370 --> 00:14:14,090 maybe feels that way. They know they've got to plow some ground 222 00:14:14,090 --> 00:14:17,770 for us. To go. But you know what happened here. As they began to sing 223 00:14:17,770 --> 00:14:20,850 and praise, the Lord set 224 00:14:20,850 --> 00:14:24,590 ambushes for the enemy, the Lord went ahead 225 00:14:24,590 --> 00:14:27,550 of them. One version says, while they sang, God fought. 226 00:14:28,590 --> 00:14:31,950 While they worshiped, God fought on their behalf. 227 00:14:32,190 --> 00:14:35,910 They began to sing and praise, and the Lord said, ambushes. 228 00:14:35,910 --> 00:14:39,630 And they were completely defeated. See, 229 00:14:39,630 --> 00:14:43,350 they didn't go in going, oh, well, if we worship, there will not be 230 00:14:43,350 --> 00:14:46,830 an army coming against us. They will not be greater 231 00:14:46,830 --> 00:14:50,580 numbers. They didn't deny what? Worship doesn't deny what is true. It 232 00:14:50,580 --> 00:14:53,660 declares a greater truth that God is sovereign over all of it. 233 00:14:54,300 --> 00:14:57,900 Regardless of what you're facing, regardless of what's coming at you, 234 00:14:58,060 --> 00:15:01,860 it isn't that you're going, oh, this is not happening. The stages of 235 00:15:01,860 --> 00:15:05,420 denial and the stages of grief. You're not going, this isn't happening. 236 00:15:05,420 --> 00:15:09,020 You're going, God is greater than this. God is better than 237 00:15:09,020 --> 00:15:12,740 this. He is sovereign over all of this. I love 238 00:15:12,740 --> 00:15:16,380 this. Tozier says, praise is the rehearsal of our eternal song. 239 00:15:18,410 --> 00:15:21,530 And when we worship, we come into agreement with the heavens. 240 00:15:22,330 --> 00:15:25,890 When we worship. Sometimes, you know, especially sometimes in first 241 00:15:25,890 --> 00:15:28,770 gathering, you know, the numbers will be low or whatever, and you're like. And there 242 00:15:28,770 --> 00:15:32,609 aren't a lot of people singing here. Oh, but there is a 243 00:15:32,609 --> 00:15:36,250 host. There is a host that we have 244 00:15:36,250 --> 00:15:40,010 joined when we sing Holy, Holy, holy is the Lord 245 00:15:40,010 --> 00:15:43,860 God Almighty. Don't you know, we are just the sweet, smallest echo 246 00:15:43,940 --> 00:15:47,700 of worship that's going to continue to take place. And we 247 00:15:47,700 --> 00:15:51,460 just come into agreement with it. See, here's the thing. Breakthrough begins the moment 248 00:15:51,460 --> 00:15:54,780 our worship enthrones God above every circumstance. It 249 00:15:54,780 --> 00:15:58,420 begins the moment that worship enters the room. It begins 250 00:15:58,420 --> 00:16:02,020 the moment that you make a decision to worship anyway and 251 00:16:02,020 --> 00:16:05,740 begin to worship the Lord. When you decide to 252 00:16:05,740 --> 00:16:09,380 go vertical, when you decide to take 253 00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:13,460 your worship to the feet of Christ. When you decided. 254 00:16:13,460 --> 00:16:16,220 See, here's the thing that I do, guys, and 255 00:16:17,660 --> 00:16:21,460 it's just me when I'm struggling and I don't know quite how 256 00:16:21,460 --> 00:16:24,380 to get there with the Lord, you know, when I don't know quite how to 257 00:16:24,380 --> 00:16:28,060 push things, I will close my eyes, I will enter into that 258 00:16:28,060 --> 00:16:31,900 place of worship. And in my worship, in my mind, I 259 00:16:31,900 --> 00:16:35,420 go right to his feet. I go right to his 260 00:16:35,420 --> 00:16:38,860 feet. And the words that are coming out of my mouth, 261 00:16:39,020 --> 00:16:42,670 I'm singing to him. And I can see it in my 262 00:16:42,670 --> 00:16:46,310 spirit. I can see it in my spirit. That's why it's so 263 00:16:46,310 --> 00:16:49,990 important, the songs that we sing from the platform. If I can't 264 00:16:49,990 --> 00:16:53,550 sing it to him, then I'm not gonna sing it to you. But 265 00:16:53,550 --> 00:16:57,230 to go there in your spirit and trust him and to just 266 00:16:57,230 --> 00:17:00,950 worship him. And I can tell you something, something shifts 267 00:17:00,950 --> 00:17:03,950 in you when you do that, that the heaviness 268 00:17:04,350 --> 00:17:08,150 begins to leave. All of the things that you carry into that 269 00:17:08,150 --> 00:17:12,000 space, you have the opportunity to leave. And at his feet. 270 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:17,320 In this season and in all of our seasons, we need to remember that our 271 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,040 worship preaches before our words ever do our 272 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,680 worship preaches. There's a message in our worship 273 00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:28,440 before we ever open our mouth. And here's the thing that the Lord 274 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,920 keeps driving home to me right now. Never 275 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,720 underestimate your worship in hard places. Someone else is learning how 276 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:37,360 to worship there by watching you. 277 00:17:40,090 --> 00:17:43,450 Someone else is learning how to worship in the hard places 278 00:17:44,010 --> 00:17:47,650 by knowing that you, our family, are going through hard 279 00:17:47,650 --> 00:17:51,330 places and how you're dealing with this, how you're dealing 280 00:17:51,330 --> 00:17:55,130 with the hard places. And this could have nothing to do with anything going 281 00:17:55,130 --> 00:17:58,330 on here. I know some of you guys are going through some hard times, 282 00:17:58,730 --> 00:18:02,330 going through some difficult seasons. And here's what the Lord reminded me. 283 00:18:02,410 --> 00:18:06,010 Wear worship loudly enough that your family learns where peace comes from. 284 00:18:07,360 --> 00:18:11,160 Wear it loudly enough. When you don't feel like worshiping, turn it 285 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,880 on anyway. When you don't feel like dancing, do it anyway 286 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,880 because he's worthy and he's good. It's not denying your situation. 287 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:23,040 And here's the thing that just like I said, these are things, 288 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:26,320 places. He's been ministering to me, and he took me here. 289 00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:30,080 Jesus exchanged garments so we could wear praise. 290 00:18:32,010 --> 00:18:35,450 Jesus exchanged his garments. Let's see what that looked like. 291 00:18:36,490 --> 00:18:39,810 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his 292 00:18:39,810 --> 00:18:43,410 clothes, dividing them into four shares, one 293 00:18:43,410 --> 00:18:47,010 for each of them. With the undergarment remaining, this garment was 294 00:18:47,010 --> 00:18:50,770 seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. Boy, that'll 295 00:18:50,770 --> 00:18:54,010 preach right there. Does that sound like a veil? 296 00:18:54,970 --> 00:18:58,770 Let's not tear it, they said to one another. Let's decide by lot who will 297 00:18:58,770 --> 00:19:02,570 get it. This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled. That said, they 298 00:19:02,570 --> 00:19:05,990 divided my cloth among them and cast lots for my 299 00:19:05,990 --> 00:19:08,790 garments. So this is what the soldiers did. 300 00:19:09,990 --> 00:19:13,590 And here's the paraphrase. They stripped Jesus of his garments, 301 00:19:14,150 --> 00:19:17,990 and he took on ours. He took on our 302 00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:21,350 grief. He wore our sorrows. 303 00:19:22,070 --> 00:19:25,830 He wore our punishment. He took our shame. 304 00:19:26,630 --> 00:19:30,320 All of those filthy garments that brought 305 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,440 him to that place. Jesus chose. 306 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,080 He chose to exchange that for all 307 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:41,640 of this that we carry and wear. Jesus chose to 308 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,400 exchange his majesty. 309 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:49,440 His majesty for our filthy 310 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:52,400 garments. That's what he did. 311 00:19:56,230 --> 00:19:59,790 The royal robes that he wore when with his 312 00:19:59,790 --> 00:20:03,350 father, all that he possessed, all that he was. He 313 00:20:03,350 --> 00:20:06,870 made the choice to exchange 314 00:20:07,590 --> 00:20:11,270 that majesty for our mess. He 315 00:20:11,270 --> 00:20:14,990 chose that. And now, because he chose that, we get to 316 00:20:14,990 --> 00:20:18,510 choose a garment of praise instead of a spirit of 317 00:20:18,510 --> 00:20:22,230 heaviness, because he has provided it. But the 318 00:20:22,230 --> 00:20:25,870 instruction is, remove the filthy garments. Which 319 00:20:25,870 --> 00:20:29,670 ones? The shame, the judgment, the anger, 320 00:20:29,670 --> 00:20:33,390 the frustration, the confusion. All of the things that 321 00:20:33,390 --> 00:20:36,550 the enemy would love, the accuser would love to robe us in 322 00:20:36,950 --> 00:20:40,670 now and in all seasons. We choose to take those 323 00:20:40,670 --> 00:20:44,510 off because we have been given a garment of praise. And I 324 00:20:44,510 --> 00:20:48,310 can give you a shirt, I can give you a dress, and you will 325 00:20:48,310 --> 00:20:51,340 have it, and you can lay it across your lap. Or. Or you can choose 326 00:20:51,340 --> 00:20:54,780 to put it on. God has given this to us, and we have a choice 327 00:20:55,020 --> 00:20:58,780 whether or not we put it on. He tells us this. Rather, 328 00:20:58,780 --> 00:21:02,300 clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about 329 00:21:02,380 --> 00:21:06,100 how to gratify the desires of the flesh. What? Clothe 330 00:21:06,100 --> 00:21:09,820 yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ. So I tell you this and 331 00:21:09,820 --> 00:21:13,220 insist on it in the Lord that you must no longer live as the 332 00:21:13,220 --> 00:21:17,070 Gentiles do. This is what the clothes look like, guys, in the futility 333 00:21:17,070 --> 00:21:20,790 of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life 334 00:21:20,790 --> 00:21:24,590 of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening 335 00:21:24,590 --> 00:21:28,230 of their hearts. Boy, can our hearts go there fast. 336 00:21:29,430 --> 00:21:33,030 And when your hearts get hard, you shut him out and 337 00:21:33,110 --> 00:21:36,830 you're like, I don't hear the Lord. Well, sometimes our hearts get so hard 338 00:21:36,830 --> 00:21:40,550 that we shut down the instruction of the Holy Spirit. Having lost all 339 00:21:40,550 --> 00:21:44,400 sensitivity, they have given themselves over to the sensuality so 340 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,120 as to indulge in every kind of impurity. And they are full of greed. 341 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,480 That, however, is not the way of life. You 342 00:21:52,480 --> 00:21:56,120 learned when you heard about Christ and were 343 00:21:56,120 --> 00:21:59,320 taught in him accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You 344 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:03,000 were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off. 345 00:22:03,880 --> 00:22:07,720 Put off your old self. Take it off, throw it away, get rid 346 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,500 of it, don't hang out with it. Don't put it back in your closet, which 347 00:22:11,500 --> 00:22:15,300 is being corrupted by deceitful desires to be made new in the 348 00:22:15,300 --> 00:22:18,620 attitudes of your minds and to put on the new self 349 00:22:19,100 --> 00:22:21,740 created to be like God in righteousness and holiness. 350 00:22:23,180 --> 00:22:26,899 It's a choice. We get to choose because everything has 351 00:22:26,899 --> 00:22:30,580 been provided for us. Everything has been provided. Christ took our 352 00:22:30,580 --> 00:22:34,340 grave clothes and exchanged them for robes of righteousness. And 353 00:22:34,340 --> 00:22:36,460 how weird would it be for you to wear both? 354 00:22:38,050 --> 00:22:40,930 Seriously, grave clothes belong in Graves. 355 00:22:42,530 --> 00:22:45,330 That's not you. That's not now. 356 00:22:45,970 --> 00:22:49,650 That's not ever Death. Hell and the grave were defeated 357 00:22:49,890 --> 00:22:53,250 by what Jesus did. God 358 00:22:53,250 --> 00:22:57,010 demonstrates his own love for us while we were still sinners. Christ died 359 00:22:57,010 --> 00:22:59,410 for us. Can worship Team come out. 360 00:23:04,220 --> 00:23:07,820 You cannot wear both grave clothes and robes of righteousness. They don't fit. 361 00:23:08,300 --> 00:23:12,060 They don't fit. It makes you double minded. You either. You know, it's like 362 00:23:12,060 --> 00:23:15,820 you gotta set your face like flint toward him. This pilgrimage that we are 363 00:23:15,820 --> 00:23:19,580 on in him, our eyes are supposed to be on him, right? 364 00:23:19,980 --> 00:23:23,780 Not everything else that's going on. We can't start to focus 365 00:23:23,780 --> 00:23:26,980 on the fact that we have no more garlic. You know, the things that they 366 00:23:26,980 --> 00:23:30,470 mourned over and grieved over in Egypt and they had to keep their eyes on 367 00:23:30,470 --> 00:23:33,830 him. They were getting ready to go through some water. They needed to be pay 368 00:23:33,830 --> 00:23:36,470 attention to where the Holy Spirit was leading and what he was doing. 369 00:23:37,830 --> 00:23:41,510 When facing a battle, a storm, an enemy, 370 00:23:42,150 --> 00:23:45,830 a barren or hard place, what garments 371 00:23:45,830 --> 00:23:46,790 do you choose? 372 00:23:49,510 --> 00:23:51,510 I got up one morning and I was just like, 373 00:23:53,030 --> 00:23:56,630 lord, I don't want to. I just, I don't want to. That's usually 374 00:23:56,710 --> 00:23:59,480 a clue right there, right? I don't wanna. 375 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:04,280 I don't wanna. I don't feel like. I don't 376 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:08,040 think I will. I. Most sentences that start with 377 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:11,880 I can create issues, but anyway. And all of 378 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:15,600 this was rumbling through my head and rumbling through my spirit. Rumbling 379 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:19,240 through. And I felt like the Holy Spirit goes, 380 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,400 choose, choose. 381 00:24:24,930 --> 00:24:28,610 And I knew what he meant. I get to choose how 382 00:24:28,610 --> 00:24:32,210 I walk this day. See, on one side of this 383 00:24:32,210 --> 00:24:36,050 closet hangs the filthy garments. Anger, bitterness, frustration, fear, 384 00:24:36,290 --> 00:24:38,930 anxiety, judgment, gossip, 385 00:24:40,210 --> 00:24:44,050 shame, blame, comparison and 386 00:24:44,050 --> 00:24:47,890 discouragement. And this is a closet that we can all draw from if 387 00:24:47,890 --> 00:24:51,000 we choose to draw from it. Or 388 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,600 on the other side, garments of praise, 389 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,680 gratitude, worship, honor, faith, 390 00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,120 joy, thanksgiving, hope, love, and a peace 391 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:05,960 that passes all understanding. 392 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:10,480 And here's the thing, guys. The garment you choose determines the atmosphere that 393 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,240 you carry into a room, into a 394 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:17,000 space. You wear and carry the fragrance. 395 00:25:18,190 --> 00:25:21,910 Your choice. You wear and carry the fragrance of your 396 00:25:21,910 --> 00:25:25,590 choice. I have to read this to you because I have read this so 397 00:25:25,590 --> 00:25:28,190 many times. It's in Second Corinthians, 398 00:25:30,990 --> 00:25:33,070 but for some reason, man, this time. 399 00:25:38,670 --> 00:25:42,270 Corinthians. I love 400 00:25:42,270 --> 00:25:45,940 that sound. Babel Bible page 401 00:25:45,940 --> 00:25:49,540 is turning, but listen to this. Second Corinthians 2, starting at 402 00:25:49,540 --> 00:25:52,700 verse 14. But thanks be to God 403 00:25:53,260 --> 00:25:56,940 who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. And 404 00:25:56,940 --> 00:26:00,660 through us, through us spreads everywhere 405 00:26:00,660 --> 00:26:03,540 the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. Now this is the part that I want 406 00:26:03,540 --> 00:26:06,380 you to pay attention to. For we are. 407 00:26:07,340 --> 00:26:09,350 For we are. Are 408 00:26:11,830 --> 00:26:14,870 to God. We are 409 00:26:15,830 --> 00:26:18,870 to God the aroma of Christ 410 00:26:19,430 --> 00:26:23,190 among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 411 00:26:23,830 --> 00:26:26,150 See, I've always known 412 00:26:27,430 --> 00:26:31,110 and enjoyed that we are the fragrance of Christ. 413 00:26:31,510 --> 00:26:35,320 But we are the fragrance of Christ. To 414 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,000 God. To God. Have you ever 415 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,640 just put your nose against your kid's head? 416 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,960 After bath time is important. And 417 00:26:46,600 --> 00:26:50,320 you just put your nose right there and you smell that child, 418 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:54,120 and it's like, that's my baby. That's my baby. 419 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:58,000 And you could pick him out of anything. Or you put on your husband's T 420 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,800 shirt or his jacket and you can smell the cologne that 421 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,640 he wears. And there's this intimacy, there's this connection that 422 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:09,240 comes through fragrance. Or on the opposite side of it, 423 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:12,800 you get anywhere near a school bus and you step on there and you're like, 424 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:16,480 all of a sudden have flashbacks to when you were kids. But anyway, because 425 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:19,160 the fragrance takes you there. 426 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:23,160 And when I read that, this tells me that we 427 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,960 are to God the fragrance 428 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:31,440 of his son. The fragrance of his 429 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:35,080 son. So that when healing's over and we are 430 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:38,680 walking among the ones that are headed toward death or headed 431 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:41,760 toward life, he sees we are the fragrance 432 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,920 of Christ. And when it says, put on Christ, 433 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,640 it's all of the above. It's all of the 434 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,400 above. We are the fragrance of 435 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:54,720 Christ. 436 00:27:58,980 --> 00:28:02,700 Choose. Choose the garment 437 00:28:02,700 --> 00:28:06,540 of praise. Scripture says, choose you this day. Who you 438 00:28:06,540 --> 00:28:10,380 will serve as for me and my house. We will 439 00:28:10,380 --> 00:28:14,020 serve the Lord. We will serve the Lord. And you get to choose. 440 00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:18,300 And he's given us everything. And 441 00:28:18,300 --> 00:28:21,980 my hope would be that we all decide to allow him 442 00:28:21,980 --> 00:28:25,290 to drape that garment of joy 443 00:28:25,530 --> 00:28:28,970 by grace alone over our shoulders 444 00:28:29,370 --> 00:28:33,130 in this season and in all seasons to come. Can we just 445 00:28:33,130 --> 00:28:36,970 do that? Can we do that together? As the body of Christ, 446 00:28:37,050 --> 00:28:40,690 as one unit? As the fragrance of 447 00:28:40,690 --> 00:28:44,330 Christ. To the Lord. To our Lord 448 00:28:44,330 --> 00:28:48,090 God. We are going to this week and 449 00:28:48,090 --> 00:28:51,290 next week as well. Those are the three weeks I told you about. 450 00:28:52,090 --> 00:28:55,610 We are going to end with praise. 451 00:28:56,730 --> 00:29:00,250 However, I do realize that there are some who probably need prayer 452 00:29:00,250 --> 00:29:03,290 tonight or today. What month is this? 453 00:29:06,010 --> 00:29:09,530 And so I will ask the elders and the prayer warriors, after 454 00:29:09,930 --> 00:29:13,610 we have praised our way through, if you all would gather 455 00:29:13,610 --> 00:29:17,450 over here so that anyone who needs prayer can come for prayer. But for the 456 00:29:17,450 --> 00:29:21,170 rest of you, can you come praise with me? Can you 457 00:29:21,170 --> 00:29:25,010 come with me for just about 4 minutes and 8 seconds? Isn't 458 00:29:25,010 --> 00:29:28,770 that about what the song is? You got 4 minutes and 8 seconds. In. 459 00:29:28,770 --> 00:29:29,090 You. 460 00:29:33,250 --> 00:29:36,970 Come on down here with me. And we are going to. Here's the 461 00:29:36,970 --> 00:29:40,770 thing. We are teaching somebody how to worship their way 462 00:29:40,770 --> 00:29:44,590 through, just like the kids taught us. We are going to 463 00:29:44,590 --> 00:29:48,270 worship our way through. And my prayer would be that it is a 464 00:29:48,270 --> 00:29:52,070 declaration of joy taking on that garment of praise. And 465 00:29:52,070 --> 00:29:55,870 if you've got any spirits of heaviness or filthy garments 466 00:29:56,030 --> 00:29:59,590 that you've been carrying around, now would be a perfect time to throw 467 00:29:59,590 --> 00:30:03,070 them off, because we are going to worship him. 468 00:30:03,230 --> 00:30:04,430 Let's go ahead, guys.