1 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:04,439 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: My scripture for this worship encounter with God is from 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: Philippians chapter three. That's the text I believe God wants 8 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: to speak to us through today. And if you want 9 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: to join me there and just follow along. Now usually 10 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: preach from the New International Version, the one that says 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: NIV if you're pulling it up on a Bible app 12 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:37,640 Speaker 1: or something, and you can pull it up with me, 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,600 Speaker 1: or it'll just be right on the screens. And I 14 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: like to read you verses seven through sixteen to get 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: a full context of what Paul is saying in this passage. 16 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:49,160 Speaker 1: He said, but whatever word gains to me, I now 17 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,840 Speaker 1: consider loss for the sake of Christ. And what is more, 18 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 1: of knowing Christ, Jesus my Lord, for who's I have 20 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: lost all things, I consider them garbage that I may 21 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: gain Christ and be found in Him, not having the 22 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but 23 00:01:11,959 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness that 24 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: comes from God. On the basis of faith. I want 25 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection, 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 27 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: and so somehow attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 28 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: Not that I have already obtained all this or have 29 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: already arrived at my goal. But I press on to 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold 31 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself 32 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing 33 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: I do. I've got to focus on this. I've got 34 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: to shut some other things out and make sure that 35 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: I'm going after the right goal. So what I have 36 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: to do is forget what is behind, and I'm straining 37 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: toward what is ahead. I press on through dangers, I 38 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: press on through difficulties. I press on through low emotional states, 39 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: I press on through migrain headaches, I press on through 40 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: dysfunctional tendencies within myself. I press on toward the goal 41 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: to win the prize for which God has called me 42 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: heavenward in Christ, Jesus. All of us then, who are mature, 43 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: should take such a view of things. And on some 44 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: point you think differently that too, God will make clear 45 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:30,920 Speaker 1: to you. Paul's like, if you don't agree with me, 46 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:35,920 Speaker 1: God will straighten you out. And then verse sixteen says 47 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: something surprising. Only let us live up to what we 48 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,399 Speaker 1: have already attained. So the title I want to give 49 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:47,800 Speaker 1: this message is the paradox of progress. The paradox of progress, 50 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:54,839 Speaker 1: and you may be seated, God bless you. I got 51 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 1: to do something before we go forward, is to get 52 00:02:56,919 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 1: you excited about the word paradox is. The essence of 53 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: the Gospel is paradox. The essence of God is paradox. 54 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: And yet it's one of those words like kind of 55 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: where you kind of know what it means. Okay, So 56 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: Abby comes up to me while I'm studying for the sermon, 57 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: and it was just a perfect illustration. She's like, can 58 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: I work alongside you? And she had some typing class 59 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:23,239 Speaker 1: that she's taking for school and she needed to work 60 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,960 Speaker 1: on her typing drills, so they were giving her words 61 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: to type and she kept interrupting me, which I don't 62 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,120 Speaker 1: mind it all because we're in that stage of bonding 63 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: where she's never an interruption to me. She's usually not 64 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: an interruption to me. She's rarely I'm trying to work 65 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:41,839 Speaker 1: on my accuracy up here in front of you. She's 66 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: rarely an interruption to me. We just really really are 67 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: harmonized right now, and I know it might not be 68 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: like that forever. So I'm like, yeah, sure, come on, 69 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: work with me. Interrupt me. It's all good. But it 70 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: was fun because I'm a word guy. And so when 71 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: she was stopping to ask me, and she's in second grade, 72 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: so I can still handle her homework, only have like 73 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: one more year of being smarter than her, So she's like, 74 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: what does And she started asking me what certain words meant. 75 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: She's like, what does conditioning mean? And it was funny 76 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: because I know exactly what it means, but sometimes it's 77 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 1: hard to explain it even though you know it, Like, 78 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: let me ask you what does conditioning mean? So you're like, 79 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: it's like what you get used to. That's what I said. 80 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:25,800 Speaker 1: I don't know if that helped her understand it or not. 81 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: She goes back to typing, and then she asked me 82 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:31,159 Speaker 1: another one, what was it? Hold on? I wrote it 83 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: down because it was real funny the ones she said, 84 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: because they were words I knew. Oh, she said, what 85 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: does reproduce mean? I was like, well, you know, you 86 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: make more of something from yourself. And then I shut 87 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: it down because I didn't want her to really start 88 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: asking about reproduction in the technical sense. It's my favorite one. 89 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:57,040 Speaker 1: What does typewriter mean? And I felt, old, you know, 90 00:04:57,640 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: I'm like, you really don't know, And so I told 91 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: about the typewriter and the brother word processor and dinosaurs 92 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 1: and other things. She seriously didn't know what does typewriter mean? 93 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:10,599 Speaker 1: And then I was like, this is getting good and 94 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: I need to record this in case it's like a 95 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,840 Speaker 1: sermon illustration. Uh So I pulled out the phone and 96 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: snucked this little video. Check this out. Spell it again. 97 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:25,239 Speaker 1: D e f I l e n T m e 98 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: n t s. Spell it one more time. D e 99 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 1: f I l e like d e f I l 100 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: e n e n t. Defilement. It's like when you 101 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: take something that is clean and make it dirty, or 102 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: you take something that is good and make it bad, 103 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: or something like that, like in the Bible they put okay, 104 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 1: Like in the Bible, if the unclean touch the clean, 105 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: it would defile, defile the clean. You know, hey, you 106 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:19,560 Speaker 1: know what I'm saying. Does that make sense? No? Sort of? 107 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: I don't know if you could hear. I said, does 108 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,240 Speaker 1: that make sense? Because I knew, I really, I knew 109 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 1: what it meant. But I knew I really wasn't breaking 110 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: it down where she needed it, And so she said, 111 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: sort of, I don't want to hurt your feelings. Not 112 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: really sort of. People were asking me about the title 113 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: of this worship project. We called it paradoxology. And of course, 114 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: growing up in the Methodist Church, we sang the doxology 115 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: Praise God from whomoh blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures 116 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:52,599 Speaker 1: here below, and that's where we got the title Hallelujah 117 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: here below, Praise Him all creatures here below, like down 118 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: here on earth, not just in heaven. We need to 119 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 1: praise Him even in broken situations. We need to praise 120 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: Him even with uncertain faith. We need to praise Him 121 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 1: even in challenging times. And so the doxology is called 122 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: the Doxa means glory. Legia is expression oral or written, 123 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: So it's an expression of glory, giving praise to God, 124 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: Praise God all creatures here below, just like the host 125 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: of Heaven. Praise him. You can praise him better because 126 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: they've always been perfect, but you haven't always been and 127 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: you're still not. And the paradox is that a perfect 128 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: God desires imperfect praise from funky, messy, petty people like you. 129 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: So I called it paradoxology, you know, just the fact 130 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:48,320 Speaker 1: that we can praise God even though we don't deserve to, 131 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: because of the blood of Jesus. It's mind boggling, and 132 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,119 Speaker 1: it's different than a contradiction. A contradiction is two things 133 00:07:55,120 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: that cannot possibly be true at the same time, cats 134 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: and dogs. There's not a cloud in the sky. It's 135 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:04,880 Speaker 1: got to be one or the other. But with God 136 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: we find paradox, and that is that on the surface, 137 00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: it seems as if both cannot be true. But He's 138 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: bigger than that. Nowhere is the paradox of the Gospel 139 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: has played out in the practical implications of our everyday 140 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,880 Speaker 1: life more apparent than Philippians chapter three, where Paul says 141 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: I had ascended to the heights of the resume virtues 142 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: of religion within Judaism, I was circumcised on the eighth day, 143 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 1: like I was supposed to be I studied under Gamaliel. 144 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,679 Speaker 1: He was a boss. I was of the tribe of Benjamin, 145 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: where the kings come from. I was important and significant. 146 00:08:44,040 --> 00:08:47,560 Speaker 1: But now I've made a decision. I'm going to write 147 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: all of those things off and I'm going to reach 148 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: towards something better and bigger. And the thing about it is, 149 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,199 Speaker 1: as I am living in Christ, I am dying to Seuth. 150 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: It's a paradox. And he's describing in many ways a 151 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: paradoxical view of progress as it relates to spiritual growth. 152 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:10,959 Speaker 1: Can I teach and preach a little bit this weekend 153 00:09:12,480 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: the paradox of progress? It seems as if Paul is 154 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:21,040 Speaker 1: saying that as I am gaining strength in God, I 155 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: am losing a sense of certainty in things I used 156 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:29,120 Speaker 1: to trust in. And when he said it, whatever gains 157 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: to me, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 158 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: It got me thinking about the paradox of progress. How 159 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 1: sometimes we want to move forward in an area of 160 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:43,480 Speaker 1: our life, but it seems like it's difficult to keep 161 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,000 Speaker 1: everything in our life moving forward all at once. It 162 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,520 Speaker 1: seems like it's difficult to apply our limited self to 163 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: what seems like an endless, ceaseless list of demands and supplies, 164 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: so that some days you find yourself really doing well 165 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: at work and really unable to give focus at home 166 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: because by the time you get home, you spend all 167 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,600 Speaker 1: of the currency of your energy at work. And so 168 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: I made progress at work, but home is more important, 169 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: and yet I don't have as much to give to 170 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:16,680 Speaker 1: what is most important. But yet it's important that I 171 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 1: work because I need to bring some money home, because 172 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: if I don't bring some money home, I won't have 173 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: a home to come home to. Then I'll be standing 174 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: out in the rain talking about blame it on the rain, 175 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: and I'll be lip syncing like Milli Vanilli and talking 176 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: about girl. You know, it's true, But the only thing 177 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,040 Speaker 1: about it is we don't have any money. And that's true, 178 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:36,920 Speaker 1: and so it's a paradox. It's a paradox of progress 179 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: that sometimes when I'm moving forward in one area, I 180 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: can't move forward in another. And this is the part 181 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: I'm excited about. I have three points. If we only 182 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: get to one, this is the one I want to preach, 183 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: because sometimes Paul shows us that what's most important is 184 00:10:52,000 --> 00:11:03,040 Speaker 1: least impressive. As a society, we celebrate all the wrong 185 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: stuff have you noticed, as a human race, we celebrate 186 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 1: all the wrong stuff. And as somebody who manages a 187 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: ministry that has a reach that goes just beyond one town, 188 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: I can tell you right now, people celebrate the wrong stuff. 189 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: They think that a church is built on the preacher's gift. 190 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:33,319 Speaker 1: It's not a preacher's gift. Well, you said that a 191 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: little too loud. I heard my feelings about that, but 192 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: you're right. You're right, it's not that. And people will 193 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: celebrate a lot of things that that are surface level. 194 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:53,040 Speaker 1: So Paul had all of that. You understand, he had 195 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: all of the all of the credentials, he had all 196 00:11:57,040 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: of the bells, he had all of the he had 197 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,679 Speaker 1: all of the things that go in a bio to 198 00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: make you look significant. And yet what he said was 199 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: so powerful. He said that that I gave up what 200 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: was impressive in order to reach towards something that was 201 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,560 Speaker 1: actually important. I feel like I'm about to stage dive 202 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: to preach this. And one thing you need to know 203 00:12:24,760 --> 00:12:26,959 Speaker 1: is that a lot of the changes that will happen 204 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:29,320 Speaker 1: in your life that are the most important are the 205 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: ones that you won't get any compliments about. Because I've 206 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: noticed this. Once you get really consistent at something, people 207 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: stop complimenting you about it. Am I right? The best 208 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 1: way to get compliments is to only do the right 209 00:12:44,640 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: thing occasionally. The best way to get compliments if that's 210 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 1: your goal is to be a crappy dad who only 211 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,240 Speaker 1: comes around on Christmas and only shows up to give 212 00:12:58,280 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: the kids what they want, disciplines them, and only shows 213 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: up to break the rhythm that's trying to be established. 214 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: If you're going to be the kind of dad that's 215 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: actually handling some of the disciplinary issues, or the kind 216 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: of mom that's actually parenting rather than trying to win 217 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: a popularity contest with your teenager, you will not receive 218 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: as many compliments. And people are crazy. People celebrate all 219 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:23,240 Speaker 1: the wrong stuff. If you get in shape, watch this. 220 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: Here's the one thing I have. I compliment people who 221 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: stay in shape, right, because usually what you have to 222 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: do to get a compliment on physical fitness is lose 223 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: a bunch of weight. And I just think that's wrong. 224 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 1: So I don't go up to people and be like, 225 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: you look like you've been losing weight, because first of all, 226 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 1: that might sound like an insult to them, so it's 227 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,920 Speaker 1: awkward to say. But secondly, I walk up to people 228 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: and I'd be like, you look, you still look good. 229 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:59,480 Speaker 1: I do. I believe in complimenting consistency, you know, like 230 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: thanks for being on time, like you part of the 231 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: Red Sea. That in a miracle. But what happens is 232 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:13,960 Speaker 1: when you get really good at something, people take you 233 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: for granted. When you are consistent, you stop getting compliments. 234 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 1: So if people have stopped complimenting you, that is the 235 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 1: highest compliment. It means you are so consistent that you 236 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: have a basis or a foundation, and you can then 237 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:38,840 Speaker 1: be set free from the need to be impressive. And 238 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: that's what Paul was. He said, I gave up what 239 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: was impressive to people to pursue what was important to me. 240 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: I feel the Holy Ghost telling fifty people delete Instagram 241 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: before you take another note on my sermon, and give 242 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: up what is impressive for a month for something more important. 243 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: I feel the spirit of God saying, some of y'all 244 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: spend too much money on clothes, and you are so 245 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: behind on your school loans. And if you keep trying 246 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: to impress people, you are going to impress people right 247 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: into your own depression. Trying to climb out of a 248 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:20,320 Speaker 1: pit of what people see y'all don't like the preacher today, 249 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:24,400 Speaker 1: but he's on point. He heard from God, and Paul said, 250 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: all that I thought was gained and what I thought 251 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:30,280 Speaker 1: was important, I found out that it's the interior state. 252 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: He said, I want a righteousness that comes from God 253 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 1: through faith. I want to be more focused on the 254 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: invisible stuff. So I'll take you to Palm Sunday. Since 255 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,120 Speaker 1: his Palm Sunday right now, and since Jesus came into Jerusalem, 256 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: and he's entering not at Bethage or Bethany. Bethany's two 257 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: miles away. That's where he stayed at night. But he's 258 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: setting up for the crucifixion, for the scene where he 259 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: will pay the price for our sins, where he will 260 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: die like a criminal, even though he reigns like a king. 261 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: It's a paradox, but he says in Luke nineteen, I 262 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,240 Speaker 1: wish I had time to preach that passage to you. 263 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 1: Can we look at it for one moment together, and 264 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: I promise I will go fast. But Jesus is getting 265 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: ready to go into the city and he stops short 266 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: of the city. He's on the Mount of Olives. You remember, 267 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: that's where gets Simone is that's where he will be pressed. 268 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,960 Speaker 1: That's where his capillaries will burst, so that he sweats 269 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: like drops of great blood. But all that is still 270 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 1: in front of him, and his ministry has been exploding. 271 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: And when he gets to the place where he's about 272 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,440 Speaker 1: to make his entry, he makes preparations. And the Bible 273 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: says in Luke nineteen twenty eight. After he had taught 274 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,440 Speaker 1: them a certain teaching about the Kingdom of God and 275 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: how it doesn't come all at once, but it comes 276 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: in stages, and it takes patience to see the reign 277 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 1: of God come in your life, and don't expect progress 278 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:51,560 Speaker 1: to come all at once, and don't expect proof to 279 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: accompany every step that you take in faith. And after 280 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: he had taught that, he told him something as they 281 00:16:57,200 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 1: approached Jerusalem twenty nine. Please, he said, verse thirty. He said, 282 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: go to the village ahead of you, and as you 283 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,640 Speaker 1: enter it, you will find a cult tied there which 284 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:12,120 Speaker 1: no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. Okay. 285 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: So Jesus is giving them an instruction that sounds illegal. 286 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna need you to go give me a little 287 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:27,240 Speaker 1: baby horse. I'm gonna take my horse an old town road, 288 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ride, And he said, as you are untying it. 289 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: If they ask you, why, tell them, curios, the Lord 290 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:44,760 Speaker 1: needs it. Tell the owner that the Lord needs it. 291 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:48,680 Speaker 1: Tell the one who is stewarding it that the one 292 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:53,800 Speaker 1: who made it needs it. I think one of the disciples, 293 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: even though the disciples aren't named, it just says there 294 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: were two of them, had to be Peter, because Peter 295 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: knew what it was like to have Jesus get in 296 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,920 Speaker 1: something that you own. That's how Peter's whole ministry started. 297 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: Jesus just got in his boat and said, push me out. 298 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: I've got to preach. And so now Jesus watched this paradox. 299 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:16,200 Speaker 1: Who created the world needs something in the world he created. 300 00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: To even say that the Lord needs something is a paradox. 301 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: It's a crazy situation to be in. But he doesn't 302 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: just need any kind of horse, not a regal horse, 303 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,120 Speaker 1: not the kind of horse that a human king would 304 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: ride in on. Remember, Jesus is fully God and fully man. 305 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: It's a paradox. It shouldn't make sense, but it does. 306 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: He's perfect and divine, but he's able to be touched 307 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: by the feelings of our infirmity. So he says, get 308 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:46,680 Speaker 1: a cult that has never been ridden. I'm going to 309 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,480 Speaker 1: ride into the city like a humble king, not like 310 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,600 Speaker 1: a hype beast, Like a humble king. I'm going to 311 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: ride into the city. I'm not going to walk because 312 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: I'm a king, but I'm going to ride on something 313 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,959 Speaker 1: that looks common. I'm going to ride on something that 314 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: is set aside for a special service. I'm going to 315 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: ride on something that was tied up until now. But 316 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: I wonder if God brought somebody to church today because 317 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: he wants to untie you and set you free from 318 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:20,119 Speaker 1: ways of being and thinking and dreaming and believing to 319 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: serve the purpose he created you for. Anyway, it was 320 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:35,359 Speaker 1: kind of cool to me that the King rode in 321 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 1: on a lowly cult, That someone so important rode in 322 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: on something that wasn't impressive. Some of the changes God 323 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: wants to make in your life will not be the 324 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: ones that people will tell you good job about. And 325 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:59,159 Speaker 1: the temptation is for us to make progress in the 326 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:07,239 Speaker 1: areas that get noticed because it feeds our ego. On 327 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:11,560 Speaker 1: social media, they call it vanity metrics is where Facebook 328 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: wants you to buy more ads for your business, so 329 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: they tell you how many people that you're reaching, but 330 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: you're not really reaching them. It's just scrolling through the feed. 331 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 1: What you really got to figure out is engagement. How 332 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:26,440 Speaker 1: deep is the connection? And people celebrate all the wrong stuff? 333 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: Am I right? Am I? Right? Am I right? John 334 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: sou When y'all went to the Grammys, everybody was texting you, 335 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 1: and it's cool to go to the Grammys. But the 336 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: Grammys wasn't the most important thing Elevation Worship did last year. 337 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: It was that consistent ministry, weekend week out, just showing up. Look, 338 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: I go and I travel to churches all over the world, 339 00:20:51,560 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: and I'm privileged to do it. But the first thing 340 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: I do when I take the pulpit, if the people 341 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,919 Speaker 1: are like, hey, you know wen I guess speaker, we 342 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: love you bastards, you know, because you know when you 343 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:03,239 Speaker 1: come to town, when people aren't used to seeing you 344 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: and they don't know you that well, they're excited. The 345 00:21:05,160 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 1: first thing I do is say, let's thank God for 346 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: your pastor let's thank God for the people who who 347 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:17,800 Speaker 1: every single week in this church, the staff members, the volunteers, 348 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: the people who were in the parking lot, the people 349 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: who were standing out in the rain to welcome you in. 350 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: Let's appreciate what's truly important, not just what's impressive. Now, 351 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:34,159 Speaker 1: Paul said, I had all this impressive residue of my 352 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:38,719 Speaker 1: religious accomplishment. But in order to pursue what was important 353 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,919 Speaker 1: and to seek first the kingdom, I had to stop 354 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: trying sew that gum hard. That's what Paul said in Greek. 355 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: So that gum hard it was garbage, it was scubula, 356 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: it was trash. It's trash compared to the treasure of 357 00:21:53,640 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: knowing who I am in Christ and being connected to 358 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: my source and walking in my purpose, a purpose with 359 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: the purpose in the presence of God. Paul said, I 360 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:13,160 Speaker 1: was circumcised. That's outward. I'm from Benjamin, that's genetic. All 361 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:15,560 Speaker 1: of that you can have all of that. I want 362 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: to fix my insides. I want a righteousness that comes 363 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,840 Speaker 1: from God. I want peace when I lay down on 364 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,119 Speaker 1: my pillow, to know that this day I serve something 365 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 1: bigger than me, even if it hurt. Wow, a king 366 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: on a colt. What a paradox. And remember now, the 367 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:43,639 Speaker 1: crowds loved Jesus for his miracles, didn't they They're like, woo, 368 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: He's coming back. The guy who healed Lazarus. He's coming, 369 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:49,479 Speaker 1: He's coming. It's just two miles. You want to go, 370 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,800 Speaker 1: let's go. I'll go with you. We'll go together. We'll 371 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: get our e group there. It'll be amazing. You gotta 372 00:22:54,359 --> 00:22:56,879 Speaker 1: sit her. We'll get together, it'll go together, we'll go 373 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:58,679 Speaker 1: see him. Of course, they were already going on the 374 00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: pilgrimage for the Passover anyway, so they are already going. 375 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,160 Speaker 1: So there are you out in the crowd, and here 376 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,919 Speaker 1: he comes on a cult the important writing on the 377 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:10,560 Speaker 1: unimpressive this is why God can use you, because you're 378 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: just as good as a donkey. In the King James version, 379 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: it says he sat on a and you can look 380 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: that up. I almost called the message cya because it 381 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:31,239 Speaker 1: says they threw their cloaks over the donkey. But it 382 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: also stands for change your approach and stop trying to 383 00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:40,200 Speaker 1: grow in the stuff that is glamorous and noticed by people. 384 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: Paul said, I want to know Christ. That's one of 385 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: those little phrases that I don't think we really know 386 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:47,879 Speaker 1: what it means. It's like sort of I want to 387 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: know Christ. You know what that means? Sort of I've 388 00:23:55,080 --> 00:24:00,959 Speaker 1: heard it before. It's like coulding Bible right, stop smoking 389 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:12,320 Speaker 1: stuff like that, pray a lot mission strips. I am 390 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: to know him, Paul said, I had to go into 391 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:27,639 Speaker 1: partnership with his sufferings to experience closeness. And this is 392 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,280 Speaker 1: why Jesus was forsaken by those that he called love, 393 00:24:31,359 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: shepherd and taught and parted into is because the closer 394 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: you get, the further you feel. Wow. This is the 395 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 1: paradox of progress. And this is why you are growing 396 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: in your faith at the same time that you're about 397 00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,160 Speaker 1: to give up on it, because it's a paradox of progress. 398 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: The closer Jesus got to the cross, the more confused 399 00:24:55,760 --> 00:25:01,080 Speaker 1: his disciples became. And sometimes the the closer you get 400 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: to God and the more you walk in His ways, 401 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,120 Speaker 1: the more questions you will have as you give up 402 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: on the answers that were simple for one stage. But 403 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: the closer you get, the more mature you become, the 404 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:22,640 Speaker 1: more progress you may. You find that the answers don't 405 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,560 Speaker 1: come so easy. You're no longer content with cliches because 406 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 1: you want to know him. You want to know who 407 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:35,480 Speaker 1: he really is. Now they loved him on Palm Sunday. 408 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: Remember they put the palm branches down. I don't even 409 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: know where they got it from, because that was from 410 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 1: the other festival. They didn't even use those that pass over. 411 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: But whether or not it's two different accounts merged together, 412 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: we'll never know. They put the palm branches down in 413 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,280 Speaker 1: this passage and all of the gospels that record it, 414 00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: and they were like, in a loud voice, holds that, 415 00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 1: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosannah. 416 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: Here's what's weird about it. The Pharisees are like, shut 417 00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: him up. Jesus is like, I can't. If they stop, 418 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,280 Speaker 1: the rocks will start shouting. Because who I am creates praise. 419 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 1: Who I am creates expectation. When my presence shows up, 420 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: things have to change. Things have to change. If you're 421 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:26,440 Speaker 1: sitting next to somebody who doesn't like you, clap and 422 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: tell them. If I don't do it, the chair will. 423 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,440 Speaker 1: Someone's gotta praise God, something's gotta glorify him. It might 424 00:26:32,480 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: as well be something with breadth, it might as well 425 00:26:35,560 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: be me. So now back to the text. He's going 426 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,680 Speaker 1: in and they're like, Hosannah, blessed this the king who 427 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: comes in the name of the Lord. Peace, in heaven 428 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:57,359 Speaker 1: and glory doxa, doxa remember, doxa glory doxology, doxa glory 429 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 1: in the highest, doxa peace and glory in the highest. 430 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:02,359 Speaker 1: Some Pharisees were like, shot him up, and he's like 431 00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 1: in the stones a crowd. But then what's crazy to 432 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:07,159 Speaker 1: me is this paradox. Remember, I love that word. I 433 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,000 Speaker 1: want you to love that word. I'm going to preach 434 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: on that word until you love that word. Paradox is 435 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,959 Speaker 1: like a contradiction, only it happens to be true. And 436 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:18,280 Speaker 1: sometimes you are when you are frustrated with yourself because 437 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:21,359 Speaker 1: you feel like a contradiction. Right, I love God, but 438 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: I love certain sins. I love God, but I still 439 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 1: love this thing over here that I shouldn't love. It's 440 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: not a contradiction. It's a paradox because his strength is 441 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: made perfect in your weakness, and his grace needs a 442 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 1: place to operate, So he leaves a weakness in your 443 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 1: life so that the King can ride in on a cult, 444 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,640 Speaker 1: so that they won't celebrate what he wrote in on 445 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: they'll celebrate him when he rides in. Where was a Oh? 446 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: Verse forty one? As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, 447 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: You got it nineteen twenty one. He wept over it. Wow, 448 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: they were shouting. He was weeping. They were cheering, and 449 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:15,280 Speaker 1: he was crying. He wasn't on the cross yet, That's 450 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,239 Speaker 1: not why he was crying. He wasn't in the garden yet. 451 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: That's not why he was crying. There was no physical pain. 452 00:28:20,280 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: He was crying because he knew they were celebrating the 453 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:28,119 Speaker 1: wrong thing. He knew that they thought that he was 454 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:33,520 Speaker 1: coming to fix it, and he was coming to fix them. Wow. 455 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 1: They thought he was coming to change the situation and 456 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: the kingdom would come at once. But what he was 457 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 1: really coming to do was deeper. He said, Jerusalem, the 458 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:53,000 Speaker 1: name of the city means peace, city of peace, jay 459 00:28:53,080 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 1: ru Salem. Salem sounds like shalom, right, peace, city of peace. 460 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: You were supposed to be the city of peace. And 461 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: look at verse forty two. If you even you had 462 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,080 Speaker 1: only known on this day what would bring you peace. 463 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:14,160 Speaker 1: But now it is hidden from your eyes. What would 464 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:18,760 Speaker 1: bring you peace is at your gate, and you will 465 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:24,240 Speaker 1: reject it because it comes riding on a cult, looking common, 466 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,200 Speaker 1: looking ordinary. You will reject it because you do not 467 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 1: understand the cross and the closer Jesus got to his 468 00:29:31,560 --> 00:29:40,239 Speaker 1: purpose the further he got from their plan. Have your 469 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:46,960 Speaker 1: plans been disrupted lately? You might be getting closer? You 470 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 1: know how he used to play closer, closer, closer. I 471 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: always thought was interesting how Paul was blinded when he 472 00:29:53,160 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 1: first got converted by Jesus on the Damascus Road. And 473 00:29:57,080 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: it must have been weird because he had never been 474 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: closer to God than he was in that moment. He'd 475 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: been close to religion, he had climbed that ladder, but 476 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: now he can't see. And there's a sense in which, 477 00:30:09,520 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 1: when you really make progress in your walk with God, 478 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: at first you think you know everything, and now you've 479 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:20,480 Speaker 1: got the answer. Jesus is the answer. What's the answer? 480 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: Jesus is the answer. What's the answer for America? Jesus 481 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: is the answer for America. What's the answer for our 482 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:28,719 Speaker 1: young people in the drug epidemic and the apolatria. Jesus 483 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:30,920 Speaker 1: is the answer. You know, what's the answer for the 484 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: innert that. Jesus is the answer. What's the answer for 485 00:30:33,160 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: alcoholic Jesus is the answer. But over time you start 486 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: asking better questions, and as you ask deeper questions. When 487 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: you first start, you think you're awesome. Like Elijah is 488 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: making beats right now, and I'm so proud of them, 489 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 1: and they're good. The first one he made, he thought 490 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,720 Speaker 1: it was ready for radio. He was ready to send 491 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: it to pump Uzzi all the other littles that I 492 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: don't really like to listen to, and he's like, Dad, 493 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: this is amazing, listen to my beat. But then he 494 00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:07,880 Speaker 1: messed around and got good enough to know how much 495 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: better he needed to be. When you first started something, 496 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, when I first started playing guitar, I told 497 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: you about this last week. I thought I was amazing. 498 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:20,480 Speaker 1: When I first started preaching, I thought I was Billy 499 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 1: Graham just waiting for a Tokyo crusade to call me. 500 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 1: But today I stand before you, and I understand that 501 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: ever more than ever before at this point, that even 502 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 1: the attempt to describe the ways of God as an 503 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: exercise in futility. So it took me getting good enough 504 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: at it to know how good at it I was not. 505 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: It took me. It took me getting just good enough 506 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 1: at it to know I'm not good at it at all. 507 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: Paul said. The more that I press toward the mark, 508 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 1: the more I realize that I have so far to 509 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: go and so much to learn, and so many things 510 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: in me. When you first start trying to walk with God, 511 00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:09,360 Speaker 1: you get the mechanics down and you do this and 512 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,880 Speaker 1: you don't do that. But then God starts challenging your 513 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:15,720 Speaker 1: motives and now it's no longer just about doing the 514 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: right things and saying the right things and learning the 515 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: right words and changing these protocols. Now it's about something 516 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: so much deeper. But the good news is if you 517 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 1: feel like you've got so far to go, that is 518 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 1: a good sign that you are actually getting closer to God. 519 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: God's presence creates awareness, awareness of your need, awareness of 520 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:42,520 Speaker 1: his grace, awareness of his greatness, awareness of his glory, 521 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: and you start to see that all of sinned and 522 00:32:45,160 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 1: fall in short of the glory of God. And I 523 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,000 Speaker 1: don't have any judgment to give, and I don't have 524 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: any hell to put anybody in, and I'm writing off 525 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: all the things that I thought I knew to know 526 00:32:55,120 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: the one who made me. Or you get the further 527 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,760 Speaker 1: you feel you have to go. This is the paradox 528 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:12,080 Speaker 1: of progress. It's the paradox of Jesus hanging on the cross, 529 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 1: and He's never been more powerful, and he's never looked weaker. 530 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: So I want to address what Paul said before we 531 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,480 Speaker 1: finished today because it always confused me. It always seemed 532 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: like a paradox. You know what that means. Paradox sort 533 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:33,120 Speaker 1: of you know what I'm saying. It's like the idea 534 00:33:33,160 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: that God is sovereign but I'm responsible. It's a paradox. 535 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,200 Speaker 1: That's what makes some God. If I could explain it, 536 00:33:39,760 --> 00:33:43,120 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have to have faith to believe it. I'm 537 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:45,880 Speaker 1: completely comfortable. How can you serve and love God when 538 00:33:45,920 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: God I I'm completely comfortable with that He's great, big God. 539 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:52,360 Speaker 1: I'm a little old me That settles it for me. 540 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: I understand how how his ways are higher than my ways, 541 00:33:56,600 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 1: his thoughts are higher than my thoughts. So Paul says, 542 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 1: I want to know him the power of his resurrection. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 543 00:34:09,920 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: I want some of that resurrection power and participation in 544 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:19,040 Speaker 1: the fellowship of his sufferings. At first, I thought he 545 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:23,440 Speaker 1: meant that he wanted to die for Christ, and ultimately 546 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,160 Speaker 1: he was on house arrest at the end of the 547 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: Book of Acts when he did suffer many imprisonments and 548 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: eventual death for Christ. Right, But I read it differently. 549 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:37,200 Speaker 1: He said, I want to participate in his sufferings, in 550 00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: his death while I live. That's the paradox. Now watch this, Lord, 551 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:45,480 Speaker 1: help me deliver this. Paul's not saying I want to 552 00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: die like Christ died. He's saying I want to live 553 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: like Christ died. And that means that I'm constantly going 554 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: through cycles of death and resurrection. That means I'm constantly 555 00:35:05,080 --> 00:35:11,480 Speaker 1: having to die too shallow desires so that He can 556 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,239 Speaker 1: give me the desires of my heart and do a 557 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:18,879 Speaker 1: new thing in me. And whatever I have to let go, 558 00:35:20,040 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: and whatever I have to write off, and whatever I 559 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:25,640 Speaker 1: have to let you have. You know, some things are 560 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,360 Speaker 1: not worth me fighting for anymore. Whatever was gain, whatever 561 00:35:28,440 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: I thought was important, I'm giving it up for something 562 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 1: more important. I want to know connection with Christ, and 563 00:35:39,160 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: I want to live like he died. So when people 564 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:44,640 Speaker 1: insult me, I want to learn to let that go 565 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: like he did. I want to live like he died. 566 00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: You want to die like he died? No, I want 567 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: to live like he died. And what it'll look like 568 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:59,960 Speaker 1: Sometimes people will think I'm losing, but really I'm winning. 569 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:06,960 Speaker 1: It'll seem like and feel like I'm losing. Now the 570 00:36:06,960 --> 00:36:09,279 Speaker 1: Lord told me it was really important to say this. 571 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: Some of you have been convinced you're in a losing 572 00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: season right now because you feel very discombobulated on the inside. 573 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 1: You're not so certain about certain things that are going 574 00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: on in your life right now. It is not a loss. 575 00:36:23,520 --> 00:36:26,240 Speaker 1: In fact, it is a new level. It is actually 576 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 1: you going deeper into the things of God to understand 577 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,120 Speaker 1: his heart at a level that you couldn't have before. 578 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:35,880 Speaker 1: So Paul said, if I have to take an l 579 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,399 Speaker 1: if I have to go through some things that are 580 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,360 Speaker 1: painful for me, if I have to be a cult, 581 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,120 Speaker 1: if I have to look like a donkey, if I 582 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: have to ride in looking ridiculous, for the purpose of 583 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 1: God to be fulfilled. I want to live like he died. 584 00:36:51,840 --> 00:36:54,520 Speaker 1: If I have to hang on a cross to bring 585 00:36:54,640 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 1: forth resurrection power. If I have to go to Jerusalem, 586 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: and if I have to face the jeers and the 587 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: taunts and the ridicule and the rejection, if I have 588 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 1: to pray in the Garden of gethsemony, nevertheless, not my will, 589 00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 1: but yours be done, I'm willing to do it. It's 590 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:26,319 Speaker 1: not a goal, it's a gift. What you're reaching for 591 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: is already yours. Paul said, all I'm trying to do, 592 00:37:32,760 --> 00:37:38,319 Speaker 1: don't sit down. I'm closing is take hold of that 593 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: for which Christ already took hold of me. I'm not 594 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,960 Speaker 1: trying to arrive at a place where God loves me. 595 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,759 Speaker 1: I'm just trying to live out of the love that 596 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:59,279 Speaker 1: He is already demonstrating and express his glory doxology. I'm 597 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:04,880 Speaker 1: trying to express his glory through my weakness. I'm trying 598 00:38:04,920 --> 00:38:09,000 Speaker 1: to ride into town like a little donkey so I 599 00:38:09,040 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: can carry the purpose of God in my life. And 600 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 1: it might seem small, and sometimes it feels like I'm 601 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:19,400 Speaker 1: going backwards, and sometimes it feels like it'd be easier 602 00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 1: just not to come to church altogether and quit trying 603 00:38:21,480 --> 00:38:24,800 Speaker 1: and just give in to my tendencies. But the paradox 604 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:33,560 Speaker 1: of progress is this, It's all ready yours. The grace 605 00:38:33,640 --> 00:38:38,880 Speaker 1: that you need to change is already yours. The grace 606 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:43,000 Speaker 1: that you need to go forward is already yours. The 607 00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:46,920 Speaker 1: grace that you need to rise up is already yours. 608 00:38:47,040 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: The grace that you need to do it in the 609 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:54,719 Speaker 1: face of adversity and uncertainty, it's already yours. What you 610 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:59,880 Speaker 1: are reaching for is already yours, and I want to 611 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,200 Speaker 1: pray for some people today. Are you going to play? 612 00:39:02,320 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: I want to pray for some people today who have 613 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: been moving forward, but it's been a fight, and it's 614 00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 1: been frustrating every step of the way, and you are 615 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:15,279 Speaker 1: going to have to let go of some things to 616 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:20,360 Speaker 1: reach for your purpose. What I'm going to pray today, 617 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:25,160 Speaker 1: the instruction that the Holy Spirit is giving me is 618 00:39:25,160 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: that you would experience Philippians three sixteen and live up 619 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 1: to what you have already attained. Isn't that a beautiful 620 00:39:33,200 --> 00:39:38,600 Speaker 1: verse to say, I'm moving forward, but I already made it. 621 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:44,880 Speaker 1: I want to be more like Christ, but not so 622 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:48,880 Speaker 1: He will love me more. I want to move forward 623 00:39:49,360 --> 00:39:54,960 Speaker 1: toward my purpose, but not to prove something. I just 624 00:39:55,000 --> 00:40:00,560 Speaker 1: want to carry the king into Jerusalem. I just want 625 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 1: to carry the purpose of God. You know what. I 626 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:05,759 Speaker 1: want to raise those three kids God has given me. 627 00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: I want to I want to love my wife in 628 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:10,240 Speaker 1: a way that she can be proud to be my wife. 629 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:12,320 Speaker 1: I want to pastor the church that He gave me 630 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:14,560 Speaker 1: in a way that would be honorable. I want to 631 00:40:14,600 --> 00:40:17,840 Speaker 1: preach messages that would help people, and I don't have 632 00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: to be anything other than what I am to do it. 633 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:25,040 Speaker 1: Jesus said, I want to ride on a colt. I 634 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:28,440 Speaker 1: want a little donkey. I want a little horse. I 635 00:40:28,480 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 1: want I want a little thing. I want a little 636 00:40:32,480 --> 00:40:36,560 Speaker 1: thing so I can ride in on something that will 637 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:45,680 Speaker 1: give me glory. We celebrate the wrong stuff, y'all, we 638 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: celebrate the wrong stuff. The Lord rejoices to see the 639 00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:51,040 Speaker 1: plumb line in the hand of Zaruba bel he rejoices 640 00:40:51,080 --> 00:40:53,200 Speaker 1: to see the beginning of a thing, and the King 641 00:40:53,239 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: comes riding in on a colt. We've got to celebrate steps. 642 00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:00,000 Speaker 1: We've got to celebrate crosses. We've got to celebrate even 643 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:03,640 Speaker 1: our sufferings, not because we're going through them, but because 644 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:09,760 Speaker 1: they achieve in us a glory, a dosa that outweighs 645 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:18,400 Speaker 1: all of the tribulations. So God, help me celebrate what 646 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,719 Speaker 1: I see as a setback. Now, help me celebrate what 647 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: I see is confusion. Help me feel around in the 648 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:27,760 Speaker 1: darkness and find my way down the Damascus road until 649 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: I can see what You've called me to be. I 650 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:33,320 Speaker 1: want to know him in the fellowship of his suffering, 651 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:39,400 Speaker 1: so that I can experience the resurrection power of the 652 00:41:39,520 --> 00:41:45,440 Speaker 1: humble King, the King of weakness, who is our strength. 653 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:50,799 Speaker 1: With your head's bowed and your eyes closed, today I 654 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:53,040 Speaker 1: declare that the devil has been lying to you. You 655 00:41:53,080 --> 00:42:01,720 Speaker 1: are making progress. You are making progress. Progress isn't pretty 656 00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:07,160 Speaker 1: mm hm. Usually yards are hard fought when you really 657 00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:11,120 Speaker 1: want to live for God, especially you've been doing it 658 00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:15,840 Speaker 1: a little while. I mean, it gets harder and harder 659 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,839 Speaker 1: and harder. That's the paradox of progress. This should be 660 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:22,319 Speaker 1: easy by now. How come I have to forgive this 661 00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:25,560 Speaker 1: person for the seven hundred and ninety first time I 662 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: thought I did it already. Paradox of progress is every 663 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:33,719 Speaker 1: time you do it, you do it deeper. And God 664 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: is dealing with something different. I pray today that God 665 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:41,359 Speaker 1: would show you a glimpse of your progress. I really 666 00:42:41,400 --> 00:42:43,319 Speaker 1: want you to see it, because it's important that you 667 00:42:43,400 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: know it on the inside. Even if people don't see it, 668 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:48,680 Speaker 1: you know, they might not notice. People will come up 669 00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:50,799 Speaker 1: and say, oh, you've lost you've lost weight, but they 670 00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: won't say, oh, you've lost bitterness. They do not how 671 00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:59,319 Speaker 1: compliment that because usually what's the most important isn't the 672 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:03,120 Speaker 1: most impressed. But made the Lord give you the priorities 673 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,840 Speaker 1: today to know. I'll count at all loss. I'll write 674 00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:09,919 Speaker 1: it all off, what they think, what they say, for 675 00:43:09,960 --> 00:43:13,799 Speaker 1: the sake of being connected to Christ, that matters to me, 676 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 1: That matters to me, For the sake of fulfilling my calling, 677 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:23,080 Speaker 1: that matters to me. Lord, I delivered your word like 678 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:26,680 Speaker 1: the donkey that I am today, just one stumbling step 679 00:43:26,719 --> 00:43:29,839 Speaker 1: after another to get it to the people. Now it's 680 00:43:29,880 --> 00:43:33,799 Speaker 1: between you and them. Whatever you spoke to them in 681 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:37,640 Speaker 1: these moments, seal it. It is so important to me 682 00:43:37,760 --> 00:43:42,000 Speaker 1: that today they sense your grace and that they apprehend 683 00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:45,319 Speaker 1: that for which you have apprehended them. Let them know 684 00:43:46,239 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 1: that you've got them in your grip. That they might 685 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: be trying to hold onto something, but you're holding onto them, 686 00:43:55,640 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 1: so that as we take hold of that for which 687 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:02,279 Speaker 1: you took hold of, us are not striving and straining, 688 00:44:02,719 --> 00:44:09,000 Speaker 1: but trusting and believing in Jesus' name. Thank you for 689 00:44:09,120 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: joining us. Special thanks to those of you who give 690 00:44:11,760 --> 00:44:14,600 Speaker 1: generously to this ministry. Is because of you that this 691 00:44:14,719 --> 00:44:17,560 Speaker 1: ministry is possible. You can click the link in the 692 00:44:17,600 --> 00:44:21,960 Speaker 1: description to give now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash 693 00:44:22,040 --> 00:44:25,320 Speaker 1: podcast for more information, and if you enjoyed the podcast, 694 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,320 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 695 00:44:28,600 --> 00:44:30,880 Speaker 1: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 696 00:44:30,920 --> 00:44:33,040 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 697 00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:40,640 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.