1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 2: I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our 3 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 2: podcast and I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 2: Hope it gives you perspective to see God is moving 6 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: in your life. 7 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,320 Speaker 1: Enjoy the message. 8 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 3: How many are excited about this series that we're in. 9 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 3: The series is called Maybe God. The subject is His voice, 10 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 3: his will, his ways. How do I know if this 11 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 3: opportunity comes from the Lord? And now have a scripture 12 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 3: for you today that I think will be a great 13 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 3: blessing in your life. It's in First Samuel, chapter fourteen, 14 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 3: verse number six. The Bible says Jonathan said to his 15 00:00:40,640 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 3: young armor bearer, Come, let's go over to the outpost 16 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:50,440 Speaker 3: of those uncircumcised men. He's talking trash about the Philistines. 17 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 3: He calls them a derogatory name. He's talking about their uncircumcision. Wow, 18 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 3: he must be fired up about something. He's a little belligerent. 19 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 3: He's getting bold now again. Afford to wait around and 20 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 3: wait for something to happen from heaven when God has 21 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 3: already given him a certain power on the earth. So 22 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 3: he turns to who he has available at this point 23 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,440 Speaker 3: and says, let's go. It's just me and you, but 24 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 3: touch somebody, say let's go now. I want you to 25 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 3: be a favor if you're the only one on your 26 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 3: row who praises God today during this sermon, I want 27 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 3: you to go and look at somebody next to you 28 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 3: and say, well, you go with me. Amen, he said, 29 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 3: let's go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. 31 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 3: Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many 32 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,199 Speaker 3: or by few. In this third installment of Maybe God, 33 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 3: my subject and my lesson today is called fifty fifty faith. 34 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 3: I want to teach you on this principle that has 35 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 3: been so useful in my life as a leader, and 36 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 3: it's useful for me as a husband, as a dad, 37 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 3: and just as a man. 38 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: Fifty fifty faith. 39 00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 3: I believe this principle is going to set you free 40 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 3: in some of the areas where indecision has imprisoned you 41 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 3: and you've been waiting around, and God is going to 42 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 3: show you something today by the power and virtue of 43 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:11,080 Speaker 3: His word and spirit, that only He could show you 44 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 3: about fifty fifty faith, praise the Lord. I celebrated my 45 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 3: thirty ninth birthday this week. Appreciate your pity. You know 46 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 3: that last one with the three in front of it. 47 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 3: I'm owning it. I am so owning turning forty. I 48 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: am so owning these little gray whiskers that are popping up. 49 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,839 Speaker 3: I'm not dying them or anything like that. 50 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: Uh huh. 51 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 3: I'm gonna tell them to get a close up on 52 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 3: these gray these great things on the camera. Just zoom 53 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 3: right into the greyest pat you can find in this beard. 54 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: I'm proud of it. 55 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:54,639 Speaker 3: I don't care what my kids say about it, and 56 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 3: when they tell me that my jokes are cringy and 57 00:02:57,120 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 3: stuff like that. One of my kids told me that 58 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 3: the other day, and I just asked him a question back. 59 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:04,040 Speaker 3: He said, your jokes are so cringey. And I just 60 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 3: asked him a question. I said, how many people show 61 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 3: up to hear you speak? Since I'm so cringey conversational 62 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 3: parenting approach, you might want to try it sometime. But 63 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: one of the things I think keeps happening to me 64 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 3: and is really happening to me at this stage of 65 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 3: my ministry in life, because I have been doing this 66 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 3: as a pastor over thirteen years. Is that I feel 67 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,960 Speaker 3: so good saying that it felt cool. I've been doing 68 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 3: this over thirteen years. That's a long time to do anything. 69 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: Amen. 70 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 3: I've never been less certain and I've never been more confident, 71 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 3: all at the same time, all at the same time. 72 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: And it's a. 73 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 3: Strange thing, how when you give up your need for 74 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 3: certainty you can gain a true confidence that is independent 75 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 3: of circumstance. Can I preach to somebody today right here 76 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 3: in this back left section of Valentine? The passage that 77 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 3: I read to you is one of my favorites. If 78 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 3: they were giving out an Academy Award for best Old 79 00:04:11,840 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 3: Testament Narrative Scripture, I would want to nominate Jonathan is 80 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 3: best supporting Actor because he's not as famous as David, 81 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 3: but he's a pretty good example for me and has 82 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:23,040 Speaker 3: helped me a lot. 83 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: This passage has helped me a lot through the years. 84 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 3: Every couple of years I preach it, and when I 85 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 3: circle back to it, I see a different dimension of faith. 86 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 3: I see a different dimension of the kind of confidence 87 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 3: that we can have in Christ and in his promises. 88 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 3: But I also see all of the uncertainty and self 89 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 3: doubt that it also entails, and that my faith is 90 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,440 Speaker 3: not a formula, and it can never be. The more 91 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,360 Speaker 3: I try to make it into a formula, the less 92 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 3: valuable it becomes to me. When life challenges all of 93 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: my presuppositions, and all of my ideas about what kind 94 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,800 Speaker 3: of ways God wants to work collapse under the weight 95 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 3: of real life, under the weight of real bills, under 96 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 3: the weight of real medical reports. And I need the 97 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,799 Speaker 3: kind of faith that is not dependent on my presuppositions. 98 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 3: I need the kind of faith that can deal with 99 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 3: some ambiguity. I need a faith, like Richard Rohre says, 100 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 3: that can be patient with mystery. I need a kind 101 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 3: of faith that is not dependent on my plans to prevail. 102 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 3: I need the kind of faith that can stand up 103 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,320 Speaker 3: against the worst thing that happens. I need the kind 104 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 3: of faith that can shine when God goes dark, when 105 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,159 Speaker 3: I don't know, when I can't say it, when I 106 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 3: can't see it, when I don't feel like I can 107 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 3: make it. I need a faith that can withstand these seasons. 108 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 3: Now around the verse that I read you is a 109 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 3: little episode, and if you've been tracking with the series, 110 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 3: I've used a few different old Testament passages from Judges 111 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 3: and Samuel to try to give us some sort of arc, 112 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 3: or to give us give us some kind of context 113 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 3: for the way that transition creates opportunity for us to 114 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 3: trust God. In this particular transition a negative one for 115 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 3: the nation of Israel. King Saul has really lost his 116 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:22,040 Speaker 3: way and he's abdicated his leadership because of this. The 117 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 3: Philistines who would torment the Israelites all the way until 118 00:06:26,400 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 3: the rule of David, remember Sampson began to deliver them. 119 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: That's last week. And you need to go on and 120 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,720 Speaker 1: watch that message about. 121 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 3: The parentheses and the pivot and how there's a purpose 122 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 3: even if I have to leave it blank right now, 123 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 3: God is going to do something in this empty space 124 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 3: in these parentheses, And I'm gonna put the parentheses there, 125 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:44,800 Speaker 3: and I'm gonna let God fill them because He's too 126 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 3: wise to make a mistake in my life. 127 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:48,480 Speaker 1: And that message is online. 128 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,920 Speaker 3: It's on YouTube and Facebook and elevation app and MySpace, 129 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 3: and if they still had my Space, we will put 130 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 3: it up there. Roku all of it. When when I 131 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,719 Speaker 3: was preaching that it talked about the beginning of deliverance. 132 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,280 Speaker 3: Are partial deliverance, and the beginning of deliverance happened through 133 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 3: the judges. But now Saul the King was unable to 134 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 3: commit himself fully to the ways and the will of 135 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 3: the Lord, rather than to engage in a relationship with 136 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 3: the living God, he has begun to manipulate. When he 137 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 3: begins to manipulate and treat God as some kind of 138 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 3: mechanism to get what he wants when he wants it, 139 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 3: he loses that unique ability that we have to hear 140 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 3: the voice of God. When you lose the ability to 141 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:31,679 Speaker 3: hear the voice of God, you waste energy, you waste resources, 142 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 3: you waste worry on situations that God didn't even want 143 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 3: you to give your attention to. 144 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: So that's why I need to hear his voice. 145 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 3: Saul, having lost that ability, is now surrounded by his enemies, 146 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,280 Speaker 3: so much so that his people that he was responsible 147 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 3: for leading are hiding in rocks, in caves, in thickets. 148 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:54,240 Speaker 3: I just wanted to put the word thickets in there, 149 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 3: because I don't get to use it on an everyday basis. 150 00:07:56,800 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: But we're all hiding in places. 151 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 3: Sometimes we find ourselves talked away in mindsets, in patterns, 152 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:07,840 Speaker 3: in isolation, away from people, away from life, away from joy, 153 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 3: away from risk, away from opportunity. And this was the 154 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 3: situation in Fir Samuel fourteen. Pick up verse twenty three 155 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 3: from thirteen. Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out 156 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 3: to the pass at nick Mash. It's always helpful to 157 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:26,760 Speaker 3: point out that the enemy always attacks you at the passages. 158 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 3: He always attacks you at the places of transition, from 159 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 3: what you knew to what you don't know, from where 160 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,680 Speaker 3: you were to where you're going. And so when he 161 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:39,920 Speaker 3: can set up an ambush at the passage, he can 162 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 3: keep you from moving forward in those transitional pivotal moments 163 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 3: of your life. 164 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: And then one day somebody shout. 165 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 3: One day, one day, Jonathan, son of Saul said to 166 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,640 Speaker 3: his young armor bearer, come, let's go over to the 167 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 3: Philistine outpost on the other side. But he did not 168 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:05,760 Speaker 3: his father. Be very careful who you talk to about 169 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:10,439 Speaker 3: what God is doing inside of you. Be very careful 170 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 3: who you communicate with about the impressions that God is 171 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 3: stirring inside of you. If you talk to the wrong 172 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 3: people about the right idea, your idea will die before 173 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 3: it has the opportunity to conceive and give birth to 174 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 3: what God is doing. 175 00:09:27,240 --> 00:09:29,680 Speaker 1: In your life? How many know I'm right about that? 176 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 3: Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibea under a 177 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 3: pomegranate tree, and migrant with him were about six hundred men, 178 00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:41,920 Speaker 3: among whom was a Hijah who was wearing an ephod. 179 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,079 Speaker 3: He was a son of Ichabod. He was a son 180 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:49,680 Speaker 3: of Ichabod's brother, rather Ahita, son of Phineas, the son 181 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 3: of Eli, the lord's priest in Shiloh. No one was 182 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 3: aware that Jonathan had left. On each side that Jonathan 183 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 3: intended to cross to Rea, which the Philistine outpost was 184 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:05,720 Speaker 3: a cliff, one was called Bozez, and the other Sinnat. 185 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,199 Speaker 3: Bozez means slippery, Sinnam means thorny. Nobody told me it 186 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 3: would be easy. God didn't promise me that his will 187 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 3: would be convenient. Quit thinking that proof positive that you're 188 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 3: in the will of God is that it feels good 189 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 3: to you. Quit thinking that proof positive that you're in 190 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 3: the will of God is that everybody understands it. Quit 191 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 3: thinking that proof positive that you're in the will of 192 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 3: God is that it just falls into place. No, he 193 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,439 Speaker 3: had to go through a thorny place, a slippery place, 194 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,600 Speaker 3: an uncomfortable place, an uncertain place. And just because I'm 195 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 3: in an uncertain place doesn't mean I don't have a 196 00:10:42,040 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 3: certain purpose. 197 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna need somebody to shout on that right. 198 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 3: There, right there, right there, touch somebody, say I'm in 199 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 3: his will. And one of the proofs that you're in 200 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,240 Speaker 3: his will is that you are experiencing warfare. It could 201 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 3: be in terms of an internal resistance that you feel, 202 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:01,320 Speaker 3: or even if some are going crazy. 203 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 1: In your life. And on each side was a challenge. 204 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: On each side was a challenge. 205 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 3: One Cliff stood to the north toward Mickmash, the other 206 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,680 Speaker 3: to the south toward Giba. 207 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: And Jonathan said to his young. 208 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 3: Armor bearer, come let's go over to the outpost of 209 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 3: those uncircumcised men. 210 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. 211 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 3: Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many 212 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 3: or by few. God, I love your word. I'm gonna 213 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 3: take a moment and just talk to him about it. 214 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 3: Thank you for putting that one little word in your word. 215 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,040 Speaker 3: Not the one where he said nothing can hinder the Lord, 216 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 3: not the one where he said, come let's go over, 217 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 3: But that one little word where he said, perhaps because 218 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 3: that word gives me hope. It gives me hope for 219 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 3: my insecurity. It gives me hope for my impossibilities and 220 00:11:53,280 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 3: my uncertainty. It gives me hope to know that sometimes, 221 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 3: even in the midst of making progress in my life, 222 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 3: even in the midst of obeying the revealed will of God, 223 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 3: there are going to be moments where one minute I 224 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 3: have great faith and the next moment I'm overcome by 225 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 3: great fear. But watch the armor bearer, he says back 226 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 3: to Jonathan, who had a crazy idea, do all that 227 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:23,120 Speaker 3: you have in mind. 228 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: Go ahead. I am with you, heart and soul. 229 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 3: And Jonathan said, come on then, since you're talking like that, 230 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 3: come on then, since you want to do it too, 231 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 3: come on then, since you don't think I'm crazy for 232 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 3: want to move toward the enemy even though we're outnumbered, 233 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 3: come on then, since you don't have any more brain 234 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 3: cells or common sense than I do, come on, then, 235 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 3: sometimes you need somebody who will help you, even though 236 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 3: your plan sounds like a bad plan, to try to 237 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 3: find God in it, just so you don't stay stuck 238 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 3: in standing still. Come on then, I like how he 239 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:04,120 Speaker 3: talked to him. He's like, come on then, And then 240 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 3: the army bears like, go ahead then, and he's like, well, 241 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 3: come on then, and. 242 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:08,400 Speaker 1: They're pumping each other up. 243 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 3: They're chest pumping each other, you know, and they don't 244 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,960 Speaker 3: have anybody else because watch this. The people who should 245 00:13:14,000 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 3: have had faith have been overtaken by fear. Now, this 246 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 3: is the part of the passage that's going to give 247 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 3: me the contrast as we look at together two different 248 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 3: ways that we try to figure out God's will, and 249 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:32,560 Speaker 3: everyone has a way that you try to figure out 250 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 3: what the will of God is, even if you don't 251 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,320 Speaker 3: call it trying to figure. 252 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: Out what the will of God is. 253 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 3: You have a way that you make decisions that you 254 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 3: hope will be most advantageous. You have a way that 255 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 3: you try to discern wisdom, and you can't always get 256 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 3: it from a book, and you can't always get it 257 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 3: from a class, and you can't always get it. Here's 258 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 3: what I figured out. We're all making it up as 259 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 3: we go. This part of my sermon is meant to 260 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 3: encourage you. All the people that are writing parenting books 261 00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 3: about fifteen steps. 262 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: To raise a perfect kid, they left. 263 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:24,160 Speaker 3: Out some footnotes and the bottom line is they just 264 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 3: had good luck in the gene pool because God can 265 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:29,760 Speaker 3: give you a kid that can make you. 266 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: Question all of your theories. I love my children. 267 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 3: I'm just saying, all of us as parents are making 268 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,480 Speaker 3: it up as we go, all of us, all of 269 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:42,880 Speaker 3: us are trying to figure out with each child, and 270 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 3: they're all different. I know Hollywood's faithful to me, but 271 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: sometimes I'm like, how could they all be so different 272 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 3: if it was just a common factor of me and you? 273 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,400 Speaker 3: But I trust her, But sometimes they're so different, and 274 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,760 Speaker 3: I'm like, well, you respond like this, and you respond 275 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 3: like that, and watch John Nathan's plan. This is the 276 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,280 Speaker 3: dumbest idea that you can find in the Bible. The 277 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 3: only one I can think of is dumber. Is Moses 278 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 3: stretching out his stick over the Red Sea. That's pretty dumb. 279 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 3: Or maybe David throwing a rock at a giant who 280 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 3: has a sword. 281 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:14,480 Speaker 1: That's pretty dumb. 282 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 3: Or maybe Jesus commanding the lunch from a little boy 283 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 3: in the crowd and trying to feed fifteen thousand people 284 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 3: with it. That's pretty dumb. Or maybe Mary going to 285 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 3: Joseph and saying I'm pregnant. But it wasn't another man, 286 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 3: it was the Holy Spirit. 287 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: That's pretty dumb. 288 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 3: Or maybe it was a widow going around borrowing jars 289 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 3: from her neighbors when she didn't have any oil and 290 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:36,520 Speaker 3: thinking something. That's pretty now that I come to think 291 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 3: of it. A lot of the stuff that God did 292 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 3: in his word looked like a dumb decision to the 293 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 3: people while they were doing it. 294 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: Listen, how dumb this is. Listen, listen, how stupid this 295 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: strategy is. Somebody say, bad idea? 296 00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 3: All right, come on, then we will cross over toward 297 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 3: them and let them see us. 298 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: I thought you were supposed to. 299 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:11,320 Speaker 3: Sneak up on somebody if you wanted to kill him. 300 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: But whatever, if they say to us, and I'll watch us. 301 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 3: He's making this up because I want you to know 302 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 3: this one thing. 303 00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: About this passage. 304 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 3: God gives Jonathan the victory. But God doesn't say a 305 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 3: single word. The only people who speak in this passage 306 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 3: are Jonathan, his assistant, and his enemies. 307 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: God doesn't say a word. 308 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 3: But Jonathan he makes up this this strategy. 309 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: He's an innovator. 310 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 3: He's like, all right, my dad's under the tree by 311 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 3: the threshing floor, and the priest isn't doing anything, and 312 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,600 Speaker 3: so let's go over and show ourselves and expose ourselves 313 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 3: to our enemies. And if they say, wait there until 314 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 3: we come up to you, we will stay we are 315 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,480 Speaker 3: and not go up to them. But if they say 316 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 3: come up to us, we will climb up, because that 317 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 3: will be our sign that the Lord has given them 318 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 3: into our hands. And just when it can't get any 319 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,480 Speaker 3: dumber Verse eleven, both of them showed themselves to the 320 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 3: Philistine outpost. Look, sat the Philistines. There's two of them 321 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 3: and dozens of us. The Hebrews are crawling out of 322 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 3: the holes they were hiding in. The men of the 323 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,199 Speaker 3: outposts shouted to Jonathan and his armor bearer, come up 324 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,640 Speaker 3: to us, and we'll teach you a lesson. So Jonathan 325 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 3: said to his armor bearer, climb up after me. The 326 00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:43,760 Speaker 3: Lord has given them into the hand of Israel. How 327 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 3: are you gonna speak in past tense about a battle 328 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 3: you hadn't even fought yet? 329 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: Because I know something that is greater than what I 330 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,159 Speaker 1: know with my mind. I know with my faith. 331 00:17:55,880 --> 00:17:58,919 Speaker 3: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the 332 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:05,480 Speaker 3: evidence of things seem so way it gets dumber. Jonathan 333 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:10,400 Speaker 3: climbed up, using his hands and feet. You know how 334 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 3: vulnerable you are climbing up something dorny or slippery, using 335 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:21,239 Speaker 3: your hands and feet. Quick thing just for you. I 336 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 3: love y'all. Victory requires vulnerability. Victory requires vulnerability in anything. 337 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:37,399 Speaker 3: You have to make yourself vulnerable to experience a great relationship. 338 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 3: You have to make yourself vulnerable to step into a 339 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:44,119 Speaker 3: new dimension in your business. You have to make yourself 340 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 3: vulnerable to connect on any meaningful level with the life 341 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 3: that God has given you. And so in this position 342 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 3: of vulnerability, Jonathan prophesies a great victory. 343 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: I feel the Holy Spirit. 344 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:00,520 Speaker 3: And it says that his armor bearer was right behind him, 345 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 3: and the Philistines fell before Jonathan, and his armor bearer 346 00:19:04,200 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 3: followed and killed behind him. In that first attack, Jonathan 347 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,680 Speaker 3: and his armor bearer killed some twenty men in an 348 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:17,480 Speaker 3: area of about half an acre, all because Jonathan turned 349 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 3: to his armor bearer and said, I've. 350 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,080 Speaker 1: Got an idea. You know, he said like that. 351 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:29,840 Speaker 3: But I'm at the place now where I don't really 352 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:31,840 Speaker 3: think that the value is in the idea. 353 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: The value is in the courage to act on the impulse. 354 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:43,399 Speaker 3: When I put it like that, you got to realize 355 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 3: how many people say things like this every day, you know, 356 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 3: I remember talking to somebody about Uber, and they said, well, 357 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 3: I could have thought of that. You know, really, you 358 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,440 Speaker 3: think thinking of something is the key to succeed. It's 359 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 3: something anybody can think of something. I mean today I 360 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 3: was walking out the door and Abby turned me into 361 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 3: a dog because of my fuzzy sweater and she said, 362 00:20:14,080 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 3: you want your belly, rob? 363 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: Do you want your belly? 364 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 2: Rob? 365 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 3: I licked her face and I left and came to 366 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 3: church to preach. That's what dogs do. But she can 367 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,600 Speaker 3: think of stuff, I mean, thinking of it. Hollyod Wass 368 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 3: telling me now they got like uber for photography. I 369 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 3: really should find out the name of this and see 370 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 3: if I could get a sponsorship. 371 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: This message goes to a lot of people. But they 372 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: said that. 373 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 3: You can go on and get a photographer anywhere in 374 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: the world that you are, just like you can get 375 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 3: a car from Uber, and you can get a photographer. 376 00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:43,959 Speaker 1: Anywhere you are. 377 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 3: If you're off with your family and you want to 378 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 3: get a family picture like that so that you don't 379 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 3: have to ask some random stranger who apparently has never 380 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 3: used a smartphone in their life and doesn't know the 381 00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:56,280 Speaker 3: tap the. 382 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: Screen to make it lighter. 383 00:20:57,359 --> 00:20:59,560 Speaker 3: You can get a professional to come out and capture 384 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:03,679 Speaker 3: the memory, you know. And when she said, I was like, 385 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 3: why didn't I think of that? Well, there's a lot 386 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,240 Speaker 3: more to it than thinking of it. Huh. 387 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:12,360 Speaker 1: People call me all the. 388 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 3: Time and they'd be like, I heard this thing, there's 389 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 3: a sermon in that somewhere, and so to that, I'm like, 390 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,600 Speaker 3: where like just because they could think of it, you know, 391 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 3: I read this headline you should preach about that, you 392 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 3: should write a song about that, and I'm like, you should. 393 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: Shut up until you can write one of your own. 394 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,200 Speaker 3: I know you mean, well, but the hard part isn't 395 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,080 Speaker 3: thinking of it. The hard part isn't thinking of it. 396 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 3: And this is why when they give you advice sometimes 397 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 3: in marriage, like be. 398 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: The first to say you're sorry. It's not the thought 399 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: that counts. 400 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:54,880 Speaker 3: Can I upset conventional wisdom for a moment? One thing 401 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:57,639 Speaker 3: that was really really striking to me in the text 402 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,760 Speaker 3: was not what Jonathan did, but what the people who 403 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 3: should have been leading were doing at the time when 404 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 3: Jonathan had to act on something that was partial and imperfect. 405 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 3: When the Bible says that Saul was staying on the 406 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:19,000 Speaker 3: outskirts of Gibea under a pomegranate tree with six hundred men. 407 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 3: I always skipped this verse because. 408 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: The names were hard to pronounce. 409 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 3: I was preaching this passage when I was seventeen years old, 410 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 3: and I didn't know how to pronounce these names. 411 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 1: And I still don't. 412 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 3: Then I figured out, you don't know how to pronounce 413 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 3: them either, So if I just say it with enough confidence, 414 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 3: we'll move on. But in skipping it, I missed something 415 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,480 Speaker 3: that became very important to me About the ephod. It 416 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 3: says that the Lord's priest was wearing the epod under 417 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 3: the pomegranate tree. Now, the epod was more than just 418 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:58,760 Speaker 3: an article of clothing. It was an instrument for seeking 419 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 3: the will of God. On the ephod, the high priest 420 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:06,479 Speaker 3: would wear a breastplate. On the breastplate would be twelve 421 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 3: stones with the names of the tribes of Israel, representing 422 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 3: their special presence in the presence of God. When he 423 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:18,359 Speaker 3: would wear the breastplate into the most holy place to 424 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,119 Speaker 3: make atonement for the sins of the people so that 425 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 3: they could be forgiven. Once a year, the instruction was 426 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 3: given to the priest about what to make sure he 427 00:23:27,280 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 3: kept close to his heart. It started with Erin in Exodus, 428 00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 3: chapter twenty eight, if you could give. 429 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: Me this text. 430 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 3: That he will bear the names of the sons of 431 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 3: Israel over his heart on the breastplate of decision. In 432 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 3: the literal translation, it's the breastplate of judgment. It was 433 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 3: what he wore when the judgment of God was conferred 434 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:58,119 Speaker 3: on the sacrificial animal that took the sins of the 435 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:02,240 Speaker 3: people away from the camp. It was the breastplate of judgment. 436 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 3: But here it has translated the breastplate of decision as 437 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 3: a continual memorial for the Lord. 438 00:24:07,240 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: And here's why. 439 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 3: Next verse, please also put Urrem and Themim, which are 440 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:18,959 Speaker 3: two special stones that would go not on the breastplate, 441 00:24:19,640 --> 00:24:21,000 Speaker 3: but behind the breastplate. 442 00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,520 Speaker 1: When the priest wore the ephant, which was like a. 443 00:24:24,520 --> 00:24:27,440 Speaker 3: Kitchen apron where he would keep the vestments that were 444 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 3: appropriate for his duty. And on that ephant was the breastplate, 445 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:36,040 Speaker 3: and behind the breastplate was Eurrem and Themim. 446 00:24:36,320 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: Whether these were. 447 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,320 Speaker 3: Stones or some other sort of special object, we are 448 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 3: dependent on the incomplete records of archaeologists to make known 449 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:45,560 Speaker 3: to us. But one thing we know. It was one 450 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 3: of the ways that God spoke about his will to 451 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:52,560 Speaker 3: his people. He spoke through the prophets, he spoke through dreams, 452 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 3: and he spoke through these stones. I'm gonna call them 453 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 3: stones because that's the closest thing we can know to 454 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:01,480 Speaker 3: what they were. One represented yes and one represented no. 455 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,399 Speaker 3: That was the meme. Eurreme was a little different. It 456 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 3: was said to be a stone that would light up. 457 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:07,800 Speaker 1: And watch this. 458 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 3: You are to put it behind the breast peace or 459 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:13,720 Speaker 3: in the breast piece, so that they may be over 460 00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 3: Aaron's heart whenever he enters the presence of the Lord. 461 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 3: Thus Erin will always bear the means of making decisions. 462 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 3: I love that little phrase, the means of making decisions 463 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 3: in the presence of the Lord. Everybody has a means 464 00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 3: of making decisions. Everyone has a way that they try 465 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,439 Speaker 3: to figure out, where is this going? 466 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: Can I trust this person? 467 00:25:36,359 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 3: And I like this method a lot because all the 468 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 3: priests had to do was take out the stones the 469 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 3: meme it stands for perfection or decision, and then he 470 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 3: would take urreem, which represents light, which always represents revelation, 471 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 3: which always represents knowledge. And when God would speak through 472 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:55,399 Speaker 3: these stones, you would inquire of him, and if the 473 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 3: answer was affirmative, Urrem would light up, and you would 474 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 3: know God wants us to do it. Like when David 475 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 3: was facing a battle at zick Lag and he had 476 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 3: to go back and recover his family and the families 477 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,280 Speaker 3: of his men, and he asked the priest bring me 478 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:12,920 Speaker 3: an ephod, because I need to seek the Lord, because 479 00:26:12,920 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 3: if I go into this battle and God doesn't want 480 00:26:15,119 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 3: me to go in this battle, if I do this venture, 481 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:19,720 Speaker 3: if I go after this thing and God doesn't want 482 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 3: me to do this thing. 483 00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:21,320 Speaker 1: I'll be defeated. 484 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:23,880 Speaker 3: But if he says yes, no power in Hell can 485 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 3: stand against me. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, 486 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 3: whether by many or by few. So David said, bring 487 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,600 Speaker 3: me the ephod, because if God gives me light on 488 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 3: this situation, I can fight this battle. If God gives 489 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 3: me light on this situation, I can stand the trial. 490 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 3: I can stand the test, I can pass it. I 491 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:46,160 Speaker 3: can do it if God says yes. But sometimes God 492 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 3: would say no, and then sometimes the stone would do nothing. 493 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 3: And what that meant was God doesn't want to answer 494 00:26:57,040 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 3: this right now. In other words, if I can take 495 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 3: you back to middle school, I love you, Do you 496 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:11,400 Speaker 3: love me? Check yes or no? And sometimes I would 497 00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 3: put a third box called maybe and sometimes they would 498 00:27:16,160 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 3: ask God, you know, should we go, should we stay? 499 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,880 Speaker 1: Should we do it? Should we not? And the son 500 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:26,520 Speaker 1: would do nothing? What do you do with them? 501 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 3: Maybe because a lot of times in our life, don't 502 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 3: you wish you had a urim and at the meme 503 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 3: in your closet? Come on right next to your belts. 504 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 3: I'd rather have a urim and at the meme than 505 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,639 Speaker 3: a Rolex. I mean I'd rather have I would. I 506 00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 3: would love if I could. What a what a what 507 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,240 Speaker 3: a blessing it would be? You know how many you know, 508 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 3: how many staff members I never would have hired to 509 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 3: begin with. 510 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:53,399 Speaker 1: Come on, this is a big church. Can I be 511 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,359 Speaker 1: real with you? Do you know how many staff members i'd. 512 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:58,480 Speaker 3: Just be if I could have just had that special 513 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 3: stone pull it out? 514 00:28:00,600 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: Wouldn't that be cool? 515 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:05,439 Speaker 3: Can you imagine how many how many things would you 516 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:06,400 Speaker 3: have done differently? 517 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:08,000 Speaker 1: And how helpful. 518 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 3: Would it be when you're making decisions if you could 519 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:14,880 Speaker 3: just have a stone just to light up and tell you, yes, 520 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 3: this is God. You know how your kids start hanging 521 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 3: out with friends and you're wondering, like, I don't know 522 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 3: about these parents. They seem kind of like I don't 523 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 3: know I smelled something on their clothes, smell like it 524 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 3: might have been weed, or maybe it was something else, 525 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:27,520 Speaker 3: but I'm not sure. 526 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: Lord, should I let my kids hang out with these kids? 527 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 3: And God says yes, and you could get some sleep? 528 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,840 Speaker 3: Or you know, God, should I take this job? It's 529 00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:39,719 Speaker 3: got more pay, but it's gonna mean more hours. I 530 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 3: just think it would be so cool if it would. 531 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: Light up and tell me. 532 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:47,200 Speaker 3: And yet God, God, God knows something about me that 533 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:49,320 Speaker 3: I don't know about me. Is that even if He 534 00:28:49,400 --> 00:28:51,080 Speaker 3: gave me the light to know what to. 535 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:52,960 Speaker 1: Do, a lot of times I wouldn't have the faith 536 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: to do it. 537 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,000 Speaker 3: You're gonna make me preach by myself and sit there 538 00:28:58,040 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 3: looking at me like I'm an entertainer. 539 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 1: You know, the truth. 540 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 3: Is that even sometimes when you know what to do, 541 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 3: even sometimes when you know this as God. And they 542 00:29:10,200 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 3: had these stones, They had these stones. It was behind 543 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 3: the breastplate, and the breastplate was under the pomegranate tree, 544 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:19,800 Speaker 3: and the priest was doing. 545 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: Nothing with it. 546 00:29:20,920 --> 00:29:23,959 Speaker 3: They had the means of making decisions to know the 547 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,000 Speaker 3: will of God, but their fear had put them in 548 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 3: a place, and their complacency had put them in a 549 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 3: place because when you have the instruments but you don't 550 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 3: use them. How can God speak to you when you 551 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 3: can't find this between sundays? How can God give you 552 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 3: his wisdom? And the important thing about it was Jonathan said, 553 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 3: we don't have the ephod Ahijah has the ephoon. 554 00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: We don't have a complete clarity on this situation. 555 00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 3: But what he had that was so important he had 556 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,600 Speaker 3: the right person to turn to and talk about it. 557 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 3: I need you to understand the value not only of 558 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 3: what God says to you in your life, but about 559 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 3: who you say it to. 560 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:15,400 Speaker 1: After God says it to. 561 00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 3: You, the right people will give you the go ahead. 562 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 3: The right people will say, you know what, I'm gonna 563 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 3: help you as you do this. I know the addiction 564 00:30:24,560 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 3: has got you about three different cycles now and it 565 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 3: looks like this one won't be any different. But whether 566 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 3: or not you make it, I'm gonna be here with 567 00:30:31,600 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 3: you on it. So let's go ahead and do this 568 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:37,000 Speaker 3: dumb thing, this impossible thing, this crazy thing. 569 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: And then sometimes they got to turn and tell you 570 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,520 Speaker 1: that ain't got at all. But it's who you say 571 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: it to. It's who you say it. It's a fifty 572 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: to fifty. 573 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 3: Thing, it's not just my relationship with God, it's my 574 00:30:54,760 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 3: relationship with others. And a lot of us are suffering, 575 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 3: and so is in our relationship with God. Because we're 576 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 3: living in bitterness with our relationship with others. 577 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:08,719 Speaker 1: You can't hear God just like this. 578 00:31:09,840 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 3: I guarantee you if Jonathan would have had an armor 579 00:31:12,960 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 3: bearer who told him, you know what. 580 00:31:15,960 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: Man, let me know how that turns out. 581 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 3: I'm praying for you signed the cross. I guarantee you 582 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 3: the battle wouldn't have moved on beyond Beth even that 583 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,560 Speaker 3: day like it did, and even for me. 584 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:36,480 Speaker 1: I can say this when people say, how did you 585 00:31:36,520 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 1: know God wanted you to start a church? 586 00:31:38,200 --> 00:31:42,760 Speaker 4: I read a book. I felt inspired. I got up 587 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:47,400 Speaker 4: and preached. It seemed to help people read a book. 588 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,880 Speaker 4: I got a wife. We were doing our thing. One 589 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 4: day she looked at me. In the mountains of Tennessee. 590 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,440 Speaker 4: We're at some youth camp. Carl Cart was leading worship. 591 00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,320 Speaker 4: We came back to the room. People say, when, how 592 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 4: did you know? How did God speak to you it 593 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 4: was time for you to start the church. Because I 594 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,640 Speaker 4: wanted to start it when I was forty. The church 595 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,760 Speaker 4: wouldn't even be here right now. If Holly didn't turn 596 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 4: to me, not God. She was my yorem. God used 597 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 4: her like that. She said, it's time for you go 598 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 4: start this church. I said, when I'm forty. She said, no. Now, look, JJ, if. 599 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 3: You hear me saying on this message, you know God's 600 00:32:40,080 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 3: calling you to go. You know how many people I've 601 00:32:42,040 --> 00:32:45,240 Speaker 3: seen go start coffee shops because they like coffee and 602 00:32:45,280 --> 00:32:47,360 Speaker 3: they hear a message like this and abuse it and 603 00:32:47,360 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 3: they think that the whole point of the message is 604 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 3: just go do the dumbest thing you can think of 605 00:32:50,680 --> 00:32:52,520 Speaker 3: that you have a halfway interest in, and then blame 606 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:53,960 Speaker 3: the devil when it doesn't. 607 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: Work out because it was spiritual warfare. 608 00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 3: And attack and nobody believed in my dream and I'm 609 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,080 Speaker 3: nothing but Jesus on the cross and guard. And I 610 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:01,400 Speaker 3: guess so many squeeze the olives and the oils coming out. 611 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:03,320 Speaker 3: All of that is dumb because I'm not even talking 612 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 3: about that. I'm talking about who you talk to, about 613 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 3: what God is saying to you. And now now I 614 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:12,720 Speaker 3: get to return the favor. I mean the other day 615 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:17,440 Speaker 3: she she turned to me and was like, Hey, I'm 616 00:33:17,440 --> 00:33:19,360 Speaker 3: about to tell you something that I think God is 617 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 3: speaking to me because it's always a fifty to fifty thing, always, 618 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 3: always so. So I'm confident, but I'm not certain, you know. 619 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 3: And she was like, don't laugh at me. I'm like, 620 00:33:37,120 --> 00:33:38,680 Speaker 3: why would I laugh at you? 621 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:39,080 Speaker 1: Tell me? 622 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 3: And what she told me, I said, not only have 623 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 3: you got to do that, but you got to do this, 624 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:46,560 Speaker 3: this and this and this and this. 625 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:47,520 Speaker 1: Because that's awesome. 626 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 3: Then I think she was sorry that she told me 627 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:51,040 Speaker 3: because she didn't want to do this, this, this, and 628 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:51,479 Speaker 3: this and this. 629 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:53,840 Speaker 1: She just wanted to do that. But we started. 630 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:56,080 Speaker 3: Talking, and you see how important it is not only 631 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 3: what God says to you. It's not only this being 632 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 3: of the cross, what is this one too? So I 633 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:15,840 Speaker 3: don't have Uremn the meme. But I got Eugene. 634 00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:17,319 Speaker 1: I needed a rhyme. 635 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:20,360 Speaker 3: It was it was a stretch at best, and Irene 636 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:23,120 Speaker 3: and I got people. 637 00:34:23,239 --> 00:34:25,560 Speaker 1: Now this is so, this is so key. It's a 638 00:34:25,719 --> 00:34:29,879 Speaker 1: fifty fifty faith. It's a fifty to fifty. 639 00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:34,360 Speaker 3: That means it is a divine partnership where Jonathan says, 640 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,960 Speaker 3: you know, there is something that God can do, and 641 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 3: then there is something that God will not do that 642 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 3: only we can do. 643 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,320 Speaker 1: Faith is fifty to fifty. James proves it clearly. 644 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 3: Not only does Jonathan exemplify it, James explains it when 645 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:55,759 Speaker 3: he says, faith without works is it takes two? This 646 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,600 Speaker 3: is a fifty to fifty proposition. Why would God do 647 00:34:59,719 --> 00:35:01,880 Speaker 3: for you what he gave you the strength to do 648 00:35:02,000 --> 00:35:02,399 Speaker 3: for you? 649 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: It is a fifty fifty faith. 650 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:08,239 Speaker 3: It is not my faith that saves me, and I'm 651 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:11,160 Speaker 3: grateful for that. How many are grateful that your faith 652 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 3: in Christ for salvation is. 653 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:16,359 Speaker 1: Not fifty to fifty. Come on, because if it. 654 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 3: Was, I would be in hell before Monday at three 655 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:25,280 Speaker 3: pm Eastern Standard time. But because he is my great 656 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:28,560 Speaker 3: High Priest, y'all, I'm about to get happy on this sermon. 657 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,240 Speaker 3: And because he took the breastplate. 658 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:34,319 Speaker 5: Of his own righteousness into the most holy place and 659 00:35:34,440 --> 00:35:37,239 Speaker 5: shet his blood on the mercy seat, I don't ever 660 00:35:37,320 --> 00:35:39,520 Speaker 5: have to doubt if he wants to see me, or 661 00:35:39,560 --> 00:35:42,719 Speaker 5: hear me, or love me, or throw his arms around me. 662 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 5: He is my righteousness and I am his child, and he. 663 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:48,120 Speaker 1: Is my great high Priest. 664 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:51,439 Speaker 3: Come on, shout about it like you got the good 665 00:35:51,480 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 3: sense to know this thing doesn't depend on me. Foundational 666 00:36:01,239 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 3: faith even that faith is the gift of God. 667 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:04,440 Speaker 1: So that no one can boast. 668 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 3: But watch this, Jonathan say, perhaps perhaps the Lord will 669 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 3: it is. 670 00:36:12,040 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: Fifty to fifty. I know he can. I think he will. 671 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:19,719 Speaker 1: Fifty to fifty. I know God is with me, and 672 00:36:19,719 --> 00:36:21,239 Speaker 1: I think this is where he's leading me. It's fifty 673 00:36:21,239 --> 00:36:23,720 Speaker 1: to fifty. I'm a fifty to fifty leader. 674 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,600 Speaker 3: I pull seventy staff into this Monday and said, this 675 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:28,640 Speaker 3: is what I think God's doing. 676 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: And I can't put a bow on it. But we're 677 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:30,280 Speaker 1: gonna find. 678 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:32,759 Speaker 3: Out together why Because God won't reveal truth if I. 679 00:36:32,680 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: Don't move toward it ever. 680 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 3: And the issue is this experience is the friend of wisdom, 681 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:45,520 Speaker 3: but it can be the enemy of faith. 682 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:50,960 Speaker 1: You need me to run that back. 683 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,960 Speaker 3: Experience is the friend of wisdom, but if you get 684 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:58,839 Speaker 3: like Saul in a Hydi and keep the e foight 685 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 3: under the pomegranate tree, Jonathan said, we're going to have 686 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,960 Speaker 3: to be our own ethought. We're have to put ourselves 687 00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 3: out there and see if God will. And when Eugene Peterson, 688 00:37:09,719 --> 00:37:11,959 Speaker 3: he had this idea, right, he was trying to preach 689 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:14,640 Speaker 3: the Bible. He's in heaven now, but he was trying 690 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:17,080 Speaker 3: to preach the Bible to his church He realized that 691 00:37:17,160 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 3: they weren't really getting it, so he sat down to 692 00:37:19,320 --> 00:37:22,400 Speaker 3: write a translation of the Bible in a way. 693 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: They could understand. 694 00:37:24,719 --> 00:37:28,840 Speaker 3: You know that little version on your Bible on your phone. 695 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:32,080 Speaker 3: I hope you got the Bible on your phone. I 696 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 3: hope you got the Bible up above Facebook on your phone, 697 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,120 Speaker 3: because you need that one to start your day. 698 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: You really do, you really do. 699 00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 3: You'll need to know what's going on in Russia every second, 700 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:46,080 Speaker 3: but you need to know what's happening, what God intends 701 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:49,080 Speaker 3: for your life. And if you click on it, there 702 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:53,200 Speaker 3: will be one version that says MSG and it has 703 00:37:53,239 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 3: nothing to do with the Chinese restaurant. The message translation, 704 00:37:57,480 --> 00:37:58,960 Speaker 3: and it was written by a man. 705 00:37:59,239 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: Who was just seeing. 706 00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:02,280 Speaker 3: He had an idea, what if I write the Bible 707 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 3: in the language that's common to the people, And he 708 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:09,040 Speaker 3: ended up translating the whole Bible that way. 709 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: The message translation. 710 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:18,279 Speaker 3: All because maybe God will use this. You know, if 711 00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,880 Speaker 3: you act on it. If you act, it's fifty to fifty. 712 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 3: It's fifty to fifty. I'm not sure. 713 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. 714 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 3: Look what he said when he translated for Samuel fourteen six, 715 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 3: My favorite verse about faith in the Old Testament. Look 716 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:36,680 Speaker 3: what he said that Jonathan said to his armor bearer, 717 00:38:36,719 --> 00:38:40,400 Speaker 3: come on, now, come on, now, let's do it now. 718 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,040 Speaker 3: Not when the priest gets his act together, not when 719 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:47,080 Speaker 3: the government gets his act together, not when, but now, 720 00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:48,400 Speaker 3: we got to do this now. 721 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: Now, come on, now, let's. 722 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 3: Go across to these uncircumcised pagans. And then he said 723 00:38:54,880 --> 00:39:03,359 Speaker 3: the title of my series, maybe God will work for us. 724 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:18,839 Speaker 3: Maybe maybe faith is being able to move on a maybe. 725 00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 3: And you know what that means is fifty to fifty. 726 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 3: It might not work, but God is always working. I'm 727 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:33,400 Speaker 3: confident in the second, even when I'm not certain in 728 00:39:33,480 --> 00:39:38,400 Speaker 3: the first. And it takes the kind of faith church 729 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:46,360 Speaker 3: to say maybe maybe if I do this, maybe and 730 00:39:47,280 --> 00:39:50,319 Speaker 3: maybe it won't and maybe God will use this thing 731 00:39:50,400 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 3: that I think I'm supposed to do to lead to 732 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:56,200 Speaker 3: something that I was really supposed to do, so that 733 00:39:56,400 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 3: even if the first thing fails, at least I'm not 734 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:01,920 Speaker 3: sitting still in fear. 735 00:40:02,760 --> 00:40:06,720 Speaker 1: But it takes faith to move on a maybe. 736 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:09,680 Speaker 3: When Yurim has gone dark and Saul is under a 737 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:12,080 Speaker 3: tree and you don't know what to do but to 738 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,759 Speaker 3: move toward it. God says, move toward it. It may work, 739 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:19,480 Speaker 3: and even if it doesn't, I will It is the 740 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:24,480 Speaker 3: power to move on a maybe, to know that God 741 00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:28,760 Speaker 3: is mystery, but he is revealed, his character is trustworthy. 742 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:31,720 Speaker 1: I can move on a maybe. Father. 743 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:34,440 Speaker 3: I don't want to do this, but nevertheless, not my will, 744 00:40:34,719 --> 00:40:37,880 Speaker 3: but yours be done. So I'm gonna go see about 745 00:40:37,880 --> 00:40:42,960 Speaker 3: this and maybe somebody shout. Maybe maybe I've got a 746 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 3: maybe faith enough faith to do it and not know 747 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:49,279 Speaker 3: the conclusion, but trust God in the process. 748 00:40:49,560 --> 00:40:54,200 Speaker 1: It's a maybe faith. I'm confident. 749 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:59,600 Speaker 3: I'm not certain, but I'm confident. And you will find 750 00:40:59,600 --> 00:41:04,120 Speaker 3: yourself many times in your life in a maybe moment. 751 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,000 Speaker 3: Some of you are there right now. It's a maybe 752 00:41:07,080 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 3: moment for you. Maybe you are giving yourself to a 753 00:41:11,440 --> 00:41:13,520 Speaker 3: marriage that you don't know if it can live. Like 754 00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,880 Speaker 3: Ezekiel in the Valley of Bones, you don't even know 755 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:18,840 Speaker 3: if anything's going to happen, but you're prophesying and speaking 756 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,920 Speaker 3: forth and believing God to send the winds, and you're living. 757 00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:23,960 Speaker 1: In the maybe moment. 758 00:41:26,360 --> 00:41:35,160 Speaker 3: Maybe if we start a church, maybe maybe I know 759 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:38,040 Speaker 3: who God is and I know nothing can stop him. 760 00:41:38,040 --> 00:41:39,800 Speaker 1: But it's fifty to fifty. Man, you want to do 761 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:50,680 Speaker 1: it anyway? Maybe The miracle is in the maybe. 762 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:55,880 Speaker 3: I wish I could preach this to every discouraged heart today. 763 00:41:56,719 --> 00:41:59,680 Speaker 1: God lives in a place called maybe. 764 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,520 Speaker 3: Faith lives in a place called maybe. 765 00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:06,200 Speaker 1: So if you are in a maybe moment. 766 00:42:05,920 --> 00:42:12,360 Speaker 3: Today, that's where God lives. 767 00:42:14,239 --> 00:42:21,880 Speaker 1: Stand up when you're in that maybe moment, and if 768 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: you are, you know it. 769 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:26,160 Speaker 3: And if you're not, you will need this message within 770 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:30,360 Speaker 3: the next six weeks because life is full of maybe moments. 771 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:38,080 Speaker 3: You will feel in that moment the coexistence of uncertainty 772 00:42:38,719 --> 00:42:41,440 Speaker 3: and confidence, and you'll feel like. 773 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:42,600 Speaker 1: You're making it up as you go. 774 00:42:43,560 --> 00:42:46,239 Speaker 3: I like that image because Jonathan said, climb up after me, 775 00:42:47,440 --> 00:42:49,799 Speaker 3: climb up after me. I was thinking about how they 776 00:42:49,800 --> 00:42:53,239 Speaker 3: made it up as they win. But I had to go. 777 00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:55,520 Speaker 3: I had to do it. 778 00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:59,880 Speaker 1: I had to I had to trust God in a 779 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:00,960 Speaker 1: in a maybe moment. 780 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:06,880 Speaker 3: Maybe moments are like the moment where you could look stupid. 781 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:10,800 Speaker 3: Maybe moments are the moments where you could be rejected. 782 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,000 Speaker 3: Most of us aren't facing philistines and thorny, slippery cliffs 783 00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 3: and geographical obstacles. Most of us are facing things that 784 00:43:18,040 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 3: are on the inside of us that seem insurmountable. And 785 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:27,399 Speaker 3: God is in the maybe moment of your life when 786 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:32,480 Speaker 3: you move forward. Anyway, when I stopped by my dad's 787 00:43:32,520 --> 00:43:36,640 Speaker 3: house and gave him the letter on Father's Day after 788 00:43:36,719 --> 00:43:40,359 Speaker 3: we had not spoken in months because I moved him 789 00:43:40,760 --> 00:43:42,959 Speaker 3: to Charlotte when his health got bad with my mom, 790 00:43:44,200 --> 00:43:47,279 Speaker 3: because he asked me to, and I told him, I said, Dad, 791 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:48,560 Speaker 3: I want to do this for you. 792 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:50,000 Speaker 1: You're my dad. I want to take care of you. 793 00:43:50,040 --> 00:43:52,239 Speaker 1: And we didn't know that he had als yet. 794 00:43:52,239 --> 00:43:54,080 Speaker 3: We just knew that he was very sick, and because 795 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 3: he was a self employed barber, I didn't know, you know, 796 00:43:57,239 --> 00:44:00,319 Speaker 3: if he was just honestly, my dad at that point 797 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:04,239 Speaker 3: in his life was so illogical and irrational. 798 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:06,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know if it was a good idea or not. 799 00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:07,920 Speaker 3: But I knew my dad was asking me for help, 800 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 3: and I knew that something was wrong, and when he 801 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 3: asked me to do it, I knew something inside of 802 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:16,319 Speaker 3: me knew like this could turn out really bad, you know. 803 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,279 Speaker 3: Like I told my dad, I said, you live three 804 00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:19,960 Speaker 3: and a half hours away from me right now, and 805 00:44:20,000 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 3: that works pretty good for us. If you come up 806 00:44:23,160 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 3: and we're all up in each other's face, you know, 807 00:44:26,040 --> 00:44:30,960 Speaker 3: it might not be good. And he said, I need 808 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 3: you to do this for me, and I said, I'll 809 00:44:34,600 --> 00:44:36,839 Speaker 3: never forget telling him. You know, I don't even think 810 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 3: this is a good idea, but I'm gonna do it. 811 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 3: You asked me to, and I love you. But please, 812 00:44:43,040 --> 00:44:44,839 Speaker 3: when you come up here, please, when you come live 813 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:47,000 Speaker 3: in Charlotte. I knew my mom would be fine, she's great, 814 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:50,040 Speaker 3: but I was like, you, please, don't do any of 815 00:44:50,080 --> 00:44:54,680 Speaker 3: this crazy stuff. And honest to God, no, sooner than 816 00:44:54,719 --> 00:44:57,200 Speaker 3: I sent the moving company to give him an estimate, 817 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 3: he chased the moving company out of the yard with 818 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:04,040 Speaker 3: his walking cane. I mean, this guy, he was a 819 00:45:04,040 --> 00:45:06,319 Speaker 3: good dad for a lot of my life, but by 820 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:09,960 Speaker 3: this point his medications as well as his physical condition, 821 00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,560 Speaker 3: he was starting to really lose his mind. But I 822 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,560 Speaker 3: knew I needed to move him anyway, and it didn't 823 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 3: make sense at that point. In fact, when he got here, 824 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:24,200 Speaker 3: when he finally moved after running off the moving company, 825 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:26,399 Speaker 3: after he finally found a moving company that was fit 826 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 3: to move him, and I went to go see him 827 00:45:29,360 --> 00:45:31,239 Speaker 3: and check on him in the house that we had 828 00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:34,680 Speaker 3: found for them. First thing he did when I walked 829 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:36,240 Speaker 3: in the door was complain about the house. 830 00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:39,560 Speaker 1: When I tell you that, I said. 831 00:45:39,320 --> 00:45:44,800 Speaker 3: Some Hebrew words and some Greek words, some monks corner words, 832 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:50,440 Speaker 3: some compound cuss words. And it was like, over the 833 00:45:50,480 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 3: next few months, every bad thing that I thought was 834 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:54,359 Speaker 3: going to happen, if I tried to do the right, 835 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:57,400 Speaker 3: things start happening. And what was the weird contrast was 836 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:01,160 Speaker 3: my ministry was going so great and the church was growing, 837 00:46:02,239 --> 00:46:05,279 Speaker 3: and my dad and the way he treated my mom, 838 00:46:05,320 --> 00:46:09,080 Speaker 3: and eventually he left, he went to go live by himself. 839 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:13,160 Speaker 3: It was like culminated in this horrible thanks like the 840 00:46:13,200 --> 00:46:14,319 Speaker 3: worst Thanksgiving ever. 841 00:46:14,400 --> 00:46:15,520 Speaker 1: Where we went to see him. 842 00:46:15,760 --> 00:46:18,920 Speaker 3: The only place he would live was in this nursing 843 00:46:18,960 --> 00:46:22,319 Speaker 3: home and they had him calling Bingo in the nursing home. 844 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:23,799 Speaker 1: And yeah, it's. 845 00:46:23,719 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 3: Okay, you can laugh about it, because it was like 846 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:27,920 Speaker 3: how did we come to this? Like how can they 847 00:46:27,920 --> 00:46:29,799 Speaker 3: not even live together? How do we spend all this 848 00:46:29,880 --> 00:46:31,839 Speaker 3: money and all this time? And he raised me all 849 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 3: this time and coach my teams and all this, and 850 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:35,080 Speaker 3: then it's going to end like this. When we would 851 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:37,240 Speaker 3: try to talk on the phone, he would end up yelling. 852 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:39,440 Speaker 3: I would end up yelling, and then I'd end up preaching. 853 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:41,279 Speaker 3: And then I go back and talk to my dad 854 00:46:41,360 --> 00:46:43,240 Speaker 3: and I'd end up yelling and he would end up yelling. 855 00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:47,560 Speaker 3: But when I went by his house on Father's Day, 856 00:46:49,239 --> 00:46:52,400 Speaker 3: I thought, well, maybe maybe if I write down. I 857 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:57,040 Speaker 3: took a notebook and I told Holly, can you drive 858 00:46:57,080 --> 00:46:58,880 Speaker 3: for me for a minute. We were coming back from 859 00:46:58,920 --> 00:47:00,920 Speaker 3: a family trip, and I said, I need to do 860 00:47:00,960 --> 00:47:01,560 Speaker 3: something real quick. 861 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:03,680 Speaker 1: Can you drive for me? And can we stop by 862 00:47:04,080 --> 00:47:04,719 Speaker 1: my dad's house. 863 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,839 Speaker 3: He was living all alone at that time, by his 864 00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:12,640 Speaker 3: own choice. And I sat there while Holly drove, and 865 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:16,200 Speaker 3: I wrote down a memory for every year that I 866 00:47:16,239 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 3: had been alive of. 867 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:18,160 Speaker 1: Him being my dad. 868 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:21,319 Speaker 3: Because I knew we couldn't talk, but I thought, well, 869 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:24,799 Speaker 3: maybe if we could just communicate in writing. And when 870 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:27,800 Speaker 3: we showed up at the house and he opened the door, 871 00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:29,919 Speaker 3: I kind of like threw the list at. 872 00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:33,400 Speaker 1: Him, you know, like happy fucks. 873 00:47:34,280 --> 00:47:40,480 Speaker 3: Made a list for you, because maybe maybe this is 874 00:47:40,480 --> 00:47:44,200 Speaker 3: a dumb idea, but maybe it could open a door 875 00:47:44,239 --> 00:47:45,680 Speaker 3: for us to have a relationship. 876 00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:49,840 Speaker 1: It's the maybe moments, you know. If I'm going to 877 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,160 Speaker 1: tell you about my maybe moments that. 878 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:55,440 Speaker 3: Result in starting a church that reaches the world, I 879 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:57,160 Speaker 3: think I owe it to you to tell you about 880 00:47:57,200 --> 00:48:05,240 Speaker 3: my maybe moments that were messy to it's not always 881 00:48:05,239 --> 00:48:07,600 Speaker 3: so clear, it's not always so perfect, it's not always 882 00:48:07,680 --> 00:48:09,600 Speaker 3: so brilliant, it's not always so strategic. 883 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:11,800 Speaker 1: Life has lived in those maybe moments. 884 00:48:14,360 --> 00:48:18,040 Speaker 3: And so I got to sit beside him as he 885 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:21,799 Speaker 3: breathed his last breath after three days that hospice had 886 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:24,520 Speaker 3: been in much later, after a progression where my mom 887 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:26,960 Speaker 3: graciously let him back in the house and cared for 888 00:48:27,040 --> 00:48:29,239 Speaker 3: him until he died, and I got to be there, 889 00:48:29,280 --> 00:48:32,480 Speaker 3: reading to him from Charles Spurgeon sermon The Peaceful Sleep 890 00:48:32,520 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 3: of the Beloved. After I sang to him the Old 891 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,440 Speaker 3: Rugged Cross, and I thought he was going to pass quickly, 892 00:48:37,640 --> 00:48:39,440 Speaker 3: but he stayed around like three days, and I ran 893 00:48:39,480 --> 00:48:41,680 Speaker 3: out of hymns and started having to sing James Taylor 894 00:48:42,000 --> 00:48:44,439 Speaker 3: and Hoodie and the Blowfish. I mean, I was there 895 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:51,080 Speaker 3: for all of it in that moment because of moving 896 00:48:51,120 --> 00:48:55,080 Speaker 3: forward with a maybe, I believe God sent me with 897 00:48:55,120 --> 00:48:57,759 Speaker 3: this message today and I'm overtime. I'm so overtime. It's 898 00:48:57,760 --> 00:48:59,520 Speaker 3: going to be awful in the parking lot in the rain. 899 00:48:59,640 --> 00:49:01,400 Speaker 3: God give me, and please smile at people on the 900 00:49:01,440 --> 00:49:02,879 Speaker 3: way out and tell me it's going to be worth it. 901 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:05,880 Speaker 1: But please listen to me. Listen to me. You're in 902 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:06,680 Speaker 1: a maybe moment. 903 00:49:07,680 --> 00:49:09,880 Speaker 3: You're in a maybe moment, slipper on one side, thorny on 904 00:49:09,920 --> 00:49:12,880 Speaker 3: the other. Don't have everybody with you thought you'd have 905 00:49:12,920 --> 00:49:16,680 Speaker 3: with you, just got a armor bearer. Father, I pray 906 00:49:16,719 --> 00:49:20,400 Speaker 3: today for the faith for your people to move forward 907 00:49:21,560 --> 00:49:26,040 Speaker 3: on a maybe in this moment. You're the God of 908 00:49:26,080 --> 00:49:30,319 Speaker 3: all wisdom. You're the God who sees all, knows all, 909 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:33,920 Speaker 3: and can do anything. I thank you, Lord that there 910 00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:37,480 Speaker 3: are miracles emerging even now as I speak, in bodies, 911 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:42,719 Speaker 3: in relationships, in careers, in families. God, I thank you 912 00:49:42,760 --> 00:49:46,000 Speaker 3: that ministry is birthed out of maybe. We thank you 913 00:49:46,040 --> 00:49:49,960 Speaker 3: God for giving us the Holy Spirit inside of us. 914 00:49:50,400 --> 00:49:52,560 Speaker 3: We thank you for giving us the finished work of 915 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:55,120 Speaker 3: your son, to let us know that you are good, 916 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:57,279 Speaker 3: and you do good, and all things work together for 917 00:49:57,360 --> 00:50:01,360 Speaker 3: the good of them that love you. Over every maybe situation. 918 00:50:01,560 --> 00:50:06,640 Speaker 3: Give your people now, by your grace the kind of 919 00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:09,680 Speaker 3: faith that it takes to move forward and it maybe 920 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:14,760 Speaker 3: for we believe that nothing can hinder you from saving, 921 00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:17,160 Speaker 3: whether by many. 922 00:50:18,239 --> 00:50:21,719 Speaker 1: Or by few. Thank you for joining us. 923 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:24,440 Speaker 2: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 924 00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:28,040 Speaker 2: this ministry is because of you that this ministry is possible. 925 00:50:28,480 --> 00:50:30,680 Speaker 2: You can click the link in the description to give 926 00:50:30,760 --> 00:50:34,920 Speaker 2: now or visit Elevationchurch dot org slash podcast for more 927 00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:38,720 Speaker 2: information and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. 928 00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:40,320 Speaker 1: You can share it with your friends. 929 00:50:40,600 --> 00:50:42,880 Speaker 2: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 930 00:50:42,960 --> 00:50:45,080 Speaker 2: share it on your social stories and tag us at 931 00:50:45,080 --> 00:50:45,960 Speaker 2: Elevation Church. 932 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:52,640 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. God bless you.