1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: I loved y'all so much. I usually love every church 2 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: I get to go to, small, big, stiff, Wiggley. I 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: just love the House of God. But some churches don't 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: like me so much. And I was in one of 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,439 Speaker 1: those not too long ago. I won't tell you where 6 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: it is, just in case you have cousins there, but 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: rhymes with Pennsylvania. And I knew. I knew I wasn't 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,280 Speaker 1: going to be warmly received because it was just it 9 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: was just more of a formal setting, and I'm not 10 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: very formal, and so when the women picked me up 11 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: from the airport, it was just it was crickets all 12 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 1: the way to the conference. And then we get to 13 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: the conference and they had what they called the fellowship time, 14 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: which means you usually eat carbs and cold coffee and 15 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: make small talk in the fellowship hall before you go 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: into the main part of the sanctuary. And I stood around. 17 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: I thought they need to re christen this the stiff 18 00:00:57,080 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: and Hateful Hall, because nobody's talking, like nobody's chatting, And 19 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: so I just kept kind of moving from group to 20 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,399 Speaker 1: group trying to find somebody who would talk, and finally 21 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: somebody introduced me to the worship leader for that particular conference, 22 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: and she wasn't from that area, and she seemed friendly, 23 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: and I thought, cool, we can be aliens and strangers together. 24 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,920 Speaker 1: And so I introduced myself to the worship leader. I'm 25 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: gonna call her Wanda. That's not her real name, but 26 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:23,960 Speaker 1: I said, Wanda, I'm so glad you're here. You know, 27 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:25,640 Speaker 1: I don't know anybody here, and she was like, I 28 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: don't either, and so an effort to connect further, I 29 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: started to tease. I don't know if y'all do that 30 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:33,240 Speaker 1: when you first meet people, you kind of start teasing 31 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: with them, unk, you know. And I said, well, Wanda, 32 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: you might want to watch me when you start playing 33 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: a real up tempost song, because I might just break 34 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: out into a worship dance. Now I was teasing. I know, 35 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: we've got a couple of dancers here, and it's a 36 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,920 Speaker 1: biblical thing. It's a totally biblical thing. There's Preston's and scripture. 37 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: David even says we should. But I grew up half Baptist. 38 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: My mom's Baptist to the bone. My dad was Pentecostal. 39 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: So the Baptist in me long to dance. The Pentecostal 40 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: in me tries to dance, but the old pale woman 41 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: that I am can't dance, and so it's just it's 42 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: just a real juxtaposition for me. So I was just 43 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: teasing with Wanda, and I said, you may I want 44 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: to watch me because I'll break out into worship dance. 45 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: And then you know, when you're teasing with somebody you 46 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: don't know, and you can tell by the way they're 47 00:02:19,360 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 1: listening to you, they think you're being serious. They don't 48 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 1: realize you're you're kid yet, and I thought, gosh, I 49 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 1: need to tell I was just playing because I don't 50 00:02:26,280 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: want to think I was being disrespectful because there is 51 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: liturgical dance in scripture, and so I thought, when we 52 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 1: have a second I'll qualify that so she knows I'm 53 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: not playing. Well. Then they separated us. Then the conference started. 54 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: It was real, very very serious, and so I thought 55 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: I'll talk to her at the end of conference, but 56 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: they took us our separate ways. So the next morning, 57 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: I was like, I've got to see Wanda for it 58 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 1: starts to tell her that I was just kidding about 59 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 1: the whole dancing thing, and so I'm starting to talk 60 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: to her. They lead us in. It wasn't a house 61 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,839 Speaker 1: like elevation. It was a real it's just a real 62 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: serious church. They had like, you know, polished pews all 63 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: the way back and all the stained glass windows, pipe 64 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: organ and so they usher wanding up to the front. 65 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:10,959 Speaker 1: They had two little, short, diagonally opposed pews like big 66 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,679 Speaker 1: enough for I don't know, two skinny keto girls or 67 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: tunky chick with a bible. So I was on one 68 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: little diagonal pew and one is on the other pew, 69 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: and so I lean over to tell her remember last 70 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: night when I said about it, well, why does start 71 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: and explain it to her? The lady who was hostessing 72 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: the event comes up. She's very very serious war hoos 73 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 1: and she was like one to you know, I need 74 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: you to start worship now. And so one is like, okay, 75 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 1: hatn't got to explain it. Wanda stands up. She's a 76 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:39,320 Speaker 1: real perky worship leader. Didn't fit the whole setting, but 77 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: she stands up and she goes exactly like this holly 78 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: to me. She goes and then she comes up and 79 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: I don't know how to explain what I felt to 80 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: that moment, but it's just this deep sense of foreboding. 81 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: I thought, just something about this didn't feel good to me. 82 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: She walks up and Chris, they didn't have like a 83 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: cool keyboard. They didn't have one of those old upright pianos. 84 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: I remember those that as the high back. And so 85 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 1: one of goes plays a song on the piano, kind 86 00:04:07,160 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: of a hymn, and then she stops. There's about I 87 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: don't know, three hundred women on the pews, very lot 88 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: of match outfits, and she leans out from behind the 89 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 1: piano and she went, ladies, I have got such a 90 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: treat for you this morning. And then she gestures to 91 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 1: me and she goes, hey, lo just she goes, Lisa 92 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:34,359 Speaker 1: is a worship dancer. And then she grabs this package. 93 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: I hadn't noticed until that point. Scrabs this package on 94 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: top of the piano. It's this long package, comes all 95 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 1: the way off the stage, comes down to grind sitting. 96 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: I'm sitting where you are, Holly. She unwraps this package 97 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: and unfurls this massive, like five by seven foot purple 98 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: flag with the alpha and the omega and gold glitter 99 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:56,440 Speaker 1: on the flag, and then she, you know, presents it 100 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,160 Speaker 1: to me with a flourish like we've planned this. And 101 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: then a second she goes heads back up on stage. Now, y'all, 102 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,240 Speaker 1: the women are stiff. Wanda isn't and is evidently a 103 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: little oblivious the women are stiff. She starts playing this 104 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,039 Speaker 1: real up tempo probably an elevation song, a real uptempo song, 105 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: and then she goes like gestures to me like, now 106 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: it's time for your routine. And I'm holding this massive flag, 107 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: and you know, nobody's even singing with her. They're just 108 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: and I'm holding this flag, and I thought this is 109 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: like a Saturday night life skip, like I don't I 110 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: don't know where to go from here. And then I 111 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:38,720 Speaker 1: have just a smedge of prodigal in me, and I thought, 112 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: she's my only friend and these women probably need to 113 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: be just poked a little bit. And so I started 114 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:50,720 Speaker 1: to dance, and the only thing I knew to do, 115 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: because the flag was heavy, was just to do kind 116 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: of this big squirl with a flag and women are 117 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: laying either way. Well, Wanda was charismatic. So the song, 118 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: I said, like seventeen minutes says one a song, And 119 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: so I thought I can't hold anymore, Like my what 120 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: hanging down part is starting to cramp. I was like, 121 00:06:07,960 --> 00:06:10,479 Speaker 1: I don't know what to do, and so I thought, well, 122 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,839 Speaker 1: this is probably my last public dance, and so and 123 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: this is straight up truth. I'll tell you if I 124 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 1: was lying in church, I went all the way up 125 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: to the front of the of the church and I 126 00:06:20,640 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: kind of got to run and start because I've seen 127 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: people do this at Joyce Myer events and I've always 128 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: wanted to try it. And I started running. I'm going 129 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: to have to do this to show y'all what I did. 130 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: I started running and then I swept instead a grunt 131 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: to take with a flag, And y'all, what was hilarious. 132 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: I probably should have worn a sports braw for that. 133 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: But but what it was hilarious is you could hear 134 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:54,800 Speaker 1: this collective gas people like all the women swept. But 135 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: I didn't think God was disappointed. I felt like God 136 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: was leaning over going Jesus, you've got to see what 137 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: she's doing this morning. I am, y'all funny, y'all, it's funny. 138 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: I am so much more Laurel and hearty than I 139 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: am Shakira and j Lo. I do not have it altogether. 140 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: My life plays out more like a bloop of real 141 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: than a press release. But at fifty eight, what I'm learning. 142 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,400 Speaker 1: I keep saying sixty because sixty is just like a 143 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: little over a year away for me. So I keep 144 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: saying sixty so I get used to it. The thing 145 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: I love about this age isn't just the discounts at McDonald's. 146 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: It's that I can look back over fifty years of 147 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,720 Speaker 1: walking with Jesus and I can go, you know what, 148 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,000 Speaker 1: It's really not about my capacity. It's about his compassion. 149 00:07:52,640 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 1: It's not about whether I have it all together. It's 150 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,440 Speaker 1: about Jesus. What I'm learning, and I'm a slow learner, 151 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: but what I'm learning, y'all is if you really want 152 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: to access intimacy with God, if you really want to 153 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:11,559 Speaker 1: commune with God, the key is humility. And Rick Warren 154 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: says it well. I usually attribute this to C. S. 155 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: Lewis because it sounds like something Sir Lewis would say. 156 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: It's actually Rick Warren, pastor in California. He says, humility 157 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: is not thinking less of ourselves. I think in American 158 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:27,600 Speaker 1: Christian culture we tend to think humility is, oh no, 159 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: it's not about me. Well, that's actually just narcissism and 160 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: a nicer outfit. That's not humility. That's still drawing all 161 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: attention to yourself. Woe is me is not humility. Rick 162 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: Warren says, humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's just 163 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:47,080 Speaker 1: thinking of yourself less. It's just being so preoccupied with Jesus, 164 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,960 Speaker 1: being so distracted, so discombobulated by his kindness, his goodness, 165 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: his accessibility, that we're just not very focused on ourselfs anymore. 166 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: I think humility is the key to intimacy see with God. 167 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: I think humility is necessary for worship. My posthumous pretend 168 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: theological boyfriend, aw Tosier says it like this. He says, 169 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 1: it takes humility to worship God acceptably. It takes humility 170 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,719 Speaker 1: to worship God acceptably. So it's it's the it's the 171 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: the way that we commune with God. It's the way 172 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: we effectively adequately worship God. I also think it's a 173 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: harbinger for divine glory. It's kind of like this. You know, 174 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:41,680 Speaker 1: the most common bread in almost all of the Southern 175 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: Hemisphere for the last I don't know, four or five centuries. 176 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: I read this is the lowly tortilla chip because of 177 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: or I should say tortilla, because of the relative cheapness 178 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: of corn and how how easily it's grown in hot, 179 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:00,880 Speaker 1: humid areas. And so they've got tortillas. Totorya is a 180 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,760 Speaker 1: no big deal. They're just they're just common. But but 181 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 1: if you cut a tortilla into triangles and you deep 182 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: fry it, and if you're a Christian, you deep fried 183 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: in lard, and then you you dip that triangle into 184 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: a that of case. So then well that that becomes 185 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:29,319 Speaker 1: the conduit for a life changing culinary experience, y'all. That's humility. 186 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: Humility actually leads us to glory, the kind of divine 187 00:10:34,760 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: glory that we read about in the Old Testament, but 188 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: we so rarely experience in our culture. And I think 189 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:43,120 Speaker 1: it's because we've gotten a little too proud. But we 190 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: wrap verses around our pride and call it humble. So 191 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: we're going to talk this morning, just for a minute 192 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:54,000 Speaker 1: about true humility. If you'll turn to first Samuel, I'm 193 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: gonna show you the the proof of why I think 194 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: humility is to glory, what ships and q so are 195 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: to life change, First Samuel, and we're going to be 196 00:11:08,440 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: looking at chapter two, verses twelve to twenty six. Now, 197 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 1: the sons of Eli were worthless men, they did not 198 00:11:19,000 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: know the Lord. The custom of the priest with the 199 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's 200 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 1: servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a 201 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 1: three pronged fork in his hand, and he would trust 202 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron or pot. 203 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,439 Speaker 1: All that the brought up the priest would take for himself. 204 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: This is what they did at Shiloh to all the 205 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,199 Speaker 1: Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, 206 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: the priest's servant would come and say to the man 207 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 1: who was sacrificing, give meat for the priest to roast, 208 00:11:47,559 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 1: for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but 209 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: only raw. And if the man said to him, let 210 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,400 Speaker 1: them burn the fat first and then take as much 211 00:11:55,440 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: as you wish, he would say, no, you must give 212 00:11:58,800 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: it now, and if not, I take it by force. 213 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:04,160 Speaker 1: Thus the sin of the young men was very great 214 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated 215 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,679 Speaker 1: the offering of the Lord with contempt. Samuel was ministering 216 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:12,280 Speaker 1: before the Lord a boy clothed with a linen. Ephod 217 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: and his mother used to make for him a little 218 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:17,240 Speaker 1: robe and take it to him each year when she 219 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 220 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,959 Speaker 1: Then Eli would bless el Caana, Samuel's daddy and his wife, 221 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: and say, may the Lord give you children by this 222 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: woman for the petition she asked of the Lord so 223 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: they would return home. Indeed, the Lord visited Hannah, and 224 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:35,200 Speaker 1: she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters, and 225 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: the young man Samuel, grew in the presence of the Lord. 226 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 1: You probably remember Samuel's story. It's one of the favorite 227 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:46,679 Speaker 1: stories I saw Flannel graft when I was growing up. 228 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:51,199 Speaker 1: Babdocostel and Samuel was born to a woman who struggled 229 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: with infertility named Hannah. The reason I love Hannah is 230 00:12:55,280 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: not only that she was patient, which is something I've 231 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: been praying for for five decades. Y'all. Remember, she had 232 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,760 Speaker 1: a sister wife that was back when polygamy was a norm, 233 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: and she had to put up with his sister wife 234 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: named Panina, who had all these kids. She was fertile, 235 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,839 Speaker 1: Myrtle and then Hannah short of them. Utilly didn't have 236 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:14,079 Speaker 1: any kids, and Panina was a big braggart. And when 237 00:13:14,080 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 1: they drove to Costco, She's made Hannah's life miserable. And 238 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,439 Speaker 1: so Hannah went to church. I'm taking the tiniest bit 239 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: of liberty with Hebrew, but this is what it would 240 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: play out like. Now. They go to church and Hannah 241 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: goes to the altar and is grieving with such drama 242 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: that the priest Eli who's mentioned here, thinks she's had 243 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: one too many mimosas before small group, and so the 244 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: priest chastises her, and she says, no, sir, I haven't 245 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: been drinking. I'm just travailing before the Lord because my 246 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:46,840 Speaker 1: heart has been broken for so long and it has 247 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: just devastated me that I've never been able to curate children. 248 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: And I know what that feels like because I didn't 249 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,079 Speaker 1: become a mom until the age of fifty through the 250 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: miracle of adoption. So I know what it feels like 251 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: to travail, especially on Mother's Day or Christmas. You wish 252 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: there's more than yours and your dogs talking hanging on 253 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: the fireplace. Nothing wrong with dogs, but that's all I 254 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: had until the age of fifty. So identify with Hannah. 255 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 1: And then she gets pregnant because our Lord is so kind, 256 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 1: and she names her son Samuel, which means the Lord hears, 257 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 1: and after he's weaned. She takes him to the temple 258 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,760 Speaker 1: and dedicates him and says, this is going to be 259 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 1: like his boarding school. And she says to the priest Eli, 260 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: I want you to raise him up in the ways 261 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: of God. I want my boy to love God. I 262 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: want my boy to give his life for kingdom purposes. Well, 263 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:40,040 Speaker 1: Eli already had two sons, so he effectively adopts Samuel. 264 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: But he's got two older sons, Hofney and Phineas. And 265 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: these boys are players. These boys were raised in the 266 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: house of God. They were fluent in the ways of God, 267 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: but they flouted the will of God because they were 268 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: more interested in satisfying their own appetites than they were 269 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,200 Speaker 1: in honoring God or serving God or submitting to God's will. 270 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: And so even though they were more than familiar with 271 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: Torah or people who are trying to be fancy and 272 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: pressure what dinner parties will say to Rah, but that's 273 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: just the Hebrew version of the first five books of 274 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: the Old Testament. They were familiar with that. And in 275 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: the Hebrew scriptures, God very specifically said here's the template 276 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: I want you to apply to sacrifice this and he said, 277 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,800 Speaker 1: when people bring meat to church, to temples what they 278 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,840 Speaker 1: called it back then, when they bring meat to church 279 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: as an offering, I want you all to use a 280 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,280 Speaker 1: three pronged fork. I've studied this, I can't prove it. 281 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:34,800 Speaker 1: I'm almost sure that's where we get the vernacular pot 282 00:15:34,880 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: luck supper, because people would put meat in a pot 283 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: and then the priest had to poke a three pronged 284 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: fork into the pot, and whatever they brought up was 285 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,320 Speaker 1: their protein for the day. And so Hafni and phineas 286 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: the sons of Eli, the priest whose lineage goes back 287 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: to Aaron, the first priest of Israel. So they had very, 288 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 1: very impeccable blue blood when it comes to be in preased. 289 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: I mean, if these guys were living today, Mother Teresa 290 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: and Billy Graham and Spurgeon and maybe Stephen Ferdick although 291 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 1: he's not dead, would be on their twenty three ae 292 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: me Tree. I mean, they just incredible legacy with regards 293 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,440 Speaker 1: to people who love God in their backstory. But they 294 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:22,480 Speaker 1: just ignored all that because they decide, we don't want 295 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,680 Speaker 1: pot luck, we want to know what we're getting. So 296 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: they set up a system in the parking lot of 297 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: the temple and they begin accosting worshipers, so before they 298 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: could even get to make their sacrifice, they'd be like, 299 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: what you got in that yettie, Let me see give 300 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: me those places, give me, give me that Kobe. And 301 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: they set up a system where they took the meat 302 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:43,560 Speaker 1: before it was sacrificed. They took the choicest cuts. They 303 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: had traggers set up in the parking lot. And that's 304 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: why God says they're worthless men. And he says, Eli, 305 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: you are not teaching your sons what it is to 306 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: bow their knees before me. He said, Samuel is base 307 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: an orphan, and Samuel Samuel and patting himself on the 308 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 1: back and dislocating his shoulder. Samuel is not impressed with himself. 309 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: Samuel's impressed with me. So God says, Samuel's growing up 310 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: while your boys are growing out. The word in Hebrew 311 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:22,360 Speaker 1: for weight is cavode, is the same word for honor 312 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: and for chubby. And God tells Eli, your sons are 313 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:31,000 Speaker 1: getting pretty thick, brother, because they're eating all that marbled me. 314 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: And he goes on to chastise Eli. In verse twenty 315 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,840 Speaker 1: nine of chapter two, he says, why then do you 316 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and 317 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: honor your sons above me by fattening yourself on the 318 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel. Therefore, 319 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: the Lord, the God of Israel, declares, I promised that 320 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,840 Speaker 1: your house, in the house of your father, should go 321 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: in an out before me. But now the Lord declares, 322 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,960 Speaker 1: far be it from me. For those who honor me, 323 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: I will honor, and those who despise me shall be 324 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will 325 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, 326 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: so that there will not be an old man in 327 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: your house. Then, in distress, you will look with envious 328 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 1: eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, 329 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,920 Speaker 1: and there shall not be an old man in your 330 00:18:24,960 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: house forever. The only one of you whom I shall 331 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: not cut off from my altar shall be spared to 332 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,959 Speaker 1: weep his eyes out to grieve his heart. And all 333 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: the descendants of your house shall die by the sword 334 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,560 Speaker 1: of men. And this shall come upon your two sons, 335 00:18:37,560 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: Hoftni and Phineas shall be assigned to you. Both of 336 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: them shall die on the same day. We go on 337 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:49,400 Speaker 1: to read the Hofti Infinius. Their destructive appetites led them 338 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,199 Speaker 1: to the point they spiraled to the point that they 339 00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:53,880 Speaker 1: were actually getting jiggy with women who were coming into 340 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: volunteer at church. So they added sexual abuse to their gluttony. 341 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: And these these were bad guys. Y'all their sons of 342 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: one of the high priests of Israel. We tend to 343 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: think that legacy. We equate legacy with effective leadership. Legacy 344 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: without humility is destructive. Legacy without humility leads to entitlement, 345 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,160 Speaker 1: which leads to lunacy. I love that Chris said, don't 346 00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 1: always give your kids what they want when they want it. 347 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: I'm not going to talk about parenting. I've only been 348 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: a parent for ten years and Missy is now a teenager, 349 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:30,920 Speaker 1: and so I can't say anything. I'm afraid I'll be 350 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: struck by lightning because we're just starting to have a 351 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 1: little emotion at our house, even though she's an amazing kid, 352 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: much easier parent than I am deserving. But I'm not 353 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: going to talk about parenting. I am going to talk 354 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: about our calling as christ followers. If you had the privilege, 355 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: the undeserved privilege of having Christian parents. Goodness gracious, that 356 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: does not mean that you're going to be a great leader. 357 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: It means that you should every single day go thank 358 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus, 359 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,120 Speaker 1: that I had legacy in my house, that I heard 360 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 1: these stories when I was a kid. Without humility, legacy 361 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: becomes entitlement. And that's what we're seeing all over culture. 362 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:21,720 Speaker 1: I'm not going to name names, but how many businesses 363 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:27,119 Speaker 1: have you seen absolutely fall apart when the sun takes 364 00:20:27,119 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 1: over and the dad led really, really well. The dad 365 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: built it from the ground up, and then the sun 366 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:37,199 Speaker 1: takes over with his bentley and his whatever addiction, and 367 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,800 Speaker 1: within ten years they're no longer traded. And when another 368 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: ten years they're belly of Now. That is sad when 369 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: you open up Wall Street and read about those kind 370 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 1: of businesses. Sadder still are churches when you see a 371 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: pasture who loves the Lord, and he's got a team 372 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,360 Speaker 1: of men and women who love the Lord, and there's 373 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: honor and there's integrity in the house, and then you 374 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: see a young leader come in. And I'm not against youth. 375 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: Goodness gracious, I pray for a young man on ey harmony. 376 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: So I am not at all opposed to youth. But 377 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,959 Speaker 1: if you see a youth begin to lead and they 378 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: get a platform before they have the scaffolding of humility, 379 00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:26,080 Speaker 1: they will topple because legacy does not equate to leadership. 380 00:21:26,400 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: Legacy and humility become leadership. We've got to be aware 381 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: that we've all got clay feet. We've got to be 382 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:38,160 Speaker 1: aware that the hope doesn't rest on us, at rest 383 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:42,040 Speaker 1: on Jesus. Hafi and Phineas completely forget that they fly 384 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:45,200 Speaker 1: out the ways of God and the Paul Harvey part 385 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: of their story. The second half is heartbreakingly sad. Flip 386 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 1: over a page to chapter four. A man of Benjamin 387 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: ran from the battle line. This is verse Samuel fod 388 00:21:56,680 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: verse twelve, with his clothes torn, dirt on his head. 389 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 1: When he arrived, Eli was sitting on a seat by 390 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,280 Speaker 1: the road, watching for his heart trembled for the ark 391 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 1: of God. Do you remember what the ark of God was? Young? Talkback, 392 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: I'm not your pastor Joe, remember what it was? Remember 393 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: Harrison fore chased it. Arc in Hebrew just means a box. 394 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: Fancy word. It just means a box. And the ark 395 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:24,679 Speaker 1: of God or sometimes you call it the ark of 396 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:28,000 Speaker 1: the Covenant. For the Israelites, these relights where God's chosen people. 397 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: That just means God set his favor on this motley 398 00:22:31,280 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: crew of people group, and he said, I'm gonna set 399 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: my favor on y'all, and for the rest of time, 400 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 1: people are gonna look at you as a symbol of 401 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,679 Speaker 1: the kind of intimacy that people can have with me. 402 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna set you apart. I'm I'm gonna call 403 00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: you a theocracy. Fancy word. That just means he set 404 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: his favor on them first, and then forever more people 405 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: will go, oh, God actually wants a relationship with us. 406 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: Previous to the theocracy of Israel, people thought God was 407 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: the sun. That was the Roman Egyptian idea. They thought 408 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:05,680 Speaker 1: God was the sun. You can't commune with the sun, 409 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: don't wear sunscreen, the sun will fry you. And so 410 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 1: the Hebrew God, who began Gudeo Christianity, said I want 411 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: actually real relationship with you. So Israel, I'm gonna set 412 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: you apart. I'm gonna commune with you, I'm gonna actually 413 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,960 Speaker 1: talk with you. There's gonna be boundaries for you to 414 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: live a blessed, blessed life. They're not rules. I hate 415 00:23:25,440 --> 00:23:28,119 Speaker 1: it when people call the Ten Commandments rules. They're like 416 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: the the bumper reels at the bowling alley that keep 417 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: your ball from going in the gutter. They're felt bumpers. 418 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you these parameters because I love you, 419 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: because you're my people. I'm gonna institute something called Sabbath. 420 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: That's not so you can't wear, you know, shorts on Sunday. 421 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:46,520 Speaker 1: That's not so you can't have belly rings that you show, 422 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,800 Speaker 1: preferably not in church unless you're really lean that. That's 423 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:55,120 Speaker 1: not a punitive decree. Sabbath was given to a group 424 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:57,880 Speaker 1: of people. All they knew was slavery. They've just come 425 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: out of slavery. That's all they know. And God says, 426 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 1: you're not going to understand this now. But I'm giving 427 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,680 Speaker 1: you something called Shabbat, and that means one day a week. 428 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: I want you to work. I want you to gather 429 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: around the table, and I want you to eat carbs 430 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,119 Speaker 1: because kito is from the devil. And I want you 431 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: to look at each other's eyes, and I want you 432 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: to enjoy each other, and I want you to have 433 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: fellowship and I want you to remember how much I 434 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:26,200 Speaker 1: love you. Sabbath Shabbat is about relationship. I'm a relational God. 435 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: He's always been a relational God, and so he's told 436 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: them from the very beginning, I love you, I'm for you. 437 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,800 Speaker 1: I love you, I'm for you. Hofei and Phineas just said, Nah, 438 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: we want to do it our own way, y'all. They 439 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 1: knew those parameters, they knew who God, what, they had 440 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: heard their daddy praying, and they just didn't care. They 441 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,879 Speaker 1: wanted to fill their own bellies. How often have you 442 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,320 Speaker 1: stopped in a moment? Or I better said, as the 443 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:57,399 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit stopped you and you went, what do I 444 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 1: want to do? He said, Actually, your will isn't quite 445 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:08,720 Speaker 1: as important as God's, and you went, it is today, 446 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:14,440 Speaker 1: and you are oppositionally defiant even though you know God, y'all. 447 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: I am a grace girl through and through. I love 448 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:21,840 Speaker 1: the unmerited favor of God as the only reason I'm here. 449 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: I am a grace piglet. I love the unmerited favor 450 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,440 Speaker 1: of God. But I'm also a word woman. And if 451 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:36,960 Speaker 1: you study scripture, God doesn't play. God does not allow 452 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: willful sin to continue indefinitely. There is a point where 453 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: God brings a consequence, not because he's mean, but because 454 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,720 Speaker 1: he's merciful, and he doesn't want us to get so 455 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,440 Speaker 1: far removed from him that we can't find our way back. 456 00:25:54,160 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: Hafni infineus goodness gracious. Of all people who knew God's will, 457 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: they were the ones who shouldn't have wandered. Their father 458 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,920 Speaker 1: was in the ministry, this man of Benjamin. He came 459 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: back to Eli, and Eli was skeered because he didn't 460 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 1: know what had happened to the ark of the Lord. 461 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: The box that carried the relics that proved that God 462 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: loved the Israelite. Y'all remember what those relics were in 463 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,399 Speaker 1: the big box, A jar of barbecue potato ships we 464 00:26:25,400 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: would call it manna. And then the staff that had 465 00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: butted miraculously pieces of the Ten Commandments. Those were relics 466 00:26:34,040 --> 00:26:36,359 Speaker 1: that proved. So they were like, hey, we weren't smoking 467 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:41,040 Speaker 1: something medicinal. This really happened. He really gave these words 468 00:26:41,080 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: to Moses on top of Mount Sinai. He was really 469 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,680 Speaker 1: with us in the wilderness. That ark of the Covenant 470 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: was precious to them. I trade Bibles usually every ten years, 471 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: but my dad wrote in this one, and my dad 472 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: passed away in twenty twelve. This is precious to me. 473 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 1: It's precious to me. I don't care if I lose 474 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: my purse. I care if I lose my Bible. I 475 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: care if I leave my Bible in an airport or 476 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 1: a hotel. I'm the Ark of the Covenant. That was 477 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 1: that was the crown jewel of Israel. And so Eli 478 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 1: is afraid because the Philistines, who were the arch enemy 479 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: of Israel, they always wanted to steal the Ark of 480 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: the Covenant. And when the man came into the city 481 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,639 Speaker 1: and told the news, all the city cried out. When 482 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: Eli heard the sound of the outcry, he said, what 483 00:27:30,359 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: is this uproar? Then the man hurried and came and 484 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:36,239 Speaker 1: told Eli. Now, Eli was ninety eight years old, and 485 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,440 Speaker 1: his eyes were set so that he could not see. 486 00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: In other words, he was blind, but he can hear everything. 487 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,360 Speaker 1: And the man said to Eli, I am he who 488 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: has come from the battle. I fled from the battle today. 489 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: And he said, how did it go? My son? He 490 00:27:48,920 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: who brought the news answered and said, Israel has fled 491 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 1: before the Philistines. And there has also been a great 492 00:27:55,600 --> 00:28:00,280 Speaker 1: defeat among the people. Your two sons also, Hoffni and Finishiness, 493 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,120 Speaker 1: are dead, and the Ark of God has been captured. 494 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,680 Speaker 1: As soon as he mentioned the Ark of God, Eli 495 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: fell over backward from his seat by the side of 496 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,600 Speaker 1: the gate, and his neck was broken and he died. 497 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: For the man was old and heavy. He had judged 498 00:28:16,119 --> 00:28:18,919 Speaker 1: Israel for forty years. Holly, how long have you and 499 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:24,679 Speaker 1: Stephen been leading Elevation? Sixteen so forty years double what 500 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:28,840 Speaker 1: you've plowed here. Forty years. Eli has been leading Israel. 501 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 1: He's been their spiritual leader, and this is his epetah. 502 00:28:35,760 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 1: He's standing on a chair waiting to hear about the 503 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: Ark of the Covenant. And because he's a chunk, because 504 00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 1: he's been eating all that meat he's not supposed to 505 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: to eat, he's heavy, and he's so flustered when the 506 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 1: messenger comes back and says, I'm so sorry, the ark 507 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 1: has been stolen, and your son's both died in battle, 508 00:28:52,600 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: and he remembers the prophecy of God saying your sons 509 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,200 Speaker 1: are not going to live. You're not going to have 510 00:28:56,240 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 1: any old men in your family tree. He falls off 511 00:28:58,680 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: the chair and breaks his neck. That's not Jerry Springer, 512 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: that's the Bible. That's called consequence. That's consequence of not 513 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,520 Speaker 1: going yes, sir, not my will but yours, which even 514 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: Jesus said in the Garden of Guessimone, I don't know 515 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 1: why we think we can shirk that anymore. And our 516 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: Jesus is my bumper sticker society. I know, humility isn't 517 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: trending because we're so preoccupied with my brand and my 518 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,480 Speaker 1: choice and my preference. Y'all. It never stop trending. In 519 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,959 Speaker 1: the scripture, God tells them over and over again, you're 520 00:29:30,040 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: my people. I love you. You're my people. I love you. 521 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: You're my people. I love you. I made away for you. 522 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,640 Speaker 1: Be reconciled with me. Now I'm God. You're not. I'm God, 523 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: and you're not. Humility. Humility is it is key to 524 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: intimacy with Jesus. Phineas one of the Fat Dead Boys wives. 525 00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: She's pregnant and when she hears her husband has been 526 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,120 Speaker 1: killed in battle and she sees her father in law 527 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: topple over and die, she's spontaneously gives birth. She has 528 00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 1: a spontaneous birth, and she's so traumatized by what has 529 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: happened that she doesn't immediately bond with the baby. The 530 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,560 Speaker 1: women around her have to care for the baby, and 531 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: they say, but but you need to rejoice, You need 532 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: to rejoice. You had a son. We know you lost 533 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 1: your husband, you lost your friendly, but you had a son. 534 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: And she says, name him ikabod kobad means where has 535 00:30:23,880 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 1: the glory gone? One word in English is in glorious. 536 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: The name cavode in Hebrew means glory, glory. Cavode also 537 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 1: means chubby, juppy, same word for physical weight as for glory. Y'all. 538 00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 1: The bottom line of this Jerry Springer tail is our 539 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:50,880 Speaker 1: shoulders are not shaped to carrie divine glory when we 540 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 1: think it's all about us. If you aren't careful, it 541 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 1: will crush you. Our shoulders are not shaped to carry 542 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: God's glory. I worry sometimes in the culture we have 543 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:06,720 Speaker 1: that's so focused on platform and entertainment, I think, oh, Lord, 544 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 1: protect them, because when we start thinking I'm the conduit 545 00:31:11,880 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: for God's glory, I'm like, no, baby, you better get 546 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: out of the way. You had better get out of 547 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:21,120 Speaker 1: the way. Because God doesn't play with human pride. He 548 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: just doesn't. And if human pride leads to an appetite, 549 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:29,960 Speaker 1: that says my stomach is more important than God's will. Y'ah, 550 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: we are going to have some consequences that we haven't 551 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:39,200 Speaker 1: begun to fear. I'm usually not a fire and brimstone 552 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,600 Speaker 1: kind of girl. Again, I love the grace of God, 553 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: but at that age I am. Sometimes I look at 554 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:49,480 Speaker 1: culture and I go, we have forgotten. We have forgotten 555 00:31:49,560 --> 00:31:52,680 Speaker 1: the glory of God, and we're taking too much of 556 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:58,240 Speaker 1: it for ourselves. I watched a documentary recently and it 557 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: was about Dennis Raider, the BTK serial killer, and he 558 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: had a killing spree over about twenty years. They know 559 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,600 Speaker 1: definitively he killed ten people, one of them a nine 560 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,040 Speaker 1: year old little boy. But the whole time he was 561 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,880 Speaker 1: doing these heinous things in the dark, he was a 562 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:21,600 Speaker 1: leader in his church, and they asked him about that duplicity, 563 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:25,280 Speaker 1: and he talked about pride. He just said, I wanted 564 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 1: people to know who I was. I wanted people to 565 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:31,720 Speaker 1: be impressed with me. I wanted to be a big 566 00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: man on campus. And I thought, we have no idea 567 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:38,680 Speaker 1: what our pride leads to. It leads to destruction. If 568 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: I could hang my hat on one thing that I've 569 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: had the privilege of witnessing in thirty plus years of 570 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,000 Speaker 1: vocational ministry. Something that happened about fifteen years ago at 571 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: an event in Orlando was a women's conference that wasn't 572 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,920 Speaker 1: in a stained glass window kind of church, thankfully, it 573 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:59,800 Speaker 1: was actually in a holiday and we walked into this 574 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,560 Speaker 1: holiday inn and it was leaders from all around the country, 575 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: all women, and I had the underserved privilege to be 576 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:09,760 Speaker 1: one of the teachers at this event. And we were 577 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:13,800 Speaker 1: all in the pre event time, gripping and grinned in time. 578 00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:15,800 Speaker 1: And there was one woman I wanted to meet more 579 00:33:15,800 --> 00:33:17,760 Speaker 1: than anybody else in the room because she was carrying 580 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: a baby. And I've had baby fever since I was 581 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:22,959 Speaker 1: probably thirty years old. Didn't think I'd ever become a 582 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:27,880 Speaker 1: mom because my history romantically is a train wreck because 583 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,480 Speaker 1: I was just scared, slammed to death of intimacy, a 584 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:32,520 Speaker 1: lot of abuse in my background, So that was kind 585 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:36,360 Speaker 1: of It's kind of where my fault setting has often 586 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,200 Speaker 1: been set on abusive men and the good guys like y'all. 587 00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:48,480 Speaker 1: Y'all God protected y'all from me. That was just hot mess. Express. Anyway, 588 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: I went up and I told this woman, I said, 589 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: I want to meet you, but I need to confess 590 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:56,200 Speaker 1: my ulterior motive. I'm really coming over to meet your baby. 591 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 1: And she grinned and she said, well, my name's Molly, 592 00:33:59,120 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 1: and then she down and she said, and this is 593 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: Elijah said his name was Elijah, and yeah, sometimes a 594 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,720 Speaker 1: mama says their child's name, and even with a child 595 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:09,560 Speaker 1: or a daddy, if the child is sleeping, they wake 596 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:11,879 Speaker 1: up when they hear their parents' voice. When she said 597 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:15,040 Speaker 1: and this is Elijah, he just went he just woke up. 598 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: And my first thought was, what a pumpkin, because he 599 00:34:19,239 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 1: had this shock of just white hair. You know, sometimes 600 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: Caucasian babies, no matter how much spit the mama uses, 601 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: they just can't get their hair to lay down. He 602 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: had this like little mohawk of white hair and then 603 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,800 Speaker 1: huge blue eyes, and I thought, oh, what a beautiful boy. 604 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,560 Speaker 1: And then my second thought was, I wonder if this 605 00:34:38,600 --> 00:34:41,600 Speaker 1: has been a difficult season for Molly, because it was 606 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:44,960 Speaker 1: very apparent Elijah had down syndrome. And she began to 607 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 1: tell me your story. She's my age, much older, and 608 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 1: she said they didn't plan on the third child. She 609 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: has two grown kids. But she said, we trust God. 610 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 1: We trust God as sovereign. We know that he wove 611 00:34:56,239 --> 00:34:59,719 Speaker 1: our family to include Elijah. But then she said, but 612 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,719 Speaker 1: it's it's been a tough season. She said she hadn't 613 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: slept through the night since they had brought Elijah home 614 00:35:05,680 --> 00:35:07,760 Speaker 1: from the hospital because he had a lot of medical 615 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: issues and he wasn't sleeping much. They were struggling a 616 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,719 Speaker 1: little bit financially because of those medical issues, and she 617 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,760 Speaker 1: just said, it's been a tough season, and we trust 618 00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,040 Speaker 1: the Lord, but it's been a hard season. And I 619 00:35:19,080 --> 00:35:23,799 Speaker 1: was so grateful for her honesty, because I think sometimes 620 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: our pride is just a smoke screen because we won't 621 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 1: say I'm struggling. I think some of the no I'm 622 00:35:29,760 --> 00:35:33,279 Speaker 1: good is actually we're afraid if we go I'm not 623 00:35:33,880 --> 00:35:37,160 Speaker 1: so good. We're afraid somebody will pull the switch string 624 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 1: and the whole sweater will unravel. And y'all, that's not church, 625 00:35:40,880 --> 00:35:45,000 Speaker 1: by the way, Church is I'm dying today, Will you 626 00:35:45,080 --> 00:35:46,840 Speaker 1: take a corner of my mount and carry me to 627 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 1: the roof and lower me to Jesus neediness? Neediness is 628 00:35:53,120 --> 00:35:57,880 Speaker 1: actually a spiritual necessity. So some of y'all aren't prideful 629 00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 1: because you're arrogant. You're prideful because you're just geared slammed 630 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 1: to death. Somebody's going to look under the hood. So 631 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:06,240 Speaker 1: Molly said, it's been a tough season. She wasn't maudling, 632 00:36:06,360 --> 00:36:08,320 Speaker 1: she ain't gone and on didn't air any dirty laundry. 633 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: She's just honest. Well, then all of a sudden, the 634 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:14,240 Speaker 1: conference was over. It was a Friday Saturday conference. Saturday afternoon, 635 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:16,560 Speaker 1: I'm out in the foyer the hotel talking with some women. 636 00:36:17,000 --> 00:36:18,759 Speaker 1: Molly comes walking up and asked me if i'll sign 637 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:20,720 Speaker 1: a book for her, and I was like, oh, sure, 638 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:23,880 Speaker 1: I'd love to. Was I'm writing in her book. The 639 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,719 Speaker 1: women I'd been chatting with continue to converse, and I 640 00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: accidentally wrote one of the words they said out loud 641 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: into Molly's book in black sharpie because I have a 642 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,760 Speaker 1: little bit of add and I was like, oh snap, 643 00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:37,680 Speaker 1: because I've written this mistake word in her book in 644 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 1: big black manship market and I didn't know how to 645 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 1: fix it. And I said, oh man, I really liked her. 646 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,360 Speaker 1: I so enjoyed the conversation last night. I've totally defaced 647 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: her book. And then from seemingly out of nowhere, I 648 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,759 Speaker 1: remembered a verse that included the mistake word, and I 649 00:36:50,840 --> 00:36:54,120 Speaker 1: was like, score. You know, I'll make this all like 650 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:56,839 Speaker 1: pinteresty and do it up around it, make it look 651 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: like I meant to do that word in there, which 652 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,200 Speaker 1: is exactly what I did. Closed the book. We talked 653 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:02,839 Speaker 1: a minute more. I hugged her. She left it didn't 654 00:37:02,840 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 1: think i'd ever see her again. We live four or 655 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: five states away. Maybe ten minutes later, I see her 656 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 1: turn back in the lobby and start walking toward me, 657 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:14,360 Speaker 1: very appearent she's been crying. And she walked up and 658 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:17,439 Speaker 1: she went, Lisa, I just got to tell you what 659 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:19,759 Speaker 1: that verse you wrote in my book meant to me. 660 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,880 Speaker 1: And I said, oh, God, come it, because sometimes I 661 00:37:23,920 --> 00:37:27,279 Speaker 1: get the addresses mixed up of verses, or sometimes I'll 662 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:30,720 Speaker 1: read like a really resonant bumper sticker and I'll quote 663 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 1: that as a verse. I don't mean to, but you 664 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: know how, you'll just get things mixed up. And I thought, 665 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:38,800 Speaker 1: I probably, you know, put something there from People magazine 666 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: or something. And she said, do you remember last night 667 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:44,040 Speaker 1: when I kind of told you our story about Elijah? 668 00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: And I said, oh, I remember everything, and she said, well, 669 00:37:46,680 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: I didn't tell you the whole story. She said, it's 670 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:52,319 Speaker 1: been more than a hard season. She has been more 671 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,400 Speaker 1: than hard. She said, I feel like my prayers are 672 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:58,000 Speaker 1: hitting the ceiling. I know the theology in my head, 673 00:37:58,040 --> 00:37:59,920 Speaker 1: but emotionally, I feel like God is a million miles well, 674 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: she said, I'm just really, really struggling. And she said, 675 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:06,160 Speaker 1: my husband told me I really needed to come to 676 00:38:06,239 --> 00:38:09,319 Speaker 1: this event, but I didn't want to come. She said, 677 00:38:09,320 --> 00:38:12,879 Speaker 1: I just couldn't do perky. I just couldn't do it. 678 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:15,480 Speaker 1: So she said, finally we made a deal and I 679 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: told him I would come, but I wouldn't drive with 680 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,880 Speaker 1: anybody else. I didn't want to make small talk. And 681 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 1: she said, the whole way here, she's a four hour drive, 682 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:25,320 Speaker 1: and the whole way here, I've just been begging God 683 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:29,400 Speaker 1: for that. You know, sometimes you want that tangible thing, 684 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:32,839 Speaker 1: maybe Pastor Stevens preaching. You go, Oh my heavens, he's 685 00:38:32,880 --> 00:38:35,960 Speaker 1: been reading my emails. He knows exactly where I am. 686 00:38:36,080 --> 00:38:40,280 Speaker 1: You just want that that personal, personal message from the Lord. 687 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,080 Speaker 1: And she said the conference has been fine, but I 688 00:38:43,120 --> 00:38:46,440 Speaker 1: didn't get it. She said, quite frankly, when everything concluded, 689 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:48,800 Speaker 1: I was a little disappointed because I just didn't get 690 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,440 Speaker 1: that word. I felt like I needed to kind of 691 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: carry you on. I feel like I'm at a knot 692 00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:56,320 Speaker 1: at the end of my rope and I just needed 693 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,600 Speaker 1: she needed something to help me hang on. And I 694 00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:02,120 Speaker 1: just didn't get it. And she said, I was going 695 00:39:02,200 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 1: back up to my hotel room, just get my suitcase. 696 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:07,560 Speaker 1: And she said when I got on the elevator where 697 00:39:07,560 --> 00:39:09,120 Speaker 1: there were three other women on the elevator, and I 698 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,080 Speaker 1: didn't want to talk. I didn't want to make small talk. 699 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:13,600 Speaker 1: So she said, I just opened your books so they 700 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,080 Speaker 1: wouldn't say anything to me. I just pretended like I 701 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:19,399 Speaker 1: was reading. And she said, when I opened your book, 702 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,000 Speaker 1: I saw the verse you wrote in the front. And 703 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:25,319 Speaker 1: she said, I was so surprised that the verse you 704 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: inscribed is the verse I chose when I was in 705 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 1: campus crusade and college as my life verse. She said, Lis, 706 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:34,680 Speaker 1: I haven't thought of that verse in twenty five years. 707 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,200 Speaker 1: She said, that was so long ago I forgot. I 708 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: saw it again, that that was the verse I chose. 709 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,640 Speaker 1: I was just trying to look spiritual. I chose kind 710 00:39:42,640 --> 00:39:45,840 Speaker 1: of an obscure verse. And she said, out of all 711 00:39:46,239 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 1: the verses in the Bible you could have written in 712 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: the front of my book, you wrote that verse. And 713 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:55,760 Speaker 1: she said through that I sensed God's presence on the elevator, going, Molly, 714 00:39:56,040 --> 00:40:01,120 Speaker 1: I'm right here. Nothing in your life is hidden from me. 715 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:06,399 Speaker 1: I'm right here. I see you. I've got you. She said, 716 00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:08,239 Speaker 1: I just had to come back and say thank you. 717 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:14,839 Speaker 1: And I said, oh, Molly, it's a bigger miracle than 718 00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:20,360 Speaker 1: you think. And I told her I was not being 719 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:23,839 Speaker 1: a good Bible teacher at that point. I wasn't being 720 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 1: a sage prophet. All I was trying to do was 721 00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: cover up mistake. Truly. That was my only motive, was 722 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 1: a cover up and mistake. And our God is so kind, 723 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: and he's so good, and even in our pride, he 724 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:44,279 Speaker 1: was so redemptive. But he used even my mistake as 725 00:40:44,360 --> 00:40:48,720 Speaker 1: a bridge to embrace, to encourage this beloved, exhausted daughter 726 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:53,680 Speaker 1: of his. Y'all, it has never ever been about us. 727 00:40:54,560 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: I could stand up here for a weekest done Sundays 728 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,960 Speaker 1: and tell you miracle after miracle after miracle that I've 729 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,479 Speaker 1: seen in thirty five years, and none of them are 730 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:11,759 Speaker 1: connected to anything I carry. It's usually my lack, and 731 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:16,400 Speaker 1: it's God's largess. It's where his mercy seeps in the gaps. 732 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 1: It's where his mercy covers it's where his kindness compensates. 733 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:30,160 Speaker 1: It's not all about us. We are not We are 734 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 1: not containers of glory. We're calendars of grace. It leaks 735 00:41:38,200 --> 00:41:41,200 Speaker 1: through us. It leaks through us. Can I ask you 736 00:41:41,239 --> 00:41:43,720 Speaker 1: to bow your heads and close your eyes. Pastor Jonathan 737 00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:47,080 Speaker 1: is gonna come up and close us. I feel like 738 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:51,400 Speaker 1: an ant in this house. I've such a deep affection 739 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:56,400 Speaker 1: for you, and I'm older than most of you, and 740 00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,200 Speaker 1: I wish I was smart enough to have concise words 741 00:41:59,560 --> 00:42:06,440 Speaker 1: to say, don't ever think less of yourself, but be 742 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:13,840 Speaker 1: preoccupied with Jesus. Be preoccupied with Jesus. Our shoulders aren't 743 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:18,240 Speaker 1: shaped for glory, y'all. It does not matter how many 744 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:24,239 Speaker 1: followers you have. It does not matter who's singing your praises. 745 00:42:24,320 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter how many accolades are on your press release. 746 00:42:28,840 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter. What matters is intimacy with Jesus. And 747 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:41,560 Speaker 1: if people clap lovely, it's fleeting. It won't carry you, 748 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:45,759 Speaker 1: and it doesn't honor God, whom we're preoccupied with our 749 00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:53,040 Speaker 1: reputations and our appetite. Be preoccupied with Him. Well, Jesus. 750 00:42:53,080 --> 00:43:00,120 Speaker 1: I pray for this house, this amazing anointed church that 751 00:43:00,200 --> 00:43:04,279 Speaker 1: you love, that you blessed, that you poured favor on Lord. 752 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:09,279 Speaker 1: I pray that their DNA would would not just be Lord, 753 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:11,120 Speaker 1: a house where people are safe, in a house where 754 00:43:11,160 --> 00:43:14,960 Speaker 1: people hear your gospel, in a house where people praise Jesus. 755 00:43:15,280 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: I pray humility would be in their DNA. That people 756 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,879 Speaker 1: would be slow to take offense and quick to say 757 00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, That people would be quick to step out 758 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,480 Speaker 1: of the way, so that you would be the biggest 759 00:43:27,920 --> 00:43:30,319 Speaker 1: thing in the room, so that you would be the 760 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:33,560 Speaker 1: name on everyone's tongue. Lord, thank you, thank you, thank 761 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:39,600 Speaker 1: you that your mercy covers our weakness. Thank you, thank you, 762 00:43:39,719 --> 00:43:42,240 Speaker 1: thank you that where we are weak, you are strong. 763 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:45,080 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, thank you that you don't turn 764 00:43:45,160 --> 00:43:49,160 Speaker 1: your face from us when we're face down on the floor. 765 00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:52,640 Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord Jesus, that even 766 00:43:52,680 --> 00:43:57,279 Speaker 1: though you know we're dust, you call us a royal priesthood, 767 00:43:57,960 --> 00:44:04,839 Speaker 1: Lord imbue in this house humility, ingratitude, humility, ingratitude, that 768 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:07,120 Speaker 1: we would be quick to fall on our face and 769 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:09,880 Speaker 1: just say thank you, thank you again, thank you again. 770 00:44:09,960 --> 00:44:13,440 Speaker 1: I remember, Jesus. I remember, I remember what you saved 771 00:44:13,480 --> 00:44:16,080 Speaker 1: me from. I remember the days you saved me from 772 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:19,800 Speaker 1: myself and my appetite. Oh Lord Jesus, I want to 773 00:44:19,800 --> 00:44:23,440 Speaker 1: be hungry for you, for I'm hungry for anything else. 774 00:44:23,640 --> 00:44:27,880 Speaker 1: Bless these people, Lord Jesus. Give them more of you, 775 00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:31,879 Speaker 1: increase their hunger for you. We love you, Jesus. Thank 776 00:44:31,920 --> 00:44:36,080 Speaker 1: you that you never remove yourself from us. We love you, Jesus. Well, 777 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:38,560 Speaker 1: if you enjoyed today's podcast, there are a couple things 778 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,879 Speaker 1: I'd love for you to do. Make sure to subscribe, rate, 779 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:45,160 Speaker 1: and review this podcast. You can also help us reach 780 00:44:45,239 --> 00:44:49,120 Speaker 1: others by investing today at Elevationchurch dot org, slash gift 781 00:44:49,520 --> 00:44:52,320 Speaker 1: and thanks again for joining us on the Elevation Podcast