1 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:05,000 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:12,640 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 1: Also want to mention a few things that are going 7 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,760 Speaker 1: on in the church. Let's see our e Fam Reunion Tour. 8 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: Our teams have been visiting cities across the United States 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: this year, and I wonder if they're coming to you next. Now, 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:32,760 Speaker 1: put it in the chat where you want our e 11 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: Fam Reunion Tour to come next? Put it in the 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: chat and why they should come? Give us a good reason. 13 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: Do you have good barbecue? Is there a mighty spirit 14 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: of revival brewing in your city? Is there a really 15 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: cool bowling alley? I don't know, but some reason that 16 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: we should come. So far, we've been to Tampa, Houston, Atlanta, 17 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: and Philadelphia. Over six hundred volunteers have showed up afterward 18 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: to serve over one thousand hours. Worse, with our outreach partners, 19 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty five people have been baptized at 20 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: our pop up watch parties. Next week they're headed to Phoenix, 21 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: but we don't know where next, so you'll have to 22 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: help us decide. Just put it in the chat where 23 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: should we show up next? But I know that whether 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: they show up or not, God is right there with 25 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,040 Speaker 1: you right now, so we're not waiting for next week. 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:38,000 Speaker 1: Somebody say, I need a word from God right now, 27 00:01:38,200 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: right now, right now, right now, right now, right now. 28 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: I'm excited to share with you today from the scripture 29 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: that God has given us in Hebrews chapter eleven. Of 30 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: all of the scriptures that God could have picked for 31 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: us to study, believe he picked this one for us 32 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:12,239 Speaker 1: today in Hebrews eleven twenty three through twenty nine. You 33 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: ready by faith. Moses's parents hit him for three months 34 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: after he was born because they saw he was no 35 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. 36 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:37,080 Speaker 1: By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to 37 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose 38 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:47,360 Speaker 1: to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather 39 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: than to enjoy check out this curious construction of words, 40 00:02:54,680 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 1: the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the 41 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: sake of Christ. As of greater value, of higher worth 42 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,399 Speaker 1: than the treasures of Egypt. Because he was looking ahead 43 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: to his reward by faith, he left Egypt. Not fearing 44 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: the king's anger. He persevered. He persevered because he saw 45 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: him who is invisible. By faith, he kept the passover 46 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of 47 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith, 48 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land, 49 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 50 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 1: Now let me lift these two verses so we can 51 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: get into our topic for today. This a word from 52 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: the Lord today, it says in verse twenty four, by 53 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: faith Moses, when he had grown up, and then it 54 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: says in verse twenty seven, moved down, he persevered. So 55 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,160 Speaker 1: the message God gave for today. I don't know if 56 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: you like it or not. This is a broccoli kind 57 00:04:04,960 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: of Bible passage today. This is not briars. This is broccoli. 58 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: But if you're mature enough to receive this word, and 59 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: you've got all your molers and you could chew it. 60 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: The Lord told me to talk about too grown to 61 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: give up, too grown to give up. We need your 62 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 1: help with this message. Lord, so give them the faith 63 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: that they need. The faith comes from you. The faith 64 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: comes from you. Even the faith comes from you, not 65 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: just the grace. Even the faith must come from you. 66 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: Impart it right now to every believer in Jesus' name, 67 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:57,960 Speaker 1: Amen be seated. Pretty legendary story in our family. Think 68 00:04:58,000 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: it was about seven years ago. Me and Graham were 69 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: watching some music on TV and I told him, if 70 00:05:04,279 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: you name that song that that man is singing right now, 71 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,360 Speaker 1: I'll give you a thousand dollars. And I was bluffing 72 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:13,880 Speaker 1: because it was in the middle. It was a Jimmy 73 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: Hendrick song and he was already playing the guitar solo 74 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:18,559 Speaker 1: and it wasn't on the screen the name of the song, 75 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: so I thought it was safe. And he goes fire 76 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 1: and that was correct. It's great an interesting dilemma, my 77 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: integrity as a dad or my money. And then I thought, well, 78 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: maybe there's an option, see, and I was shocked he 79 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: got it. I was shocked he got it. I was like, 80 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: how did you know that the song was called fire? 81 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:42,840 Speaker 1: He said, I just guessed. I still don't know to 82 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: this day how he knew. It's a mystery. But what 83 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 1: happened next is the stuff of legends. I said, what 84 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: if I buy you a Clemson jersey instead? And he said, yes, 85 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: I bought him a jersey, and I came out about 86 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: nine hundred and sixty dollars ahead. It wasn't a real jersey. 87 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: He was only six. From time to time he will 88 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: still say, just out of nowhere, Ah, it's thirteen now. Ah, 89 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: I can't believe I took the jersey. I could have 90 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: had ten jerseys. Ugh. And I don't know exactly what 91 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,799 Speaker 1: stirs it up in him, this deep sense of regret, 92 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: this bitterness toward me. But he'll sometimes put it in 93 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: my face as in accusation, some kind of like a 94 00:06:38,440 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: parental judgment of how could you take advantage of a 95 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,400 Speaker 1: six year old like that? But it's pretty common he'll 96 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:45,920 Speaker 1: bring it up. He'll bring it up all the time 97 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: because then he'll say I was too young to know 98 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: what I was doing, and you took advantage of me. 99 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: And I'm like, no, I was just teaching you. It's 100 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: a lesson. It was actually teaching you to value something. 101 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: The problem is sometimes you don't really know what's valuable. 102 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: You know, the old son that said, don't know what 103 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: you got until it's gone. I would say, you don't 104 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:26,760 Speaker 1: know what you've got until you're grown. You know, you don't. 105 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: In the passage that I read you, what got me 106 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 1: thinking about it is that it mentions Moses as a baby. 107 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: And the reason this scripture is so significant in Hebrews 108 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,960 Speaker 1: chapter eleven that this particular book of the Bible is 109 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 1: because the author is writing to an audience of believers 110 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: who are in many ways babies in their faith. And 111 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: so now he uses the example of baby Moses. I 112 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,040 Speaker 1: don't know if you saw that. In verse twenty three, 113 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: let's look at it again. It talks about how when 114 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: he was little, and the Pharaoh had issued an edict 115 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: to kill all the firstborn of Israel because while they 116 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 1: were living in Egypt, they became very powerful, and he 117 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: knew that if they became too powerful, they would no 118 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: longer serve his purpose. Therefore, he set up a system 119 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 1: by which the midwives, when they were delivering these Hebrew babies, 120 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: would kill all the firstborn children. Moses' parents had the 121 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 1: faith to see the purpose of their child, or the 122 00:08:31,320 --> 00:08:34,720 Speaker 1: potential of their child, when he was still just a baby. 123 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: And that's a beautiful thing. If you've ever had someone 124 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 1: see potential in you before you saw it in yourself. 125 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: That's a beautiful thing. How many of you ever had 126 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 1: somebody that you just borrowed some of their belief in you. Yeah, 127 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: it's an awesome thing. People like Aunt Jackie who told 128 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: me God has a very special plan for you. He 129 00:08:55,440 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: has a really special plan for you. And at the 130 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: time when she was saying that to me, right, because 131 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: that's something that sounds really good, is something that maybe 132 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: you know, if you hear that in your own right, 133 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 1: you could fill that with your own preferences of what 134 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:12,680 Speaker 1: that plan is. But she said it to me. But 135 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: the beauty of it was that she saw it in 136 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: its baby form. She saw it in its baby form. 137 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,800 Speaker 1: She believed in what was in me in baby form. 138 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,600 Speaker 1: And see, Moses's parents had the faith to see the 139 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: significance in what was hidden. So I want to spend 140 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 1: just a moment right now. This is not the whole message, 141 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: but it'll set up the context. I want to talk 142 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: about hidden significance, hidden significance and how some of the 143 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: things that are most significant are hidden for the very 144 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 1: reason that they are significant. In Moses's case, he was 145 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: hidden until he was three months old, so that he 146 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: could stay alive and God all and hides the most 147 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: significant things in order to protect the potential of that 148 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: thing until the time is right. Now. We know Moses 149 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: as the red sea parter. We know Moses as the 150 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: prophet who commanded plagues. We know Moses as the one 151 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: who brought water out of the rock. We know Moses 152 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: as the man who saw God face to face. But 153 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:28,559 Speaker 1: his parents saw it his destiny when he was in diapers, 154 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: and they had the good sense to hide what was 155 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 1: significant so that it wouldn't be killed before it had 156 00:10:39,080 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: the chance to develop into what it was destined to be. 157 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: One of the things that I teach my son about 158 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: creativity is don't show people things that you're working on 159 00:10:52,320 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: too early while you're working on them. Don't post everything 160 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,079 Speaker 1: that you are creating out of a need for instant validation, 161 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: because it will short circuit your creativity to see what 162 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: it could be. I have this rule about sermons. I 163 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: never tell anybody what I'm preaching about ever. The reason 164 00:11:11,920 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: is because if I show it to them before I 165 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: really know it for myself, the look on their face. 166 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:20,920 Speaker 1: You know, there's this look that people get when you're 167 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: trying to tell them, you know, I was gonna talk 168 00:11:22,600 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: about Hebrews eleven, and you got to grow up in 169 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: all this stuff and Moses and the Pharaoh and all that. 170 00:11:27,320 --> 00:11:28,960 Speaker 1: And they look at you kind of like with this 171 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: polite kind of confusion. It's a very specific look they 172 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: get in their eyes, like I'm sure you'll do something 173 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: with this. It's like a look that you give to something. 174 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: It's like a house that's just like dilapidated, and it's like, 175 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure somebody could fix it up. I'm sure the 176 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: bones are good, you know, And they look at you 177 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: that way. So I taught my son, I said, never 178 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: show your embryos. When God is doing something significant in 179 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 1: your life, it is good for it to remain hidden 180 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:02,840 Speaker 1: for a time. How many would agree Moses was a 181 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: significant figure in the history of God's people. Yeah, a 182 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:13,080 Speaker 1: pretty big deal. Maybe the most significant figure in the 183 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: history of Israel. Maybe maybe. I mean. Hebrews eleven mentions 184 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:23,079 Speaker 1: a lot of them, mentions Abraham, It mentions Jacob. It 185 00:12:23,160 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 1: mentions how you got Enoch who didn't even die. God 186 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: took him up because he was pleasing to God. It says, 187 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,040 Speaker 1: without faith, it is impossible to please God because he 188 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 1: who comes to God must believe that he is. It's like, yeah, 189 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,480 Speaker 1: but do you really? And that he rewards those who 190 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: diligently seek him. That's an amazing scripture. And the author 191 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: of Hebrews, you have to understand he's giving us a 192 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 1: picture of those who did not quit on what God 193 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:58,600 Speaker 1: called them to do. And to give us a picture 194 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: of those who didn't quit, he shows us someone who 195 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: was almost killed before he even had an opportunity to 196 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 1: be called. The thing that I want you to know 197 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: is that everything significant that I ever did in life, 198 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:30,520 Speaker 1: I was tempted to quit. I am preaching this message 199 00:13:30,559 --> 00:13:37,199 Speaker 1: to somebody today who is tempted to quit on something 200 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: God called you to do. And I understand how people 201 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: love to take a sermon and put their initials on 202 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: it for whatever they want it to mean. Trust me, 203 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: I've seen it happen over and over and over again. 204 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: So you haven't smoked in three weeks. But then I 205 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: preached on don't quit, and you go get a pack 206 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 1: right after I've reach because the pastor said don't quit. 207 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:06,679 Speaker 1: I know how y'all are. Y'all are real shifty. Sometimes 208 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: with these scriptures real slippery sometimes with these scriptures, real 209 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:14,880 Speaker 1: manipulative sometimes with these scriptures. But please let us reason 210 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: together at the mercy seat. I'm talking about quitting on 211 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: what God called you to do. And the picture is 212 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: of a man that God called to deliver a nation, 213 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: but he was almost killed before he even had the 214 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: opportunity to be called. And this helps me understand why 215 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: some of the people who have the most significant purpose 216 00:14:39,800 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 1: to accomplish for the Kingdom of God go through the 217 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:56,560 Speaker 1: heaviest attacks at the formative stages of their life. So 218 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: his parents had had the oh Man the faith. It 219 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: says they had faith. Everybody shout faith. Now, I'm concerned 220 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 1: in the church that we have confused childlike faith, which 221 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: is what Jesus told us to have, with childish faith. 222 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: And these Hebrew believers, remember, they were just babies. They 223 00:15:24,960 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: were still being weaned off the sacrificial system that Moses instituted. 224 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: See in Moses' sacrificial system. You may know a little 225 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: bit about this. I'm not going to go into great 226 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: depth about it. But their sin was atoned for by 227 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:45,680 Speaker 1: the blood of bulls and goats. Their sin was atoned 228 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: for by the offering that was made by the high 229 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: priest who had to do it every year. And so 230 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:54,840 Speaker 1: the theme of the Book of Hebrews is that Jesus 231 00:15:54,960 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: Christ is superior to the Mosaic Covenant, to the Mosaic Commandments, 232 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:06,520 Speaker 1: to the Mosaic customs. So we're looking at a group 233 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: of believers who are learning a brand new way to 234 00:16:10,440 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: do things and in their embrace of Jesus Christ. You know, 235 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: in order to in order to walk in this new 236 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:24,480 Speaker 1: way of life that Christ offers, it involves a letting 237 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: go of what they have known now that they have 238 00:16:27,720 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: a new identity. See, they're transitioning their identity from being 239 00:16:32,240 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: justified by the law, which doesn't work. It doesn't work. 240 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: You can't even keep the speed limit. Please don't look 241 00:16:39,920 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 1: at me like you can keep the law. Be holy 242 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: as He is holy. So the law was just designed 243 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: to bring us to the place where we would know 244 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:52,320 Speaker 1: our need for grace and receive it right so that 245 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: you would quit trying to keep the commandments in your 246 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:59,080 Speaker 1: own strength, so that you could receive the grace of 247 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: God the person of Jesus Christ. And this is the gospel, 248 00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: and it still works today. And you can be forgiving 249 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: of your sin without a bull without a goat, without 250 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: eternal God. I don't need another high priest. I don't 251 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: need somebody to change their mind about me. Whoever calls 252 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,679 Speaker 1: on the name of the Lord will be saved. You 253 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: can be forgiven right now. Not seven steps, not three classes, 254 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: not ten years of sobriety, but right now. He can 255 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: save you, right now. And yet they are being tempted, 256 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: as God is birthing the Church into the world, to 257 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:48,719 Speaker 1: return to the thing that they were set free from. Okay, 258 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: we talked about hidden significance. Let's talk about conflicted identities. 259 00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: It's when you're not used to the new way of 260 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 1: doing things enough so you return to what you knew 261 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:15,479 Speaker 1: knew because what is new in that moment is costing you. 262 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:23,359 Speaker 1: It is costing you. The example of Moses is a 263 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:31,160 Speaker 1: perfect illustration of maturing. Enough can I preach about maturity? 264 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,919 Speaker 1: It seems like every sermon people want to click on 265 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: these days is you know miracles? But what about maturity? 266 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: What about maturity to know what to do with a 267 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,080 Speaker 1: miracle when God gives it to you, so you don't 268 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: mismanage it. And in Hebrews eleven there is a picture 269 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,200 Speaker 1: of a prophet. Moses was a prophet. He's not your 270 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: typical prophet. In fact, I thought the writer Hebrews was 271 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,359 Speaker 1: pretty nice to Moses when he explained his story, And 272 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 1: I want to show you that now, because there's a 273 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:11,119 Speaker 1: lesson even in this. You know, all I'm deciding to 274 00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:13,639 Speaker 1: do is figure out what not to tell you today, 275 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: because there's so much good stuff in his So let 276 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: me give you a contrast. This will be good in 277 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: verse twenty seven by faith Moses when he had grown up. 278 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: I read you this, but I'm reading it again. For 279 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: a reason, he refused to be known as the son 280 00:19:25,600 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with 281 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting 282 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: pleasures of sin. I can't stop there. Twenty six. He 283 00:19:39,119 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: regarded disgrace for the sake of tribes as of greater 284 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:45,679 Speaker 1: value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking 285 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:51,720 Speaker 1: ahead to his reward. Okay, this is a description or 286 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 1: a picture of maturity. In Acts chapter seven, it tells 287 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 1: us that Moses this was forty years old when he 288 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: made the decision to be identified with God's children, not 289 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,840 Speaker 1: the Egyptians that were oppressing them. Now, there's a lot 290 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,120 Speaker 1: of great stuff in the backstory that won't make time 291 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 1: to get into the message today about how his parents 292 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: floated him down the Nile River in a basket, the 293 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 1: same Nile River he would turn into blood eighty years later. 294 00:20:24,119 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: He floated on to survive when he was a baby, 295 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:32,479 Speaker 1: And I thought about preaching faith to float, because sometimes 296 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: you feel like you're floating between two things, waiting to 297 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: see what it's going to be. And I thought about 298 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: preaching that, But I have discipline, and I'm only going 299 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: to preach one message today, and this message is about 300 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:49,360 Speaker 1: how one day Moses makes a decision to be identified 301 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: not with the Egyptian who raised him, but with the 302 00:20:54,840 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: parents that birthed them. This is not primarily a racial text. 303 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:06,600 Speaker 1: This is not primarily a nationalistic text. Conclusions could be 304 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: drawn in those directions, but what's really happening here is 305 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:19,600 Speaker 1: about Moses choosing what he will be defined by. And 306 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,520 Speaker 1: I want you to realize in your life today that 307 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:27,200 Speaker 1: you have a decision about what you will be defined by. 308 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:33,160 Speaker 1: Even though his early life was defined by an assassination attempt, 309 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:39,200 Speaker 1: even through the trauma of floating through a basket, some 310 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:41,960 Speaker 1: of us end up in therapy because our pampers were 311 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 1: slightly too tight. This man was floating down a river 312 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:50,919 Speaker 1: in a basket coated with tar. And even though his 313 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: life began with trauma, he made a decision in this 314 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: moment that I will not be defined by something that 315 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 1: I have become bigger than. And this is where the 316 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: significance of the text is in the detail It says 317 00:22:12,160 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: when he grew up. When he grew up, I wonder, 318 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: are there some things that God is waiting for us 319 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: to outgrow that we are praying for him to remove. 320 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: And the challenge of Moses's life is, in order to 321 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: become what he really was, he had to outgrow everything 322 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: that he had ever known. You see it in the text. 323 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:50,919 Speaker 1: He was raised as an Egyptian, but he was born 324 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: as a Hebrew. And yet there came a moment of decision, 325 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:59,640 Speaker 1: I will not be defined by my environment. I will 326 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: not be limited by my experience. I will not be 327 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 1: affiliated with the events that brought me to this point. 328 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: There is something that God is calling you to outgrow 329 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: in this moment, and I wonder what it is. See, 330 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: because until you grow past the point of needing God 331 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: to change things, until you grow past the point some 332 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 1: of us have to outgrow the need for everybody to 333 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: like us or validate us in order to see what 334 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: God has really put in us. He chose to be mistreated. 335 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: He chose to be lonely. He chose to be a weirdo. 336 00:23:53,040 --> 00:24:00,360 Speaker 1: He chose the uncomfortable space of growth. You know what, 337 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:09,040 Speaker 1: Growth is chosen, not change. Change will slap you right 338 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: in the back of your head. Change will kick you right, 339 00:24:12,160 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 1: you know how, you know anyway? Change will kick you 340 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,880 Speaker 1: in the shin. I'm editing as I go, I'm editing 341 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: the sermon for consumption for the mass market. But growth 342 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:29,119 Speaker 1: is chosen. Growth is chosen, And in the moment he 343 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:31,719 Speaker 1: has a decision to make, and so do you, and 344 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: so did the Hebrew Christians. Do we outgrow what we've 345 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:45,639 Speaker 1: known so we can become who we really are? And 346 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: Moses didn't even do it the right way. In fact, 347 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: in Acts chapter seven, it tells us that one day, 348 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: when he was forty years old, this is Stephen giving 349 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: us this information, he decided to visit his own people, 350 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 1: the Israelites, and he saw one of the and being 351 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:03,120 Speaker 1: mistreated by an Egyptian. So he went to his defense 352 00:25:03,359 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Well, that's one 353 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,919 Speaker 1: way to do it. You know, he feels something on 354 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,640 Speaker 1: the inside. He knows that he's not what he's around. 355 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 1: He understands that there's something different in him than the 356 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: people of the culture he's surrounded in. So he does 357 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,200 Speaker 1: something out of his impulse that is really an indication 358 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 1: of his destiny, and he kills an Egyptian, and verse 359 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:27,000 Speaker 1: twenty five really got my attention. Moses thought that his 360 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: own people would realize that God was using him to 361 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: rescue them, but they didn't. So now we understand what 362 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:43,439 Speaker 1: it means to say that Moses chose to be misunderstood 363 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:51,560 Speaker 1: rather than to give up who he was. Grow up, 364 00:25:53,760 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 1: Grow up? Why are we still in seventh grade and 365 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:06,159 Speaker 1: we are fifty three years old and we still filter 366 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,520 Speaker 1: the majority of our decisions through what will other people 367 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:15,600 Speaker 1: think about this? We spend money with that filter, we 368 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 1: say things with that filter. We don't say things with 369 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: that filter. Now, I think it's important to consider what 370 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,480 Speaker 1: others will think about things I do. I think that's 371 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:26,680 Speaker 1: why you brush your teeth, That's why you make sure 372 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: when you go out in the morning, like there's a 373 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: smile on your face. That's a good thing to think 374 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: how your life is affecting others. But I don't think 375 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: you should be controlled by it. Not as grown as 376 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: you are. Are you really so grown in your body 377 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: but so small in your spirit that one person's opinion 378 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:54,720 Speaker 1: can move you off your purpose. You are much too 379 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:57,959 Speaker 1: grown at this stage in your life to be taking 380 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: your cues from a culture that doesn't even know Christ. 381 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: And our growth has been so stunned. And I'm going 382 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:10,600 Speaker 1: to tell you why, because mostly what we have been 383 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:16,240 Speaker 1: taught is sin suppression. We have not been taught transformative thinking. 384 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: We have been taught push it down and don't do 385 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,680 Speaker 1: that where anybody can see you, and don't tell anyone 386 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,400 Speaker 1: how it really is. So we push things down, we 387 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: never deal with them. We never really know how to 388 00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: bring it to Jesus. And we've heard a lot about 389 00:27:31,320 --> 00:27:38,600 Speaker 1: forgiveness of sin, but what about freedom from sin? What 390 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: good is it for God to forgive me of sin 391 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,400 Speaker 1: if I'm gonna live running back to the same thing 392 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:49,360 Speaker 1: that He brought me out of. So now I want 393 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,000 Speaker 1: to get into a section of the message. This is 394 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: going to go on my YouTube channel as a standalone. 395 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: This is a little mini message within the message I've 396 00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:56,439 Speaker 1: been promising this for a long time, and I'm an 397 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: preach it right now. I want to talk to you 398 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,360 Speaker 1: about sins with benefits. Sit down and listen to this. 399 00:28:03,200 --> 00:28:07,480 Speaker 1: In verse twenty five, it says he chose the reproach 400 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: of God's people, or we could say he chose the 401 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: inconvenience of purpose over the pleasure of sin. Anybody who 402 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: says sin doesn't feel good didn't do it right. Amen. 403 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: Everybody quotes this verse to talk about how sin runs out. 404 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:25,200 Speaker 1: But here's the thing I've learned about. We could call 405 00:28:25,240 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: it Egypt. We could call it the place where we 406 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 1: go to have our needs met. If you do not 407 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: appreciate and acknowledge the need that a sin is meeting, 408 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: you won't know how to get that need met in God. 409 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: And you will come right back to it. Now. I 410 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: know how that sounds. Appreciate my sin, My sin killed Jesus. 411 00:28:52,560 --> 00:28:55,640 Speaker 1: How can I appreciate my sin? I'm not talking about 412 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:59,320 Speaker 1: appreciating the consequence of it. I'm not talking about willfully 413 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: rebelling against God. Even the apostles said, where sin increased, 414 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: did grace that much more increase? But shall we continue 415 00:29:05,440 --> 00:29:07,239 Speaker 1: and sin that grace may have bound God forbid? How 416 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:08,960 Speaker 1: should we have died and send live any longer to it? 417 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: But is the message that we're preaching in churches really 418 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: helping people get free? Quit sinning? Let's put it on 419 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: the church sign. Yeah, quit sinning, Quit cussing. You know what, 420 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:36,440 Speaker 1: I would rather you keep cussing and not quit growing 421 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 1: than thinking that the whole point of the Christian faith 422 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:52,200 Speaker 1: is behavior modification. I would rather you. Now this may 423 00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: separate some of us, because some of us may be 424 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: so addicted to the gospel message of quit sinning, quit, 425 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:04,760 Speaker 1: quit sinning, quit, quit, quit, quit, quit. But today I 426 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 1: want to talk to you about the sin of quitting, 427 00:30:10,560 --> 00:30:15,360 Speaker 1: The sin of quitting. Did you know that quitting is 428 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,040 Speaker 1: a sin. I'm not telling you not to put your 429 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: resume out. Maybe you do need another job. I'm not 430 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: telling you stand in an abusive relationship. That's foolish. I 431 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 1: want you to be safe. But to quit on what 432 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: God gave you to do and the deposit that He 433 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,040 Speaker 1: called you the guard is the greatest sin of all. 434 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: And sometimes I've had to keep crying while refusing to quit. 435 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:48,920 Speaker 1: Sometimes I've had to keep wrestling. We have an epidemic 436 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: in our world today. It is the epidemic of quitters, 437 00:30:54,680 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: quick quitters. There is no value in what is lasting. 438 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: The priority is what is seen. So we will quit 439 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:08,080 Speaker 1: something to appear knowledgeable, rather than staying and becoming wise. 440 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,520 Speaker 1: It's an epidemic. We quit everything so quick. If it 441 00:31:19,560 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 1: doesn't get ten likes in ten minutes, we delete it. 442 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: I'm too grown to give up that easy. The Bible 443 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: said Moses was grown enough to know this is not 444 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: who I am, this is not all I am, and 445 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: yes it's nice like He wasn't given up a life 446 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:46,200 Speaker 1: of poverty and failure. He was known as the grandson 447 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:52,239 Speaker 1: of Pharaoh, the most powerful man in the world, and 448 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:56,000 Speaker 1: he said, I would rather give that up for what 449 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: God has for me. I would rather give that up 450 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:09,479 Speaker 1: because he was grown enough to discern what's really worth it. 451 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 1: That's what Graanma is saying. You tricked me out of 452 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: my money before I was grown enough to do a 453 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:24,120 Speaker 1: cost benefit analysis. So there's a contrast. Let's study this 454 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: for a moment. The Lord's been dealing with me to 455 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: teach a little deeper lately, so I'm gonna try to 456 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:34,920 Speaker 1: do that. Is it twenty five? Give me twenty five? Uh? 457 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:39,600 Speaker 1: Huh uh huh. That's it. He chose. He didn't chose 458 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 1: who he was born to. He didn't choose what he 459 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: went through. Chose his response, and he focused on his 460 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,120 Speaker 1: reward because he knew that the pleasures of sin were fleeting. 461 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: Next verse, disgrace for the sake of Christ was of 462 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:06,160 Speaker 1: greater value than the treasures of Egypt. We really believe 463 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:13,280 Speaker 1: that the treasures of Egypt. The way that the world 464 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:18,200 Speaker 1: defines your worth. You know all about it is status oriented. 465 00:33:21,960 --> 00:33:24,479 Speaker 1: It's all the visible stuff, it's all the external stuff. 466 00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:31,960 Speaker 1: He chose something that he couldn't see because he saw 467 00:33:31,960 --> 00:33:36,239 Speaker 1: something that others didn't. It said, he persevered because he 468 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:42,240 Speaker 1: saw him who is invisible, So his values didn't come 469 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 1: from something that was visible. Now, the more tempted that 470 00:33:49,520 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: you are to quit, the greater the significance. Nothing I 471 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:03,960 Speaker 1: ever did in my life of significance that I wasn't 472 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 1: tempted to quit. Now, when I am tempted to quit 473 00:34:08,680 --> 00:34:12,879 Speaker 1: on something that God gave me to steward, I realize 474 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: that the temptation to quit is an indication of the significance. 475 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:24,280 Speaker 1: We see A lot of us are addicted to quitting. 476 00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 1: You talk about addicted to pills, addicted to porn, addicted 477 00:34:29,880 --> 00:34:32,480 Speaker 1: to the bottle, addicted to this, addicted to that. What 478 00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: about the addiction that we have to quitting. I'll tell 479 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:41,560 Speaker 1: you what that looks like. In my twenties. I was 480 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: reflecting on this with Holly the other day. I had 481 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: this almost like mafia mentality with people in my life, 482 00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:53,960 Speaker 1: and the way I operated was and this will sound 483 00:34:54,040 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 1: really weird to some of the people who I've been 484 00:34:55,600 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: friends with for almost all my life, because I am 485 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:03,720 Speaker 1: a loyal person. Through a stage where in my immaturity, 486 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,440 Speaker 1: at the first sign of conflict, I would quit a friendship. 487 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 1: That was a protective mechanism. I believe it was something 488 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,600 Speaker 1: that I saw modeled many times. I believe that some 489 00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 1: of that has to do with just, you know, like 490 00:35:20,400 --> 00:35:23,320 Speaker 1: how my dad grew up and you see things, and 491 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,600 Speaker 1: I do believe that's part of it. I also believed 492 00:35:26,640 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: that I was immature, and I believe that I was insecure, 493 00:35:31,880 --> 00:35:34,200 Speaker 1: and so the moment that a friendship I'm using this 494 00:35:34,239 --> 00:35:38,239 Speaker 1: as an example, the moment that a friendship would have 495 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:42,239 Speaker 1: conflict associated with it, it was easier for me to 496 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:47,320 Speaker 1: quit or to flee from the friendship than to face 497 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 1: what I needed to face. Many of us, the moment 498 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 1: that a relationship starts getting really intimate, we quit getting closer, 499 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 1: and we will even design drama in order to be 500 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:10,360 Speaker 1: a defense mechanism from us really having to push past 501 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: the surface and really let someone see us. I was 502 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 1: too insecure and too immature to know that the richness 503 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:28,800 Speaker 1: of intimacy is worth the willingness to push past the insecurity. 504 00:36:29,920 --> 00:36:35,360 Speaker 1: And God is changing me now because I'm growing. I'm growing. 505 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 1: And you know, the funniest thing about us is we 506 00:36:39,120 --> 00:36:43,719 Speaker 1: celebrate so much when someone quote unquote steps out in 507 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: faith to do something new. But I was thinking the 508 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,399 Speaker 1: other day, sometimes the reason that we're always stepping out 509 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:53,600 Speaker 1: to something new is because we don't want to stay 510 00:36:53,760 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 1: and really change. And I know this sounds weird because 511 00:36:57,360 --> 00:37:01,000 Speaker 1: the passage is about Moses leaving each but it is 512 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,640 Speaker 1: written to Hebrew Christians who have to stay in their faith. 513 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:08,840 Speaker 1: He is using the example of someone who left something 514 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: that was not really true to them in order to 515 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 1: encourage us to stay with what's really worthwhile. And when 516 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: you're tempted to quit, here's what happens. You only see 517 00:37:24,440 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: the benefit of quitting because the devil knows how to 518 00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:36,319 Speaker 1: hide the price tag. That's how temptation operates. And we're 519 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,000 Speaker 1: not mature, we're not grown up. We're still look at 520 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: this in Hebrews chapter five. I gotta show this Hebrews 521 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: chapter five, Hebrews chapter five. Because you can't quit. You 522 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,360 Speaker 1: can't quit. You can't quit, You can't quit, You can't quit, 523 00:37:47,600 --> 00:37:51,640 Speaker 1: you can't quit. You can't quit because of this. Look 524 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:53,920 Speaker 1: what he says in verse eleven. We have much to 525 00:37:53,960 --> 00:37:56,359 Speaker 1: say about this, but it's hard to make it clear 526 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: to you. Does you no longer try to understand? You 527 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:03,280 Speaker 1: quit trying to understand the moment. It doesn't make sense. 528 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: Sometimes if we are a sermon and it doesn't rhyme, 529 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,239 Speaker 1: and they don't tell us exactly what to write down, 530 00:38:07,400 --> 00:38:11,719 Speaker 1: we don't even listen anymore. It's frustrated about it. I'm not. 531 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 1: But the writer of Hebrews was you stopped trying to understand? 532 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:21,840 Speaker 1: In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers. 533 00:38:21,880 --> 00:38:23,839 Speaker 1: You need someone else to teach you the elementary truths 534 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: of God's word all over again. He said it, I 535 00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:32,239 Speaker 1: didn't you need milk, not solid food? Anyone who lives 536 00:38:32,280 --> 00:38:34,080 Speaker 1: on milk? Still being an infant is not acquainted with 537 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:37,560 Speaker 1: the teaching about righteousness, but solid food is for the mature. 538 00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:42,080 Speaker 1: Watch this, who by constant use, have trained themselves to 539 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:48,719 Speaker 1: distinguish good from evil. Constant use, you can't quit every 540 00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:52,319 Speaker 1: time it doesn't make sense. And for the love of 541 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:56,200 Speaker 1: Paul McCartney, you can't quit every time you don't understand something. 542 00:38:58,080 --> 00:38:59,719 Speaker 1: I don't know why I said. Paul McCartney is a 543 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,800 Speaker 1: name in my mind, and that was a deep connection. 544 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,080 Speaker 1: I didn't follow it. I didn't either, But listen to me. 545 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:14,560 Speaker 1: He's talking about Moses, the infant that God protected, and 546 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:18,439 Speaker 1: how God protected certain things in your life in an 547 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 1: infant stage because he saw potential for this moment. Don't 548 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:32,520 Speaker 1: quit before you get to see it, he persevered. Moses 549 00:39:32,560 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: did because he saw something that was not a parent 550 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:47,840 Speaker 1: to the naked eye, the treasures of Egypt, the benefits 551 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:53,040 Speaker 1: of sin. I know it sounds bad, but certain sins 552 00:39:53,120 --> 00:40:01,839 Speaker 1: meet certain needs. Don't you love to judge people. I'm 553 00:40:01,880 --> 00:40:07,440 Speaker 1: just being honest with you. I love judging others. It 554 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:12,840 Speaker 1: is the greatest escape from having to reflect on myself. 555 00:40:15,360 --> 00:40:21,279 Speaker 1: It is amazing. I do not recommend it because it's 556 00:40:21,320 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 1: got a surcharge the search charge is shame. It's the 557 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 1: hidden expense. Now watch what the devil would do. He'll 558 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:35,439 Speaker 1: try to get you. He'll tempt you with something. Right, 559 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:37,799 Speaker 1: I'm not just talking about tempting you with something that 560 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,239 Speaker 1: you heard about in youth group. I'm talking about the 561 00:40:40,280 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: temptation to quit, the temptation to stop short of all 562 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: that Christ has for you. And in that moment when 563 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 1: you're tempted to quit, he highlights the benefit and hides 564 00:40:54,560 --> 00:41:00,880 Speaker 1: the expense. Because if you quit showing up, if you 565 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,360 Speaker 1: quit trying, here's what you can expect to experience. Relief. 566 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 1: But relief is not freedom. We don't know the difference. 567 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:19,720 Speaker 1: We don't know the difference. So we run around quitting 568 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:23,600 Speaker 1: everything that would change us, running from everything that would 569 00:41:23,640 --> 00:41:28,000 Speaker 1: revolutionize us, and resisting everything that God sends to grow us. 570 00:41:29,400 --> 00:41:36,640 Speaker 1: It feels like freedom, but it's really just temporary relief. 571 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: Sexual immorality is temporary relief with the price tag of 572 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:56,320 Speaker 1: permanent bondage. Gossip. Oh that was a quiet one right there. 573 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:01,400 Speaker 1: Did you hear all of the rhness in the atmosphere, 574 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:09,719 Speaker 1: The flowing of the amen says they see stuff. The 575 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:18,560 Speaker 1: immediate vacation from having to deal with yourself. What Moses did. 576 00:42:18,600 --> 00:42:21,799 Speaker 1: He had the ability, even though he didn't do it perfectly, y'all, 577 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:29,360 Speaker 1: he murdered a man and God called it faith. God 578 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 1: does not frame our mistakes like we frame our mistakes. 579 00:42:36,120 --> 00:42:40,719 Speaker 1: And the process of maturity is learning to get from 580 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:46,680 Speaker 1: your father what you used to get from Pharaoh. Wow, 581 00:42:53,920 --> 00:42:59,160 Speaker 1: that every need that sin is meeting in your life, 582 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:03,840 Speaker 1: God can meet it in a better way. That every 583 00:43:04,239 --> 00:43:08,000 Speaker 1: need that manipulation is meeting in your life, God can 584 00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:11,359 Speaker 1: meet it in a better way. When we manipulate things, 585 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 1: do it in our own strength. Do it without praying 586 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:15,640 Speaker 1: about it, Do it without caring about others, Do it 587 00:43:15,680 --> 00:43:17,920 Speaker 1: without considering the consequence, do it without being true to 588 00:43:17,960 --> 00:43:20,840 Speaker 1: the integrity of who we are. When we manipulate something, 589 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 1: we are trying to meet in need. The need is 590 00:43:23,200 --> 00:43:26,719 Speaker 1: for us to be certain Faith can meet that same need. 591 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:30,839 Speaker 1: Faith can be certain that, no matter what the outcome is, 592 00:43:31,440 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 1: all things are working together for my good. So I 593 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:38,640 Speaker 1: don't have to control anything. I can trust God in everything. 594 00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:42,040 Speaker 1: And Moses chose, and you have a decision to make. 595 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:46,360 Speaker 1: Will I be identified with what I've known? Will I 596 00:43:46,480 --> 00:43:49,920 Speaker 1: be known as where I came from? Or will I 597 00:43:50,000 --> 00:43:52,560 Speaker 1: in this moment of my life, in this seat. He 598 00:43:52,800 --> 00:43:54,800 Speaker 1: was forty when he got there. But you don't have 599 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:56,920 Speaker 1: to be forty. You can do it when you're fourteen. 600 00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:59,320 Speaker 1: You might be eighty. You can do it if you 601 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:01,960 Speaker 1: make the decis in this moment, I will not be 602 00:44:02,120 --> 00:44:05,440 Speaker 1: defined by my environment. I will not be defined by 603 00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:12,640 Speaker 1: the events that happened to me. He persevered because he saw, 604 00:44:13,320 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 1: He saw what others couldn't see. Therefore looking unto Jesus, 605 00:44:18,520 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: who is the author and finisher of our faith, who 606 00:44:21,719 --> 00:44:25,239 Speaker 1: despised the shame of the cross but endured it for 607 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:28,920 Speaker 1: the joy set before him. And I believe God is 608 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:32,840 Speaker 1: calling us into a season of greater faith than needing 609 00:44:32,920 --> 00:44:36,080 Speaker 1: to see the reason. I believe God is calling us 610 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:38,960 Speaker 1: to deeper faith than giving up the first time it 611 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:43,080 Speaker 1: doesn't work out. I believe God is calling somebody that 612 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,200 Speaker 1: you cannot give up on yourself, because He has not 613 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 1: given up on you yet. Because even when He had 614 00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,920 Speaker 1: to track down Moses in the wilderness forty years later 615 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:56,120 Speaker 1: and bring him back to Egypt to deliver the people 616 00:44:56,520 --> 00:45:02,319 Speaker 1: before Moses chose God, God jo's Moses. So I don't 617 00:45:02,360 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 1: think you'll get to quit. You don't get to quit. 618 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 1: It's not an option. The blood bought you, the grace 619 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:15,400 Speaker 1: of God called you. There's a hand of God on 620 00:45:15,520 --> 00:45:25,320 Speaker 1: your life. His grip is stronger than yours. Too grown 621 00:45:25,400 --> 00:45:27,680 Speaker 1: to give up, I've seen God do too much to 622 00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:30,640 Speaker 1: give up. I've been too developed. He should have killed 623 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:33,239 Speaker 1: me when I was a little kid, because I know 624 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:42,320 Speaker 1: too much about God to walk away. Now. You know 625 00:45:42,360 --> 00:45:44,960 Speaker 1: how many times I've had to fight to get to 626 00:45:45,040 --> 00:45:47,919 Speaker 1: this pulpit to say something to you, and it would 627 00:45:47,960 --> 00:45:54,480 Speaker 1: have felt better not to. You know how many times 628 00:45:55,560 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 1: Jesus wanted to call a legion of angels to deliver 629 00:45:58,200 --> 00:46:00,359 Speaker 1: him from the cross, and it would have felt better 630 00:46:00,440 --> 00:46:05,759 Speaker 1: not to. Moses didn't make it all the way to 631 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:10,120 Speaker 1: the Promised Land. So the author of Hebrews wanted you 632 00:46:10,160 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 1: to know when you're tempted to quit, and I want 633 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:17,959 Speaker 1: a minister in this moment. Have you been tempted to quit? 634 00:46:19,200 --> 00:46:25,240 Speaker 1: Not necessarily quit like how people see quit, but usually 635 00:46:25,280 --> 00:46:35,040 Speaker 1: you quit inside, and you quit in increments. I took 636 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:42,880 Speaker 1: Greek for two weeks in college. After two weeks, I 637 00:46:42,920 --> 00:46:49,160 Speaker 1: realized God did not call me to speak Greek, and 638 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:51,760 Speaker 1: I went to the registrar and I got a drop slip, 639 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:54,480 Speaker 1: and I walked to Hal Freeman's office, and the moment 640 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:57,560 Speaker 1: he saw me walk in the door, he goes furred 641 00:46:57,640 --> 00:47:01,880 Speaker 1: it and he laughed as diabolical laugh. He said that 642 00:47:01,960 --> 00:47:07,600 Speaker 1: didn't take long. He saw the drop slip, and he 643 00:47:07,680 --> 00:47:10,520 Speaker 1: tried to convince me to keep taking Greek, but I quit. 644 00:47:11,560 --> 00:47:13,319 Speaker 1: I had to take it again in college, I mean 645 00:47:13,320 --> 00:47:18,840 Speaker 1: in a seminary three times, three times. I finally finished. 646 00:47:20,120 --> 00:47:23,960 Speaker 1: He said that didn't take long because I was never 647 00:47:24,040 --> 00:47:29,319 Speaker 1: really committed to it. And I think it's shocking. One 648 00:47:29,360 --> 00:47:33,240 Speaker 1: time Paul told the Galician church, I'm shocked how quickly 649 00:47:33,239 --> 00:47:38,080 Speaker 1: you turn away to another gospel. I'm shocked how quickly 650 00:47:38,080 --> 00:47:40,360 Speaker 1: you'll stop believing what I've spoken over you because of 651 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:45,680 Speaker 1: somebody else saying something different. You feel something different because 652 00:47:45,680 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 1: it doesn't happen overnight. It took Moses forty years to 653 00:47:48,920 --> 00:47:51,520 Speaker 1: grow to the point, and then forty more before he said, 654 00:47:51,560 --> 00:47:56,080 Speaker 1: saw it come to pass. Wow, but you're too grown 655 00:47:56,120 --> 00:48:02,160 Speaker 1: to give up. You need faith and patience. Faith without 656 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:11,760 Speaker 1: patience is childish faith. God sent me to tell somebody 657 00:48:14,280 --> 00:48:20,680 Speaker 1: you can't quit. There's too much connected to you to quit. 658 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:27,360 Speaker 1: I know it would be momentary relief. But can you 659 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:33,799 Speaker 1: see past the expense to see the benefit. The Psalmist said, 660 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:36,760 Speaker 1: praise the Lord O my soul, and forget not all 661 00:48:37,440 --> 00:48:43,000 Speaker 1: his benefits, who forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases, 662 00:48:43,239 --> 00:48:46,120 Speaker 1: redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with 663 00:48:46,239 --> 00:48:49,600 Speaker 1: love and compassion. And I would rather go through a 664 00:48:49,640 --> 00:49:00,480 Speaker 1: season of temporary uncertainty than compromise the truth of my identity. 665 00:49:01,880 --> 00:49:05,359 Speaker 1: You're making a decision right now, and you've been really 666 00:49:05,400 --> 00:49:17,560 Speaker 1: tempted to quit. Stand stand. You know what it shows 667 00:49:17,600 --> 00:49:21,759 Speaker 1: me that you've been tempted to quit. It's significant what 668 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:30,160 Speaker 1: God gave you to do. I know, the stronger the 669 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:34,839 Speaker 1: temptation to quit, the greater the significance. You know how 670 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:37,480 Speaker 1: many times Moses wanted to quit once he started leading 671 00:49:37,480 --> 00:49:43,280 Speaker 1: God's people out of Egypt. You know how many times 672 00:49:43,320 --> 00:49:46,400 Speaker 1: he wanted to One time, I think he was ready 673 00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:49,040 Speaker 1: to ask God to kill him, to kill them or 674 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:51,160 Speaker 1: kill him. But we can't. I can't keep up with 675 00:49:51,160 --> 00:49:54,080 Speaker 1: this anymore. One time he got so burdened and overwhelmed 676 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:59,239 Speaker 1: because he was trying to do everything himself. He was 677 00:49:59,239 --> 00:50:00,880 Speaker 1: trying to do more than he was made to do. 678 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:08,560 Speaker 1: A pastor came to visit me three years ago, and 679 00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:11,120 Speaker 1: he came to tell me that he was quitting the ministry. 680 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:14,680 Speaker 1: I thought that he had had sex with somebody that 681 00:50:14,760 --> 00:50:16,560 Speaker 1: wasn't his wife, but that wasn't the case. I thought 682 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 1: he had maybe had a financial impropriety, but that wasn't 683 00:50:19,200 --> 00:50:25,920 Speaker 1: the case. But the temptation to quit was from the 684 00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:28,840 Speaker 1: strain and the burden of maintaining what he had built. 685 00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:32,440 Speaker 1: And I think everybody can relate to that. I really do. 686 00:50:35,880 --> 00:50:37,600 Speaker 1: So I said, why did you come tell me that 687 00:50:37,719 --> 00:50:41,320 Speaker 1: you wanted to quit? He said, because I wanted to 688 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:47,719 Speaker 1: see if you could convince me not to. So he said, 689 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:51,480 Speaker 1: how have you done it? Fifteen years or at the time, 690 00:50:51,520 --> 00:50:54,719 Speaker 1: I guess it was twelve, he said, and you didn't quit. 691 00:50:57,280 --> 00:50:58,840 Speaker 1: And I wish I could have told him, because the 692 00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:00,640 Speaker 1: joy of the Lord is my strength, and it is 693 00:51:00,680 --> 00:51:02,920 Speaker 1: a blessing and a privilege to serve the mightiness of 694 00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:05,120 Speaker 1: His splendid for his grace, and I just look unto 695 00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:07,120 Speaker 1: him who is the author and finisher of my faith. 696 00:51:08,719 --> 00:51:13,839 Speaker 1: But I had to be honest, I said every time 697 00:51:13,880 --> 00:51:16,560 Speaker 1: that I was tempted to quit, Not only did I 698 00:51:16,600 --> 00:51:19,160 Speaker 1: realized after the fact that it was an indication that 699 00:51:19,200 --> 00:51:22,000 Speaker 1: there was something significant. There is something significant, There is 700 00:51:22,040 --> 00:51:26,360 Speaker 1: something significant. They wanted to kill those Hebrew babies because 701 00:51:26,400 --> 00:51:29,799 Speaker 1: of the significance and the strength that they represented. So 702 00:51:29,960 --> 00:51:35,400 Speaker 1: after realizing that every time I wanted to quit, I 703 00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:40,640 Speaker 1: realized it was time to shift, and that to keep 704 00:51:40,880 --> 00:51:44,200 Speaker 1: doing what God had called me to do, I needed 705 00:51:44,239 --> 00:51:48,359 Speaker 1: to shift how I was doing it. And he didn't quit. 706 00:51:48,840 --> 00:51:50,919 Speaker 1: Not all stories have a happy ending, but the dude 707 00:51:50,960 --> 00:51:56,000 Speaker 1: still went back and did it because he didn't quit, 708 00:51:57,120 --> 00:52:01,680 Speaker 1: he shifted. I don't know what you want to quit today. 709 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:04,759 Speaker 1: Maybe you just want to quit trying but keep your 710 00:52:04,760 --> 00:52:08,600 Speaker 1: body present. Maybe you want to quit really trying to 711 00:52:09,280 --> 00:52:12,640 Speaker 1: love people and just become this bitter, cynical person that 712 00:52:12,719 --> 00:52:17,520 Speaker 1: never tries again because people suck. Could you tell that 713 00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:19,120 Speaker 1: was coming from a deep place inside of me. When 714 00:52:19,120 --> 00:52:24,479 Speaker 1: I said I felt possessed for a minute, God said, 715 00:52:24,719 --> 00:52:30,680 Speaker 1: don't quit. Shift. Shift. When Moses was overwhelmed later in 716 00:52:30,680 --> 00:52:32,560 Speaker 1: his life, this was not the last time that he 717 00:52:32,560 --> 00:52:34,880 Speaker 1: would have to make the decision when he was overwhelmed 718 00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:37,040 Speaker 1: because there were too many people and he was running 719 00:52:37,040 --> 00:52:39,440 Speaker 1: on empty and they were asking him for everything, and 720 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:41,640 Speaker 1: his father in law Jethro came to see him with 721 00:52:41,640 --> 00:52:43,719 Speaker 1: his two daughters, and he said, I see what you're doing, 722 00:52:43,719 --> 00:52:45,680 Speaker 1: and you're spread tooth in and it's not going to work. 723 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:48,160 Speaker 1: You've got to shift how you're doing this. You don't 724 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:50,120 Speaker 1: have to quit what God has called you to you 725 00:52:50,160 --> 00:52:53,839 Speaker 1: have to shift how you're doing it. And I sat 726 00:52:53,880 --> 00:52:57,239 Speaker 1: there with that pastor and we listed everything that he 727 00:52:57,440 --> 00:53:00,839 Speaker 1: was doing that somebody else could do everything that he 728 00:53:00,920 --> 00:53:03,760 Speaker 1: was doing. Remember, maturity is first and foremost the ability 729 00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:07,680 Speaker 1: to discern what is worth it. And I bet we 730 00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:10,000 Speaker 1: found seven or eight things that were worthless on his 731 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:13,279 Speaker 1: list that he needed to be weaned from so that 732 00:53:13,360 --> 00:53:15,200 Speaker 1: he could have the strength to continue in what God 733 00:53:15,200 --> 00:53:22,520 Speaker 1: has called him to do. Don't quit, shift, shift, shift 734 00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:24,560 Speaker 1: into a new way of doing it. And this is 735 00:53:24,600 --> 00:53:28,360 Speaker 1: the challenge to choose to go through a season of 736 00:53:28,440 --> 00:53:34,920 Speaker 1: struggle instead of embracing the relief. He persevered because he 737 00:53:34,960 --> 00:53:39,320 Speaker 1: saw him who is invisible. Do you always need results? 738 00:53:41,160 --> 00:53:47,000 Speaker 1: Do you always need compliments? Do you always need a quicket? 739 00:53:47,120 --> 00:53:48,880 Speaker 1: Or can you get an ugly dub every once in 740 00:53:48,960 --> 00:53:53,960 Speaker 1: a while. I told Elijah, not every win is going 741 00:53:54,040 --> 00:53:58,640 Speaker 1: to be pretty. Sometimes it's an ugly dub. Moses didn't 742 00:53:58,640 --> 00:54:06,200 Speaker 1: do it just right, but he did it. Quit, and 743 00:54:06,320 --> 00:54:10,600 Speaker 1: neither will you. God didn't bring you here to hear 744 00:54:10,600 --> 00:54:14,440 Speaker 1: this so you could just quit in increments, you know, 745 00:54:14,800 --> 00:54:19,080 Speaker 1: slowly withdrawing yourself from your own life until there's really 746 00:54:19,080 --> 00:54:23,000 Speaker 1: nothing of you left, Slowly withdrawing from your relationships until 747 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:26,440 Speaker 1: there's no real intimacy, just the illusion of it. Slowly 748 00:54:26,480 --> 00:54:29,480 Speaker 1: withdrawing your expectation from the gates of heaven until you 749 00:54:29,520 --> 00:54:32,160 Speaker 1: no longer pray expecting anything to really happen, because you 750 00:54:32,200 --> 00:54:33,879 Speaker 1: don't believe that he is or that he rewards those 751 00:54:33,880 --> 00:54:39,959 Speaker 1: who diligently seek him. We grow in increments, we quit 752 00:54:39,960 --> 00:54:45,920 Speaker 1: inn increments. And today the Lord said to tell you 753 00:54:44,520 --> 00:54:49,239 Speaker 1: you're too groomed to give up. I want to pray 754 00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:53,640 Speaker 1: for you. Now, stand up all over, all over the auditorium, 755 00:54:53,680 --> 00:54:56,759 Speaker 1: all over Lake Norman, all over Matthews, all over Riverwalk, 756 00:54:57,560 --> 00:55:01,239 Speaker 1: all over Winston Salem, all over, all over right there 757 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:05,799 Speaker 1: in your home. Why don't you stand right now? I 758 00:55:05,840 --> 00:55:09,799 Speaker 1: want the enemy to see you standing. I wanted to 759 00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:11,920 Speaker 1: know that you're still going to be standing tomorrow and 760 00:55:11,960 --> 00:55:13,680 Speaker 1: the next day and the next day, and the next 761 00:55:13,719 --> 00:55:22,080 Speaker 1: day and the next day and the next day. I 762 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:24,240 Speaker 1: don't know. I just hear the Lord saying, You're too grown, 763 00:55:24,320 --> 00:55:26,680 Speaker 1: and I've done too much, and I've been trusted too much, 764 00:55:26,719 --> 00:55:29,600 Speaker 1: and You've survived too much to give up over this 765 00:55:34,440 --> 00:55:40,319 Speaker 1: father right now by faith, Like Moses, we want to 766 00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:44,000 Speaker 1: see him who is invisible. What a paradox to see 767 00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:53,000 Speaker 1: what we can't see, to believe what we can't understand. Lord, 768 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:57,040 Speaker 1: your ways are higher than ours. I bring before you 769 00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:02,160 Speaker 1: all of your children, one by one, the ones you 770 00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:03,759 Speaker 1: have called by name, the ones you have chosen, the 771 00:56:03,760 --> 00:56:06,040 Speaker 1: ones that you have protected from their birth until this moment. 772 00:56:06,160 --> 00:56:07,959 Speaker 1: And you saw their worth from the moment of their birth. 773 00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:10,240 Speaker 1: You did not see it when the world converted upon them. 774 00:56:10,560 --> 00:56:13,640 Speaker 1: It is not contingent on any behavior or performance, but 775 00:56:13,680 --> 00:56:16,480 Speaker 1: their worth is great in your eyes. And yet they 776 00:56:16,480 --> 00:56:22,000 Speaker 1: are quitting on themselves, giving up on themselves. We choose 777 00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:25,400 Speaker 1: in this moment the riches of Christ over the treasures 778 00:56:25,400 --> 00:56:30,480 Speaker 1: of Egypt. We choose in this moment the uncomfortable growth 779 00:56:30,520 --> 00:56:37,239 Speaker 1: in our lives over the convenience and the relief of sin. 780 00:56:39,080 --> 00:56:41,000 Speaker 1: I thank you Lord today that you have given us 781 00:56:41,400 --> 00:56:45,280 Speaker 1: this message of freedom. We bring it all before you now, 782 00:56:46,360 --> 00:56:49,920 Speaker 1: because we're standing between two identities too, and we need 783 00:56:49,920 --> 00:56:52,360 Speaker 1: your help in these moments. God, that we would not hide, 784 00:56:52,920 --> 00:56:55,719 Speaker 1: that we would not rhyme, that we would not take 785 00:56:55,760 --> 00:56:57,680 Speaker 1: discomfort as a sign that it is time for us 786 00:56:57,680 --> 00:57:04,279 Speaker 1: to leave. God, that we stand in this place. You 787 00:57:04,280 --> 00:57:11,879 Speaker 1: have need of perseverance, you have need of faith. So God, 788 00:57:11,880 --> 00:57:13,880 Speaker 1: we're not asking you to take away all of our problems, 789 00:57:13,920 --> 00:57:15,479 Speaker 1: because I don't think that's the prayer you to answer. 790 00:57:15,480 --> 00:57:18,080 Speaker 1: Would be nice, but it's not going to happen. Instead, 791 00:57:18,160 --> 00:57:23,040 Speaker 1: increase our faith. We want to outgrow our insecurities. Until 792 00:57:23,120 --> 00:57:24,680 Speaker 1: greater is He that is in us than he that 793 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:27,280 Speaker 1: is in the world. We want to outgrow what we've 794 00:57:27,320 --> 00:57:31,160 Speaker 1: worried about. Is we worship you. No created thing, no 795 00:57:31,280 --> 00:57:35,160 Speaker 1: created thing is is, no created thing has control over 796 00:57:35,200 --> 00:57:37,520 Speaker 1: you or your will. And so God, right now we 797 00:57:37,640 --> 00:57:40,960 Speaker 1: just we declare in the name of Jesus, the name 798 00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:43,480 Speaker 1: that is above every name, the one whom we are 799 00:57:43,520 --> 00:57:46,320 Speaker 1: identified with, the one who is seated in heaven. We 800 00:57:46,360 --> 00:57:49,360 Speaker 1: declare that our identity is in Him, It is in you, 801 00:57:49,600 --> 00:57:51,960 Speaker 1: and it is by you, and it is for you. 802 00:57:56,480 --> 00:57:59,160 Speaker 1: We thank you for this word. Right now, I want 803 00:57:59,160 --> 00:58:02,080 Speaker 1: to give an invitation for somebody to receive Jesus Christ 804 00:58:02,480 --> 00:58:04,959 Speaker 1: as the Lord of your life right now. You've never 805 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:09,320 Speaker 1: trusted him for your salvation. You've never trusted him for 806 00:58:09,360 --> 00:58:12,520 Speaker 1: the forgiveness of your sin. The Bible says that if 807 00:58:12,560 --> 00:58:15,400 Speaker 1: you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and 808 00:58:15,480 --> 00:58:18,000 Speaker 1: believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, 809 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:22,320 Speaker 1: you will be saved. You will be saved, you will 810 00:58:22,320 --> 00:58:25,640 Speaker 1: be set free, you will be made new. If anyone 811 00:58:25,680 --> 00:58:28,680 Speaker 1: is in Christ, he is a new creation. And I 812 00:58:28,720 --> 00:58:31,320 Speaker 1: believe this is a defining moment in your life. You've 813 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:34,280 Speaker 1: been running from God, You've been running from truth, You've 814 00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:37,320 Speaker 1: been running from yourself. But God brought you to this moment. 815 00:58:37,520 --> 00:58:40,920 Speaker 1: The situations and circumstances of your life have all aligned 816 00:58:41,120 --> 00:58:43,640 Speaker 1: to bring you to this moment to place your faith 817 00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:46,560 Speaker 1: in Jesus Christ, not by a pledge to do better, 818 00:58:46,880 --> 00:58:50,000 Speaker 1: but by an open heart that receives the grace of God. So, 819 00:58:50,160 --> 00:58:52,880 Speaker 1: right now, if that's you, right where you are, I 820 00:58:52,920 --> 00:58:55,880 Speaker 1: want you to repeat this prayer after me out louding. 821 00:58:55,960 --> 00:58:59,000 Speaker 1: God will hear from heaven, and he will forgive your sin, 822 00:58:59,240 --> 00:59:02,640 Speaker 1: and he will cling you of all unrighteousness. Now repeat 823 00:59:02,640 --> 00:59:05,840 Speaker 1: after me all across the church everybody praying out loud 824 00:59:06,080 --> 00:59:08,000 Speaker 1: for the benefit of those who are coming to God 825 00:59:08,280 --> 00:59:12,880 Speaker 1: Heavenly Father. I am a sinner in need of a savior, 826 00:59:13,640 --> 00:59:17,720 Speaker 1: and I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of 827 00:59:17,760 --> 00:59:22,320 Speaker 1: God and the savior of the world. And today I 828 00:59:22,400 --> 00:59:27,600 Speaker 1: make Jesus the lord of my life. I believe Jesus 829 00:59:27,640 --> 00:59:32,640 Speaker 1: died that I could be forgiven and rose again to 830 00:59:32,680 --> 00:59:38,320 Speaker 1: give me life. I receive this new life. This is 831 00:59:39,280 --> 00:59:42,160 Speaker 1: my new beginning. On the count of three, raise your 832 00:59:42,200 --> 00:59:44,880 Speaker 1: hand if you just prayed that prayer one two three 833 00:59:45,080 --> 00:59:48,480 Speaker 1: in the chat, say I receive Jesus. I receive Jesus. 834 00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:55,480 Speaker 1: I believe that I receive the grace of God. And 835 00:59:55,520 --> 00:59:59,200 Speaker 1: I'm walking in a new beginning. I said, I'm walking 836 00:59:59,240 --> 01:00:04,600 Speaker 1: in a new begin Know who my Father is. My 837 01:00:04,760 --> 01:00:08,440 Speaker 1: sins are forgiven, and we decree and declare over your life. 838 01:00:08,640 --> 01:00:12,880 Speaker 1: The old has gone the news Colm, Let's give God 839 01:00:12,920 --> 01:00:16,720 Speaker 1: a great sound of praise for all the souls coming 840 01:00:16,800 --> 01:00:24,840 Speaker 1: home to the Father's arms. God, bless you. Thank you 841 01:00:24,880 --> 01:00:27,400 Speaker 1: for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who 842 01:00:27,440 --> 01:00:30,440 Speaker 1: give generously to this ministry. Is because of you that 843 01:00:30,480 --> 01:00:33,400 Speaker 1: this ministry is possible. You can click the link in 844 01:00:33,440 --> 01:00:37,520 Speaker 1: the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch dot org 845 01:00:37,600 --> 01:00:41,280 Speaker 1: slash podcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, 846 01:00:41,560 --> 01:00:44,280 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 847 01:00:44,560 --> 01:00:46,840 Speaker 1: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 848 01:00:46,920 --> 01:00:49,000 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 849 01:00:49,040 --> 01:00:57,600 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.