1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,720 --> 00:00:20,320 Speaker 1: I want to welcome our Elevation family from all around 7 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 1: the world joining us today. My name is Larry bry 8 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 1: Some people call me Larry, some people call me Larry Charles. 9 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: I know him in trouble if I get that one. 10 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,919 Speaker 1: Some people call me lb even if few folks call 11 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: me skinner. But I get the chance to preach God's 12 00:00:36,120 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: word with you today, and what a privilege it is 13 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 1: for me to open up God's word. And if I 14 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:45,199 Speaker 1: haven't had the chance to meet you yet, chances are 15 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: you've probably heard me. The few folks we have inside 16 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: of our balance I location, they're laughing right now because 17 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:54,280 Speaker 1: if you've watched any of the sermons at Elevation Church, 18 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 1: you might have heard like a voice in the background 19 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: going like, MMMM, come on, preach it, pastor what other 20 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: stuff do I say? JJ, that's good. So that's me 21 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: true confession, Like I want to apologize all the sound engineers. 22 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:12,440 Speaker 1: I make your job really hard. But sometimes I just 23 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: got to praise God. God's been too good for me 24 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: to remain silent. And I happen to believe that our 25 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: pastor is anointed for this generation. He is a Joshua 26 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:24,959 Speaker 1: to this season of our life right now, and he's 27 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: speaking something over the landscape of our world that is needed, 28 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: and it is in season. But I've been he's been 29 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: my pastor for eighteen years. I've been following him. I 30 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: remember the first sermon I ever heard him preach. God 31 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 1: is great, God is good. I don't remember what he said, 32 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 1: but I know what God spoke eighteen years ago. God spoke, 33 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: You're creative for more than what you've become. I know. 34 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: A pastor preached last week. He preached about thoughts the 35 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: last two weeks at Elevation Church. Whoo, I'm not what 36 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: I thought following up with thought Baba's Oh my gosh, 37 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 1: because I was sitting in that seat right there when 38 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 1: God spoke to my spirit through our pastor's words. He said, 39 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: you're addicted to your thoughts LB and he said, your 40 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: anxiety becomes you're addicted to your thoughts. Because the anxiety 41 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,959 Speaker 1: comes because you think everybody sees you the way you 42 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: see yourself, and so I project that you see me 43 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: the way I think about myself. And it's this gap 44 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: of anxiety. And the more I honor you, the greater 45 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: the gap becomes. But now I'm projecting all of my 46 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,799 Speaker 1: dysfunction on you because I think you see and that's 47 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:28,920 Speaker 1: my anxiety. I was sitting in that seat right there, 48 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: and so when God gave me that key to unlock 49 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: that door that had been holding me, I got to 50 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: praise him. I gotta say thank you, God, thank you 51 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,360 Speaker 1: for what you've done. But it's not just my anxiety 52 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: that I'm addicted to. It's also I'm realizing my frustration 53 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: is coming because I'm addicted to my thoughts. Because I'm 54 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: not just here because I'm a staff member at Elevation Church. 55 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: I'm a member of Elevation Pastor. Stephen's my pastor, and 56 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: he's preaching words into my life. And when he preached 57 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,799 Speaker 1: about your thoughts, I realize most of my frustration have 58 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,760 Speaker 1: because I'm addicted to my thoughts, and my frustration is 59 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: you're not doing it like I think. And so when 60 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: I look back and I see where God has brought 61 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: me from. Oh, my soul, I just got to praise him. 62 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: So if I act a little undignified, I do not apologize. 63 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna stand up here and not gonna praise God. 64 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna thank my pastor because he is preaching 65 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 1: the word of God. So let's take a second. Tell 66 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: me thank you past the seamen for that, My Lord, 67 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,960 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you. Jesus. Hey, I'm gonna open up 68 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 1: the Gospel of John today. I'm gonna be in chapter 69 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: two is where I'm gonna be, says this. This is 70 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:38,880 Speaker 1: on the third day. A wedding took place in Cana 71 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,960 Speaker 1: in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there and Jesus and his 72 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the 73 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: wine was gone, problem, jesus mother said to him, they 74 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: have no more wine. Woman, why do you involve me? 75 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: Jesus replied, my hour has not yet come. His mother 76 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: said to the servants, do whatever he tells you to do. 77 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: And here's the title for my message today. It's your time. 78 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: Come on. Type it in the comments, say it out 79 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: loud to say it's your time. Hey. For those of 80 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: you at Valentine, you could have a seat, but you're 81 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: probably sitting already at home, and if you are, hey, 82 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: I'm glad you're joining us today. And I'm going to 83 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:22,400 Speaker 1: jump right into this text because this is a story 84 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: that comes out of the Gospel of John. I've been 85 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: reading it for the last couple of months. Actually, I 86 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: was inspired to jump into it by a sermon that 87 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Pastor Stephen preached. And I'm fascinated by this because you 88 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: see this scene and this is the first miracle that 89 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: Jesus performs. And Mary's at the wedding. She's obviously involved 90 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: somewhere in the wedding planning situation because the plans don't 91 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: work out and to run out of wine would be 92 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,440 Speaker 1: like this huge insult to all of the guests. And 93 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: she's like, oh snap, we've got a problem. As she 94 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: does what all of us good Christians should do whenever 95 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: you have a problem, take it to Jesus. And she's 96 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: looking at Jesus saying, Jesus, it's in short time. Come on, man, 97 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: you are creative for this. Do something about it. And 98 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,200 Speaker 1: that's funny how she takes her problem to Jesus. We 99 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,799 Speaker 1: would do well to follow that pattern. Because it sometimes 100 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: feels like Jesus, rather than being a first option, is 101 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 1: way more of a last resort. It's so much easier 102 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: to go complain to everybody else, send it out on Facebook, 103 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: and then when it doesn't work out, we just bail 104 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: and we say Jesus, you're my last option. And she's 105 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: taking it to him. That's a good pattern to follow. 106 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 1: And I don't know if she knew that Jesus was 107 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: going to turn water into wine, because here's what happened. 108 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:40,280 Speaker 1: Somewhere along the journey. Joseph, Mary's husband, had died, because 109 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: in the scriptures, Jesus goes from being Jesus the son 110 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 1: of the carpenter to being Jesus the carpenter. You see, 111 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:49,239 Speaker 1: he was forced to grow up at an early age 112 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,839 Speaker 1: because in that culture, when the father figure in the 113 00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: house dies, the oldest son takes over. Jesus was the 114 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 1: oldest son. We don't know how long he's been living 115 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,479 Speaker 1: in this pattern, but it would have been customary for 116 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: Mary to go to Jesus say, hey, the water pipe 117 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: is broke. Can you fix it? We need some new 118 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 1: breaks on the car. Can you take care of it? 119 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: We got the bill over there, can you take care 120 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: of it. It would have been the pattern of her 121 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 1: life because she is used to taking all of her 122 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: problems to Jesus and she's dependent upon him. And it's 123 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:22,720 Speaker 1: just it blows my mind when Jesus looks at her 124 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: and he's like woman, because you would almost kind of 125 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: be offended by his response to her. And it's funny 126 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: because she just kind of ignores it, and rather than 127 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: being offended, she just tells the servant to do whatever 128 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 1: he tells you to do. Because it's really hard to 129 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: be used by God when you're easy to be offended, 130 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: and Mary takes a posture that's really hard to be offended. 131 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: But we get in this pattern that we only go 132 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: to Jesus as a last option. Everything else didn't work, 133 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: so I might as well take it to Jesus, And 134 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: now I just end up being here in case of emergency, 135 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: break glass, Jesus, Jesus, I got nothing else what you 136 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: got for me. And if the only time you're calling 137 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: someone is to get something from them, there's not much 138 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: of a relationship. So, ladies, if some dude is only 139 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: calling you late at night to get something from you, 140 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: what do you call that guy? Actually, don't call him 141 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: put him on the do not call lists, and sometimes 142 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: we can do the same thing with Jesus. He just 143 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: doesn't want to do something for you, but he wants 144 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 1: a relationship with you. So when he looks at Mary 145 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 1: and he says woman, it's something a little more than 146 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: a correction and a little bit less than a rebuke. 147 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: And he's not correcting her language, but what he is 148 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: saying is I need to give you a new perspective. 149 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,239 Speaker 1: That's what's happening in this moment. So when he says woman, 150 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: it kind of startles her because up until that point, 151 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,240 Speaker 1: all she had seen was her son. What she needs 152 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: to start seeing him as is as her savior. She 153 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: comes to him as mother, but she's gonna walk away 154 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: as a follower. That's what Jesus is starting to do. 155 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: It's the very first public miracle he does on the 156 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: landscape at the Horizon, and it is a pivot point 157 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: in his life that says, now I'm going to show 158 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,880 Speaker 1: my glory and so that you would believe, and so 159 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,040 Speaker 1: whoa Mary. The terms of this relationship are about to change. 160 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,400 Speaker 1: And because Jesus says, my hour has not yet come, 161 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,360 Speaker 1: Jesus hour was when he was going to go to 162 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: the cross and give up his life. That was his hour. 163 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: And he says, this isn't my hour. And he saying, 164 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: this isn't my time, but he gets up and he 165 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:34,320 Speaker 1: does it anyway. That's where I'm fascinated by the text. 166 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: Pastor a couple of weeks ago preach a sermon I'm 167 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: tired on the inside, amazing sermon. Please go back and 168 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: watch it. But he says, we cannot manipulate God to 169 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: fit our agenda. That's what made me go study this 170 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: whole passage, and it made me study the whole Book 171 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,760 Speaker 1: of John. One word from my pastor causes me to 172 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: study this whole thing. And we've had a couple hundred 173 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,679 Speaker 1: people every morning at seven am in our Matthew's community 174 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: doing a Bible study based upon one thought that Pastor 175 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,719 Speaker 1: Stephen preachs. Tell me, Pastor, what you do doesn't matter. 176 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 1: It making a difference around the world. Thank you, sir 177 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: for doing that. But Jesus said, my hour is not 178 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: yet come. But yet he gets up and he does it. 179 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: Why Jesus said, it's not my time, but it's yours. 180 00:09:15,160 --> 00:09:17,679 Speaker 1: It's your time, Mary, It's your time to start seeing 181 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: me as something different than you've always seen me. He said, 182 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 1: you need to start seeing me as Jehovah Shira, your protector. 183 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 1: You need to start seeing me as Jehovah Shabah, the 184 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:30,680 Speaker 1: god who is your provider and protector. I am Jehovah Nissi, 185 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: the banner over your life. I am Elroy, the god 186 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: who sees you. And he's about to start revealing parts 187 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,400 Speaker 1: of his character to her. But it will happen through relationship. 188 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 1: It says Jesus, It's not my time, but it is yours. 189 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: But what prompted the whole thing was a problem that 190 00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: Mary had. It was the it. What's your it? Some 191 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: of you are like, I got a long list of 192 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: it's man. Some of you are like, I'm married to it. 193 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: I drive to it. I can't get away from it. 194 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: It keeps following me. I thought I paid the bill 195 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: on it, but it keeps showing back up in the mail. 196 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 1: I don't know what you're it is, but I want 197 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: you to see it. And what I want to flip 198 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: your perspective, like Jesus did with Mary, is that problem. 199 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: It becomes an opportunity to see a new perspective. Because 200 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: Jesus solves her problem. He does it, but he does 201 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 1: not do it for her reasons. He says, I'm not 202 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 1: doing it to solve your problem. I'm doing it to 203 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: give you a new perspective. Everybody is at this wedding, 204 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:35,400 Speaker 1: hundreds of people. Not a COVID wedding where you have 205 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:38,200 Speaker 1: four people and everybody else watching. It's not that kind 206 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: of wedding. It's a wedding where there's hundreds of people there. 207 00:10:40,800 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: Everybody sees it, but only a couple people see it. 208 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 1: Everybody is there because the scripture says in verse chapter two, 209 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: verse eleven, it says what Jesus did here in cana 210 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 1: Galilee was the first of the signs through which he 211 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. The 212 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: problem was they ran out of wine. But the motive 213 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: for Jesus doing it is not for people to have wine. 214 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,600 Speaker 1: It's so that people could see him at a deeper 215 00:11:10,679 --> 00:11:13,719 Speaker 1: level and just maybe, just maybe the problem that you're 216 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: facing is an opportunity to upgrade your perspective and see 217 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: a whole new aspect of Jesus. Because Mary's there and 218 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:24,599 Speaker 1: the disciples of there, and Mary had a relationship with 219 00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:29,680 Speaker 1: Jesus for thirty years. But don't let familiarity be mistaken 220 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: as faith, because you can sometimes be close to something 221 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:38,120 Speaker 1: you don't see it anymore. And you got Mary who's 222 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: been rolling with him for thirty years, but you got 223 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: the disciples who have just been following him for a 224 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: couple of days. And what I would submit to you 225 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: is maybe some of the you that are brand new 226 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: Christians have it more figured out than some of us 227 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: that have been walking with him for a long season. 228 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: And so do not despise the day of small beginnings. 229 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,040 Speaker 1: And the disciples has just been rolling with him for 230 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: a couple of days. So I want you to put 231 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,240 Speaker 1: a pause on chapter two, and I want to jump 232 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: back to chapter one because it's so that we see 233 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: the genesis of a relationship, because God reveals himself through relationship, 234 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 1: and God desires to reveal more of himself through you 235 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: to you through the problem that you're facing. But let's 236 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: look back and let's see the genesis of a relationship 237 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: because in chapter one, wait, so happening is two disciples 238 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: Andrew and John. Because when Jesus is at the wedding, 239 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:26,680 Speaker 1: there's five disciples there, and the first two are Andrew 240 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: and John. And they're just hanging out and they see 241 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: Jesus walking by, like, hey, let's follow him. They don't 242 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: even know why. He's like the lamb of God, like, 243 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,599 Speaker 1: let's follow you. And Jesus turns to them and he 244 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: says the most outlandist statement. He looks at them and 245 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,960 Speaker 1: he says, what do you want? Because some would tell 246 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:45,840 Speaker 1: you that God doesn't care what you want. That's not 247 00:12:45,920 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: the God that I know. The God that I know 248 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 1: cares deeply about what you want. And he's going to 249 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 1: start there and take you to a deeper revelation of him. 250 00:12:53,679 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 1: And they just look at him, says, we just want 251 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: to be with you. He's like, cool, hang with me. 252 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,960 Speaker 1: Let's go. So Andrew and John are follow in Jesus. 253 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 1: Then the next day that Andrew and gets his brother Peter. 254 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,320 Speaker 1: He's like, Peter, come check this out. So now you 255 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:10,320 Speaker 1: got three disciples that are following Jesus. Peter and Andrew 256 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: are from a city in Galilee, and they now convinced 257 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: Jesus to go to Galilee, where they get this other 258 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: guy named Philip. God reveals himself through relationship. What you 259 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: see a pattern with the early Disciples. It spread infectiously 260 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 1: through relationships. God gave you that relationship because His glory 261 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: wants to come through you. That's why you have that relationship. 262 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: H'it share right now, h'it share it right now. Share 263 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: this sermon because somebody needs to come into relationship with Jesus, 264 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,319 Speaker 1: and God's going to use your relationship to bring them 265 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: into relationship. So Philip goes and gets his brother Nathaniel, 266 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 1: and I want to zoom in on Nathaniel for just 267 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: a second, because this is the embryo of a relationship. 268 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: In verse forty five, it says found Nathaniel and told 269 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 1: him we have found the one Moses wrote about in 270 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: the Law and about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus 271 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: of Nazareth, the son of Joseph Nazareth. Can anything good 272 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 1: come from there? You're going to evolution church? Can like 273 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: Nazareth talking about practice? Man? Nazareth, where you talking? Because 274 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: he had a box of what the Messiah would look 275 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: like and God was about to boot pop that bubble. 276 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,400 Speaker 1: He was about to just just erode all of that. 277 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: And in Nathaniel, rather than being offended by him, simply says, 278 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: just come and see man, just coming, like that's the 279 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: greatest invitation you could give somebody, just come and see man. 280 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: That's and here's the here's the crazy part about the story. 281 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:37,480 Speaker 1: When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said to him, here, 282 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. Really, 283 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: he's a human. He's got a lot of deceit. He's 284 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: just like you and me. But it's interesting what Jesus 285 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: calls him and and Nathaniel says, how do you know me? 286 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 1: Nathaniel answered, or asked. Jesus answered, I saw you while 287 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: you will still under the fig tree before Philip called you. Wow. 288 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,680 Speaker 1: Then you declared, Rabbi, you are the son of God, 289 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: you are the King of Israel. Jesus said, you believe 290 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: because I told you that I saw you under a 291 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: fig tree. You will see even greater things than these. 292 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,600 Speaker 1: It's a fascinating story that Jesus says, before you came, 293 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: I saw you. Because Jesus sees the fullness of you. 294 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: He sees all of your good and all of your bad, 295 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,080 Speaker 1: the good, the bad, and the ugly. He sees everything. 296 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: So when he says I saw you underneath the fig tree, 297 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: it makes me think about the fig leaf because In 298 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: the beginning, God created Adam and the If. They had 299 00:15:31,840 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: complete intimacy, an amazing relationship. There were no barriers, there 300 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: were no boundaries, nothing separating us and God. It was 301 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: perfect relationship. That is Genesis two twenty five. They were 302 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,960 Speaker 1: both naked and they felt no shame. It's not a 303 00:15:46,040 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: verse about nudity, it's about intimacy. Seven verses later, they're eating, 304 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: their eyes are opened and sin is injected into the 305 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: human DNA, and it has echoed throughout the generation since 306 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: that moment. And so when it says he saw him 307 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: sitting underneath the fig tree, he says, Nathaniel, I saw 308 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 1: you sitting underneath all of that shame. I saw you 309 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: sitting all underneath all of those decisions you ever did. 310 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: And he said, I still called you, I still chose you. 311 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:17,080 Speaker 1: You are mine. Come to me. And it's amazing what 312 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: Jesus says to him. He knows he's been living under 313 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: the shadow of shame. And some of you don't want 314 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: to come to Jesus because you don't feel worthy to 315 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 1: come into his presence. And I'm telling you that's the 316 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,440 Speaker 1: very reason Jesus died is to take that shame from 317 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: you and he sees you in full, but he loves 318 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,800 Speaker 1: you fully. And what's amazing to me is what he 319 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,840 Speaker 1: says to Nathaniel. He knows he's been sitting underneath that shame, 320 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 1: and he looks at him and says, here's a true 321 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 1: Israelite in whom there is no He does not identify 322 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: him by his lowest moments. He identifies him by his 323 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: highest potential. And that is the same thing that God 324 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: is doing to you. He is calling you into a 325 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 1: relationship with himself. And of course Nathaniel's gonna follow him, 326 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: and he invites him into relationship. And it begins by 327 00:17:01,560 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: seeing who Jesus is. And he had a box that 328 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: Jesus just popped and he blew his perspective of what 329 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: the Messiah should look like. And he says, I want 330 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,280 Speaker 1: to follow you, and he says, you believe because I 331 00:17:13,320 --> 00:17:16,200 Speaker 1: saw you. Dude, You're gonna see even greater things than these. 332 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: And when you hear the word greater, I don't want 333 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:21,200 Speaker 1: you to think like more square footage, a nicer car, 334 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: or a bigger paycheck. I want you to think deeper, 335 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 1: because what it is is like, follow me into relationship 336 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,240 Speaker 1: and it's gonna go deeper. Greater means deeper. You're gonna 337 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: see new shades of me who I've always been and 338 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 1: what you see introduced into the text as a concept 339 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 1: of progressive revelation. Progressive revelation is this a fancy way 340 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: of saying like evangelical term says you were saved, meaning 341 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:47,479 Speaker 1: you had a moment where you place your faith in Jesus. 342 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: You will be saved meaning one day you will see 343 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: him face to face and you'll be made like him. 344 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 1: But in between your being saved, it's working out your salvation. Astley. 345 00:17:56,760 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 1: Let me tell it to you this way. My wife 346 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: Janet is here in two of my four kids. Dalen 347 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 1: turns twelve on Wednesday. That's my girl. And then my 348 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,320 Speaker 1: son Corbyn here, he's fourteen. Let me tell you this 349 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 1: about progressive revelation. He's an amazing young man. I love him. 350 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: I remember taking him to school and he's five years old. 351 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 1: He wants to like, dad, hold my hand, let's go 352 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: to the classroom. He gots a little backfaft gone, He's like, Daddy, 353 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: I love you. I was like yeah, And then when 354 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: he's like in fifth grade, he's like dad, I love you. 355 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: Now He's like in ninth grade, he's like, Dad, man, 356 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:31,480 Speaker 1: do I have to say it? Like? You better say 357 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:33,320 Speaker 1: you love me? Boy, I'll embarrass you in front of all. 358 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 1: But he's like, he loves his dad. Then one day 359 00:18:36,640 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: he'll graduate high school and he'll say, Dad, I love you. 360 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: One day he'll get married and he'll say Dad, I 361 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: love you. And one day he'll hold his first born 362 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: and I look at me and say, Dad, I love you. 363 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 1: He's used the same word his whole life, but his 364 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:57,119 Speaker 1: understanding has changed over time. That's progressive revelation. And some 365 00:18:57,200 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: of us are sitting in an outdated revelation of Jesus. 366 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 1: You're stuck in an old download. It's time you update 367 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:05,439 Speaker 1: what God has called you to see in this season. 368 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: And the way that he gives you a new revelation 369 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,360 Speaker 1: is through the situation. Whether it's a struggle or a celebration, 370 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: it's all design for you to see it. It is 371 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: not the problem being solved, It is the person of 372 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:17,960 Speaker 1: Jesus in the problem with you. That's what he wants 373 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: you to see. But what I realized about relationship is 374 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:23,959 Speaker 1: it's progressive revelation Because when I was sitting in that 375 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:26,680 Speaker 1: seat and Pastor Steven was preaching, he was talking about 376 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,239 Speaker 1: carrying multiple roles. Look at Jesus carrying all of these 377 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: multiple roles. All he has, all of it because when 378 00:19:33,119 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: you come to faith in Jesus, you get the fullness 379 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:37,560 Speaker 1: of Christ, but you don't understand in full. That's the 380 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,880 Speaker 1: progressive revelation. You grow in his character over time. That's 381 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: he reveals it to you. And it's funny. When Pastor 382 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:46,160 Speaker 1: was preaching about roles, here's the other thing that God 383 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 1: so spoken to my spirit. Because Corbin, I'm his dad. 384 00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: I've been his dad for fourteen years. It's one of 385 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:55,520 Speaker 1: the greatest privilege of my life to be his dad. 386 00:19:56,080 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: And I remember being his dad when he's five and 387 00:19:57,800 --> 00:19:59,919 Speaker 1: we'd eat pizza and we'd wrestle and it was awesome. 388 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: And then when he's nine, I had a bunch of 389 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: rules like, hey, clean your room, brush your teeth, go 390 00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: to bed. And what God spoke to me says, you're 391 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: still living in a five year old definition of dad. 392 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: And the reason I'm having frustration in the relationship is 393 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:19,920 Speaker 1: not because he doesn't get it. Because I was looking 394 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: at them. He just doesn't get it. He needs to 395 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: respect his dad more. And what I realized it's about 396 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 1: my perspective because I have not had a new revelation 397 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,120 Speaker 1: of what Dad is in five years, and I'm still 398 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: treating him like an eight year old. And so we 399 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:34,879 Speaker 1: had a good talk a couple of weeks ago and said, Corbin, 400 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: I want to apologize for that because I need to 401 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: see you differently, because I need to be something different 402 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: for you. It's a progressive revelation, and I would submit 403 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: to you that wherever you have frustration in a relationship. 404 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:47,960 Speaker 1: This is going to sound cheesy, but this is the 405 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: way God gave it to me, that frustration is an 406 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 1: opportunity for a revelation. I just gave somebody, Marri little advice. 407 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: It's like the old couple that's been married fifty years 408 00:20:59,040 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: and they're talking to the young and the old man 409 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 1: looks at the young buck, and the young buck says, man, 410 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: how did you show you loved her every day? He goes, well, 411 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:07,399 Speaker 1: when we married fifty years ago, I told her I 412 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: loved her, and I said if anything changed, I'd let 413 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: her know. Belief in Jesus is not a one time event. 414 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:20,440 Speaker 1: It is an everyday occurrence. It is growing in your belief. 415 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: And so when we jump back into the text. I 416 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 1: want you to understand. You've got somebody who's been in 417 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: relationship thirty years, and somebody three days, and all of 418 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: them Jesus wants to reveal himself to them. I don't 419 00:21:30,840 --> 00:21:33,080 Speaker 1: care where you're at on that continuum. I don't care 420 00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: if you're brand new at Jesus or you've been following 421 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: him for a long time or year. Wherever Jesus wants 422 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: to reveal himself to you. Verse six a chapter two. 423 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: Nearby stood six six stone water jars, the kind of 424 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 1: used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding me 425 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: to twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, 426 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 1: filled the jars with water. So they filled them to 427 00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: the brim. Then they told him, now draw some out 428 00:22:00,080 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: and take it to the master of the banquet. They 429 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:04,199 Speaker 1: did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the 430 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: wine that water that had been turned into wine. He 431 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 1: did not realize where it had come from, though the 432 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: servants who had drawn the water new. Then he called 433 00:22:14,280 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: the bridegroom aside and said, everyone brings out the choice wine, 434 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:20,959 Speaker 1: and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had 435 00:22:21,000 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: too much to drink. But you've saved the best. Tell now, 436 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: what Jesus did here in Kana Galilee was the first 437 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: of the science to which he revealed his glory and 438 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: his disciples believed in him. So the initiation of this 439 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 1: miracle began with a mother just having a problem. And 440 00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,160 Speaker 1: I want to tell you that your problem matters to God, 441 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 1: and he sees it and he's drawn to it. But 442 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: he's going to do something with it. It might look like, 443 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:50,560 Speaker 1: might not look like what you thought it would, but 444 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,200 Speaker 1: the opportunity exists for you to see Him in it. 445 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:55,960 Speaker 1: And some of the miracles you don't see until you 446 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:59,119 Speaker 1: look back on it. Because in this thing, there's an 447 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: old Testament sacker official system where people had to earn 448 00:23:02,119 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: the right to be cleaned before God is following these 449 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: rules and doing these rituals, and it's so much easier 450 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: to be a parent with rules rather than a father. 451 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: In relationship, it's so much easier because I can live 452 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 1: in rules that stay the same for generations and never change. 453 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:20,280 Speaker 1: But that's not relationship. Relationship is living in a way 454 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: that sees the other person and adjusting with them over time. 455 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: And so Jesus is going to kick over the old 456 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,360 Speaker 1: Testament sacrificial system, and from those ceremonial washing jars, He's 457 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: going to bring forth a new sacrifice that will be 458 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:34,479 Speaker 1: a new atonement for the forgiveness of sins. They wouldn't 459 00:23:34,480 --> 00:23:38,520 Speaker 1: see that until later, but everybody's at the wedding. Everybody 460 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:43,199 Speaker 1: sees it, but only a couple people see it. And 461 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: I think there's three groups of people that are sitting 462 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 1: at this wedding. And as I walk through these three 463 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: layers of people, what I want you to understand this 464 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 1: is taking it deeper. So when God told Nathaniels you'll 465 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 1: see even greater things, he would now walk with him 466 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: for three years, miracle after miracle after miracle. And the 467 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: miracle wasn't the feeding of the five thousand. The miracle 468 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,959 Speaker 1: was seeing Jesus in the middle of it. That's what 469 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,440 Speaker 1: the miracle was. Not everybody saw that because some people 470 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: only wanted to eat the food and fill their belly 471 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: and the next day but they were hungry again. I 472 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:14,520 Speaker 1: got to decide where do I want to be. Do 473 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: I want to be hungry tomorrow or do I want 474 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: to be with Jesus today. That's what God brings us to. 475 00:24:20,080 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 1: And so this top layer I think is at the 476 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,919 Speaker 1: wedding is a level of enjoy because Jesus brings out 477 00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,879 Speaker 1: the choice wine. I mean, read the text. This isn't 478 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: a pro or against alcohol. It's saying Jesus brought it 479 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:36,719 Speaker 1: and it was good stuff, and everybody at the wedding 480 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. And many people woke up with a little 481 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,439 Speaker 1: buzz the next day, but they went right back to 482 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 1: life as normal and the miracles happening in the moment. 483 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: But some people are only caught up with the wine. 484 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:58,680 Speaker 1: Maybe we would do well to inspect what is it? 485 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: Do I just want him to solve it? Do I 486 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: just want to enjoy it? But what I want to 487 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: tell you is Jesus always starts with what you want 488 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: to get you to see what you need. There would 489 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:15,560 Speaker 1: be some that would preach that Jesus doesn't care what 490 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: you want. He doesn't want you happy, he wants you holy. 491 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 1: Come on, man, he cares about your happiness, he absolutely does. 492 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,680 Speaker 1: But He's got something deeper in mind for you. It's 493 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 1: the starting place. And I know you're so overwhelmed trying 494 00:25:27,640 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 1: to figure out how to homeschool your kids, and you're 495 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: so overwhelmed by looking at the images on our TV 496 00:25:32,160 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: right now, and it makes us give up hope that 497 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: he could ever change. And what Jesus is saying in 498 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,600 Speaker 1: the middle of all that problem, I am in it, 499 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:42,880 Speaker 1: and if you choose you can see me in it. 500 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:47,400 Speaker 1: I think there's a second layer, because in verse nine 501 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: it says, and the master of the banquet tasted some 502 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 1: of the water they've been turned into wine. He did 503 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,640 Speaker 1: not realize where it comes from, though the servants who 504 00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:01,240 Speaker 1: drew the water knew. The second level is no is knowledge. 505 00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:04,960 Speaker 1: It's to know something. So yet everybody enjoying the wine, 506 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: some people knowing where it came from. And there's a 507 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: guy in the Bible named Nicodemus in chapter three of 508 00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:17,399 Speaker 1: John that he's one of the religious leaders. He's like, 509 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 1: I'm the supreme Court of Israel. And he comes to 510 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: Jesus at night and at night speaks of disbelief. And 511 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: he's got a box of knowledge that he has created 512 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:29,919 Speaker 1: from all of this studies that comes into the presence 513 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,400 Speaker 1: of Jesus and says, who are you? And he says, 514 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 1: I'm the Messiah, and he says, how could this be? 515 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:37,719 Speaker 1: That doesn't make sense because it does not fit in 516 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:42,199 Speaker 1: my box. And sometimes the very thing that keeps you 517 00:26:42,200 --> 00:26:45,240 Speaker 1: from believing in Jesus is the knowledge you have. Wow. 518 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: Because Jesus looks at him and says, this can only 519 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: be revealed by the truth, by the spirit. He says, 520 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:51,800 Speaker 1: how can that be? He said, it won't make sense 521 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: until you have the spirit. How can it be? It's 522 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 1: because you have a paradigm of what you think God 523 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: is supposed to look like and not look like, what 524 00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: you think God should do and should not do. And 525 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: when God doesn't do something you don't think lines up 526 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:05,239 Speaker 1: with what he should do, you walk away from it. 527 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: Don't forfeit what you believe about God based upon what 528 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 1: you don't understand. Because every time you come to this 529 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 1: paradigm to say I don't understand it, you can either 530 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,119 Speaker 1: walk away and reject it, or you will lean into it, 531 00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:19,240 Speaker 1: say God, show me a new revelation of who you are. 532 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:23,200 Speaker 1: Nicodemus represents this knowledge base that says God should look 533 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: like this. Thus saith the Lord, and he walks away 534 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:30,639 Speaker 1: from the conversation. But the beauty of our God is 535 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: long suffering, willing that none should perish. So when you 536 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: see Nicodemus later in John, while all the disciples have scattered. 537 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: He's helping take it in Jesus' body off the cross. 538 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: That's how much he loves you, even if your knowledge 539 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: is a roadblock today. I believe that Jesus is going 540 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:47,760 Speaker 1: to be persistent. He's going to keep bringing things into 541 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: your life. I believe that one day you will bend 542 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: your knee, you will declare him as your Lord and savior. 543 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 1: But some of us have a not lot of knowledge. 544 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: But the third level is belief. That's what he spoke 545 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 1: of in verse eleven, that God's glory would be revealed 546 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: and that you would believe. It's fascinating to me that 547 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: we would be included in a sentence with God's glory. 548 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: That alone makes me go, like your glory and my 549 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: belief line to believe, to believe, and I have to believe. 550 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,840 Speaker 1: At this point in the Miracle, Mary forgets about the 551 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:30,439 Speaker 1: original problem because she sees the person of Jesus and 552 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,840 Speaker 1: she's got an upgraded revelation of who he is. He 553 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 1: has gone from son to savior. He's gone from just 554 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,320 Speaker 1: I am his mama to now I am his follower. 555 00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: It's absolutely amazing, and there's a difference between knowledge and belief. 556 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: I used to teach college classes in sports medicine. So 557 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: I teach college classes about sports nutrition, and I could 558 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,239 Speaker 1: teach you about macronutrients and micronutrients and the value of 559 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: vegetables in your life. And I know a lot about vegetables. 560 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: But do you know how vegetables I eat in a month? 561 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 1: Probably about zero? Why? Because I don't believe in vegetables. 562 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:12,280 Speaker 1: Like I know about him, but I don't believe in them. 563 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: Do you believe Jesus or do you just know about him? 564 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:17,840 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about a list of rules that you 565 00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 1: follow in order to earn his favor. I'm talking about 566 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,960 Speaker 1: a persistent, ongoing relationship that calls you into deeper, that 567 00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 1: calls you into deeper. He's saying, come off the shallow 568 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 1: end of the pool. I am a deep well, and 569 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: you'll never get to the bottom of it. And Jesus 570 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: is biding you into a deeper relationship with him. And 571 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: we've got to push past the knowledge into the land 572 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: of unbelief. And some of these things are only revealed 573 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:44,800 Speaker 1: by spirit. And Jesus goes on to record. John records 574 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: six other miracles that Jesus does in this Book of John. 575 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:55,239 Speaker 1: It is a book of belief, misunderstanding miracles. And what 576 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: you start to see is the whole crowd enjoyed the wine. 577 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: The whole crowd enjoyed the bread. Some people knew, but 578 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: a few believed. It's not a one time event. It's 579 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: a relationship. That's why Jesus did these miracles. But it's funny. 580 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: Jesus did the miracles so that the disciples would believe. 581 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 1: But did you know that when John wrote this, he 582 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:28,720 Speaker 1: was thinking of you. Jesus is the miracles for the disciples. 583 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: John wrote this book for you. Let me show you. 584 00:30:32,560 --> 00:30:34,920 Speaker 1: You never knew this, did you. I believe that in 585 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: eternity past, when God thought of what would happen in 586 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: the future, he had you in mind. And that's why 587 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 1: he had John write this letter. He had him write 588 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:45,760 Speaker 1: this book. In John twenty, Verses thirty and thirty one, 589 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:49,040 Speaker 1: it says Jesus performed many other signs in the presence 590 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 591 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:58,560 Speaker 1: But they are. But these are written that you, who's 592 00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 1: the you, is your time. John is saying, so that 593 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:08,720 Speaker 1: you would believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, 594 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: and that by believing in him that you'd have a 595 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 1: moment that you believe, but you walk out a relationship 596 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 1: that you progressively keep believing in him that you may 597 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 1: have life in his name. And I know you're staring 598 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,520 Speaker 1: at some it's there's some big h's and there's some 599 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: big problems, and Jesus saying, I want to meet you 600 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:32,840 Speaker 1: in it, but I want to show you me in it. 601 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: And all the time he's saying, my hour is not 602 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: yet come. My hour is not yet come. But as 603 00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:41,880 Speaker 1: you get to the end of John, he looks at 604 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: his disciples and he says, my hour has come. His 605 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: assignment when he stepped out of glory, robed himself in 606 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 1: flesh and made his dwelling amongst us, was to crawl 607 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: upon a cross so that he would suffer a death, 608 00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:58,520 Speaker 1: so that you and I could be forgiven of all 609 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:03,480 Speaker 1: of our sins. That was his hour. And as he's 610 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,400 Speaker 1: walking with his disciples, they wouldn't understand this until looking 611 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:10,720 Speaker 1: back on it. And Jesus has to go to the cross, 612 00:32:10,720 --> 00:32:16,280 Speaker 1: and that's his assignment, that's his hour. And while they're 613 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,160 Speaker 1: at the cross, the disciples had dispersed, and here you've 614 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:24,960 Speaker 1: got Mary, his mother. John, the guy who wrote this book, 615 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:28,640 Speaker 1: and a few other women, and I just want to 616 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 1: speak over the ladies you're working so hard, the mom 617 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: who's trying to make it, the single woman who's just 618 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:39,720 Speaker 1: trying to get ahead, the single mom who doesn't feel 619 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:41,920 Speaker 1: like I have enough to give to everybody. I want 620 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: to tell you that Jesus sees you, He sees you. 621 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: It says that as Jesus is up on the cross. 622 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:53,320 Speaker 1: It says when Jesus saw his mother there and the 623 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: disciple whom he loves standing nearby, he said to her woman, 624 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,200 Speaker 1: So pitcher Mary watching her son give up his life. 625 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:07,560 Speaker 1: She's looking at this situation of despair and she can't 626 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: do anything about it. You want to talk about a 627 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: pain that is deep. She's watching her firstborn, her child die, 628 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:16,600 Speaker 1: and she's looking up at her savior, and she's filled 629 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,560 Speaker 1: with grief. And picture the scene. The Roman soldiers have 630 00:33:19,720 --> 00:33:22,840 Speaker 1: just cast lots and divided his clothes. The Jewish leaders 631 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,760 Speaker 1: have a righteous indignation, feeling like they have killed the 632 00:33:25,760 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: one who will put us in power the rest of 633 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: our days. And all of these other people, like we 634 00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: don't know what to make of it. But there's a 635 00:33:31,240 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 1: couple people who are believing in that point. But yet 636 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:37,080 Speaker 1: their pain is so immense, and the excruciating pain that 637 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: Jesus is under as he's watching all of this, and 638 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:46,479 Speaker 1: he looks down and he says, woman, I've heard that before. 639 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:50,960 Speaker 1: He says, you're looking up and you're seeing me as 640 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:55,840 Speaker 1: your savior. But he says, woman, here is your son, 641 00:33:55,880 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: because I'm also your son. And then he looks at John. 642 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 1: He says, take her home, because it's a son. I 643 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: need to make sure my mom is taken care of. 644 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: Imagine the pain in that moment. Mary's watching the pain 645 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:20,439 Speaker 1: of her son. And yet on the cross, he sees her, 646 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:27,760 Speaker 1: and he sees you. He sees the pain, he sees 647 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: the anguish, He cares deeply about the sleepless nights. And 648 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: even on the cross, Jesus is revealing his character to 649 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: his mother because one of the names of God is Elroy. 650 00:34:42,680 --> 00:34:47,280 Speaker 1: It's the God who sees and cares for me. Even 651 00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:51,960 Speaker 1: in his hour. He says, I see you because he 652 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:57,800 Speaker 1: said my time is your time, My hour is your hour. 653 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:03,960 Speaker 1: The reason I came is for you. And he sees 654 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:08,520 Speaker 1: you in your pain, and he's leaning out of glory 655 00:35:08,640 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: into humanity, and he meets with you and he's calling you. 656 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:17,919 Speaker 1: And imagine Mary as she hears the words uttered from 657 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 1: her son. Woman, here is your son, and then she 658 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: is taken care of whatever problem you're facing matters to Jesus. 659 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,360 Speaker 1: But he's using that problem to show you his person. 660 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: And if you have never placed your faith in Jesus, 661 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: this is the moment that God is calling you by name. Nathaniel, 662 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 1: come here, Josephine, come here, James, come here, Sally come here. 663 00:35:51,200 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: He's calling you by name. And you've been resisting your 664 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,560 Speaker 1: whole life. You've had a box of what God is 665 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,960 Speaker 1: supposed to do. But God has popped that box and 666 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,960 Speaker 1: you're seeing the person of Jesus. He sees you. He 667 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:06,440 Speaker 1: is elroyd to you. He's the God who cares, and 668 00:36:06,480 --> 00:36:09,520 Speaker 1: he's calling you into relationship with him. And if you 669 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,120 Speaker 1: have never placed your faith in Jesus, if you've never 670 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: been forgiven of your sins, this is your moment. This 671 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: is your time. All around the world, we're going to 672 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:21,600 Speaker 1: say a prayer together right now for someone to begin 673 00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:26,000 Speaker 1: that relationship with Jesus. There's a step that all of 674 00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:28,520 Speaker 1: us need to take. Some of you have been staring 675 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:30,720 Speaker 1: at your problems, but you've not been seeing the person 676 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:34,160 Speaker 1: of Jesus in it. Some of you, this is the 677 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,440 Speaker 1: genesis of a relationship. Wherever you're at. If you could 678 00:36:37,480 --> 00:36:40,279 Speaker 1: buy your heads, if you could close your eyes. I'm 679 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: going to lead us in a prayer right now. And 680 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: as you say these words with your mouth, if you 681 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:47,960 Speaker 1: believe them in your heart, the Bible says you will 682 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: be saved. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son 683 00:36:56,000 --> 00:37:00,600 Speaker 1: of God who died on the cross and rose from 684 00:37:00,600 --> 00:37:04,960 Speaker 1: the grave to forgive me of all my sins. I 685 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,640 Speaker 1: give you my life, I give you my sin, I 686 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:12,759 Speaker 1: give you my shame. Forgive me, and I'll spend my 687 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:17,400 Speaker 1: life following you. Now, if you just prayed that prayer, 688 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,600 Speaker 1: if you just ask Christ into your life, what you 689 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:21,799 Speaker 1: need to know is that all of Heaven is rejoicing, 690 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:24,520 Speaker 1: and the few people we have at Balantine or rejoice 691 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:27,239 Speaker 1: with you. Come on, would you drop it in the 692 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: comments and let us know if you just asked Jesus 693 00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,520 Speaker 1: into your heart, greatest decision you'll ever make. Welcome to 694 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 1: the Family of God. I'm so proud of you. Thank 695 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you 696 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: who give generously to this ministry is because of you 697 00:37:53,160 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: that this ministry is possible. You can click the link 698 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 1: in the description to give now or visit Elevation Church 699 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: Slash podcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, 700 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 701 00:38:07,360 --> 00:38:09,680 Speaker 1: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 702 00:38:09,719 --> 00:38:11,839 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 703 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:19,440 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.