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Speaker 1: Okay, the scripture that the Lord led me to as

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Speaker 1: we complete this season. It didn't seem like to me

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Speaker 1: a Christmas scripture at first, but I think it is.

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Speaker 1: It's in Exodus chapter forty. You're like getting the Christmas

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Speaker 1: story in the New Testament. Jesus is all up in

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Speaker 1: your Bible. You just got it. He's like, where's Waldo.

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Speaker 1: You just got to know how to spot it. But

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Speaker 1: in Exodus forty, there is something I want to show

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Speaker 1: you today, Verse thirty three. Let's go. Then Moses set

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Speaker 1: up the courtyard around the tabernacle and alter and put

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Speaker 1: up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And

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Speaker 1: so Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the

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Speaker 1: tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord Lord

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Speaker 1: filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of

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Speaker 1: meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the

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Speaker 1: glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. In all the

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Speaker 1: travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above

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Speaker 1: the tabernacle, they would set out. But if the cloud

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Speaker 1: did not lift, they did not set out until the

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Speaker 1: day it lifted. So the cloud of the Lord was

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Speaker 1: over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the

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Speaker 1: cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites

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Speaker 1: during all their travels. So the Lord gave me good

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Speaker 1: tidings of great joy to preach to you this Christmas season.

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Speaker 1: My title is an announcement. Get ready to shout. God

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Speaker 1: said to tell you the restriction has been lifted. All

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Speaker 1: open your mouth, holds your teeth, and unto God, the

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Speaker 1: restriction has been lifted. Put it in the chat right now.

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Speaker 1: The restriction has been lifted. Tell your neighbor you can

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Speaker 1: move around the room the restriction. You are now free

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Speaker 1: to brace him to. The restriction has been Listen all right, now,

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Speaker 1: be seated. I had fun doing that on the road.

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Speaker 1: We were going out on elevation nights all around the country,

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Speaker 1: and I would make a joke when I would get

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Speaker 1: up in these different cities. I'd say, hey, now, I

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Speaker 1: know that some of y'all haven't been to church in

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Speaker 1: two years, ever since twenty twenty two or twenty twenty.

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Speaker 1: And it's twenty twenty two, so I've got two years

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Speaker 1: of makeup church to have with you tonight. So I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna preach about three hours. And they kind of laugh

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Speaker 1: and you could see people looking at each other like,

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Speaker 1: how does you know I hadn't been back to church

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Speaker 1: because for the longest, and I don't mean to do

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Speaker 1: any church. I'll put a trigger warning on this real quick, okay,

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Speaker 1: because that phrase the restriction has been lifted. It takes

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Speaker 1: us all to a certain place. And this is not

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Speaker 1: a political message. This is just an illustration that I

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Speaker 1: want to use to get you into the Christmas message.

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Speaker 1: So relax, all right, I'm not going to say anything

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Speaker 1: that's going to get us banned or canceled or arrested

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Speaker 1: or anything like that. All right, now that we got

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Speaker 1: that out of the way, the illustration is this. A

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Speaker 1: man walks up to me and ask me a question.

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Speaker 1: This was about three months after they lifted the restriction

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Speaker 1: where we could start gathering again for church in person.

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Speaker 1: And he sees me in a public place and he says, yo, pastor,

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Speaker 1: are the restrictions lifted? Are y'all meeting in church now?

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Speaker 1: And I said, yeah, We've been meeting for three months,

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Speaker 1: and I've been preaching the whole time, and we've been

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Speaker 1: putting the sermons online. And he goes, oh, cool, Well,

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Speaker 1: I'm coming this Sunday. Then, he walks off. He turns around,

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Speaker 1: walks back, walks back over to me and looks guilty

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Speaker 1: and goes, I can't lie to my pastor. I knew

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Speaker 1: y'all were having church again. I follow every account on

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Speaker 1: Instagram that Elevation Church has. I just hadn't come back yet.

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Speaker 1: So I am going to be there Sunday. But I

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Speaker 1: couldn't lie to you about why it didn't that I

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Speaker 1: hadn't come back because I didn't think I could come back.

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Speaker 1: I just didn't come back and I hadn't come back.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, it's all right, man, give me a hug.

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Speaker 1: We can hug now. The restrictions are lifted. Give me

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Speaker 1: a hug. And so as a moment, there was a

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Speaker 1: teaching moment for me, not about pandemics and viruses or

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Speaker 1: any of that stuff. It was moment to me about

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Speaker 1: human nature. There's a moment for me to realize that

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Speaker 1: sometimes the restriction is gone, but the conditioning remains. To

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Speaker 1: where he said, Hey, I just got used to not

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Speaker 1: doing it, so I'm not doing it, and I have

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Speaker 1: an excuse as I can't do it. This is not

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Speaker 1: a sermon for all of y'all who are watching online

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Speaker 1: by the way. I think it's great to watch online.

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Speaker 1: This is not saying don't watch. I wouldn't put the

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Speaker 1: sermon online if I didn't want you to watch it online.

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Speaker 1: But what the man said to me was powerful. He said,

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Speaker 1: I knew I could come back. I just haven't been

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Speaker 1: coming back. But rather than say I hadn't been coming

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Speaker 1: back and deal with why I haven't been coming back

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Speaker 1: because I got into the habit of not coming back,

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Speaker 1: I wanted to ask you can I come back? Because

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Speaker 1: I ask you can I come back, it gives the

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Speaker 1: impression that I'm confused, and then I can blame my

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Speaker 1: complacency on my confusion. He said. The restriction has been lifted,

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Speaker 1: but my routine has been established, and the fact is

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Speaker 1: I need to get back. Why are y'all in the

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Speaker 1: room looking convicted? Y'all are here, you should be shouting

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Speaker 1: about this part of the sermon. It's not even about

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Speaker 1: whether you're in this room or not. It's really not.

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Speaker 1: It's about whether you're in faith. It's about whether you're

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Speaker 1: in the place God has called you to, and it's

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Speaker 1: about whether or not you're allowing God to lead you

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Speaker 1: in this season of your life, which is exactly what

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Speaker 1: I gave you a picture of from Exodus chapter forty,

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Speaker 1: where the Lord is leading his people. How many believed

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Speaker 1: the Lord leads his people. That's one of the identifying

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Speaker 1: marks of knowing that you belong to God. That Jesus said,

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Speaker 1: my sheep know my voice, and they listen, and so

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Speaker 1: not only do they hear it, but they go with it.

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Speaker 1: And so one of the marks of my maturity in

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Speaker 1: God is that not only is he speaking, but that

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Speaker 1: I am in step with him, that He is leading me,

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Speaker 1: that he is leading me to be kinder, more generous,

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Speaker 1: that he is leading me to be more disciplined in

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Speaker 1: the areas that matter. In fact, that's the word that

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Speaker 1: Holly and I are putting on our offering today. Just

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Speaker 1: a few moments, people from all over our church, our

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Speaker 1: global community, and even online are going to be giving

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Speaker 1: to the work of God through this ministry. And every

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Speaker 1: year we challenge every person, every family pick a word.

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Speaker 1: My kids all have a word. Their words are just

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Speaker 1: as unique as they are as people. I'm telling you

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Speaker 1: as hilarious because they were all making fun of each

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Speaker 1: other's words at the table last night, and I was like,

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Speaker 1: you'll need to stop making fun of each other's words,

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Speaker 1: and we need to set an example for the people

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Speaker 1: of God and give as a family. We can't be

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Speaker 1: fighting like this as we're trying to set an example

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Speaker 1: of faith. And So my word that I told Holly

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Speaker 1: because sometimes I ask her in this, just tell her

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Speaker 1: and she trusts me, so she lets me be the

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Speaker 1: leader of our home. I said, our word is actually leadership.

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Speaker 1: Our word is leadership because there are two things I'm

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Speaker 1: becoming more convinced about with every year God leaves me

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Speaker 1: on this planet. One is that He is leading me,

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Speaker 1: and the other one is that I need it. How

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Speaker 1: much stupid stuff have I done? How many relationships have

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Speaker 1: I wasted my time investing in because I didn't let

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Speaker 1: God lead me. Think how much money you could have

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Speaker 1: saved on first dates if you would have listened to

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Speaker 1: the Lord and let him lead you. Touch the person

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Speaker 1: next to you and say, let him lead you. It's

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Speaker 1: not like he doesn't want to. It's not like God

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Speaker 1: is cruel up there trying to hide his will from you.

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Speaker 1: It's not like God is some kind of masochistic master

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Speaker 1: who wants to put you in situations and not show

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Speaker 1: you what to do. I mean, if you need further

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Speaker 1: proof that God wants to lead you, look to the

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Speaker 1: extremes which he was willing to go to lead his

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Speaker 1: people through the wilderness in Exodus chapter forty. If you

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Speaker 1: don't think God wants to lead you, watch this example

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Speaker 1: is brilliant. God says, I'm gonna give you a place

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Speaker 1: called the tabernacle. You could put it right in the

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Speaker 1: wilderness at the base of Mount Sinai. I'm gonna give

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Speaker 1: you my commandments, ten of them, and even when you

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Speaker 1: break them, I'm gonna give you the tablets again, so

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Speaker 1: you can have another start. Because I am the God

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Speaker 1: of new beginnings and second chances, and I will lead

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Speaker 1: you even when you lead your self astray. If you

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Speaker 1: are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

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Speaker 1: And when you get done with the commandments, build a tabernacle,

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Speaker 1: a place for my glory to dwell, a place where

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Speaker 1: there can be an altar, a place where there can

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Speaker 1: be a basin for the priests to wash their hands,

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Speaker 1: in a place where there can be a cherub him

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Speaker 1: where the presence of God can dwell. In the most

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Speaker 1: holy place. After you get through the curtains and the

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Speaker 1: lamp stand and the table of showbread, all which are

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Speaker 1: pointing to the ultimate revelation of God in Jesus Christ,

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Speaker 1: our Savior, born on Christmas Day. God said, I'm going

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Speaker 1: to put a provisional tint in the wilderness, so you'll

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Speaker 1: have a place to meet with me, and when you

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Speaker 1: mess it up, you'll have a place to make it right,

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Speaker 1: so you don't get so far off track that you

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Speaker 1: can't come back, because I am your leader. So he

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Speaker 1: did something very cool. I think it's cool. To get

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Speaker 1: them where they needed to go. He gave them this

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Speaker 1: cloud that would settle over the tabernacle and then it

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Speaker 1: would lift, and when it lifted, that meant it was

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Speaker 1: time for them to move, and when it stayed that minute,

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Speaker 1: it was time for them to stay. And all they

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Speaker 1: had to do was obey. And I kind of wish

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Speaker 1: that this Christmas God would give me a cloud like

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Speaker 1: that cloud. Wouldn't that be cool? Come on, wouldn't that

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Speaker 1: be amazing God just telling you, nope, don't take that job,

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Speaker 1: come over here, stay right there. That would be awesome.

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Speaker 1: I would love it. But the only thing is if

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Speaker 1: he gave them a cloud to lead them, which would

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Speaker 1: be a cloud by day and a pillar of fire

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Speaker 1: by night. Now, let me explain this for a moment

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Speaker 1: before I tell you why the cloud wouldn't be as

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Speaker 1: cool as you think it would be, because it wouldn't

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Speaker 1: be as cools you think it would be. And I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna show why in just a moment, But first let

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Speaker 1: me say this. The cloud looked like one thing in

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Speaker 1: the daytime and another thing at nighttime. So God never changes.

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Speaker 1: Thank God that he never changes. However, our relationship with

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Speaker 1: him does. God is always leading you, and God is

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Speaker 1: always leading me. But he will lead me through different

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Speaker 1: things in different seasons. And it doesn't mean he's changed.

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Speaker 1: It doesn't mean that he's less faithful. It doesn't mean

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Speaker 1: that he's forgotten. It doesn't mean that he's punishing me.

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Speaker 1: But God leads me in different ways in different seasons.

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Speaker 1: I had a conversation with this very thing about this

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Speaker 1: very thing with my kids. I haven't had this conversation

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Speaker 1: with Abby yet because it's a conversation that I had

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Speaker 1: with Elijah when he became a teenager and Graham when

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Speaker 1: he became a teenager. And I'll have it with Abby

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Speaker 1: here soon as well, so you can get it early. Abby,

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Speaker 1: I said, Hey, I love you, but I want to

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Speaker 1: talk to you a little bit about how our relationship

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Speaker 1: is going to change as you grow tour and you

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Speaker 1: want more freedom. So I establish something, and I don't

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Speaker 1: know if this is good or not. Maybe I can

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Speaker 1: improve it before I get it to Abby, and I

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Speaker 1: can practice on the boys and then get it right

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Speaker 1: on her. They already pick on me that she gets

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Speaker 1: all of the benefits of my inexperience being worked out

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Speaker 1: on them, and now I am a much better dad

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Speaker 1: for her. But this is what I said, And y'all

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Speaker 1: tell me if you think this is good or not.

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Speaker 1: I said, my love for you is set. I'm your dad.

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Speaker 1: If you get hooked on drugs or if you get

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Speaker 1: a diploma, I'm your dad. If you come home and

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Speaker 1: you have to tell me the worst news ever, I'm

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Speaker 1: your dad. I love you. I can't stop loving even

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Speaker 1: though I want to, I can't stop loving you. It's

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Speaker 1: like sometimes I try to not love you and it

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Speaker 1: just boomerangs back. So that is set. And if there

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Speaker 1: is a level of my love for you, it's like

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Speaker 1: level eleven. It's not even ten. It's like level eleven.

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Speaker 1: I love you. I love you more than I should

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Speaker 1: love you. That's why sometimes I don't even see things

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Speaker 1: that are wrong with you, because I love you too

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Speaker 1: much to see it. And that's why sometimes you get

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Speaker 1: on my last nerve because I love you so much.

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Speaker 1: And that was a conversation that my love for you

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Speaker 1: is set, but your freedom is not set in this house.

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Speaker 1: Your freedom is contingent on your behavior in three specific areas.

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Speaker 1: And I'm making all this up the first time when

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Speaker 1: I gave it to Elijah, and I had it better

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Speaker 1: when I got to Graham. I'll get it better when

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Speaker 1: I get to Abbey. I said, it's three things. It's respect.

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Speaker 1: You will respect me. You will respect your mom. And

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Speaker 1: if you're going to pick one of the two of

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Speaker 1: us not to respect, disrespect me because if you disrespect her,

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Speaker 1: you will find out what it is like to have

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Speaker 1: me against you. I know this parenting style is very

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Speaker 1: ANTIQ weighted and everything like that, but it's just where

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Speaker 1: I come from from my understanding of my role, my

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Speaker 1: parental role. If you want my resource, you will give

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Speaker 1: me respect. So we talk about that. Then there will

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Speaker 1: be responsibility, like you got to get your crap done

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Speaker 1: or I'm gonna have to treat you like you don't

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Speaker 1: know how to get your crap done. But if you

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Speaker 1: can get your crap done, this is the Bible somewhere too.

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Speaker 1: If you don't get faithful over little, faithful over much.

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Speaker 1: If you can prove to me that you can do

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Speaker 1: a few things, well I can let you do more things.

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Speaker 1: But you know it's like a leash. You've heard these

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Speaker 1: parents and illustrations before. And how much liberty, how much

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Speaker 1: license you get, is not going to be dependent on

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Speaker 1: how much I love you. Because I love you eleven,

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Speaker 1: but I can't let you eleven just because I love you.

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Speaker 1: I didn't put that in my notes, but I kind

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Speaker 1: of liked it. I love you eleven. My love won't leave.

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Speaker 1: But your privileges, your permissions, your liberty, and your license

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Speaker 1: depend on three things. And it's respect and its responsibility,

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Speaker 1: and most of all is trust. If I can't trust you,

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Speaker 1: I can love you, but I can't let you just

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Speaker 1: because I love you. I've got to be able to

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Speaker 1: trust you some. And then I said, how good is

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Speaker 1: this parenting seminar? They ought to put me on focus

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Speaker 1: on the family. With this, I got something to say.

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Speaker 1: I'm saving my parenting book till all my kids are sixty,

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Speaker 1: so I can see how it all turns out. But

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Speaker 1: this is one thing I had to do in real time.

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Speaker 1: I'm like, it's changing, our relationship is changing. I'm not changing.

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Speaker 1: I love you. That's set. It's eleven. It's not going

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Speaker 1: to go to nine Monday and seven Tuesday and all

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Speaker 1: then Wednesday win a big softball game. We're back to

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Speaker 1: a le that's not performance based. My love is set

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Speaker 1: at eleven. Now now I want to tell you something,

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Speaker 1: to get real, real clear before I move on. In

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Speaker 1: this message, God's love for you is set at level eleven.

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Speaker 1: Very rarely for a righteous man would someone die. But

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Speaker 1: God demonstrates his own love for us through this that

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Speaker 1: while we were still screwed up, while we were still filthy,

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Speaker 1: while we were still sin stain, while we were still

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Speaker 1: creating same through our perpetual behavior that defied him, while

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Speaker 1: I was still a sinner, Christ died for me. So

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Speaker 1: that's set. It's not changing. What self separate us from

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Speaker 1: the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. You

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Speaker 1: can't take it away. It's set. You can't snatch it,

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Speaker 1: you can't soil. It is set, is protected, His settle

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Speaker 1: is paid for his purchased in BLI his love for me. No,

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Speaker 1: but just that. And then out of understanding this, we

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Speaker 1: get the opportunity to make the decision. How much of

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Speaker 1: his love do we want to live in? How much

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Speaker 1: of his freedom do we want to experience? So it

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Speaker 1: says in Exodus that God gave the people not only

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Speaker 1: a place where he could meet with them, the tabernacle,

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Speaker 1: but over the tabernacle came a cloud, and the cloud

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Speaker 1: represented his glory in his presence. Let me show you

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Speaker 1: something so cool. I know you will like this because

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Speaker 1: I loved it when I saw it. In Exitus forty

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Speaker 1: thirty three, put it on the board, please, It says

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Speaker 1: that Moses finished the work. You see that Moses finished

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Speaker 1: the work. Everybody says, so Moses finished. Go to verse

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Speaker 1: thirty four. Well this blessed me, it said, the Lord filled.

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Speaker 1: Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the

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Speaker 1: glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. So let's put

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Speaker 1: those two together. Ready, So Moses finished, the Lord filled.

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Speaker 1: Stop asking God to fill stuff that you won't finish.

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Speaker 1: God doesn't bless good intentions. God doesn't bless your to

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Speaker 1: do list. He blesses your done stuff that you push through. Now,

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Speaker 1: what is that have to do with restriction. It has

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Speaker 1: everything to do with restriction. It has everything to do

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Speaker 1: with the man who walked up to me and said,

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Speaker 1: I knew I could come back, but I'm not coming

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Speaker 1: back because I got so used to not coming that

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Speaker 1: my conditioning was set down here and my permission was

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Speaker 1: set up here, and so I've been living at the

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Speaker 1: level of my conditioning. I stopped coming even though I

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Speaker 1: have permission to come back. And now there's a gap.

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Speaker 1: And he said, I feel bad, and I said, don't

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Speaker 1: feel bad, just come back. You could come back. The

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Speaker 1: restrictions are lifted, you could come back. Come on back. Sunday.

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Speaker 1: I'll look for you. And I want to tell you

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Speaker 1: he was here. Boy, I preached to that man that Sunday.

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Speaker 1: I did good too. He sat right center. I guess

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Speaker 1: he got here early. And I never said a word

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Speaker 1: about him, but I preached to him because he was here,

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Speaker 1: and nothing changed about the situation, only his decision. So

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Speaker 1: the cloud had this little thing where it would come

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Speaker 1: down and fill the tabernacle, and then it would lift.

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Speaker 1: And when it lifted, everybody say when it lifted, Oh

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Speaker 1: say it with faith. When it lifted. That's it. That's it.

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Speaker 1: God was saying to his people, you can move now,

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Speaker 1: you can go now, you can you can go forward now.

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Speaker 1: He wanted to lead them all the way to the

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Speaker 1: Promised Land, all the way to the land of Canaan,

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Speaker 1: flowing with milk and honey, the land where the grapes

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Speaker 1: are so big you need a partner to help you

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Speaker 1: carry him on a pole, all the way to the

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Speaker 1: land of Canaan, where they could have their own land

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Speaker 1: and settle in it and declare the goodness of God

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Speaker 1: as their inheritance. He wanted to lead them all the

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Speaker 1: way to Canaan, so he gave them a cloud. See,

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Speaker 1: and when the cloud lifted, they got up. And when

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Speaker 1: they got up and moved forward, the cloud took them

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Speaker 1: until it's settled again. And when it settled, they settled.

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Speaker 1: And this was the system God gave them in the wilderness.

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Speaker 1: And I'm thinking it would be kind of good if

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Speaker 1: God would give me this for my wilderness. You know,

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Speaker 1: let me know what to do. Give me clarity, God.

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Speaker 1: I just need to see how many of you want

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Speaker 1: God to show you something in your life right now,

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Speaker 1: this or that, him or her, them or them Here

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Speaker 1: or there now or later, yes or no? Clarity, Clarity, clarity, clarity, clarity.

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Speaker 1: I need to see. I can't live in a cloud

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Speaker 1: of confusion not knowing is this God. I've got to

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Speaker 1: know it's God if I'm going to go. The only

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Speaker 1: problem with that, The only problem with that is that

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Speaker 1: God can give you clarity, but if you don't commit.

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Speaker 1: In fact, I'm going to go a little further than that.

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Speaker 1: Clarity comes from commitment. Abraham, go to the land I

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Speaker 1: will show you. And a lot of us are confused

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Speaker 1: because we're not committed. We haven't really decided to serve

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Speaker 1: God with our whole heart. So now we're asking God, Oh,

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Speaker 1: show me. I want one of those clouds. Lord, I

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Speaker 1: want one of those clouds to lead me into a

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Speaker 1: new career. I want one of those clouds to show me. God,

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Speaker 1: give me one of those clouds like Moses had. Moses

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Speaker 1: had a cloud. God give me a cloud and lead me.

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Speaker 1: What good would it do? The cloud led them around

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Speaker 1: and around and around and around in the wilderness, because

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Speaker 1: when it finally got them to Canaan, they didn't have

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Speaker 1: the courage to go in and conquer it. Did you

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Speaker 1: hear what I said, God? Gave them clarity. Okay, this

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Speaker 1: is what I want you to do. This is where

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Speaker 1: I want you to go. Here is who I've called

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Speaker 1: you to be. This is what I want to give

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Speaker 1: to you. They had clarity, but they didn't have the

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Speaker 1: courage to act on the clarity that God gave them.

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Speaker 1: So we keep saying, God, I need more information, God,

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Speaker 1: I need more knowledge. We don't need knowledge, we need commitment,

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Speaker 1: because the moment you decide I'm going to be free,

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Speaker 1: God will show you where the keys are. The moment

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Speaker 1: you decide not just dabble, not just testing, not just

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Speaker 1: not just sometimes, not just once every three weeks, not

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Speaker 1: just when you hear a sermon, get fired up. The

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Speaker 1: moment you commit to it, God will give you clarity.

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Speaker 1: Clarity comes with commitment. The moment you decide, I'm gonna

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Speaker 1: be a better husband, God will show you how to

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Speaker 1: be a better husband. The moment you decide I am

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Speaker 1: not gonna keep running to these drugs anymore. God will

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Speaker 1: show you who to talk to that can help you

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Speaker 1: make different decisions. The moment you decide, the moment you commit,

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Speaker 1: and the moment that you step is the moment that

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Speaker 1: you're strengthened so now we've got a conversation that we

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Speaker 1: need to have, not how much does God love you?

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Speaker 1: That's say. And guess what we don't even need to

402
00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:45,400
Speaker 1: talk about is God with you? His presence is said?

403
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Speaker 1: You think you can run God off? Us don't know,

404
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:52,760
Speaker 1: and us don't feel God's presence. What does that have

405
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Speaker 1: to do. Feeling God's presence is not a factual indication

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Speaker 1: of whether God's presence has left you or not. You

407
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Speaker 1: know why you're not feeling his presence because you're not

408
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:09,400
Speaker 1: saying any prayers. Yes, I do, I pray every day. No,

409
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Speaker 1: you close your eyes, you worry. You call it prayer?

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Speaker 1: Nice little Christmas message I brought you today. No, I

411
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Speaker 1: want to help people. I'm past the point in my

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Speaker 1: life of wanting to be like a religious entertainer. And

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Speaker 1: the fact is what I saw study in the passage,

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Speaker 1: because I was so consumed with this cloud, I'm like, yes, Lord,

415
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Speaker 1: leave me. God. Show me where the water is, Show

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Speaker 1: me where the food is, Show me where the opportunity is,

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Speaker 1: show me the money, show me the ministry, show me God,

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Speaker 1: show me show me. And the Lord is like, what

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Speaker 1: good did it do them to have the cloud? When

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Speaker 1: they finally got where I was taking them, they didn't

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Speaker 1: have the courage to do it, So don't last for

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Speaker 1: the cloud asked for the courage to go forward in

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Speaker 1: knowing that He's with you. Okay, Lord, I'll do it.

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Speaker 1: Just give me a confirmation. Lord, I'm just waiting for

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Speaker 1: a confirmation that it is your will for me to

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Speaker 1: give in this offering. Okay, cool. I confirmed it on

427
00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:29,600
Speaker 1: Calvary when I gave my only begotten son. When Guy

428
00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,840
Speaker 1: was asking me, what do you do when you don't

429
00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:36,080
Speaker 1: clearly know what God wants you to preach? And my

430
00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:40,600
Speaker 1: answer was really surprising to me and to him. I thought,

431
00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:43,840
Speaker 1: because I do know what that feels like. I know

432
00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:48,840
Speaker 1: what that feels like. And I said, I get my

433
00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:56,520
Speaker 1: hair cut. He goes, uh, I said, no, that's I

434
00:27:56,640 --> 00:27:58,359
Speaker 1: just thought about it. What do I do when I

435
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,159
Speaker 1: don't know what God has called me to preach? I

436
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:04,760
Speaker 1: get my haircut Because when I get in the chair

437
00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:12,520
Speaker 1: to get my hair cut, it symbolizes the decision that

438
00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:19,600
Speaker 1: Sunday I'm expecting to say something, and that sends the

439
00:28:19,640 --> 00:28:23,960
Speaker 1: signal to the Holy Spirit. Oh, He's gonna show up,

440
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:28,080
Speaker 1: So now you show up. Because when I make the

441
00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:31,119
Speaker 1: decision to be here. It's as simple as a haircut.

442
00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,119
Speaker 1: I know that doesn't sound deep. I know I should

443
00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:35,359
Speaker 1: study Greek. I know I should speak in tongues. I

444
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,040
Speaker 1: know I should do all that, but sometimes that doesn't

445
00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 1: work for me. So I say it's time for a

446
00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:45,880
Speaker 1: haircut because of what the haircut means. The haircut means

447
00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:50,040
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this. The haircut means I'm not staying

448
00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:54,320
Speaker 1: in my pajamas and eating Oreos and having communion with

449
00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:57,640
Speaker 1: oreos and orange juice Sunday and calling in a guest.

450
00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:00,320
Speaker 1: I'm gonna preach. And then after I get my hair cut,

451
00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,920
Speaker 1: I pick out my clothes and I put them to

452
00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:04,280
Speaker 1: the side. You know that little valley you gave me

453
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:06,320
Speaker 1: about seven years ago. I still got it in my closet.

454
00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,760
Speaker 1: It's my Sunday clothes. I keep it there. And when

455
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,040
Speaker 1: I go put over my clothes, over on that little

456
00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,640
Speaker 1: thing in my closet. The devil says, uh oh, he's

457
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:21,480
Speaker 1: doing that. We tried to discourage him all week. Didn't work.

458
00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:26,320
Speaker 1: Looks you see that fresh fade Verdict is planning to breach.

459
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,600
Speaker 1: Come on, you see them getting up and signing up

460
00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,600
Speaker 1: for classes that means they're doing it. You see them

461
00:29:34,680 --> 00:29:39,280
Speaker 1: signing up for counseling. That means, oh, it didn't work.

462
00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,480
Speaker 1: Try to keep them out, try to keep them down,

463
00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:46,240
Speaker 1: try to tell them go home is sober. But watch them.

464
00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:50,160
Speaker 1: They're picking out their clothes, they're picking out their next course,

465
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:54,360
Speaker 1: they're sending the text. They're showing up because they're downloading

466
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:59,400
Speaker 1: the sermon Bloa. They're showing in the gym bo. They

467
00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:10,560
Speaker 1: say there zees whoa. They're doing that. And now God

468
00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:14,080
Speaker 1: can show you what to do because you've decided I'm

469
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:21,080
Speaker 1: doing it. So it's not how much of his presence

470
00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:24,320
Speaker 1: do you have, it's how much of his power do

471
00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:32,000
Speaker 1: you want? Because power is attractive, the presence, and you

472
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:37,600
Speaker 1: got to show up. You got to show up. I'm

473
00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,160
Speaker 1: showing up and I'm doing it and I won't be

474
00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,400
Speaker 1: the same. Now, God, what are we doing? Because I'm

475
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:49,720
Speaker 1: doing it? So what are we doing? Even when the

476
00:30:49,720 --> 00:30:53,000
Speaker 1: cloud came down, Watch what happened. Moses couldn't go into

477
00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:56,760
Speaker 1: the tent when the cloud came at the door. Well

478
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,360
Speaker 1: that's kind of weird. God, you're trying to block your

479
00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:06,320
Speaker 1: servant with your presence. But Moses had restrictions. Don't get

480
00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:10,440
Speaker 1: me wrong. Moses is one of the greatest leaders who

481
00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:14,520
Speaker 1: ever lived. But even Moses could only go so far.

482
00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:19,360
Speaker 1: Even Moses could only do so much. I told you

483
00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,200
Speaker 1: this was a Christmas scripture, and I'm gonna prove it

484
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,200
Speaker 1: to you right now. I never realized until I saw

485
00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:31,840
Speaker 1: Moses in the in the scriptures of Exodus chapter forty,

486
00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:38,640
Speaker 1: how he was only pointing to the Messiah who would

487
00:31:38,680 --> 00:31:43,760
Speaker 1: be born millennia after his life ended. I will prove

488
00:31:43,800 --> 00:31:49,360
Speaker 1: it to you succinctly, but thoroughly. Watch this. Both Moses

489
00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:56,240
Speaker 1: and Jesus were babies. So far we have not narrowed

490
00:31:56,240 --> 00:32:00,200
Speaker 1: the field much as that applies to most humans. Let's

491
00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:05,720
Speaker 1: go a little bit deeper. Both Moses and Jesus were

492
00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:10,880
Speaker 1: a part of a political threat that extinguished the lives

493
00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,680
Speaker 1: of every Hebrew boy under the age of two. You

494
00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:18,600
Speaker 1: remember how Pharaoh tried to kill every two year old

495
00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:22,000
Speaker 1: and underboy that was born in the time of Moses.

496
00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,040
Speaker 1: And do you remember how Herod in the New Testament

497
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:27,720
Speaker 1: tried to kill the one who was born king of

498
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,800
Speaker 1: the Jews, but since he couldn't find him, he had

499
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:34,719
Speaker 1: to kill everything around him. The enemy will attack stuff

500
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,320
Speaker 1: around you and circumstances. But it's not about what's around you,

501
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,960
Speaker 1: It's about what's in you. Because Jesus the Messiah was born,

502
00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:49,400
Speaker 1: and so they both had to survive assassination attempt before

503
00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:53,840
Speaker 1: they were two years old. Moses and Jesus both had

504
00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:58,720
Speaker 1: that in common. And Moses was laid in a basket

505
00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:03,760
Speaker 1: that was woven with straw, and Jesus was laid in

506
00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:08,760
Speaker 1: a manger that was filled with straw. And Moses came

507
00:33:08,840 --> 00:33:13,240
Speaker 1: up out of Egypt to deliver his people, and Jesus

508
00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,840
Speaker 1: came up out of Egypt to deliver his people. And

509
00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:22,560
Speaker 1: Moses brought the Ten Commandments from the mountain, and Jesus

510
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,920
Speaker 1: went up on a mountain and taught the ten Beatitudes,

511
00:33:26,320 --> 00:33:31,240
Speaker 1: and Moses saw the glory of God. But this is

512
00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,760
Speaker 1: where Moses is different than the Messiah. This is where

513
00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 1: Moses can only take you so far. This is where

514
00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:42,600
Speaker 1: leadership can only get you so far unless it comes

515
00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:46,800
Speaker 1: from the Lord. Because Moses said, sow me your glory,

516
00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:51,680
Speaker 1: and Jesus said, I am the glory of God. Do

517
00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:58,160
Speaker 1: you not know? Joh one fourteen. And the word became

518
00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:05,520
Speaker 1: flesh and dwell among us, and we beheld his glory.

519
00:34:06,040 --> 00:34:09,640
Speaker 1: The glory as of the only begotten of the Father,

520
00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:18,920
Speaker 1: full of grace and truth. Now the word dwelt literally

521
00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 1: means tabernacle. Don't you see what Jesus was doing that

522
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,439
Speaker 1: Moses couldn't do. Don't you see what Christmas really is

523
00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:30,160
Speaker 1: as opposed to what we thought it was. We thought

524
00:34:30,239 --> 00:34:33,600
Speaker 1: Christmas was a nice, comforting thought. We thought that Christmas

525
00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:36,520
Speaker 1: was God coming to say it's very nice to meet you.

526
00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:40,440
Speaker 1: I'm sending a baby, because who doesn't love babies. Don't

527
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:43,920
Speaker 1: you see this coming full form? Don't you see that

528
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,279
Speaker 1: the nation of Israel was in the womb of the wilderness,

529
00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,399
Speaker 1: becoming the nation that God would bless the earth through,

530
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,640
Speaker 1: just like Jesus was born in the womb of Mary

531
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:57,360
Speaker 1: to save his people from their sins, and the word

532
00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:02,080
Speaker 1: became flesh and dwelt among us. What does that mean?

533
00:35:02,440 --> 00:35:06,600
Speaker 1: He tapernacle in the middle of the wilderness. He tapernacle

534
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,640
Speaker 1: in the middle of my sin, and he was born

535
00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:15,040
Speaker 1: in the straw to save me from my sin. This

536
00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:26,440
Speaker 1: is Christmas. It is God saying because I am here.

537
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:34,880
Speaker 1: Emmanuel means God with us. That is his intimacy. You

538
00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,400
Speaker 1: don't have to go to a tabernacle or a church

539
00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:42,239
Speaker 1: building or an altar to meet with God anymore. The

540
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:56,360
Speaker 1: restriction has been You don't have to sacrifice pigeons and

541
00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:00,719
Speaker 1: doves and goats and bulls to be right with God anymore.

542
00:36:00,960 --> 00:36:04,440
Speaker 1: But by offering your faith, God has already offered his

543
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:07,880
Speaker 1: son to take away your sin. That's what the lamb

544
00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:16,320
Speaker 1: of God does. The restriction has been lifted. The restriction

545
00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:23,080
Speaker 1: has been lifted so much so that when God wanted

546
00:36:23,120 --> 00:36:26,720
Speaker 1: to announce good news of great joy to all people,

547
00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:32,080
Speaker 1: he did not announce it in a synagogue. He announced

548
00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:39,200
Speaker 1: it to the shepherd's to let you know that God

549
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:44,080
Speaker 1: can do what he wants to. God can use who

550
00:36:44,120 --> 00:36:54,000
Speaker 1: he chooses to, and that includes you. But you've got

551
00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:59,920
Speaker 1: God in this little tiny box, this little baby Jesus box,

552
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:06,040
Speaker 1: this little Ricky Bobby Talladagon Knight baby Jesus box. The

553
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:09,600
Speaker 1: spirit of religion is the Ricky Bobby's spirit. By the way,

554
00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:13,600
Speaker 1: And I'm not endorsing any movies or anything like that,

555
00:37:13,680 --> 00:37:15,720
Speaker 1: but I think maybe you could do a Bible study

556
00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:20,680
Speaker 1: around it. How baby baby Jesus. Go back to the

557
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:23,120
Speaker 1: conversation I have with my kids. All Right, It's like

558
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:30,120
Speaker 1: God doesn't change, but Jesus didn't stay a baby. That's

559
00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:33,399
Speaker 1: his incarnation. That's how he came into the world through

560
00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,000
Speaker 1: a virgin womb. To show you that all things are possible.

561
00:37:36,360 --> 00:37:39,040
Speaker 1: Once the dude comes through a virgin womb, all bets

562
00:37:39,040 --> 00:37:44,279
Speaker 1: are off. That was the first announcement that God can

563
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:48,960
Speaker 1: do what he wants to in your life. You know,

564
00:37:49,040 --> 00:37:50,640
Speaker 1: the cloud was kind of had a mind of its

565
00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:53,400
Speaker 1: own in Exodus. It would move when it wanted to.

566
00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:57,040
Speaker 1: The cloud didn't move on a set schedule because even

567
00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:01,080
Speaker 1: in the wilderness, God was teaching us that he is consistent,

568
00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:09,839
Speaker 1: but he is not predictable. He's consistent, he'll be there,

569
00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:12,640
Speaker 1: but he's gonna look like one thing in the daytime,

570
00:38:13,400 --> 00:38:17,000
Speaker 1: one thing at the nighttime. And may I add he's

571
00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,239
Speaker 1: not gonna move every Monday at three o'clock, because if

572
00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,320
Speaker 1: he moved every Monday at three o'clock, you would worship

573
00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:26,719
Speaker 1: Monday at three o'clock. If he always blessed you through

574
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:28,960
Speaker 1: the same people, you're like, they didn't call me back.

575
00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:31,120
Speaker 1: That's because God wants you to be a blessing to

576
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:33,560
Speaker 1: somebody else, and if he keeps feeding you through the

577
00:38:33,600 --> 00:38:40,279
Speaker 1: same people, you will move. He's consistent. His presence is

578
00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:43,680
Speaker 1: set at level eleven. If you make your bed in hell,

579
00:38:43,840 --> 00:38:46,800
Speaker 1: he's there. If you're having a great day and polishing

580
00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:52,680
Speaker 1: your halo, he's there. But watch this all? Is this

581
00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:58,760
Speaker 1: so powerful? The cloud had a mind of its own.

582
00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:06,080
Speaker 1: God's thoughts are not your thoughts, and his ways are

583
00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:11,120
Speaker 1: not your ways. And the stable was not the airbnb

584
00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:15,279
Speaker 1: that Mary and Joseph would have chosen to rest and

585
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:20,200
Speaker 1: recuperate after the birth of their baby boy. And he

586
00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:27,640
Speaker 1: didn't stay a baby. You've met Baby Jesus. You like

587
00:39:27,719 --> 00:39:33,040
Speaker 1: Baby Jesus. You carry Baby Jesus, but there will come

588
00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:34,960
Speaker 1: a point in your life where you need Jesus to

589
00:39:35,000 --> 00:39:40,720
Speaker 1: carry you. So I want to go to the Christmas

590
00:39:40,760 --> 00:39:46,880
Speaker 1: scripture that you've never heard before. On Christmas, where we

591
00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:54,200
Speaker 1: meet not baby Jesus, but break through Jesus. In Luke

592
00:39:54,280 --> 00:39:59,200
Speaker 1: chapter five, the Bible says that he had come to Capernaum.

593
00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:04,440
Speaker 1: Now the baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Break through Jesus.

594
00:40:04,440 --> 00:40:06,640
Speaker 1: If you want to meet this Christ, he can be

595
00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:10,560
Speaker 1: found in Capernaum. That's where he based himself to do

596
00:40:10,680 --> 00:40:14,320
Speaker 1: his miracles. The Bible says when he got to Capernaum,

597
00:40:14,360 --> 00:40:18,840
Speaker 1: he was teaching and preaching. Why, because he is the Word,

598
00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:21,760
Speaker 1: wouldn't you love to hear the word preach the word.

599
00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:25,960
Speaker 1: I bet that would be good. I bet that would

600
00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:29,520
Speaker 1: be awesome to hear the word preach the word. It

601
00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:33,000
Speaker 1: was such an attraction that they gathered and nobody could

602
00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:35,479
Speaker 1: get in the door. They closed it, and they tried

603
00:40:35,520 --> 00:40:37,759
Speaker 1: to send these guys to overflow. And I want you

604
00:40:37,800 --> 00:40:40,919
Speaker 1: to watch what happened in the meantime. In Luke, chapter five,

605
00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:44,840
Speaker 1: verse seventeen, the Bible says, one day Jesus was teaching,

606
00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:48,239
Speaker 1: and the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you're

607
00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,279
Speaker 1: not ready for this. They were sitting there, and they

608
00:40:51,320 --> 00:40:55,719
Speaker 1: had come from every village of Galilee, all the surrounding

609
00:40:55,880 --> 00:40:59,800
Speaker 1: zip goats, and from Judea and Jerusalem. And watch this.

610
00:41:00,160 --> 00:41:04,840
Speaker 1: The power of the Lord was with Jesus. Well, of

611
00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:10,360
Speaker 1: course it was He's Jesus, and power is attracted to presence.

612
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,040
Speaker 1: So since he is God in human flesh, the Word

613
00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:17,200
Speaker 1: became flesh and dwelt among us. It makes sense that

614
00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:21,400
Speaker 1: the power would be where the presence was. God is here,

615
00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:25,440
Speaker 1: and anything can happen. God is here, and all things

616
00:41:25,480 --> 00:41:29,680
Speaker 1: are possible. God is here. Change might break any minute

617
00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:33,080
Speaker 1: God is here, so I might flood your soul. Any

618
00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:36,840
Speaker 1: minute God is here. Something can happen right now because

619
00:41:37,080 --> 00:41:39,840
Speaker 1: God is here, so the power of the Lord was

620
00:41:39,880 --> 00:41:42,719
Speaker 1: with Jesus to heal the sick Verse eighteen. Let me

621
00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:47,160
Speaker 1: preach this Christmas scripture. Some men came carrying a paralyzed

622
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,440
Speaker 1: man on a mat and tried to take him into

623
00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:54,360
Speaker 1: the house to lay him before Jesus, but they couldn't.

624
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:56,759
Speaker 1: When they could not find a way to do it

625
00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:59,480
Speaker 1: because of the crowd, wa'ts what they did. They went

626
00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:04,880
Speaker 1: up on the roof and they lifted their friend. So

627
00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:08,359
Speaker 1: when they said there's no way, you can't do it.

628
00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,960
Speaker 1: The moment that they said there isn't a way, it

629
00:42:12,120 --> 00:42:16,800
Speaker 1: sparked creative faith in the minds of these committed friends.

630
00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:20,040
Speaker 1: And they looked all around for a little while, and

631
00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:23,000
Speaker 1: they tried to find somebody who was sleeping at the door,

632
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:26,000
Speaker 1: maybe an usher who wasn't paying attention. But since they

633
00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:30,120
Speaker 1: couldn't sneak past a sleepy usher, they devised another way

634
00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:33,439
Speaker 1: on the roof. There were many that day who came

635
00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,080
Speaker 1: to the same door, needing a miracle from the Son

636
00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:40,760
Speaker 1: of God. But they turned around and left not because

637
00:42:40,840 --> 00:42:43,960
Speaker 1: they couldn't find a way, but because they didn't commit

638
00:42:44,040 --> 00:42:47,120
Speaker 1: to find a way. You quit too quick, you give

639
00:42:47,200 --> 00:42:50,480
Speaker 1: up too easy. You'll go home too fast. You get

640
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:54,040
Speaker 1: too discouraged by one person telling you you look stupid.

641
00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,400
Speaker 1: You quit too easy, you give up too fast. These

642
00:42:57,440 --> 00:43:01,080
Speaker 1: men didn't leave. They lifted. They said, if we can't

643
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:04,520
Speaker 1: get through it, we gotta go over it. We go

644
00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:13,920
Speaker 1: find a way. God's our friend needs Jesus. So they

645
00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:19,680
Speaker 1: go up on the roof. They went up around the

646
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:24,880
Speaker 1: restriction you can't go in. And when they got up,

647
00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:30,959
Speaker 1: they lowered their friend down. And watch what Baby Jesus did.

648
00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:36,040
Speaker 1: Let me hold you right here for a moment. You've

649
00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:39,600
Speaker 1: been praying to Baby Jesus. Little Jesus, you can carry

650
00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,920
Speaker 1: around like a good luck charm, talking about Oh Jesus,

651
00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:44,799
Speaker 1: I think you're for your presence with me. It's just

652
00:43:44,840 --> 00:43:48,160
Speaker 1: so good to know you're with me. I love Baby

653
00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:51,680
Speaker 1: Jesus too, but I'm at the stage of my life

654
00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:54,160
Speaker 1: and I assume somebody is too or else. God want

655
00:43:54,239 --> 00:43:58,560
Speaker 1: to give me this message. I don't need to carry him,

656
00:43:58,960 --> 00:44:04,680
Speaker 1: I need him to carry me. I don't just need

657
00:44:04,760 --> 00:44:07,799
Speaker 1: him to show me where to go. I need him

658
00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:12,640
Speaker 1: to help me do it, because I can't without him. Now,

659
00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:17,480
Speaker 1: this man in the passage is physically restricted. There is

660
00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:21,160
Speaker 1: a physical limitation, but it isn't always It isn't always

661
00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:25,040
Speaker 1: a physical limitation. It isn't always a physical restriction. Sometimes

662
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:29,239
Speaker 1: it is emotional. Sometimes it is familial. Sometimes it is

663
00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:32,279
Speaker 1: the pattern of the way that you have processed your

664
00:44:32,320 --> 00:44:35,400
Speaker 1: past experiences that will lock you up tight like a

665
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:38,279
Speaker 1: jail cell and say you can't go out. But now

666
00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,200
Speaker 1: this is not baby Jesus you're dealing with, is it.

667
00:44:42,680 --> 00:44:47,000
Speaker 1: We beheld his glory, the glory as of who the

668
00:44:47,080 --> 00:44:51,720
Speaker 1: only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

669
00:44:52,800 --> 00:44:55,359
Speaker 1: So when they couldn't find a way in, they went up.

670
00:44:56,760 --> 00:44:58,960
Speaker 1: When they couldn't find a way through the crowd, they

671
00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:03,760
Speaker 1: went on the roof. And when Jesus I love this part.

672
00:45:04,080 --> 00:45:10,400
Speaker 1: When Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins

673
00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,320
Speaker 1: are forgiven. Now watch these Pharisees how they think about

674
00:45:13,360 --> 00:45:16,759
Speaker 1: Jesus Verse twenty one. The pharisees and the teachers of

675
00:45:16,800 --> 00:45:19,640
Speaker 1: the law begin to think to themselves, who is this

676
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:25,000
Speaker 1: fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins? But God alone?

677
00:45:25,640 --> 00:45:29,799
Speaker 1: They didn't know who they were dealing with. Yet their

678
00:45:29,840 --> 00:45:35,520
Speaker 1: limitation was the very truth that Jesus was proving, because

679
00:45:35,800 --> 00:45:42,480
Speaker 1: he was God alone, so he can do this. So

680
00:45:42,560 --> 00:45:47,239
Speaker 1: they're saying, you can't do that, you can't heal him

681
00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:51,759
Speaker 1: like that, you can't forgive him like that. But the

682
00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:56,960
Speaker 1: restriction on God that you put on God only limits you,

683
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:04,680
Speaker 1: it doesn't limit him. Who am I to deny what

684
00:46:04,840 --> 00:46:09,400
Speaker 1: the Lord can do? And let me tell you something else.

685
00:46:09,960 --> 00:46:13,799
Speaker 1: Even if people don't like you, they can't limit what

686
00:46:14,000 --> 00:46:18,120
Speaker 1: God does through you. Trust me. I know if God

687
00:46:18,239 --> 00:46:22,120
Speaker 1: wants to use you, he will. He can't forgive you,

688
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:26,560
Speaker 1: he can't cleanse you, and he can save to the uttermost.

689
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,359
Speaker 1: Who you think you are, Jesus? Who you think you are?

690
00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:36,200
Speaker 1: You're the carpenter's son. Who you think you are? You

691
00:46:36,280 --> 00:46:38,719
Speaker 1: were born of a virgin nobody really even believes her

692
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:41,920
Speaker 1: story anyway? Who you think you are? Jesus, Let me

693
00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:44,440
Speaker 1: show you who I am? He said, so that you

694
00:46:44,600 --> 00:46:47,600
Speaker 1: may know that the son of Man. I feel God

695
00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:50,919
Speaker 1: on this, so that you may know that the Son

696
00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:54,120
Speaker 1: of Man has authority. Get me the verse twenty five.

697
00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:57,680
Speaker 1: This is my Christmas scripture this year. It's an unusual one.

698
00:46:57,880 --> 00:47:01,920
Speaker 1: It's an orthodox unorthodox. It's not a common one, but

699
00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:06,120
Speaker 1: it's powerful. It said that. Immediately the man stood up

700
00:47:06,160 --> 00:47:08,560
Speaker 1: in front of him and took what he had been

701
00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,840
Speaker 1: lying on and went home, praising God. Why did he

702
00:47:11,920 --> 00:47:14,920
Speaker 1: do that? Go back to verse twenty four, Jesus said.

703
00:47:15,040 --> 00:47:18,359
Speaker 1: Jesus said, I want you to know that the son

704
00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:24,160
Speaker 1: of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. So

705
00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:28,799
Speaker 1: he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up,

706
00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:35,400
Speaker 1: take your mat what was restricting you, and lift what

707
00:47:35,600 --> 00:47:40,399
Speaker 1: you were lying on, and walk out of here healed

708
00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:45,520
Speaker 1: and forgiven, and with a second chance, and with a

709
00:47:45,719 --> 00:47:52,920
Speaker 1: new identity, so that you may know that God is

710
00:47:53,040 --> 00:48:02,480
Speaker 1: with us. I don't know what you were lying on

711
00:48:02,520 --> 00:48:05,239
Speaker 1: when you came in, but it's been lying to you.

712
00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:08,239
Speaker 1: God is thigger than this. God is thigger than this.

713
00:48:08,640 --> 00:48:11,480
Speaker 1: God is bigger than your thoughts. God is bigger than

714
00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:23,759
Speaker 1: your back ground. Oh God, the restriction has been lifted. Yeah,

715
00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:28,360
Speaker 1: Jesus said, If I be lifted up, I will draw

716
00:48:28,920 --> 00:48:32,640
Speaker 1: all men to me. I'm preaching the cradle, I'm preaching

717
00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:35,960
Speaker 1: the cross, I'm preaching the empty tomb. I'm all the

718
00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:46,000
Speaker 1: way in Eastern to tell you that the restriction. But

719
00:48:46,160 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 1: I can't. But you can. If you will get up,

720
00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:57,680
Speaker 1: get up, and live into what Christ died for for

721
00:48:57,800 --> 00:49:07,320
Speaker 1: your life. That's Christmas. That's Christmas time. I breakthrough Jesus,

722
00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:12,239
Speaker 1: not baby Jesus. Thank God for Baby Jesus. Thank God

723
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:14,960
Speaker 1: for your baby faith. Thank God for the point that

724
00:49:15,040 --> 00:49:17,400
Speaker 1: you met God at seventeen years ago. Why are you

725
00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:21,160
Speaker 1: still in that wilderness? Why aren't you moving? Why aren't

726
00:49:21,200 --> 00:49:24,720
Speaker 1: you growing? Why are you still replaying that? The Bible

727
00:49:24,760 --> 00:49:27,680
Speaker 1: says that when Jesus saw their faith, he said, I

728
00:49:27,719 --> 00:49:33,480
Speaker 1: want to show you what I can do, So get up.

729
00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:38,719
Speaker 1: I know you came in restricted, but I want you

730
00:49:38,760 --> 00:49:44,560
Speaker 1: to get up. Get up. And what you were lying

731
00:49:44,600 --> 00:49:49,719
Speaker 1: on when you came in is a lie, an excuse

732
00:49:51,080 --> 00:49:56,759
Speaker 1: that is moving you away from the very gift that

733
00:49:56,840 --> 00:50:00,960
Speaker 1: I died to give you. So now when I tell

734
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:09,319
Speaker 1: you that Moses had a cloud that lifted up, but

735
00:50:09,440 --> 00:50:17,480
Speaker 1: you have a Christ who came down, do you see

736
00:50:17,719 --> 00:50:21,759
Speaker 1: why this is good news? Do you see why God

737
00:50:21,800 --> 00:50:24,600
Speaker 1: had me preach this message to you before the year ends,

738
00:50:26,040 --> 00:50:29,799
Speaker 1: Because the restriction isn't real anymore. Sin has no more

739
00:50:29,840 --> 00:50:36,920
Speaker 1: power over you anymore. Keep seeing that guy in my mind,

740
00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:40,320
Speaker 1: he said, Ah, I can't lie to you. I told

741
00:50:40,360 --> 00:50:43,120
Speaker 1: you that I didn't think I could come, But the

742
00:50:43,160 --> 00:50:48,919
Speaker 1: truth is I wouldn't, and the issue is that I won't.

743
00:50:50,680 --> 00:50:56,600
Speaker 1: But if you, my brother, my sister, can receive this

744
00:50:56,920 --> 00:51:03,440
Speaker 1: Christmas sermon in your heart that God has raised Jesus

745
00:51:03,480 --> 00:51:06,880
Speaker 1: from the dead, this could be the best Christmas of

746
00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:13,240
Speaker 1: your life, not just to celebrate and spend and consume,

747
00:51:15,120 --> 00:51:20,440
Speaker 1: but to really know that God is able to do

748
00:51:20,520 --> 00:51:26,720
Speaker 1: immeasurably more than you asked or imagine. Ooh, exceeding abundantly

749
00:51:27,719 --> 00:51:34,239
Speaker 1: above the limit that you put on. God is a lie.

750
00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:36,839
Speaker 1: I must speak to a few. I'm too old, that's

751
00:51:36,880 --> 00:51:45,399
Speaker 1: a lie. Abraham was a hundred Shut up, I'm too young.

752
00:51:45,640 --> 00:51:48,560
Speaker 1: Timothy tried that. God said, don't let anybody say you're

753
00:51:48,600 --> 00:51:53,480
Speaker 1: too young. I screwed up. Rehab was a prostitute. Shut

754
00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:58,359
Speaker 1: up and do what God gave you to do. Oh,

755
00:51:58,400 --> 00:52:01,640
Speaker 1: I'm not bold, I'm Timid was a whimp. God called

756
00:52:01,680 --> 00:52:08,960
Speaker 1: him a warrior. The restriction has been lifted. Let me

757
00:52:09,000 --> 00:52:12,560
Speaker 1: try one more. I don't have anything in me. Mary

758
00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:16,719
Speaker 1: was a virgin. Shut up, get up, take your back

759
00:52:17,040 --> 00:52:23,160
Speaker 1: and walk in the favor of Almighty God. The restrictions

760
00:52:24,360 --> 00:52:34,600
Speaker 1: is lifted. The bribe couldn't hold him, Harry couldn't kill him,

761
00:52:35,239 --> 00:52:44,040
Speaker 1: and he's here. Who am I to deny with the

762
00:52:44,200 --> 00:52:54,360
Speaker 1: lawkin to Who am I to deny? What the Lord? Dude?

763
00:52:55,440 --> 00:53:05,000
Speaker 1: Proclaim it and f they say you are? This is

764
00:53:05,000 --> 00:53:17,600
Speaker 1: not for everybody. This is for somebody though you are. Yes, Lord,

765
00:53:18,680 --> 00:53:26,560
Speaker 1: you are exceeding abundantly above all you ask or imagine.

766
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:31,480
Speaker 1: Take the limits off of God. You. Who am I?

767
00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:41,439
Speaker 1: Who am I to dinner? What the In just a moment,

768
00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:45,800
Speaker 1: we're going to give our offering. We're giving today in faith.

769
00:53:47,040 --> 00:53:50,480
Speaker 1: We're giving today in obedience. We're giving today at every

770
00:53:50,520 --> 00:53:53,240
Speaker 1: location and all over the world, online and in person.

771
00:53:54,120 --> 00:53:56,480
Speaker 1: We are not believing that we're doing God a favor

772
00:53:56,520 --> 00:54:00,760
Speaker 1: by giving to him. We're stretching our faith to his kingdom,

773
00:54:00,840 --> 00:54:04,239
Speaker 1: knowing that he has been good and he is worthy.

774
00:54:04,400 --> 00:54:06,960
Speaker 1: Everybody who believes he's worthy, clap your hands and give

775
00:54:07,040 --> 00:54:19,560
Speaker 1: him praise. I want you to get your envelope. No

776
00:54:19,640 --> 00:54:21,959
Speaker 1: one leaving. I preach short so we would have time.

777
00:54:23,040 --> 00:54:29,200
Speaker 1: So get your envelope short. Err preached an hour, Bro,

778
00:54:29,640 --> 00:54:36,760
Speaker 1: that was short. Look at me. This is an opportunity.

779
00:54:37,719 --> 00:54:43,160
Speaker 1: This is an opportunity for you to demonstrate the faith

780
00:54:44,160 --> 00:54:48,160
Speaker 1: that you just declared. Holly and I have prepared now

781
00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:51,560
Speaker 1: our seventeenth offering. Come here, Autumn, Come here, Greg, Come on.

782
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:54,640
Speaker 1: Autumn sent me a text today. I want you to

783
00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:58,759
Speaker 1: pray over this. Come on, Holly. Autumn sent me a

784
00:54:58,800 --> 00:55:01,160
Speaker 1: text today she said, this is She sent me in holiotex.

785
00:55:01,239 --> 00:55:04,400
Speaker 1: She said, this is our seventeenth year end offering that

786
00:55:04,440 --> 00:55:09,959
Speaker 1: we've given in in that amazing the seventeenth offering. That's

787
00:55:09,960 --> 00:55:15,719
Speaker 1: so cool, that blessing, that blessing, that blessing. I thought

788
00:55:15,719 --> 00:55:20,000
Speaker 1: about it. Who would have thought that we be speaking

789
00:55:20,040 --> 00:55:21,680
Speaker 1: you remember when you came for the first time at

790
00:55:21,719 --> 00:55:24,919
Speaker 1: Providence High School? And now look at God all over

791
00:55:24,960 --> 00:55:29,719
Speaker 1: the world Venezuela, Brazil, everywhere there's World Cup, there's elevation.

792
00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:36,000
Speaker 1: God is so good? Who am I to deny what

793
00:55:36,080 --> 00:55:38,759
Speaker 1: He can do? Sometimes I get to thinking, well, maybe

794
00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:40,920
Speaker 1: we've gone as far as we can go as a ministry. No,

795
00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:44,120
Speaker 1: the devil is a liar, the restriction. We didn't even

796
00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:47,680
Speaker 1: have multi site church when we started, we didn't have Epham.

797
00:55:48,080 --> 00:55:51,600
Speaker 1: This is the greatest day of our church that we've

798
00:55:51,680 --> 00:55:57,040
Speaker 1: ever been in. Who am I who denied what the

799
00:55:57,080 --> 00:56:01,560
Speaker 1: Lord can do things. Your campus pastors are going to

800
00:56:01,600 --> 00:56:04,200
Speaker 1: come in just a moment and they're going to instruct

801
00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:08,239
Speaker 1: you to give. It's a special time of giving for

802
00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:11,520
Speaker 1: all of you who tithe regularly to this ministry. I

803
00:56:11,560 --> 00:56:16,080
Speaker 1: thank God for you. You are what enables God to

804
00:56:16,160 --> 00:56:19,600
Speaker 1: move through this ministry. You're the vessel, You're the vehicle.

805
00:56:19,840 --> 00:56:23,920
Speaker 1: And I pray a thousandfold blessing and a harvest of

806
00:56:24,000 --> 00:56:27,239
Speaker 1: peace and righteousness in your home and your family and

807
00:56:27,320 --> 00:56:32,439
Speaker 1: your business. As you give. We also want to pray

808
00:56:32,480 --> 00:56:35,000
Speaker 1: over your words, so you'll have the opportunity to write

809
00:56:35,040 --> 00:56:38,160
Speaker 1: down your word, and not only will our staff be

810
00:56:38,239 --> 00:56:41,759
Speaker 1: praying that over you, but you will be believing for it.

811
00:56:42,400 --> 00:56:47,160
Speaker 1: Who am I to deny what the Lord can do?

812
00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:52,520
Speaker 1: He's able, God is able. The message has come into

813
00:56:52,600 --> 00:56:56,440
Speaker 1: a close, but it's your move now. Has God blessed

814
00:56:56,480 --> 00:56:59,040
Speaker 1: you to be a blessing? I want to invite you

815
00:56:59,120 --> 00:57:01,319
Speaker 1: to be a part of this year and offering and

816
00:57:01,400 --> 00:57:04,000
Speaker 1: give a gift, a significant gift to help us preach

817
00:57:04,040 --> 00:57:09,520
Speaker 1: the gospel of Jesus Christ. God never stops working and

818
00:57:09,560 --> 00:57:12,160
Speaker 1: he invites us to be a part of that with him.

819
00:57:12,440 --> 00:57:15,480
Speaker 1: You can go to Elevationchurch dot org right now and

820
00:57:15,520 --> 00:57:18,240
Speaker 1: you can see all of the options. If you've never

821
00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:22,919
Speaker 1: started to tithe, give God consistently regularly that first ten

822
00:57:22,960 --> 00:57:26,160
Speaker 1: percent of everything that He's blessed you with. Today is

823
00:57:26,200 --> 00:57:28,680
Speaker 1: the day to begin. Or for those of you who

824
00:57:28,760 --> 00:57:31,320
Speaker 1: want to give and above and beyond one time offering

825
00:57:32,240 --> 00:57:34,640
Speaker 1: just to thank God and to trust Him and to

826
00:57:34,680 --> 00:57:36,520
Speaker 1: make a difference in the world, you can do that

827
00:57:36,560 --> 00:57:40,960
Speaker 1: too at Elevationchurch dot org. You can find the Promise

828
00:57:41,480 --> 00:57:45,320
Speaker 1: Year end offering, or you can give to our regular ministry.

829
00:57:45,680 --> 00:57:48,080
Speaker 1: But we thank God for you. Make sure you let

830
00:57:48,200 --> 00:57:51,000
Speaker 1: us know what you're believing God for in this coming year,

831
00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:53,760
Speaker 1: so we can stand with you in faith and together

832
00:57:54,240 --> 00:58:00,000
Speaker 1: see what God can do through you. God bless you.