1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:05,439 Speaker 1: Are you ready for my first sermon of twenty twenty two? 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: You sure you don't know what I'm gonna say? Yeah, 3 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: you sure you're right? Tell him you can't handle the truth. John, 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: chapter eight. That's kind of our on subject for today. 5 00:00:21,239 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: John chapter eight, verse thirty one. Now listen to this 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: crazy confrontation between Jesus and the crowd of people who've 7 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: gathered to hear him teach John chapter eight, verse thirty one. 8 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, if 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 1: you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples, 10 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: then you will know the truth, and the truth will 11 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: set you free. And they answered him, we are Abraham's 12 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 1: descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can 13 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: you say that we shall be set free? Jesus replied, 14 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 1: very truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a 15 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: slave to sin. Now, a slave has no permanent place 16 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 17 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: So if the sun sets you free, you will be free. Indeed, 18 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: I know that you're Abraham's descendants. You are looking for 19 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: a way to kill me because you have no room 20 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: for my word. Wooh, you thought it was just your 21 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 1: closet that was cluttered. No, it's more than just physical 22 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: spaces that we have to clear out. He said, you 23 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:55,919 Speaker 1: have no room for my word. Wow, this is getting 24 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: intense here, Jesus, I'm telling you what I have seen 25 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: in the father's presence, and you are doing what you 26 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: have heard from your father. Abraham is our father. The answer. 27 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: You are Abraham's children, said Jesus, Then you would do 28 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: what Abraham did as it is, you are looking for 29 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: a way to kill me, a man who has told 30 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham didn't 31 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: do such things. You are doing the works of your 32 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 1: own father. We are not illegitimate children. They protested, can 33 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: you feel a fight fixing the break out? Kind of 34 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: want to sneak out the room before this gets violent. 35 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,800 Speaker 1: The only father we have is God himself. And Jesus 36 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: said to them, if God were your father, you would 37 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: love me, for I have come here from God. I 38 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: have not come on my own. God sent me. Why 39 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,799 Speaker 1: is my language not clear to you because you are 40 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, 41 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 1: the devil. Jesus. Let's uh, let's think this through before 42 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: we say something we can't take back. This is not 43 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: good for your popularity or eating. You know what I'm saying, Jesus, 44 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: little baby Jesus, and General Jesus. Oh man, The truth 45 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,079 Speaker 1: is confrontational. He said, you belong to your father, the devil, 46 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: and you want to carry out your father's desires. He 47 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: was a murder from the beginning, not holding to the truth, 48 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: for there is no truth in him. When he lies, 49 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: he speaks his native language for everybody. Say this out loud. 50 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: He is a liar who is Yeah, So this is 51 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: the message God said to give you for the first 52 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: Sunday Sermon of this year. You ready, He told me 53 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: to you just like this. The devil has held you 54 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: long enough. They didn't believe it when I said it. 55 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: Maybe if you say it to them, look at the 56 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: person next to you, right in their eyeballs, right in 57 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:23,599 Speaker 1: their pupils. Tell them the devil has held you long enough. 58 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,279 Speaker 1: They didn't believe you either. Maybe you need to say 59 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: it for yourself. Let's try it like this, Say this 60 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: out loud, devil, You've helped me long enough. That felt better, 61 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: and the truth will set you free. Be seated if 62 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: you can stand up, shout you got something inside you 63 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: truth insideing it. It's an amazing thing, you know, the 64 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: way that the devil gets us in these type spaces 65 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: and makes us think that the best part of our 66 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:17,719 Speaker 1: life is over and there's nothing we can do and 67 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,920 Speaker 1: we might as well not even try. When we say 68 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: the devil is a liar, of course, we don't mean 69 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: that he runs around with a plastic pitch for it, 70 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: telling you stuff that you know on the surface to 71 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: be untrue. The way that he operates is by deception, 72 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,920 Speaker 1: which means that the devil specializes in saying things that 73 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: sound true. He slick with it. He says it in 74 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: such a way watch this, that you don't even know 75 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,919 Speaker 1: it's him saying it, because when the devil talks, it 76 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: sounds like your voice, doesn't it. When the devil talks, 77 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,719 Speaker 1: it sounds the same way as when God talks, because 78 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: it's happening inside of you. God doesn't speak to me 79 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: through out loud voices. Neither does the Devil except sometimes 80 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,440 Speaker 1: when I'm watching the news and stuff. Then I hear 81 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:28,279 Speaker 1: him just like right out loud, Oh God. But apart 82 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: from that is the devil's job to keep you from 83 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: even knowing. You know, I used to read this verse. 84 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you example of this. Okay, we take 85 00:06:39,080 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 1: the Bible and we want a verse of the day, 86 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:42,400 Speaker 1: and then we don't even read the whole verse of 87 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: the day. We just want the half verse of the day. 88 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: And we start going through scripture like as salad bars 89 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: and I don't like radishes. The problem with that is 90 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: you'll hear a verse and think it's true, and it 91 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: is true, but it's not totally true because it said 92 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: the truth will set you free. How many have heard 93 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: that before? Just raise your hand. I didn't just say 94 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,479 Speaker 1: the truth will set you free. I noticed some of 95 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,360 Speaker 1: you were with me when I was reading my passage. 96 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,600 Speaker 1: He said, you will know the truth, and the truth 97 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: will set you free. But you have to watch culture 98 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: because the enemy will use language that is common in 99 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 1: culture in order to get you to think you understand 100 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: the concept that really you have become blind to the 101 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: reality of I told my kids the other day, stop 102 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: saying that certain celebrities got canceled in my house. I 103 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: don't like the word canceled because the fact of the 104 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: matter is you use that term all the time, interchangeably 105 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:47,000 Speaker 1: to mean people are saying something bad about them. I've 106 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: had people say bad things about me. But I'm not canceled. 107 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: I'm still called So I don't know if they're annoyed 108 00:07:58,320 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: with this or not, but I don't let them say 109 00:07:59,880 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: that in my house anymore. I mean, they still say 110 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:03,640 Speaker 1: it because like what am I going to do about it? 111 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: But I tell them to stop, all right, just being real, 112 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: I told them they shall not. They did not. No, No, 113 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: they still do it, but I stop saying that. A 114 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,679 Speaker 1: few years ago, I started hearing this phrase, this cultural phrase. 115 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,920 Speaker 1: I didn't know why at first that it sounded good. 116 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: It sounded good on the surface, but to me it 117 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:30,080 Speaker 1: felt like there was something about this phrase that while 118 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: it sounded very good and even scriptural on the surface, 119 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: I first heard it from somebody. They said, I've got 120 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:41,560 Speaker 1: to live my truth. I didn't know why. I didn't 121 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: like it, because it sounds good, right, be true to 122 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:47,960 Speaker 1: my value. I've got to you know, I've got to 123 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: do what I'm supposed to do. More thought about it, 124 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: I started hearing it more and more. How many of 125 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: you have heard this before? Like, I've got to speak 126 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: my truth. I think that's good if what we mean 127 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: by that is I've got to share the experiences that 128 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:08,120 Speaker 1: I've had In an honest way, I've got to face 129 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: things that I've been through, and sometimes in sharing what 130 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: I've been through that I used to be ashamed of, 131 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: somebody else can be set free. I think that's awesome. 132 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: And if that's what you mean when you say you know, 133 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: live my truth or speak my truth, I think it's good. 134 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: I think what bothered me about it was John eight 135 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: thirty two, where Jesus did not say your truth will 136 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: set you free. Put it back up, let's check just 137 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: to make sure. Then you will know your truth. I 138 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: think why I didn't like the phrase is because it 139 00:09:50,400 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: made truth sound like shoes. It made truth sound like 140 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: something that you can try on. It's too early in 141 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:06,720 Speaker 1: the year for this. I should be preaching something like 142 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,920 Speaker 1: you can make it, keep your head off, do it. Duh. 143 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: It bothers me because truth is not choosable. Really, when 144 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: we say, oh, this is my truth, what we're talking 145 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: about is our belief. There's a big difference between a 146 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 1: belief and a truth. You don't believe me, that doesn't 147 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: make it untrue. What if I believe that all tall 148 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: people are arrogant because I met this tall guy one 149 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:48,520 Speaker 1: time and he was kind of prideful and cocky. That's 150 00:10:48,559 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: an experience. It's a personal experience, but that doesn't make 151 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: it an absolute truth. What I'm noticing a lot of 152 00:10:57,520 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: in my own life. I'm not just talking about people 153 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: culture others. I'm not just talking about magazines or books. 154 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about you and your house. I'm talking 155 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 1: about me and my heart. A lot of times, it 156 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: seems like I'm tempted to turn a personal experience into 157 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: an absolute truth. Have you ever had a bad haircut? Now, 158 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: y'all be careful about this one, because my dad was 159 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: a barber and he's in heaven, so be nice. Are 160 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: barber's bad? And you're like, this is really stupid. Man. 161 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: We did not come all the way out here with 162 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: the virus going around to hear you tell us this. No, 163 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 1: you've done it with church before. Oh, church people are hypocrites. No, no, no, no, 164 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 1: Charlie was a hypocrite. Charlie was a hypocrite. All men 165 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: and our dogs. No, Mike was a dog. Not you 166 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 1: till my security I watch how I say that. No, 167 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't church people. But now what's what you did? 168 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: You went you went to a restaurant. You had a 169 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: bad server, and now you decided to stop eating. You 170 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:28,880 Speaker 1: went to one church, you had a bad experience, and 171 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: then you stopped. Not you, you're here, you're here. I'm 172 00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 1: not talking to you, I'm talking to them. I'm talking 173 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: to them. I'm talking to them. You had one experience 174 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: with failure. You set out to do something and it 175 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: didn't work. So then you turned the event, the failure, 176 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: into an identity. I'm a failure. So what I want 177 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: to know today is it a truth or is it 178 00:12:53,920 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: a trap? Because because when Jesus said the truth will 179 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: set you free, he wasn't talking to drug lords. When 180 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:09,959 Speaker 1: Jesus said the truth will set you free, he wasn't 181 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: talking to gang bangers. When Jesus said the truth will 182 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,560 Speaker 1: set you free, he wasn't talking to evil wicked. He 183 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: wasn't talking to pagans. He was talking Put Verse thirty 184 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 1: one back up. There's gonna blow your mind. This blew 185 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: my mind to the Jews who had believed him. He's 186 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 1: talking to people that believe him, and he's telling them 187 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: they don't have the truth. They only have a certain 188 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: level of belief. And there's a big difference between belief 189 00:13:45,640 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: and truth. Belief is based on your experience. Truth comes 190 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: from God. Beliefs can be altered, Beliefs can grow and 191 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,079 Speaker 1: expand and should. There was a time in your life. 192 00:14:01,120 --> 00:14:02,839 Speaker 1: Let's talk about this. There was a time in your 193 00:14:02,840 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: life where most of you believed that somebody came in 194 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: your house and gave you money for your teeth when 195 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: they fell out. That made perfect sense to you. It's 196 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: probably worth about five dollars on a pillow. Holly got 197 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: abby up to ten dollars and I cut the tooth 198 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: Faerry out. I just pulled her aside and said it's 199 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 1: not real. It didn't too expensive. It got too expensive 200 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: for me not to tell her the truth. And have 201 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 1: you come to the point yet where it has cost 202 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: you enough to be stuck in a belief about who 203 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: you are and what life is and what they did 204 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: pass The devil held you long enough because for some 205 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: some of us, nothing in our life will change this year, 206 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: because we are not sick enough of the way it 207 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: was last year. We are not sick enough of it. 208 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: Yet we are like the Israelites wandering in the wilderness. Now. 209 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: I studied all about this scripture today that I'm sharing 210 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: with you about these Jews who believed in Jesus enough 211 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: to know that they were not immoral, ungodly addicts. This 212 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,720 Speaker 1: was not a case of them needing to give up 213 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: their sin. It was a case of them needing to 214 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:48,200 Speaker 1: give up their story. There's a confluence in the text 215 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,200 Speaker 1: of what Jesus is teaching about in when he's teaching 216 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: it and I really want to teach more this year. Okay, 217 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: I'm fine to inspire you, but I'm sure I want 218 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 1: to get up here and just give you Christian cocaine 219 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: that makes you feel high for an hour and a 220 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: half and then just drops you off. I want to 221 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: give you something that you can that you can carry 222 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 1: out of here and be strengthened in faith. I want 223 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: to give you food that you can live off of 224 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 1: for days you can go back and study. So one 225 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: thing about the cliches that we quote is that when 226 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 1: we understand the context in this passage, Jesus is talking 227 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: to the Jews who believed him, and he is challenging 228 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,920 Speaker 1: their belief that it doesn't go deep enough, which means 229 00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 1: they believed in his signs, but they did not commit 230 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: to his teaching. They liked listening to his message, but 231 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:07,160 Speaker 1: it was made flesh in their life. The people he 232 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: was talking to are people like me and you who 233 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,480 Speaker 1: believe in him. But he is telling them that it 234 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: is possible to believe and still not be free. Indeed, 235 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:27,440 Speaker 1: it is impossible for you. This is one thing that 236 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: we all have to understand. It is impossible for you 237 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: to live in a sustainable way above the level that 238 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:39,719 Speaker 1: you are willing to believe God at, because eventually you 239 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: will either shrink your belief down to the level of 240 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: your experience or allow God to expand your belief to 241 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: the level of his promise. Which one is happening in 242 00:17:53,920 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 1: your heart so far this year? I don't know yet, 243 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:01,399 Speaker 1: pastor has only been a week. That's long enough, you 244 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,840 Speaker 1: know about a weekend. Are you shrinking what you think 245 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: God can do, will do, is gonna do? Are you 246 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: shrinking your belief to the level of your experience or 247 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,440 Speaker 1: are you allowing God watch this to raise your experience 248 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: up to the level of his power. Jesus talking to 249 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:28,880 Speaker 1: the Jews who believed in him, and he said, if 250 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: you hold to my teaching, if you hold to my teaching, 251 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: be my disciples, then you'll know the truth, and the 252 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 1: truth will set you free. I remember one January, the 253 00:18:42,840 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: little boy I walked in on my mom and dad. 254 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,879 Speaker 1: Hold on. I walked in. My mom and dad were 255 00:18:54,920 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: get we edit this. They were watching how many of 256 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:08,119 Speaker 1: y'all remembered Jane Fonda VHS workout tapes? They were watching 257 00:19:09,080 --> 00:19:12,879 Speaker 1: Jane Fonda VHS workout tapes? And this is the kicker 258 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:18,479 Speaker 1: eating a bowl of ice cream. It scarred me for life. 259 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:22,719 Speaker 1: I walked in and saw them watching Jane Fonda eating 260 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,720 Speaker 1: ice cream. We'll never forget that. Can't remember my kids' 261 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 1: names most days in the correct order, but I will 262 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:34,679 Speaker 1: never forget watching them watch a workout eating ice cream, 263 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: because now I think about it every time I preach, 264 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 1: because I wonder will this work if you just watch 265 00:19:48,320 --> 00:19:51,880 Speaker 1: me do it? And I don't even look as good 266 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: as Jane Fonda. I'm not even that attractive. I'm not 267 00:19:55,480 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: wearing tights for y'all. And yet there is a sense 268 00:20:01,600 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: in which we live. Now. This is the life. This 269 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: is how crafty the devil is. If you knew more, 270 00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: you could do more. He didn't say, if you would 271 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: know more truth, it would set you free. He said, 272 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:23,199 Speaker 1: if you hold to my teaching, you will be my disciples. 273 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,400 Speaker 1: Then you will know the truth and truth to say free. 274 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:28,360 Speaker 1: So if I knew, I would do no no, If 275 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: you would do, you would know if you would do, 276 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: you would know how many of you have had the 277 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: thought in the last two years. I just don't know 278 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: what to do. You thought that I don't know what 279 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: to do. Everybody whose hand didn't go up when I 280 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,199 Speaker 1: asked that question, I need to have a meet, a 281 00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 1: consultation with you, either to cast out that devil of 282 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,760 Speaker 1: lying or to pay you to tell me the future. 283 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask again, because I think y'all are asleep 284 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: on me. How many of y'all have had the thought 285 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,879 Speaker 1: in the life. I just don't know what to do. 286 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:05,479 Speaker 1: Raise your hand, raise your hand, raise your hand, raise 287 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: your hand, raise it online, raise it online. All right, 288 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 1: Yes you do, Yes, you do. You know what to 289 00:21:14,760 --> 00:21:21,399 Speaker 1: do with the truth that you have been given. But 290 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: we don't want to hold to the teaching that Jesus 291 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: gave us when it's hard to hear or when it 292 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: makes us confront ourselves. He said to the Jews who 293 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 1: believed in him, you are so addicted to the lies 294 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: that you don't want to hold on to the truth. 295 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:44,399 Speaker 1: And you know a lot of times when I'm asking 296 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: God to change me in my life and God is 297 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 1: telling me to hold on to the teaching. A lot 298 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 1: of times I picture myself, come here, Elijah. I picture 299 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: it like this simple picture. God gave me, simplest picture 300 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 1: in the world. I pictured it like this is my 301 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,400 Speaker 1: oldest son. I was telling you about how we work 302 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: out together in the pound, and now listen, I can 303 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:05,240 Speaker 1: still out bench him, out squad him and all that stuff. 304 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: He's taller than me, but that doesn't mean he can 305 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:09,400 Speaker 1: take me, all right. The devil is a liar, father 306 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 1: of lies. When we go in the gym, I try 307 00:22:13,400 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: to train him not only in weights, but I try 308 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: to train him in truth. Hey man, there's some stuff 309 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: God has put in you, and the lies that you 310 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 1: believe can become a lit on your life. They can 311 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,920 Speaker 1: become a limitation. But the first thing I got to 312 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 1: teach you is lie detection. So you'll even know it's 313 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,760 Speaker 1: happening because it'll sound so true. Right, and yet all 314 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 1: the time Jesus is saying, you will know the truth, 315 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: hold to the truth, and the truth will set you free. 316 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,480 Speaker 1: So here's how. Let's stand over here where everybody can 317 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 1: see us. You stand there, U stand here. Just picture this. 318 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: This is the truth. This is the Word of God. 319 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: This is the Bible, sixty six books. It's all true, 320 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: from the Book of Genesis to the maps in the 321 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: bat the truth. And I saw it like this, he said, 322 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: give me verse thirty two. Again, the part of the 323 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:14,880 Speaker 1: verse is so important. If you hold sorry, verse thirty one. 324 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:21,639 Speaker 1: If you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. 325 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: Thirty two, and then you will know. So you have 326 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 1: to hold it to know it, not hear it. Hold it. 327 00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:36,879 Speaker 1: That means it is not the word that I preach 328 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 1: that sets you free. It is the word that you practice. 329 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: And that's where it happens. When I speak, something from 330 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:48,399 Speaker 1: God doesn't come from me. If it comes from me, 331 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: it's empty calories, all right, it's Briar's ice cream if 332 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: it comes from me. But if it comes from God, 333 00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: and it comes through me, and the Spirit of God speaks, 334 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,080 Speaker 1: whether it's in a sermon or in your life, or 335 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: something that God shows you over and over again, or 336 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:08,880 Speaker 1: something he speaks through your wife. Not every word from 337 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,520 Speaker 1: God comes through somebody with a callar. Not every word 338 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:16,800 Speaker 1: from God comes on a Sunday morning. But when God 339 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: feaks to you. You know that was harsh. You know 340 00:24:20,119 --> 00:24:22,760 Speaker 1: you're being stubborn right now. You know you just need 341 00:24:22,800 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: to think. You need to be right right now. And 342 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: when God corrects you with that, well, the Lord doesn't 343 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:29,960 Speaker 1: to Lord is loving. Did you hear Jesus and John Hay? 344 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:37,520 Speaker 1: He said, this is your father, the devil speaking through you. Okay, okay, 345 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: people are too coddled. We have this coddle Christianity where 346 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: you just come up alongside people and always just teach 347 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:45,960 Speaker 1: them that God will give you grace every time you 348 00:24:45,960 --> 00:24:47,880 Speaker 1: screw up. What about teaching me how to get better 349 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:54,800 Speaker 1: so I don't screw up so much? Huh? Is there 350 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: an axe that and shut this thing down at the roof? 351 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 1: Because I what, I don't just want to pop God's 352 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:12,560 Speaker 1: promises like pills to take the pain away. I want 353 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: to make progress in my life, to see things how 354 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: they are and to not have to live in denial 355 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: because listen sayings of God. Jesus was talking to the 356 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: Jews who believed him, and they thought they had the 357 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: way of life that honored God and they didn't know 358 00:25:31,640 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 1: the truth and it was standing right in front of them, 359 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 1: and he said, you can't hear it, and if you 360 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:41,240 Speaker 1: will hold to my teaching on three one two three, 361 00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:47,120 Speaker 1: now that's what sets you free. The problem is, come here, 362 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: bring me out what I gave you earlier from wherever 363 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: it's back there somewhere. I know it is because I 364 00:25:52,280 --> 00:25:55,080 Speaker 1: planned this out. I told him. I said, this is 365 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 1: so simple. The church is gonna laugh at me. They're 366 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: gonna think, oh, past so didn't have time to study 367 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: this week. He had to bring out the props. But 368 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,600 Speaker 1: I saw it like this because I keep seeing people 369 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:14,919 Speaker 1: that can't hold the truth, and I wonder why you 370 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 1: can't even hope. Some of us. We can't even hold 371 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:23,000 Speaker 1: a compliment for ten minutes. He can't hold it. Some 372 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 1: of us. The Lord can give us a really good direction. 373 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:30,879 Speaker 1: We can know that he spoke to us, and we 374 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,359 Speaker 1: can since war God as us and I can't hold. 375 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 1: Has anybody noticed other than me, your attention span is 376 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:42,560 Speaker 1: getting almost zero these days? Does that have anything to 377 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: do with the technology by which advertisers are rewarded for 378 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 1: disrupting our attention and redirecting it to some product which 379 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:57,040 Speaker 1: they hope for us to buy, or some truth which 380 00:26:57,080 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 1: they hope for us to consume. We can't even hold 381 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 1: the truth in anymore because it's kind of hard to 382 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:16,520 Speaker 1: have room for truth holding on. So trash put him 383 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: in the shot. They can't see him online. Yeah, y'all 384 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,439 Speaker 1: gotta get a wide shot or something. You know, you 385 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:22,920 Speaker 1: face me, you face me. They need to do it 386 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 1: with the cameras. This is the illustration. But son, I 387 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:36,800 Speaker 1: need you to know that it's really hard for you 388 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 1: to hear from the Holy Ghost if you scroll six 389 00:27:41,280 --> 00:27:46,119 Speaker 1: hours on TikTok. Sound like an old man right now, 390 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:50,000 Speaker 1: forgive me, lord, I sound eighty three right now. But 391 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:54,760 Speaker 1: I'm trying to tell you that you can't hold truth 392 00:27:56,240 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: and hold trash. So what are we gonna do? What 393 00:28:05,400 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 1: are we gonna do? How many need to be set 394 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: free in an identifal and identifiable specific area of your 395 00:28:13,160 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: life this year? I need freedom, But I don't know 396 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 1: what you need? Freedom from God does? The Holy Spirit does, 397 00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:24,840 Speaker 1: and really, deep down you do. You know exactly what 398 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: it is, the compulsion, the obsession, the addiction, the torment. 399 00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:30,919 Speaker 1: You know exactly what you need free from You know 400 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 1: now the scripture says, who you be set free by? 401 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: You be set free by the sun, You be set 402 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 1: free by the truth. Bye, bye bye. That doesn't mean 403 00:28:40,200 --> 00:28:47,000 Speaker 1: Jesus automatically sets you free just because you believe in him. 404 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: Jesus sets you free as you hold to his teaching. 405 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: And the first thing to hold to his teaching. I'm 406 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 1: gonna throw this again on three, give me why shot one? Two? Three? 407 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: Do you see what he did? Do you see what 408 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: he did? He did it at the very last minute. 409 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: He did it at the very last minute. But he 410 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: knew enough that when I threw him the truth, he 411 00:29:26,120 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: dropped the trash to hold the truth. He almost didn't. 412 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: He was confused for a moment because he thought he 413 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: was doing something important standing up here. But when the 414 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 1: truth comes. Now, this is the year you've been me. 415 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:52,960 Speaker 1: You know. The devil has held you long enough. The 416 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,280 Speaker 1: devil has held you. I'm done with you long enough. 417 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:02,480 Speaker 1: You have been holding all to the hurt long enough. 418 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 1: But this year, this year, this year, I prophesied Jesus' name, 419 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus, the nassery, the way, the truth, 420 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:21,240 Speaker 1: the life, we beheld his glory, the glory as of 421 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 422 00:30:27,800 --> 00:30:32,440 Speaker 1: So when the truth came, I had to drop the trash. 423 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: To hold the truth. Oh God, Oh God. Problem was 424 00:30:45,800 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: you thought this was true because the devil lied to 425 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: you so good. He started telling you your trash and 426 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: you started thinking, and it was truth because he got 427 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:09,840 Speaker 1: you into an experience, turned it into a belief, and 428 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:21,640 Speaker 1: now you call it your truth. Look at me, Look 429 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: at me. And then he the devil is so crafty. 430 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:28,440 Speaker 1: And I don't like to give so much time to 431 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: the devil, but it was in the passage, and that's 432 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 1: why I'm addressing it directly. Okay, I understand, I don't 433 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,800 Speaker 1: want to give the devil too much credit. But Jesus said, 434 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:39,960 Speaker 1: the problem of this is that your desires have been 435 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: informed by the lies of the devil, and so it's 436 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: coming from him. So now he's got you locked into 437 00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: the truth, will set you free. Well, that means a lie. 438 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: He can keep you bound, but only if he gets 439 00:31:54,920 --> 00:32:01,520 Speaker 1: you to think it's true. So imagine, like Satan means accuser. 440 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: That's the enemy's job. He's the accuser of the brethren. 441 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: So imagine if you're Satan and you can convince somebody 442 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: who God has called his inheritance, somebody who God has 443 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:20,440 Speaker 1: called his precious possession, his masterpiece, his workmanship a saint. 444 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,160 Speaker 1: Imagine if you can convince somebody that Jesus died for 445 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,920 Speaker 1: that they're worthless, or that they are trash. And maybe 446 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:30,720 Speaker 1: you do it, I don't know. Maybe you do it 447 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:36,360 Speaker 1: with the suggestion of rejection. You know, the reason they 448 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: left you is because there's something lacking about you. Now, again, 449 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 1: let's be balanced. Sometimes relationships end because we could have 450 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,560 Speaker 1: been more responsible, more thoughtful, right, So we want to 451 00:32:52,600 --> 00:32:55,600 Speaker 1: analyze that. But to take the lessons that you could 452 00:32:55,680 --> 00:32:58,400 Speaker 1: learn from the end of a relationship and to turn 453 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 1: it into a personal judgment. The reason people leave is 454 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:17,120 Speaker 1: because I'm unlovable. Before you know it, you start to 455 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: treasure the trash more than the truth because this feels 456 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:29,920 Speaker 1: familiar to you. I always worried about Elijah when he 457 00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: was little, because his favorite Sesame Street character was Oscar 458 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:38,600 Speaker 1: the Grouch. I start praying for him early. I pray 459 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 1: in tongues, I pray in Latin, I pray in Greek 460 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:45,640 Speaker 1: and Arabic because it would bother me. All the kids 461 00:33:45,640 --> 00:33:49,160 Speaker 1: would be at the playground, going around and on the 462 00:33:49,160 --> 00:33:52,760 Speaker 1: monkey bars, in the jungle gym, in the sandbox, and 463 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:55,640 Speaker 1: he'd be looking in all the trash cans. O, they're 464 00:33:55,680 --> 00:34:02,680 Speaker 1: on the blackground looking for Oscar. And I didn't want 465 00:34:02,720 --> 00:34:08,840 Speaker 1: him to turn sixteen eighteen looking in trash cans, you know, 466 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:14,439 Speaker 1: looking in backwards ways of thinking or thinking that being 467 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: famous is where it's at, when really that's just another 468 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:22,320 Speaker 1: trash cans, that's diamond studded. There's goal play the trash cans. 469 00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:31,440 Speaker 1: I didn't want him looking for treasure in the trash. 470 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:36,920 Speaker 1: Jesus said, if you hold to my teaching, I need 471 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:42,279 Speaker 1: Jesus to teach me. I need Jesus to teach me. 472 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:44,239 Speaker 1: I don't just need him to save me from my sin. 473 00:34:44,600 --> 00:34:49,840 Speaker 1: I need him to teach me his ways, not just 474 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:52,399 Speaker 1: so I can be saved from my sin. He said, 475 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:57,839 Speaker 1: if you if you sin, you're a slave descin. That's 476 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 1: what happens when we there's an interest phrasing the scripture. 477 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:03,279 Speaker 1: Are y'all good if I go a little deeper on this, 478 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: because I can save it for next week, but I'd 479 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,880 Speaker 1: like to share it with you today. He said, you 480 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:12,440 Speaker 1: called yourself Abraham's children, and you are technically the descendants 481 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: of Abraham. He was the one God spoke to and said, 482 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: go to the land. I'll show you and the whole 483 00:35:16,040 --> 00:35:18,040 Speaker 1: nation came out of him, even though his wife was 484 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 1: beyond child bearing years. God can do the impossible, because 485 00:35:21,480 --> 00:35:23,760 Speaker 1: no word from God will ever feel. If he speaks, 486 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:28,720 Speaker 1: it is true, even if the facts say otherwise. Jesus 487 00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:32,520 Speaker 1: did not say the facts will set you free. He said, 488 00:35:32,520 --> 00:35:36,239 Speaker 1: the truth will set you free. So Goliath might be 489 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: nine foot nine, but the truth is, you come against 490 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: me with a spear. I come against you in the 491 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:50,560 Speaker 1: name of the Lord. Yeah, sorry, I'm of course. The 492 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: truth is we're surrounded you. Remember the prophet said, there 493 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,280 Speaker 1: are more with us than with them. And he prayed 494 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:58,640 Speaker 1: God opened the eyes of my servant that he may 495 00:35:58,680 --> 00:36:01,360 Speaker 1: see because the fact said, there's no way out of this, 496 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: but the truth from a point of view that can 497 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: see with spiritual eyes. I'm seated in heavenly places with Jesus. 498 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: So so so so so so so so. There's a 499 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,920 Speaker 1: big difference between facts and truth. There's a big difference 500 00:36:16,920 --> 00:36:22,399 Speaker 1: between feelings and truth. Many of you think, if if 501 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 1: I feel it is true, or here's worse, if I 502 00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:31,560 Speaker 1: think it, it must be true. I promise you, I 503 00:36:31,600 --> 00:36:34,440 Speaker 1: promise you. I don't even know how smart you are. 504 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:36,399 Speaker 1: I don't care if you went to Harvard, I don't 505 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:41,040 Speaker 1: care if you dropped out of Harvard to go to Yale, 506 00:36:41,239 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 1: I don't care. I don't care. How much intelligence you 507 00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,360 Speaker 1: have in your life. You cannot believe everything you think. 508 00:36:49,560 --> 00:36:51,880 Speaker 1: One scripture set as high as the heavens are above 509 00:36:51,880 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: the earth, So were God's ways above your ways, and 510 00:36:55,480 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 1: his thoughts above your thoughts. The truth will set you 511 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: free if you hold to it. But Jesus was talking 512 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:07,319 Speaker 1: to people who identified themselves with Abraham. They said, we're 513 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:12,120 Speaker 1: Abraham's children. He said, you're not acting like you're trying 514 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:15,080 Speaker 1: to kill me. You believe in my signs, but you 515 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:19,799 Speaker 1: don't hold to my teachings. You think of me in 516 00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 1: a superstitious way, but you don't allow me to get 517 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:33,399 Speaker 1: into the bs the belief systems of your heart. I'm 518 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:35,920 Speaker 1: gonna wake you all up today. This is a new 519 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:38,960 Speaker 1: Year's sermon. New year, new year. No no, no new year, 520 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:46,360 Speaker 1: new truth, not your truth. Your truth has you trapped 521 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:51,520 Speaker 1: in the wilderness. He said, if you were Abraham's children, 522 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:55,520 Speaker 1: you would do what Abraham did. If you were you 523 00:37:55,560 --> 00:38:01,279 Speaker 1: would do if you were you would do, if you 524 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: were identity, you would do behavior identity drives behavior. If 525 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 1: you see yourself as trash, you cannot hold the truth. 526 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: And that's where you've been, don't you see it? Every 527 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:20,759 Speaker 1: time you go to change, there are two lives. When 528 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:25,640 Speaker 1: you go to change number one, you can't change number two. 529 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,720 Speaker 1: You don't need to either way. The devil has you trapped. 530 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 1: Oh no, they need to change, They need to do 531 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:35,640 Speaker 1: it different. They need to appreciate me. No, you need 532 00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 1: to be less needy. Truth, truth to power, and the 533 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:51,759 Speaker 1: Lord is calling you to freedom. And the devil has 534 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 1: held you long enough in a lie and a sermon 535 00:38:57,040 --> 00:39:07,920 Speaker 1: can't set you free. Decisions do decisions? Do decisions to do? 536 00:39:07,960 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 1: What to be a disciple? Teach me Holy Spirit. Only 537 00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 1: God knows the truth about you. Even your parents can't 538 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: fully see your potential. They're too busy trying to keep 539 00:39:20,920 --> 00:39:25,239 Speaker 1: you from getting in a car rack. I'm serious. There 540 00:39:25,239 --> 00:39:26,919 Speaker 1: will be things in my kids that I can't see 541 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:29,840 Speaker 1: in them that their heavenly Father can. And it's not 542 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:33,640 Speaker 1: my job to limit God. There are things that nobody 543 00:39:33,719 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: has seen you. There are blind talk about bs. You 544 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:43,000 Speaker 1: got blind spots. You got blind spots. You can't see it, 545 00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 1: but God does. But now you squeeze your whole belief 546 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:52,600 Speaker 1: into an experience. Well, somebody that God really could use 547 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:56,880 Speaker 1: would never do this, and that you know Moses was 548 00:39:56,880 --> 00:40:03,239 Speaker 1: a murderer, right, You know, David had one of his 549 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:05,719 Speaker 1: main warriors killed in battle, the one that wrote the 550 00:40:05,719 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 1: little Sami Samius that we like to sing, man after 551 00:40:11,719 --> 00:40:17,840 Speaker 1: God's own heart. You're not trash. You just need new truth. 552 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:22,440 Speaker 1: And I kind of see some of the things that 553 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: you did before, like baby teeth, baby truth, and it's 554 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:34,759 Speaker 1: got to fall out for this new thing to grow. 555 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:37,200 Speaker 1: And there's no truth theory coming around to your house 556 00:40:37,239 --> 00:40:38,879 Speaker 1: to give you ten dollars for it either, all right. 557 00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:45,080 Speaker 1: In fact, the devil is so crafty and he's so lazy. 558 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:50,120 Speaker 1: He convinces you that you're trash, that you can't trust God, 559 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 1: that it's over. And then he's so he's so good 560 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,880 Speaker 1: at his job that he delegates it to you, and 561 00:40:55,960 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 1: you start collecting evidence for why he's right. You start 562 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: collecting evidence this is not trash from our house. I 563 00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:09,160 Speaker 1: had somebody put this together for me professionally. I don't 564 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 1: want y'all to see in my trash bag. If he's 565 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: good enough at his job, he will convince you this 566 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:18,399 Speaker 1: is who you are. This is all you can be. 567 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:20,600 Speaker 1: This is why that happened to you. Some of you 568 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:23,080 Speaker 1: people did things to you. You didn't even do it 569 00:41:23,080 --> 00:41:29,120 Speaker 1: to you, and now you feel ashamed about it. How 570 00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:33,360 Speaker 1: in hell do you believe that I'm not cussing? How 571 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: has hell? How has the devil gotten so strategically in 572 00:41:38,640 --> 00:41:42,400 Speaker 1: your mind that you think that somebody did something to 573 00:41:42,440 --> 00:41:45,800 Speaker 1: you and that makes you dirty? The devil is a liar. 574 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:50,920 Speaker 1: I'm clean. I'm clean and even if I did it, 575 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 1: I'm still clean because I've been through the waters and 576 00:41:55,239 --> 00:42:01,520 Speaker 1: it's under the blood of Jesus. That's much. That's my truth, 577 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,760 Speaker 1: and it doesn't come from me. Don't do the devil's 578 00:42:06,840 --> 00:42:10,800 Speaker 1: job for him, just finding reasons why you should feel bad. 579 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,640 Speaker 1: Oh well, now I'm just in the market for misery. 580 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:18,040 Speaker 1: Now he doesn't even have to lie to me. I'm 581 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:22,640 Speaker 1: on autopilot. I'm just collecting lies to support the truth 582 00:42:22,719 --> 00:42:24,440 Speaker 1: that he told me. And he told me it was 583 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:26,600 Speaker 1: my truth. And this is how I can go. This 584 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:28,440 Speaker 1: is all I can do, and this all I'll ever be, 585 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:30,719 Speaker 1: and this is why it happens. And God's not with me, 586 00:42:30,960 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 1: and oh God, twenty twenty two, it's gonna Be twenty twenty, 587 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:39,919 Speaker 1: Part two. Shut up. If the devil's gonna lie, make 588 00:42:40,040 --> 00:42:45,200 Speaker 1: him log his own hours. Don't have them. You know 589 00:42:45,239 --> 00:42:51,360 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. Don't help them. I dare you to 590 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:57,480 Speaker 1: delete the app. I dare you to block the number. 591 00:42:59,080 --> 00:43:01,920 Speaker 1: I dare you. I dare you to trump touch three people. 592 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:04,399 Speaker 1: Tell him. I tear you to trump it. I dare 593 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,359 Speaker 1: you to drump it. I dare you to let come 594 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 1: thrown your bat. The devil has helped you long enough. 595 00:43:13,760 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 1: The devil is a liar, and he's on a legs. 596 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: He can't do it forever, and the sun south set 597 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: you free. You gotta drop something to receive something. You 598 00:43:34,560 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 1: gotta drop something to do something. You gotta drop something 599 00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:46,759 Speaker 1: to be somebody. I'm a child of God. Baby, I 600 00:43:46,920 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 1: got the truth. I've set free. You've helped me. Hey, devil, 601 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:57,880 Speaker 1: you hear that, get under my feet. You've helped me 602 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:08,399 Speaker 1: long enough, long enough, long enough, long enough. I'm forty one. 603 00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:14,239 Speaker 1: That's long enough. I'm twelve, that's long enough. I'm six. 604 00:44:14,400 --> 00:44:21,279 Speaker 1: I'm sixty seven. That's long enough. Tired of this, I'm 605 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:24,280 Speaker 1: tired of trading the truth of God for a personal 606 00:44:24,320 --> 00:44:31,799 Speaker 1: experience and worshiping at the altar of my background. I'm 607 00:44:31,840 --> 00:44:35,239 Speaker 1: tired of shrinking my life to the level of what 608 00:44:35,280 --> 00:44:40,000 Speaker 1: I've seen or heard from others that is possible. I'm 609 00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 1: gonna hold on too. That's like I'm on it, like 610 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:47,120 Speaker 1: I'm on a ski. I'ma hold on to Jesus. I'ma 611 00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:50,560 Speaker 1: hold on this year and I read where Peter tried 612 00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:53,239 Speaker 1: to hold on and he couldn't ski, so Jesus picked 613 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:55,200 Speaker 1: him up. If I can't hold onto him, he'll hold 614 00:44:55,280 --> 00:44:58,320 Speaker 1: on to me. But in only it only it only 615 00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:07,400 Speaker 1: happens hm hm, when you decide long enough, because Jesus 616 00:45:07,480 --> 00:45:12,359 Speaker 1: is talking to people who believe him, but they're still 617 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:20,200 Speaker 1: not free. They're not bad, but they're deceived. You're not bad, 618 00:45:21,400 --> 00:45:24,399 Speaker 1: You're deceived. You have no room for his word. Could 619 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:30,680 Speaker 1: be your schedule, it could be you got so much lies, y'all. 620 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:33,000 Speaker 1: When I was holding that trash back, I felt like, 621 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:37,239 Speaker 1: in your trash back, there might be offenses, there might 622 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:43,000 Speaker 1: be memories. You like to lie to yourself. After a while, 623 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:48,560 Speaker 1: it excuses you because if you're trash, you get to 624 00:45:48,600 --> 00:45:56,799 Speaker 1: act like it. If you are nobody, you don't have 625 00:45:56,840 --> 00:45:58,799 Speaker 1: to do anything to do. If you're a child of God. 626 00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:01,640 Speaker 1: That means, well, now, thank you, will want to live 627 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:08,759 Speaker 1: like it. I'm still naive enough to believe that there's 628 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:12,280 Speaker 1: at least thirty people in this room, or maybe even online, 629 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:14,920 Speaker 1: or maybe even at one of our other locations. La 630 00:46:15,000 --> 00:46:19,319 Speaker 1: Norman's having an anniversary today. Maybe it's Lake Norman who 631 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 1: are ready to trade the trash for the truth. Who 632 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:33,160 Speaker 1: don't want to run around the playground another year looking 633 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:42,360 Speaker 1: for Oscar? Yeah, who don't want to spend another forty 634 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:48,319 Speaker 1: years in the wilderness. It's long enough. The wilderness. What 635 00:46:48,360 --> 00:46:50,080 Speaker 1: does that have to do with John chapter eight? That's 636 00:46:50,080 --> 00:46:53,359 Speaker 1: the Old Testament, the wilderness. Not really, It all goes 637 00:46:53,400 --> 00:47:00,040 Speaker 1: together because Jesus is teaching at the festival called the 638 00:47:00,080 --> 00:47:04,720 Speaker 1: Festival of Tabernacles. That's the context of John. A remember 639 00:47:04,719 --> 00:47:07,879 Speaker 1: when he fed the five thousand and John six five 640 00:47:07,920 --> 00:47:12,680 Speaker 1: thousand men and women and children? Pretty cool. John chapter 641 00:47:12,719 --> 00:47:19,239 Speaker 1: seven is really different though, because John chapter six is 642 00:47:19,239 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 1: about how God feeds you. John chapter seven and eight 643 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:29,120 Speaker 1: is about how God frees you. So if I just 644 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:31,160 Speaker 1: sit around asking God feed me, feed me, feeding me, 645 00:47:31,200 --> 00:47:33,040 Speaker 1: feeding me, bless me, bless me, bless me, blessed me, 646 00:47:33,040 --> 00:47:34,399 Speaker 1: pay it off, pay it off, pay it off, payd off, 647 00:47:34,400 --> 00:47:36,040 Speaker 1: fix and fix it, fix it, fix it, make away 648 00:47:36,040 --> 00:47:37,919 Speaker 1: and make a make me go go away. That only 649 00:47:37,920 --> 00:47:41,080 Speaker 1: gets you so far. You can believe that God does 650 00:47:41,120 --> 00:47:43,440 Speaker 1: those things for you, and he will. But now it's 651 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:47,000 Speaker 1: about freedom. I want to be free this year. I 652 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,840 Speaker 1: want to be more free of what people think about me. 653 00:47:51,280 --> 00:47:52,719 Speaker 1: I don't I don't know. I can get there not. 654 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:55,680 Speaker 1: I still think all those things, you know. I hope 655 00:47:55,680 --> 00:47:58,680 Speaker 1: they like it. Nobody said anything, Is it okay? Isn't 656 00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:01,160 Speaker 1: it a I mean, I'm I'm not saying it, but 657 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:04,320 Speaker 1: I've been I've been a slave to that long enough. 658 00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:07,960 Speaker 1: I'm sick of it. It's boring, it's old. I know 659 00:48:08,000 --> 00:48:11,680 Speaker 1: how that movie goes. They don't pay attention because they're 660 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:16,480 Speaker 1: thinking about themselves. I'm sick of that. I'm sick of 661 00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:21,680 Speaker 1: being a slave to my feelings. I'm sick of that. 662 00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:25,680 Speaker 1: I'm sick of being a slave to cynicism. I can 663 00:48:25,680 --> 00:48:28,600 Speaker 1: tell you thirteen ways it's going to go wrong. I'm 664 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:32,080 Speaker 1: sick of that. Been there, done that, bought the T shirt, 665 00:48:32,120 --> 00:48:33,880 Speaker 1: took it back because it didn't fit. I'm sick of 666 00:48:33,880 --> 00:48:40,520 Speaker 1: being cynical. So what does the wilderness have to do 667 00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:45,480 Speaker 1: with if the truth will set you free, you will 668 00:48:45,480 --> 00:48:49,280 Speaker 1: be free. Indeed, well, when Jesus went to this festival, 669 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:54,480 Speaker 1: the Festival of Tabernacles or the Festival of Shelters, it 670 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,520 Speaker 1: says it's a week long festival. He comes right in 671 00:48:57,520 --> 00:48:59,920 Speaker 1: the middle of the festival, and it was a festival 672 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:03,239 Speaker 1: after the harvest, where they came together to celebrate and 673 00:49:03,440 --> 00:49:10,759 Speaker 1: commemorate when God brought his people out of Egypt and 674 00:49:10,800 --> 00:49:15,719 Speaker 1: then in the wilderness, they decided to believe the report 675 00:49:16,760 --> 00:49:20,520 Speaker 1: of the spies that said we can't go in, rather 676 00:49:20,600 --> 00:49:23,759 Speaker 1: than to believe what God had spoken and take the 677 00:49:23,840 --> 00:49:27,200 Speaker 1: land by faith. That's the context you follow me, that's 678 00:49:27,239 --> 00:49:30,799 Speaker 1: the context of John chapter seven and John chapter eight. 679 00:49:31,120 --> 00:49:34,799 Speaker 1: So as Jesus is teaching this truth, it's in the 680 00:49:34,840 --> 00:49:38,000 Speaker 1: middle of a festival. We're in order to commemorate this 681 00:49:38,200 --> 00:49:41,520 Speaker 1: time when God led his people through the wilderness for 682 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:45,640 Speaker 1: forty years, they stayed in Egypt four hundred years. They 683 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:48,880 Speaker 1: came out through the wilderness and were only supposed to 684 00:49:48,920 --> 00:49:53,000 Speaker 1: be there for eleven days. Look at this. In Deuteronomy 685 00:49:53,080 --> 00:49:57,120 Speaker 1: chapter one, it says, these are the words that Moses, 686 00:49:57,200 --> 00:50:00,400 Speaker 1: the servant of the Lord, spoke to all Isra in 687 00:50:00,440 --> 00:50:05,960 Speaker 1: the wilderness. Everybody say wilderness, the wilderness east of the Jordan, 688 00:50:06,440 --> 00:50:09,360 Speaker 1: and then there's a bunch of different places that it mentions. 689 00:50:09,360 --> 00:50:12,080 Speaker 1: But I want you to see this next verse verse two. 690 00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:15,560 Speaker 1: Put it on verse two. Please. It takes eleven days 691 00:50:16,200 --> 00:50:18,960 Speaker 1: to go from Horeb, the mountain of God where the 692 00:50:19,000 --> 00:50:22,759 Speaker 1: covenant was given to katish Barnea. That's where he sent 693 00:50:22,800 --> 00:50:24,759 Speaker 1: the spies out to go into the land. How long 694 00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:26,759 Speaker 1: does it take to go from Horreb the mountain to 695 00:50:26,880 --> 00:50:30,560 Speaker 1: the promised land? Eleven days? You could almost skip right 696 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:32,759 Speaker 1: over that and it would be insignificant, and I could 697 00:50:32,760 --> 00:50:34,960 Speaker 1: have stopped this sermon while we were shouting. But I 698 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:37,879 Speaker 1: need to show you this because it is the context 699 00:50:37,880 --> 00:50:42,280 Speaker 1: of freedom. It is the context of freedom. It takes 700 00:50:42,400 --> 00:50:45,960 Speaker 1: eleven days to get from where they were to where 701 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:49,600 Speaker 1: God was taking them by the Mount Sierraro. But look 702 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:54,360 Speaker 1: at verse three. In the fortieth year is when Moses 703 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:58,480 Speaker 1: prepared them to go in. How did they turn an 704 00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:04,359 Speaker 1: eleven day journey through the wilderness into a forty year 705 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:11,640 Speaker 1: wandering where they were stuck because of what they believed, 706 00:51:14,360 --> 00:51:18,640 Speaker 1: because they would not believe the truth. The truth is, 707 00:51:18,960 --> 00:51:20,719 Speaker 1: we can do it if God is for us. Our 708 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:24,480 Speaker 1: enemies don't stand a chance. The truth is, God is 709 00:51:24,560 --> 00:51:27,640 Speaker 1: melting down your enemy's defense even as we speak. If 710 00:51:27,680 --> 00:51:30,200 Speaker 1: God is for you, who can be against you? That's 711 00:51:30,239 --> 00:51:36,239 Speaker 1: the truth. Ah. But the facts, the facts, oh, they're 712 00:51:36,280 --> 00:51:39,839 Speaker 1: bigger than us, they're stronger than us. We can't do it. 713 00:51:40,000 --> 00:51:43,719 Speaker 1: We're not prepared for this. You are staying in frustration 714 00:51:44,320 --> 00:51:47,680 Speaker 1: forty years because of what the facts are saying to you, 715 00:51:48,440 --> 00:51:54,760 Speaker 1: when faith could get you there in eleven days. After 716 00:51:55,080 --> 00:51:58,440 Speaker 1: forty years, Joshua led the people there. But it didn't 717 00:51:58,480 --> 00:52:00,880 Speaker 1: have to take forty years, and it doesn't have to 718 00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:03,200 Speaker 1: take you forty years. And you'll have to pass it 719 00:52:03,239 --> 00:52:05,400 Speaker 1: on to your kids, and you'll have to live like 720 00:52:05,440 --> 00:52:07,680 Speaker 1: this until you die and hope to get to heaven 721 00:52:07,760 --> 00:52:11,760 Speaker 1: one day and imagining glory if the sun sets you free. 722 00:52:12,239 --> 00:52:18,080 Speaker 1: You will be free if you hold to the teaching, 723 00:52:19,080 --> 00:52:23,400 Speaker 1: If you hoe to the teaching and stop holding to 724 00:52:23,480 --> 00:52:33,640 Speaker 1: the trash. The moment you do this, God it's gonna 725 00:52:33,640 --> 00:52:43,239 Speaker 1: start doing this. And what what you've wandered in for 726 00:52:43,239 --> 00:52:48,120 Speaker 1: forty years, God can bring you out of in eleven days. 727 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:54,120 Speaker 1: Let he that has an ear hear what the spirit 728 00:52:54,200 --> 00:53:00,280 Speaker 1: is saying. Today. The devil has held you long enough 729 00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:06,759 Speaker 1: in your truth. It's time for God's truth. Let this 730 00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:11,280 Speaker 1: year be the year where you trade trash for truth. 731 00:53:13,640 --> 00:53:15,320 Speaker 1: Let this year be the year that you let the 732 00:53:15,360 --> 00:53:18,040 Speaker 1: surgeon get inside of you and tell you what needs 733 00:53:18,080 --> 00:53:21,200 Speaker 1: to be cut out. You keep doing surgery on yourself. 734 00:53:21,239 --> 00:53:26,279 Speaker 1: That's why you bled all over us all twenty twenty one. 735 00:53:26,920 --> 00:53:29,240 Speaker 1: Let this year be the year the great physician writes 736 00:53:29,280 --> 00:53:32,840 Speaker 1: your prescriptions. I'm gonna spend more time. I'm going to 737 00:53:32,920 --> 00:53:35,799 Speaker 1: tune my heart to truth this year, God help me. 738 00:53:37,040 --> 00:53:40,440 Speaker 1: In music, they call it a four forty, that standard 739 00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:43,279 Speaker 1: tuning play that a note above middle CLJ. Let him 740 00:53:43,280 --> 00:53:49,160 Speaker 1: hear what it sounds like. This is that's the note 741 00:53:49,640 --> 00:53:54,520 Speaker 1: that you tune the instrument to. The Lord wants you 742 00:53:54,600 --> 00:53:58,160 Speaker 1: to start your day tuning your heart to truth where 743 00:53:58,200 --> 00:54:03,080 Speaker 1: you can hear most of our days. Hit a bunch 744 00:54:03,080 --> 00:54:08,720 Speaker 1: of keys where it sounds ugly l J. You start 745 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:15,160 Speaker 1: your day tuning your heart to so much trash, Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, 746 00:54:15,360 --> 00:54:23,080 Speaker 1: so much so much trash that no wonder, it sounds 747 00:54:23,120 --> 00:54:28,680 Speaker 1: like chaos before you've even had your caffeine. So this 748 00:54:28,760 --> 00:54:35,480 Speaker 1: year starts with what God says. I'm not walking around 749 00:54:35,520 --> 00:54:38,959 Speaker 1: in circles forty years. What God can bring me through 750 00:54:39,160 --> 00:54:45,840 Speaker 1: in eleven days, I'm not doing it all right? So 751 00:54:48,760 --> 00:54:52,440 Speaker 1: what is God teaching you right now? What did he 752 00:54:52,520 --> 00:54:55,799 Speaker 1: teach you the hard way last year? You're gonna hold 753 00:54:55,800 --> 00:55:02,040 Speaker 1: on to the lesson or live in the pain of it. Father, 754 00:55:03,400 --> 00:55:07,759 Speaker 1: your word is truth, and you're seeking worshippers who will 755 00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:14,759 Speaker 1: worship you in spirit and in truth. You brought your 756 00:55:14,760 --> 00:55:18,759 Speaker 1: people out of Egypt, only for them to wander in 757 00:55:18,760 --> 00:55:22,560 Speaker 1: the wilderness for forty years. And I'm afraid that happens 758 00:55:22,560 --> 00:55:25,799 Speaker 1: to so many of us. That we believe in You, 759 00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:30,239 Speaker 1: we believe in God, we love you, we want to 760 00:55:30,280 --> 00:55:33,920 Speaker 1: trust you, but we got so much trash that we 761 00:55:34,000 --> 00:55:37,799 Speaker 1: think is true, so many feelings that we put our 762 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:45,439 Speaker 1: faith in, so many fears that we receive as evidence. Well, 763 00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:48,600 Speaker 1: this year, Lord, you told me to make a declaration 764 00:55:49,640 --> 00:55:54,239 Speaker 1: from this pulpit, and I'm gonna make it now to 765 00:55:54,360 --> 00:55:58,200 Speaker 1: everybody who will hear this message. Whenever they hear it. God, 766 00:55:58,239 --> 00:56:00,600 Speaker 1: if it's right now, if it's in a week, if 767 00:56:00,600 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 1: it's in five years, the devil has held you long enough, 768 00:56:08,160 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 1: the lies have held you long enough. That's it now, 769 00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:17,520 Speaker 1: that's it. We speak the truth of Jesus Christ into 770 00:56:17,520 --> 00:56:21,000 Speaker 1: your life, that you are more than a conqueror through 771 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:24,360 Speaker 1: Him who loves you. We speak the truth of Jesus 772 00:56:24,480 --> 00:56:27,200 Speaker 1: Christ in your life. That greater is he that is 773 00:56:27,239 --> 00:56:30,399 Speaker 1: in you than he that is in the world. We 774 00:56:30,600 --> 00:56:33,480 Speaker 1: speak the truth of Jesus Christ into your life that 775 00:56:33,560 --> 00:56:36,200 Speaker 1: you don't have to stay in guilt and shame, just 776 00:56:36,400 --> 00:56:38,840 Speaker 1: holding clutch and tight to the events of the past 777 00:56:39,160 --> 00:56:41,680 Speaker 1: or the bitterness over what was done. If the Son 778 00:56:41,800 --> 00:56:47,440 Speaker 1: shall make you free, you shall be free in Indeed, 779 00:56:47,960 --> 00:56:50,319 Speaker 1: so everybody who wants to put your faith in this 780 00:56:50,400 --> 00:56:54,880 Speaker 1: word of God, say, that's enough. All the lies that 781 00:56:54,920 --> 00:56:58,600 Speaker 1: have been terrorizing your mind, things that have happened will happen. 782 00:56:58,680 --> 00:57:02,359 Speaker 1: That's enough. The Son has set me free. And I'm 783 00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:05,719 Speaker 1: holding on to what God showed me going into this 784 00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:11,680 Speaker 1: next moment, this next tomorrow, this next season, and I 785 00:57:11,719 --> 00:57:18,840 Speaker 1: am free. Indeed, everyone's standing hands lifted high, just like 786 00:57:18,880 --> 00:57:21,920 Speaker 1: You're releasing all the things you're worried about. You're releasing 787 00:57:21,960 --> 00:57:24,480 Speaker 1: all the things you can't control. You're releasing all the 788 00:57:24,480 --> 00:57:27,040 Speaker 1: things that you can't see, that you can't make sense of. 789 00:57:27,320 --> 00:57:31,479 Speaker 1: I'm releasing that, and God, I want to hear truth 790 00:57:31,560 --> 00:57:35,360 Speaker 1: from you. Yeah, I want to hear truth from you. 791 00:57:36,880 --> 00:57:39,040 Speaker 1: I don't want to let my trauma become my truth. 792 00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:42,960 Speaker 1: I don't want to let my trials become my truth. 793 00:57:43,680 --> 00:57:50,640 Speaker 1: You are my truth, my way, and my life. Father. 794 00:57:50,720 --> 00:57:52,600 Speaker 1: See how our hands are right now, that's how we're 795 00:57:52,640 --> 00:58:00,160 Speaker 1: coming before you, wide open to you, our father, who 796 00:58:00,200 --> 00:58:05,720 Speaker 1: are in heaven. Hallow it be your name, your kingdom. Come, 797 00:58:07,000 --> 00:58:12,520 Speaker 1: Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, 798 00:58:12,520 --> 00:58:14,600 Speaker 1: We don't just want you to feed us this year. 799 00:58:15,440 --> 00:58:18,320 Speaker 1: We want you to free us this year. Now we 800 00:58:18,400 --> 00:58:21,760 Speaker 1: need you for it. We don't know what's true. There's 801 00:58:21,800 --> 00:58:25,160 Speaker 1: so many accounts and so many scrolls things to scroll through. 802 00:58:25,480 --> 00:58:32,160 Speaker 1: We need you, you, you, you, you, you you. Let 803 00:58:32,160 --> 00:58:35,840 Speaker 1: your word be our mirror. Let your promise be our 804 00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:41,520 Speaker 1: north star. Your word is truth, and we're holding on 805 00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:45,600 Speaker 1: for dear life this year in Jesus' name, our teacher, 806 00:58:46,320 --> 00:58:51,680 Speaker 1: our preacher, our savior. If the sun makes you free, 807 00:58:52,560 --> 00:58:57,959 Speaker 1: you will be free. Indeed, I need you to find 808 00:58:57,960 --> 00:58:59,640 Speaker 1: eight people and tell them the devil has held you 809 00:58:59,640 --> 00:59:03,680 Speaker 1: long enough. Find eight find out the devil has held 810 00:59:03,720 --> 00:59:11,920 Speaker 1: you long enough. In the God of all grace, after 811 00:59:12,040 --> 00:59:15,880 Speaker 1: you have suffered a little while. Come on, it's been 812 00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:19,640 Speaker 1: a little while. Come on, you cried a little while, 813 00:59:21,240 --> 00:59:28,040 Speaker 1: stayed a little longer than you should have. Somebody declaring, demo, hey, 814 00:59:28,200 --> 00:59:34,720 Speaker 1: devil out, you've helped me. Long it out not drop 815 00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:39,520 Speaker 1: a praise on his head, drop it right now, right now, 816 00:59:40,080 --> 00:59:45,360 Speaker 1: right now, right now, right now, Come on. Twenty two 817 00:59:45,480 --> 00:59:54,040 Speaker 1: seconds of pride, NY two, putty, what pled Come on? 818 00:59:54,200 --> 00:59:59,640 Speaker 1: Come on, come on, come up, give that prize. Well, 819 00:59:59,640 --> 01:00:01,760 Speaker 1: if you join today's podcast, there are a couple of 820 01:00:01,800 --> 01:00:05,479 Speaker 1: things I'd love for you to do. Make sure to subscribe, rate, 821 01:00:05,760 --> 01:00:08,760 Speaker 1: and review this podcast. You can also help us reach 822 01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:12,600 Speaker 1: others by investing today at Elevationchurch dot org, slash GiB 823 01:00:13,040 --> 01:00:15,880 Speaker 1: and thanks again for joining us on the Elevation Podcast