WEBVTT - Beth Jones - Oct 31 - 8:30 am

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<v Speaker 1>Hi guys, I'm Beth Jones, and welcome to The Basics

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<v Speaker 1>with Beth, where learning God's Word is a joy. In

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<v Speaker 1>every message, we will do our best to teach you

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible basics in such a way that it strengthens

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<v Speaker 1>your faith foundation. In addition, I want to empower and

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<v Speaker 1>equip you so that you have confidence to share these

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<v Speaker 1>Bible basics with others. So lean in and listen with

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<v Speaker 1>your heart. If you'd like to know more about our ministry,

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<v Speaker 1>just go to thebasicswithbeth.com and get all the scoop. With

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<v Speaker 1>all of that said, now let's jump into today's message.

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<v Speaker 1>We're going to talk about something tonight that the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>has been working in my life. You know, I would

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<v Speaker 1>say Well, you know, probably ever since I got saved,

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<v Speaker 1>but specifically the last 10 years and then more specifically

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<v Speaker 1>the last three. And it's going to be the most

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<v Speaker 1>basic thing because that's what I do. I do the basics.

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<v Speaker 1>I think we can never get too far from the basics.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're an athlete, you know that. You always go

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<v Speaker 1>back to the basics, right? If you're a builder, you

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<v Speaker 1>know that. You always have to be really precise in

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<v Speaker 1>laying that basic foundation and getting everything just thus and so.

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<v Speaker 1>If you're a school teacher, you know that. You've gotta

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<v Speaker 1>help those kids get the basics of phonics so they

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<v Speaker 1>can be great readers because readers are leaders. So you

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<v Speaker 1>know the basics are super important and what we're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>talk about is gonna be one of the most basic

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<v Speaker 1>things ever and yet who's found out when God peels

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<v Speaker 1>back the layers and gives you a revelation upon a

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<v Speaker 1>revelation on something you thought you knew and now you

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<v Speaker 1>just know it better or different, who knows, that's a

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<v Speaker 1>game changer. And I really do believe what we're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>cover will be a game changer for you. I really,

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<v Speaker 1>truly believe that. I know the difference it has made

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<v Speaker 1>in my life and especially in these last couple of years.

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<v Speaker 1>So what are we gonna talk about? We're gonna talk

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<v Speaker 1>about validation. We're gonna talk about the basic of validation

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<v Speaker 1>and that'll make a whole lot more sense as we

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<v Speaker 1>get into this. Who knows, it's a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>a challenge these days, especially with social media. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>in fact, one of our pastors here said this. I

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<v Speaker 1>thought this was pretty funny. We're talking about churches and,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, all the stuff we deal with and the

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<v Speaker 1>culture in which we're in. And so our blessed Pastor

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<v Speaker 1>Lonnie Snell, he said this. He said, the doctor, the

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<v Speaker 1>blessed pastor doctor, how much I would love my church

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<v Speaker 1>if I didn't know about every other church. If I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't see on social media all these great things everybody

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<v Speaker 1>else is doing, how much I would love my life.

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<v Speaker 1>And oftentimes, you know, we're dealing with stuff like comparison,

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<v Speaker 1>stuff like jealousy, stuff like aspiring to what other people have.

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<v Speaker 1>And sometimes we're not feeling so validated. In fact, here's

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<v Speaker 1>a great meme. Maybe some of you have seen this,

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<v Speaker 1>but this might describe how you feel sometimes. When your

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<v Speaker 1>friends are hot and you're just, well, you're just you.

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<v Speaker 1>Can y'all see? I think we've all been there. I

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<v Speaker 1>got a text from a friend of mine. This just

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<v Speaker 1>made my day. Crack me up. She sent me a text.

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<v Speaker 1>and they're gonna put this up, I think you'll be

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<v Speaker 1>able to see it. She sent me this text, and

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<v Speaker 1>the top, see that emoticon at the very top? She said,

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes I just like to send these lonely emoticons that

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<v Speaker 1>probably never get any attention. So I wrote back, I said,

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<v Speaker 1>I was cracking up, I said, I hear you, I said,

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<v Speaker 1>let's blow up this lonely emoticon thing. So then I

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<v Speaker 1>sent her the mushroom that no one ever uses. And

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<v Speaker 1>she laughed, I totally almost sent you the same mushroom.

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<v Speaker 1>So then she sent me the water pistol. What are

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<v Speaker 1>we doing? We're validating. Lonely emoticons. So then I sent

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<v Speaker 1>her the outlet. I'm so glad to know you're smiling.

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<v Speaker 1>Love you too. Then she said, random emoticons matter. I said,

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<v Speaker 1>oh my gosh, you're making me laugh. You're cracking me up.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm standing alone in my quiet kitchen laughing out loud.

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<v Speaker 1>What started out as a rough Monday. So thanks. Have

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<v Speaker 1>a great day. Tell the birthday boy, my husband, keep

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<v Speaker 1>those knees up. He and I went for a big walk.

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<v Speaker 1>So I sent her a funny little emoticon. Then she

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<v Speaker 1>sent me a funny one the next page. Then about

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<v Speaker 1>two weeks later, randomly, she sends me a bell. Hope

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<v Speaker 1>you're having a great day. I actually love these old-fashioned bells.

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<v Speaker 1>I said, I love them too, but I agree. They

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<v Speaker 1>are lonely emoticons. So then I sent her the mask.

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<v Speaker 1>And then we passed some lacrosse paddles and balls back

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<v Speaker 1>and forth. And then we just said, validate your emoticons.

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<v Speaker 1>If you feel like sometimes no one notices you, you're

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<v Speaker 1>in the emoticon lineup. Nobody notices you. Nobody's listening to you.

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<v Speaker 1>Nobody's understanding you. I need that guy at the parking

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<v Speaker 1>lot booth to validate me. I need somebody to say

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<v Speaker 1>something good about me. Well, you're in good company because

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<v Speaker 1>we all feel that way at times. God's designed it

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<v Speaker 1>that way. And to a degree, you know, on the

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<v Speaker 1>human side, to a degree, we can encourage each other,

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<v Speaker 1>and we should. And this might be just a great time.

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<v Speaker 1>Turn to your neighbor. Just validate them. Say something to

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<v Speaker 1>the neighbor on your left. Give them a validation message.

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<v Speaker 1>Validate the neighbor on the right. But what we're gonna

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<v Speaker 1>talk about is we're gonna talk about the ultimate validation,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is the life-changing, game-changing thing, the ultimate validation

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<v Speaker 1>that I believe God wants us to have, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>the validation that comes from him. And again, it's super basic,

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<v Speaker 1>but let me pray this prayer found in Ephesians chapter three,

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<v Speaker 1>and let's believe God that he will do something tonight

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<v Speaker 1>in unlocking some things within us, some things to us

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<v Speaker 1>and within us that maybe have just been sitting there dormant.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, let me pray this prayer, Ephesians 3, verse 14.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll pray this, I'll sort of read it and pray

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<v Speaker 1>it as we go here. Lord, may you grant out

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<v Speaker 1>of the rich treasury of your glory that all of

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<v Speaker 1>us here would be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power

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<v Speaker 1>in our inner man by the Holy Spirit himself, indwelling

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<v Speaker 1>our innermost being and personality. May Christ, through our faith,

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<v Speaker 1>actually dwell, settle down, abide, make his permanent home in

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<v Speaker 1>our hearts. May we be rooted deep in love and

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<v Speaker 1>founded securely on love. That we would have the power

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<v Speaker 1>and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints,

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<v Speaker 1>your devoted people, the experience of that love. What is

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<v Speaker 1>the breadth and length and depth and height of it?

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<v Speaker 1>that we would really come to know practically through experience

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<v Speaker 1>for ourselves the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere

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<v Speaker 1>knowledge without experience. Lord, may we be filled through all

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<v Speaker 1>of our being unto all the fullness of God. May

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<v Speaker 1>we have the richest measure of the divine presence and

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<v Speaker 1>be bodies wholly filled and flooded with God himself. We

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<v Speaker 1>ask you for it in Jesus' mighty name and everybody

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<v Speaker 1>that agreed said. Amen. All right. We're going to talk

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<v Speaker 1>about validation. We're going to talk about being validated in

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<v Speaker 1>God's love. And I want you to go over to

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<v Speaker 1>1 John 4. We're going to kind of dive in here.

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<v Speaker 1>1 John 4. And it was, like I said, a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of years ago, all of the sudden I'm reading

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<v Speaker 1>these verses in the Bible that have been there the

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<v Speaker 1>whole time. But you know how it is when you

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<v Speaker 1>read some Bible verses and God just turns the light

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<v Speaker 1>bulbs on? And you're like, has it said that? Has

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<v Speaker 1>it always said that? And I've prayed this prayer that

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<v Speaker 1>we just prayed. I've prayed that prayer in Ephesians 3

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<v Speaker 1>for many years, probably decades. How many of you have

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<v Speaker 1>prayed the prayer in Ephesians 3? You've prayed it for yourself.

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<v Speaker 1>You've prayed it for your family. And it almost seems

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<v Speaker 1>to me, even as I talk to people in other

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<v Speaker 1>parts of the world, it almost seems as over these

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<v Speaker 1>last number of years, there's just been a gush of

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<v Speaker 1>a revelation of God's love and his answer to Ephesians 3.

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<v Speaker 1>Who would agree? So These passages in 1 John 4

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<v Speaker 1>have just come so alive. And I'll tell you a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of stories as we go. How does this play

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<v Speaker 1>out practically in experience for ourselves? How does this play out?

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<v Speaker 1>So 1 John 4, verse 10, in this is love,

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<v Speaker 1>not that we loved God, but that he loved us

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<v Speaker 1>and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.

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<v Speaker 1>We love him, verse 19, we love him because he

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<v Speaker 1>first loved us. Well, again, these are basic verses. You

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<v Speaker 1>know these verses. But here's what began to click for me.

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<v Speaker 1>Because as a Christian, and you guys are here on

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<v Speaker 1>a Wednesday night, so this is, you guys are the

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<v Speaker 1>devoted ones. I mean, you're at church on a Wednesday night.

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<v Speaker 1>You're like the all-in crowd here. These are the real

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<v Speaker 1>Christians of the church right here. So you guys are devoted.

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<v Speaker 1>You probably serve in places in the church. You've been

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<v Speaker 1>walking with God for a period of time, many of you.

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<v Speaker 1>And so it can be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know,

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<v Speaker 1>I know. God loves me. I get it. And I

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<v Speaker 1>love him. Okay, it's good. But what can happen is

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes we inadvertently turn it. The verse says, it's not

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<v Speaker 1>that we loved God. It's that he loved us. But

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of times we live, we don't mean to,

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<v Speaker 1>but we inadvertently live as if it's all about, do

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<v Speaker 1>we love God? Oh yeah, and by the way, he

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<v Speaker 1>loves us too. But it's not that we love God.

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<v Speaker 1>It's that he loved us. You think about songs we sing.

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<v Speaker 1>You think about, I mean, some of my favorite songs are,

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<v Speaker 1>my Jesus, I love thee. I love thee. How many

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<v Speaker 1>of y'all like the old hymns? My Jesus, I love thee.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, there's a lot of songs we sing about

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<v Speaker 1>our love for the Lord. And those are good. And

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not saying we shouldn't sing those. I think they're awesome.

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<v Speaker 1>I love to sing those songs. But I realized, how

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<v Speaker 1>many songs do you know that talk about God's love

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<v Speaker 1>for you? Jesus loves me, this I know. Okay, there's one.

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<v Speaker 1>What other songs you got? Because we just inadvertently somehow

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<v Speaker 1>in our mind, because we're so performance driven, somehow in

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<v Speaker 1>our mind we start to think it's about us loving God.

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<v Speaker 1>And of course we should love God and we do

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<v Speaker 1>love God. But the revelation and the thing that's the

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<v Speaker 1>game changer is to flip the script, so to speak,

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<v Speaker 1>turn it upside down, and go, wait a minute, it's not, what?

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<v Speaker 1>It's not that I loved God. It's that he loved me. Wow,

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<v Speaker 1>what does that do to my day? What does that

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<v Speaker 1>do to my need to perform? What does that do

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<v Speaker 1>if I don't just check off every box? How many

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<v Speaker 1>of y'all are box checkers? Who feels good? If you

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<v Speaker 1>check the box, I prayed, I read my Bible, I

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<v Speaker 1>was nice to people. If you can check all those boxes,

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<v Speaker 1>who knows, that's a good day. Because it shows that

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<v Speaker 1>you loved God. But it's not that you loved God.

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<v Speaker 1>It's that he loved you. What if you didn't check

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<v Speaker 1>any of the boxes that day? Was that a bad day?

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<v Speaker 1>Does God love you any less? No, because it's not

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<v Speaker 1>that you love God. And what happens is, as we

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<v Speaker 1>get into this, it sends you into amazing rest and

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<v Speaker 1>amazing joy. Because it's not contingent on you. It never

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<v Speaker 1>was anyways. Amen. Okay, go over to verse on four,

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<v Speaker 1>verses nine and 10. Let me just give you a

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<v Speaker 1>little quick little parenthetical here. A couple of characters in

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible that this is sort of explained through because

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<v Speaker 1>when you think about Peter, Peter was like, Lord, I

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<v Speaker 1>won't deny you. I love you. I'll be there for you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can count on me. It was all about Peter's

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<v Speaker 1>love for the Lord. And so he couldn't love the

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<v Speaker 1>Lord in his own strength, in his own efforts, because

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<v Speaker 1>it's not that he loved God, it's that Jesus loved him.

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<v Speaker 1>So Peter's the one that ends up denying the Lord.

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<v Speaker 1>Whereas John was the one whose confession about himself was,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm the disciple Jesus loves. Right? His revelation was, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm the disciple Jesus loves. And who's the one that

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<v Speaker 1>Jesus said, hey, by the way, John, On the cross here.

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<v Speaker 1>Could you watch my mother? Who's the one that Jesus

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<v Speaker 1>turned his mother over to? Now, either that was a

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<v Speaker 1>blessing or not. Well, then it was a blessing. If

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<v Speaker 1>it was any of us, he'd be like, oh, no,

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<v Speaker 1>you don't love me. Just a little humor, y'all. So

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<v Speaker 1>it's like two different mindsets. It was all about Peter's

0:12:37.590 --> 0:12:41.240
<v Speaker 1>love for the Lord. I'll never deny you. I love you. Well,

0:12:41.260 --> 0:12:43.680
<v Speaker 1>then you're the one that denied him. John was just like,

0:12:43.700 --> 0:12:47.589
<v Speaker 1>oh no, he loves me, because it's not that I

0:12:47.610 --> 0:12:50.150
<v Speaker 1>love him, it's that he loves me. 1 John 4,

0:12:50.150 --> 0:12:54.250
<v Speaker 1>verse 9, in this, the love of God was manifested,

0:12:54.530 --> 0:12:58.390
<v Speaker 1>manifested toward us, in that God sent his only begotten

0:12:58.410 --> 0:13:00.180
<v Speaker 1>son into the world that we might live through him.

0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:05.040
<v Speaker 1>So God's love is always manifested towards us. Romans 5, 8,

0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:10.160
<v Speaker 1>but God demonstrates, demonstrates his love towards us by sending

0:13:10.179 --> 0:13:13.150
<v Speaker 1>his son. So God already demonstrated his love towards us,

0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:17.680
<v Speaker 1>didn't he? He's not going to. He already did. And

0:13:17.720 --> 0:13:20.719
<v Speaker 1>now as we pray, we just get to experience practically

0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.480
<v Speaker 1>through experience for ourselves his great love. Lord, give us

0:13:25.800 --> 0:13:27.579
<v Speaker 1>eyes to see and the heart to receive, the depth,

0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.630
<v Speaker 1>the length, the breadth, the height, because apparently this is

0:13:30.690 --> 0:13:33.569
<v Speaker 1>some kind of love. Do you remember 1 John 3?

0:13:33.570 --> 0:13:37.209
<v Speaker 1>I think it's verse one where John said, behold what

0:13:37.530 --> 0:13:42.840
<v Speaker 1>manner of love. The Father has bestowed on us. You know,

0:13:43.059 --> 0:13:44.620
<v Speaker 1>when John wrote that, it was sort of like all

0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:46.820
<v Speaker 1>of a sudden he had a moment. He's just writing along,

0:13:46.860 --> 0:13:51.819
<v Speaker 1>my young children, my young men, my little children. Whoa, behold, y'all,

0:13:52.240 --> 0:13:57.250
<v Speaker 1>look at this. What manner, what kind of love. Literally,

0:13:57.309 --> 0:13:59.730
<v Speaker 1>the Greek on that one is, what country is this

0:13:59.790 --> 0:14:04.490
<v Speaker 1>love from? What planet did this kind of love come from? See,

0:14:04.650 --> 0:14:08.500
<v Speaker 1>who thinks, we need a revelation on God's love. We

0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:10.520
<v Speaker 1>need a revelation to go, what manner of love is,

0:14:10.580 --> 0:14:14.200
<v Speaker 1>what kind of love is this that was manifested, that

0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:17.980
<v Speaker 1>was demonstrated? What kind of love is this? Okay, so

0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.320
<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna give you some examples to help all of

0:14:20.380 --> 0:14:23.470
<v Speaker 1>us just go, oh, whoa, God, help me to live

0:14:23.490 --> 0:14:27.610
<v Speaker 1>in that every day. It's part of my just DNA.

0:14:28.310 --> 0:14:30.310
<v Speaker 1>This is the air I breathe, you know, the old song.

0:14:30.990 --> 0:14:35.230
<v Speaker 1>Living in your love. So oftentimes we live, and I

0:14:35.270 --> 0:14:38.760
<v Speaker 1>was guilty for sure, if you're type A personality, guaranteed

0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:42.650
<v Speaker 1>you're guilty. And if you're a type B personality, you're

0:14:42.670 --> 0:14:49.050
<v Speaker 1>also guilty too. We live in the if-then instead of

0:14:49.070 --> 0:14:54.670
<v Speaker 1>the because-then. The if-then mindset goes something like this. If

0:14:55.730 --> 0:14:58.030
<v Speaker 1>I do this, this, this, and this and please the Lord,

0:14:58.050 --> 0:14:59.660
<v Speaker 1>and if I do this, it'll show the Lord I

0:14:59.700 --> 0:15:03.120
<v Speaker 1>love him. And if I don't do that, and if

0:15:03.180 --> 0:15:08.250
<v Speaker 1>I definitely stop doing this, then God will love me

0:15:08.270 --> 0:15:10.250
<v Speaker 1>and I'll be blessed and life will be good and

0:15:10.650 --> 0:15:15.700
<v Speaker 1>I'll be a Christian. If I do all this, then.

0:15:16.960 --> 0:15:19.920
<v Speaker 1>The problem is we can never fully do the if-then anyways,

0:15:20.560 --> 0:15:24.200
<v Speaker 1>but we somehow subtly and subconsciously have this mindset like

0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:27.980
<v Speaker 1>it can't be a super great day if there were

0:15:28.020 --> 0:15:30.360
<v Speaker 1>some things I didn't do or if there were some

0:15:30.380 --> 0:15:34.060
<v Speaker 1>things I did that I shouldn't have done. So we

0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:37.490
<v Speaker 1>often live in the if-then. But what happens if you

0:15:37.530 --> 0:15:41.020
<v Speaker 1>live in the because then? What happens if you live

0:15:41.040 --> 0:15:47.680
<v Speaker 1>in the because he loves you, then you respond in

0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.750
<v Speaker 1>certain ways? What if we live in because he loved me,

0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:54.229
<v Speaker 1>it already manifested his love toward me, already demonstrated it

0:15:54.290 --> 0:15:57.190
<v Speaker 1>towards me, because he already did that, because it's not

0:15:57.210 --> 0:16:00.530
<v Speaker 1>that I loved him, it's that he loved me, because, because, because, because,

0:16:00.610 --> 0:16:07.410
<v Speaker 1>because he loves me, then I can live in freedom.

0:16:07.470 --> 0:16:10.729
<v Speaker 1>I can live in rest. And my response to him

0:16:10.910 --> 0:16:12.950
<v Speaker 1>will be, well, of course I want to please the Lord.

0:16:14.170 --> 0:16:16.100
<v Speaker 1>Of course I want to live a life that honors God.

0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:18.820
<v Speaker 1>But not from the if-then. Because if it's the if-then,

0:16:18.860 --> 0:16:21.560
<v Speaker 1>I'm always on eggshells. And I'm definitely going to blow it.

0:16:22.700 --> 0:16:28.380
<v Speaker 1>But if it's from the because-then, it's literally a rest. Like, oh, God,

0:16:28.400 --> 0:16:30.590
<v Speaker 1>you're so good. I thought you were good. I mean,

0:16:30.610 --> 0:16:31.970
<v Speaker 1>I knew you were for God so loved the world.

0:16:32.010 --> 0:16:34.870
<v Speaker 1>I mean, I've been saying it my whole life. But seriously. Seriously.

0:16:37.110 --> 0:16:39.590
<v Speaker 1>You guys know the story in the Old Testament, Passover.

0:16:40.550 --> 0:16:43.430
<v Speaker 1>You guys know all about the sacrificial lamb and the

0:16:43.530 --> 0:16:47.890
<v Speaker 1>offerings and all the things, right? So back up a

0:16:47.910 --> 0:16:50.910
<v Speaker 1>little bit to what happened. What were some of the scenarios?

0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:54.180
<v Speaker 1>I mean, like literally, sometimes we just read it so clinically.

0:16:54.860 --> 0:16:57.420
<v Speaker 1>But you know, back in the day, a family would

0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:01.520
<v Speaker 1>have to take the spotless lamb out of their flock,

0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:04.980
<v Speaker 1>their best ones. And oftentimes, because this was going to

0:17:05.000 --> 0:17:07.119
<v Speaker 1>be a sacrifice they were going to take to Jerusalem

0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:10.060
<v Speaker 1>for Passover, and this was going to be the sacrificial lamb,

0:17:10.880 --> 0:17:13.300
<v Speaker 1>they would oftentimes bring that lamb into the home, into

0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:15.280
<v Speaker 1>the family, into the tent. I mean, it would become

0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:20.290
<v Speaker 1>a pet many times for the kids. It's the best lamb.

0:17:21.390 --> 0:17:23.030
<v Speaker 1>But they knew that once a year they're going to

0:17:23.050 --> 0:17:24.950
<v Speaker 1>have to go to Jerusalem, and it would be time

0:17:24.970 --> 0:17:29.010
<v Speaker 1>for Passover. And so the family would take gather up

0:17:29.050 --> 0:17:30.970
<v Speaker 1>all the kids and all the stuff and head to Jerusalem,

0:17:31.010 --> 0:17:35.449
<v Speaker 1>bring the lamb, bring the spotless lamb without defect. And

0:17:35.470 --> 0:17:37.130
<v Speaker 1>they'd bring the lamb and then they'd bring the lamb

0:17:37.210 --> 0:17:39.889
<v Speaker 1>in to the high priest and all the different things

0:17:39.910 --> 0:17:43.930
<v Speaker 1>that would happen because this lamb was gonna be a sacrifice.

0:17:44.869 --> 0:17:47.530
<v Speaker 1>Its blood was gonna be shed because without the shedding

0:17:47.570 --> 0:17:51.850
<v Speaker 1>of blood, there's no forgiveness, right? This blood was gonna

0:17:51.869 --> 0:17:54.689
<v Speaker 1>be shed on the behalf of this family and then

0:17:54.790 --> 0:17:58.500
<v Speaker 1>ultimately all of Israel for one year. would have their

0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:03.679
<v Speaker 1>sins atoned for, covered, until the next year. So you

0:18:03.920 --> 0:18:07.030
<v Speaker 1>get the picture, they bring the lamb, the family comes,

0:18:07.070 --> 0:18:09.109
<v Speaker 1>it's a pet. You know, I know, we have a

0:18:09.109 --> 0:18:11.450
<v Speaker 1>little dog. We have a little, my husband is 6'6.

0:18:12.830 --> 0:18:18.010
<v Speaker 1>We have a little two pound, five ounce dog. And

0:18:18.030 --> 0:18:22.590
<v Speaker 1>my husband is proud to carry that dog. How many

0:18:22.609 --> 0:18:25.939
<v Speaker 1>of y'all are dog lovers? I mean, we just got

0:18:25.980 --> 0:18:28.040
<v Speaker 1>this little puppy when we became empty nesters, and she's

0:18:28.080 --> 0:18:30.239
<v Speaker 1>full grown. I mean, she's a little teacup poodle. We

0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.340
<v Speaker 1>never knew you could love a dog this much. I mean,

0:18:33.660 --> 0:18:37.480
<v Speaker 1>when we had our little puppy, our oldest daughter became pregnant,

0:18:37.500 --> 0:18:40.340
<v Speaker 1>was expecting our first grandchild. And as much as we

0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:43.420
<v Speaker 1>love this dog, I'm asking people, am I gonna love

0:18:43.460 --> 0:18:47.580
<v Speaker 1>my grandchild as much as I love this dog? Well,

0:18:47.619 --> 0:18:51.220
<v Speaker 1>it turns out you do. I love our grandchild even more.

0:18:51.240 --> 0:18:57.119
<v Speaker 1>But we love this dog. She's our little pet. So

0:18:57.140 --> 0:18:59.619
<v Speaker 1>you gotta get a picture. They have a pet. The

0:18:59.660 --> 0:19:02.830
<v Speaker 1>kids have played with it. This little lamb has slept

0:19:02.850 --> 0:19:06.670
<v Speaker 1>with them. I mean, they love the lamb. And so

0:19:06.950 --> 0:19:10.230
<v Speaker 1>it truly is a sacrifice. They bring the lamb to

0:19:10.250 --> 0:19:12.970
<v Speaker 1>the high priest. And so here's the picture. We're talking

0:19:13.050 --> 0:19:15.189
<v Speaker 1>if then or because then. So here's the picture. When

0:19:15.230 --> 0:19:18.330
<v Speaker 1>they bring the lamb before the high priest, what does

0:19:18.350 --> 0:19:23.250
<v Speaker 1>the high priest do? The high priest inspects the lamb.

0:19:25.340 --> 0:19:27.679
<v Speaker 1>He has to make sure the lamb's worthy. Has to

0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:31.800
<v Speaker 1>make sure the lamb's spotless, sinless, without blemish, right? He's

0:19:31.840 --> 0:19:34.340
<v Speaker 1>not even looking at the man. He's not even looking

0:19:34.380 --> 0:19:37.310
<v Speaker 1>at the family. He's looking at the lamb. Is the

0:19:37.350 --> 0:19:39.830
<v Speaker 1>lamb worthy? Does the lamb meet the qualifications? Is the

0:19:39.869 --> 0:19:43.109
<v Speaker 1>lamb spotless? He's not looking at the man. He's not

0:19:43.130 --> 0:19:48.090
<v Speaker 1>looking at the family because it's not that they love

0:19:48.109 --> 0:19:53.379
<v Speaker 1>the Lord. It's that the lamb was worthy. amen had

0:19:53.410 --> 0:19:57.940
<v Speaker 1>nothing to do with them today who knows Jesus is

0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:01.680
<v Speaker 1>the lamb slain from the foundations of the world his

0:20:01.740 --> 0:20:04.280
<v Speaker 1>blood was perfect when God looks at you night now

0:20:04.300 --> 0:20:06.440
<v Speaker 1>we've heard this but when God looks at you and

0:20:06.480 --> 0:20:09.780
<v Speaker 1>I listen he's not looking at you He's looking at

0:20:09.820 --> 0:20:13.140
<v Speaker 1>the lamb. Was the lamb spotless? Was the lamb worthy?

0:20:13.180 --> 0:20:16.669
<v Speaker 1>Was the lamb perfect? Was his blood shed for you? Yes.

0:20:16.710 --> 0:20:21.330
<v Speaker 1>Did he manifest his love towards you through the sacrifice

0:20:21.369 --> 0:20:26.550
<v Speaker 1>of his son? Yes. He's not looking at you. It's not.

0:20:27.150 --> 0:20:31.739
<v Speaker 1>It is not, y'all, that you love the Lord. So

0:20:31.800 --> 0:20:37.540
<v Speaker 1>everybody just go, oh, thank God. Doesn't that just give

0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:41.230
<v Speaker 1>you interest all of a sudden? Oh, praise God. Now, Lord,

0:20:41.250 --> 0:20:42.949
<v Speaker 1>I still want to please you. I still want to

0:20:42.990 --> 0:20:44.970
<v Speaker 1>serve you. I still want to be a good witness

0:20:45.010 --> 0:20:47.109
<v Speaker 1>for Christ. I still want to live my Christian life.

0:20:47.150 --> 0:20:50.330
<v Speaker 1>In fact, if this is for real, I kind of

0:20:50.369 --> 0:20:53.780
<v Speaker 1>want to live it even more because the pressure's off.

0:20:55.359 --> 0:20:56.700
<v Speaker 1>This is not that I loved you. It's that you

0:20:56.740 --> 0:20:58.479
<v Speaker 1>love me and you're not even looking at me. You're

0:20:58.500 --> 0:21:04.960
<v Speaker 1>looking at the lamb. You see me hidden in Christ. Amen. Okay,

0:21:05.020 --> 0:21:09.899
<v Speaker 1>hold those thoughts and go over to 1 John 4, 16,

0:21:09.900 --> 0:21:13.200
<v Speaker 1>because this, to me, is the clincher. This is where

0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:18.690
<v Speaker 1>the game changes. In verse 16, it says, and we

0:21:18.730 --> 0:21:22.919
<v Speaker 1>have known and believed the love God has for us.

0:21:23.170 --> 0:21:25.990
<v Speaker 1>God is love, and he who abides in love abides

0:21:26.030 --> 0:21:29.930
<v Speaker 1>in God, and God in him. What did he say?

0:21:30.630 --> 0:21:34.169
<v Speaker 1>And we have known. How many of you have known?

0:21:34.290 --> 0:21:36.970
<v Speaker 1>You've heard this. It's a basic. You've heard God loves you. Smile,

0:21:37.030 --> 0:21:40.280
<v Speaker 1>God loves you. you've heard this, you have known this.

0:21:41.660 --> 0:21:44.940
<v Speaker 1>But it's interesting, this verse says, we have known and believed.

0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:49.740
<v Speaker 1>We've known this and believed it. See, I remember for

0:21:49.820 --> 0:21:54.840
<v Speaker 1>many years knowing this, but not 100% believing it. Now,

0:21:54.859 --> 0:21:58.699
<v Speaker 1>depending on your upbringing and your reference points, you know,

0:21:58.720 --> 0:22:02.310
<v Speaker 1>we all have different reference points. I remember as a

0:22:02.350 --> 0:22:04.790
<v Speaker 1>fairly new Christian, I knew God loved me because the

0:22:04.830 --> 0:22:07.570
<v Speaker 1>Bible said so and people told me. But man, was

0:22:07.630 --> 0:22:11.520
<v Speaker 1>it hard to believe. Anybody else out there? It was

0:22:11.560 --> 0:22:15.280
<v Speaker 1>hard to believe it. I knew it up here. But

0:22:15.300 --> 0:22:17.480
<v Speaker 1>just knowing it up here doesn't give you the experience

0:22:17.540 --> 0:22:20.220
<v Speaker 1>of the length, the breadth, the depth, the height practically

0:22:20.500 --> 0:22:25.050
<v Speaker 1>for yourself. It's just head knowledge. What changes it from

0:22:25.070 --> 0:22:27.409
<v Speaker 1>just knowing it to now becomes an experience for you?

0:22:27.470 --> 0:22:31.629
<v Speaker 1>What's the deal? What switch do you have to flip?

0:22:32.650 --> 0:22:38.159
<v Speaker 1>It's the believing. We have known and believed So I

0:22:38.200 --> 0:22:40.719
<v Speaker 1>want to say once again, thank you so much for

0:22:40.740 --> 0:22:45.280
<v Speaker 1>your generosity. It is your donations and financial help that

0:22:45.340 --> 0:22:48.389
<v Speaker 1>enables us to make this podcast and all of our

0:22:48.430 --> 0:22:52.969
<v Speaker 1>resources available for free, taking the gospel basics to the

0:22:53.030 --> 0:22:55.790
<v Speaker 1>whole world. So I hope you enjoyed today's podcast. I

0:22:55.830 --> 0:22:58.820
<v Speaker 1>can't wait to see you next time right here on

0:22:58.859 --> 0:23:10.610
<v Speaker 1>The Basics with Beth. Thank you.