1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:05,480 Speaker 1: Pure primetime in the basin today. One thing only that 2 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: we're focused on with the teaching today, and that's priming 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: the pump, cleaning out the pipes for the word that 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: God wants to bring on Sunday. It's been an amazing 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: flow in my life this week, and I thank God 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,479 Speaker 1: for it. Things that He has spoken to me and 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: shown me and enabled me the experience, and I'm full 8 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,639 Speaker 1: of gratitude about it, and also the things that I 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: believe He's, you know, getting ready to speak through me. 10 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: There's so much that I want to share, and trying 11 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: to get it all in would be ridiculous. But let 12 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: me go to Joshua three sixteen, because I'm pretty sure 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: that this week I'm going to work from the text 14 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: that I shared weeks ago when I was kind of 15 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: getting this teaching bit by bit, chapter by chapter, reading 16 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:06,920 Speaker 1: through the Bible. And I'll go visit that and study 17 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,840 Speaker 1: it out as the weekend progresses. But particularly verse sixteen. 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: The water from upstream stopped flowing pot up in a 19 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: heap a great distance away the town called Adam in 20 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,039 Speaker 1: the vicinity of Zarathan, where the water flowing down to 21 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: the sea of the Araba, that is the dead Sea 22 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: was completely cut off, so the people crossed over opposite 23 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: Jericho and starting the teaching here for you and kind 24 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: of continuing what I taught Sunday in the pulpit was 25 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:44,559 Speaker 1: this phrase, do the thing that you would do. Now. 26 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: Taking that phrase at a surface value, it's kind of 27 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: like an incomplete sentence, feels a little yoda. Do the 28 00:01:52,440 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: thing that you would do. What tell me what to do? 29 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: Do the thing that you would do. I saw the 30 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: phrase in a double meaning. I saw the phrase as 31 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: being a strategy to break out of lethargy. I saw 32 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:18,560 Speaker 1: the phrase as a focus in times where we feel conflicted. 33 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: I saw the phrase as a challenge to come up higher. 34 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 1: And I saw the phrase as a summons to faith. 35 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: I saw all those things in that phrase. Do the 36 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: thing that you would do. Now, Joshua is leading the 37 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: people to cross the Jordan River. That's not something that 38 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: they would do if they didn't believe God was with them. 39 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: So it takes faith. And one of the things that 40 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: I want to speak about on Sunday and today is 41 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: the nature of faith. Faith has a very peculiar nature. 42 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 1: In the Westminster Confession, where they met in Westminster Abbey 43 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: during the Civil War in England in the sixteen hundreds, 44 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 1: and they gathered the theologians to write out the doctrine 45 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: of faith. They came away with a document that was 46 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: referred back to by a lot of different denominations, especially 47 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 1: in the Reform theological tradition, as a basis for what 48 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 1: they believed. You know, we say faith these days. It 49 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: can mean anything like it's going to turn out okay, 50 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: I have faith. I don't really think that's faith. That's 51 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: just optimism or maybe delusion. When we say faith it 52 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: can mean anything, you know, like I have faith in you, 53 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: and that means that I have confidence in you as 54 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: a person. But faith in God is different. Now we're 55 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,640 Speaker 1: not going to get into some deep dark theological hole here, 56 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: don't worry. But it says that by imputing the obedience 57 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: and satisfaction of Christ to you, God saves you in 58 00:03:55,800 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: the Westminster Confession, and it talks about our heart in 59 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: being saved and our part in having a right relationship 60 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: with God. It's not that our faith is so great, 61 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 1: it's that God is so great and that Jesus is 62 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: so faithful, and that the faith of Jesus is living 63 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: in us. Look at this it says they receiving and 64 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:26,440 Speaker 1: resting in Him by faith and His righteousness, which faith 65 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:30,800 Speaker 1: they have, not of themselves. It is the gift of God. 66 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,480 Speaker 1: So I love that distinction that faith isn't something that 67 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 1: I have to work up. Faith isn't something that I 68 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 1: have to manufacture. Faith isn't something that I have to formulate. 69 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: Yes I have to stay in faith, and yes I 70 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: have to walk in faith, and yes I have to 71 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: grow in my faith, and yes I have to nurture 72 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: my faith. Because I thought last week faith is a focus. 73 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:59,719 Speaker 1: But the nature of faith is that it was given 74 00:05:00,360 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: from someone else, that's someone being God. That my faith 75 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: is in what already happened because of Jesus' death for me, 76 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:15,120 Speaker 1: his resurrection, and his presence in my life. All of 77 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: that is something that has happened for me, is something 78 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: that God is doing in me, and it results in 79 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:27,960 Speaker 1: what God is doing through me. That's the nature of faith. 80 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,839 Speaker 1: And the nature of faith in a physical sense is 81 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: seen in Joshua three. Amazing the nature of faith because 82 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: the waters were cut off, remember in Adam, twenty miles 83 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: away from where they crossed. So the nature of faith 84 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 1: is illustrated here by the Jordan River. Not a big river, 85 00:05:54,760 --> 00:06:00,320 Speaker 1: not impressive river, not a mighty river, but a significant river, 86 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: is very significant in scripture. So get this in your heart. 87 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: As Joshua is leading the generation that will inherit the 88 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: land to cross the Jordan River, Jesus is gonna be 89 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: baptized in that Jordan River by John the Baptist in 90 00:06:16,920 --> 00:06:19,920 Speaker 1: the future. But that's not yet. That's not yet. That's 91 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:22,360 Speaker 1: not yet. That's still to come. That's still to come. 92 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:27,600 Speaker 1: And as they're going across, the Bible says that the 93 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 1: waters that were flowing upstream from upstream were cut off 94 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: in a great heat. And that's the part that drew 95 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: me to this text. And I have been holding myself back, 96 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: especially when I first saw it, from preaching this for 97 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: a couple of weeks now and saving it so I 98 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: could move through the journey the way that I felt 99 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: like God wanted me to. And so now I'm just 100 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: days away from being able to preach it. God is 101 00:06:53,600 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: up to something upstream. God's up to something up say that, Lord, 102 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: God's up to something upstream. Uh. I can barely contain 103 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: myself as I think about it. How that God did 104 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 1: something in Jesus that now flows to me that God 105 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: put his wrath anger on Jesus and satisfied the justice 106 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: of his holiness when Jesus died for me. And his 107 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: faith is now the basis by which I relate to God. 108 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: Not my faith. My faith is kind of fickle. I 109 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: wish it was, I wish it weren't. I wish it weren't. 110 00:07:48,280 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: But it's not always firm. But Jesus' faith is firm. 111 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: So I lean on him, I build on him, I 112 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:00,120 Speaker 1: rest on him. I come to God through him. And 113 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 1: now see how this works. So upstream to downstream it 114 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: flows the nature of faith. It flows from Jesus to 115 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: me through me. Doesn't come from me. It's the gift. 116 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: It flows from him to me. The grace of God, 117 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: the gifts of God flow to me from Jesus and 118 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: then flow into my life. And then I walk in 119 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: it and I move in it. And that is the 120 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:37,360 Speaker 1: nature of faith. In Jesus Christ, biblical faith, and in 121 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: the Book of Joshua. Of course we have a picture 122 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: of how Jesus is our leader. But Joshua, being an 123 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 1: imperfect leader, has to really believe what God spoke to 124 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: him that nobody else could see that I'm going to 125 00:08:54,679 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: bring you across as Jordan. And yeah, the people knew 126 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: that God was bringing them into the price, I mused, land, 127 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: but Joshua had to believe that and lead the people 128 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 1: watch this to cross over something that God had not 129 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: changed yet. And here they are standing at the Jordan River. 130 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: And I probably even break this down because if I 131 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,839 Speaker 1: go too fast, it will be confusing and it won't 132 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: have the full meaning. And I really want to bring 133 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:30,360 Speaker 1: it across. How it says that the people had to 134 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: follow the arc of the Covenant and go across the Jordan, 135 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: and the water from upstream stopped flowing, piling up in 136 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: a heap a great distance away at a town called Adam. 137 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: I already mentioned it, but that town is twenty miles away. 138 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: I'll probably saved that little detail. Maybe I'll just mention it, 139 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,719 Speaker 1: but and then come back to it. Because is significant 140 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: is that what God was doing twenty miles away was 141 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: not visible to these realized. In other words, they couldn't see, Hey, 142 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:18,439 Speaker 1: the water is stopping in a dump, so we can 143 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: cross now. Because the water's stopping up here, They saw 144 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:28,240 Speaker 1: no visible proof that God was going to do it 145 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:33,199 Speaker 1: until the moment their feet touched the water. Now the 146 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: moment think about the timing of God. The moment that 147 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 1: their feet touched the water, the waters stopped flowing where 148 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: they were. But but in order for that water to 149 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:55,559 Speaker 1: stop flowing where they were, it had to be cut 150 00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:03,360 Speaker 1: off upstream hours before they got there, and God was 151 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: up to something in a place they couldn't see. You know, 152 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: we like to think that God is going to give 153 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,959 Speaker 1: us a good feeling and then we can obey him. 154 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: We like to think that God is going to show 155 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,400 Speaker 1: us on paper how everything's going to work out, and 156 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: then we can trust him. We like to think sometimes 157 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: that God is going to take a certain desire away 158 00:11:25,920 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: from us and then we will walk in freedom. But 159 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: the nature of faith is the ability to believe that 160 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: God is up to something upstream where I can't see. 161 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: And the key for me to experience that is to 162 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 1: walk toward the thing that stands between me and what 163 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: God has called me to. Now, this could be anything. 164 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: This could be walking toward freedom, recovery, service, purpose, discipline. 165 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:59,200 Speaker 1: We could name a lot of things that God is 166 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,480 Speaker 1: calling you to, a lot of things that God is 167 00:12:02,520 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: calling you to do today. Last week I said, what 168 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: do I know God spoke that I can obey today. 169 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: What has God said? What did God say that I 170 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 1: can obey today? And do the thing? One thing that 171 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: you would do if you knew God was with you, 172 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: in it, with me, working through me, fighting for me. 173 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:29,079 Speaker 1: If you believe that, what thing would you do? Now? 174 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: The double play on the phrase do the thing that 175 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: you would do is when I talk about that you 176 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: do the thing that you would do, I'm saying that 177 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: there are at least two yous in scripture. There's the 178 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: old you, which is programmed by the patterns of sin. 179 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: There is the new you, which is created to be 180 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: like God in true righteousness and holiness. Remember, that's the 181 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 1: true you. That's the one that flows from upstream. That's 182 00:12:57,720 --> 00:13:00,200 Speaker 1: the youth that was spoken by the mouth of God 183 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:05,120 Speaker 1: before you were formed. He knew you that you. So 184 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: when you're caught between the two, like, this is what 185 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:12,000 Speaker 1: my selfish desires want, This is what the part of 186 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:15,840 Speaker 1: me that knows God and hear's from God wants do 187 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: the thing that you which one the new one, the 188 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: one that God is speaking to, the one that God 189 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:24,240 Speaker 1: is flowing through, the one that's in harmony with him, 190 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: the one that is kept the one that is sustained, 191 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: the one that is full of the faith of Jesus Christ. 192 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: Do the thing that you would do, and you got 193 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: to sometimes do it when you don't feel it, when 194 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: you don't see it, when you don't understand it, when 195 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: you can't explain it, but you gotta do it. You 196 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 1: got to walk toward the Jordan believing that God's presence, 197 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 1: like the Ark of the Covenant, was with them in 198 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: the middle of the Jordan. God's presence is with you, 199 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: guiding you. But I'm not certain how it's going to 200 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: turn out. We'll do that thing that you would do 201 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,719 Speaker 1: if you were certain that God was with you. Are 202 00:14:04,760 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: you saying I could just start anything and assume that 203 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: God is with me. No, I'm not saying that at all. 204 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: I'm saying you have to be guided by His presence 205 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: and you have to do the thing that you would 206 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 1: do that you would do in spite of the fact 207 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,960 Speaker 1: that you can't see the waters cut off twenty miles away. 208 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: When Jesus baptized or was baptized by John the Baptist 209 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 1: in the Jordan, John never could have imagined, never could 210 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:44,000 Speaker 1: have seen, never could have dreamed that he would end 211 00:14:44,040 --> 00:14:47,600 Speaker 1: up in prison. John would John ended up in prison. Jesus, 212 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:50,000 Speaker 1: of course, gave his life for our sin. But John 213 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: was in prison hearing about the great things that Jesus 214 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: had done, and he sends the messengers to ask Jesus, 215 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 1: is it true that you're the one should we expect another? 216 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: Because he heard about all the great things Jesus was doing, 217 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: but he himself was in prison. And really the kingdom 218 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: that Jesus was preaching was a little bit different than 219 00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: the one that John had expected, because, hey, the healing 220 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: blind eyes is great. But He's like, man, you know, 221 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:22,400 Speaker 1: you got to separate the wheat from the chaff. I'm 222 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: in here because of a wicked king, and you know, 223 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 1: the judgment of God has got to come. And Jesus said, 224 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 1: go back and tell John what you see the blind here, 225 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: or the blind here, the blind seed, the death here. 226 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: The Kingdom of God is come, and blessed us he 227 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: who doesn't fall away on account of me. He was 228 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: telling John, you got to believe in what I'm doing upstream. 229 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: You got to believe. In business, the term upstream means 230 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: something different than what it means in nature. In business, 231 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:06,040 Speaker 1: if you talk about marketing upstream refers to the activities 232 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 1: and strategies associated with creating and developing a product, while 233 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: downstream refers to activities and strategies associated with promoting and 234 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: selling a product. You see the difference the upstream stuff 235 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: in marketing. I mean, you want to market a shoe, well, 236 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: the activities and strategies associated with creating and developing it 237 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:36,760 Speaker 1: that's upstream. Downstream is promoting and selling. I think we 238 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: live in a culture where we're all doing downstream things 239 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: to try to market and protect and promote ourselves, rather 240 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:51,640 Speaker 1: than focusing on the upstream stuff, which is being like God, 241 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: developing character so God can work on us. We're so 242 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: busy trying to am I is he trying to market 243 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 1: myself that I'm not spending time with my maker. That's 244 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 1: a downstream distraction, you see, that's a downstream distraction. But 245 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:15,520 Speaker 1: I got an upstream god. I got a God who 246 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: sent his son Jesus, who sent his son Jesus not 247 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: from twenty miles away, but he sent his son Jesus 248 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: from eternity, and he spended the distance between his holiness 249 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,080 Speaker 1: and my sin. I got a God who is an 250 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 1: upstream god. And Jesus was born in a town called Bethlehem, 251 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: and raised in a town called Nazareth. But he didn't 252 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,320 Speaker 1: stay in Nazareth. He didn't stay in Nazareth because he 253 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 1: had to go to Galilee so he could begin to 254 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: preach and teach. Now, listen what it said in Matthew 255 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: chapter four, verse twelve. When Jesus heard that John had 256 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee, leaving Nazareth. 257 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: He went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake, 258 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:13,320 Speaker 1: in the area of Zebulen and Naftali. To fulfill what 259 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: was said through the Prophet Isaiah, land of Zebulen and 260 00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:19,119 Speaker 1: land of Naptali, the way of the sea beyond the 261 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:25,120 Speaker 1: Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles. The people living in darkness 262 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: have seen a great light. On those living in the 263 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned, 264 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,719 Speaker 1: and from that time on Jesus began to preach repent, 265 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near. God is 266 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 1: up to something upstream. He left Nazareth verse thirteen, lived 267 00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: in Capernaum, which was in the area of Zebulun by 268 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 1: the lake, to fulfill what was spoke by the prophet. 269 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: Think about this, Think about this you may not know this. 270 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: I didn't know this. I had to look it up. 271 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:10,840 Speaker 1: That Nazareth is about twenty miles away from Capernaum. Copernaum 272 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:16,040 Speaker 1: is where Jesus did most of his ministry. It was 273 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,719 Speaker 1: his base. You know. He healed a lot of people 274 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:26,320 Speaker 1: in Capernaum. By the Sea of Galilee, he opened blind eyes. 275 00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: I wonder did the blind people whose eyes he opened 276 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: in Galilee have any clue that twenty miles away, ten 277 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 1: years earlier, God was up to something upstream. While Jesus 278 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:48,720 Speaker 1: was sawing logs into bedside tables for lamps alongside his father, 279 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: the carpenter, God was up to something upstream twenty miles away, 280 00:19:55,560 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: getting Jesus ready for Galilee, getting him ready for Galilee, 281 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:03,840 Speaker 1: getting him ready for miracles, getting him ready for signs 282 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: and wonders, getting him ready. God is getting you ready 283 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: twenty miles away. Do you have the faith to trust 284 00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 1: him that he's up to something twenty miles away? I 285 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:22,080 Speaker 1: wrote a song with the guy this week whoa so 286 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: excited about the song, and his name is Brandon Lake. 287 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,679 Speaker 1: Y'all know Brandon, y'all know Brandon, y'all love Brandon. He 288 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 1: told me a story that I never heard before, because 289 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: he grew up near Charleston, South Carolina, and went to 290 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: a church called Seacoast. Oh my god, I'm just getting 291 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: this revelation, he said, I never told you this before, Pastor. 292 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: We just wrote a song. We written a lot of 293 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 1: songs together, me and Chris and Brandon and also with 294 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: other people, but we wrote a song this week. I 295 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: can't wait for y'all to hear it. Oh man. We 296 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: wrote three songs this week. I can't wait for y'all 297 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,040 Speaker 1: to hear all of them. But it's amazing because he 298 00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,919 Speaker 1: said to me, I never told you this story before. 299 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,440 Speaker 1: But when I was a teenager, I sent an email 300 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,959 Speaker 1: to Elevation saying I would love to come learn, and 301 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,720 Speaker 1: somebody that was responding to the email said, ah, now 302 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 1: we don't really do that right now. You could come 303 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: move here or whatever. I thought it was so funny, 304 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: and it's so funny how somebody else told him, no, 305 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 1: you can't do that. And here we are today, working together, 306 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: and God is using you in a great way, and 307 00:21:29,080 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: we've written some really cool songs together, like Graves into 308 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: Gardens and Rattle and talking to Jesus and lie in 309 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: and the Water is wild and might get Loud and 310 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: million little miracles and oh my God, we've had some 311 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:50,640 Speaker 1: amazing times together, make away and oh man, all these songs, 312 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: some news, some old we're writing songs together. I never 313 00:21:54,600 --> 00:22:01,080 Speaker 1: knew when I was growing up in Monk's Corner, South Carolina, 314 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:06,879 Speaker 1: that thirty miles away, it's almost twenty there was a 315 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: boy named Brandon and we would get together and write 316 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: music together. You know, Chris, I had no idea that 317 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: you were in Hampton, South Carolina. God was getting us 318 00:22:19,480 --> 00:22:22,600 Speaker 1: ready to write songs like Oh, come to the altar 319 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:27,879 Speaker 1: and do it again. God was getting us ready to 320 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: go to arenas all over the world. God is up 321 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:36,280 Speaker 1: to something upstream. I had never met Brandon. I didn't 322 00:22:36,359 --> 00:22:39,320 Speaker 1: know Chris until I was a teenager. I had no 323 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:42,600 Speaker 1: idea that God was up to something. And you don't either. 324 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: You don't know what God is up to upstream. That's 325 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,320 Speaker 1: why you can't die downstream. That's why you got to 326 00:22:48,359 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: cross that, Jordan. 327 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:52,480 Speaker 2: That's why you got to do the thing that you 328 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:58,199 Speaker 2: would do if you believed that victory, healing, breakthrough, second 329 00:22:58,280 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 2: chances and new beginnings were on the other side. 330 00:23:03,040 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: I'm telling you, God is up to something upstream. Let 331 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: me go a little deeper with this. When Jesus heard 332 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: that John was in prison. That is the significant event 333 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: that I mentioned where John was doubting downstream in the 334 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: prison what he knew upstream when he baptized Jesus into Jordan. 335 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,159 Speaker 1: We're all gonna come to these moments. We're gonna have 336 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: downstream doubts. I can't see God doing it. I can't 337 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,000 Speaker 1: feel God doing it. I don't even know if He's 338 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,399 Speaker 1: going to do it. There's some thoughts going through my 339 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: mind making me think that maybe I'm crazy for trusting God. Ah, 340 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:42,840 Speaker 1: but God is up to something twenty miles away. It 341 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: might not happen in the next twenty minutes, it might 342 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 1: not happen in the next twenty days. I'm not one 343 00:23:46,320 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 1: of these weird preachers who thinks I can tell everybody 344 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:52,040 Speaker 1: the timeframe. That is God's business. But if you can 345 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:55,000 Speaker 1: obey him and do the thing that you would do, 346 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: if you believe that He was with you, You're gonna 347 00:23:57,560 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: see it. You're gonna see it. When did they see it? 348 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:08,560 Speaker 1: When their feet touched the water, when they did the thing, 349 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: Nike said, just do it, just do it. When they 350 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: did the thing. When they did the thing, When they 351 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:23,439 Speaker 1: did the thing, when they did the thing, Look at 352 00:24:23,520 --> 00:24:26,240 Speaker 1: verse fifteen. As soon as the priest who carried the 353 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 1: art reached the jordan in their feet touched the water's edge. 354 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:34,760 Speaker 1: When their feet touched the water's edge, that is when 355 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: they saw what God had already done upstream. I believe 356 00:24:41,440 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 1: that there are some things that have you distracted today. Downstream? 357 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 1: How are you going to get across this? Do the 358 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: thing that you would do if you knew God was 359 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: with you. Do the thing, Do it like you would 360 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,440 Speaker 1: do it. Walk in the room, you know. I was 361 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:59,879 Speaker 1: telling Graham last night. He said that when he's in 362 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:04,000 Speaker 1: a crowd and it's awkward, like a event, and he 363 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: doesn't know how to stand or anything, he said, he 364 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 1: starts jumping up and down like a player, excuse me, 365 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: like a like a character on Madden. Some people use 366 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: the term n PC. I don't like that term the 367 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,480 Speaker 1: way kids use it. A non playable character. I don't 368 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: like that term because I think sometimes I hear it 369 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: used to say that some people are like in PCs 370 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: and like I'm the main character in life. No Jesus 371 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: in the main Jesus is the main character God is 372 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: the main character. The Holy Spirit is the main character. 373 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: And Graham said, sometimes I just start doing like this, 374 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: boom boom boom, jumping up and down. And I think 375 00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,240 Speaker 1: that's good to do in church too, when you don't 376 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 1: know how to stand, when you don't know what to do, 377 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: start doing the thing that you would do if you 378 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,119 Speaker 1: were excited about God's promise. You're not gonna always feel it. 379 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,919 Speaker 1: Do the thing, Move toward the thing that you know 380 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,959 Speaker 1: God spoke that you can obey today, and we'll apply this. 381 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to keep this stirring. I got it. I 382 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,120 Speaker 1: think you can feel it. I got it fresh now. 383 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: So God is good. I'm excited to preach it that 384 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: he's up to something upstream. And as I work this 385 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:21,560 Speaker 1: sermon together, I'm going to be praying, or as God 386 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:26,640 Speaker 1: works this sermon together in me, to preach it through 387 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 1: me for others, I'm going to be believing that whatever 388 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:41,960 Speaker 1: you're walking into today, this season of your life, that 389 00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:46,200 Speaker 1: you would have the accompanying faith to know that far away, 390 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,480 Speaker 1: far far away, long ago, no, not long ago, right now, 391 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:56,159 Speaker 1: in a place far far away, God is piling up 392 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,159 Speaker 1: the waters. He had to do that hours before they got. 393 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,359 Speaker 1: God does things sometimes years before we get there. We 394 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:10,360 Speaker 1: don't see it until we step into it. I'll stop now. 395 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,119 Speaker 1: I don't want to stop, but I feel like I should, 396 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:21,159 Speaker 1: because hey, I go all day. Thank you Jesus for 397 00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:23,560 Speaker 1: the things you're doing upstream. Thank you Jesus for dying 398 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: for me. Thank you that my righteousness comes from upstream. 399 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,760 Speaker 1: It comes from you. It flows from you only you. 400 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: Thank you, Jesus. Say thank you Jesus for blessing me, 401 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 1: for letting your mercy flow, your grace flow. It flows 402 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:42,200 Speaker 1: from you enough for me. It flows from you enough 403 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 1: for me. You're not against me, You're not counting my 404 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: sins against me. You give me the righteousness of Christ. 405 00:27:52,240 --> 00:27:55,199 Speaker 1: I believe that is the gift of God. Even my 406 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: faith is a gift. And now by faith I step 407 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: toward this water, just like Jesus told y'all the Baptist. 408 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: Blessed is he who does not fall away on account 409 00:28:04,359 --> 00:28:07,639 Speaker 1: of me. Blessed is he who believes, in the downstream 410 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,240 Speaker 1: of doubt and disappointment what I spoke in the upstream 411 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: of revelation. Believe that thing, do that thing, continue to 412 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,359 Speaker 1: do it. And when their feet touched the water, Ah 413 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:25,959 Speaker 1: they saw the result. You don't see the result till 414 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,720 Speaker 1: you take the step. You don't see the result until 415 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: you make the commitment do the thing that you would do. 416 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: I know there are two us talking right now. One 417 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: you that is talking is the one that's saying I can't, 418 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:45,720 Speaker 1: and the other one that is talking to you says 419 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: that God will do the thing that you would do. 420 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: Bless you. I can't wait to share this with you, 421 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 1: flush it out and see how it goes. But I 422 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,520 Speaker 1: know it's good to me cause I could say God 423 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: is up to something up stream in my life right now. 424 00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 1: Then I hope you feel the same way too. If 425 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,880 Speaker 1: you don't feel the same way, I pray you will 426 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: believe it by faith and go forward in Jesus name. Amen.