1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:06,600 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:28,319 Speaker 1: It's so awkward how they let the beat run and 7 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: you'll just look at me after the highlight video is over. 8 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: By the way, my son made that beat. Do the 9 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: dash on YouTube. Yes I'm his manager, and yes I'm 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,880 Speaker 1: going to take a cut when he gets to that level. 11 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 1: I want to look at Matthew chapter six today, Matthew six, 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: verse one through four from the sermon on the mounth 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: that Jesus preached, and I want to get into a 14 00:00:55,520 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: very deep topic. Don't worry about standing up in show today. 15 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,080 Speaker 1: You probably need to sit still for this one. But 16 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: it's not bad. It's really good. But I just want 17 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: you to receive it. You know, sometimes I worry that 18 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: everywhere else you go in life, you're so focused on 19 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: what you need to do, and you come into church 20 00:01:16,319 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: with that same mindset. But in many ways, I want 21 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: this time to be the one part of your week 22 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: where you can receive. Now that doesn't mean you do 23 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: it passively, because you get more out of it if 24 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: you put something into it. But this message today comes 25 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: from this general spirit of the age Zeitgeist, where it 26 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: seems that our entire emphasis is on being seen. And 27 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: you're going to see that phrase seen two times in 28 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: this passage. But it's in direct contrast. And I want 29 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: to do my best, with the help of the Holy Spirit, 30 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: to illuminate or that God will illuminate exactly what we 31 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: need to see today. And I trust that He will 32 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: be careful. Verse one not to do your acts of 33 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: righteousness before men to be seen by them. If you do, 34 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,440 Speaker 1: you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 35 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: So when you give to the needy, and right there, 36 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:17,959 Speaker 1: you know most of us just heard the word give. 37 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,959 Speaker 1: This is not a scripture about money. This is a 38 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:27,440 Speaker 1: scripture about motives. He's using the vehicle of talking about 39 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: money to get to the idea of what are your motives. 40 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: And he says when you give to the needy, or 41 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: when you pray, or when you fast. He uses three 42 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: different examples in Matthew six. But when you are doing 43 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:45,919 Speaker 1: something significant, don't do it to be seen. Okay, when 44 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, 45 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: as the hypocrites do on Facebook. And did I read 46 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: it wrong? I just got caught in twenty twenty four 47 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: a moment, but this is a this is a like 48 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: thirty a D. So I'm off on my dates. Okay, 49 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: do not do it like the hypocrites do in the 50 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: synagogues and on the streets. To be honored by men. 51 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: I tell you the truth. They have received their reward 52 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: in full. But when you give to the needy, do 53 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 1: not let your left hand know what your right hand 54 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. 55 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: Then your father, who sees what is done in secret, 56 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: will reward you. The title of this message is the 57 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: Father Saw, The Father Saw. I want to pray one 58 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: more time if you would join me. Lord, your word 59 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: is powerful, and if I get out of the way, 60 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: it will do work. So remove me. I know that 61 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: it's my vocal chords right now, but I pray that 62 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,680 Speaker 1: the voice would come from heaven now. If their hearts 63 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 1: are blocked by something that they are thinking about that 64 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: is not in this room, I pray that every thought 65 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: would be taken captive right now, so your word can 66 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 1: go forth, feed your people. God, use me to do 67 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: it in Jesus' name. Amen, this is my last service 68 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: of the weekend. I preached three and I forgot to 69 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: do this every other time, so I decided to do 70 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 1: it upfront on this service. Now. It's really good that 71 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: we saved it for last because my middle son, Graham, 72 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: is a wrestler and he won two state championships. Yeah. 73 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: Well the first one that he won, and it's kind 74 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: of like a what do you call it, like a 75 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: junior state championship or something like that, so it wasn't 76 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: necessarily like NCAA or something like that, but it was 77 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: a big deal to us. And I remember on the 78 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: way home from the first one that he won, because 79 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 1: we were both kind of surprised that he won it. 80 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: And when we sat down at Pizza Hut to celebrate, 81 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: which is what every great parent does at any juncture 82 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 1: of life, whether it's book it or a state championship, 83 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: Pizza Hut is the answer. How many know that you 84 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: store up for yourself treasures on earth, or you can 85 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: enjoy treasures at pizza Hut. That's in Matthew Chapter six, 86 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: verse twenty one through twenty three, and I said, man, 87 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,400 Speaker 1: it's so good. I got to be here for it. 88 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,600 Speaker 1: I said, imagine if I had missed it because it 89 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,600 Speaker 1: was on a weekend and I had scheduled someone else 90 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: to preach so I could be there and watch it. 91 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: And he said something back to me. It's one of 92 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: those moments you live for as a parent. I said, 93 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: what if I had missed it? He said, well, if 94 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: you hadn't been there to watch, I probably wouldn't have won. 95 00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 1: Like it was written straight out of a script from 96 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 1: Seventh Heaven, you know, like stuff your kid's never saying. 97 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: My house usually is more like the Simpsons than Seventh Heaven. 98 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: But this was at one moment and it took me 99 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 1: back having that trophy to the year was nineteen ninety 100 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: when I won first place. And I don't know if 101 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,560 Speaker 1: you can get a close up of this. I never 102 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 1: won a Grammy, but I won the Somerville Takedown Tournament. 103 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 1: Come on, in the one hundred and ten weight pound 104 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: division ninety three. If I need to tell you something, 105 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 1: hold on. You might not want a clap yet. There 106 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: were only two other people in the weight class, and 107 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: they didn't give out trophies. So my dad on Christmas 108 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: Day there was an awkwardly wrapped present under the tree. 109 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: And my dad was not always the model father. He 110 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: did his best, but my mom was always there telling 111 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: him what he needed to do. And she said, get 112 00:06:56,240 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: that boy a trophy and wrap it and write him 113 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: an And I never forget what the note said is 114 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: that here is the trophy that I watched you win 115 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: that I think you deserve. So what do you do 116 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: when the world doesn't give out trophies? This message is 117 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: called the Father saw. Jesus makes a distinction in Matthew 118 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:36,520 Speaker 1: chapter six between what people see and what God sees. 119 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: How many know there's a difference. And have you noticed 120 00:07:42,120 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: that the world hands out trophies sometimes for all the 121 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: wrong stuff? Y'all, Uncle, help me preach a bit today. 122 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have to do this by myself. The world 123 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:57,840 Speaker 1: will hand out trophies always for what is seen. But 124 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: we have a God who celebrates the unseen. He is 125 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: the king of a kingdom where what is unseen is 126 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,800 Speaker 1: often more important than what is seen. The unseen is 127 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: often more important than the scene in the kingdom, but 128 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: the world celebrates the scene, and so people will congratulate 129 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: you for a new car, even though what they don't 130 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: know is you can't afford the payments. And the world 131 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: will celebrate you for getting a promotion. And it's good 132 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: if you get a promotion. I pray you get every 133 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: promotion God wants you to have this year. But people 134 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: will never come up to you and congratulate you for peace. Hey, 135 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: congratulations for your peace. They can't celebrate it because they 136 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:52,679 Speaker 1: can't see it, and you can't celebrate what you don't see. 137 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: If you lose weight, people will celebrate you even if 138 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: you put it back on and lose it again year. Look, 139 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: if you really want people to celebrate you, let me 140 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: give you a fool proof way. Every year, gain thirty 141 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: pounds and lose it, and at least half of the 142 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 1: year people will tell you how much better you look. 143 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: But if you lose the weight and keep it off, 144 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: nobody walks up to anybody and says you still look 145 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: all right because they can't see that. So people don't 146 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: celebrate consistency. Can I teach a little bit before I preach? 147 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: One of the ways that I tell our staff that 148 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: you can know you're getting good at your job is 149 00:09:38,600 --> 00:09:43,120 Speaker 1: when people stop giving you compliments. In fact, one of 150 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: the ways that you can tell you're a good parent 151 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: is when your kids don't thank you for keeping the 152 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 1: heat on. They just walk up to the refrigerator like 153 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: stuff is supposed to be there. Am I right about her? 154 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 1: If your child ever tells you, hey, thank you for 155 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:06,400 Speaker 1: indoor plumbing, that probably means you're not providing very well 156 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: at this moment in time, and it needs to get better. 157 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,520 Speaker 1: And often the greatest proof that you're doing good in 158 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 1: God's sight is that you are taken for granted in 159 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:27,440 Speaker 1: people's sight. And I know what I'm preaching about today 160 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 1: because when I first started preaching, people would pinch my cheeks. 161 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,080 Speaker 1: I was seventeen years old and they would pinch my cheeks. 162 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: Now I got this beard, and my cheeks aren't so 163 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: soft to pinch anymore. And I figure that if I'm 164 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: really doing my job preaching, you'll stop thinking about how 165 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,920 Speaker 1: good the preacher was, and you'll start being able to 166 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: hear what God is saying to you. But now I 167 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: need you to know that In Matthew chapter six, Jesus 168 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 1: says that there is a tremendous temptation to do things 169 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: to be seen by people and whether that means that 170 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: we live our lives like a reality TV show through 171 00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: the vehicles of Instagram and Facebook, showing people certain scenes 172 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:10,199 Speaker 1: of our life that present an image that we would 173 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: like them to think is really us, while secretly feeling 174 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 1: lonely because the discrepancy between our real life and our 175 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: projected life is becoming more distant, and that distance creates 176 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,319 Speaker 1: the illusion of feeling like an impostor. Even though you 177 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: are doing the best that you can, you are showing 178 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: something that is better than what you are, and so 179 00:11:25,360 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: people will congratulate what they think you are, but secretly 180 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: who you are is dying inside because nobody sees it. 181 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: And I'm preaching this whole series because our need to 182 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: be seen by others can keep us from being known 183 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: by God. I don't mean that God doesn't know you. 184 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: He knows everything about you. He's the only one who does. 185 00:11:49,880 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: But we see the contrast in Matthew Chapter six, Let's 186 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: look at it again. He says, be careful when you 187 00:11:55,559 --> 00:11:58,320 Speaker 1: do what you do that you don't do it to 188 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: be seen. How many things in my life am I 189 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: doing to be seen? There is no worse feeling than 190 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 1: that of invisibility. You know, when you are doing your 191 00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: very best and it goes unrecognized, it makes it kind 192 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:21,560 Speaker 1: of harder to want to keep doing it. And when 193 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: you feel unseen, especially by the people whose attention and 194 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:31,960 Speaker 1: approval you crave the most, it can create a compulsion 195 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: in your life to start doing things that are not 196 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 1: even really consistent with your character in order to receive 197 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: from people a confirmation that can be taken away just 198 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: as easily as it was given. But we are not 199 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:52,679 Speaker 1: citizens of this kingdom, which celebrates and compliments all the 200 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: things that are seen. We are citizens of the kingdom 201 00:12:56,880 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: where Jesus has things like this. When you do something 202 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: in secret, your father sees it, and he will reward 203 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:09,679 Speaker 1: you according to what he sees. So my message is, 204 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: if you have felt unappreciated, uncelebrated, unnoticed, and insignificant in 205 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:23,719 Speaker 1: this kingdom, what is unseen is often what is most significant. 206 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: Now not in the world. In the world, we we 207 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:38,160 Speaker 1: correlate scene with significant. But I'll tell you what. You 208 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: could take this pulpit away and I could still preach 209 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,480 Speaker 1: my sermon because I really don't need my notes. They're 210 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: just like Linus's blankets, just like a security thing for me. 211 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: I really have the message in my heart. So you 212 00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: could take this away and I could still preach. But 213 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: if the signal that's causing this microphone to make a 214 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: sound were to drop out, you could no longer hear 215 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 1: the message. Why because what is invisible is often what 216 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:14,959 Speaker 1: is most valuable. And yet can I keep going. I'm 217 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: gonna do it, whether you want me to or not. 218 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: I got you now, Whether we will admit it or not, 219 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: we are so good at celebrating the wrong stuff. People 220 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:31,720 Speaker 1: will always, especially the crowd, give us rabbits. The crowd 221 00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: will always celebrate the wrong thing. People will always celebrate 222 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: what they can see. And another thing that people will 223 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: always do is celebrate a gift rather than celebrating character. 224 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: We celebrate the wrong stuff. Now, if you do it 225 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: in secret, and this could refer to anything in your life. 226 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: If you do, if you do what you do according 227 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: to your values, not according to external validation, then you 228 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:09,920 Speaker 1: understand the meaning of the Father. Saw the sacrifices that 229 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,840 Speaker 1: you made that no one else really pointed out, the stuff, 230 00:15:13,880 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: Nobody gave you a trophy for. What would it be 231 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:20,520 Speaker 1: like this year for us to live with God as 232 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 1: our audience and not our dysfunctional friends and family members 233 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: who are secretly so caught up in their own crap 234 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: that they can't celebrate us because they're waiting for us 235 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: to celebrate them. Now. I struggle with this because it's 236 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: hard for me to live my life for an invisible audience. 237 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: And they used to sing a song in the children's 238 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 1: church where I grew up that said, be careful, little eyes, 239 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,920 Speaker 1: what you see? Did you all have this song in 240 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: children's church? Be careful, little ears, what you hear? The 241 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: creepiest children's Bible song ever for the father up above 242 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 1: is looking down with love. It's like this doesn't feel 243 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 1: very loving. This steals invasive. Okay, so you remember the song. 244 00:16:09,360 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: Every move I'm made, every breath take, I'll be watching you. 245 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: It was like the beat was so good to the song. 246 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: I didn't realize it's a stalker. But he said, your father, 247 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 248 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: Say this out loud, my reward. Y'all can't mumble this part. 249 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,280 Speaker 1: Y'all are so loud about the wrong stuff. Get loud 250 00:16:38,320 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 1: about this shot us say my reward is from the 251 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,960 Speaker 1: Lord touch. Somebody say I don't need a trophy. I 252 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: don't need a trophy. I don't need a trophy for 253 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: everybody who was not appreciated, for everybody who was not celebrated, 254 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,840 Speaker 1: for everybody who was unwanted, even abandoned. I want you 255 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: to know your father saw who left you, He saw 256 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 1: who should have been there. And when my father and 257 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me off. 258 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: My father saw when people mistreated me, and I could 259 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 1: have got even, but I put it in his hands. 260 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: He saw it, and my reward is with the Lord. 261 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: Ten seconds to celebrate the presence of God in your life. 262 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 1: Come on from the front to the back, nephews Toakaston, 263 00:17:26,080 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: give him praise if you know he was watching. So 264 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: how good are you at celebrating the unseen? Do you 265 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,960 Speaker 1: celebrate those moments in your life where God is making 266 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 1: you stronger but your biceps aren't getting bigger. People will 267 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: celebrate your biceps. Oh man, you go tickets to give 268 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: you the ticket to the gun show. People have fifty 269 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:04,640 Speaker 1: thousand cliches to compliment your because people celebrate what they see. 270 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:08,400 Speaker 1: But nobody ever came up to me and said, hey man, 271 00:18:09,359 --> 00:18:18,199 Speaker 1: your contentment is like gains bro and we all know 272 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: which is more valuable. But we live in a world 273 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 1: where what is visible is celebrated more than what's valuable. 274 00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: So if you move toward the clap of the crowd, 275 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 1: they will lead you right off the cliff. I'm gonna 276 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 1: stop right here, but you see the illustration. If I 277 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: keep following that clap, where am I going to end up? 278 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: If you keep chasing clout right now, what's it going 279 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,639 Speaker 1: to be like when the people that you live to 280 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:58,560 Speaker 1: please are no longer even paying attention. Your friend might 281 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: move to Alabama. Now the person that was your whole 282 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: soul source for affirmation is gone to another nation, I 283 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:12,120 Speaker 1: mean state. And the Lord said to tell you that 284 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: he saw it. Now, we don't need to be afraid. 285 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: This is not a verse about retribution. You know your 286 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: father who sees what is done in secret. Some people 287 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:23,920 Speaker 1: hear that like a threat. And when I said that 288 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:26,639 Speaker 1: your father sees what is done in secret, you were like, 289 00:19:26,680 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 1: oh God, oh no, that's the worst news I heard 290 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 1: all day. He's not speaking about punishment, he's speaking about reward. 291 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: He's trying to get us to see that we're seeing 292 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,199 Speaker 1: whether people do or not. Okay, I get it, Pastor, 293 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:53,159 Speaker 1: he sees me I get it, Do you really? Or 294 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: are you still buying stuff? Are you still giving away things? 295 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: Are you still One thing that I've learned is we 296 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: don't graduate from our need to be approved by people 297 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: when we graduate high school. We still live for approval. 298 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:20,640 Speaker 1: It just gets more expensive. I can't preach it any 299 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: harder than this. I dressed like a highlighter and everything 300 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:30,520 Speaker 1: so y'all can see me today. And when God gave 301 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: me this message, he said, call it the father saw 302 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: the father saw, because they thought nobody saw, but I did. 303 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,520 Speaker 1: And since you can't see the father visibly or hear 304 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: the father audibly, I want to deliver the message today 305 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: that he saw. He saw what you didn't get. He 306 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:59,679 Speaker 1: saw that integrity that you had. He saw when you 307 00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: didn't go off Now Wednesday you did, but then Thursday 308 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: you got it together and you didn't do it again. 309 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: So see, we got to celebrate the times where we 310 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:15,879 Speaker 1: do get it right now, I'm bad at this. Stand up. 311 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: If you're like me and you have a hard time 312 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 1: celebrating your successes. Stand up if you're like me and 313 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: you have a heart time celebrating your successes. Stand up 314 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 1: if you let me have a hard time celebrating your successes. 315 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: All right, let's take a moment. Since we're so hard 316 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: on ourselves and we have a hard time celebrating ourselves 317 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:30,119 Speaker 1: on every location, let's celebrate the fact that we had 318 00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: the self awareness to stand up and know that we're 319 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:39,160 Speaker 1: hard on ourselves. See how weak that was, Like, I'm 320 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,240 Speaker 1: not clapping for that. Sit down, I gotta work on 321 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: y'all for a minute. We are so bad at this. 322 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 1: Me and Holly went on a hike to Crowder's Mountain Friday, 323 00:21:49,800 --> 00:21:52,840 Speaker 1: and while I was busy beating the imaginary opponent to 324 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 1: the top of the hill, I was thirty steps ahead 325 00:21:56,080 --> 00:22:01,600 Speaker 1: of her and she was looking at the view. She said, 326 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: she said, I said you. I said you need to 327 00:22:05,080 --> 00:22:09,560 Speaker 1: keep up. She said, you need to slow down. The 328 00:22:09,640 --> 00:22:12,520 Speaker 1: views getting good, and I was like, I know it. 329 00:22:15,119 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: But she was talking about the the landscape, and I 330 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: realized it was an analogy for what she brings to 331 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: my life that is so irreplaceable. Holly is great at 332 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:32,840 Speaker 1: celebrating herself. She really is. She does not need lessons 333 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 1: in this. She came downstairs the other day celebrating her 334 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: workouts and that she had, you know, made it to 335 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: a certain point in her workouts, and I'm the kind 336 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: of person that you know, I'll do the workout and 337 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 1: then think about the fact that you know, somebody else 338 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: could have lifted more, and I'll just do this all 339 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: the time. Really, I struggled to celebrate myself, and I 340 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: used to think that was godly, because, after all, the 341 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: Bible says, humble yourself in the sight of the Lord. 342 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,440 Speaker 1: You notice people who quote that verse are never really 343 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:17,959 Speaker 1: that humble, and they don't even know what verse it is. 344 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: The next time somebody quotes the Bible verse that you 345 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: to beat you over the head with it, ask them 346 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,120 Speaker 1: what chapter and verse, ninety nine percent chance they'll shut up. 347 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:34,560 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about pride. I'm talking about process and 348 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: progress and being able to say, in certain moments of 349 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:45,360 Speaker 1: your life, nobody else saw it, but the Father saw. Otherwise, 350 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: you're going to be waiting for people to give you 351 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: trophies that don't even exist. Oh, by the way, if 352 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:58,440 Speaker 1: they gave the trophy real quick example, they can take 353 00:23:58,480 --> 00:24:02,879 Speaker 1: it back. They can change their mind about you. So 354 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: I have to get calibrated. I feel annointed to preach today. 355 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: Is it just me? I feel annointed to get us 356 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:12,200 Speaker 1: set free? Watch this. We talk about getting set and 357 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: free from sin and shame. We need to get set 358 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: free from people. Not that we don't care about them, 359 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: but we can't be controlled by them. I can't even 360 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: let you control this message, because what if the best 361 00:24:33,760 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: thing I say is the thing you're not ready to hear. 362 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:39,919 Speaker 1: What if you don't like the taste of the medicine, 363 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,199 Speaker 1: I gotta mash it up in the apple sauce and 364 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,400 Speaker 1: give it to you anyway, because I cannot be controlled 365 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:50,280 Speaker 1: by a crowd and deliver God's word. Now, you cannot 366 00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: be controlled by a cultural ideal of success and really 367 00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: receive the affirmation that comes from God alone. And today 368 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:02,679 Speaker 1: is the day for somebody that you get a different audience, 369 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: not the audience that is external, because they will always 370 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 1: clap for what is visible. But if you know you 371 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,879 Speaker 1: have a God on the inside of you that is 372 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,239 Speaker 1: the treasured possession of your life and the strength of 373 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:20,399 Speaker 1: your soul, give in praise right now and celebrate his 374 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:23,760 Speaker 1: presence in your life that if you don't have anything else, 375 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 1: you've got him and he is enough. Y'all do what 376 00:25:30,160 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: you wanna do. I'm gonna take twenty seconds and celebrate 377 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: that word. Thank you Lord for loving me. Thank you 378 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 1: Lord for choosing me. Thank you Lord for keeping me. 379 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: Thank you Lord for forgiving me. Thank you that you 380 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,360 Speaker 1: didn't just see my mistakes, but you saw my potential. 381 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:55,919 Speaker 1: The father saw, The father saw, He saw the tears 382 00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 1: you cried while you were waiting because you wouldn't compromise 383 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 1: just to fit in. The father saw, the father saw. 384 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: And so when we when we celebrate the unseen, write 385 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: that down on your page. Celebrate the unseen, because what 386 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: is most seen is not always what's most significant. You know, 387 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:21,959 Speaker 1: the devil can't defeat you, right, He's a defeated foe. 388 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: Now if it were you against him and be like 389 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 1: Connor McGregor, you know, be over in forty seconds. But 390 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:32,359 Speaker 1: did y'all see that I need my money back? That 391 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,879 Speaker 1: was sixty dollars for forty seconds of fighting. If I 392 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:37,399 Speaker 1: do the math on that, and I can't do it 393 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,760 Speaker 1: off the top of my head, that's a very expensive 394 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: dose of violence that I purchased last night on the 395 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,600 Speaker 1: UFC fight. If you'll know what I'm talking about, don't worry. 396 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 1: I was praying. But when we say that that that 397 00:26:50,520 --> 00:26:52,439 Speaker 1: the devil, you know, the devil is doing this and 398 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:53,960 Speaker 1: that in my life. There's only two things he can do. 399 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: He can't defeat you the Cross of Jesus. Christ defeated 400 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 1: the devil once and for all. He is a defeated foe. 401 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 1: You don't run from him. He runs from you. You 402 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:08,440 Speaker 1: resist him, and he flees. But and this is really important, 403 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,879 Speaker 1: because this is where it happens before I take you 404 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: over and into this next section of the teaching. Understand 405 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,360 Speaker 1: that since he can't defeat you, he will always try 406 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:24,959 Speaker 1: to distract you or discourage you. Because he can't defeat you, 407 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: because greater is He that is in you than he 408 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: that is in the world. Now, he can't defeat you, 409 00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: but he can distract you. Distract you with what others 410 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: are doing. He could distract me as a pastor with 411 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: how other churches reach people. He could distract me as 412 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,719 Speaker 1: a man of how other parents are raising their family. 413 00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: And certainly I can learn from that. But if I 414 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: get so distracted by how you're doing it, I might 415 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,360 Speaker 1: miss the uniqueness of how God made me to do it, 416 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:02,600 Speaker 1: and then I become discouraged, distracted and discouraged. He wants 417 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:08,160 Speaker 1: to distract you so you crash, or discourage you so 418 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:16,240 Speaker 1: you quit. This message finds many of us distracted and discouraged. 419 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 1: And when we come to this point, it is the 420 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,960 Speaker 1: revelation that the Father saw that enables us to get 421 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:30,159 Speaker 1: our focus back. You cannot preach a message like this 422 00:28:30,480 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: about the unseen celebration without at least bringing up the 423 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 1: parable of the prodigal son. I don't think the message 424 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: would be complete without Luke fifteen. For Jesus, it was 425 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,160 Speaker 1: difficult to get the people to perceive what he was 426 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: saying when he preached sermons. So he would preach on 427 00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: the kingdom of having blessed, are the porn spirit for 428 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: their kingdom, of having blessed and meet for them inherit 429 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 1: the earth, blessed those more of the to bless those 430 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,400 Speaker 1: who hunger, thirst rusts. They'd be feel blessed peacemakers. They 431 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: be called chidren of God. He would teach about the kingdom. 432 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: It was a very different kind of kingdom. It was 433 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 1: an invisible kingdom. It was an unseen kingdom. But he 434 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,040 Speaker 1: would use these things called parables. How many of you 435 00:29:17,120 --> 00:29:20,560 Speaker 1: have heard of parables? Yeah, you've heard of them. But 436 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: Jesus is the one who created that format of teaching 437 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 1: or adopted it and elevated it to his highest level 438 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: to show us what something looks like that we can't 439 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,520 Speaker 1: see with our eyes. So he would take something that 440 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: we can see and use it to illustrate something that 441 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 1: we can't see, in order to help us to understand 442 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:42,160 Speaker 1: that what is unseen is often more real than what 443 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: is seen. So a lot of times, the things that 444 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: you can't measure are the things that are actually that 445 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: actually matter the most. Right, joy matters more than money. 446 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: I promise you, it does. I promise you it does. 447 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm not rich enough to know this, but I do 448 00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:06,320 Speaker 1: know some people who have everything and nothing simultaneously, because 449 00:30:06,360 --> 00:30:09,920 Speaker 1: if you can't enjoy it, why have it? So what 450 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: is unseen is more important than what is seen. You 451 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: can see the boat, but you can't see the fact 452 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:17,360 Speaker 1: that the people riding on it don't even like each other. 453 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,360 Speaker 1: What is unseen is more important than what is seen. 454 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,360 Speaker 1: This is the principle of the kingdom, the kingdom of God, 455 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,080 Speaker 1: not the kingdom of the world. The kingdoms of this 456 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: world clapp for what they can see. Oh you got followers, Ah, 457 00:30:31,400 --> 00:30:34,480 Speaker 1: you got status, Ah, you got a BMW. All of 458 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:37,640 Speaker 1: that is fine, But I want to know what's happening, 459 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: not under the hood of your car, but in the 460 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:45,200 Speaker 1: interior of your soul. Do you have something that can't 461 00:30:45,640 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 1: be taken away? Now? Jesus' most famous parable was about 462 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: a son who went to his father and took his 463 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,440 Speaker 1: share of the inheritance before his father died, and Jesus 464 00:31:03,560 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 1: was illustrating two different things in this parable. The first 465 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:09,400 Speaker 1: one was about the father and the second thing was 466 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,400 Speaker 1: about us. And I want to read it to you. 467 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: I'll read it not in its entirety, but enough where 468 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:20,760 Speaker 1: you get a sense, because it's very powerful to see 469 00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: what the father saw. You know, we often preach this 470 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: passage just to talk about how this young man in 471 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 1: the passage is, as you'll see, making some bad decisions, 472 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,800 Speaker 1: and we'll talk about how no matter what you've done, 473 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: you can always come home to God. And all of 474 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,600 Speaker 1: that is true. I hope you know that that in 475 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: this kingdom you're always welcome. The times where you feel 476 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: like you deserve God the least are the times when 477 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: you need his presence the most. It's so important you 478 00:31:54,880 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: pray when you're struggling, not just when you feel like 479 00:31:57,800 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: you're on top of it. Is so important that if 480 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: you struggle with an addiction that you pray even while 481 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:05,520 Speaker 1: you're drunk, even while you're high. You need to pray 482 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:08,800 Speaker 1: even when you're in the middle of it, because he's 483 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 1: the god of the mountain and the god of the valley. 484 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: But the primary point of this passage is not about 485 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,520 Speaker 1: what the son did. It's about what the father saw. 486 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: And Jesus is teaching about this concept of the outcast 487 00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: being welcomed into his kingdom. And he continued in verse eleven. 488 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: There was a man who had two sons. The younger 489 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 1: one said to his father, father, give me my share 490 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: of the estate. So he divided his property between them. 491 00:32:40,440 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 1: I never noticed the word them, but it means that 492 00:32:43,880 --> 00:32:47,960 Speaker 1: both brothers got their share. And you know what else. 493 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 1: The older one got more by Jewish law, he got 494 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 1: two thirds of the estate. Younger brother got a third. 495 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: Which one's more two thirds or one third? Your kid, 496 00:33:01,920 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: I know we went to public school. But come on, now, 497 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 1: the older brother got more. But I want you to 498 00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 1: notice that the younger brother left. Says that he set out, 499 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,600 Speaker 1: got together all he had Verse thirteen, set out for 500 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: a distant country, and there squandered his wealth. And while 501 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 1: living after he spent everything. There was a severe famine 502 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: in that whole country, and he began to be in need, 503 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:28,480 Speaker 1: so he went and hired himself out to a citizen 504 00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,480 Speaker 1: of that country. I need those of you who really 505 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,479 Speaker 1: know God to pray for someone who needs to hear 506 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: this next part, because it's just where they are. He 507 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 1: hired himself out to a citizen of that country who 508 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:43,680 Speaker 1: sent him to his fields to feed pigs, and it 509 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:47,320 Speaker 1: got so bad for him when he got disconnected from 510 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:49,880 Speaker 1: what his father's resource had made available to him. He 511 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:54,320 Speaker 1: had the seene resources of his father, but he no 512 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: longer had the unseen reality of his relationship to him, 513 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:03,120 Speaker 1: and he longed to fill his stomach with the pods 514 00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:05,400 Speaker 1: that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 515 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:09,799 Speaker 1: He's waiting for something to be given to him by 516 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:15,520 Speaker 1: people that only his father has. So he's eating what 517 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: the pigs eat. He's feeding off of what the world 518 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: feeds off of. He's scrolling and clicking and liking and 519 00:34:24,360 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 1: deleting and filtering and cropping and snapping and clicking and 520 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: liking and loving and clicking and checking and subscribing and 521 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: unsubscribing and everything that is in his feed is only 522 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: making him more hungry. What people are most likely to 523 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:55,520 Speaker 1: celebrate is often what is least likely to satisfy. And 524 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:59,919 Speaker 1: while he was in this starved state, the Bible says 525 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,760 Speaker 1: that verse seventeen, he came to his senses. He's waiting 526 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: for something to be given that he had all along. 527 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 1: And he came to the point that I'm praying we 528 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: come to during this series where we realize that they 529 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:19,320 Speaker 1: can't give it. It can never come from outside. It 530 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:23,000 Speaker 1: has to come from within. Do you hear me preaching 531 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: to you today. It has to come from within. It 532 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:29,680 Speaker 1: has to come from spirit, It has to come from source. 533 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,040 Speaker 1: It has to come from Father. It cannot come from 534 00:35:33,080 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: your friends. Your friends can be a conduit, but they 535 00:35:36,080 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 1: cannot be the sole content of what your soul receives. 536 00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:41,800 Speaker 1: And if they give it, they can take it. But 537 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,800 Speaker 1: when he came to his senses, he realized something. My 538 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:50,080 Speaker 1: father has what I'm hungry for. My father has what 539 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:55,640 Speaker 1: I'm starving for. Look here we have church what the 540 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:58,439 Speaker 1: world needs. But if we act like the world acts 541 00:35:58,520 --> 00:36:02,279 Speaker 1: and chase what the world says, we cannot celebrate the 542 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 1: fullness of what we've been given. He said, my father's 543 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:18,200 Speaker 1: minimum wage employees are better off than I am. They're 544 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 1: throwing food away and I'm begging for scraps. So the 545 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,520 Speaker 1: Bible says, because he was hungry. You know it is 546 00:36:25,640 --> 00:36:28,800 Speaker 1: good when you get hungry. Blessed are those who hunger 547 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. But 548 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:36,279 Speaker 1: the wrong appetites can never be satisfied. And when you 549 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 1: are starving for status, you will stuff your soul with 550 00:36:40,239 --> 00:36:43,799 Speaker 1: what can never satiate the true need. But he got 551 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: up and he decided, I don't have to live like this. 552 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 1: I don't have to chase this. I don't have to 553 00:36:50,239 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 1: beg for it. I don't have to wait for it. 554 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:57,279 Speaker 1: It's not mine by behavior, it's mine by birth. And 555 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: I have a father, and I'm nowhere he lives, and 556 00:37:01,239 --> 00:37:04,920 Speaker 1: he didn't move, and I can go back right now, 557 00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:15,319 Speaker 1: KINGO the kingdom is in ann So he said, I'm 558 00:37:15,480 --> 00:37:18,359 Speaker 1: starving to death. I will set out and go back 559 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:22,719 Speaker 1: to my father, and I will say to him, father, 560 00:37:25,239 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: he practiced his speech. Well, it's just he's practicing what 561 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:32,000 Speaker 1: he's gonna say. He's writing a speech he will never 562 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:43,280 Speaker 1: even need. You're gonna see it. He makes his speech 563 00:37:43,320 --> 00:37:45,759 Speaker 1: in his mind. He never makes it with his mouth. Father, 564 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,200 Speaker 1: No I say it like this, Father, No, I say, 565 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:54,200 Speaker 1: father practicing, practicing in the pig pin. Father. By the way, 566 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,760 Speaker 1: the Bible never says that the boy's heart was repentant. 567 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: It just says he was hungry. Even if you come 568 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:06,759 Speaker 1: to God for the wrong reasons, he has what you need. 569 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:16,560 Speaker 1: One brother told me one time, I don't mean to judge, 570 00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:19,880 Speaker 1: which is a clear indication that what they are about 571 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:24,880 Speaker 1: to say is going to be the most religiously phariseical 572 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,040 Speaker 1: thing that's ever come out of a human beings mouth. 573 00:38:27,239 --> 00:38:29,200 Speaker 1: I don't mean to judge you. But over there at 574 00:38:29,200 --> 00:38:33,800 Speaker 1: Elevation Church, you've got a lot of sinners. I was like, 575 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:38,399 Speaker 1: what do you want to come? I wish you would 576 00:38:38,480 --> 00:38:42,880 Speaker 1: categorize somebody else sloppy, messy, petty self talking about you 577 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,640 Speaker 1: got a lot of sinners. He said, some of them 578 00:38:44,760 --> 00:38:47,160 Speaker 1: just come to church because there's pretty girls at Elevation. 579 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:53,719 Speaker 1: So you don't think pretty girls need pretty men to 580 00:38:53,800 --> 00:38:56,359 Speaker 1: get married and have pretty babies and serve a pretty god. 581 00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:00,360 Speaker 1: I don't care what you come for, care what you 582 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: get when you get here. Amen, Thank you Jesus. I 583 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:14,200 Speaker 1: came for the music. But I got the message. Amen, 584 00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:18,400 Speaker 1: and he came on home. He came home. You come 585 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:21,600 Speaker 1: home and your soul. You know, he came home physically. 586 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:25,919 Speaker 1: Some of us need to come home mentally home. True, 587 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:30,520 Speaker 1: you we keep wanting to be seen, but we're not 588 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:32,920 Speaker 1: really known because we're only showing the parts of us 589 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,600 Speaker 1: that we think are acceptable. But then you come to 590 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: this place in life and you go. I got to 591 00:39:39,440 --> 00:39:43,600 Speaker 1: go where I'm known. It was fun getting approval from 592 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:46,080 Speaker 1: people while I was the one paying the bills. But 593 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:50,120 Speaker 1: now I'm broke, and now I know where I can go. 594 00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: And having that home base is so important for a 595 00:39:53,040 --> 00:39:57,919 Speaker 1: fifteen year old, a fifty year old, an eighty year old. 596 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:06,240 Speaker 1: So he comes on over. He says, h I have sinned. 597 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:08,840 Speaker 1: Going His speech goes on and on forever. You know 598 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: all these ways we beat ourselves up, that God never 599 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,960 Speaker 1: beats us up. I sinned against Heaven and against you. 600 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,080 Speaker 1: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 601 00:40:17,400 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: You see it. He is connecting his belonging to his behavior. 602 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:26,560 Speaker 1: He's connecting his sense of self worth to his decisions. 603 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:31,080 Speaker 1: But why I wanted to preach this message is what 604 00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:35,920 Speaker 1: happens next. All of that is good But verse nineteen 605 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:39,080 Speaker 1: and twenty is why I stood up to preach today 606 00:40:39,280 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 1: for you. I am no longer worthy to be called 607 00:40:42,239 --> 00:40:44,080 Speaker 1: your son. Make me like one of your hired men. 608 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:48,080 Speaker 1: So he got up and went to his father. But 609 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 1: while he was still a long way off, his father saw. 610 00:40:55,680 --> 00:40:59,759 Speaker 1: The father saw, can you put my title back up 611 00:40:59,800 --> 00:41:05,200 Speaker 1: on the screen. The father saw, while he was still 612 00:41:05,239 --> 00:41:12,799 Speaker 1: a long way off, his father saw him. He saw 613 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:17,200 Speaker 1: past his clothes that were dirty, He saw past the 614 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 1: stench of the pigs that he had been living with, 615 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,719 Speaker 1: and the decisions that he had made. He saw past 616 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:26,040 Speaker 1: the offense and the foolishness and the waste, and he 617 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: saw him. God sees you, and he was filled with compassion. 618 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 1: I ran to him. A rich man doesn't do this 619 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:50,200 Speaker 1: in Jewish culture. But he saw him. He saw his son, 620 00:41:51,800 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 1: even though he looked like a slave at the moment. 621 00:41:54,760 --> 00:42:02,160 Speaker 1: He saw his son. God sees his daughter. God sees 622 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 1: the unique you underneath all the layers and labels. The 623 00:42:08,160 --> 00:42:12,080 Speaker 1: father saw. The word of the Lord to you today 624 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:15,840 Speaker 1: is The father saw. He saw the mistakes that you 625 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:17,239 Speaker 1: were going to make before you made them, and he 626 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:22,080 Speaker 1: called you anyway. He saw every sin you would commit 627 00:42:22,360 --> 00:42:26,279 Speaker 1: after he forgave you, and he forgave you anyway. The 628 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:31,760 Speaker 1: Father saw. When he looks at your life, he doesn't 629 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,040 Speaker 1: see the decisions you made. He sees the death of 630 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:36,960 Speaker 1: his son and the righteousness of Christ, and he no 631 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:39,359 Speaker 1: longer sees you through the lens of any of your 632 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 1: life's lowest moments. The Father saw me through the finished 633 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:53,719 Speaker 1: work of his son, Jesus Christ. The Father saw, and 634 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:59,520 Speaker 1: the Father said, I see, my son, I see the 635 00:42:59,600 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: next of your life. I see this turning around. I 636 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 1: see how I'm gonna use this thing in your life. 637 00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:08,960 Speaker 1: I see how this dry season that you've been through. 638 00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:11,040 Speaker 1: I've been preparing the ground. I've been telling the ground've 639 00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:13,880 Speaker 1: been breaking up the ground. The Father saw. Now, now, 640 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:18,560 Speaker 1: do you have the faith to celebrate what you cannot see, 641 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:23,200 Speaker 1: to know that God sees something in you that people 642 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 1: don't see in you, That your father sees in you 643 00:43:28,200 --> 00:43:33,960 Speaker 1: what you might not even see in yourself. The Father saw, 644 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:39,279 Speaker 1: and he embraced his son because he saw who he 645 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: really was. With everyone standing all over the church and 646 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:52,320 Speaker 1: no one moving, I want you to see for a 647 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:58,600 Speaker 1: moment what the Father saw, because it comes a point 648 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:03,040 Speaker 1: in your life where people have said so much about you, 649 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:05,040 Speaker 1: and you've said so much about yourself that you no 650 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:11,360 Speaker 1: longer see what the Father saw. You know. I was 651 00:44:11,400 --> 00:44:15,319 Speaker 1: asking God last year, in a moment of doubt, self doubt, 652 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:19,040 Speaker 1: what do you see in me? Why do you use me? 653 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:26,360 Speaker 1: Not special, not that holy, so far from perfect? What 654 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:29,640 Speaker 1: do you see in me? And I didn't hear a 655 00:44:29,719 --> 00:44:31,640 Speaker 1: voice out loud, and never have, But it was an 656 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:36,600 Speaker 1: impression that he said, I see myself. I put a 657 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:38,319 Speaker 1: piece of me in you. In fact, I put all 658 00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:41,960 Speaker 1: of me in you. And the moment you can see 659 00:44:42,200 --> 00:44:48,000 Speaker 1: past the patterns of behavior that identify you as a 660 00:44:48,120 --> 00:44:52,839 Speaker 1: sinner and a slave, and begin to see yourself as 661 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:57,040 Speaker 1: the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ, that I am 662 00:44:57,120 --> 00:45:03,040 Speaker 1: a child of God. It is that revelation that's what 663 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 1: changed my life. It was not changing my behavior. It 664 00:45:06,680 --> 00:45:10,800 Speaker 1: was the revelation that God sees the real me, and 665 00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:14,120 Speaker 1: he loves the real me, and he chose the real me, 666 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:19,320 Speaker 1: the quirky me, the weird me, the goofy me, the 667 00:45:19,440 --> 00:45:22,759 Speaker 1: dumb me, to make the same mistake over and over again. Me. 668 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,640 Speaker 1: He sees past all that people see. He sees past 669 00:45:26,760 --> 00:45:31,759 Speaker 1: every pretense, every pretension. He sees past every surface construct 670 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:40,440 Speaker 1: and he sees me. The Father saw. Maybe nobody else did, 671 00:45:40,520 --> 00:45:44,600 Speaker 1: but he saw. He sees the desires of your heart. 672 00:45:47,040 --> 00:45:51,640 Speaker 1: He sees where you're weak. He is compelled to come 673 00:45:51,719 --> 00:46:00,560 Speaker 1: closer in that place. Jesus said that God, every hair 674 00:46:00,640 --> 00:46:08,120 Speaker 1: on your head. What a picture to me that speaks 675 00:46:08,160 --> 00:46:12,120 Speaker 1: of proximity. You can't count the hairs on my head 676 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:17,520 Speaker 1: unless you're close. God doesn't just see me at a distance. 677 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:22,600 Speaker 1: He sees me up close, and he sees himself and me. 678 00:46:24,840 --> 00:46:27,240 Speaker 1: Some of us here have a hard time receiving that word. 679 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:30,520 Speaker 1: It sounds like syrup. It sounds like a fairy tale. 680 00:46:30,560 --> 00:46:33,000 Speaker 1: It sounds like something that belongs to another world. But 681 00:46:33,080 --> 00:46:35,120 Speaker 1: there is something on the inside of you trying to 682 00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:37,640 Speaker 1: tell you right now. What that man is saying is 683 00:46:37,719 --> 00:46:40,080 Speaker 1: truth from heaven. This is the bread of Heaven. This 684 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:42,400 Speaker 1: is the word of God. He sees you. And I 685 00:46:42,520 --> 00:46:44,400 Speaker 1: know people don't notice. And I know a lot of 686 00:46:44,480 --> 00:46:47,960 Speaker 1: times you feel uncelebrated, unappreciated, and ineffective. In fact, some 687 00:46:48,120 --> 00:46:49,840 Speaker 1: of you have been thinking, even this week, would it 688 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 1: really even matter if I was here? Would the people 689 00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:59,879 Speaker 1: in my life be better off without me? The Father saw, 690 00:47:01,600 --> 00:47:05,520 Speaker 1: My father saw, he saw something in you that looked 691 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:10,120 Speaker 1: like him, and he brought you into this situation, this 692 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:13,360 Speaker 1: space and time. I just want to pray for you 693 00:47:13,440 --> 00:47:15,160 Speaker 1: for a moment, because you're gonna leave here and see 694 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:17,560 Speaker 1: all kinds of images of things that make you think 695 00:47:17,600 --> 00:47:19,840 Speaker 1: your life is down here. But I want you to 696 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:22,120 Speaker 1: see something for a moment in your spirit. Close your eyes, 697 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 1: lift your hands. We celebrate your presence. God, you have 698 00:47:30,160 --> 00:47:35,080 Speaker 1: really really been there for us. Your arms stayed open, 699 00:47:35,160 --> 00:47:37,920 Speaker 1: your fridge stayed full, you kept our bed ready for 700 00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: us for when we came back to this moment, and 701 00:47:40,239 --> 00:47:44,439 Speaker 1: we're coming home and our souls this year. We're coming 702 00:47:44,480 --> 00:47:47,719 Speaker 1: home and our souls this year. We're not eating pig 703 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:52,320 Speaker 1: food this year. We're not just gonna stuff ourselves with 704 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:59,319 Speaker 1: whatever is most available. But we're coming to your table today. God, 705 00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,880 Speaker 1: not in a matas forracle sense, but really now, in 706 00:48:03,000 --> 00:48:08,200 Speaker 1: this moment, I asked that you would fill us, be 707 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:12,920 Speaker 1: full of You, full of truth. I really want to 708 00:48:12,920 --> 00:48:17,319 Speaker 1: pray for the teenagers. God. I don't want them living 709 00:48:17,360 --> 00:48:23,200 Speaker 1: with pigs. I don't want them feeding on the pods 710 00:48:23,239 --> 00:48:24,960 Speaker 1: that come from the plants that they would have never 711 00:48:25,040 --> 00:48:29,200 Speaker 1: even looked at before. But now they got so desensitized 712 00:48:29,440 --> 00:48:32,960 Speaker 1: to it. God, I prayed that they would, that they 713 00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:36,360 Speaker 1: would move back to the place where the Father sees. 714 00:48:36,400 --> 00:48:38,080 Speaker 1: We thank you that even if we're at a distance, 715 00:48:38,160 --> 00:48:42,440 Speaker 1: you see us. I call that one home today that 716 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:45,600 Speaker 1: you know by name. Lord, I don't know the name, 717 00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:50,760 Speaker 1: but you do. And as somebody who's hearing this message, 718 00:48:50,800 --> 00:48:54,120 Speaker 1: and it's like, Oh my God, that's just for me, 719 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:59,000 Speaker 1: that's just for me. That's what I needed in this moment. 720 00:48:59,040 --> 00:49:04,840 Speaker 1: Would you see your word? Heads bowed, eyes closed, with 721 00:49:05,000 --> 00:49:09,719 Speaker 1: everyone praying, I want to invite somebody to come home 722 00:49:09,800 --> 00:49:13,279 Speaker 1: to the God who made you in this moment, he's 723 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:17,920 Speaker 1: already running towards you. My father saw his son in 724 00:49:18,000 --> 00:49:21,719 Speaker 1: the distance. He so loved the world, and he so 725 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:23,600 Speaker 1: loved you that he gave his only son that whoever 726 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:26,640 Speaker 1: believes in him will not perish, would have everlasting life. 727 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:31,680 Speaker 1: And it's by grace that we're saved through faith, not 728 00:49:31,880 --> 00:49:35,400 Speaker 1: of works. It's a gift of God, so that no 729 00:49:35,480 --> 00:49:39,120 Speaker 1: one can boast. And in this moment, whether watching online 730 00:49:39,239 --> 00:49:42,200 Speaker 1: or here in one of our buildings, if you're ready 731 00:49:42,239 --> 00:49:46,800 Speaker 1: to come home today and place your full faith in 732 00:49:46,880 --> 00:49:49,279 Speaker 1: the work of Jesus Christ, what he accomplished on the 733 00:49:49,320 --> 00:49:52,239 Speaker 1: cross when he died for your sin and believed that 734 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:54,560 Speaker 1: he was raised from the dead so you could have 735 00:49:54,680 --> 00:49:56,359 Speaker 1: new life. I want to pray with you right now. 736 00:49:57,400 --> 00:49:59,960 Speaker 1: I wish I could do it one on one, but God, 737 00:50:00,000 --> 00:50:03,320 Speaker 1: God is God is right there with you in this moment, 738 00:50:03,680 --> 00:50:05,840 Speaker 1: and He's been calling you and you know it. I 739 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:07,839 Speaker 1: want to pray for you right now, and I want 740 00:50:07,880 --> 00:50:10,359 Speaker 1: you to pray with me. This is a prayer of faith, 741 00:50:10,440 --> 00:50:12,319 Speaker 1: and if you will pray this from your heart, we're 742 00:50:12,320 --> 00:50:14,960 Speaker 1: going to pray it out loud. God will hear you, 743 00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:18,279 Speaker 1: and your sins will be forgiven and you'll be a 744 00:50:18,360 --> 00:50:20,640 Speaker 1: new creation in his name. The Word of God says, 745 00:50:20,719 --> 00:50:24,400 Speaker 1: so he is more than enough. With heads about and 746 00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:26,960 Speaker 1: eyes closed, praying out loud as a church family together 747 00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:29,560 Speaker 1: for the benefit of those who are coming to God 748 00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:34,279 Speaker 1: or coming back to the Father. Let's pray together, Heavenly Father. 749 00:50:36,040 --> 00:50:40,759 Speaker 1: I am a sinner in need of a savior, and 750 00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:45,800 Speaker 1: today I make Jesus the Lord of my life. I 751 00:50:45,920 --> 00:50:50,439 Speaker 1: believe he died that I would be forgiven and rose 752 00:50:50,480 --> 00:50:55,719 Speaker 1: again to give me life. I receive this new life. 753 00:50:56,560 --> 00:51:01,279 Speaker 1: This is my new beginning. I am a child of God. 754 00:51:02,440 --> 00:51:04,000 Speaker 1: If you pray that shoots your hand up on the 755 00:51:04,040 --> 00:51:06,760 Speaker 1: count of three to one, two three, I'm gonna celebrate 756 00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:09,680 Speaker 1: you all over this church. Come on, shoot it up high, 757 00:51:10,719 --> 00:51:15,000 Speaker 1: not tim and shoot it shoot it up high. Come on, 758 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:21,320 Speaker 1: can we celebrate everybody who just came home? Thank you 759 00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:23,920 Speaker 1: for joining us. Special thanks to those of you who 760 00:51:23,960 --> 00:51:26,960 Speaker 1: give generously to this ministry. Is because of you that 761 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:29,920 Speaker 1: this ministry is possible. You can click the link in 762 00:51:30,000 --> 00:51:34,000 Speaker 1: the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch dot org 763 00:51:34,120 --> 00:51:37,760 Speaker 1: slash podcast for more information and if you enjoyed the podcast, 764 00:51:38,120 --> 00:51:40,760 Speaker 1: you can subscribe. You can share it with your friends. 765 00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:43,360 Speaker 1: You can click the share button, take a screenshot and 766 00:51:43,440 --> 00:51:45,520 Speaker 1: share it on your social stories and tag us at 767 00:51:45,560 --> 00:51:48,120 Speaker 1: Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God bless you.