1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Hello evams, especially our West Coast family. We have an 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: announcement for you, Elevation Nights twenty twenty two West Coast. 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: Are you ready for this? October twenty fifth through November third, 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: We're coming your way so exciting. You can get your 5 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: tickets right now at Elevation Nights dot com. It's gonna 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: be me Holly, Elevation Worship. It's gonna be amazing, unbelievable 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: these nights. Don't want to miss So if you're in Glendale, Arizona, 8 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: Las Vegas, Sacramento, California, Eugene, Oregon, Seattle, Oakland, California, San 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: Diego and La or anywhere near those areas, we want 10 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: to see you. Elevation Nights dot com. Don't miss it. 11 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: Elevation Nights dot com. Get your tickets Elevation Nights dot com. 12 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: Let's see you there. Let's go to the message. We'll 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: praise the Lord. Everybody here. This is the day the 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: Lord had made, and let us treat joints and glad 15 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: in it. Holleylujah, God, we honor you, and we bless you. 16 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: We thank you afresh. Would you move in this place 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 1: by your mike, by your power, spirit of believing God 18 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: fall fresh on us even now, and we give you glory, 19 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: We give you honor, and we give you praise. Amen. 20 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: Come on, Shot, Hollylujah to his name, Praise the Lord. 21 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:27,400 Speaker 1: What a blessing is to be here with you today, 22 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: and we thank God for Jesus. Of course, as you 23 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,399 Speaker 1: can see, I am not Pastor Stephen Ferdick, and so 24 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 1: I apologize for those who've driven afar to be here. 25 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: But God is here. We're gonna worship God together, and 26 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: we're going to praise the Lord together. Won't you join 27 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: me in saluting one of the most incredible leaders, communicators, proclaimers, songwriters, 28 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: my brother, Pastor Stephen Ferdick. Come on, Praise God for him. 29 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: And while you're clapping for him, praise God for Pastor 30 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: Holly as well. To God be the glory. What a 31 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: pleasure is to be here. I want you to do 32 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: my favorite right quick. Just look your right hand up, 33 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: right quick, move it down, right hand up, move it down. 34 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,960 Speaker 1: Okay good, I feel better now. That way, nobody can 35 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: leave her saying that the preacher didn't move me. So 36 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: we give God praise, but I want you to get 37 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: your Bible. Say we're going to jump quick into the 38 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: word of God. I want to look at the Book 39 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: of Romans, chapter twelve, a very familiar passage of scripture 40 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: that I want to share with you. Don't thank the 41 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 1: Praise team for just just my God, the Music Ministry 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: for confirming the message a very familiar passage Romans twelve one. 43 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,079 Speaker 1: You find these words. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by 44 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: the mercies of God, that you present your body as 45 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: a living sacrifice, holy and acceptably unto God, which is 46 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world. 47 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: But be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, 48 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:02,959 Speaker 1: that ye make prove what is that good and acceptable 49 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: and perfect will of God. Then in Roman's eleven thirty 50 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: six is our key verse. It reads, for of him 51 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: and through Him, and to him are all things to 52 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: whom be glory forever man. For of Him, through him, 53 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:24,360 Speaker 1: and to him are all things to whom be glory 54 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: forever man. I want you to consider this thought this morning, 55 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: very simply giving God the glory. Let's give God the glory. 56 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: You may be seeing the Prince of the Lord. Let's 57 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: give God the glory. My elevation family, and I shall 58 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: never forget one of my most recent birthdays. It is 59 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: nostalgic for me even now, because this was the last 60 00:03:46,080 --> 00:03:50,800 Speaker 1: birthday that all my siblings and I spent together prior 61 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: to the death of my baby brothers some years ago 62 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: and my sister a few years ago. My two older 63 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: sisters and my two younger brothers and I were gathered 64 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: at my old this sister's home in honor of my birthday. 65 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: And when I arrived at my oldest sister's home, I 66 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: was met by my older sister at the front door, 67 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: and she met me with some intriguing words. She said, Brother, 68 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: I said yes. She said, I did not get you 69 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: a gift this year for your birthday. And I got 70 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: to admit I was a little taken aback, particularly because 71 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: I had just purchased her a gift for her birthday, 72 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: you know, and so brother wanted some sense of reciprocity. 73 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,359 Speaker 1: And so I began to inquire as to why she 74 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: decided to not get me a gift, and she said 75 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: something that intrigued me. She said, I didn't get you 76 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: a gift this year. I said why. She said, because 77 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: I was struggling with something. It's okay, Well what were 78 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: you struggling with? She said, I was struggling with this, 79 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: what do you give to somebody who seemingly has everything? 80 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: And I knew she wasn't struggling, she was just being trifling. 81 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: So I responded with my own sense of fasiciousists, what 82 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: do you give to somebody who seemingly has everything? You 83 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: give them some more of what you think they seemingly have. 84 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: Pretty good answer, would you say? And it was right 85 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,920 Speaker 1: there in that context that God sent me a fact 86 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,800 Speaker 1: straight from the Holy Ghost facts machine of Heaven. And 87 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: I thought about another relationship that I have, but more specifically, 88 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: the relationship that we all share with the God who 89 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,840 Speaker 1: is sovereign. Because in light of my sister's questions slash statement, 90 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: what do you give to somebody who seemingly has everything? 91 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: I hear Paul say to us this morning that you 92 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 1: and I ought to give God the glory, that we 93 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,479 Speaker 1: ought to give God the glory. But right there, my 94 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: sister's question statement comes to bear, because how can we, 95 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: as fallible and finite creatures, give God anything that God 96 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 1: does not already possess? I mean, can we give God glory? 97 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:02,119 Speaker 1: When the Psalmist calls him the King of glory? Paul 98 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 1: refers to Christ as the Hope of glory. Another epistel 99 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,480 Speaker 1: writer refers to God as the God of all glory. 100 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: So how can we really give God glory if God 101 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: is already king of glory. Christ is the Hope of glory, 102 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: and God is the God of all What can we 103 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: give to God who does not seemingly own everything, but 104 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: who actually already owns everything? And I thought about God 105 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: in creation, because God in creation knew that at times 106 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: he would have periodic needs. So what did God do? 107 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: God knew at times that he would need a word, 108 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: presented a word, and so God created and urch angel 109 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:44,480 Speaker 1: whose name was Gabriel. Gabriel was the word angel. Whenever 110 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:46,800 Speaker 1: God wanted to bring a word to his people, often 111 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: he would use Gabriel. In the Book of Luke, chapter one, 112 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 1: verse twenty six, when he wanted to announce the birth 113 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: of Jesus and Bethlehem of Judea, he sent Gabriel to 114 00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:01,359 Speaker 1: Mary to make that heavenly annunciation. Because whenever God wanted 115 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 1: a word, he would use Gabriel. The Book of First 116 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 1: Thessalonians tells us that when chapter four and Christ comes 117 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: back in the Rapture, Paul says, for the Lord himself 118 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: shall destin from heaven with a shout with the voice 119 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: of the archangel. Scholars believe that voice would be the 120 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: voice of Gabriel, signifying the return of the Lord Jesus, 121 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: because whenever God wanted a word, he would use Gabriel. 122 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 1: But then God also knew at times that he would 123 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: need warfare. Warfare, so God created an archangel whose name 124 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: was Michael. Can the church say Michael and Michael is 125 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: the warfare Angel. The Book of Jude chapter one tells 126 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:45,200 Speaker 1: us that when Moses died, there was a battle for 127 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: the physical remains of Moses. That battle was between the 128 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 1: devil and his angels and Michael and the warfare angels 129 00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: from heaven. Michael and his angels won that battle, took 130 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,160 Speaker 1: the body of mo Jes and buried the body in 131 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: a place where only God is aware of why, because 132 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: whenever God wanted a word, he used Gabriel. When God 133 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: wanted warfare, he used Michael. In the Book of Daniel, 134 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 1: chapter ten, it tells us that Daniel prayed to God 135 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 1: for instructions and for direction, and for twenty one days, 136 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: for three weeks Daniel was waiting to hear from God. 137 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: And three weeks After this prayer, Gabriel showed up, and 138 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 1: Gabriel says, Daniel, from the first time you prayed Daniel 139 00:08:32,320 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: ten fourteen. From the first time you prayed, God heard 140 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: your prayer and God dispatched me, Gabriel from heaven to 141 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: bring you your answer, he says, But I was withstood 142 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: from some demonic forces around the region of Persia, and 143 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:51,559 Speaker 1: I couldn't bring you answer because Satan's chief demons in 144 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: the Persian region had me held and bound. So God 145 00:08:57,200 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: sent Michael, the warfare angel from heaven to engage in 146 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: combat to release me to bring you your answer. Here's why, 147 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:10,959 Speaker 1: because whenever God wanted a word, often God would use Gabriel, 148 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: and when God wanted warfare, God would use Michael. But 149 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,359 Speaker 1: then God also knew at times that he would need worship, 150 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,959 Speaker 1: and so God created the archangel whose name was Lucifer, 151 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,199 Speaker 1: and Lucifer was over the praise, worship, and music departments 152 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,840 Speaker 1: of heaven. But then Lucifer wanted to be like God, 153 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,719 Speaker 1: and instead of glorifying God, Lucifer wanted to be worshiped, 154 00:09:37,360 --> 00:09:41,440 Speaker 1: and God had to evict Lucifer from the heaveness. Luke 155 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: says that he felled as lightning from heaven. And when 156 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: Lucifer got kicked out of heaven, God never replaced him 157 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:55,360 Speaker 1: with one individual who'd be responsible for worship. Because of that, 158 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: John chapter four says that the Father is seeking worship 159 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: shippers who would worship God in spirit and in truth. 160 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: And here's the reality. Gabriel is still bringing forth the word. 161 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: Michael is still involved in warfare, but no single person 162 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 1: is responsible for worship. And since the Father is seeking worshipers, 163 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: this is the primary reason why the enemy hates you 164 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:31,560 Speaker 1: and I whenever we praise God, because whenever we worship God, 165 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: we literally remind the devil of the job that he 166 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,000 Speaker 1: got fired from. And I wish I had somebody around 167 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 1: the Elevation Church who just take a moment and help 168 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 1: me make the devil mad for me. I mean, every 169 00:10:51,160 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: time you clap your hands, you make the devil mad. 170 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: Every time you shock Holleylujah, you're making the devil mad. 171 00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: Come on, say t get night enough. We will bless 172 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: the Lord at all times, and his south continually be 173 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 1: in our mouths. Listen and see here's the reality. Paul says. 174 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: For of him and through him and to him are 175 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: all things to whom be glory, that work glory. Then 176 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: the Greek is the word docsa. It means a place 177 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: of pre eminence. It means reverential adoration. It means to 178 00:11:31,880 --> 00:11:35,120 Speaker 1: make God an audience of one. Because up in the 179 00:11:35,160 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 1: heaven is do the cherboms and serophims bow twenty four 180 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: hours a day in perpetual obeisance to our God, who 181 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: sits on the throne. And the only time when God 182 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: is most comfortable in the earth is when we create, 183 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:54,560 Speaker 1: when we create environments that remind God of what he's 184 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: accustomed to in the heavenless. That's why the scriptures teach 185 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: us that God in habits the praises of his people. 186 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: And so Paul says, for off him and through him, 187 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,959 Speaker 1: into him are all things to whom be glory forever 188 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,199 Speaker 1: are man. Literally this passage in the Greek manuscripts that 189 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:16,440 Speaker 1: were no chapters. It was one continuous flow. And so 190 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:20,280 Speaker 1: what Paul says is God deserves to be worshiped. And 191 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 1: since God deserves to be worshiped, I beseech you. Therefore, 192 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: my beloved brethren, that word beseech. That in the Greek 193 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: is the word parah clayo para, meaning alongside the verb calayo, 194 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:39,319 Speaker 1: meaning to call it is a military summons para Calayoh beseech. 195 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 1: In the first century world, whenever those generals were preparing 196 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 1: for battle, they would issue a para calao for every 197 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: soldier to come and to engage in combat. Here, Paul 198 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: uses a military term to call those of us whose 199 00:12:55,679 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 1: soldiers of the Lord Jesus to engage and worship to 200 00:12:59,679 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: our God God a warfare that is not Colonel and 201 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,200 Speaker 1: God says to Paul that if God is going to 202 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: be glorified, because sometimes I think we've created different identities 203 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: for what really brings glory, and unfortunately, sometimes I believe 204 00:13:16,280 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: that the things that we think glorify God may not 205 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: actually bring glory to God. So Paul says, if you 206 00:13:23,480 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: and I want to give God athenic glory is right here. 207 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: I beseech you. Therefore, my beloved brethren, by the mercies 208 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: of God, it is that you present your bodies, your soul, 209 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: maya essence all of who you are unto God. And 210 00:13:39,320 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: so the first thing that glorifies God, get this, It 211 00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:47,840 Speaker 1: is the upward presentation. Can somebody say the upward presentation? 212 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: I present, we present everything, we are, everything we have 213 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: as a vertical act of reference to God who sits 214 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 1: on the throne, and Paul else says, here's why we 215 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:06,280 Speaker 1: should do this. God deserves the upwut presentation. It is 216 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 1: because we are responding to God's mercies. It is an 217 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,439 Speaker 1: amazing passage. He says, I beseech you. Therefore, my beloved brethren, 218 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 1: it is by the mercies of God. I'm urging you, 219 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: I'm compelling you, I am imploring you to give God 220 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: an upward gift and upwut presentation. Why, he says, you're 221 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: responding to the mercies of God. Now, this is what 222 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: blew my mind because all my life I thought it 223 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: was I thought it was mercy. So we see things 224 00:14:40,280 --> 00:14:44,240 Speaker 1: like Lord have mercy. Paul says, no, it's really not mercy. 225 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:49,359 Speaker 1: Mercy is really plural. The Greek word there connotes plurality. 226 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: That's why it says mercies of God, not just one. 227 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: But it is plural mercies of God. Paul says. It 228 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: is not singular mercy because God is too inexhaustible to 229 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 1: be relegated by singular abride. It is not mercy. It 230 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: is mercies, meaning anything that God has deliberately withheld from 231 00:15:15,960 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: each of us. That we rightly deserved. It is a 232 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: type of mercy. It is one of God's mercies. Anything 233 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 1: that God has deliberately and intentionally withheld from us that 234 00:15:29,880 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: we deserved is one of his mercies. Can let me 235 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: come this way? Perhaps there are some of you who 236 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: are in town for the football game yesterday, the HPCU Classic, 237 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: And maybe some of you remember back in your college 238 00:15:43,040 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: days twenty five or thirty years ago at North Carolina 239 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: Central A and t or Duke, or at Davison, or 240 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: at North Carolina State or at the University of North Carolina. 241 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,680 Speaker 1: Some of you remember some of your college days before 242 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: you be in church at nine thirty on the sun 243 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: the morning before you had given your life to God. 244 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,760 Speaker 1: Some of us football season, we have gone out on 245 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:10,040 Speaker 1: Saturday and all day long watching the game, and some 246 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: of us would have imbibed on some beverages that were 247 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,800 Speaker 1: not necessarily kool aid, iced tea or communion. Come on, 248 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: talk to me, somebody, somebody remembers back in your BC 249 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: days before Christ Days. Perhaps you consume some things that 250 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: you should not have consumed, and if you're not careful, 251 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 1: you could have consumed too much of what you should 252 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 1: not have been consuming in your college days, and even 253 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: in your inebriation and in your intoxication when you got 254 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:42,280 Speaker 1: behind a wheel of an automobile. Somehow, some way, in 255 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 1: spite of our irresponsibility, God allows you to get back 256 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: to your dorm room or your apartment safely. You didn't 257 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: get a hicclahomicide or a DUI. Can I tell you 258 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 1: what it was. It was not because you are a 259 00:16:58,440 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: coherent driver. It's not because of the dictrity of your senses. 260 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 1: The only reason you made it back safely, in your 261 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:11,080 Speaker 1: inebriation and your irresponsibility, is because God gave you a 262 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: drunk mercy. Am I talking to somebody who can look 263 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: back over your life and testify I've been done that, 264 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:21,359 Speaker 1: But I'm thankful for as mercy. Okay, all right, maybe 265 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 1: you've never had alcohol before, but maybe in nineteen eighty 266 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 1: five when you were in love with Charlie or june Bug. 267 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: You remember him. He had the crew cut or the 268 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: Jerry curl and were the members only jacket and the 269 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: Jordash jeans, and you fell in love with Charlie or 270 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: june Bug. But he left your heart when he married 271 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 1: Melissa or famee Quisha and you thought your life was over. 272 00:17:44,240 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: You thought the sun rose and sat on them. But 273 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,919 Speaker 1: you went back to your thirty fifth class reunion and 274 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: the first person you saw was Charlie or June Bug 275 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,000 Speaker 1: and they had that same crew cut Jerry Curle members 276 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 1: only jacket, short ash jean with three teeth in their mouths, 277 00:18:02,119 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: and one of them was gold. And you look your 278 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: hands right in the class for you, and it said, Lord, 279 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: I thank you for a breakup mercy. I thank you 280 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: for the things that you have provided and prevented. And 281 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 1: am I talking to somebody who can look back over 282 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: your life and see stuff God that's kept you from you? 283 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: All give God the offput presentation and give God glory holeymia. 284 00:18:30,960 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: And so Paul says here that this offput presentation, that 285 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:40,439 Speaker 1: you're responding to his mercies. And then Paul says, it 286 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: is a reasonable mandate. I beseech you, therefore, my beloved brethren, 287 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: by the mercies of God, that you present your body 288 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: as a living sacrifice, A living sacrifice. That is interesting. 289 00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:55,320 Speaker 1: I need to dig that for a moment. That word 290 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: living is the word zio in Greek, where you get 291 00:18:58,160 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: the word zoology from through Sayah living za o through 292 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:07,480 Speaker 1: Sayah living sacrifice. Now this is very very interesting because 293 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: they brought in the first century an Old Testament with 294 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: the Greeks would have called to God the pak fistko 295 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:20,520 Speaker 1: through Sayah, which is a dead sacrifice. Some of you 296 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:22,760 Speaker 1: remember in the Book of Genesis, chapter twenty two, God 297 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 1: told Abraham, Abraham, take your son Isaac up on Mount 298 00:19:27,440 --> 00:19:33,040 Speaker 1: Mariah to offer him as a sacrifice under God. Abraham 299 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,719 Speaker 1: gets his son Isaac. They go up on Mount Mariah. 300 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,160 Speaker 1: He builds the altar, he has a knife, he has 301 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:42,040 Speaker 1: a wood, he has the dagger. He gets ready to 302 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: kill his son to offer him as the pok fist 303 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,480 Speaker 1: go through Saleh under Jehovah. And right before he gets 304 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 1: ready to kill his son to offer him as a 305 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,080 Speaker 1: dead sacrifice, God speaks to him and say, if Abraham 306 00:19:54,720 --> 00:19:56,719 Speaker 1: lay no hand on the lad, look in the thicket, 307 00:19:56,720 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: there's a ram there. Release your son and get the ram, 308 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: the lamb to offer the lamb the ram as a sacrifice. 309 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: Because in the Old Testament God only accepted dead sacrifices. 310 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,480 Speaker 1: In the Book of Exodus, God tells Moses to go 311 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: to Pharaoh and tell Pharaoh to let the people go. 312 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: God sends ten plagues. And then God speaks to them 313 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: and say, tell the people in Egypt that they should 314 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,439 Speaker 1: get a lamb, kill the lamb, and put the blood 315 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,480 Speaker 1: of the lamb on the door post, because this night 316 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,120 Speaker 1: in Egypt, the Death Angel is coming through Egypt, and 317 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: if the blood of the lamb has not been applied 318 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,560 Speaker 1: to the door post, the death Angel will go into 319 00:20:37,600 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 1: that home to kill the first born. Because in the 320 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: Old Testament they had to bring unto God pigeons, turtles, 321 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,320 Speaker 1: you lambs for the priests to kill to apply the 322 00:20:48,359 --> 00:20:52,240 Speaker 1: blood to offer as an ocpacracist go through sale a 323 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: dead sacrifice under God. In the Old Testament they had 324 00:20:56,600 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 1: to bring dead sacrifices. But Paul says in this text 325 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: that since we no longer live by a legalistic millie, 326 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,560 Speaker 1: that since we no longer live under the law, that 327 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: God doesn't deserve a dead sacrifice. And our pop fisto 328 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,879 Speaker 1: through sail. Paul says, God wants a si through sayl, 329 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:24,960 Speaker 1: a living sacrifice. And I don't know about you, but 330 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 1: when God rode by this morning in his golden chariot, 331 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: chauffeured by the invisible winds, and dispatch his darling angels 332 00:21:35,359 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 1: to touch our bodies with the finger of love in 333 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: our eyes. I think it came open to greet the 334 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:44,880 Speaker 1: vergin light of a brand new day. We rest under 335 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: the canopy of God's benevolence, favor, and grace. And since 336 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: you and I are alive today, how dare us enter 337 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: into this beautiful place? Or watch online and give God 338 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: a dead sacrifice? God deserves a life, worship and a 339 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:12,200 Speaker 1: life praise and live glory to God lives giving live service, 340 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:18,159 Speaker 1: life praise. The Bible says, let every thing that hath breath, 341 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: which means you alive, praise ye the Lord, and do 342 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,800 Speaker 1: me a favor. When you come to worship, get here 343 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,600 Speaker 1: in time enough to make sure you're seated by the 344 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: right people. And here's how you know if you're seated 345 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:34,159 Speaker 1: by the right people. Just get on your role and 346 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: hollow at your role. And if you holler at your 347 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:40,600 Speaker 1: role and nobody hollers back, that's the wrong road to 348 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: sit on. No, when you come to worship, you ought 349 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,160 Speaker 1: to look at somebody and say halle If they don't 350 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 1: say Lujah, find somebody else to sit by, because you 351 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,399 Speaker 1: want to be besides somebody who has some life and 352 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: has some energy and some praise. Is there anybody in 353 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: this place who came to give God a live worship? 354 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: I'm living sacrifice, nothing dead. But I'm letting sacrifice and 355 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 1: so and so. The upward the upward presentation, it's you're 356 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 1: responding to His mercies. Is the least that you and I. 357 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: It's a reasonable service, a reasonable worship. Then, Paul says, listen, 358 00:23:26,920 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: once we give God the upward presentation. Secondly, in order 359 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:36,399 Speaker 1: to glorify God, listen, he says. Go backwards from conformation. 360 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: Say backwards from conformation, not confirmation, conformation. Listen what he 361 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: says in verse two, and be not conformed. He says, 362 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: don't assimilate, don't fashion yourselves into the Ion, which is 363 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: the spirit of the world. Very powerful passes because at 364 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,760 Speaker 1: the time of the first Entry, Rome was considered to 365 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 1: be the citadel of the Caesars. Rome was the darling 366 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 1: of the human race. When Paul wrote in the first century, 367 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:15,320 Speaker 1: Rome was at home of Claudius and Caligula, of Nero Antiberius. 368 00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:18,199 Speaker 1: It was a place where barbarity was celebrated. It was 369 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,720 Speaker 1: the darling of the whole world. And Paul's ultimate desire 370 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: was to get Trome because it was the citadel, it 371 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,720 Speaker 1: was the Darling, it was the Empire. But there were 372 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 1: some believers who had moved into Rome. But Rome had 373 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: historically been paganistic and pantheistic and polytheistic, and the message 374 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 1: of Christ. Paul wanted that to be paramount in Rome. 375 00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:45,159 Speaker 1: But the challenge was this, when believers had begun to 376 00:24:45,240 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: develop and grow in Rome, the spirit of the age 377 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: was so intense that you couldn't demarcate between the saints 378 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: in Rome versus the Ans in Rome. Paul was saying 379 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: that many of the believers had been affected by this 380 00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: Roman spirit that did not prioritize Christ. It was about 381 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: the empire and power and greed and selfishness. And Paul says, 382 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: in order to glorify God, don't conform to what's happening 383 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 1: in the world, all the craziness that you see around you. 384 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:29,800 Speaker 1: Don't ever allow those things to become your reality. And 385 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: let me share with you. I believe this passage is 386 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 1: incredibly relevant because even now, there is a spirit in 387 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:41,159 Speaker 1: this age that has troubled my spirit. It's kept me 388 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 1: up at night, a spirit of the age that's destroying 389 00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 1: relationships and causing people to fall out. It is a 390 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 1: spirit of political divisiveness and ideology, and the spirit of 391 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: separation and the spirit of division. You can't even watch 392 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,520 Speaker 1: the news now with out ended up being nauseous and 393 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,040 Speaker 1: having a headache. So much hatred in the world Christians 394 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 1: believers black and white, and a Church of God versus Baptists, 395 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:14,119 Speaker 1: and it seems that we can't get along because the 396 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: spirit of this age has made so many prioritized politics 397 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 1: over the Kingdom of God. Let me share with your 398 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:26,199 Speaker 1: brothers and sisters. We should vote our political perspectives. We 399 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:30,160 Speaker 1: should vote our convictions. We should vote and promote our beliefs. 400 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:34,120 Speaker 1: We should be civically engaged. But we should never believe 401 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:39,480 Speaker 1: that the hope of our world is based upon whether 402 00:26:39,520 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: you're part of a party that's represented by an elephant 403 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,439 Speaker 1: or a dunkey. The hope of our world is not 404 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: an elephant or a dunkey, but a lamb, the lamb 405 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: of God who takes away the sins of the world. 406 00:26:56,880 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: The hope of our faith is in Sesus Christ, hallelujah. 407 00:27:04,480 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: And my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' 408 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:11,040 Speaker 1: blood and is righteous. Says I damn not trust the 409 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 1: sweetest fraying, but Holy Lean on Jesus' name, on Christ, 410 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 1: the Son of the Rocks. I stand all of the ground. 411 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: Our kingdom is not of this world. We're going to 412 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:42,760 Speaker 1: a place where we won't need politics again. We have 413 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 1: a God who's going to bring us together, of every kindred, 414 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: every tribe. And that's why I love Pastor Stephen Hollifredic 415 00:27:50,359 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: That's why I love the Elevation Church, because you have 416 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,119 Speaker 1: made God and Christ. Listen, look around. This is what 417 00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:02,440 Speaker 1: happened is supposed to look like, not about division and separation, 418 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:06,520 Speaker 1: but about believers of the every kindred, ever tribe climbing 419 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:10,119 Speaker 1: together to glorify our great God, give him praise and 420 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:19,560 Speaker 1: give them glory. You know the spirit of this age. 421 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 1: It's the spirit that if you're not careful, it can 422 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:26,400 Speaker 1: depress you. Oh goodness. A few months ago, I went 423 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: and fill up. My family loves utility vehicles, and I 424 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,960 Speaker 1: have boys and their mom my wife is a teen mother, 425 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:37,320 Speaker 1: and so we always carrying a lot of kids, you know, 426 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: for basketball games. And I went to fill up the 427 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:44,000 Speaker 1: utility vehicle and as I was at the pump, and 428 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 1: it hit ninety and then it hit one hundred, and 429 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,880 Speaker 1: the one hundred ten, one hundred twenty, one hundred and thirty. 430 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: I was confused. I didn't know whether to pray or 431 00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,640 Speaker 1: cuss or to kick the pumping. I was just I 432 00:28:59,720 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 1: was just restaurant. I was having a moment, and right 433 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,640 Speaker 1: now the Holy Spirit convicted me. Instead, instead of you complaining, 434 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,240 Speaker 1: be thankful that you have one hundred and thirty dollars 435 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: on a debit card. That other time this machine would 436 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: have eaten your card. And here's what I want you 437 00:29:18,560 --> 00:29:21,600 Speaker 1: to know. No matter what happens in the economyment, no 438 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: matter what happens with inflation, no matter what happens with 439 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: gash prices or food prices, I want you to know something. 440 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:32,360 Speaker 1: Don't let the spirit of anxiety and depression overwhelm you. 441 00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 1: You know why because we're not gonna conform to anxiety 442 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,760 Speaker 1: and depression. You know why because the scriptures teach us. 443 00:29:38,920 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed 444 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:47,400 Speaker 1: begging bread. God is gonna take care of you, regardless 445 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: claud who's in the White House, because anybody will leave. 446 00:29:52,920 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: We have a God who takes care of us. Do 447 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:57,800 Speaker 1: you believe we have a God who supplies our needs? God, 448 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:04,800 Speaker 1: go there and give God praise and give them glory hallelujah. 449 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:10,400 Speaker 1: So we have to give God the upward presentation. Then 450 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: we go backwards from conformation. Don't let the spirit of 451 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: the age overwhelm you. But then after the upward presentation 452 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 1: and backwards from conformation. Thirdly, Paul says, in order to 453 00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:29,720 Speaker 1: glorify God, that needs to be the inward transformation. I 454 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: say the inward say, inward transformation is right here, and 455 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:38,360 Speaker 1: be not conformed to this world, but listen, but be transformed. 456 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,160 Speaker 1: That word in Greek is the word we getting metamorphosis 457 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,880 Speaker 1: from the word renewing. Is where we get the word 458 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: renovation from. It's in the present perfect imperative in Greek, 459 00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:52,320 Speaker 1: which means it's a continuous action. What he literally says 460 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 1: is every day your mind and my mind must be 461 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 1: in a constant state of renovation and metamorphosis. It's a 462 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:07,320 Speaker 1: beautiful picture. It's really a picture of a house. When 463 00:31:07,320 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 1: a house gets old, it's subject to dilapidation, termites, asbestos, 464 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:18,080 Speaker 1: other issues. Periodically. What cause us to have to renovate 465 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:23,720 Speaker 1: house has to go through metamorphosis. Paul says, the mind 466 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: is analogous to an old house. There are treacherous termites, 467 00:31:30,320 --> 00:31:34,680 Speaker 1: adver Sarah asbestos that can get into your mind, and 468 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: if you're not careful, it can strimp your mind of 469 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: everything that's powerful, of everything that's stable. So the mind 470 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 1: has to be renovated. Reminds me of Solomon and Proverbs 471 00:31:49,960 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: twenty three seven. Very interesting. Solomon says this, for as 472 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: a man thinketh in his heart, so is he now? 473 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: In Hebrew. Paul is trying to show how Solemnon is 474 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,120 Speaker 1: trying to show how the head and heart are one 475 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: singular entity. So etymologically, he's saying, head and heart want entity. 476 00:32:14,440 --> 00:32:17,160 Speaker 1: As a person thinks in their hearts, head and heart 477 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: are together in the Hebrew language is one. But in 478 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:26,440 Speaker 1: the English or in the biological that's an impossibility. What 479 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,400 Speaker 1: do you mean, as a person thinks in their hearts, 480 00:32:31,560 --> 00:32:40,680 Speaker 1: that's biologically impossible? Why? Because the heart doesn't think? How 481 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,320 Speaker 1: can you think in your heart? The purpose of the 482 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: heart scientifically is to pump blood. Scientifically, biologically, our hearts 483 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: don't think. All thinking is in the cerebrum, the cerebral cortex, 484 00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: the thalamus, the hype of thing, animals, the paneo glen, 485 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:11,400 Speaker 1: the mbdoolah, I'll bloom godda. Scientifically, all thought starts here. 486 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: So what really is Solomon saying in Proverbs twenty three seven? 487 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:19,760 Speaker 1: Here's what he's saying very important. As a person thinks 488 00:33:20,240 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: psychologically in their hearts cardiologically, so is he or she anthropologically. 489 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 1: As a person thinks, that's your psychology. That's where it 490 00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 1: begins in your heart. Cardiologically, that's how we behave. So 491 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:43,920 Speaker 1: is he anthropologically, that's what we become. As a person thinks, 492 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:48,959 Speaker 1: that's where it begins in their hearts. That's how we behave. 493 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 1: So is he or she That's what we become. So 494 00:33:54,920 --> 00:34:04,560 Speaker 1: we become inevitably what has existed in our minds. That's 495 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: why dey carn't put it this way, cogito ergo soon, 496 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 1: I think therefore I am, and so the battle for 497 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,359 Speaker 1: us is not for your finances or your family. It's 498 00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:19,719 Speaker 1: for your mind. Because if the enemy can hit your mind, 499 00:34:20,840 --> 00:34:27,080 Speaker 1: he's got you. If you have mess constantly on your mind, 500 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:33,200 Speaker 1: eventually you and I will become messy. Okay, all right, okay, okay, 501 00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:36,320 Speaker 1: that's got me. Come this way, all right. Second Corinthians 502 00:34:36,360 --> 00:34:39,200 Speaker 1: ten to four, for the weapons of our warfare are 503 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:42,399 Speaker 1: not carnal, but Mighty through God, to the pulling down 504 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:49,080 Speaker 1: of strongholds, casting down imaginations and bringing it to captivity 505 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:52,600 Speaker 1: every thought. Paul says, you better put some handcuffs on 506 00:34:52,640 --> 00:34:56,319 Speaker 1: your thoughts. Every child of God needs to keep some 507 00:34:56,440 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: handcuffs constantly on them. And that's not for you married people. 508 00:35:00,520 --> 00:35:01,920 Speaker 1: That's time I'm talking about get your mind out to 509 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 1: go to I'm talking about handcuffs to put them on 510 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:09,879 Speaker 1: your thoughts, because if your thoughts run loose, you have 511 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 1: to handcuff and arrest your thoughts and say you will 512 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:16,600 Speaker 1: not run through my mind and drive me in same 513 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put handcuffs on my thought. This is what 514 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 1: he said in Philippians chapter four. He says, for what 515 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,399 Speaker 1: sever things are lovely, what sever things are honest? If 516 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: that being a virtue, if that be any praise, Think 517 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 1: on these things, and the peace of God, which passes 518 00:35:36,239 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: all understanding, shall keep your He says peace. Then if 519 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:46,160 Speaker 1: your thoughts are right, peace becomes a military guard and 520 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: stands in front of your mind to prevent anything that's 521 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:55,240 Speaker 1: diabolic from getting into your mind. Isaiah twenty six three says, 522 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:58,919 Speaker 1: for if we keep our minds stayed on him, He'll 523 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 1: keep us in peri peace. When I grew up in Georgia, 524 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: the old people would sing a song. I woke up 525 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:08,600 Speaker 1: this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus. You got 526 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,520 Speaker 1: to declare to the ternet, you will not have my mind. 527 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 1: I will focus my mind and my thoughts and my affections. 528 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: Let me share something very personal with you. Five years ago, 529 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,440 Speaker 1: I went through the most Six years ago, I went 530 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:29,200 Speaker 1: through the most traumatic season of my life. Here's what happened. 531 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: One week my godmother died. I was expecting them. The 532 00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: next week, my mother died and didn't tell when she 533 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,439 Speaker 1: was leaving. Three days after my mother died, my best 534 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 1: friend from college died literally one hour after he helped 535 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:50,200 Speaker 1: me plan my mother's funeral. He had a massive heart attack. 536 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 1: Three weeks after my mother died, my sister died. So 537 00:36:55,560 --> 00:37:01,319 Speaker 1: I want you just imagine planning four funerals, picking out 538 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: four caskets, and having to deliver four eulogies for the 539 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: closest people in my life in less than thirty days. 540 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,239 Speaker 1: Five days after bearing my sister, my brother had a 541 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:17,680 Speaker 1: massive stroke and the doctor said it's because there's something 542 00:37:17,719 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: that's called broken heart syndrome. I never knew broken heart syndrome. 543 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:25,680 Speaker 1: Here I am the man of faith. Here I am 544 00:37:25,719 --> 00:37:29,879 Speaker 1: the preacher demand of God. Here I'm the one who's 545 00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:33,960 Speaker 1: always comedic, always a clown, always joking. Here I'm the 546 00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:39,520 Speaker 1: one who always is hopeful, and yet there's no hope. 547 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:43,080 Speaker 1: I couldn't even read the word of God. I couldn't 548 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: even I didn't want to hear it. I didn't want 549 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:47,759 Speaker 1: to hear people tell me your mother's in a better place. 550 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:50,120 Speaker 1: I want I want it to literally go tayekwondo on 551 00:37:50,239 --> 00:37:53,000 Speaker 1: anybody who told me she's in a better place. Don't cry. 552 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 1: I know she's in a better place. I'm not hurt 553 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,479 Speaker 1: the cause of where she is. I'm hurting me because 554 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: of where she's not. Please miss me with that before 555 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,799 Speaker 1: I chop you right in your throat. I was so discouraged. 556 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,800 Speaker 1: I was so depressed. I was so stressed. I couldn't 557 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 1: go to the bed. I shut my calendar down. They 558 00:38:08,320 --> 00:38:10,080 Speaker 1: said passing, when you come back to preach, I said, 559 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,440 Speaker 1: never rear. I didn't know if I'd ever preach again. 560 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:15,920 Speaker 1: I was just so broken. I was so broken to 561 00:38:16,040 --> 00:38:19,680 Speaker 1: this very day, my family. I still have my mother's 562 00:38:19,719 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 1: messages on my phone. I will never delete them. I 563 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 1: just every now and they just want to hear a voice, 564 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:28,239 Speaker 1: and I just it's an old message. I just will 565 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:30,520 Speaker 1: play it just to hear a voice. And I had 566 00:38:30,560 --> 00:38:33,720 Speaker 1: to eventually go and get therapy. It took me about 567 00:38:33,719 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: eighteen months to kind of find some sense of balance, 568 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:38,759 Speaker 1: and I'm still not where I want to be now. 569 00:38:38,960 --> 00:38:42,279 Speaker 1: Mother's Day I cry all day. My mother's birthday, I'm sick. 570 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: I know she's in heaven. Holidays don't quite feel the same. 571 00:38:45,239 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 1: And now I understand that grief is the price that 572 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:54,239 Speaker 1: I pay for love. But I was so broken, so disheveled, discombobulated, 573 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,279 Speaker 1: and didn't know what I was gonna do. And the 574 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 1: enemy kept telling me, you pray for so many other people. 575 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,440 Speaker 1: You seen God perform miracles for others, Why didn't he 576 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,719 Speaker 1: do it for you? Will people believe in faith in you? 577 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: I was so hurt, And do men favor? Do mel 578 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:11,239 Speaker 1: favor before you criticize me for my vulnerability. Don't you 579 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:13,719 Speaker 1: ever criticize some person's steps if you haven't walked in 580 00:39:13,719 --> 00:39:17,400 Speaker 1: their shoes. I was just I was just broken. I 581 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:22,080 Speaker 1: really was. I'd never been that broken in my entire life. 582 00:39:22,600 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: But you know what I've begun to get back out 583 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:27,279 Speaker 1: and push the word of God. Stop traveling because I 584 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 1: just didn't feel the six that the enemy had me 585 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: to believe that it is that any efficacy in your preaching. 586 00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 1: But you know why I'm here because when I got 587 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,920 Speaker 1: this Charlotte, when I came to Charlotte today my goodness 588 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:44,239 Speaker 1: and got the elevation in church today, I understand this. 589 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 1: I am thankful that in my worst season of my life, 590 00:39:50,120 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 1: God kept my mind. Oh yes, God, and has transformed 591 00:39:57,480 --> 00:40:01,760 Speaker 1: and it's transforming my mind. Am I talking to anybody 592 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:05,400 Speaker 1: who's gone through something that's been so traumatic that you 593 00:40:05,640 --> 00:40:08,600 Speaker 1: thought you would put your shoes on your hands and 594 00:40:08,640 --> 00:40:12,400 Speaker 1: your socks on your head. But somehow today you in 595 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:15,680 Speaker 1: worship today giving God the glory because in the worst 596 00:40:15,800 --> 00:40:19,520 Speaker 1: moments of your life, we serve a God who can 597 00:40:19,600 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: renew and who can keep your mind. Y'all got to 598 00:40:24,160 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 1: excuse me. I feel the Holy Ghost right here. Can 599 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:32,160 Speaker 1: I tell you something some of you shot over money, calls, cash, clothes, 600 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:34,759 Speaker 1: and creature comforts. This morning, I want to thank God. 601 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,040 Speaker 1: I'll have five reasons to thank God. Can I give 602 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: my quick five reasons why I want to thank God? 603 00:40:38,760 --> 00:40:45,520 Speaker 1: Number one, he kept my mind. Number two, he kept 604 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 1: my mind. Number three, he kept my mind. Number four, 605 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:57,440 Speaker 1: He kept my mind number five, He kept my mind. 606 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,200 Speaker 1: Is it keeping your mind? If you kept your mind, 607 00:41:01,600 --> 00:41:04,600 Speaker 1: come on and get out from y'all praise and gold 608 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:18,640 Speaker 1: litten word and so let him transform, Let him transform 609 00:41:18,760 --> 00:41:23,919 Speaker 1: your mind, let him make your mind new. And Jesus listen. 610 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: So I got one more thing to tell Please take 611 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:27,759 Speaker 1: you sees one more thing to tell you, hallelujah. If 612 00:41:27,760 --> 00:41:34,120 Speaker 1: you're gonna glify God upward presentation backwards from conformation? In 613 00:41:34,280 --> 00:41:38,319 Speaker 1: what transformation? Well full find Finally, if we're gonna growify God, 614 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:44,480 Speaker 1: that must be the outward demonstration. I'm done. Somebody say 615 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:48,279 Speaker 1: outward demonstration first too, and be not conformed to this world, 616 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:51,399 Speaker 1: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, 617 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:56,440 Speaker 1: that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable 618 00:41:56,520 --> 00:41:59,840 Speaker 1: and perfect will of God. That word that's prove Is 619 00:41:59,880 --> 00:42:05,000 Speaker 1: it interesting because it's translated from two perspectives. I want 620 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:10,320 Speaker 1: you to prove that's verb verb the verb form. Prove 621 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,520 Speaker 1: to do it actively, pursue it to ascertain the will 622 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: of God. E groups, you've proven the will, Bible study 623 00:42:18,520 --> 00:42:23,840 Speaker 1: proven the will, worship, we actively prove the will. But 624 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:28,560 Speaker 1: many commentators suggest that the best understanding of this is 625 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:32,320 Speaker 1: not in the verb form of prove, but the noun 626 00:42:32,640 --> 00:42:37,560 Speaker 1: form what what do you mean? Verb you go and 627 00:42:37,760 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: do it? Verb you go and prove it. Now you 628 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 1: become proof of it. So once we have proven the will, 629 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:58,919 Speaker 1: now we become proof of what his will is. Okay, 630 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:01,160 Speaker 1: let me let me close by. Get this story. That's 631 00:43:01,200 --> 00:43:05,520 Speaker 1: a man in California. His name is Michael Needaw in Edow. 632 00:43:07,120 --> 00:43:10,760 Speaker 1: He is an attorney, a physician, and also a minister 633 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 1: in some a former minister in some group. Well. Now 634 00:43:13,719 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: he's an atheist and he filed litigation against the ninth 635 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 1: District in California because, as an atheist, he felt that 636 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:27,880 Speaker 1: his daughter, who's in public school, was subjected to the 637 00:43:27,960 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: clause one Nation under God in the Pledge of Allegiance. 638 00:43:32,719 --> 00:43:36,439 Speaker 1: He sued the local knife districts in California and he won. 639 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:41,440 Speaker 1: He won because they said the word God in a public, 640 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:48,120 Speaker 1: publicly funded institution is a violation of his his constitutional rights. 641 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:52,720 Speaker 1: He won. The only reason that it did not change 642 00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:56,520 Speaker 1: was because it has federal implications. Because public schools received 643 00:43:56,560 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 1: federal dollars. They went to the Supreme Court about this, 644 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:05,640 Speaker 1: and Supreme Court agreed some years ago with his claim. 645 00:44:06,400 --> 00:44:08,560 Speaker 1: The only reason they didn't make changes at that time, 646 00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:10,840 Speaker 1: they said, was because he didn't have legal custom of 647 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:14,520 Speaker 1: his daughter. But what he says now, he's going back 648 00:44:14,560 --> 00:44:17,480 Speaker 1: to get some more atheists like him. They're going back 649 00:44:17,520 --> 00:44:22,239 Speaker 1: to Supreme Court to delete one nation under God from 650 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 1: the pleasure of allegiance. Then once he does that, he 651 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:29,799 Speaker 1: says he's going after currency, after money. Your dollar bill 652 00:44:29,880 --> 00:44:32,480 Speaker 1: has on the back of it in God we trust. 653 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:36,720 Speaker 1: So why would the government produce something that has God? 654 00:44:37,239 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: Is that a separation between God and government? And somebody 655 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:43,120 Speaker 1: interviewed this clown, I mean interviewed this food, I mean 656 00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:48,359 Speaker 1: interview this man. Excuse me, and they ask him why 657 00:44:48,520 --> 00:44:53,279 Speaker 1: is he so adamant about getting rid of God? Here's 658 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: what he said. He said, I am upset with the 659 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:59,840 Speaker 1: faith community because if God is who they say he is, 660 00:45:00,440 --> 00:45:03,880 Speaker 1: here's my problem. Where's the proof. You can't even periodically 661 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:05,560 Speaker 1: observe him. You can't put him onder a crucible of 662 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:08,560 Speaker 1: experimentation and investigation, can't observe them with the five senses. 663 00:45:08,680 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 1: He says, if anybody who's a believer can offer me 664 00:45:12,080 --> 00:45:15,279 Speaker 1: proof that this God is who you say is. Then 665 00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:17,759 Speaker 1: maybe I'll stop, but I will not stop until I 666 00:45:17,800 --> 00:45:23,160 Speaker 1: get proof. I thought about something this morning. Maybe I'll 667 00:45:23,280 --> 00:45:27,600 Speaker 1: go to East Atlanta and get some of my saves, 668 00:45:27,800 --> 00:45:33,120 Speaker 1: cousins who still got some hood in them, and you 669 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: guys go drop Mecklenburg County and those of you who 670 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 1: can be hood and holy simultaneously, and we all dress 671 00:45:38,800 --> 00:45:41,680 Speaker 1: up in some black garments with black bandanas around our heads. 672 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:44,440 Speaker 1: And when that court case convenes, we bust up in 673 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,280 Speaker 1: that Supreme Court court room say hey, sir, we heard 674 00:45:49,040 --> 00:45:53,160 Speaker 1: that you were looking for some proof that God is 675 00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:57,080 Speaker 1: who God says God is, Sir, if you need some proof, 676 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:07,040 Speaker 1: you know what I got an idea when I was 677 00:46:07,120 --> 00:46:10,640 Speaker 1: in undergrad. I was in pre law, and in pre law, 678 00:46:10,719 --> 00:46:14,880 Speaker 1: we would have prop mock trials to prepare us for courtroom. 679 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,279 Speaker 1: Thank you hold the spirit I want today. I want 680 00:46:17,360 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 1: us to have a mock trial to prepare for with 681 00:46:20,120 --> 00:46:22,320 Speaker 1: him that court case is gonna convene. I want you 682 00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,759 Speaker 1: to imagine with me as I close, that God is 683 00:46:24,880 --> 00:46:31,200 Speaker 1: on trial. The Charubles are the justices. The twelve tribes 684 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:38,439 Speaker 1: of Israel are the jurors. God is the defendant. Mister 685 00:46:38,560 --> 00:46:42,240 Speaker 1: Needhole is the plaintiff. I was trying to get somebody 686 00:46:42,239 --> 00:46:44,120 Speaker 1: to come with me today and represent God, but nobody 687 00:46:44,200 --> 00:46:47,160 Speaker 1: was available. So if you allow me, I'm gonna represent God. 688 00:46:48,040 --> 00:46:50,520 Speaker 1: I'm gonna be God's defense attorney. Just imagine this with men, 689 00:46:50,719 --> 00:46:52,680 Speaker 1: and today we're in the courtroom. We're not an elevation 690 00:46:52,719 --> 00:46:55,800 Speaker 1: in the courtroom in DC, and we're going that courtroom. 691 00:46:56,000 --> 00:47:01,919 Speaker 1: And they have accused my client God of being a fictitious, 692 00:47:02,040 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: abstract metal physical ambiguity. They have accused my God of 693 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:08,560 Speaker 1: not being real. I'm gonna defend it, but I can't 694 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:11,400 Speaker 1: defend him without any evidence, any proof. So in a 695 00:47:11,480 --> 00:47:13,239 Speaker 1: moment when they call for me, I'm gonna offer into 696 00:47:13,280 --> 00:47:17,080 Speaker 1: evidence five exhibits. And if these exhibits fits you, I 697 00:47:17,160 --> 00:47:19,640 Speaker 1: want you to stand, remain standing and shout as loud 698 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:21,960 Speaker 1: as you can. I'm proof. I'm evidence. So you already 699 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:24,920 Speaker 1: all right? Cord And says Hue, I am E Dewey Smith, 700 00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:29,000 Speaker 1: and I brought some evidence with me from Charlotte, North Carolina. 701 00:47:29,480 --> 00:47:31,920 Speaker 1: Your honors, let me off into evidence exhibits A through 702 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:35,400 Speaker 1: E they will authenticate that my client is guilty of 703 00:47:35,520 --> 00:47:38,879 Speaker 1: being God. Your honest let me off into evidence. Exhibit A. Yes, 704 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:42,120 Speaker 1: Exhibit A. These are the people who've had ailments before, 705 00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:46,080 Speaker 1: they've been sick in their bodies. But my client was 706 00:47:46,200 --> 00:47:51,040 Speaker 1: Jehovah Rophi. My client was Jehovah Rathaka and healed their bodies. 707 00:47:51,600 --> 00:47:54,719 Speaker 1: I need exhibit A to stand. Just exhibit A. Just 708 00:47:54,840 --> 00:47:58,160 Speaker 1: stand and shout it. I'm proof, keep standing, I'm evidence 709 00:47:58,680 --> 00:48:01,880 Speaker 1: Exhibit B, your honor. These are the people who've been 710 00:48:02,040 --> 00:48:05,640 Speaker 1: broke before. They didn't have any money, but my client 711 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:09,400 Speaker 1: push Jehovah zirah. How did an exhibit be the standing shot? 712 00:48:09,800 --> 00:48:15,200 Speaker 1: I'm proof exhibit see. These are the people who should 713 00:48:15,239 --> 00:48:18,600 Speaker 1: have been crazy by now, but my client caretul in 714 00:48:18,680 --> 00:48:21,160 Speaker 1: that right mind. How did the exhibit see the shot? 715 00:48:21,239 --> 00:48:25,680 Speaker 1: I'm proof exhibitdeed. These are the people who've been depressed. 716 00:48:26,040 --> 00:48:30,360 Speaker 1: They go through divorce, death and devastation where they can testify. 717 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:36,879 Speaker 1: There ain't nobody do me like Jesus. Exhibit E. You're 718 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:39,439 Speaker 1: on a deed of the ones who had Internet shop. 719 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:43,880 Speaker 1: But they can testify. If God be for you, who 720 00:48:45,200 --> 00:48:48,560 Speaker 1: can be? I gets you? Now? Do me one favored 721 00:48:48,600 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: Look at a neighbor, saying neighbor, Just in case you 722 00:48:52,800 --> 00:48:56,680 Speaker 1: want to see somebody there who is a proof and 723 00:48:56,760 --> 00:49:01,960 Speaker 1: who wants to jerk Dard Glory look norf look at 724 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:11,080 Speaker 1: me time aletty task about it? Say that, you say that? 725 00:49:12,360 --> 00:49:23,360 Speaker 1: Say say well. If you enjoyed today's podcast, there are 726 00:49:23,400 --> 00:49:25,160 Speaker 1: a couple of things I'd love for you to do. 727 00:49:25,400 --> 00:49:29,680 Speaker 1: Make sure to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast. You 728 00:49:29,760 --> 00:49:32,160 Speaker 1: can also help us reach others by investing today at 729 00:49:32,200 --> 00:49:35,759 Speaker 1: Elevation Church dot org. Slash GiB and thanks again for 730 00:49:35,920 --> 00:49:37,800 Speaker 1: joining us on the Elevation Podcast.