WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.980 I feel like there's a refreshing spirit in this 00:00:04.980 --> 00:00:11.939 place that wants to give people something perhaps 00:00:11.939 --> 00:00:15.880 that they haven't had in a while, and that is 00:00:15.880 --> 00:00:30.640 the gift of hope. Hope. Hope deferred. makes 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:38.520 the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:48.820 tree of life. Praise God. He wants to give people 00:00:48.820 --> 00:00:56.500 hope. I'd like you to turn with me to Ephesians 00:00:56.500 --> 00:01:09.859 chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 hallelujah hallelujah 00:01:09.859 --> 00:01:17.099 Paul in Ephesians chapter 1 offers one of what 00:01:17.099 --> 00:01:22.939 we have come to call the apostolic prayers and 00:01:22.939 --> 00:01:25.519 they are places in the New Testament where the 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:29.840 Apostles Many by Paul in his letters, but others 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:34.859 as well, actually pray prayers for the church 00:01:34.859 --> 00:01:41.719 that are powerful. And this is one of them. And 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:45.299 in verse 16, he says, I have not stopped giving 00:01:45.299 --> 00:01:49.920 thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:57.400 Remembering you in my prayers. I believe... that 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:03.640 God is calling our church to a new season. And 00:02:03.640 --> 00:02:08.979 part of that new season is fanning prayer into 00:02:08.979 --> 00:02:15.740 flame. I want you to join me in prayer. There's 00:02:15.740 --> 00:02:19.139 an act of obedience that God has called me to. 00:02:19.700 --> 00:02:24.060 And in fact, I don't think it was an audible 00:02:24.060 --> 00:02:26.900 voice, but it felt like one. I've never heard 00:02:26.900 --> 00:02:30.740 the audible voice of God. It felt like one because 00:02:30.740 --> 00:02:33.560 I was sleeping, and I was in that place where 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:36.759 I was half asleep and half awake. Have you ever 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:39.460 been there when, and God sometimes can speak 00:02:39.460 --> 00:02:42.539 to you. Now sometimes it can just be your own 00:02:42.539 --> 00:02:45.560 imagination. You need discernment in it for sure, 00:02:45.599 --> 00:02:48.699 but God can speak to you in that place. And there 00:02:48.699 --> 00:02:53.099 I was and I felt the Lord speak to me and say 00:02:53.099 --> 00:02:59.199 this, mobilize the seniors in the region to pray. 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:05.439 And I woke up and I felt that just. go into me 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:10.599 just and something is going to happen. A movement 00:03:10.599 --> 00:03:15.860 that goes way beyond this house that mobilizes 00:03:15.860 --> 00:03:18.219 people that thought that they were forgotten. 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:23.180 And God brought me to Simeon and to Anna in the 00:03:23.180 --> 00:03:27.240 New Testament that were waiting for God to work 00:03:27.240 --> 00:03:31.800 that had given themselves for in one case. decades 00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:36.520 had been giving themselves to prayer and God 00:03:36.520 --> 00:03:39.860 wants to mobilize people that thought that they 00:03:39.860 --> 00:03:44.599 were forgotten to re -engage in the kingdom in 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:49.840 an assignment that they can fulfill. Intercession. 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:56.400 And so I feel like God is about to bring us into 00:03:56.400 --> 00:03:59.379 a new season. And I just throw that out there 00:03:59.379 --> 00:04:01.520 for you to pray with me because I don't know 00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:04.000 what that's gonna look like yet. But I believe 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:07.620 that God is gonna mobilize seniors. One reason, 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:12.000 because seniors have time. Another reason because 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.759 seniors have seen God work and move. But this 00:04:15.759 --> 00:04:20.240 is not to get together and reminisce about the 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:26.040 old days. It's not to get together and to just 00:04:26.040 --> 00:04:29.839 talk about all of the difficulties that we're 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:32.699 having as seniors. You know, the older I get, 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:35.779 the more people talk about their body functions. 00:04:41.800 --> 00:04:54.319 Am I wrong? You what? The other side. Organ recital. 00:04:55.060 --> 00:05:01.339 Organ recital. Oh, recycle, recycle. Oh, yeah, 00:05:01.339 --> 00:05:11.420 yeah, yeah. This and that. But I want to see 00:05:11.639 --> 00:05:14.959 I want to see seniors help usher in the new move 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:19.399 of God for the next generation, for their generation, 00:05:19.540 --> 00:05:23.600 but for the next generation. I believe a key 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:27.500 to what God is doing is the older generation 00:05:27.500 --> 00:05:32.060 imparting into the younger generation. Amen? 00:05:32.920 --> 00:05:37.259 Amen? Praise God. And so he says, I remember 00:05:37.259 --> 00:05:40.920 you in my prayers. How many of you prayed for 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:46.160 Faith Church this week? Oh, wow. Look at that. 00:05:46.459 --> 00:05:49.420 Look at that. That is incredible. You don't know 00:05:49.420 --> 00:05:53.439 how encouraged I am right now because this is 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:57.240 the reason God is working, because people are 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:01.850 praying. Hallelujah. as we increase prayer for 00:06:01.850 --> 00:06:05.449 one another for the church God begins to move 00:06:05.449 --> 00:06:08.889 in power and he begins to do incredible things 00:06:08.889 --> 00:06:12.889 I have not stopped giving thanks to you remembering 00:06:12.889 --> 00:06:16.930 you in my prayer hallelujah Connie do you want 00:06:16.930 --> 00:06:20.850 to share your testimony come on up here I want 00:06:20.850 --> 00:06:24.209 Connie to share what what happened in her life 00:06:24.209 --> 00:06:30.660 recently and this happens because of prayer At 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:32.879 the first of the year I told the Lord I really 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.339 want to dig in I want to know him more and Deeper 00:06:36.339 --> 00:06:38.980 and one thing I was praying was God your perfect 00:06:38.980 --> 00:06:42.000 love casts out all my fear And I didn't have 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.079 any particular fear at that time But it I just 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:47.480 wanted to pray that over and over after I prayed 00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:50.680 it for a few months I was having trouble with 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:54.069 my eye And they took a picture of it and said, 00:06:54.189 --> 00:06:57.029 my ocular nerve is swollen, which is usually 00:06:57.029 --> 00:07:02.009 a sign of MS. So he sent me to a neurologist. 00:07:02.370 --> 00:07:04.670 And they took all sorts of pictures and stuff. 00:07:05.149 --> 00:07:07.050 And he said, I want you to take one more test. 00:07:07.430 --> 00:07:10.069 It's a lumbar puncture. And then I'll decide 00:07:10.069 --> 00:07:13.009 definitely that you have MS. I said, so there's 00:07:13.009 --> 00:07:16.209 a chance? He said, no, there's no chance. He 00:07:16.209 --> 00:07:18.170 said, well, next time you come in, we'll discuss 00:07:18.170 --> 00:07:21.990 medicine and our treatment plan. And what he 00:07:21.990 --> 00:07:24.029 didn't know was I served the great physician 00:07:24.029 --> 00:07:28.529 and I have wonderful Christian praying friends 00:07:28.529 --> 00:07:34.589 and I had no fear and I think Lord had been preparing 00:07:34.589 --> 00:07:37.810 me all that time and I had no fear and I went 00:07:37.810 --> 00:07:40.230 into the thing I took my son and we were sitting 00:07:40.230 --> 00:07:42.189 there and the doctor opens the thing and he looked 00:07:42.189 --> 00:07:48.290 at it and he said Your spinal fluid is clear 00:07:48.860 --> 00:07:51.100 He looked at it again and he was reading and 00:07:51.100 --> 00:08:00.240 he goes you don't have any sign of MS Come on 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:10.120 give God a shout of praise. Yeah Hallelujah Oh, 00:08:10.259 --> 00:08:11.899 glory to God. Now, we don't know if she just 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:14.259 never had it or if God healed her from it, but 00:08:14.259 --> 00:08:18.220 she's had symptoms. And we're believing, we're 00:08:18.220 --> 00:08:21.339 believing in this house for an increase in miracles 00:08:21.339 --> 00:08:24.379 and for God to be touched. Two weeks ago, on 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:26.779 Monday, I got a bunch of texts that people forwarded 00:08:26.779 --> 00:08:29.199 me. There was a back that was healed. There was 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:31.339 a shoulder that was healed. There was something 00:08:31.339 --> 00:08:34.820 else, a hand, a hand that was healed right, right 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:38.519 down there, right down there. God is touching 00:08:38.519 --> 00:08:42.919 people in small ways and in big ways in things 00:08:42.919 --> 00:08:46.080 that only He can do. And do you know why that 00:08:46.080 --> 00:08:57.539 happens? Because we pray. Yes. Wow. Wow. Praise 00:08:57.539 --> 00:09:02.500 God. That's amazing. That's the power of God 00:09:02.500 --> 00:09:05.950 at work. And that's what Paul said. Paul said, 00:09:06.070 --> 00:09:07.789 when I came to you, brothers, I did not come 00:09:07.789 --> 00:09:13.269 with wise words of human wisdom. He didn't want 00:09:13.269 --> 00:09:17.690 their faith to rest upon his ability to persuade. 00:09:18.809 --> 00:09:21.970 Because friend, if you can be persuaded by words 00:09:21.970 --> 00:09:26.830 into Christianity, guess what? Somebody smarter 00:09:26.830 --> 00:09:30.210 is going to come along. and will persuade you 00:09:30.210 --> 00:09:34.289 with words out of Christianity. And Paul said, 00:09:34.909 --> 00:09:39.870 I don't wanna just give human words of wisdom. 00:09:40.220 --> 00:09:42.980 He said, I came to you. When I came, I came with 00:09:42.980 --> 00:09:47.240 a demonstration of the Spirit's power. Hallelujah. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:52.940 So that your faith might not rest merely on words 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:58.200 of teaching, but that your faith might rest upon 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:03.399 the power of God. Hallelujah. Oh, glory to God. 00:10:03.759 --> 00:10:06.590 My son. who's away from the Lord. One of the 00:10:06.590 --> 00:10:09.649 last things he said to me is, Dad, I could never 00:10:09.649 --> 00:10:15.669 deny God. I've seen too much. I've seen too much. 00:10:15.730 --> 00:10:18.809 Do you know what is in his heart? The demonstration 00:10:18.809 --> 00:10:23.330 of the Spirit's power. Glory to God. Okay, I 00:10:23.330 --> 00:10:26.809 gotta get to my word this morning. Because prayer 00:10:26.809 --> 00:10:30.720 is the foundation of it all. And it's no wonder 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:35.320 the enemy works so hard to keep you and to keep 00:10:35.320 --> 00:10:39.580 me out of the prayer closet. He works overtime 00:10:39.580 --> 00:10:43.919 to distract you and to keep you from praying. 00:10:44.220 --> 00:10:46.720 But we are in covenant relationship with one 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.480 another. And so we're praying for one another 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:52.620 and we're believing God. We are standing with 00:10:52.620 --> 00:10:56.519 you. We are standing with you. Amen? We are standing 00:10:56.519 --> 00:11:00.450 with you. Praise God. We're standing with each 00:11:00.450 --> 00:11:03.570 other glory to Jesus Joshua was in the valley 00:11:03.570 --> 00:11:06.470 fighting But Moses was up on the mountain with 00:11:06.470 --> 00:11:10.230 his hands raised up and as long as Moses continued 00:11:10.230 --> 00:11:13.690 with his hands raised up in intercession Joshua 00:11:13.690 --> 00:11:18.929 fighting the battle was victorious glory to God 00:11:18.929 --> 00:11:25.419 verse 17 This is my main text this morning And 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:27.480 I'm reading in the New International Version 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:32.259 today because of how this verse is phrased in 00:11:32.259 --> 00:11:37.519 verse 17. I keep asking that the God of our Lord 00:11:37.519 --> 00:11:42.419 Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you 00:11:42.419 --> 00:11:48.580 the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you 00:11:48.580 --> 00:11:55.259 may know Him better. Isn't that good? I want 00:11:55.259 --> 00:11:58.940 to I want to read that verse one more time I 00:11:58.940 --> 00:12:03.220 keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ 00:12:03.220 --> 00:12:07.879 the glorious father may give you the spirit of 00:12:07.879 --> 00:12:13.899 wisdom and revelation So that you might know 00:12:13.899 --> 00:12:22.120 him better This is called discipleship This is 00:12:22.120 --> 00:12:26.110 what it's all about Becoming a follower of Jesus 00:12:26.110 --> 00:12:32.529 Christ knowing him more and More now we're gonna 00:12:32.529 --> 00:12:36.149 talk about some keys to that and some some things 00:12:36.149 --> 00:12:40.610 that will happen as you know Jesus more and more 00:12:40.610 --> 00:12:43.789 Primarily we talk we just talked about miracles, 00:12:43.789 --> 00:12:49.850 but you know what we are not miracle chasers 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:59.779 Right We are not just after the latest goose 00:12:59.779 --> 00:13:05.519 bumps and We go through seasons as a church where 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:10.919 it feels like God isn't working as much in the 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:16.519 realm of miracles our Faith and our in our foundation 00:13:16.519 --> 00:13:23.760 and our pursuit Primarily is not miracles Our 00:13:23.760 --> 00:13:32.639 pursuit is Jesus the miracle worker Amen We are 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.539 not just looking to his hand We are looking in 00:13:36.539 --> 00:13:41.500 his face Amen Now as you have children you have 00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:44.179 children, you know, they often look to your hand 00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:50.639 Right. I want I need I wish Can I do this? Can 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:54.179 I do that? Can I have some money? You know what 00:13:54.179 --> 00:13:58.500 they're looking for? Your hand. And you know 00:13:58.500 --> 00:14:03.379 what? Your hand is a good thing. Aren't you glad 00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:05.700 your kids don't look to somebody else's hand? 00:14:06.779 --> 00:14:10.960 But they're looking to you. God designed family 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.399 for kids to look to the hand of their mom and 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:17.019 dad. But as they grow up, my daughter's birthday 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:22.720 was yesterday, and she turned 28. she's out she's 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.159 out west on the coast sitting by the ocean looking 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:32.700 at looking at not seals the bigger one not a 00:14:32.700 --> 00:14:40.759 walrus what'd you say no sea lion sea lion she 00:14:40.759 --> 00:14:45.240 was watching a sea lion swim in the ocean while 00:14:45.240 --> 00:14:47.720 she was talking with us it was awesome actually 00:14:49.230 --> 00:14:54.169 And you know what? She doesn't look at our hand 00:14:54.169 --> 00:14:59.730 anymore. You know what she does? She looks at 00:14:59.730 --> 00:15:04.269 our face. Because now it isn't about what mom 00:15:04.269 --> 00:15:08.350 and dad can do for her. It's about relationship. 00:15:10.009 --> 00:15:13.970 And we are in pursuit not of what Jesus can just 00:15:13.970 --> 00:15:22.000 do for us. But we are in pursuit Him Jesus I 00:15:22.000 --> 00:15:28.559 want to know you I Want to know you better I 00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:36.360 want to know you more Hallelujah Hallelujah There's 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:40.960 little ones in the house today And we can hear 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.639 them it's wonderful if you ever had a little 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:47.940 one That you try to lock eyes with that little 00:15:47.940 --> 00:15:51.740 one and it just looks everywhere else But doesn't 00:15:51.740 --> 00:15:54.120 it feel good when all the sudden they just stop 00:15:54.120 --> 00:16:00.600 and they just look at you. I love that Because 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:04.980 they see and so often times we're looking so 00:16:04.980 --> 00:16:10.539 many other places But God wants us to know him 00:16:12.460 --> 00:16:16.340 Do you understand the privilege that it is to 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:24.740 be invited to know Jesus? To walk in relationship 00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:32.159 with Jesus? To know God? This has been His heart 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:39.000 all along. He wants His people to know Him. Hallelujah. 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:43.519 Glory to God. Let me read to you some verses 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:51.240 John 17 verse 3 Now this is eternal life That 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:56.779 they know you The only true God and Jesus Christ 00:16:56.779 --> 00:17:01.899 whom you have sent This is eternal life that 00:17:01.899 --> 00:17:07.400 they know you The the scriptures honestly were 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:11.299 talking about what heaven is like. There is really 00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:13.960 not a lot of material in the Bible about what 00:17:13.960 --> 00:17:16.599 heaven is like. There is a little bit in Revelation, 00:17:17.019 --> 00:17:19.599 but people ask me all the time, is my pet going 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:22.839 to be in heaven? Am I going to have relationship 00:17:22.839 --> 00:17:27.339 with my spouse in heaven? Some of those answers 00:17:27.339 --> 00:17:30.740 are very obscure. There's a few verses. We don't 00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:36.349 know a lot. And so we know some things that are 00:17:36.349 --> 00:17:41.269 for sure about heaven, but this is eternal life. 00:17:42.130 --> 00:17:45.809 Not that you have been healed of this or that, 00:17:45.970 --> 00:17:50.710 not that you have gone through religious exercise, 00:17:50.910 --> 00:17:55.490 all of that. This is eternal life, that you know 00:17:55.490 --> 00:18:03.150 Jesus, that you are walking with Jesus. Hallelujah 00:18:03.150 --> 00:18:08.390 now Enoch did not know the Lord as Jesus because 00:18:08.390 --> 00:18:11.390 he hadn't been revealed the the Son of God has 00:18:11.390 --> 00:18:13.769 not had not been revealed until the New Testament 00:18:13.769 --> 00:18:20.029 as Jesus but Enoch in the book of Genesis has 00:18:20.029 --> 00:18:27.049 an incredible testimony and Enoch it says it 00:18:27.049 --> 00:18:31.799 says of Enoch that he Let me just read it to 00:18:31.799 --> 00:18:36.900 you. Genesis 5, 21. When Enoch had lived 65 years, 00:18:36.980 --> 00:18:40.579 he became the father of Methuselah. After he 00:18:40.579 --> 00:18:44.339 became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked 00:18:44.339 --> 00:18:51.259 faithfully with God for 300 years and had other 00:18:51.259 --> 00:18:55.160 sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a 00:18:55.160 --> 00:19:01.079 total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with 00:19:01.079 --> 00:19:06.200 God, and he was no more because God took him 00:19:06.200 --> 00:19:12.500 away. This is the substantive testimony that 00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:15.559 we have from Scripture about Enoch. There's some 00:19:15.559 --> 00:19:18.660 extra biblical works about Enoch, but in the 00:19:18.660 --> 00:19:23.160 Scriptures, this is what we have. Enoch walked 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:27.680 faithfully with God. Do you know what that sounds 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:34.519 like to me? That Enoch knew God. He had a relationship 00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:42.440 with God. Nothing else is revealed. All the testimonies 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:44.720 along the way of this happening and that happening 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:50.579 are not recorded. Just the fact that Enoch walked 00:19:50.579 --> 00:19:57.069 faithfully with God. Wouldn't that be awesome? 00:19:58.450 --> 00:20:00.650 Wouldn't that be awesome for that to be said 00:20:00.650 --> 00:20:06.450 about every person from faith church? That we 00:20:06.450 --> 00:20:11.470 walked faithfully with God Whatever else happens 00:20:11.470 --> 00:20:14.690 Whatever else takes place praise the Lord for 00:20:14.690 --> 00:20:20.150 it, but the people of faith church know God and 00:20:20.150 --> 00:20:24.799 They walk with him. Oh hallelujah How many of 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:29.480 you are on that journey? now listen knowing God 00:20:29.480 --> 00:20:35.640 and walking with God is incremental it is incremental 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:40.000 it is you start on the journey when you receive 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:44.420 him as your Lord and Savior and So you get on 00:20:44.420 --> 00:20:49.079 the path But then there is this growing in your 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:53.400 relationship with God an understanding of who 00:20:53.400 --> 00:20:56.960 he is that increases. And Paul knew this because 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:00.339 he experienced it in his own life. He thought 00:21:00.339 --> 00:21:03.359 that a relationship with Jesus, he thought that 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:06.680 all that was just cultish. In fact, he was trying 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:08.799 to squelch it out, but then guess what happened? 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:12.940 He met Jesus. He met Jesus on the road to Damascus 00:21:12.940 --> 00:21:16.440 and he went, whoa, I was wrong all this time. 00:21:16.740 --> 00:21:21.000 And he got on the road and he began a relationship 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.759 with Christ that increased and increased and 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:28.839 increased. And so as he is praying for the Ephesian 00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:32.660 church, he says, I am praying that you might 00:21:32.660 --> 00:21:40.440 know him. Better and better. More and more. And 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:44.359 that's my heart for you. Now I want to ask you, 00:21:44.500 --> 00:21:46.539 Christian, that, you know, how many of you have 00:21:46.539 --> 00:21:51.680 been a Christian for longer than 15 years? Okay. 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:57.140 Longer. So how many of you less than 15 years 00:21:57.140 --> 00:22:00.609 have been walking with Jesus? Okay, fewer hands 00:22:00.609 --> 00:22:05.089 are up. This is a church of a lot of established 00:22:05.089 --> 00:22:09.789 believers. When you are an established believer, 00:22:10.470 --> 00:22:18.490 it can become easier to coast. Right? It can 00:22:18.490 --> 00:22:21.910 become easier to just rely on the fact, well, 00:22:22.130 --> 00:22:25.750 I'm in it now. I'll be in it. I know I'll be 00:22:25.750 --> 00:22:32.670 in it. And you quit. having expectation of increased 00:22:32.670 --> 00:22:36.950 relationship with Jesus. The newer you are in 00:22:36.950 --> 00:22:39.549 the faith the easier it is to get excited about 00:22:39.549 --> 00:22:45.410 every little thing that you discover. But Paul 00:22:45.410 --> 00:22:49.519 did not allow that to be part of his life. In 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:51.740 fact, at the end of his life, I don't have this 00:22:51.740 --> 00:22:54.319 in my notes, I don't have the exact scripture 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:57.359 reference this morning, but at the end of his 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:04.559 life, he said, I want to know Christ. Sharing 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:10.319 in the sufferings of fellowship, of everything 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.200 that Paul had experienced, he was still pressing 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:19.240 into more of God. I want something fresh to come 00:23:19.240 --> 00:23:22.599 on you today that will say, Jesus, there's more 00:23:22.599 --> 00:23:25.980 of you for me to have. There's more of you for 00:23:25.980 --> 00:23:31.059 me to know. There's more of you. And so I'm believing 00:23:31.059 --> 00:23:34.480 for something fresh. Perhaps you feel like you've 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:37.859 stagnated in your walk with God. The Lord wants 00:23:37.859 --> 00:23:41.079 to jumpstart you this morning, and He wants to 00:23:41.079 --> 00:23:44.460 get you going. Hallelujah. And He wants to get 00:23:44.460 --> 00:23:48.140 you seeking and pressing in and having expectation 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:53.039 of Him again. Hallelujah. Jeremiah chapter 9 00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:00.049 says this. This is what the Lord says, nor the 00:24:00.049 --> 00:24:03.289 strong boast of their strength, or the rich boast 00:24:03.289 --> 00:24:06.190 of their riches." Now, let me tell you something. 00:24:06.569 --> 00:24:13.569 This is all things God does. Okay? God gives 00:24:13.569 --> 00:24:17.950 wisdom, right? But let not the wise boast of 00:24:17.950 --> 00:24:24.789 that wisdom. God gives strength, right? He gives 00:24:24.789 --> 00:24:29.609 strength. Isaiah 40, it's the promise. They that 00:24:29.609 --> 00:24:33.089 wait upon the Lord shall renew there When you 00:24:33.089 --> 00:24:35.730 got that word from the doctor Connie, did you 00:24:35.730 --> 00:24:41.349 feel strength come into you? Yes Strength comes 00:24:41.349 --> 00:24:44.750 from God. It's something that we need but let 00:24:44.750 --> 00:24:51.369 not the strong boast of their strength or the 00:24:51.369 --> 00:24:55.869 rich boast of their riches is there anybody in 00:24:55.869 --> 00:25:00.759 this room that got wealth from Somewhere else 00:25:00.759 --> 00:25:08.720 than from the Lord. It all comes from him. Right? 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:14.039 These are things that God gives. He gives wisdom. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:18.019 He gives strength. He gives riches. Oh, but let 00:25:18.019 --> 00:25:22.779 us not boast in that. Let's not boast in those 00:25:22.779 --> 00:25:26.619 outward fruits of our relationship with God. 00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:32.369 But let the one who boasts boast about this that 00:25:32.369 --> 00:25:40.049 they have the understanding to know me that I 00:25:40.049 --> 00:25:48.250 am the Lord who exercises kindness and justice 00:25:48.250 --> 00:25:56.109 and righteousness on the earth for in these I 00:25:56.109 --> 00:26:05.170 delight If you're gonna boast, make this your 00:26:05.170 --> 00:26:11.089 boast. God's given me understanding to know Him. 00:26:13.329 --> 00:26:18.549 And I've discovered that He is good. And that 00:26:18.549 --> 00:26:37.200 He is kind. And that He loves people. Lord, you 00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:47.000 are here in this moment right now. Do you know 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:52.279 that one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:58.059 enable you to know God? Do you think He's big 00:26:58.059 --> 00:27:10.599 enough to do His job? Yeah? Let me read a verse 00:27:10.599 --> 00:27:15.819 from 1 John chapter 5. Verse 20 says, we know 00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:21.660 also that the Son of God has come and has given 00:27:21.660 --> 00:27:28.240 us understanding so that we might know Him who 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:37.400 is true. And we are in Him who is true by being 00:27:37.400 --> 00:27:45.329 in His Son Jesus Christ He is the true God and 00:27:45.329 --> 00:27:57.569 eternal life If you don't know how to increase 00:27:57.569 --> 00:28:00.609 in your relationship with God guess what you 00:28:00.609 --> 00:28:07.769 can do You can ask God to help you Lord give 00:28:07.769 --> 00:28:11.910 me understanding of who you are Do you think 00:28:11.910 --> 00:28:14.950 that if you pray that that God will answer it? 00:28:15.609 --> 00:28:20.730 He certainly will Lord my prayer this morning 00:28:20.730 --> 00:28:23.809 isn't that you would bless me or that you would 00:28:23.809 --> 00:28:28.130 heal me or that you would provide for me My prayer 00:28:28.130 --> 00:28:31.410 this morning is that you would help me Understand 00:28:31.410 --> 00:28:35.589 you more Do you think that God will answer that 00:28:35.589 --> 00:28:40.869 prayer throughout your day? Oh, He will. He will. 00:28:42.009 --> 00:28:44.750 He doesn't just want to do things for you. He 00:28:44.750 --> 00:28:48.970 wants to walk with you. More than that, He wants 00:28:48.970 --> 00:28:57.609 you to walk with Him. Hallelujah. There's a difference, 00:28:57.609 --> 00:29:01.920 you know. We find that out every time we go to 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:06.700 Kickapoo Park Because the sign there's a sign 00:29:06.700 --> 00:29:13.920 on the gate that says walkers go this way Well, 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:20.539 which of us Kami or myself Do you think is more 00:29:20.539 --> 00:29:27.819 of the rule follower? So which way do you think 00:29:27.819 --> 00:29:38.279 I want to go? I want to go left every time. Do 00:29:38.279 --> 00:29:42.740 you know what I discover in that moment? I discover 00:29:42.740 --> 00:29:46.279 this, she's not walking with me, I'm walking 00:29:46.279 --> 00:29:50.579 with her. Because she goes this way to follow 00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:58.849 the rules and which way do you think I go? You 00:29:58.849 --> 00:30:03.230 know sometimes we say Jesus I Want you to walk 00:30:03.230 --> 00:30:06.750 with me, but there is a difference when we say 00:30:06.750 --> 00:30:13.130 Lord I Want to walk with you There is a yieldedness 00:30:13.130 --> 00:30:20.970 There is a humility There is a willingness Hallelujah 00:30:20.970 --> 00:30:30.490 Hallelujah now So we want to know the Lord. Three 00:30:30.490 --> 00:30:34.069 things that need to happen. These are my three 00:30:34.069 --> 00:30:41.970 points. One minute for each point. Jesse is laughing 00:30:41.970 --> 00:30:52.869 at me. Verse 18. I pray that the eyes of your 00:30:52.869 --> 00:30:56.700 heart might be enlightened. Linda prayed this 00:30:56.700 --> 00:31:00.700 this morning in prayer Lord let the eyes of our 00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:06.700 heart be enlightened You have eyes in your spirit 00:31:06.700 --> 00:31:09.660 that go beyond your physical eyes isn't that 00:31:09.660 --> 00:31:13.660 right brother bill we have eyes in our spirit 00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:17.079 and Those are the eyes that are blinded before 00:31:17.079 --> 00:31:20.400 we come to the Lord But when we come to the Lord 00:31:20.400 --> 00:31:24.200 just like Saul our spiritual eyes are opened 00:31:24.910 --> 00:31:29.049 And Paul is praying for the believers, and he's 00:31:29.049 --> 00:31:34.349 saying, God, keep their eyes open. And what are 00:31:34.349 --> 00:31:39.730 they open for? May be enlightened in order that 00:31:39.730 --> 00:31:45.369 you might know the hope to which he has called 00:31:45.369 --> 00:31:52.349 you. Hope. Hope. Now the verse says other things. 00:31:52.750 --> 00:31:57.369 But I want to focus on this because we live in 00:31:57.369 --> 00:32:03.170 a hopeless world. But Jesus wants his people 00:32:03.170 --> 00:32:09.529 to walk in hope and victory. And that can happen, 00:32:09.710 --> 00:32:12.269 friend, this morning because our hope is not 00:32:12.269 --> 00:32:15.869 rooted in temporal things. Our hope is rooted 00:32:15.869 --> 00:32:19.730 in eternity. Glory to God. Our hope is rooted 00:32:19.730 --> 00:32:23.529 on where we're headed. Hallelujah Cathy's looking 00:32:23.529 --> 00:32:26.670 at her watch am I over a minute? I'm over a minute 00:32:26.670 --> 00:32:34.569 already God wants to restore hope to his people 00:32:34.569 --> 00:32:38.410 Shake your neighbor right now and say God wants 00:32:38.410 --> 00:32:42.849 you to walk in hope Glory to God. He wants you 00:32:42.849 --> 00:32:46.049 to walk in hope. He wants you to walk in victory 00:32:46.329 --> 00:32:49.549 Not because of your circumstance in fact the 00:32:49.549 --> 00:32:52.750 glory of the church is that we don't lose our 00:32:52.750 --> 00:32:56.470 hope even in seasons of suffering even in seasons 00:32:56.470 --> 00:33:00.230 of difficulty Connie did not lose hope even before 00:33:00.230 --> 00:33:04.730 she got the good news and So it does not matter 00:33:04.730 --> 00:33:09.690 the believer has hope beyond the grave and So 00:33:09.690 --> 00:33:12.730 that's the hope that we walk in in Jesus name 00:33:12.730 --> 00:33:16.809 if you have sacrificed your hope pray, God, enlighten 00:33:16.809 --> 00:33:19.930 my eyes that I might understand the hope that 00:33:19.930 --> 00:33:23.730 you've called me to. You want me to be a believer 00:33:23.730 --> 00:33:27.170 that, God, you are going to do it. God, you are 00:33:27.170 --> 00:33:29.630 going to make a way. God, you are going to come 00:33:29.630 --> 00:33:33.210 through. God, you want me to walk in hope. When 00:33:33.210 --> 00:33:36.769 nobody else has hope, believers should have hope 00:33:36.769 --> 00:33:42.250 in Jesus' name. Glory to God. Eyes of your heart 00:33:42.250 --> 00:33:46.730 being enlightened. Secondly, as you know Christ, 00:33:47.150 --> 00:33:52.069 as you make Christ your aim and your understanding, 00:33:52.829 --> 00:33:58.089 don't be surprised when His power manifests in 00:33:58.089 --> 00:34:08.349 greater ways in your life. Verse 19, His incomparably 00:34:08.349 --> 00:34:20.789 great power for who? for us Who believe The power 00:34:20.789 --> 00:34:23.190 of God is something that Pentecostal people talk 00:34:23.190 --> 00:34:29.389 about often because it is our portion Okay, I 00:34:29.389 --> 00:34:32.030 just got done saying we're not chasing miracles 00:34:32.030 --> 00:34:37.329 we're chasing Jesus But as we know him better 00:34:37.329 --> 00:34:40.949 the power of God is going to work amongst you 00:34:40.949 --> 00:34:45.929 in incredible ways What's the source of that? 00:34:46.030 --> 00:34:52.989 Let's keep reading. That power is the same as 00:34:52.989 --> 00:34:56.969 the mighty strength he exerted when he raised 00:34:56.969 --> 00:35:05.869 Christ from the dead. If you believe in the resurrection, 00:35:06.730 --> 00:35:10.420 that took an incredible amount of power. for 00:35:10.420 --> 00:35:13.539 God to raise. In fact, He stretched forth, the 00:35:13.539 --> 00:35:18.079 Father stretched forth His right hand to raise 00:35:18.079 --> 00:35:22.440 Jesus out of the grave. And what Paul is saying 00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:28.599 is we have no different source, that our power 00:35:28.599 --> 00:35:33.559 is exactly the same. Now we need our understanding 00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:37.519 of that power to increase. so that we can tap 00:35:37.519 --> 00:35:40.860 into it, so that we can see it work and see it 00:35:40.860 --> 00:35:44.860 operate. It's no wonder Paul saw peculiar miracles. 00:35:45.800 --> 00:35:49.260 He didn't glory in the miracles. He gloried in 00:35:49.260 --> 00:35:53.739 the God that gave them. As you pursue Jesus, 00:35:54.619 --> 00:35:58.380 the power of God will increase in your life. 00:35:59.380 --> 00:36:03.679 Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. And finally, 00:36:03.840 --> 00:36:07.809 there is There is so much more in these verses 00:36:07.809 --> 00:36:20.309 that happen. But Jesus is in love with His body, 00:36:20.409 --> 00:36:26.570 the church. I want you to look around right now. 00:36:28.570 --> 00:36:32.710 I don't know offhand how many people are in this 00:36:32.710 --> 00:36:35.539 room, maybe a hundred. or in the building, maybe 00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:38.719 100, maybe 75 in this room right now, I don't 00:36:38.719 --> 00:36:57.800 know. This is your church family. And Jesus loves 00:36:57.800 --> 00:37:08.690 the body of Christ. He calls his church his body. 00:37:15.989 --> 00:37:21.409 Just got this picture of him being a bodybuilder. 00:37:25.989 --> 00:37:31.550 Listen to the description of Paul concerning 00:37:31.550 --> 00:37:40.960 the church in verse 23. His body The fullness 00:37:40.960 --> 00:37:46.360 of Him that's Jesus the body is the fullness 00:37:46.360 --> 00:37:59.400 of Jesus Who fills everything in every way The 00:37:59.400 --> 00:38:08.840 church is the fullness of Christ Jesus fills 00:38:08.840 --> 00:38:14.639 everything in every way But the church is the 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:24.539 fullness of Jesus Wow The church is not just 00:38:24.539 --> 00:38:32.139 a building on a corner The church is the fullness 00:38:32.139 --> 00:38:38.690 of Christ And people have come to the conclusion 00:38:38.690 --> 00:38:44.969 that I do not need the church. I'm a lover of 00:38:44.969 --> 00:38:48.349 Jesus. I love Jesus. I follow Jesus. I don't 00:38:48.349 --> 00:38:53.730 have anything to do with the church. And I do 00:38:53.730 --> 00:38:58.090 agree that there are groups of people that are 00:38:58.090 --> 00:39:02.429 masquerading as the church. That are not the 00:39:02.429 --> 00:39:07.750 church. But the church that he is building The 00:39:07.750 --> 00:39:11.949 church that that Jesus shed his blood for to 00:39:11.949 --> 00:39:15.269 purchase from every tribe and every tongue and 00:39:15.269 --> 00:39:20.969 every nation That church is the fullness of Christ 00:39:20.969 --> 00:39:29.329 And when we come against the church We are coming 00:39:29.329 --> 00:39:35.969 against Jesus I don't understand at all. It's 00:39:35.969 --> 00:39:44.409 a mystery. It's a mystery. He loves his body. 00:39:46.150 --> 00:39:49.730 He loves this small expression. There's over 00:39:49.730 --> 00:39:52.869 a billion, some people say close to two billion, 00:39:53.250 --> 00:39:58.010 forms of Christianity people in the earth today. 00:39:58.150 --> 00:40:02.329 Two billion. We have about a hundred of them. 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:22.800 Pretty small deal, but not to Jesus. This church 00:40:22.800 --> 00:40:25.940 is the expression of the fullness of Christ. 00:40:29.639 --> 00:40:31.980 In each of us lives the King of Kings and the 00:40:31.980 --> 00:40:36.650 Lord of Lords. Every single one of you that are 00:40:36.650 --> 00:40:40.110 following Christ can can teach me something about 00:40:40.110 --> 00:40:46.090 Christ that I haven't currently known We need 00:40:46.090 --> 00:40:51.429 each other We need each other so I love what 00:40:51.429 --> 00:40:53.750 happens at breakfast tables around the tables 00:40:53.750 --> 00:40:57.670 people talking about What Jesus has done for 00:40:57.670 --> 00:41:00.409 them if you've not been to breakfast tables at 00:41:00.409 --> 00:41:04.119 at nine o 'clock? Come an hour early And you're 00:41:04.119 --> 00:41:07.820 sharing Jesus with each other. You're not looking 00:41:07.820 --> 00:41:11.420 at the back of somebody's head listening to a 00:41:11.420 --> 00:41:15.940 sermon that's probably too long. You're touching. 00:41:16.420 --> 00:41:21.139 You are touching people. You are imparting what 00:41:21.139 --> 00:41:24.739 God has done in your life to others. I encourage 00:41:24.739 --> 00:41:26.920 you to become a part of faith groups because 00:41:26.920 --> 00:41:29.739 you're going to share Jesus with other people. 00:41:29.940 --> 00:41:33.059 Ladies, go to the bonfire this Saturday night. 00:41:33.199 --> 00:41:38.440 You're going to share Jesus with somebody. Amen? 00:41:39.579 --> 00:41:43.159 Part of the fullness of Christ is locked in you, 00:41:43.619 --> 00:41:46.739 and you share that with the other believers, 00:41:46.780 --> 00:41:50.920 and the believers grow and become everything 00:41:50.920 --> 00:41:59.139 that God wants us to be. It's why It's why it's 00:41:59.139 --> 00:42:02.900 so vital that we're in relationship with one 00:42:02.900 --> 00:42:10.280 another more and more And so these three things 00:42:10.280 --> 00:42:13.840 as we draw near to Jesus as we know him better 00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:19.000 and better our Hope increases the power of God 00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:22.679 increases our love and affection and connection 00:42:22.679 --> 00:42:30.619 to the body increases Why because we are after 00:42:30.619 --> 00:42:38.340 his heart. Oh Hallelujah Hallelujah If you are 00:42:38.340 --> 00:42:40.719 new to the church family, I want you to know 00:42:40.719 --> 00:42:45.300 that there this this church is not perfect Because 00:42:45.300 --> 00:42:52.099 I'm a part of it But I want you to know that 00:42:52.099 --> 00:42:56.960 this church has love for one another and we stand 00:42:56.960 --> 00:43:05.260 with one another. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Praise 00:43:05.260 --> 00:43:11.739 God. My new friend back there, Carlos, that C 00:43:11.739 --> 00:43:25.170 stands for Carlos. And his wife and beautiful 00:43:25.170 --> 00:43:28.889 family are from Puerto Rico. This is their second 00:43:28.889 --> 00:43:33.650 Sunday here. And I just want to welcome you guys. 00:43:34.190 --> 00:43:37.289 And I want you to know that we are in your corner. 00:43:37.989 --> 00:43:40.030 And we are going to love you and your family. 00:43:40.929 --> 00:43:43.050 And we're going to care about you and your family. 00:43:44.550 --> 00:43:48.610 Others of you that are here. The body of Christ 00:43:48.610 --> 00:43:52.530 is so important. I told you three minutes and 00:43:52.530 --> 00:44:00.170 it's been 15. But can you sense the love of God 00:44:00.170 --> 00:44:05.409 in this room? I pray that the eyes of your heart 00:44:05.409 --> 00:44:19.010 will be enlightened. Hope. Power. Love. The spirit 00:44:19.010 --> 00:44:23.960 of wisdom and revelation. That you might know 00:44:23.960 --> 00:44:44.480 him better He loves us oh He loves us oh He loves 00:44:44.480 --> 00:45:09.030 us oh He loves us. Oh He loves us. Oh He loves 00:45:09.030 --> 00:45:28.880 us. Oh He loves us. He loves us. He loves us 00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:46.800 Oh He loves us Oh He loves Hallelujah Lord I 00:45:46.800 --> 00:45:50.280 pray for the people in this room. I feel like 00:45:50.280 --> 00:45:54.860 we're all at an altar together right now I just 00:45:54.860 --> 00:46:01.000 ask God that you would stir in your people hope 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:05.179 Lord some in this room have had their eyes on 00:46:05.179 --> 00:46:07.139 the wrong thing They've had their eyes on their 00:46:07.139 --> 00:46:10.820 on their family on their spouse on their kids 00:46:10.820 --> 00:46:16.760 Not that they shouldn't be concerned But they 00:46:16.760 --> 00:46:20.929 have not had their eyes on Jesus this morning 00:46:20.929 --> 00:46:23.349 Lord I pray that you would help us to get our 00:46:23.349 --> 00:46:29.849 eyes back on Jesus that hope will be restored 00:46:29.849 --> 00:46:36.429 God I pray that the power of God would be made 00:46:36.429 --> 00:46:40.650 manifest in our midst not just here in this building 00:46:40.650 --> 00:46:44.409 but in living rooms and bedrooms in phone conversations 00:46:44.409 --> 00:46:51.559 and in in social media I pray God that the power 00:46:51.559 --> 00:46:56.079 of God will be released. And God, I pray that 00:46:56.079 --> 00:47:00.119 our love for one another will get bigger and 00:47:00.119 --> 00:47:06.400 bigger and bigger as we draw near to Jesus. Hallelujah. 00:47:08.880 --> 00:47:13.440 Hallelujah. And everybody's sad. Amen.