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Thank you for listening to this message from Lifehouse Church.

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How are we all doing today?

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Good.

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Good.

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Yeah, it's so good to be here with you guys today.

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As you can tell, I am not Pastor Kipp.

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If I was, I probably would have taken a lot of anti-aging medication.

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Just kidding, I love them.

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I love them.

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Anyway, yeah.

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Sorry Pastor Kipp.

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But no, they're on vacation, much, much deserved.

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Like I said earlier, much warmer climate, so I pray they have a wonderful time, relax,

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and when it's time to get back here, they'll be powerful.

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I don't know what the word is.

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Refresh is the word.

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Yes, yeah.

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Thank you.

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But last week, we just kicked off our series, Pursuing Jesus, and Pastor Kipp had talked

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about the hot pursuit of Jesus.

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And that is going to be our big mission this year is chasing after Jesus.

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How do we do that?

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What does that look like?

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How do we establish rhythms of grace in our lives?

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Like the style that Jesus did as he was walking throughout his life, what were his patterns?

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How did he stay so in tune with the Father?

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How was he able to just hear God and do his will?

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That's what we want to accomplish in our hearts this year because God's grace is all that

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matters.

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That's the only thing that we're even able to do anything with because of his grace.

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What we can do of our own abilities, it's empty, it's nothing, it's vain.

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It's not eternal.

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But when his grace gets in the picture, it becomes eternal.

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So the desire to pursue Jesus is great, but it won't be enough if that's where it ends.

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The desire that remains dormant in us is wasted.

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It never gets out into the public where it actually does something.

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I can say that I want something, but unless there is action involved, then I prove I don't

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really want that much.

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Scripture states in Proverbs, a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

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A desire cannot be fulfilled unless action is taken.

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Storyteller Megan McKenna captures this reluctance to claim and act on our desires.

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In a wonderful parable, it goes like this.

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There was a woman who wanted peace in the world and peace in her heart, but she was

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very frustrated.

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The world seemed to be falling apart.

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She would read papers and get depressed.

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One day she decided to go shopping and she went into a mall and picked up a store at

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random.

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She walked into it and was surprised to see Jesus behind the counter.

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She knew it was Jesus because he looked just like the picture she'd seen on holy cards

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and devotional pictures.

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She looked again and again at him and finally she got up the nerve and asked, excuse me,

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are you Jesus?

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I am.

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Do you work here?

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No, Jesus said, I own the store.

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Oh, what do you sell here?

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Oh, just about anything.

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Anything?

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Yeah, anything you want.

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What do you want?

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She said, I don't know.

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Well, Jesus said, feel free.

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Walk up and down the aisles, make a list, see what it is that you want and then come

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back and we'll see what we can do for you.

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She did just that.

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Walked up and down the aisles.

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There was peace on earth, no more war, no hunger or poverty, peace in families, no more

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drugs.

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There was harmony, clean air, careful use of resources.

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She wrote this down furiously.

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By the time she got back to the counter, she had a long list.

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Jesus took the list, skimmed through it, looked up at her and smiled.

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No problem.

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He says, and then he bent down behind the counter and picked out all sorts of things,

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stood up and laid out the packets.

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She asked, what are these?

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Jesus replied, seed packets.

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This is a catalog store.

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She replied, you mean I don't get the finished product?

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Jesus says, no, this is a place of dreams.

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You come and see what it looks like and I give you the seeds.

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You plant the seeds, you go home and nurture them and help them grow and someone else reap

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the benefits.

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Oh, she said, and she left the store without buying anything.

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So in this story, this woman desired good things.

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She wanted the stuff that we would say is good in this world.

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Peace on earth, no more war, harmony, no more sickness.

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She longed for those things.

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And likewise, pursuing Jesus in your life will involve action.

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It's one thing to desire him.

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It's another thing to pursue him in action.

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Amen.

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So we find a great passage in scripture where a man had such a desire and did what it took

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to see it fulfilled.

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And this man was Zacchaeus, whom we read about in Luke 19, verse one through 10.

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So as you open up to Luke, or we have them on the screens here, I'm going to pray over

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the word.

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So Father, we just thank you for your holy word, that your word carries all authority

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on heaven, on earth, throughout the universe.

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Lord, your word is powerful.

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It creates, it sustains, it holds things together, Lord.

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And we just ask that your word would create in us a clean heart today, Lord, that we would

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receive from you your precious word to fill us with your grace and power, Lord, to serve

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you acceptably.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Amen.

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Luke 19, starting at verse one, says, Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the

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town.

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And there was a man there named Zacchaeus.

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He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.

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He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd.

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So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going

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to pass that way.

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When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name.

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Zacchaeus, he said, quick, come down.

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I must be a guest in your home today.

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Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

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But the people were displeased.

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He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.

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Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, I will give half my wealth to the

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poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times

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as much.

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And Jesus responded, salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself

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to be a true son of Abraham, for the son of man came to seek and save those who are lost.

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So we see this man, Zacchaeus, right?

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He is a chief tax collector and had become very rich, which, by the way, tax collectors

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in those days, not exactly the people that you would like to be around.

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They cheat you.

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They are one of the most hated people groups because they would ruin you financially.

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But this guy wasn't just a tax collector, he was a chief tax collector, right?

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That means he has hated that much more.

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So if a tax collector did that to humanity, imagine the crowds that Zacchaeus is in, where

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people are surrounding Jesus in a crowd and you have this guy who is the most hated person

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because of what he has done.

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But Zacchaeus had something stirring in him, this desire, right?

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Zacchaeus wanted to get to Jesus, but due to his small stature, he can't even see over

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the crowd.

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And I don't know what that height would actually be, what the standard was back then, you know,

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six feet, five foot six.

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I mean, maybe I am the same size as Zacchaeus and everyone else is six foot six.

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I don't know, but it just says that he is small and he can't see over the crowd.

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He knew he was going to have to take some serious action in order to meet Jesus.

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So what did he do?

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What actions did he take to pursue Jesus?

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Well, he first took action by running ahead of the crowd.

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We learn from him, we should take action by getting ahead of the crowd.

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We have experiences for ourselves, right?

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You really want to get something done and it just seems like anything and everything

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is getting in your way of doing that.

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Think about it, if you were going to meet up with a friend, right?

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You're scheduled for 2.30 and it takes 15 minutes to get there from your house.

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And you're thinking, easy, 15 minutes.

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I'll be there right on time.

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I'm leaving at 2.15.

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I'll be there at 2.30.

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Does it ever really play out like that?

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No, rarely, right?

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And instead, you get into that mentality, you play it cool, calm, confident, driving

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down the road and then you hit your first red light.

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That red light and you're staying there, you're staying there, you got the radio on, maybe

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you're worshiping a little bit.

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It's like, man, how is this still red?

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I think we just finished one full song on the radio and it's still red.

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All right, okay, let's get a move in here.

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Let's get a green.

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And then you're waiting and you're waiting and there's literally nobody crossing the

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other intersection.

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You're like, okay, there's nothing coming across here.

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Why aren't you green yet?

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Please just turn green.

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Finally turns green.

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Whew, what a relief.

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What a relief.

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Now I can get back on track.

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I think I can still make it there on time.

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You see in the distance as you're driving down the road, a yellow light.

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You're like, please, please no.

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Please, please stay yellow so I can just pass right through.

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And it turns red.

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Here we go again.

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It turns red and eventually you go and at this point you're just anxious.

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You're antsy.

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You know, I'm gonna get road rage in here.

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Now the person that has to take a turn, you know, it seems like the slowest possible turn

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where they just take their time.

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You come to a complete stop, you're still waiting and then they finally get in there

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and then you start all over again.

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But it's one thing after another, eventually you get to your destination, but you arrive

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much later than you expected.

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And maybe you're even embarrassed to show your face to whom you're meeting with.

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You say, hey, sorry, I'm late.

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Traffic was terrible.

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Was traffic really that bad?

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No, could the whole scenario have been avoided?

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Yes.

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What could they have done to avoid it?

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They could have taken the action to be prepared and leave a little earlier.

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Life doesn't seem as chaotic and dramatic when you simply get ahead of the crowd to

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get ahead of the traffic.

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And that's what Zacchaeus did.

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He said, hey, this trying to get through the crowd thing to see Jesus, it's not working

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for me.

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What I need to do is I need to run ahead of the crowd and meet him there.

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So he gets ahead and eventually Jesus draws near to him.

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It reminds me of when scripture says, draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

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Amen.

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That's a strong promise.

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I would hold on to that one.

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When you draw near to God, he will draw near to you.

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Zacchaeus took the action to get ahead of the crowd to see Jesus, knowing that Jesus

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was going to meet him there at that point.

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He drew near to God.

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And what happened?

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Jesus met him there.

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Jesus who is God drew near to Zacchaeus.

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Promise fulfilled.

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Bam.

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It's like a date.

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You're expecting to meet up with them.

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You get there a little early before they do and they arrive after you.

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You're anticipating them coming to you.

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You just got to take the action to get there and meet them at that place.

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And that's what pursuing Jesus involves, taking action.

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Because if you don't, life will happen and you will never meet with him.

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And the say to mine, you desire when we don't take the action to get ahead, we feel that

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late arrival embarrassment.

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You know what I'm talking about?

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That moment when you, you, it's been a while since you spent some time with Jesus and you're

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just like, Oh, hey, Jesus, sorry.

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It's me again.

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I know it's been a long while since I've, you know, talked with you and stuff and I'm

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really sorry.

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I had a lot going on, which is fine.

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That happens.

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You know, we're all late at some point in our lives.

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You don't have to have guilt in that moment, but don't let that be the norm in your life

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where you're always apologizing whenever you meet somebody, you know, he's just happy to

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spend time with you.

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He's not going to give you a hard time about it.

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But life will happen.

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Do you know where that meeting place is with Jesus in your life?

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It's that place where we get alone with him.

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We read his word and his word isn't just like some like holy term.

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His word is literally his word.

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He speaks through his word to you.

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And so if you're trying to understand what he's saying, you have to lean into him because

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he'll speak it to you.

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He'll give you the understanding.

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It's not an obligation.

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It's a date with him.

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He loves us and wants to spend time with us.

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He wants to hear our heart and in return he gives us his heart.

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Amen.

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You may say, yeah, but it feels awkward and I don't think he speaks to me.

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Dates can be awkward.

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There may be concern if your date will even show up.

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But I assure you with Jesus, he says, I'm coming soon.

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He says, wait, I'll be still in my presence and I will speak to you.

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So how do we take the action to get ahead?

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Maybe that means first thing in the morning before I even eat, I take the action to spend

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time with Jesus.

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Maybe that means before I watch TV, I'm getting ahead and open up my Bible.

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Or maybe it's your drive to work.

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You can listen to a message, pray, have the Bible read to you while you're driving.

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You're getting ahead before the crazy crowds take place.

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If it's hard to take the action, just do bits and pieces at a time.

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Don't put so much pressure on yourself.

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Read one verse a day, two verses a day.

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Spend some time talking with somebody about the word or something, your question that

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you had.

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But it's all about establishing those godly rhythms that establish God's word in us, that

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we can have a stronger relationship with him and establish peace on earth as his will is

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to do.

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It was a very intentional thing for Zacchaeus to run ahead of the crowd.

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And not only did he run ahead of the crowd, but he climbed a sycamore tree, which I looked

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it up, because I have no idea what a sycamore tree looks like.

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Its sycamore tree is really sturdy and durable and reaches over 40 feet in the air.

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Now I don't know if he climbed to the top of that 40 foot sycamore tree, but at least

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he went a considerable distance so he could see Jesus in the distance.

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And Jesus arrived when he was on that sycamore tree and spoke to him.

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Zacchaeus.

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Zacchaeus didn't even introduce himself.

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Jesus just knew his name.

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Amen.

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Jesus knows your name.

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You don't have to introduce yourself.

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I thought that was cool.

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But Jesus says, quick, come down.

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I must be a guest in your home today.

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What an honor, right?

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The Lord Jesus, the very word that holds all of creation together is being hosted by the

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wee little tax collector in his own home.

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The crowd around Jesus already hated Zacchaeus' guts.

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Now they were really disgusted that Jesus would have anything even to do with him.

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For this reason, the actions we take to pursue Jesus will actually almost inevitably bring

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pressure against you.

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We must take the action to stand firm in the pressures we face for pursuing Jesus in action.

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Look what it says again in verse six.

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Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy,

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but the people were displeased.

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He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner, they grumbled.

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So Zacchaeus just went through this big adventure, being in the crowd, running ahead of the crowd,

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climbing a 40-foot tree, and in his actions produced a beautiful moment with Jesus calling

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him by name and having the opportunity to host him in his very own house.

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If Zacchaeus doesn't take those actions, he doesn't see Jesus.

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Scripture said he took Jesus with great excitement and joy.

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Modern lingo, he was pumped.

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He was pumped to know that his actions finally paid off.

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The desire was fulfilled.

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But in that moment, just as he experienced all this joy and excitement, he is met with

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the crowd's displeasure with him, secondhand.

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You know, they're not even acknowledging Zacchaeus.

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They're saying, Jesus, what's with this guy?

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Why are you going to his house?

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Of all people, his house?

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Seriously?

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Imagine the person right there listening to that like, oh, I didn't mean to cause any

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trouble.

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He can see and hear all that displeasure they're talking about.

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And Zacchaeus, excuse me, Jesus taught about this kind of occurrence because he knew that

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once Jesus gets into the picture into somebody's life, pressure automatically comes.

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The devil doesn't like you having a relationship with Jesus.

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He doesn't like your opportunities to have with Jesus.

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So the enemy comes in.

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And Jesus explained this in Mark chapter four with the parable of the sower.

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It says, the seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately

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receive it with joy.

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Okay.

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Zacchaeus had that joy and excitement, but since they don't have deep roots, they don't

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last long.

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They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.

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And in here, the seed is the word of God.

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Jesus said that when someone hears or experiences the word of God made alive in them, they receive

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it with joy.

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But that seed that was planted must have deep roots.

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Otherwise, they will fall away as soon as they have problems or get persecuted for believing

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God.

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In Zacchaeus' case, the living word of God, Jesus Christ, was being planted in the house

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of Zacchaeus.

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And as a result, Zacchaeus was ecstatic, filled with great excitement and joy.

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But then a problem arose.

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The crowds expressed their displeasure with Jesus.

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In that moment was an opportunity for Zacchaeus to feel a lot of guilt, a lot of shame, a

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lot of inferiority.

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He could have said, you know, Jesus, I see this is causing a big issue right now.

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You don't have to come to my house.

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You guys have a great mission in mind.

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You have a large following.

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I don't want to be the person that breaks it all up and ruins it for everybody.

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I know I've done a lot of wrong in my life.

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I know I'm not worthy to have you in my house.

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I understand.

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If Zacchaeus had had that belief, the seed, the word of God planted in him would not have

355
00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:09,960
been planted firmly into his house, which is actually symbolic for his heart.

356
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So when you see home in this passage, it's actually symbolic of the heart.

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It would not have been firmly planted into his heart.

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But what action did Zacchaeus take?

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00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:25,680
Meanwhile, it says in verse eight, meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said,

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I will give half my wealth to the poor Lord.

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And if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much.

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Are you serious?

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While this pressure is happening, he's not even concerned about what they're thinking.

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He's not.

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Yeah, that's a problem.

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But Holy Spirit spoke something into Zacchaeus at very moment.

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He said, make it right with them.

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Pay back to them four times as much.

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People that you cheated give to the poor.

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And then meanwhile, another way to put it is Zacchaeus stood firm in the Lord.

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It says he stood before the Lord.

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But the fact that he was stood before the Lord, not wavered by what they were thinking

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or saying or their displeasure, he stood before him, just focused on what he was saying to

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him, what he was inspiring him to do.

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And Jesus is just watching.

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Jesus doesn't have a response until after this, and he goes before him.

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And Jesus says that salvation has come to this house.

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So right off the bat, Zacchaeus loves his enemies.

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These guys weren't friendly to him.

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They didn't give him a pat on the back, hey, welcome to the family or anything like that.

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He loved his enemies despite the pressures.

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He reconciles with them by faith.

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How many of you know it's not easy to give everything away?

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Pursuing Jesus will always involve taking action, but the enemy fears the actions that

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you take as a result of an ongoing pursuit of Jesus.

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The moment we are inspired to action, the enemy comes in and gives you problems and

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pressures and that is the moment that we must stand firm in faith and move in the action

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Jesus has called us to.

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If we do not act on the words he gives to us, then what he has planted in our hearts dies

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out.

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And as a result, his desire and will is not fulfilled in this life.

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The devil has a hold on people, but Jesus is more than willing to set them free from

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his dominion.

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But no action as we pursue Jesus means less and less people experience truth and freedom

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in their life.

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Was there something that Jesus placed in our hearts recently to do?

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But maybe the pressure of failing, the pressure of being mocked or made less than, stopped

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you from doing that action.

399
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Was there a moment where you were pursuing Jesus and then he spoke something to you and

400
00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:56,520
you received that joy and excitement, you experienced it firsthand, but soon afterwards

401
00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,960
joy turned into depression and discouragement.

402
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:05,160
That was the enemy coming into your life.

403
00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,580
Coming into your life to steal the joy that God had just placed in you.

404
00:22:09,580 --> 00:22:16,280
So prayerfully consider what that was that Jesus revealed to you.

405
00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:21,440
Because if you did, get that stolen from you and go back and have him speak it to you again

406
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:26,800
and that desire will be there, but this time no matter what happens, take that action.

407
00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:33,900
Zacchaeus' idea to give his wealth and pay back four times as much was an action inspired

408
00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:35,440
by the Holy Spirit.

409
00:22:35,440 --> 00:22:39,880
And Zacchaeus without hesitation, unfazed by the crowd went for it.

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For Jesus, that action was evidence, right?

411
00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:48,520
That was evidence that he had truly received him as Lord and Savior.

412
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Jesus said salvation has come to this home.

413
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Remember I said home means heart.

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For this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.

415
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For the son of man came to seek and save those who are lost.

416
00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:06,880
Jesus makes the statement that Zacchaeus has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.

417
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That's going to be our last point here.

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What does it mean to be a true son of Abraham?

419
00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:12,920
Anybody know?

420
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:18,760
No, I don't think anybody does.

421
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,640
But it doesn't make sense.

422
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,960
If you know Abraham in the Bible, let's start there.

423
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:30,600
Abraham in the Bible is in the Old Testament, his name means father of a multitude.

424
00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:34,400
He and his wife Sarah were unable to produce a child.

425
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But God spoke that they would have a child.

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And so in faith they believed God for a child.

427
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They took the actions, kept doing it, and eventually the promised child had come.

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And then that promised child had a child, and that promised child had a child, and that

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00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:50,960
promised child had a child.

430
00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,200
Eventually you have the nation of Israel.

431
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That's how Israel was formed.

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So all of Israel, Abraham is a father to, father of a multitude, the nation of Israel.

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00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:08,160
So to be a true son of Abraham was not talking about lineage or heritage, because they're

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00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:10,740
all descendants of Abraham.

435
00:24:10,740 --> 00:24:13,280
To say true son of Abraham does not make sense.

436
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:18,200
Rather, he was saying that they were righteous, they were godly.

437
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:24,100
Their actions would get people thinking, hey, is your father Abraham?

438
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That's how you know you're a true son of Abraham.

439
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:34,320
When you get people thinking, hey, is this your father?

440
00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:39,200
In a similar manner, Jesus is saying Zacchaeus has shown he has been born again, that he

441
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,880
gave evidence of the faith working inside of him, that he is, a matter of fact, a child

442
00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:45,420
of God now.

443
00:24:45,420 --> 00:24:49,840
By his actions, people would be inclined to ask, are you a child of God?

444
00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:53,920
Do you know Jesus or something?

445
00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:58,760
Because that action that you just did, nobody I know would do that.

446
00:24:58,760 --> 00:25:02,800
Let's take some note of some scripture here.

447
00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,280
John the Baptist in Matthew chapter three says, prove by the way that you live that

448
00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,920
you've repented of your sins and turned to God.

449
00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,680
Don't just say to each other, we're safe for we are descendants of Abraham.

450
00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,000
That means nothing.

451
00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:19,400
For I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

452
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Even the acts of God's judgment is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees.

453
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:27,360
Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into

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00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:28,520
the fire.

455
00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,840
So there is that descendant of Abraham part again.

456
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:38,800
Abraham lived a life of faith and not somebody else's faith.

457
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:41,680
Somebody else's faith does not make up for your faith.

458
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:45,160
My dad can have faith in God, but that doesn't mean that I automatically have faith in God

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because he does.

460
00:25:46,620 --> 00:25:50,000
And that's what Jesus is telling these guys here, hey, just because Abraham's your father,

461
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,280
doesn't mean you're actually a child of Abraham in the spiritual sense.

462
00:25:54,280 --> 00:26:00,240
He says, hey, prove by the way that you live that you are a child of God.

463
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,120
He is saying pursuing Jesus will involve taking action.

464
00:26:04,120 --> 00:26:08,640
And Jesus reinforces later when he says in Matthew seven, you can identify them by their

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00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:09,640
fruit.

466
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:11,620
That is by the way that they act.

467
00:26:11,620 --> 00:26:14,920
Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?

468
00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:19,240
A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

469
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,560
A good tree cannot produce bad fruit and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.

470
00:26:23,560 --> 00:26:27,360
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down, thrown into the fire.

471
00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:31,200
Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their

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00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,200
actions.

473
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,740
Amen.

474
00:26:36,740 --> 00:26:39,780
The actions we take give evidence to what we truly believe.

475
00:26:39,780 --> 00:26:43,520
If our actions are not in agreement with Jesus, then we're not taking the actions that actually

476
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:45,720
pursue him.

477
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,160
An apple tree produces apples.

478
00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,600
An apple tree doesn't produce oranges.

479
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:55,440
If it produces oranges, you would say it's an orange tree, not an apple tree.

480
00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:58,520
Is this making sense?

481
00:26:58,520 --> 00:26:59,520
Good.

482
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:12,800
Zach and the worship team, if you come up.

483
00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:17,600
Desire is not enough.

484
00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:22,080
The desire only gets fulfilled when action is taken place.

485
00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:27,520
Do our actions provide evidence that we are pursuing Jesus in this life?

486
00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:29,600
If not, the grace of God is here for you.

487
00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:32,840
Because like I said earlier, it's only by the grace of God that we're even saved.

488
00:27:32,840 --> 00:27:39,840
We didn't do anything to earn that salvation, but by God's grace, he planted his holy word

489
00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:44,200
in you, his holy spirit, and he's the one that's doing the work inside you, but we have

490
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:45,520
to let him out.

491
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:50,200
It's his desires inside us when we get his heart.

492
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:59,760
But action is required to let peace manifest on earth.

493
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:04,280
If you've been struggling to take action in what Jesus has called you to do, or he's stirring

494
00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:05,920
something in your heart, you have a new desire.

495
00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,800
Maybe it's a new desire in this season and you're just like kind of scared about it.

496
00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:11,240
That's okay.

497
00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:12,240
Talk to somebody about it.

498
00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:17,520
Get some assurance, get some confirmation that this is God's direction for you.

499
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:18,640
And new actions are scary.

500
00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,840
When God calls us to action, it's not like we were already doing that action, right?

501
00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:24,680
Otherwise, he wouldn't have said anything.

502
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:25,800
But it's a new thing.

503
00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:26,920
It's new territory.

504
00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:27,920
It's scary.

505
00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:34,200
But that's where trusting God takes us.

506
00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,200
Put him to the test.

507
00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:41,480
If he's proven faithful in the past, proven faithful today, why wouldn't he be faithful

508
00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:47,880
tomorrow, in the new thing, the new action that he's requiring of us?

509
00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:49,640
You can say to yourself, Jesus, I just want to get close to you.

510
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,360
I want to be close to you.

511
00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,480
Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

512
00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:55,120
I take a step, he takes a step.

513
00:28:55,120 --> 00:28:57,800
I take a step, he takes another step.

514
00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,080
We're in charge of how deep we want to go with Jesus.

515
00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:05,480
That's our responsibility in this relationship.

516
00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:10,760
If we do not spend time in God's word, or we don't spend time in God's word because

517
00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:18,280
it's a good Christian thing to do, that's how you get the desires of God inside of you.

518
00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,640
His desire is in the power to take the action that's required of us.

519
00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:23,160
And we all need that accountability.

520
00:29:23,160 --> 00:29:27,120
Are we doing life together, pursuing Jesus in action?

521
00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:33,400
Because I think this is where in the past maybe we failed, is that we got hopped up

522
00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:37,320
on scripture, but we just stopped taking action.

523
00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:41,160
We became minds full of the word and was not taking action.

524
00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:42,240
But guess what?

525
00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:43,240
That's where it dies.

526
00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:44,240
That's where it stays.

527
00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:50,320
And when we get a community of people that are mutually pursuing Jesus and they have

528
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,000
this standard, I'm not going to let it just be knowledge of Jesus.

529
00:29:55,000 --> 00:30:00,640
I want it to be a personal knowledge that propels me to action, that allows his will

530
00:30:00,640 --> 00:30:04,080
to be accomplished on this earth.

531
00:30:04,080 --> 00:30:05,880
God's desire is for community.

532
00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:07,840
God's desire is for love to take place.

533
00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,920
God's desire is for peace to be instilled into a chaotic situation.

534
00:30:11,920 --> 00:30:18,060
God's will is that there would be an expansion of him being known.

535
00:30:18,060 --> 00:30:22,240
Because the more he's known personally, the more the kingdom of God is advancing on earth.

536
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:23,240
And he prayed that.

537
00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:25,400
He wanted that to be a thing.

538
00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:27,320
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

539
00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:31,520
Your kingdom come, your will be done.

540
00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:40,320
God's will, his desires are to be done and the kingdom of God is made real in this life.

541
00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:42,880
And that's what we're kicking off in 2025.

542
00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,760
LH3 is just the start of it.

543
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:52,120
Where we spend three minutes, three friends, three months, we are igniting community.

544
00:30:52,120 --> 00:30:56,920
We're igniting passion for Jesus where desire is just not the end threshold.

545
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,720
It's the beginning, not the end.

546
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:04,320
And when you get people that take those risks, I've heard that faith is spelled R-A-S-K.

547
00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:07,840
But there's no risk.

548
00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:11,440
Does it really require faith?

549
00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:15,400
Life is risky, but Jesus is consistent.

550
00:31:15,400 --> 00:31:21,820
He's safe when he has your hand.

551
00:31:21,820 --> 00:31:23,360
So it's going to take getting ahead of the crowd.

552
00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,000
How can you get ahead of the crowd?

553
00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:29,960
How can you prepare yourself and make sure you have that time with Jesus, that encounter

554
00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:30,960
with him?

555
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:36,960
It's going to take standing firm in the pressures that come in our life.

556
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,560
Because you will, if you're doing the will of God, you will have pressure against you.

557
00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:44,560
It's just a fact.

558
00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:46,160
But it's also worth it.

559
00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:53,160
The joy of being a child of God far surpasses the lack of joy of not being a child of God.

560
00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:54,440
Far surpasses it.

561
00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:59,200
To know him every day intimately, to dwell in his presence all the days of our lives,

562
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,480
it's so worth it.

563
00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:06,960
So are you ready to pursue Jesus in action today?

564
00:32:06,960 --> 00:32:11,160
If he's speaking to you today, write that action down.

565
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:15,120
Don't let it just go in your head and then write it down.

566
00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:20,320
Show somebody, I dare you to show somebody that action and have accountability with it.

567
00:32:20,320 --> 00:32:27,320
But if you need prayer today, we have the prayer team in the back.

568
00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:29,800
And I can also pray with you.

569
00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:35,960
But don't leave this place without sharing with somebody what God's speaking to you.

570
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,320
Because it just makes it more real.

571
00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:39,600
Amen?

572
00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,160
Amen.

573
00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:47,040
So, I'm going to pray and then Pastor Lissa is going to close us out.

574
00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:51,080
So Father, we just thank you for your indwelling presence, Lord, that we can have that strong

575
00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:55,920
relationship with you, that we can walk all the days of our lives according to your truth,

576
00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:57,560
where freedom is found.

577
00:32:57,560 --> 00:33:01,160
And Lord, we don't have to be afraid.

578
00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:04,080
You say many, many times, do not be afraid in scripture.

579
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,080
Rather be strong and courageous.

580
00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:12,000
We can't be strong and courageous in our own strength, Lord, so we put our faith in you

581
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:16,320
to be strong and courageous, knowing that the end goal is far greater than what is the

582
00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:18,560
current reality in our lives.

583
00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,560
That you're leading us to a greater place, a greater destination, far into your glory,

584
00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:27,960
where you are known and experienced and loved.

585
00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:33,400
Everybody here, Lord, I just ask that you'd lavish them in your love.

586
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:38,840
Melt away the fears, melt away the insecurities, melt away the shame and the guilt, Lord, because

587
00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:41,480
you paid a price for all those things.

588
00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:42,480
You paid the price.

589
00:33:42,480 --> 00:33:48,600
We're fully forgiven, fully paid for true sons and daughters of the Most High.

590
00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:50,320
God our desires for you.

591
00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:54,920
Fill our hearts with your grace that we may serve you more acceptably.

592
00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:55,920
In the name of Jesus.

593
00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:25,680
Amen.

594
00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:28,000
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