WEBVTT 00:00:09.839 --> 00:00:12.300 Thank you for listening to this message from 00:00:12.300 --> 00:00:38.149 Lifehouse Church. It's good to have you here 00:00:38.149 --> 00:00:40.649 this morning. We do have something special this 00:00:40.649 --> 00:00:44.390 morning. We have a baby dedication, and I am 00:00:44.390 --> 00:00:47.770 privileged to do this many times over here at 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:50.909 LifeHouse. We've had children dedicated many, 00:00:51.009 --> 00:00:53.490 many times from different families, and I love 00:00:53.490 --> 00:00:55.450 this because this is something special. It's 00:00:55.450 --> 00:00:57.609 important. It's not something we just do out 00:00:57.609 --> 00:01:00.460 of ritual. It's not something we do. you know, 00:01:00.460 --> 00:01:02.659 just for something to do in the church. This 00:01:02.659 --> 00:01:05.019 matters. This matters. The parents are dedicating 00:01:05.019 --> 00:01:07.700 their children. It's important. It's generational. 00:01:08.260 --> 00:01:12.739 So this morning we have the privilege of dedicating 00:01:12.739 --> 00:01:19.540 Abigail Joy Andrews. Come on. Yes. And we want 00:01:19.540 --> 00:01:21.739 to get you introduced just a little bit to Abigail. 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:23.819 So just turn your attention to the screens. And 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:26.200 right after that, we'll have Abigail bring her 00:01:26.200 --> 00:03:06.699 parents to the stage. Come on, would you give 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:13.479 Ms. Abigail a hand as they come? We're going 00:03:13.479 --> 00:03:15.199 to ask them to make their way up here on the 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.919 stage because they want to see you and not me. 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:25.240 And this is incredible to do this every single 00:03:25.240 --> 00:03:28.219 time. And thank you so much for making the commitment 00:03:28.219 --> 00:03:30.259 to do this, to dedicate your child back to the 00:03:30.259 --> 00:03:32.379 Lord. And we do know this, right? The children 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:35.180 are amazing. They are a gift from God. They truly 00:03:35.180 --> 00:03:37.419 are. They're amazing to watch. They're amazing 00:03:37.419 --> 00:03:41.240 to, you know, see. I always talk to parents here. 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:43.560 That first year is an amazing year, right? It's 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:45.620 a year of wonder of watching all the changes 00:03:45.620 --> 00:03:47.819 that take place and all the stages and how quickly 00:03:47.819 --> 00:03:51.699 they shift and go from just virtually unable 00:03:51.699 --> 00:03:54.479 to do anything for themselves to literally walking 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:56.620 a lot of times the first year or shortly after. 00:03:56.879 --> 00:04:00.610 And these baby moments are incredible. How a 00:04:00.610 --> 00:04:04.069 baby maybe stretches and yawns, right, for the 00:04:04.069 --> 00:04:06.030 first time. Or the first time that they laugh 00:04:06.030 --> 00:04:09.210 out loud. The first time that they look up at 00:04:09.210 --> 00:04:11.449 you with those trusting eyes to your parents. 00:04:11.610 --> 00:04:14.810 Or maybe the first time they sit or stand. All 00:04:14.810 --> 00:04:17.629 of it's incredible. And God has blessed both 00:04:17.629 --> 00:04:19.810 Zach and Chrisanna with some of these amazing 00:04:19.810 --> 00:04:22.800 moments and many, many more to come. for sure. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:26.300 But today, Zach and Chrisanna are taking time 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:29.699 and acknowledging that Abby is a gift from God, 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:31.920 right? Abigail is a gift from God that's been 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.519 given to them. And they are making and taking 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:37.740 time to say, we want to dedicate Abigail back 00:04:37.740 --> 00:04:40.540 to God. They're doing this as a public declaration 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:43.720 of dedicating Abigail back to God. And they're 00:04:43.720 --> 00:04:47.500 doing it today because they know that Jesus gives 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:52.610 us children as a gift. It's true. Isaiah 44 says 00:04:52.610 --> 00:04:56.230 this, Thus says the Lord who made you and formed 00:04:56.230 --> 00:04:59.610 you from the womb, who will help you, fear not. 00:05:00.329 --> 00:05:03.810 It is God who formed Abigail in the womb. It 00:05:03.810 --> 00:05:07.470 really is. And it's God who helps us in understanding 00:05:07.470 --> 00:05:09.149 that and knowing that. Move out a little bit 00:05:09.149 --> 00:05:10.589 further. They want to see you out front here 00:05:10.589 --> 00:05:13.389 a little bit. And we read several accounts of 00:05:13.389 --> 00:05:15.689 this, honestly, in scripture about where God 00:05:15.689 --> 00:05:18.509 knew us from the womb, that he knew us before 00:05:18.509 --> 00:05:20.889 we were formed, before we were made. Jeremiah 00:05:20.889 --> 00:05:23.290 1 .4 says, then the word of the Lord came to 00:05:23.290 --> 00:05:26.230 me saying, before I formed you in the womb, I 00:05:26.230 --> 00:05:29.670 knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified 00:05:29.670 --> 00:05:32.810 you. I ordained you a prophet to the nation. 00:05:32.910 --> 00:05:35.870 She's ready to go. All right. The creator knew 00:05:35.870 --> 00:05:38.730 Jeremiah in the womb, and he knows each one of 00:05:38.730 --> 00:05:41.519 us before we're formed. Before we come into the 00:05:41.519 --> 00:05:44.379 womb. God knows us in the womb. He knew Abigail 00:05:44.379 --> 00:05:47.660 before she was ever formed. Before she ever came 00:05:47.660 --> 00:05:51.379 to be Abigail. He knew Abigail before she was 00:05:51.379 --> 00:05:54.259 a twinkle in Zach and Chris and his eyes. All 00:05:54.259 --> 00:05:56.779 right? Before they had the longing to have a 00:05:56.779 --> 00:06:00.000 child. Before either of you had a thought of 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:02.839 all of this, he knew her. Before you had any 00:06:02.839 --> 00:06:06.560 idea who Abigail would be, what she would become. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:09.199 what God would do in her life, what she would 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:12.120 look like. He knew all these things. He spoke 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:14.160 of all these things, right? And the beautiful 00:06:14.160 --> 00:06:16.879 part of this is that he picked you two to help 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:19.639 her discover who she's going to become in Jesus 00:06:19.639 --> 00:06:22.879 Christ. It's true. Every day, it is your job 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:25.439 to point Abigail to Jesus. Every day, it's your 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:27.579 job to point her towards heaven and let her know 00:06:27.579 --> 00:06:30.279 of the Father and the one who created her from 00:06:30.279 --> 00:06:34.939 the beginning. Psalms 127 .3 says this, children 00:06:34.939 --> 00:06:38.889 are a gift. from the Lord. They are a reward 00:06:38.889 --> 00:06:41.389 from him. How many know children are a gift? 00:06:41.569 --> 00:06:44.189 Amen. Now listen, you need to remember that when 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:45.930 Abigail's screaming at three in the morning. 00:06:46.089 --> 00:06:48.329 All right. You need to tell yourself, mumble 00:06:48.329 --> 00:06:50.779 to yourself. She's a gift, right? You need to 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:53.759 remember when she's a few years older and she 00:06:53.759 --> 00:06:55.959 talks back to you for the first time. You need 00:06:55.959 --> 00:06:58.579 to remember she's a gift, right? You remember 00:06:58.579 --> 00:07:01.519 when she's a few older than that, a little bit 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:03.660 older than that, she's in junior high, and she 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:05.620 realizes that you don't know anything at all 00:07:05.620 --> 00:07:08.800 as parents, all right? She's a gift. When she 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:11.000 gets into senior high school and she drags some 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:13.439 boy home that she should have left at the curb 00:07:13.439 --> 00:07:16.160 where she found it, right? You need to remember 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:19.990 that she's a gift. You really do. And God said 00:07:19.990 --> 00:07:23.209 this. He spoke it. And children are a gift. And 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:25.350 we need to say it out loud. We need to say it 00:07:25.350 --> 00:07:27.430 every day. And even today, right, on May 18, 00:07:27.610 --> 00:07:30.790 2025, as you dedicate her back to the Lord, that 00:07:30.790 --> 00:07:32.910 she is a gift. And the beautiful thing with a 00:07:32.910 --> 00:07:36.250 gift is a gift is to be received and a gift is 00:07:36.250 --> 00:07:39.129 to be given. So you received Abigail, you're 00:07:39.129 --> 00:07:41.550 giving her back to the Lord, and one day you'll 00:07:41.550 --> 00:07:43.829 give Abigail to the world around her for God 00:07:43.829 --> 00:07:46.740 to use her gifts that are within her. So today, 00:07:46.939 --> 00:07:51.319 I want to share one last verse, Matthew 19, 14. 00:07:51.339 --> 00:07:53.379 It says, but Jesus said, let the children come 00:07:53.379 --> 00:07:56.079 to me and do not hinder them, for such belong 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.680 to the kingdom of heaven. Children are a gift 00:07:58.680 --> 00:08:02.379 from God. They're special, and they are a little 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:04.540 slice of heaven here on earth. They really are, 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:08.060 as we get ready to dedicate. So Zach and Chrisanna, 00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:09.720 go ahead, Zach. You got to do the dad thing. 00:08:09.800 --> 00:08:12.779 Go ahead. All right. We'll wait on you, man. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:19.939 He's good. And it is a gift indeed to be a parent, 00:08:20.019 --> 00:08:23.300 to go through the struggle. He's wanting to be 00:08:23.300 --> 00:08:26.180 a part today. All right. But Zach and Kristen, 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:28.980 I'm going to ask you to do this publicly. I want 00:08:28.980 --> 00:08:31.360 you to, and you can answer by I will, but do 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.480 you declare today and do you speak today that 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.820 you will raise this daughter of yours to love 00:08:36.820 --> 00:08:38.940 the Lord God with all her heart, mind, and soul? 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.519 Do you publicly declare that? All right, they 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:44.240 will. And church family and family that have 00:08:44.240 --> 00:08:47.980 come along to share in this day, do you also 00:08:47.980 --> 00:08:51.759 love and support this family? And will you back 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:54.279 up these parents as they raise their child in 00:08:54.279 --> 00:08:56.720 the Lord? And if you will say, I will. All right, 00:08:56.740 --> 00:08:58.320 I'm going to ask you if you'd stand up this morning. 00:08:59.860 --> 00:09:02.820 As a church body, as a family. We're going to 00:09:02.820 --> 00:09:04.460 take time and we're going to pray over Abigail. 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:06.379 And this is a prayer of dedication. So I'm going 00:09:06.379 --> 00:09:08.419 to ask both parents to have a hand upon her. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:10.179 And we're going to pray together. And Father, 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:12.620 we just come before you. In the matchless name 00:09:12.620 --> 00:09:14.799 of Jesus Christ. And we thank you for this gift 00:09:14.799 --> 00:09:16.879 that's been given to this family. God, I thank 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:19.399 you for Abigail. I thank you, Lord, for the joy 00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:22.019 that she truly brings to this family. And Lord, 00:09:22.039 --> 00:09:24.460 to those around her. And God, we pray that your 00:09:24.460 --> 00:09:26.919 hand would be upon her. God, we dedicate her 00:09:26.919 --> 00:09:29.659 back to you today. Lord, believe in that. Lord, 00:09:29.740 --> 00:09:32.179 it is your hand that will cover. her future. 00:09:32.419 --> 00:09:34.980 God, you know who she was in the womb. God, you 00:09:34.980 --> 00:09:37.320 formed her. So Lord God, I pray that you would 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:39.379 be with her. God, that you would surround her, 00:09:39.419 --> 00:09:42.879 that your favor would fall upon her. Before her, 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:45.340 Lord, let your favor go. And Lord, we thank you. 00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:47.600 We give you praise. We give you glory. And I 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:50.059 thank you for this couple, God, who has dedicated 00:09:50.059 --> 00:09:54.179 themselves and dedicated her back to you. And 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:56.399 we give you glory in Jesus' name. And everybody 00:09:56.399 --> 00:09:59.820 said together, amen and amen. Thank you both. 00:10:00.250 --> 00:10:02.309 for taking time to do this. This is special and 00:10:02.309 --> 00:10:04.950 amazing. God bless you. Listen, give them a hand 00:10:04.950 --> 00:10:08.129 as you're seated. Y 'all want a picture? If you 00:10:08.129 --> 00:10:11.149 want a picture, snap a picture. But God bless 00:10:11.149 --> 00:10:13.929 you. Listen, we got something that represents 00:10:13.929 --> 00:10:17.429 this day that we do with every couple. And this 00:10:17.429 --> 00:10:20.340 is important. And we give them three roses. To 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:22.379 commemorate the day. And the first one is the 00:10:22.379 --> 00:10:25.039 white rose, which represents Jesus. And the love 00:10:25.039 --> 00:10:27.580 of Jesus for Abigail and for both of you. The 00:10:27.580 --> 00:10:30.799 red represents you two. It's the bloodline, right? 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:32.940 And it represents the love that you have for 00:10:32.940 --> 00:10:35.639 your daughter. And the pink represents Abigail. 00:10:35.860 --> 00:10:38.299 It is the mixture of the two that will be so 00:10:38.299 --> 00:10:40.240 special. She loves the flowers. That's awesome. 00:10:40.360 --> 00:10:42.820 She's smiling. So we want you to have that this 00:10:42.820 --> 00:10:45.120 morning. We also want to give you a beginner's 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.120 Bible. The Word of God, which is a lamp unto 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:50.000 her path and a light to it, right? A light to 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.539 her path and a lamp for her feet. We want this 00:10:52.539 --> 00:10:55.360 for you to take this and to pour the word of 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:58.480 God into her. And then a certificate to mark 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:02.340 the day that you dedicated Abigail. Amen. All 00:11:02.340 --> 00:11:04.320 right. God bless you. Thanks. You got to carry 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:06.440 everything. All right. Give them a hand as they 00:11:06.440 --> 00:12:12.500 go down, please. Come on. Some of you are nodding 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:17.679 your heads right now. Eric, Pastor Eric Stanton, 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:22.200 back in the booth back there. All right. If you 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:24.940 haven't guessed it yet, I'm starting a message 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:28.620 series on family this morning. Amen? I was looking 00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:30.840 for a little theme. For all of you who know the 00:12:30.840 --> 00:12:34.120 70s, come on, say amen. The rest of you are like, 00:12:34.179 --> 00:12:35.799 where does that song come from? I've never heard 00:12:35.799 --> 00:12:38.580 that before. Maybe at a ball game, right? But 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:40.620 I really, this morning, I wanted to start this 00:12:40.620 --> 00:12:43.580 message series and begin a series to talk about 00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:48.100 family. We are family. Now, if we would, I want 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:50.720 to start this message series off right. So I 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:52.559 want us just to bow and praise. All right, if 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:54.559 we pray this morning. Father, we come before 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:56.860 you, Lord, as we get ready to go into your word. 00:12:57.019 --> 00:12:59.159 Guys, we begin to take the next few weeks and 00:12:59.159 --> 00:13:01.659 discover what your word says about family, about 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:04.519 who we are in the family. God, I ask, Lord, that 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.000 you would guide us and direct us, that you would 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.039 speak into our hearts. God, every word that comes 00:13:08.039 --> 00:13:10.539 forth and every truth that is brought to light 00:13:10.539 --> 00:13:12.360 and comes into our ears, write it on the flesh 00:13:12.360 --> 00:13:15.059 of our hearts. God, that we might know you. God, 00:13:15.139 --> 00:13:17.019 that we might worship you and that we might give 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:19.480 you glory and step out what you're speaking to 00:13:19.480 --> 00:13:22.080 us. And we give you praise in Jesus' name. And 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.580 everybody say it together. Amen, amen. Listen, 00:13:24.779 --> 00:13:27.000 I think it was the right way to start the message 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.159 this morning. And one of the incredible benefits 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:34.139 of following Jesus as Lord and Savior is that 00:13:34.139 --> 00:13:38.539 you have family. You've got spiritual family 00:13:38.539 --> 00:13:41.080 right here in the house. You've got spiritual 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:43.899 family who's listening online. We've got spiritual 00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:46.840 family who are outside the house, some down the 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:50.059 street. You've got siblings, literally spiritual 00:13:50.059 --> 00:13:54.049 siblings across the globe. You've got brothers. 00:13:54.190 --> 00:13:58.629 You've got sisters in every country on the planet. 00:13:59.090 --> 00:14:02.149 And if you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, if 00:14:02.149 --> 00:14:05.610 you share the same spiritual father, it doesn't 00:14:05.610 --> 00:14:07.429 matter if you've never met someone. It doesn't 00:14:07.429 --> 00:14:10.789 matter if you've never met me before. If you 00:14:10.789 --> 00:14:15.309 know Jesus as Lord and as Savior, I am your long 00:14:15.309 --> 00:14:19.549 -lost brother. All right? Hey, man, turn to somebody 00:14:19.549 --> 00:14:22.110 right now. Say, what's up, sis? What's up, brother? 00:14:22.840 --> 00:14:28.320 Come on. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, 00:14:28.460 --> 00:14:31.120 the person sitting next to you, whether you know 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:33.360 them or not, whether you've never met them, if 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.960 Jesus is Savior of their lives, if you've never 00:14:35.960 --> 00:14:38.779 laid eyes on them, you have no idea of their 00:14:38.779 --> 00:14:41.379 name, right, where they're coming from or where 00:14:41.379 --> 00:14:45.120 they're going, they're family. They're family. 00:14:45.500 --> 00:14:48.779 We're connected by our Lord and Savior. We're 00:14:48.779 --> 00:14:51.679 connected by the Father. We're connected together, 00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:55.480 and we are family. It is one of the beautiful 00:14:55.480 --> 00:14:58.960 attributes of the family of God, the kingdom 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:02.440 of God. And it is different from any other kingdom 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:04.320 that you will experience on the face of the planet, 00:15:04.440 --> 00:15:07.820 past, present, or in the future. God's kingdom 00:15:07.820 --> 00:15:12.679 is made up of 100 % population of family. Everybody's 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:15.490 connected. God's kingdom isn't just some organized 00:15:15.490 --> 00:15:19.129 form of government made up of individuals who 00:15:19.129 --> 00:15:22.169 will serve a role or position to move a kingdom 00:15:22.169 --> 00:15:24.789 forward, right? The kingdom of God is not some 00:15:24.789 --> 00:15:28.690 cold societal construct organized to keep us 00:15:28.690 --> 00:15:31.509 distanced from the king and to simply bring wealth 00:15:31.509 --> 00:15:33.769 and prosperity into the kingdom. That's not what 00:15:33.769 --> 00:15:36.570 it is. God's kingdom, Jesus' kingdom, is filled 00:15:36.570 --> 00:15:42.909 with family. And it is a big, big, big family. 00:15:43.789 --> 00:15:47.850 Last week, First Lady Keisha Wellington was here. 00:15:47.990 --> 00:15:50.909 She did an amazing job on Mother's Day. And she 00:15:50.909 --> 00:15:54.049 talked about family. She brought the word of 00:15:54.049 --> 00:15:56.669 God. She referenced several different things. 00:15:56.710 --> 00:15:59.629 And she talked about legacy and leaving a legacy. 00:15:59.870 --> 00:16:02.570 And she even talked about her home. Now, I think 00:16:02.570 --> 00:16:05.450 I got the stats right. I didn't actually text 00:16:05.450 --> 00:16:07.649 her. But I think somewhere along in her message, 00:16:07.690 --> 00:16:11.909 she said she had 12 siblings. How many of you 00:16:11.909 --> 00:16:14.799 know that's a big family? By any standard, right? 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:18.240 I have two siblings personally. I have two sisters. 00:16:18.360 --> 00:16:22.100 And I understand something about birth order. 00:16:22.279 --> 00:16:24.539 I understand something about structure inside 00:16:24.539 --> 00:16:26.720 of a family. I understand something about bigger 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:29.179 families and smaller families. And how many know 00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:31.580 birth order is a thing in families? It really 00:16:31.580 --> 00:16:36.210 is. It's a deal. It is something. Being the oldest 00:16:36.210 --> 00:16:38.750 or being the youngest or being somewhere in between, 00:16:39.029 --> 00:16:42.610 it seems to come with certain roles and responsibilities 00:16:42.610 --> 00:16:45.509 and expectations that are kind of unwritten. 00:16:45.909 --> 00:16:48.370 If you're a firstborn in the house, firstborn 00:16:48.370 --> 00:16:50.450 in your family, raise your hand right now. Firstborn, 00:16:50.450 --> 00:16:52.629 whoo, we've got a lot of firstborns, all right? 00:16:52.769 --> 00:16:55.330 Firstborn, how many know the firstborn is always 00:16:55.330 --> 00:16:58.710 the policeman and the boss of the family? Right? 00:16:58.789 --> 00:17:00.690 If you're an only child, you definitely are, 00:17:00.769 --> 00:17:03.850 right? You're the first boss. The firstborn is 00:17:03.850 --> 00:17:06.369 usually the policeman. They're usually the boss. 00:17:06.569 --> 00:17:10.569 They lead the rest of the herd, right? And how 00:17:10.569 --> 00:17:12.609 many know perfection must be achieved with this 00:17:12.609 --> 00:17:15.970 child? It's mom and dad's first child. We must 00:17:15.970 --> 00:17:19.269 be perfect. Everything must be perfect. When 00:17:19.269 --> 00:17:22.109 the firstborn comes along and the binky hits 00:17:22.109 --> 00:17:24.450 the floor, how many know you pick it up and you 00:17:24.450 --> 00:17:28.210 boil it, right? All germs must be eradicated 00:17:28.210 --> 00:17:31.890 with the firstborn. Every moment of their lives 00:17:31.890 --> 00:17:35.630 is documented and redocumented. There are... 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:38.980 photo album after photo album of the firstborn. 00:17:39.140 --> 00:17:42.140 There are shrines that are built on a wall, right, 00:17:42.220 --> 00:17:45.019 of the firstborn. Pictures in every stage of 00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:47.140 life. They are the boss. They are the policeman. 00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:50.180 They are large and in charge, right? Even though 00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:53.079 no one ever told them that. That's the firstborn. 00:17:53.880 --> 00:17:57.930 We had three. Now there's the middle child. How 00:17:57.930 --> 00:18:00.390 many middle children we got in here? Amen. Thank 00:18:00.390 --> 00:18:03.549 you. I'm a middle child as well. All right. Listen, 00:18:03.710 --> 00:18:06.250 the middle child has a completely different responsibility. 00:18:06.809 --> 00:18:09.970 Their responsibility is to be the agitator of 00:18:09.970 --> 00:18:14.049 the family. Okay? The middle child, and we take 00:18:14.049 --> 00:18:17.829 this very seriously, by the way. Their role and 00:18:17.829 --> 00:18:21.150 perspective is that I must create tension above 00:18:21.150 --> 00:18:23.359 and below in the birth order. All right, this 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.839 is my job, to divide and conquer somewhere in 00:18:25.839 --> 00:18:29.359 the birth order. I must stir up the ranks. I 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:32.000 must change things, right? And there are far 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.140 less pictures of the middle child because the 00:18:34.140 --> 00:18:36.240 parents are too busy breaking up the fights that 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:40.619 they started. And the binky, they were sterilized 00:18:40.619 --> 00:18:42.720 with the first one, and when it's dropped under 00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:44.740 the floor with the second child, you just run 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:46.299 it under some water because how many know that 00:18:46.299 --> 00:18:48.740 gets 50 % of the germs, right? And it builds 00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:51.240 up their immune system anyway. This is the middle 00:18:51.240 --> 00:18:54.259 child. How about the baby of the family? How 00:18:54.259 --> 00:18:55.880 many babies of the family have you got? Yeah. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:58.920 Come on, babies. They're like, oh yeah, that's 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:02.240 me. Right? How many of your parents are just 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:05.740 tired at this point when they have you? So the 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:07.940 baby can get away with anything and everything? 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.920 Right? Because mom and dad are just too tired 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:12.819 to take care of anything else, right? Anything 00:19:12.819 --> 00:19:15.980 can happen. And the parents don't worry about 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:17.680 it too much because if anything does happen, 00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:19.700 the firstborn's going to report it because they're 00:19:19.700 --> 00:19:22.099 the policeman, right? The second one's going 00:19:22.099 --> 00:19:23.400 to get in trouble because it's probably their 00:19:23.400 --> 00:19:26.000 fault right off the bat. And the third one just 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.450 keeps going on, right? And the parents have no 00:19:28.450 --> 00:19:31.630 idea. They've kind of given up on the idea of 00:19:31.630 --> 00:19:34.009 total control and order in the family, right? 00:19:34.609 --> 00:19:38.049 Listen, the goal is after three, anytime you 00:19:38.049 --> 00:19:40.109 have three children or more, the goal is, first 00:19:40.109 --> 00:19:41.930 of all, nobody's missing for more than a day, 00:19:41.970 --> 00:19:44.849 and nobody's bleeding arterially for more than 00:19:44.849 --> 00:19:47.890 a couple minutes, right? That's the goal. I've 00:19:47.890 --> 00:19:51.119 experienced all this. I understand the intricate 00:19:51.119 --> 00:19:54.720 workings of family this size, but I can't even 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.180 imagine having 11 siblings and figuring out the 00:19:57.180 --> 00:19:59.380 birth order, what that look like, right? Had 00:19:59.380 --> 00:20:01.720 to be pandemonium, had to be amazing. But no 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:04.019 matter what your idea of family consists of, 00:20:04.099 --> 00:20:07.799 whether it's one, two, three, a dozen, it's minute 00:20:07.799 --> 00:20:10.759 compared to the family of God and the family 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:13.680 that we're adopted into. If Jesus is your Lord 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:17.890 and Savior, your family is enormous. The family 00:20:17.890 --> 00:20:21.650 support system stretches across the world, across 00:20:21.650 --> 00:20:24.650 the globe, in every corner. I need you to think 00:20:24.650 --> 00:20:27.970 about this. In every corner of the globe, you've 00:20:27.970 --> 00:20:32.109 got family. You've got family in this world and 00:20:32.109 --> 00:20:34.890 out of this world, literally, right? And the 00:20:34.890 --> 00:20:38.869 crazy thing is, even though you've not met most 00:20:38.869 --> 00:20:42.269 of your family, your spiritual family in the 00:20:42.269 --> 00:20:44.990 kingdom, as soon as you bump into one of these 00:20:44.990 --> 00:20:48.339 unknown family members, As soon as you realize 00:20:48.339 --> 00:20:50.619 that they're connected and they have the same 00:20:50.619 --> 00:20:53.640 Heavenly Father that you do, there is this instant 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:57.279 connection that takes place. It changes everything. 00:20:57.880 --> 00:21:01.640 It all shifts in a moment in time. If you've 00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:04.140 ever been on a mission trip and you've gone into 00:21:04.140 --> 00:21:06.460 a foreign land where people don't speak your 00:21:06.460 --> 00:21:08.940 language and you don't speak their language and 00:21:08.940 --> 00:21:12.079 you bump into somebody and you find out they 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.160 have the same father that you do, that they're 00:21:15.160 --> 00:21:17.839 serving the Lord God and you're serving the Lord 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.579 God, it's the funniest thing because you just 00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:24.099 want to hug them. Sometimes it's really awkward 00:21:24.099 --> 00:21:25.940 because how many know you can't communicate? 00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:28.339 So you stand there like two mute people looking 00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:29.940 at each other, and you're grinning from ear to 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:32.299 ear, right? You don't know whether to hug them, 00:21:32.339 --> 00:21:34.359 shake their hand, you know, just put your arm 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:36.220 out. You don't know what to do. But there's this 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:39.640 strange connection that takes place. You know 00:21:39.640 --> 00:21:42.940 that you're tied together. So one of the benefits 00:21:42.940 --> 00:21:46.579 of being saved is that you have family big time. 00:21:47.079 --> 00:21:50.500 You have family, and it's enormous. John 1 .10 00:21:50.500 --> 00:21:53.599 says this. He was in the world. This is speaking 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:56.160 of Jesus. He was in the world and the world was 00:21:56.160 --> 00:21:59.339 made through him and the world did not know him. 00:21:59.579 --> 00:22:03.140 He came to his own and his own did not receive 00:22:03.140 --> 00:22:05.720 him. Now, before I go into this next verse, you 00:22:05.720 --> 00:22:07.519 got to understand what's being talked about here. 00:22:07.619 --> 00:22:10.420 This is speaking about Jesus and the ones who 00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:12.940 didn't receive him were the Jews. They were the 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:17.240 Jewish culture. Jesus was born a Jew, and Jesus 00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:20.000 came and ministered to the Jews. He spoke to 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:23.339 the Jews. He healed the Jewish people, but they 00:22:23.339 --> 00:22:26.579 didn't receive him. But look what the next verse 00:22:26.579 --> 00:22:30.220 says. Verse 12 says this, but as many as received 00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:35.200 him, Jesus, to them he gave the right to become 00:22:35.200 --> 00:22:38.819 children of God, to those who believe in his 00:22:38.819 --> 00:22:41.769 name. who were born not of blood, nor of the 00:22:41.769 --> 00:22:44.210 will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:49.349 of God. If we believe in the name of Jesus, if 00:22:49.349 --> 00:22:53.509 we are born again, if we are blood -bought, spirit 00:22:53.509 --> 00:22:56.549 -filled, set free from sin, right, on our way 00:22:56.549 --> 00:22:58.829 to heaven because of the shed blood of Jesus, 00:22:59.009 --> 00:23:03.190 a shunning hell, all of those things, if that's 00:23:03.190 --> 00:23:07.849 true, I am a son or a daughter of God. I am kin. 00:23:08.799 --> 00:23:12.000 to God. I'm kin to God. Say that. Mumble to yourself. 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:14.480 I'm kin to God. Come on, mumble. I'm giving you 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:16.000 a chance to mumble. I want to hear some mumbling, 00:23:16.059 --> 00:23:19.579 right? I'm kin to God. I'm in the family. We're 00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:22.259 in the family. I am literally a child of God. 00:23:22.380 --> 00:23:25.500 I am a king's kid. Sometimes you got to say that. 00:23:25.559 --> 00:23:28.240 I'm a king's kid. And this is not a metaphorical 00:23:28.240 --> 00:23:31.180 sense of the word. This isn't where you stand 00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:33.460 and say, well, this is really nice, right? This 00:23:33.460 --> 00:23:36.099 isn't a sentiment thing where we say, oh, well, 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:38.880 yeah, I know. I'm like a child to the most high. 00:23:39.160 --> 00:23:41.380 It's not, you know, sometimes we talk about other 00:23:41.380 --> 00:23:43.180 people in relationships. Well, they're like a 00:23:43.180 --> 00:23:45.339 child to me. It might be somebody that's a relative 00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:48.079 or a friend or just a relative. No, this means 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:51.339 that you are a child of the king. This means 00:23:51.339 --> 00:23:53.779 that you're a king kid. This means that you are 00:23:53.779 --> 00:23:56.680 his. Verse 12 said, as many as receive. To them 00:23:56.680 --> 00:24:01.009 he gave the right to become. Say the right. The 00:24:01.009 --> 00:24:03.109 right to become children of God to those who 00:24:03.109 --> 00:24:05.829 believe in his name. There is a spiritual legality 00:24:05.829 --> 00:24:08.990 that takes place here by the sacrifice of Jesus 00:24:08.990 --> 00:24:13.190 and by your faith in him. I have a right to sonship. 00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:15.950 There's a legal adoption thing that takes place 00:24:15.950 --> 00:24:18.190 in the spiritual realm. This means that in the 00:24:18.190 --> 00:24:21.369 courts of heaven, Jesus paid the price on the 00:24:21.369 --> 00:24:24.690 cross for me to come in and to receive him and 00:24:24.690 --> 00:24:28.970 to become a son or a daughter. An adoption that 00:24:28.970 --> 00:24:31.920 is finalized. I don't know if you've ever been 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:34.539 part of a finalized adoption, but I've had the 00:24:34.539 --> 00:24:36.819 privilege of doing that twice. I've got invited 00:24:36.819 --> 00:24:39.660 to go to the courtroom when somebody was adopting 00:24:39.660 --> 00:24:42.660 a child, all the paperwork was done, all the 00:24:42.660 --> 00:24:45.460 money was paid for that to take place. And you 00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:47.579 sit in this courtroom, probably the only time 00:24:47.579 --> 00:24:49.059 I actually want to really be in a courtroom, 00:24:49.240 --> 00:24:51.579 right? But you sit in this courtroom and the 00:24:51.579 --> 00:24:54.119 judge pronounces, he declares, and it's such 00:24:54.119 --> 00:24:57.569 a... Cool celebration. Even in the judicial system, 00:24:57.670 --> 00:25:01.170 somebody has now declared a son or a daughter 00:25:01.170 --> 00:25:03.690 to a couple who has gone through the process 00:25:03.690 --> 00:25:06.869 of adopting them. And I can't even describe it. 00:25:07.470 --> 00:25:10.170 I teared up both times it's happened, right? 00:25:10.269 --> 00:25:13.569 It is an amazing thing. It is not a sentiment 00:25:13.569 --> 00:25:16.670 thing in the kingdom of God. This is a family 00:25:16.670 --> 00:25:21.289 statute. Jesus paid an enormous price for our 00:25:21.289 --> 00:25:25.130 adoption process. I don't know if you know it 00:25:25.130 --> 00:25:26.809 or not, but a typical adoption in the United 00:25:26.809 --> 00:25:29.210 States costs anywhere between $20 ,000 and $45 00:25:29.210 --> 00:25:33.089 ,000 to adopt a child. Tons of paperwork, lots 00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:36.329 of legal hoops to jump through. But Jesus paid 00:25:36.329 --> 00:25:40.849 far more. He paid with his life. He paid with 00:25:40.849 --> 00:25:45.630 his blood. He paid to give us the right to become 00:25:45.630 --> 00:25:50.269 sons and daughters of God. He did not just buy 00:25:50.269 --> 00:25:53.640 you citizenship. Into the kingdom of heaven. 00:25:54.700 --> 00:25:58.119 He didn't buy you just citizenship. He took it 00:25:58.119 --> 00:26:01.359 to a whole other level. He took it to sonship. 00:26:01.420 --> 00:26:05.220 And daughtership. You know it's one thing. To 00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:08.240 be a citizen of a kingdom. It is another thing. 00:26:08.420 --> 00:26:11.859 To be a son or a daughter of the king. In that 00:26:11.859 --> 00:26:14.140 kingdom. I mean that's a very different place 00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:16.880 to be in. Right? That's a very different place 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:20.640 to stand and to function in. You know, I can 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.779 assure you that President Trump's children carry 00:26:23.779 --> 00:26:28.220 a few more rights and privileges than you and 00:26:28.220 --> 00:26:32.579 I do, right? If you're a child of the king, there's 00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:34.640 rights and privileges that come along with that. 00:26:34.700 --> 00:26:37.279 There's places you can go that others can't go. 00:26:37.420 --> 00:26:39.740 You get to do things that others don't get to 00:26:39.740 --> 00:26:42.819 do. You get privilege in places that others don't 00:26:42.819 --> 00:26:45.700 get privilege of. And when God, when Jesus paid 00:26:45.700 --> 00:26:49.380 the price for our sin and our redemption, he 00:26:49.380 --> 00:26:52.720 didn't just buy you citizenship into the kingdom 00:26:52.720 --> 00:26:56.759 of God. He bought you sonship and daughtership, 00:26:56.759 --> 00:27:00.099 right? But 1 John 3, 1 says this, behold, what 00:27:00.099 --> 00:27:02.559 manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, 00:27:02.599 --> 00:27:06.539 that we should be called children of God. Therefore, 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:08.440 the world does not know us because it did not 00:27:08.440 --> 00:27:11.119 know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:14.000 and it has not yet been revealed what we shall 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:18.359 be. But we know that when he is revealed, we 00:27:18.359 --> 00:27:22.099 shall be like him. You're not like somebody when 00:27:22.099 --> 00:27:24.920 it's just citizenship, right? This is sonship. 00:27:24.940 --> 00:27:27.920 This is daughtership. For we shall see him as 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.339 he is, and everyone who has this hope in him 00:27:30.339 --> 00:27:34.059 purifies himself just as he is pure. Romans 8 00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:38.039 .14 says this, For as many that are led by the 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:41.579 Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you 00:27:41.579 --> 00:27:44.019 did not receive the spirit of bondage again to 00:27:44.019 --> 00:27:48.039 fear, but received the spirit of adoption, by 00:27:48.039 --> 00:27:51.940 whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself 00:27:51.940 --> 00:27:54.559 bears witnesses that our spirit, that we are 00:27:54.559 --> 00:27:58.039 children of God. If then children, then heirs. 00:27:58.500 --> 00:28:02.140 Heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If 00:28:02.140 --> 00:28:04.579 indeed we suffer with him, that we might also 00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:10.000 be glorified together. We are king's kids. Say 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:13.500 it with me. We are king's kids. We're not just 00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:17.069 citizens. We're king's kids. We're not, we don't 00:28:17.069 --> 00:28:20.049 just have a residency in the kingdom of God. 00:28:20.109 --> 00:28:22.670 The word of God here says above what we just 00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:25.049 read that we'll be like him, right? That we'll 00:28:25.049 --> 00:28:28.210 change and we'll be like him. Heirs and joint 00:28:28.210 --> 00:28:32.150 heirs with Jesus Christ. Suffering with him that 00:28:32.150 --> 00:28:34.710 we might be glorified with him. How many know 00:28:34.710 --> 00:28:37.390 in family when one suffers, they all suffer? 00:28:37.630 --> 00:28:40.390 And when one's glorified, we all glorify, we 00:28:40.390 --> 00:28:44.440 all rejoice together. One of the benefits of 00:28:44.440 --> 00:28:47.900 being saved is that you're in the family of God, 00:28:48.140 --> 00:28:54.079 big time. You're adopted. You're a son. You're 00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:55.700 a daughter. Are you seeing yourself this way? 00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:01.099 Not just a citizen. You have the right to sonship 00:29:01.099 --> 00:29:05.180 and daughtership. And I can tell you that family 00:29:05.180 --> 00:29:08.859 is the most powerful group on the planet. It's 00:29:08.859 --> 00:29:13.019 the most powerful conglomerate of people on the 00:29:13.019 --> 00:29:16.579 planet. More than any other association or more 00:29:16.579 --> 00:29:18.500 than any other group on the face of the planet. 00:29:18.579 --> 00:29:20.799 More than any government, even the U .S. government. 00:29:20.900 --> 00:29:26.059 More than groups like the NAACP or the ACLU or 00:29:26.059 --> 00:29:29.769 the AARP. I keep getting letters from them. All 00:29:29.769 --> 00:29:33.130 right? The American Academy of Family Physicians, 00:29:33.150 --> 00:29:35.670 right? You can name them. The American Humane 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:37.549 Association, even the Christian Coalition of 00:29:37.549 --> 00:29:40.930 America. The family is far more powerful. The 00:29:40.930 --> 00:29:44.170 family affects far more. Family is a powerful 00:29:44.170 --> 00:29:48.670 thing. It's the most powerful organization on 00:29:48.670 --> 00:29:52.049 the face of the planet. It really is. And I got 00:29:52.049 --> 00:29:54.349 family here today, and I've made this comment. 00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:57.960 One or more of them on more than one occasion. 00:29:58.279 --> 00:30:02.099 Family has the power, right? My physical family 00:30:02.099 --> 00:30:05.519 has the power to raise me up or to trash me. 00:30:05.660 --> 00:30:08.200 Do you know that? Your family has that power. 00:30:08.400 --> 00:30:12.079 Family can make us or they can break us. Family 00:30:12.079 --> 00:30:15.529 can raise you up or they can take you down. Family 00:30:15.529 --> 00:30:18.609 has the power to help you soar mentally, emotionally, 00:30:19.150 --> 00:30:21.970 physically, or they can shoot you right out of 00:30:21.970 --> 00:30:24.690 the sky. They can cause you to crash and burn. 00:30:25.390 --> 00:30:28.049 I've said some version of this all along the 00:30:28.049 --> 00:30:31.369 way with family in some manner because it's true. 00:30:31.730 --> 00:30:35.490 It's true. It's powerful. Listen, if somebody 00:30:35.490 --> 00:30:37.849 out in the world says something about me, you 00:30:37.849 --> 00:30:40.029 know, if they call me a name or they don't like 00:30:40.029 --> 00:30:42.789 me for some reason, I can kind of live with that. 00:30:43.339 --> 00:30:46.039 That's like, okay, I don't love it, but it's 00:30:46.039 --> 00:30:49.029 okay. Right? And I'm probably not going to lose 00:30:49.029 --> 00:30:51.869 a week's sleep or a month's sleep or probably 00:30:51.869 --> 00:30:54.150 not even a night's sleep over somebody who doesn't 00:30:54.150 --> 00:30:55.890 like me out there in the world or who doesn't 00:30:55.890 --> 00:31:00.150 care for what I say or whatever accusation they 00:31:00.150 --> 00:31:02.190 might come up with. I'm probably not going to 00:31:02.190 --> 00:31:04.390 lose more than a day's sleep. But if my family, 00:31:04.410 --> 00:31:05.970 if things aren't right with my family, if things 00:31:05.970 --> 00:31:07.890 aren't right with my spouse, right, if they aren't 00:31:07.890 --> 00:31:09.769 right with my children, if they're not right 00:31:09.769 --> 00:31:12.650 with my grandchildren, how many know that messes 00:31:12.650 --> 00:31:17.039 you up? You can be. You can lose sleep for a 00:31:17.039 --> 00:31:21.599 month over dissension in the family, tension 00:31:21.599 --> 00:31:24.599 in the family. Things aren't right. It can be 00:31:24.599 --> 00:31:27.420 heartbreaking. It can weigh on you. It becomes 00:31:27.420 --> 00:31:31.700 baggage, right? It gets difficult. I've talked 00:31:31.700 --> 00:31:35.319 with those many, many times who talk about hurt 00:31:35.319 --> 00:31:39.059 that took place way back when in their family, 00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:44.130 20 years ago, 30 years ago. 40 years ago, abusive 00:31:44.130 --> 00:31:46.650 words, whatever it was that brought the tension 00:31:46.650 --> 00:31:50.269 between the two, abrasive words of some kind, 00:31:50.369 --> 00:31:54.829 and they're still dealing with it. Decades later, 00:31:55.029 --> 00:31:59.410 right? Family is powerful. We need to be careful 00:31:59.410 --> 00:32:03.049 how we treat family. We need to be careful with 00:32:03.049 --> 00:32:05.670 our physical family. We need to be careful with 00:32:05.670 --> 00:32:08.410 our spiritual family, right? In the house, in 00:32:08.410 --> 00:32:12.640 this house. We need to handle those gifts. In 00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:15.460 our lives, because family is gifts, with care, 00:32:15.640 --> 00:32:17.920 we need to be so careful with our spouses, with 00:32:17.920 --> 00:32:20.700 our children, with our extended family, right? 00:32:20.759 --> 00:32:22.700 We need to be so careful with my brothers and 00:32:22.700 --> 00:32:26.960 sisters that are in the family of God. We do. 00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:30.859 I got into a conversation with somebody, literally, 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:33.559 it happened just this week. It happened this 00:32:33.559 --> 00:32:36.680 week. I got into a conversation, and this person 00:32:36.680 --> 00:32:39.519 began to unfold what took place when they were 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:41.680 young. And this happened inside of a church. 00:32:42.250 --> 00:32:45.950 And they were just small. And this person described 00:32:45.950 --> 00:32:50.470 how affected they were by a spiritual leader 00:32:50.470 --> 00:32:54.369 in that church who was hard on them, who came 00:32:54.369 --> 00:32:57.089 down on them. And it was for the silliest of 00:32:57.089 --> 00:33:00.069 things. This child was supposed to memorize something 00:33:00.069 --> 00:33:02.890 and couldn't seem to handle memorizing it. And 00:33:02.890 --> 00:33:05.309 this spiritual, supposedly spiritual leader in 00:33:05.309 --> 00:33:08.190 this church just railed on them. And it happened 00:33:08.190 --> 00:33:11.670 more than one time. And this person talked about, 00:33:11.829 --> 00:33:13.609 and I'm talking about somebody who was middle 00:33:13.609 --> 00:33:16.390 -aged, talked about how this stuck with them, 00:33:16.490 --> 00:33:21.269 how they felt harm and hurt from all that. And 00:33:21.269 --> 00:33:26.609 for years, they drifted away from God. But the 00:33:26.609 --> 00:33:29.009 good news is that same person continued to tell 00:33:29.009 --> 00:33:31.609 me about how they had made a mistake in their 00:33:31.609 --> 00:33:35.410 young adulthood and sinned, and really there 00:33:35.410 --> 00:33:38.329 were repercussions for all that, and they were... 00:33:38.799 --> 00:33:41.259 Kind of devastated from all that. And they walked 00:33:41.259 --> 00:33:43.500 back into a different church. And there was a 00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:46.000 pastor there who came up. And this person said, 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:48.859 I'll never forget it. This pastor came up to 00:33:48.859 --> 00:33:50.960 me and with the grace that I have never experienced 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:53.700 from someone else, welcomed me and began to share 00:33:53.700 --> 00:33:55.799 with me. And knew everything that had taken place 00:33:55.799 --> 00:33:59.200 in my life. And came with grace and began to 00:33:59.200 --> 00:34:02.839 speak over me. And this individual said, this 00:34:02.839 --> 00:34:06.559 is the first time I ever experienced the grace 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:09.989 of God. And it was coming out of that man, that 00:34:09.989 --> 00:34:14.090 pastor. And they continued on to walk in the 00:34:14.090 --> 00:34:17.210 faith and now is serving God with a whole heart. 00:34:17.309 --> 00:34:21.429 And they talked about the healing that took place 00:34:21.429 --> 00:34:23.550 in their lives as they begin to walk through. 00:34:23.750 --> 00:34:27.130 Family can raise us up. and family can take us 00:34:27.130 --> 00:34:30.510 down. Family is powerful. It has the power to 00:34:30.510 --> 00:34:32.869 infuse gifts in our lives, or it has the power 00:34:32.869 --> 00:34:36.090 to rob us of gifts. Family has the power to give 00:34:36.090 --> 00:34:39.090 us a deep sense of identity and heritage and 00:34:39.090 --> 00:34:43.190 really biblically healthy levels of self -esteem, 00:34:43.309 --> 00:34:47.610 or can steamroll us and create deep confusion 00:34:47.610 --> 00:34:51.550 and uncertainty. Family can be a built -in, ever 00:34:51.550 --> 00:34:54.269 -present, positive support system. Or family 00:34:54.269 --> 00:34:56.590 can tear away at the very fibers of who we are 00:34:56.590 --> 00:34:59.349 and what strengthens us. Family done right can 00:34:59.349 --> 00:35:01.949 provide protection and peace, right? But done 00:35:01.949 --> 00:35:06.050 poorly will cause us to hide and recoil in some 00:35:06.050 --> 00:35:08.449 kind of way. Family can help us soar in life, 00:35:08.489 --> 00:35:11.590 or it can load us down with baggage that we carry 00:35:11.590 --> 00:35:15.010 for decades. Family can provide a healthy supply 00:35:15.010 --> 00:35:18.050 of love and a healthy supply of security, or 00:35:18.050 --> 00:35:20.900 it can give us an unhealthy... hurt and shame 00:35:20.900 --> 00:35:23.480 in our lives. We can feel valued, or we can feel 00:35:23.480 --> 00:35:25.960 cheapened. We can feel raised up, or we can feel 00:35:25.960 --> 00:35:28.579 struck down. We can feel embraced, or we can 00:35:28.579 --> 00:35:31.679 feel abandoned. And I'll stand by here today 00:35:31.679 --> 00:35:34.820 to tell you, I don't know what... your earthly 00:35:34.820 --> 00:35:37.340 family left with you. I don't know the legacy. 00:35:37.599 --> 00:35:40.219 You might be here, and it might be good, bad, 00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:42.739 or something in between. You might have things 00:35:42.739 --> 00:35:44.679 that are great. You might have had a great family 00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:47.599 that helped you soar in life, or you might have 00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:50.159 a family you're struggling, and you're trying 00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:52.199 to figure out, how do I wade through the mess 00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:54.880 that was way back there? And I've got good news 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:57.760 for you today, because the family that you came 00:35:57.760 --> 00:36:00.320 out of, your physical family, does not determine 00:36:00.320 --> 00:36:03.440 where your future lies. It does not give you... 00:36:03.530 --> 00:36:07.809 the identity placed upon you or stamp you with 00:36:07.809 --> 00:36:10.150 an identity that you can't walk out from under, 00:36:10.230 --> 00:36:13.389 right? Where you were born, where you came from, 00:36:13.489 --> 00:36:16.210 the background that you're from, the social economic, 00:36:16.409 --> 00:36:19.530 whatever it is that came in from your past and 00:36:19.530 --> 00:36:21.530 the physical family, I'm here to tell you that 00:36:21.530 --> 00:36:24.710 Jesus is a family that you can walk into. And 00:36:24.710 --> 00:36:27.710 if you came out of function or dysfunction, he 00:36:27.710 --> 00:36:31.570 can shift all that and change who you are. Amen? 00:36:32.889 --> 00:36:36.309 Family is powerful, especially when your father 00:36:36.309 --> 00:36:39.690 is the father of all things, right? It's true. 00:36:39.909 --> 00:36:43.590 Galatians 3 .26 says this, For you are all sons 00:36:43.590 --> 00:36:46.070 of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For as 00:36:46.070 --> 00:36:48.730 many of you as were baptized into Christ have 00:36:48.730 --> 00:36:51.769 put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek. 00:36:51.869 --> 00:36:54.030 There is neither slave nor free. There is neither 00:36:54.030 --> 00:36:58.030 male nor female. For you all are one in Christ 00:36:58.030 --> 00:37:00.789 Jesus. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's 00:37:00.789 --> 00:37:05.730 seed and heirs according to the promise. So many 00:37:05.730 --> 00:37:09.670 times we miss these words. Heirs according to 00:37:09.670 --> 00:37:15.010 the promise. Your background, your family name 00:37:15.010 --> 00:37:19.010 does not disqualify me from living like a king's 00:37:19.010 --> 00:37:22.889 kid. It really doesn't. My gender, social, economic 00:37:22.889 --> 00:37:27.690 standing. Does not negate my right to live as 00:37:27.690 --> 00:37:32.630 a child of God. Nothing in my past can hold power 00:37:32.630 --> 00:37:35.909 over me in the finished work of Jesus Christ 00:37:35.909 --> 00:37:38.750 and who I am and who God meant me to be. Some 00:37:38.750 --> 00:37:41.570 of you need to hear this this morning. Some of 00:37:41.570 --> 00:37:45.110 you need to hear this. This is Jesus' kingdom 00:37:45.110 --> 00:37:51.230 family dynamics. And it overrides anything that 00:37:51.230 --> 00:37:55.650 was back there. It overrides it. It changes you. 00:37:56.389 --> 00:37:59.210 It can make you new. Some of you need to hear 00:37:59.210 --> 00:38:02.070 what I'm speaking. Some of you, you're living 00:38:02.070 --> 00:38:05.449 in the only tribe. that you're living in and 00:38:05.449 --> 00:38:08.429 the identity that you're living in it it stems 00:38:08.429 --> 00:38:11.429 from where you came from and who you came from 00:38:11.429 --> 00:38:14.690 you keep hanging on to those earthly identities 00:38:14.690 --> 00:38:17.329 right you keep living out of that dysfunction 00:38:17.329 --> 00:38:20.550 that was part of who you were and how you were 00:38:20.550 --> 00:38:22.829 brought up you keep believing that it makes you 00:38:22.829 --> 00:38:27.250 who you are and what you will become and jesus 00:38:27.250 --> 00:38:30.360 says if you believe in me If you're a king's 00:38:30.360 --> 00:38:33.960 kid, you have to understand that I have given 00:38:33.960 --> 00:38:38.820 you the right to be free of all of that. I've 00:38:38.820 --> 00:38:41.579 given you the right. Everything that he provides 00:38:41.579 --> 00:38:46.480 for you in the family overrides what was back 00:38:46.480 --> 00:38:49.360 there. Romans 8 .28 says, and we know that all 00:38:49.360 --> 00:38:52.400 things work for good for those who love God to 00:38:52.400 --> 00:38:53.820 those who are called according to his purpose. 00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:59.050 All things work for good. He didn't say it's 00:38:59.050 --> 00:39:01.269 always going to feel good. He didn't even say 00:39:01.269 --> 00:39:03.710 it was always going to be good. He said it will 00:39:03.710 --> 00:39:07.250 work out for the good in Jesus. Amen? Worship 00:39:07.250 --> 00:39:10.230 team, I'm going to ask if you'd come. I'm going 00:39:10.230 --> 00:39:12.090 to show you one last portion of scripture that 00:39:12.090 --> 00:39:16.550 shows us just how powerful it is to be in family. 00:39:17.010 --> 00:39:20.889 Luke chapter 20, the Sadducees of Jesus' day, 00:39:20.989 --> 00:39:23.690 it was a particular group or sect of people of 00:39:23.690 --> 00:39:26.389 Jesus' day, were trying to trip Jesus up with 00:39:26.389 --> 00:39:29.300 presenting him. with a made -up story, a hypothetical 00:39:29.300 --> 00:39:32.659 story, to drive home a thought or an error that 00:39:32.659 --> 00:39:35.559 was actually in their doctrine. And the Sadducees, 00:39:35.639 --> 00:39:37.639 they didn't believe in the resurrection. They 00:39:37.639 --> 00:39:39.400 didn't believe in the, of course, Jesus wasn't 00:39:39.400 --> 00:39:41.260 resurrected yet to this point, but they did not 00:39:41.260 --> 00:39:43.760 believe in the resurrection of the saints. They 00:39:43.760 --> 00:39:45.199 did not believe that saints would be one day 00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:47.420 resurrected. And they were trying to trip Jesus 00:39:47.420 --> 00:39:50.300 up. And Jesus has this discussion, but you have 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:52.820 to hear what he speaks about at the end of this 00:39:52.820 --> 00:39:56.170 discussion. Luke 20 and 27 says this, then some 00:39:56.170 --> 00:39:58.570 of the Sadducees who deny that there is a resurrection 00:39:58.570 --> 00:40:01.510 came to him and asked him saying, teacher, Moses 00:40:01.510 --> 00:40:04.110 wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having 00:40:04.110 --> 00:40:06.710 a wife and he dies without children, his brother 00:40:06.710 --> 00:40:08.730 should take his wife and raise up offspring for 00:40:08.730 --> 00:40:10.710 his brother. Now I need to explain, this was 00:40:10.710 --> 00:40:13.969 a Jewish tradition back then. In the Jewish culture, 00:40:14.070 --> 00:40:17.130 they wanted family lines to continue. So if you 00:40:17.130 --> 00:40:20.750 were, you had brothers, one of you got married 00:40:20.750 --> 00:40:24.949 and That particular brother died before he had 00:40:24.949 --> 00:40:28.869 children to carry on the name. The brother could 00:40:28.869 --> 00:40:32.070 take that person's wife to continue on the family 00:40:32.070 --> 00:40:34.550 name. It was a common practice back then. So 00:40:34.550 --> 00:40:36.650 they're using this to bring this scenario to 00:40:36.650 --> 00:40:39.230 Jesus. And verse 29 says this. Now there were 00:40:39.230 --> 00:40:41.030 seven brothers. This is the made -up story that 00:40:41.030 --> 00:40:43.050 they come up with. And the first took a wife 00:40:43.050 --> 00:40:45.760 and died without children. And the second took 00:40:45.760 --> 00:40:49.119 her as wife, and he died childless. Then the 00:40:49.119 --> 00:40:51.619 third took her, and in like manners, seven also. 00:40:51.860 --> 00:40:54.760 And they left no children and died. Last of all, 00:40:54.760 --> 00:40:57.380 the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, 00:40:57.820 --> 00:41:00.099 which they didn't even believe in, whose wife 00:41:00.099 --> 00:41:02.760 does she become? They're trying to trip up Jesus. 00:41:03.039 --> 00:41:06.599 For all seven had her as wife. This is the hypothetical 00:41:06.599 --> 00:41:08.840 they sent to Jesus, right? They're speaking to 00:41:08.840 --> 00:41:11.340 Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to them, the 00:41:11.340 --> 00:41:13.519 sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 00:41:13.599 --> 00:41:15.800 Because we do that. In this life, we marry and 00:41:15.800 --> 00:41:17.679 we're given in marriage. But those who are counted 00:41:17.679 --> 00:41:20.659 worthy to attain that age, the next life, the 00:41:20.659 --> 00:41:22.920 resurrection from the dead, neither marry or 00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:27.760 are given in marriage. And once we get beyond 00:41:27.760 --> 00:41:30.920 this passage, we start to see Jesus talking about 00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:33.679 what it is to be a son or daughter of the Most 00:41:33.679 --> 00:41:37.019 High. He says this, nor can they die anymore, 00:41:37.280 --> 00:41:41.280 for they are equal to the angels and are sons 00:41:41.280 --> 00:41:45.900 of God, being sons of the resurrection. Now, 00:41:45.920 --> 00:41:48.860 that might not excite you, but I get pretty jazzed 00:41:48.860 --> 00:41:51.420 up when I see that. Because one, he said there'll 00:41:51.420 --> 00:41:54.559 be no more death. No more death. Nothing dies 00:41:54.559 --> 00:41:57.579 in the next kingdom, in the next life, in the 00:41:57.579 --> 00:42:00.300 kingdom of God. Everything you know right now, 00:42:00.380 --> 00:42:03.420 right, moves from life to death. Everything in 00:42:03.420 --> 00:42:06.119 the world around you moves from life to death. 00:42:06.239 --> 00:42:08.619 In the kingdom of God, it's the opposite. Everything 00:42:08.619 --> 00:42:12.000 moves from death to life, and it stays alive. 00:42:12.260 --> 00:42:15.059 It continues in life. You should get excited 00:42:15.059 --> 00:42:18.119 about that, right? And then it goes on, and God 00:42:18.119 --> 00:42:20.500 says, as sons of God and as daughters of God, 00:42:20.619 --> 00:42:24.150 you're going to be equal. with the angels. Now, 00:42:24.190 --> 00:42:26.150 you might not get excited about that if your 00:42:26.150 --> 00:42:28.590 perception of an angel is sitting on a cloud 00:42:28.590 --> 00:42:31.090 and strumming a gold harp with little white wings. 00:42:31.550 --> 00:42:33.570 How many guys are like, yeah, I want to do that, 00:42:33.630 --> 00:42:37.630 right? But you know, you got to look into Scripture 00:42:37.630 --> 00:42:40.050 and see what Scripture has to say about angels, 00:42:40.130 --> 00:42:42.630 because angels were authorized messengers of 00:42:42.630 --> 00:42:46.159 God. In the Bible, they are protectors and they 00:42:46.159 --> 00:42:48.900 are guardians. Some of the angels are warriors. 00:42:49.139 --> 00:42:53.019 Some of them are executors of God's will, worshipers 00:42:53.019 --> 00:42:55.840 of God himself. And the next one is just way 00:42:55.840 --> 00:42:58.840 too cool for school. Angels can move anywhere 00:42:58.840 --> 00:43:01.639 they want in the universe at any given moment 00:43:01.639 --> 00:43:05.199 with no restriction whatsoever. That's awesome, 00:43:05.500 --> 00:43:09.139 right? They can be in one place one moment, and 00:43:09.139 --> 00:43:11.000 they can will themselves into another place. 00:43:11.099 --> 00:43:14.340 They've got no constraints of time, of friction, 00:43:14.519 --> 00:43:17.019 of gravity. None of that has a hold on them. 00:43:17.059 --> 00:43:19.039 The Word of God says that you're going to be 00:43:19.039 --> 00:43:23.380 equal to the angels. I can't wait. I don't know 00:43:23.380 --> 00:43:25.159 where I'm going to shoot to, but I'm going to 00:43:25.159 --> 00:43:27.480 shoot to somewhere, right? I'm going to be here, 00:43:27.559 --> 00:43:28.900 and I'm going to be over there at some other 00:43:28.900 --> 00:43:32.460 point, right? This is what the Word of God says. 00:43:33.039 --> 00:43:37.590 We are family. We are family. We are together. 00:43:38.030 --> 00:43:43.010 Why am I preaching this? Why am I saying this 00:43:43.010 --> 00:43:46.070 this morning? The devil does not want you to 00:43:46.070 --> 00:43:50.769 know who you are in the kingdom. He wants it 00:43:50.769 --> 00:43:54.389 hidden. from your eyes. He doesn't want you to 00:43:54.389 --> 00:43:57.690 understand what it is to be a son or a daughter 00:43:57.690 --> 00:43:59.489 of God. He does not want you to walk in your 00:43:59.489 --> 00:44:01.869 authority. He does not want you to step into 00:44:01.869 --> 00:44:03.989 your future. He does not want you to know what 00:44:03.989 --> 00:44:06.130 your rights and privileges are in the kingdom 00:44:06.130 --> 00:44:08.190 of God. As a matter of fact, if he can keep you 00:44:08.190 --> 00:44:10.309 down, if he can keep you looking at what's around 00:44:10.309 --> 00:44:12.570 you, if he can keep you looking at your past, 00:44:12.929 --> 00:44:16.389 he will hold you down and he will keep you in 00:44:16.389 --> 00:44:20.150 a little tight circle where he wants you. But 00:44:20.150 --> 00:44:23.570 when you understand the family, When you understand 00:44:23.570 --> 00:44:27.550 who our daddy is, do you understand when who 00:44:27.550 --> 00:44:32.170 you are in the kingdom of God, you will humbly 00:44:32.170 --> 00:44:35.809 and gratefully begin to walk in authority and 00:44:35.809 --> 00:44:40.730 you will walk right out of your past. You will 00:44:40.730 --> 00:44:43.849 walk right past what has been thrust on you. 00:44:44.389 --> 00:44:46.469 You will stand in a new place. I'm going to ask 00:44:46.469 --> 00:44:53.539 you to stand this morning. We are kin to the 00:44:53.539 --> 00:44:57.420 king. If you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, if 00:44:57.420 --> 00:44:59.579 you're listening online this morning, you know 00:44:59.579 --> 00:45:02.500 Jesus as Lord and Savior, you are kin to the 00:45:02.500 --> 00:45:07.019 king. You need to say this. I am kin to the king, 00:45:07.059 --> 00:45:12.260 if you're saved. I am kin to the king. I read 00:45:12.260 --> 00:45:15.480 John 1, 12 to you. It said, but as many as received 00:45:15.480 --> 00:45:18.239 him, to them he gave the right to become children 00:45:18.239 --> 00:45:21.739 of God, to those who believe in his name. If 00:45:21.739 --> 00:45:24.400 you're in a house today and you don't know Him 00:45:24.400 --> 00:45:27.639 as Lord, you don't know Him as Savior, you don't 00:45:27.639 --> 00:45:29.320 know Him as your Heavenly Father, if you're listening 00:45:29.320 --> 00:45:31.400 online to me this morning, the Word of God is 00:45:31.400 --> 00:45:34.320 very simple. He said, as many as receive Him. 00:45:34.420 --> 00:45:37.800 If you receive Him as Lord, if you receive Him 00:45:37.800 --> 00:45:42.300 as Savior, if you believe on who He is, you can 00:45:42.300 --> 00:45:44.659 come into the kingdom and you can get your adoption 00:45:44.659 --> 00:45:49.900 papers. Hell will be a thing that's no longer 00:45:49.900 --> 00:45:52.079 in your future, and heaven and the kingdom of 00:45:52.079 --> 00:45:55.539 God will be in your future. It will be your future. 00:45:56.880 --> 00:46:01.320 It'll be your now. If you're here this morning, 00:46:01.440 --> 00:46:03.960 know that. All you have to do is believe and 00:46:03.960 --> 00:46:06.460 pray. And if that's you, I want to talk to you 00:46:06.460 --> 00:46:09.320 after this gathering. You want Jesus to be Lord 00:46:09.320 --> 00:46:11.500 and Savior of your life? You want to be in the 00:46:11.500 --> 00:46:13.159 kingdom? You want to be adopted? I want to talk 00:46:13.159 --> 00:46:15.610 to you after the gathering. I'll talk to you. 00:46:15.610 --> 00:46:17.650 One of the prayer team will talk to you. But 00:46:17.650 --> 00:46:19.969 for the rest in the house, for those of us who 00:46:19.969 --> 00:46:24.710 are already in the kingdom of God, do not let 00:46:24.710 --> 00:46:29.289 the enemy place a foot on your neck and tell 00:46:29.289 --> 00:46:32.309 you who you will be and what you're going to 00:46:32.309 --> 00:46:35.329 do and how you're going to live and how you're 00:46:35.329 --> 00:46:38.789 going to identify because Christ paid way too 00:46:38.789 --> 00:46:43.690 big of a price for us to be free. Amen? That's 00:46:43.690 --> 00:46:44.710 what I'm going to ask you to do this morning. 00:46:45.070 --> 00:46:47.869 We're family. Family comes together. All right? 00:46:47.989 --> 00:46:49.570 I'm going to ask you to step out. We're going 00:46:49.570 --> 00:46:51.730 to close out. You're going to come up. We're 00:46:51.730 --> 00:46:53.289 going to pray together. You're going to sing 00:46:53.289 --> 00:46:57.369 one last song together as family. And we're going 00:46:57.369 --> 00:47:00.550 to see some of you set free this morning. Just 00:47:00.550 --> 00:47:02.750 make it up. As far as you can get up front, you've 00:47:02.750 --> 00:47:04.050 got to make way for people to come in the back. 00:47:04.590 --> 00:47:06.309 I'll back up. I won't spit on you. I promise. 00:47:10.539 --> 00:47:12.940 If you can, if you're physically able, I want 00:47:12.940 --> 00:47:14.440 you to move towards the front as close as you 00:47:14.440 --> 00:47:29.719 can. This is so different in the kingdom of God 00:47:29.719 --> 00:47:32.340 as compared to the world around you. The world 00:47:32.340 --> 00:47:35.440 will tell you that your past has everything to 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:37.320 do with who you'll become. And in the kingdom 00:47:37.320 --> 00:47:40.000 of God, it's just simply not true. We become 00:47:40.000 --> 00:47:42.699 new creations. We become new creatures in Christ. 00:47:44.860 --> 00:47:48.780 This family is the most powerful entity on the 00:47:48.780 --> 00:47:54.159 face of the planet. Amen? It's true. Some of 00:47:54.159 --> 00:47:56.400 you this morning, I felt deeply as I was preparing 00:47:56.400 --> 00:47:59.519 for this message. Some of you this morning, you've 00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:04.320 been living out of where you came out of. Most 00:48:04.320 --> 00:48:06.139 of your life, if not all of your life, you've 00:48:06.139 --> 00:48:10.630 been living out of what you came out of. You've 00:48:10.630 --> 00:48:13.090 grabbed a hold of it. You've accepted it. You 00:48:13.090 --> 00:48:15.650 think this is who you're supposed to be, what 00:48:15.650 --> 00:48:18.369 you're supposed to be. And I'm here to tell you, 00:48:18.409 --> 00:48:23.670 it's not. You are His. If you are saved and you 00:48:23.670 --> 00:48:29.409 are redeemed, you are His. You have every right 00:48:29.409 --> 00:48:32.250 to walk as a son or a daughter of the Most High. 00:48:32.760 --> 00:48:36.239 He has a plan. He has a purpose. He knows what 00:48:36.239 --> 00:48:38.400 he wants to work out in your life and how he 00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:40.219 wants you to walk it out in your life. And it 00:48:40.219 --> 00:48:42.840 doesn't matter if you're 10, if you're 20, if 00:48:42.840 --> 00:48:46.400 you're 40, if you're 60 or 80 years old. You 00:48:46.400 --> 00:48:49.619 can start today. And you can start to walk something 00:48:49.619 --> 00:48:53.460 different. I've shared this many times. In the 00:48:53.460 --> 00:48:57.260 past, fear had me. And by the way, that happened 00:48:57.260 --> 00:48:59.599 in a church when I got back to the root of it. 00:49:00.599 --> 00:49:03.340 Not anything evil. Just something that got thrust 00:49:03.340 --> 00:49:05.719 on me, and I grabbed ahold of it, and I said, 00:49:05.739 --> 00:49:08.739 this is who I am. And I lived locked up for 30 00:49:08.739 --> 00:49:14.699 years like that. He wants you free. So I want 00:49:14.699 --> 00:49:16.679 you to bow your heads. You know who you are. 00:49:16.719 --> 00:49:18.300 The Holy Spirit's prompted. He's pulling on you 00:49:18.300 --> 00:49:21.260 right now. It could be just one area or slice 00:49:21.260 --> 00:49:23.679 of your life where the enemy's had you locked 00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:26.039 up, and you've convinced yourself this is who 00:49:26.039 --> 00:49:28.659 you are. This is how I function. This is what 00:49:28.659 --> 00:49:31.400 I've always been. This is just me. No, it's not. 00:49:34.059 --> 00:49:37.239 That is to say the blood of Christ does not have 00:49:37.239 --> 00:49:39.320 the power over that area of your life. That is 00:49:39.320 --> 00:49:44.159 not true. It has all power. So Father, we come 00:49:44.159 --> 00:49:46.159 to you today. Lord, you know who's in the house. 00:49:46.340 --> 00:49:49.199 God, you know, Lord, who God here is hearing 00:49:49.199 --> 00:49:51.639 your word. And God, it is moving on their spirit. 00:49:51.800 --> 00:49:54.000 It's moving on their soul. And Lord, they need 00:49:54.000 --> 00:49:56.340 free this morning. And it might be one slice 00:49:56.340 --> 00:49:58.980 of something that's had them bound for 10 years, 00:49:59.079 --> 00:50:01.619 20 years, 30 years. God, somebody's told them, 00:50:01.639 --> 00:50:03.780 this is who you're going to be. Maybe they just 00:50:03.780 --> 00:50:06.739 told themselves, this is who I am because of 00:50:06.739 --> 00:50:09.000 what I stepped out of. Lord, today, God, they 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:11.510 put it down. They laid at the feet of Jesus and 00:50:11.510 --> 00:50:14.090 they say, Jesus, I will walk in what you say 00:50:14.090 --> 00:50:17.289 I'm going to walk in. I will be who you say I 00:50:17.289 --> 00:50:20.250 will be. I will put all this behind me. And Lord 00:50:20.250 --> 00:50:22.590 God, I am going to step into the light and the 00:50:22.590 --> 00:50:25.250 life of Jesus Christ. I am going to walk free. 00:50:25.409 --> 00:50:28.070 I am going to walk whole. I am going to walk 00:50:28.070 --> 00:50:30.250 in what has always been planned for me. And I'm 00:50:30.250 --> 00:50:32.590 going to step one day from this life right into 00:50:32.590 --> 00:50:35.050 the next and what God's got planned there. So 00:50:35.050 --> 00:50:40.099 Lord, I come right now as a child. I am kin to 00:50:40.099 --> 00:50:44.039 the king. I am a king's kid. And I am invoking 00:50:44.039 --> 00:50:50.639 my right to be free today. In Jesus' name. In 00:50:50.639 --> 00:50:56.800 Jesus' name I pray this. And amen and amen. Now 00:50:56.800 --> 00:50:58.099 let me tell you what you're going to have to 00:50:58.099 --> 00:51:01.000 start to do. Because the enemy is going to come 00:51:01.000 --> 00:51:03.199 back. As soon as you walk out of here. The enemy 00:51:03.199 --> 00:51:04.900 is going to come back with the same old thoughts 00:51:04.900 --> 00:51:07.159 you used to have. Same voices are going to come 00:51:07.159 --> 00:51:09.039 back in your head. You're this. You're that. 00:51:09.320 --> 00:51:11.340 This is what you've always been. This is what 00:51:11.340 --> 00:51:13.440 you did. Yada, yada, yada. It's going to keep 00:51:13.440 --> 00:51:15.860 coming right back. You've got to begin to declare 00:51:15.860 --> 00:51:20.039 what you know to be true. You've got to know. 00:51:20.420 --> 00:51:22.820 I'm serious. You've got to declare it. You've 00:51:22.820 --> 00:51:25.300 got to start speaking out. That is not who I 00:51:25.300 --> 00:51:28.360 am. This is who God said I am. This is what I 00:51:28.360 --> 00:51:31.219 stand on. You've got to. Man, some of you. Listen. 00:51:31.340 --> 00:51:34.059 Some of you. You got to shake the devil up a 00:51:34.059 --> 00:51:35.980 little bit once in a while, right? Speak the 00:51:35.980 --> 00:51:41.440 word of God. Speak it out. Declare it. Make declarations. 00:51:41.480 --> 00:51:45.000 Write them down. Post them on your wall. Paint 00:51:45.000 --> 00:51:47.860 it on your wall. Whatever you got to do. But 00:51:47.860 --> 00:51:50.739 you begin to declare what God said. And you begin 00:51:50.739 --> 00:51:55.340 to declare it over your own life. Right? We overcome 00:51:55.340 --> 00:51:58.059 by the blood of the lamb and the word of our 00:51:58.059 --> 00:52:03.389 testimony. What you speak. That's the declaration. 00:52:03.389 --> 00:52:06.809 It's the testimony. Amen? I don't know if this 00:52:06.809 --> 00:52:09.090 is resonating with anybody. I hope it hit somebody 00:52:09.090 --> 00:52:11.909 this morning. But hear me. We're going to talk 00:52:11.909 --> 00:52:15.369 about family the next couple weeks. Amen? Amen. 00:52:23.469 --> 00:52:26.389 Thank you for tuning in to this message from 00:52:26.389 --> 00:52:29.610 Lifehouse Church. We pray that you were impacted 00:52:29.610 --> 00:52:32.679 powerfully by this message. If you have been 00:52:32.679 --> 00:52:35.360 personally affected by our ministry and you would 00:52:35.360 --> 00:52:38.079 like to partner with us as we love God, love 00:52:38.079 --> 00:52:44.199 people every day, visit our website at www .lifehousecog 00:52:44.199 --> 00:52:45.119 .com.