WEBVTT

00:00:07.690 --> 00:00:10.150
Thank you for listening to this message from

00:00:10.150 --> 00:00:21.640
Lifehouse Church. I want to do one more thing.

00:00:21.699 --> 00:00:22.879
I'm going to get you to pray one more time. You're

00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:24.539
like, this church prays all the time. Absolutely.

00:00:25.059 --> 00:00:26.899
All right, I want you to bow your heads. We're

00:00:26.899 --> 00:00:28.620
going to pray over our ears and our minds as

00:00:28.620 --> 00:00:30.179
we get ready to hear God's word. Father, we thank

00:00:30.179 --> 00:00:32.140
you for this day. I thank you for each person

00:00:32.140 --> 00:00:34.460
in the house. Lord, your word's already blessed.

00:00:34.619 --> 00:00:37.060
Your word's already anointed. It is already amazing.

00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.640
So, Lord, we just come asking you to anoint our

00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:41.960
ears that we might hear, our minds that we might

00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:44.320
receive, and, God, that it might change our hearts

00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:46.200
all along the way. And we just give you praise,

00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:48.659
and we give you glory and honor. In Jesus' name.

00:00:48.780 --> 00:00:51.600
Everybody say it together. Amen. Amen. Well,

00:00:51.700 --> 00:00:53.820
listen, they told me I have to preach fast today.

00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:55.479
And do you know what that means when you say

00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:59.520
that to a preacher? Absolutely nothing. It's

00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:02.250
good to have you. It doesn't mean anything. We

00:01:02.250 --> 00:01:04.689
don't even hear that, yeah. But if you haven't

00:01:04.689 --> 00:01:07.150
been with us over the last several months, we've

00:01:07.150 --> 00:01:09.329
been working our way through the book of John,

00:01:09.450 --> 00:01:11.650
and it's been an exciting time. And today we're

00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:14.329
diving headfirst into John chapter 11. You can

00:01:14.329 --> 00:01:15.950
begin to turn there, but I want to get you caught

00:01:15.950 --> 00:01:18.370
up just a little bit. And the gospel of John

00:01:18.370 --> 00:01:21.349
is just that. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

00:01:21.590 --> 00:01:24.930
It is the story of Jesus. It is God with us,

00:01:24.989 --> 00:01:28.750
Emmanuel, and it tells some of the things that

00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:32.439
take place. with Jesus. And as we approach chapter

00:01:32.439 --> 00:01:36.439
11, Jesus' public ministry is now beginning to

00:01:36.439 --> 00:01:38.700
spread all over the region, around Jerusalem,

00:01:38.980 --> 00:01:42.420
all around that area. Jesus' fame is getting

00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:45.540
known and well known because of him traveling

00:01:45.540 --> 00:01:48.599
from place to place and town to town and region

00:01:48.599 --> 00:01:51.819
to region. preaching, teaching, performing miracles,

00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:55.120
healing, and they hear about him. And as you

00:01:55.120 --> 00:01:57.620
read through the book of John, you'll find that

00:01:57.620 --> 00:02:00.340
as you approach chapter 11, there are seven major

00:02:00.340 --> 00:02:03.540
miracles that take place with Jesus. In John

00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:06.900
chapter 2, Jesus turns the water into wine. In

00:02:06.900 --> 00:02:09.659
John chapter 4, Jesus heals the royal officer's

00:02:09.659 --> 00:02:13.080
son. In John chapter 5, Jesus walks to the east

00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:15.379
side of Jerusalem. He heads to where the sheep

00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:17.500
gate is, to a place that's called the Pool of

00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:20.319
Bethesda. And there he walks amongst the crowd

00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:22.900
who are waiting to be healed, picks out one man

00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:26.819
and heals that man. In John chapter 6, he feeds

00:02:26.819 --> 00:02:29.819
thousands with five loaves and a few fish. In

00:02:29.819 --> 00:02:33.659
John chapter 6, 16, he walks on the water. And

00:02:33.659 --> 00:02:36.360
in John chapter 9, he heals a man. who has been

00:02:36.360 --> 00:02:39.199
blind from birth. Six miracles leading up to

00:02:39.199 --> 00:02:42.219
chapter nine. And because of that, the word of

00:02:42.219 --> 00:02:44.759
God says that many of the Jewish crowd and others

00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:48.500
begin to believe on Jesus. They begin to believe

00:02:48.500 --> 00:02:51.219
that he is the prophesied Messiah. They believe

00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:53.400
and they begin to believe that he is the son

00:02:53.400 --> 00:02:58.560
of God. And word spreads to the region that the

00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:01.599
power of God is manifested in this man named

00:03:01.599 --> 00:03:05.430
Jesus. People begin to seek him out. They begin

00:03:05.430 --> 00:03:07.770
to come around because of the many infallible

00:03:07.770 --> 00:03:11.569
proofs that Jesus performs. And Jesus, on the

00:03:11.569 --> 00:03:14.710
final miracle, he shows up to a town called Bethany

00:03:14.710 --> 00:03:17.810
about four days too late. And when he gets there,

00:03:17.909 --> 00:03:22.050
Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, have

00:03:22.050 --> 00:03:24.610
already buried their brother. Lazarus was friend

00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:28.430
to Jesus, good friend. Lazarus gets sick, he

00:03:28.430 --> 00:03:33.210
dies, and Jesus shows up four days later. Four

00:03:33.210 --> 00:03:35.590
days later, the funeral has already taken place,

00:03:35.669 --> 00:03:38.389
right? They've been mourning and crying for days.

00:03:38.610 --> 00:03:41.590
The funeral food is now stale. It's in the fridge

00:03:41.590 --> 00:03:44.729
and on the countertop, right? And Lazarus is

00:03:44.729 --> 00:03:47.889
actually sealed up in a tomb. And Jesus, once

00:03:47.889 --> 00:03:50.909
again, proves his power, proves that he is from

00:03:50.909 --> 00:03:53.949
God, because he walks up to that tomb. He tells

00:03:53.949 --> 00:03:56.789
him to move the stone, and he calls Lazarus back

00:03:56.789 --> 00:04:01.939
from the dead. From the dead. And in fact, proving

00:04:01.939 --> 00:04:05.060
that he has power over the elements. He has power

00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:07.840
over the demonic. He has the power to heal. He

00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:11.000
has the power to multiply anything that he speaks

00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:13.460
about of his word. He has the power over the

00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:16.300
future. He has the power to defy gravity. He

00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:19.720
walks on water. And now he has power over death.

00:04:20.379 --> 00:04:22.879
And because of these mighty works, the crowd.

00:04:23.669 --> 00:04:26.550
Particularly the Jews believe that Jesus is sent

00:04:26.550 --> 00:04:28.709
from God and that it's not just about performing

00:04:28.709 --> 00:04:31.209
miracles, but they begin to see, the Jewish people

00:04:31.209 --> 00:04:33.329
begin to see a bigger picture. They begin to

00:04:33.329 --> 00:04:36.589
see a bigger potential that could happen. See,

00:04:36.670 --> 00:04:40.689
they see a possible king to deliver them from

00:04:40.689 --> 00:04:44.029
the fist of the Roman government. The Jewish

00:04:44.029 --> 00:04:47.750
people at this time live underneath Roman rule.

00:04:48.329 --> 00:04:51.589
The cruelty they've all experienced by the hand

00:04:51.589 --> 00:04:54.449
of the Romans in that region. And they begin,

00:04:54.569 --> 00:04:57.689
as they see Jesus, as they see the miracles and

00:04:57.689 --> 00:05:00.269
they see his power, they begin to smell freedom

00:05:00.269 --> 00:05:05.769
from Rome. They begin to see victory. They probably

00:05:05.769 --> 00:05:09.329
envision riding with a conquering king who's

00:05:09.329 --> 00:05:12.230
going to come down on Rome. They're stoked. They're

00:05:12.230 --> 00:05:15.370
stirred. They know that even Rome can't stand

00:05:15.370 --> 00:05:18.379
up against God's power. Can't do it. And now

00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:23.220
Jesus' fame is at fever pitch outside of Jerusalem

00:05:23.220 --> 00:05:26.680
in the region around, and news begins to stir.

00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:31.040
It begins to swirl. And everybody in that region

00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:34.060
begins to consider what this might mean for them.

00:05:34.279 --> 00:05:36.860
What's this mean? How many know it's our default?

00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:39.980
In life, to figure out whatever's in front of

00:05:39.980 --> 00:05:42.579
us, it's our default to figure out, what is this

00:05:42.579 --> 00:05:44.759
about? How is this going to affect me? What does

00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:46.980
this have to do with me, right? Now, I know that

00:05:46.980 --> 00:05:48.800
all sounds very selfish. So for Christians, we're

00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.980
like, well, what's that have to do with my family?

00:05:51.240 --> 00:05:54.279
Well, we really mean it's us, right? But that's

00:05:54.279 --> 00:05:56.720
what happens in the region. Some of the Jews,

00:05:56.879 --> 00:05:58.759
they have great hope that this king is going

00:05:58.759 --> 00:06:01.519
to relieve them from the Rome's influence and

00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.420
their grip and the torture, right? Some of the

00:06:04.420 --> 00:06:06.720
other people that are in this scenario are the

00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:10.459
Pharisees, and they are furious with Jesus. Jesus

00:06:10.459 --> 00:06:13.220
has enormous influence over the people, and the

00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:16.240
Pharisees, who are corrupt Jewish leaders, are

00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:18.920
leading the people, and they can feel their influence

00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:22.279
slipping away. They can feel that everything's

00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:25.720
about to change. And all of Rome is in this as

00:06:25.720 --> 00:06:28.259
well. They're keeping an eye on all that's taking

00:06:28.259 --> 00:06:30.740
place with this subculture of the Jews under

00:06:30.740 --> 00:06:33.759
their rule. They're ready to squash any uprising,

00:06:34.139 --> 00:06:37.459
any problem, anything that takes place with these

00:06:37.459 --> 00:06:42.319
captives. And even Jesus' disciples are aware

00:06:42.319 --> 00:06:47.079
of the trouble. Say trouble. Come on, trouble

00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.339
stirring around them. They know that there are

00:06:50.339 --> 00:06:53.959
plots and plans to take Jesus out. They know

00:06:53.959 --> 00:06:57.639
that Rome can converge at any moment and deliver

00:06:57.639 --> 00:07:00.259
a crushing blow and stop everything that they've

00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:02.399
worked for in the last three years. They know

00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:04.639
that they're already in the crosshairs because

00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.040
of their association with Jesus, and they can

00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:10.160
smell trouble. Jesus' disciples, the 12 disciples,

00:07:10.379 --> 00:07:13.000
they can smell it. They see it looming, right?

00:07:13.139 --> 00:07:15.620
They're headed for trouble. Turn to somebody

00:07:15.620 --> 00:07:17.079
beside you this morning. Tell them, we're going

00:07:17.079 --> 00:07:19.379
to talk about trouble this morning. We're going

00:07:19.379 --> 00:07:23.180
to talk trouble, right? John chapter 11, 45 says

00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:26.279
this. Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary

00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:29.639
and had seen these things, Jesus did, believed

00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:32.620
in him. But some of them went away to the Pharisees

00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:34.959
and told them the things that Jesus did. Then

00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:36.600
the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered

00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:39.279
a council and they said, what shall we do? For

00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.899
this man works many signs. If we let him alone

00:07:41.899 --> 00:07:44.959
like this, everyone will believe in him. And

00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:47.720
the Romans will come and take away both our place.

00:07:48.189 --> 00:07:50.610
and our nation. How many know there's always

00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:52.470
somebody who scurries away and tells on you?

00:07:53.009 --> 00:07:54.730
Raise your hand if you tell on people. Go ahead,

00:07:54.769 --> 00:07:56.730
do it right now. Come on, this is Confessions

00:07:56.730 --> 00:07:59.730
Good for the Soul. They're a group of people,

00:07:59.810 --> 00:08:01.949
right? They see Jesus healing, they see Jesus

00:08:01.949 --> 00:08:03.889
doing what they're doing, and they run off to

00:08:03.889 --> 00:08:06.110
tell the Pharisees what's taking place. And the

00:08:06.110 --> 00:08:08.610
Pharisees smell the threat, they see their influence,

00:08:08.610 --> 00:08:11.649
their position, their status, all being challenged,

00:08:11.810 --> 00:08:14.750
right? And they begin to demonize Jesus. That's

00:08:14.750 --> 00:08:16.649
what we do when we want to get rid of someone.

00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:19.980
We demonize them. We make it sound way worse

00:08:19.980 --> 00:08:21.939
than it actually is with them so that we can

00:08:21.939 --> 00:08:23.800
get everybody else on board with us, and that's

00:08:23.800 --> 00:08:26.439
exactly what they do. They said the Romans are

00:08:26.439 --> 00:08:27.600
going to come, and they're going to take away

00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:29.319
both our place. They're going to take our whole

00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:31.639
nation, right? I think the Pharisees were a bunch

00:08:31.639 --> 00:08:33.860
of drama queens, actually, right? But that's

00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:36.840
what they do. We got to get them. We got to get

00:08:36.840 --> 00:08:40.279
them out of here. And there is trouble on the

00:08:40.279 --> 00:08:44.720
horizon. They could feel it in the air. I don't

00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:46.320
know if you've ever felt trouble in the air.

00:08:47.370 --> 00:08:50.309
I have when I was a kid. I used to do things

00:08:50.309 --> 00:08:53.129
I wasn't supposed to be doing. And I came into

00:08:53.129 --> 00:08:55.549
the house. How many know? Mom and dad just know

00:08:55.549 --> 00:08:59.070
sometimes. Yeah. And I could feel the trouble

00:08:59.070 --> 00:09:02.289
in the air. I knew something was coming, right?

00:09:02.850 --> 00:09:05.990
You could almost taste it. And that's what was

00:09:05.990 --> 00:09:09.220
happening here. In John 11, 49, it says, In one

00:09:09.220 --> 00:09:11.159
of them, Caiaphas, being the high priest that

00:09:11.159 --> 00:09:13.220
year, said to them, You know nothing at all,

00:09:13.259 --> 00:09:15.600
nor do you consider that it is expedient for

00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:17.840
us that one man should die for the people, and

00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:21.460
not that the whole nation should perish. Now

00:09:21.460 --> 00:09:26.200
this he did not say on his own authority, but

00:09:26.200 --> 00:09:28.860
being high priest that year, he prophesied Jesus

00:09:28.860 --> 00:09:31.080
would die for the nation, and not for the nation

00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:33.360
only, but also that he would gather together

00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:35.620
in one the children of God who were scattered

00:09:35.620 --> 00:09:39.539
abroad. Then from that day on, they plotted to

00:09:39.539 --> 00:09:42.299
put him to death. There was trouble stirring.

00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:45.340
Therefore, Jesus no longer walked among them

00:09:45.340 --> 00:09:48.320
openly with the Jews, but went from there into

00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:51.059
the country near the wilderness to a city called

00:09:51.059 --> 00:09:53.679
Ephraim. And there remained with his disciples.

00:09:54.059 --> 00:09:57.379
There's trouble stirring. They're hiding out

00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:00.059
from Caiaphas. Jesus and the disciples get out

00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:02.259
of town. They're going to Ephraim. They're hiding

00:10:02.259 --> 00:10:04.820
out from Caiaphas. The high priest, they're hiding

00:10:04.820 --> 00:10:06.980
out from the Pharisees. They're ducking Romans.

00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:11.259
They're laying low. There's trouble stirring.

00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:14.240
And the Passover, it says, 55 says, and the Passover

00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:16.379
of the Jews was near. And many went from the

00:10:16.379 --> 00:10:18.779
country up to Jerusalem before the Passover to

00:10:18.779 --> 00:10:21.679
purify themselves. Then they sought Jesus. All

00:10:21.679 --> 00:10:23.700
the people were still looking for Jesus. And

00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.840
spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple.

00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.259
What do you think is what they were saying? And

00:10:28.259 --> 00:10:31.340
will he not come to the feast? Now both the chief

00:10:31.340 --> 00:10:33.580
priests and the Pharisees had given a command

00:10:33.580 --> 00:10:36.940
that if anyone knew where he was, they should

00:10:36.940 --> 00:10:40.779
report it that they may seize him. As we read

00:10:40.779 --> 00:10:43.820
this, as this is leading up, honestly, to the

00:10:43.820 --> 00:10:46.860
crucifixion of Jesus Christ, there is trouble

00:10:46.860 --> 00:10:51.120
stirring. With a capital T. They could feel it

00:10:51.120 --> 00:10:53.480
in the air. The disciples knew what was happening.

00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:55.460
And you might say, well, why did you take all

00:10:55.460 --> 00:10:57.919
this time, right, to unfold all this? Because

00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:00.940
I need you to understand something. If you follow

00:11:00.940 --> 00:11:05.960
Jesus like your disciples did, you will have

00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:10.460
trouble. No amens. I didn't think I'd get any.

00:11:12.019 --> 00:11:14.340
And if you read ahead in this passage of Scripture,

00:11:14.620 --> 00:11:16.820
you're going to find out this is just the beginning

00:11:16.820 --> 00:11:20.200
of trouble. Aren't you glad you came today for

00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:21.960
some encouragement? You thought I was going to

00:11:21.960 --> 00:11:26.639
preach on joy, right? Trouble. What are you doing,

00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:29.620
pastor? I'm telling you the truth. I'm telling

00:11:29.620 --> 00:11:33.200
you the truth. If you follow Jesus, trouble is

00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.320
coming. Life is complex. It is complicated. It's

00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:40.399
a gauntlet. And if you add to all that fun, we

00:11:40.399 --> 00:11:42.879
have an enemy called Satan who wants to take

00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:45.590
us out. He wants to take us down. You were made

00:11:45.590 --> 00:11:47.330
in the image of God. That's what the word of

00:11:47.330 --> 00:11:49.669
God says. And Satan wants to take down anything

00:11:49.669 --> 00:11:52.370
that has to do with God. And just like Jesus

00:11:52.370 --> 00:11:56.990
did, you follow him. You're going to have trouble.

00:11:57.309 --> 00:12:00.850
Say, woo -hoo. Oh, wow, you actually did it.

00:12:00.870 --> 00:12:06.850
Thank you. Right? Jesus is a living example that

00:12:06.850 --> 00:12:10.049
even life with Jesus is not a trouble -free life.

00:12:10.710 --> 00:12:14.049
In fact, Following Jesus means that you will

00:12:14.049 --> 00:12:17.929
have trouble in paradise. How many of you ever

00:12:17.929 --> 00:12:20.090
heard that phrase before? You're going to have

00:12:20.090 --> 00:12:22.509
trouble in paradise. You're going to have it.

00:12:23.070 --> 00:12:25.769
Jesus had trouble around him while he was doing

00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:27.570
the will of God. You're going to have trouble

00:12:27.570 --> 00:12:29.289
around you if you're doing the will of God. It's

00:12:29.289 --> 00:12:31.250
going to happen. Just because you're a Christian

00:12:31.250 --> 00:12:33.639
does not exempt us from trouble. It really doesn't.

00:12:33.639 --> 00:12:35.399
Just because you're serving the King of Kings

00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:38.679
and the Lord of Lords, just because you put on

00:12:38.679 --> 00:12:41.419
praise and worship music in your house 24 -7,

00:12:41.460 --> 00:12:43.500
right, does not mean you're exempt from trouble.

00:12:43.580 --> 00:12:45.820
Just because you got a Jesus bumper sticker on

00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:49.039
your car does not exempt you from trouble. Just

00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.980
because your kid goes to a Christian school,

00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:57.700
amen, does not exempt you from trouble. It doesn't.

00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:00.580
In fact, if you're following Jesus, you might

00:13:00.580 --> 00:13:02.299
as well just buckle up because your trouble game

00:13:02.299 --> 00:13:04.179
is probably actually going to rise just a bit.

00:13:04.419 --> 00:13:07.820
If you follow Jesus, it's going to magnify some.

00:13:08.279 --> 00:13:10.740
And, you know, you're probably thinking, well,

00:13:10.759 --> 00:13:11.899
Pastor, are you trying to get people to come

00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:13.679
to church or leave church? No, I just need to

00:13:13.679 --> 00:13:16.059
tell you the truth this morning. Because Jesus

00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:19.740
speaks something in John 16, 33 that is incredibly

00:13:19.740 --> 00:13:22.340
important in the middle of this trouble. He says

00:13:22.340 --> 00:13:31.789
this, That's the paradise part, by the way. In

00:13:31.789 --> 00:13:35.090
the world, you will have tribulation. That's

00:13:35.090 --> 00:13:36.950
the troubled part. That's another word for trouble.

00:13:37.169 --> 00:13:39.389
But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.

00:13:39.929 --> 00:13:43.649
As we follow Jesus, we will have peace on the

00:13:43.649 --> 00:13:46.649
inside. You will have paradise on the inside.

00:13:46.730 --> 00:13:49.250
That's what Jesus provides you. It comes on the

00:13:49.250 --> 00:13:51.129
inside. But you're going to have trouble on the

00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:54.070
outside. Tribulation is going to be all around

00:13:54.070 --> 00:13:56.049
you. It's going to take, man, if you don't believe

00:13:56.049 --> 00:13:57.929
that, just turn on the news, right? Just pick

00:13:57.929 --> 00:14:00.070
up your phone and flip on the news. Following

00:14:00.070 --> 00:14:03.509
Jesus is going to be trouble in paradise. It's

00:14:03.509 --> 00:14:05.570
going to be both sides. It's going to be. And

00:14:05.570 --> 00:14:08.529
I can tell you from experience that following

00:14:08.529 --> 00:14:11.639
Jesus will in fact, will give you the peace of

00:14:11.639 --> 00:14:15.059
God on the inside of you. And how many know peace

00:14:15.059 --> 00:14:18.899
equals paradise? Do you know that? Peace equals

00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:21.500
paradise. It really does. Some of you young parents

00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:23.820
in here confirm this, right? How many of you

00:14:23.820 --> 00:14:26.820
young parents say peace is paradise? Oh, yeah.

00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.220
Come on. How many of you that have young children,

00:14:29.299 --> 00:14:31.919
you now take extended bathroom breaks in your

00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:35.759
house? Right? You used to go to the bathroom,

00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:38.019
and you were in and out in two minutes flat.

00:14:38.200 --> 00:14:40.899
Bang, right? You go in, you do your business,

00:14:40.980 --> 00:14:44.620
and you get on out of there. Now, come on. You

00:14:44.620 --> 00:14:47.059
got young children. You just disappear into the

00:14:47.059 --> 00:14:50.159
bathroom, right? Why? You're trying to get some

00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:53.039
peace. You're trying to restore your sanity,

00:14:53.120 --> 00:14:55.960
and you park in there. You're in there for 15

00:14:55.960 --> 00:14:58.139
minutes. You're in there for 20 minutes. You're

00:14:58.139 --> 00:15:00.419
praying the kids aren't bleeding out there, right?

00:15:00.500 --> 00:15:02.940
You're just hanging out in there. You're in there

00:15:02.940 --> 00:15:04.940
so long, your children think you flushed yourself.

00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:07.259
You're downstream somewhere. That's why they

00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:10.500
come beat on the door. Mom, dad, are you in there?

00:15:11.139 --> 00:15:13.519
Come on, right? Others are getting ready to call

00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.279
the paramedics. They're certain you just passed

00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.740
out somewhere in the restroom. You're gone, right?

00:15:19.059 --> 00:15:21.059
It's funny, Dixie and I, we have three grown

00:15:21.059 --> 00:15:23.500
children, and two of them have children, and

00:15:23.500 --> 00:15:27.080
two out of the three, they have two children

00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:29.419
or more. And it's always funny, it's always humorous

00:15:29.419 --> 00:15:31.620
to me, because when they have the first child,

00:15:31.740 --> 00:15:32.940
right, when our children have the first child,

00:15:33.100 --> 00:15:36.360
they're so intense about it, right? We've got

00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.039
to boil the binky if it falls on the floor. We

00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:41.759
must boil the binky. And they're very careful

00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:43.659
about where you take the kid, and they're very

00:15:43.659 --> 00:15:45.620
careful about who they hand the kid off to. Even

00:15:45.620 --> 00:15:48.299
us, right, they're coaching us like we never

00:15:48.299 --> 00:15:50.600
did. child before. You know, they're coaching.

00:15:50.980 --> 00:15:53.820
But once they have two children, and then particularly

00:15:53.820 --> 00:15:56.440
when they have three children, that all changes,

00:15:56.580 --> 00:15:58.879
man. They're just looking for some peace. Like,

00:15:59.259 --> 00:16:01.360
do you want your kids? You can have them for

00:16:01.360 --> 00:16:04.480
a day. You want them for a week? Let's talk about

00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:06.399
a month. They can just come over and hang out

00:16:06.399 --> 00:16:08.600
with you for an entire month, right? Come on,

00:16:08.700 --> 00:16:12.460
I just want some peace. Right? Peace is paradise.

00:16:13.470 --> 00:16:16.649
And Jesus said, if you follow me, if you walk

00:16:16.649 --> 00:16:19.289
in my way, you're going to have a peace that

00:16:19.289 --> 00:16:20.909
passes all understanding. That's what the word

00:16:20.909 --> 00:16:22.970
of God says. It's going to park in your heart.

00:16:23.129 --> 00:16:25.330
It's going to come. And in the middle of all

00:16:25.330 --> 00:16:27.250
the trouble and the tribulation that's going

00:16:27.250 --> 00:16:29.309
on around on the outside of you, you're going

00:16:29.309 --> 00:16:32.269
to have peace on the inside of you. It is trouble

00:16:32.269 --> 00:16:36.970
in paradise. Amen? It's true. And I thank God.

00:16:37.029 --> 00:16:39.710
Thank God Jesus didn't even stop in that scripture

00:16:39.710 --> 00:16:42.470
with just those two things, right? He said, these

00:16:42.470 --> 00:16:45.250
things I have spoken to you that in me you may

00:16:45.250 --> 00:16:49.889
have peace on the inside. In the world, you will

00:16:49.889 --> 00:16:52.009
have tribulation. They can put it back up on

00:16:52.009 --> 00:16:55.590
the screen on the outside. But he said a third

00:16:55.590 --> 00:16:59.409
thing. He said, be of good cheer. I've overcome

00:16:59.409 --> 00:17:02.769
the world. Be of good cheer. I've overcome the

00:17:02.769 --> 00:17:06.039
world. Don't miss this. Don't pass over this.

00:17:06.220 --> 00:17:08.920
Don't undersell what Jesus says in this last

00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:10.920
portion of scripture here. You can't. Because

00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:15.019
if I do, I will miss what Jesus has for me to

00:17:15.019 --> 00:17:16.920
get through any kind of trouble that you walk

00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:18.900
through in life. You want to get through any

00:17:18.900 --> 00:17:21.160
difficulty in your life, you got to understand

00:17:21.160 --> 00:17:23.859
this last part along with the first part. You

00:17:23.859 --> 00:17:25.819
got to understand that God's got a little bit

00:17:25.819 --> 00:17:28.500
more for you, even than just a piece. Because

00:17:28.500 --> 00:17:31.380
sometimes, Sometimes the peace of God on the

00:17:31.380 --> 00:17:34.880
inside isn't quite enough. Sometimes you need

00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:37.319
more. How many know sometimes you need more to

00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:39.599
get through whatever you're doing, right? Sometimes

00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:41.519
you need a little more chocolate during the day.

00:17:41.940 --> 00:17:44.440
It's true. Some of you need a little more coffee,

00:17:44.519 --> 00:17:46.519
right? One more coffee is going to get me through

00:17:46.519 --> 00:17:49.859
the grind. I just need a little more energy to

00:17:49.859 --> 00:17:52.339
get me to the finish line today. That's what

00:17:52.339 --> 00:17:54.670
I need, right? And sometimes you're going to

00:17:54.670 --> 00:17:57.009
need more in the middle of trouble. You're going

00:17:57.009 --> 00:17:59.210
to need more than just a piece of God in your

00:17:59.210 --> 00:18:04.269
heart. And I know the piece of God is there,

00:18:04.390 --> 00:18:06.589
but you're going to need that little extra something.

00:18:06.750 --> 00:18:08.769
When you're in the middle of the difficulty,

00:18:09.069 --> 00:18:11.190
when you're in the long -term illness that's

00:18:11.190 --> 00:18:13.069
going on in your life, when you're in the middle

00:18:13.069 --> 00:18:15.490
of the financial burden that cannot seem to be

00:18:15.490 --> 00:18:17.869
resolved in your life, right? When the emotional

00:18:17.869 --> 00:18:21.690
toll from your job has you so stressed out, You

00:18:21.690 --> 00:18:23.349
don't know what to do with yourself. When the

00:18:23.349 --> 00:18:26.970
world is pressing in on every side, if we don't

00:18:26.970 --> 00:18:30.869
have all that God has for us, we will get disillusioned

00:18:30.869 --> 00:18:32.650
in the middle of the trouble. We'll begin to

00:18:32.650 --> 00:18:34.589
decide we're going to quit on God in the middle

00:18:34.589 --> 00:18:36.789
of the trouble, right? We'll get weak and we

00:18:36.789 --> 00:18:39.569
get weary walking through the trouble because

00:18:39.569 --> 00:18:42.990
we feel like we're not going to make it. We're

00:18:42.990 --> 00:18:45.730
just not going to make it. We're going to lose.

00:18:46.410 --> 00:18:48.710
We're going to lose everything. We're going to

00:18:48.710 --> 00:18:53.589
lose, period. And Jesus knew that you would need

00:18:53.589 --> 00:18:56.829
even a little more than just the paradise and

00:18:56.829 --> 00:19:00.029
the peace in your heart to get through in the

00:19:00.029 --> 00:19:03.869
day of trouble. And he says, be of good cheer.

00:19:04.230 --> 00:19:07.869
I have overcome the world. Why is that such a

00:19:07.869 --> 00:19:10.509
boost to get us through the trouble? Why does

00:19:10.509 --> 00:19:12.509
that make all the difference in the world when

00:19:12.509 --> 00:19:14.809
you're stepping through the difficulty and the

00:19:14.809 --> 00:19:17.930
hardship to get out the other side? Because if

00:19:17.930 --> 00:19:21.799
Jesus... overcame the trouble in the world, you

00:19:21.799 --> 00:19:25.619
can overcome the trouble in the world. If you're

00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:28.039
following him, if Jesus overcame the trouble,

00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:31.880
we can overcome the trouble as well. He knew

00:19:31.880 --> 00:19:34.039
that the peace of God wouldn't just be quite

00:19:34.039 --> 00:19:37.319
enough, that you would need the reassurance at

00:19:37.319 --> 00:19:39.460
the end of the day that you're going to make

00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:43.279
it out the other side, right? He knew that in

00:19:43.279 --> 00:19:46.670
ourselves, I don't know. I can come up against

00:19:46.670 --> 00:19:49.230
trouble, and if it's just me wading through the

00:19:49.230 --> 00:19:51.630
trouble, I have no idea if I'm going to get out

00:19:51.630 --> 00:19:54.250
the other side. I can tell myself. I can hype

00:19:54.250 --> 00:19:57.269
myself up. I can beat my chest. I can get a bunch

00:19:57.269 --> 00:19:59.130
of attitude about the whole thing, but I got

00:19:59.130 --> 00:20:01.460
no idea if I'm coming out the other side. I have

00:20:01.460 --> 00:20:05.160
no reassurance of that. In my own strength, I've

00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:07.619
learned the older I get, it's just simply not

00:20:07.619 --> 00:20:09.660
true. I'm just simply not going to get there.

00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:13.400
I need the reassurance that Jesus, because he

00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:15.839
overcame the trouble, I can overcome the trouble.

00:20:15.940 --> 00:20:19.400
Because I follow him, he empowers me to overcome

00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:22.359
anything that's in front of me. Why do you think

00:20:22.359 --> 00:20:24.480
when Jesus walked on the face of this earth,

00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:27.880
he overcame death, hell, and the grave? He overcame

00:20:27.880 --> 00:20:30.720
sickness. He overcame disease. He overcame the

00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:33.559
elements. He overcame the law, right, the physical

00:20:33.559 --> 00:20:37.180
laws that bind us, right? He came to overpower

00:20:37.180 --> 00:20:41.700
anything that was trouble and tribulation. Jesus

00:20:41.700 --> 00:20:43.859
was letting his disciples know and let us know

00:20:43.859 --> 00:20:47.720
that he overcame, and because he did, we can.

00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:51.000
He overthrew everything that Satan threw at him.

00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:56.039
It's why he paid such a hefty price at the cross.

00:20:56.859 --> 00:20:59.819
He died for our sin because we couldn't take

00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:02.759
care of that trouble in our life. You don't have

00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:06.660
enough in you to rid yourself of this sin. You

00:21:06.660 --> 00:21:10.759
don't. Only he could. Let me put it this way.

00:21:11.539 --> 00:21:14.880
How many of you love to be on a team that consistently

00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:18.359
wins the championship? Raise your hand. Come

00:21:18.359 --> 00:21:19.980
on, I don't even care if it's board games. How

00:21:19.980 --> 00:21:21.920
many of you like to be on the winning team? I

00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:25.799
love winning, okay? Absolutely, right? We want

00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:28.599
to be on the team that continually and constantly

00:21:28.599 --> 00:21:32.359
wins. We want to be part of that. We want that.

00:21:32.420 --> 00:21:34.980
We want to win all the time. We want the championship

00:21:34.980 --> 00:21:37.859
every time. We know that there might be some

00:21:37.859 --> 00:21:40.000
games that we lose, right? There might be some

00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:42.099
battles that we don't make it through and we

00:21:42.099 --> 00:21:44.140
come out of short. But we want to know at the

00:21:44.140 --> 00:21:46.559
end of the day, we're going to come out in the

00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:48.619
championship round, right? We're going to make

00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:52.079
it through because the leader of the team is

00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:56.400
that good. Because the coach is that good. Well,

00:21:56.420 --> 00:21:57.700
let me tell you something. If you're on Team

00:21:57.700 --> 00:22:01.079
Jesus, the coach is that good. You're coming

00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:03.980
out the other side. You're coming out on top.

00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:06.019
And it's not because you got it all going on.

00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:09.079
It's because he's got it all going on. It's because

00:22:09.079 --> 00:22:12.160
he's amazing. He can't lose. Do you understand

00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:17.440
that? The God that we serve cannot lose. And

00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:21.200
if you're on his team, you can't lose either.

00:22:21.819 --> 00:22:24.759
You might get beat up in some battles. You might

00:22:24.759 --> 00:22:27.220
not win the day, but I'm telling you, you will

00:22:27.220 --> 00:22:30.480
win the war. One day you will step into heaven

00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:34.960
and you will be whole and right and full. Amen?

00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:40.779
We win. We win. It's true. The peace of God inside

00:22:40.779 --> 00:22:44.380
plus I cannot lose on team Jesus on the outside

00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:47.380
equals I'm an overcomer. That's what the word

00:22:47.380 --> 00:22:50.000
of God tells us. Praise team if you'd come. If

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:53.180
you'd come. Now, I know you may have came in

00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:54.660
here today looking for a different message this

00:22:54.660 --> 00:22:56.740
morning. You might have wanted me to tell you

00:22:56.740 --> 00:22:58.720
that if you follow Jesus, it would be nothing

00:22:58.720 --> 00:23:01.279
but roses and sunshine, right? If you follow

00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:03.740
Jesus, all the stress is just going to melt away

00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:05.759
on your life. You're going to have blessing that

00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:08.180
will flow from the time you wake up in the morning.

00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:10.720
The wind is going to be in your hair. You're

00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:12.539
going to skip and frolic through the meadow,

00:23:12.579 --> 00:23:15.099
right? Lushing green grass is going to be in

00:23:15.099 --> 00:23:17.720
front of you, and your future is never going

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:20.220
to have a bump in the road. I can't tell you

00:23:20.220 --> 00:23:22.130
that. As a matter of fact, what I'm going to

00:23:22.130 --> 00:23:24.289
tell you this morning is, if you follow Jesus,

00:23:24.589 --> 00:23:27.269
you're going to have trouble. Trouble is going

00:23:27.269 --> 00:23:30.269
to unfold around you. But I can tell you this.

00:23:30.430 --> 00:23:33.349
I will promise you this. If you follow Jesus

00:23:33.349 --> 00:23:35.670
with everything that's inside of you, you will

00:23:35.670 --> 00:23:38.710
have the peace of God flood your heart, and you

00:23:38.710 --> 00:23:40.930
won't even know. The Word of God says it's a

00:23:40.930 --> 00:23:43.309
peace that passes all understanding. It is so

00:23:43.309 --> 00:23:45.890
powerful that it blows right past your mind,

00:23:45.950 --> 00:23:48.170
and it just moves into your soul and emotion.

00:23:49.250 --> 00:23:52.789
And you can't explain it. It's just there. Things

00:23:52.789 --> 00:23:54.970
are unfolding around you. Things are falling

00:23:54.970 --> 00:23:58.430
apart at every side. And you, for some weird

00:23:58.430 --> 00:24:01.730
reason, have the peace of God that's lodged in

00:24:01.730 --> 00:24:04.250
your heart. I can promise you that if you follow

00:24:04.250 --> 00:24:06.230
from all your heart. And I can promise you a

00:24:06.230 --> 00:24:11.410
second thing. You will win. You'll win. At the

00:24:11.410 --> 00:24:14.950
end of the day, at the end of life, at the end,

00:24:15.009 --> 00:24:19.380
you cannot lose. When you follow Jesus, it's

00:24:19.380 --> 00:24:21.579
true. I'm going to ask you to stand this morning.

00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:23.759
I'm going to read you just a couple of scriptures

00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:25.960
to reiterate what I'm talking about because it's

00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:28.039
all through God's word. And as the worship team

00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:30.880
gets all set up, 1 John 5 says this, whoever

00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:34.259
believes that Jesus Christ is born of God and

00:24:34.259 --> 00:24:37.000
everyone who loves him who begot also loves him

00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:40.009
who is begotten of him. By this we know that

00:24:40.009 --> 00:24:42.730
we love the children of God, and we love God

00:24:42.730 --> 00:24:45.250
and keep His commandments. For this is the love

00:24:45.250 --> 00:24:47.670
of God, that we keep His commandments, and His

00:24:47.670 --> 00:24:50.670
commandments are not burdensome. Now listen to

00:24:50.670 --> 00:24:53.809
this. For whatever is born of God overcomes the

00:24:53.809 --> 00:24:57.170
world. Did you hear that? Whatever is born of

00:24:57.170 --> 00:24:59.569
God overcomes the world. And this is the victory

00:24:59.569 --> 00:25:03.509
in that everyone overcomes the world. This is

00:25:03.509 --> 00:25:05.589
the victory that has overcome the world, our

00:25:05.589 --> 00:25:10.279
faith. Who is he who overcomes the world? Trouble,

00:25:10.339 --> 00:25:13.539
right? But he who believes that Jesus is the

00:25:13.539 --> 00:25:16.480
son of God. I'm going to read you one more, Romans

00:25:16.480 --> 00:25:21.640
8, 31. What then shall we say to these things?

00:25:22.279 --> 00:25:25.559
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who

00:25:25.559 --> 00:25:27.640
did not spare his own son, but delivered him

00:25:27.640 --> 00:25:31.319
up for us all. How shall he not with him also

00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:34.940
freely give us all things? Who shall bring a

00:25:34.940 --> 00:25:38.740
charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.220
Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died

00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:45.700
and furthermore is also risen. Who is even at

00:25:45.700 --> 00:25:47.660
the right hand of God who also makes intercession

00:25:47.660 --> 00:25:50.140
for us. Who shall separate us from the love of

00:25:50.140 --> 00:25:53.240
Christ? Shall tribulation, trouble, distress,

00:25:53.740 --> 00:25:57.019
persecution, famine, nakedness. How many know

00:25:57.019 --> 00:26:00.140
nakedness is a problem, right? Peril, sword.

00:26:00.750 --> 00:26:02.890
For as it is written, for your sake we are killed

00:26:02.890 --> 00:26:05.509
all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the

00:26:05.509 --> 00:26:08.990
slaughter. Trouble, trouble, trouble. Yet in

00:26:08.990 --> 00:26:12.809
all these things we are more than conquerors

00:26:12.809 --> 00:26:15.910
through him who loved us. For I am persuaded

00:26:15.910 --> 00:26:18.869
that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor

00:26:18.869 --> 00:26:21.430
principalities, nor powers, nor things present,

00:26:21.569 --> 00:26:24.269
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor

00:26:24.269 --> 00:26:26.670
any other created thing shall be able to separate

00:26:26.670 --> 00:26:29.190
us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus

00:26:29.190 --> 00:26:33.549
our Lord. You cannot lose with him. You can't

00:26:33.549 --> 00:26:36.450
lose. I'm going to ask you to bow your heads

00:26:36.450 --> 00:26:40.029
as you stand in this. I cannot promise you a

00:26:40.029 --> 00:26:43.230
trouble -free life in Jesus or otherwise, honestly.

00:26:44.410 --> 00:26:47.309
But I can promise you if you follow him, that

00:26:47.309 --> 00:26:49.690
he will give you a peace. If you truly follow

00:26:49.690 --> 00:26:52.130
him, he'll give you a peace that passes all understanding.

00:26:52.230 --> 00:26:55.190
You won't even be able to explain it. I can promise

00:26:55.190 --> 00:26:56.769
you at the end of the day, you'll come out on

00:26:56.769 --> 00:26:58.900
top. You'll get through the other side of the

00:26:58.900 --> 00:27:01.420
trouble and somehow he'll bring you through and

00:27:01.420 --> 00:27:05.299
you'll come out on top. And if you're here and

00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:07.960
you're a Christian, you've been following Jesus

00:27:07.960 --> 00:27:11.920
in your mind. You've been suffering with thoughts

00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:15.220
that have plagued you. In your body, you have

00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:18.339
suffered with plagues that have attacked your

00:27:18.339 --> 00:27:22.779
body. If your soul is a mess, right? You're emotionally

00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:25.500
all over the place. I'm here to tell you today.

00:27:26.729 --> 00:27:31.950
He can and will come in and give you peace. Paradise

00:27:31.950 --> 00:27:36.190
in the middle of trouble. So I'm gonna pray for

00:27:36.190 --> 00:27:37.769
you first and then I'm gonna talk with those

00:27:37.769 --> 00:27:39.769
and just keep your heads bowed as we do this.

00:27:39.809 --> 00:27:41.730
I'm gonna pray through and maybe for those who

00:27:41.730 --> 00:27:44.130
don't know Jesus. Father, I come to you today.

00:27:44.170 --> 00:27:46.069
God, you know who's in the house here, Lord.

00:27:46.190 --> 00:27:48.210
You know, God, who's among us. And Lord, I pray

00:27:48.210 --> 00:27:50.470
right now, God, that you would begin to move

00:27:50.470 --> 00:27:52.650
among your people. God, I pray that you would

00:27:52.650 --> 00:27:55.460
guide and direct. But Lord, I... God, I know

00:27:55.460 --> 00:27:57.079
there are people in here, they're struggling

00:27:57.079 --> 00:27:58.799
right now. God, they're in the middle of trouble.

00:27:58.900 --> 00:28:00.759
There's trouble on every side of them. Lord,

00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:02.519
it's in the front, in the back, on the sides,

00:28:02.599 --> 00:28:04.619
maybe even above and below them. And Lord, right

00:28:04.619 --> 00:28:06.920
now they're tormented in their mind. They might

00:28:06.920 --> 00:28:09.059
be tormented in their body and their soul. And

00:28:09.059 --> 00:28:11.500
Lord, they need the peace of God in their lives.

00:28:11.880 --> 00:28:13.420
And Lord, they need to know they're going to

00:28:13.420 --> 00:28:15.099
come out on top. They need that reassurance.

00:28:15.220 --> 00:28:17.220
So God, I pray right now, settle it in their

00:28:17.220 --> 00:28:19.640
heads. Settle it in their hearts that I am not

00:28:19.640 --> 00:28:21.920
going down. That life is not going to take me

00:28:21.920 --> 00:28:24.059
down. The trouble is not going to tear me to

00:28:24.059 --> 00:28:27.920
pieces. Because I am in you. God, I pray that

00:28:27.920 --> 00:28:30.960
the peace of God floods their spirit. God, I

00:28:30.960 --> 00:28:33.900
pray Holy Spirit pours upon them and baptizes

00:28:33.900 --> 00:28:37.000
them and fills them full of your peace. Your

00:28:37.000 --> 00:28:41.859
peace, Lord. God, help them. in their heads and

00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:45.980
in their hearts. And as every head is bowed and

00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:48.460
every eye still stays closed, you might be in

00:28:48.460 --> 00:28:50.559
the house and you have never experienced the

00:28:50.559 --> 00:28:53.079
peace of God in your life. You didn't even know

00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:55.140
you could be in relationship with a holy God

00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:58.400
who has your best interest at heart. So much

00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:02.059
so that he sent Jesus to die on a cross to take

00:29:02.059 --> 00:29:04.400
the payment of your sin so that you could be

00:29:04.400 --> 00:29:06.339
in relationship with God. That's why Jesus came.

00:29:06.740 --> 00:29:09.039
That was the whole purpose. If you're here today,

00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:11.500
and you've never been in relationship with him,

00:29:11.539 --> 00:29:13.380
but you want to be. You want to know the peace

00:29:13.380 --> 00:29:15.200
that I'm talking about. You want to know that

00:29:15.200 --> 00:29:17.559
you can win in following Jesus. I'm going to

00:29:17.559 --> 00:29:19.880
ask you to do something. If you truly commit

00:29:19.880 --> 00:29:21.920
in your heart, and that's the key, you're going

00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:23.779
to commit to follow him. Raise your hand right

00:29:23.779 --> 00:29:25.799
now if you want to meet Jesus for the first time.

00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:27.519
All we ask you to do is pray. I'm not going to

00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:29.200
call you out. I'm not going to ask you to come

00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:30.460
up to the front. I'm not going to ask you anything.

00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:32.059
You can raise your hand up, put it right back

00:29:32.059 --> 00:29:39.509
down. Good morning. Thank you. Father, we come.

00:29:40.309 --> 00:29:42.369
God, you know every soul, every mind, and every

00:29:42.369 --> 00:29:45.029
heart in this house. Lord, we recognize that

00:29:45.029 --> 00:29:47.549
Jesus paid the price that we couldn't pay. We

00:29:47.549 --> 00:29:49.630
could not fix that trouble in our lives. Sin

00:29:49.630 --> 00:29:51.869
separated us from God from the very beginning.

00:29:52.210 --> 00:29:54.569
And Lord, it was Jesus who came to bring us back

00:29:54.569 --> 00:29:58.710
into relationship, reconcile us back to God so

00:29:58.710 --> 00:30:00.609
that I might know the peace of God and so that

00:30:00.609 --> 00:30:03.609
I might be on the winning team. I might know

00:30:03.609 --> 00:30:05.710
what it is to win. Lord, I pray right now for

00:30:05.710 --> 00:30:07.710
that person. Lord, all they got to do is confess

00:30:07.710 --> 00:30:10.490
that in their own words in prayer. All they got

00:30:10.490 --> 00:30:12.430
to do is believe in their heart and the word

00:30:12.430 --> 00:30:14.009
of God says that you will be with them and they'll

00:30:14.009 --> 00:30:16.829
be saved. So God, for every person in the house

00:30:16.829 --> 00:30:20.869
this morning, God, I pray, Lord, the one that's

00:30:20.869 --> 00:30:22.609
praying that prayer, let them feel the peace

00:30:22.609 --> 00:30:25.170
of God flood into their spirit right now. Let

00:30:25.170 --> 00:30:27.730
their heart be so full. They're not going to

00:30:27.730 --> 00:30:30.789
be able to explain it, but Lord, they're going

00:30:30.789 --> 00:30:34.950
to know. Lord, we just give you praise and glory

00:30:34.950 --> 00:30:37.130
and honor in Jesus' name. And everybody say it

00:30:37.130 --> 00:30:40.470
together. Amen. Amen. I almost did it quick.

00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:04.019
like to partner with us as we love God love people

00:31:04.019 --> 00:31:06.519
every day visit our website at