WEBVTT 00:00:07.690 --> 00:00:10.150 Thank you for listening to this message from 00:00:10.150 --> 00:00:18.289 Lifehouse Church. Do one thing, I want you to 00:00:18.289 --> 00:00:19.769 bow your heads with me. We're gonna pray over 00:00:19.769 --> 00:00:22.690 the word of God as we get ready for this message. 00:00:22.750 --> 00:00:24.429 So if you'd bow your heads right now. Father, 00:00:24.550 --> 00:00:26.629 thank you for this time together. Thank you, 00:00:26.649 --> 00:00:29.510 Lord, for God, your mercy. God, I thank you for 00:00:29.510 --> 00:00:31.670 your love. I thank you for your peace. I thank 00:00:31.670 --> 00:00:33.250 you for your presence. God, I ask that the word 00:00:33.250 --> 00:00:35.469 of God would settle into our hearts and into 00:00:35.469 --> 00:00:37.789 our minds. And Lord, it wouldn't just be something 00:00:37.789 --> 00:00:39.450 we think about. It wouldn't be something, Lord, 00:00:39.549 --> 00:00:41.590 that we just contemplate. But God, it would be 00:00:41.590 --> 00:00:44.100 something that changes us today. God, that we 00:00:44.100 --> 00:00:46.259 might move closer into the kingdom. God, that 00:00:46.259 --> 00:00:48.439 we might know you deeper. And Lord, that you 00:00:48.439 --> 00:00:50.579 might move in and among us. And we just give 00:00:50.579 --> 00:00:56.140 you praise in Jesus' name. And amen. Amen. Well, 00:00:56.159 --> 00:01:00.719 I want you to picture this. 120 individuals fill 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:04.519 an upper room in ancient Jerusalem. The year 00:01:04.519 --> 00:01:08.620 is somewhere between 30 and 33 AD. And for this 00:01:08.620 --> 00:01:11.659 group of people, for this 120, they're there 00:01:11.659 --> 00:01:14.780 for one purpose and one purpose only. They're 00:01:14.780 --> 00:01:17.920 there to wait for the gift that Jesus said he 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:21.000 would send when he left. This gift would not 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.859 come in a box with a nice... piece of wrapping 00:01:23.859 --> 00:01:26.260 paper around it and a ribbon tied on the top. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.340 This would not be a small amount of money or 00:01:29.340 --> 00:01:31.519 a large amount of money or a gift card in any 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:34.560 kind of way. They would not receive a car, real 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:36.500 estate, or actually, because it was back then, 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:40.060 a new camel or donkey, right? This gift would 00:01:40.060 --> 00:01:44.040 be pure divinity. This gift would be a spiritual 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:48.079 companion, someone who would guide them and confident 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:52.379 to walk with them. And they and millions more, 00:01:52.859 --> 00:01:56.719 would get to know and receive this gift. Not 00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:00.959 something, but someone. Someone who would empower 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:04.379 them. Someone who would coach them. Someone who 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:07.040 would encourage them. Someone who would divinely 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:11.419 lead and guide them. God's very presence would 00:02:11.419 --> 00:02:14.139 enter that room where there were 120 gathered 00:02:14.139 --> 00:02:17.020 together, and just like a mighty rushing wind, 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:20.719 God's Spirit, the Holy Spirit, would fill the 00:02:20.719 --> 00:02:22.780 house where they're at, and it would not only 00:02:22.780 --> 00:02:25.969 fill the room, but it would fill them. He would 00:02:25.969 --> 00:02:28.490 come and fill them, the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:28.629 --> 00:02:31.930 Why would they need this gift? What was the purpose 00:02:31.930 --> 00:02:35.430 that God had in all this? It was to empower them 00:02:35.430 --> 00:02:38.310 to take the gospel of Jesus Christ around the 00:02:38.310 --> 00:02:41.289 globe. They would need the Holy Spirit to infuse 00:02:41.289 --> 00:02:44.210 them with boldness and with courage. They would 00:02:44.210 --> 00:02:46.469 need the Holy Spirit's discernment to stand against 00:02:46.469 --> 00:02:49.449 the enemy who had schemes and plots just like 00:02:49.449 --> 00:02:52.629 he does against us. They would need divine direction. 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:56.539 to navigate every challenge, they would need 00:02:56.539 --> 00:03:00.400 Holy Spirit's gifts to be an effective witness 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:05.960 for Christ. And once that gift arrives and all 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:08.960 of them in the house are baptized in the Holy 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:13.039 Spirit, in his presence, in his power, they leave 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:16.199 that room and they pour out into the streets 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:19.340 of Jerusalem. They go place to place and they 00:03:19.340 --> 00:03:21.759 don't go out just walking. They don't go out 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:24.099 just rejoicing for what God just did for them. 00:03:24.219 --> 00:03:26.699 They go out and they begin to share and they 00:03:26.699 --> 00:03:29.300 begin to glorify God. And not in their native 00:03:29.300 --> 00:03:31.900 language, not in the language that they could 00:03:31.900 --> 00:03:35.439 speak, but supernaturally speaking the message 00:03:35.439 --> 00:03:39.340 of God in tongues. There were 15 to 17 distinct 00:03:39.340 --> 00:03:42.860 languages represented in Jerusalem at that period 00:03:42.860 --> 00:03:45.300 of time with the people that came in to celebrate 00:03:45.300 --> 00:03:48.139 the festival. full. Pentecost was taking place. 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:51.259 They came into that area. There were 15 to 17 00:03:51.259 --> 00:03:54.400 different dialects and they go out and supernaturally 00:03:54.400 --> 00:03:58.199 begin to speak in other languages. In a bold 00:03:58.199 --> 00:04:01.699 moment, in a bold moment in the streets, the 00:04:01.699 --> 00:04:04.680 apostle Peter stands up in the middle of all 00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:07.919 this and he begins to give a message. He begins 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:11.280 to tell the people about Jesus Christ. And the 00:04:11.280 --> 00:04:15.439 word of God says that approximately 3 ,000 people 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:18.699 believe the message that Jesus is the prophesied 00:04:18.699 --> 00:04:22.040 Messiah. Approximately 3 ,000 people believe 00:04:22.040 --> 00:04:24.259 that he is in fact the son of the living God. 00:04:24.519 --> 00:04:27.240 Approximately 3 ,000 believe that they are saved 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:31.319 from sin, death, hell, and the grave. 3 ,000 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:34.680 now know that Jesus redeems and brings us into 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:38.310 right relationship with God. Right? Condemnation 00:04:38.310 --> 00:04:42.170 gone, sin washed away, adopted now as sons and 00:04:42.170 --> 00:04:47.870 daughters of God. And in one day, the church 00:04:47.870 --> 00:04:53.209 of Jesus Christ is birthed. 2 ,000 plus years 00:04:53.209 --> 00:04:57.009 later, the church, big C, you're sitting in it 00:04:57.009 --> 00:05:00.149 right now, Jesus people, Jesus community, is 00:05:00.149 --> 00:05:01.970 the largest, I don't know if you know this or 00:05:01.970 --> 00:05:04.170 not, is the largest organization on the face 00:05:04.170 --> 00:05:07.019 of the planet. No other organization even comes 00:05:07.019 --> 00:05:11.399 close. There are 2 .3 to 2 .4 billion, say billion. 00:05:11.819 --> 00:05:15.839 Yeah, with a B, right? Christians worldwide on 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:19.040 the planet today, 29 to 32 % of the global population. 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:23.019 The church, a community who follows Jesus as 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:27.300 king and as a leader and as God. And this community 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:31.100 is like no other because it's not just a kingdom 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:35.819 or an organization that has membership. You might 00:05:35.819 --> 00:05:37.839 have a membership to some other organization 00:05:37.839 --> 00:05:40.300 than the church this morning. Some of you might 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:42.699 belong to Planet Fitness, right? You give them 00:05:42.699 --> 00:05:45.899 $10, $20 a month, and you go once every three 00:05:45.899 --> 00:05:48.339 months to the gym. Amen. Raise your hand if you 00:05:48.339 --> 00:05:50.420 know what I'm talking about, right? Some of you 00:05:50.420 --> 00:05:53.120 might belong to Platinum Gym here locally, right? 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:56.620 You might belong to the YMCA. You could be part 00:05:56.620 --> 00:05:59.290 of the Carlisle swim team. You might be part 00:05:59.290 --> 00:06:01.910 of Quilters of America, all right? Quilting might 00:06:01.910 --> 00:06:04.230 be your thing. You might even be a member of 00:06:04.230 --> 00:06:06.610 Lifehouse Church here this morning. As you listen 00:06:06.610 --> 00:06:08.970 here in the house, yeah, come on. Yeah, who did 00:06:08.970 --> 00:06:12.129 that? Do it again. Come on. Yeah, right? Yeah, 00:06:12.269 --> 00:06:14.689 you might be a member. You might hold a membership 00:06:14.689 --> 00:06:17.649 card. You might even have a passport that says 00:06:17.649 --> 00:06:20.689 you're a citizen of the United States. But in 00:06:20.689 --> 00:06:23.990 Jesus' community, you receive a whole different 00:06:23.990 --> 00:06:27.040 status. There's a whole different set of papers 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.740 that go along with it. Because in Jesus' community, 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:34.300 you're adopted into the kingdom, all right? You 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:37.180 have adoption papers. Your name is written in 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:39.980 a book, the Lamb's Book of Life, and it is lodged 00:06:39.980 --> 00:06:43.500 up in heaven. And you are one of the sons or 00:06:43.500 --> 00:06:45.879 daughters of God this morning. You should give 00:06:45.879 --> 00:06:47.839 the Lord a hand for that if you're saved, amen? 00:06:49.480 --> 00:06:52.600 Sons and daughters of the king. adopted into 00:06:52.600 --> 00:06:54.560 the kingdom of God, which blows my mind every 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:56.680 time I think about it, every time I begin to 00:06:56.680 --> 00:06:59.560 contemplate it. But one of the most challenging 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:03.779 parts of this divine adoption that we experience 00:07:03.779 --> 00:07:07.279 through salvation and faith in Jesus Christ is 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:12.519 what and who I am. What am I supposed to be doing 00:07:12.519 --> 00:07:18.379 as a daughter or a son of the Most High? One 00:07:18.379 --> 00:07:20.399 of the greatest struggles of those who come into 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:24.069 God's kingdom, right, while they're here on earth, 00:07:24.189 --> 00:07:28.430 is the realization that they come into a new 00:07:28.430 --> 00:07:31.829 family, and they wonder, what in the world am 00:07:31.829 --> 00:07:34.709 I supposed to be doing? Sometimes we struggle 00:07:34.709 --> 00:07:36.910 with that. Even if you're not new into the kingdom 00:07:36.910 --> 00:07:39.490 of God, what am I supposed to be doing? Because 00:07:39.490 --> 00:07:41.970 here's the deal. You weren't born sons and daughters 00:07:41.970 --> 00:07:45.110 of God. You become sons and daughters of God. 00:07:45.189 --> 00:07:47.170 As a matter of fact, depending on when you got 00:07:47.170 --> 00:07:49.949 saved, it depends how long, right? Really depends, 00:07:50.209 --> 00:07:53.209 really kind of lays out how long you've actually 00:07:53.209 --> 00:07:55.730 been separated from God. We're born separated 00:07:55.730 --> 00:07:58.870 from God. We come close to God through salvation. 00:07:59.189 --> 00:08:02.810 We begin to understand who he is. We begin to 00:08:02.810 --> 00:08:05.029 really realize that we're sons and daughters. 00:08:05.189 --> 00:08:07.970 And if you've been living for 50 years and all 00:08:07.970 --> 00:08:11.029 of a sudden you get saved, right? In a moment 00:08:11.029 --> 00:08:13.649 in time, you're wondering, wait a minute, what 00:08:13.649 --> 00:08:17.410 just happened? Who am I now? What am I supposed 00:08:17.410 --> 00:08:20.829 to be doing? It's a little like if you were living 00:08:20.829 --> 00:08:23.730 in America for the last 50 years, all of a sudden 00:08:23.730 --> 00:08:26.410 in one day, you got plucked up, they stuck you 00:08:26.410 --> 00:08:29.069 in Russia somewhere and just left you and said, 00:08:29.110 --> 00:08:31.910 now you're a Russian. How many know that'd be 00:08:31.910 --> 00:08:34.190 a little bit foreign? That'd be a little weird, 00:08:34.250 --> 00:08:35.830 right? How many know you'd probably just sit 00:08:35.830 --> 00:08:37.090 down somewhere and think, what in the world am 00:08:37.090 --> 00:08:39.809 I supposed to do? Right? Who am I supposed to 00:08:39.809 --> 00:08:41.690 be? What in the world is happening right now? 00:08:42.009 --> 00:08:45.009 It's like if you lived in our household and you 00:08:45.009 --> 00:08:47.070 became a Penrod, that's my last name, right? 00:08:47.470 --> 00:08:49.669 And you've been a Penrod for the last 10, 20, 00:08:49.789 --> 00:08:52.009 30, 40, 50 years, and then all of a sudden somebody 00:08:52.009 --> 00:08:54.090 pulls you up and says, well, you're not a Penrod 00:08:54.090 --> 00:08:57.309 anymore. You're a Carmichael. I made that up 00:08:57.309 --> 00:08:59.509 because I don't know any Carmichaels. All right? 00:09:00.230 --> 00:09:02.629 You're a Carmichael. And you're like, wait a 00:09:02.629 --> 00:09:07.009 minute. What am I supposed to be doing? Maybe 00:09:07.009 --> 00:09:09.250 you didn't come to Jesus when you were five or 00:09:09.250 --> 00:09:12.129 10. Maybe you live like a hellion for 10, 20, 00:09:12.330 --> 00:09:17.429 30, 40, 50 years in sin. Far from God. Dead in 00:09:17.429 --> 00:09:21.549 sin, right? And bam, you get saved. And all of 00:09:21.549 --> 00:09:23.269 a sudden, you're in a whole different community. 00:09:23.549 --> 00:09:25.850 All of a sudden, you're a son or daughter of 00:09:25.850 --> 00:09:29.009 God. And you're wondering, what in the world 00:09:29.009 --> 00:09:32.610 am I supposed to be doing? I got good news for 00:09:32.610 --> 00:09:35.549 you. No matter how long ago when you got saved, 00:09:36.059 --> 00:09:39.460 Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit and the Word of 00:09:39.460 --> 00:09:42.460 God to help us work this whole thing out, to 00:09:42.460 --> 00:09:46.480 empower us and to teach us what we should do 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:50.159 as children of God. So today we're going to do 00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:53.700 the do. Say, do the do. Turn to somebody right 00:09:53.700 --> 00:09:56.240 now, tell them, do the do. Do the do right now, 00:09:56.299 --> 00:10:01.559 all right? In Acts chapter 2, verse 41, as soon 00:10:01.559 --> 00:10:04.909 as those 3 ,000 individuals in Jerusalem come 00:10:04.909 --> 00:10:07.750 to follow Jesus, and the Holy Spirit begins to 00:10:07.750 --> 00:10:10.570 lead their lives, they begin to do something 00:10:10.570 --> 00:10:14.450 very different. Acts 2 .41 says this, then those 00:10:14.450 --> 00:10:17.110 who gladly received his word were baptized, and 00:10:17.110 --> 00:10:19.490 that day about 3 ,000 souls were added to them, 00:10:19.549 --> 00:10:22.450 and they continued steadfastly in the apostle's 00:10:22.450 --> 00:10:24.029 doctrine. This was something different they began 00:10:24.029 --> 00:10:26.799 to do, and in fellowship, And in the breaking 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:29.419 of bread and in prayers, then fear came upon 00:10:29.419 --> 00:10:31.539 every soul and many wonders and signs were done 00:10:31.539 --> 00:10:34.419 through the apostles. Now all who believed together 00:10:34.419 --> 00:10:37.639 had all things in common and sold their possessions 00:10:37.639 --> 00:10:41.440 and goods and divided them among all, anyone 00:10:41.440 --> 00:10:45.580 who had need. A community of Jesus followers, 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.860 3 ,000 probably plus people come to know Christ 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:53.220 in a day and they begin to do something very 00:10:53.220 --> 00:10:56.440 different. One, they begin to fellowship with 00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:59.799 one another. Fellowship is spending time with 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.919 someone. If you spend time with somebody, you're 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:05.679 giving somebody a gift. I don't know if you realize 00:11:05.679 --> 00:11:09.200 it, but time is one of the greatest. Maybe most 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:11.820 valuable gifts you can ever give anybody. Because 00:11:11.820 --> 00:11:14.200 guess what? None of us get any more of it, right? 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:16.779 Every single one of you get the same 24 hours 00:11:16.779 --> 00:11:19.120 in a day. You've got the same amount of minutes 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:21.580 every single day. We all do. And when you give 00:11:21.580 --> 00:11:24.539 time and you fellowship with someone, you get 00:11:24.539 --> 00:11:27.059 in their presence. It's a gift. That's what the 00:11:27.059 --> 00:11:29.100 early believers began to do. Something changed. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:31.200 They started giving away their time. The Word 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.419 of God says they began to break bread. One of 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:37.279 my favorite spiritual things to do is eat. Come 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:39.860 on, it's in the word of God. It is, it's right 00:11:39.860 --> 00:11:44.320 here, right? I love to eat. It's a Jesus community 00:11:44.320 --> 00:11:47.120 sport around here, all right? We get together 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:50.820 and eat. I recently got the opportunity to go 00:11:50.820 --> 00:11:53.940 to Tangier Island and we support that mission 00:11:53.940 --> 00:11:58.039 work here. And Tangier is located 12 miles out 00:11:58.039 --> 00:12:01.600 in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay outside of 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.460 the coast of Virginia. And here at Lifehouse, 00:12:04.580 --> 00:12:06.340 Charlie and Laura, I don't know where you're 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.980 at, somewhere in the house here, but they lead 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:11.139 the mission strip that takes place that goes 00:12:11.139 --> 00:12:14.279 down to Tangier Island. And they go down at other 00:12:14.279 --> 00:12:16.779 periods of time to really scope things out, to 00:12:16.779 --> 00:12:18.480 check things out, to do follow -up and all those 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.320 kinds of things. And I tagged along on one of 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:21.799 those trips. So it was just the three of us. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:24.080 And we went down. And one of the things that 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.019 took place, is that I got invited to Jackie and 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:30.700 Marlene McCready's house. Sweetest couple I think 00:12:30.700 --> 00:12:33.419 I've ever met in my life. They didn't know me 00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:36.679 from Adam. They just knew I was a pastor. They 00:12:36.679 --> 00:12:39.259 knew I was a fellow believer. I got hugged when 00:12:39.259 --> 00:12:42.120 I got to the house. They made me oysters because 00:12:42.120 --> 00:12:45.159 Tangier is a crabbing and an oyster industry 00:12:45.159 --> 00:12:47.500 is what took place there. They made me the best 00:12:47.500 --> 00:12:51.259 oysters I've ever had in my stinking life. They 00:12:51.259 --> 00:12:53.580 were awesome. I wanted to move in, all right? 00:12:53.620 --> 00:12:56.840 It was awesome. And there was something different, 00:12:57.000 --> 00:12:59.820 right? When you get with believers and fellow 00:12:59.820 --> 00:13:01.659 believers, there's something different that takes 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:03.500 place. This doesn't happen out in the world. 00:13:03.580 --> 00:13:05.639 There's this instant connection because of the 00:13:05.639 --> 00:13:08.259 cause of Christ and who we serve. And this is 00:13:08.259 --> 00:13:10.379 what the early church, things look different. 00:13:10.419 --> 00:13:12.259 They begin to do things different. They pray 00:13:12.259 --> 00:13:15.080 together. They believe together. They were so 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:18.419 engrossed in authentic Christian community that 00:13:18.419 --> 00:13:23.019 if anybody had need in the church, They sold 00:13:23.019 --> 00:13:25.639 their possessions. They sold their extra stuff, 00:13:25.779 --> 00:13:28.299 man. They had a yard sale. They had a real estate 00:13:28.299 --> 00:13:33.039 sale, and they gave the proceeds to people that 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:36.120 were in need. They loved one another that much. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:41.000 Jesus said it in John 13, 34, a new commandment 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:43.240 I give to you, that you love one another as I 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:47.879 loved you, that you also love one another. They 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:51.340 did the do. They began to do things differently. 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:56.899 Christian community demands that I do. Say I 00:13:56.899 --> 00:14:00.039 do. It's like getting married, man. I do Jesus 00:14:00.039 --> 00:14:04.679 stuff. If I follow Jesus, if he saved me, he 00:14:04.679 --> 00:14:08.100 redeemed me, he baptized me, right, and I'm a 00:14:08.100 --> 00:14:12.820 follower of Jesus, I do Jesus stuff. I do what 00:14:12.820 --> 00:14:17.639 Jesus did. I do what Jesus says. John 14, 15 00:14:17.639 --> 00:14:20.899 says, if you love me, this is Jesus speaking. 00:14:21.419 --> 00:14:24.360 Keep my commandments. Commandment is something 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.460 you do. It's not something you just think about, 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:30.399 right? You keep my commandments. And I will pray 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:32.399 the Father, and he will give you a helper that 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:36.059 he may abide with you forever. The spirit of 00:14:36.059 --> 00:14:38.179 truth, whom the world cannot receive because 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:40.679 it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know 00:14:40.679 --> 00:14:43.559 him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:46.740 I will not leave you orphans. I will come to 00:14:46.740 --> 00:14:49.809 you. Jesus says, do the do. And then I'm going 00:14:49.809 --> 00:14:51.909 to send the Holy Spirit to help you do the do. 00:14:52.090 --> 00:14:55.970 Amen? That's a lot of do's, I know. Jesus said, 00:14:56.029 --> 00:15:01.269 if you love me, you'll do the do. I'll not leave 00:15:01.269 --> 00:15:04.409 you helpless. I'll not leave you alone. I'll 00:15:04.409 --> 00:15:06.370 not leave you an orphan. Matter of fact, I'm 00:15:06.370 --> 00:15:09.509 going to send you a helper so that you can do. 00:15:11.129 --> 00:15:13.610 How many know you don't need a helper if you're 00:15:13.610 --> 00:15:17.289 not doing anything? Amen? You don't need a helper 00:15:17.289 --> 00:15:20.409 if you're not doing anything. If you're not carrying 00:15:20.409 --> 00:15:23.009 anything, if you're not working on anything, 00:15:23.250 --> 00:15:25.629 if you're not cleaning up anything, you don't 00:15:25.629 --> 00:15:28.950 need a helper. How many of you do not need help 00:15:28.950 --> 00:15:32.230 to loaf? Amen. How many of you can loaf all on 00:15:32.230 --> 00:15:36.309 your own? Praise God. You can, right? My grandchildren, 00:15:36.610 --> 00:15:38.750 they were all up here in the front. That was 00:15:38.750 --> 00:15:40.809 that noisy crew right here. And they were all 00:15:40.809 --> 00:15:42.990 up front here, love them all to death. But sometimes 00:15:42.990 --> 00:15:44.809 they want me to do stuff for them. They'll say, 00:15:44.889 --> 00:15:47.870 hey, Poppy, get me a drink. Now, some of them 00:15:47.870 --> 00:15:51.000 are like. 10, eight, you know, six years old 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:54.519 now, and I'm like, hey, what are those two long 00:15:54.519 --> 00:15:58.139 things hooked at the bottom of your body? They're 00:15:58.139 --> 00:16:01.480 like, legs. And I'm like, are they broke? They're 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:04.419 like, no. Can you get yourself a drink? Yeah, 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:07.480 right? How many know they don't need any help? 00:16:09.159 --> 00:16:10.539 They're just seeing what they can get out of 00:16:10.539 --> 00:16:12.500 Poppy, right? They can see Poppy will go do it. 00:16:12.799 --> 00:16:15.940 You don't need help if you're not doing anything. 00:16:17.250 --> 00:16:21.409 Jesus sent the Holy Spirit because you need help. 00:16:21.490 --> 00:16:23.450 Now, my grandchildren are carrying three gallons 00:16:23.450 --> 00:16:26.570 of water. I'm going to go help them if they need 00:16:26.570 --> 00:16:30.470 help. We need help when we're engaged in doing 00:16:30.470 --> 00:16:34.350 the do. To be a Christian means that I do things. 00:16:34.450 --> 00:16:38.110 I do Jesus stuff. Jesus sends me. I got to go 00:16:38.110 --> 00:16:40.409 do it because he commanded me, and then I got 00:16:40.409 --> 00:16:44.169 the helper, the Holy Spirit, doing it. Amen? 00:16:44.230 --> 00:16:48.559 It's true. And if I'm not doing it, I got to 00:16:48.559 --> 00:16:51.440 start questioning my Christianity. If I'm not 00:16:51.440 --> 00:16:54.200 doing anything for God, I got to start to question 00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:56.559 what I'm doing, right? It's kind of like calling 00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:59.200 myself a cowboy and never getting near a cow, 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:02.879 amen? All right, calling myself an outdoorsman, 00:17:02.899 --> 00:17:07.900 but I never go outdoors. To be Christian is to 00:17:07.900 --> 00:17:12.819 do. To be Christian is to do what Jesus did and 00:17:12.819 --> 00:17:16.430 what he says to do. And I got to ask myself, 00:17:16.589 --> 00:17:19.150 and I want you to ask yourself, am I doing the 00:17:19.150 --> 00:17:23.569 do? Am I doing the do? Whatever that is, whatever 00:17:23.569 --> 00:17:26.710 God speaks to you, whatever he teaches in his 00:17:26.710 --> 00:17:30.650 commands, are you doing the do? Over and over 00:17:30.650 --> 00:17:33.670 again, Jesus teaches us in Scripture what we 00:17:33.670 --> 00:17:36.450 should do. Jesus is preaching one day. He's on 00:17:36.450 --> 00:17:40.559 a hillside. on the northwestern shore of the 00:17:40.559 --> 00:17:43.619 Sea of Galilee in the northern part of Israel, 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:47.839 right? Roughly 500 feet above sea level. Hundreds 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:50.599 or possibly thousands of people congregate on 00:17:50.599 --> 00:17:53.180 this hillside. And it just so happens that this 00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:57.180 hillside really kind of naturally creates an 00:17:57.180 --> 00:18:00.859 amphitheater. And Jesus begins to preach, and 00:18:00.859 --> 00:18:04.539 he begins to tell them thing after thing that 00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:06.759 they should do. as they follow Christ. I'm just 00:18:06.759 --> 00:18:08.920 going to read you one. It's in Matthew 6, 24. 00:18:09.059 --> 00:18:13.079 It says this. No one can serve two masters, for 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:15.339 either he will hate the one and love the other, 00:18:15.380 --> 00:18:17.960 or else he will be loyal to the one and despise 00:18:17.960 --> 00:18:21.599 the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:24.299 is wealth, by the way, money. Therefore, I say 00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:26.759 to you, Do not worry about your life, what you 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.140 will eat or what you will drink, nor about your 00:18:29.140 --> 00:18:31.720 body, what you will put on. Is not life more 00:18:31.720 --> 00:18:34.160 than food and the body more than clothing? Look 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:35.960 at the birds of the air, for they neither sow 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:38.680 nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:42.240 Father feeds them. Are you not of more value 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.140 than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add 00:18:45.140 --> 00:18:48.660 one cubit to their statute? So why do you worry? 00:18:49.619 --> 00:18:51.299 Come on, turn to somebody, tell them, don't worry. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.160 Stop worrying, tell them, stop worrying right 00:18:53.160 --> 00:18:56.769 now, all right? So why do you worry about clothing? 00:18:56.849 --> 00:18:58.769 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 00:18:59.009 --> 00:19:01.289 They neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to 00:19:01.289 --> 00:19:03.549 you that even Solomon in all his glory was not 00:19:03.549 --> 00:19:06.210 arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes 00:19:06.210 --> 00:19:08.730 the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow 00:19:08.730 --> 00:19:10.890 is thrown into the oven, will he not much more 00:19:10.890 --> 00:19:13.750 clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore do 00:19:13.750 --> 00:19:15.769 not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what 00:19:15.769 --> 00:19:18.069 shall we drink, or what shall we wear? But after 00:19:18.069 --> 00:19:20.690 these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly 00:19:20.690 --> 00:19:22.529 Father knows that you have need of these things. 00:19:23.049 --> 00:19:26.690 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 00:19:26.869 --> 00:19:30.710 and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, 00:19:30.809 --> 00:19:33.009 do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will 00:19:33.009 --> 00:19:35.269 worry about its own things. Sufficient for the 00:19:35.269 --> 00:19:39.130 day is its own trouble. Jesus tells everybody 00:19:39.130 --> 00:19:42.970 on that hillside what to do and what not to do. 00:19:43.190 --> 00:19:46.450 He really does. And he starts with what not to 00:19:46.450 --> 00:19:49.450 do. He says, do not worry about your physical 00:19:49.450 --> 00:19:52.769 needs. Don't worry about your provision. Don't 00:19:52.769 --> 00:19:55.630 worry about your possessions in life, your food, 00:19:55.809 --> 00:19:59.829 your clothing. Don't fret about what house you're 00:19:59.829 --> 00:20:02.309 going to live in. Don't wring your hands, right? 00:20:02.490 --> 00:20:06.670 Don't get worked up. Don't stay scared at night. 00:20:06.789 --> 00:20:10.349 Don't get anxious about the provision that you 00:20:10.349 --> 00:20:13.509 have or don't have. Jesus says, don't worry about 00:20:13.509 --> 00:20:14.829 it. Turn to somebody and tell them, don't worry 00:20:14.829 --> 00:20:16.990 about it. Say it with a little attitude. Don't 00:20:16.990 --> 00:20:19.869 worry about it. And listen, Jesus is not just 00:20:19.869 --> 00:20:24.630 giving a glib, insincere or short -sighted answer 00:20:24.630 --> 00:20:29.009 for what can be a very real issue in our heads 00:20:29.009 --> 00:20:32.650 and heart. He's not saying this smugly, don't 00:20:32.650 --> 00:20:35.150 just worry about it, right? He's not saying that. 00:20:35.369 --> 00:20:38.769 Have you ever had somebody come up and tell you, 00:20:38.809 --> 00:20:41.619 just don't worry about it? You ever get super 00:20:41.619 --> 00:20:43.759 concerned about something and something just 00:20:43.759 --> 00:20:46.119 weighing on your head and heart and you're all 00:20:46.119 --> 00:20:48.240 stressed out, you're all freaked out about it. 00:20:48.279 --> 00:20:51.160 You spent nights and nights awake running over 00:20:51.160 --> 00:20:53.559 different scenarios in your mind, right? It could 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.119 be an opportunity at a job. It could be paying, 00:20:56.220 --> 00:20:58.380 you got a bill that you need to pay. You need 00:20:58.380 --> 00:21:01.480 provision of some kind, whatever it is. And you 00:21:01.480 --> 00:21:04.000 find somebody that you need to tell about this. 00:21:04.099 --> 00:21:07.059 And you take 30 to 60 minutes and you unfold 00:21:07.059 --> 00:21:10.980 in immense detail. Right? Exactly what the issue 00:21:10.980 --> 00:21:14.940 is, what the problem is, you know, and how much 00:21:14.940 --> 00:21:16.460 stress this is causing your life, and they're 00:21:16.460 --> 00:21:19.140 just like, well, just don't worry about it. What 00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:22.700 do you want to do? Come on. What do you want? 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:24.799 I'm going to be kind. Yeah, some of you are like, 00:21:24.859 --> 00:21:26.720 punch him, man. But I was going to say, like, 00:21:26.759 --> 00:21:28.799 flick him in the forehead. Right? I'm trying 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:31.160 to keep this nice, right? But you just want to 00:21:31.160 --> 00:21:33.039 flick somebody between the eyes, just pow, right 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:36.079 between the eyes. Don't you understand? I just 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:39.960 unfolded how stressful all this is. Jesus wasn't 00:21:39.960 --> 00:21:43.500 making light of worrisome things. He really wasn't. 00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:46.059 But he was trying to give him instruction. He's 00:21:46.059 --> 00:21:49.380 saying, seek first the kingdom of God and his 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:52.259 righteousness, and then all the stuff's going 00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:56.380 to get added in. Just seek him first. Go after 00:21:56.380 --> 00:21:59.400 him first. But how many know that can be such 00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:04.000 a hard thing to do? It's not the natural thing, 00:22:04.099 --> 00:22:07.400 right? especially if you just got saved, if you've 00:22:07.400 --> 00:22:10.000 not been following God very long. It doesn't 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.359 feel natural. We got to retrain our brains to 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:16.720 do this, to seek God first and his righteousness 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:20.019 first, because our default is to do something 00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:23.380 completely different from that. Our default is 00:22:23.380 --> 00:22:27.279 if I need provision of some kind, if I need possessions, 00:22:27.619 --> 00:22:29.980 I start thinking of different things, right? 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:31.980 I know there's some students in here, a bunch 00:22:31.980 --> 00:22:34.700 of them, and we start thinking, man, I need a 00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:39.940 good education. Yes, good idea, you do, but it's 00:22:39.940 --> 00:22:43.059 not the first priority. You might be thinking, 00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:45.960 well, I'm not making enough money, man, and I 00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:50.819 need a better job. Good idea. But it's not the 00:22:50.819 --> 00:22:55.140 first priority. God, I need to go look for some 00:22:55.140 --> 00:22:58.920 things that I'm really in need of. Awesome. But 00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:03.039 it's not the first priority. God, I need this 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:07.160 and I'm going to go steal it. Bad idea. Never 00:23:07.160 --> 00:23:10.839 a priority. If you're thinking that, I need to 00:23:10.839 --> 00:23:13.420 talk to you after gathering. Right over there. 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:18.660 All right? But Jesus said, Christians don't do 00:23:18.660 --> 00:23:23.339 that first when seeking provision or possessions 00:23:23.339 --> 00:23:27.759 or really anything that we need. He said, seek 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:32.400 first the kingdom and his righteousness. He adds 00:23:32.400 --> 00:23:37.059 that on. Why? Why do we seek first the kingdom? 00:23:38.500 --> 00:23:43.200 Because our king has an endless supply of provision 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.059 that you need. Amen? He has an endless supply. 00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:50.779 He has an endless supply of resources, an endless 00:23:50.779 --> 00:23:53.859 supply of connections, an endless network. He 00:23:53.859 --> 00:23:57.000 has endless resources that you can attain or 00:23:57.000 --> 00:24:00.740 he can attain. He has endless everything. So 00:24:00.740 --> 00:24:03.019 why would we go to any other source, including 00:24:03.019 --> 00:24:06.980 ourselves? We go to him first. And he says, seek 00:24:06.980 --> 00:24:09.299 first the kingdom. And then he adds this on. 00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:12.819 He said, then seek my righteousness. Because 00:24:12.819 --> 00:24:15.279 we need his righteousness when we're managing 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:18.309 provisions, right? when we're managing wealth, 00:24:18.490 --> 00:24:20.569 when we're managing anything that he lays in 00:24:20.569 --> 00:24:23.369 our hands, how many know money can mess you up 00:24:23.369 --> 00:24:25.730 if you don't have godly direction in it? It can 00:24:25.730 --> 00:24:29.210 mess you up. Money and possessions can become 00:24:29.210 --> 00:24:32.210 a priority. They can become an obsession. They 00:24:32.210 --> 00:24:35.130 can become a desire in your life, right? It's 00:24:35.130 --> 00:24:39.269 not uncommon for people to believe that if just 00:24:39.269 --> 00:24:41.910 a little more money, just a little more possession, 00:24:42.190 --> 00:24:44.630 a little more status, a little more of this, 00:24:44.710 --> 00:24:46.599 a little more of that, and somehow, I'm going 00:24:46.599 --> 00:24:50.119 to hit the threshold of happy, right? It's right 00:24:50.119 --> 00:24:54.859 there in front of me. That's not it. That's messed 00:24:54.859 --> 00:24:59.660 up. It's messed up. That's why you need the righteousness 00:24:59.660 --> 00:25:05.019 part. You want to do this thing. How many know, 00:25:05.099 --> 00:25:07.180 how many know we've all seen the news articles 00:25:07.180 --> 00:25:10.740 where somebody takes somebody's life for a pair 00:25:10.740 --> 00:25:14.559 of sneakers, right, in the street? Or they kill 00:25:14.559 --> 00:25:19.380 someone for a wallet that has $12 in it. Right? 00:25:19.700 --> 00:25:24.220 We need his righteousness. Seek first the kingdom 00:25:24.220 --> 00:25:28.930 of God. This is the do. This is the do. Seek 00:25:28.930 --> 00:25:31.829 his kingdom. Seek his righteousness. And the 00:25:31.829 --> 00:25:34.630 word of God says he'll add all the other provision, 00:25:34.950 --> 00:25:39.190 the possessions, the direction. I know for some 00:25:39.190 --> 00:25:40.809 students, man, they're always looking like, man, 00:25:40.930 --> 00:25:42.430 I don't know what to do. First thing we do is 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:44.230 run to the career office. They're like, what 00:25:44.230 --> 00:25:45.930 do I do? I want to make X amount of dollars per 00:25:45.930 --> 00:25:48.089 year, and I need to do this and I do that. Hey, 00:25:48.289 --> 00:25:51.369 how about seeking God first, right? Go get some 00:25:51.369 --> 00:25:53.250 good counsel. You need to do that afterwards. 00:25:53.490 --> 00:25:56.619 But the first thing you do is seek God. Lord, 00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:58.980 where do you got me going in life? What do you 00:25:58.980 --> 00:26:01.359 want me to do? Even if you're 50, 60, how many 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:03.160 of you are past, way past, how many of you remember 00:26:03.160 --> 00:26:06.000 high school at all? It's so far back there, you 00:26:06.000 --> 00:26:08.559 can't even remember that thing, right? But you're 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:11.339 still making decisions, man. You're still walking 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:13.900 forward in life, and you got to seek Him first. 00:26:14.500 --> 00:26:18.160 Society is full of people who are stressed out, 00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:23.119 anxiety -ridden. I looked this up. 88 % of Americans 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:27.130 are stressed out and in anxiety. over money and 00:26:27.130 --> 00:26:30.130 stuff. That's hard to believe. We live in the 00:26:30.130 --> 00:26:34.130 richest nation in the world, and 88 % of us are 00:26:34.130 --> 00:26:37.210 stressed out. Jesus said, I got a better way. 00:26:37.450 --> 00:26:40.450 Worship team, if you'd come, I got something 00:26:40.450 --> 00:26:46.509 better for you to do. Seek me first. The early 00:26:46.509 --> 00:26:50.490 church did things differently. The church of 00:26:50.490 --> 00:26:53.450 Jesus Christ now, we should do things differently. 00:26:54.299 --> 00:26:56.640 Over the next multiple weeks, I'm going to spend 00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:59.240 time unfolding in God's word what we're supposed 00:26:59.240 --> 00:27:02.480 to do. I get asked that so much as a pastor. 00:27:02.740 --> 00:27:04.200 It's one of the questions, leading questions 00:27:04.200 --> 00:27:07.460 I get. If I had to, I can't put a percentage 00:27:07.460 --> 00:27:09.759 to it, but I'm telling you, a good percentage 00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:11.839 of the questions that come to me is when people 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:13.980 come up and say, Pastor, I've been in the middle 00:27:13.980 --> 00:27:15.480 of something here and I need to know what to 00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:18.339 do. I understand. I get it. I've been there. 00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:22.309 And I want you to know what to do. I want you 00:27:22.309 --> 00:27:24.309 to know what to do when you're high. I want you 00:27:24.309 --> 00:27:25.930 to know what to do when you're low. I want you 00:27:25.930 --> 00:27:27.089 to know what to do when you're in the middle 00:27:27.089 --> 00:27:30.289 somewhere. And it's not my advice, not my opinion. 00:27:30.390 --> 00:27:32.930 You can go get a billion of those online anytime 00:27:32.930 --> 00:27:35.609 you want. I want to know what God has to say 00:27:35.609 --> 00:27:37.509 about this. So I'm going to ask you to stand 00:27:37.509 --> 00:27:41.730 this morning. And here's what I'm going to ask 00:27:41.730 --> 00:27:43.029 you to do. As you stand, I want you to bow your 00:27:43.029 --> 00:27:47.430 heads because that keeps you focused. I want 00:27:47.430 --> 00:27:50.480 you to bow your heads, close your eyes. I want 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:54.759 you to begin to ask yourself, do I put him first? 00:27:54.839 --> 00:27:57.539 And let's go right to the money and possessions 00:27:57.539 --> 00:28:01.140 or the provision and provision, you know, possessions 00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:04.339 and the money and the wealth and all those things 00:28:04.339 --> 00:28:06.460 that we chase after in the United States of America. 00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:11.339 Do I go to him first? Do I seek his righteousness? 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:15.440 Is the first question or the first thing I ask, 00:28:15.579 --> 00:28:19.039 Jesus, what am I supposed to do here? What's 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.880 this looking like for me? Lord, what's your plan 00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:26.480 in all this? And maybe for you, it's not money 00:28:26.480 --> 00:28:28.660 and possessions. Maybe it's something else. Maybe 00:28:28.660 --> 00:28:31.400 it's direction for life. Maybe it's a career. 00:28:31.619 --> 00:28:34.380 Maybe it's going to school. Maybe it's decisions 00:28:34.380 --> 00:28:37.380 in dating. Maybe it's a decision. Man, one of 00:28:37.380 --> 00:28:38.799 the biggest decisions you'll ever make, young 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:42.359 people hear me in this, is choosing a mate for 00:28:42.359 --> 00:28:46.579 life. Man, that has repercussions that last forever. 00:28:47.180 --> 00:28:53.680 A lifetime, really. A lifetime. Seek first the 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:58.920 kingdom of God and His righteousness. Can I tell 00:28:58.920 --> 00:29:02.480 you that Jesus Christ wants the very best for 00:29:02.480 --> 00:29:05.140 you? He wants the best for you. He doesn't want 00:29:05.140 --> 00:29:07.619 you in second place. The Word of God says you're 00:29:07.619 --> 00:29:08.759 not going to be the tail, you're going to be 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:13.180 the head. Amen? So we're going to pray for those 00:29:13.180 --> 00:29:17.589 first. I'm going to give you two action steps 00:29:17.589 --> 00:29:20.369 this morning. This is the first one. I want you 00:29:20.369 --> 00:29:22.950 to be serious. You lay this before him. I want 00:29:22.950 --> 00:29:24.009 you to start thinking about, well, you're not 00:29:24.009 --> 00:29:27.509 putting him first. It's been all you, all somebody 00:29:27.509 --> 00:29:31.930 else in you, but it's not been him. Money and 00:29:31.930 --> 00:29:34.349 possessions, maybe another area of your life. 00:29:34.430 --> 00:29:37.329 Father, we come to you in the matchless name 00:29:37.329 --> 00:29:42.089 of Jesus Christ. Lord, you called us. You told 00:29:42.089 --> 00:29:45.460 us. You stood on a hillside in Jerusalem and 00:29:45.460 --> 00:29:48.079 you preached to hundreds, possibly thousands. 00:29:48.319 --> 00:29:54.000 And you said, seek first the kingdom. Seek first 00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:00.480 the king. Seek your way. Know your way. And seek 00:30:00.480 --> 00:30:03.720 your righteousness. The right way of doing it. 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:06.980 Your way of doing it. And the word of God says 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:09.859 that you're going to add everything else in when 00:30:09.859 --> 00:30:12.460 we walk in your path, when we walk in your way. 00:30:12.829 --> 00:30:15.849 So, Father, I pray right now, Lord, to repent 00:30:15.849 --> 00:30:18.890 in life is to change our mind. It is to change 00:30:18.890 --> 00:30:20.869 our direction. I'm praying for repentance in 00:30:20.869 --> 00:30:22.849 the house. I'm praying for repentance as people 00:30:22.849 --> 00:30:24.890 listen online this morning. If you're in the 00:30:24.890 --> 00:30:28.089 house this morning and you know you haven't put 00:30:28.089 --> 00:30:30.589 God first in an area, you know that, you could 00:30:30.589 --> 00:30:33.029 name it. I want you to name it in your spirit, 00:30:33.130 --> 00:30:36.680 in your heart. I want you to tell God. God, forgive 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:39.339 me. Forgive me that I put myself first. Forgive 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:41.380 me that I put somebody else's word first here. 00:30:41.619 --> 00:30:45.420 Lord, I hand this over to you right now. I give 00:30:45.420 --> 00:30:48.759 this to you. I place it in your hand. In Jesus' 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:53.000 name. In Jesus' name. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. 00:30:53.680 --> 00:30:56.579 I want your direction. I want to walk in your 00:30:56.579 --> 00:30:59.720 righteousness in every area of my life because 00:30:59.720 --> 00:31:02.359 I know there is freedom, there is deliverance, 00:31:02.420 --> 00:31:05.839 and Lord, it is anxiety -free. In your hand. 00:31:05.940 --> 00:31:11.000 Lord, I ask this in Jesus' name. And amen. And 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:16.000 amen. I'm going to give you the second part of 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.740 this in just a moment. But young people, I feel 00:31:18.740 --> 00:31:21.519 this strong in my spirit. And if you think you're 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:28.319 young, good enough. All right. Seek him. Seek 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:32.720 him. I know so many young people get derailed. 00:31:33.180 --> 00:31:36.880 They get derailed. Man, they hit that 16, 17, 00:31:37.220 --> 00:31:41.839 18, 19, 20. I used to be a youth pastor. They 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:44.859 hit that season, and they're so busy with life, 00:31:44.980 --> 00:31:48.019 and they're so busy listening to all the voices 00:31:48.019 --> 00:31:51.700 around them that they never hear God first. Listen 00:31:51.700 --> 00:31:53.940 to the council around you. Listen to your parents. 00:31:55.319 --> 00:31:59.180 But I'm telling you, hear God. Hear God. Amen? 00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:03.960 Second step I'm going to give you. Second step. 00:32:04.440 --> 00:32:08.579 very practical one. If you're not putting God 00:32:08.579 --> 00:32:12.099 first in your possessions, right, in your provision, 00:32:12.339 --> 00:32:15.900 we want to help you with that. One of the things 00:32:15.900 --> 00:32:17.740 we've been on a journey on here at LifeHouse 00:32:17.740 --> 00:32:22.920 is really to help people step beyond an area 00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:25.059 of difficulty or maybe something they don't know 00:32:25.059 --> 00:32:28.170 or where they're challenged. So you can be spiritually 00:32:28.170 --> 00:32:30.970 strong. You can come in and get saved, and we've 00:32:30.970 --> 00:32:32.849 got like 14 different markers we want to see 00:32:32.849 --> 00:32:34.970 you hit if you're saved and you're following 00:32:34.970 --> 00:32:37.609 Jesus Christ. But you can get off in an area 00:32:37.609 --> 00:32:40.990 of life somewhere, and it will derail you in 00:32:40.990 --> 00:32:43.329 so many other areas because they're all connected, 00:32:43.569 --> 00:32:46.089 right? So if you're here and you're wondering, 00:32:46.150 --> 00:32:48.769 what does God's Word say about provision? What 00:32:48.769 --> 00:32:51.289 does it say about possessions? What does it say 00:32:51.289 --> 00:32:53.549 about wealth? Well, we got something just for 00:32:53.549 --> 00:32:55.450 you. And I'm going to let you in on the ground 00:32:55.450 --> 00:32:59.809 floor, okay? This is early sign up. Jeremy Eastman 00:32:59.809 --> 00:33:01.690 is going to be at the Connection Station. We 00:33:01.690 --> 00:33:04.849 run Financial Peace University here. And regardless 00:33:04.849 --> 00:33:08.190 of your opinion, if you know about Financial 00:33:08.190 --> 00:33:10.069 Peace University, I'm telling you, check it out. 00:33:10.150 --> 00:33:12.309 Because I was a skeptic. I was that person who 00:33:12.309 --> 00:33:14.490 did not. I was a skeptic forever, looked at it. 00:33:14.549 --> 00:33:17.470 Now I'm a promoter of what it is. You want to 00:33:17.470 --> 00:33:19.589 find out what God has for you and your possessions? 00:33:20.250 --> 00:33:21.869 Right? You want to find out what God wants you 00:33:21.869 --> 00:33:23.930 to do? You want to know where freedom lies in 00:33:23.930 --> 00:33:26.470 this and anxiety goes away? I'm going to give 00:33:26.470 --> 00:33:28.869 you a chance to sign up early today. It doesn't 00:33:28.869 --> 00:33:31.029 start until September, but you can start up today. 00:33:31.230 --> 00:33:32.990 So if you want to know about it, if you want 00:33:32.990 --> 00:33:34.730 to know about that program, you want to know 00:33:34.730 --> 00:33:36.890 how you can sign up, just make your way out as 00:33:36.890 --> 00:33:39.029 soon as we say the final amen to the connection 00:33:39.029 --> 00:33:40.910 station, and they'll get you fixed up with that. 00:33:41.009 --> 00:33:43.769 Amen? Doesn't do any good to preach messages, 00:33:43.829 --> 00:33:48.589 and we've got some steps to take. Right? Seek 00:33:48.589 --> 00:34:19.760 Him first. Seek Him for it. dot com.