Welcome to healing scars with pastor Burton here. You'll find practical relevant biblical information
The Bible will be broken down verse by verse so that you get the full context of the scripture
To better grow in your relationship with Jesus
With that said let us pray
Lord we we thank you for bringing us together and working within us all to grow as your children
We ask that
Well, we ask that you ensure that we keep our hearts and our minds open
to everything that you had to teach us here today and everything that you have to teach us beyond these doors when we leave
And help us to apply your word
To our daily lives. Amen
All right. Well again, good morning everybody. Good morning church
and welcome to everybody following us online and streaming up and
Apparently the praise and worship dog is either shouting hallelujah or went over to security. I'm not sure which
Today is of course the first of December December is here
You know, even knowing December was coming and preparing for it. It's still like this morning. It's like whoa. Hold on a sec. It's December
So we are definitely on the road to Christmas
And I don't know about you all I was I actually was listening to Christmas music on the way in in the church today
I
Don't know kind of matter of fact. I even programmed it in my my folks SUV. So they've got it
They got it there in there. They're in Lincoln now
Yeah, I said that's over you're shaking his head no, but we know that means yes
He puts on a big show but he's not a humbug that's for sure
And with that said, you know, of course, there's there's a lot of traditions that people kick off this time of year, you know
Matter of fact, there might even be some in this room that have already started
But you know, this is typically the time, you know that people start throwing up their decorations putting lights on lighting candles
You know all these different
traditions
That are going on, you know
There's a lot there's a lot that goes into it, you know thinking of even just lights
I'm sure that there's we all know somebody that it kind of goes overboard
All right. They're like Clark Griswold and they ensure that their house can be identified from the International Space Station
Got the little dials going just go on well, it's digital now
So those numbers just flip-flopped and then they're like, oh, yeah, I'm gonna go to the space station
It's going to go on well as digital now. So those numbers just flick flick flick flick flick flick flick
It's all it's all that automated, you know ugly sweaters or sweaters in general
I'm a sweater guy like sweaters not necessarily the ugly sweaters, but sometimes
Matter of fact, this is a time of year
I go to work and it's pretty common to see me with an assortment of Christmas hats most of which have lights
You know my glorious beard here. I've been known to put ornaments in it. They actually make ornaments for beards
They do they do
If you have a beard, I highly encourage them. I encourage you to check him out. They're pretty cool. Yeah
But you know, and I say all this though speaking of traditions though
Because if you're not familiar with it, this is something I put out every year at least on my social media
And all I'm talking with since I'm up here when it comes to traditions
Here's one that you might consider
today being
The first day of December if you actually open up your Bible to the book of Luke and you read a chapter every day
From today through Christmas Eve because there's 24 chapters and they're not they're not horribly long at all
They just take a few minutes to get through but if you were to start reading today then come Christmas Eve
You would have read an entire accounting of the life of Christ
Being that this is a season that's that's
Something pretty cool, right? If you have family, you know, do it with your family if you have kids. Hey
Let me let me throw out a good parenting tip right there. Do it with your kids
You know, we might even do it with our fur baby over here
She tends to be around our feet anyway
good parenting for the fur babies, right but
You know, it's a good time though
And with that said we're gonna go ahead and we're gonna start diving into our word matter of fact, we're gonna start in Luke
So if you would go ahead and open your Bibles your Bible app, whatever it is that you use and let's turn to Luke chapter 3
Versus 21 through 22
So Luke 3 21 through 22. Yes, we're gonna be I'm gonna read it here in a second. Yes is baptism
Trust me. We're going somewhere with us
All right
so the word says
When all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized
and while he prayed
The heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him
and a voice
Came from heaven which said
you are
my beloved son and
You I am well pleased
Two verses here is a whole lot to unravel
And really like I said, you know this
We're already looking at the baptism. So we're gonna start right there because it's like, what's going on?
It's kind of cold out to be doing a baptism. Isn't it? Yes, it is. We're not going to the river. Don't worry
Matter of fact, I don't think we even have water in our baptismal right now. That'd be pretty chilly, too
It's more like an ice bath
But you know this right here. This is a part. This is actually troubled many theologians
For a long long time, you know many look at the the baptism as simply
Something for sinners
We're all sinners
right
It's an outward
Proclamation
That we we're dying to our sin
We're being buried and then raised again as a new creature in Christ, right? And yes, that is correct
That you know, they're not wrong with this
So if this is the case, why would Jesus need to be baptized?
And not only that why would he have John do it remember John was sent first, right?
He was sent first that was John's mission that was his mission right here on earth
It's because Jesus
Is making a proclamation
to the world
So we need to remember that even though Jesus is fully God
Jesus is also fully human not only that but he was very average
right
There was nothing out there. That's going to put him up here like
The idols and the mythology of like hercules or anything like that. He was meant to blend in
To be part of the crowd. This is somebody you could pass on the street and you wouldn't give second notice to
It's not you know, not as pretty as Brian over here
Just kidding. Okay. Don't don't let you I bet you'll get out out of hand there buddy
Love you, man
you know
He was very humble he was a very plain man
In matter of fact even his birth his birth was very humble
He was a very humble man
In matter of fact, even his birth his birth was very humble right
To ordinary humble parents
His birth wasn't really announced. It wasn't like it was a big thing like hey, she's going into labor, right?
None of these things like we see on video now where they're popping smoke and all sorts of stuff to show what sex he was
Or anything like that
Nothing crazy matter of fact his birth
Was really just announced to shepherds
and foreigners
Right the Magi
Think about that
It's not like it's even a big thing, you know for friends or family or nothing like that
It's like hey, we got we're going to be over here and we're gonna let all these other people know
So it's a very humble beginning
You know he went through life and he ultimately faced death
Only as a human could not as god not as a god can
But as human because god doesn't die right
Humans do
So when he went
To the rift to the jordan river with john
And he was baptized. There were actually a few things at play here
And he was baptized there were actually a few things at play here
One
Jesus was identifying with us as a people
Even though he himself was sinless. He himself was one who lived a perfect life
He was identifying
As being human as being a man
With all the temptation and everything there in
Is one of us is one of the people you know and
With that there's foreshadowing that people couldn't see at the moment
Because here he is
And as we already talked about baptism, right dying to the old
And then rising again, so a little bit of foreshadowing what was to come people didn't even know it
Matter of fact even today people will read through this and they won't even recognize that
They won't even recognize that
There's a demonstration of what was to come
You know that that day when he would go to the cross and he would take on the sin of the world because at that point
He was judged guilty of the sin right but to death he took our sin
He was showing it what was to come
Second Jesus was setting an example
Jesus was really good about this when he he liked to set a lot of examples at one just about parables
It wasn't just do as I say
There's a whole lot of do as I do kind of like with the washing of the feet, right?
There are a few other few other things I shouldn't say for you
There are a lot of examples that he he did but he was demonstrating the importance of making the world
The importance of making a public and outward proclamation to the father
Specifically showing how important it is to do so in this fashion
That's why a lot of people get very hung up on baptism like oh you have to do it or you're going to go to hell. No
It's not it's not that because who saves Jesus saves does the baptism save no
Not at all
But it is an outward proclamation and guess what that outward proclamation it puts a target on you
Because now you're set apart. You're one of god's children
Right. The enemy has his sights on you now
Not only that but non-believers
Because to non-believers, this is a very silly thing. It's like really you're going to go out
You're going to take a bath and that's going to save you what because they don't understand
They have no idea what the concept really is
Or how important it really is which is why it's so so important to us. It's a demonstration
You know to the world that you know, like I said, you know, I said earlier i'm a believer. I've died to my own self
I've done, you know, I've died, you know, and I've been separated from my old sin. I've been reborn new those chins those
Chains have been broken
Get a little cotton out there
But those chains have been broken i'm no longer in bondage to the sin
You know, I I belong to the father
And this is why it's so important this is why we we don't say this is why we don't baptize babies
Babies don't have the ability to make an informed decision
You could talk to them all you want
And what are you going to get response?
Little cooing and gaga's and all that kind of stuff, right? They don't understand. They don't know
They don't understand they don't know
So I would give some time
Even the bible says train them up train our kids up in the lord, right?
Because there comes a time when all of us will have to choose
So we have to you know
That's the importance of making sure when somebody just says says hey, I want to be baptized
Are they mature enough to make that decision do they have all the information that they need to make a proper and informed decision?
Because it's not something that we can just take lightly
I said it puts a target on you
You don't just carry this thing out on a whim and the third thing that was happening here
I said jesus is making a proclamation to the world, right?
He was making his first public
Proclamation of his ministry
That's what this was
It's it's going to be different from what the people expected
It's going to be a lot different from what he could have done
Matter of fact if we go back to luke chapter 2
verses 49 through 50
so luke 2
verses 49 through 50
And the word says and he said to them why did you seek me?
Did you not know that I must be about my father's business?
But they didn't understand the statement which he spoke to them
Keep in mind right here in chapter 2. Jesus is all what about 12 years old at the time
12 years old
He was visiting the temple and even at this time
He already knew what his mission was
He knew what was going to be happening moving forward
He knew what work was set out for him
And nobody else understood even the teachers that were there in the temple the people who know
Scripture better than anybody else right or at least we're supposed to and they don't recognize anything
That's going on in front of them. They don't recognize
The gift that's standing in front of them talking to them
asking them questions
Which is pretty incredible because
They were amazed by how knowledgeable he was
Absolutely amazed like here's this here's this kid
And he knows the scripture better than we do he's asking questions that are making us think
And they're not connecting the dots that hey, there's something special about this kid
They're not recognizing
Who he was or what he was soon going to do which is fine
Because it wasn't their time yet, right the disciples who were there with them. They didn't even recognize
Remember what I was talking about last week we get out there we get involved in things
We get hyper focused right we put on those blinders like a horse, right?
Trotting through we don't see nothing, but what's right in front of us and even then we might not recognize it for what it is
You know, uh, this is
One of those things like I said baptism it can't be taken lightly
And so when it is done and it's done properly and someone makes that decision and they follow through with it
It's an exciting time
For a non-believer. They don't understand. Like I said, they're like, what's what's the big deal?
You're taking this guy. You're you're dipping him in the river or you're dunking them in a bathtub
but for the rest of us
It's very cheerful moments like hey, yeah
I'm going to be a good guy
For the rest of us. It's a very cheerful moments like hey, yes this guy just he just gave his life over
He made that proclam like we know he's part of the family
Right and there's hugs and there's handshakes and congratulatory comments and all that kind of stuff
It's a big deal matter of fact, it's so big if we go forward to luke 15
First 10
Luke chapter first first team
Luke 15 verse 10
The word says
Likewise, I say to you there is joy in the presence of the angels of god
Over one sinner who repents
Just one that's what jesus is telling us
In other words when someone gives their life over
There's a party
It's such a big thing where even with us we're richer in a mon we're applauding
Right, maybe they get a certificate or a shirt or something that they're in one of these bigger fancy places or whatever
It's even it's big to us. It's even bigger up there because the angels are even rejoicing
The angels
You think about that for just one individual
Yeah, god's gonna be sad angels are gonna be sad over the lost
That's why it's such a big deal when someone turns
I can I can assure you that god the father is so happy when you make that choice
He's standing up there he's he's a proud papa right we're adopted we're back in the family that divide is gone
We're covered by the blood of jesus our sins are gone he's not seeing that what's he seeing that's my kid
Yeah
What's he seeing that's my kid yeah
God approves our proclamations he does
When jesus was baptized what's the first thing that says he does he prays
In other words he goes out and he makes his outward proclamation hey
I'm here for the one true god and my ministry starts now
He's putting it out there for everybody
And then what's he doing he's going and he's talking to the father. He's having a conversation
right
And for you and me it's like a it's like a spot check when we do something and we turn you know we
You know we're when we're a kid and you go to your parents or when you're at work and you finish working on something and
You're basically going to say hey, you know what look I just got done with this or at least I think I did
Would you take a look at it? Let me know if I need to do anything else or something maybe I could tweak a little bit
right
And then that person that authority figure that parent
They're coming over and they're taking a look at it. I'm dude. That's awesome spot
That's even better than I thought it was going to be it's great
That's what it is right there
You know you've
Don't want to ask you need me to do anything else the answer is right here. It's god's approval
god approves
And when we see what do we see here
The holy spirit descending like a dove and a physical body
Everyone wondered why the dove is such an important figure in christianity
right there embodied the holy spirit
Coming down and then what happens right after that the voice of god is heard
My son who I love I'm proud of
I'm proud
Now
I'm proud now this is something I want everybody to take notice of here, too
In fact, this is a good section to highlight underline make a note in the margins, whatever
Because there's a lot of people out there that like to make this claim
You know nowhere in the bible does ever talk about the father the son and the holy spirit
You know all together in one place
Really?
We see it right here
The father his voice the son jesus
And the holy spirit in the form of a dove
Right here, and it's not just here. It's in many places, but this right here. This is a great place
to take note of
Matter of fact even just the picture
Picture it in your mind
You're out there you're witnessing this you're you're out there on the riverbank
This is one of those those times we'd like dude this is majestic
You know some people might might even use the term magical
Right say kind of facetious. There's no such thing as magic but
It is pretty majestic. It's pretty incredible
And you're out there and all of a sudden here's this light here comes this dove
Just and then you hear this voice from above this is my son
All right, I sounded a lot better in my head
I don't have a voice like james ril jones or morgan freeman. Sorry
That would be cool though right
But let this image
Just kind of sink into the back of your mind and just be honest
How you know honest with yourself how incredible would this have been to have seen
See this dove from heaven knowing you know it's the holy spirit
There's no question at this point and the voice of god saying I love you. I'm proud of you
I'm proud of you
right
Those are big words
And it's what the father is saying here. I love you. I'm proud of you
I love you. I'm proud of you
And I could tell you that's exactly
What he's saying when you turn away from the world
You turn back towards him
Even though you might be kind of blinded by the light at first you can't quite see
But you know, you know, that's the way I need to go
And you make that public proclamation
Hey, I'm on team jesus
Team jesus, yeah
You're not getting traded
Right, you don't have to worry about getting written off or kicked off the team or anything's like no come on in the more the merrier
Welcome to the family
And that's exactly what god is saying about you
You're dead to your old self you're reborn new
And you're reborn in the love the grace and the mercy of christ
It's when you you made it known not only to the world but to the prince of it
That you're no longer in bondage to sin. You're no longer a slave to sin
Basically saying it's enough is enough and it's time for a change
right
That change is jesus who went and died on the cross for me and for you
For me and for you
And he didn't just die he rose again
Right. He was seen
He talked to people people could see him they could talk to him. They could touch him. We know he came back the evidence
Is there and it's not just an empty tomb?
Not only that
It's time for a change and I want to be reunited with the father I want to be back with my family
I want to be back where it matters most with who matters most
And i'm going to reflect his light into the world
I'm going to open up that hole that I had that's been filled with the holy spirit
So people can see the holy spirit in my life and what he's done for me and they can hear my testimony
And not just words
On a paper that they don't understand
I'm going to be the salt
So people can taste and see how god how good god really is
And because of that god was pleased with jesus then
And he's pleased with you now
Now it's the holiday season. This is that time here people feel more cheerful a little bit more upbeat, right?
You try to give a little bit more
Be a little bit more understanding
right
They try to be
better versions of themselves
Than what they've been all the rest of the year
It's kind of a
Sad when you think about it like but that's really what it is, right?
So this is this is a time we celebrate the coming of the lord this is good stuff
I'm going to try to be that person that I aspire to i'm going to try to be that person that my kids think I am
I'm going to try to be that person that my dog thinks I am
And it's also a time of hurt there's a lot of hurt out there for a lot of reasons
A lot of reasons, but i'll remind you that jesus came and he walked that dusty dirty path
And took on all that pain and that hurt and that humility
for you
For all of you for me for all of us
And by walking that that path
He understands you he understands you
He understands your pain your hurt your depression
your temptation
How easy it is to get involved with addictions, right?
How important it is or how important it seems to be
That we're in the limelight
All that stuff
He understands our reluctances he understands our brokenness
However just as god was pleased when jesus made this proclamation
He's pleased with you
If we turn to isaiah chapter 42 verse 1 so isaiah 42 verse 1
The word says behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights
I have put my spirit upon him
He will bring forth justice
to the gentiles
And just as he brings forth justice to the Gentiles
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles
And just as the holy spirit came to jesus
He's been sent to us as well
Matter of fact if we go if you go to john
14 verses 15 through 31 i'm not going to read it all through talk for time's sake
I do encourage everyone to go to it but here this whole thing this whole section
Jesus is talking about how the holy spirit is being sent to all who believe
Right
You're a believer the holy spirit's been sent to you
Just like the holy spirit was sent to jesus there on the river
You know it's it's a gift from above to all of the lord's people
And it is a gift
It's a gift
You know, it's a reminder that when we're
Attacked by the enemy when we're beaten down by life
When we're exhausted physically
Mentally
Spiritually
God's not going to ignore you
He's not going to discard you he's not going to just walk on pasts
Go ahead get up
catch up
No
When you start getting weary he's going to be there every step of the way
When you start struggling to hold yourself up, he's there for you to lean on
And when you can't lean anymore and you can't carry yourself anymore
He will pick you up and he will carry you
He will carry you
Because he loves you
And he's proud of you
And he wants nothing but the best for you
There's so many out there they're they're hurting
And they're looking for approval
Approval
You know pains that have carried over from childhood to adulthood maybe
You know where that that nagging and the back of their mind
That says if I if I just do this and I just do that
Maybe i'll be good enough. Maybe they'll love me right? Maybe they'll be proud
You know it
You know, maybe maybe that parent that's been absent will come back
That's a big one right there
But it's that nagging that's in the back here of just saying hey try a little harder do a little bit more
Do all this
And it becomes an idol and that becomes the focus
The legalistic thing saying if you do this this this this this is going to be the result
That false promise
Right
Right that's that empty that empty sermon about prosperity
To this this this and this and you're going to get this and then you get this and then you get that
I'm here to tell you stop looking stop looking for that approval from the world
None of us will ever please everybody
And because you're hurt and you're filling yourself with these actions
And these deeds thinking hey, this is going to be the cure-all. This is going to be what fixes them
It doesn't fix them
And it doesn't fix your brokenness
Instead
You need to look to the world
Instead you need to look to the cross
Look to the cross
Look to Jesus
And realize that he came
And he died
And he defeated death
and rose again
for each of us
That when we turn to him and we trust in him and we talk to him and develop a relationship with him
And we make that outward proclamation
That i'm a believer
That brokenness starts to get fixed
God's not just pleased
But the holy spirit sent
And he'll let you and the god and god
There's a thing he'll let you know not not just that he loves you not just that he's pleased
But he'll start working on that broken heart
And starts healing it from the inside out
The place that's hurt the most
So you think about it somebody has a
Rod punched through the heart
Rod punched through their chests through part of their heart. They're still alive, right?
What's the first thing they do when they remove that rod they start stitching up the outside working from the outside in
No
The first focus is on the heart
What do we need to do to save?
this person
And that's what god's doing
Heart surgery
Heart surgery and that's why we don't always recognize when somebody's come to christ
We don't recognize unnecessarily as a christian right away
Because they're still healing they're still being worked on from the inside out the changes that come with being a believer
Are slow, but they take and they take time, but they come
They do come
You know, it's not just this season but in our lives we need to remember that all we do
Also needs to be in his will not ours
Our mission our purpose
This is that thing that a lot of people lack
This is one of those things when you look at the the sad statistics of suicide and why people are suicidal like
I don't know why I belong here. I don't have a purpose. It'd be better if I wasn't here
I don't have a purpose. It'd be better if I wasn't here
But god's given us a purpose
He's given us a purpose
To go out into the world and to point the way to jesus
You think of uh
Think of something like the old medieval movies that you might have seen or the shows
Right lord of the rings that sort of thing and they're in the caverns
Right, maybe like even like ancient egypt that kind of stuff inside the old pyramids and what do they do for light?
You have this light coming down from outside and what happens here's a mirror. Let's angle it this way
Oh, and here's another mirror. Let's angle it this way and here's another boom boom boom
What happens now all this light is being reflected all over the place and the room has gone from darkness
To light it's illuminated. You can see everything
We're those mirrors reflecting the light of god
It's the same thing
If we turn to philippians chapter two
Of course sometimes we like to joke the book of philippinos
But the book of philippians chapter two verse 13
The word says
For it is god
Who works in you both
To will and to do for his good pleasure
You see it's it's not about us
It never was about us
It's about him and his glory and his kingdom and his will
So we need to stop being so focused on ourselves
So focused on just me me me. I I I right sound like an angry daffy duck jumping up and down
It's my my my my that little kid, right?
Instead we need to be focused. Hey, what am I what am I doing?
How am I going about it? What what can I change? Am I?
Showing jesus and what i'm doing
Am I showing jesus and how i'm at work
Am I showing jesus and how i'm at work am I showing jesus when i'm at the grocery store
Am I showing jesus when i'm pumping gas
There's a fun one think about that. How can you show jesus when you're pumping gas?
What's that
There you go, that's a good one not flipping out on the gas prices
Absolutely
Sitting there getting impatient with the guy in front of you start laying on that horn or inching up that bumper like that's going
To make him get in his car any faster
right
Maybe you you have the down and out that comes up
Ask him for a handout
Maybe you don't have anything to give him. But have you ever thought hey
I don't have anything to give you but can I pray with you?
Can I pray with you
I'm just one I bet hasn't gotten too many people's minds right there
Because I have to admit
I've thought of this and even i've been at that gas pump and it's it's come time and it hasn't happened. I've fallen short
I missed an opportunity
As do we all
So we need to stop
You know being so focused on me with this nonsense. Whoa is me. Oh, i'm not good enough
Why why don't they love me?
right
this this
Act of being self-loathing
Hating ourselves
Right god loves you love yourself
For everything that you're guilty of for everything that you deserve everything that I deserve god still loves us
And if he can do it, then we can love ourselves and each other as well
We need to lean into christ
We need to trust christ we need to put him up in the driver's seat behind the wheel
And go sit in the back seat where we belong
Let him take that wheel of our lives, right we all we've all heard that that tune let jesus take the wheel
We're going to proverbs chapter
three
So if we turn there real quick proverbs chapter three verses five and six
The word says trust in the lord with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding and all your ways acknowledge him
And he shall direct your paths
No, it doesn't say you lean on god you lean on christ
And he's going to tell you how to take the path and let you do it on your own or you know
It doesn't say he's going to you lean out you you have a conversation with him tell him hey
I want to go this way and he's going to let you steer the ship
Doesn't say that
We get so caught up in ourselves. We forget god is our provider
He's the one who's steering the ship. He's the one who's steering the car
He's the one who's directing which path we're going down
In our life or is at least trying to he's saying hey come over here this way. I know it's not the prettiest
It's not the biggest it's not the most glamorous
It doesn't have all the bells and whistles that you're going to see but trust me when you get to the end right the narrow path
When you get to the end it's going to be it's going to be amazing
Like everybody in here seen doctor who
Right you step inside this ugly little police phone box
And then what happens it opens up. Oh, it's amazing. How'd you fit all this in here?
dude
And it's huge
It's the same thing
Instead we're over here with our sight on queen mary and not even realizing it's permanently docked broken down
Constantly having holes and stuff patched and fixed filled with rats vermin and all this other stuff
And allegedly haunted right? That's called demons
Like I said, I'm gonna share a quick anecdote with you here trust we're heading for home. I promise
You all might have heard this before so there's a storm it descends on this this small town
Waters are starting to come up
And the town starts flooding here comes the people they're paddling their boats
And they see this dude and he's kneeling down on the front of the on the front of a church
He's praying
Like dude come hop in we got to get out of here
And he's over here on the steps
No, no, no
Go ahead the lord will provide for me and he just keeps praying
And he's just praying
Lord will provide for me and he just keeps praying like okay, dude
And they paddle away
Those waters start rising even higher and higher next thing you know, he's up on the balcony and he's still out there praying
Here comes another another group of people this time they're in a motorboat
Got a little bit more room. They got space for him
Man, come on hop on
We got room for you. We got to get out of here
No, no, no, it's okay. The lord's gonna provide for me
And he just keeps on praying
Those flood waters keep rising
Next thing you know, he's up on the roof. He's climbing up onto that cross for dear life
Trying to stay out of the water and here comes a helicopter and they drop down a rope ladder to him
Dude hop on this is your last chance. You're not last much longer
You're not last much longer
No go on without me the lord will provide
And he keeps praying and predictably what happens he drowns
He goes to heaven
God comes greets him. Hey
welcome
And he sits there goes dude god
Really?
I prayed and I prayed and I prayed I did the stuff I was supposed to
Why didn't you help out? He goes what are you talking about? I set two boats and a helicopter
What do you want?
What do you want the point is we need to stop telling god
How we want things how he needs to deliver things to us
And we need to start actually trusting in him and seeing the things that he sends to us
Start doing the things that he's told us to do without the expectation of anything in return
We don't deserve anything in return
The fact that christ came and died for us to reunite us and assure us a place in heaven guess what we don't deserve that
But we got that that should be good enough
It should
But to a minute too many people it's not
You know, we where the bible tells us you need to do this you need to do this you need to do this
You need to do this you need to do this
It's not saying you have to do this you have to do this you have to do this
Why?
Because god's not trying to exert his authority. He's not trying to force us to our you know to do things trying to force our hand
He's like, okay, you love me
Feed my sheep
You love me
You love your neighbor
And so when we do these things it's not because we have to
But now it's become because we want to we have that joyful heart we look forward to doing these things
It's like when you give a gift, you know, you can receive a gift. Okay, cool. This is great. Oh i've been wanting this
But then you're able to give a gift to somebody something they've been wanting for a while maybe something that they couldn't afford for themselves
Right and you see their face light up
Occasionally you'll come across that person who's down on their luck living on the streets
And they come up and you're able to just give them something small
right
maybe it's a bag of chips that you have in your back seat or a bottle of water or something and
all of a sudden it's like whoa and they come alive and they're so thankful we don't see it often but
when it does happen that's the Lord working through you. So when we we come to the Lord
and we start to actually trust on him we lean on him we develop this relationship and we start
doing things because we want to and this becomes a part of our daily living it's something we're
doing every day. The Lord is pleased. He loves you and when he sees this he's not just going to take
care of you and your needs. This is where it tells us our rewards being stored up in heaven
for the day that we finish that race and we get to go home.
It's not here, it's there. So we need to stop focusing on the world and following what the
world's telling us to do and what the world says important and our pride our pride is a big one
isn't it? I deserve this I'm entitled to that. No you're not. He'll take care of this and he'll
take care of your needs. Stop depending on man to do it for you.
Just don't turn a blind eye when a man is the one who sent to do it for you.
You know to have this pain inside you have this doubt.
It makes you question your self-worth. Why am I not worthy? And to the world and to the prince
of this world you very well may be worthless. But to Jesus, to the Father, to the Holy Spirit,
you're priceless. You're priceless and that's a far more worthy goal.
So stop doubting yourself. This is why God sent the prophets, the prophets. This is why God sent
the scripture that we have in the Bible right his word. This is why he sent his son for us
two boats and a helicopter right.
He's done all this because he loves you. He is proud of you regardless of what the world says,
regardless of what the enemy whispers in the back of your ear.
And he does all this because of that. He loves you, he's proud of you. He is our heavenly Father.
He's the one who's able to heal those wounds and give that opportunity to you.
He's our heavenly Father. He's the one who's able to heal those wounds and give that approval that
you've been seeking to fill that void for so long. So church, now I'm going to ask you all to pray
with me. And you all know the words, not just because they're up here on the slide.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom
the power and the glory forever. Amen. Keeping our heads bowed. Father, we thank you
for the reminder of your love for each and every single one of us. That we are able to remember
that you look upon each and every single one of us as the proud parent that you are.
That even though we may not hear how proud and loved we are by our earthly parents, loved ones,
or the ones that we look up to, and let's be real, we may not ever be able to hear it because
they're no longer with us. But because we're filled with the Holy Spirit, we can find fullness in you,
we can find the warmth that comes from knowing that your love is so much greater than anything
that anyone on this planet can provide. This is a season in need and we ask that just as you fill us
that we're able to see where we need to shine your light and direct it so that others can see
and come to know you, to come and know your warmth, the warmth of your embrace, the warmth of your love.
We ask that you show us how to lift up our fellow man even when they cannot or will not do it for
themselves. And in this season we ask that we never take for granted and we never forget the sacrifice
that you've made for us and that through our testimony others can come to see you and know you
and know what you've done for each of us, your love and your mercy and in your grace.
And all of us people said. And when you leave here today, remember that you are loved and you are
blessed. So go and be the church. Thank you all for joining us here today at Healing Scars with
Pastor Burton. Please like, subscribe and share our podcast on any platform it is that you tune
into us on. If you do have any questions, any prayer requests or would like to know more about
our ministry, you can find us on our website at BeTheLightSanctuary.org or on Facebook at
BeTheLightSanctuary. You can also find how to contact us there whether it's direct message or
email. We look forward to hearing from you all. God bless.