1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,880 I forgot the bumper video, sorry bro. 2 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:03,960 That's the bumper video. 3 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:05,380 That was it, okay. 4 00:00:05,380 --> 00:00:06,540 All right, I re-bumped. 5 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,020 So excited, thank you Jim and Carrie 6 00:00:10,020 --> 00:00:13,380 and church just to have me come. 7 00:00:13,380 --> 00:00:18,280 Just so honoring in Jimmy's heart and passion. 8 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,120 So it's not just a family thing, it's a passion for souls. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,880 And so as we look at today, just the light of the world, 10 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:28,360 the heartbeat of this church 11 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:30,680 and as I've shared with the actor house, 12 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:31,920 we have a relationship with them 13 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:33,800 through Highland Christian School. 14 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,760 My son had gone there, my daughter went there one year. 15 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:39,760 And just the heartbeat, I remember talking with Doug 16 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:43,520 and just the heartbeat of mission and outreach 17 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,440 has been incredible with the church here. 18 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:48,000 So I'm no deep theologian. 19 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,480 I use the KISS method. 20 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,640 Keep it simple, Scott. 21 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,640 You didn't know the acronym actually had my name in it. 22 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,640 Cause Jim said that we don't, 23 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,640 and my wife tries to counsel me is 24 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,720 you don't say stupid in the CRC. 25 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,560 You don't, but honestly Jim probably has said 26 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:14,480 worse words maybe. 27 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:18,520 Just a little. 28 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:19,360 All been forgiven. 29 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:20,240 Yeah, okay, good. 30 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,600 So he jokes with me and digs at me all the time. 31 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,920 So I get to do this publicly. 32 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,160 So I just had to take advantage. 33 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,160 I'm sorry, I took advantage of that one. 34 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:29,160 And for the benediction. 35 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:30,000 Right, right. 36 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:34,760 So some call me a goofy administrator 37 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,080 and that's affectionately 38 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,760 because I have this evangelistic call 39 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,200 but then the gift of administration. 40 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,920 And so with that, those two together, 41 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:49,800 combined to intermission. 42 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,880 My mission statement for my life, 43 00:01:51,880 --> 00:01:55,080 I did this 27 years ago, 44 00:01:55,080 --> 00:01:59,080 was to take a person from surviving to thriving 45 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:00,840 is our mission of intermission, 46 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,840 but was to put people and ministries in place 47 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:07,320 for the kingdom of God. 48 00:02:07,320 --> 00:02:08,600 That's my mission statement. 49 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,040 To put people and ministries in place 50 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:13,640 for the kingdom of God. 51 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:15,040 And hence intermission. 52 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,200 And 25 years ago or so I became the executive director 53 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:21,640 of intermission and so we've been walking this journey 54 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:22,480 and we talked about that. 55 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,240 We'll talk about more. 56 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,880 But intermission is its own 501c3, 57 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,080 separate from the church, symbiotic with the church, 58 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,160 but that we work together. 59 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,400 And so it's been an incredible partnership. 60 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:39,800 So today we're talking about Jesus, the light of the world. 61 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,280 You know, and really I told Jim that I got a great, 62 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:46,800 man you don't believe the title of the sermon. 63 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,800 The title of the sermon is the mysterious God of heaven. 64 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:54,280 Right, it's not a good title. 65 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:56,400 The mysterious God of heaven. 66 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,000 But you gotta go God of heaven. 67 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:00,320 Or else it doesn't have any meaning. 68 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,120 But as we walk through life, 69 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,280 so I told my wife if I go to too many dad jokes, 70 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,480 just start going like this and I'll stop. 71 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:10,840 But as we walk through, 72 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:13,040 our focus today is Jesus, the light of the world 73 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:16,680 who revealed the mysterious God of heaven. 74 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,040 We rub shoulders every day 75 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:22,400 with people that have no clue who God is. 76 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:25,760 In your workplace, in your family maybe, 77 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:27,480 in your neighborhood, in your community, 78 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:31,040 we engage people that have no clue. 79 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:35,040 They literally think, and maybe someone here, 80 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:37,920 who is this mysterious God in heaven? 81 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,720 Who is this God? 82 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:42,240 We walk through our situations, 83 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:43,640 we walk through our circumstance, 84 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:47,160 we walk through life, and we rub shoulders. 85 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,480 What I miss most about being in quote unquote 86 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:54,440 in the secular world is rubbing more shoulders 87 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,400 with people that don't know who God is. 88 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,760 Because you and I are the church. 89 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,760 This church is an incredible church, 90 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:06,320 but this isn't the church. 91 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:12,240 Everyone sitting in this auditorium is the church. 92 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,720 Wherever you go, the church goes. 93 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,840 So wherever we walk, the church walks. 94 00:04:19,840 --> 00:04:21,960 Jesus walks with us, amen? 95 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:24,760 The Father. 96 00:04:24,760 --> 00:04:28,160 So Jesus here is the light of the world. 97 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,400 He is the light of the world, 98 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,640 shining light on this mysterious God of heaven. 99 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:35,000 He calls him the Father. 100 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,120 So even saying the word Father this morning 101 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:44,760 triggers, I guarantee, several individuals here. 102 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:49,760 And I say that the word Father, it triggers many things. 103 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:54,440 Some good, some bad, some horrible. 104 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,240 And when we have and we rub shoulders with the world 105 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:04,240 and we say the Father, and we communicate Jesus 106 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,960 and the Father, man, the triggers that go off, 107 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:10,160 the individuals that we work with, 108 00:05:10,160 --> 00:05:12,400 you know, you know what, we're all in need 109 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:13,400 one way or another. 110 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,640 I think the sooner we realize 111 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,520 that we're all in need one way or another, 112 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,920 it gets rid of the us and them. 113 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,120 We, the great hope. 114 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,840 Now we carry the hope, we carry Jesus with us, 115 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:34,240 but you know what, he is the hope. 116 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,240 And we have to partner and build relationship 117 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,320 and walk with people. 118 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:45,120 So as we see social media, the news, fatherlessness, 119 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:48,720 the lack of relationship, the horrible relationships 120 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,160 that are within this world, 121 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:52,760 and the Christians and even Christian church 122 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:57,760 walking away from the truth of the gospel at times. 123 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:02,200 No wonder society doesn't know God. 124 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:07,200 They look at as this mysterious God of heaven. 125 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:08,720 So as we look at the scriptures we see, 126 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:10,560 and we're gonna move into John in a minute here, 127 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:12,600 John chapter eight, but as we look at that, 128 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:14,240 we see the scriptures, the Pharisees 129 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:18,000 and the leaders of the day thought they knew God, 130 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,120 but they didn't. 131 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,200 And Jesus pointed that out. 132 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,240 So the Pharisees did not know God, 133 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,920 and then the people around the Jewish community 134 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,560 was so confused because of the mixed messages 135 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:34,560 in the holier than thou and the public prayer 136 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,560 and all of a sudden Jesus said you're going 137 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,400 to whitewash temples, that they look religious, 138 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,080 but then steal from the widows. 139 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,280 So as we look at this, we see that this missed message, 140 00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:50,200 but Jesus is the light of the world to show 141 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:54,520 that God is a good, good father. 142 00:06:54,520 --> 00:07:00,520 That God is a good, good father. 143 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,520 And this, as you can say that, it's healing to me. 144 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,120 I had a great father, but I don't always recognize 145 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,520 that God is a good, good father. 146 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,520 How many got stuck in the rules and regulations? 147 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:18,520 And although the Ten Commandments, 148 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,920 we want to follow those definitely, 149 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:25,320 but without relationship, without the mercy, 150 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,320 without the grace of God, they become rules and regulations. 151 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:31,320 And then we don't want to come to God, 152 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:32,920 we want to walk away. 153 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,920 But if we humble ourselves before the Father, 154 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:38,520 He can show us the goodness 155 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,320 and His kindness brings us to repentance. 156 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:42,920 Amen? 157 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,720 Do we say amen to the church and the CRC? 158 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:45,920 Do we say amen? 159 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,720 All right, yeah, come, yeah, I'm not even going to go there, 160 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:50,320 damn it, I'm going to go. 161 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:51,720 I'm not going there. 162 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,720 Trying to find this mysterious God of heaven. 163 00:07:56,720 --> 00:08:02,720 Debbie and I were able to go to Rome in 2006. 164 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,720 And we went through the 16th Chapel. 165 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,720 Beautiful, going through the hallways, 166 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,720 and there's these huge, beautiful tapestries. 167 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:15,720 But then something weird, 168 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,720 and I'm not coming against Catholic religion, 169 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:23,720 but John the Baptist looked like a Catholic cardinal. 170 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:27,720 The disciples looked like priests. 171 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:33,720 And like, I think camel hair, eating locusts, 172 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,720 that's who John the Baptist was, right? 173 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:39,720 But the dark ages brought in, 174 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:42,720 couldn't even recognize who God was. 175 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:43,720 Dark ages. 176 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:45,720 So throughout time in history, 177 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:50,720 we see that this mysterious God of heaven has been a mixed message. 178 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:56,720 As we look at the disciples and all, as we get into this, 179 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:03,720 we see that who really is God. 180 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,720 Then the Reformation. 181 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:10,720 And the CRC said amen, the Reformation. 182 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:12,720 I was speculating something like hoofs and hollers or something 183 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,720 when I said Reformation. 184 00:09:16,720 --> 00:09:17,720 Amen? 185 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:25,720 The Reformation really brought light out of darkness. 186 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,720 It wasn't so much the Reformation church, 187 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:32,720 it was the bringing of God's Word, the truth. 188 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:37,720 That it's by grace we are saved, not by work so no one can boast. 189 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,720 That Martin Luther didn't have to walk on his, 190 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:46,720 crawl up the stairs on his knees and beat himself to get God's attention. 191 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,720 But it's by grace we've been saved, right? 192 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,720 The mercies of God. 193 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:56,720 So as we see this, we thank God for what we need 194 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:01,720 and what we're talking about today, a relationship that actually brings a great awakening. 195 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:07,720 We are in need of a great awakening because the CRC, the AG, the Catholic Church, 196 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,720 the Baptist Church down the street, 197 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,720 we better come together as the body of Christ 198 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:18,720 and pray and intercede together for a great awakening 199 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:23,720 because no one comes to the Father unless he is drawn by the Holy Spirit. 200 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:26,720 So as we look at this, we see this mysterious God of Heaven 201 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:32,720 and we see the masses of people that still feel that he's mysterious and they don't know him. 202 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:37,720 Then Jesus shines the light on God the Father, the mysterious God of Heaven. 203 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:41,720 So as you have your Bibles there, pull them out if you have them. 204 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,720 So John chapter 8 verses 12 through 19, I'm just going to read that. 205 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,720 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 206 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,720 I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, 207 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,720 but will have the light of life. 208 00:10:55,720 --> 00:11:02,720 The Pharisees challenged him, who are, who you, here you are appearing as your own witness. 209 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:04,720 Your testimony is not valid. 210 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:10,720 Jesus answered, even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, 211 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:14,720 for I know where I come from and where I'm going, 212 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,720 but you have no idea where I come from or where I'm going. 213 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:22,720 You judge by human standards. I pass judgment on no one, 214 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:27,720 but if I do judge, my decisions are true because I am not alone. 215 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:29,720 I stand with the Father who has sent me. 216 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:35,720 In your own law, it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true, 217 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:43,720 and I am the one who testifies for myself and my other witness is the Father who sent me. 218 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:47,720 And then they asked him, where is your Father? 219 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:53,720 You do not know me or my Father, Jesus replied. 220 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,720 If you knew me, you would know my Father also. 221 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:04,720 So Jesus draws, he was incredible at just drawing you in, 222 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:12,720 to go below the surface and really question, not in a condemning way, 223 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:22,720 but in a heartfelt, like as Jim just did, a heartfelt drawing to God's Word to prepare for communion. 224 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:28,720 But they was drawing upon their hearts, and the term Father was a trigger, 225 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:33,720 like for them, who are you talking about? 226 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:40,720 So even the disciples, as the disciples, and we'll move a little bit into the scriptures of John 14, 227 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:46,720 so the disciples walking and talking and eating and ministering with Jesus, 228 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:52,720 then Philip comes up with this, and it's going on down to chapter 14, verse 8 and 9, it says, 229 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:59,720 Philip says, Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us. 230 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:04,720 Jesus answered, don't you know me? 231 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:15,720 Philip, even after I have been among you for such a long time, anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. 232 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:24,720 How can you say, show us the Father? Jesus' whole ministry was to reveal and give glory to the Father 233 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:28,720 and reconcile you and I to him. 234 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:34,720 That was his ministry, to show us the Father. 235 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:37,720 Imagine this world without light. 236 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:43,720 Just yesterday, I'm going to put the dog in his cage, and I'm going through a dark room and smack my foot. 237 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:47,720 I didn't say stupid. I didn't say that. 238 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:52,720 Under my breath, I might have said something else, but I didn't say stupid. 239 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:54,720 Man, I said that too much in the CRC. 240 00:13:54,720 --> 00:14:04,720 Okay. But how many, how many, when you go to a hotel and you're going out on a trip or a hotel, 241 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:11,720 one of your, you or your spouse or you or an individual can't sleep with any light in the room. 242 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:13,720 Is there anyone? 243 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,720 Where you ran? Okay. 244 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:23,720 You need to get saved because Jesus is the light of the world. 245 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:29,720 So the other spouse, and I'm not saying which one of, my wife or I, I'm not saying that, 246 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:38,720 but you go through this dark room that you're unfamiliar with, and then you stub your toe. 247 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:46,720 You're like, and then you knock over the ice bucket and it just crashes on the floor. 248 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:52,720 And then you, you're like, how are you sleeping now? Do you like it? 249 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,720 Are you awake yet? 250 00:14:56,720 --> 00:15:01,720 And you need some light in your life, right? We need some light. 251 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:06,720 I remember the other day, other time we were in a hotel, it's like there's a mirror in the bathroom. 252 00:15:06,720 --> 00:15:11,720 So how many get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom? You're old like me? Okay. 253 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:16,720 And I think both of us did this. We just walked smack into the mirror 254 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:22,720 because you're thinking the bathroom was further than it was. 255 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,720 We need light. Amen. 256 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:33,720 We need light. You and I need light. The world needs light. Revealing the Father to a lost world. 257 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:38,720 So how is God perceived in this world? Ask yourself that. 258 00:15:38,720 --> 00:15:43,720 How is God perceived in this world? 259 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:50,720 Usually it's filtered by your own circumstances. Maybe you're in the spot of the rules and regulations. 260 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:54,720 Most of the time it's filtered through our belief and God has filtered through our parents, 261 00:15:54,720 --> 00:16:02,720 how they raised us, deeply religious, irreligious, religion gone sour. 262 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:08,720 People not having a dad growing up or an abusive parent. 263 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:16,720 So their filtering becomes God hates me or God is not for me. 264 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:23,720 Then tragedy strikes, leaving us feeling abandoned by God, a person left thinking, really? 265 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:28,720 Is there really a God in heaven? 266 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:36,720 So we grow up in church, right? I dare say probably have grown up in church. 267 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:43,720 But there's a lot of people that don't grow up in church. 268 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:52,720 You and I are the church. It's not this building. It's not our denomination. 269 00:16:52,720 --> 00:17:01,720 But Jesus, Jesus revealed the Father. Jesus wants to reveal the Father between you and I, 270 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:08,720 ministering to this world and then enter Jesus walking close, loving relationship, 271 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:15,720 walking alongside, allowing people to come and thrive in life. 272 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:26,720 So we enter Jesus, John 1, 14, it says, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 273 00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:33,720 We have seen his glory in the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father, 274 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,720 full of grace and truth. 275 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:45,720 In the scriptures above that John 8, 1 through 11, we see the woman caught in adultery. 276 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:52,720 So as these Pharisees and Sadducees dragged this woman in and caught her in the act of adultery 277 00:17:52,720 --> 00:18:04,720 and threw her down in front of Jesus, the real work had to start first with them. 278 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:12,720 He who is without sin cast the first stone. 279 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:18,720 They were not showing her the heart of the Father. 280 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:27,720 They were not showing her the compassion and mercy and forgiveness with accountability 281 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:33,720 that Jesus showed us and that the Father showed us, that Jesus showing us who the Father is. 282 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,720 They were not showing her the Father. 283 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:44,720 They had no clue who this Father is, his temperament, his demeanor. 284 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:51,720 They just knew who they thought he was. 285 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:59,720 So then the stones drop from the oldest to the youngest. 286 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:04,720 The stones drop and they walk away. 287 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:11,720 Jesus has a good way of revealing our hearts. 288 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:19,720 So they dropped realizing and Jesus was showing them the heart of the Father. 289 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:26,720 So then he says, woman, who condemns you? 290 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:29,720 She's like, no one, no one's around. 291 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,720 And Jesus says, neither do I. 292 00:19:32,720 --> 00:19:36,720 Go and sin no more. 293 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:41,720 Jesus shows us the heart of the Father. 294 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:43,720 Amen? 295 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:46,720 Jesus shows us the heart of the Father. 296 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:51,720 So as we see, Jesus reveals in action healings. 297 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:58,720 In reaction and emotion the passion in the temple overturning the tables. 298 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:06,720 His conversation with Nicodemus answering his questions and his doubts and his fears. 299 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:11,720 Jesus made people feel seen. 300 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:14,720 It's a big thing right now to be seen. 301 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,720 Some are good, some are bad. 302 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:25,720 But he saw the woman with the issue of blood even though she did not want to be seen. 303 00:20:25,720 --> 00:20:28,720 He saw her. 304 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:35,720 The Father sees us, wants to have conversation and give us answers to our doubts and our fears. 305 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:42,720 And the Father takes action in our hurt and in our pain. 306 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:47,720 You may be here today thinking, oh, there's others that have hurt and pain. 307 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:50,720 What about your hurt? 308 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,720 What about your pain? 309 00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,720 Are you just swallowing it? 310 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,720 Are you just letting it go by the wayside? 311 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:05,720 Or are you communicating it to the Father? 312 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:10,720 Then are you communicating it in relationship to others? 313 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,720 So there can be healing. 314 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,720 There can be restoration. 315 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:23,720 That we may each other know in our families the Father. 316 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:29,720 And reveal that so that we can have a profession of faith. 317 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:40,720 We have a restoration of relationship that draws them, doesn't repel them from the Father. 318 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:44,720 So as we look at this, we're reminded, I love the chosen. 319 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:46,720 And I cleared it with Jimmy before. 320 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:48,720 There's no controversy over chosen. 321 00:21:48,720 --> 00:21:50,720 But we're not preaching the chosen. 322 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:58,720 So I'm reminded of Jesus in one of the scenes and coming back from the whole day of healing people, 323 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:05,720 delivering people, exhausted, just falling out in his tent. 324 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:10,720 It reminds me then of the scriptures in Matthew, Matthew 9, 35, from 37 through 37. 325 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:15,720 It says, Jesus went through all the towns and the villages, teaching in the synagogues, 326 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:20,720 proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 327 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,720 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them. 328 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:29,720 Because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd, 329 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:36,720 that they said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 330 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:44,720 Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore to send out workers into this harvest field. 331 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:49,720 Where there's a world harassed, where there's a world tore apart, 332 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:57,720 there's a world without compassion and mercy and accountability 333 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:03,720 that draws them to the heart of the Father. 334 00:23:03,720 --> 00:23:07,720 The workers are few. 335 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:15,720 This harvest field that Bethany talked about, that Munster Church is involved in, 336 00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:20,720 let's be workers in that harvest field. 337 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:22,720 Jesus showed the heart of the Father. 338 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:27,720 The Father wants to heal and show compassion and help the harassed and the helpless. 339 00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:34,720 You and I, the humanity that doesn't know where to turn, we're all in need one way or another. 340 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:42,720 And the sooner we figure that out, that we are in need also, the better. 341 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,720 And Jesus' word was made flesh and dwelt among us. 342 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,720 And God made His dwelling and showed us the Father. 343 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,720 He humbled Himself in Philippians 2, 6, and 7. 344 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:59,720 Who being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God 345 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:03,720 something to be used or owned for His own advantage. 346 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:08,720 Rather, He made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, 347 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:11,720 being made in human likeness. 348 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:14,720 We all need to humble ourselves. 349 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:16,720 We're not Jesus. 350 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:20,720 We're not going to go out and be the perfect one. 351 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:23,720 But the world's not looking for perfect. 352 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:27,720 They're looking for light at the end of the tunnel. 353 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:35,720 And that you and I, Jesus said, you and I are the light of the world. 354 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:42,720 He said that we would do works like Him and even greater works in masses and numbers 355 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:46,720 because He's with us. 356 00:24:46,720 --> 00:24:53,720 He's Emmanuel, God with us, dwelling by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. 357 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:58,720 That we can have the power and the ability to share the light 358 00:24:58,720 --> 00:25:04,720 and show a lost and dying world, the Father. 359 00:25:04,720 --> 00:25:09,720 The good, good Father. 360 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,720 Guess what? 361 00:25:11,720 --> 00:25:13,720 You're the light of the world. 362 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:15,720 I didn't say it, Jesus did. 363 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,720 You and I are the light of the world. 364 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,720 Let Jesus shine through our hearts and showing us the Father's, 365 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,720 let Him showing us the Father's compassion and forgiveness 366 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:28,720 and accountability with our own lives 367 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:33,720 and then walking with humanity to show them the mysterious God of heaven 368 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:40,720 who loves them, shining some light on the dark spots in the world, 369 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:46,720 forgives them and reconciles them to Himself. 370 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:48,720 A thriving life. 371 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:53,720 A powerful thing I've learned is this, 372 00:25:53,720 --> 00:26:02,720 that we're not to do for people what they can do for themselves. 373 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:06,720 We're to partner alongside individuals 374 00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:10,720 like Jesus came and partnered with His disciples, 375 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:15,720 partnered, came and walked alongside individuals 376 00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:20,720 and shined light on some dark spots 377 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:26,720 and gave them tools and abilities to overcome the darkness. 378 00:26:26,720 --> 00:26:29,720 That may take on the form of budgeting. 379 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:33,720 That may take on the form of being reconciled to a Father 380 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:39,720 that they feel is, where's this God of heaven? 381 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:43,720 So as we look at this, we see, you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, 382 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,720 wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. 383 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:51,720 Jesus healed the masses. 384 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:54,720 Jesus taught the masses. 385 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:57,720 Jesus fed the masses. 386 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:00,720 I'm not Jesus in good English. 387 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,720 I ain't Jesus. 388 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,720 I'm just one person. 389 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,720 Yes, Jesus healed and fed and taught the masses, 390 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:14,720 but He spent His time discipling the twelve 391 00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,720 and probably more closely the three. 392 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:25,720 How about you and I just spend time with the one? 393 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,720 If we spent time with the one, 394 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:33,720 this congregation would double in size. 395 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,720 And it's not about getting them in church. 396 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,720 It's about you being the church, me being the church, 397 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:46,720 in relationship and drawing them to Christ. 398 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,720 And if they become a part of my church, great. 399 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,720 If they become a part of your church, awesome. 400 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,720 That's the next step, right? 401 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:58,720 But the first step is showing them the heart of the Father, 402 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:01,720 that He loves them, He forgives them, 403 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,720 He has compassion, and He has accountability, right? 404 00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:09,720 That we all need to be reconciled unto God. 405 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:11,720 Are we willing to enter into relationship with others, 406 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,720 show the Father, allowing Jesus through the Holy Spirit 407 00:28:14,720 --> 00:28:19,720 to work through us and work in an incredible way 408 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,720 that changes hearts and lives? 409 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,720 Jesus brought the light and walked alongside humanity, 410 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:26,720 showing them, partnering with them, 411 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:29,720 displaying a close personal relationship, taking time, 412 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:32,720 sacrifice, a willingness to enter in 413 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:38,720 and find out the real need underneath the surface. 414 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:41,720 Because if we just touch surface all day, 415 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:46,720 Jesus had a beautiful way and a bold way 416 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:48,720 of going beyond the surface level 417 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,720 to what was actually the problem. 418 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:53,720 Then as we're walking through this life, 419 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:55,720 we want to show the heart of the Father, 420 00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:01,720 but it's not just to share those just material things, 421 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:04,720 but to share the heart of the Father, our heart. 422 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,720 Not just heart of Father, but your and my heart, 423 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,720 coming alongside and maybe getting a text at midnight 424 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,720 and answering it. 425 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:15,720 Maybe walking through a situation, 426 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,720 taking somebody to where they need to be. 427 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:19,720 We'll go into that later. 428 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:21,720 There's more questions I know you'll have. 429 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:29,720 But as we look at this, we see the heart of God walking alongside. 430 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:31,720 And the heart of poverty is, as Debbie said, 431 00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,720 the heart of poverty is not the lack of material things. 432 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,720 That's part of it. 433 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:43,720 But the heart of poverty is a lack of loving, caring, 434 00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:48,720 willing to walk alongside relationships. 435 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:53,720 That's the heart, poverty of relationship, poverty of mind, 436 00:29:53,720 --> 00:30:00,720 poverty of spiritual poverty of relating to who this God of heaven is. 437 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:05,720 That's your job, my job, to show them the heart of the Father. 438 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:08,720 This is what intermission is endeavoring to do. 439 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:10,720 It's a mission. 440 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:17,720 It's all of our mission to take a person from surviving to thriving. 441 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:23,720 Do you in here know this mysterious God of heaven? 442 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,720 Do you know Jesus? 443 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:29,720 If not, there's so many in this church, 444 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:37,720 eldership and deacons can show you the heart of the Father. 445 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:40,720 So my challenge this morning is this. 446 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:50,720 Find out from this mysterious God of heaven what he's calling you to do. 447 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:53,720 What is he calling me to do? 448 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,720 He's prepared works in advance. 449 00:30:55,720 --> 00:30:58,720 Before we were born, there was a book written. 450 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:04,720 Jesus wrote a book, God the Father wrote a book about what he wants you to do. 451 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,720 But many of us don't ever open up that book. 452 00:31:07,720 --> 00:31:10,720 It's full of plan A. 453 00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:14,720 But I know for myself, I probably already ran into plan Z 454 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:18,720 because I missed all the letters in between. 455 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:22,720 But the Father's heart is for you. 456 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:31,720 So then go find the one you can share Jesus with 457 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,720 and show them the heart of the Father. Amen? 458 00:31:35,720 --> 00:32:02,720 Father, we thank you so much for your time.