Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:

Hey. Good evening, everybody. Glad that you guys are here. I know that for some of us that kids are on break, and, so maybe that some of you are trying to figure out what to do with them or maybe some of us I know that might be camping and taking different trips, but, hope that you're having a great weekend, today. And so, you know, how many of you guys here ever had to to shop for something recently and then you had to kind figure something out. Because some of you guys know that, I did have to find a car a few months ago. And, in that process, I don't know if, you're like me, but, I find the brand and I like to stick to it. Right? So I I have been a Honda guy for a long time.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:43]:

You know, the 1st car I ever bought was a Honda Civic. And then after that, I had an Accord, and then I had another Accord. So when I was gonna buy, had to give a new car, guess what kind of car I'm looking at? A car. Oh, thank you. Yeah. They they're they're real complicated. I'm not a real complicated guy. And so I'm doing all that kind of research.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:59]:

And I know which models are good and which models, you know, might have some issues, and I'm looking at all those things. But I'm also looking at, you know, price. And it's like, you know, prices were very crazy. And so I started to just look off brand. Like, hey. What is there another brand out there that, I can look at. And and so guess what? I wanted something that was reliable. I was something that had good value.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:22]:

I wanted something that, you know, that also was appealing, you know, that I wouldn't mind driving. So guess what what brand I start looking at? Lexus. Yeah. Not even Toyota. I'm looking I'm well, to be honest, I started looking at Toyota, but then as a result, I ended up looking at Lexus. And then I started to see, you know, some of the models are re reading all the reviews, reading all the watching the YouTube videos. Anybody who do that kind of research? You know, you watch YouTube videos. You read all the reviews.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:48]:

You're looking at all that. What's the reliability issues? And so I found the model super reliable, just very, you know, kinda great outrageous reviews, you know, the whole thing. And so I ended up buying a Lexus. Now the only thing is it's 19 years old, so it's a classic. But, but, you know, the thing is that it still runs well. Right? And, but in that process, I learned so much about the car because I I had a thirst to know. And, you know, the thing is that when you get to sometimes you get to meet a person. You get to you fall in love that you kinda have that same thing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:25]:

Right? That you wanna you know, you're you're looking so many of you guys that before you dated, you googled that person. Right? You, just kinda checked them out. You asked your friends or, right then, you know, people are asking like, hey. You know this guy or you know this person, and you kinda get all the load on. You wanna know their reputation. But in the same way that God wants us to know him and understand him, and God wants to know and understand stand you. And so this evening, what we're talking about in many way, although the the message might start with saying intimacy with God, we're really talking about, a friendship with God, the deepening of our friendship with God. And as we've been looking at this aspect of restoring the awe of God that that we the more we understand God, the closer we can get to him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:14]:

And the more more that we understand him, the more we can know him truly. And so this evening, that's what we're gonna look at. We're gonna be, 3 things that we're gonna be looking at this evening, but we're gonna start by reading Psalm 139, and then would you be kind enough to stand with me? Let's stand in reverence for God and, reverence for his word. And let's read out loud. This is what, god's word, says about us. And so the tree. Ready? Begin. Oh, lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:47]:

You know that word examine means to explore, to search out. And so he says that god researched you, basically. God searched you out, and and he knows everything about your heart. And then he says this, and I know everything. Right? That he knows everything about me. And you know what? God knows everything about you. And the the good news is this. He knows everything about you, and he still likes you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:11]:

He knows everything about you, and he still loves you. He knows everything and he's still committed to you. So, before you see that, do me a favor and just turn your neighbor says, aren't you glad god knows everything about you? Right, God knows everything about us, sometimes even more than we know ourselves. Right? And, you know, like, there's times when I've had to research that and get to know somebody. When when I started to date my my wife that, I I was just amazed because here is this girl from Japan, and, she moved and, came here without any promise miss of income, and she wanted to serve the lord. She was, being she was in a church, in the church plant when You Hope Oahu first started, and, just as a volunteer came here, moved, and left her family. Right? Left her all of her friends, left her job, and came to Hawaii. When I heard about data.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:07]:

So I gotta get to know this girl a little bit more. So when we went out that, started to hear her story about how she came to Jesus in, in, in college, heard a little bit about how, how did you learn how to speak English, that she lived in England for 2 years in high school and, in a little town called Bournemouth. And, you know, that thought she has, like you know, she has a very cute Japanese accent, like, on on her but that's because it's not a typical event. And it's I think that part of that is, some of that time in in England. I know that she had spent 5 years in a veterinary, medicine program and, that would have graduated in until God said that, be honest, she needed to do something else. And when I heard that, I just go, man, this girl is sold out. This girl is, amazing, and and I found out about her hometown, and I found out about where she live and about her parents and and what she hopes and what her dreams are and what kind of food she likes. Although, I I found out later that she said that she really like Italian, but but she was kinda lying because she like Japanese food little bit more than Italian food.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:13]:

But but I found out sometimes it's just even the little lies that we tell. Right? You guys ever told little lies when you guys started dating your spouse? No. I don't. You know? I I don't you know? I exercise sighs all time. Oh, no. I do this. I love doing that. But, like, we tell little white lies, and and some of those things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:29]:

But I understood all those things because I wanted to get to know her. And and God says this, he explored everything about you so that he could know you. The word know means that as well that he it's to reveal and to know by experience. The Hebrew word, it's the same word that we're when in a husband and a wife come together, in in intimacy in physical intimacy, the Bible says, and and Adam knew his wife Eve. Now they're not talking about that they show Kansas. Nice to meet you. Right? They talking about a little bit more than that. And, but it says that there was an experience.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:09]:

And so god says this, I've searched you out, and and I know everything about you. I know your heart. I examined you. I I I've I've explored this aspect. I've asked the questions, and I've watched you. And then he says this that he goes on and he says this about it. He says, so you know when I sit down or stand up. And so, this morning that when you woke up, that God knew when you woke up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:39]:

He knew when you you you roll a lot of bed. He knew what you, did first thing in the morning. He knows all of these things. He says, you know my thoughts even when I'm far away. And that sometimes I think there's times where we feel far away from God. God says this, I still know you, and I still know your thoughts. You see me when I travel. And when I rest at home, you know everything I do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:01]:

You know what I am going to say even before I say it. Lord. Now some of you feel like, I think God demonstrates that through my spouse because I think it seems like she knows what I'm gonna say or he knows what I'm gonna say because they tend to finish my sentence. No. But, that's a different thing. But, but just saying all of these things about you, but that god doesn't know you like a microbiologist knows bacteria, though. Right? It's not that he looks at you under the microscope or he doesn't know you like a number that your or he doesn't know you like a number that your 3 you know, this is my my child, 3,000,000,000, 7,100,000,000, 40 7,000 and you know, it's not like that. He doesn't know you like that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:44]:

He knows you. I like what it says in Exodus. In Exodus, it says this, you have told me I know you how? By name. God knows your name, and I look favorably on you. If it is true and you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your you know, I hope that you're you're you're moved in that sense that God knows your name. And, we used to sing a song called he knows my name. I don't know if anybody remembers that. It's by a guy named Tommy Walker.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:20]:

And and, I remember when Tommy was introducing that Song. He would often come to Hawaii, and there were some conferences. And I remember him, actually, we're just hanging out, talking story with him, a bunch of the guys were there. Aaron. So he started telling the story about when he wrote the song. He, he was on a mission trip and, that he was in Africa, I thinking. And there were tons of kids, and there's this 1 boy, and I I I can't quite remember the name. It let's say his name was and, there were some there are ton of kids, and he said, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:54]:

What's your name? And he said, Adam. And then, you know, like, on and there was just again, like like a ton of kids in this camp, and he was there. He was gonna lead worship for this mission thing. And, a day or two later, that boy was walking just by himself across the the compound. And Tommy went out, and he said, hey, Adam. And he stopped and was shocked. He says, because you remembered my name. You know my name.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:29]:

And he he started to weep. He said because in the middle of all of those things, he had lost his family. He had been an orphan. He he, in some ways was just kind of like one of a number and one of the orphans and those, the one of the unfortunate. But but Tommy didn't know him as that. He didn't know him as one of the orphans. He didn't know him as one of the unfortunate. He didn't know him as just one of those who had a horrible thing happen to him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:57]:

He knew him as as Adam. And so he began to write this song with Adam in mind and just saying, you know, I have a father. Right? And he knows my heart before I was even born, and he knows my name. He starts writing this song, and we were hearing this story, and we just started weeping. Right? Just the fact that we understand and we remembered. Do you remember when God you found out that God knew your name? That that you weren't just, one of the crowd, that you weren't just, you so and so's friend. You weren't just, you know, some new guy or new gal that came in, but god knew your name. I hope that you remember that that God wants to be close with you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:47]:

He wants to have a friendship with you. He wants you to know, not only do I know you, but he wants you to know him. And and I think this is the thing is that God says this, I I I'm always searching out my people. I'm always looking for those who have a heart for me. The Lord says in 2nd Chronicles, he says that the eyes of the Lord look to and fro throughout the earth to see whose heart is completely his that he might strongly strengthen them. And that sometimes that you think that I'm looking for I think God is saying, hey. I'm looking for you. And so that but he says this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:27]:

The prerequisite is part of that is that would we have a heart that seeks after him. Right? That would we have a heart that wants to be close to him? And restoring the awe of God involves this aspect of understanding this standing this point is that that as close as you will be to god is not determined by god. You know, some of us that you guys wanna be close to God? Yeah. Would you raise your hand? Yeah. You would raise your hand. Okay. Then you wanna be close to God. That's that's great.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:58]:

But how close you are to god is not determined by god. It's actually determined by you. Right? Because god has already searched you out. God has already called you. God says, I already know you, and he says this that when you have a a when you understand the awe of God. You understand the fear of God in the midst of all of that. He says that what that begins to do is it begins to give you knowledge. It begins to give you insight.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:27]:

Proverbs, it says this, tune your ears to wisdom and concentrate an understanding. Cry out for insight and ask for understanding, then you understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will need gain knowledge of God. You see, the thing is that God is saying this, I already am drawing you. I already know you, but how much we know God is gonna be about how much we pursue him, how much we seek him, how much we understand the fear of the Lord, the respect, and the awe, and the honor of God. Because he says when we do that, then we'll understand that whole thing, and you'll gain the knowledge of God. Now at the same time, I think this understanding that the relational depth is based not on God, but it's based on us is then didn't then it's incumbent on us to make sure that the Jesus that you know is the real Jesus. And I say that that that you gotta make sure that the Jesus that you know is the real Jesus. Because I don't know if you've ever talked to anybody like this, but I and I have.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:38]:

We're, you know, we're talking about something. We're talking about something in the scriptures. We're talking about some social issue, to, and sometimes we we want to talk about it like, what does god say about this thing? And I've heard people tell me this. Well, but my Jesus you guys ever heard, like, all of a sudden, it's not Jesus, but it's my Jesus, people will say. Right? So it's like, well, my Jesus just he doesn't judge people. My Jesus is all about love. He never judges anybody. My Jesus wants me to be happy and to feel good about myself.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:10]:

Right? That that, you know, the thing is that he's just about love, and he just wants people to be good. And I think all people are born good. You guys ever hear people say that kind of a thing? If you talk to enough people, I think you will. And and the thing is that, you know, I I understand what they're saying, and I understand, in some sense, the the heart in which they're saying it. But I don't think although I know God is love because that's for sure, that's what it says in first John. And I know that he says, judge not lest you be judged. But that kind of a thing, a a Jesus that never judges, a Jesus that never evaluates a Jesus that just wants you to be happy. That's not the Jesus of the Bible.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:59]:

That that's a Jesus that of of our own creation at times. Because if you read the Bible, even cursory level, you'll see him at times turn the table on the money changers. Right? You'll see him call out the religious leaders, for their hypocrisy. You'll see him at times, everybody is gonna stand accountable for every word that you speak. Right? And so if God always agrees with you and never corrects anything seeing you say or you do, then you've heard me say this before maybe, but I don't think that's God. I think that's you. Right? Because because God is perfect, and frankly, none of us are. Right? And that so if we are just creating, let us not worship the Jesus of our own creation.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:54]:

Right? The Jesus of our own understanding, let us worship the Jesus of the scripture. Right? Now some of that is just that kind of a, you know, a a kind of a god is the god of my own understanding. Right? And and and you probably had that conversation with people or maybe I've I've had many conversations with people that have said, you know, like, hey. If if this cup is is my god, then this cup is god to me. You know, that anybody hear that kind of a logic? I I've had many conversations like that. And, you know, the the thing that I always remember is a guy said to me that we were he was drinking beer, and so he had the bottle cap in his hand as he took the thing he says. If I thought this bottle cap was god, then this bottle cap is god to me. And that was his response when we talk about, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:48]:

Did you wanna know god? Right? And I just said, well, but if you really think that bottle cap is god, then then your your god is just ready to just be thrown away. That's about it. Right? So we we talked about that. It's it's it's sometimes these people have this aspect is I think today, we gotta make sure that we are knowing the real Jesus because people will say all kinds of things about Jesus. But what does God's word be deceived. They will hear and believe a different gospel and believe in a different Jesus. Because the scripture says that the Jesus that is the son of God, God the son who came to earth, who lived humbly, who who did accept and love people across the board is not gonna return in the same way. That when he returns, it's gonna be quite different.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:54]:

In 2nd Corinthians 510, it says it like this. For we must all stand before Christ to what? Be judged. Right? That one of the things this is part of the gospel is that we will each receive, it says, whatever we deserve for the good or the evil we have done in this earthly body. And he says in in in other portions, the apostle Paul all said that the time is gonna come when people won't want to listen to sound and wholesome teaching. And they're they're gonna wanna follow their own desires, and look for teachers who tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths. So how do we know if we're knowing the real Jesus? I I think the real Jesus isn't a slogan. The real Jesus cannot be just defined by 1 phrase.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:54]:

It's it could be an aspect. It could be a a great part about him. But if we wanna know the real Jesus, then to be honest, we have to to go back to God's word. Because if it's just how I feel, then it's really just your feelings. And so, you know, what Paul said in 2nd Corinthians, he says, I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Now some people, they start out like that. They're really devoted to Jesus, and they're really sincere in their belief. But he says this, for if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus repreach or if you receive a different spirit from the spirit you receive or a different gospel from the one you accepted, he says you put up with it easily enough.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:56]:

That that he's saying this. He's he's just saying that this is a warning that we ought to be careful, that we never let the world define Jesus to us because he revealed himself to us. He's given us his word that if my Jesus sounds just like any cultural icon, if my Jesus sounds like any meme or slogan, then to be honest, then my Jesus looks more like the world than he does from the word. Right? And and so we need to be mindful that the real Jesus is is not a slogan. He he's he's not just he's not just love. Right, he he's not just, welcoming, is he? Yes. He is. But it's not all that he is.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:46]:

Right, he will judge. He he does know people's hearts. The Paul the apostle was adjusting this practice in the Corinthian church that not that they were following other gods. The call wasn't that they were following other gods. The the call was that they were following Jesus, but that somewhere along the line, somebody changed the Jesus that they're following. That makes sense? They use the same term. They use the same name, but it's totally a different kind of a person. And so sometimes the the most difficult thing is that when people have a Bible, but they just change it a little bit.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:32]:

Right? They they they change its meaning. They change its structure. They change what it says. Because God wants us to be faithful to him. Not just that we don't follow other gods. That's that's part of it. Right? In fact, the scripture says that God is a jealous God. Have we heard that before? Right? But what does that mean that God is a jealous God? It doesn't mean that God is insecure.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:57]:

Right? It doesn't mean that God has, you know, boundary problems. It doesn't mean  that God is codependent. But jealousy in this aspect is that he longs for you and I to be faithful to him. Right? But we we all have that. That's a natural that's a natural true desire for all of us. That if you ever fall in love with someone, that for most of us, that true inclination is that if you dedicate your life to someone, what do you want in return for them to dedicate their love to you? Right, if there's boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or wife or whatever it is, that that even even in other covenantal relationships. Right? Even in hey. We're in this thing together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:44]:

Right? We're we're going in the business together. I got your back. You got my back. That we want there to be loyalty. Right, within even friendships, even within, work relationships, even in, you know, kind of journeying through life. But he says this, the problem isn't so much us chasing after other gods. He says, just let's make sure that we're not making up Jesus as somebody else. You guys ever meet somebody and, that they start describing somebody to you that you know well, but you don't recognize the description of that person.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:25]:

You know, sometimes it's like, oh, yeah. I met this guy, whatever. Like, so oh, you know, oh, yeah. I know them too. And then they start describing them and they go like, it doesn't even sound like my friend. Right? Doesn't even sound like that. Like, you you can start wondering. It's like, maybe because they met them in a different setting.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:45]:

Maybe maybe they met them on a bad day. Maybe they met them in a different kind of, an environment. But this is what this is why it's important to know the real Jesus. Because if we don't know the real Jesus of the scriptures, then I think that so often that Jesus is just almost portrayed like a weak individual who anything goes and it doesn't matter. Anything doesn't matter. You know, he he he's just a he's just kind of like a little, the kinda hippie the hippie Jesus. Right? And and and but this is not the scripture what the scripture says about Jesus. I and and I do I wanna read 1 passage that, I know this passage can be used in a way like a club, and please don't hear me saying it in this way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:39]:

But because this is the word of God, these are the words that Jesus said, I want us to understand this because it it is a warning. There is a warning involved, but we need to understand why he makes the warning. It's found in Matthew 7 verses 21 to 23. And in this passage, if you want to read with me, this is what he says. Says it like this. Not everyone who says to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me let's say many. Right? Many.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:23]:

So it's not saying 1 person, like, one out of, like, 1,000,000,000, but he's saying on that day, many will say to me, lord, lord, did we not prophecy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name. And then I will declare to them, what? I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Now when we think about this aspect of who is he talking about that he's not talking about people who've never been to church. He's not talking about people who have no knowledge of him. He's not talking about people who, like, just, you know, like, that maybe we all have friends that that say, man, like, I don't know, man. If I ever go to church, the church is gonna fall down or, you know, like, whatever. And we're not talking about the guy who never comes.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:19]:

It's actually talking about someone who's very well acquainted with the name of Jesus, very well acquainted, maybe with even service to Jesus. Right? Because it says that he, hey, we cast out demons in your name. We did mighty many mighty works. We prophesied. We did all those things. But so this is this is this aspect of people who are who are comfortable in a spiritual or religious environment. But in verse in verse 23, he says, he will declare that word means he will confess and acknowledge. What? I never knew you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:02]:

And that word never like, that word knew is it's it's a Greek word, but it's the Greek word that we used for that word knew know in the Old Testament. That word which means to know by experience. And so he's saying this, but I I never really knew you, although you were around in a religious environment. And so what seems to be the problem? Why why does Jesus say this is the case because this is what he's saying. It's it's not the fact that they don't that they didn't come to church because they didn't came to church. It doesn't not be that they don't know the name of Jesus because they know the name of Jesus. Said they're gonna come up and call him lord, lord. What is the problem? He says this is the problem because you were workers of lawlessness.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:54]:

See, the the problem is that they that not that they didn't like Jesus or they didn't like the idea of Jesus. The problem was they didn't wanna follow Jesus. They might have done religious things, but they didn't really want to honor God in God's word. And today, I think we have a general problem with lawlessness. I mean, there's places where people just, like, in in cities in the mainland. I mean and I think it doesn't happen quite this crazy here, at least I haven't heard that. But, like, just people go shopping, walk in the supermarket, and just start filling their baskets and have no intention of paying and walk out, and nothing happens. Right? And to be honest, this aspect, it says that when sin is rampant, the people get discouraged because it, like, it it doesn't matter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:50]:

And lawlessness is basically saying, it doesn't matter what God says, I'm just gonna do what I wanna do. That there's no sense of us trying to, guide our life by God's word. There's no sense in God's word having any authority in my life. There's no sense that God's we're giving direction where I need to follow what God's word says because and so why is that that important? Because at that point, we have lost the awe of God. We've lost the fear of God. That's what we talked about responding to God's word last week. God doesn't just want me to listen to his word and to obey his word. He wants me to obey quickly.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:32]:

Right? He wants me to obey completely. He wants me to to bring it to completion. And so how sobering the fact how sobering the fact is that when people can do religious things, but then on one level, but in the other level, say, I don't care what God's word says. I'm just gonna do it this way. And it's at that point that God says, let's not be deceived about that because that's not that's not Jesus what Jesus said in the word. Now when I say this, this is not saying that you are, that you still sin. Right? Can we just say that? It's not saying that it's like if you still sin, then then you practice lawlessness. That's not what it's saying.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:26]:

It's last week, we, or a couple weeks ago, we talked about this speak of grace and truth in the narrow way. And it's saying there is a grace. Right? Because without grace, you just get legalism. Right? But without truth, you just have lawlessness. And so in other words, it's saying this, that it's just that you can still struggle in this aspect of following God, but what's the line? The struggle is real. Yeah. They're it's like, well, the struggle is real, you know, and it's like but we you may struggle in this aspect to honor God, to honor his word. But what you're doing is that you're willing to say, god, your word is right, and I am struggling and I am battling to do my best to honor you and honor what you say.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:19]:

If you don't do do it perfectly, I believe there is a grace. This is not this is not perfectionism that we're talking about, but there is this aspect of being honest with God and his word, and that we say that what he says is not just some archaic thing. It's like it's it's it's like the old days. Right? No. That we take what God's word says is God's word today. He says, Jesus didn't come to overthrow the law. He says, I came to fulfill the law. Right? And so even when we read in the Old Testament that, hey, you know, that God doesn't like a number of stuff.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:05]:

I don't he hates lying lips. He says he hates the hands that that practice violence. He hate that you know what? God still hates those things today. Can there be forgiveness for it? Yes. But there needs to be a humility of coming before God with a contrite heart. Right? That we're we're willing to turn. That makes sense? So what am I saying this is because today, unfortunately, if you just have a conversation that when people talk about Jesus, sometimes I don't know about you, but can you recognize the Jesus of the Bible from the Jesus that sometimes people proclaim. Because if you cannot recognize it from the Bible, you you it's a totally different the Jesus is just kind of a weak Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:52]:

The Jesus isn't you know, it doesn't matter what you do. He doesn't care. Like, to be honest, that's just not the scripture. And so I'm convinced of better things for you. Right? I I'll echo what the writer of Hebrews says, I'm convinced that God has better plans for us. God has better plans for you, for your family. But it is a caution today to not be sucked in to those who want to make Jesus like Jesus is a revolutionary. That Jesus is speaking truth to power.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:27]:

And so if you have, you know, somebody who's, you know, one ethnic group, and they they can do no wrong. And we speak truth to power and that that's the gospel you that's not the gospel in the scriptures because Jesus came to save sinners. Right? He didn't come to to correct every other thing along those lines. And so the let's just be mindful about that. God is not God is not out to list out every person's sin every time he talks to them. But there ought to be the sense that I need to be responsive to God and his word. Right, I need to be responsive to God and his word because because of the grace to God in my life. Because of the truth of God in my life, I want to respond.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:26]:

But but here's this last thing that that I'm going to say. Because you if you don't know the real Jesus, it's hard to have a real intimacy with him that we're it's it's a different Jesus. But here's the last point. We're gonna say this, is that the awe of God precedes God sharing his secrets with you. That the awe of God and the fear of the Lord precedes God sharing his secrets with you. Psalm 25 verse 14 says this. Can we read this together? Ready? Begin. The secret of the Lord it's for those who fear him, and he will make them know his covenant.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:07]:

And so when it says that god is secrets, that word secret means that it's defined as a confidential discussion. That this confidential discussions or conversations of God is for those who fear him. In other words, that God will tell people who fear him, who honor him, who have a a sense of awe about him that there's a sense that he says he reveals things to them that he doesn't reveal to other people. Does that mean that he doesn't didn't care about other people? No. God can love people. Do you love some people, but you can't trust them with secrets? Does anybody have anybody like that in your life? No. I love them. I just can't tell them because if they if I do, what happens? Then then things get kinda messed stuff.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:55]:

Right? Because, if I were to ask this question, who do you share your secrets with? I'm pretty sure it's not with people you don't know. Right? I'm pretty sure it's not just with an acquaintance or, somebody that you just kinda you have the wave, say hi kind of a relationship. Ship. But it's probably pretty much as close friends. Right? It's gonna be maybe your family that you share. I'm pretty sure that God is no different. You see, God doesn't share his secrets with people who would betray his trust. God doesn't share his secrets with those who don't really know him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:36]:

Doesn't does that mean that God doesn't love them? No. I think he still does. It just says that he doesn't share secrets with them. And to be honest, not everybody is God's friend. Now for some people, that's an uncomfortable thing because I thought you said that god loves everybody. I thought you said that god cares about everybody. He does. Turn to your neighbor and says god loves everybody, but he's not everybody's friend.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:03]:

And and so why why do I say that? This is what it says in John 224. Let's read what it says ready? Begin. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them. Why? For he knew all people. When Jesus was walking the earth, he came. He says, for god so dove the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever would believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Right? We all know that John 316. But before that, it says this, that even though God loved Jesus loved people, he did not entrust himself to everybody.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:44]:

In that sense, not everybody's God's friend. You know, a person who's God's friend, there's there's people in the scriptures that God calls a friend. Enoch is is one of them who walk with God. Abraham, Moses are described as friends of God. David, right, is a friend of God. The disciples as friends of God. But let's take a look at 1 person in terms of what does it mean that god wants to share secrets with you. But, let's take a look at, Abraham.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:18]:

It says in in James 2/23. And so it happened just as the scripture say that Abraham believed God and God counted him as righteous just because of his faith. And what does that last part say? He was even called the friend of God. Right? And so it's that it it's not just that God was pleased with Abraham's faith. It's not that just that God was pleased with Abraham's, you know, sense of obedience, but it says as a result, he called him his friend. And if we remember this aspect that Abraham did know God until he was kinda old. Right? That he didn't even know God until he was 75 years old. That until he was 75 years old, he didn't know God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:05]:

God revealed himself to Abraham when he's 75 years old. So if you know somebody out out there that, you know, they say, you know, too late for me. Right? Because I mean, I've heard that. I don't know how many times. It's too late for me. Oh, good for you already, but, it's too late. No. If you can start if Abraham can be the father of faith and he didn't start till he was 75, guess what? Like, if you're 80 or 85 or you have family members that are like that, it's not too late for them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:32]:

Right? Can we just say it's not too late for them? Not too late. Not too late for them to become the friend of God. But he says this. At 75 years old, god promised Abraham that his heart's desire that he would give him a son. Right? And he told him, I'm gonna lead you out of this place. Leave your homeland, and I'm gonna take you to this place, and I'm gonna bless you in that place, and I'm gonna give you that land. And I'm gonna bless you, and then you're gonna be a blessing over all people. And so when he went and he followed, when did the child come.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:03]:

Did it come next year? Did it come, like, right, or it didn't come a year 9 months later? It it happened not 5 year. It it 25 years, actually. So, hey, when you're 75 and you wait 25 years, that's a long time. Right? If you're, we have some people here, like, they're like, 15. You wait 25. You're still only 40. I mean, you got you should still got a long life. Right? If you're when you came to know the lord, if you're in your twenties and you waited 25, yeah, you're still only 46 or whatever it is.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:34]:

Right? But when you're 75 and you wait 25 you old. Right? So, right. So you no matter how you cut, a 100 is old even in the Bible. And so, so he conceives, though I mean, his wife conceives. Miraculously, she gives birth. Right? And so, they have a son. The son's name is what? Isaac. Right? Which means son of laughter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:55]:

And you know what it means? It's like that it's because it's so unbelievable that she would become pregnant that Sarah laughs. And so that so god turns it around. That her laugh was a laugh of unbelief, but God says, no. That laugh is going to be just about the enjoying the goodness of God, that he becomes a son of laughter, that that their god wants to turn a word play on that name. Instead of unbelief, he's a sign. It's just like we cannot believe how god, how faithful he is, and that so they laugh. And so he becomes a son of promise, and and I'm sure that nothing meant more to to Abraham than his son, Isaac. Not the wealthy accumulated.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:40]:

Right? Not the the servants that he had, but the son that he never thought he would have. Some of you guys, there's things in your life God's promised you, and you never believed that really that it could happen. That there's some promise say God has for some of us that that you go, like, I I have no idea how in the world this could happen. Abraham felt like that at 75 years old. And I I'm guessing at year 24, it looked pretty bleak. Right? That that after waiting I'm 99 years old, and my wife is now 85 years old. I I I think that ship long sailed. Right? We might think.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:19]:

But it happened. And so here's this thing. They became close. Right? Abraham and his son, Isaac. But the one day, Abraham's and he hears god speak to him. Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to Moriah, the land of Moriah, and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on the mountain I will show you. Like, I don't know about you, but, like, that would probably think to make no sense. God, didn't you just promise me like, 25 years ago, didn't you just promise me when when I came to know you that I'm gonna have a son and that that I'm gonna be a father of many nations and and and true not just true anybody, but true my son, Isaac.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:13]:

Why would you ask me sacrifice my son. It doesn't make any sense. Right? It you want me to kill the most important thing in my I have the thing that I've been praying for for the last, you know, with 25 years till he was born, and they say he was probably, like, about 14, 16, at that time. And so that you want me to sacrifice him, and I don't think Abraham saw it coming. Right? It's it's the it's the it's the voice of God that the thing that you just never thought God would say to you. And so but it's we also know because we have hindsight that this is a test. Right? That this is a test from God. The hard part about it is that that we know it's a test.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:03]:

Why? Because we have hindsight. Because we read the story. Maybe you heard the story already. Right? But guess what? When God tests you, you don't really know it's a test. Right? So let's just say this, Abraham, he didn't know the end of the story. Right. So for him, when he hears this, is this heavy? I mean, it's probably, like, just the, like, the worst thing in the world that he could hear. And so but here's the thing that you know what? You can prepare for tests.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:36]:

Right? But you cannot cheat in God's test. Right? You cannot cheat in God's test, but you can prepare for God's test. How do you prepare for God's test? That we seek him, that we let God shape our hearts. Right? That we we we warm our view of him and the world by his word. We let him shape us to become more like Christ. Right? And why is that important? So that when God tests us, that we have a fear of God already. So that that I I don't know about you. I have passed tests and I failed tests from God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:20]:

But the test that I failed from God is because it's when in a season of my life, I might have known the love of God, but I didn't really know I wasn't really living on the fear of God in the awe of God. I was probably more pressed by the fear of men. I was probably pressed more for the fear of failures. Probably more pressed for the the the fear of not succeeding. Right? In those seasons, I didn't always pass the test. But as I let him shape me, as I let him form me, as I let him mold me, I began to pass the test. Right? And and so we can prepare that way, but then it says this. Now we read I I think that it would be good for Abraham's, you know, descendants if they had studied as well.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:08]:

But here's what happens. It since the next morning, Abraham got up early. Let's say got up early. Got up early. Saddle his Funky took 2 of his servants with him along with his son, Isaac, and then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set up for the place god had told him. No like I don't know about you guys, but I would probably put it on snooze on that kind of a funny. Right? Like, I don't wanna wake up. I don't wanna think about it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:36]:

He doesn't he doesn't delay it. He doesn't say I gotta wrestle with this. He doesn't say it. Like, let me think about it. He doesn't pull his friends and his family. Hey. What do you think? I think God told me that he doesn't do any of that. It says the next morning early, he got up, and he was quick to obey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:55]:

Right? He didn't delay or resist God's command. He gets up early, and he set saddles the donkey. He even cuts the firewood that says, okay. I understand. We're gonna need to make a fire to burn this offering later on. And so Abraham pretty quick to believe and pretty quick to obey. Does that mean he's happy about it? No. Does that mean that he's not he that he's not having some inner turmoil? No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:27]:

I don't think so. It doesn't mean that he that he's not afraid. It doesn't mean that he's not scared. Right? It doesn't mean that he's not grieving doesn't mean that he's not tormented inside, but he's just saying this, but I gotta follow God because that's what God said. So he gets there to the mountain and and and and it says for on the 3rd day. Right? On the 3rd day they get to the mountain, and then he leaves the servants behind, and then it's just him and his son, and they walk up and they build the altar. And I think that when now it's getting closer. I'm guessing Abraham's probably really feeling it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:12]:

Now how do we know that? I think he's really feeling it, but and I don't think just Abraham has faith. I think Isaac has faith. You know why? Because it says that Abraham ties up Isaac. Do you think if you're 16 years old and your dad is a 116, that if you don't wanna get tied up, you're not getting tied up? I think so. Right? Like, if you 16 years old or 14 years old or whatever it is, your dad's a 114, 116. You don't wanna get tied up. You're not getting tied up. I think Isaac allows himself to be tied.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:58]:

I think I think Isaac had rock star faith as well as Abraham. And I don't think he understood. I think he was afraid. I think he would have been turbulent as well, but I think it takes every bit of Abraham's Abraham's willpower to carry out what was needed to obey. And then he does the unthinkable. He takes the knife. He raises it. Is it because he totally believes and agrees with what he's doing? No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:33]:

Doesn't even make sense to him, but he doesn't because that's what God said. And then suddenly it says this in Genesis 22/12. What does it say? Don't lay your hand on the boy, the angel said, do not hurt him in any way. For now, let's can we just say this last part of that verse. Ready? Begin. For now, I know that you truly fear God. Now I know why. Is it because he said he did? Is it because he always felt like he did? No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:16]:

It says, now I know because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son. He knows that you really feared that Abraham really feared him because he was willing to obey something that made no sense to him, something that he probably didn't wanna do, probably something that didn't have any benefit for him. Something that that even kinda was the most painful thing it cost him to obey. But because of that, God says this, now I know. Now I really know. Because it's not just what you say, but it's what you do. And then Abraham Abraham named the place Yahweh Yidah, or sometimes you might hear Jehovah Jireh. It just depends if you translate with a kind of a y sound or a j sound.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:12]:

In Hebrew, it's probably more closer to which means the Lord will provide. And so God doesn't just know when Abraham obeys, God knows when we obey. God doesn't just know when Abraham does it quickly, he knows when we do it quickly. God doesn't just know that it didn't make sense to Abraham. God knows when it doesn't make sense to us. God doesn't just know when Abraham didn't see any benefit or that it was painful and he did it anyway, but that when we see that it doesn't make sense to us and doesn't have a benefit, then it's painful. God saw that when Abraham would bring it to completion, he was ready to bring it to completion, or whether we're just going if I was Abraham, I might be like this. Is it like when are you gonna stop me? Right? But I'm so thankful that God really knew.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:20]:

God really knew. I'm not saying I could do what Abraham did. I'm not saying. I'm not pretending. I've never been in this situation. I am so glad God has never asked me to do this. The good news is in the new test I mean, in the later on, we know that God doesn't call for human sacrifice. Right? Later on, he makes it very clear.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:46]:

So let's just be sure for that. So if God tells you kill somebody, that's a different Jesus. Right? Okay. But Abraham, then becomes God's friend in a way that's different. Then now God tells him secrets that he doesn't tell other people. You know, like, we we find that Abraham was a friend of God, that God started telling him secrets. It says that that when before God was gonna destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, they come to Abraham, and God is the the angel of the Lord is talking. There's this there's several of them, several angels, the angel of the Lord is is really the preincarnate Jesus standing with a couple angels, and he says, should I tell Abraham what I'm about to do? And he says, yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:45]:

That's my friend. So he tells Abraham, I'm gonna rain down judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham is is very interested in this information. Why is that? Because he has his nephew Lot who lives in Sodom and Gomorrah. And so now he gets into this kind of a bargaining mode that, lord, but but you're you're righteous, and you wouldn't destroy the righteous with with the guilty. Right? So that wouldn't be just, and so would you would you spare the city for 45 people? Right, and then he he kinda gets this place where he just bargains them down. Right? Goes from 45, 40, 35, 30, 20, 20 15, 10, and then so he he comes to 10, and he stops at 10. And why does he stop at 10? Why didn't he just go down to war. Maybe we don't know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:39]:

Right? We don't know why he stops at 10, but maybe he thought, man, Abraham I mean, Lot's been living out there. He probably at least reached a few folks. Right? If we just reach another family, that could be 10 or did they the girls married, and then they reached a few people, and maybe I don't know. Maybe that's what he thought, but he stops. And then Abraham goes to the tent. Now Lot, by the way, is considered a righteous person, but God never told Lot what was about to happen. God told Abraham. Why is that? I think a lot wanted all the benefits of the world and to be as close to the world and still just get the blessings of God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:31]:

You see, when they parted ways, as Abraham said this, you can choose which way. And it says that Lot looked long and hard toward the plains of Sodom and Gomorrah. And so that was a it was a pleasant place. It was a good place to to raise to to raise sheep and goats. And so he went there because he wanted to be he didn't wanna be in the world. He just wanted the blessings of all the world. And so the hard part about that is is that it got in his family. Right, got into his wife.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:15]:

The world got into his wife that when judgment came, she didn't just turn around and say, I wonder what's happening, and she was judged. When it says that she turned back, the implication is she went back. She wanted to go back to Sodom. She couldn't stand for I I couldn't leave the world. And the daughters infected the daughters, and there was some strangeness in that place. But here's the thing, that God has plans. And if you honor him and you fear him, this is what God says. I have the inside scoop for you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:55]:

God wants to tell you stuff. God wants to share stuff with you, and and this is what he says in John in the New Testament, this is what Jesus said, the real Jesus. He said this, you are my friends, what, if you do what I command, I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn't confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told do everything the father told me. Are you saying this? That there's this aspect because they were willing to obey. And last week, we talked about some people who were god whispered and they were willing to obey. Some people that involve business. And, I told on Sunday, I didn't I didn't see on Saturday, but about a a a gal and her husband who had been through a tremendous loss, lost 2 children, lost 2 pregnancies, and thought that they thought they knew what heartache was.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:55]:

They thought they knew what that grief was till they lost 2 children in pregnancy. And I think it's at that point, they experience a loss that they never experienced. And even in the midst of their struggle and they're wrestling and because there was pain and there's recovery. They heard the whispers of God. Why? Because they feared God, because they honored God. And God had a secret to them. What was the secret? That when when the friends and family would tell me, hey. Go, you know, like, go go call this guy.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:34]:

He's he's my fertility specialist. Who called this person. And not that anything is wrong with fertility specialists, but they heard the whispers that said, just trust me. Just trust me. They heard the whisper, and and I'm grateful for that. And and a few months ago, we were in the middle of worship. And my wife and I were there, and we had the same vision. As Jasmine was up here, I don't know if she was singing or she was doing announcements, but I just I had this vision that I saw her.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:13]:

She was skinny as a rail, but but I saw her on and my wife said the same thing. And so we told her afterwards. And I cannot remember, like, where she was at at that point, but I knew that she was in this place that she was honoring and trying to trust God. And God has secrets for you and your family, for you and your future, for you in the middle of whatever it is that you're going through. He says that if you have that, he says, I'll lead you. I'll guide you because we'll be close when we know the real Jesus. Amen? Amen. Let's bow our heads.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:00:58]:

We'll close in a word of prayer. Father, we're so thankful that you really do know us. You know our weaknesses, and you know our past. And we're thankful that you still called us. And because, lord, that because you've been kind to us, lord, that that we've come to know you. But, lord, that but at the same time, maybe some of us, we still are subject. Because we still sometimes can feel the pressure when the world wants to redefine Jesus and say that he's like Santa. he's Christian Santa Claus for some people. But let's not forsake the real Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:01:42]:

The real Jesus who came with grace and mercy, but also came in power and also called for allegiance and also called for obedience and also called for a high view of God. Let's not forget that. And let's just remember that when we practice honoring God, when we practice having an awe of God, you know what God says? I just I know I can trust you. So often we think, can I trust God? And God is saying so often the opposite. I'm checking if I can trust you because I have great plans for you. I just wanna just wanna know that you're that you honor me first, and then I'll share the plans. Father, would you just let us know your heart? Would you let us know your whispers? Well, how do would we hear would we draw closer to you as a result of us knowing you, us honoring you, us understanding the awe and the fear of the lord. And father, thank you for your blessing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:02:55]:

Would you cover my friends, would you cover our family? Would you cover, lord, our community? Father, would you cover your people? In Jesus name.