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He is glorious.

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Behold the one who has come to us.

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Welcome to Hub City Vineyard.

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To get connected or to give online,

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you can go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church.

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If at any time during this message

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you feel called to make a change in your life,

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text changeme to 970-00.

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Thank you and enjoy the message.

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Hey, how's everybody doing today?

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Good to hear.

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It's a beautiful Sunday.

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It may be raining a little, but we're all here

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and we're glad that you are here.

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If you're joining us from home, thank you for welcoming us

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into your space.

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So this morning we are concluding our series,

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21 Days to Freedom.

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And thus far in our series, in week one,

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we are challenged to get out of the crowd.

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Week two, we learned about the book of Leviticus.

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Took a deep dive, in fact.

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Many of us learned much that we have never seen or read before.

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And we talked about walking away from guilt and shame.

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Last week was a cool experience for many of us

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as we turned and prayed for one another

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and we just tapped into the kingdom on demand.

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If you missed any of those talks,

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we want to encourage you to go to our YouTube channel,

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subscribe.

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You can listen in and you can catch up.

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And just a quick question to start this morning.

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Isn't it true that life is unpredictable?

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Would you all agree with that?

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And we can always be certain of that statement

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because tomorrow we don't know what's going to come our way.

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We're not really sure what could happen next.

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In fact, sometimes it feels like we're on a roller coaster.

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There's twists, there's turns, there's ups, there's downs,

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and suddenly it's moving backwards.

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And then you find yourself upside down in a loop.

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And then of course, there's always that long drop,

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that big hill where at the bottom you're

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screaming your head off.

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It's exhilarating.

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And then you think, what in the world

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am I doing on this thing?

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It gets over.

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You're grateful it's done.

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You're happy to be alive.

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And then suddenly you're thinking,

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should I even get back on that?

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It was thrilling, but I'm not really sure I liked it.

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And if we take that roller coaster

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and we apply it to our relationship with Jesus,

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quite often when we're in a relationship with Jesus,

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we think that it's going to be smooth and joyful.

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I mean, after all, Jesus promises

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that we're going to live with a life of abundance.

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We find ourselves making progress.

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We're being empowered by the Spirit.

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And then all of a sudden, there's a drop.

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There's a twist.

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There's a turn.

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And it throws us for a loop.

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We become confused.

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We're frustrated.

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We're asking God, God, why did this happen?

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God, I thought you wanted what was best for me.

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I thought I was going to see change in my life.

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Why all of a sudden am I stuck?

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And suddenly, we discover that that twist, that turn,

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that drop that slowed us down was God just simply getting

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our attention to reveal that something in our hearts

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was out of alignment with his heart.

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Here's the reality.

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God cares just as much about our character

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as he does our successes.

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And if at any point he sees our heart,

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he sees our character not in the condition it needs to be,

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he has no problem addressing it.

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And that's why it's so important for us to find balance

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and to stay humble.

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Because when we're on this roller coaster,

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we experience the thrill of being on top, the highs,

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if you will.

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And then we have the emotions of hitting the very bottom.

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Now, I'm actually wearing a loci bracelet this morning.

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And this company was founded by Steven Eisen,

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who got the idea from his grandfather who

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was struggling with Alzheimer's.

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Eisen writes this.

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He says, his diagnosis made me think

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about the highs and the lows that everyone experiences.

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I wanted to make a product for myself and others

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as a reminder to stay humble through the highs

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and hopeful through the lows.

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Now, on this bracelet, he references being on top

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and staying humble with a white bead.

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And inside this white bead is water from Mount Everest,

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of course, the highest point on Earth.

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And then there's a black bead on the bracelet

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to reference or highlight the lows and the challenge for us

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to stay hopeful.

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And in the black bead carries mud from the Dead Sea,

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the lowest point on our planet.

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And the challenge that he has through his bracelets

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is stay in the middle.

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You know, stay balanced, stay humble,

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and be ready to approach life following God's Spirit.

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So as I was praying this week about how

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to conclude our series, God took me to the book of Joshua

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to discover a simple truth that I believe

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is going to change many of our lives this morning.

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Now, if you look at the book of Joshua,

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you will find that Joshua is leading the people of Israel

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into the promised land.

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Now, this was a land that God had given them,

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but they did have to go into the land and claim it.

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They had to go into the land, conquer the cities

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and the people in order to receive

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what God had given them.

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But God's given them supernatural favor

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as they're doing it.

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God's hand is on them.

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And as they come to the first city, a city called Jericho,

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this city is heavily fortified.

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In fact, no one had ever conquered Jericho,

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but God tells his people that would be the first city

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that you're going to claim as your own in this new land.

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And do they ever take it?

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After walking around the city walls once a day for six days,

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seven times on the seventh with the priests blowing

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their horns daily and the people then shouting

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on the last day, many of us know that the walls

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came tumbling down.

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A supernatural display of God's power and graciousness

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towards the Israelites taking this city.

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Now, it's an amazing victory as the people

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are taking bold steps and moving forward in this new land.

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Now, because Jericho was the first city,

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we know there is a principle that we learn in the Bible

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that the first is always to be given back to God.

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And God gave the people through Joshua special instructions

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that all the valuables that came out of that victory

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needed to go back to him.

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They needed to be given back to God so that the priesthood

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would be established amongst the people of Israel.

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This is actually lived out in our lives today

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when we fast forward to today.

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For example, today is the first day of the week

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and we are constantly challenged, hey, let's gather together.

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Let's worship together, let's prioritize our relationship

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with Jesus today.

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For some of you, you have perfect attendance this year.

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Give yourself a clap on the back, good job.

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You have perfect attendance for 2024.

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We give God our first in our mornings.

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We go to him in prayer, in quiet time, in Bible reading.

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We give God our first in our finances through tithing.

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So we actually are still living out the principle

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of the first today just like God challenged Joshua

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and the people of Israel.

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So God's supernatural power conquers Jericho

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and the people of Israel confidently walking in

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to the promised land.

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So they come to the second city, a city called Ai,

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and it's a much smaller city.

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In fact, it's not very fortified.

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And the scouts that go out to check out the city, right,

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they thought it was gonna be a quick victory.

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In fact, they come back and they tell Joshua,

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there's no need to send the whole army.

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Just send a couple of troops out there.

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We will take them down.

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It won't be any problem.

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So Joshua listens and he sends only 3,000 men

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to conquer this city.

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Now it just so happens, the promised victory,

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it doesn't happen.

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In fact, the men, they were sent away soundly defeated

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and they quickly retreated all the way back to the camp.

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And in this defeat, there's shock, there's awe,

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there's fear that spreads throughout all the people.

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And Joshua, he finds himself stressed out

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and he turns to God in prayer.

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And he says, God, I'm confused.

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You called us to take these bold steps.

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You promised us a slam.

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We saw your favor in Jericho.

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And now all of a sudden,

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this small enemy has defeated us.

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God, where are you?

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Why have you stopped us on this journey?

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Let's be honest.

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When we hit a twist or a turn,

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we find ourselves down and depressed and frustrated,

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I believe this is a question that we constantly ask God

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when we're caught off guard, right?

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When there's a twist in life.

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God, you gave me this job, now I'm miserable.

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God, I'm committed to this marriage.

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Why is it falling apart?

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God, you opened the door for me to go back to school.

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Why is it so hard to achieve the grades needed?

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There's not enough money in the budget, God.

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When are you gonna come through, right?

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Just constantly, God, where are you?

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Now here's the reality.

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It does no good to claim God's promises

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if we have not conquered secret sins.

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It does no good to claim the promises of God

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if we have these struggles that we can't get past.

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Think about it, what good is it

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to enter in God's blessing in our life

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if we're still so bound up

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that we can't even enjoy it?

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And this morning, that's what we're gonna be discussing

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as we look at the people of Israel in the book of Joshua.

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And we conclude our 21 day fast.

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Today is the last day of our fast

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as we launch into the 2024 New Year.

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So let's open in prayer, Holy Spirit, come.

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God, we're just so thankful

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for all that you're doing in our community of faith.

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We're just thankful for the lives changed, God.

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The family's restored.

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We're thankful for the healings and the miracles

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and the signs and the wonders.

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And we just pray for more.

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And today, God, I just pray that each and every one of us

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take a deep inward reflection on our hearts.

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And may we all be changed as we gather together today.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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So our first thought this morning,

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you see God's promises are partnered with God's standards.

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God's promises are partnered with God's standards.

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Joshua chapter seven, verses 10 through 12.

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But the Lord, notice what the Lord says to Joshua.

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He says, get up.

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Remember Joshua, he's stressed out.

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He's talking to guys.

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Why are you lying on your face like this?

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Israel has sinned and broken my covenant.

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They have stolen some of the things that I commanded

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must be set apart for me.

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They have not only stolen them, but they have lied about it

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and hidden the things among their own belongings.

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That is why the Israelites are running from their enemies

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in defeat.

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For now, Israel itself has been set apart for destruction.

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I will not remain with you any longer

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unless you destroy the things among you

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that were set apart for destruction.

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So in an essence, God is saying to Joshua,

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you and the people are tolerating some things

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that I don't tolerate.

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And I need you to understand, there will be no progress.

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You will not move forward in the promised land

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until you address what is in secret.

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Now it turns out that there was a man named Achan,

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who was an Israelite man of course,

263
00:11:59,360 --> 00:12:01,040
and while he was in Jericho,

264
00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:05,640
he decided to take the items meant for God, just a few,

265
00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,960
and keep them for himself.

266
00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,680
And we read this in Joshua 7, 1 and 20 to 21,

267
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but Israel violated the instructions

268
00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,520
about the things set apart for the Lord.

269
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A man named Achan had stolen some of these dedicated things,

270
00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,480
so the Lord was very angry with the Israelites.

271
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Achan replied, it is true.

272
00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,400
I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.

273
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:29,840
Among the plunder, I saw a beautiful robe from Babylon,

274
00:12:29,840 --> 00:12:32,360
200 silver coins, and a bar of gold

275
00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:33,800
weighing more than a pound.

276
00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:36,680
I wanted them so much that I took them.

277
00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:39,040
They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent,

278
00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,000
with the silver buried deeper than the rest.

279
00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:45,960
So essentially, Achan was hoping to turn a profit

280
00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:47,640
at a later time.

281
00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:52,640
And Achan's secret struggle stopped the flow of God's favor

282
00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:57,240
and stalled the entire nation's mission.

283
00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:59,920
At least just pause there for a second, let's be honest.

284
00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:02,000
I was reading through these scriptures this week,

285
00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,920
and as I was reading it, I'm like,

286
00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,920
God, a robe, some coins, a bar of gold, really?

287
00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:15,400
Is it necessary that the entire nation of Israel

288
00:13:15,400 --> 00:13:19,280
is stalled, is stopped, and can't move forward

289
00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:22,400
because of those simple things?

290
00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:25,800
Like the entire mission for one man's sin.

291
00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:28,520
It's not really that big of a deal, is it, God?

292
00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:32,320
It's a robe, a couple coins, a little bit of gold.

293
00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,640
And think about it, people have died in battle,

294
00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:38,920
the whole nation is now stopped, can't move forward.

295
00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:40,880
Is it that big of a deal?

296
00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,240
Is it any time we think God is overreacting,

297
00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:47,440
chances are we're underestimating how important something is.

298
00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,720
One of the things that we all underestimate

299
00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:53,760
as we pursue a relationship with Jesus

300
00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,520
and his purpose for our lives, right,

301
00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,000
is the secret struggles that we have within our lives.

302
00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:03,120
You know, God is not interested in us having his blessing

303
00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,200
without having his character.

304
00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,960
His character is what matters.

305
00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:11,200
And this is a reality check for the people of Israel.

306
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,320
To God, sin is intolerable.

307
00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,680
I mean, think about that, it's intolerable.

308
00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:19,480
And if you look at the church,

309
00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,840
we constantly are talking about God being relational,

310
00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,200
he wants to be in relationship with us,

311
00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:28,160
he's full of grace, which he is, but he is also holy.

312
00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,480
Which means God knows no sin.

313
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,160
God is set apart, he is holy.

314
00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:38,840
Psalm 5, 4 says, oh God, you take no pleasure in wickedness.

315
00:14:38,840 --> 00:14:41,520
You cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.

316
00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,160
Isaiah 59, 2 says, it's your sins

317
00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:45,520
that have cut you off from God.

318
00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,720
Because of your sins, he is turned away

319
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,520
and will not listen anymore.

320
00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:52,520
A single bar of gold matters

321
00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,080
because God does not tolerate sin, right?

322
00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:57,760
A couple coins of silver matters

323
00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:01,880
because God does not celebrate even a little bit of sin.

324
00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:04,840
A robe, as insignificant as a piece of clothing is,

325
00:15:04,840 --> 00:15:09,640
matters because God is not 95% holy,

326
00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:14,400
he is 100% holy.

327
00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,160
And I know we look at this at times and think,

328
00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:18,720
well, God is just unreasonable.

329
00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:22,040
But that's because we're sinful people.

330
00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:26,000
And remember, we chose to turn away from God.

331
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,280
But let's look at it a different way.

332
00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:32,440
Say, for example, you have a surgery coming up.

333
00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:33,640
You go into the hospital,

334
00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:35,800
you're being prepped for surgery,

335
00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:37,520
you're gonna need a blood transfusion,

336
00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:39,960
and the nurse comes up to your bedside

337
00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,760
and asks you to sign a piece of paper.

338
00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:45,200
You, of course, don't just sign it.

339
00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:48,400
You ask, well, why do I need to sign this piece of paper?

340
00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,280
To which time the nurse reveals to you

341
00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:53,120
that before you take the blood transfusion,

342
00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,600
you're about to receive new blood

343
00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:01,080
that has a 1% chance of a rare blood disease in it.

344
00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,040
Now, how many of you would sign that piece of paper

345
00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:04,640
and say, yeah, put that blood in me.

346
00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:06,720
I'll take that rare blood disease.

347
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:07,560
Any hands?

348
00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:09,840
A few.

349
00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:11,080
I guess you wanna roll the dice.

350
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:12,480
That's fine with me.

351
00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:15,680
But many of us, right, we're like, no!

352
00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,280
I am not signing that, I want clean blood

353
00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:20,760
going into my body

354
00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:25,760
because that blood has the capacity to kill me.

355
00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,360
And that's what God is trying to say in this moment.

356
00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:31,640
I know it simply looks like a piece of clothing,

357
00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,400
a robe, a couple coins of silver, a bar of gold.

358
00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:39,280
Sin has the capacity to kill.

359
00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:43,520
It kills marriages, it destroys families,

360
00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:48,520
it ends careers, it stops our influence.

361
00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:53,240
God does not tolerate sin,

362
00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:55,120
which leads us to our next stop.

363
00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,520
To see humanity view sin as tolerable.

364
00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,240
Again, Joshua 7, 20 to 21, Achan replied, it is true.

365
00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,240
I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel.

366
00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:06,480
He admits it after he's what?

367
00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:08,480
Caught, right?

368
00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:12,000
I stole a robe, 200 silver coins, a bar of gold.

369
00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:13,040
Now notice what he says.

370
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:15,200
I wanted them so much

371
00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:18,320
that I took them.

372
00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,640
They are hidden in the ground beneath my tent

373
00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,600
with the silver buried deeper than rest.

374
00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:26,120
And see, Achan traveled the path that we all travel.

375
00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:29,200
See, there's this process to walking away

376
00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:30,960
from God's standards.

377
00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:33,080
It just doesn't happen overnight.

378
00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:35,600
It first starts with a secular mindset.

379
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:37,280
And you say, well, what do you mean by that, Chris?

380
00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:41,560
Well, secular mindset simply means without God.

381
00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,640
Right, when sin came into the world,

382
00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:48,440
humanity chose to remove God from our consciousness.

383
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,840
Right, we thought our way was the better way.

384
00:17:51,840 --> 00:17:53,440
And in a relationship with Jesus,

385
00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,640
we can quickly move to a secular mindset

386
00:17:56,640 --> 00:18:00,280
if we remove him from different parts of our life.

387
00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,920
We kind of set him aside and choose not to follow his path.

388
00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,120
And that's how sin begins.

389
00:18:07,120 --> 00:18:09,040
Then from a secular mindset,

390
00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,520
we begin to live for our selfish motives.

391
00:18:12,520 --> 00:18:16,000
And this is where we decide, God, I don't just doubt you,

392
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,720
I'm gonna replace you.

393
00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:18,920
And you saw it at Achan.

394
00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:22,160
Achan saw the three items,

395
00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:24,760
and he wanted them, right?

396
00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,280
And he just pushed himself in and took them.

397
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:32,720
You know, God, I'm not sure you have my best interest.

398
00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:35,200
Or, you know, your standards aren't necessarily

399
00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:36,960
the standards I need to keep.

400
00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:37,800
You know why?

401
00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,960
Because society says it's okay.

402
00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,880
And if society says it's okay,

403
00:18:41,880 --> 00:18:44,000
then I can just blend in with society.

404
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:45,760
I don't need to be different.

405
00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,280
And see, God will take your blessing, right?

406
00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:52,680
And when it comes to standards,

407
00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,520
I will choose the one that decides what I'm gonna live by.

408
00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,240
And it's these little steps,

409
00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:00,920
these little mindsets that we tweak and change.

410
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:05,440
And suddenly, right, we go secular, we go selfish,

411
00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:07,440
and then it becomes a secret.

412
00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:09,520
What Achan do, he buried it.

413
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,160
He didn't want anybody to know about it.

414
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:14,200
He buried it and slept on top of it.

415
00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,320
And you say, oh, that's interesting.

416
00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,080
Think about today.

417
00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:21,760
Today, we hide it in our phones.

418
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,720
We delete text messages.

419
00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,280
We erase search browsers.

420
00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,520
We go on business trips, right?

421
00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:33,400
Or we say things like, well, I'm gonna tell you this,

422
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,360
but if you say it was from me, I'm gonna deny it, right?

423
00:19:37,360 --> 00:19:40,280
Then from hiding, you settle into it.

424
00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:42,360
Notice the Bible doesn't say

425
00:19:42,360 --> 00:19:45,440
that all of this happened in one day.

426
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:50,320
It says that Achan was sleeping on top of what he hid.

427
00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:52,800
And if you think about it, day after day after day,

428
00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,840
he shows up, acts like it's no big deal,

429
00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:00,040
it doesn't matter, and it has now become something

430
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,840
that he just simply lives with.

431
00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,400
We do the same thing.

432
00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:06,880
We rationalize and say, well,

433
00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:09,680
everyone has character issues, Chris.

434
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,040
Everyone has hangups, everyone makes mistakes.

435
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,280
Nobody's perfect, nobody will ever be Jesus.

436
00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,640
And I agree, but that's the comparison trap.

437
00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:20,840
The second we say everyone does it,

438
00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,560
we're comparing ourselves to others.

439
00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:24,800
In 2 Corinthians 10, 12 tells us,

440
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,320
but they are only comparing themselves to each other,

441
00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,160
using themselves as the standard of measurement.

442
00:20:31,160 --> 00:20:33,280
How ignorant.

443
00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:36,960
Let's not be ignorant.

444
00:20:36,960 --> 00:20:38,920
Church, let's be different.

445
00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:42,000
Because if we're not different, if we're not set apart,

446
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:44,800
before long, we find ourselves living

447
00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,160
with something that brought us into bondage.

448
00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,080
And one of the reasons we do this

449
00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:53,320
is because we don't hold God's view of sin.

450
00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:55,120
It becomes comfortable for us.

451
00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:57,480
Just becomes a natural part of life.

452
00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,400
But Galatians 1, 10 tells us, obviously,

453
00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:04,120
I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.

454
00:21:04,120 --> 00:21:06,080
If pleasing people are my goal,

455
00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,960
I would not be Christ's servants.

456
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:11,360
See, there are so many Jesus followers today

457
00:21:11,360 --> 00:21:15,360
living within our society that are saved,

458
00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:17,480
but they're far from free.

459
00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:18,880
They will not be different.

460
00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,400
They will not be set apart.

461
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:25,400
Forgiven, yes, but held captive by the bondage of sin.

462
00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:29,600
It could be an attitude, could be an addiction,

463
00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:33,520
it could be an unhealthy desire for more stuff.

464
00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:36,320
Jesus followers settling for partial freedom,

465
00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,800
and I wanna challenge you, Church, God wants more for us.

466
00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:41,280
Why?

467
00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:43,880
Because Jesus gave his whole life.

468
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,680
Jesus gave everything.

469
00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:48,200
And God has no problem confronting our sin,

470
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:51,600
halting our progress, and making us uncomfortable

471
00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:54,640
so that we will change.

472
00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:57,840
Listen, sin is powerful, so powerful

473
00:21:57,840 --> 00:21:59,960
that it robbed Achan of the experience

474
00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:02,360
that he lived for his entire life.

475
00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:05,880
Remember Achan, right, he's not standing in the wilderness.

476
00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,560
He's not in the wilderness choosing to sin.

477
00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:10,600
He's walking in the promised land.

478
00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,080
Something that he and the Israelites

479
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:15,920
had waited generations to be in.

480
00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:20,160
His whole life has been oriented to inherit this promise.

481
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,760
He's walking in it, he's standing in it,

482
00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,880
and because of his sin, he can't even enjoy it.

483
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,640
And some of you gathered here in this place,

484
00:22:29,640 --> 00:22:31,640
you're in a marriage that God gave you,

485
00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,600
but you can't enjoy it because you're bound in pornography.

486
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,480
You're working in a job or leading a business

487
00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,400
that God gave you,

488
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,240
but you can't enjoy it because of your bitterness

489
00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,360
towards your coworkers.

490
00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:48,120
You're in a great church, but you can't enjoy it

491
00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:50,160
because you're so full of shame and guilt

492
00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,000
that it's robbing you of the experience.

493
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:57,120
And see, sin doesn't just rob us, it ruins us.

494
00:22:57,120 --> 00:23:01,080
Achan lost his family, his family lost their lives

495
00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:05,960
because of his sin, which leads us to our final thought.

496
00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:10,320
See, sin is powerful, but Jesus is greater, right?

497
00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,440
It's like all this bad news, I got some good for you, relax.

498
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:14,960
It's coming.

499
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:17,920
Sin is powerful, but Jesus is greater.

500
00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:20,240
See, sin robs and ruins,

501
00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,400
but Jesus, he restores and he renews.

502
00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:25,880
And many of us sitting in his chairs,

503
00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:27,760
many of you watching online,

504
00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,800
you have testimonies of God's faithfulness,

505
00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,840
how he's restored you, how he's renewed you,

506
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,840
how he's changed your entire life.

507
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,600
I mean, Jesus has made me the person that I am today.

508
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:42,200
For example, look at his jacket.

509
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,120
I mean, isn't it sweet?

510
00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:49,120
Now listen, I would have never worn this coat before Jesus.

511
00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:52,200
And I get some of you thinking

512
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:53,760
you shouldn't be wearing it now.

513
00:23:53,760 --> 00:23:55,640
All right, just take it off.

514
00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,040
You know, before Jesus, I was full of insecurities,

515
00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,400
self-doubt, I followed the crowd.

516
00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,600
I would never be the leader, right?

517
00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,360
I would never be the person that's just setting the course

518
00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:11,920
and saying, let's go.

519
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:14,080
But Jesus made me new.

520
00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,480
He challenged me, he changed me, he set me free.

521
00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:19,800
And listen, I wanna encourage you,

522
00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,600
it doesn't matter what you're struggling with.

523
00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:24,360
Doesn't matter the issue.

524
00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,120
It doesn't matter your thought patterns.

525
00:24:26,120 --> 00:24:28,760
It doesn't matter how big the addiction.

526
00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,560
That strength is not greater than Jesus.

527
00:24:34,560 --> 00:24:37,760
And until we have received and experienced full freedom,

528
00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,800
we have not inherited all that God has for us.

529
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,800
Until our bodies are free from sinful actions,

530
00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:45,840
there is more freedom to be experienced.

531
00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,520
Until our minds are free from thoughts

532
00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:49,800
that shouldn't be there,

533
00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:51,520
there is more freedom to be experienced.

534
00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,680
Until our emotions are free from sinful addictions,

535
00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:56,760
there's more freedom to be experienced.

536
00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,040
God desires that we walk in freedom

537
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,600
and not continue to be a slave to sin.

538
00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:04,160
And I wanna encourage you this morning, friends,

539
00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:05,800
God has more.

540
00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,960
Don't settle, right?

541
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,560
Don't blame your family.

542
00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:10,680
Don't make excuses.

543
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:12,200
Well, society does it, Chris.

544
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:13,840
I don't care.

545
00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:16,480
Society does a lot of things, right?

546
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,480
And I don't wanna pattern my life after them.

547
00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,800
Jesus didn't go to the cross for us to settle.

548
00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,960
Jesus didn't die for us to make excuses.

549
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:28,320
You can be free.

550
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,520
Sin is powerful, but Jesus is greater.

551
00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,080
And that is what we learn in this passage.

552
00:25:35,080 --> 00:25:36,120
Hear me out.

553
00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:39,280
Achan had to give his life for his sin.

554
00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,640
Joshua 7, 24, then Joshua and all the Israelites took Achan,

555
00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:44,520
the silver, the robe, the bar of gold,

556
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:47,160
his sons, daughters, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats,

557
00:25:47,160 --> 00:25:48,560
10, and everything he had.

558
00:25:48,560 --> 00:25:52,040
And they brought them to the valley of Acre.

559
00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,880
Like we no longer have to live in that old covenant.

560
00:25:54,880 --> 00:25:57,120
We all know what happened next.

561
00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:58,960
It was all destroyed.

562
00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,840
But we read in Galatians 1, 4,

563
00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:04,160
Jesus gave his life for our sins.

564
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,240
Just as God, our Father, planned in order to rescue us

565
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,160
from the evil world in which we live.

566
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,160
Romans 5 tells us, we were utterly helpless

567
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:14,880
and Christ came just at the right time

568
00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:16,320
and died for us sinners.

569
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,040
Now most people would not be willing to die

570
00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:20,080
for an upright person, though some,

571
00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,240
one might perhaps be willing to die for a person

572
00:26:22,240 --> 00:26:25,480
who's especially good, but God showed his great love for us

573
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,800
by sending Christ to die for us while we're still sinners.

574
00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:30,560
Friends, here's the reality.

575
00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,280
All of us gathered, watching online,

576
00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:36,800
have something we need to be freed from.

577
00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,040
Just being honest, for some of you it's an attitude,

578
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:40,360
for some of you it's an addiction,

579
00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:41,920
for some of you it's unforgiveness,

580
00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,000
you're just caught up and bound in unforgiveness,

581
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:45,720
you won't let people go.

582
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:47,680
For some of you it's simply an unhealthy appetite

583
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,840
that God wants to change.

584
00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:52,640
All of us need these truths

585
00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:56,360
because God is challenging his church to change,

586
00:26:56,360 --> 00:26:58,640
to be set apart, to be different.

587
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:02,560
Look at Titus 2, for the grace of God has been revealed,

588
00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,440
bringing salvation to all people,

589
00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,960
and we are instructed to turn from godless living

590
00:27:07,960 --> 00:27:09,400
and sinful pleasures.

591
00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:12,440
We should live in this evil world with wisdom,

592
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:16,080
righteousness, and devotion to God,

593
00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:18,240
which leads us to our action steps.

594
00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,320
Three simple steps to experiencing freedom,

595
00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:23,400
because I wanna challenge you,

596
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,600
if we're not moving forward, we're moving away.

597
00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:29,720
Jesus is inviting us to continue getting more

598
00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:32,400
and more like him, which leads us to our first step.

599
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,000
You gotta reveal you need help.

600
00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:39,280
Achan's bondage began the second he thought

601
00:27:39,280 --> 00:27:41,880
he had it under his control.

602
00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,160
The central lie of all bondage is,

603
00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:46,320
you're not in bondage.

604
00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,080
And it comes in subtle ways,

605
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,000
like thinking, well, I'm the only one that knows.

606
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,160
No one else knows.

607
00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,640
I can handle this.

608
00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,760
And think about how foolish that reality is.

609
00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:03,600
Well, I'm the only one that knows.

610
00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:05,840
But then we read Hebrews 4.13,

611
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:10,840
nothing in all creation is hidden from God.

612
00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:13,480
Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes,

613
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:16,640
and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

614
00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:17,840
Think about this.

615
00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:20,680
God could see in Achan's tent.

616
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:23,200
He could see below his tent.

617
00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,640
He knew what Achan had.

618
00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:27,360
God sees in our phones.

619
00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:28,760
God sees in our homes.

620
00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:30,440
God sees on our computers.

621
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,680
God sees our hearts.

622
00:28:32,680 --> 00:28:35,280
We're not the only one who can see it.

623
00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:37,480
And then the other lie that we believe is,

624
00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:39,440
well, I can handle it.

625
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:41,680
No one else can see it, and I can handle it.

626
00:28:41,680 --> 00:28:43,360
I can manage it.

627
00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:45,920
Oh, Chris, I can quit any time I want.

628
00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:47,680
I can clean this up.

629
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,800
And the crazy thing is, we truly believe those words.

630
00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:52,360
We believe we can handle it.

631
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:53,680
But let's be honest.

632
00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,200
If that's true, why haven't you handled it?

633
00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,320
Why are you still stuck?

634
00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:03,840
And the truth is, we have lived with our bondage long enough

635
00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:07,720
to recognize that we have tried everything,

636
00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:09,640
yet it remains.

637
00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:13,640
And that's a signal to the fact that we're not in control

638
00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:15,640
and we don't have it handled,

639
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,280
and we need someone to help us clean it up.

640
00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,120
And coming clean happens two ways, not just one.

641
00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,120
First, we need to come clean to God,

642
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:26,680
and then we need to come clean to trustless friends

643
00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,320
in the community of faith.

644
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,480
And first, coming clean to God, saying,

645
00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:33,800
hey, God, this is not the standard you want for my life.

646
00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:35,720
I need you to forgive me.

647
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:40,720
And the amazing thing about God is not only does he forgive

648
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:42,440
but he forgets as well.

649
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,200
Look at Jeremiah 31.

650
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,280
But this is the new covenant which we are living in.

651
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:48,720
I will make with the people of Israel

652
00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,320
after those days, says the Lord.

653
00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:52,400
I will put my instructions deep within them

654
00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,160
and I'll write them on their hearts.

655
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,440
I will be their God and they will be my people.

656
00:29:56,440 --> 00:30:00,000
Remember, we are now filled with the Holy Spirit.

657
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,840
For everyone from the least to the greatest

658
00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:04,360
will know me already, says the Lord.

659
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:05,680
And notice this part.

660
00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:08,120
I will forgive their wickedness

661
00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:11,240
and I will never again remember their sins.

662
00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,960
So God says, I'm going to forgive and forget.

663
00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:19,560
And why does forgetfulness need to be paired

664
00:30:19,560 --> 00:30:20,800
with forgiveness?

665
00:30:20,800 --> 00:30:24,200
Well, first of all, because your enemy

666
00:30:24,200 --> 00:30:25,560
will never let you forget.

667
00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,480
Your enemy is gonna come at you and remind you constantly.

668
00:30:30,480 --> 00:30:32,920
Remember when you stole that money?

669
00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:35,120
Remember when you cheated on the taxes?

670
00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:37,280
Remember when you lied to your boss?

671
00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,520
You weren't really sick.

672
00:30:39,520 --> 00:30:41,440
Remember when you cheated on your wife?

673
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,200
Remember when you gossiped about him or her?

674
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,040
He's never gonna let you forget.

675
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,280
And the reason God says, I forgive you,

676
00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:53,320
is to handle the sin.

677
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:57,160
The reason he says, I forget, is to handle the shame.

678
00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,240
See, it's a both and.

679
00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:03,200
Many of us believe that we have been forgiven

680
00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:05,440
and are now in a relationship with Jesus.

681
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,920
But it's impaired and it's not moving forward

682
00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:10,720
because we live in shame.

683
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,240
So let me tell you how this works.

684
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,640
We come to God, we say, God, hey, I wanna be clean.

685
00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:16,640
Forgive me, I wanna be free.

686
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,680
Forgive me of my choices.

687
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:20,760
He says, Chris, you're forgiven.

688
00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:23,920
And then what many of us do is,

689
00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,240
after we're forgiven, right,

690
00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,440
we try to explain to God why we did it.

691
00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:30,720
Well, God, you know, I really needed that money.

692
00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:32,480
Well, God, she looked good.

693
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:36,440
Well, God, I was just on my computer and I didn't mean it.

694
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:37,960
And you know what the crazy thing is?

695
00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:39,520
When we're doing that, he's looking bad

696
00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:41,600
because like, what are you talking about?

697
00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:44,920
He already forgot it.

698
00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:48,360
He forgives and he forgets.

699
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:50,960
We don't have to justify why we sin

700
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:52,960
because he has forgotten it.

701
00:31:52,960 --> 00:31:56,680
So that means God made an intentional decision

702
00:31:56,680 --> 00:31:57,880
to forget what you did.

703
00:31:59,120 --> 00:31:59,960
I don't know about you,

704
00:31:59,960 --> 00:32:02,000
but I'm pretty sure God's not stupid.

705
00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:05,920
He simply knows that as long as we think

706
00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:07,480
he's remembered it,

707
00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,120
it will impair our relationship with him.

708
00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,840
And he's willing to remove our sin and our shame

709
00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:15,600
so that we can what?

710
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,480
Come closer to him.

711
00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,640
And see, many Jesus followers believe

712
00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:21,160
they have been forgiven,

713
00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:23,600
but they don't live as though they've been forgiven.

714
00:32:23,600 --> 00:32:24,880
Here's why.

715
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:26,760
We received a forgiveness through Jesus,

716
00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,760
but our forgiveness is often made real

717
00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,360
through our community of faith.

718
00:32:32,760 --> 00:32:35,960
That's why we read this in 1 John 1, 9 through 10.

719
00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:37,320
If we confess our sins,

720
00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,040
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins

721
00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,040
and cleanse us from all wickedness.

722
00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:42,760
If we claim we have not sinned,

723
00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:44,160
we are calling God a liar

724
00:32:44,160 --> 00:32:48,240
and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

725
00:32:48,240 --> 00:32:50,480
It just stays in our minds

726
00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:54,040
until someone in the community of faith affirms

727
00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:55,760
that it's taken place.

728
00:32:55,760 --> 00:32:58,760
See, we don't receive forgiveness from one another,

729
00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,960
but we affirm and encourage what God has done.

730
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,640
And when we open up to one another,

731
00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:07,800
you know what happens to pride?

732
00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:10,480
The pride that's in our hearts goes away.

733
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,240
And there's an opening in our hearts

734
00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:17,160
for the Holy Spirit to work through another person.

735
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:19,160
But let's be honest, friends.

736
00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,400
We have a sin problem in the church.

737
00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:26,400
Not that we sin for some reason, right?

738
00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,640
We can't talk about it.

739
00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,440
We walk in here, we roll in Sunday after Sunday

740
00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:33,880
after Sunday, people, hey, how are you doing this week?

741
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:34,720
I'm good.

742
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:36,960
How's everything going?

743
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:37,960
Is there anything I can pray for?

744
00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:39,160
No, man, I'm good.

745
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:40,880
Everything's perfect.

746
00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:45,520
And we never open up and share with others

747
00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,720
about our problems and our struggles

748
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,000
that have been going on for months and years.

749
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:50,960
I'm good, Chris.

750
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:52,240
Oh, I'm good, Steve.

751
00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,160
No, I don't need no prayer, but I'll pray for you.

752
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:03,360
God created the church so people can have issues

753
00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:05,200
and openly discuss them.

754
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:07,480
That's why he calls us a family.

755
00:34:07,480 --> 00:34:09,600
This should be the one place on the planet

756
00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:13,760
that we can walk into and say, hey, I messed up, right?

757
00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:15,320
I have been here the longest.

758
00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:16,440
I made a bad choice.

759
00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,080
That's why God established a church.

760
00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:22,480
We need one another to realize our forgiveness.

761
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:25,680
But then we act like there's no issues.

762
00:34:25,680 --> 00:34:26,520
I mean, think about it.

763
00:34:26,520 --> 00:34:29,760
Aiken lived in a tribe, had a family,

764
00:34:29,760 --> 00:34:32,960
had leaders that cared about him,

765
00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:36,880
but he died because he was unwilling to be honest

766
00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:38,920
and open up with them.

767
00:34:38,920 --> 00:34:41,520
And that's the picture of too many churches today.

768
00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:44,760
People are a conversation away.

769
00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,680
People are a prayer away from real freedom,

770
00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:50,040
but they won't have it, and then it kills them.

771
00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:53,040
And this should be the easiest place in the world

772
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:54,480
to have these conversations.

773
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:55,400
You know why?

774
00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:57,600
Because by walking through these doors,

775
00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,480
you can send it, I need help.

776
00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:04,880
No one comes to church because they got it all together.

777
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:08,800
We come to church because we need help.

778
00:35:08,800 --> 00:35:10,240
And when you walk through these doors

779
00:35:10,240 --> 00:35:12,520
and you high five somebody, you're saying,

780
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:13,720
yo, I'm messed up.

781
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:16,360
Including me.

782
00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:17,880
I mean, look what I'm wearing.

783
00:35:17,880 --> 00:35:18,880
I'm messed up.

784
00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,520
And listen, I've been pastoring long enough

785
00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:24,640
to tell you this.

786
00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:27,000
Anyone can get free.

787
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:29,960
Anyone can experience freedom.

788
00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,600
But the only people who cannot be free

789
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:37,280
are the people who won't admit that they're not free.

790
00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:40,800
We can never escape from a prison

791
00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,000
we won't admit we're called in.

792
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:47,080
It starts simply by saying, this is where I am,

793
00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:50,600
and being honest with God and with others.

794
00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,040
Which leads us to our next step.

795
00:35:52,040 --> 00:35:54,160
You need to restore God's thinking.

796
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:58,280
Behind every bondage is a lie believed.

797
00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:00,240
And unfortunately in the church,

798
00:36:00,240 --> 00:36:03,320
we tend to look at sin on the surface.

799
00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,240
We're very surfacey when it comes to the church.

800
00:36:06,240 --> 00:36:08,720
We don't like to look down below

801
00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:10,880
and really dive into why people struggle with sin.

802
00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:11,880
We like to point fingers.

803
00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:13,840
Oh, don't do that, don't do that.

804
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:15,480
And we like to judge people.

805
00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,960
But for example, if your bondage is marijuana,

806
00:36:17,960 --> 00:36:19,160
I don't know about you,

807
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,320
it's not because you like to fill your lungs with smoke.

808
00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,960
Okay, it's unhealthy.

809
00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:25,800
You could eventually die.

810
00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:29,280
It's because you believe the lie that you can't relax

811
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:31,120
or be joyful without it.

812
00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:32,520
You're believing a lie.

813
00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,040
If your bondage is sex outside of marriage,

814
00:36:35,040 --> 00:36:37,200
it's because you believe the lie

815
00:36:37,200 --> 00:36:38,840
that sex proves you're lovable.

816
00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,600
If your issue is dishonesty,

817
00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,000
and you can't be honest with people

818
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,000
and you gotta paint this picture that you're perfect,

819
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:47,200
then you are believing the lie

820
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:50,000
that if people really know you, they would reject you.

821
00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:54,120
See, lies sustain bondage.

822
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,920
The truth of scripture frees us.

823
00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:59,640
So there is no freedom until we take on what?

824
00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:00,840
God's thinking.

825
00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:02,720
Until we take on God's character.

826
00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,560
And we have to simply recognize God's word is true

827
00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:08,080
and we have to adopt it for ourselves.

828
00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,080
Now, unfortunately, most people look at the Bible

829
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,920
as a moral code, a fable.

830
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,280
It's wisdom to live by, Chris.

831
00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:18,960
Listen, we will never receive freedom

832
00:37:19,840 --> 00:37:22,320
if we're looking at the Bible that way.

833
00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,560
Because we receive what we give authority to.

834
00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,440
We receive what we give authority to.

835
00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:30,040
You are here today because you have given me authority

836
00:37:30,040 --> 00:37:33,240
to be your pastor, therefore you receive from me.

837
00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:36,840
If we don't see the Bible as the absolute word of God,

838
00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,800
that is truth, we will not receive the power that it has.

839
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:44,400
Which is why Joshua said in Joshua 24, 15, look at this,

840
00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:46,360
but if you refuse to serve the Lord,

841
00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:49,560
then choose today whom you'll serve.

842
00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:53,520
But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.

843
00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:54,640
See, what is a Lord?

844
00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:57,200
The Lord is a ruler.

845
00:37:57,200 --> 00:37:58,280
And what do lords do?

846
00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:01,360
They lord, and Joshua is saying,

847
00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:04,800
whatever God says, we're gonna do it.

848
00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:07,200
Whatever God says, we're gonna live by it.

849
00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:09,920
When God tells us to do something, we're gonna follow.

850
00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:13,040
And whatever he says about us, we're gonna believe it.

851
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,600
He is the Lord and we're giving him authority.

852
00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:19,840
So if the Bible caused something sin,

853
00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,120
friends, we can't redefine it.

854
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,720
We can't say, oh, but we live in 2024.

855
00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:28,040
If the Bible caused something sin, you can't negotiate it.

856
00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,960
Well, come on, God, it's gotta be that way.

857
00:38:31,960 --> 00:38:33,200
Can't rationalize it.

858
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:35,680
If the Bible caused something sin,

859
00:38:35,680 --> 00:38:38,840
we have to agree with it because we recognize the Bible

860
00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:41,720
is the only thing that has the capacity to frisk.

861
00:38:41,720 --> 00:38:45,560
We have to replace the lie with God's truth

862
00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:47,120
that is written in the Bible.

863
00:38:47,120 --> 00:38:49,960
And see, the Bible is different than anything else

864
00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,480
we have ever encountered for the measure

865
00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,840
it directly assaults the lies that are hidden.

866
00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:57,880
Listen, there's nothing wrong with therapy.

867
00:38:57,880 --> 00:38:58,720
Hear me out.

868
00:38:58,720 --> 00:39:00,440
There's nothing wrong with positive thinking.

869
00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:03,040
There's nothing wrong with exercise.

870
00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:06,960
But they don't get down to the lies

871
00:39:06,960 --> 00:39:08,360
that are hidden in our life.

872
00:39:09,800 --> 00:39:12,280
Look what the Bible does in Hebrews 412.

873
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,800
The word of God is alive and powerful.

874
00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:17,800
It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword

875
00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:20,400
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.

876
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:23,400
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

877
00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,680
See, the Bible is a discerner.

878
00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,400
It separates lies from truth.

879
00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:30,040
And where does it do this?

880
00:39:30,040 --> 00:39:33,640
In the thoughts of our heart and our minds.

881
00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:36,640
And that's where lies begin and that's where lies hide.

882
00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:37,560
In the Bible, what did it say?

883
00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:39,320
It's a two-edged sword.

884
00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:40,360
Let me explain that.

885
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:43,160
Many of you don't even understand that it's two edges.

886
00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:45,040
Psalm 107 20 says,

887
00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:48,640
he sent out his word and healed them

888
00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:50,960
and delivered them from their destruction.

889
00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,800
So it's a two-edged sword because one side is the scaffold

890
00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:56,760
that goes into your heart and heals you

891
00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:59,600
and the other side is the sword that defeats the enemy.

892
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:01,000
It's both end.

893
00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,920
It's the scalpel that comes into our hearts

894
00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:08,480
to the most painful places, heals them, sets them free.

895
00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,760
If you wanna know where there are lies in your life

896
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:14,200
or a lie that you're believing today,

897
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:16,400
it's wherever there's pain in your heart.

898
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,280
If there's pain in your heart regarding a relationship,

899
00:40:19,280 --> 00:40:21,920
regarding a family issue, regarding a choice you've made,

900
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,280
regarding something that's happening at work,

901
00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,440
then there's a lie in your heart.

902
00:40:27,440 --> 00:40:30,240
Pain is where we hide our lies.

903
00:40:30,240 --> 00:40:31,400
But God's truth, what's it do?

904
00:40:31,400 --> 00:40:33,080
It comes in and heals the pain.

905
00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:34,840
And if we allow the pain to remain,

906
00:40:34,840 --> 00:40:37,040
then the enemy, that's when the enemy come in

907
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:38,040
and what's it begin to do?

908
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:39,800
He lies to you.

909
00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:41,200
Oh, you'll never be good enough.

910
00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:42,320
You'll never be free.

911
00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:43,640
It doesn't matter what you do.

912
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,040
You'll never measure up.

913
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:51,120
The Bible defends truth and separates lies.

914
00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:53,840
And that's the tragedy of Achan's story.

915
00:40:53,840 --> 00:40:55,160
Think about this.

916
00:40:55,160 --> 00:40:58,560
Achan settled for a robe,

917
00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:01,840
a few coins of silver, and a gold bar.

918
00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:04,440
But do you know what God had given him?

919
00:41:04,440 --> 00:41:06,760
As an Israelite in the promised land,

920
00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:09,920
he would have been given a large plot of land

921
00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:12,400
in the most fertile part of the earth

922
00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:15,080
that would have sustained him and his family

923
00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:17,320
for generations.

924
00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:20,840
He was given a legacy by God

925
00:41:20,840 --> 00:41:23,160
and he settled for trinkets from the enemy.

926
00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,520
Lies look like truth when we don't know what truth is.

927
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,480
If we could grasp how much God loves us,

928
00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:34,680
we will never be insecure another day in our life

929
00:41:34,680 --> 00:41:36,960
because he loves you that much.

930
00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,320
If we knew the truth of all that God has for us,

931
00:41:40,320 --> 00:41:43,640
we'll never fear another day in this life.

932
00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,960
I mean, that's why Jesus says in John 8.32,

933
00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:48,640
and you will know the truth

934
00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:49,960
and the truth will set you free.

935
00:41:49,960 --> 00:41:52,080
Now, a lot of people misquote

936
00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:53,720
and don't even understand this verse.

937
00:41:53,720 --> 00:41:55,920
Truth don't set you free.

938
00:41:57,120 --> 00:42:00,800
Knowing truth sets you free.

939
00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:03,680
And there's a big difference.

940
00:42:03,680 --> 00:42:05,880
Do you know the truth?

941
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:07,320
Which leads us to our final step.

942
00:42:07,320 --> 00:42:10,080
If we know the truth, then we repent regularly.

943
00:42:10,080 --> 00:42:11,480
Now repentance, don't get me wrong,

944
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,520
it's one of those words that no one likes

945
00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,560
because they don't fully understand what it means.

946
00:42:16,560 --> 00:42:20,480
First, repentance is not feeling bad.

947
00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:23,360
Your self-loathing cannot save you.

948
00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:25,280
Feeling bad is not a spiritual experience.

949
00:42:25,280 --> 00:42:28,320
How many of you like to feel bad about yourself?

950
00:42:28,320 --> 00:42:29,160
That's what I thought.

951
00:42:29,160 --> 00:42:31,000
Really, you like to feel bad about yourself?

952
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,720
Man, I'm sorry, can someone get over here and pray?

953
00:42:33,720 --> 00:42:34,560
Let's go.

954
00:42:35,400 --> 00:42:37,480
We don't like to feel bad.

955
00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:39,760
We wanna be happy and full of joy.

956
00:42:39,760 --> 00:42:42,400
Repentance is not saying you're sorry

957
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:45,040
and then continue on doing it anyway.

958
00:42:45,040 --> 00:42:47,320
God, I'm sorry for lying and then you turn around

959
00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:49,640
10 minutes later and lie to your parents.

960
00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:51,720
Right, it doesn't work that way.

961
00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:53,560
Repentance, this is a big one, church,

962
00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:55,800
is not a one-time event.

963
00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:58,840
Well, Chris, I repented when I turned to Jesus, I'm good.

964
00:42:58,840 --> 00:42:59,680
Wrong.

965
00:43:00,840 --> 00:43:04,440
Repentance is an exercise that God has given us

966
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:07,160
that any time we feel our mind, our will,

967
00:43:07,160 --> 00:43:11,480
our emotions going into sin, we repent,

968
00:43:11,480 --> 00:43:14,720
and then it pulls us back into the truth of who God is

969
00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:16,960
and what he says about us.

970
00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:20,160
Clear, scriptural definition of repentance, you ready?

971
00:43:21,640 --> 00:43:26,040
Pursuing sin and then changing direction to pursue Jesus.

972
00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:30,120
Pursuing sin, repent, pursue Jesus.

973
00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,720
Go in the direction of life.

974
00:43:33,720 --> 00:43:36,280
It's not pursuing sin, it's not feeling bad about it,

975
00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:39,280
it's not turning around one time,

976
00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:43,440
it's stopping and saying, oh, this is the wrong direction,

977
00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:47,240
this is death, this is lies, I need life.

978
00:43:47,240 --> 00:43:51,040
I want abundance and it's going towards truth, Romans 6.

979
00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:54,280
Don't let sin control the way you live.

980
00:43:54,280 --> 00:43:55,920
Do not give in to sinful desires,

981
00:43:55,920 --> 00:43:57,400
do not let any part of your body

982
00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:00,760
become an instrument of evil to serve sin.

983
00:44:00,760 --> 00:44:02,440
And let me just pause there a second, see,

984
00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,000
I wanna correct some misunderstandings.

985
00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:07,520
Keep the Sky Bible up, okay?

986
00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,480
Now, Paul continues on on how we defeat sin,

987
00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:13,560
but if we were to write the next portion of scripture,

988
00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:15,320
you know what it would say?

989
00:44:15,320 --> 00:44:18,280
It would say, fight against the flesh.

990
00:44:18,280 --> 00:44:22,480
Try real hard, battle sin, get a kush jar.

991
00:44:23,360 --> 00:44:25,120
You're like, Chris, what's a kush jar?

992
00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:28,760
Well, I learned that a kush jar

993
00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:31,680
from someone in here that's doing it is every time.

994
00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:35,080
I won't mention names.

995
00:44:36,440 --> 00:44:38,680
A kush jar is every time you swear,

996
00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:42,360
you put money in the jar, right?

997
00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:46,960
Fight against the sin, but let me read,

998
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:48,960
let me read what Paul writes to us, look.

999
00:44:50,280 --> 00:44:52,520
Paul doesn't say fight against sin,

1000
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:57,520
he says, give yourselves completely to God.

1001
00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:01,000
For you were dead, but now you have new life.

1002
00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:02,720
So use your whole body as an instrument

1003
00:45:02,720 --> 00:45:05,880
to do what is right for you, to all the glory of God.

1004
00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:09,080
See, most people lose the battle of sin

1005
00:45:09,080 --> 00:45:10,800
because they fight in their own strength.

1006
00:45:10,800 --> 00:45:15,200
When Paul says, give yourself completely to God.

1007
00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:17,160
Now, question, mathematicians.

1008
00:45:18,240 --> 00:45:21,160
If you give yourself completely to God,

1009
00:45:21,160 --> 00:45:22,960
how much left do you give to sin?

1010
00:45:25,920 --> 00:45:27,360
All right, let me ask the question again.

1011
00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:28,320
Some of you are like,

1012
00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:33,240
okay, this is like elementary level math.

1013
00:45:33,240 --> 00:45:34,880
Okay, here we go.

1014
00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:39,240
If you give yourself completely to God, 100% to God,

1015
00:45:39,240 --> 00:45:41,320
how much do you have left to give to sin?

1016
00:45:41,320 --> 00:45:42,480
Nothing.

1017
00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:45,240
Thank you, that's much better, nothing.

1018
00:45:45,240 --> 00:45:46,920
Now, this is how we're gonna close, it's really cool.

1019
00:45:46,920 --> 00:45:48,280
I read an article this week

1020
00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:51,400
that told the story of a pastor

1021
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:53,600
that was invited to come and lead a Bible study

1022
00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:55,800
at a men's fraternity.

1023
00:45:55,800 --> 00:45:58,840
So he shows up on campus, college guys, new into faith,

1024
00:45:58,840 --> 00:46:00,480
they're sold out for Jesus,

1025
00:46:00,480 --> 00:46:05,000
and they wanted this pastor to teach on sexual temptation.

1026
00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:08,240
The study started, and during the teaching,

1027
00:46:08,240 --> 00:46:10,200
the pastor made the comment,

1028
00:46:10,200 --> 00:46:14,040
we have the ability to control ourselves sexually.

1029
00:46:14,040 --> 00:46:16,720
Like a light switch, you can turn on and off

1030
00:46:16,720 --> 00:46:18,480
your sexual desires.

1031
00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:22,040
Now, he made the comment, and he noticed in the group

1032
00:46:23,040 --> 00:46:25,120
that a hush went over them.

1033
00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:26,760
They were confused.

1034
00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:28,880
And one of the guys in the front row says,

1035
00:46:28,880 --> 00:46:31,480
sir, I disagree with that statement.

1036
00:46:31,480 --> 00:46:32,880
I don't believe that statement is true,

1037
00:46:32,880 --> 00:46:36,960
because there's a point of no turning back.

1038
00:46:36,960 --> 00:46:40,640
The pastor says, is that what you believe?

1039
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:42,280
And the whole group said, yeah.

1040
00:46:43,240 --> 00:46:44,840
So the pastor says,

1041
00:46:44,840 --> 00:46:46,720
let's say you're in one of those moments.

1042
00:46:46,720 --> 00:46:49,480
You're with a girlfriend, hormones are racing,

1043
00:46:49,480 --> 00:46:53,080
emotions are peaking, you're doing and crossing lines

1044
00:46:53,080 --> 00:46:54,320
you shouldn't have crossed,

1045
00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:57,280
and you've entered a place of no turning back.

1046
00:46:57,280 --> 00:46:59,760
Now I want you to imagine that her father,

1047
00:46:59,760 --> 00:47:02,080
who is a Navy SEAL, gets home from a tour

1048
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:05,480
in the Middle East, right while this encounter is happening.

1049
00:47:07,840 --> 00:47:11,680
Do you think that you have the capacity

1050
00:47:11,680 --> 00:47:13,040
to control yourself?

1051
00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:16,400
The pastor said the room got real silent,

1052
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:19,040
and one guy says, you know, he makes a good point.

1053
00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:26,760
The pastor says, did your sexual desire evaporate?

1054
00:47:26,760 --> 00:47:29,640
Did you suddenly find her unattractive?

1055
00:47:29,640 --> 00:47:33,280
No, your strong sexual desire,

1056
00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:35,800
but a stronger desire to stay alive.

1057
00:47:38,600 --> 00:47:43,600
Church, listen, our problem is not that we are weak.

1058
00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:45,800
Our problem is our view of God is weak.

1059
00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:49,120
Sin is not so strong in your life.

1060
00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,000
It's your view of God, and it's weak,

1061
00:47:52,000 --> 00:47:53,400
and if we pursue Him,

1062
00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,600
we will have no problem dealing with our sin.

1063
00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:59,240
Because listen, if you tasted God's grace,

1064
00:47:59,240 --> 00:48:01,000
you don't want to abuse it.

1065
00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:02,440
If you enter into His presence,

1066
00:48:02,440 --> 00:48:05,920
like we do every single Sunday when we worship together,

1067
00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:07,760
you don't want to leave it.

1068
00:48:07,760 --> 00:48:12,120
If you heard His voice, you want to continue to hear it.

1069
00:48:12,120 --> 00:48:15,560
There is so little satisfaction in sin,

1070
00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:19,000
and the solution for sin is going all in for Jesus.

1071
00:48:20,680 --> 00:48:22,080
Joshua and the children of Israel

1072
00:48:22,080 --> 00:48:23,720
addressed the issue of sin,

1073
00:48:23,720 --> 00:48:26,440
and immediately they start moving again.

1074
00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:28,360
So the Lord was no longer angry

1075
00:48:28,360 --> 00:48:29,760
than the Lord said to Joshua,

1076
00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:31,600
do not be afraid or discouraged.

1077
00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:34,560
Church, do not be afraid or discouraged.

1078
00:48:34,560 --> 00:48:36,920
I have given you the land.

1079
00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:40,560
Will you claim it?

1080
00:48:40,560 --> 00:48:41,760
Will you stand with me?

1081
00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:45,440
Listen, I want you to grab your brown bags.

1082
00:48:45,440 --> 00:48:46,720
All of you were given a brown bag.

1083
00:48:46,720 --> 00:48:48,800
If you weren't given a brown bag,

1084
00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:51,000
make sure you get one on your way out.

1085
00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:52,760
So we did 21 Days to Freedom,

1086
00:48:52,760 --> 00:48:55,080
and this coming Friday, we're going to have a freedom night.

1087
00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:57,440
And we're going to gather here on Friday night at 6.30,

1088
00:48:57,440 --> 00:48:59,160
and we're going to start worshiping at seven,

1089
00:48:59,160 --> 00:49:01,040
and I want you to bring this brown bag back.

1090
00:49:01,040 --> 00:49:02,080
And I want you all to come.

1091
00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:03,640
You say, well, Chris,

1092
00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:05,240
did you say this to the first gathering?

1093
00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:06,480
Yes.

1094
00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:07,960
I want them all here.

1095
00:49:07,960 --> 00:49:10,160
And I even want you watching online.

1096
00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:11,880
I want this room so full

1097
00:49:11,880 --> 00:49:14,240
that I got to turn the air conditioner on 60

1098
00:49:14,240 --> 00:49:17,560
just to cool it down because there's so much body heat.

1099
00:49:17,560 --> 00:49:18,440
Standing room only.

1100
00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:21,480
We're going to take four rows in the front row out,

1101
00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:23,040
just so you can stand up,

1102
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,000
because I believe in what God wants to do in your life.

1103
00:49:26,000 --> 00:49:27,000
So you take this bag.

1104
00:49:27,000 --> 00:49:28,360
There's instructions on it.

1105
00:49:29,720 --> 00:49:32,280
What is it that you're struggling with?

1106
00:49:32,280 --> 00:49:33,560
And I want you to write it down.

1107
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:35,200
I want you to put it into a bag.

1108
00:49:35,200 --> 00:49:36,560
And if it doesn't fit in this bag,

1109
00:49:36,560 --> 00:49:39,360
get a trash bag and drag it in here,

1110
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:42,360
because we're going to put trash cans all along this front,

1111
00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:45,360
and we're going to invite people to come up as we worship

1112
00:49:45,360 --> 00:49:48,000
and to throw away their garbage,

1113
00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:51,440
because we believe our actions of stepping forward in faith

1114
00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:53,280
will release freedom in this place,

1115
00:49:53,280 --> 00:49:56,600
and we will become a people that are set apart and different.

1116
00:49:56,600 --> 00:49:57,800
Amen?

1117
00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:02,400
And then all of you will want to wear a tie-dye jean jacket

1118
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:07,520
so you can share the good news with others.

1119
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:09,320
Amen?

1120
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:15,160
So what is it that God desires for you to walk in freedom?

1121
00:50:15,160 --> 00:50:16,000
Pray about it.

1122
00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:18,200
Allow Him to speak to you, allow the Holy Spirit

1123
00:50:18,200 --> 00:50:19,840
to move in your life.

1124
00:50:19,840 --> 00:50:21,720
Show back up here on Friday.

1125
00:50:21,720 --> 00:50:23,600
We will pack this place out.

1126
00:50:23,600 --> 00:50:25,000
We will have standing room only.

1127
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:27,280
We'll worship like we've never worshiped before,

1128
00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,360
and the Holy Spirit will fall in this place

1129
00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:31,520
and bring freedom like we've never seen.

1130
00:50:33,720 --> 00:50:37,080
Are you willing to step out and be free?

1131
00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:46,320
The King of Glory is here, come and behold,