1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 2 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:23,060 To get connected or to give online go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church. 3 00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:27,360 If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,840 change me to 970-00. 5 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,120 Thank you and enjoy the message. 6 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,740 Hey good morning everyone. 7 00:00:34,740 --> 00:00:38,820 So as you can tell I have a little bit of a sinus infection. 8 00:00:38,820 --> 00:00:41,120 Please bear with me today as I share. 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:46,920 We had a large celebration of life yesterday that kind of hit me in the, like I was hitting 10 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,140 a brick wall so, but that's okay. 11 00:00:49,140 --> 00:00:55,120 We're going to work through this and I believe and know that God has put a word in my heart 12 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,440 that I want to get out to you and I know who used my voice to make a difference. 13 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,760 If you're joining us from home, thank you for welcoming us into your space. 14 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:02,760 Shout out to HHC. 15 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,360 We love you guys, miss you and we'll see you soon. 16 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:11,880 So just like you heard Steven say, our youth retreat is coming up at the end of February. 17 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:13,040 Last year you saw the image. 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:21,540 We sent 16 teenagers to upper northern Pennsylvania to a retreat center where many of them were 19 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:23,960 changed by the presence of God. 20 00:01:23,960 --> 00:01:26,520 This year we want to send 20 plus. 21 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:31,000 If you feel like you can give to sponsor a youth to go, please do. 22 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,800 It's $160 registration fee. 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:39,280 Our goal is 20 plus kids because we know that their lives will be changed. 24 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,900 Real quick announcement about our soup and chili cookoff winners. 25 00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:46,560 Last week we had our growth group kickoff. 26 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:53,800 Our second place winner was the HCV writers, Lisa Zimmerman and her soup or chili. 27 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:59,560 And first place was the inner garden, which is led by Lisa Reese. 28 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:03,920 So they were our two big winners. 29 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:09,760 They received their beautiful aprons during our first gathering and a really unique high 30 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:18,120 five and a big shout out to all you Redskins fans in here. 31 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:24,160 I've never seen so many Redskins commander's jerseys in my life. 32 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:30,800 It's like you came out from an 18 year playoff absence or something. 33 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,760 Sorry about that. 34 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,800 I'm rooting for you. 35 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,640 I am. 36 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:46,720 So in his classic book, the knowledge of the holy, A.W. Tozer writes this, what comes into 37 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:53,320 our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. 38 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:58,040 The most important thing about us. 39 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:05,880 So my question to you this morning is, what do you think of when you think about God? 40 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:06,880 What do you see? 41 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:07,880 What do you imagine? 42 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:14,360 Do you think of an old guy with a long white beard wearing a robe and sitting in a large 43 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:19,000 chair removed and distant from the rest of us? 44 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:25,120 Or maybe you think of God as a close friend or a distant ruler. 45 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:31,480 Some of you may picture eight ounce, six pound baby Jesus wrapped in a manger for you. 46 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,320 There just really is no hope, but that's okay. 47 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:36,960 That's a whole different story. 48 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:42,160 Maybe you think of Jesus as a close friend. 49 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:47,840 See the reality is whatever we think about when we think about God, it's extremely important 50 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,600 because it impacts every area of our life. 51 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:57,640 It impacts our beliefs, our thoughts, our feelings, our actions. 52 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,840 Some people think about God again as a distant ruler. 53 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,680 He's up there somewhere in majesty and splendor. 54 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:07,440 He has all this power, but he's uninterested in his creation. 55 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:11,320 He's not really concerned about you and me or our everyday lives. 56 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:16,440 And if this is your view of God, then you would live your spiritual life as a practicing 57 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:23,360 atheist because if there is a God, it really doesn't matter because he may have all the 58 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:27,120 power in the world, but he is interested in me personally. 59 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,360 So why should I trust him with my life? 60 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:36,400 If you view God as a close friend, which remember Jesus does call us friends, that's a correct 61 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,320 interpretation. 62 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:43,960 But if you view God as only your friend that is concerned about us, but doesn't have the 63 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:49,080 power to change anything, then every time we go to him in prayer, we're going to become 64 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:56,200 frustrated with the reality that yes, he cares about us, but he can't impact or change my 65 00:04:56,200 --> 00:05:00,000 current reality because of my doubt. 66 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:05,240 I personally took some time to reflect this week on how I viewed God, what image came 67 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:11,400 to my mind, and for me, it's Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. 68 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:17,200 And if you've ever seen Gandalf, yes, he has a long white beard, yes, he wears a robe, 69 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:22,960 but there was at one point in the first movie where he took his staff when he was being 70 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:31,840 faced with a demon and he shoved it into the ground and he says, you shall not pass. 71 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:38,320 And that's the power and the authority that God has for every single one of us. 72 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:45,120 And this morning, Jesus wants to remind us and encourage us of the correct view of God 73 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:52,600 because again, it impacts everything, our thoughts, our feelings, our emotions, our 74 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:54,040 actions. 75 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,200 We're going to be reading from the Gospel of Matthew chapter seven as we close out our 76 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:04,640 21 days of prayer and fasting, which ends tomorrow, but becoming Mount Movers, I believe 77 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:07,800 is going to last all year. 78 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:14,960 And with this discussion this morning, we're going to learn what it means to ask, seek, 79 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:15,960 and knock. 80 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,080 So let's open in prayer, Holy Spirit come. 81 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:24,600 God, we're just thankful that you are here. 82 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,360 We're just thankful that you make your presence known to us. 83 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:34,720 May you open our hearts and our minds to receive all that you have for us, God. 84 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:41,120 We're just thankful for the life change that we experience each and every day. 85 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,680 In Jesus' name, amen. 86 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:49,980 So our first thought this morning is God is a good father. 87 00:06:49,980 --> 00:06:54,920 Jesus assures us of this in Matthew chapter seven verse 11 where he writes, so if you 88 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,240 sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your 89 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:04,560 heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask him? 90 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:11,320 God is a good father and a good father loves his children, has compassion for his children, 91 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:16,700 extends grace to his children, desires to bring his children close. 92 00:07:16,700 --> 00:07:23,120 But notice Jesus doesn't just call God our father, he is our heavenly father, which means 93 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:28,360 not only does he love us, care for us, and long to be near us, but he has the power to 94 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:34,600 meet our needs, to listen to our requests, to act in our best interests. 95 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:38,920 Church, our view of God matters. 96 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:44,800 First John chapter three verse one, see how very much our father loves us for he calls 97 00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:49,280 us his children and that is what we are, exclamation point. 98 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,320 You are a child of God. 99 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:56,360 But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because 100 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:58,160 they don't know him. 101 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,080 And friends, that's where we have to be careful. 102 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:07,200 Just because others in this world don't believe in God, just because others may not recognize 103 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:14,680 his love and his power, we can't allow that to create doubt in our minds and in our hearts. 104 00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:20,080 Yes, we serve them, we love them, we encourage them, we pray for them. 105 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:26,400 But if we have friends that are negatively impacting our faith and our hope in Jesus, 106 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,640 in God's love for us, then we need to create distance from them. 107 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:41,320 We need to separate ourselves and remove ourselves because it's not speaking life to us. 108 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,680 See God is not distant and removed. 109 00:08:44,680 --> 00:08:50,000 I mean for those in a relationship with Jesus, he dwells or lives inside of us. 110 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:55,280 Romans 8 15, so you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. 111 00:08:55,280 --> 00:09:01,700 Instead, you received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children and now we 112 00:09:01,700 --> 00:09:05,320 call him Abba, father. 113 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:10,080 So maybe you're here this morning and you're in need of a job or you're in need of a raise 114 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,800 to survive and pay your bills. 115 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:18,160 Or maybe you're here this morning and you're desire in your marriage to thrive, not dissolve. 116 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:23,240 Or maybe you brought an addiction here this morning, whether it be alcohol or drugs. 117 00:09:23,240 --> 00:09:27,760 Friends, we all have mountains that need moved. 118 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:28,760 How do I know that? 119 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:33,720 Well, just look at these four crosses in our auditorium. 120 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:40,240 Last week we all wrote down on post-its our mountains, our prayer requests and put them 121 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:42,440 on the crosses. 122 00:09:42,440 --> 00:09:47,580 And we've been praying for several weeks now for God to break into our lives and for God 123 00:09:47,580 --> 00:09:50,960 to bring about a breakthrough. 124 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,840 And we have to realize this all starts with how we view God. 125 00:09:55,840 --> 00:10:04,040 So just pause for a moment and reflect on your current view of God. 126 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,000 Is he your heavenly father? 127 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:12,240 Does he desire and long to be with you? 128 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:22,240 Does he desire abundance for your life or is he distant, far off, judging and interpreting 129 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:23,840 your every move? 130 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:31,840 See, your view impacts how you pray, how you respond, which leads us to our next all. 131 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:37,760 Jesus invites us to ask, seek and knock. 132 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:42,320 Matthew 7, 7, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. 133 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:43,860 Keep on seeking and you will find. 134 00:10:43,860 --> 00:10:46,960 Keep on knocking and the door will be open to you. 135 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:54,840 See Jesus gives us a remarkable invitation that we can experience every single day. 136 00:10:54,840 --> 00:11:01,200 He desires that we see God as our heavenly father who sees us, cares for us and loves 137 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:02,200 us. 138 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:09,320 Then Jesus encourages us to talk to God, to pray, to connect and to share our requests 139 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:10,860 with him. 140 00:11:10,860 --> 00:11:16,080 But notice these verses are much more than just an invitation. 141 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:22,800 Jesus says, keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking. 142 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:28,820 In other words, this is a command that Jesus gives us to keep doing that activity, to keep 143 00:11:28,820 --> 00:11:33,440 on praying, to keep communicating with your father. 144 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,320 Always be asking, always be seeking, always be knocking. 145 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:46,640 But notice, I presented this as an invitation because we all have a choice to go to God 146 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,640 and ask, seek and knock. 147 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:54,920 Every day we're presented with that choice, but the question is, do you do it? 148 00:11:54,920 --> 00:12:01,400 Is it a priority or are you so easily distracted? 149 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:07,500 Just look at that first word, ask, to ask is a sign of humility. 150 00:12:07,500 --> 00:12:11,320 It's an omission that we need something from God. 151 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:15,840 And for some of you, you can't even get over that. 152 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,560 You're not able to humble yourselves enough just to ask. 153 00:12:19,560 --> 00:12:21,780 You may have a question that needs answered. 154 00:12:21,780 --> 00:12:23,920 You may have a need that needs met. 155 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,920 You may need direction from God in your life. 156 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,280 Jesus says, ask. 157 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:37,320 James 1.5, if you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. 158 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,120 He will not rebuke you for asking. 159 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:40,840 He won't scold you. 160 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:44,180 He won't point fingers or make fun of you. 161 00:12:44,180 --> 00:12:49,640 When it comes to our relationship with God in prayer, there's no stupid question. 162 00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:54,640 Now some of you are nodding, but we heard that statement from teachers the whole time 163 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,460 we went through school. 164 00:12:56,460 --> 00:13:00,560 That we routinely, what, didn't ask any questions. 165 00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:01,560 Why? 166 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:03,280 Because we're too embarrassed. 167 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,280 We're too proud. 168 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:05,280 We're overconfident. 169 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:12,840 And this morning God is screaming at us, just ask. 170 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,400 I'm here and I want to listen. 171 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:21,960 James 4.2, you want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. 172 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,640 You're jealous of what others have, but you can't get it so you fight and wage war to 173 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,720 take it away from them. 174 00:13:28,720 --> 00:13:35,840 Yet you don't have what you want, purpose, meaning, direction, abundance, because you 175 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:38,560 don't ask God for it. 176 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:42,400 See we have to stop relying on our strength. 177 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:49,160 We have to stop relying on our wisdom, on our intellect, on our talents and our abilities. 178 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:55,920 And yes, I believe God gave all of that to us, but imagine partnering all that he gave 179 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:00,440 to us with the one who created the heavens and the earth. 180 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:05,000 Friends, that's how you make a difference in this world. 181 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:10,040 Remember James wrote, you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. 182 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:14,280 It all starts with the ask. 183 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,600 And I want to challenge you. 184 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,760 Ask God this week. 185 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,880 Then we move to the word seek. 186 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:23,600 Seek is a sign of commitment. 187 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:27,960 I'm not going to just ask God and then drop it and walk away from it. 188 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:31,400 No, I'm going to seek and search for the answer. 189 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:35,120 I'm going to seek and search for that request. 190 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,600 I'm going to seek and search that God makes a difference. 191 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:45,320 And this happens when we read the Bible, when we're seeking God, when we have these answers 192 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:50,460 or these questions to life, we go to the book that directs us. 193 00:14:50,460 --> 00:14:54,360 Or maybe for some of you, you need to get into a growth group and you need to have others 194 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:56,200 encourage you. 195 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:00,400 Maybe for some of you, you're in a marriage or financial crisis and you need to get into 196 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:04,560 a course that helps you find the answers. 197 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,000 To seek means we take action. 198 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,400 We pray, we ask God for a job. 199 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,480 Oh, and then we write a resume. 200 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:21,680 And we send it out with applications to employers because that's how we seek a job. 201 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:27,400 It's a responsible activity in seeking God's will for our lives. 202 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:32,200 For example, I've been praying for marriages this week in our community of faith. 203 00:15:32,200 --> 00:15:33,800 You want to know why? 204 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:39,600 Because every day I walked by these crosses and on all the post-its on every cross, there's 205 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,080 at least one. 206 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:42,480 Pray for my marriage. 207 00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:43,800 Pray for my marriage. 208 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:45,560 Pray for my marriage. 209 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:47,240 Pray for my marriage. 210 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:52,800 So as the leader of this community of faith, I've been praying for marriages. 211 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:59,240 I've been desiring to see them live and move in abundance and restoration and healing and 212 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,520 forgiveness, whatever was needed. 213 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:08,600 To which I say to all of you that put those post-its on those crosses, we have eight spots 214 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,560 open in our upcoming winter marriage course. 215 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:18,120 And if you are in a situation where your marriage needs change and restored, yes, you ask for 216 00:16:18,120 --> 00:16:19,120 it. 217 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:20,400 You put it on the cross. 218 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:27,160 And then you jump into the marriage course where you learn and change and grow. 219 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,840 So husbands, sign up at the Welcome Hub. 220 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:34,580 Believe me, your wife won't be upset with you. 221 00:16:34,580 --> 00:16:37,440 They want you to. 222 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,640 To seek God is to be determined. 223 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,920 It means to search for something. 224 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:47,960 I don't have because I don't know, but I'm going to keep on searching until it's found. 225 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:54,040 Jesus uses this parable and challenges us to keep seeking in Luke 15, 8. 226 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:58,040 Suppose a woman has 10 silver coins and loses one. 227 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,520 Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds 228 00:17:02,520 --> 00:17:03,520 it? 229 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:05,200 Of course she will. 230 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:11,040 But please understand there's a big difference between seeking and striving. 231 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:17,800 To strive indicates a struggle, like we're wrestling with something. 232 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:19,720 Striving means it's all up to us. 233 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:26,200 While seeking means we're walking through life depending on God to lead and guide us. 234 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:33,360 Jeremiah 29, 13, if you look for me wholeheartedly with all your heart, you will find me. 235 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:38,160 If we seek him with our whole heart, we'll find what we're looking for. 236 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,760 And it's a reminder that we need to be all in. 237 00:17:41,760 --> 00:17:45,440 We can't have one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom. 238 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:53,880 We have to be all in as we seek for God's purpose, for God's answers, for God's meeting 239 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:58,640 our needs in our lives, which then leads us to knock. 240 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,760 Knock is a persistent desire for more. 241 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:02,820 It's physical. 242 00:18:02,820 --> 00:18:08,040 When we knock on a door, right, we don't just knock once. 243 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:09,040 Whoever does that? 244 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:10,040 Right? 245 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:15,000 When you go to a door and knock on it, well, a lot of them have ring doorbells now so they 246 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,060 can see you and make sure you're not a burglar or anything else. 247 00:18:18,060 --> 00:18:22,480 But if you go old school to my house, it doesn't have a doorbell or a ring doorbell. 248 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:23,480 Guess what? 249 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,840 You got to beat on that door for a hear us. 250 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:27,840 You got to beat on it. 251 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:29,840 You got to knock. 252 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,720 And to knock is an unwillingness to give up. 253 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:37,200 It's an asking and a seeking. 254 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:43,120 Revelation 320 says, look, I stand at the door and knock. 255 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,880 And that's Jesus speaking to his church. 256 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:48,920 He's not speaking to those that are in a relationship with him. 257 00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:49,920 He's speaking to his church. 258 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,280 He says, if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and we will share a meal 259 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:54,600 together as friends. 260 00:18:54,600 --> 00:19:00,800 See, Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts and we have to decide if we're going to open 261 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,180 that door or not. 262 00:19:02,180 --> 00:19:07,840 It's a step of faith because quite often when Jesus knocks on the door of our hearts, it 263 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:09,440 means we need to change. 264 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,760 It means something isn't right. 265 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:18,440 And here we use our spouse, our kids, our coworkers, our classmates. 266 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,920 Here we use a celebration of life, a movie we're watching or a song we're listening 267 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:24,120 to. 268 00:19:24,120 --> 00:19:31,000 But the question remains when Jesus knocks and he reveals this truth to our lives, will 269 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:34,600 you choose to change? 270 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:41,240 And it's crazy, but notice the increased intensity in Jesus's instructions to us. 271 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,400 It's a sense of urgency in each word. 272 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:49,100 First, first we ask, but more than that, we are to seek. 273 00:19:49,100 --> 00:19:54,560 But even more than that, we're to knock and we're to keep knocking. 274 00:19:54,560 --> 00:20:00,120 In Luke chapter 11, Jesus tells us a story about a man who had a friend come and visit 275 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:01,220 him. 276 00:20:01,220 --> 00:20:05,900 But the man, he had no bread to welcome the friend and be hospitable. 277 00:20:05,900 --> 00:20:10,200 So the man quickly goes to his neighbor's house in the middle of the night, say like 278 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:15,920 one in the morning, and he begins to pound on the door of his neighbor's house. 279 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:16,920 Wake up, wake up. 280 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:20,680 I'm a visitor and I have no bread. 281 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:23,680 The man in the house responds by, get out of here. 282 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:24,680 I'm sleeping. 283 00:20:24,680 --> 00:20:27,680 My whole family's sleeping. 284 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:28,680 Get away. 285 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:34,800 But the man keeps knocking and knocking and pounding on the door until the man of the 286 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,720 house gets up out of bed and gives him the bread. 287 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:43,600 And in verse eight, we read this, but I tell you this, that we won't do it for friendship's 288 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:44,600 sake. 289 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:49,360 If you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because 290 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:54,120 of your shameless persistence. 291 00:20:54,120 --> 00:21:01,240 Shameless persistence or audacity is the same persistence that my five-year-old Phoenix 292 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,840 has when he needs something from dad. 293 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,920 I have this little guy named Phoenix. 294 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:09,760 He's five years old and guess what? 295 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:10,760 Everything's a crisis. 296 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:16,720 If he can't find his Lego, dad! 297 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,360 Can't find his jersey, dad! 298 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:23,400 I mean it's just, dad! 299 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,160 I mean just this squeal. 300 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:26,680 I come running, I'm like, what? 301 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:28,680 What's wrong? 302 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,160 I can't find my Lego to finish the airplane. 303 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:35,920 I'm like, bro, it sounded like you're dying. 304 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:37,200 It's not that big of a deal. 305 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:38,480 Yeah, it is. 306 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:40,080 It's a big deal. 307 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,160 I need your help. 308 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:45,480 I need it now. 309 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:51,120 You know, it's that shameless persistence, it's that audacity that when I'm on the phone 310 00:21:51,120 --> 00:21:55,760 with someone praying for someone, he's just crawling all over me. 311 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:57,400 Play with me. 312 00:21:57,400 --> 00:21:58,400 Play with me. 313 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,040 Phoenix, I'm praying for you. 314 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:01,040 It's okay. 315 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,440 Play with me. 316 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:04,440 That is audacity. 317 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:05,440 That's shameless. 318 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:07,880 And you're like, I can go to God like that? 319 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:08,880 Yeah. 320 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,080 That's what God wants for us. 321 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:17,000 He wants for us to go to Him that way so that we continue to ask and seek and knock until 322 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:23,240 that mountain moves, which leads us to our next thought. 323 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:28,760 You see, Jesus promises to listen and respond. 324 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:35,780 And what an incredible news Matthew 7, 8 for everyone who asks, receives. 325 00:22:35,780 --> 00:22:43,080 Everyone who seeks finds and to everyone who knocks, the door will be open. 326 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:45,960 This is Jesus' promise to us. 327 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:53,500 God hears, God listens, and He responds to our prayers and to our needs. 328 00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:54,840 That's our heavenly Father. 329 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,880 He doesn't just care about us. 330 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,960 He doesn't just see us and love us. 331 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:04,760 He breaks in and He releases His power in our lives to answer our prayers, to break 332 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:10,080 our addictions, to provide a job or the resources that we need for life. 333 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:17,000 And this is a response to our persistence in prayer as we ask, seek, and knock. 334 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:21,720 But please understand, God is not no gene in a bottle. 335 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,400 He doesn't just grant us our three wishes. 336 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:30,760 See, our will and our desires, they need to line up with God's plan and what God's best 337 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:31,760 is for our life. 338 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:39,880 Look at 1 John 5, 14 to 15, and we are confident that He hears us whenever we ask for anything 339 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:43,480 that pleases Him. 340 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:48,320 And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know He will give us 341 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:49,640 what we ask for. 342 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:54,920 See, our motives and our desires have to be pure. 343 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,760 Our wants have to be in our best interest, not in selfish desires. 344 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:05,560 James 4, 3, and even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong. 345 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:07,680 You want only what will give you pleasure. 346 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:13,960 See, our asking has to line up with God's will and our motives have to be right and 347 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,040 pure otherwise. 348 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:19,560 It's just sin and pleasure. 349 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:23,080 But there can also be unforgiveness that hinders our prayer life. 350 00:24:23,080 --> 00:24:28,200 Jesus says this in Matthew 5, so if you're presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the 351 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:34,320 temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice 352 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:39,640 at the altar, go and be reconciled to that person, then comment off your sacrifice to 353 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:40,640 God. 354 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:47,480 See, this is a call to remove our masks, to get honest with God about our heart issues, 355 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:52,520 the negativity, the judgment of others, the doubt, the frustration, so that our prayer 356 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:55,880 life is a real life connection with God. 357 00:24:55,880 --> 00:25:02,240 I want to challenge you, don't matter how hard it is, forgive your mom, forgive your 358 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:07,840 dad, forgive your brother or your sister, forgive your friend at church that hurt you. 359 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:14,680 Forgive, forgive, forgive, so that our hearts can be right and we can see God as our father. 360 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:15,760 But Chris, it's too hard. 361 00:25:15,760 --> 00:25:16,760 I was abused. 362 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:17,760 I was forgotten. 363 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:19,760 I was adopted. 364 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,760 Listen, I get it. 365 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:23,760 There's pain. 366 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:29,040 I'm not saying you got to go be best friends with anyone, but I'm saying you got to forgive 367 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:30,400 so you can be forgiven. 368 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,600 I mean, Jesus went at all cost, right? 369 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:40,120 God sent Jesus to die for us in the midst of our brokenness and our sin and just all 370 00:25:40,120 --> 00:25:42,720 the negativity that we're living in. 371 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,040 We can extend forgiveness to others. 372 00:25:46,040 --> 00:25:52,440 Jesus continues in Matthew 7, 9 through 10, you parents, if your children ask for a loaf 373 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:55,440 of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 374 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:57,560 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? 375 00:25:57,560 --> 00:25:59,240 Of course not. 376 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:05,280 And Jesus is encouraging us to see God as the father and he will answer our prayers 377 00:26:05,280 --> 00:26:08,280 based on what is best for us. 378 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:14,160 Because we have to realize in Jesus' day, a loaf of bread looked very similar, right, 379 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:15,160 to a stone. 380 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,480 Both were round, both were oval. 381 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,280 And a fish, you say, well, a fish, how's a fish look like a snake? 382 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:26,960 Well, they ate eels and eels can look like snakes. 383 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:32,760 And quite often what happens in our prayer life is, hey, God, I know what's best for 384 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:34,300 me. 385 00:26:34,300 --> 00:26:36,560 This is what I need. 386 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:44,240 When in reality, those prayers, if answered, could become a rock or a snake in our life 387 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,260 and pull us away. 388 00:26:46,260 --> 00:26:50,640 We think we know what's best for our lives, but only God knows. 389 00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,920 You see, God is gonna give us what is best. 390 00:26:52,920 --> 00:27:00,680 And we also must realize that bread and fish, they were the basic needs that God met, right? 391 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:05,880 They weren't the Mercedes that we were praying for or they weren't the lottery that we wanna 392 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:06,880 win. 393 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,560 It was the basic needs. 394 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:15,520 But unfortunately within our culture, so often we compare ourselves to others and that allows 395 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:22,040 our prayer life to be taken over by these wants rather than these needs. 396 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:24,440 And that's just not how God works. 397 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,480 We're His children. 398 00:27:27,480 --> 00:27:29,920 We don't have the complete picture. 399 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:34,440 And quite often we don't even know what tomorrow's gonna bring. 400 00:27:34,440 --> 00:27:38,960 And if we know anything about children, and I've raised six of them and raised several 401 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:43,920 right now, they're always gonna choose what is not best for them. 402 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:45,680 Oh, just eat whatever you want. 403 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,720 I'll have ice cream. 404 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:49,720 What would you like for lunch? 405 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,760 Um, I'll have nerds. 406 00:27:53,760 --> 00:28:00,800 But as parents, we have to give them what is best for them. 407 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:05,200 Same thing happens with God. 408 00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:08,360 He's gonna give us what is best for us. 409 00:28:08,360 --> 00:28:12,980 He's gonna answer our prayers in what is best for us. 410 00:28:12,980 --> 00:28:15,080 Which leads us to our final thought. 411 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,360 Jesus challenges us to live on assignment. 412 00:28:18,360 --> 00:28:23,600 And so interesting, as I was reading through Matthew 7 here, I am focused on ask, seek, 413 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:28,640 knock, and I'm focused on the persistence of prayer and wanting to share that. 414 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:34,520 And then all of a sudden these words jump off the pages directly after ask, seek, knock. 415 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:38,000 Oh, do to others whatever you would like them to do for you. 416 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:41,720 This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 417 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:44,440 And I began to pray, I'm like, God, why are these words here? 418 00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:49,480 Like, why all of a sudden is the golden rule thrown in to my prayer life? 419 00:28:49,480 --> 00:28:54,600 I mean, we're just discussing prayer, how I should ask, seek, and knock, and now you're 420 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,320 telling me to go and live the golden rule. 421 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:03,200 But we have to realize doing to others what we would want them to do for us is actually 422 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,540 the natural outflow of our prayer life. 423 00:29:06,540 --> 00:29:08,040 It's how it works. 424 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,520 C.S. Lewis says it best this way. 425 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,480 I pray because I can't help myself. 426 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:15,080 I pray because I'm helpless. 427 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:20,760 I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. 428 00:29:20,760 --> 00:29:25,200 It doesn't change God, it changes me. 429 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,440 Prayer changes us. 430 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:34,560 So Jesus gives us this command as a means of living in abundant life as we pray through 431 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:35,560 life. 432 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:37,800 How do you want others to treat you? 433 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:40,760 Do you want others to be kind to you? 434 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,080 Yes or no? 435 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:44,360 Do you want people to be kind to you? 436 00:29:44,360 --> 00:29:47,060 Do you want people to be honest with you? 437 00:29:47,060 --> 00:29:50,920 Do you want people to forgive you? 438 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:53,040 You do it first. 439 00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:54,660 See the difference? 440 00:29:54,660 --> 00:30:01,340 You go and do it first because we're living in this outflow of our prayer life. 441 00:30:01,340 --> 00:30:05,240 And when we start living this way, then our community has changed. 442 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,920 I mean, there's just too many people. 443 00:30:08,920 --> 00:30:11,440 They're pointing fingers, they're complaining. 444 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:12,440 It's the government's fault. 445 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:13,800 It's this person's fault. 446 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,360 I mean, just look at social media since the election. 447 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:17,360 The world's ending. 448 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:18,980 Have you heard? 449 00:30:18,980 --> 00:30:24,480 The world's imploding because someone, there's a new president. 450 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:31,200 I'm just like, stop pointing fingers and judging and do something with your life. 451 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:32,200 Do something with your life. 452 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:33,200 And it doesn't matter how you voted. 453 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:34,960 I don't care if you're Republican or Democrat. 454 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:35,960 I'm neither. 455 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,760 Don't want to be. 456 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:43,080 I just want to make a difference in other people's lives. 457 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:45,400 Jesus is my president. 458 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:46,880 I pray for our president. 459 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:48,360 Don't get me wrong. 460 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:52,880 I'm thankful to live in a free country. 461 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:58,360 But that doesn't succumb and take priority over living the kingdom life. 462 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,400 The kingdom life is the upside down life and it goes against everything our culture tells 463 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:03,920 us to do. 464 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:07,160 And as we're living that way, listen, it's not us. 465 00:31:07,160 --> 00:31:08,400 It's Jesus living in us. 466 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:10,960 And then that's how we point others to him. 467 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,160 And then those others begin to ask, seek, and knock. 468 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:18,760 That's how it all works, which leads us to our action steps. 469 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:23,400 Daily living as a child of God, three simple steps. 470 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,560 And daily living as a child of God. 471 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:28,360 First, we have to admit we are evil. 472 00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:30,240 Yeah, you're evil. 473 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:31,840 You're sinful. 474 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:32,960 So am I. 475 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:37,360 Matthew 7-11, so if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how 476 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:40,720 much more will the heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask them? 477 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,360 I mean, look in the mirror. 478 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:46,360 We're sinful, we're selfish, we're born into it. 479 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:49,880 And it's a battle that you're going to be in for your life. 480 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,000 It's never going to end. 481 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,200 We're never going to be Jesus. 482 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:57,920 We want to be more like Jesus, but we're never going to be Jesus. 483 00:31:57,920 --> 00:31:59,440 And that's why it's so important. 484 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:06,000 That's why Jesus is telling us, no, daily, hourly, admit your sin. 485 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Because guess what? 486 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:09,080 There's not an hour that goes by that our thoughts aren't on something we shouldn't 487 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:10,080 be on. 488 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:15,480 You say, how'd you know that? 489 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,480 Because that's the way my thoughts work. 490 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,120 It's called sinful. 491 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:24,520 But I know 1 John 1-9, if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive 492 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,160 us our sins and cleanse us from all wickedness. 493 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:34,080 He's going to forgive us because he's a good father and he desires to give us good gifts. 494 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:37,080 Most importantly, he desires to give us himself. 495 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:44,760 And if you're here and you're not in a relationship with Jesus, my question to you is, why not? 496 00:32:44,760 --> 00:32:45,760 Why not? 497 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:49,160 I mean, just listen to this promise that Jesus gives us. 498 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:54,920 For everyone who asks, receives, everyone who seeks finds, and everyone who knocks, 499 00:32:54,920 --> 00:32:55,920 the door will be open. 500 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:01,960 And if you simply admit your need and invite him in, abundance awaits. 501 00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,300 That's the purpose you've been searching for. 502 00:33:04,300 --> 00:33:05,880 It begins right now. 503 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:06,880 Amen? 504 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:09,340 All right, let's pray. 505 00:33:09,340 --> 00:33:14,280 We pray a simple prayer every time we gather as a community of faith because we believe 506 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:17,600 that God brings people into our midst that are distant, far from God, or never started 507 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:18,600 a relationship with him. 508 00:33:18,600 --> 00:33:23,000 So we're going to pray a simple prayer right now and we're all going to join in on it. 509 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,840 Jesus, I'm broken. 510 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:31,280 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. 511 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:32,280 Change me. 512 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:35,360 I believe you're God's son. 513 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:38,720 I believe you died for me. 514 00:33:38,720 --> 00:33:40,280 Make me new. 515 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,240 Set me free. 516 00:33:42,240 --> 00:33:44,360 Fill me with your spirit. 517 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,360 Help me, God, to serve others. 518 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:50,340 In Jesus' name, amen. 519 00:33:50,340 --> 00:33:54,360 So if you prayed that prayer for the first time today or recommitted your life, let me 520 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,000 know when you leave. 521 00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,720 Give me a high five. 522 00:33:57,720 --> 00:33:58,720 Hug me. 523 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:02,360 Say, hey, I prayed that prayer and I'm going to tell you some next steps that you need 524 00:34:02,360 --> 00:34:03,360 to take. 525 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:04,360 Amen? 526 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,240 Which leads us to our next step. 527 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:07,840 Receive the good gifts. 528 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:13,200 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will 529 00:34:13,200 --> 00:34:15,400 your heavenly father give good gifts? 530 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:21,840 And please understand, these good gifts that God desires to give to us starts with him. 531 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:23,520 He is the gift. 532 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:26,320 He fills us with his presence, with the Holy Spirit. 533 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:28,480 Again he said, peace be with you. 534 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:34,600 And it's so cool here in John 20, this is after Jesus rose from the grave, right? 535 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:36,920 The disciples, they locked themselves in this room. 536 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:39,280 They're fearful for their lives. 537 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:41,280 They have no idea what's going to happen. 538 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,240 Jesus just, hey, what's up, guys? 539 00:34:44,240 --> 00:34:45,240 Peace be with you. 540 00:34:45,240 --> 00:34:47,640 They're like, what in the world? 541 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:51,480 He has to show them his hands and his side. 542 00:34:51,480 --> 00:34:53,000 It's me, guys. 543 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:54,240 Peace be with you. 544 00:34:54,240 --> 00:34:57,360 And then he says, as the Father sent me, so I'm sending you. 545 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:03,240 Then he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit. 546 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:06,080 If you forgive anyone's sins, they are forgiven. 547 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:09,560 If you not forgive them, they are not forgiven. 548 00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:14,040 See when we receive the Holy Spirit, when we're full of the Holy Spirit, we have the 549 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,280 ability to walk in abundance. 550 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:21,640 We have the ability to believe in the miraculous, to live with purpose and meaning, for God 551 00:35:21,640 --> 00:35:27,320 to meet our needs, to bless us with the gifts of the kingdom. 552 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:35,000 And it's my desire that our community of faith is full of the Holy Spirit, that he blows 553 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:41,440 through us, that he breathes on us so that we as a church are living in abundance, which 554 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,000 leads us to our final step. 555 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,760 Go and do. 556 00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:51,600 Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. 557 00:35:51,600 --> 00:35:55,200 So here's part two of our crosses. 558 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:59,880 So last week, if you weren't here, I know it was snowing, I get it. 559 00:35:59,880 --> 00:36:02,280 I challenged our community of faith. 560 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:06,160 You got a mountain that needs move, if you got a prayer request, I want you to write 561 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:10,380 it on a post-it and put it on these crosses, right? 562 00:36:10,380 --> 00:36:12,800 As a means of saying, God, I'm giving this to you. 563 00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:14,800 I'm praying, I'm believing. 564 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:16,280 Well now it's part two. 565 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:21,440 So today, what I want to challenge you to do, okay, if you weren't here last week, you 566 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:24,480 can write your post-it, put it on the cross, that's good. 567 00:36:24,480 --> 00:36:30,280 But for those of you that were here, I want you to take a prayer request that's not yours. 568 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:33,920 So if you go to this cross and you see your prayer request, go to that cross. 569 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:38,680 I want you to take a request that's not yours and I want you to pray for it. 570 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:44,640 And I want you to pray for it this week, next month, and for the rest of this year. 571 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:50,680 I want you to pray for it until you hear a testimony that God moved that mountain. 572 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:56,320 And it may be two years, it may be four years, I don't care. 573 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,880 I want you to keep praying for that mountain to move. 574 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:01,360 You know why? 575 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:06,200 Because quite often, when we pray for others and we pray for God to meet other people's 576 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:09,080 needs, guess what happens to our needs? 577 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,720 They're met and our mountains are moved. 578 00:37:11,720 --> 00:37:17,960 When we get our focus off that mountain that's not really a mountain for God and we're praying 579 00:37:17,960 --> 00:37:26,000 for others, then all of a sudden our needs are met and our mountains move. 580 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:30,160 That's our challenge to go and do. 581 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:34,880 But it's also a practice that we're going to do for the rest of this year. 582 00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,040 Because God put on my heart this week that these crosses are going to be out for the 583 00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:39,920 rest of this year. 584 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:43,340 Because it's called moving mountains. 585 00:37:43,340 --> 00:37:48,600 For the rest of this year there will be post-its and pens on these crosses for you to write 586 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:52,000 requests, needs that you have and put them on the cross. 587 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:54,000 And every week, guess what you can do? 588 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:57,280 You can take another need and start praying for it. 589 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,640 As long as it's not your need, because then you're being selfish. 590 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:04,520 You're praying for someone else's need. 591 00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:10,500 And it's a simple, practical practice that all of us begin to learn and all of us begin 592 00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:13,760 to grow in our faith and our relationship with Jesus. 593 00:38:13,760 --> 00:38:17,720 Man, isn't it amazing how simple God is? 594 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:20,440 He's elementary. 595 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:22,720 But here's something else I need from you. 596 00:38:22,720 --> 00:38:25,380 I want to hear the testimonies. 597 00:38:25,380 --> 00:38:28,760 So many people, they have their mountains moved and I don't hear about it or know about 598 00:38:28,760 --> 00:38:29,760 it. 599 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:33,440 I want to start sharing what God is doing with our community of faith because when we 600 00:38:33,440 --> 00:38:36,280 start sharing our testimonies, you know what it does? 601 00:38:36,280 --> 00:38:43,440 It raises the faith of everyone so that everyone is asking more, seeking more and knocking 602 00:38:43,440 --> 00:38:44,440 more. 603 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:50,200 And that's the point of a church, that we challenge one another to grow. 604 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:53,760 Will you stand with me? 605 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:59,400 Here's how we're going to close. 606 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:04,560 I'm going to ask for some of you to be vulnerable and honest. 607 00:39:04,560 --> 00:39:14,120 By a show of hands, if you've been praying for a mountain to move in your life and it's 608 00:39:14,120 --> 00:39:20,440 not moving and you've become frustrated and doubt, full of doubt, put your hand up. 609 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:22,400 We want to pray for you. 610 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:23,400 That's you. 611 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:25,240 Hand up, Rohat. 612 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:27,320 You've been praying for a mountain to move. 613 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,220 Nothing's changed. 614 00:39:29,220 --> 00:39:30,800 The addiction's still there. 615 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:33,120 The marriage is falling apart. 616 00:39:33,120 --> 00:39:37,920 The finances are in shambles. 617 00:39:37,920 --> 00:39:40,080 The kids aren't listening. 618 00:39:40,080 --> 00:39:42,720 Put them up, Rohat. 619 00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:44,480 All right, keep them up. 620 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:47,640 Now here's what I need you to do. 621 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:50,940 Men with men, women with women. 622 00:39:50,940 --> 00:39:56,040 Keep your hand up until someone introduces themselves and starts praying for you. 623 00:39:56,040 --> 00:39:57,040 Go. 624 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,760 Real quick, let's go. 625 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,680 All right. 626 00:40:01,680 --> 00:40:03,440 If someone's praying for you, put your hand down. 627 00:40:03,440 --> 00:40:04,920 Otherwise you're going to confuse me. 628 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,040 Got it, got it. 629 00:40:07,040 --> 00:40:08,040 Put your hand down. 630 00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:09,520 I need a guy over here. 631 00:40:09,520 --> 00:40:12,120 I need a guy over here. 632 00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,560 Need a lady on my left. 633 00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:15,560 Good. 634 00:40:15,560 --> 00:40:16,560 Hands. 635 00:40:16,560 --> 00:40:18,800 I need a couple people over here. 636 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:19,800 There we go. 637 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:20,800 There we go. 638 00:40:20,800 --> 00:40:21,800 I need Ron. 639 00:40:21,800 --> 00:40:23,480 Ronnie needs prayed for up here. 640 00:40:23,480 --> 00:40:24,980 Thank you. 641 00:40:24,980 --> 00:40:25,980 Thank you. 642 00:40:25,980 --> 00:40:28,000 All right, pray for him. 643 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:29,000 Go. 644 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:30,760 Holy Spirit, come. 645 00:40:30,760 --> 00:40:34,680 God, we speak against doubt. 646 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:39,200 We speak against frustration, against negativity. 647 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:46,200 We speak against the lies of the enemy that be coming into their minds and into the thoughts. 648 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:49,600 We pray that they are silenced in Jesus' name. 649 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:55,920 We pray, God, whatever their request is, whatever their need is, that you would meet it right 650 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:57,960 now in Jesus' name. 651 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:02,640 You would release your kingdom. 652 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:06,520 You would release your good gifts. 653 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:10,440 And we're just thankful, God, for life change, for hope. 654 00:41:10,440 --> 00:41:15,160 Just build hope, release hope into this community of faith. 655 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:20,280 So not only do we see mountains move, God, but we see the miraculous come. 656 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:23,160 We see healings happen. 657 00:41:23,160 --> 00:41:25,120 In Jesus' name. 658 00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:27,120 In Jesus' name. 659 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:28,120 Amen. 660 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:30,200 Before you go, no one leave and we're not done. 661 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:34,360 I had two words of knowledge that we want to pray for. 662 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:39,160 If this is you, you have a skin or a muscle condition on the left side of your face and 663 00:41:39,160 --> 00:41:40,720 you need healing. 664 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:43,440 You have pain in your big toe and your left foot. 665 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:44,440 That's an easy one. 666 00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,480 If that's you, go get your foot prayed for. 667 00:41:47,480 --> 00:41:51,280 If you have any other need, wait, wait, people are leaving. 668 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,520 If you have any other need, our prayer team will pray for you. 669 00:41:53,520 --> 00:41:58,960 Now on your way out, I bought for you some mustard seeds. 670 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:07,600 Now don't eat them, but just use them as a reminder that as you pray, pray big, bold 671 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:08,720 prayers. 672 00:42:08,720 --> 00:42:11,760 Because God wants to move the mountains in your life. 673 00:42:11,760 --> 00:42:12,760 Amen? 674 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:14,760 All right, we kick off Under Armour next week. 675 00:42:14,760 --> 00:42:17,920 We're going to be talking about the armor of God. 676 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:22,320 You may or may not see a suit of armor on stage. 677 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:25,360 I promise you anything, but I look forward to it. 678 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:26,360 God bless you guys. 679 00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:28,720 I'm going there, so they're going to wait for me to open the door. 680 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:54,000 Have a great week.