WEBVTT 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:12.660 We are so glad you're here. Whether you're listening 00:00:12.660 --> 00:00:15.439 on your morning commute. at the gym, or relaxing 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:18.100 with a cup of coffee. Thanks for spending part 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:20.980 of your day with us. If today's message encourages 00:00:20.980 --> 00:00:23.559 you and you'd like to get connected with everything 00:00:23.559 --> 00:00:26.539 happening at Hub City Vineyard, head over to 00:00:26.539 --> 00:00:30.699 hcv .church slash connect. We'd love to meet 00:00:30.699 --> 00:00:33.420 you and help you find your place here. Want to 00:00:33.420 --> 00:00:35.859 know what's coming up? discover ways to serve, 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.939 or stay in the loop on upcoming events, check 00:00:38.939 --> 00:00:43.179 out hcv .church slash what's up for everything 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:47.039 happening around HCV. Now turn it up, lean in, 00:00:47.140 --> 00:00:49.200 and get ready for what God has for you today. 00:00:49.299 --> 00:00:52.280 We hope this message encourages you, challenges 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.619 you, and reminds you that you are deeply loved. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.350 Now, let's hear the message. Well, today we're 00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:01.189 concluding our series, Chameleon, choosing conviction 00:01:01.189 --> 00:01:04.349 over conformity. And we're gonna discuss one 00:01:04.349 --> 00:01:07.689 of the most famous passages in the entire Bible. 00:01:08.409 --> 00:01:10.730 If you were to walk into Walmart at some point 00:01:10.730 --> 00:01:14.329 today and go up to some random people and say, 00:01:14.409 --> 00:01:18.019 do you know any stories from the Bible? Chances 00:01:18.019 --> 00:01:21.099 are, chances are they may know about a guy in 00:01:21.099 --> 00:01:24.870 a boat with a bunch of animals. They may know 00:01:24.870 --> 00:01:27.569 about a guy that defeated a giant with a slingshot. 00:01:28.370 --> 00:01:31.689 And many people would say, wasn't there this 00:01:31.689 --> 00:01:35.790 guy that was thrown into a pit of lions? And 00:01:35.790 --> 00:01:38.370 see, there sure was. And his name was Daniel. 00:01:38.909 --> 00:01:42.390 And quite often we take that story and we put 00:01:42.390 --> 00:01:45.769 it into this context that it's for kids, that 00:01:45.769 --> 00:01:48.709 it's for children. But the reality is it's for 00:01:48.709 --> 00:01:52.430 all of us. Because we live our lives daily in 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:56.379 a lion's den. Now in Daniel chapter 6, Daniel 00:01:56.379 --> 00:02:00.180 was at the end of his life. And this would actually 00:02:00.180 --> 00:02:03.159 be the end of all that we learn from Daniel's 00:02:03.159 --> 00:02:06.060 life regarding his personal story. And the book 00:02:06.060 --> 00:02:10.060 of Daniel continues, however, in the following 00:02:10.060 --> 00:02:13.139 chapters to record Daniel's visions that he received 00:02:13.139 --> 00:02:16.219 from God and prophecies regarding the last days. 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:18.439 But this, what we're going to discuss today, 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:22.159 is the final piece of recorded history about 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:24.870 Daniel's life. Now many of you know we've been 00:02:24.870 --> 00:02:27.469 discussing throughout this series that the book 00:02:27.469 --> 00:02:31.189 of Daniel, is about two competing kingdoms, the 00:02:31.189 --> 00:02:33.509 kingdom of God and the kingdom of the world. 00:02:34.050 --> 00:02:37.330 And we've also been looking at how, in many real 00:02:37.330 --> 00:02:40.750 ways, our lives are very similar to Daniel's, 00:02:40.789 --> 00:02:44.449 even though he lived 2 ,600 years ago in the 00:02:44.449 --> 00:02:47.770 ancient Near East. We must remember the Bible 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:51.870 is one story. It is made up of 66 books from 00:02:51.870 --> 00:02:54.930 beginning to end, and there is one main character 00:02:54.930 --> 00:02:59.500 it focuses on. Newsflash. It's not you, and it's 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:03.580 not me. We are not the main characters, even 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:06.560 though quite often we think we are. Now, to really 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.699 understand the story of Daniel, we must go all 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:12.900 the way back to the beginning of the Bible. And 00:03:12.900 --> 00:03:15.979 in the beginning, God created the heavens and 00:03:15.979 --> 00:03:19.199 the earth. He created humanity. Adam and Eve 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:21.979 in his image, which leads us to our first thought. 00:03:22.610 --> 00:03:26.330 See, humanity believed the lie, and sin became 00:03:26.330 --> 00:03:30.520 our captivity. In Genesis chapter one, we read, 00:03:30.580 --> 00:03:33.020 then God said, let us make human beings in our 00:03:33.020 --> 00:03:37.969 image to be like us. See, we can learn a lot 00:03:37.969 --> 00:03:40.090 about who we are when we look in the mirror. 00:03:41.110 --> 00:03:44.030 So when you look in the mirror, what do you see? 00:03:45.870 --> 00:03:48.550 When you look in the mirror, maybe you see things 00:03:48.550 --> 00:03:52.039 you like about yourself. Maybe you see things 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:55.340 you wish you could change. Maybe you see your 00:03:55.340 --> 00:03:57.400 strengths, your weaknesses, your successes, your 00:03:57.400 --> 00:04:01.750 failures. But here's the bigger question. When 00:04:01.750 --> 00:04:05.169 you look at yourself, what do you believe about 00:04:05.169 --> 00:04:08.740 yourself? Because the way you see yourself often 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:12.389 determines the way you live. So if you see yourself 00:04:12.389 --> 00:04:15.789 as worthless, you're gonna live a worthless life. 00:04:16.230 --> 00:04:19.269 If you see yourself as a failure, you're gonna 00:04:19.269 --> 00:04:22.589 be afraid to try anything. If you see yourself 00:04:22.589 --> 00:04:26.029 as unaccepted, you'll spend your entire life 00:04:26.029 --> 00:04:29.230 trying to earn people's approval. If you see 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:32.149 yourself as a victim, you'll begin to believe 00:04:32.149 --> 00:04:36.699 your circumstances define you. However, when 00:04:36.699 --> 00:04:40.540 God created us in his image, we are now his image 00:04:40.540 --> 00:04:44.060 bearers, which means we can learn a lot about 00:04:44.060 --> 00:04:47.019 the characteristics of God by interacting with 00:04:47.019 --> 00:04:49.860 other people who believe they were created in 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:53.040 his image, which is the church. See, when we 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:56.279 gather together, when we high five, when we smile, 00:04:56.360 --> 00:04:58.339 when we pray for each other, we should be seeing 00:04:58.339 --> 00:05:02.660 love, joy, peace. patience, kindness, goodness, 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:07.620 gentleness, and self -control. Because now we 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:11.000 are God's people. If you're in a relationship 00:05:11.000 --> 00:05:13.759 with Jesus, you're filled with God's spirit. 00:05:14.589 --> 00:05:19.209 You were created in his new image. But just like 00:05:19.209 --> 00:05:22.430 every story, there's a plot twist. And what happens 00:05:22.430 --> 00:05:25.730 next in creation introduces us to the kingdom 00:05:25.730 --> 00:05:29.230 of the world. See, the serpent enters into God's 00:05:29.230 --> 00:05:32.110 creation and has a conversation with Adam and 00:05:32.110 --> 00:05:35.009 Eve. Remember, the Bible tells us Adam was standing 00:05:35.009 --> 00:05:37.949 with her during the conversation, and the serpent 00:05:37.949 --> 00:05:43.360 says, did God really say that? Did God really 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:49.920 say that? In Genesis 3 -1 and 3 -4, the serpent 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:52.379 was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the 00:05:52.379 --> 00:05:54.600 Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.810 did God really say that? You must not eat from 00:05:57.810 --> 00:05:59.410 the fruit of the trees in the garden. Did he 00:05:59.410 --> 00:06:02.209 really say it? It's only from the fruit from 00:06:02.209 --> 00:06:04.550 the tree in the middle of the garden that we 00:06:04.550 --> 00:06:06.930 are not allowed to eat. God said, you must not 00:06:06.930 --> 00:06:08.750 eat or even touch it. If you do, you will die. 00:06:09.149 --> 00:06:12.610 You won't die, the serpent replied to the woman. 00:06:13.189 --> 00:06:16.899 See, they heard the lie. But unfortunately, they 00:06:16.899 --> 00:06:19.769 believed the lie. And they begin to think, well, 00:06:19.769 --> 00:06:23.790 maybe we can do better than God. Maybe we need 00:06:23.790 --> 00:06:27.079 that knowledge. So they ate the fruit and death 00:06:27.079 --> 00:06:31.819 or captivity entered our world. And Adam and 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:35.160 Eve's image of themselves was now broken. And 00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:38.379 when death entered our world, everything broke. 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:41.899 We feel that every day in our hearts, in our 00:06:41.899 --> 00:06:45.500 minds, and in our lives. See, this brokenness 00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:48.740 didn't allow for us to be in perfect relationship 00:06:48.740 --> 00:06:52.300 with God. We can no longer live in a way we were 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:55.120 created to be. which is a perfect relationship 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.439 with a perfect and holy God. So God sent Adam 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.319 and Eve out of the garden into exile. See, they 00:07:02.319 --> 00:07:04.920 were no longer where they were supposed to be. 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.600 We are no longer where we're supposed to be. 00:07:09.399 --> 00:07:12.740 He sent them out into the world. Now their identity 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:16.120 was still to be image bearers of God. Their purpose, 00:07:16.180 --> 00:07:18.819 of course, was to cultivate the world that is 00:07:18.819 --> 00:07:22.800 now broken, but God also sent them out with a 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:26.240 promise. And he said this in Genesis 3, 15. And 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.399 I will cause hostility between you and the woman 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:30.500 and between your offspring and her offspring. 00:07:30.600 --> 00:07:33.019 He will strike your head and you will strike 00:07:33.019 --> 00:07:36.699 his heel. Someday, Adam and Eve, one of your 00:07:36.699 --> 00:07:40.220 descendants is gonna battle that serpent. And 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:44.040 that serpent may bruise his heel, but that descendant 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:48.399 of yours will crush his head. And in Daniel chapter 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:51.899 six, we find Daniel living in exile from Jerusalem 00:07:51.899 --> 00:07:55.050 and Babylon. And he was created in God's image. 00:07:55.269 --> 00:07:59.589 And he had a job to do. And he knew that a promised 00:07:59.589 --> 00:08:03.550 Messiah would one day come. But Daniel also had 00:08:03.550 --> 00:08:06.149 a letter from a prophet that was living back 00:08:06.149 --> 00:08:09.610 in Jerusalem. He wasn't taken to Babylon. And 00:08:09.610 --> 00:08:12.930 this prophet recorded a letter from God to the 00:08:12.930 --> 00:08:16.529 exiles. And his name was Jeremiah. Now we know 00:08:16.529 --> 00:08:19.290 that Daniel read this letter. Because in Daniel 00:08:19.290 --> 00:08:22.569 chapter 9. Daniel actually references that he 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:26.149 was reading from the prophet Jeremiah. And in 00:08:26.149 --> 00:08:28.569 Jeremiah, he recorded these words in chapter 00:08:28.569 --> 00:08:32.200 29, verses 5 through 7 and 11 through 12. He 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:36.100 tells the exiles, build homes and plan to stay. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.779 Plant gardens and eat the fruit they produce. 00:08:39.100 --> 00:08:41.460 Marry and have children, then find spouses for 00:08:41.460 --> 00:08:44.299 them so they may have grandchildren. Multiply, 00:08:44.299 --> 00:08:47.460 do not dwindle away, and work for the peace. 00:08:47.970 --> 00:08:50.889 and prosperity of the city where I sent you into 00:08:50.889 --> 00:08:54.179 exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare 00:08:54.179 --> 00:08:58.620 will determine your welfare. For I know the plans 00:08:58.620 --> 00:09:00.139 I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans 00:09:00.139 --> 00:09:02.460 for good and not for disaster, to give you a 00:09:02.460 --> 00:09:05.080 future and a hope. And in those days, when you 00:09:05.080 --> 00:09:08.850 pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, 00:09:08.889 --> 00:09:11.850 you will find me. I will be found by you. Now 00:09:11.850 --> 00:09:16.490 this verse was written directly to the exiles 00:09:16.490 --> 00:09:19.659 living in Babylon. A very specific time and place. 00:09:19.779 --> 00:09:23.940 Fast forward to today, we now get to read that 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:28.080 very same letter and apply it to our lives as 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.179 we live in exile from our current world and our 00:09:31.179 --> 00:09:35.340 current culture. And notice what God said. We, 00:09:35.340 --> 00:09:39.639 HTV, are to seek the welfare, peace, and prosperity 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.440 of the city which we are living. This is what 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.799 Daniel has been doing for more than 80 years 00:09:45.799 --> 00:09:50.139 now. He was seeking the welfare of Babylon. You 00:09:50.139 --> 00:09:53.179 and I, we are to seek the welfare of the tri 00:09:53.179 --> 00:09:56.500 -state area. For Hagerstown, for Williamsport, 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.919 for Boonesburg. The welfare of Martinsburg and 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:03.389 Hedgesville and Greencastle. And we must remember, 00:10:03.570 --> 00:10:07.549 Daniel has now lived his life under three different 00:10:07.549 --> 00:10:10.850 kings with three different agendas. And at each 00:10:10.850 --> 00:10:14.429 point in his life's journey, God has elevated 00:10:14.429 --> 00:10:19.220 him into a place of power and authority. But 00:10:19.220 --> 00:10:20.820 we must remember that this, of course, makes 00:10:20.820 --> 00:10:24.259 all the other officials in the land jealous and 00:10:24.259 --> 00:10:28.779 insecure because Daniel is always being promoted 00:10:28.779 --> 00:10:32.480 up the ladder ahead of them. And just like the 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:35.639 earlier years in Daniel's life, these officials 00:10:35.639 --> 00:10:39.679 plot to frame him and use his relationship with 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:42.980 God as a means of removing him from power, which 00:10:42.980 --> 00:10:46.299 leads to our second thought. Culture wants you 00:10:46.299 --> 00:10:49.759 and I to conform, but God calls us to faithfulness. 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:52.860 Let's jump into Daniel chapter six, verses three 00:10:52.860 --> 00:10:55.320 through four. Then this Daniel became distinguished 00:10:55.320 --> 00:10:58.379 above all the other high officials and satraps 00:10:58.379 --> 00:11:01.679 because an excellent spirit was in him. Remember 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:05.039 that sentence. And the king planned to set him 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:07.690 over the whole kingdom. Then the other administrators 00:11:07.690 --> 00:11:10.509 and high officials began searching for some fault 00:11:10.509 --> 00:11:12.509 in the way Daniel was handling government affairs. 00:11:12.870 --> 00:11:15.549 But they couldn't find anything to criticize 00:11:15.549 --> 00:11:19.210 or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, 00:11:19.570 --> 00:11:22.970 and completely trustworthy. See, friends, the 00:11:22.970 --> 00:11:26.429 kingdom of the world is going to try to turn 00:11:26.429 --> 00:11:29.149 you from God, to turn us away from God through 00:11:29.149 --> 00:11:32.889 the culture with which we live in. Daniel has 00:11:32.889 --> 00:11:36.200 been living his life in exile. This entire time. 00:11:36.220 --> 00:11:38.919 Remember, he was taken away as a teenager. So 00:11:38.919 --> 00:11:42.559 this was nothing new for him. This culture has 00:11:42.559 --> 00:11:45.220 been trying to tear down Daniel from the very 00:11:45.220 --> 00:11:48.179 beginning. They tried to change his name. They 00:11:48.179 --> 00:11:51.059 tried to change his diet. They changed his ability 00:11:51.059 --> 00:11:54.039 to have a family. They set up pagan gods to worship. 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:56.700 They went after his friends. They threw him in 00:11:56.700 --> 00:11:59.740 the furnace. In all these ways, through every 00:11:59.740 --> 00:12:02.639 king, every empire, they were constantly trying 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:06.080 to change Daniel through culture. Yet at every 00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:09.340 point in his life, Daniel, he was able to resist 00:12:09.340 --> 00:12:12.059 and he was able to remain committed to God. How? 00:12:12.559 --> 00:12:16.100 Remember verse 3? Daniel became distinguished 00:12:16.100 --> 00:12:19.639 above all other high officials and satraps because 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:26.039 an excellent spirit was in him. Now it's interesting, 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:29.179 that word spirit is the same word used for Holy 00:12:29.179 --> 00:12:32.320 Spirit back in Genesis 1 when we read about the 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:34.940 Spirit of the Lord hovering over the earth. Same 00:12:34.940 --> 00:12:38.960 exact word. Now, the Holy Spirit isn't always 00:12:38.960 --> 00:12:42.100 discussed in the Old Testament. There are not 00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:45.320 many references to the Holy Spirit. But Daniel 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.299 was distinguished because of the spirit that 00:12:48.299 --> 00:12:51.240 was living in him. Fast forward to us today, 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:56.320 how much more after Jesus has come? Remember, 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:59.419 fully God, fully human. He lived a life that 00:12:59.419 --> 00:13:03.159 we can never live perfect. Dies, is resurrected, 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:06.230 overcame death, hell, and the grave. And then 00:13:06.230 --> 00:13:11.909 he says, I'm going to send the spirit to fill 00:13:11.909 --> 00:13:15.509 your life. John 14. And I will ask the father 00:13:15.509 --> 00:13:18.289 and he will give you another advocate who will 00:13:18.289 --> 00:13:21.970 never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit who leads 00:13:21.970 --> 00:13:24.730 you into all truth. The world cannot receive 00:13:24.730 --> 00:13:26.350 him because he isn't looking for him and doesn't 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:29.710 recognize him. But you know him, church, because 00:13:29.710 --> 00:13:33.210 he lives with you now and later will be in you. 00:13:34.039 --> 00:13:37.409 See how much more. Should we be distinguished 00:13:37.409 --> 00:13:41.409 because of an excellent spirit that is now alive 00:13:41.409 --> 00:13:45.559 inside of us? Because here's the reality. Culture 00:13:45.559 --> 00:13:48.929 is everywhere we go. And I mean everywhere. For 00:13:48.929 --> 00:13:50.909 some of you, you'll get bored. Even in this gathering, 00:13:51.090 --> 00:13:53.309 you'll hop on your phone and check your socials. 00:13:53.470 --> 00:13:56.429 That's culture. You're going to leave here after 00:13:56.429 --> 00:13:58.809 this gathering. Maybe you're going to grab lunch. 00:13:59.129 --> 00:14:00.590 Maybe you're going to watch a football game. 00:14:00.690 --> 00:14:02.450 Maybe you're going to check out a movie. Possibly 00:14:02.450 --> 00:14:05.820 you'll do some shopping. That's culture. And 00:14:05.820 --> 00:14:09.769 that culture is constantly whispering, did God 00:14:09.769 --> 00:14:16.220 really say that? Did God really say that? We're 00:14:16.220 --> 00:14:18.620 going to hear that lie being whispered from TikTok, 00:14:18.940 --> 00:14:21.899 Instagram, Facebook, Netflix, movies, commercials, 00:14:22.019 --> 00:14:25.879 our jobs. It's not going to tell us and whisper 00:14:25.879 --> 00:14:28.179 at us. It's going to say, this is how you should 00:14:28.179 --> 00:14:30.539 live. This is what you should wear. This is what 00:14:30.539 --> 00:14:32.379 you should eat. This is where you should shop. 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:36.600 It never stops. And when we hear these lies being 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:39.279 whispered from all these different places, it 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:42.669 can begin to make us question. Maybe God didn't 00:14:42.669 --> 00:14:46.960 say that. Maybe I do know what's best for my 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:49.679 life. And when we believe that lie, you know 00:14:49.679 --> 00:14:51.700 what it does? It makes us work harder. It makes 00:14:51.700 --> 00:14:53.779 us earn more money. It makes us gain more followers, 00:14:53.940 --> 00:14:57.399 earn another degree, hit the gym harder, find 00:14:57.779 --> 00:14:59.820 the right relationship, buy the perfect house, 00:14:59.899 --> 00:15:04.639 have 2 .5 kids, and then what? Right? Culture 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:08.220 defines what a successful life is. But tell me, 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:12.519 why are there so many people saying, is this 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:17.639 all there is? See, culture doesn't ask and answer 00:15:17.639 --> 00:15:22.169 the question. It whispers the lie. And when we 00:15:22.169 --> 00:15:23.870 believe the lie, you know what it does? It turns 00:15:23.870 --> 00:15:27.230 us away from God. It is with the Holy Spirit 00:15:27.230 --> 00:15:30.889 that we can resist the culture. And it is only 00:15:30.889 --> 00:15:33.250 through the Spirit that we're able to say, no. 00:15:34.070 --> 00:15:37.409 God didn't say that. And I'm going to walk in 00:15:37.409 --> 00:15:41.370 that truth. And when Daniel didn't give in to 00:15:41.370 --> 00:15:44.100 the cultural trap, the kingdom of the world got 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:47.960 mad and frustrated. And when culture can't change 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:51.240 you, it leads us to our next thought. See, chaos 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:54.419 can make us question what we know about God. 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:57.950 Chaos can make us question what we know about 00:15:57.950 --> 00:16:02.450 God. Daniel chapter 6, 6 verse 11 and 15. So 00:16:02.450 --> 00:16:05.570 the administrators and high officers went to 00:16:05.570 --> 00:16:08.309 the king and said, long live King Darius. We 00:16:08.309 --> 00:16:11.909 are all in agreement. Now remember those five 00:16:11.909 --> 00:16:16.830 words. We are all in agreement. The king should 00:16:16.860 --> 00:16:19.690 make a law that will be strictly enforced. Give 00:16:19.690 --> 00:16:22.049 orders that for the next 30 days, any person 00:16:22.049 --> 00:16:24.230 who prays to anyone, divine or human, except 00:16:24.230 --> 00:16:27.789 for you, your majesty, will be thrown into the 00:16:27.789 --> 00:16:30.299 den of lions. And now your majesty. Issue and 00:16:30.299 --> 00:16:32.740 sign this law so it cannot be changed. So King 00:16:32.740 --> 00:16:36.559 Darius signed the law. Then the officials went 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:39.320 together to Daniel's house. They found him praying 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:43.110 and asking for God's help. In the evening, the 00:16:43.110 --> 00:16:46.210 men, notice, went together to the king and said, 00:16:46.289 --> 00:16:49.100 Your Majesty, you know that according to the 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:51.559 law of the Medes and the Persians, no law the 00:16:51.559 --> 00:16:55.519 king signs can be changed. See, when the kingdom 00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:58.649 of the world can't change you culturally, It 00:16:58.649 --> 00:17:01.330 comes at us with chaos. Now, some of you are 00:17:01.330 --> 00:17:05.609 thinking, Chris, where's the chaos in that story? 00:17:06.190 --> 00:17:09.990 Well, in verses 6, 11, and 15, when we read that 00:17:09.990 --> 00:17:12.609 the high officials went to the king in agreement, 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:16.250 which is recorded three different times, in agreement 00:17:16.250 --> 00:17:20.369 is the modern translation. And the original word 00:17:20.369 --> 00:17:24.109 used in this context was the word thronging. 00:17:24.849 --> 00:17:28.269 Okay, I did not say thong in church. I said throng. 00:17:28.650 --> 00:17:32.789 thronging. And for many of you, that's the first 00:17:32.789 --> 00:17:36.250 time you use that or heard that word because 00:17:36.250 --> 00:17:38.210 we're not English majors. And even if you're 00:17:38.210 --> 00:17:39.690 an English major, chances are you don't know 00:17:39.690 --> 00:17:46.599 it. It's defined as chaos or tumultuous. It's 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:50.119 actually the same word used in Psalm 2 .1 when 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:54.140 it says, why are the nations so angry and why 00:17:54.140 --> 00:17:57.240 are they full of rage? Hmm, doesn't that sound 00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:00.809 familiar in today's world? See, the officials 00:18:00.809 --> 00:18:04.349 were coming at King Darius and they were stirring 00:18:04.349 --> 00:18:07.569 the pot. They were stirring up rage, anger, and 00:18:07.569 --> 00:18:11.710 fear. Sign this document, king. So you don't 00:18:11.710 --> 00:18:15.309 lose power or authority. They were fearful of 00:18:15.309 --> 00:18:18.250 how Daniel lived his life. And when emotions 00:18:18.250 --> 00:18:21.789 get high, we begin to act in ways that are not 00:18:21.789 --> 00:18:25.450 based in reality or grounded in truth. For example, 00:18:25.589 --> 00:18:30.640 you get a text that reads, we need to talk. Before 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.940 you know anything, your mind immediately goes 00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:41.789 to, I'm in trouble. They're mad at me. Something 00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:44.930 terrible is going to happen. They're leaving 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:49.869 the church. Like emotion fills in the blanks 00:18:49.869 --> 00:18:53.869 before you know the facts. Or you have an argument 00:18:53.869 --> 00:18:56.470 with your spouse. And in the heat of the moment, 00:18:56.490 --> 00:18:59.990 you may think, they don't care about me. They 00:18:59.990 --> 00:19:03.119 don't love me. This relationship, it's never 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.769 going to work. Later, when emotions settle down, 00:19:06.910 --> 00:19:10.890 you realize the problem was real, but the conclusions 00:19:10.890 --> 00:19:12.990 you were making in your mind were much bigger 00:19:12.990 --> 00:19:17.650 than the problem. See, when we're upset, we have 00:19:17.650 --> 00:19:20.910 this tendency to let chaos take over, and we 00:19:20.910 --> 00:19:24.259 act in ways that don't make sense. See, we quite 00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:28.859 often allow our emotions to dictate truth, not 00:19:28.859 --> 00:19:31.460 the reality. And this is what King Darius did. 00:19:32.039 --> 00:19:36.759 He reacted or responded to the chaos. But how 00:19:36.759 --> 00:19:39.960 does Daniel respond? Notice Daniel chapter six, 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:42.660 verse 10. But when Daniel learned the law had 00:19:42.660 --> 00:19:48.720 been signed, he went home and knelt down as is 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:52.059 usual in his upstairs room with his windows open 00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:54.700 toward Jerusalem. And he prayed three times a 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:57.759 day, just as he had always done, giving thanks 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:02.609 to his God. Notice how Daniel responded. He didn't 00:20:02.609 --> 00:20:06.400 hop on social media and start an argument with 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:10.900 somebody. He just simply knelt down and began 00:20:10.900 --> 00:20:14.630 to pray. And Daniel was praying because he made 00:20:14.630 --> 00:20:18.170 prayer a spiritual discipline. And you see it 00:20:18.170 --> 00:20:21.759 throughout the book of Daniel. Right in the first 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.880 six chapters, that's how he lived his life for 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:28.839 80 years. And when the chaos came his way, Daniel 00:20:28.839 --> 00:20:31.599 had the spiritual discipline to get on his knees 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:34.250 and pray. Because he's been doing it for years. 00:20:35.259 --> 00:20:38.440 And we can't turn, you and I, we can't turn to 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:40.480 a spiritual discipline if we're not doing it 00:20:40.480 --> 00:20:44.849 right now. And we have to learn that. We have 00:20:44.849 --> 00:20:48.769 to start now. And I'm constantly challenging 00:20:48.769 --> 00:20:52.069 you. Every single day, church, we need to be 00:20:52.069 --> 00:20:54.410 reading our Bible. We need to be praying. We 00:20:54.410 --> 00:20:56.829 need to be connected into community. We need 00:20:56.829 --> 00:20:59.849 to be serving. We need to be regularly making 00:20:59.849 --> 00:21:03.250 it a point to attend HTV, not just when it's 00:21:03.250 --> 00:21:08.599 convenient. It has to become a discipline in 00:21:08.599 --> 00:21:11.359 our life because that's how our lives are changed. 00:21:12.240 --> 00:21:15.319 As we develop spiritual disciplines and we put 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:18.799 them into practice, see, the kingdom of the world 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:21.420 then won't be able to change us through the culture 00:21:21.420 --> 00:21:24.779 or the chaos. But it doesn't end there, unfortunately, 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.309 which leads us to our fourth thought. Our enemy 00:21:28.309 --> 00:21:33.930 wants to steal. kill, and destroy. See, culture 00:21:33.930 --> 00:21:37.369 will come at us. Chaos will come at us. And our 00:21:37.369 --> 00:21:40.609 enemy is going to come at us just as hard. And 00:21:40.609 --> 00:21:45.059 he wants to crush us. Remember, John 10 .10, 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:49.700 the thief's purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:21:50.710 --> 00:21:53.369 Let's read what happened to Daniel. Continuing 00:21:53.369 --> 00:21:56.970 on in chapter 6, verses 16 and 19 to 23. So at 00:21:56.970 --> 00:21:59.069 last, the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested 00:21:59.069 --> 00:22:01.710 and thrown into the den of lions. The king said 00:22:01.710 --> 00:22:04.650 to him, may your God, whom you serve faithfully, 00:22:04.690 --> 00:22:08.460 rescue you. It's interesting how Darius is constantly 00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:12.619 pointing to hope in Daniel's God. Very early 00:22:12.619 --> 00:22:14.279 in the next morning, the king got up and hurried 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:16.539 out to the lion's den. When he got there, he 00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:19.259 called out in anguish, Daniel, servant of the 00:22:19.259 --> 00:22:22.660 living God, was your God, whom you serve faithfully, 00:22:22.660 --> 00:22:24.599 able to rescue from the lions? It's almost like 00:22:24.599 --> 00:22:27.740 he knew Daniel was going to be alive. Daniel 00:22:27.740 --> 00:22:34.339 answered, long live the king. May God, my God 00:22:34.339 --> 00:22:36.960 sent his angel to shut the lion's mouth so that 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:39.420 they would not hurt me. For I have been found 00:22:39.420 --> 00:22:42.410 innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged 00:22:42.410 --> 00:22:45.190 you, your majesty. The king was overjoyed and 00:22:45.190 --> 00:22:47.410 ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Notice 00:22:47.410 --> 00:22:50.430 not a scratch was found on him for he had trusted 00:22:50.430 --> 00:22:53.750 in his God. See the kingdom of the world, the 00:22:53.750 --> 00:22:57.130 darkness tried to crush Daniel throughout his 00:22:57.130 --> 00:23:00.329 entire life. I mean, if we really are honest, 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:03.109 even though Daniel is 80 now, he's been living 00:23:03.109 --> 00:23:05.809 in a lion's den his whole life because he's living 00:23:05.809 --> 00:23:08.690 in exile. And that's why it's so important for 00:23:08.690 --> 00:23:11.910 us to realize daily we live in a lion's den. 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:15.279 And for more than 80 years, Daniel had been living 00:23:15.279 --> 00:23:18.579 under kings, officials, and culture that was 00:23:18.579 --> 00:23:21.160 set out on one mission, to destroy his life. 00:23:21.809 --> 00:23:25.890 And the same is true for us. This world can feel 00:23:25.890 --> 00:23:30.220 like a dark and crushing place. A place that 00:23:30.220 --> 00:23:33.880 we need to break free from. And this world is 00:23:33.880 --> 00:23:37.130 hard because it's broken. And we heard about 00:23:37.130 --> 00:23:40.150 that brokenness back at the original design and 00:23:40.150 --> 00:23:43.309 creation when we chose to feel like we needed 00:23:43.309 --> 00:23:46.680 to be in control. And when everything is broken 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:50.400 in this world, everything comes at us and tries 00:23:50.400 --> 00:23:53.710 to tear us down as we live in exile. I mean, 00:23:53.710 --> 00:23:56.369 here's the reality. It's just truth. Tomorrow 00:23:56.369 --> 00:23:59.339 is Monday. Some of you may receive a promotion, 00:23:59.500 --> 00:24:02.400 while others of you may be fired or laid off. 00:24:03.750 --> 00:24:06.349 Some of you have signed up for the tie -dyed 00:24:06.349 --> 00:24:08.049 running rock. You're excited to run. You want 00:24:08.049 --> 00:24:09.789 to get in shape. You're going to walk in a mile. 00:24:09.829 --> 00:24:13.230 You're going to jog, you know, three miles or 00:24:13.230 --> 00:24:16.529 six miles or whatever it may be, while others 00:24:16.529 --> 00:24:19.890 of you have friends and family members that have 00:24:19.890 --> 00:24:22.809 a cancer diagnosis. Some of you have a marriage 00:24:22.809 --> 00:24:25.660 that's alive and thriving, while others of you 00:24:25.660 --> 00:24:29.049 are contemplating divorce right now. Some of 00:24:29.049 --> 00:24:32.000 you have children who are learning and growing, 00:24:32.180 --> 00:24:35.839 shining examples of what it means to be in a 00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:37.420 relationship with God, while others of you have 00:24:37.420 --> 00:24:40.309 children who are struggling. Right? This world 00:24:40.309 --> 00:24:44.970 is hard. And as we live in exile, we have to 00:24:44.970 --> 00:24:48.789 realize it's not easy because of the brokenness. 00:24:49.250 --> 00:24:52.670 But it doesn't have to remain that way, which 00:24:52.670 --> 00:24:56.569 leads us to our fifth and final thought. Humanity 00:24:56.569 --> 00:25:01.130 wasn't created to live. In captivity. Daniel 00:25:01.130 --> 00:25:04.089 chapter 6 verse 16. So at last the king gave 00:25:04.089 --> 00:25:05.869 orders for Daniel to be arrested. And thrown 00:25:05.869 --> 00:25:08.730 into the den of lions. The king said to him. 00:25:08.829 --> 00:25:11.950 May your God whom you serve faithfully. Rescue 00:25:11.950 --> 00:25:15.630 you. And it's interesting. As I was praying and 00:25:15.630 --> 00:25:19.269 reading through this verse. God took me to the 00:25:19.269 --> 00:25:23.569 national zoo. Now not physically. I didn't go 00:25:23.569 --> 00:25:27.329 and visit it. But in my mind. And as I began 00:25:27.329 --> 00:25:30.849 to contemplate. I began to reflect on the lion 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:34.990 that lives in the lion's den at the National 00:25:34.990 --> 00:25:41.869 Zoo. And that lion is living in captivity. And 00:25:41.869 --> 00:25:45.369 domestication is not a natural phenomenon for 00:25:45.369 --> 00:25:50.470 the lion. See, inside the lion is a wild nature. 00:25:51.869 --> 00:25:56.529 And within him, he is not comfortable in that 00:25:56.529 --> 00:26:00.410 cage. And even though his instincts are for the 00:26:00.410 --> 00:26:04.259 wild, The lion needs to overcome the abusive 00:26:04.259 --> 00:26:07.349 background that has been his home. Now, of course, 00:26:07.369 --> 00:26:10.349 you and I, we don't think it's abusive because 00:26:10.349 --> 00:26:13.859 we aren't lions. From a spectator's perspective, 00:26:14.079 --> 00:26:17.059 we go and watch the lion and we take pictures 00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:20.660 of the lion for entertainment. But our entertainment 00:26:20.660 --> 00:26:26.000 is his incarceration. See, most domesticated 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:30.460 lions have been raised in captivity, which means 00:26:30.460 --> 00:26:34.130 their abuse is real. But it has become so natural 00:26:34.130 --> 00:26:38.329 because abuse has become the lion's norm. That's 00:26:38.329 --> 00:26:41.380 all he knows. And here's the reality that God 00:26:41.380 --> 00:26:45.130 highlighted for me. There's so many Jesus followers 00:26:45.130 --> 00:26:48.910 that have become domesticated. You're living 00:26:48.910 --> 00:26:53.240 in captivity. You've learned to live in captivity. 00:26:54.690 --> 00:26:57.650 You've learned to accept the abuse and the pain 00:26:57.650 --> 00:27:02.289 of this world and you consider it normal. But 00:27:02.289 --> 00:27:06.269 God calls us to so much more. And just because 00:27:06.269 --> 00:27:09.089 something has become familiar doesn't mean it's 00:27:09.089 --> 00:27:14.450 right. And the lion's natural instinct is to 00:27:14.450 --> 00:27:16.950 live in the wild, to be free, to be confident, 00:27:17.009 --> 00:27:19.630 to be powerful. And listen to me. I've been on 00:27:19.630 --> 00:27:27.470 a safari in Africa with three wild lions, and 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:30.299 you're full of fear when you're around them. 00:27:31.410 --> 00:27:35.519 I literally was 10 feet from one. And the other 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:38.019 pastors who were with me were laughing that I 00:27:38.019 --> 00:27:39.980 was leaning away from it. I'm like, bro, you 00:27:39.980 --> 00:27:47.480 sit in that seat. Like you see their instincts 00:27:47.480 --> 00:27:55.309 in their eyes. And I'm dinner. See, the lion's 00:27:55.309 --> 00:27:59.500 natural instinct, again, is to live in the wild, 00:27:59.640 --> 00:28:03.359 to be free, to be confident, and to be powerful. 00:28:04.170 --> 00:28:07.910 But because of his experiences, the lion is now 00:28:07.910 --> 00:28:11.849 confined, powerless, vulnerable, and hopeless. 00:28:13.069 --> 00:28:18.220 Sound familiar? And in the same way, our experiences 00:28:18.220 --> 00:28:22.089 contradict our instincts. How do I know that? 00:28:22.470 --> 00:28:27.130 Because we gather here at HCV weekly and I watch 00:28:27.130 --> 00:28:30.529 you. I stand in the back and worship with you 00:28:30.529 --> 00:28:34.309 and watch you. And your God -given instincts 00:28:34.309 --> 00:28:38.069 begin to come out. And for some of you, you experience 00:28:38.069 --> 00:28:40.910 freedom and you raise your arms and you cry out 00:28:40.910 --> 00:28:45.269 to God. Right? You allow the lion that's inside 00:28:45.269 --> 00:28:48.609 of you to come out and you declare that you want 00:28:48.609 --> 00:28:54.380 to be free. But unfortunately, our experiences 00:28:54.380 --> 00:28:59.319 say, but that's not for you. You can't change. 00:28:59.900 --> 00:29:04.279 You can't overcome. You'll never break free. 00:29:05.559 --> 00:29:09.200 See, every single one of us have a cage. Now, 00:29:09.220 --> 00:29:11.940 we might not want to admit it. and we might ignore 00:29:11.940 --> 00:29:14.519 it, and we might pretend it's not there, but 00:29:14.519 --> 00:29:16.920 every single one of us have a cage. It may be 00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:19.460 a spiritual cage that you want to deny that the 00:29:19.460 --> 00:29:22.680 Holy Spirit even exists. It may be a physical 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:25.180 cage that your body's just broken, and you're 00:29:25.180 --> 00:29:27.220 not able to walk in the authority that you've 00:29:27.220 --> 00:29:29.259 been given. It may be a moral cage that you're 00:29:29.259 --> 00:29:31.440 compromising. It may be a cage of addiction. 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:35.519 There are cages in all of our lives, and every 00:29:35.519 --> 00:29:40.210 single one of us has one. David even said, Every 00:29:40.210 --> 00:29:42.309 single one of us was born into captivity, into 00:29:42.309 --> 00:29:46.819 sin. And the crazy thing is, how do I respond 00:29:46.819 --> 00:29:49.740 when all of these experiences that I've had throughout 00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:54.210 life validate captivity? Yet deep within me, 00:29:54.250 --> 00:29:56.430 there's these instincts that point me there's 00:29:56.430 --> 00:29:59.690 something more. I want it to come out. I want 00:29:59.690 --> 00:30:02.589 that lion to come out. But we're constantly looking 00:30:02.589 --> 00:30:06.490 back and we're constantly running to our captivity 00:30:06.490 --> 00:30:13.609 because it's comfortable. The cage is comfortable. 00:30:18.480 --> 00:30:22.910 Jesus says it this way in John 16, 33. I have 00:30:22.910 --> 00:30:25.609 told you all this, church, so that you may have 00:30:25.609 --> 00:30:30.250 peace in me. Here on earth, you're gonna have 00:30:30.250 --> 00:30:33.410 trials and sorrows. Culture's gonna come at you. 00:30:33.569 --> 00:30:36.130 Chaos is gonna be all around you. The enemy's 00:30:36.130 --> 00:30:41.259 trying to destroy you. But take heart. Release 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:46.799 the lion because I have overcome the world. See, 00:30:46.900 --> 00:30:49.539 we weren't created. to live in the captivity 00:30:49.539 --> 00:30:53.650 of this culture. We were created to live free 00:30:53.650 --> 00:30:58.390 and wild, to live a life on the edge, believing 00:30:58.390 --> 00:31:02.089 that God is going to change lives. Because in 00:31:02.089 --> 00:31:04.369 Jesus, when we're in a relationship with him, 00:31:04.569 --> 00:31:09.099 our spirit comes to life. And my challenge to 00:31:09.099 --> 00:31:11.180 you is, if you're in a relationship with him, 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:16.049 stop living in the cage and break free. Which 00:31:16.049 --> 00:31:19.019 leads us to our action step, breaking free from 00:31:19.019 --> 00:31:22.730 the world. See, friends, Jesus invites us to 00:31:22.730 --> 00:31:26.750 daily walk in abundance. Right? This isn't at 00:31:26.750 --> 00:31:31.859 the end of our life. No, this is daily. He wants 00:31:31.859 --> 00:31:35.000 us to daily be out and about serving, praying, 00:31:35.220 --> 00:31:39.690 meeting people right where they are, going into 00:31:39.690 --> 00:31:41.890 nursing homes where they're forgotten are and 00:31:41.890 --> 00:31:45.910 just crying and weeping with them because that's 00:31:45.910 --> 00:31:49.420 what Jesus did. Now, to walk in abundance, we 00:31:49.420 --> 00:31:51.500 have to remember, remember the Bible is one story 00:31:51.500 --> 00:31:54.279 from beginning to end. It's not about you. It's 00:31:54.279 --> 00:31:57.579 not about me. It's about one individual. And 00:31:57.579 --> 00:31:59.579 because the Bible is one story from beginning 00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:01.619 to end, it's interesting that the book of Daniel 00:32:01.619 --> 00:32:05.650 lands right in the middle, like almost literally 00:32:05.650 --> 00:32:10.400 directly in the middle. And we read this in Daniel 00:32:10.400 --> 00:32:13.359 6, 17, a stone was brought and placed over the 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:16.789 mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with 00:32:16.789 --> 00:32:19.329 his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles 00:32:19.329 --> 00:32:23.789 so that no one could rescue Daniel. Oh, did you 00:32:23.789 --> 00:32:27.049 know that there would be another stone that was 00:32:27.049 --> 00:32:31.539 sealed and was to be the place of death? We read 00:32:31.539 --> 00:32:34.960 in Matthew 27, he placed it in his own new tomb, 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:37.140 which had been carved out of the rock, that he 00:32:37.140 --> 00:32:40.339 rolled a great stone across the entrance and 00:32:40.339 --> 00:32:43.960 left. Pilate replied, take guards and secure 00:32:43.960 --> 00:32:47.380 it. as best as you can. So they noticed, sealed 00:32:47.380 --> 00:32:52.069 the tomb, and posted guards to protect it. There 00:32:52.069 --> 00:32:56.230 were two morning walks. Daniel 6, 19. Very early 00:32:56.230 --> 00:32:59.230 the next morning, the king got up and hurried 00:32:59.230 --> 00:33:05.819 to the lion's den. In Matthew 28, early on Sunday 00:33:05.819 --> 00:33:08.700 morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene 00:33:08.700 --> 00:33:11.059 and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb. 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:15.480 But we know that when the women got to the tomb, 00:33:15.660 --> 00:33:18.990 the angel said, Why are you looking for the dead 00:33:18.990 --> 00:33:24.900 among the living? Darius recognizes this same 00:33:24.900 --> 00:33:29.440 truth in Daniel 6, 26 and 27. I decree that everyone 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:31.519 throughout my kingdom should tremble with fear 00:33:31.519 --> 00:33:34.759 before the God of Daniel. For he is the living 00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:38.000 God and he will endure forever. His kingdom will 00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:39.880 never be destroyed and his rule will never end. 00:33:40.039 --> 00:33:42.440 He rescues and saves his people. He performs 00:33:42.440 --> 00:33:44.960 miraculous signs and wonders in the heavens and 00:33:44.960 --> 00:33:46.799 on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the 00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:51.430 power of the lions. Now listen to the angel's 00:33:51.430 --> 00:33:55.470 words in Matthew 28. Then the angel spoke to 00:33:55.470 --> 00:33:59.680 the women. Don't be afraid, he said. I know you 00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:02.500 were looking for Jesus who was crucified. He 00:34:02.500 --> 00:34:06.819 isn't here. He is risen from the dead, just as 00:34:06.819 --> 00:34:10.000 he said would happen. Come, see where his body 00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:13.719 was lying. See, friends, the kingdom of God will 00:34:13.719 --> 00:34:16.469 never end. And when you're in a relationship 00:34:16.469 --> 00:34:21.730 with Jesus, he desires that we overcome the world. 00:34:22.380 --> 00:34:26.980 Because of sin, there's death everywhere we go 00:34:26.980 --> 00:34:30.769 and in everything we do, right? There's no hope 00:34:30.769 --> 00:34:33.630 in it. We can get excited about the football 00:34:33.630 --> 00:34:35.969 game today. We can pump our hands and yes, my 00:34:35.969 --> 00:34:40.530 team won, but eventually by six o 'clock, chances 00:34:40.880 --> 00:34:43.889 are a problem's gonna come our way. It doesn't 00:34:43.889 --> 00:34:46.010 matter if it's our money, our government, the 00:34:46.010 --> 00:34:48.630 culture, there's nothing but death everywhere 00:34:48.630 --> 00:34:53.710 we go. But Jesus is the promise to freedom, John 00:34:53.710 --> 00:34:56.969 10, 10. Remember, the thief's purpose is to tear 00:34:56.969 --> 00:35:00.530 us down and destroy us. But Jesus, my purpose 00:35:00.530 --> 00:35:04.940 is to give them. A rich and satisfying life. 00:35:06.260 --> 00:35:11.780 And church, I get it. Life's hard. Jesus promised 00:35:11.780 --> 00:35:15.030 us that it was going to be that way. But Jesus 00:35:15.030 --> 00:35:19.670 has overcome the world. And he desires that we 00:35:19.670 --> 00:35:23.650 live free from negativity and doubt and frustration. 00:35:24.329 --> 00:35:30.610 He desires that we become ambassadors to God's 00:35:30.610 --> 00:35:35.280 kingdom everywhere we go. Many of you know I 00:35:35.280 --> 00:35:37.940 used to... Be a server. That was my main job. 00:35:37.980 --> 00:35:42.159 I used to work at Red Lobster for years. Love 00:35:42.159 --> 00:35:46.280 my Red Lobster peeps. Haven't been there in years. 00:35:47.000 --> 00:35:50.519 Maybe I should go back. And it's interesting. 00:35:53.289 --> 00:35:55.690 I wasn't in a relationship with Jesus when I 00:35:55.690 --> 00:35:59.239 worked at Red Lobster. And the one day I dreaded 00:35:59.239 --> 00:36:03.550 working was Sunday. I actually requested off 00:36:03.550 --> 00:36:06.349 every Sunday. They wouldn't always give it to 00:36:06.349 --> 00:36:09.309 me. But it was always on my request list. Not 00:36:09.309 --> 00:36:12.239 because I wanted to go to church. because I wanted 00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:15.869 to sleep in because I had a hangover. But the 00:36:15.869 --> 00:36:17.869 real reason I didn't want to work at Red Lobster 00:36:17.869 --> 00:36:20.849 on Sundays was because of all the church people 00:36:20.849 --> 00:36:27.869 that rolled out after church. That's why. They 00:36:27.869 --> 00:36:31.289 were negative. They were judgmental. They were 00:36:31.289 --> 00:36:35.889 abusive. They were never happy. It doesn't matter 00:36:35.889 --> 00:36:37.829 how many times you fix their plates, it wasn't 00:36:37.829 --> 00:36:43.639 right. And I got hundreds, hundreds of paper 00:36:43.639 --> 00:36:51.199 $100 bills that said turn or burn. And we laugh, 00:36:51.239 --> 00:36:57.460 but that's what I thought a Christian was. Why 00:36:57.460 --> 00:37:01.480 would I ever want to go to church? I would want 00:37:01.480 --> 00:37:06.300 to run from church. We need to be different. 00:37:11.219 --> 00:37:16.000 We need to be set apart. We need to get out of 00:37:16.000 --> 00:37:18.820 our cages. We need to get out of our judgment. 00:37:19.420 --> 00:37:22.679 And we need to be a people of his presence. We 00:37:22.679 --> 00:37:25.840 need to be a people that allow the Holy Spirit, 00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:28.880 the very living Spirit of God, which is already 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:32.429 in us, to come out of us. We need to become a 00:37:32.429 --> 00:37:36.130 people that are living natural, supernatural 00:37:36.130 --> 00:37:40.599 lives everywhere we go. We need to be willing 00:37:40.599 --> 00:37:43.239 to pray for people no matter where we are. We 00:37:43.239 --> 00:37:45.380 need to be willing to serve people no matter 00:37:45.380 --> 00:37:48.260 where we go. We need to be willing to shake hands, 00:37:48.360 --> 00:37:51.500 high five, hug, whatever it takes so that people 00:37:51.500 --> 00:37:57.199 see Jesus inside of us. I desire to pastor a 00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:02.760 church filled with people that are different 00:38:02.760 --> 00:38:05.539 from the rest of the church. I don't want to 00:38:05.539 --> 00:38:09.840 blend in. Now, I had the opportunity this past 00:38:09.840 --> 00:38:14.769 week to lead. A high school retreat up in Pennsylvania 00:38:14.769 --> 00:38:18.360 for 60 high school students. I was invited and 00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:20.820 I was excited about going, just to be honest. 00:38:21.139 --> 00:38:23.739 But then when I got there, I realized, wow, I'm 00:38:23.739 --> 00:38:31.820 old. I'm not a youth pastor anymore. There's 00:38:31.820 --> 00:38:34.400 a reason I'm a lead pastor now. I'm a little 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:37.340 disconnected from culture. So it was a little 00:38:37.340 --> 00:38:40.360 rough at the start, just being honest. It was 00:38:40.360 --> 00:38:42.670 a little rough at the start. But by the end, 00:38:42.730 --> 00:38:50.119 by the last night, I had students weeping. crying 00:38:50.119 --> 00:38:54.019 out to God, recommitting their lives, giving 00:38:54.019 --> 00:38:57.659 their lives to Jesus, seeing knees healed, feet 00:38:57.659 --> 00:39:07.039 healed, people set free. And what I learned was 00:39:07.039 --> 00:39:09.860 though we all come from different churches, the 00:39:09.860 --> 00:39:17.429 one unifying substance is the Holy Spirit. Because 00:39:17.429 --> 00:39:20.989 I taught on the Holy Spirit. I didn't care because 00:39:20.989 --> 00:39:24.969 that's who I am. I believe in it. I embrace it. 00:39:25.550 --> 00:39:28.619 And I want it to be how I live. If Jesus promised 00:39:28.619 --> 00:39:32.699 he's inside of us, I believe it. And I don't 00:39:32.699 --> 00:39:34.579 want to just believe it, it's there. I want it 00:39:34.579 --> 00:39:38.260 to come out. And see, when you step out in faith, 00:39:38.619 --> 00:39:42.760 he comes out. But you got to be willing to take 00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:48.219 a risk. And it was hard, but we got there. And 00:39:48.219 --> 00:39:50.500 I challenged all of them to take a risk. And 00:39:50.500 --> 00:39:52.599 that last night, I must have prayed for 30 or 00:39:52.599 --> 00:39:56.079 40 teenagers. There was this huge line. I wanted 00:39:56.079 --> 00:39:58.929 to leave by 8 .30, didn't leave till 10. But 00:39:58.929 --> 00:40:05.539 that's okay because that's how God works. Now 00:40:05.539 --> 00:40:07.739 I was challenged and I want to challenge all 00:40:07.739 --> 00:40:12.070 of you. Last year, I did a Sunday night class 00:40:12.070 --> 00:40:15.329 for a month on the Holy Spirit. It's a great 00:40:15.329 --> 00:40:19.150 class. Starting next Sunday night in October 00:40:19.150 --> 00:40:23.030 for four weeks, I'm going to teach a class called 00:40:23.030 --> 00:40:26.980 Naturally Supernatural. How to live a naturally 00:40:26.980 --> 00:40:30.579 supernatural life. Rick's gonna help me. Jeff 00:40:30.579 --> 00:40:34.289 France is gonna help me. It starts at six. I 00:40:34.289 --> 00:40:36.679 don't know when it ends. Because what we learned 00:40:36.679 --> 00:40:39.000 with the Holy Spirit class was it starts at six, 00:40:39.099 --> 00:40:43.659 but it quite often didn't end until 7 .30 or 00:40:43.659 --> 00:40:45.619 8 or even 8 .30 because once you start praying, 00:40:45.659 --> 00:40:49.679 it's all over, okay? So there is no end time 00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:52.699 scheduled, but if you show up at six, we're gonna 00:40:52.699 --> 00:40:54.679 learn how to live naturally supernatural lives. 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:58.800 And I believe all of us need it. Because that's 00:40:58.800 --> 00:41:01.199 what God's calling us to do as far as his people 00:41:01.199 --> 00:41:04.690 that are living in exile. Amen? Will you stand 00:41:04.690 --> 00:41:12.480 with me? Let me check my time. Okay. So this 00:41:12.480 --> 00:41:13.719 is how we're going to close. I'm going to get 00:41:13.719 --> 00:41:19.329 right to the point. This is how we're going to 00:41:19.329 --> 00:41:21.940 close. I'm going to get right to the point. I'm 00:41:21.940 --> 00:41:23.719 going to invite you to please put your hands 00:41:23.719 --> 00:41:26.179 like this. Many of you know all this means is, 00:41:26.219 --> 00:41:29.170 God, I want to receive from you. I'm going to 00:41:29.170 --> 00:41:31.909 ask the Holy Spirit to come. And I'm going to 00:41:31.909 --> 00:41:35.070 ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to all of you what 00:41:35.099 --> 00:41:39.219 cage you're living in. Because we're all living 00:41:39.219 --> 00:41:42.679 in a cage. It could be a cage of comfortability. 00:41:44.809 --> 00:41:47.940 It could be a cage of addiction. It could be 00:41:47.940 --> 00:41:51.269 a cage of insecurity. It could be a cage of doubt. 00:41:52.610 --> 00:41:54.750 It could be a physical cage that you feel like 00:41:54.750 --> 00:41:57.510 you can't get past. But God wants to heal you. 00:41:59.539 --> 00:42:03.909 Whatever cage God shows you, I want to challenge 00:42:03.909 --> 00:42:07.139 you. When you have the opportunity, break free. 00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:10.920 Open that door and embrace all that God has for 00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:13.969 you because he wants to give it to you. So Holy 00:42:13.969 --> 00:42:19.039 Spirit come. reveal to each and every individual 00:42:19.039 --> 00:42:30.610 their cage today. We were not created to live 00:42:30.610 --> 00:42:35.030 in a cage. We are not created to be domesticated. 00:42:36.070 --> 00:42:38.349 We were created to live free and wild with you. 00:42:40.570 --> 00:42:43.659 And I want to lead a church, God, where people 00:42:43.659 --> 00:42:48.079 are free and wild. They don't care about what 00:42:48.079 --> 00:42:50.719 people say about them, what they think about 00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:53.980 them, but they only care about bringing glory 00:42:53.980 --> 00:42:58.159 to you. So I speak freedom over this room now 00:42:58.159 --> 00:43:07.300 in Jesus' name. I speak against anger and rage 00:43:07.300 --> 00:43:11.179 and negativity and judgment in Jesus' name. You 00:43:11.179 --> 00:43:19.510 have no place here. Get out. And I ask God that 00:43:19.510 --> 00:43:25.139 your presence now comes. Now all throughout the 00:43:25.139 --> 00:43:28.320 book of Acts, we read about different fillings 00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:33.300 of the Holy Spirit. During the first gathering, 00:43:33.380 --> 00:43:36.300 I felt led to pray for anybody that needed a 00:43:36.300 --> 00:43:40.130 fresh filling of the Spirit. It's not weird. 00:43:41.260 --> 00:43:45.199 It's not scary, but you got to take a risk and 00:43:45.199 --> 00:43:48.949 step out. So if you're at a place in your life 00:43:48.949 --> 00:43:51.570 where you feel like, hey, I need a little help 00:43:51.570 --> 00:43:55.369 in breaking this cage open, I'm going to invite 00:43:55.369 --> 00:43:56.889 you to come up here now because I want to pray 00:43:56.889 --> 00:43:58.690 for anybody that needs a fresh filling of the 00:43:58.690 --> 00:44:04.210 Holy Spirit. So if that's you, take a risk and 00:44:04.210 --> 00:44:22.489 walk up front. Yes, God. Yes, God. Yes, God. 00:44:26.639 --> 00:44:40.820 Yes, God. Jesus. Yes, God. When did I start to 00:44:40.820 --> 00:44:45.949 forget all of the great things you did? When 00:44:45.949 --> 00:44:50.909 did I throw away faith for the impossible? How 00:44:50.909 --> 00:44:54.630 did I start to believe you weren't sufficient 00:44:54.630 --> 00:45:01.170 for me? Why do I talk myself out of seeing miracles? 00:45:03.619 --> 00:45:08.369 Familiar passage to the song God is able. And 00:45:08.369 --> 00:45:11.690 if those words radiated with you, get up here. 00:45:13.030 --> 00:45:18.019 Stop doubting the miraculous. And start embracing 00:45:18.019 --> 00:45:20.820 the impossible because that's what God wants 00:45:20.820 --> 00:45:26.619 for you. Come Holy Spirit. God, I am grateful 00:45:26.619 --> 00:45:30.630 for individuals that took a risk. And I ask you 00:45:30.630 --> 00:45:34.949 to fall in this place now. Fill them afresh in 00:45:35.139 --> 00:45:42.809 Jesus' name. Wash over them, God. I cut off shame, 00:45:43.210 --> 00:45:50.019 insecurity, doubt, frustration, negativity, and 00:45:50.019 --> 00:45:55.219 sin in Jesus' name. And I ask, God, that their 00:45:55.219 --> 00:45:59.360 spirits come to life and they break free from 00:45:59.360 --> 00:46:01.780 the cages that they've put themselves in and 00:46:02.860 --> 00:46:08.400 they become a people of your presence. They become 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:11.119 a people that's making a difference in the lives 00:46:11.119 --> 00:46:14.380 of others. And I just pray, God, that their hands, 00:46:14.500 --> 00:46:21.880 their words become a beacon of light to those 00:46:21.880 --> 00:46:24.739 in their sphere of influence. Shine through them, 00:46:24.800 --> 00:46:30.130 God, and fill them fresh now. In Jesus' name. 00:46:32.130 --> 00:46:36.449 Amen. Now, before we go, you guys don't leave. 00:46:36.530 --> 00:46:40.159 Stay up here. You got an assignment. There were 00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:42.019 several words of knowledge I need to share with 00:46:42.019 --> 00:46:44.380 you. Many of you know that I receive words of 00:46:44.380 --> 00:46:46.420 knowledge from our prayer team through the week. 00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:49.039 If these radiate with you, I'm going to ask you 00:46:49.039 --> 00:46:51.630 to come up and get prayer. You're struggling 00:46:51.630 --> 00:46:55.670 with a stomach virus. Your nerves are causing 00:46:55.670 --> 00:46:59.469 you anxiety. You have muscle spasms between your 00:46:59.469 --> 00:47:03.059 neck and shoulder. You're struggling with intestinal 00:47:03.059 --> 00:47:06.760 issues. You have tennis elbow. You have weakness 00:47:06.760 --> 00:47:10.610 in your right quad. You have a stiff neck that 00:47:10.610 --> 00:47:13.869 never seems to stop hurting. You have a rotator 00:47:13.869 --> 00:47:17.050 cuff that is painful. You have pain in the right 00:47:17.050 --> 00:47:20.030 side of your buttocks. You're struggling with 00:47:20.030 --> 00:47:27.110 a hernia. You have kidney issues. So if those 00:47:27.110 --> 00:47:29.429 are you or you have any other need, these people 00:47:29.429 --> 00:47:31.659 right here are going to pray for you. Because 00:47:31.659 --> 00:47:35.159 see, here's the reality. When we get filled with 00:47:35.159 --> 00:47:37.039 the Spirit, if we don't give it out, we don't 00:47:37.039 --> 00:47:40.670 do anything with it. It becomes dormant. And 00:47:40.670 --> 00:47:44.690 then we put ourselves back in a cage. We need 00:47:44.690 --> 00:47:47.409 to start stepping out in faith and praying for 00:47:47.409 --> 00:47:50.050 people and encouraging people and being bold 00:47:50.050 --> 00:47:52.730 in who we are. It's okay to be bold, church. 00:47:53.230 --> 00:47:58.739 It's okay to stand up for Jesus. It's okay. Just 00:47:58.739 --> 00:48:01.599 like Daniel. Because when we stand up for Jesus, 00:48:01.699 --> 00:48:05.130 guess what? We get elevated. God lifts us up. 00:48:05.800 --> 00:48:09.260 and cares for us. So if you have any of those 00:48:09.260 --> 00:48:10.860 needs or you need any other prayer requests, 00:48:10.980 --> 00:48:12.699 I got a whole prayer team up here that's gonna 00:48:12.699 --> 00:48:17.650 pray for you. Amen? All right, now, we're gonna 00:48:17.650 --> 00:48:19.650 pray a simple prayer because here's the reality. 00:48:20.289 --> 00:48:22.170 There's not a Sunday that goes by that there's 00:48:22.170 --> 00:48:23.949 people not in here that don't believe in Jesus. 00:48:25.369 --> 00:48:32.969 And my response to that is this. Why? Why? We 00:48:32.969 --> 00:48:36.949 live in a broken world full of brokenness. Why 00:48:36.949 --> 00:48:39.289 not put a little hope in our life? Amen? And 00:48:39.289 --> 00:48:42.130 that's why we pray every single Sunday at every 00:48:42.130 --> 00:48:45.750 single gathering. So before we go, let's pray 00:48:45.750 --> 00:48:50.519 that simple prayer. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full 00:48:50.519 --> 00:48:57.090 of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change me. Forgive 00:48:57.090 --> 00:49:02.829 me. I believe you're God's son. I believe you 00:49:02.829 --> 00:49:08.320 died for me. I believe. You're alive today. Make 00:49:08.320 --> 00:49:12.460 me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit. 00:49:13.519 --> 00:49:17.639 Help me, God, to serve others. In Jesus' name, 00:49:17.800 --> 00:49:20.880 amen. Now listen, if you prayed that prayer, 00:49:21.019 --> 00:49:23.320 see me, see Rudy, see somebody go to the Welcome 00:49:23.320 --> 00:49:27.969 Hub. Don't leave yet, because we gotta give you 00:49:27.969 --> 00:49:30.750 some next steps on how to walk out that relationship 00:49:30.750 --> 00:49:34.730 with Jesus. We kick off a new series next week 00:49:34.730 --> 00:49:37.289 called Bloodlines, and we're gonna be looking 00:49:37.289 --> 00:49:40.690 at the life of King David. It's going to be a 00:49:40.690 --> 00:49:43.510 challenging talk. It's going to involve a mirror. 00:49:44.070 --> 00:49:47.590 So come expectant for life change. Now, I want 00:49:47.590 --> 00:49:49.670 to go to that door and say goodbye. Goodbye, 00:49:49.809 --> 00:49:51.909 everyone online. We love you. God bless you. 00:49:51.969 --> 00:49:54.510 We're praying for you. So please hold that door 00:49:54.510 --> 00:49:57.269 so I can say goodbye to everyone. Amen? I got 00:49:57.269 --> 00:49:58.989 a new dynamic here. I got to figure out how to 00:49:58.989 --> 00:50:02.210 get to my door. So work with me. I love you guys. 00:50:02.329 --> 00:50:03.409 Have an incredible week.