WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.700 I was crossing the crosswalk downtown Prescott 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:07.000 a little while ago, and as I'm walking across, 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:09.140 I had somebody with me. As I'm walking across 00:00:09.140 --> 00:00:12.580 the crosswalk, there's a young lady that I can 00:00:12.580 --> 00:00:16.019 tell knows me. I didn't know her. She had a couple 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:19.920 of friends with her, and she's so excited to 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:24.179 tell me a story. And the story was that this 00:00:24.179 --> 00:00:26.760 was, I think it was a Tuesday, and so the Sunday 00:00:26.760 --> 00:00:30.359 prior, She goes, I was attending church online. 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:34.460 She goes, but I was mid -hike. She goes, so I'm 00:00:34.460 --> 00:00:37.520 hiking and I'm attending church while I'm hiking. 00:00:37.939 --> 00:00:40.039 Okay, can we just pause and go, what a great 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:42.600 time to be alive. You know what I mean? You can 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:45.579 hike and still be at church. You still get your 00:00:45.579 --> 00:00:50.100 gold star for attendance. So she's on this hike 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:53.179 and she goes, it got to a point where you started 00:00:53.179 --> 00:00:56.229 to get loud. and animated. And I go, well, that 00:00:56.229 --> 00:00:57.710 doesn't sound like me at all. I don't know what 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:00.609 you're talking about. You sure you were, it was 00:01:00.609 --> 00:01:03.369 Heights Church, not another church? And she goes, 00:01:03.450 --> 00:01:07.209 so you get loud and I'm hiking and all of a sudden 00:01:07.209 --> 00:01:09.349 when you get to your loudest point, a mountain 00:01:09.349 --> 00:01:14.170 lion jumps up and takes off. Church just might 00:01:14.170 --> 00:01:18.269 save your life. I'm just saying, okay? Just saying, 00:01:18.310 --> 00:01:22.989 church just might. We talk about the gospel saving 00:01:22.989 --> 00:01:25.530 your life. It just might physically save your 00:01:25.530 --> 00:01:29.189 life today. You don't know. And so there's this, 00:01:29.290 --> 00:01:30.890 and who knew? The mountain lion was listening 00:01:30.890 --> 00:01:33.569 to the gospel. Maybe that was the reaction that 00:01:33.569 --> 00:01:35.390 the mountain lion needed. But this idea of listening 00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:37.590 and responding, right? And a lot of you know 00:01:37.590 --> 00:01:40.650 Pastor Bob. It's really fun to ignore Pastor 00:01:40.650 --> 00:01:44.810 Bob's calls. It's just kind of a hobby of mine. 00:01:45.530 --> 00:01:49.510 And so Pastor Bob, we had this meeting set up 00:01:49.510 --> 00:01:52.390 where I was supposed to join him and some others. 00:01:52.920 --> 00:01:55.439 And I got stuck in a meeting I was already in. 00:01:55.859 --> 00:01:59.519 And so Pastor Bob being Pastor Bob begins to 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:02.359 text bomb me, right? Like, where are you? And 00:02:02.359 --> 00:02:04.780 I'm like, I'm in the meeting. I can't get out. 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:09.340 And then he goes, just leave. And his next one 00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:13.319 is, get up now. And I'm like, you need to stop. 00:02:14.439 --> 00:02:17.520 You're not helping. And so I'm still sitting 00:02:17.520 --> 00:02:20.900 there. Well, at one point I put my phone on the 00:02:20.900 --> 00:02:26.530 table. And he starts to call. And the first time, 00:02:26.550 --> 00:02:28.949 it's a one -on -one meeting at this point. So 00:02:28.949 --> 00:02:30.909 the first time I'm like, I'm so sorry. It's just 00:02:30.909 --> 00:02:35.270 Bob. And I click it, right? He called six times 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:41.289 in a row. And then left a voicemail about how 00:02:41.289 --> 00:02:43.930 this fake story of something that had happened 00:02:43.930 --> 00:02:46.430 to someone in my family. And you need to leave 00:02:46.430 --> 00:02:51.180 right now to go help them. Right? Isn't it interesting 00:02:51.180 --> 00:02:54.780 that we have the option when it comes to listening 00:02:54.780 --> 00:02:59.280 of ignoring? We intentionally call somebody to 00:02:59.280 --> 00:03:02.080 think about it. It's the most bizarre thing. 00:03:02.139 --> 00:03:04.419 We all carry phones. And at any given moment, 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.319 someone can call you and interrupt what's happening 00:03:07.319 --> 00:03:09.900 right now because they have something they need 00:03:09.900 --> 00:03:12.659 to tell you. But you have the choice. You have 00:03:12.659 --> 00:03:16.020 the choice of whether I pick up the phone, answer 00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:21.159 it or not. What if we take the premise that Jesus 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:25.300 is calling today? That Jesus is calling you. 00:03:25.379 --> 00:03:28.719 See, what I believe is that when we come into 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:32.400 a space like this and we take the time to open 00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:34.400 the Bible together, you know what's amazing about 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:38.069 the Bible? Is it's all about God. Right? Like 00:03:38.069 --> 00:03:40.330 sometimes we read the Bible and we read it through 00:03:40.330 --> 00:03:42.710 the lens of me and I make it all about me and 00:03:42.710 --> 00:03:46.150 what I can get. And here's the thing. First and 00:03:46.150 --> 00:03:49.389 foremost, the Bible is the story of creator God, 00:03:49.650 --> 00:03:52.949 the most supreme being there is, and how he wants 00:03:52.949 --> 00:03:56.210 to know you and you know him. That's why it exists. 00:03:56.870 --> 00:04:01.289 That you would know God. That you would see who 00:04:01.289 --> 00:04:03.889 he is in a tangible way, that you would see Jesus. 00:04:03.949 --> 00:04:06.590 Why Jesus? You guys, Jesus is the superhero. 00:04:07.669 --> 00:04:10.849 There's nothing else. There is no other fix for 00:04:10.849 --> 00:04:13.949 us. There is no other thing that can fix you 00:04:13.949 --> 00:04:16.329 and fix your marriage and fix your relationships 00:04:16.329 --> 00:04:18.490 and fix what you need. There is nothing else 00:04:18.490 --> 00:04:20.730 that will fix you and bring you peace other than 00:04:20.730 --> 00:04:23.949 the person of Jesus Christ. And this book is 00:04:23.949 --> 00:04:28.110 designed to introduce you to him. And I think 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:32.790 this concept of Jesus wants to call and us listening, 00:04:32.829 --> 00:04:35.589 but Jesus calling so that we would see him and 00:04:35.589 --> 00:04:38.310 something would grow is captured in the story 00:04:38.310 --> 00:04:40.689 we're in today. And I'll be honest with you, 00:04:40.709 --> 00:04:43.410 this story, I preached it probably from this 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:47.050 stage multiple times. I would preach it in the 00:04:47.050 --> 00:04:50.970 way that you probably are expecting it. Because 00:04:50.970 --> 00:04:53.189 a lot of times we can take the me lens and read 00:04:53.189 --> 00:04:56.529 this story from me. We can take the me lens and 00:04:56.529 --> 00:04:58.910 go, this is how this story identifies me. So 00:04:58.910 --> 00:05:01.449 in Luke chapter eight and Luke chapter eight 00:05:01.449 --> 00:05:04.370 and verse four, we're told this. While a large 00:05:04.370 --> 00:05:06.509 crowd was gathering, people were coming to see 00:05:06.509 --> 00:05:10.709 Jesus from town after town. He told this parable. 00:05:11.569 --> 00:05:14.490 So so we're told there's a large crowd and just 00:05:14.490 --> 00:05:16.810 it's worth pausing before we read the rest to 00:05:16.810 --> 00:05:19.509 understand that. The large crowd has come, and 00:05:19.509 --> 00:05:22.490 when Jesus begins to do anything in a large crowd, 00:05:22.709 --> 00:05:26.269 there's a reason why he's doing it. They would 00:05:26.269 --> 00:05:28.230 see, they would know, and they would experience 00:05:28.230 --> 00:05:32.459 him. The point was that they had showed up and 00:05:32.459 --> 00:05:34.420 what they're going to experience of the Messiah, 00:05:34.540 --> 00:05:38.879 of the Savior, of God's Son in human form, the 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:40.879 God -man, that what they're going to take away 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.339 from that is they're going to know him more, 00:05:43.399 --> 00:05:44.660 they're going to see him more, and they're going 00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:46.779 to experience more. Maybe it's just worth pausing 00:05:46.779 --> 00:05:49.000 that the reason you're in the room today is not 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.339 to have a good time. The reason I hope you have 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:54.360 a good time, I hope that this isn't a miserable 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:57.589 experience. But the reason you're in the room 00:05:57.589 --> 00:06:01.189 is to see Jesus. The reason you're in the room 00:06:01.189 --> 00:06:04.810 is to experience him for yourself. Why? Because 00:06:04.810 --> 00:06:07.810 the only thing that will change you, the only 00:06:07.810 --> 00:06:10.850 thing you were made for, that you were built 00:06:10.850 --> 00:06:14.350 the way you are for, is to know the person of 00:06:14.350 --> 00:06:19.850 Jesus Christ. And so in a crowd, it's about seeing, 00:06:19.930 --> 00:06:23.620 knowing, and experiencing. Verse 5. A farmer 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:25.819 went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering 00:06:25.819 --> 00:06:28.980 the seed, some fell along the path. It was trampled 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:32.259 on and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky 00:06:32.259 --> 00:06:35.240 ground. And when it came up, the plants withered 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.740 because they had no moisture. Other seed fell 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:41.879 among thorns, which grew up with it and choked 00:06:41.879 --> 00:06:45.259 the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. 00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:50.500 It came up and yielded a crop a hundred times 00:06:50.500 --> 00:06:54.839 more than was sown. When he, when Jesus said 00:06:54.839 --> 00:06:58.740 this, Jesus called out, whoever has ears to hear, 00:06:58.899 --> 00:07:02.000 let them hear. His disciples asked him what this 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.980 parable meant. He said, the knowledge of the 00:07:04.980 --> 00:07:07.220 secrets of the kingdom of God have been given 00:07:07.220 --> 00:07:09.879 to you, but to others I speak in parables so 00:07:09.879 --> 00:07:14.160 that though seeing they may not see, though hearing 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:17.860 they may not understand. This is the meaning 00:07:17.860 --> 00:07:21.019 of the parable. The seed is the word of God. 00:07:21.980 --> 00:07:25.279 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:28.339 when the devil comes and takes away the word 00:07:28.339 --> 00:07:30.899 from their hearts so that they may not believe 00:07:30.899 --> 00:07:34.600 and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones 00:07:34.600 --> 00:07:36.740 who receive the word with joy when they hear 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:40.480 it, but they have no root. They believe for a 00:07:40.480 --> 00:07:43.040 while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 00:07:43.160 --> 00:07:46.990 The seed that fell among the thorns stands for 00:07:46.990 --> 00:07:49.370 those who hear, but as they go on their way, 00:07:49.470 --> 00:07:52.470 they are choked by life's worries, riches, pleasures, 00:07:52.670 --> 00:07:57.930 and do not, key word, mature. But the seed on 00:07:57.930 --> 00:08:00.550 the good soil stands for those with a noble and 00:08:00.550 --> 00:08:03.930 good heart who hear the word, retain it, and 00:08:03.930 --> 00:08:07.930 by persevering, produce a crop. No one lights 00:08:07.930 --> 00:08:11.290 a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it 00:08:11.290 --> 00:08:14.170 under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand 00:08:14.170 --> 00:08:17.170 so So that those who come in can see the light. 00:08:17.430 --> 00:08:20.490 For there is nothing hidden that will not be 00:08:20.490 --> 00:08:22.730 disclosed and nothing concealed that will not 00:08:22.730 --> 00:08:26.490 be known or brought out into the open. Therefore, 00:08:26.610 --> 00:08:29.589 so based on all of that, therefore, consider 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:33.610 carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be 00:08:33.610 --> 00:08:37.809 given more. Whoever does not have even what they 00:08:37.809 --> 00:08:42.549 think they have will be taken from them. So you've 00:08:42.549 --> 00:08:45.740 been around church, familiar passage. And normally 00:08:45.740 --> 00:08:49.100 when this passage is taught, and again, I've 00:08:49.100 --> 00:08:51.940 taught it this way. I don't think it's a misinterpretation 00:08:51.940 --> 00:08:54.700 of the passage, but we instantly jump to, so 00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:58.759 what soil are you? Like, how do you, like, are 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:01.159 you one that like you received it with joy, but 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:03.320 then you fell away? Are you one that like, you 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:05.480 just feel like every time that you get close 00:09:05.480 --> 00:09:08.320 to Jesus, the devil comes in? Are you one that 00:09:08.320 --> 00:09:10.080 you're like, no, I can look at my life and there's 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:12.039 this, we often look at it through that lens, 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:14.559 but. But I don't know that that's accurate to 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:18.000 what the story is. Here's what I mean. Verse 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:24.200 five starts this way. A farmer went out to sow 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:30.360 his seed. The focal point of the story that Jesus 00:09:30.360 --> 00:09:34.759 gives is the farmer. The focal point, it doesn't 00:09:34.759 --> 00:09:40.139 say, and there were soils. It says that a farmer. 00:09:41.230 --> 00:09:46.590 went out and he is scattering seed. Here's what's 00:09:46.590 --> 00:09:49.850 interesting. We missed the point that the parable 00:09:49.850 --> 00:09:54.110 is actually about the farmer who over time we 00:09:54.110 --> 00:09:58.529 understand is actually God himself as the person 00:09:58.529 --> 00:10:03.990 of Jesus. That the farmer went out with an intention. 00:10:04.750 --> 00:10:07.289 Why do you take something? Why do you take a 00:10:07.289 --> 00:10:09.429 seed and why do you plant it? What are you hoping 00:10:09.429 --> 00:10:11.750 will happen? Something will grow. There will 00:10:11.750 --> 00:10:15.250 be some kind of harvest. This farmer goes out 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:18.190 with intentionality. This farmer goes out with 00:10:18.190 --> 00:10:20.549 the intention that he is going to do something 00:10:20.549 --> 00:10:25.250 and it's going to produce over time this abundant 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:28.750 harvest. Now, this farmer is unlike any I've 00:10:28.750 --> 00:10:31.720 ever known. Here's what I mean. Verse five, a 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:34.019 farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering 00:10:34.019 --> 00:10:37.399 the seed, some fell along the path. And then 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:39.320 it continues on. Some fell in the rocks, some 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:41.000 fell in the weeds, and some fell in good soil. 00:10:42.000 --> 00:10:46.539 Now, we lived in Canada for five and a half years, 00:10:46.580 --> 00:10:50.559 one stoplight town. All around were farms. I 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:52.279 would never have chose it, but God chose it for 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:57.169 us. And I got to know farmers. I know nothing 00:10:57.169 --> 00:10:58.809 about farming. I didn't grow up in a farming 00:10:58.809 --> 00:11:00.809 family. I grew up in England. There were sheep 00:11:00.809 --> 00:11:02.909 everywhere. That's about as close as I got to 00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:05.710 farming. What I learned about farmers is they're 00:11:05.710 --> 00:11:10.529 exceptionally hard workers. No, we don't give 00:11:10.529 --> 00:11:13.169 farmers a cheer for that. They're exceptionally 00:11:13.169 --> 00:11:19.350 hard workers. In fact, you know how I know. I 00:11:19.350 --> 00:11:22.789 used to teach in a church. And so the majority 00:11:22.789 --> 00:11:25.659 of people there were farmers. And I taught on 00:11:25.659 --> 00:11:29.159 Sabbath once about how they need to rest. And 00:11:29.159 --> 00:11:31.399 one of them came up to me and went, that's cute, 00:11:31.539 --> 00:11:34.100 but you know the cows still need to be milked. 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:37.419 I was like, oh, never thought about that. I appreciate 00:11:37.419 --> 00:11:41.620 that. That's helpful. And so we're in this, we're 00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:43.360 learning about, one of the things I learned about 00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:47.940 farmers is this, they plant a lot of corn. Their 00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:52.659 cornfields were straight lines. They were works 00:11:52.659 --> 00:11:55.990 of art. You could tell the farmers have been 00:11:55.990 --> 00:11:57.690 out drinking the night before because it's not 00:11:57.690 --> 00:12:00.850 so much, you know. But when they grew, when the 00:12:00.850 --> 00:12:03.210 corn grows, it grows in rows and it's clean and 00:12:03.210 --> 00:12:05.370 you're just passing cornfield after cornfield 00:12:05.370 --> 00:12:07.269 and they look like pieces of art. You know what 00:12:07.269 --> 00:12:10.970 you don't see is corn up on the hill because 00:12:10.970 --> 00:12:14.330 the farmer just got a little excited. The farmer 00:12:14.330 --> 00:12:19.389 in this moment is unlike any other farmer. What 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:21.549 I know from being around farmers is when you 00:12:21.549 --> 00:12:26.600 plant, every seed is money. And so it's not something 00:12:26.600 --> 00:12:30.480 to be wasted. But what you get from this farmer 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:32.899 is the picture is this farmer is just going around 00:12:32.899 --> 00:12:37.799 and he's just scattering seed. And he's not paying 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:41.559 attention seemingly to where it's falling or 00:12:41.559 --> 00:12:45.059 is he paying attention? Right? So he's going 00:12:45.059 --> 00:12:47.419 along and he's scattering seed and it says that 00:12:47.419 --> 00:12:51.860 some falls on the path. Now the path. And in 00:12:51.860 --> 00:12:55.539 those days, between seasons, they would walk 00:12:55.539 --> 00:12:59.039 across one another's farms, farmland, and it 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:01.460 would basically create a path that was trodden 00:13:01.460 --> 00:13:03.980 down. So when it says path, it was actually used 00:13:03.980 --> 00:13:06.500 to be good soil and was used for farming. And 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:10.580 now it's just across their field. And so the 00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:13.059 thought is that he's just scattering seed and 00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:15.179 it's going on the path. And the thought is maybe 00:13:15.179 --> 00:13:17.279 later he'll come back and till it all into the 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:21.500 ground. But then you have the farmer. says that 00:13:21.500 --> 00:13:24.679 he scatters the seed among the rocks. And it's 00:13:24.679 --> 00:13:27.620 not rocks as we think of. It's rocks like a limestone 00:13:27.620 --> 00:13:29.919 ledge is what they believed. And there was a 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:33.799 thin layer of dirt on top. And he's just scattering 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:37.659 seed. And then you have the thorns and the weeds. 00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:41.139 Now, here's what's interesting. Any farmer I've 00:13:41.139 --> 00:13:44.210 ever known. They know what a path is. They know 00:13:44.210 --> 00:13:46.850 where their ground is shallow. They know where 00:13:46.850 --> 00:13:48.970 the rock ledges are. They know their ground. 00:13:49.210 --> 00:13:51.710 They could tell you where it ends, where it's 00:13:51.710 --> 00:13:54.509 good to do it to, where you stop and why. They 00:13:54.509 --> 00:13:56.769 know all the ins and outs of their field. They 00:13:56.769 --> 00:13:59.110 know the difference between a weed and a thorn 00:13:59.110 --> 00:14:02.570 and the crop that they're looking for. And yet 00:14:02.570 --> 00:14:05.429 what we're told about this farmer is he is just 00:14:05.429 --> 00:14:09.309 out there scattering seed. I tend to believe 00:14:09.309 --> 00:14:12.840 that this farmer knows what he's doing. I think 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:15.000 he knows the difference between rocks and thin 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.980 soil and thorns and good soil. And he knows where 00:14:18.980 --> 00:14:22.379 the path is. And yet, and yet it says that he 00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:25.039 scatters the seed. Why? Because what's the intention 00:14:25.039 --> 00:14:31.600 of him doing it? He wants a harvest. I love the 00:14:31.600 --> 00:14:37.000 picture you get of God is he is generous to us. 00:14:38.329 --> 00:14:41.309 He's generous. He's not stingy. He's not going, 00:14:41.389 --> 00:14:46.049 I ain't going to put it there because he's scattering 00:14:46.049 --> 00:14:51.309 the word of God wherever it'll go that just maybe 00:14:51.309 --> 00:14:57.769 it'll grow in the rocks today. Just maybe it'll 00:14:57.769 --> 00:15:00.690 grow where there was thorns and be strong enough 00:15:00.690 --> 00:15:03.370 to not be choked out by the thorn. He knows the 00:15:03.370 --> 00:15:07.559 ground. At this moment, you guys, I see God as 00:15:07.559 --> 00:15:10.720 generous and I'm processing this the way it works 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.340 as a communicator. It's on your mind all the 00:15:12.340 --> 00:15:16.279 time. So Thursday, I'm laying, my wife's putting 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.620 the kids to bed. I'm laying downstairs and I'm 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:21.320 stretching out my back and all of a sudden I 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:25.360 jump up and I go, oh my gosh, the sower knew. 00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:29.019 And I run over to my notebook and it goes, the 00:15:29.019 --> 00:15:35.450 sower knew. And it like blew my mind. That the 00:15:35.450 --> 00:15:38.450 sower knew the ground he was putting the seed 00:15:38.450 --> 00:15:44.149 on. And he still put it on that ground. The sower 00:15:44.149 --> 00:15:48.350 knew that the devil was coming. And he still 00:15:48.350 --> 00:15:52.529 puts the seed in hope the opportunity that something 00:15:52.529 --> 00:15:57.100 will grow. Right. Like he knew he knew that on 00:15:57.100 --> 00:15:59.960 the path, the birds. Right. Like he knew that 00:15:59.960 --> 00:16:02.240 the weeds are going to grow up and and all the 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:05.759 distractions of this life and the pleasures that 00:16:05.759 --> 00:16:08.320 they're going to fight for what he's sowing. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:11.879 And it says he still took the word of God and 00:16:11.879 --> 00:16:14.759 gave it. He's still trying. He's still trying 00:16:14.759 --> 00:16:20.980 to call. He's still speaking. Even even when 00:16:20.980 --> 00:16:23.769 you sit here and you go. I think I'm that soil. 00:16:25.409 --> 00:16:30.330 This morning, he's still scattering seed. That 00:16:30.330 --> 00:16:33.269 just maybe in your life today, just maybe today 00:16:33.269 --> 00:16:37.450 is the day that it grows. Just maybe today is 00:16:37.450 --> 00:16:40.850 the day. I mean, how good does that make God? 00:16:42.450 --> 00:16:44.289 How good does that make God that he's willing 00:16:44.289 --> 00:16:48.710 to take a risk on you today? How beautiful does 00:16:48.710 --> 00:16:50.710 that make him that he's so generous that he's 00:16:50.710 --> 00:16:55.919 not like... Have you seen them? He ain't doing 00:16:55.919 --> 00:17:00.059 that. He's going, just maybe, just maybe today. 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:07.000 And I love, I love, you get down and it says 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:10.720 that like his goal is this crop, right? And in 00:17:10.720 --> 00:17:13.619 verse eight, still other seed fell on good soil 00:17:13.619 --> 00:17:15.319 that came up and yielded a crop a hundred times 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:18.400 more than was sown. So his goal is this harvest. 00:17:19.180 --> 00:17:22.660 But then listen to this. When he had said this, 00:17:22.680 --> 00:17:25.059 when Jesus had said this, so when he just told 00:17:25.059 --> 00:17:29.920 that story, when he had said this, he, Jesus, 00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:36.839 called out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them 00:17:36.839 --> 00:17:44.740 hear. I got ears. You got ears. Isn't that obvious, 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:49.130 Jesus, that people got ears? And this phrase, 00:17:49.529 --> 00:17:51.390 whoever has ears, let them hear, it's not unique 00:17:51.390 --> 00:17:53.170 to this moment like it's used in other places 00:17:53.170 --> 00:17:55.130 in scripture. It shows up a lot in John's writing. 00:17:56.450 --> 00:17:59.190 Whoever has ears, let them hear. But that's not 00:17:59.190 --> 00:18:03.130 what got me. Right before that, at the end of 00:18:03.130 --> 00:18:08.910 that verse, it says, he, Jesus, called, Jesus 00:18:08.910 --> 00:18:16.269 called out. And as a communicator, I went. He 00:18:16.269 --> 00:18:19.690 just changed his inflection. Is that actually 00:18:19.690 --> 00:18:21.549 in the original? So then I go to my Bible stuff, 00:18:21.670 --> 00:18:25.849 right? Like my different tools and pull up things 00:18:25.849 --> 00:18:27.910 and I go, okay, in the original language, was 00:18:27.910 --> 00:18:31.670 that word called out there? And sure enough, 00:18:31.710 --> 00:18:33.650 because sometimes in translation, we add words 00:18:33.650 --> 00:18:37.089 to make it like make sense. So we get the context. 00:18:38.670 --> 00:18:43.130 And it specifically is a word in the Greek for 00:18:43.130 --> 00:18:48.369 called out. And it means to summon, which is 00:18:48.369 --> 00:18:52.990 to bring attention to, to use a louder voice. 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:56.549 So Jesus not only is summoning, but he is calling 00:18:56.549 --> 00:19:01.069 out. He is using a loud voice to get your attention. 00:19:01.349 --> 00:19:04.250 So he's just told this whole story. But the point 00:19:04.250 --> 00:19:08.329 is what he's about to say. That word called out 00:19:08.329 --> 00:19:11.890 in the original language is phoneo. The root 00:19:11.890 --> 00:19:17.049 word of phoneo. is phone. Think about it for 00:19:17.049 --> 00:19:22.170 a second. We get our word for phone from the 00:19:22.170 --> 00:19:26.589 Greek. And what it means is to transfer voice 00:19:26.589 --> 00:19:29.910 from one place to another. Isn't it interesting 00:19:29.910 --> 00:19:32.289 that we use the phrase, hey, I'll give you a 00:19:32.289 --> 00:19:36.589 call. I'm going to call you. Pastor Bob calls, 00:19:36.650 --> 00:19:39.829 just make sure you ignore. I'm going to call 00:19:39.829 --> 00:19:44.309 you. Right. Like we've taken the word from its 00:19:44.309 --> 00:19:47.349 original context in the Greek and Alexander Bell. 00:19:47.490 --> 00:19:49.869 And when the phone was invented, they used it 00:19:49.869 --> 00:19:51.509 because of what it communicates about taking 00:19:51.509 --> 00:19:53.730 your voice and transferring it across the distance. 00:19:54.690 --> 00:19:57.309 Then I've got something so important to tell 00:19:57.309 --> 00:20:00.390 you that I'm going to interrupt. Everything that 00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:02.549 you're doing right now, I'm going to take this 00:20:02.549 --> 00:20:05.069 moment and I'm going to put it into your space. 00:20:05.250 --> 00:20:07.089 Disrupt where you are because I've got something 00:20:07.089 --> 00:20:09.690 to say. That is what Jesus is saying when he 00:20:09.690 --> 00:20:18.430 goes and he calls out. Jesus is calling. And 00:20:18.430 --> 00:20:20.210 here's what's interesting. What he says next, 00:20:20.569 --> 00:20:24.809 whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. What 00:20:24.809 --> 00:20:28.799 he's saying is. Those of you that actually hear 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:34.619 my call, and in our context with our phone, we 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:37.000 have to hit a button or swipe across to accept 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:41.220 the call. Those of you that have heard the call, 00:20:41.380 --> 00:20:49.759 I'm asking you to engage spiritually. I'm asking 00:20:49.759 --> 00:20:51.859 you to engage with the conversation. I'm asking 00:20:51.859 --> 00:20:53.559 you to be attentive to what I'm telling you. 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:58.680 I'm asking you to have a response. That's what 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:01.859 he's saying. Those that have ears, he's saying, 00:21:01.900 --> 00:21:04.039 do you have the spiritual ears to hear the conversation 00:21:04.039 --> 00:21:07.319 that God wants to have with you today? Because, 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:10.799 don't miss it, Jesus is calling. That's the point. 00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:15.019 I love, you guys, this is like Jedi mind tricks 00:21:15.019 --> 00:21:19.640 happening in this teaching. He shares a story 00:21:19.640 --> 00:21:26.099 about hearing and listening. And then he goes, 00:21:26.200 --> 00:21:29.500 and the main point is, I'm going to use my loud 00:21:29.500 --> 00:21:37.380 voice. Engage with it. Talk to me about it. Don't 00:21:37.380 --> 00:21:40.779 let it just pass by. Don't physically just hear. 00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:47.630 You ever call your kids? Those of you that have 00:21:47.630 --> 00:21:49.230 kids or maybe you are a kid that gets called. 00:21:50.190 --> 00:21:53.809 You ever been on the phone with your kid? And 00:21:53.809 --> 00:21:56.450 you have them repeat what you just said to make 00:21:56.450 --> 00:22:00.329 sure that they what? Heard you. And they repeat 00:22:00.329 --> 00:22:02.970 it word for word. And you're like, OK, they got 00:22:02.970 --> 00:22:07.470 it. And then and then they get home. You're like, 00:22:07.569 --> 00:22:10.829 what'd you do? And it's the opposite. And you 00:22:10.829 --> 00:22:15.089 go, you didn't really what? Hear me. You didn't 00:22:15.089 --> 00:22:18.799 really hear me. That's what Jesus is saying. 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:22.220 I called you. We talked. You told me back my 00:22:22.220 --> 00:22:24.519 words, but you never engaged with it on a spiritual 00:22:24.519 --> 00:22:27.779 level with me. That's what he's getting at here. 00:22:27.859 --> 00:22:30.460 Notice what happens. The people that are following 00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:32.680 him, they hear him cry out, call out, say this. 00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:36.700 Notice what it says. Verse nine, I believe it 00:22:36.700 --> 00:22:41.420 is. Eight, sorry. No, it is nine. I was right. 00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:48.230 His disciples asked him what? this parable meant. 00:22:50.630 --> 00:22:55.450 Wait, entire crowd of people, the disciples are 00:22:55.450 --> 00:22:57.049 the ones that have intentionally followed him. 00:22:57.269 --> 00:23:00.150 And what happens with those intentionally following 00:23:00.150 --> 00:23:03.130 him? They engage him on what? The spiritual conversation. 00:23:04.069 --> 00:23:05.730 Hey, Jesus, what do you actually mean by that? 00:23:07.130 --> 00:23:09.829 Hey, I hear you calling Jesus, but what does 00:23:09.829 --> 00:23:11.769 it actually mean? Would you explain that to me? 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:16.079 They're engaging him at the level that he's asking. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:19.259 Verse 10. He said the knowledge. So Jesus says 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:22.079 the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:24.799 God has been given to you. But to others, I speak 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:28.319 in parables so that though seeing they may not 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.420 see, though hearing they may not understand. 00:23:31.960 --> 00:23:34.039 These are some of the most terrifying verses 00:23:34.039 --> 00:23:36.960 in the entire Bible. And here's what I mean. 00:23:37.689 --> 00:23:40.750 These verses, actually the context of the, though 00:23:40.750 --> 00:23:42.410 seeing they may not see, though hearing they 00:23:42.410 --> 00:23:44.769 may not understand, it comes from Isaiah. And 00:23:44.769 --> 00:23:46.609 Isaiah was a prophet that was sent to the nation 00:23:46.609 --> 00:23:49.369 of Israel. Israel is not doing what God wants 00:23:49.369 --> 00:23:51.569 them to do. They've heard, but they're not what? 00:23:52.089 --> 00:23:55.349 Spiritually engaging. So the prophet is sent 00:23:55.349 --> 00:23:58.490 with a word for them. But what God tells the 00:23:58.490 --> 00:24:02.029 prophet is this. Hey, when you go and give your 00:24:02.029 --> 00:24:04.190 message, I'm going to give them what they want. 00:24:06.029 --> 00:24:09.369 What does that mean? Well, when he shows up and 00:24:09.369 --> 00:24:11.430 he gives the message, if the heart is humble, 00:24:11.769 --> 00:24:16.190 God will give repentance. If the heart is recognizing, 00:24:16.450 --> 00:24:18.009 hey, we've been doing the opposite thing that 00:24:18.009 --> 00:24:19.990 God wants, then God goes, I'll give him repentance. 00:24:20.750 --> 00:24:24.730 But he also says that if the heart is hard, it 00:24:24.730 --> 00:24:29.049 will become more hardened. God is going to give 00:24:29.049 --> 00:24:35.619 you what you want. That's terrifying. Because 00:24:35.619 --> 00:24:42.400 for some of you, Jesus has been calling. And 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:44.579 he's been saying, hey, that person in your life 00:24:44.579 --> 00:24:49.539 that hurt you really, really bad, you need to 00:24:49.539 --> 00:24:54.180 forgive them. And what you've done is you see 00:24:54.180 --> 00:24:55.960 Jesus calling and you know what it's about because 00:24:55.960 --> 00:24:57.220 he wants you to forgive that person. You're like, 00:24:57.380 --> 00:25:02.980 nope. I'm not ready for that, Jesus. And Jesus 00:25:02.980 --> 00:25:04.839 calls again. Why? Because he's generous and he's 00:25:04.839 --> 00:25:08.480 scattering seeds. Right? So Jesus calls again 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:10.460 to interrupt your regularly scheduled program 00:25:10.460 --> 00:25:14.299 of your day. And sometimes, Jesus is tricky, 00:25:14.440 --> 00:25:16.380 you guys. We've got a tricky Jesus out here on 00:25:16.380 --> 00:25:19.200 these streets. Because sometimes you'll pass 00:25:19.200 --> 00:25:20.640 a building and think of that person. You're like, 00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:22.400 how did that building connect to that person? 00:25:22.440 --> 00:25:25.740 And Jesus goes, you need to forgive them. And 00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:28.930 you're like, nope. I'm not ready. You know what 00:25:28.930 --> 00:25:31.109 God gives you when you refuse it, right? Like 00:25:31.109 --> 00:25:33.190 this is the point of this whole thing. He'll 00:25:33.190 --> 00:25:36.410 give you what you want. If I don't want to forgive, 00:25:36.549 --> 00:25:40.930 I grow bitterness. And God goes, okay, be bitter. 00:25:42.349 --> 00:25:49.990 And then we get old and crusty and moldy. And 00:25:49.990 --> 00:25:54.200 our wrinkles hit the floor. And we're these nasty, 00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:56.759 mean people. Why? Because we've been growing 00:25:56.759 --> 00:26:00.519 a harvest of bitterness. And the whole time, 00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:03.660 generous Jesus has been like, no, I want a conversation 00:26:03.660 --> 00:26:06.640 about that. Because I don't want you to be bitter. 00:26:06.700 --> 00:26:09.779 I got better for you. Don't be bitter. Be better. 00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:13.779 Wow, there's a... Tell Pastor Todd that when 00:26:13.779 --> 00:26:20.279 you see him. But isn't it amazing? Jesus is calling 00:26:20.279 --> 00:26:26.299 her. No, no. No. It terrifies me, you guys, that 00:26:26.299 --> 00:26:31.339 he will give me what I want. That's the scariest 00:26:31.339 --> 00:26:34.299 verse in the whole Bible to me. Because I know 00:26:34.299 --> 00:26:37.980 my heart and I need Jesus to call me and call 00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:40.799 me and call me. And I got to learn how to pick 00:26:40.799 --> 00:26:43.980 up, pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up. But what 00:26:43.980 --> 00:26:45.680 Jesus is saying, it's not enough to just pick 00:26:45.680 --> 00:26:47.700 up and be like, okay, Jesus, I can tell you exactly 00:26:47.700 --> 00:26:51.759 what you said. He goes, I need you to engage 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:56.200 on a spiritual level with me in this conversation. 00:26:57.180 --> 00:26:59.920 It's fascinating to me. If you've got a physical 00:26:59.920 --> 00:27:01.960 Bible or you'll read this later in a physical 00:27:01.960 --> 00:27:05.940 Bible, which I don't know, I feel like I'm supposed 00:27:05.940 --> 00:27:08.660 to say this. You guys with this conversation 00:27:08.660 --> 00:27:10.559 today, you need to get around the table with 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:13.880 somebody this week. And you need to tell them 00:27:13.880 --> 00:27:15.680 Jesus is talking to me and he's talking to me 00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:17.180 about this so that you have some accountability 00:27:17.180 --> 00:27:20.569 for what Jesus is telling you. Because otherwise 00:27:20.569 --> 00:27:22.589 it'll just go in one ear and out the other. You'll 00:27:22.589 --> 00:27:25.210 get onto in and out later and it'll be over. 00:27:26.470 --> 00:27:28.069 But when I get around the table and somebody 00:27:28.069 --> 00:27:30.569 asks me, hey, what did Jesus tell you? How'd 00:27:30.569 --> 00:27:32.130 you respond to that? Are you engaging him on 00:27:32.130 --> 00:27:35.509 a spiritual level? That will transform you. You'll 00:27:35.509 --> 00:27:37.170 have an opportunity later to sign up for groups 00:27:37.170 --> 00:27:39.730 in a couple of weeks. I think you should sign 00:27:39.730 --> 00:27:41.250 up for groups if you're not in one. Why? Because 00:27:41.250 --> 00:27:42.589 you need to get around the table where somebody 00:27:42.589 --> 00:27:44.789 will go, what conversation is Jesus having with 00:27:44.789 --> 00:27:46.130 you? Because we don't want to grow bitterness. 00:27:47.029 --> 00:27:51.430 We want to grow bitterness. It's interesting 00:27:51.430 --> 00:27:54.150 with our Bibles. You know the little subtitles 00:27:54.150 --> 00:27:57.369 in your Bible, right? So in my Bible, this is 00:27:57.369 --> 00:28:00.410 what happens. A lamp on a stand separates the 00:28:00.410 --> 00:28:04.789 parable of the sower from the next section. That's 00:28:04.789 --> 00:28:07.630 not inspired. That was put there by humans to 00:28:07.630 --> 00:28:09.990 help us try and organize. The verse numbers are 00:28:09.990 --> 00:28:12.170 not inspired, right? Like they were put there. 00:28:12.710 --> 00:28:15.089 And I think it's done as a disservice. Here's 00:28:15.089 --> 00:28:17.589 what I mean. So he goes from the parable of the 00:28:17.589 --> 00:28:19.369 sower. He tells the soils. And then listen, he 00:28:19.369 --> 00:28:25.230 goes. No one, verse 16, no one lights a lamp 00:28:25.230 --> 00:28:27.849 and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a 00:28:27.849 --> 00:28:30.650 bed. Instead, they put it on a stand so that 00:28:30.650 --> 00:28:34.289 those who come in can see the light. For there 00:28:34.289 --> 00:28:36.329 is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed 00:28:36.329 --> 00:28:38.309 and nothing concealed that will not be known 00:28:38.309 --> 00:28:42.930 or brought into the open. Therefore, therefore, 00:28:43.109 --> 00:28:48.210 the entire dialogue of Jesus, the parable of 00:28:48.210 --> 00:28:52.920 the sower, Therefore, based on all of that, consider 00:28:52.920 --> 00:29:00.700 carefully how you listen. That's the whole point 00:29:00.700 --> 00:29:04.359 of the whole thing. Consider carefully when Jesus 00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:08.980 calls. Consider carefully how you listen. Jesus 00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:11.019 is calling all the time. How do I know this? 00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:15.460 I was in my bathroom on Monday morning. I was 00:29:15.460 --> 00:29:18.960 getting ready for work. My work that day. involved 00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:21.759 jumping on a Zoom call. Yes, I feel the same 00:29:21.759 --> 00:29:23.279 way. Actually, it was Google Meets, but I still 00:29:23.279 --> 00:29:27.160 feel the same way about whatever that is, platform 00:29:27.160 --> 00:29:30.200 that is, video conferencing that I felt in COVID. 00:29:31.500 --> 00:29:35.859 And I'm standing, getting ready, and I start 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:39.440 to have all these moments of insecurity. I start 00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:41.779 to have all these moments of the 25 people on 00:29:41.779 --> 00:29:43.859 there. I kind of know that one of them may be 00:29:45.490 --> 00:29:47.450 And I got all this pressure inside of me going, 00:29:47.569 --> 00:29:52.289 God, I need to do well. I need to not look stupid. 00:29:53.750 --> 00:29:58.950 I need to sound wise. I need to impress. I need 00:29:58.950 --> 00:30:01.390 to show up. I need to put on a good display. 00:30:01.470 --> 00:30:03.609 God, it's really healthy. I need to put on a 00:30:03.609 --> 00:30:08.630 good display for Heights Church. And in my bathroom 00:30:08.630 --> 00:30:11.750 on a Monday morning, Jesus called. And you know 00:30:11.750 --> 00:30:16.400 what he said? What's on your neck? And I touched 00:30:16.400 --> 00:30:20.599 my neck. He goes, that's right, you're loved. 00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:25.599 And because you're loved by God, that means there's 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:28.819 nothing to prove and nobody to impress. Just 00:30:28.819 --> 00:30:34.559 a God to serve. Go serve me. I entered that call 00:30:34.559 --> 00:30:41.359 and I got to just serve God in that call. Why? 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:43.240 Because Jesus is calling, even in the bathroom 00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:46.259 on a Monday morning. Some of y 'all might be 00:30:46.259 --> 00:30:49.460 getting a massage later. Jesus is going to call 00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:53.259 you in your massage. Just be ready. Some of you 00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:55.759 may be doing the most mundane thing in your week. 00:30:56.559 --> 00:31:00.559 Jesus is calling because he's generous and he 00:31:00.559 --> 00:31:03.500 wants a conversation with you. I fear though 00:31:03.500 --> 00:31:05.940 that some of us, I had a moment with my family. 00:31:08.150 --> 00:31:10.269 You know how kids are. Kids will poke each other 00:31:10.269 --> 00:31:12.210 until one of them responds, and then somebody 00:31:12.210 --> 00:31:14.450 inevitably gets hurt. I mean, it's just the way 00:31:14.450 --> 00:31:16.609 it happens, right? And so two of my daughters, 00:31:16.730 --> 00:31:22.109 they're going at it. In the midst of that, one 00:31:22.109 --> 00:31:25.490 of them gets hurt, and my wife responds. And 00:31:25.490 --> 00:31:28.349 she's talking to my daughter that had hurt the 00:31:28.349 --> 00:31:33.210 other one. And my daughter, as my wife is talking, 00:31:33.309 --> 00:31:40.019 my daughter's just doing this. She's still talking. 00:31:41.539 --> 00:31:51.380 And at some point, at some point she goes, I'm 00:31:51.380 --> 00:31:54.960 sorry, I came unglued. There's a lot of things 00:31:54.960 --> 00:31:57.740 in my life that are okay. Ignoring your mother 00:31:57.740 --> 00:32:04.140 is not one of them. Right? I don't know if you 00:32:04.140 --> 00:32:05.799 should clap for that because I had to apologize 00:32:05.799 --> 00:32:09.420 later. So I don't know. But I came unglued, right? 00:32:09.740 --> 00:32:14.240 I'm like, that's not okay. And we wouldn't do 00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:16.900 it to one another yet to God. God's calling and 00:32:16.900 --> 00:32:20.079 we're just what? We're ignoring him. I know you 00:32:20.079 --> 00:32:21.759 want to have a conversation about my lust. It's 00:32:21.759 --> 00:32:23.599 okay. I know you want a conversation about my, 00:32:23.640 --> 00:32:25.400 it's okay. I know you want a conversation about 00:32:25.400 --> 00:32:28.140 my relationship. It's okay. Like we just ignore 00:32:28.140 --> 00:32:29.980 him. And at some point we're like, would you 00:32:29.980 --> 00:32:33.819 leave me alone? But you need to know God is generous 00:32:33.819 --> 00:32:36.960 and he's going to continue to sow. Why? Because 00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:39.519 he cares about you and the abundant harvest inside 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:46.220 of you. That he's got good for you. And he wants 00:32:46.220 --> 00:32:51.519 to know when Jesus calls, will you answer? Will 00:32:51.519 --> 00:32:54.819 you answer? I believe that God wants to have 00:32:54.819 --> 00:32:56.579 a conversation in this room right here, right 00:32:56.579 --> 00:32:58.039 now. There are some of you that don't know Jesus. 00:32:59.369 --> 00:33:01.589 And I know for a fact Jesus is calling today 00:33:01.589 --> 00:33:05.309 because that's who Jesus is. And some of you, 00:33:05.329 --> 00:33:07.869 you need to answer that call and for the first 00:33:07.869 --> 00:33:09.910 time engage in with your faith and go, I put 00:33:09.910 --> 00:33:13.150 my trust in you today to save me because I cannot 00:33:13.150 --> 00:33:15.170 save myself. I believe that you bled and you 00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:18.210 died. And I believe that on that cross, you paid 00:33:18.210 --> 00:33:20.970 for my sin. Some of you need to have that conversation 00:33:20.970 --> 00:33:25.470 with Jesus right now today. For others of you. 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:28.880 Jesus is calling and he wants a conversation 00:33:28.880 --> 00:33:32.740 about that. And he wants a conversation right 00:33:32.740 --> 00:33:35.920 here, right now, today. So we're going to create 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.259 space. We're going to worship together. We're 00:33:37.259 --> 00:33:38.660 going to sing about the beautiful name of Jesus. 00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:41.819 We're going to sing about how good he is and 00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:46.779 how powerful he is. But the hope is that there's 00:33:46.779 --> 00:33:49.480 an internal conversation. Even as you worship, 00:33:49.619 --> 00:33:52.960 the Holy Spirit is speaking and wants to. Why? 00:33:53.039 --> 00:33:59.039 Because Jesus is calling. Will you pick up? So 00:33:59.039 --> 00:34:00.420 I'm going to pray for you that you pick up in 00:34:00.420 --> 00:34:01.880 these next moments that we have left together. 00:34:02.000 --> 00:34:06.720 So God, we come before you. God, thank you for 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:10.739 being good and kind and gracious. Thank you for 00:34:10.739 --> 00:34:15.460 being generous. Thank you, God, that even as 00:34:15.460 --> 00:34:17.679 we sit here and some of us would identify as 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:21.099 soil that's not prone to grow anything, that 00:34:21.099 --> 00:34:26.340 today would be the day. Because you're still 00:34:26.340 --> 00:34:30.820 scattering and you still want to harvest and 00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:33.699 you still want to conform us to the image of 00:34:33.699 --> 00:34:35.880 Jesus because that's what's best. You still want 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:39.260 the abundant life for us. That's why you gave 00:34:39.260 --> 00:34:43.179 your life. And so God, I ask that you help us. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:50.719 Would you meet us in this place? God, as we lift 00:34:50.719 --> 00:34:53.039 our voices in worship and we declare what a beautiful 00:34:53.039 --> 00:34:58.880 name the name of Jesus is, God, as we declare 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:03.039 how faithful you are, how good you are to us, 00:35:03.139 --> 00:35:06.460 why are we on your mind? And yet you meet us 00:35:06.460 --> 00:35:13.440 here. So God, would you speak? Would we listen? 00:35:13.539 --> 00:35:18.699 Would we engage? Would we answer your call? And 00:35:18.699 --> 00:35:22.739 would we be forever changed? Thank you for loving 00:35:22.739 --> 00:35:27.389 us. Thank you for the gift of life. And everybody 00:35:27.389 --> 00:35:28.849 said, amen.