Before time had a name there was a garden a place
where heaven and earth Walked as one This is
the echoes of Eden Where we rediscover ancient
roots and awaken to our eternal purpose Well,
hey guys, hey we are back week seven of the revelation
of christ in all what i thought i had notes for
was just for six weeks and i found two additional
weeks when i got to the end of that last week's
message um so we're going to continue this for
two more weeks if you're mad stop the video i
don't know what to tell you let's stop listen
to the podcast i don't know what to tell you
we're going to continue week seven the revelation
of christ and all this is going to be fun i love
this series This is a passion of mine. Who knows
I may turn this into a book. I don't know. Anyhow,
but this week I want to talk about no separation
in Christ. Yes, there is absolutely zero separation
in Christ. And again, I go back to Colossians
where Paul tells us that we were alienated in
our own mind. Separation was never on the Father's
end. It was always on our end. So, by now most
of the big theological objections have been addressed
but there's still there's probably going to be
more than one of course with some people out
there but there's one that still lingers beneath
the surface and that's what we're going to talk
about today and it's this if christ is in all
why does scripture talk about people being lost
why does it say the world is in darkness and
why evangelize at all And these, again, my friend,
they're fair questions, and we're gonna let scripture,
not tradition, answer these. Most of Western
Christianity is built on a single assumption,
and that assumption is humanity is separated
from God, and salvation's purpose is to fix that
separation. So in the year 2026, But a lot of
people are still separated from God and they
need to repeat a prayer or do some Magical formula
or say they're do something to get back in his
good gracious To not be separated. But here's
the problem If separation is real in Christ,
then the cross failed to accomplish Reconciliation
and these are the things you have to wrestle
with these are the things that I had to wrestle
with These are the things that there's still
leaven in me of religion that I have to allow
Holy Spirit to work out within me. But again,
if separation is real in Christ, then what we
are ultimately saying is the cross failed to
accomplish reconciliation. That Jesus actually,
when he said it is finished, actually failed
his mission. Again, it goes back to... to the
whole notion of if you can point out, I believe
it was last week I talked about this, if you
can point out the one who's not holy, who's not
faithful, then the next question becomes what
did you do to become holy? And if you can answer
that question and say there was something that
you did in order to gain the status of being
holy, then we're back to a transactional gospel
and we're back to a works -based salvation. That's
what we're back to. You're saying that you had
to do something in order to gain something. And
my friend, that's not the gospel. The gospel
is all inclusive. The gospel is that all is saved,
all is redeemed, all are forgiven. And that includes
the Muslims, that includes jihadists, that includes
LGBTQ plus. community members. That includes
the neighbor that you go outside and talk to.
That includes the atheist. That includes all,
everyone that you come in contact with is already
saved, redeemed, restored, and forgiven. They're
just blinded and deceived in their own life.
And it takes my personal statement, it takes
you and I to become and to live out being the
light of the world in the world around us, to
awaken them to their status as a son or daughter,
to awaken them to their status of sonship and
daughterhood. Scripture never speaks of reconciliation
as being partial. as being, well, it's almost
reconciled. The rest of the world is almost there.
Yes, you repeated the prayer, so you're fine.
The rest of the world, they're kind of reconciled,
but they gotta do some steps in order to be fully
reconciled. So again, we need to ask a different
question. What if separation is not a reality,
but it's a belief? It's a mindset that we have
been taught especially here in the western part
of the world So let's look this This week at
Acts chapter 17 This we have Paul here in this
story. He is in Athens So Paul is not in a church
Paul is not speaking to a group of believers
Paul is not addressing covenant type people.
What Paul is surrounded by in Acts chapter 17
are going to be people such as idol worshipers,
as philosophers, as pagans. He's going to be
addressing people that have no biblical framework.
If there was ever a moment, and again, let's
think about our message about no separation.
If there was ever a moment to emphasize separation,
this would be it. This would be the moment where
Paul would have to discuss, hey, you guys are
actually separated from God. Think about what's
being said. Again, who's he talking to? Pagans,
philosophers. people who don't have biblical
framework. This would be the moment, Paul, that
if you're going to talk about separation, this
would be the story, this would be the moment
in which to do that. To tell these people how
messed up they are, how wrong they are, how much
they need Jesus, how much they need to repeat
a prayer, and they need to be reconciled back
to God because right now they're not reconciled.
that they are far away, they are separated. This
is the moment Paul needs to do this for this
logic to set in. And I wanna read beginning in
Acts chapter 17 verse 22. It says, so Paul stood
in the middle of the leadership council and said,
respected leaders of Athens. So we already see
Paul was coming being very respectful. It is
clear to me how extravagant you are in your worship
of idols. Dr. Simmons in the Passion Translation
has a note here that says, as translated from
the Aramaic, which can also be translated, you
excel in the worship of demons for idols. The
Greek is how very superstitious you are or extraordinary
religious. Pick up on the notes here. So he says,
Whom you worship without even knowing anything
about him again, that's Jack chapter 17 verse
22 and 23 I'm reading out of the passion Here
again, we see Paul. He is not He does not begin
this with that you are separated from God He
does not talk start this whole Conversation this
dialogue off talking about how messed up worthless
sinners. They are And again, he's not talking
to church people. He's not talking to believers.
He's talking to pagan worshipers. They worship
these idols. Again, even what the Aramaic says
is you excel in the worship of demons. This is
the kind of people he's talking to, and he's
not beating them over the head talking about
you worthless sinners. You are so separated from
God. You are so lost in your whatever. He doesn't
begin in any sense of the way like that. He begins
actually with honor. He acknowledges their hunger.
Go back and read it. It is clear to me how extravagant
you are in your worship of idols. And then when
it says that, he said he even found an inscription
on one altar that read, to the unknown God. I
have come to introduce you to this God who you
worship and you don't even know who you're worshiping.
That's the God I'm coming to introduce you today.
So he acknowledges their hunger. He recognizes
that they are seeking. He's recognizing their
passion in this moment. But they don't have a
problem. Their problem is not worship. They're
worshiping an unknown God. And Paul says I've
come today to help introduce you to this God
that you're worshiping that you don't even know
who it is. I see all the great things here. I
see how you um how extravagant you are in your
worship. I was captivated by the many shrines
and objects of your worship. I took note of them.
I caught it and then I caught the one over here
that says to the unknown God. And I'm coming
to introduce him to you and introduce the God
who you don't even know who you're worshiping.
So he sees and recognizes that they're seeking,
that they're passionate in worship. And then
he says something radical. When what you worship
is unknown, this I proclaim to you. Paul does
not bring a new God into this mix. No, Paul.
Believe partners with Holy Spirit in this moment
and he reveals the God that's already present
Paul is coming to this group of people he finds
He founds one with an inscription on the altar
that read to the unknown God so instead of introducing
a new God Paul comes in I believe with with wisdom
and mystery he says I've come to introduce you
to this God whom you worship without even knowing
anything about him he says I'm not coming to
bring you a new God you're already worshiping
this God let me introduce you to the God who's
already present among you and within you so let's
continue Acts chapter 17 verses 24 through 28
It says the true God is the creator of all things.
He is the owner and Lord of the heavenly realm
and the earthly realm and he doesn't live in
man -made temples. He supplies life and he supplies
breath and all things to every living being.
He doesn't lack a thing that we mortals could
supply for him for he has all things and everything
he needs. From one man Adam, he made every man
and woman in every race of humanity, and he spreads
us over all the earth. He sets the boundaries
of people and nations, determining their appointed
times and history. He has done this so that every
person would long for God, feel their way to
him and find him, for he is the God who is easy
to discover. Listen, listen to what Paul is saying.
Paul is saying for he is the God who is easy.
God is not difficult to find. In fact, you're
already worshiping him in all your shrines. You
have one over here that says to the unknown God
and I'm here to introduce you to him. He is that
easy to find that he's already here among you.
You're already worshiping him. Let me introduce
you to this God because this God trumps all the
other ones in the building. Sets the boundaries
of people and nations Where was I at? He is the
God who is easy to discover it is through him
catch this it is through him that we live and
function and have our Identity just as your own
poets have said our lineage comes from him. So
let's Break some of this down. Paul was declaring
here that God does not live far away He is telling
this group of pagan worshipers that God is not
distant God is not contained in temples He says
in him we live and move and have our Being our
he's talking to a group of people and using this
term our He's talking to them and saying guess
what guys you're included. This is the God that
we live and move and have our being This is not
a poetic encouragement. This is ontological reality.
And then Paul goes even further. He says, we,
talking to the room of pagan worshipers, we are
his offspring. Pause right there. Don't check
your brain at the door. Listen to what is being
said. How is Paul talking? Put yourself in a
room full of people. Put yourself in Paul's shoes
talking to them and he's using phrases such as,
in him, we live and move and have our being.
We collectively are his offspring. Paul does
not tell them you are a bunch of worthless sinners
and you could become his offspring. That's not
what Paul says. Paul does not say you will be
his offspring if you would just repent. You can
be his offspring if you would say this prayer
and repeat these words after me. No, Paul was
saying, in him we live, move, have our being
and we are his offspring right now. We are. And
again, he's talking to pagans, people who are
worshiping idols. And he doesn't come in He doesn't
come in worship. He doesn't come in introducing
a new God he brings a God that's already in the
midst the unknown God and Saying hey guys that
one that you're worshiping. This is the one that
actually gives you life We are we are his offspring
In Him, it's how we live, it's how we move, it's
how we have our very being, it's how we find
our identity. Our identity is rooted inside of
this God that you're worshiping and don't even
know who you worship. So again, who is Paul talking
to? Because this is the critical question that
needs to be answered in this dialogue. He's not
talking to Christians. He's not talking to the
church. He's not talking to a room full of believers
He is speaking to people who worship idols who
have no concept of Christ and who do not believe
the gospel and Yet he has the audacity to sit
here and tell this room full of people. We are
his offspring Because this is not evangelism
as recruitment This is evangelism as revelation
He's revealing to them in this moment that this
God who you've been worshipping all along and
you don't even know who it is This is the God
that your identity is found in this is the God
that gives you the reason How can I say this?
This is the God that that is the the the the
What is the good way to say this to help me Holy
Ghost You were breathing because of this God
The very breath that you are taking right now
began in this God. Your life began in this God.
Your life is being sustained in this God. This
one over here, the one that says to an unknown
God. My friend, this reminds me as I'm talking
about this, it reminds me about going through
the gospels and reading the gospels and how Jesus
interacts with certain people. And about how
he would heal people and the person he healed
will not even know who healed him who healed
them Think about this Because we live in a society
where we need the credit. We need to make sure
people know Jesus did this and yet Jesus did
not have that mentality Jesus is healing people
without them knowing who actually healed them
Now he would come and introduce himself later
But there were multiple stories this happening
and then being asked by the Pharisees who healed
you I have no idea I don't know the man I Just
know one says I just know I was blind and now
I can see Think about this That's the unknown
guide This he Paul is unpacking revelation right
here in the middle of all these pagan worshiper
these demon worshippers that have all these different
shrines and all these different things that they're
worshiping, participating in. And it has the
audacity to reveal this truth to them that, hey,
this unknown God that you are in fact worshiping
without even knowing the person of which you're
worshiping, man, this is the one that we live.
We move and we have our being and we are his
offspring. Show me in this story where Paul is
talking about separation. Because in this whole
thing, Revelation, not recruitment, Paul does
not present God as being absent. He presents
God as misunderstood. Now let that one sink in.
I've heard this quote from Damon Thompson before.
I want to say he gets it from Bill Johnson. Be
careful of anything that you believe about God
that you cannot find in the person of Christ.
Because my friend, we believe a whole bunch of
BS about God that Jesus comes to restore and
say that you have my father wrong. If there is
anything, again, how can I say this? if there
is anything as a dad that i can say i do better
than god does the number one if i can ever say
that i'm a better father than he is then either
um how can i properly say this to make it make
the most sense If there's any action that I have
that I can begin to ask the question, am I a
better father than God is or do we have God wrong?
Option two is gonna be 100 % of the time the
answer. Because I do not believe that I'm a better
father than he is. No, I believe that we have
misunderstood and in many cases misrepresented
God to the world around us. He does not say that
they need God to come near. He says God is already
near and God always has been. So the issue here
for Paul, as he's speaking to this group of people,
the issue is not distance. No, the issue is still
the same issue we have today. The issue is ignorance,
which is why Paul later says, God overlooked
the times of ignorance, but now commands all
people everywhere to repent. And again, what
is the word repent? Because it's not about being
sorry. In fact, even my own children sometimes
will say, I'm sorry. And I tell them, no, you're
not because my kids are not sorry. Now I need
to do a better job of teaching this, but they're
not sorry. Does that mean they should never apologize?
No, certainly. Apologies are part of life. Being
able to apologize, but I don't want them to ever
get that mentality and begin to declare over
them that I'm sorry. Because they're not sorry
people. Sure, there's room for apologies. But
repentance has nothing to do with being sorry.
Repentance doesn't have anything to do with apologizing.
Repent is the word metanoia to come back to your
senses to come back to your original design To
to to come in line with your original blueprint
Repentance here is not begging for closeness
It is changing the mind about reality to come
back into your the true identity only discovered
in Christ This is what repentance is It's not
begging for God to come close. It's coming into
the realization, the revelation that you already
are one with him. That you could not be any closer
to God than you are right now. Let's talk about
darkness. Darkness in scripture has nothing to
do with separation. Darkness is deception. Again,
the same thing we have running loose in our world
and in our culture today. Darkness is about deception.
Blindness does not mean that God is far. It means
that truth is unseen. In fact, if you look at
darkness in the natural sense, darkness is not
even real. You can't study darkness. That's why
I forget the scripture that talks about it, but
he says he brought you out of darkness and into
marvelous light Light gets an adjectives with
it Marvelous light darkness is just darkness.
It doesn't even exist. You can't study darkness
Darkness by definition is simply the absence
of light. Now do we experience darkness? Absolutely
You go outside at nighttime and it's dark outside
you can't see what do you need sometimes a flashlight
so that you can see and what happens the moment
that you put that flashlight on darkness disappears
i have a light right here right here to help
me with my video if i was to turn it off i do
have other lights in here so didn't really make
that much of a difference but anyhow you can
see it got a little bit darker and the moment
that i turn it back on darkness doesn't argue
There was no fight there. The moment light shows
up, darkness disappears. So the moment that you
and I realize that we are as Christ is, we are
as Jesus is, we are the light of the world as
He is the light of the world, that it's His light
shining through us. When we begin to realize
that and we step into dark situations and dark
circumstances the moment we show up everything
just shifted in the favor of light why because
light overcomes darkness 100 % of the time Think
about this Stop checking our brains at the door.
I know we've been taught because I've grown up
in it and I had to do the wrestling match first
before I began to proclaim and teach stuff like
this I had to do the wrestling match first. I
had to allow Holy Spirit to come in and to adjust
my lens. Perfect example. Maybe. I may not be
able to do this. Please hold just a moment. Here
we go. Perfect example. My video. You can pause
it if you need to move on, stop it, if you don't
want to listen, anyhow. It's been several years
ago that I was sitting in a church service where
a pastor was ministering on something that Holy
Spirit was teaching me something different on.
And I was asking Holy Spirit, I said, why do
you continue to allow this to be taught like
this from your pastors if you're teaching me
something different? Because both of us, can't
be quote unquote right and he said son it's all
about the lens and of course me in that moment
was like huh and this is the picture that he
gave me i don't know how many of you remember
these this is the picture that he gave me right
here and if you know anything about these you
know that right now all that i can see looks
red like everything is red around me Let me think
something here. So I have a. So I have this right
here that I'm sure you can tell the right color.
I know the right color, but if you were to ask
me right now, I'm going to say that the color
of this is red, when in fact I know that it's
not. OK, I personally know what color this is.
But if you were asking me in how I am currently
seeing through this lens, it is red. Does that
make me wrong? No It just means that Holy Spirit
has to come and adjust my lens And help me to
see better These are my Amazon glasses here So
that I can see notes actually yellow. I Wasn't
this is why I don't believe the conversation
is any more about being right and wrong. I think
the journey is more important Holy Spirit just
had to come and fix these He had to come to adjust
my lens and sometimes that means taking this
pair off and giving me something different to
look through Is it making sense I hope it is
So Paul was never said here Paul never says that
you're separated from God. He says you you don't
yet see clearly You don't yet see clearly and
that changes everything Because when we understand
that darkness is not That the issue is really
ignorance and that darkness is not has nothing
to do with separation This begins to change how
we see things and how we understand things and
how we see other people how we see ourselves
So if Christ is already present why why preach
Why continue doing stuff like this if Christ
isn't everybody Chris, then what is the purpose
of doing this? Because lies still destroy lives
People are still ignorant today people are still
deceived and I would say this I know it's gonna
be a very strong statement Maybe a very controversial
statement But I would go as far to say the church
even is just as deceived and ignorant as the
world is We don't know who we are And I'll tell
you, it's not about politics, not about anything,
but if anything, I think what we just had happen
five -ish years ago proves that point. The church
has no idea who she is. I'm talking about the
big C word. The church has no idea who she is.
During that season, I was at a church and they
was beginning to sing the song, Great Are You
Lord, and they were singing the part, It's Your
Breath in Our Lungs. and i felt the holy spirit
say he said son if it's my breath in your lungs
how could this sickness ever take you out wrestle
with this wrestle with this i struggle currently
um i believe i'm healed um i'm waiting for symptoms
to catch up to it but i struggle sometimes with
type 2 diabetes But here's what I come to know
as far as truth is if it's his blood coursing
through my veins I have as much I am subjugated
just as much to type 2 diabetes as is the blood
of Christ, which is none I Tell people this You
have about as much chance of continuing to struggle
with anxiety as does Christ Think about these
statements And I'm not taking light of your situation,
of your story, but I'm helping you to understand
the truth of who you are in Christ. That if Christ
is actually in you, if it's the same spirit that
raised Christ from the dead that lives within
you and I, when does that stop becoming just
a cute scripture that we repeat on a consistent
basis, and when does it start becoming incarnational
in our life? That I have within me coursing through
my veins the same spirit that raised Christ from
the dead Living within me When does this become
stop becoming a fairy tale for us? Anyhow moving
on So again why preach because lies to destroy
lives because people live beneath their inheritance
This still happens even in the church world because
identity unrealized becomes bondage and how many
people are in bondage how many Christians sons
and daughters of God who go to church every Sunday
every Wednesday every prayer meeting are still
in bondage Again growing up in the church world.
You would see the same people go to the altar
week after week after week after week and this
is not to condone uh condemn anybody for that
i get it but at some point we have to become
free so that other people can become free by
god using us so that we can become uh the the
manifest the christ within our own life so that
we can start telling people hey I've seen the
goodness of God. I know what it is to be healed,
to be delivered. Think this stuff through. Again,
I'm not condemning anybody. It's just when you
see the same people week after week go up to
prayer for the same issue, at what point do we
grow up, mature? I hope this is helping somebody.
We don't preach to bring God to people. We preach
and proclaim the gospel to remove lies about
God and about themselves. Because the gospel
has not come to God. The gospel is wake up to
God already present within you. Scripture says
God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself,
not counting their trespasses against them. You
see reconciliation is not potential. Reconciliation
is accomplished. Separation is not reality. It
is a belief system sustained by accusation. And
accusation has been canceled. And I believe this
is where it takes you and I to proclaim and to
release this gospel to the world around us. That
Christ has defeated the powers of the enemy.
Again, go back to Colossians chapter two. I believe
it was Colossians chapter two. Let me get there.
Might take me just a second to thumb through
this thing, but I want to read that because I
think it's important Colossians chapter 2 starting
in verse 15 then Jesus made a public spectacle
of all the powers and principalities of darkness
stripping away from them every weapon every weapon
every means every all all means all their spiritual
authority and power to accuse us and By the power
of the cross Jesus led them around as prisoners
in a possession of triumph. He was not their
prisoner. They were his So again, if he has already
stripped the enemy of every weapon and of all
their power to accuse, maybe it's time for you
and I to announce to the world the accusations
have been dealt with and silenced. Maybe it's
time for you and I to announce to the world that
your sin has been defeated. There's a very well
-known minister right now that I've even heard
videos talk about. We've got to deal aggressively
with our sin. Well, okay, here's the thing. You
can deal aggressively with your sin or you can
realize that he dealt aggressively with your
sin. You can you can make that decision You can
keep trying to crucify your flesh or you can
realize that no you were as Paul said you were
co -crucified with Christ and Now it is no longer
I who live but it is Christ who lives within
me So accusation has been canceled So what is
our role as sons and daughters now? Here's the
thing sons don't threaten people with distance
No sons and daughters reveal nearness to people
They begin to unveil partner with Holy Spirit
and unveiling the eyes of people around them
that they begin to understand You are in the
party already You are already a part of the family.
We're not trying to jump through hoops for you
to become a son or daughter of God. No, you are
a son and daughter right now. Sons don't preach
exclusion. They announce inclusion. Sons don't
argue people into truth. No, sons and daughters
embody truth. Here's the thing. Goes back to
my light and darkness thing. Light does not come
to convince darkness. Light simply shines. And
when light shows up, darkness ceases to exist.
So I want you to think about this. There is no
separation in Christ. God is not far from you.
God is not far from me. God is not far from your
neighbor. God is not far from the member of the
LGBT. God is not far from the Muslim. In fact,
we live, we move, and we all exist in Him. You
are not trying to get close. You are awakening
to what has always been true So at this point
Everything has been established Christ in all
No separation Darkness is equal to blindness
Holiness is our inheritance Which leaves one
final question? If this is all true, then why
does scripture still speak about being born of
God and the world lying in deception? And this
will take us to week eight, the actual final
message in this series. Born of God, kept by
truth. I'll see you next time.