WEBVTT 00:00:02.340 --> 00:00:07.740 Before time had a name there was a garden a place 00:00:07.740 --> 00:00:13.339 where heaven and earth Walked as one This is 00:00:13.339 --> 00:00:17.780 the echoes of Eden Where we rediscover ancient 00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:27.539 roots and awaken to our eternal purpose Well, 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:31.239 hey guys, hey we are back week seven of the revelation 00:00:31.239 --> 00:00:34.399 of christ in all what i thought i had notes for 00:00:34.399 --> 00:00:39.079 was just for six weeks and i found two additional 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:42.520 weeks when i got to the end of that last week's 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:45.820 message um so we're going to continue this for 00:00:45.820 --> 00:00:49.439 two more weeks if you're mad stop the video i 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:51.100 don't know what to tell you let's stop listen 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:53.039 to the podcast i don't know what to tell you 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.039 we're going to continue week seven the revelation 00:00:56.039 --> 00:00:58.380 of christ and all this is going to be fun i love 00:00:58.380 --> 00:01:01.780 this series This is a passion of mine. Who knows 00:01:01.780 --> 00:01:05.280 I may turn this into a book. I don't know. Anyhow, 00:01:05.980 --> 00:01:09.439 but this week I want to talk about no separation 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:15.060 in Christ. Yes, there is absolutely zero separation 00:01:15.060 --> 00:01:17.980 in Christ. And again, I go back to Colossians 00:01:17.980 --> 00:01:21.599 where Paul tells us that we were alienated in 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:25.219 our own mind. Separation was never on the Father's 00:01:25.219 --> 00:01:30.540 end. It was always on our end. So, by now most 00:01:30.540 --> 00:01:34.000 of the big theological objections have been addressed 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.219 but there's still there's probably going to be 00:01:38.219 --> 00:01:40.400 more than one of course with some people out 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:42.120 there but there's one that still lingers beneath 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:43.599 the surface and that's what we're going to talk 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:48.180 about today and it's this if christ is in all 00:01:48.180 --> 00:01:51.200 why does scripture talk about people being lost 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:55.040 why does it say the world is in darkness and 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.060 why evangelize at all And these, again, my friend, 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:02.400 they're fair questions, and we're gonna let scripture, 00:02:02.819 --> 00:02:08.039 not tradition, answer these. Most of Western 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:11.039 Christianity is built on a single assumption, 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:14.419 and that assumption is humanity is separated 00:02:14.419 --> 00:02:17.740 from God, and salvation's purpose is to fix that 00:02:17.740 --> 00:02:23.460 separation. So in the year 2026, But a lot of 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:25.960 people are still separated from God and they 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:29.500 need to repeat a prayer or do some Magical formula 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:32.159 or say they're do something to get back in his 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:35.680 good gracious To not be separated. But here's 00:02:35.680 --> 00:02:39.639 the problem If separation is real in Christ, 00:02:39.780 --> 00:02:43.419 then the cross failed to accomplish Reconciliation 00:02:43.419 --> 00:02:45.439 and these are the things you have to wrestle 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:47.460 with these are the things that I had to wrestle 00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:50.439 with These are the things that there's still 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:52.840 leaven in me of religion that I have to allow 00:02:52.840 --> 00:02:57.599 Holy Spirit to work out within me. But again, 00:02:57.780 --> 00:03:01.620 if separation is real in Christ, then what we 00:03:01.620 --> 00:03:05.780 are ultimately saying is the cross failed to 00:03:05.780 --> 00:03:09.159 accomplish reconciliation. That Jesus actually, 00:03:09.180 --> 00:03:12.360 when he said it is finished, actually failed 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:18.110 his mission. Again, it goes back to... to the 00:03:18.110 --> 00:03:21.090 whole notion of if you can point out, I believe 00:03:21.090 --> 00:03:23.849 it was last week I talked about this, if you 00:03:23.849 --> 00:03:27.030 can point out the one who's not holy, who's not 00:03:27.030 --> 00:03:30.389 faithful, then the next question becomes what 00:03:30.389 --> 00:03:33.490 did you do to become holy? And if you can answer 00:03:33.490 --> 00:03:35.430 that question and say there was something that 00:03:35.430 --> 00:03:38.330 you did in order to gain the status of being 00:03:38.330 --> 00:03:40.849 holy, then we're back to a transactional gospel 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:45.449 and we're back to a works -based salvation. That's 00:03:45.449 --> 00:03:48.120 what we're back to. You're saying that you had 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.639 to do something in order to gain something. And 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:53.780 my friend, that's not the gospel. The gospel 00:03:53.780 --> 00:03:57.460 is all inclusive. The gospel is that all is saved, 00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:02.060 all is redeemed, all are forgiven. And that includes 00:04:02.060 --> 00:04:05.840 the Muslims, that includes jihadists, that includes 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:10.150 LGBTQ plus. community members. That includes 00:04:10.150 --> 00:04:13.370 the neighbor that you go outside and talk to. 00:04:13.669 --> 00:04:16.689 That includes the atheist. That includes all, 00:04:16.889 --> 00:04:20.009 everyone that you come in contact with is already 00:04:20.009 --> 00:04:24.769 saved, redeemed, restored, and forgiven. They're 00:04:24.769 --> 00:04:28.110 just blinded and deceived in their own life. 00:04:29.269 --> 00:04:34.009 And it takes my personal statement, it takes 00:04:34.009 --> 00:04:40.209 you and I to become and to live out being the 00:04:40.209 --> 00:04:44.490 light of the world in the world around us, to 00:04:44.490 --> 00:04:48.490 awaken them to their status as a son or daughter, 00:04:49.089 --> 00:04:52.110 to awaken them to their status of sonship and 00:04:52.110 --> 00:04:57.490 daughterhood. Scripture never speaks of reconciliation 00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:02.079 as being partial. as being, well, it's almost 00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:06.779 reconciled. The rest of the world is almost there. 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.079 Yes, you repeated the prayer, so you're fine. 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:12.500 The rest of the world, they're kind of reconciled, 00:05:12.519 --> 00:05:15.819 but they gotta do some steps in order to be fully 00:05:15.819 --> 00:05:20.300 reconciled. So again, we need to ask a different 00:05:20.300 --> 00:05:23.959 question. What if separation is not a reality, 00:05:24.660 --> 00:05:29.220 but it's a belief? It's a mindset that we have 00:05:29.220 --> 00:05:32.519 been taught especially here in the western part 00:05:32.519 --> 00:05:38.120 of the world So let's look this This week at 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:43.480 Acts chapter 17 This we have Paul here in this 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:49.060 story. He is in Athens So Paul is not in a church 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:52.360 Paul is not speaking to a group of believers 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:57.439 Paul is not addressing covenant type people. 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:03.379 What Paul is surrounded by in Acts chapter 17 00:06:03.379 --> 00:06:06.680 are going to be people such as idol worshipers, 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:12.620 as philosophers, as pagans. He's going to be 00:06:12.620 --> 00:06:16.600 addressing people that have no biblical framework. 00:06:17.779 --> 00:06:21.019 If there was ever a moment, and again, let's 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:22.939 think about our message about no separation. 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.740 If there was ever a moment to emphasize separation, 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:30.240 this would be it. This would be the moment where 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:33.319 Paul would have to discuss, hey, you guys are 00:06:33.319 --> 00:06:38.519 actually separated from God. Think about what's 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:41.540 being said. Again, who's he talking to? Pagans, 00:06:41.740 --> 00:06:44.579 philosophers. people who don't have biblical 00:06:44.579 --> 00:06:47.000 framework. This would be the moment, Paul, that 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.620 if you're going to talk about separation, this 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:52.339 would be the story, this would be the moment 00:06:52.339 --> 00:06:55.819 in which to do that. To tell these people how 00:06:55.819 --> 00:06:58.740 messed up they are, how wrong they are, how much 00:06:58.740 --> 00:07:01.180 they need Jesus, how much they need to repeat 00:07:01.180 --> 00:07:04.660 a prayer, and they need to be reconciled back 00:07:04.660 --> 00:07:07.040 to God because right now they're not reconciled. 00:07:07.310 --> 00:07:11.230 that they are far away, they are separated. This 00:07:11.230 --> 00:07:14.410 is the moment Paul needs to do this for this 00:07:14.410 --> 00:07:18.970 logic to set in. And I wanna read beginning in 00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:25.129 Acts chapter 17 verse 22. It says, so Paul stood 00:07:25.129 --> 00:07:27.990 in the middle of the leadership council and said, 00:07:28.370 --> 00:07:32.449 respected leaders of Athens. So we already see 00:07:32.449 --> 00:07:37.519 Paul was coming being very respectful. It is 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:42.040 clear to me how extravagant you are in your worship 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:47.959 of idols. Dr. Simmons in the Passion Translation 00:07:47.959 --> 00:07:51.819 has a note here that says, as translated from 00:07:51.819 --> 00:07:55.060 the Aramaic, which can also be translated, you 00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:58.959 excel in the worship of demons for idols. The 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:03.759 Greek is how very superstitious you are or extraordinary 00:08:03.759 --> 00:08:08.560 religious. Pick up on the notes here. So he says, 00:08:34.909 --> 00:08:39.289 Whom you worship without even knowing anything 00:08:39.289 --> 00:08:42.750 about him again, that's Jack chapter 17 verse 00:08:42.750 --> 00:08:46.950 22 and 23 I'm reading out of the passion Here 00:08:46.950 --> 00:08:51.149 again, we see Paul. He is not He does not begin 00:08:51.149 --> 00:08:54.950 this with that you are separated from God He 00:08:54.950 --> 00:08:58.610 does not talk start this whole Conversation this 00:08:58.610 --> 00:09:02.250 dialogue off talking about how messed up worthless 00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:05.649 sinners. They are And again, he's not talking 00:09:05.649 --> 00:09:09.509 to church people. He's not talking to believers. 00:09:09.509 --> 00:09:14.190 He's talking to pagan worshipers. They worship 00:09:14.190 --> 00:09:17.330 these idols. Again, even what the Aramaic says 00:09:17.330 --> 00:09:21.210 is you excel in the worship of demons. This is 00:09:21.210 --> 00:09:23.129 the kind of people he's talking to, and he's 00:09:23.129 --> 00:09:25.230 not beating them over the head talking about 00:09:25.230 --> 00:09:29.049 you worthless sinners. You are so separated from 00:09:29.049 --> 00:09:34.830 God. You are so lost in your whatever. He doesn't 00:09:34.830 --> 00:09:41.330 begin in any sense of the way like that. He begins 00:09:41.330 --> 00:09:45.690 actually with honor. He acknowledges their hunger. 00:09:46.210 --> 00:09:50.149 Go back and read it. It is clear to me how extravagant 00:09:50.149 --> 00:09:54.269 you are in your worship of idols. And then when 00:09:54.269 --> 00:09:58.029 it says that, he said he even found an inscription 00:09:58.029 --> 00:10:01.889 on one altar that read, to the unknown God. I 00:10:01.889 --> 00:10:04.730 have come to introduce you to this God who you 00:10:04.730 --> 00:10:07.529 worship and you don't even know who you're worshiping. 00:10:07.629 --> 00:10:10.110 That's the God I'm coming to introduce you today. 00:10:11.230 --> 00:10:14.230 So he acknowledges their hunger. He recognizes 00:10:14.230 --> 00:10:19.750 that they are seeking. He's recognizing their 00:10:19.750 --> 00:10:24.070 passion in this moment. But they don't have a 00:10:24.070 --> 00:10:26.870 problem. Their problem is not worship. They're 00:10:26.870 --> 00:10:29.299 worshiping an unknown God. And Paul says I've 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:31.679 come today to help introduce you to this God 00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:33.120 that you're worshiping that you don't even know 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:40.080 who it is. I see all the great things here. I 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:44.299 see how you um how extravagant you are in your 00:10:44.299 --> 00:10:47.399 worship. I was captivated by the many shrines 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:51.120 and objects of your worship. I took note of them. 00:10:51.220 --> 00:10:54.779 I caught it and then I caught the one over here 00:10:54.779 --> 00:10:58.330 that says to the unknown God. And I'm coming 00:10:58.330 --> 00:11:01.049 to introduce him to you and introduce the God 00:11:01.049 --> 00:11:04.450 who you don't even know who you're worshiping. 00:11:05.309 --> 00:11:08.909 So he sees and recognizes that they're seeking, 00:11:09.110 --> 00:11:11.570 that they're passionate in worship. And then 00:11:11.570 --> 00:11:15.009 he says something radical. When what you worship 00:11:15.009 --> 00:11:20.169 is unknown, this I proclaim to you. Paul does 00:11:20.169 --> 00:11:25.610 not bring a new God into this mix. No, Paul. 00:11:25.899 --> 00:11:28.600 Believe partners with Holy Spirit in this moment 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:33.340 and he reveals the God that's already present 00:11:33.340 --> 00:11:38.259 Paul is coming to this group of people he finds 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:42.840 He founds one with an inscription on the altar 00:11:42.840 --> 00:11:46.600 that read to the unknown God so instead of introducing 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:51.360 a new God Paul comes in I believe with with wisdom 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:56.850 and mystery he says I've come to introduce you 00:11:56.850 --> 00:12:00.730 to this God whom you worship without even knowing 00:12:00.730 --> 00:12:02.990 anything about him he says I'm not coming to 00:12:02.990 --> 00:12:05.789 bring you a new God you're already worshiping 00:12:05.789 --> 00:12:09.490 this God let me introduce you to the God who's 00:12:09.490 --> 00:12:15.929 already present among you and within you so let's 00:12:15.929 --> 00:12:20.809 continue Acts chapter 17 verses 24 through 28 00:12:22.429 --> 00:12:25.590 It says the true God is the creator of all things. 00:12:26.009 --> 00:12:29.110 He is the owner and Lord of the heavenly realm 00:12:29.110 --> 00:12:32.169 and the earthly realm and he doesn't live in 00:12:32.169 --> 00:12:36.350 man -made temples. He supplies life and he supplies 00:12:36.350 --> 00:12:39.370 breath and all things to every living being. 00:12:39.669 --> 00:12:42.110 He doesn't lack a thing that we mortals could 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:45.590 supply for him for he has all things and everything 00:12:45.590 --> 00:12:49.610 he needs. From one man Adam, he made every man 00:12:49.610 --> 00:12:52.909 and woman in every race of humanity, and he spreads 00:12:52.909 --> 00:12:55.889 us over all the earth. He sets the boundaries 00:12:55.889 --> 00:12:58.330 of people and nations, determining their appointed 00:12:58.330 --> 00:13:01.250 times and history. He has done this so that every 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:04.029 person would long for God, feel their way to 00:13:04.029 --> 00:13:08.490 him and find him, for he is the God who is easy 00:13:08.490 --> 00:13:11.690 to discover. Listen, listen to what Paul is saying. 00:13:12.029 --> 00:13:14.629 Paul is saying for he is the God who is easy. 00:13:14.889 --> 00:13:17.110 God is not difficult to find. In fact, you're 00:13:17.110 --> 00:13:20.690 already worshiping him in all your shrines. You 00:13:20.690 --> 00:13:23.370 have one over here that says to the unknown God 00:13:23.370 --> 00:13:26.350 and I'm here to introduce you to him. He is that 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:28.970 easy to find that he's already here among you. 00:13:29.210 --> 00:13:32.470 You're already worshiping him. Let me introduce 00:13:32.470 --> 00:13:36.289 you to this God because this God trumps all the 00:13:36.289 --> 00:13:41.929 other ones in the building. Sets the boundaries 00:13:41.929 --> 00:13:46.830 of people and nations Where was I at? He is the 00:13:46.830 --> 00:13:49.750 God who is easy to discover it is through him 00:13:49.750 --> 00:13:53.629 catch this it is through him that we live and 00:13:53.629 --> 00:13:58.669 function and have our Identity just as your own 00:13:58.669 --> 00:14:03.549 poets have said our lineage comes from him. So 00:14:03.549 --> 00:14:06.990 let's Break some of this down. Paul was declaring 00:14:06.990 --> 00:14:11.840 here that God does not live far away He is telling 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:15.759 this group of pagan worshipers that God is not 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:19.379 distant God is not contained in temples He says 00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:24.559 in him we live and move and have our Being our 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:27.679 he's talking to a group of people and using this 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:31.379 term our He's talking to them and saying guess 00:14:31.379 --> 00:14:34.700 what guys you're included. This is the God that 00:14:34.700 --> 00:14:38.460 we live and move and have our being This is not 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:42.860 a poetic encouragement. This is ontological reality. 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:49.019 And then Paul goes even further. He says, we, 00:14:49.299 --> 00:14:53.220 talking to the room of pagan worshipers, we are 00:14:53.220 --> 00:14:59.799 his offspring. Pause right there. Don't check 00:14:59.799 --> 00:15:05.039 your brain at the door. Listen to what is being 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:09.299 said. How is Paul talking? Put yourself in a 00:15:09.299 --> 00:15:12.240 room full of people. Put yourself in Paul's shoes 00:15:12.240 --> 00:15:14.980 talking to them and he's using phrases such as, 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:19.120 in him, we live and move and have our being. 00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:24.220 We collectively are his offspring. Paul does 00:15:24.220 --> 00:15:27.659 not tell them you are a bunch of worthless sinners 00:15:27.659 --> 00:15:31.200 and you could become his offspring. That's not 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.509 what Paul says. Paul does not say you will be 00:15:34.509 --> 00:15:37.649 his offspring if you would just repent. You can 00:15:37.649 --> 00:15:39.970 be his offspring if you would say this prayer 00:15:39.970 --> 00:15:42.370 and repeat these words after me. No, Paul was 00:15:42.370 --> 00:15:45.090 saying, in him we live, move, have our being 00:15:45.090 --> 00:15:51.610 and we are his offspring right now. We are. And 00:15:51.610 --> 00:15:55.590 again, he's talking to pagans, people who are 00:15:55.590 --> 00:16:03.429 worshiping idols. And he doesn't come in He doesn't 00:16:03.429 --> 00:16:05.769 come in worship. He doesn't come in introducing 00:16:05.769 --> 00:16:09.889 a new God he brings a God that's already in the 00:16:09.889 --> 00:16:14.149 midst the unknown God and Saying hey guys that 00:16:14.149 --> 00:16:16.470 one that you're worshiping. This is the one that 00:16:16.470 --> 00:16:20.490 actually gives you life We are we are his offspring 00:16:21.159 --> 00:16:24.000 In Him, it's how we live, it's how we move, it's 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.919 how we have our very being, it's how we find 00:16:26.919 --> 00:16:31.500 our identity. Our identity is rooted inside of 00:16:31.500 --> 00:16:33.539 this God that you're worshiping and don't even 00:16:33.539 --> 00:16:39.080 know who you worship. So again, who is Paul talking 00:16:39.080 --> 00:16:41.480 to? Because this is the critical question that 00:16:41.480 --> 00:16:45.320 needs to be answered in this dialogue. He's not 00:16:45.320 --> 00:16:49.549 talking to Christians. He's not talking to the 00:16:49.549 --> 00:16:52.970 church. He's not talking to a room full of believers 00:16:52.970 --> 00:16:57.789 He is speaking to people who worship idols who 00:16:57.789 --> 00:17:01.909 have no concept of Christ and who do not believe 00:17:01.909 --> 00:17:06.170 the gospel and Yet he has the audacity to sit 00:17:06.170 --> 00:17:09.869 here and tell this room full of people. We are 00:17:09.869 --> 00:17:15.450 his offspring Because this is not evangelism 00:17:15.450 --> 00:17:21.339 as recruitment This is evangelism as revelation 00:17:21.339 --> 00:17:25.559 He's revealing to them in this moment that this 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:27.500 God who you've been worshipping all along and 00:17:27.500 --> 00:17:30.359 you don't even know who it is This is the God 00:17:30.359 --> 00:17:34.559 that your identity is found in this is the God 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:37.660 that gives you the reason How can I say this? 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.819 This is the God that that is the the the the 00:17:41.819 --> 00:17:44.079 What is the good way to say this to help me Holy 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:47.619 Ghost You were breathing because of this God 00:17:48.359 --> 00:17:51.160 The very breath that you are taking right now 00:17:51.160 --> 00:17:55.940 began in this God. Your life began in this God. 00:17:55.980 --> 00:18:01.119 Your life is being sustained in this God. This 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:03.619 one over here, the one that says to an unknown 00:18:03.619 --> 00:18:06.920 God. My friend, this reminds me as I'm talking 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:09.660 about this, it reminds me about going through 00:18:09.660 --> 00:18:12.559 the gospels and reading the gospels and how Jesus 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.799 interacts with certain people. And about how 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:18.500 he would heal people and the person he healed 00:18:18.500 --> 00:18:21.200 will not even know who healed him who healed 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:26.680 them Think about this Because we live in a society 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:28.900 where we need the credit. We need to make sure 00:18:28.900 --> 00:18:31.859 people know Jesus did this and yet Jesus did 00:18:31.859 --> 00:18:34.359 not have that mentality Jesus is healing people 00:18:34.359 --> 00:18:36.859 without them knowing who actually healed them 00:18:36.859 --> 00:18:39.700 Now he would come and introduce himself later 00:18:39.700 --> 00:18:44.509 But there were multiple stories this happening 00:18:44.509 --> 00:18:46.910 and then being asked by the Pharisees who healed 00:18:46.910 --> 00:18:50.950 you I have no idea I don't know the man I Just 00:18:50.950 --> 00:18:53.329 know one says I just know I was blind and now 00:18:53.329 --> 00:18:59.609 I can see Think about this That's the unknown 00:18:59.609 --> 00:19:07.230 guide This he Paul is unpacking revelation right 00:19:07.230 --> 00:19:09.569 here in the middle of all these pagan worshiper 00:19:09.569 --> 00:19:13.119 these demon worshippers that have all these different 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:15.500 shrines and all these different things that they're 00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:18.859 worshiping, participating in. And it has the 00:19:18.859 --> 00:19:23.200 audacity to reveal this truth to them that, hey, 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:28.339 this unknown God that you are in fact worshiping 00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:30.880 without even knowing the person of which you're 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.680 worshiping, man, this is the one that we live. 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:42.319 We move and we have our being and we are his 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:46.779 offspring. Show me in this story where Paul is 00:19:46.779 --> 00:19:52.200 talking about separation. Because in this whole 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:55.119 thing, Revelation, not recruitment, Paul does 00:19:55.119 --> 00:19:59.460 not present God as being absent. He presents 00:19:59.460 --> 00:20:04.880 God as misunderstood. Now let that one sink in. 00:20:06.799 --> 00:20:09.079 I've heard this quote from Damon Thompson before. 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:12.440 I want to say he gets it from Bill Johnson. Be 00:20:12.440 --> 00:20:15.720 careful of anything that you believe about God 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:18.660 that you cannot find in the person of Christ. 00:20:19.420 --> 00:20:22.319 Because my friend, we believe a whole bunch of 00:20:22.319 --> 00:20:26.220 BS about God that Jesus comes to restore and 00:20:26.220 --> 00:20:32.660 say that you have my father wrong. If there is 00:20:32.660 --> 00:20:36.640 anything, again, how can I say this? if there 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:42.819 is anything as a dad that i can say i do better 00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:47.220 than god does the number one if i can ever say 00:20:47.220 --> 00:20:50.440 that i'm a better father than he is then either 00:20:50.440 --> 00:20:57.700 um how can i properly say this to make it make 00:20:57.700 --> 00:21:02.190 the most sense If there's any action that I have 00:21:02.190 --> 00:21:04.549 that I can begin to ask the question, am I a 00:21:04.549 --> 00:21:07.890 better father than God is or do we have God wrong? 00:21:08.329 --> 00:21:11.529 Option two is gonna be 100 % of the time the 00:21:11.529 --> 00:21:15.109 answer. Because I do not believe that I'm a better 00:21:15.109 --> 00:21:19.289 father than he is. No, I believe that we have 00:21:19.289 --> 00:21:23.710 misunderstood and in many cases misrepresented 00:21:23.710 --> 00:21:29.940 God to the world around us. He does not say that 00:21:29.940 --> 00:21:35.460 they need God to come near. He says God is already 00:21:35.460 --> 00:21:42.119 near and God always has been. So the issue here 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:44.819 for Paul, as he's speaking to this group of people, 00:21:44.940 --> 00:21:48.339 the issue is not distance. No, the issue is still 00:21:48.339 --> 00:21:52.240 the same issue we have today. The issue is ignorance, 00:21:52.680 --> 00:21:56.960 which is why Paul later says, God overlooked 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.940 the times of ignorance, but now commands all 00:21:59.940 --> 00:22:04.539 people everywhere to repent. And again, what 00:22:04.539 --> 00:22:08.079 is the word repent? Because it's not about being 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:12.079 sorry. In fact, even my own children sometimes 00:22:12.079 --> 00:22:14.039 will say, I'm sorry. And I tell them, no, you're 00:22:14.039 --> 00:22:19.220 not because my kids are not sorry. Now I need 00:22:19.220 --> 00:22:21.859 to do a better job of teaching this, but they're 00:22:21.859 --> 00:22:25.509 not sorry. Does that mean they should never apologize? 00:22:25.609 --> 00:22:29.269 No, certainly. Apologies are part of life. Being 00:22:29.269 --> 00:22:31.109 able to apologize, but I don't want them to ever 00:22:31.109 --> 00:22:34.230 get that mentality and begin to declare over 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:37.970 them that I'm sorry. Because they're not sorry 00:22:37.970 --> 00:22:44.710 people. Sure, there's room for apologies. But 00:22:44.710 --> 00:22:48.029 repentance has nothing to do with being sorry. 00:22:49.470 --> 00:22:51.509 Repentance doesn't have anything to do with apologizing. 00:22:52.629 --> 00:22:55.910 Repent is the word metanoia to come back to your 00:22:55.910 --> 00:22:59.289 senses to come back to your original design To 00:22:59.289 --> 00:23:02.509 to to come in line with your original blueprint 00:23:02.509 --> 00:23:07.289 Repentance here is not begging for closeness 00:23:07.289 --> 00:23:11.950 It is changing the mind about reality to come 00:23:11.950 --> 00:23:15.130 back into your the true identity only discovered 00:23:15.130 --> 00:23:21.329 in Christ This is what repentance is It's not 00:23:21.329 --> 00:23:23.529 begging for God to come close. It's coming into 00:23:23.529 --> 00:23:26.009 the realization, the revelation that you already 00:23:26.009 --> 00:23:31.710 are one with him. That you could not be any closer 00:23:31.710 --> 00:23:37.170 to God than you are right now. Let's talk about 00:23:37.170 --> 00:23:40.869 darkness. Darkness in scripture has nothing to 00:23:40.869 --> 00:23:46.710 do with separation. Darkness is deception. Again, 00:23:46.890 --> 00:23:49.589 the same thing we have running loose in our world 00:23:49.589 --> 00:23:52.910 and in our culture today. Darkness is about deception. 00:23:54.329 --> 00:23:58.890 Blindness does not mean that God is far. It means 00:23:58.890 --> 00:24:05.109 that truth is unseen. In fact, if you look at 00:24:05.109 --> 00:24:08.589 darkness in the natural sense, darkness is not 00:24:08.589 --> 00:24:12.799 even real. You can't study darkness. That's why 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.660 I forget the scripture that talks about it, but 00:24:14.660 --> 00:24:17.079 he says he brought you out of darkness and into 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:21.000 marvelous light Light gets an adjectives with 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:25.680 it Marvelous light darkness is just darkness. 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:27.960 It doesn't even exist. You can't study darkness 00:24:27.960 --> 00:24:30.920 Darkness by definition is simply the absence 00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:34.440 of light. Now do we experience darkness? Absolutely 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:39.339 You go outside at nighttime and it's dark outside 00:24:39.339 --> 00:24:42.180 you can't see what do you need sometimes a flashlight 00:24:42.180 --> 00:24:44.940 so that you can see and what happens the moment 00:24:44.940 --> 00:24:49.059 that you put that flashlight on darkness disappears 00:24:49.059 --> 00:24:51.940 i have a light right here right here to help 00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:57.059 me with my video if i was to turn it off i do 00:24:57.059 --> 00:24:58.900 have other lights in here so didn't really make 00:24:58.900 --> 00:25:01.140 that much of a difference but anyhow you can 00:25:01.140 --> 00:25:04.200 see it got a little bit darker and the moment 00:25:04.200 --> 00:25:07.099 that i turn it back on darkness doesn't argue 00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:13.339 There was no fight there. The moment light shows 00:25:13.339 --> 00:25:15.660 up, darkness disappears. So the moment that you 00:25:15.660 --> 00:25:19.299 and I realize that we are as Christ is, we are 00:25:19.299 --> 00:25:22.240 as Jesus is, we are the light of the world as 00:25:22.240 --> 00:25:24.779 He is the light of the world, that it's His light 00:25:24.779 --> 00:25:29.690 shining through us. When we begin to realize 00:25:29.690 --> 00:25:32.509 that and we step into dark situations and dark 00:25:32.509 --> 00:25:34.910 circumstances the moment we show up everything 00:25:34.910 --> 00:25:37.730 just shifted in the favor of light why because 00:25:37.730 --> 00:25:42.690 light overcomes darkness 100 % of the time Think 00:25:42.690 --> 00:25:46.390 about this Stop checking our brains at the door. 00:25:47.210 --> 00:25:49.529 I know we've been taught because I've grown up 00:25:49.529 --> 00:25:53.109 in it and I had to do the wrestling match first 00:25:53.109 --> 00:25:56.470 before I began to proclaim and teach stuff like 00:25:56.470 --> 00:26:00.960 this I had to do the wrestling match first. I 00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:03.980 had to allow Holy Spirit to come in and to adjust 00:26:03.980 --> 00:26:10.779 my lens. Perfect example. Maybe. I may not be 00:26:10.779 --> 00:26:16.200 able to do this. Please hold just a moment. Here 00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:28.329 we go. Perfect example. My video. You can pause 00:26:28.329 --> 00:26:31.789 it if you need to move on, stop it, if you don't 00:26:31.789 --> 00:26:36.809 want to listen, anyhow. It's been several years 00:26:36.809 --> 00:26:38.690 ago that I was sitting in a church service where 00:26:38.690 --> 00:26:41.470 a pastor was ministering on something that Holy 00:26:41.470 --> 00:26:43.430 Spirit was teaching me something different on. 00:26:44.269 --> 00:26:46.789 And I was asking Holy Spirit, I said, why do 00:26:46.789 --> 00:26:51.269 you continue to allow this to be taught like 00:26:51.269 --> 00:26:54.349 this from your pastors if you're teaching me 00:26:54.349 --> 00:26:56.829 something different? Because both of us, can't 00:26:56.829 --> 00:26:59.990 be quote unquote right and he said son it's all 00:26:59.990 --> 00:27:02.950 about the lens and of course me in that moment 00:27:02.950 --> 00:27:06.349 was like huh and this is the picture that he 00:27:06.349 --> 00:27:09.549 gave me i don't know how many of you remember 00:27:09.549 --> 00:27:14.130 these this is the picture that he gave me right 00:27:14.130 --> 00:27:19.009 here and if you know anything about these you 00:27:19.009 --> 00:27:21.569 know that right now all that i can see looks 00:27:21.569 --> 00:27:28.559 red like everything is red around me Let me think 00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:38.039 something here. So I have a. So I have this right 00:27:38.039 --> 00:27:40.180 here that I'm sure you can tell the right color. 00:27:40.180 --> 00:27:42.720 I know the right color, but if you were to ask 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:44.779 me right now, I'm going to say that the color 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:48.099 of this is red, when in fact I know that it's 00:27:48.099 --> 00:27:52.099 not. OK, I personally know what color this is. 00:27:52.829 --> 00:27:55.750 But if you were asking me in how I am currently 00:27:55.750 --> 00:27:58.269 seeing through this lens, it is red. Does that 00:27:58.269 --> 00:28:03.329 make me wrong? No It just means that Holy Spirit 00:28:03.329 --> 00:28:08.430 has to come and adjust my lens And help me to 00:28:08.430 --> 00:28:13.230 see better These are my Amazon glasses here So 00:28:13.230 --> 00:28:16.490 that I can see notes actually yellow. I Wasn't 00:28:16.490 --> 00:28:18.430 this is why I don't believe the conversation 00:28:18.430 --> 00:28:20.569 is any more about being right and wrong. I think 00:28:20.569 --> 00:28:25.740 the journey is more important Holy Spirit just 00:28:25.740 --> 00:28:29.720 had to come and fix these He had to come to adjust 00:28:29.720 --> 00:28:32.579 my lens and sometimes that means taking this 00:28:32.579 --> 00:28:34.460 pair off and giving me something different to 00:28:34.460 --> 00:28:39.480 look through Is it making sense I hope it is 00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:43.000 So Paul was never said here Paul never says that 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:46.259 you're separated from God. He says you you don't 00:28:46.259 --> 00:28:52.700 yet see clearly You don't yet see clearly and 00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:56.000 that changes everything Because when we understand 00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:02.380 that darkness is not That the issue is really 00:29:02.380 --> 00:29:04.599 ignorance and that darkness is not has nothing 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:07.440 to do with separation This begins to change how 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.559 we see things and how we understand things and 00:29:09.559 --> 00:29:12.319 how we see other people how we see ourselves 00:29:12.319 --> 00:29:19.220 So if Christ is already present why why preach 00:29:20.430 --> 00:29:23.150 Why continue doing stuff like this if Christ 00:29:23.150 --> 00:29:25.430 isn't everybody Chris, then what is the purpose 00:29:25.430 --> 00:29:30.430 of doing this? Because lies still destroy lives 00:29:30.430 --> 00:29:35.549 People are still ignorant today people are still 00:29:35.549 --> 00:29:37.210 deceived and I would say this I know it's gonna 00:29:37.210 --> 00:29:39.549 be a very strong statement Maybe a very controversial 00:29:39.549 --> 00:29:42.910 statement But I would go as far to say the church 00:29:42.910 --> 00:29:45.930 even is just as deceived and ignorant as the 00:29:45.930 --> 00:29:50.799 world is We don't know who we are And I'll tell 00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:52.960 you, it's not about politics, not about anything, 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:56.059 but if anything, I think what we just had happen 00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:59.339 five -ish years ago proves that point. The church 00:29:59.339 --> 00:30:03.819 has no idea who she is. I'm talking about the 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:08.599 big C word. The church has no idea who she is. 00:30:09.160 --> 00:30:10.940 During that season, I was at a church and they 00:30:10.940 --> 00:30:13.460 was beginning to sing the song, Great Are You 00:30:13.460 --> 00:30:16.500 Lord, and they were singing the part, It's Your 00:30:16.500 --> 00:30:19.690 Breath in Our Lungs. and i felt the holy spirit 00:30:19.690 --> 00:30:22.990 say he said son if it's my breath in your lungs 00:30:22.990 --> 00:30:28.470 how could this sickness ever take you out wrestle 00:30:28.470 --> 00:30:36.230 with this wrestle with this i struggle currently 00:30:36.230 --> 00:30:41.309 um i believe i'm healed um i'm waiting for symptoms 00:30:41.309 --> 00:30:44.490 to catch up to it but i struggle sometimes with 00:30:44.490 --> 00:30:47.920 type 2 diabetes But here's what I come to know 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:51.339 as far as truth is if it's his blood coursing 00:30:51.339 --> 00:30:55.180 through my veins I have as much I am subjugated 00:30:55.180 --> 00:30:58.319 just as much to type 2 diabetes as is the blood 00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:03.799 of Christ, which is none I Tell people this You 00:31:03.799 --> 00:31:06.440 have about as much chance of continuing to struggle 00:31:06.440 --> 00:31:10.059 with anxiety as does Christ Think about these 00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:13.349 statements And I'm not taking light of your situation, 00:31:13.390 --> 00:31:15.650 of your story, but I'm helping you to understand 00:31:15.650 --> 00:31:20.750 the truth of who you are in Christ. That if Christ 00:31:20.750 --> 00:31:25.630 is actually in you, if it's the same spirit that 00:31:25.630 --> 00:31:28.210 raised Christ from the dead that lives within 00:31:28.210 --> 00:31:32.170 you and I, when does that stop becoming just 00:31:32.170 --> 00:31:36.250 a cute scripture that we repeat on a consistent 00:31:36.250 --> 00:31:39.029 basis, and when does it start becoming incarnational 00:31:39.029 --> 00:31:43.519 in our life? That I have within me coursing through 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:48.059 my veins the same spirit that raised Christ from 00:31:48.059 --> 00:31:53.500 the dead Living within me When does this become 00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:59.980 stop becoming a fairy tale for us? Anyhow moving 00:31:59.980 --> 00:32:04.839 on So again why preach because lies to destroy 00:32:04.839 --> 00:32:08.759 lives because people live beneath their inheritance 00:32:09.309 --> 00:32:13.970 This still happens even in the church world because 00:32:13.970 --> 00:32:18.549 identity unrealized becomes bondage and how many 00:32:18.549 --> 00:32:23.549 people are in bondage how many Christians sons 00:32:23.549 --> 00:32:26.589 and daughters of God who go to church every Sunday 00:32:26.589 --> 00:32:29.269 every Wednesday every prayer meeting are still 00:32:29.269 --> 00:32:33.710 in bondage Again growing up in the church world. 00:32:33.990 --> 00:32:37.029 You would see the same people go to the altar 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:40.259 week after week after week after week and this 00:32:40.259 --> 00:32:44.740 is not to condone uh condemn anybody for that 00:32:44.740 --> 00:32:49.380 i get it but at some point we have to become 00:32:49.380 --> 00:32:52.880 free so that other people can become free by 00:32:52.880 --> 00:32:58.559 god using us so that we can become uh the the 00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:02.619 manifest the christ within our own life so that 00:33:02.619 --> 00:33:05.640 we can start telling people hey I've seen the 00:33:05.640 --> 00:33:08.319 goodness of God. I know what it is to be healed, 00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:14.980 to be delivered. Think this stuff through. Again, 00:33:14.980 --> 00:33:19.079 I'm not condemning anybody. It's just when you 00:33:19.079 --> 00:33:21.140 see the same people week after week go up to 00:33:21.140 --> 00:33:25.819 prayer for the same issue, at what point do we 00:33:25.819 --> 00:33:33.380 grow up, mature? I hope this is helping somebody. 00:33:37.450 --> 00:33:43.069 We don't preach to bring God to people. We preach 00:33:43.069 --> 00:33:47.009 and proclaim the gospel to remove lies about 00:33:47.009 --> 00:33:52.490 God and about themselves. Because the gospel 00:33:52.490 --> 00:33:56.930 has not come to God. The gospel is wake up to 00:33:56.930 --> 00:34:05.190 God already present within you. Scripture says 00:34:05.190 --> 00:34:09.920 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:17.559 not counting their trespasses against them. You 00:34:17.559 --> 00:34:23.000 see reconciliation is not potential. Reconciliation 00:34:23.000 --> 00:34:29.070 is accomplished. Separation is not reality. It 00:34:29.070 --> 00:34:33.250 is a belief system sustained by accusation. And 00:34:33.250 --> 00:34:36.469 accusation has been canceled. And I believe this 00:34:36.469 --> 00:34:39.429 is where it takes you and I to proclaim and to 00:34:39.429 --> 00:34:43.550 release this gospel to the world around us. That 00:34:43.550 --> 00:34:48.670 Christ has defeated the powers of the enemy. 00:34:50.110 --> 00:34:54.469 Again, go back to Colossians chapter two. I believe 00:34:54.469 --> 00:34:57.489 it was Colossians chapter two. Let me get there. 00:34:57.769 --> 00:35:00.469 Might take me just a second to thumb through 00:35:00.469 --> 00:35:03.849 this thing, but I want to read that because I 00:35:03.849 --> 00:35:09.070 think it's important Colossians chapter 2 starting 00:35:09.070 --> 00:35:12.590 in verse 15 then Jesus made a public spectacle 00:35:12.590 --> 00:35:15.989 of all the powers and principalities of darkness 00:35:15.989 --> 00:35:22.250 stripping away from them every weapon every weapon 00:35:22.250 --> 00:35:28.179 every means every all all means all their spiritual 00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:33.619 authority and power to accuse us and By the power 00:35:33.619 --> 00:35:35.559 of the cross Jesus led them around as prisoners 00:35:35.559 --> 00:35:37.960 in a possession of triumph. He was not their 00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:43.980 prisoner. They were his So again, if he has already 00:35:43.980 --> 00:35:47.579 stripped the enemy of every weapon and of all 00:35:47.579 --> 00:35:50.719 their power to accuse, maybe it's time for you 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:53.699 and I to announce to the world the accusations 00:35:53.699 --> 00:35:56.599 have been dealt with and silenced. Maybe it's 00:35:56.599 --> 00:35:59.219 time for you and I to announce to the world that 00:35:59.219 --> 00:36:02.179 your sin has been defeated. There's a very well 00:36:02.179 --> 00:36:04.119 -known minister right now that I've even heard 00:36:04.119 --> 00:36:07.039 videos talk about. We've got to deal aggressively 00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:10.159 with our sin. Well, okay, here's the thing. You 00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:12.480 can deal aggressively with your sin or you can 00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:14.619 realize that he dealt aggressively with your 00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:20.130 sin. You can you can make that decision You can 00:36:20.130 --> 00:36:22.530 keep trying to crucify your flesh or you can 00:36:22.530 --> 00:36:25.150 realize that no you were as Paul said you were 00:36:25.150 --> 00:36:28.650 co -crucified with Christ and Now it is no longer 00:36:28.650 --> 00:36:30.829 I who live but it is Christ who lives within 00:36:30.829 --> 00:36:39.730 me So accusation has been canceled So what is 00:36:39.730 --> 00:36:43.280 our role as sons and daughters now? Here's the 00:36:43.280 --> 00:36:46.780 thing sons don't threaten people with distance 00:36:46.780 --> 00:36:52.579 No sons and daughters reveal nearness to people 00:36:52.579 --> 00:36:56.440 They begin to unveil partner with Holy Spirit 00:36:56.440 --> 00:36:59.179 and unveiling the eyes of people around them 00:36:59.179 --> 00:37:02.960 that they begin to understand You are in the 00:37:02.960 --> 00:37:06.340 party already You are already a part of the family. 00:37:06.360 --> 00:37:08.619 We're not trying to jump through hoops for you 00:37:08.619 --> 00:37:11.800 to become a son or daughter of God. No, you are 00:37:11.800 --> 00:37:18.679 a son and daughter right now. Sons don't preach 00:37:18.679 --> 00:37:24.280 exclusion. They announce inclusion. Sons don't 00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:28.400 argue people into truth. No, sons and daughters 00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:34.829 embody truth. Here's the thing. Goes back to 00:37:34.829 --> 00:37:38.130 my light and darkness thing. Light does not come 00:37:38.130 --> 00:37:45.650 to convince darkness. Light simply shines. And 00:37:45.650 --> 00:37:49.570 when light shows up, darkness ceases to exist. 00:37:52.190 --> 00:37:58.309 So I want you to think about this. There is no 00:37:58.309 --> 00:38:04.659 separation in Christ. God is not far from you. 00:38:05.599 --> 00:38:09.000 God is not far from me. God is not far from your 00:38:09.000 --> 00:38:12.239 neighbor. God is not far from the member of the 00:38:12.239 --> 00:38:17.599 LGBT. God is not far from the Muslim. In fact, 00:38:17.840 --> 00:38:26.039 we live, we move, and we all exist in Him. You 00:38:26.039 --> 00:38:30.429 are not trying to get close. You are awakening 00:38:30.429 --> 00:38:37.369 to what has always been true So at this point 00:38:37.369 --> 00:38:42.250 Everything has been established Christ in all 00:38:42.250 --> 00:38:48.010 No separation Darkness is equal to blindness 00:38:48.010 --> 00:38:54.250 Holiness is our inheritance Which leaves one 00:38:54.250 --> 00:39:00.030 final question? If this is all true, then why 00:39:00.030 --> 00:39:03.610 does scripture still speak about being born of 00:39:03.610 --> 00:39:10.530 God and the world lying in deception? And this 00:39:10.530 --> 00:39:14.630 will take us to week eight, the actual final 00:39:14.630 --> 00:39:19.630 message in this series. Born of God, kept by 00:39:19.630 --> 00:39:21.610 truth. I'll see you next time.