WEBVTT 00:00:02.250 --> 00:00:05.269 Welcome to the Life Bible Church podcast. We 00:00:05.269 --> 00:00:07.669 want to thank you for joining us today, and we 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:10.169 hope you find today's sermon impacting as you 00:00:10.169 --> 00:00:12.689 listen to it wherever you are in your daily walk. 00:00:12.949 --> 00:00:15.929 To find service times and watch messages online, 00:00:16.210 --> 00:00:20.109 see our website at lifebiblechurch .org. Now, 00:00:20.129 --> 00:00:24.589 enjoy this week's message. Would you do me a 00:00:24.589 --> 00:00:27.829 favor? Would you give a Life Bible welcome to 00:00:27.829 --> 00:00:31.210 Pastor Daryl Corbin? Senior pastor of Manor House, 00:00:31.370 --> 00:00:53.869 come on up. Wow. I am completely wrecked. I'm 00:00:53.869 --> 00:00:58.820 wrecked because I also miss My pastor, Pastor 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:01.560 Frank. How many knew Pastor Frank? Just wave 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:05.859 at me. What a gift he was to the body of Christ. 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:09.920 To my wife and I, my wife was his personal assistant. 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.780 And when we planted our church in 1997, he said, 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:15.700 Daryl, you can go. I want to keep your wife here. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:22.700 Actually, for two months, she worked Monday to 00:01:22.700 --> 00:01:27.170 Thursday for him and stayed in Portland. because 00:01:27.170 --> 00:01:29.269 she was so committed to seeing that transition 00:01:29.269 --> 00:01:32.390 go well and seeing him flourish. And finally, 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:34.269 after two months, I walked into his office and 00:01:34.269 --> 00:01:36.790 said, Pastor Frank, I want my wife back. I want 00:01:36.790 --> 00:01:40.030 my wife back. And he said, okay, begrudgingly. 00:01:40.030 --> 00:01:42.290 He said, you can come back if you want. Just 00:01:42.290 --> 00:01:45.450 shut the church down, come back. So she'd stay 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:47.049 there Monday to Thursday. Then I'd come pick 00:01:47.049 --> 00:01:48.969 her up. We'd go do church for the weekend. And 00:01:48.969 --> 00:01:51.730 how many know a couple months of that, you're 00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:54.489 going to get tired of it pretty quick. But he 00:01:54.489 --> 00:01:58.769 just had a way of getting what he wanted, first 00:01:58.769 --> 00:02:05.890 of all. But he was such a blessing in my life. 00:02:06.049 --> 00:02:09.129 My wife preached a few weeks ago at our church. 00:02:10.189 --> 00:02:12.370 And I picked up my phone while she was preaching 00:02:12.370 --> 00:02:14.550 to take a picture of her and send to him before 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:18.110 I realized what I was doing. He's left a gap 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:25.800 in our lives. The scriptures give us examples 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:29.219 of servants of the Lord who die and go home. 00:02:29.979 --> 00:02:32.259 They run their race. They finish their course. 00:02:32.979 --> 00:02:35.659 Moses was one, and the Bible's very plain. Moses, 00:02:35.719 --> 00:02:41.599 my servant, is dead. Now Joshua. And with all 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:45.300 of the faith in me for the season ahead, I believe 00:02:45.300 --> 00:02:48.620 that if Pastor Frank were speaking today, he 00:02:48.620 --> 00:02:50.460 would say Life Bible Church. He would say the 00:02:50.460 --> 00:02:53.409 same to Manor House. Everything that's happened 00:02:53.409 --> 00:02:56.830 so far is foundation upon which you build the 00:02:56.830 --> 00:03:02.349 future. You can't sit and grieve the past. You've 00:03:02.349 --> 00:03:04.750 got to mourn what needs to be mourned, but then 00:03:04.750 --> 00:03:06.729 you've got to take that mourning and turn it 00:03:06.729 --> 00:03:08.729 into a building. You've got to turn it into something 00:03:08.729 --> 00:03:12.770 for the future. And I believe Life Bible, your 00:03:12.770 --> 00:03:14.550 best days are in front of you. Can I hear an 00:03:14.550 --> 00:03:17.009 amen about that? Come on, put your hands together 00:03:17.009 --> 00:03:24.580 for the Lord Jesus. I believe it. Something happened 00:03:24.580 --> 00:03:26.680 to me in worship this morning. The glory of God 00:03:26.680 --> 00:03:29.680 was so real. I could not stand. I started by 00:03:29.680 --> 00:03:32.879 sitting. Finally ended up on the floor on my 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:36.180 face. One of your prophetic people came to give 00:03:36.180 --> 00:03:38.800 me a word and I literally couldn't find my recorder 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:41.400 on my phone to get the word. I just felt like 00:03:41.400 --> 00:03:44.520 I couldn't even see or think straight. There's 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:47.659 something really rich happening here. I feel 00:03:47.659 --> 00:03:50.460 like there's a melding together of eras and burdens. 00:03:51.429 --> 00:03:54.509 seasons and tears and joy into something that 00:03:54.509 --> 00:03:58.949 is going to be quite explosive for the next chapter 00:03:58.949 --> 00:04:02.629 it might not look like it because it tends to 00:04:02.629 --> 00:04:05.349 be in the kingdom things happen line upon line 00:04:05.349 --> 00:04:07.509 precept upon precept then you look back over 00:04:07.509 --> 00:04:09.590 25 years and you think how did all that happen 00:04:09.590 --> 00:04:12.759 it's like a A breath. It just happened. It just 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:14.699 happened. No, it didn't. It happened through 00:04:14.699 --> 00:04:16.740 a lot of obedience, a lot of decisions, a lot 00:04:16.740 --> 00:04:19.759 of saying yes, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of grit, 00:04:19.860 --> 00:04:21.860 a lot of determination, a lot of prayers, a lot 00:04:21.860 --> 00:04:25.620 of prophecies. And you know, the next 25, though, 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:28.000 you've got a foundation to build on. And I'm 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.939 declaring acceleration over this house. I'm declaring 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:35.779 the pace will pick up. Amen. And the bigger the 00:04:35.779 --> 00:04:39.139 stone and the rock that's turning, the more momentum 00:04:39.139 --> 00:04:42.139 that's there, the more momentum. And I just want 00:04:42.139 --> 00:04:44.959 to declare, I've been pondering, like probably 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:46.959 every prophetic person, what is the Lord saying, 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:51.000 even through the erosion of the river and what 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:54.939 you've been up against. And I just, I was walking 00:04:54.939 --> 00:04:58.259 with Pastor Brad on that steel wall, and I just 00:04:58.259 --> 00:05:05.589 heard the Lord say, no further. No further. I 00:05:05.589 --> 00:05:07.629 believe that's a word into the atmosphere over 00:05:07.629 --> 00:05:11.290 demonic encroachment. It's not just about a river. 00:05:11.389 --> 00:05:14.870 I believe the natural often speaks to spiritual 00:05:14.870 --> 00:05:18.089 things. And the enemy tries to rob and steal 00:05:18.089 --> 00:05:21.569 and take. But I just hear the Lord saying, as 00:05:21.569 --> 00:05:24.790 the enemy came in from one angle, so I will push 00:05:24.790 --> 00:05:28.410 out the borders the other. I prophesy a property 00:05:28.410 --> 00:05:32.670 line increase. I prophesy a property line increase. 00:05:33.319 --> 00:05:36.000 over this house. I heard it this morning while 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.779 I was on the front. I see a property line increase 00:05:38.779 --> 00:05:41.779 that will take in more territory. It's going 00:05:41.779 --> 00:05:44.839 to take in more territory. And the Lord is going 00:05:44.839 --> 00:05:49.160 to repay you over and over again for property 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:52.339 that was lost on one side. I see property line 00:05:52.339 --> 00:05:56.899 increase, declares the Lord. I see dollars that 00:05:56.899 --> 00:05:59.600 are being restored. I see property lines that 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.720 are enlarged. There will be no... even natural 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:06.740 reduction, says the Lord. Instead, I will turn 00:06:06.740 --> 00:06:10.560 on the enemy's head what he meant for evil, and 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:13.399 I will make him repay, says the Lord. Everything 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.319 that was stolen and robbed from you in violence, 00:06:16.540 --> 00:06:20.639 says the Lord, I will force the enemy's hand, 00:06:20.800 --> 00:06:24.560 not by might, not by power, but by my spirit, 00:06:24.660 --> 00:06:27.480 says the Lord. Even now I'm breathing upon hearts. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:31.720 Even now I'm breathing upon hearts. property. 00:06:32.329 --> 00:06:35.009 Deeds of property being signed over. Yes, there 00:06:35.009 --> 00:06:38.009 will be transaction. But I'm here to tell you 00:06:38.009 --> 00:06:41.129 today, says the Lord, this will not happen slowly. 00:06:41.310 --> 00:06:43.769 This will happen quickly where there will be 00:06:43.769 --> 00:06:46.629 enlargement and sudden increases will come your 00:06:46.629 --> 00:06:49.209 direction. And you'll wonder and you'll stand 00:06:49.209 --> 00:06:51.730 and you'll say, how in the world did this happen? 00:06:51.889 --> 00:06:54.269 And then you'll begin to plot and you'll begin 00:06:54.269 --> 00:06:57.410 to plan and enlarge, says the Lord. For I see 00:06:57.410 --> 00:07:00.730 new footprints of foundations being written upon. 00:07:01.610 --> 00:07:04.670 that's yet to be turned over. I see foundations 00:07:04.670 --> 00:07:08.829 being poured. I see slabs being laid. I see walls 00:07:08.829 --> 00:07:12.410 being erected. And I see people being trained. 00:07:12.550 --> 00:07:15.069 I see the generations being trained. And this 00:07:15.069 --> 00:07:17.769 house will become known, says the Lord, for not 00:07:17.769 --> 00:07:20.689 just the presence of the Lord, but it will be 00:07:20.689 --> 00:07:23.769 known for a multiplication of five -fold leaders. 00:07:23.889 --> 00:07:27.410 For there will be enlargement, education, and 00:07:27.410 --> 00:07:30.949 spiritual impartation, says the Lord. For this 00:07:30.949 --> 00:07:34.930 will happen and it will not happen in the long 00:07:34.930 --> 00:07:38.970 future, says the Lord. Begin to have a now sense 00:07:38.970 --> 00:07:41.930 of expectation to come upon you and even upon 00:07:41.930 --> 00:07:45.610 this house, says the Lord. For I will do, even 00:07:45.610 --> 00:07:48.689 when you don't expect it, things that you couldn't 00:07:48.689 --> 00:07:51.290 have dreamed in your own imagination. You'll 00:07:51.290 --> 00:07:56.050 stand and you'll say, only God, only God, only 00:07:56.050 --> 00:07:59.649 God. For have I not been faithful in the past? 00:08:00.529 --> 00:08:04.550 Will I not be faithful again? Is my character 00:08:04.550 --> 00:08:11.189 damaged by some strategy of the enemy? Yes, you'll 00:08:11.189 --> 00:08:15.410 hear of trials. And yes, you'll hear of disruptions. 00:08:15.870 --> 00:08:18.709 But let not your heart be troubled, says the 00:08:18.709 --> 00:08:22.189 Lord. Place a guard over your heart. Place a 00:08:22.189 --> 00:08:26.449 guard even over your mind and keep your thoughts 00:08:26.449 --> 00:08:31.310 stayed upon me for I will act quickly, says the 00:08:31.310 --> 00:08:35.429 Lord. You'll stand in amazement and you'll declare, 00:08:35.529 --> 00:08:40.929 surely God is in this place. Come on, do you 00:08:40.929 --> 00:08:43.710 believe the word of the Lord today? Come on, 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:45.549 do you believe the word of the Lord? Put your 00:08:45.549 --> 00:08:47.809 hands together. Come on, put your hands together. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:55.179 Come on, I did this in the first service. I just 00:08:55.179 --> 00:08:57.360 want you to sing, oh, I want Jesus. Come on, 00:08:57.360 --> 00:09:26.710 sing this with me. Oh, I want Jesus. more time. 00:09:56.490 --> 00:09:58.169 Lord, I thank you today for your goodness in 00:09:58.169 --> 00:10:01.950 our lives. Thank you for 25 years. Come on, let's 00:10:01.950 --> 00:10:04.610 applaud. Let's applaud the Lord Jesus. 25 years. 00:10:05.029 --> 00:10:11.470 Thank you, Jesus. Lord, we thank you. We thank 00:10:11.470 --> 00:10:14.929 you for 25 years, but Lord, thank you for the 00:10:14.929 --> 00:10:18.389 next. I pray that you would come and just begin 00:10:18.389 --> 00:10:20.389 to reveal yourself to us even through the preached 00:10:20.389 --> 00:10:25.309 word today in a way that helps. us put into perspective 00:10:25.309 --> 00:10:27.549 who you are and how you work among the people 00:10:27.549 --> 00:10:30.389 of God. Give us revelation and understanding 00:10:30.389 --> 00:10:33.809 so we can be in step with the Spirit. In Jesus' 00:10:33.929 --> 00:10:41.350 name, amen and amen. Thank you. Jackie, there's 00:10:41.350 --> 00:10:45.049 such a grace on you as you lead in worship, such 00:10:45.049 --> 00:10:48.940 an anointing. I am asking you to stop because 00:10:48.940 --> 00:10:52.159 if you play, I will keep prophesying and never 00:10:52.159 --> 00:10:59.399 get to my message. I'm a sucker for a keyboardist. 00:10:59.399 --> 00:11:01.340 I'm telling you, just when they start to play 00:11:01.340 --> 00:11:04.460 is when they've got an anointing. I just cannot 00:11:04.460 --> 00:11:08.980 stop prophesying. You know, the first service, 00:11:09.220 --> 00:11:13.080 something really special happened. I believe 00:11:13.080 --> 00:11:15.179 that the Lord started to show us the importance 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:18.379 of a stirred heart. and the initiative of the 00:11:18.379 --> 00:11:22.340 Spirit of God among the people of God. God moved, 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:27.659 as we read in the early service, on a king, a 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:32.279 Persian king named Cyrus. God moved on his heart 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:39.080 because though he was probably the foremost military 00:11:39.080 --> 00:11:42.159 authority in the world at the time and had control 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:45.980 of... the Israelite exiles who had been carried 00:11:45.980 --> 00:11:50.059 away decades before into Babylon, something began 00:11:50.059 --> 00:11:51.899 to move in his heart. And the scripture records 00:11:51.899 --> 00:11:54.039 in Ezra chapter one, it was the spirit of God 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:57.799 that stirred him. He wasn't a believer in God, 00:11:57.860 --> 00:12:00.259 but something in his heart began to be stirred. 00:12:00.940 --> 00:12:03.779 And the reason why the scripture records that 00:12:03.779 --> 00:12:07.700 is because we need an understanding. That when 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:11.100 God wills something, God intends something, God 00:12:11.100 --> 00:12:13.879 plans something and God declares something, he 00:12:13.879 --> 00:12:17.840 will bend kings and kingdoms around his prophetic 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.960 word. He will accomplish what he says he's going 00:12:21.960 --> 00:12:24.879 to accomplish. So when you look back over 25 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:26.799 years, you wonder how did that happen? It happens 00:12:26.799 --> 00:12:30.659 because God stirs hearts and God sets things 00:12:30.659 --> 00:12:33.460 in motion. And when he sets things in motion, 00:12:33.600 --> 00:12:38.779 he'll... Bend economies around it. He'll do whatever 00:12:38.779 --> 00:12:43.019 he wants to do in the earth. So to raise up a 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:46.659 church in Harrisburg, to put his hand on your 00:12:46.659 --> 00:12:49.460 life, to make you a business person after what 00:12:49.460 --> 00:12:51.899 you did in the early days of your life, it's 00:12:51.899 --> 00:12:55.580 unbelievable what God does. To restore your marriage, 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.659 to give you your home, to... release his favor 00:12:58.659 --> 00:13:01.379 in your life, to heal your body. We look in the 00:13:01.379 --> 00:13:03.860 mirror sometimes. We wonder, how did I deserve 00:13:03.860 --> 00:13:07.059 this? You don't deserve it. It's the God of the 00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:09.860 universe who says, I've chosen you. I've appointed 00:13:09.860 --> 00:13:13.340 you. I've destined this. I've set it out in my 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:16.200 will. So I've chosen you and I speak. And when 00:13:16.200 --> 00:13:19.679 I speak, the world begins to align around my 00:13:19.679 --> 00:13:22.610 intentions. We talked about God moving on Cyrus, 00:13:22.750 --> 00:13:25.710 then God moved on the people. And everybody who 00:13:25.710 --> 00:13:28.129 responded to the voice of the Lord got to be 00:13:28.129 --> 00:13:32.210 part of something called a rebuild. A rebuild. 00:13:32.309 --> 00:13:34.110 A rebuild of a life, a rebuild of a marriage, 00:13:34.169 --> 00:13:37.250 a rebuild of a family. A building of another 00:13:37.250 --> 00:13:41.470 chapter in Israel's history. They had had years 00:13:41.470 --> 00:13:45.429 of great success, years of great influence under 00:13:45.429 --> 00:13:48.230 King David's rule, the city of Jerusalem and 00:13:48.230 --> 00:13:51.620 the beauty. There's periods of time in Israel's 00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:53.399 history that were so profound, but we're dealing 00:13:53.399 --> 00:13:55.879 with a time when you go to the post -exilic prophets 00:13:55.879 --> 00:14:01.139 of Ezra and you go to Nehemiah and hear the recounting 00:14:01.139 --> 00:14:04.379 of the wall that was reconstructed after Jerusalem 00:14:04.379 --> 00:14:07.120 was pummeled. You see different seasons in Israel's 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:11.500 life. Sometimes in captivity, sometimes in the 00:14:11.500 --> 00:14:14.799 city that was plundered by the enemy. But when 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.360 they were allowed to go back into the city, they 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:21.700 rebuilt in one season but then stalled in another 00:14:21.700 --> 00:14:25.480 season. And the beauty of the story of Israel's 00:14:25.480 --> 00:14:27.740 journey laid over the life of the Christian is 00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:30.179 that you actually find that God always works 00:14:30.179 --> 00:14:32.740 in his people's life even when they're in captivity 00:14:32.740 --> 00:14:35.379 or when they're returned to the city that they 00:14:35.379 --> 00:14:39.240 were taken captive from. And when he's working, 00:14:39.379 --> 00:14:42.120 he's always doing something to accomplish his 00:14:42.120 --> 00:14:45.639 purpose. But every season has its own unique 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:49.419 contribution to that purpose. And you can't pull 00:14:49.419 --> 00:14:52.179 out of one season and expect the next season 00:14:52.179 --> 00:14:55.259 to look exactly like the former season. You've 00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:58.019 got to be willing to allow God to work in each 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:00.620 season exactly what he's trying to accomplish. 00:15:01.019 --> 00:15:04.769 So you read about Nehemiah. Nehemiah rebuilt 00:15:04.769 --> 00:15:07.889 the wall in Jerusalem. He did it in 52 days. 00:15:07.990 --> 00:15:11.210 It was a miraculous intervention of God that 00:15:11.210 --> 00:15:13.549 God not only moved on Nehemiah's heart, but he 00:15:13.549 --> 00:15:16.409 moved on the king's heart at the time, and the 00:15:16.409 --> 00:15:18.789 king gave him letters. He got to take timber 00:15:18.789 --> 00:15:22.190 from the forest. He went, he looked at the rubble, 00:15:22.190 --> 00:15:25.129 he looked at the decay, and God gave him strategy 00:15:25.129 --> 00:15:28.070 and insight. The people's hearts started, and 00:15:28.070 --> 00:15:31.539 in 52 days, they rebuilt the wall. They rebuilt 00:15:31.539 --> 00:15:33.360 the wall around Jerusalem. It was a great sound 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:35.820 of joy and celebration. That was beautiful. But 00:15:35.820 --> 00:15:39.200 the wall did not contain the presence of God. 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:41.240 The wall gave them security from their enemies. 00:15:41.700 --> 00:15:45.659 The wall gave them a sense of identity. Inside 00:15:45.659 --> 00:15:48.220 the wall, there was a part of the rebuild that 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.220 needed to happen. And it was about the presence 00:15:51.220 --> 00:15:54.460 of God and the temple of God being welcomed back 00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:58.070 into the city. You can have an identity. and 00:15:58.070 --> 00:16:00.610 not have the presence. You can have security, 00:16:00.830 --> 00:16:04.330 but not be moving and encountering the presence 00:16:04.330 --> 00:16:07.289 of God. You've got to look at the other prophets 00:16:07.289 --> 00:16:09.389 to understand there was another stage of the 00:16:09.389 --> 00:16:11.549 rebuild. This is what I'm trying to say, because 00:16:11.549 --> 00:16:15.470 in service two, I'm building on what I did in 00:16:15.470 --> 00:16:19.409 service one. Service one was about entering the 00:16:19.409 --> 00:16:23.190 phase of rebuilding the temple. And not comparing 00:16:23.190 --> 00:16:25.870 that season with another season of building the 00:16:25.870 --> 00:16:28.789 wall, but just doing well what God wanted to 00:16:28.789 --> 00:16:32.710 do in that moment and at that time. There was 00:16:32.710 --> 00:16:35.549 a group of people that were brought back under 00:16:35.549 --> 00:16:39.529 Cyrus' rule. God worked in his heart to send 00:16:39.529 --> 00:16:42.190 them back. And the Bible says when their hearts 00:16:42.190 --> 00:16:45.090 were stirred, they went up to Jerusalem to build 00:16:45.090 --> 00:16:47.909 the house of the Lord. So they had to respond 00:16:47.909 --> 00:16:51.279 to a stirring and then they went up. which means 00:16:51.279 --> 00:16:53.519 they had to kind of take a journey from a low 00:16:53.519 --> 00:16:56.179 place to a high place. They had to dig and climb 00:16:56.179 --> 00:16:59.620 and do the work to get there. And then when they 00:16:59.620 --> 00:17:03.360 got there, they got there to build the house 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:05.480 of the Lord. That was the objective. That was 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:08.779 the task at hand. And when they got there, what 00:17:08.779 --> 00:17:12.299 they found was a pile of rocks. The pile of rocks 00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:15.220 were what the temple used to be constructed by, 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:19.200 but now they were covered in char and they had 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:22.579 the smell of smoke and the pile was so significant 00:17:22.579 --> 00:17:25.220 that they looked at it and they said, I'm not 00:17:25.220 --> 00:17:30.940 sure how to overcome that pile of rubble. What 00:17:30.940 --> 00:17:34.299 does a pile of rubble mean? It means that we 00:17:34.299 --> 00:17:38.019 have a past. that has destruction written all 00:17:38.019 --> 00:17:41.519 over it. We have a past that the purpose that 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:45.240 God had designed us for got pummeled by the enemy. 00:17:45.420 --> 00:17:47.599 And I would expect that there's some people around 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:50.779 the room today who look at the piles of rubble 00:17:50.779 --> 00:17:52.619 in their life at different times and wonder, 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:56.059 how can anything good come out of this? God used 00:17:56.059 --> 00:17:58.519 to be there. His presence used to dwell in the 00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:03.039 city. But now all I remember is what... isn't 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:06.259 rather than what is. I think when we begin to 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:09.339 give more attention to the past and the work 00:18:09.339 --> 00:18:12.099 of the enemy and exalt the destruction that's 00:18:12.099 --> 00:18:14.859 happened in our life, we miss the moment of opportunity 00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:17.759 wherein God wants us to take the pile of rubble 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:19.940 and he wants to turn it into something that the 00:18:19.940 --> 00:18:23.539 Bible calls level ground. Everybody say level 00:18:23.539 --> 00:18:26.440 ground. What was level ground in the scriptures? 00:18:26.539 --> 00:18:30.829 Level ground was an even playing field on which 00:18:30.829 --> 00:18:33.910 they would take the rocks of yesterday and begin 00:18:33.910 --> 00:18:37.609 to build and construct the house of God. I think 00:18:37.609 --> 00:18:40.799 what is beautiful about this... picture in the 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:44.759 Old Testament is that God is declaring to all 00:18:44.759 --> 00:18:47.140 who would follow him, I will take the rubble 00:18:47.140 --> 00:18:49.740 of yesterday and it will become the foundation 00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:52.880 for the presence of God for the future. I'm going 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.220 to do something. So I want you to see this today. 00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:57.480 This is a prophetic word to this house. Everything 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:00.660 I've done to this point is foundational for the 00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:02.980 next chapter. Can I hear an amen about that? 00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:06.259 Everything I've done so far. So the first thing 00:19:06.259 --> 00:19:09.240 when the exiles returned to Jerusalem, The first 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:12.279 thing they started to build was not the top of 00:19:12.279 --> 00:19:15.180 the temple. They started at the altar. They started 00:19:15.180 --> 00:19:17.960 by building the altar. The opening of Ezra chapter 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:21.099 3, before a single foundation stone was laid, 00:19:21.299 --> 00:19:23.680 before it was laid down, they rebuilt the altar 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:27.039 and they started to worship again. Verse 3 says 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:30.039 they did it despite their fear of the people 00:19:30.039 --> 00:19:32.549 around them. Now notice the temple was being 00:19:32.549 --> 00:19:35.390 built before the wall was constructed. So the 00:19:35.390 --> 00:19:37.869 city was without borders. The city was without 00:19:37.869 --> 00:19:41.250 security. The borders even of the city that would 00:19:41.250 --> 00:19:43.410 establish identity weren't even there, which 00:19:43.410 --> 00:19:46.269 tells us the primary concern of the people of 00:19:46.269 --> 00:19:49.470 God as they returned was to establish the presence 00:19:49.470 --> 00:19:52.470 of God back in the city before their own security. 00:19:52.730 --> 00:19:55.289 They wanted to secure the presence before they 00:19:55.289 --> 00:20:00.119 secured themselves. They started to build the 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.059 altar. They started to establish the presence. 00:20:03.339 --> 00:20:06.440 And they did it, according to verse 3, despite 00:20:06.440 --> 00:20:09.299 their fear. Worship came before the walls, the 00:20:09.299 --> 00:20:12.759 song before their safety. So it was the second 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.200 year when they actually started the real work. 00:20:15.630 --> 00:20:18.609 Let's read verse 8 to 13 in Ezra chapter 3. It 00:20:18.609 --> 00:20:21.049 says, In the second month of the second year, 00:20:21.210 --> 00:20:23.950 after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, 00:20:24.210 --> 00:20:27.650 Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, Joshua, son of 00:20:27.650 --> 00:20:30.910 Josedach, and the rest of the people, the priests 00:20:30.910 --> 00:20:34.009 and the Levites, who had all returned from the 00:20:34.009 --> 00:20:38.230 captivity to Jerusalem, began the work. They 00:20:38.230 --> 00:20:41.190 appointed Levites, 20 years old and older, to 00:20:41.190 --> 00:20:43.269 supervise the building of the house of the Lord. 00:20:43.990 --> 00:20:46.650 Joshua and his sons and brothers, Cadmeel and 00:20:46.650 --> 00:20:49.410 his sons, all Levites, joined together in supervising 00:20:49.410 --> 00:20:52.309 the work on the house of God. When the builders 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:55.150 laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, 00:20:55.390 --> 00:20:59.670 the priests in their vestments and with trumpets 00:20:59.670 --> 00:21:02.410 and the Levites, the sons of Asaph with symbols, 00:21:02.609 --> 00:21:06.890 took their places to praise the Lord as prescribed 00:21:06.890 --> 00:21:10.630 by David, king of Israel. I wish I could go into 00:21:10.630 --> 00:21:14.109 this. David, under his authority and under his 00:21:14.109 --> 00:21:17.210 prophetic leadership, established a sound in 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:19.450 Jerusalem that had never been heard in Jerusalem 00:21:19.450 --> 00:21:22.319 prior to his rule and reign. I think this is 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.140 prophetic of the last 25 years of this house. 00:21:25.220 --> 00:21:28.079 You put a stake in the ground and establish something 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.140 in the region that hadn't been heard before. 00:21:30.380 --> 00:21:33.920 There's a sound that emerges when kings step 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:37.680 into a city. When kings, when leaders with spiritual 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.680 authority step in, they don't just build buildings, 00:21:40.839 --> 00:21:44.839 they establish sounds. They establish sounds. 00:21:45.200 --> 00:21:47.559 The people knew that in order to reconstruct, 00:21:48.119 --> 00:21:51.079 they needed to reorder the sound. They needed 00:21:51.079 --> 00:21:53.200 to reorder the sound. And it's so important to 00:21:53.200 --> 00:21:56.200 understand because the sound goes into the airwaves. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:58.880 We're not just dealing with dirt and we're not 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:01.059 dealing with buildings. We're dealing with the 00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:03.880 prince of the power of the air. The worship of 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:06.460 a house, the sound of the house, the musicians 00:22:06.460 --> 00:22:09.680 of the house become so essential in a rebuild 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:12.480 work. With praise and thanksgiving, the Bible 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.369 says, they sang to the Lord. He's good. His love 00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:18.490 towards Israel endures forever. And all the people 00:22:18.490 --> 00:22:20.730 gave a great shout of praise to the Lord because 00:22:20.730 --> 00:22:22.990 the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. 00:22:23.490 --> 00:22:25.789 But many of the older priests and Levites and 00:22:25.789 --> 00:22:28.130 family heads who'd seen the former temple, that's 00:22:28.130 --> 00:22:31.569 the temple of Solomon, by the way, wept aloud 00:22:31.569 --> 00:22:33.710 when they saw the foundation of the temple being 00:22:33.710 --> 00:22:36.309 laid while many others shouted for joy. Notice 00:22:36.309 --> 00:22:43.069 the sound of the temple had tears and joy. No 00:22:43.069 --> 00:22:45.369 one could distinguish the sound of the shouts 00:22:45.369 --> 00:22:48.549 of joy from the sound of weeping because the 00:22:48.549 --> 00:22:51.769 people made so much noise and the sound was heard 00:22:51.769 --> 00:22:57.190 far, far away. I want to prophesy the sound of 00:22:57.190 --> 00:23:00.410 this house, the sound of this house. When the 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:02.069 foundation of the house was laid, two sounds 00:23:02.069 --> 00:23:04.789 erupted. There was a sound of weeping and the 00:23:04.789 --> 00:23:09.349 shout of joy, the sound of lament and the sound 00:23:09.349 --> 00:23:13.589 of laughter. The text says they got so tangled 00:23:13.589 --> 00:23:16.150 together that no one could tell the two sounds 00:23:16.150 --> 00:23:19.589 apart. Some people were celebrating, some people 00:23:19.589 --> 00:23:23.690 were grieving. At the exact same moment over 00:23:23.690 --> 00:23:27.109 the exact same thing, I think it's exactly where 00:23:27.109 --> 00:23:29.710 some of us are in this season of the church. 00:23:29.789 --> 00:23:32.250 Some of you are new to the house of God, new 00:23:32.250 --> 00:23:36.089 to faith, and you're grieving the pile of rubble. 00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:39.480 and the smell of smoke and the sound of yesterday 00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:41.759 and the brokenness of your own life and you're 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.019 looking at others. who were celebrating and laughter 00:23:45.019 --> 00:23:47.779 and joy, and you compare yourself and you class 00:23:47.779 --> 00:23:51.579 yourself and you wonder, well, maybe I'm unworthy 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:54.519 because I'm new to the house, but they were around 00:23:54.519 --> 00:23:56.700 long enough to see the beginning of the house. 00:23:56.819 --> 00:23:59.279 I want you to know, if you've arrived at the 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:03.099 25 -year mark, you're all at the start of a rebuild. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:06.200 And I feel like the Lord wants to put in your 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:09.059 heart today, everybody today is on level ground. 00:24:09.299 --> 00:24:11.759 Everybody gets to start the next chapter together. 00:24:12.359 --> 00:24:14.539 Everybody gets to start the next chapter together. 00:24:14.759 --> 00:24:17.440 Can I hear an amen about that? Don't disqualify 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:19.640 because you say, I've just been here three months 00:24:19.640 --> 00:24:23.059 and somebody else says 25 years. You're all part 00:24:23.059 --> 00:24:25.579 of this chapter of the church. It's a beautiful, 00:24:25.740 --> 00:24:29.099 beautiful thing. You got to understand the history 00:24:29.099 --> 00:24:31.279 here because it allows you to actually feel the 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:33.539 ache and the dichotomy that's being expressed 00:24:33.539 --> 00:24:36.740 here. Solomon's temple had been the glory of 00:24:36.740 --> 00:24:42.269 Israel for almost 400 years. Decades of people, 00:24:42.349 --> 00:24:45.990 generations of people understood the beauty of 00:24:45.990 --> 00:24:48.450 Jerusalem and the sound that came from Jerusalem. 00:24:49.069 --> 00:24:54.430 In 586, Babylon burned it to the ground. So now 00:24:54.430 --> 00:24:57.309 you've got roughly 50 years later after it burning 00:24:57.309 --> 00:25:00.349 down and there's this small, poor remnant of 00:25:00.349 --> 00:25:05.670 people. They lay a new foundation and they take 00:25:05.670 --> 00:25:09.579 burnt stones to do it. And they lay the foundation 00:25:09.579 --> 00:25:12.819 out. The old timers who remembered Solomon's 00:25:12.819 --> 00:25:16.160 gold said that foundation looks like nothing. 00:25:17.720 --> 00:25:21.099 Haggai would later say to them in his prophetic 00:25:21.099 --> 00:25:23.539 utterance, he'd say, does it not seem to you 00:25:23.539 --> 00:25:25.579 like nothing? Aren't you just looking at that 00:25:25.579 --> 00:25:30.440 and actually minimizing it? Aren't you like despising 00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:35.250 the day of small beginnings? Some people look 00:25:35.250 --> 00:25:37.650 at anniversaries and despise. Some people look 00:25:37.650 --> 00:25:39.809 at their salvation and despise it because they 00:25:39.809 --> 00:25:42.430 compare it to another season and another time 00:25:42.430 --> 00:25:45.890 and another work. And the enemy likes to keep 00:25:45.890 --> 00:25:48.710 you in a place of comparison. What is the emotion 00:25:48.710 --> 00:25:51.069 that comes with that? It's the emotion called 00:25:51.069 --> 00:25:55.690 grief. But if you watch what they sang, you've 00:25:55.690 --> 00:25:57.789 got to hear this. You've got to listen to the 00:25:57.789 --> 00:26:02.799 voice. Ezra chapter 3 verse 11. It says, And 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:07.140 with thanksgiving, they sang to the Lord. Now 00:26:07.140 --> 00:26:09.619 I want you to read with me what they sang. He 00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:15.619 is good. His love towards Israel endures forever. 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:20.200 That song that they sang, those words that they 00:26:20.200 --> 00:26:23.900 rehearsed, is the very same song as when they 00:26:23.900 --> 00:26:28.960 laid the foundation and dedicated Solomon's temple, 00:26:29.079 --> 00:26:31.279 the first temple that they're reflecting back 00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:35.730 on. It was God who allowed Solomon to build in 00:26:35.730 --> 00:26:39.410 the beginning, and it was God who moved on Cyrus' 00:26:39.529 --> 00:26:42.130 heart to get the people back into the city to 00:26:42.130 --> 00:26:47.049 rebuild the temple this time. When you begin 00:26:47.049 --> 00:26:50.049 to sing the song of the Lord, whether you're 00:26:50.049 --> 00:26:54.230 building 25 years ago or building now, you're 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:58.900 building upon the goodness of God. That's the 00:26:58.900 --> 00:27:03.000 basis of your song, and it's the basis of the 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:06.720 sound of this house. Now, across 400 years, a 00:27:06.720 --> 00:27:09.680 burned temple, and decades of exile, they came 00:27:09.680 --> 00:27:14.180 back with the same song, even though their emotions 00:27:14.180 --> 00:27:17.579 were all over the map. I want you to know this 00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:21.339 today. I believe it prophetically for you. Circumstances 00:27:21.339 --> 00:27:24.799 may change season to season, but God never changes. 00:27:25.839 --> 00:27:29.799 You might have a variety of emotions as you sing, 00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:33.759 but the song itself has got to stay pure. The 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:37.579 song has got to be, you are good and your love 00:27:37.579 --> 00:27:41.960 towards Israel endures forever. You're good when 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:44.700 my family is going through the valley and you're 00:27:44.700 --> 00:27:47.359 good when we're on the mountaintop. You're good 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:50.740 when I'm in exile and again, you're good when 00:27:50.740 --> 00:27:53.279 I'm in captivity. God, you are good when the 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:55.599 temple is large. You're good when the temple 00:27:55.599 --> 00:27:58.359 is small. God, you are good and you are good 00:27:58.359 --> 00:28:04.960 all the time. To understand this idea, you have 00:28:04.960 --> 00:28:08.359 to think about joy and tears at the foundation. 00:28:08.359 --> 00:28:10.319 That's what you have to think about, joy and 00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:15.980 tears. Laughter and lament. One of the quiet 00:28:15.980 --> 00:28:19.200 traps people fall into when they feel called 00:28:19.200 --> 00:28:22.119 to get in and begin to build something in another 00:28:22.119 --> 00:28:25.259 chapter. is believing that everything has to 00:28:25.259 --> 00:28:27.720 make perfect sense before they throw themselves 00:28:27.720 --> 00:28:31.819 in. But according to this portion of Scripture, 00:28:32.140 --> 00:28:36.039 the Bible actually gives us insight and tells 00:28:36.039 --> 00:28:39.480 us that beginning something is worth celebrating 00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:44.240 even at times when it seems insignificant. It's 00:28:44.240 --> 00:28:47.539 worth... celebrating. Can I tell you for every 00:28:47.539 --> 00:28:49.940 person who went into the waters of baptism today, 00:28:50.019 --> 00:28:52.440 it's one of the reasons I was overtaken because 00:28:52.440 --> 00:28:55.859 it represents new beginnings. And you might say, 00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:58.119 well, I wonder what kind of journey they went 00:28:58.119 --> 00:29:00.960 on. Enough of a journey that they needed Jesus. 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:04.079 Can I hear an amen about that? And guess what? 00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:06.279 They're still going to need Jesus and you're 00:29:06.279 --> 00:29:09.349 going to need Jesus. And every point of decision 00:29:09.349 --> 00:29:12.829 in discipleship is worth celebrating. It's worth 00:29:12.829 --> 00:29:15.509 stopping and acknowledging. You might think it's 00:29:15.509 --> 00:29:18.130 a small thing to make a decision to get water 00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:20.109 baptized. Well, people just do that every month 00:29:20.109 --> 00:29:22.630 around here. No, that is worth celebrating. It's 00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:26.430 worth enjoying the moment. Every time a body 00:29:26.430 --> 00:29:28.509 is healed in this house, we need to celebrate 00:29:28.509 --> 00:29:30.970 new beginnings. There should be a sound of joy. 00:29:31.230 --> 00:29:33.750 God, you're good. And you're good in the land 00:29:33.750 --> 00:29:35.670 of Israel. You're good because you brought us 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:37.900 out of captivity. There should be a constant 00:29:37.900 --> 00:29:42.880 sound of celebration in the house. Seems insignificant 00:29:42.880 --> 00:29:46.240 that a little child testified up here and said, 00:29:46.279 --> 00:29:48.779 I just want to serve Jesus. That should bring 00:29:48.779 --> 00:29:52.759 us out of our seats. Starting is worth celebrating. 00:29:53.299 --> 00:29:55.579 Before you have the plan, before you have the 00:29:55.579 --> 00:30:00.000 blueprint, before the full vision unfolds. There's 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:03.380 an apprentice that's come to the church and Brad 00:30:03.380 --> 00:30:05.869 just told me, I just... Felt like I had to kind 00:30:05.869 --> 00:30:08.109 of give room and opportunity for somebody to 00:30:08.109 --> 00:30:10.349 begin their leadership development journey in 00:30:10.349 --> 00:30:12.349 the church. I think it's worth celebrating because 00:30:12.349 --> 00:30:14.509 I'll tell you what will come out of it is a Bible 00:30:14.509 --> 00:30:17.230 college. What will come out of it is many interns 00:30:17.230 --> 00:30:19.630 being developed and many interns being trained. 00:30:19.769 --> 00:30:22.690 I think that there has to be celebration at the 00:30:22.690 --> 00:30:29.319 small beginnings. In your own life. It's important 00:30:29.319 --> 00:30:32.619 to stop and say, well, I might remember Solomon's 00:30:32.619 --> 00:30:34.460 temple, but God, you're doing something in my 00:30:34.460 --> 00:30:43.359 day. The Bible says it this way. When it refers 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:48.700 to people who never take time to look at fulfillment, 00:30:48.920 --> 00:30:52.160 they never take time to look at starting. Proverbs 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:54.160 23 says, hope deferred makes the heart sick, 00:30:54.220 --> 00:30:57.859 but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. It 00:30:57.859 --> 00:30:59.960 tells us when you start to see God at work and 00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:03.019 you actually lean in and you start to say God's 00:31:03.019 --> 00:31:05.720 at work, it's like a breath of hope comes back 00:31:05.720 --> 00:31:10.000 into your soul again. When something starts, 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:13.480 the pile of rubble starts to move. The forms 00:31:13.480 --> 00:31:16.180 for concrete are set. Wet cement starts to flow. 00:31:17.019 --> 00:31:19.220 And you start seeing the rebuild of something. 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:22.720 It starts to awaken internal hope mixed with 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:25.400 delays of years of captivity and all of a sudden 00:31:25.400 --> 00:31:27.799 the attempts to cope. and not be disappointed 00:31:27.799 --> 00:31:32.240 start to surface in other people. Some that don't 00:31:32.240 --> 00:31:36.500 shout for joy start to bring to the surface the 00:31:36.500 --> 00:31:38.880 sorrows that they've experienced over the course 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:46.240 of their journey. Lament, pain, the difficulty 00:31:46.240 --> 00:31:50.059 of exile. It would seem that when the first stone 00:31:50.059 --> 00:31:53.880 started to move, The only thing that they should 00:31:53.880 --> 00:31:57.319 do is shout for joy, but something else needed 00:31:57.319 --> 00:32:01.380 to happen. Some people needed to weep for what 00:32:01.380 --> 00:32:06.180 was lost in the journey to get there. In the 00:32:06.180 --> 00:32:08.380 context of workers, the returned captives, the 00:32:08.380 --> 00:32:12.079 exiles, the people who were in slavery in their 00:32:12.079 --> 00:32:15.500 nation, they couldn't shout for joy. They started 00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:19.630 to weep. They started to mourn, but I want you 00:32:19.630 --> 00:32:22.410 to notice something in the weeping and in the 00:32:22.410 --> 00:32:26.089 joy. The work began by joining together. It didn't 00:32:26.089 --> 00:32:28.569 matter if they were coming out with a long history 00:32:28.569 --> 00:32:31.250 or brand new there for the first time shouting 00:32:31.250 --> 00:32:35.109 for joy. They got together on the same team. 00:32:35.390 --> 00:32:37.549 And that's what I want to tell you today is I 00:32:37.549 --> 00:32:40.450 want to tell you the work began by joining together. 00:32:42.849 --> 00:32:45.890 Ezra 3, verse 8 and 9 says this. As I put it 00:32:45.890 --> 00:32:48.910 on the screen, it says, Zerubbabel, Joshua, and 00:32:48.910 --> 00:32:51.210 the rest of the people began the work. All the 00:32:51.210 --> 00:32:54.549 Levites joined together in supervising those 00:32:54.549 --> 00:32:58.670 working on the house of the Lord. Notice that 00:32:58.670 --> 00:33:00.630 there's two verbs in the text. One is that they 00:33:00.630 --> 00:33:02.549 began the work, and the other one was they joined 00:33:02.549 --> 00:33:05.009 together. The work got done because they were 00:33:05.009 --> 00:33:10.130 together. Their hearts were stirred. But you 00:33:10.130 --> 00:33:11.809 can't just have a stirred heart. You've got to 00:33:11.809 --> 00:33:14.509 have a willing hand. You've got to step forward. 00:33:14.609 --> 00:33:16.049 You've got to bring your gifts to the table. 00:33:16.150 --> 00:33:18.430 You've got to link shields with people that are 00:33:18.430 --> 00:33:20.769 further along and those that are behind you in 00:33:20.769 --> 00:33:24.329 the journey. Everybody finds their place. Your 00:33:24.329 --> 00:33:26.849 heart, yes, has to be stirred, but your hands 00:33:26.849 --> 00:33:30.450 have to get in the game. Don't just work, but 00:33:30.450 --> 00:33:34.009 have joy as you work and give room for some to 00:33:34.009 --> 00:33:38.569 shed some tears along the way. If you'll work, 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:41.200 but not bring your heart, you'll feel abused. 00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:45.539 If you get in the game and start to build but 00:33:45.539 --> 00:33:47.660 don't have gratitude, you'll invest your time, 00:33:47.779 --> 00:33:49.940 talent, and treasure and say later somebody took 00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:53.119 something from you. I think what the Lord wants 00:33:53.119 --> 00:33:56.019 in the house is a sense of communal faith that 00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:58.519 says nobody builds alone, nobody walks alone, 00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:01.759 nobody sings alone, nobody cries alone, nobody 00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:05.119 invests alone. Everybody's in it together. Come 00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:08.079 on, everybody's in it together. Nobody rebuilds 00:34:08.079 --> 00:34:12.050 in isolation. Nobody worships in isolation. Nobody 00:34:12.050 --> 00:34:14.929 gets baptized in isolation. Nobody overcomes 00:34:14.929 --> 00:34:18.349 their addictions in isolation. Nobody goes through 00:34:18.349 --> 00:34:20.909 deliverance in isolation. Everybody's in this 00:34:20.909 --> 00:34:28.510 faith journey together. This house, this house 00:34:28.510 --> 00:34:32.150 is built for togetherness. It's built for beginning 00:34:32.150 --> 00:34:36.860 the work, getting into the trench. It's built 00:34:36.860 --> 00:34:39.300 as a discipleship house and a development house 00:34:39.300 --> 00:34:41.280 to get into the trench and start to overturn 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:44.599 the stones. And when one stone is too big for 00:34:44.599 --> 00:34:47.059 somebody, somebody jumps in beside them and says, 00:34:47.079 --> 00:34:50.679 let's turn over that stone together. What you 00:34:50.679 --> 00:34:52.900 don't understand is they start to tell the story 00:34:52.900 --> 00:34:55.139 of the stone, they pull it over, and as they 00:34:55.139 --> 00:35:00.179 pull it over, they start to weep. You could say, 00:35:00.219 --> 00:35:02.119 what are you weeping for? Or you could say, let 00:35:02.119 --> 00:35:04.480 me get down here close with you and weep with 00:35:04.480 --> 00:35:07.579 you while you weep. The sound of the house. Everybody 00:35:07.579 --> 00:35:10.639 say the sound of the house. The sound of the 00:35:10.639 --> 00:35:15.980 house was laughter and lament. Everybody joined 00:35:15.980 --> 00:35:19.420 together. Nobody rebuilding in isolation. Their 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:22.619 heart was stirred, but their hand went to work 00:35:22.619 --> 00:35:25.820 and they celebrated. Listen to this. They celebrated 00:35:25.820 --> 00:35:31.780 a foundation, not just a finished house. Ezra 00:35:31.780 --> 00:35:34.159 chapter 3 says, all the people gave a great shout 00:35:34.159 --> 00:35:36.179 of praise to the Lord because the foundation 00:35:36.179 --> 00:35:41.719 of the house was laid. I thought we would just 00:35:41.719 --> 00:35:45.039 celebrate when the party was finished. No, celebrate 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:47.639 at 25 years. Go ahead, celebrate. Come on, put 00:35:47.639 --> 00:35:56.980 your hands together. Celebrate at 25 years. Now 00:35:56.980 --> 00:35:59.659 recognize that's just the foundation. It's just 00:35:59.659 --> 00:36:05.780 the beginning. Bring your tears, bring your joy, 00:36:05.880 --> 00:36:07.519 bring your laughter, bring your memories, bring 00:36:07.519 --> 00:36:11.880 it all. They shouted over a foundation. It was 00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:14.659 like a new beginning. We accomplished one layer. 00:36:14.739 --> 00:36:16.840 We accomplished one level. Now it's time to go 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:21.420 to another. It's a fresh start. People tend to 00:36:21.420 --> 00:36:23.659 withhold their celebration until everything is 00:36:23.659 --> 00:36:25.539 in order. You're never going to be perfect. You're 00:36:25.539 --> 00:36:28.329 never going to arrive. As long as this house 00:36:28.329 --> 00:36:31.329 is a prophetic house with an apostolic tip of 00:36:31.329 --> 00:36:33.710 the spear, there's going to be new ground to 00:36:33.710 --> 00:36:36.389 take. There's going to be new nations to step 00:36:36.389 --> 00:36:38.769 into. There's going to be new layers of destiny. 00:36:38.989 --> 00:36:43.090 So don't hold back. Get in the game. Put your 00:36:43.090 --> 00:36:45.849 hand to the plow. Actually start picking up the 00:36:45.849 --> 00:36:49.869 rocks and beginning to lay the next layer of 00:36:49.869 --> 00:36:55.289 the foundation. The song they sang was about 00:36:55.289 --> 00:36:59.369 character. God's character, not the building 00:36:59.369 --> 00:37:03.710 size. He's good. His love towards Israel endures 00:37:03.710 --> 00:37:06.489 forever. They had to sing a song about God's 00:37:06.489 --> 00:37:08.409 character. They had to sing a song about his 00:37:08.409 --> 00:37:11.670 goodness because their hearts were so broken. 00:37:12.690 --> 00:37:17.570 And yet their soul was celebrating what could 00:37:17.570 --> 00:37:25.840 be. The unique thing about this, and I know this 00:37:25.840 --> 00:37:30.420 might sound weird, but I actually believe that 00:37:30.420 --> 00:37:37.400 grief and joy can share the same moment in worship. 00:37:39.820 --> 00:37:41.739 I'm just going to put that statement on the screen. 00:37:41.880 --> 00:37:44.480 Grief and joy can share the same moment. I want 00:37:44.480 --> 00:37:49.260 you to hear this. I actually long in this season 00:37:49.260 --> 00:37:51.440 of the church's history in the Pacific Northwest 00:37:51.440 --> 00:37:56.099 and this entire region. To see a church that 00:37:56.099 --> 00:38:01.860 chooses wholeness. A people who know how to lament 00:38:01.860 --> 00:38:07.440 and laugh. Who know how to forgive fully. Who 00:38:07.440 --> 00:38:10.900 know how to heal deeply. Who know how to work 00:38:10.900 --> 00:38:13.179 hard but yet rest well. Who know how to enjoy 00:38:13.179 --> 00:38:17.280 life but do it without shame. How to take the 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:21.210 abuse and the battered parts of our life. And 00:38:21.210 --> 00:38:25.829 even have the memory of what was. And bring it 00:38:25.829 --> 00:38:29.550 to the family of God and the people of God. And 00:38:29.550 --> 00:38:31.650 realize there are some brothers and sisters who 00:38:31.650 --> 00:38:33.489 are going to get in and turn over these stones 00:38:33.489 --> 00:38:37.110 with me. And let me tell you what grief will 00:38:37.110 --> 00:38:40.690 do. Grief will restore your soul. Because what 00:38:40.690 --> 00:38:44.510 grief is, is it's a covenant protest. What happened 00:38:44.510 --> 00:38:48.269 to me was not okay. And I want you to know when 00:38:48.269 --> 00:38:52.570 the people that understood the past stood in 00:38:52.570 --> 00:38:54.769 worship and lifted their hands and said, God 00:38:54.769 --> 00:38:57.590 is good. You know what they were saying? God 00:38:57.590 --> 00:38:59.849 is good, but some things that happened to me 00:38:59.849 --> 00:39:05.130 were bad. And I'm going to put them into perspective. 00:39:05.230 --> 00:39:08.449 I'm going to celebrate God. And I'm going to 00:39:08.449 --> 00:39:11.769 realize that was the enemy that worked against 00:39:11.769 --> 00:39:15.909 me. And when you grieve, you protest the enemy's 00:39:15.909 --> 00:39:19.190 work and you establish a new beginning. That's 00:39:19.190 --> 00:39:21.590 what grief does. And I believe that the house 00:39:21.590 --> 00:39:24.769 of God needs to give room for people to lay up 00:39:24.769 --> 00:39:28.630 the altar and weep the loss of yesterday. Begin 00:39:28.630 --> 00:39:31.610 to weep and grieve and pour out their hearts. 00:39:31.730 --> 00:39:34.389 If this house is going to reach another wave 00:39:34.389 --> 00:39:38.340 of lost people, you're going to see people. grieving 00:39:38.340 --> 00:39:41.420 their mistaken identity. You're going to see 00:39:41.420 --> 00:39:44.659 a people that begin to grieve marriages that 00:39:44.659 --> 00:39:47.159 were destroyed by the hand of the enemy. You're 00:39:47.159 --> 00:39:50.099 going to see people grieve and lament years of 00:39:50.099 --> 00:39:52.679 addiction and sickness and brokenness. And they're 00:39:52.679 --> 00:39:55.659 going to lay at the front of this house and weep 00:39:55.659 --> 00:39:58.400 over what was lost. And then they're going to 00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:01.599 begin to say through the tears, but you are good, 00:40:01.639 --> 00:40:05.000 O God, and your mercy endures forever. They're 00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:07.300 going to begin to declare the character of God 00:40:07.300 --> 00:40:10.260 through their tears and through their weeping. 00:40:10.340 --> 00:40:12.980 Some of you have been afraid even to shed tears 00:40:12.980 --> 00:40:15.820 of the brokenness in your own life. You've wondered 00:40:15.820 --> 00:40:18.980 if people knew how dark the background of my 00:40:18.980 --> 00:40:21.659 life was. I want you to know God specializes 00:40:21.659 --> 00:40:25.059 in overcoming darkness. He specializes in actually 00:40:25.059 --> 00:40:28.840 putting it in its place. He specializes in listening 00:40:28.840 --> 00:40:31.980 to the tears of his people and allowing them 00:40:31.980 --> 00:40:37.139 to pour out their heart before the Lord. You 00:40:37.139 --> 00:40:41.719 protest the enemy's attack in your life through 00:40:41.719 --> 00:40:46.289 grief. And then the Lord takes the grief. As 00:40:46.289 --> 00:40:48.590 you pour it out before him and he turns it into 00:40:48.590 --> 00:40:50.969 joy because he shows you where he was in the 00:40:50.969 --> 00:40:53.610 midst of the brokenness and grief turns into 00:40:53.610 --> 00:40:57.210 joy. I felt to come to you today and simply say 00:40:57.210 --> 00:41:01.489 this. There is a masterful strategy being released 00:41:01.489 --> 00:41:04.070 by the hand of the Lord to make this a house 00:41:04.070 --> 00:41:10.090 whose sound is both grief and joy. Lament and... 00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:13.039 and laughter. There's something in this house 00:41:13.039 --> 00:41:15.860 that God is going to begin to work through people 00:41:15.860 --> 00:41:19.639 who come and lay their grief at the altar and 00:41:19.639 --> 00:41:23.440 weep and let it go and watch what God will do. 00:41:23.619 --> 00:41:26.960 He'll build a foundation. He'll restore their 00:41:26.960 --> 00:41:29.840 walls. The presence of God will come again to 00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:32.940 the city that is established. The city called... 00:41:33.150 --> 00:41:36.670 Harrisburg and all the surrounding regions a 00:41:36.670 --> 00:41:39.889 new sound is going to emerge and the presence 00:41:39.889 --> 00:41:44.449 of God will be among his people I know this is 00:41:44.449 --> 00:41:48.969 deep and maybe a little bit complex but how many 00:41:48.969 --> 00:41:52.130 know that God's into the soul business he's into 00:41:52.130 --> 00:41:55.929 healing you on the inside he's healing and restoring 00:41:55.929 --> 00:41:58.489 you not just bringing you in and making you work 00:41:58.489 --> 00:42:01.409 in the house but restoring your soul as you do 00:42:03.309 --> 00:42:05.469 It's a beautiful sound that's going to come from 00:42:05.469 --> 00:42:09.210 this house. Grief can show up where there's joy. 00:42:09.849 --> 00:42:12.889 And the Bible says those two sounds mingled together 00:42:12.889 --> 00:42:17.309 and it was heard from far, far away. Here's what 00:42:17.309 --> 00:42:20.289 I prophesy to you today. Many will come and need 00:42:20.289 --> 00:42:23.289 to weep, but their weeping will turn to joy. 00:42:24.090 --> 00:42:27.610 Their weeping will turn to joy. Those sounds 00:42:27.610 --> 00:42:32.010 will be heard in the house. And it will be heard 00:42:32.010 --> 00:42:37.869 far, Far away. How many would just say, Daryl, 00:42:37.869 --> 00:42:41.309 in my own life, I need that word. I need some 00:42:41.309 --> 00:42:43.469 grief to turn to joy. Come on, would you wave 00:42:43.469 --> 00:42:46.289 at me? I need some sorrow to be replaced with 00:42:46.289 --> 00:42:51.369 laughter. I want to pray for you today. I'd encourage 00:42:51.369 --> 00:42:54.030 you in this service, go back and listen to some 00:42:54.030 --> 00:42:56.949 foundational truths in the early service. Build 00:42:56.949 --> 00:42:58.929 this together as a series in your life and just 00:42:58.929 --> 00:43:02.079 see what God will do to strengthen. and build 00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:06.900 Life Bible in the next 25 years. Amen? Come on, 00:43:06.900 --> 00:43:08.679 it's been my honor to be here today. I want to 00:43:08.679 --> 00:43:10.460 pray for you. Would you stand to your feet? Father, 00:43:10.519 --> 00:43:15.380 thank you. Thank you for this amazing family. 00:43:16.920 --> 00:43:19.139 God, I thank you for pastors Brad and Jen. I 00:43:19.139 --> 00:43:21.099 thank you for their sacrifice, their service, 00:43:21.179 --> 00:43:23.980 their diligence, their faithfulness. Thank you 00:43:23.980 --> 00:43:25.900 for the team that's come around them. God, we 00:43:25.900 --> 00:43:29.610 declare over them. Lord, a Holy Spirit touch 00:43:29.610 --> 00:43:32.929 in the season ahead. Lord, let even next weekend 00:43:32.929 --> 00:43:36.349 as they come into a season of pressing into healing 00:43:36.349 --> 00:43:39.010 and miracles, let there be an outbreak of the 00:43:39.010 --> 00:43:41.650 supernatural manifestation of the presence of 00:43:41.650 --> 00:43:44.050 God, healing bodies and setting people free. 00:43:45.070 --> 00:43:47.489 And Lord, I pray there'd be a deepness and a 00:43:47.489 --> 00:43:50.369 richness to the sound of this house that would 00:43:50.369 --> 00:43:52.409 flood the airwaves of this part of the state 00:43:52.409 --> 00:43:54.929 and the surrounding region. Lord, even touching 00:43:54.929 --> 00:43:58.300 the nations of the world from how you move and 00:43:58.300 --> 00:44:02.179 cut away the brokenness of yesterday and turn 00:44:02.179 --> 00:44:06.760 lament into joy in Jesus' name. Amen and amen. 00:44:06.940 --> 00:44:09.039 Come on, give the Lord Jesus a big hand today. 00:44:11.719 --> 00:44:14.559 Thank you for taking the time to listen to this 00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:17.159 week's message. We are so grateful for those 00:44:17.159 --> 00:44:19.900 who tune in each week and have given generously 00:44:19.900 --> 00:44:22.900 to this ministry. If you would like to give, 00:44:23.059 --> 00:44:25.539 click the link in the episode description below. 00:44:26.119 --> 00:44:28.760 You can also help us by subscribing to this podcast 00:44:28.760 --> 00:44:30.980 and sharing it with your friends and family. 00:44:31.579 --> 00:44:34.380 Lastly, if you are in need of prayer send us 00:44:34.380 --> 00:44:40.139 a text message at 541 -625 -1365. We would love 00:44:40.139 --> 00:44:40.900 to pray with you.