WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.400 having begun by the Spirit, are you now being 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:08.300 perfected by the flesh? What does that scripture 00:00:08.300 --> 00:00:15.240 remind us of is that we can oftentimes just through 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:23.300 a repetitive motion or just through, we can casually 00:00:23.300 --> 00:00:29.460 or without notice begin to transition. how we 00:00:29.460 --> 00:00:35.039 are living, that we all know that we were saved 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:39.100 and called by God and that awakening was spiritual. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:46.340 But somehow, as we begin that journey, we tend 00:00:46.340 --> 00:00:51.619 to oscillate between that spiritual awakening 00:00:51.619 --> 00:00:54.700 and that spiritual understanding of how we are 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:59.299 to live. And we bounce back between how we once 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:06.260 were. Like we'll start to interweave in together 00:01:06.260 --> 00:01:11.200 lifestyles. Those lifestyles being a spiritual 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:14.859 lifestyle and a lifestyle of the flesh. And so 00:01:14.859 --> 00:01:17.819 that scripture is given to us to remind us that 00:01:17.819 --> 00:01:22.760 it is foolish to ever think that you can finish 00:01:22.760 --> 00:01:30.760 what God started in the flesh. That it's I'm 00:01:30.760 --> 00:01:32.200 trying to think of a stronger word, but foolish 00:01:32.200 --> 00:01:35.500 is actually pretty strong Only other word is 00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:40.019 dumb But I think foolish already did that But 00:01:40.019 --> 00:01:44.439 it's foolish for me. Are you to ever think that 00:01:44.439 --> 00:01:46.799 what God started in the spear? What are you starting 00:01:46.799 --> 00:01:50.180 to spray? He called you in the spear that we 00:01:50.180 --> 00:01:54.780 can somehow Finish this in our flesh. That's 00:01:54.780 --> 00:02:01.430 foolish thinking So go with me to Ephesians chapter 00:02:01.430 --> 00:02:06.730 2 verse 1 and I can tell you this message is 00:02:06.730 --> 00:02:10.909 filled with a lot of blunt truths but they're 00:02:10.909 --> 00:02:14.210 to point you to a clear way of moving forward 00:02:14.210 --> 00:02:17.509 and so just telling you say hey neighbor just 00:02:17.509 --> 00:02:28.699 survive some of this truth So Paul starts off 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:36.199 he says and you were dead in trespasses and sins 00:02:36.199 --> 00:02:40.860 key here word here is were and If you skip the 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:46.080 word you'll find yourself Confused but Paul is 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.419 letting you know from the jumpstreet. This is 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:54.180 how you were You were once dead in trespasses 00:02:54.180 --> 00:02:57.080 and sin. What does he mean by dead that you? 00:02:57.150 --> 00:03:03.610 We're not alive to what is right. That you were 00:03:03.610 --> 00:03:08.629 not aware of what was good. That you were dead. 00:03:08.789 --> 00:03:12.550 You were separated from that which was good. 00:03:13.110 --> 00:03:16.849 You had no, you could not recognize good if it 00:03:16.849 --> 00:03:20.050 was standing in front of you. That you had this 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:25.099 present condition that wouldn't allow you to 00:03:25.099 --> 00:03:28.939 see good if it was standing in front of you and 00:03:28.939 --> 00:03:32.740 labeled, this is good. You wouldn't recognize 00:03:32.740 --> 00:03:36.000 it. You couldn't discern it. You wouldn't pick 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:38.680 it out of a lineup. It was impossible. Look, 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:42.819 you never say, hey neighbor. It was impossible 00:03:42.819 --> 00:03:51.860 for you to even know what was good. That's how 00:03:51.860 --> 00:04:00.080 you were. He says, in which you once walk following 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:05.060 the course of this world, following the Prince 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:09.599 of the power of the air, the spirit that is now 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:15.340 at work in the sons of disobedience. Right? So 00:04:15.340 --> 00:04:20.139 as we continue to unpack this, Paul says, you 00:04:20.139 --> 00:04:23.300 not only did not recognize good, but you used 00:04:23.300 --> 00:04:26.579 to walk a certain way. And he's using the word 00:04:26.579 --> 00:04:29.579 walk because he wants you to realize that you 00:04:29.579 --> 00:04:35.160 had a lifestyle, a lifestyle that could not recognize 00:04:35.160 --> 00:04:39.420 good if it was in front of you. You had a lifestyle 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:43.459 that didn't even know how to please God. That 00:04:43.459 --> 00:04:46.199 it wasn't something that was, check this out, 00:04:46.699 --> 00:04:50.339 simply decision -based. It was your lifestyle. 00:04:50.949 --> 00:04:54.290 And you got to read this this way because oftentimes 00:04:54.290 --> 00:04:58.470 we return to a life of the flesh because we think 00:04:58.470 --> 00:05:03.449 God saved us to make better decisions. And so 00:05:03.449 --> 00:05:06.149 now that I'm smart enough to make better decisions, 00:05:06.389 --> 00:05:10.649 I now put down my spiritual walk and pick up 00:05:10.649 --> 00:05:14.509 a life of the flesh because I think, I think 00:05:14.509 --> 00:05:19.089 that God saved me to make better decisions. That's 00:05:19.089 --> 00:05:22.329 not the totality of it. What Paul is letting 00:05:22.329 --> 00:05:26.930 you know is, no, God saved you from a lifestyle 00:05:26.930 --> 00:05:31.389 that you were trapped in. And it's important 00:05:31.389 --> 00:05:33.670 for you to realize that you were trapped in the 00:05:33.670 --> 00:05:38.930 lifestyle. That you were, you had no way of even 00:05:38.930 --> 00:05:42.550 recognizing good. That you were entrapped, you 00:05:42.550 --> 00:05:47.069 were. Dead in sin separated from God and no good 00:05:47.069 --> 00:05:50.430 decision could get you to even see God clearly 00:05:50.430 --> 00:05:55.350 that you and me were dead in sin that we were 00:05:55.350 --> 00:05:59.750 uh We had a nature that wouldn't allow us to 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:03.670 even see good. Say hey neighbor You wasn't even 00:06:03.670 --> 00:06:14.769 on the block of good I like to say it like this, 00:06:15.129 --> 00:06:16.850 it's important for you to see that you were buried. 00:06:16.850 --> 00:06:20.050 Look at me say, hey neighbor, you were buried 00:06:20.050 --> 00:06:28.850 in brokenness. And this brokenness wasn't, check 00:06:28.850 --> 00:06:33.750 this out, it wasn't defined simply by the decisions 00:06:33.750 --> 00:06:38.089 that you made. Your brokenness according to scripture 00:06:38.089 --> 00:06:42.170 was divide was is defined by a nature. You didn't 00:06:42.170 --> 00:06:47.990 have the ability to escape That it wasn't that 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:50.649 you were making bad decisions It was that you 00:06:50.649 --> 00:06:53.069 had a nature that caused you to think the way 00:06:53.069 --> 00:06:55.750 you were thinking you had a nature that made 00:06:55.750 --> 00:06:58.560 you do the things and say the things that you 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.240 were saying, that you thought that God saved 00:07:01.240 --> 00:07:03.379 you to make better decisions. No, he snatched 00:07:03.379 --> 00:07:07.199 you from one nature and gave you a new one because 00:07:07.199 --> 00:07:10.720 the nature you had would not allow you to be 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:15.600 able to make good decisions. Why? Here we go. 00:07:15.699 --> 00:07:18.970 That's what Paul unpacks. He says, because you 00:07:18.970 --> 00:07:22.269 follow the course of this world. In other words, 00:07:22.529 --> 00:07:25.290 that me and you, it wasn't that you were simply 00:07:25.290 --> 00:07:28.290 making decisions, you were trained to make decisions. 00:07:29.509 --> 00:07:31.790 That he says follow the course of this world, 00:07:32.069 --> 00:07:34.410 you have to understand that this world has a 00:07:34.410 --> 00:07:37.889 pattern that it wants you to follow. And when 00:07:37.889 --> 00:07:40.870 you're not alive to God, you don't know how to 00:07:40.870 --> 00:07:43.819 break free of that pattern. And so by nature, 00:07:43.980 --> 00:07:46.860 you follow the pattern set before you. And so 00:07:46.860 --> 00:07:50.000 you were in this life, not because you chose 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.680 it, but because you don't even know what else 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:57.000 to choose. You didn't have the ability to discern 00:07:57.000 --> 00:07:59.939 anything different other than what was already 00:07:59.939 --> 00:08:06.720 told to you. Y 'all rocking with me. And he says 00:08:06.720 --> 00:08:09.259 check this out you were following the prince 00:08:09.259 --> 00:08:13.839 of the power of the air in other words that there 00:08:13.839 --> 00:08:18.639 are things that are floating in the air and there 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:23.600 is a Principality that it rules the air his name 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:27.040 is Satan and So what he does is is he throws 00:08:27.040 --> 00:08:31.480 suggestions in the air? and then what happens 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:35.600 is we hear these things and because we have no 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:38.580 recognition or reckon, we cannot discern what 00:08:38.580 --> 00:08:45.860 is good, you follow the air. What does that sound 00:08:45.860 --> 00:08:51.580 like? This is just what I feel like doing. This 00:08:51.580 --> 00:08:56.019 is, my heart is drawing me that way. These are 00:08:56.019 --> 00:09:04.210 all, look at them say, things. full of air and 00:09:04.210 --> 00:09:06.690 he's wanting you to realize that you didn't have 00:09:06.690 --> 00:09:09.110 a choice because you couldn't even recognize 00:09:09.110 --> 00:09:12.909 good so if i can't recognize good or i can't 00:09:12.909 --> 00:09:16.529 discern what's god then i am subject to whatever 00:09:16.529 --> 00:09:20.529 is floating in the air not only am i subject 00:09:20.529 --> 00:09:23.029 to what's flowing in the air satan controls there 00:09:23.029 --> 00:09:28.889 he's the principality that governs the air Come 00:09:28.889 --> 00:09:32.330 on y 'all rock with me. I love remember this 00:09:32.330 --> 00:09:35.750 remember this it start off with were This is 00:09:35.750 --> 00:09:40.129 everything you were I See something y 'all losing 00:09:40.129 --> 00:09:44.470 it wait wait a minute pastor So because it's 00:09:44.470 --> 00:09:47.049 important for you to risk the beef I'm not gonna 00:09:47.049 --> 00:09:51.309 preach too soon He said the spirit that is what 00:09:51.309 --> 00:09:55.429 now at work in the sons of disobedience wait, 00:09:55.509 --> 00:09:58.610 hold up That is something we must wrestle with 00:09:58.610 --> 00:10:05.490 right because Paul didn't say it's gone. He just 00:10:05.490 --> 00:10:13.129 said it moved So you and me I'm assuming that 00:10:13.129 --> 00:10:17.549 you're saved like I'm safe we were once subject 00:10:17.549 --> 00:10:22.610 to This nature what a nature that follows what's 00:10:22.610 --> 00:10:29.990 in the air a nature that's subjected to our passions, 00:10:30.470 --> 00:10:34.230 our flesh, that we were subjected to it without 00:10:34.230 --> 00:10:37.129 the ability to even know something different 00:10:37.129 --> 00:10:42.669 to choose. And so when Christ saved us, he brought 00:10:42.669 --> 00:10:47.149 us into the light. So now both me and you, assuming 00:10:47.149 --> 00:10:52.309 that you're saved, we know, ha, that's not God. 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:57.980 This is God he wants you to know that that Recognition 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:01.759 wasn't something you worked for it was a nature 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:05.899 given to you Y 'all just rock with me that that 00:11:05.899 --> 00:11:09.899 now I have looking every say a new nature This 00:11:09.899 --> 00:11:14.200 new nature gives me the ability to actually see 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:19.279 the old nature when you were when you are subjected 00:11:19.279 --> 00:11:21.879 to the old nature, you don't even know you have 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:27.580 a bad nature. Y 'all gotta rock with me. This 00:11:27.580 --> 00:11:29.919 is gonna help y 'all if y 'all stick with me. 00:11:30.940 --> 00:11:38.019 And so in Christ's victory on the cross, you 00:11:38.019 --> 00:11:42.399 know what happened? Through Christ, we got the 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:47.200 victory over that power that exists, but it's 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:50.139 important for us to realize that the power still 00:11:50.139 --> 00:11:54.000 does exist. It exists in the sons of disobedience. 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:56.379 Well, who are the sons of disobedience? Those 00:11:56.379 --> 00:11:59.759 are the people. Check this out. It's not behavior 00:11:59.759 --> 00:12:02.720 based. These are the people who are denying Christ. 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:08.000 Because you got to remember by grace you were 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.980 saved so behavior didn't get you in and behavior 00:12:10.980 --> 00:12:13.179 can't kick you out We talked about that last 00:12:13.179 --> 00:12:16.039 week that you are sealed right and so he's saying 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:18.779 listen you you got to realize what's happening 00:12:18.779 --> 00:12:24.080 around you that there are sons of disobedience 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:32.799 they by nature can't do right and You can talk 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:43.070 yo behind off But they are by nature at odds 00:12:43.070 --> 00:12:47.850 with God You are trying to get them to make different 00:12:47.850 --> 00:12:52.210 decisions When you have to realize the decisions 00:12:52.210 --> 00:12:55.809 they are making are shaped by a nature. They 00:12:55.809 --> 00:13:00.850 haven't been saved from You can recognize that 00:13:00.850 --> 00:13:04.580 they are submerged, submitted to, and buried 00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:07.720 in it because you have a new nature that can 00:13:07.720 --> 00:13:14.240 now discern what is godly. I'm saying this because 00:13:14.240 --> 00:13:17.379 we have to realize many of us have stopped being 00:13:17.379 --> 00:13:20.120 passionate about seeing people saved. You want 00:13:20.120 --> 00:13:22.240 to know why we stop being passionate about it? 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:24.740 Because we've numbed the truth of what this is 00:13:24.740 --> 00:13:27.879 saying. And we simply think that God saved us 00:13:27.879 --> 00:13:30.700 to make better decisions. No, he snatched you 00:13:30.700 --> 00:13:33.919 from one nature to a new nature so that you can 00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:36.879 discern what is good. Because if he didn't switch 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.159 your nature, you would still be doing what you 00:13:40.159 --> 00:13:42.860 were doing. And so you keep thinking that you 00:13:42.860 --> 00:13:45.600 can talk people out of what they're doing. You 00:13:45.600 --> 00:13:48.740 can't talk them. You got to minister salvation. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:52.059 Because as long as they are unsaved, they can't 00:13:52.059 --> 00:13:54.672 even do what's good. Why? Because they can't 00:13:54.669 --> 00:13:57.250 See what's good. And you were once like that 00:13:57.250 --> 00:14:00.269 too. You weren't just doing bad things. You were 00:14:00.269 --> 00:14:03.830 submerged in a lifestyle. You had a nature that 00:14:03.830 --> 00:14:06.350 didn't even, if it was good in front of you, 00:14:06.370 --> 00:14:09.129 you wouldn't pick it. Why? Because all you had 00:14:09.129 --> 00:14:12.129 was flesh. All you had was your passion. All 00:14:12.129 --> 00:14:14.789 you had was your feelings. There was no spirit 00:14:14.789 --> 00:14:17.750 on the inside of you was saying, no, crucify 00:14:17.750 --> 00:14:21.110 that flesh. Crucify that passion. Crucify that 00:14:21.110 --> 00:14:22.850 feeling. That feeling don't line up with the 00:14:22.850 --> 00:14:26.679 word of God. You didn't have that. You now have 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:29.379 that. And so it's important for us to see this 00:14:29.379 --> 00:14:32.279 because it'll get us stirred up again about actually 00:14:32.279 --> 00:14:35.440 saving souls. Because how could you expect your 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.259 whole family to change if all of them remain 00:14:38.259 --> 00:14:43.899 sons of disobedience? I want my family to be 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:47.379 better. Well, it starts by going on a soul winning 00:14:47.379 --> 00:14:55.059 crusade. You keep fighting flesh and blood when 00:14:55.059 --> 00:14:57.620 you already been told we don't even fight flesh 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:01.240 and blood like that is useless We fight spiritual 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:04.360 warfare. What are you warring over? I'm warring 00:15:04.360 --> 00:15:07.620 over your soul Salvation because until you were 00:15:07.620 --> 00:15:09.480 saved you won't not only will you not be able 00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:11.379 to pick was good But you can't even stay good. 00:15:11.379 --> 00:15:13.519 You don't even know what's good I could be talking 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:15.080 good and you don't even know is good talking 00:15:15.080 --> 00:15:21.700 to you We have to realize the actual plight of 00:15:21.700 --> 00:15:25.820 an unsaved person. And so that we can understand 00:15:25.820 --> 00:15:31.700 the glory of a saved one. Because until I decide 00:15:31.700 --> 00:15:35.480 to realize the actual nature of a broken person, 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:39.200 I don't appreciate the salvation I actually have. 00:15:39.629 --> 00:15:43.509 Think as long as you think God it saved me so 00:15:43.509 --> 00:15:46.009 I can make better decisions You were dumbing 00:15:46.009 --> 00:15:48.990 down with salvation is no he changed your nature 00:15:48.990 --> 00:15:52.250 So you can begin to recognize that was good that 00:15:52.250 --> 00:15:55.230 you can recognize that which is golly that without 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:57.710 salvation You didn't know good. You didn't know 00:15:57.710 --> 00:16:00.370 golly. You didn't know right from wrong. You 00:16:00.370 --> 00:16:11.659 ain't know nothing You were dead and sin Thank 00:16:11.659 --> 00:16:20.419 you You are under control of the prince of the 00:16:20.419 --> 00:16:29.879 air Look at yourself you were He says among whom 00:16:29.879 --> 00:16:35.960 we all once lived in the passions of our flesh 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.850 carrying out the desires of the body and the 00:16:39.850 --> 00:16:45.710 mind and we were by nature children of wrath 00:16:45.710 --> 00:16:52.590 like the rest of mankind look at him say you 00:16:52.590 --> 00:16:59.029 was naughty by nature had to do it had to do 00:16:59.029 --> 00:17:09.789 I normally say that for second service but And 00:17:09.789 --> 00:17:25.710 so Jesus, God, in his rich mercy, decided to 00:17:25.710 --> 00:17:35.930 snatch you out of the wrath, the lifestyle, the 00:17:35.930 --> 00:17:40.359 nature. That had nothing but death as an end 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:45.799 and Give you a new nature that now has eternal 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:52.859 life as the reward We'll hear what I'm saying 00:17:52.859 --> 00:18:00.019 His first word by God I'm teaching ahead of myself 00:18:00.019 --> 00:18:07.440 Being rich in mercy because of the great love 00:18:07.440 --> 00:18:12.480 with which he loved us, right? That God being 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:17.279 rich in mercy. It's important for us to realize 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:25.059 that mercy is when I decide not to give you the 00:18:25.059 --> 00:18:29.440 punishment you've earned. That you earned punishment. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.599 Mercy is me. deciding not to give you that in 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:38.480 which you've earned. And the Bible describes 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:43.519 God as being rich in mercy, that he's rich in 00:18:43.519 --> 00:18:48.460 the ability to move past what you've earned, 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:55.599 what you deserve. And this is why a lot of y 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:58.140 'all trying to figure out, let me just keep it 00:18:58.140 --> 00:19:05.160 moving. I wanna say this before we move on, that 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:12.019 mercy always seeks recipients. And so God is 00:19:12.019 --> 00:19:18.819 always looking for people in which he can overflow 00:19:18.819 --> 00:19:26.720 with mercy. He's always searching to find those 00:19:26.720 --> 00:19:34.279 in which he can deposit, bestow upon mercy. This 00:19:34.279 --> 00:19:36.960 will really help you understand more about you 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.420 and the life you're living, despite some of the 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:43.960 decisions you make. As you have a God who's rich 00:19:43.960 --> 00:19:48.759 in mercy, who has made it a part of his expression 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:52.940 of love to perpetually forgive what you actually 00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:58.019 have earned. You know, we were talking about 00:19:58.019 --> 00:19:59.759 I have a reason to praise and y 'all a lot of 00:19:59.759 --> 00:20:05.220 y 'all missed it just right there That God has 00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:09.160 an account that only is accessible when you are 00:20:09.160 --> 00:20:16.000 in a deficit That yes, he's gracious he has that 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:19.500 yes, he's forgiving he does that but he also 00:20:19.500 --> 00:20:24.299 has a reserved called mercy And he continues 00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:29.420 to make sure the reserve of mercy is at its full 00:20:29.420 --> 00:20:34.720 state. So he never runs dry of mercy. He's rich 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:37.559 in mercy. I think y 'all understand what's happening, 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:42.079 y 'all. That God, imagine this. Now, I'm just 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:46.240 gonna do this as a slight example, right? Imagine 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:52.329 that I'm just gonna say something right. Y 'all 00:20:52.329 --> 00:20:54.690 rock with me. Some of y 'all be looking at me 00:20:54.690 --> 00:20:55.970 funny because you're like, I don't even want 00:20:55.970 --> 00:21:03.589 it. But let's say, let's say that you had an 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:09.769 extravagant amount of wealth. Every wise financial 00:21:09.769 --> 00:21:13.789 advisor will tell you what we call having an 00:21:13.789 --> 00:21:18.470 emergency fund. They will tell you to have a 00:21:18.470 --> 00:21:21.200 maintenance fund. They would tell you that as 00:21:21.200 --> 00:21:24.339 you're accumulating riches, it's important that 00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:28.740 you put money aside just in case. Well, the thing 00:21:28.740 --> 00:21:33.380 is, when you are wealthy, you never have the 00:21:33.380 --> 00:21:36.900 thought of using the emergency fund unless there's 00:21:36.900 --> 00:21:39.180 an emergency. That's why I need some of y 'all 00:21:39.180 --> 00:21:40.440 to think, because some of y 'all think I'd be 00:21:40.440 --> 00:21:42.339 tapping in my emergency fund all the time, Pastor. 00:21:42.660 --> 00:21:47.250 But imagine that you are so wealthy, that there's 00:21:47.250 --> 00:21:51.730 no need to use the fund ever. That what you do 00:21:51.730 --> 00:21:56.430 is, as you earn, you continue to supply it. It 00:21:56.430 --> 00:22:00.109 literally has done nothing but accumulate over 00:22:00.109 --> 00:22:02.569 time. Why are you saying like this? Because we 00:22:02.569 --> 00:22:06.430 need to understand that you wouldn't use that 00:22:06.430 --> 00:22:11.410 money unless an actual emergency showed up. Otherwise, 00:22:11.609 --> 00:22:17.980 it sits there. And so when the Bible describes 00:22:17.980 --> 00:22:22.000 God as being rich in mercy God has an account 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:28.720 That is perpetually funded that cannot be depleted 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:34.700 That is available So when you have done something 00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:42.339 that deserves You to be punished he goes to the 00:22:42.339 --> 00:22:50.089 mercy account and covers the balance. That God 00:22:50.089 --> 00:22:57.390 is, look at, he's rich in mercy. Why? Because 00:22:57.390 --> 00:23:00.490 what he celebrates isn't that you make better 00:23:00.490 --> 00:23:05.309 decisions, he celebrates the nature that you 00:23:05.309 --> 00:23:18.430 now have received. He looks down and he sees 00:23:18.430 --> 00:23:27.109 you through who you are now Not by decisions 00:23:27.109 --> 00:23:31.990 but by nature There's two categories sons of 00:23:31.990 --> 00:23:37.190 wrath and sons of obedience To his sons of obedience 00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:51.369 they have access to a rich supply of mercy Boy, 00:23:51.369 --> 00:23:57.150 I got to keep moving And it says because of the 00:23:57.150 --> 00:24:05.609 great love which he loved us even when We were 00:24:05.609 --> 00:24:13.250 dead in our trespasses Made us alive together 00:24:13.250 --> 00:24:18.309 with Christ by grace you have been saved and 00:24:18.309 --> 00:24:24.690 raised us up with him, seated us with him in 00:24:24.690 --> 00:24:31.109 the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. What's the 00:24:31.109 --> 00:24:34.009 truth, Pastor Brian? Truth is, you have escaped 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:39.170 what used to define you, that what once imprisoned 00:24:39.170 --> 00:24:45.450 you no longer has authority over you, that he 00:24:45.450 --> 00:24:51.609 took you. gave you a spiritual resurrection. 00:24:52.529 --> 00:24:56.009 And although you are physically standing here, 00:24:56.289 --> 00:25:00.789 you also have residency spiritually in heaven. 00:25:01.750 --> 00:25:06.490 This new nature gives you access to what heaven 00:25:06.490 --> 00:25:11.890 has to offer. So that although you are living 00:25:11.890 --> 00:25:17.369 on earth, You have an understanding of heaven's 00:25:17.369 --> 00:25:28.950 reality. So when you got saved, you were resurrected 00:25:28.950 --> 00:25:33.970 in Christ Jesus and seated in heavenly places. 00:25:35.470 --> 00:25:39.910 What does that mean? That means now, instead 00:25:39.910 --> 00:25:43.630 of you being subject to a nature which could 00:25:43.630 --> 00:25:48.000 not recognize what was good are God you are now 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:55.309 seated with God that although I can physically 00:25:55.309 --> 00:26:00.170 see you. There is a spiritual reality that you 00:26:00.170 --> 00:26:04.069 are now seated with Christ in heavenly places. 00:26:04.430 --> 00:26:07.150 Why is that important? That's how I can connect 00:26:07.150 --> 00:26:10.589 the dot. Well, how can I now recognize what is 00:26:10.589 --> 00:26:14.269 good? I'm still here on earth. No, there's a 00:26:14.269 --> 00:26:16.829 flesh part of you that is still here, but you 00:26:16.829 --> 00:26:22.039 are spiritually. seated with Christ simultaneously. 00:26:22.339 --> 00:26:25.420 So you don't just have one reality that you're 00:26:25.420 --> 00:26:27.960 aware of. Not only do you see what's happening 00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:31.000 here on earth, but you are aware of what has 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:34.240 been finished in heaven. So as I look at earthly 00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:37.079 things, it's important for me to realize what 00:26:37.079 --> 00:26:40.519 has spiritually already been finished so I can 00:26:40.519 --> 00:26:42.920 act according to what heaven has said and not 00:26:42.920 --> 00:26:48.049 what I see. Y 'all rocking with me. Where did 00:26:48.049 --> 00:26:50.670 that thought come from? Well, you have to remind 00:26:50.670 --> 00:26:55.170 yourself you are seated in heavenly places with 00:26:55.170 --> 00:26:58.289 Christ Jesus that there's a part of you that 00:26:58.289 --> 00:27:02.089 is fully aware of what heaven has finished and 00:27:02.089 --> 00:27:04.849 that part of you is Speaking to the one that 00:27:04.849 --> 00:27:07.670 is sitting right here in front of me and looking 00:27:07.670 --> 00:27:10.529 at life saying what should I do with this? Well, 00:27:10.569 --> 00:27:18.519 if you pause for a second decide to tap into 00:27:18.519 --> 00:27:22.880 the spiritual reality concerning your identity 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:26.039 you will find out that heaven has finished everything 00:27:26.039 --> 00:27:33.500 in front of you that he made you alive to all 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:38.700 spiritual blessings in what heavenly places that 00:27:38.700 --> 00:27:44.730 although you see me physically I actually have 00:27:44.730 --> 00:27:56.170 dual citizenship. That I am simultaneously standing 00:27:56.170 --> 00:28:10.309 in Tampa, Florida while seated in heaven. Look 00:28:10.309 --> 00:28:20.930 at your neighbor say, you are He said so that 00:28:20.930 --> 00:28:25.190 in the coming ages verse 7 he might show the 00:28:25.190 --> 00:28:28.890 immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness 00:28:28.890 --> 00:28:32.430 towards us in Christ Jesus right that that that 00:28:32.430 --> 00:28:36.609 that that he did this so that he can make a display 00:28:36.609 --> 00:28:40.910 of us of what the reality looks like for someone 00:28:40.910 --> 00:28:44.549 to be alive in Christ while living on earth. 00:28:46.029 --> 00:28:48.950 Hear what he just said. He said that God wanted 00:28:48.950 --> 00:28:53.509 to make a display of what it looks like to be 00:28:53.509 --> 00:28:56.990 alive to Christ while living on earth. He wanted 00:28:56.990 --> 00:28:59.849 to make it clear that there's a difference between 00:28:59.849 --> 00:29:03.130 those who are alive to Christ and on earth and 00:29:03.130 --> 00:29:05.829 ones who are not alive to Christ and on earth. 00:29:06.029 --> 00:29:08.430 There is a difference. Y 'all are living on the 00:29:08.430 --> 00:29:12.170 same planet, but y 'all have two different realities. 00:29:12.509 --> 00:29:16.849 And I, God, make sure that the reality is made 00:29:16.849 --> 00:29:20.450 plain, that those who are alive to me are subject 00:29:20.450 --> 00:29:23.390 to the things that those who are dead to me are. 00:29:24.450 --> 00:29:26.710 Y 'all rocking what I'm saying. This is important 00:29:26.710 --> 00:29:29.009 that you see this. It's important that you see 00:29:29.009 --> 00:29:32.410 this because you'll understand what God is doing. 00:29:34.470 --> 00:29:40.390 And it is important that me and you represent 00:29:40.390 --> 00:29:44.069 the reality that we live from. That's why he 00:29:44.069 --> 00:29:49.180 can't leave you how he found you. Getting ahead 00:29:49.180 --> 00:29:52.740 of myself getting ahead of myself Boy, but I 00:29:52.740 --> 00:29:55.440 want to do it out God. We got to do it. We got 00:29:55.440 --> 00:29:58.579 to do it He says for by grace you have been saved 00:29:58.579 --> 00:30:00.900 through faith and it is not of your own doing 00:30:00.900 --> 00:30:04.279 it is a gift from God not the results of work 00:30:04.279 --> 00:30:08.039 so that no one could boast for Check this out 00:30:08.039 --> 00:30:11.819 for before before you are his workmanship Created 00:30:11.819 --> 00:30:15.000 in Christ Jesus for good works with God prepared 00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:17.480 beforehand that you should walk in him So what 00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:19.759 is he saying? I love to say this that you are 00:30:19.759 --> 00:30:22.680 his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for many 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:25.079 of us to truly understand that you better for 00:30:25.079 --> 00:30:28.579 you to use the term recreated look at him say 00:30:28.579 --> 00:30:38.140 neighbor you've been recreated that God at the 00:30:38.140 --> 00:30:43.180 point of salvation took everything that concerns 00:30:43.180 --> 00:30:53.259 your life put it back on the potter's wheel and 00:30:53.259 --> 00:30:58.599 created a new outcome from the same problems 00:30:58.599 --> 00:31:05.680 that he took what had happened to you and said, 00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:10.059 now, because you are a living representation 00:31:10.059 --> 00:31:13.880 of what someone alive to me looks like, I need 00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:16.720 to take what happened to you and create a new 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:20.769 outcome because you were headed for death. But 00:31:20.769 --> 00:31:24.000 now you're headed for life. He wanted you to 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:27.579 realize that this wasn't even some random plan 00:31:27.579 --> 00:31:30.920 that he actually formed you According to what 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:33.579 he had already planned before time You gotta 00:31:33.579 --> 00:31:36.259 hear what I'm saying that God already knew when 00:31:36.259 --> 00:31:39.400 he was going to switch you from a son of death 00:31:39.400 --> 00:31:42.400 to a son of life He already knew the moment He 00:31:42.400 --> 00:31:44.920 was gonna snatch you out of darkness and to his 00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:47.359 marvelous light that you didn't get saved by 00:31:47.359 --> 00:31:51.000 random You were called into salvation given a 00:31:51.000 --> 00:31:53.470 new nature and what? What he did is he took that 00:31:53.470 --> 00:31:57.289 old you, put you back on the potter's wheel, 00:31:57.730 --> 00:32:00.890 and shaped you according to the new plans he 00:32:00.890 --> 00:32:05.210 already had. And so he took the same stuff, but 00:32:05.210 --> 00:32:10.069 created a new person. Why are you saying this, 00:32:10.089 --> 00:32:11.690 Pastor Brad? Because some of us think that I 00:32:11.690 --> 00:32:14.430 got saved too late. No, you were saved right 00:32:14.430 --> 00:32:19.490 on time. Some of us think sometimes that God 00:32:19.490 --> 00:32:23.589 is being slow. No, he's not slow concerning anybody 00:32:23.589 --> 00:32:28.009 God is an on time God and I know you feel like 00:32:28.009 --> 00:32:29.789 you've been through some things that weren't 00:32:29.789 --> 00:32:32.750 do you but you got to understand he takes all 00:32:32.750 --> 00:32:56.049 of it and creates new outcomes recreated me something 00:32:56.049 --> 00:33:12.829 you got a pause right there in church we have 00:33:12.829 --> 00:33:16.730 to wrestle with this what do you mean by that 00:33:16.730 --> 00:33:20.250 pastor Brad that you have to fight with this 00:33:20.250 --> 00:33:28.980 truth You have to fight with this truth. You 00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:34.160 have to allow this truth to reconcile what you 00:33:34.160 --> 00:33:39.660 see in front of you. Because truth is, the gospel 00:33:39.660 --> 00:33:44.220 didn't simply rescue you from something. It rescued 00:33:44.220 --> 00:34:04.609 you for something. I'm gonna read these things 00:34:04.609 --> 00:34:19.130 to you. Boy, I wanna keep going. Whoo! It's good, 00:34:19.190 --> 00:34:22.429 it's so good. But I'm gonna read this to you. 00:34:22.929 --> 00:34:31.429 Because there's some simple things that God actually 00:34:31.429 --> 00:34:35.969 wants you to do with what you heard. and you 00:34:35.969 --> 00:34:39.650 can hear all this and overlook the simple thing 00:34:39.650 --> 00:34:45.269 he actually wants you to do. Y 'all wanna know 00:34:45.269 --> 00:34:46.889 what the first thing God wants us to do with 00:34:46.889 --> 00:34:51.230 what you just heard? Live with the present hope. 00:34:52.989 --> 00:34:57.849 Because why would he do all of this and ever 00:34:57.849 --> 00:35:06.280 give up on you? He wants you to take all of what 00:35:06.280 --> 00:35:11.539 you heard and not just have a living hope but 00:35:11.539 --> 00:35:18.000 to establish an eternal hope. A hope that cannot 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:22.980 fade. He wants you to take all of this and look 00:35:22.980 --> 00:35:26.780 at whatever is trying to trouble you and realize 00:35:26.780 --> 00:35:39.929 who already rescued you. He wants you to take 00:35:39.929 --> 00:35:47.130 all of this and go to war for your spiritual 00:35:47.130 --> 00:35:53.130 awakening. Because the only thing that's troubling 00:35:53.130 --> 00:35:58.110 many of us is we can't discern what God is doing. 00:35:59.130 --> 00:36:02.929 But you have to understand just because you don't 00:36:02.929 --> 00:36:05.050 discern it, it doesn't mean he stopped doing 00:36:05.050 --> 00:36:09.380 it. But it's hard to live with the present hope 00:36:09.380 --> 00:36:13.300 if I can't discern what God is doing You are 00:36:13.300 --> 00:36:17.739 alive to what he's doing. You can see what he's 00:36:17.739 --> 00:36:23.940 doing And so the first thing he wants us to do 00:36:23.940 --> 00:36:30.340 is Never to relax our hold on hope and to realize 00:36:30.340 --> 00:36:37.280 You have been declared to speak life over dead 00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:41.880 things, that there is nothing dead. It's just 00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:45.599 dormant. What's dormant of? It's dormant of its 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:49.960 spiritual awakening. He's speaking this to them 00:36:49.960 --> 00:36:53.559 so that they could prioritize their spiritual 00:36:53.559 --> 00:36:59.380 walk. Otherwise you will return to the flesh. 00:37:02.280 --> 00:37:05.940 That truth is until we commit to renewing our 00:37:05.940 --> 00:37:09.820 minds daily. We will never see his hand clearly 00:37:09.820 --> 00:37:13.380 But I need you to hear this just because you 00:37:13.380 --> 00:37:17.400 can't see his hand. It doesn't stop his hand 00:37:17.400 --> 00:37:24.760 What we are actually missing out on is praising 00:37:24.760 --> 00:37:34.690 him while it's working Romans 12 and 2 y 'all 00:37:34.690 --> 00:37:37.030 put up on the screen so you can see this and 00:37:37.030 --> 00:37:39.630 we got to do this We got to finish y 'all get 00:37:39.630 --> 00:37:45.110 ready for second service, you know And he says 00:37:45.110 --> 00:37:49.389 put up on the screen Right do not be conformed 00:37:49.389 --> 00:37:53.050 to this world Flesh, right? This is mirrors what 00:37:53.050 --> 00:37:55.889 we read earlier about how can you begin in the 00:37:55.889 --> 00:37:58.789 spirit? And I'll now try to finish in the flesh 00:37:58.789 --> 00:38:03.059 right that you were saved from that nature You 00:38:03.059 --> 00:38:06.559 were saved from having to conform to the pattern 00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:08.800 of this world. What are some of these patterns? 00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:10.639 I just want to say some stuff simply that in 00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:13.519 order to be successful you need a degree. That's 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:17.340 a pattern. It's not even true amongst people 00:38:17.340 --> 00:38:21.760 who are in the world. Now that doesn't mean that 00:38:21.760 --> 00:38:24.820 you don't get a degree if God told you to. But 00:38:24.820 --> 00:38:27.980 what it does mean is you never allow yourself 00:38:27.980 --> 00:38:31.599 to disqualify what God has decided to qualify 00:38:31.599 --> 00:38:37.119 out of his mercy You got to you what he's saying 00:38:37.119 --> 00:38:39.179 because some of y 'all was supposed to go to 00:38:39.179 --> 00:38:42.079 school you didn't But you got to remember God 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:45.840 is rich in mercy Some of y 'all what you you 00:38:45.840 --> 00:38:49.900 you were Supposed to make that move and you didn't 00:38:49.900 --> 00:38:53.940 but he's rich in mercy Some of y 'all, you did 00:38:53.940 --> 00:38:57.719 make the wrong decision, but he's rich in mercy. 00:38:57.980 --> 00:39:03.460 You have to realize that yes, many of us, not 00:39:03.460 --> 00:39:06.059 only have we made some dumb decisions, we got 00:39:06.059 --> 00:39:09.429 some dumb ones coming, but we have a God. who's 00:39:09.429 --> 00:39:13.050 rich in mercy. Why is he saying this? So that 00:39:13.050 --> 00:39:17.250 you can maintain hope despite the condition of 00:39:17.250 --> 00:39:19.989 this world. He understands better than us that 00:39:19.989 --> 00:39:22.369 we're living in two different realities. And 00:39:22.369 --> 00:39:24.710 you know that there will be times where you will 00:39:24.710 --> 00:39:33.610 turn to a thing you've been saved from. But he's 00:39:33.610 --> 00:39:45.789 rich in mercy. He already knew. We're surprised 00:39:45.789 --> 00:39:48.469 by our dumb decisions. God has already planned 00:39:48.469 --> 00:39:54.010 for them. The only person surprised by what you 00:39:54.010 --> 00:40:02.750 did is you. And when you understand the reality 00:40:02.750 --> 00:40:06.559 of what it means. to be in this world and not 00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:09.179 of this world you won't even give yourself the 00:40:09.179 --> 00:40:15.260 grace you should be giving yourself because it's 00:40:15.260 --> 00:40:20.059 not just that you make bad decisions it's that 00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:30.300 you were there was a nature i'm gonna have to 00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:37.829 do this just give me a little second Oftentimes, 00:40:38.289 --> 00:40:42.429 the emperor will do something. And the first 00:40:42.429 --> 00:40:49.889 thing we ask her is, why did you do it? Y 'all 00:40:49.889 --> 00:40:54.769 know what we're searching for? Sources that don't 00:40:54.769 --> 00:41:00.510 belong are part of your thinking. We're looking 00:41:00.510 --> 00:41:05.449 for who's that shouldn't have been involved. 00:41:06.409 --> 00:41:09.309 We're looking for places you've been that you 00:41:09.309 --> 00:41:11.449 shouldn't have been We're thinking about things 00:41:11.449 --> 00:41:14.449 you've seen that you shouldn't have watched that 00:41:14.449 --> 00:41:19.989 we're we're we're we're not Searching for her 00:41:19.989 --> 00:41:23.429 just to simply say I won't do it again No, baby 00:41:23.429 --> 00:41:26.789 girl, you got to understand you're gonna do it 00:41:26.789 --> 00:41:29.449 again if we don't disconnect the source that 00:41:29.449 --> 00:41:37.869 causes you to do it That's what he means by nature. 00:41:38.809 --> 00:41:41.710 That we know that there is always an environment 00:41:41.710 --> 00:41:46.510 that cultivates the decisions. And we try to 00:41:46.510 --> 00:41:49.869 major on the decisions and neglect the environments. 00:41:50.329 --> 00:41:53.110 And God's like, no, I understand this more than 00:41:53.110 --> 00:41:59.250 some of y 'all. So I'm rich in mercy. Because 00:41:59.250 --> 00:42:01.349 you weren't just saved to make better decisions. 00:42:02.550 --> 00:42:05.610 It takes. a holy environment to consistently 00:42:05.610 --> 00:42:09.630 make good decisions. And many of us, we're still 00:42:09.630 --> 00:42:13.469 trying to get our environments to mirror heaven. 00:42:15.570 --> 00:42:19.989 Y 'all got to talk to me. And God, who's rich 00:42:19.989 --> 00:42:22.389 in mercy, often understands what we don't even 00:42:22.389 --> 00:42:39.000 give credit to. What are you trying to say? He 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:42.860 knows how hard it is to choose that which is 00:42:42.860 --> 00:42:49.199 holy in a world that celebrates that which isn't. 00:42:57.480 --> 00:43:01.340 Why is he saying this though? So that I could 00:43:01.340 --> 00:43:05.619 continue doing wrong? No, we don't take the grace 00:43:05.619 --> 00:43:08.659 of God for vain. He's saying this so that you 00:43:08.659 --> 00:43:12.980 can maintain your eternal hope. Y 'all rocking 00:43:12.980 --> 00:43:20.340 with me, right? It says, do not be conformed 00:43:20.340 --> 00:43:25.360 to this world, but be what? Transformed by the 00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:29.460 renewal of your mind. I want you to realize that 00:43:29.460 --> 00:43:32.500 Romans 12 is mentioning the renewal of your mind. 00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:36.650 Romans, I mean, Ephesians 2. Highlighted that 00:43:36.650 --> 00:43:39.389 you were making decisions according to a dead 00:43:39.389 --> 00:43:46.050 mind Y 'all say word and So it's within the same 00:43:46.050 --> 00:43:52.369 atmosphere In which we were once doing dead things 00:43:52.369 --> 00:43:55.929 that were supposed to do living things y 'all 00:43:55.929 --> 00:44:01.889 gotta hear what I'm saying You got a new spirit 00:44:01.889 --> 00:44:08.659 you have the same mind That mind was alive during 00:44:08.659 --> 00:44:13.019 the old nature Now this mind has to be renewed 00:44:13.019 --> 00:44:18.280 to this new nature. That is a process thought 00:44:18.280 --> 00:44:31.199 by thought They say I will not allow The mind 00:44:31.199 --> 00:44:35.780 that once had me To be the same thing that now 00:44:35.780 --> 00:44:42.159 stops me that I will commit to renewing The only 00:44:42.159 --> 00:44:45.460 thing that can stop me check this not stop his 00:44:45.460 --> 00:44:48.300 hand but stop your praise while he's doing what 00:44:48.300 --> 00:44:57.199 he's doing And he says by the testing you may 00:44:57.199 --> 00:45:01.340 discern this is what I love put it back up there 00:45:06.639 --> 00:45:27.719 Here comes It's coming I believe It says that 00:45:27.719 --> 00:45:34.159 by testing you may discern what is the will of 00:45:34.159 --> 00:45:38.179 God what is good and acceptable and perfect. 00:45:41.500 --> 00:45:50.300 So, my discernment of what God's doing is connected 00:45:50.300 --> 00:45:55.079 to my mind being renewed to see what God is doing. 00:45:56.579 --> 00:46:09.219 So if I leave my mind, Does it, I would just, 00:46:09.380 --> 00:46:11.099 let's just see if we just learned something today. 00:46:12.219 --> 00:46:14.519 I'm gonna say no. If your mind can't see it, 00:46:14.679 --> 00:46:21.340 does it mean that God's not doing it? If my mind 00:46:21.340 --> 00:46:25.300 can't see it, does it hurt my hope while he's 00:46:25.300 --> 00:46:38.489 doing it? Yes. If my mind cannot discern what 00:46:38.489 --> 00:46:42.809 God is doing, the result is a hope that's hindered. 00:46:44.389 --> 00:46:50.230 I'm gonna do it again. If my mind can't discern 00:46:50.230 --> 00:46:52.289 what God is doing, does it stop him from doing 00:46:52.289 --> 00:46:59.349 it? If my mind cannot discern what God is doing, 00:46:59.750 --> 00:47:10.280 does it hurt my hope while he's doing it? Hope 00:47:10.280 --> 00:47:17.440 deferred does what? So anytime I'm hoping for 00:47:17.440 --> 00:47:22.480 something that's Extended beyond where I thought 00:47:22.480 --> 00:47:26.400 it should happen. What does it do? Y 'all got 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:30.300 listen we we at school today Hope deferred does 00:47:30.300 --> 00:47:35.840 what? So if I was hoping for something to happen 00:47:35.840 --> 00:47:39.670 in one year And it's now two years, what happens? 00:47:41.409 --> 00:47:43.429 Thank y 'all, it's right here in front of you. 00:47:44.670 --> 00:47:46.929 That if I thought breakthrough was a year from 00:47:46.929 --> 00:47:49.570 now and breakthrough hasn't came and it's two 00:47:49.570 --> 00:47:52.409 years from when I thought it was, my heart gets 00:47:52.409 --> 00:47:56.670 sick. What happens to a sick heart? Hope depletes. 00:47:57.730 --> 00:48:00.989 Well then the question then becomes, how do I 00:48:00.989 --> 00:48:05.900 make sure that my hope and my heart stay healthy 00:48:05.900 --> 00:48:08.780 while God's doing what he's doing. I have to 00:48:08.780 --> 00:48:14.159 have a mind that can see what he's doing. That 00:48:14.159 --> 00:48:19.380 as long as my mind can see what he's doing, my 00:48:19.380 --> 00:48:24.019 hope remains anchored. So then the question becomes, 00:48:24.340 --> 00:48:28.179 how do I keep my mind seeing what he's doing 00:48:28.179 --> 00:48:35.010 even while he's doing it? Is this some simple 00:48:35.010 --> 00:48:41.250 stuff? I have to commit to the thoughts that 00:48:41.250 --> 00:48:51.750 truth gives me. I have to commit to the thoughts 00:48:51.750 --> 00:48:56.130 that truth has given me because truth has the 00:48:56.130 --> 00:49:07.690 power to change your mind. My spirit is in heavenly 00:49:07.690 --> 00:49:15.210 places. I am a co Existing I have two Places 00:49:15.210 --> 00:49:18.789 in which I live. I have an earthly reality in 00:49:18.789 --> 00:49:22.429 a heavenly reality Everything concerning me is 00:49:22.429 --> 00:49:26.389 settled and done But sometimes if we're being 00:49:26.389 --> 00:49:32.409 honest we get tired Does our weariness stop God 00:49:32.409 --> 00:49:35.500 no But where does our weariness come from? Our 00:49:35.500 --> 00:49:38.840 inability to see what God is doing. But what 00:49:38.840 --> 00:49:41.559 God is doing is actually living. on the inside 00:49:41.559 --> 00:49:44.360 of us well what stops me from even attaching 00:49:44.360 --> 00:49:47.000 to what's living on the inside of me a mind that 00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:49.280 hasn't been renewed to receive what heaven is 00:49:49.280 --> 00:49:52.980 doing so how do i bridge the gap between being 00:49:52.980 --> 00:49:56.400 sick because of how long and being start praising 00:49:56.400 --> 00:49:58.599 god even though it's been longer than i thought 00:49:58.599 --> 00:50:01.340 i have a mind that can see what's happening on 00:50:01.340 --> 00:50:03.659 the inside of me well how do i start to clean 00:50:03.659 --> 00:50:07.199 my mind up i start to allow truth to change my 00:50:07.199 --> 00:50:12.460 mind that i allow Every word that god has spoken 00:50:12.460 --> 00:50:15.320 to make subject the thoughts that oppose what 00:50:15.320 --> 00:50:19.840 he said This is thought by thought and as I attack 00:50:19.840 --> 00:50:23.780 these thoughts, not only do I make satan's remind 00:50:23.780 --> 00:50:27.079 him He's under my feet, but I remind my heart 00:50:27.079 --> 00:50:38.519 that all is well I'm already way over time. So 00:50:38.519 --> 00:50:43.909 I might as well do this Did you put it back up 00:50:43.909 --> 00:50:50.210 there because I need you to see this It says 00:50:50.210 --> 00:50:56.869 that I got another one after this too. That's 00:50:56.869 --> 00:51:03.630 the problem All right, so I'm gonna go ahead 00:51:03.630 --> 00:51:07.730 go to the other we'll get back to that Jeremiah 00:51:07.730 --> 00:51:14.010 29 11 it says for I know the plans I have for 00:51:14.010 --> 00:51:21.889 you. I know. You may be unaware, but I know. 00:51:24.210 --> 00:51:30.369 Right now, you may be unaware, but he knows. 00:51:37.630 --> 00:51:42.670 There are things heaven knows about you that 00:51:42.670 --> 00:51:51.289 you can fight spiritually to see. Heaven's not 00:51:51.289 --> 00:51:54.849 trying to hide what it's doing, but you have 00:51:54.849 --> 00:52:02.190 to fight to see what it's doing. Why? Because 00:52:02.190 --> 00:52:07.750 an unrenewed mind blocks what God is doing. It 00:52:07.750 --> 00:52:10.789 can't stop. what God's doing, but it will block 00:52:10.789 --> 00:52:16.090 you from seeing what he's doing. So if I want 00:52:16.090 --> 00:52:19.909 to know what heaven is planning, I have to fight 00:52:19.909 --> 00:52:25.929 to see what it's doing. If I stop fighting, I 00:52:25.929 --> 00:52:29.949 stop seeing. Heaven doesn't stop doing, I stop 00:52:29.949 --> 00:52:36.150 seeing. But if any season I want to see what 00:52:36.150 --> 00:52:40.820 heaven is doing, Can fight to see it? How do 00:52:40.820 --> 00:52:47.820 I fight in your mind? That if I wake up in wage 00:52:47.820 --> 00:52:53.199 war against my mind as I do it I can see what 00:52:53.199 --> 00:53:03.139 heaven is planning He says for I know the plans 00:53:03.139 --> 00:53:05.559 I have for you declares the Lord plans to prosper 00:53:05.559 --> 00:53:10.170 you and not to harm you Plans to give you a hope 00:53:10.170 --> 00:53:12.630 and a future it's important that you realize 00:53:12.630 --> 00:53:16.889 this prophecy was given 70 years before it actually 00:53:16.889 --> 00:53:21.690 came true We read it as though it was something 00:53:21.690 --> 00:53:23.929 that happened the next day they sat with that 00:53:23.929 --> 00:53:38.000 for 70 years In heaven loves giving Long -term 00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:57.760 hope for difficult times So before we go further 00:54:06.349 --> 00:54:08.250 I'll probably guess is why I put on my fatigues 00:54:08.250 --> 00:54:16.989 today. The question isn't, is it finished? Oh, 00:54:17.010 --> 00:54:20.809 it's finished. The question isn't, does God have 00:54:20.809 --> 00:54:24.869 a plan? He does. The question isn't, is heaven 00:54:24.869 --> 00:54:32.429 on your side? Heaven is. But there's a grand 00:54:32.429 --> 00:54:39.920 opportunity before each one of us to see what 00:54:39.920 --> 00:54:45.800 heaven is doing. And I'm saying this because 00:54:45.800 --> 00:54:48.739 I know I'm standing in front of many people. 00:54:49.960 --> 00:54:56.280 You're fighting to maintain hope, to stay encouraged, 00:54:57.440 --> 00:55:02.519 to stay uplifting, to keep doing the right things, 00:55:02.639 --> 00:55:10.539 although you haven't seen good results. And the 00:55:10.539 --> 00:55:13.099 prince of the power of the air would love for 00:55:13.099 --> 00:55:16.159 you to just submit to one of his thoughts that 00:55:16.159 --> 00:55:23.360 it's not going to happen. It's dead. It's over. 00:55:29.840 --> 00:55:37.760 And I'm standing here with heaven saying, it's 00:55:37.760 --> 00:55:49.480 not dead. It's not done. Heaven has been working. 00:55:55.099 --> 00:55:57.960 And if you feel yourself in a moment where quitting 00:55:57.960 --> 00:56:01.780 feels like the next best thing, where compromise 00:56:01.780 --> 00:56:13.320 has been taking over. Put on your whole armor 00:56:13.320 --> 00:56:26.820 And begin to fight to see what heaven is doing 00:56:26.820 --> 00:56:36.639 You weren't designed to live without hope We 00:56:36.639 --> 00:56:41.000 were designed to live with a future and a hope 00:56:44.590 --> 00:56:48.429 You weren't designed to fight from discouragement. 00:56:48.989 --> 00:56:57.269 You were designed to live from a hope and a future. 00:57:02.210 --> 00:57:14.570 Y 'all get anything out of the word today? Father 00:57:14.570 --> 00:57:19.690 God we thank you for today. I pray that That 00:57:19.690 --> 00:57:23.989 your sheep heard your word today, I pray that 00:57:23.989 --> 00:57:33.090 they leave here Ready to step out of that dormant 00:57:33.090 --> 00:57:50.199 season And to take hold of their mind commit 00:57:50.199 --> 00:58:00.079 to seeing what you are doing. And if there's 00:58:00.079 --> 00:58:02.340 anybody here today, they're not saved. They haven't 00:58:02.340 --> 00:58:05.460 received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. 00:58:06.139 --> 00:58:08.679 We want to give the opportunity for you to do 00:58:08.679 --> 00:58:11.639 so. The Bible tells if you confess with your 00:58:11.639 --> 00:58:15.210 mouth and believe in your heart. that Jesus has 00:58:15.210 --> 00:58:19.289 died and rose again, you shall be saved. And 00:58:19.289 --> 00:58:22.030 so if that's you today and you want to be saved, 00:58:23.530 --> 00:58:27.130 as we say this prayer, just say it along with 00:58:27.130 --> 00:58:32.289 this. Father God, I thank you for your son, Jesus. 00:58:32.909 --> 00:58:38.570 I believe that he died and he rose again. And 00:58:38.570 --> 00:58:42.989 when he rose, rose of my forgiveness, he justified 00:58:42.989 --> 00:58:48.840 me. He extended mercy towards me. And I am now 00:58:48.840 --> 00:58:53.780 a son, a daughter of the King. Church, can we 00:58:53.780 --> 00:58:56.039 get up for people that said that prayer for the 00:58:56.039 --> 00:59:04.480 first time? Satan doesn't want you to fight. 00:59:04.500 --> 00:59:07.639 He wants you to just give up. And you have to 00:59:07.639 --> 00:59:16.630 realize you'll give up if you don't fight. We'll 00:59:16.630 --> 00:59:21.710 receive today's offering. I wish there was a 00:59:21.710 --> 00:59:25.570 better transition, there's not. But we do believe 00:59:25.570 --> 00:59:29.630 in cheerful givers whose heart are in their giving. 00:59:30.289 --> 00:59:33.929 And so today, as you give, do so knowing that 00:59:33.929 --> 00:59:37.030 it is something that is pleasing to God, something 00:59:37.030 --> 00:59:42.730 that God sees as honorable and something that 00:59:42.730 --> 00:59:45.139 you should be cheerful about. that God loves 00:59:45.139 --> 00:59:47.159 a cheerful giver, someone who's excited about 00:59:47.159 --> 00:59:50.800 sowing. And so as you give, give so cheerfully, 00:59:50.880 --> 00:59:57.239 amen? Y 'all understand how much I wanna keep 00:59:57.239 --> 01:00:02.679 going. Because there's, I'ma just, let me do 01:00:02.679 --> 01:00:05.079 this piece for those y 'all who ain't even gonna 01:00:05.079 --> 01:00:12.980 come back next week. Because it helps you reconcile. 01:00:13.340 --> 01:00:18.820 The fight. That when you get down to Ephesians 01:00:18.820 --> 01:00:25.579 2 and 20, Jesus begins to describe himself as 01:00:25.579 --> 01:00:29.360 the cornerstone and that there's this whole structure 01:00:29.360 --> 01:00:32.539 being built and that each one of us are being 01:00:32.539 --> 01:00:38.179 joined into a holy temple of the Lord. And what 01:00:38.179 --> 01:00:41.280 is he saying? He's saying that we are what? Living 01:00:41.280 --> 01:00:45.769 temples. And in order for you to truly understand 01:00:45.769 --> 01:00:48.110 what heaven is doing, you have to understand 01:00:48.110 --> 01:00:51.610 what a temple once represented. That a temple 01:00:51.610 --> 01:00:56.630 was the seat in which God was experienced. It 01:00:56.630 --> 01:00:59.590 was the most magnificent structure that would 01:00:59.590 --> 01:01:02.690 be in a city. That temples were set upon a hill. 01:01:02.829 --> 01:01:06.369 That temples were lavish. Temples were full of 01:01:06.369 --> 01:01:09.510 glory. That they were the epitome of excellence. 01:01:11.179 --> 01:01:14.300 And now God now says you're his living temple. 01:01:16.760 --> 01:01:21.380 You wanna know what God is doing? He's making 01:01:21.380 --> 01:01:28.380 you just as excellent as that temple once stood. 01:01:30.760 --> 01:01:34.000 And we often are trying to minimize what God 01:01:34.000 --> 01:01:38.840 is trying to maximize. That we are now his temple. 01:01:40.240 --> 01:01:43.059 living representations of what once physically 01:01:43.059 --> 01:01:48.059 stood before people. So no, God's not done with 01:01:48.059 --> 01:01:56.300 you. He has plans greater than you could imagine. 01:01:59.059 --> 01:02:10.940 But y 'all stand to your feet. Father God, I 01:02:10.940 --> 01:02:13.440 just thank you for today I pray that as your 01:02:13.440 --> 01:02:16.599 people go that they take this word and begin 01:02:16.599 --> 01:02:19.440 to wrestle with it That they allow the truth 01:02:19.440 --> 01:02:22.920 of this word to set up arguments against every 01:02:22.920 --> 01:02:25.400 thought that's trying to come against it I pray 01:02:25.400 --> 01:02:28.219 that they own who they are in you now that they 01:02:28.219 --> 01:02:30.800 realize that they are a new creation Creating 01:02:30.800 --> 01:02:33.940 Christ Jesus for good works that God is already 01:02:33.940 --> 01:02:36.960 pre -planned that he's not trying to make them 01:02:36.960 --> 01:02:40.300 holy they already are holy that he's not trying 01:02:40.300 --> 01:02:43.059 to figure things out everything is already figured 01:02:43.059 --> 01:02:46.039 out that he's not wondering they're not wondering 01:02:46.039 --> 01:02:50.340 but he has a path for them and i pray that they 01:02:50.340 --> 01:02:56.000 fight to see what you were doing look you never 01:02:56.000 --> 01:03:09.519 said i will fight to see what god is doing I 01:03:09.519 --> 01:03:12.219 love y 'all, I thank God for you guys. Now I 01:03:12.219 --> 01:03:15.519 want to Him who is able to present you from falling, 01:03:16.900 --> 01:03:19.940 to keep you from falling and to present you faultless 01:03:19.940 --> 01:03:23.599 before the presence of His glory with exceeding 01:03:23.599 --> 01:03:27.980 joy to the only wise God, our Savior. Be glory 01:03:27.980 --> 01:03:33.320 and majesty, dominion and power both now and 01:03:33.320 --> 01:03:34.659 forever. Amen.