1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,000 Good morning. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:08,000 Now you can you can applaud you can clap it's all for the Lord right. 3 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:18,000 We're going to be talking about that, maybe a little bit later in today's study but the, the names of God are powerful. Right. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:34,000 I mean in and through them there is glory and majesty anyway getting ahead of myself, but surely when you when you watch something like that and you get through it and we should be just kind of overwhelmed and undone by how great. 5 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:37,000 How great the Lord is. 6 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:53,000 Well welcome. It is Sunday and it is a day of celebration as the body of Christ comes we gather together whether you're here in this in the building or whether you're joining us online we are the body of Christ we are coming together to prove one purpose, 7 00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:01,000 and that is to worship the Lord and one accord to sit at his feet to hear his voice be filled by the spirit and be changed and transformed. 8 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:07,000 It's a lot going on on Sundays right, and we are glad to be here. Amen. Amen. 9 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:22,000 So, welcome to all of you if this is your first time here in the building or if you're joining us online for the very first time. Welcome in the name of the Lord, it is our joy as your brothers and sisters to gather together with you and sit at the Lord's feet. 10 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:31,000 So, today, you know Pastor Nathan, obviously, he's not in the building. 11 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:42,000 He tours the latter part of the week he started to to get a little ill, you know, and it's it's when you get sick nowadays it's like you have no idea what it is. 12 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:55,000 Right, so he was dealing with sore throats and, and just, just really, really bad headaches and, you know, all that congestion stuff so he not coded. 13 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:58,000 So, that's good. Good with that. 14 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:04,000 But just just kind of not able to function as he would so. 15 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:09,000 So that's why I'm here. So, sorry. 16 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:27,000 We have to, we have to delay getting back to the book of Revelation, but I'm hoping that this morning, what the Lord has for us to partake of together touches your heart, and that we leave here different than how we came in, we leave your closer to the Lord. 17 00:02:27,000 --> 00:02:44,000 My study today it has some of you who are older, you'll understand those of you who are not as old won't but the title of my study this morning is who's on first what's on second. 18 00:02:44,000 --> 00:03:04,000 So I'm hoping all of you that's, you know what I'm talking about right. For those of you who don't know that it relates to a comedy bit done by Abbott and Costello from a long time when there was television and that television only was black and white. 19 00:03:04,000 --> 00:03:26,000 But it's this bit where they're going around they're talking about baseball and, and, of course, it's it's comical because the names of the players are who what, I don't know, and whatnot right but the Costello doesn't know that, or, yeah, Costello doesn't know that so when 20 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:42,000 he asked who's on when when habits, tells him that who was on first he's like I don't know. Right. But the name of the guy is who anyway, a lot of confusion comedy ensues and, and you know it's a it's a really funny bit. 21 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:59,000 But it actually, I'll get to it during the study, but it does have a meaning for us beyond just the comedy right. It's like, it's a simple and a basic question for Christian, and that is who's on first. 22 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:12,000 It's no there's really no mystery to it, and, or at least the question as, as we would expect to hear it. And that is, who should be on first right. 23 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:31,000 Jesus himself he answered that for us. If you turn to Mark, the book of Mark, chapter 12 in Mark chapter 12. In this particular part of scripture Jesus is speaking to one of the scribes, right, he's been answering questions from the Pharisees from the 24 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:47,000 Sadducees. This one scribe comes up and he talks to him, because he recognizes that Jesus has great understanding by the answers that he's been giving the religious leaders. If you go to verse 28, the heart of what we're going to talk about is 25 00:04:47,000 --> 00:05:04,000 30 but we'll back it up to verse 28 that way you get kind of the scene, a bit more so in verse 28 it says, one of the scribes came up, and he heard them arguing, and he and recognizing that he, Jesus had answered them well, he asked him, 26 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:33,000 Jesus, what commandment is the foremost of all. Verse 29 Jesus says, and he answered, the foremost is, hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Verse 30, and you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 27 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:47,000 So, who should be on first? The Lord our God. It is so simple, so clear, and so well that's all I have for you today, God bless you, we'll see you next week. 28 00:05:47,000 --> 00:06:14,000 The applause roared, right? Nah, there's so much more there but yes, that is the answer. Jesus makes it so clear. There's no hidden meaning here. We've talked about the parables of Jesus before, you know, and there's always something to dig into in the parables to find out what it is that he's talking about, what that application is for us. 29 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:31,000 But none of that's here. It stands on its own and it's plain and simple. And that's with intent. There is to be no guessing in what is the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and your strength. 30 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:55,000 You know, I have this painting that I got many years ago and, oh boy, didn't think that through. So, I think it's on the screen, or will be on the screen, but in this painting, and if you don't, yeah, there it is. 31 00:06:55,000 --> 00:07:09,000 So, in this painting, it is a picture of the crucifixion, right? What's interesting about this painting, it was done by a gentleman named Aidan Meller. He's a local artist. 32 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:22,000 What's interesting about this is that he chose to do the crucifixion screen, and in it, the people here, he actually used the faces of people in his church congregation, right? 33 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:30,000 So, the people who are pointing at Jesus, yelling, the people who are crying, they're all people within his own congregation, right? 34 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:39,000 And there's a purpose for that, but that's not what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is here, and that is the face of Jesus, right? 35 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:57,000 In this picture, Jesus is what? He's looking back. Who's he looking back at? Yeah, you, the one who's viewing it. You know, to me, in and of itself, powerful painting when you consider that, right? 36 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:09,000 That while he was on the cross, he was focused on you, but in another way, when we talk about him being so clear and direct in the first commandment, 37 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:22,000 you know, don't you just feel the Lord doing a similar thing, right? And he's talking to the scribe, and he's telling him this, and he's telling him about how you're to love the Lord your God. 38 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:43,000 And I can almost see him doing that whole fourth wall thing, right? Looking back at me as I'm reading it, and he's reaching back through time and space, and he's telling me what the command is, what the objective is, what the goal is here, right? 39 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:59,000 Reaching out to us today, his word is alive, and when he speaks and when he spoke, he speaks to us. And so we take that, right? 40 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:21,000 The command that the Lord gave is the cornerstone to Christian living, and it's so simple and so plain, and yet we all battle with making this a reality in our lives. 41 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:31,000 And the result of having to battle and fight is that we stop living our calling as an image bearer of God. 42 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:41,000 And we begin to be consumed by the cares of this life as if they were more than just the blip in time that they are. 43 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:47,000 They consume us, our eyes, not on God. 44 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:50,000 They're on all the things. 45 00:09:50,000 --> 00:10:05,000 We become partakers of a confused life, forever moving in a meaningless circle, just like two comedians arguing over gibberish. 46 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:21,000 But as with all things in this Christian life, God is so merciful, so kind, and so loving that he not only supplies the answer, but he also gives us the weapons for our warfare. 47 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:32,000 And in learning how to live the greatest commandment to fully love the Lord, our God this morning will be looking at the tool that he has provided to do that. 48 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:37,000 So let's come together. 49 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:49,000 Let's prepare our hearts as we worship at his feet, together as the body of Christ, eyes focused on him. 50 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,000 So let's pray. 51 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,000 Father, we thank you for this morning. 52 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:54,000 We thank you that you are here. 53 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:59,000 You've promised that where two or more are gathered in your name, your Spirit is here as well. 54 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:12,000 We ask that your Spirit would fill us to overflowing, that you would reach out, God, across this globe as people are joining us online and you would fill them with the Spirit of God, just as you are filling us with the Spirit of God. 55 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:23,000 So that as we enter into a time of worship together, everything else in this life will dim, and you will become the focus. 56 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:42,000 Lord, we ask that we would be close to you, our thoughts would be of you, our hearts would be in tune to you, that as we proclaim your goodness and your greatness, as we speak the burdens of our heart and speak the joys of our heart as we speak, Lord, your greatness. 57 00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:47,000 In and through our worship this morning, that you would be glorified. 58 00:11:47,000 --> 00:12:00,000 Lord, please do that work within your people. Give us a hunger for that so that it's not ever a question as to whether or not we are going to be gathering together. 59 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,000 It's a question of when and how often. 60 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Lord, we thank you for you are in this place. 61 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,000 Lord, be glorified. 62 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,000 And it's in Jesus name we pray. 63 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,000 Amen. 64 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:19,000 For those of you who don't know, my name is Ron Love. I'm an elder here at Hosanna Christian Fellowship. 65 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:29,000 It is my joy to be with you this morning as we open up the Lord's Word and as we focus in, as I said on Mark 12, verse 30. 66 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:38,000 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength, and we're excited to see what God has provided as the weapons of our warfare. 67 00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:39,000 Amen. 68 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,000 To see how we can accomplish that. 69 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:46,000 So just again. 70 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:52,000 So it becomes fixed in your mind. 71 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:57,000 Let's read Mark 12, 30 one more time. 72 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:04,000 This time though I want to go and I want to read the translation in a version called the Amplified Bible. 73 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:15,000 The Amplified Bible if you don't know, it's a good for me it's a good secondary translation I like to go to because what it does is it tries to pick up on the nuances of certain words. 74 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:26,000 So it'll put a lot of things in parentheses, you know, showing that this word not only means son, but it also means X and it'll just incorporate it in the reading of it. 75 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:36,000 So sometimes it really can add to your understanding what it is and and it kind of does this in in Mark 12, verse 30. 76 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:50,000 So in the Amplified Bible, it reads, and you shall love the Lord your God out of and with all your whole heart and out of and with all your soul, your life. 77 00:13:50,000 --> 00:14:00,000 And out of and with all your mind with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding and out of and with all your strength. 78 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:05,000 This is the first and principal commandment. 79 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:09,000 Now that kind of leaves no room for maneuvering. 80 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:13,000 Right. All means all. 81 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:14,000 Right. 82 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,000 There's no debate there. 83 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:33,000 And, and because it's so absolute there, it kind of sounds impossible for us humans because when we try to do the the highest thing, man, we have so much frailty we have so much sin in our life that gets in the way. 84 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:41,000 And it is very difficult, very hard to to attain that perfect level. 85 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,000 And it may seem impossible to you. 86 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:51,000 It would seem impossible to you if you think that loving the Lord your God with all is like flipping on a switch. 87 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,000 It is not. 88 00:14:53,000 --> 00:15:02,000 That is not possible for us, and God in his graciousness and his love totally knows that he knows who we are. 89 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:03,000 He created us. 90 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,000 Right. 91 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:08,000 And so it's not going to be like flipping on a switch. 92 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:14,000 Just like everything has been in your Christian walk. 93 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:16,000 Things are done over time. 94 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,000 Lessons are learned. 95 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,000 One precept is upon another precept. 96 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,000 And you will learn to get there. 97 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:26,000 That's how that's sanctification. 98 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:33,000 That's how we're going to spend this life here on Earth is learning these things. 99 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:38,000 It is learned and is built on day by day, moment by moment. 100 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,000 And trust me, it is just like a muscle, a muscle that you want to develop. 101 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Right. 102 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,000 You have to exercise it. 103 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,000 If you don't exercise it, no change. 104 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:51,000 You don't grow. 105 00:15:51,000 --> 00:16:02,000 The question of whether or not we love the Lord our God for for many Christians, you know, it may seem like this topic today is kind of a waste of time. 106 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:03,000 Right. 107 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,000 It's like, of course, we love God. 108 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,000 We're here. 109 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,000 We sang the songs. 110 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,000 We gave our offerings unto God. 111 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:17,000 We're studying his word. 112 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,000 And all those actions are great. 113 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:21,000 And they're good. 114 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:22,000 And they're healthy. 115 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,000 And they're necessary. 116 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,000 But many times. 117 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:36,000 Many times these actions can be born out of feelings of obligation or an attempt to repay God. 118 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:40,000 You know, we're we're interesting creatures as humans. 119 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,000 Right. 120 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,000 We don't like chains. 121 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,000 We don't like owing something. 122 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:54,000 And so with many areas of our life, when somebody has done something for us, we kind of want to balance the scales. 123 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:59,000 And we want to get that obligation off off the books, so to speak. 124 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,000 Right. 125 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:06,000 And so we do things or we repay things thinking that that'll even things out. 126 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:07,000 Right. 127 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:13,000 But we're talking about something that's eternal, something that you could never pay for. 128 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:18,000 And that is your forgiveness of sin, your salvation. 129 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:23,000 We cannot balance the scales. 130 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:28,000 So doing these things out of that kind of obligation, it doesn't work. 131 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:40,000 And if that's our our only motivation, these things that we do, these good things that we do in and of themselves, that is not loving God wholly and completely. 132 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:49,000 They should be an outgrowth of a greater relationship with God, but they are not the relationship with God. 133 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:56,000 The debt of sin, death, can't be paid for through good works and righteous deeds. 134 00:17:56,000 --> 00:18:03,000 But doing good certainly can be evidence of a transformed life. 135 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,000 But by themselves, nothing. 136 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:09,000 They are nothing. 137 00:18:09,000 --> 00:18:15,000 No, what God paid through the gift of his son's life upon the cross is not your service. 138 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:23,000 God pay, give up his life for you so that you can be his servant. 139 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:35,000 But what was done was he created an opening of a door of salvation and communion with him for his creation. 140 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:49,000 And then this new life, this journey of learning to love God wholly and completely by partaking of the precious gift that he's given to us to do that. 141 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,000 As I said, it is a weapon of warfare. 142 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:58,000 That gift that God has given us is prayer. 143 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,000 Prayer is communion with God. 144 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,000 Getting ahead of myself, right? 145 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,000 Let me back up just a little bit. 146 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:07,000 What is prayer? 147 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:11,000 When I say prayer, what does that mean, right? 148 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Well, in its simplest form and definition, this is what prayer means. 149 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:21,000 Prayer is a wish directed toward. 150 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:24,000 Prayer is a wish directed toward. 151 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,000 That is the simplest definition of prayer. 152 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:41,000 If we were to then take that simple definition, that universal definition, and apply it to us, it could be prayer is a wish directed toward God. 153 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:42,000 Right? 154 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:46,000 And when we first come to God, that's exactly what we do. 155 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:49,000 That is exactly what we cry out to the Lord. 156 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:54,000 Oh, God, forgive and save me. 157 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:58,000 If that isn't a wish of a repentant heart, I don't know what is. 158 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,000 Right? 159 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:05,000 That is our first, first communication with God through that open door that he's created. 160 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:09,000 It is that crying out for salvation and forgiveness. 161 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 That is the first cry. 162 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:17,000 And that cry unlocks a world of relationship with God. 163 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:22,000 Sadly, many stay right there. 164 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:30,000 They treat prayer as dial a wish and God as a magician. 165 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:31,000 Right? 166 00:20:31,000 --> 00:20:36,000 Some analogies say that we treat God as the divine butler. 167 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,000 Right? 168 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,000 God, I need help with my car. 169 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,000 God, I need a new job. 170 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,000 God, I really would like to win the lottery. 171 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,000 God, I want, I need. 172 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,000 God, bring me. 173 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,000 Right? 174 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,000 And we think that that's the relationship that we have with God. 175 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,000 We think that that's what prayer is. 176 00:20:55,000 --> 00:21:00,000 We tell God all the stuff that we need and want. 177 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:06,000 And yeah, sometimes if we don't grow, that's where we stay. 178 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:09,000 But that is not what God has intended. 179 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:14,000 That's not why he created this door. 180 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,000 It's just the first call, crying out in need. 181 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:29,000 It is in that first call that we are to recognize our act of surrender and his gracious love in hearing and supplying our need for salvation. 182 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:38,000 And it's on that foundation that he is providing that we're to build a house upon. 183 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,000 Turn with me to Psalm 25. 184 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,000 Psalm 25, Psalm of David. 185 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:46,000 It's a verse that many of us know very readily. 186 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:57,000 In fact, you know, years ago in the early days of the Calvary movement, in the choruses that we used to sing, you would recognize this song. 187 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,000 Psalm 25, verse 1. 188 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:06,000 David describes this encounter of prayer, of speaking with God like this. 189 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:12,000 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 190 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,000 Unto thee, unto you, God. 191 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:19,000 I lift up my soul. 192 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:36,000 If you just stop and you just think about it, what a beautiful moment that is when prayer becomes a lifting up of my soul towards God to him to see, to see me in all my frailty, in all my humanness. 193 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:47,000 And asking for God to place his holiness upon my life, upon my soul, and to do a work with us. 194 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:53,000 All according to his power and his will. 195 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,000 I don't hold anything back. 196 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:00,000 That's the essence of what David is saying when he's saying, I lift up my soul. 197 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:02,000 It's without condition. 198 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:04,000 It's without pretense. 199 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:10,000 It is without putting on lipstick like you put lipstick on a pig, right? 200 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:14,000 It's just saying, God, here I am. 201 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:17,000 This is me. 202 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,000 Let your holiness be upon me. 203 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:27,000 See me and do what you need to do. 204 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:32,000 It's true that we're to bring our partitions to God. 205 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:40,000 I'm not saying that, you know, once you move forward in prayer, well, don't bring those things to God. 206 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,000 Don't ask for those things. 207 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,000 That's not what I'm saying. 208 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:49,000 Because we know that God delights in being his children's provision. 209 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:55,000 He tells us to bring these things to him. 210 00:23:55,000 --> 00:24:01,000 If you go to Psalm 55, Psalm 55 verse 22. 211 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:06,000 You know this verse well, many of you as well. 212 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,000 In the Amplified Bible, it says it this way. 213 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:19,000 It says, verse 22, cast your burden on the Lord, releasing the weight of it, and he will sustain you. 214 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:30,000 He will never allow the consistently righteous to be moved, made to slip, fail, or fall. 215 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,000 Cast your burden on the Lord. 216 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:34,000 Release the weight of it. 217 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,000 Speak it. 218 00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Bring it to him. 219 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:41,000 Lay down the weight of it. 220 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:44,000 That's what we do or should do when we come to God. 221 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:54,000 And we are telling him about those burdens and those true needs and things that we are experiencing or afflicted with or we need. 222 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:58,000 We're taking them to God. 223 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:05,000 We're lifting up our soul to him along with all those burdens and all those needs and all those things. 224 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,000 And we're just saying, God, this is me. 225 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:13,000 This is me right now. 226 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,000 I give it over to you. 227 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:20,000 That weight of it, I am laying down before you. 228 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:25,000 I am casting my care upon you, for you care for me. 229 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:28,000 That's perfect. 230 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:33,000 Not the same as saying, God, I need a million dollars. 231 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,000 Right? 232 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:38,000 That just exposes the covetousness of my heart. 233 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:40,000 Right? 234 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:48,000 But when I say, God, I have a true need, and I'm going to lay that down before you. 235 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000 Do you see how that honors him? 236 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Do you see how that puts him in the position of doing something about that? 237 00:25:56,000 --> 00:25:58,000 It's not just complaining. 238 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:01,000 It's saying, God, here it is. 239 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:03,000 I don't know what to do. 240 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,000 And I don't want to carry this anymore. 241 00:26:05,000 --> 00:26:11,000 And you being God, I'm going to give it to you. 242 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:17,000 That's how we should be bringing positions or our petitions to the Lord. 243 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:23,000 But we don't bring petitions to the Lord, and we don't speak to him in certain ways to make prayer. 244 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:34,000 The point of prayer being how to get things or how to persuade God to do something or how to bend him to my will. 245 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:38,000 That's not the communication God purchased. 246 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:39,000 Right? 247 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:45,000 Again, prayer is the lifting up, the exposing of our souls to him. 248 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:54,000 It is coming to him honestly, and that includes honestly naming our burdens, our cares, and our needs. 249 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:58,000 You're speaking with him. 250 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:04,000 You're interacting with him openly and intimately. 251 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:12,000 There's a book that was written many, many years ago called The Kneeling Christian. 252 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:17,000 The author is anonymous. Nobody knows who wrote this book. 253 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:23,000 But The Kneeling Christian, if you have not read it or experienced it, I highly recommend it. 254 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,000 You go find it. You can get it for free. 255 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:30,000 If you just do a search online, you can download it. 256 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:38,000 The essence of the book is really all about prayer and our position within prayer and God's position within prayer. 257 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:45,000 And yes, there are things that the author says that I might not totally agree with. 258 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:50,000 But they're the small things. They're just the very minute specific things. 259 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,000 Overall, it is a powerful and life-changing book. 260 00:27:54,000 --> 00:28:05,000 I did a class at our school of, I forget what we called it, our training school here at Hosanna like 10 years ago or something. 261 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:08,000 And we went through a good portion of that book. 262 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:13,000 And because we were talking about the gifts, we were talking about worship, 263 00:28:13,000 --> 00:28:21,000 and we were talking and getting to the point where prayer was an aspect of worship and how it affects everything. 264 00:28:21,000 --> 00:28:26,000 So if you haven't read that book, I would highly suggest go find it, The Kneeling Christian. 265 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:33,000 But today I just want to highlight this one section and read the quote to you. 266 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,000 And The Kneeling Christian puts it this way, quote, 267 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:41,000 We get to know people by talking with them. 268 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,000 We get to know God in a like manner. 269 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:58,000 The highest result of prayer is not deliverance from evil or the securing of some coveted thing, but knowledge of God. 270 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:06,000 John 17, 3 says, And this is eternal life that they would know thee. 271 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:11,000 That's Jesus speaking. And this is eternal life that they would know thee. 272 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:20,000 Yes, prayer discovers more of God, and that is the soul's greatest discovery. 273 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,000 And end quote. 274 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,000 So who is God? 275 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:28,000 Who is this person that we're speaking with? 276 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:32,000 Why are we speaking with God? 277 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:36,000 I think we all understand that in order to grow in our relationship with God, 278 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:42,000 we have we have to move beyond using prayer as simply a vehicle to ask for things. 279 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,000 It's not the extent of the communication with him. 280 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,000 But how do we do that? 281 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:53,000 Well, there's two things, two things that we really should do. 282 00:29:53,000 --> 00:30:00,000 The first is we need to have a realization of God's glory. 283 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:07,000 And two, we need to have a realization of God's grace. 284 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Now, I'm just going to pause there for a second, right? 285 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,000 Because you may you may answer back to me. 286 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:19,000 Well, we know what God's glory is and we know what his grace is. 287 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,000 Right. But that's not the word I used. 288 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:24,000 I didn't say we need to know it. 289 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:27,000 We know a lot of things. 290 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:38,000 What I said was we need a realization of his glory and we need a realization of his grace. 291 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:43,000 That is something much deeper than just knowing it. 292 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:49,000 And it's it's an action that we don't readily allow ourselves to do. 293 00:30:49,000 --> 00:31:02,000 And the reason why we don't allow ourselves to take in and truly realize the depth, the height, the length, the width of something is because when we do that, there are consequences. 294 00:31:02,000 --> 00:31:10,000 The consequences is that now you have deeper knowledge and you're going to need to do something with it. 295 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,000 And we know that. 296 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,000 And so we keep it at arm's length. 297 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:16,000 Right. 298 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:20,000 We don't necessarily always want those obligations. 299 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:23,000 Because we know we are going to have to do something with it. 300 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:25,000 That's a selfish thing within us. 301 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:42,000 That is, it is often something that leads to to sin, because if we don't have a knowledge and a realization of these two things, God's glory and God's grace, we will not know who he is. 302 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:48,000 And if you do not know who he is, how can you speak to him? 303 00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:50,000 How can you know him? 304 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:54,000 How can you be his? 305 00:31:54,000 --> 00:32:02,000 But if we know our whole lives will transform. 306 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,000 And so often we hold back. 307 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:07,000 We got to get beyond the holding back. 308 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,000 And we got to give it all up to him. 309 00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,000 So I'm going to share with you one practical way. 310 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:17,000 Practical way of learning how to do these two things. 311 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:25,000 How to come to a greater realization and knowledge of his glory and a greater realization and knowledge of his grace. 312 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 And it's really simple. 313 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:32,000 And it really starts off at the ground level of prayer. 314 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:40,000 And it's to begin by praying the names of God with thanksgiving. 315 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,000 So we started the service this morning with that countdown video. 316 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:45,000 Right. 317 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:49,000 And that countdown video, what did it show? 318 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:52,000 If you were here, what it showed was his names. 319 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:53,000 Right. 320 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,000 That's all it showed. 321 00:32:54,000 --> 00:33:00,000 Just his names listed one after another. 322 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:10,000 And I don't know about you, but certainly for me when I have something like that running in front of me, my mind is not content just to let it run. 323 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:15,000 It starts thinking about what that name actually means. 324 00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:18,000 And then it starts thinking about how it applied to me. 325 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:19,000 Right. 326 00:33:19,000 --> 00:33:25,000 When I say that, when I read that he is the Lamb of God, one of God's names is the Lamb of God. 327 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:28,000 Jesus is the Lamb of God. 328 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,000 I immediately start thinking, well, what did that mean? 329 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:35,000 And that brings to mind the fact that he was our sacrifice and he stood in our place. 330 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:37,000 What does it mean that he was our sacrifice? 331 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:38,000 It means that he was beaten. 332 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:39,000 He was bruised. 333 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,000 He was made bloody. 334 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:46,000 He suffered for us because we deserved it and he didn't. 335 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,000 And what does that mean to me? 336 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:50,000 Same thing. 337 00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,000 I did not have to suffer the cost of my sin. 338 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,000 He did it for me. 339 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:04,000 On top of that, I start thinking about who he is that did those things. 340 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,000 And who he is was the Prince of Peace. 341 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,000 He was the Almighty God. 342 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:13,000 He was the King of Glory. 343 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:19,000 There was nothing in him that was unrighteous. 344 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:20,000 He was perfect. 345 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,000 He is holy. 346 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:27,000 And then he came down to earth. 347 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:31,000 Grasp the gravity of that, right? 348 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:43,000 You are Lord God, King and Majesty of all, all powerful, and you debase yourself to be a man. 349 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:47,000 Think about that. 350 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,000 We are not in an equal position with God. 351 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:54,000 There is no measure of our difference between us and God. 352 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,000 Yes, God is here and this is the highest that you could go. 353 00:34:58,000 --> 00:35:07,000 I cannot go low enough to describe the disparity between me and a holy and a righteous God. 354 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:18,000 And so what he gave up, coming down from glory to be on my level, is incomprehensible. 355 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:32,000 And when I stop and take that realization in, realizing all of the facets of what that means when I say he is the Lamb of God, 356 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:35,000 I am undone. 357 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,000 We should be undone. 358 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,000 So that's what I'm saying. 359 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:55,000 You can take something as simple as going, like that video, going through the names of God and let your heart, your soul, 360 00:35:55,000 --> 00:36:03,000 your mind, and with all your fervent strength, meditate on those names. 361 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:16,000 And then as you meditate on all those names, just don't leave it on the level of, I am unworthy and I just, you know, this is incomprehensible. 362 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:25,000 But take the next step and give thanks to God because he didn't leave it there. 363 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:32,000 He has given you new life, forgiveness of sin, salvation. 364 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:34,000 Praise him in that prayer then. 365 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Give thanks to him. 366 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,000 So try that. 367 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:44,000 Try that type of conversation with the Lord. 368 00:36:44,000 --> 00:37:00,000 And I picked that one specifically because it takes your focus off of you and puts your focus on him. 369 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,000 If you're going, if you're thinking, well, okay, great. 370 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:03,000 Where do I get that? 371 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:06,000 I just tell you, it is the easiest thing to get. 372 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:10,000 Go online, type in names of God. 373 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:12,000 Whole list of the names God will show up. 374 00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:20,000 Print it out and start incorporating that in your prayer conversation with God. 375 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:25,000 And then offer up thanksgiving as you go through each and every name. 376 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:30,000 The end result is that you will begin to know him. 377 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,000 You're speaking his names. 378 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:42,000 You're meditating and coming to realization of what each of those names means and how that incorporates into what he's done for you in your salvation. 379 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:47,000 What that could mean rolling forward in your future as you grow in him. 380 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:56,000 It puts him in the proper position of our thoughts and it causes you to give thanks in all of that. 381 00:37:56,000 --> 00:38:02,000 You begin to realize all of his wondrous works, his glory. 382 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:13,000 And in giving thanks, you begin to realize that that is his grace at work in your life. 383 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:15,000 You know him. 384 00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,000 You worship him through thanksgiving. 385 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,000 And out of that is born love. 386 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,000 Love for him. 387 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:34,000 You cannot love someone that you do not know. 388 00:38:34,000 --> 00:38:44,000 I can't fulfill the greatest commission or the greatest commandment to love the Lord my God if I don't know who he is. 389 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,000 You have to know. 390 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:52,000 You have to come to those realizations. 391 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,000 This is one way you can do that. 392 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:57,000 One simple way. 393 00:38:57,000 --> 00:38:59,000 And I challenge you. 394 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,000 Do this. 395 00:39:01,000 --> 00:39:04,000 Begin this today. 396 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:07,000 And you will be transformed. 397 00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:21,000 Over time as you keep doing this, our depth of understanding his greatness and his glory, his magnificence and his power will grow and grow as the Spirit gives you understanding. 398 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:26,000 As you spend time with him, so the Spirit is there. 399 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:39,000 And as the Spirit is there, he will reveal more and more of who he is to you that you might have greater realization, greater understanding. 400 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:47,000 And then the love that you've begun to have for God multiplies and becomes greater and greater and greater. 401 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:55,000 And then all doesn't become so distant, does it? 402 00:39:55,000 --> 00:40:11,000 A couple of weeks ago as we've been going through the book of Revelation with Pastor Nathan, we were in Revelation chapter four, and that was the scene in heaven, you know, with the living creatures and the elders and all that before the throne of God. 403 00:40:11,000 --> 00:40:18,000 You know, if you go to Revelation chapter four, verse eight, this is what we read. 404 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:29,000 It says in verse eight, the four living creatures, each one of them having six eyes are full of eyes around and within and day and night. 405 00:40:29,000 --> 00:40:45,000 They do not cease to say, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. 406 00:40:45,000 --> 00:41:01,000 You know, the thought behind that, as we as we look at that scene in heaven and as we we see, yes, they just they just keep saying that over and over and over and over again and will for all eternity. 407 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:13,000 The thought is, is that they do this without stopping because what happens is each time they look upon the Lord, they see a new aspect of his glory and grace. 408 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:16,000 And so they cry out and bow down. 409 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:22,000 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was who is and who is to come. 410 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:24,000 And they worship. 411 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,000 And then they open up their eyes and they look back up to him. 412 00:41:27,000 --> 00:41:33,000 And they see a new aspect of his glory, his grace, his majesty, his power. 413 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,000 And all they can do is cry out again. 414 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:43,000 Holy, holy, holy are you, O Lord. 415 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:49,000 This is how it should grow within us. 416 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,000 Each time that we come before the Lord. 417 00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:56,000 Each time that we seek to have time with him in prayer. 418 00:41:56,000 --> 00:42:04,000 Each time that we do something as simple as lift up his names and give thanks for them. 419 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:07,000 The work that's being done is the spirit gives us greater understanding. 420 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:16,000 And that's just like us. Now we see a new aspect of God, a realization of his grace and his glory. 421 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:27,000 And the result is, how can we do anything else but cry out, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. 422 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:32,000 What happens when we see God's glory and grace? 423 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:42,000 If you go back to the book of Exodus in chapters 33 and 34, there is the story of Moses, obviously. 424 00:42:42,000 --> 00:42:52,000 And in this portion of scripture in Exodus, this is where Moses asked for one thing of the Lord. 425 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:59,000 What Moses asked for is he says, Lord, show me. 426 00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:06,000 I pray thee thy glory. Show me your glory. 427 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:12,000 And if you've read that portion of scripture before, you know what happened to him. 428 00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:18,000 Is God answered his prayer to see his glory. 429 00:43:18,000 --> 00:43:23,000 What he did is God took him, he put him in the cleft of a rock. 430 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:30,000 He put his hand between him and himself, between Moses and God. 431 00:43:30,000 --> 00:43:34,000 And God said, I can't let you see my glory. 432 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,000 Basically, it would burn you up. 433 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:46,000 But I'm going to pass by and you're going to see the afterglow of my glory. 434 00:43:46,000 --> 00:43:49,000 And so that's exactly what God did. 435 00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:54,000 Put him in the cleft of the rock, shielded, shielded Moses. 436 00:43:54,000 --> 00:44:01,000 He passed by and Moses was able to see that little bit, that little bit of God's glory. 437 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:07,000 And what happened? Something actually happened physically to Moses. 438 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:14,000 Moses was transformed just by that little glimpse of God's glory. 439 00:44:14,000 --> 00:44:21,000 His face, it says, shone with the glory of God. 440 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:29,000 He became radiant, physically radiant by his glory. 441 00:44:29,000 --> 00:44:31,000 And the same thing can happen to us. 442 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:37,000 I'm not saying that God is going to pass by like he did with Moses. 443 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:50,000 But what I'm saying is, is that we too, when we enter into realization of God's glory, will be transformed. 444 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:59,000 In 2 Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 5 and 6, Paul says this. 445 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:11,000 Verse 5, for we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond servants on account of Jesus. 446 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:35,000 Verse 6, for God who said, quote, light shall shine out of darkness, end quote, is the one who is shown in our hearts to give light to the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 447 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:45,000 We have come to know God's glory through his Son, his light put in our hearts. 448 00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:53,000 And as we preach Christ, his light shines in the darkness. 449 00:45:53,000 --> 00:46:00,000 As we come to know him more and more, his glory shines in and through us. 450 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:06,000 We become an image bearer of God to all. 451 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:16,000 We become transformed as we come to that greater and greater and greater realization of God's glory. 452 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:21,000 Because then that starts to shine in and through us. 453 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:27,000 It becomes evident, evident to anyone that you come across. 454 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:31,000 You know, we pray for that often, and we should. 455 00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:38,000 What we pray for is God, let people see you in me. 456 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:46,000 If they see you in me, in what I do, what I say, they will know we are different. 457 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:52,000 They will know that there is something very, very different about us. 458 00:46:52,000 --> 00:47:00,000 And we pray that even in that, we'll then be able to tell them what is different. 459 00:47:00,000 --> 00:47:03,000 That is what happens. 460 00:47:03,000 --> 00:47:08,000 And as you enter into a prayer life where you are coming to that greater realization of God, 461 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:16,000 where you are intentional in doing that, you will be transformed in that way. 462 00:47:16,000 --> 00:47:20,000 And people will see it and respond to it. 463 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:24,000 Because you are now being his image bearer. 464 00:47:24,000 --> 00:47:28,000 You are reflecting God. 465 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:32,000 And that becomes an everyday occurrence. 466 00:47:32,000 --> 00:47:42,000 The more we grow in our prayer life, the more our hearts, our souls, our minds, and strength focuses on God. 467 00:47:42,000 --> 00:47:52,000 We are transformed into a follower of Christ who knows and believes in who God is. 468 00:47:52,000 --> 00:48:00,000 And we understand how glorious and wondrous He is. 469 00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:07,000 When I say that we are transformed into a follower of Christ who knows and believes who God is, 470 00:48:07,000 --> 00:48:14,000 I've said this before and I will say it again probably a million times while I'm alive. 471 00:48:14,000 --> 00:48:26,000 And that is, if our lives truly reflected a belief, our belief, that we believe that God is who God says He is, 472 00:48:26,000 --> 00:48:32,000 our lives would be radically different. 473 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:36,000 That's what we're talking about here. 474 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:40,000 And having that level of belief that He is who He says He is, 475 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:49,000 comes from having a greater and greater and greater realization of His glory and His grace. 476 00:48:49,000 --> 00:48:52,000 And that's done through prayer. 477 00:48:52,000 --> 00:48:57,000 And through prayer, you come to know Him. 478 00:48:57,000 --> 00:49:00,000 And in knowing Him, you're able to love Him. 479 00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:03,000 Do you see how all this comes together? 480 00:49:03,000 --> 00:49:07,000 And it's no longer just about this conversation that we're having with God. 481 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:21,000 It's about growing in grace and growing in Him and our focus being aligned to Him, His purposes, His will, 482 00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:30,000 because He is the majestic one, because He is the Savior of all, because He was the sacrifice, 483 00:49:30,000 --> 00:49:38,000 because He is Almighty God, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, because He is the Creator of all, 484 00:49:38,000 --> 00:49:43,000 because He is Almighty, because He is God. 485 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,000 And I believe it. 486 00:49:45,000 --> 00:49:51,000 The very core of my being, I believe it. 487 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:53,000 He is glorious. 488 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:56,000 He is wondrous. 489 00:49:56,000 --> 00:50:01,000 We understand that the depths of His love and His grace, and because we understand who He is, 490 00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:09,000 we understand better the true cost of our salvation and His desire and power to save us all. 491 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:14,000 How glorious is the Lord! 492 00:50:14,000 --> 00:50:22,000 We put Him on first. 493 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:33,000 Before we have all this great and wonderful growth and news, there is the journey before. 494 00:50:33,000 --> 00:50:36,000 Before coming and implementing all these things, I get it. 495 00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:38,000 I'm there too. 496 00:50:38,000 --> 00:50:39,000 I struggle. 497 00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:43,000 I struggle with doing all of this, incorporating this into my daily life. 498 00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:52,000 I have to continually remind myself to be intentional in my prayers and in my seeking of greater realization 499 00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:56,000 and understanding of His glory and of His grace. 500 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:59,000 It's hard. 501 00:50:59,000 --> 00:51:05,000 And as Christians, we can war with our flesh about who is on first all day long. 502 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:12,000 We allow our lives to get caught up in the daily struggles and desires of this life. 503 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:17,000 But we've been called out of this life, right? 504 00:51:17,000 --> 00:51:19,000 Galatians 2.20. 505 00:51:19,000 --> 00:51:22,000 Many of you know that by heart. 506 00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:25,000 Galatians 2.20 says, 507 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:33,000 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. 508 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:39,000 And the life which I now live, in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, 509 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:48,000 who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 510 00:51:48,000 --> 00:51:50,000 I have new life. 511 00:51:50,000 --> 00:51:53,000 I have to keep reminding myself. 512 00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:56,000 I'm battling a dead man, right? 513 00:51:56,000 --> 00:52:01,000 He has no power except that which I give him. 514 00:52:01,000 --> 00:52:04,000 I give myself power as a dead man. 515 00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:06,000 That's dumb. 516 00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:08,000 But we do it. 517 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:10,000 We struggle with it. 518 00:52:10,000 --> 00:52:12,000 But we have to be intentional. 519 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:18,000 And we have to not give in to that because we've been crucified with Christ. 520 00:52:18,000 --> 00:52:19,000 It's over. 521 00:52:19,000 --> 00:52:21,000 It's done with. 522 00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:22,000 He has called us to move on. 523 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:29,000 As I said, He has opened up this door now to have communion, communication, 524 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:37,000 to have direct dialogue with Him, to lift up my soul to Him, 525 00:52:37,000 --> 00:52:45,000 and to be changed and transformed as I grow in a greater and greater and greater realization of His greatness, 526 00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:50,000 His glory, and the greatness of His grace. 527 00:52:50,000 --> 00:52:56,000 And I am brought to a point where I can do nothing except give thanks 528 00:52:56,000 --> 00:53:06,000 because I believe that He is all those things that His names say He is. 529 00:53:06,000 --> 00:53:14,000 I can't do anything else if I'm in that space and if I'm intentional. 530 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:19,000 And we have to be because it's what we're called to. 531 00:53:19,000 --> 00:53:26,000 It takes a daily decision to change your focus, 532 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:35,000 to focus on the life that we're called to, a life in which we're glorifiers of God. 533 00:53:35,000 --> 00:53:42,000 Prayer is the key to growing in that. 534 00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:50,000 It's what comes after putting God first, growing in prayer. 535 00:53:50,000 --> 00:53:58,000 It is what is second, and it's hard. 536 00:53:58,000 --> 00:54:04,000 This world and the enemy claw for us. 537 00:54:04,000 --> 00:54:10,000 They take the yearnings within our hearts, our burdens, our needs, our concerns, 538 00:54:10,000 --> 00:54:23,000 and they lead us to look at them, to focus on them instead of listening to truth and surrendering it all to God. 539 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:27,000 We take our eyes off of Christ. 540 00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:36,000 We no longer at that moment are speaking His names and the truth of each and every one of those names. 541 00:54:36,000 --> 00:54:38,000 We're speaking about our cares, our burdens. 542 00:54:38,000 --> 00:54:44,000 We're focused on them and the strength and power that they have. 543 00:54:44,000 --> 00:54:55,000 We make a willful decision to put off our first love and to deny the one we should seek. 544 00:54:55,000 --> 00:55:05,000 And for us who are called by His name, that has to change, and it can change today. 545 00:55:05,000 --> 00:55:08,000 You've got to seize it. I have to seize it. 546 00:55:08,000 --> 00:55:20,000 And then I've got to seize it every day because He is the all in all. 547 00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:27,000 To those of you who may be in the room or joining us online and you haven't repented of your sin 548 00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:38,000 and you haven't surrendered your life to God's mercy, His love, and the free gift of grace through Jesus shed blood, 549 00:55:38,000 --> 00:55:43,000 I guarantee that you are struggling with all these things too. 550 00:55:43,000 --> 00:55:54,000 The journey forward, it begins the same way for you that it began for those who have already been forgiven and received Christ. 551 00:55:54,000 --> 00:56:03,000 Your first step is to acknowledge who God is, His greatness and His glory. 552 00:56:03,000 --> 00:56:13,000 And then you have to realize that all the needs, all the pain, all the hurt, all your desires, 553 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:22,000 and the treasures of this world are not going to fill the true need of your heart. 554 00:56:22,000 --> 00:56:27,000 The need that your heart is crying out for. 555 00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:34,000 None of these things is what you seek. 556 00:56:34,000 --> 00:56:41,000 I want to close with a spoken word video presentation. 557 00:56:41,000 --> 00:56:46,000 Spoken word basically is poetry, right? 558 00:56:46,000 --> 00:56:54,000 But I want to set this up for you because it incorporates some of the things that we've been talking about this morning. 559 00:56:54,000 --> 00:57:02,000 What this particular poem does is that it's from the perspective of God, of Jesus. 560 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:10,000 And so when he says I in this poem, he is speaking as being God, right? 561 00:57:10,000 --> 00:57:17,000 So understand that. He's not speaking of himself as a man. He's being God in this presentation. 562 00:57:17,000 --> 00:57:26,000 And he begins this presentation of speaking of His greatness and His glory and who He is and what He's done. 563 00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:31,000 That's like the first half of this poem. 564 00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:41,000 And then the second half turns and he starts talking about us and he's talking about you in the poem. 565 00:57:41,000 --> 00:57:50,000 The things that you're going through or have gone through, the pains that you have gone through or are going through. 566 00:57:50,000 --> 00:57:55,000 Your weaknesses, your frailty. 567 00:57:55,000 --> 00:58:01,000 Discussing what you perceive as your need. 568 00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:10,000 The reason why I want to show it, it's I will admit, you know, I have weird 569 00:58:10,000 --> 00:58:14,000 tastes and things that speak to me. 570 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:23,000 Those of you who know me really well, like Will, Will Henderson on the guitar, he's actually my assistant at Living Waters. 571 00:58:23,000 --> 00:58:26,000 So he gets to hear about all my weird things, right? 572 00:58:26,000 --> 00:58:32,000 Because he has to, because he works for me. 573 00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:47,000 But as you get to know me, you kind of understand that, you know, I see a lot of myself and I see a lot of the things that people are going through in all kinds of different things. 574 00:58:47,000 --> 00:58:50,000 It could be even just a piece of music and I kind of feel that, right? 575 00:58:50,000 --> 00:58:55,000 I can feel the pain in a composition of music or whatever. 576 00:58:55,000 --> 00:59:07,000 So the reason why I want to play this is because I really believe that God has something in particular specific in the video that will speak to individuals. 577 00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:13,000 Both as those of you who have already gone through these things and you're on the other side with Christ now. 578 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:22,000 But those of you who are going through this and you are going through all this turmoil. 579 00:59:22,000 --> 00:59:27,000 And you need to know that God understands. 580 00:59:27,000 --> 00:59:39,000 So let's go ahead and play that. 581 00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:45,000 I am the might before the sword, the tremors in the spear shaft. 582 00:59:45,000 --> 00:59:54,000 I craft my ways from blazes of firestorms, absorb the failings of deadened ends to render the floors I dance upon. 583 00:59:54,000 --> 01:00:01,000 I am the spaces between applause, the roars of hearts running through heaven's halls. 584 01:00:01,000 --> 01:00:07,000 I breathe the thorns of light and silence, still the course of cosmic riots. 585 01:00:07,000 --> 01:00:15,000 I am the glory of the giants Manaslu, Sagamatha, watchmen of the Asian plains. 586 01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:23,000 They yield my name, made famous through the cries of albatross flocks, inflamed in Pacific fires. 587 01:00:23,000 --> 01:00:29,000 I am dressed in the spray of Nevada jewels, clothed in the shadows of Sahara caves. 588 01:00:29,000 --> 01:00:34,000 I am the light of lunar flames, fleshing the reins of Amazonia. 589 01:00:34,000 --> 01:00:39,000 I paint the trains of Antarctic quests, release dominion to desert panthera. 590 01:00:39,000 --> 01:00:46,000 I authorize the remains of Aztec and Inca that bloom through the visions of mountain tribes. 591 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:52,000 I ride the skylines, breathe the signs, ignite the paths of astronomy's eyes. 592 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:57,000 I am the unheard, heard in the storms that burn on my words. 593 01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:03,000 I am the yearned for, I am the word. 594 01:01:03,000 --> 01:01:09,000 I emerge deciduous from the wetlands of your cries, rise through the moments you wake. 595 01:01:09,000 --> 01:01:13,000 I bring the dawns that shake the fevers from your remembrance. 596 01:01:13,000 --> 01:01:16,000 I am here, I am imminent. 597 01:01:16,000 --> 01:01:20,000 I am he who crosses the plains through which you strayed. 598 01:01:20,000 --> 01:01:25,000 Discover the parts extinction seared, I dust away the dried remains of tears. 599 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:30,000 Drain the lakes of your regrets, I wet the wells, till the soil, 600 01:01:30,000 --> 01:01:38,000 Persate the toil, quell the rages, sew the broken pages with my belief in you. 601 01:01:38,000 --> 01:01:41,000 I bring the you you have never quite met. 602 01:01:41,000 --> 01:01:44,000 I am the desire that keeps your pillow wet. 603 01:01:44,000 --> 01:01:48,000 I am the heartbeat you seek when you chase after dreams. 604 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:52,000 In the reachings and sighs you are looking for me. 605 01:01:52,000 --> 01:01:55,000 In the body touching body it is me you seek. 606 01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:59,000 In the groans and the longings it is me you seek. 607 01:01:59,000 --> 01:02:02,000 In the yearning dream, in the need to be seen. 608 01:02:02,000 --> 01:02:06,000 In the love me, love me it is me you seek. 609 01:02:06,000 --> 01:02:10,000 In the breath drop wonders, gasping hunger. 610 01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:14,000 In the touch of a stranger that makes you feel younger. 611 01:02:14,000 --> 01:02:18,000 In the books and the fables, in the this is me labels. 612 01:02:18,000 --> 01:02:20,000 In the is this me, is this me. 613 01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:23,000 In the hear me, hear me, say my name. 614 01:02:23,000 --> 01:02:27,000 In the touch me, find me, need me, find me. 615 01:02:27,000 --> 01:02:32,000 In the aching pain, in the love, the music, the beats, the taste. 616 01:02:32,000 --> 01:02:35,000 In the heat and the need, and the need for embrace. 617 01:02:35,000 --> 01:02:39,000 In the colour, the gaze, the meaning, the desire. 618 01:02:39,000 --> 01:02:43,000 In the flame of the voice and the spirit of the fire. 619 01:02:43,000 --> 01:02:47,000 When you cry for more, my name you weep. 620 01:02:47,000 --> 01:02:50,000 I am he who waits for you to reach. 621 01:02:50,000 --> 01:02:52,000 I reach for you and wait. 622 01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:55,000 When you lie half broken and awake. 623 01:02:55,000 --> 01:02:58,000 I am the watchman of your sleep. 624 01:02:58,000 --> 01:03:05,000 I wait and wait till the shakings cease. 625 01:03:05,000 --> 01:03:08,000 I am the truth they call release. 626 01:03:08,000 --> 01:03:11,000 When the darkness flares and starts to speak. 627 01:03:11,000 --> 01:03:14,000 I sculpt the shades of daybreak. 628 01:03:14,000 --> 01:03:26,000 It is me you seek. 629 01:03:26,000 --> 01:03:31,000 It is him you seek. 630 01:03:31,000 --> 01:03:34,000 Put him first. 631 01:03:34,000 --> 01:03:38,000 Come speak with him and know him through prayer and his word. 632 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:44,000 Glorify God and let his glory shine in and through you. 633 01:03:44,000 --> 01:03:50,000 Grow in being his image bearer and a light to the world. 634 01:03:50,000 --> 01:04:04,000 In this you will have greater and growing understanding of what it is to live a life fulfilling Mark 12-30. 635 01:04:04,000 --> 01:04:16,000 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind and strength. 636 01:04:16,000 --> 01:04:23,000 If you keep him first, the rest follows. 637 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:26,000 Let's pray. 638 01:04:26,000 --> 01:04:30,000 Father, we thank you for your word. 639 01:04:30,000 --> 01:04:37,000 We thank you that you have given us the weapons of warfare. 640 01:04:37,000 --> 01:04:44,000 To fight against the world and the enemy in diverting our focus away from you. 641 01:04:44,000 --> 01:04:53,000 And we recognize God that that primary weapon that you've given us is the one that was given by you opening the door of salvation. 642 01:04:53,000 --> 01:05:00,000 The forgiveness of the covering of our sin and that is communication with you. 643 01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:02,000 Prayer. 644 01:05:02,000 --> 01:05:10,000 Spending time with you, getting to know you, understanding more and more who you are. 645 01:05:10,000 --> 01:05:15,000 Your glory, your grace, giving thanks unto you for it. 646 01:05:15,000 --> 01:05:24,000 Learning to hear your voice being filled by the spirit as we continue to grow and do this more and more and more as we are drawn closer to you. 647 01:05:24,000 --> 01:05:30,000 And as our love for you becomes complete until you come again. 648 01:05:30,000 --> 01:05:35,000 God let that be our hearts desire. 649 01:05:35,000 --> 01:05:41,000 Let us desire you more than anything. 650 01:05:41,000 --> 01:05:43,000 God speak to us. 651 01:05:43,000 --> 01:05:56,000 As we go from here Lord, let us take these seemingly easy steps that need intention and daily attention in order to fulfill them and start them. 652 01:05:56,000 --> 01:06:02,000 Let us put these things into practice God so that you are the all in all. 653 01:06:02,000 --> 01:06:09,000 And our desire is for you more than anything else. 654 01:06:09,000 --> 01:06:11,000 Thank you Lord. 655 01:06:11,000 --> 01:06:13,000 And it's in Jesus name we pray. 656 01:06:13,000 --> 01:06:42,000 Amen.