WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Consecrate – Deeper Publishing Date: 2024-03-03T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/consecrate-deeper/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.640 Father, we want to hear from you, Aba, and thank you for your presence. 00:00:13.640 --> 00:00:17.880 Thank you that you always have a plan. 00:00:17.880 --> 00:00:20.880 Thank you that you always have a purpose. 00:00:20.880 --> 00:00:29.080 So we come, Aba, as your children, sons and daughters, to hear what you have to say, but 00:00:29.080 --> 00:00:38.800 more importantly, Aba, to do what you want us to do, to become what you want us to become. 00:00:38.800 --> 00:00:43.680 Hearing is one thing, becoming and doing is another. 00:00:43.680 --> 00:00:50.760 So we don't come today to just hear. 00:00:50.760 --> 00:00:56.240 We come today to become who you want us to be. 00:00:56.240 --> 00:01:00.640 I come today to become who you want me to be. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:08.560 We come today to become and to do everything you've asked us to do. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:13.960 So thank you, in Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:13.960 --> 00:01:19.480 When we kicked off this year, Jacob started with the series, Take Your Rightful Place. 00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:21.280 You remember that? 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.080 Yeah, we spent a few weeks on that. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:28.160 Soon after that, we moved on to consecration, and it's week three. 00:01:28.160 --> 00:01:31.440 So I'm only going to continue the theme, but take a step back, okay? 00:01:31.440 --> 00:01:36.400 Before we delve right into what I have for this week, because it's all related, I want 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:40.560 to first have us take a few steps back. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.560 Think about what you've heard this year in terms of the direction the Holy Spirit is 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:47.600 placing in front of us. 00:01:47.600 --> 00:01:48.600 Take Your Rightful Place. 00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:51.200 That was the first one. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:56.400 And then we're hearing, and there is a call, and there is a pull from the Holy Spirit 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:03.080 to have you and to have me be set apart, because there are God purposes that He wants to birth 00:02:03.080 --> 00:02:04.080 in you. 00:02:04.080 --> 00:02:07.600 There are God purposes that He wants to birth in me. 00:02:07.600 --> 00:02:09.680 Last week, Jacob touched on this. 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:13.920 I don't know how many times we've read it over the last two years. 00:02:13.920 --> 00:02:16.520 I have no idea. 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:20.480 But I remember last summer talking about this. 00:02:20.480 --> 00:02:24.160 I remember us probably talking about this for the first time. 00:02:24.160 --> 00:02:26.200 And by this, I mean what's up on the screen. 00:02:26.200 --> 00:02:27.640 I'll get to that. 00:02:27.640 --> 00:02:32.000 The first time I think we started speaking about this was two years ago. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:35.320 It's been a while. 00:02:35.320 --> 00:02:37.720 And here we are again. 00:02:37.720 --> 00:02:43.760 So I want you to read this and read it for yourself. 00:02:43.760 --> 00:02:47.520 When you read it this time, here's the question that I have for you. 00:02:47.520 --> 00:02:50.560 Where do you see yourself in it? 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:54.920 Where do you see yourself in it? 00:02:54.920 --> 00:03:00.560 If this is really, if I am a part of this body, if you are part of this church, and 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:05.960 God is saying, this is the direction that I have set for you, I have to locate myself 00:03:05.960 --> 00:03:07.080 in this. 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:10.960 You have to locate yourself in this. 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:14.760 Fair enough? 00:03:14.760 --> 00:03:16.580 Fair enough? 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:18.200 You got it. 00:03:18.200 --> 00:03:21.460 Because otherwise we become passengers. 00:03:21.460 --> 00:03:26.100 Otherwise we become people who tell God, I would rather stick to my seat and I don't 00:03:26.100 --> 00:03:29.060 want to move ahead. 00:03:29.060 --> 00:03:34.180 But my goodness, man, there is much purpose that God has for us here. 00:03:34.180 --> 00:03:39.820 And when you read it this time, please, if you haven't already asked, I know you have, 00:03:39.820 --> 00:03:44.260 I know some of you have, not all of you have started asking the question, where do you 00:03:44.260 --> 00:03:45.260 fit? 00:03:45.260 --> 00:03:46.260 Where do I fit? 00:03:46.440 --> 00:03:47.440 So read it please. 00:03:47.440 --> 00:03:52.440 Here is what we believe the Father wants to do on earth. 00:03:52.440 --> 00:04:00.080 And every fiber in my body, every cell in my body believes that he wants to do this. 00:04:00.080 --> 00:04:06.040 I absolutely believe that on earth today the Father wants to do this. 00:04:06.040 --> 00:04:12.920 A purifying fire is what he wants to send from heaven that burns up religious and historical 00:04:12.920 --> 00:04:21.920 junk as the divine warrior marches, delivering young men and women from nations into the 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:27.920 kingdom, calling sons and daughters from the north, the south, the west, the east, calling 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:35.920 sons and daughters into that circle of dancing, abundance and joy before the lion and the 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:42.920 lamp, a torch bearing generation that goes forth and will not return empty. 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:46.640 Where do you find yourself in this? 00:04:46.640 --> 00:04:48.000 What's your role? 00:04:48.000 --> 00:04:54.900 Is your role to ignite others with the purifying fire? 00:04:54.900 --> 00:05:00.140 Is your role to be one among the few who first have to catch it first from the Father? 00:05:00.140 --> 00:05:04.160 Is your role to then go out and minister to young men and women? 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:06.520 Is your role to go into nations? 00:05:06.520 --> 00:05:08.680 Is your role to be in Vancouver? 00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.760 Is your role to call out sons and daughters? 00:05:11.760 --> 00:05:15.700 Is your call to set up circles of dancing and abundance and joy? 00:05:15.700 --> 00:05:18.080 What is your role? 00:05:18.080 --> 00:05:21.200 You've got to have a role. 00:05:21.200 --> 00:05:26.000 And when I say that, don't think God always has a role for me and I am limiting myself 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:27.000 to that role. 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:32.200 No, that's why I said it is a becoming that's way more important than the doing. 00:05:32.200 --> 00:05:33.600 But I have to. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:38.040 I have to start finding myself in the story. 00:05:38.040 --> 00:05:41.120 You've got to do that. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:42.800 It is important. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:45.080 And so take a minute. 00:05:45.080 --> 00:05:50.320 And if you haven't thought about it much, now is a great time to start. 00:05:50.320 --> 00:05:57.680 And if you feel like I kind of know, I kind of know where I am supposed to fit in, in 00:05:57.680 --> 00:06:00.120 this story, then that's great. 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.360 We'll dive deeper into it. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.080 You've got to locate yourself, man. 00:06:05.080 --> 00:06:06.080 You've got to do that. 00:06:06.080 --> 00:06:11.060 Because otherwise, as I said, you simply become passengers in this. 00:06:11.060 --> 00:06:17.200 And that's such a, for the lack of a better word, foolish place to be at. 00:06:17.200 --> 00:06:18.720 You don't want to be doing that. 00:06:18.720 --> 00:06:21.160 You want to catch on to what he wants to do. 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:25.000 And this he wants to do on the earth. 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:27.520 He absolutely wants this. 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:37.480 Man, even before you and I were an idea, even before we were formed in our mother's womb, 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:40.240 he had a plan. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:46.180 Every generation, every period of time in history, he has always accomplished what he 00:06:46.180 --> 00:06:47.180 wanted to. 00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:51.040 And the thing is, if I don't give myself fully to it, if you don't give yourself fully to 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:56.320 it, he'll find someone else. 00:06:56.320 --> 00:06:58.600 There's no shortage. 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:00.880 He'll always find someone else. 00:07:00.880 --> 00:07:03.640 Where can we do this? 00:07:03.640 --> 00:07:09.720 And you don't need to travel to Ireland to do this. 00:07:09.720 --> 00:07:17.760 You can travel to Ireland and do this, but you've got to find yourself in it. 00:07:17.760 --> 00:07:25.620 A purifying fire from heaven that burns up religious and historical junk. 00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:33.980 As the divine warrior marches, delivering young men and women from nations into the 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:40.020 kingdom, calling sons and daughters into that circle of dancing, abundance and joy, before 00:07:40.020 --> 00:07:46.820 the light of the lamp, a torch bearing generation that goes forth and will not return empty. 00:07:46.820 --> 00:07:51.700 Man, we should see this in our lives. 00:07:51.700 --> 00:07:57.420 We should experience what it is to see the Father say something and then see it play 00:07:57.420 --> 00:08:01.060 out right in the front of our eyes. 00:08:01.060 --> 00:08:05.980 And to know that it cannot be accomplished by one man, that it cannot be accomplished 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:11.140 by just one church, it cannot be accomplished by just a few people, that this is something 00:08:11.140 --> 00:08:16.280 that he is igniting on earth, and that if he said he will, he will do it. 00:08:16.280 --> 00:08:19.020 Can we be part of it? 00:08:19.020 --> 00:08:20.740 So that's the premise. 00:08:20.740 --> 00:08:22.380 I want us to go deeper. 00:08:22.380 --> 00:08:29.380 Yeah, I want us to go, if there is a title for today, it's consecrate yourself deeper. 00:08:29.380 --> 00:08:31.260 Deeper. 00:08:31.260 --> 00:08:34.260 I want us to go beyond the words. 00:08:34.260 --> 00:08:37.220 Words are good, but I want us to go beyond the words. 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:39.260 I want us to go beyond the idea. 00:08:39.260 --> 00:08:41.300 I want us to go beyond what we hear. 00:08:41.300 --> 00:08:48.660 I want us to experience what he wants us to see, touch, become, do, all of it. 00:08:48.660 --> 00:08:51.280 And it's absolutely possible. 00:08:51.280 --> 00:08:54.460 It's possible for every one of us sitting here. 00:08:54.460 --> 00:08:58.860 And the other thing, which I will repeat from last week or two weeks ago, is this is for 00:08:58.860 --> 00:09:00.120 all of us. 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:02.420 It's not just for a few of us. 00:09:02.420 --> 00:09:06.180 We are sons and daughters. 00:09:06.180 --> 00:09:07.180 It's for all of us. 00:09:07.180 --> 00:09:12.380 So if you want to part in it, it's yours to take. 00:09:12.380 --> 00:09:19.500 So when we say consecrate, we're not consecrating to something. 00:09:19.500 --> 00:09:23.060 We are consecrating to someone. 00:09:23.060 --> 00:09:28.460 We're not consecrating ourselves to spend time in the world. 00:09:28.460 --> 00:09:33.340 We're not consecrating ourselves to pray. 00:09:33.340 --> 00:09:35.500 Those are byproducts of what happens. 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:40.860 We are, when I say consecrate, when you think consecrate, it's always you're consecrating 00:09:40.860 --> 00:09:45.020 yourself to someone. 00:09:45.020 --> 00:09:50.420 Because otherwise you confuse between the two, which is, hey, I'm going to do this. 00:09:50.420 --> 00:09:53.780 I need to read the word more and more. 00:09:53.780 --> 00:09:55.740 Rightfully so, and you should. 00:09:55.740 --> 00:09:59.500 Otherwise you feel like I need to pray more and more. 00:09:59.500 --> 00:10:01.860 Rightfully so, and you should. 00:10:01.860 --> 00:10:06.420 But you've got to get this, which is that I am consecrating myself. 00:10:06.420 --> 00:10:08.540 I am separating myself. 00:10:08.540 --> 00:10:14.020 I am choosing to stay away from certain things because I am an Azerite. 00:10:14.020 --> 00:10:19.580 I am someone who wants to consecrate myself fully, my being, my everything, everything 00:10:19.580 --> 00:10:20.700 that I have. 00:10:20.700 --> 00:10:29.740 It is only for someone, not something, to someone and that someone is Jesus. 00:10:29.740 --> 00:10:33.100 Someone, my Jesus. 00:10:33.100 --> 00:10:35.740 He is the one I consecrate my life to. 00:10:35.740 --> 00:10:41.100 Because I'm not consecrating my life to things and Christian-ese good things. 00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:50.060 I'm consecrating my life to Jesus who died, who resurrected, who is alive and well. 00:10:50.060 --> 00:10:56.740 He who watches over me, He who watches over you, we are to consecrate our lives to Him. 00:10:56.740 --> 00:11:02.380 Otherwise, all of the stuff that we know we need to do, we focus on that way too much 00:11:02.540 --> 00:11:08.260 than the person of Jesus. 00:11:08.260 --> 00:11:12.980 So you're not consecrating to something, you're consecrating and separating yourselves to 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:13.980 someone. 00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:26.420 Here is the thing guys, genuine consecration translates to an increasing pile of trash 00:11:26.420 --> 00:11:29.460 that you've now counted as loss. 00:11:29.460 --> 00:11:30.900 Hear me out. 00:11:30.900 --> 00:11:39.380 Genuine consecration now translates to an increasing pile of trash that you've now counted 00:11:39.380 --> 00:11:42.460 as loss, as nothing. 00:11:42.460 --> 00:11:43.460 Who said that? 00:11:43.460 --> 00:11:44.460 Paul. 00:11:44.460 --> 00:11:45.460 What did he say? 00:11:45.460 --> 00:11:49.380 All of these things that I have seen, all of these things that I could have had, all 00:11:49.380 --> 00:11:55.380 of these things that I could have become, all of that I consider as cowdung, as dogdung, 00:11:55.380 --> 00:12:01.220 as nothing because I now know that Jesus and the surpassing value of knowing Jesus 00:12:01.220 --> 00:12:04.060 is greater than all of that. 00:12:04.060 --> 00:12:11.460 So genuine consecration then translates to, in your life and in my life, it translates 00:12:11.460 --> 00:12:19.100 to an increasing pile of stuff. 00:12:20.100 --> 00:12:26.300 Some good, some bad, some ugly, but an increasing pile of stuff that you're throwing on the 00:12:26.300 --> 00:12:29.340 other side of the fence and you say that's trash. 00:12:29.340 --> 00:12:32.720 I held on to it too much but this is trash. 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:37.540 This thing that I valued so much when I compare it against the person of Jesus Christ, when 00:12:37.540 --> 00:12:42.860 I compare it against who he is, then I count this as nothing. 00:12:42.860 --> 00:12:46.720 And so off you go. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:54.360 So genuine consecration absolutely translates to this heaping pile of trash that you have 00:12:54.360 --> 00:13:03.880 to find outside of your life but you still have visibility to it because it is the old. 00:13:03.880 --> 00:13:07.520 And I need you to think about it because what's the point with us going through a teaching 00:13:07.520 --> 00:13:14.340 on consecration without living it, without becoming this? 00:13:14.340 --> 00:13:17.560 It has to translate to real things. 00:13:17.560 --> 00:13:19.500 And what is it for you? 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:25.500 It's going to be different for different people. 00:13:25.500 --> 00:13:33.160 A true Christian is a trading Christian who sells more of everything to get more of Christ. 00:13:33.160 --> 00:13:41.400 A true Christian, a true follower of Christ is one who trades because he trades more of 00:13:41.400 --> 00:13:47.340 the stuff he values now as nothing to get more of Christ. 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:50.800 Are you a trading Christian? 00:13:50.800 --> 00:13:53.840 Are you a trading Christian? 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:57.860 Is your pile of trash growing? 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:03.720 Are you looking at the pile of trash and saying, Abba, I did not know one day, I did not know 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:11.640 that all of these things that I valued were to one day become trash. 00:14:11.640 --> 00:14:16.280 That one day I would just throw them away and say, I have seen Jesus. 00:14:16.280 --> 00:14:18.200 I know who he is. 00:14:18.200 --> 00:14:20.000 I want to be with him. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:21.760 I want to be his son. 00:14:21.760 --> 00:14:23.600 I want to be his daughter. 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.520 There is nothing more meaningful than that. 00:14:26.520 --> 00:14:32.140 There is nothing that compels my heart more than this cry of heaven upon my life. 00:14:32.140 --> 00:14:36.980 And for that sake, I follow just like we sang a little earlier when we said, we come to 00:14:36.980 --> 00:14:38.620 join the song. 00:14:38.620 --> 00:14:39.620 Which song? 00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:44.700 The song that was sung thousands of years before us and the song that still continues 00:14:44.700 --> 00:14:52.620 to ring, which is there has always been a people who saw the surpassing value of knowing 00:14:52.620 --> 00:14:59.620 Christ and they counted one thing after the other after the other as trash. 00:14:59.620 --> 00:15:03.100 Will you join that song? 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:09.460 See when we receive Christ, we count things as trash and we throw it on the other side 00:15:09.460 --> 00:15:11.300 and we say, here I am. 00:15:11.300 --> 00:15:12.300 Send me. 00:15:12.300 --> 00:15:13.300 Here I am. 00:15:13.300 --> 00:15:14.300 Take me. 00:15:14.300 --> 00:15:15.300 Here I am. 00:15:15.300 --> 00:15:16.300 Use me. 00:15:16.300 --> 00:15:20.140 But it's easy as you now become a Christian and you've been in the Christianese that you 00:15:20.140 --> 00:15:24.760 begin to slow down and you plateau. 00:15:24.760 --> 00:15:29.280 It's like you go up and you plateau. 00:15:29.280 --> 00:15:33.440 And that's what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do tonight with us as a people over the 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:34.840 little over the last little while. 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:35.840 This is what he's saying. 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:37.600 Come deeper. 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:38.600 Come deeper. 00:15:38.600 --> 00:15:40.320 There is stuff I want to show you. 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:41.320 Come deeper. 00:15:41.320 --> 00:15:43.800 Let me tell you what I have in store for you. 00:15:43.800 --> 00:15:44.800 Come deeper. 00:15:44.800 --> 00:15:47.520 Let me show you how you fit into this story. 00:15:47.520 --> 00:15:48.640 And here's the other thing. 00:15:48.640 --> 00:15:52.400 If you think, I don't know why I'm saying this, but why not? 00:15:52.400 --> 00:16:00.280 If you're not convinced that this is for the earth, please come talk to Jacob or me 00:16:00.280 --> 00:16:05.280 or Dawn or me, one of us or some, please come talk because let's talk. 00:16:05.280 --> 00:16:08.260 Anyway, we are headed in this direction. 00:16:08.260 --> 00:16:10.280 If you feel like, I'm not really sure about it. 00:16:10.280 --> 00:16:12.120 I think it warranties a talk. 00:16:12.120 --> 00:16:13.360 Talk about it. 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.400 It's completely okay if you feel like, I don't really know if this is true. 00:16:17.400 --> 00:16:18.920 It's fair. 00:16:18.920 --> 00:16:21.200 Please talk though. 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:23.920 Because we're all moving in a direction. 00:16:23.920 --> 00:16:29.680 You've got to think about it. 00:16:29.680 --> 00:16:36.280 So a true Christian is a trading Christian who sells more of everything to get more of 00:16:36.280 --> 00:16:42.760 Christ. 00:16:42.760 --> 00:16:49.740 So what have you counted as loss in the last two months of 2024? 00:16:49.740 --> 00:16:52.580 What have you counted as loss? 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:55.620 Since we started the series, it's been two weeks. 00:16:55.620 --> 00:17:00.020 What have you counted as loss, as trash? 00:17:00.020 --> 00:17:04.580 In the message it says dog dung. 00:17:04.580 --> 00:17:12.580 What have you counted as trash? 00:17:12.580 --> 00:17:15.140 There are things that stand in our way guys. 00:17:15.900 --> 00:17:18.740 We're wise if we see it. 00:17:18.740 --> 00:17:24.340 We're wise if we allow others to see it for us, if it's in your blind spot. 00:17:24.340 --> 00:17:27.900 But there are things that stand in the way. 00:17:27.900 --> 00:17:34.180 What is it that you're holding on to so much that you can't give it up for the sake of 00:17:34.180 --> 00:17:36.660 Christ? 00:17:36.660 --> 00:17:39.380 What is it in your life? 00:17:39.380 --> 00:17:43.840 There's always something. 00:17:43.840 --> 00:17:45.400 Is it your career? 00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.400 Is it all of the stuff that comes with it? 00:17:47.400 --> 00:17:51.600 Is it the desire to do well? 00:17:51.600 --> 00:17:52.600 You just want to do well. 00:17:52.600 --> 00:17:57.520 Even when you were a kid, you're like, I want to do well. 00:17:57.520 --> 00:17:59.000 Is it your pride? 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:03.320 Is it your ego? 00:18:03.320 --> 00:18:09.780 What is it that stops you from selling and trading more of everything so you get more 00:18:09.780 --> 00:18:11.860 of Christ? 00:18:11.860 --> 00:18:15.540 Is it your relationships? 00:18:15.540 --> 00:18:17.700 Is it people? 00:18:17.700 --> 00:18:23.400 Is it your allegiance to things that are not good anymore? 00:18:23.400 --> 00:18:31.240 What is it? 00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:33.060 Is it your personal ambition? 00:18:33.060 --> 00:18:38.900 I actually woke up one of these days hearing the word personal ambition. 00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:40.320 Is it your personal ambition? 00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:48.180 Because see guys, we live in a world where these things are so good, where these things 00:18:48.180 --> 00:18:54.000 are uploaded, where having the drive to do things, which absolutely comes from God as 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:59.400 well, but that can sometimes take over everything he has for you. 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:05.640 But you're so focused, so driven to a point where it doesn't matter what happens to the 00:19:06.140 --> 00:19:16.500 right in front of you, your eyes are closed off because you are so driven. 00:19:16.500 --> 00:19:19.680 What is it? 00:19:19.680 --> 00:19:25.300 And sometimes it's the very thing that you prayed for and you got that you've gotten 00:19:25.300 --> 00:19:28.540 hooked onto. 00:19:28.540 --> 00:19:32.300 There was a season in your life, a time in your life where you prayed for certain things. 00:19:32.300 --> 00:19:33.300 I want this. 00:19:33.300 --> 00:19:34.560 I need this. 00:19:34.560 --> 00:19:37.920 Give me this. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.900 You prayed for these very things and you have it in your hands now. 00:19:41.900 --> 00:19:44.300 You enjoy the riches of it now. 00:19:44.300 --> 00:19:54.880 But those very things have now become things that stop you from moving faster, quicker. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:20:02.860 And so if you're wise, you will think about it beyond the next hour. 00:20:02.860 --> 00:20:08.280 That's just how it works. 00:20:08.280 --> 00:20:16.300 One of the things I despise is for us to come together and for us to not reflect with the 00:20:16.300 --> 00:20:18.760 Holy Spirit. 00:20:18.760 --> 00:20:21.480 We do that with everything else. 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:25.760 You get feedback from your employer, you'll go and think about it. 00:20:25.760 --> 00:20:28.680 You get feedback from your professor, you'll go and think about it. 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:29.680 Right, son? 00:20:29.680 --> 00:20:30.680 You do. 00:20:31.680 --> 00:20:33.780 Let's think about it. 00:20:33.780 --> 00:20:38.060 You have to have, you have to know where you stand. 00:20:38.060 --> 00:20:43.740 So someone once said, beauty is the battlefield where God and Satan contend for the hearts 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:45.320 of men. 00:20:45.320 --> 00:20:55.540 Beauty is the battlefield where God and Satan contend for the hearts of men. 00:20:55.540 --> 00:20:56.900 I want to say this. 00:20:56.900 --> 00:21:05.360 The more you behold his beauty, the more you desire and will to be consecrated. 00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:07.220 Not the other way around. 00:21:07.220 --> 00:21:14.960 The more you behold his beauty, the more your desire will be to consecrate yourself more 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:19.040 and more, more and more to what God has for you. 00:21:19.040 --> 00:21:25.720 Sometimes we think that I need to consecrate myself more and more and more so that I can 00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:28.580 behold his beauty more and more. 00:21:28.580 --> 00:21:36.220 But what I'm telling you is, if you begin to see his beauty, if you begin to gaze upon 00:21:36.220 --> 00:21:43.940 his beauty, then it becomes so much more easier for you to consecrate yourself from everything 00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:51.660 that surrounds you, even the good things, as we've been calling it. 00:21:51.880 --> 00:21:58.920 Because all circumstances and all opposition, everything bow down in submission to the beauty 00:21:58.920 --> 00:22:03.120 of Christ. 00:22:03.120 --> 00:22:10.220 You can't say, well, you don't really understand my life and what I'm going through. 00:22:10.220 --> 00:22:13.240 It's not a bed of roses. 00:22:13.240 --> 00:22:15.100 Everything is not fine and easy for me. 00:22:15.100 --> 00:22:16.280 Things are difficult. 00:22:16.280 --> 00:22:17.560 It is challenging. 00:22:17.560 --> 00:22:24.380 If you knew what I'm going through, you wouldn't say what he just said. 00:22:24.380 --> 00:22:27.440 Read Psalm 27, 1-4. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:32.540 You see David at a place in life where he's surrounded by enemies. 00:22:32.540 --> 00:22:37.900 He's surrounded by people who, they just want to kill him. 00:22:37.900 --> 00:22:40.900 They want to destroy everything that he has. 00:22:40.900 --> 00:22:42.980 He's someone who is supposed to lead. 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:47.360 He's someone who thought that he's the knowing that one who is supposed to take charge of 00:22:47.360 --> 00:22:50.960 stuff as God leads him, go and do everything that God wanted him to do. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:56.080 But now he finds himself at a place in time where he is surrounded by enemies. 00:22:56.080 --> 00:23:02.620 And in Psalm 27, verse 4, here is what he says, one thing I have desired of the Lord, 00:23:02.620 --> 00:23:07.980 that will I seek that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. 00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:08.980 To what? 00:23:08.980 --> 00:23:15.740 The more you behold the beauty of the Lord and inquire in his temple, the more you behold 00:23:15.740 --> 00:23:22.980 his beauty, the easier it is for you to consecrate yourself. 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:37.660 The pull of his beauty is far more stronger than any other pull on your life. 00:23:37.660 --> 00:23:39.940 So I don't have any excuses. 00:23:39.940 --> 00:23:44.100 I cannot have any excuses to not behold his beauty. 00:23:44.100 --> 00:23:48.700 You can't have excuses to not behold his beauty. 00:23:48.700 --> 00:23:50.540 And we'll go into it. 00:23:50.540 --> 00:23:57.620 We'll make it as tangible as we can so that we can touch this and eat it and become it 00:23:57.620 --> 00:23:59.740 and do it. 00:23:59.740 --> 00:24:03.860 It's not a thing that flows above your head. 00:24:04.780 --> 00:24:09.580 Sometimes the kind of stuff that we sell ourselves out for, it's... 00:24:09.580 --> 00:24:11.540 We've... 00:24:11.540 --> 00:24:15.940 We come to join a song, man. 00:24:15.940 --> 00:24:18.940 There are many who have gone before us. 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:22.260 Many. 00:24:22.260 --> 00:24:26.780 And there will be many who will follow us. 00:24:26.780 --> 00:24:28.480 Many. 00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:32.100 And you get to be one, I get to be one. 00:24:32.100 --> 00:24:38.700 What else is more important than following him in what he wants us to do? 00:24:38.700 --> 00:24:43.700 I want to spend some time on Revelation chapter 5. 00:24:43.700 --> 00:24:48.740 Revelation chapter 5. 00:24:48.740 --> 00:24:54.940 You can go there and once you locate yourself in that passage, then just listen to me. 00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:57.940 But you can go there now. 00:25:02.100 --> 00:25:22.700 You ready? 00:25:22.700 --> 00:25:30.820 Please spend some time here in this passage because it'll open your eyes to the beauty 00:25:30.820 --> 00:25:32.140 of Jesus. 00:25:32.140 --> 00:25:42.180 So you read in Revelation chapter 5, there is one who is on the throne and in his right 00:25:42.180 --> 00:25:46.980 hand is a scroll. 00:25:46.980 --> 00:25:57.780 And John, in this vision, he sees this scroll and there is writing on it, on either side. 00:25:57.780 --> 00:26:02.960 On the inside and the outside, there is writing on it. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:12.960 And John sees it and he also sees that this scroll is sealed by seven seals. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:19.420 And there is a mighty angel who is asking this question, who is worthy to open this 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:21.060 scroll? 00:26:21.060 --> 00:26:24.020 Who is worthy to open this scroll? 00:26:24.020 --> 00:26:27.400 Who is worthy to open this scroll? 00:26:27.400 --> 00:26:34.560 And John immediately realizes that no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth is 00:26:34.560 --> 00:26:37.680 worthy to open the scroll. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:39.840 No one. 00:26:39.840 --> 00:26:44.600 But there is something about this scroll, even though John hasn't been told about it, 00:26:44.600 --> 00:26:51.000 there is something about this scroll that makes him weep. 00:26:51.000 --> 00:26:54.920 He weeps and he weeps and he weeps. 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:57.200 No one told him anything. 00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:03.080 He's seeing it, but there is an understanding of the weight of what is happening because 00:27:03.080 --> 00:27:10.680 he knows that this scroll that is in the hand of the one who is seated on the throne, it's 00:27:10.680 --> 00:27:15.120 important and someone's got to break the seal. 00:27:15.120 --> 00:27:19.520 Someone's got to open the scroll and read it. 00:27:19.520 --> 00:27:25.440 And he knows no one can and he weeps and he weeps and he weeps. 00:27:25.440 --> 00:27:29.400 And now we know this passage, but listen to this. 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:35.200 Then one of the elders said to me, do not weep, see the lion of the tribe of Judah, 00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:37.760 the root of David has triumphed. 00:27:37.760 --> 00:27:44.280 He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals. 00:27:44.280 --> 00:27:54.160 I want us to stop there and I want to redirect your attention to Jeremiah chapter 32. 00:27:54.160 --> 00:28:03.120 And if you follow with me, I pray that the Holy Spirit will open our eyes to things that 00:28:03.120 --> 00:28:09.440 we haven't seen before, to see the beauty of Christ. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:11.720 So in Jeremiah chapter 32, you don't need to read it. 00:28:11.720 --> 00:28:12.720 I'll explain it. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:14.520 I'll just go here. 00:28:14.520 --> 00:28:18.960 In Jeremiah chapter 32, Jeremiah finds himself in a prison. 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:22.520 He's in a prison. 00:28:22.760 --> 00:28:25.640 There are guards around him and he's in a prison. 00:28:25.640 --> 00:28:32.160 God has already told Jeremiah that this land, Jerusalem, is going to be attacked by the 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:34.720 Babylonians and they're going to take over. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:36.860 Jeremiah knows it already. 00:28:36.860 --> 00:28:42.440 And while he's in this prison, he hears the father speaking and it says, the Lord spoke 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:47.640 to me and the Lord said, your cousin is going to come. 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:53.920 Your cousin is going to come and he's going to tell you to buy a piece of land. 00:28:53.920 --> 00:28:55.900 But this land is going to be attacked. 00:28:55.900 --> 00:28:58.860 You just told me, Abba, that this land is going to be attacked. 00:28:58.860 --> 00:29:02.100 You just told me that the Babylonians are going to take over this land. 00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:05.400 But then God is saying, your cousin is going to come. 00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:10.120 He's going to come with you with a deed and he will tell you, can you buy this land? 00:29:10.120 --> 00:29:14.000 Because back in the day, if you're a close relative, you have the right to buy the land. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:16.680 Remember the story of Boaz? 00:29:16.680 --> 00:29:20.680 Redeemer, Ruth and her family, Boaz bought it. 00:29:20.680 --> 00:29:21.680 Why? 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:22.680 Kinsmen. 00:29:22.680 --> 00:29:23.680 Yeah? 00:29:23.680 --> 00:29:24.680 Same thing. 00:29:24.680 --> 00:29:28.640 So Jeremiah is like, okay, he's going to come and he's going to sell it. 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:29.640 Here's what it says. 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:31.880 Again, you don't need to read it. 00:29:31.880 --> 00:29:34.160 I'll just read it out loud. 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:40.600 Hanimal, son of Shalom, your uncle is going to come, your cousin, to, going to come to 00:29:40.600 --> 00:29:46.280 you and say, buy my field at Anathoth because as nearest relative, it is your right and 00:29:46.280 --> 00:29:49.760 duty to buy it. 00:29:49.760 --> 00:29:52.560 And he comes. 00:29:52.560 --> 00:29:57.560 And as soon as the cousin comes, Jeremiah, who is in the prison, he understands that 00:29:57.560 --> 00:30:00.720 the father wants him to buy the plot of land. 00:30:00.720 --> 00:30:04.520 He proceeds with buying the plot of land. 00:30:04.520 --> 00:30:09.760 He spends 17 shekels of silver to buy it. 00:30:09.760 --> 00:30:14.240 That's the worth of the land. 00:30:14.240 --> 00:30:20.080 He buys it and then he signs the deed. 00:30:20.080 --> 00:30:26.400 And back in the day in Israel, when you buy a piece of land, you have to sign the deed, 00:30:26.400 --> 00:30:29.320 but you've also got to have witnesses around you. 00:30:29.320 --> 00:30:31.120 They've got to see what happened. 00:30:31.120 --> 00:30:34.560 The transaction has to be seen by witnesses. 00:30:34.560 --> 00:30:41.560 And that piece of paper will look like stuff written, the deed in itself is on one side 00:30:41.720 --> 00:30:47.200 and on the other side is what is called as the terms and conditions that come with it. 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:53.120 All of the terms and conditions of this transaction that just happened will be on the other side. 00:30:53.120 --> 00:30:58.880 And Jeremiah does this, knowing fully well that there is an army coming, taking over 00:30:58.880 --> 00:30:59.880 Jerusalem. 00:30:59.880 --> 00:31:04.000 Here is what Jeremiah does, because he knows the faithfulness of God and he knows that 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:11.000 the father has also said, there is going to be a time when I will deliver Jerusalem. 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:18.740 When I will rebuild Jerusalem, when there will be vineyards in Jerusalem. 00:31:18.740 --> 00:31:25.740 And for that time, Jeremiah, I want you to take this deed, this title deed and put that 00:31:28.080 --> 00:31:35.080 in a clay jar and keep it safe because there is going to come a day when you can hand this 00:31:35.340 --> 00:31:40.080 over to your relative because you may not be here for that, but your close relative 00:31:40.240 --> 00:31:45.320 who has access because the terms and conditions rightly say so, that Nehemiah bought this 00:31:45.320 --> 00:31:51.240 piece of land for 17 shekels of silver and that anyone who is closely related to him 00:31:51.240 --> 00:31:57.960 can have that land be appropriated by them that is in the title, that's in the deed. 00:31:57.960 --> 00:32:02.220 I want you to save it, I want you to store it, I want you to put that away so that no 00:32:02.220 --> 00:32:06.760 one can take it because there is going to be coming a time when one will come and he'll 00:32:06.760 --> 00:32:09.440 take it and he'll appropriate the land. 00:32:10.080 --> 00:32:17.080 Revelation chapter 5, you see the scroll and the reason John is weeping is because he understands 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:25.280 in his spirit that this is the title deed for the earth, that inside it on one end, 00:32:25.280 --> 00:32:31.640 on one side are writings that no one can read, no one can read it, but inside it is written 00:32:31.640 --> 00:32:38.120 the title deed of earth, inside it is written James name, James's name, everyone's name 00:32:38.160 --> 00:32:44.520 here and on the other side are the terms and conditions that come with it, the terms and 00:32:44.520 --> 00:32:50.320 conditions that come with me being restored, you being restored, us being restored and 00:32:50.320 --> 00:32:56.520 the world being restored is all contained in this scroll and then there is a cry who 00:32:56.520 --> 00:33:03.520 can open the scroll and you begin to see the beauty of Jesus. 00:33:04.520 --> 00:33:12.520 That's where I love it how it says this, Jesus is introduced to John, he needs no introduction 00:33:12.520 --> 00:33:22.520 to John but my goodness in Patmos he saw Jesus differently, he saw Jesus very differently 00:33:24.520 --> 00:33:32.520 on that island, can you go deeper, can you go deeper, can you go deeper because there 00:33:32.520 --> 00:33:38.520 is more about him that you have not seen, please don't circling around the same things 00:33:38.520 --> 00:33:44.520 that you know about him because he is worthy, he is worthy, he is worthy and there is more 00:33:44.520 --> 00:33:51.520 to him than what you have seen and John saw it and Jesus is introduced to John as the 00:33:51.520 --> 00:33:59.520 lion of the tribe of Judah and in a second John looks to see the lion of the tribe of 00:33:59.520 --> 00:34:10.520 Judah and instead of a lion he sees a lamp, instead of a lion he sees a lamp, the beauty 00:34:10.520 --> 00:34:13.520 of Jesus. 00:34:16.520 --> 00:34:28.520 No one could open the scroll, no one could read that which is inside it, sealed by 00:34:28.520 --> 00:34:41.520 seven seals, only the one who is worthy could open it. Your life's story is in that scroll, 00:34:41.520 --> 00:34:53.520 my life's story is in that scroll, everything you are to become in his plan is in that scroll, 00:34:53.520 --> 00:35:08.520 everything I am to become is in that scroll and Jesus is the only one who could open it, 00:35:08.520 --> 00:35:17.520 he is the only one who could open it and he opened it, he opened it because he is able, 00:35:17.520 --> 00:35:27.520 why? Because Jesus, is there a sound on this one? Because Jesus, he is the ageless one, 00:35:27.520 --> 00:35:38.520 he was there before the scroll was written, he is the ageless one and he lived a life 00:35:38.520 --> 00:35:46.520 whereby he as the lamp of God was crucified on that throne, he is the king but he is also 00:35:46.520 --> 00:35:56.520 the lamp and there is no one else who is worthy to open the scroll but him and you 00:35:56.520 --> 00:36:04.520 must see the beauty of Jesus, what he has done for you, what he has done for you, you 00:36:04.520 --> 00:36:12.520 must see it because if this scroll was closed off and if no one could break open the seals, 00:36:12.520 --> 00:36:21.520 you and I will not enjoy redemption, you and I will not enjoy forgiveness, you and I will not 00:36:21.520 --> 00:36:31.520 otherwise have had the pleasure of knowing him, the pleasure of calling him Abba, the pleasure of 00:36:31.520 --> 00:36:40.520 his spirit living inside of us and flowing out as rivers of living waters, all of that was accomplished 00:36:40.520 --> 00:36:50.520 because Jesus opened the scroll because that which was on the inside, the title deed said, 00:36:50.520 --> 00:36:59.520 my blood paid for it, 17 shekels of silver that Jeremiah spent to buy that plot of land, 00:36:59.520 --> 00:37:07.520 Jesus bought me, bought you, bought this world for the price of his blood and all the terms and 00:37:07.520 --> 00:37:14.520 conditions that came with it, he satisfied, no one else could do it and I want you to look at your life 00:37:14.520 --> 00:37:26.520 and I want you to see this that there is nothing that can stop you from walking into the richness 00:37:26.520 --> 00:37:35.520 of what God has for you because Jesus opened the scroll and that is the truth, doesn't matter what your life 00:37:35.520 --> 00:37:42.520 looks like today, doesn't matter what happened to you in the past, the truth is this and it's simple, 00:37:42.520 --> 00:37:52.520 Jesus has opened the scroll, the truth is this that no enemy has any, any, any, any claim on you, over you 00:37:52.520 --> 00:38:01.520 because Jesus purchased you and when you have that deep realization inside of you, everything inside of you 00:38:01.520 --> 00:38:09.520 will jump up, rise up, shout and will say worthy is the lamb because he is the lion of the tribe of Judah 00:38:09.520 --> 00:38:21.520 and he is also the lamb of God, it must and must and must do something in you, it must, 00:38:21.520 --> 00:38:41.520 the beauty of Jesus and will you then gaze upon that man on the cross, will you then look at the king of kings 00:38:41.520 --> 00:38:53.520 and can we be on a journey with our life of knowing him more, of counting everything else as trash, 00:38:53.520 --> 00:39:02.520 looking at the ever growing pile of trash on the other side of fence because I have found myself a prized possession, 00:39:02.520 --> 00:39:08.520 we are calling it back to him, we are saying it back to him, he calls us our prized possession but we tell him 00:39:08.520 --> 00:39:20.520 you are my prized possession, you can, you're children, I can, I'm a son and as you gaze upon his beauty, 00:39:20.520 --> 00:39:35.520 everything changes, everything changes, spend time on it guys, spend your, spend everything you have on it 00:39:35.520 --> 00:39:43.520 so it goes down deep into everything that you are and when you wake up, all you can do is shout, 00:39:44.520 --> 00:39:53.520 that when you wake up, all you can do is say thank you, that when you wake up, all you can say is I'm not the same person anymore, 00:39:53.520 --> 00:40:02.520 that when you wake up and you go to bed and you go to bed not because, you go to bed not following traditions of man, 00:40:02.520 --> 00:40:10.520 you go to bed not doing things because you were told to do it, you do things out of love for this man who died on the cross, 00:40:10.520 --> 00:40:19.520 you do it out of love for the king of the kings, it will change your life, it will change my life, 00:40:19.520 --> 00:40:30.520 now here's the thing, if the slide is back on there, you have to go through this understanding to be able to take him and give him to others, 00:40:30.520 --> 00:40:42.520 you have to know him fully, deeper, deeper, deeper to be able to then introduce this Jesus to others, 00:40:42.520 --> 00:40:51.520 otherwise you will give others the version of Jesus that you know which may be good and may be better than before guys, 00:40:51.520 --> 00:41:00.520 it is better for me today than 10 years ago, but my goodness when I read these passages, it shows how much I don't know him, 00:41:00.520 --> 00:41:13.520 and I pray that you feel the same, that there is so much more to the beauty of Jesus that you and I have to discover because he is worthy and no one else is, 00:41:14.520 --> 00:41:25.520 and that your life must be given to this so that you can then go to Sue and say, I know someone, 00:41:25.520 --> 00:41:33.520 when you say the lion of the tribe of Judah, you recognize him, you know what he is able to do, 00:41:34.520 --> 00:41:39.520 you know how he roars, and you know that when he roars, everything trembles, 00:41:39.520 --> 00:41:48.520 so now when I say the words lion of the tribe of Judah, I am telling her in name, I am bringing to her the person of Jesus, 00:41:48.520 --> 00:42:03.520 go deeper, go deeper, because this is where God is taking us guys, and if we can do this as a people, it is going to be beautiful, 00:42:03.520 --> 00:42:13.520 not for checkboxes sake, but for the sake of following him as sons and daughters, not for the sake of, oh we did it, 00:42:14.520 --> 00:42:21.520 because he can always find someone else to do it, but for the sake of, there is nothing else that is more meaningful than this. 00:42:26.520 --> 00:42:31.520 Consecration produces life giving fruits, 00:42:32.520 --> 00:42:37.520 consecration produces life giving fruits, 00:42:44.520 --> 00:42:51.520 in John chapter 15, Jesus uses the analogy of a vine in the branches, 00:42:52.520 --> 00:42:56.520 he uses the analogy of a vine in the branches, 00:42:57.520 --> 00:43:01.520 I just want to simplify it for us, because of the lack of time, 00:43:01.520 --> 00:43:09.520 when it says in John chapter 15, abide in me, it is as simple as remain in me, 00:43:10.520 --> 00:43:18.520 remain in me, remain in me, Jesus said, if you remain in me, then you will bear fruits, 00:43:18.520 --> 00:43:23.520 like I remain in my father, you remain in me, 00:43:26.520 --> 00:43:32.520 it doesn't say visit me, and you will bear fruits, 00:43:32.520 --> 00:43:36.520 it says remain in me, and you will bear fruits, 00:43:36.520 --> 00:43:43.520 there is a difference between visiting someone and remaining with them, 00:43:45.520 --> 00:43:51.520 because sometimes we visit Jesus, and that in itself is great, 00:43:54.520 --> 00:44:02.520 but can we be with him, can we remain with him, can we remain with Jesus, 00:44:02.520 --> 00:44:14.520 that is when your life begins to show, that is when others can enjoy the fruit that is being developed inside you, 00:44:15.520 --> 00:44:22.520 the thing with fruits is, it will always show, there is no fruit that is not seen, fruit shows, 00:44:22.520 --> 00:44:24.520 fruit shows, 00:44:30.520 --> 00:44:34.520 and this is important, because all of the stuff that we have up on the screen, 00:44:35.520 --> 00:44:43.520 it includes me producing fruits, it includes you producing fruits, 00:44:43.520 --> 00:44:52.520 and the only way we can do that is by, Jesus said, abiding in me, which translates to remaining in me, 00:44:55.520 --> 00:45:02.520 so I want us to go from this positional understanding of where you sit with Christ, 00:45:03.520 --> 00:45:07.520 and that he is in you and you are in him, it is a positional understanding, 00:45:07.520 --> 00:45:13.520 I want us to go deeper from there to the experiential understanding, 00:45:14.520 --> 00:45:18.520 where you get suffocated when you don't have him, 00:45:19.520 --> 00:45:26.520 because you are so, I think it is Jacob, and it has been a few years perhaps, 00:45:27.520 --> 00:45:30.520 so maybe some of you who are new here, you may not have heard this before, 00:45:31.520 --> 00:45:38.520 but the question is, if the Holy Spirit leaves you right now, would you know it? 00:45:42.520 --> 00:45:47.520 He won't, if you have accepted Christ and if you are in his kingdom, the Holy Spirit is always with you, 00:45:48.520 --> 00:45:53.520 but if he leaves you, would you know it? It's a good question, 00:45:53.520 --> 00:46:00.520 because that question will make you think, when he is present, what does that do to you? 00:46:01.520 --> 00:46:09.520 How reliant are you on the Holy Spirit? What does that relationship look like? 00:46:10.520 --> 00:46:14.520 Because if I haven't talked to him in a week, if I haven't communed with him in a week, 00:46:15.520 --> 00:46:21.520 and he is not there, I don't mind, but if he is always there, and you are remaining with him, 00:46:21.520 --> 00:46:28.520 and you have a fellowship with him, because the relationship is forever established, 00:46:29.520 --> 00:46:35.520 he will never leave you, but the fellowship is in your hands, 00:46:36.520 --> 00:46:40.520 it's for you to cultivate, it's for you to grow. 00:46:40.520 --> 00:46:44.520 If we have illustrations, why not more? 00:46:45.520 --> 00:46:53.520 I felt led yesterday to go to a winery, and I did. You are looking at the real deal. 00:46:56.520 --> 00:47:01.520 Think about it. This branch, 00:47:01.520 --> 00:47:05.520 was once connected to the vine. 00:47:09.520 --> 00:47:15.520 I actually saw this in a dream, sort of. I don't know if it was when I was awake or not anymore. 00:47:16.520 --> 00:47:20.520 And I saw it, and I immediately knew what God was saying. 00:47:22.520 --> 00:47:26.520 I saw the vine, and I immediately knew what God was saying. 00:47:26.520 --> 00:47:30.520 So I had to go pick it up, so you see it. 00:47:32.520 --> 00:47:38.520 Jesus said, if the branch abides in the true vine, which is himself, 00:47:39.520 --> 00:47:43.520 then it will bear fruit. If it doesn't abide, it will not. 00:47:44.520 --> 00:47:47.520 You can see when you look at this branch, 00:47:48.520 --> 00:47:52.520 it's got traces of what had occurred, what was what, 00:47:52.520 --> 00:47:56.520 it's got traces of what had occurred, what was once real. 00:47:57.520 --> 00:48:02.520 You can see the places where the cluster was, where the grapes were. 00:48:03.520 --> 00:48:05.520 You can see it. 00:48:06.520 --> 00:48:12.520 But it's a forgotten memory, because this is not connected to the vine anymore. 00:48:13.520 --> 00:48:16.520 It's not connected to the tree anymore. 00:48:17.520 --> 00:48:22.520 So one of the things that, because the Holy Spirit said it, 00:48:24.520 --> 00:48:28.520 one of the things that he wants to do is, 00:48:29.520 --> 00:48:32.520 you may be here, and you may, I don't know if you're new or 00:48:33.520 --> 00:48:36.520 if you've been coming for a long time, it doesn't matter. 00:48:37.520 --> 00:48:40.520 You feel like you're in such a dry place. 00:48:41.520 --> 00:48:44.520 You feel like you're in such a dry place. 00:48:47.520 --> 00:48:52.520 Things are not changing. In fact, when you look at the reality of what it is, 00:48:53.520 --> 00:48:55.520 it actually feels like you're going back. 00:48:57.520 --> 00:49:01.520 It's dry. If there is one word, it's dry. 00:49:02.520 --> 00:49:07.520 And what you once enjoyed, you remember it, but you're not partaking it in anymore. 00:49:08.520 --> 00:49:11.520 You enjoyed certain things with him, 00:49:11.520 --> 00:49:15.520 but you're not partaking in those very things anymore. 00:49:16.520 --> 00:49:18.520 It's dry. 00:49:19.520 --> 00:49:21.520 And you know it. 00:49:22.520 --> 00:49:24.520 And you're so frustrated. 00:49:25.520 --> 00:49:28.520 And everything inside you wants to break out. 00:49:32.520 --> 00:49:34.520 I don't want you to stand up, 00:49:35.520 --> 00:49:39.520 but if that is you, and you see the dryness in your life, 00:49:39.520 --> 00:49:45.520 and on one hand, you come to the service, there are songs, there is teaching, 00:49:46.520 --> 00:49:50.520 you attend church, you can even talk God's stuff well. 00:49:51.520 --> 00:49:53.520 No one will notice. 00:49:54.520 --> 00:49:58.520 But inside of you, there is a dryness that you know, 00:49:59.520 --> 00:50:02.520 and it's been revealed to you. You understand it. 00:50:03.520 --> 00:50:07.520 Then I want you to know this, that there is so much good news 00:50:07.520 --> 00:50:12.520 that all you have to do now is connect to the true vine. 00:50:13.520 --> 00:50:17.520 And when you do, it's funny, because when I went to pick this up, 00:50:18.520 --> 00:50:20.520 the guy who was giving, because I called him and I said, 00:50:21.520 --> 00:50:26.520 I'm calling a winery and I'm saying, I just need to use something for a sermon illustration. 00:50:27.520 --> 00:50:30.520 Come over, I'll give it to you. So I meet this guy and he gives me this and he says, 00:50:31.520 --> 00:50:33.520 before you go, there's one thing if you have time. I said, yeah, please. 00:50:33.520 --> 00:50:36.520 He said, there's something about this branch. I said, okay. 00:50:37.520 --> 00:50:39.520 It's regenerative. 00:50:44.520 --> 00:50:48.520 I want to tell you that when you're connected to the tree, 00:50:49.520 --> 00:50:52.520 it doesn't matter how it looks today. 00:50:53.520 --> 00:50:55.520 It does not matter how it looks today. 00:50:56.520 --> 00:50:58.520 It does not matter how it looks today. 00:50:59.520 --> 00:51:01.520 It does not matter how it feels today. 00:51:01.520 --> 00:51:03.520 It does not matter what happened yesterday. 00:51:04.520 --> 00:51:07.520 It does not matter that you don't enjoy the things that you enjoyed once. 00:51:08.520 --> 00:51:10.520 I'm telling you in the name of Christ Jesus, 00:51:11.520 --> 00:51:15.520 it is absolutely possible for you to enjoy the benefits of the tree 00:51:16.520 --> 00:51:19.520 and everything, every good thing that the tree gives you. 00:51:20.520 --> 00:51:24.520 As soon as you locate yourself in the vine, you can. 00:51:25.520 --> 00:51:27.520 It's possible. It is possible. 00:51:27.520 --> 00:51:29.520 It is possible. 00:51:30.520 --> 00:51:33.520 And if you need to talk about it, please come see me after. 00:51:34.520 --> 00:51:39.520 Because if there is, I don't want you to miss this out, miss out on this. 00:51:40.520 --> 00:51:42.520 And I don't know if I'm talking to one person or a couple of people. 00:51:43.520 --> 00:51:45.520 I have no idea, but I know it had to be said and I'm speaking it. 00:51:46.520 --> 00:51:48.520 You can either deal, transact with the Holy Spirit, 00:51:49.520 --> 00:51:51.520 transact with the Father right now and that's good. 00:51:52.520 --> 00:51:54.520 Or if you want to talk about it, let's talk about it. 00:51:55.520 --> 00:51:57.520 Number two. 00:51:59.520 --> 00:52:01.520 Sometimes there is this. 00:52:02.520 --> 00:52:04.520 Everything looks good, fine and dandy. 00:52:05.520 --> 00:52:07.520 You can speak the best language there is. 00:52:08.520 --> 00:52:10.520 As soon as you open your mouth, others clap. 00:52:11.520 --> 00:52:13.520 Because you know exactly how to speak about Jesus. 00:52:14.520 --> 00:52:16.520 You know exactly what to say at the right time and the wrong times. 00:52:17.520 --> 00:52:19.520 Everything is perfect. 00:52:20.520 --> 00:52:22.520 But there is no life. 00:52:22.520 --> 00:52:24.520 Good, because it ain't connected. 00:52:27.520 --> 00:52:30.520 And some of us are like that. 00:52:32.520 --> 00:52:35.520 You're out of place in terms of your connection. 00:52:36.520 --> 00:52:41.520 And again, keep in mind, the spiritual fact is that you're always connected to Jesus. 00:52:42.520 --> 00:52:45.520 So don't come to me after the saying, I blasphemed because I did not. 00:52:46.520 --> 00:52:48.520 I'm talking about the experiential connection. 00:52:49.520 --> 00:52:51.520 Two different things. 00:52:52.520 --> 00:52:57.520 And I can find myself here sometimes. 00:52:58.520 --> 00:53:03.520 I can talk and you guys wouldn't know where I stand inside. 00:53:04.520 --> 00:53:07.520 And you can see yourself sometimes there too. 00:53:10.520 --> 00:53:18.520 But my goodness, if I am to see, if I am to know and if you are to know that you have such access to this tree. 00:53:18.520 --> 00:53:25.520 And that you can really be living your life in the full purpose of what the Father has for you. 00:53:26.520 --> 00:53:27.520 You won't stay alone. 00:53:28.520 --> 00:53:31.520 You won't be okay with being separated from the tree. 00:53:32.520 --> 00:53:33.520 Couple more things. 00:53:34.520 --> 00:53:35.520 We'll wrap up. 00:53:39.520 --> 00:53:43.520 See, some branches want to reach away. 00:53:43.520 --> 00:53:49.520 And sometimes it complains about what's happening around it or what happened in the past. 00:53:51.520 --> 00:53:57.520 But the truth is that if you're connected to the root, you'll have a different song to sing. 00:53:59.520 --> 00:54:00.520 And I just want to tell you. 00:54:06.520 --> 00:54:08.520 Don't live in your past. 00:54:09.520 --> 00:54:10.520 Don't live in your past. 00:54:12.520 --> 00:54:13.520 Don't live in your past. 00:54:15.520 --> 00:54:18.520 Because that scroll that I had in my hands a while ago. 00:54:19.520 --> 00:54:20.520 That scroll has been opened. 00:54:21.520 --> 00:54:23.520 The past is behind you. 00:54:24.520 --> 00:54:27.520 And the future is something for you to take on with Christ. 00:54:28.520 --> 00:54:30.520 I'll leave it there because I have 10 more minutes. 00:54:30.520 --> 00:54:35.520 As you consecrate yourself to Christ, another thing that you need to... 00:54:36.520 --> 00:54:42.520 Another sentence or a few words that I want to ring in your ears and I want to ring in my ears is, 00:54:43.520 --> 00:54:44.520 It's not worth it. 00:54:46.520 --> 00:54:47.520 I'll explain it. 00:54:48.520 --> 00:54:51.520 So you ask Samson and he'll tell you, 00:54:52.520 --> 00:54:53.520 I'll explain it. 00:54:56.520 --> 00:55:02.520 See, you ask Samson and he'll tell you that what happened with Delilah wasn't worth it. 00:55:04.520 --> 00:55:14.520 You ask Moses and he'll tell you that that fit of anger that overcame him and him killing was not worth it. 00:55:14.520 --> 00:55:20.520 You ask John Mark and even though the Bible doesn't explicitly say what happened, 00:55:20.520 --> 00:55:27.520 you ask John Mark who was with Paul and Barnabas and he left only to be later found in the story again later. 00:55:27.520 --> 00:55:29.520 You ask him and I don't know what happened. 00:55:29.520 --> 00:55:35.520 If it's hurt, if it's offense, bitterness, whatever it is, he'll tell you it was not worth it. 00:55:39.520 --> 00:55:40.520 It happened. 00:55:40.520 --> 00:55:52.520 It has to ring in our ears guys that compared to the precious truth of knowing Christ and his surpassing worth, 00:55:52.520 --> 00:55:54.520 other things are not worth it. 00:55:55.520 --> 00:56:00.520 And one of the things that I don't remember if it's two weeks ago or a week ago that Jacob said, 00:56:01.520 --> 00:56:08.520 I'm not using the same words, something along the lines of you have to see what it is and what it is. 00:56:08.520 --> 00:56:13.520 You have to see what it is that's causing you to pull back. 00:56:13.520 --> 00:56:18.520 You have to know what it is that's making you stumble. 00:56:19.520 --> 00:56:26.520 Because when you see it, the Holy Spirit can give you a key to not fall for the same thing again. 00:56:26.520 --> 00:56:35.520 That's part of this thing because you can be as enthusiastic as you want to to consecrate yourself. 00:56:35.520 --> 00:56:38.520 You can be as enthusiastic as you want to to live this life. 00:56:38.520 --> 00:56:47.520 But on the other side, there is also the reality that the same things that did at one point trip you, they still exist. 00:56:49.520 --> 00:56:51.520 And how is it that you can overcome it? 00:56:51.520 --> 00:56:56.520 Well, identify it. First, know it so that the Holy Spirit can give you keys. 00:56:56.520 --> 00:57:03.520 And again guys, this is one of the things that you need to do, especially if you're new, 00:57:03.520 --> 00:57:08.520 because I am talking to some of the new people as I say this and some of the older people. 00:57:09.520 --> 00:57:14.520 If there are things that you need help with and you're part of this body, 00:57:14.520 --> 00:57:21.520 don't battle it by yourself because sometimes you can get help through someone else. 00:57:22.520 --> 00:57:28.520 So if you have, if you go to Don't Church, Maze Church, if you don't go to any of those churches, 00:57:28.520 --> 00:57:33.520 you come here on a Sunday, but you you're part of this church. 00:57:33.520 --> 00:57:36.520 Don't battle some things by yourself. 00:57:36.520 --> 00:57:38.520 Ask for help. 00:57:38.520 --> 00:57:42.520 And it will help you because that's just the way it should be. 00:57:48.520 --> 00:57:52.520 Couple of practical things, guys, and then we'll wrap it up. 00:57:52.520 --> 00:58:01.520 See, you read Jacob in Genesis, chapter 10, verse 11, 00:58:01.520 --> 00:58:11.520 See, you read Jacob in Genesis, chapter 28, and Jacob sets up a pillar. 00:58:11.520 --> 00:58:17.520 And he set up a pillar because he had an experience with God there and he names this place Bethel. 00:58:17.520 --> 00:58:24.520 And he sets up a pillar so that he'll remember what had happened, to commemorate what had happened. 00:58:24.520 --> 00:58:31.520 You see, Joshua, I think in Joshua, chapter four, you see him, you see God asking Joshua, 00:58:31.520 --> 00:58:34.520 take 12 stones from the Jordan. 00:58:34.520 --> 00:58:41.520 And these 12 stones are to tell all of the future generations that I did this for you. 00:58:43.520 --> 00:58:48.520 One of the keys when you look at the scripture and Jesus went to the mountain, 00:58:49.520 --> 00:59:00.520 He went to a certain place or a few special places that he always found himself in, away from everyone else. 00:59:00.520 --> 00:59:09.520 Use places, and by that I mean use certain places to remind you of who God is. 00:59:09.520 --> 00:59:14.520 Use certain places inside your home, outside as you go for a walk. 00:59:14.520 --> 00:59:19.520 There's an area where every time you look there, you're reminded of who God is. 00:59:19.520 --> 00:59:24.520 Or there's a room inside your house where you're like, 00:59:24.520 --> 00:59:29.520 that's the place I go to when I need to separate myself. 00:59:29.520 --> 00:59:32.520 It's just a key. It helps. 00:59:32.520 --> 00:59:38.520 That's one. Number two, use times for your advantage. 00:59:40.520 --> 00:59:44.520 It could be something like the first day of every month. 00:59:47.520 --> 00:59:50.520 I'm going to set apart for the rest of the month. 00:59:53.520 --> 01:00:00.520 One week a year for me, I'm going to set apart for the rest of the month. 01:00:00.520 --> 01:00:04.520 One week a year for me, it doesn't matter what happens, 01:00:04.520 --> 01:00:08.520 one week a year I set apart for the rest of the year. 01:00:09.520 --> 01:00:17.520 Set apart for what? Set apart from everything else to be with Him in a way that I can't do the rest of the year perhaps. 01:00:17.520 --> 01:00:22.520 And on a daily basis, set apart some time. 01:00:22.520 --> 01:00:28.520 What works best for you? An hour? 30 minutes? 15 minutes? 01:00:28.520 --> 01:00:30.520 Use time. 01:00:30.520 --> 01:00:40.520 Because all of these things, it's got to translate into us using time and place to do this very thing of consecration. 01:00:40.520 --> 01:00:45.520 So do this. It's just a key. It's in the Word. Use places. 01:00:45.520 --> 01:00:52.520 There's a place where whenever I go to, and it's not in my home, neither am I walking, 01:00:52.520 --> 01:01:01.520 but when I go there, when I do that, I am in such a good place, it's just me and the Father. 01:01:01.520 --> 01:01:04.520 And if you like walking, you can do this. 01:01:04.520 --> 01:01:07.520 If you like going to this place and doing it, do it. 01:01:07.520 --> 01:01:09.520 Because that's just one place you start. 01:01:09.520 --> 01:01:15.520 It doesn't end there, but it allows you to get that shoulder in the arm that you need initially 01:01:15.520 --> 01:01:19.520 so that there is a habit, there is a discipline that allows you to move ahead. 01:01:19.520 --> 01:01:23.520 And then God will show you a better way of doing it. 01:01:23.520 --> 01:01:27.520 And then there will be another way of doing it, which will be a father. 01:01:27.520 --> 01:01:30.520 And then God will show you a better way of doing it. 01:01:31.520 --> 01:01:35.520 And then there will be another way of doing it, which will be far better than that. 01:01:35.520 --> 01:01:38.520 But start. Use places. Use time. 01:01:43.520 --> 01:01:50.520 And everything that I told you today, it is for you and me, and it's absolutely possible. 01:01:52.520 --> 01:01:59.520 My desire is that we live this together as a people. 01:01:59.520 --> 01:02:03.520 And earlier on when I was sitting there as we were singing, there was this, 01:02:03.520 --> 01:02:12.520 man, I want the Father to pour out his Spirit on us in ways that we haven't experienced. 01:02:12.520 --> 01:02:19.520 And when we are all ready, and when we are all in the same zone, so to speak, 01:02:19.520 --> 01:02:25.520 when we are all thinking in the same direction, it changes things, man. 01:02:25.520 --> 01:02:30.520 And that is what our Sundays and Tuesdays or Mondays should be. 01:02:30.520 --> 01:02:35.520 Because we are moving a particular direction every day of the week 01:02:35.520 --> 01:02:38.520 so that when we come together, it's an explosion. 01:02:40.520 --> 01:02:44.520 And I'm not too stiff, and you're not too stiff. 01:02:44.520 --> 01:02:47.520 We are given to the ways of Christ. 01:02:48.520 --> 01:02:50.520 And that is what should happen. 01:02:50.520 --> 01:02:54.520 So between now and next, and the thing is when you can't do it, use others, 01:02:54.520 --> 01:02:56.520 and get back right into it. 01:02:57.520 --> 01:03:01.520 Yeah? Can we sing the song, Easy Worthy, and wrap up? 01:03:24.520 --> 01:03:26.520 Thank you. 01:03:54.520 --> 01:04:02.520 Do you feel the world is broken? 01:04:06.520 --> 01:04:09.520 Do you feel the shadows deepen? 01:04:13.520 --> 01:04:19.520 But do you know that all the dark ones stop the light from getting through? 01:04:20.520 --> 01:04:22.520 We do. 01:04:23.520 --> 01:04:28.520 Do you wish that you could see it all made new? 01:04:30.520 --> 01:04:32.520 We do. 01:04:32.520 --> 01:04:34.520 Do you feel the world is broken? 01:04:37.520 --> 01:04:40.520 Do you feel the world is broken? 01:04:40.520 --> 01:04:43.520 We do. 01:04:44.520 --> 01:04:47.520 Do you feel the shadows deepen? 01:04:47.520 --> 01:04:50.520 We do. 01:04:51.520 --> 01:04:57.520 Do you know that all the dark ones stop the light from getting through? 01:04:58.520 --> 01:05:00.520 We do. 01:05:01.520 --> 01:05:06.520 Do you wish that you could see it all made new? 01:05:08.520 --> 01:05:10.520 We do. 01:05:10.520 --> 01:05:14.520 Is all creation groaning? 01:05:14.520 --> 01:05:17.520 It is. 01:05:17.520 --> 01:05:20.520 Is a new creation coming? 01:05:20.520 --> 01:05:24.520 It is. 01:05:24.520 --> 01:05:30.520 Is the glory of the Lord to be the light within our midst? 01:05:30.520 --> 01:05:34.520 It is. 01:05:34.520 --> 01:05:38.520 Is it good that we are all in the same place? 01:05:38.520 --> 01:05:43.520 Is it good that we remind ourselves of this? 01:05:45.520 --> 01:05:48.520 It is. 01:05:48.520 --> 01:05:51.520 Is anyone worthy? 01:05:52.520 --> 01:05:55.520 Is anyone whole? 01:05:55.520 --> 01:06:01.520 Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? 01:06:02.520 --> 01:06:08.520 The light of Judah who conquered the grave. 01:06:08.520 --> 01:06:15.520 His name is true than the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. 01:06:15.520 --> 01:06:19.520 Is he worthy? 01:06:19.520 --> 01:06:28.520 Is he worthy of a blessing and honor and glory? 01:06:28.520 --> 01:06:34.520 Is he worthy of this? 01:06:35.520 --> 01:06:38.520 He is. 01:06:42.520 --> 01:06:45.520 Does the Father truly love us? 01:06:45.520 --> 01:06:48.520 He does. 01:06:48.520 --> 01:06:52.520 Does the Spirit move among us? 01:06:52.520 --> 01:06:55.520 He does. 01:06:55.520 --> 01:07:02.520 And does Jesus our Messiah hold forever those He loves? 01:07:02.520 --> 01:07:04.520 He does. 01:07:04.520 --> 01:07:09.520 Does the Father, does the Father truly love us? 01:07:09.520 --> 01:07:12.520 He does. 01:07:12.520 --> 01:07:16.520 Does the Spirit move among us? 01:07:16.520 --> 01:07:19.520 He does. 01:07:19.520 --> 01:07:26.520 And does Jesus our Messiah hold forever those He loves? 01:07:26.520 --> 01:07:29.520 He does. 01:07:29.520 --> 01:07:35.520 Does the God intend to dwell again with us? 01:07:36.520 --> 01:07:39.520 He does. 01:07:43.520 --> 01:07:46.520 Is anyone worthy? 01:07:47.520 --> 01:07:50.520 Is anyone whole? 01:07:50.520 --> 01:07:57.520 Is anyone able to break the seal and open the scroll? 01:07:57.520 --> 01:08:04.520 The light of Judah who conquered the grave. 01:08:04.520 --> 01:08:11.520 His name is true than the Lamb who died to ransom the slave. 01:08:11.520 --> 01:08:14.520 From every people and tribe. 01:08:14.520 --> 01:08:18.520 From every nation and tongue. 01:08:18.520 --> 01:08:25.520 He's the made-as-a-kingdom and priest to God to reign with the Son. 01:08:25.520 --> 01:08:28.520 Is he worthy? 01:08:28.520 --> 01:08:37.520 Is he worthy of a blessing and honor and glory? 01:08:37.520 --> 01:08:44.520 Is he worthy of this? 01:08:44.520 --> 01:08:51.520 Is he worthy of this? 01:08:51.520 --> 01:08:54.520 He is. 01:08:54.520 --> 01:08:58.520 He is. 01:08:58.520 --> 01:09:01.520 He is. 01:09:01.520 --> 01:09:04.520 He is. 01:09:04.520 --> 01:09:09.520 He is worthy. 01:09:09.520 --> 01:09:18.520 He is worthy of a blessing and honor and glory. 01:09:18.520 --> 01:09:25.520 He is worthy of this. 01:09:25.520 --> 01:09:32.520 He is worthy of this. 01:09:32.520 --> 01:09:39.520 He's worthy of this. 01:09:39.520 --> 01:09:44.520 He is. 01:10:02.520 --> 01:10:05.520 Amen. 01:10:05.520 --> 01:10:11.520 I think there will be people who will be there for prayer, see if anybody needs it. 01:10:11.520 --> 01:10:15.520 We'll see you next time.