WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Faith for Another Publishing Date: 2019-10-27T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/faith-for-another/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:18.080 Hey guys. Hello, hello. Okay, so the most unreasonable and the most expensive transfer 00:00:18.080 --> 00:00:24.120 that ever occurred in the universe is the exchange of the Lamb of God, His blood for 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:31.200 a people. That's the, it's not just the most expensive, it's the most unreasonable transfer 00:00:31.200 --> 00:00:37.800 that ever happened in the history of the universe that the blood of the Lamb of God was given in 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:44.520 exchange of a people that He redeemed, in exchange of a people that He was killing. 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:58.680 Even in soccer or baseball, even sport or hockey, you can eat any pro league. You have teams and 00:00:58.680 --> 00:01:06.040 teams buys and they sell players. If you as a team, if you want to buy a player, what happens is 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:12.880 they'll say, okay, I want to buy Josh. Josh is 25 years old. He's got 30 million dollars stacked on 00:01:12.880 --> 00:01:18.560 him. I'm like, I'm going to buy Josh. So I have to buy him into my team. I have to not only pay 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:24.400 his wages, so he's very expensive. It's like a million dollar a month. So I have to pay his wages, 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:29.920 plus on top of the wages that I have to pay him, I have to pay a transfer fee to the club from where 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:37.040 I'm buying him. That happens. And then as Josh grows old when he's 35, you don't need him anymore 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:45.520 in the team. So it's free transfer. That's what Prashanth is doing. For the last three years, I've been 00:01:45.520 --> 00:01:50.880 playing on his team. Like this is true story. And then this year Prashanth is like, you're not good 00:01:50.880 --> 00:01:58.880 anymore because Bishop came along. Ouch. So on a free transfer, he doesn't allow me to play anymore. 00:01:59.040 --> 00:02:02.000 But really, if you think about it, 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:11.760 the most expensive and the most unreasonable transfer exchange that ever occurred in the 00:02:11.760 --> 00:02:19.600 history of the universe is a bishop, sorry, or a Nick or myself or one of us or all of us have been 00:02:19.600 --> 00:02:27.760 purchased, redeemed, bought into the family of God. And in exchange of that was given the blood of the lamp. 00:02:29.840 --> 00:02:34.880 If you go to Acts chapter 20 and 28, 00:02:37.200 --> 00:02:37.920 this is God 00:02:40.880 --> 00:02:48.000 telling leaders and who were in headship of that community there. He's saying, 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:55.280 pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in whom the Holy Spirit made you overseers 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:05.840 to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Let's book of Acts chapter 20 verse 28. 00:03:08.880 --> 00:03:13.520 So that's how God is looking at his body. He looks at the body and he says, 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:21.280 every one of us, because the blood of the lamp was shed for a people and for all of us. So when 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:27.920 God looks at us, he looks at us and goes, all of the blood of the lamb was shed for him and for me 00:03:27.920 --> 00:03:33.760 and for you and for us and for everyone who believes in him and for others who don't believe 00:03:33.760 --> 00:03:42.080 in him just yet. So when you look around, you see the value that God has attributed to me, 00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:51.120 the value that God has attributed to each one of us, it's the most expensive transfer that ever was. 00:03:51.760 --> 00:03:59.120 The blood of the lamb of God for him in exchange for a redeemed, rescued people. 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:06.080 Now every morning, I want to think about it and I want us to think about it this way, 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:12.400 every morning from the east to the west and the north to the south, every continent, every nation, 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:19.520 every tongue, every tribe, as the song said a few minutes ago, there is the echo from the heaven 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:28.480 over a people crying out, this is my people and that's not just those of us who are here 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:38.080 under this roof, that same hard cry from heaven is for those of them who are outside of these four walls. 00:04:38.080 --> 00:04:44.000 It's the same hard cry and that's what God wants us to look at today because over the last week, 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:45.600 God has been talking to me and 00:04:48.960 --> 00:04:54.160 this has been on my heart for a few days now. So I want to share this with us in that there is a 00:04:54.160 --> 00:05:02.560 hard cry that's God's hard cry that's over all nations, all tribes, all tongue, everyone, those 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:09.600 of us inside here and those of us who haven't known him just yet, it's the same hard cry because the 00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:15.280 blood that was shed was not just for me and us, the blood that was shed was for everyone. 00:05:15.280 --> 00:05:23.120 The only difference, the only difference is that there are people who haven't recognized that just 00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:29.600 yet, we have recognized it and because we have recognized it, we have become part of the family 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:36.160 of God and for those who haven't recognized it, the blood of the lamb was still shed for them, 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:43.600 he was sacrificed for them, they just haven't recognized it just yet. Let's go to Zechariah 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:51.760 chapter 8 verse 7 and 8, Zechariah chapter 8 verse 7 and 8, if someone can read this that'd be great. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:01.200 Zechariah chapter 8, 7 and 8. 00:06:02.080 --> 00:06:10.080 This is what the Lord Almighty said, I will save my people from the countries of the East and the West. 00:06:10.080 --> 00:06:20.080 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God. 00:06:20.080 --> 00:06:22.080 Can you read that again Chris please? 00:06:22.080 --> 00:06:30.080 This is what the Lord Almighty said, I will save my people from the countries of the East and the West. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:41.040 I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God. 00:06:43.040 --> 00:06:49.040 So that's what we're going to look at today. Jacob has been walking us through Zechariah 8 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:55.040 and the two verses that it talks about and if you haven't read it just yet, read it please because that's what we're going to look at for the first little bit. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:00.000 There is a heart cry and that's the cry of the Lord and he is saying, 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:08.000 my people, I'm going to rescue them from the East country and I'm going to rescue them from the West country 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:12.000 and I'm going to bring them into the midst of Jerusalem. 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:14.000 That is what I'm going to do. That's my promise for you. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:20.000 I'm going to do that and that's my heart not just for those of you who are in Jerusalem, 00:07:20.960 --> 00:07:22.960 not just for those of you who are part of the community. 00:07:22.960 --> 00:07:30.960 My heart is reaching out to everyone and I want these people who haven't just recognized me yet, 00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:36.960 I want them to be in my house and I'm going to bring them from the East country. 00:07:36.960 --> 00:07:42.960 I'm going to bring them from the North, from the South, from the West and the East and they will be in my church. 00:07:42.960 --> 00:07:49.960 They will be part of my family. They will be part of my body and that's God's covenant. 00:07:50.920 --> 00:07:52.920 And that's what God is interested in. 00:07:52.920 --> 00:07:55.920 And so we're going to look at this over the next few minutes to see, 00:07:55.920 --> 00:08:00.920 Father, how do I partner with you if this is your heart for your people? 00:08:00.920 --> 00:08:05.920 And as I said, the only difference, and this is important for us, 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:12.920 the only difference is that I have recognized, we have recognized the sacrifice that has happened. 00:08:12.920 --> 00:08:17.920 Those who haven't, they just haven't recognized it yet. 00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:18.920 That's the only difference. 00:08:19.880 --> 00:08:24.880 As soon as they recognize that the blood of the Lamb was shed for them, they become part of the family. 00:08:25.880 --> 00:08:28.880 There is no greater sinner and lesser sinner, we know that. 00:08:29.880 --> 00:08:34.880 As soon as they recognize the blood that was shed, they become part of the family of God. 00:08:37.880 --> 00:08:44.880 Now there is a difference in knowing this and being this. 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:50.840 Because we grew up in church or because we've known God for so long 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:54.840 or because we have read the scripture and we just get it, 00:08:54.840 --> 00:08:59.840 it's easy for us to have this in our mind. 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:05.840 It's easy for us to have this in our head as knowledge, but not here in our heart. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:07.840 So that's the first thing. 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:14.840 It's not enough for us to know this because this is the gospel and we know it. 00:09:15.800 --> 00:09:18.800 It's not enough for us to know this. 00:09:18.800 --> 00:09:21.800 We have to carry the heart of God. 00:09:22.800 --> 00:09:27.800 It's not enough for us to know that there is a people that need redemption. 00:09:27.800 --> 00:09:34.800 It's not enough for us to know that I am saved and God has plans for me to use me to reach out to others. 00:09:34.800 --> 00:09:37.800 It's not enough for me to know this. 00:09:37.800 --> 00:09:43.800 I have to now step one step forward and say, I want to carry your heart God. 00:09:44.760 --> 00:09:49.760 God is saying I'm going to reach out, I'm going to bring people into the midst of Jerusalem. 00:09:49.760 --> 00:09:54.760 And I'm going to say, you're going to say, yeah, I know that I understand that, but that's not enough. 00:09:54.760 --> 00:10:00.760 I want to come closer to you and I want to carry this heart that you have for people. 00:10:00.760 --> 00:10:04.760 And I want to live that, this life, carrying this heart. 00:10:04.760 --> 00:10:07.760 It's not a daily thing, it's not a weekly thing. 00:10:07.760 --> 00:10:10.760 It's every minute, every minute of my life. 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:18.720 I want to carry the heart that God has for his people who haven't recognized him just yet. 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:36.720 So God's plan for us at Acts 29 and God's plan for his sons and daughters is that both intentionally and unconsciously we will carry his heart. 00:10:37.680 --> 00:10:46.680 So we have to carry his heart intentionally and as we carry his heart intentionally, we do it unconsciously. 00:10:46.680 --> 00:10:52.680 So I don't have to then get up every morning and say, today I'm going to do this. 00:10:52.680 --> 00:10:55.680 We start with intention so that it becomes unconscious. 00:10:55.680 --> 00:10:58.680 In an unconscious way, we do this all the time. 00:10:59.640 --> 00:11:08.640 So God's plan for me and God's plan for us is that we become a people who every day, every minute, all of our lives, 00:11:08.640 --> 00:11:23.640 carry his heart intentionally and unconsciously so that God can then use us to bring people who are in the East, West, North, South into Jerusalem and build his church. 00:11:24.600 --> 00:11:37.600 And those who hear the cry of God and carry his heart, those are the ones who will create pathways for people to reach back to Jerusalem. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.600 Knowing is not enough and that's the first thing. 00:11:42.600 --> 00:11:45.600 Knowing this is not enough for us. 00:11:46.560 --> 00:11:56.560 We have to carry his heart and when we carry his heart and we respond to the cry of God for people who are not just saved, not yet saved, 00:11:56.560 --> 00:12:02.560 then we become people who create pathways into Jerusalem for others. 00:12:02.560 --> 00:12:04.560 We create pathways. 00:12:04.560 --> 00:12:06.560 We carry his nature. 00:12:06.560 --> 00:12:07.560 We create pathways. 00:12:07.560 --> 00:12:12.560 People come because the pathway is being laid out by one, by two, by three, by four, by many. 00:12:13.520 --> 00:12:18.520 I'm so encouraged when Diana shared the story she shared because this is exactly what we're going to talk about today. 00:12:20.520 --> 00:12:23.520 This is for all of us. 00:12:26.520 --> 00:12:38.520 So then I have to know again, not just with my head, but with my heart, that God is doing this and that when I'm in the grocery shop at Superstore buying stuff, 00:12:39.480 --> 00:12:43.480 there are people standing in front of me in the line, there are people standing behind me. 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:50.480 When I am at a busy place watching white caps getting hammered, that's still happening. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.480 There are people around me who really, really need God. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:13:02.480 And it's something that I'm intentional about, but it's nature to me because I'm carrying God's heart. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:05.480 That's where we need to be. 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:10.440 And when we do that, we create pathways for people to come into Jerusalem. 00:13:10.440 --> 00:13:16.440 Let's go to Exodus chapter 33, verses 7 to 11. 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:20.440 Exodus chapter 33, 7 to 11. 00:13:28.440 --> 00:13:30.440 Can someone read that please? 00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:40.440 Exodus 33, 7 to 11. 00:13:46.440 --> 00:13:56.440 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. 00:13:56.440 --> 00:14:04.440 And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 00:14:05.400 --> 00:14:11.400 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up and each would stand at his tent door 00:14:11.400 --> 00:14:16.400 and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 00:14:16.400 --> 00:14:24.400 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, 00:14:24.400 --> 00:14:26.400 and the Lord would speak with Moses. 00:14:26.400 --> 00:14:31.400 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:35.360 all the people would rise up and worship each at his tent door. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:44.360 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:54.360 When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant, Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart the tent. 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:56.360 Let's draw this. 00:14:57.320 --> 00:15:03.320 So we have, this is where Israel lives, and there are lots of tents. 00:15:09.320 --> 00:15:12.320 That's a big one, because that's daunt. 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:14.320 It needs more room. 00:15:19.320 --> 00:15:21.320 So that's the camp. 00:15:22.280 --> 00:15:32.280 What Moses would do is he'd go from here, he'd pitch the tent outside the camp. 00:15:32.280 --> 00:15:37.280 And when Moses goes, he goes there, and he has this, as Emily was singing earlier, 00:15:37.280 --> 00:15:42.280 he has these face to face meetings with God, face to face. 00:15:42.280 --> 00:15:45.280 He's talking with God as a friend. 00:15:45.280 --> 00:15:48.280 God is talking back to him as a friend. 00:15:49.240 --> 00:15:54.240 And these meetings happen at the tent right here outside of the camp. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:56.240 And when these meetings happen, this is the difference. 00:15:56.240 --> 00:16:02.240 So we've talked about it's not enough knowing it in my mind, in my head. 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:05.240 It is important for me to carry the heart of God. 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:06.240 And this is the difference. 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:12.240 So you see there is a camp, and then Moses goes out, pitches the tent outside, 00:16:12.240 --> 00:16:16.240 and he has face to face meetings with God here in this tent. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:21.200 And while that's happening, there are people, Israelites, here in the camp, 00:16:21.200 --> 00:16:24.200 they look at Moses from the entrance of their tent. 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:28.200 So from here, I'll be looking at Moses, seeing Moses is going, 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:30.200 and I'm going to wait here at the tent. 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:33.200 And as soon as I see the cloud of pillar coming down, 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.200 I'm going to fall on my knees and I'm going to worship God. 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:38.200 So this kept happening. 00:16:38.200 --> 00:16:42.200 You have the people here at the camp, and then Moses goes in. 00:16:43.160 --> 00:16:47.160 But the thing is, Joshua, as we know, he went with Moses, 00:16:47.160 --> 00:16:52.160 and Joshua has seen these conversations that Moses has had with God. 00:16:52.160 --> 00:16:56.160 So it's no surprise that as soon as Moses is out of the picture, 00:16:56.160 --> 00:16:59.160 then there is a Joshua, and Joshua knows the heart of God. 00:16:59.160 --> 00:17:01.160 How does he know the heart of God? 00:17:01.160 --> 00:17:06.160 Because he has seen and heard what God has been talking about his people 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.160 back at the camp to Moses, because he's here. 00:17:09.160 --> 00:17:13.120 He's looking and hearing and seeing all that conversation here 00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:16.120 about a people who live here. 00:17:16.120 --> 00:17:21.120 And so it's natural for Joshua to then carry the heart of God 00:17:21.120 --> 00:17:23.120 because he has heard it, he has seen it, 00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:27.120 he has heard what God thinks about his people. 00:17:27.120 --> 00:17:33.120 And in chapter 33, this is just after the golden calf was made, 00:17:33.120 --> 00:17:36.120 so it starts off there, and then it doesn't end there. 00:17:37.080 --> 00:17:42.080 Joshua continued to carry the heart of God. 00:17:42.080 --> 00:17:46.080 So we are then the difference between head knowledge 00:17:46.080 --> 00:17:47.080 and the difference between... 00:17:47.080 --> 00:17:52.080 And again, whenever the people wanted to go to the tent, they could. 00:17:52.080 --> 00:17:56.080 So you could, any time you're seeking God, you could go to the tent. 00:17:56.080 --> 00:17:59.080 The second verse, I think, says that. 00:17:59.080 --> 00:18:04.080 So here is the difference, and this is why I picked up these verses. 00:18:05.040 --> 00:18:08.040 The difference between... 00:18:08.040 --> 00:18:12.040 The difference between knowing this in my head 00:18:12.040 --> 00:18:15.040 and carrying the heart of God 00:18:15.040 --> 00:18:19.040 is knowing this just in my head 00:18:19.040 --> 00:18:22.040 and having face-to-face meetings with God. 00:18:22.040 --> 00:18:24.040 That's the difference. 00:18:24.040 --> 00:18:28.040 The only way I can carry the heart of God 00:18:28.040 --> 00:18:34.040 is if I have face-to-face meetings with God 00:18:34.040 --> 00:18:40.040 and continue, start to share the heart of God for other people. 00:18:42.040 --> 00:18:46.040 So it's not enough for me then to have this. 00:18:46.040 --> 00:18:49.040 It's important for me to have face-to-face meetings 00:18:49.040 --> 00:18:54.040 so that I start, continue to carry the heart of God, 00:18:54.040 --> 00:18:56.040 not just for me, but for others. 00:19:05.040 --> 00:19:10.040 So to summarize this, we are then called to be carriers of his heart. 00:19:10.040 --> 00:19:13.040 We have his spirit living inside of us. 00:19:13.040 --> 00:19:16.040 It's different from the days of Moses. 00:19:16.040 --> 00:19:19.040 We have his spirit residing in me, living in me. 00:19:19.040 --> 00:19:22.040 And so we are to be carriers of his heart 00:19:22.040 --> 00:19:26.040 so that it doesn't matter if it's Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, 00:19:26.040 --> 00:19:30.040 7 a.m., 8 p.m., 10 p.m., 12 midnight, 3 a.m. 00:19:30.040 --> 00:19:31.040 It doesn't matter. 00:19:31.040 --> 00:19:34.040 I know intentionally and unconsciously 00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:38.040 that God is bringing a people from the West Country and the East Country, 00:19:38.040 --> 00:19:41.040 from the North and the South, into Jerusalem. 00:19:41.040 --> 00:19:45.040 And that's his heart, and I continue to carry his heart for other people. 00:19:45.040 --> 00:19:47.040 So that's the start. 00:19:47.040 --> 00:19:50.040 That's where we are building everything from. 00:19:55.040 --> 00:19:59.040 So next thing, we have to be a carrier of God's spirit. 00:19:59.040 --> 00:20:06.040 So next thing, Jacob has always taught about first principles. 00:20:06.040 --> 00:20:09.040 Whenever, if you go back and look at Genesis, 00:20:09.040 --> 00:20:12.040 there are things that happen for the first time. 00:20:12.040 --> 00:20:14.040 And there is much for us to discover there, 00:20:14.040 --> 00:20:17.040 because that's the first time it was mentioned. 00:20:17.040 --> 00:20:21.040 And God has to show us more there, so keep digging and you'll find more. 00:20:21.040 --> 00:20:27.040 So I've been reading Luke, the Gospel of Luke, over the last few days. 00:20:28.040 --> 00:20:32.040 And in the story that surrounds the birth of Jesus, 00:20:32.040 --> 00:20:34.040 there are a few things that happen. 00:20:34.040 --> 00:20:41.040 We know Mary, we know Joseph, we know Elizabeth, we know Zechariah, 00:20:41.040 --> 00:20:44.040 we know the shepherds, we know the angels. 00:20:44.040 --> 00:20:46.040 These are stories we know very well. 00:20:46.040 --> 00:20:53.040 But almost as a first principle, as the New Testament story begins, 00:20:53.040 --> 00:20:57.040 there are two people whose names are mentioned. 00:21:02.040 --> 00:21:05.040 Simeon and Anna. 00:21:05.040 --> 00:21:08.040 They are basically nobodies. 00:21:08.040 --> 00:21:13.040 They don't have a huge role in the story that's happening. 00:21:13.040 --> 00:21:17.040 But there is a Simeon, and Simeon is in the temple. 00:21:17.040 --> 00:21:22.040 And Jesus is being brought to the temple by his parents. 00:21:22.040 --> 00:21:28.040 And Simeon knows in his heart that the promise that he has been waiting for is here. 00:21:28.040 --> 00:21:34.040 And there is one thing that is told about Simeon, in Luke chapter 1 or 2, I think. 00:21:34.040 --> 00:21:37.040 There is one thing that's told about Simeon. 00:21:37.040 --> 00:21:48.040 It says, Simeon was righteous and devout, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for the consolation of Israel. 00:21:48.040 --> 00:21:55.040 Simeon was righteous, Simeon was devout, but he was waiting for this to happen. 00:21:55.040 --> 00:21:57.040 Because see, it was not about him. 00:21:57.040 --> 00:22:03.040 It was about a people and God put in his heart, and he carried the heart of God, saying, 00:22:03.040 --> 00:22:06.040 I am waiting, God, when is this happening? 00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:11.040 When is the rescue of a people that you put together on earth happening? 00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:16.040 I'm going to wait for this, I'm going to wait for this, I'm going to wait for this, and here comes Jesus. 00:22:16.040 --> 00:22:23.040 And as soon as that happens, he knows Jesus is here, and he is excited, he goes and prays and blesses Jesus. 00:22:23.040 --> 00:22:26.040 That's one thing. 00:22:26.040 --> 00:22:27.040 And then there is Anna. 00:22:27.040 --> 00:22:34.040 Again, Anna is a prophetess, she is a widow, she has, there is one thing that's told about Anna in the scripture. 00:22:34.040 --> 00:22:38.040 It says, she would not depart from the temple. 00:22:38.040 --> 00:22:44.040 And again, she did not depart from the temple because she had personal reasons, that's good. 00:22:44.040 --> 00:22:48.040 But it was outside of that, again, she was waiting for the redemption of Israel. 00:22:48.040 --> 00:22:50.040 And it burned her heart. 00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:51.040 It burned Simeon's heart. 00:22:51.040 --> 00:22:58.040 And so they've been waiting and waiting and waiting so that there would come a day when the Messiah would come and things would change. 00:22:58.040 --> 00:23:00.040 Why are we looking at Simeon and Anna? 00:23:00.040 --> 00:23:04.040 Because that's the beginning of the story that we continue to live in. 00:23:04.040 --> 00:23:12.040 And God chose two people like this because all they did was they had the heart of God for Israel. 00:23:12.040 --> 00:23:20.040 And that's God's cry over our lives as well, that I will have, that we will have the heart of God for others. 00:23:20.040 --> 00:23:21.040 We will carry that. 00:23:21.040 --> 00:23:28.040 We will live with that every day of our lives, intentionally and unconsciously. 00:23:28.040 --> 00:23:30.040 So there are three things. 00:23:30.040 --> 00:23:33.040 And we'll finish with those three things. 00:23:42.040 --> 00:24:06.040 So the sacrilege, chapter 8, 7 and 8, I'm going to summarize it. 00:24:06.040 --> 00:24:16.040 Let's say there is a cry of God that says, my people, that's his cry. 00:24:16.040 --> 00:24:25.040 He says, I'm their God. 00:24:25.040 --> 00:24:33.040 He saves them and they respond and say, yeah, you are our God. 00:24:33.040 --> 00:24:39.040 So that's sacrilege, chapter 7 and 8. 00:24:39.040 --> 00:24:41.040 God first cries out. 00:24:41.040 --> 00:24:44.040 He first says, you're my people, you're my people. 00:24:44.040 --> 00:24:46.040 I am your God. 00:24:46.040 --> 00:24:47.040 And then they recognize it. 00:24:47.040 --> 00:24:52.040 And in response, they say, yes, you are our God. 00:24:52.040 --> 00:24:56.040 So this thing is what God is doing. 00:24:56.040 --> 00:24:58.040 And we are part of the story. 00:24:58.040 --> 00:25:00.040 I am part of the story. 00:25:00.040 --> 00:25:01.040 You're part of the story. 00:25:01.040 --> 00:25:04.040 All of us are part of this story. 00:25:04.040 --> 00:25:07.040 Diana was this week part of the story. 00:25:07.040 --> 00:25:13.040 And this is all we're going to talk about today. 00:25:14.040 --> 00:25:33.040 And just to summarize this, I'm going to say if we have a topic for what we are looking at, it's going to be summarized as faith for another. 00:25:33.040 --> 00:25:41.040 Faith for another. 00:25:41.040 --> 00:25:49.040 Romans chapter 12 talks about the fact that each of us, we have a measure of faith. 00:25:49.040 --> 00:25:54.040 And may suggest us that that measure of faith is not just for us. 00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:58.040 That measure of faith is enough for those around us. 00:25:58.040 --> 00:25:59.040 And so this happened. 00:25:59.040 --> 00:26:01.040 This thing happening. 00:26:01.040 --> 00:26:03.040 My people, I am their God. 00:26:03.040 --> 00:26:05.040 And I think it's a lot of people responding here. 00:26:05.040 --> 00:26:16.040 God happens when the people of God operates, lives every day with faith, not just for themselves, but with faith for another. 00:26:16.040 --> 00:26:21.040 Because the measure of faith I have and the measure of faith you have is more. 00:26:21.040 --> 00:26:25.040 It's more than what I need and more than what you need. 00:26:25.040 --> 00:26:32.040 It is for another. 00:26:32.040 --> 00:26:42.040 We can almost say that the only economy where the more you spend, the richer you become is God's economy. 00:26:42.040 --> 00:26:46.040 Because in God's economy, the currency is faith. 00:26:46.040 --> 00:26:50.040 The more I spend, the richer I become. 00:26:50.040 --> 00:26:51.040 It doesn't reduce. 00:26:51.040 --> 00:26:54.040 I am not deprived of the faith currency. 00:26:54.040 --> 00:26:56.040 The more I spend, the richer I become. 00:26:56.040 --> 00:26:59.040 The more I spend, the richer I become in God's economy. 00:26:59.040 --> 00:27:04.040 So this faith is not just to be used for myself because I carry the heart of God. 00:27:04.040 --> 00:27:09.040 My faith is for another. 00:27:09.040 --> 00:27:19.040 So we're going to look at three keys to being equipped for encounters that await us in the world like Diana was talking about. 00:27:19.040 --> 00:27:28.040 Just three keys that will equip us for encounters that await us in the world. 00:27:28.040 --> 00:27:56.040 The first one, and I talked about it already, but 00:27:56.040 --> 00:28:05.040 first one, carry his heart. 00:28:05.040 --> 00:28:09.040 So another way to understand this. 00:28:09.040 --> 00:28:14.040 My face to face with God equips me for the encounters that await me. 00:28:14.040 --> 00:28:20.040 My face to face with God equips me for the encounters that await me. 00:28:20.040 --> 00:28:24.040 It's almost like one of the ways I understand it. 00:28:24.040 --> 00:28:32.040 My cup runs over, my cup runs over so that what's over and above and I don't need is for others. 00:28:32.040 --> 00:28:34.040 It's more than I need. 00:28:34.040 --> 00:28:35.040 My cup runs over. 00:28:35.040 --> 00:28:43.040 I need what I have in my faith, but there is more in my faith that I can expect that I can use up for other people. 00:28:43.040 --> 00:28:49.040 And so I carry his heart, number one. 00:28:49.040 --> 00:28:57.040 And there are so many scriptural references we can use for face to face conversations like we were singing. 00:28:57.040 --> 00:29:00.040 The best one is look at the life of Jesus. 00:29:00.040 --> 00:29:05.040 Jesus would depart to desolate places and he would have conversations with God. 00:29:05.040 --> 00:29:07.040 And that's where everything comes from. 00:29:07.040 --> 00:29:13.040 My relationship, my face to face with God is from where everything is driven. 00:29:13.040 --> 00:29:21.040 And again, talking about the head knowledge and carrying in this heart. 00:29:21.040 --> 00:29:26.040 God is not worthy of praises. 00:29:26.040 --> 00:29:30.040 God is not worthy of pursuit. 00:29:30.040 --> 00:29:35.040 God is not worthy of devotion. 00:29:35.040 --> 00:29:39.040 He is worthy of complete devotion. 00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:42.040 He is worthy of highest praise. 00:29:42.040 --> 00:29:46.040 He is worthy of unadulterated pursuit. 00:29:46.040 --> 00:30:04.040 And I mean, this has been this line that God's been using that in my mind, in my heart to show me that, man, like, there is so much more here because praise and devotion and pursuit. 00:30:04.040 --> 00:30:07.040 Sometimes we like praise, devotion, pursuit. 00:30:07.040 --> 00:30:09.040 God is not just worthy of that. 00:30:09.040 --> 00:30:12.040 God is worthy of highest praise. 00:30:12.040 --> 00:30:15.040 God is worthy of complete devotion. 00:30:15.040 --> 00:30:20.040 God is worthy of unadulterated, poor, pure pursuit. 00:30:20.040 --> 00:30:22.040 That's what God is worthy of. 00:30:22.040 --> 00:30:33.040 And I mean, this thing has been on my heart because I find it difficult to break away from devotion to complete devotion. 00:30:33.040 --> 00:30:37.040 What is devotion versus complete devotion? 00:30:37.040 --> 00:30:39.040 And that's a journey that I'll be on. 00:30:39.040 --> 00:30:43.040 That's a journey that we'll be on, where we'll be like, Father, devotion is not enough. 00:30:43.040 --> 00:30:45.040 Praise is not enough. 00:30:45.040 --> 00:30:46.040 Pursuit is not enough. 00:30:46.040 --> 00:30:48.040 I have to pursue you. 00:30:48.040 --> 00:30:52.040 I have to pursue you that this is an unadulterated, pure pursuit. 00:30:52.040 --> 00:30:54.040 I have to give you praise. 00:30:54.040 --> 00:30:55.040 And it's not just praise. 00:30:55.040 --> 00:30:56.040 It's the highest praise. 00:30:56.040 --> 00:31:00.040 I have to be devout to you, but it's not being devoted to you. 00:31:00.040 --> 00:31:05.040 It's you have complete because complete devotion because you've already offered. 00:31:05.040 --> 00:31:08.040 That is what we mean by carrying his heart. 00:31:08.040 --> 00:31:10.040 We're more and more, more and more. 00:31:10.040 --> 00:31:11.040 God is saying, this is not enough. 00:31:11.040 --> 00:31:12.040 This is not enough. 00:31:12.040 --> 00:31:13.040 This is not enough. 00:31:13.040 --> 00:31:14.040 Come one step closer. 00:31:14.040 --> 00:31:16.040 Come two steps closer. 00:31:16.040 --> 00:31:21.040 This is where I want you to be because I want you to not just know this. 00:31:21.040 --> 00:31:24.040 I want you to carry my heart for people. 00:31:24.040 --> 00:31:34.040 Let's read Luke chapter five, 17 to 20. 00:31:34.040 --> 00:31:41.040 The gospel of Luke chapter five was a 17 to 20. 00:31:41.040 --> 00:31:45.040 So we're going to look at three stories. 00:31:45.040 --> 00:31:47.040 This is the first story. 00:31:47.040 --> 00:31:49.040 What are we talking about? 00:31:49.040 --> 00:31:55.040 Do we have faith for another? 00:31:55.040 --> 00:31:59.040 Can someone read that? 00:31:59.040 --> 00:32:02.040 One day it was teaching Pharisees and teachers of law, 00:32:02.040 --> 00:32:07.040 what comes from every village, valley, and from Judea and Ruth when we're sitting here, 00:32:07.040 --> 00:32:12.040 and the power of the Lord was present for him to feel sick. 00:32:12.040 --> 00:32:20.040 So men came carrying a parable on a mat and tried to take it to the Holy State before Jesus. 00:32:20.040 --> 00:32:23.040 When the children of Michael waited for Jesus because of the crowd, 00:32:23.040 --> 00:32:27.040 they went up on the roof and the Lord had already wrapped through the tiles 00:32:27.040 --> 00:32:31.040 and in the middle of the crowd, prayed before Jesus. 00:32:31.040 --> 00:32:37.040 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, friend, your sins are forgiven. 00:32:37.040 --> 00:32:39.040 That's good. Thank you. 00:32:39.040 --> 00:32:42.040 So that's the first story, a story all of us know. 00:32:42.040 --> 00:32:46.040 There are four men, and I love the fact that, 00:32:46.040 --> 00:32:50.040 number one, this story is the first story in the gospel of Luke 00:32:50.040 --> 00:32:56.040 where you see someone being healed on account of someone else's faith. 00:32:56.040 --> 00:33:00.040 The paralytic is being healed not on account of his faith. 00:33:00.040 --> 00:33:04.040 He's being healed on account of someone else's faith. 00:33:04.040 --> 00:33:09.040 And this is the first story in the gospel of Luke where this happens. 00:33:09.040 --> 00:33:13.040 So again, going back, there is so much more that God is showing us from the story. 00:33:13.040 --> 00:33:19.040 I love the fact that the four people who are bringing this paralytic to Jesus, 00:33:19.040 --> 00:33:22.040 their names we don't know. 00:33:22.040 --> 00:33:25.040 We don't know where they come from. 00:33:25.040 --> 00:33:29.040 Typically, we look at all the gospels, you know where people come from. 00:33:29.040 --> 00:33:31.040 It says this is where they're from. 00:33:31.040 --> 00:33:34.040 So in here, it doesn't say where exactly they come from. 00:33:34.040 --> 00:33:42.040 They are complete unknowns, and here they are, they're carrying on their shoulders a bed, 00:33:42.040 --> 00:33:45.040 and on this bed is the paralytic. 00:33:45.040 --> 00:33:49.040 He probably cannot move at all because I can think culturally. 00:33:49.040 --> 00:33:55.040 I would think that really, Eastern culture is very similar to Asia and India and stuff like that. 00:33:55.040 --> 00:33:58.040 If he can move somewhere, man, like you won't be on a bed. 00:33:58.040 --> 00:34:01.040 They'll probably just carry you like this. 00:34:01.040 --> 00:34:07.040 If you're on the bed and that's how you're being moved, he probably can't move much at all. 00:34:07.040 --> 00:34:09.040 I don't know if he could speak. 00:34:09.040 --> 00:34:11.040 Maybe he could, maybe he could not. 00:34:11.040 --> 00:34:18.040 But one thing we know, he didn't have enough faith perhaps. 00:34:18.040 --> 00:34:21.040 But his friends had enough faith. 00:34:21.040 --> 00:34:22.040 And think about that conversation. 00:34:22.040 --> 00:34:27.040 They would be like going to him and be saying, I've heard about this Jesus. 00:34:27.040 --> 00:34:29.040 He's a miracle worker. 00:34:29.040 --> 00:34:32.040 I saw him doing miracles here. 00:34:32.040 --> 00:34:36.040 Man, we're here to kind of take you to Jesus. 00:34:36.040 --> 00:34:38.040 We're going to put you on a bed. 00:34:38.040 --> 00:34:40.040 We're going to take you to where Jesus is. 00:34:40.040 --> 00:34:47.040 Because I believe with what I saw and with what I experienced that Jesus can heal. 00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:49.040 And they put him on a bed. 00:34:49.040 --> 00:34:51.040 They take him. 00:34:51.040 --> 00:34:52.040 And here's the thing. 00:34:52.040 --> 00:34:58.040 In the story, it talks about the struggles they have to go through to get to Jesus. 00:34:58.040 --> 00:35:00.040 Because it's very crowded again. 00:35:00.040 --> 00:35:05.040 In the Middle Eastern context, when you think of even the room where it's crowded, 00:35:05.040 --> 00:35:06.040 don't think that there is any space. 00:35:06.040 --> 00:35:08.040 There would be no space. 00:35:08.040 --> 00:35:12.040 Like Jesus may be here and there may be people right here. 00:35:12.040 --> 00:35:14.040 There would be no space at all. 00:35:14.040 --> 00:35:20.040 So think of them carrying this guy on the bed, coming to the entrance of the house, saying, 00:35:20.040 --> 00:35:21.040 we'd like to come in. 00:35:21.040 --> 00:35:23.040 People would be like, are you crazy? 00:35:23.040 --> 00:35:25.040 Like there is no room inside. 00:35:25.040 --> 00:35:27.040 How are you going to carry a bed inside? 00:35:27.040 --> 00:35:30.040 It's just not going to happen. 00:35:30.040 --> 00:35:39.040 But what I like about the story is that while these guys, while these four people are carrying this man, 00:35:39.040 --> 00:35:45.040 what they are doing is they are carrying the heart of God for that man. 00:35:45.040 --> 00:35:52.040 It's by no chance may I suggest that in the story they have to carry this man on a bed. 00:35:52.040 --> 00:35:58.040 It's by no chance may I suggest that this is happening because God is showing, 00:35:58.040 --> 00:36:03.040 God is saying that, hey, my, your faith that has to be used for others. 00:36:03.040 --> 00:36:06.040 The first step is that you carry my heart. 00:36:06.040 --> 00:36:12.040 And in carrying the bed, so to speak, it's almost for me like they are carrying the heart for God, 00:36:12.040 --> 00:36:16.040 for that man in their journey to where Jesus was. 00:36:22.040 --> 00:36:24.040 We'll stop there for that. 00:36:24.040 --> 00:36:25.040 Carrying his heart. 00:36:27.040 --> 00:36:28.040 Second. 00:36:31.040 --> 00:36:33.040 Actually, I'll share a story. 00:36:33.040 --> 00:36:43.040 So this was maybe two weeks ago, a friend, two, three weeks ago, a friend of mine and I'm going to be chatting 00:36:43.040 --> 00:36:51.040 and he's 50, 60 years old and he's been having a hard time with his job situation. 00:36:51.040 --> 00:36:54.040 And he says, I'm tired. 00:36:54.040 --> 00:36:59.040 I'm tired that I have to prove people that I'm worthy of a job. 00:36:59.040 --> 00:37:01.040 I'm tired of doing this. 00:37:01.040 --> 00:37:07.040 I have everywhere to go, even in my current job, I have to prove to people that I'm good. 00:37:07.040 --> 00:37:09.040 I'm tired of doing this. 00:37:10.040 --> 00:37:18.040 We had this conversation and sitting down, I told them, I'm so convinced that God cares. 00:37:18.040 --> 00:37:26.040 And I'm so convinced that if you tell God like this is the job I want, he can give you that job where you don't have to prove it anymore. 00:37:26.040 --> 00:37:28.040 God is able. Why? 00:37:28.040 --> 00:37:31.040 Because I'm so convinced that he loves you enough. 00:37:31.040 --> 00:37:34.040 I'm convinced about this and let's pray. 00:37:34.040 --> 00:37:36.040 Let's pray and see what happens. 00:37:36.040 --> 00:37:47.040 So as soon as I got back from India, I got a Monday, I get a phone call and this friend says, Hey, I got a job. 00:37:47.040 --> 00:37:53.040 And the job is so good that I went in for the interview and they interviewed me. 00:37:53.040 --> 00:37:55.040 And guess what? 00:37:55.040 --> 00:38:00.040 I asked them if they need references and they said they don't need references. 00:38:00.040 --> 00:38:04.040 And this is the thing, because I've been like trying to prove people that I'm worthy. 00:38:04.040 --> 00:38:12.040 And here comes a job that God is giving and God is saying that, Hey man, I don't need your references. 00:38:12.040 --> 00:38:16.040 I'm going to give me a job without references. 00:38:16.040 --> 00:38:18.040 Why? Because this is what you've been asking for. 00:38:18.040 --> 00:38:22.040 You've been asking for a job where you don't have to prove yourself. 00:38:22.040 --> 00:38:24.040 Guess what? Here is a job. 00:38:24.040 --> 00:38:26.040 Why? Because I love you. 00:38:26.040 --> 00:38:37.040 And this is what we are doing where we create pathways for God, pathways for others to Jerusalem so that they can discover the heart of God more and more. 00:38:37.040 --> 00:38:40.040 Carrying his heart. 00:38:40.040 --> 00:38:44.040 I'm so glad again that you shared that story, Diana. 00:38:44.040 --> 00:38:52.040 Because even in Diana's story, what happens is there's one thing she's sharing because that's what she knows about God. 00:38:52.040 --> 00:38:53.040 And she shares that. 00:38:53.040 --> 00:38:58.040 And we sometimes don't know the power of God's stories. 00:38:58.040 --> 00:39:06.040 We sometimes don't know the power of scripture, the power of truth, which can set people's lives free. 00:39:06.040 --> 00:39:11.040 There's so much to this and that we don't have we don't need any extra words. 00:39:11.040 --> 00:39:15.040 We don't need carefully thought out, very articulate words and philosophies. 00:39:15.040 --> 00:39:21.040 It's the simplicity of the gospel and the simplicity of the truth that sets people free. 00:39:21.040 --> 00:39:26.040 So that's carrying his heart. 00:39:26.040 --> 00:39:30.040 Why don't you share your story really quickly? 00:39:30.040 --> 00:39:37.040 The story that you told me about when you went to UBC and met with a friend. 00:39:37.040 --> 00:39:39.040 Well, yeah. 00:39:39.040 --> 00:39:41.040 So here's the story. 00:39:41.040 --> 00:39:46.040 Okay. 00:39:46.040 --> 00:39:55.040 Yeah, as Derek was saying this week, this past week, I went to school actually for another reason. 00:39:55.040 --> 00:40:03.040 But it was just amazing how God just connected me with this guy who I hadn't seen for a long time. 00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:05.040 He's such a friend. 00:40:05.040 --> 00:40:07.040 His name is Nathan. 00:40:07.040 --> 00:40:10.040 And when we met, Prashan knows it. 00:40:10.040 --> 00:40:11.040 Yeah. 00:40:12.040 --> 00:40:16.040 We met, we were just talking and I didn't really intend to say that I'm sharing the gospel, 00:40:16.040 --> 00:40:22.040 but just by telling him, you know what, this is what God has been doing in my life. 00:40:22.040 --> 00:40:25.040 And you know, just sharing, just to say God is good, you know, he's amazing. 00:40:25.040 --> 00:40:28.040 Over lunch, you know, we sat down, we ate some lunch. 00:40:28.040 --> 00:40:32.040 And yeah, afterwards he said, you know, it was so amazing. 00:40:32.040 --> 00:40:39.040 It was so good that we met because I needed my spirituality to be revamped. 00:40:39.040 --> 00:40:42.040 You know, and I was like, wow, God is so amazing. 00:40:42.040 --> 00:40:44.040 Even when you don't plan it. 00:40:44.040 --> 00:40:46.040 Yeah, he just does his work. 00:40:46.040 --> 00:40:48.040 Yeah, he does his work. 00:40:48.040 --> 00:40:51.040 Thank you. 00:40:51.040 --> 00:40:53.040 And God is doing this every day. 00:40:53.040 --> 00:40:57.040 Because there are so many people that we know about that we don't know about, 00:40:57.040 --> 00:41:02.040 but he's just waiting for his stories to be released, for his truths to be released. 00:41:02.040 --> 00:41:05.040 And all we're doing is, it's easy. 00:41:05.040 --> 00:41:07.040 We're the four men carrying his heart. 00:41:07.040 --> 00:41:09.040 They don't know our names sometimes. 00:41:09.040 --> 00:41:11.040 They don't know where we come from. 00:41:11.040 --> 00:41:16.040 Okay, the only thing we care about is that we carry his heart so that others can see it. 00:41:16.040 --> 00:41:28.040 Second thing, carrying his heart is not enough. 00:41:28.040 --> 00:41:36.040 We have to proclaim the truth. 00:41:36.040 --> 00:41:39.040 Proclamation happens not just in words. 00:41:39.040 --> 00:41:46.040 Proclamation happens in actions of life and in words and through words. 00:41:46.040 --> 00:41:51.040 So as I carry God's heart, I live out in action the heart of God. 00:41:51.040 --> 00:41:54.040 So proclamation doesn't happen just in words. 00:41:54.040 --> 00:41:57.040 It happens in action and in words. 00:41:57.040 --> 00:42:05.040 So we won't look at the story like we did the first story. 00:42:05.040 --> 00:42:09.040 But if you need scriptural reference, this is the second story. 00:42:09.040 --> 00:42:14.040 It's from Luke chapter 7, 1 to 10. 00:42:14.040 --> 00:42:18.040 Luke chapter 7, 1 to 10. 00:42:18.040 --> 00:42:21.040 This is the story of the centurion. 00:42:21.040 --> 00:42:24.040 We know the story again. 00:42:24.040 --> 00:42:28.040 The centurion, he has a servant. 00:42:28.040 --> 00:42:33.040 And again, similar to the first story, there are two things that I really love about the centurion. 00:42:33.040 --> 00:42:37.040 Number one, the centurion doesn't go, of course, to Jesus. 00:42:37.040 --> 00:42:40.040 He sends the elders of the Jews to go to Jesus. 00:42:40.040 --> 00:42:42.040 And the elders come. 00:42:42.040 --> 00:42:48.040 And even though the centurion did not ask the people he sent to tell this to Jesus, 00:42:48.040 --> 00:42:52.040 they tell one thing about the centurion to Jesus. 00:42:52.040 --> 00:42:59.040 They say, this guy loves our nation and he loves people. 00:42:59.040 --> 00:43:03.040 And he has a servant who needs help. 00:43:03.040 --> 00:43:06.040 So that's the first thing we know about the centurion. 00:43:06.040 --> 00:43:13.040 And this is verse 5. 00:43:13.040 --> 00:43:17.040 So Luke 7, verse 5, I'll read it. 00:43:17.040 --> 00:43:21.040 This is those who were sent by the centurion. 00:43:21.040 --> 00:43:25.040 They said, for he, the centurion, loves our nation. 00:43:25.040 --> 00:43:31.040 And he's the one who built us our synagogue. 00:43:31.040 --> 00:43:40.040 To summarize the story that is in verses 6 to 10, the servant is healed because the centurion says from where he was. 00:43:40.040 --> 00:43:42.040 And he sends this message to Jesus. 00:43:42.040 --> 00:43:46.040 He says, hey, there are people under my authority. 00:43:46.040 --> 00:43:50.040 When I ask him to, when I ask someone to go somewhere, they'll go there. 00:43:50.040 --> 00:43:52.040 When I ask someone to come, they'll come. 00:43:52.040 --> 00:43:54.040 They'll do what I say because I have authority. 00:43:54.040 --> 00:43:57.040 And hey, Jesus, I know that you have authority. 00:43:57.040 --> 00:44:02.040 And so I know that if you say, be healed, my servant will be healed. 00:44:02.040 --> 00:44:11.040 There's another thing in verse 1, I think of Luke chapter 7 that talks about this guy's, this centurion's relationship with the servant. 00:44:11.040 --> 00:44:20.040 It says the servant was highly valued by the centurion, highly valued by the centurion. 00:44:20.040 --> 00:44:29.040 And the reason we carry his heart and the reason we proclaim the truth is not just because we have to carry the heart and because we have to proclaim the truth. 00:44:29.040 --> 00:44:31.040 It goes back to where we started. 00:44:31.040 --> 00:44:49.040 The highest, the greatest exchange that ever, ever happened, the most expensive and the most unreasonable exchange that ever happened in the history of our universe was the blood of the slain lamb in exchange for a people. 00:44:49.040 --> 00:45:01.040 And so as I carry his heart, as I proclaim the truth, like the centurion, as I highly value people I know, because they are highly valuable. 00:45:01.040 --> 00:45:11.040 On account of the proclamation of the truth, both in actions and in words, God works in other people's life. 00:45:11.040 --> 00:45:16.040 And that creates pathways for people to come back to Jerusalem. 00:45:16.040 --> 00:45:25.040 That creates, in other words, pathways for people to come back to the father they didn't know they had. 00:45:25.040 --> 00:45:35.040 Another scripture to go along with that is Zechariah chapter 8, 16. 00:45:35.040 --> 00:45:43.040 Zechariah chapter 8, 16. 00:45:43.040 --> 00:45:50.040 These are the things that you shall, this is God saying, these are the things that you shall do. 00:45:50.040 --> 00:45:53.040 Speak the truth to one another. 00:45:53.040 --> 00:46:00.040 Speak the truth to one another. 00:46:00.040 --> 00:46:09.040 And when we proclaim the truth, and even as I was preparing for this, this is a story from another time. 00:46:09.040 --> 00:46:13.040 I got tested in this last week. 00:46:13.040 --> 00:46:22.040 Because the first point that I had under proclamation of the truth is, we cannot proclaim the truth if we fear man. 00:46:22.040 --> 00:46:26.040 We cannot proclaim the truth if we fear man. 00:46:26.040 --> 00:46:29.040 And what do we mean by fearing man? 00:46:29.040 --> 00:46:34.040 It's number one, the fear that, how am I going to look when I say this? 00:46:34.040 --> 00:46:41.040 Number two, there may be fear that, are they going to be offended when I say this? 00:46:41.040 --> 00:46:48.040 And both those things will be huge hindrances to us proclaiming the truth. 00:46:48.040 --> 00:46:50.040 So there cannot be fear of man in this. 00:46:50.040 --> 00:46:53.040 And that's what face to face with God does. 00:46:53.040 --> 00:46:59.040 Because faith to faith with God doesn't just give us, doesn't just have us carrying his heart. 00:46:59.040 --> 00:47:04.040 It also gives us the confidence, the boldness like a Peter had. 00:47:04.040 --> 00:47:12.040 It is one thing, it is one thing for Peter to say, Jesus, I'm going to die for you and then betray you. 00:47:12.040 --> 00:47:21.040 And it is another thing for Peter in the Book of Acts, Chapter two, to stand boldly and proclaim that this is the risen Christ. 00:47:21.040 --> 00:47:25.040 So it's one thing. And that's why carrying his heart is not enough. 00:47:25.040 --> 00:47:28.040 We have to carry his heart and we have to proclaim the truth. 00:47:28.040 --> 00:47:35.040 And when we proclaim the truth, one of the things that we need help with from God is that we will not fear man. 00:47:38.040 --> 00:47:41.040 And second thing, all of that is done rooted in love. 00:47:41.040 --> 00:47:49.040 All of the words we are saying, everything that we do, it's because we love them genuinely. 00:47:49.040 --> 00:47:53.040 Because this is the only way and God loves them. 00:47:53.040 --> 00:47:56.040 And I'm saying it not just because I have to say it. 00:47:56.040 --> 00:47:59.040 I'm saying it in love. 00:48:01.040 --> 00:48:05.040 Here is a scripture that I really love. 00:48:06.040 --> 00:48:10.040 Can you go there? Mark, Chapter 16, verse 20. 00:48:13.040 --> 00:48:19.040 That's the last chapter in Mark. Mark, Chapter 16, verse 20. 00:48:27.040 --> 00:48:29.040 Here you go. 00:48:31.040 --> 00:48:33.040 Ready? This is what it says. 00:48:33.040 --> 00:48:36.040 So the Great Commission has just been given. 00:48:36.040 --> 00:48:43.040 After the Great Commission, the last verse of Luke, Chapter 16 says, 00:48:43.040 --> 00:48:46.040 And they went out and preached everywhere. 00:48:46.040 --> 00:48:50.040 So they carried his heart and they proclaimed the truth. 00:48:50.040 --> 00:48:52.040 But here's what I love about this. 00:48:52.040 --> 00:48:59.040 And they preached while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. 00:48:59.040 --> 00:49:04.040 The Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs. 00:49:04.040 --> 00:49:06.040 So we are not working alone. 00:49:06.040 --> 00:49:11.040 We are working with God because that's what we've been learning from Jacob over the last couple of years. 00:49:11.040 --> 00:49:14.040 That we are building his church. 00:49:14.040 --> 00:49:17.040 And so we are not building his church by ourselves. 00:49:17.040 --> 00:49:20.040 Jesus is building his church. 00:49:20.040 --> 00:49:26.040 And as Jesus is building his church, I am, we are partnering Jesus in what he is doing. 00:49:26.040 --> 00:49:33.040 And this is the great thing that all we have to do is carry his heart and proclaim the truth. 00:49:33.040 --> 00:49:36.040 Because Jesus worked with them. 00:49:36.040 --> 00:49:42.040 And Jesus confirmed the message they were saying by accompanying signs. 00:49:42.040 --> 00:49:44.040 And Jesus will do it. 00:49:46.040 --> 00:49:47.040 Third. 00:49:51.040 --> 00:49:53.040 And the last one. 00:50:08.040 --> 00:50:10.040 Let's go to Zechariah. 00:50:10.040 --> 00:50:13.040 Zechariah Chapter 3, Verse 5. 00:50:15.040 --> 00:50:19.040 Render judgment. 00:50:19.040 --> 00:50:22.040 If you go to Zechariah Chapter 3, Verse 5, Render. 00:50:22.040 --> 00:50:24.040 R-E-N-D-E-R, Render. 00:50:26.040 --> 00:50:28.040 Sorry, not Zechariah. 00:50:28.040 --> 00:50:29.040 Sathaniah. 00:50:30.040 --> 00:50:33.040 Sathaniah Chapter 3, Verse 5. 00:50:33.040 --> 00:50:48.040 Sathaniah Chapter 3, Verse 5. 00:50:48.040 --> 00:50:51.040 It says, The Lord within her is righteous. 00:50:51.040 --> 00:50:54.040 He does no injustice. 00:50:54.040 --> 00:50:57.040 Every morning he shows forth his justice. 00:50:57.040 --> 00:51:00.040 Each dawn he does not fail. 00:51:00.040 --> 00:51:03.040 But the unjust knows no shame. 00:51:05.040 --> 00:51:06.040 Every morning. 00:51:07.040 --> 00:51:09.040 We know that every morning there is mercy. 00:51:09.040 --> 00:51:11.040 There are new mercies. 00:51:11.040 --> 00:51:18.040 But every morning, along with that line, along with that line that all of us know that every morning there are new mercies. 00:51:18.040 --> 00:51:21.040 God wants to remind us of something more to that. 00:51:21.040 --> 00:51:25.040 Every morning, not only do we have new mercies from God. 00:51:25.040 --> 00:51:31.040 Every morning, God shows forth his justice. 00:51:31.040 --> 00:51:37.040 Every morning, God shows forth his justice. 00:51:37.040 --> 00:51:41.040 And so it's not enough then to carry his heart. 00:51:41.040 --> 00:51:44.040 It's not enough to just proclaim the truth. 00:51:44.040 --> 00:51:48.040 We stand on the other side of the cross. 00:51:48.040 --> 00:51:51.040 And because we stand on the other side of the cross, 00:51:51.040 --> 00:51:54.040 God has given us the authority. 00:51:54.040 --> 00:52:05.040 God has given us the calling that we can render judgment, judgments here on earth on behalf of him. 00:52:05.040 --> 00:52:08.040 And so what's the story we can look at? 00:52:08.040 --> 00:52:17.040 Let's go to the Book of Acts, Chapter 27, 34 and 35. 00:52:18.040 --> 00:52:22.040 The Book of Acts, Chapter 27. 00:52:29.040 --> 00:52:31.040 Did I say 24 or 25? 00:52:36.040 --> 00:52:38.040 34 and 35, sorry. 00:52:48.040 --> 00:52:54.040 Again, we won't look at the whole story, but this is the summary of what's happening. 00:52:54.040 --> 00:52:56.040 Paul, he's on a ship. 00:52:56.040 --> 00:52:58.040 There are other people with him. 00:52:58.040 --> 00:53:08.040 Now talking about faith for another, this is going from faith for one, from faith for one to faith for 274 people. 00:53:08.040 --> 00:53:16.040 Because on this ship are 276 people. 00:53:17.040 --> 00:53:20.040 So it's not enough to carry this heart. 00:53:20.040 --> 00:53:23.040 It's not enough to proclaim the truth. 00:53:23.040 --> 00:53:29.040 God now has given us the authority to render judgment. 00:53:29.040 --> 00:53:31.040 What does that mean in the context of this story? 00:53:31.040 --> 00:53:36.040 In the context of this story, they're going to sink and they're going to die. 00:53:36.040 --> 00:53:41.040 And when you read down to the verses that follow, there are some that know swimming, 00:53:41.040 --> 00:53:45.040 and there are some that do not know swimming, like Don. 00:53:46.040 --> 00:53:50.040 There are some that know swimming, there are some that don't know swimming. 00:53:50.040 --> 00:53:56.040 So this is not a story where, oh yeah, you know, the ship wrecked and we would just go back to the shore. 00:53:56.040 --> 00:53:58.040 No, people would die. 00:53:58.040 --> 00:54:01.040 And Paul is sent to go to Rome. 00:54:01.040 --> 00:54:09.040 And there is an angel that appears to Paul, because initially in the story, Paul told the centurion, another centurion in this case, 00:54:09.040 --> 00:54:13.040 Paul told the centurion what to do, but he wouldn't listen to what Paul was saying. 00:54:13.040 --> 00:54:18.040 And then Paul had a dream, and in the dream, God said, Paul, this is what you need to do. 00:54:18.040 --> 00:54:29.040 And Paul then renders judgment on behalf of 274 or 276 people and says these things. 00:54:29.040 --> 00:54:38.040 Therefore, I urge you to take some food, for it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you. 00:54:38.040 --> 00:54:47.040 And when he said these things, he took bread, giving thanks to God in the presence of all he brokered and began to eat. 00:54:47.040 --> 00:54:49.040 Beautiful, beautiful. 00:54:49.040 --> 00:54:56.040 There are 274 people on this ship, and they don't know God, and they think some of them are going to die. 00:54:56.040 --> 00:55:02.040 And here is Paul, who just heard from God what God is going to do with the 274. 00:55:03.040 --> 00:55:09.040 So it's not just faith for another. This is faith for 274 people on that ship. 00:55:09.040 --> 00:55:12.040 And God is saying, hey, they won't die. 00:55:12.040 --> 00:55:19.040 And then Paul talks to them and tells them not a single hair on your head is going to fall off. 00:55:19.040 --> 00:55:24.040 You are not going to die. And guess what? I'm going to break bread. 00:55:24.040 --> 00:55:31.040 I'm going to break bread. What a great time to break bread, showing that, hey, the reason I'm doing this, 00:55:31.040 --> 00:55:41.040 the reason I'm set to wrong, and the reason I can tell you that not a single hair will fall off because the judgment had already happened. 00:55:41.040 --> 00:55:52.040 The lamb was slain and on my behalf because I have faith for you, because I have faith for 274 of you on this ship. 00:55:52.040 --> 00:55:58.040 You are not going to die. And he says that. And none of them perished that day. 00:55:58.040 --> 00:56:03.040 So it's not enough to carry his heart. It's not enough to proclaim the truth. 00:56:03.040 --> 00:56:12.040 God is inviting us to render judgment on his behalf because he has already paid the price. 00:56:12.040 --> 00:56:19.040 Someone may be in sin. Someone may be in sin. They may be in deep sin. 00:56:19.040 --> 00:56:23.040 And that's maybe the reason why they are there. 00:56:23.040 --> 00:56:28.040 But God is saying, you now have the authority to go to him and present to him. 00:56:28.040 --> 00:56:34.040 Carry my heart as you go to him so that you're not just talking from your head, but you're talking from my heart. 00:56:34.040 --> 00:56:38.040 And then you proclaim the truth. You say the truth because you don't fear him. 00:56:38.040 --> 00:56:44.040 You don't fear others. You proclaim what I have put in you in your ways, simple ways, not articulate. 00:56:44.040 --> 00:56:51.040 Doesn't matter. You just say it the way you know it, because my spirit is at work with you and my spirit will do what he will do. 00:56:51.040 --> 00:56:56.040 And my spirit will make the truth be revealed to them and their eyes will open. 00:56:56.040 --> 00:57:02.040 And hey, now it's not enough to just proclaim the truth because you have faith in you, not just for yourself. 00:57:02.040 --> 00:57:07.040 You have faith in you for others as well. Like Paul had for 274 people. 00:57:07.040 --> 00:57:12.040 Like Paul then had for the whole of Rome. You have faith in you for others. 00:57:12.040 --> 00:57:18.040 And therefore, on my behalf, because I did this on the cross, go now and render judgment. 00:57:19.040 --> 00:57:24.040 Because the lamb has been slain. His blood has been shed. You don't have to worry. 00:57:24.040 --> 00:57:29.040 He has taken the judgment. He has died on behalf of this sinner. 00:57:29.040 --> 00:57:35.040 And this sinner can now live because he, like you, is one of my people. 00:57:35.040 --> 00:57:39.040 The only difference is that he hasn't recognized it just yet. 00:57:39.040 --> 00:57:43.040 And I am sending you there so that he can recognize it. 00:57:43.040 --> 00:57:48.040 We'll finish with one last verse. 00:57:48.040 --> 00:57:53.040 This is Mark, chapter 16, verse 3. 00:57:53.040 --> 00:57:58.040 But in the context of everything we've been hearing, I like this story too. 00:57:58.040 --> 00:58:02.040 Because in this story, these women are going to the tomb. 00:58:02.040 --> 00:58:09.040 And in the tomb, they're going there because they're hoping to see Jesus who is buried there. 00:58:09.040 --> 00:58:14.040 They're hoping to see him who is dead. They believe. 00:58:14.040 --> 00:58:19.040 And there they are on their way to this dark place, this tomb. 00:58:19.040 --> 00:58:25.040 There is one question that they ask themselves. Who can roll away the stone? 00:58:25.040 --> 00:58:29.040 Who can roll away that large stone that we saw a couple days ago? 00:58:29.040 --> 00:58:32.040 Who can roll that away? Who will roll that away? 00:58:32.040 --> 00:58:36.040 Because we are women. We won't get help from anyone there. 00:58:36.040 --> 00:58:41.040 Who will roll that stone away? If I'm to read it, it says, Mark, chapter 16, verse 3. 00:58:41.040 --> 00:58:46.040 Who can roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? 00:58:46.040 --> 00:58:50.040 And the answer is Jesus already has. 00:58:50.040 --> 00:58:54.040 Jesus already has. The large stone has been rolled back. 00:58:54.040 --> 00:58:59.040 And as we go into the world for God encounters so that others can have God encounters, 00:58:59.040 --> 00:59:03.040 we carry his heart, we proclaim the truth, we render judgment, 00:59:03.040 --> 00:59:08.040 knowing that the stone has been rolled back, knowing that there are people in dark places. 00:59:08.040 --> 00:59:12.040 However, in reality, their chains are broken. 00:59:12.040 --> 00:59:17.040 They have to recognize it. And as soon as they recognize it, they know that their chains are broken. 00:59:17.040 --> 00:59:21.040 And they become part of the kingdom. So we'll wrap up there. 00:59:21.040 --> 00:59:26.040 If you want to pray with me. 00:59:26.040 --> 00:59:31.040 Father, we thank you for your grace. 00:59:32.040 --> 00:59:38.040 Father, we thank you. We thank you that this is your heart for all of us. 00:59:38.040 --> 00:59:45.040 And thank you that the only thing that qualifies us is that your Spirit lives inside of us. 00:59:45.040 --> 00:59:50.040 And your Spirit is in me. It's inside of all of us right here. 00:59:50.040 --> 00:59:53.040 So we are fully qualified. 00:59:53.040 --> 00:59:57.040 There is no question of being unqualified anymore. 00:59:57.040 --> 01:00:01.040 Because all of us are qualified to do this. 01:00:01.040 --> 01:00:07.040 I thank you, Father. And I say yes to the fact that I don't carry your heart well enough. 01:00:07.040 --> 01:00:10.040 I want to carry your heart more. 01:00:10.040 --> 01:00:13.040 And Father, that's my cry. That's our cry. 01:00:13.040 --> 01:00:18.040 That when I speak, I don't want words to flow out from my mouth that comes from my head. 01:00:18.040 --> 01:00:23.040 When I speak, I want words to flow out from my mouth that comes from your heart. 01:00:23.040 --> 01:00:26.040 Father, when I speak, I want to proclaim your truth. 01:00:26.040 --> 01:00:30.040 I don't want to be afraid of men. I want to be rooted in love. 01:00:30.040 --> 01:00:35.040 I want to proclaim your truth so that they will know the one who I already know. 01:00:35.040 --> 01:00:40.040 And Father, I know that this faith you've given me is not just for myself. 01:00:40.040 --> 01:00:44.040 This faith that you've given me is for another, is for another 274. 01:00:44.040 --> 01:00:47.040 It's for cities. It's for nations. 01:00:47.040 --> 01:00:53.040 Because I believe and we believe that you have called us, Father, so that we will have faith for nations. 01:00:53.040 --> 01:00:57.040 Faith for cities. We believe that you will work and you will change. 01:00:57.040 --> 01:01:01.040 People will fall down on their knees and they'll say, Jesus is the only one. 01:01:01.040 --> 01:01:04.040 He's the risen one. We have faith, Father. 01:01:04.040 --> 01:01:10.040 Give us faith more so that we'll have a heart that carries it, that we will proclaim it, 01:01:10.040 --> 01:01:14.040 and we'll render judgment because the Lamb has been slain. 01:01:14.040 --> 01:01:17.040 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.