WEBVTT

NOTE
Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver
Episode: Hebrides 2.0 – Calling Sons and Daughters
Publishing Date: 2023-07-09T06:00:44-07:00
Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca
Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/hebrides-2-0-calling-sons-and-daughters/

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Okay, so we've been doing this series on Hebrides 2.0.

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So this is the next part.

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For those that don't know what it is,

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two line summary, 50, 60 years ago,

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there was a revival in Hebrides

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that really shook that part of the world.

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And about a year and a half ago, the Lord said,

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hey, can you guys bring to the earth Hebrides 2.0?

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So we went early this year.

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First trip this year was to Stoneaway

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off the coast of Scotland, where that revival happened.

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Places as dead as a doorknob or a cat.

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And, sorry, I don't know, I've got to stop this.

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I've got to stop this.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, so.

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The thing with cats, though, is they die once

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and then they live again eight more times.

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That's why they're so hard to kill.

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Oh, I guess I'm still going down the same route.

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Gotta stop, gotta stop.

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Stop talking about cats, yeah.

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Yeah, so.

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So.

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Yeah, so dead as a doorknob, but.

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While we were there, this was the promise that God gave.

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So started exploring this.

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And so His promise to this church was

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that I'm sending a purifying fire from heaven

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that will burn up religious and historical junk

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as the divine warrior, that's what He's calling Himself,

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marches, delivering young men and women

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from nations into the kingdom,

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calling sons and daughters into that circle

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of dancing abundance and joy before the lion and the lamb.

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And they will be a torch bearing generation

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that goes forth and will not return empty.

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That's a scene from Stone Away

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where Hebrides 1.0 started in the 1950s.

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Let me read that again.

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I am sending, just imagine this for a second,

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what if this is really God?

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What if this isn't something that we made up?

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What if this isn't something that I put together?

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What if this is really God?

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What happens then?

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And how are we supposed to respond to it?

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Because we've seen God speak before

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and He's been faithful, He's brought it to pass.

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Otherwise we wouldn't be here 17 years later.

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So here's what He's saying.

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I will send a purifying fire from heaven

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that burns up religious and historical junk

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as the divine warrior marches,

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delivering young men and women

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from nations into the kingdom,

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calling sons and daughters into that circle

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of dancing abundance and joy before the lion and the lamb.

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And they will be a torch bearing generation

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that goes forth and will not return empty.

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So we've gone as far as nations into the kingdom.

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So today we'll deal with calling sons and daughters.

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That's all.

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We're not even dealing with the rest of the sentence,

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just calling sons and daughters.

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Calling sons and daughters.

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So if you go to Isaiah 43, verse five and six.

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Chad's changing his flights to tomorrow,

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so he'll just go a day later.

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And he'll miss a meeting which he didn't want to go for.

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Isaiah 43, verse five and six.

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Isaiah 43, verse five and six.

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It says there, and this is a common theme, eh,

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where God wants to call people back

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and He calls them His sons and daughters.

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Whether He's speaking to Israel

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or whether He's speaking to the New Testament church,

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when He created us, He made us after His kind,

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and therefore He looks at us as sons and daughters.

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We don't know Him as Father,

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and one of the reasons He sends Jesus Christ to the earth

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is so that our sonship and daughtership can be restored,

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because Adam was called the Son of God.

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And so this call that God has to the earth

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is always in terms of sons and daughters, eh?

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And so in Isaiah 43, verse five and six,

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here's what He says.

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He says, I will say to the north, give up,

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and to the south, do not withhold.

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Bring my sons from afar

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and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

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One more time.

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This is what God the Lord says.

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He who created heavens and stretched them out,

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who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,

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who gives breath to its people

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and life to those who walk on it.

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I the Lord have called you, oops, Isaiah 43, wrong verse.

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Here's what it says.

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I will say to the north, give them up,

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and to the south, do not hold them back.

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Bring my sons from afar

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and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

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Everyone who is called by my name,

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whom I created for my glory,

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whom I formed and made.

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Go to 2 Corinthians 6, 18.

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2 Corinthians 6, 18.

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2 Corinthians 6, 18.

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2 Corinthians 6, 18.

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Here's what it says, starting from,

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as God has said a little before, verse 16.

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As God has said, I will live with them and walk among them.

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I will be their God and they will be my people.

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Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

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Touch no unclean thing and I will receive you.

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Then in verse 18, I will be a father to you

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and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.

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Go to Isaiah 60.

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Isaiah 60.

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Who's doing Sunday school today?

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Isaiah 60, verse four.

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Isaiah 60, verse four.

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Any word that God gives to a church or to a person

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must be backed up by scripture.

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So I'm just showing you these scriptures

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to set a precedent in terms of how God's heart works.

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It is natural for him to call sons and daughters back.

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Isaiah 60, verse four.

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Lift up your eyes and look about you.

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Lift up your eyes and look about you.

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All assemble and come to you.

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Your sons come from afar.

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Your daughters are carried on the arm.

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Some version says,

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carried on the arm.

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Some version say,

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lift up your eyes all around and see.

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They all gather together.

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They come to you.

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Your sons shall come from afar

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and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

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One more time.

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Lift up your eyes all around and see.

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They all gather together.

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They come to you.

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Your sons shall come from afar

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and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

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And so one of the things God is aiming to do

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in the next little while with us is

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numerical growth.

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Numerical growth.

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Numerical growth will happen.

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Hey, Brandon, can you make this thing work?

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Numerical growth will happen.

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So when you, if we,

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assuming we this afternoon or tomorrow

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get the new church that we're moving into,

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it's a huge space.

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Like we won't even fill the first four rows.

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And so there's four rows that we will fill

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and then there's another four rows to fill.

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And then there's an upstairs.

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And it'll be filled.

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If you were here for the three days when Chad was here,

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one of the things he was saying was

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the church is ready now for numerical growth.

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Things have been put in place for numerical growth.

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And so one of the things that will happen is

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that church will be filled before we leave.

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Oh, isn't that a boast?

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Should we be concerned with numbers?

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Nope, we shouldn't be concerned with numbers.

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And nope, it's not a boast

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because God's interested in numbers.

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If you look at

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Acts 2.47,

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Acts 2.47,

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it says there that the Lord added to their numbers.

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The Lord added to their

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numbers daily.

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That's what it says in Acts 2.47.

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So in this case, the Lord added.

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Then you go to Acts 5.14,

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Acts 5.14, and it says that people saw

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what was happening and believed

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and their numbers increased.

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Acts 5.14.

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So in this case, it was people saw and believed

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what was happening in the church there in Jerusalem.

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Then in Acts 11.24,

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just one man called Barnabas seemed to cause increase

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because they saw his faith,

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they saw his faith,

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and they saw how powerful the Spirit of God worked

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or anointed him, the Spirit of God was on him.

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They saw how powerfully the Spirit of God was on him.

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And it says that because of that,

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the church increased in numbers.

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These are different reasons or ways

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that the church increases in numbers.

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Then in Acts 16, verse five,

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you'll see that when instructions were followed

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in the church, instructions were given and followed.

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What began to happen was the church began

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to increase in strength

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and grew in number.

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Hey, that's like,

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do do do do do do do do do do.

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What are they playing there, Christian songs?

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It might be fun going down there.

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So these are the different ways that the church grew

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and numerical growth awaits us.

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On the last day that Chad was here,

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one of the things we were repenting of was father,

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at least I was repenting of his father.

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I've got this distaste for numbers in big churches

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and mega churches, and I repented of that

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because it's time for us to now move into this place

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where numbers are added and why should we now welcome it?

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Because I think things are in place.

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If people came in, there are others

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that can take care of them.

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So we're in that place now.

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Any questions before we go on?

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Any questions, guys?

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Cool.

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So how does this happen?

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Shoot.

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How does this happen?

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How do sons and daughters,

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how do sons and daughters get called out?

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What needs to happen?

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If we go back to Isaiah 60, verse four,

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look at it again, eh?

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Look at Isaiah 60, verse four.

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It says, lift up your eyes and look about you.

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Lift up your eyes and look about you.

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They all gather together, they come to you.

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Your sons shall come from afar

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and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.

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So the question we need to ask is,

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what are they drawn towards?

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What are they drawn towards?

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What are they drawn towards?

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What are they drawn towards and why are they coming?

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Why are they coming?

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What's your answer, guys?

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Pardon?

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Yeah, if you read the preceding verses,

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Isaiah 60, verse one to three, here's what it says.

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It says, hey guys, hey Acts 29,

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my glory is on you.

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It's in you.

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They will come, verse three,

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they will come to

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the glory of the Lord on you.

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They'll come to your light, not my light.

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They'll come to your light

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and to the brightness

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of your radiance.

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This is how confident God is, see?

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I may not be that confident of myself or of you,

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but he is confident of it.

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So what's he saying?

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He's saying, but guys, you've been learning about this,

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you've been talking about this,

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you've been singing about this,

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you keep saying that I'm in your midst,

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you keep saying that my glory is disruptive,

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you've understood glory, you know it is the weight,

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the magnificence, the splendor, the power,

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the laughter, the majesty, the goodness of God.

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That's what you've been talking about for years on end.

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You know I dwell in you.

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I'm gonna bring these people to come not to me,

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but to the light that you begin to display.

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It is to your light that they are coming.

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It is to your light that they're coming.

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It's to your radiance that they will come.

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In John 8-12, Jesus says, I am the light of the world.

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And then he completely turns it around in Matthew 5-14

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and says, you are the light of the world.

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If you actually look at the way the sentence is constructed

00:14:24.640 --> 00:14:26.760
in the original language, it's actually saying

00:14:26.760 --> 00:14:29.920
you and you alone are the light of the world.

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Just listen to how confident he is.

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It's us that are not confident.

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It's me who's not confident, but he is.

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You and you alone are the light of the world.

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If you are born again, if you're not born again,

00:14:44.400 --> 00:14:47.440
you're not even in darkness, you are darkness.

00:14:48.760 --> 00:14:50.720
It's as clear as that.

00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:51.800
I'll show you from scriptures.

00:14:51.800 --> 00:14:55.800
Ephesians 5 says that once you were,

00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.160
it doesn't say in darkness.

00:14:58.160 --> 00:15:01.120
It says once you were darkness.

00:15:03.160 --> 00:15:06.000
It doesn't even give you the option of being in darkness.

00:15:07.920 --> 00:15:11.640
If you are not born again, you are darkness.

00:15:11.640 --> 00:15:14.960
And if you are born again, then you and you alone

00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:16.400
are the light of the world.

00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:19.720
Do you wanna argue with Jesus, feel free?

00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:22.720
Because these are his words, man.

00:15:24.400 --> 00:15:26.840
John 8, 12, I am the light of the world.

00:15:26.840 --> 00:15:30.800
Matthew 5, 14, you and you alone are the light of the world.

00:15:34.040 --> 00:15:36.400
It is to that light that people are going to come.

00:15:38.800 --> 00:15:41.040
This is the kind of partnership he's entering into.

00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:46.560
That he's drawing us into.

00:15:46.560 --> 00:15:49.360
He's not saying, I'm not going to be a part of this.

00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:52.480
He's not saying, they'll come to my glory.

00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.560
They'll come when you do science, miracles, and wonders.

00:15:54.560 --> 00:15:56.400
He says, but I'm already in you.

00:15:58.720 --> 00:16:01.720
My weight, my splendor, my majesty, my magnificence,

00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.960
my power, my laughter, my goodness is already in you.

00:16:09.240 --> 00:16:10.960
And they will come to that light.

00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:13.760
Kings will come to your radiance,

00:16:13.760 --> 00:16:16.400
or kings will come to the breaking of your dawn,

00:16:16.400 --> 00:16:18.560
and they will be drawn to your light.

00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:20.280
Any questions on that?

00:16:20.280 --> 00:16:21.840
Any pushback on that?

00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:23.000
Any disagreements?

00:16:27.960 --> 00:16:29.960
So why will sons and daughters come?

00:16:29.960 --> 00:16:31.400
Why will your sons come from afar?

00:16:31.400 --> 00:16:33.840
Why will daughters be carried on your hip?

00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.200
Why is it that when we lift up our eyes in the year ahead

00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:39.360
and look, you will see them gathered together?

00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.400
What are they being drawn to?

00:16:40.400 --> 00:16:42.120
Why do they come?

00:16:42.120 --> 00:16:44.560
It is because I am saying to you,

00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:46.040
as in not Jacob, but God,

00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:49.280
I am saying to you that my glory,

00:16:49.280 --> 00:16:51.040
as in my splendor, my magnificence,

00:16:51.040 --> 00:16:53.640
and all those words I put together has risen,

00:16:53.640 --> 00:16:55.240
it has appeared over you,

00:16:55.240 --> 00:16:57.520
and the nations shall come to your light,

00:16:57.520 --> 00:16:59.640
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.960
Sure, I said I am the light of the world,

00:17:04.960 --> 00:17:08.120
but I also said you and you alone are the light of the world.

00:17:08.120 --> 00:17:10.560
I mean, for us to even say this difficulty,

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.440
just try saying it.

00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:16.600
I and I alone am the light of the world.

00:17:16.600 --> 00:17:17.680
Try saying that.

00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:19.520
You'll feel queasy all over.

00:17:19.520 --> 00:17:22.160
You'll feel like, oh no, not me, oh Lord.

00:17:23.480 --> 00:17:25.680
And then he'll take a call from the hearth

00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:28.000
and he'll touch your lips and he'll say,

00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:28.840
try that again.

00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:31.680
Try saying that without my help.

00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:38.760
Difficult, let's try it again until we all get it.

00:17:43.360 --> 00:17:48.000
Oh, let's try it without the marbles in our mouths, okay?

00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.000
So I and I alone am the light of the world.

00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.480
That is just nuts.

00:17:56.480 --> 00:18:00.120
That is so wrong, and that is so completely right.

00:18:02.800 --> 00:18:05.520
So tomorrow, take your wife's lipstick,

00:18:05.520 --> 00:18:06.720
write it on the mirror.

00:18:08.600 --> 00:18:11.280
This will only work if you're married, so get married.

00:18:12.440 --> 00:18:17.440
So, so, they have to tomorrow, Kezia and Iris will wonder,

00:18:23.360 --> 00:18:24.800
wonder where my lipstick went.

00:18:28.800 --> 00:18:33.240
I and I alone am the light of the world.

00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:36.000
This is how we are supposed to walk into things.

00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:38.600
This is how they're supposed to go to Sydney and Brisbane.

00:18:39.640 --> 00:18:41.480
And the reason we are the light of the world

00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:43.440
is because of our relationship with him.

00:18:46.400 --> 00:18:49.600
And you can't say, but I'm not relating to him well,

00:18:49.600 --> 00:18:52.320
and therefore I'm not the light of the world.

00:18:52.320 --> 00:18:55.200
No, if he lives in you, then you're relating to him well.

00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:57.400
Whether you display it or not is a different thing.

00:18:57.400 --> 00:19:02.240
But do not blame the light for your inability to display.

00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:03.360
The light is already there.

00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:05.160
You must not question that.

00:19:08.080 --> 00:19:09.920
This is not a question of,

00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:11.680
I'm not doing too well with the light.

00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:13.360
Too bad, but he's still in you.

00:19:16.800 --> 00:19:19.320
Jacob, how can you say I and I alone?

00:19:19.320 --> 00:19:21.720
You can make it a little bit harder.

00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.880
Yeah, yeah, that's easier.

00:19:22.880 --> 00:19:24.400
I just wanted to make it tougher.

00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.240
Yeah, yeah.

00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:28.000
It is actually us.

00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:29.080
Yeah, completely.

00:19:29.080 --> 00:19:30.120
I mean, you're totally right.

00:19:30.120 --> 00:19:31.720
But saying that is easy,

00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:33.080
because we think of all the others,

00:19:33.080 --> 00:19:34.040
but we don't think of ourselves.

00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:35.800
Saying I and I alone am the light of the world,

00:19:35.800 --> 00:19:37.920
my God, that's difficult.

00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:39.280
I just have to think about yesterday,

00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:41.360
and I don't feel very lighty.

00:19:41.360 --> 00:19:43.000
Yeah, yeah.

00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:44.960
I don't feel light most days,

00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:46.120
but lighty, yeah.

00:19:47.960 --> 00:19:48.800
Yeah.

00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:54.240
You didn't get the, I don't feel light every day,

00:19:54.240 --> 00:19:56.400
but that's okay.

00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.040
Some jokes are too heavy for you.

00:20:00.320 --> 00:20:01.160
I got you.

00:20:01.160 --> 00:20:02.000
Thank you.

00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:02.840
Yeah.

00:20:02.840 --> 00:20:03.680
Yeah.

00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:07.000
Yeah.

00:20:07.880 --> 00:20:09.480
Jacob and I are on the same vibe.

00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:13.520
Yeah.

00:20:14.400 --> 00:20:16.280
And it's because of our relationship with him, eh?

00:20:16.280 --> 00:20:21.280
And he, see, what we don't understand is,

00:20:22.280 --> 00:20:25.280
or we find it very hard to grab the fact

00:20:25.280 --> 00:20:28.440
is that he does not

00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:30.800
withdraw,

00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:34.800
diminish,

00:20:37.040 --> 00:20:40.440
withhold himself

00:20:42.320 --> 00:20:44.320
in his relationship with us.

00:20:51.960 --> 00:20:55.920
We think when things are not going well with you and God,

00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:57.960
that it's both parties that withdraw.

00:20:58.040 --> 00:20:58.880
He doesn't.

00:21:01.280 --> 00:21:02.840
That's how the earth works.

00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:05.760
People get hurt and we begin to separate

00:21:05.760 --> 00:21:07.880
and it's uncomfortable and awkward.

00:21:07.880 --> 00:21:08.720
Not with him.

00:21:10.360 --> 00:21:13.120
He doesn't, and therefore the light is always present.

00:21:15.960 --> 00:21:19.120
In relationship with him now, the light is always there.

00:21:19.120 --> 00:21:21.920
This is why we need to go down this road of,

00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:23.920
I and I alone am the light of the world.

00:21:25.280 --> 00:21:26.600
Gift to mankind, man.

00:21:27.560 --> 00:21:28.680
Who? You.

00:21:29.760 --> 00:21:31.160
Your wife may not think so.

00:21:32.760 --> 00:21:33.600
But Jesus does.

00:21:39.240 --> 00:21:40.760
How does God go about this?

00:21:40.760 --> 00:21:42.360
Just imagine this for a second.

00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.040
It's pitch dark, pitch dark.

00:21:46.040 --> 00:21:48.360
It's chaotic, it's dishonorably.

00:21:48.360 --> 00:21:52.040
And then he says the words, let there be light.

00:21:52.040 --> 00:21:54.400
His words make it happen.

00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:56.280
Go to 2 Corinthians 4, 6.

00:21:56.320 --> 00:21:57.920
You'll see him talking about this.

00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:03.440
He says, Paul is saying, and then God spoke.

00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:07.520
And he said, let there be light.

00:22:07.520 --> 00:22:11.320
In the same manner now, he spoke into your life.

00:22:11.320 --> 00:22:14.640
He said, let there be light.

00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.480
And when he said it, light shone in his heart.

00:22:18.440 --> 00:22:22.520
Light that was contained in Christ, who he received,

00:22:22.520 --> 00:22:24.320
and it began to shine in his heart.

00:22:25.320 --> 00:22:28.920
As easily as it happened in him and in me,

00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:31.200
now it begins to happen in others.

00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:32.520
What happens?

00:22:32.520 --> 00:22:33.680
We speak words.

00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:36.080
And the same thing that happened at creation,

00:22:36.080 --> 00:22:37.560
the same thing that happened with you

00:22:37.560 --> 00:22:39.360
when you got born again,

00:22:39.360 --> 00:22:41.080
is the same thing that happens now.

00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:50.440
This is what draws those that aren't yet sons and daughters

00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:51.920
into the kingdom.

00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:53.880
We're not trying to draw people from other churches

00:22:53.880 --> 00:22:55.640
into another church.

00:22:55.640 --> 00:22:58.040
That's fun, it's easy, and it's great.

00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:02.760
But we're trying to draw those that are not sons and daughters

00:23:02.760 --> 00:23:04.600
who were called before the foundations of the earth

00:23:04.600 --> 00:23:07.480
because God in his omniscience knows things.

00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:14.480
And if you resist being born again,

00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:18.320
it is because it says that Satan has blinded you.

00:23:19.640 --> 00:23:23.560
And you're making the choice to be blinded by the devil.

00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:27.120
And you refuse this light.

00:23:27.120 --> 00:23:30.040
We feel so rejected when someone we speak to

00:23:30.040 --> 00:23:31.400
doesn't accept Christ.

00:23:31.400 --> 00:23:34.400
You must understand that if Christ wanted,

00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.760
he could just make robots out of everybody.

00:23:36.760 --> 00:23:38.400
He gives us a free will.

00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:40.560
And in that free will we choose.

00:23:40.560 --> 00:23:45.280
And Satan uses culture, denominationalism, fear, pride

00:23:45.280 --> 00:23:48.640
to prevent people from being born again.

00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:50.120
And it very clearly says it.

00:23:50.120 --> 00:23:53.160
Satan has blinded them because of the choice they make.

00:23:53.400 --> 00:23:56.120
And they resist the light of the world.

00:23:56.120 --> 00:23:58.720
It has happened hundreds and hundreds of times before

00:23:58.720 --> 00:23:59.960
and it still happens.

00:24:02.400 --> 00:24:04.480
Let's look at scriptures so we know

00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:06.680
this is straight from the word.

00:24:07.520 --> 00:24:09.120
Go to 2 Corinthians 4, 6.

00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:11.760
2 Corinthians 4, 6.

00:24:18.520 --> 00:24:19.880
2 Corinthians 4, 6.

00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:23.360
Starting at verse five.

00:24:24.520 --> 00:24:28.240
For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ is Lord

00:24:28.240 --> 00:24:30.760
and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

00:24:30.760 --> 00:24:34.880
For God who said, let light shine out of darkness

00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:39.240
in Genesis 1, 3, made his light shine in our hearts

00:24:39.240 --> 00:24:42.400
to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God

00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:43.200
in the face of Christ.

00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:47.400
Which simply means he is the one who then said to Jacob,

00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:50.120
hey, let me shine that same light I shined

00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:53.520
at the beginning of time into your heart through Jesus.

00:24:53.520 --> 00:24:55.400
And the moment he did, I changed.

00:24:57.120 --> 00:25:00.320
And now we gotta put into words the same thing for others.

00:25:01.400 --> 00:25:03.440
That's how we call sons and daughters.

00:25:03.440 --> 00:25:06.560
Calling sons and daughters is not just a prayer of saying,

00:25:06.560 --> 00:25:08.680
I speak to the north, I speak to the south,

00:25:08.680 --> 00:25:10.760
the east and the west, I call you forth.

00:25:10.760 --> 00:25:13.520
That's nice, it's a great declaration.

00:25:13.520 --> 00:25:15.080
But that is so blooming easy.

00:25:16.080 --> 00:25:19.600
Real calling forth of sons and daughters is to say,

00:25:19.600 --> 00:25:22.680
let light shine in the darkness.

00:25:25.760 --> 00:25:27.040
That is more difficult.

00:25:27.040 --> 00:25:30.040
It becomes a little easier when you realize that you

00:25:30.040 --> 00:25:33.360
and you alone are the light of the world

00:25:33.360 --> 00:25:36.120
because of your relationship with Christ.

00:25:36.120 --> 00:25:36.960
Okay.

00:25:43.520 --> 00:25:45.600
Go to Isaiah 43, verse 10.

00:25:46.600 --> 00:25:48.400
Let's look at that other scripture.

00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:54.040
I think it's, where is that thing which says

00:25:54.040 --> 00:25:55.280
Satan is blinded?

00:25:57.240 --> 00:26:00.200
Verse, sorry, it's 2 Corinthians 4, 4.

00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:01.280
2 Corinthians 4, 4.

00:26:01.280 --> 00:26:05.480
This is why, this is why people refuse to

00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:08.000
or resist being born again.

00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:09.560
They can come up with all kinds of excuses.

00:26:09.560 --> 00:26:11.560
I go to this church, we don't believe in it.

00:26:11.560 --> 00:26:14.320
I go to this, I come from this culture.

00:26:14.320 --> 00:26:16.480
I mean, I come from a culture where we get baptized

00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:21.480
as young kids and the whole idea of salvation is not there.

00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:23.400
You don't need to get saved.

00:26:24.600 --> 00:26:25.920
There are different reasons why.

00:26:25.920 --> 00:26:28.680
But look at what it actually says in 2 Corinthians 4, 4.

00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:31.440
It says, if our gospel is veiled,

00:26:31.440 --> 00:26:33.840
it is veiled to those who are perishing.

00:26:33.880 --> 00:26:35.680
The God of this age, as in Satan,

00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:38.400
has blinded the minds of unbelievers

00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:41.520
so that they cannot see the light of the gospels

00:26:41.520 --> 00:26:44.720
of the glory of Christ, who is the image of our God.

00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:47.480
It's crazy how we make our choices and get blinded.

00:26:50.560 --> 00:26:52.480
Go to Isaiah 43, 10.

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.800
Isaiah 43, 10.

00:26:56.480 --> 00:26:57.800
Isaiah 43, 10.

00:26:57.800 --> 00:26:58.800
Here's what God says.

00:26:58.800 --> 00:27:00.800
And this is the whole idea of,

00:27:00.800 --> 00:27:03.200
the idea of witnessing is the ability to say,

00:27:03.200 --> 00:27:05.600
I and I alone am the light of the world

00:27:05.600 --> 00:27:09.000
and I am now going to speak light into darkness

00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:11.200
so that just as I was born again,

00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:13.600
just as the earth was created out of darkness,

00:27:13.600 --> 00:27:16.120
so something will happen to you.

00:27:16.120 --> 00:27:18.720
How do we say it, when we say it, how we show it,

00:27:18.720 --> 00:27:22.160
when we show it, my take time might happen in an instant.

00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.000
But we need to be able to see it.

00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:25.440
And that's what God says.

00:27:25.600 --> 00:27:27.480
My take time might happen in an instant.

00:27:27.480 --> 00:27:31.440
But we need to embrace who we are

00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:34.840
because sons and daughters come to the glory of God

00:27:34.840 --> 00:27:38.080
simply because they see the light of your radiance.

00:27:39.960 --> 00:27:42.960
It's God's chosen method of doing things.

00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:44.720
Chad was talking about it recently.

00:27:46.520 --> 00:27:49.520
Two to 4% of the world gets saved

00:27:49.520 --> 00:27:51.160
because of television ministry.

00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:55.360
Two to 4% of Christians get saved

00:27:55.360 --> 00:27:57.320
because of television ministry.

00:27:57.320 --> 00:28:01.000
80% of Christian money goes into television ministry.

00:28:02.840 --> 00:28:06.280
It's just a rotten way to spend money.

00:28:09.400 --> 00:28:10.240
Two to 4%.

00:28:13.560 --> 00:28:15.600
Once you start a television ministry,

00:28:15.600 --> 00:28:17.360
it's so hard to keep it going, man.

00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.440
And the rest gets saved, 60 to 70% gets saved

00:28:24.440 --> 00:28:25.960
because someone tells them.

00:28:28.880 --> 00:28:30.000
I mean, if I went around this room,

00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:31.160
we'd see that proven.

00:28:38.040 --> 00:28:41.000
So if I ever ask you to support a television ministry

00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:42.600
that I start, run.

00:28:50.080 --> 00:28:51.240
Isaiah 43, 10.

00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.480
You are my witnesses, declares the Lord,

00:28:55.360 --> 00:28:58.080
and my servant whom I have chosen,

00:28:58.080 --> 00:29:00.080
so that you may know and believe me

00:29:00.080 --> 00:29:01.840
and understand that I am he.

00:29:01.840 --> 00:29:03.280
Before me no God was formed,

00:29:03.280 --> 00:29:06.240
nor will there be one after me.

00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:07.440
I, even I am the Lord,

00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.240
and apart from me there is no savior.

00:29:10.280 --> 00:29:13.280
And so this idea of, hey Jacob, now that you know me,

00:29:13.280 --> 00:29:17.120
can you begin to go down the road of I and I alone?

00:29:18.000 --> 00:29:19.360
I'm the light of the world.

00:29:22.080 --> 00:29:24.880
The idea of witnessing can take all kinds of forms, eh?

00:29:26.720 --> 00:29:30.720
So when Chad and I left for Toronto on Tuesday,

00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:34.160
I was desperately trying to upgrade his seat

00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:36.040
because I got upgraded and then,

00:29:36.040 --> 00:29:37.760
if I get upgraded and he doesn't get upgraded,

00:29:37.760 --> 00:29:39.680
he'll make me feel guilty for about four months.

00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:41.560
He milks it for about four months.

00:29:41.560 --> 00:29:43.440
So I was doing everything, I was calling people,

00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:46.280
I went to the airport early, spoke to people,

00:29:46.280 --> 00:29:48.480
they said it was a slam dunk,

00:29:48.480 --> 00:29:53.480
and then the last minute some guy booked that extra seat.

00:29:53.800 --> 00:29:56.720
Like it was open till one hour before,

00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:59.160
and then some guy was desperate to go to Toronto,

00:29:59.160 --> 00:30:00.000
God knows why.

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.000
And so now Chad's sitting in premium economy

00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:06.720
and I'm upgraded and I'm not gonna exchange seats

00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:07.560
because...

00:30:07.560 --> 00:30:08.400
Yes.

00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:11.240
But I'm older.

00:30:12.360 --> 00:30:13.760
He wouldn't feel good about that.

00:30:13.760 --> 00:30:16.760
And so I'm wrestling with the idea

00:30:17.600 --> 00:30:19.560
I'm wrestling with guilt,

00:30:19.560 --> 00:30:24.560
lying down while he's enjoying sitting up.

00:30:26.120 --> 00:30:30.160
But here's what happens,

00:30:30.160 --> 00:30:32.080
and this took away all my guilt.

00:30:32.080 --> 00:30:33.400
There's this guy sitting next to him,

00:30:33.400 --> 00:30:35.200
and so I go to visit with peanuts.

00:30:37.720 --> 00:30:39.800
I'm doing my best to make him feel better.

00:30:39.800 --> 00:30:40.960
I go to visit him with peanuts

00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.520
and there's this guy called Tom sitting next to him.

00:30:43.520 --> 00:30:46.480
And here's what Tom said to him.

00:30:46.480 --> 00:30:49.640
Tom said, this God that I serve,

00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:52.280
I've been praying to him for this entire day saying

00:30:53.880 --> 00:30:56.200
that when I fly to Toronto today,

00:30:56.200 --> 00:30:59.400
could you make sure that the person that sits next to me

00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:01.360
is a person that you have ordained?

00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:05.840
And Chad doesn't, he doesn't know Chad's a pastor,

00:31:05.840 --> 00:31:09.120
so Chad is sitting and then he begins to say to Chad,

00:31:09.120 --> 00:31:10.960
I just want you to know that God says

00:31:10.960 --> 00:31:13.880
that your dad is a really good man.

00:31:13.880 --> 00:31:15.880
He's a kind man, he's a godly man.

00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:17.560
He doesn't know anything about Chad.

00:31:17.560 --> 00:31:19.200
And then at that point Chad begins to tell him

00:31:19.200 --> 00:31:20.600
about how he's a pastor.

00:31:20.600 --> 00:31:22.160
And this man, the way he was witnessing

00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:24.880
was simply calling people and telling them what God wants.

00:31:24.880 --> 00:31:27.920
He calls the steward and he says to the steward,

00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:29.360
for the last three or four months,

00:31:29.360 --> 00:31:31.840
you've been really sad and God has noticed

00:31:31.840 --> 00:31:34.160
and God wants to take your sadness away.

00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:37.600
And there's a guy, he stops and he starts crying

00:31:37.600 --> 00:31:40.040
because his mom died three months ago.

00:31:40.040 --> 00:31:42.480
And he's in deep sorrow because of his mom's death.

00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.640
I thought to myself, gosh, sometimes it is so easy.

00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:48.000
We've got to find our niche, guys.

00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:49.560
What are you good at?

00:31:49.560 --> 00:31:52.280
It doesn't have to be like everyone else.

00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:56.440
He doesn't make bricks, he makes stones.

00:31:56.440 --> 00:31:59.080
Egyptians use bricks, God uses stones.

00:32:02.720 --> 00:32:03.960
Different methods.

00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:08.680
I remember when that lady who was the head of,

00:32:08.680 --> 00:32:09.520
what was that?

00:32:09.720 --> 00:32:13.640
Who was the head of, what was that outfit in China?

00:32:16.800 --> 00:32:18.560
No, the one you wrote a letter to?

00:32:19.560 --> 00:32:20.400
The lady.

00:32:23.280 --> 00:32:25.560
Huawei, she was the director of Huawei

00:32:26.520 --> 00:32:28.080
and lived close to Jill.

00:32:28.080 --> 00:32:30.000
Jill wrote a letter to her.

00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:32.160
She was surrounded by cops and stuff like that

00:32:32.160 --> 00:32:33.800
because she was under arrest here

00:32:33.800 --> 00:32:35.480
because they arrested her at the airport.

00:32:35.480 --> 00:32:36.880
We've got different ways of doing things.

00:32:36.880 --> 00:32:39.040
Sometimes it's letters, sometimes it's words,

00:32:39.080 --> 00:32:41.240
sometimes it's kindness.

00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:43.440
Find your niche, what you're good at

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:45.000
and begin to walk in that

00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:46.800
because that is how light comes in.

00:32:48.040 --> 00:32:50.280
For this man, Tom, it is very simple.

00:32:51.160 --> 00:32:53.480
And then he started prophesying on Chad.

00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:54.800
And the more he prophesied on Chad,

00:32:54.800 --> 00:32:56.000
the less guilty I felt.

00:32:58.000 --> 00:32:59.600
God works in mysterious ways.

00:33:00.600 --> 00:33:01.440
Yeah.

00:33:06.040 --> 00:33:09.440
And then why is it that sometimes light does not show?

00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:12.600
Look at Ephesians 5.8, Ephesians 5.8.

00:33:12.600 --> 00:33:15.640
The light is never missing, never missing, never missing.

00:33:15.640 --> 00:33:18.400
It is so encouraging to know it is always there.

00:33:18.400 --> 00:33:19.600
Ephesians 5.8.

00:33:22.280 --> 00:33:23.120
It says there,

00:33:23.120 --> 00:33:26.360
for you were once darkness,

00:33:26.360 --> 00:33:28.400
but now you are light in the Lord.

00:33:28.440 --> 00:33:30.440
Live as children of the light.

00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:33.400
And then he tells you what the fruit of light is.

00:33:33.400 --> 00:33:34.240
I love it.

00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:36.440
Everything is so explained in the Bible.

00:33:36.440 --> 00:33:38.680
For the fruit of light consists of goodness,

00:33:41.120 --> 00:33:42.120
righteousness,

00:33:45.640 --> 00:33:46.480
truth.

00:33:48.880 --> 00:33:49.920
Practice these.

00:33:53.360 --> 00:33:54.200
And you

00:33:55.320 --> 00:33:56.800
and I

00:33:56.800 --> 00:33:58.040
will be a city.

00:33:59.400 --> 00:34:00.800
On a hill.

00:34:03.800 --> 00:34:05.360
That's the fruit of light, eh?

00:34:07.320 --> 00:34:10.520
So that's where it says you were darkness.

00:34:10.520 --> 00:34:12.840
Not you were in darkness, you were darkness.

00:34:13.880 --> 00:34:15.800
And now you are light.

00:34:15.800 --> 00:34:19.560
Live and walk as if you are children of light.

00:34:19.560 --> 00:34:24.480
You are, you and you alone are the light of this world.

00:34:24.480 --> 00:34:26.000
That is nuts.

00:34:26.000 --> 00:34:27.800
But here's what light looks like.

00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:30.720
Light practices goodness.

00:34:33.520 --> 00:34:34.360
Isn't it,

00:34:35.640 --> 00:34:37.360
isn't it so obvious now why

00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:40.240
God says to Moses after Moses says,

00:34:40.240 --> 00:34:41.920
show me your glory, what does he say?

00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:43.920
I'll show you my goodness.

00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:47.480
The fruit of light is goodness.

00:34:49.200 --> 00:34:51.040
Practice goodness.

00:34:51.040 --> 00:34:52.440
Fruit of light is righteousness.

00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:53.320
Practice righteousness.

00:34:53.320 --> 00:34:54.680
What is righteousness?

00:34:54.680 --> 00:34:55.680
I know we've talked about this,

00:34:55.680 --> 00:34:58.400
but righteousness is right relationship

00:35:03.680 --> 00:35:04.520
with God,

00:35:07.080 --> 00:35:08.040
with yourself,

00:35:10.960 --> 00:35:11.800
with others,

00:35:13.960 --> 00:35:15.000
and the environment.

00:35:18.880 --> 00:35:20.400
Right relationship.

00:35:20.400 --> 00:35:23.720
When our heart breaks, mend it.

00:35:23.720 --> 00:35:24.560
Who mends it?

00:35:24.560 --> 00:35:25.400
He mends it.

00:35:26.680 --> 00:35:27.880
But you have to let him.

00:35:29.160 --> 00:35:30.240
Mend it quickly.

00:35:30.240 --> 00:35:33.040
The longer you take to mend something, the more it tears.

00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:37.720
And truth.

00:35:42.240 --> 00:35:45.080
Integrity in heart, integrity in practice,

00:35:45.080 --> 00:35:46.600
integrity in words,

00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:49.520
somewhere inside.

00:35:49.520 --> 00:35:54.520
This is when it's impossible to hide light

00:35:58.600 --> 00:35:59.880
that is already in you.

00:36:01.000 --> 00:36:04.720
What is it that causes light to travel unhindered?

00:36:04.720 --> 00:36:07.200
What is it that causes the light in you

00:36:07.200 --> 00:36:09.400
to travel unhindered?

00:36:09.400 --> 00:36:12.320
This is more lipstick on your mirror.

00:36:12.320 --> 00:36:16.000
Goodness, righteousness, truth.

00:36:17.720 --> 00:36:19.400
Act justly.

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:21.120
Act humbly.

00:36:23.240 --> 00:36:24.080
What's the last one?

00:36:24.080 --> 00:36:24.920
Love and mercy.

00:36:24.920 --> 00:36:25.760
Love and mercy.

00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:33.040
It's impossible then, impossible to keep this light hidden.

00:36:33.040 --> 00:36:34.640
It's already in you, you can't douse it.

00:36:38.640 --> 00:36:39.920
And when you begin to live like this,

00:36:39.920 --> 00:36:42.240
don't expect everyone to like you.

00:36:42.240 --> 00:36:44.000
Light divides.

00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:45.440
Light divides.

00:36:45.440 --> 00:36:47.640
Don't expect everyone to like you.

00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:49.680
Light divides.

00:36:49.680 --> 00:36:52.760
In Genesis one, we see it the first time.

00:36:52.760 --> 00:36:57.760
God decides that there will be light and there will be dark

00:36:58.360 --> 00:37:02.000
and he calls the light day and he calls it dark night.

00:37:02.000 --> 00:37:02.840
There's a division.

00:37:02.840 --> 00:37:04.360
Whenever there is light, there is a divide.

00:37:04.360 --> 00:37:06.480
Exodus 10, verse 23, again.

00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:11.200
And then the entire sky turned black.

00:37:11.200 --> 00:37:14.960
All across Egypt, there was just pitch blackness.

00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:17.480
But in Goshen, there was light.

00:37:18.200 --> 00:37:19.800
Light always divides.

00:37:20.840 --> 00:37:23.560
John three, verse 19 and 20, Jesus says

00:37:23.560 --> 00:37:25.560
that I'm the light of the world,

00:37:25.560 --> 00:37:29.880
but there are people that don't like the light

00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:32.680
and they choose the darkness.

00:37:32.680 --> 00:37:37.680
There will, every time the church has behaved in a way

00:37:38.280 --> 00:37:41.240
that is not like the world, the church does really well.

00:37:42.400 --> 00:37:44.840
Whenever the church begins to behave like the world,

00:37:44.840 --> 00:37:46.200
the church loses.

00:37:48.160 --> 00:37:49.200
Light divides.

00:37:50.880 --> 00:37:53.520
And that's part of the reason we hide the light.

00:37:53.520 --> 00:37:57.080
Because we don't like resistance, opposition.

00:37:57.080 --> 00:38:01.080
So we do those false lights, those candles

00:38:01.080 --> 00:38:03.520
with those bulbs on top, little thingy on top.

00:38:05.320 --> 00:38:07.040
We are the world.

00:38:07.040 --> 00:38:09.800
Sorry, that's a song you guys don't know.

00:38:09.800 --> 00:38:12.680
This was ages ago, 1986.

00:38:15.320 --> 00:38:16.200
What are you doing?

00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:17.520
Some of you do, yeah.

00:38:18.400 --> 00:38:20.240
Oh, that is some concert, eh?

00:38:22.200 --> 00:38:23.560
That is an amazing concert.

00:38:28.080 --> 00:38:28.920
Okay.

00:38:29.880 --> 00:38:32.880
The other thing that helps sons and daughters come home

00:38:35.160 --> 00:38:38.880
is this thing, shepherds wanted.

00:38:38.880 --> 00:38:39.720
Shepherds wanted.

00:38:39.720 --> 00:38:43.240
That's this constant vacancy in the church.

00:38:43.240 --> 00:38:44.960
Shepherds wanted.

00:38:44.960 --> 00:38:45.960
Shepherds wanted.

00:38:46.840 --> 00:38:49.680
Shepherds are critical to sons and daughters being added.

00:38:49.680 --> 00:38:53.960
Shepherds are critical to sons and daughters being added.

00:38:55.880 --> 00:38:58.680
I'm not calling them pastors, I'm calling them shepherds.

00:39:01.120 --> 00:39:03.200
Most churches advertise pastors wanted.

00:39:04.080 --> 00:39:06.640
We don't want more pastors, we want more shepherds.

00:39:09.280 --> 00:39:12.800
Shepherds are raised in-house.

00:39:15.840 --> 00:39:17.600
Shepherds wanted.

00:39:17.600 --> 00:39:20.400
Shepherds are critical to sons and daughters being added.

00:39:24.160 --> 00:39:27.440
Shepherds are critical to sons and daughters being added.

00:39:27.440 --> 00:39:32.440
Look at what Jesus said, Matthew 9, 35 to 38.

00:39:33.600 --> 00:39:35.440
Matthew 9, 35 to 38.

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:40.800
Matthew 9, 35 to 38.

00:39:41.600 --> 00:39:43.760
Look at this, look at this.

00:39:46.320 --> 00:39:47.160
Matthew 9.

00:39:51.640 --> 00:39:52.960
It's amazing, man.

00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:55.440
Jesus went through all the towns and villages,

00:39:55.440 --> 00:39:56.800
teaching in their synagogues,

00:39:56.800 --> 00:39:58.640
preaching the good news of the kingdom,

00:39:58.640 --> 00:40:01.280
and healing every disease and sickness.

00:40:01.280 --> 00:40:03.840
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them.

00:40:03.840 --> 00:40:04.680
Why?

00:40:04.680 --> 00:40:06.200
Why did he have compassion on them?

00:40:06.200 --> 00:40:08.720
Because they were harassed and helpless,

00:40:09.000 --> 00:40:11.240
like sheep without a shepherd.

00:40:11.240 --> 00:40:12.640
That's why he had compassion on them.

00:40:12.640 --> 00:40:15.680
He sees them coming in droves, he's healing them.

00:40:15.680 --> 00:40:18.320
But compassion comes from a word, Raham,

00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:20.920
which is almost something that a mother feels in a womb,

00:40:20.920 --> 00:40:22.720
and he begins to feel that kind of compassion.

00:40:22.720 --> 00:40:23.560
Why?

00:40:23.560 --> 00:40:25.480
Because they're sheep without a shepherd.

00:40:26.520 --> 00:40:28.000
And then he goes on to say,

00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:30.480
then he said to his disciples,

00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:33.160
it's in that context that he says the next line.

00:40:34.160 --> 00:40:35.600
Then he says to his disciples,

00:40:35.600 --> 00:40:37.120
the harvest of the plentiful were the workers,

00:40:37.120 --> 00:40:39.280
the harvest of the plentiful were the workers, a few.

00:40:39.280 --> 00:40:40.400
Asked the Lord of the harvest,

00:40:40.400 --> 00:40:42.560
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest tree.

00:40:42.560 --> 00:40:43.560
What's he looking for?

00:40:43.560 --> 00:40:44.400
Shepherds.

00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:48.680
We just take that verse in isolation,

00:40:49.760 --> 00:40:51.200
and so we think it's missionaries,

00:40:51.200 --> 00:40:52.880
or it's going and evangelizing.

00:40:52.880 --> 00:40:56.160
No, what prompted that statement,

00:40:56.160 --> 00:40:57.720
what prompted that statement was,

00:40:58.680 --> 00:40:59.920
sheep without shepherds.

00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:02.920
Sons and daughters need parents,

00:41:02.920 --> 00:41:06.320
so they're not raised in orphanages and foster homes.

00:41:06.320 --> 00:41:09.240
Sons and daughters need parents,

00:41:09.240 --> 00:41:12.320
so they're not raised in orphanages and foster homes.

00:41:14.880 --> 00:41:17.440
Part of the reason sheep don't do well

00:41:17.440 --> 00:41:19.920
is because there aren't enough shepherds.

00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:21.600
But then we've been around for 17 years,

00:41:21.600 --> 00:41:23.400
surely there are shepherds among us.

00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:25.880
Surely we can help them,

00:41:25.880 --> 00:41:27.200
but we can't help them.

00:41:27.200 --> 00:41:28.600
There are shepherds among us.

00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:32.120
Surely we can learn how to parent.

00:41:32.120 --> 00:41:35.480
Surely there can be compassion that arises in our hearts

00:41:35.480 --> 00:41:37.240
so that the ones that come under our care

00:41:37.240 --> 00:41:38.400
can be taken care of.

00:41:39.840 --> 00:41:41.800
Aren't there many of us here?

00:41:41.800 --> 00:41:43.560
Don't think in terms of pastoral.

00:41:43.560 --> 00:41:46.160
You think in terms of pastoral, this whole thing crumbles.

00:41:50.040 --> 00:41:54.200
I think a shepherd can be a pastor.

00:41:54.200 --> 00:41:56.840
A pastor does not necessarily have to be a shepherd.

00:41:56.840 --> 00:41:59.200
As we look at the qualities of a shepherd,

00:41:59.200 --> 00:42:01.160
you'll find that all it takes to be a pastor

00:42:01.160 --> 00:42:02.120
is a Bible school.

00:42:10.160 --> 00:42:13.400
While a pastor can be a shepherd,

00:42:13.400 --> 00:42:15.560
a pastor does not have to be a shepherd.

00:42:16.440 --> 00:42:17.880
A shepherd can be a pastor.

00:42:19.560 --> 00:42:21.120
You're supposed to raise sheep.

00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:25.280
It is a painful, painful job, so let's just look at that.

00:42:27.640 --> 00:42:31.840
So let's just look at us.

00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:34.160
We've been around for years now.

00:42:34.160 --> 00:42:37.400
What is it that we need to have in our minds

00:42:37.400 --> 00:42:39.520
so that we can function in this capacity?

00:42:41.960 --> 00:42:46.480
So one, press towards maturity.

00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:48.080
Press towards maturity.

00:42:49.080 --> 00:42:51.080
It's one thing to desire to be a shepherd.

00:42:51.080 --> 00:42:55.240
It is another thing to have the strength to be a shepherd.

00:42:55.880 --> 00:42:58.680
I went out with two old men in this church.

00:42:58.680 --> 00:43:00.920
I mean, when I say old men, they're really old.

00:43:00.920 --> 00:43:03.920
One was Wayne and one was Elmer.

00:43:06.600 --> 00:43:09.480
I called him secondhand lions.

00:43:10.400 --> 00:43:15.400
So we went out with them and we went to fish out crab cages.

00:43:17.640 --> 00:43:20.040
Like you put these cages in the water.

00:43:20.040 --> 00:43:22.600
And these men are 20, 25 years older than me.

00:43:22.640 --> 00:43:26.960
And we went out there and they asked me to haul out the cage.

00:43:26.960 --> 00:43:28.520
It was 300 feet, man.

00:43:28.520 --> 00:43:31.600
My hands were raw, my arms were paining,

00:43:31.600 --> 00:43:34.080
and those crab weren't coming any closer.

00:43:34.080 --> 00:43:36.200
And then these two men knew what to do.

00:43:36.200 --> 00:43:37.760
They had done this a million times.

00:43:37.760 --> 00:43:39.240
They were strong.

00:43:39.240 --> 00:43:41.640
These two men who were 70 or 75 then started

00:43:41.640 --> 00:43:43.160
hauling these crab cages up

00:43:43.160 --> 00:43:45.240
and they would come up one after the other.

00:43:45.240 --> 00:43:48.000
And I was surprised at how strong they were.

00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:51.160
Being younger or being smarter does not mean squat.

00:43:52.040 --> 00:43:56.520
At the end of the day, am I desire to be a shepherd?

00:43:56.520 --> 00:43:59.880
But am I pressing into maturity to be a shepherd?

00:43:59.880 --> 00:44:02.640
Because if I'm not, how can I raise the ones under me?

00:44:04.800 --> 00:44:08.160
And so maturity, how do you measure maturity?

00:44:08.160 --> 00:44:09.160
Fruitfulness.

00:44:10.960 --> 00:44:14.200
How do you know a tree is maturing?

00:44:14.200 --> 00:44:15.280
It produces fruit.

00:44:16.120 --> 00:44:17.600
Fruitfulness.

00:44:17.600 --> 00:44:19.880
John 15, nine, what did Jesus say?

00:44:19.880 --> 00:44:21.400
I have appointed you to do what?

00:44:21.400 --> 00:44:23.600
To bear fruit.

00:44:23.600 --> 00:44:24.440
What kind of fruit?

00:44:24.440 --> 00:44:25.440
Christ-like fruit.

00:44:26.720 --> 00:44:27.720
What's fruitfulness?

00:44:27.720 --> 00:44:29.080
Christ-likeness in nature.

00:44:33.640 --> 00:44:35.000
Christ-likeness in nature.

00:44:37.240 --> 00:44:39.840
Where you respond like Him under pressure.

00:44:42.160 --> 00:44:44.200
You respond like Him under pressure.

00:44:45.160 --> 00:44:47.880
So how do you measure my maturity?

00:44:47.880 --> 00:44:49.720
You measure my maturity by looking at,

00:44:50.560 --> 00:44:52.160
hey, is Jacob being more fruitful?

00:44:52.160 --> 00:44:53.960
Not is Jacob going to more cities?

00:44:53.960 --> 00:44:56.320
Is Jacob planting another church?

00:44:57.280 --> 00:44:58.720
It is, is he being more fruitful?

00:44:58.720 --> 00:45:00.320
Is he becoming more Christ-like?

00:45:01.240 --> 00:45:04.320
And under pressure, is he responding like Christ?

00:45:04.320 --> 00:45:06.440
Or is he still responding the same old way?

00:45:06.440 --> 00:45:08.120
When it comes to cats, I'm still responding

00:45:08.120 --> 00:45:08.960
the same old way.

00:45:10.400 --> 00:45:11.640
But even that may change.

00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:15.320
Rene is not laughing at all.

00:45:20.720 --> 00:45:23.200
So here are some things that we need to know about shepherds

00:45:23.200 --> 00:45:26.760
so that as you aspire to be what God wants you to be

00:45:26.760 --> 00:45:28.920
so that He can add more sons and daughters,

00:45:28.920 --> 00:45:31.400
you realize that this is the way you need to be.

00:45:31.400 --> 00:45:34.200
And if you're not this way, then it's hard to,

00:45:35.080 --> 00:45:39.520
hard to give you my baby to hold

00:45:39.520 --> 00:45:41.120
because you could harm my baby.

00:45:42.640 --> 00:45:44.680
It's not that we have to become perfect at this.

00:45:44.680 --> 00:45:48.000
We've got to continuously move towards this, hey?

00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:49.360
Growth is not perfection.

00:45:49.360 --> 00:45:50.680
Growth is movement.

00:45:51.560 --> 00:45:53.000
Growth is never perfection.

00:45:53.000 --> 00:45:54.800
Growth is always movement.

00:45:58.120 --> 00:46:00.320
Have you noticed how all the parents who come

00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:02.960
to dedicate their child never let me hold the child?

00:46:05.400 --> 00:46:06.240
Strange, eh?

00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:09.840
One mother did.

00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:13.400
And she grabbed the child out of my hands.

00:46:13.400 --> 00:46:16.120
I didn't know that kids don't have strong neck muscles.

00:46:16.120 --> 00:46:19.120
So I've got the child on one shoulder

00:46:19.880 --> 00:46:20.720
and I'm dedicating the child

00:46:20.720 --> 00:46:23.000
and the head is slipping off my shoulder.

00:46:23.000 --> 00:46:25.000
So I fling it to this shoulder,

00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:28.280
thinking that perhaps this shoulder was not strong enough.

00:46:28.280 --> 00:46:29.560
The mother came grab the child

00:46:29.560 --> 00:46:31.600
because she said you could break the neck.

00:46:31.600 --> 00:46:33.360
So, yeah.

00:46:35.920 --> 00:46:40.160
Shepherds, it's a difficult thing, eh?

00:46:40.160 --> 00:46:41.760
A difficult process.

00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:43.960
Please know what you're signing up for.

00:46:43.960 --> 00:46:46.320
If you come and tell me you want to be a shepherd,

00:46:46.320 --> 00:46:50.400
I just know that you just signed your life away.

00:46:51.560 --> 00:46:52.680
Numbers chapter 11.

00:46:55.600 --> 00:46:59.720
Numbers chapter 11, 10 to 15.

00:47:00.600 --> 00:47:04.360
And these are God's ideas, so it's not manmade.

00:47:04.360 --> 00:47:07.480
Numbers chapter 11, 10 to 15.

00:47:07.480 --> 00:47:11.960
This is one of Israel's best shepherds.

00:47:11.960 --> 00:47:15.200
God speaks of him well in Hebrews when he says,

00:47:15.200 --> 00:47:16.920
man, no one like Moses,

00:47:16.920 --> 00:47:19.640
but look at what Moses says in 10 to 15.

00:47:19.640 --> 00:47:22.400
Moses heard the people of every family wailing,

00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:25.560
each at the entrance to his tent.

00:47:25.560 --> 00:47:27.800
The Lord became exceedingly angry and Moses was troubled.

00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:28.800
He asked the Lord,

00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:30.720
why have you brought this trouble on your servant?

00:47:30.720 --> 00:47:32.000
What have I done to displease you

00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:34.160
that you put the burden of all these people on me?

00:47:34.160 --> 00:47:35.640
Did I conceive all these people?

00:47:35.640 --> 00:47:36.840
Did I give them birth?

00:47:36.840 --> 00:47:38.520
Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms

00:47:38.520 --> 00:47:39.800
as a nurse carries an infant

00:47:39.800 --> 00:47:42.480
to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?

00:47:42.480 --> 00:47:44.360
Where can I get meat for all these people?

00:47:44.360 --> 00:47:46.760
They keep wailing to me, give us meat to eat.

00:47:46.760 --> 00:47:48.600
I cannot carry all these people by myself.

00:47:48.600 --> 00:47:49.840
The burden is too heavy for me.

00:47:49.840 --> 00:47:51.280
If this is how you're gonna treat me,

00:47:51.280 --> 00:47:52.320
put me to death right now.

00:47:52.320 --> 00:47:54.040
If I have found favor in your eyes,

00:47:54.040 --> 00:47:55.360
do not let my face.

00:47:58.320 --> 00:47:59.320
How many volunteers?

00:47:59.320 --> 00:48:01.120
How many shepherds here?

00:48:01.120 --> 00:48:06.120
This is what you will secretly say to your wife

00:48:06.120 --> 00:48:07.400
after Sunday services.

00:48:11.320 --> 00:48:13.320
And then God comes up with solutions.

00:48:15.360 --> 00:48:16.480
The Lord said to Moses,

00:48:16.480 --> 00:48:18.720
bring me 70 of Israel's elders

00:48:18.720 --> 00:48:20.480
who are known to you as leaders and officials

00:48:20.480 --> 00:48:21.320
among the people.

00:48:21.320 --> 00:48:22.960
Have them come to the tent of meeting

00:48:22.960 --> 00:48:24.440
that they may stand there with you.

00:48:24.440 --> 00:48:26.120
I will come down and speak with you there.

00:48:26.120 --> 00:48:28.120
I will take of the spirit that is on you

00:48:28.120 --> 00:48:29.480
and put the spirit on them.

00:48:29.480 --> 00:48:31.240
They will help you carry the burden of the people

00:48:31.240 --> 00:48:33.400
so that you will not have to carry it alone.

00:48:33.400 --> 00:48:34.920
That is what must happen here.

00:48:37.640 --> 00:48:39.160
For God, there's two things.

00:48:40.200 --> 00:48:41.040
One,

00:48:42.040 --> 00:48:47.040
he takes of the spirit,

00:48:48.760 --> 00:48:53.760
as in the Holy Spirit, on me, as in Jacob.

00:48:54.120 --> 00:48:56.800
As in not Jacob's spirit, but the Holy Spirit

00:48:56.800 --> 00:48:59.640
that he gave me for this church and puts it on you.

00:49:03.280 --> 00:49:08.280
And he also takes of the spirit, not Jacob's spirit,

00:49:11.080 --> 00:49:13.280
but the Holy Spirit, of the Spirit on me

00:49:14.120 --> 00:49:15.200
and gives it to you

00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:20.200
so that you can

00:49:22.880 --> 00:49:24.320
take what is

00:49:25.840 --> 00:49:28.600
and add to it

00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:33.200
in the future.

00:49:33.200 --> 00:49:34.160
It's both, eh?

00:49:36.320 --> 00:49:39.440
But this is more important than this.

00:49:39.440 --> 00:49:41.880
But if you have both, the church is richer.

00:49:43.720 --> 00:49:46.840
There is a DNA that this church has because of me.

00:49:48.200 --> 00:49:49.040
And if you get it,

00:49:50.280 --> 00:49:53.280
you'll be able to take it where it's supposed to go.

00:49:53.280 --> 00:49:55.760
But if you don't want it, you still can

00:49:55.760 --> 00:49:57.560
because the Spirit of God is enough.

00:50:01.480 --> 00:50:03.680
Another requirement of shepherds.

00:50:03.680 --> 00:50:05.240
This is not about starting a ministry.

00:50:05.240 --> 00:50:06.560
This is painful work.

00:50:06.560 --> 00:50:08.360
Ministry is the easiest thing to do.

00:50:08.400 --> 00:50:10.920
Print some business cards, set up a website,

00:50:10.920 --> 00:50:12.960
pray for two people, see one healed,

00:50:12.960 --> 00:50:14.160
and you have a ministry.

00:50:18.520 --> 00:50:20.160
The second one is, sorry?

00:50:21.320 --> 00:50:23.200
You want me to read it?

00:50:23.200 --> 00:50:25.080
Are you saying my writing is not good?

00:50:26.280 --> 00:50:27.120
James.

00:50:33.000 --> 00:50:37.520
He also takes of the Spirit on me, as in not Jacob,

00:50:37.520 --> 00:50:40.560
and gives it so that you can take what has

00:50:40.560 --> 00:50:43.880
already been built and add to it in the future.

00:50:45.560 --> 00:50:48.960
I mean, she came and prayed for a grandchild today.

00:50:48.960 --> 00:50:52.440
Some of the things that she raised Sheikah to be

00:50:52.440 --> 00:50:53.800
is what Vanessa will get.

00:50:56.240 --> 00:50:57.840
There's a reason God says,

00:50:57.840 --> 00:51:00.720
he's the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

00:51:02.800 --> 00:51:05.120
Generational transference of things that are rich

00:51:05.120 --> 00:51:07.240
is important in the context of scripture.

00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:09.880
And the way God works.

00:51:09.880 --> 00:51:11.640
Elijah, Elisha, Paul, Timothy.

00:51:12.960 --> 00:51:14.080
Father Jesus.

00:51:19.600 --> 00:51:20.960
Oh, but we don't receive from man.

00:51:20.960 --> 00:51:22.280
Yes, you receive from man.

00:51:22.280 --> 00:51:25.040
Everything you have, you receive from man.

00:51:25.040 --> 00:51:29.240
At work, at home, at the soccer field,

00:51:31.200 --> 00:51:32.040
and on TV.

00:51:32.040 --> 00:51:33.400
You receive every day from TV.

00:51:34.800 --> 00:51:36.840
If you thought they were angels, they're not.

00:51:37.960 --> 00:51:41.760
Prashanth, are you still trying to figure this out?

00:51:41.760 --> 00:51:43.000
Okay.

00:51:43.000 --> 00:51:44.760
I didn't know it was that bad, but.

00:51:48.840 --> 00:51:51.160
Shepherds follow the example of the great shepherd.

00:51:51.160 --> 00:51:54.680
Shepherds follow the example, follow the great shepherd.

00:51:55.760 --> 00:51:58.320
Shepherds follow the example of the great shepherd.

00:52:02.440 --> 00:52:06.040
Who watches over them, like in Psalm 23.

00:52:08.480 --> 00:52:11.000
Shepherds follow the example of the great shepherd.

00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:12.920
What is the toughest thing

00:52:12.920 --> 00:52:15.360
when it comes to following the great shepherd for us?

00:52:15.360 --> 00:52:18.520
What is the one thing that is so difficult to do

00:52:18.520 --> 00:52:20.000
that the great shepherd does?

00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:21.160
Give me that one thing.

00:52:23.160 --> 00:52:24.000
Yeah, man.

00:52:25.320 --> 00:52:26.760
A good shepherd, the great shepherd,

00:52:26.760 --> 00:52:29.080
lays down his life for the sheep.

00:52:29.080 --> 00:52:32.360
How many in this church would you lay your life down for?

00:52:32.360 --> 00:52:33.200
Don't answer.

00:52:34.480 --> 00:52:35.640
Could get really messy.

00:52:37.840 --> 00:52:40.120
How many here would you lay your life down for?

00:52:42.120 --> 00:52:45.040
As in you would exchange your life so that they escape.

00:52:46.880 --> 00:52:49.360
You'd be surprised at how many of you would do it.

00:52:51.600 --> 00:52:53.040
We sell ourselves short.

00:52:53.040 --> 00:52:55.240
Some of you, the way you take care of people,

00:52:55.240 --> 00:52:56.480
you would probably do it.

00:52:59.240 --> 00:53:02.120
Wives, I wanna say this to you.

00:53:02.120 --> 00:53:04.480
Doesn't matter how difficult your husband

00:53:04.480 --> 00:53:05.880
can be on some days.

00:53:06.880 --> 00:53:10.680
Almost every husband here would, without thinking,

00:53:10.680 --> 00:53:12.800
lay down his or her life, his life,

00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:15.440
lay down his life for you without thinking.

00:53:16.400 --> 00:53:17.240
You need to know that.

00:53:17.240 --> 00:53:19.880
Mike would lay down his life for Karen in a second.

00:53:19.880 --> 00:53:22.160
Aaron would lay down his life for Renny in a second.

00:53:22.160 --> 00:53:23.680
And yet, neither Mike and Aaron

00:53:23.680 --> 00:53:25.280
may take out the garbage tonight.

00:53:25.280 --> 00:53:26.280
I dropped one.

00:53:32.920 --> 00:53:34.520
It's strange how this works.

00:53:35.920 --> 00:53:37.000
These men love you.

00:53:44.360 --> 00:53:47.160
Another thing shepherds do, shepherds bring,

00:53:47.160 --> 00:53:49.480
this is in John 10, 16.

00:53:49.480 --> 00:53:53.080
Shepherds bring sheep that are not part of the sheep fold.

00:53:53.080 --> 00:53:57.960
Bring sheep, shepherds bring sheep that are not part,

00:53:57.960 --> 00:54:01.960
that are not part of the sheep pen into the fold.

00:54:05.880 --> 00:54:08.880
Exclusivity is not a shepherd thingy.

00:54:12.120 --> 00:54:15.120
It is something that should be broken,

00:54:15.120 --> 00:54:17.160
especially in our midst or in my life.

00:54:17.160 --> 00:54:21.040
We must go and find sheep that are not part of this pen

00:54:21.040 --> 00:54:22.440
and bring them into the fold.

00:54:23.800 --> 00:54:25.120
It's something shepherds do.

00:54:25.120 --> 00:54:28.000
Ezekiel 34 is a brilliant chapter on shepherds.

00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:29.760
When you go home, read it.

00:54:29.760 --> 00:54:31.840
It's something that shepherds do.

00:54:31.880 --> 00:54:34.440
Ezekiel 34 is a brilliant chapter on shepherds.

00:54:34.440 --> 00:54:36.000
When you go home, read it.

00:54:38.800 --> 00:54:39.640
Ezekiel 34.

00:54:41.600 --> 00:54:42.800
When you go to Ezekiel 34,

00:54:42.800 --> 00:54:46.160
you'll find that God's really upset with shepherds

00:54:46.160 --> 00:54:47.320
that are nasty, eh?

00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:49.320
And he says, man, the way I'll deal with you

00:54:49.320 --> 00:54:52.280
for what you've done to the sheep, I'll punish you.

00:54:53.560 --> 00:54:55.040
But when it comes to what they should do,

00:54:55.040 --> 00:54:56.840
he also tells them what he'll do.

00:54:56.840 --> 00:55:00.240
Binds the injured, binds the injured.

00:55:02.840 --> 00:55:03.960
Carries the young.

00:55:08.200 --> 00:55:09.760
Searches for the strays.

00:55:14.760 --> 00:55:15.920
Lays down his life.

00:55:17.120 --> 00:55:20.080
When I see some of you house church leaders in this church,

00:55:20.080 --> 00:55:21.400
this is how you live, man.

00:55:23.680 --> 00:55:24.680
You're better than me.

00:55:28.040 --> 00:55:29.920
You bind the injured, you carry the young,

00:55:29.920 --> 00:55:32.640
you feed, feed the hungry.

00:55:33.520 --> 00:55:36.080
You'll go miles to do it, eh?

00:55:36.080 --> 00:55:39.160
Feed the hungry, search for strays, lay your life down.

00:55:40.840 --> 00:55:44.080
Another thing that is so critical to shepherding,

00:55:44.080 --> 00:55:47.000
which we must learn, because this is not easy,

00:55:47.000 --> 00:55:49.400
and it's hard to practice, hard to even learn,

00:55:50.920 --> 00:55:55.400
you must guard from,

00:55:55.400 --> 00:55:58.880
you must guard the sheep from ferocious wolves.

00:56:00.920 --> 00:56:04.600
Some within and some without.

00:56:04.600 --> 00:56:07.360
Some within and some from the outside.

00:56:15.120 --> 00:56:17.160
Otherwise, the flock is ravaged.

00:56:21.400 --> 00:56:23.000
This is not a pleasant job,

00:56:24.560 --> 00:56:27.160
because sometimes people think you're being too harsh.

00:56:28.160 --> 00:56:31.400
But if it was your wife and your children, how would you be?

00:56:32.560 --> 00:56:36.040
If it was your child, and someone was coming to do harm,

00:56:36.040 --> 00:56:39.280
either through a teaching that was wrong,

00:56:39.280 --> 00:56:43.040
or intent to harm, what would you do?

00:56:44.000 --> 00:56:45.560
Doesn't matter how meek you are,

00:56:45.560 --> 00:56:47.280
something inside will rise up.

00:56:51.040 --> 00:56:53.200
It's amazing how we protect our children.

00:56:54.120 --> 00:56:55.640
Even intent is enough.

00:56:57.600 --> 00:57:00.000
This is how shepherds must guard their sheep.

00:57:00.880 --> 00:57:04.280
And sometimes the zeal might come out wrong,

00:57:04.280 --> 00:57:06.840
eh, it might be misplaced.

00:57:06.840 --> 00:57:09.560
But my God, don't dilute it.

00:57:15.200 --> 00:57:20.200
Doesn't matter how much we play around and dance with Phoebe,

00:57:21.440 --> 00:57:23.600
there are some things that Sheldon and Jane

00:57:25.120 --> 00:57:26.560
can really get nasty about.

00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:33.000
Try having Phoebe eat something that has fallen on the ground

00:57:34.200 --> 00:57:36.480
and has stayed there longer than three seconds.

00:57:36.480 --> 00:57:38.600
You will see a Sheldon you have never seen.

00:57:42.240 --> 00:57:43.200
When Sheldon was growing up,

00:57:43.200 --> 00:57:44.560
it wasn't even a three second rule,

00:57:44.560 --> 00:57:46.360
it was a one and a half second rule.

00:57:50.640 --> 00:57:52.800
You were wondering where I was going with that.

00:57:52.800 --> 00:57:54.120
I was going with the kindest person in the world.

00:57:54.120 --> 00:57:55.640
Yes.

00:57:55.640 --> 00:57:57.080
Until you have something picked up

00:57:57.080 --> 00:57:58.720
from the floor to feed his child.

00:58:01.640 --> 00:58:04.960
Hebrews 13, seven, just two more points when we're done.

00:58:04.960 --> 00:58:08.200
Hebrews 13, seven, shepherds must display lives.

00:58:08.200 --> 00:58:10.360
Shepherds must display lives.

00:58:12.160 --> 00:58:13.800
Must display lives.

00:58:16.160 --> 00:58:17.400
Others can consider.

00:58:21.120 --> 00:58:23.400
Display lives.

00:58:23.400 --> 00:58:25.040
Others must consider.

00:58:26.480 --> 00:58:27.320
And imitate.

00:58:34.240 --> 00:58:38.040
You must also be able to both perpetuate teaching

00:58:38.040 --> 00:58:39.480
and defend what you teach.

00:58:42.760 --> 00:58:43.840
And defend it.

00:58:47.520 --> 00:58:50.160
Because doctrine is an important part of what shepherds do.

00:58:51.120 --> 00:58:53.800
So Hebrews 13, seven, shepherds must display lives

00:58:53.800 --> 00:58:55.280
that others must consider.

00:58:55.280 --> 00:58:57.560
As in, it should be a life that kind of stands out

00:58:57.560 --> 00:58:59.000
that is different from you.

00:59:00.120 --> 00:59:01.360
People should notice,

00:59:01.360 --> 00:59:03.560
there's something I need to learn from this person.

00:59:05.600 --> 00:59:08.000
And then it should be lived out openly enough

00:59:08.000 --> 00:59:11.000
and lived out systematically enough for someone to imitate.

00:59:13.640 --> 00:59:16.800
And you have to be able to defend the way you teach.

00:59:16.840 --> 00:59:20.440
You have to be able to defend the way you teach

00:59:20.440 --> 00:59:21.640
or what you're teaching.

00:59:23.480 --> 00:59:25.640
They'll know which word needs explanation.

00:59:26.880 --> 00:59:28.400
Is my, I don't know why my writing

00:59:28.400 --> 00:59:29.920
seems to be really bad today.

00:59:30.880 --> 00:59:32.920
Everyone's got screwed up eyes like this.

00:59:35.960 --> 00:59:38.600
Or people forgot their glasses at home.

00:59:38.600 --> 00:59:40.400
It's one or the other.

00:59:40.400 --> 00:59:41.640
Dilna, what is the truth?

00:59:44.480 --> 00:59:45.320
Bad writing, eh?

00:59:47.760 --> 00:59:50.280
Where does the sheepdog fit in?

00:59:50.280 --> 00:59:51.880
Where does the sheepdog fit in?

00:59:54.600 --> 00:59:55.440
Good question.

00:59:56.320 --> 00:59:57.640
Can I share a blonde joke?

01:00:00.880 --> 01:00:01.720
No?

01:00:01.720 --> 01:00:02.640
Okay, all righty.

01:00:02.640 --> 01:00:03.800
Not a good idea, yeah.

01:00:05.480 --> 01:00:07.200
But the last line in the joke is.

01:00:14.680 --> 01:00:15.520
Yeah.

01:00:17.080 --> 01:00:17.920
No.

01:00:19.040 --> 01:00:20.280
No, not in this case.

01:00:23.720 --> 01:00:25.920
Yeah, anyways, we won't go down that road.

01:00:30.880 --> 01:00:35.040
So, sheepdogs, sheepdogs can become shepherds.

01:00:36.640 --> 01:00:38.720
Sheepdogs can become shepherds.

01:00:38.720 --> 01:00:43.720
Sheepdogs in the kingdom are ones that assist the shepherd

01:00:43.920 --> 01:00:48.920
in creating order that is conducive to the sheep prospering.

01:00:49.240 --> 01:00:50.720
Let me put this, let me say that again.

01:00:50.720 --> 01:00:53.280
Sheepdogs are those that help shepherds

01:00:55.400 --> 01:00:57.280
create or maintain order

01:00:57.280 --> 01:01:00.720
that is conducive to the sheep prospering.

01:01:00.720 --> 01:01:05.720
So Jethro, Mordecai, Barnabas, Philip,

01:01:07.520 --> 01:01:12.520
Joshua, Aaron, these were men that helped the shepherds.

01:01:13.520 --> 01:01:14.960
The 12 apostles.

01:01:16.400 --> 01:01:18.120
And then they come and then next.

01:01:18.120 --> 01:01:21.440
So sheepdogs are really shepherds in training.

01:01:22.720 --> 01:01:23.560
They assist.

01:01:24.840 --> 01:01:26.480
Jethro did it so brilliantly.

01:01:29.640 --> 01:01:31.120
He made it so easy for Moses.

01:01:31.120 --> 01:01:34.800
He set things in order, 50s, 100s, seated.

01:01:34.800 --> 01:01:36.240
The disciples probably did that

01:01:36.240 --> 01:01:38.040
when they had to feed the 5,000.

01:01:38.360 --> 01:01:42.480
Another example of sheepdogs, Acts chapter six.

01:01:43.600 --> 01:01:45.640
And so because we wanted to spend our time

01:01:45.640 --> 01:01:47.920
praying and preaching, what did we do?

01:01:47.920 --> 01:01:50.760
We picked six men full of the Holy Spirit

01:01:50.760 --> 01:01:51.800
and we appointed them.

01:01:52.920 --> 01:01:54.800
And they took care of the problems

01:01:54.800 --> 01:01:57.440
with the Hellenist and the Jewish widows.

01:01:58.480 --> 01:02:01.680
And one of them later ends up being one of the teachers

01:02:02.560 --> 01:02:04.520
in Antioch and so it continues.

01:02:04.520 --> 01:02:06.520
So sheepdog is not a permanent position.

01:02:08.040 --> 01:02:13.040
Oh, I so badly want to share that joke,

01:02:13.120 --> 01:02:14.200
but I won't, stop it.

01:02:21.840 --> 01:02:24.400
Let's look at one more scripture and then we're done.

01:02:25.800 --> 01:02:27.680
Acts 20, verse 35.

01:02:28.600 --> 01:02:30.560
Acts 20, verse 35.

01:02:34.440 --> 01:02:35.320
What are we talking about?

01:02:35.320 --> 01:02:36.560
What's all this about?

01:02:36.560 --> 01:02:39.640
That if we do this right, it's like that famous line

01:02:39.640 --> 01:02:43.320
from that Kevin Costner movie, you build it, they will come.

01:02:43.320 --> 01:02:46.400
You get this right, sons and daughters will come.

01:02:48.000 --> 01:02:50.760
Acts 20, what is the movie?

01:02:52.160 --> 01:02:53.160
Field of Dreams.

01:02:54.040 --> 01:02:56.520
Acts 20, verse 35.

01:02:57.520 --> 01:02:59.720
In everything I did, I showed you that

01:02:59.720 --> 01:03:02.880
by this kind of hard work, we must help the weak,

01:03:02.880 --> 01:03:05.080
remembering the words that Jesus himself,

01:03:05.120 --> 01:03:06.400
so let's start at verse 32.

01:03:06.400 --> 01:03:10.200
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace.

01:03:10.200 --> 01:03:11.040
What's he doing?

01:03:11.040 --> 01:03:12.040
What's the scene?

01:03:12.040 --> 01:03:15.720
Paul is in Ephesus, he's never gonna see them again.

01:03:16.600 --> 01:03:19.720
He's called all the shepherds or the leaders

01:03:19.720 --> 01:03:22.040
that he appointed to take care of the sheep

01:03:22.040 --> 01:03:25.160
and he's at the beach and he's giving them his last word,

01:03:25.160 --> 01:03:27.080
saying, you'll never see my face again.

01:03:27.080 --> 01:03:28.280
Then he tells them this.

01:03:31.040 --> 01:03:32.200
Starting at verse 32.

01:03:32.720 --> 01:03:33.960
Starting at verse 28.

01:03:33.960 --> 01:03:38.960
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock

01:03:39.520 --> 01:03:42.040
of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

01:03:43.400 --> 01:03:45.720
Be shepherds of the church of God,

01:03:45.720 --> 01:03:47.720
which he bought with his own blood.

01:03:47.720 --> 01:03:48.920
I know that after I leave,

01:03:48.920 --> 01:03:50.520
savage wolves will come in among you

01:03:50.520 --> 01:03:52.040
and will not spare the flock.

01:03:52.040 --> 01:03:54.240
Even from your own number, men will arise

01:03:54.240 --> 01:03:56.760
and distort the truth in order to draw away

01:03:56.760 --> 01:03:58.200
disciples after them.

01:03:58.200 --> 01:03:59.840
So be on your guard.

01:03:59.840 --> 01:04:01.040
Remember that for three years,

01:04:02.040 --> 01:04:05.680
I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

01:04:05.680 --> 01:04:08.760
Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,

01:04:08.760 --> 01:04:10.800
which can build you up and give you an inheritance

01:04:10.800 --> 01:04:13.000
among all those who are sanctified.

01:04:13.000 --> 01:04:16.120
I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.

01:04:17.280 --> 01:04:19.040
You yourselves know that these hands of mine

01:04:19.040 --> 01:04:22.120
have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.

01:04:22.120 --> 01:04:24.160
In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind

01:04:24.160 --> 01:04:26.000
of hard work, we must help the weak.

01:04:26.000 --> 01:04:29.000
Remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said,

01:04:29.040 --> 01:04:31.800
it is more blessed to give than to receive.

01:04:31.800 --> 01:04:34.480
When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them

01:04:34.480 --> 01:04:37.360
and prayed, they all wept as they embraced and kissed him.

01:04:37.360 --> 01:04:39.040
What grieved them most was the statement

01:04:39.040 --> 01:04:41.040
that they would never see his face again.

01:04:41.040 --> 01:04:43.040
Then they accompanied him to the ship.

01:04:46.480 --> 01:04:50.640
So if you want to be a shepherd,

01:04:50.640 --> 01:04:53.200
and I think it is a good desire for you to have,

01:04:54.960 --> 01:04:56.560
cause sons and daughters will come,

01:04:56.560 --> 01:04:58.240
and we need shepherds.

01:04:58.280 --> 01:05:01.720
We go back to Matthew 9.35, where Jesus had compassion

01:05:01.720 --> 01:05:05.000
and he said, pray that we have more shepherds.

01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:07.360
I pray that we have more shepherds.

01:05:07.360 --> 01:05:09.280
But shepherds are appointed.

01:05:09.280 --> 01:05:10.600
Shepherds don't volunteer.

01:05:14.200 --> 01:05:18.400
Try and meet, or try and work towards these ends

01:05:18.400 --> 01:05:22.080
so that you can be appointed with great joy,

01:05:22.080 --> 01:05:25.040
saying here is one that's worthy, let's go.

01:05:25.040 --> 01:05:26.320
Age does not matter.

01:05:28.280 --> 01:05:30.000
There is a maturity that comes with age,

01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:32.480
but some mature without getting old.

01:05:33.520 --> 01:05:35.840
There is a maturity that comes with experience,

01:05:35.840 --> 01:05:38.640
but some get experiences while they're young.

01:05:38.640 --> 01:05:42.080
Look at David, look at Elisha, look at Daniel, Joseph.

01:05:45.400 --> 01:05:48.600
There is a maturity that comes with the exertion of gifts.

01:05:48.600 --> 01:05:50.280
Well, start practicing it.

01:05:56.400 --> 01:05:58.120
Desire it, it's a good thing to desire.

01:05:58.960 --> 01:06:00.920
We need this where we're going next, guys.

01:06:02.280 --> 01:06:03.640
But it's not volunteerism.

01:06:04.520 --> 01:06:06.920
Crazy thing about Christianity is because it's a kingdom

01:06:06.920 --> 01:06:10.960
and not a democracy, it's not I volunteer for this.

01:06:10.960 --> 01:06:12.800
Called, appointed, anointed.

01:06:12.800 --> 01:06:14.440
Called, appointed, anointed.

01:06:14.440 --> 01:06:17.320
We are all called to this because we are

01:06:17.320 --> 01:06:19.200
the common priesthood of believers.

01:06:20.200 --> 01:06:22.120
We are supposed to turn into shepherds

01:06:22.120 --> 01:06:23.480
so that others can be added.

01:06:24.520 --> 01:06:26.120
Just remember that, let me pray.

01:06:27.120 --> 01:06:30.360
There are people who will pray with you after we are done,

01:06:30.360 --> 01:06:32.560
so feel free to come up and they'll be here.

01:06:34.120 --> 01:06:36.120
This is how you need to judge me too, eh?

01:06:37.400 --> 01:06:39.560
These are the criteria that you have to use

01:06:39.560 --> 01:06:43.240
to weigh me and say, is he being the kind of shepherd

01:06:43.240 --> 01:06:44.480
he's supposed to?

01:06:44.480 --> 01:06:47.080
And if I'm not, come and tell me gently.

01:06:48.480 --> 01:06:49.720
And I won't be defensive.

01:06:49.720 --> 01:06:50.560
Why?

01:06:54.560 --> 01:06:55.400
Why?

01:06:55.400 --> 01:06:56.400
Why would I listen to you?

01:06:56.400 --> 01:06:58.200
Because I want to be better at this.

01:07:00.360 --> 01:07:01.200
Yeah?

01:07:01.200 --> 01:07:02.040
Let's pray.

01:07:03.840 --> 01:07:08.840
Father, I'm just fascinated that you allow us to partner

01:07:09.840 --> 01:07:13.040
at such an intimate, deep level with you.

01:07:13.040 --> 01:07:14.320
You could have stopped at saying,

01:07:14.320 --> 01:07:16.400
I am the light of the world.

01:07:16.400 --> 01:07:19.560
Why do you then go and say, you are the light of the world?

01:07:21.680 --> 01:07:24.640
You could have stopped at saying, I am the good shepherd.

01:07:26.080 --> 01:07:28.520
Why don't you go and appoint us to be shepherds?

01:07:32.760 --> 01:07:34.800
Christ is the head, we are the body,

01:07:34.800 --> 01:07:36.880
and the two cannot be separated.

01:07:36.880 --> 01:07:40.000
We must become who the head is.

01:07:40.000 --> 01:07:43.600
We must become who the head is.

01:07:44.600 --> 01:07:48.560
That is the ultimate end, isn't it?

01:07:50.240 --> 01:07:51.960
We can't shift that goalpost.

01:07:53.040 --> 01:07:55.280
What is the ultimate end?

01:07:55.280 --> 01:07:58.560
The ultimate end is, can we all grow up

01:07:58.560 --> 01:08:02.080
into the fullness of the stature of Christ?

01:08:02.080 --> 01:08:02.920
That is the end.

01:08:04.520 --> 01:08:07.360
And as we move from this place into a place

01:08:07.360 --> 01:08:10.240
that is so much larger, that only a God act

01:08:10.240 --> 01:08:11.680
will be able to fill it.

01:08:11.760 --> 01:08:13.400
Look forward to it.

01:08:13.400 --> 01:08:16.520
You've spent the last 16, 17 years raising men and women

01:08:16.520 --> 01:08:19.040
in this church who have the ability to shepherd

01:08:19.040 --> 01:08:20.440
and shepherd better than me.

01:08:22.240 --> 01:08:23.600
Thank you, Abba, for what you've done

01:08:23.600 --> 01:08:25.120
over the last 16 or 17 years.

01:08:25.120 --> 01:08:28.600
We look forward to the next phase of our lives.

01:08:28.600 --> 01:08:30.800
Every time you've moved us geographically,

01:08:30.800 --> 01:08:33.280
it's been a huge spiritual shift.

01:08:33.280 --> 01:08:35.920
This time, it's not one or two people.

01:08:35.920 --> 01:08:38.040
It's a group of people that'll shift,

01:08:38.040 --> 01:08:39.920
so that as others are added,

01:08:39.920 --> 01:08:41.360
we learn how to shepherd them.

01:08:43.360 --> 01:08:45.040
So we thank you, great shepherd.

01:08:45.960 --> 01:08:48.000
You've done such a marvelous job with us.

01:08:50.480 --> 01:08:53.200
So we sing the chorus of that song.

01:08:55.280 --> 01:08:57.840
What's the first song you sang in the chorus?

01:08:57.840 --> 01:08:59.280
Do do do.

01:08:59.280 --> 01:09:01.040
No, what's the first line of that?

01:09:04.000 --> 01:09:06.400
Can you pull that up, Brandon, the first song?

01:09:06.400 --> 01:09:07.520
Banqueting Table?

01:09:07.520 --> 01:09:09.840
Yeah, don't need instruments, we'll just sing it.

01:09:10.400 --> 01:09:11.240
How does it go?

01:09:14.120 --> 01:09:15.360
No, just the chorus part.

01:09:18.320 --> 01:09:19.440
Yeah, Banqueting Table.

01:09:30.360 --> 01:09:35.360
We can see the love of God in this place

01:09:35.400 --> 01:09:40.400
We receive your mercy, receive your grace

01:09:40.640 --> 01:09:45.640
We delight ourselves at your table, oh God

01:09:45.720 --> 01:09:50.720
You do all things well, just look at our lives

01:09:51.360 --> 01:09:52.480
One more time.

01:09:52.480 --> 01:09:57.480
We can feel the love of God in this place

01:09:57.640 --> 01:10:02.640
We believe your goodness, receive your grace

01:10:02.720 --> 01:10:07.720
We delight ourselves at your table, oh God

01:10:07.720 --> 01:10:11.760
You do all things well, just look at our lives

01:10:11.760 --> 01:10:12.600
One last time.

01:10:14.880 --> 01:10:19.880
We can feel the love of God in this place

01:10:20.000 --> 01:10:25.000
We believe your goodness, receive your grace

01:10:25.000 --> 01:10:30.000
We delight ourselves at your table, oh God

01:10:30.120 --> 01:10:35.120
You do all things well, just look at our lives

01:10:37.080 --> 01:10:37.920
Bless you guys.

01:10:40.040 --> 01:10:42.800
Someone will be here to pray with you if you need prayer.

01:10:42.800 --> 01:10:45.040
Otherwise, we'll see you at MISU.