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Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver
Episode: Kingdom Life II
Publishing Date: 2015-04-26T06:00:44-07:00
Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca
Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/kingdom-life-ii/

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Okay guys, last week we made a couple of statements that you took home with you and I'm hoping

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that you were able to practice it during the week I was. So I'm hoping you were able to.

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The first statement we made was that I exist for one reason only. I exist for one reason

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only. I exist to serve and display the King and to advance his rule and influence. That was the

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first statement we made last week. That the only reason for your existence, just think of this,

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the only reason for your existence, there's no other reason, the only reason for your existence

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is to serve and display the King as in Jesus and to advance his rule and his influence. It's the only

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reason for your existence guys. Once you become a Christian, there is no other reason for living.

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I know I'm repeating it again and again but it's so vital that we get this because most of us don't

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think like this. That all my talent, all my time, all my treasure and my life is for just one reason.

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That I am here to display and serve the King as in Jesus and I'm here to advance his rule and

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influence here on earth. That was the first statement we made. The second statement we made

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was that my life now is only about the fame of Jesus. My life now is only about the fame of Jesus,

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the fame of Jesus, the fame of Jesus. Consumed with bringing fame to him and we talked about how these

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really well-placed CEOs of companies leave their lucrative jobs and the money that they get to go

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and serve at the White House for four years or sometimes eight years and their only intent is we

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serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States and everything we do will be towards

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his fame. That the statements we make, the way we dress, the way we conduct ourselves, the things we

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say shall bring him fame and so they abandon everything else for four to eight years. We use

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that as a parallel to show or say that we have to now get to a point where my life is only about

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the fame of Jesus. My marriage is only about the fame of Jesus. My role as a husband is only about

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the fame of Jesus. My activity as a pastor is only about the fame of Jesus. My gleaning is only about

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the fame of Jesus. The way I keep my house is only about the fame of Jesus. In my walking, in my talking,

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in sex, in the bedroom, in boardrooms, it's only about the fame of Jesus. That's how we need to now

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begin to compute. That's what we talked about last week. This week I want to talk about being a living

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sacrifice and it'll be a three part series and today we'll take one. So living sacrifice and it just

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keeps adding to what we did last week. So when we think of the word sacrifice what comes to mind is

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that there must be some death involved because we think that what God wants of us is the sacrifice

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of death. That's the easy part guys but one of the things that God keeps coming back to and particularly

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in Romans 12 verse 1, he makes it very obvious that he doesn't want a dead Jacob. He wants a Jacob

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who is living, a living sacrifice who will bloodily put to death three things. Here's what a living

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sacrifice, here's what a living sacrifice puts to a bloody death. One stubbornness, two self-will

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and three inflated self-respect. A living sacrifice, God doesn't want me dead. I mean sure

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martyrs have played a tremendous role in Christianity because every time Christian blood is spilt it cries

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out and every time Christian blood is spilt Satan has overplayed his hand and every time Christian

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blood is spilt the gospel advances. So martyrdom is a part of Christianity, has always been a part

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of Christianity but what God requires is not people who are willing to die. Well that's part

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of the equation what he wants is people who are willing to live as a sacrifice and a living

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sacrifice puts to death three things guys without putting to death these three things there's no

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going forward eh because these are the things that prevent us from being living sacrifices. This is

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why no goat or bull went dancing voluntarily to the altar. I mean those things have to be dragged

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to the altar. So they have to be dragged held and then their necks have to be chopped off. What we

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need to put to death if I want to be a living sacrifice is three things stubbornness, oh man

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my mum used to say that I used to be pretty stubborn kid when I was young. I remember one

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night waking up I don't remember this my parents told me this I was two or three and I woke up at

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one o'clock in the night and just started crying I won't stop and they checked me out and I was

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fine they did everything they could I was fine but I kept crying and nobody could sleep and

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finally they remembered that they hadn't taken me and taken me out for my 7 p.m. walk like they

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used to every night and so in the middle of the night at 1 30 my dad had to take me out for a walk

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she said help us Lord and as soon as he took me out for a walk at 1 30 in the morning I stopped

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crying so stubbornness is something that has to be put to death guys as kids we have it as grownups

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we have it and one of the things one of the primary things that has to be put to death if

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you want to be a living sacrifice is stubbornness the second thing is self-will where I have a will

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of my own that I try to exert and that will always come in the path of being a yes Lance

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it'll always come in the way of being a sacrifice and the third one is inflated self-respect

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inflated self-respect I wanted to just put self-respect but in the Western world we somehow

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think self-respect is some highly valued commodity so I thought I'll just put inflated

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self-respect I mean what about Jesus exhibited self-respect nothing stripped naked hung on a

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cross born in a stable fatherless questionable birth origins died among thieves rejected by

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his own people his family thought he was crazy disciples ran away one betrayed him what about

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him had any iota of self-respect he respected who he was and why why why because John 13 says he

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knew where he came from and where he was going even that came not from anything intrinsically

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possessed because he said by myself iron nothing that's what he said a so even when it came to

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self-respect it came because of where he came from and where he was going and not because of

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some intrinsic value that he attributed to himself which is why when he says when he talks about

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parables like the pearl of great price he's not talking about him being the pearl of great price

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he didn't go around saying I am the pearl of great price he was talking about the kingdom well that's

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another story we'll talk about it another time guys so these three things have to be put to death

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if there is any hope of me stepping into being a living sacrifice and so over the next three

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weeks we look at Matthew 1129 and Matthew 1129 says take my yoke upon you and I'd spoken about

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this in June of last year but I felt it was good to visit it again now Matthew 1129 says take my

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yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for

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your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and then you go to then we'll go to

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Matthew 1624 not today the next time Matthew 1624 says that take up your cross deny yourself and

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follow me we'll talk about that next time and then Matthew 1929 Matthew 1929 where it says if you

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want to follow me you will have to literally lay down homes mother father sister brother and the

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things you possess and only then can you follow me that's in Matthew 1929 three levels of sacrifice

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and so today we start with Matthew 1129 and 30 Matthew 20 1129 and 30 so if you want to turn to

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it that's where we'll stay today and then over the next two the next two times we'll take care of the

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rest next week it'll be Jason who will be speaking because I'll be in Bahrain Matthew 1129 and 30

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guys we always forget to make this announcement but we don't take an offering in the church we

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make an offering so if you want to make an offering there's a box at the end of the church and you can

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always go joyfully or laugh your way to that box and put some money in it that's all I let you know

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that Matthew 1129 let's read from verse 18 Matthew 1118 here goes for John came neither eating nor

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drinking and they say he has a demon the son of man came eating and drinking and they say look at

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him a glutton and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and sinners yet wisdom is justified

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by her deeds then he began to denounce then Jesus began to denounce the cities where most of his

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mighty works had been done because they did not repent woe to you Chorazin woe to you Bethsaida

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for if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon or Sidon they would have

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repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes but I tell you it will be more bearable on the day

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of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you and you Capernaum will be will you be exalted to heaven

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you will be brought down to Hades for if the mighty works done in you have been done in Sodom

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it would have remained until this day but I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of

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judgment for the land of Sodom than for you so Jesus is at present talking about how what he said

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had been rejected and he's talking about that and then it shifts at that time and he suddenly

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stops and he starts communing with his father and look at what he says at that time Jesus declared

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I thank you father Lord of heaven and earth that you have hidden these things from the wise and

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understanding and reveal them to little children yes father for such was your gracious will verse

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27 all things have been handed over to me by my father and no one knows the son except the father

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and no one knows the father except the son and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him and

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then in verse 28 come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest verse

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29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I'm gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest

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for your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden is light so guys Jesus is asking you to come beside

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him and take one end of the yoke so that me and him can pull together have it just come up for a

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second so let's assume I'm Jesus sorry I'm rushing you I know I didn't even warn you but let's assume

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I'm Jesus and Tavis is Tavis so here's what Jesus is saying to Tavis Jesus saying to Tavis

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hey Tavis here's what I want you to do I want you to come beside me and so Tavis comes beside him

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and then he says I want you to take this yoke we don't have a yoke but we will pretend so we'll

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take what Chris always drops so so so he says take this yoke come beside me Tavis and so Tavis

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comes beside me and then he says take one end of the yoke Tavis and so Tavis takes one end of the

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yoke and he says now walk beside me and so Tavis and I keep walking with the yoke on my shoulder

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and his shoulder wasn't that brilliant thank you let's do the whole thing again

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so that's what Jesus is saying come Jacob get beside me take one end of the yoke so that me and

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you can pull together and so what is this yoke so here are the things we need to know about the

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yoke one he doesn't say take this yoke upon you he doesn't say take a yoke upon you he says take

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what my yoke so the first thing is guys it's something he wears take my yoke that itself

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should bring hope because this was scares most Sunday school kids when they grow up because they

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learnt it and then they realized oh shucks he's gonna put something on me but what God is saying

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is I'm gonna put what on you take my yoke it's something that he has obviously warned for all

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eternity that he obviously wears now and that he'll obviously wear forever just imagine that

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this thing that he wears this yoke that he wears was given to him by his father because he only

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accepts that which is from his father so this yoke that Jesus is talking about that he's inviting

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me to come under is something that his father gave him something he's warned since eternity

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something that he wore when he walked the earth and something he wears now things are suddenly

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looking better so that's one thing about the yoke it's take my yoke too it's a yoke the father

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laid on him and we know that the father dearly loves the son so it can't be something nasty take

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my yoke too it's given him by the father given to him by the father three he says it's easy it's

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easy it's light it's easy and the word easy there is something like crestos or crests or toes and

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what it basically means is kind man the word easy really doesn't do it justice it's actually the word

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that should be used is kind and so here's what these are saying this yoke is light and it's kind

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of kind it's a kind yoke and now you begin to think hmm this might actually work for me I don't

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need to be scared of this worse the yoke is actually kind it's light and it's kind and for

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he says hey Jacob take take it up take it up as in there's there's an active willing voluntary

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desire that should rise up in me this is not something he'll force on me this is not something

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that I'm obliged to wear this is not something that will jeopardize my eternal security he's

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saying come Jacob take it up take up this yoke and wear it so there's an active willing voluntary

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desire that I should have to come under this yoke I guys who have dogs have seen this very often I

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had this little Tibetan spaniel and it was all day every time I'd come back from school as soon

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as I'd pick up the collar this dog would start jumping and turning around and wagging its tail

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and going crazy why because as soon as I picked up the collar the dog knew that I'd take it up for a

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walk so instead of being afraid of the collar this dog would look forward to the collar because every

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collar out he knew that a walk was imminent this is what God is calling us to a instead of shirking

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from the scripture which says take my yoke upon you every time the word yoke is mentioned your heart

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should leap like a little dog thinking our shucks my master's gonna take me out for a walk my master's

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gonna take me out for a walk that's the feeling that should come up that is what God wants to

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bring out of you instead we think to ourselves oh man here comes something that will demand a

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sacrifice of me no in fact the dog would have to be dragged back home because I get tired of

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walking after two minutes and then I discovered this thing called a car and everything is fine

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now so take the yoke these are the four things that we need to understand guys and look at the

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context in which the scripture is quoted a Jesus breaks into the spontaneous communion with his

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father and he's saying things like father only you know me and I'm the only one who knows you and

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he's in this communion with the father and you should see how the message puts a day here's what

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Matthew 11 27 sounds like in the message the father has given me all these things to do and

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say and then look at these next few lines this is this is a unique father-son operation coming out

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of father-son intimacy and knowledge no one knows the son the way the father does nor the father the

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way the son does and then Jesus says but I'm not keeping it all to myself I'm ready to go over it

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line by line with anyone willing to listen and while he's having this conversation that has to

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do with the knowledge of the father and the intimacy Jesus shares with the father he suddenly

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turns to his disciples and says hey come take this yoke upon yourself too so this yoke he's

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talking about must be defined by the context that preceded what he just said it's in the middle of

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talking to his father middle of talking about intimacies with the father middle of talking about

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his knowledge of the father that he suddenly turns to his disciples and says come take my yoke upon you so what is

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this yoke then I would sit not I would suggest I would strongly say to you that this yoke that

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Jesus is talking about an offering to you and to me and to the disciples that day this yoke is

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his relationship with the father this yoke is his relationship Jesus is yoke Jesus is yoke is his

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relationship with the father this is what he's worn since the beginning of time guys he loves

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this yoke is the it's a yoke he pleasurably wears in John 5 it says that the father dearly loves

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the son this is the yoke he's been wearing since eternity this is the yoke he wore when he walked

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the earth everything he did why did he do it he said everything I do because I love my father this

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is the yoke he wears today it's a yoke that is kind it's a yoke that is easy he'll never ask me

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to wear anything that he hasn't already worn and he's saying hey Jacob this is what I wear come come

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son take my yoke upon you enter into this relationship that I have with the father because

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didn't I tell you when I rose again that I'm going to your father and my father and he's saying

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come take this yoke upon you and what does this yoke entail what all does it have in it it has

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it's a yoke it's a relationship or a yoke of affection trust and intimacy Jesus's yoke is

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his relationship with his father and it's a relationship of affection of trust and of intimacy

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this is what Jesus has always been he is from everlasting to everlasting he has no beginning

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he's the alpha and omega and yet from that place called no beginning he has always worn this yoke

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and it has been this amazing affection amazing affection that he's had for the father it's been

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this absolute trust where he says I know that God will not allow me to see decay and it is

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this amazing intimacy which would cause him to wake up in the morning and go up to the mountains

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and speak to Abba the amazing intimacy that has him cry out on the cross or Elie Elie is

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the amazing intimacy that he always had he had on earth he has today you can imagine a you're

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walking with him he's just been rejected in a few towns what he said no one has listened to and is

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walking along and you're behind him and suddenly he breaks up into spontaneous prayer and he says

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father nobody knows you like I do and you're the only one who knows me like nobody else does and

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these are intimacies that you and I share no one knows you father no one knows you nobody knows me

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and yet these are intimacies that you and I share and I have such knowledge of you and you have such

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knowledge of me while he's in this spontaneous prayer with him and his father and everything

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else seems excluded suddenly he turns around and says come take this yoke upon you enter into this

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relationship that I have with the father which is full of affection of trust and of intimacy guys

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you think Jesus would ever not walk in rest when you have these things intact in your life with your

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father you get this right and you'll walk in rest for the rest of your life man this is what happens

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to children where they are in the affection of their mother they know the trust and the reliance

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they can count on and they have such an intimate relationship with their mother weaned at the

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mother's breast stilled stilled stilled be still and know that I am God not till I know the affection

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and the trust and the intimacy that I can have with the father stilled at the mother's breast

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still in the father's rest and that's a crazy thing I mean good enough that you redeemed me great

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that you've given me a free ticket to heaven my future is taken care of but here's what you're

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adding to it you are saying that wonder of wonders you're inviting me into the same relationship that

00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:20.000
you have with the father here I come running like a little dog who's seen the caller and I come

00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:26.680
bounding saying put that yoke on me put that yoke on me take me out for a walk that's what

00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:35.880
we're talking about guys any questions before we go on any questions any comments any disagreements

00:25:35.880 --> 00:25:48.240
any other views before we go on go ahead man

00:25:48.240 --> 00:26:09.160
yeah in two minutes 20 seconds I'm gonna deal with that next yeah

00:26:09.160 --> 00:26:23.440
any other questions okay so how do we to answer Matt's question so we are being called to enter

00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:30.160
into the relationship how do we do this how do we do this I knew that dog collar thing would get

00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:39.560
too literal at some point so how do we do this one guys every morning the Spirit of God awakens

00:26:39.560 --> 00:26:49.080
me to step into so here's the first one every morning or afternoon or evening depending on

00:26:49.080 --> 00:26:54.600
whether you're an morning afternoon or evening person most pastors are afternoon people every

00:26:55.080 --> 00:27:08.720
morning the Spirit of God awakens me every morning the Spirit of God awakens me to step

00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:28.280
to step into the same affection trust and intimacy that Jesus had with the Father

00:27:28.280 --> 00:27:41.560
that Jesus had with the Father you know in Song of Songs 2 10 there's this beautiful verse

00:27:41.560 --> 00:27:52.520
which says arise my love my fair one arise my love my fair one and come away with me for the

00:27:52.520 --> 00:27:59.520
winter has passed and the springtime has come every morning guys the Spirit of God has only

00:27:59.520 --> 00:28:07.400
one desire to bring you into perfect oneness with the Father John chapter 17 the whole chapter is

00:28:07.400 --> 00:28:14.240
about Jesus saying father you and I are one no now let Jacob also be one with us and how father

00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:21.000
you're in me and I'm in you and I'm in Jacob so Jacob can be one with us this is his prayer

00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:29.440
the desire of the Spirit is can I bring Jacob into perfect oneness with the Father can I bring

00:28:29.440 --> 00:28:35.360
Acts 29 into perfect oneness with the Father this is his desire and every morning the Spirit of God

00:28:35.360 --> 00:28:43.120
awakens me to step into the same I love that not a secondary but the same affection trust and

00:28:43.120 --> 00:28:49.360
intimacy that Jesus had with the Father the Spirit of God awakens me and says Jacob want to step

00:28:49.720 --> 00:28:55.040
in further today it's the water that starts at the ankle that comes to the knees that comes to your

00:28:55.040 --> 00:29:00.840
waist and then comes to your neck till you're finally swimming in this matrix man I won't

00:29:00.840 --> 00:29:09.720
happen overnight but I got a lifetime to begin to step into this same intimacy that Jesus had with

00:29:09.720 --> 00:29:15.560
the Father arise my love my fair one and come away with me says the Spirit of God every morning or

00:29:15.560 --> 00:29:22.520
every afternoon for the winter has passed and the springtime has come come come now know that

00:29:22.520 --> 00:29:28.680
this invitation is open every day to every child of God why because Jesus had take my yoke upon you Jacob

00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:55.480
second guys every week if possible start with ABBA what do you want to say to me about your

00:29:55.640 --> 00:30:05.160
for me what do you want to say to me about your love for me even Jesus needed a day every now

00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:11.800
and then there would be an audible voice from heaven which would say stuff like you're my beloved

00:30:11.800 --> 00:30:20.960
in whom I am well pleased you're my beloved in whom I delight these words were spoken over Jesus

00:30:20.960 --> 00:30:27.520
not because he doubted it but it was the affirmation of the Father and you think you

00:30:27.520 --> 00:30:35.360
and I don't need it I look forward to the Father saying not sweet nothings but sweet

00:30:35.360 --> 00:30:41.360
somethings to me every so often I'm not saying make it a weekly habit but I mean just imagine

00:30:41.360 --> 00:30:47.400
if God said to you hey Jason you're my son you're chosen and marked for my love and the delight of

00:30:47.560 --> 00:30:53.080
my life you think you can resist that after that when he says to you hey you're the delight of my

00:30:53.080 --> 00:30:58.240
life Matt Rosalind you're the delight of my life you're marked for my love when the Father says

00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:03.720
that you think it's possible to function normally no you're again like that little dog running around

00:31:03.720 --> 00:31:11.400
in circles I remember once going through a rough patch and felt the Lord and this actually happened

00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:18.160
in a dream and I'm sleeping that night and there's this beach and suddenly there's this

00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:24.400
scripture scrawled on the beach and it says Psalm 80 verse 15 I woke up and I quickly started looking

00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:31.960
for Psalm 80 15 and here's what it says you are the root that my right hand has planted you are

00:31:31.960 --> 00:31:39.840
the son I have raised for myself you think you think problems will bother me then after that you

00:31:39.840 --> 00:31:49.600
are the root my right hand has planted you are the son I've raised for myself oh after that it

00:31:49.600 --> 00:31:59.400
was like bring it on I can deal with it that's where we start guys that's where we start ask the

00:31:59.400 --> 00:32:07.160
Lord to grace you and he doesn't do it grudgingly I mean like Wayne was saying yesterday Wendy was

00:32:07.320 --> 00:32:12.480
saying she wasn't feeling beautiful and so what did Wayne say Wayne said but you are beautiful you

00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:19.120
are pretty you are good-looking and what did Wendy say Wendy said but you're my dad that's

00:32:19.120 --> 00:32:27.920
what dads always say that's what Wendy said yeah how cool that she recognized it that you're my

00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:34.160
dad that's what dads always say right on right on right on that's what dads always say

00:32:37.160 --> 00:32:43.720
this is not some kind of little breadcrumb that he thinks you've been asking for affirmations

00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:50.000
here eat this crumb no man this is a father's heart and my response should be the same as Wendy's

00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:58.840
but you're my dad this is what you always say but go ahead say it anyways and you write it down on

00:32:58.840 --> 00:33:03.080
your iPhone or if you have Mark's phone then write it down on a sheet of paper because

00:33:03.080 --> 00:33:12.800
it was so funny I was with Mark at a restaurant and send him a text message and notice that if

00:33:12.800 --> 00:33:17.080
you sit two feet away it takes about three minutes to get there but if you hold the phone

00:33:17.080 --> 00:33:32.560
right next to him it goes immediately it's a very high-tech phone but that's yeah that phone is

00:33:32.560 --> 00:33:40.640
very high-tech guys ask God ask the father not father tell me something nice ask the father

00:33:40.640 --> 00:33:49.520
every few weeks or every few days father is there anything you want to say to me and trust that the

00:33:49.520 --> 00:33:55.960
father enjoys doing it remember the Wendy story trust that the father enjoys doing it because it

00:33:55.960 --> 00:34:00.880
will really change the way you see things once you hear the father and guys don't think you can't

00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:05.320
hear the father you just think that when he speaks it can't be him because surely God won't

00:34:05.320 --> 00:34:12.520
say such nice things about me or surely God doesn't speak no man you can actually hear him

00:34:12.520 --> 00:34:20.720
you can actually hear him so here's what I want us to do right now just write down what you think

00:34:20.720 --> 00:34:29.880
the father is saying to you just write down what you think the father is saying to you in the

00:34:29.880 --> 00:34:39.080
context of what we've just talked about write it down keep the tape running guys don't shut it off

00:34:39.080 --> 00:34:40.360
write it down

00:36:39.080 --> 00:37:07.600
okay in that verse he uses another line he says learn from me guys learning is

00:37:07.640 --> 00:37:19.440
acquiring or gaining skill or knowledge over a period of time because it doesn't happen

00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:26.600
instantly over a period of time when I was a kid there used to be these comics called flash

00:37:26.600 --> 00:37:32.720
garden comics if you're old enough you'll know what I'm talking about and there was this little

00:37:32.880 --> 00:37:38.160
kid called Willie in flash garden comics and he had this amazing ability to look at a book

00:37:38.160 --> 00:37:45.760
and immediately he'd have he'd know everything in the book I thought what if it's real so one day

00:37:45.760 --> 00:37:50.360
I decided two days for the exam let me try this so I took a book put it under my pillow and went

00:37:50.360 --> 00:37:56.880
to sleep I thought what if what if this actually works what if instantly everything in that book

00:37:57.360 --> 00:38:10.240
I was very young didn't happen man because you have to learn and he says learn from learn from

00:38:10.240 --> 00:38:19.120
me and that is acquired or gained over a period of time learn from me and guys why is this

00:38:19.120 --> 00:38:26.480
important because need some water Chris okay why is this important because knowledge is what generates

00:38:26.480 --> 00:38:40.760
affection trust and intimacy knowledge is what generates it say as you get to know someone you're

00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:50.120
able to express greater affection trust easily and get intimate knowledge odd in oddly enough the

00:38:50.120 --> 00:39:01.560
very word that King James uses and Adam knew his wife why because there it generates affection

00:39:01.560 --> 00:39:12.960
trust intimacy and so this is vitally and how do you get this one serious study of the word

00:39:12.960 --> 00:39:18.320
through being taught and through learning yourself serious study of the word that's one way you do it

00:39:18.320 --> 00:39:36.440
to since here communion with God and three straightforward obedience straightforward

00:39:36.440 --> 00:39:44.800
obedience you want to increase in knowledge these three things are vital I can't increase in knowledge

00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:51.680
through worship in fact it's a very bad idea when a church is centered around worship because how

00:39:51.680 --> 00:39:56.080
can you worship him who do you don't know you can feel emotional about him but that's no big deal

00:39:56.080 --> 00:40:01.600
you can cry a little and then you'll have to get over it but as you begin to know him worship

00:40:01.600 --> 00:40:09.120
becomes more meaningful so it requires knowledge is attained through the serious study of the word

00:40:09.960 --> 00:40:15.080
since your communion with God I like the word communion now than prayer and then

00:40:15.080 --> 00:40:19.520
straightforward obedience where once you know what you're supposed to do that you actually

00:40:19.520 --> 00:40:24.600
go and do it that's how you increase in knowledge and knowledge will generate affection trust and

00:40:24.600 --> 00:40:37.040
intimacy so ache ache after the knowledge of God ache after it let your belly hurt ache after the

00:40:37.520 --> 00:40:48.000
ache after it I want to know you more I want to know you more a couple of points more than

00:40:48.200 --> 00:41:05.160
stop so we will be done before 1225 guys the third thing is shuttle between shuttle between

00:41:05.160 --> 00:41:27.760
loving the father and being in love with the father shuttle between loving the father and

00:41:28.080 --> 00:41:36.640
being in love with the father it's not semantics it's real it's not just the way we word things

00:41:36.640 --> 00:41:43.640
it's two different things they there's loving the father and there is being in love with the father

00:41:43.640 --> 00:41:53.120
and there are two things man David knew this David knew this Jesus knew this and most Christians

00:41:53.120 --> 00:42:01.800
live in one or the other they either live here or they live here loving the father is what Jesus

00:42:01.800 --> 00:42:12.240
talks about in John 15 14 or 14 15 John 14 15 loving the father is John 14 15 and what does it

00:42:12.240 --> 00:42:18.520
say if you love me you will obey my commands very simple straightforward being in love with the

00:42:18.520 --> 00:42:24.560
father is when you and I get called here is a man who is after the heart of God a man after God's

00:42:24.560 --> 00:42:30.800
heart is when you are in love with the father not just loving the father and what what are we

00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:36.280
talking about one is about affection the other one's about intimacy and both have to combine

00:42:36.280 --> 00:42:43.200
me so I'm called to do things out of an affection father for the father but I'm also called to be

00:42:44.200 --> 00:42:51.160
I'm supposed to be loving where I will follow your commands and the evidence of being the evidence

00:42:51.160 --> 00:42:58.360
the evidence of loving the father is obedience to his commands and then there is being in love

00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:06.080
with the father which is when you are intimate one talks about fidelity the other talks about

00:43:06.120 --> 00:43:13.280
intimacy you can have a couple that will never cheat on each other but will never be intimate

00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:19.720
either I met couples like that they've spent the last 40 years like that they even have kids so

00:43:19.720 --> 00:43:26.840
it's not like they didn't have sex but intimacy don't know how to spell it fidelity absolutely

00:43:26.840 --> 00:43:37.560
gotta have both men and then you are known in the corridors of heaven as a man or a woman

00:43:37.560 --> 00:43:47.720
after God's heart Jesus was like this see had both David was like this had both at one point

00:43:47.720 --> 00:43:56.640
David says in Psalm 119 I will obey your commands and delight in you and then three verses before

00:43:56.640 --> 00:44:04.360
that he says oh God enlarge my heart enlarge my heart that I may run in your commands what a

00:44:04.360 --> 00:44:10.040
difference one place he says I will follow your command so that I may delight in you on the other

00:44:10.040 --> 00:44:15.240
place he says enlarge my heart so that I might run in your commands a man after God's own heart

00:44:15.240 --> 00:44:21.920
shuttle between loving the father and being in love with the father guys we've got to do this

00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:29.280
say it'll show in the quality of your life guys one will prove to people that you are Christian

00:44:29.280 --> 00:44:33.880
because your life shows obedience to his commands the other will prove that you're the father's son

00:44:33.880 --> 00:44:48.880
ha I don't want just to be a Christian I want to be the father's son and a Christian we met many

00:44:48.880 --> 00:44:54.080
good Christians but how many father-son relationships do you come across in the church

00:44:54.080 --> 00:45:03.920
imagine how the disciples would just go completely quiet when Jesus would talk start talking to the

00:45:03.920 --> 00:45:10.160
father a these are fishermen who learned religious education probably on the beach and then this man

00:45:10.160 --> 00:45:14.720
starts praying and when he starts praying he begins to call this God Yahweh I am the

00:45:14.720 --> 00:45:29.280
self-existent one he starts talking to God like goddesses father so remember those two lines we

00:45:29.280 --> 00:45:37.080
read up in the beginning I exist for one reason only to serve display and advance the king and

00:45:37.080 --> 00:45:41.760
his rule and then the second statement was my life is only about the fame of Jesus so here is

00:45:41.800 --> 00:45:58.560
the third statement for us to take home my heart beats for one reason alone my heart

00:45:58.560 --> 00:46:22.800
beats for one reason alone to nurture the same intimacy affection and trust that Jesus had with

00:46:22.800 --> 00:46:37.600
the father my heart beats for one reason alone to nurture the same intimacy that Jesus had with

00:46:37.600 --> 00:46:42.960
the father my heart beats for one reason alone I wake up and I realize oh shucks I'm awake my heart

00:46:42.960 --> 00:46:50.160
is beating ah awake and arise my love come my heart beats for one reason alone here father

00:46:50.240 --> 00:46:56.760
love that collar love that yoke my heart beats for one reason alone to nurture every day the

00:46:56.760 --> 00:47:04.880
affection the trust and the intimacy that Jesus displayed and had with the father is absolutely

00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:10.560
possible for this little Jacob here on earth and by little I meant small not little as in little I

00:47:10.560 --> 00:47:19.680
didn't need to explain that and as I do this guys as I begin to enter into this you will find that

00:47:20.080 --> 00:47:28.640
rest is very easy even in the valley of trouble even in the valley of trouble go to Hosea 2

00:47:28.640 --> 00:47:35.200
Hosea 2 and we'll read that and then Hosea 2 actually Derek can you put on the PowerPoint

00:47:35.200 --> 00:47:43.160
Hosea 2 we'll have to put it on this since you were Samson a little while ago Hosea 2

00:47:44.040 --> 00:47:52.840
Hosea 2 I'm glad you see the positive in everything Derek Hosea 2 where is Hosea

00:47:56.600 --> 00:48:00.520
before this doesn't help at all you know that right

00:48:07.080 --> 00:48:09.720
of course this is embarrassing the pastor can't find Hosea

00:48:10.040 --> 00:48:17.160
oh got it he's a minor prophet what can you do

00:48:20.120 --> 00:48:24.200
Hosea chapter 2 yeah Hosea chapter 2

00:48:29.560 --> 00:48:35.080
listen to this say verse 14 onwards look at the intimacy that God expresses

00:48:35.160 --> 00:48:44.040
Hosea 2 14 onwards therefore behold I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness

00:48:44.040 --> 00:48:51.480
not to punish her but to speak tenderly to her and there I'll give her vineyards and I will make

00:48:51.480 --> 00:48:58.760
the valley of Acre or valley of trouble a door of hope and there she shall answer as in the days

00:48:58.760 --> 00:49:03.720
of her youth as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt and in that day she shall

00:49:03.720 --> 00:49:09.080
answer as in the days of Egypt and in that day declares the Lord you will call me my husband

00:49:09.080 --> 00:49:16.280
and no longer will you call me my master for I will remove the names of the balls from her mouth

00:49:16.280 --> 00:49:22.200
and they shall be remembered by her no more and I'll make for them a covenant on that day with the

00:49:22.200 --> 00:49:27.240
beasts of the fields and the birds of the air and the creeping things of the ground and I will

00:49:27.240 --> 00:49:32.680
abolish the bow the sword and the war from the land and I'll make you lie down in safety Jacob

00:49:32.680 --> 00:49:38.760
I will betroth you to me forever I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice in

00:49:38.760 --> 00:49:45.160
steadfast love and in mercy I'll betroth you to me in faithfulness and you shall know me the Lord

00:49:45.160 --> 00:49:50.840
and in that day I will answer declares the Lord I will answer the heavens and they shall answer

00:49:50.840 --> 00:49:55.160
the earth and the earth shall answer the I'm so glad there are kids in this church and the earth

00:49:55.160 --> 00:50:01.320
shall answer the grain the wine and the oil I said kids and they shall answer Jezreel and I will

00:50:01.320 --> 00:50:08.280
show her for myself in the land I will have mercy or no mercy I will say to not my people you are

00:50:08.280 --> 00:50:15.000
my people and he shall say you are my God beautiful scripture you should read it in the new living

00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:22.360
translation nlt it is beautiful it is beautiful guys next week we'll be dealing with taking not

00:50:22.360 --> 00:50:27.080
next week the week after that we'll be dealing with taking up your cross you cannot take up the

00:50:27.880 --> 00:50:33.800
cross till you take up the yoke because a sacrifice is painful when you don't like the person

00:50:33.800 --> 00:50:41.560
you're sacrificing for a sacrifice is easy when you like the one you're sacrificing for you cannot

00:50:41.560 --> 00:50:48.120
take up the cross if you don't take up the yoke just want you guys to sing the song as we close

00:50:48.120 --> 00:50:51.720
and then if you need prayer feel free to come up and there'll be people who will pray with you

00:50:57.080 --> 00:51:01.720
so

00:51:05.880 --> 00:51:11.720
the water let my soul first after you

00:51:14.840 --> 00:51:25.240
you are all that my heart desires and I long to worship you

00:51:26.200 --> 00:51:38.840
one more time and as the deer pants for the water so my soul first after you

00:51:42.040 --> 00:51:52.600
you are all that my heart desires and I long to worship you

00:51:55.400 --> 00:52:03.960
behold you have come over the hill upon the mountain

00:52:08.040 --> 00:52:10.280
to you I will run

00:52:12.360 --> 00:52:19.160
my beloved you've captured my heart one more time beautiful

00:52:19.160 --> 00:52:29.720
you behold you have come over the hill upon the mountain

00:52:33.880 --> 00:52:43.000
to you I will run my beloved you've captured my heart

00:52:43.000 --> 00:52:46.840
oh

00:52:47.960 --> 00:52:52.840
won't you dance with me

00:52:55.400 --> 00:53:02.840
lover of my soul

00:53:03.480 --> 00:53:06.680
oh

00:53:10.520 --> 00:53:16.680
won't you dance won't you dance with me

00:53:16.680 --> 00:53:20.520
me

00:53:35.400 --> 00:53:39.560
next verse with you I will go

00:53:39.560 --> 00:53:46.760
oh you are my love you are my fair one

00:53:50.600 --> 00:54:01.240
the winter has passed and the spring time has come with you I will go

00:54:02.040 --> 00:54:12.920
with you I will go you are my love you are my fair one

00:54:16.680 --> 00:54:27.240
the winter has passed and the spring time has come one last time with you I will go

00:54:28.040 --> 00:54:43.720
with you I will go you are my love you are my fair one the winter has passed the winter has passed

00:54:44.760 --> 00:54:51.240
and the spring time has come I will dance with you

00:54:51.240 --> 00:54:52.440
I will dance with you

00:54:56.280 --> 00:55:01.720
I will dance with you

00:55:03.720 --> 00:55:10.520
lover of my soul

00:55:10.520 --> 00:55:13.800
oh

00:55:14.680 --> 00:55:19.800
to the song of all songs may I suggest that Wendy must be doing that right now

00:55:19.800 --> 00:55:23.080
right now

00:55:44.280 --> 00:55:45.320
I will dance with you

00:55:45.320 --> 00:55:50.600
I will dance with you

00:55:50.600 --> 00:55:52.600
oh

00:55:52.600 --> 00:56:00.600
lover of my soul

00:56:00.600 --> 00:56:04.600
to the song of all songs

00:56:04.600 --> 00:56:06.600
romance

00:56:06.600 --> 00:56:08.600
romance

00:56:08.600 --> 00:56:10.600
romance

00:56:10.600 --> 00:56:12.600
romance

00:56:12.600 --> 00:56:14.600
romance

00:56:15.560 --> 00:56:17.560
me

00:56:17.560 --> 00:56:19.560
oh

00:56:19.560 --> 00:56:21.560
lover

00:56:21.560 --> 00:56:25.560
of my soul

00:56:29.560 --> 00:56:33.560
to the song of all songs

00:56:37.960 --> 00:56:41.560
you're an amazing god you're an amazing god

00:56:41.560 --> 00:56:43.560
oh

00:56:45.720 --> 00:56:53.400
please help us to put this into practice this week please thank you

00:56:57.160 --> 00:57:01.880
guys if you need prayer for anything feel free to come or otherwise