WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Making The Father Known Publishing Date: 2022-05-22T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/making-the-father-known/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 So, Baba, we continue from there, Baba. We thank You for Your presence here. 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:15.000 Baba, we don't want to do anything without You, outside of You. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:22.000 Father, I don't know why, but You want this to be said. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:34.000 If you are burned out, if you are tired, if you are weary, come to me. I will give you rest. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:41.000 If you are burned out, if you are weary, if you are tired, 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:51.000 if you don't know how to go ahead, if you feel stuck, if you feel you have come to the end of yourselves, 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:58.000 Jesus is saying, come here, I will give you rest. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:05.000 So, Jesus, we thank You. We thank You that You came against religion. 00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:10.000 You came against the spirit of religion and You offered us freedom. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:16.000 For every single person sitting here, Baba, we operate in Your Spirit, the Spirit of freedom. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:19.000 I thank You for the Spirit of freedom that You have given me. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:26.000 I thank You for the Spirit of freedom that is available for every single person sitting in this room, 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:30.000 that has come to them by the blood that Jesus shed. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:35.000 And we will not take it for granted. Instead, we choose to grab it. 00:01:35.000 --> 00:01:39.000 We choose to pull it close to ourselves, because that's Your inheritance for us. 00:01:39.000 --> 00:01:42.000 We thank You, Baba, in Jesus' name. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:54.000 So, two weeks ago when Jacob was teaching, he talked about the overarching theme that's true for any church. 00:01:54.000 --> 00:02:00.000 An overarching theme that's true for every single believer. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:05.000 And there were three M's that he talked about. Can someone tell me what those three M's are? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.000 Make the Father known. Great. 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:17.000 I'll try this, see if that works. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.000 Make the Father known. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:28.000 Make disciples. 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:32.000 What's the next one? 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:34.000 Multiply churches. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:46.000 Up until Friday or so, I was thinking we'll be talking about something else, but later into the day, Friday, 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:49.000 I felt like God wants us to talk about the first one. 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:52.000 Make the Father known. 00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:55.000 Make the Father known. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:04.000 So, if you believe in Jesus Christ, if you are part of His body, it doesn't matter where we are from, 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:09.000 it doesn't matter what we do. These are the three things that we have to participate in with Christ. 00:03:09.000 --> 00:03:15.000 Make the Father known. Make disciples. Multiply churches. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:16.000 Make disciples. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:25.000 We sang this song today, which is God, what's the name of that song, Jane, that you sung? 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:29.000 The one that Bishop recommended? Same God. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:39.000 In that song, we said God is the God of Moses, God is the God of Jacob, God is the God of all of those guys we read in the Old Testament. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:47.000 One thing that's peculiar about that is we know God, or the Old Testament guys, let's say when Jesus came to earth, 00:03:47.000 --> 00:03:54.000 all of them who listened to Jesus, up until that point, they all knew God because of the lives of Moses, 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:01.000 David, other heroes from the Old Testament, and everything that the prophets said. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:06.000 So Jesus, when He entered the scene, they all have an understanding of who God is. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:10.000 They know Him as Adonai. They know Him as God. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:18.000 As soon as Jesus enters the picture, Jesus reveals God to them as the Father. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:24.000 I have said this again, I'll say it a hundred million times for the rest of my life, 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:28.000 but here's this one scene that I can't forget, that I can't get away from, 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:35.000 and it is this that when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:44.000 I believe that all of heaven leaned to hear the first two words when Jesus said, 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:52.000 Our Father. For the first time on earth, for the first time on earth, it was said, Our Father. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:05:02.000 Because they all knew God. Moses is a great guy, and Moses, I think in one of the Exodus 33, 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:08.000 it talks about Moses where Moses said, I want to know you, and I've seen you, I've encountered you. 00:05:08.000 --> 00:05:13.000 That's who Moses is. He has lived a life where he experienced God so closely, 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:19.000 and so he was able to tell others this is who God is. Pharaoh knew God through Moses. 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:26.000 Egypt knew God through Moses. Israelites came to know God through Moses. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:33.000 Let's look at the life of Abraham. James chapter 223, it's written about Abraham by James that 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:38.000 Abraham was a friend of God, because he believed and it was counted to him as righteousness, 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:45.000 and therefore Abraham is a friend of God. So the guys who knew Abraham, 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:52.000 they related to God because of how Abraham knew God, and they were brought in, 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:57.000 they were brought closer to the reality of God through this man's life. 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:08.000 David was a shepherd boy, knows God. People around him get to know closer, better, 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:17.000 because of the life he lived. So God makes himself known through us, 00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:27.000 but we can't escape Jesus who said, the Father and I are one. I'm in the Father, and the Father is in me. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:32.000 And Jesus said, guys, if you want to pray to this God that you know as Adonai, 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:36.000 if you want to pray to this God that you have always read about, have heard about, 00:06:36.000 --> 00:06:40.000 the prophets that you have longed after, I'm going to tell you this. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:47.000 This is how you go to him. This is how you approach him. You approach him as our Father. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:54.000 And that is ground zero for us today. Our Father, my Father, and even as I stand here, 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:01.000 he is my Father. I don't need to do anything to please him because his delight is on me. 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:08.000 You don't need to do anything to please him because his delight is over you. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:14.000 And we thank you, Abba. We thank you for that. That you're a God who is always with us. 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:20.000 You're a God who, for whatever reason, Abba, well, I shouldn't say for whatever reason, 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:25.000 because it's in the very nature of you to be Father. That's who you are. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:31.000 We are thankful for that, Abba. So thankful for that. We will not take that for granted. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:36.000 We cannot take that for granted. We don't want to know you as just God. 00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:40.000 We want to know you as God and Father. 00:07:45.000 --> 00:07:50.000 So from the beginning of creation, God had been waiting and waiting and waiting 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:58.000 to portray himself through his Son. And the Son finally reveals God to others as Father. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:05.000 So the mission of God is to make himself known to the world around us. 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.000 The mission of God is to make himself known to the world around us. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:16.000 So we can paraphrase it, talk about it in many different ways, but at the end of the day, 00:08:16.000 --> 00:08:23.000 the mission of God is to make himself known to everyone around us. Why? 00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:28.000 What's motivating that? What is motivating that? And that is his love for others. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:34.000 It is his compassion for others. Because the only way the earth can be rescued, 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:40.000 the only way others can find freedom, the only way others can find forgiveness, 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:46.000 the only way others can find fulfillment of what they need to be or where they need to be at, 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:52.000 it is only through the Father. And because of that, God longs, 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:58.000 God longs and desires for everyone around us to know him, to know him, 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:04.000 make himself known. And that then becomes the commission that we carry. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:07.000 And guys, it's so simple today. It's so simple today. I'll tell you this. 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:11.000 Everything that I have to say today is line by line. I don't even need to say anything. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:17.000 If we just put it on the board, you can read it and that'd be it. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:24.000 But we got to go back to what God is telling us. For whatever reason, we need to solidify ourselves in this. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:31.000 So the thing is in, let's read that. I think it is in Exodus 33. 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:37.000 Exodus 33, 12 and 13. 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:49.000 Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, bring up this people. 00:09:49.000 --> 00:09:53.000 But you have not let me know whom you will send with me. 00:09:53.000 --> 00:10:00.000 Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.000 Now therefore, Moses said, If I have found favor in your sight, 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:12.000 please show me now your ways that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:20.000 That's Moses saying after all of the life he lived, after having encountered God on the burning bush, 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.000 after having led the people of Israel, he's saying, 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:30.000 If I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways that I may know you. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:35.000 Show me your ways that I may know you. Show me your ways that I may know you. 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:39.000 And that's what we are saying. Abba, show us your ways. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:43.000 Yeah, we know you. We know you in that you are our God, you are our Father. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:48.000 Wherever we are at today, we have an understanding of you. But we ain't going to settle. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:53.000 Because this God that we are talking about is the mighty possessor of heaven and earth. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:58.000 He is Yahweh. He is creator. He is so good and so big. 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:02.000 And the entire earth is contained in Him. The universe is contained in Him. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:09.000 And we could, if we chose to, settle for it. 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:14.000 But then there is another way of living, like Moses lived, where you go to God and say, 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:20.000 If I have found favor in you, and we know through Jesus Christ, we have already found favor in Him. 00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:27.000 And now we can tell Him, show me your ways that I may know you. 00:11:27.000 --> 00:11:31.000 This is what David wrote about, deep calls unto deep. 00:11:31.000 --> 00:11:41.000 Abba, Paul writes about it. Abba cry. Abba cry. Abba cry. 00:11:41.000 --> 00:11:45.000 Father, Father, Father, those are words that please Him. 00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:50.000 Those are words that make Him run after you. 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:55.000 Abba, guys we are going to go so basic today. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:59.000 We are going to make sure that whatever God wants us to do will happen in our hearts. 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.000 That's all I am meant to do. And that's all I will do. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:11.000 Abba, that's who He is. That's our relationship with Him. 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:18.000 And so we come against every spirit of religion that tries to make Him anything else. 00:12:18.000 --> 00:12:28.000 Our experience, where we have been, what we have done, what we have heard, other people's experience, 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:38.000 it does not matter. God is Father. And we cry out to Him. Abba. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:45.000 So this mission that God has for us, this mission came before even the earth was created. 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:52.000 Because Jesus Christ was slain for the sins of the world before the foundations of the earth were laid. 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:59.000 And because of that, the mission of God, which is to make Himself known to others, existed even before we were known. 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:04.000 And all we are doing right now is jumping into what He has always said for us, which is, 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:11.000 guys, come. You experience me. You know me. And then you go and take it to the world, 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:15.000 to the ends of the earth, so that they can experience who you are. 00:13:15.000 --> 00:13:21.000 And I've got three things I want us to look at today. We'll talk about those three things. 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:28.000 Do we have the eraser somewhere here? Thank you. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:35.000 For anyone who doesn't know who that is, that's my brother. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:41.000 Okay, I'll use my hands, Dawn. Thank you. 00:13:41.000 --> 00:13:45.000 It's only because of you. Okay, guys, so the first thing. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:54.000 So God is saying, this is the commission that I've given you. 00:13:54.000 --> 00:14:03.000 Make the Father known. 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:08.000 So three things. Thanks, Evan. Now I need to do this. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:15.000 First with this. Thank you. And second with this. Now we are clean and ready to go. 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:21.000 All right, so three ways we're going to make the Father known, or three ways that God 00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:26.000 wants us to think about, learn about, practice more with regards to how we can go about it. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:34.000 The first thing is, or the first point is, living in his house. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:40.000 And we'll explore that. Living in his house. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:49.000 This is from Luke chapter 15. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:54.000 See, in the story of the prodigal son, we don't have to read it. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:15:00.000 In the story of the prodigal son, it's so easy for us to be reading that story 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:05.000 and thinking about the prodigal son, how he wanted all of the inheritance, 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:11.000 how he left the house, how he returned, the Father's heart, 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:15.000 how the Father threw a grand party for him, all of those things. 00:15:15.000 --> 00:15:20.000 But for the younger brother and for the older brother, there was a greater reality for them, 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:26.000 which was the opportunity to have lived with the Father always. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:31.000 So Luke chapter 15 is about the opportunity, 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:37.000 it's about the incredible privilege that I have, you have, to live with the Father always. 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:43.000 To always be in communion with him. And all of that is possible because of what Jesus did. 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:49.000 And Jesus said that now that I am here, you can be one with God. 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:58.000 What we are talking about, if we live in this truth, 00:15:58.000 --> 00:16:04.000 every second of our lives will change our lives. Even from where we are today to another place in God. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:11.000 We have an incredible privilege to be in the Father's house all the time. 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:15.000 So I am not talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit is in us. 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.000 Yeah, the Holy Spirit is fully in us and he is present with us and he will never depart from us. 00:16:19.000 --> 00:16:25.000 He is in us, yes. But there is a practical lifestyle, a way of living, 00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.000 that allows us to be in fellowship. Not in relationship, 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:36.000 because the relationship part is always taken care of or has always and forever been taken care of by Christ. 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:42.000 But there is a fellowship part, which is to walk with him. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:48.000 To walk with him every day. Wake up with an Abba cry. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:52.000 Go through your day with your Father. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:16:56.000 To go into the night, to walk into the night with the Father. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:59.000 To go to bed knowing that he is with you. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:04.000 To wake up the next day knowing that this God is my Father. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:07.000 There is no other way to live but this. 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:14.000 And the reason we came against religion is because regardless of how many years we have known God, 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:20.000 let me guarantee you this. There is one thing that comes against this idea and that is religion. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.000 Where it can point you to that and this and this other thing 00:17:24.000 --> 00:17:30.000 and take our eyes off of the fact that this God that we call God is also our Father. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:37.000 And for a church like Acts 29, this is so fundamental to how we have been raised. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:41.000 But we still need to remind ourselves. 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:47.000 Otherwise life will come, disruptions will come 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:53.000 and we will almost very quickly forget that he is not just God. 00:17:53.000 --> 00:17:57.000 That I don't have to run to him a certain way like I run to someone else. 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:02.000 That I can just call him Abba and he is here. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:10.000 When I was thinking about this, God was just reminding me that wherever you are, whatever you do, 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:21.000 when you cry Abba, when you just say Abba, it breaks through everything around you and it reaches his ears. 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.000 Abba. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:30.000 And the truth is that this is our spirit crying to his spirit. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:37.000 And now we verbalize it. Now we live like this. 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:43.000 So it's a lifestyle where unlike the prodigal son who ran away from the father's house, 00:18:43.000 --> 00:18:51.000 you have the privilege to wake up every day in his house and be in fellowship with him. 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:55.000 Where you wake up to the plans he has for you on a daily basis. 00:18:55.000 --> 00:19:00.000 To engage in father-son intimacy. Matthew 11. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:06.000 Wake up to the reality of, Abba, I don't need to prove anything today. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:12.000 I don't need to prove anything today. I don't need to work to please you today. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:17.000 I don't need to do anything to make you smile today. 00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:23.000 You're already smiling at me. You're already here. 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Sometimes these truths that we know have to be said in certain words so that we can really engage with it. 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:35.000 I don't need to do anything. I wake up and you're here. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:40.000 Only if I would give my ears to you. Only if I would talk to you now. 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:46.000 Only if I would speak to you now. You're here. You're delighted with me. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:49.000 Because your son has done everything that needs to be done. 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:53.000 I don't need to work extra to make you love me more. 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:59.000 And you don't love Pawan more than me. You love Pawan and me the same way. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:03.000 I'm not a lesser son or a lesser daughter. 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:09.000 I am fully accepted. Fully taken care for. 00:20:09.000 --> 00:20:19.000 I pray that as I say these words, some of you will come against lies that have been formed in your minds. 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:25.000 That you'll shatter them. Because the truth of God is this. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:28.000 Regardless of how many years we know God. 00:20:28.000 --> 00:20:36.000 Sometimes when we don't realize that this is happening, it's easy to forget it. 00:20:36.000 --> 00:20:39.000 Now this house has several rooms. 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:45.000 When you live in this house, you'll realize that this house has several rooms. 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:48.000 They are carefully designed by the father. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:55.000 To create an environment for you to know him deeply. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.000 One of the rooms could be joy. 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:05.000 Do you feel like you're in a place where you can be happy? 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.000 Do you feel like you need joy? 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:13.000 Do you feel like that's something that I know the difference between happy and joy. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:17.000 But I don't really know exactly what that means. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:20.000 I want to understand this more. I want to understand this better. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.000 I want to live in this better. I don't want to settle for anything else. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:30.000 I want to experience joy. Peace. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:36.000 How about you said peace is my inheritance. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:40.000 I ain't settling for anything less. 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:45.000 There are several rooms in this house. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.000 All carefully designed for you. 00:21:49.000 --> 00:21:52.000 To create an environment for you. 00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:55.000 To live in and to know him deeply. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:22:01.000 If I were to take advantage of this truth, 00:22:01.000 --> 00:22:03.000 let's do that for the next two minutes. 00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:07.000 Think about, Aba, I know you're good. 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:11.000 I know you're faithful. I know you're kind. I know you're merciful. 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.000 I know you have a plan for me. I know when I am with you, 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.000 because you're in me, when I have decided to follow you, 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:22.000 you won't leave me. Your peace is with me. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.000 Your power is available for me. Your authority is there. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:32.000 But there are two things where you feel like God is wanting you to upgrade in. 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:34.000 To reach a new level in that area. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:38.000 Whatever those two things are, or three, write it down. 00:22:38.000 --> 00:22:44.000 And if you ask God, God I want this to be so true. 00:22:44.000 --> 00:22:48.000 I want to live in this. The Father will make that happen. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:53.000 Let's go practical. Why hear something and not be affected by it? 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:58.000 Take two minutes. This house we're talking about has several rooms. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:02.000 All for you. Take two, three minutes and say, Aba, 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.000 here is what I need in my life. 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Here is an area where I need to grow from where I am to a new place in you. 00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:11.000 And I ain't going to be a settler. 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:14.000 And for that reason, show me what those things are. 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:17.000 And I'm going to ask you for them right now. Take two minutes and do that. 00:23:44.000 --> 00:23:59.000 We have a Father who said, if you ask me, I will give it to you. 00:23:59.000 --> 00:24:05.000 So whatever you're writing down, if you ask for it, you will get it. 00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:08.000 So whatever you're writing down, if you ask for it, you will get it. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:42.000 Yeah. Okay. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:48.000 So the older son in the prodigal story, Luke chapter 15, 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:55.000 we hear about him or read about him at the very end, one or two lines. 00:24:55.000 --> 00:25:01.000 But the story is more so about this older son than the younger son. 00:25:01.000 --> 00:25:07.000 For those of us who have returned to Christ, for those of us who have returned to God, 00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:09.000 for those of us who have returned to the Father, 00:25:09.000 --> 00:25:15.000 the story is more about the older son than the younger son. 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:20.000 Because if you think about it, the older son had everything. 00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:30.000 In fact, in the last two verses of that passage, the Father says, son, you are with me always. 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.000 All of me is for you. You are with me always. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:42.000 But for whatever reason, the son wanted to take things, the older son wanted to take things in his own hands. 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:45.000 And he said, I'm not going to come into the house. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:48.000 This guy has been gone away and he's been doing this and that and the other. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.000 And now he's come back. You love him so deeply. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:25:56.000 And you know what? I don't really care anymore. I worked really hard. 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:58.000 I've made sure I woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning. 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:02.000 I worked out in the field till 8 p.m. Two hours more than your servants. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:12.000 And that's how you treat me? I'm not coming in. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:22.000 If this son knew the Father, if he held the Father closer than the other things, 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:24.000 he would never say those words. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:31.000 Because he would know that every day at such and such this time, the Father would go out to the porch. 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:34.000 He'd be looking at the road that's leading on to the house. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:37.000 He's waiting for his son to return. 00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:41.000 If for once he went and asked him, Abba, why? Why are you doing this? 00:26:41.000 --> 00:26:46.000 I know you told me to go and do this work and I've been laboring in the field. 00:26:46.000 --> 00:26:52.000 But for once if you told me, if I asked you why, then the Father would say, son, my heart is aching. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:56.000 It's difficult for me. It's difficult for me. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:59.000 He has left the house. I don't know where he's at. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:03.000 I want him to come back. It's difficult for me. 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:07.000 And if the son had listened to that answer from the Father, 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.000 and if the son, the older son, had loved the Father enough, 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.000 when the son returned, he would be the one throwing the party. 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:21.000 Because he would have by then known what the Father really wanted. 00:27:21.000 --> 00:27:27.000 And so we need to be reading that passage differently. 00:27:27.000 --> 00:27:31.000 The first time when Jesus said this parable, 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:36.000 don't think that people were teary-eyed and listening to it at that time, no. 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:41.000 Jesus was going right against everything they knew about God by saying this. 00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:47.000 Jesus was saying that your religious ways of doing this is not how you approach the Father. 00:27:47.000 --> 00:27:50.000 You just need to go back to him and that's it. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:53.000 And so they were teary-eyed and listening to it. 00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:59.000 Half the people or more who listened to him that day wanted to stone him perhaps. 00:27:59.000 --> 00:28:05.000 And so we are the older sons and daughters. 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.000 And we were the older sons and daughters. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:13.000 And we want to live in this house. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:17.000 Experience the different rooms you've designed. 00:28:17.000 --> 00:28:25.000 Know you, know your heart so well that we know how you are. 00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:31.000 To a point where we recognize your footsteps like Adam did, 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:35.000 where day by day it's better. 00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.000 We are only growing from one level of intimacy to another. 00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:42.000 That we won't settle. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:46.000 That we aspire to be like Jesus. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:51.000 And we'll stand against religion. 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:57.000 We'll stand against any form of thought, lofty knowledge, whatever that is. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:29:03.000 To say, no, I won't give this any room in my life because my God is my Father. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:08.000 Because He loves me and I don't need anyone between Him and I. 00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.000 I will follow Him. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:15.000 Everything that is dear to His heart will be dear to me. 00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:21.000 Guys, the true meaning of sonship then changes from just being a son and a daughter 00:29:21.000 --> 00:29:27.000 to a son and a daughter who is interested in the very things He is interested in. 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:30.000 That is sonship. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.000 And that is knowing Him well. 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:40.000 Because sometimes as Christians you can be all about my God is my Father, 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.000 my God is my Father. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:44.000 I can't sing otherwise I would have sung. 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:50.000 But true sons go from that to my God is my Father. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.000 And I care about everything He cares about. 00:29:55.000 --> 00:30:00.000 And He is waiting for His sons and daughters to return. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:05.000 And so while I am in this house that He has designed for me, 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:11.000 I know I'm repeating, I'll repeat it again, with rooms for me to enjoy, 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:14.000 to be in fellowship with Him, 00:30:14.000 --> 00:30:18.000 I'm going to not let go of this inheritance. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.000 Because everything around me will fight for me to leave this inheritance. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:25.000 My inheritance is not what He is leaving behind for me. 00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:27.000 My inheritance is Him. 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:31.000 If the older son knew that, 00:30:31.000 --> 00:30:39.000 that the inheritance is not really what he will get when the Father dies in that story. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:43.000 But the inheritance is the Father Himself. 00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:48.000 That being with the Father, walking with the Father is what He needed. 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:50.000 So think about it this way. 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:52.000 Some days when we wake up, 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:57.000 what the Father would want of us is to walk with Him, 00:30:57.000 --> 00:30:59.000 hold His hand and just keep walking. 00:30:59.000 --> 00:31:02.000 One day He wants to take us on a hike. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:08.000 Next day when you wake up, He may want you to just sing to Him, 00:31:08.000 --> 00:31:12.000 because He is in the mood to listen to your singing, 00:31:12.000 --> 00:31:15.000 regardless of how bad it is or good it is. 00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.000 He doesn't care. Every word is sweet to Him. 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:24.000 Another day or the same afternoon, 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:28.000 He may ask you to put on your boots and take an axe 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:32.000 and go out and complete the work that He has asked you to do. 00:31:37.000 --> 00:31:39.000 It doesn't matter what it is, 00:31:39.000 --> 00:31:43.000 but we've got an adventure filled days 00:31:43.000 --> 00:31:46.000 that are our inheritance with Him, 00:31:46.000 --> 00:31:50.000 that we cannot let go for anything else. 00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:55.000 Let's move on to the next one. 00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:58.000 Or maybe a couple more things before we move on to the next one. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:01.000 So every day is an opportunity to know Him more 00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:08.000 and explore what the Father has for you every day. 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:14.000 I want to phrase this in a different way, 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:17.000 because practically for me, when I thought about this, 00:32:17.000 --> 00:32:19.000 this is what happens. 00:32:21.000 --> 00:32:25.000 Sometimes I do not include Him in everything I do. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:31.000 Think about it and see if this is true for you. 00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:36.000 Sometimes I do not include my Father in everything that I do. 00:32:36.000 --> 00:32:39.000 If you don't include Him in everything He does, 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:43.000 I am missing out on the inheritance that I have. 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:46.000 I don't want to. I want to include Him in everything. 00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:50.000 Everything, every day, everything. 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:53.000 That's how Jesus lived. I can live like that. 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:58.000 And if I'm already living far better than how I've been the last two years, 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:01.000 good for you, but still not good enough, 00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:04.000 because Jesus is the only one who can live like that. 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:08.000 But still not good enough, because Jesus has set the bar so high, 00:33:08.000 --> 00:33:11.000 and we can grow to that stature. 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:14.000 And it's not a condemning thing, because when I think about it, 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:17.000 for me it's almost like, thank you for opening my eyes to the fact 00:33:17.000 --> 00:33:20.000 that I don't include you in everything in my life, 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:24.000 and now I want you to be included in everything. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:31.000 From one, one, one, one, whatever you call it, one level to another, so be it. 00:33:31.000 --> 00:33:32.000 Call it whatever you want to, 00:33:32.000 --> 00:33:36.000 but it is a better way of living, and I want that. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:47.000 I need that. 00:33:47.000 --> 00:33:53.000 Next point, so you start by living in His house. 00:33:53.000 --> 00:34:08.000 Number two is go out to bring in. 00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:16.000 The prodigal son, his older brother, could have gone out looking for the younger son. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.000 If he really knew the father, one day he would go up to the father, 00:34:21.000 --> 00:34:27.000 he would have asked him, Abba, I know that you really want your younger son back, 00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:29.000 my brother back. You know what I'm going to do? 00:34:29.000 --> 00:34:31.000 I'm going to put all of this work on the side, 00:34:31.000 --> 00:34:36.000 I'm going to give it to the servants, and I'm going to go out looking for him, 00:34:36.000 --> 00:34:43.000 because it's important for me to find him so that he can return home. 00:34:43.000 --> 00:34:50.000 And for us, we don't have to do anything except do what is commissioned to us, 00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:57.000 which is to make our father known, because the world around us does not know a father like that. 00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:05.000 The world around us, they don't know that God is a father who cares, who loves, who forgives, 00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:10.000 who transfers us from one kingdom to another and is with us all the time, 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:16.000 and will always look after us, will forgive all sins. They don't know that. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:22.000 And so all we've got to do is not make a wait for the son to return or the daughter to return, 00:35:22.000 --> 00:35:29.000 but just let them know who the father is, because the moment they know who the father is, 00:35:29.000 --> 00:35:38.000 their eyes will be open, and some of them will choose the way back to the father. 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:45.000 So go out to bring in. 00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:51.000 When you live with the father, you have a deep understanding that this father spends himself for his children. 00:35:51.000 --> 00:35:56.000 He spends himself for his children. 00:35:56.000 --> 00:35:59.000 He gives everything he has for his children. 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:12.000 And when I have that deep understanding of who he is, I will begin to spend what I have for what matters for him. 00:36:12.000 --> 00:36:17.000 Sons and daughters take after their father. 00:36:17.000 --> 00:36:21.000 Sons and daughters take after their father. 00:36:21.000 --> 00:36:29.000 And if that is true, his business becomes mine. 00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:36.000 And so the purpose of your journey, when you go out from this house into the world to bring people back in, 00:36:36.000 --> 00:36:43.000 to bring sons and back in, the purpose of your journey is the mission of God to make the father known. 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:47.000 Hey, I know this father, and this father is like this. 00:36:47.000 --> 00:36:51.000 And I know you don't know him. I know you think of him differently. 00:36:51.000 --> 00:37:00.000 But I'm here to just tell you from my life and my experience that this is who he is. 00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:20.000 One of the things that we need to be aware of is there are sometimes certain virtues that we place in high value that we will have to break away from. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:26.000 Virtues like, you know what, my personality is that kind of a personality, but I don't really talk much to people. 00:37:26.000 --> 00:37:30.000 And it's not really my style to tell anyone how I am or what's going on. 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:33.000 I just like to keep it low and not really talk much. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:38.000 And if they want it, they'll see it and they'll get it. 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:45.000 Who said that's the way? 00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:55.000 So certain virtues, and you can look into your own lives, certain virtues in double quotes aren't really good virtues. 00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:58.000 That are helpful for the mission at hand. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:07.000 And we have to know what those which virtues are and break away from them so that we can be everything that the father wants us to be. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:12.000 Because there ain't there ain't any showing of who he is. 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:17.000 If I don't open my mouth. 00:38:17.000 --> 00:38:23.000 One on one, I've got to speak. 00:38:23.000 --> 00:38:32.000 I've got to speak of my father so that they can hear of my father. 00:38:32.000 --> 00:38:37.000 I'm called to embrace God's desire to make himself known. 00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:46.000 I am called to embrace God's desire to make himself known. 00:38:46.000 --> 00:38:48.000 I wrote it down this way to just listen to this. 00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:54.000 You become someone who is matured in his nature and likeness and carries an unadulterated message. 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:57.000 This is what God is saying to the world. 00:38:57.000 --> 00:38:58.000 I'm not upset and angry. 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:00.000 I'm just waiting for you to return. 00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:05.000 I am fattening a calf so that I can throw a huge party to celebrate your return. 00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:14.000 You become someone who is matured in God's your father's nature and likeness and carries an unadulterated message. 00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.000 I'm not upset says God says the father and angry. 00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:21.000 I'm just waiting for you to return. 00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:27.000 I am fattening a calf so that I can throw a huge party to celebrate your return. 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:34.000 And so when we go out into the world to bring in, we also then need to know that the Holy Spirit is already there. 00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:45.000 Because this mission that we step into is a mission that is designed, orchestrated, carried through by the father himself. 00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:52.000 And so when I step into this mission, the whole of heaven is there to back me up. 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:56.000 This is what heaven beats for. 00:39:56.000 --> 00:40:02.000 And I step into this not like, OK, I now need to go and do all of these things. 00:40:02.000 --> 00:40:03.000 No, I don't need to. 00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:08.000 I need to just step out into the stream that's already flowing. 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:11.000 And this river will take me where I need to go. 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:16.000 It will take me to destinations I never thought I could go to. 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:20.000 It will take me to people of various backgrounds. 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.000 It will take me to friends, family, but also strangers. 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:27.000 Because he loves them all. 00:40:27.000 --> 00:40:29.000 And there is a way for me. 00:40:29.000 --> 00:40:32.000 To walk, and this is something I will not get away from. 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:35.000 This is something that I will not break away from. 00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:38.000 So before he sends me, the Holy Spirit is already there. 00:40:38.000 --> 00:40:43.000 And God chooses to be relationally and personally present by his Spirit. 00:40:43.000 --> 00:40:51.000 God chooses to be relationally and personally present in everything that I do by his Spirit. 00:40:51.000 --> 00:40:55.000 Earlier today, Evan was supposed to come up and share something. 00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.000 So I thought it's best for him not to share it earlier, but to share it now. 00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:02.000 So he's going to come up and share something. 00:41:02.000 --> 00:41:05.000 And we'll listen to that and go from there. 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:42.000 Cool, thanks. 00:41:42.000 --> 00:41:45.000 So I'm going to read... 00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:48.000 I was asked to pick a verse from Isaiah 62. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:51.000 So I'm going to read verse 6. 00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:55.000 And then I wrote a little thing that I'm going to share. 00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:57.000 So Isaiah 62 verse 6 says, 00:41:57.000 --> 00:42:00.000 I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem. 00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:02.000 They will never be silent day or night. 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:07.000 You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest. 00:42:07.000 --> 00:42:13.000 And then... 00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:17.000 So as Derek was saying the last couple weeks, two weeks ago I think, 00:42:17.000 --> 00:42:22.000 Jacob talked about permission and kind of the theme there was like 00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:28.000 going into people's lives, friends, family, nations, etc. 00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:32.000 And then the next week he talked about prayer. 00:42:32.000 --> 00:42:35.000 And I don't know about any of you guys, but one of the first things I thought of 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:44.000 when he was talking about prayer was just my circle, people that are in my life, whatever. 00:42:44.000 --> 00:42:47.000 And so as I was writing this this morning, God was like, 00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:52.000 Evan, why were you thinking only about your little circle when literally a week ago 00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:57.000 I was talking about going into other people's lives that you don't know and into nations. 00:42:57.000 --> 00:43:02.000 I was like, oh yeah, okay, duh, sorry. 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:07.000 So then, yeah, so he gave me a little smack there. 00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:10.000 Anyway, so of course that's important. 00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.000 We all know it's super important to like pray for those around us. 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:17.000 But then this is what he wanted to share. 00:43:17.000 --> 00:43:22.000 So going back to Isaiah chapter 62, and God's already said this. 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:24.000 So this is just a reminder. 00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:28.000 He said, don't you see that I have already given you authority in the city, 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:32.000 in the city that you're in, whether it's Vancouver or across the world? 00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:34.000 Does that not count for nothing? 00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:38.000 I've already told you that you're a watchman on the walls of this city. 00:43:38.000 --> 00:43:41.000 I have looked and I have found you to be faithful, Acts 29. 00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:44.000 So don't back off. Don't let go. 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:49.000 And in verse 7, I didn't read it, but God is telling us to not give him rest. 00:43:49.000 --> 00:43:54.000 He's asking us, don't let me catch you slackin' or whatever. 00:43:54.000 --> 00:43:57.000 Like keep, keep going. 00:43:57.000 --> 00:43:59.000 And he says, I really mean it. 00:43:59.000 --> 00:44:06.000 And then when he said that, I thought about Malachi chapter 3, 10 to 12. 00:44:06.000 --> 00:44:09.000 So I'll go there. Malachi 3. 00:44:19.000 --> 00:44:24.000 So I know the first half of 10, Malachi 3, talks about tithes, 00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:28.000 but he wanted to focus on the second half. 00:44:28.000 --> 00:44:30.000 Yeah, so the second half says, 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:33.000 And see, if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven, 00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:38.000 and pour out so much blessing, that there will not be enough room to store it. 00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:41.000 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, 00:44:41.000 --> 00:44:44.000 and the vines in your fields will not drop the fruit before it is ripe, 00:44:44.000 --> 00:44:45.000 says the Lord Almighty. 00:44:45.000 --> 00:44:48.000 Then all the nations will call you blessed, 00:44:48.000 --> 00:44:52.000 for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty. 00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:58.000 So God was saying that, he has already told us that this is something that we have been called to, 00:44:58.000 --> 00:45:01.000 and I guess Derek will share something in a minute, 00:45:01.000 --> 00:45:04.000 but we're not supposed to back off. 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:09.000 We're not supposed to just say, you know, I'm only going to take care of my little circle. 00:45:09.000 --> 00:45:12.000 He wants us to push ourselves, go to the next step, go to the next level, 00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:18.000 and test God, see that he can bring us a blessing that we can't even handle. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:20.000 So, yeah. 00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:22.000 Else, thank you. 00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:28.000 Acts chapter 10, I think. 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:32.000 We won't read that today, but if you have time, once you get back home, read that, 00:45:32.000 --> 00:45:37.000 because that's a beautiful illustration of what praying can do. 00:45:37.000 --> 00:45:40.000 Because in Acts chapter 10, you see Peter in one place, 00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:43.000 and later on in that chapter, you see him somewhere else, 00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:48.000 and what happened in a span of 50 or something verses, I don't know how many, 00:45:48.000 --> 00:45:53.000 is breaking open a new region for the truth, for the progression of the gospel. 00:45:53.000 --> 00:46:02.000 So, we have our circles, but God's circle is so much bigger. 00:46:02.000 --> 00:46:08.000 Nations, cities, villages are waiting to our obedience, 00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:15.000 and if we obey, he will take us to wherever we need to go to carry out what he needs us to do. 00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:19.000 So, keep in mind that the Father is always waiting. 00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:21.000 While the Father is in the house and we live with the Father, 00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:24.000 he's always waiting for us somewhere else as well. 00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:28.000 And so, if I recognize that he is waiting for me to be somewhere, 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:41.000 and his heart is beckoning me to go there, I will go to places, people, as he leads me. 00:46:41.000 --> 00:46:47.000 While I do this, I am to recognize that everyone is made in the image of God, 00:46:47.000 --> 00:46:49.000 and I can't escape it. 00:46:49.000 --> 00:46:58.000 That every single person, regardless of their orientation, their background, skin color, whatever that is, 00:46:58.000 --> 00:47:07.000 every person is made in the image of God, and I'm being called to every person out there. 00:47:07.000 --> 00:47:10.000 And then there is specificity to it. 00:47:10.000 --> 00:47:16.000 A couple weeks ago, when we were in Bali, I thought I'll add a story to this as well, 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:21.000 because it helps to, at least for me, to think about it this way. 00:47:21.000 --> 00:47:28.000 When Prashant and Bishop and I were together, we were walking somewhere. 00:47:28.000 --> 00:47:34.000 That particular week was interesting because normally we go out and we try to meet people. 00:47:34.000 --> 00:47:38.000 That week, it was strange, because while we were walking, 00:47:38.000 --> 00:47:43.000 people are making eye contact with us, and these are regular folk. 00:47:43.000 --> 00:47:47.000 They're making eye contact with us and we go talk with them. 00:47:47.000 --> 00:47:53.000 We don't even know them. They don't know us, but they're like, so we go. 00:47:53.000 --> 00:47:57.000 So we had a couple instances where that happened, 00:47:57.000 --> 00:48:06.000 and there is this guy and his friend who are walking, and they look at Bishop and go, 00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:10.000 so Bishop and Prashant and I go and say hi to them. 00:48:10.000 --> 00:48:16.000 And we were there for about 20-25 minutes, just random strangers on the road talking to each other. 00:48:16.000 --> 00:48:21.000 And one of the things that this person, while he and I were talking, 00:48:21.000 --> 00:48:28.000 felt that I need to just tell him one thing, that it was an odd thing to say, which is, 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:32.000 you know a lot and you have so much knowledge in your head, 00:48:32.000 --> 00:48:39.000 but God is telling you that there is a better way to live, and this is the way. 00:48:39.000 --> 00:48:43.000 It took me about 20 minutes until I said that line, 00:48:43.000 --> 00:48:47.000 and for the first 20 minutes I was at a place in that conversation with this person, 00:48:47.000 --> 00:48:51.000 thinking about how can I break open this man in a way, 00:48:51.000 --> 00:48:54.000 because he is, we're talking, but there is something that needs to be said. 00:48:54.000 --> 00:48:57.000 I don't know what that something is, but something needs to be said, 00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:00.000 and I know that when I say that, what you have for me to say, 00:49:00.000 --> 00:49:03.000 then something else will transpire. 00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:07.000 So I said this, and as soon as I said what I said, this guy said, 00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:10.000 you know what, what you're saying is very true, 00:49:10.000 --> 00:49:14.000 and it's not by chance that we have met, and this is good. 00:49:14.000 --> 00:49:20.000 And we went on talking for a little bit more, followed up with him even last week, regular guy. 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:24.000 I don't even know him, he doesn't know me. We don't know him. 00:49:24.000 --> 00:49:28.000 But through a conversation, by telling him about the father, 00:49:28.000 --> 00:49:32.000 by telling him about what's happening, because our father knows what's happening, 00:49:32.000 --> 00:49:35.000 something is broken open. 00:49:35.000 --> 00:49:43.000 And the prophetic is a gift that we can practice in breaking open people's lives. 00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:50.000 It's a gift for the body, and God speaks, 00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:53.000 and when we hear and we just say what he is asking us to say, 00:49:53.000 --> 00:49:56.000 it breaks open people's lives. 00:49:56.000 --> 00:50:02.000 And I pray that this is something I know for a fact that there will be so many stories at Acts 29 00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:10.000 that God will write, whereby strangers, people we don't even know will hear about him 00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:12.000 through what God is telling us. 00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:15.000 And I'm waiting for that to happen more and more and more, 00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:19.000 because that for sure is a way that God is leading us. 00:50:19.000 --> 00:50:23.000 So prophecy and prophetic is not just for us within these walls, 00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:27.000 it is to go out into the world and speak what God wants us to speak, 00:50:27.000 --> 00:50:34.000 because there are lives that are in such bad shape and are in such good shape that they don't know him. 00:50:34.000 --> 00:50:36.000 We've got to speak. 00:50:39.000 --> 00:50:44.000 So God's mission is towards exposing idols that blind and trap people. 00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:50.000 God's mission is towards exposing idols that blind and trap people. 00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:58.000 And then the last one, I kind of already talked about it, but let's put that as point number three. 00:51:03.000 --> 00:51:07.000 When we are in the world, we've got to live open lives. 00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:16.000 Open lives mean that you intentionally share the reality and nature of your father 00:51:16.000 --> 00:51:20.000 by living a life that does not isolate you from those around you. 00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:28.000 Open lives mean that I live in the city I live in, in the apartment I live in, 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:31.000 I live in the workplace I work for, 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:36.000 I live in a way that doesn't isolate me from those around me, 00:51:36.000 --> 00:51:40.000 that doesn't put walls all around me, 00:51:40.000 --> 00:51:44.000 that secludes me from what's happening around me, 00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:51.000 that Jesus with the Samaritan woman, all he did in John chapter four is break one wall after the other after the other. 00:51:51.000 --> 00:51:58.000 Culture, gender, you name it, he broke all of those walls to reach this woman. 00:52:01.000 --> 00:52:07.000 And we cannot afford to put walls around us. 00:52:07.000 --> 00:52:10.000 We are people who look at things and go, 00:52:10.000 --> 00:52:14.000 Abba, I am being sent out. I am to live an open life. 00:52:14.000 --> 00:52:20.000 So give me wisdom and discernment to break down everything that I need to break down 00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:22.000 so that those around me know my father. 00:52:22.000 --> 00:52:28.000 With the way you pray, with the way you talk, with the way you deal with frustration. 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:33.000 And in all of these things, they'll observe you in how you handle good times 00:52:33.000 --> 00:52:37.000 and they'll observe you in how you will handle difficult times. 00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:39.000 Both. 00:52:39.000 --> 00:52:42.000 So it doesn't mean that there won't be difficult times. 00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:45.000 Regardless of what the situation is, 00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:49.000 we are not doing anything so that others can see and know God. 00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:51.000 No, we are just living our lives. 00:52:51.000 --> 00:52:54.000 We are just obeying what the father has put in us. 00:52:54.000 --> 00:52:59.000 And by simply responding to him and operating in a manner that he has designed for us, 00:52:59.000 --> 00:53:03.000 we then become what Israel was to be to the nations. 00:53:03.000 --> 00:53:06.000 A sign unto the people. 00:53:06.000 --> 00:53:08.000 A sign unto the people. 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:13.000 So Prashanth at Langara is a sign unto the people all around him. 00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:20.000 Students, staff, facilities, managers, whoever walks into that building, 00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:22.000 he is to be a sign unto them. 00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:29.000 I am to be a sign unto whoever I am to encounter, whoever is around me in my life. 00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:38.000 Live intentionally by breaking down walls of isolation. 00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:43.000 Walls of individuality. 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:45.000 Personality types. 00:53:49.000 --> 00:53:52.000 And I am to display a kingdom. 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.000 We have been talking about this for weeks now. 00:53:54.000 --> 00:53:56.000 And I am to display a kingdom. 00:53:56.000 --> 00:53:58.000 And my values come from a different kingdom. 00:53:58.000 --> 00:54:02.000 I react to situations differently. 00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:05.000 And I represent my father. 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:14.000 One of the things we cannot forget while we talk about living an open life is, 00:54:14.000 --> 00:54:18.000 and this was important to the father with the Israelites, 00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:23.000 it's important to him with us, is holiness is not just, 00:54:24.000 --> 00:54:28.000 holiness is practical holiness and blazing purity. 00:54:28.000 --> 00:54:30.000 Jacob always talks about that. 00:54:30.000 --> 00:54:32.000 He talks about blazing purity. 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:34.000 And it's practical holiness for us. 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:35.000 Because I am righteous. 00:54:35.000 --> 00:54:37.000 You're righteous with the father. 00:54:37.000 --> 00:54:40.000 I don't need to do anything to make myself righteous. 00:54:40.000 --> 00:54:44.000 But there is also practical holiness. 00:54:44.000 --> 00:54:47.000 Where I am not to engage in everything. 00:54:47.000 --> 00:54:49.000 I am not to taste everything. 00:54:49.000 --> 00:54:51.000 I am not to hear everything. 00:54:51.000 --> 00:54:53.000 I am not to see everything. 00:54:53.000 --> 00:54:55.000 And my practical way of following him, 00:54:55.000 --> 00:54:58.000 practical holiness, blazing purity, what do we call it, 00:54:58.000 --> 00:55:02.000 that attracts and is a sign for people around you. 00:55:02.000 --> 00:55:05.000 Because the world operates opposite to that. 00:55:05.000 --> 00:55:07.000 Complete opposite to that. 00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.000 And the world needs to know that there is a group of people, 00:55:11.000 --> 00:55:14.000 there is a community, a family of families, 00:55:14.000 --> 00:55:20.000 who think, operate differently because of how they relate to their father 00:55:20.000 --> 00:55:22.000 and because of who their father is. 00:55:22.000 --> 00:55:27.000 Again, we're doing none of this to show other people something. 00:55:27.000 --> 00:55:32.000 We're doing all of this because I am just living the way God designed for me 00:55:32.000 --> 00:55:36.000 and because his commission is to make him known to everyone else. 00:55:36.000 --> 00:55:38.000 I engage in that. 00:55:38.000 --> 00:55:43.000 So the trust of doing all of this is not to show, 00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:45.000 okay, I'm going to do it this way so that others can see. 00:55:45.000 --> 00:55:46.000 No. 00:55:46.000 --> 00:55:48.000 This is the father-son operation. 00:55:48.000 --> 00:55:51.000 Jesus lived like that and everyone around him saw it. 00:55:51.000 --> 00:55:52.000 It's natural. 00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:54.000 Everything else is a byproduct. 00:55:54.000 --> 00:55:56.000 You don't even know what you're talking about. 00:55:56.000 --> 00:55:59.000 You don't even know how you're dealing with the situation. 00:55:59.000 --> 00:56:01.000 But for those around you, 00:56:01.000 --> 00:56:04.000 it is the opposite of everything they've ever seen in their lives. 00:56:04.000 --> 00:56:08.000 And that will enable them to ask a question, why? 00:56:13.000 --> 00:56:16.000 Practical holiness, blazing purity. 00:56:18.000 --> 00:56:23.000 Okay, one scriptural reference, 1 John 3, 2 to 3. 00:56:23.000 --> 00:56:26.000 1 John 3, 2 to 3. 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:44.000 Listen to this. 00:56:48.000 --> 00:56:50.000 Just as he is pure. 00:56:50.000 --> 00:56:57.000 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. 00:56:59.000 --> 00:57:05.000 And we share the good news of the father through something that we have talked about for years now. 00:57:05.000 --> 00:57:10.000 Good lives, good homes, good works. 00:57:10.000 --> 00:57:14.000 Good lives, good homes, good works. 00:57:14.000 --> 00:57:17.000 Does not mean that there aren't any problems. 00:57:17.000 --> 00:57:20.000 It means that through good times, difficult times, 00:57:20.000 --> 00:57:26.000 we follow God and live a life that attracts others to the beauty of Jesus. 00:57:28.000 --> 00:57:31.000 And when you live like this, invite them to come home. 00:57:31.000 --> 00:57:33.000 Come and see. 00:57:33.000 --> 00:57:36.000 So that they can experience the father. 00:57:38.000 --> 00:57:40.000 Let's be practical about that too. 00:57:41.000 --> 00:57:44.000 I think it was a month or two months ago. 00:57:44.000 --> 00:57:49.000 I remember a time when Jacob was teaching and at some point during the teaching he said, 00:57:49.000 --> 00:57:54.000 over the next four, five weeks, why don't you open up your home? 00:57:54.000 --> 00:57:58.000 And why don't you invite a group of people, maybe two or three people, 00:57:58.000 --> 00:58:04.000 with a friend or if you're a single person, have other friends with you, invite them. 00:58:05.000 --> 00:58:10.000 Invite people who you know, who are friends, family. 00:58:10.000 --> 00:58:13.000 Open your house for that. 00:58:13.000 --> 00:58:15.000 Open your homes for that. 00:58:15.000 --> 00:58:18.000 Let's go back to that. Let's do that. 00:58:18.000 --> 00:58:23.000 We are to, because everything that we're talking about otherwise is not practical. 00:58:23.000 --> 00:58:27.000 And when I do one small act to say, Abba, I'm just going to obey what you said, 00:58:27.000 --> 00:58:30.000 you'll be surprised how he is, how he operates. 00:58:31.000 --> 00:58:33.000 And so I want to remind us of that. 00:58:33.000 --> 00:58:35.000 And some of you may have done that. 00:58:35.000 --> 00:58:37.000 Some of you may have thought about it recently. 00:58:37.000 --> 00:58:40.000 So I just want to remind, open your homes. 00:58:40.000 --> 00:58:41.000 Open your homes. 00:58:41.000 --> 00:58:43.000 Invite people. 00:58:44.000 --> 00:58:47.000 Share the father with them so that they can explore him. 00:58:49.000 --> 00:58:53.000 Two, three things, not points, but just sub points, I guess. 00:58:54.000 --> 00:58:58.000 Seek to know your inheritance so that you can walk in it. 00:58:59.000 --> 00:59:04.000 Seek to know your inheritance or purpose, so that you can walk in faith in it. 00:59:05.000 --> 00:59:09.000 And I should have, and we should have a large enough vision 00:59:09.000 --> 00:59:17.000 that it demands all of God's strength for us to walk in it. 00:59:17.000 --> 00:59:22.000 I should have a large enough vision that it demands all of God's strength for us to walk in it. 00:59:22.000 --> 00:59:26.000 That vision should be so big in terms of what he is leading us to, 00:59:26.000 --> 00:59:28.000 that we can't do it all by ourselves. 00:59:28.000 --> 00:59:30.000 We just need God to do that. 00:59:30.000 --> 00:59:34.000 Chava, can you bring up the last slide that I had for you? 00:59:35.000 --> 00:59:38.000 This is something that, you guys remember this? 00:59:38.000 --> 00:59:39.000 Say yes or no? 00:59:39.000 --> 00:59:40.000 Yes. 00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:41.000 Good. 00:59:46.000 --> 00:59:52.000 So this is something that God said we are to, 00:59:52.000 --> 00:59:56.000 this was a prophetic word I think, for Acts 29. 00:59:57.000 --> 01:00:01.000 And we've been reading this and just this morning I felt, 01:00:01.000 --> 01:00:06.000 go search for these lines, there were one or two words from this that God reminded me of. 01:00:06.000 --> 01:00:08.000 So I went and checked my email and got this, 01:00:08.000 --> 01:00:11.000 so I felt I should pull this up and have you guys read this. 01:00:13.000 --> 01:00:15.000 All of what we talked about, making the Father known. 01:00:16.000 --> 01:00:18.000 Number one, living in his house. 01:00:18.000 --> 01:00:19.000 Number two, going out. 01:00:19.000 --> 01:00:21.000 Number three, living open lives. 01:00:21.000 --> 01:00:23.000 To what end? To this end. 01:00:23.000 --> 01:00:27.000 And the good thing is, because again, God has already said this, 01:00:27.000 --> 01:00:31.000 and this is his plan for us, this is what he wants us to step into, 01:00:31.000 --> 01:00:36.000 all of these things can happen when I say yes, and when we say yes. 01:00:37.000 --> 01:00:41.000 So let's read it together, because we used to read this together quite a bit, 01:00:41.000 --> 01:00:43.000 I think early 2020. 01:00:43.000 --> 01:00:44.000 Let's read this together. 01:00:44.000 --> 01:00:46.000 This is a word for Acts 29. 01:00:47.000 --> 01:00:51.000 So don't be afraid, I am with you, says God. 01:00:51.000 --> 01:00:53.000 I am with you, says God. 01:00:53.000 --> 01:00:57.000 I will bring your children from the east and gather them from the west. 01:00:57.000 --> 01:01:00.000 I'll send orders north and south. 01:01:00.000 --> 01:01:05.000 I will say to the north, give them up, and to the south, do not hold back. 01:01:05.000 --> 01:01:10.000 Return my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth. 01:01:10.000 --> 01:01:11.000 I want them back. 01:01:11.000 --> 01:01:18.000 Every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child whom I created for my glory, 01:01:18.000 --> 01:01:24.000 yes, personally formed and made each one, how wonderful and beautiful they will be. 01:01:24.000 --> 01:01:30.000 The young men will thrive on abundant grain, and the young women will flourish on new wine. 01:01:30.000 --> 01:01:35.000 You will raise up young men and young women, bishops, strong apostolic ministries, 01:01:35.000 --> 01:01:40.000 strong teachers, going out from your company, and they will reproduce this anointing. 01:01:40.000 --> 01:01:45.000 Your young people will freely join you at the break of dawn with all the vigor of youth, 01:01:46.000 --> 01:01:49.000 resplendent in holy armor on the day of your conquest. 01:01:49.000 --> 01:01:52.000 This is what God wants for us. 01:01:52.000 --> 01:01:58.000 So I want to have someone come up and pray along these lines and wrap up. 01:01:58.000 --> 01:02:03.000 I think Jelena asked someone to do that. Was it you, Dom?