WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Priests - Mountain to the Valley Publishing Date: 2022-02-20T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/priests-mountain-to-the-valley/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.700 I hope you guys are doing well. I want to say a special thanks to those of you guys 00:00:05.700 --> 00:00:11.400 who are joining us from home because you're allowing us to meet here in 00:00:11.400 --> 00:00:16.760 space. So thank you. We're gonna look at what we talked about two weeks ago was 00:00:16.760 --> 00:00:21.680 priests, prophets and kings. So Jacob started that off and we looked at priests. 00:00:21.680 --> 00:00:27.420 We're gonna continue on from there. I want us to first look at Haggai chapter 1 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:33.460 verse 7. Haggai chapter 1 verse 7. But even before we go there let's 00:00:33.460 --> 00:00:41.020 do a quick recap of what we did two weeks ago. So we looked at Jesus who is 00:00:41.020 --> 00:00:46.820 our eternal high priest. He is the one who has gone before us. He is not just 00:00:46.820 --> 00:00:51.940 the high priest who is before the Father and he's not just the high priest 00:00:51.940 --> 00:00:57.740 who is just praying to him, interceding to him on behalf of us. But he's also 00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:02.020 the eternal high priest. He's always before the Father. There is not one 00:01:02.020 --> 00:01:07.280 second that passes by where Jesus is not interceding for us, where Jesus is not 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.920 doing something on behalf of us. So we looked at that. Now let's read Haggai 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:18.440 chapter 1 verse 7 and 8. Haggai chapter 1 verse 7 and 8. 00:01:21.940 --> 00:01:32.460 Father we thank you. We thank you that you brought us together, Abba. You have something very 00:01:32.460 --> 00:01:39.160 specific to give us, Father, and we are ready. We thank you about that. You 00:01:39.160 --> 00:01:46.120 always are with us. Right now you're here with us, Abba. For us who are tuning in 00:01:46.120 --> 00:01:51.280 from homes in different countries, different nations, you're with us. You're 00:01:51.340 --> 00:01:58.900 with us, God. Abba, so we look to you right now. We draw our strength from you. We look to 00:01:58.900 --> 00:02:04.900 you and we say we need you. We need you desperately, Abba. We need you. So Abba, I 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:11.380 create room for you here, Abba. We create room for you here in our 00:02:11.380 --> 00:02:21.100 thoughts, in what we speak, in how we listen. We create room for you. You're the 00:02:21.100 --> 00:02:27.760 only one in this room who deserves all of our attention and we will give you, 00:02:27.760 --> 00:02:34.280 Abba, all of our attention. Abba, there is not a day that goes by when you are not 00:02:34.280 --> 00:02:39.400 intentional. You're intentional today. There are certain specific things you 00:02:39.400 --> 00:02:48.040 want to accomplish in our lives and we say yes to that. So Father, help us. Help 00:02:48.100 --> 00:02:52.820 us to see what you're doing. Help us to participate in it. Help us to jump right 00:02:52.820 --> 00:02:59.500 in because you're saying come down. And so we do that together as a body in Jesus 00:02:59.500 --> 00:03:05.980 name. Hey guys, chapter one, seven and eight. Here is what it says. Thanks, 00:03:05.980 --> 00:03:12.140 Sheldon. This is what the Lord Almighty says, give careful thought to your ways. 00:03:12.140 --> 00:03:20.280 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house so that I may 00:03:20.280 --> 00:03:25.160 take pleasure in it and be honored. Let's read that again. This is what the Lord 00:03:25.160 --> 00:03:32.720 Almighty says, give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and 00:03:32.720 --> 00:03:39.000 bring down timber and build my house so that I may take pleasure in it and be 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:44.540 honored, says the Lord. So this is hey guy, the prophet speaking to two people. 00:03:44.540 --> 00:03:49.180 He's speaking this to Sarababel, the governor of Judea and he's speaking this 00:03:49.180 --> 00:03:53.300 to Joshua, the high priest. And what God is saying here is something very 00:03:53.300 --> 00:03:59.020 specific. God is saying come up the mountain. After 70 years in Babylon, now 00:03:59.020 --> 00:04:03.380 you're in Jerusalem. You're in the city that you want to rebuild. But before you 00:04:03.380 --> 00:04:06.980 do anything, I want you to know one thing. I want you to come up. I want you 00:04:06.980 --> 00:04:10.960 to come up so that you can gather wood and then I want you to go down the 00:04:10.960 --> 00:04:15.600 mountain into the valley so that you can build for me a house there. And that's 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:19.640 what God is telling us. I want you to come up the mountain and then I'm gonna 00:04:19.640 --> 00:04:22.640 send you, I'm gonna prepare you, I'm gonna equip you, I'm gonna give you 00:04:22.640 --> 00:04:26.640 everything you need and then I'm gonna send you back into the valley of men 00:04:26.640 --> 00:04:32.680 because there are specific things that I want you to do there. Hey guy, chapter 1 00:04:33.580 --> 00:04:39.540 7 and 8. True for us today, God is saying come up, Acts 29. Come up the 00:04:39.540 --> 00:04:43.600 mountain, not to stay on the mountain. Come up onto the mountain so that I can 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:48.660 send you back down into the valley of men because for each of you I have very 00:04:48.660 --> 00:04:54.580 specific things, very specific things for Acts 29 to do, very specific things for 00:04:54.580 --> 00:04:59.380 each of us to do. So come up. So we're gonna look at what it means to go up the 00:04:59.380 --> 00:05:05.360 mountain, what it means to go down into the valley of men, how can we practically 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:09.920 apply that in our lives. But here's the thing, when you go up the 00:05:09.920 --> 00:05:15.000 mountain the view changes. When you're in the valley of men you see things as you 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:21.820 see but on the mountaintop with God the way we see things changes. The way we 00:05:21.820 --> 00:05:26.800 look at Vancouver changes. The way we look at our cities change. The way we 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:32.820 look at our situations change. All of those things will change as soon as we 00:05:32.820 --> 00:05:36.960 see how God is seeing it and God is saying enough of staying in the valley 00:05:36.960 --> 00:05:41.040 come up so that I can show you my perspective of these things and then I'm 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:44.840 gonna release you and I'm gonna send you down. It's a lifestyle that God is 00:05:44.840 --> 00:05:49.400 calling us to where we are never settled in the valley. We are with God but at the 00:05:49.400 --> 00:05:52.780 same time God is sending us out into the valley because there are specific 00:05:52.780 --> 00:05:56.060 things and I keep repeating that I will keep repeating that all through today. 00:05:56.100 --> 00:06:01.260 There are very specific things, very very specific things for each of us to do. 00:06:01.260 --> 00:06:07.100 This is not something one thing for Acts 29. For those of you guys who are 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:11.180 listening from different cities in the world very specific things for you to do. 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:18.600 Very specific things for us to partake in. So it's not generic, it is specific. 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:24.300 God is saying I have things for you and you do this by coming up the mountain so 00:06:24.340 --> 00:06:26.980 that I can send you back down into the valley of men. 00:06:30.700 --> 00:06:37.180 What does the latter days of glory look like? When God says the latter days of the 00:06:37.180 --> 00:06:41.620 church will be greater than the former days of the church, what does that look like? 00:06:41.620 --> 00:06:46.260 Abba I want to see what that looks like. Father we want to see what that looks like. 00:06:46.260 --> 00:06:51.740 You said in your word that the latter days of the church is greater than 00:06:51.740 --> 00:06:56.420 everything we have seen, experienced, heard. There is something greater that 00:06:56.420 --> 00:07:00.280 you're inviting us to. I don't know father what that is. We don't know father 00:07:00.280 --> 00:07:04.700 what that is but we desire to see it. Show us that from your mountain. Show us 00:07:04.700 --> 00:07:08.880 that as we spend time with you so that when we walk in the valley of men we 00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:14.300 know what to expect. How can we expect God to function a certain way if we 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:19.140 don't know what he's going to do? If we have no expectations of him? If our 00:07:19.140 --> 00:07:24.740 expectations of him are old? How can the latter days be greater? Because he is 00:07:24.740 --> 00:07:30.460 saying the latter days of our lives, the latter days of Acts 29, the latter days 00:07:30.460 --> 00:07:36.620 of the world of the church is greater than the former days. So that's how we're 00:07:36.620 --> 00:07:42.620 going to go in. That's how we're going to prepare ourselves for this. Staying on 00:07:42.620 --> 00:07:48.300 the mountaintop is also pretty comfortable. It's very comfortable which 00:07:48.300 --> 00:07:53.260 is why God is saying, no I want you to go down because that's where I want you 00:07:53.260 --> 00:08:02.100 to spend your time. We used the line last time which said, we the church is 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:08.900 supposed to go out into the world to bring the world into the church. The 00:08:08.900 --> 00:08:15.380 world will not come into the church unless we go from here into the world. 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:20.660 The church is God's body. It's us and for the world to see what the church looks 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:26.780 like, we have to go out. So we'll look at a few things today. The title of today's 00:08:26.780 --> 00:08:39.780 message is, Priest Mountain to the Valley. 00:08:39.780 --> 00:08:51.300 Priest Mountain to the Valley. And so in order for us to function the right way, 00:08:51.300 --> 00:08:59.260 function the way Christ the eternal high priest patterned it for us, what 00:08:59.260 --> 00:09:03.420 we're going to do is look at his life, look at what he did and we will do the 00:09:03.420 --> 00:09:09.380 same thing because we are to pattern our lives after our Savior, after Jesus. And 00:09:09.380 --> 00:09:17.700 the thing about Jesus's life here on earth is he knew exactly who sent him. He 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:25.580 knew who he was sent to and he knew who he was. Jesus Christ knew who sent him. He 00:09:25.580 --> 00:09:31.420 knew who he was, his identity and he also knew very importantly who he was sent to. 00:09:31.420 --> 00:09:38.700 And so for me and you and for us to function as priests here on earth, we have to know who we 00:09:38.700 --> 00:09:45.180 are. We have to know who sent us. We also, most importantly, need to know who we are sent to. 00:09:45.180 --> 00:09:52.100 Once all of these three things come together, then God is saying, come on, there are things 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:58.660 awaiting you. And it's a lifestyle that Jesus exhibited. This is one verse that gets repeated 00:09:58.660 --> 00:10:04.180 in this church again and again and again, but we'll repeat it again. Matthew chapter 11, 27, 00:10:04.180 --> 00:10:11.820 it says in the message version it talks like this, this is a unique father-son operation, 00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:20.660 flowing out of father-son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the father like the son does and no 00:10:20.660 --> 00:10:26.860 one knows the son like the father does. And if you're willing to listen, I'm going to share this 00:10:26.860 --> 00:10:33.460 with you line by line by line for anyone willing to listen. And so for today, if God is saying, 00:10:33.460 --> 00:10:39.860 Acts 29, I want you to be priests here on earth in your city, then Jesus is also saying, I'm going 00:10:39.860 --> 00:10:46.420 to show this to you line by line by line if you're willing to listen. It comes out of father-son 00:10:46.420 --> 00:10:52.900 intimacies and I lived it all my life. I still live it at the right hand of the father. If you're 00:10:52.900 --> 00:10:59.780 willing to listen, I'm going to show this to you. How to walk like priests here on earth, a lifestyle. 00:10:59.780 --> 00:11:05.020 And so this whole thing that we talked about the last few weeks and today we're going to talk about 00:11:05.020 --> 00:11:13.380 it, it has nothing to do with doing and doing and doing. It's just a lifestyle that Jesus displayed 00:11:13.380 --> 00:11:20.540 and we're looking at that and we are going to pattern our lives after that. So it's not, it is 00:11:20.540 --> 00:11:30.580 not a list of to-do's. It is a lifestyle. Because if it's a list of to-do's, we think tomorrow morning 00:11:30.580 --> 00:11:38.340 or two days after. But if it's a lifestyle that our father has patterned, our savior has patterned for 00:11:38.340 --> 00:11:44.980 us, we can live that. Because he said follow me and he also said it's easy. It's not difficult. He said 00:11:44.980 --> 00:11:54.220 it is easy. I will take you. I'll take you where you need to go. It is easy. So let's look at first of 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:59.460 all what this mountain actually means. When God says come up the mountain and then I'm going to 00:11:59.460 --> 00:12:03.780 equip you and I'm going to send you back into the world. What does that really look like? There are 00:12:03.780 --> 00:12:11.060 five different things I want us to look at. The first one is this is a mountain of encounter and 00:12:11.540 --> 00:12:17.140 transformation. This is a mountain of encounter and transformation. 00:12:17.140 --> 00:12:39.100 And over the last few weeks as we've been hearing this message, what Jacob started off, 00:12:39.100 --> 00:12:46.500 he kept on saying this is what Jesus did and we have to pattern after that. But then look at our 00:12:46.500 --> 00:12:51.820 lives. Let's just take a second, a few seconds to look at our lives. There are so many realities 00:12:51.820 --> 00:12:56.380 that are pressing in. There are so many things that we are waiting on God for. There are things 00:12:56.380 --> 00:13:03.900 that we need help with. There are realities that we know we've been patiently waiting for God to 00:13:03.900 --> 00:13:13.500 come through. It's not that any of that has gone away. We still have our needs from God. We still 00:13:13.500 --> 00:13:20.620 are waiting for God to do things in our lives. He has shown himself faithful and good and kind. 00:13:22.940 --> 00:13:29.100 And so God is saying with your realities come up the mountain. It's not that your realities don't 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:34.860 go away all day, a single day. No, come up the mountain with your realities and I will show you 00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:40.460 a greater reality. And when I show you a greater reality or the greater reality, 00:13:40.460 --> 00:13:49.180 you can then go down into the valley of men and you can do the specific things I will ask of you 00:13:49.180 --> 00:13:58.860 as a church and as individuals. Moses was 80 years old when he had the encounter on the mountain. 00:13:58.860 --> 00:14:08.220 People lived a little long those days but 80 years is still a long time. 80 years when he 00:14:08.220 --> 00:14:17.820 encountered God. And if you put ourselves in his shoes and look back, he messed up a few little 00:14:17.820 --> 00:14:23.660 things too on the way. Last 40 years were pretty particularly difficult because it was nothing like 00:14:23.660 --> 00:14:33.180 the first 40 years. And then God says, I'm going to show you certain things and I'm going to change 00:14:33.180 --> 00:14:39.020 you. And the transformation that happens in our lives, it's not just for us, it is for everyone 00:14:39.020 --> 00:14:45.100 who follows. Because God is going to use us to touch certain lives, touch individuals. And the 00:14:45.100 --> 00:14:51.420 transformative work that he does in my life and in your life is not just for us. It's not just for us, 00:14:51.420 --> 00:14:57.020 it's for everyone who follows. It's for everyone who meets Christ through us, through whatever God 00:14:57.020 --> 00:15:03.020 wants to accomplish. I won't name names but there is someone sitting in this church, I think five 00:15:03.100 --> 00:15:09.660 six years ago when Pastor Chad came. Pastor Chad was prophesying over this person and said, 00:15:09.660 --> 00:15:17.020 I see a train of people behind you. I remember thinking about that later thinking, wow man, 00:15:17.580 --> 00:15:24.380 what a vision God has when he looks at us. What a vision God has when he looks at us. A train of 00:15:24.380 --> 00:15:32.700 people behind you. So he's not just a God who looks at our lives and sees us but he's also seeing the 00:15:32.700 --> 00:15:38.620 lives that are going to be touched because we say, yes father, we want to be used by you. We want to 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:44.060 be priests on your behalf, on the behalf of the people who you are sending us to. We will do that. 00:15:44.620 --> 00:15:49.740 And God is saying, when I do my work in you, it's not just for yourself, it is for anyone 00:15:51.420 --> 00:15:58.860 who will follow me because you allowed them or because of your life they encountered Christ. 00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:04.380 And God is a generational God. So in God's perspective, he's not just God of Abraham and 00:16:04.380 --> 00:16:10.780 Isaac and Jacob, he's also a God of Paul and Timothy and Titus because he sees everything 00:16:10.780 --> 00:16:15.100 that's going to happen two years from now, six months from now, three years from now, 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:20.620 ten years from now. He sees that. We may not see that today but he sees it right now when he looks 00:16:20.620 --> 00:16:27.020 down at us. In this very room when God is looking, he is seeing a train of people behind him. 00:16:27.020 --> 00:16:34.380 He is seeing a train of people who aren't in this building yet, who you haven't met yet, 00:16:34.380 --> 00:16:41.340 but he is preparing you for them. And God then says, I will then from this mountain of encounter 00:16:41.340 --> 00:16:48.940 and transformation send you out into the valley. I want to read this verse. It's beautiful. It's 00:16:48.940 --> 00:17:05.260 John chapter 3 30. John chapter 3 30. It says, The bride belongs to the bridegroom. 00:17:05.820 --> 00:17:11.260 The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's 00:17:11.260 --> 00:17:18.620 voice. That joy is mine and it is now complete. He must increase, I must decrease. This is John 00:17:18.620 --> 00:17:24.220 the Baptist saying this. Read that again because those two lines are something else. 00:17:24.860 --> 00:17:30.780 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and that is John the 00:17:30.780 --> 00:17:37.500 Baptist and listens for him, the bridegroom, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's voice. 00:17:38.540 --> 00:17:46.300 That joy is mine, said John the Baptist, and it is now complete. He, Jesus, must increase and I 00:17:46.300 --> 00:17:52.860 must decrease. When I read that, I go, this guy came into the scene. He broke into the scene and 00:17:52.860 --> 00:17:58.300 he was baptizing people. He was preaching a message of repentance. Tons of people are getting 00:17:58.300 --> 00:18:05.260 baptized and all of a sudden when he knows that Jesus is here, he says, look at that. The picture 00:18:05.260 --> 00:18:10.300 is almost, he is in the corner of the room and he's looking at Jesus and the bride and he's saying, 00:18:11.260 --> 00:18:18.220 look at that. The voice of the bridegroom to his bride. It gives me joy. 00:18:20.380 --> 00:18:29.660 It gives me joy to see the bridegroom and the bride and may I decrease and may he increase. 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:35.580 So this work that God is doing in us, all of a sudden it topples our priorities in life. It all 00:18:35.580 --> 00:18:41.180 of a sudden topples everything we thought we want to do because he will say, not that, this. 00:18:43.180 --> 00:18:52.780 Not that, this. And Father, we want to do that. We want to be like John the Baptist, 00:18:53.500 --> 00:19:01.340 taking the corner, looking at Jesus and the bridegroom and knowing the bridegroom is here. 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:12.540 I want to hear the voice of the bridegroom to his bride. It gives me joy. May I decrease and may 00:19:13.500 --> 00:19:19.260 he increase. Because we only read the last two lines. Those last two lines are the ones that 00:19:19.260 --> 00:19:25.580 are quoted often. But what is said before that, what transpired in John the Baptist's heart, wow. 00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:37.980 So changing affections, the things that we prioritize, those things will change. As God says, 00:19:37.980 --> 00:19:42.220 here is what I want you to do. Here is where I want you to go. Here is what I want you to think 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:48.060 about for the next three days. I don't want you to read this anymore. Instead, I want you to be 00:19:48.060 --> 00:19:55.500 reading this, this and that. Because I am doing a work in you. And this work is not just about you. 00:19:56.060 --> 00:20:01.500 This work is for everyone you haven't even seen yet. But there are people waiting. 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:12.620 And God has a vested interest in doing that. God has such a vested interest in making sure that 00:20:12.620 --> 00:20:19.100 this happens. Because all we got to do is look at our own lives. A year ago, six months ago, 00:20:19.100 --> 00:20:25.020 three months ago, how we were and how we are today. None of that happened because of us. 00:20:25.020 --> 00:20:31.100 All of that happened because of God. He has a vested interest in making sure that we mature 00:20:31.100 --> 00:20:36.620 and we look more and more and more through our frailties, through our mistakes, through the 00:20:37.580 --> 00:20:42.300 bad decisions we make. It's not that it's all going to stop tomorrow. No, we'll still make 00:20:42.300 --> 00:20:47.900 mistakes. There will be still things that will be lacking. But he will build us up and build us up 00:20:47.900 --> 00:20:54.860 and build us up so that we will look more and more and more like Jesus. Because the world needs it. 00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:59.820 Desperately. Next, it's a mountain of rest. 00:21:06.060 --> 00:21:12.540 See, one thing about when we start talking about, hey, here are the things that God is calling us 00:21:12.540 --> 00:21:17.180 to. It's very, it's natural to all of a sudden think, my goodness, there are so many things 00:21:17.180 --> 00:21:23.740 happening. How can I even do these things? Which is why God always prepares us for that. And God 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:32.860 says, I want you to come up the mountain so that you can rest in me. And rest is essentially 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:41.020 just saying, Abba, I know your nature. I know your promises. I know who you are. I know how you 00:21:41.020 --> 00:21:48.140 deal with me. I know how you deal with people. And I am going to trust in you. 00:21:48.140 --> 00:21:54.940 The bits that you ask me to do, I'll do them. Nothing more. And then I'll sleep. 00:21:55.900 --> 00:22:01.580 And I'll wake up and do what you ask me to do. That is rest. Because what he is showing is just 00:22:01.580 --> 00:22:11.580 too big. What he is calling us to is just too big. And with human power, with our abilities, 00:22:11.580 --> 00:22:17.980 we can never accomplish it. We need all of his power. We need him. Not by strength, 00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:24.060 not by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord. These very words were said to Zerubbabel. 00:22:25.020 --> 00:22:33.580 He guys spoke to him. But in Zechariah, the very words, not by might, not by power, but by my spirit 00:22:33.580 --> 00:22:39.820 was said to Zerubbabel. And so Father, we want to be like that. None of this is going to happen by 00:22:40.540 --> 00:22:48.140 our thinking, by the way we want to do things, by our strength, by our numbers, 00:22:48.940 --> 00:22:54.620 by what we did in the past. No. But we're going to rest in you because we know who you are. 00:22:55.340 --> 00:23:02.540 We know how good you are. We can trust you, your promises, your character, your nature. 00:23:03.260 --> 00:23:10.780 So God may say, I want you to do these things at work. I have these special instructions for you 00:23:10.780 --> 00:23:16.780 as to how you are to be at work. And then you may say, well Father, there is this happening and then 00:23:16.780 --> 00:23:22.220 this is coming up and then two weeks ago these things happened and God says, what are the 00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:27.660 principles? What have I already told you? Maybe God has something very specific to say at that 00:23:28.620 --> 00:23:33.900 point. But it could also be that God just wants us to know, what are my principles? Well, keep order 00:23:34.700 --> 00:23:41.980 to work as if you're working for the Lord. That's it. And we sleep after we do that. 00:23:43.020 --> 00:23:45.900 Because when we sleep, his principles will go to work for you. 00:23:48.940 --> 00:23:55.500 Just do what he is asking us to do. I don't know for whatever reason, whenever I open YouTube, 00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:59.740 it's always about passive income. It's like you do this and then you'll get, 00:24:00.780 --> 00:24:04.620 I don't know why. Anytime I open YouTube, it's about passive income. 00:24:05.260 --> 00:24:08.700 Anyone else like that or is it just me? Oh, it's just me? Okay. 00:24:11.180 --> 00:24:17.740 I don't know why, man. It's always about passive income. But I was thinking, man, we don't need 00:24:17.740 --> 00:24:25.900 passive income. What is that? We don't need passive income. What we need is, 00:24:27.580 --> 00:24:33.900 we'll do just what he asks us to do. So in every area of your life where you're saying, 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:38.620 I don't know how this is going to work out, what are God's principles? Do just that and sleep. 00:24:40.940 --> 00:24:46.220 That is what Jesus did. Jesus was doing the work that the father asked him to do. 00:24:46.220 --> 00:24:53.660 He gets on a boat, the disciples are with him, he sleeps. The disciples panic, but Jesus doesn't, 00:24:53.660 --> 00:24:59.820 because Jesus knows who sent him. Jesus knows who he is. Jesus already also knows what is going to 00:24:59.820 --> 00:25:06.700 happen on the other side. So he is prepared. So he can sleep. He knows that his father's nature is 00:25:06.700 --> 00:25:17.180 that when he says stop, the wind will stop. When he says stop, the storm will stop. The tides will 00:25:17.180 --> 00:25:26.460 stop. So let's do that. This mountain of rest, where we just do the bits that God asks us to do. 00:25:26.460 --> 00:25:30.780 Sometimes for that particular situation, sometimes just straight out of the world 00:25:30.780 --> 00:25:33.100 and everything else will leave to him. 00:25:38.140 --> 00:25:40.860 And we stop striving when we do that. I was thinking, 00:25:43.020 --> 00:25:47.100 isn't it cool that our God has so many names? 00:25:49.500 --> 00:25:53.420 Anything that we need, he's already taken care of. 00:25:53.420 --> 00:26:01.900 Do you need provision? He's provider. Do you need protection? He's protector. 00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:08.540 Do you need a friend? He's a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 00:26:10.460 --> 00:26:12.540 Do you need a father? He's a father. 00:26:16.220 --> 00:26:22.700 Are you not sure how our lives will look like after six months or a year? He's the 00:26:22.700 --> 00:26:29.660 author and perfecter of our faith. He's in control. Anything we need, he is what we need him to be. 00:26:30.300 --> 00:26:36.780 What the desires we have, the needs we have, the requests we have, 00:26:38.060 --> 00:26:44.540 whatever we are waiting for, he will fill it because he is not just singular. He's everything. 00:26:45.180 --> 00:26:51.500 He's everything. His name is Yahweh. It means he is. And then everything else, he is protector. 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:57.580 He is good. He is kind. He's provider. He's the lamp, but he's also the lion. 00:26:58.300 --> 00:27:05.980 He's the Prince of Peace. He's the rock of my salvation. He's everything. Whatever I need today, 00:27:05.980 --> 00:27:10.940 whatever I need tomorrow, whatever we need in six months, he is that already. 00:27:10.940 --> 00:27:19.740 He is. There is no one like him. There is no one like him. 00:27:21.900 --> 00:27:26.620 I don't know what I will need three months from now, but I know this. He is already that. 00:27:28.700 --> 00:27:33.900 And that will allow us to go up this mountain because we know this mountain is a mountain of 00:27:33.900 --> 00:27:38.140 rest because we are not people who are trying to just do something because we just feel like we 00:27:38.140 --> 00:27:43.820 need to do something. We are people who do things because he said do it and we will follow him and 00:27:43.820 --> 00:27:49.260 he knows exactly what he wants us to do. All we got to do is be obedient and he will do the rest. 00:27:49.820 --> 00:27:56.380 The fact of the matter is we aren't even doing the whole thing. We're just doing this one thing he's 00:27:56.380 --> 00:28:06.300 asking us to do. Everything else is done by him. This is not on us. He is the one doing everything. 00:28:06.300 --> 00:28:12.620 He just wants us to be included. So it's a mountain of rest. 00:28:16.220 --> 00:28:20.460 This is from Genesis chapter eight verse four. You can read it later. 00:28:25.260 --> 00:28:31.180 In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of 00:28:31.180 --> 00:28:40.860 Vararath. Mountain of rest. Things are different. Things are going up and down perhaps around you. 00:28:41.420 --> 00:28:48.300 There is so much noise, voice, realities in the valley, but before we go down, 00:28:48.300 --> 00:28:54.700 he prepares us for the valley. He'll tell us, rest in me. You'll be prepared for the valley. 00:28:56.140 --> 00:28:57.020 The valley of men. 00:29:01.900 --> 00:29:04.700 The third mountain of direction. 00:29:04.700 --> 00:29:08.220 The third mountain of direction. 00:29:08.220 --> 00:29:15.740 So 00:29:30.540 --> 00:29:34.140 Psalm 32 8. We all know this. 00:29:34.700 --> 00:29:43.660 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye. 00:29:44.620 --> 00:29:51.180 I will instruct you. I will teach you and then I'll guide you with my eye. It's like parents 00:29:52.380 --> 00:29:56.860 looking at, it's like Rachel looking at Shiloh. Shiloh just needs to look at Rachel's eye. 00:29:57.420 --> 00:30:01.020 That's all Shiloh needs to do because Shiloh will know if it's this way or that way, 00:30:01.020 --> 00:30:05.900 looking at Rachel's eyes. I'll guide you with my eyes. 00:30:09.820 --> 00:30:17.100 And these are very specific directions, specific directions that God will give us 00:30:18.060 --> 00:30:25.740 on this mountain. About our lives, but also about the lives of others. Also about what needs to 00:30:25.740 --> 00:30:32.700 happen in the valley of men. Very specific directions about how something is to happen 00:30:32.700 --> 00:30:39.340 in someone else's life. Very specific directions about what is to happen in a city. 00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:47.420 Specific directions about what is to happen in your neighborhood. This is a mountain of direction. 00:30:47.420 --> 00:30:56.860 And this direction, he's so kind in how he does this. I remember when Jeevan and I, we went to 00:30:58.060 --> 00:31:08.860 Mission's Fest a couple of years ago. And I was manning a booth, Jeevan was doing something else. 00:31:08.860 --> 00:31:13.420 After that, we felt like we should just go, you know, attend a few seminars. So we go attend 00:31:13.420 --> 00:31:22.860 the seminar. It was about business and mission. It was kind of boring because Jeevan fell asleep. 00:31:28.620 --> 00:31:34.540 I was going to fall asleep too. But then all of a sudden God said, Namibia. That's all, 00:31:35.100 --> 00:31:36.700 that's all what was heard. Namibia. 00:31:36.700 --> 00:31:45.740 And after that we walk around. Both of us are engineers, so we like tech stuff, right? No, 00:31:45.740 --> 00:31:51.260 I don't, he does. But we're walking around. And as we're walking around, there is this one booth. 00:31:51.900 --> 00:32:01.340 And this booth is a radio transmission or radio ministry company. And there's this lady, she's 00:32:01.340 --> 00:32:07.500 much older, and she's waiting there. We just go there, talk to her for a few minutes. Right 00:32:07.500 --> 00:32:14.540 behind her, there is this map. And when I heard Namibia initially, I just told God, okay, Father, 00:32:14.540 --> 00:32:21.020 I heard Namibia. What do you want to do? I want to listen. And as we're talking with this lady, 00:32:21.020 --> 00:32:27.020 right behind her is this map. And as soon as my eyes fall on the map, it falls on Namibia. And 00:32:27.100 --> 00:32:30.940 there is this, the map, and Sheldon knows this because I shared this with Sheldon, 00:32:31.660 --> 00:32:37.500 the map has pins on it all across Africa and other parts of the world because they're a global 00:32:37.500 --> 00:32:45.180 ministry. But Namibia doesn't have a pin on it. So that was like, what is that? So I sense the 00:32:45.180 --> 00:32:52.780 Father say, there is more. Continue. So I start asking her questions and she's like, I don't 00:32:52.780 --> 00:32:58.220 really know why we don't have any pins here on Namibia. My husband runs the ministry and 00:32:58.220 --> 00:33:03.500 he's busy on the other side. Why don't you give me, why don't I give you my contact information? 00:33:04.060 --> 00:33:09.020 And then write to me. But I knew very specifically, God was saying, the wind is blowing in this 00:33:09.020 --> 00:33:14.940 direction. The wind is blowing. So chase it. That's where you need to go. The next Monday, 00:33:14.940 --> 00:33:21.420 I write to this lady and she copies her husband and says, hey, this is a guy I met at the booth 00:33:21.420 --> 00:33:27.340 and it is what all that happens over the next couple of weeks is I start calling Alan. He's 00:33:27.340 --> 00:33:33.020 pretty famous apparently. He's the president of Galcom International. And I start talking with him. 00:33:33.020 --> 00:33:41.740 I talked to him about Namibia and it stirs up his heart. And what happened in the span of the next 00:33:41.740 --> 00:33:50.300 two years, this happened two years ago, is that for 10 years, Alan was praying for reaching, 00:33:50.700 --> 00:33:57.820 so for helping reach, helping the gospel reach communities that are on the outskirts of 00:33:57.820 --> 00:34:03.820 civilization. They have these radio panels. So it's like a small box that can play the whole gospel. 00:34:04.380 --> 00:34:08.540 They can play the, in whatever language, because they've got tons of languages, 00:34:08.540 --> 00:34:13.740 translations done already, it'll just play the Bible. So they've got these devices. But the only 00:34:13.740 --> 00:34:21.580 problem is these devices will not work if you can't have a tower in that area. But because these 00:34:21.580 --> 00:34:26.940 are all remote communities, you can't have towers because there is no electricity. So for 10 years, 00:34:26.940 --> 00:34:33.020 Alan has been praying a prayer, which is, father, you've got to help me put towers in places where 00:34:33.020 --> 00:34:39.580 there is no electricity. And it just so happens that I knew exactly who he was to connect to. 00:34:40.220 --> 00:34:47.100 And in two years, we now have projects in Liberia, Haiti, and another place where remote 00:34:47.100 --> 00:34:52.540 communities, no electricity, but power stations or radio towers are being installed. There is one 00:34:52.540 --> 00:35:00.300 coming up in Lillooet in northern BC here. No power there in that particular area, but they're 00:35:00.300 --> 00:35:07.660 putting a solar thing on top of it. All that happened in this thing was Namibia and God say, 00:35:07.660 --> 00:35:12.620 follow this. Namibia hasn't quite happened yet, but in Liberia, a project is happening, 00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:19.420 but Namibia is coming next. It's amazing that God just says one word, or he may say this direction. 00:35:19.420 --> 00:35:23.980 And all we need to know is that there is something about this that God is saying, the wind is blowing 00:35:23.980 --> 00:35:29.020 in this direction. So father, I don't really know what is going to happen. But if you say Namibia, 00:35:29.020 --> 00:35:35.500 or if you say Africa, or if you say this place, if you say wherever you want me to go, I will follow 00:35:35.500 --> 00:35:40.620 it. Because I know that the wind blows. And all I am supposed to do is follow the wind. 00:35:41.740 --> 00:35:48.380 Follow the wind. All I am supposed to know is where is the wind blowing, father? So on the 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:54.300 mountain of direction, father, today, where is the wind blowing? Where is the wind blowing? 00:35:55.580 --> 00:35:56.940 Where are you asking me to go? 00:36:06.060 --> 00:36:14.060 Because what we can do in 15 years, five years, he can accomplish in five minutes. 00:36:16.140 --> 00:36:23.740 And he wants us to, if we can just live like that, where just his directions, just what he is saying, 00:36:24.700 --> 00:36:30.300 that will allow us to do everything that we have to do in life. Number four, 00:36:30.300 --> 00:36:35.900 this is the mountain of resurrection power. 00:36:35.900 --> 00:37:00.060 Mountain of resurrection power. I want us to read Ephesians chapter 1, 19 to 21. Ephesians chapter 1, 00:37:00.700 --> 00:37:18.220 19 to 21. Read it. Let's read it together. 00:37:18.220 --> 00:37:29.420 Ephesians chapter 1, 19 to 21. 00:37:31.020 --> 00:37:38.460 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. 00:37:39.340 --> 00:37:46.220 This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor 00:37:46.220 --> 00:37:54.060 at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power 00:37:54.060 --> 00:37:58.620 or leader or anything else, not only in this world, but also in the world to come. 00:38:00.060 --> 00:38:15.420 I'll read it again. I also pray that you, Acts 29, you, those who listen, will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. 00:38:19.580 --> 00:38:26.460 This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor 00:38:26.540 --> 00:38:33.260 at Christ's right hand in the heavenly realms. So the same power that raised Christ Jesus up from the dead 00:38:33.900 --> 00:38:39.260 and seated him on the right hand of God, that same power is available for us. 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:47.900 And when we go from the valley to the mountain, the world desperately needs that power. 00:38:48.220 --> 00:38:53.180 The world desperately needs that power. And Jesus modeled it for us. 00:38:53.820 --> 00:39:01.660 And he said after everything he did, he said, greater things shall you do. He said it. 00:39:10.380 --> 00:39:15.820 And as he shows us his resurrection power, which is at work in our lives, let's expect 00:39:16.460 --> 00:39:23.740 this resurrection power to go to work. Because we are not talking about a power that we need to plead for, 00:39:23.740 --> 00:39:29.660 something that God doesn't want to give us and we need to do something for God to give it to us. 00:39:29.660 --> 00:39:34.940 He's saying, Paul is saying, this power is available for those who believe him. 00:39:35.660 --> 00:39:41.980 This power is available for those who believe him. So this power is available for me. It is available for us, 00:39:42.700 --> 00:39:49.740 for everything that God asks us to do in the valley. The world needs power. 00:39:50.700 --> 00:39:56.300 This is the same power that made Peter, who was hesitant to even say the word Jesus, 00:39:56.860 --> 00:40:05.100 say the name Jesus, the same power enabled Peter to preach to 3000 people in Acts chapter 4. 00:40:05.100 --> 00:40:14.380 I want to read a verse because I just feel like we need to go back to the verse that we were reading out 00:40:17.820 --> 00:40:24.460 when we were talking about revival. It's from Isaiah chapter 44. Let's go back and read that 00:40:24.460 --> 00:40:29.660 because that's the resurrection power of God. Isaiah chapter 44. 00:40:29.660 --> 00:40:39.660 I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon your offspring and my blessing on your descendants. 00:40:39.660 --> 00:40:46.380 They shall spring up among the grass like willows by the flowing waters. This one will say, I am the Lord's. 00:40:46.380 --> 00:40:53.740 Another will call on the name of Jacob and another will write on his hand the Lord's and name himself by the name of Israel. 00:40:53.740 --> 00:41:03.740 When we are needy, when we say we don't know how to go about this father, when we say the ground is dry, it's arid. 00:41:03.740 --> 00:41:11.740 When we say we need it, we need help, he says I'm going to pour water on dry and thirsty land. 00:41:11.740 --> 00:41:17.740 So the less we have is good because there is more space for him to fill. 00:41:17.740 --> 00:41:23.740 The less I have is good because there is more space for him to fill. The less we have is good. 00:41:23.740 --> 00:41:33.740 So when we feel like we are not able, we don't have it in us, it's good because it allows him to come running down and he'll give us everything we need. 00:41:33.740 --> 00:41:43.740 He'll fill it and it'll overflow. So we are actually in perfect shape for this because we don't have what it takes. 00:41:43.740 --> 00:41:55.740 But with him, with him it is possible because these are the verses that we read for the revival which is happening, which God is doing, which God is doing. 00:41:55.740 --> 00:42:07.740 Today he will continue to do it. He will pour water on dry and thirsty lands. He will do it. It is his resurrection power. 00:42:08.740 --> 00:42:19.740 It is his resurrection power. It is the same water that as we've been talking about for months now, it will touch those dead things and dead things will come to life. 00:42:19.740 --> 00:42:29.740 Because it is his power. It is just natural for certain things to happen. It is his power. It is his power, resurrection power. 00:42:29.740 --> 00:42:35.740 And let's take, I want to take a minute if we need to take a minute for us to think this. 00:42:35.740 --> 00:42:52.740 The same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead and seated him at the right hand of God. That same power is in us. 00:42:52.740 --> 00:43:07.740 It is truth. And the world needs it. And God says this is a mountain of resurrection power. 00:43:07.740 --> 00:43:16.740 I'll cause you to see the things that you've always desired to see. The dead will rise up. 00:43:16.740 --> 00:43:32.740 The lame will walk. The blind will see. The mute will speak. A valley of dry bones, it will become an army. 00:43:32.740 --> 00:43:44.740 The mighty river, it will touch things and dead things will come to life. These are his words and his words will come to pass. 00:43:44.740 --> 00:43:52.740 And we better be prepared for it because we'll be expecting this on a daily basis. On a daily basis, father this is your resurrection power. 00:43:52.740 --> 00:44:00.740 And so when I go into the world, I expect to see your power at work. Because this very power that you talked about, this is resident in me. 00:44:00.740 --> 00:44:11.740 The same power that raised Jesus up from the dead is in me. And I expected to flow out of me not because I am great, but because you're good and you want this to happen for the world. 00:44:11.740 --> 00:44:22.740 That's the only reason. And he chooses all of us to do it. Even though we don't have any qualifications, but just because we are sons, just because we are his, just because we say yes, 00:44:22.740 --> 00:44:32.740 Abba, we want to be priest for our cities and the nations and the neighborhoods and those around us. It will happen. I am confident it will happen. 00:44:32.740 --> 00:44:41.740 It will happen. We should get excited about this. We should genuinely get excited about this because this is God's heart for us. 00:44:41.740 --> 00:44:53.740 We don't need anyone to make us do anything. But because God is saying this is the time. He's been saying that since last year. This is the time. This is the time. 00:44:54.740 --> 00:45:09.740 It is happening. We will hear stories. We will see things. Because he said he'll do it. He said he'll do it. 00:45:09.740 --> 00:45:22.740 And so, Father, we as a church, even right now, Abba, we say yes to what you said already. Abba, you're good. You're good. 00:45:22.740 --> 00:45:36.740 Your thoughts are about my thoughts. Your thoughts are about our thoughts. Your ways are higher. And when you say you will bring it to pass, 00:45:36.740 --> 00:45:49.740 your word says, light shines in the darkness and darkness shall not comprehend it. So your light, the great light that people saw, it is going to shine Abba. 00:45:49.740 --> 00:45:59.740 It is shining. But we're going to see a greater work, Abba. And we want it, Father, we want it. We desire it. And we say yes to it. 00:45:59.740 --> 00:46:09.740 And you're saying there is power available. There is power in you. Know that this is the truth. This is the reality. You don't think of yourselves like this, but this is the truth. 00:46:09.740 --> 00:46:19.740 This is what I'm telling you so that you're aware of who you are. My son Jesus was aware of not only who I am, he was also aware of who he was. 00:46:19.740 --> 00:46:25.740 You better be aware of who you are so that you can engage and impact the value of men. 00:46:25.740 --> 00:46:36.740 Last one. 00:46:36.740 --> 00:46:56.740 Mountain of dwelling place, or mountain of presence. 00:46:56.740 --> 00:47:06.740 This is the best part where God says on this mountain, you will know more than ever that my presence is with you. 00:47:06.740 --> 00:47:16.740 And as I sent you down into the valley, you're not going on your own. I'm with you. My presence is with you. 00:47:16.740 --> 00:47:26.740 Jesus is standing right next to me. Jesus is standing right next to you. He's with you. He's with you. 00:47:26.740 --> 00:47:38.740 So it's a mountain of presence. Whereas we go do these things that God is asking us to do in whatever ways he wants us to do these things, his presence is with us. 00:47:38.740 --> 00:47:47.740 So this mountain is not just about God transforming us. It's not just about rest. It's not just about direction for us and others. 00:47:47.740 --> 00:47:58.740 It's not just about resurrection power. This is a mountain of presence where God who said, I want to dwell amongst you, God who said, I live amongst you. 00:47:58.740 --> 00:48:08.740 He wants to dwell amongst people who haven't known him yet, who don't know him yet. 00:48:08.740 --> 00:48:21.740 And this is a mountain of presence. I'm not only sending you. I'm going with you. And I'm in you. 00:48:22.740 --> 00:48:27.740 Guys, I know that we need to remind ourselves of this because these are things that we know. 00:48:27.740 --> 00:48:35.740 But we need to remind ourselves so much about this that his presence is with me always. 00:48:35.740 --> 00:48:47.740 And it equips me to do whatever he's asking me to do. His presence is with me. 00:48:47.740 --> 00:48:55.740 So people cannot go up to the mountain if I don't come down to the mountain and engage and impact the value of men. 00:48:55.740 --> 00:49:09.740 I want to read this verse. Isaiah chapter 2, verse 3. So we first read Haggai chapter 1, 7, which is consider your ways. 00:49:09.740 --> 00:49:15.740 Come up the mountain and then I'm going to send and collect the wood so that you can go down and build the temple. 00:49:15.740 --> 00:49:24.740 Second verse, Isaiah 2, 3. This is what Isaiah son of Amos, so concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 00:49:24.740 --> 00:49:30.740 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains. 00:49:30.740 --> 00:49:37.740 It will be exalted above the hills and all nations will stream to it. All nations will stream to it. 00:49:37.740 --> 00:49:46.740 Many people will say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, the house of God of Jacob. 00:49:46.740 --> 00:49:55.740 He will teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths. The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 00:49:55.740 --> 00:50:03.740 So people cannot go up to the mountain if I don't come down from the mountain and engage and impact the valley. 00:50:03.740 --> 00:50:13.740 This is what God has been telling us. Go down the mountain. I've given you everything you need. 00:50:13.740 --> 00:50:21.740 You're ready. Go down the mountain into the valley. 00:50:21.740 --> 00:50:31.740 And Jesus did all of these things. We're going to look at just a few stories but comprise into small one liners really. 00:50:31.740 --> 00:50:35.740 How did Jesus do it and how am I supposed to do it? 00:50:35.740 --> 00:50:45.740 Number one, I come down the valley into hostile Samaria. I come down from the valley into hostile Samaria. 00:50:45.740 --> 00:50:53.740 Out of my comfort zone. Out of what I like. 00:50:54.740 --> 00:51:01.740 I'm an extrovert so I like extroverts. I'm an introvert so I like introverts. I'm an ambivert so I like ambiverts. No, I love all people. 00:51:01.740 --> 00:51:08.740 Jesus loved everyone. Everyone. He was friends with everyone. 00:51:08.740 --> 00:51:14.740 He didn't have personality types. He didn't have that person is kind of different than me. No. 00:51:14.740 --> 00:51:23.740 I come down from the mountain, out of the comfort zone. Out of the comfort zone. Out of comfort. 00:51:23.740 --> 00:51:35.740 Through hostile Samaria. Then I come down from the mountain, conferring worth upon people, not judgment. 00:51:35.740 --> 00:51:43.740 Conferring worth upon people, not judgment. I pray that even right now you can think about people in your lives. 00:51:43.740 --> 00:51:48.740 On whom you need to confer worth, not judgment. 00:51:48.740 --> 00:51:57.740 Because we do have people in our lives where they may have made mistakes. Jesus did this with the woman caught in the act of adultery. 00:51:57.740 --> 00:52:07.740 Everyone was ready to throw stones at her. Jesus conferred her dignity, worth, not judgment. 00:52:13.740 --> 00:52:33.740 We must come down the mountain to go into the valley as priest kings, but as people who are aware of who the other person is, made in the image of God. 00:52:33.740 --> 00:52:43.740 The other person is made in the image of God. Meaning that person is a representative of God. 00:52:43.740 --> 00:52:55.740 We'll read a verse a little later that Jesus spoke about. But aware, aware of who the other person is. 00:52:55.740 --> 00:53:03.740 I come down and associate with outsiders, lepers. And whoever outsiders are for you. 00:53:03.740 --> 00:53:09.740 My outsiders may be different from your outsiders, which may be different from other person's outsiders. 00:53:09.740 --> 00:53:24.740 But Jesus came down from the mountain to engage people who were outsiders. For him, these were lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, fishermen. 00:53:24.740 --> 00:53:33.740 And he came down not just to meet the physical, not just to meet the spiritual needs, he also came down to meet the physical needs. 00:53:33.740 --> 00:53:50.740 Think about it. Can you think of people in your life today, or you may have acquainted in the last few days, weeks, months, years, who need something physical, not spiritual? 00:53:50.740 --> 00:54:02.740 Because you can give spiritual too, but Jesus gave physical help. 00:54:02.740 --> 00:54:12.740 You must come down from the mountain because people in the valley cannot call for help if they don't know who God is. 00:54:12.740 --> 00:54:20.740 I remember when we were in Langley, one day we were talking to this person and we asked this person, what do you want? 00:54:20.740 --> 00:54:30.740 And this person said, I just want some peace. But if they know that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, 00:54:30.740 --> 00:54:42.740 So come down the mountain and go to the valley and tell people who our Father is so that they know that they can call out to them, call out to him. 00:54:42.740 --> 00:54:50.740 This is witnessing. I have witnessed Jesus to be this in my life and I'm sure he can be this for you as well. 00:54:50.740 --> 00:54:58.740 Do you want peace? There was a time when I did not have peace and he gave me peace. And he gave this peace freely. 00:54:58.740 --> 00:55:06.740 I did not pay for it. I did not give anything for this. And I know that he can give you the same peace freely. 00:55:17.740 --> 00:55:25.740 So think of someone. Let's make it as practical as we possibly can make it. Think of someone, even as you wrote this down. 00:55:25.740 --> 00:55:36.740 People who you can engage with and impact and ask God for directions for people who are going to come your way in the next days where you can do this. 00:55:36.740 --> 00:55:57.740 If something happened last week, I think Mark was sharing this with a few people during the break. 00:55:57.740 --> 00:56:12.740 Two weeks ago, Paav and Bishop, Don, Mark and I, Bishop S and James. Hello Bishop, hope you're doing well bro. 00:56:12.740 --> 00:56:20.740 We were in Wall-E. So we decided we'll split into two groups and we were walking around. 00:56:20.740 --> 00:56:30.740 And I was alone for a bit and as I took a turn, I saw Don and Mark praying for someone. 00:56:30.740 --> 00:56:39.740 And as I'm walking, this person who they are praying for starts lifting his hands and he's praying. 00:56:39.740 --> 00:56:48.740 And for me it was a beautiful moment because I am walking, took a turn and I'm walking and I can see this man, hands lifted up, 00:56:48.740 --> 00:56:57.740 genuinely praying to God because these two guys went to him and said whatever they said and he was in need. 00:56:57.740 --> 00:57:05.740 And he's sincerely praying. You should have heard that prayer. Sincerely praying that in the past I've done these things. 00:57:05.740 --> 00:57:17.740 I know you're real, but I went away and you send these people and he's praying. He's crying out to God. 00:57:17.740 --> 00:57:26.740 Simple interactions. But isn't it, it is the most valuable thing in the kingdom. It is the most valuable thing in the kingdom. 00:57:26.740 --> 00:57:37.740 We're all here. We know what we know from the Bible. But if there is someone who is a lost sheep, that one sheep is more valuable. 00:57:37.740 --> 00:57:46.740 It's simple things. Simple things. But two people praying, showing him who Christ is and that Christ sent us to you. 00:57:46.740 --> 00:57:52.740 And that was enough for this man. He could have reacted. Do you realize he could have reacted any which way? 00:57:52.740 --> 00:57:58.740 But he chose to react in a way where he engaged with the Father. He said I need you. 00:57:59.740 --> 00:58:08.740 But the cool thing that happened is, couple weeks later, Mark even yesterday, he met them again. 00:58:08.740 --> 00:58:16.740 This time and that day he met his wife as well in the mall in Saree Central. Yesterday, Mark met them again. 00:58:16.740 --> 00:58:26.740 So it's not a one time thing anymore either. This is a relationship developing where they're sharing things about their lives. 00:58:26.740 --> 00:58:31.740 Where this person who came to you two weeks ago is someone they can trust. 00:58:33.740 --> 00:58:38.740 May God do whatever God wants to do. But things are changing. 00:58:42.740 --> 00:58:50.740 So it's simple. Whatever God asks of us. These two verses, I want to read it because this is what's happening. 00:58:51.740 --> 00:59:01.740 First, he will teach us of his ways. So we'll be able to accurately live what God has said in his word. 00:59:01.740 --> 00:59:08.740 And then provide instructions for accurate living. That's what priests are supposed to do. Provide instructions for accurate living. 00:59:09.740 --> 00:59:18.740 Priests are meant to provide instructions for accurate living. And those instructions come from the word. 00:59:20.740 --> 00:59:25.740 You can read the reference later, Malachi chapter 2, 6 and 7. 00:59:29.740 --> 00:59:41.740 Secondly, it says, walk in his path. So we first model it. We model their behavior and that pattern of accurate living based on the word. 00:59:42.740 --> 00:59:47.740 The thing with Pharisees was that they could teach it, but they couldn't live it. 00:59:47.740 --> 00:59:52.740 And God is saying, you live it. What you're teaching, you live it. 00:59:54.740 --> 01:00:02.740 So internalize everything that our Father is, our Christ is. His walk, His nature, His character, the way He operated. 01:00:03.740 --> 01:00:09.740 And when you're in the world, do not be seduced by the king's wine and meat. 01:00:10.740 --> 01:00:13.740 When you're in the world, do not be seduced by the king's wine and meat. 01:00:13.740 --> 01:00:27.740 I think I shared this before. Maybe yes, maybe yes. I'll share it again. 01:00:28.740 --> 01:00:34.740 I remember when I was a kid, I read this thing on the cover of a book that said, be loyal to those who are absent. 01:00:34.740 --> 01:00:40.740 I read it and I also knew that this is not from the Bible, that very line, but this is the principle of God for sure. 01:00:40.740 --> 01:00:46.740 I knew that. And I always had it in my mind. Some things, it sticks with you. Be loyal to those who are absent. 01:00:46.740 --> 01:00:55.740 Remember this one trip I went to? Yes. Sorry Diana. Yes. Be loyal to those who are absent. 01:00:56.740 --> 01:01:03.740 Be loyal to those who are absent. So I read this and it just stuck with me all the years. 01:01:03.740 --> 01:01:09.740 And a few years ago when I went on a business trip, it was a big thing that was supposed to happen. 01:01:09.740 --> 01:01:16.740 And I'm sitting down with prominent people from a city. And I'm sitting down and talking. 01:01:16.740 --> 01:01:24.740 And someone passes a joke about someone who is not there. And I laughed. I remember laughing. 01:01:25.740 --> 01:01:28.740 As soon as I laughed, I realized, what did you just do? 01:01:28.740 --> 01:01:33.740 You just laughed at a comment made about someone else who is not at the table. 01:01:33.740 --> 01:01:38.740 And that dinner was going very good. Like the best way it could have been. 01:01:38.740 --> 01:01:42.740 In a matter of two or three minutes, it shifted upside down. 01:01:42.740 --> 01:01:49.740 And what was supposed to happen? It was almost like the whole reason we were there was supposed to just go down the drains. 01:01:49.740 --> 01:01:55.740 Remember that night I went back to my hotel room and I told God, I messed up. 01:01:55.740 --> 01:02:01.740 This is something for whatever reason you have put in my heart and it's important for me. 01:02:01.740 --> 01:02:07.740 And I know that I made a mistake. I told God that next morning everything was back to normal. 01:02:07.740 --> 01:02:13.740 He restored it. He redeemed what was lost. But I was able to see very quickly how such a small thing, 01:02:13.740 --> 01:02:20.740 such a small thing affects his heart. Where there are things that he has put in us that are special. 01:02:20.740 --> 01:02:28.740 Some things may not be cool, but there are things planted in your heart by God. 01:02:28.740 --> 01:02:33.740 There is a reason why there are specific things in your heart that are important for you. 01:02:33.740 --> 01:02:37.740 They're based on his character. They're based on his word. 01:02:37.740 --> 01:02:41.740 Never move away from it. Model it. Build it. Pattern it. 01:02:41.740 --> 01:02:46.740 So that you can then take it to someone else and say, this is who my God is. 01:02:47.740 --> 01:02:57.740 Next, God's life principles, his precepts, his commands for the nations will go out of us. 01:02:57.740 --> 01:03:04.740 And we do this by patterning things through long relationships. 01:03:04.740 --> 01:03:09.740 Through long relationships, we pattern things. 01:03:10.740 --> 01:03:17.740 This is who my God is. I live it. I then teach it. I model it through long relationships. 01:03:17.740 --> 01:03:25.740 And in the course of time, neighborhoods, cities, nations will be affected. 01:03:28.740 --> 01:03:35.740 In the process, we will gather, shepherd, and transform neighborhoods one life at a time. 01:03:35.740 --> 01:03:41.740 In the process, we will gather, shepherd, and transform neighborhoods one life at a time. 01:03:43.740 --> 01:03:49.740 And fourth one, proclaim the word of the Lord. Let the word be seen through your flesh. 01:03:49.740 --> 01:03:52.740 Let's live it out. Let's live it out. 01:03:53.740 --> 01:03:59.740 And so when I relate to the people in the valley, I relate to them as people made in the image of God. 01:04:00.740 --> 01:04:06.740 And every man is made in God's image. Every man. 01:04:08.740 --> 01:04:12.740 Let's read one last passage and we'll close. 01:04:14.740 --> 01:04:20.740 Seeing every man as God's image. This is Matthew chapter 25, 35 to 40. 01:04:21.740 --> 01:04:24.740 Matthew chapter 25, 35 to 40. 01:04:29.740 --> 01:04:41.740 For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. 01:04:41.740 --> 01:04:47.740 I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes, and you clothed me. 01:04:47.740 --> 01:04:52.740 I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me. 01:04:52.740 --> 01:05:00.740 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 01:05:00.740 --> 01:05:13.740 When did we see you sick or in prison or go to visit you? The king will reply, truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. 01:05:13.740 --> 01:05:23.740 So regardless of what people may have done in the past, the people we meet. 01:05:27.740 --> 01:05:34.740 The robe, the ring, the sandal, the fattened calf, and the father is waiting for them. 01:05:34.740 --> 01:05:42.740 The robe, the ring, the sandal, the fattened calf, and above all the father is waiting for them. 01:05:43.740 --> 01:06:01.740 I want to finish with one last thing, which is yesterday I was driving and while I was driving, I like driving around along Sero Avenue, US and Canada. 01:06:01.740 --> 01:06:16.740 It's just a good stretch of road, no vehicles really much. When I was driving yesterday evening, a deer, actually two, hopped, two hops from Canada into the States. 01:06:16.740 --> 01:06:24.740 It was pretty cool to see it because they are crossing the road, but on one side is Canada, on the other side is US. 01:06:24.740 --> 01:06:37.740 I was thinking, man, this is what happens in the kingdom. All of a sudden from one place in life to the kingdom of God, one decision. 01:06:37.740 --> 01:06:47.740 All of a sudden the rules change. All of a sudden they may have been hunted, they may have been preyed upon, but in this land there is a new king. 01:06:47.740 --> 01:07:04.740 He cares. He binds up your wound. He gives you an oil of gladness. He pours it upon your head. It's a new king. It's a king who cares about you in two hops from one country to another. 01:07:04.740 --> 01:07:11.740 And may we see that in our lives with people we engage and impact. 01:07:11.740 --> 01:07:24.740 So Father, we thank you. We want to live out everything you've asked us to Abba. We will be foolish. We will do what you ask us to do. 01:07:24.740 --> 01:07:36.740 We can only rely on you and on your strength, but we want to empty ourselves so that everything you want to accomplish will happen through us. 01:07:36.740 --> 01:07:52.740 We are your people and you are our God. We say yes to everything you ask us to. Lead us. Lead us. In Jesus' name. Amen. 01:07:52.740 --> 01:08:11.740 Is Heidi here? 01:08:11.740 --> 01:08:25.740 So a few days ago Jacob asked me to seek the Father about a word for a nation that God has given us or is going to give us. 01:08:25.740 --> 01:08:37.740 And when Derek was speaking about the mountain of direction, this is kind of a directional word in a sense. 01:08:37.740 --> 01:08:47.740 So this is a word for Bangladesh. Bangladesh. God has blessed you with a fertile land. 01:08:47.740 --> 01:09:02.740 It is reflected in the green of your flag. Your trust has been in the blood of those that have fought for your political freedom and in the bondage placed on you by religion. 01:09:02.740 --> 01:09:10.740 Starting now, when people will look at your flag, they will see the red circle in the center differently. 01:09:10.740 --> 01:09:23.740 Like the Israelites looking at the pole in the desert, looking at the cross where Jesus shed his blood so that you will find healing, forgiveness, restoration, freedom. 01:09:23.740 --> 01:09:34.740 He opens the door for you to see his light. The people in Bangladesh who walk in darkness have seen a great light. 01:09:34.740 --> 01:09:46.740 For those who lived in a land of deep shadows, light, sunbursts of light. You repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy. 01:09:46.740 --> 01:09:56.740 Oh, they are so glad in your presence. Festival joy. The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. 01:09:56.740 --> 01:10:04.740 The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants. All their whips and clumps and curses is gone. 01:10:04.740 --> 01:10:12.740 Done away with. A deliverance as surprising, as sudden as Gideon's old victory over Median. 01:10:12.740 --> 01:10:23.740 And I read it again. Bangladesh. God has blessed you with a fertile land. It is reflected in the green of your flag. 01:10:23.740 --> 01:10:33.740 Your trust has been in the blood of those that have fought for your political freedom and in the bondage placed on you by religion. 01:10:33.740 --> 01:10:40.740 Starting now, when people will look at your flag, they will see the red circle in the center differently. 01:10:40.740 --> 01:10:54.740 Like the Israelites looking at the pole in the desert, looking at the cross where Jesus shed his blood so that you will find healing, forgiveness, restoration, freedom. 01:10:54.740 --> 01:11:04.740 He opens the door for you to see his light. The people in Bangladesh who walked in darkness have seen a great light. 01:11:04.740 --> 01:11:15.740 For those who lived in a land of deep shadows, light, sunbursts of light. You repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy. 01:11:15.740 --> 01:11:25.740 Oh, they are so glad in your presence. Festival joy. The joy of a great celebration. Sharing rich gifts and warm greetings. 01:11:25.740 --> 01:11:33.740 The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants. All their whips and clumps and curses is gone. 01:11:33.740 --> 01:11:41.740 Done away with. A deliverance as surprising, as sudden as Gideon's old victory over Median. 01:11:41.740 --> 01:12:01.740 So we just want to respond to what's been said today and just do that before we close. 01:12:01.740 --> 01:12:08.740 And so I'm just going to pray. 01:12:08.740 --> 01:12:14.740 So Father, we thank you for, I want to go back to the very beginning, Father. 01:12:14.740 --> 01:12:22.740 We started this service today talking about how your goodness follows us. 01:12:22.740 --> 01:12:32.740 How you are beautiful. And when we can see you as beautiful, we really are recognizing something that's worth our pursuit. 01:12:32.740 --> 01:12:36.740 Something that's worth our desire. Something that's worth our all, Father. 01:12:36.740 --> 01:12:42.740 If we think something is beautiful, we'll sell anything for it. We'll lay down our lives for it. 01:12:42.740 --> 01:12:47.740 And so Father, that's what we want to do. We want to... 01:12:48.740 --> 01:12:53.740 You've invited us up this mountain, Abba. You've been preparing us on this mountain. 01:12:53.740 --> 01:12:58.740 And you continue to prepare us, but it's time that we no longer stay on the mountain. 01:12:58.740 --> 01:13:04.740 It's time that we step out of our comfort zones. It's time that we take what you have given us. 01:13:04.740 --> 01:13:09.740 And we take it down into this valley, Father, so that we're not the only ones who can see your beauty. 01:13:09.740 --> 01:13:15.740 We're not the only ones who understand that your goodness and your mercy and your kindness and your protection 01:13:15.740 --> 01:13:18.740 follow us, that they are with us in everything we do. 01:13:18.740 --> 01:13:24.740 But it's time that we start taking it out into the world, so that the world can see your goodness, 01:13:24.740 --> 01:13:28.740 so that they can see your kindness, so that they can see that they have a Father, 01:13:28.740 --> 01:13:33.740 that they are no longer orphans, but they can come into sonship with a Father who loves them, 01:13:33.740 --> 01:13:38.740 with a Father who is good, with a Father who is pure, with a Father who is kind, 01:13:38.740 --> 01:13:42.740 who doesn't raise his hand against them. 01:13:42.740 --> 01:13:46.740 But the only thing he does with his hand is take their hand and walk with them. 01:13:46.740 --> 01:13:49.740 Just as you're walking with us, Father. 01:13:49.740 --> 01:13:53.740 Just as you had this word for Bangladesh, Father, 01:13:53.740 --> 01:13:58.740 that you're bringing our neighborhoods, our cities, our nations to light for you. 01:13:58.740 --> 01:14:02.740 May we see greater things, Abba. May we see greater things. 01:14:02.740 --> 01:14:06.740 Not in 10 years, not in 15 years, but starting this week. 01:14:06.740 --> 01:14:10.740 May we start walking with you in a new level. 01:14:10.740 --> 01:14:12.740 May we step up, Father. 01:14:12.740 --> 01:14:15.740 May we step up so that we can take you down this mountain with us, 01:14:15.740 --> 01:14:18.740 because we're not going on our own, Father. 01:14:18.740 --> 01:14:22.740 We're going with you. We're walking with you. 01:14:22.740 --> 01:14:25.740 So I thank you for this invitation, Father. 01:14:25.740 --> 01:14:29.740 I pray that we take everything that's been said today, 01:14:29.740 --> 01:14:35.740 and that we don't just think about it, Father, but we put it into action in our lives. 01:14:35.740 --> 01:14:38.740 Because it can be easy to think about a lot of things. 01:14:38.740 --> 01:14:42.740 It can be easy to say, okay, I'll think about it, and then I'll decide how to proceed. 01:14:42.740 --> 01:14:48.740 But we need to sometimes stop thinking and start actually walking, start operating. 01:14:48.740 --> 01:14:50.740 Start listening to you each day. 01:14:50.740 --> 01:14:54.740 And not saying, oh, but I can't do that today. This is my list of things for today. 01:14:54.740 --> 01:15:00.740 But that we hear what you say, and we're willing to put aside our list for the day. 01:15:00.740 --> 01:15:07.740 And step out in your list, in your invitation to walk with you in each moment of every day. 01:15:07.740 --> 01:15:12.740 Because just as Derek was saying, that it's not about doing things. 01:15:12.740 --> 01:15:16.740 It's about walking with you. It's about listening to what you have. 01:15:16.740 --> 01:15:20.740 It's about being in relationship with you so that we can hear your direction. 01:15:20.740 --> 01:15:23.740 So that we can walk in your path, Abba. 01:15:23.740 --> 01:15:29.740 So I thank you, Father. I thank you for those in this room and those who are watching online. 01:15:29.740 --> 01:15:31.740 Those who may watch in the future. 01:15:32.740 --> 01:15:34.740 That this will be a new beginning. 01:15:34.740 --> 01:15:39.740 A new beginning of surrendering our lives to you. 01:15:39.740 --> 01:15:41.740 Of getting up each moment with one purpose. 01:15:41.740 --> 01:15:46.740 And that purpose is to hear our Father and to walk with our Father. 01:15:46.740 --> 01:15:51.740 No longer on our own, but to walk with you and you alone, Abba. 01:15:51.740 --> 01:15:58.740 In everything we're doing. In our jobs, in our families, in our marriages, in our relationships, in our friendships. 01:15:58.740 --> 01:16:01.740 In our family relations, Father. 01:16:02.740 --> 01:16:07.740 That we walk with one purpose. To hear our Father's voice and to do as he says. 01:16:09.740 --> 01:16:11.740 So I thank you, Abba. I thank you for this time. 01:16:11.740 --> 01:16:15.740 I just bless everybody here. I send everybody here out into their weeks. 01:16:20.740 --> 01:16:23.740 Yeah, I send everybody here out into their weeks. 01:16:23.740 --> 01:16:26.740 We all go as sent ones. 01:16:26.740 --> 01:16:32.740 Sent into this week with your protection, your provision, your blessing. 01:16:32.740 --> 01:16:35.740 To display you to the world around us. 01:16:35.740 --> 01:16:38.740 So I thank you in Jesus' name. Amen. 01:16:38.740 --> 01:16:40.740 Have a great week, everybody. 01:16:56.740 --> 01:16:58.740 Amen.