I hope you guys are doing well. I want to say a special thanks to those of you guys
who are joining us from home because you're allowing us to meet here in
space. So thank you. We're gonna look at what we talked about two weeks ago was
priests, prophets and kings. So Jacob started that off and we looked at priests.
We're gonna continue on from there. I want us to first look at Haggai chapter 1
verse 7. Haggai chapter 1 verse 7. But even before we go there let's
do a quick recap of what we did two weeks ago. So we looked at Jesus who is
our eternal high priest. He is the one who has gone before us. He is not just
the high priest who is before the Father and he's not just the high priest
who is just praying to him, interceding to him on behalf of us. But he's also
the eternal high priest. He's always before the Father. There is not one
second that passes by where Jesus is not interceding for us, where Jesus is not
doing something on behalf of us. So we looked at that. Now let's read Haggai
chapter 1 verse 7 and 8. Haggai chapter 1 verse 7 and 8.
Father we thank you. We thank you that you brought us together, Abba. You have something very
specific to give us, Father, and we are ready. We thank you about that. You
always are with us. Right now you're here with us, Abba. For us who are tuning in
from homes in different countries, different nations, you're with us. You're
with us, God. Abba, so we look to you right now. We draw our strength from you. We look to
you and we say we need you. We need you desperately, Abba. We need you. So Abba, I
create room for you here, Abba. We create room for you here in our
thoughts, in what we speak, in how we listen. We create room for you. You're the
only one in this room who deserves all of our attention and we will give you,
Abba, all of our attention. Abba, there is not a day that goes by when you are not
intentional. You're intentional today. There are certain specific things you
want to accomplish in our lives and we say yes to that. So Father, help us. Help
us to see what you're doing. Help us to participate in it. Help us to jump right
in because you're saying come down. And so we do that together as a body in Jesus
name. Hey guys, chapter one, seven and eight. Here is what it says. Thanks,
Sheldon. This is what the Lord Almighty says, give careful thought to your ways.
Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house so that I may
take pleasure in it and be honored. Let's read that again. This is what the Lord
Almighty says, give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and
bring down timber and build my house so that I may take pleasure in it and be
honored, says the Lord. So this is hey guy, the prophet speaking to two people.
He's speaking this to Sarababel, the governor of Judea and he's speaking this
to Joshua, the high priest. And what God is saying here is something very
specific. God is saying come up the mountain. After 70 years in Babylon, now
you're in Jerusalem. You're in the city that you want to rebuild. But before you
do anything, I want you to know one thing. I want you to come up. I want you
to come up so that you can gather wood and then I want you to go down the
mountain into the valley so that you can build for me a house there. And that's
what God is telling us. I want you to come up the mountain and then I'm gonna
send you, I'm gonna prepare you, I'm gonna equip you, I'm gonna give you
everything you need and then I'm gonna send you back into the valley of men
because there are specific things that I want you to do there. Hey guy, chapter 1
7 and 8. True for us today, God is saying come up, Acts 29. Come up the
mountain, not to stay on the mountain. Come up onto the mountain so that I can
send you back down into the valley of men because for each of you I have very
specific things, very specific things for Acts 29 to do, very specific things for
each of us to do. So come up. So we're gonna look at what it means to go up the
mountain, what it means to go down into the valley of men, how can we practically
apply that in our lives. But here's the thing, when you go up the
mountain the view changes. When you're in the valley of men you see things as you
see but on the mountaintop with God the way we see things changes. The way we
look at Vancouver changes. The way we look at our cities change. The way we
look at our situations change. All of those things will change as soon as we
see how God is seeing it and God is saying enough of staying in the valley
come up so that I can show you my perspective of these things and then I'm
gonna release you and I'm gonna send you down. It's a lifestyle that God is
calling us to where we are never settled in the valley. We are with God but at the
same time God is sending us out into the valley because there are specific
things and I keep repeating that I will keep repeating that all through today.
There are very specific things, very very specific things for each of us to do.
This is not something one thing for Acts 29. For those of you guys who are
listening from different cities in the world very specific things for you to do.
Very specific things for us to partake in. So it's not generic, it is specific.
God is saying I have things for you and you do this by coming up the mountain so
that I can send you back down into the valley of men.
What does the latter days of glory look like? When God says the latter days of the
church will be greater than the former days of the church, what does that look like?
Abba I want to see what that looks like. Father we want to see what that looks like.
You said in your word that the latter days of the church is greater than
everything we have seen, experienced, heard. There is something greater that
you're inviting us to. I don't know father what that is. We don't know father
what that is but we desire to see it. Show us that from your mountain. Show us
that as we spend time with you so that when we walk in the valley of men we
know what to expect. How can we expect God to function a certain way if we
don't know what he's going to do? If we have no expectations of him? If our
expectations of him are old? How can the latter days be greater? Because he is
saying the latter days of our lives, the latter days of Acts 29, the latter days
of the world of the church is greater than the former days. So that's how we're
going to go in. That's how we're going to prepare ourselves for this. Staying on
the mountaintop is also pretty comfortable. It's very comfortable which
is why God is saying, no I want you to go down because that's where I want you
to spend your time. We used the line last time which said, we the church is
supposed to go out into the world to bring the world into the church. The
world will not come into the church unless we go from here into the world.
The church is God's body. It's us and for the world to see what the church looks
like, we have to go out. So we'll look at a few things today. The title of today's
message is, Priest Mountain to the Valley.
Priest Mountain to the Valley. And so in order for us to function the right way,
function the way Christ the eternal high priest patterned it for us, what
we're going to do is look at his life, look at what he did and we will do the
same thing because we are to pattern our lives after our Savior, after Jesus. And
the thing about Jesus's life here on earth is he knew exactly who sent him. He
knew who he was sent to and he knew who he was. Jesus Christ knew who sent him. He
knew who he was, his identity and he also knew very importantly who he was sent to.
And so for me and you and for us to function as priests here on earth, we have to know who we
are. We have to know who sent us. We also, most importantly, need to know who we are sent to.
Once all of these three things come together, then God is saying, come on, there are things
awaiting you. And it's a lifestyle that Jesus exhibited. This is one verse that gets repeated
in this church again and again and again, but we'll repeat it again. Matthew chapter 11, 27,
it says in the message version it talks like this, this is a unique father-son operation,
flowing out of father-son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the father like the son does and no
one knows the son like the father does. And if you're willing to listen, I'm going to share this
with you line by line by line for anyone willing to listen. And so for today, if God is saying,
Acts 29, I want you to be priests here on earth in your city, then Jesus is also saying, I'm going
to show this to you line by line by line if you're willing to listen. It comes out of father-son
intimacies and I lived it all my life. I still live it at the right hand of the father. If you're
willing to listen, I'm going to show this to you. How to walk like priests here on earth, a lifestyle.
And so this whole thing that we talked about the last few weeks and today we're going to talk about
it, it has nothing to do with doing and doing and doing. It's just a lifestyle that Jesus displayed
and we're looking at that and we are going to pattern our lives after that. So it's not, it is
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
or two days after. But if it's a lifestyle that our father has patterned, our savior has patterned for
us, we can live that. Because he said follow me and he also said it's easy. It's not difficult. He said
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
all what this mountain actually means. When God says come up the mountain and then I'm going to
equip you and I'm going to send you back into the world. What does that really look like? There are
five different things I want us to look at. The first one is this is a mountain of encounter and
transformation. This is a mountain of encounter and transformation.
And over the last few weeks as we've been hearing this message, what Jacob started off,
he kept on saying this is what Jesus did and we have to pattern after that. But then look at our
lives. Let's just take a second, a few seconds to look at our lives. There are so many realities
that are pressing in. There are so many things that we are waiting on God for. There are things
that we need help with. There are realities that we know we've been patiently waiting for God to
come through. It's not that any of that has gone away. We still have our needs from God. We still
are waiting for God to do things in our lives. He has shown himself faithful and good and kind.
And so God is saying with your realities come up the mountain. It's not that your realities don't
go away all day, a single day. No, come up the mountain with your realities and I will show you
a greater reality. And when I show you a greater reality or the greater reality,
you can then go down into the valley of men and you can do the specific things I will ask of you
as a church and as individuals. Moses was 80 years old when he had the encounter on the mountain.
People lived a little long those days but 80 years is still a long time. 80 years when he
encountered God. And if you put ourselves in his shoes and look back, he messed up a few little
things too on the way. Last 40 years were pretty particularly difficult because it was nothing like
the first 40 years. And then God says, I'm going to show you certain things and I'm going to change
you. And the transformation that happens in our lives, it's not just for us, it is for everyone
who follows. Because God is going to use us to touch certain lives, touch individuals. And the
transformative work that he does in my life and in your life is not just for us. It's not just for us,
it's for everyone who follows. It's for everyone who meets Christ through us, through whatever God
wants to accomplish. I won't name names but there is someone sitting in this church, I think five
six years ago when Pastor Chad came. Pastor Chad was prophesying over this person and said,
I see a train of people behind you. I remember thinking about that later thinking, wow man,
what a vision God has when he looks at us. What a vision God has when he looks at us. A train of
people behind you. So he's not just a God who looks at our lives and sees us but he's also seeing the
lives that are going to be touched because we say, yes father, we want to be used by you. We want to
be priests on your behalf, on the behalf of the people who you are sending us to. We will do that.
And God is saying, when I do my work in you, it's not just for yourself, it is for anyone
who will follow me because you allowed them or because of your life they encountered Christ.
And God is a generational God. So in God's perspective, he's not just God of Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob, he's also a God of Paul and Timothy and Titus because he sees everything
that's going to happen two years from now, six months from now, three years from now,
ten years from now. He sees that. We may not see that today but he sees it right now when he looks
down at us. In this very room when God is looking, he is seeing a train of people behind him.
He is seeing a train of people who aren't in this building yet, who you haven't met yet,
but he is preparing you for them. And God then says, I will then from this mountain of encounter
and transformation send you out into the valley. I want to read this verse. It's beautiful. It's
John chapter 3 30. John chapter 3 30. It says, The bride belongs to the bridegroom.
The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's
voice. That joy is mine and it is now complete. He must increase, I must decrease. This is John
the Baptist saying this. Read that again because those two lines are something else.
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and that is John the
Baptist and listens for him, the bridegroom, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's voice.
That joy is mine, said John the Baptist, and it is now complete. He, Jesus, must increase and I
must decrease. When I read that, I go, this guy came into the scene. He broke into the scene and
he was baptizing people. He was preaching a message of repentance. Tons of people are getting
baptized and all of a sudden when he knows that Jesus is here, he says, look at that. The picture
is almost, he is in the corner of the room and he's looking at Jesus and the bride and he's saying,
look at that. The voice of the bridegroom to his bride. It gives me joy.
It gives me joy to see the bridegroom and the bride and may I decrease and may he increase.
So this work that God is doing in us, all of a sudden it topples our priorities in life. It all
of a sudden topples everything we thought we want to do because he will say, not that, this.
Not that, this. And Father, we want to do that. We want to be like John the Baptist,
taking the corner, looking at Jesus and the bridegroom and knowing the bridegroom is here.
I want to hear the voice of the bridegroom to his bride. It gives me joy. May I decrease and may
he increase. Because we only read the last two lines. Those last two lines are the ones that
are quoted often. But what is said before that, what transpired in John the Baptist's heart, wow.
So changing affections, the things that we prioritize, those things will change. As God says,
here is what I want you to do. Here is where I want you to go. Here is what I want you to think
about for the next three days. I don't want you to read this anymore. Instead, I want you to be
reading this, this and that. Because I am doing a work in you. And this work is not just about you.
This work is for everyone you haven't even seen yet. But there are people waiting.
And God has a vested interest in doing that. God has such a vested interest in making sure that
this happens. Because all we got to do is look at our own lives. A year ago, six months ago,
three months ago, how we were and how we are today. None of that happened because of us.
All of that happened because of God. He has a vested interest in making sure that we mature
and we look more and more and more through our frailties, through our mistakes, through the
bad decisions we make. It's not that it's all going to stop tomorrow. No, we'll still make
mistakes. There will be still things that will be lacking. But he will build us up and build us up
and build us up so that we will look more and more and more like Jesus. Because the world needs it.
Desperately. Next, it's a mountain of rest.
See, one thing about when we start talking about, hey, here are the things that God is calling us
to. It's very, it's natural to all of a sudden think, my goodness, there are so many things
happening. How can I even do these things? Which is why God always prepares us for that. And God
says, I want you to come up the mountain so that you can rest in me. And rest is essentially
just saying, Abba, I know your nature. I know your promises. I know who you are. I know how you
deal with me. I know how you deal with people. And I am going to trust in you.
The bits that you ask me to do, I'll do them. Nothing more. And then I'll sleep.
And I'll wake up and do what you ask me to do. That is rest. Because what he is showing is just
too big. What he is calling us to is just too big. And with human power, with our abilities,
we can never accomplish it. We need all of his power. We need him. Not by strength,
not by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord. These very words were said to Zerubbabel.
He guys spoke to him. But in Zechariah, the very words, not by might, not by power, but by my spirit
was said to Zerubbabel. And so Father, we want to be like that. None of this is going to happen by
our thinking, by the way we want to do things, by our strength, by our numbers,
by what we did in the past. No. But we're going to rest in you because we know who you are.
We know how good you are. We can trust you, your promises, your character, your nature.
So God may say, I want you to do these things at work. I have these special instructions for you
as to how you are to be at work. And then you may say, well Father, there is this happening and then
this is coming up and then two weeks ago these things happened and God says, what are the
principles? What have I already told you? Maybe God has something very specific to say at that
point. But it could also be that God just wants us to know, what are my principles? Well, keep order
to work as if you're working for the Lord. That's it. And we sleep after we do that.
Because when we sleep, his principles will go to work for you.
Just do what he is asking us to do. I don't know for whatever reason, whenever I open YouTube,
it's always about passive income. It's like you do this and then you'll get,
I don't know why. Anytime I open YouTube, it's about passive income.
Anyone else like that or is it just me? Oh, it's just me? Okay.
I don't know why, man. It's always about passive income. But I was thinking, man, we don't need
passive income. What is that? We don't need passive income. What we need is,
we'll do just what he asks us to do. So in every area of your life where you're saying,
I don't know how this is going to work out, what are God's principles? Do just that and sleep.
That is what Jesus did. Jesus was doing the work that the father asked him to do.
He gets on a boat, the disciples are with him, he sleeps. The disciples panic, but Jesus doesn't,
because Jesus knows who sent him. Jesus knows who he is. Jesus already also knows what is going to
happen on the other side. So he is prepared. So he can sleep. He knows that his father's nature is
that when he says stop, the wind will stop. When he says stop, the storm will stop. The tides will
stop. So let's do that. This mountain of rest, where we just do the bits that God asks us to do.
Sometimes for that particular situation, sometimes just straight out of the world
and everything else will leave to him.
And we stop striving when we do that. I was thinking,
isn't it cool that our God has so many names?
Anything that we need, he's already taken care of.
Do you need provision? He's provider. Do you need protection? He's protector.
Do you need a friend? He's a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Do you need a father? He's a father.
Are you not sure how our lives will look like after six months or a year? He's the
author and perfecter of our faith. He's in control. Anything we need, he is what we need him to be.
What the desires we have, the needs we have, the requests we have,
whatever we are waiting for, he will fill it because he is not just singular. He's everything.
He's everything. His name is Yahweh. It means he is. And then everything else, he is protector.
He is good. He is kind. He's provider. He's the lamp, but he's also the lion.
He's the Prince of Peace. He's the rock of my salvation. He's everything. Whatever I need today,
whatever I need tomorrow, whatever we need in six months, he is that already.
He is. There is no one like him. There is no one like him.
I don't know what I will need three months from now, but I know this. He is already that.
And that will allow us to go up this mountain because we know this mountain is a mountain of
rest because we are not people who are trying to just do something because we just feel like we
need to do something. We are people who do things because he said do it and we will follow him and
he knows exactly what he wants us to do. All we got to do is be obedient and he will do the rest.
The fact of the matter is we aren't even doing the whole thing. We're just doing this one thing he's
asking us to do. Everything else is done by him. This is not on us. He is the one doing everything.
He just wants us to be included. So it's a mountain of rest.
This is from Genesis chapter eight verse four. You can read it later.
In the seventh month on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of
Vararath. Mountain of rest. Things are different. Things are going up and down perhaps around you.
There is so much noise, voice, realities in the valley, but before we go down,
he prepares us for the valley. He'll tell us, rest in me. You'll be prepared for the valley.
The valley of men.
The third mountain of direction.
So
Psalm 32 8. We all know this.
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with mine eye.
I will instruct you. I will teach you and then I'll guide you with my eye. It's like parents
looking at, it's like Rachel looking at Shiloh. Shiloh just needs to look at Rachel's eye.
That's all Shiloh needs to do because Shiloh will know if it's this way or that way,
looking at Rachel's eyes. I'll guide you with my eyes.
And these are very specific directions, specific directions that God will give us
on this mountain. About our lives, but also about the lives of others. Also about what needs to
happen in the valley of men. Very specific directions about how something is to happen
in someone else's life. Very specific directions about what is to happen in a city.
Specific directions about what is to happen in your neighborhood. This is a mountain of direction.
And this direction, he's so kind in how he does this. I remember when Jeevan and I, we went to
Mission's Fest a couple of years ago. And I was manning a booth, Jeevan was doing something else.
After that, we felt like we should just go, you know, attend a few seminars. So we go attend
the seminar. It was about business and mission. It was kind of boring because Jeevan fell asleep.
I was going to fall asleep too. But then all of a sudden God said, Namibia. That's all,
that's all what was heard. Namibia.
And after that we walk around. Both of us are engineers, so we like tech stuff, right? No,
I don't, he does. But we're walking around. And as we're walking around, there is this one booth.
And this booth is a radio transmission or radio ministry company. And there's this lady, she's
much older, and she's waiting there. We just go there, talk to her for a few minutes. Right
behind her, there is this map. And when I heard Namibia initially, I just told God, okay, Father,
I heard Namibia. What do you want to do? I want to listen. And as we're talking with this lady,
right behind her is this map. And as soon as my eyes fall on the map, it falls on Namibia. And
there is this, the map, and Sheldon knows this because I shared this with Sheldon,
the map has pins on it all across Africa and other parts of the world because they're a global
ministry. But Namibia doesn't have a pin on it. So that was like, what is that? So I sense the
Father say, there is more. Continue. So I start asking her questions and she's like, I don't
really know why we don't have any pins here on Namibia. My husband runs the ministry and
he's busy on the other side. Why don't you give me, why don't I give you my contact information?
And then write to me. But I knew very specifically, God was saying, the wind is blowing in this
direction. The wind is blowing. So chase it. That's where you need to go. The next Monday,
I write to this lady and she copies her husband and says, hey, this is a guy I met at the booth
and it is what all that happens over the next couple of weeks is I start calling Alan. He's
pretty famous apparently. He's the president of Galcom International. And I start talking with him.
I talked to him about Namibia and it stirs up his heart. And what happened in the span of the next
two years, this happened two years ago, is that for 10 years, Alan was praying for reaching,
so for helping reach, helping the gospel reach communities that are on the outskirts of
civilization. They have these radio panels. So it's like a small box that can play the whole gospel.
They can play the, in whatever language, because they've got tons of languages,
translations done already, it'll just play the Bible. So they've got these devices. But the only
problem is these devices will not work if you can't have a tower in that area. But because these
are all remote communities, you can't have towers because there is no electricity. So for 10 years,
Alan has been praying a prayer, which is, father, you've got to help me put towers in places where
there is no electricity. And it just so happens that I knew exactly who he was to connect to.
And in two years, we now have projects in Liberia, Haiti, and another place where remote
communities, no electricity, but power stations or radio towers are being installed. There is one
coming up in Lillooet in northern BC here. No power there in that particular area, but they're
putting a solar thing on top of it. All that happened in this thing was Namibia and God say,
follow this. Namibia hasn't quite happened yet, but in Liberia, a project is happening,
but Namibia is coming next. It's amazing that God just says one word, or he may say this direction.
And all we need to know is that there is something about this that God is saying, the wind is blowing
in this direction. So father, I don't really know what is going to happen. But if you say Namibia,
or if you say Africa, or if you say this place, if you say wherever you want me to go, I will follow
it. Because I know that the wind blows. And all I am supposed to do is follow the wind.
Follow the wind. All I am supposed to know is where is the wind blowing, father? So on the
mountain of direction, father, today, where is the wind blowing? Where is the wind blowing?
Where are you asking me to go?
Because what we can do in 15 years, five years, he can accomplish in five minutes.
And he wants us to, if we can just live like that, where just his directions, just what he is saying,
that will allow us to do everything that we have to do in life. Number four,
this is the mountain of resurrection power.
Mountain of resurrection power. I want us to read Ephesians chapter 1, 19 to 21. Ephesians chapter 1,
19 to 21. Read it. Let's read it together.
Ephesians chapter 1, 19 to 21.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him.
This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor
at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power
or leader or anything else, not only in this world, but also in the world to come.
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.
This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor
at Christ's right hand in the heavenly realms. So the same power that raised Christ Jesus up from the dead
and seated him on the right hand of God, that same power is available for us.
And when we go from the valley to the mountain, the world desperately needs that power.
The world desperately needs that power. And Jesus modeled it for us.
And he said after everything he did, he said, greater things shall you do. He said it.
And as he shows us his resurrection power, which is at work in our lives, let's expect
this resurrection power to go to work. Because we are not talking about a power that we need to plead for,
something that God doesn't want to give us and we need to do something for God to give it to us.
He's saying, Paul is saying, this power is available for those who believe him.
This power is available for those who believe him. So this power is available for me. It is available for us,
for everything that God asks us to do in the valley. The world needs power.
This is the same power that made Peter, who was hesitant to even say the word Jesus,
say the name Jesus, the same power enabled Peter to preach to 3000 people in Acts chapter 4.
I want to read a verse because I just feel like we need to go back to the verse that we were reading out
when we were talking about revival. It's from Isaiah chapter 44. Let's go back and read that
because that's the resurrection power of God. Isaiah chapter 44.
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.
They shall spring up among the grass like willows by the flowing waters. This one will say, I am the Lord's.
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.
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.
When we say we need it, we need help, he says I'm going to pour water on dry and thirsty land.
So the less we have is good because there is more space for him to fill.
The less I have is good because there is more space for him to fill. The less we have is good.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Because it is his power. It is just natural for certain things to happen. It is his power. It is his power, resurrection power.
And let's take, I want to take a minute if we need to take a minute for us to think this.
The same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead and seated him at the right hand of God. That same power is in us.
It is truth. And the world needs it. And God says this is a mountain of resurrection power.
I'll cause you to see the things that you've always desired to see. The dead will rise up.
The lame will walk. The blind will see. The mute will speak. A valley of dry bones, it will become an army.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
It will happen. We should get excited about this. We should genuinely get excited about this because this is God's heart for us.
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.
It is happening. We will hear stories. We will see things. Because he said he'll do it. He said he'll do it.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
You better be aware of who you are so that you can engage and impact the value of men.
Last one.
Mountain of dwelling place, or mountain of presence.
This is the best part where God says on this mountain, you will know more than ever that my presence is with you.
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.
Jesus is standing right next to me. Jesus is standing right next to you. He's with you. He's with you.
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.
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.
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.
He wants to dwell amongst people who haven't known him yet, who don't know him yet.
And this is a mountain of presence. I'm not only sending you. I'm going with you. And I'm in you.
Guys, I know that we need to remind ourselves of this because these are things that we know.
But we need to remind ourselves so much about this that his presence is with me always.
And it equips me to do whatever he's asking me to do. His presence is with me.
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.
I want to read this verse. Isaiah chapter 2, verse 3. So we first read Haggai chapter 1, 7, which is consider your ways.
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.
Second verse, Isaiah 2, 3. This is what Isaiah son of Amos, so concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the last days, the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains.
It will be exalted above the hills and all nations will stream to it. All nations will stream to it.
Many people will say, come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, the house of God of Jacob.
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.
So people cannot go up to the mountain if I don't come down from the mountain and engage and impact the valley.
This is what God has been telling us. Go down the mountain. I've given you everything you need.
You're ready. Go down the mountain into the valley.
And Jesus did all of these things. We're going to look at just a few stories but comprise into small one liners really.
How did Jesus do it and how am I supposed to do it?
Number one, I come down the valley into hostile Samaria. I come down from the valley into hostile Samaria.
Out of my comfort zone. Out of what I like.
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.
Jesus loved everyone. Everyone. He was friends with everyone.
He didn't have personality types. He didn't have that person is kind of different than me. No.
I come down from the mountain, out of the comfort zone. Out of the comfort zone. Out of comfort.
Through hostile Samaria. Then I come down from the mountain, conferring worth upon people, not judgment.
Conferring worth upon people, not judgment. I pray that even right now you can think about people in your lives.
On whom you need to confer worth, not judgment.
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.
Everyone was ready to throw stones at her. Jesus conferred her dignity, worth, not judgment.
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.
The other person is made in the image of God. Meaning that person is a representative of God.
We'll read a verse a little later that Jesus spoke about. But aware, aware of who the other person is.
I come down and associate with outsiders, lepers. And whoever outsiders are for you.
My outsiders may be different from your outsiders, which may be different from other person's outsiders.
But Jesus came down from the mountain to engage people who were outsiders. For him, these were lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, fishermen.
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.
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?
Because you can give spiritual too, but Jesus gave physical help.
You must come down from the mountain because people in the valley cannot call for help if they don't know who God is.
I remember when we were in Langley, one day we were talking to this person and we asked this person, what do you want?
And this person said, I just want some peace. But if they know that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If something happened last week, I think Mark was sharing this with a few people during the break.
Two weeks ago, Paav and Bishop, Don, Mark and I, Bishop S and James. Hello Bishop, hope you're doing well bro.
We were in Wall-E. So we decided we'll split into two groups and we were walking around.
And I was alone for a bit and as I took a turn, I saw Don and Mark praying for someone.
And as I'm walking, this person who they are praying for starts lifting his hands and he's praying.
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,
genuinely praying to God because these two guys went to him and said whatever they said and he was in need.
And he's sincerely praying. You should have heard that prayer. Sincerely praying that in the past I've done these things.
I know you're real, but I went away and you send these people and he's praying. He's crying out to God.
Simple interactions. But isn't it, it is the most valuable thing in the kingdom. It is the most valuable thing in the kingdom.
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.
It's simple things. Simple things. But two people praying, showing him who Christ is and that Christ sent us to you.
And that was enough for this man. He could have reacted. Do you realize he could have reacted any which way?
But he chose to react in a way where he engaged with the Father. He said I need you.
But the cool thing that happened is, couple weeks later, Mark even yesterday, he met them again.
This time and that day he met his wife as well in the mall in Saree Central. Yesterday, Mark met them again.
So it's not a one time thing anymore either. This is a relationship developing where they're sharing things about their lives.
Where this person who came to you two weeks ago is someone they can trust.
May God do whatever God wants to do. But things are changing.
So it's simple. Whatever God asks of us. These two verses, I want to read it because this is what's happening.
First, he will teach us of his ways. So we'll be able to accurately live what God has said in his word.
And then provide instructions for accurate living. That's what priests are supposed to do. Provide instructions for accurate living.
Priests are meant to provide instructions for accurate living. And those instructions come from the word.
You can read the reference later, Malachi chapter 2, 6 and 7.
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.
The thing with Pharisees was that they could teach it, but they couldn't live it.
And God is saying, you live it. What you're teaching, you live it.
So internalize everything that our Father is, our Christ is. His walk, His nature, His character, the way He operated.
And when you're in the world, do not be seduced by the king's wine and meat.
When you're in the world, do not be seduced by the king's wine and meat.
I think I shared this before. Maybe yes, maybe yes. I'll share it again.
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.
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.
I knew that. And I always had it in my mind. Some things, it sticks with you. Be loyal to those who are absent.
Remember this one trip I went to? Yes. Sorry Diana. Yes. Be loyal to those who are absent.
Be loyal to those who are absent. So I read this and it just stuck with me all the years.
And a few years ago when I went on a business trip, it was a big thing that was supposed to happen.
And I'm sitting down with prominent people from a city. And I'm sitting down and talking.
And someone passes a joke about someone who is not there. And I laughed. I remember laughing.
As soon as I laughed, I realized, what did you just do?
You just laughed at a comment made about someone else who is not at the table.
And that dinner was going very good. Like the best way it could have been.
In a matter of two or three minutes, it shifted upside down.
And what was supposed to happen? It was almost like the whole reason we were there was supposed to just go down the drains.
Remember that night I went back to my hotel room and I told God, I messed up.
This is something for whatever reason you have put in my heart and it's important for me.
And I know that I made a mistake. I told God that next morning everything was back to normal.
He restored it. He redeemed what was lost. But I was able to see very quickly how such a small thing,
such a small thing affects his heart. Where there are things that he has put in us that are special.
Some things may not be cool, but there are things planted in your heart by God.
There is a reason why there are specific things in your heart that are important for you.
They're based on his character. They're based on his word.
Never move away from it. Model it. Build it. Pattern it.
So that you can then take it to someone else and say, this is who my God is.
Next, God's life principles, his precepts, his commands for the nations will go out of us.
And we do this by patterning things through long relationships.
Through long relationships, we pattern things.
This is who my God is. I live it. I then teach it. I model it through long relationships.
And in the course of time, neighborhoods, cities, nations will be affected.
In the process, we will gather, shepherd, and transform neighborhoods one life at a time.
And fourth one, proclaim the word of the Lord. Let the word be seen through your flesh.
Let's live it out. Let's live it out.
And so when I relate to the people in the valley, I relate to them as people made in the image of God.
And every man is made in God's image. Every man.
Let's read one last passage and we'll close.
Seeing every man as God's image. This is Matthew chapter 25, 35 to 40.
Matthew chapter 25, 35 to 40.
For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink.
I was a stranger, and you invited me in. I needed clothes, and you clothed me.
I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me.
Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
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.
So regardless of what people may have done in the past, the people we meet.
The robe, the ring, the sandal, the fattened calf, and the father is waiting for them.
The robe, the ring, the sandal, the fattened calf, and above all the father is waiting for them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
And may we see that in our lives with people we engage and impact.
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.
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.
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.
Is Heidi here?
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.
And when Derek was speaking about the mountain of direction, this is kind of a directional word in a sense.
So this is a word for Bangladesh. Bangladesh. God has blessed you with a fertile land.
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.
Starting now, when people will look at your flag, they will see the red circle in the center differently.
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.
He opens the door for you to see his light. The people in Bangladesh who walk in darkness have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows, light, sunbursts of light. You repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy.
Oh, they are so glad in your presence. Festival joy. The joy of a great celebration, sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants. All their whips and clumps and curses is gone.
Done away with. A deliverance as surprising, as sudden as Gideon's old victory over Median.
And I read it again. Bangladesh. God has blessed you with a fertile land. 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.
Starting now, when people will look at your flag, they will see the red circle in the center differently.
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.
He opens the door for you to see his light. The people in Bangladesh who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows, light, sunbursts of light. You repopulated the nation. You expanded its joy.
Oh, they are so glad in your presence. Festival joy. The joy of a great celebration. Sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants. All their whips and clumps and curses is gone.
Done away with. A deliverance as surprising, as sudden as Gideon's old victory over Median.
So we just want to respond to what's been said today and just do that before we close.
And so I'm just going to pray.
So Father, we thank you for, I want to go back to the very beginning, Father.
We started this service today talking about how your goodness follows us.
How you are beautiful. And when we can see you as beautiful, we really are recognizing something that's worth our pursuit.
Something that's worth our desire. Something that's worth our all, Father.
If we think something is beautiful, we'll sell anything for it. We'll lay down our lives for it.
And so Father, that's what we want to do. We want to...
You've invited us up this mountain, Abba. You've been preparing us on this mountain.
And you continue to prepare us, but it's time that we no longer stay on the mountain.
It's time that we step out of our comfort zones. It's time that we take what you have given us.
And we take it down into this valley, Father, so that we're not the only ones who can see your beauty.
We're not the only ones who understand that your goodness and your mercy and your kindness and your protection
follow us, that they are with us in everything we do.
But it's time that we start taking it out into the world, so that the world can see your goodness,
so that they can see your kindness, so that they can see that they have a Father,
that they are no longer orphans, but they can come into sonship with a Father who loves them,
with a Father who is good, with a Father who is pure, with a Father who is kind,
who doesn't raise his hand against them.
But the only thing he does with his hand is take their hand and walk with them.
Just as you're walking with us, Father.
Just as you had this word for Bangladesh, Father,
that you're bringing our neighborhoods, our cities, our nations to light for you.
May we see greater things, Abba. May we see greater things.
Not in 10 years, not in 15 years, but starting this week.
May we start walking with you in a new level.
May we step up, Father.
May we step up so that we can take you down this mountain with us,
because we're not going on our own, Father.
We're going with you. We're walking with you.
So I thank you for this invitation, Father.
I pray that we take everything that's been said today,
and that we don't just think about it, Father, but we put it into action in our lives.
Because it can be easy to think about a lot of things.
It can be easy to say, okay, I'll think about it, and then I'll decide how to proceed.
But we need to sometimes stop thinking and start actually walking, start operating.
Start listening to you each day.
And not saying, oh, but I can't do that today. This is my list of things for today.
But that we hear what you say, and we're willing to put aside our list for the day.
And step out in your list, in your invitation to walk with you in each moment of every day.
Because just as Derek was saying, that it's not about doing things.
It's about walking with you. It's about listening to what you have.
It's about being in relationship with you so that we can hear your direction.
So that we can walk in your path, Abba.
So I thank you, Father. I thank you for those in this room and those who are watching online.
Those who may watch in the future.
That this will be a new beginning.
A new beginning of surrendering our lives to you.
Of getting up each moment with one purpose.
And that purpose is to hear our Father and to walk with our Father.
No longer on our own, but to walk with you and you alone, Abba.
In everything we're doing. In our jobs, in our families, in our marriages, in our relationships, in our friendships.
In our family relations, Father.
That we walk with one purpose. To hear our Father's voice and to do as he says.
So I thank you, Abba. I thank you for this time.
I just bless everybody here. I send everybody here out into their weeks.
Yeah, I send everybody here out into their weeks.
We all go as sent ones.
Sent into this week with your protection, your provision, your blessing.
To display you to the world around us.
So I thank you in Jesus' name. Amen.
Have a great week, everybody.
Amen.