WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Threshold - Hindrance to Transition Publishing Date: 2021-10-31T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/threshold-hindrance-to-transition/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.520 So if you stand around here a little longer, I'll take it. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:04.760 Oops, he ran. 00:00:07.920 --> 00:00:08.760 I'm live again? 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:15.080 Okay guys, let's go. 00:00:19.680 --> 00:00:21.240 Okay. 00:00:21.240 --> 00:00:24.100 All right, so we continue with threshold. 00:00:24.100 --> 00:00:27.240 Today we talk about hindrances to crossing thresholds. 00:00:27.240 --> 00:00:30.720 Hindrances to crossing thresholds. 00:00:30.720 --> 00:00:33.720 So we've been on thresholds for the last six or seven, 00:00:33.720 --> 00:00:35.840 or maybe four or five Sundays. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:40.440 And why are we here talking about thresholds? 00:00:40.440 --> 00:00:42.640 Because I really believe there's hardly anybody 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:45.600 in this church who isn't at the juncture 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:49.080 or the point of crossing thresholds. 00:00:49.080 --> 00:00:52.000 It applies to almost any person in this church. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:53.280 That's a strange thing. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.180 It's not for a few, it's not for the future. 00:00:55.180 --> 00:00:56.580 It's for now. 00:00:56.620 --> 00:01:00.380 And as a church, we will be crossing thresholds. 00:01:00.380 --> 00:01:01.940 This is a very odd statement to make, 00:01:01.940 --> 00:01:04.860 but it has nothing to do with Derek. 00:01:04.860 --> 00:01:09.500 But we will go back to that whole theme of revival 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:13.020 when Derek comes back to Vancouver. 00:01:13.020 --> 00:01:14.380 It's got nothing to do with Derek. 00:01:14.380 --> 00:01:16.180 It's just a matter of timing. 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:18.420 But remember we spent quite a lot of time 00:01:18.420 --> 00:01:20.780 talking about revival, and then we haven't said anything 00:01:20.780 --> 00:01:22.500 about it for a while, and every time I want to, 00:01:22.500 --> 00:01:23.860 I feel got to wait, wait. 00:01:23.860 --> 00:01:26.340 And one of the things that we have to wait for 00:01:27.100 --> 00:01:27.940 is Derek's return. 00:01:27.940 --> 00:01:29.460 He may think he's something special. 00:01:29.460 --> 00:01:31.420 He's not, it's just a date. 00:01:32.300 --> 00:01:34.940 So whenever he comes back, we'll start 00:01:34.940 --> 00:01:36.540 on the whole revival thing again. 00:01:38.220 --> 00:01:40.620 I believe he sleeps late, gets up late. 00:01:40.620 --> 00:01:42.620 It's a very different life for him, huh? 00:01:44.020 --> 00:01:44.860 Poor Don. 00:01:47.460 --> 00:01:48.300 Pardon? 00:01:48.940 --> 00:01:50.940 Is that for somebody else too? 00:01:50.940 --> 00:01:51.780 Yeah. 00:01:51.780 --> 00:01:52.620 Ha ha ha. 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:55.820 Sambhyaona. 00:01:55.820 --> 00:01:56.660 Ha ha ha. 00:01:59.420 --> 00:02:04.420 Okay, so, we are, how do we prevent ourselves 00:02:04.740 --> 00:02:07.780 from being hindered from crossing thresholds? 00:02:07.780 --> 00:02:10.820 To begin with, one of the reasons we should cross thresholds 00:02:10.820 --> 00:02:13.140 because we are the people of the way. 00:02:13.140 --> 00:02:14.700 We are people of the way. 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:17.540 It's natural for people of the way 00:02:17.540 --> 00:02:18.980 to be continuously moving. 00:02:18.980 --> 00:02:21.740 I forgot, how do you get this pen started? 00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:23.580 You gotta tap something or hit something? 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:24.660 Pull the cord on the side. 00:02:24.660 --> 00:02:26.020 Pull the cord on the side. 00:02:27.220 --> 00:02:29.020 There's something I'm supposed to do. 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:32.820 You know, the button on the flat part. 00:02:32.820 --> 00:02:33.660 Oh. 00:02:33.660 --> 00:02:34.500 I thought the button on the, 00:02:34.500 --> 00:02:36.340 the button on your thumb. 00:02:36.340 --> 00:02:38.060 The button under my thumb. 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:39.620 Like on the flat portion towards. 00:02:39.620 --> 00:02:41.740 On the flat portion towards. 00:02:43.380 --> 00:02:46.300 Life was so much simpler when it was, 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:47.660 we are people of the way. 00:02:48.780 --> 00:02:50.700 Could someone fix the pen, please? 00:02:50.700 --> 00:02:52.900 Because I'm looking technically very unsavvy. 00:02:52.900 --> 00:02:53.740 So people of the way, 00:02:53.740 --> 00:02:55.260 and because we are people of the way, 00:02:55.260 --> 00:02:59.020 it's natural for us to be on a spiritual journey 00:02:59.020 --> 00:03:00.420 throughout our lives. 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.300 Throughout our lives. 00:03:05.100 --> 00:03:05.940 Where's Jeevan? 00:03:05.940 --> 00:03:08.300 He knew, he used to know these things. 00:03:08.300 --> 00:03:09.500 People of the way. 00:03:09.500 --> 00:03:12.700 So it's natural for us to be on a spiritual journey 00:03:12.700 --> 00:03:14.540 lived out in the natural. 00:03:14.540 --> 00:03:17.500 This spiritual journey is always lived out in the natural. 00:03:22.660 --> 00:03:24.300 When I was much younger, 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:28.860 I used to be fascinated with Elijah and Elisha's journey 00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:33.580 through Jericho, Gilgal, Bethel, 00:03:33.580 --> 00:03:36.060 and then to the Jordan, and then his double portion. 00:03:36.060 --> 00:03:38.460 It was almost like each of those cities 00:03:38.460 --> 00:03:42.020 represented a certain part of a spiritual journey 00:03:42.020 --> 00:03:43.780 lived out in the natural. 00:03:43.780 --> 00:03:46.740 And so this is why crossing thresholds 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:49.620 is a very normal part for most Christians. 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:51.340 Maybe we don't know it yet, 00:03:51.340 --> 00:03:53.140 but that's how it's supposed to be. 00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:56.300 You must transition. 00:03:56.300 --> 00:03:59.860 You must cross thresholds in your life 00:03:59.860 --> 00:04:01.700 because your history, at the end of the day, 00:04:01.700 --> 00:04:02.540 when you look back, 00:04:02.540 --> 00:04:05.660 your history is governed by the seasons of God. 00:04:05.660 --> 00:04:10.420 Your history, your history is governed 00:04:10.940 --> 00:04:13.700 by the seasons of God. 00:04:13.700 --> 00:04:17.180 Your history is governed by the seasons of God. 00:04:20.460 --> 00:04:21.780 Never forget that, guys. 00:04:22.820 --> 00:04:24.300 Your history is not governed 00:04:24.300 --> 00:04:26.100 by things that happen around you. 00:04:26.100 --> 00:04:29.860 Your history is not governed by pandemics, government rules. 00:04:29.860 --> 00:04:32.460 Your history is governed by the seasons of God. 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:38.260 So when you look back at 2021, on December 31st, 00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:42.540 you should sense that, ah, my history through 2021 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:45.700 was actually governed by seasons of God that I followed, 00:04:45.700 --> 00:04:47.540 regardless of whether there was a pandemic 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:48.780 or there was no pandemic. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:57.580 In other words, if history can be looked at as Kronos, 00:04:57.580 --> 00:05:00.260 then seasons are looked at as Kairos. 00:05:00.260 --> 00:05:01.660 Thanks so much. 00:05:01.660 --> 00:05:02.500 Is it working? 00:05:04.180 --> 00:05:05.380 Okay. 00:05:05.380 --> 00:05:06.260 Oh yeah, thanks. 00:05:08.980 --> 00:05:12.180 So if history can be referred to as Kronos, 00:05:12.180 --> 00:05:14.940 then seasons that can be referred to as Kairos, 00:05:16.020 --> 00:05:19.020 then our history is governed by the seasons of God. 00:05:19.020 --> 00:05:20.180 This is so important. 00:05:20.180 --> 00:05:21.580 That's why thresholds are important 00:05:21.580 --> 00:05:24.900 because whenever God brings me to the edge of one season, 00:05:24.900 --> 00:05:26.940 now there's a threshold that has to be crossed. 00:05:26.940 --> 00:05:29.460 And what the new room I'm stepping into is so much larger, 00:05:29.460 --> 00:05:33.260 so unfamiliar, that unless I follow through, 00:05:33.260 --> 00:05:35.500 I will not, at the end of 21, 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:38.140 look back and see the rooms I've traversed with God. 00:05:39.740 --> 00:05:41.980 Life cannot determine the rooms I step into. 00:05:41.980 --> 00:05:44.580 Life cannot determine the rooms I step into. 00:05:46.300 --> 00:05:50.020 My job, my employment, my visa status, my wealth, 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:55.460 my ambitions cannot determine the seasons I step into. 00:05:55.460 --> 00:05:58.980 It has to be determined solely by the seasons of God, 00:05:58.980 --> 00:06:03.260 as in what has God dreamed for me at this stage in my life 00:06:03.260 --> 00:06:04.220 that I need to step into, 00:06:04.220 --> 00:06:06.220 which is far larger than I think, 00:06:06.220 --> 00:06:07.260 but he thinks I'm capable 00:06:07.260 --> 00:06:09.220 because he's put the substance in me. 00:06:10.820 --> 00:06:12.660 I know I'm going over this almost every week, 00:06:12.660 --> 00:06:15.100 this intro part, but so critical to our understanding 00:06:15.100 --> 00:06:17.220 because it follows us for the rest of our lives 00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:18.820 and some of us are really young. 00:06:21.020 --> 00:06:25.660 In the Old Testament, New Seasons were given a name. 00:06:29.540 --> 00:06:31.780 And usually when God was going to bring something new 00:06:31.780 --> 00:06:33.260 into the life of Israel, 00:06:33.300 --> 00:06:35.460 he would ask them to set up a memorial 00:06:36.300 --> 00:06:37.700 and he would give it a name. 00:06:39.220 --> 00:06:40.900 Set a memorial and give it a name. 00:06:40.900 --> 00:06:42.980 Why? Because he wanted them to know that, 00:06:42.980 --> 00:06:44.820 listen, here is where I started this, 00:06:44.820 --> 00:06:46.140 here is where I started that, 00:06:46.140 --> 00:06:48.660 here is where I got rid of this or got rid of that. 00:06:49.620 --> 00:06:53.660 So he has them circumcised before they enter the promised land 00:06:53.660 --> 00:06:55.540 and he calls the place Gilgal. 00:06:55.540 --> 00:06:56.700 Why call it Gilgal? 00:06:56.700 --> 00:06:59.260 Because Gilgal was a rolling away of reproach, 00:06:59.260 --> 00:07:00.460 rolling away of shame. 00:07:01.340 --> 00:07:03.140 He calls the place Bethel 00:07:03.140 --> 00:07:05.420 and Jacob suddenly changes the name of the place 00:07:05.420 --> 00:07:07.860 from Luz to Bethel. 00:07:07.860 --> 00:07:09.300 You've got it on your shirt. 00:07:10.260 --> 00:07:11.100 Yeah. 00:07:11.100 --> 00:07:13.060 From Luz, he changes it to Bethel 00:07:13.060 --> 00:07:15.020 and in changing it from Luz to Bethel, 00:07:15.020 --> 00:07:15.980 what is he saying? 00:07:15.980 --> 00:07:17.300 That the presence of God is here, 00:07:17.300 --> 00:07:18.580 this is the gateway of heaven, 00:07:18.580 --> 00:07:20.380 this is the house of God. 00:07:20.380 --> 00:07:23.900 Changes an entire, there's an entire shift 00:07:23.900 --> 00:07:25.220 in Jacob's life after that. 00:07:25.260 --> 00:07:27.540 So name your journey at present. 00:07:27.540 --> 00:07:28.940 That's one of the things I love doing. 00:07:28.940 --> 00:07:30.580 Once I know that, okay, 00:07:30.580 --> 00:07:33.020 this is the new room I'm entering into. 00:07:33.020 --> 00:07:35.020 All it is is a room, but I name the room 00:07:35.020 --> 00:07:36.140 because in naming the room, 00:07:36.140 --> 00:07:37.740 I know what God is going to do. 00:07:41.460 --> 00:07:43.260 Ask me questions if it's unclear. 00:07:43.260 --> 00:07:44.580 How do you name something like that? 00:07:44.580 --> 00:07:47.620 Ask God, Father, so if this is the place I'm stepping into, 00:07:47.620 --> 00:07:49.460 what do you want me to call it? 00:07:49.460 --> 00:07:51.020 What are you gonna do here? 00:07:51.020 --> 00:07:51.860 What is this place? 00:07:51.860 --> 00:07:52.700 What is this place? 00:07:52.700 --> 00:07:53.540 What is this place? 00:07:54.180 --> 00:07:55.020 What are you gonna do here? 00:07:55.020 --> 00:07:57.780 What is one phrase that I can instantly connect to you? 00:07:59.100 --> 00:08:01.340 What is a word that I can use 00:08:01.340 --> 00:08:03.820 and then start exploring it more? 00:08:08.100 --> 00:08:12.740 Why is Mark Zuckerberg calling it metaverse? 00:08:12.740 --> 00:08:15.220 Why has he changed Facebook's names to meta? 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:20.780 What is the extent of things? 00:08:23.540 --> 00:08:24.380 What is meta? 00:08:29.780 --> 00:08:32.580 Strangely though, Zuckerberg, even though he's Jewish, 00:08:32.580 --> 00:08:36.460 doesn't know that meta in Hebrew means dead. 00:08:36.460 --> 00:08:39.540 So there's a small situation there. 00:08:45.420 --> 00:08:47.580 Abraham used to do this regularly. 00:08:47.580 --> 00:08:50.060 And what happens when you do this 00:08:50.060 --> 00:08:52.420 is that when you name the place 00:08:52.420 --> 00:08:54.780 that God is having you enter into, 00:08:54.780 --> 00:08:56.780 you do a few things, you restructure. 00:08:58.580 --> 00:09:01.300 What am I doing wrong, Evan? 00:09:06.420 --> 00:09:09.260 Stick it to the iPad, okay? 00:09:09.260 --> 00:09:14.260 Okay, so Abraham used to do this. 00:09:21.180 --> 00:09:26.180 And what happens then is you restructure thinking. 00:09:26.260 --> 00:09:27.900 You restructure your thinking. 00:09:31.740 --> 00:09:36.580 You plan action. 00:09:37.180 --> 00:09:42.180 You determine location. 00:09:48.340 --> 00:09:49.780 Think of it for a second, eh? 00:09:49.780 --> 00:09:51.260 So Abraham would be caught by God 00:09:51.260 --> 00:09:53.220 into a certain season in his life. 00:09:53.220 --> 00:09:55.220 And so he would usually build an altar 00:09:55.220 --> 00:09:58.460 and name what is happening in his life. 00:09:58.460 --> 00:10:02.180 Once he named it, he would start restructuring his thinking. 00:10:02.180 --> 00:10:05.060 He would change his name from Abraham to Abraham 00:10:05.060 --> 00:10:06.340 because God said so. 00:10:06.380 --> 00:10:08.700 He knew that even though he was important, 00:10:08.700 --> 00:10:09.980 that there was a day when he was going 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:11.140 to become the father of nations. 00:10:11.140 --> 00:10:12.900 He would begin to change his thinking. 00:10:12.900 --> 00:10:14.180 After he changed his thinking, 00:10:14.180 --> 00:10:16.580 he would actually take action. 00:10:16.580 --> 00:10:18.340 He would do something that would show God 00:10:18.340 --> 00:10:20.460 that he had faith in God. 00:10:20.460 --> 00:10:22.500 Because still the thinking has changed. 00:10:22.500 --> 00:10:26.460 Faith is not easy to exert. 00:10:26.460 --> 00:10:29.140 Once the thinking changes, faith is easy to exert. 00:10:29.140 --> 00:10:32.180 Faith is trusting that what God has said 00:10:32.180 --> 00:10:34.020 you're so fully persuaded about. 00:10:34.020 --> 00:10:35.260 Where are you persuaded about? 00:10:35.300 --> 00:10:36.100 Here? 00:10:36.100 --> 00:10:37.060 Now, here is easy. 00:10:37.060 --> 00:10:39.420 Most persuasion has to happen here. 00:10:39.420 --> 00:10:41.420 This is easy persuasion. 00:10:41.420 --> 00:10:44.140 This is where the persuasion is difficult. 00:10:44.140 --> 00:10:46.380 The heart believes pretty easily for believers. 00:10:46.380 --> 00:10:48.300 It's a thinking that is difficult. 00:10:48.300 --> 00:10:49.860 So you restructure your thinking. 00:10:49.860 --> 00:10:51.700 Now your action begins to change. 00:10:51.700 --> 00:10:53.980 And then you even determine location. 00:10:53.980 --> 00:10:55.260 Abraham knew that he had to leave. 00:10:55.260 --> 00:10:56.820 Abraham knew that he had to go there. 00:10:56.820 --> 00:10:59.420 He would move according to God's plans 00:10:59.420 --> 00:11:01.420 because with the restructuring of thinking and action 00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:03.900 comes change of location if necessary. 00:11:05.980 --> 00:11:09.820 And if one is stagnant, if one does not cross thresholds, 00:11:09.820 --> 00:11:12.500 one of the disadvantages of not crossing thresholds 00:11:12.500 --> 00:11:17.500 is stagnation becomes the adversary of divine intent. 00:11:17.660 --> 00:11:22.660 Becomes the adversary of divine intent. 00:11:33.420 --> 00:11:36.100 This happens to such good people, man, 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:37.980 where you decide for whatever reason 00:11:37.980 --> 00:11:41.220 that you are not going to move into what God has next. 00:11:41.220 --> 00:11:42.500 That's where it starts. 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:44.100 And you hesitate or you say, next year, 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:46.140 or you decide I'm not gonna move 00:11:46.180 --> 00:11:47.660 into what God has for me next. 00:11:47.660 --> 00:11:49.140 What happens two years from now? 00:11:49.140 --> 00:11:50.100 When others want to move, 00:11:50.100 --> 00:11:52.500 you start telling them also not to move. 00:11:52.500 --> 00:11:55.340 You start justifying why you haven't moved. 00:11:55.340 --> 00:11:58.020 You build theology to justify 00:11:58.020 --> 00:11:59.780 that you don't need to move further. 00:12:01.300 --> 00:12:03.260 And in the process, what happens is 00:12:03.260 --> 00:12:06.780 you establish a monolithic institution 00:12:06.780 --> 00:12:10.700 around your little pet peeve that you won't move. 00:12:10.700 --> 00:12:12.500 And now it becomes the adversary 00:12:12.500 --> 00:12:14.500 or begins to oppose pioneers. 00:12:14.500 --> 00:12:16.980 It begins to oppose the ones that wanna move. 00:12:16.980 --> 00:12:18.940 Churches and denominations have done this 00:12:18.940 --> 00:12:21.180 for hundreds of years. 00:12:21.180 --> 00:12:22.980 Where they moved and they came to a place 00:12:22.980 --> 00:12:25.460 and then they had to cross a threshold and they didn't. 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:26.900 Doesn't matter whether it's the Baptist, 00:12:26.900 --> 00:12:29.260 the Pentecostals, the Charismatics, 00:12:29.260 --> 00:12:31.300 everybody comes and stops at a certain place. 00:12:31.300 --> 00:12:34.900 And after they stop, they establish themselves there. 00:12:34.900 --> 00:12:36.740 And they become the enemies 00:12:36.740 --> 00:12:38.700 of the next wave that wants to move. 00:12:38.700 --> 00:12:41.700 Because you will always begin to justify your stagnancy. 00:12:46.300 --> 00:12:48.500 Your inflexibility and my inflexibility 00:12:48.500 --> 00:12:50.300 always finds valid reasons. 00:12:55.060 --> 00:12:58.380 Unfortunately, you have free will and I have free will. 00:12:58.380 --> 00:12:59.780 So there's nothing you can do. 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:03.140 But if we were to change, then thresholds catalyze, 00:13:03.140 --> 00:13:07.140 thresholds catalyze spiritual migration, 00:13:13.180 --> 00:13:17.860 whereby you move into the perfect will of God. 00:13:17.860 --> 00:13:22.860 Whereby you move into the perfect will of God. 00:13:24.700 --> 00:13:27.900 And then you move into the perfect will of God. 00:13:27.900 --> 00:13:32.900 And then you move into the perfect will of God. 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:41.980 Whereby you move into the perfect will of God. 00:13:41.980 --> 00:13:43.580 And whenever you move into the perfect will of God, 00:13:43.580 --> 00:13:46.180 it attracts his favor, it pleases him, 00:13:46.180 --> 00:13:47.620 and it opens your destiny. 00:13:47.620 --> 00:13:50.500 It attracts favor, his favor, it pleases him, 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:51.860 and it opens your destiny. 00:13:51.860 --> 00:13:54.860 Take Israel's journey, take Jacob's journey, 00:13:56.260 --> 00:13:59.260 take Paul's journey, take Jesus's journey, 00:13:59.260 --> 00:14:00.660 take David's journey. 00:14:03.660 --> 00:14:05.060 Take any of those journeys. 00:14:05.060 --> 00:14:07.260 It was constant movement with God, 00:14:07.260 --> 00:14:10.460 always finding themselves at the place that God was, 00:14:10.460 --> 00:14:12.660 that God had gone to. 00:14:12.660 --> 00:14:14.260 It was never the place that God was. 00:14:14.260 --> 00:14:16.260 It was always moving forward. 00:14:16.260 --> 00:14:18.460 Israel could have had such a different history. 00:14:18.460 --> 00:14:19.860 We would have had a different history. 00:14:19.860 --> 00:14:21.860 Israel could have had such a different history. 00:14:21.860 --> 00:14:24.260 We would not have books like Numbers. 00:14:24.260 --> 00:14:26.460 It would be Exodus, and then it would have been 00:14:26.460 --> 00:14:28.060 no Numbers, no Deuteronomy. 00:14:29.260 --> 00:14:30.060 Why? 00:14:30.060 --> 00:14:32.460 Because we wouldn't have had to go around the desert 00:14:32.460 --> 00:14:33.460 for 40 years. 00:14:34.460 --> 00:14:35.860 It would be 64 books. 00:14:39.860 --> 00:14:41.060 But he's always moving. 00:14:43.460 --> 00:14:46.460 This is not activity, this is obedience. 00:14:46.460 --> 00:14:48.260 This is not activity, it is obedience. 00:14:50.860 --> 00:14:51.860 Any questions? 00:14:53.260 --> 00:14:54.460 We'll talk about hindrances. 00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:56.060 This is just a recap. 00:14:59.260 --> 00:15:00.860 Because when I begin to behave like this, 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:03.860 thresholds catalyze spiritual migration, 00:15:03.860 --> 00:15:06.260 whereby you move into the perfect will of God. 00:15:06.260 --> 00:15:07.860 And three things happen when you move into 00:15:07.860 --> 00:15:09.060 the perfect will of God. 00:15:09.060 --> 00:15:12.260 It pleases him, it attracts his favor, 00:15:13.660 --> 00:15:15.260 and it unfolds your destiny. 00:15:16.260 --> 00:15:19.460 It pleases him, it attracts his favor. 00:15:20.060 --> 00:15:21.460 It unfolds destiny. 00:15:21.460 --> 00:15:24.260 So Joseph decides not to do something, 00:15:24.260 --> 00:15:26.060 David decides not to do something, 00:15:26.060 --> 00:15:27.860 Moses decides not to do something. 00:15:27.860 --> 00:15:30.260 Can you imagine how different their lives would have been? 00:15:30.260 --> 00:15:32.660 They were obedient, and each obedient step unfolds. 00:15:32.660 --> 00:15:34.060 Man, I'm telling you something. 00:15:34.060 --> 00:15:37.060 If you and I are inflexible, 00:15:37.060 --> 00:15:39.060 if you and I are stuck, 00:15:39.060 --> 00:15:42.260 then we have to pull ourselves out of the rut we are in. 00:15:42.260 --> 00:15:43.660 Do not justify it. 00:15:44.860 --> 00:15:48.260 Some of my inflexibility and my being stuck in a rut 00:15:48.260 --> 00:15:49.660 comes out of sheer fear. 00:15:49.660 --> 00:15:51.060 Or sometimes out of ignorance. 00:15:51.060 --> 00:15:53.660 Well then, there are ways to now step out of it. 00:15:54.860 --> 00:15:58.060 The older you get, the worse it gets. 00:15:58.060 --> 00:16:01.860 Therefore, at this age, while all of us are still young, 00:16:02.860 --> 00:16:04.060 let's get out of the rut. 00:16:08.660 --> 00:16:10.460 Still young, yeah, totally man. 00:16:11.660 --> 00:16:13.660 Like I'm learning new songs also now. 00:16:15.660 --> 00:16:17.660 What was one song that someone sent me? 00:16:18.660 --> 00:16:20.660 When the sun comes down, 00:16:20.660 --> 00:16:23.260 something new town or something, I don't know, forget it. 00:16:23.260 --> 00:16:24.060 Anyways. 00:16:30.060 --> 00:16:31.260 So let's talk about hindrances. 00:16:31.260 --> 00:16:32.660 Any questions on what I just said? 00:16:36.060 --> 00:16:37.260 When the sun comes down? 00:16:37.860 --> 00:16:38.460 Sorry? 00:16:38.860 --> 00:16:42.060 Oh, it pleases God, it attracts his favor. 00:16:42.560 --> 00:16:44.860 It pleases God, it attracts his favor, 00:16:45.260 --> 00:16:47.060 and it unfolds destiny. 00:16:47.660 --> 00:16:50.460 So when I migrate spiritually into his perfect will, 00:16:50.460 --> 00:16:52.660 so let's assume that this was his perfect will, 00:16:52.860 --> 00:16:55.860 but in the next 20 seconds, this is his perfect will. 00:16:56.060 --> 00:16:58.460 When I step in here, it immediately pleases God. 00:16:58.460 --> 00:17:01.660 Man, this boy of mine, he just obeys without even knowing enough. 00:17:02.060 --> 00:17:03.460 Then it attracts his favor, 00:17:03.460 --> 00:17:06.260 because wherever I'm supposed to be in his perfect will, 00:17:06.260 --> 00:17:09.460 will always draw everything from heaven. 00:17:10.660 --> 00:17:13.860 Because wherever you're stepping is not for your own progress, 00:17:13.860 --> 00:17:15.260 it is for the benefit of others. 00:17:16.060 --> 00:17:17.060 Just remember that too. 00:17:17.060 --> 00:17:20.660 Moses' journey, Jesus' journey, Joseph's journey, David's journey, 00:17:20.660 --> 00:17:24.060 at the end of the day, they paid the price and others benefited. 00:17:25.460 --> 00:17:26.460 That's a strange thing. 00:17:26.460 --> 00:17:28.860 They pay the price, others benefit. 00:17:32.060 --> 00:17:35.060 It's never for your own upliftment, your own, 00:17:35.060 --> 00:17:36.660 let me make Hebrews chapter 11. 00:17:37.860 --> 00:17:39.460 In fact, Paul says there are many others 00:17:39.460 --> 00:17:41.260 who I could have included in Hebrews chapter 11, 00:17:41.260 --> 00:17:44.660 but time doesn't permit me to, or space doesn't permit me to. 00:17:47.860 --> 00:17:50.260 And now that I'm here, I attract everything from heaven, 00:17:50.260 --> 00:17:54.660 because God wants to reward people around me through my obedience, 00:17:54.660 --> 00:17:56.060 and it unfolds destiny. 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:00.460 And what is destiny at the end of the day? 00:18:00.460 --> 00:18:03.460 Destiny is God's dream before you were formed, 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:05.260 being fulfilled through you. 00:18:05.660 --> 00:18:06.460 Beautifully. 00:18:06.860 --> 00:18:09.060 He's a father. He dreams for his children. 00:18:10.060 --> 00:18:11.660 Miguel has a dream for Isaac. 00:18:12.460 --> 00:18:15.260 And so, as a father dreams, 00:18:15.260 --> 00:18:18.460 and he sees his dreams being fulfilled through his children, 00:18:18.860 --> 00:18:22.260 gosh, man, that's the unfolding of destiny at the end of the day. 00:18:22.260 --> 00:18:23.260 That's all it is. 00:18:24.460 --> 00:18:26.460 The unfolding of God's dream through you. 00:18:28.460 --> 00:18:29.860 And he's always about others. 00:18:30.460 --> 00:18:32.660 In the process, you get to partner with your father. 00:18:33.860 --> 00:18:35.460 Eat lunch with him. 00:18:36.260 --> 00:18:38.260 Wipe the sweat off your brow while he works. 00:18:41.260 --> 00:18:42.860 Get all the money that he earns. 00:18:46.260 --> 00:18:46.860 Hey! 00:18:49.460 --> 00:18:50.860 We are all in this room. 00:18:51.260 --> 00:18:52.660 Some of you are brand new. 00:18:53.260 --> 00:18:54.460 We are all in this room. 00:18:54.860 --> 00:18:59.860 At a threshold, this series is not in isolation or in a vacuum. 00:19:03.860 --> 00:19:05.860 God knows how many others it's helping around the world. 00:19:05.860 --> 00:19:08.060 There are 10 million of them in the world. 00:19:08.860 --> 00:19:09.660 Totally, man. 00:19:10.660 --> 00:19:11.660 The only... 00:19:11.660 --> 00:19:14.060 Guys, there's two ways to go about life. 00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:18.660 Be super righteous and your steps are ordered by God. 00:19:20.660 --> 00:19:23.260 For behold, the steps of a righteous man are ordered by God. 00:19:23.260 --> 00:19:24.260 You don't have to worry. 00:19:24.260 --> 00:19:26.260 You can... You're just living such a righteous life 00:19:26.260 --> 00:19:29.660 that tomorrow you are not because you disappeared like Enoch. 00:19:30.060 --> 00:19:32.060 But if your middle name is not Enoch, 00:19:32.260 --> 00:19:36.060 then I would suggest that another way you can walk this is by being intentional. 00:19:36.060 --> 00:19:39.060 Where you find out from God and you walk intentionally. 00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:43.060 And if you can combine both, then you can both be Enoch and intentional. 00:19:43.660 --> 00:19:46.060 But many times you're walking in what God has 00:19:46.260 --> 00:19:47.660 just because you're living a righteous life. 00:19:47.660 --> 00:19:48.660 You don't even know it. 00:19:50.260 --> 00:19:52.460 But because we are not all Enoch's, 00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:55.060 sometimes it's good to know the plan too. 00:20:01.260 --> 00:20:02.060 Yeah. 00:20:02.060 --> 00:20:03.060 Yeah. 00:20:04.060 --> 00:20:06.060 But sometimes it's too late, Marcus. 00:20:07.660 --> 00:20:08.660 Where people... 00:20:11.260 --> 00:20:15.660 Or because the time left in my life is less now. 00:20:15.860 --> 00:20:18.060 Because I found out too late. 00:20:19.860 --> 00:20:21.260 No, not really. 00:20:21.460 --> 00:20:24.660 We think that our lives, our days are numbered by God. 00:20:25.660 --> 00:20:27.860 There's two ways God numbers days. 00:20:27.860 --> 00:20:31.060 One, he numbers the days that we are numbered by God. 00:20:31.060 --> 00:20:34.060 Two, he numbers them when you were formed. 00:20:34.660 --> 00:20:37.460 And two, he numbers it based on your obedience. 00:20:38.460 --> 00:20:43.660 So Moses was supposed to enter the promised land. 00:20:46.060 --> 00:20:48.460 But he doesn't. 00:20:51.260 --> 00:20:54.260 And so on one hand, he numbers that day saying, 00:20:54.460 --> 00:20:57.060 Jacob, this is all the things I have for you. 00:20:57.260 --> 00:20:59.460 And then there are other times when 00:21:00.260 --> 00:21:04.660 Jacob just doesn't walk in the ways of God and his days are numbered. 00:21:04.860 --> 00:21:06.260 Ananias and Sapphira. 00:21:08.260 --> 00:21:11.260 They were given days that were numbered, but it got cut short. 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:15.660 Two ways God numbers. 00:21:18.060 --> 00:21:18.860 Hindrances. 00:21:18.860 --> 00:21:21.260 The first hindrance is a damaged mindset. 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:25.260 The first hindrance is a damaged mindset. 00:21:26.260 --> 00:21:32.060 A damaged mindset is when you have a mental fortress that imprisons you. 00:21:32.260 --> 00:21:36.460 A mental fortress that imprisons you. 00:21:38.860 --> 00:21:40.260 Or smothers you. 00:21:40.860 --> 00:21:43.460 Imprisons or smothers you. 00:21:46.060 --> 00:21:47.660 Or smothers maturity. 00:21:49.860 --> 00:21:51.260 Despite your desire. 00:21:52.260 --> 00:21:53.660 Despite your desire. 00:21:54.460 --> 00:21:57.460 Despite godly desires. 00:21:58.460 --> 00:22:03.860 This is such a, it's like a, it's like a vice that traps you. 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:08.260 So on one hand, the desire to run after God is there. 00:22:08.660 --> 00:22:14.460 But because over the last three years I've thought a certain way, 00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:16.860 cultivated a certain habit, behaved a certain way, 00:22:17.260 --> 00:22:20.860 I'm not able to step into the maturity that will allow me to 00:22:22.260 --> 00:22:25.460 to realize the godly desires I have. 00:22:26.660 --> 00:22:28.860 Let me rephrase, not rephrase it, let me repeat it. 00:22:30.260 --> 00:22:33.660 I have godly desires, but because for the last three years I've 00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:36.460 thought a certain way, I've behaved a certain way, 00:22:36.860 --> 00:22:42.260 I've not aligned myself with what God says in his word or what 00:22:42.260 --> 00:22:43.260 he said otherwise. 00:22:43.660 --> 00:22:46.860 What happens is the godly desire is there, but I do not have the 00:22:46.860 --> 00:22:53.460 maturity to walk in it because my mindset has smothered or has 00:22:53.660 --> 00:22:58.260 imprisoned me from enjoying the desire I have. 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:06.660 It's like someone who wants to play hockey and become like a 00:23:06.660 --> 00:23:13.260 witchkin, but doesn't want to get up at five o'clock and skate 00:23:13.260 --> 00:23:14.060 in the ice rink. 00:23:14.060 --> 00:23:18.260 Sleep is more important, like for Derek and that other person. 00:23:19.260 --> 00:23:24.860 So what happens is the godly desire is there. 00:23:26.060 --> 00:23:28.060 The other person, if you're looking at me, it ain't me, 00:23:28.060 --> 00:23:29.060 Marcus was meaning you. 00:23:29.060 --> 00:23:35.860 So it's a deep godly desire, but you do not have the maturity to 00:23:35.860 --> 00:23:39.260 walk in it because the mental citadel of fortress is so strong, 00:23:39.260 --> 00:23:40.060 so strong. 00:23:40.060 --> 00:23:45.060 Doesn't that so often resemble us, resemble me? 00:23:51.860 --> 00:23:54.660 So we have traditional mindsets. 00:23:54.660 --> 00:23:57.860 Traditional mindsets are basically religious mindsets and 00:23:57.860 --> 00:24:00.660 Pentecostals and Charismatics and Baptists have it. 00:24:01.860 --> 00:24:05.460 Traditional or religious mindsets, mediocre mindsets, 00:24:05.460 --> 00:24:09.860 mediocre mindsets is one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, 00:24:09.860 --> 00:24:13.460 which are doing quite well and are quite happy with doing 00:24:13.460 --> 00:24:14.060 quite well. 00:24:14.860 --> 00:24:15.860 It's a terrible trap. 00:24:17.260 --> 00:24:18.460 Sentimental mindsets. 00:24:19.460 --> 00:24:22.460 Sentimental mindsets are when you're very emotional about 00:24:22.460 --> 00:24:26.660 stuff and so emotions easily affect you. 00:24:26.860 --> 00:24:27.860 Logical mindsets. 00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:31.660 I feel bad for anyone who has a logical mindset because it's so 00:24:31.660 --> 00:24:34.460 hard to step into anything illogical and God is so 00:24:34.760 --> 00:24:38.260 brilliantly illogical, even though it's super logical. 00:24:39.860 --> 00:24:42.860 Any questions on that one? 00:24:42.860 --> 00:24:48.020 Yeah, it's just that his ways and thoughts are higher than mine. That's why they 00:24:48.020 --> 00:24:49.020 sound illogical. 00:24:49.020 --> 00:24:55.020 But his ways are very logical. I mean the fact that scientists are finding out 00:24:55.020 --> 00:24:56.260 things about how the earth 00:24:56.260 --> 00:25:00.500 works and how light travels and all that stuff, just as an exposure, 00:25:00.500 --> 00:25:03.980 a miniature exposure of God's brilliant math 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:10.980 and logic. 00:25:12.980 --> 00:25:20.140 Any of these minds you have to check. 00:25:20.140 --> 00:25:25.340 These are damaged mindsets. And you cannot find out damaged mindsets. 00:25:25.340 --> 00:25:29.220 I cannot find out if I have a damaged mindset till I speak to someone 00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:33.740 about my mindset. And so one of the best ways to stay in a damaged mindset is not 00:25:33.740 --> 00:25:34.780 to talk to anybody 00:25:34.780 --> 00:25:41.860 about how you think. But when you start talking to somebody about how you think, 00:25:41.860 --> 00:25:46.940 that's when the holes are revealed. Not just anybody, 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:53.580 ones that you think can help. And the help has to primarily be 00:25:53.580 --> 00:25:58.580 sourced from the word. Any questions? 00:26:04.580 --> 00:26:09.260 What we do about it, I can give you the first couple of steps for each of these. 00:26:09.260 --> 00:26:11.580 The first step is to actually talk about it. 00:26:11.580 --> 00:26:16.260 To bring it out into the open. A mindset that is damaged will stay damaged if it 00:26:16.260 --> 00:26:16.820 is hidden. 00:26:16.820 --> 00:26:21.740 It must be brought into the light. It is light that reveals flaws. 00:26:21.740 --> 00:26:26.220 Light that reveals problems with the substructure. This is why 00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:33.220 we have something called the body. 00:26:34.220 --> 00:26:41.220 True. Sorry I didn't understand. Just repeat the second part. 00:26:51.820 --> 00:26:55.300 That it is caused by people? Yeah, it is caused by people. But now 00:26:55.300 --> 00:26:59.660 that people have caused it, I need to come to a place of healing. 00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:03.100 And for that I might need help because I can't do it alone. 00:27:03.100 --> 00:27:07.780 I know this line sounds so repetitive but every improvement in my life is 00:27:07.780 --> 00:27:12.860 because of people that have come in at the right time to help me. 00:27:12.860 --> 00:27:17.940 Sent by the Holy Spirit. Occasionally not, but mostly yes. 00:27:17.940 --> 00:27:24.940 And it changes. So the first step for damaged mindset is to bring it into the light. 00:27:25.820 --> 00:27:29.260 With someone who is walking in the light, bring it into the light. 00:27:29.260 --> 00:27:33.020 That's the first place. Because until then, the last person who can find out a blind 00:27:33.020 --> 00:27:36.100 spot is you. That's why they've got those funky things 00:27:36.100 --> 00:27:38.820 on your cars now. Where it makes noises, it starts flashing. 00:27:38.820 --> 00:27:41.260 It looks like a police car when a car goes by you. 00:27:41.260 --> 00:27:46.340 Because everything starts flashing. That also fails sometimes. 00:27:46.340 --> 00:27:50.980 The best solution for anyone who is afraid to drive is to take Evan with you. 00:27:50.980 --> 00:27:56.380 Evan does all the shoulder checks for you. He's been teaching so many people how to drive 00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:59.940 that he'll be sitting next to you on the passenger thing and he'll brake for you. 00:27:59.940 --> 00:28:01.820 I mean there is no brake there but he'll brake for you. 00:28:01.820 --> 00:28:04.420 He'll shoulder check for you. He'll do everything for you. 00:28:04.420 --> 00:28:07.260 If you look at him, you will know how to drive straight. 00:28:07.260 --> 00:28:10.260 I don't even look at the road now. I look at Evan. 00:28:10.260 --> 00:28:17.260 Even when Evan is not there. So the first step is to bring it into the light. 00:28:20.420 --> 00:28:23.060 After you bring it into the light, now you recognize your flaws. 00:28:23.060 --> 00:28:27.700 Start there. Start there. We don't need solutions. 00:28:27.700 --> 00:28:34.700 We need first steps. So today we'll give first steps for these things. 00:28:36.740 --> 00:28:40.300 Second hindrance. Second hindrance is wrong company. 00:28:40.300 --> 00:28:43.500 Wrong company. Wrong company is not wicked company. 00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:49.620 Wrong company is wrong company. Solomon's associations prevented him from moving 00:28:49.620 --> 00:28:55.140 into God's purposes. And in his case, his associations were immoral. 00:28:55.140 --> 00:28:59.340 Solomon's associations, I was once told that I don't give scriptural references. 00:28:59.340 --> 00:29:05.020 So let me give scriptural references. 1 Kings 11, 1 to 6. 00:29:05.020 --> 00:29:08.940 Solomon's immoral associations prevented him from moving into God's purpose. 00:29:08.940 --> 00:29:15.940 Who was Solomon? The wisest man on earth. 00:29:16.940 --> 00:29:21.140 Crazy, eh? The wisest man on earth. 00:29:21.140 --> 00:29:25.060 And I'm not talking about wisest, I know a little bit of science. 00:29:25.060 --> 00:29:32.060 Wisest as in wise man, like wisdom. The wisest man on earth. 00:29:34.100 --> 00:29:38.940 Solomon's immoral associations prevented him from moving into God's purpose. 00:29:38.940 --> 00:29:45.140 So if you want to cross thresholds, do not hang out with settlers because you will not 00:29:45.140 --> 00:29:49.380 cross thresholds. Do not hang out with settlers. 00:29:49.380 --> 00:29:55.260 As in Numbers 32 verse 5, you find that Gadites and the Danites stayed on one side of the... 00:29:55.260 --> 00:30:01.620 I mean for 40 years they've been told they're going to a promised land. 00:30:01.620 --> 00:30:06.580 After 40 years, seeing all their old men and women die, they're at the brink of the promised 00:30:06.580 --> 00:30:11.900 land and they will not cross the Jordan. Why? Because their cows like the grass on this 00:30:11.900 --> 00:30:18.660 side. There's something seriously wrong with that man. 00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:22.620 And so the Gadites and the Danites stay on this side of the Jordan while the rest of 00:30:22.620 --> 00:30:25.940 Israel crosses. And Moses makes a concession and tells them 00:30:25.940 --> 00:30:31.780 it's okay. Fight with us and then you can go. 00:30:31.780 --> 00:30:38.780 Where if you want to move past thresholds, you cannot hang out with settlers because 00:30:38.980 --> 00:30:45.980 we will all go to heaven but settlers will not be able to help you cross over. 00:30:52.860 --> 00:30:57.700 Numbers 32 verse 5. Because iron sharpens iron and the process 00:30:57.700 --> 00:31:04.340 of sharpening is not fun. Oh yeah, iron sharpens iron is a great verse 00:31:04.540 --> 00:31:09.180 but it's not fun. Brother, sister, iron sharpens iron. 00:31:09.180 --> 00:31:13.700 It means that she's going to grate me and it's going to hurt and I will dislike her 00:31:13.700 --> 00:31:20.700 through the process. But iron sharpens iron. 00:31:23.760 --> 00:31:29.760 On the other hand, when you associate with those that are moving with you past thresholds, 00:31:29.760 --> 00:31:36.000 man, it's so easy. There's a momentum that comes with that. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:43.000 Which brings me to a super important point. Order and framework are conducive to company 00:32:00.700 --> 00:32:07.700 Sorry I'll explain it. Yeah, if you have people in your life who 00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:14.700 walk in order and have a framework, then what happens is any vision that God has for you 00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:21.700 happens much faster. And even if your purposes are diverse, the common vision that God has 00:32:22.700 --> 00:32:29.700 for a people allows whatever God has for you to happen much faster. 00:32:29.700 --> 00:32:36.700 And even if you have a vision that God has for you, it's not going to happen faster. 00:32:36.700 --> 00:32:43.700 And even if your purposes are diverse, the common vision that God has for a people allows 00:32:43.700 --> 00:32:49.700 whatever God has for you to happen faster. So it's not that everybody has to think alike. 00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:54.820 Betty may want to do a dance school through which children get to know Jesus. 00:32:54.820 --> 00:32:59.940 Jillian may want to do a young people's group that wants to get to know Jesus. 00:32:59.940 --> 00:33:05.860 Heidi may want to do a group with women that need help on a daily basis that can lift them 00:33:05.860 --> 00:33:12.860 up. It doesn't matter what your diverse purpose is. When you are actually in a culture that 00:33:13.300 --> 00:33:19.740 has order and a framework, you find that you can accomplish what you want to do much faster. 00:33:19.740 --> 00:33:24.220 Nimrod recognized this in a very wicked way when he called them to the plains of Shinar 00:33:24.220 --> 00:33:29.060 and said, if we purpose things together, not even God can stop us. And God replied, even 00:33:29.060 --> 00:33:35.260 I can't stop them. There's something to order and framework that you belong to that will 00:33:35.260 --> 00:33:42.260 help your diverse purposes come to pass. So Jeevan may have Nandigama. What's his name 00:33:43.340 --> 00:33:49.820 may have Square One, the guy who sleeps a lot, Derek, may have Square One. Karen may 00:33:49.820 --> 00:33:56.820 have something to do with women that need to be helped from the streets. Different things 00:33:57.220 --> 00:34:03.940 that people have, man, diverse purposes, but they all happen much faster within the context 00:34:03.940 --> 00:34:10.940 of order and framework. Framework is when there is sufficient oversight so you're not 00:34:13.340 --> 00:34:20.340 a maverick that does not know lanes. When you start a race, what's that, relay race, 00:34:23.180 --> 00:34:26.900 you're supposed to stay in your lane for a little while. And then after you stay in the 00:34:26.900 --> 00:34:33.020 lane after whatever, obviously you can see how involved in athletics I was. And so after 00:34:33.020 --> 00:34:37.100 you run for a little while, you can then leave your lane and then you've got to come 00:34:37.100 --> 00:34:44.100 back and hand the baton over to the guy. There's a framework within which if you don't stay, 00:34:44.300 --> 00:34:51.300 you become mavericks that do whatever they want with whatever they have. And that doesn't 00:34:51.380 --> 00:34:58.380 help you cross thresholds. Any questions on that one? 00:35:03.460 --> 00:35:10.460 One of the hardest things to do is to actually come under order. Talking about order is super 00:35:12.660 --> 00:35:19.660 easy, man. Coming under order is so painful. Why? Because order happens through people 00:35:23.180 --> 00:35:30.180 and submission to a principle has to come first before submission to a person. So sometimes 00:35:30.580 --> 00:35:37.580 even if I don't quite like the person, I have to learn to submit to the principle. And that 00:35:39.220 --> 00:35:46.220 is why it is so difficult. That is why the talk is easy. But to actually bring your life 00:35:47.020 --> 00:35:53.140 under order to a people or to a person, man, it can be stifling because it doesn't give 00:35:53.140 --> 00:36:00.140 you the freedom to do what you want. 00:36:00.940 --> 00:36:07.940 I was telling Chad yesterday that when I say these things, sometimes I feel Jacob is so 00:36:09.580 --> 00:36:15.220 harsh, it's so strenuous, it's putting such a demand on people to walk a certain way. 00:36:15.220 --> 00:36:20.900 And then while I'm thinking, I suddenly think to myself, no man, I paid my dues in this. 00:36:20.900 --> 00:36:27.900 I walked this way and I know the benefits of it. Why would I rob you of it? 00:36:30.180 --> 00:36:37.180 Absence of faith. Next hindrance. Absence of faith. Absence of faith can hinder crossing 00:36:37.180 --> 00:36:44.180 thresholds. We've talked about this. We did a whole series of threshold faith. So what 00:36:44.540 --> 00:36:49.540 faith does is it propels you to take risks. It propels you to take risks and to take risks. 00:36:49.540 --> 00:37:01.540 So faith is essentially a kind of a 00:37:01.540 --> 00:37:08.540 What faith does is it propels you to take risks. It propels you to take risks even though 00:37:09.740 --> 00:37:15.380 you don't know the outcome. Even though you don't know the outcome. It's like blind 00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:22.380 Bartimaeus who was validated by what he wears, which was the blanket that blind and the sick 00:37:23.060 --> 00:37:28.220 used to wear in those days. He knows Jesus of Nazareth is coming along, so he casts it 00:37:28.220 --> 00:37:34.340 aside. He's expecting things. There's an expectation. But before the outcome, he's 00:37:34.340 --> 00:37:41.340 already cast aside. And so faith propels you to take risks. It helps you overcome giants 00:37:41.500 --> 00:37:48.500 you've always been afraid of. It increases expectation. 00:37:58.700 --> 00:38:05.700 It removes excuses. And it invalidates inability or inhibition. The last word is inhibition. 00:38:20.260 --> 00:38:27.260 So when the faith is absent, these things don't work. So it's so important for me to 00:38:27.340 --> 00:38:34.340 go into this new, unknown, unfamiliar room on the invite of God. I require some faith 00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:40.580 because it propels me to take the risk. It overcomes giants I've always been afraid 00:38:40.580 --> 00:38:46.300 of. Trust me, when you cross over thresholds, one of the first things that will face you 00:38:46.300 --> 00:38:51.860 is familiar giants. Because some of them know that they don't even need to do anything. 00:38:51.860 --> 00:38:56.380 They just need to show up. Goliath knew this. And he would make his appearance immediately 00:38:56.380 --> 00:39:01.740 after the morning sacrifice. Israel called upon Yahweh, finished the morning sacrifice. 00:39:01.740 --> 00:39:06.340 Just when they finished the morning sacrifice, Goliath would come up. And the hallelujah, 00:39:06.340 --> 00:39:12.380 Jehovah is king, would suddenly have the soldiers scurrying back into their foxholes. And so 00:39:12.380 --> 00:39:18.500 the intent was, can we destroy this great enthusiasm about Jehovah immediately so that 00:39:18.500 --> 00:39:22.100 they don't have strength for the rest of the day? Then he would come out again after the 00:39:22.100 --> 00:39:29.100 evening sacrifice. And so, overcome giants you're afraid of. Faith gives me an increased 00:39:30.780 --> 00:39:35.540 expectation. There's nothing to show, but there's an increased expectation. It removes 00:39:35.540 --> 00:39:41.220 excuses. All the excuses that I've had all this time here, it removes excuses. And it 00:39:41.220 --> 00:39:47.860 invalidates my inhibitions or inabilities. As in, yes, Jacob, you have these inhibitions, 00:39:47.860 --> 00:39:54.620 but why don't you just dance anyways? Show them how amazing you are with two left feet. 00:39:54.620 --> 00:40:01.620 Faith allows you to see. Some mornings, man, I'll get up and say, show me, father, so that 00:40:01.620 --> 00:40:08.620 I'm my walk. Faith allows you to see. And why is that important? Because perception 00:40:20.380 --> 00:40:27.380 determines pursuit. Perception determines pursuit. Sometimes he shows you a lot of things 00:40:31.940 --> 00:40:36.380 and sometimes he shows you a little. But father, please show me how this is going to happen 00:40:36.380 --> 00:40:40.620 or what's going to happen. What am I supposed to see so that I can get up and say, okay, 00:40:40.620 --> 00:40:47.620 let's go? Got no evidence except what I thought God said. And you go with it. Perception determines 00:40:47.700 --> 00:40:54.700 pursuit. It gets to a point where you need to see very little. Very little. I remember 00:40:54.700 --> 00:41:01.700 standing at Bahrain, at the mortuary in Bahrain. It was very odd, the way, Roland Tan was with 00:41:08.940 --> 00:41:13.900 me. Roland is standing there and my dad's dead body is on a slab. We pulled it out of 00:41:13.900 --> 00:41:20.140 the mortuary and Roland is praying for my dad to rise up from the dead. He did not. 00:41:20.140 --> 00:41:26.900 Let me just in case you're waiting for the punch line. He did not. But as Roland is watching 00:41:26.900 --> 00:41:30.860 the body and commanding it to rise, he's like standing like this. You know why? Because 00:41:30.860 --> 00:41:36.220 he was saying, Jacob, if I saw even a little movement, I was going to go do something. 00:41:36.220 --> 00:41:41.420 It was this sense of expectation that was so odd that he had. I was praying my heart 00:41:41.420 --> 00:41:46.620 out because it was my dad, but he was praying with the kind of faith that I looked at and 00:41:46.620 --> 00:41:53.620 thought, man, this is something else. Why did that story come to mind? It gets to a 00:41:55.980 --> 00:42:02.180 point where you need to see very little and it's something that clicks inside you. But 00:42:02.180 --> 00:42:09.180 this won't happen until we develop the habit of it. Most of us want quite a picture painted 00:42:09.860 --> 00:42:15.100 before we can step into it. But once you get habituated to God, what then happens is a 00:42:15.100 --> 00:42:22.100 little bit enough to cause your feet to start tapping even though there's no music. Any 00:42:30.780 --> 00:42:37.780 questions? If you don't see results, we do exactly what Jacob felt when he saw the wagons 00:42:38.900 --> 00:42:44.400 coming at a distance. They said that Joseph was alive. He did not believe it. But then 00:42:44.480 --> 00:42:51.480 Genesis 49, and Jacob saw the wagons at a distance and his heart was refreshed and encouraged. 00:42:51.840 --> 00:42:58.840 Whenever there are no results, I keep looking for the fist-sized cloud. I can go from one 00:43:02.440 --> 00:43:08.880 fist-sized cloud to the other for the next 20 years. Why? Because you are faithful. You 00:43:08.880 --> 00:43:15.880 are faithful. You are faithful. You are faithful. I know who goes before me. I know who stands 00:43:19.920 --> 00:43:26.920 behind. The God of angel armies is always by my side. The one who reigns forever, he 00:43:28.920 --> 00:43:35.920 is a friend of mine. The God of angel armies is always by my side. Sometimes look for the 00:43:36.920 --> 00:43:41.520 writing in the fist-sized cloud. Sometimes God will say, hey, I know you waited 10 years, 00:43:41.520 --> 00:43:48.520 but can you change this about your waiting? Or can you try this? Guys, when it comes to 00:43:52.720 --> 00:43:59.960 the will of others, that's one area where even God won't take away the will of others. 00:43:59.960 --> 00:44:05.160 Sometimes when we wait in faith for something to change in another person's life, always 00:44:05.160 --> 00:44:12.160 give them the... We always know that there is freedom of will that even God won't mess 00:44:12.200 --> 00:44:18.800 with, because otherwise he could save everybody here on earth. There's not a single person 00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:24.760 that would go to hell if God could violate their free will. We've got to understand this 00:44:24.760 --> 00:44:30.480 because I've met too many people who pray that, no, God is going to make it happen. 00:44:30.480 --> 00:44:35.920 Who's going to save? Yes, he's going to save, but he has to let us have the free will to 00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:41.560 choose. Otherwise, everything could be done. He could just intervene with anyone's free 00:44:41.560 --> 00:44:48.560 will and change the world easily. The next hindrance is ignorance. Ignorance. 00:45:01.320 --> 00:45:08.320 Ignorance leads to stagnancy. Ignorance leads to stagnancy. So what happens is you're waiting 00:45:12.120 --> 00:45:19.120 for a break. You end up waiting for a break instead of recognizing God. This happens 00:45:19.120 --> 00:45:26.120 in John chapter 5, verse 4 onwards, where Jesus is present, Son of God is present. There 00:45:32.240 --> 00:45:36.960 are people around the pool all waiting for an angel to stir the water so that they can 00:45:36.960 --> 00:45:41.720 get into it. Everyone's waiting for a break while God himself is there and they cannot 00:45:41.720 --> 00:45:48.720 recognize him. Many of us, when we are at the brink of this is old, this is a new world, 00:45:49.280 --> 00:45:52.960 I know I need to step into something new. I don't know what it is. We are waiting for 00:45:52.960 --> 00:45:58.400 that critical break and God is saying, listen, if you could only look at what I've been saying 00:45:58.400 --> 00:46:02.560 over the last little while, you would recognize what I've said between the lines. You would 00:46:02.560 --> 00:46:06.200 recognize what I've been saying through the teaching. You would recognize what I've been 00:46:06.200 --> 00:46:09.640 saying through the prophetic word. You would recognize what I've been saying through your 00:46:09.640 --> 00:46:14.740 daily reading. You would recognize what I'm doing just through circumstances and orchestrations 00:46:14.780 --> 00:46:19.940 around you. And so I'm saying to you, instead of waiting for a break, recognize what I'm 00:46:19.940 --> 00:46:24.420 already doing and you will have an idea of the dimensions and the length and the breadth 00:46:24.420 --> 00:46:29.180 and the height of the room that I'm asking you to step into. And you can look back two 00:46:29.180 --> 00:46:36.180 years and you'll see that he's setting you up for tomorrow. 00:46:44.740 --> 00:46:51.740 Someone gave me a watch one day, an expensive watch. I had a watch, but it was quite expensive 00:46:56.700 --> 00:47:00.140 what they gave me. As soon as I got it I knew that I had to give it to someone one day and 00:47:00.140 --> 00:47:03.660 so I kept it, kept it, never wore it, kept it. Brand new watch, I thought I've got to 00:47:03.660 --> 00:47:09.380 meet someone and give it to them. And I knew that whoever I gave it to, God was saying 00:47:09.380 --> 00:47:15.860 to that person, listen, I'm going to expand your boundaries. I'm going to bless you. 00:47:15.860 --> 00:47:21.100 I'll change who you are. People have seen you here, they will see you here. And so one 00:47:21.100 --> 00:47:28.100 day I meet the person and I give him the blue watch. Now my question is this. I did what 00:47:28.260 --> 00:47:34.420 I was supposed to. Is that person thinking like that now? Too often in church prophetic 00:47:34.740 --> 00:47:41.740 words and symbols are great, but restructuring of thinking is what has to happen. I don't 00:47:43.140 --> 00:47:46.740 want this church to be a church where we have prophetic words and symbols. In fact I told 00:47:46.740 --> 00:47:51.540 the young adults last Sunday, let's not prophesy for the next two months. Let's restart prophecy 00:47:51.540 --> 00:47:58.140 after December 15th. Why? Because we are prophesying so much that there's no, and it's not inaccurate. 00:47:58.140 --> 00:48:02.540 It is good prophetic words, but it's like there are 20 that have yet to be fulfilled, 00:48:02.540 --> 00:48:08.180 so let's fulfill them before we move on to the next 20. What are you doing with the words 00:48:08.180 --> 00:48:11.820 that have been spoken and the symbols that have been given to you? Has your thinking 00:48:11.820 --> 00:48:18.820 changed? Who's crying man? Sheldon, what did you do? No, no, I'm completely okay with the 00:48:18.820 --> 00:48:25.820 crying. I was just asking who, because I saw Sheldon there and I thought, oops. You have 00:48:36.180 --> 00:48:43.180 this way man. Yes. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. Migrate. 00:48:48.820 --> 00:48:54.540 Migration or moving past thresholds must be seen as a necessity, not as an option. It 00:48:54.540 --> 00:49:01.540 must be seen as a necessity, not as an option. Do you really believe that? Ask yourself for 00:49:01.820 --> 00:49:08.820 a moment. Do you really believe that? That it's a necessity, not an option? Next one. 00:49:08.820 --> 00:49:15.820 Purity goes without saying. Israelites failed to step into places that they were supposed 00:49:24.380 --> 00:49:31.380 to because of the works of the flesh and of disobedience. Works of flesh and disobedience. 00:49:31.380 --> 00:49:38.380 That's an easy one. I won't labor the point. Purity is vital. Otherwise the cloud just 00:49:40.220 --> 00:49:47.220 keeps going around the wilderness till you change. This is one of the problems with God 00:49:47.500 --> 00:49:53.060 because he doesn't live in time. He doesn't measure time. And so he's quite okay waiting 00:49:53.060 --> 00:50:00.060 till you change. He's quite okay waiting. And so if you don't change in here, you're 00:50:01.940 --> 00:50:05.820 not going to change. Then he will let the cloud go round and round in the wilderness 00:50:05.820 --> 00:50:10.620 till Jacob changes. And all that will happen is Jacob will do the same thing again and 00:50:10.620 --> 00:50:17.620 again and again and again and again. And so works of the flesh and disobedience, God will 00:50:17.700 --> 00:50:24.700 wait. Because your tickets to heaven are booked. What happened, Aaron? Your dad is on your 00:50:25.700 --> 00:50:32.700 right. On your right, on your right. Sheldon, leave at least one or two kids alone, man. 00:50:35.940 --> 00:50:42.940 All of them are coming in crying. Jane, I hope you're watching this. Now, I'm going 00:50:54.700 --> 00:51:01.700 to go to the next one. Material comfort. Loyalty. Security. These are so not conducive to crossing 00:51:09.420 --> 00:51:16.420 thresholds. They've stopped me so many times it's crazy. Whenever personal comfort, security 00:51:17.420 --> 00:51:24.420 and loyalty get in the way, I do not make the progress I need to. Abraham journeyed. Lot 00:51:28.420 --> 00:51:33.980 found it hard. Abraham didn't know what to do. Guys, catch and release. Whatever you 00:51:33.980 --> 00:51:40.500 get, catch and release. If you're a fisherman, I'm not, but I know this term. Catch and release. 00:51:40.500 --> 00:51:46.740 Whatever God gives you, be it family, be it wealth, be it possessions, catch it, hold 00:51:46.740 --> 00:51:53.740 it, enjoy it, measure how big the fish is and then release it. I love the slogan over 00:51:58.020 --> 00:52:05.020 the fisherman's shop in Twasin Mills. It says, welcome all hunters, fishermen and liars. 00:52:06.020 --> 00:52:13.020 I love that. That's the slogan right on the door. Welcome all hunters, fishermen and liars. 00:52:16.420 --> 00:52:23.420 So at the end of the day, whatever God gives me, family. I know you think to yourself that 00:52:23.500 --> 00:52:30.500 should come first. Family, wealth, possessions. These are Jesus' words. Anyone who puts wife, 00:52:31.420 --> 00:52:38.420 husband, brother, sister, son, daughter, land, possessions, wealth, he doesn't say, well 00:52:40.740 --> 00:52:44.300 if you're like that then you'll have to work on it. He says, you're not worthy of following 00:52:44.300 --> 00:52:51.300 me. You're not worthy of being called a disciple. How extreme is that? But one of the things 00:52:53.500 --> 00:52:59.660 that prevents me from crossing thresholds is material comfort, loyalty and security. 00:52:59.660 --> 00:53:06.660 Loyalty is an excellent quality. I'm talking about misplaced loyalty or illegitimate loyalties 00:53:06.700 --> 00:53:13.700 or past loyalties. So choose not to own it. Choose to catch and release because illegitimate 00:53:18.220 --> 00:53:25.220 loyalties stifle migration or movement, stifle migration. They spawn idolatry. They spawn 00:53:29.660 --> 00:53:36.660 destiny. They swallow destiny. How does it spawn idolatry? When Jesus' commands have 00:53:40.780 --> 00:53:46.420 to be filtered through something or someone here on earth before I will follow it, it 00:53:46.420 --> 00:53:53.420 means there is someone else sharing the throne with him. Crazy, eh? When Jesus' commands 00:53:53.420 --> 00:54:00.420 have to be filtered through something or someone here on earth before I will follow 00:54:01.460 --> 00:54:08.460 it, then I must realize that there is someone else sharing the throne with him. And that 00:54:10.500 --> 00:54:17.500 is the definition of idolatry. When I'm bowing to someone besides Jesus, when Jesus says 00:54:17.500 --> 00:54:22.500 something I have to go and check with someone else to say, you okay with it? I'm not okay 00:54:22.500 --> 00:54:28.660 with it. If you're not okay with it, then we can postpone it. There are times when I 00:54:28.660 --> 00:54:35.380 will have to take care of people and postpone things. There are exceptions to these. I'm 00:54:35.380 --> 00:54:42.380 talking about when it's become a habit. When you know it's a habit. 00:54:42.780 --> 00:54:48.780 Can you distinguish that from the border? 00:54:48.780 --> 00:54:55.780 Which part? Okay. Yeah. So let's say Jesus has space and room for things to be delayed 00:55:03.820 --> 00:55:08.140 when people are sick, when people are dying, when people have died. He used to have times 00:55:08.140 --> 00:55:12.860 of mourning that were deliberate so that people didn't have to continue to do what 00:55:12.860 --> 00:55:19.180 they needed to. There would be times given. Even in delay and delayed obedience there 00:55:19.180 --> 00:55:26.020 is a framework that Jesus has created for us. He expects David to find a herdsman that David 00:55:26.020 --> 00:55:33.020 can leave his sheep with before David goes off to battle. He expects David not to cut 00:55:33.020 --> 00:55:38.900 off Saul's head because the time will come and David will be king and David is not supposed 00:55:38.900 --> 00:55:44.660 to take it into his own hands. He expects Paul to apologize to the high priest for calling 00:55:44.660 --> 00:55:48.860 him a whitewashed tomb because Paul didn't know that he was talking to the high priest. 00:55:48.860 --> 00:55:53.260 There is order, there is framework even in the midst of wickedness, in the midst of decay 00:55:53.260 --> 00:56:00.020 and death. But there are times where we have decided that this is going to be someone I 00:56:00.100 --> 00:56:07.100 will give allegiance to first before I give allegiance to God and it has become an idol. 00:56:07.100 --> 00:56:11.020 We know that. There are certain things in our lives. Sometimes it's work, sometimes 00:56:11.020 --> 00:56:15.540 it's family, sometimes it's a parent, sometimes it's this. Nothing gets done and Jesus had 00:56:15.540 --> 00:56:21.540 to turn to people who said I'll come after I bury my dad. He said let the dead bury their 00:56:21.540 --> 00:56:28.540 dead. This sounds so cruel but Jesus is the kindest person on earth saying it. I love 00:56:30.500 --> 00:56:37.500 the extremes we have in Jesus. We must embrace these extremes. This is what discipleship 00:56:38.780 --> 00:56:44.220 is. I was saying this to leaders some nights ago that guys we are not doing house churches 00:56:44.220 --> 00:56:49.280 so that we can all participate. That's great. It gives us the ability to express the things 00:56:49.280 --> 00:56:54.440 of God that benefit each other. We are not doing hubs so that we can have greater participation 00:56:54.440 --> 00:56:59.880 and everybody gets to be a shepherd at some point or a prophet at some point or a teacher 00:56:59.880 --> 00:57:04.960 at some point. It's great. People benefit. We are doing what we are doing only for one 00:57:04.960 --> 00:57:11.960 reason that every person in this church becomes a disciple which means you are divinely owned 00:57:13.160 --> 00:57:18.600 and you are divinely fathered. You are divinely fathered so you are a son. You are divinely 00:57:18.600 --> 00:57:25.600 owned so that you are everybody's servant. And that the only reason we are doing it is 00:57:27.320 --> 00:57:33.560 so that as a disciple you spend your life. What does spending your life look like? Spending 00:57:33.560 --> 00:57:39.560 everything you have in terms of your physical life here on earth. Whatever that physical 00:57:39.560 --> 00:57:45.720 life is made up of. That is what we are aiming at. That is what I must aim at in my life. 00:57:45.720 --> 00:57:49.600 That is what you must aim at in your life. And if I am not there today, tomorrow I must 00:57:49.600 --> 00:57:55.040 be a bit closer to that than today because that is the only kind of disciple that exists. 00:57:55.040 --> 00:57:59.240 Every house church, all hubs, this teaching, worship, the way we do things, the casualness, 00:57:59.240 --> 00:58:05.860 the children crying all lead to just one thing. Can I be this kind of a disciple that imitates 00:58:05.860 --> 00:58:10.280 Jesus Christ to an extent where you lay down your life for the sake of others, for the 00:58:10.360 --> 00:58:17.360 sake of the king, for the sake of the kingdom. That's all. And if we ever lose that plot 00:58:20.640 --> 00:58:25.400 for sharing or singing in a house church, then the house church has become something 00:58:25.400 --> 00:58:31.320 far greater than it should be. But a house church is a place where that is cultivated. 00:58:31.320 --> 00:58:35.320 Where you are not afraid to speak for God. You are not afraid to teach from the word 00:58:35.520 --> 00:58:40.520 because you have got substance. You are not afraid to sing praises openly or closely. 00:58:40.520 --> 00:58:47.520 Wrong word. And it happens in the context of a body. If you think you can become like 00:58:51.120 --> 00:58:56.120 Jesus without being part of the body, not possible. Impossible. Why? Because Christ 00:58:56.120 --> 00:59:01.580 is attached to his body. The bridegroom reveals himself only to the bride, will always show 00:59:01.660 --> 00:59:08.460 himself only through the body fully. You will get bits of him. This is why we are different 00:59:08.460 --> 00:59:13.460 from Hindu sages who go up to Himalayas and sit there trying to get a download from their 00:59:13.460 --> 00:59:20.460 gods. Our download always happens in the context of his body. The head and the body. In his 00:59:25.140 --> 00:59:30.380 brilliance God talked about it in Psalm 133. That the oil that is poured upon the head 00:59:30.380 --> 00:59:37.380 of Aaron will flow down his head to his beard upon his robes. Do you realize what that means? 00:59:39.140 --> 00:59:44.420 That standing alone I cannot walk in some great anointing because the anointing comes 00:59:44.420 --> 00:59:49.860 from the head and flows down into the body. Therefore real anointing happens when I am 00:59:49.860 --> 00:59:56.860 connected to the body because the head is connected to the body. Which is why the bells 00:59:57.860 --> 01:00:04.860 toll for superstars in Christendom. That is a side topic. Beware of illegitimate loyalties 01:00:15.340 --> 01:00:20.700 as a result of duty, as a result of the importance it gives you, as a result of obligation to 01:00:20.740 --> 01:00:27.740 lay ban, or as a result of the grace shown to you in the past. Some of us stay in a church 01:00:32.020 --> 01:00:35.580 because the person who built the church has been dead for 20 years but there was great 01:00:35.580 --> 01:00:41.300 grace in his life. So we are still sucking on the grace of a dead person. I know that 01:00:41.300 --> 01:00:48.300 sounded very crude but that is the truth. Burn your yoke of oxen. Come out of the grave 01:00:50.700 --> 01:00:57.700 of the rut. I'll have to stop because we don't have time so I'll do the rest later. 01:01:09.620 --> 01:01:16.500 Hatred is important if you want to come out of ruts. Destroy idolatry. Hatred is important. 01:01:16.500 --> 01:01:23.500 If you don't hate, you will not choose what you need to. David in Psalm 37 and in Psalm 01:01:24.100 --> 01:01:31.100 139 would say stuff like, I hate oh God that which you hate. Or I hate those that hate 01:01:31.460 --> 01:01:36.780 you. We are not asked to hate those that hate God. But I hate that which you hate. If I 01:01:36.780 --> 01:01:43.420 want to come out of something I have to have a hatred for it. Cultivate hatred if you want 01:01:43.420 --> 01:01:50.420 to break loose. Be aware of illegitimate loyalties as a result of duty, as a result 01:01:59.900 --> 01:02:06.900 of the importance that is given you. Sometimes we stay at a place because we feel that we 01:02:07.100 --> 01:02:14.100 are being given importance there. Sometimes as an obligation to lay ban. Sometimes because 01:02:15.700 --> 01:02:22.700 of the grace or mercy shown to you in the past. I must have a hatred for things that 01:02:25.460 --> 01:02:30.620 stop me from crossing thresholds because otherwise they'll always have a pull on me and so I'll 01:02:30.620 --> 01:02:36.120 hold on to them while I'm stepping forward. I must hate this to a point where I know that 01:02:36.120 --> 01:02:42.600 everything is going to be crippled. Once I hate, now I can plan. I'm not saying hatred 01:02:42.600 --> 01:02:49.600 should just catapult you into the unknown. Once you hate, you can plan. Once you hate 01:02:49.720 --> 01:02:54.720 something, it's amazing. The moment you hate your work, you're already, while you're at 01:02:54.720 --> 01:03:01.720 work and the boss is not looking, you're scrolling down employment opportunities. 01:03:06.120 --> 01:03:13.120 So let's take fear of the Lord. So let's redefine fear of the Lord. Fear of the Lord 01:03:13.120 --> 01:03:20.120 is the dread of offending the one you love. Fear of the Lord is the dread of offending 01:03:20.120 --> 01:03:27.120 the one you love. And then it comes back again to this thing of loving what he loves and 01:03:30.160 --> 01:03:37.160 hating what he hates. Fear of the Lord is the dread of offending or grieving the one 01:03:38.920 --> 01:03:45.920 you love. And so, fear of the Lord is the dread of offending the one you love. And then 01:03:45.920 --> 01:03:52.400 the Lord is the dread of offending or grieving the one you love. It bothers you 01:03:52.400 --> 01:04:01.240 so much when he's grieved that you can't bear it. It'd be like... One day Derek 01:04:01.240 --> 01:04:09.160 tripped Phoebe and she fell and she started crying like crazy and you should 01:04:09.160 --> 01:04:14.580 have seen Derek man he could have crawled into a hole this small. Why? Because 01:04:14.620 --> 01:04:19.260 he couldn't bear the thought that he had caused so much hurt to this. Leah, I 01:04:19.260 --> 01:04:22.700 remember this man. She was at the airport going back the last time and she was 01:04:22.700 --> 01:04:26.460 rocking on a chair and she rocked all the way back and instead of holding the 01:04:26.460 --> 01:04:33.220 chair I laughed for a second. I'm so sorry I still remember that ten years ago. She 01:04:33.220 --> 01:04:38.460 hit her head so hard man. There was a bump and she was very brave. She didn't cry 01:04:38.460 --> 01:04:43.540 though. I'm feeling the bump on her head and thinking I would be crying and she 01:04:43.540 --> 01:04:50.580 went and I'm thinking to myself I don't know what the point of the story is. Yeah 01:04:50.580 --> 01:04:55.260 the dread of grieving the ones you love. It bothers you so much that you've hurt 01:04:55.260 --> 01:05:01.260 someone. To love what he loves to hate what he hates. I got a lot of points but 01:05:01.260 --> 01:05:07.380 I can't finish them so I'll stop. We got satanic opposition. We got spirit of 01:05:07.380 --> 01:05:14.340 fear and control. We got how God empowers us for crossing thresholds. That's a 01:05:14.340 --> 01:05:18.620 cool thing. God resources you before you cross thresholds. God resources you. He 01:05:18.620 --> 01:05:24.860 knows that to open the doors of this big room you need some extra help. So as 01:05:24.860 --> 01:05:29.180 you're trying to push the door open James happens to walk by and 01:05:29.180 --> 01:05:32.980 James just leans on the room and the door opens and you walk through and you 01:05:32.980 --> 01:05:39.580 say bye to James and now you got your room. So God has the ability to 01:05:39.580 --> 01:05:45.220 resource crossing of thresholds. You look at it when Israel left Egypt they 01:05:45.220 --> 01:05:49.540 were resourced. When Jacob left he was resourced. There was always 01:05:49.540 --> 01:05:55.900 resourcing as in strengthening for entry. Whenever I cross the threshold I'm 01:05:55.900 --> 01:05:59.500 looking for okay who are you going to send me to help? Where is the wealth 01:05:59.620 --> 01:06:09.140 going to come from for this news thing? How is it going to happen? But like I 01:06:09.140 --> 01:06:18.340 said we've run out of time. Thank God we did communion early and then we'll talk 01:06:18.340 --> 01:06:24.780 about examples of inaccurate transition. Guys like Ruth, guys like Abraham, guys 01:06:24.820 --> 01:06:30.060 like like I said we'll talk about it next time because knowing me I can go 01:06:30.060 --> 01:06:40.820 down that whole thing and finish it in the next 20 minutes. So let's just pray. 01:06:45.660 --> 01:06:49.460 May you just want to come up? 01:06:55.420 --> 01:07:02.580 Father I just pray for me. Before I pray for me I just want to pray for what we 01:07:02.580 --> 01:07:11.100 heard. Father as we heard these things given the way that I sometimes teach it 01:07:11.100 --> 01:07:17.820 can bring guilt, it can bring what am I going to do now, it can bring I have to 01:07:17.820 --> 01:07:21.700 obey if I don't do this it'll be disobedient. 01:07:25.780 --> 01:07:36.580 And you're saying I lift that burden off you I know you have heard and if you 01:07:36.580 --> 01:07:45.060 come to me you and I can plan this well but I remove from you the burden of 01:07:45.060 --> 01:07:55.460 guilt, the burden of oh I've got to do something. I love that you hear says the 01:07:55.460 --> 01:08:02.260 Lord that is the beginning of obedience. So stay there and you and I can start 01:08:02.260 --> 01:08:07.900 talking about it and we can work out the rest. Don't take this into your own hands 01:08:07.900 --> 01:08:18.820 and try to do it on your own because I can plan it much better. So father I just 01:08:18.820 --> 01:08:22.980 thank you as you lift off any burden of guilt or any burden of I have to do 01:08:22.980 --> 01:08:27.540 something or I've got to make this happen. You're taking it off us saying you 01:08:27.540 --> 01:08:31.900 have heard now invite me to work with you so that I can do it for you instead 01:08:31.900 --> 01:08:40.020 of you trying to wrestle this thing. Thank you Jesus you're so kind. So I 01:08:40.020 --> 01:08:45.500 free all of us from this father but I pray that there be an urgency to invite 01:08:45.500 --> 01:08:55.140 you to deal with these things so that we can cross the threshold. As a father as 01:08:55.140 --> 01:09:03.980 May goes to Dayton it's our first trip into Dayton. Five months ago we couldn't 01:09:03.980 --> 01:09:10.380 have imagined four places in the US. It's happening at such a fast rate. 01:09:10.380 --> 01:09:19.300 It's crazy in January there's Nashville. So church can we just pray for this step 01:09:19.300 --> 01:09:24.980 into Dayton please. Just just feel free. 01:09:49.300 --> 01:10:17.300 Father may you give such incredible wisdom, such incredible strength that the leaders there will be able to step into whatever they are called to step into now. 01:10:17.300 --> 01:10:29.300 They will be able to cross the thresholds that you could have brought them to. That you would give them direction and that you would give them guidance. Father may they be such rich resourcing as they cross into the state of Maine. 01:10:29.300 --> 01:10:44.300 Father may you give May such creative and brilliant ideas only from you who is here, only from you as she speaks with them, as she meets with them so that your church will be established. 01:10:44.300 --> 01:11:13.300 Father I pray Isaiah 28 verse 23 to 25 or the last few verses or 23 to 30 that different grains require different ways of treating them, planting them, threshing them, harvesting them. 01:11:13.300 --> 01:11:29.300 I pray that as May goes and as I go that what works at Acts 29 may not be what works there. And so you said you would teach and you would give us the wisdom to plant different crops, cumin, barley, different things done differently. 01:11:29.300 --> 01:11:44.300 I ask that for us Father. Grant us the wisdom to know how to deal with each of these. So Father as we go now we don't go in May Wong's name or Jacob John's name. We go in the name of Jesus Christ sent out by this body. 01:11:44.300 --> 01:12:03.300 So we thank you. Father I just place Stephen in charge as we go. I just place him in charge as we go. May he nurture your church well while I'm away.