0:07 There's a interesting expression that comes in Exodus. If you turn with me to Exodus, it says in Exodus 40, the end of verse 32, it says, "Just as 0:29 the Lord commanded Moses." And then it goes on at the end of verse 33, "Thus Moses finished the work." Everything that Moses did was as the Lord had commanded. He didn't go by what he felt was right, but he asked 0:48 whatever the Lord had spoken to him. He built the tabernacle according to what God had commanded. And because of that, it says in verse 34, "Then the cloud covered Exodus 40:34, then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the 1:06 Lord filled the tabernacle." And for us also, the Lord is calling us to do just as the Lord has commanded us today as well. And in that context, I was thinking about what 1:24 we read in Matthew chapter 28, verse 18 to 20. Matthew 28:18-20, "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, 1:43 'All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to obey or observe all that I have commanded you. 2:02 And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. And so, Jesus also, he's commanding us, saying, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them." Who is the them? The disciples. In the name of the Father, Son, and the 2:22 Holy Spirit. And observe and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And so, one of our callings is is to do this in the church. Every single one of us must be a disciple. 2:40 Jesus did not go and say, "Go into the world and make believers." He said, "Go into the world and make disciples." And so, if God has commanded, just like he commanded Moses, "I want you to do it exactly as I commanded." So, I say, 2:57 "Lord, I want to do it exactly as you commanded. You commanded to go and make disciples." And for each one of us, brother, sister, young person, we must be a disciple of Jesus. We must know what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, 3:15 and then be a disciple of Jesus. Some of us may have been disciples in the past. And maybe today we are not a disciple. We read in John John chapter 6. You can turn with me to John chapter 6. Verse 60. 3:35 Therefore, many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a difficult statement. Who can listen to it?" These were disciples of Jesus who are following him, and then when Jesus shared this word, Jesus says to them, 3:55 "Does this cause you to stumble? Does this cause you to be offended? You were a disciple, but now the words I'm speaking to you are offending you." And then it goes on in verse 66. John chapter 6 verse 66. As a result of 4:13 this, many of his disciples withdrew and were not walking with him anymore. At one point in time they were disciples. They were walking and following after Jesus. But something caused them to stumble. And so today it's good for us to make 4:33 sure and examine ourselves. Lord, am I a disciple today? And if Jesus said, "Baptizing them." Baptize the disciples. And so today I I want to share about 4:52 one of the things that Jesus taught because he said, "Go and teach them all that I've commanded." And one of the first things that he's taught, which is found in Matthew 4:4. You can turn with me to Matthew 4:4. And if you have a Bible, it's good to 5:09 open up your Bible and find where these verses are. Matthew 4:4. But Jesus answered the devil and said, "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 5:26 proceeds out of the mouth of God." So Jesus said, "First, AJ, you must obey that word. And then you must teach others also to obey that word. You must go first and receive receive God's word and seek to teach others also 5:48 to receive it as well. But I did want to speak on this because Jesus said, "Go make disciples and baptize them." And as over the years, I've met different people 6:06 which have had different baptism experiences. Some were sprinkled. Some were different traditions. Some didn't even know the Lord. Some did it because their friends did it. And it's good for us to know when Jesus commanded the disciples to be baptized. 6:26 It's good for us to examine and see the baptism that I took, if we take in some other baptism, is it in lines with what Jesus commanded? If Jesus commanded to take baptism immersing us in water and coming out of the water, then we should 6:45 obey just as Jesus commanded. And so I want to encourage every one of us to read this book, The Good Foundation. When I was a teenager and I first came to know the Lord, this was one of the books I read. And it taught me about repentance, about 7:02 faith, about justification, about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and what baptism in water meant. And so I would encourage every single one of you, if you know how to read, it's a very simple book. And I believe that as as I've spoken to 7:20 others as well, who are not sure, is the baptism I took genuine or not? As they read the book, most of them got a clarity. Yes, I need to be baptized genuinely. And so, like Jesus said, 7:39 "Make disciples and baptize the disciples." And so, it's good for us to remember, what is a disciple? So, if you turn with me to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14. Verse 25. Luke chapter 14 verse 25. 8:03 Now, large crowds were going along with him, and he turned and said to them, verse 26, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, even his own life, 8:23 he cannot be my disciple." If I love anyone else, father, mother, brother, sister, more than Jesus, Jesus tells me, "Aji, you cannot be a disciple. You love your children more than me. You love your wife more than me. You love 8:41 your parents more than me. Some other relative you love more than me. You just cannot be my disciple." And so, I take Jesus' word, and I say, "Lord, am I your disciple? Am I willing And for me, the test has been, 9:00 if Jesus tells me to do something, and when I became a Christian from a non-Christian home, there were times where Jesus would tell me to do something, and I knew for sure, if I did this, all of these people are going to get 9:16 offended at it. And I had a choice. Do I love all of these people, or do I love Jesus? Am I willing to offend all of these people, or am I willing to offend Jesus? I have to make the choice. And you will, too. 9:35 Every disciple will have to make that choice. Who means more to them? Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. I must and there's going to be situations like that where we'll have to 9:54 make a choice. And who can be a disciple of Jesus? It's only the adults can be disciples of Jesus? What do you think? It's interesting. Jesus quotes the Old Testament. Even that verse that we read in Matthew 10:14 4:4, Jesus was quoting the Old Testament saying man shall not live by bread bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. There are very few verses that Jesus quotes in the in the scriptures. Um and one of them is found in John 10:31 chapter 6. This is a verse that I I take as a promise in the Old Testament but it was wonderful to see that Jesus quotes this exact verse. John chapter 10:55 Actually, it's not John chapter 6. Uh it's John chapter Oh, I actually it was John chapter 6. 11:14 John chapter 6. Verse 43 onwards. John chapter 6 verse 43. Jesus answered and said to them, "Do not grumble among yourselves." For verse 44, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I 11:34 will raise him up on the last day. Verse 45. And it is written in the prophets, and they shall all be taught of God. And they shall all be taught of God. Jesus was quoting Isaiah 54:13. 11:52 Isaiah 54:13, and we'll turn there. But Jesus quoted this scripture that all shall be taught of the Lord. And so it just encouraged me that among all the verses in the Old Testament, this is one of the verses that Jesus 12:07 knew very well, and he himself quoted. And so I can say, Lord, I I remember the time when you quoted this verse in the Old Testament. And so I can take this verse and say, Lord, you yourself quoted this. Make it true. And if you turn with me to Isaiah 54, 12:26 verse 13. And this is a verse that we can claim for our children, for each one of us, but especially for our children. In Isaiah 54:13, the verse that Jesus himself quoted. Verse 13. All your sons 12:46 and daughters will be taught of the Lord. And in the margin of my Bible, verse 13, it says, or disciples. Disciples. All your children will be disciples. 13:03 Go into the world and make disciples. Lord, you said to go and make disciples. You yourself quoted this verse saying that all your children shall be disciples, and it doesn't stop there. And their well-being of your children will be 13:21 great. And so I say this, Lord, you've called us to make disciples. You were the one who said all authority has been given to you to make disciples and we want to obey you and make disciples not for just the old but even for our children 13:38 that they would be disciples of yours. And as I think about discipleship and baptizing disciples, I think about that first condition. Do I love Jesus more than everyone else? And so if you can turn with me to Ruth 13:54 chapter what? Ruth chapter 1. This is the time where Naomi after losing her husband and losing her son-in-laws has the two daughter-in-laws Ruth and 14:14 Orpah and both of them say, "We're leaving Moab to come with you uh Naomi." And so if you turn with me uh to verse 6. And Naomi arose with her daughter-in-laws that she might return to the land of Moab from the land of 14:32 Moab for she had heard that in the land of in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited his people in giving them food. So she departed from that place where she was and her two daughter-in-laws with her and they went on the way to return to 14:47 the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughter-in-laws, "Go return to you each to his mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with me and the dead. May the Lord grant you that you might 15:04 find rest in each of your house of your husband." Then she kissed them and they lifted up their voices and wept. Verse 10, and they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." So these two daughter-in-laws after 15:23 spending 10 years with Naomi, they saw something about Naomi and the God that she served. Despite all the adversity that Naomi faced and they themselves faced, they saw something and that that made 15:40 them decide, "We also want to go back with you to be with you, your people, and follow after your God." And then Naomi goes and tells them, "But remember, if you go with me, you will not get a husband. 16:00 You'll have to stay probably single for the rest of your life." And she painted this bleak picture for both of them. And it says here later in verse 14, "And they lifted up their voices and wept again." They were very emotional. 16:19 They showed that they had a concern. They really wanted to go, but when the cost was laid down, "No more future for you. No more marriage prospects for you if you follow after me." Now, they had to count the cost. Was it 16:35 worth following after this God and these people or going back? And for each one of us, I believe that same choice comes when we put down the cost, when Jesus said, "Sit down and count the cost. 16:54 Do you have enough money to build up this tower?" For Orpah, again, emotional. Verse 14, "And lifted up her voices and wept again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and said goodbye. I'm going to go back. I'm going 17:11 to go back to my family. The cost is too high. I'm going to go back. And I love the verses that it says here, but Ruth, what? Clung to her. Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has also gone back to her people and her 17:27 gods. Return after her sister-in-law." Verse 16, but Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you. For where you go, I'll go. Where you lodge, I'll lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Where you die, I 17:47 will die. There I will be buried. May the Lord do to me and worse if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. You can tell which one was a disciple 18:03 and which one carried along as long as the cost was not too high. One said, "Do not." And she said, "You know what? This is a disciple. This is not going to leave me. She's going to follow me wherever I go." God means to more to her than her 18:18 family, everything she has. And I believe that says here in in chapter 2, verse 11, Does God notice when a person is a disciple and leaves everything to follow him? What do you think? 18:35 Verse 11, Ruth chapter 2 verse 11, Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done to your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has fully been reported to me. How left you How you left your father, mother, and the land of your 18:51 birth and came to a people that you did not previously know." And this is the testimony of every disciple. Verse 12, and she said, "I have found favor in your Oh, no, verse 12. May the Lord reward your work. For you have your 19:09 wages will be full from the Lord, God of Israel under whose wings you have come to seek refuge. And for each one of us, brother, sisters, and young person, this must be our testimony. And if you go back and see in Matthew 19:28 Matthew chapter 13 The message of the gospel, the message of discipleship, is not just sell everything you have. If you turn with me to Matthew chapter 13 and I'm going to read this a little 19:49 differently, but it says here Matthew 60 Matthew 13 Matthew 13 verse 44 and I'm going to misread it just to show you 20:07 what I I'm emphasizing here. The kingdom of heaven is like a man that goes and sells all that he has. Is that what what it says? No, it doesn't say that. It says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field which a man found 20:27 and hid again and then from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Ruth found that hidden treasure in God. And that's why she was willing to give up everything else. It wasn't the 20:45 message wasn't leave everything. Full stop. No, it's leave everything not for It's you found the treasure. That's why you leave everything. It goes on to say, "Again the kingdom of heaven is like men that seek fine pearls 21:02 and upon finding one pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it. And as I read about pearls, a pearl is usually found in one in 10,000 oysters. 21:20 So, you if you open up 10,000 oysters, if you have time to, after 10,000 oysters, you'll find a pearl. And if even those pearls of great price are even more rare. One in 10,000 and it's beautiful. It says here in Song of Solomon 21:38 chapter five. If you turn with me to Song of Solomon chapter five, when it speaks of the bridegroom, Song of Solomon chapter five, verse 10. Song of Solomon chapter five, verse 10. 21:56 My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among among 10,000. And for those who have seen him to be outstanding among 10,000, who've seen him to be the pearl of great price, 22:15 they are the ones who will sell everything for him. Mother, father, any possession, anything will not be too much of a price because they've seen the one who's more beautiful than 10,000, chief of 10,000. If you turn with me as well to John 22:33 chapter nine, leaving father, mother, and hating their own self. And if I think of John in John chapter nine, John chapter nine, if you This is the blind man after he's been given sight. What would you do if all through your 22:57 life you were blind and you got sight? What would you do? I know one of the thoughts that came to my mind. I got sight now. There's so much of this world I have not seen yet. The lake of Galilee, I've to go and see all of these people, my 23:14 parents, all of these things. There's so much to see and I've I've I've wasted so much of my years not seeing all the things that I need to see. Let me go and see the world. Let me go and enjoy all the things that I missed 23:27 out for all these years. And I see that those who Jesus has bought, I bid you've been bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God with your body. And I see that this man 23:47 what did he seek for? He got these eyes, he could have gone and done so many things and saw all of the world. What did he want to see? Verse 35, John 9:35. Jesus heard that they put him out of the synagogue and finding him he said, "Do you believe in 24:05 the Son of Man?" And he answered, "Who is he that I may believe?" My eyes are for my Savior. I want to see him. Yes, all the other things can wait. These eyes that you have given me, you've restored. I want to see you. In verse 37, Jesus said to him, "You 24:27 have both seen him and he is the one who's talking to you." Who does Jesus reveal himself even today? Who's the one who's he speaks to? It's the ones who are disciples of his, the ones who have taken their eyes and their ears and gave it back to him to 24:44 say, "Lord, these eyes are for you." This tongue that you've given, it's for you, Lord. And when I think about these eyes, this man had a pure eyes. Free from this that's in, brand new And when I look at these little babies, 25:00 few week old babies, and I see their eyes, what purity. I wouldn't be surprised if they can see the heavenlies because of their eyes are so pure. And when I look at them, I say, I say, "Lord, it says, 'Cleanse yourself from all 25:15 filthiness of flesh and spirit in the fear of the Lord.' Second Corinthians chapter 7. I think it's verse 1 and 2. Cleansing our eyes with them all filthiness. And because of what Christ did to our eyes, can these little children, when they 25:34 look at our eyes, what do they see? Do they see pure eyes? I say, "Lord, make my eyes pure so that they can have fellowship with me." And so the bodies that God has given us, we don't live for ourselves and our 25:52 soul. He who We heard from the children, he who saves his life will lose it. But the one who finds life is the one who lost it. They gave up their eyes, they gave up their tongue for the Lord, and they'll find that they have 26:12 And it says that verse 39, and this is a promise that we can all take. When you say, "This person is blind." You'll say, "There's a They The only way they can see again is if God does a miracle." What if we're spiritually blind? 26:27 Oh, yeah, that they can we'll take them to a a meeting, a special meeting, a And then they'll get to their spiritual eyes will be open. I say, "No, unless God does a greater miracle and opens their eyes, we none of us can see spiritually." 26:47 And it says here, verse 39. And Jesus said, "For For I came into this world so that those who do not see may see. And those who are see may be blinded. I say, "Lord, do that for each one of us." 27:05 Open our eyes that we may see you. Let us see that one who's chief among 10,000. The one that Stephen saw. The look that Peter saw. All of this Once they saw Jesus, their lives were never the same. Again, and I say, "Lord, 27:24 do that, Lord. Do that for each one of us. It takes a miracle, and only God can open up the eyes of the blind." In Luke 24, two disciples walked with Jesus along the road. And it says in Luke 24, it says their eyes were 27:50 verse 16, Luke 24:16, "But their eyes were prevented from recognizing him." They had physical eyes. They heard Jesus speaking to him. Yet, even though they were walking and heard Jesus himself, they saw the physical Jesus. 28:09 They could not recognize him. Mary also thought he was the gardener. Many people, they could not recognize him even if Jesus was there in front of them. What makes me think that I'm going to recognize Jesus? Unless God reveals him to me. 28:26 It's impossible. When John was standing in the shore, he said, "It's the Lord." The song we sang. "It's the Lord." When he saw the catch of fish. God must do that for us. We must be able to also say, "This is the Lord." 28:46 And it says there in verse So, that was They weren't able to recognize him and then when they pleaded with them, "Stay with us." It says verse 31, "Then their eyes were opened that they may recognize him." And he vanished from their sight. 29:02 For us too as well, Jesus must break that same bread for us as well that we may recognize him. If we do recognize him, we will give up all for him. But the reason I share this with us this morning is Jesus asked us to baptize those who were 29:25 disciples. And when I was a new believer, I remember I was hesitant because I was a coming from a non-Christian home. Until now, my faith was inside my heart. Once I got baptized, it was an open testimony 29:41 that I was now a follower of Jesus. And I knew what the consequences may be from that day onwards. But the Lord cared for me and he knew that I was being disobedient to his word. And he sent a traveling preacher who'd come. 29:57 And after the meeting was over that Sunday, he came, took me to a room and spoke to me and said, "Ajay, are you born again?" I said, "Yes." "Is the old life Is the old Ajay dead?" "The one who loved to sin, is he dead?" 30:12 I said, "Yes, he is." And then he asked me the question, "Are you baptized?" And I was waffling there and he says, "Ajay, if your old man Your old Ajay is dead. Why are you dragging him around? 30:30 You must bury him." He said that and he left. And after that, the Holy Spirit was speaking to me. "Ajay, you decided to follow me. Your old man dead. Why are you not getting baptized? The Holy Spirit convicting me, convicting me. The preacher has long 30:48 gone. But the Holy Spirit was speaking to my heart saying, "AJ, you've not been baptized." And then was baptized sometime later in obedience to God. This morning, I don't know how many of you have been baptized who have what 31:06 type of baptism you've taken or you haven't been baptized. But I hope that you will do what Jesus said. That you would sit down and count the cost. Because Jesus said, "Make disciples and baptize them." Perhaps you're also waiting for the day 31:24 that somebody comes and knocks on your door and says, "Are you baptized? Why are you not baptized? Are you a disciple of his? Is your old life been crucified and buried? If not, what's preventing you from being baptized? 31:43 And if you haven't been baptized and it was not a genuine baptism, maybe today is the day the Lord is telling you to get baptized. I don't know, but you know. And as you read the book Good Foundation and read through the God's word, 32:02 if God is speaking to you to take baptism, be obedient to His word. There's one thing that 32:18 I see in scripture that Jesus often would observe animals and plants and tell parables. He'd say, "Can a camel go through the eye of a needle? Can unless you um won't you untie the donkey and take it 32:38 to the water? Many times he would say, "See the lilies of the valley. See See the lilies. See the birds of the air." And so I I think that Jesus often would observe the animals and one spring I remember in our house we had some birds 32:57 that made a nest in our house. And as the birds uh grew up, the chicks grew up, within a few weeks the mother chick would go and then poke these little chicks. And I always remember that and I was like, "Is that so cruel? You You lay 33:17 these eggs. You hatch these chicks and And as these chicks are like little chicks you're starting to poke them." And I'm like, "Why are you doing this?" And there was a lesson that I learned from those that that little that little 33:31 mother and father bird. The mother and father bird knew that these little chicks one day would need to go and feed for themselves. That they the mother father chick could not always get the food and give it to the chicks. 33:47 The chicks would have to learn to go and find the food and get it for themselves. And I never forgot that lesson. These birds know something about how their children need to spend for themselves than sometimes us parents 34:03 mean. And I learned that the hard way because after 8 years of going to a church similar to ours, every Sunday hearing God's word spoken to me. Godly brothers taking God's word and sharing it with me. They would spend throughout the week 34:21 hearing from the Lord and then give it to me on Sunday. I'll take it and week after week I was like that little chick getting the food every week. But I didn't know how to feed myself. And there came a time in my life when I came to the United States and I 34:39 backslid and I got discouraged. I was like, "Why, Lord? Why?" This was the reason. I did not know how to feed myself. I did not know how to get God's word for myself and read it for myself, hear the Lord for myself. And when God restored me 35:00 and encouraged me, there was two decisions I made. I said, "One, I will always remember to learn to hear from the Lord myself. Yes, I want to hear on Sunday. I want to hear on midweek studies. I want that. But I also need to learn 35:17 how to hear from the Lord myself. Every single one, just like Samuel did, at a young age said, "Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening." There's no age where you can't say, "Lord, speak to me. I'm listening. I'm My ears are open 35:34 to what you have to say to me." And the second thing I decided that day is I'm going to tell others as well, "Don't make the mistake I made of only listening on a Sunday or a Wednesday meeting. 35:51 Learn to hear the Lord for yourself. It's so important. The first One of the first things that Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." And so for each one of you, 36:08 I remember when I came from California to Colorado, one of the first things that was on my heart, I saw that Jesus would slip away to go and be by himself. Often he said in John 18:2, he'd often disappear and go and be with his 36:25 disciples at the garden in John 18:2. I said, "Lord, you met often with your disciples. I pray that you would do that for me. I'm your disciple, Lord. Let there be a garden where I can meet with you as well. And it doesn't have to 36:42 be a garden. It could be any place." And so when I came to Colorado, that was one of the first things I decided to I want to find a place. I always wanted to be near some river or some water and go sit there, take my Bible and just say, "Lord, speak to me. 36:57 I want to hear from you. Jesus, you did that." Even though Jesus was staying in a house with his disciples, yet he wanted to find some time alone with his father. Even though he was staying with godly people in his home. 37:11 Even in Nazareth with his mother, yet he took time to find a place alone. Whether it's in a room or whether it's in a place where you can go and spend time alone with the Lord. I would encourage that. Every single one of us can find some 37:27 place. I believe Jesus wants to speak to us. And he longs to speak to us. Are we going to meet with him? And there's a beautiful thing that I I read in Luke I mean, sorry, Ruth. Ruth. 37:46 Ruth chapter two verse 14. Ruth chapter two verse 14. And you can all claim this promise for yourself like I do. At mealtime, Boaz said to her, "Come here that you may eat bread and dip your piece of bread 38:05 in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers and she served and he served her roasted grain and she ate and was satisfied. And she had some left. When the Lord feeds us, we will be satisfied. When he speaks to us, we will be satisfied. And we'll also 38:24 have love towards to give to others as well. And I say, "Lord, do this for me." You said, "He who eats and who who believes in me uh believes in me and thirst in me will not be hungry and he'll not be thirsty." And I say, "Lord, 38:39 I pray, Lord, that you would speak to me. That I would be satisfied in you." And sometimes we go there and Lord, I want you to speak to me. Maybe we come back and Lord, I felt that you didn't speak to me, Lord. Do we give up? 38:54 No. I say, "Lord, I'm going to go again. I want to hear from you." Knock on that door again. And then I come back. "Lord, I felt like I didn't hear from you yet." Knock again. Elijah said to his servant, "Go and see if the cloud has come the what rain has 39:10 come yet." He went seven times. On the seventh time he saw that small cloud. Sometimes it takes time. But I just say, "Lord, I want to hear from you. I want to hear from you. Until you speak, I I'm going to cling on to you. I'm not 39:24 going to let you go." And this beautiful promise he says, "This is what Boaz said. When she Ruth rose to glean, Boaz commanded the servants saying, 'Let her glean even among the sheaves and do not insult her.' Verse 16. 39:43 'And you shall purposely pull out for her some grain and some bundles and leave it for her so that she may glean. Do not rebuke her.' Meaning as she's going and gleaning, you go and take some of those grains and put it there so that 40:02 she thinks that she found that that grain there out of her own effort. She went and gleaned. But no, you go put there purposely you put some grain there so that when she's going she'll find the grain and she'll think that it was her own effort. 40:18 But, it wasn't. The servants went ahead and put those grain there so that she could easily pluck it out. And I was thinking, "Lord, for me also, when I go through your word, Lord, I pray, Lord, make it easy for me. Put the grain there so that as I go and I'm 40:34 seeking to hear from you, Lord, that it'll come easily for me." These are promises that we can ask, Lord. Sometimes you might go and say, "Lord, I find it difficult to hear from you." Say, "Lord, do what you did for Ruth. Go 40:49 ahead, Lord, and put the grain for me so that it's easy for me to pluck it out and hear from you." Do you believe God will do that for you if you ask him? It says, "Evil unbelieving heart." Would you con- con- consider a 41:07 unbelieving heart evil? That's what it says in Hebrews, chapter 3. A evil unbelieving heart that leaves the living God. And I say, "Lord, I don't want to have a evil unbelieving heart. What you did for Ruth and made it easy for her to get grain, 41:24 how much more will you make it easy for me to get the grain from your word?" It says in um Genesis chapter 41, verse 49, in the days of plenty, you might remember Joseph had to collect the grain. It said that he collected so much grain 41:44 that they couldn't count it anymore. There was too much to count. That's how much abundance that he had. So that when the time of famine came ahead, they had plenty to spare. Brother, sister, young person, this is the time of plenty where we need to go 41:59 and say, "Lord, let me store up grain for the days ahead." Lord, let me hear my bridegroom. It says that Jesus was the one Why do we read God's word? Is it just to get some more knowledge? That's what Jesus said many people were 42:20 doing in the days of You turn with me John chapter 5. How do we go to God's word? Is it to go get something something new? Like the people in Athens wanted to always hear something new. Is that something John chapter 5 42:38 verse 39. What's the reason I search the scriptures? You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life. Verse 39. These that testify about me. Verse 40. And you are unwilling to come to me so that you may 42:58 have life. You're unwilling. You want to come to God's word. You want to hear it. But you're unwilling to come to me. I say, Lord, the reason I come to your word is because I want to come to you. I want to come close to you. I want to hear from 43:14 you. I want you to speak to me. And I say, Lord, please do that for every single one of us. Every single one of us. In Song of Solomon it talks about the bridegroom knocking on the door saying, "Open up to me. Open up to me. It's 43:31 raining out here. Please open up to me." And she delayed. She was waiting for the feelings to come up and get ready and say, "Okay, I'll come." And then by by the time the feelings arose for her to open up for the bridegroom. 43:47 Do you know what happened? The bridegroom had all had already gone. And I said, "Lord, I never want that to happen." Where I'm hesitating. I'm delaying. You were waiting to talk to me. You were waiting to meet with me. And because I 44:04 delayed you went away, Lord. It says in That was in chapter 5, Song of Solomon chapter 5. In Song of Song of Solomon chapter 3:1 and 2, it says that she got up from the bed and she went and searched for him whom her soul loves. And she went there, 44:23 went and searched. Young brother, sister, maybe today you're feeling like that. I feel that the Lord is distant from me. I feel like I can't hear him like I once did. What should you do? Get up from that bed and go and search. Don't wait for the 44:40 feelings. Go and search for him who your soul loves. And you will find him. And it says that once she found him, she did what Ruth did. She clung onto him and said, "I will not let you go." May the Lord do that for us as well. 45:00 Just like that woman, the bride went and searched for her bridegroom. Let us also go and find that find our bridegroom. May he be the chief of 10,000. May he be the pearl of great price. May the Lord open our eyes to see him 45:20 and recognize him like he did with those disciples at Emmaus. And once he opens our eyes supernaturally through his Holy Spirit, may we follow him with all our heart. Jesus said, "Make disciples, baptizing them, teaching them to do all 45:38 that I commanded. And lo, with the church that does this, I will be with them. I will be in the midst of them till the end of the age." Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray for every single one of us here, Lord. Lord, no matter 45:55 how hard we try, we cannot see you unless your hope Holy Spirit comes and reveals the things of Jesus. We will be blind to spiritual things, Lord. There's more hope for people who are physically blind to see than a person who's spiritually blind. 46:11 But what is impossible God is possible with God. What is impossible with man is possible with God. And I pray Lord that you would open up our eyes to see Jesus. Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to us, Lord. I pray Lord once we've seen the chief of 10,000. I 46:30 pray that many of us will be disciples. We will be disciples, Lord. And we will obey everything that you've commanded, Lord. Please do this miracle in our midst, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.
