0:00 Thank you. 0:30 Thank you. 1:00 Thank you. 1:30 Thank you. 2:00 Thank you. 2:30 Thank you. 3:00 Thank you. 3:30 Thank you. 4:00 Thank you. 4:30 Thank you. 5:00 Thank you. 5:30 Thank you. 6:00 Thank you. 6:30 Thank you. 7:00 Thank you. 7:30 Thank you. 8:00 Thank you. 8:30 To those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God. And there's another hymn in which we sing, the cross is so despised by the world, but it has a wondrous attraction for me. To those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God, to those of us who are being saved, it is the power of God, it inspires us, and the next line, manhood and deity. 8:57 how can those two coexist? Meekness and majesty. If you're majestic, you can't be meek. And the next line, manhood and deity. If you're God, how can you also be man? But the next line, in Christ, we saw it exist in perfect harmony. And I was thinking how when 9:15 Jesus humbled himself, even when he was washing the feet of his disciples, there was no conflict in him. He wasn't struggling against the humility. That is the very nature of God. That is the very nature of who Jesus was and is. And to those in the world, it might be foolishness. It might be a 9:35 despised concept. But to those of us who are being saved, to those of us to whom Jesus has been revealed, even this morning, it is the power of God. It inspires praise and gratitude. Let's turn our eyes to Jesus this morning. Let's look at him, our Savior, who is God the Eternal. Forever he was God. 9:57 He was God when he came to this earth, but he chose to put on human flesh. He chose to put on manhood, even though he was God. And not only that, he humbled himself, not just to the point of washing his disciples' feet, to the point of a slave, but even to the death on a cross. May that inspire praise and 10:17 gratitude this morning. Let's not get used to that idea of what Jesus did, of what it meant for meekness and majesty to dwell in him, what it meant for him to be man and God, what it meant for him to suffer the ultimate humiliation for our sake, so that we might be saved, so that we who are sinful men and women 10:40 can come as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. That bridge, that chasm has been bridged. We can cross over to the other side. May that inspire praise. And Father, we look to you. Thank you for giving us your son. Thank you, Lord Jesus, that you put on human flesh, Lord, that you humbled yourself 10:59 not only to be born as a human, Lord, but to live as a slave, Lord, to live as a servant, serving others. You washed your disciples' feet, Lord, and you died on a cross in the middle of two criminals, Lord, so that we who 11:16 deserved all of that treatment can be saved. You became the sacrifice, Lord, for us on our behalf. And this morning, Lord, like every morning in our lives, and every day, Lord, even in eternity, we will sing of that mystery, Lord, of our God. And we will bow down and worship. Your name is blasphemed 11:37 among the Gentiles, Lord. The cross is despised, but those of us, Lord, who are here, it is the power of God. It inspires praise in us this morning, Lord. And we want to sing to you in Jesus' name. Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity, in perfect harmony, man who is God, Lord of eternity, 12:12 dwells in humanity, kneels in humility, and he washes our feet. O what a mystery, meekness and majesty, bow down and worship, for this is your God, this is your God. 12:50 Father's pure radiance, perfect in innocence, yet learns obedience to death on a cross. Suffering to give us life, conquering through sacrifice, and as they crucify, praise Father for it. 13:17 Oh, what a mystery, meekness and majesty, bow down and worship, for this is your God. Wisdom unsearchable, God the invisible, love indestructible, in frailty appears. 13:56 Lord of infinity, Lord of infinity, stooping so tenderly, lifts our humanity, to the heights of his throne. Oh, what a mystery, meekness and majesty, bow down and worship, bow down and worship. 14:26 For this is your God, for this is your God. This is your God. In heaven, that theme has never become old news. It's always a new song. 14:47 Right now in heaven, the theme is Jesus, it's no other distraction, and it's only Jesus. I was thinking, even in our lives, there's so many things that we can look forward to on a Sunday, so many great things. Look forward to the message, we can look forward to fellowship, look forward to the time of prayer and singing. 15:05 But I hope it's for each one of us, dear brothers and sisters, it's something far greater than that. We look forward to a person, the person of Jesus Christ. The person we just sang about, in whom meekness and majesty dwelt in perfect harmony. 15:24 Manhood and deity, one who was seated on the highest throne of heaven, but humbled himself at the lowest point, even to the death on a cross. And this day, we can encounter him, and we can have communion with him. We can hear his words being whispered into our ears. 15:42 May our focus be taken away from everything else this morning. Father, it may be pointed to you, to your son. I pray, Lord, that you'd fill us with your spirit. You said your spirit will reveal Jesus to us, and I pray that that is true, that it will only be Jesus. 15:57 And our praise will be only for him. And even the words we hear, we listen to, and are blessed by are his words. May that be so, Lord, we pray. Who has the power to raise the dead? Who can save us from our sin? 16:21 He is our hope, our righteousness. Jesus, only Jesus. Holy King, almighty Lord, saints and angels. 17:04 All the door, I join with them and bow before Jesus, only Jesus. Who can command the highest praise? Who has the name above all names? 17:28 Who has the name above all names? You stand alone, I stand amazed. Jesus, only Jesus. Holy King, almighty Lord, saints and angels. All the door, I join with them and bow before Jesus. 17:56 Only Jesus, only Jesus. Holy King, almighty Lord, saints and angels. All the door, I join with them and bow before Jesus, only Jesus. 18:19 Jesus, only Jesus. Jesus, only Jesus. Jesus, only Jesus. Jesus, only Jesus. My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine. 18:45 For thee, all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Savior, my Savior, art thou. 19:09 My gracious Redeemer, my Savior, art thou. If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. I love thee because thou hast first loved me. 19:36 And purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree. I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow. 19:58 If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death. 20:24 And praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath. And say, when the death do lies, hold on my brow. 20:48 If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. In nations of glory and endless delight. 21:16 I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright. I'll sing with the glittery crown on my brow. 21:40 If ever I love thee, my Jesus, tis now. The words we just sang, we talked about when we will be on the other side of the shore. In heaven. And there'll be mansions of glory and there'll be a glittering crown on our heads. 22:06 But we'll ever adore him, our savior. Not the crown, not the mansions. Not what else he can give us, but him. The one that our soul loves. The one who found us when we were lost. When we were the enemies of God. And the one who brought us near. 22:25 And the one we've walked with all our lives. And the one whose face we long to see. That is the face we'll glory in. That is the Jesus we love. And brothers and sisters, even as we give him the fruit of our lips this morning. 22:38 Let's make a commitment and say, Lord. If it hasn't been true this past week, Lord. If it's not you that we've loved. There are other idols, other interests that have risen in our lives. Lord, we want it to be true. Even as we sing of all you've done for us. 22:53 We want to commit, Lord. May our lives be about you. And then one day when we stand in front of the mansions of glory. And when there's a crown on our heads, Lord. Our reward is you. And we'll sing about you even on that day. 23:07 May that be true. Rock of ages, glad for me. Let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood From thy ridden side which flow 23:31 Be a sin the double cure. Save from wrath and make me pure. Not the labor of my hands Can fulfill thy lost demands 23:52 Could my zeal no rest might know Could my tears forever flow All for sin could not atone Thou must save and thou alone 24:13 Nothing in my hand I bring Simply to thy cross I cling Naked come to thee for dress Helpless look to thee for grace Foul I to the fountain fly 24:35 Watch me Savior or I die While I draw his bleeding breath When my eyes shall close in death When I soar to worlds unknown 24:56 See thee on thy judgment throne Rock of ages, glad for me Let me hide myself in thee Nothing in my hands I bring Nothing in our hands we bring this morning, Lord 25:17 Simply to thy cross we cling We come as though we're naked, Lord To thee for dress and we're helpless And we look to thee for grace We look to thee for thy Holy Spirit this morning, Lord Even as we sing, Lord May you fill our cup this morning, Lord 25:34 We come empty, naked, Lord Completely dependent on you Completely clinging to you Fill us, Lord May your name be glorified in our midst, Lord In this church, Lord Jesus May that be so May that be so 25:54 Like the woman at the well I was seeking For things that could not satisfy And then I heard my Savior speaking Draw from my well That never shall run dry 26:16 Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord Come and quench this thirsting of my soul Bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more Fill my cup 26:37 Fill it up and make me whole There are millions in this world Who are seeking For pleasures earthly goods afford But none can match the wondrous treasure 26:58 That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord Fill my cup, Lord Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord Come and quench this thirsting of my soul Bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more 27:22 Fill my cup Fill it up and make me whole So my brother, if the things this world gives you Leave you Leave hungers that won't pass away My blessed Lord will come and save you 27:44 If you kneel to Him and humbly pray Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord I lift it up, Lord I lift it up, Lord I lift it up, Lord Come and quench this thirsting of my soul Bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more 28:09 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole That's just the voices That's just the voices That's just the voices We can sing the chorus again And really make it a prayer Say, Lord, we really are looking to you, Lord That our cups might be full 28:24 Full of your spirit, Lord Full to overflowing Fill my cup, Lord I lift it up, Lord I lift it up, Lord I lift it up, Lord Come and quench this thirsting of my soul Bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more 28:46 Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole Make me whole Bread of heaven Feed me till I want no more Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole 29:10 I then shall live as one who's been Forgiven I walk with joy To know my debts are paid 29:35 I know my name Is clear before my Father I am his child And I am not afraid 29:55 So greatly pardoned I'll forgive my brother The law of love The law of love I gladly will obey 30:15 I then shall live As one who's learned compassion I've been so loved I've been so loved That I'll risk loving too I know how fear 30:37 Builds walls instead of bridges I'll dare to see I'll dare to see Another's point of view And when relationships And when relationships Demand commitment 30:57 Then I'll be there To care and follow through Your kingdom Your kingdom come Around and through Around and through 31:17 In me Your power and glory Let them shine through me Your hallowed name Your hallowed name Oh may I bear With honor And may your living kingdom 31:41 Come in me The bread of life Of life Oh may I share With honor And may you feed A hungry world Through me 32:03 May that be so Lord By your spirit it will be so In Jesus name, Amen Please be seated Good morning 32:31 Thank God for Our being here It's Christ In our midst We began by singing about The humility of Jesus And And I Want to be taken up with His humility And to Have him teach me humility 32:54 Because that was the secret of his life We see throughout the scripture That it was just In his weakness Is why he Reigned in life And how he walked on this earth With Power and strength Is because of his humility The Bible talks about in Revelation 33:12 That And the lion Of Judah Was on the throne But when John looked He didn't see a lion But he saw a lamb That was slain And I see that as That was The secret of Jesus' life That he went down As we were hearing And Death on the cross 33:32 Not only at the end of his life But every day He took up the cross Every day And through that It was the power of Christ The power of God Was in his life Was in his life And I just want to Meditate on that Have revelation 33:44 More and more On the humility of Christ And to have him In my life Have his humility So we thank God for What we've already heard Through our singing Thank God for you that are here Thank you for those who are joining us online 34:00 As far as announcements are concerned This Wednesday At 6:30 Sisters will be meeting Here at RLCF And also On Zoom And if any sisters are online That want to join And haven't joined If you need that information You can write 34:18 To the elders I believe it's in the chat That address Email address And just tell us Tell them a little bit about yourself And they'll give you that information And you can join This Wednesday At 6:30 Mountain Time Here at RLCF 34:37 The sisters here at RLCF And on Zoom Remember our basic Christian teachings Our Book of the Month As well And our weekly Bible reading As well If anyone wants to say that Remember a verse Please come forward Thank you Thank you 34:54 Thank you Thank you 35:22 Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a 35:36 He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a 35:47 Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:22 36:07 He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 1 Corinthians 1:22 He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 1 Corinthians 1:22 He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 36:21 1 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 He sealed us and gave us the spirit as a pledge in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22 Psalm 23:3a He sealed us and gave us the spirit as a pledge in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22 36:35 Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He restores my soul Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a Psalm 23:3a He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts. 36:51 2 Corinthians 1:22 He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22 He sealed us and gave us the spirit in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 36:58 Matthew 14:15-13 Matthew 14:15-13 Matthew 14:15-13 Matthew 14:15-13 Matthew 14:15-14 Matthew 14:15-14 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 37:08 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 2 Corinthians 1:22 My heavenly Father did not plant, shall be uprooted. Matthew 14, 15, 13. 37:31 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. 37:52 He restores my soul. Psalm 23, 3. He restores my soul. Psalm 23, 3a. 38:22 3 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 38:46 2 Corinthians 1, 22. 39:16 3 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 3 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 4 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 39:41 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 40:10 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 40:15 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and put the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 40:25 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 40:44 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 41:06 2 Corinthians 1, 22. Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Matthew 15, 13. Every plant which my heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. Matthew 15, 13. 41:30 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 41:51 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 42:03 2 Corinthians 1, 22. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 42:23 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 42:53 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 43:19 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 43:26 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 43:32 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 43:39 2 Corinthians 1, 22. He scored my - My soul, song, energy, three, A. 44:04 - Every plant that which my heavenly fill, that did not plant will be uprooted, Matthew 15:13. - He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 44:25 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed us and gave us the strength of the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:22. 44:48 - Every plant. - Which my heavenly Father did not plant. - Which my heavenly Father did not plant. - Shall be uprooted. - Shall be uprooted. - Matthew 15:13. - Matthew 15:13. - Matthew 15:13. - My Father, which did not plant, will be enrooted. 45:10 Matthew 20:31. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed us and gave us the Spirit as a pledge. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. 45:18 - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed me and gave me the Spirit in my heart as a pledge. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. 45:25 - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - He sealed me and gave me the Spirit in my heart as a pledge. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. - 2 Corinthians 1:22. 45:51 - Next week's memory verse, or this week's memory verse, a reference, scripture in the reference. 1 Corinthians 1:5. The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5. 46:10 Father, thank you for bringing us here. We're so delighted to be here with Jesus and his people. Thank you for the wonderful life you've given us and made a home for us, we who are lonely. Thank you that you're here, that you speak to us, the spirit of wisdom and revelation and the knowledge of Christ. 46:32 We want to see Christ today, while the Holy Spirit can do that for us. Speak to those who are speaking, Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus, amen. 46:55 Good morning, family. It's nice to see you. Well, I hope you got that picture through the week of God hiding you away in a box. He sealed us. He sealed me. 47:15 And gave us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. Sealed. You know, they talk about sealing something. They seal the tomb. They seal vaults to make sure nobody can get in. That's what our Father has done for us. 47:37 He's locked us away. Made us untouchable, really. That means that everything that we face, everything you go through, can't ultimately harm you. If you're a child of God, nothing anybody does to you, no sickness, no calamity, no loss of job or financial difficulty, can harm you. 48:04 Because you're sealed. You're locked away. It might have a temporary effect. You might experience some pain for a while or financial hardship. But ultimately, nothing can harm you if you're a child of God. And the guarantee of that is the Holy Spirit. 48:26 If you don't have sight of that vision, any one of us, dear friends, if you don't have that confidence in your heart, there's probably, I would say there's almost certainly only one reason for that. You don't, you're not filled with the Holy Spirit. 48:44 If you're filled with the Holy Spirit, that will be a guarantee. That will be a, that's what that word pledge is. It's a guarantee. And the life of being filled with the Holy Spirit is this, that in any situation I face, 49:01 whatever I'm caught off guard by, I say, oh, this cannot touch me. And if that's the life you want to have all the time, cry out, dear brothers, sisters, young people, children, for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit in your life. 49:20 That's the guarantee. And then you'll be, you'll know that you're sealed. Let's pray. As we pray, ask the Lord to fill you. If you are, if, if the Holy Spirit doesn't come and touch you right now, for you children also, please listen. 49:39 Let's pray together. If the Holy Spirit doesn't come at this moment and do something in every one of us, it's a complete waste of time. The Holy Spirit wants to do something in us right now, even before I speak. And if that happens, it doesn't matter what I say, actually. 49:59 God himself will speak to you. Jesus will reveal himself to you. So let's pray. And you invite the Holy Spirit to come and touch your heart right now and shine his light into your heart. I need that. Young people, children, brothers, sisters, I need that. 50:16 And I hope you know that you do as well. Heavenly Father, I need a touch from you, Lord. Not just a touch, but I need you to change more of me into your image. And I pray, Lord, I reach out to you. I open the curtains and open the windows for your light to shine into my heart, 50:35 into some corner that I'm not aware of where you've been longing to change me. And so, Lord, I pray that you will pour out your Holy Spirit upon every one of us with a fresh anointing. We don't want yesterday's manner. We don't want yesterday's experience. 50:52 You are the living God. You are I am. And so, Lord, come and show yourself as the I am God who wants to reveal yourself to us. Not with knowledge, but with experience, with the revelation of Jesus Christ today. Oh, will you come and do that? 51:12 So open the windows of heaven. I pray for every one of us here in this room and listening online as well. Will you come and do something that only you can do? No human, no study, nothing else can do what your Holy Spirit can do 51:28 through coming and revealing Jesus to us. So please do that and make the Word alive. Your Word is living. Make it living to us, Lord. We don't want it to just be a dead book, letters on paper, but a living book, like a sword that pierces between the soul and the spirit, 51:49 like a fire that burns up what is not of Christ. Come and let your Word have that effect in our lives, in our hearts, every one of us. I pray that not a single one today will go away from this time together unchanged. Every one of us, Lord, we believe it. 52:08 And we refuse to believe your lie, Satan, that tells us it's going to be the same. We know that Jesus is changing us. His Holy Spirit is still available to us. And from this point onward, it is still possible for God to finish the work which he started in us. 52:25 He didn't bring us this far to leave us. And so we stand against you, Satan, and bind your work. In the name of Jesus, we resist you. Thank you, Lord. You've given authority to the church to have authority over Satan and all of his hosts. 52:38 We don't have to live in fear because you've stripped them of their power over us. Thank you. Thank you. We exalt you, Lord Jesus. Truly, you deserve all the glory and honor. And may that be so even now as we listen to your voice. 52:52 In Jesus' name, amen. Amen. I want to begin by asking us, brothers and sisters, children, young people, and those of us online, visitors, why are you here? What is the reason that you came here to this meeting today? I'm sure that each of us could probably answer a little bit differently from the others. 53:17 For some of you children, you don't have a choice. Your parents tell you that's where we're going, so we're going. But the time will come, dear children, when you'll have to answer that question for yourself and have to choose whether you would be around God's people 53:34 and choose to be around God's people, not just on a Sunday, but whenever you could. And Sunday is the day we've decided to do that. And I think about that because I often hear people, I see, for example, in community posts, 53:51 people asking about a church. Oh, can you tell me what's a good church for me to try? I haven't been to church in a long time. And maybe visitors come and visit us and want to know a little bit about this church. It's not common for people to try out different churches to see, is this a church that I want to be a part of? 54:13 Maybe some of us have been through that. Church hopping, they call it. But I wonder, why are you here today? And I think it's a good question even for you children to think about as you grow up so that you know the answer to that question. 54:30 For, unfortunately, for most Christians, I would say, and that was true in my life also years ago, but for most Christians, sadly, it is, what am I going to get through going to this church? Now, it could be earthly, like, are there good people there? 54:50 Are there people that I can get along with? Do we align with the same political ideologies or social ideologies? And that could be how we pick. Sometimes it's based on race. You pick a church based on racial commonality or cultural commonality. 55:10 Across the world, it's like that. But it could be even a little bit more spiritual. What can I, is this a good church for me? Can I benefit from this, spiritually even? Will my children have a good Sunday school to go to? 55:24 Or a youth group? Or will I have a good sister's Bible study? Or a men's group? Those can also be good things. But, ultimately, this is what God has always sought for in the gathering of his people. This is the purpose of our meeting. 55:44 I want you to think about that, not just today, dear family, but every time we meet. That the purpose of our gathering is not so that somehow at the end of it, I'll feel like, yeah, I got something. I got something out of it. 55:58 Maybe I had a good time. A lot of people come to churches, go to a church for a while, and then after some months or years, they're like, yeah, I don't fit here. I didn't like this. I didn't like that. And so they leave, and they move on to another church. 56:13 And that happens, and they move from church to church. But the main reason that we meet, in fact, the primary, if not the only reason that we meet, is that at the end of this meeting, God will have gotten pleasure out of our gathering. 56:34 At the end of this, God will be pleased. He'll say, yes, that was a good meeting. It doesn't matter how I felt. It doesn't matter what I thought of it and whether I was a little distracted or, no, I shouldn't be distracted, but it doesn't matter what I necessarily got out of it. 56:53 That is secondary. If I got a good word, yes, that's great. If I got something that will help me, if the singing was good, and that line in that song really touched me, that's all wonderful. But that's secondary. The primary reason that we meet is at the end of it, God says, I was pleased. 57:13 I was delighted by RLCF gathering here, and he came here before we even got here, and he's going to stay until long after we leave. But think about, in everything that we do, God being in our midst, and he having a good time. 57:33 And I don't use that word flippantly. Now imagine if some famous person was here, somebody that you all look up to, earthly, somebody in the world that's well known. And he suddenly decided, or she decided to show up in this meeting. 57:48 I'm almost certain that, in our flesh, every one of us, at the end of it, will go back and talk about, I wonder if he had a good time. You know, let's say a football player from the Broncos or something like that. I'm trying to use an earthly example. 58:05 I wonder if Bo Nix had a good time by showing up at the RLCF meeting. I'm sure that's what you would be thinking, because this famous person that the world thinks so highly of came to this meeting. I remember once being in a meeting where the mayor of that city showed up, wasn't here. 58:21 And all of a sudden, there was a little bit of a, like a franticness and a hustle and bustle, and they had to clear some space, and they made a seat up front for him. And then, I didn't know that he was the mayor of the city, until somebody was, well, that's the mayor of the city. 58:35 And of course, it's just kind of like, now all the eyes, even if they were ever on Jesus, all of a sudden went to the mayor. Is he having a good time? And without realizing it, subconsciously, that could be there. We haven't ever had any really, really famous people come in here, at least earthly-wise. 58:54 So we probably haven't been tested with that. But it's good to think about that, dear family. That ultimately, we ought to be so taken up with who Jesus is, and is he pleased with what's happening here, and continuing to go on that path of saying, Lord, are you pleased by what I'm doing? 59:17 Is the fact that I sang like this, and I lifted my hands, and I clapped, and that line was good, and maybe some tears fell. But were you pleased by it, Lord, more than how I felt at that moment? Did it delight your heart? 59:32 This is true worship. This is what God has always intended for us to experience in our gathering. The moment it becomes something else. Oh, we're going to have, you know, now we publish what the meal's going to be beforehand. 59:46 Oh, we're going to eat that. Okay, I'm looking forward to that meal. Now, nothing wrong with that necessarily, but in the midst of it all, dear family, let's train our thoughts. Let's train our attitude to be, Lord, were you delighted by this? 1:00:01 When I sat at lunch, and maybe there was a time where I just sat alone for a while, because everybody else seemed to be involved in some small little conversation, and there was some time where I was by myself with nobody to talk to. 1:00:14 Okay, that's the sort of thing that somebody might get offended over and leave a church and say, nobody talked to me, so I'm going to find a church where people will talk to me. Okay, hopefully that doesn't happen here where nobody feels left out. 1:00:28 We keep an eye out to make sure that everybody is welcomed, especially our visitors. But even being friendly and hospitable and talking to everybody, that's not our primary purpose. And I'll tell you honestly, I'll make a bold statement here. 1:00:42 I wouldn't mind if everybody was offended because nobody talked to them, because all of us were really, Lord, are you going to be pleased by this? We were so taken up with pleasing the Lord that maybe we forgot to do something that we should have done, 1:00:59 and the Lord will help us in that. If we're truly taken up with the Lord, we will be friendly, we will be hospitable, we will be kind to others. But you see how for the point I'm getting at is that many churches operate like clubs, 1:01:11 where they want you to feel welcome. They want you to be like, oh, yes, I would hate that that person came and had a bad experience in this church, so let's make sure they have a good experience. And that becomes the agenda. 1:01:24 That becomes the motivation. And that ought never to be. It ought to be that what did God get out of this? See, when the Israelites worshipped, even in the Old Covenant, think about if you came to a church meeting, it wasn't called church then, 1:01:40 but a gathering of God's people in the Old Testament. It wasn't about what you got out of it. You brought an animal. You sacrificed it. And then maybe you watched the priests offering that, and you saw in the distance the priests going into the holy place, 1:01:54 and they were doing their sacrifice. And you heard about the high priest who went in once a year into the most holy place. It was all about God. God said, I ought to bring this bull or these turtle doves or this goat, and I've got to bring it, and it's because God said so. 1:02:12 And perhaps we've missed some of that now that we're in the New Covenant. And we come, and I see so much of what's going on in Christendom, and it's all about how the people sitting there feel. And you tweak the music to sound like this, 1:02:28 because that's the kind of music that people enjoy today. Who wants to play the 1700s music anymore? We're in the 2000s. The music of today sounds like this, so let's make sure that the people sitting there are pleased by the music. 1:02:42 And it's more exciting to preach this way, so let's preach like that. Don't preach like they used to 200 years ago. And so much of what Christendom is doing to appeal to the masses, thinking that we're doing the work of God by drawing people in, 1:03:01 may not, and perhaps is not, really drawing them to God, because God has said, from the very beginning, it's been about me. And I'll tell you this, dear family, the day, and I think we are on that journey, let's refine our motives. 1:03:17 But when we come to that place where really it's like, Lord, were you pleased by what we did here? We spent all day. We came here about 9.30 or so, and we're here until, I don't know, last week, we were here until about 7 in the evening. 1:03:30 But we spent all that time together, Lord. Were you pleased? I felt like I had a good time. That's great, Lord, and I'm going to come back next Sunday. But were you pleased, Lord? May that be so. I was thinking about this. 1:03:46 What is the first church religious service that you see in the Bible? Let's turn there. The first religious service that I see in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 4, where you see Abel and Cain coming and having a church meeting. 1:04:06 And I think they were right next to each other, sitting in the same church, you can say. And in this first religious gathering, you see that Abel offered his sacrifice, Genesis chapter 4. 1:04:27 Let's begin reading in verse 3. It's the first religious meeting that we read about. For me, it's a little bit of a picture of how it could be, our church meetings here. So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord 1:04:44 of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part, also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. So here's two brothers coming to the meeting, two sisters coming to the meeting, two families coming to the meeting. 1:05:02 And the Lord had, was pleased by, that's what in some translations say, had regard for. The Lord was pleased by Abel and his offering. But the Lord was not pleased with Cain or his offering. And this made Cain very angry. 1:05:23 And you know the rest of the story. Now, is God a partial God who just says, well, I don't like the way you look. I don't like the way you talk. Fine. So I'm going to reject you. I think I like you. Some people believe that the election of God is such that 1:05:42 he's randomly selected certain people, and we don't have any say in that. I'm not going to get into the theology of that. But there was something in Abel's heart that God saw. Some people have surmised, have thought on this passage 1:06:03 and said, well, Abel brought flock and God always likes sacrifice. So that's why he chose Abel. That's not true at all. And Cain also brought from the first fruits. And you read that later on, there are offerings of grain as well 1:06:21 that are pleasing to the Lord. It says here very clearly that God was pleased with Abel and that's why his offering was acceptable to him. And it's the same here today. It could be that there are two groups of people. Two groups of people. 1:06:40 One group in whom God sees, yes, I'm pleased by you. And that's why when you sing and say, my Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine, I accept it. But sitting in the same meeting could be somebody else who God says, I'm not pleased with you. 1:06:59 Because it was true about Cain. You think it's possible that somebody could be sitting in a church singing the very songs we sang this morning and God says, I'm not pleased by that. I know I see the tears running down your face and all that, 1:07:10 but I'm not pleased by that. That's exactly what he told Cain. Cain, I know you could have sold, I don't know what he would have done with that grain. I know you're making a sacrifice by giving me that grain, Cain, but it's useless. 1:07:25 Honestly, you didn't even have to give that because I'm not pleased with you. And so your grain offering is meaningless. And is it possible that I could make some sacrifice for the Lord and show up for many of you, some of you drive long distances to get here, 1:07:39 you have to leave early in the morning and drive back and I'm sure some of you kids feel like you would rather have slept in. You make all those sacrifices and think, Lord, I came here and I've been here. And God says, I'm not pleased with you. 1:07:57 And so your offering, the sacrifice you made is useless, it's meaningless. God was pleased with Abel and that's why his offering was acceptable. I'm sure the next question you ask me is, okay, Santosh, how do I make sure God is pleased with me? 1:08:12 Thank God he's told us. Let's go to Hebrews chapter 11. He has told us exactly how he can be pleased with us so that whether you bring grain or the flock or the sacrifice of our praise, of our lips, which is praise, or some money you put or time 1:08:31 or volunteering here or helping with that, whatever you do, the offering becomes acceptable because God is pleased with you. And he's shown us exactly how it is he's pleased. In Hebrews chapter 11, it says in verse 4, Hebrews 11 verse 4, it says, 1:08:55 So God's witness of his pleasure being pleased with Abel. 1:09:17 God was pleased with Abel. And how do we know that? Because he testified to his sacrifice. The fire fell on his sacrifice. So the fire falling from God, from heaven, onto Abel's sacrifice was God's way of showing us, showing everybody who was there at that time, 1:09:33 whoever that man he was, I'm pleased with Abel. God testifying about his sacrifice. But it begins by saying that it was by faith. So it was Abel's faith. God saw something in Abel, that faith. It wasn't, oh, Abel, you did good this week. 1:09:53 Cain, you didn't do good this week. So I'm not going to accept your sacrifice. That's what we might tend to think because that's how the world operates. Oh, you worked hard. You sold so many cars this week. Or you did this so well this week. 1:10:05 So after six months, we're going to give you a little bit of a bonus. That's how the world operates. We'll improve your salary a little bit. Oh, you've gone through your annual review. We think you did good. Oh, you know, you didn't meet the standards. 1:10:17 So you're on probation now. We might have to let you go. That's how the world operates. Performance-based. It's easy for us to bring that mindset into our relationship with God. But God says, I'm not looking at how you think you did last week. 1:10:35 I'm looking at, are you trusting me today? It might be that Abel messed up the previous week. We're not told. And maybe Cain actually did pretty good. And that's why he thought he was pretty good. And he brought this pretty good sacrifice to God 1:10:50 and said, look, God. In fact, sadly, Cain was doomed. He was named, I have done it. I think something like that. His mom named him such a name that it's almost like he was doomed to trust in his own ability. Now, nothing wrong with the name. 1:11:06 That's not it. But Cain certainly came with this mindset of, I've done something good, Lord. You better accept my sacrifice. Abel on the other hand had faith, saying, Lord, I'm just bringing the sacrifice because I want you to be pleased by it. 1:11:23 Let's go back to verse 1. Hebrews 11, verse 1. Faith is the assurance, the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, for by it the men of old gained approval. By it Cain was pleasing to God, and that's why God was pleased with his sacrifice. 1:11:42 Here's how the Amplified Bible reads, Hebrews 11, verse 1. Faith is the, I love this. Listen to this carefully. The title deed. That's what substance, assurance, the title deed of the things we hope for. I don't know if any of you have seen a title deed, 1:11:58 but I'm sure you know what that is. If you own a house or if you own a car, what you have is a title deed. And if I say, prove to me that you own the car, in fact, if you go to a court of law, just the car itself is not necessarily proof. 1:12:15 You need to have the title deed as your name on it. So if you have the title deed, the car could be somewhere else. And you show up in the court, and the court says, prove to me that you're the owner of that car or the owner of that house. 1:12:29 And the court doesn't expect you to actually bring the house there or drive the car into the courtroom and say, well, here's the car, judge. No, you have the title deed. Okay, the title deed, it's got your name on it. Yeah, you're the owner of the car. 1:12:44 And that's what we're being told here is that faith is the title deed, something that I, a substance, a real thing of what I'm hoping for. The actual thing is somewhere else. The car, the house is somewhere else, but I've got the title deed. 1:13:00 Is that what faith has done for you, brothers, sisters? Are you holding the title deed off your hope? Our hope is Jesus Christ. I haven't seen him face to face. I probably will never see him with my physical eyes until I finally see him forever 1:13:17 when I meet him face to face. I don't need to get a vision of Jesus. I don't need to see what his face looks like. In fact, I don't really care for the drawings of Jesus that much. I'm interested in the title deed. That's more useful to me than actually seeing a vision of Jesus. 1:13:35 Let me ask you honestly, dear family, would you rather see a vision of Jesus in your sleep? An actual vision of Jesus. Most people who say they've seen a vision of Jesus are lying. Some rare cases of people who've actually seen a vision of Jesus. 1:13:52 I think of Sadhu Sundar Singh, for example. One man who got a real vision of Jesus. Others who have received genuine visions. But I honestly don't mind if I never get a vision of Jesus himself. I want the title deed though because that's as good for me as Jesus himself. 1:14:09 It's the title deed. It's faith. Now, I will have him, the love of my life, Jesus, for all eternity when I see him. But until then, the title deed is as good spiritually for me. Now, that's it. The title deed of the things we hope for. 1:14:29 The proof of the things we do not see and the conviction of their reality. Perceiving them as real fact, perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses. A lot of words there, but that's how the Amplified Bible expands it. 1:14:44 It was really wonderful to read it that way and to see that that's real faith. If you really have faith, you've got something real. It's not imaginary. It's not, well, there's sight and then there's imagination. That's not it. 1:14:58 The choice is not sight or imagination. Let me ask you, sadly, for many people, faith is imagination. I imagine that God has forgiven me. I imagine that Jesus is coming back. I imagine that I will have victory over sin. 1:15:15 The opposite of what we're called to live by is not imagination. Just imagine that you will have victory and you'll have it. No, it doesn't work like that. That's imagination. That might come, might not come. But faith is real. 1:15:28 It's substance. It's the title deed. Faith is a real thing, dear family. And when you've got faith, then you have something concrete to go on. If it's just imagination or, and listen, it's not even hope. Because hope is something you cannot see, right? 1:15:48 Where's that verse in Romans chapter 8? Romans 8. Romans 8, verse, you know, later on, verse 28 is, 1:16:09 we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love him. But before that, he says in verse 24, in hope, we have been saved. See, faith is something concrete. Hope, listen to this. In hope, we have been saved. 1:16:26 But hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he already sees? So the writer is telling us, God is telling us, listen, that hope that you have, which is Jesus Christ, this hope we have as an anchor, where Jesus has entered within the veil in Hebrews chapter 6, we're told, 1:16:42 there's hope you cannot see. That's why I don't rely on wanting to see Jesus with my eyes or anything like that. I don't need that. I have a hope which I cannot see. We're told it's okay that the hope you cannot see. But I need something else to go on. 1:17:00 The hope I cannot see. Hope is not hope if you already see it. For who hopes for what he already sees? If you've seen it, then it's not a hope anymore. But we've given this hope. Now, how does that hope become a reality? 1:17:13 By the title deed, by faith. Faith is the title deed of the things that you are hoping for. And so it's no longer just me sitting there and imagining, oh, one day I will be like Jesus. No, I've got a title deed. It's real. 1:17:26 It's actual. It's fact. I can't see it, but I have absolute evidence of it. Is that true, dear family? I can't see it, but I'm absolutely sure of it. I have absolute evidence of it. Now, this is something the world cannot understand. 1:17:43 They say, how do you have evidence of it if you can't see it? I mean, can you look at it under the microscope? Can you look at it with a telescope? Can you study it and derive a formula out of it? No, no, I can't explain it that way. 1:17:55 But I am absolutely assured and I have evidence of my hope. I have evidence of my hope. What is the evidence? My faith. May faith become real evidence. Let faith become the title deed for you. See, this is why if you go back to Exodus, 1:18:15 let's turn to Exodus chapter 32. God is always jealous. In Exodus 20, he says, you shall not make for yourself a graven image because I'm a jealous God. If I recall correctly, that's the first time he identifies himself as a jealous God. 1:18:34 Keep a finger in 32. I'll just read one verse in Exodus 20. Exodus chapter 20, verse 4. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth, beneath or in the water or under the earth. 1:18:52 You shall not worship them or serve them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. Correct me if I'm wrong later on today, but I think that's the first time I read it. God says, I'm jealous. You see how God is jealous over making something that you can see 1:19:10 out of him who is the invisible God. He says, I'm an invisible God. I'm always going to be invisible to you. But there's the tendency in us to want to make him seen. And that's why God says, don't make a graven image. Even if you call it Jehovah. 1:19:30 Don't make some image and call him God, Jehovah, and worship it. That's exactly what the Israelites did. Now let's turn to 32. See, when they made the golden calf, they weren't making, they weren't trying to be rebellious against God 1:19:43 and worship Baal or some other, I don't know what are the idols of Egypt of that time. They wanted, they got tired of dealing with this God whom they couldn't see. See, they came from Egypt. All of them were born in Egypt. 1:19:57 Every one of them who was there was born in Egypt. And all they saw of religion was gods you could see. They saw the Egyptians worshiping some, whatever the Egyptians worshiped, their idols and whatever else. And then they said, well, the Israelites said, 1:20:11 well, no, the God we worship, you cannot see. And that became an issue. That is an issue for us. We tend to be uncomfortable and ultimately to become dissatisfied with what we cannot see. I can't see the proof of it. So I get tired of it. 1:20:26 That's exactly what happened to them. Exodus 32 verse one. Now, when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down, well, God's up there and this Moses, at least we could see him. Now we cannot even see him. Ah, Aaron, give us something we can see to worship. 1:20:44 I want to see something. I want to be able to see it and put my trust in that thing that I can see. And that became the golden calf. Now they called it Jehovah. You see in verse five, when Aaron saw this, this golden calf that they built, 1:21:00 he built an altar before it and Aaron made a progression and said, tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord Jehovah. What are you going to call this? Yeah, well, we want to worship God. We want to worship the true God, Jehovah, 1:21:12 or today Jesus, but I want to see him. I want this God whom I can see and put my hands on. I believe God detests even images of Jesus that people fall down and worship. It's sad. That goes on in some circles of Christendom. 1:21:32 It's a graven image, even if it's of Jesus, that is detestable to him because he says, I want you to learn to worship the unseen God. Now, I don't think any of us is going to fall down in front of an idol and worship, even if it's a statue of Jesus, 1:21:50 and worship that idol. But you see the tendency in our lives to want to trust what I can see and say, Lord, I want you to answer my prayer by showing it to me. Let me see it. God says, no, that's idol worship. You want me to prove to you 1:22:09 that I'm here physically, right? He says, no, I want you to walk by faith. I want real faith. This is what's pleasing to me. And so ultimately, you know, who told Abel and Cain, now even Cain, who told them to make a sacrifice? 1:22:23 They'd never seen God. But he was able, it says by faith, and we've been digging into what faith really means, and that is that faith is to trust the unseen God and to trust his unseen ways, his ways of operation. That's faith. 1:22:40 It's like, Lord, I don't need to see it. If I could see it, then I don't need the faith anymore. I can't see the hope, but I've got something concrete and actual evidence. I've got the title. You don't have to show me the car, Lord. 1:22:51 You don't have to show me the house. I know it's there. I know I have Jesus, but the proof of it I have here in my title, and I'm not letting go of it. And God is pleased by that because he knows I would much rather see the house 1:23:04 and the car. He knows that. But he wants us to live by faith. And that faith that Abel had, you know, we're given a little glimpse into the fact that Abel had that because Hebrews 11 tells us that Abel had that faith. That Abel couldn't see God, 1:23:22 but deep within, he just had this longing to be pleasing to this God whom he would never see, could never see, and says, I just want to please you, God. Who are you? I want to know who you are. And he brought a sacrifice. 1:23:35 That was the difference, essentially. Thousands of years later, Cornelius is like, I don't know who I'm praying to, but I know you're a God up there. I haven't seen you. I don't even know your name. But I just, you are there somewhere 1:23:47 and I just, there's a deep desire within me to be pleasing to you. And God says, I'm going to send a man all the way from miles away, hundreds of miles away to you, a man named Peter and Cornelius got the gospel. And this is what God looks for 1:24:00 even today, faith. Faith that says, Lord, I don't need to have you show me with my physical eyes to see it. I trust you. Let's go back to Genesis chapter 4. Beware of the spirit of the Israelites who got tired of dealing 1:24:19 with the unseen God, that they had to create a God whom they called Jehovah, whom they could see. Back in Genesis 4, so let me read that again. 1:24:40 So it came about, verse 3, in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground. Abel on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard 1:24:52 for Abel and for his offering, but for Cain and for his offering he had no regard. You see here that God was pleased because as we were just seeing from Hebrews 11, Abel was so sure that what he had hoped for and could not see 1:25:12 was real. Actually, we should go back to Hebrews 11 and read that. So we see those two, Hebrews 11, verse 1 and verse 4 together. That's faith. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1. First of all, faith is being so sure that what I hope for 1:25:32 and cannot see is real. This is faith. What I hope for but cannot see is real. I say it again. What I hope for but cannot see is real. That's faith. And by this, we read in verse 4, 1:25:52 Abel offered. So Abel offered to God a better sacrifice because what he hoped for and could not see was real for him. And that's the same basis on which God accepts sacrifice today. What we hope for. Now he continues on. 1:26:07 Now with that definition of faith because we're told that definition of faith in verse 1. With that definition of faith, let's see a few other examples. Verse 5. Enoch hoped for something, could not see it with his eyes 1:26:21 but knew it was real. By this way, Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death. And he was not because God took him up for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God and without faith 1:26:39 it is impossible to please God. For he who comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So here was Enoch. Enoch was about 65 years old. In fact, he was 65 years old when God told him 1:26:54 there's a judgment coming. You can read about that in Genesis chapter 6. Maybe we can look at that. We'll go back and forth between Genesis and Hebrews a little bit, family. Bear with me. Okay, in Genesis chapter 5 verse 21. 1:27:16 Enoch lived 65 years you can say not by faith. Now he was probably offering sacrifices. Maybe. I don't know what religious people in those days it says men called upon the name of the Lord in the last line of verse of chapter 4. 1:27:33 So already there was some kind of religious activity going on. For 65 years Enoch lived as a religious man just going to church you can say for 65 years and then he got faith. What was the difference? Enoch lived 65 years 1:27:49 I would say as a religious man calling upon the name of the Lord but it was just ritual. Just everybody else around me does it so that's what I'm going to do. And then he had a son named and God told him this son's name 1:28:02 is Methuselah. And Methuselah means and what God was telling Enoch through that is when he dies the world is going to be judged. And Enoch could have thought what do you mean when he dies the world is going to be judged? 1:28:18 I don't see anything. I've been here 65 years nothing wrong. I go to church every Sunday. I live a pretty good life. You don't read that Enoch was a sinful man. He was a good religious man. But God said when this son dies 1:28:33 the judgment's going to come. and he believed it. And then Enoch walked with God. Then this religious life that he was living all of a sudden got a wake up call and says Lord you're real. You said it and it's going to come to pass 1:28:49 and I'm just simply going to believe it. What I hope for is that that hope that you've given me I cannot see it with my eyes. I don't think Enoch was even told what that judgment would look like. I don't see any evidence 1:29:04 of judgment as I look around. Everybody seems to be having a good time but it's real and you are real God. You're a real God and he says I'm just going to walk with you. You see how it says he lived 65 years and then he had a son 1:29:20 named when he dies the judgment's going to come and then he said I'm going to walk with you God. That's faith. He walked with God 300 years after he became the father of Methuselah he had other sons and daughters he continued to live this life 1:29:32 but there was something different. Faith came alive in Enoch and then he his old days all his days were 365 years he walked with God and then God took him up. God was so pleased with him that he took him up. It's a wonderful 1:29:48 wonderful verse we see there. Enoch was so sure of God. I mean imagine I don't know how they heard from God back then but he was so sure when he heard from God we don't see that he had seen God. In fact when it says that he walked with God 1:30:04 I don't believe that God showed himself to Enoch physically necessarily because we're told that it was by faith and we're told we walk by faith not by sight. So I believe very firmly when it says Enoch walked with God it wasn't like 1:30:18 somehow Enoch got this special privilege that God was physically visible to him. No not at all. It was by faith that Enoch walked with God. God was as invisible to Enoch as he is to you and me today brothers and sisters 1:30:32 young people and children and yet Enoch without a Bible and without the Holy Spirit living in him walked with God. What a wonderful example and so closely that God said come I want to show you who I am really I'm going to open your eyes 1:30:46 and you'll see me face to face. And one day we'll be taken up as well whether it's 300 years later I don't think any of us will live 300 years you know it says Enoch was taken up but you know he that was after 300 years 1:30:59 of walking with a God whom he could not see and trusting him and saying yes Lord I still believe it it's been you know after 65 years Methuselah Methuselah's born and born and imagine Enoch's like man you better make sure 1:31:15 this boy's healthy because when he dies the judgment's coming make sure he gets his vitamins and eats your carrots and eats your broccoli because when you die the judgment is coming son make sure you stay healthy oh he fell down 1:31:26 what's happening with Methuselah that was constantly in Enoch's mind the judgment is coming now do you need a Methuselah is this not enough the judgment is coming he has spoken it he's coming soon it is appointed a man once to die 1:31:43 after this the judgment and he said what more shall he say than to you he has said than he has given you in his word isn't that enough for us we have Methuselah's in our homes many of them when I come it will be it don't waste time 1:32:02 you have a short life so God God was pleased with Enoch walking with the invisible God and imagine Enoch just talking with God walking with him he hoped for it couldn't see it but it was real you ask Enoch did you really 1:32:18 walk with God he said of course did you see him with your eyes no did you feel him ever holding a hand physically no but I walked with him and oh it is more real than if I actually held his hand do you want that walk that Enoch had 1:32:30 I do I long for it and the Holy Spirit has come to make our life of walking with Jesus even more real than it was for Enoch wonderful example let's go back to Hebrews 11 verse 7 Noah the next person you read by faith 1:32:51 Noah by hoping and not being able to see it but it being real I hope for it I can't see it but I I know it's real by that life Noah also was warned by God about things not yet seen 1:33:11 see that there it is again not yet seen sometime I want you to go back and read Hebrews 11 and see how many times it mentions sight not seeing something many times in Hebrews 11 you'll read that I'll just show a few that the point is 1:33:29 that we are we have a tendency to want to see things Lord answer my prayer and show me the answer give me that thing let me see it with my physical eyes and God says no that's not how I operate I want you to trust in me 1:33:42 and for that trust to be as real that title deed to be as real as if you actually saw the real thing and Noah being warned of God about things not yet seen believed it and it was as real for Noah the ark and the judgment 1:34:00 the flood listen to this here's what I'm getting from verse 7 the flood that eventually came was as real for Noah every day as he was building the ark it's as if the flood was there it was as real as the actual physical flood 1:34:16 finally came but for Noah for those hundred plus years that he was building the ark it's a flood it's as real the flood was as real to him as the actual physical flood that came later and that's why he was saved by this 1:34:33 real seeing with eyes of faith Noah being warned by God in reverence see if the flood wasn't real for Noah if it was still an imagination after a while he would have grown tired of it he'd be like Lord I don't see any evidence 1:34:48 of flood in fact hasn't even one drop fallen I don't think it's real Lord he would have given up I'll tell you this if what you have is imagination and not faith one day it will fail that's why the encouragement were given 1:35:03 that Jesus prayed for Peter that your faith will not fail and Paul says I kept the faith I didn't let it dissolve keep the faith make sure your faith is real that it's an actual title deed which in the supreme court of law 1:35:21 in heaven is as real proves that what you have is real that Jesus you have and you believe in is a real person this is true faith and so he prepared an ark and was able to save his household with him as well what a tremendous 1:35:37 example we're given in Noah Mrs. Noah as well I want to meet her we're not even told her name I think anywhere in scripture and yet the two of them raised three godly sons and they married three godly women and together 1:35:51 the eight of them are a picture of the church saved from the from the judgment to come it's a wonderful testimony now Noah didn't do anything spectacular he didn't do some great miracle or anything like that he simply built 1:36:06 a boat but what was it that made the difference between Noah I'm sure there were plenty of other people in Noah's day that did far more spectacular things built big houses and was successful businessmen and all of that and Noah says 1:36:20 what did you accomplish in life what's the autobiography of your life I built a big boat but you're the only one still alive at the end of it that's the difference that's faith you see how faith is not necessarily in what you do 1:36:32 most people in Christendom think faith is to cast out demons or to raise the dead or to heal the sick or to open the blind eyes that's just a part of faith but the greatest act of faith you can do is simply to obey God in what's ahead of you 1:36:46 and God told him build an ark put that next plank there and then put the next plank there and hammer that nail and you go and keep doing that and you keep doing that Noah obeyed God you read that in Hebrews chapter 6 he prepared an ark 1:36:59 that was faith real faith he says Lord that flood is as real to me as if it was actually pouring outside right now you don't have to send the rain you don't even have to send a little shower to prove to me that you're actually mean 1:37:13 what you say he never saw a drop of rain for all those years that he was building the ark but the flood was as real to him as it was on the day when it finally came and it was too late for everybody else outside the boat 1:37:28 and then you read back in Genesis chapter 8 you look at this pleasing God here in Genesis chapter 8 at the end of it verse 20 here's Noah continuing in his act of faith when God finally brought and I wonder 1:37:49 if in the ark they thought well are we ever going to get out of here and then but Noah was holding on Lord I've trusted you I've trusted you you brought me this far and I trusted you during those years when it seemed like 1:38:02 everybody was mocking me for my preaching saying it's never going to happen it's never going to happen it's never going to happen it did happen Lord you were real and now I've been in this boat for a year and I don't know 1:38:12 are we just going to rot in here and how do I know I can't even see you know when they built the window of the ark there was only one little window up top so Noah couldn't didn't have you know a glass boat to look out and see 1:38:25 where the water subsided he had to walk by faith do you think God could have had Noah built a glass boat where you can see ah yeah the flood subsided now you can come out oh the flood waters are dropping yes Lord you're answering me 1:38:39 little by little I can see your answer no it's blind you can say I'm locked up in this wood all I see is wood around me but I believe you're you're taking care of me I believe that the flood is going to subside and you're going to get me 1:38:52 out of this boat one day and sure enough and now all he's got to do is trust the messenger there's a a raven yeah okay then a dove and he's still sort of have you put yourself in Noah's position for a little bit and try to imagine 1:39:07 what that was like for Noah and his family saying are we there yet are we there yet we don't know and Shem comes to him and says dad are we there yet I don't know son but God is we're trusting God I have faith in God is this it 1:39:20 can we go out now nope God will tell us and one day God opened the door and let them out and at the end of it verse 20 Noah builds an altar to the Lord and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings 1:39:35 on the altar here's another altar and the Lord smelled what does it mean when it says the Lord smells you think the Lord is pleased by what's on the barbecue you know that this is flesh it smells good is that what it really means 1:39:51 the Lord smelled their life of faith that's what he said Noah you trusted me for all those years that you were preaching faithfully and then you trusted me when I locked you up in that ark for a year and it seemed like there was no hope 1:40:06 and you allowed you trusted me when you couldn't see the answer in front of you and then you came out and you trusted me all the way to the end this is pleasing to me and the Lord smelled the soothing aroma and the Lord said to himself 1:40:20 I'm never going to do this again I've seen such think about the delight that God had at the end of it this test was over one day brothers sisters young people children your test will be over and oh at the end of it that offering 1:40:37 that you offer him at the end of it will be the pleasing aroma of a life of faith that's what it was for Noah let's keep going go back in Hebrews 11 Abraham verse 8 Hebrews 11 verse 8 by faith Abraham by this life of I hope 1:40:55 I cannot see it but it's real I hope I can't see it but it's real Abraham when he was called obeying by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance and he went out not seeing where he was going ah there it is again 1:41:14 not seeing not knowing Abraham get up and leave okay where are we going well just head west okay that's the sun that's west okay let's just go keep going it's getting dark now okay stop for the night wake up in the morning 1:41:32 is this it Lord nope keep going keep heading west keep going this is not seeing not knowing where he was going this is what delights God when he can hide himself and hide the end result from us and we say Lord it's as real 1:41:51 as if you showed me see what we're seeing here is that for Abraham God's word God's promise was as real was as real as if he had a telescope to see over there yep that's where I'm going to be if God could have somehow taken him up 1:42:09 and says Abraham over there you see that hundreds of miles away you see that beautiful fertile valley that's where I'm going to take you now let's go for Abraham he didn't need to see that he says Lord you said it I don't even know 1:42:20 what it looks like but it's as real as the real thing the title D is Jesus as real to you by faith as he is in heaven for those who see him face to face now I hope I'm not speaking theory and I'm not trying to set an unrealistic standard 1:42:39 but I want to press on in faith where I know Jesus more intimately the person of Jesus he's the author and finisher of our faith in fact Jesus is my faith I would say he's as real you know to me the difference between the title deed 1:42:54 and the car yes one day I will have Jesus the real Jesus the person of Jesus but he's as real to me today because of the title deed I've been given this is faith brothers where I'm not sitting here waiting oh I wish I could see 1:43:05 Jesus Lord just show me your face once just let me get a vision one time that'll help me no faith brothers sisters will do far more for you than a dream about Jesus will faith will carry you through that circumstance and God was pleased 1:43:21 with that not knowing where he was going by faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise as in a foreign land dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob fellow heirs of the same promise why because he was looking for the city 1:43:38 which is foundations whose architect and builder is God that's what he was looking for he says Lord that's my hope I can't see it with my eyes but I it's real Sarah is a good example for women as well I can't I have this hope 1:43:58 I can't see the I have this hope I can't see it but it's real by this life verse 11 Sarah herself received ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life since she considered him faithful who had promised therefore there was 1:44:17 born even of one man and him as good as dead at that as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore she had this hope God said you're going to have a son she couldn't see 1:44:35 any evidence with her eyes all the evidence in fact spoke against it but it was as real for her you know Sarah had faith often she doesn't get as much credit as Abraham does but she had faith she laughed it says yes but Hebrews 11 1:44:49 verse 11 tells us she had faith she believed and for Sarah it was real Sarah you're going to have a child yep what does the pregnancy test says yep no sign of child but it's as real it's as if Isaac is in my house today 1:45:02 I want a faith family this is what I'm getting I want a faith like I believe Abraham and Sarah had where for them it was like Isaac was actually there in their home one day that came to fruition but for them their faith 1:45:15 was as real as the actual son himself this is true faith we could keep going verse 17 by faith Abraham when he was tested offered up Isaac and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son whom he had seen 1:45:35 here is his son now him he can see and God says I want you to give him up go back to that unseen life that you had where Isaac was just a a hope that you saw by faith now what really the test for Abraham and that God was giving Abraham 1:45:55 there was like Abraham I want to test that you're still walking by faith I've answered your prayer you have Isaac now now my fear is that you might be walking by sight now but I want you to walk by faith even though I've 1:46:06 answered your prayer I've healed you yes but are you still walking by faith I've done that for you but are you still walking by faith now I want you to take that which is seen and send it back into the unseen and Abraham said 1:46:18 yes Lord for me Isaac was real before you gave him to me and now that you've given him to me he's real if you take him away he's still going to be real because it's you I want and my faith is a substance and you can raise him back 1:46:35 from the dead that's what we're told he's able to raise him back from the dead this is faith and so God was pleased by that oh what delight when God said I you walk by faith before you could see and then I opened your eyes 1:46:50 and you could see and you proved to me that you were still walking by faith what a wonderful example we have we'll skip down to verse 22 look at what it says about Joseph by this life of hoping not being able to see it but it being 1:47:08 real for him Joseph when he was dying Joseph had a pretty good life but you know there's something that Joseph longed for more than anything else he knew this is not our land he says I know God has given me a good life in Egypt 1:47:20 and God brought all of you my brothers into Egypt to save us during the famine that's there but that's our homeland my great-grandfather Abraham received the promise and it wasn't Egypt it was the land of Canaan and by faith 1:47:36 Joseph when he was dying said listen you guys are going to get out of here when hundreds hundreds of years from now you see the faith that Joseph had he had a hope Lord you promised my great grandfather Abraham that we would have 1:47:53 a land and here we are at that time they weren't slaves Egyptians the Israelites were living a pretty good life Joseph was second to Pharaoh but even with all that success that Pharaoh had he said God there's a hope I have 1:48:09 I can't see it but it's as real that you're going to take us back to the promised land he made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel and said you got to bury me there don't bury me here you know you'll bury me here 1:48:23 but the time will come when God will take us out of here through 400 some in years from now and when you go take my bones with you and bury them and you read it they took his bones with them you see the faith of Joseph he saw 1:48:39 beyond what he could see he saw with eyes of faith a couple more examples verse 27 by faith Moses now we're talking about Moses he left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king why was it that Moses could boldly leave 1:48:59 Egypt without being afraid Pharaoh was the most powerful man of the time the most powerful army of the time most powerful nation of the time and by faith Moses left Egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured 1:49:13 no matter how many times Pharaoh kept going back and forth and back and forth saying yes I will no I won't yes I will no I won't Moses Moses didn't give up why because he saw him who is unseen will you have the faith that 1:49:30 will carry you through the back and forth yes it's going to happen no it's not yes it's going to happen no it's not and every time Moses thought this time it's real we're going to get out of here Pharaoh changes his mind 1:49:39 and through that back and forth up and down back and forth up and down he endured why because he wasn't looking at Pharaoh he was looking seeing him who is unseen as seeing him who's unseen verse 29 by faith they passed 1:49:59 through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry land and the Egyptians when they undempted it were drowned so here's two people going through the Red Sea one of them make it through the other don't why is it that 1:50:18 the waters held up for the Israelites and not for the Egyptians when the Egyptians attempted it were drowned it's kind of a humorous statement there right in the middle of that story why was it essentially it was faith God 1:50:33 delighted in his people because of the faith it says by faith they passed through the Red Sea now I don't know if all the Israelites did but certainly Moses did and it was that faith that kept the waters from collapsing on 1:50:47 top of them the Egyptians said aha here's a path let's go and follow them but they didn't have faith and the waters collapsed on top of them there's a picture again of two people sitting in a church meeting one of them God will rescue 1:51:00 through all their circumstances because they have faith the other person trying to go and sitting in the same church trying to go on the same path says oh yeah there that person is going to go is going to RLCF let me also go 1:51:12 that seems like a good church and the waters collapse on them faith faith that's real verse 31 here's a wonderful example by faith Rahab the harlot the prostitute see God is no respecter of persons you say well I'm a sinful 1:51:31 person that's what Rahab was the most sinful person in all of Jericho she was the town prostitute by faith this town prostitute most wretched of sinful people she said Lord I'm hearing about these people and I'm a sinful woman 1:51:48 and I made such a mess of my life and I'm so horrible I don't deserve it Lord but I hear there's a hope that there's a God who's truly powerful and I can't see it with my eyes she had never seen the Israelites she'd only 1:51:59 heard about them but that faith became real for little Rahab I mean did Rahab have a Bible did she have somebody to teach her all these things no she had faith did not perish along with those who were disobedient she had 1:52:18 been disobedient she was one of the disobedient ones as well in Jericho but God said I'm going to save you and your family Rahab there's going to be one solitary building remaining standing on the wall at the end of this 1:52:31 destruction whose will it be the one who had faith and you may be you may go through a trial and everybody else may fall around you everybody else may give up eventually but that faith if it's real if it's concrete if it's 1:52:45 like a title deed that you have that is as real to you as the real thing that we will see one day the real person whom we will see one day then you will God will be pleased by that and right that's why God was pleased with 1:52:58 Rahab now sometime go back and read Hebrews 11 it's time for me to close but verse 12 Hebrews 12 verse 1 since we have so great a cloud of witnesses of people who had a hope couldn't see it with their eyes but it was as 1:53:15 real to them since we have such a hope so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us let us also lay aside this thing that would cause us to be unbelieving every encumbrance and set aside this sin which easily entangles us 1:53:32 and let us run with endurance the race of faith that is set for us fixing our eyes on Jesus whom we have not seen with our eyes the author and finisher of this faith who for the joy set before him endured the cross despising 1:53:52 the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God Jesus is our faith today and that pledge we've been given is like we memorized this week 2nd Corinthians 1 22 is given us the pledge through the Holy Spirit 1:54:08 in the middle of all of this we read verse 16 of Hebrews chapter 11 God was not ashamed to be called their God because he had prepared a city for them that's his life this is what pleases God when God looks down and sees 1:54:25 here's a people who I can hide myself from them they're not looking for visible evidence with their eyes they're not looking for scientific evidence they're willing to walk by faith they're willing to trust me the unseen 1:54:39 invisible God and I can delay however long it wants and then I can take away took Isaac from Abraham's heart and they will still worship me in faith and I started by saying I asked him the question why are we here and dear 1:54:58 family dear RLCF family and for all of us listening to this as well may that be why we're here Lord I want you to be pleased here I'm here with needs I'm here with things that I'm asking for but you don't have to show me 1:55:10 with my eyes the answer to that I'm simply going to worship you I'm going to trust you the invisible unseen God and know that when I see you and at the end he will stand righteous in judgment and I will be standing with 1:55:24 him that's what at the end I will take he will take his stand and I would add I will be there with him heavenly father I pray that all of us from the youngest to the oldest will have this concrete real faith that the end 1:55:40 at the end when you take your stand and prove that you were trustworthy all along you were faithful all along we too will be standing with you help us Lord I pray that every one of us our faith will grow stronger today our 1:55:52 faith will not fail but we will trust you that our trust will be you Lord Jesus make it so father we pray in Jesus name amen amen 1:56:33 to 1:57:03 thank God for what we've heard I wanted to share something that the Lord is really looking to the Lord for and I that he shows me certain 1:57:23 things that you know personally for my life that increases my faith on 2 Peter 1 in 19 says 1:57:43 and so we have the prophetic word confirmed or the prophetic word made sure which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart i'm 1:58:06 seeing more and more my need for the holy spirit to take the word that i hear or read and write it on my heart for for for me this is what i believe it means by making the prophetic word more sure and 1:58:26 that the spirit of christ turning on light the light in my heart as it says that the prophetic word is made more sure which you do well to take heed as the light that shines in a dark place where there is no light until 1:58:43 the day dawns and the morning star jesus christ rises in your hearts you know we've been studying in ephesians really been blessing me and seem like the lord has been impressing on our hearts the need for the holy spirit 1:59:03 to give us revelation on what we hear in ephesians 1 17 ephesians 1 17 and 18 says 1:59:25 that the god of our lord jesus christ the father of glory may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him in the eyes of your understanding or the eyes of your heart being enlightened that you 1:59:41 may know what is the hope of his calling what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints and in verse 19 and that you seeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his 1:59:59 mighty power and I'm seeing that there is no way to have the true knowledge of the father and Jesus except by the Holy Spirit communicating it to us as we often hear that in John 17 and 3 that this 2:00:19 is eternal life that they may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent and I wanted to go to Luke 24 and a very familiar scripture that talks about the two disciples who were on the road to 2:00:40 Emmaus and as they were walking Jesus came along beside them and began to talk with him in Luke 24 30 through 32 it says now it came to pass as 2:01:02 he sat at the table with them after they had been walking and the Lord was opening the scripture up to them and he was speaking to them about himself and it came to pass as he sat at the table with them that he took bread 2:01:17 blessed and broke it and gave it to them then their eyes were open and they knew him and he vanished from their sight and they said to one another did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and 2:01:37 while he opened the scriptures to us their hearts were burning from hearing the Lord they were hearing the prophetic words from the Lord and their hearts were burning as the Lord was speaking to them and 2:01:59 somehow their eyes still wasn't open to it being Jesus and being Christ that was speaking to them and I see that can happen to me unless I do what they did in verse 29 and after their hearts were burning their hearts were 2:02:15 burning as the Lord was speaking to them through the scripture and in verse 29 they just didn't leave it and my heart was burning and they just let him go they constrained him because Jesus indicated he was going to go further 2:02:31 that he spoke to them their hearts were burning and it was as if Jesus was going to go further and leave them alone but they in verse 29 said no they constrained him saying abide with us for it is toward the evening and 2:02:46 the day is far spent and he went in to stay with him so their hearts were burning but they said I'm not going to let you go I need more I want I stay with us and continue to speak to us and I can see that in my life especially 2:03:08 where the prophetic word is going forth consistently going forth Sunday after Sunday meeting after meeting and it used to just deal it used to be a to me it was okay it was enough for me for my heart to burn that mean that 2:03:27 I wanted to hear the word of God my heart is burning I believe I want what the person is saying and that used to just be enough for me but I found out that that's not enough unless I do what they did in verse 29 and say 2:03:43 Lord stay with me I know you spoke to me through this brother or through this sister but Lord make it real to me open my eyes the eyes of my understanding the eyes of my heart until the day make this prophetic word that 2:03:57 I'm hearing more sure and and and even as today my heart was burning as the brother as Santosh was sharing today but I know that's that's not enough it's not going to be enough unless the Jesus himself the Christ 2:04:17 as he was saying with my eyes of faith I see Jesus Lord Jesus you stay with me make this prophetic word that I hear more sure and that's what it talks about in 2nd Corinthians 4 that the light has shined in darkness in 2nd 2:04:40 Corinthians 4 and first 6 2nd 2:05:00 Corinthians 4 6 for it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness who has shone in our hearts the dark place it was dark he has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in 2:05:17 the face of Jesus Christ and that's what my heart longs for more than hearing a good message more than being my heart rejoicing my heart burning because of what I'm hearing but it takes Jesus himself the 2:05:38 morning star to light that up in my heart that I can see with the eyes of faith that the eyes of my understanding the eyes of my heart being enlightened by Jesus himself the spirit of Christ revealing Jesus to me that the 2:05:53 light that was dark there was darkness but the light is shining in my heart that I now see Jesus I see the person of Christ and as we were hearing Olu was talking even our prayer meeting that in our Bible study that it is 2:06:13 Christ Christ who is our life Christ our hope and is no more I but Christ in me the hope of glory is 2:06:53 the conclusion of the first letter of John in chapter 5 and verse 20 and if you read those 20 and 21 but if you read the conclusion of the letter he says in verse 20 and we know that the Son of God has come and 2:07:14 has given us understanding so that we may know him who is true and we are in him who is true in his son Jesus Christ he is the true God and eternal life and it seems like that would have been a good place to end the conclusion 2:07:30 but it's almost like John said well let me leave you with one more thought little children keep yourselves from idols it seems a little off topic but the apostle John chose those words writing to mature set of believers 2:07:47 as his final words I'll leave you with one more thought keep yourself from idols this morning Santosh was talking about being pleasing to God and we can come in and sing the same song but one person is pleasing and and the 2:08:04 other person is not bringing pleasure to God I've been thinking about Ezekiel 14 I'll read the first four verses it says then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me and the word of the Lord came to 2:08:20 me son of man these men have taken their idols into their hearts and set stumbling block and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces should I indeed let myself be consulted by them therefore speak to 2:08:36 them and say to them thus says the Lord God anyone of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and yet comes to the prophet I the Lord will answer 2:08:49 him as he comes with the multitude of his idols and in verse and a byword and cut them off from the midst of my people and I was thinking how and Ezekiel uses the word secret secret idols idols in 2:09:09 their hearts and I was thinking about how if I come here and there is some idol of some sort in my life and I come here and I sing the same songs and I truly mean the words I'm singing my Jesus I 2:09:29 it says that the Lord will set his face against me and Sandosh talked about from Exodus 20 what idols are anything that bears the image of any created thing either in heaven or on earth and I was thinking what is an idol 2:09:46 to me I was thinking of Romans 1 as well where Paul talks about I can quickly turn to Romans 1 in verse 24 23 they exchanged the glory of the immortal god for images resembling mortal man and birds and 2:10:06 animals and creeping things and just this past week I was with some of my colleagues and I saw the literal image of an idol with one of them it's not something common here in the west but in India you'll see it regularly 2:10:20 if you just walk on the street you'll see idols physical any graven image and in my teenage years I had sports stars as idols if you came to my home you'd see posters of them I lived and breathed that stuff I was an idol 2:10:39 worshipper but not anymore you won't find any posters on my wall but what is an idol to me one of the things that the Lord has been pressing on my heart is the need to serve him in secret to not look for the honor of men 2:10:52 and that is my idol in Romans 1 verse 23 Paul says exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and to me that is living for the honor of men doing anything so 2:11:13 that somebody would see notice and give me some sort of honor and the Lord has been convicting me about that to flee from that and to be a worshiper in secret Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4 that like we 2:11:28 were hearing this morning too God is invisible God is spirit and those who worship him worship him in spirit and in truth which means God is not impressed by my stage performance by the optics what people think I am the 2:11:42 opinion or the am in secret in private but nobody else is watching in spirit and in truth in John chapter 12 verse 42 Jesus said that 2:12:03 John said that many of the authorities believed but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it and it says many of the authorities believed in him they didn't only believe in Jesus message but they recognized him 2:12:17 as the son of God but they did not confess it because they were afraid that they would be put out of the synagogue for they love the glory that comes from man God I see that as a warning and in Galatians 1 and verse 10 Paul 2:12:39 says for am I now seeking the approval of man or of God or am I trying to please man if I was still trying to please man I would not be a servant of Christ Paul is saying with certainty that if I am trying to please man 2:12:55 never mind trying to please God I would not even be a servant of Christ I want to take those words seriously just earlier this month brother Zach in the family meeting was talking about judging ourselves every day Romans 2:13:09 2 16 it says God judges the secrets of men and he was encouraging us if on a daily basis we judge ourselves if I judge myself in a secret place on a daily basis then on the final day nothing to judge me for 2:13:29 because I have already judged myself and that I seek to live before his face alone amen amen thank you 2:13:53 for those messages we heard a lot today about pleasing God and I hope that could be everybody's testimony not just for those of us here but those online as well so let's remember these things let's as the Bible commands 2:14:12 to meditate on his word meditate not just on the Bible but on the word that we hear from those who preach the word those who teach the word as well so at this time we'll close the service for those online I'll just pray 2:14:31 and dismiss those online then we'll continue here in person father we thank you lord for these messages we heard and do pray father that each one of us that would be at the center of our lives lord to have have have have 2:14:46 a testimony that pleases you lord that the world would know us by that and father I pray that we wouldn't be distracted by anything else that may come up lord that would turn us from pleasing you may that be so in our lives 2:15:03 in Jesus Thank you.
