Adventist Media Response and Conversation

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Spectrum comments "he was a stone wall"

 Since Spectrum has become very censoring of comments by anyone who is not on the left I thought I would put my comments here. In this recent article 

He Was a Stone Wall, I Was Water: Gender and Fluidity at Margarette Falls

Saturday, January 20, 2024

What Is Jonathan Leonardo's Love Reality tour teaching

 Jonathan Leonardo’s Love Reality tour is a series of sermons that he gives in various places. His detractors such as GC President Ted Wilson say it is based on some type of “once saved always saved idea”or as the writer on the website Fulcrum7 said it is “hyper grace”. Neither is helpful as they assume that the reader has a thorough understanding of what each term means.  Ted Wilson’s once saved always saved is actually eternal security which is played against the Arminianism theology that one can lose their salvation.

 Gerry Wagoner writes at Fulcrum7

as follows: “Hyper-grace is an exaggerated new wave of teaching that emphasizes the grace of God to the exclusion of other vital teachings such as repentance and confession of sin. Hyper-grace teachers maintain that all sin, past, present, and future, has already been forgiven, so there is no need for a believer to ever confess it.

Hyper-grace teaching says that, when God looks at us, He sees only a holy and righteous people —or children, to use the language of Love Reality. (This is true for a surrendered, repentant believer walking in an intimate relationship with the Lord. It is not true of an individual walking in presumption, using grace as a license for sin). The conclusion of hyper-grace teaching is that we are not bound by Jesus’ teaching, even as we are not under the Law; that believers are not responsible for their sin; and that anyone who disagrees is a pharisaical legalist. “

This is how Wikipedia defines hyper grace

: “Hyper-Grace is characterized by holding to eternal security with a high emphasis on divine grace. Hyper-Grace advocates hold that the believer is not under the Mosaic law in any sense, that one's sinful actions cannot hurt fellowship with God, denies the necessity of regular confession of sin in the life of a believer and holds to the belief that every Christian will have an equal possession in heaven.[3][10][11][12][13] However, Hyper-Grace advocates reject viewing grace as a "license" to live in disobedience, viewing it as the only way to stay away from sin and emphasizing the natural consequences sin may have.[9][14] Thus, advocates of the view have argued that grace is the most powerful motivator of obedience.[15][16] Hyper-Grace rejects the idea of "Lordship Salvation", arguing that it leads to self examination and doubt. Advocates of Hyper-Grace deny that salvific repentance should be viewed as contrition and hatred for sin, instead being a change of mind, thus a synonym for belief in Christ.”

Gerry Wagoner is more correct in using the term hyper grace but completely wrong when he says what it means.

A good example of how hyper grace works is discussed by Paul Ellis

: “ Since  hyper-grace opponents don’t like to be called legalists, I’ll swap the word law for the word works to acknowledge their view that there are things you must do to be saved or sanctified. From this we can identify three gospels:

1.     Graceless gospel: You are saved by works and sanctified by works

2.     Mixed-grace gospel: You are saved by grace but sanctified by works

3.     Hyper-grace gospel: You are saved by grace and sanctified by grace

So now let’s determine if Leonardo is as Ted Wilson claims basing his teachings on once saved always saved. First I need to point out that Jonathan Leonardo has a large video presence on YouTube but practically no written material for me to quote. At one point he did have a book which he put out through Renown publishing  in 2022 which appears to simply be a self publishing book firm and while it is listed on Amazon and several other places it is not available anywhere and not available even as an e-book. So I have taken the transcripts from the Love Reality PVC series in 2019 I will publish these transcripts on this blog as well so that people can find them all together. This is suboptimal as really anyone serious about their theology should take the time to have written down their ideas, research and reasoning.

In Leonardo’s first sermon at the PVC church he says the following:

49:09 “…we hear those words all right cuz let me ask you a quick question how many times y'all in this room expect to get saved once, once right pastor Greg how many times you expect to get saved once, once you get saved how long you expect to be saved oh oh man see you like once saved always saved you see how that works yeah so we say things but we don't really mean that thing when we say once saved always saved we're really meanings like Oh Jonathan can you just abuse grace and live however you want and call it like oh well God forgives me why would I get why would I get free from death and then willingly go back to it now that I've tasted freedom I got holiness and holiness is an awesome gift why would I now be out there acting a fool with lust and addiction and talking 50:00 all crazy because I think that's Liberty that's not Liberty I got delivered from that why would I turn back to that but that deliverance is not what qualifies me you know what qualifies me the fact that he created me and calls me son and he calls every last one of y'all sons and daughters…”

In tour number 11 Leonardo says: In

51:43"...don't you let  it be said that this Grace We're preaching that empowers you to live according to the darkness you've been delivered from Grace without transformation is a perversion we live in beauty of Holiness we stored these bodies well we don't objectify others we never live at the expense of one another we don't lie we don't steal we don't cheat we're not sexually immoral we're not given the orgies or drunkenness because we are children of the light we Reign and if ever you find yourself in any of those activities you bring the truth of God to bear in that darkness and you call Sin for what it is but then you name yourself according to what he's spoken about you and don't you ever let thatactivity identify you as anything less than what the blood speaks…"

 

Now I don’t say that I agree with Jonathan Leonardo, I doubt he would want to associate my beliefs with his. But we have to understand what he is saying and people should not denigrate it without even really knowing what he believes and says. Granted to a large extend he brings it on himself but not stating clearing in writing what he believes and his reasons. The problem with sermons is that the speaker leads you through a process to try and reach his or her desired conclusion. If any part of the foundation that is laid is wrong than more than likely the conclusion will be wrong. In a sermon you are, if the speaker is good, emotionally charged to accept their leading. In written material it is far harder to do that. Leonardo is a good speaker, entertaining and with some very good thoughts. It may be that this is the new way to reach the younger generation. He has some good short videos that are certainly of high quality and then he has some more problematic videos such as this one Why did Christ need to die for us to be saved? - Jonathan Leonardo

 I will note it is an edited video and it was not posted by Leonardo but what is there shows how mixing his metaphors leads to a confusing mishmash of statements.

 He begins:

God does not forgive your sin God doesn't forgive your sin God condemns sin but since he gave us Jesus… “

Of course God forgives our sins, God can condemn sin and forgive our sins. The Bible a number of places says that. The idea that I often sense in Leonardo is a misunderstanding of sin. There is no sin apart from the thoughts and or actions of some intelligent being.  1 John 1:8-10: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

 

Leonard then continues the confusion: 

0:14 “but since he gave us Jesus to go through the waters of death first we can come behind Jesus and die in his death so that we can live in his life so that whenever judgment is when it goes we can't be the ones who are judged because how do you judge those who have already died to sin does that make sense”

That is true it does not make sense because dying with Christ is a metaphor it does not mean we literally died and rose again with Christ. First because that was nearly 2000 years before any of us were even born. So it is either a metaphor for something which should be explained or it is a mystical experience similar to the Recapitulation theory of the Atonement which holds that we were mystically seminally somehow present with Christ during His life, death and resurrection.

There is an article entitled Concerns about Love Reality It tries to compare Jonathan Leonardo’s statements to what someone things Ellen White believes on the same subjects. Sadly it is not a well done article for example here are the statements from one line of the chart the article supplies.

Problem: I’m not free from sin yet, but I still follow Christ.

Solution by Love Reality: We must believe we are free from sin in order to escape the punishment for sin.xx 

Is LR Solution T or F Based on Bible/SOP?: We must believe God’s promises: when we ask for forgiveness, we are indeed forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.  But God’s people never claim to be free from sin.  See #8.

In simple terms the answers against Love Reality presentation ignore the nuances of what is actually said and really the nuances of what the Bible and SOP say. It is an article to reinforce those who already oppose what Leonardo is saying. I will note that in the footnote for the Love Reality reference it is just to the video, in the footnote it says the video is number 9 and gives the link. However looking at the transcripts I don’t find that statement made in video 9. I do find a similar idea in this video however.

 

A Conversation with Jonathan Leonardo

10:37 “ [reading from Romans] we know that our old self was crucified with him and order that our body of sin might be brought to nothing and was this so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin that that the body of sin comes to nothing at baptism when I participate in baptism with Christ Jesus he tells me that by faith the body of sin comes to nothing I look at this mind shifting altering complete like reality turning verse of chapter of verse 7 for one who has died has been set free from has been set free from sin yes that even me does that tell them is that it we participated in the death of Christ Jesus through baptism not that we're gonna be free from sin one day but that we are free from sin right and without going too far because we only have a little bit of time with that then ends up meaning is that we're free from sin and three very distinct ways

One  that we’re free from the power of sin why because the power of thing is via the law and the accusation that we've come under because we're condemned under the law right this is verse 15 the power thing is the law Romans six seven and eight clearly teaches us that since were 12:07 not under the law were not under condemnation so since I'm not under the law anymore I'm not under condemnation this is where people start getting worried that what are you saying is the lot done away with no no no no I'm not under the law because through the spirit the righteousness of the law is now inside of me right that's not one under the Spirit the righteousness of the law is now inside of me this is the New Covenant Hebrews 8 right so I'm no longer under the power of the law why be animated by the power of the Spirit right

 second I'm not under the penalty of sin because what is the penalty of sin the penalty of sin is death don't you sin because my Savior has liberated me from the penalty of sin by becoming a curse for me so that I might be his righteousness so I don't fear 13:06 death because I have victory that overcomes death and that's the faith that I have in Christ Jesus because of his faithfulness towards me so free from the power of sin free from the penalty of sin and the

 third one really important I'm free from the prison of sin and the mentally is the mental prisoner the mental prison of thing is always conscious of its own sin because I'm conscious of my own sin I'm always coming under condemnation this is Romans… 

14:05

no longer in the flesh but we're in the spirit Romans 8:9 you don't have to

live with a consciousness that's first and foremost concerned with sin I get to

live with the consciousness that's first and foremost concerned with the gift of

righteousness that is mine through Christ Jesus then I'll live with the double mindedness that's constantly looking at myself to see if I'm failing I get to look at him first to see him my victory so that then I see myself in light of how he sees me and I see myself in light 14:44 of how he sees me that puts integrity into me to walk according to the freedom that he says is mine it’s not about getting victory over sin moment-by-moment it's about me living from a freedom that's already mine and being the heart of his love for me15:02 so that in the longer way I slip and stumble into patterns of my former ignorance I have an advocate before the father Jesus Christ the righteous who is my very propitiation right knee isn't that where first John 2 tells us he says my little children I write this to you so that you may not sin but if you do you have an advocate before the father Jesus Christ the righteous why because I am not established first and foremost in my sinfulness anymore I'm established as a son because that's what was intended for me that's where the good news of my life began that was hidden in him that he could create in Christ Jesus to manifest His image…”

 

I appreciate many of the things Jonathan Leonardo has said. He is entertaining and far too verbose and not correct to my understanding on many areas of theology. That certainly does not mean we have nothing to learn from him. The most important part of his message being that we should stop this navel gazing about our own sinful condition. It disrupts our Christian lives it focuses on ourselves rather than the gift God has given us. We are either a new creation that has moved from death to life or not, it is not a merry-go-round from saved to unsaved dependent on how we feel about our relationship with God. As the verse says “Restore to me the joy of your salvation Psalms 51:12" Is he overstating some things? Yes I think so. But that is easily corrected with one Bible verse, my favorite verse: 1 John 3:1-3 NIV “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

 

 

Transcripts of Love Reality PVC Tour as provided by YouTube

 Transcripts of Jonathan Leonardo Love Reality Tour at PVC 2019


Transcript 1

0:00

let me tell you about the time I got deported from the US huh yeah yeah some

0:06

of y'all might have heard this story but um there was no sensei I got deported from the US one time right it depends

0:11

how I want to tell the story I could tell you about the story I got kicked out of the US or the one time that I got really really drunk in Mexico but that

0:18

one's not quite that's spiritual right if you frame it that way but it happened nonetheless so here's what happens in

0:24

2002 I was in Mexico and I was in Mexico precisely because in 2002 I was 20 years

0:32

old and in Mexico you could do certain things at 20 years old that you can't do

0:38

in America so that I was in Mexico 20

0:47

years old partaking and things that you know you can't in America and pretty much losing my mind precisely because I

0:53

was and so as I was spending this time

0:58

in Mexico and partaking the things my mind began to lose its control of

1:06

reality right and I began to just act

1:12

the fool so what happened is we would we back then it was own weed across the

1:17

border and anybody been to South Padre Island we crossed the border around

1:23

there know where that is oh man what's right across the McAllen maybe McAllen some Brownsville

1:29

anyway we cross the board over and um me and my buddy spent the night in Mexico

1:34

like you know losing our minds and as we're leaving the establishment that

1:41

we've been at you know with the lights and the and we're leaving and as we're

1:49

leaving I encounter a group of Dominicans

1:54

and when I say Dominicans I don't mean like Catholic priests I mean people from Dominican Republic

2:01

and I don't know if any of y'all know Caribbean people but Caribbean people we will start a party wherever we're at

2:06

right all we need is like a rock and something to make a beat right and and a Dominican person could just hear

2:18

you know Dominica is like on OA we started like chanting out different

2:23

Dominican phrases and all of a sudden I'm getting really excited cuz middle of the night Mexico I'm losing my mind and

2:29

I see other Dominicans and we're getting

2:34

closer to UM the checkpoint to cross back into the United States and we're all having a good time I've met these

2:40

new friends and then other people start joining in support of Ricans other people some Caribbean folk even the

2:46

Mexican folk and we're getting we're

2:52

getting to the border right and right when we get to the border I don't know if you've ever used to cross border times they would ask you they would say

2:58

country of origin or place of birth right and back before 2002 I used to

3:04

cross the border first time across the border on foot was 1998 and I would cross the border no problem and you

3:11

would come back across and they'd ask you country of origin where you from I would say Boston Massachusetts because that's where I grew up and they let you

3:17

back in no problem right 2002 was a little different the reason it was a

3:24

little different is because what happened September 2001 so I get up to the border with my Dominican Posse

3:30

having lost my mind because I mean II BRE ated and the Border Patrol man asked me that's not even their title what's

3:36

their attack of the Border Patrol man border agent huh so the border agent asked me is a country of origin moment

3:44

of decision but the crowd I'm keeping things I've been doing well my mind is

3:50

set on you already know how I answered what country you from

4:00

and the border border agent looks at me he goes he goes um okay paperwork got

4:08

real sober real quick um I'll come again that paperwork I said uh what do you

4:14

mean he goes what was your paperwork like where's your um your passport I'm uh I don't got one of those is that

4:20

well are you a resident I'm like yeah I'm a resident I'm a resident and I was really afraid to use the phrase because it's the technical phrases resident a

4:27

all right oh my god I'm a resident I'm a permanent resident my call a permanent resident says all right well let me see

4:33

your on green card now if you know anything about Caribbean parents Caribbean parents are really protective

4:39

over official documentation and my mama told me Jonathan don't ever take the green card anywhere keep it in your sock

4:46

drawer wreck so that's where my green card would was in my sock drawer back in

4:53

Dallas Texas right I went to southwestern so y'all know Keene Texas it's back in Keene Texas so I tell the

4:59

Border Patrol agent now I'm trying to explain to him like well see my mama told me that um see cuz cuz when my mama

5:07

was telling me how to survive in the world she said in my sock drawer he's like nah nah nah and in that moment I

5:15

get really nervous and when I get nervous or at least when I got nervous back then I would get emotional right

5:22

energy would start working in motion and I got disruptive disturbing some

5:30

exciting stuff in order to prove that I am more like I don't say can't you see I was like four score and seven years ago

5:36

Oh give me liberty or give me death right I'm like he's like no no no all right I'm trying to recite that you

5:41

won't let me in please please I'm American oh I get so worked up that they

5:48

were kind enough to bring some more Border Patrol agents and they gave me some jewelry it's a sort of jewelry that

5:54

you put on your wrists all right so they put some jewelry on my wrist and then they were so accommodating they were

6:01

like we want to give you a private room for yourself right and they were so accommodate they're like and and we'll always open

6:08

the door for you all right you can't open it from the inside so they put me in this room with the jewelry and they lied to me because

6:15

it wasn't a solo room I kid you not it was me and our Muslim brother right there was me and a Muslim brother in

6:20

there and watch this the anecdote is that me and him are both drunk and even

6:27

though we're both drunk we're in this detention center both cuffed up and we're trying to convince each other

6:32

about the correctness of the day of worship he's trying to hey he's trying

6:37

to tell me it's Friday night and I'm like no it's the Sabbath the Sabbath is a I'm trying to tell them in the Bible right so anyway so we're in

6:44

there Border Patrol comes back says hey Jonathan mr. Leonardo we can't find your

6:49

paperwork so ok I give them all the information that I can everything they asked me they can't find my paperwork to

6:55

prove that I am who I say I am because

7:00

at the point of decision in keeping with dolls that I was around I spoke contrary

7:06

to the truth of who I was are you with me at the point of decision

7:12

I spoke contrary to the truth of who I was because my mind was stayed on some

7:17

foolishness I shouldn't have been in and so Border Patrol comes in they can't find my paperwork I get a little more

7:24

agitated at this point I start banging the handcuffs all over the room on the door yelling at the top of my lungs

7:30

Border Patrol comes in this true story y'all Border Patrol comes in they say hey you're being super belligerent we're

7:35

not gonna you're not gonna you know you're not gonna stay here all right

7:42

they bring me outside escort me outside and as they escort me outside they start

7:47

walking me away from the facility I've got the cuffs on and I don't quite understand why they're walking me back

7:52

away from the facility there's about three or four maybe four or five Border Patrol guys and as they're walking I'm

7:59

thinking to myself well maybe they're gonna try to take me behind the building and do a little tusslin so sorry well at least maybe you should take the cuffs

8:04

off so I'm you know it's a fair fight this is 20 year old mind they keep

8:10

walking I'll keep backing up and it gets to a point where one of them reaches

8:15

over takes the cuffs off and then they stop I back up a little bit they don't come forward again back up a

8:24

little bit again they don't come forward Preto what is going on I look down and

8:29

in between me and the Border Patrol is a big yellow line and on one side it says

8:35

u.s.a and on the other side it says Mexico they signal and you know which

8:41

side I'm on right self-explanatory they signal to their friends on the other side the colleagues their colleagues come over

8:48

they give me the Mexican version of the jewelry and then they put me in the Mexican

8:54

version of their hospitality room and that's how I spent a night in a drunken

9:02

stupor in Mexico what is it that got me there what got me there was the wrong

9:10

declaration because was I a citizen of the United States of America no but was

9:16

I a resident or permanent resident yes but at that moment of decision when life

9:23

pressed I didn't have anything to show for it because I wasn't living prepared I didn't have a mindset in agreement

9:32

with the truth of who I was so that at that moment I spoke according to the

9:38

inebriation the darkness of my mind are y'all with me and there is one question

9:43

that I like to ask audiences in order to reveal our understanding of who we are

9:49

there's one polling question that I have found effective for the past year as we've done this that reveals the nature

9:57

of our understanding of our identity I

10:02

uh we were in Springfield Massachusetts and I'm standing here and there was a gentleman sitting right where you are

10:09

look them in the face I asked him this question and he had a pained look come over his face because as a believer he

10:18

was sitting there hearing me talk but then I said this to him I said what's your relationship to sin what's your

10:28

relationship to sin and then I asked him even more pointedly I said think about the last seven days think about the past

10:35

month think about your life lived and what do you know about your relationship to sin where do you stand in

10:41

relationship to it and he remembers and

10:48

he looked at me and he answered and he says it's intimate

10:55

I felt that like I felt my favorite

11:02

response has actually been a young lady where we asked and she responded like a facebook comment my god it's complicated

11:08

all right like a status update but this is what I would ask y'all tonight as we

11:15

begin this journey of identity purpose worth in light of the story I just said

11:21

what is your relationship to sin I don't know when the last time was you were in a church I don't know if this is a

11:27

weekly thing for you I don't know if you venerate these hours like some people I know here do but what is your

11:35

relationship to sin in spite of your relationship to church attendance or any of that what do you know about your life

11:41

lived are you meeting the expectations that you have for yourself or more importantly that

11:47

God has for you or are you falling short and do you know and are well aware that

11:52

you have fallen short of the expectations that either God or yourself place over your head because have we all

12:00

been there have we all been in that place that we are well aware that we can't even keep up with the expectations

12:05

that we set up for ourselves it's tough right all right can we hold

12:11

that for a second can we just hold that idea can I tell you another story and then we'll bring it back this is a story hopefully I know a lot of you guys know

12:17

all right it starts like all good story starts once upon a time there was a

12:22

nation their nation the name of the nation was Israel all right and Israel if you guys know the story they were

12:29

slaves and where were they slaves they were slaves in Egypt now you know folk

12:34

hopefully you guys know that because you watched a whole lot of the Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston right Ten Commandment fans yeah good good

12:43

how can one so rich in love be so poor in pity nobody this is that next level

12:49

Ten Commandment life of you guys know you will be mine oh mine like my horses my Falcons are my dogs I will love you

12:56

more and trust you less yeah and we'll call you and you will come you might not like that but I think you will know know

13:02

Yul Brenner all right anyway so the nation of Israel their slaves once upon a time and worth

13:09

hold that there is a man who emerges from them he goes by the name of Moses

13:15

and Moses has this god-given mandate in order to tell Pharaoh and here's what he

13:22

has to tell them he has to tell him the god of the Israelites says let my

13:31

good-good say you've seen one of these there maybe you young people you seen it enough what's the one which I always forget because I'm a Ten Commandment guy

13:37

what's the young one the animated one Prince of Egypt right good thanks you

13:43

heard all the young voices Prince of Egypt right but everybody knows that Moses comes in and says let my people go

13:50

interestingly enough what does Moses say that God calls his people he says he

13:55

calls them his firstborn he says he calls them his firstborn so you have

14:01

this nation and I'm just gonna drop oh this is where I need to tell you listen I do one thing well and that's theology

14:08

and this talking thing other than that it's gonna be a disaster so the artwork that you will see oh this

14:14

is a giant whiteboard by the way what you see on here I apologize in advance okay so there's a whole bunch of people

14:24

right there's a hook this is the true to

14:34

size they're anatomically correct this one is headless that's not connected okay so there's this nation of

14:42

people and they're the firstborn of God and they see a series of plagues that

14:48

befall Egypt you guys know the story Moses comes in and he does these fantastic acts on behalf of God the

14:56

first one is he turns the water of the Nile into blood and then a whole series

15:01

follows sidenote you know that each one of these corresponds to one of the Egyptian gods right so that every time

15:07

that Moses does one of these plagues he's actually saying hey Yahweh's power is greater than one of your God's power

15:13

anyway so the last plague does anybody know what the last plague is the last plague is that the firstborn in the

15:21

whole land is going to die unless unless what unless

15:27

there is a blood over the doorway so Moses comes in and tells Pharaoh hey

15:33

listen you've been holding the first born of God hostage here's what God is

15:39

going to do God says that since you've been holding his firstborn hostage he is

15:45

gonna hold every firstborn accountable this is what's going on his firstborn is being held hostage he says I'm gonna

15:51

hold every firstborn accountable unless there is the blood of a lamb that covers

15:57

a door and for every firstborn that's inside a home that has the blood of a lamb covering God will not bring death

16:06

upon that firstborn we're together so every firstborn has a way out but they

16:11

need to beware inside right so maybe I

16:16

should let me do it this way I'll put the doorway over here it'll make sense

16:23

as to why so as all the people gather

16:28

there are many not all who put the blood over the door in order to spare the life

16:35

of their favorite firstborn any firstborns in here all right

16:40

I am NOT one my sister is and there were moments in my life where I wish this was true and no blood was on our doorway if

16:46

you know what I'm saying all right everybody who didn't raise their hand may or may not have a sibling who knows what I'm talking about

16:52

so what would happen is that the firstborn would be delivered if they

16:59

were in a home that was covered by the blood and there was an extra additional

17:05

step that was required they needed to be gathered around a particular animal and

17:11

this animal was representative of the firstborn right so there was a lamb no

17:21

it gets bad right okay that's about right right so

17:31

what would they do all these people would gather around the lamb and some of these maybe some of these were firstborn

17:36

so you had the firstborn here maybe there was another firstborn here and then just for kicks we'll put one more

17:42

maybe there's a firstborn but all of these firstborn along with other family members they gathered around this lamb

17:48

and they were dressed ready to depart because the promise was that on this

17:53

evening when God would bring this angel of death that would kill firstborns who

17:58

were not in a home covered by blood those who were nation of Israel they

18:04

would depart Egypt and go free you know the story do we know the story what

18:12

happens that night darkness covers the land of Egypt and Goshen and all of a

18:17

sudden you've seen it in the Ten Commandments though they it's it's like a green mist isn't it yeah omen again

18:22

and then this Angel of Death passes over and all of a sudden in the land you hear great wailing but in the land of goshen

18:30

where the people of Israel are gathered around the Lamb and all these firstborns are there what happens to them they

18:37

they're spared and they go free right next move because you guys know this

18:43

story the nation of Israel leaves after this last plague they all gather all these things Pharaoh loses his firstborn

18:50

that night and he tells Moses and get these people out of here get them out Moses gathers them all together and they

18:56

leave in great number right the very next problem they encounter is

19:01

they find themselves now against they see and Pharaoh has changed his mind and

19:09

he's coming for them you remember this part of the story right where does the nation then have to actually go through

19:16

they got this problem they've left they've left but now they're faced with an ocean right and they have to get on

19:23

the other side of the ocean and and the Bible tells us that this thing happens where the ocean gets split and they do

19:29

what they walk through okay now when they walk through on the other side stay

19:35

with me here they walked it on the other side they find themselves in desert anybody been in the desert in the middle of the day what's the problem

19:41

with the desert in the middle of the day it's hot so what do you need you need some water and what else some shade

19:48

right so they need to subside does God provide some shade for him he

19:53

does right cloud right good now that problem solved anybody been in the desert at night what happens to the

20:00

desert at night super cold right so what do you need a knight who needs to fire

20:06

right does God provide some fire for them yeah well just this is my water is my fire or my cloud cover all right good

20:15

now have you guys ever been in the desert without food anybody no but you could imagine in the

20:23

desert without food what do you need food what does God provide what does he

20:29

provide manna manna right he provides manner Hey provide some manna form I

20:35

don't know why my man it looks like footballs or something but all right it

20:41

is what it is he provides mana all right now here's my question for y'all y'all either went to Sunday school

20:47

to Sabbath school do this whole journey from the time the first plague begins all the way through them going through

20:52

the Red Sea and being in the desert where is it that God is taking them where is it the promised land how many

21:01

do I got for promised land there are some hands with problem anybody else any other guesses where God is taking them

21:06

the wilderness they're already in the wilderness anybody else Mount Sinai that's a good

21:14

one I said anybody else take Canaan that's a really good one this song's about the whole wander Canaan glory

21:21

know anybody Negro spirituals come on I know we're in Oregon but it's still

21:27

February [Applause]

21:33

you with me yeah you with me yeah hey

21:42

listen listen it's funny cuz right now I want to tell you a story but I probably shouldn't about what happen to me in

21:50

Seattle recently my man so listen what happens to you

21:55

so what happens there in the wilderness but where is it that they're going cane in cyan I promise land I want to

22:06

challenge all know some of y'all should have all y'all so have Bibles go to Exodus 19 take your Bible out go to

22:14

Exodus 19 where is it that they're going

22:20

now remember this question is still revolving around identity I promise we will come right around to it it's all

22:27

gonna come together Exodus 19 you guys there with me I'm going to be reading out of the ESV English standard version

22:34

Exodus 19 it's right after Genesis right 19 right before 20 right after 18 listen

22:42

to this I'll be reading in verse 4 you yourselves have seen what I did to the

22:52

what Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and how I brought you

23:01

where to my way so where is it that God

23:06

was bringing them to himself huh so this

23:12

whole time God brings them in somewhere

23:18

around something and then begins assuring them on a journey to himself

23:25

and the end game if you will allow me I'll just draw it like this the end game

23:31

is this is just my imagery of Trinity right we together

23:41

now I don't know if some of y'all are Bible scholars maybe some of y'all

23:46

already picking up what I'm laying down if I were to do something like this

23:53

maybe you would understand what I've done so there's a story in the Bible

24:03

about how you come to God and the way you come to God is you come to him by

24:09

way of a sanctuary and at the sanctuary where first is required is the death of

24:14

a lamb and the lamb would die in that lamb would then cleanse the blood would

24:20

would travel through the lamb would get washed and then the blood of that lamb

24:26

would usher you in to this place called the holy place and in the holy place is

24:32

where there was some bread there was light and there was incense a cloud that

24:39

represented this journey and the end goal of this blood that you would offer where it was for the blood to get to the

24:47

most holy place in order for you and I to get forgiveness so our sins somehow

24:54

were counted against us this is the idea our sins were counted against us and we would offer a lamb and it would go

25:00

through this journey right and I would get forgiven as soon as the blood made it there I'd be released but here's the

25:08

challenge with that is that if the story of Moses and the people of Israel is one

25:14

where God is trying to bring them to himself if the end goal is God in the beginning is this doorway with the blood

25:20

and the end goal is for us to be in intimacy and the way we get there is to

25:25

get free somehow to get free from our sins or to get free from our burdens and finally have intimacy the questions

25:32

where did these people actually have freedom in this story and what point

25:37

were they free were they free when they finally got to God no cuz they were

25:46

already free from Egypt weren't they were they free when they needed

25:52

some covering in the desert or where they still slaves were they free or were

25:59

they slaves y'all were they free when they needed the fire or were they slaves

26:05

were they free when they needed the bread or were they still slaves cuz they didn't have it were they free when they

26:11

went through the water or were they not as what starts getting little murky were

26:19

they free when they gathered around the blood of the firstborn so at what point

26:26

do these people actually get free do they get free at the end or do they

26:33

begin from freedom because they walk under the blood that speaks liberty over

26:38

their lives so that then your life

26:44

begins from freedom it's not a working to freedom and that you and I as

26:51

Christians when the circumstances of life pressed us for instance when we

26:56

find ourselves in a situation where maybe we are taking some heat and we don't have cover we think that maybe God

27:02

is against this or that God has abandoned us so that we've done something to offend him and we think that we need to appease him by going

27:09

through some process in order to get the Liberty that he's promised but that's the old mindset when it comes to that

27:16

point of decision you need to be able to speak according to the identity of the

27:21

truth of the thing not according to the old mindset that's been drinking a whole bunch of lies are you hearing what I'm

27:28

saying to you so that then the question has to be answered in a particular way when I ask

27:35

you are you in fact free from sin when life presses you and you're at the booth

27:40

and the border agent is asking you what reality do you belong to are you sinner

27:46

or are you saying or are you working your way somewhere in between turn with

27:55

me to Roman's 6

28:01

turn me to Roma six you give me about six more minutes and I'll wrap this thing up Romans six

28:12

it's a Matthew Mark Luke John the book of Acts slightly right after that we get

28:22

to the book of Romans sixth sixth chapter I want you to see something y'all familiar with the book of Romans

28:27

in here some of y'all familiar with the book of Romans y'all listen to this you see it right there what shall we say then are

28:35

we to continue in sin that grace may abound what's Paul talking about here Paul saying listen if you're free from

28:40

sin if you actually been liberated are you guys going to keep participating in the patterns of your foolishness so that

28:47

you may get more grace it's like no no no why would you do that right look what he says how can we who died to sin still

28:55

live in it hearing that language we who died to sin do you not know that all of

29:03

us who were baptized into Christ Jesus

29:08

were baptized into his death how many baptized I know raise your hands but if you're baptized believer if

29:14

you're baptized believe it do you know that the testimony of Scripture is that you've been baptized into the death of

29:20

Jesus so that the death he has died you've participated in and it isn't just symbolic

29:26

it's true participation it's participation by faith but it's not

29:32

simply symbolic are you understanding the distinction there so when I believe

29:38

something by faith there might be a symbol that represents it but it's a true reality for instance when I say I

29:46

believe I am a son of God I know that by

29:51

faith that is true it's true there might

29:56

be a symbol representative of it but that symbol represents of reality baptism is not just simple although it

30:03

is simple it's also participation in the truth and that truth is that each and every single one of you baptized into

30:09

Christ Jesus participate in his death we'll get to a bit what is dead is what that means we were buried

30:18

therefore with him by baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father

30:25

we too might walk in newness of life so we have the privilege having been

30:30

baptized into his death to walk in newness of life now look at what newness

30:36

of life looks like have you heard like I know I've heard maybe on televangelist or some people that you know speak

30:43

freely that the Christian life is one that walking newness of life is that you're walking around like the Smurfs

30:49

the Smurfs that like life is just beautiful and nothing happens

30:55

and you're conquering no because when you walk in the freedom that he's

31:00

purchase sometimes it gets really really hot and you need some cover it or sometimes it gets really really dark and

31:07

you need some light or sometimes you get really really put in a situation where

31:13

you're almost starving and depending on something to feed you and yet none of those circumstances determine the truth

31:20

of your liberty that was already purchased are you hearing me so that you could find yourself in the sort of

31:26

circumstance that you haven't eaten in 40 days and you might think because it seems as though you haven't had food for

31:32

40 days that maybe God has abandoned you even though 40 days earlier he said that you were his beloved son for forty days

31:39

later he hasn't shown up and you're thinking to yourself maybe he doesn't love me and you hear that temptation

31:44

that says hey maybe you take this piece of rock and turn it into bread in order

31:49

to prove that you still law you believe you are and when that circumstance

31:54

presents itself you don't let feeling determine the situation or that moment

31:59

you stand in the truth of what the word says and you say man will not live by bread alone but by every word that

32:06

proceeds out of the mouth of God so if God says you're free from sin you're his son and his daughter believe

32:13

the word over your life we're together a

32:19

couple more verses for if we've been united with him in the death like his

32:24

shall certainly be united with him in a direction like his we know that our old self was crucified with him in order

32:31

that the body of sin might be brought to nothing what does that mean that means that the former identity I used to have once I

32:37

participated in Jesus it's no longer Who I am so that when I come to that point

32:43

of decision I don't speak according to my former identity let me give you a

32:49

very real example one of the reasons LR T's actually even exists is because I

32:56

spent 15 years close to 15 years give or

33:01

take 1213 traveling around preaching theology I got a couple of theology

33:08

degrees and I'm working on my last one the PhD and these theology degrees taught me how to do a whole lot of

33:14

tricks I could flip this book and do a whole lot of tricks right I can put

33:19

things together they all I've never seen that I can do a lot of that and people used to pay me to do they're like a

33:24

circus monkey like I felt like one because I knew that I was simply performing why didn't I know I was

33:30

performing because I knew I was living absent the power that I was preaching we

33:36

all have how did I know that because I would leave this stage and I would go

33:42

into the privacy of my life and I was a hundred percent a slave of my lust and I

33:49

don't mean that just in the screen sense I mean that in the whole sense I've

33:55

shared this enough it's on YouTube so I'll share with you all tonight I used to be enslaved to my lust to the point

34:01

that I wouldn't take speaking engagements in other cities in the u.s. because I knew I might have had somebody

34:07

there that I'd like to see in my off time instead what I'm saying to you so I

34:12

get invited to his particular City and I'd be like or not there's a person there that I want to see maybe when I

34:18

get off the road so let me not risk it and do ministry there this is where my broken mindset was and so I would proclaim one thing

34:26

with theological tricks but I wasn't living in power and I wasn't living in power because I was completely given

34:32

over to the lie that I was destined to be a sinner for the rest of my life

34:40

and so about 12 years into this gig my

34:45

private life and my personal life collided in a way that I knew one thing was gonna give either my personal life

34:52

had a rat needed a radical Reformation or my person or my ministry life was

34:57

gonna go down the tubes because I was getting dangerously close to getting found out and in some cases I had gotten

35:02

found out but it had kept being kept contained until one day I'm sitting on

35:08

my couch and I'm watching youtube videos and I see a video of a man who heals

35:14

another brother of his deafness puts his hand on his ear and heals him now you

35:20

guys know that there's those YouTube videos that are marketing videos that you can tell they're fake this one was 100% real and this brother

35:27

gets healed and he's crying and people around him are crying and I'm like what is going on because this that I'm seeing

35:32

is not in my life so i YouTubed that preacher and i see him in front of a

35:40

church and he says how can we do ministry with what the disciples didn't have the New Testament but we don't have

35:49

what they did the Holy Spirit because they didn't need the New Testament

35:54

because they were living the New Testament because they had Holy Spirit power and they were living in a freedom

35:59

that the resurrected Christ had given them and I knew I didn't have it and I'm

36:05

sitting there ashamed in my lust knowing that I'm absent the very power that I've been preaching all over the world living

36:12

a double life as a hypocrite and I'm listening to this guy and for

36:18

about the next six to eight hours I probably just wash this stuff over and this guy's preaching this crazy theology

36:24

about believing that you're a son that the Bible speaks about our identity over and over that we can live confident and

36:30

in freedom we don't have to be slaves to sin anymore that we can be righteous in Jesus Christ right now and that holiness

36:36

is not something we attain holiness is something we're given as a gift so that we could live honest before him and I'm

36:44

like what I never heard that in my life they told me it's the work of a lifetime you told me I could have it now

36:53

but as it's coming something's happening on the inside I went to bed that night

36:58

my head was spinning what's going on went to bed with all this in my mind

37:05

next morning I wake up and the first thing I remember thinking y'all I

37:11

promise you the first thought that came out of my head was God loves me God

37:19

loves me and I knew it that God loved me like I knew it and I didn't know where it came from but I knew that he loved me

37:25

and I was so engrossed by this idea I remember going to the shower and I'm washing my hair I didn't have any hair

37:30

but it's a force of habit I just shampoo and I do it right and I'm washing my hair and I remember thinking

37:37

to myself like I'm free from my lust like I knew it from the inside that I

37:42

was free from it now I don't recommend this to anybody but I actually went pursuing to see if in fact I was free so

37:49

I went to a computer and went to www I shouldn't be here calm right come on the

37:56

other I would never do that

38:01

something from the inside happened and I was free now here's the awesome story is

38:08

for me to then tell you that you know I never fell again nope that's not true at

38:16

all but here's what changed and here's the secret that I knew my freedom

38:24

happened here and that he was bringing me into communion with him and he was

38:32

bringing me into communion with him through his leading for he is my

38:39

cleansing he is my light he is the bread

38:44

of heaven he is my incense and mediation it's all him he is the Lamb that takes

38:51

away the sin of the world so he gave me freedom to walk from freedom into more

38:57

freedom knowing that if I ever misstep or fall one side or another he's there

39:03

ready to stand me up in the truth of Who I am how does this work out I remember myself

39:08

I'm one time I returned to the foolishness called the Peter calls of

39:14

the patterns of our former ignorance I returned to my foolishness y'all and here's the old pattern the old pattern

39:21

when I returned to my foolishness would say I'm such a sinner I'm so condemned watch what's happening that moment is

39:29

the moment of decision that moment is the border patrol moment hey y'all picking up what I'm laying down that's the moment and the old

39:38

mindset says what I'm such a condemned sinner cuz yeah well you know I'm saved

39:44

by grace but I'm a sinner and I need to ask him for forgiveness and maybe he'll give me some forgiveness cuz you know he's good I'm not I'm not worthy I'm

39:50

nothing maybe he'll give me a little bit and when he gives me a little bit I'll rise up in confidence until about

39:56

Tuesday when I'm back here again doing the same thing calling myself a good-for-nothing sinner but you know I

40:01

can ask for a little bit of forgiveness and then I'll get some until about Thursday and then I'll be right back

40:07

here just praying that I can make it to Sabbath see and that quietness right

40:14

there is y'all know what this is and so I find myself in this position and the

40:19

old man would have me believe that my ability to do this all of a sudden

40:24

identifies me as it then my ability to do it identifies me as it but something

40:31

happens something happened in my freedom that all of a sudden the Spirit of the

40:36

Living God comes to me in that moment and he says son of God rise up in the

40:42

confidence and the Liberty I've given you and I said but father I committed this sin son of the Living God there is

40:50

a lamb that has been provided for you you rise up in the fullness of what I've called you and say you are and here's

40:57

here's the shift of mind the old man would stand would not even stand the old man would lean over condemned you with

41:04

me but in that moment of decision as I come into agreement about the freedom he's spoken over me all of a sudden I

41:11

rise up with the confidence and the knowledge of two things one sin is

41:17

deceitful sin is death and sin is a snare that I don't want any

41:22

participation in so watch what happens I call sin by its right name this is holy

41:27

living but number two I never let my ability to sin identify me as anything

41:34

less than what he's spoken over my life redeemed through the blood of the firstborn so I rise up in confidence and I confess

41:41

the truth of sin but then I walk in the truth of what he speaks about my life and I say father I know that this is a

41:48

lie but I also know that your truth is alive in me and has liberated me from the identity of this and calls me son

41:56

so I rise in the truth of who you say I am why not because I've made it to the end of the journey but because I know

42:03

that the blood of Jesus has given me a freedom that I never need to repent from

42:10

hear this again I've received the freedom I never repent from I never turn away from the freedom so that even in

42:16

the moment where the circumstance of life would try to call me something according to what I've done I speak

42:24

according to what he's done in me and for me outside of me when this blood was

42:30

spilt and I was ushered in to freedom

42:36

some of y'all have tasted some of y'all are like this is blasphemy listen a

42:41

righteous person falls seven times notice what the righteous person does they fall you might fall sometimes but

42:49

you need to know that it has been his love that has come to grab us at that moment of decision so that we might

42:56

speak correctly according to the identity that he's given us I do not belong in Mexico I am a citizen of these

43:03

great states are you with me let me

43:08

finish reading this man I told you I was gonna take five minutes listen is Friday night there was a whole lot of introductory

43:15

remarks I promise you while Sabbath I'm a preach right cuz like I said there's

43:21

only a couple of us a couple of us in Oregon but I'm here so I'm a preach if you picking up what I'm laying down plus

43:29

it's February right but I promise throughout the week we'll only be here

43:34

60 minutes with everything all together watch this look at this y'all just read

43:40

this this is so good wish I could explain it 80 different ways for one who

43:45

has died has been what and when is it that you die y'all when the firstborn

43:53

dies and you participate in his death what does that mean about your life

43:58

you're free in Christ Jesus you are free and I know a lot of y'all like I don't

44:04

feel free I know what I did the last seven days that's real good but your life is not Lord his is now if we have

44:15

died with Christ we believe that we also live with him we know that Christ being raised from the dead will no longer die

44:20

again death no longer has dominion over him oh man for the death he died he died - do you

44:27

guys know that when you and I die what do we die - when we die literally in this life at the end of our days what do

44:33

we die - we died a life we die - the breath of life right you know that death literally means just the separation

44:38

right so our bodies are literally separated from what the breath so you

44:44

have the breath that leaves and then what's left behind is a corpse Jesus Christ did not die that way Jesus Christ

44:50

gave up his spirit like he okay okay he released it right what is it that Jesus

44:58

died - what is it that he divided in his humanity the Bible tells us right there

45:03

Jesus died to sin that in the person of Jesus God condemns sin puts in in the

45:11

grave and when Jesus resurrected he left death and sin in the grave and he rose

45:17

and resurrected newness of power and spirit of life and anybody anybody who

45:23

declares according to the truth over the firstborn has assured you in is free

45:29

indeed it doesn't matter if life got some fire on you free it doesn't matter

45:35

if you find yourself where you're hungry and you need some bread and all you got is rocks you're still the Son and the daughter it

45:41

doesn't matter if you feel like you ain't got the cloud covering and the Sun is bearing down on you you are free why

45:48

not because of your circumstance but because the blood has brought you into

45:53

freedom so you speak according to that whenever life presses you I am free by

45:58

faith in Jesus name every last one that's why I got the best job in the world I get to tell people who and what

46:06

they truly are even if they haven't believed it every last one of y'all a son and a daughter of God created for

46:12

freedom confidence and purpose in this life now man y'all mess around and give

46:19

me give me the start preaching I'll

46:25

finish here for the death he died he died to sin once for all but the life he

46:30

lives he lives to God so you also you

46:36

also must what consider yourselves what

46:42

did you know that you know that it's a commandment of the Bible for y'all to think yourselves free did you know that

46:48

Jesus one of God's commandment is I want y'all to know you free I want you to know you're free brother created for

46:54

destiny and purpose walking in the Liberty that he purchased for you right now not tomorrow now

47:07

I'm no longer the man I used to be and the evidence that I'm no longer the man

47:14

I used to be is there's people here that know me from how I used to be and they see a change in my life you can ask them

47:19

there's some people here who used to know me I don't know whatever you're the PVC community I mean you can ask like Ben and Kim lung Chris you can ask this

47:26

is this guy for real ask them they've known me for 20 years

47:34

this thing is so real y'all then we can walk into Liberty and be so

47:40

unapologetic about the freedom that is ours that I can in this moment declare with

47:47

confidence that I'm no longer the stupidity I shared with you at the

47:53

beginning of this talk right now y'all the border agents and I'm standing in

47:58

the moment of decision and right now I get to declare to you who I am and in

48:04

declaring Who I am I'm also declaring who you are sons and daughters free and you were created for

48:12

freedom so that you could have intimacy and that intimacy is the intimacy that

48:19

allows you to speak with confidence even when the circumstances of life press you

48:25

so that there is nothing outside there's no tribulation

48:30

there's no distress there was no sword there was no famine there is no persecution there is nothing that can

48:37

separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus for we have it now so

48:44

here's my appeal this is just the setup it's a nice message is the setup and the

48:51

reason I set it up this way is because you need to know from the get-go what we're going into the rest of the messages are diving into this truth you

48:58

might say to me Jonathan I don't feel free that's fine feelings aren't Lord keep coming there's resolution you might

49:03

say to me Jonathan well what are you saying that I'm once saved always saved well I don't think you and I mean the

49:09

same thing when we hear those words all right cuz let me ask you a quick question how many times y'all in this room expect to get saved once

49:18

once right pastor Greg how many times you expect to get saved once once you

49:23

get saved how long you expect to be saved oh oh man see you like once saved always saved you see how that works yeah

49:30

so we say things but we don't really mean that thing when we say once saved always saved we're really meanings like Oh Jonathan can you just abuse grace and

49:36

live however you want and call it like oh well God forgives me why would I get

49:42

why would I get free from death and then willingly go back to it now that I've tasted freedom I got holiness and

49:51

holiness is an awesome gift why would I now be out there acting a fool with lust and addiction and talking

50:00

all crazy because I think that's Liberty that's not Liberty I got delivered from that why would I turn back to that but

50:07

that deliverance is not what qualifies me you know what qualifies me the fact

50:13

that he created me and calls me son and he calls every last one of y'all sons and daughters so journey with us we're

50:19

taking this journey and yeah that's what it is so let's pray and let's fellowship

50:25

a little bit get out of here father God I thank you for these people I thank you for these moment I thank you for this

50:31

truth that you tell us in Scripture that we are sons and daughters free absolutely free and that we have

50:38

standing before you because you have given us the blood of the firstborn you

50:43

teach us father that in the moment of decision we can speak according to the truth of who you say we are having

50:50

Liberty that's been purchased at such a high price I pray for each and every single person here that they might

50:57

receive this truth walk in this truth and taste the freedom that you've purchased through the Lamb of God Jesus

51:04

so that whenever the circumstances of life might tempt us to think that something has gone off we know we know

51:12

because spirit is within us that we are never anything less than what your word has spoken over us and

51:18

that we are free free and free to have intimacy with you we receive this in the

51:24

name of Jesus by faith and the resurrected power of the Holy One the

51:30

Messiah Jesus amen man

51:40

you

English (auto-generated)

 

 

Transcript 2

0:00

let's bring some gospel huh let's talk some gospel there's a word that keeps coming to my heart this morning

0:06

particularly the song that we sang and it's this word that's oh man y'all want

0:12

to do the thing where we test some of your pastors to see how good they are with their Greek you guys gonna do that all right

0:17

see if see if they can read this all right Lutron that's right Lutron that's

0:28

what Lutron Lutron is the Greek word for redemption and what Lutron means this

0:35

idea of redemption is - it's actually military language it's military language in the sense of like prisoners of war

0:42

POWs right so that on one side you would have um one a camp right it could be the

0:50

enemy camp has prisoners and then the other side they actually facilitate an

0:56

exchange right and so when you facilitate that exchange these prisoners

1:01

have been loot rond they've been redeemed they've been purchased back by way of

1:08

some sort of facilitated exchange now this isn't the military idea so that somebody who's in the enemy territory

1:15

gets purchased brought back redeemed from that which they were prisoners

1:21

under because somebody or something was able to affect a exchange of Lutron or

1:29

Redemption this is why then we select the song like Jesus our Redemption our

1:39

salvation is in his blood so that the

1:46

redemption the Lutron of our souls is found in the blood of Jesus Christ so

1:53

that us being brought back is precisely because blood has been spilt to purchase you see I used to live a life where I

2:01

was chasing and desiring after that which I thought had value not

2:08

understanding the value that the father had spoken over my life

2:13

so I was chasing that thing I thought had value in order to find some meaning not understanding the value that he had

2:20

spoken over my life and all the while I'm running in darkness trying to find

2:25

something of meaning trying to find something of value not knowing that he

2:32

was pursuing me in order to redeem me because of the great value he saw in me

2:39

I heard the gospel in truth and in

2:47

clarity about three years ago I've been preaching as I was a little kid and I

2:53

were preaching internationally since I was about 22 years old I'm 37 now I know

2:59

I look good thank you I'm telling you it's February for those

3:09

who didn't catch the reference I'm just trying to say that black don't crack yeah it's all right you can laugh it's

3:14

funny yeah so I've been preaching since I was in my early 20s but I'll be honest

3:21

with you I learned the gospel three years ago here's one of the lines that killed me they like just I remember how

3:28

hearing somebody preach the gospel to me the simple gospel of Jesus Christ and they said this say you know what the problem with the prodigal son story is

3:34

that we always hi like him as prodigal and my prodigal we mean wayward right

3:39

we always highlighting has wayward but we never emphasized that the whole time he's always son who said then right

3:48

right I heard this exactly I heard that another whoo-whoo-whoo why cuz I didn't

3:57

understand the power of redemption I didn't understand what this exchange actually accomplished I didn't

4:03

understand my Worth and my value in the eyes of my father cuz I thought that in my waywardness I thought I was somehow

4:10

less than what he said I was but then I learned in that moment the moment that

4:17

Redemption speaks something better about me and Jesus was trying to teach this to a group of people Jesus actually gets

4:24

together with a group of people trying to teach them the truth of the

4:30

value that the father sees what Redemption actually means and there's

4:35

these two people I mean two groups there are Pharisees and scribes on one side

4:41

and there are tax collectors and sinners on the other you find this story in the book of Luke chapter 15

4:46

it's Luke chapter 15 and actually where I put that Bible man I'm all sorts of

4:53

Barrett is Thank You Luke chapter 15 if I don't always got to go on the board but Luke chapter 15 I'll read it to you

5:00

that Jesus is actually gonna do a reading of the well he's gonna tell a story all right because it's the first

5:06

time they heard it prodigal son but he frames it in a particular way look at

5:11

the first look at the first verse now the tax collectors and the sinners were drawing near to him and the Pharisees

5:18

and the scribes grumbled saying this man receives sinners and eats with them I love that line this man receives who you

5:32

see it he receives sinners right this is already foreshadowing huh and it's

5:38

interesting that the people that he's going after our sinners now Pharisees the scribes are there because they're

5:43

figured to themselves this Jesus got he's a bit he's a bit weird because the

5:50

people that he's attracting are these sinners and tax collectors and these Pharisees the scribes look at the

5:55

sinners and tax collectors and say you know that our nation is in the predicament that it's in precisely because of these tax collectors and

6:03

sinners what do I mean the nation of Israel was under Roman occupation they had military occupation in the land

6:09

yes the reason why Pharisees the scribes believed there was military occupation

6:14

was because the Covenant had been broken so that the Covenant between Israel and the people had been broken by who the

6:22

people and very particularly a certain type of people it begins with the S and it finished with inners yeah it's

6:28

sinners who are the sort of people who have broken covenants so the Pharisees and the scribes they're the ones who are taking care of the law

6:35

making sure that everybody stays in line with the Covenant so that one day when God sees them

6:40

aving a particular way he will then and come and liberate them from being under military occupation are you with me

6:47

maybe you're picking up what I'm laying down so they're under military occupation and they're hoping that by

6:55

keeping the law they will be redeemed and they're hoping that they will be

7:01

Lutron if they keep covenant and so Jesus coming and being foretold as some

7:10

sort of prophetic figure people are now Swiss purring that could this be the son of David the Messiah the Pharisees and

7:16

the scribes are appalled because this sort of man is actually attracting the sort of people that are actually keeping

7:23

them enslaved because those sinners are breaking covenant so that they continue under Roman military occupation

7:29

hence keeping them from being redeemed are we together so that then Jesus

7:40

begins the story got the Pharisees and scribes tax collectors and sinners these

7:45

two don't really get along but funny strangers coming together as neighbors

7:51

in that moment through Jesus so he says

7:57

there was a man he had two sons how many sons does this man have two and this man

8:05

we're told again I apologize for my artistry it is absolutely terrible I

8:13

know this you know this praise the Lord for forgiveness hmm so there's a man he has two sons one

8:23

son over here so you got another son over here and son number two goes up to

8:29

dad and says hey Dad I want my inheritance now as Jesus is telling the

8:36

story the Pharisees and the scribes they're all ready to fill of wait hold

8:42

on hold on you gonna tell us some Jewish boy came and asked his daddy for an inheritance

8:47

you know what these Pharisees the scribes are thinking right two words stone him

8:54

now what Jesus does next only deepens their commitment that Jesus is a fraud

8:59

because Jesus says and then the father divided his life in between the two sons

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Pharisees the scribes you know tax

9:13

collectors and sinners do tell why is it

9:20

that the Pharisees and the scribes are appalled because they know something then it's something that you and I don't and they know that there is a solemn

9:27

there's a solemn relationship between the father of an estate and his land because that word property is actually

9:34

the word BIOS in Greek meaning that the father who's the owner of an estate he

9:40

has the responsibility to take care of his property as though it was his very life why that property that he has has

9:47

been passed down from his daddy who gave it from his daddy and from hid daddy all the way from his daddy daddy all the way

9:52

to daddy daddy right all the way back to when God actually divided the land via

9:59

Joshua and gave portions from his mouth

10:04

we together so that an owner of an estate participates through a sacred

10:11

trust and that sacred Trust is something that God has given so this father is

10:17

operating a sacred trust that is his very life given to him by God so the

10:23

Pharisees and the scribes know that in keeping with covenant you don't just give this away especially not to this

10:28

sort of son that has the audacity to ask while he's still alive because then

10:34

asking for what is he communicating I wish you were good you've heard the

10:39

sermon before we should just finish up and so what happens when Jesus

10:45

undermines their expectations and says that this father is actually willing to part with his life and give it to an

10:52

ungrateful son they're appalled and they see Jesus as being law less they see

10:59

Jesus as somebody who's subverting covenant we together and what's

11:06

fascinating is that the law dictates how much each one of them gets the firstborn

11:12

would get a double portion of what the remaining children would get so if the firstborn is split between him and a

11:20

younger brother and he gets a double portion how much would he get there's the math question there's a math this is

11:25

the math portion of the sermon well how much would he get two thirds that make our super smart now give me that

11:33

fraction in percentages all right good sixty six point six and it keeps going

11:39

see there somebody else did it oh it's not just six six six it keeps going there's more sixes let's not let's not

11:47

confuse the thing because then it stays on YouTube and though this pastor came and he preached that the prodigal son is

11:52

the Antichrist so he splits 66% 66%

12:02

33.3% and how much is daddy left with

12:08

interesting isn't it because he divided his property in between the two son

12:18

number two takes off and son number two goes and lives a wild and what is it

12:24

wild and reckless life is that what it is well Rick Rick I can't remember

12:30

either and there's so many versions right some versions say licentiousness a others saying wild and wasteful all

12:37

right other versions say reckless so you didn't pick any one of those we all know what that is right the young people have a term for it

12:43

nowadays right they call it turning up cuz they're alright to get to get to look at

12:48

young people look at me like oh you're not cool don't even say that right to get turnt know that I say Yolo

12:56

oh man see I know that one and I was like that one's a while ago right so so

13:02

what's the point here that this young man leaves he takes his father's life and he uses it all wild and reckless

13:08

living let us not be a point that we lose that this young man actually takes the life of his father and uses it in

13:15

wild and reckless living and that life is a life that the father has given to him that's actually derived from God

13:22

himself so this young man takes off and we know the story he finds himself hafir

13:29

after having spent all of his money he finds himself in need and he finds

13:34

himself as a hired hand in a pig farm and he's feeding these pigs and he's

13:40

feeding them with food that the Bible tells us that if he could he himself would have eaten but he knows I know

13:48

I've heard some servers were and I used to preach it before I learned gospel I used to preach that he was eating the

13:53

pigs food you know Bible doesn't say that he was eating the pigs food the Bible actually says that he desired to eat the pigs food but he didn't eat the

14:00

pigs food which I think the Bible is very intentional these ways it gives us a little clues there's a reason why this young man won't eat the pigs food and

14:05

what's the reason unclean so what does that tell me about the young man

14:11

psychology as it relates to the law living wild and wasteful but when it

14:18

comes to the law and y'all know what I'm talking about y'all been to college lotta y'all went

14:24

to Adventist colleges you know y'all know those people hoping I know none of y'all were those people but you know

14:29

let's hit the club on Friday night but after the club when we go to IHOP we

14:34

certainly won't eat pork we can we yeah you know he when we out there living

14:41

reckless everyone everyone a couple of us you know we've thrown back some of that brew right but no no shellfish

14:47

that's where I draw the line yeah everybody wild and wasteful but you know

14:54

seventh day yeah I'm at church with a hang and that's alright all I'm saying is

15:01

that we have this sentiment we know this that there is a space where you might be living while they're waste while the reckless and yet you have this respect

15:08

to the law something else reveals to me that this young man has this notion of

15:13

the law and that is that when he creates a monologue of how he wants to return

15:18

home because he's hungry but won't eat the pigs food the monologue he creates for himself is one that is an agreement

15:26

with the law let's read this real quick right here verse 15 this is great thank you but when he came to himself verse 17

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he said how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread but I perish here with hunger so he's saying

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my father's servants have food here I am hungry because I won't eat what the pigs got I will arise and go to my father and

15:45

I will say to him father I have sinned against heaven and before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son

15:51

treat me as one of your hired servants why does this young man position himself

15:57

as a servant as he strategizes how to come home that is what he has a debt he

16:07

has a debt now interestingly he has a debt and yet if this young man positions

16:16

himself as somebody who can come back home say a son for instance it doesn't

16:22

matter what debt he has the recompense to the offense that he committed at the

16:28

beginning of the story what is it death do you know that you know that if

16:34

he comes back home what meets him at home let's turn to Deuteronomy real

16:41

quick because this is what the Pharisees inscribes to know about law keeping this is what the sinners in the TAT and the sinners of the Pharisee sinners and tax

16:48

collectors also know this is the milieu the are you fancy right the pedal up

16:56

pedal pedagogical heuristic I'm telling well I went to school a few times this

17:02

is the framework that Jesus is working through this now this is law that's what it says here if a man has a

17:08

stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey voice of his father or the voice of his mother and though they discipline him

17:13

will not listen to them then his father and his mother shall take hold of him bring him to the elders of the city elders of his City at the gate of the

17:21

place where he lives and they shall say to the elders of this city this is our

17:27

son he is stubborn and rebellious was son number two stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice that said

17:34

number two just obey the voice well he doesn't seem like that type of kid he is a glutton and a drunkard huh he's a

17:42

glutton and a drunkard but no pork then

17:47

all the men of the city shall do what stone him to death with stones so shall

17:54

you purge the evil from your midst in all Israel will hear and fear so this young man as he's longing to eat what

18:01

the pigs are eating he knows that he has to strategize away in order to get home

18:06

but he cannot come home as a son because if he come home if he comes home as the

18:11

son the law says that a son under his offence has one thing that can happen to

18:19

him and that's what stone him and see this is where I get this is this is why

18:25

I need you to be my living commentary because you know the story you know what happens he goes back home father robe

18:30

ring party my son was lost now he's found we all know that right but what are some of the takeaways that

18:38

we construct from this story now again I fast forward it to the end ring row party my son was lost now he's found the

18:45

whole deal you've heard it before what are some of the takeaways that we take away that you've heard preached how

18:52

great the Father's love I love that one right the father's love right cuz and and and what I hear sometimes for this

19:00

is because you know he's willing to accept a sinner all right well Father's love for sinners

19:09

right correct we put sure what's another one sorry for my chicken scratch of

19:15

handwriting what's that what's another one father was watching right we connect

19:20

that to the father's love fathers waiting Oh watching I promise

19:29

that's an A yeah you guys get it here's one I hear often and I'm setting you up

19:36

a little bit but gods the god of second chances you hear that one forgiveness forgive

19:43

instant forgiveness that's a good one all right so we'll skip we'll skip the second chances one you guys didn't quite

19:51

interact with that one but I know you interact with this one listen I preached this sermon enough I know how to move the pieces his one repentance yeah and

20:07

the one I hear from repentance is that it's in verse 17 that the young man

20:16

comes to himself so that when the young man comes to himself he finally comes

20:21

into a knowledge and that's why he paints himself as a sinner because he knows that he has to go before his

20:26

father and acknowledge his sin and then the father's goodness his father will instantly forgive him but he has to

20:32

repent and when we say repent at least the subtext iowa's picked up it's not explicitly implicitly both actually is

20:39

that then what's necessary is that the young man needs to position himself as a

20:45

servant or a slave in distinction to the high and lofty innocence of his father

20:51

and request of his father something that maybe the father will give and it is

20:56

upon the father's good graces to bestow some sort of forgiveness that then

21:02

brings this wayward son in sound familiar and so that then what I picked up I

21:10

don't know where y'all are at but I picked up is that God's the sort of God of second chances but you know be

21:15

careful on chance 8 or 9 because by then he might get fed up

21:22

yeah y'all know what I'm talking about be careful of that and or I need to

21:29

present myself as a sinner who's unworthy of His grace but he's willing

21:38

to give it because of his goodness but I don't deserve it I don't merit it that's all right but I'm good for nothing and I

21:44

have no value unless he says something to me so how this played out in my life

21:51

is that I was constantly looking for forgiveness through a model of repentance that positioned me as less

21:56

than what the father says I am because I need to be less than his loftiness in

22:03

order to create the distance that then justifies him actually traversing the distance so the lower I make myself the

22:10

greater the grace of forgiveness I can receive all right brother did you have

22:24

yes yes man I should probably sit down hey

22:34

man all right well here let me draw so let me draw a few more distinctions Thank You for participation actually

22:39

welcoming I like it what yes I have no

22:46

idea what I said just kind of happens in the moment pastor George this is awesome

22:54

I love his congregation anyway good week so well listen what

23:07

happens is that there's this positioning and I don't know if it's happy for you in your life I know what happens for me

23:12

that there's this positioning where I have to position myself and then I hear

23:18

it in the theology that sometimes it's presented in this like you know it's a repentance performed it's a repentance

23:24

that we then have to and as we talk about this in classic yeah I got a lead for the forgiveness but here's what I

23:29

want to draw attention to in this story this young man wants to go back home why

23:34

why is he motivated to go back home he's hungry he's not motivated by repentance he's

23:43

not motivated by seeing how he wronged his father he's motivated because his belly ain't got no food in it and he

23:49

knows that he can't eat the pork because he still keeps the law and because he

23:56

keeps the law he knows that the law cannot accept him as a son but the law might the goodness of the Father might

24:02

accept him as a slave so it's not repentance it's strategy and it's a

24:08

strategy that's hoping to get what his father can give so that he can keep on living so he's just reenacting the first

24:15

offense he wants to live at the expense of the father without actually participating with the heart of the

24:22

father so that then when we come to God in hopes of getting forgiveness so we

24:29

can have our soul somehow satiated and what we really desire is some sort of

24:34

forgiveness while not actually understanding or diving into his very heart all were doing is participating in a wayward miss

24:41

that's already been exemplified here are you with me

24:47

so that then on what grounds is it that we would

24:54

position ourselves in relationship to our Father as less than as sinners as

25:00

servants is groveling why one the loss

25:05

article shelf one the law we come under

25:11

the condemnation of the law and this should ring true or should ring familiar or you should at least have some sense

25:16

of this if you've been part of our faith tradition for some time because we

25:21

esteem the law but in esteeming the law we always think we have a relationship to the law all right you guys open up

25:32

the floodgates cuz you got real comfortable so I'm gonna get real comfortable with y'all Jesus you're dead

25:44

to the law did you know that church romans 7 4 romans 7 for this is in the

25:53

Bible it's like written in the Bible like I'm not I'm not making this up I'm just repeating what Paul says we are dead to

26:00

the law so that means that if we're dead to the law we don't position ourselves

26:07

as under it or in the gaze of its condemnation because my identity can't

26:13

be determined by a relationship to the law if through Jesus Christ I'm actually dead to it we're gonna impact that the

26:20

rest of this week but I want to trouble you with that and why is it that I'm dead to the law because I'm not under the law now sometimes I've heard in our

26:27

circles over oh well that means we're not under the condemnation of the law that's not what the Bible says the Bible doesn't say that we're not

26:33

under the condemnation of the law although it does say that we have no condemnation but it goes even farther

26:39

and further we're not under the law we're under grace Romans 6:14 now you

26:44

might hear that and say well job then what are you saying that you can do whatever you want and here's my answer to that yes

26:52

I can do whatever I want the problem is what is it that you think I want to do

27:00

see I know my father I know what he calls me I know who he says I am and I want

27:06

nothing more than to pursue his heart because his heart has redeemed me from the darkness and the foolishness of when

27:12

I used to be in my Pigpen and because if I've been redeemed from my Pigpen and I've seen his heart I don't want to live

27:19

at his expense I want to live in communion with him and since his spirit lives in me my heart has been

27:24

transformed see the thing is I no longer have a Jeremiah 17:9 heart we do this thing where we say well you know we're

27:31

always sinners and the hardest we couldn't wicked and deceitful who can trust it yeah and Jeremiah is wicked and

27:36

deceitful but in the New Testament it tells me that he'll put a new thing in me and he's done that through Holy

27:41

Spirit so how can I be the old thing that he died and while trying to be the new thing that he's created

27:47

I'm not two things at once salt water fresh water don't fall from the same

27:56

source right I mean you can't have you can't tell me that my desires from the inside are to belie centrist and lustful

28:02

while I've received spirit and I want his heart I have a qualified heart I

28:08

have a new heart and he said job - how can you boldly proclaim that because the Bible tells me I'm in Christ I'm a new

28:14

creation so I believe his word instead of my life lived that's a hard job and

28:19

that's really bold yeah that's what

28:24

living by faith looks like everyone boldly before the throne why because I've been delivered from the foolishness

28:30

I don't position myself as anything less than what he's spoken about me why

28:35

because I've been delivered and what is that I've been delivered from see there's characters in the story

28:41

there's characters in the story and these characters represent people in the prodigal son story who does the father

28:47

represent that's God who does the first one represent in the immediate context it is the Pharisees the scribes and

28:55

number two who does that represent that's the tax collectors and sinners there is the servants right the servants

29:02

of the the father you know we work they represent angels right and they represent sorry oh this

29:08

thing oh I see what happened it broke the angels are represented by

29:16

the servants on the father's estate because the angels exist to minister the sons and daughters of the estate Hebrews

29:23

chapter 2 are y'all still tracking with me alright no no okay cool I think I was

29:34

here I did a little something here so

29:41

that are the characters in this parable correspond to to true reality so the

29:47

father in this parable corresponds to God the firstborn in this parable like the first brother he corresponds to the

29:54

Pharisees and the scribes at the beginning of the story the wayward son the prodigal son he corresponds to the

30:00

tax collectors in the sinners and then what I'm suggesting is that the servants of the father's estate in the story

30:07

correspond to angels that minister to the sons and daughters of the father's

30:13

estate yeah good I'm loving this and then what's the next one there's this

30:19

another character that we often miss for the sake of time I'll just get right to it Luke 15 15 there's a character right

30:27

there we often miss and that character is the character that this young man

30:34

solves himself over to because he sees himself in need and that character is

30:40

the one who receives him as something

30:47

other than what he is it's the citizen of the other country who actually

30:53

positions the son as something less than because he hires him as a servant and

31:00

the young man while being under the employment of the citizen of the other country and an agreement with the law

31:07

believes himself to be less than what the father has says he is test said he is are we together real quick let me ask

31:14

you when the son leaves daddy's home is he a son or slave let me back

31:20

when he asked daddy for the money son of slave when he walks away from home son of slave when he's living wild and

31:27

reckless son of slave when he's with the pigs son of slave audience was way

31:36

better but I still heard a couple you think he's slave right some some son slave may be clarified this way from

31:44

daddy's point of view when he asked for the money son a slave when he goes out

31:50

and spends the money son a slave when he's under the employment of the citizen of the other country son a slave so even

31:57

while he's living in his foolishness participating in sin still the father sees him as everything he always

32:02

destined him to be a son so what does that say about you and me that you and I

32:08

live lives under the condemnation of the citizen of the other country in agreement with the law because we know

32:14

we can't measure up and then we look at our lives live and we know we're participating in darkness so by hearing

32:20

the testimony of the liar who has no truth in him and a law that has no mercy

32:26

we position ourselves as grovelling servants who have to come before our father as slaves in order to receive

32:33

something he says is ours so as we do that we are actually participating and performing the identity that he's spoken

32:40

over us instead of the truth that what he says we are think about this man the

32:51

young man comes home and as he's coming home he's got this strategy in his head and he's gonna position himself as a

32:57

servant and he's gonna perform this repentance but repentance is at first performed y'all repentance is not first

33:04

performed because as he's drawing to his village maybe he sees the silhouettes of the elders outside the gates and he

33:10

begins to get this tension inside of him thinking if I don't see my father first and if he doesn't see me and I can't

33:17

give him my spiel these kind of these guys are gonna put a rock up inside my head but as he gathers clothes he sees a

33:24

silhouette a silhouette he's well familiar with but that silhouette is doing something that he's never seen and

33:30

that silhouette is running because that silhouette like y'all was waiting and watching and now he's

33:36

moving towards his son and as he's moving towards his son he bypasses the elders at the gates meaning what

33:43

that mercy pursues way ahead of judgment & mercy meets us on the road and mercy

33:50

does what does mercy wait for our performance our repentance our strategy

33:56

our ritual our silic we are monologue our positioning is less than no mercy

34:02

doesn't want to hear that mercy positions us in according to the truth of what he's spoken about us and

34:08

without us getting the words out he puts a robe on that young man and puts a ring

34:13

on him you know that ring means that ring means that that young man is free to do business on behalf of the estate

34:22

before the young man is able to get his whole monologue out the father entrusts

34:29

him with all that belongs to him again that seems like bad business practice

34:36

unless your resources are infinite it's

34:42

bad business practice if you live limited it's good gospel of you're

34:48

positioned in abundance and so the father positions us in abundance from

34:53

the perspective that he's always seen us as and notice it's not repentance performed on the part of the young man

35:01

it's repentance given by the father and repentance received as a gift through

35:08

the revelation of His grace and love that he's extending in mercy repentance

35:15

is not first and foremost performed y'all it's first a foremost received as a gift because repentance illuminates

35:22

the lie of what we used to be under when we were believing the words of the

35:28

citizen of the other country and repentance correctly calls us sons and daughters and challenges us to rise up

35:35

and believe the truth that he's spoken about us so that we correctly call sin by its name death deceit and destruction

35:43

but we walk in the truth of what he's always said about us pundants life merci grace truth identity

35:52

so we're never anything less than what the father has spoken about us now notice when he gives him the business

36:00

ring it's the business ring how much does the father own in order to give

36:12

well I'll be so who is it that owns the

36:18

estate now so is it any wonder that when

36:25

the young man has this party thrown for him that the older brother comes up and is like wait hold on you cooked the calf

36:30

for him he never did it for me he's like this son of yours is coming why all of

36:38

that stuff belongs to the firstborn but in our story when you and I were wayward

36:47

sinners our older brother his name is

36:55

Jesus he's our Redemption our salvation is in

37:02

his blood and when we were in sin he

37:07

came and he said I will give you all

37:12

that is mine so that you might rise up in the truth of what my father says

37:18

about you for God so loved each and every single one of you that he has

37:24

given me the only begotten Son so that

37:29

every one of y'all might know that if you believe in what I'm doing for you

37:34

you have a hundred percent access to the father's estate don't believe the lies

37:42

of the enemy rise up in the truth of what the father says you are through

37:47

Jesus our older brother and I was fascinating is that the older brother in the ancient land in the ancient idea of

37:54

it it was his responsibility to bring the younger wayward son to justice what does that mean he was the one if we go back to

38:00

Deuteronomy twenty-one please be in verse 22 he was the one that was supposed to find the Sun if the Sun fled alright he's

38:08

supposed to find him and bring him to justice and what does that mean by bringing him to justice this idea that

38:13

he was supposed to stone him and then purge this evil so an older brother should have brought a younger wayward

38:20

brother to justice by killing him this is why Esau has a desire to bring Jacob to justice and kill him if you know that

38:27

story right because that's what the law would have required right notice what

38:32

would happened if a man had committed a crime punishable by death and that is if you were glutton in a drunkard you

38:38

didn't obey the voice and you were stoned that's a crime that is punishable by death and you're put to death what

38:45

happens you hang on and your body shall not remain there all night but you'll

38:51

bury it the same day for a hangman it's cursed from God so what's happening if that prodigal son in the story had been

38:57

found by his older brother his older brother had the responsibility to bring him to justice by killing him and then

39:04

hanging his body on a tree maybe with like a sign that says this don't happen in Israel so that everybody would learn

39:10

that we don't behave this way in Israel so that we would see it in fear but see an hour story our older brother he came

39:19

and instead of us being stoned it was him and instead of us hanging on a tree

39:27

it was him go to the next verse whatever I put up there his first Peter if you

39:33

ever back there please because he himself bore our sins in his body on the

39:40

tree that we might die to sin and what live to righteousness

39:45

he's our Redemption he came and delivered us from the lie of sin when

39:50

the law used to condemn us and when the citizen of the other country used to identify us is less than our older

39:57

brother came into our story and by his blood hanging on a tree he redeemed us

40:02

from the lie the enemy and he speaks and says you go home son and daughter you rise up in the confidence of who the

40:08

father says you are and in his blood is our Redemption and we have it now

40:13

because we've been delay from darkness and we have the privilege to stand in the fullness of who the

40:18

father says we are right now sons and daughters this is who and what we are

40:25

next verse Galatians 3:13 I'll finish here you see that word you see the

40:32

second word there Lutron your older

40:39

brother Lutron to us from the curse of the law

40:45

by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who was

40:51

hanged on a tree do you know who you are this morning are you listening to the

41:02

citizen of the other country that would position you as less than I don't know if you are where I used to be are you in

41:08

that Theological place is like wow I got a because you know God so highly and exalted I'm huh

41:14

I'm a correctly a sinner this is the offensive thing about and I say this

41:20

intentionally this is what's so offensive about the gospel this is why it's a scandal because the god of

41:27

infinite value came and made himself lower than us this is hebrews chapter 2

41:35

this is Philippians chapter 2 he became death itself he became sin itself this

41:43

is the scandal of this message he became the refuse and the dung of this world so

41:51

that we might have confidence to go for it to our Father because our father was willing to go that far in order to

41:57

reveal the value that each and every single one of us had before him do you know that Jesus was willing to become

42:04

dung itself so that you and I would never call ourselves less than what the

42:09

father says we are we Rob God when we position ourselves as worthless

42:15

individuals if you're so worthless why did God send his son on such an expensive errand to come and get you

42:23

blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in every your blessings in heavenly places in

42:29

Christ Jesus who predestined us before the foundation of the world to stand

42:35

holy and blameless before him in love and he did this because of his glorious

42:40

grace towards us and He willed it towards us simply because he saw us and

42:45

he thought we were worth it don't

42:51

believe the lies of the enemy don't position yourself under the law receive the truth of what the father

42:57

says you are now some might say well Jonathan this sounds like - easier for gospel oh no no it cost him a lot and it

43:03

was hard but it's a gift for us oh it

43:08

wasn't easy and one easy for heaven to give up its Prince it wasn't easy for him to spill blood and get cemani it

43:15

wasn't easy I want easy but it's my gift some I said

43:20

well Jonathan what you saying that you could just do whatever you want well since he's put a new heart in me I

43:25

pursue that and because I believe his word over my life it transforms me from

43:32

the inside out so that grace without transformation is a perversion but grace

43:38

is given in order to transform us into that which he created us to be

43:46

he gives us grace in order to transform us into that which he created us to be

43:54

we're not created into like this whole new say olive we never even thought it

43:59

possible no he designed us to be His image bearers from the beginning that's what

44:07

we are now by faith well you will you receive who he says you are will you say

44:13

that in my father's house there's a place for me will you receive that it is

44:20

the Word of God that speaks louder than the citizen of the other country and will you believe good that his

44:29

repentance comes as a gift to us so that we can walk in the holiness he

44:34

created us for we are not designed or created

44:41

to live anything less than the fullness of what he says and we have that now as

44:47

a gift so listen as this song plays as this song plays I'm asking y'all to

44:57

believe these words believe them and sing them as a prayer to God I ask you

45:07

to repent I'm asking you on behalf of God to repent from the lie of the enemy

45:12

that positioned you as less than repent and turn from that lie you've been

45:19

offering up your sins as to God as Dola here they are will you forgive me when all he wants you to do is to come

45:26

to him as a son and a daughter and let his love transform you into that which

45:31

he's always designed you and thought you asked like he sees you through your

45:37

created value he sees you through your destiny he sees you through your worth because that's when he created you to be

45:44

it's the enemy who has stolen that from us like the father's love is for us 100%

45:53

this is why I live the way I live this is why I'm bold in the day of judgment

45:58

because I know who has loved me and I know who I am I used to be somebody I used to be

46:06

wayward I used to be a man giving over to his lust I used to be a destructive force for sin but that's not who I am

46:17

that's that that's not how he made me to be now I just live in agreement

46:24

now I live in agreement as we sing this position your heart towards disagreement

46:29

we are who he says we are in Jesus name

46:41

you

English (auto-generated)

 

 

Transcript 3

0:00

I'll tell you a time when I um believed the word and I took the word very literally and there was a reason I

0:07

took that word literally so my mama my mama's a Dominican mama and my mama

0:12

comes one day and she says you know Dominican kids we're adults by like seven years old right you're already

0:18

doing your laundry and um paying rent yeah

0:24

that's funny because that wasn't the joke right like that was legit that was legit right like I was like eight or

0:30

nine years old and I told my mama I was like you know because I saw my other friends

0:38

Randy knows Randy knows I saw my other friends

0:45

and I was like Mama they get allowance they get allowance all the time my mama looked at me she's like allowance huh

0:50

she's from the Caribbean she's like you want me to pay you I'm like you know so I can get my knickknacks to do things

0:55

you know every two weeks you know get a little allowance she's like okay how much because my mother she negotiates it

1:01

it's like oh yeah how much I said uh well you know I'm thinking five dollars every two weeks okay good five dollars

1:06

every two weeks all right cool so we start right and the first time she pays me gives me my five dollars I'm like oh

1:12

and you know this is 1990. all right all right so yes I'm that old right this is

1:20

but for you but you know what I'm saying but you we already discussed about I look good though right and so

1:26

1995 for a seven-year-old I'm like oh man I got five dollars and my mama gives

1:31

me five dollars and she lets me my mama she lets me enjoy the five dollars for about 24 hours next day she comes in

1:38

she's like hey uh rent's due all right

1:43

what she's like rent how did you make rent she's like when you live here right like yeah and you get money now like

1:49

yeah well you got to pay to live here because that's how the world works and she explains it to me and then I'm like well yeah that's about right okay I'm

1:55

like how much is it gonna be so it's gonna be two dollars two dollars by this time I already know percentages I'm like

2:02

that's 40 man that's my five dollars well you know she's like hey living is tough it's expensive America okay

2:10

two dollars I got three dollars left right my mama lets me enjoy my three dollars for a couple more hours I go into the kitchen I'm like Mom where's

2:16

the food she's like yeah about that she's like listen um

2:21

she's like I promise to feed you for the next two weeks it's like yeah Sam's gonna be two dollars

2:26

how much two dollars yeah but for two weeks two weeks worth of food is two dollars you know how much I paid she

2:32

breaks it down for me I'm like man I guess I'm getting a steal two dollars I guess that makes sense so I'm like all

2:38

right so now I got one dollar left right I'm like man I got one dollar left and my mama comes into my room she let me

2:45

enjoy that one dollar for about another couple hours she comes into the room she's like hey uh what's up with your

2:50

laundry uh what you mean she's like well you got to go do it somewhere uh well we got a washing machine she's like yeah

2:57

about that so that's a electrical and you know I gotta heat the water and everything I'm

3:02

like what she's like yeah you want to see the bill I'm like I guess she shows me the bills I gotta pay this I'm like

3:07

wow so I got to charge you I'm like well I guess that makes sense she's like I'm gonna charge you about a

3:14

a dollar every two weeks I'm like okay so two dollars for food she's like yup two dollars for the rooms like yep and a

3:21

dollar for like everything else she's like yeah I'm like well that's five dollars she's like oh it is isn't it yeah

3:27

she goes how about we do this she goes how about every two weeks I don't pay you the five dollars and you just have

3:33

that all covered is that all right and that way we don't have to do the thing where I give you the allowance but you're actually getting the allowance

3:38

but I'm already you know tacking it on your bill for you is that all right so you get the allowance but I'm covering things like you know that's really smart

3:44

yeah yeah let's do that so I got allowance one time in my life I

3:51

saw five dollars one time my mama slick like that so seven eight years old she's already she got me adulting really hard

3:56

and one day she comes in and she says Jonathan y'all said she says my name Jonathan she's like oh I have to go out and I

4:04

need you to stay in the house and um don't open the door for anybody I said okay and you know I'm seven eight years

4:10

old this is Massachusetts it's in the dead of winter and it's about 4 35 in the afternoon so it's really dark just

4:15

don't open the door for anybody all right yeah fine my sister wasn't home for some reason and my mama takes off and I'm in the apartment by myself now

4:22

again different time yeah you know you understand 1990 is seven eight years old whatever I was I was alone and turned on

4:29

the TV and I'm watching Mickey Mouse right now my mom told me don't open the door for it anybody

4:35

and my mom was the type of woman that when she says something you know she means it right so when she said anybody guess who I

4:42

would allow into the house nobody huh so I'm sitting there watching I don't

4:48

know Mickey Mouse or something and I hear a knock on the door and it's

4:54

man all right I'm like well let's see who that is and I go out to the door and

4:59

lo and behold on the other side I see family members of mine who have driven from New York City my mother had failed

5:05

to tell me that they were coming but there they are and I remembered she had mentioned it several days before and they're there on the other side of the

5:11

door it's like Jonathan I'm like hey how y'all doing like we're doing good like

5:17

y'all just get here yeah oh man how was the drive it was good okay how long did

5:23

it take something just opened the door so how long did it take

5:30

Jonathan just opened the door oh what car did you guys drive in and then they say my name in Spanish right

5:37

like Jonathan Puerta is going to be a problem

5:43

I was like because here here's what had happened my mama told me I shouldn't opened the

5:50

door for anybody and she promised me that if I did open the door for somebody she was going to take this hand and

5:57

apply it to the soft sensitive part of my backside and since I don't want that to happen I can't open this door what do

6:04

they say Jonathan she surely meant anybody you didn't know where your

6:09

family let us in I see the logic of your argument

6:15

I do I do and yet she specifically said nobody so I will have to say no to your

6:23

kind request and uh you guys got a a heater in that car all right

6:29

so we went back and forth for a little while I'm like eight nine years old and I stuck to my guns I did not open the door right and they they go they go back

6:38

to the car and a little later I don't know how much later because I was neck deep in Walt Disney World right I hear

6:44

the jingle of my mother's Keys now for anybody who's been a latchkey kid you know that you could tell the sentiment

6:49

of your uh parent by the way their walk or the noise that their keys make right

6:54

does anybody a latchkey kid here that your parents would come home and you would know by the movements that you would hear the speed of their steps you

7:01

could tell what mood they were in all right I knew what mood my mama was in like the way her keys were jingling was

7:07

aggravation right now at eight years old I didn't connect the two um why is she aggravated I don't know

7:13

but she comes into the door and she looks at me and I'm sitting there watching Mickey Mouse I turn and we make eye contact and

7:20

she says Jonathan okay hey because I know what that means it means I'm in trouble but I don't know why but you

7:27

know it could be for a whole hundred things that she didn't catch me for all right here's five dollars right

7:34

it's it's worked before right and so my mom was like Jonathan

7:39

what are you doing I'm watching Disney Channel behind her come my family members and

7:46

they're like peering over her shoulder all right and I'm looking at them like

7:52

and I remember seeing my mother get caught in between my family members and me and I distinctly remember thinking to

7:58

myself the way my mother is looking at me I think she thinks that I'm stupid right

8:05

and I think my mother was deciding in that moment whether I was simple or if I was just like really a law

8:12

keeper right and and I think that she landed on lawkeeper because if she concluded that

8:18

I was simple that would then have to say something about her parenting right so she's like Jonathan why would you think

8:26

that what I said was for them I thought

8:33

this is where I knew I had my mother well Mom

8:39

because that's what you said and I'm an obedient child huh

8:47

oh man he said Jonathan I meant

8:54

anybody you didn't know and where did I respond yeah but you said

9:01

write what you said and what was interesting as I got older and I thought about the story is that my commitment to

9:07

the specificity of what my mother had told me actually kept me safe and secure inside

9:14

my little four walls amen keeping the law to the letter kept me

9:21

safe but you know what else it did

9:26

it kept my blood my flesh and blood

9:33

my family on the outside looking in

9:38

so my commitment to the specificity of this thing

9:43

Blinded Me from seeing the spirit of the thing so that the very people that should have

9:50

been inside with me I was keeping on the outside because I was so rigid in my commitment to the

9:58

specificity of the letter of a law

10:03

he didn't think the story was going to turn that way did you and so I'm going to say something

10:09

tonight that's from the Bible and what I say tonight we're going to

10:14

spend the next 20 25 minutes doing a legit Bible study tonight coming to a conclusion about the truth of who we are

10:21

particularly in relationship to the law and I know if your faith tradition is

10:28

the faith tradition that I've held the faith tradition as a part of this church The Seventh-Day Adventist Church

10:36

this might make you go I already know that

10:43

but rule number one and two are going to play here is resolution and please don't hear what I don't say

10:50

but we're gonna do a straight up Bible study and maybe conclude somewhere where I don't know how it's going to land

10:56

we'll see but it's in here is that all right all right so by way of doing that precisely because it's going to be a

11:02

little heavy Andrea it's Andrea all right I wanted to get offensive called you Andrea

11:10

you will okay fine Andrea so what we're going to do is we're gonna play a game because it's gonna be a serious topic

11:16

but we're gonna keep it light all right so we're gonna play a game and this game is called which Adam is it what's the

11:22

name of the game well that's good response right there I like that and to get this game going I

11:28

need two volunteers right and I already have one volunteer just because I want to say her name fancy Andrea Andrea come

11:35

on up she's gonna volunteer right and just for the fun of it because Pastor Greg's in the front we're just gonna

11:40

Pastor Greg come on up you're gonna volunteer as well right you like that that's how you do it in

11:46

church you don't volunteer as much you get voluntold right so but you know that trick right I need you on this side I

11:52

need you on this side you both have black markers and this is what we are going to do together as an audience we are going to read a passage of scripture

11:59

I invite you to turn there now it's going to be in the Book of Romans it's going to be the fifth chapter and I'm

12:04

gonna start in the 12th verse I will move my way from verse 12 all the way through 21 and we will read it together

12:11

as we read it together I will stop at keywords within the passage and I will

12:16

ask you a question and that question is yeah yeah well we almost got it we

12:23

almost got it so the question is going to be which atom is it and you will determine which character trait that the

12:31

passage is highlighting which character trait that the passage is highlighting to which atom it

12:37

corresponds now you hear me say this language of Adam the Bible has this idea that they are two atoms there is the

12:43

first atom and there is what is called either the second atom and or the last atom but it's two atoms atom number one

12:51

is the atom of Genesis he's the one that God breathes life into from the dust he

12:57

is a a being that God erects and gives all of creation to him and he has this

13:03

wife by the name of Eve and then there's this really tragic story about a serpent and a tree and then you guys know that

13:10

you've heard that a few times so that's Adam number one but the Bible presents Adam number two and this atom he isn't

13:17

simply just somebody who's made from the dust he actually has a body that is a spiritual body from the heavens but this

13:24

Adam number two actually comes into the world in order to reclaim all that all

13:30

that which Adam number one lost Adam number two also goes by another name his name is

13:36

Jesus So Adam number one in Genesis and Adam number two Jesus who embodies Adam

13:42

number one but does weigh more these are the two atoms that this passage refers to and Paul does this reading where both

13:50

of them have certain traits that correspond to each one of them okay and what you and I are going to do in the

13:56

next seven to nine minutes is decide who has what trait by asking this question

14:03

good awesome and as we do it you're going to correspond to item number two right and you will correspond to Adam

14:08

number one and you will just write them down as we highlight them so you got to be Johnny on the spot and move quick all

14:14

right so I invite you to uh first just put Adam number yeah Adam number two you put Adam number one and then we're gonna

14:21

get right to it the text should be up Romans right all that can you do on that panel

14:28

you again sorry yeah yeah yeah there you go sorry it's all right all right because I got to put up my

14:35

drawing right all right and I know you guys are looking at my drawings and you're like

14:40

you know this is worth the price of admission so you're welcome right

14:46

man that's terrible don't worry we'll get there all right so item number one Adam number two you

14:52

there with me Romans chapter five yeah we're gonna read together here we go therefore just as Sin came into the

15:00

world through one man and death through sin

15:06

that word sin who does that belong to Adam number one or Adam number two you sure

15:12

all right so Adam number one the worst now Andrew I'm gonna go ahead and encourage you to just write big go big

15:18

girl go big because you know you're writing like you're at school go ahead and there you go huh it's a big

15:27

white board that I bring with me right good so sin came into the world through which Adam Adam number

15:33

and death through sin what about this word death who brought death Adam number one or Adam number two one so sin and

15:40

death belong to Adam number one so death spread to all men because all sinned so

15:45

that sin and death come in through Adam number one and all of us participate in that reality we good

15:52

for sin was indeed in the world before the law was given man it already gets a little oh all right foreign

15:59

the word sin we've already decided where it belongs to how about this word law which item is it Adam number one or Adam

16:06

number two I don't have a water Adam number two

16:13

all right that's what we got to get hands how many give me Adam number one the law

16:19

all right hands down how many give me out of number two the law all right good so y'all are

16:24

schizophrenic right so let's just do this we're gonna put it in the middle and we're just gonna hold it here for a

16:31

little while is that okay are you gonna do that because you guys didn't decide that's your fault all

16:37

right so so let's keep going sin was indeed in the world before the law was

16:42

given but sin is not counted where there is no law verse 14.

16:49

yet death range from Adam to Moses even over those who sinning was not like the

16:55

transgression of Adam so that death that came in through Adam one is actually raining

17:02

in the time from Adam all the way to Moses even before the Ten Commandments are given this was happening so before

17:08

the Ten Commandments are given like death is just happening right so then Paul's saying listen if death is

17:14

happening then maybe there's something about a law like it's there but that is happening right but who who's the death

17:21

happening too those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam and

17:26

which Adam is this Adam number one or Adam two one so transgression belongs to atom one or two one there you go you got another

17:33

one Andrew uh verse 15 but the free gift is not like the trespass free gift item number

17:41

one or Adam number two you sure there you go Pastor Greg free Griff what about the word trespass idle

17:48

number one or Adam number two one because it's contrasted the free gift is not like the trespass for if

17:54

many died through one man's trespass much more have the grace of God and the

18:00

free gift by that Grace of the one man Jesus Christ abound for many so many Die

18:07

through Adam number one what about the word grace who gives that Adam one or two

18:13

two so Grace belongs to Adam number two right and free gift also belongs to Adam

18:18

number two next verse and the free gift is not like the result of one man's sin here's a good word for

18:26

the Judgment following a trespass brought condemnation

18:32

so the Judgment that followed trespass brought condemnation so where does judgment belong Adam number one or Adam

18:38

number two you sure some too right I mean we're still I mean

18:45

this is the Seventh Day Adventist Church judgment Adam number one or Adam number

18:51

two wait y'all easily swayed yeah [Music]

18:59

you know we're gonna do it again man [Laughter]

19:05

let that preach right there you see how shame works

19:14

that's all right so we're just gonna hold judgment right there okay we is

19:19

that all right all right condemnation item number one or item number two

19:24

one good Andrew that's you but the free gift following many trespasses broad justification Adam number one or two

19:30

justification two what does justification mean just set right awesome I love uh Billy Graham's old uh

19:38

definition you know Billy Graham we just passed this one year of his uh funeral just this past week y'all know that

19:43

right it was just this just a couple days ago you know Billy Graham used to say that justified justification is just

19:49

as if I'd never sinned all right you guys ever heard that yeah that's really

19:55

good man that's a good preaching right there Billy Graham was the man that's awesome so justification is your set right you

20:02

have peace with God and he looks at you as though yeah as though he doesn't see you through sin you're set right just as

20:07

if you'd never sinned so that belongs to Adam number two next verse for if because of one man's trespass

20:14

death reigned through that one man but it's telling us right there where does

20:19

death belong Adam number one or two one so death is yours Andrea much more

20:25

will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of

20:30

right now listen listen you receive the abundance of Grace

20:36

and the free gift of righteousness you see how it's Grace is received and righteousness is a

20:42

gift you see that so you receive the grace

20:48

and the free gift that follows is boy that'll preach but we ain't got time

20:54

the free gift of righteousness comes through who Jesus Christ and look what it is when

21:00

you receive the grace you got the gift of righteousness and watch what the correspondence whatever

21:05

follows you reign in life do you see the church this is why I

21:11

preach that's already in the book this is why I preach that when I received Grace that empowers me to live in the

21:16

righteousness that he says in mind is mine I have authority in this life now I

21:21

reign in this life now because I'm a son and that's just not like I didn't make

21:27

that up I read it in the book The free gift of righteousness gives me the right

21:33

to reign in life through Jesus Christ so we reign in life rain and put righteousness on your side and life on

21:40

your side so put life and righteousness all right let's keep going we good so far we just got a couple more verses

21:45

therefore as one trespass left led to condemnation for all men Andrew you got condemnation of you good

21:52

so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men

21:59

read that verse with me let's let that wash over you this is good therefore as one trespass led to

22:08

condemnation for there's some of you all here

22:13

that might feel that condemnation comes by way of your own life lived and

22:18

because you looking at your life lived it's almost too hard to receive the truth of what the gospel says about your

22:24

freedom but your condemnation doesn't first and foremost come from your behavior your condemnation the Bible tells me

22:31

comes first and foremost through your participation in Adam number one the

22:36

fact that you're actually born into this thing the fact that you emerge as a participant in Adam number one is

22:41

already enough for you to be condemned and condemnation isn't because you did some sort of erroneous act condemnation

22:49

is the actual category for those who haven't received and or know the truth

22:55

of God through Christ Jesus

23:00

condemnation is the category for those who don't know the truth through Christ

23:06

Jesus why let me explain this real quick condemnation is simply that we live a life worthy of

23:13

judgment that's a condonationist guilt says you're not forgiven

23:18

condemnation says you're living a life worthy of judgment and change speaks to you and tells you that's who you are

23:25

and the world doesn't need a religion to know that they don't even measure up to their own expectations so they know that

23:32

they fall short of even the ideals of what they'd like to reach how many of y'all in here that might have hit the

23:37

Benchmark of 25 or 30 and you look back at your life and you thought to yourself I'm not where I thought or hoped I would

23:43

be how many of y'all hit that Benchmark of 40. man I was supposed to be in a

23:48

different place I envisioned a different future for myself how was it supposed to have this sort of heartbreak this sort of relationship

23:54

wasn't supposed to turn this way I was supposed to be in this financial situation I wasn't supposed to be still

24:00

assailed by insecurity anxiety depression so you had these expectations of yourself but you hit a benchmark and you

24:06

know you haven't quite measured up to what you hoped you would have so that even without religion we know

24:12

that we fall short is that all right is that plane speaking I'm going to check with you I'm not

24:18

meaning to this isn't it just is and yet

24:24

if you receive the truth of who you really are none of that behavior identifies you as

24:31

something other than what he's already spoken about you so that the circumstances of Life can't

24:37

speak louder than the truth

24:43

the circumstances of life don't speak louder than the truth because you tell me when Jesus came on the air into the world and he finds himself on the cross

24:50

do you think that's how he wanted his mission to turn out don't you think that inhumanity he

24:55

wanted people to receive him did he not want Israel to receive him did he not say that how long how I long to gather

25:02

you in did Jesus himself not have hopeful expectations of how his life would turn out

25:07

and yet where he'd end up and he didn't let that circumstance determine the truth of his identity

25:13

that's why he was willing to trust his Spirit even in death because this is the confidence that we

25:19

can live in because our condemnation is no longer the thing that identifies us if we

25:24

believe the truth of who we are in Adam too but now I'm getting ahead of myself

25:31

look at verse 19 for us by one man's Disobedience the many were made Sinners

25:36

so how are we all made sinners through item one notice that it's not your behavior it's not what you do that

25:43

categorizes you a sinner it's one man's Disobedience that's your

25:48

word Disobedience well watch the good news so by that one man's obedience many will

25:55

be made righteous see that's hard for us to receive isn't

26:00

it we only get like two amens and that's that's all right I get it but when was Jesus obedient

26:07

has he already been obedient y'all yes he already was obedient on that

26:12

cross he lived a life of obedience how are we made righteous

26:18

through that act of obedience if we look at him and we say yes I receive the truth of what that's saying about who

26:24

God is and who I am and what's happened to sin if we receive the truth of what God is

26:29

saying through the cross of Jesus about his love towards us if we receive the truth of what God is saying in Jesus

26:35

about Sin that sin is condemned and if we receive the truth about what God is

26:40

saying through Jesus about our value his obedience

26:45

makes us righteous because we believe I'm not hoping to be righteous y'all

26:53

I'm actually hoping to get glorified do you know the difference I'm hoping for that new body that he

26:59

promised me in Adam number two but my righteousness has come and I have it now

27:06

so my behavior isn't going to prove that maybe one day I qualify to be righteous no I received Grace and the free gift is

27:15

righteousness so I walk out my identity knowing that I am who he says I am in

27:20

spite of how I might feel at certain times next one

27:25

he's already eight o'clock firstly now the law came in to increase the trespass but

27:33

where sin increased Grace abounded all that much more so that sin reigned in death

27:39

Grace also might Reign through righteousness leading to eternal life

27:44

through Christ Jesus so the eternal life that's going to be mine when I put on glorification happens through Adam

27:49

number two but I'm alive in that hope now is that all right

27:55

all right let's uh I got to preaching a little bit too much and y'all need to sit down because I only have about 10 12 minutes left thanks so

28:01

give him random Applause in round five turn around five

28:07

okay now listen it admittedly I'm always going to take a little bit of time from y'all on the weekends because y'all

28:13

ain't got nowhere to go in the morning let's hang out so but I promise you during the week it's one hour 60 minutes

28:20

I promise you but can I steal about 12 to 15 minutes from you is that all right about 12 more 12 or 15 more minutes I

28:27

want to show you some things okay now take a good look thank you for playing with Chatham is it take a good look at

28:32

that list behind you and find the words or the word or words that correspond

28:39

find the word that is on both lists

28:48

now we haven't decided about law yet foreign but what we have done thus far

28:55

was that's good yes that's good man

29:00

what's the word Adam right that's the word Adam

29:06

so that the one that corresponds to both is Adam let's just talk real quick about law and

29:12

this is where I'm gonna make you uncomfortable why law

29:19

next verse please

29:27

that's the wrong verse it's actually Romans 3 uh

29:35

what 3 20. oh yeah yeah there it is thank you

29:41

for by The Works of the law no human will be justified in his sight since

29:47

through the law comes what so the law is there to increase the

29:53

knowledge of what but notice what Paul says it can't do it

29:59

can't what it can't justify you so where does he relate the law to Adam one or Adam

30:05

number two just in this regard he related to Adam number one right look

30:11

at what verse 21 says but now the righteousness of God do you see righteousness here look what

30:16

he says the righteousness of God has been manifested what

30:23

the righteousness of God which is his holy action and liberating Us by dying

30:29

for us is actually demonstrated apart from the law but look at the next line although the law and the prophets bear

30:35

witness to it so the law prophesies that this would come but this comes apart from the law

30:43

so he relates the law to sin but he's very clear to say that righteousness

30:48

does not come from the law next verse that I have there on the list that's all right Dave

30:55

now look look at what First Corinthians says look what Paul says about the law this thing of death is

31:01

sin and the power of sin is the look you know I used to read this verse

31:06

and I used to think of myself that's backwards right because I used to think that the sting of

31:12

of of of of the law or this thing of of death should be sin right oh no this

31:19

thing of sin should be death I used to think that this thing of sin should be that because the problem in my old way

31:24

of thinking is like the problem is sin right and since the problem is Sin Sin gets us

31:31

by ultimately us being us us dying so listen I'm just going to draw my

31:36

scorpion

31:57

I used to think that this is I used to think that the sting of of sin is death

32:05

because the problem is sin and then every time that I sin it's just like a little poke I'm like ha you're gonna die

32:11

you're gonna die you're gonna die you with me but the idea is not it says that the

32:17

power this thing of death so this thing of death

32:22

is sin so every time that I participate in sin every time that I sin

32:29

when am I actually being reminded of that my category is what

32:39

so every time I I'm being reminded that I am in

32:44

so that the knowledge increases that this is what and who I am and I'm well

32:50

aware that I'm in a precarious situation are we together keep going next one

32:57

for this is Paul in second Corinthians three

33:03

look what he calls the law now when I say the law y'all know that I'm referring to not only like the Torah the

33:09

first five books of the Bible but you know that I'm actually referring to like legit Ten Commandments

33:14

all right so make you all uncomfortable like I'm Legit referring to the Ten Commandments and why am I referring to the Ten Commandments because that's what

33:21

Paul's referring to listen to this for if there was Glory of Ministry of condemnation the ministry of

33:26

righteousness far exceeded in glory indeed in this case what was once had Glory has come to have no glory at all

33:36

what once had Glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that

33:41

surpasses it so there's something that had glory and then something else comes that has greater glory so the thing that first

33:48

had glory pales in comparison to the point that it has no glory because the second thing is so much better

33:53

you know what I'm saying like all you husbands it's a lot better to have a wife than to

33:58

have a girlfriend come on now y'all know what I'm saying don't don't act all fancy up in here

34:04

y'all just had Valentine's Day y'all know good and well it's a lot better to have a wife than to have a girlfriend

34:10

praise the lord it's a good thing he gave it to us amen let me get a hearty amen amen amen all

34:16

right y'all acting all high and all right so that what it was nice to have a girlfriend

34:23

but man when you have a wife the glory surpasses right the glory

34:32

you understand what I'm saying so it's glorious to have a girlfriend but then when she became your wife the glory

34:37

increases next next verse look at what Paul says oh man I messed that up you

34:42

turn with me to Corinthians First Corinthians 3. I'm trusting here and I'm messing it up myself

34:49

you got to see this this is really important

34:55

I'm sorry second Corinthians second Corinthians three

35:00

man second Corinthians 3. you there I'm going to start with first

35:08

um verse 4. second Corinthians 3 verse 4 hear me now

35:14

verse five I'll start with first not that we are sufficient in ourselves to content to claim anything that's coming

35:20

from God but our sufficiency is from God so Paul's saying my sufficiency comes from God right

35:26

who has made us sufficient by being Ministers of a new covenant so my

35:31

sufficiency comes in a new agreement a new arrangement with God and watch what he says not of the letter but of the

35:37

spirit for the letter kills but the spirit gives what

35:44

life so that the letter which is what he's talking about here it kills look

35:49

what he says now if the ministry of death this is verse 7 Second Corinthians 3 7 if the ministry of death carved in

35:56

letters of stone came with such Glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses's face because of its Glory

36:03

you guys know that story where Moses meets face to face with God and then his face is so shining that the Israelites

36:08

can't look at it but do you know that that Glory that was on Moses's face was actually fading

36:15

you know that it would fade right so he's saying the glory that was

36:20

on Moses's face would fade and Moses represents our relationship and to law

36:27

that the glory of the law would fade why verse 8. uh was that verse 8 yeah verse

36:35

8 will not the ministry of the spirit have even more Glory for if there was glory in the ministry

36:42

of condemnation look what he calls it Ministry of what condemnation now look at what he says

36:48

the ministry of righteousness much far exceeded in glory the ministry of what

36:56

and we already noted that the righteousness is demonstrated apart from the law

37:02

so that the law is not what actually gives us righteousness the law actually highlights sin it intensifies death it

37:10

makes us reckon that we are condemned why because we can never actually keep

37:15

it we together we can't even meet our own expectations

37:21

let alone gods

37:27

what's the what's the next oh let's go to Galatians go to Galatians the one I have Galatians 2. David you

37:33

got that one we'll go a couple in Galatians then I'll make my point look at this this is this is this is

37:40

strong look at what Paul says he says through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God

37:45

we're gonna come back to that in a minute now next next uh yeah it is no longer I

37:53

who live there it is I do not no connections

37:58

this is not nullify the grace of God

38:04

I don't nullify the grace of God for if righteousness were through the

38:10

then Christ died

38:18

if righteousness could actually come through the law then he died for nothing

38:24

because the law can't give righteousness why

38:30

what's the next verse on there David we're now we're just playing like verse roulette

38:36

it's evident no one is

38:41

but the law is not of faith

38:48

Church the law is not of Faith the Bible says the righteous will live by faith isn't that what we as Protestants want

38:54

to live through we want to live by faith but notice that when you live by faith the law has nothing to do with it

39:00

because their law is not of faith why because the law is intended to highlight

39:05

the fact that you're in Adam number one it can't actually give you standing in Adam number two

39:15

next one next verse I'll just let that sit for a little bit Christ redeemed us from the curse of the

39:21

law you notice that the law brings curse everyone is cursed who sayings on a tree so that in Christ Jesus The Blessing of

39:28

Abraham might come to the Gentiles so we might receive the promised Spirit through

39:35

so righteous will live by and we will receive what spirit so it is spirit and faith that

39:43

actually gives us our standing in righteousness it's not law keeping because the law can't give life

39:52

so Galatians teaches us and notice this reality this is the

39:58

reality of life this here is the reality of

40:06

death are we together that's why this makes so much sense

40:14

The Sting of death is sin so that you are sinners in so much as you

40:20

participate in the reality of death and the intent of the law is to highlight that you're in item number two by

40:27

letting you know that you sinned and you've fallen short that you're condemned if you don't believe that you

40:33

live in the reality of death because of a transgression that preceded you and you participate in that trespass because

40:39

your heart is not the sort of heart that can actually obey you're constantly giving over the disobedience

40:46

and then we preach that this is Who We Are because Jeremiah 17 9 the hardest week

40:52

Wicked and deceitful above all things so as we actually do gospel we identify

40:58

y'all people in my guilt have done this I did this I preach the gospel that identifies you as Adam number one

41:05

and then I call you to life in righteousness but I'm shackling You by telling you

41:12

that the righteousness that you can achieve you're not actually empowered to actually live because this is how I'm

41:19

positioning you are you with me so my brother here

41:25

he he rightly correct he rightly noticed that the only word that agrees with both of them is what

41:30

Adam why this work is good when I get excited

41:36

I'm telling you I get excited about this stuff let's turn to Romans six you know Romans 6 Romans 7 I'm gonna sit down

41:42

because I can preach this all night this thing is good

41:51

just so I don't forget remind me that I have to finish with Sermon on the Mount will you do that for me if I finish and

41:57

I don't mention Sermon on the Mount say Jonathan sermon on the mountain all right that's where we're done Romans

42:02

six Dave did I have Romans 6 up there yeah there you go watch this look

42:12

well before I do that what's what's the hard truth y'all where do you think law corresponds to Adam one or two

42:18

yeah sorry

42:26

watch it gets really good watch what the Bible says so you also must consider yourselves what

42:35

you're dead to this praise the Lord watch why because you're alive to God in Christ

42:41

but let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies to make you obey his passions I promise you we're going to

42:46

talk about that like on Tuesday we're going to get there I promise we'll get there but we gotta establish this first next

42:52

verse 13. do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness you can't do that because you are

42:58

righteous in Christ Jesus you don't have to live unrighteous I promise you we'll get there just hold on with me but

43:04

present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from

43:10

present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from

43:16

and you know who did it for you if you were here earlier in the service you know who did it for you your older brother

43:23

he redeemed you and brought you from to

43:29

because he himself became a curse for us by enduring the Judgment of the

43:35

on our behalf so that you and I could be transferred from Adam one into Adam

43:43

yeah some of y'all are catching it keep going for sin will have no dominion over you

43:51

since you are not under law but you're under grace and notice that

43:57

doesn't say you're not under the condemnation of the law that says you're just not under law at all

44:03

this is where we start getting nervous what you mean you could do whatever I want you're not under law now I want to take

44:09

you to Romans 7. I'm gonna read four verses then Sermon on the Mount you're not under law because the law belongs to

44:15

Adam number two so if you're not under law what does that mean about which atom

44:20

you're in if law belongs to Adam number one

44:27

if law belongs to Adam number one and through Christ Jesus you're not under law what does that then mean about you

44:33

what item are you in read this and you tell me how much of

44:38

this corresponds to your life lived you tell me are you righteous are you

44:45

Justified do you live in Grace have you received it as a free gift or do you reign in life via his obedience

44:52

by faith yes yes and yes Romans 7. look at this

45:02

I listen y'all this thing Rises right now I'm calm if I was in the room by myself

45:08

y'all don't even know we're gonna talk about secret place living later on this week and there are

45:15

times when I'm in the presence of the Lord and I'm just jumping up and down shouting Hallelujah because that's where I get my life from

45:22

my life doesn't come from being on the stage my life comes from being a son because I've been delivered

45:27

why should I'ma show you this is good don't you know Brothers I'm speaking those who know the law that the law is

45:33

binding on a person as long as they live think about it say that there's a woman

45:43

right

45:49

you heard somebody says he's topless foreign

45:55

figure think about this say a woman

46:00

right is bound to her husband and she's bound to him by law

46:06

right so she's wife of this husband by law

46:11

if this husband dies she is released from being married to him right

46:18

keep going next verse accordingly if this woman like let's for instance I

46:26

don't know let's call her

46:33

if this woman is married to Adam number one and she's living in Adam number one but

46:40

she's confessing that she's actually shacking up with Adam number two but she hasn't unhinged herself from

46:47

Adam number one she's an adulteress

46:55

so if we Proclaim that this is who we serve but we still identify ourselves in

47:01

relationship to him then we're living in adultery

47:08

we together but if her husband dies

47:13

if her husband dies she is free from that law and if she

47:18

marries another man she's not an adulteress but what needs to happen

47:23

her husband needs to die keep going

47:30

likewise my brothers you have died to the law through Christ

47:36

so that you might belong to another why because the only word that agrees in both of these columns is Adam and Jesus

47:44

the son of the king of kings the Son of God God himself came into this world

47:51

took on flesh took on Dust took on sin

47:56

and became all of that for us and he took on the death that belonged to Adam

48:02

number one and he himself took the curse of Adam number one so he became Adam

48:09

number one and he died and when he died he separated the

48:17

relationship between humanity and Adam number two and he resurrects through the

48:22

ground as Adam number two himself and now he's Adam number two and he invites

48:28

you to get remarried to the Risen King and divorce the old

48:33

life because you are married to Adam number two and whatever he is so are you

48:41

in this world because the husband when you start preaching this sets the pace

48:50

yeah I don't care about Oregon all of that nonsense no y'all go on with that

48:57

y'all go on with that this is biblical I'm not talking about our whole theology

49:03

women past none of that I affirm that you got the spirit you got the spirit you can take me to task all you want and

49:09

yet the Bible says that there's something about

49:15

this good husband whatever he is so is his wife

49:20

y'all read the book of Hosea lately it's the goodness of the husband

49:26

that calls you a good wife so that if God himself

49:34

has become death and put death to death

49:40

then the question is oh death

49:46

where is your sting where is it

49:51

I'm not an atom number one y'all we're in Adam number two now people get nervous because they're

49:57

like what does that mean what does that mean in relationship to the law let me tell you what it means just like I told you Grace without transformation is

50:03

perversion and we receive this thing so that we live righteous because there was a man that walked on

50:09

the Earth who was the end game of the law he was the last prophet his name is John

50:17

John was the greatest of the prophets why because he actually

50:22

prophesied and saw the Fulfillment of what the law was hoping to see so John sees Jesus

50:30

and he baptizes Jesus and Jesus basically when he gets baptized like hey John appreciate what you've done law and

50:37

Prophets appreciate your prophetic work I'll take it from here and so he goes up a mountain in the same

50:44

way Moses went up a mountain but see at Moses's Mountain it said Thou shalt not kill

50:50

but in Jesus Mountain he says hey let me ask y'all something y'all have heard it

50:55

said Thou shalt not kill right and everybody's like yeah yeah that should not kill now maybe the question

51:01

is what does it take to actually kill you're like well I gotta get I got to get my glock or if I try to get really

51:07

intimate I got to get a weapon right like what does it take to kill under Moses it takes a weapon it takes some

51:13

thought out ideas and it takes intimate violence yes but then Jesus says

51:18

yeah you've heard it said thou shall not kill but I tell you

51:24

that if you speak even Reckless about one another the seed of murder is still

51:29

in your heart so whose righteousness is higher the law or Adam number two

51:37

Moses said thou shall not commit adultery Jesus says y'all heard it said Thou shalt not commit adultery right yeah we

51:43

heard that what does it take to not commit adultery well you know can't be late night out you know what

51:50

I'm saying can't be on www.i shouldn't be here.com

51:56

right because under Moses no no no but Jesus says yeah y'all heard

52:02

that but let me tell you that if you look at another person and you objectify them sexually

52:09

you're guilty so who's righteousness is higher Adam number one or Adam number two

52:16

you've heard it said Y'all Gonna Keep the Sabbath sun down to

52:22

sundown turn off the electronics here only going to the pool up to your ankles

52:33

amen but I say to you

52:39

if you don't find rest in me for your souls it doesn't matter

52:45

what day you keep because you really don't know Sabbath

52:51

so who's righteousness is high so when I say I'm not under the law

52:57

you think I'm free to just do whatever I got a really narrow eye I live through

53:03

I got a really narrow road I lived through but through that road that I lived through

53:10

is freedom in all things Grace justification righteousness Liberty why

53:18

because my righteousness does not come from the law my righteousness comes because I know

53:25

somebody and somebody knows me and because I know him and I'm known by him

53:31

I live like he would have me live because I'm living in the freedom of my

53:37

God do you think I could taste life you think I could just swim in the abundance

53:43

of his grace and want to go back to death are you kidding me

53:48

so when you ask me Jonathan you see he's just free to yeah I'm free baby I'm free

53:53

in Christ Jesus but that's a real narrow lens man it's a narrow lens I live through but it's Freedom all the way

54:00

it's Freedom all the way every last one of y'all have the privilege to live that now get free from this idea of having our

54:07

righteousness to come from the law don't come from there the Bible's really clear on this the Bible is very clear on this

54:13

Adventist your righteousness did not come from the law but let me put you at rest

54:19

the righteousness that Jesus gives always agrees with the law

54:28

because the law is not against Jesus it prophesies unto Jesus so the righteousness that he gives us is

54:35

in agreement with the law although it doesn't come from the law and that

54:41

righteousness is yours now and today so this is where I conclude and this is the

54:47

question I have for you which Adam are you in

54:52

which Adam are you in it's up to you to decide

54:59

the only way it happens

55:06

participate in some death remember this from last night you got to participate in some baptism

55:13

you got to participate in some death and receive the baptism Holy Spirit that's another thing we'll talk this week

55:19

and know that you can live in Liberty because you have a better husband today and he's crying out Liberty now

55:27

today's the Liberty today it's yours man I went way over promise we won't do it again just have

55:33

to lay down this good guys I promise y'all starting tomorrow is one hour one idea night laying down these things has

55:38

it been beneficial yes my brother Mount of Olives I did The Sermon on the

55:45

Mount I went there where Jesus says you've heard it said right and I draw that distinction y'all y'all hear my

55:50

heart here we're not under the law but that righteousness that he gives us exceeds that which we think righteousness is

55:57

that's why he ends The Sermon on the Mount with be ye perfect like your heavenly father is perfect that's why he

56:03

ends it that way but how can y'all be perfect by receiving the gift Hebrews 10 14 we

56:09

are perfect in him now you're not working to Perfection you're working from a victory that sees

56:16

you as perfect and you have the privilege of walking it out because that's what you are amen

56:22

Good gospel father God we thank you for this time and I thank you for the graciousness of these people to stick

56:27

with me while I'm up here lying like a preacher telling six minutes and it ended up being 26. well thank you for

56:33

them Lord I Thank you for the Liberty that we can have in you I thank you for um that you came and you became Adam

56:41

number one so that we can have standing in Adam number two and that we can be

56:46

the righteousness of God because you say that's what we are so we receive that right now by grace

56:52

and by faith so that we might live a life that is in keeping with that which you always had

56:58

for us thank you for these precious beautiful people for this time that we're spending

57:03

together I pray that gospel take hold and grow up into mighty mighty Sequoia in their lives we pray this in Jesus

57:10

name for his sake amen

English (auto-generated)

 

Transcript 4

0:00

so uh Andy y'all been to UM like a fancy

0:07

gym like those and I'll talk about like a workout gym like those fancy workout gyms that have the really thick towels

0:14

in the in the bathrooms anybody a member of those right like I mean I'm not I

0:19

haven't but I've never been a member of I've been to them as a guest of somebody but it's like those gyms that you get a

0:24

bathrobe and they have a spa in the back right yeah y'all know as I'll talk about like a workout facility not 24 hour

0:31

fitness fine I'll take 25 fitness has that and definitely not the purple one what's the

0:36

purple one that has those the log alarm Planet Fitness yeah not definitely not

0:42

that I'm talking about those posh ones right where you get slippers and you put

0:47

your stuff in like a would in a locker right I'm talk about that fancy one so

0:53

there's a man who is in one of those gymnasiums and the I need to set this

0:59

out cuz now you know what type of clientele is being a being serviced there right and there's a gentleman

1:05

there and he's got his uh man now I'm drawing a blank what is that little bathroom satchel thing that guys have

1:10

was a thing not a duffle bag I have it in Spanish and escuche a toiletry bag

1:16

thank you all right he's got like Alex gator-skin toiletry bag I don't know he's he's sitting there brushing his

1:22

teeth with his like koa wood toothbrush I don't even know that's the thing I'm

1:28

sure it is in Hawaii right and um men behind him are talking about the day's

1:34

business it's not a stock market and about deals that they're making and about you know it's not all money

1:40

there's men with brilliant men there to talk about you know splitting biological things I don't know really things were

1:46

above my pay grade as you can tell I've never been to one of these gyms right and um all of a sudden cell phone next

1:52

to the gentleman that's in front of the mirror rings rings a couple times and he's just doing this thing calmly puts

1:59

his coat Khoa brush down and picks up the cell phone says hello hey honey

2:06

mmm-hmm hey I was just calling because I was driving by

2:14

the the dealership mm-hmm and you know

2:19

that I've really wanted that brand-new Mercedes G wagon mm-hmm and a baby I just really think

2:27

now's the time to get it how much is it gonna be well I think I think the new

2:33

models going for about a hundred and thirty one hundred and thirty thousand you want the new wagon for one hundred

2:39

and thirty thousand go ahead baby go ahead and get it all right it's a good husband right then

2:47

then then the wife says the wife says baby I was also driving by the Glitter cottage that we were looking at cottage

2:54

house looking for the cottage that we were thinking about having uh getting it for mom and I just really think you know

3:00

I think we should just pull pull the plug I mean we should just you know pull the trigger now let's just get it maybe

3:06

you want the little cottage how much is that gonna be well I think they dropped it down to about two point four two four

3:12

two point you want the glow cottage for two point four million and the AMG today I think we could do it I think we could

3:19

do yeah that's fine girl that's fine good you know I love you right sorry all thanks baby unless it's

3:25

just one last thing oh one more thing huh yeah well I stopped by Tiffany's did you yeah and

3:32

and I saw that bracelet I saw that bracelet and you know those are those ain't conflict diamonds they're not

3:38

conflict diamonds oh you think I could get that bracelet how much is that bracelet girl it's going for 252 so you

3:45

got a bracelet more than the AMG oh come on honey you know what girl go ahead go ahead live your life all right what's

3:55

the phone down right all the clientele at this fancy gym I mean they used to some rollers but they're like wait hold

4:00

on who's this guy this guy just dropped you know if you're adding it up somewhere close like three million drop

4:07

of a hat so all that hustle and bustle stopped and they're looking at this man he picks up his coat with brush and keeps doing

4:14

his thing silence

4:19

put this brush down picks up the cellphone turns around he says whose

4:24

cell phone is this

4:31

oh I love that joke man there's the

4:44

Larry's okay shout out shout out to Bill Johnson from Bethel man I got that from him that's it

4:49

we're good the other wise bet though bill Johnson always tells jokes at the beginning that's my favorite one but

4:55

here's what I here's what I got it from that was really good now I know that the analogy here is gonna fall apart because

5:00

what I'm gonna say I'm gonna have somebody in the audience like well that doesn't work because right when the wife

5:06

calls she calls with confidence doesn't she I mean she's got some audacious

5:12

requests I'd love to ask but you know I don't want nobody to put like who of us

5:17

could just call and just spent three million at the drop of a hat just like that all right I know I know I can time

5:23

on their ministry budget yes sir but this wife she calls confident

5:28

because she has direct access she's got

5:33

access now I know that the analogy doesn't play because somebody's gonna say well how come she didn't recognize

5:38

it that wasn't her husband's voice don't overthink it the joke isn't that funny all right if you do all of that all

5:45

right the jokes got to be funny but what is it that what I draw here is that this woman is confident because she has

5:50

access she has access and in having access she makes these audacious requests that other normal folk would

5:59

actually think this is ludicrous how can you make that sort of request well if you know that you got a good

6:05

husband and you know that he's got the resources making these sort of asks

6:10

ain't that big if you know you got a good husband and he's got resources

6:17

making these sort of asks ain't that big and you don't make these sort of asks

6:22

hoping to get something you make these sort of asks knowing that there is

6:27

abundance for you you see that the mentality isn't one that you approach a

6:33

good husband with a scarcity mindset you approach a good husband with an

6:38

abundance mindset because you know the resources are there and the fact that he made a commitment

6:44

you X number of years ago when he said I do means that you have access to the abundance of resources because when he

6:51

said I do that also meant for you too so

6:56

the way we approach tell something about what we believe about our husband you

7:04

with me don't worry about that the way we approach that something about our

7:10

husband yesterday how many atoms did we have how many atoms doing here we had

7:16

two Adam's right we had atom number one

7:21

and on the other side we had atom number two now when we read Romans 7 we read

7:30

Romans 7 I demonstrated to you that you and I the bride who were married to atom

7:36

number one how did we transfer from atom want number one to atom number two we

7:41

transferred by way of him becoming atom number one and dying to atom number one

7:48

and resurrecting as a head of number two right and the way that the husband goes

7:54

so goes the wife if the wife leaves husband number one he because he died

8:00

and she marries husband number two she's no longer tied to husband number one and

8:05

then I also said something along the lines of that in my ministry what I did

8:10

for a long time was that I preached to people as though I was looking at a whole bunch of atom number ones and I

8:17

would position y'all as atom number ones and then I would call you to live like atom number twos but how can atom number

8:23

ones live like twos if they're actually ones and the way I would tell people that they needed to live as atom number

8:31

twos was like this I don't know if you've heard this before but I would say your way of receiving righteousness is

8:39

in the sanctuary this is what I would preach I don't know if you've heard this before I would use an illustration like

8:46

this I would say something like imagine there's a young boy out in the wilderness with the Israelites while

8:54

they're traversing from Egypt to the promised land and this young boy has a friend and his

9:01

name is Johnny this young boy and Johnny are always playing I don't never know

9:08

what game would young Israelite kids in the wilderness play like kick rocks or like they would chase out I don't know

9:13

but they're playing right and they play in the shadow of the sanctuary and one

9:18

day as they're playing Johnny looks at his friend and he goes hey man and his

9:23

friend and this story's me hey hey Jonathan this Johnny and Jonathan hey job they don't want to tell you

9:29

something what's that you know I've been playing with you for a little while and I've got a good look at you yeah you

9:36

have again I've come to a conclusion what's that man you're ugly well I'll

9:43

get offended i ball up my fists I punched Johnny in his face all right Johnny this guy's got a little of a why

9:49

you do that Boyle he can't call me ugly now now that I've sinned in light of the sanctuary

9:54

what have I demonstrated am I an atom number one or atom number two I'm an

9:59

atom one right and now I'm told to get forgiveness because I'm a sinner in atom

10:05

number one what do I have to do as I live in the shadow of the sanctuary uh-huh somebody said it I need to bring

10:11

an offering right now you know offerings are expensive and like I told y'all before that allowance game was not

10:16

playing all right Mama's not giving me allowance so what I got to do I got to go get a lamb right take it to the

10:23

sanctuary and you know that you get the lamb and they have this idea that then you put your hand on the lamb and there's this idea of maybe like

10:30

transferring sin or confessing sin and then what do I do or what happens to the lamb the lamb gets slit and the blood goes into the

10:39

sanctuary right and who gets to go free I do hey Johnny how you doing hey

10:50

Jonathan what's up man you know you came what's up man well I'm doing all right you a little

10:56

lighter now in the pockets because you had to get that lamb right yes yes well

11:02

Jonathan you might be light in the pockets but one thing still remains one thing still remains what's that Johnny you still

11:10

ugly I get all worked up I balled up my fist punched him in the other eye right and I like I can see what about just

11:20

demonstrated we're adding my my in one or two what do I gotta go do god I'll go

11:25

get the offering all right good thing and then what happens to the lamb the lamb dish right

11:31

blood blood goes into the sanctuary and when it goes into the sanctuary one day

11:37

a year it's supposed to hit the most holy place and this whole work of us all being free happens but the blood goes in

11:45

who gets to go free in that moment who do I see but guess who doesn't see me

11:59

let's see you seeing's not the only sense cuz Johnny's like Jonathan is that

12:07

you say yes Johnny it's me what are you doing well Jonathan you so ugly not only

12:16

can you see it but you could also smell it OK ROCK kick them right and what happens I got to do

12:24

the whole thing all over again right now if I continue on this cycle

12:29

what is this demonstrating every time that I go take a lamb that I am squarely

12:36

in where Adam 1 or 2 add a 1 so that then the theology I used to preach was

12:44

that our access was by way of this lamb that I would treat as a conditional

12:50

instrument of forgiveness that would give me that which I needed because I

12:56

was in Adam 1 and I would have confidence until the moment I had

13:02

another incident where I fell short again now it could be punching Johnny or

13:07

it could have been in my life you know visiting places I shouldn't visit or doing things I shouldn't do it but the

13:13

theology I used to preach is that then my access is predicated on this conditional instrument that continually

13:21

like dies over and over again and goes in I get free until the next time I do

13:27

the thing and am I the only one that has heard this and here's then what I would

13:35

do when I preach this to people I would preach something like first John one

13:43

first John one would say it says something like you know if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to

13:49

forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness right but I used that theology in order to position

13:56

my audiences as Adam number ones who had to continually approach in a way as

14:02

being less than in order to get something that didn't correspond to who and what they were are we together

14:09

can I be honest with you and I just tell you that I completely misunderstood the sanctuary here's why number one I'm not

14:21

an Israelite I'm a Gentile I don't know if we have any Jews in the house tonight

14:28

but you understand that I don't actually have access to the sanctuary of God like

14:34

on earth I'll talk about the heaven second but I actually don't have access why I'm a Gentile one no access here's

14:44

the second thing I learned I don't have access precisely because I kept punching

14:50

Johnny I used to teach that when you committed a sin you could actually go to

14:56

the sanctuary and get forgiveness but then I read the Bible and I found out that whenever you committed a sin you

15:03

actually couldn't get forgiveness at the sanctuary did y'all know that and I

15:10

don't know numbers 15 teaches us this do you know that the sanctuary was designed in order to illuminate the mind because

15:20

people sin when they sinned unintentionally if you send

15:26

unintentionally and you didn't know that you sinned and then somebody brought it to your attention then you could take an

15:32

offering to the sanctuary but if you willingly punched a friend there is no

15:37

sacrifice for you because you're under the law of sin and death so if you punch

15:42

a friend you know what happened to you you get punched back that's why it's

15:48

called an eye for an eye so when we've taught this theology that you can get

15:53

forgiveness in the sanctuary that's not true you could only get forgiveness for

15:59

unintentional sins the sort of sins that you and I commit in Adam one as Gentiles

16:04

knowing that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God there is no forgiveness that should be a problem for

16:12

us right hey look what it says but the

16:18

person who does anything with a high hand that's uh that's a rebellious sin that's that says like I know I shouldn't be

16:24

doing this but I'm gonna do it anyway I'm the only one that's in that way don't raise your hand right okay I know

16:33

I shouldn't be doing this but you know grace so you say mercy but folks have

16:39

done it right anybody with sins with a high hand whether he's native verse adjourn or

16:45

revivals the Lord and that person shall be cut off from his people you remember akin here on the story akin

16:53

they said don't take nothing and they can was like well I would just take a little bit and then what did he do he

17:00

hid it in his tent was there a lamb that akin could take no what did they can get

17:07

a whole bunch of rocks upside his head furthermore you remember David you

17:15

remember when he had that moment with Bathsheba do you know that David under

17:20

the law should have died but um Nathan comes to David and what does Nathan tell

17:26

David the Lord has done what taking away your sin when did David go to the

17:33

sanctuary he did it what lamb did David offer he did it it

17:40

was just taken away why because that's

17:46

what God wanted to do that's what God

17:52

wanted to do period

17:59

yeah next next next verse look at this because he has despised the word of the

18:05

Lord and has broken his commandment that person shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be on him the law of sin

18:12

and death the sanctuary was there in order to highlight that when we came to

18:17

it over and over when we committed unintentional sins it was supposed to

18:23

deep in our mind that we are in fact in atom number one we got a problem

18:29

and for us Gentiles that's you and me and for us who have committed the sort of sins that we do with a high hand we

18:38

got problems because we don't have access we don't have access we don't

18:46

have a lamb and we don't have a hope in this world are we together you ever been

18:53

in a hopeless situation they've been in a hopeless situation listen I was in a

18:59

hopeless situation you're gonna laugh at me I know you will but I'm in Georgia

19:05

and I've just come back from Australia after serving two years there and I was

19:11

on a ministry wage so I had no money and I get to the counter at the airport in

19:16

Atlanta thinking I had a flight to Boston to go see my mama I have about 80 dollars in my bank account at the moment

19:22

I was like 22 23 came back from Australia and I'm at the counter and I was told I had a ticket I go up there

19:30

and I check in and the lady says no there's no there's no reservation for

19:37

Jonathan Leonardo like I'll check again check again no no there's there's no

19:42

reservation there's a plane on the other side that I'm trying to get to but this

19:48

lady's telling me my name isn't on the list I said no no no no check again this lady checked three times if I said

19:54

darling I'm sorry you just don't have access I was 23 years old now I know I

20:01

try to sell it I try to sell myself you know I was like 21 now I was like 23 because do you know what the first

20:07

thought in my mind was to actually get access I'm ashamed to admit it I thought if I

20:13

cry hard enough maybe she'll let me in I promise you I was like I'm gonna put

20:18

this big bottom lip to use and just [Music]

20:25

nothing nothing you know what happened lucky enough I had a called a friend out

20:33

of cellphone I mean a payphone cuz I didn't have any money cuz I come from Australia I didn't have a cell phone in America called a friend on a payphone

20:39

and she lived close by she came and picked me up not only did she come and pick me up but she was nice enough to pay for my

20:46

ticket to get home a couple days later I didn't have access

20:53

but there was somebody that gave it to me and when they gave it to me I didn't

21:00

have to come back and keep asking for access cuz I had it let me show you

21:07

something about the sanctuary let's go to Hebrews chapter 10 this as far as we're gonna get today because of the

21:12

sake of time yeah somebody's losing a bed tonight Hebrews chapter 10 I'll read it I'll read it right here

21:19

look at this we've misunderstood the sanctuary and action this thing blew my mind I got 13 minutes we could do this

21:25

look what it says for since the law has brought a shadow of the good things to come that whole thing of me punching

21:31

Johnny then having goes to the sanctuary and try to work my way through that thing is but a shadow of the good things

21:38

instead of the true forms of it reality look it can never buy the same sacrifices that are continually offered

21:45

make perfect those who draw near you can't continually go to the

21:50

sanctuary and get perfection because the thing is just it's just a shadow keep

21:55

going they work through this otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshippers having once been

22:02

cleansed wouldn't no longer have any consciousness of sins so what's the idea in Hebrews 10 the idea is that if the

22:09

sanctuary actually weren't the way we think it works the one time you got

22:15

forgiveness your conscience would be cleansed to such a point that you would no longer be living in any sort of guilt

22:22

and you would never return to that which had been delivered from so that the sanctuary should have been a one-time

22:29

deal but the fact that it was an over and over deal meant that what it was was

22:35

just a picture of something not the reality itself are you with me verse 3

22:42

but these sacrifices there as a reminder of sins every year for it is impossible

22:48

for the bull of the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins so think about this there was a time in the nation of

22:54

Israel where they're offering these sacrifices people are coming and they're actually thinking that as they're offering these things this is pleasing

23:01

to God and that they're in right standing with God by participating in this cycle that he's put together and

23:07

everybody is bringing lambs and pigeons and different sacrifices that correspond

23:13

to what they think are their sins and they do it over and over again because they think this is what God wants now

23:19

you know humans when they see a situation like that they're looking hey those are repeat customers we can make

23:25

some money and so the religious folk started up selling the lambs and the

23:30

pigeons and they started making some money on the side so from the religious folks they've corrupted the system and

23:37

in the minds of the common people they're just on a cycle that they think is the way it is and so they come to

23:43

church every single week and they offer up themselves as sinners in hopes of getting something from God not knowing

23:49

that all the while they're participating in a broken system then a 12 year old

23:57

comes on the scene and uh he's walking

24:02

around Jerusalem his parents actually been looking for him for a couple of days and he's in a specific place he's

24:10

in the sanctuary I would contest that Jesus at 12 years

24:16

old is sitting there and he's watching the system he's seen people come with

24:22

the lamb and he's seen people do this thing of confession he's seen the blood

24:29

travel to travel through he's seen the priests and it begins to dawn on him

24:36

that what these people think that God wants is not what God wants he begins to

24:44

see that they're all trapped in a cycle of atom number one and they're looking

24:50

at the sanctuary as a way to get to God they're looking at the sanctuary as a

24:56

way to get something from God and it hits them verse five consequently when

25:05

Christ came into the world he said sacrifices and offerings you haven't desired but a body you've

25:15

prepared for me so as Jesus is watching the sanctuary play out he finally begins

25:22

to understand what it's all about and what it's all about is him

25:29

could you imagine young Jesus sitting there watching the thing whole thing play out and he's looking at him and he

25:35

goes they don't get it they don't get it and do you imagine it starts dawning on him that the whole

25:42

thing is about him and he says wait that

25:47

lamb is me I'm the one that's gonna take

25:54

away the sin of the world because I'll demonstrate my father's heart so that

25:59

every last one of them might know that the sanctuary isn't about them coming to God it's about how God has come to them

26:12

and do you know how Jesus knew that this was his identity it's verse 7 behold I

26:21

have come to do your Will O God as it is written of me in the scroll of the book

26:32

Jesus read the book and believed the

26:37

book revealed his identity and in the book revealing his identity he knew he

26:44

was the one that was going to have his blood be spilled

26:49

as a perfect sacrifice in order that Gentiles and habitual sinners might

26:58

actually have access so that he could transfer all of us from Adam 1 into Adam

27:06

to go to first John well with me real quick I want to show you something

27:13

because we're gonna put we're gonna put some real life to this first on 1 verse

27:20

5 now think of this is John the disciple

27:26

that knew Jesus really really well right and he understood the whole deal what

27:32

was going on he understood who Jesus was the access giver Adam number 2 look at this this is the message that we've

27:39

heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and that in him is no

27:44

darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness we lie and do not practice

27:51

truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his

27:58

son cleanses us from all sin so what marks a person who walks in life what

28:04

marks them at the end of verse 7 is that the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us

28:10

from all sin so what marks a person that's walking with Jesus is the person

28:16

who knows that they have standing where if you're walking with Jesus in truth

28:24

that means you know that you have access and you're constantly being cleansed and

28:30

kept clean because you're in Adam - are you with me keep reading if we say we have no sin

28:39

we've deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us now people charge me up there Jonathan you're telling us we're

28:44

free from sin and I'll quickly tell them no I'm not saying that the Bible is the Bible is right I'm just repeating what

28:52

the Bible says but then so folks like both first John says that if we say we have no sin that we're lives Church look

29:00

at what John is truly saying verse 8 if in contrast to verse seven he said if we

29:05

walk with Jesus that means that we know that his blood is cleansing us and it's keeping us clean who are the people that

29:13

are keep being kept clean people who knew they were dirty who are

29:18

the people that have access people who knew they didn't have access you can

29:23

only recognize you're clean if you already knew that you needed cleaning

29:29

you with me but verse eight is if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves who

29:35

are those who say they have no sin add a ones who say I don't need the access I

29:41

don't need the blood when you say I don't need the blood you're the person with pride that says oh no I don't need

29:47

that system oh no I don't need the accidents I'm a good person I bake pies for my neighbors in the fall time I

29:54

clean and rake I say thank you and please I always drive 54 and a 55 okay

29:59

I'm lying I might drive 57 but there's grace the person who says no to the

30:08

blood is the person who thinks that I'm doing enough that's the same person who

30:17

at times well it's not the same person let me not say that we fall into the trap of hearing this and we think that

30:25

this is us we think it's us we think that we're always the ones with sin we

30:32

think we're the ones that are always a slave to it and that the only way we have access is by way of the continual

30:38

lamb when I'm telling you is no that's not you this is a person who says I

30:44

don't need the blood but you're a bunch of people who say you do need the blood and what I want to tell you is that

30:50

because you said you needed the blood and you receive the blood by faith you're no longer in Adam 1 you're an

30:56

Adam - and watch the good news this is the good news they need to take away I got a couple minutes to demonstrate it

31:02

if we confess our sins what does that mean that means if we confess the truth

31:08

that we're in need of him if we see the truth and the revelation of Jesus Christ if we see him for what he truly is the

31:14

more perfect sacrifice that has spilled blood to give us access when we see that look what it says he is faithful and

31:22

just to do what forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when

31:28

does this happen does this happen while we're living the life how can this

31:33

happen while we're living the life if verse 7 says that when we walk with Him his blood actively cleanses us are you

31:41

guys tracking with what I'm saying pastor Greg come up here I'll break it down alright so pastor God John John

31:52

stand pressure get high y'all gonna hands up like this hand up like this okay yeah let's see if this works it's

32:00

just coming to me in the moment all right listen yeah well we'll go from over here

32:05

all right over here on this side this side is the dirty side over here I'm dirty you with me on this side I'm dirty

32:12

okay we go with side of my own I'm on the west side what side of my own it

32:17

sounded like a bunch of southern there's dirty dirty no honey they're all right I've other daddies alright this is

32:22

chapter this is this is now I'm on the dirty side if I come through now I'm on the clean side and I stay clean we good

32:30

what side of my arm clean side one side of my own if I'm back here what side of my own what side of my own what side is

32:38

verse seven talking about where am I

32:43

so how is it that we preach that we have seven but then we identify ourselves with eight and then by verse nine we're

32:51

already back here are you with me did you make it how can you say verse

32:58

seven oh we're walking with Jesus that we're cleaning them a good lie not another but you know that have you sinned through triple-dip no verse seven

33:08

is for y'all we're clean verse eight is for those who say oh no I don't need it

33:13

no no no I don't need it I don't need it verse nine this for the first time that

33:21

you see it oh yeah i confess i confess i

33:26

confess i confess yes lord yes Lord yes Lord you with me now watch

33:33

this is what not I stay there come on now Simon Says his are we good I you the

33:40

l to me we're good here's what gets really good first 10 if

33:48

we say we haven't sinned we make him a liar and his word is not with us why because the people that are in are the

33:55

people that used to be here so I know I've sinned I've confessed I mean Adam -

34:02

but if I say I've never sinned I'm a liar and where am i this is verse 8 on I

34:11

don't need it I'm good I don't need the blood we're together now look at the way

34:16

John - we get first John - vegans my little children I'm writing these

34:23

things to you so you may not sin who's he writing to outside or inside I'm he

34:28

writing to those who have access or don't have access my little children I'm writing to you so that you may not sin

34:34

but look what he says but if anyone does sin who's he writing - inside or outside

34:40

if anyone does sin we have an advocate

34:45

with the father Jesus the righteous he is the propitiation of our sins and not

34:51

for ours only but also for the whole of the world what is he saying if you're on the inside and you stumble sometimes and

34:59

you commit a sin don't you let that sin identify you as somebody who's back over

35:05

here cuz you're not somebody over here you know what you are you're somebody in here and let me tell you why because he

35:12

who knew no sin became sin and he spilled blood to give you access he gave you access this is his body the veil and

35:19

you've come through it so if you do fall don't you forget you gotta advocate now don't you forget you used to be Gentiles

35:26

but now you got a lamb don't you forget that before it was conditional forgiveness but now it's the reality of

35:33

being kept clean so this isn't judgment this is good news that if you do sing

35:38

while you're on the inside don't you forget somebody has opened the door you access you got access you got access

35:45

you got access now you say that I don't

36:00

want to keep punching Johnny because being in the access has changed me but

36:09

now that I'm in the access if I ever do fall I know that I don't have to go get

36:14

a lamb and I got a grovel you know what I got to do what the Bible says the

36:21

Bible says we confess our sin notice that that doesn't say we ask for forgiveness of our sin when talking bore

36:29

a little more about that tomorrow but we confess what does that mean that while I'm on the inside and his mind

36:35

illuminates my mind and teaches me that sin is a deceitfulness and it's a liar

36:40

and it's not who I am I said yes Father I see it for what it is but I thank you in Jesus name that

36:46

the book tells me I have access because he who was the perfect sacrifice has

36:53

gone in so that I might stand in the liberty and the identity of what he says I am and watch this I read it in the

37:02

book if you believe what the book says about you in spite of what the

37:09

circumstances are telling you guess what spirit you're participating in he sat

37:17

there and saw the circumstances and didn't let the circumstances determine

37:24

his identity he let what the book said actually be the view that he saw through

37:30

and when he saw through what the book said he actually unlocked the key of all

37:36

a reality because it wasn't based on the circumstances around him it was based on

37:41

what the word said to him so if the word tells me I have access guess what I got

37:47

and if the word tells me I'm free from sin guess what I am and if the word

37:53

tells me that even when I Doosan that i have an advocate before the father guess how sure my standing is

37:59

it's as sure as him being alive father

38:05

God we thank you for this night I pray that we might leave this place with confidence because we have access we

38:13

pray this in Jesus name and for his sake amen

38:24

you

English (auto-generated)

 



Love Reality Tour 5

Key moments

View all

You'Re Free from Sin

0:12

Making Peace by the Blood of His Cross

3:24

Not Shifting from the Hope of the Gospel

4:45

What Is the Definition of Sin in the Bible

15:25

Definition of Sin

16:58

Romans 7

26:03

The Anthropology of Adam

33:19

Confess Sin

45:04

 

Transcript

Transcript

0:01

so we've covered about four main ideas

0:08

thus far the first idea we've covered is that you're free from sin that's the thing we

0:15

said the first night right you're free from sin the second point that we

0:20

covered on Sabbath was that we are always sons and daughters that's the way

0:28

the father looks at us that's why he's called father Saturday night we talked

0:35

about us being in Adam 2 through Christ Jesus all right so we're in Adam - and

0:43

the last night we spoke that since we're in Adam 2 we no longer have to be like

0:48

Adam one who comes to the century over and over and over because what the sanctuary is about God coming to us has

0:56

happened through Jesus so we have access now we're in we're in this grace that

1:01

now we stand we have access way together I want you to hold all those ideas in

1:08

mind and listen to this just listen to this because when I when I received the

1:14

gospel this stuff came alive to me it came alive he is the image of the

1:23

invisible God the firstborn of all creation the reason he's called the

1:29

firstborn is because he's the firstborn of the Dead right so that all of

1:35

creation is actually recreated in him the firstborn of all creation for by him

1:40

all things were created in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether

1:46

Thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him so that if your

1:59

new creation in Christ you recreated both through him and for him so your

2:06

life's about he is before all things and in him all things hold together

2:13

that means that in him all that we are and ever hope to be is actually held

2:19

together so as long as he himself is holding himself together what do you

2:27

think that says about his body it's being held together by him he is the

2:35

head of the body the church interesting how that just follows he is the

2:40

beginning the firstborn from the dead that in everything he might be print three eminent for in him all the

2:46

fullness of God was pleased to dwell think about this when he's there as a child looking at the sanctuary and he's

2:52

figuring out that it's about him all the deity all divine powers pleased

2:58

to dwell in him so that he might be what a perfect sacrifice to bring us back

3:04

into relationship so good but with that in mind when we talked about last night

3:10

just man my heart's desire is that this thing lands for you and through him to

3:17

reconcile to himself all things whether on earth or in heaven

3:24

making peace by the blood of his cross that means do you have to continually

3:31

come and he's made peace by the blood of

3:36

his cross listen to this and you were once alienated and hostile in mind doing

3:44

evil deeds he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to

3:51

present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him so that which he

3:59

accomplished by becoming the sacrifice as he saw through the sanctuary he has

4:04

reconciled all of you all of us through the body of his flesh by his death in

4:10

order to present us holy and blameless and above reproach in him tell me that's

4:18

not good news and watch watch watch do you know what you need to do you know

4:23

what you need to do to be presented before him holy and above reproach if indeed you

4:31

continue in the faith Colossians chapter

4:37

1 I read from verse 15 to about 23

4:43

stable steadfast not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard not

4:49

shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard so what is it that you don't shift in the hope of the gospel is

4:55

that you're shifting in your behavior no it's not shifting in the hope because as

5:01

you stand fast in the hope it transforms you so that you live out the righteousness that's been given to you

5:07

via this gospel that you've received you understand oh maybe we could just preach

5:12

the Bible today we just read this for about 30 minutes and say Amen this stuff is good not shifting from the hope of

5:21

the gospel that you heard which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven which I Paul became a minister

5:29

[Music] so I got a I got a uncle right

5:38

you know I'm um I'm gonna be honest with y'all it's just joke I don't have an uncle it's a joke that I said up I don't

5:44

know if I said it in Oregon I might've said it at the camp meeting but the reason I told this joke is because what we're gonna do tonight is define terms

5:50

that's we're gonna do tonight we're going to find the term and I'm gonna put it out there you know we're gonna define we're gonna define sin

5:56

we're going to find say we gonna have a good time defining sin why because we hear that we're free from sin we hear

6:02

that we're always sons and daughters we hear that we have access we hear that the father's favor is towards us right

6:09

that we're in Adam too and yet we're like but I still feel like I got sin all within me right

6:14

yeah hook what are you telling me I'm free from sin but this past week I felt this way and in my mind is this and I'm

6:21

still like it's hard to accept the idea of like don't name yourself something that God has freed you from huh don't

6:28

name yourself something that God has freed you from but we've been so conditioned that in order to approach

6:33

God we have to name ourselves according to that because we think that naming ourselves that is what qualifies to come

6:38

to him because then we've created enough distance between creature and creator as though we know how great the distance is

6:45

so as long as we caught ourselves sinners we've qualified ourselves in order to come to him what sort of perversion that is that we

6:52

think that in qualifying ourselves we can come to him by making ourselves less than what he created us to be it's way

7:00

too offensive for us to just accept grace and actually receive the fullness that calls us more than what we feel you

7:10

with me because when we walk in that grace it almost feels like a cognitive

7:16

dissonance as though we think we're being hypocrites because our life live doesn't match our confession see but

7:22

hypocrisy are those who put on a mask in hopes of being seen as something other than what they truly know they are and

7:29

intent to be duplicitous and malicious it's play-acting hypocrite literally means being an actor but we're not being

7:36

actors all we're being is very tender and sensitive to the fact that the lives

7:42

were living we read in the text and they don't match up to his life that's not hypocrisy y'all that's a

7:48

tender sensitive heart and the fact that your heart is tender and sensitive to that distance is the very evidence that

7:54

your heart is qualified to receive that which he says is yours but it's the enemy who has taught us to see the

8:00

distance and then name ourselves as something other than what he says not recognizing that that recognition is

8:06

actually the work in the spirit in our hearts calling us to stand in that when she says we are you're good you're good

8:21

we got to flip the mindset the max has got to be flipped we got to believe that

8:27

he's as good as he says he is and we got it then received the fact that we are who he says we are and then live from

8:33

there we don't first live from how we feel and then come to him with all of

8:39

the life that we've lived the past seven days no because you can't actually come to God with your baggage

8:51

break it down your access to come to God is not by way of you bringing a bag of

8:57

your sins that's not the way you actually come the only way you can come is with a lamb but the lamb has already

9:04

come for you so if the lamb has already come for you you have access you enter confidently by your blood that has

9:10

already turned the key but we think we got to bring the bag of sins in order to

9:15

get through the doorway not understanding that the doorway is already smeared in blood and on the inside is Liberty you with me

9:24

so our mindset needs to change to understand the Liberty which is ours so that then the transformative power of

9:30

that grace renews our minds to walk according to the truth of who we are so

9:36

we offer of our lives as a sacrifice to the obedience of faith so that then we

9:42

can walk according to the truth that's already been spoken I start from where

9:50

he finished I start from where he finished and if he finished in

9:55

resurrection power and he has authored and perfected the faith then that faith

10:00

is already mined and I have a measure of it a true measure of it that's complete and his mind and I walk according to it

10:08

I never let the circumstances of life tell me that I'm something other than what faith is speaking in my heart see

10:16

vigor explains man even how much time we got oh I got time tonight all right you know I got where that was like 743

10:24

already 7:30 you're all in for a doozy cuz this is all free this ain't even the

10:31

sermon see if I can explain we're gonna talk about this a little bit but we are saved by grace through faith we're saved

10:41

by grace through faith what's grace grace is the impression and

10:46

the influence on the heart to walk out the reality that God has spoken about us

10:53

grace is a transformative power that is favorable to us that is actually the

10:58

very heart of God for us to walk it out so that power that ability that is the

11:05

very heart of God being poured out in us through his spirit is the thing that empowers us to walk in the truth of the

11:12

holiness that is ours right and the way I walk it out is not first and foremost

11:17

by behavior it follows but the way I walk it out is by faith what does that mean I first

11:24

believe it and then I step into that reality so that I believe good and then

11:30

I walk and live good I believe that it's true and then he supplies the fact and

11:39

somebody ever read that somewhere it's in a small little book I think said in the eighth chapter I think the books

11:45

cost some like steps to Christ you

11:53

believe it then he supplies the fact we don't try to walk it out as fact and

12:00

then try to look back and be like oh there it is no no we look unto Jesus the

12:05

author and perfecter of our faith and we say there it is and then we walk it out

12:15

now we can do it here's what happens we

12:21

don't have a proper connection and reception of what sin is right I know I

12:27

did it this is the thing that broke me down so what happens is that do you know

12:32

that Adam one has an anthropology he has some things that he's made up of and so does

12:39

Adam - and they're not the same we got to define terms and this is where the joke comes in handy all right cuz we got

12:44

to define times Christian likes it Christian likes this joke it's my little brother right here y'all

12:50

say hello my little brother Christian huh so I got it uncle it's a joke but I got

12:58

a uncle right he's Dominican you might have heard this at camp meeting but just laugh it makes me feel good he's uh he's

13:05

getting naturalized you know he's doing his citizenship and he's getting naturalized and you know that they ask you a bunch of civic questions at your

13:11

naturalization I know how many y'all been naturalized here alright but uh when you go and get naturalized you have

13:16

to ask you have to answer this basic civic questions like on what basis are your state representatives that federal

13:23

government selected according to population

13:33

how many years do senators serve at the federal level how many terms can they

13:42

serve as many as they want lifetime all

13:47

right the president is the one that's limited and so our Congress people okay first the last request is like the first

13:55

president George Washington 16th Abraham Lincoln write all of this and my uncle's there and he sit in and he's being asked

14:01

these questions and finally the interviewer looks at him and says and of course his name is Jose right Jose you

14:08

speak good English oh yeah I mean English there very good very good George Washington Abraham Lincoln you know yeah

14:14

hey Jose can you see that okay well Jose

14:20

I want to hear a little bit of your English okay I mean English no problem very very good cuz all right can you use

14:25

the words yellow pink and green in the sentence like yellow pink and green like

14:31

yeah yellow pink and green yeah no big and green yes yellow pink agree okay okay no problem me yellow pink green

14:38

okay hey okay I go Jose Keigo all right go ahead the phone green I pick it up

14:45

and I say yellow so right but what is

14:54

that it's a homophone right so it is a homonym or a homophone where it sounds the same but we're not actually saying

14:59

the same thing right Jose was way off base right thought he was saying something but he was saying nothing and

15:05

sometimes we get to this when we're talking about sin like we don't have a correct understanding of sin precisely

15:11

because we haven't done a good reading of the anthropology of Adam 1 right and

15:16

related it to Adam too and that's what we're going to do tonight so my first question is going to be you shouldn't

15:24

you be able to answer this for me what is the definition of sin in the Bible

15:30

come on I know y'all guys right at the tip you took the sin is what the transgression

15:37

of the law that's the old KJV right look at look at this verse its first choice first John 3:4 right you good first John

15:44

3 to 4 now look at the way the ESV puts it and see if you see a difference with what you told me everyone who makes

15:50

a practice of sinning also practices what for sin is you told me sin was the

15:56

transgression of the law right are those the same things the transgression of the law and lawlessness

16:03

see because transgression of the law is when I do 55 when I do 56 in a 55 right

16:10

I've done something but lawlessness is something else let me we're going to come back to this

16:17

but let's do a couple more verses do you know the other two definitions of sin in the New Testament there's another one and what's the next one is it Romans yes

16:24

Romans 14:23 look what the son says but whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats because the eating is not from

16:30

faith for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin that's an amazing line

16:35

because that says that anything you do in this life that actually doesn't come from faith is participating in sin how

16:44

many I'll do everything absolutely by faith oh we're at a room full of sinners

16:49

Christian right now we're gonna talk about faith later on in this week but

16:55

already we got problems we got problems all right let's see the next definition nice definition of sin so whoever knows

17:01

the right thing to do and fails to do it for him it is sin maybe some of y'all

17:07

think AHA well I do the right thing come on now you know good and well you shouldn't have had that extra cookie and

17:14

you ate the cookie all right we all know

17:19

we think we know the right thing is to do and we don't do it we got it like and you guys know in that pinprick in the

17:24

conscience it's like don't do it like no but just a little more I love macadamia nuts all right all these definitions

17:31

these are all sin now I want to draw your attention back to the first one if you don't mind in the back getting me all the way up to the first one everyone

17:38

who makes the practicing of sinning also practices lawlessness for sin is lawlessness interesting that the actual

17:48

word here for lawlessness is this and you're gonna recognize that once I

17:53

explain it to you it's there good

17:59

hmm yes Lord but this is gonna take

18:04

longer you guys want to hear another joke while I'm up here okay

18:10

it's odd no mas you see that all right that's the word its enormous now you might think it's just what is I know

18:15

must mean actually it's like a compound word or it's a word with the prefix that's how it works the word is act the Greek is no moss

18:22

which means law no mas means law and then an a in front of it actually negates what follows you're

18:30

well familiar with this if I do something like this you guys have this idea oh man this is slow there it is right so

18:48

if I do this what's the word what does it mean like the belief in God right but

18:55

if I put it in front of the noun ha what is it now

19:00

atheism which is what and we'll leave the absence of God so this is what's

19:05

working here with the word on almost that you have the noun of a thing that is and then when you put an A in front of it it negates it we're good so this

19:13

is what's working here it says that everyone who makes the practice of sin also practices lawlessness for sin is

19:19

lawlessness so what's the idea here that there is the law and then that sin is

19:24

the actual negation of the law are we together are you good so far now here's

19:31

here's what that happens with Adam one Adam one has a big head right this is me

19:40

just trying to make up time while I do the slow move Adam one has if not add a

19:45

1 has 3 parts of his body that correspond to him and you guys all know

19:50

this well because I'm in this faith tradition Adventist we talk about all three parts they're called D body mind

19:57

and soul right but the Bible actually says you know that the Bible actually says body soul spirit right is that

20:04

Alright but when it's that sold it's using the idea of sookay this is the Greek that coming from psychology it's

20:10

consciousness right it's every that has to do with character emotion will personality it's not like that

20:16

blowing hue of a soul that's like that's how we're talking about here sookay sold in the Bible has to do with the mind as

20:23

distinct from the brain pretty good my philosophers out there and I think is

20:28

out there there's the brain the material thing but then there's the mind which is

20:33

consciousness personality we'll all of that we good so Adam has this is Adam one this is

20:40

humanity it has this it has a idea of soul all right I was too fast right it

20:48

has salt and it also has what body right but here's the question what spirit does

20:54

Adam one have what spirit does Adam one

20:59

have somebody go real quick to Ephesians two because I don't have it on the I don't have that on the thing but go to

21:05

Ephesians two real quick and you'll see it Ephesians two you see what kind of

21:10

body adam has huh or i'll mark what kind of spirit sorry adam has and we covered

21:18

this when we talked about which adam is it when we had that which adam is a talk we covered this was this you were dead

21:23

in your trespasses this is Ephesians chapter two verse 1 i'm gonna read a couple verses you were dead in the trespasses and the sins in which you

21:29

once walked following the course of this world following the Prince of the power of the air the spirit that is now at

21:36

work in the sons of disobedience through

21:43

one man came in the world disobedience disobedience is this idea

21:50

of lawlessness it's to be without law why because everything within you reacts

21:55

against law you guys know what I'm talking about have you guys seen n I've talked about this this summer but you know that um I

22:02

got a friend of mine say my friend Eric fix me a batch of cookies I go to his house and Eric says hey Jonathan my wife

22:09

baked all these cookies you can have as many as you want and I say you know Eric we live in Hawaii I'm trying to keep

22:15

this figure looking good because I spend a lot of time at the gym I mean I spend a lot of time at the beach so huh and I

22:21

do an Oregon is so cold right now and I say I do not want a cookie and

22:29

he's like well fine what did I just demonstrate some self-control but why did I demonstrate self-control because I

22:34

was given an option but if I come in the next day and there is a tray of cookies and Eric says hey Jonathan look at these

22:40

cookies and I said Eric they're delicious and he says yes Jonathan but you can't have any you laugh because you

22:47

know what happening next what happens to my my Beachbody regimen all the sudden

22:53

it goes out of the window and what do I want I want the cookie and why do I want the cookie because I've been told I

22:59

can't have the cookie why because I have a something in me or better yet an

23:05

absence of something in me that when I'm told I can't something rises up and I say but I wanna

23:12

write you seeing you've seen that video I know I've mentioned it before that YouTube video of the kids with the

23:18

marshmallows that they put the marshmallow on the table and they tell the kids you can't have any in that video hilarious

23:23

this struggle on those little kids faces they're having an existential crisis at the age of five right you have that said

23:29

that whoever that is that's me man it's like psychological terror for a child right they put that marshmallow on the

23:35

table and then they tell that kid like hey I'm leaving for a second don't don't eat the marshmallow then you see that

23:40

you know they they cut to a series of kids and like that one kid who's that he's just he's terrorized he's just

23:46

suffering because he wants the marshmallow but he's been told no all

23:54

right and then you got the other kid that I really like that just sniffs around the marshmallows

24:00

taking it in and then you have the other kid that actually puts the marshmallow in his mouth and then and it comes out

24:09

in the marshmallow still on the table but there's like a connector of spit from his mouth to the marshmallow and then there's there's that other one who

24:16

I think there's another one who actually licks it if I remember right but then actually the in honesty in truth my

24:22

favorite one is the the last the one that they show at the end that the person walks out like hey don't eat the

24:27

marshmallow I'll be right back right and the kids are staying it's like oh yeah he's playing it real cool okay she walks

24:33

out since she's closing the door he just looks at the marshmallows like pistons up I'm like that keeps key that's

24:39

keeping it real right there right but what is it that's going on what's going on is that at the core there's mind and

24:48

then certainly body but there's something missing in the middle and you

24:54

know what's missing what's missing is obedience what's missing is

25:00

righteousness what's missing is full agreement with law because this is what

25:05

lawlessness is hear me close when you're doing 60 in a 55 are you transgressing

25:11

the law when you're doing 54 in a 55 are you transgressing the law no but when

25:19

you're doing 54 in a 55 and you're resenting the fact you're doing 54

25:25

because they told you to do 54 and you're that goody two-shoes that will never break the law you know what you

25:30

got in your heart a whole bunch of lawlessness because even though you're agreeing and complying with the external

25:36

on the inside you really don't want to but the reason you do it is because you know everybody's watching and you got a part to play and you got to make sure

25:42

you live up to that idea that you think about yourself this is lawlessness this

25:50

is sin the absence of a thing within us and then the idea is how then do we live

25:56

in the righteousness if in this body we don't have the thing because then the

26:02

problem is and we go to Romans 7 my brother up here and telling me Romans 7 if you have it cuz I'll be dancing fast

26:09

I got about 13 minutes and I want to make this point the question is that how do we live because you guys know this

26:15

well they tell me not to eat the cookie but the moment I'm told not to eat the

26:22

cookie I want to eat the cookie and the moment they say don't have the marshmallow I want to have the

26:28

marshmallow so I see this war in my body that when I'm told not to do a thing

26:34

something rises up within me because I want to do the thing I'm told not to do but my brain is telling me not to do the

26:40

thing I'm told not to do but I want to do the thing does that sound familiar has anybody read that passage ever so

26:47

you go to Romans 7 and what happens is 7

26:54

7 let's just work through this last 12 minutes what shall we say then that the law is sin because what's going on in

27:01

Adam ones life is that the law look at

27:07

that nice and dark sorry

27:18

this is for you Internet

27:24

what oh yeah I'm resent dating my heart right yeah that's that's good that's

27:33

good that's good that's good man that's true I'm totally not all worried there's

27:39

some good news coming to the end of that man don't you worry there's no condemnation in Christ Jesus thanks for coming tonight

27:44

amen all right so what happens is that

27:51

what happens is that Adam 1 is being condemned by sin Adam 1 is being

27:56

condemned because he's being told to do a thing and he's resenting it like me with these markers right that's a great

28:02

example me with these markers I'm resenting it so this thing is telling me and what is going on there's something rising up there's something rising up

28:10

how much rather move a lot faster but I can't because I'm restricted but the

28:16

reason in all honesty why I'm actually going slow is because I want those

28:21

people to see there isn't a part of me that doesn't want them to see it so I

28:28

actually have something in my heart that falls into agreement with what I'm being

28:34

told but why because I'm not first and foremost primarily concerned about my

28:39

speed and rapidity although cuz you know playing up for it for the sake of laughs but I'm not concerned with my rapidity I'm concerned

28:46

with what somebody else so that since

28:51

I'm concerned with somebody else I'm not actually paying attention to my

28:56

limitations or I'm not actually allowing my limitations to actually limit me let

29:02

me see if we can make this plane that's right here I promise you it's right here let's read this verse 8 but sin ceasing

29:12

an opportunity through the commandment produced in me all kinds of covetousness for apart from the law sin lies dead

29:19

what's Paul saying Paul saying that as soon as he saw that the law told him don't covet as soon as it says don't covet what do

29:25

you think rises up in Paul as soon as Paul's told not to eat the marshmallow what do you think Paul wants to do eat

29:31

the marshmallow so Paul is saying hey before I came into the marshmallow room verse 9 I alive I was alive apart from the law but

29:39

when the commandment came sin came alive and I died why cuz all of a sudden he

29:45

sees himself powerless in that moment to actually actuate that which he's found

29:50

agreement in his mind listen to me in his mind what does Paul actually want to

29:55

do he wants to keep the law of God in his mind he wants to keep the law of God

30:02

but what is it that he's finding that in his body he can't why why because Paul's

30:10

recognizing he's under the law but who

30:16

are those that are under the law Adam 1 or Adam - Adam 1 so that as Adam 1 is

30:22

under the law what's implicit in Adam ones anthropology what is it that he doesn't have he doesn't have

30:30

righteousness in him even though he agrees with it mentally are you with me

30:37

so you can actually agree with the thing mentally and see something at work

30:42

because there's something missing let's keep going I got 9 minutes we can do this verse 11

30:49

since he's saying an opportunity through the commandment deceived me through it killed me so that the law is holy and

30:55

the commandment is holy righteous and good so Paul's saying it's not the problem with the law the law is good but

31:03

there's something that there's a problem with me it's the problem with the law is good really good so good that I'm like

31:11

oh I love your law God but there's a problem with me there is a problem let

31:18

me show you what the problem is verse 5 just to move through it real quick so you can see it Romans 7 verse 5 for a

31:32

while if it's a Romans 7 verse 5 that's alright we could put 5 up there I'll

31:37

read it here for you for a while we were living in the flesh our sinful passions

31:45

aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death roben 7-5 7-5 we

31:54

can get there for wild we were living in the flesh are you hearing me while

32:01

you're living in the flesh our sinful passions are aroused by what so our

32:08

sinful passions are aroused by the law but that only happens to those who are what but this is the here we go for

32:15

while we're living the flesh our sinful passions aroused by the law we're at working our members to bear fruit for

32:20

death what type of people are the sort

32:28

of people that fall under the condemnation of the law because they can't correctly deal with what's going

32:35

on the people that are under that are living in the living in the living in

32:46

the because we're confidence living in the good question are you living in the

32:54

flesh I mean you look at your bodies right are you living in the flesh romans

33:02

8 please in the back we're just gonna read this we're just gonna actually read through it step-by-step amah before I

33:11

read it cuz if we did things right tonight I should be able to read this and basically say goodnight but before

33:18

we do that I should probably do the anthropology of Adam too right so I want

33:27

to make sure you see this you know Paul Paul's theology is like picture heavy Paul's constantly talking in pictures

33:34

it's a really really interesting thing even in Corinthians when he talks about God being the head of Christ and Christ

33:42

being the head of man you have to picture it all right you have to picture it here we go oh sorry that's soul

33:50

alright so don't move fast out and don't move fast soul

33:58

body because here's the question y'all does this atom number 2 have a body

34:04

yeah he has a body right here's the trick question is it a body of flesh is

34:14

it

34:20

he took on flesh right but then he died to it his deal

34:32

it's a body of flesh and blood but it's

34:38

a spirit body so for instance his body

34:44

has flesh and blood right but he walks through walls right like his body has

34:51

flesh and blood but it just appears and disappears his body has flesh and blood but it I

34:57

mean listen we believe some really out there things his body has flesh and blood but it flies he's like hey guys I'll be back so

35:07

his body is flesh and blood but his body is a spiritual body this is first Corinthians 15 okay are we together

35:14

Romans 8 there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are Adam 1

35:23

Adam flesh flesh keep reading

35:30

next verse please for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in

35:37

Christ from the law of sin and death set

35:43

you free from the law of sin and next

35:54

verse 4 God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do by

36:04

sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin because

36:10

remember Jesus came and became Adam 1 so God sending his own son in the likeness

36:16

of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh he condemned sin in the

36:25

flesh like sin is condemned keep reading in order that the righteous requirement

36:32

of the law all might be fulfilled in us not those who walk according to the flesh but

36:38

according to the he breathing for those who live according to the

36:45

flesh set their minds on the but those

36:51

who live according to the set they're on the things of the keep breathing next

36:58

one for to set the mind on the flesh is what but to set the mind on things of

37:08

the Spirit is what life in peace keep going for to set the mind on the for the

37:16

mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God for it does not submit to God's

37:23

law indeed it cannot for those who are in the flesh cannot please God why his

37:32

sons of disobedience keep reading you however you however so you saw that

37:48

Romans seven man that's like good but

37:55

that's because he's in the flesh and he sees the thing he wants to do but he doesn't know how to claim it for himself

38:01

because he's still thinking according to his I see there's a lot of us in this

38:09

year thing called Christianity that see it with our minds and we want it but

38:14

we're still trying to perform it via our and here's the lie of the devil we

38:21

continue to perform according to a man that we actually no longer our church we

38:33

continue to perform according to a man that in truth we no longer are you

38:38

however this is the good thing about you're not in the flesh Church you're in the spirit if in fact the Spirit dwells

38:45

in you and do you how you know the spirit dwells in you you don't have to feel some electric ya

38:51

know because you know how that if you know the spirits in you how many of y'all confess with your mouth that Jesus

38:57

Christ is Lord you're in the spirit it's

39:02

that easy but then this is the thing you gotta then believe it walk it out

39:08

why because then you begin to set your mind on the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord and if Jesus Christ is Lord you're

39:14

free from sin if Jesus Christ is Lord you're always a son and a daughter if Jesus Christ is Lord you have access if

39:21

Jesus Christ is Lord you have no condemnation if Jesus Christ is Lord

39:26

you're an Adam - no longer in Adam 1 if Jesus Christ is Lord you're not actually in the flesh you're in the spirit if

39:34

Jesus Christ is Lord although you're in this body his Spirit will give life to your mortal bodies keep reading and

39:42

finish out here but if Christ is in you although the body is dead because of sin

39:48

the Spirit is life because of righteousness so why do our bodies die and why are they in death because of sin

39:55

but when we baptized and we come to life and we confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

40:00

what is it that animates our life the spirit so this body of flesh I'm still

40:06

in it but I don't live according to it why because my mind has been renewed and I put my mind on spirit things and I

40:13

live from spirit next verse if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the

40:19

dead dwells in you he who raised Jesus Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit

40:25

who dwells in you this verse is powerful that means that the very power that

40:31

resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead is alive in you now if you're willing to just simply believe good that's what

40:39

Romans 7 man can't get to he doesn't know how to speak by faith and put on grace you put on grace through faith do

40:46

you feel like a sinner awesome but feelings aren't Lord Jesus Christ is so

40:55

you set your mind on the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord you don't set your on the fact that you feel something do

41:02

you feel condemned okay those are the tools of the enemy because there's no

41:08

condemnation of Christ Jesus so you set your mind on the truth that you're not condemned even if you feel it why

41:13

feelings aren't Lord and just because you feel something in the body doesn't make it true in the spirit and if the

41:20

spirit says in Jesus Christ there is no condemnation you set your mind on things of the Spirit

41:26

how does this look it looks like it

41:34

looks like a life that raises up in the morning and says this father I thank you

41:43

for grace this morning I thank you that I have the privilege to live as a son

41:49

this morning I thank you Father that because by faith I know that spirit is

41:54

within me because you are Lord I know that I have the privilege of starting my

41:59

day positioned as a son I thank you for that I also know father that whatever

42:07

will come my way today I'm more than a conqueror through you father might they

42:14

be difficulties yeah but I'm so glad that you've given me the key to conquer

42:19

difficulties because I know how to count it all joy when I'm tested because even in the testing I know that you're good

42:26

and then you'll provide a way out and father even if you don't provide a way out I put my trust in you because you're

42:32

good to me so father I won't let any circumstances today determine who you say I am

42:39

and father I received the truth for who you say I am today father and as I received this truth I know father that

42:46

you have forgiven me and that I walk in forgiveness and father because I walk in

42:51

forgiveness I now liberally extend that forgiveness to other people in this world father just illuminate my mind so

42:58

that I might continue to shine a light in this world why because I am your righteous child who is free from sin and

43:05

stands before you blameless because of the blood of Jesus and so I access the

43:10

throne room right now not be I've earned it but because I'm your child and so I put this truth on right

43:16

now because you have called me holy you have called me blamed we have blameless and you've presented me before you

43:22

without reproach so father I thank you so this morning as I start my day as I go kiss my spouse and I go see my

43:28

children and I head off to work I head off and all of those things knowing that I am your child that I am secure in your

43:35

arms and that no weapon formed against me can prosper father I just wanted to take this minute to start my day by just

43:42

simply thanking you thanking you for your goodness thanking you that you've delivered me from a kingdom of darkness and that now

43:48

I'm in the kingdom of light and so father I rejoice that I have spirit within me and that I can set my mind on

43:55

these things thank you so much for your love and I will talk to you later in Jesus name Amen

44:03

that's intimacy with God that's setting your mind on the spirit because your people love spirit not people of flesh

44:11

will you believe it will you believe it I challenge you tomorrow here's your

44:17

homework I took five minutes from here here's your homework tomorrow morning

44:23

you're not asking God for anything it's not asking God for anything you're

44:30

thanking him you're thanking him you're thanking him name

44:36

three to five things you're gonna thank him for and I dare you to at least one or two of them thank him for things that

44:42

are not yet and what I mean by that is not like father I know you gonna give me

44:48

that million dollars no no no no I'm saying that situation that you're hoping

44:53

gets resolved say thank you Father that you're good you're resolving it and you've resolved it in your own way and I

44:58

thank you you're gonna thank him for three to five things here's the other thing you're gonna do you're going to

45:04

confess sin you're going to confess sin and in confessing it watch what you

45:09

won't do I know it's gonna be tough you're not gonna ask for forgiveness you're gonna confess it you got a little

45:16

pride in your life call it out father I got pride in this area I'm just confessing you you got a little

45:23

problem with lust father I got a problem with you see it I'm naming it so you're gonna

45:28

thank you're gonna confess and then last up three things Bank confess and then

45:36

you are going to receive father I receive your grace in Christ Jesus

45:44

you're gonna do nothing other than thank him confess your heart and honesty and

45:51

then just receive the fact that you're in spirit can I challenge you to do that

45:57

then we gonna have some of the testimony time tomorrow all right father God take this good gospel

46:03

multiply multiply convict redeem restore

46:09

my we moving confidence in Jesus name Amen

46:20

you

English (auto-generated)

 



Love Reality Tour 6

Transcript

0:00

he'll just keep hitting I'll keep talking hey while he's handing those out do you guys mind turning in your Bibles

0:05

and find me that um that verse in the Gospels where Jesus talks about grace

0:10

you mind finding that verse for me you guys know that verse you know that one

0:16

what's that one where Jesus talks about grace I mean Paul's always talk about grace

0:24

but that one where Jesus talked about it which one is that one you guys know that verse anybody help me out we'll just let

0:34

these hand out I might need some more are we out we got some more copies coming all right while he's doing that

0:40

over here right there young lady here those three up there I think that's

0:45

that's about the end of it huh no no I think yet can we make more can you grab

0:51

one from somebody and make some more and then okay all right so did somebody find

0:57

that verse for me the one where Jesus talks about grace John 3:16 and 17 where

1:05

is it that he uses the idea of grace

1:10

yeah but where's the one that she talks about great stuff I'm just pressing you

1:17

you know I appreciate you you know that it's not there you know that Jesus

1:24

doesn't it's interesting he doesn't talk a lot about grace did you ever notice

1:29

that when somebody asked me I was like feverishly looking it's gotta be in here somewhere you know Paul talked so much

1:35

about it huh and and I think it's true that John 3:16 17 definitely captures

1:40

the heart of grace but what I want to draw the attention to is that Jesus talks about faith a whole lot he talks

1:46

about living by faith and by faith you actually get to put on grace but he

1:54

taught us to live by faith and by living by faith you actually get to put on grace you get to receive the grace that

2:00

he's actually presenting in a place like John 3:16 17 what do I mean by living my

2:08

faith what is it that we mean when we talk about living by faith you know I was one

2:13

young man and very very young and I was about nine ten years old and my sister

2:19

she was a UH photo photo aficionado and she had just gotten a new camera that

2:25

had the flip flash on it you young folks y'all don't remember the struggle but you older folks y'all remember when you

2:31

had to buy the flash separate from the camera right and you guys remember that the flash you plug it in and then you

2:36

have to buy the film to separate from the camera you have to buy the film separate from the camera the flash

2:42

separate from the film and you put it all together and you still couldn't snap chat on it right the struggle was real

2:50

y'all the struggle was real and so my sister she had a new flip flash camera you remember when the camera started

2:56

having the flash attached to it I remember I saw that and I was like man what will they think of next right and

3:02

somebody was like you imagine if we had watches that we could talk into I was like that science fiction that Star Wars

3:07

that'll never happen yeah so my sister got this camera and I wanted to borrow

3:12

it and my sister being a good sister she was like absolutely not right so I went to my mom and I said mom I want to

3:21

borrow the camera and my mother being a good mother threatened my sister's life if she did not let me borrow the camera

3:26

so I brought the camera and my sisters tells me if you don't bring this camera back I promise I will kill you right and

3:33

I was like I love you girl and so I went to a program at the local

3:38

university local college Atlantic Union College and I was there with my friends and we were taking pictures and this is in the early 90s and every single

3:45

picture with a bunch of dudes with something like this and they're all right it was that era right the era of

3:52

not having anything on your chin but doing this and so we take these pictures

3:57

I put the camera in the bag I go upstairs I walk downstairs at the end of the program to get the the camera and

4:05

guess what was not in the bag the camera so at this point I'm in a whole lot of

4:11

trouble because I'm thinking to myself my sister is literally going to kill me

4:16

but then I also thought to myself well at least I made it to ten that's when I was 10 years old now I was like double digits that's that's successful all

4:22

right like a whole decade it was a good run but I'm really worried about my sister killing me because my sister's a woman

4:29

of her word and so um in the moment of despair I called upon the name of the

4:34

Lord right and I said Oh God God hey listen this is ten-year-old theology I said God please please let me

4:41

find this camera and then now you can't find this I couldn't find the camera then I did the next best thing I said God please take me back in time the one

4:50

hour and I promise I will keep the camera and I will tell nobody that you

4:55

took me back in time right so I pray to get thrown transported back inside I've

5:00

been watching way too much back in the future right I'm like please Lord and I like I'm praying I open up my eyes and I

5:06

check my clock nothing right and then I knew what was wrong you know what was wrong I didn't have enough faith right

5:14

so I had to put on my faith face I learned this at church all right you have your regular prayer face which is

5:20

whatever your face says but then like that faith face is like believing hard

5:26

is this one really expressive so I did that and I was praying in my faith

5:32

basement right and and Jesus just one

5:38

hour 60 minutes I know you could do it right you are outside of time you see it all I take me back man I opened up my

5:45

eyes and you know what happened absolutely nothing because it doesn't work that way at all

5:51

all right so then I felt like man I'm going to die and then after realizing I

6:00

was going to die disappointment washed over me because I felt as though God had let me down because in my little mind I

6:06

had thought that he would show up if I believed hard enough and yet he had not and I had been thought that if you had

6:13

enough faith that anything was possible and yet this thing that I was hoping for had not come to fruition and I know it's

6:20

a rather silly story but we know we've all been there where we're praying for

6:27

that thing that situation whether it be the financial difficulties of life or

6:35

maybe it's the relationship that straining that you're really hoping to

6:40

correct or summon strange menteur somebody did you wrong or that thing

6:48

that you're hoping for and you believe it really really hard or maybe it's a wayward child that you're praying for

6:53

and you haven't seen them come back or espouse that whatever it is and you

6:59

spend you spend those hours in prayer and nothing happens then we get the

7:08

questioning maybe I just didn't believe hard enough and I don't know for you if

7:15

this has ever happened and where you may have found fault I know that for me I have experienced this where I then find

7:20

fault not so much in God but I actually did this thing where I found fault in

7:26

myself as though there was something in my past that I had done that had disqualified me from actually seeing the

7:32

impossible happen because he says the impossible happened if you have enough faith part of me and so I struggle with

7:59

this and I struggled with it for a while there why is it that these things are

8:05

happening for me you know there was a time in my life where I don't really want to admit it but I was in love with

8:11

a girl for almost eight and a half years I was in love with a girl for eight and a half years dude she never once showed

8:19

interest in me I know you're looking at me and you're like Jonathan how could that be

8:26

because it's so absurd it's so crazy thing but watch this for eight and a half years right and I'm seriously

8:33

seriously y'all to think about this I actually believed in my heart of hearts that she would be my wife and I thought

8:38

like there's a little silly and it's funny but I genuinely believed genuine

8:44

this is being honest a genuine belief I had done something wrong in my past that

8:49

didn't qualify me to receive this thing and I was believing hard believing hard

8:55

and it just wasn't coming through for me I promise y'all I Jenni believe this woman was gonna be my wife I mean make

9:00

light of it but it was a real thing come find out I had faith all wrong I generally had faith all wrong so we

9:08

won't do in the next 17 minutes let's break this apart and hopefully dive into

9:14

a faith dish so that we can actually live by you so Hebrews 11 chapter 1 Hebrews 11 chapter 1 you all know what

9:21

it is we're gonna move this thing quickly you know the old KJV example of

9:27

it now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen

9:34

now I hope maybe y'all do y'all remember the KJV version of it that faith is what

9:39

the substance y'all remember that word faith is the substance now that any of

9:47

y'all in um grade school do oh man what is this called now I'm drawing a blank on what this is what is

9:57

it when you like break down a sentence diagramming diagramming a sentence right

10:03

I have to keep this written in my Bible because I was terrible at this in seventh grade and I'm terrible at it now

10:10

right but I'm hoping that most of y'all are terrible at this to make me feel

10:15

better about what I'm doing but the chance mr. Craig said the chances are

10:21

good here we go so faith is substance and evidence do

10:28

you all know what that word substance means that word substance is a very interesting word because that word is

10:36

really the word that means in in the and I'm not the Hebrew in the Greek it's an interesting word it actually means

10:42

it's the thing substance is the thing

10:48

that makes all other things a thing right that's easy right so let's just

10:56

keep moving on all right no no no so faith is here we go I need this - okay

11:05

where's real quick where's the subject hey hey this is subject right where's

11:13

that where's the verb it is very good right now real quick like I said

11:21

substance is the thing by which all other things are a thing meaning that

11:28

substance is the thing by which all things are a thing without that thing

11:36

there wouldn't be things that's the thing that substance is are you with me

11:42

I mean that everything that's created everything you see touch your shirt

11:47

touch somebody next to you they're a thing write them as a thing are made up

11:54

of I don't know subatomic particles that's all you know right they're all made up of substance ends up being the

12:02

thing by which those things are a thing without substance there are no things

12:08

but if there were substance and there were no things substance is fine because

12:15

substance doesn't need a thing for it to be what it is pastor Greg come on up

12:21

here man make this plain for the people come on man we're running out of time man I'm have to steal five minutes from

12:27

these people right listen pastor Greg a substance okay you with me I'm the thing

12:35

right he's substance so he's the thing by which this thing is allowed to be a

12:41

thing that's the thing you get it without him I know possible do you

12:48

understand without him I know possible but with him I exist so I depend on him to actually

12:58

be in order for me to be but he doesn't depend on me for him to be are you with

13:05

me so this is what it would look like ready one two three better catch me okay

13:11

help you alright I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm

13:16

sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry that's alright well sorry miss I will Benguet it up

13:22

later right we'll rub it out go ahead have a seat man I probably should have picked somebody younger I said had Jared come up here hey you said it man it was

13:30

on you so not a strong substance no

13:42

listen but are you following me this is the thing so faith is faith is the thing

13:51

by which all other things exist so that

13:57

faith is the very foundation of reality and as it being a foundation of reality

14:06

it also offers evidence it also is evidence of what is evidence evidence is simply a body of information that

14:12

indicates whether a proposition is true and/or valid I'll say that again

14:18

evidence is a body of information that indicates whether a proposition is true

14:23

or valid for instance am i wearing black I could say I'm wearing black jeans today what is the body of information

14:30

that I would offer what is the body of information I would offer in order for y'all to actually agree with the

14:35

proposition that I'm wearing black jeans there's the evidence are you with me so

14:41

that faith is demonstrated but faith is

14:47

also the thing by which all reality is Bible says it this way in another place

14:53

it's in the first chapter of the book of John have you turn there with me it says

14:59

in the beginning was the and the word was and the word he was in the beginning

15:08

with God all right verse 2 and O all

15:14

things were made through him yep sorry first verse 3 forgive me thanks a lot all things were made you see this all

15:19

things were made through you see that language all things were made through

15:27

him and without him was not anything made that was made

15:34

so without him there are no things but

15:39

things only exists because he is and the

15:45

body of information that he demonstrates in order to validate his existence

15:55

is the very word he speaks so for

16:01

instance when he says let there be light what happens so what's the evidence that

16:07

he's the thing that makes all things things the light and that light is

16:12

dependent on the power of what his you with me word

16:21

so that brethren man we got nine minutes i'ma room

16:26

shaped this one little differently faith is the agreement between Word and

16:35

reality but it's the agreement between his word first and that his word

16:42

determines reality so I see what he

16:48

speaks you ever heard that line let me give an example of what faith looks like

16:53

faith looks like you live in a place you've never seen it rain never ever

17:01

seen it rain you know why cuz it's never ever rained and all of a sudden God

17:07

comes to you and he says hey Noah I need you to build a boat now Noah probably

17:15

doesn't know what these two words mean rain and or both but what doesn't know what do he builds a boat why because the

17:24

word said it was going to there's a man

17:30

who walks with God and he is told hey I need you to leave this place that you

17:37

live in and I need you to go to Al and I will show you does he stop and say oh

17:43

but how am I gonna live all how's it gonna be does he let the circumstances

17:49

that he doesn't know determine how he moves what does he do he goes another

17:56

example there is a man he's in a garden

18:03

and he feels at solutely crushed by the weight of sin so

18:12

crushed that he begins to fear that what he's doing might overwhelm and overcome

18:21

him almost too close to be too much to

18:28

bear and yet what does he say not my

18:35

will but that very same man finds himself on a cross and while he's on the

18:43

cross naked for everybody to see all the

18:49

claims that he believed about the word are in question everything within him

18:59

presses against what he's believed about the word what is the evidence of his

19:06

life in that moment is he really conquering king is he really the one who was going to redeem

19:13

not only Israel but the world think about the circumstances for that moment

19:19

for Jesus what is his response into your

19:28

hands I commit and do you know why Jesus

19:33

does this he gives us a clue with the last phrases he says you know that he

19:39

cites Psalm 22 on the cross my God my God why have you forsaken me but if you

19:45

read Psalms 22 it ends recognizing that you have done this and that's why it is

19:56

finished did you know that the cry of Jesus on the cross is a cry of faith

20:02

putting his trust in the revealed Word and not in his life lived in the way he

20:09

felt in the moment so that even Jesus in that moment that's how he is the very

20:16

author and perfecter of

20:21

have you ever considered what would have happened what would have happened had

20:27

Jesus walked off that cross what was

20:34

that eternity would have ended that's it I like that what do you think would have

20:39

happened to let your mind go here if God

20:45

does not actually keep his very word

20:52

there'd be no faith but my brother there

20:58

would be no it would all stop like all

21:07

of a sudden reality would be undone reality would be undone if God himself

21:13

did not submit to the Word of God himself so God in a man submits to the

21:22

Word of God above and this is what's fascinating is that that man who is God

21:28

in the flesh actually is the one who spoke to all those prophets to write

21:34

those things that he himself would later on need in order for him to write and

21:39

author the faith that you and I get to participate in you have the privilege of

21:52

living by faith and it's a faith that is

21:58

not still being written it's a faith that is complete because that faith is

22:04

the faith that has conquered every single threat to its existence even in

22:12

the moment of him feeling like he

22:18

himself was going to be undone and he was going to stop existing he would not

22:25

give himself over to unbelief because he trusted not only that God was good

22:32

but he saw the recipients that would receive this faith that he was authoring

22:37

and he knew that even if he himself was cut off he would accomplish a faith that

22:43

for you and I would never stop us from being the things that he always saw for

22:49

way back in the beginning so you and I are the things that get to live through

22:56

him by faith so that then our lives

23:02

lived trusting his word above our circumstances are the evidence that his

23:08

righteousness is in us as a gift let me

23:16

show you how this looks like really y'all y'all have the privilege of living by faith you can live by faith you know

23:22

them all the things that we've covered so far everything we talked about free from sin sons and daughters full

23:29

assurance about 3-4 minutes I used to

23:37

live under condemnation and I used to live under condemnation because I lived

23:43

squarely in Adam 1 and I used to live in condemnation because I believed that sin

23:51

had power over me and it did precisely because sin is the deceitfulness that

24:00

gets you to believe something that isn't true about God do you know that this is

24:07

crazy do you know that sin doesn't exist think about this with me sin does not exist it

24:15

has no existence but it's real why because sin actually isn't a thing sin

24:23

is a lie it's the absence of a thing it's parasitic it's a lie it's a lie

24:29

that clouds the mind so that you believe something that isn't actually true and

24:35

you know what it is that you believe that God is the sort of God who's a harsh severe judge exacting who is

24:42

trying to visit you with judgments so that then you hide from him and in

24:48

hiding from him you identify with the activity that an enemy told you

24:54

disqualifies you from his love so you believe this thing and it's actually the

25:00

darkness of the soul it's the shadow that's cast over the earth so that we

25:06

believe that sin is the thing when it itself is no thing but he who actually

25:12

is the thing that makes all things things we don't believe him because we

25:17

think our thing is way too big for him

25:23

watch it used to have them I'm done a couple minutes I used to go to the

25:29

pattern of my former ignorance which is my lust and my story and under my condemnation I used to think that sin

25:35

was too big a thing to actually be overcome so I was perpetually a sinner saved by grace always can actually find

25:44

that in scripture you're a sinner single you're actually a new creation I'd be

25:57

doing my thing and she would leave or whatever that was and condemnation would

26:03

wash over me one day and amidst all my

26:14

shame and condemnation faith showed up

26:19

like I said faith faith speaks it's a word faith came and said Jonathan son of

26:28

the Living God why are you participating in something that has been overcome sin

26:37

tells me that my ability to sin identifies me as sin faith tells me you

26:45

are a son that is wrapped up in deceitfulness rise up in the truth and

26:50

walk according to what he says you are faith calls me son

26:56

sin identifies me as nothing but a good-for-nothing sinner right here's the trick which one do I

27:07

feel like which one do I feel like do I

27:15

feel like a saint in that moment how do I feel I feel like a sinner apart from

27:23

faith but which one is actually true

27:31

which one is the one that spoke creation into existence so that the challenge and

27:39

the trick the thing of faith is to believe his word in spite of all the

27:47

circumstances that would tell us otherwise so that in that moment when faith says

27:53

rise up and who I called you to be and who you are call sin by its name say

27:59

that it's a lie for some reason or other I actually rose up in that confidence

28:05

one day and I believed faith watch what happens then faith illuminates my mind

28:12

to see sin for what it is you know why faith can do that because faith is the

28:19

thing that actually reveals reality so as you live through faith all of a

28:25

sudden you see sin for what it is because faith is the thing that makes all things things so as I look through

28:32

the eye of faith I see that sin isn't really a thing I should give myself over

28:37

to it because he's conquered it you know

28:43

what I'm talking about ray right so I rise up do you know what that's called

28:50

when I finally see that truth and I see the lie for what it is and I start walking in the truth you know what the

28:55

Bible calls that watch this sin the truth about God sin the truth about God

29:05

repentance that's called repentance and as I repent no the next thing I do because faith is

29:11

speaking to me faith tells me call it out for what it is but receive the truth

29:16

of what I say about you call it out for what it is and receive the truth about what I say about you do you know what

29:22

that is called confession so I repent then I confess and then faith tells me

29:29

now walk in the Liberty that I secured now walk in the Liberty I secured and if

29:34

I walk in the Liberty I've he secured because I've been released from the offense of sin do you know what you call

29:40

that release that's forgiveness let's

29:45

talk about this tomorrow faith speaks a better word causes me to rise up see it

29:52

for what it is turn to the truth about him and the truth about Who I am in him and walk according to the truth of

29:59

release because he's the thing that makes me a thing and if His Word says it then it must be true and then I get the

30:06

privilege of walking it out so I'm the very evidence of his righteousness at

30:12

work in the world what do y'all think

30:19

about that I'm gonna finish with one verse so you can see I in line to you

30:24

not Alliance II go to st. Corinthians 5

30:30

man I took like 5 or 6 minutes from y'all and I'm so sorry that I'm not

30:36

really that sorry i'ma finish right here second Corinthians 5:21 sorry Kevin I didn't

30:44

even talk to you about this one do you second Corinthians 5:21 do you see it look what it says he who knew no

30:51

sin became sin Oh trips me up y'all do

31:04

you know that sin is a parasite that would take over the universe if it could right and do you know what sin actually

31:10

introduces in its wake this is like the big ontological metaphysical idea of Scripture anything that sin touches its

31:19

ultimate end is what death you with me so I seen progresses through the kingdom

31:25

of God what does it bringing with it so what is it making of the things that he

31:32

made things sin is making them what no things through death he became no thing

31:43

and took the no thing to the grave in

31:49

order to secure that the no thing could ever threaten his things ever again and

31:57

you now have the privilege of living through that reality you see and you

32:02

think this way you are who he says you are by faith you might not feel it but

32:08

that word that created the skies speaks better about you so you live that way you think that way you walk that way

32:14

this is the faith that Jesus authored and this is the faith he constantly presented so that when you need a ride

32:22

across a lake and nobody's there you start walking on water and that water

32:27

responds to you because you're the thing that makes it a thing so that when you

32:34

go to your homeboys house and they tell you he's inside of a cave dead for four days you're like don't worry I've done

32:41

this before Lazarus because when he speaks it is life and if he spoken a

32:48

better word over you you have the privilege of living that right now you might not feel it but

32:54

you have it by faith if you claim it by faith that's why you then position your heart in gratitude in that worship

33:01

secret place you start your morning that way why because by faith you are by

33:09

faith you are you hear that it's existential it is you are period father

33:21

God I thank you for this evening Tom's getting away from us but I pray that good gospel might be landing and that we

33:27

might learn to live by faith in spite of feeling and that we might turn from the deceitfulness of sin and walk according

33:33

to the word the word the word in Jesus name we pray amen

33:47

you

English (auto-generated)

The Love Reality Tour @ PVC

PVCLife

6 / 11

 

 

 

Transcript 7

0:01

so what she's talking about is that we have to stand in the confidence that knows that we're forgiving I'm just

0:07

gonna clear this out because the spirits doing something we're just gonna chase it follow it and just go and then we'll

0:13

come back so what she's talking about

0:20

it's about living in a reality that we know we have freedom now and we live with confidence knowing that our chains

0:27

have been cast off because Jesus is our deliverance so you live from a point of

0:32

confidence that it's never in all honesty the burden that I feel is the compulsion to preach this thing so

0:39

clearly so that nobody misunderstands the truth of what we have in Jesus like I got so free that I'm free from y'all

0:47

right I got so free from myself I'm free from y'all like there was the time in my

0:52

life I will not stand up here and speak the way I'm speaking there was a time in my life I would not just Minister the

0:58

way I'm ministering dressed the way I'm dressed when I've always done that I was like I mean I look good in suits

1:05

but I was like man right but this but there's a freedom there's a freedom

1:10

right there's a freedom and we live with a conviction that is transformative not because we ourselves have the plainness

1:18

of the clarity of the word like I can't convince you just by the clarity of the words I say but it's the power within

1:25

the word that's in me because it's the word of Christ now that's not arrogance

1:31

to say that it's within me it's confidence as a son because my daddy told me he gave me the gift to proclaim

1:37

to others this is Paul in Romans chapter 16 me and Justin were reading it today when he says that he preaches he says

1:44

it's my gospel that I preach about Jesus Christ right because Paul caught a

1:50

revelation for himself so when catching a revelation for himself he spoke and lived with a confidence knowing that he

1:57

can endure all things whether he was higher low richer poor fuller empty he

2:02

knew he could endure all things through Christ who strengthens oh he lived from a position of confidence even while he

2:08

was shackled in a jail cell so that that thing is so

2:13

eat it and so rooted from the inside out that this unshakable eternal Kingdom can't overcome be overcome

2:20

it can't be overcome do you know how forgiving you are man do you know that

2:29

you're forgiving do you know that you can walk in the reality of forgiveness anybody ever owed somebody some money

2:35

then he bring my bag man cup of corn over here Danny bring the bag Danny you the only one

2:45

that laughs right you and me right right all right is this still February it's

2:50

still February I think you and I the only one that catch that joke - I'm treating you nicely I'm cheating like my

2:56

sister sister so uh Thank You Danny why'd you run off so quick no no no it's

3:04

fine oh you know you ever order anybody you ever hold anybody money it gets real

3:13

awkward real quick done it it gets real awkward get any anybody here or anybody money anybody Oh like anybody else oh

3:19

mighty 20 bucks yeah all right even 20 bucks gets really awkward doesn't it all

3:26

right all right let me uh let me see you can I uh yeah oh can I give it to write

3:34

huh what what do you say like you'll

3:39

take it okay all right so um here's what happens is that the problem with

3:47

forgiveness is that we think like there's something we got to do for it

3:54

right so like I mean Jesus like it's

3:59

just there as an offer it's a free gift and it's the reality we can live in right but none of us too often we don't

4:06

grasp it because we don't understand the confidence of the goodness of what's being offered like it's just out there for somebody to grab it and have it as

4:12

their own and you can live with it you see what I'm saying do y'all see what I'm saying but you

4:21

know we stay seated and don't actually rise up and walk in the confidence that

4:26

what he ours is ours and so what he wants for us

4:31

stays in his hands because we don't have the confidence of faith to just boldly

4:37

before the throne because we think that there's some obstacle between where

4:42

we're seated and his goodness that he just wants to give in his hand because we believe that there's a veil

4:48

you understand what I'm saying and so we think because there's a veil something

4:54

must be done to actually receive that which he's offering but nothing must be

5:00

done it's just out there for somebody to grab and that's the problem with gospel

5:12

that then you have to ask that sort of questioning I've already said it over and over it's out there for somebody to

5:17

grab

5:25

we laugh but how long did it take y'all

5:33

like it's kind of funny right but see

5:39

the veil is here the veil is here but the veil is for these the veil is here

5:52

but the valence for these but this is

5:59

Adam one we're here and in his

6:04

priesthood Melchizedek there is no veil let's direct access why because we're

6:09

sons and daughters but theology and rhetoric and formalities of institutions

6:15

keep us seated when that good thing is offered is that Alright offer it again

6:25

huh my dad's got infinite resources but you know I only got so much in that bag

6:31

listen listen buy a few more t-shirts tonight we'll do it again let's look we

6:38

got if y'all looking at this t-shirt this is the new uh this is the PVC edition that's the only time we've ever printed it we were inspired by Randy's

6:45

design so we put these new little different colors and stuff so that's the PVC edition so well listen you got to

6:52

know this you guys we got to come into this space y'all we got to come into this space let me tell you so there's

6:58

this story that just kills me I did not understand it it's in Matthew chapter 18

7:04

um if you guys got Bibles you can turn there with me I'm actually gonna just like retell it rather quickly but it's

7:11

in Matthew chapter 18 and I think it begins in verse it begins in verse 21

7:21

Matthew 18:21 and we talked about this the Sabbath school actually this is what

7:26

we spoke with BB that Peter comes up to Jesus it says Jesus is my brother Phil if my brother

7:33

wrong to me how many times I ought to forgive them right and what does Peter say Peter says seven times and you got

7:40

to understand that we're Peters from forgiveness is not a virtue it's not like in the Christian West you go over

7:48

there and over there even today it's I for an eye are you with me it's it's just this in

7:54

law that's respected if you do something there's a just retribution right so if I

8:00

punch Johnny in the eye what do you think comes back to me I get punched

8:06

forgiveness isn't a virtue so for Peter to offer seven what do you think Peters expecting from Jesus yes

8:13

exactly he's expecting an attaboy he's accepted times Peter attaboy all right that's what Peter's expected

8:20

because he thinking yeah I made Jesus I'm willing for seven but what does Jesus do Jesus always subversive man

8:25

he's always it'd be rough to hang out with Jean I'd love to hang out with Jesus at the same time you'd be really

8:30

cautious you know oh Jesus I was wondering all right how you

8:36

imagine bringing up those fish to Jesus we we only got two fish and he's just like

8:44

Oh No okay it'll be weird but Jesus is

8:49

hanging out Peter says this to Jesus Jesus says nah man 70 times 70 what do you think Peters

8:55

experiencing in that moment yeah Peters like no no I don't want to do that right

9:00

and we know that sentiment because we say it ourselves we say play me once shame on you fool me twice shame on I

9:08

mean you can't get forward again if anybody remembers that one you get we

9:14

have this sentiment that it's only so far that we're willing to go are you with me and Peter was willing to go

9:21

seven times you and I meant how many times would you allow somebody to actually play you or somebody to fool you I mean there was a buddy of mine who

9:28

owed me several hundred dollars and man he got really awkward we see ourselves to the grocery store and then he's

9:33

ducking in the soda aisle and I'm trying to catch him and then he's going into Derry and it's like all right because if

9:39

he knows that he owes me money we're not trying to see each other right and then

9:45

Jesus tells this parable that's about forgiveness and you can get off of it

9:51

while I'm just gonna recount it but he says there's this song there's a king and this king is settling accounts and

9:58

as he's settling accounts he sees that modern terms there's like a million dollars missing from his legend and he's

10:06

like man who is this that was a million dollars and then I call will this that's all guy down the street bring him in I want my million dollars

10:13

so what they do they they bring him in and the king is there and he falls before the king he's like all came King

10:21

have mercy on me please right here I I promise I'll pay you back anything and

10:28

everything I do I'll pay you back so listen does this sentiment sounds familiar at all is there at all this

10:35

week where this sentiment was rehearsed by maybe a son who went away from home

10:41

I'm telling you it's all in the book and so he's got this thing he's telling the

10:47

king and what does the King say the king looks at him sees this penitent man something rises

10:53

up in the king and the King says you know what man don't worry like go on your way like it's all good

11:02

awesome now here's a question what happened to the money what happened to

11:11

the money it's still gone right so the King had a hundred million in the bank

11:17

account this guy took a million spent the million now the king lets him go what happened to the money

11:23

it's gone it ain't coming back so what's the first kind of move about what Jesus

11:29

is trying to teach Peter about forgiveness that to actually forgive it

11:35

requires that somebody must assume the offense forgiveness to even be on the

11:42

table means that somebody has to have assumed an offense because you can't

11:48

forgive without having had an offense to actually forgive and that right pastor Greg so where there is no offense why

11:55

would there be a need for forgiveness so forgiveness to be offered an offense

12:01

must have occurred and not only must have an offense occurred but somebody has to be willing to assume the offense

12:06

that's why somebody said something like if somebody slaps you on the face on the cheek what do you do with the other

12:11

cheek yeah but that first one still hurts doesn't it so you have to be

12:17

willing to assume and absorb the offense and then watch the next move the next

12:24

move is that in assuming the offense now who was willing to assume the offense here the King right in assuming the

12:31

offense what then does the King do for the violator of said offense lets him go

12:41

because forgiveness has at least two parts one somebody has to absorb the

12:47

offense and two then the person is released from the liability of their

12:54

offense you see that you have to let that person go from the liability of

13:01

their offense now what's interesting is that the story continues it doesn't stop this was fascinating is that then this

13:08

man having been released from a million dollar debt goes out and sees somebody else who owes them let's

13:14

say $100 cause it's this egregious and what does he do sees this fella hey you owe me $100 now

13:22

this is he's just been forgiven a million right and right now like as we read the story we'll how obtuse can you

13:30

be huh how high in Spanish it's like get dedica all right square right

13:37

he sees the guys like where's my hundred dollars and we the audience we're reading this one bro

13:43

you just got forgiven a million like get with it but what does he do he puts one hand on the man's shoulders another hand

13:50

on the other shoulders and he presses and squeezes right give me my hundred dollars and while

13:55

this is happening two of the Kings courtiers right they probably would have been there that morning they're walking by hey Ricky

14:11

isn't that the guy who was in the king's court this morning Ricky I believe that

14:16

it is Bobby I should tell you what he's trying

14:22

to press that dude $400 Ricky did the Kings forgive him 1 million dollars yes

14:30

Bobby he forgave him 1 million dollars and this knucklehead is trying to get 100 100 wait till the King hears about

14:39

this Ricky and Bobby go really really fast back to I'm glad some of y'all are

14:49

getting that both Ricky and Bobby go really really fast back to the King and they tell the King King you will not

14:57

believe what we saw oh do tell

15:03

we saw the gentleman you forgave 1 million dollars and he had another man

15:09

in a vice grip chokehold because that man owed him $100 the King is like say

15:16

mwah Ricky Bobby go get him

15:22

so they go really really fast and they go and get this guy and bring him before the King and what happens when they

15:28

bring him before the King King says hey

15:34

did I not forgive you this incredible debt

15:41

verse 32 Matthew 18 32 you wicked

15:47

servant i forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me and should not you have had mercy on your fellow

15:54

servant as i had mercy on you and in great anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his

16:01

debt now look at this verse so also my heavenly father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother

16:08

from your heart when I uncovered this

16:13

text I felt the weight of that last line as though I had to make sure that I

16:19

forgave others in the same way I had been forgiven right and if I did not

16:26

demonstrate forgiveness to others like man my father would withhold forgiveness

16:32

but then I started realizing that that's not at all what it is it isn't transaction in the sense like hey if you don't forgive I won't forgive you it's

16:39

that the third step of forgiveness and the heavenly way of forgiveness is that then we actually become what we received

16:48

I become the forgiveness of God and I

16:55

live that out in the presence of others because I know what I received so forgive me my debt father in the same

17:02

manner that I forgive others because in my becoming like you I actually participate in your kingdom forgive us

17:11

our debts as we forgive our debtors forgive me in the same manner as I forgive others but here's what began to

17:16

press on my mind is that I had to realize that the first person that needed to walk in the

17:23

forgiveness that the father was offering was the man in the mirror that's the

17:32

first person that had to know they were in fact forgiven that sin had been

17:40

what's the offense what is the offense that's so offensive to God starts with a s it finishes

17:48

within all right sin is the offense right and what is sin sin we've already

17:54

talked about this this unrighteousness the deviation away from his word right and then because of that all manner of

18:01

darkness and death actually come into the world we together now I've already

18:06

told you this earlier in this week where is it that sin is actually a thing if we

18:11

say what is sin when is it that sin becomes a thing sin becomes a thing at the cross second Corinthians 5:21 he who

18:19

knew no sin was made to be sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God let me try this another way go

18:28

with me real quick in your minds to Genesis one or the story of Genesis one two and three right after the fall and

18:37

the woman is eaten God comes looking for Adam and Eve right Adam where are you

18:44

they come out what's going on why were you hiding and this whole thing starts well the woman

18:50

that you gave me right this is the woman that you gave me what does the woman say the ones I know I when me was the snake

18:55

right that blame-shifting right and then what does God do God looks at the snake and says he gives him a curse in his

19:02

body right he says all the days you're gonna be slithering on the dirt goes

19:08

back to the woman because he works his way back snake cursing body woman does a woman get

19:14

cursed and body Brody did this yes what happens to the man cursing body no the

19:20

ground and a little bit of sweat do you think that's equal to what he actually did sin came through who sinned did not

19:28

come in through Eve sin came in the world to who Adam it was through one man's disobedience that sin came into

19:34

the world so the snake gets cursed in the body the woman has this thing with childbirth and the man gets away with a

19:40

little bit of labor and a bit of sweat how does that work well it works what we've already covered this week he

19:47

couldn't actually put the curse in Adams body because to put the curse in Adams body is to make Adam the curse and if he

19:55

actually cursed Adams body Adam would receive the curse that should be his than what would have happened to Adam so

20:05

what is he saying I'll withhold the curse from you and there will be this story about one who will come who

20:13

although you owe a million he'll absorb it in his body and so Adam number two

20:19

from heaven comes down into the world and he does everything that Israel could

20:24

not he goes through the waters and is baptized he spends 40 days in the

20:30

wilderness like did they did 40 years he goes up a mountain just like they did they received the law he spoke the law

20:36

he came down as king and then he was enthroned on a cross and on that cross

20:42

he literally became sin he received the curse in his body the curse that Adam

20:48

should have received why because Adam number two was the king sitting on the

20:54

throne absorbing sin in person so that he could release atom

21:00

number one and the only way that atom

21:06

number one leaves forgiven is if on his way out he leaves his identity of one

21:13

and walks in newness of life as two so that as he is in the world when he sees

21:19

somebody who owes him a hundred dollars he doesn't put choked hands around their neck what does he do he gives them the

21:25

very same forgiveness that he himself has received from the King because the King was willing to absorb in his body

21:32

release and in our release we then become like him who we have beheld so

21:39

you need to know that you you are his child precisely because you have been

21:46

forgiven sin has been condemned in the body of Jesus and he has released you to

21:52

walk in freedom to be just like him the fear of being anything less than what

21:59

the father says we are ought to dissipate in the gaze of the cross of Jesus Christ where at the cross he

22:05

absorbs sin so that you and I can go free so that our mindset needs to change

22:11

y'all go to Colossians chapter 3 with me our mindset needs to stop being that of a slave who has to come over and over

22:19

into a sanctuary in hopes of getting something that this place says it offers

22:24

because it's not primarily about us going in this story is about the Lamb of

22:31

God coming to us and bringing us into righteousness we did this Friday night

22:41

the altar is the cross the Laver baptism

22:47

life in Holy Spirit he is the bread life and Holy Spirit he is the light of the

22:52

world life and Holy Spirit he is prayer and incense and life and Holy Spirit brings us to the very intimacy of God

22:59

and why is it that we get to walk that way now because we've been released as

23:04

sons and daughters and we have direct access to the heart of God were no longer slaves back to fourth back of

23:12

I am a son who walks in knowing that the sin has been condemned in the person of

23:17

Jesus and that I have access because I walk in the reality of forgiveness I

23:24

walk in the reality of forgiveness Kailash is the chapter 3 you there we

23:37

meet Colossus chapter 3 somebody asked

23:43

me Jonathan how do how do I then live this out what you're saying that I stand forgiving that I have he's absorbed this

23:50

and I can go out in the release and live the release listen y'all I must say to y'all real plain and here my heart I

23:57

love y'all I sincerely do but I want you to hear it you got to believe the word

24:06

you got to believe the word I mean it's it's it's literally that simple

24:12

you have to believe the word and what I mean by that it's not just like the text of the Bible but the spiritual reality

24:19

that it's saying about you what it's saying about you look at this look at

24:24

Colossians 3 we live from this place Oh Thank You Holy Spirit this morning I

24:30

was in the secret place of the Lord what's the secret place the secret place is the place where I put this identity

24:36

on every single day it's the day I have communion with my father every single morning I get up and I position my heart

24:44

as a son by listening to like these songs that we've been playing the reason we play these songs is because we live

24:50

in these songs me and young boy over here as we travel together and Justin what's Justin there yes

24:55

this is what we do like every day you might ask how do we live in this every day I posture my heart and thankfulness

25:03

to my father that's why I gave you that homework the other night I wake up in the morning and I I thank him like I

25:12

thanked him this morning I was in the tub usually where I do it sit in the tub fill it up with water and just a little

25:19

sit there and posture my heart before the Lord so I was thanking him this morning now I was listening to John I

25:26

was listening to John on 13 14 and 15 just having a wash over me and then I

25:32

listened to some of these songs that we sing and I positioned my heart right like I take my time I was in there in

25:37

the Lord today for a good hour with the Lord and this is like this isn't this is intimacy for me I need this so I set my

25:45

alarm to get up and spend time with the Lord this way I'm not reading my Bible and having my quarterly no knock on that

25:51

praise the Lord but I'm reading the Bible to know him I don't read my Bible

25:56

to prepare sermons anymore I read my Bible to know him and in knowing him the overflow comes out so this morning I'm

26:04

in the secret place and as I'm in the secret place like I'm in communion with

26:09

him because I'm speaking these words we'll talk about it in a minute and as I'm talking to the Lord like I got a

26:15

clearer picture in my mind I got a clearer picture in my mind of somebody on stage speaking right like I see it in

26:25

my head and like I'm communion with the Lord like what is this was this about and he presents them like there's some images in my mind and there was a couple

26:31

people like a sigh and all of a sudden boom BB pops up right BB pops up in my

26:38

mind like she's got a word she's got a word and there were some other people in

26:43

my mind and like it was it was like a carousel where guy was like no no no no no no no no BB no no BB I don't know BB

26:52

and I'm talking to him I'm praying I'm positioning my heart on my father I need to know if this is you because it can't

26:58

be me I'm speaking to him get out I do not there I actually shake

27:04

my head a little bit I'm saying my head again I'm talking to him BB BB BB so

27:13

I'll call whee I'll call we he you know he be busy man so we didn't get to hook up whatever

27:20

then we were able to get in touch later on the day I like throughout the day it's again BB yeah yeah I decided I'm we

27:27

don't do it we're gonna do it finally we see each other I call them we get we talk for like 30 seconds Oh homie we

27:33

coming in early no we're not coming in early they come in earlier talking BB quick maybe you think you get just a

27:40

little word and you know give her all Holy Spirit permission to get up here this young lady gets up here and speaks

27:46

with power and she speaks with power in a way that touch someone y'all and the way that some of y'all needed to hear

27:51

that right right

27:56

that doesn't happen by accident y'all it happens in the secret place and I'm not

28:03

talking about just reading the literal word like we read the word but the word is a portal into a reality that we have

28:09

intimacy with our Father through and as we believe the word we receive the truth

28:15

of who he says we are because he has released us from the offense of sin and

28:21

transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved and being transferred into the kingdom of his beloved beings we have

28:27

access right now to live according to his word in our life and as I received

28:33

his word this morning he spoke to me and told me to have bee bee come up here and in being obedient to that she came up

28:39

here and shared life and blessed that's not possible if I don't believe I have

28:45

access now I'm not saying it's not possible because the Lord could have done it any other way but you see or

28:50

hear my heart right we have the privilege every last one of us to live that way but we got to put it on and you

28:58

got to believe the word Ashok you got to believe the word you got to believe the word and live the word there is nothing

29:04

else in this life that is going to determine the truth of who you are other than his word and it is word there was

29:10

no circumstance there is nothing that you've done or anything that you will do that will actually take away the calling

29:16

of God in your life so whether it be finances whether it be marital whether it be familial whether you may not know

29:23

what you want to do in the future you have certainty because you're a son and he spoke it over you and don't you

29:28

forget it that's who he says you are that's who and what you are in Jesus name that's who and what you are in

29:35

Jesus name and don't you forget it and you know I love you but this is a word don't you forget it

29:42

we live this way you asked this boy right here you asked him who he was six

29:49

months ago you ask him about what Holy Spirit came in and wrecked his life so that the

29:56

confident young man that you see now is only possible because he's put on his identity in the secret place by

30:01

receiving the word can I speak a little bit young boy this man came to us six

30:08

months ago as a worship performer he's been leading worship for a long time we

30:13

first met him when he was 15 Ben and I in Arizona and this boy is talented on every single level but he believed that

30:20

some of his practices in his former life determined his identity until one day he

30:25

heard the truth of gospel and he received Holy Spirit and if you want to ask him he'll gladly tell you received

30:31

Holy Spirit this kid now ministers in power he is a man after God's heart he's got ministers to meet all the time

30:38

all the time why because he's received the truth of who he is and he's kept

30:43

that in secret place he's not just a cool just to cook back there I promise

30:51

you 100% before guys fall I would invite with Justin Justin his to a game he's a

30:57

technician she's talented he's a ghost he goes Justin go he like this man let's

31:03

do this all right I'm like man this guy

31:08

but this guy's been nothing but a blessing why because five six months ago through the power of Holy Spirit we had

31:15

a serendipitous it's not serendipity we had a Holy Spirit encounter where I was gonna offer to pour a hundred

31:22

dollars a month into his ministry because I was blessed by digital missions Justin is sitting there and

31:27

tells me not man I want to pour into you I say all right how so he says I'll be

31:33

I'll direct all digital ministry aspects of all the digital stuff of your

31:38

ministry I'll direct it and I'll go for it so he tells me oh my god what do you need to live he gives me a number I

31:44

don't have anywhere close to that number you know what I said to him yeah okay let's do it he's

31:51

I promise you I've none of that money yeah okay let's do it he ain't never missed a check from me by

31:57

the way but we go and do it and you know the vision that he put in my heart through that encounter you know the

32:04

vision he put on my heart he said Jonathan we need to go digital and in real life so that we can bless

32:11

communities I'm standing here preaching to y'all with the digital ministry and

32:17

the in real life component because the Holy Spirit put us together five months ago over a cup of coffee I promise you

32:27

I'm living the reality of what we stumbled into six months ago because the Holy Spirit he's walking in the reality

32:34

of what he encountered eight nine months ago in Holy Spirit I'm walking in the

32:39

reality that I was face-to-face with three and a half years ago in Holy Spirit as big man right here big man

32:47

will tell you who I used to be asked him it ain't who you see now why cuz I know

32:53

I'm forgiven and I stand and living the reality of what this book says I am you

32:58

can't to read this with me Colossians 3 then I'm gonna ask you to sing a song

33:05

with us you there in Colossians 3 listen

33:15

this is this is how we live every single day this is what we put on if then

33:23

you've been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is oh that's that's verse 3 no no that's

33:30

that's verse 1 sorry if then you've been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the

33:35

right hand of God notice what assumes if you've been raised with Christ baptism

33:42

language verse 2 set your mind on things

33:47

that are above not on things that are on the earth set your mind on above not

33:56

this so you can run to the throne because you set your mind for you

34:03

have died and your life is hidden in Christ direct access when Christ who is

34:10

your life appears then you also will appear with him in glory so this is how I start my day I put my mind on this

34:17

thing above and as I put my mind on this thing above look what happens I put to death therefore what is earthly in me

34:23

father I thank you that I am no longer sexually immoral it's a heart rate this

34:29

is how we think because my mind is set above you see since my mind is set above I get to put it off because I speak as

34:36

though I am when he says I am because my life is hid in Christ so if my life is hid in Christ

34:41

I don't speak from scarcity I don't say father I hope no because I rejoice in

34:46

all things and I'm always steadfast in prayer abounding in Thanksgiving so I

34:52

say father I thank you I'm no longer sexually immoral in Jesus name I thank you that you've purified me from the

34:57

inside out I thank you that I'm free from lust now some of y'all might say well I can't do that because I'm not free if you profess Christ and you're a

35:04

confessing Christian yes you are believe good and then you'll live good so you

35:10

speak it and you must all well that's all that word of faith in the Bible says it the word of faith is in his promises

35:18

not in a Bugatti the perverse word of faith thing is when you're hoping for a

35:23

Bugatti I'd well Jesus I claim that may Bach in your name no but when you claim

35:29

his promises in his name that's the word of faith father I thank you that because

35:34

I've died in Christ I put to death my impurity my passions father I thank you that evil desires are no longer part of

35:41

my heart father you know that there are times that I Drive by that house that I it seems as though the impulses of my

35:47

heart are telling me that I'm coveting it but father I speak by faith that I know I am no longer that impulse of

35:52

covetousness why because you tell me that my life is hidden you so if there's something in my brain telling me that

35:59

I'm coveting I know that that's the outside trying to get in because it's no longer Who I am

36:04

so I receive it by faith father that I will bring every thought captive to the

36:09

obedience of you believing that I am who you say I am in spite of the

36:14

circumstances so I begin my day knowing that I see you for who you are that

36:19

you've delivered me from death that you've put me in your kingdom that you've consumed sin in your body and

36:25

you've released me and that I walk in forgiveness and since I walk in forgiveness father I can go out and be

36:30

the forgiveness that everybody else needs in Jesus name I think this way I

36:36

put this on so when I read this I read who I am in him I don't read who I'm

36:43

hoping to become and so I stand in that

36:48

truth I stand in that and the way you stand in that this is the thing about

36:55

the kingdom the way we get to standing that is by being on our knees and we get

37:00

on our knees not petitioning not petitioning in the sense of like you we to come as slaves no we come as sons and

37:06

daughters knowing that what he says his ours is in fact ours and it's from that space that we petition you understand my

37:14

heart here look it's the unbeliever that

37:19

says they have no need for the blood but if the blood is ours what we have the

37:27

privilege of doing is confessing the truth about sin and what do I mean you

37:33

confess that sin is condemned in Jesus while at the same time you confess if

37:39

you've ever had any participation in it so even now in my life my born-again

37:44

life if I ever there's Greg Greg what

37:51

was it earlier this week we had something I asked you for forgiveness or was it I don't even know what happened

37:59

see how it works I have no idea what was that yeah yeah

38:06

there was there was just a little thing we were talking and you know about my

38:13

mother I remember I mentioned it but it's further go over there play it's for the up it's for the sermon once

38:18

I mean I said something to him he poked a little something I got real sensitive and I thought like pushed a little bit back right brother brain was bit we were

38:25

at the table a little tense I don't let that disqualify me

38:32

I don't now think I'm out but you know what the spirit told me to do cuz spirit

38:38

is in me you know the spirit told me to do right I need to go talk to my brother and right back there I went and asked

38:44

for forgiveness you know why I could ask for forgiveness because I know I'm

38:50

forgiven I'm not asking for forgiveness in hopes of getting forgiveness I got confidence

38:57

that I'm a son so me humbling myself before him didn't cost me a thing because if my mind tells me it's gonna

39:04

cost me some sense of pride that's only costing me something I wasn't built or designed for and since I

39:10

know I'm in Christ I know that sentiment isn't actually mine it's the outside trying to get in so I spoke to him in

39:16

confidence ask for forgiveness and we had community and it's been fine that's how we approach our Father y'all knowing

39:25

that we have it but then interacting with it's just they offered it's yours just gotta get up and grab it because

39:33

he's already condemned it in his body you can walk in the release there's no

39:38

fear as we stand in his love there's no fear as we stand in his love there's no

39:43

fear as we stand in his love is that all right I want to sing I wanna sing this

39:48

song with y'all all right it's a celebratory song all right cuz usually we do the thing we're like now we're

39:54

gonna have that slow down time that's good every once in a while but I want to

40:00

sing a celebratory song to press you to celebrate by faith it's gonna feel a

40:05

little uncomfortable especially after the way that this thing is gone cuz you're accustomed to maybe having to slow down but we're gonna celebrate why

40:12

because we're celebrating something that's ours and as we leave this place in celebration we're gonna walk in the

40:18

truth of it as we leave this place of celebration we're gonna walk in the truth of it Amen hey man let's sing

 

 

Love Reality Tour 4

Transcript 8

0:00

so uh Andy y'all been to UM like a fancy

0:07

gym like those and I'll talk about like a workout gym like those fancy workout gyms that have the really thick towels

0:14

in the in the bathrooms anybody a member of those right like I mean I'm not I

0:19

haven't but I've never been a member of I've been to them as a guest of somebody but it's like those gyms that you get a

0:24

bathrobe and they have a spa in the back right yeah y'all know as I'll talk about like a workout facility not 24 hour

0:31

fitness fine I'll take 25 fitness has that and definitely not the purple one what's the

0:36

purple one that has those the log alarm Planet Fitness yeah not definitely not

0:42

that I'm talking about those posh ones right where you get slippers and you put

0:47

your stuff in like a would in a locker right I'm talk about that fancy one so

0:53

there's a man who is in one of those gymnasiums and the I need to set this

0:59

out cuz now you know what type of clientele is being a being serviced there right and there's a gentleman

1:05

there and he's got his uh man now I'm drawing a blank what is that little bathroom satchel thing that guys have

1:10

was a thing not a duffle bag I have it in Spanish and escuche a toiletry bag

1:16

thank you all right he's got like Alex gator-skin toiletry bag I don't know he's he's sitting there brushing his

1:22

teeth with his like koa wood toothbrush I don't even know that's the thing I'm

1:28

sure it is in Hawaii right and um men behind him are talking about the day's

1:34

business it's not a stock market and about deals that they're making and about you know it's not all money

1:40

there's men with brilliant men there to talk about you know splitting biological things I don't know really things were

1:46

above my pay grade as you can tell I've never been to one of these gyms right and um all of a sudden cell phone next

1:52

to the gentleman that's in front of the mirror rings rings a couple times and he's just doing this thing calmly puts

1:59

his coat Khoa brush down and picks up the cell phone says hello hey honey

2:06

mmm-hmm hey I was just calling because I was driving by

2:14

the the dealership mm-hmm and you know

2:19

that I've really wanted that brand-new Mercedes G wagon mm-hmm and a baby I just really think

2:27

now's the time to get it how much is it gonna be well I think I think the new

2:33

models going for about a hundred and thirty one hundred and thirty thousand you want the new wagon for one hundred

2:39

and thirty thousand go ahead baby go ahead and get it all right it's a good husband right then

2:47

then then the wife says the wife says baby I was also driving by the Glitter cottage that we were looking at cottage

2:54

house looking for the cottage that we were thinking about having uh getting it for mom and I just really think you know

3:00

I think we should just pull pull the plug I mean we should just you know pull the trigger now let's just get it maybe

3:06

you want the little cottage how much is that gonna be well I think they dropped it down to about two point four two four

3:12

two point you want the glow cottage for two point four million and the AMG today I think we could do it I think we could

3:19

do yeah that's fine girl that's fine good you know I love you right sorry all thanks baby unless it's

3:25

just one last thing oh one more thing huh yeah well I stopped by Tiffany's did you yeah and

3:32

and I saw that bracelet I saw that bracelet and you know those are those ain't conflict diamonds they're not

3:38

conflict diamonds oh you think I could get that bracelet how much is that bracelet girl it's going for 252 so you

3:45

got a bracelet more than the AMG oh come on honey you know what girl go ahead go ahead live your life all right what's

3:55

the phone down right all the clientele at this fancy gym I mean they used to some rollers but they're like wait hold

4:00

on who's this guy this guy just dropped you know if you're adding it up somewhere close like three million drop

4:07

of a hat so all that hustle and bustle stopped and they're looking at this man he picks up his coat with brush and keeps doing

4:14

his thing silence

4:19

put this brush down picks up the cellphone turns around he says whose

4:24

cell phone is this

4:31

oh I love that joke man there's the

4:44

Larry's okay shout out shout out to Bill Johnson from Bethel man I got that from him that's it

4:49

we're good the other wise bet though bill Johnson always tells jokes at the beginning that's my favorite one but

4:55

here's what I here's what I got it from that was really good now I know that the analogy here is gonna fall apart because

5:00

what I'm gonna say I'm gonna have somebody in the audience like well that doesn't work because right when the wife

5:06

calls she calls with confidence doesn't she I mean she's got some audacious

5:12

requests I'd love to ask but you know I don't want nobody to put like who of us

5:17

could just call and just spent three million at the drop of a hat just like that all right I know I know I can time

5:23

on their ministry budget yes sir but this wife she calls confident

5:28

because she has direct access she's got

5:33

access now I know that the analogy doesn't play because somebody's gonna say well how come she didn't recognize

5:38

it that wasn't her husband's voice don't overthink it the joke isn't that funny all right if you do all of that all

5:45

right the jokes got to be funny but what is it that what I draw here is that this woman is confident because she has

5:50

access she has access and in having access she makes these audacious requests that other normal folk would

5:59

actually think this is ludicrous how can you make that sort of request well if you know that you got a good

6:05

husband and you know that he's got the resources making these sort of asks

6:10

ain't that big if you know you got a good husband and he's got resources

6:17

making these sort of asks ain't that big and you don't make these sort of asks

6:22

hoping to get something you make these sort of asks knowing that there is

6:27

abundance for you you see that the mentality isn't one that you approach a

6:33

good husband with a scarcity mindset you approach a good husband with an

6:38

abundance mindset because you know the resources are there and the fact that he made a commitment

6:44

you X number of years ago when he said I do means that you have access to the abundance of resources because when he

6:51

said I do that also meant for you too so

6:56

the way we approach tell something about what we believe about our husband you

7:04

with me don't worry about that the way we approach that something about our

7:10

husband yesterday how many atoms did we have how many atoms doing here we had

7:16

two Adam's right we had atom number one

7:21

and on the other side we had atom number two now when we read Romans 7 we read

7:30

Romans 7 I demonstrated to you that you and I the bride who were married to atom

7:36

number one how did we transfer from atom want number one to atom number two we

7:41

transferred by way of him becoming atom number one and dying to atom number one

7:48

and resurrecting as a head of number two right and the way that the husband goes

7:54

so goes the wife if the wife leaves husband number one he because he died

8:00

and she marries husband number two she's no longer tied to husband number one and

8:05

then I also said something along the lines of that in my ministry what I did

8:10

for a long time was that I preached to people as though I was looking at a whole bunch of atom number ones and I

8:17

would position y'all as atom number ones and then I would call you to live like atom number twos but how can atom number

8:23

ones live like twos if they're actually ones and the way I would tell people that they needed to live as atom number

8:31

twos was like this I don't know if you've heard this before but I would say your way of receiving righteousness is

8:39

in the sanctuary this is what I would preach I don't know if you've heard this before I would use an illustration like

8:46

this I would say something like imagine there's a young boy out in the wilderness with the Israelites while

8:54

they're traversing from Egypt to the promised land and this young boy has a friend and his

9:01

name is Johnny this young boy and Johnny are always playing I don't never know

9:08

what game would young Israelite kids in the wilderness play like kick rocks or like they would chase out I don't know

9:13

but they're playing right and they play in the shadow of the sanctuary and one

9:18

day as they're playing Johnny looks at his friend and he goes hey man and his

9:23

friend and this story's me hey hey Jonathan this Johnny and Jonathan hey job they don't want to tell you

9:29

something what's that you know I've been playing with you for a little while and I've got a good look at you yeah you

9:36

have again I've come to a conclusion what's that man you're ugly well I'll

9:43

get offended i ball up my fists I punched Johnny in his face all right Johnny this guy's got a little of a why

9:49

you do that Boyle he can't call me ugly now now that I've sinned in light of the sanctuary

9:54

what have I demonstrated am I an atom number one or atom number two I'm an

9:59

atom one right and now I'm told to get forgiveness because I'm a sinner in atom

10:05

number one what do I have to do as I live in the shadow of the sanctuary uh-huh somebody said it I need to bring

10:11

an offering right now you know offerings are expensive and like I told y'all before that allowance game was not

10:16

playing all right Mama's not giving me allowance so what I got to do I got to go get a lamb right take it to the

10:23

sanctuary and you know that you get the lamb and they have this idea that then you put your hand on the lamb and there's this idea of maybe like

10:30

transferring sin or confessing sin and then what do I do or what happens to the lamb the lamb gets slit and the blood goes into the

10:39

sanctuary right and who gets to go free I do hey Johnny how you doing hey

10:50

Jonathan what's up man you know you came what's up man well I'm doing all right you a little

10:56

lighter now in the pockets because you had to get that lamb right yes yes well

11:02

Jonathan you might be light in the pockets but one thing still remains one thing still remains what's that Johnny you still

11:10

ugly I get all worked up I balled up my fist punched him in the other eye right and I like I can see what about just

11:20

demonstrated we're adding my my in one or two what do I gotta go do god I'll go

11:25

get the offering all right good thing and then what happens to the lamb the lamb dish right

11:31

blood blood goes into the sanctuary and when it goes into the sanctuary one day

11:37

a year it's supposed to hit the most holy place and this whole work of us all being free happens but the blood goes in

11:45

who gets to go free in that moment who do I see but guess who doesn't see me

11:59

let's see you seeing's not the only sense cuz Johnny's like Jonathan is that

12:07

you say yes Johnny it's me what are you doing well Jonathan you so ugly not only

12:16

can you see it but you could also smell it OK ROCK kick them right and what happens I got to do

12:24

the whole thing all over again right now if I continue on this cycle

12:29

what is this demonstrating every time that I go take a lamb that I am squarely

12:36

in where Adam 1 or 2 add a 1 so that then the theology I used to preach was

12:44

that our access was by way of this lamb that I would treat as a conditional

12:50

instrument of forgiveness that would give me that which I needed because I

12:56

was in Adam 1 and I would have confidence until the moment I had

13:02

another incident where I fell short again now it could be punching Johnny or

13:07

it could have been in my life you know visiting places I shouldn't visit or doing things I shouldn't do it but the

13:13

theology I used to preach is that then my access is predicated on this conditional instrument that continually

13:21

like dies over and over again and goes in I get free until the next time I do

13:27

the thing and am I the only one that has heard this and here's then what I would

13:35

do when I preach this to people I would preach something like first John one

13:43

first John one would say it says something like you know if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to

13:49

forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness right but I used that theology in order to position

13:56

my audiences as Adam number ones who had to continually approach in a way as

14:02

being less than in order to get something that didn't correspond to who and what they were are we together

14:09

can I be honest with you and I just tell you that I completely misunderstood the sanctuary here's why number one I'm not

14:21

an Israelite I'm a Gentile I don't know if we have any Jews in the house tonight

14:28

but you understand that I don't actually have access to the sanctuary of God like

14:34

on earth I'll talk about the heaven second but I actually don't have access why I'm a Gentile one no access here's

14:44

the second thing I learned I don't have access precisely because I kept punching

14:50

Johnny I used to teach that when you committed a sin you could actually go to

14:56

the sanctuary and get forgiveness but then I read the Bible and I found out that whenever you committed a sin you

15:03

actually couldn't get forgiveness at the sanctuary did y'all know that and I

15:10

don't know numbers 15 teaches us this do you know that the sanctuary was designed in order to illuminate the mind because

15:20

people sin when they sinned unintentionally if you send

15:26

unintentionally and you didn't know that you sinned and then somebody brought it to your attention then you could take an

15:32

offering to the sanctuary but if you willingly punched a friend there is no

15:37

sacrifice for you because you're under the law of sin and death so if you punch

15:42

a friend you know what happened to you you get punched back that's why it's

15:48

called an eye for an eye so when we've taught this theology that you can get

15:53

forgiveness in the sanctuary that's not true you could only get forgiveness for

15:59

unintentional sins the sort of sins that you and I commit in Adam one as Gentiles

16:04

knowing that we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God there is no forgiveness that should be a problem for

16:12

us right hey look what it says but the

16:18

person who does anything with a high hand that's uh that's a rebellious sin that's that says like I know I shouldn't be

16:24

doing this but I'm gonna do it anyway I'm the only one that's in that way don't raise your hand right okay I know

16:33

I shouldn't be doing this but you know grace so you say mercy but folks have

16:39

done it right anybody with sins with a high hand whether he's native verse adjourn or

16:45

revivals the Lord and that person shall be cut off from his people you remember akin here on the story akin

16:53

they said don't take nothing and they can was like well I would just take a little bit and then what did he do he

17:00

hid it in his tent was there a lamb that akin could take no what did they can get

17:07

a whole bunch of rocks upside his head furthermore you remember David you

17:15

remember when he had that moment with Bathsheba do you know that David under

17:20

the law should have died but um Nathan comes to David and what does Nathan tell

17:26

David the Lord has done what taking away your sin when did David go to the

17:33

sanctuary he did it what lamb did David offer he did it it

17:40

was just taken away why because that's

17:46

what God wanted to do that's what God

17:52

wanted to do period

17:59

yeah next next next verse look at this because he has despised the word of the

18:05

Lord and has broken his commandment that person shall be utterly cut off his iniquity shall be on him the law of sin

18:12

and death the sanctuary was there in order to highlight that when we came to

18:17

it over and over when we committed unintentional sins it was supposed to

18:23

deep in our mind that we are in fact in atom number one we got a problem

18:29

and for us Gentiles that's you and me and for us who have committed the sort of sins that we do with a high hand we

18:38

got problems because we don't have access we don't have access we don't

18:46

have a lamb and we don't have a hope in this world are we together you ever been

18:53

in a hopeless situation they've been in a hopeless situation listen I was in a

18:59

hopeless situation you're gonna laugh at me I know you will but I'm in Georgia

19:05

and I've just come back from Australia after serving two years there and I was

19:11

on a ministry wage so I had no money and I get to the counter at the airport in

19:16

Atlanta thinking I had a flight to Boston to go see my mama I have about 80 dollars in my bank account at the moment

19:22

I was like 22 23 came back from Australia and I'm at the counter and I was told I had a ticket I go up there

19:30

and I check in and the lady says no there's no there's no reservation for

19:37

Jonathan Leonardo like I'll check again check again no no there's there's no

19:42

reservation there's a plane on the other side that I'm trying to get to but this

19:48

lady's telling me my name isn't on the list I said no no no no check again this lady checked three times if I said

19:54

darling I'm sorry you just don't have access I was 23 years old now I know I

20:01

try to sell it I try to sell myself you know I was like 21 now I was like 23 because do you know what the first

20:07

thought in my mind was to actually get access I'm ashamed to admit it I thought if I

20:13

cry hard enough maybe she'll let me in I promise you I was like I'm gonna put

20:18

this big bottom lip to use and just [Music]

20:25

nothing nothing you know what happened lucky enough I had a called a friend out

20:33

of cellphone I mean a payphone cuz I didn't have any money cuz I come from Australia I didn't have a cell phone in America called a friend on a payphone

20:39

and she lived close by she came and picked me up not only did she come and pick me up but she was nice enough to pay for my

20:46

ticket to get home a couple days later I didn't have access

20:53

but there was somebody that gave it to me and when they gave it to me I didn't

21:00

have to come back and keep asking for access cuz I had it let me show you

21:07

something about the sanctuary let's go to Hebrews chapter 10 this as far as we're gonna get today because of the

21:12

sake of time yeah somebody's losing a bed tonight Hebrews chapter 10 I'll read it I'll read it right here

21:19

look at this we've misunderstood the sanctuary and action this thing blew my mind I got 13 minutes we could do this

21:25

look what it says for since the law has brought a shadow of the good things to come that whole thing of me punching

21:31

Johnny then having goes to the sanctuary and try to work my way through that thing is but a shadow of the good things

21:38

instead of the true forms of it reality look it can never buy the same sacrifices that are continually offered

21:45

make perfect those who draw near you can't continually go to the

21:50

sanctuary and get perfection because the thing is just it's just a shadow keep

21:55

going they work through this otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered since the worshippers having once been

22:02

cleansed wouldn't no longer have any consciousness of sins so what's the idea in Hebrews 10 the idea is that if the

22:09

sanctuary actually weren't the way we think it works the one time you got

22:15

forgiveness your conscience would be cleansed to such a point that you would no longer be living in any sort of guilt

22:22

and you would never return to that which had been delivered from so that the sanctuary should have been a one-time

22:29

deal but the fact that it was an over and over deal meant that what it was was

22:35

just a picture of something not the reality itself are you with me verse 3

22:42

but these sacrifices there as a reminder of sins every year for it is impossible

22:48

for the bull of the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins so think about this there was a time in the nation of

22:54

Israel where they're offering these sacrifices people are coming and they're actually thinking that as they're offering these things this is pleasing

23:01

to God and that they're in right standing with God by participating in this cycle that he's put together and

23:07

everybody is bringing lambs and pigeons and different sacrifices that correspond

23:13

to what they think are their sins and they do it over and over again because they think this is what God wants now

23:19

you know humans when they see a situation like that they're looking hey those are repeat customers we can make

23:25

some money and so the religious folk started up selling the lambs and the

23:30

pigeons and they started making some money on the side so from the religious folks they've corrupted the system and

23:37

in the minds of the common people they're just on a cycle that they think is the way it is and so they come to

23:43

church every single week and they offer up themselves as sinners in hopes of getting something from God not knowing

23:49

that all the while they're participating in a broken system then a 12 year old

23:57

comes on the scene and uh he's walking

24:02

around Jerusalem his parents actually been looking for him for a couple of days and he's in a specific place he's

24:10

in the sanctuary I would contest that Jesus at 12 years

24:16

old is sitting there and he's watching the system he's seen people come with

24:22

the lamb and he's seen people do this thing of confession he's seen the blood

24:29

travel to travel through he's seen the priests and it begins to dawn on him

24:36

that what these people think that God wants is not what God wants he begins to

24:44

see that they're all trapped in a cycle of atom number one and they're looking

24:50

at the sanctuary as a way to get to God they're looking at the sanctuary as a

24:56

way to get something from God and it hits them verse five consequently when

25:05

Christ came into the world he said sacrifices and offerings you haven't desired but a body you've

25:15

prepared for me so as Jesus is watching the sanctuary play out he finally begins

25:22

to understand what it's all about and what it's all about is him

25:29

could you imagine young Jesus sitting there watching the thing whole thing play out and he's looking at him and he

25:35

goes they don't get it they don't get it and do you imagine it starts dawning on him that the whole

25:42

thing is about him and he says wait that

25:47

lamb is me I'm the one that's gonna take

25:54

away the sin of the world because I'll demonstrate my father's heart so that

25:59

every last one of them might know that the sanctuary isn't about them coming to God it's about how God has come to them

26:12

and do you know how Jesus knew that this was his identity it's verse 7 behold I

26:21

have come to do your Will O God as it is written of me in the scroll of the book

26:32

Jesus read the book and believed the

26:37

book revealed his identity and in the book revealing his identity he knew he

26:44

was the one that was going to have his blood be spilled

26:49

as a perfect sacrifice in order that Gentiles and habitual sinners might

26:58

actually have access so that he could transfer all of us from Adam 1 into Adam

27:06

to go to first John well with me real quick I want to show you something

27:13

because we're gonna put we're gonna put some real life to this first on 1 verse

27:20

5 now think of this is John the disciple

27:26

that knew Jesus really really well right and he understood the whole deal what

27:32

was going on he understood who Jesus was the access giver Adam number 2 look at this this is the message that we've

27:39

heard from him and proclaim to you that God is light and that in him is no

27:44

darkness at all if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness we lie and do not practice

27:51

truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his

27:58

son cleanses us from all sin so what marks a person who walks in life what

28:04

marks them at the end of verse 7 is that the blood of Jesus his son cleanses us

28:10

from all sin so what marks a person that's walking with Jesus is the person

28:16

who knows that they have standing where if you're walking with Jesus in truth

28:24

that means you know that you have access and you're constantly being cleansed and

28:30

kept clean because you're in Adam - are you with me keep reading if we say we have no sin

28:39

we've deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us now people charge me up there Jonathan you're telling us we're

28:44

free from sin and I'll quickly tell them no I'm not saying that the Bible is the Bible is right I'm just repeating what

28:52

the Bible says but then so folks like both first John says that if we say we have no sin that we're lives Church look

29:00

at what John is truly saying verse 8 if in contrast to verse seven he said if we

29:05

walk with Jesus that means that we know that his blood is cleansing us and it's keeping us clean who are the people that

29:13

are keep being kept clean people who knew they were dirty who are

29:18

the people that have access people who knew they didn't have access you can

29:23

only recognize you're clean if you already knew that you needed cleaning

29:29

you with me but verse eight is if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves who

29:35

are those who say they have no sin add a ones who say I don't need the access I

29:41

don't need the blood when you say I don't need the blood you're the person with pride that says oh no I don't need

29:47

that system oh no I don't need the accidents I'm a good person I bake pies for my neighbors in the fall time I

29:54

clean and rake I say thank you and please I always drive 54 and a 55 okay

29:59

I'm lying I might drive 57 but there's grace the person who says no to the

30:08

blood is the person who thinks that I'm doing enough that's the same person who

30:17

at times well it's not the same person let me not say that we fall into the trap of hearing this and we think that

30:25

this is us we think it's us we think that we're always the ones with sin we

30:32

think we're the ones that are always a slave to it and that the only way we have access is by way of the continual

30:38

lamb when I'm telling you is no that's not you this is a person who says I

30:44

don't need the blood but you're a bunch of people who say you do need the blood and what I want to tell you is that

30:50

because you said you needed the blood and you receive the blood by faith you're no longer in Adam 1 you're an

30:56

Adam - and watch the good news this is the good news they need to take away I got a couple minutes to demonstrate it

31:02

if we confess our sins what does that mean that means if we confess the truth

31:08

that we're in need of him if we see the truth and the revelation of Jesus Christ if we see him for what he truly is the

31:14

more perfect sacrifice that has spilled blood to give us access when we see that look what it says he is faithful and

31:22

just to do what forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness when

31:28

does this happen does this happen while we're living the life how can this

31:33

happen while we're living the life if verse 7 says that when we walk with Him his blood actively cleanses us are you

31:41

guys tracking with what I'm saying pastor Greg come up here I'll break it down alright so pastor God John John

31:52

stand pressure get high y'all gonna hands up like this hand up like this okay yeah let's see if this works it's

32:00

just coming to me in the moment all right listen yeah well we'll go from over here

32:05

all right over here on this side this side is the dirty side over here I'm dirty you with me on this side I'm dirty

32:12

okay we go with side of my own I'm on the west side what side of my own it

32:17

sounded like a bunch of southern there's dirty dirty no honey they're all right I've other daddies alright this is

32:22

chapter this is this is now I'm on the dirty side if I come through now I'm on the clean side and I stay clean we good

32:30

what side of my arm clean side one side of my own if I'm back here what side of my own what side of my own what side is

32:38

verse seven talking about where am I

32:43

so how is it that we preach that we have seven but then we identify ourselves with eight and then by verse nine we're

32:51

already back here are you with me did you make it how can you say verse

32:58

seven oh we're walking with Jesus that we're cleaning them a good lie not another but you know that have you sinned through triple-dip no verse seven

33:08

is for y'all we're clean verse eight is for those who say oh no I don't need it

33:13

no no no I don't need it I don't need it verse nine this for the first time that

33:21

you see it oh yeah i confess i confess i

33:26

confess i confess yes lord yes Lord yes Lord you with me now watch

33:33

this is what not I stay there come on now Simon Says his are we good I you the

33:40

l to me we're good here's what gets really good first 10 if

33:48

we say we haven't sinned we make him a liar and his word is not with us why because the people that are in are the

33:55

people that used to be here so I know I've sinned I've confessed I mean Adam -

34:02

but if I say I've never sinned I'm a liar and where am i this is verse 8 on I

34:11

don't need it I'm good I don't need the blood we're together now look at the way

34:16

John - we get first John - vegans my little children I'm writing these

34:23

things to you so you may not sin who's he writing to outside or inside I'm he

34:28

writing to those who have access or don't have access my little children I'm writing to you so that you may not sin

34:34

but look what he says but if anyone does sin who's he writing - inside or outside

34:40

if anyone does sin we have an advocate

34:45

with the father Jesus the righteous he is the propitiation of our sins and not

34:51

for ours only but also for the whole of the world what is he saying if you're on the inside and you stumble sometimes and

34:59

you commit a sin don't you let that sin identify you as somebody who's back over

35:05

here cuz you're not somebody over here you know what you are you're somebody in here and let me tell you why because he

35:12

who knew no sin became sin and he spilled blood to give you access he gave you access this is his body the veil and

35:19

you've come through it so if you do fall don't you forget you gotta advocate now don't you forget you used to be Gentiles

35:26

but now you got a lamb don't you forget that before it was conditional forgiveness but now it's the reality of

35:33

being kept clean so this isn't judgment this is good news that if you do sing

35:38

while you're on the inside don't you forget somebody has opened the door you access you got access you got access

35:45

you got access now you say that I don't

36:00

want to keep punching Johnny because being in the access has changed me but

36:09

now that I'm in the access if I ever do fall I know that I don't have to go get

36:14

a lamb and I got a grovel you know what I got to do what the Bible says the

36:21

Bible says we confess our sin notice that that doesn't say we ask for forgiveness of our sin when talking bore

36:29

a little more about that tomorrow but we confess what does that mean that while I'm on the inside and his mind

36:35

illuminates my mind and teaches me that sin is a deceitfulness and it's a liar

36:40

and it's not who I am I said yes Father I see it for what it is but I thank you in Jesus name that

36:46

the book tells me I have access because he who was the perfect sacrifice has

36:53

gone in so that I might stand in the liberty and the identity of what he says I am and watch this I read it in the

37:02

book if you believe what the book says about you in spite of what the

37:09

circumstances are telling you guess what spirit you're participating in he sat

37:17

there and saw the circumstances and didn't let the circumstances determine

37:24

his identity he let what the book said actually be the view that he saw through

37:30

and when he saw through what the book said he actually unlocked the key of all

37:36

a reality because it wasn't based on the circumstances around him it was based on

37:41

what the word said to him so if the word tells me I have access guess what I got

37:47

and if the word tells me I'm free from sin guess what I am and if the word

37:53

tells me that even when I Doosan that i have an advocate before the father guess how sure my standing is

37:59

it's as sure as him being alive father

38:05

God we thank you for this night I pray that we might leave this place with confidence because we have access we

38:13

pray this in Jesus name and for his sake amen

38:24

you

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Love Reality Tour 9

0:00

all right here we go this we're gonna go pew pew pew today I'll tell you what

0:05

so last week how many over here last week a good number of you if you remember we talked about um the prodigal

0:11

son son number one and son number two you remember this the whole Bible breaks up along these lines some number one son

0:18

number two Isaac Ishmael Jacob Esau hagar sara adam one atom to the whole

0:28

bible splits along these lines sheep goats right it's I mean the Bible's

0:35

genius in this way because the Bible is fundamentally the reveals the very heart

0:41

of reality I mean it's a binary book right it's the encoding of the reality

0:47

of everything and it's via binary zeros and ones right and the zero and one is

0:54

this or that light and dark I mean you you follow the whole story of creation

1:00

and it's not man you know that's not the sermon but I'm telling you this thing is

1:06

so deep and so real and it goes way more than just a you know the story that we

1:12

put on a felt board when you look at the story of creation it is the encoding of reality being revealed to us through

1:19

this magnificent story right it's it's it's for you engineers out there it is

1:24

binary it's zeros and ones and then the infilling of spirits beyond metaphysics

1:29

right I mean think about this with me what's day one what gets created day one

1:35

lie and you guys may have heard this before what day then corresponds to day one Dave day four right and then day two

1:43

corresponds to day 5 and day three corresponds to day six why because on

1:48

day one light is created but it's not Sun Moon and stars it's something else right it's the manifestation we could do

1:55

this Bible study we don't have time but it's the manifestation of the light of Jesus right and then on day four what

2:01

gets put in that space Sun Moon and stars on day two what is it it's the

2:06

space of waters right water below water above and on the fifth day that space

2:11

gets filled with what fish and birds with life on day three what do we have we have the emergence of

2:17

land and on day six what do we have we have trees right so they won four to

2:24

five three six right this encoding and then the space is created on the first

2:30

panel and on the second panel it's in filled with life all right so that in

2:36

that same way when day seven comes day seven doesn't have evening or morning if

2:42

you've ever noticed it just is it just

2:51

is because that's what we get invited to on this day to actually be during the

2:58

week we're busy doing on this day we actually get to be and we are that which

3:05

he created us to be which is what sons and daughters in presence that's why

3:12

Sabbath is rest and that's why at the end of time there is no Sun have you

3:18

ever noticed like how do you tell that it's Sabbath Sun Moon and stars right but if you book read the end of the book

3:24

of the revelation the end of the book of Revelation there is no Sun is there who is the Sun Jesus and then who gets to

3:33

abide in the reality of the light of Jesus we do and who is the light that

3:38

was first revealed at the beginning of the book when he says let there be light Jesus so at the end that very light that

3:46

was spoken in the beginning is all in in all and you and I get to bask in the reality of it with no shadow shifting

3:53

darkness or no darkness no shifting shadows and no night why because the

3:58

rest that he promised and that this day testifies we will have in its fullness as we live forever in the glory of his

4:04

light right I mean this thing is I promise you it is it's on some other

4:12

level stuff this book is the first hyperlinked text this thing hyperlinks

4:18

throughout centuries right like computers don't even come close to what this book does this book reavie

4:26

reality it cracks it open and if you read this thing and if you abide in it you're invited into a reality that far

4:35

exceeds that which we can see and then you begin to participate in the very

4:40

metaphysics of the word that holds all things together you participate in the

4:49

metaphysics you understand what I mean by metaphysics right metaphysics after materiality that which actually like we

4:58

exist in a world that we all know intuitively that there is spirit we know this some of us might deny it

5:06

but with our hyper materiality but you can't deny it when death knocks at your door because when death knocks at your

5:13

door all of a sudden you know that there's more in this life than just the material because that thing that we

5:19

experience in the presence of death can't be accounted for with hyper materiality something y'all understand

5:27

what I'm saying I don't even know why I'm speaking this right now for whoever this is this this is for you've got to

5:34

know that this here truth goes way beyond way beyond our simplistic

5:40

understanding of it or a telling of it on felt boards this is the story that

5:46

you and I get to be alive in it is the move of God through history in humanity

5:52

for us to participate in all that he is and the eye that we see through the eye

5:58

that we see through determines how we live now I we choose to see through

6:03

determines how we live so what you put it on is how you live so if you put on

6:08

that you're a slave condemned under the law you're always gonna be persecuting

6:14

sons if the eye that you look through is that you're a slave and condemned under

6:21

the law your conviction will always become somebody else's obligation and the reason you're convicted is because

6:27

you fall under condemnation so you're obligated to make somebody else be condemned along with you so if

6:35

you are seeing through the lens of being a slave and you then you have to perform in order to get to

6:42

you will make others perform because you yourself have identified yourself as less than and you need to do so others

6:49

need to be compelled to do as you do and then you become the criterion for truth and not God so what you end up doing is

6:57

that you come to the sanctuary and you offer up instead of the lamb that is the promise of our freedom you offer up a

7:04

lamb saying that this is my sins and I'm nothing but a sinner so please and then

7:11

we have a theology that satisfies that because we'll use a parable like the the

7:19

dependence in publican right that says what have mercy on me right from a

7:25

sinner he wouldn't even look up right is that Matthew 15 does anybody know is that Luke 17 turn there with me real

7:33

quick Luke 17 man this isn't even the Sermon I promise y'all know why we're going this way we will have to preach

7:39

today's sermon tonight I don't know what's going on right now is it Luke 17

7:48

the public

7:57

89 Thank You 89 yes there it is you see

8:03

you see all luke 18:9 look at this he

8:09

also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous who's he talking to

8:16

he's talking to people who are trusted in themselves that they are what righteous and notice how they trusted in

8:24

themselves right and why is it that they've trusted in themselves because they've identified themselves in

8:30

relationship to the law so they believe that in relationship to the law they're

8:35

blameless this is Paul in Philippians chapter 3 so that then the the parable

8:41

goes on and says where am i 718 thank

8:47

you oh thank you two men went into the temple to pray right temple right the

8:52

whole complex that houses the sanctuary right because the temple is greater you understand that right that in the Old

8:58

Testament there was the Temple Mount and the temple included the courtyard and

9:03

the sanctuary right it had solemn colonnade and it was a whole structure right people would gather around it and

9:10

at the heart was the sanctuary which was the holy place of God but the temple was greater than I mean the temple was

9:16

broader the temple included the sanctuary so you would go to the temple to pray there's remnants of the temple

9:22

in Jerusalem today it's called the Wailing Wall the western wall right that's a remnant of the temple but

9:28

that's not the sanctuary way together so this gentleman goes to the temple to

9:33

pray one Pharisee in one tax collector

9:39

remember last week Pharisee and tax collectors ones and twos right the

9:48

Pharisee and the tax collector what does the Pharisee say god I thank you that I am not like other men and look what he's

9:55

I'm not extortion or unjust adulterer like a tax collector I fast twice a week

10:02

I give tithes on all that I get so where's he identifying his righteousness

10:08

in himself in relationship to the law I do this I do that you know that it was custom for a Jewish man to say a prayer

10:18

in which he thanked God that he was not made a sinner a Gentile or a woman huh

10:24

rid because there was a hierarchy there

10:29

and so the Pharisee is relating himself in relationship to the law so this tax

10:37

collector look at what this uh look at what what ends up being and what happens with the tax collector but the tax

10:43

collector standing afar off would not even lift his eyes up to heaven but beat his breast saying what God be merciful

10:51

to me a sinner so when he comes to God when he comes to

10:56

God how does he come this is the important part of this parable the Pharisee comes his hands are this is the

11:05

Pharisee clothes hands why because they're full of everything that he's

11:10

done and so he comes with clothes hands full of everything he's done and he

11:16

offers that which he has done to God we're together but the tax collector how

11:24

does the tax collector approach God closed hands open hands doing what

11:33

honesty transparency and I'm trusting on you I'm trusting on you to give me that

11:42

which I need because I myself in my own strength and what I'm a sinner that

11:50

doesn't mean we don't have value or worth but in our own strength all of our righteousness is like filthy rags that's

11:56

a very important point and what is that Isaiah 60 verse 66 but you know when I

12:03

say it says all of our righteousness is like filthy rags I have too often heard that and this is just my own thing I

12:08

have too often heard that when people are high well you know we're just worthless no the passage says that our

12:15

righteousness is like filthy rags not that we're like filthy rags that what we

12:20

try to offer like filthy rags why because what we try to offer to God can never actually

12:26

measure up to what he's already said and spoken about us and that which we offer

12:31

emerges from broken cisterns if we don't identify ourselves as sons and daughters

12:37

and what we offer is a work that is an agreement with somebody else what do I

12:44

mean by that when we offer something to God we think we have to work our way to him that is the lie that the enemy has

12:51

been telling from the beginning so when we offer to God something that we think is going to commend us to him we're

12:58

participating in the identity that the citizen of the other country has spoken about us so we approach God as slaves

13:04

and not as sons while thinking that we're actually doing something that is actually going to make him happy

13:10

because we're coming as penitent this and that and sinners and I'm good for nothing but when you speak that way

13:16

you're only Rhian scribing the identity that the enemy has spoken about you

13:23

we're together but when we come with open hands if we come with open hands

13:32

what does he do he actually gives us that which he has promised Matthew

13:40

chapter 7 you being good you you being sinners you know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your

13:48

Father in Heaven give you the Holy Spirit so this parable here is not

13:56

primarily about the tax collector the parable is trying to highlight that

14:02

those who trust in themselves can't receive with open hands because they have a perverted theology that thinks

14:09

that they can commend themselves with God by bringing something whether it be your righteousness and or your

14:15

unrighteousness

14:20

you can't offer up your unrighteousness to God you could only offer up you heart

14:31

open I receive I turn from the lie because your word

14:38

says I am who you say I am and as your word illuminates my mind I see that sin

14:46

is a lie and I speak it out mercy that prayer did y'all hear that prayer did

14:55

you hear when she prayed and she said we confess do you know confession means

15:01

Church confession means coming to the same conclusion as the literal word

15:08

means coming to the same conclusion as the word is homo logo's homo meaning

15:16

same right logos meaning word same word

15:22

that's what confession means and so when we confess to God we speak the same word

15:28

he speaks when we confess to God we come

15:33

to agreement with his word and who is his word his word is

15:41

a person it's found in the book of Revelation is that squire in here second

15:47

service okay he pointed this out to me it was awesome let's go to Revelation 21 real quick biggest revelation 21

16:01

oh man God is something else bro alright

16:10

y'all gonna have to help me out there it is there it is thank you nineteen thirteen nineteen thirteen

16:17

thank you I know right can I can we can we start travelling together actually

16:24

you need to retire come on the road with LRT huh man let's talk romans nineteen

16:35

let's start with eleven let's start with eleven then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse the one sitting on

16:43

it praise the Lord it's called what he is

16:48

what he is what faithful and true y'all

16:53

he's faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war

17:00

let that let that let that sink in right in righteousness he judges and makes war for those that think like the Hall would

17:06

you know God God is I don't know if y'all heard this but this whole thing of like well you know God's just so much

17:12

love that he doesn't punish he punishes in love he makes war in righteousness

17:19

let it not be forgotten that God as a righteous God has to have a righteous

17:25

requiring righteous a reaction against sin and that righteous reaction against

17:31

sin is to actually cause it to no longer exist let me dwell on this for a second

17:40

sin is not a thing before I go here where was it that I was going where did

17:46

I come here but why did I come here the word Oh confession alright confession I was at confession yeah but we were at

17:53

confession right alright so let's put a plug on confession for a second we're going to come back there we're going to take this little excursion right sin is

18:04

not a thing y'all every last one of us are things what do

18:10

I mean I mean in the technical philosophical sense in the material sense we are things we have whatever

18:16

thing eNOS is we are things that have thing eNOS I'm sorry this is it's so

18:22

funny because once I started studying philosophy so I have a degree in Christian theology Christian theology is

18:28

somehow sometimes called Christian philosophy like I studied a lot of philosophy and then my PhD work is this

18:34

is systematic theology which you have to study a lot of philosophy and what's fascinating is when I started studying

18:39

philosophy I was like these are the same questions that six-year-olds asked like philosophers had just fans some

18:45

six-year-olds right I promise you right because I remember when I was six years old I would look around at my friends

18:51

and I would think to myself here's what I would literally things about six not saying how do I know that all of them aren't robots and then I'm the only real

19:00

person alive right and then you know I get grown and I'm doing a PhD study and there's like a name for that there's

19:06

it's olive sysm right six year old idea these guys are writing books about it

19:13

like well it's all up system nah I know that's just playground like because it's a legit thing you think I'm lying to you

19:19

I'm dead up in being uh so far being a philosopher is like a six-year-old growing up that's all it is so anyway

19:27

here's the deal sin is not a thing meaning what it

19:32

doesn't have materiality sin can't actually be touched because for it to

19:38

actually exist in here material I use the word exists intentionally because

19:44

existence is a property of things things exist

19:49

well not all things exist right because a rock doesn't actually have existence in the sense of like the sense that you

19:55

and I have existence right we have being a rock is but what sort of being does it

20:01

have is a little different well anyway that's where we started driving any any fans of Heidegger in here anybody huh

20:09

yeah let's just over

20:20

can you touch this yeah the thing the

20:27

thing there's not a lot of things up there where we together

20:35

you can't touch sin sin isn't a thing

20:41

sin is a lie that's why it actually is unreasonable because it's a lie that

20:48

goes against the truth of things because everything is actually held together by

20:53

the power of his word so everything that is you and I humans as we exist reality

21:00

as it is exists because God said so and

21:05

everybody in this world lives because God allows us to he brings rain on the

21:12

just and the unjust he blesses the evil and the good why because all things are

21:17

held together by the power of him are we together sin doesn't participate in that

21:23

equation because sin is an idea that goes contrary to the very truth of

21:32

reality if all of reality is dependent on him hear me now if say right if Jesus

21:43

is embodied right when he holds somebody and then you hold your wife and she

21:48

holds ray and we're all connected everything is dependent on him you see

21:54

this sin is a lie that simply says to exist you don't really need this sin is

22:04

the lie that says you can exist like this but that's impossible you can't

22:11

actually exist like that that's why sin is a lie sin is not a thing sin is a lie that feasts on things

22:19

sin is a parasite and by sin being a lie that introduces this reality what

22:27

comes behind it is the know thing if

22:36

Jesus is the thing by which all other things are things if Jesus is the source

22:43

of all of reality and it being connected with him we are all things we all exist

22:49

sin is the lie that says you can live like this and in putting that lie in do

22:56

you know what follows you know what comes in death and death is the no thing

23:03

it isn't a thing it's the thing that introduces consumption of things so that

23:10

is it Squires name I'll call him Anthony

23:22

so watch what happens Anthony sitting there and if Anthony's

23:29

sitting there believes the lie and gets disconnected death through sin overtakes

23:37

him and turns them into what nothing that's called death so it's a

23:44

destruction of reality all predicated on what a lie why because in the power of

23:51

the word is life and when you undo the word with a lie which reduces death

23:58

that's why in the power of our tongue is life and death the words you speak over

24:04

each other introduce life and/or death read John Gottman out of the University

24:11

of Washington he did a 40-year longitudinal study he demonstrates that when we speak negatively in contempt

24:18

over one another it can you can actually measure disease in the person that is

24:23

constantly spoken contemptuously to when you speak negatively to somebody

24:29

biologically their body follows this is in the literature peer-reviewed how

24:38

we speak determines life and death and what he has spoken his life and if what

24:47

he has spoken is life then all the things that exist are rooted in the power of his word and sin itself must be

24:55

eradicated so through his word he has to eradicate sin and how does he do that it

25:02

is through the life of Jesus Christ that he went into the grave sin can't be

25:12

touched right but there was one time in history when sin actually could be touched and it was at the cross Jesus

25:21

Christ became sin he who is the very foundation of all things that doesn't

25:29

need other things for him to be a thing because he is beyond being a thing he is

25:36

life itself he who is that was willing to become a no thing so that you and I

25:44

might exist you with me so that when we

25:53

say he doesn't punish sin are you kidding me

25:59

this is why he frees sinners from sin so that the punishment on sin need not fall

26:06

on us this is why you have to believe in your mind that you're actually free from

26:12

sin because when he comes to punish sin he won't be punishing you and since you

26:18

have confidence in him that he will punish sin but not sons and daughters you have confidence in the day of

26:25

judgment for his love has cast out that fear don't let it be smoking that sin

26:31

won't be punished yeah why because he who is must eradicate

26:39

that thing which threatens to make his beloved know things he who is must

26:46

eradicate that thing which threatens his beloved and threatened to make them know things he

26:51

will not stand for that he will not stand for those he created to have life to be anything less than what he's

26:57

spoken about them he looks at you and says I will give everything I am so that

27:02

you never fall under the threat of losing the life that I put in you and so

27:09

he makes war in righteousness against sin he makes war in righteousness why

27:17

because he is faithful and true and when

27:24

we see him for who he is and we understand this truth we come into agreement that his word has actually

27:31

spoken life into us delivered us from sin so that we could stand in the confidence as sons and daughters knowing

27:38

that when judgment comes we won't be cast off and that's why it's so

27:45

important for us to confess why because confession is the agreement between His

27:51

Word and reality confession is same word this is the foundation of faith that we

28:00

live according to what he speaks I see what he says not what I see are we

28:12

together y'all we track him so here's what happens when you confess like my

28:20

sister over here is Annalise like Annalise confessed notice that Annalise confessed in agreement with his heart

28:28

towards her and towards you she said father we recognized there had been times that we have not believed but she

28:36

also confessed in recognizing that we at times have unbelief she confessed that he is always faithful and truth so that

28:43

even in our unbelief he is still faithful and true this is correct

28:48

confession because confession recognizes unbelief it calls sin by its right name but it never never lets the identity the

28:59

ability to sin and the ability of participating in identify us why because we believe the

29:06

truth the lie is that we can live like this but the truth is that we know we

29:15

can't so if we ever participated or had some relationship to the lie we confess

29:21

the truth about it that that lie has no power because he who is faithful and true has separated humanity from sin and

29:29

our confession is that even even in a moment of unbelief he is still faithful

29:35

and true and as we confess that truth that truth illuminates in our minds the

29:41

truth of who he is and as we see him for who he is that nothingness that

29:46

separation has no power why because our hearts are being postured in agreement

29:52

to his word so that we live like this this is the power of confession

29:59

I live in agreement and as I live in agreement I then walk out this agreement

30:05

by faith and as I walk it out by faith His grace comes and makes it true so I

30:11

don't need to feel it I just walk it out why because the eye I looked through

30:17

determines my reality and if the eye I looked through is what he's spoken then

30:22

guess what's true about my reality sorry man

30:28

I'm hurting old people all over the place I thought y'all didn't see it but

30:36

Moses over here had an egg be a neckbrace Church Romans 7

30:53

no no revelation verse 13 no no no verse

31:05

12 his eyes are like a flame of fire and on

31:10

his head are many diadem's and he has a name written that no one knows but himself this stuff is good verse 13 he

31:20

is clothed in a robe dipped in blood and

31:27

the name by which he is called is the Word of God why is it that his

31:36

robe is dipped in blood John why is it that his robe is dipped in blood

31:42

he's the lamb and what does that tell us about sin if his robe is dipped in blood

31:48

that blood is the sign of his conquering over it and if he has conquered it and

31:55

he walks alive it's no thing because he

32:00

is the Word of God and as he goes so go his children as he goes so go his

32:06

children as the husband goes so goes the wife I know it's 2019 but the Bible still

32:16

says that I'm just I'm just pressing in I'm pressing in real hard because I'm

32:24

not talking about sociological constructs I'm talking about our good husband the Word of God and us the bride

32:31

the church as the husband goes so goes the bride we together

32:40

romans 7

32:47

oh this is all for free this isn't a

32:55

sermon I planned so yeah yeah yeah now second service now is blowing out of the

33:01

water I know what's gonna happen but yeah you need to come tonight is what you need a cone we're gonna preach that

33:07

sermon tonight all right listen y'all I cannot be honest with

33:13

y'all I get the spirit living y'all like I gotta be obviously I don't read my Bible

33:19

for sermon prep anymore I don't I read my Bible to know him and then I read my

33:27

Bible to understand and investigate then I read other theological books just because it's my joy I love theology but

33:34

theology is the more it's not the most so I read my Bible for the most which is what to know him and because I have the

33:41

privilege of being known by him and I seek him in the secret place because of his goodness and faithfulness he'll give

33:48

us a word in due season so you can get up here and just go why because we know

33:55

him we know him now I don't take it for granted that I've been doing this for a whole lot of years right so I have a

34:01

whole lot of repetitions in practice but I have repetitions in practice not as a theologian I now have repetition and

34:07

practice as the son of God and as a daughter of God you have the same privilege of putting this thing on so

34:14

that what comes out of our mouths is life in the moment when life wants to speak and we can live this way we can

34:23

live alive in this reality where we are just channels of grace and we put it on

34:29

and we walk it out and others will see us and be like what is wrong with that person and you say let me tell you about

34:37

my good husband right and in that time when that it's pressed like let me tell

34:44

you about my good husband you don't have to worry about words to say because the Holy Spirit will give you words to speak

34:52

in season why because you know him because you know him

34:58

is that Alright every last one of us has the privilege of living that way every

35:04

single day in every place in our workplace and our families on the streets with people we don't know why

35:10

because we don't live from here anymore this gets renewed this gets renewed as

35:16

we agree with the spirit that's within us because Holy Spirit dwells within so we live with our mind set on spirit you

35:27

with me we live with our mindset and spirit even right now as I'm saying this I'm listening to myself and I'm

35:33

marveling at the fact that this thing I'm saying actually agrees with where we're going in Romans 7 and my mind is

35:38

bleeding being blown as I'm talking seriously come on home my Holy Spirit

35:44

you're amazing cuz look Romans 7

35:50

Romans 7 is that passage that I do the things I want to do but I don't do and

35:55

then and then I have to struggle within right and how many of us live with that struggle how many of us feel that

36:01

struggle look at what Romans 75 says about that struggle for while we were

36:08

living in the flesh our sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our

36:13

members to bear fruit to death so why we're alive in the flesh we're giving ourselves over to this struggle

36:20

because we see this thing at war that our body wants to do this thing but our mind says otherwise

36:27

and we're constantly like how man I can't quite get there anybody been in that space but when we live with our

36:33

minds renewed on spirit something happens look at romans 8 for the sake of

36:41

time it's gonna breeze right through it verse 1 there is now therefore no

36:46

condemnation so what happens when you're in spirit what happens to that struggle

36:52

is it still there it might be it

36:57

actually might be but what is it that you know now that you're not condemned

37:03

right you know that you're not condemned so in that moment of struggle all of a

37:09

sudden you're bringing truth to bear so you don't struggle in the same way because before Roman 7/5

37:16

tells us while you were in the flesh the sinful passions aroused by the law war

37:24

at war but look at what Romans 8:9 tells us Luke what Romans 8:9 tells us you

37:29

however are what not in the flesh so we

37:36

can't identify ourselves according to Romans 7 because Roman 8 says that we're not in the flesh so if you feel that

37:43

struggle you need to know that you're not under condemnation and because you

37:49

know that truth you're able to bring the Word of God over the lie that sin would

37:57

tell you that you are condemned because you're feeling struggle just because you

38:06

feel struggle doesn't mean you're condemned why because the Bible says in

38:12

Christ were not condemned and he is faithful and true and he is the word of

38:19

God so with what he is says there is no condemnation in me why are you giving

38:25

priority to your struggle instead of his word giving priority to your struggle

38:31

instead of his word is living according to the lie that you can only live as good as you're feeling and if you

38:38

believe that you can only live as good as you're feeling then you're participating in the very lie that Eve introduced by looking and seeing that

38:45

the way she felt led her to break her commandment we don't live by the way we

38:51

feel we live by the truth of the word of God so when he says there is no

38:57

condemnation you bring that truth to bear in every circumstance why because he is faithful and true now do you

39:04

confess in that moment yes it is a necessity for us to confess but how do you confess you come into agreement and

39:10

you say father I see sin for what it is it is a deceitful lie that would have me

39:16

believe something I am NOT but the truth is that you are righteous and true and the Word of God has

39:21

condemned sin in the flesh and I rise up with the confidence that I am something

39:27

so I will not live with the lie that I am no thing why because you have made me everything in your eyes so we live this

39:37

way we speak this way we think this way the eye we see through determines the

39:42

reality we see and we see what he speaks

39:50

this is the Christian life so that nothing no life out there can shake the

39:56

righteousness that we have don't you ever let life speak louder than truth because life itself finds its reason in

40:02

him and if he has spoken better about you you believe his word over and against your life and how you feel

40:11

there's no condemnation who needs to

40:16

receive that today who needs to receive that who needs to declare and confess

40:21

that I was living under the law condemnation but I received this truth whoever you are come up let's pray

40:28

whoever you are that you know you need to live under the truth that you're no longer condemned let's pray in Jesus

40:34

name don't you be afraid to come up here and get some prayer and just receive the truth

40:39

don't let your pastors just model it you know good and well if you've been living

40:44

under a space of condemnation and you need to receive the truth of what the father says you are come up here just

40:50

receive some prayer let's mark this moment because we're his beloved he has given us a fullness of identity that he

40:57

says his hours right now right the spirit the spirit within us is the

41:02

spirit that breathes life it's a life of the adventure created for adventure and wherever he

41:07

plants us we can grow and we can be that which he says we are wherever we're at in Jesus name there is now therefore no

41:16

condemnation no condemnation in Christ Jesus no condemnation why because his word the Word of God is faithful and

41:23

true and he is the son there's no condemnation we stand in that truth and

41:28

we live in this truth we moved from this truth and so in the secret place of your life you put it on

41:35

in the secret place of your life you put it on each and every single day never believing the lie always believing the

41:42

truth we live according to what he says we live according to what he says a beloved Son of God

41:48

made in righteousness for his glory an image-bearer a beautiful man with wisdom dignity

41:55

integrity living up the life that he created for you my brother why because you're his beloved he didn't make you

42:02

from nothing you know what he made you from he made you from his imagination and he brought you forth according to

42:07

his creative power because when he thought about you he was pleased and he wanted you to exist and so there was a

42:12

time to be born and here you are there was a time to be born and here you are this is how we live my brother confident

42:21

strong soldiers of the Lord putting on that breastplate of righteousness helmet of salvation right the belt of truth

42:27

right right and confidence over death

42:33

put a hand next to somebody that you love put ahead next somebody that you love

42:38

let's pray because I went over but I think it's alright pastor George is

42:43

gonna retire anyway let's pray together y'all father God we thank you so much

42:50

for the truth of who you say we are we thank you Father for your faithfulness

42:57

we thank you that you are righteous and true that you are dipped in blood and that you have condemned sin in the

43:03

person of Jesus then you had a righteous righteous response to sin and you put it

43:10

to death so that the threat the threat of us being no things would be expunged

43:16

it would be taken away so that we could live as things in your kingdom and not

43:22

just anything but the beloved things of your eye so I pray father that we put on this truth and that we might be able to

43:28

confess correctly if there's anybody here that is dealing with hidden sin that they are holding on to an identity

43:35

that says that well I can't give this thing up because if I give this thing up then this other thing won't work out

43:42

whatever that is while I pray that your spirit might illuminate and that in your Neumann aiding you might cast that thing

43:48

out because lies the line needs to be cast out let light shine on that and

43:55

cast it off so might we confess correctly that whatever that thing is is sin but my we also confess that your

44:01

love is greater and that when our hearts condemn us your love is greater our God is greater and we stand in the truth of

44:08

who you say we are might we repent might be confessed and

44:14

might we live under the banner of true forgiveness for you are faithful we

44:20

receive it and we believe it in Jesus name Amen amen let this moment be a

44:25

marker just let this moment be a marker of the truth of who you are let this moment be a marker goin grace going

44:31

peace in Jesus name

44:42

you

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The Love Reality Tour @ PVC

 9 / 11

 

0:24 / 48:29

Love Reality Tour 10

0:00

so how many y'all know that some things

0:06

what does the Aristotle said the sum is greater the the the whole is greater

0:12

than the sum of its parts the whole is greater than the sum of its parts Oliver

0:17

heard this and you all know this to be true right cuz toast with peanut butter

0:24

mmm snaps snap snap snap snaps right but then toast with jelly

0:32

not so many snaps but toast with peanut butter and jelly oh yeah

0:43

right right that's right Amen right right all right we know this to be true

0:51

a whole show about Tom a whole show

0:57

about Jerry but a whole show of Tom and

1:04

Jerry yes Lord all right this is my childhood Yakko give us a smash buddy

1:10

well I used to watch a lot of Thomas Jeff we know that the whole is greater

1:16

than the sum of its parts but do we know

1:21

the parts do we know the parts so that what actually comes together creates a

1:28

whole new thing do you remember when I don't know if you have them but like the

1:33

jelly and peanut butter mix concoction that you could just you remember that's

1:38

like peanut butter and jelly in a bottle what was that called I mean that comes

1:44

straight from the depths of not heaven all right guys it's not a good idea oh yeah that's demonic right why because

1:54

you want the peanut butter and you want the jelly and when you put the peanut butter and the jelly together that's

2:01

where the magic is when they come to Kevin right it's kind of like listen I

2:07

don't know how y'all feel about Michael Jordan I don't know if y'all even feel about Michael Jordan but let's keep it real Michael Jordan a Michael Jordan

2:13

without Scottie Pippen okay he needed Scottie if he don't have Scottie he ain't Mike you know I'm saying and just

2:20

let that be known everybody's always coming down on LeBron LeBron hasn't had a Scottie Pippen okay

2:25

so I'll put that out there if he had a Scottie Pippen we'd be telling a whole

2:31

different story and yet he takes teams to the championship that shouldn't even be in the playoffs but I digress

2:38

[Music] you got Scotty and Mike six championships right right

2:46

you put Michael Phelps on a bike it's

2:53

really awkward and long but you put that brother in some water all of a sudden

2:59

you got some art all right that's art in motion the sum is greater the whole is

3:05

greater than the sum of its parts right well I look like again man that little kid right there he's the cutest little

3:12

thing ever like Qui baby but they came

3:18

together man ciona

3:27

right cuz the whole is greater than the

3:33

sum of its parts but the question is what are the parts what are the parts

3:38

what are the parts that we put together that the sum is greater and the sum is not just like you can't prepackaged both

3:46

parts that's what they did with that amalgamation of peanut butter and jelly

3:53

and they put it in that jar and then they try to sell it to us all at once they're like oh no it's convenient and

3:58

we were like America's for the most part we tried we flirted with it but I don't really see it in stores that much

4:03

anymore cuz they're like nah cuz when you put it together that magic is like

4:10

yes Lord right and you want to be able to choose your own peanut butter in your own jelly I'm not trying to have somebody tell me what type of a peanut

4:17

butter and jelly cousin beforehand right nah nah it's putting it together that's

4:22

the magic you know you've been put together but do you know how you been

4:33

put together it's an interesting thing

4:39

have you ever read a book of Genesis in

4:44

the 15th chapter is this amazing story right and have you

4:51

turn there with me in Genesis 15 hmm is this amazing story

4:57

about how things get put together

5:05

Genesis 15 well few Bibles is page 10 I

5:17

don't know your Bible is but look at look at Abram after these things the

5:23

word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision and said for you're not Abram I am your shield your reward shall be very

5:30

great but Abram said O Lord God but will you give me before I continue childness now

5:36

this is after quite some time I mean Abram has left his home in Genesis 12

5:41

and the previous two chapters have been the story of him just you know living

5:47

and struggling he's gone to Egypt right he's a rescued lot I don't know if you

5:53

know that story where the one story he goes down to Egypt and then the next stories that he rescues LA and just a

5:58

quick note do you know that it's while he's in Egypt that he picks up Hagar all right the story of Abraham is one where

6:04

Abraham is a man who gets called by God right in Genesis chapter 12 the whole

6:09

world has no longer been actually listening to God but Abraham gets called by God and God tells Abraham he's like

6:15

leave your home and come to a land that I'm gonna show you so abraham believes

6:20

this and he's like okay and he goes with God and as he goes with God God reveals

6:27

to Abraham like listen I'm gonna give you a son but Abraham and his wife are

6:33

pretty pretty old so the point where it's past the years of them having children right but God has promised this

6:40

and the way the story goes and I'll give you the you know the summary is that ultimately Abraham wanting so hard to

6:48

bring about the promise right he wants God has told him that he's going to give him a son but Abraham wants to bring

6:55

that thing to life so bad that he thinks that maybe what God meant

7:00

is that Abraham is gonna have a son with his wife's maid right Hagar is this

7:10

woman who is a maid of Sarah Sarah Abraham's wife remember Abraham is the man that God promised that he would

7:16

bring him a son but Abraham and Sarah are really old hagar is not so old

7:22

abraham thinks well maybe it's with hagar instead of Sarah because Hagar is

7:28

technically a part of Sarah because she's her maid the weird rules but those were they were right so then abraham has

7:38

a child with hagar and ultimately that child's name is Ishmael and God tells

7:45

Abraham like hey man I'm really glad you had this baby and like Allah you probably shouldn't have because that

7:50

wasn't the way was gonna go but now that you have it I'll be with him but that's still not the baby I promised you right

7:57

and watch why is it not the baby he promised him because he was using parts

8:03

that God said they're saying I was gonna come Hagar wasn't the part that God

8:10

wanted to use to bring about the whole are you with me Sarah the one with a

8:16

dead womb was the part that God wanted to use why who's the one that got Hagar

8:26

pregnant Abraham right who's the one that gets

8:34

Sarah pregnant so God wanted to use his

8:40

parts so that it comes by way when he had when she has the baby it comes by

8:45

way of who did it God but when Hagar had the baby who did it wrong parts wrong parts who together

8:56

that's the story of Abraham but before Hagar gets pregnant there's this scene

9:01

in Genesis 15 where Abraham is concerned about having this baby he's like aw will

9:08

I have this baby will this actually happened and what does God tell him he tells him don't fear

9:13

I will be your shield and your reward will be very great but look at what he

9:19

says in verse three he says behold you have given me no offspring I don't have

9:26

a child and behold the word of the Lord came to him okay we got time any time

9:36

that the Bible says that the word of the Lord came to him have you guys ever

9:41

considered how that actually happens like when the word of the Lord comes to

9:48

him is it just that Abraham hears an audible audible voice have you ever

9:54

considered this whoever thought about it like what do you think give me an idea does when the word of the Lord comes to

10:00

Abraham is it he hears something dream

10:05

something what was that a vision yeah it's a vision in what we

10:14

understand the Old Testament is that when the word of the Lord comes the word of the Lord is actually some sort of

10:20

vision or an embodiment of God himself like it's not just he hears something

10:27

all right I'll awesome you like this idea the word of the Lord that yeah even the same it's a vision he comes right

10:34

there's a vision that he comes oh this is really cool because God actually visits his people in a real way and I

10:44

promise you he still does today right and notice that the way that the word of

10:49

the Lord comes is because abraham believed the word so if you're willing to believe the word the word of the Lord

10:57

can still come through Holy Spirit in your lives I promise you it can we've seen it pour out it tends to happen

11:04

anyway so Abraham gets this word of the Lord that comes and look at what it says

11:09

this man shall not be your heir your very own son shall be your heir and

11:17

he brings him outside and he says look towards the heavens Number the Stars if you're able to number them then he said

11:23

so shall your offspring be and he believed the Lord he counted to him as righteousness and I

11:30

wish we had more time listen

11:36

well it's not preachers just giving you insight into things right it's not preaching they're like oh all right you

11:43

see how in verse five when he says he brought them outside look towards the heavens and numbered the Stars if you're

11:49

able to number them then he said to them so shall your offspring be notice that when he says so shall your offspring be

11:55

God doesn't say anything about numbers

12:01

right there's this interpretation that we think that it's about the numbering

12:09

that God is actually telling Abraham Jesus Abraham comes from the very

12:18

culture that the wise men came those are

12:24

those are those are they're from Mesopotamia they're from the far east that's abraham's culture that's where he

12:29

came out of ur of the chaldeans right where Abraham is from is the same

12:35

family group the child Dean's that were the prophetic guild they were the group

12:41

of prophets in the kingdom of Babylon and do you know what they were proficient in astrology right and do you

12:52

know what they believed about stars in those days they believed that stars were not just you know exploded what is it

13:00

that they are that exploded black holes or something they didn't they didn't believe that or they never tell us

13:06

really didn't didn't have the science that we do and they believed stars or something else they believed stars were

13:15

actually celestial beings and these celestial beings actually had positions

13:24

in the heavens guarding that which God had created so stars in the heavens were

13:35

celestial beings keeping watch in accordance were there with

13:40

in accordance with their estate their estate is the idea of a like a large

13:49

estate right like there's a master of a home he has a large estate and he puts

13:55

different guards in different places to protect his estate God his estate is the

14:01

universe and he puts different beings in different places in order to protect his estate or in order to keep watch in

14:07

order to administer his estate the belief was that these stars were

14:13

actually beings celestial beings right

14:18

and they were great a number this is

14:24

have you ever read any where the idea that when the wise men actually saw the

14:29

star in the sky that it was a company of angels I mean you've ever read that it's not

14:37

it's not I don't think it's an in the Bible but there's other writings that actually speak to this idea that the

14:43

stars that the wise men saw when Jesus was born was actually a company of angels right that we're moving across

14:50

the sky in order to reveal to these wise men where the king was born how did the

14:56

wise men actually know that there would be a star that moves some way that would

15:02

actually reveal this king well they studied the Stars and in the

15:09

childĆ® in the mythology and in the child and understanding of the stars there is

15:14

a story that's told in the stars about a king who would come and they were

15:21

looking for him because the story was told in the stars the idea is that there are beings stars

15:29

are the beings that exist placed in the heavens in order to tell a story to lead

15:35

men unto the truth of the gospel Psalm

15:42

19 anybody's gonna talk about Psalm 19

15:51

right hey go ahead look look for it you guys gave me time this is y'all's fault

16:00

Psalm 19 the heavens declare all day

16:06

they cry aloud they bring forth with no speech that the stories told somehow and

16:12

so that when these wise men who are the descendants of Abraham's family actually

16:20

see later to the choirmaster the heavens declare the glory and the sky above proclaims his handiwork not just that we

16:26

see it like all men look at what God created but that the way it's actually built tells a story if we knew how to

16:31

read it so what happens when Abraham

16:40

comes out when Abraham comes out and he looks and God tells him your seed will

16:46

be like this and it's not only in number but in quality in quality that his seed

16:57

will actually be the fulfillment of the seed will be some sort of celestial

17:02

being that he will bring up he will have some sort of relationship to this

17:09

celestial bodies are you with me weird right

17:15

so when Abraham comes out he's like well how how's this gonna happen my wife is

17:22

old and you're telling me that my seed is gonna be great but not only great he's gonna be like the stars and the

17:28

stars have this there they are celestial beings for in the in the in the mind of

17:34

Abraham and in that day the men are lower than the stars in the sky as far

17:41

as like standing and quality are you with me like in hierarchy of being for instance

17:48

a dog is of a lawyer hierarchy than mankind right mankind is of a lower

17:54

hierarchy than the stars this is the idea here together this is why you read in

18:00

Hebrews chapter 2 he made him for a little while lower than the Angels so he

18:07

actually comes and descends on the rung of hierarchy and makes himself a man not

18:13

just any man but a man even unto the point of death it's a celestial language

18:18

that's telling us the hierarchy he traveled all the way down to bring you and us all the way up so Abraham is out

18:29

there he's actually telling me I'm gonna have the celestial sort of thing that's going to happen and this promise of the

18:34

seed what parts are you gonna use God what parts are you gonna use right watch

18:40

what happens verse 7 and he said to him this is where Genesis 15 was still there

18:46

verse 7 and he said to him I am the Lord who brought you out from ur of the chaldeans there's the reason the Bible

18:52

puts that right there when he's taking him out to the stars to give you this land you possess but he

18:57

says Oh Lord God how am I to know that I shall possess it and he said to him bring me a heifer three years old a

19:04

female goat three years old a ram three years old a Turtledove and a young pigeon and he brought him all these cut

19:11

them in half and laid each other laid each half over against the other but he did not cut the birds in half what's

19:17

going on here have you heard this before this is the blood walk the blood walk is

19:22

an agreement that two patriarchs would make what would happen is that say I had

19:29

a child for instance say I have a daughter right my man Ben has a son

19:36

beautiful son : all right hey Kola and I say I had a daughter I don't but say I had a

19:42

daughter and Ben and I come together and Ben says to me Jonathan we're the best of friends

19:47

and I said yeah Ben here we are alright and he tells me you know we should

19:54

really just solidify this thing and you got a great daughter and like yeah yeah

19:59

I do and I got a great son I'm like yes yes you do he's like let's get him married right because in this culture

20:05

you or you arrange marriages be together so sorry Cola so say say you arrange of

20:12

marriage right me and me and Ben get together you know what me and Ben do me and Ben we go and we get female goat a

20:21

heifer a ram turtledoves in a pigeon and we cut them in half and as we cut them

20:28

in half we put the exposed parts facing each other hopefully on some sort of a slope so that these being these animals

20:37

that are cut in half drip blood towards each other and as they drip blood towards each other there is a river of

20:43

blood that runs together and then Ben and I would take off our shoes right

20:49

sandals sandals we'd have sandals we take off our sandals no socks all right

20:55

and we would walk through we would walk through on the blood and we would

21:02

declare an oath to one another and we would say may it happen to me as to

21:08

these animals if I don't keep my end of this bargain and we would make a covenant with one another with the parts

21:17

of these animals we would make a covenant with one another with the parts

21:23

of these animals so I would walk through and then Ben would walk through and if

21:29

one of us did not keep Covenant it was punishable according to the terms of the

21:35

Covenant so if we made a covenant for something else whatever it might be and the punishment that we agreed on was

21:42

death then if I did not keep my end of the Covenant because I agreed to set

21:49

covenant Ben was at liberty to kill me and vice versa why because that is the

21:57

whole of the sum of the parts that we used the parts that we use to cut

22:03

covenant tell this story is ultimately the whole and the whole is this covenant that we should keep but if

22:08

we did not keep covenant we would be cut apart in the same way we cut those animals apart are you with me

22:14

and so God tells Abraham get these animals cut him and let the blood drip

22:21

and the blood drips and they pull together and Abraham stands by these

22:31

carcasses as the blood drains and look what happens verse 12 and as the Sun was going down a

22:38

deep sleep fell on Abram and behold dreadful and great darkness fell upon

22:43

him then the Lord said to Abram know for certain that your offspring will be

22:50

sinners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there and they will be afflicted for four hundred years what's

22:57

going on right here y'all what's happening covenant he's speaking an oath

23:06

are you with me when it says there that

23:12

the Lord spoke to him the Lord is present how do I know keep reading I will bring judgment on

23:21

the nation that they serve and afterward they shall come out with great possession as for yourself you shall go

23:27

to your fathers in peace you shall be buried in a good old age and they shall come back here in the fourth generation

23:33

for the iniquity of the amorite is not yet complete so God has made this covenant and he's detailed it now for

23:38

Abraham all right and as the blood is pooled there look what happens next when

23:44

the Sun had gone down and it was dark behold a smoking fire and a flaming

23:50

torch passed between these places two

23:55

lights two lights passed through one a

24:01

smoking fire pot and two of flaming torch Abraham's on the side watching this a covenant has been cut with

24:08

Abraham and two lights walking between and Abraham's just on the side watching

24:15

this and it's dark and as it's dark this one

24:21

light goes through and then another goes through and then they're gone and

24:29

Abraham is left there the text does not tell us I know there's other places and

24:35

other writings that tell us that he walked through the text does not tell us that because the text is trying to get

24:43

us something across to us now Abraham might have woken up might have seen it

24:49

might have thought something happened and might have walked through himself like my guess I should do this but the text does not have that at its heart the

24:56

text is telling us that a covenant has been cut on Abraham's behalf without him

25:02

actually walking through it two lights have walked through - but not Abraham on

25:13

that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram saying to your offspring I give

25:19

this land from the river of Egypt then he named the rest of the what's going on

25:25

here I want to draw your attention to Isaiah you can Isaiah 42

25:54

Isaiah 42 we are together y'all still follow with me I'll be I'll sit down in about 10 to 12 minutes I already hear it

26:04

in ya'll said yeah yeah sure yeah yeah right so this is where we've been so far I've

26:12

introduced the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of his parts I've told you that Abraham had a promise

26:18

about receiving a child he was worried about receiving this child we know the story he does this thing with Hagar

26:23

but we've also noted that in the middle of his story God brings him out and shows him the stars and in showing him

26:30

the stars he tells Abraham that not only will you have great amount of seed but that your seed will be qualitatively

26:36

different it will be qualitative it'll be a celestial being this is what I'm introducing and then in

26:43

doing that he goes and cuts a covenant with Abraham but in covering the covenant Abraham just stands on the side

26:49

and these two lights walk through and this sort of covenant that's cut is the sort of covenant that if it's broken

26:55

somebody has to die this is where we're at so far now we know the story

27:03

Abraham finally has a child his name is Isaac Isaac is the beginning while

27:10

Abraham is the beginning but Isaac is the first son of promise and there's a whole line the whole Old Testament is a

27:16

line of a whole host of sons of promise right it begins with Isaac and it continues

27:21

right on towards Solomon Solomon is one of the sons of promise because he inherits the Davidic covenant was the

27:28

Davidic covenant the Davidic covenant is the culmination of the promise to Abraham that he will actually rule in

27:34

the land as royalty right and so Solomon

27:40

is the son of promise but all of these sons of promise Isaac Jacob David

27:46

Solomon they're not there none of them are the son of promise we're together

27:55

Isaiah 42 all of a sudden rips the curtain back and lets us see what God

28:02

was really doing when he cut that covenant in keeping with the true son of

28:07

promise let's just read it together Isaiah 42 behold my servant whom I

28:15

uphold my chosen and whom my soul delights I have put my spirit upon him

28:22

he will bring justice to the nation's he will not cry aloud or lift up his voice

28:28

or make it heard in the street a bruised Reed he will not break and a faintly

28:33

burning weak wick he will not quench he will faithfully bring forth justice he

28:38

will not grow fainter be discouraged till he has established in the earth and

28:44

the coastlands wait for his law these next two verses thus says God the Lord

28:52

who created the heavens and stretched them out and spread out the earth and what comes from it who gives breath to

28:57

all the people on it and the spirit to those who walk in it so this is he's saying this is this is me I'm saying

29:04

this in whatever he speaks he's faithful to it I the LORD have called you in

29:13

righteousness I will take you by the hand and keep you I will give you as a

29:18

covenant for the people a light for the nations to open the eyes that are blind to bring about the prisoners from the

29:25

dungeon from the prison those who sit in darkness I am the Lord that is my name my glory I give to no other nor my

29:32

praise to carb idols behold former things have come to pass and new things I now declare before they spring forth

29:39

I tell you them did you see it brother

29:45

Ben come on verse 6 you go back to verse

29:51

6 watch it happen a week

29:58

two lights through blood Abraham is watching just like y'all are

30:04

watching sitting two lights pass through and what are these two lights doing

30:11

they're telling this story God Father in relationship to God son I

30:22

have called you in righteousness I will take you by the hand and I will keep you

30:30

but I will give you as a covenant for the people so they grasped hands in

30:37

agreement that day together would walk the blood walk and keep covenant for a

30:46

people that were destined to break it they would walk covenant for a people

30:54

that were destined to break it now watch when you and I fell short of the

30:59

Covenant that was made death was required because that was the keeping of

31:06

the Covenant we could talk about why death that's not today's sermon but when

31:12

covenant was broken what was merited

31:18

death but where did death come it came

31:24

to those who walk the road of the Covenant at the cross god father and

31:32

God's Son keep a faithful covenant on our behalf and at the cross father and

31:43

son are ripped apart they're cut just

31:49

like those animals are cut because so must it be for those who break covenant

31:55

but the father has given us Jesus to endure the cutting to become the parts

32:05

that makes HUL so watch what happens on the cross

32:12

Jesus is being ripped apart that's what death is it's a division he gets ripped

32:18

apart from life and he goes into the grave right but when he comes back out

32:25

of the grave he comes back out without sin and still fully human so when he

32:35

comes out without sin and still fully human he comes out a whole new type of

32:42

body do you know what type of body he comes out with a celestial body a body

32:51

from heaven a body of spirit so shall

32:56

your seed be go to first Corinthians 15 go to first Corinthians 15 so you see

33:02

this

33:13

go to first Corinthians and we'll start from verse 35 about six minutes I

33:20

promise y'all would be done soon first Corinthians 15 35 look at this this

33:26

stuff is mind-blowing when you really get into this you with me on verse 35

33:31

but someone will say how are the dead raised with what kind of body do they come look what Paul says you foolish

33:37

person what you sow does not come to life unless it dies and what you sow is

33:43

not the body that is to be so what was sown in the ground was not the body that was to be the body that we have now that

33:50

if we sow it into the ground is not the body that is going to be but a bare

33:57

kernel perhaps of wheat or some other grain but God gives it a body as he has

34:03

chosen and to each kind of seed its own

34:08

body for not all flesh is the same but there's one kind for humans another for animals another for birds another for

34:15

fish what's he saying just different body types for different beings so when you're belong to the fish family there's

34:23

a certain type of flesh and body you have when you belong to the bird family there's a certain type of body you have

34:29

well when you belong to the atom one family there's a certain body you have

34:35

but when you belong to the adam2 family verse 40 there are heavenly bodies

34:43

celestial ones like the Stars and there are earthly bodies but the glory of the

34:48

heavenly is of one kind and the earthly is of another there was look look at the language he's using now he's using

34:54

celestial bodies there was one glory of the Sun another glory of the Moon another glory of the stars four stars

35:00

different from star in glory this is the background what I was telling you everything earlier first 42 so it is

35:07

with the resurrection of the Dead what is sown is perishable what is raised is imperishable it is sown in dishonor it

35:14

is raised in glory the glory of the kind of the celestial it is sown in weakness

35:24

we and flesh are weak it is raised in power verse 44 it is sown in the natural body

35:31

it is raised in a spiritual body if there is a natural body there is also a

35:37

spiritual body thus it is written the first man Adam became a living being the

35:43

last Adam became a life-giving spirit so the first Adam is the Adam of the fall

35:52

and he becomes a being but the last Adam can actually give us life why because

36:00

he's the celestial promise that God promised Abraham and he's the one that

36:06

was ripped apart from his human body but that comes back up conquer earth here's

36:15

the crazy thing about it y'all that when he comes back up he still comes back up human that then means that as he was

36:23

ripped apart as the Covenant was being cut and he himself was separated from

36:31

his father at the cross as that bond that has been the greatest intimacy from

36:37

eternity past times infinity and yet we still don't understand what that is that

36:42

bond is ripped apart at the cross why because he's so committed to humanity he

36:50

will not allow humanity to go without a fight so he will be ripped apart from

36:56

his father on his own takes into the grave and comes back up in the power of

37:02

a new humanity that is even greater than the glory of the Stars do you know why

37:08

because in this body is manifest the unwavering commitment of a God who

37:15

rather be ripped apart from himself so that you might be made whole and so this

37:24

life-giving body of the Resurrection that we have is the glory that we're

37:30

looking forward to and through Holy Spirit through believing in this truth we have the downpayment now this is what

37:38

Paul so excited about when he says press on to the upward call in Christ Jesus he's excited about finally being

37:45

just like Jesus because when Jesus is revealed at the resurrection we will be like him

37:50

meaning what we will have celestial bodies why because he was ripped apart so that we might be made whole this is

38:00

what has Paul so excited that one day he will rip off this tent and put on that

38:06

which was promised to Abraham all the way at the beginning who Jesus is the very promise of Abraham the seed of

38:13

Abraham and this is the crazy thing about the Christian walk listen I'm

38:18

talking now I'm talking crazy right now I'm telling you you will have new bodies I'm telling you that there's a hope that

38:25

you will have this great glory why because he was ripped apart so that you might behold he put us back together in

38:32

him so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts because he thought that him being kept whole was not a good

38:40

thing if he couldn't include you in him he thought him being kept whole was not

38:47

a good thing if he couldn't include you in him that's why he who was God thought

38:53

it not robbery to be equal with he didn't grasp after being God but he made

38:58

himself of no reputation became a servant not just any type of servant but a servant that goes all the way unto

39:05

death a man who was willing to die ripped apart so that then he could

39:10

include you in promise because he and his body endured the curse of the Covenant so that you might remain whole

39:17

and he brought us up to newness of life he's given us the spirit and in spirit

39:22

we have the promise that we will be just like him at the second coming do I got

39:31

some Adventists in the place we're still excited about something coming that's Advent there's gonna be a

39:39

revelation of who he is and we will be just like him just like him who suffered

39:47

loss in this life whose foot somebody in the grave who's seen the weakness of

39:53

this body be overtaken by death who knows that they hope to see him glory

39:59

that new body that resurrected body that body that this good God promised and

40:04

he's brought to life in Christ Jesus the seed of Abraham and it's not by our own

40:10

doing it's not with Hagar it's through him giving life to a dead woman Sarah and we have the promise the downpayment

40:19

that we will never ever be overtaken by death ever again because this new body

40:24

is the greatest body that can never be overcome we live with this hope this is

40:31

what it means to be an Adventist being an adventist is not defined by the day you worship it's not defined by the food

40:38

that you eat or don't eat and it's not defined by your ascension to some prophetess Advent is defined by the soon

40:46

coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our steadfast hope to remain in it and I get

40:54

fired up because we've lost the vision we ought to proclaim the soon in coming

41:02

of our King who will come and glorify power to redeem us because he said that

41:09

the Sun the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and that whole includes

41:15

us that whole includes our loved ones dead but alive in Christ that Hope

41:24

includes all the hope of humanity that one day sin will no longer reign in this

41:31

world that he will dry every single tear and every single weapon of war shall be

41:39

made to knock because we will be whole in him through the promise of Abraham

41:45

the new and resurrected body at second coming of our Lord this sounds crazy for us to believe these things but

41:51

this is the hope we carry within why because spirit has come and so we live with the confidence that

41:57

this is in fact true but this is what we

42:04

proclaim in this house we don't proclaim like it's good for us to talk about like

42:11

five ways to have a better relationship I'm all about that let's live healthy

42:16

lives of relationship but next let's not let what matters more matter most what matters most is the revelation of Jesus

42:23

Christ in our lives now and in his soon coming return for Adventists and even if

42:32

you're not seventh-day Adventists as the denominationally if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and the soon coming

42:38

return your Adventists you believe in Advent and the reason you believe in

42:44

Advent is because death is conquered in him and he will bring that to fruition when that new resurrected body is

42:49

revealed that's why we preach this that's why we live this think this way

42:57

we live this way like realtalk you know

43:05

19 years old males 19 years old now with a summer camp and there was the dual

43:10

half way past 12 minutes y'all were right

43:15

I believe something about myself y'all know better good grace thank you I'm 19

43:23

years old and I had lost my grandmother when I was a kid but you know my grandma

43:29

was old so it is what it is plus I was 9 I didn't understand and then I lost a

43:35

friend of mine like in fifth grade I was like a fourth grade and he died and I remember just crying crying crying and I

43:40

didn't quite understand it I'm just I just knew he was gone and it was it was like it hit he's gone but I remember

43:47

being 19 years old and they told me that a friend of mine had passed this friend

43:55

of mine when he came from Puerto Rico we spent every day for a year together because he didn't know English so I

44:02

translated everything for him all right and as the years went by we didn't stay

44:07

as close to friends but there was a bond there that you know you couldn't break so whenever we saw each other it's like

44:13

this is my dude not only he's my dude when he came to America I was his guy like he needed me every day at school

44:19

right because my school at that time did an offer like ESL program so we were at the hip every day we were together every

44:27

single day for about a year all right at school at school when I found out he

44:34

died at 19 Hey how do you fathom death I

44:42

remember being at his graveside and um

44:48

like when they lower the casket in that

44:56

moment in that moment five lessons on

45:02

how to have really great relationships in that moment how to steward your

45:08

finances in that moment how to prove

45:15

that you know the dating of this prophetic timeline is right in that

45:23

moment only got one thing I'm hoping for

45:28

resurrection only got one thing I'm hoping for the soon coming of the Lord

45:35

Jesus Christ and this here thing this year thing is built on one truth one

45:46

he's alive and he's coming back that's

45:52

what this is built on this isn't built on us getting together in community so that we can have a good life in this

45:57

world now and we can have like some sort of moral grounding every seven days for our kids and for us in our community

46:03

that's all good it's a very good thing we need that we need more churches in America we need that but this year thing

46:10

is not that this year thing is we gather around resurrected Messiah and we preach

46:18

this coming we preach is coming so I

46:24

don't know I don't know who you are

46:30

where you've been in relationship to this but there's a reason we sing that song I can get the team up here there's

46:36

a reason we sing that song that death was arrested because in hope and in

46:43

freedom we will partake in that body

46:49

that was broken so that we might be made whole and then hoping in freedom we have

46:55

a wholeness that's greater than the sum of its parts he was ripped apart so that

47:00

we can be brought in and we put our hope there we live there this is how you set

47:08

your mind on things of the Spirit you live from this place from this place out

47:13

we don't hope they're like the world hopes and wishful thinking we hope secured in our waiting as what biblical

47:21

hope is secured in our waiting because he who is faithful is also true and he

47:27

will bring about that which he promised we don't wait wishing we wait knowing in

47:33

confident expectation that this thing will in fact come it's

47:41

been a long time since I preached the Adventist I'm pretty sure that some

47:46

Adventist messages but this is this is Adventist Second Coming y'all new body

47:53

all hope in Christ Jesus y'all we live this thing and if anybody here has suffered loss as we all have I invite

48:01

you all to sing this song sing this song with a new hope sing this song knowing that that body has conquered death and

48:08

it's now a celestial body that will bring us and pass us through the heavens to forever live in the hope that he

48:14

promised us amen you

48:26

you

English (auto-generated)

Love Reality Tour 11

Transcript

0:00

so uh I'm really excited actually about sharing this with y'all only because it's one of my uh favorite uh sort of

0:08

ideas inscription I got to be honest this idea oh my goodness

0:29

that's a nice shirt right here man the cuteness of wards man I'm

0:35

telling you how you doing here go on man that kid is man he's so

0:41

cute yeah man I come back I come back to BBC just to see siona

0:48

right that's that's probably I'm just that just probably means I'm getting on in age

0:54

well I have a nephew I have a nephew he's three years old and now I was telling Hui that I see children

1:00

differently I mean I'm not a father right but my my sister's nephew I just love the mess out of him and uh so I

1:07

think there's that element maybe parents you know it's just like on an infinitely more scale because I'm just an uncle but

1:13

a parent that when you see little children like you see your children in them I imagine all right so it's just a

1:18

different relationship now like before toddlers was like oh yeah cute toddlers like they're awesome right now I see

1:24

like little boys and I think of my nephew because I love him so much I'm like ooh Kaden so I see siona and he

1:29

reminds me of my my loved one Kaden and so um

1:35

yeah and so we could segue right there right that when um

1:41

it's interesting you have this thing of like uh well I'm so glad that when I stand Before the Throne of God God

1:47

doesn't see me but he sees Jesus Christ all right you guys heard that phrase before and we've Minister and we live

1:53

from that phrase that he doesn't see me he sees Jesus Christ no no no no no no let's let's correct that real quick he

1:58

sees you that's why he sent Jesus Christ he sees you and He sent Jesus Christ in

2:04

order to restore you and redeem you according to the truth of what the father has always seen you as

2:09

he saw you in truth and he saw you under the authority of a false father right it

2:16

was like children's story it was awesome okay come on in y'all go on and he sees

2:23

us and he sees what he sees sons and daughters that are actually that under the Dominion of a

2:30

false father get close it's all right oh sorry man you won't see the his turn

2:35

around to see the board all right come on in y'all and this guy has gotten cool real quick

2:43

so let's let's set this up again that when like that's such a great example I see see owner right

2:50

and he reminds me of my my my nephew Kaden right I see Kaden in him to some

2:57

degree and I I I mean the kids amazing right but I see Kaden in something about

3:02

my heart because I love my Kaden right it just goes out that way you with me

3:09

when God he sees us he sees us and in seeing us

3:16

He sent Jesus Christ so that you know that when he sees if at the right hand of the father now Jesus Christ is when

3:22

he sees Jesus Christ he sees him as the hope of humanity and he sees Humanity in him so that through Jesus Christ he sees

3:28

us it's because he saw us that He sent Jesus Christ

3:35

because he had such great love for us Jesus Christ doesn't stand in the way as

3:40

though he Shields us from the father that's a broken model of gospel that's let me call that out that's not

3:46

gospel that's not good news that's fear of judgment and so then Jesus stands in the way of some sort of judgment that

3:53

the father is going to bring and that gospel is motivated by us thinking we have to do something but

3:59

thank God that God has done something and he shielded us with Jesus Christ no that's not what it is if he saw us under

4:08

a lie and in seeing us under the LIE He sent Jesus Christ to proclaim the truth and Jesus Christ proclaimed the truth

4:15

even unto the point of death that he was willing to suffer in his body the fullness of our unbelief

4:22

do you know that it is Humanity that killed Jesus Humanity killed Jesus the father didn't

4:28

kill Jesus Humanity killed Jesus the father let him be killed because he gave Jesus over to humanity

4:37

and Humanity poured out its unbelief on Jesus and in pouring out its unbelief it

4:43

did the worst thing it could do and it killed God and God came back out of the ground

4:49

resurrected and said hey y'all killed me but I Rose back in order to prove to you

4:55

that my love is even stronger than death so here are three words Humanity I love

5:01

you you with me so that his love overcomes the grave and

5:09

it was us who actually it was us who were acting in participation with the

5:15

grave and why were we acting in participation with the grave we were acting in participation with the grave

5:21

because we believed a lie and the LIE we believed was that God was

5:26

not the sword of God that would actually see us through love we believe this lie that God was harsh he was severe he was

5:33

an exacting creditor that was going to visit us with judgments and in believing that life we thought we needed to behave

5:40

a certain way so when Jesus came and told us differently we didn't believe him because we knew what God really

5:46

wanted from us so when Jesus said no no this is what God really wants they saw

5:51

him as a threat because if we listen to this guy if we listen to this God we're going to be in

5:57

more problems yet again because God will come and visit us with more judgments because we haven't kept the law if we're

6:04

listening to this radical so then when Jesus was betrayed that's

6:10

why I was prophesied about him that they said it is better for one man to die than the whole nation perish why because

6:17

they thought Jesus was a threat to the nation little did they know that in killing him they were fulfilling the

6:23

heart of God they were fulfilling the plan of God that he would allow himself to be murdered by his own in order to reveal

6:30

how far he would go to bring them in the fold

6:35

you with me so it was us being under a false father and why is it that we're under a false

6:41

father because we believed a lie we've believed a lie I uh I was actually

6:48

I'm so glad my Manuel's here right I haven't seen him in years but just a touch point because hard part of this

6:55

message um was actually something I received from uh brother Ty so many years ago and

7:01

I don't know if you've heard this right Ty has that sermon closer than Angels you remember that one thing is powerful I want to share part of that and um yeah

7:09

just seeing you was like man that's such a good sort of echo right for tonight uh

7:15

and it's this Jesus is the son of God right

7:21

but you know that in Luke chapter 3 verse 38 I don't know if we have the text there we'll go to Luke chapter 3 verse 38 there's a genealogy and that

7:28

genealogy tells the story of Jesus family line and it goes all the way through the Old Testament figures and

7:34

look where it ends for the sake of time we'll just it ends with the son of Enos the son of

7:40

Seth the son of Adam the son of God so according to Luke's genealogy Luke

7:48

the good doctor who is the son of God he actually ends up identifying who

7:54

Adam is the Son of God very interesting right So Adam is the Son of God this is the

7:59

category that Adam embodies he is the Son of God Adam then actually goes and

8:05

well Adam is given a planet right you imagine that you you wake up you rise and you're aware in the world and God is

8:11

like hey I got something for you and you're like what is that he's like take care of this planet oh all right okay

8:18

but I you would think that maybe Adam's first question is like uh um can you explain what's a planet

8:24

how does that work right but Adam is the figurehead of a whole planet this is

8:29

other Bible presents Adam and what is it that Adam runs into Adam runs into a

8:34

problem where his authority over the planet is actually stolen it's taken right he goes and his wife has this

8:43

fruit and she's there and she gives it to him and he takes it and eats and when

8:48

he takes it and eats they're both like oh my goodness we naked they run off right they cover themselves God comes in

8:55

he's like what are you all doing right and what does he say he's like it was the woman what does the woman say he was

9:01

that Serpent and what does God say to the serpent right all your days on the ground we

9:07

talk about this right talked about this week but what's interesting is what happens to the authority the figurehead

9:14

of humanity who then takes Authority there's a passage in Scripture that

9:21

gives us a little insight it's Luke chapter four so Luke chapter 3 here

9:26

you're going to Luke chapter 4 and by verse around four and five it's when

9:31

Jesus is actually taking up to all the kingdoms of the world right this is the

9:37

during Jesus Temptation he's out there with Satan right after 40 days in the wilderness you guys know this story she

9:43

spends 40 days in the wilderness after 40 days the enemy appears and the enemy takes him up to a very high place and

9:50

shows him all the kingdoms of the world at once all right now let's stop there for a second okay

9:56

what's that ability think about that that the enemy has the

10:01

ability to show this Panorama all in a minute so what does he have the ability to do in this world

10:09

like that says something about he has the ability to change what we perceive

10:15

what we see if we let him change what we see

10:22

because he and presents all of these kingdoms and what does God say what does Jesus say he tells him if you worship me

10:27

next verse I believe I hope we got them all he said them to you I will give all this Authority and their glory for it has

10:34

been delivered to me and I give it to whom I will so all the kingdoms of the world have been delivered to the enemy he presents

10:42

them to Jesus and he propositions him says listen if you Bow Down and Worship

10:49

me I will give you all that which was handed over to me fascinating that Jesus

10:55

does not actually correct him on the point that he has authority over the Earth

11:00

never corrects him why because he in fact does have authority over the Earth

11:05

because when Adam lost the authority guess who stepped in and so he has the rightful authority

11:12

over all of the earth and he offers it to Jesus what's interesting is that Jesus is actually there in order to

11:19

secure all of the earth back to himself but he won't do it any other way than

11:27

the way God has spoken so let right there let that let that sink that Jesus is actually presented a

11:34

scene that he can live according to what he sees and yet how does he respond

11:40

he responds by saying so it is written right so he lives according to what he

11:49

and hears it is the word that determines how he lives not what he sees we've been

11:54

talking about this all week we do not live according to the circumstances that we see we live according to the word in

12:00

us through holy spirit so that life never speaks louder than truth

12:05

and Jesus has modeled it for us so let's continue just to double down on this idea Job

12:13

chapter one right you guys know Job chapter one job is the story of this man

12:18

who's real wealthy he loses his family and quite disastrous conditions and it's

12:23

really problematic for us theologically because it's like what's God doing there right and that's a sermon that maybe

12:29

your pastors will preach right gets a little thorny so I'll let you

12:36

guys do that right I got to make a whole nother point but Job chapter 1 in verse 6 tells us

12:42

that there was a day when all of the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan also came

12:49

along with them so far we have identified Adam as the Son of God and as the Son of God he has responsibility

12:55

responsibility over a territory but we've also identified that that territory he lost his authority over it

13:02

when he relinquished it over to the enemy the enemy fast forward thousands of years actually offers it to Jesus

13:08

Jesus seeing it offered to him is on a mission to reclaim it but he

13:13

won't reclaim it in the way that the enemy is offering we're good so far good I want to double down on who these

13:20

sons of God are look at this Satan comes along with them now I don't know if you have the next verse seven and eight but

13:26

Jesus God actually asks him like hey where are you coming from right and

13:32

Satan responds what from Roman to and fro on the earth let

13:37

me show you a quick example of what this is okay uh man it's so nice that you guys are all here this works out so well all

13:45

right um you guys all met just already on three row rise one two three

13:51

all right and just come on stage right here and everybody just kind of gather together right just kind of and look

13:57

this way look this way all right just look just stay right there look this way right foreign

14:13

you are a quick learner aren't you so all the sons of God gather together before the throne and it's really like

14:19

an administrative Council like God has an Administration and and this is a whole nother thing in the Old Testament

14:25

that we don't have time to go into but God governs his territories through administrative bodies he doesn't just do

14:31

it himself right that's why Adam actually had authority over Earth because Adam was the administrative

14:37

Governor the vice region on Earth Adam was the one designed and intended to

14:42

take care of the earth and then every once in a while Adam would go up to this heavenly meeting and Report are we

14:48

together so one day these sons of God get together all these sons of God are there and Satan is amongst them right hiding

14:55

behind somebody right

15:05

it's only fair because yesterday he was Moses right listen man you know you we got low

15:12

production budget you got to play a lot of parts yeah you hear that's right right

15:19

you've had it rough this week haven't you so what happens who again who are these

15:25

sons of God now if I could pause again and little diversion if you go to job 37 like we're starting four five six and

15:32

seven this is a time when job is actually interacting with God right

15:38

and job is interacting with God you know in the Book of Job job wants an interview with God job wants to see God

15:44

right because of the pain that he suffered and he's like I want to see God I don't know if you've ever been there

15:49

but it's a real thing right but job gets a response that he wasn't actually quite ready to get God comes and starts asking

15:57

him a whole host of questions he's like listen job let me ask you where were you when I actually created the world right

16:03

where were you when I sunk its bases where were you when I told the water it

16:09

can only come so far so he's doing this whole thing right and then he says where were you

16:14

when the sons of God right shouted for Glory and the morning Stars uh uh uh

16:21

exalted I think it's like Romans uh job six seven and eight uh of I probably is

16:26

it 37 6 7 and 8. or is it 38 678 38 sorry I messed that up sorry man

16:33

but it's in there all right it's in there Job 38 right so what what is it that's happening these sons of God at

16:39

some point are aware and alive when God is actually creating so think back to

16:44

Creation week and as God is actually speaking planets into existence and he's actually vocalizing reality and it's

16:51

coming together these sons of God are doing what like you guys are shouting you're like ah

16:59

thank you all right all right so that's what's going on

17:06

right so these sons of God watch this is what it tells us these sons of God exist prior to Creation

17:13

you with me so if they exist prior to Creation there are other some things that participate

17:19

in God's administrative Council that's what Job 38 reveals to us so that

17:24

in the scene of Joel chapter 1 when they come together for another meeting all of a sudden there's one amongst them

17:31

that wasn't there when he created but he's now there after creation

17:37

and his name is Satan and the question then is Satan

17:44

yeah yeah step out of the step out of the way brother Elijah

17:54

right the question then is Satan what what uh where you coming from

17:59

huh exactly right look at that he knows how to play the role he's coming from my

18:06

Dominion from walking back and forth on it right you ever seen the dog Marcus territory yeah he walks back and forth

18:13

like this is nah I mean I say this every time it's not just a knock on him right

18:20

it's it's he has the Dominion it's his place right

18:25

and notice that he doesn't get kicked out he doesn't get told you don't have a place to be here

18:31

he's fully recognized as a member of this administrative Council that represents God's domain

18:39

why here's the uncomfortable truth that at one point in Earth's history our representative before God

18:47

was the enemy when the council met

18:53

to actually discuss matters of God's Kingdom our representative

19:00

where Adam was supposed to stand was the enemy

19:08

Helga have a seat usually you go away but like yeah

19:17

so what is it that happens y'all the administrative authority of our Earth is under the work of a false

19:24

father he's under the we're under the authority of a false father are you with me

19:32

and as I considered this there was something that the Lord put on my heart

19:37

and it was mind-blowing when I saw it and it's that first y'all all know this

19:43

you guys all have Bibles go to Philippians chapter 2.

19:49

you see this with me but this thing blew me I mean we're not we're not there well we'll see

19:58

I start tripping over things as I'm speaking once I start getting excited because this thing is so good

20:05

oh Philippians chapter two we're going to start verses 5 through 11. right and

20:10

look look at look at what Philippians 2 teaches us it says that

20:16

have this mind are you there with me Philippians 2 verses 5 through 11. have

20:21

this mind amongst yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus this is a beautiful thing this mind belongs to us

20:26

in Christ Jesus but look look what it tells us that he did who though he was in the very form

20:32

God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but made himself

20:37

nothing what's that telling us it's telling us that Jesus is on the throne with his father

20:43

right and that he sees the condition of mankind

20:49

and he looks at Mankind and he knows what ought to be done

20:56

they know because it's the plan hidden from ages in the Council of peace this is the mystery that is going to be

21:02

revealed and watch at no point for Jesus is it even

21:10

a question he doesn't look at his father he doesn't look at his standing as the king of

21:16

kings and think that grabbing and holding on to that is actually worth

21:21

something if he can't actually come and save so he's in a position of authority and

21:28

what does he do he immediately leaves that position look at verse 7 makes himself nothing

21:35

takes on the form of a servant and is born in the likeness of men he becomes a baby

21:41

right and being found in human form he has humbled himself by becoming obedient to

21:48

the point of death even death on a cross Jesus is incarnated leaves heaven to

21:57

come into Earth into the realm of the enemy and becomes a man right but to be

22:04

a man he had to First be a baby right so he comes in as a baby and why does he

22:09

come in as a baby so that he can grow up in amongst us be just like us so that he

22:15

can then reveal the truth about us

22:20

comes in just like us grows in amongst us so that he can reveal the truth about

22:26

us right you should maybe after tonight you should go read John chapter 8.

22:34

oh we got time foreign I mean it's my last night here anyway so

22:42

you know it's not like it's not like you're gonna be like you know what that guy preached along I'm not coming tomorrow yeah

22:51

neither am I

22:57

you go to John chapter eight right and you go to verse 31.

23:04

John chapter 8 verse 31

23:19

. John 31. actually let's go to verse 25.

23:28

ah 9 23. it's just another minute but at this

23:34

point what's an extra minute 8 23 he said to them you are from where

23:42

you are from right you are from below we've talked

23:48

about this whole system you're from Below I am from where

23:55

you are of this world I

24:00

am not of this world I told you that you will die in your sins for unless you believe that I am he who will die unless

24:08

you believe that I am he you will die in your sins what's he saying y'all are still slaves y'all are part of

24:15

this world you're under the condemnation of the law because you think that by performing the law you're actually going

24:20

to have righteousness and in doing that you've believed the lies of your false father

24:25

because you think that the way to righteousness is actually in somehow relationship to this but I'm from above

24:31

see I'm a son I'm a son full of spirit and I know who my father is

24:37

and because I know who my father is I'm coming to reveal the truth but you will

24:43

die in your sins as a slave if you don't receive the truth of what I'm trying to tell you

24:49

you with me we keep reading verse 26

24:54

verse 25 who are you Jesus said to them I've been trying to tell you from the beginning I have much to say to you and

24:59

much to judge but he who sent me is true and I declare to the world that I have heard him they didn't understand

25:06

that he had been speaking to them about the father so Jesus said to them when you lift up

25:13

the son of man then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own authority but speak just as the father

25:19

taught me and he who sent me is with me he has not left me alone for I always do the things that are pleasing to him as

25:26

he was saying these things many believed so Jesus says when you lift me up you will actually see the heart of the

25:32

father you will see what the father is really all about and in this chapter this is a

25:37

chapter where he says you don't receive it because you're believing the LIE of your father the false father Satan the

25:45

enemy the one who represents the race and you continue to believe himself at

25:50

the expense of the truth and in doing that you're slaves and then how do they respond to him they're like we're not

25:56

slaves then what does Jesus tell them anybody who continues practicing sin is a slave

26:02

to sin unless you receive Redemption through my blood you're always enslaved

26:07

under the authority of the false father who uses this whole system of condemning you to keep you enslaved and if you

26:14

continue to identify yourselves in agreement with that slavery according to what the false father has said you'll

26:21

always persecute me we can't receive the truth and the grace

26:26

of what the father is actually trying to tell us through Jesus if we continue in this identity

26:34

this is what the Lord revealed to me there's a story in uh Kings First Kings

26:42

chapter 3. and it's the story of uh two women

26:47

and The Story Goes that these two women are ladies of the night and these ladies uh they share a room

26:53

together and they both have infant children and one of the ladies is sleeping next

27:00

to her child and so is the other one of the woman one of one of the ladies rolls over

27:06

and smothers her baby in the middle of the night she realizes in the middle of the night

27:11

what she's done and she sees the lifeless body of her infant child

27:18

but she also sees her roommate sleeping next to her living child

27:24

she concocts a plan she takes the lifeless body

27:30

goes to the living child and pulls the null switcheroo leaves the dead baby in the arms of her

27:37

sleeping roommate takes the living baby and puts it next to her and behaves as

27:43

though nothing has happened the next morning the first woman

27:49

wakes up and much to her astonishment there is a dead child next to her

27:56

you could imagine she probably thinks it's hers the initial moment

28:04

but upon closer inspection it's not her child at all and she sees

28:09

that it is actually the child of her roommate and she confronts her roommate and her roommate

28:16

no no that's not true that's your baby you killed your baby so her roommate

28:24

in order to uh have a child is willing to steal

28:30

somebody else's child in order to have something for herself

28:35

her roommate is willing to steal somebody else's child in order to have

28:40

one for herself willing to steal somebody else's child

28:49

so the case gets passed up all the all the way up to the judicial courts and it gets passed up to Solomon Solomon is the

28:55

son of David and Solomon is supposed to be the wisest man that has ever lived up to that point right because Solomon is

29:01

not the wisest man who has ever lived right Church the real Solomon came and was just a bit

29:07

wiser so Solomon's supposed to be the wisest man that has ever lived and the case

29:13

comes before Solomon and everybody I could see you can imagine like a whole court is full like y'all are sitting

29:19

here and Solomon's sitting in his throne and here comes in this problem right and

29:24

Solomon is like tell me your case and the women begin speaking she stole my baby

29:34

and Solomon is listening and you can imagine somebody on the side somebody like in the audience is like oh

29:40

man wait for this Solomon he's super smart hey he gonna he gonna figure this out because they say he's the wisest man

29:46

that ever lived oh yeah the why is it the wisest he's real good like okay and there's excitement like all right can't

29:51

wait to see what Brainiac pulls out right because I don't know what to do all right well don't you worry Solomon does huh

29:58

and Solomon's sitting there and Solomon says um got it

30:04

got it got it everybody's breath of baited waiting waiting for the wisdom of Solomon Psalm was like you know what

30:11

I'll do I'm gonna grab a sword I'm gonna split the living baby in half

30:16

you can have half you could have half split the other one in half everybody gets halves everybody's happy right

30:22

guy over here this is the smartest man on earth this huh

30:30

all right and you can imagine everybody standing around like no no Solomon don't do that that's that's uh you know but

30:37

nobody's going to tell them right because Solomon's got the sword ain't nobody trying to tell Solomon right

30:42

and so what happens they bring the sword Solomon has it and I'm sure that people were looking at

30:49

this and just like Solomon

30:55

Solomon takes the sword grabs a living baby

31:01

and he is about to bring the sword that will make this child who is whole

31:07

into parts he's about to take this child to his

31:13

whole and rip him into Parts with this sort of Justice

31:18

and as he's about to come down the woman cries out

31:27

everybody stops the woman speaks don't do it King Solomon

31:35

give my baby to that woman

31:40

give her the baby I'd rather my baby live under an enemy

31:47

and hopefully come to know the truth about me than to have the curse fall on it

31:55

I'd rather my child live under a false father in hopes of having the truth

32:02

revealed instead of the curse falling on it

32:08

and so it's in that moment

32:13

that Solomon speaks give the living child to this woman

32:19

for it is only the heart of a true parent who would be willing to let their heart

32:25

be ripped so that their child might be whole this is the true parent

32:33

I told you that boy was smart

32:39

right think about this the heart of a true parent

32:45

is willing to let a child be raised by an enemy

32:50

and still have life in hopes that one day the truth about who that child

32:56

really is might emerge and you imagine how the enemy would speak to that child if the enemy had

33:03

kept that child what would the enemy say about the true parent

33:09

she crazy don't listen to her she's going to tell you that she loves you but she's just

33:15

telling you she loves you so that you have to perform for her she's trying to kidnap you she wants you to do something

33:21

to be something and she's really trying to hurt you she's really trying to punish you she's really trying to visit

33:27

you with some sort of judgment so the false father or the false parent would have raised

33:33

the child up in a complete lie and the child would not know who they

33:40

really belonged to because they would have so believed a lie that they would have seen their true parent as somebody

33:46

to be suspicious of

33:52

And So It Goes that you and I have been

33:58

and were under the authority of a false father and yet it was the true father who sent

34:05

his son to come into the family of the false father to

34:11

be raised up and reveal the truth about lost sons and

34:16

daughters and who they really belong to how does he do this

34:22

John 12 teaches us how he does this if you go with me to John 12 verse 31

34:28

I believe it might be up there and it's funny how this is all in John right John 12 31 check this out

34:35

Jesus says verse 30.

34:42

oh man I don't know it's going to go up you got you guys there in John 12. actually let's go to 27 if that's all

34:47

right because look at this I know right it's really bad side of that it just goes bad by the end of the week

34:53

now it's my soul trouble and what shall I say father save me from this hour let's think about it the true father has

35:01

sent his son into the camp of the false father to reveal his heart and Jesus

35:07

being in the camp of the false father knows that the moment has come and what does he say to his father he

35:13

says father save me from this hour but Jesus knows for this purpose I have come to this hour

35:19

father glorify your name that there might be a revelation of your

35:25

heart and Truth then a voice came from heaven and said I have glorified it and I will glorify it

35:31

again to have this imagery with me it is amazing to me that the father is

35:37

probably standing as he's like visually he's standing on one side and on the other side is the camp of the enemy and where is Jesus Jesus is in the midst of

35:44

the camp of the enemy trying to teach all those who are captive under the false father that they're really

35:50

prisoners of war and they are not who this false father has been telling them they are

35:57

and the way he's going to reveal it he tells us this verse 31 look how he's going to reveal it

36:03

uh verse 31. now is the Judgment of this world now

36:09

will the ruler of this world be cast out and I when I am lifted up from the earth

36:14

will draw all people to myself he said this to show by what kind of

36:20

death he was going to die what does that mean that in the camp of the false father he would be lifted up

36:27

he would be lifted up and in being lifted up in death he would demonstrate the heart

36:32

the heart of a true parent who would be willing to be ripped apart

36:38

ripped apart so that you and I might understand how far he's willing to go to let us know

36:45

that we are in fact his children Let Jesus be ripped apart so that you and I could be whole to uncover the LIE of the

36:53

enemy because the enemy says no you're mine because you're sinners but it's only the true father that would

36:59

look at you and say no you're mine because your sons and daughters and he's willing to go to the point of death

37:05

to demonstrate that his love is stronger than the LIE of the enemy and so he gets

37:11

lifted up on a cross and magnifies his love and says all the murder that you

37:16

can enact on me all of the sins that you enacted that brought me here are not

37:22

sufficient or not sufficient to overcome my love for you

37:29

and so Jesus gets raised up and in this demonstration of the love of God on the

37:35

cross we come to know that it is only the heart of a true father that would allow the Sword of Justice to fall on

37:42

him and to fall on Jesus for our sake so that we can have a revelation so that

37:48

there can be this cursing of Jesus so that we might receive the blessing of Abraham

37:57

go to revelation 12. 10. you asked me

38:03

that right there is that good gospel it's good gospel right

38:09

12 10 check this out Revelations the last book of the Bible 12 comes right after 11.

38:16

and a little before 14. Revelation 12 10. look at this and I

38:23

heard a loud voice in heaven saying now real quick who wrote the Book of Revelation

38:28

who wrote the Book of John it was a trick question good job did you notice in John 12 31 he says now

38:36

is the Judgment of the world did y'all notice that look at what the same author says in Revelation 12 10.

38:43

now same language now the salvation and the power and the

38:48

kingdom of our God and the authority the authority of his Christ

38:56

have come when did The Authority come

39:01

now but when was that now when he was lifted up at the cross notice how it uses the line Christ

39:08

doesn't use Jesus why does he use Christ because Christ is the idea of Messiah of Messiah the anointed one

39:16

and so Christ being embedded in that is drawing our attention to what the anointed one has in fact done and the

39:22

anointed one has brought Authority by actually giving his life for us and

39:28

look what it says the authority has come for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down who accuses them day and

39:35

night before God so Jesus Christ on the cross receives

39:40

the sword of judgment in his body he's ripped apart like we talked about this morning in second service ripped apart

39:47

so that we might be made whole Psalms 22 teaches us that from the inside he's melting this visceral violent language

39:54

of the insides of God actually being undone read Psalms 22 it's crazy because

40:01

that's the psalm that Jesus actually cites on the cross on the inside being undone ripped apart right and then

40:08

Psalms 23 where yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the through the valley of the shadow of

40:13

death I will fear no evil this is Jesus even if I go through the valley of the shadow of death where am I putting my

40:19

trust and then you get to Psalm 24. I don't know if you have red Psalm 24 but all of

40:24

a sudden this is Jesus ascending in glory and the Sentinels are on the gates

40:30

waiting for Jesus to come so what happens Jesus dies ripped apart comes up

40:35

in resurrection power full human fully God unites us to himself and now says

40:42

this is the truth of the father behold he calls you children receive and believe this good news

40:49

right Good gospel so far good

40:54

then he goes through the heavens right he ascends goes through the heavens

41:02

and when he ascends through the heavens this is Psalm 24. yeah I could just visually see it right Jesus leaves the

41:08

mountain of Ascension it's like I'm with you always I give you the spirit I'll be back and

41:15

he takes off and Hebrews tells us that now our high priest passes through the heavens he's going in order to secure

41:23

that which he has purchased and he passes through the heavens and I can imagine all of Heaven is Waiting All Of

41:30

Heaven is Waiting because they've been watching these scenes they know that the king of glory has died and that the

41:36

power and salvation and authority of the Christ has now been initiated they know that he has the keys

41:43

Life Death he has them he has the keys over hell Hades over everything all authority is his and they're just

41:49

waiting all of Heaven is Waiting you can imagine Jesus both

41:54

appears boom all of Heaven silent

42:00

and the Sentinels at the gates one of them dares yell out who is the king of

42:05

glory and they yell it out not because they don't know but because they love to hear the answer

42:13

who is the king of glory in another one yes the Lord God Mighty in battle

42:21

because he makes war and righteousness and so is Jesus ascends Victorious the

42:27

Angels see him and he brings a train of captives he brings those who he has resurrected as a

42:33

down payment of the authority of the Christ and I could just imagine as he walks through the Gates of Heaven All Of

42:40

Heaven is remarking at him like there he is and they don't know what Jesus is going to do and Jesus

42:45

doesn't doesn't want the worship at the moment he's got something on his mind and he goes all the way to the very

42:52

throne and you know where he goes he goes to that very place

42:57

where the sons of God used to meet and his father seated there

43:05

and Jesus arrives and when he arrives

43:13

move slowly but with purpose and all of a sudden Jesus finds himself

43:19

in the very same spot where Adam would have stood

43:25

and now in that spot it no longer belongs to the enemy because the enemy

43:30

was cast out the Judgment came the authority has come

43:36

and now Jesus stands there so that where sin abounded

43:41

Grace abounds that much more and in the person of Jesus Humanity has

43:47

security that we will never ever lose our spot before the king because Adam

43:53

number two is alive and Aslan is on the move

44:04

Good gospel that's good gospel will we receive that tonight

44:12

what if I told you that's not the gospel whatever I told you that's a good gospel but it's not actually the best gospel

44:21

whatever I told you it's not the best gospel you see because foreign

44:26

Jesus isn't really I'm not sure how sentimental he is but he's always doing a new thing

44:33

he's always doing a new thing and so he stands there but for a moment

44:40

then he keeps moving and there's a seat

44:45

that's been empty for a little while and that's to seed everybody's waiting to see filled

44:51

and so Jesus the new Adam doesn't stand where Adam once stood

44:57

all authority has been given to me and he sits down

45:02

takes his seat at the right hand of the father and secures

45:10

something that the Universe could have never conceived do you know what he secures

45:16

Revelation 3 20. this is where the good evangelists would draw your attention to Revelation 3 20

45:22

right you guys all know this one right it's right there up on the screen but hold I stand at the door and I what a knock if

45:30

anyone hears my voice and opens the door I'll do what I'll come in and I will leave with him

45:36

he with me and this is where the good evangelist if I was a really good evangelist I'd say something like how

45:41

many of y'all want to eat with Jesus everybody raised their hand right how many want to let Jesus in right amen

45:46

right like come on but see Jesus doesn't want to just have

45:53

dinner that's good I'd love to have dinner with

45:58

Jesus but Jesus don't want just dinner see because through one man came sin

46:03

Adam brought through one man's obedience has come the gift of righteousness where we

46:10

reign in life verse 21 of Revelation 3.

46:16

the one who conquers I will grant him to sit on my Throne as I also conquered and

46:23

sat down on my father's Throne do you know that each and every single one of you are

46:29

created to be royalty in Kingdom we're not Sinners saved by grace barely making

46:34

it we're Sons and Daughters destined to sit on the throne with Christ Jesus

46:41

why because we then become the very demonstration of a heart of a father who

46:47

would be willing to be cut off so that his children could have the kingdom

46:53

he gives us the kingdom in Christ Jesus

46:58

you are not barely making it into heaven the kingdom is yours it is my father's

47:05

good pleasure to give you the kingdom and you have it now

47:12

if you receive your set standing as Sons and Daughters did you know that your destiny is to reign

47:18

to reign as royalty in the Kingdom of Grace

47:24

why because you who were lost you who were prodigals your father never saw you

47:31

as less than what he always imagined you as and the robe in the ring were always yours you

47:38

who believed the lion were in Adam one he always saw you for what he intended you in Adam too

47:44

you who had fallen and become slaves to sin he always saw you through Liberty

47:50

and he set Jesus Christ to Proclaim Liberty to the captives so that you could stand in the favor of Our Lord

47:58

you who used to be condemned under the law he who knew no sin became sin and

48:04

became the curse in his body he bore our sins on the tree so that you and I could become the righteousness of God

48:11

now reigning in life now

48:17

Romans 8. Jonathan what I thought we were just barely making it

48:23

into heaven now y'all that's that false gospel that would position you as doing just enough to

48:29

barely make it over the finish line but we start from the Finish Line because we start from where he finished he's the

48:35

author and Perfecter we don't start on a race we start in Victory and then we run the race again precisely because he's

48:42

already won we out there being Hussein bolt Victory

48:48

lapping that's this life this life is Victory laps y'all cause every day is a

48:53

privilege to shine with the truth of who you are in this perverse and wicked generation that needs a revelation of

48:59

his love we Victory lap in this place so that they might know that the truth that is

49:04

within us can't be overcome by the death that they living in

49:10

so we speak reconciliation to the world as ministers of reconciliation why

49:16

because we know who we are and as we see them we know who they are they don't know it because they've believed alive

49:21

the false father but through us we can Proclaim something better and let them know they were created for a destiny

49:27

they could never fathom to Reign and rule in the kingdom of God because God's the sort of God that would actually give

49:33

you the throne and he goes to the kitchen to serve you

49:40

this is the god me and Justin been talking about this week if you had to look at the story of

49:46

Batman and tell me which character represents God which character in Batman is God

49:51

it's easy it's Alfred he's the one that serves

49:57

to empower the children to walk in the destiny that he has always seen in them

50:03

you with me Romans chapter 8.

50:10

this is good Romans 8 verse 15. for you did not receive the spirit of

50:17

Slavery to fall back into fear but you've received the spirit of adoption as Sons and Daughters by whom we cry

50:25

we are not we are not below the line anymore y'all in Christ Jesus we receive

50:31

the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father we have the privilege of calling him father

50:38

we don't just call him God we call him daddy because we're sons and daughters

50:43

and we never let our ability to sin identify us as anything less than what he says we are so if you fall while

50:50

you're Victory lapping you get right back up and know that there is access because the veil has been torn and you

50:56

have standing and you could sit on the throne that he says is yours to sit on you don't come to the Throne all here

51:03

and it pleasing no we leave sin behind we call it out for

51:08

what it is it's a death and it's a lie and we confess it and we speak true but we also speak truth according to to what

51:14

the blood says we are Sons and Daughters we don't come hands on knees to the

51:19

throne of grace we run boldly to the throne of grace because I'm a son

51:24

[Applause] and If Ever I fall on the way I Rise up in the confidence that I know he is

51:31

greater than my heart that feels condemned because even though I feel it feelings aren't Lord he is

51:38

and so we run this way we live this way in the beauty of Holiness don't you let

51:43

it be said that this Grace We're preaching that empowers you to live according to the darkness you've been

51:48

delivered from Grace without transformation is a perversion we live in beauty of Holiness

51:55

we stored these bodies well we don't objectify others we never live at the expense of one another we don't lie we

52:02

don't steal we don't cheat we're not sexually immoral we're not given the orgies or drunkenness because we are

52:08

children of the light we Reign and if ever you find yourself in any of those

52:14

activities you bring the truth of God to bear in that darkness and you call Sin

52:19

for what it is but then you name yourself according to what he's spoken about you and don't you ever let that

52:25

activity identify you as anything less than what the blood speaks

52:30

for the blood of Abel speaks better things over your life you have been gathered into the festival Gathering of

52:36

the firstborn where we have participation in the holy city of Zion for we are citizens of

52:43

Heaven seated in Heavenly places blessed in all spiritual blessings now

52:49

now in Christ by faith

52:57

16 the spirit himself Bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

53:02

and if children and heirs listen to y'all we're heirs Heirs of God and fellow heirs with

53:08

Christ how much does Christ inherit how much does he get so how much is yours

53:15

how much is yours right now in Christ Jesus everything you ever needed and wanted is

53:21

in his heart towards you you are his beloved daughter that he has seen from long ago that he wants you to stand in

53:27

beauty of holiness because he names you beloved everything that we are in Christ Jesus

53:34

heirs provided that we suffer with him in

53:40

order that we might also be glorified the suffering we've all we've always named it as like persecution right

53:47

the suffering that you suffer as a Christian is that you never let the testing that you experience via the

53:54

circumstances of Life move you from the commitment of the faith what do I mean

53:59

the circumstances of life that would try to shake you you never let it move you from the confidence of who you are

54:05

that's how you patiently endure you never let circumstances speak louder than truth so that if you find yourself

54:12

in a jail cell you say rejoice rejoice and again I say rejoice why because I

54:18

know how to endure because I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me and I can endure all things in Christ

54:23

that's Christian suffering we suffer well we suffer with confidence we suffer

54:29

with hope why because the travails the tribulations of this life cannot

54:34

overcome his body and if he is alive then as he is so are we and we will

54:40

never die I will never die and that spirit that is alive Within Me

54:47

motivates me to live according to the truth and the victory that is already mine so when somebody sins against me I

54:54

never let that sin produce sin within me because I've been freed from sin so that I can live in the Holiness of

55:00

righteousness so if I get slapped on the side I turn that cheek wide because I live from a position of strength never

55:06

counting your sin against you because he didn't count my sin against me

55:12

and so we live in holiness because I start from the throne not because I'm trying to get to it

55:23

Ephesians 2. this is where we finish

55:34

this was actually man when when you see Todd man you tell them this is my favorite thing that he

55:40

actually taught it's uh this illustration that he uses

55:47

I want to read this to Ephesians 2. and just bring the bear everything that

55:52

we've talked about this week Sons not slaves we don't participate in

55:59

this old system we have access through Melchizedek

56:05

citizens of Heaven don't look to the law for righteousness

56:10

our life agrees with the law hear me correctly and my life agrees with the law because the law is Holy righteous

56:16

and good and if I've been made holy righteous and good my life agrees with the law we together but my righteousness

56:22

does not come from the law it comes from he who is righteous because if the law could give life then Jesus Christ need

56:28

not be crucified we are right Adventists

56:34

my life agrees with the law but it doesn't derive its righteousness from the law

56:40

Ephesians chapter 2. and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked following

56:48

the course of this world following the prince of the power of the air the

56:53

spirit that is now at work and the sons of Disobedience among whom you all once

56:59

lived in the passions of your flesh carrying out the desires of the body and

57:05

the mind and were by Nature children of Wrath like the rest of mankind

57:10

do you guys hear that language do you remember when we talked about the absence of spirit you see right there

57:15

where he talks about sons of Disobedience follow body and mind why because they don't have Spirit to set

57:21

their mind on so it's only body and mind absent of spirit

57:26

some of y'all are here this you get what I'm saying to you we set our mind on spirit

57:32

verse 4 but God rich in Mercy because of the great love with which he loved us

57:38

God rich in Mercy why because he wanted to prove the faithfulness of because he

57:43

wanted to prove that he was right in this great controversy because he wanted to make sure that all

57:50

the universe saw that he was the rightful ruler do you really think that LeBron needs to

57:56

prove his talents against a three-year-old do you think LeBron plays against the Junior High kid dunks on him and he's

58:02

like oh my glory

58:11

why does God do anything because of love

58:16

because he is love and as he moves in love he is Vindicated he doesn't seek

58:23

Vindication he just loves and who he is is the truth of reality

58:30

does his character get Vindicated yeah sure but he is love

58:35

and is a demonstration of love it's two words love wins

58:45

so let us be concerned with love not with the winning

58:52

because love wins we don't win

58:58

but loving just we become love and love wins I'm not

59:04

trying to live in order to be I am so I do love wins I'm not trying to win via love

59:11

be not do we are because he is and so we live

59:17

because we're his

59:22

but God rich in Mercy because of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in our trespasses

59:30

this is when we're enemies of him dread in our trespasses made us alive together with Christ by Grace you have been saved

59:37

raised us up with him and seated us with him in

59:44

Heavenly places in Christ Jesus so that in the coming ages he might show the

59:50

immeasurable Riches of his grace and kindness towards us in Christ Jesus for by Grace you have been saved

59:58

through faith through faith put on Grace and this is not of your own doing it's a

1:00:04

gift of God it's not the result of work so that anybody may boast we are his workmanship you know what that means

1:00:09

we're his creation he created us and he created us and recreated us in Christ

1:00:15

Jesus to live the Holiness that he has always destined us for not in order to perform in order to be but because

1:00:21

Holiness is a reflection of who he is God prepared that beforehand that we

1:00:28

should walk in them this uh this is the part right here verse 7. seated Us in Heavenly places so

1:00:35

that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches this is this is the thing I love that Ty showed

1:00:41

so uh there's gonna come a day we're uh

1:00:47

might be like a million years from now and uh we've long forgotten about

1:00:54

LRT and PVC and heaven so good and glory is so good

1:01:01

we're actually maybe on the new Earth at this point and the form of life is so past that it's just

1:01:07

oh yeah it was

1:01:12

it was and uh maybe one day God starts creating like he did in the presence of the sons of God starts creating again

1:01:20

one day and uh now we

1:01:25

Greg Jonathan we actually get to stand and watch him

1:01:31

create we PVC family right

1:01:37

Jesus is doing his thing God is doing his thing and again he's just he's creator

1:01:43

and we get to watch like the sons of God watched when we were and he's doing it

1:01:48

yes yes God what was the thing you guys don't know and now you hear me

1:01:59

sorry I made it sound like a dolphin and now we're watching and we're just

1:02:04

like in awe right all of us and a whole new family a whole new creation is brought into existence

1:02:12

we're pumped and uh some time passes after that and one day

1:02:18

maybe one of these new creation they're taking a tour around the place they're getting to know their new surroundings just like Adam when he

1:02:24

popped up he's like what's a planet right like these people they're trying to figure out what things are right

1:02:29

and uh maybe one day they they stop right by the throne right and they and

1:02:35

and Cody they look at the throne and they look and they're like wait hold on

1:02:40

something's off I look at the throne they're like what's going on

1:02:46

and at that moment maybe an angel is flying by and this new creation says hey Angel

1:02:52

I'm in here to talk to you Angel comes down

1:02:58

good how's it going going good you're one of the new creation right yes yes I am you finding your place all right yes

1:03:04

you're liking everything yes really good he's like but listen angel I got a question for you he's like yes please do

1:03:10

tell he says um I was uh I was looking at the throne now the throne might be like I don't know 100 miles away but you

1:03:15

know supervision I don't know that's not the point right

1:03:22

and uh he says Angel what I came by and I looking at the throne and there's a

1:03:28

problem Angel says what's the problem says isn't that the Throne of our God

1:03:35

it's the throne that's our God he's like but look look close it's like yeah he's like

1:03:41

who is that what do you mean who is that

1:03:46

angel on the throne of our God that's a man

1:03:53

the angel will say oh you don't know

1:03:58

I don't know what you don't know about

1:04:04

Jesus the man do you only see God it's like yeah what do you mean Jesus the man

1:04:10

oh you don't know about how he and why he Angel what are you saying and then the

1:04:17

angel would say I can it's not my story to tell

1:04:23

in that moment a call will go out and the angel will say George

1:04:30

George I need you to come and then maybe George is still hanging out with Greg

1:04:39

and and Greg Greg Greg's with George and George Craig do

1:04:46

you hear it there it is and Greg will know is he Jonathan

1:04:54

then of course me I'm like yeah man let's go see oh no where you at well at this time he's real grown and beautiful

1:05:00

right and he gets we and BB and Anthony and

1:05:05

Brian and Sheila and Andrea and Sarah and it is us who will gather all

1:05:11

together in Danny and we will acquire of humanity descend upon that new creation

1:05:18

and we will tell him the story of the Gospel about how we were lost and got

1:05:24

found how we were under the Dominion of a false father but Jesus came to make us

1:05:31

his own and that it was through Jesus becoming a man that we had righteousness

1:05:36

placed within us to give us the authority to sit on a throne and it will be us those who have

1:05:44

received the truth of their standing as Sons and Daughters who will proclaim the

1:05:50

good grace of our God for time immemorial and in eternity to come

1:05:55

because only in us only in us only in US

1:06:01

is the true righteousness of God revealed in these bodies that were once

1:06:07

lost but are now glorified broken now made whole slaves who are Sons and

1:06:13

Daughters those who have received their identity according to this Good gospel

1:06:20

and it'll be only us who get to tell that story

1:06:26

you want to tell that story receive the story now

1:06:34

he calls you Sons he calls you daughters stand in this good grace now

1:06:43

so I'm gonna ask the team to come up here you know sing this last song together

1:06:48

As we sing this last song posture and position your heart to receive this truth

English (auto-generated)

 

Interview



Episode 13 - A metamorphosis of faith with Jonathan Leonardo of the Love Reality Tour

644 views May 8, 2019

I recently sat down with my good friend Jonathan Leonardo to discuss his faith that has both grown and simplified over the past few years. We have both grown up in the adventist system of belief...my faith has all but vanished while Jonathan's has seemingly deepened. SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/2H08RPU Connect with Vast Noodle: - Visit our WEBSITE: http://www.vastnoodle.com - Follow us on

I've always been a fan of searching after truth and I thought that the truth of things was systematized in theology

0:12

so then a plus B equals C on some level

0:18

I allowed myself to agree with the assumptions that were necessary to come

0:26

to those conclusions and yet in being a mouthpiece for those conclusions I

0:31

didn't have real life change and the one truth that changed it was that I knew I

0:37

couldn't earn God's love I couldn't do anything so actually justify myself

0:42

before him whether I believed in him or not didn't change this one unchangeable truth that I was loved by God and

0:49

actually having that from the inside out changed it all I could argue with you

0:55

all day about the logic of things before I used to thrive off those conversations that's what my identity was not anymore

1:02

my identity is that I'm loved and I live at peace with other people and with myself

1:13

Jonathan jump jump Jonathan leo

1:19

Nardo great to have you on knowing and

1:24

believing today great to be here on knowing and believing today where's our fancy seltzer water you

1:31

that's just pretty nice seltzer water yeah I like how you treat your guests Oh only the finest treatment for our guests

1:39

[Music] so I'm excited to talk to you about belief and materialism and religion and

1:48

all of that because it's really nice to be able to run ideas past someone that I

1:54

know and trust and be able to push back against my own ideas that's a valuable thing that's

2:00

good I hear this is my friend I love him I've known him for a long time man but he annoys me with his brain

2:07

garna but it I think it's such an intriguing thing to be able to have a discussion where you can be put in your

2:14

place corrected and see something new that's good you know so I like that yeah

2:21

mmm to me it's very interesting to talk to you now because I mean the last time we talked like this on camera you were

2:29

in a somewhat different place oh yeah yeah I was way more religious way more religious whoo how's that whole

2:37

transition look because from what what our common background of Adventism I'm

2:44

I'm not I wouldn't call me Adventist anymore by any stretch but I'm definitely trying

2:50

to find a way to believe and a way to process and figure out what's going on

2:59

yeah and I've stepped away from Adventism and I've seen since the last

3:04

time we spoke to now you've transformed and grown but I don't really we haven't

3:11

really talked about it much yeah and it's it would be interesting for the first kind of question here to just see

3:16

how do you see yourself having changed over the last I don't know probably five or six years since we had that

3:22

conversation yeah so for me it ends up being a thing where I used to be really confident in theology and rather certain

3:29

about the system that I who was a part of that I emerged within from a little

3:35

kid all the way up to an adult and through theology and theology I mean

3:44

like the academic study of God particularly within a Christian a

3:52

Christian framework within an Adventist lens and tradition that I came to

4:00

certain conclusions about the world about humanity about God and about the

4:07

way everything functioned that was really precise in a lot of ways and yet

4:15

it wasn't actually accomplishing what it promised and that was a change

4:21

life interesting talk to me about that ring what do you mean like what you just

4:28

verbalized to me is something that like I hear that and I'm like oh that's what

4:33

I felt but I can't elaborate it on it as much what do you like you felt that you were seeking a more rigid form of

4:46

religiosity or you were at least in that and you felt that were you able to

4:51

subscribe to that more understand it more that it would create a transformation in you yeah well I for me

4:58

it was that it was that I've always been a fan of searching after truth and I

5:04

thought that the truth of things was

5:09

systematized in theology so then a plus B equals C right you put this Plus this

5:17

and you come out with that and whatever that is is in refutable because you put

5:23

one plus two so it must equal 3 and whether my life agrees with it or it doesn't it's true on the plainness of it

5:31

so that theology then becomes at least the theology I was doing Adventist theology it makes sense because listen

5:39

we got the numbers down when we do the prophetic decoding we got the identity

5:45

of the beast down when we do this sort of biblical work we know exactly what

5:52

happens to somebody after they die we know that they're gonna go here and not there and we know this so precisely

5:58

because we've decoded the book right and so to some degree I was committed to that because on some level I allowed

6:08

myself to agree with the assumptions that were necessary to come to those

6:14

conclusions and so I just became a mouthpiece for those conclusions and yet

6:20

in being a mouthpiece for those conclusions I didn't have real life change what did I mean you know me from

6:29

forever was my embarrassing stories it what you know of me was my Achilles heel I would say pride

6:37

mostly because you feel that you've thought everything out but it's only been life experience that put you in

6:43

your place and changed your mind yeah so pride and then what was gonna be the

6:48

downfall of me externally ladies exactly [Laughter]

6:56

and I was there man I'm preaching all over the world I'm in Australia I'm in

7:01

New Zealand I'm in America and I won't do ministry in certain cities because I

7:06

have girlfriends in those cities and I'm smart enough not to ex-girlfriend yeah

7:11

ex-girlfriends not to preach and play in those cities and I mean girlfriends very loosely I wasn't in a committed

7:17

relationship you know saying yeah we were in a committed situation ship every

7:23

time I came to town so I wouldn't preach and play in the same city if I played in a city I didn't preach in that city so

7:30

here I am contending for this systematized theology but there's actually no transformative power in my

7:37

life hmm come on man as some sat some point you got a I had to be honest with myself and

7:42

be like all right this isn't changing me this isn't changing me right like I'm out here just hiding what I really have

7:51

had and carried for X number of years hoping that one that do change but I'm still living it out so then what good is

7:58

all this theology be doing so what began the transition away from should I call

8:07

it legalistic faith I would call it from for me in my frame where I would call

8:12

what began to move away from living like a hypocrite or what we can to move away

8:17

from living in your lust what began to move away from just being a slave to sin

8:24

yeah what what caused that what caused wood well see so you were living

8:29

you were self admitted admittedly living a hypocrite hypocritic lifestyle at that

8:37

point for you or at least you were believing in a way or embracing theology

8:44

in a way that you did not see changing you yeah I was believing ecology and I was accepting it on its

8:50

face value as true but it wasn't transforming me and I was caught in this

8:55

cycle where I had a theology that justified me staying in that selfish

9:03

behavior because hey I'm always a sinner you know there's grace that's gonna come

9:08

and cover me so I was had a theology that allowed me to continue to live that way but then that very theology well it

9:16

didn't allow you to come well I guess you did like from what you just said just because I don't come yeah we'll

9:23

come if I continue to believe and there was like this perverted sense of as long as I keep preaching this maybe there's a

9:28

change of coming I just gotta stay faithful and you know in one way that

9:35

wasn't true and then another in another I guess it was cuz it changed it come right but it somehow went deeper for you

9:41

and it it seems like you've lost a lot of the the insisting on not maybe not

9:49

literals maybe not the right word but it seems like you've lost a legalistic approach and embraced more of a what or

9:57

am I saying that right I don't know I mean I only insist on being right with you me personally just cuz it's so much

10:07

fun still great well thanks for stopping

10:13

by with so I mean what what was it so

10:18

was it just the realization that this isn't changing me I've got a search for more was there like a lecture was I mean

10:25

what what began was it was it what you see as God calling you to something more

10:32

and that you just felt like I'm not getting it there's got to be more I had I heard the gospel for real and how did

10:38

that happen I popped on YouTube and through a series of clicks and events I

10:44

ended up on a YouTube page where a guy was preaching about living in holy

10:50

spirit righteousness and that we were created to live with a destiny and a

10:56

legacy and an identity that God wanted for us and that we can live freedom and in holiness free from our

11:04

sin free from other people and free from the expectations that we put on

11:09

ourselves and as I started hearing the true gospel of Jesus something happened

11:16

man and I remember I sat there and listened to this guy and other guys like him for 810 hours straight just consumed

11:23

it consumed it and I'm listening the stuff that I hadn't heard before and this is me sitting as a PhD student at

11:30

theology at this point I have two degrees I have my bachelor's degree in

11:35

theology and my master's which is a dual master's in well it had two double

11:41

majored double emphasis and and these youtubers just unseated your theology yep and these youtubers just came

11:48

through and wrecked me because they presented the simple gospel of Jesus Christ and I went to bed that night with

11:56

my head spinning like I've never heard this before I didn't know this was possible and I went to bed just asking

12:05

God asking the Lord Jesus like you know that I can't live this way anymore because I'm either gonna stop doing

12:13

ministry because I'm a pursue this other life or I'm gonna just blow it all up

12:21

because I'm gonna try to keep doing ministry but hide this other life and he's gonna catch up to me and by that

12:27

point it was catching up to me yeah and man I went to sleep that night just head

12:34

spin and man woke up the next day and my life was changed I woke up the next day track and the first thought that came to

12:41

my head was God loves me and like I knew with every fiber of my being that I was

12:48

loved by God like I knew it from the inside out so how did that work a change

12:54

in you like how's that how's that change anything you knew before God loved you but now you yeah but now I knew it

13:00

inside like spiritual things are spiritually discerned like I had a

13:06

living experience that I woke up the next day and the lust that was all over

13:14

me or was not they're not in the same way and I've never been the same

13:23

I've never been saying and I mean you can you can ask my friends you yourself know you've seen a change in me I I just

13:30

and the one truth that changed it was that I knew I couldn't earn God's love I

13:36

couldn't do anything to actually justify myself before him whether I believed in

13:42

him or not didn't change this one unchangeable truth that I was loved by God I regardless

13:49

I'm loved by God period and actually having that from the inside out changed at all I could argue with you all day

13:56

about the logic of things and we'll do that for fun on this podcast but that isn't where I live my life anymore I

14:02

don't live my life and being right on the like that some philosophical

14:08

argumentation on providing evidence for God that's not where I live from anymore

14:15

I gave that stuff up I love having those conversations with you and with others before I used to thrive off those

14:21

conversations that's where my identity was not anymore my identity is that I'm

14:26

loved and I live at peace with other people and with myself this is where the crux of it is for me

14:34

at this moment because in my deconstruction from faith the same faith

14:41

that you had that you were far more knowledgeable and phd-level and I'm just kind of a citizen of the town kind of

14:50

thing rather than the mayor I stepped away from you know in the same way it

14:56

didn't seem to have the framework to truly change me and I've watched too

15:03

much grasping at legalism uncertainty to

15:11

a large degree yeah as a way of proving this is true and that will do a great

15:16

change in me know at the same time

15:21

rejecting that I went with that preconceived idea of I can find apps

15:28

truth to give me meaning to agree you know and I've gone the other way you

15:35

know very very close to atheism as a way of trying to figure out what's true and

15:44

at the end of that I found a materialistic explanation of why things

15:51

happen how molecules bump into each other and why and what happens afterwards but lost meaning mm-hmm right

16:02

and in the dead end of that you know I I

16:09

could see very closely that this is a cliff that you can easily fall off of for me realizing that I would either

16:18

become a nihilist atheist or have to

16:24

play a game with calling myself an atheist that embraces humanism even

16:33

though I even though it has it intrinsically no meaning with that explanation on it and I couldn't

16:42

honestly say I don't feel or I don't know from experience that this has

16:49

meaning in some way mm-hmm so I'm kind of standing at the edge of nihilism

16:56

looking back thinking something back here in between the two places I was at

17:02

has to be a closer position to an

17:10

ultimate truth right and it's interesting to me that you would you

17:17

would that you've kind it seems like you've kind of found that you've gone

17:25

from a legalistic framework to delving deeper into having that spiritual that

17:33

deeper spiritual experience in finding that deeper meaning in it you keep using

17:38

the word meaning what tend to say by use of that word in a lot

17:46

of everything that I've been listening to and processing there's a difference

17:51

between truth and meeting and a lot of people will say science is an objective

17:56

process of finding truths and belief spirituality and religion is a process

18:04

of finding meaning uh-huh so what does that mean what does meaning mean that's

18:12

a terrible question because it's a to some degree it's a tautology we're using the word that you want to describe in

18:19

the actual question right so what do you intend to say what's the intention of the use of this word what is the concept

18:26

that you're driving at with you right so that that concept ties into much what we were talking about previously as far as

18:34

like materialism will get you closer to objective true facts that you can

18:39

reproduce but then if you take those objective true facts and project what

18:46

they point at it this is what it means like these facts singularly in

18:53

themselves hold very very little meaning hmm but together they point towards the

18:59

bigger meaning so kind of like Aristotle says the whole is greater than the sum of its parts right there's something

19:05

more there and that's kind of also leads into the conversation of free will and determinism are we more than just a

19:11

reaction of our deterministic molecules is there something more in there you know maybe something

19:17

so then meaning to some degree is what finding fulfillment purpose ascribing Worth and value intrinsically to things

19:24

and participating in a story that is greater than yourself so that your destiny your being your person actually

19:31

matters right like before I had truth

19:37

and meaning before I separated myself from my religious tribe and process of

19:44

world worldview mmm-hmm and I learned very quickly what the

19:50

absence of a meaning felt like like I felt like well what's it all mean

19:56

Amaya just biologically deterministically responding to this is my offspring and so it's just determined

20:03

that I'll have love for them because it's an extension of me and and I have a will to survive for some reason mm-hmm

20:10

you know and at that point losing that worldview can very much

20:17

you know strip you of meaning yeah

20:23

and again this use of the word meaning in that there is some sort of

20:29

transcendence to your life that it actually speaks to something beyond and

20:35

greater than yourself that even at times to define the word meaning it's almost ineffable that's it's it's it's vaporous

20:42

outside of us where you know that it's there but you can't quite grasp it it's kind of like smoke right yeah maybe my

20:50

definition of where God is or comes from oh now you jump forward into a whole

20:57

nother puddle cuz all right sorry I won't take us there yeah yeah because you dumped it to the puddle of what you

21:02

actually believe God to be but then the question is on what basis do you believe God to be that you'd have to explain

21:09

that question to me well you'd have to tell me on what what is it on what

21:14

evidence do you actually ground or do you make sense of or can you so for

21:20

instance if I say Trent is wearing a hat with watermelon design on it

21:27

right I just made a proposition I propose something sure right and in that proposition I then have to offer

21:34

evidence in order to validate said proposition to an independent sentient

21:41

being so if I'm saying this proposition that somebody who isn't looking at you it doesn't see you I have to offer

21:47

evidence right and what is the evidence evidence is literally a body of

21:53

information that determines whether a proposition is true and/or valid right

22:03

so that it's actually in agreement so the word and reality agree okay so how do i

22:11

propose to actually offer evidence that this proposition is true Trent is

22:16

wearing a hat with watermelon design right I point to your watermelon hat it's right there

22:22

you can see it right so I just offered evidence to my proposition and this is

22:28

very easy to do well in this regard it is yeah right but then you're proposing that God is

22:36

something akin to smoke and vapor that can't be grasped so then my question in

22:43

in turn is what evidence do you offer in order to validate this proposition

22:50

you're making right so that gets to the question of how can there be so many

22:58

different PhD levels of understanding of a seemingly ambiguous book and this is

23:04

my criticism on religious structure and religious books taken too literally you

23:12

know what what validity can there be when you can go to a PhD level of

23:18

understanding on a single book or library of restricted books and disagree

23:25

between you know three different you know for however many hundreds of different annotations sir yeah I mean

23:32

this PhD level understanding over here on this book disagrees with this PhD

23:38

level of understanding on this book but now we're talking about the interpretation of a text sure then the

23:45

combination of the whole thing where my question prior to is how do you make this statement about God so remove the

23:52

text away from it okay take the text off the table just this thing that you said about God first of all where do you get

23:59

this idea of a God from the only thing I've ever known which is you know my experience with in Adventism

24:04

okay okay so then what evidence do you offer mm-hmm that then would lead you to

24:11

say that God is like smoke that he's vaporous that can't be grasped is that

24:16

from your subjective experience I have no evidence I have no objective

24:25

evidence of God yeah so then that statement in the VIP in and of itself is

24:31

one that on its face is one that speaks to your experience but one I can't truly

24:36

interact with first I don't like you there's there's a subjective experience of experiencing of meaning

24:46

self-sacrifice you know meaning lose term again but there's a subjective

24:52

experience where the collection of it all keeps telling you if you're honest

24:57

with if I'm honest with myself it keeps telling me that there's more than just the materialist deterministic

25:07

explanation of things cuz there's there is something within us that you could

25:12

say soul and that it is from somewhere else beyond what we understand what

25:18

evidence do you offer for those statements my subjective experience see i can't investigate that sure we can

25:25

actually I know which to me leaves it and I leave it liberally over in the

25:33

subjective experience and more mystical side of yeah but that's not what Christianity is based on well see the

25:41

problem is Christianity and you know the story of Christ is like I don't disagree

25:51

with anything he told us to do as much as I have a hard time accepting anything

25:57

he claimed about himself that was supernatural and I leave myself in a space of being a materialist skeptic and

26:07

saying well until I can put my finger in your side I'll stand here and you can come to me yeah so this is so the

26:16

statement of gods like a vapor that you can't actually validate in any way with any evidence is one that's wholly

26:23

subjective right that's that's that that's a proposition you made from your

26:28

experience that I can't truly investigate sure we together I not saying like actually like a vapors

26:34

no I know about literally but the idea right yeah but Christianity isn't actually built on that Christianity is

26:40

not built on the idea of God in subjective mystic interaction mmm would

26:48

everyone agree with you on that yes okay here's why okay everyone that's well it

26:54

is a big statement those who don't agree don't actually know what they're talking about me and here's why okay because

27:01

Christianity is built on one claim and one claim alone that there was a man who died who rose from the dead okay and so

27:09

the claim for Christianity is not based on a mystic subjective interaction the

27:15

basis for Christianity is actually based on a real world event where more than

27:21

one being actually interacted independent of other beings with the

27:27

real world event so that Jesus actually existed in the flesh and was seen by

27:33

thousands of people pause seen by thousands of people yeah this stupid stupid camera must be reset

27:42

every 30 minutes

27:51

seen by thousands of people I'm sorry

27:57

25 there we go No darn it pause cancel 28 there we are okay go ahead see seen

28:05

by thousands of people and his existence can be independently verified okay existence like did this dude exist yeah

28:13

I don't have a lot of problem with that well yeah but then you go into like here's my critique right or here's my

28:19

skeptical critique know is that witnesses of events are always gonna

28:26

differ and people who want to see things are gonna see things and there's so much

28:32

that handicaps a true recounting of

28:40

experience especially an emotional experience that makes it not able to be

28:47

really truly translated in what actually happened have you have you investigated

28:52

that investigated what the claims about Jesus being resurrected from the dead and the independent eyewitnesses that

28:59

actually left textual information for us to investigate I know I the answer is No

29:06

yeah yet I'm mostly in this process of deconstruction I'm still trying to find

29:11

a way to get to where I can take I hope there's ago that's where I'm at

29:17

right now well again but I can't emotionally don't truthfully explore

29:23

that yet yeah but that's the thing that if you're unwilling to explore evidence that's been left behind not unwilling I'm just

29:30

not there yet you're not what does that mean you're not there yeah um I tried to listen to a sermon the other day and I

29:36

just couldn't hear it but I'm not asked but that's the thing it's not about listening to a sermon I'm talking about

29:41

historical evidence sure I mean my pushback at this point is like okay how

29:47

many I mean how many crazy people have there been throughout history claiming

29:52

things like Christ it so anywhere and then you can go on like where he was

29:57

just that's not what I'm I don't think you're hearing me okay historical evidence like all what basis do you know

30:03

that that Julius Caesar existed historical recounting from historians

30:09

which I know you know Josephus whoever else you know did did that about Christ and everything to and we have more

30:14

evidence for Christ than we do for who's the person Alexander we have a lot of evidence for Christ so I see so already

30:22

on that one basis you know that there is substantial evidence that Christ did in fact exist the the real man person yes

30:31

yes there's a preponderance of evidence I'm kind of willing to accept that without having to do all the research I

30:36

mean that you're willing to accept it is generous but that the preponderance of evidence would the weight of evidence

30:44

the wealth of evidence the stacking up of evidence uh-huh actually towards a supernatural claim no no no no no no

30:51

first don't don't run too fast right first there was this man that existed sure who went by the name of Jesus yep

30:57

he was a carpenter from Galilee he lived in the early 1st century right yeah and

31:07

he was crucified under Pontius Pilate right yes he led a band of people who

31:14

actually believed that he was the Messiah it was said I mean they I mean

31:22

they they killed him and they're just killing it but again this is this is a thing Trent the historical evidence is

31:28

factually there that there was a group of people and listen to the language I used that believed him to be the Messiah

31:36

okay I did not say that he was in fact Messiah that so they believed him you saw him when he died they're kind of

31:42

like ah crap well again have you investigated the evidence to actually get there no yeah

31:49

so then this is my point about what Christianity is built on Christianity is

31:55

not first and foremost built on on the mystical experience with God

32:01

Christianity is built on the weight and not on one claim that a man who existed

32:09

in history mm-hmm who actually walked on earth who was crucified under Pontius

32:14

Pilate was then resurrected okay right that's

32:21

the clean these are all his Shannon cards it that's it's hard for me to fair enough fair enough but without actually

32:28

doing the investigation we can't discount Christianity as just another mystical experience that's subjective

32:34

because the basis of it is not mystical subjectivity if you have another faith

32:42

tradition that is wholly introspective via meditation for instance in the Far

32:47

Eastern tradition there is not evidence that's independent of sentient beings

32:53

that can actually be seen independently and we can actually use investigative

33:01

historical tools to claim whether or not nirvana is a real thing right right

33:07

that's wholly subjective sure that's a mystical experience that by definition is what mysticism is it is a

33:15

transcendent experience with the divine that actually happens sub with within us

33:22

with our mind right not our brain but our mind sure right that's not

33:29

Christianity so the proof claims of it

33:39

lie outside of that is what you're saying I'm saying I said the the the

33:45

thing that changed you though was that experiential oh yeah yeah the truth I'd

33:51

expect that that changed me was what I believed to be a living experience with

33:58

the spirit of this resurrected man so that yes in my personal experience I had

34:05

what you might term a mystical experience but what I'm drawing attention to is that Christianity is not

34:11

built on every experience well no no the claims of Christianity

34:16

like the the foundational claim on which Christianity is actually built is not

34:24

first and foremost a subjective mystical experience because Christian

34:29

he's not built on the relationship of a mystical experience that one person subjectively had Christianity is built

34:37

on a historical claim that can be independently verified by many so in

34:44

many ways the you see if you can get

34:50

past this but then the meaningless underpinnings are factual them and they're there I

34:57

mean these facts are not what's most important but here is the basis on which

35:04

you build to the most important what's most important for one that it's real

35:13

yeah so Christians believe that Jesus was really resurrected right I mean for

35:19

one that it you know it actually was a person yeah or you know a being that you

35:26

know the Spirit of God came into and filled and created or whatever the claim

35:33

is that he was a person just like you and I right right well know that he was

35:40

person he was embodied he was in a flesh he had you know yeah but what I mean by

35:49

person is by like the strict definition of what a person is will character body personality he actually had a body yeah

35:56

he had will he had character he had personality he had brain in mind all of

36:01

the things that actually categorize what personhood is he had all of those things right and still has him supposedly and

36:08

still has them so could appear on the couch next to me one of these mornings I

36:15

mean he appeared to the disciples after the crucifixion he could could he could

36:20

could yeah cuz that's an another interesting question as do you likewise Thomas but the way by the way you frame

36:26

that you frame it with the air of skepticism I definitely have skin right

36:32

that is incredulous and also explaining credu life before I can convince

36:37

unbelievable it's unbelievable all right like it's unbelievable it's not anything anyone's ever experienced here

36:44

that we can again again again again this is the point this is the point there are actually people who say they experienced

36:50

it and left this evidence like did you see a monkey transform into a human have

36:55

you seen that and yet people say there's evidence there's actually no you

37:00

nobody's ever seen it but everybody believes it because a certain group of people say they offer evidence right so

37:07

be just because you find the thing unbelievable does it mean that it's now something that should be marked via

37:13

sconces I'm not mocking I how's that mocking I didn't accuse you of mocking

37:19

right okay right but it shouldn't be Leslie at least this is wrong

37:25

it's mocking well it doesn't give do it doesn't give due respect to somebody's

37:33

belief that you're actually trying to engage in a thoughtful sincere conversation okay I'm all right but I'm

37:40

I'm at the point where you know people ask me like well what will it take for

37:45

you to believe well no no I'm just answering your question of what's wrong with mocking if you're actually trying to interact with another adult and you

37:53

generally what he generally mahkum it doesn't actually allow for the best of likes you know exchange right is that

38:00

fair yeah I think I mean personally I

38:05

think there there is something to humor that gets at the deeper truths that we can't really grasp you know it brings

38:13

out inconsistencies yes and humor is one thing and let's not talk about the merits the social merits of humor and

38:20

how it actually creates in-group out-group because this is the social function of humor but you know there's

38:25

actually a PhD study on that if you want to play that game yes but let's go right

38:31

back to the thing about faith and whether or not Jesus can appear next to you which totally can well according to

38:39

the claim the claim is that he can and again the claim the proposition that he

38:45

can is again there's evidence that's offered in order to validate said

38:50

proposition okay so that it is highly unlikely yes why

38:57

know that he would appear next to you that it's highly unlikely well it's highly unlikely because it

39:04

hasn't happened in great it hasn't happened a lot of times it's highly unlikely that there's a god well no just

39:11

because something is highly unlikely doesn't make it untrue right it's highly

39:22

unlikely that somebody in the next hundred years is gonna win six championships with the Bulls with two in

39:28

between one by the Houston Rockets that order of championships and that way is

39:35

highly unlikely but it happened sure okay so just as something's highly

39:41

unlikely doesn't make it under not untrue sure sure no that's absolutely but given

39:48

the history that we have of the past 2,000 years it's highly unlikely that in this time in this place Jesus Christ is

39:53

gonna pop next to you but that doesn't mean that he hasn't done it in the past it doesn't make it untrue sure I keep

40:01

hearing all these stories that in the Muslim world Christ is appearing to people yeah fair enough why not in the

40:06

Western world to me it only speaks of societies that are is it I don't know

40:16

what it is but why would Christ appear to someone in another land and another

40:22

spirituality but not appear to me as a means of you know pushing my belief past

40:30

the hope I don't know why Christ chooses to do that and I wouldn't pretend to actually know

40:35

that is it an absurd thing than to ask for well I just think it's illogical

40:41

okay because because if you allow for the fact that he has appeared to others

40:48

then he exists but then you're discounting his existence just because he hasn't appeared to you okay so the

40:59

let's see I was like saying the lottery isn't real just because I haven't won it that's a fair analogy but ya know that's

41:09

a pretty good analogy but I mean the lottery I can go and

41:16

actually meet lottery winners and I can actually you know get a ticket that represents okay anything else can you

41:22

always stop it Oh does it does it smell of mocking remarks a little bit it's

41:33

there's you can investigate that like you can go and see somebody who won the lottery right you can whatever body we

41:39

see what if somebody hasn't won the lottery in a hundred years can you go investigate whether or not there was lottery winners a hundred

41:45

years ago you can use historical recounting oh you can use historical records okay what is they they're far

41:52

more dependable in my opinion yeah in your opinion you have a nicely study date no I have not studied yeah lottery

42:00

winner no you haven't studied the veracity of his states and historical documents you haven't actually compared

42:05

them to that which you've assumed uncritically because somebody taught you in school because it doesn't make a

42:11

supernatural claim so you're telling me that this one story of religious and

42:17

spiritual whatever is the only one that's valid no I'm telling you that

42:23

there is historical documentation for you to actually go and investigate it for yourself further but you not having

42:30

done that the claims that you're making about it are suspicious because they're just coming from a subjective experience

42:35

that almost seems to be disappointed

42:41

because the living Christ hasn't popped up next to you so because it hasn't popped up next to you you're discounting

42:47

all that which you yourself having in there I'm not discounting because Christ hasn't I've come to a point where it

42:55

seems like there's enough evidence no

43:02

it's the evidence that's biased there's enough there's enough reason to

43:07

believe that people could have gotten things wrong because of their own biases there is this there certainly is that

43:13

yeah and but what I highlighted to a point of like I feel that there should

43:19

be a god with my subjective experience but I'm worried that we don't really

43:24

have a clear picture but many people know for everybody this is what happens

43:30

when friends do this so I've come to a

43:35

point where I'm only left with hope and a high degree of skepticism towards people being able to recount what

43:42

actually happened yeah but yes and I've left myself at a dead-end where it's

43:48

like alright why can't Christ just come and sit on the couch exactly and have a 10-minute

43:53

conversation exactly what I think I just said that you come to this point and you get to this place of saying why can't

43:58

Christ appear to me why can't try actually do the investigation I'm doing

44:04

the investigation no you have not been trained have you investigated invest

44:09

rent I know it's recorded on it's an iPod a podcast but I've been telling you for

44:15

years hmm we sat at your mama's table in Berrien Springs and I looked you and I told you the same thing and that wasn't

44:22

the first time I told you and this was like four Thanksgivings ago okay right there's at least six years ago I told you the same thing I'm telling you right

44:29

now if you're gonna investigate at least investigate this one claim because Christian liked this whole idea of God

44:35

existing that notion of God is one that humanity has held from time immemorial

44:40

that he is area is a being right a being

44:45

that exists beyond humanity that's transcended and he has some relationship to us in our form right whether he

44:53

intended creation or whether he's super intended creation through speaking us into existence or through somehow having

45:01

a war in the heavens that he reigns supreme and or by doing this thing in stages long epochs evolutionary stages

45:09

right humans have believed something like that about God for years all religions have believed something about

45:16

like most of you out I would now this is completely unfounded but I would venture to say like 90 in

45:23

the 90 plus range of humans that have existed in the history of humans

45:28

percentage yes they believed in some sort of idea about God oh sure yeah okay

45:34

that being said I as a Christian recognized that God is

45:43

a universal idea that humans hold at one

45:48

point in their life for another some hold on to it longer some discard it but we humans have this almost innately

45:55

right that's one thing I'm talking about a claim in history about a man right

46:04

so make a distinction between the transcendent God and this claim I'm

46:10

making about a man who claim to be God in the flesh in history Christianity is

46:16

not built on the mystical relationship between humanity and a transcendent

46:22

notion of God today that last sentence humanity is not Christianity is not

46:28

built on the relationship between Cubana T and that God that is transcendent this

46:35

mystical relationship between the vase not God only no no no Christianity

46:42

Christianity is not built or founded on that humanity has a mystical

46:51

relationship with a transcendent God that might be a consequence of what

46:57

Christianity is built on mm-hmm but it's not actually built on that okay

47:03

Christianity's built on this one historical claim okay hey Jesus the man

47:11

crucified under Pontius Pilate was in fact resurrected okay so I still I

47:20

totally understand what you're saying and I think you agree with me that you

47:27

don't discount that there is also that aspect that you experienced after watching YouTube that is absolutely

47:34

absolutely that is the foundation of it and everything else is built on historical claims that art can be

47:40

historically verified the belief in Christianity is that the experience I had is only possible precisely because

47:46

he is in fact resurrected sure sure now that that experience that you had do

47:54

you think anyone else has experienced a extremely similar thing to that outside

48:00

of the bounds of Christianity yes and it's valid yes fair enough you named it

48:08

you said Muslims right that's out of the side of the bounds of Christianity right now I mean I'm I mean I'm leaning

48:14

towards not pantheism I don't think but

48:20

pluralism to a large degree is there is there an are there other ways to God

48:26

that people have come to God outside of

48:31

again you know I would have that the question prior to that for me is what do

48:37

you mean by God and yet what do you mean by coming to him fair enough all right

48:56

so we're having this discussion earlier

49:03

talk to me about the nuances between determining truth between materialism

49:11

and mysticism like how do you do you think it's first of all do you think it's important well first of all do you

49:19

think there is truth is it important to seek truth and how do you seek truth

49:25

knowing that kind of the I don't know yeah far reaches our materialism and

49:31

mysticism eyes i I don't affirm that the far reaches our materialism mysticism on

49:36

either side I don't doubt that well I think this is a binary that you

49:42

construct in order to make sense of your experience kind of one that I don't

49:47

wholly by that on one end you have materialism and on the other hand you

49:52

have mysticism I don't think that it exists in a continuum continuum like that that mysticism is a human

50:00

experience right that is contrary to materialism

50:09

contrary well yeah I think it participates in the law of identity because what do you mean by that

50:15

oh well the three lot like if materialism is true mysticism can't be

50:20

true I guess as a philosophical approach

50:25

insisting that all there is is materialism but you can I have mysticism

50:30

right I guess I should maybe to in me

50:35

and my idea of how discern to discern truth I see materialism as very restricting

50:45

and going too far but also I see a materialistic way of interpreting what's

50:53

true okay as part of discerning what's true and a good way to get at the very

50:59

razor-sharp minuscule facts sure so materialism is a way of interpreting the world or being material

51:06

is a material ism is a way of goods or law Sophia's like insisting only what we

51:11

can reproduce and objectively prove is what's true and there basically is no

51:16

meaning yeah so again that well yeah so

51:22

hyper materialism a lot naturalism that all there is is nature all there is this material fact I don't subscribe to that

51:32

I don't hold that as a but I mean a materialist way of proving objective

51:39

singular facts it is one way of saying like you know here's a set of

51:48

materialist data points or you know material facts yeah I think that what you're saying

51:54

isn't I though yeah yeah yeah you're saying that at least there is material objective fact in our world yeah to some

52:02

degree that although we can't actually get to the proof of it our ability to

52:10

have some sort of consensus by use of reason

52:16

baseline there is materiality right right you're there I'm here you have a hat I have a shirt the world is made up

52:23

of things right right okay yeah sure and on the other end there's the subjective

52:30

experience mm-hmm that is far more meaningful to a person and it tells them

52:36

things and they gain insight and wisdom from it but it's not something that you can pin down in a in a material manner

52:44

yeah and on this regard like I hear what you're saying I just don't think that

52:50

you can make that clear of a distinction because there are those who find a lot of meaning and material right like there

52:57

are those who find a lot of meaning in their lives by pursuing just objective cold hard facts if you're gonna say it

53:05

that way well yeah sure and I'm not saying it has to be one where the other

53:12

I'm just like this dichotomy of yours that you continue to work within it's not an economy it's the out it's like

53:19

you and I both agree I think that the best political stance if you will to

53:29

lead a nation forward is far more centrist than on the far right or the far left again so what you're saying is

53:34

that there are these edges right well they they kind of they're just they're almost like

53:42

where the light falls off you know yeah and again I just don't conceive of it

53:47

that way like I hear what you're saying I just don't conceive of it that way how do you conceive of that conceivably what

53:55

precise like truth like what is truth to you and how and how yeah yeah yeah for me truth is a person so so everything to

54:06

be true first and foremost centers on Christ yeah yeah everything to you yeah

54:13

everything I see gospel everywhere okay so what okay so so how how does Christ

54:23

because you're about truth or fact because that you're wearing a hat fact that doesn't make it truth I don't think

54:29

what you mean by truth because then that's just material it's okay so I mean

54:38

this is the distinction between true and truth big truth capital T lowercase true

54:43

right right that today is in fact Sunday is true but it's not truth it's not the truth that

54:49

actually gives meaning to your life right this is what we talk about when we're actually exchanging and trade you

54:54

know if you're gonna go capital-t truth be meaning but that that seems to be

55:01

what you're attempting to arrive at right right but if you go deep enough

55:07

like you know what is true like is anything true is there any truth because

55:12

everything cuz on one spectrum you can you can go one direction on the spectrum and you can just be like well this is a

55:17

hand well it's not it's actually sells well it's not actually sells it's then atoms and it's not actually atoms its I

55:24

don't know yeah I don't take truth and you can continually infinitely take it

55:29

deeper and deeper and deeper in deep so you keep conflating these terms or you're talking about its facts you're

55:35

talking about facts like facts that you can actually observe demonstrate it right something like these are facts

55:41

right you're talking about you keep referring to truth and facts and you keep collapsing them together that there

55:47

is a relation between the two is certain but they are the same it's not facts are

55:53

not truth attract facts even by your own admission you're seemingly saying that facts aren't enough to actually give

56:00

meaning to your life right but truth is true okay the collection of the facts as

56:06

you experience them in your subjective experience are kind of like dots that

56:14

connect the line the point towards big t truth okay that's how I see it okay and

56:21

I'm just I'm trying to figure out how different people discern truth and it

56:28

seems to me for you everything centers on Christ and if you find that the you

56:37

know the nature of atoms in some way conflicts with what Christ said

56:43

Christ stays true oh yeah I don't think you're making the clear enough distinction between truth and facts

56:48

because now you're thinking that I'm fundamentalist Li looking at atoms through Christ and if it doesn't somehow

56:55

reveal who Christ is that atoms are what they don't exist or that I don't have a Capri she ation for this naturalistic

57:02

reality of atoms right pause think so

57:08

truth truth and facts like how does does Christ apply to facts to you or just

57:15

facts what you get from a materialistic investigation yeah again all right let

57:24

me see like a frame that's different leave for you okay do I believe in material yes of course I do

57:30

right do I believe in the phenomenon of nature of course I do do I believe in

57:36

Newtonian physics of course do I believe in some subatomic particles in quantum

57:42

physics seemingly yes I don't know how that works right disprove Newtonian

57:48

physics at a certain level exactly at a certain level they do not disprove

57:54

Newtonian physics Newtonian physics don't apply right right right right that's the thing they did it doesn't

58:01

dibbs disprove Newtonian physics Newtonian physics don't apply sure we're at a level so for instance materiality

58:08

isn't enough to actually give meaning right things like morality beauty all

58:17

right meaning itself all right materiality doesn't actually give us any

58:25

of those and yet we have them right and these are markers for us that there is

58:32

some sort of truth out there right from some sense yeah I see those as like dots

58:38

that if you connect them all make a picture somehow so I don't date a nice I

58:43

don't deny materiality I'm just saying that materiality and that which is beyond materiality morality meaning

58:53

beauty and science and mathematics itself they

59:01

actually find meaning and truth big t through the lens of the life that Jesus

59:07

came and revealed he lost me on that last bit there so Jesus came and

59:14

revealed the way to live in this world right he taught us how to live and he

59:19

said this way of living is the way to live and the way he showed us was a way

59:27

where do unto others as you would have them do unto you the way he showed us is

59:32

that to not live at somebody else's expense is the way we can actually all

59:38

flourish in this world the way he showed us was that we should not objectify one

59:45

another for our own desires in our own ends mm-hm and he said that this way was

59:53

so true that in this way was life he

59:58

also made the point that he was the very way that would demonstrate to us how to live this way to the point that all we

1:00:05

would ever actually live in is life itself so as he showed us this way he

1:00:11

never led the way we treated him determined how he treated us because

1:00:17

this was in fact the way he was showing us that is the way to live he was unlocking reality saying do you

1:00:24

want to live a peaceful United meaningful life in this world then don't

1:00:29

live at each other's expense even to the point that if somebody slaps you on the

1:00:34

cheek you turn your other cheek mm-hmm and he proved or at least he

1:00:40

demonstrated his commitment to this life by letting his enemies actually take his

1:00:47

life the story is this where he knew

1:00:53

what he was walking into and he walked into it anyway in order to demonstrate the very validity of his claims so he

1:01:01

made this proposition this is the way to live and then we asked the question well what evidence do you offer

1:01:07

us that this is the way that we would live and this is what he said he says

1:01:12

destroy this temple and in three days I'll raise it up so he gets murdered on

1:01:19

a cross and while he's being murdered there are those who mock him saying oh

1:01:24

you claim that you're God get up off of that cross right but he stayed he's like

1:01:29

no no something's happening here something's happening here right I'll

1:01:34

come off this cross but not in the way you think so he made this claim about living a particular way he gave himself

1:01:41

over to us we mocked him and we killed him and then he rose from the grave in

1:01:47

power in order to validate that that which he said about life is actually in

1:01:54

fact true that this is the way to live and it's so true that by living and

1:02:00

being this he overcame death itself so when you ask me what's truth I think the

1:02:07

way of Jesus is truth the way he taught us how to live is truth that does not

1:02:12

discount that there is material in the world sure what it points to is that

1:02:18

meaning morality story of origin and my destiny are found in the story that

1:02:26

Jesus came to tell us about reality and he validated that which he said by

1:02:34

resurrecting from the dead and he established that thing in my life by

1:02:40

meeting me personally there's not a lot

1:02:49

I can criticize there or easily throw away because Christianity is not

1:02:56

primarily easy to throw away no it's not primarily based on this mystical thing

1:03:02

so I'm trying to tell you it's based on historical and then yeah then it's this

1:03:09

personal encounter right built off historical how does how does everything

1:03:16

that you just said how does that cut across how you spend your money cast your vote

1:03:26

use your time so because like I was thinking the other day like geez you know someone flew

1:03:34

planes into towers hmm and our first thing to do was to go to war I mean obviously you go and attack another

1:03:40

nation after they attack you or attack the nation that responsible for the people over there but Jesus Christ was

1:03:48

the president or do you done that like that that almost gets too personal when

1:03:55

I like a difficulty I have is is the

1:04:00

example of Christ that extreme that it would call me to expect behavior like

1:04:06

that to not to not respond to things

1:04:14

like that in that manner well you ask the early Christians yeah they wouldn't have and

1:04:20

was the historical record it seems like they would have lined up to give their lives it doesn't seem like if they did

1:04:26

that's the historical record irrefutable

1:04:32

so what do you what do you do with that when you're when you live in a nation and have the ability live in a nation

1:04:39

that in many ways is able to sustain

1:04:44

itself off of taking advantage of those

1:04:50

less fortunate through our capitalist means that you know capitalism works in

1:04:58

some senses and in other senses takes advantage of those less fortunate that

1:05:05

you can hold there well you could do a number of things right you can vote your

1:05:10

conscience mm-hmm you can decide not to participate in the system and vote at

1:05:15

all or you can run for office Christians have done all of those with mixed

1:05:22

results yeah that's a that's a hard one for me

1:05:29

because I feel like if I got to the point where I actually embrace what it

1:05:34

seems like Christ was saying my life would change so dramatically that I'd

1:05:39

end up homeless and penniless and unable to support my family it's like there's a

1:05:48

there's a voice in the back of my head that says well if you embrace that truly

1:05:53

the way it seems and what it seems to be saying it could lead to that kind of behavior words coming from either a

1:06:05

guilt from a previous culture that I was involved in a real voice of God a

1:06:16

self-inflicted self-flagellating guilt for being a privileged white male you

1:06:23

know I don't know it's funny cuz you were willing to ascribe it to unbelief uh-huh to your history and or to God but you

1:06:30

didn't really ascribe it to that which the Christian faith would ascribe it to all right you gotta I don't do that

1:06:36

again so you ascribed that voice to either unbelief Cinelli how do I describe

1:06:42

ascribe that to unbelief oh because youyou ascribed it to some sort of past guilt right you don't believe in God so

1:06:48

it's some sort of hate that I don't know if I believe in God or not I hope there's a God selfishly so here's what

1:06:54

I'm pointing out that when I asked you what do you think that voice is you did it the pinpoint several options yeah

1:07:00

there are several options but none of the options were what Christians would actually say it is the voice of God no

1:07:07

it's the voice of an enemy that's trying to get you to believe that if you give yourself over to God you're gonna lose

1:07:13

something oh okay it's not the voice of God it's not the force of God that would tell you

1:07:18

if you choose me you're gonna live in scarcity that's not the gada bite of the Bible that's not even where I'm saying

1:07:25

though I feel like if I don't know I feel like if I lived my life as Christ

1:07:34

lived his I would be I would be homeless and penniless because I couldn't not

1:07:40

constantly give away everything and take care of everyone else and you said you heard that voice thank you hear that voice I then as I say I know that but

1:07:48

just to rewind I didn't asked you well identify said voice yeah what I'm

1:07:54

pointing out is that you gave several options but none of those were actually

1:07:59

what the Christian worldview would identify that voice ads so you're identifying that voice as Satan saying

1:08:06

don't do this also you'll be in a bad place what I'm identifying is that it's

1:08:11

the sum total of the work of an enemy that is trying to get you to continue to

1:08:17

be in disbelief it's not like Satan's in a room behind in your ear mm-hmm this is

1:08:24

over an oversimplification of the Christian faith yet again okay talk to

1:08:36

me about meditation yeah so what it's done for you or hasn't done for you I don't know you just briefly mentioned it

1:08:42

well yeah I cross my legs and I float in the middle of a room from not meant um

1:08:51

what I found was that and this is where you talk about this mystical experience that there is an encounter with the

1:08:58

divine that the divine is a person his name is Jesus and he left us his spirit

1:09:03

and we can actually commune with him through spirit but I don't commune with him by way of feeling I don't need to

1:09:09

feel something in order to then know that he is but you have felt oh yeah of

1:09:15

course of course I feel I do feel but feelings aren't Lord so I don't need feelings to determine the truth of how I

1:09:21

live sure right it's part of it no no no feelings don't determine the truth of how I live they

1:09:26

don't determine it but it's it's one path marker isn't it it might be a

1:09:32

marker but they don't determine sure right sure it's one of the voices of your collective counsel no feelings it

1:09:41

just is it's emotions right they're just energy in motion they're the physiological energy that exists in my

1:09:47

biological existence there's a wisdom within emotion as well as you know an ability to pull

1:09:56

you know bad place absolutely hear me cuz I think you're hearing what I'm not saying I'm trying to hear you by trying

1:10:01

to define which saying okay look at let's see you're getting better at this so that's well taken

1:10:07

alright people are gonna see this back man that job that he's so arrogant you know what

1:10:13

anybody hurt your youngest anywhere anybody who's listening to this yeah sure I'll take that I sent an arrogant

1:10:19

cuz I'm talking to Trent this is my friend for twenty years old this is like the nature of our relationship we just go back and forth so it is what it is

1:10:27

but no there are you're absolutely right there are feelings in there are feelings

1:10:32

in there are wisdom in feelings but yet the wisdom I live my life by doesn't

1:10:39

actually come from my feelings it wouldn't you say it's somewhat reinforced by your feelings and slightly

1:10:46

it's no no okay all right right this is where then your conviction is trying to

1:10:53

become my obligation but that's the very foundation of legalistic religion which is rather humorous rather ironic that

1:11:01

your experience has to then be mine yeah and you didn't need God to actually

1:11:07

push that on me this past minute yep that's how it works so so meditation so

1:11:16

that in meditation what I mean by that is they're like I read this ancient text

1:11:24

that is also a historical document of eyewitnesses those who actually saw

1:11:30

Jesus and those who actually had what you would call mystical experiences with God this is the Old Testament we're

1:11:36

talking about Ezekiel Isaiah even Moses himself right so there is that aspect

1:11:41

within the Old Testament but there's also what I say the Christian faith is actually rooted in is a historical event

1:11:47

but that does you're absolutely truth that does not take away that there's this mystical aspect but the point is

1:11:53

that the mystical aspect doesn't determine right sure but yet it's still there sure so that in my experience based on

1:12:00

the truth of what Scripture speaks I interact with by meditating on his word and thinking

1:12:08

upon that which he has spoken so when I read say I don't any of the

1:12:13

listeners have a Bible but when I read things like Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3

1:12:19

that says blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in

1:12:26

heavenly places in Christ Jesus I actually take that text and I meditate

1:12:33

on it I think about it I pressed into the implications of it and I let my mind

1:12:41

travel the road of what it actually means to have every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus and when my mind travels

1:12:49

that road I might stop at one of the markers on that road that mean like one

1:12:55

of them according to scripture means that if I have every blessing in Christ Jesus that means there is no

1:13:01

condemnation in Christ Jesus that I don't need to live a life of shame guilt

1:13:07

or condemnation so for me my meditation time might look like bringing to my mind the truth that

1:13:15

I am NOT in condemnation and I speak that over and over in my mind not as a

1:13:21

mantra but as a truth that I'm continually exploring and then I allow

1:13:27

my mind to rest on that truth for an extended period of time hmm and then I

1:13:33

posture my heart towards God in truth and as I do that in my life and I

1:13:39

meditate on his word there was a transforming power in living

1:13:44

my life according to his word and not first and foremost my feelings so my

1:13:50

feelings come into line with the truth that I believe mm-hmm what your brief

1:14:03

like towards the end there you touched on what meditation really looks like for you taking a part of Scripture and

1:14:10

really focusing on that bit of what it's saying and

1:14:17

look like a cow chews its cud right continually bringing it up and do I do I

1:14:26

do a poke do I poke the horse at this

1:14:32

point oh yeah poke I mean pokey pokey pokey what what is a what is a conservative

1:14:38

Adventist going to take away from that at this point our conservative Adventist is gonna hear that I'm a mystic and I'm

1:14:46

participating in spiritual formations and I might be in deception right yeah

1:14:52

and and a liberal Admiral say we focusing on the Word of God yeah that's great that's interesting for

1:15:04

me personally why I'm having such a hard time with separating myself from

1:15:14

conservative Adventism which is completely like petting your dog

1:15:20

backwards it's just like all the hair is going up and this is not right why is this like this where you know what you

1:15:29

described taking wisdom that hopefully

1:15:34

is from God and there is a God and hopefully hope all that dwell on that

1:15:40

and see if your life improves and see if your emotions get in line with that and you become a better person overall and

1:15:47

you have more headspace and are able to be more present sounds really good yeah no that's one posture no it's Satan

1:15:54

deceiving you going down the wrong path and you're gonna be deceived like yeah that's what I get blindsided with yeah

1:16:00

and what then I just want to throw up my hands and be like yeah I don't do it because I'm trying to be a better person

1:16:07

I do it because I'm a son so the Bible teaches me that I'm a son of God and I have the privilege of having communion

1:16:12

with my father and that as I have communion with my father I grow into the fullness of who he says I am so this

1:16:20

isn't an attempt to be better well it depends what you think of as good is good being closer to God and being more

1:16:27

of what God wants you to be yeah they're coming a better person that's well said that's will sit and that's

1:16:32

that's that's that's correctly taking like point well made I guess I'm just

1:16:37

making sure that I frame it correctly so that people don't hear that I'm doing this in order to earn my merit right but

1:16:43

what you say is absolutely correct but yeah I hear that and then the conservative Adventist might have a

1:16:49

response to it but listen man I read the book way too many times and I know the Lord now and I'm living in freedom that

1:16:55

I don't hang my I don't I don't let what somebody's gonna say about my relationship with the Lord determinate

1:17:01

like you know like God be with you on the best days God be with you and on the

1:17:06

other days god be with you man whatever if you want to have like a meaningful conversation with me about why I live the way I live in

1:17:13

relationship to the book I'll sit down with you but if you want to hear this interview and then post something on the

1:17:19

internet and they don't know me and you don't know why and you think that you're

1:17:24

the criterion for truth and that you're interpreting scripture correctly well that seems an arrogance about it seems

1:17:32

an arrogance about you know speaking into my experience as though yeah

1:17:41

especially when it comes to the book like there's a whole host of

1:17:46

interpretations of the book but I hope that on my best days I don't let

1:17:52

somebody else's interpretation of the book be the basis by which I judge and

1:17:58

condemn that like I'm happy to have a thoughtful vigorous interaction like I hope this is but to them discount them

1:18:06

and to condemn and the judge them and cast them aside is the last thing I ever want to do right because like all right

1:18:15

I've been harping on you for years about investigating the resurrection but you

1:18:21

know there's no way I'm gonna discount your experience and or your mind as

1:18:27

you're traversing this journey for yourself because it's a beautiful thing yeah I don't I don't I really wish my

1:18:36

dog would stop barking I wish my kids would recognize that and pull themselves away from the movie they're watching and

1:18:43

go get him they're not yet no cuz they're like nine and six yeah yeah and like you could you

1:18:52

could dance a Scottish jig in front of Simon when he's watching a movie and he will not see you

1:18:57

well thanks Jett maybe you should let him watch more movies that does not fall

1:19:06

in line with a conservative I'm just saying that so I didn't watch enough movie so that moving watching isn't like

1:19:13

a thing right so how do you how do you deal with like what the dance that you

1:19:21

just had to do regardless because you know there can be some conservative well

1:19:27

intentioned but fully embracing their conservative take and personality on

1:19:33

religion that can make your life extremely difficult maybe I don't know

1:19:41

where you're really out with everything right now but how do you deal with like the fulcrum seven types and all that

1:19:48

which I haven't even looked at I've just heard like that said and watch people cringe like how do I don't where do you

1:19:57

place that kind of religiosity and its effect on you I don't say you're good

1:20:04

you're just good with it really good man I don't really care not that I don't care just like I'm not letting that

1:20:09

determine like I know people on that side of the fence mm-hmm and these are colleagues of mine people I've done

1:20:15

ministry with it's people that I work with have worked with people that I love that are close friends of mine and when

1:20:23

I sit down with those people like we can have great conversation you might see

1:20:28

things a little differently but I love them I think they respect me I respect them right but when it comes to the

1:20:33

ideology disembodied from the person right like not man go kick a rock like

1:20:41

how do you how do you I respect people who doesn't that you know every idea is valid and or

1:20:47

true so if we can have a discussion like the one you and I are having yeah we can

1:20:52

have it but so so you feel like you're not just do you feel that you're not

1:20:59

just at the place of the most capital-t truth for you where you should be but

1:21:05

you're you personally are close to and working to get closer to a place of

1:21:11

truth that all people should be I I'm not I gotta be honest to be honest I just did that okay so when you talk to

1:21:19

someone who's like like fulcrum 7 great you know they're like there that's their

1:21:24

jam yeah you're like no you're just wrong man or are you like well well this is their

1:21:30

way of seeing the world in their biology it works for them to gravitate towards

1:21:36

that type of thing yeah but the message of Christ is far off from that it's just not that yeah

1:21:41

yeah when they're wrong yeah yeah regrettably again I'm 37 now right you are so old

1:21:47

I'm 37 I've known you since I was 17 sure right so the way that you and I talk is like two brothers bickering sure

1:21:54

I love that precisely because that's what we've been doing for 20 years this

1:22:02

podcast ends up being like terrible evidence about like what I'm about to

1:22:07

say is like that is not what you've been doing for the past hour so it's like yes because I'm talking to like legit my

1:22:13

brother right like I don't I have I have a brother I have a half-brother I love them like I didn't grow up with a brother if anybody's like my brothers I

1:22:20

tremble so that's why we bicker when I'm talking to colleagues yeah you're gonna

1:22:27

be I don't believe you I'm gonna tell you i'ma tell you I don't actually take

1:22:33

offense to those things when people come at me like chop now can you believe this not offense but what do you think of

1:22:38

their position I just think they're misinformed and so I'll ask questions of

1:22:44

them to point out where I think they're misinformed and more often than not those questions become really

1:22:51

uncomfortable to where they start either retracting redefining or reformulating

1:22:56

statements they've said gotcha so for instance I'll ask this question of somebody and this question

1:23:02

to me always reveals its do you believe as a Christian that you

1:23:08

are free from sin I'm often than not my conservative brethren will say

1:23:13

absolutely not and then I'll take him to Roman's 6 which says we absolutely are

1:23:19

now do they interpret it differently you can't interpret a different problems Paul's pretty clear that we really like

1:23:26

the literal words is you have been freed from sin it's not up for it's not like you have the ability to be freed from so

1:23:33

look you have been freed from sin you are in fact free from sin you are dead to sin and alive to God through Christ

1:23:40

Jesus think this way Romans 6:11 this is how you ought to think because it is

1:23:46

true in Christ Jesus so like those sort of questions when you start doing that and when you start that discussion

1:23:52

quickly the line of like a critique that they might have had for me mm-hmm

1:23:59

quickly becomes a whole different thing when I start raising things like this so

1:24:04

it's fun it's fun it is man all right so

1:24:13

you had mentioned earlier like two pillars an American faith that you have

1:24:18

to pander to patriarchy and conservative sexual values that's not what I said I

1:24:24

didn't say you have to pander to it

1:24:30

[Laughter]

1:24:35

Oh Fox News face trying to make it all sensational did you put anger to what you have to

1:24:45

deal with something oh I saw that two features of every Roman Church in

1:24:51

America so earlier you had said two features of things that you have to deal

1:25:01

with confront in any growing Church in America nah not two issues you have to

1:25:07

confront I said two features every healthy growing church in America

1:25:13

is they hold a conservative sexual ethic and they primarily have male teaching

1:25:20

okay so just that's just an observation observation unpack that for me like why

1:25:26

do you think that is oh okay no that's another thing of why do I think that is I don't know I haven't thought too deeply as to why do I think it is I'm

1:25:34

just remarking that it is okay right yeah that's a it's a boy yeah I'm yeah I

1:25:40

mean it plays into the idea of patriarchy hierarchy and all of that

1:25:48

misogyny and everything else but what is what is healthy what is just natural

1:25:54

does that play into the idea or do we force a little force forcibly positioned

1:26:00

it in that because what does what does male predominantly male teaching have to

1:26:07

do what's what's the direct line between it and misogyny and all these other

1:26:14

things you listed well like why use the abusive male power can

1:26:21

lead to that but why is predominantly male teaching you have to assume that yeah just because there's predominantly

1:26:28

male teaching does not it that's nothing negative

1:26:33

other than stereotypically within the

1:26:39

bell curve males tend to have more of a confrontational personality where they

1:26:46

will fight to the top so there's a male or men because are you making a sexual or gender distinction I don't even know

1:26:53

how to go there as I just did yeah but anyway I mean we make these host of

1:26:59

assumptions people with genes that would then call them male have more tendencies

1:27:06

towards wanting to claw their way to the top so you may come in any higher making a gender distinction based on biology

1:27:13

yes that's sexist of you i am i okay with that I don't know are you is that

1:27:18

bad I don't know you're the one I mean you're trading these ideas of misogyny and patriarchy right but you're then

1:27:26

basing it on a biological relationship between males that male sex and

1:27:32

masculinity and manhood okay so like jordan peterson says a lot of

1:27:39

interesting stuff on this and bases it on factually gain evidence and just what

1:27:50

you would not stereotypes the wrong word but it would be males tend to have a

1:27:56

higher tendency towards what is it generalization yeah it's a typical

1:28:04

surveying but you know the problems with stereotypes are not like stereotypes aren't a bad well that's why i'm saying

1:28:10

not stereotypes but males will tend to have higher trait personality traits of

1:28:18

disagree like higher disagreeable personality chance they will say that's

1:28:24

disrespectful or i want that and i'm willing to confront you to take it or get it or whatever that's just a like if

1:28:32

you do a survey you're gonna end up with that and so you end up with people in positions of power that have more of

1:28:39

those personality types and it's just a matter of fact that males end up with

1:28:46

those characteristics more often you know they just ended up having those characters if we allow for that not

1:28:52

saying that I wholeheartedly agree because there's some nuances I think we're skipping over sure and I'm not really bad at crippling the what should

1:28:59

be more nuanced but if we allow for that what then is the point okay here's

1:29:07

here's my point is that I worry that too much of the Bible was taken from a very

1:29:13

patriarchal culture where hopefully there was a God that was trying to speak

1:29:19

through this culture but they brought too much of their culture into what they were being impressed to write maybe okay

1:29:25

and so they kind of like worded things and moved around to where women should

1:29:32

be some Serbian and I don't necessarily think that that's something that needs to be

1:29:37

dictated from God and I not something that should the trajectory of Scripture

1:29:43

actually seems to be contrary to that that's actually liberating women from

1:29:49

patriarchy and I'd love to hear more about that because most of the people I talk not mostly a lot of peeps some

1:29:56

people that I talk to that are very important to me tend towards saying no women have a defined place that they

1:30:03

need to stay within and they need to take direction or whatever from the male

1:30:10

so again this is where propositions and evidence okay because now you're alluding to somebody's proposition about

1:30:18

the text okay but then that goes back to mind like if you if this is open to

1:30:23

interpretation isn't that a rat's nest you know I can be Erasmus and let's it

1:30:29

unless it determines its own rules by which to go at it but everyone determines though I mean you you know

1:30:36

how people to do it yeah I know that people can make a pretty sound case that women should not be ordained sure

1:30:42

Patrick on the matter of interpretation this is life yes was seven point four

1:30:48

billion people do every day and you're just okay with that you're okay to engage with the discussion to determine

1:30:55

what we should do how are the way aren't we need to live how yeah no I get that so so talk to me about how your theology

1:31:03

points to embracing female leadership more so than a more conservative

1:31:10

position would because I I believe that both men and women should be able to lead regardless of what subject is and

1:31:18

that I think in this current state of spiritual need that finds people looking

1:31:28

more so for meaning rather than survival I think women might be more well

1:31:34

equipped generally since women tend to relate more relationally they're better

1:31:41

at relationship naturally than men many of the times that they might be better

1:31:46

equipped to be spiritual leaders who knows who does know that be so and yet the observable phenomenon

1:31:58

mm-hmm curly and how healthy and growing

1:32:03

Christian American churches yeah have two key features one conservative sexual

1:32:11

ethic to primarily mail teaching so are

1:32:16

you saying that's how it should be are you saying that just what it is I'm just saying that's what it is I was just

1:32:22

remarking that that's what it is okay so we're what do you think from

1:32:27

what you take is central to capital T truth for you how do you extrapolate

1:32:35

into what what what does Christ story

1:32:41

say about female leadership in the church I think he empowers them and over

1:32:47

and over he empowers them to to to pin you on something do you do you believe

1:32:53

that women should be ordained within the Adventist system or just in your take on

1:32:58

it or so then we have to have the clickers I'm dead serious we'd have to have the question what do you think ordination is it seems like that's kind

1:33:05

of something we just made up yeah except that you know yeah some people hold that

1:33:10

that's a word we made up but just because we made it up doesn't make it any less true did God uses did Jesus do

1:33:17

you do it alright so we ordain women you

1:33:23

know it's like should we for pluck all women you'd ask me what's for pluck oh

1:33:29

sure so that's the question what do we mean borrowed a should women have leadership should they be able to lead in the same

1:33:36

way that men do well they should have equal opportunity to lead right does it

1:33:42

mean that they're gonna lead in the same way why because they're different sexes like I'm sure they'll lead in different

1:33:49

ways yeah so that is there any position that should be withheld from a woman just because she's a woman

1:33:54

yeah being a father okay that and that's

1:34:01

about it for you yeah that I can think of that and a

1:34:08

whole host of other things that by definition they can't do that just

1:34:15

require male genetics is basically all your yeah like and hearts I don't see a

1:34:21

woman playing in the I don't see a woman playing linebacker in the NFL anytime soon right this is just just yeah sure

1:34:31

sure okay okay so I think they should

1:34:41

have equal opportunity of leadership and

1:34:46

and you you believe that women make just are capable and according to your

1:34:54

theology are just as capable of being a pastor and you my theology informs me

1:35:01

that women are just as capable as men when it comes to leading people right

1:35:08

you're being very coy no I'm not being coy is that you're not getting the

1:35:14

direct answer you want precisely because I don't participate in the assumptions that your question has okay where are

1:35:21

the assumptions the assumptions are like can't women do exactly what men do

1:35:26

no one can do exactly what the person to their left can do exact same no exactly

1:35:32

so then can women lead of course they can lead can they lead in the same way men do no cuz they're women just like

1:35:40

women won't lead men won't leave in the same way women lead okay so should women

1:35:47

have equal opportunity to lead yes should we do our best to empower them to lead yes but then what you'd like to

1:35:57

hear is something like should a woman be able to lead a megachurch I mean should

1:36:03

there even be a megachurch in my opinion they single sure but effective can she lead we'll put her in leadership and see

1:36:10

how it goes all right and at present it seems as though

1:36:17

growing healthy churches in America have these two key features conservative

1:36:22

secretaries and male leadership male teaching consistent male teaching that

1:36:29

is not male leadership I don't say leadership I said I continually said teaching teaching the teachers continue

1:36:36

though more often than not our males not women mmm you can play the tape back I

1:36:42

said teaching every time all right all right that's okay now like I said women can't

1:36:50

teach of course they can they can and I actually believe I can be taught by a woman all right which is the very

1:36:56

argument well I thought others would make hard to like both a woman can't sit in a position of authority and teaching

1:37:03

over a man yes you can't yes she can absolutely can't I have professors that

1:37:09

authority have spiritual leaders this like date so I don't discount that at

1:37:15

all last one that I think would be

1:37:22

interesting to talk about far-left far-right and Trump I remember you

1:37:29

saying something after Trump was elected that it was a shock to you with a lot of

1:37:36

the people that you were close to that they were like yeah a pro Trump yeah particularly because they claimed to be

1:37:42

Christians and not that they shouldn't be Republican but that they would that

1:37:51

they would completely ignore the morality of a man for the sake of their political ideology and they made

1:37:58

continual excuses for his apparent moral immorality like Trump is immoral let's

1:38:05

at least say that we have enough evidence in his life that he is immoral okay let me play the devil's advocate

1:38:11

but precede this with that comment just so you know I'm not taking it the wrong way but do you do you an elect a leader

1:38:20

based on how they've performed morally cuz I mean David no no no no no what I'm

1:38:26

saying is that I was disappointed with Christians yeah

1:38:33

seemingly overlooking his immorality and making very much light of it because

1:38:38

they preferred him as candidate right that you prefer his policies more power

1:38:44

to you that you prefer them over somebody like mrs. Clinton more power to

1:38:50

you right right that you find mrs. Clinton to be immoral very fair I agree

1:38:58

but that you then compare and contrast their morality and make light of his

1:39:04

precisely because he fits your political ideology seems to be inconsistent with

1:39:10

the confession you make as a Christian right that's my highlight not that you

1:39:16

shouldn't vote what did that look like that was that was offensive to you well it looked like completely ignoring the

1:39:24

sort of atmosphere that he was encouraging at his political rallies the

1:39:32

sort of the seemingly disregard for our

1:39:41

American civility that is attempted to

1:39:47

be grounded in that all men are created equal the mockery of the disabled the

1:39:54

belittling of minorities the genuine disregard and disrespect for females and

1:40:01

their body parts and just grabbing them without asking right so and then how

1:40:08

quick we were to make light of all of those things or how to hold them under

1:40:13

the rescue boom on the road precisely because he agreed with our political position right like there are those

1:40:21

Christians that well yeah but yeah but it was the yep but that I took a lot of

1:40:26

offense to and how quick they were willing to toss away their Christian convictions for the yeah but of a

1:40:32

candidate that they preferred so what what could of those same people that let

1:40:38

you down what is it they let me down open my eyes right but I mean it are the way

1:40:45

you said I was and you were you were hurt yeah I let myself down yeah because Here I am as a black man on

1:40:53

the campus of Andrews and bearings printed she knows like one of the most diverse services in the campuses and

1:40:59

then these folks that are my colleagues

1:41:05

and professors and you know brothers Kotick or brothers and sisters are quick

1:41:11

to completely marginalize the experience

1:41:16

of people of color during that time for the sake of their political candidate

1:41:21

mmm-hmm how how could they of how would

1:41:27

they have dealt with it and not let you down seen as they might be a

1:41:32

conservative and couldn't could not have brought themself to vote for Hillary first yeah absolutely

1:41:39

president first they could have not let me down by me having maturity and not put myself in a position to be let down

1:41:45

right that's all I bet understanding the shortcomings of it yeah if you made us model yeah right I put my that's my bet

1:41:51

I shouldn't have I shouldn't position another person to actually let me down because they shouldn't have that

1:41:57

responsibility yeah and I was talking to you earlier about how I've been let down and and what I've learned from that you

1:42:04

come yeah yeah no that's it and that but the second thing is that just an acknowledgement just an acknowledgement

1:42:11

that yeah he's a moral but between the two choices I just prefer his policies that would it be really fair and I can't and I

1:42:17

actually have friends that voted for Trump that said that and I respect it yeah we're friends right like well

1:42:23

Jonathan listen I can't vote for Hillary because XYZ and I want to make my won't count and yeah he's an immoral man yeah

1:42:30

he's done XYZ but what he's saying I much rather that than this mmm-hmm fair enough it's like a logical logical and rational

1:42:39

approach to like I'm electing someone who's going to push policies I know a

1:42:44

lot of there's huge moral shortcomings with this person who is that but it

1:42:50

seemed like just to me such a like I couldn't have I couldn't do Hillary I couldn't do trum I had to throw him I

1:42:56

the lay the least evil for me was going Garrett Johnson or whoever was yeah I felt like that was saying my piece like

1:43:03

no I'm not going to go with this yeah to me it was either I had the drunk clown

1:43:09

driving the car down the mountain road or a snake driving the car down the

1:43:15

mountain road yeah the choose between the two yeah and I was like I'll just not get in the car and I'll Jerry there was no I bear no

1:43:22

ill will to those who voted their conscience have voted for Trump what I

1:43:31

did have the point of it was a personal interaction of people marginalizing the

1:43:38

the amount of deep pain over like

1:43:44

centuries that he was in in many ways with his behavior modeling that that's

1:43:51

not an issue listen and well Trump is a misogynist on record yeah

1:43:57

Trump is an adulterer on record you know right Trump is a terrible businessman on

1:44:06

record right Tom seems to be a really poor landlord on record Trump is a

1:44:14

racist on record do you remember the Central Park five yep go look that up

1:44:21

like all of these things are true in the life lived of the man that he has

1:44:26

policies that people agree with fair and if you want to put those policies in

1:44:33

office and you vote for the man fair it is your right to do so as an American if

1:44:38

you feel that these policies are the best way to move America forward fair mm-hmm but don't confess Christ and then

1:44:47

behave as though these aren't immoral let at least can we at least name these

1:44:55

for what they are you can put them in office that's not the deal but don't then then because of your desire to have

1:45:02

him in office minimize all of these as though they're not a business yeah well is he you know everybody like

1:45:08

and then you do it at the expense of the very people that he seemingly has all

1:45:15

this disregard for right that just blew my mind how I mean did did that did that

1:45:24

in any way affect your spiritual journey at all oh I think you did man it just

1:45:30

destabilized me for a while that I was like this is why political identities

1:45:36

for me are so problematic right so I you know for a while they are championed the

1:45:44

the left right and then I remember I flirted with the right for a little bit I remember I used to be a you know Riley

1:45:52

fan for quite a bit yeah yeah it's a hidden secret not many know but uh yeah

1:45:59

then it was during the last election cycle that I was really really just wait

1:46:05

hold on hold on this is one big con for the aim of

1:46:12

retaining power more often than not right I mean if you actually had civil

1:46:18

humans in the corporate world like just regular day-to-day corporal behave like

1:46:25

our politicians do they'd be fired right but it's theatrics theatrics towards

1:46:33

tribalism organize your side on both sides and then we buy in and I know

1:46:38

there's a lot of good people that want to do a lot of good for America and they're both on the left and on the right but I'm just drawing attention to

1:46:47

the support of Trump by the Christians that I knew at the expense of the people

1:46:56

that he disregarded seemed to be inconsistent with the very confession

1:47:02

these Christians were making and I was disappointed that they didn't see that

1:47:08

right so that they just marginalized it yeah I mean cuz politics are your your

1:47:14

morals and as we said earlier in this conversation where you get your morals you get your meaning from and all that

1:47:21

and your vote is kind of the materialization of all of that into

1:47:27

something and it's so it's very hard to separate those out but again I don't I don't

1:47:32

vilify somebody for having voted yeah I generally don't precisely if you voted

1:47:37

for him in good conscience for the good of the country I may not agree with the man I may not agree their policies but

1:47:44

if you can look me in the face and say I voted my conscience and I voted for the good of the country

1:47:49

then that's what you did but don't then confess Christ and downplay immorality

1:47:57

like let's just at least call it for what it is you know I'm saying right that's that's that's that's my one small

1:48:05

takeaway still going all right well

1:48:15

you're gonna have to edit this down in like in sections people love podcasts they go on and on because you can drive

1:48:22

and listen to him am I breaking into two or whatever but who wants to listen to us talk for two hours I always think

1:48:28

that but then I listen to other people do it and I'm like maybe they're just more interesting people than us probably

1:48:35

will I can't believe with that interesting yeah but that it it's a very interesting perspective for me to hear

1:48:44

from someone who's who's more at a position of being offended by those

1:48:53

political turnings you know what I mean yeah I mean I can't live my life in the fence oh I know but to be able to

1:49:00

experience the hurt and then actually process it and be able to verbalize you

1:49:06

know why that did that and why was able to you know into it to a degree

1:49:12

disassociate that and try and understand humans and not take too much offense that that's that's a level of maturity

1:49:20

that I appreciate and like to learn from I believe in the most more often than Americans are really

1:49:28

good people that love their country and want to see the best for it right and I got it

1:49:34

in every way in my life honor that even though I may not agree with the way they're approaching I think

1:49:41

that most Americans when we sit down and have a firm that's got discussion about like issues and the way American life

1:49:47

should go world we're way closer than the media would present but it's not in

1:49:54

the media's interest and or the the interest of the aims yeah and the

1:50:00

interest of the elite on both sides for that truth to actually come to light all

1:50:05

right so we how do we pull for more a more central single team together

1:50:13

unification you know it's just it seems like our nation is getting worse and worse if the tribalism we can we can buy

1:50:19

our own TV channel then try but nobody watches level-headed democracy I think

1:50:26

people listen to level-headed podcast though oh yeah but not enough people actually listen to broadcast

1:50:32

yeah we're getting neck yeah I think there's like 10 15 people here so all

1:50:37

right well us 10 to 15 will start the revolution well thank you for taking two

1:50:44

hours to talk to me and bicker you know your world oh all right love you men I

1:50:49

love you too big guy I love you t player

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Interview 2


The Love Reality Tour @ PVC

 11 / 11

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9zda1enFJw

 

Transcript

0:01

and we're live with Pastor Jonathan Leonardo we are so grateful for him to

0:09

join us in this conversation on a short notice and he is definitely free to

0:16

speak and have have agreed to come on board and share this conversation with

0:23

us won't we you know virtually welcome him wherever you are and if you're joining us and

0:30

kind of trickling in please let us know where you're watching from and that pastors are not to know if you have any questions if you want to discrete him go

0:38

ahead and do that you can do that but start off let me go ahead and just kind of give a brief introduction of how I

0:46

became acquainted with pastor Jonathan here as I was talking to him before we

0:51

got on live here I heard of the amazing things that was happening in the state

0:57

of Hawaii through a love reality tour through pastor Eric who was the youth

1:02

youth director for the conference and and through this platform and this

1:09

ministry of love reality we have seen so many young and old people being

1:14

reconciled to God and to each other and and you know I've always wanted to

1:21

invite him on certain occasions for for this particular love reality tour but

1:27

never had the chance but I'm so glad that we were having a chance for him to speak into the arena that I'm in and I'm

1:36

glad that some of you are trickling in we have Amy from Lufkin Texas welcome

1:41

welcome thank you for joining us we got JJ's channel Houston Spanish love

1:47

Panthers Avery welcome guys but today I'm going to just hand over to time to

1:54

Jonathan here and have him give you a brief introduction and background and history of how God has led him through

2:01

this very moment and we're gonna dive into our conversation our topic right

2:07

afterwards so without further adue time is yours oh yeah thank you

2:12

was to be with you guys and it's always good to be able to get together and talk gospel yeah for me I would say that my

2:20

whole sort of lens through gospel was up ended and transformed about four years

2:26

ago up to and I had you know I had done theology professionally for a long time

2:33

actually got my degree from southwestern Adventist University which is great and

2:39

and then I got a master's from the Andrews Seminary in the seventh Avenue seminary but about four years ago I was

2:46

really really struggling with just continual failure in my life as it

2:53

relates to not feeling like I had actually come into the fullness of gospel living and constantly being aware

3:01

of my sin and my shortcoming and my failures while having a knowledge of theology but not having confidence in

3:09

the way my life was going and praised

3:14

for the somebody came and said you liked to me began it has changed the way I was

3:21

thinking of those lines was this no you know the problem with the prodigal son story is that we're always highlighting

3:27

the fact that he was prodigal and we always forget that the whole time he was son right beautiful plain you can then

3:36

and then somebody you know they were like where do you think the gospel begins because if the gospel begins with

3:41

you a sinner you got the starting point wrong like the gospel begins with you as a great idea and the father's mind and

3:48

here you are right oh you've probably asked that's why God sent Jesus the

3:54

world in order to redeem us restore us and free us right I came you know for

4:01

the Lord is upon me to bring liberty right and to bring sight and so yeah

4:07

when I begin to understand that Liberty was mine in Jesus name and that it

4:14

wasn't just simply a hope I had for tomorrow but a hope that I had for today and that that home has through the Holy

4:21

Spirit I begin Jesus Christ as my all-sufficient Savior

4:26

but also as my all-sufficient surety like he is everything than that be

4:31

something and that he's freed me from the things I used to be enslaved to so

4:37

that now he can freely establish establish me as a son and I'm a slave righteousness and I didn't hoping to

4:44

earn it I did nothing to merit it but he did it for me because he loved me and he

4:50

keeps me bound to him via his own will and pleasure and as I surrendered to his

4:56

goodness and his love in my life I continue to confess his goodness in my life and I have the privilege of living

5:03

free and when I understood the gospel was that good that it was that free and it was that burden left every age for me

5:11

man and so we just go around the country wherever we're able to have a standing and a hearing in order to tell people

5:18

how free they truly are in Jesus and that they come alive on him amen amen to

5:26

that um I just want to backtrack to the time when you said that you have done

5:31

theology had been in ministry but the defining moment came later in life where

5:37

you truly realized that Jesus was your all-sufficient Savior and your identity

5:42

was rooted in your sonship yeah to God and I just want us to really point that

5:49

out because in their love reality tour that he goes on there is a a point of

5:55

reference he always goes back to and that when that point blank question

6:01

comes to you who are you where are you from are you ready and equipped to answer

6:07

that question I want you to kind of deal with that aspect maybe can tell it about that story but it's up to you to just

6:14

expound upon how everything begins with our identity in Christ yes so that you

6:21

know the gospel what happens is that the way I was framed in the gospel prior

6:27

like before it was always you know the story always began with me as sinner so

6:32

then what happened it was necessary was a change in me to be transferred sinner into something else or to have

6:39

I soon dealt with so that I could have access and that God sent Jesus in the world in order to correct that problem

6:46

so that then I could be more than what I was naturally like that verbiage is

6:52

somewhat correct but that starting point is long because the starting point is that we bear the image of God as sons

7:01

and daughters right first and foremost are made to be his imagery that's why he

7:07

humans to bear his and what had happened in me God has offered it has been stupid

7:16

and it has been impactive the deceitfulness of the foe and that for

7:22

was the enemy who uses sin as the the point of bringing condemnation and

7:28

bringing accusations upon God like when I began to understand that my identity

7:36

was not forced first and foremost my ability to sin with them then it was

7:42

that I came from my father as his son and that then I came enslaved to sin but

7:49

then saw that the love of the Father through Jesus was to liberate me from my

7:54

slavery so that I might stand in what he always intended me to stand in which is

8:00

blameless holy before him so this is that we preach really hard and it's

8:05

Romans 6 and I'm not everybody to read that chapter about ten times right now

8:16

like said Romans six like this Justin when I was started reading I couldn't

8:22

wrap my mind around it and I was like now this can't really be like how is this in the Bible

8:27

writing fixed teaches us that like if

8:33

you start with Romans six and I'll just read from the ESV you start from us things like what shall we say then or we

8:39

took taking you in sin that grace may abound mm-hmm I know means all right and

8:45

it's that ideal oh do I keep on sinning and let grace cover me over and over and

8:51

it's no first you've misunderstood sin and you've misunderstood grace because you

8:56

host the receive grace in order to give you permission to sin like no no let's not do that they sir do you not know

9:03

that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death okay all right we were buried

9:12

there for with him back as by baptism into death in order that just as Christ

9:17

was raised from the dead by the glory father we too may walk in newness of life I'm like yeah I want that newness

9:23

of life and me as a believer I've been baptized but for some reason I believe that that newness of life was something

9:29

I would get at the second coming and that's what made me Adventist that I was hopeful of a newness of life that was to

9:36

come and that I stood in faith of the newness of life now and hoping that on

9:43

that day everything would change for me right but wow this present life I lived completely afflicted and completely just

9:49

given over to my slavery right but the Bible goes on to say for if we have been

9:55

United with him in a death like his we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his this first file I

10:02

thought that was bodily resurrection little did I know that that bodily resurrection is only lift of those who

10:10

have come alive already via the spirit hmm body at the second coming

10:16

it is the reception of those who have already come alive in spirit because the body is reserved to those who have been

10:23

living in spirit and the Spirit given to those who have been born again in Christ Jesus and that's not tomorrow unless

10:30

today so a man says we know that our old self was crucified with him and ordered

10:37

body of sin might be brought to nothing and was this so that we would no longer

10:43

be enslaved to sin that that the body of

10:49

sin comes to nothing at baptism when I participate in baptism with Christ Jesus

10:54

he tells me that by faith the body of sin comes to nothing I look at this mind

10:59

shifting altering complete like reality turning verse of chapter of

11:06

verse 7 mmm for one who has died has been set free from has been set free

11:13

from sin yes that even me does that tell

11:24

them is that it we participated in the death of Christ Jesus through baptism not that we're gonna be free from sin

11:30

one day but that we are free from sin mm-hmm right and without going too far because

11:35

we only have a little bit of time with that then ends up meaning is that we're free from sin and three very distinct

11:41

ways three goes out right the one that were free from the power of spreads why

11:49

because the power of thing is via the law and the accusation that we've come

11:55

under because we're condemned under the law right this is verse 15 the power

12:01

thing is the law Romans six seven and eight clearly teaches us that since were

12:07

not under the law were not under condemnation mmm so since I'm not under

12:14

the law anymore I'm not under condemnation this is where people start getting worried that what are you saying is the lot done away with no no no no

12:21

I'm not under the law because through the spirit the righteousness of the law

12:26

is now inside of me mmm right that's not one under mmm the Spirit the

12:33

righteousness of the law is not inside of me this is the New Covenant Hebrews 8 right so I'm no longer under the power

12:39

of the law why be animated by the power of the Spirit right second I'm not under

12:47

the penalty of sin because what is the penalty of sin the penalty of sin is death

12:53

don't you sin because my Savior has liberated me from the penalty of sin by

13:00

becoming a curse for me so that I might be his righteousness so I don't fear

13:06

death because I have victory that overcomes debt and that's the faith that I have in

13:11

Christ Jesus because hid of his faithfulness towards me so free from the power of sin 3 LT of

13:19

sin and the third one really important I'm free from the prison of sin and the

13:25

mentally is the mental prisoner the mental prison of thing is always

13:30

conscious of its own sin mmm because I'm

13:35

conscious of my own sin I'm always coming under condemnation this is my right mmm yeah and people will argue

13:44

about whether or not the man in Romans chapter 7 is the converted man or the young converted man right reg read

13:51

before Justin but that's not the letter that Romans seven uses the language that Romans seven uses is either flesh or

13:58

spirit we clearly see in Romans eight in relationship to Romans seven is that we

14:05

are no longer in the flesh but we're in the spirit Romans 8:9 you don't have to

14:11

live with a consciousness that's first and foremost concerned with sin I get to

14:18

live with the consciousness that's first and foremost concerned with the gift of

14:23

righteousness that is mine through Christ Jesus then I'll live with the double mindedness that's constantly looking at

14:30

myself to see if I'm failing I get to look at him first to see him my victory

14:36

so that then I see myself in light of how he sees me and I see myself in light

14:44

of how he sees me that puts integrity into me to walk according to the freedom that he says is

14:51

mine enough getting victory over sin moment-by-moment it's about me living

14:57

from a freedom that's already mine and being the heart of his love for me

15:02

so that in the longer way I slip and stumble into patterns of my former ignorance I have an advocate before the

15:10

father Jesus Christ the righteous who is my very propitiation right knee isn't

15:15

that where first John 2 tells us he says my little children I write this to you so that you may not sin but if you do

15:22

you have an advocate before the father Jesus Christ the righteous why because

15:27

I am not established first and foremost in my sinfulness anymore

15:33

I'm established as a son because that's what was intended for me that's where the good news of my life began that was

15:40

hidden in him that he could create in Christ Jesus to manifest His image and

15:45

now I have the village of having that image be shaped and formed as I am

15:50

established in my new identity as I grow up into the fullness of Christ Jesus

15:55

Ephesians 4 so that I know that I can come boldly before the throne because

16:00

I've been freed because I've been freed but if you think about the sanctuary right at the sanctuary you have the

16:07

altar at the beginning you have the most holy place in the at the end right in the answer the reason I get to come to

16:14

the most holy place is because at the altar I received forgiveness of sin mmm

16:20

forgiveness of sin is liberty its remission of sin right when I came to

16:26

the altar and I confessed my sin he was faithful and just to cleanse me and

16:31

forgive me and because he has been faithful I now have access to the most holy place and in the most holy place I

16:38

have confidence and that's where we get to live our lives from and so live with

16:44

the identity as sons we live with the identity as children and we receive the father's love in our lives via the

16:52

relationship that we have with him because his Spirit is now in us and I

16:57

don't need to feel this in order to lead her to be tree because the Bible says it

17:03

and if the Bible says that his word has never failed his word has never returned

17:09

void so I can take it to the bank right along white shows it this way and steps to Christ like you believe it you walk

17:17

it out and God supplies the fact that's what we do without so I don't looking

17:22

for some experience I live rounded on what the word already says so that not

17:28

give myself over to my formal former deceitfulness nor give myself to some

17:35

sort of perfectionism sinlessness idea that I'm working something no no I stand rooted and established as

17:42

a son because the father has loved me and I claim by faith that Jesus Christ

17:48

is my righteousness now and I receive gift because I'm established in grace

17:54

through what was done for me at the cross so that I can have intimacy in the most holy place and this isn't just

18:01

something that I'm gonna get tomorrow but my faith in Christ I have today right now so god be praised amen to that

18:09

I just wanna I just want actually kind of break it down and bring it home in

18:14

our reality where we're in the midst above : 19 quarentine reality we've and

18:22

in the midst of all the sivan rest that is before us are all around us how does

18:28

the grace of God that is fully sufficient for all of our human experiences how does that work and how

18:35

is it at play and that he just said how can we claim that grace on a daily basis

18:42

to move from sonship and freedom and in the spirit as we engage culture and

18:49

society and the people and the conversations and social media all around us yeah man that's a really good

18:55

question because this is where what like in our and in the way that we talk

19:00

amongst our team and with the tour and with the group this is where we will name something like the outside is

19:07

constantly trying to get in right mm-hmm the outside circumstances of life will

19:13

try to get in and shake our confidence in the unshakable Kingdom that we've

19:19

received and one of the very real ways that we're seeing presently is with our

19:25

allegiance to either one way of the world or another way at the world categorized either by race or partisan

19:34

politics so that if I identify with one of those features primarily and that

19:41

feature is somehow threatened then I myself am threatened right mm-hmm

19:47

so for instance me as a black man if some notion of blackness that I identify

19:54

with has priority over the righteousness that I'm established in with an

20:01

unacceptable to be moved because blackness has always been susceptible to

20:07

some sort of attack and if the thing I identify with first and foremost is my

20:14

blackness over and against my standing as a son will weigh that my identity and

20:21

blackness goes is the way that me Jonathan your Nardo is gonna go right my

20:26

as good as that thing is going hmm makes sense yeah I'm established as a

20:34

son and because I'm established as a son I have the privilege of bringing righteousness to bear in every other

20:41

area of my life so that my notions of my blackness get attacked I don't respond

20:50

from a place of attack I have the privilege of responding from a place of

20:55

righteousness because my first and foremost identity is established as a

21:00

son and sentence see that attack because I'm living from gospel I know that that

21:07

attack is not on me personally and is not Kingdom within me and even if it is

21:13

an attack on a kingdom within me the kingdom I have can't be shaken so then what privilege of doing and just

21:21

manifesting a kingdom in the presence of attack instead of being shaken by that

21:30

external Kingdom because somehow I am too identified with a feature that is

21:37

more primary than my identity as son

21:43

okay so I really want our young people

21:48

and be the people to really fully grasp what this is all

21:53

about it's an identity issue whether you're black or white or which ever side

21:59

you you you you are on or people vewy that you're on right there's this

22:06

perception of us there's accusations they'll be made against us that we all

22:11

kinds of hatred that will be all our around gusts but what you're saying is

22:17

you can't let those things shake the identity that we have in Christ Jesus is

22:24

that true that's right Norton and we can't let it shake and we can't let it

22:29

shape the onion we have in Christ Jesus so first is Justin if you and I in the

22:36

midst of this racial unrest right mm-hmm if say you came and you were offering

22:45

some sort of sense of being an ally as an asian-american and that when I was

22:52

allowing a worldview to shape my thinking that which you are outs somehow

23:00

that wouldn't open up space for you and I to enter into some intimacy in order

23:05

to stand for righteousness if say like you came and offered yourself in some meaningful and helpful way and I was

23:12

just denouncing of you because by definition you would never understand

23:19

what it is to live as a black man right trying to bribe people arm's distance and I then place you on some sort of

23:26

hierarchy of being and then I relegate you to a different place well all of a sudden I'm showing a sort

23:32

of partiality that my reading of things is it ministering the kingdom that you

23:39

and I are a part of right we think I actually have the privilege of then

23:45

accepting you you and I working together to minister a kingdom of righteousness

23:51

in the face of a world that is identifying it felt through through

23:59

features of identity what may or may not be crown Narim influenced me I can't then let the

24:10

racial conversation and the racial discord and unrest determine how I see

24:17

and think in such a way that I would create some ungodly distance between you

24:23

and me even if even if by truth and experience you don't know what it's like

24:29

to live as a black man alright because you're coming in the strength of

24:36

ministering a kingdom of righteousness that then it's a Christian ought to be

24:41

also operating with so they I can find a way to actually manifest that kingdom of

24:49

righteousness for those will see a distance between you and I right right

24:57

yeah hold on to that thought I want to actually go to this particular question

25:03

do the prejudices people have even Christians show that we have a battle of

25:11

the flesh going on so when we're seing external world or the world outside it I

25:18

mean of course in the world and I don't wanna say and you know Babylon but

25:24

everyone that is not in Christ and of course they're going to have some kind

25:30

of battle and they're going through and they're going to side themselves from two different political on I guess party

25:38

or some type of agenda but remind Christians yeah this bit comes close to

25:45

home and I just want to see what your take us on that yeah yes so mr. Reaves I would actually draw your attention to

25:52

second Corinthians chapter 10 verse 3 right same Corinthians 10 verse 3

25:59

because I think this is a really really thoughtful and insightful question and it's insightful because it does seem

26:06

like we're battling against something and I think we absolutely are and get something and look at what uh

26:11

the Apostle tells us the second curve is 10 verse 3 for though we walk in the flesh we are not waging war according to

26:20

the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine

26:26

power to destroy strongholds and we destroy arguments in every lofty opinion

26:31

raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ being ready to punish every

26:38

disobedience when your obedience is complete what we mean by that here what I understand and possibly be saying is

26:44

that the work of our warfare now are not Cardinal so internally like you and I is

26:52

established kingdom believers the citizens of heaven you meet Justin mr. Reaves like we put on the armor of God

26:59

in order to wage a war against powers of

27:05

darkness nothing because I are now waging a war internally within ourselves the war internally within ourselves has

27:13

been it's it's done in Christ Jesus right mm-hmm

27:19

leave that that's not like you fight a faith right believe by faith that

27:25

victory is ours in Jesus name now right and then from being established in that

27:31

faith the fight that we then enter in with the world is not won against flesh

27:37

and blood but we see spiritual powers at work so right now the very situation and

27:43

unrest that you see presently is not simply reduced to historical actors

27:52

right it is also the spirit of disobedience that is very much alive and

27:58

those who did not belong to Christ Jesus because it is a spirit of unselfishness

28:04

that's I'm sorry spirit of selfishness it's a spirit that's rooted in it me first then you it's the spirit of

28:11

disobedience that is being ruled by the Prince of the power of the air Ephesians chapter 2 that you and I now

28:17

go to war with but you and I go to war established with the armament of God to actually ask

28:25

the kingdom so I look at that Martin Luther King when he did his work what

28:31

was so powerful about his work his work was one he confronted the ugliness of racism in America but he did by

28:39

manifesting the strength of Kingdom rooted in non-violent protein mm-hmm so

28:46

that Martin Luther King understood something about manifesting a kingdom and it was this that he was willing to

28:52

die because he was established in a very fundamental principle of what it meant

28:58

to be a son of God that a son of God would bring his identity to bear in the

29:04

spaces of unrighteousness and manifest the righteousness that the kingdom of

29:09

heaven is all about and if it cost you your life then that was the price but he

29:14

would ever pick up the weapons of warfare of the enemy he didn't battle in

29:20

the flesh and he did it battle the power of the flesh with the weapons of flesh

29:25

the way he bad will absolutely Anna Festing the very principle of justice at

29:31

heart of God's kingdom by allowing himself to be seen by protesting against

29:37

injustice and even giving up his life in order to make his point while not

29:44

picking up the weapons of warfare i Eve islets write and I hope that predictor

29:51

expound ation that just gave answers this question of how you tie that to Ephesians 6:12 the armour of God and the

30:02

way we fight and the way engaged in war is unlike anything else from this world

30:08

because we fight from victory as you have said and we know that the victory

30:14

has been won and God is the one who will give the ultimate vengeance

30:19

so we engage in peaceful protest but here the question the follow-up question

30:24

that I want to ask but there's many different connotations and also assumptions about the protest

30:32

itself because of all the looting and other violence that has been going on

30:37

all types of protest has been kind of wrapped into one thing where is

30:43

something that many people have viewed oh so you condone any type of protesting

30:50

that is occurring in our world but how can the Christian or the seventh-day

30:55

Adventist Christians protest can how can it be radically different and exemplify

31:02

the kingdom within us can you just kind of tap on that as you have just iterated

31:08

am i little engineer but in our day here present times as we engage in this

31:13

battle what are some of your recommendations and suggestions yes so one of those is that we have to steward

31:20

and minister our own lives like you're the steward of your own heart right you

31:26

can't let the narrative of any else's agenda determine the true that you buck

31:31

other than a word about I'm a mister I mean I'm a steward of my own heart right

31:38

when there's a call to protest racial injustice and I and I protest peacefully

31:45

in the streets my supporting my own life will not participate and only nonviolent

31:51

and and violently expression that you can the line from protest to criminality

31:57

hmm like you have to steward that you have to be the steward of your heart to

32:02

do this so I can think of I have a whole lot of friends who went and protested in

32:07

in Oregon recently right downtown Portland was like basically shut down

32:14

via peaceful protest now certainly criminal elements of people at times

32:20

that transgress the boundary from protest to criminality just there are

32:26

elements of criminality does not mean that then I can't participate in peaceful protest I think the challenge

32:34

is that the way that the story is told often through the myopic lens of

32:39

Media right is then either or it's either this or that so that cries out

32:45

there in the street because there are moving elements you're automatically a looter well no you steward your own part

32:52

and you know errand well you can actually say I'm here in the spirit of Christ

32:58

aligning myself others who are protesting racial injustice while on this time not transgress into

33:05

criminality and that were to present itself and I had the privilege to manifest the kingdom in that space then

33:13

I will what I mean by that is I think about officer I don't know where this happened but an officer was pinned and

33:20

he was getting accosted by some unruly folks right and there was those black

33:26

men who surrounded the officer I saw talented yeah yeah why because they were

33:34

there protesting racial injustice they were not there co-signing criminality mm-hmm by protesting that injustice in

33:42

the face of criminality they offered up their bodies for the sake of another even if that other in the context of

33:49

that gathering represented the enemy mm-hmm those black men gathered around

33:54

him we're not gonna allow no an external group to then say that this guy behind

34:01

them was in fact the enemy right read understood what they were protesting then language police are not our enemy

34:12

what we're protesting is an abusive system that actually victimizes good

34:18

police as much as it victimizes not as much but in a way that victimizes others

34:24

as well right right so that then you're standing there and you get the steward

34:29

your own heart and make that distinction I think we need to stop letting our lives be determined by media narrative

34:35

and be determined by Kingdom so that even if we go out to protest we do so

34:40

from the posture of stewarding our hearts in light of what we have so in order for us to open our I stood

34:48

award that is not against flesh and blood but principalities that are at work and I know we want to bring

34:55

theology down to our practical level well in the midst of protest in the

35:01

midst of all the violence that may be going on in the middle of the looting

35:06

that we might be witnessing right how can we keep in mind that we're not

35:12

fighting flesh and blood but we're against the principalities and powers that are in

35:19

darkness right yeah I think of Desmond

35:24

Desmond Oz in this regard you know there was a time in Adventist history where

35:30

collectively we were more we were against taking up arms in war not almost

35:37

now but say during during the Second World War there was a mindset within

35:43

Adventism that was like you know we we were very resistant to taking up arms right how we participate in our

35:51

patriotic duty as America and this you have the history of medical cadets

35:56

within advant that presently has somewhat been lost group desmond dost he

36:03

was very much part of a war in where it was expected that one would take a life

36:11

hmm and he refused to do so why because he was the steward of his own heart in

36:16

relationship to what he had in christ already or did not remove his american

36:22

american and civic duty to his country so what dude he served

36:27

humanity while serving his country mmm

36:33

he resisted the taking up of arms what being absolutely on one side of things

36:40

right and it's that sort of careful nuancing and that sort of history that

36:47

we have that we can also participate in today so when I go to protest racial

36:52

injustice I pick up the arms of the enemy and ordered when I study human

36:59

mother even there's pride of the field move right and yes you have this us

37:06

versus them mentality was like it's not us versus them it's right versus wrong

37:12

it's like worship ark it's see righteousness because somebody else is

37:19

on the other side of things does not then give me carte blanche to pick up

37:24

the weapons of warfare in order to get my point across right right let's go to this question

37:30

with Jamie here how can we look to Christ even when we have a hardened

37:36

heart how may we defeat this simple impulse or impasses that's a great

37:42

question Jaime Jaime or Jaime I imagine that is hi Mary beta

37:48

yeah sorry about that if it's honey but

37:58

I would draw our attention to how can we look to Christ when we have heart and heart I would challenge the premise of

38:07

that question Jaime in this regard that if you're in Christ you have to believe

38:12

by faith that you don't have a hard heart right you offer up your life to

38:20

his word not what you feel about it let me give you an example go to Colossians

38:25

chapter 3 yeah the power of question was

38:30

any Bible promises we may look to and it's cost since 3 okay if you were to go

38:36

to Colossians 3 there's something beautiful here in Colossians 3 and

38:41

Colossians 3 teaches us and tells us the assumption that Colossians in Chapter

38:48

three mixed this is afrin chapters 1 and 2 which are phenomenal right which we can't go into too much depth but the

38:56

basic idea is that Jesus Christ is supreme over all things in his bodily form this is Colossians like he actually

39:03

has a real bodily form and he supreme over all things in his bodily form and in kalach with the idea that in Christ

39:11

the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bottom to let everything in he of God was in him

39:19

and then calacas most this tremendous move it then says that we have been

39:25

similar in him he think about that and I think about it what Bible says that the

39:32

coolest of God dwelt in Jesus Christ bodily and then with a stop and then

39:38

says that we have been filmed in him not that we're gonna build but then we were

39:44

filled in him so then look at what Colossians 3 teaches us look at verse 1

39:50

if then you have been raised with Christ and at that if then there I'm reading

39:56

from the ESV that's not a hypothetical that's a rhetorical meaning like since

40:02

you've been raised with Christ if then you're Christ II things that are above

40:09

where Christ is seated at the right hand of God so what is it that you're supposed to seek you're supposed to seek

40:14

the things that are above watch it keep saying set your mind on things that are above not on things of the earth so you

40:22

have the privilege Heineman of setting your mind on the things above not primarily the things of this earth and a

40:29

hard heart belongs to this earth but there is a mystery of godliness that belongs to heaven above that is actually

40:36

revealed watch hmm verse 3 for you have died and your life hymen is hidden in

40:45

Christ with God if you're not in Baptism

40:51

you've put the old man to death in Christ Jesus your life is not gonna one day be hidden with God at the second

40:58

coming in Christ by faith right now your life is hidden in Christ with God and

41:06

look at what it says verse 4 when Christ who is your life appears then you will

41:13

also appear with him in glory mmm-hmm so this passage right now is that one you're seated in heavenly

41:20

places in Christ Jesus you have the privilege of setting your mind on things not because you're doing some great work

41:27

but because that's where your life is hidden and established so that your life begins in heaven and then you live it

41:33

out on earth your life is not from earth to heaven anymore your life is your head the earth that's why we have manifesting

41:40

and ministering a kingdom that is already ours because our life is in Christ from heaven to earth now look at

41:47

the instruction that he gives us he then tells us in verse 5 therefore put the death what his earthly in you and he

41:53

gives a list of earthly things but how put these things to death will be further verses already oldest the way

42:01

we put these things to death is by having our minds established on everything we have above because as we

42:07

look to Jesus Christ as our life everything that used to belong to our former lives falls away because by

42:14

beholding we are changed and the way things away is by first and foremost

42:20

setting our mind on the things that we have above and from above we put away

42:26

the things that belong to the earth how do we either think of sexual immorality

42:31

impurity or pack right so Italy actively Hyman it would look like this in my life

42:37

father I thank you that I've been raised with Christ I thank you that I'm gifted with a heart in a mind that comes into

42:45

agreement with your truth because that's what you said is mine so father I put away sexual immorality and father I put

42:51

away passion because you say that I could put those away in Christ Jesus and I no longer live from them so I thank

42:57

you for the freedom that you given me in Christ Jesus I thank you for the gratitude I can have in my heart because

43:02

you've established me in Christ Jesus I thank you for the gift of being renewed in your image and that these things are

43:09

no longer my identifying features because I'm your son in Christ Jesus in

43:14

Jesus name Amen amen and man may we speak and confess this

43:20

way we first to Jesus thanking him for who and what we are and then is from

43:27

that position of where our life actually is that we confess sin we confess sin

43:34

honestly and truthfully but from an established sonship not from a place of trying to

43:41

get to something something mm-hmm challenges to believe that we have it

43:48

look at how continues look it up verse eight sorry look at verse nine do not

43:55

lie to one another seeing that you have put off the old self when you do that

44:00

baptism cuz me that identified you with the cross so you did put off the old

44:07

self and because you've put off the old self then believe that the old self is put off and in its place you have the

44:15

new self of Christ because you've put Christ on and since you've priced on think as though it's yours because it is

44:23

in Christ Jesus he hasn't given you a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear he gave you the spirit of adoption by

44:30

whom you cry Abba Father right next lines are so amazing Colossians 3 verse 10 over a read verse

44:39

9 going to 10 do not lie to one another seeing that you have cut off the old self with its practices and have put on

44:46

the new self which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator

44:52

did you notice that that were being renewed is the newness that we've put on

44:58

and what does it actually mean we need a renewal of knowledge according

45:04

to the image after our Creator we constantly think that we need something

45:10

other than what you have a father maybe there's a father please give me more now a my beloved you gotta believe that you

45:17

have it in Christ Jesus and have your mind renewed continually according to

45:23

how good you got it this is what Paul admonishes the Ephesians he says that you might have a

45:28

spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him so that he might how

45:34

great your inheritance is amongst the Saints mMmmm so that you might see how

45:40

one day your inheritance will accrue to something one day you'll know no no a

45:45

spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him so that we might see

45:52

how great our inheritance is amongst the Saints win now so high now which look be

45:58

yourself my friend to him cuz when you see him you see the love of

46:03

God manifests on your behalf Jesus Christ cross is not the punishment of sin so

46:10

that you a sinner can somehow have access Jesus at the cross is the

46:15

condemnation of sin to remove sin to

46:20

expose the value and worth that you had from the beginning you're an image-bearer the maus

46:27

condemned sin to expose what you were truly created for image building and as

46:34

you see yourself in light of his image in you you get a manifest a kingdom

46:40

because gratitude overflows according to the riches that are yours in Christ

46:46

Jesus so that if I find of the midst of a protest in downtown City USA amongst

46:52

racial tensions I don't let the external circumstances determine how I act I let

46:59

righteousness within move me to protest against racial injustice well and this

47:05

time steward in my life to not pick up for weapons of warfare that aren't mine

47:10

because I am and who he is in me and my heart over abounds in gratitude and

47:17

thankfulness for being established in this kingdom that doesn't mean we won't have trouble in this world we will but

47:23

take heart he's overcome the world and that victory is ours now amen amen

47:29

I do want to empathize with him II and those of you who are feeling a little

47:34

disillusioned that you're hurt there's so much pain there are job losses there

47:39

are people in your family that has been discriminated and in the midst of all of that as there's so much pain and pastor

47:47

Jonathan mentioned this we got to recognize and I want you to tap into this John

47:52

oppressor is oppressed this is what you said and now the recent sessions so our

48:00

eyes need to open to the spiritual warfare that is at hand and the way we

48:06

see them we can't let that discourage us but somehow with renewed eyes and heart

48:15

we need to be encouraged in crises to fight a greater battle that needs to be

48:21

fought can you explain a little bit more on how the oppressor is oppressed and

48:27

how easy our human heart can be hardened yeah but in that process we can be we

48:34

need to fight the battle that we call the fight yes so you bring up a really

48:40

really great point because I'm talking about so far they're talking about having a mind that's established in

48:46

freedom and ministry for freedom but there's another aspect to the gospel which is a healing aspect where not only

48:54

are we like Romans 6 says like we're free from the power penalty prison of

49:00

sin also we are healed via His stripes by his wounds we are healed and then

49:08

what the life of Jesus it is important for us to remember right let me first

49:15

talk about the oppressed mmm for all of us who identify with some form of

49:22

oppression that we've received in our bodies Jesus Christ does not just simply

49:30

call us to then say well since I freed you from sin you don't have to identify with it right

49:36

mmm it's certainly an aspect of that but the way he frees us is because he heals

49:42

us and has healed us so that when we suffer oppression if you ever felt as

49:49

the black person that's certain abandonment from friends from say

49:55

friends that didn't understand our plight like I could think of times in my life where I'm trying to make a point

50:01

about race relations and I'm in a room of people who are not like me and you all of a sudden feel

50:08

this emotional and fizzle not like psychological retreat from you because

50:14

now they're gonna defend something else so that you actually feel abandoned in some way mmm

50:20

Jesus Christ knows exactly what that feels like because on the night that he was trying to tell his 12 disciples what

50:26

was going on then that he washed all their feet they betrayed him and took

50:32

off he knows what it's like to feel abandoned right when you talk that good friend of yours and you hope that they

50:39

can come alongside you and sympathize and empathize with what you feel in

50:44

oppression and then you feel a certain amount of betrayal Jesus Christ exactly

50:50

what that is because he suffered that by everybody that was close to him completely not only Hey right yeah he

51:00

knows what it's like to be alone abandoned betrayed he knows what it's like to be innocent and be criminalized

51:06

because somebody else's perspective of you is the narrative everybody's believing hmm he knows what it's like to

51:13

be criminalized even though you're innocent because the narratives that everybody else is believing is what's

51:19

primary he knows that rejection systematic yes consistent Rustin where

51:30

he knows what it's like to be brutalized by the very men who were supposed to

51:35

protect him hmm Jesus a court of the Sanhedrin should

51:40

have received a fair trial and subsequently been protected but that

51:45

force that group of men who were supposed to administer both law and

51:53

order right violated him over the

51:58

violation that he saw in his body hmm physically hmm because he was abandoned

52:06

betrayed rejected left alone and systematically violated by the very men

52:14

that should have protected mmm right that's right he knows what it's

52:21

like to be a hundred percent exposed bottom hmm and violated while being

52:29

innocent and being criminalized because people have an idea about you that isn't true semental you know I can we could

52:39

keep talking about that but Jesus knows what that's like and this is the power of the Spirit within us that when Jesus

52:46

who actually experienced and endured all of that this is the book of Hebrews when

52:52

he has a home that he endured a pain all of that and actually offers us not only

53:00

his victory but he offers us his healing through the Spirit so that we have a

53:08

faithful high priest who knows each and every single one of our sufferings he so

53:15

that I don't have to then pick up the weapons of the Romans in order to deal

53:22

with what I'm feeling I've put my will on the side of Messiah to let that

53:30

Kingdom that can't be shaken do its work within me because as I to him I see my life

53:38

hidden in him I see my suffering Savior suffering on my behalf so that I might

53:44

be made whole and then even while I myself his word is real that not for

53:51

ourselves it was my sin that oppressed him it wasn't my thin that violated him

53:56

that even my transgressions are the thing that killed him he was on the

54:01

cross and he said Father forgive them for they know not what they do he's enough as he healed me from that

54:09

but now he give us victory so that I manifest the kingdom that is exemplified

54:14

in that sort of forgiveness hmm when I look at my oppressor when I

54:19

look at that person that criminalizes my skin I have the privilege of seeing

54:26

somebody who is themselves Vic demised by the very sin that Jesus

54:31

Christ has liberated me from mmm that in their actions towards me they are acting

54:39

out a deception that they don't know they're under because they haven't come

54:45

face to face with the Jesus who both fries and heals mm-hmm but me I now have

54:53

the privilege of being that manifestation of Jesus while he might

54:59

bring oppression upon my body and what I mean is he the oppressor I respond in

55:06

the way that Jesus responded when he was oppressed because he wanted to secure a

55:13

victory that he could then give to me so that I could manifest what I had been

55:18

freely given and the moment where that person is living in their deception Wow

55:24

you see this right here Ministry of reconciliation this is where we people

55:30

through the flesh mm-hmm doesn't that then mean that we don't speak in righteousness against that oppression we

55:38

denounce it in Jesus name but our bodies were willing to fill up

55:44

the sufferings of Jesus until they're all full I will pick up the weapons of

55:49

the enemy in order to shame of my oppressor no will manifest the kingdom

55:56

within me so that your oppressor meets a revelation of God's love through my life

56:03

hmm amen amen I just now I can feel every

56:09

word that is just coming out from your spirit being really a hot haha I

56:17

explained I can feel both the pain and the victory that is coming from you and

56:22

I do truly appreciate everything that is being said because we all of us need to

56:28

take this to heart I want to go back to for for anyone who is watching now or

56:35

will be later well whether you have been trying to ally and support your friends that

56:43

are people of color or whether your person of color right and you are going

56:48

to different different stages of people

56:56

that are misunderstanding you and mistreating you and you're getting slammed from not only what inside but

57:02

double sides and oftentimes you will be misunderstood if you did speak in Jesus

57:10

name and I just want to transition to how do we

57:16

biblically pursue justice in in the in

57:21

the context of the gospel as one who is reconciler z-- who have been given the

57:27

Ministry of reconciliation how do we pursue justice in this world how do we

57:32

do right and seek justice and defend the

57:38

powerless you know how do you do that what does that actually look like well this is where it gets really

57:45

uncomfortable for some of us because when we talk justice that word right

57:51

there is fraught with so much so in the New Testament as I understand it the

57:58

word justice in the Greek is d.ko sunay hmm and or dekai Osuna

58:03

particularly in the book of Romans is the very word that's translated righteousness and there is no room

58:10

wiggle room between the word justice and righteousness in the book of Romans

58:16

justice is righteousness hmm right often what transpires is that in our

58:23

westernized sense of justice we think that justice has something to do with

58:30

equality under law and we be correct in

58:38

so much as we're thinking along the lines of political theory right earthly

58:46

minded political theory we're you get this notion of I think it's a man I know that it comes through

58:53

Augustine but I want to say it's Aristotelian from Aristotle or maybe I

58:59

thought but this this idea of you give to somebody what they give you okay

59:06

right so justice is me giving back to you what you have given to me in equal

59:12

measure retribution retribution so this is where you get the scales of justice

59:19

scaled off correctly and then either were that you brought up right there Justin retribution if you break it down

59:26

it actually simply means to retry Bute and by tribute means to pay honor to

59:33

somebody in kind so let me tribute you I might tribute you according to what you've tributed to

59:41

me mm-hmm for me to retrieve you I'm just paying you back in kind right

59:46

you've met notions of justice and politics are rooted and grounded there

59:52

and I think appropriately so right so that acts of criminality have some

1:00:01

responding corrective put onto it I think that's absolutely correct right insole muggers we're trying to

1:00:08

build kingdoms on earth mm-hmm here's where it starts to hurt a little bit however the biblical understanding

1:00:16

of righteousness is rooted in the character of God in his right doing so

1:00:21

that when well watch this go to Roman's 3 and you go to Roman's 3 hmm and Romans

1:00:28

3 says this verse 21 but now the

1:00:35

righteousness of God that word is the kind of Loony justice mm-hmm the justice

1:00:41

of God has been manifested apart from the law that right there around breaking

1:00:48

bro cuz what the Bible is saying is that there's a sense of justice that is

1:00:54

intact Beyond and Supra law mmm when the

1:01:00

law says I for an eye mmm tribute for tribute hmm all the same

1:01:08

true justice true righteousness exceeds that requirement hmm apart from the

1:01:15

limitations of the law you with me Justin I'm ready of my deal or was this although the law and the prophets

1:01:22

witnessed it or they prophesied and bear witness unto it mm-hmm righteousness

1:01:28

justice of God through faith in Jesus

1:01:34

for all who believe hmm Paul localizes the Justice of God at the cross of

1:01:42

Christ cemento right doing is when he allows the enemies of his kingdom to

1:01:51

exhaust all of their energies on Jesus

1:01:57

and Christ this becomes sin itself and

1:02:02

to the grave willingly as a sacrifice an

1:02:08

atoning sacrifice so that multiple levels like one the kingdoms of the

1:02:14

world exhaust themselves on him and in that often moment Jesus also becomes the

1:02:20

atoning sacrifice that many end to the powers and principalities to the rule of

1:02:26

powers abilities because the rule of powers and principalities find their end

1:02:32

at that point of tribute for tribute hmm

1:02:38

but just beyond that is where you find the Justice of God where Jesus rises

1:02:45

back up mean evil if he did ye liberally

1:02:51

gives his life to all those who would believe on him and he even to his

1:02:58

enemies hmm so does not tribute to them what they contributed to him he to them

1:03:07

what he is from the inside mmm so that when you and I do righteousness

1:03:15

by this eruption Tegrity with our Father

1:03:20

through Christ Jesus and we met us his righteousness of others because we have

1:03:27

relational integrity with them even they might not have relational integrity with

1:03:34

us because when it just does not require you to tribute back to me something for

1:03:42

me to be okay running just inspires me to tribute unto you that when you God

1:03:48

has tributed unto me hmm I was his enemy he made me fight

1:03:56

well you're my enemy I'm willing to give you my life because I have an infinite

1:04:02

source of life so that your hatred towards me can metal the on the kingdom

1:04:08

I have inside and I will let your hatred towards me actually compromise my

1:04:14

relational integrity toward you because I actually correctly see you for who you

1:04:19

are a cinema while you're operating from deception under sin so okay let me go

1:04:27

ahead and get this straight the nature of the protest for a authentic Christian

1:04:33

who is in Christ Jesus is a protest for life not for life for oneself but for

1:04:44

the very life of the person therefore the person that you're protesting

1:04:52

against or you say for sure so you're not put testing against person persons

1:05:01

you're people testing for the gospel of Jesus Christ to infiltrate into the big

1:05:07

person that you're protesting on the other side that's right yeah and and I

1:05:14

am NOT protesting because I'm hoping to bring the gospel to bear I'm protesting

1:05:20

because the gospel is being brought to bear in and through my life

1:05:26

and I'm not making a man of you I am ministering a kingdom and you could either get down or lay down B

1:05:33

ain't asking permission hmm be a devil's advocate here so in the

1:05:44

course of the the discourse that has been going on in our nation all over

1:05:50

social media and we there has been some discussion on how there's white

1:05:56

privilege and how that privilege is is unaware and and there are some racism

1:06:04

that is completely unbeknownst to that person so so the reality of this is

1:06:13

embed that has existed for 400 years or beyond and I think you made a great

1:06:19

point in one of your posts where you said racism is theology and you trace it

1:06:25

all the way back to the white and the

1:06:30

Europeans supreme wisdom in the in the course of theological discourse that

1:06:37

happened back then and now in the protest that is being done with within

1:06:44

Christianity and also in Adventism there is a sense of hey we need to raise

1:06:49

this awareness that it clearly exists and we need to eradicate it how do I

1:06:56

speak into that so there's a multiple angles I would take one is clearly

1:07:03

understanding that and I go back to say Martin Luther King for instance Martin Luther King was not gonna compromise his

1:07:11

manifestation of justice simply because he might have had a political party that

1:07:18

was going to ally with him right then I could think back to when there was talks

1:07:24

in my limited understanding when there was conversation of having different

1:07:30

Protestant ministers actually take up the mantle of racial justice in the time

1:07:37

of Martin Luther King a lot of them spoke about the necessity to move carefully and not

1:07:44

move with too much speed and not upset the status quo one of those was actually

1:07:50

dr. Billy Graham sadly where he wrote certain pieces in popular newspapers

1:07:57

saying that he counselled I think I think you cancelled dr. King to not sort

1:08:02

of move the way he was moving with the sort of protest I would incite

1:08:07

discomfort right it was like sorry man like I'm doing this I'm moving this way

1:08:13

but notice that he never moved in violence it was always nonviolent protest like that was the heart of it but his white

1:08:22

counterparts super super uncomfortable hmm and he didn't do was he didn't

1:08:27

compromise what he was manifesting for the sake holding hands with somebody in

1:08:34

that way I'm saying that we don't need to compromise the kingdom that we're ministering for this seeking political

1:08:42

affiliation like when this new face then we this is what Kingdom looks like like

1:08:49

Kingdom looks like not having a over

1:08:54

aggressive government surveillance in the form of overly militarized peacetime

1:09:01

officers seeking for the right party to

1:09:07

allow themselves with us no we're saying this is what it is and if y'all ain't down like we have a collective will vote

1:09:15

you out of office you know in the distinction here like right right but

1:09:22

we're not we're not we're not looking for somebody to maybe patronize this or

1:09:28

be the no no no this is what it is in the same way that Christians right have taken a stance against abortion in

1:09:35

this country okay they're not looking for a party as it were to be the one that agrees with them that a party

1:09:41

agrees with them is a whole other thing but they're saying is what it is get down a label mm-hmm I'm saying the same

1:09:48

thing about racial justice like this is what is mm-hmm way that we say this is

1:09:54

what it is the non-violent manifestation of a kingdom that is ours so that if it cost

1:09:59

what our life it cost us our life that's on the one hand the anger that ours can

1:10:05

approach was how how in the middle of our protest do we inspire education and

1:10:13

continual learning and a posture of humility and teachability and humility

1:10:19

like how does that happen because we are manifesting God's kingdom that is within

1:10:25

us and we do want to this what we want to do this properly but at the same time

1:10:30

we want a state what is the reality as the system injustice that has taken

1:10:36

place and inspire in the process hey please educate yourself in this how does

1:10:43

that done take place so um I'll talk just a little bit about that racial

1:10:49

history about whiteness that you had mentioned yeah yeah I'll connect to this one

1:10:55

when we talk about race like it when we think about race we as the kingdom we as

1:11:00

citizens of the kingdom we actually have to be willing to listen and understand

1:11:06

that these primary identifying features of race are functions of history they

1:11:13

are not immutable to me the person like they don't like when I look at myself I don't see like color black right like

1:11:20

I'm some form of brown mahogany right like that's what I am color wise is about me as a black man is a social

1:11:28

construct that's been imposed upon me via the development of an idea that goes

1:11:34

back hundreds and hundreds of years that I would argue is rooted in theology right like a correct understanding I

1:11:42

believe of righteousness by faith begins to undermine these identities because it

1:11:48

establishes your identity and personhood in a whole nother realm you're not identified first and foremost

1:11:56

by the features of this world you're identified by Kingdom and what it is and you're practicing Kingdom you're looking

1:12:03

to one another to serve one another considering others as greater than yourself actually manifesting the kingdom in acts

1:12:10

of service and kindness not because you're gonna earn something but because that's how we manifest kingdom right and

1:12:16

we've been both to those in the house and outside the house well resolutely standing for righteousness right mm-hmm

1:12:24

but for me to be moved from the racialized identities of 2020 mm-hmm I

1:12:30

have to offer a whole other ground that you can actually be established in so

1:12:37

that then when we come to do the work of Education you're not so tethered and

1:12:42

tied to your sense of rape identity that when the deconstruction happens you feel

1:12:49

like you're coming undone hmm so yeah when I come in and say we have a cohort

1:12:55

at the Texas conference and I do a presentation on the historical rendering of quote/unquote whiteness quote/unquote

1:13:04

white people in the room are gonna get all up in arms as I deconstruct whiteness because their sense of

1:13:11

identity and integrity is no longer first and foremost rooted and bound to

1:13:18

this earthly conception of whiteness hmm

1:13:23

so that I can do that work and we can do that work and as we do that work in the

1:13:29

house of God we now begin to be um or

1:13:34

open up the doors and possibilities for us to be bound together differently so that going back to what we were talking

1:13:40

about earlier adjusted you and I can actually manifest Kingdom you as an

1:13:45

Asian man me but on quote as a black man but we're doing it cuz we know righteousness because we're spiritual

1:13:51

men so spiritually discerned and we're working according to the rules

1:13:57

of the flesh anymore right we're even we're manifesting Kingdom for the sake of racial justice and as you are bound

1:14:07

educationally in a reformation of our minds this is much more into the mind of

1:14:14

Christ to set our minds on things above or is it as you found that way and then

1:14:19

somebody else is bound - you and bound to me we're bound together in the bonds of peace via the

1:14:25

spirit and this is how we begin to demonstrate a whole different body

1:14:32

politic that goes contrary to the world so that you see all tribes and tongues

1:14:38

and Nations actually accumulating and gathering together manifesting

1:14:44

righteousness even if it cost them their lives do you hear the overtones irrelevant yeah

1:14:50

so that then it's from that place and I think this is why it's so foundational for us to be established and rooted in

1:14:57

good gospel because it's from good gospel that you can actually do the educational work that informs anything

1:15:03

and everything else all right a white man goes into his white space whatever

1:15:09

that looks like he goes in first and foremost as Kingdom citizen like men go

1:15:15

into my black space I go into that space is Kingdom citizen but I are being

1:15:21

educated in an institution that identifies first and foremost via

1:15:28

racialized earthly identities we're both weird in an institution that allows our

1:15:36

racial identities to flourish because we're grounded in Christ Jesus and then

1:15:42

go into the world we literally become the salt and light of the world

1:15:49

demonstrating a whole different way of being hmm and that's why the Church of

1:15:54

God needs to be like the actual building and our relationships within that

1:16:00

building they have to be a Center where we're actually teaching each other and being established in these things to be

1:16:08

able to speak into the culture from righteousness right so okay as we are

1:16:17

you know tapping into the kingdom identity that all of us have whether

1:16:24

we're what kind of you know color we may be or background we may be

1:16:30

we become one in Christ and it that is going to be our greatest testimony but

1:16:35

as we are also praying for God's justice to be done here on earth as it is in

1:16:42

heaven now as we are desperately longing for the return of the kingdom that we

1:16:51

that we're looking forward to right what would be your foremost counsel and I

1:16:58

will say prayer for the seventh-day Adventist Christians that are living right now in 2020 how do we actively

1:17:05

improve actively prepare for that Kingdom as we live amidst this reality

1:17:11

and as we're continually refreshing ourselves with the gospel to renew our

1:17:16

minds like what would be some practical steps oh I presently have a real heart for

1:17:22

adventism to rediscover righteousness by faith far into this but uh like we're

1:17:39

we're Adventism is uh suffers an identity crisis because we we didn't put

1:17:47

a full-on identity on the gospel back when it was presented to us in 1888 mm-hmm I'm a hundred percent that guy

1:17:55

and what I mean is that on the one hand you got we're gonna get victory over sin

1:18:02

and for mentally perfectional it perfectionism sinlessness like not that ain't it cuz you got the freedom now you got a

1:18:08

belief about faith even if you fall rise Ben go right and then on the other hand you've got just that old that old you

1:18:19

know Martin Luther in sight of forensic righteousness they're like that's cool

1:18:25

like I'm totally with it but there's growth from there right we hold to what

1:18:32

we hold is Adventist there's growth from there so then we can actually live out spirits favor lives these perfect we

1:18:38

have righteousness as a gift not because we earned do nothing for it but we feel like my heart the adventist

1:18:46

is to understand that who and what we are came up in the midst of mid 19th

1:18:51

century social reform like we came up in the midst of social reform abolition

1:18:57

temples like governmental reform like we

1:19:03

came up in the midst of that and we're be established in a good gospel so that we can have a life altering message to

1:19:12

the people but if we're not in this righteousness that is our as in Christ

1:19:17

Jesus now I don't actually see how we can speak correctly into cultural issues

1:19:24

if we don't understand the kingdom that we're ministering so your take on the I

1:19:33

say I will say the social gospel or social justice or anything that we want

1:19:39

to do meaningful and tangible for the community that surrounds us for us to be

1:19:45

the church that God has intended that we need to re gospel eyes Adventism is that what you're saying yeah we need to have

1:19:52

a foundational date like if I want to serve my community I'm not serving my

1:19:58

community mmm because I want them to come to my church mmm right because

1:20:07

that's that's that's that gospel they're like oh well we need it we need to provide something for them so they they

1:20:13

come in so we can get them saved mmm no no I'm serving my community because this

1:20:19

is the righteousness of God manifest just is what it is like no strings

1:20:24

attached or hidden agendas no Jesus

1:20:33

all right and those good words don't earn anything for me in heaven because I

1:20:39

don't need to earn anything because every single blessing that heaven could ever give me I already have it in Christ

1:20:45

Jesus so that because the righteousness of God is in me I'm distributing the

1:20:50

resources that I have because I have an overabundance of resources around this dick mentality yeah so press

1:20:58

down shaken together running over right well time like we don't gather together

1:21:04

to constantly be doing this Catholic work of repentance encouraged inners mmm

1:21:13

all right like on the other end of let all wall unto us this is why the end hasn't come no I confess your sins

1:21:21

confidently knowing you have a faithful high priest in the order of Melchizedek who doesn't know and once you confess

1:21:29

like rejoice because forgiveness has always actually been yours nothing it

1:21:34

just brings your heart into alignment with the truth that's already there it's a relationship with the father that you

1:21:41

know that will that has forgiven you and will forgive you the throne of grace

1:21:48

yeah boldly because that's the reality that you're under the reality that's yours so then then when when you see

1:21:56

civic unrest letting preppy and racial injustice mmm we go to minister a

1:22:03

kingdom that we have and we go there because we're actually the salt in light

1:22:09

of the world so that watch this this would be beautiful when you see Kingdom

1:22:15

minded people that are on the side of sassy a bunch of brothers that are and

1:22:21

my brothers I mean in Christ right I see much wearing the blue and they're trying

1:22:26

to keep a protest peaceful and then there's a bunch of Kingdom people in the

1:22:32

midst of the protest hey we're not in disagreement mmm we should be able to see each other and see

1:22:38

that we're both in agreement because we're both working for kingdoms one on the side of peace well are the sake of

1:22:45

keeping everything peaceful and one on the side of peace for the sake of bringing that righteousness to bear in

1:22:51

the midst of racial injustice and we're not so that then that mindset is what

1:22:57

colors why we move and operate in the world because we received

1:23:02

and were compelled to actually manifest loved but that London actually sit back

1:23:08

at the church pew because that love is actually compelled to go and give what

1:23:14

you have mm-hmm it's a natural product every day to get something I don't

1:23:21

hmm so Church by definition is the body

1:23:30

of Christ we're already in Christ we have everything in Christ we possess

1:23:36

everything or how does Paul put it even

1:23:41

though we don't have anything you already possess everything in Christ Jesus and from that overflow of our

1:23:48

identity and also a community in Christ Jesus we unreservedly you know give our our

1:23:56

selves for the community and in the in the realm of certainly no civil unrest

1:24:02

and all everything that is going on that what does that tangibly look like how

1:24:08

can I choose readers our pastors our young adults our youth how can we unite

1:24:14

together to be that body for the community around us well one of the

1:24:20

tangible ways that we could do that is let's hold space in our spaces to actually have these discussions in order

1:24:26

to loot illuminate brighten bring in voices of reason rooted in righteousness

1:24:31

we can actually illuminate this conversation like we need that educational work right let's look for

1:24:38

opportunities to meet the needs of our community right on all fronts so if your

1:24:45

community is immediately connected to maybe a neighborhood that is

1:24:51

predominantly african-american like seek the good of that neighborhood by

1:24:57

actually seeking some needs that they have and meeting them there like you're

1:25:04

in a community where say you're very close to the Civic the Civic

1:25:10

institutions of like same Police Department I what needs are necessary that align with

1:25:16

Kingdom that we can meet mm-hmm let's do that work but differently let's

1:25:23

actually denounce racism from our

1:25:29

pulpits but now's racism in our meeting spaces and denounce racism not only in

1:25:38

rhetoric but in the way we actually conduct the things so I'm conference

1:25:46

levels I mean the whole deal like look at your boardroom if your boardroom is not diverse like have that tough

1:25:52

discussion if we go to church like your churches and actually speaking about

1:25:58

righteousness being manifested in these spaces like ask appropriate people challenge that and so I think there's at

1:26:05

every single level there's always gonna be gonna be an opportunity to minister Kingdom and um we don't always have to

1:26:13

look for a program to execute and your faithful witness like if I can speak to

1:26:19

my white brothers and sisters I know in Texas y'all have been in spaces and in rooms and in conversations where racist

1:26:25

ideas have been tossed back and forth because there might be no black person

1:26:31

or Latino person in the room at the time them who rises up and says nah we you know talk like that and if it cost you

1:26:39

some social standing amongst that friend group then let it cost you because that's a social standing that you

1:26:45

probably don't want to trade in to begin with if they're liberally tossing around racialized ideas all right right so

1:26:56

don't be afraid to actually stand up for what is right because you don't strain

1:27:01

it back when the kingdom was within you I think all many times we're driven and also dominated by

1:27:07

within us yeah because we might lose that social standing we might lose status we might lose reputation midnight

1:27:14

there's always the cost of standing up and if you're not in Christ Jesus if

1:27:20

you're not confident leibold in Christ Jesus you will be afraid yeah right and you know I'm gonna dis

1:27:30

encourage as we have few more minutes of discussion that we designed this to be about 90 minutes here Jonathan that

1:27:39

thing this is your friend these kind of

1:27:53

affirmations need to take place in our communities yes well if you have you

1:28:04

know some closing questions for John please write them and your in the comments and we'll we'll kind of address

1:28:11

them but as they are you know thinking about some questions that they want to ask you on a personal level and this is

1:28:18

this is this is for I think me personally because I have been trying to

1:28:26

educate myself the history of the people

1:28:33

of color that has endured so much over the course of history in this particular

1:28:39

nation and you talked about you know as an asian-american like even if I was

1:28:46

trying to be some sort of an ally that a line can really happen apart from Christ

1:28:54

but I mean on a practical level and a personal level with you know many people

1:29:00

talk about having black friends and black brothers and sisters or people of color well that would be the best way to

1:29:09

educate myself and also be the real support that that that the

1:29:17

brothers and sisters need at this particular point of time yeah I think

1:29:23

one of the greatest things that one can do is actually and this is gonna sound sort of trite but it really listened to

1:29:30

offer a space of listening first of all most because I think that one of the things that we're seeing

1:29:35

collectively is a collective rage rooted in her mmm-hmm and it's a historical

1:29:41

heart that and fasting itself in civil unrest at times a lot of peaceful

1:29:46

protests because don't believe everything the media tells you a lot people protest but also civil unrest to

1:29:52

be sure but listen and is such a powerful thing it unites us in bonds of peace I think of my boy Justin ku right

1:29:58

you know just yes formally that Christian vlogger presently oh I'm

1:30:04

listening mmm these two powerful videos that he put together one where he asked his

1:30:10

black friends like what would you want us to know and then he recently did another video where he asked his white

1:30:17

friends to watch the documentary 13th yeah and then respond to it right what

1:30:25

Justin like just as my bro like I'll ever do with all my heart we do a lot of work together and I'll tell you what man

1:30:32

where that dude was a year and a half ago on the race conversation to where he is it's the Jill Biden understanding and

1:30:41

like for him it started from this humble posturing of saying you know what I need to listen some more I just genuinely

1:30:48

listen and as he began christen like my man began to develop ideas and see

1:30:53

streams and thoughts but then he could like rightly me speak because he had

1:31:01

listened and so I want people to to first and foremost at work and then from there the thing will hold for you hmm

1:31:11

great spaces of listening being willing to listen and I think you know it at a

1:31:17

common a is where so many people are you know watching and for platforms to speak

1:31:23

raise up their voices you know every once we cut become an expert right I think it's rare it's a rare rare thing

1:31:32

for people to really have a genuine heart to listen and I think that's

1:31:37

something that is also only possible in Christ Jesus if you're not if you're not

1:31:46

submitting to be to the the lordship of Christ and if you're not a slave to

1:31:54

righteousness you're always gonna be trying you're gonna try to be right yeah

1:32:01

and wish it's almost self-defeating because if you're apart from Christ you will never be right so I appreciate this

1:32:12

so much and I I think God for the time that we were able to share together because

1:32:18

everything was so gospel son took Jesus tantrik and I think that's where we need

1:32:23

to be right now as Church SP breaths as community so thank you so much for

1:32:29

taking the time to really address this any for any pilot final closing words

1:32:35

anything that you want to say yo I would say this man when I first had my

1:32:40

conversion experience with the Lord a text that was foundational to my life

1:32:45

was Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 16 and verses 3 through 6 and I would encourage

1:32:52

anybody to read Ephesians 1 verses 3 through 6 and read them like they're

1:32:59

true about like verses 3 through 6 not like one day they'll be true about you

1:33:04

but like they're true about you now right verse 3 blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has

1:33:10

blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus so when you read that pray that thing like

1:33:16

it's yours so like father I thank you that you blessed me with everything in Christ Jesus and I choose to believe

1:33:21

that right now in Jesus name Amen so that we can maintain that in this kingdom that is ours in Jesus name Amen

1:33:29

amen I hope that prayer that you have prayed for yourself

1:33:34

and for the people that here in Texas who have continued with the prayer that we all pray together and may the spirit

1:33:42

of the Living God really infiltrate our lives invade into our beings dominate

1:33:49

you know our thoughts and our actions so that true peace in Christ can be

1:33:54

established and it made justice really roll Yeah right that's awesome man can

1:34:01

we have a prayer session together and I'll go to pray for you and you can go

1:34:07

ahead and pray for the Texas conference that the adults are here as we continue

1:34:13

to navigate this together as a community have you Father gotta thank you so much

1:34:18

for the ministry that you have done in Jonathan's life and as he has now been

1:34:23

during the ministry of reconciliation and also powerful proclamation of the truth that he has found in name with his

1:34:32

new identity that he is now fully convicted of he is proclaiming with all

1:34:37

boldness that we need to be in you recognize our sonship in Ian's live from

1:34:43

you not toward you but from You Lord on and as he continues to minister to his

1:34:49

ministry love reality and the tours that has taken and in our coming sessions

1:34:55

that you have fill them may you continue to powerfully use them for Kingdom

1:35:00

purposes and as he brings Kingdom too many lives across the world we pray that

1:35:06

you would keep them healthy and strong convicted humble and also daily walking

1:35:14

in spirit with you may your bless him and his family his loved ones his health

1:35:20

and and everyone that that it that he you know comes in contact with may they be infused with more of the

1:35:28

love of love of Christ and made a be drawn and compelled to now live in

1:35:35

and from you and with you in Jesus name I pray amen thank you so much for the

1:35:42

Ministry of reconciliation for what you've given us in Christ Jesus that we have standing we have surety we have

1:35:48

confidence we have a hope and although we don't see the whole world subject to you yet we know that you are lord over

1:35:55

all so right now under the lordship we pray for the Texas conference to thank you for their leadership I thank you for

1:36:00

Justin and his continued leadership with the young adults and by extension all of the youth I pray that you continue to

1:36:06

manifest your faithfulness through their declaration of gospel and that many might continue to turn to you and that

1:36:12

those that are in you those that belong to you in that territory that they continue to not only be established but

1:36:18

continually manifest the kingdom that is theirs father I pray holy spirit peace and Holy Spirit power as these young

1:36:25

adults and youth as they commune and turn to you and live according to the promises that you've given us in Christ

1:36:32

Jesus that we might be steadfast and sure because you've been steadfast and

1:36:37

you are our surety even now so thank you for the ministry and I pray peace over

1:36:43

the Texas conference and for those distinct locales that are experiencing some levels of civil unrest that there

1:36:50

might be faithful witnesses that bring the kingdom to bear in those areas and I pray that we might continue to be

1:36:56

faithful until that day when you come we pray this in Jesus name and for his sake amen amen

1:37:03

all right thank you so much for your time and blessings as you journey on

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