1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:11,140 All righty, if you've got a Bible war in Luke chapter 8 and just coming off the parable of the soil, 2 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:16,660 and me encouraging you all, you know, to try to find out what kind of dirt are you anyway. 3 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,400 And we are just dirt balls, right? 4 00:00:19,680 --> 00:00:27,580 That when you break us down, we're just, we're just dirt. 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:34,940 I used to work at a cemetery, and I remember I had to disinterer a few people that had been in the ground a long time. 6 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:37,120 It was just dust. 7 00:00:37,780 --> 00:00:38,540 That's all it was. 8 00:00:39,820 --> 00:00:43,140 Something probably didn't smell real good, but it probably would have grown good spuds. 9 00:00:51,220 --> 00:00:52,780 Well, all the elements are there. 10 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,240 You know, it's a natural fertilization. 11 00:00:56,320 --> 00:01:08,040 So anyway, but what Jesus was talking about is the word of God, as it comes and it falls on the human heart, 12 00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:17,480 where do you let it go? How deep do you let it go? Is it just a surfacy shallow? I mean, 13 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:24,980 who likes to be called shallow, really? Right? And I know sometimes I fit that description, 14 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:30,800 just being a very shallow person, only concerned about poor old Scotty. 15 00:01:31,740 --> 00:01:33,400 And that's not a good thing. 16 00:01:34,220 --> 00:01:35,360 Scotty needs to die. 17 00:01:36,380 --> 00:01:41,760 So often I've, over the years, I've done counseling with husbands and wives. 18 00:01:42,660 --> 00:01:44,780 And I've heard them tell me both husbands and wives. 19 00:01:44,840 --> 00:01:45,840 I've got to find myself. 20 00:01:46,180 --> 00:01:46,400 No. 21 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:48,740 That's the problem. 22 00:01:48,860 --> 00:01:49,780 You've got to lose yourself. 23 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:50,760 Right? 24 00:01:51,460 --> 00:01:52,460 That's what the scripture says. 25 00:01:52,600 --> 00:02:01,540 he who loses himself, for my sake, we'll find life. And so the sower is about the word of God 26 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:08,360 taking root in our hearts and how easily it is taken out of the heart in various ways, right? 27 00:02:08,860 --> 00:02:14,640 With doubt and unbelief, right, with the birds coming and plucking it up, with Satan and his schemes, 28 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,600 persecution in hard times will drive people. Heck with this Christian thing, 29 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,920 it wasn't near this hard when I was a drunk. 30 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:26,640 And so they just go back to it. 31 00:02:27,380 --> 00:02:30,460 Like the Proverbs tells us, like a dog to its vomit. 32 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:32,260 We ain't looking up. 33 00:02:34,700 --> 00:02:35,260 That gross. 34 00:02:35,940 --> 00:02:36,500 So gross. 35 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:40,940 Or a hog to its wallow. 36 00:02:41,060 --> 00:02:43,780 You know, them pigs, when you clean them up, man, they look good. 37 00:02:44,460 --> 00:02:49,480 But they go and find a mud hole as soon as they can to wallow right back in it. 38 00:02:50,220 --> 00:02:51,920 And how many people have you known over the years? 39 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:52,760 Maybe you've done it. 40 00:02:52,820 --> 00:02:53,320 I've done it. 41 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:55,040 I've been the pig and the dog. 42 00:02:57,820 --> 00:03:03,220 And so I realized it, praise God, a fairly young age. 43 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:05,980 I think I was in my early 20s, 23 years old. 44 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:09,120 I'm just thinking, this vomit don't taste very good. 45 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:11,300 Right? 46 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:13,540 And this hog wallow stinks. 47 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:17,420 And it's really gross. 48 00:03:18,780 --> 00:03:23,160 And so I begged the Lord to help me. 49 00:03:24,820 --> 00:03:30,780 And what it was, it was his word getting presented to me. 50 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:32,280 At first, I went to church. 51 00:03:33,060 --> 00:03:36,180 And I would read very superficially. 52 00:03:36,780 --> 00:03:38,340 You, that kind of a Christian. 53 00:03:38,620 --> 00:03:40,400 You just read the Bible superficially. 54 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:42,160 You're not really digging in. 55 00:03:42,860 --> 00:03:48,420 You know, Jesus talked about a guy who figures it out and realizes it's like a, it's like 56 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,600 just treasure in a field and he goes and sells everything he has and he and he buys that field, 57 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,620 man, he starts digging and mining and getting all the goods out. 58 00:03:57,820 --> 00:03:59,100 That's what the Bible should be. 59 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,600 That's what God's words should be for us, something that you dig into. 60 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,280 And so the theme continues in these other parables. 61 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:12,780 We're going to read verses 16 through 25, only 10 verses, 62 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:17,940 but it's power packed with a lot of cool. 63 00:04:18,299 --> 00:04:25,860 nuggets. And so let's read, shall we? Starting in verse 16. And so, well, let me back up to verse 64 00:04:26,419 --> 00:04:31,660 15 there where it says, but the ones that fell on good ground are those who having heard the 65 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:38,660 word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. Verse 16. No one, 66 00:04:39,020 --> 00:04:45,660 when he is lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lamp 67 00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:51,900 stand that those who enter may see the light, for nothing is secret that will not be revealed, 68 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:58,800 nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore, take heed how you hear. 69 00:04:59,280 --> 00:05:07,240 For whoever has to him more will be given, and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have, 70 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:14,180 will be taken away from him. Then his mother and brothers came to him and could not approach him 71 00:05:14,180 --> 00:05:18,000 because of the crowd, and it was told him by some who said, 72 00:05:18,340 --> 00:05:20,820 your mother and your brothers are standing outside, 73 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:22,200 desiring to see you. 74 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,460 But he answered and said to them, 75 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:30,360 My mother and my brother are those who hear the word of God and do it. 76 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,640 Now it happened on a certain day that he got into a boat with his disciples 77 00:05:35,820 --> 00:05:36,740 and said to them, 78 00:05:37,140 --> 00:05:39,720 Let us cross over to the other side of the lake, 79 00:05:40,020 --> 00:05:41,180 and they launched out. 80 00:05:41,280 --> 00:05:43,260 But as they sailed, he fell asleep. 81 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:50,080 And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy. 82 00:05:50,280 --> 00:05:55,260 And they came to him and awoke him saying, master, master, we are perishing. 83 00:05:55,780 --> 00:05:59,120 Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. 84 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:00,320 And they ceased. 85 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:02,000 And there was a calm. 86 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,540 But he said to them, where is your faith? 87 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:11,100 And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, who can this be? 88 00:06:11,540 --> 00:06:16,640 for he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him. 89 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:17,420 Let's pray. 90 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:27,280 Lord, your word is, it tells us in the Old Testament, Lord, it is a light and a lamp to our feet. 91 00:06:28,180 --> 00:06:31,160 Lord, that it actually has the power to convert our souls. 92 00:06:32,340 --> 00:06:41,320 And Lord, we just know that today, Lord, as we look at it, we would desire that you would help us to be that good soil. 93 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,860 Lord, what it would go deep and that it would make an impact in our lives, Lord, that it would 94 00:06:46,140 --> 00:06:52,780 direct us, that it would help direct our thoughts, Lord, and in our ways, in our deeds, in our words, 95 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:59,060 Lord. And so we just thank you for the truth of who you are, Lord, and you've given us this, 96 00:06:59,180 --> 00:07:07,040 this word that we can truly mine and glean and place it on the pages of our heart that we might 97 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:14,820 not sin against you. So help that to be a reality for us today in Jesus' holy name. Amen. Amen. 98 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:26,820 So he starts here and he says it's a light, a light, right? And it doesn't matter. A light is kind of 99 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:33,180 relative to how dark it is. Like if I let a match up here right now, it wouldn't illuminate that 100 00:07:33,180 --> 00:07:41,080 much. But if it was total darkness, right, and I lit a match, you could see it for a long ways away, 101 00:07:41,420 --> 00:07:51,080 right? It has impact. And depending on how dark your life has been in the past, my life was 102 00:07:51,260 --> 00:08:00,800 fairly dark. And when Jesus opened my eyes to what I was doing, and I kind of went home, 103 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,260 and the first one that noticed something was my younger brother. 104 00:08:06,080 --> 00:08:07,900 He said, I sure missed you, but something's different. 105 00:08:10,060 --> 00:08:10,760 Something's different. 106 00:08:11,460 --> 00:08:16,500 Because my brother, Rick, was still, he was just in the trenches of his wickedness. 107 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:18,700 He was so much more wicked than I had ever been. 108 00:08:24,700 --> 00:08:26,440 Did more jail time than I did. 109 00:08:31,740 --> 00:08:35,780 but Jesus had gotten a hold of me and he knew something was up. 110 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,419 Just when he saw me, I didn't speak to him. 111 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:39,940 I hadn't said anything. 112 00:08:40,539 --> 00:08:42,860 And the Lord was starting to do a work in my life. 113 00:08:42,979 --> 00:08:45,000 Well, it wasn't long, right? 114 00:08:45,680 --> 00:08:48,220 And you're an influence to people, whether good or bad. 115 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:50,180 And it wasn't long. 116 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:55,980 At 19 years old, he'd just done a drug deal, sold some drugs to somebody and went home. 117 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:58,060 and just had this empty feeling. 118 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:00,640 It was a button that God was pushing. 119 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:02,760 You know, God knows how to push all your buttons. 120 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:03,920 Right? 121 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,240 He knows the perfect button to push 122 00:09:06,620 --> 00:09:07,800 to get you to turn to him. 123 00:09:08,380 --> 00:09:10,900 And so he pushed that button. 124 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:13,760 And Rick, I remember him calling me. 125 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:14,540 He was in tears. 126 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:15,780 And he said, I don't know what's happening. 127 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:19,080 And I heard a voice say, tell me to pray. 128 00:09:19,220 --> 00:09:21,540 And I just, I've been terrible. 129 00:09:21,820 --> 00:09:23,700 And I ask God to forgive me. 130 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:25,840 And how do you cuss when you're a Christian? 131 00:09:29,300 --> 00:09:36,400 I don't know. I'm still learning myself, right? And so, but we started growing, right? Light came into these 132 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:47,360 dark lives and it's, it's obvious that when that happens. And so he says here, he says, when you light a lamp, you don't cover it up. 133 00:09:48,680 --> 00:09:55,820 Right, you start talking about what happened. Right? Because that's your testimony. That's, and it's powerful because nobody can actually argue. 134 00:09:55,840 --> 00:10:00,540 you with what happened to you. I mean, sometimes people are going, I don't know about that. 135 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:07,120 But, hey, if it's your testimony, if it's how the Lord got a hold of you, if it's that button 136 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:14,240 that he pushed in your life to get you to come to him, don't hide it. You share it. And you 137 00:10:14,500 --> 00:10:24,200 share the truth of the transforming work of the Lord Jesus in your life. And so the word bears light. 138 00:10:24,940 --> 00:10:26,840 It's light. It drives out darkness. 139 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:35,920 And, you know, when you shine light, it shows some pretty creepy things about us. 140 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:43,500 It's kind of like when we went to Uganda years ago, and I remember going into the bathroom. 141 00:10:44,220 --> 00:10:48,080 In Uganda, the bathroom is a concrete floor with a hole right in the middle. 142 00:10:49,180 --> 00:10:50,600 You know, well, can I hit it from here? 143 00:10:51,380 --> 00:10:54,520 You know, I mean, and you have to do everything there. 144 00:10:54,540 --> 00:10:59,720 in the hole. And at night you have to take a flashlight. They don't got, you know, they don't 145 00:10:59,780 --> 00:11:05,140 have to light. You take a flashlight and you shine it down in the hole and it just moves 146 00:11:06,279 --> 00:11:13,720 with roaches. I mean, big, fat, juicy ones. They've been eating good, obviously. It's just nasty. 147 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:19,580 But when the light, when you shine the light, I mean, they just scurry, they flop back in the 148 00:11:19,680 --> 00:11:24,500 hole and they try to get to a dark spot. And that's kind of like us. When the Lord's 149 00:11:24,540 --> 00:11:29,440 sheds his light. You see all these creepy things in your life going, that's so wicked. 150 00:11:30,060 --> 00:11:35,440 How could I ever thought that that was okay? Right? How could I ever talk like that and think, 151 00:11:36,060 --> 00:11:45,980 that's acceptable? It's so dark. And yet it reveals. It converts the soul the scripture tells us. 152 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:54,480 In fact, Jesus, in this, in the Matthew version of these passages here, he says in Matthew 153 00:11:54,500 --> 00:12:00,200 chapter 5, verse 14 and 16, he says, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill 154 00:12:00,380 --> 00:12:07,280 cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand. 155 00:12:07,660 --> 00:12:15,020 And it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may 156 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:23,540 see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. The light shows God stuff. Right? 157 00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:25,100 It shows God stuff. 158 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,860 This impact that the word of God had on my life, it was so powerful. 159 00:12:31,500 --> 00:12:33,840 And it started showing different stuff. 160 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:38,200 And that's probably why when Rick saw me, he thought, there's different stuff in you, dude. 161 00:12:39,500 --> 00:12:39,740 You know? 162 00:12:41,260 --> 00:12:44,340 You're not dripping with evil quite like you used to. 163 00:12:48,059 --> 00:12:53,960 But that part of verse 16, where it's... 164 00:12:53,980 --> 00:13:04,580 it says, when those who enter may see the light, enter what? Enter your life. When the people that 165 00:13:04,820 --> 00:13:11,980 enter your life, do they see the light of Jesus? That's why he saves you, not just for you, 166 00:13:12,340 --> 00:13:19,580 but for all the world around you. That's why Jesus saves us so that we could be that example and that 167 00:13:19,620 --> 00:13:28,580 light to others and those who enter our life that we can share that good news with. And has that 168 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:34,660 been happening? That's a good checklist. Right? Has that been happening? How an opportunity to 169 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:41,660 share Jesus with people? You know, because I struggled. I'm not, I'm kind of a happy, jolly guy for 170 00:13:41,660 --> 00:13:49,220 the most part, but sometimes I'm intimidated and I'm a coward when it comes to sharing things about Jesus. 171 00:13:50,020 --> 00:14:19,300 So I love it sometimes when people just come out and ask you questions. Hey, hey, what's up? I heard you're a Bible thumper. Yeah, really? Cool. Right? It's cool being a Bible thumper. That's if you can quote it. Instead of just carrying it around, it needs to go in because there's power to it, right? It sheds light. Not only does it shed light to those around us, but when we hear it, it exposes our own hearts. I love First Corinthians when it's 172 00:14:19,340 --> 00:14:21,340 talking about prophecy. 173 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,820 And so many people, I mean, how many are kind of like prophecy? 174 00:14:27,180 --> 00:14:28,140 Any prophecy buffs? 175 00:14:28,980 --> 00:14:29,100 Right? 176 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:36,680 Hey, there's one more daily web or YouTube guy that I listen to. 177 00:14:37,100 --> 00:14:37,920 His name's Don Stewart. 178 00:14:38,540 --> 00:14:39,660 He's been to Water Springs. 179 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:40,800 He's been there a couple times. 180 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:42,020 I think Pastor Ties had him there. 181 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:43,740 And Pastor Rick used to have Don. 182 00:14:44,060 --> 00:14:47,500 Don gives an update every single day, sometimes twice a day, 183 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:48,980 depending on what's going on in the world. 184 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,880 So that's a good resource. 185 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:54,120 Don Stewart's YouTube. 186 00:14:54,380 --> 00:14:57,200 That's all you got to put in and it'll come up. 187 00:14:57,660 --> 00:15:06,340 And he gives updates, prophecy updates of things that the Bible has talked about that are going to happen. 188 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,860 And he has a checklist of 30 things that you watch for. 189 00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:10,880 Right? 190 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:13,860 And you try to line things up. 191 00:15:14,020 --> 00:15:15,860 And so it's really good. 192 00:15:15,980 --> 00:15:18,960 Kind of keeps your feet on the ground, keeps you from getting too crazy. 193 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:20,940 because we see stuff and we think, 194 00:15:21,020 --> 00:15:22,020 oh, today's the end. 195 00:15:22,620 --> 00:15:24,640 It's, you know, I can see where, 196 00:15:24,940 --> 00:15:26,780 because of the world and the way things are going, 197 00:15:26,860 --> 00:15:30,220 I could see people like the dude in 1988, right, 198 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:31,800 that wrote the book. 199 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,300 You guys are, some of you weren't even born in 1988. 200 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:41,380 But anyway, he wrote a book called 88 201 00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,620 reasons why Jesus should come back in 88. 202 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,560 People put their pets to sleep. 203 00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:48,100 They maxed out their credit cards. 204 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:56,140 they like, Jesus is coming in 88. Party on, dude. No, it's crazy. Seriously, that happened. 205 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:01,700 Those things happen. The guy's name should have been a red flag. His name was wise not. 206 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:16,100 Wise not. It would be wise not to listen to him. But like Chuck Mr. used to say, listen, don't listen to people. 207 00:16:17,500 --> 00:16:23,320 Read the Word of God. Sift everything you hear, everything people say, sift it through the Word of God. 208 00:16:23,580 --> 00:16:28,500 Because it is a constant. We're called to be Bereans like it says there in Acts 17. 209 00:16:29,220 --> 00:16:33,640 So know the Bible. That's why you should know the Word of God. You should know it. 210 00:16:34,340 --> 00:16:40,320 And not just get tossed around with every wind. Hey, did you hear? No. I want to read. 211 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:47,280 And that keeps me in a good place. It keeps me sane and not crazy. But I like what it says in first. 212 00:16:47,300 --> 00:16:53,220 Corinthians about prophecy. And this isn't the forth telling of an event kind of prophecy. 213 00:16:53,700 --> 00:16:59,000 This is a proclamation of the Word of God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit type prophecy. 214 00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:05,240 Right. This is when the word of God goes out and it's alive and it's sharper than anyone's 215 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:10,020 sword and it discerns the thoughts and the intents of your heart. This is the prophecy that it's 216 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:17,260 talking about here in 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Versus 24 and 25, it says, but if all, 217 00:17:17,620 --> 00:17:25,020 all prophesy, listen, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, 218 00:17:25,140 --> 00:17:25,260 why? 219 00:17:25,360 --> 00:17:27,380 Because everyone's proclaiming the word of God. 220 00:17:27,780 --> 00:17:31,120 It's like what Paul said, make sure you're all saying the same things, right? 221 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:33,660 You're quoting the word of God. 222 00:17:34,020 --> 00:17:35,320 He's convinced by all. 223 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:40,120 He is convicted by all, and thus the secrets of his heart are revealed. 224 00:17:40,700 --> 00:17:47,220 And so falling down on his face, he will worship God and report, port that God is truly among you. 225 00:17:49,380 --> 00:17:57,620 right that's that's what i desire to happen here at out west for us as the body of christ that we would 226 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:06,300 be transformed by this word that speaks to our heart and when i read it it tells me whether i'm 227 00:18:06,420 --> 00:18:11,760 thinking right or not a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart and that's the 228 00:18:11,970 --> 00:18:17,220 light that it sheds on my life and then verse eight 229 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,500 is very powerful here where it says, 230 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,640 therefore take heed how you hear. 231 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:29,640 Take heed how you hear. 232 00:18:30,700 --> 00:18:33,940 For whoever has to him more will be given. 233 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,020 And whoever does not have, 234 00:18:36,340 --> 00:18:39,540 even what he seems to have will be taken from him. 235 00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:43,980 These are people that have received the word of God, 236 00:18:44,100 --> 00:18:47,200 but then they're like that one by the wayside 237 00:18:47,220 --> 00:18:49,880 on the stony ground or that one among the thorns. 238 00:18:52,660 --> 00:18:53,800 And they get sidetracked. 239 00:18:56,100 --> 00:19:00,280 They seem to know the word, but then the word seems to leave them. 240 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,420 Warren Weirsby says this about it. 241 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:05,660 I love this man. 242 00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:11,000 They say if you're not dead, you're not red, but he's died, so I read him a lot. 243 00:19:12,580 --> 00:19:17,180 But Weirsby says, it is a serious thing to hear and understand the word 244 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:25,460 God. It's a serious thing. How serious do you take it? Because this puts on us the obligation to share that 245 00:19:25,620 --> 00:19:34,020 word with others. Every one who receives the seed then becomes a sower, a light bearer, a transmitter of 246 00:19:34,180 --> 00:19:41,020 God's truth. If we keep it to ourselves, we will lose it. But if we share it, we will receive more. 247 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:46,980 When's the last time you shared the word of God with somebody? It's just quoting it. 248 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:47,900 I love it. 249 00:19:49,140 --> 00:19:50,460 Just quote the word of God to people. 250 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:52,520 You can't go wrong, right? 251 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:53,720 Because it's not your opinion. 252 00:19:54,140 --> 00:19:54,760 It's God's word. 253 00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:57,440 And people all the time tell me this. 254 00:19:57,860 --> 00:19:59,080 It chaps my hide. 255 00:19:59,530 --> 00:20:00,060 I'm just saying. 256 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:01,260 Right? 257 00:20:01,940 --> 00:20:03,120 They say, well, I feel. 258 00:20:03,980 --> 00:20:07,420 It does not matter what you feel. 259 00:20:07,920 --> 00:20:10,440 It matters what he says. 260 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:11,740 That's what matters. 261 00:20:12,060 --> 00:20:15,080 Because feelings are like bubbles in a windstorm. 262 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:21,320 I just the Lord just gave me that as I was driving in this morning 263 00:20:24,360 --> 00:20:26,800 like bubbles in a windstorm right they just go up and 264 00:20:27,060 --> 00:20:30,240 and they're just gone right they have no substance 265 00:20:30,940 --> 00:20:35,240 they don't make a difference in anything so it is well I feel 266 00:20:37,180 --> 00:20:40,700 I don't mean to be insensitive I don't care how you feel 267 00:20:42,660 --> 00:20:45,080 right I care what God's word says 268 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:46,120 That's what I care about. 269 00:20:47,360 --> 00:20:48,300 Feelings come and go. 270 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:51,520 But I'm telling you what? 271 00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:54,260 Feels pretty good to be walking in the truth. 272 00:20:55,340 --> 00:20:55,480 Amen? 273 00:20:56,460 --> 00:20:57,760 Even when it's not comfortable. 274 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:02,380 And so David Jeremiah and my wife, David Jeremiah Bible, 275 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:03,880 he says this about verse 18. 276 00:21:04,380 --> 00:21:07,740 If people choose to meditate deeply on his words, 277 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,900 along with a settled determination to put them into practice, 278 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,060 then God will open their minds to even, 279 00:21:15,100 --> 00:21:21,800 more of his truth. But if they listen only to be entertained or to find fault, giving only 280 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:27,860 careless attention to it, then even what they think they understand will be taken away from 281 00:21:27,980 --> 00:21:33,040 them. I don't know about you, but that scares me. Because I know I'm thinking of a guy right now. 282 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:43,380 And he's a young guy. And God was using his life in a powerful way. And he just turned. And he was 283 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,440 doing some things that he shouldn't have been doing, instead of just repenting and getting right 284 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,420 with the Lord and keep going and walking with Jesus, it's like he's doing his own thing now. 285 00:21:52,260 --> 00:21:53,780 You know, I think of Matthew 633. 286 00:21:54,060 --> 00:21:57,440 Seeky first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added 287 00:21:57,580 --> 00:21:57,860 unto you. 288 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,320 This guy is building his own kingdom now, doing quite well, actually. 289 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,160 I don't even know if he could quote John 316. 290 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:09,600 And he led people to Christ. 291 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:12,560 It's a scary thing. 292 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:15,680 it's not a flippant thing 293 00:22:16,550 --> 00:22:18,260 whether you read God's word or not 294 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,020 it's like the air that you should be breathing 295 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,400 because it is our spiritual life 296 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:27,560 when we read and allow him to speak to us 297 00:22:27,860 --> 00:22:29,200 because primarily that's how God, 298 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:30,140 you want God to speak to you? 299 00:22:31,380 --> 00:22:32,120 You got to read the word. 300 00:22:33,990 --> 00:22:35,020 So maybe people, well I feel. 301 00:22:35,720 --> 00:22:37,140 You know what I think about feeling. 302 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:38,520 Don't go there. 303 00:22:39,120 --> 00:22:41,700 Let God's word direct your path, right? 304 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,880 because he says it'll be taken from them. 305 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:48,300 I don't want what I know of God's word, 306 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,380 which it's always new and it's fresh. 307 00:22:50,460 --> 00:22:51,700 Every time I read through it, 308 00:22:52,539 --> 00:22:54,240 this eternal word of God, 309 00:22:56,620 --> 00:22:58,220 I don't want to lose what I do know now. 310 00:23:02,420 --> 00:23:04,600 But I want to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord 311 00:23:04,780 --> 00:23:05,740 until my number's up. 312 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:08,120 And that may be sooner than later. 313 00:23:08,180 --> 00:23:08,820 You never know. 314 00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:14,920 Romans 12 says, 315 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:16,380 Do not be conformed to this world, 316 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,580 be transformed by the renewing of your mind 317 00:23:18,580 --> 00:23:21,500 that you may prove what is that good and acceptable 318 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:23,080 and perfect will of God. 319 00:23:24,540 --> 00:23:27,120 And in chapter 10 of Romans in verse 17, 320 00:23:27,380 --> 00:23:31,580 so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 321 00:23:31,660 --> 00:23:32,480 Is your faith growing? 322 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:34,820 It's growing if you're reading God's word. 323 00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:38,580 Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 324 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:42,060 faith is a gift to God that God gives us. 325 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,320 But it's like a body that God gives you. 326 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:46,120 It's a gift. 327 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:47,560 You need to work it out. 328 00:23:48,420 --> 00:23:49,020 Get it strong. 329 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:50,660 So is faith. 330 00:23:51,460 --> 00:23:52,000 Work it out. 331 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:52,860 Be in the Word. 332 00:23:53,340 --> 00:23:54,420 Write it upon your heart. 333 00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:58,080 So first of all, the Word comes, takes root. 334 00:23:58,280 --> 00:23:59,580 It lights things up. 335 00:24:01,380 --> 00:24:05,160 Secondly, in these next few verses here from 19 to 21, 336 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:08,140 the Word of God shows this. 337 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:11,180 who belongs to Jesus, who his family is. 338 00:24:11,620 --> 00:24:14,940 Notice, it says, then his mother and brothers came to him 339 00:24:15,340 --> 00:24:17,480 and could not approach him because of the crowd. 340 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,560 And it was told him by some who said, 341 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:22,660 your mother and your brothers are standing outside, 342 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:23,640 desiring to see you. 343 00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,980 But he answered Jesus and said to them, 344 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:32,260 my mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it. 345 00:24:34,500 --> 00:24:36,960 The important thing is not that they're my relatives. 346 00:24:37,900 --> 00:24:41,480 These were his four younger brothers that were with Jesus. 347 00:24:42,500 --> 00:24:43,980 Some in Catholic circles say, 348 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:47,040 Jesus did not have brothers, right? 349 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,380 Mary was a perpetual virgin. 350 00:24:50,100 --> 00:24:52,180 Now, her and Joseph, 351 00:24:52,660 --> 00:24:55,020 there was some hanky-panky going on after Jesus was born. 352 00:24:56,340 --> 00:24:58,580 They had many other children, right? 353 00:24:59,360 --> 00:24:59,760 In fact, 354 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:05,900 it's, well, 355 00:25:12,300 --> 00:25:17,580 this seems to be so gentle, right, that they came to see Jesus, Mary and the boys. 356 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:21,560 But Mark tells us why they came, right? 357 00:25:22,020 --> 00:25:24,680 Luke doesn't tell us the reason they came, but Mark does. 358 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:29,780 And in Mark chapter 3, verse 21, it says, but when his own people heard about this, 359 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:34,800 they went out to lay hold of him, for they said he is out of his mind. 360 00:25:36,460 --> 00:25:39,280 I love the amplified contemporary version. 361 00:25:39,330 --> 00:25:44,560 It says, and when those who belong to him, his kinsman, his family heard it, 362 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:46,840 they went out to take him by force. 363 00:25:47,780 --> 00:25:52,160 For they kept saying, he is out of his mind beside himself, deranged. 364 00:25:53,580 --> 00:25:54,200 That's what they thought. 365 00:25:54,740 --> 00:25:59,360 Jesus, our older brother, has absolutely lost his mind. 366 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:02,420 That's why they came. 367 00:26:05,580 --> 00:26:06,920 they decided to do an intervention. 368 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,980 Because listen, these folks, I don't know about Mary, 369 00:26:15,580 --> 00:26:18,800 but I know his brothers, they hadn't been lit up yet by the Word of God. 370 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:24,760 They hadn't realized, oh, big bro, he's the real deal, right? 371 00:26:24,860 --> 00:26:25,560 He's the God man. 372 00:26:26,220 --> 00:26:26,920 He's the Messiah. 373 00:26:27,580 --> 00:26:30,860 He's the virgin-born Messiah of Israel. 374 00:26:34,860 --> 00:26:37,960 because they didn't believe it at this point, though later they do. 375 00:26:38,740 --> 00:26:38,900 Right? 376 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:44,820 And so the four brothers are named in Matthew chapter 13, verse 55 and 56. 377 00:26:44,940 --> 00:26:48,280 This is a good one to, you know, just put in your cap when you're talking to people. 378 00:26:49,540 --> 00:26:55,500 And it says, is the people say to themselves, is not this the carpenter's son? 379 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,220 Is not his mother called Mary? 380 00:26:58,740 --> 00:27:05,860 And his brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and his sisters, are they not all with us? 381 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:08,960 Where then did this man get all these things? 382 00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:13,540 They weren't believers. 383 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:16,820 They weren't receiving the Word of God. 384 00:27:16,940 --> 00:27:18,820 It wasn't settling in their hearts at all. 385 00:27:19,450 --> 00:27:22,780 In fact, there was a rejection, actually, of the Word of God. 386 00:27:22,900 --> 00:27:27,680 And that's why Jesus said, oh, no, you want to be my bro and my sis? 387 00:27:29,580 --> 00:27:30,640 hear the word of God and do it. 388 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,060 Hear the word of God and do it. 389 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:37,080 That's who's closest to me is what Jesus is saying. 390 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:44,800 Do it. 391 00:27:46,140 --> 00:27:46,640 Verse 21. 392 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:49,740 Those who hear the word of God and do it. 393 00:27:50,100 --> 00:27:51,540 Doing the word of God. 394 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:55,140 And that's not just reading them up, 395 00:27:55,260 --> 00:27:57,640 but actually letting it have its word. 396 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:05,720 in your life. Wiersby again says as his disciples we must take heed what we hear and how we hear because 397 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,100 God will hold us accountable listening to the wrong things or listening to the right things 398 00:28:11,740 --> 00:28:18,280 with the wrong attitude will rob us of truth and blessing. If we are faithful to receive the word 399 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:25,140 and share it, God will give us more. But if we fail to let our light shine, we will lose what we 400 00:28:25,060 --> 00:28:28,540 have. It is a solemn thing to hear the word of God. 401 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,360 Have you ever just been reading? Do you ever just read God's word sometimes? And you just go, 402 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,000 wow. This is wild. This 403 00:28:43,140 --> 00:28:48,920 this same thing that just becomes more and more alive, the older you get, the more you read it, 404 00:28:49,300 --> 00:28:53,940 right? Cyclicly, over and over again. It never gets old. It's always full of life. 405 00:28:57,240 --> 00:28:58,320 it changes you. 406 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:03,100 And so there's being lit up by the word, 407 00:29:03,540 --> 00:29:05,680 there's being close to Jesus 408 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,220 or being a family member because of the word. 409 00:29:08,500 --> 00:29:12,300 And thirdly, the word can be drowned out by fear. 410 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,160 And that's what we see in the last little passage here 411 00:29:15,940 --> 00:29:17,340 in verse 22 through 25. 412 00:29:17,550 --> 00:29:19,620 And it says, now it happened on a certain day 413 00:29:20,060 --> 00:29:21,900 that he got into a boat with his disciples 414 00:29:22,220 --> 00:29:22,980 and he said to them, 415 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:25,860 let us cross over to the other side of the lake. 416 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:27,160 And they launched out. 417 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,020 But as they sailed, he fell asleep and with a windstorm, 418 00:29:30,340 --> 00:29:32,660 and a windstorm came down on the lake, 419 00:29:32,780 --> 00:29:36,240 and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy. 420 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:39,540 And they came to him and awoke him, saying, 421 00:29:39,660 --> 00:29:40,840 master, master, we perish. 422 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,100 Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, 423 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:45,280 and they ceased. 424 00:29:45,860 --> 00:29:48,600 And there was a calm, but he said to them, 425 00:29:48,660 --> 00:29:49,520 where's your faith? 426 00:29:49,860 --> 00:29:52,980 And they were afraid and marveled, saying to one another, 427 00:29:52,980 --> 00:29:59,980 who can this be for he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him i don't know if you've 428 00:29:59,980 --> 00:30:06,900 ever been on water that's pretty radical or the wind that's blowing hard but it does make you feel 429 00:30:07,010 --> 00:30:15,820 pretty small it's it's awfully intimidating and uh and these guys were scared now now they were they were 430 00:30:16,020 --> 00:30:22,260 seasoned mariners they knew what it was like to be in in rough water now the sea of galilee is like 600 feet 431 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:23,220 below sea level. 432 00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:26,500 And so it says the wind came down. 433 00:30:26,980 --> 00:30:28,360 And so, man, it came down 434 00:30:29,150 --> 00:30:30,280 obviously off the hills, 435 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,080 going at a pretty good clip 436 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:33,840 to make those guys think 437 00:30:34,140 --> 00:30:35,220 that they weren't going to make it. 438 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:36,540 The boat was taken on water. 439 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:39,580 But Jesus isn't afraid. 440 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:42,860 Is Jesus afraid of anything? 441 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:47,240 Isn't it cool to have a hero 442 00:30:47,420 --> 00:30:48,560 that's not afraid of anything? 443 00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:51,520 Because I know I'm a wanny. 444 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:55,620 I've had people ask me, where are you afraid of? 445 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,700 I'm so afraid of so many things I don't even want to talk about, okay? 446 00:30:59,820 --> 00:31:01,420 But most of all, I fear God, right? 447 00:31:01,540 --> 00:31:03,000 Which trumps a lot of the other fears. 448 00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:07,780 But they're thinking, we're going to die. 449 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:09,320 We're going to die. 450 00:31:10,260 --> 00:31:10,980 We're done. 451 00:31:14,620 --> 00:31:17,400 It is amazing how the elements really put you in your place, don't they? 452 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:21,520 I remember one time a fire got away from us and burnt this. 453 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:33,480 haystack down and I was thinking my boss is going to kill us right but but it just got away from us so fast 454 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:39,040 and then started creating its own wind and we were burning this big old pile of pallets and there was a 455 00:31:39,060 --> 00:31:45,680 haystack quite a ways away and but it sounded like a jet in once we lit it off the the pallets 456 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:51,520 were so ventilated that it started sucking air the fire created its own wind started sucking 457 00:31:51,540 --> 00:31:56,180 sucking air up through these pallets. It sounds like a jet engine going off. And all of a sudden, 458 00:31:56,540 --> 00:32:01,940 we're looking over at the haystack and these little black polka dots start showing up on the haystack. 459 00:32:02,220 --> 00:32:06,620 And I'm going, oh, no! And I'm around there with a hose. And it was so hot I couldn't run between 460 00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:13,040 the haystack and the fire trying to hose it down. And he had him in ash heap the next day. 461 00:32:15,580 --> 00:32:20,460 But the elements are brutal. Right? They're brutal. 462 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:23,080 Has it been feeling fallish in the mornings? 463 00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:24,300 Just a little bit? 464 00:32:24,890 --> 00:32:27,480 You almost are getting ready to hear an elk bugle or something. 465 00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,080 Just a little hints of fall. 466 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:31,280 You know what's coming, right? 467 00:32:31,800 --> 00:32:32,220 In Idaho. 468 00:32:34,780 --> 00:32:36,360 And you have to prepare. 469 00:32:37,200 --> 00:32:38,220 Or they will. 470 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:39,240 They will kill you. 471 00:32:40,780 --> 00:32:46,460 And, but there's a contrast here between fear and faith. 472 00:32:46,660 --> 00:32:49,700 Because when Jesus wakes up, what's he tell them? 473 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:51,640 Where's your faith? 474 00:32:52,700 --> 00:32:52,820 Huh? 475 00:32:53,940 --> 00:32:54,860 What are you guys doing? 476 00:32:55,020 --> 00:32:55,360 You know what I mean? 477 00:32:56,020 --> 00:32:57,820 Pop their sailor hat off or something? 478 00:32:58,120 --> 00:32:58,720 What are you thinking? 479 00:33:00,700 --> 00:33:01,980 Did I not say? 480 00:33:03,980 --> 00:33:05,300 Let's go to the other side of the lake. 481 00:33:05,380 --> 00:33:06,820 We're going to the other side of the lake. 482 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:08,840 Jesus said, we're going to the other side of the lake. 483 00:33:08,920 --> 00:33:10,800 You know if Jesus says you're going to the other side of the lake? 484 00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:11,600 Guess what you're going to do? 485 00:33:11,900 --> 00:33:13,320 You're going to go to the other side of the lake. 486 00:33:15,820 --> 00:33:19,080 But your fear totally put that in your back pocket. 487 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:22,700 You did not even think that we were going to the other side. 488 00:33:22,700 --> 00:33:23,760 You just thought, that's it. 489 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:24,220 We're dead. 490 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:24,680 We're done. 491 00:33:27,680 --> 00:33:28,520 And that's what fear does. 492 00:33:29,799 --> 00:33:31,040 It demolishes faith. 493 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:33,500 Fear demolishes faith. 494 00:33:37,420 --> 00:33:39,700 And as sad as it is to say, 495 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,580 you really know where people are at in their faith 496 00:33:45,540 --> 00:33:47,000 when death is knocking on their door. 497 00:33:49,300 --> 00:33:51,040 And this could come knock on all of our doors. 498 00:33:52,660 --> 00:33:55,320 And over the years, the people that I've interacted with 499 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,720 that some of them I've been very impressed with in their faith. 500 00:33:59,100 --> 00:34:07,700 But then when it comes to dying, there's this fear that, I mean, it's like a life-shattering fear. 501 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,580 I'm just going, don't you? 502 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:12,120 You believe in the one who conquered death. 503 00:34:12,860 --> 00:34:15,480 Yes, there is a fear of the unknown. 504 00:34:16,820 --> 00:34:17,539 But it shouldn't. 505 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:20,740 It shouldn't drowned out faith. 506 00:34:22,520 --> 00:34:22,639 Right? 507 00:34:22,820 --> 00:34:24,360 It shouldn't even challenge it, honestly. 508 00:34:25,860 --> 00:34:28,620 I mean, now we live in a time like no other. 509 00:34:28,760 --> 00:34:31,040 It's like, bring it on, man. 510 00:34:31,860 --> 00:34:35,820 You know, and I know as a 60-plus year old, I can say that. 511 00:34:35,919 --> 00:34:37,940 You know, if you're 14 or 15, you're thinking, 512 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,300 well, no, I kind of want to give my driver's license 513 00:34:40,510 --> 00:34:44,040 or maybe get married or have a baby. 514 00:34:44,919 --> 00:34:46,159 Listen, I've done all those things. 515 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,620 I still have a driver's license, miraculous. 516 00:34:48,639 --> 00:34:55,940 honestly. Been married for 38 years and she's awesome, but it wasn't easy, right? And I've got 517 00:34:56,480 --> 00:35:02,580 four kids that at one particular time in all of their lives, they were this close to me killing them. 518 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:11,020 So just forego driving, marriage, and children and go to heaven. Right? You save yourself a lot of heartache. 519 00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:25,520 But what's interesting about this passage of scripture, as I look at it this time, you always think, 520 00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:31,120 I remember this was a passage that floored me when I was, the Lord was pushing my buttons 521 00:35:31,540 --> 00:35:36,260 in 1984 at a rodeo Bible camp in Abbeville, Kansas. 522 00:35:37,340 --> 00:35:41,020 And I remember a guy sharing a story, and he shared this story, his name was. 523 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:45,320 was Kyle Dodds, I think, pro baseball player. 524 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:46,840 And he shared this story. 525 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:50,020 And I remember his words, I can still hear him say it. 526 00:35:50,420 --> 00:35:54,100 What manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? 527 00:35:56,100 --> 00:36:01,520 I remember being 23 years old and thinking, that's the most powerful thing I've ever heard in my life. 528 00:36:02,580 --> 00:36:05,980 A person that the wind and the sea obey him. 529 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:13,220 Isn't that crazy that creation obeys Jesus and we rebel against him? 530 00:36:15,680 --> 00:36:19,580 Creation is going to witness against us at the judgment. 531 00:36:19,820 --> 00:36:25,460 I'm convinced because it's obedient to the God of heaven. 532 00:36:26,380 --> 00:36:34,780 And we are these fearless, fearful, excuse me, wannies that think the word of God is too hard. 533 00:36:36,220 --> 00:36:38,500 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things. 534 00:36:38,780 --> 00:36:39,620 What does that even mean? 535 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:41,300 Just seek God. 536 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:43,260 Seek Him in everything you do. 537 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:49,060 In your job, in your marriage, as a parent, as a neighbor, seek God in everything you do. 538 00:36:49,380 --> 00:36:50,140 That's what it means. 539 00:36:50,740 --> 00:36:51,860 It doesn't mean you have to be perfect. 540 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:54,740 Well, I've got to be on my knees 24 hours a day? 541 00:36:54,940 --> 00:36:55,120 No. 542 00:36:55,620 --> 00:36:56,920 You can do it while you're walking down the street. 543 00:36:57,040 --> 00:36:59,240 You can be praying and talking to God. 544 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:05,060 Incorporate the Lord into every part of your life. 545 00:37:07,260 --> 00:37:09,320 I remember when people heard that Rick and I got saved. 546 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,420 He said, the brown boys got saved and it's like it's affected their whole life. 547 00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:18,980 Duh. 548 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:21,240 Ought it not? 549 00:37:28,740 --> 00:37:34,160 But their fear, their fear seems to be sensationalized. 550 00:37:35,600 --> 00:37:36,600 because of what Jesus did. 551 00:37:36,600 --> 00:37:38,100 He didn't do what they thought he would do. 552 00:37:38,140 --> 00:37:40,000 I don't know what they were thinking he was going to do, 553 00:37:40,460 --> 00:37:42,660 but they were pretty amazed when they saw him do what he did. 554 00:37:43,300 --> 00:37:46,660 And it says, and they were afraid and marveled. 555 00:37:47,580 --> 00:37:49,140 It's like it created more of a fear, 556 00:37:51,060 --> 00:37:52,060 which may be a good thing. 557 00:37:53,020 --> 00:37:55,160 Because they realized at that moment, folks, 558 00:37:56,980 --> 00:37:59,740 and people don't realize this, and they need to. 559 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:03,000 They were in the presence of the Holy One. 560 00:38:04,660 --> 00:38:07,260 they were in the presence of the holy one 561 00:38:08,120 --> 00:38:09,440 the one that told Moses 562 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:12,260 take those sandals off your feet boy 563 00:38:12,700 --> 00:38:13,620 you're on holy ground 564 00:38:14,980 --> 00:38:17,180 and you and I should be that way 565 00:38:17,300 --> 00:38:19,040 when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ 566 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:20,940 because I know what he can do to me 567 00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:24,400 and it causes me to tremble in fear 568 00:38:26,020 --> 00:38:27,600 but I also know his love for me 569 00:38:28,300 --> 00:38:29,500 that motivates me 570 00:38:30,420 --> 00:38:31,840 right to walk with him 571 00:38:32,140 --> 00:38:33,000 and to 572 00:38:33,020 --> 00:38:37,860 be full of faith because he gives it to me. Not because I'm better than anyone, 573 00:38:38,100 --> 00:38:41,940 better at being faithful than anyone else. I just know that Jesus will give it to me. 574 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:51,160 And if I lack, I ask. Revelation chapter 4, verses 8 and 11. It says, 575 00:38:51,580 --> 00:38:56,360 Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come. 576 00:38:59,760 --> 00:39:02,760 These are creatures that are bowing before the Lord. 577 00:39:03,180 --> 00:39:06,340 You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. 578 00:39:06,740 --> 00:39:08,340 For you created all things. 579 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:11,760 And by your will, they exist and are created. 580 00:39:12,060 --> 00:39:13,180 That's why you're here. 581 00:39:13,260 --> 00:39:19,180 That's why I'm here is to know him and to fear him and to tremble before him. 582 00:39:19,980 --> 00:39:21,980 And to recognize him as holy. 583 00:39:22,300 --> 00:39:23,720 He is a holy God. 584 00:39:25,340 --> 00:39:27,140 And I am not holy in and of myself. 585 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:28,180 That's why I need him. 586 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:34,480 Isaiah says it in Isaiah chapter 6 verse 3 587 00:39:34,870 --> 00:39:37,540 and one cried to another and said, 588 00:39:37,980 --> 00:39:40,900 holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. 589 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:42,600 Why is it three holies, do you think? 590 00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:45,680 Maybe the triune God, right? 591 00:39:45,760 --> 00:39:47,960 The father of the son, the Holy Spirit. 592 00:39:49,580 --> 00:39:51,920 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of host. 593 00:39:52,280 --> 00:39:54,680 The whole earth is full of his glory. 594 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:57,820 Is his glory in you today? 595 00:39:59,800 --> 00:40:00,980 are you filled with faith? 596 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:03,360 Maybe you need to be filled with faith today. 597 00:40:04,420 --> 00:40:05,180 Cry out to him. 598 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:06,900 He'll give you that gift 599 00:40:09,100 --> 00:40:10,160 because without it, 600 00:40:10,220 --> 00:40:11,020 we can't please him. 601 00:40:15,380 --> 00:40:17,080 And faith in his word. 602 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:21,320 In closing, I just want to just ask three questions. 603 00:40:22,020 --> 00:40:23,160 Is the word lighting you up? 604 00:40:24,260 --> 00:40:24,360 Right? 605 00:40:24,900 --> 00:40:26,560 Is the word lighting you up? 606 00:40:26,940 --> 00:40:27,900 I read about the Kinsey. 607 00:40:27,940 --> 00:40:30,340 redeemer this morning because we're in the book of Ruth. 608 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:31,280 Oh! 609 00:40:32,780 --> 00:40:33,540 That is so awesome. 610 00:40:34,980 --> 00:40:35,980 The kinsman Redeemer. 611 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:45,120 This poor Gentile woman that is a picture of us, poor Gentiles, that most, that all the Jews 612 00:40:45,260 --> 00:40:49,200 thought was fodder, just fuel for the fires of hell. 613 00:40:49,420 --> 00:40:50,360 And Jesus has come. 614 00:40:50,620 --> 00:40:52,080 And he is our kinsman redeem you. 615 00:40:52,360 --> 00:40:53,800 Deamer, and he's rescued us. 616 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:55,800 And he's gave us a place. 617 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:57,500 He's given us an abundance. 618 00:40:57,740 --> 00:40:58,700 Is the word lightening you out? 619 00:40:59,420 --> 00:40:59,780 Read it. 620 00:40:59,980 --> 00:41:00,500 Keep reading it. 621 00:41:00,740 --> 00:41:01,860 Well, I don't understand it. 622 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,360 You think I understood the Bible the first time I read through it? 623 00:41:06,040 --> 00:41:10,040 I mean, most of the time I was going, I don't get it. 624 00:41:10,700 --> 00:41:11,200 But what do you do? 625 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:12,040 You keep doing it. 626 00:41:13,180 --> 00:41:14,020 It's kind of like push-ups. 627 00:41:16,240 --> 00:41:16,420 Right? 628 00:41:16,940 --> 00:41:18,180 You start with one. 629 00:41:19,180 --> 00:41:21,000 I have a friend that works at a school here in town. 630 00:41:21,140 --> 00:41:22,360 He had a P.E. class. 631 00:41:22,780 --> 00:41:25,400 He said the kids could not do five push-ups. 632 00:41:29,460 --> 00:41:32,920 He said, and I made him do 10, and you thought I was killing him. 633 00:41:34,140 --> 00:41:34,400 No. 634 00:41:34,980 --> 00:41:35,880 Okay, then start with two. 635 00:41:37,020 --> 00:41:37,160 Right? 636 00:41:37,540 --> 00:41:38,940 Do that for three or four days. 637 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:39,920 Didn't move to three. 638 00:41:40,720 --> 00:41:41,580 It's the same way. 639 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:43,200 It's an exercise. 640 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:45,460 You exercise your faith. 641 00:41:48,660 --> 00:41:50,440 I pray the word is lighting you up. 642 00:41:50,540 --> 00:41:52,520 Secondly, are you in the family of the Lord? 643 00:41:52,620 --> 00:41:53,280 You close to Jesus? 644 00:41:54,060 --> 00:41:54,180 Right? 645 00:41:54,600 --> 00:41:55,380 Are you those who have? 646 00:41:55,420 --> 00:42:03,440 hear the word of God and do it? And thirdly, do you have faith in the word in time of crisis? 647 00:42:04,780 --> 00:42:10,700 Or does fear snuff it out? Right? Or does fear snuff it out? 648 00:42:13,740 --> 00:42:21,220 Walking by faith is the most exciting thing I've ever done in my life. And I still get fearful 649 00:42:21,300 --> 00:42:25,140 at times. But you know when I get fearful, I just go walk and talk to the Lord. 650 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:27,480 I just take it to the Lord, right? 651 00:42:27,860 --> 00:42:30,260 Start walking with him, and he'll whisper in my ear. 652 00:42:30,820 --> 00:42:32,400 He's done this a lot over the last few years. 653 00:42:34,740 --> 00:42:37,740 Scotty, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 654 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:38,820 Right? 655 00:42:39,100 --> 00:42:40,880 I hope you know that, right? 656 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:45,860 Because he wants your faith to always overcome your fear. 657 00:42:46,100 --> 00:42:47,840 Should we all stand and we'll dismiss? 658 00:42:48,540 --> 00:42:52,000 Father, thank you for the truth of your word. 659 00:42:52,220 --> 00:42:52,940 Lord is powerful. 660 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:59,100 And Lord, I know there are some that maybe fear is overwhelming them. 661 00:42:59,820 --> 00:43:05,620 Maybe they've just been lazy, not setting a time aside to dig into your word, 662 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:09,880 to let it light their way and be that lamp into their feet. 663 00:43:10,900 --> 00:43:17,640 Lord, to know that they can be close to you by hearing your word and putting it in their hearts and doing it. 664 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:22,920 Lord, it's so simple and yet sometimes so hard. 665 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:25,620 This world pulls at us from all directions. 666 00:43:26,620 --> 00:43:30,920 Lord, help us to just prioritize at least that part of our life, Lord, 667 00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:35,520 will we have a quiet time with you, a time where we can seek you, 668 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:38,980 but also a time where you can minister to our hearts, Lord, 669 00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:40,100 by the reading of your word. 670 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,340 And God, that we would do it in faith. 671 00:43:42,700 --> 00:43:50,260 Lord, not as a drudgery or something to just mark off of our list, 672 00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:52,100 but because we love you. 673 00:43:52,260 --> 00:43:58,540 And we want your light to so shine in our lives that people would would see our lives and give glory to the one in heaven. 674 00:43:59,340 --> 00:43:59,540 Lord. 675 00:43:59,820 --> 00:44:00,720 And so we love you today. 676 00:44:00,880 --> 00:44:02,580 We pray that you'd walk with us this week. 677 00:44:03,260 --> 00:44:04,520 And may we glow for Jesus. 678 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:05,980 And your holy name we pray. 679 00:44:06,460 --> 00:44:06,600 Amen. 680 00:44:07,040 --> 00:44:07,180 Amen. 681 00:44:07,840 --> 00:44:08,540 Hey, God bless you. 682 00:44:08,620 --> 00:44:09,640 Have a great week in Jesus. 683 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,480 If you need prayer, the prayer team will be up here.