YouTube video hIYu2776Sb8

Come and meet us, God. Rest with us. Rest with us, Lord.

Please don't let us end up somewhere that that you're not tonight. Please don't let us go somewhere you did not take us. Give us [music] a sensitivity to the leadership of your spirit.

[music] And may we be moved by you. We love you, Lord. We give you all of the glory, all of the honor.

And it's [music] in your most holy name that we pray. Amen. [music] >> Jesus.

Jesus. [music] Jesus, [singing] all our attention is on you, Jesus. [music and singing] All our attention is on you.

[music] Oh, [music] just look to him. Just look at [music] his face. Jesus, [music] all our attention is on you.

[music] Jesus. [music] Jesus, [music] Jesus, [music] name above [singing and music] all names. Beautiful [music and singing] Savior, glorious [singing] Lord, [singing] Emmanuel.

God [singing] is with us. [music] Blessed [singing] redeemer, living [singing] word. Your [music and singing] name is Jesus, name [music and singing] above all names.

Beautiful Savior, [music] glorious [singing] Lord, [music] Emmanuel. [music] God [singing] is with us. Blessed redeemer, [singing] living word.

Oh Jesus, [singing] [music] name above all names. Beautiful [singing and music] Savior, glorious [singing] Lord. [singing] Emmanuel, [music] [singing] God is with [music] us.

Blessed [music] redeemer, [singing] living word. [music and singing] Your [singing] name is Jesus. [music] Name [singing] of the [music] beautiful [music and singing] Savior, [music and singing] glorious Lord.

[singing] >> [music] >> Emmanuel, God [singing] is with us. [music] Blessed [singing] redeemer, living [singing] word. [music] His name [music and singing] is Jesus.

name above [music and singing] all names. Beautiful [music and singing] save. Glorious Lord.

[music] Emmanuel. [music and singing] God is with [music] us. [singing] Blessed redeemer, [music] [singing] living [music] word Jesus.

[singing] Your name is Jesus. [music] name above all names. Beautiful save.

[music] Glorious [singing] Lord. [music] Emmanuel. God [music] is with us.

Blessed [music] redeemer living [music] word Jesus. [music] This is who you are. [music] This is who you are.

[music] This is who you are. [music] This is who you are. [music] >> [music] >> Jesus, your [music] name is Jesus, name above [music] all names, beautiful [music] savior, glorious [singing] Yes.

[music] God is with us. Blessed [music] redeemer, living word. [music] Your name [music] is Jesus.

[music] Name of the Lord. Oh, beautiful Savior. [music] [singing] Glorious Lord.

[music] God is with us. [music] Blessed redeemer, [singing] living word. [music] His name is [music and singing] Jesus.

name above all [music and singing] names. Beautiful Savior. [music] Glorious [singing] Lord.

[music] Emmanuel. [singing] God [music] is with us. Blessed [singing] redeemer, [music] living [music] word.

Oh, his name [music] is Jesus, [singing] name above [music] all things. [singing] Beautiful Savior, [music] [singing] glorious Lord. [music] Immanuel.

[singing] [music] God is with us. [music] Blessed redeemer, the living [music] word. His name [music] is Jesus.

[music] face. [singing] Beautiful savior. [music] Glorious Lord.

[music] God is with us. [music] Blessed redeemer. [music] His name is Jesus.

[music] His name is Jesus. [music] His name is Jesus. His name [music] is Jesus.

[music] His name is Jesus. His name is Jesus. [music] His name is Jesus.

His [music] name is Jesus. [music] His name is Jesus. [music] His name is Jesus.

His name [music] is Jesus. This is who you are. His name is [music] Jesus.

His name is Jesus. [music] His name is Jesus. His name is Jesus.

[music] His name is Jesus. [music] You're the name above [music] all names. Beautiful [singing] Savior, [music] glorious [singing] Lord.

[music] Immanuel, [singing] God [music and singing] is with us. Blessed [music] redeemer Everyone [music] Jesus [music] >> [music] >> living words. Jesus.

[music] >> [music] >> Thank you. This is [music] who [singing] you are. >> [music] >> This is who [singing] you are.

[music] Holy [singing] and wonderful. Holy and [singing] wonderful. [music] Jesus.

[singing] [music] Jesus. You were the word of God existing before time. Your life brought light to all of your creation.

You [music] wrapped yourself in flesh, humility [singing] expressed, obedient [music] in death. What a savior. Oh, you are the word of God, existing before [music] time.

Your life brought [singing] light to all of your creation. You wrapped [music] yourself in flesh, humility [singing] expressed, [music] obedient in death. What a [singing] savior.

And [music] thank you Jesus for the cross [singing] you bore. [music] Thank you Jesus for the blood [singing] you pou. [music] Thank you Jesus for the veil that's been torn.

[music and singing] Thank you Jesus. We praise you Lord. [music] Oh thank you Jesus [singing] for the [music] cross you bore.

Thank you Jesus for the [singing] blood you pou. [music] Thank you Jesus for the veil been [music] torn. Thank [singing] you Jesus.

We praise you Lord [music] and you are [music] the reigning one, the resurrected one. You [music and singing] reconciled to God all of creation. It is [music] finished.

It is done. God has spoken [singing] through his son. Through the cross, [music] now we are one.

Oh, what a [singing] savior. [music] You are the reigning son, the resurrected [music] one. You reconciled to God [music] all of creation.

It is [music and singing] finished. It is done. God has spoken through his son.

Through the [music] cross, now we are. What a savior. Thank you [music] Jesus for the cross you bore.

Thank you Jesus [music] for the blood [singing] you pour. Thank you Jesus [music] for the bells been torn. [music] Thank you Jesus.

We praise you Lord. Oh thank you [music] Jesus for the cross you [music] bore. Thank you Jesus for the blood you pour.

Thank you Jesus [music] for the veil's been torn. Thank you Jesus. [music] We praise the Lord.

[music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] >> [music] >> And we thank you for your [music] body and we thank you for your blood and we thank [music] you for communion.

Halleluah. We are one. Oh, we thank you for your mercy and we thank you for your cross.

And we [music] thank you for the gospel. It is good news unto us. Oh, we [music] thank you for your body and we thank you for the blood.

[music] Oh, we thank you for communion. Halleluah. [music] We are one.

Oh, we thank you for your mercy and we thank [music] you for your cross and we thank you for the goel. There is good news [music] unto us. Oh, we thank you for your body.

We thank you for your [music] thank you for communion. Halleluah. We are [music] and we thank you for your mercy and we thank you for the cross and we thank [music] you for the goel.

It is good news unto us. Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. [music] Thank you Jesus for the cross you. Thank [music] you Jesus for the blood.

[music] Thank you Jesus for the [music] bel. Thank you Jes. We praise the [music] Lord.

Oh thank you Jesus for the cross [music and singing] you. Thank you Jesus for the blood you [music] p. Thank you Jesus for [music] the death to.

Thank you Jesus. We praise [music] you. Oh we praise you.

[music] And we thank you for your body. And we thank you for your blood. And we [music] thank you for communion.

Halleluah. We are one. And we [music] thank you for your mercy.

And we thank you for the cross. And we thank [music] you for the goel and your good news unto us. We thank you for your body.

[music] And we thank you for your blood. And we thank you [music] for communion. Hallelujah.

We are one. [music] And we thank you for your mercy. And we thank you for the cross.

And we thank [music] you for the goel. It is good news unto us. And we know that you're returning, [music] that you're coming for your cry.

We are longing. [music] We are looking for the tail in the sky. [music] And we know that you're returning that you're coming for your cry.

We are [music] longing. We are waiting for the tail. [music] Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. [music] Hallelujah.

Halleluah. Amen. Hallelujah.

[music] Hallelujah. Hallelu. Amen.

Hallelujah. [music] Halleluah. Halleluah.

Thank you Jesus [music] for the cross you. Thank you Jesus [music] for the blood you. Thank you Jesus for [music] the ve.

Thank you Jesus [music] we praise the Lord. Oh thank you [music] Jesus for the cross you. Thank you Jesus [music] for the blood you pour.

Thank you [music] Jesus for the veils been to. [music] Thank you Jesus. We praise the Lord.

[music] Oh thank you Jesus for the cross you bore. [music and singing] Thank you Jesus for the blood you poured. [music and singing] Thank you Jesus for the veils been [music and singing] torn.

Thank you Jesus. We praise the Lord [music and singing] and thank you Jesus for the [singing] cross you bore. [music] Thank you Jesus for the blood you poured.

[music and singing] Thank you Jesus for the veil [music and singing] been torn. Thank you Jesus. We praise [singing] the Lord.

Oh >> we praise the Lord. Oh, just with your own words [music] be to thank [singing] the Lord. Thank you, Lord.

Thank [music] you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. [singing] [music] Thank you, Lord.

[singing] [music] Oh, this is good news. >> [music] >> This is good news unto us. Oh, [music] this is [singing] good news unto us.

Thank you. [music] Thank you. Thank you.

Oh, [music] we praise. Amazing. [music] Praise God.

[music] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] Heat.

[music] Oh, [music] heat, heat. >> [music] >> Praise the name of the [music] Lord. Praise his name [music] forever forever.

[music] We will sing your praise. Oh, [music] praise God. [music] Praise his name forever forever.

[music] We will sing your praise. Praise God [music] [music and singing] forever forever. [music] We will sing our praise.

[music] >> [singing] >> And [music] oh, praise the name of the Lord our [singing] God. Oh, praise [music] his name forever more, [music] foreverless. We will sing [music and singing] your praise.

Oh Lord. Oh Lord [music and singing] our God. Oh we praise [music] the Lord.

>> Praise the Lord. >> Praise [music] the Lord. >> With the angels and saints we praise.

>> Praise [music] the Lord. >> With the elders we [singing] praise the Lord. With the angels and saints [music] we praise >> we praise the Lord.

>> With the elders we praise the Lord. >> Praise the Lord. >> With the angels and saints we [singing and music] praise.

>> Praise the Lord. >> With the elders. We praise the Lord.

>> Praise [music] the Lord. With the angels and [singing] saints we praise >> praise the [music] Lord. >> With the elders we praise the Lord.

[singing] >> We [music] praise the Lord. Oh my [singing] soul. Praise the Lord.

[music] We praise him. We praise him. We praise the Lord, [music] oh my soul.

Praise the Lord. [music] We praise you. We praise you.

Praise [singing and music] the Lord, oh my soul. Praise the Lord. [music and singing] >> [music] >> Praise the Lord, oh my [music and singing] soul.

Praise the Lord. [music] Praise [singing] the Lord. Oh my [music] soul, praise the Lord.

>> [music] >> Praise the Lord. Oh my soul. Praise [music] the Lord.

[singing] Praise the Lord. Oh my [music] soul. Praise.

>> [music] >> Heat. [music] >> [singing] >> Oh my [music] god. [music] My soul praise [music] my soul.

Praise the Lord. [music] [singing] Praise the Lord, oh my [music] soul. Praise [singing] the Lord.

[music] Praise [singing] the Lord, oh my soul. [music] Praise the Lord. We bless you.

Praise [singing and music] the Lord, oh my soul. Praise [music] God. We bless your name.

>> Praise [music] the Lord, oh [singing] my soul. Praise the Lord. >> We love to praise [music] you, [singing] Lord.

>> We bless your name. [music] >> Oh, how we love to bless your name. We [music] praise you, Lord.

>> Oh, we love to praise you. We love to bless [music and singing] you. We love to give you glory.

>> Oh, [music] we love to give you [singing] glory, Lord. [singing and music] >> Oh, we love to give you glory. [music] >> [singing] >> to give you glory, Lord.

[music and singing] To give you praise. [music] We give him praise. We give him praise.

[singing] We give [music] him praise. We give him praise. Praise.

We give him praise. We give him praise. Praise [music] begin.

[music] [music and singing] >> [music] >> praise. Be given praise. [music] >> [music and singing] >> the Lord, oh my soul.

Praise the Lord. >> Praise the Lord. >> Praise [music and singing] the Lord, oh my soul.

Praise. [music] >> We give him praise. We give him praise.

>> Oh, we give him praise. [music] >> We give him praise. [singing] We give him praise.

We [music] give him praise. We bless your holy name. [music] We bless your holy name.

>> [music] >> We bless you. [music] You are you are [music] you are >> [music] >> Heat. [music] Heat.

[music] Heat. [music] >> [music] >> We give >> [music] >> And only one comes to mind. There's only one [music] to describe and only [music and singing] one word comes to mind.

There's [music] only one word to describe [singing] and only one word [music] comes to mind. There is only [singing] one way [music] to hear this cry and only one. There's only [singing] [music] to this cry.

[music] Holy, holy [music] Lord God Almighty, holy, [music] holy the God Almighty, [music] holy Holy [music] God mighty, holy, [music] holy. [music] >> [music] [music and singing] [music] >> And only [music] one word [singing] comes to mind. There's only [singing] one word to [music] describe and only one word comes [music and singing] to mind.

There's only one [music] word to describe and [music] only [singing] one word comes to mind. >> [music] >> There's only one word to describe [music] and only one word comes [music] to mind. There's only one word to describe [music] me.

Heat. [music] Oh [music] God, [music] my God Almighty was holy. [music] >> [music] >> Lord God Almighty [music] is the Lord.

>> [music] >> is the Lord. He's the Lord. [music] [singing] >> [music] >> There is [singing] no one like you [singing and music] are holy.

There's [music] no one like you [singing] are. [snorts] Oh, and there's no [music] one [singing] like you. You are holy [music] and there is no one [singing] like you.

[music] You alone. Oh, [singing] there's no one [music] and there's no one like you. You [music] are holy, holy.

[singing] [music] There is no [singing] like [music] you. You are holy, holy. There's [music] no there like you [music] are.

[music] There is no one [music] like you. No [music] one like [music] you. You are [music] you [music] are [music] you are holy.

>> [music] >> Glory God Almighty. [music] I don't mind. [music] You are [music] >> [music] >> My God almighty.

There is [music] no one like you. I [music] like you [music] like you are holy, holy, [music] and there [music] no one like you are holy. [music] There's only one found worthy.

Only one [music and singing] found worthy. We give blessing and honor [music] and glory [singing] to the one found worthy, only one found worthy. We give blessing [music] and honor and glory to the one found [music] worthy.

There's only one found worthy. [music] We give blessing and honor and glory [music] to the one found worthy. Only one [music] found worthy.

We give blessing and honor and glory [music] to the one found worthy. Only one found worthy. [music] We give blessing and honor and glory to the one [music and singing] found worthy.

There's only one worthy. We give [music] blessing and honor. Glory to the one worthy.

[music] Holy one worthy. >> [music] >> We give blessing, honor, glory to the [singing] one worthy. [music] No one worthy [music] glory to the One worthy.

Holy [music] one worthy. We give blessing. [music] Glory to the one from [music] the one from we [singing] give blessing honor.

Glory to the one. There's none like you are holy. There's [singing] no light.

You are holy. [music] Feels [music] like I [music] >> [music] >> Heat. [music] >> [music] >> beauty, [music] beauty, beautiful, glory, glory, glory.

is [music] you are you are [music] beauty [singing] beauty beautiful glory [music] glory glorious you are you [music] are [singing] beauty beauty beautiful beautiful glory [music] glory glorious You are, you are beauty, [music] beauty, beautiful. Glory, glory, [singing] glory. You are, [music] you are beauty, beauty, [music and singing] beautiful, glory, glory, glorious.

You are, [music] you are [music] beauty, [singing] beauty, beautiful, glory, glory, glorious. [music] You are, you are [music] beauty, beauty, beautiful. Glory, [music] glory, glorious.

You are [music] You are [music] beautiful. Glory. Glory.

Glorious. [music] You are. You are.

[music] Beautiful. Glory. [music] Glory.

Yes. Heat. [music] Heat.

[music] Beautiful. [music] Glorious. [music] Heat.

[music] Beautiful. [music] Glorious. You are [music] You are beautiful.

[music] He's alive. [singing] He's alive. Is his [singing] life.

[music] He's alive. is [singing] ris [music] He's alive. [singing and music] He's alive.

He is [singing] ris. He's alive. [music] He's alive.

[singing] He [music] is ris is. [music] He's [singing] alive. [music] He's alive.

[singing] He is ris Is it? [music] He's alive. [music] He's alive.

[singing] He is ris. [music] He's alive. He's alive.

He is [music and singing] ris He's [music] alive. He's alive. [music] He is rising.

[music] [singing] [music] Hey, [music] he's [music] alive. Heat. [music] Heat.

[music] He's alive. He's alive. [music] He is rising.

[music] He's alive. [singing] He's [music] alive. He is [singing] rises.

[music and singing] [music and singing] He's alive. [music and singing] He's alive. He is [music and singing] rising.

[music] [singing] [music] [singing] There's [singing] none like you are holy. There's none like [singing] you are. Holy.

[singing] There's [music] no one like you. You are holy, holy. [singing] There's [music] no one like you.

You are holy. [music] >> [music] >> Lord, we recount and >> we remember [music] tonight your testimonies, Lord, >> with so many of us in the >> [sighs] >> Lord, the testimonies are endless of what you've done for us. [music] from those of us that you've saved out of addiction and bondage and brokenness to others of us, Lord, where our hearts were broken and aching [music] and you put the pieces back together.

for others of us, Lord, where you brought us into wholeness and and family and forgiveness and mercy and compassion and grace. And for all of us, Lord, the way that you you pulled us out of the miry clay and you saw value in us when nobody else did. And so today, God, we recount your holiness.

We remember our one true king, our God and Lord. What a gift it is to join in heaven's song and and to sing of your majesty and your glory. and the privilege it is Lord to to gather in a room like this and you come to rest with your people.

Thank you Lord from all of us for never leaving us and never forsaking us never forgetting us God. You are most holy. You are most wonderful.

There is no one like you. There is none beside you. Certainly Lord you have no rivals, no equals, >> no one beside you.

The one clothed in glory and the one to whom angels and saints cry holy and the only one found worthy. [music] We magnify your name Jesus. [music] >> Come Lord.

>> [snorts] >> rest. May we be a dwelling place for God's Yeah. I just for the next few minutes I I want to give it over to you.

This is just you and Jesus. And [music] the musicians will continue to play, but I I feel like God's doing heart work in the room right now. And please don't be distracted from it.

>> Let the Lord do what he wants to do in your soul. uproot things that have found themselves planted but are not of his seed. >> To mend hearts, to heal bodies.

Turn your affection to Jesus. [music] Turn your affection to Jesus. >> [music] >> Hallelujah.

>> [music] >> Hallelujah. >> [music] >> Heat. [music] >> [music] >> Teach us to know you, Lord, [music] and teach us to love you that in In this room, you would find for yourself sold out, sold out lovers of your presence.

And that in this room, you [music] would find for yourself sons and daughters, lives fully laid down to the service of our of our one true king, Jesus Christ. Thank you, God, for the victory of your broken body, your spilled out blood, >> the victory of the cross and your testimony. And tonight, we look to you.

We give you all of the honor, all of the glory. In your most beautiful name, we pray. Amen.

Amen. Amen. Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord. You may find your seats. [clears throat] Thank you Lord.

Awesome. Welcome everyone. We're so glad you're here tonight.

Um, is there anyone who's here for the very first time? Sweet few of you. Welcome.

[applause] Welcome. We're so glad you're here. um we just love Jesus and we want to know and learn how to love him more.

And so we're uh it's always a joy when when people come to visit and spend time with us here uh in the presence of Jesus. Uh last week, last week we started going through First Peter and we really only made it through about the first two and a half verses. Um, and so I want to continue there today.

I want to continue there. Yeah. Because I I shared it last week and and and I'll talk a little bit more about it tonight.

But if we do not understand the love of the father, who the father is, who God is, is a good father, you cannot understand the fullness of the finished work of the cross. And so, uh, I just I want to hit on that today just because of h how important it is and, uh, and really life-changing it is in our walk with Jesus. And so, uh, we'll be back in First Peter today, and I, you know, I think we'll be there for a while.

And so for those of you who are here for the first time, I I'll kind of recap it for you a little bit more um in a few minutes and then we'll we'll jump back into uh the following verses. So um before we get there, uh I want to do a couple things. The first one is I want to receive tonight's uh tithes and offerings.

And um I'm going to I'm going to hit on it a little bit more during uh during first Peter today, but I just I want us to get we'll kind of do this portion of it first. Um [sighs] because in the scriptures what you'll find is that uh I I talked a little bit about this at Bible study on Tuesday is you and I get to choose where if we invest our time into something that's eternal or something that is uh temporal or temporary. And what happens in life is when Jesus walks into my life and your life, the beauty of his nature, what he's able to do in and with us is that he takes things that are in nature, not eternal.

And when he breathes upon them, breathes upon them and he lands upon them, things that in nature did not carry eternally now all of a sudden do. And this is what I mean is is you know I can go to work let's say 9 to5 40 hours a week and and I could be at my job working for a promotion uh you know trying to grow in the company climb the ladder get to a better position you know pay for a vacation pay my bills all of these things that are they're not not they're not bad in nature they're not also not eternal And then what happens when I meet Jesus and now I go to work 9 to5 and I receive a paycheck every month when I follow the instruction and the leadership and obedience to Jesus for example in tithes and offerings and generosity and provision and taking care of my family the way the scriptures teach. All of a sudden, when I'm going to work, the thing that was temporal, the thing that was only for this lifetime all of a sudden becomes eternal.

Cuz when Jesus breathes upon finances, my dollar all of a sudden that's invested into, excuse me, that's given generously in tithes and offering to what God's doing begins to bless the city. >> And then the offerings that we give that blesses the mission and the assignment of the Lord around the world. And then when you support your family, [clears throat] you spend time on vacation, you go to work, all of a sudden at work or on vacation or wherever you are, you are there to express the love and the kindness of Jesus.

And instead of going 9 to5 dragging kind of your, you know, your leg going to work for something that's temporary, when Jesus enters the picture, he makes everything eternal. >> Do you hear what I'm saying? And the things that are eternal, they're not just eternal because they make they make an impact on a person that will for eternity.

That's part of it. But the truth, the truth is that in God, what happens is the more I look like him, the more I follow the obedience of Jesus, the more his testimony is declared for all of eternity. And so, for example, when we give, when we give to the church and we collectively give and and God is doing things within our city and and the missions, you know, we're supporting and and doing around the world and all that God's doing in and with the finding those the people who are touched by what's happening in this house, their testimonies, their stories for all of eternity will declare that it was through through a people through the body of Christ who said yes to Jesus that they came to a revelation of the Christ.

Does that make sense? Do you hear what I'm saying? Sweet.

Thank you, Lord. [laughter] Um, [sighs] you know, there's a scripture, I think it's in 1 Corinthians, when when Paul's talking about sacrifices to idols, and he says, when you sit down and you eat, it's it's a prayer of thanksgiving that sanctifies the meal. And so simply by giving gratitude to to Jesus for the meal, it sanctifies that meal.

Whether it's sacrificed to idols or not or whatever, it sanctifies the meal. In a similar manner, what happens in in our finances, in our financial life, we don't just give for the church to be able to pay its bills. Obviously, that's part of it, and it's pra it's the practical side of things.

But in our giving and in generosity, what happens is when there's an obedience to Jesus through tithes and offerings, it sanctifies it sanctifies the financial state, the the the the way of life when it comes to our finances. Anyways, um it's in the heart and and it's in the heart and nature of Jesus to be generous. and may we look just like him.

Amen. >> Amen. >> Okay.

I don't I don't I don't want to ever feel like I'm convinced like trying to convince somebody to to give. Not at all. So, um All right.

I want to give you a few minutes to do that. We have all the regular ways of giving. If you need an envelope, please just raise your hand.

Our ushers are more than happy to uh to give you one of those. Otherwise, we're going to take a few minutes to to let you do this. We'll play a video and then um we'll be right back and we'll uh we'll jump into first Peter.

So we'll be right back. to [music] our [singing] praise. [music] Sing.

We give you all. We give [music] you all the [music] weship [music and singing] you are. You are us.

[music] Oh, we give you all. You [music] [singing] [music] worship. [music] What an honor you are.

[music] Oh, we do. We do all we [music] can. [music] It's a we [music] are [music] we do.

Yes, we do. We [music] go. [singing] [music] Hey, we are [music] we [music] Heat.

[music] >> [music] >> Yes, we do. Yes, we do. [music] Heat.

[music] Oh, we [music and singing] give you [music] We're only here for you. We worship. [music] >> All right.

[clears throat] Let's pray. Jesus, uh we thank you for for every dollar that was swn today. And Lord, that when you breathe upon it, when you uh when you release grace on it, that the dollar goes to to destroy the kingdom of hell and and make manifest bring forth the kingdom of heaven.

And so our prayer Lord is that in and through our generosity be glorified and magnified and far be it Lord from us to keep anything from you especially what is rightfully yours. Thank you for all the ways Lord that you bless us that you keep us for the ways that you provide for us and we know Lord that you are a good good father. So tonight, I want to thank you, God, that you see every need in the room, whether it's financial or any other, and that you always provide.

You always take care, you commanded us, you instructed us to not worry because if you take care of the liies and the sparrow, how much more will you take care of us? And so we trust you, Lord. We love you.

We thank you for your faithfulness, your presence with us, Lord. Please lead us today. Lead all of us by the wind of your spirit in the room tonight.

We thank you that you are faithful and true. You are more than enough. So we love you, Lord.

And in your name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Okay. Um, first before we go into First Peter, we do want to uh we do want to remember and honor the fathers in the room. And so if you're a dad, if you're a father in the room, would you please stand up?

[applause] Stand up, please. Uh we just we have uh [applause] we have something we just want to bless you guys with. And so team, if you want to if you want to come out now, but I just want to say on behalf of all of us kids here in the room.

Uh uh dads, we we want you to know how much we love you and that you are the first example to us of the love of the father. And the way that God designed it, the way that God designed family is that we get to learn who God is in nature because of what you have demonstrated uh to us. And so for myself, certainly for my dad, I'm uh [sighs] we get to live what feels like a dream in the best way is we get to be up here every single week together.

And as he leads our team on the worship teams, we get and I get to [sighs] uh get to teach the scriptures, we both get to learn uh love and and and uh love and serve Jesus with all of our hearts. And so for all of our fathers, we again we just want to thank you is that we would not be the the men, the women, the sons and daughters, if it wasn't for you, for the ways that you sew into us, believe in us the way that you the ways that you've contended and provided for us. And uh the so many ways that you have made our dreams a reality and um and we just want to thank you and honor you.

And uh we just we want you to know how much we we love you. So, let's Can we bless our dads? [applause] Um, you can find your seats.

[applause] [clears throat] Uh, you know, I said this I said this for uh for Mother's Day is that we're we're just we're believing that one day there will be uh lots of children running around and and kids loving and celebrating Jesus and hopefully waving flags and rejoicing. at the victory of the cross and the beauty of Jesus. And so, um, so hurry up, get married.

If you're not, [laughter] if you are married without kids, [laughter] what are you waiting for? Well, we'll uh I'll prophesy twins over all of you. That way we we just we speed up the process.

[laughter] Um all right, turn your Bibles to First Peter chapter 1. [gasps] We'll start reading in verse three. It says, "Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." Okay, I want to recap a little bit of last week because again, if if um you always want to make sure you're reading scripture in context. If you're reading it outside of context, you'll kind of miss the point of what's being said.

We all know this is that you know, chapters and verses and all that stuff was added later on, which means that when the writer was writing, they were not separating when the writers were writing, they were not separating uh thoughts. they were it was just kind of um it would flow to the point that they were trying to make. And so last week we talked about it is uh the letter itself first Peter is being written to Gentiles who had believed in Jesus.

They were kind of dispersed around Asia Minor which is minor uh modern day Turkey you know somewhere in that area. And Peter was he basically starts his letter to explain or to emphasize we should say he starts his letter to emphasize and emphasize saying if you do not understand the love of the father you cannot fully understand the sacrifice of Jesus Christ because the sacrifice of Jesus what what Jesus came to accomplish and fulfill was an expression it was a display of love but if you and I do not understand the one who's displaying this love. When you when you when we don't know who God the Father is, the display of love, it can become you can you can begin to perceive it through the uh you can begin to perceive the love of God or rather the I should say the the accomplishment of Jesus through your experience or your understanding of what love is.

And it's where where there's so many people within church uh or I should say there's so many areas of church especially within western church where compromise was allowed within church because there was a misunderstanding or misrepresentation a lie of who Jesus actually is. I feel like I didn't phrase that properly. I will I'll clear it up here.

[sighs] It's it says, "Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is according to God's great love, mercy, compassion, grace towards you that he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." In other words, I'm I'm going to give you an example that I will probably be using for the next uh several weeks. It's like you and I'll just kind of keep adding on to it, but I think it'll be helpful.

In fact, today's there's going to be a lot of uh examples or I'll call them parables. Jesus used parables, so it'll it'll hopefully help help articulate the points better. If we don't understand the love of the father, you cannot understand the significance of what Jesus has accomplished.

Scripture says John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only begotten son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved." Romans 5'8 it says, "God demonstrates his own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ Jesus still died for us." 1 John 4:9, "In this the love of God was manifested towards us, that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins." Ephesians 2:4, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ Jesus." In other words, the importance of salvation is not merely found in what you were saved from.

The importance of salvation is probably more importantly found as what you were saved into. So, here's another silly example, but if you're trapped on a deserted island and you're like, you know, let's say you were there for like a few weeks, you've managed to learn to build a fire, cook some food, hunt, you know, whatever. Get find build yourself a shelter.

you found a way to survive maybe, but you're still you're still um you still need saving. You still need rescuing. And let's say you're you're looking out in the distance, you see there's a a boat coming your way and everything within you gets excited and they start getting closer.

They see you. You're like you're you know, you're throwing your hands up in the air. You built out a help sign on the on the sand and they start coming towards you.

They they come out and they're saving you. And what you find is that you're boarding a ship of pirates who are really about to like enslave you and take the little that you still have. And all of a sudden, your salvation from your what seems to be a helpless what is a helpless hopeless situation did not get any better because what you were saved from is no better.

in fact might be excuse me what you got saved into is no better than what you got saved from. Do you hear what I'm saying? >> Does that make sense?

And so if I got if I get saved into something worse than what I was saved from, I'm like, you know what? I'm good with my hunting, you know, scavenging, looking for water and in my tree leafed fortress. like I'm good there.

But if I'm stuck on the island obviously and you know the co the coast guard comes and you know they have food for me and they're you know they the ship comes and you see it you're excited and and you're ready to get off the island because you know what you're getting saved into. And so what happens in the scriptures, what happens, it seems to be happening here where Peter's uh to the readers that Peter is writing to is there became some sort of they lost they seem to have lost the the expression of what love is supposed to be through the heart of the father. Salvation is not salvation.

It's not important because of necessarily what we got saved from. It's important because of what we got saved into. And when you and I when we don't know the love of the father, you don't know why Jesus came and what he accomplished on the cross.

And when you don't know the love of the father, you can start questioning what Jesus actually did on the cross. And this is like this is what I mean by you. You've probably experienced something like this before where you sinned and you messed up and you think like, "Oh man, I don't know if I don't know if God will forgive me of that.

I don't know if if Jesus paid a price for that thing. Or I don't know if I can forgive myself of that thing. Or you see someone who's sick or or hurting, disease, some sort of something in their body and you look at them and you have compassion and you think, I want to pray.

I want to pray and believe for healing, but I don't know if God will heal. And not knowing the love and the heart of the father, you deem yourself to be more compassionate than God. where your heart breaks for someone who's sick and thinking God's doesn't.

You can look at elements of communion or water baptism or the scriptures and it can be perceived through a lens of works and like I have to do this because uh if I don't God's going to be mad at me or or you look at you can look at communion or baptism and and these sacred these sacred engagements with the heart of Jesus and they can become mere symbolism to us because we don't understand the heart of the father behind uh uh uh in what we're doing. And so you when you don't understand the love of the father, you cannot understand what Jesus has accomplished. Because if you do not understand that God loves you, why does it matter if he has forgiven you of your sins?

When the truth of the gospel, the truth of the gospel is that the expression of God's love for you and I is that Jesus came when you and I were still sinners. Nobody thought we had hope, purpose, or potential. And yet God looked at you and I when he breathed breath into our lungs.

He saw you in your mother's womb and he saw all the most wicked, dark, broken, atrocious moments of your life. And he still thought you were worth giving his breath to. And then he thought you were worth dying for.

And then as he hung on that tree, as people mocked him and laughed at him and said, "You who could save others, he who could save others cannot even save himself. If you're really the son of God, why don't you get yourself down from that cross?" And Jesus looks back upon the very ones he created, the ones who are who are speaking because his breath is within their lungs. He looks back at them and declares mercy over their lives.

hanging there and he's thinking of you and I. It's that's why the scripture says for the joy set before him that he endured the cross. You and I were that joy that was set before him that he endured the cross.

And so if we cannot understand the love of the father, I just I want to reiterate this really clearly because you know we we I talked about it last week and and and we prayed about it together and I just but I want to reiterate this point heavily because if if we do not know God who is our father, our father who are in heaven, We cannot fully understand what why Jesus had come and what he accomplished. If there's an orphan out in the street and their current situation is that they're homeless, they don't have food, so they're hungry, they don't, you know, their clo their clothes are torn up, and they get saved or they get adopted into an abusive family. It's like it didn't make the situation any better.

In fact, it probably made it worse. When there's an orphan in the street and they're they're taken in, they're adopted and they get adopted into a healthy God-fearing Jesusloving family. What happens is they were taken out of a broken way of life into into newness of life, into a new way of life, into a a way of life where there's potential purpose, where there's uh where there's abundance, where there is care, where there's tender kindness, where there's mercy, compassion, all of it.

I said I brought up this example last week is in Psalm 23 when it says, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for I know that you are with me. If I do not understand who God is as a kind and merciful and gentle loving father, what happens is that when I'm walking through the valley of the shadow of death, knowing that he's with me will only stress me out more because not only am I going through a hard season, but now like every time I mess up, there's somebody there to to to be frustrated with me and complain and to discipline me and all of a sudden instead of him walking through the valley of the shadow of death with me being an encouragement, it becomes a point of brokenness, a point of pain. And the scriptures teach through and through is that that is not who God is.

And so many of you in this room, you've probably walked through times in your life. Some of you may be holding on to those times as you walk through difficult times in your life where somebody who was supposed to represent Jesus to you didn't. And they were supposed to they whether it was a pastor, a parent, a relative, a friend, whoever.

They were supposed to represent the love of the father. They claimed to be representing God the father. They claimed to be representing Jesus.

And somewhere along the lines, they may have hurt you. And a person's mistake, a person's flesh, a person's selfishness sometimes tends to determine our entire perspective of who God is. It's one of the reasons we could sing about the blood of Jesus and his forgiveness and his mercy and then question if we're forgiven or not.

Like, it's it's really is bizarre. It's really bizarre that you can read into the scriptures and know that Jesus his name is healer. That that by his stripes we are healed and then look at a sick person have compassion on them and think like well maybe God doesn't want to heal that person.

When Jesus bloody on a cross, hanging nails in his hands and his feet, stripes on his back, open flesh and wounds up against a dead splintered dark tree, taking on your sickness and disease and my sickness and disease. And I look at a person and I have compassion for them thinking, I want to see them healed more than God the Father, who paid a price for it, for that healing. Okay.

Do do you hear what I'm saying? So Peter says, "According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." So I want to further break this example down for you. So with the orphan for example is let's say the orphan is in debt has has no food, no clothing, no water, no place to live.

And I step in and I I feed him. I give him food to drink. I pay off all of his debt.

I give him new clothes to wear. I even pay for a hotel for him to live in for the rest of his life. And I did something significant and generous for for that child.

But it becomes a whole other story when when I pay the debt, give him food, give him new clothes, and then instead of just blessing him to go on his way, I take the orphan. I take the child and I I legally I make I I give him my last name and he becomes my son. All of a sudden, the stuff that all of the stuff that I paid for is sweet and it's good and it's incredible.

It's generous. But the real the real emphasis of the good news is that now this child who had absolutely nothing nothing to his name has come into my life has come into my house and everything that I've owned. Everything that I have now all of a sudden becomes his.

Things that he never had to lift a finger for. Things that he never had to do all of a sudden it belongs to him. And Jesus, what he in his passion, in his agony and his pain and his suffering and his death and his burial, what he did is he paid all of our debt.

He paid all of the suffering, all of the stuff, all the sickness and disease, all the sin, all the brokenness. He paid for all of that stuff. But it was in his resurrection, it was when Jesus resurrected that you and I became children of God.

And so, he didn't just take us off the streets from our brokenness and our orphanhood. He took us from that all that place and then he brought us into the household of God where you and I are called children of God. And so Peter is saying listen you were you are born again meaning you have been given a new way of life.

You are no longer just orphans who have it good. Now you are have you have become children of God. And so as children of God, he says, you've been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

So to be born again into a living hope, this is what that means. I kind of shared it shared it a little bit during the offering is I I'll kind of I'll reiterate the example of the job is if I have my job and I'm going to work 9 to5, my job is without without any form of eternal hope. It's not that it's a bad thing.

It's just that it's something I do for today to make ends meet, to, you know, go on vacation, take some time off, whatever. Be able to buy food, clothes, a place to live, all of that stuff. But when I'm born again into a living hope, what happens is that everything that I engage with through the revelation of Jesus, through knowing the Christ, everything that I do, I begin to engage with eternity.

And so now instead of my job being a means of, you know, getting food and and paying the bills and all that stuff, my job now becomes a means of supporting the kingdom of heaven and coming into agreement with the assignment of God and giving of myself of my life to bless the work of the kingdom and to bless my family to to provide for my family which you know the scriptures say he who does not take care of his family is worse off than an unbeliever. And now my job that I went to before which had no purpose, no eternal value. It had had purpose in this lifetime in this world but it didn't have eternal purpose.

All of a sudden Jesus enters my life and every and this 9 to5 everything uh every time that I go there it's on to something greater. But it's not just with your job it's with your family. It's with the way that you serve.

It's with the things that you do. All of a sudden, when Jesus becomes your source, when there's a revelation of the love of God and you love people according to the love of God, the things that you do, the the seeds that you plant, they be they become eternal. >> They become a a testimony of who the nature of Jesus is.

So when he says you were born again into a living hope, he's he's saying that exact thing. You weren't just taken out of your brokenness. That part of the gospel is important.

It's it's special. And Jesus paid a high price. But the ultimate price was that you and I become children of God.

And if we do not understand how loved we are by the father, what it means to be a child of God, you will always live in tear. Like it would be really strange if I if I adopted a child and they're in my house and let's say I have a mansion and the fridge is full and they get they can get and take whatever it is they want. It would be really strange if they were in my house in their house now and they're sneaking around and like when I'm not looking they go to the fridge and they take a bunch of food and hide it under their bed thinking that they might not have enough in a little bit.

You would think like if I would see that, you would see that as a parent. You would say, "Hey, you don't have to do that anymore. There's abundance here.

There's plenty. There's plenty to go around here. You do not have to steal.

You do not have to worry because you you are now in a different way of life. You have a you have a new manner of life found in this family, in this household." Right? The unfortunate piece is that's how so so much of Christianity is.

It's the it's this acceptance that yes, I now belong to the family of God, but the way of life always seems to demonstrate that I actually don't believe in the goodness of of our God. I don't I like I believe I in theory God is good and you know and we all know it's like God is good all the time and all the time God is good and then when God's like hey I want you to lay this thing down or I want you to go in this direction and it's like it becomes panic or scary or or we're afraid we're we're we're terrified of making a decision or giving up something that God has asked for because the questions start rolling. Well, what if it doesn't work out?

What if what if I pray and they don't get healed? What if what if I I I say something? I I preach.

I evangelize and nothing happens and all of a sudden all the doubt starts creeping in to say like, well, is he actually as good as he says that he is? And then it goes deeper and then it starts coming into a place where it's like, well, you see the cross and we hear about the the power of the body and the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus. And then it's like, well, maybe communion is just like it's just symbolism.

Maybe it's just symbolic. And then a thought pattern and a and a a a perspective that was formed out of an experience godless experience becomes a way of life or a cultural norm in society like it's so normal within church es especially within western church where communion the body and the blood of Jesus Christ becomes like this like 3 to five minute segment within because we need to get to something more important called a sermon. And the precious body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ where he says, "Do this in remembrance of me gets 3 to five minutes." And then we wonder and it's it's wild because the scriptures teach this is why so many of you are ill and sick and some have fallen asleep.

The scriptures say that, but there's a lack of recognizing that that if we do not understand the elements of communion, what Jesus has accomplished, his testimony. I read it in Psalm 119 at the beginning of service. It's in the testimony of Jesus that we find the fruit of what he's accomplished.

And so when I do not understand the love of the father, I have every reason to question what Jesus has accomplished. And so Peter says, "You have been born again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." So when Jesus resurrected, you were brought into we you and I were brought into the family of God. And the living hope we have now is that everything that I do, my inheritance is that in everything that I do in obedience and in line with Jesus, all of it carries eternity in it.

And this is why he says he says uh you have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance that is imperishable undefiled and unfading kept in heaven for you. In other words, when you and I gave our lives to Jesus, what happens is we became a part of God's family. And then every little thing, everything that Jesus has accomplished on the cross has become mine and yours.

God doesn't divide his inheritance amongst us. He gives all of it to all of us. There's nothing that I there's nothing in Jesus that I have access to that you don't.

And there's nothing in your life that would disqualify you from what Jesus has accomplished. and there's nothing you can do to qualify you for what he's accomplished. Which means that today, right now, the moment you turn your affection to Jesus, you you expose yourself, you open yourself up to the inheritance that God has for you, every little bit of it.

>> Amen. >> Which means that if you need healing in your body, it's available for you. And there might be people who tell you like maybe it's not your time or maybe it's not God's will to heal you.

and and they might disagree with me. I am I am I want to tell you that it is absolutely God's will to heal you. >> Amen.

>> There's no person, no man who can have more compassion than Christ Jesus. If there's brokenness in your heart and you're aching and there's maybe you were violated and hurt and things something has been walking with you for your whole life maybe for decades. The truth of the gospel is that in our inheritance in Jesus the one that is unperishable, undefiled, incorruptible is that there's freedom for you.

Everything that Jesus has paid a price for, that's the nature of inheritance. I said it earlier. When I sign the when the orphan takes my last name and they become my child, all of a sudden everything that that that I worked for, everything that is mine, everything that they didn't work for, still it still becomes theirs.

Meaning everything that Jesus hung on the cross for, everything that he established through the victory of his death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension, it becomes mine and yours. It becomes ours. >> Amen.

>> There will certainly be parts of our inheritance. For example, like, you know, you you probably won't you probably won't give, you know, if you brought in an orphan on day one, you probably won't give them like a million dollars. because you know that okay this this child this person needs to be grown in learning how to steward things of value.

And so God is a good and wise father meaning like he will never give you and I more than what we can manage and he certainly won't give us things that we're not able to steward. And so for many of you here, you've probably had dreams in your life where you know whether in ministry, in business, in family, whatever. And it may sometimes feel like why why am I not stepping into like I've been praying or contending for this.

Why am I not stepping into it? And as time goes by and there's a what seems to be a lack of answered prayers, the default kind of position in the Christian life becomes like, well, maybe God just doesn't want it. and and and maybe it's not my time.

Maybe it's and it's all sorts of stuff that kind of comes against the goodness and the kindness of God rather than the submission to his instruction and direction. And so when maybe you've prayed a prayer that was like, "God, I I want to be in ministry and I want to serve you within the ministry one day." And God's instruction is like, okay, to be a wise leader, wise leader, I want you to go and serve your pastor or, you know, at kids church or in worship or and you're kind of like, "No, I I'm I'm not looking to serve. I'm looking to lead." And God doesn't, you know, like I promise you this is that God is is much more hard-headed than we are when it comes to truth.

And so then then it's like okay well if maybe I can make my own ministry maybe I can build it up maybe I can whatever and attempting to do something in the name of Jesus without the covering of Jesus that be that in nature then becomes really dreadful. And so we were born again. God because of his love, because of his mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

And this this living hope that we were giving that we were given through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an inheritance. Everything that he has accomplished which is imperishable. It's undefiling.

It's it's undefiled and it's unfading. And it is kept in heaven for you and I. When it says kept in heaven for you and I, what it's what it's not saying is that one day when we get to heaven, we get to experience uh our inheritance.

What he's saying is that the finished work of the cross, everything that Jesus has accomplished is not found separate from him. It is stored up for you in the heavenlies. That's why it says you are now seated with Christ Jesus in heavenly places.

Meaning these are this inheritance cannot be cannot be received. It cannot be taken on without the revelation of the love of the father and the finished work of Jesus Christ. It cannot be removed from the truth of who Jesus is as king and lord, savior and master.

Meaning like I don't want to believe in healing and not believe in Jesus the healer. Yeah. >> And it, you know, when you say it that way, you think like, yeah.

But unfortunately the nature of of human wisdom and logic is is that it's almost like it's almost like healing is subjective to to whe I'm able to operate in faith or not. Or I should say God's heart for healing is subject to whether I'm able to operate in faith or not. And if I don't have faith for the moment, then that's probably not the will of God.

But the inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, kept in heaven for you means that everything that Jesus has paid a p price for on the cross is available to you and I. And so whatever that thing, whatever thing in your life it is that you feel like you don't know, you don't have an answer to, you don't know how to figure it out, you don't know how to become free. I promise you this, the scriptures are teaching if you understand the love of the father, what you will understand is what Jesus has accomplished.

And that thing has absolutely no power in your life in Jesus. And I know the what you know what what we all think when we hear that is kind of like, well, it certainly feels like it has power in my life. And that's where I want to point you back to what we read about what we read in Psalm 119 at the start here.

When the scriptures say, can you come help me please? When the scriptures say in Psalm 119 verse 95, "The wicked lie and wait to in the wicked lie and wait to destroy me, but I consider your testimonies and your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are joy to my heart." In verse 99, it says, 'I have more understanding than all of my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. In other words, if you read this chapter again and again and again, what you'll find is that David is pointing back and he says, "Remember the testimonies of God." In the testimonies of God, you find refuge from adversaries.

You find refuge from the enemy. In the testimonies of God, you find you find wholeness and healing. and the testimonies of Jesus, you have understanding of the finished work of the cross.

He says, more than my teachers. He says, I have more understanding than all of my teachers. For your testimonies are my meditation.

Amen. So >> life becomes like you you could probably attest to this is the amount of time you spend meditating or thinking on the testimony of Jesus, what he's accomplished, his kindness, his goodness, his mercies towards you is probably most likely for most of us in the room is probably a fraction of the time we take meditating and considering Considering the worries and concerns of life, the things that so easily ensnare us. So he says to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.

He's saying we who are who are the inheritors, we by go by God's power are being guarded through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In other words, you and I in Jesus like in when the scriptures talks about last days, I'm like if they weren't 100 years ago, they certainly are now. Like um not because not not because uh you know, I'm not like everything is so dark and bad and and so therefore Jesus will come.

The scriptures, the scriptures don't really say that. The scriptures don't say that God will come because things get so dark. The scriptures say that the time will come when all of creation will have heard the gospel.

They'll know his and they got to choose. And there will be there certainly be dark times. We read about that in Revelation and and in Thessalonians.

There will certain be be dark times. But what I what I the point I want to make is that Jesus isn't responding to darkness when he comes. Jesus is making a statement and darkness trembles when he comes.

And so he says, "This inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time." What he's saying is that you and I now as children of God, God keeps us. He protects us. He watches of us.

Meaning he's with us. That's what that's what Emmanuel, God with us, means. And that's why Emmanuel is an encouraging statement.

It's not a discouraging one is because if I know who God is as as my shepherd, as my friend, as the bridegroom, if I know God as a loving father, then all of a sudden, Emmanuel means the world to me because if that's who he is, if he is as good as he says and he's with me, there's absolutely nothing that I will ever fear. There is nothing in life that will move me, that will shake me because if he is who he says he is and I believe that and there's nothing and no one that can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And if I know that and I understand that, I realize that he who is for me is greater than the one who is against me or greater is he that lives in me than he who is in the world.

If God is for me, who could possibly stand against me? But when I don't understand the love of the father, I can't understand I can't understand the finished work of the cross. And then when I read the scriptures like greater is he that's in me than he is who who's in the world or or um if God is for me who could stand against me all of a sudden those become maybe you wouldn't you wouldn't you wouldn't consciously say this but internally it becomes this perspective of like man if he's for me who could stand against me but if I mess up then he's also against me and so now like I'm just fighting for my life here for myself those scriptures are only encouraging.

They're only valuable because they they are established in the truth of who God the Father is. So it is by his power that you and I are guarded through faith for a salvation. Salvation not meaning to get to heaven one day.

Salvation meaning redemption, uh joy, peace, healing, wholeness, deliverance within the soul. And so we are being guarded by faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In other words, God has been guarding us through our faith that we get to experience this revelation in these last days.

And so I want to I'll kind of close with this is I want to remind you tonight. I said this last week, but I want to reiterate it again. Is that there's no sin in your life.

I I don't care how dark you think it is. There's no sin that the blood of Jesus is not enough for. Which means that there is no sin that can keep you or separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

There's no sickness or disease that's more powerful than than his body, his blood. And I don't say that lightly. I've I've I mean in in the sense that I've prayed for people that were sick and I was I was aching that they would be healing.

I didn't see it happen, but I do not have more compassion than God for that person. Which means that there's something about his for me. me the way that I approach it is there's something about Jesus that I need to see and I need to know that I'm not fully operating in what he has paid a price for.

But I will not question his goodness. >> One of the most profound moments for me uh when it comes to leadership is is when Pastor Bill Johnson's wife had passed away Benny from cancer and they were praying, they were contending. I mean, I was I was in Reading at that time and weeping just like contending for a touch of heaven over her body.

And two days later was Sunday service and he he came to preach on Sunday's service weeping, crying and he wasn't sharing about loss. He wasn't sharing about disappointment or how to overcome difficulty. What he shared about what he taught on was the goodness of God.

How God is always always good. So there's nothing you can do in your life that'll make God love you any less. There's nothing you could do in life.

No ministry, no serving, no tithe or offering that can convince God to love you anymore. He loves you just because he loves you. And the inheritance, all that Jesus has paid a price for.

Just like the orphan who walks into the my mansion, my house becomes my son. Everything that I have, that fridge belongs to them with all the food and everything in it. Every detail of that house is theirs because they carry my last name.

Now, it's why we're called Christians, Christ like ones. You carry the name of the one whose inheritance you have. What a shame it would be to live our whole lives an orphan within God's mansion and yet feeling like you have to hide and run around and steal food from the fridge because somebody might take it from you.

And God, the inheritance that you and I have, imperishable, undefiled, unfading. And so whatever it is you're working through in life, like I said, sickness, disease, stuff in your mind, brokenness, bondage to sin, whatever it may be, I'm telling you right now in Jesus [music] in what he has paid a price for, your inheritance is freedom and victory over that thing. And how do you step into freedom and victory in Jesus like we read about in Psalm 119 is I remember his testimonies.

I meditate on his testimonies. And so let's say you're you're dealing with sickness or disease in your body. Your meditation becomes, God, I I thank you that you are my healer.

That you heal again and again and again. that there's testimony throughout scripture, throughout church history that speak of your healing power. I thank you that you are my healer.

I thank you that this thing has no hold over me. That you are always so good and so kind. Instead of the thought being like, "Oh my gosh, this thing hurts or it's taking me out or I can't deal with it anymore." And you're telling a testimony of something that's not Jesus.

But God's inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It's kept in heaven for you. It's kept for anyone who says yes to Jesus, who looks to Jesus, who beholds Jesus, who tells and remembers his testimonies, who becomes one with him.

Amen. >> Amen. And so I want to team, why don't you come up?

I want us to uh I want us to sing one more song because um I just I just it it tells the testimony of G of Jesus. um it just it'll it'll remind us of all that Jesus has accomplished. And um you know I say this a lot here.

This reason the scriptures say [sighs] the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy is because in the declar the declaration of his testimony you prophesy victory. the victory of the cross. And so as we sing and as we remember his testimony that above all you thought of me like above all else, above everything else, you thought of me.

Thank you, Jesus. Like what a gift. Amen.

>> Amen. >> So why don't we all stand up just just for a few more minutes? We're almost done here.

And I want to encourage you is like if you have something in life that you're working through, dealing with, this is a p perfect time to lay down at the feet of Jesus as we sing. [clears throat] Above all powers, [singing] above all kings, above all [singing] nature and all created things, above [music] all wisdom and all [singing] the ways of men. You were [singing] here before the world began.

Above all kingoms, above all thrones, [music] above all wonderers [singing] the world has ever known. Above all wealth [music] and treasures [singing] of the earth, there's no way to measure [singing] what yours. Above all powers, above all kings, [music] above all [singing] nature and all created things, above all [music] wisdom and all [singing] the ways of men, you [music] were here [singing] before the world began.

above [music] all kingoms, above all [singing] thrones, above [music] all wonderers the world has ever known. Above all [music] wealth and treasures [singing] of the earth, there's no way to measure [singing] [music] your worth. You were crucified, [music and singing] laid behind the stone.

You live [music] to die. They texted and alone [singing] like a rose [music] trampled on the ground. You took the fall [music] and thought [singing] of me.

You were [music] crucified, [singing] laid behind [music] the storm. You live to die. [music and singing] Rejected and lost like a rose trampled on the ground.

[music] You took the fall [music] and thought of me above all. [music] Above [music] all [singing] powers. Above all kings.

Above [music] all [singing] nature and all creative things, above all wisdom [music] and all the ways of men. You were here before [music] the world began. Above all [music] kingoms, above all, [music] above all wonderers [singing] the world has ever known.

above all [music] and treasures [singing] of the earth. [music] There's no way to measure yours. [music] You were crucified, [music] laid behind the stone.

You live to die. [music and singing] rejected [music] like a rose trad [music] [music and singing] behind the stone. You live [music] to die.

Rejected and alone like [music] trebled on the ground. [music] You took the fall and [music] thought of me. You were crucified, [music and singing] laid behind the stone.

You live [music] to die, [singing] rejected and the Lord [music] like a rose, trembled on the ground. [music] You took the fall and thought of me. [music] You took the fall and thought of [music and singing] me.

You took the fall [music] and thought of me. [music] You took the fall and thought of [singing] me. Oh, you did.

You took [music] the fall and thought of me. You took [music] the fall [singing] and thought of me. You took the fall [music] and [singing] You fall and you [music] fall and me [music] the you [music] Heat.

[music] You were crucified [music] [singing] behind the stone and you live to die. [music] Rejected [singing] alone like a role on [music] the ground. You took the fall [music] and thought of [singing] me.

Oh, you were crucified, [singing] laid behind [music] the storm. You live to die. [singing] [music] Rejected and alone.

Like [singing] a rose [music] trampled on the ground. You took the fall and thought of [music] me. [music] There's [singing] no heart and sea.

There's [music] no space [singing] between you and I. You [music] and [singing] I, you were closeer [music and singing] than the very oy. Breathe in.

I breathe you in. You are [singing] God of us. [music] You are here with us.

[singing] Immuel, [music] Imanuel, [singing] you are inite, your glory has [music and singing] no way. Jesus, [music] Jesus. There's no heart to see.

[music] There's no space between you and I. [singing] [music] You and I. You are close [music] to the very [singing] I'll bring you in.

[music] I'll bring you in. [music] You are God [singing] with us. You are here with us.

[music] Immuel [music and singing] you are here. [music] [singing] Jesus [music] Jesus there [music] between you and I. [music] You and I.

You are closer than [music] the very [music] You are God with us. You are here [music] with us. Emmanuel.

Emmanuel. [music] Yeah. Heat.

[music] [singing] Heat. [music] Heat. [music] >> [music] >> There's no space between you and I.

[music] You and I. [music] You are the [music] You are with us. [music] You are here with us.

Immus [music] Jesus. There's no [music] hearty. There's no space between you and I.

[music] You and I. [music] You are today. [music] Yeah.

Heat. Emmanuel [music] you are glory [music] Jesus. Jesus, [music] >> there's no space between you and I.

You and I. You are close, very breathing in. with you.

[music] You are God with us. You are here with us. [music] You are >> [music] >> Holy Spirit, I just I want to end tonight by asking that [music] you would please help us to know the love of our father.

all the things in life that we've encountered, people and situations and circumstances that would try to tell us a different story. Lord, may their voices, may the voices of those things be drowned out [music] at the revelation of the cross, at the revelation of the finished work of the broken body, the spilled out blood and the cross. And I pray Lord for all of us in the room.

May there be a firm revelation of our inheritance. That everything you have accomplished Lord is ours. There is nothing you hold back Lord.

There's no part of yourself that you don't want to give. And I ask help us. Help us to see the goodness of our dad, the goodness of our father.

Lord, that on this Father's Day is of course we're so thankful for the dads that gave us life and and raised us and spoke life into us. [music] Uh Lord, but we're most grateful for your fatherhood, [music] for the way that you have fathered us, the way that you've loved us, the way that you never gave up on us, the way that you called us yours, and that you [music] took orphans, Lord, lost people, and you've called us your children. Thank you.

[music] Help us to not miss the finished work of the cross [music] because of tainted perspective. And so, Holy Spirit, reveal Jesus to us. Reveal the Christ to us.

Help us to see and to know how loved we are by you. Help us to know what it means to be a child of God, a friend of [music] God. And teach us, Lord, to live by faith and not by sight.

>> [music] >> You can have all of us, Lord. Have all of me. Have all of us.

All that we are, Lord, have it all. It's all yours. Thank you that above all else, you thought of us.

And you are Emmanuel, God with us, not a moment that you miss. And so we love you, Jesus. We thank you for your faithfulness and your kindness that you are so much more than enough for us.

We give you all of the honor, all of the glory. And in your name we pray. Amen.

>> Amen. >> Amen. Amen.

Can we honor the Lord? [applause] Um, I want to invite our prayer team come up to the front. And if you have something in your life that you're working through, walking through, we would love to stand in prayer.