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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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hey
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[Music]
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good morning Freedom House how many of
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you are glad that you are in the house
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of the Lord today what better place to
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be than in God's house and let me just
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tell you we are wrapping up our summer
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in the psalm Series today and we're
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kicking off something incredible next
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week not only will your campus pastors
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be back from their sabatical how about
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we give it up for pastors Aaron and
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Stephanie who love you and lead you so
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well they will be back next Sunday but
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we are kicking off a new series called
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at the movies so when you walk in next
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week the entire church will be turned
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into a movie theater why are we doing
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that because you should have seen these
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on your seat when you walked in we want
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you to have an opportunity to give a
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movie ticket to your friends so they can
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come there'll be popcorn given out to
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everybody free popcorn drinks we'll have
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concessions over in the coffee shop why
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are we doing all this well because we
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want to make it as easy as possible for
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you to invite your friends to a
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lifegiving life changing church so we're
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doing what we call putting the cookies
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on the bottom
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shelf sometimes to people church can
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seem like they just can't quite reach it
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we're taking those cookies and we're
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moving them to the bottom shelf where
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everybody is going to have an amazing
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time we're going to find faith and film
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so we'll be using film and movie clips
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to to preach the gospel message but you
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got to do your part this is the biggest
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Outreach opportunity that we can
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possibly give you take the tickets next
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week bring your friends your family with
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you and pack the house and show pastors
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Aaron and Stephanie when they get back
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from their sabatical that you were
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faithful while they were gone right
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sound good all right well let's dive
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into this is the last uh message in the
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summer in the psalm series and I just
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want to recap a little bit we've been
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talking all summer long about King David
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who wrote the majority of the Psalms and
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in these Psalms what we will see is we
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will see how David has written these
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really deep strong
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intense prayers that were poems as well
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and they put them to music and use them
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to sing and to Worship the Lord and they
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are so provoking in thought because of
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the depth of them they they weren't just
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shallow they are very deep in an intense
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raw and real way and the longest book of
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the Bible is in fact Psalms and so
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there's something in there I believe God
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wants us to understand as we go deeper
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and we just try to figure out God what
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do you want to say to me today in the
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message well here's the thing I want to
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hone in on today as we dive into this I
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want you to hear from David's own words
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what his deepest passion was and so as I
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begin to read these different passages
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in Psalms I want you to see if you can
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figure out what David's deepest passion
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was Psalms
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274 David declares one one thing I ask
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from the Lord and this only do I seek
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that I might dwell in the house of the
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Lord all the days of my life then we
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have Psalm 84 veres 1 and two how lovely
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is your dwelling place oh lord of hosts
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my soul
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Longs yes faints for the courts of the
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Lord my heart and my flesh Sing For Joy
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to the Living God and pronounces blessed
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are those who dwell in your house Psalm
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268 Lord I have loved the
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habitation of your house and the place
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where your glory
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dwells Psalm
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632 so I have looked upon you in the
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sanctuary both beholding your power and
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Glory Psalm
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8410 better is one day in your courts
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than a thousand elsewhere I would rather
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be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
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then dwell in the tents of the wicked
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and here's the most popular Psalms of
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all Psalms 23 which concludes what is
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perhaps
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David's life Mantra here and I shall
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dwell in the house of the Lord
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forever how many of you can see what
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David was most passionate about what is
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it God's
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house David was passionate about God's
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house did you know that church is God's
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design it always has been and it always
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will be church is God's plan a as a
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matter of fact God said in Exodus this
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is in the Old Testament when Church
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wasn't a building yet but the Israelites
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were breaking free from Egypt and going
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to worship freely God said this let them
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make me a sanctuary that I might dwell
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in their
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midst so we understand that there was
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the Tabernacle of Moses and this is
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where the Israelites would go and gather
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and because it was portable because they
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were always on the move it was in a
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tent same with David's Tabernacle it was
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in a
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tent and then the third one that we see
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in the Old Testament predominantly would
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be Solomon's Temple which was a
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permanent structure that was built
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because David had a passion to be able
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to build God's house but God said hey
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David you are known as a man of war
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you've had many battles and you've shed
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much blood this will not be in your
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hands to build me a permanent building
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but it's actually going to be in your
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son's hands so what happened is you have
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these two two Tabernacles that were
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portable Solomon his his actually
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becomes the most elaborate beautiful
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display in order for God's presence to
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be
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housed but Church isn't just an Old
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Testament
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concept you also see Church in the New
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Testament here is Jesus who literally
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had close fellowship with God
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he was actually part of the Trinity made
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flesh and put on the earth and he still
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went to church consistently and
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regularly so what does that mean it
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means there's something significant
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about that even when you see the
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persecuted Church happening in the New
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Testament they still gathered
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together in the book of Acts when the
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Holy Spirit Falls you you see the church
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was gathered together and you see the
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Holy Spirit helps proliferate the gospel
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throughout the world because of the
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church church has always been God's plan
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a right always now to me I just think
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God gets crazy
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ideas I mean how crazy is it that you
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put all these dysfunctional people
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people with all their issues all their
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past their history their traumas all
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their different upbringings all their
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different
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socioeconomic statuses all their
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different cultures everybody with
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differing opinions and all these
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different things you put them all
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together in a building and you look at
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them and you say you are what is going
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to change the world
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that just sounds like a crazy idea to
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me but when you think about it in
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reality is that Jesus had a ragtag bunch
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of
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disciples and those are the people that
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the Bible says he picked and it says
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right before it Jesus prayed all night
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and then he picked the
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disciples could you imagine if he didn't
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pray all night what kind of group he
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would have
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gotten
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right so so it's not so farfetched to
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think that God might be able to use you
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and me with all of our issues all of our
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past all of our Hang-Ups all of our
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flaws use us to literally be the church
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and
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change the
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world now listen church is meant to be a
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place of health and that doesn't mean
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that everybody that walks in these doors
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is perfect it means that everybody is
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striving and growing towards health
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because the reality is is when you
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walked in here today you walked into a
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hospital every single one of us walked
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into a hospital and what happens
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sometimes is we we come to church and we
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have this
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expectation of what what church should
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be that the people at church should be
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perfect that nobody should ever get on
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your nerves or frustrate you because
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they're supposed to be
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Christians but the thing of the matter
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is is that when we walk into this
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building every single one of us is in
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the hospital and you will hear us say
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this over and over and over again at
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this church when you you go into a
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hospital what
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happens everybody gets a gown doesn't
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matter who you are you got to put on the
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Gown all of us but here here's what we
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try to do sometimes well well I might be
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in the hospital but I just broke my
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pinky toe and her her family is a mess
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did you hear about her and her husband
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girl he cheated on her
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yeah and not only that their kid man
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their kid is just going off the
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wire and and I just I just broke my
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pinky toe I'm not where they
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are oh really did you hear about what
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happened with John and Kathy did you
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hear about that man they're going
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through some hard financial times I
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mean we're doing great but man
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them I mean me and my husband haven't
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spoken in 3 days but we're not having
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the the issues that they're having
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they're having real
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issues when we walk in here we all get a
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gown it doesn't matter if you're in
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triage it doesn't matter if you coated
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on the table or you broke your bone we
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all get a gown when we we come in here
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because all of us in one way or another
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is broken and hurting and in need of the
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great
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physician and what we have to
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understand the reason we all have a gown
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is because we all I don't care who you
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are there's hurt and pain that has been
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in your
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life and when you put the gown on make
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no mistake it it doesn't matter what
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Susie or Johnny or Laquisha is going
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through it doesn't
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matter when you got the gown on every
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single one of us has that gaping hole in
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the back that shows our ugly
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backside we all got a backside and when
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we're all in the hospital and we all got
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the gown on we can see each each other's
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backside and ain't none of it look
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pretty so just understand when you walk
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in here you get a gown you get a gown
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you get a gown you get a gown Oprah you
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get a gown you get a gown we all get a
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gown so stop looking at somebody else's
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backside and realize we see yours too
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[Applause]
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you see the goal of every Christian
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should be
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progression not
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Perfection am I further than where I was
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last year last month last
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week am I
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progressing a healthy church is one
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where people know they know they need
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forgiveness and are quick to ask for
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it when we walk up in here and we are
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expecting every everybody else to be
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perfect we've set the expectation in bar
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so
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high nobody can reach that there was
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only
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one and no this there isn't a perfect
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Church why because you showed up
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today
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right let's understand that now I'm not
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talking about an unhealthy
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church that's different okay I'm talking
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about a people that understands they
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need a
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savior I'm not talking about anything
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abusive or anything of that nature and I
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know people have been through a lot of
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things but let me just tell you the
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church is the hope of the world the
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church is the bride of Christ you might
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go well wait a second wait a second
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Jesus was very
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specific you know God's coming back for
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a church without spot or
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wrinkle I see lots of spots and wrinkles
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no no no let me explain something to you
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when God looks at us his bride the
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church he is looking through red colored
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glasses he is looking at us through the
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blood of Jesus and he sees no sin as a
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matter of fact he said you're sin is as
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far as the East is from the West God
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doesn't keep bringing our sin up we
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do he says I remember it no more and so
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when you keep bringing stuff up to him
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that you've already asked for
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forgiveness from he's like what are you
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talking
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about I don't remember what are you
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talking about I don't I don't know what
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you're
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saying the blood of Jesus Christ is the
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filter through which God sees
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us we are his church church the church
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is the vehicle God uses to advance his
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kingdom here on
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Earth crazy idea let's talk about this
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for a second let's talk about Old
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Testament Church versus New Testament
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Church let's break this down a little
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bit now as I already explained there
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were three Tabernacles in the Old
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Testament you had Moses's Tabernacle
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which is the first and you can put that
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up and I'll show the people people what
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that looked
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like this is Moses's Tabernacle you had
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an outer Court then you had an inner
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court and then you had the holy of
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holies that is in the very back and
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these were all uh veiled off so you
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could not have access the Ark of the
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Covenant is where the presence of God in
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the Old Testament would reside we know
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in the New Testament the presence of God
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was Unleashed after Jesus died on the
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cross and the veil was torn but in the
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Old Testament this is Moses's Tabernacle
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outer Court inner Court holy of holies
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this was a setup and breakdown church we
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did that for nine years here at Freedom
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House we get it a mobile Church they
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were constantly having to move the tent
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and set it up and break it down then we
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know there's David's Tabernacle and I'm
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quickly going to show you this because
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we're going to come back to it this was
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David's
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Tabernacle very interesting the way
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David's Tabernacle was set up now I want
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you to go to Solomon's
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Tabernacle this is Solomon's Tabernacle
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and we talked about it before this was a
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permanent structure made of all the
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finest of the
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fine
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incredible you see in this structure the
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outer Court the inner court and the holy
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of holies and you can see the Arc of the
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Covenant back in the holy of
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holies same thing veiled covered you
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couldn't have access only the priest
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could and the priest had to offer a
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sacrifice in order to be able to go now
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here's what's really interesting and I
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want to break this down a little bit
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because I think that UNL like
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um unlike a lot of things in the Old
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Testament I think this particular
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concept or idea of scripture I don't
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think gets a lot of playing time because
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I think it's
00:20:13
[Music]
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mindblowing what I'm about to talk about
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is is
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mindblowing if we were to take this same
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thought process in the New Testament a
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lot of times when people find out about
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the role of the Holy Spirit their mind
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mind is blown because a lot of people
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don't talk about it or when they find
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out that God doesn't just heal yesterday
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but he's the same God yesterday today
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forever their mind is blown to me this
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is one of the biggest concepts of the
00:20:42
Old Testament you don't hear a lot of
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people talk about but you'll read about
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it in uh 1 chonicles chapter 16 and
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you'll even hear the prophet Amos talk
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about
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it but here's here's what I want you to
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see go back to David's Tabernacle
00:20:59
if you look at this this graph this
00:21:02
drawing unlike the Tabernacle of Moses
00:21:05
where the ark was in the holy of holies
00:21:07
and it was inaccessible to the people
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David's Tabernacle was available for
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ministering to the Lord and here's the
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crazy
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thing
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David once he captured the city of
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Jerusalem and he established
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because David was like Moses and his
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Tabernacle was constantly moving in a
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tent but once David hear this captured
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Jerusalem and the tent that he had now
00:21:42
became a permanent place in a permanent
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structure for
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33 years the rest of David's Reign it
00:21:52
says that once it was established in
00:21:56
Jerusalem for that thir
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33e period there was
00:22:01
unrestricted access to the presence of
00:22:05
God never before in any Old Testament
00:22:10
posture do you see access like that to
00:22:15
the presence of
00:22:16
God nowhere and not only that but it
00:22:21
also says that David allowed men and
00:22:26
women pagan an
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Israelite slave and free all different
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types to come in and worship freely the
00:22:37
presence of God never happened
00:22:40
before with Moses you had to be an
00:22:44
Israelite and you couldn't go into the
00:22:46
holy of holies there is no holy of
00:22:50
holies in David's Tabernacle there was
00:22:53
access that was granted for
00:22:56
33 years
00:22:59
when David passed and his son Solomon
00:23:03
picked up the torch and began to to
00:23:06
erect the temple that was a permanent
00:23:10
structure they went back to having outer
00:23:13
Court inner Court holy of
00:23:16
holies the elaborate incredible
00:23:21
building that David wanted to build but
00:23:24
because he was a man of war and they
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knew him to be about blood God said
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David they're they're not going to be
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able to to understand you building this
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permanent let your son do
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it so here is David for 33 years erected
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a
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semi-permanent but permanent tent by his
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Cedar
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Palace and here's the thing that's so
00:23:55
interesting is we see in the book of
00:23:58
Acts when the Holy Spirit is
00:24:02
Unleashed and everybody is trying to
00:24:04
figure out what to do with this this
00:24:06
power that has been bestowed on them and
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there starts to be some disagreement
00:24:12
well well we can't allow Gentiles to
00:24:14
have access to
00:24:17
this and there begins to you know
00:24:20
Barnabas and Paul are having
00:24:22
conversations about and then James jumps
00:24:25
in and James is jumping in and chiming
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in you see the disciples you know these
00:24:30
Apostles that are having this
00:24:33
conversation about well we saw that
00:24:37
they believe in our
00:24:40
Lord we've seen the Gentiles do this and
00:24:43
they're like well we think some of them
00:24:45
were like we think they should have to
00:24:47
be circumcised if they're going to try
00:24:49
and come in here and get what we have
00:24:52
they got to be like us and then James is
00:24:55
like hold on a
00:24:56
second wait a minute
00:25:00
acts 151
00:25:01
16-18 he quotes the prophet
00:25:05
Amos and the prophet Amos says David's
00:25:10
Tabernacle not Moses's not the elaborate
00:25:14
one of Solomon but David's Tabernacle
00:25:18
will be future tents forever
00:25:23
established now what happened with
00:25:25
David's Tabernacle
00:25:28
the only time we see that everybody Jew
00:25:33
or Gentile slave free man woman had
00:25:37
access so James is like wait a minute
00:25:41
guys there is precedent for allowing
00:25:44
everyone access to God's
00:25:47
presence and he goes back and he cites
00:25:51
David's
00:25:52
Tabernacle because the prophet Amos
00:25:55
prophesied it would be established for
00:25:59
forever he wasn't talking about the
00:26:03
tent he was talking about the ability to
00:26:07
access God's Presence at will no matter
00:26:11
who you are where you've come from what
00:26:15
your background is access to the
00:26:18
presence of
00:26:20
God now David did not see this
00:26:25
happen when he was just moving about
00:26:29
fighting battles and Wars we see this
00:26:32
doesn't happen and God doesn't establish
00:26:34
his presence to be open to everyone
00:26:38
until he establishes and takes over
00:26:42
Jerusalem hear
00:26:44
me he takes
00:26:47
Jerusalem establishes the tent in
00:26:50
Jerusalem and once it happens in
00:26:53
Jerusalem for 33 years God's presence
00:26:58
presence is allowed access
00:27:02
to how old was Jesus when he died on the
00:27:06
cross and we had access to the presence
00:27:09
how
00:27:10
old3
00:27:12
33 where did that happened in Jerusalem
00:27:17
right outside of the the wall on the
00:27:20
hill called golgatha
00:27:23
This is a type and Shadow of what God
00:27:28
was going to do with his New Testament
00:27:31
[Music]
00:27:33
Church it's no coincidence that Jesus is
00:27:37
called the son of
00:27:42
David this is
00:27:46
intentional this is
00:27:49
prophetic and this is what helped the
00:27:52
New Testament Church welcome in
00:27:55
everybody because of the precedent that
00:27:57
happen
00:27:58
happened through David and the word that
00:28:01
God gave him that the prophet Amos
00:28:05
prophesied and what did David do David
00:28:08
loved God's house so
00:28:11
much that he encouraged everybody coming
00:28:15
to God's house to use your time your
00:28:18
talent and your treasure to build his
00:28:23
house it wasn't just about the people
00:28:26
who who had money and could do what they
00:28:28
thought something
00:28:30
significant the Craftsmen all had a
00:28:33
place the musicians all had a place the
00:28:37
worshippers all had a place every single
00:28:41
person had a place in the house of God
00:28:45
and
00:28:46
without them in position without you in
00:28:52
position God's house is missing
00:28:55
something
00:28:58
and sometimes we think oh well I'm not
00:29:00
the preacher or I'm can you pour a cup
00:29:03
of coffee maybe somebody's coming in and
00:29:06
it's a single mom and she's had a hard
00:29:09
week and she's crying and she's grieving
00:29:12
or or a
00:29:14
widow or someone that just lost their
00:29:16
home to bankruptcy and they're coming in
00:29:19
and they get a cup of coffee and your
00:29:22
smile changes their
00:29:26
day every
00:29:28
part matters in God's house David loved
00:29:35
God's house and he
00:29:38
knew that the
00:29:40
world the world was peripheral to God's
00:29:45
house that God's house was of value and
00:29:50
importance Ephesians 1:23 says the
00:29:53
church you see is not peripheral to the
00:29:57
world
00:30:00
the world is peripheral to the church
00:30:04
the church is Christ's body in which he
00:30:07
speaks and acts by which he fills
00:30:10
everything with his
00:30:13
presence the world is peripheral our
00:30:16
focus should be on the Lord and on his
00:30:21
house but how many times can I just tell
00:30:24
you it Grieves my heart when people come
00:30:26
up to me and they say hey Pastor P my
00:30:30
kids got traveling soccer this summer
00:30:32
we'll see you in three months
00:30:35
oh what are we teaching our
00:30:40
children oh we were we were out late
00:30:43
last night with friends oh we're we're
00:30:45
not going to
00:30:46
come
00:30:50
oh my kids my son played uh football in
00:30:54
high school junior and varsity my girls
00:30:57
were leaders they were on traveling
00:30:59
teams but I will tell you they
00:31:02
understood we were going to be in God's
00:31:08
house my son didn't end up being a
00:31:10
professional football
00:31:12
player but you know what he still needed
00:31:16
to know that God was his King was his
00:31:20
Lord his master his Savior and placed
00:31:23
priority on the house of God so that no
00:31:27
matter in his future where he May
00:31:30
Roam what he may walk through what he
00:31:34
may
00:31:35
do the Bible declares that our
00:31:39
children are planted in the house of God
00:31:43
they will flourish and that if we teach
00:31:45
them his ways young that even when
00:31:48
they're
00:31:49
old even if they go through a season
00:31:52
where they are acting like Knuckleheads
00:31:53
come on somebody
00:31:58
even if they go through that season the
00:32:00
word of God is planted in their
00:32:04
heart and might I just tell you this
00:32:07
hospital gown that I have up here isn't
00:32:11
one that I
00:32:15
borrowed this is wrapped up and I keep
00:32:17
this in my
00:32:19
dresser because when my
00:32:22
daughter who is in God's house this
00:32:24
morning at our South End campus who
00:32:26
serves every Sunday who is in in God's
00:32:28
house when she was 17 years old and had
00:32:31
a knuckleheaded moment trying to be cool
00:32:34
with all of her friends and they gave
00:32:37
her something to
00:32:40
try but she didn't know it was laced
00:32:43
with
00:32:44
something a 911 call later and an
00:32:47
ambulance ride and an emergency room
00:32:50
visit for an
00:32:51
overdose this is the Gown she had on so
00:32:56
I am telling you this time
00:32:58
today plant yourself in God's
00:33:02
house get your children planted in God's
00:33:07
house they will not forget it and you
00:33:11
need God's house for the days and the
00:33:14
times that we are living
00:33:16
in this is a reminder to me and I keep
00:33:19
it and when I did this message last week
00:33:21
at South End and she saw me pull this
00:33:23
out she goes I know what that is that
00:33:25
looks familiar and I said yes you do
00:33:28
baby cuz I took a picture of you in this
00:33:32
because I knew one day when you got your
00:33:34
heart
00:33:36
right that that would be a story and a
00:33:38
testimony so I'm telling you I don't
00:33:40
know where you're at with some family
00:33:42
members with maybe even your own
00:33:44
children what's going on plant yourself
00:33:48
in God's house plant
00:33:54
yourself Matthew 16:18 says and I tell
00:33:57
you and these are Jesus's words and I
00:34:00
tell you you are Peter and on this rock
00:34:03
I will build my church and the Gates of
00:34:07
Hell shall not Prevail against
00:34:12
it this is the only time we see where
00:34:16
Jesus said the Gates of Hell will not
00:34:19
Prevail against something and it's not
00:34:22
you or or your family or your gift or
00:34:25
your talent or your job or your kids
00:34:28
football it's against the
00:34:31
church the
00:34:34
church when we don't Place emphasis on
00:34:37
Gathering and worshiping together is
00:34:40
because we probably don't understand the
00:34:42
why behind the what you know I hear some
00:34:44
people say oh well you know I don't I
00:34:48
don't really like church I mean I mean
00:34:51
I'm part of the universal
00:34:55
church I don't really do church I don't
00:34:59
really do organized religion what do you
00:35:03
want disorganized
00:35:09
religion think about that for a second
00:35:12
oh well well I like the bigc church I I
00:35:15
I like the Ethereal church I just don't
00:35:18
like going to a
00:35:23
church okay
00:35:28
let's talk about that for a
00:35:32
second if you came up to my
00:35:36
husband and you said Pastor
00:35:40
Troy I really really like
00:35:44
you like a
00:35:48
lot but I don't really like your
00:35:53
bride I don't really care for your bride
00:35:58
you will not get very far with Troy
00:36:00
Allan Maxwell if you were to say that to
00:36:03
him you might actually get the right
00:36:05
hand of
00:36:08
Fellowship but yet we say that about
00:36:11
God's bride God I like you I just don't
00:36:16
like your
00:36:19
bride doesn't fly with him
00:36:21
either does and
00:36:23
fly let's talk about Big C Church versus
00:36:27
little SE Church the the little sea
00:36:30
church is the local church and it
00:36:32
consists of a local body of Believers
00:36:34
that gather together regularly and lift
00:36:37
up the name of Jesus it's an actual
00:36:40
place with actual people and an actual
00:36:43
street address this
00:36:45
particular place is 2638 salom Church
00:36:50
Road okay that's the little sea church
00:36:53
let's talk about the big sea church the
00:36:55
church Universal for a minute the Church
00:36:57
Universal is a collective of Believers
00:37:00
all across the world those who believe
00:37:03
in Jesus
00:37:04
worldwide and the big SE church is the
00:37:07
church even when it's not in session
00:37:10
there's no street address and it's
00:37:14
people Now understand
00:37:17
this 78 times the church is mentioned in
00:37:21
the New
00:37:22
Testament 58 of those 78 times are about
00:37:28
the local church the little sea
00:37:32
church only 20 verses are about The
00:37:38
Universal
00:37:40
Church what am I
00:37:42
saying you can't be a part of the big
00:37:46
sea church if you are not part of the
00:37:50
little sea
00:37:52
church it's not
00:37:55
possible Psalms 92 12 says the righteous
00:37:59
shall flourish like a palm tree he shall
00:38:02
grow like a cedar in Lebanon those who
00:38:04
are planted in the house of the Lord
00:38:06
shall flourish in the courts of our God
00:38:11
is an actual place where you can
00:38:14
actually bring your family and actually
00:38:18
plant
00:38:19
here it's not just a good idea it's a
00:38:23
god idea Hebrews 10 it says so let Let's
00:38:27
Do It full of belief confident that
00:38:30
we're presentable inside and out let's
00:38:33
keep a firm grip on the promises that
00:38:36
keeps us going he always keeps his word
00:38:40
let's see how inventive we can be in
00:38:44
encouraging love and helping out not
00:38:48
avoiding worshiping together as some do
00:38:53
but spurring each other on especially as
00:38:56
we see the big day
00:39:00
approaching this is exactly why we're
00:39:02
doing at the
00:39:05
movies creative ways for you to bring
00:39:08
people that are far from God or maybe
00:39:11
have given up or maybe got hurt and
00:39:14
bring them back in the
00:39:17
house love on them take them out to
00:39:21
lunch why does it say don't forsake this
00:39:25
because we would have an opportunity to
00:39:27
for forsake
00:39:28
it people that argue for the big sea
00:39:31
church and negate the little sea church
00:39:34
what they're really saying first is I've
00:39:37
been hurt and I don't know how to
00:39:38
reconcile
00:39:40
it if you've never been hurt ever in
00:39:43
your life in here go ahead stand up we
00:39:46
would love to see who you
00:39:50
are no one yeah me
00:39:54
either we're imperfect people we're
00:39:57
going to hurt each other but do you know
00:39:59
what there's nothing two healthy people
00:40:01
can't work
00:40:07
through again it's about progression not
00:40:12
Perfection we've all been hurt maybe
00:40:15
even some of you were victimized in
00:40:18
church I went through this growing
00:40:21
up but let me just tell you you may have
00:40:25
been victimized but you don't don't have
00:40:27
to stay a
00:40:29
victim that is a choice you can be a
00:40:33
victim or you can be a
00:40:36
Victor you can't be both you have to
00:40:41
choose and let me tell you I know a lot
00:40:43
of people who might have gotten hurt in
00:40:44
a bar and they keep going
00:40:51
back it's foolish to say I'm not going
00:40:54
to do what God Said and be in his house
00:40:57
because somebody one time upset me or
00:41:00
hurt me or I don't trust get over it
00:41:03
we're meant to do what God has asked us
00:41:05
to do and we need your hand on the plow
00:41:08
pushing because there is a harvest that
00:41:10
needs to come in and it won't come in
00:41:12
without all of us on board we're in an
00:41:15
end time Harvest here okay what else are
00:41:18
we saying if if we say we like big sea
00:41:20
but not little sea we're we're running
00:41:22
from
00:41:23
accountability we're running from
00:41:25
accountability I don't I don't want to
00:41:27
get up H I'll just I'll just I'll just
00:41:30
go
00:41:31
online and listen if it's a big step for
00:41:33
you to even be watching online please
00:41:35
don't take that as a
00:41:37
discs I do want to see you progress
00:41:40
though I do want to see you get to the
00:41:42
point where where you're not just
00:41:44
watching online but you're coming in and
00:41:47
you're engaging with other believers
00:41:49
because food always taste better in a
00:41:55
restaurant come come in no matter what's
00:41:59
happened no matter where you've been
00:42:02
people that say oh just the Big C church
00:42:05
that are running from accountability it
00:42:08
where where do you if it's just this
00:42:09
this big ethereal Big C Church where do
00:42:12
you
00:42:17
tithe where do you tithe where are you
00:42:22
serving where are you using your gifts
00:42:24
and your
00:42:25
talents who's holding you
00:42:28
accountable when you're having marriage
00:42:30
issues or maybe if you need somebody to
00:42:33
talk to about your kids and what's going
00:42:35
on who's there for you oh oh great you
00:42:39
you watch them online okay that's great
00:42:42
that's great but I can promise you if
00:42:44
you need somebody to come pray for you
00:42:47
in your hospital bed the TV preacher
00:42:49
ain't
00:42:50
coming the local church is coming your
00:42:54
life group leaders are coming your
00:42:56
campus pastors are
00:42:59
coming and if it's real bad Pastor Troy
00:43:02
will show
00:43:06
up your church family is meant to be
00:43:09
there for
00:43:12
you who's checking on your soul if
00:43:15
you're not connected to a local
00:43:19
church another one another one point
00:43:22
number three I I like the big SE not the
00:43:25
little because you you know my person
00:43:27
personal preferences are bigger than my
00:43:33
God
00:43:35
H you see Unity is the key to a Church's
00:43:40
credibility not
00:43:42
uniformity
00:43:44
Unity because we all come in here with
00:43:46
different backgrounds whatever but you
00:43:49
know what I see happen
00:43:51
sometimes James could you could you help
00:43:53
me preach this message a little bit
00:43:54
James let me let me tell you what I see
00:43:56
happen happen sometimes I see people
00:43:59
come in all different walks of life all
00:44:03
different backgrounds somebody maybe
00:44:06
grew up Catholic somebody maybe grew up
00:44:08
Methodist somebody maybe had a lot of
00:44:10
money somebody didn't have any money at
00:44:12
all you know grew up in a black church a
00:44:15
Hispanic Church a white church I grew up
00:44:18
in all black church I stood out when I
00:44:21
went to church on Sundays I looked a
00:44:24
little different you know what church
00:44:25
was like to me growing up
00:44:28
if you ain't doing a lap and you ain't
00:44:29
hooping you ain't having Church see in
00:44:32
the black church we we taking a lap
00:44:35
around the auditorium cuz we felt the
00:44:37
Holy Spirit like halfway through song
00:44:40
three we got the B3 Hammond how many you
00:44:43
don't know what a B3 Hammond is raise
00:44:45
your hand raise your hand cuz you white
00:44:47
people put your hand
00:44:48
down but in the black church you know
00:44:52
where where where my black folk at we
00:44:53
got a lot of come on and you're like I
00:44:55
can't believe she's white and say saying
00:44:57
that you know what get over it we ain't
00:44:59
that kind of a church we ain't
00:45:01
politically
00:45:02
correct and and I don't have anything to
00:45:05
fear by saying anything
00:45:07
because I'm just who I am I don't really
00:45:09
care if anybody likes it or not at this
00:45:11
point I'm I'll be 53 in a few weeks I
00:45:14
stopped caring about what everybody
00:45:16
thinks long time ago long time ago all
00:45:19
right
00:45:22
so so
00:45:24
anyway when you come up in here
00:45:28
and you're thinking about all the things
00:45:29
you like and and how you grew up and
00:45:32
you're looking around like you know what
00:45:35
when I was growing up we didn't have all
00:45:37
these lights and stuff we were just able
00:45:40
to experience the power of
00:45:44
God we didn't need all of this God
00:45:47
doesn't need
00:45:49
the we had
00:45:52
pews this like an auditorium with chairs
00:45:56
but when I was growing up I really think
00:45:59
they should actually go back to pews and
00:46:02
where where is the stained glass
00:46:08
windows and you know that church they
00:46:12
had a coffee shop in the lobby I don't
00:46:15
think Jesus would like that I don't even
00:46:18
read about coffee in the
00:46:22
Bible and and you know what I am very
00:46:25
mature I have gray hair hair and when I
00:46:28
walk
00:46:28
[Music]
00:46:30
in I don't see tons of gray
00:46:34
hair and I'm not sure I
00:46:37
fit because I've I've been through a lot
00:46:40
in life and I want people like me in my
00:46:45
stage of Life who understand me who get
00:46:50
me and you know I don't like the kind of
00:46:54
music I think they should play different
00:46:57
kinds of music that is not music I like
00:47:03
you know what do you know what your car
00:47:05
is
00:47:06
for to play the music you like in your
00:47:10
car you can play it on the way
00:47:13
home and you know what if you came in
00:47:16
and you have gray hair or no
00:47:19
hair amen I got a few amens in here
00:47:23
maybe God has you
00:47:25
here because he needs you to take the
00:47:29
wisdom and the word that is on the
00:47:31
inside of you and give it to somebody
00:47:34
else who would love to know how to be
00:47:37
married for 47 years who would love to
00:47:40
know how to start a successful company
00:47:43
who would love to hear all that you have
00:47:45
been through and walked through maybe
00:47:48
they want you to help them and you're
00:47:51
thinking when you come in it's just
00:47:53
about getting your needs met and what
00:47:55
you want and maybe we forgot about the
00:47:58
babies in the
00:48:00
room you see cuz last I
00:48:03
checked I'm getting ready to turn 53
00:48:07
last I checked I knew how to feed
00:48:11
myself and when I come in
00:48:15
here my job is to help feed those that
00:48:20
don't and if we aren't
00:48:23
careful our preferences
00:48:27
is become to us
00:48:31
doctrinal and we start focusing on
00:48:35
method over
00:48:38
message and we miss something
00:48:42
vital and when I see people do that when
00:48:46
they walk in and it's like why do they
00:48:48
dress the way they do we should have a
00:48:51
suit and
00:48:52
tie when I was growing up on Easter
00:48:55
Sunday you weren't going to see the FR
00:48:57
for all the hats in there you
00:48:59
understand we all have different back
00:49:02
you know what I'm talking about you you
00:49:03
you hear
00:49:05
me we all have different backgrounds
00:49:08
that we come from and we can't come into
00:49:11
one place and be unified if our personal
00:49:15
preferences matter than the anointing in
00:49:18
the power of Jesus
00:49:24
Christ so check your preference is at
00:49:27
the door and understand that when it's
00:49:32
like I need this I need this you know
00:49:35
what we do we actually crawl up into the
00:49:39
high
00:49:40
chair the Bible says that we should be
00:49:44
on meat as mature
00:49:47
Believers it's only the babies who
00:49:50
should still be sucking the bottle
00:49:52
drinking milk so let's make sure a here
00:49:57
in this house that we are not having to
00:50:00
part the gray whiskers and insert the
00:50:04
bottle let's hold the bottle for an
00:50:07
actual
00:50:09
baby and let's check our preferences at
00:50:13
the
00:50:14
door because if we aren't careful we
00:50:17
will crawl up into the high chair or
00:50:22
might I say I chair
00:50:28
all about me what I want what I like no
00:50:32
no no no no
00:50:34
no if you've been a Believer for more
00:50:36
than 10 minutes it's way past that
00:50:40
looking at church as a consumer is the
00:50:43
most ineffective way to engage it so ask
00:50:47
yourself this is God's house a priority
00:50:50
for
00:50:51
me is the bride priority in my life life
00:50:58
well I can give you two ways simple
00:51:00
simple simple ways to
00:51:02
tell if the
00:51:04
bride is
00:51:06
priority same way I could find out if
00:51:09
your bride who you married is priority
00:51:13
let me see your calendar and let me see
00:51:16
your
00:51:21
checkbook there is no way I'm priority
00:51:24
to Troy Allan Maxwell and I don't show
00:51:27
up on his
00:51:29
calendar and not every now and again
00:51:33
there is no way I am priority to Troy
00:51:37
Maxwell and there is no flowers no
00:51:42
chocolates no dinners you understand
00:51:45
what I'm
00:51:46
saying your calendar and your checkbook
00:51:50
will let you know if the bride of Christ
00:51:55
has been a priority to
00:52:00
you God is so specific about those
00:52:02
things as well that's why the first day
00:52:04
of the
00:52:05
week we have church God doesn't want our
00:52:09
leftovers in the tupp Weare he wants
00:52:11
things first he he doesn't say oh will
00:52:14
you eat all you want during the month
00:52:16
and just save me the tupp Weare at the
00:52:18
end of the month no no no that doesn't
00:52:21
speak to
00:52:22
Priority God wants priority in your life
00:52:25
he wants prior priority in your finances
00:52:27
which is why it says bring the tithe
00:52:30
into the storehouse not just whatever is
00:52:32
left over that you didn't spend on
00:52:34
everything else no no God says no me
00:52:38
first I want to know I'm
00:52:41
priority he's saying trust me with the
00:52:44
first and watch the rest be
00:52:49
blessed do you know another thing I just
00:52:52
think is just the a crazy idea of God's
00:52:59
crazy not just that he
00:53:01
would literally use a church full of
00:53:06
imperfect people to reach the world the
00:53:12
world but the steps that he
00:53:18
took where he literally
00:53:20
gave his perfect
00:53:24
son for a completely broken
00:53:28
people I've got three kids only one son
00:53:32
and you'd be hard pressed for me to give
00:53:35
you my
00:53:36
son for a really amazing
00:53:39
person let
00:53:41
alone the drug
00:53:45
addict the child
00:53:48
molester the
00:53:51
thief the murderer
00:53:57
the abortion
00:54:03
doctor I wouldn't do
00:54:06
it but God loved us so much just crazy
00:54:12
blows my
00:54:16
mind that he gave his
00:54:19
son in the hopes that you would accept
00:54:25
him and the hopes that you would say
00:54:29
yes in the hopes that you would want to
00:54:33
come to
00:54:34
him that you would want to come and
00:54:36
spend time in his
00:54:39
presence not the guarantee
00:54:42
but the hope that you would make the
00:54:45
right
00:54:47
choice would you stand on your feet
00:54:49
today with
00:54:50
me would you close your eyes and bow
00:54:54
your head I want to ask you this
00:54:55
question today
00:54:57
if you know there's been some distance
00:54:59
between you and God and you could be in
00:55:01
this room or you could be watching right
00:55:03
now
00:55:04
online and you know there's been some
00:55:07
distance between you and
00:55:09
God maybe it's because you don't have a
00:55:13
relationship with him at
00:55:14
all or maybe you once
00:55:17
did and it's gotten
00:55:20
cold and you want to come back into his
00:55:23
presence either either of those things
00:55:27
things I want you to close your eyes and
00:55:30
bow your head
00:55:31
[Music]
00:55:34
today and I want to ask you
00:55:36
this if you would
00:55:39
say that's me I want back in his
00:55:42
presence that's me I just want you with
00:55:44
every head bowed every eye closed I want
00:55:46
you to lift your hand all over this room
00:55:48
lift your hand and say that's me thank
00:55:50
you sir thank you sir thank you ma'am
00:55:52
thank you sir who else thank you sir who
00:55:55
else thank you
00:55:57
sir thank you
00:55:59
ma'am who else I want to see your hand
00:56:02
so I can pray thank you sir thank you
00:56:05
sir thank you ma'am thank you ma'am who
00:56:10
else one more time I know there's some
00:56:12
people online there's people right there
00:56:14
that can pray with you you can even
00:56:16
click a hand to symbolize you've raised
00:56:18
your hand who else last time I'm looking
00:56:21
through the room who else you say that's
00:56:23
me thank
00:56:24
you thank you
00:56:27
let's all say this together and I want
00:56:29
everybody to say it together the reason
00:56:31
is because I want you to hear your
00:56:33
neighbor on your left and your right and
00:56:35
that you know you are no longer alone in
00:56:38
anything that the person on your left
00:56:40
and right will be there will encourage
00:56:43
you we lift you up because we are the
00:56:46
church we are the church and we will be
00:56:49
there for each other we will encourage
00:56:51
each other you are not alone so I want
00:56:54
you to say this loud say Heavenly Father
00:56:57
we come into your presence today
00:57:00
complete access the old is wiped away
00:57:05
and all things new we accept the
00:57:09
sacrifice of your
00:57:12
son remove any
00:57:14
gaps Bring Us close today in Jesus name
00:57:20
amen give him a big shout come on
