Begin With Amen

0:00:04.960 --> 0:00:06.200 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:09.280 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:11.600 Be sure to subscribe so we can get you these 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:13.680 new sermons every week. 0:00:13.800 --> 0:00:21.880 I hope you're blessed today. It's so good to be back. 0:00:27.360 --> 0:00:28.000 I love it. 0:00:29.720 --> 0:00:36.600 I'm excited today because I'm starting a brand new sermon series. 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:44.560 That's right, that's right. I didn't even tell anybody. 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:48.960 I hardly even told Holly. I put something down in 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.440 my phone over a year ago, and I've been saving 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:54.800 it for the season that I felt that the Lord. 0:00:54.600 --> 0:00:57.360 Wanted me to release it, and that season is here. 0:00:58.240 --> 0:00:59.200 So from now. 0:00:59.040 --> 0:01:01.680 Until Easter, you're going to be in a special sermon. 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:09.560 Series, and the series is called Seeking Jesus. Seeking Jesus. 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:11.199 Praise the Lord. 0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:15.760 Something to help us get past all of the distractions 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:19.080 that are in our life and seek Jesus, something to 0:01:19.080 --> 0:01:21.840 help us tune out all the noise and seek Jesus, 0:01:23.080 --> 0:01:25.760 something to help us stop scrolling so much and start 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:30.679 seeking Jesus. Stop digging through the dumpster to find a meal, 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:32.919 and start seeking the bread of life. 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:33.920 Seeking Jesus. 0:01:34.840 --> 0:01:37.480 Stop groping around in the darkness looking for wisdom, and 0:01:37.560 --> 0:01:40.360 start asking the one who is wisdom what to do 0:01:40.440 --> 0:01:40.919 with our. 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:42.000 Lives Seeking Jesus. 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:45.120 I'm believing that he's going to speak to you, and 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:49.280 I'm excited about these next few weeks. I want you 0:01:49.480 --> 0:01:52.320 to go ahead and be seated as the worship team 0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:56.920 is dismissed as we set up our scripture and the 0:01:56.960 --> 0:01:59.720 title of my first message for this new series. 0:02:00.760 --> 0:02:02.600 It may sound backwards. 0:02:02.080 --> 0:02:05.280 When I say it, but I promise you it'll make 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:07.640 sense by the end. Today I want to teach you 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:10.359 how to begin. 0:02:11.160 --> 0:02:17.200 With amen, begin with amen. Thank you so much, LJ. 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:20.359 We're going to be in John chapter one, and. 0:02:20.440 --> 0:02:22.960 Throughout the course of the series, I hope to be 0:02:23.000 --> 0:02:26.320 able to give you several pictures of Jesus from the 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:29.000 New Testament that will help you to see him for 0:02:29.040 --> 0:02:30.760 who he is. When I was in my thirties, I 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:34.799 did a series called Savage Jesus. I guess I'm getting 0:02:34.800 --> 0:02:39.239 soft in my old age. Now I'm preaching about seeking Jesus. Now, 0:02:39.240 --> 0:02:42.320 when we say seeking Jesus, as you find John chapter one, 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:46.480 verse forty three through fifty one in your Bible, John 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:50.240 chapter one, verse forty three through fifty one, understand that 0:02:50.280 --> 0:02:54.919 when we say seeking Jesus, we're seeking someone, not something. 0:02:57.160 --> 0:03:00.880 Here's the difference. The other day, Holly Loo lost her ring. 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:06.440 And I could see she was getting frustrated, and I said, 0:03:06.520 --> 0:03:08.239 move aside. 0:03:09.120 --> 0:03:12.360 The professional is on the job. I paid for it. 0:03:12.400 --> 0:03:16.720 I guarantee you I'll find it. I will. 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:19.560 I'll stick my hand through your nostril to find it 0:03:19.919 --> 0:03:24.160 if I have to. Ring was expensive, and I said, 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:25.720 I'll bet you'll find it in three seconds. 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.000 It wasn't three seconds, but it was only about two minutes. 0:03:28.040 --> 0:03:31.480 I was seeking her ring, I found her ring, I 0:03:31.560 --> 0:03:35.200 handed her her ring, and we were done. Because when 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:39.960 you're seeking a thing and you find it, you're done. 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:45.320 When you're seeking a thing and you get it, you finished. 0:03:46.200 --> 0:03:51.800 Seek fine, finish that simple. When you're seeking someone, let's 0:03:51.880 --> 0:03:55.520 use the context of marriage again. I gave Holly a ring, 0:03:55.800 --> 0:04:00.839 made her my wife, and that's a relationship. So when 0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:06.360 I found my wife, I didn't stop seeking. Because when 0:04:06.360 --> 0:04:10.400 you seek a thing and you find it, you're done. 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:13.640 But when you seek someone and you find them, you 0:04:13.680 --> 0:04:19.520 go deeper and deeper and deeper and deeper. An entire 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:22.000 marriage seminar was just presented in the first two minutes 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:24.800 of my sermon half of y'all missed it because you're 0:04:24.800 --> 0:04:28.200 still getting your notes south just right at the top 0:04:28.200 --> 0:04:32.200 of your page, right seeking Jesus week one, and then 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.480 put in your notes just say begin with a men. 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:39.640 We're studying the beginning of Jesus's ministry on Earth in 0:04:39.720 --> 0:04:43.200 John chapter one. And if I was about twenty years younger, 0:04:43.240 --> 0:04:47.159 I would say Jesus has motion. But since I'm not, 0:04:47.279 --> 0:04:50.880 I'll just say his ministry is beginning with significant momentum. 0:04:51.880 --> 0:04:54.160 John the Baptist, who was the man who jumped in 0:04:54.200 --> 0:04:58.080 the womb, recognizing the voice or at least the frequency 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.680 of his cousin Jesus in Mary's womb, has pointed the way. 0:05:03.040 --> 0:05:07.200 He said, look the lamb of God. Somebody say, look 0:05:08.320 --> 0:05:14.120 the lamb of God. He had that ability to see Jesus. 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:18.800 He saw Jesus before Jesus was even visible. He knew 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:22.880 Jesus for who Jesus was, and he saw Jesus as 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:26.719 the Lamb of God that was prophesied and slain from 0:05:26.720 --> 0:05:30.120 the foundations of the Earth. And John began to do 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:32.919 something very unusual in ministry. He began to give his 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:37.280 members to another pastor. I'm well, I was gonna say 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:38.120 I've never done that before. 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:39.799 But there are a few members that I've. 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:43.240 Gladly given to another pastor, but not the good ones. 0:05:43.320 --> 0:05:45.920 Not the good ones. John the Baptist gave the good 0:05:45.920 --> 0:05:49.200 ones to another pastor. He said, here you go, that's 0:05:49.200 --> 0:05:50.480 the Lamb of God. Follow him. 0:05:50.800 --> 0:05:53.080 One of those two was named Andrew. 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:56.400 And Andrew had a brother that went by the name 0:05:56.480 --> 0:06:00.919 of Simon, and Simon had his name changed to Peter, 0:06:01.440 --> 0:06:05.360 which means rock. So Jesus takes Simon, turns them into 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:09.640 Dwayne Johnson and they start the ministry. With y'all have 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:11.880 missed my corny jokes, I can tell you miss starving 0:06:12.800 --> 0:06:16.840 where you know, there's at least three or four of 0:06:16.880 --> 0:06:19.360 them at this point in John chapter one that are 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:23.080 following Jesus. Another great term that we want to talk 0:06:23.120 --> 0:06:28.480 about today is following Jesus. And in John chapter one, 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:31.120 verse forty three. Let me go ahead and read the scripture. Now, 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.320 the Bible says the next day Jesus decided to leave 0:06:34.360 --> 0:06:39.320 for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, follow me. Philip, 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:42.960 like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethseda. 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:46.719 Philip found Nathaniel and told him we have found the 0:06:46.760 --> 0:06:50.080 one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom 0:06:50.120 --> 0:06:54.560 the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 0:06:56.400 --> 0:06:57.000 Nazareth. 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:05.240 Can anything good come from Nazareth? Nathaniel ast come and see, 0:07:05.279 --> 0:07:09.080 said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said to him, here, 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:13.160 truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit. 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:15.360 How do you know me, Nathaniel? 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:19.080 Last, Jesus answered, I saw you while you were still 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:26.400 under the fig tree before Philip called you. Then Nathaniel declared, Rabbi, 0:07:26.440 --> 0:07:27.520 you are the son of God. 0:07:27.600 --> 0:07:30.080 You are the King of Israel. 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.440 Jesus said, you believe because I told you I saw 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:34.560 you under the fig tree. 0:07:34.800 --> 0:07:36.440 You'll see greater things than that. 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:41.920 He then added, very truly, I tell you will see 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:47.880 Heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:52.120 on the son of Man. I'm gonna throw out a 0:07:52.120 --> 0:07:54.520 few phrases and you finish them if you know them. Okay, 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:57.240 this is not going on your permanent record. 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:58.480 Just relax and take the test. 0:07:59.200 --> 0:08:02.560 Say it out loud if you know it. And these 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:05.520 are not Bible verses either. You've got to know when 0:08:05.560 --> 0:08:11.160 to hold them, no wind to fold them by the way. 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:13.840 You can play along online to just type it into comments. 0:08:13.880 --> 0:08:16.640 Let's do another one. You're gonna get a little harder. Now. 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:21.120 You've got to crawl before you can. 0:08:24.160 --> 0:08:26.920 Two for two, you got to crawl before you can walk. 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:32.920 How about this one. You've got to see it to. 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:38.160 Believe it. That's true, that's true. 0:08:38.679 --> 0:08:43.920 Sometimes, you know, I just need proof. I'm not picking 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:47.160 on anybody. But if you tell me as a man 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:49.240 that you bench press over a certain amount. 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:55.360 And you don't look like you bench pressed. 0:08:55.559 --> 0:08:57.240 I met a guy the other day that told me 0:08:57.280 --> 0:09:01.400 he could bench over three hundred and I said, okay. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:02.760 He said, you don't believe me. I said, no, I 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:04.480 would have to see it to believe it, because, first. 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:06.520 Of all, I don't know what kind of funky form 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:08.360 you got going on to get three hundred pounds up 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:10.000 in the air. You might be I don't know, you 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.520 might have you might break your back getting three hundred 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:14.080 pounds up in the air, So I don't really know 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:14.920 first of all that. 0:09:15.240 --> 0:09:18.360 And secondly, never mind, he said, what do you mean? 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:21.200 I said, well, it just to be honest with you, 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:29.640 it just doesn't look like and then he goes, oh, yeah, well, no, 0:09:29.720 --> 0:09:35.720 I can't do it now. In college, he said, in college. 0:09:35.720 --> 0:09:38.680 The man was fifty two years old and. 0:09:38.640 --> 0:09:41.800 Still as a frame of reference for his bench press number. 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:44.560 College. 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:48.880 Yeah, you look like college. Look like you graduated too. 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.760 You got to see it to believe it. And it's 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:59.920 the craziest thing nowadays. People just see things and believe 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:02.680 and without even verifying the source. One of my relatives 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.200 the other day said, I heard your friend and they 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:07.600 named my friend who's in ministry. They said, I heard 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:10.720 they're selling CBD oil in products now online to raise 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:11.920 money for their ministry. 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:15.000 Well, I know this person. This person would never do that. 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:16.600 That would be the last thing that they would do 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:18.119 to raise money for their ministry. 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:21.120 So I said, show me, show me. 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:26.040 The show me the post that you saw that would 0:10:26.080 --> 0:10:29.640 cause you to believe that Joyce Meyer would be selling 0:10:29.760 --> 0:10:33.760 CBD oil. Joy saying selling CBD oil. 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:37.600 I don't even think Joyce Meyer eats French fries. 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:42.439 She's so holy, it's the holiest person I know. You're 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:43.520 not gonna convince me. 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.200 You can bench three hundred and you look, you're not 0:10:46.240 --> 0:10:47.120 gonna convince me. 0:10:47.280 --> 0:10:51.400 Joyce Meyers. So I know her. You gotta show me 0:10:52.320 --> 0:10:56.000 because I know her. Uh huh. You've got to see 0:10:56.080 --> 0:10:57.559 it to believe it. 0:10:57.720 --> 0:10:59.719 And that's not a bad thing to live by, even 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:01.760 when it comes to this church. Some of y'all who've 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:03.440 been around for a while remember when they were saying 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:05.199 that we had a water slide on. 0:11:05.280 --> 0:11:07.599 The stage for baptisms. 0:11:07.840 --> 0:11:10.920 And the worst part was they had a picture of it. 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:14.240 But you can't believe it because you saw a picture 0:11:14.280 --> 0:11:14.600 of it. 0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:18.960 Do you not understand photoshop? There were people calling our front. 0:11:18.720 --> 0:11:21.880 Desk of our ministry, Well, I saw the picture, but 0:11:21.920 --> 0:11:24.960 you never came to the church. And until you come 0:11:25.000 --> 0:11:29.800 to the church, don't tell me about the picture that'll preach. 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:36.520 Don't tell me if you're not if you're not willing 0:11:36.559 --> 0:11:37.120 to see it. 0:11:38.160 --> 0:11:40.560 There's a sense I get in John chapter one, where 0:11:40.559 --> 0:11:43.959 Philip is saying to Nathaniel, you've got to see it 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:48.200 to believe it. That's what Jesus taught Andrew and the 0:11:48.240 --> 0:11:51.240 other disciple who wanted to see where he stayed. He said, 0:11:51.600 --> 0:11:54.360 come and see, and they went and hung out and 0:11:54.400 --> 0:11:57.640 got convinced. Now Jesus did not feel the need to 0:11:57.720 --> 0:11:59.079 convince them. 0:11:59.280 --> 0:11:59.920 And I need us. 0:11:59.840 --> 0:12:04.360 To understand that we do not serve a Jesus who explains, 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:08.760 but the Jesus who demonstrates, So that even when he 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.360 taught the Kingdom of Heaven, he did it with parables 0:12:11.760 --> 0:12:12.320 because it. 0:12:12.240 --> 0:12:16.959 Was a demonstration, not an explanation. And so to seek Jesus. 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:18.240 This is all I'm trying to say. 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:24.200 By my first point, you have to follow to find out. 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:30.000 You can't know what God is like evaluating God. 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:34.920 You can't figure out what it's like to walk in faith. 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.800 You have to follow to find out. Put that into 0:12:38.840 --> 0:12:40.200 comments and write it down as. 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:43.640 My first point. You have to follow to find out. 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:46.840 Now, most of us are used to calculating our decisions 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:51.280 in life, so we want to figure out and then follow. 0:12:52.120 --> 0:12:54.440 Most of us would have never had the faith of 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:58.880 the first character that I mentioned, where Jesus said follow me, 0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:02.319 and he did. I would need a little bit more 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:04.360 details then follow me. 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.320 I don't know the exact profession that Philip. 0:13:07.000 --> 0:13:08.960 Gave up to do this, but it would take a 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:11.040 little bit more then follow me. 0:13:11.120 --> 0:13:13.280 I at least need to know where we're sleeping tonight. 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:16.000 But Jesus is leaving for Galilee, which is where he 0:13:16.040 --> 0:13:18.040 did his ministry, not where he was born. He was 0:13:18.040 --> 0:13:20.480 born in Bethlehem. He ministered in Galilee, and that is 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:22.280 where he lived, and he's going back there for some 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:25.599 undisclosed reason. And he turns to Philip and says, follow me, 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:30.960 for what you'll find out if you follow me. When 0:13:31.040 --> 0:13:38.320 God speaks, reason can never answer. God cannot be sought 0:13:38.440 --> 0:13:40.120 at the level of mind. 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:45.400 God must be experienced at the level of spirit. 0:13:45.480 --> 0:13:47.520 I don't know who I'm preaching to right now, but 0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.880 you keep telling God when he shows you more, you'll 0:13:50.920 --> 0:13:51.439 go more. 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:53.600 You keep telling God that you. 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:56.800 Will obey him once you understand the outcome. 0:13:57.400 --> 0:13:58.640 But in matters of. 0:13:58.640 --> 0:14:05.360 Faith, you know you have to follow to find out. Abraham, 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:08.040 go to a land. I will show you what's it 0:14:08.080 --> 0:14:11.840 going to be like. You've got to follow to find out, 0:14:12.880 --> 0:14:16.040 and you'll find out why I called you as you follow. 0:14:16.840 --> 0:14:19.280 I cannot describe to you what the next season of 0:14:19.320 --> 0:14:21.680 your life will be like. If you follow God in faith, 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.080 you will have to follow. 0:14:24.560 --> 0:14:27.800 To find out. And this is where most of us would. 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.240 Have never gotten past John chapter one, verse forty three. 0:14:30.280 --> 0:14:31.880 The whole thing would have ended right there. 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:34.920 Follow me, and we would have waited for details, and 0:14:34.960 --> 0:14:38.640 he would not have given them, because Jesus does not 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:39.960 call you to figure out. 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:41.720 He calls you to follow. 0:14:42.360 --> 0:14:45.320 And maybe that gives you relief, because there's a sense 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:47.120 in which some of you in your mind right now 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:49.440 are trying to figure everything out for the future of 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:50.000 your life and. 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:51.400 The next season of your life. 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.320 And maybe it can be an exhale for you or 0:14:54.440 --> 0:14:57.320 a sigh of relief or a surrender to the Savior 0:14:57.440 --> 0:15:00.280 to know that he never called you to figure out. 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.440 He just called you to follow. But how are we 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:06.880 gonna pay for it? Follow? But how is it gonna follow? 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:09.480 But what's gonna happen in three follow? 0:15:09.840 --> 0:15:11.560 We might not even be here in three years. Have 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.120 y'all watched the news? I don't know about no three years. 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.800 I'm just following Jesus the best I can. Today, somebody 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:19.840 asked me, what's the ten year plan for the church? 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:21.920 I'm doing good to have a ten minute plan for 0:15:21.960 --> 0:15:22.520 this sermon. 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:23.440 I don't even. 0:15:23.240 --> 0:15:25.160 Really know what I'm gonna say after this first point 0:15:25.360 --> 0:15:27.320 if you want to know the truth. But I'm trying 0:15:27.360 --> 0:15:31.400 to follow, and as you follow, you find out that's 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:33.840 what Philip knew. I've got to find out there was 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:36.280 something in Philip that says, I want to find out. 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:38.800 I believe there's somebody in here who God is calling 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:42.000 you to follow him, and it is unseasonably difficult for 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.240 you to do that right now. But don't you want 0:15:44.280 --> 0:15:46.840 to find out what your life can be in his hands. 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:51.600 Don't you want to find out how freedom feels when 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:55.320 you finally decide to forgive that person. Don't you want 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.240 to find out what it feels like to lay your 0:15:58.280 --> 0:16:01.080 head down on your pillow at night knowing that you've 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:05.000 confessed your sin instead of continuing to hide it. Don't 0:16:05.000 --> 0:16:07.320 you want to find out what it's like to get 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:11.960 beyond this selfish me first generation where I'm simply just 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:15.440 following the crowd, and I say goodbye to the crowd, 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:18.760 and I start following the Christ who is greater than 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:21.680 the crowd. And something in Philip I can't prove it, 0:16:21.720 --> 0:16:25.000 but something in Philip I just infer it from the text, 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:28.200 and I deduce it from what is written that he said, 0:16:28.240 --> 0:16:30.400 I don't know what my future is, but I want 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:36.720 to find out behind this man. You have to follow 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:43.320 him to find out, So sometimes. 0:16:43.960 --> 0:16:48.640 You have to see it to believe it. Here's what 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:49.800 I want to talk about today. 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:56.200 Other times, you have to believe it to see it. 0:16:59.080 --> 0:17:03.360 You have to believe it to see it. 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:08.359 Now, these are the moments in life where you have 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:14.119 no physical proof that what God spoke is true and 0:17:14.160 --> 0:17:17.639 it actually contradicts the way you feel in that moment. 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:19.919 We're going to move on from Philip for a moment, 0:17:20.560 --> 0:17:22.680 and we're going to move to this character called Nathaniel. 0:17:22.720 --> 0:17:24.200 This is really who I wanted to talk to you 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:24.840 about today. 0:17:25.080 --> 0:17:27.640 I was just telling you about Philip just in case 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:29.280 you can't figure out your life right now, but God 0:17:29.320 --> 0:17:31.040 is calling you to follow anyway. That's probably not anybody 0:17:31.080 --> 0:17:32.320 in here. You probably all got to figure it out. 0:17:32.440 --> 0:17:33.880 But some of us are just trying to figure out 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:35.159 what to do. And we don't know what to do 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:38.160 about this situation with an aging parent, or this situation 0:17:38.200 --> 0:17:39.600 with a struggling child, and we don't know what to 0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:41.480 do about this issue in our body, and we're trying 0:17:41.520 --> 0:17:42.080 to figure it out. 0:17:42.080 --> 0:17:43.440 But God is just calling us to follow. 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:45.159 So that was for some of us, But for the 0:17:45.160 --> 0:17:50.400 rest of you who have got it figured out, like Nathaniel, right, 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:56.000 Nathaniel has got it figured out because Philip found Nathaniel 0:17:56.000 --> 0:17:59.080 and told him we have found the one Moses wrote 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:02.160 about in the Laws all of these prophecies that were 0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:03.600 about Jesus. 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:07.200 And after meeting Jesus, he said, we found him. 0:18:07.760 --> 0:18:14.679 And about whom the prophets also wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, 0:18:15.880 --> 0:18:18.360 the son of Joseph. 0:18:18.560 --> 0:18:22.280 We are seeking Jesus in this season of our church, and. 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.240 As we seek him, we need to pay attention to 0:18:24.280 --> 0:18:26.080 everything we can learn about him. And one of the 0:18:26.119 --> 0:18:28.800 things that we need to learn from is the label 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:31.119 that was associated with him. 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:31.840 As he walked the earth. 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:36.520 They didn't call him Jesus the Savior yet. 0:18:36.280 --> 0:18:37.720 He hadn't died for them yet. 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:40.560 They did not call him Jesus the Healer yet because 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:44.639 he hadn't performed any miracles yet, not yet. They would 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:48.320 see all of that as they followed, but at this 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:50.000 point they only knew him this way. 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:53.040 Watch Jesus of Nazareth. 0:18:53.080 --> 0:18:55.200 It was common to call somebody by where they came 0:18:55.200 --> 0:18:58.680 from back then, and then they call him the son 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.160 of Joseph. Well, that one's kind of complicated, isn't it, 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:05.440 Because remember Mary's story, and She's like, I promise Joseph 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:06.600 it was the Holy Spirit. 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:13.120 He came from a questionable background. So when he called 0:19:13.160 --> 0:19:14.480 him Jesus of Nazareth. 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:18.080 Watched Nathaniel's response, and I was laughing at it as 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:18.560 I read it. 0:19:19.359 --> 0:19:22.360 And maybe you didn't know why. He said verse forty six. 0:19:23.000 --> 0:19:32.040 Nazareth, can any you said you found the Messiah and 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:33.560 he comes from Nazareth. 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:34.919 Yeah, that's right, Nazareth. 0:19:34.960 --> 0:19:41.800 And then Nathaniel wants to know, can anything good come from. 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:49.159 There? Come and see, said Philip. Now, the reason that 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:50.080 Nathaniel had a. 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:55.440 Negative perspective of Nazareth is because it was small. And 0:19:56.000 --> 0:19:59.000 I studied this week, y'all. I studied so much this week. 0:19:59.320 --> 0:20:01.359 I have no idea how I'm gonna say Amen at 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:03.560 the end of this sermon. That's why I called the 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:06.080 sermon begin with Amen. So wherever we end, we'll just 0:20:06.200 --> 0:20:07.280 end and come back next week. 0:20:07.560 --> 0:20:09.080 I studied so much for this sermon. This is how 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:09.760 much I studied. 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:11.920 I was waking up last night every hour on the hour, 0:20:11.960 --> 0:20:14.520 one am, two am, three am, at four am, I 0:20:14.520 --> 0:20:16.800 had this horrible nightmare that on my way to preach, 0:20:16.840 --> 0:20:18.679 I got in a terrible car accident. I went to 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:21.159 the hospital, and I was in the hospital. They had 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:22.920 me all hooked up, but I was trying to scan 0:20:23.000 --> 0:20:25.240 my credit card to pay for the hospital visit, and 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:26.960 I was telling them I got to go teach the 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:28.280 series at the church. 0:20:28.359 --> 0:20:30.840 I studied too much. That's how much I loved y'all. 0:20:31.400 --> 0:20:35.480 Was I was my fictitious hospital bed. I got out 0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:38.679 of my not really hospital bed to preach this to you. 0:20:39.600 --> 0:20:44.080 And I studied and found out that Nathaniel came from 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:46.920 somewhere near Nazareth, but not Nazareth. 0:20:46.960 --> 0:20:47.399 Follow me. 0:20:48.119 --> 0:20:53.159 Nathaniel came from a place called Caina. Cano was also 0:20:53.440 --> 0:20:59.359 in Galilee, but Cano was north of Galilee. Cano was distinguished. 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:04.439 Can was sophisticated. Cana was a wealthy place. Picture the 0:21:04.480 --> 0:21:06.679 part of town where you drive through and judge the 0:21:06.720 --> 0:21:08.960 people and say, it must be nice if I had 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:09.679 all their money. 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:10.879 That was Cana. 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:13.840 Cana was a place where if you came from there, 0:21:13.880 --> 0:21:16.920 you were the sweatshirt straight out of Cana. You would 0:21:16.960 --> 0:21:19.159 not feel like you came out of the mud. You 0:21:19.160 --> 0:21:21.040 would feel like you came from privilege. 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:23.960 And so I'm not calling Nathaniel a snob. 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:28.200 I'm just saying that he looked down on where Jesus 0:21:28.760 --> 0:21:32.800 came from. So when he says, can anything good come 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:37.240 from there? Come and see, he's giving a negative interpretation 0:21:37.720 --> 0:21:42.439 of where Jesus came from based on his background. He 0:21:42.560 --> 0:21:46.080 believes a certain thing about a certain place, and because 0:21:46.080 --> 0:21:48.800 he believes a certain thing about a certain place, he 0:21:48.800 --> 0:21:52.000 cannot accept a certain person that came from a certain place. 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:57.000 Only problem is John chapter one, verse one. John chapter one, 0:21:57.320 --> 0:22:01.919 verse one says, in the beginning was the Word, and 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:06.320 the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 0:22:06.840 --> 0:22:10.960 He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all 0:22:11.040 --> 0:22:15.359 things were made. Through him, Jesus, all things were made. 0:22:15.400 --> 0:22:19.399 Without him, nothing was made that has been made. And 0:22:19.440 --> 0:22:23.120 the Lord stopped me and showed me something that Nathaniel 0:22:23.240 --> 0:22:28.600 thought that Jesus came from Nazareth. But Jesus didn't really 0:22:28.640 --> 0:22:32.680 come from Nazareth. If John chapter one, verse one through 0:22:32.720 --> 0:22:36.840 three is correct, and through Jesus everything was made that 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:41.879 was made, that means Jesus didn't come from Nazareth. Nazareth 0:22:41.960 --> 0:22:46.440 came from Jesus. And I came to preach about Jesus today, 0:22:47.040 --> 0:22:49.240 Oh preach that better than your respondent. 0:22:49.840 --> 0:22:51.840 Through him, all things were created. 0:22:52.280 --> 0:22:55.239 He is not subject to what he made. He is 0:22:55.280 --> 0:22:58.560 not subject to a human label. He is not a 0:22:58.600 --> 0:23:01.320 baby that was born in a barn. He is the 0:23:01.359 --> 0:23:07.359 preexisting God who in John chapter one, verse fourteen, became flesh, 0:23:07.440 --> 0:23:12.680 that's incarnation, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, 0:23:13.080 --> 0:23:16.600 the glory as of the one who came from the Father. 0:23:17.200 --> 0:23:20.680 So they said he came from Nazareth. He said, he 0:23:20.720 --> 0:23:23.480 came from the Father. They said he came from a 0:23:23.560 --> 0:23:27.400 small place. He said, I came from a place that 0:23:27.480 --> 0:23:30.879 you've never seen. Because in the beginning, what's the Word? 0:23:31.200 --> 0:23:32.280 And the Word was with. 0:23:32.440 --> 0:23:34.480 God, and the word what's God? 0:23:34.800 --> 0:23:38.000 And nothing exists without Him. And so all I'm saying 0:23:38.160 --> 0:23:42.399 is God is bigger than your background. God is bigger 0:23:42.440 --> 0:23:45.480 than your background. Oh, God is bigger than what you 0:23:45.560 --> 0:23:48.560 think about him. God is bigger than your little tradition 0:23:48.680 --> 0:23:51.200 about him. God is bigger than what you were taught 0:23:51.240 --> 0:23:53.800 about him. God will come to places that you were 0:23:53.800 --> 0:23:56.879 taught he'd stay away from. God will use people that 0:23:56.920 --> 0:23:59.399 you taught. You were taught he hated. God will do 0:23:59.520 --> 0:24:01.440 things that you you were taught were impossible. 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:02.720 God will do things. 0:24:02.800 --> 0:24:05.119 Now I'm not saying I've seen all of it, but 0:24:05.240 --> 0:24:13.159 sometimes you have to believe it to see it. So 0:24:13.240 --> 0:24:17.520 if the enemy can keep you from believing it because 0:24:17.560 --> 0:24:18.640 you've never seen it. 0:24:19.480 --> 0:24:23.720 He can keep you from ever seeing it and experiencing it. 0:24:24.600 --> 0:24:27.840 And he can keep you from seeing it if he 0:24:27.880 --> 0:24:30.760 can keep you from believing it. 0:24:31.800 --> 0:24:46.000 Wow, not Nazareth. Nothing good can come from Nazareth. Somebody say, 0:24:46.080 --> 0:24:50.320 not Nazareth. Now for Nazareth, just put whatever in the blank. 0:24:50.400 --> 0:25:03.560 You don't think God can use not heartbreak, not Nazareth. No, no, no, 0:25:03.600 --> 0:25:07.000 nothing good can come from a broken heart. The Bible 0:25:07.000 --> 0:25:09.480 says a broken in a contrite heart, he will not despise. 0:25:10.480 --> 0:25:14.639 He will dwell in what you despise. Not Nazareth. 0:25:17.280 --> 0:25:18.960 I know you didn't want to get a divorce, and 0:25:18.960 --> 0:25:21.760 now you're saying not after a divorce. God can't use me. 0:25:23.080 --> 0:25:26.320 I got a word for you. Follow him and find out. 0:25:29.680 --> 0:25:32.040 One man said fool around and find out, but this 0:25:32.160 --> 0:25:33.200 is the church version. 0:25:34.359 --> 0:25:35.880 Follow him and find out. 0:25:36.600 --> 0:25:39.000 I don't care what they called you, I don't care. 0:25:38.880 --> 0:25:41.040 What they said about you. I'm gonna come over on 0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:43.000 this side. I always come down that wrong side of 0:25:43.040 --> 0:25:43.600 the steps. 0:25:44.000 --> 0:25:47.760 God is looking for somebody today who will follow him 0:25:48.080 --> 0:25:49.080 and find out. 0:25:49.320 --> 0:25:52.040 No, God can't use me. I'm an alcoholic. 0:25:52.280 --> 0:25:54.840 Follow him and find out what if God gives you 0:25:54.880 --> 0:25:57.480 that same passion for his presence that you used to 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:01.119 have for a substance. Follow him and find out I 0:26:01.240 --> 0:26:04.280 speak to somebody who's a drug dealer. Right now, you're 0:26:04.280 --> 0:26:07.040 about to be a disciple, and you're about to turn 0:26:07.119 --> 0:26:10.240 the chain of supply and demand on his head, because 0:26:10.240 --> 0:26:13.959 when you get hooked into this vine, there's an unlimited supply. 0:26:14.680 --> 0:26:17.359 And I don't care what they said about you, and 0:26:17.440 --> 0:26:20.440 I don't care what you've said about yourself. I don't 0:26:20.480 --> 0:26:22.680 even know what you've been labeling your kids. 0:26:22.880 --> 0:26:25.440 I don't even know what the doctor told you to say. 0:26:25.960 --> 0:26:27.800 But follow him and find out. 0:26:28.080 --> 0:26:31.320 He's a healer, he's a wave maker, he's a shame breaker, 0:26:31.520 --> 0:26:32.639 he's a stone roller. 0:26:32.960 --> 0:26:40.320 Yes it is, and he came from Nazareth. 0:26:42.080 --> 0:26:45.280 So if you're gonna seek Jesus, you might have to 0:26:45.320 --> 0:26:46.440 look in Nazareth. 0:26:46.840 --> 0:26:48.800 You might have to look in a dirty place. 0:26:49.240 --> 0:26:52.080 You might have to get honest about what you're going through. 0:26:52.320 --> 0:26:55.080 You might have to get authentic and quit pretending like 0:26:55.119 --> 0:26:57.920 you have it together and stop saying, brace the Lord, 0:26:57.920 --> 0:27:00.080 we're fine, and pick up the phone and call all 0:27:00.119 --> 0:27:04.040 accounselor and say I need help, because the help might come. 0:27:03.840 --> 0:27:12.120 From Nazareth, Nazareth, Nazareth, Nazareth. I kept saying it wrong 0:27:12.160 --> 0:27:17.359 all week, Nazaus, like I was saying Lazarus and Nazareth. 0:27:17.400 --> 0:27:18.920 And the Lord said, well, what did the two things 0:27:18.920 --> 0:27:19.560 have in common? 0:27:19.880 --> 0:27:23.440 I said, both were situations where everybody thought it was over, 0:27:25.119 --> 0:27:30.040 and both were places where God displayed his glory. You 0:27:30.119 --> 0:27:34.720 better follow him and find out. I know when the 0:27:34.760 --> 0:27:37.119 Lord's speaking, I'm not moving. I am not moving to 0:27:37.200 --> 0:27:40.919 my next point. It would be a shame for you 0:27:41.000 --> 0:27:46.879 to lect the shame of where you came from, stop 0:27:46.960 --> 0:27:52.840 you from seeing the glory of who you came from. 0:27:53.880 --> 0:27:57.200 I gotta shown verse forbid. I got to show the verse. 0:27:58.040 --> 0:28:03.480 Verse fourteen says the Word became flesh and made his 0:28:03.520 --> 0:28:07.320 dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the 0:28:07.359 --> 0:28:10.840 glory of the one and only Son who came from 0:28:10.880 --> 0:28:15.200 the Father. Can anything good come from Nazareth, Nazareth, Nazareth 0:28:15.200 --> 0:28:16.000 and Lazarus? Now? 0:28:16.520 --> 0:28:19.919 Now, can anything good come from that? Well? 0:28:20.680 --> 0:28:24.280 It depends because before he came from Nazareth, he came 0:28:24.320 --> 0:28:24.840 from the Father. 0:28:26.800 --> 0:28:29.120 Everything that God allowed to happen in your life. 0:28:29.000 --> 0:28:32.120 Passed through his hands, and it has to go back 0:28:32.160 --> 0:28:39.640 through his hands, and we have seen his glory. Now 0:28:40.320 --> 0:28:41.880 they say you have to see it to believe it. 0:28:41.920 --> 0:28:44.920 But back up to verse twelve. John Chapter one, verse twelve. 0:28:45.800 --> 0:28:48.640 Yet to all who did received him, to those who 0:28:48.760 --> 0:28:52.520 believed in his name, he gave the right to become 0:28:52.600 --> 0:28:54.560 children of God. 0:28:55.320 --> 0:28:55.680 See it. 0:28:56.520 --> 0:29:04.680 Circle the word believed, justin believed in his name. Verse fourteen. Again, 0:29:06.240 --> 0:29:09.160 and the word became flesh. That's Jesus and made his 0:29:09.240 --> 0:29:14.040 dwelling among us. We have seen his glory circle the 0:29:14.040 --> 0:29:18.440 word scene. Sometimes you have to see it to believe it. 0:29:18.480 --> 0:29:22.440 I get that, But sometimes you have to believe it 0:29:23.560 --> 0:29:29.040 to see it. See if I don't believe that God 0:29:29.120 --> 0:29:31.760 is my provider, I won't see the provision. 0:29:36.120 --> 0:29:38.040 You get it. It's a complete inversion. 0:29:38.080 --> 0:29:40.600 That's why jesus Kingdom is upside down, but it's actually 0:29:40.680 --> 0:29:44.680 right side up because it's a complete inversion. The Gospel 0:29:44.720 --> 0:29:47.160 of John is not just about miracles. The Gospel of 0:29:47.200 --> 0:29:49.360 John is not just happy meals being fed to a 0:29:49.400 --> 0:29:51.840 crowd of five thousand. The Gospel of John is not 0:29:51.920 --> 0:29:54.320 just water walking in storms. The Gospel of John is 0:29:54.360 --> 0:29:57.640 not just unique conversations. The Gospel of John is themed 0:29:57.640 --> 0:30:01.000 around belief. Belief, in the Son of God. Belief in Jesus, 0:30:01.040 --> 0:30:02.680 not just what he did, but who he is. 0:30:02.800 --> 0:30:07.440 It is the theme of the Gospel. Believe, believe, believe, 0:30:07.720 --> 0:30:11.240 And he said to those who believe, you see the glory. 0:30:11.320 --> 0:30:13.880 So when you believe God is a provider, it opens 0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:16.400 your eyes to see provision that you were walking past 0:30:16.600 --> 0:30:19.840 just the day before. And if I remind you today 0:30:19.840 --> 0:30:22.520 that he's a provider, and if I force you by 0:30:22.640 --> 0:30:25.720 faith to follow him and find out in your next 0:30:25.720 --> 0:30:28.240 step of your life, you may see that He has 0:30:28.320 --> 0:30:30.880 already made the plan to provide for the thing that 0:30:30.880 --> 0:30:31.760 you're praying about. 0:30:32.600 --> 0:30:34.080 And he may have already. 0:30:33.800 --> 0:30:37.000 Worked out the situation that you are so worried about. 0:30:37.680 --> 0:30:39.600 And I have found it to be true that if 0:30:39.640 --> 0:30:43.360 I do not believe that he's my provider, I won't 0:30:43.360 --> 0:30:44.280 see the provision. 0:30:45.040 --> 0:30:47.600 Old Testament example. Let's do this class real quick. 0:30:47.920 --> 0:30:50.720 In Second King's four, a woman came to Elisha, he 0:30:50.880 --> 0:30:53.480 was the prophet, said my husband is dead. 0:30:53.720 --> 0:30:56.560 I need you to help. I need you to provide 0:30:56.560 --> 0:30:59.200 for me. The prophet said back, what do you have 0:30:59.280 --> 0:31:01.840 in your house? Can I help you? She said nothing 0:31:02.640 --> 0:31:05.640 except a jar of oil. 0:31:06.400 --> 0:31:10.680 What happened the moment that she believed because the prophet said, 0:31:10.680 --> 0:31:14.320 you have something in your house. She could see what 0:31:14.440 --> 0:31:18.640 she was unable to see before she believed. So when 0:31:18.640 --> 0:31:21.320 I believe that God is my provider, it opens my 0:31:21.480 --> 0:31:24.800 mind and opens my eyes to begin to consider some 0:31:24.840 --> 0:31:26.600 of the things that He's given me in my life 0:31:26.720 --> 0:31:29.080 that may be in seed form right now. But just 0:31:29.160 --> 0:31:35.560 because it's a seed doesn't mean it's not supply. Can 0:31:35.600 --> 0:31:39.720 I give you another example. If I don't believe that 0:31:39.760 --> 0:31:42.720 God has the power to do what I need him 0:31:42.720 --> 0:31:46.160 to do, I will not see his power operate. 0:31:47.200 --> 0:31:48.440 That's true. 0:31:48.640 --> 0:31:51.600 Think about in the Old Testament Book of Joshua, chapter six, 0:31:52.480 --> 0:31:54.360 and you see this group of people that has been 0:31:54.400 --> 0:31:58.920 marching around a wall in a city called Jericho for 0:31:59.040 --> 0:32:02.600 six days. Now, on the last day they march, they 0:32:02.640 --> 0:32:06.960 start shouting, and you walk up to this army and say, what. 0:32:06.880 --> 0:32:08.520 Are y'all shouting about? 0:32:09.160 --> 0:32:12.600 Because you would expect to see something that they would 0:32:12.640 --> 0:32:15.560 be shouting about, but nothing has happened yet. 0:32:16.120 --> 0:32:19.480 They had to believe that the walls could fall. 0:32:20.280 --> 0:32:25.120 Shout in faith to find out, I said, they had 0:32:25.160 --> 0:32:30.400 to shout to find out. You can figure out, you 0:32:30.440 --> 0:32:32.440 can count the walls, You could measure the walls. 0:32:32.440 --> 0:32:33.640 You could climb the walls. 0:32:33.680 --> 0:32:36.960 You could come up on the walls and pray over 0:32:37.000 --> 0:32:39.280 the walls and anoint the walls with oil, and you 0:32:39.280 --> 0:32:40.920 can take a seminar about the walls, and you can 0:32:40.960 --> 0:32:43.520 have a Bible class about the walls. But nothing is 0:32:43.600 --> 0:32:47.080 going to happen to those walls until you believe that 0:32:47.160 --> 0:32:50.120 they can fall. And the proof of your belief is. 0:32:50.040 --> 0:32:50.960 In your shout. 0:32:52.320 --> 0:32:55.240 So when you shout, look, I know not everybody shouts 0:32:55.240 --> 0:32:56.240 in church, and that's fine. 0:32:56.280 --> 0:32:58.880 You don't have to. You don't have to shout out 0:32:58.920 --> 0:32:59.800 loud in church to. 0:32:59.720 --> 0:33:02.520 Get the content and the substance of what I'm saying. 0:33:02.760 --> 0:33:05.040 But even when I preach, okay, listen to me, Even 0:33:05.040 --> 0:33:07.080 when I preach once in a while, you ought to 0:33:07.120 --> 0:33:12.400 say amen. And every once in a while when something 0:33:12.760 --> 0:33:16.200 hits you and you believe by faith, even if it's 0:33:16.200 --> 0:33:18.040 hard to hear. I used to have a preacher that 0:33:18.080 --> 0:33:19.880 I sat under, and he'd always say, if you can't 0:33:19.880 --> 0:33:20.640 say amen. 0:33:20.440 --> 0:33:21.280 You ought to say ouch. 0:33:22.400 --> 0:33:25.200 I got all these country preacher shenanigous. I could pull 0:33:25.240 --> 0:33:29.080 him out anytime, all this Baptist preacher shenanigans. One guy 0:33:29.160 --> 0:33:32.920 used to say, I don't preach for the praise of men. Amen, Amen, 0:33:34.520 --> 0:33:35.800 God arone. 0:33:37.960 --> 0:33:38.240 Amen. 0:33:38.360 --> 0:33:38.600 I went. 0:33:38.640 --> 0:33:40.800 I went to church one time with my dad. My 0:33:40.880 --> 0:33:43.960 dad was I think most of y'all know about my dad. 0:33:44.400 --> 0:33:48.800 He was kind of from a Nazareth situation. His dad 0:33:48.840 --> 0:33:52.440 committed suicide. He dealt with alcoholism not only in his 0:33:52.840 --> 0:33:56.080 family but in his own personal experience, and his life 0:33:56.120 --> 0:33:57.760 was very rough as a boy. And I won't tell 0:33:57.760 --> 0:34:00.240 you the story all over again because I know you 0:34:00.280 --> 0:34:02.640 come every week and you've got all my stories and memorize. 0:34:03.080 --> 0:34:04.680 But one time my dad wanted me to go to 0:34:04.760 --> 0:34:07.120 church with him, and he was so excited to go 0:34:07.120 --> 0:34:08.440 to church because the Lord turns. 0:34:08.239 --> 0:34:10.360 His life round. And we went out to this little 0:34:10.440 --> 0:34:13.040 church and place like Nazareth, just little town. 0:34:13.200 --> 0:34:15.520 Four hundred people lived in Nazareth, by the way, well 0:34:15.560 --> 0:34:17.479 there couldn't have been four hundred people in this town. 0:34:17.680 --> 0:34:19.160 And we pull up to the church. I'm like, what 0:34:19.160 --> 0:34:20.040 are you bringing me to? 0:34:20.320 --> 0:34:24.160 And it is like independent Baptist fundamentalists, you know, just 0:34:24.360 --> 0:34:27.759 absolute condemnation turned up. 0:34:27.640 --> 0:34:30.919 To level eleven, like everybody was going to hell. 0:34:31.840 --> 0:34:34.600 The president was going to hell, the Senator of the 0:34:34.680 --> 0:34:35.799 state was going to hell. 0:34:36.080 --> 0:34:37.520 Mickey Mouse was going to hell. 0:34:37.600 --> 0:34:37.799 Y'all. 0:34:37.800 --> 0:34:40.160 Remember when the Baptist hated Mickey Mouse for a minute. 0:34:40.280 --> 0:34:42.200 It was a whole moment, cultural moment. 0:34:42.719 --> 0:34:45.360 Is yelling at everybody, and he's preaching so hard, and 0:34:45.480 --> 0:34:48.960 everybody in the church is in and everybody's saying Amen, 0:34:49.160 --> 0:34:51.640 that's right, and preaching and all this stuff. And one 0:34:51.680 --> 0:34:53.919 little boy, he couldn't have been more than eight years old. 0:34:54.080 --> 0:34:56.640 He stands up on the pew while the preacher's preaching, 0:34:56.920 --> 0:34:59.360 and he shouted something I never heard in my life. 0:34:59.440 --> 0:35:01.640 He didn't say Amen, he didn't say praise the Lord, 0:35:01.760 --> 0:35:03.919 he didn't say preach it. He hollers at the top 0:35:03.960 --> 0:35:05.800 of his lungs, and this is what he says. 0:35:06.239 --> 0:35:10.680 Let the wild hog, my man. 0:35:12.560 --> 0:35:17.800 With a trademarch shout. I don't know what it meant, 0:35:17.840 --> 0:35:21.120 but I felt it in my bones. I'm like, yes, 0:35:21.840 --> 0:35:29.240 let the wild hog eat. Indeed, somebody shout amen, amen. 0:35:29.920 --> 0:35:33.440 And when you shout amen, realize what you're shouting means. 0:35:33.719 --> 0:35:34.319 So be it. 0:35:36.160 --> 0:35:39.320 When you shout amen, it doesn't mean preach pastor Stephen. 0:35:39.480 --> 0:35:41.600 When you say amen, you're not talking to me at all. 0:35:42.600 --> 0:35:46.239 You're talking to the one that the word came from. 0:35:46.400 --> 0:35:50.839 So when you say amen, you're saying God, let it 0:35:50.960 --> 0:35:52.680 be like that in my life. 0:35:52.960 --> 0:35:56.000 God, what you just spoke to me. I don't care 0:35:56.040 --> 0:35:57.520 that my kid's on drugs. 0:35:57.800 --> 0:36:00.800 If you say they'll be saved'll be saved. 0:36:01.200 --> 0:36:01.800 So be it. 0:36:03.360 --> 0:36:06.840 Somebody shout Amen, God. 0:36:06.960 --> 0:36:09.720 If you say I'm coming out of this, I'm coming 0:36:09.719 --> 0:36:12.399 out of this, so be it. If you say the 0:36:12.440 --> 0:36:15.360 fire won't burn me, my clothes. 0:36:15.239 --> 0:36:19.960 Won't even smell like smoke, so be it. Shout Amen. 0:36:23.640 --> 0:36:27.160 I'm gonna turn this into a Pentecostal church by the 0:36:27.200 --> 0:36:30.160 time it's all said and die. But it's not just 0:36:30.200 --> 0:36:34.240 gonna be for the people who have an outward expressing personality. 0:36:34.680 --> 0:36:38.680 It's gonna be for everybody who's been fighting against insecurity 0:36:39.000 --> 0:36:42.920 and fighting against lives and fighting against the enemy. Telling 0:36:42.960 --> 0:36:44.799 you that's all it's ever gonna be. 0:36:45.360 --> 0:36:48.600 Nazareth. Can anything good come out of Nazareth? 0:36:49.000 --> 0:36:52.000 Well, if God says something good can come out of. 0:36:51.960 --> 0:36:56.000 This, then amen to what he says. And let every 0:36:56.080 --> 0:36:57.560 man be a liar. 0:36:57.600 --> 0:37:03.720 Because I got my own Amen. I love the worst 0:37:03.760 --> 0:37:12.400 say that. But if you want to take it to 0:37:12.440 --> 0:37:17.160 the next level, and you just might, then you can 0:37:17.200 --> 0:37:19.839 do what Jesus did in. 0:37:19.920 --> 0:37:22.080 John chapter one, verse fifty. 0:37:22.640 --> 0:37:26.960 You know, Nathaniel comes toward Jesus, and I love Jesus 0:37:27.000 --> 0:37:29.160 because watch this, he sees. 0:37:28.920 --> 0:37:33.000 The best in me. I'm grateful. 0:37:34.280 --> 0:37:38.200 That he knows the worst of me, but he sees 0:37:38.239 --> 0:37:43.160 the best in me. You can't say that about anybody else. 0:37:44.320 --> 0:37:46.800 You're still ken. My mother, she don't know the worst, 0:37:48.560 --> 0:37:54.080 not the worst, not the worst. I'm not talking about 0:37:54.120 --> 0:37:57.800 what she caught you for when you were in tenth grade. 0:37:57.920 --> 0:38:01.319 I'm talking about what you still deal with. And God 0:38:01.440 --> 0:38:03.799 knows that. That was Nathaniel's issue with Jesus. He said, 0:38:03.800 --> 0:38:06.440 how do you know me? I thought about doing an illustration, 0:38:06.520 --> 0:38:08.960 but I didn't have time to work it out in advance, 0:38:09.360 --> 0:38:11.280 where I was just gonna walk up to somebody random 0:38:11.400 --> 0:38:14.320 that that I didn't know and start saying stuff about him. 0:38:14.719 --> 0:38:18.680 You know, how's your daughter she doing good over there 0:38:18.680 --> 0:38:19.759 at Sanford University? 0:38:20.360 --> 0:38:23.120 How's that new Honda Civic treatment you like it? 0:38:23.840 --> 0:38:26.399 I was gonna find out from somebody else, and then 0:38:26.480 --> 0:38:28.680 just so I was gonna walk down and there's no 0:38:28.719 --> 0:38:31.080 way I could know all this and just freak them out. 0:38:32.880 --> 0:38:36.480 And that's what it must have been like for Nathaniel 0:38:36.800 --> 0:38:39.480 because he's like, we'll see about this Jesus of Nazareth. 0:38:39.480 --> 0:38:41.319 Iin't never heard of Jesus from now the Bible. Don't 0:38:41.320 --> 0:38:42.759 sayjess come come from nazer Say he's con come from 0:38:42.760 --> 0:38:44.759 battal him. And I know my Bible, so he well, 0:38:44.760 --> 0:38:47.120 he did come from Bethelhem. You just didn't dig deep enough. 0:38:49.560 --> 0:38:52.360 So now Nathaniel, he's got kind of like a cynical 0:38:52.440 --> 0:38:54.680 or skeptical attitude. He's like, I got to see it 0:38:54.680 --> 0:38:58.200 to believe it. Show me this Jesus, Now this is crazy. 0:38:58.440 --> 0:39:00.680 He's like, I got to see it to believe it. 0:39:00.760 --> 0:39:01.600 Verse forty seven. 0:39:03.600 --> 0:39:09.520 When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said of him, how's 0:39:09.520 --> 0:39:11.960 that Honda Civic working out? How's your daughter doing there 0:39:11.960 --> 0:39:15.359 at Samford University? Here truly is an Israelite in whom 0:39:15.360 --> 0:39:17.319 there is no deceit. He knew something about him that 0:39:17.840 --> 0:39:21.000 he shouldn't know. And Nathaniel said, how do you know me? 0:39:21.080 --> 0:39:25.520 Are you a staler or a savior? 0:39:27.960 --> 0:39:29.920 Jesus, I saw you while you were still under the victory, 0:39:29.920 --> 0:39:35.200 before Philip called you, before Philip called before, before. 0:39:36.520 --> 0:39:43.600 Before they called you. I knew you. Oh that's good news. 0:39:45.120 --> 0:39:47.640 I'm so glad God picked me before I was born, 0:39:47.680 --> 0:39:49.400 because after that he might not have wanted me. 0:39:50.000 --> 0:39:51.919 I've done some dumb stuff since then. 0:39:52.440 --> 0:39:56.040 I'm so glad he knit me together in my mother's womb. 0:39:56.200 --> 0:39:58.800 I'm so glad he chose me and he saw me 0:39:59.719 --> 0:40:04.200 on my fig tree. Under the fig tree was a 0:40:04.280 --> 0:40:08.000 euphanism in Judaism. It wasn't a literal term. It meant 0:40:08.200 --> 0:40:10.759 when you meditated. You know how, we might say I'm 0:40:10.760 --> 0:40:14.239 in the lab. That doesn't mean you're a scientist. That 0:40:14.360 --> 0:40:16.160 just means I'm working on something. You know how, you 0:40:16.239 --> 0:40:20.680 might say I'm cooking. You're not really making spaghetti. You 0:40:20.719 --> 0:40:24.719 mean I'm working on something. Under the fig tree was 0:40:24.760 --> 0:40:28.320 the way they would describe meditating under the fig tree. 0:40:28.400 --> 0:40:31.000 It could have been physical, too, but there is rabbinic 0:40:31.239 --> 0:40:35.600 evidence to suggest that Nathaniel was meditating, and Jesus is saying, 0:40:35.840 --> 0:40:37.280 I know what you've been thinking about. 0:40:38.680 --> 0:40:41.440 In other words, I know what's in you. 0:40:43.560 --> 0:40:49.040 And Philip may have found you, Jesus says, but who 0:40:49.040 --> 0:40:53.319 do you think found Philip? This is the funniest thing 0:40:53.320 --> 0:40:55.240 I've ever seen in the Bible. Y'all have been preaching 0:40:55.239 --> 0:40:57.960 at this church for twenty years I preached for ten. 0:40:57.880 --> 0:41:01.040 Years before that, and I never laughed harder reading the 0:41:01.080 --> 0:41:02.440 Bible than I did this week. 0:41:02.880 --> 0:41:06.200 Did you see in verse forty five where it says 0:41:06.239 --> 0:41:09.680 Philip found Nathaniel and told him we have found the 0:41:09.680 --> 0:41:11.399 one Moses wrote about in the Law. 0:41:11.680 --> 0:41:14.759 I laughed when I saw that, because he said, we 0:41:14.920 --> 0:41:17.600 have found the one. We found Jesus. 0:41:18.840 --> 0:41:20.200 But all you got to do is back up to 0:41:20.360 --> 0:41:23.879 Versus deceee why I laughed verse forty three. The next 0:41:23.960 --> 0:41:27.120 day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee, finding Philip. 0:41:29.160 --> 0:41:35.800 How quick we forget that I didn't find him? Uh huh. 0:41:36.200 --> 0:41:38.480 I didn't choose him. He chose me. 0:41:39.880 --> 0:41:42.600 You want to know why I'm here today, Not because 0:41:42.640 --> 0:41:46.200 I found Jesus. The truth of the matter is some 0:41:46.239 --> 0:41:49.920 of us weren't even looking, but he was. Some of 0:41:50.000 --> 0:41:53.680 us weren't even seeking, but he was. Some of us 0:41:53.760 --> 0:41:57.080 didn't even want to come to church, but something made. 0:41:56.840 --> 0:41:59.719 To come, didn't it. Why? Because you had to get 0:41:59.719 --> 0:42:06.840 this word. Philip didn't find Jesus. 0:42:07.360 --> 0:42:10.600 Jesus found Philip, and the same is true of me. 0:42:11.080 --> 0:42:15.800 It's my story is not the story of Stephen seeking Jesus. 0:42:16.360 --> 0:42:20.759 My story is Jesus sought Stephen. He found me. 0:42:21.520 --> 0:42:25.719 And the reason that's good news is if I found him. 0:42:26.080 --> 0:42:27.640 That means I could lose him again. 0:42:29.400 --> 0:42:34.560 But if he found me, I said, if he found me, 0:42:35.800 --> 0:42:39.480 that means there's no valley too low, no mountain too high, 0:42:39.880 --> 0:42:43.880 no road too far, no nater too small, no fin. 0:42:43.840 --> 0:42:47.799 Too great, no saying too strong, no grain too deep. 0:42:49.160 --> 0:42:51.440 He found me. 0:42:52.719 --> 0:42:56.839 That's why I'm happy. That's why I'm excited. That's why 0:42:56.880 --> 0:42:57.680 I'm confident. 0:43:00.400 --> 0:43:03.960 The psalm is set in Psalm twenty seven, verse thirteen. 0:43:04.600 --> 0:43:08.960 I would have despaired unless I believe that I would 0:43:09.120 --> 0:43:13.160 see the goodness of the Lord in the land of 0:43:13.200 --> 0:43:13.720 the Living. 0:43:14.080 --> 0:43:14.960 Check out the verse. 0:43:15.360 --> 0:43:20.040 I would have despaired, given up, quit no hope unless 0:43:20.080 --> 0:43:24.680 I believe that I would see You say see it 0:43:24.920 --> 0:43:28.239 to believe it. God says, believe it to see it. 0:43:28.520 --> 0:43:31.160 And if you believe, the walls can fall. And if 0:43:31.200 --> 0:43:33.920 you shout while you're still staring at him, and if 0:43:33.960 --> 0:43:37.800 you start declaring over my family, my family is blessed. 0:43:38.120 --> 0:43:42.120 I know everybody's acting dysfunctional right now, but my family 0:43:42.200 --> 0:43:46.040 is blessed. The roots are blessed, the branches are blessed. 0:43:46.360 --> 0:43:51.120 My body is blessed. My mind is blessed. Depressed but blessed. 0:43:51.480 --> 0:43:53.640 Stressed but blessed. Confused. 0:43:53.840 --> 0:43:55.960 He sees you under the fig tree. 0:43:56.000 --> 0:43:57.840 He sees what you're crying about. 0:43:58.160 --> 0:44:02.080 He sees what you're confused about. And he calls you anyway, 0:44:02.520 --> 0:44:10.120 and he calls you while you are still under the 0:44:10.200 --> 0:44:16.279 fig tree. And he told Philip, come and see. And 0:44:16.360 --> 0:44:17.719 he told. 0:44:17.600 --> 0:44:24.600 Nathaniel, Nathaniel, you think me seeing you under that tree 0:44:24.680 --> 0:44:30.040 is a reason to believe Nathaniel, you ain't seen. 0:44:31.440 --> 0:44:31.840 Nothing. 0:44:33.320 --> 0:44:35.359 Yeah, think about all the things Jesus could have said, 0:44:35.400 --> 0:44:36.120 I'm not done yet. 0:44:36.160 --> 0:44:38.560 Think about all the things Jesus could have said to Nathaniel. 0:44:40.560 --> 0:44:43.920 He could have said when Nathaniel came, look at it. 0:44:43.920 --> 0:44:45.000 In verse forty seven, jaid. 0:44:45.600 --> 0:44:49.759 He could said, he's I'm approaching, and he knows that 0:44:49.800 --> 0:44:50.960 he just talked bad about Nazareth. 0:44:51.000 --> 0:44:54.239 That's his hometown, y'all. He could have said, oh, here 0:44:54.280 --> 0:44:59.520 he comes, Oh Nathaniel, Oh Nathaniel. 0:44:59.520 --> 0:45:06.360 That doesn't all negative, Nate, aren't you glad he sees the. 0:45:06.400 --> 0:45:09.480 Vest in you? He could say, oh, messed up, Matt. 0:45:11.200 --> 0:45:13.240 But he don't see that stuff. He sees a miracle. 0:45:16.160 --> 0:45:17.440 I don't know. I'm preaching too. 0:45:17.480 --> 0:45:19.279 But he called you while you were still under the 0:45:19.280 --> 0:45:20.400 fig tree. 0:45:21.160 --> 0:45:23.080 He called you right in the middle of the messed 0:45:23.160 --> 0:45:24.759 up mine. He called you right in the middle of 0:45:24.840 --> 0:45:30.200 the mess Nazary. Can anything good come from Nasar? Follow 0:45:30.280 --> 0:45:35.799 me and find out. That's what he's saying. He don't 0:45:35.840 --> 0:45:37.120 call him negative, Nathaniel. 0:45:38.560 --> 0:45:40.880 You know how we nicknamed the Bible characters according to 0:45:40.920 --> 0:45:42.479 their absolute lowest point. 0:45:43.480 --> 0:45:45.480 Doubting Thomas, What. 0:45:45.560 --> 0:45:48.120 You mean, doubting Thomas, Thomas said, I'll go and die 0:45:48.200 --> 0:45:48.440 with you. 0:45:48.840 --> 0:45:52.240 Yeah, doubting Thomas. More like, honest Thomas. 0:45:53.200 --> 0:45:54.759 If we could read your mind, if we could get 0:45:54.840 --> 0:45:57.120 under your fig tree, everything else going up under daring 0:45:57.200 --> 0:46:02.920 that good either. By the way, I just felt the 0:46:02.960 --> 0:46:05.600 Lord drop this in my spirit, so I say it. 0:46:05.719 --> 0:46:08.280 Some of you need to remember this. Who are raising 0:46:08.360 --> 0:46:11.960 kids who are lost right now? The Lord knows where 0:46:11.960 --> 0:46:12.440 to find him. 0:46:22.080 --> 0:46:25.319 He found you, didn't he he found you. 0:46:26.920 --> 0:46:34.839 That's why I called the sermons seeking Jesus, because I'm. 0:46:33.400 --> 0:46:35.680 I realized that I'm not really the one seeking he is. 0:46:38.200 --> 0:46:38.680 He is. 0:46:40.360 --> 0:46:48.040 The seeking Jesus, not just the saving Jesus, not just 0:46:48.080 --> 0:46:49.200 the healing Jesus. 0:46:49.440 --> 0:46:51.440 He's the seeking Jesus. 0:46:51.040 --> 0:46:54.000 And he's looking for one who's lost, and he'll leave 0:46:54.080 --> 0:46:55.040 ninety nine to get him. 0:46:55.640 --> 0:46:57.440 And a lady came up to me the other day 0:46:57.440 --> 0:47:02.640 and she gave me a I brought one. She gave me. 0:47:02.600 --> 0:47:12.400 A little Jesus. You can't even see that canyon. I said, 0:47:12.440 --> 0:47:16.800 that's nice, thank you. I said, what am I supposed 0:47:16.840 --> 0:47:20.040 to do with this? She said, no, just for the 0:47:20.160 --> 0:47:22.560 love is cute. And I'm like, it is cute, thank you. 0:47:24.600 --> 0:47:29.360 And I'm not hating on this, I mean, but something about. 0:47:29.080 --> 0:47:42.759 It, something about something about many Jesus. And then she 0:47:42.800 --> 0:47:44.080 told me, she goes, they're cool. 0:47:44.120 --> 0:47:47.040 You can hide them different places and people can find them. 0:47:47.360 --> 0:47:50.359 And I was preparing this message, thinking like, that's how 0:47:50.400 --> 0:48:00.879 we think about him sometimes. Yeah, oh, isn't that wonderful. Well, 0:48:00.920 --> 0:48:02.600 let me remind you what to think of when you 0:48:02.600 --> 0:48:03.080 look at it. 0:48:03.480 --> 0:48:04.879 Remember every time you pick it up. 0:48:05.239 --> 0:48:08.920 Remember that this is just a reminder that I'm not 0:48:09.040 --> 0:48:12.920 holding him. 0:48:12.960 --> 0:48:18.640 He's holding me. Let's see, that's me. 0:48:21.200 --> 0:48:25.759 And I'm not interested in shrinking Jesus down to where 0:48:25.800 --> 0:48:30.000 I think. See, when my life really runs up on 0:48:30.080 --> 0:48:32.640 the types of battles that I have to fight as 0:48:32.640 --> 0:48:37.680 a brown man, I don't need many Jesus. I need 0:48:37.800 --> 0:48:45.600 a mighty Jesus. You ain't seen nothing yet, Nathaniel. You 0:48:45.680 --> 0:48:49.440 think that's something, he says. In verse fifty one, he says, 0:48:50.000 --> 0:48:52.440 verily or truthfully, I tell you the truth. 0:48:53.040 --> 0:48:54.320 You will see heaven open. 0:48:54.640 --> 0:48:58.560 You will see angels ascending and descending. 0:48:58.080 --> 0:48:58.919 On the Son of Man. 0:48:59.080 --> 0:49:02.120 He's prophesied from Jacob in the Book of Genesis, but 0:49:02.160 --> 0:49:06.120 he's prophesying about the cross. He's prophesying about salvation. He's saying, 0:49:06.160 --> 0:49:07.960 you see nothing yet. 0:49:09.160 --> 0:49:12.200 Put it back up. Verily, I say unto you. The 0:49:12.280 --> 0:49:13.440 King James says. 0:49:13.520 --> 0:49:16.080 Very truly, I tell you very true. 0:49:16.200 --> 0:49:16.799 Woo ooh. 0:49:16.880 --> 0:49:20.360 You need the original language to really get this. In 0:49:20.440 --> 0:49:22.040 the original language. 0:49:21.640 --> 0:49:23.719 He doesn't say very truly, I tell you no. He 0:49:23.760 --> 0:49:26.840 says amen. Amen. 0:49:28.000 --> 0:49:32.360 He says it twice twenty five times in the Gospel 0:49:32.360 --> 0:49:33.000 of John. 0:49:33.080 --> 0:49:36.040 Not in Matthew, not in Luke, not in Mark. 0:49:36.400 --> 0:49:40.880 In John alone, Jesus is recorded twenty five times he 0:49:40.960 --> 0:49:43.760 says amen, and then he says it again. 0:49:44.280 --> 0:49:45.439 Now, let's break this down. 0:49:45.680 --> 0:49:48.520 He said, very truly, I say to you, you ain't 0:49:48.600 --> 0:49:52.799 seen nothing yet, Nathaniel. You are only getting started. You 0:49:52.880 --> 0:49:55.240 want to see what it looks like to walk by faith. 0:49:55.520 --> 0:49:58.920 Follow me and find out. Follow me with questions, follow me. 0:49:58.880 --> 0:50:01.600 With doubts, Follow me with impurities. 0:50:01.600 --> 0:50:03.960 I'll work them out. Follow me with sin, I'll wash 0:50:04.000 --> 0:50:06.920 it away. Follow me just just seek me for who 0:50:07.000 --> 0:50:10.600 I really am. Just follow me and you will find out. 0:50:10.960 --> 0:50:14.600 Amen. Amen, I tell you will see heaven open. 0:50:14.640 --> 0:50:18.640 But what is interesting about Amen in this culture is 0:50:18.760 --> 0:50:22.480 not just that he said it twice, is that he 0:50:22.640 --> 0:50:28.799 said it for himself. Normally, when someone makes a statement 0:50:28.880 --> 0:50:35.279 of truth, someone who is listening will say amen in response. 0:50:36.480 --> 0:50:41.040 But when Jesus, when Jesus. 0:50:41.360 --> 0:50:43.080 I'm gonna put this one up here with you, LJ, 0:50:43.200 --> 0:50:46.160 I don't need him right now. When my great big 0:50:46.280 --> 0:50:51.279 water walk in Jesus, when he speaks the thing, he 0:50:51.360 --> 0:50:55.239 doesn't wait to find out if you agree. If he 0:50:55.520 --> 0:50:58.120 said it, that settles it. 0:50:58.320 --> 0:50:59.720 Nobody's shout Amen. 0:51:01.200 --> 0:51:03.640 He said I'm here, he's set, I'm free. 0:51:04.040 --> 0:51:06.759 He's said I'm forgiven. He said I'm right to us. 0:51:07.080 --> 0:51:08.160 He said I'm cleared. 0:51:08.600 --> 0:51:12.480 He said it's done, it is vital, it is finished, 0:51:13.080 --> 0:51:20.640 it is settled, it is rickedid Amen Amen again, Amen. 0:51:20.360 --> 0:51:24.880 Amen, who amen? Amen? 0:51:25.200 --> 0:51:28.799 Hot Five three people say amen and amen, Amen and 0:51:28.840 --> 0:51:32.399 amen Amen, and amen, Amen. 0:51:32.080 --> 0:51:35.839 And amen, And I got something for you. Loast watch this. 0:51:36.600 --> 0:51:39.759 Not only did he say it twice, which means it's 0:51:39.760 --> 0:51:42.960 a covenant. Not only did he say it for himself, 0:51:43.320 --> 0:51:47.759 which means he'll fulfill it. He said it before the 0:51:47.880 --> 0:51:52.320 truth that he spoke when he said it, because Jesus 0:51:52.440 --> 0:51:55.120 doesn't need to wait for the amen. 0:51:55.920 --> 0:51:57.399 He is the. 0:51:57.400 --> 0:52:01.400 Amen of God in the again, where's my band? 0:52:01.560 --> 0:52:02.839 What's the word? 0:52:03.160 --> 0:52:05.319 And the word was with God? 0:52:06.000 --> 0:52:09.200 And the word what God? 0:52:12.920 --> 0:52:17.279 He said, Amen, whatever comes after it is true, he said. 0:52:17.320 --> 0:52:17.760 Amen. 0:52:18.160 --> 0:52:19.399 Nothing could cancel it. 0:52:19.680 --> 0:52:20.200 He said. 0:52:20.239 --> 0:52:20.680 Amen. 0:52:21.080 --> 0:52:25.440 He says good as done, so be it. 0:52:26.800 --> 0:52:32.720 Amen. Amen. The first words of John's. 0:52:32.360 --> 0:52:37.400 Gospelar in the beginning the last words that John writes 0:52:37.440 --> 0:52:40.799 in Revelation twenty two twenty one on the island of 0:52:40.840 --> 0:52:44.239 pat Mos, the grace of the Lord Jesus be with 0:52:44.440 --> 0:52:45.280 God's people. 0:52:46.960 --> 0:53:02.680 Amen. And if you belie, you will see. 0:53:04.200 --> 0:53:11.680 Jesus, not little Jesus, you will see King Jesus. 0:53:13.560 --> 0:53:17.880 I want to start a series today called see. 0:53:18.960 --> 0:53:23.640 King Jesus, the. 0:53:23.600 --> 0:53:29.960 One who was and is and is to calm. 0:53:30.000 --> 0:53:32.520 So be it and Amen. 0:53:34.480 --> 0:53:39.359 When the King sneaks a word, it cannot be overturned. 0:53:45.600 --> 0:53:48.280 Now I need the whole church to receive this song. 0:53:49.000 --> 0:53:52.040 You stand up right where you are, and you throw 0:53:52.120 --> 0:53:55.400 your hands in the air right now, and you say. 0:53:55.200 --> 0:53:56.520 Amen to God. 0:53:57.320 --> 0:54:00.919 Amen. I'm not waiting till list over to say a man, God, 0:54:01.000 --> 0:54:04.680 I come into agreement with you right now. In the beginning, 0:54:04.680 --> 0:54:06.960 what's the word? And in the end of thee Amen, 0:54:07.520 --> 0:54:10.960 I'm starting with an Amen. I'm starting with the one 0:54:10.960 --> 0:54:11.640 who called me. 0:54:13.440 --> 0:54:17.080 Because when the kinks, he's be so Lord, he cannot 0:54:17.080 --> 0:54:23.400 be over. It's as good as done. Amen, Heaven touches 0:54:23.480 --> 0:54:26.480 he think you rather be reversed. It's the king. 0:54:28.000 --> 0:54:31.240 So get the liars out the lies of the way. 0:54:31.480 --> 0:54:33.560 They don't have the sign of safety. 0:54:33.840 --> 0:54:36.640 So I want to see King Jesus. 0:54:38.040 --> 0:54:42.120 Every worthy faces Yes, hey. 0:54:41.880 --> 0:54:45.720 Amen, so celebrate the victory. 0:54:45.840 --> 0:54:53.839 Na vandeh God, everybody else say simple, you will see 0:54:53.920 --> 0:54:54.600 greater thing. 0:54:55.280 --> 0:54:59.000 He said that it is done. It's done, so. 0:55:00.280 --> 0:55:03.520 God and man, so man. 0:55:07.280 --> 0:55:10.320 See the woman on the side and not me on 0:55:10.440 --> 0:55:20.719 the s last say the first rum the univers. Let 0:55:20.840 --> 0:55:24.160 me alphone made a shoot the alpha dang. 0:55:24.280 --> 0:55:28.359 That's what I sing in the name the name Man Jasu. 0:55:29.560 --> 0:55:30.760 S the ye game. 0:55:31.440 --> 0:55:35.319 Give them all the places. Let's go. 0:55:37.200 --> 0:55:42.680 God, this over con my testies is gone. 0:55:43.520 --> 0:55:47.359 Maybe he said that it's charing in this job. 0:55:48.000 --> 0:55:57.279 So me God, so the ti me, don't go over 0:55:57.440 --> 0:56:05.320 me no happy Oh the core proma speak so so 0:56:06.920 --> 0:56:10.799 so so. 0:56:17.640 --> 0:56:18.680 Come on, let's go there. 0:56:19.400 --> 0:56:25.600 So to Cris to add such a fun. 0:56:30.400 --> 0:56:40.480 Uses crucified nails. You gotta believe that you're sees you stop. 0:56:40.280 --> 0:56:41.560 Doing and belief. 0:56:43.520 --> 0:56:50.080 That is said prophesied Dandy was. 0:56:51.120 --> 0:56:59.120 Not being what you geez, you will see that s 0:57:00.280 --> 0:57:04.480 things Madame Blaze. 0:57:05.440 --> 0:57:11.960 Blade blaze blaze by. 0:57:17.680 --> 0:57:22.720 Us something. 0:57:23.880 --> 0:57:31.960 Said, he said, stop it st so. 0:57:42.520 --> 0:57:48.000 You go sid soth. 0:57:49.160 --> 0:57:50.880 Sbut again, so. 0:57:53.640 --> 0:58:21.520 Let's go out and dot com us said yes, said 0:58:22.480 --> 0:58:22.800 help me. 0:58:22.960 --> 0:58:25.440 Bye, b bye. 0:58:27.520 --> 0:58:55.360 Mothers Bye, Holly we sp hey, Hey, sorgu. 0:59:03.280 --> 0:59:03.400 Hey. 0:59:03.480 --> 0:59:05.760 I hope you enjoyed the podcast, and if you did, 0:59:06.400 --> 0:59:08.960 make sure to share it and subscribe so we can 0:59:09.000 --> 0:59:11.600 get you all of these new messages as soon as 0:59:11.640 --> 0:59:14.360 they're available. I also want to take a moment and 0:59:14.520 --> 0:59:16.240 thank all of you who are a part of Elevation. 0:59:16.800 --> 0:59:20.080 Whether you support us financially, or serve with us, or 0:59:20.560 --> 0:59:23.240 just share these messages, it's because of you that we're 0:59:23.280 --> 0:59:26.200 able to reach people all around the world and If 0:59:26.240 --> 0:59:28.720 you want more information on how to be a part 0:59:28.760 --> 0:59:32.640 of Elevation, click the link in the description. Thanks again 0:59:32.720 --> 0:59:35.120 for listening. Make sure to leave a review, share the 0:59:35.200 --> 0:59:36.480 message and subscribe. 0:59:36.800 --> 0:59:37.400 God bless you.