Destiny & Direction (Larry Brey)

0:00:01.560 --> 0:00:02.840 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:05.880 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.920 --> 0:00:07.800 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.119 --> 0:00:10.680 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:10.800 --> 0:00:13.000 Hope it gives your perspective to see Gods moving in 0:00:13.039 --> 0:00:19.480 your life. Enjoy the message what enjoy to be with 0:00:19.520 --> 0:00:19.880 you today. 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:22.320 My name is Larry Bryan, one of the pastors here 0:00:22.640 --> 0:00:24.280 at Elevation Church. 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:27.760 But all my friends call me ld and. 0:00:29.520 --> 0:00:31.600 My wife and I had the distinct privilege of being 0:00:31.640 --> 0:00:34.599 one of the original eight families eighteen plus years ago 0:00:34.640 --> 0:00:37.120 to start Elevation Church with Eric, my friend here and 0:00:37.159 --> 0:00:40.240 I saw Jay Raven around here. And when we started 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:42.720 the church eighteen years ago, my wife and I moved 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:45.239 into our house on a Friday night right when the 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:48.200 church started, went to the hospital the next Wednesday, had 0:00:48.240 --> 0:00:51.120 our first born son. Here's a picture of how it 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:56.120 started eighteen years ago. I think we got a picture 0:00:56.160 --> 0:01:01.840 to pop up there. That's my boy, Corbyn Charles Brye 0:01:02.000 --> 0:01:05.480 and I remember when we took him to e Kids 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:09.200 Children's Ministry the very first I Miss Marie Neil was 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:10.640 the first volunteer to hold him. 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:12.160 She's still holding. 0:01:11.880 --> 0:01:15.240 Babies eighteen years later at Elevation Blakeney. 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:16.720 Thank you, Marie Neial. 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.440 Thank you to all the Eat kids, Heather and Anthony, 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:25.600 and all the people that have sown into my son 0:01:25.680 --> 0:01:28.080 and all of our kids. I think the unsung heroes 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.520 of this ministry are the people that show up every week, 0:01:30.560 --> 0:01:33.200 that serve our children and raise them up. 0:01:33.240 --> 0:01:36.360 And now this is my son, this is now, this is. 0:01:36.360 --> 0:01:41.000 Just a couple of weeks ago, my man, my boy. 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:44.399 Yeah. 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:48.080 And so on the day he was born, my wife Janet, 0:01:48.280 --> 0:01:50.440 when she was pregnant, we weren't pregnant, she was pregnant. 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:53.080 She would listen to the same songs every day in 0:01:53.120 --> 0:01:54.800 the morning, and there was a song by Chris Tomlin. 0:01:54.880 --> 0:01:55.520 What was it, honey? 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:57.960 It was how Great is Our God? Do I remember 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.000 that old song? She would listen to it every day 0:02:01.160 --> 0:02:04.240 and he would jump in her belly. He would do 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:07.040 like cartwheels. And on the day he was born, he 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.079 was not jumping to that song. My wife got real 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:09.600 freaked out. 0:02:09.639 --> 0:02:10.160 She calls me. 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:12.720 Turns out the cord was wrapped around his neck and 0:02:12.760 --> 0:02:14.240 that was his way of telling us, you need to 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.480 come take me. He arrived Emergency Sea section. Like an 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:20.360 hour or so later, my wife calls me. I'm trying 0:02:20.360 --> 0:02:22.040 to hold it together and I'm freaking out, like. 0:02:22.120 --> 0:02:25.360 Babe, it's gonna be okay. And I got off the phone. 0:02:25.560 --> 0:02:28.679 First person I called was Pastor Stephen, and I can't 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:30.440 tell you what he told me, but I do remember 0:02:30.480 --> 0:02:33.040 how he made me feel. He made me feel like 0:02:33.080 --> 0:02:35.040 God was with me. He's in it, fighting for me, 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:37.600 and God is not against me. Thank you, Pastor Stephen 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:41.400 and Pastor Holly for eighteen years faithfully doing that in 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:42.120 this house. 0:02:42.760 --> 0:02:44.919 We love you, We honor you. 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:47.600 Hey, let me give you the passage I want to 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:51.400 preach from today. It's two verses, Mark chapter one, Verses 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.280 sixteen and seventeen. This is the word that God has 0:02:54.280 --> 0:02:56.280 given me. This is my assignment to deliver it to 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:56.760 you today. 0:02:57.480 --> 0:02:58.400 I've been praying that you. 0:02:58.320 --> 0:03:01.280 Would be good soil, because this is good and when 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:03.959 good seed meets good soil, it produces a great harvest 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:04.760 for his glory. 0:03:05.840 --> 0:03:06.560 Mark Chapter one. 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:08.880 This is Jesus walked by the sea of Galilee. He 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:13.000 saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into 0:03:13.040 --> 0:03:17.200 the lake, for they were fishermen. Come follow me, Jesus said, 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:21.280 and I will send you out to fish for people 0:03:21.280 --> 0:03:24.640 one more time. Let me pray, Father, this is good seed. 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.840 Sons and daughters of this house and watching online around 0:03:28.840 --> 0:03:32.000 the world are good soil. Take your good seed, put 0:03:32.040 --> 0:03:34.520 it in the soil of their heart. Produce a harvest 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:37.400 of righteousness for your glory. 0:03:37.520 --> 0:03:37.920 Amen. 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:40.520 Amen, let me give you the title. Then you can 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:43.240 have a seat. This is the title for today, Destiny 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:46.560 and Direction. Look at your favorite person around you, give 0:03:46.600 --> 0:03:47.480 them a hogins say. 0:03:47.320 --> 0:03:49.200 Destiny and Direction. 0:03:50.200 --> 0:03:58.280 Thank you, worship team. This is an incredible story because 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.080 many things are happening in this scene at the same time. 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:04.120 Peter Andrew Simon. Well Simon, he's Simon. 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:07.200 Simon is a part of him that's parting on on 0:04:07.360 --> 0:04:09.840 Saturday night. But Peter's the side of him that's praising 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:12.000 on Sunday morning. You know, because all of you got 0:04:12.000 --> 0:04:13.880 a little bit of a little bit of Simon in you, 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:16.040 then you also got some some Peter in you. 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:17.599 That's that guy. 0:04:17.640 --> 0:04:20.000 He's out casting nets. I don't know what he did 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:22.599 the night before, but Jesus shows up on the scene 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:26.839 an ordinary day in Peter's life that encounters a radical 0:04:26.880 --> 0:04:30.080 savior that's about to change the trajectory of his life. 0:04:30.160 --> 0:04:31.840 He did not know that was gonna happen when he 0:04:31.880 --> 0:04:35.000 set out on his day. At the same time that's happening, 0:04:35.279 --> 0:04:39.040 Jesus is also establishing his earthly ministry. He's saying it 0:04:39.080 --> 0:04:43.360 is time to go. He's prepared himself for the assignment 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:45.520 of going to the cross, and now he's gonna pick 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:48.280 the team to follow him. And he shows up and 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:53.359 he's walking along and it says he sees Simon, he 0:04:53.480 --> 0:04:57.599 sees him casting a net into the lake. Because another 0:04:57.600 --> 0:04:59.280 thing that's happening at that moment. You have no idea 0:04:59.320 --> 0:05:02.040 what God's doing on you row. You have no idea 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:04.680 the stories that are ending and beginning. And God is 0:05:04.720 --> 0:05:07.560 doing something significant in our midst today. Oh, if we 0:05:07.560 --> 0:05:10.080 would perceive in the spiritual realm what God is doing 0:05:10.120 --> 0:05:14.080 in this place. And because Jesus is about to establish 0:05:14.200 --> 0:05:18.120 kingdom culture, say kingdom culture. You see the culture of 0:05:18.160 --> 0:05:21.600 the world when someone would find a teacher or a rabbi. 0:05:21.640 --> 0:05:24.800 That's what Jesus is about to become to these these disciples, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:27.560 is He's about to become their teacher, their rabbi in 0:05:27.600 --> 0:05:30.200 that culture. The way that a rabbi would be selected 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:31.800 wouldn't be the rabbi would not. 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:32.080 Come to you. 0:05:32.120 --> 0:05:34.080 Oh no, he would never stoop so low as the 0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:37.720 step into your lowly place. Rabbis would stand at a distance, 0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:40.760 and people would come to him and beg, oh, please please, 0:05:40.800 --> 0:05:41.880 could I be your student? 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:42.880 Could I learn from you? 0:05:42.880 --> 0:05:44.719 And they would say, well, show me how smart you are. 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.800 That's the culture of the world. That is religion trying 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:52.880 to prove that you should be picked. Some of you 0:05:52.960 --> 0:05:55.760 are exhausted because you have lived your whole life trying 0:05:55.800 --> 0:05:58.520 to prove that you should be picked. And Jesus is 0:05:58.520 --> 0:06:03.000 about to establish kingdom culture on earth as it is 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:05.640 in heaven. That's what he's bringing into the kingdom on 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:08.680 earth as it is in heaven, because it's the upside 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:10.960 down culture. The first shall be the last, and the 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:13.839 last shall be the first. And Jesus comes to them, 0:06:14.000 --> 0:06:15.919 and he comes to you, and he sees you. 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:18.440 He sees all of you. He sees what you did, 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:19.240 he sees. 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.280 Where you're doing right now, and he sees what you're 0:06:21.320 --> 0:06:23.120 going to do in the future. And he comes to 0:06:23.200 --> 0:06:26.360 you and he picks you. That's the kind of God 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:28.880 that we have, that's the kind of savior that we have. 0:06:29.279 --> 0:06:32.119 He pushes through all of the stuff and he comes 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:36.520 to you because he's establishing kingdom culture, and it's beautiful. 0:06:37.080 --> 0:06:39.039 And he takes the criteria that none of us would 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:42.560 have ever used to pick his first disciples, none of 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:45.239 us would have been tall enough, good enough, smart enough. 0:06:45.400 --> 0:06:49.400 When Jesus says, I am doing something new, something different, 0:06:49.440 --> 0:06:52.000 and I think that same spirit is happening in this 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:56.200 place today. Now, this guy named Simon, who would later 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:58.960 be called Peter, he writes two books of the Bible. 0:06:59.080 --> 0:07:03.200 So when Jesus shows up in Mark one, Simon would 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:06.520 have been Peter would have been about mid twenties, late twenties, 0:07:07.200 --> 0:07:10.000 and he would write two books of the Bible, first 0:07:10.000 --> 0:07:10.960 Peter and second Peter. 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:12.920 And in Second Peter. 0:07:12.760 --> 0:07:16.760 The very last words he writes some forty years later 0:07:16.920 --> 0:07:20.880 after this incident, looking back on his life, looking back 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:22.679 on all of the high points and low points. 0:07:22.960 --> 0:07:23.880 Remember when when. 0:07:23.800 --> 0:07:27.200 Jesus saw him casting a net into the lake, and 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.680 Jesus came to him, remembering the denials, remembering standing up 0:07:30.680 --> 0:07:33.560 on pentagons, reminding him of all the places where he 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.800 got it right and got it wrong. He looks back 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:39.640 with wisdom, and he pens the very last words of 0:07:39.720 --> 0:07:43.520 his second letter. This is his last letter, his last words. 0:07:43.520 --> 0:07:48.040 And there's something about your last words. There's something about 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:50.680 the wisdom of your life looking back on it, when 0:07:50.760 --> 0:07:53.080 you want to give somebody the wisdom to say, if 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:57.840 you only remember one thing, this is it. He writes 0:07:57.880 --> 0:08:01.280 this in Second Peter three eighteen. He says, but grow 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:04.400 in the grace in knowledge of our Lord and savior, 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:08.640 Jesus Christ. Peter gives this profound wisdom. Looking back, he says, grow, 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:11.840 say grow. Some of us are working hard to grow 0:08:11.840 --> 0:08:15.000 our bank account, but are growing in the grace. We're 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:17.640 growing our followers, but are we growing our faith? 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:19.960 That's what I want to talk about today. 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:21.720 And Peter says, I want you to grow in the 0:08:21.760 --> 0:08:26.800 grace and knowledge. You see, when you have knowledge without grace, 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:31.560 your self righteous. I'm trying to prove how smart you are. 0:08:31.600 --> 0:08:35.400 But grace without knowledge is a leaky bucket because you 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:40.200 can't hold what God reveals to you. And Peter speaks 0:08:40.200 --> 0:08:43.319 to two distinct offices. Jesus is so much, he's indescribable, 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:46.800 but he speaks of two distinct roles that Jesus must 0:08:46.800 --> 0:08:47.680 occupy in your life. 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:48.679 First is as Savior. 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:52.600 The second is that Lord, because the Savior determines the 0:08:52.720 --> 0:08:56.520 destiny and the Lord sets the direction. 0:08:57.480 --> 0:08:59.360 That's what I want to talk about for a few minutes. 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.280 As we begin a relationship with Jesus, we got to 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:06.559 grow in that relationship with Jesus. It's called progressive revelation. 0:09:07.400 --> 0:09:09.920 Progressive revelation. I've got my twelve year old daughter, she 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.160 will turn thirteen next week, Miss Carson here, she's amazing. 0:09:13.880 --> 0:09:16.360 She's my favorite child that I'm looking at right now. 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:19.160 We've got four, which every one is in front of me. 0:09:19.200 --> 0:09:24.480 Is my favorite kid. So progressive revelation is this. She says, Daddy, 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:26.280 I love you. She drove with me to church this morning, 0:09:26.280 --> 0:09:28.600 She's like, Daddy, I love you. I remember dropping her 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:29.800 off in kindergarten first. 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:31.160 And she's like, Daddy, I love you. 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:33.680 But now when she gets around some of her middle 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:35.720 school friends, she's like, Dad, I'm like, you better say 0:09:35.760 --> 0:09:39.320 you love me. But I know that she'll graduate from 0:09:39.400 --> 0:09:41.200 high school one day and she'll say, Dad, I love you. 0:09:43.360 --> 0:09:45.480 She'll get married one day and on the night before 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:47.280 her wedding, or as I get ready to walk her 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:48.880 down the aisle, she'll look at me and says, dad, 0:09:49.559 --> 0:09:52.760 I love you. Then, but she holds her firstborn child, 0:09:52.800 --> 0:09:55.480 she will look at me and say, Dad, I love you. 0:09:56.120 --> 0:09:58.080 She's used the same word her whole life, but her 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:01.840 understanding has changed over time. That is agressive revelation in 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:04.200 our relationship with Jesus. Some of us are stuck in 0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:07.920 a flannel revelation of Jesus. You have not upgraded your 0:10:07.960 --> 0:10:11.360 definition of Jesus in a very long time. And that's 0:10:11.400 --> 0:10:13.360 what God is trying to do today. He's trying to 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:17.480 upgrade your definition because you're living in an outdated revelation. 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:19.880 And Peter is saying, I need you to grow in 0:10:19.920 --> 0:10:24.200 the grace of Jesus, your Lord and Savior. If we 0:10:24.280 --> 0:10:27.000 fast forward to one of the pivot points of Peter's journey, 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:29.559 and that's who we're really going to focus on today, 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:33.440 is this character Peter. In Matthew chapter sixteen, it says this, 0:10:33.520 --> 0:10:37.839 starting in verse thirteen, when Jesus came to the region 0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:41.400 of cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, who. 0:10:41.200 --> 0:10:45.040 Do people say the Son of Man is? Now? 0:10:45.120 --> 0:10:48.360 This is about two years after Peter started Jesus on 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:49.280 the journey. 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.360 He's been walking with him for a while. This is 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:52.000 not brand new. 0:10:52.040 --> 0:10:54.720 He's been seeing the miracles, he's heard the sermons, he's 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:57.080 been there, done all this stuff. And now Jesus is 0:10:57.080 --> 0:11:00.000 flipping the script, and he's asking him who do they 0:11:00.040 --> 0:11:03.120 say that? I am question for you, for those of 0:11:03.120 --> 0:11:06.960 you who claim Christ. If your words are paint and 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:09.800 your life is a canvas, what portrait of Jesus are 0:11:09.840 --> 0:11:10.640 you painting. 0:11:10.280 --> 0:11:10.800 To the world. 0:11:11.320 --> 0:11:13.600 If I were to go into the environments around you 0:11:13.800 --> 0:11:16.200 and see the people closest to you, what would they 0:11:16.280 --> 0:11:17.320 say about Jesus? 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:18.360 Who is Jesus? 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:20.320 Because some of you need to understand, you are the 0:11:20.360 --> 0:11:23.680 only Jesus some people will ever see. 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:26.960 Who do they say? He did not give you that 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:28.080 job for an income. 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:30.680 He gave you for influence. God puts you in that 0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:32.680 place to exert his influence. 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:34.000 For his glory. 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:35.600 Oh. 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:38.120 I love what Jesus is doing here because he's flipping 0:11:38.120 --> 0:11:41.840 the script. He's pushing out the casual Christianity, and he's 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:44.440 forcing the complacency to come to the surface because you 0:11:44.480 --> 0:11:46.760 cannot live at that place and love Jesus at the 0:11:46.840 --> 0:11:47.840 level that he's called you to. 0:11:49.000 --> 0:11:49.800 And he flips the. 0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:52.680 Script and now he continues in the conversations and he 0:11:52.760 --> 0:11:55.560 flips it. He says, but what about you? Who do 0:11:55.679 --> 0:12:00.280 you say that I am? I love this question, who 0:12:00.320 --> 0:12:05.160 do you say that I am? All of humanity hinges 0:12:05.200 --> 0:12:08.760 on this one question. All of scripture is pointing to 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:12.040 one person, and his name is Jesus. In the Old Testament, 0:12:12.120 --> 0:12:14.840 Jesus is concealed, and in the New Testament. 0:12:14.480 --> 0:12:17.760 Jesus is revealed. This is all about. 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:20.880 Jesus, and the gospel writers says, they pen the story 0:12:20.880 --> 0:12:25.480 of Jesus going through humanity. It's what created the casual 0:12:25.600 --> 0:12:28.640 crowd to come to Christ because they're asking, are these 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:32.400 miracles really happening? But then the critics and the skeptics 0:12:32.400 --> 0:12:36.319 are saying, what did he say? But then the Pharisees 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:38.680 and the teachers of the laws are all saying, who 0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:42.800 does he think he is? Than even herod king, herod 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:48.040 pilate kings and people in authority who would say. 0:12:47.679 --> 0:12:48.640 Are you a king? 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:54.080 All of creation has been asking the question who is Jesus? 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:58.120 And it's the question that Jesus brings his disciples to 0:12:58.200 --> 0:12:59.920 in this moment, and he asks him very point to 0:13:00.280 --> 0:13:04.000 who do you say that I am? And I think 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:06.440 my assignment today is to ask everybody under the sound 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:09.160 of my voice. The most important question you could ever ask, 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:12.360 because your destiny is determined by a decision, and the 0:13:12.400 --> 0:13:15.600 decision is who is Jesus. It's not about being a 0:13:15.640 --> 0:13:18.160 good person. It's not about trying harder. It's not about 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:21.360 religious attendance. It's not about scripture reading. It is about 0:13:21.440 --> 0:13:26.600 who is Jesus. Who is your Jesus. He's the Alpha 0:13:27.040 --> 0:13:30.920 and the Omega. He's the author and perfector of our faith. 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:34.199 He is the bright in morning star. He is the cornerstone. 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:37.079 He is the great high Priests. He is the head 0:13:37.120 --> 0:13:39.000 of the Church. He is the Holy One. He is 0:13:39.040 --> 0:13:42.880 the Great i Am. He is Jehovah, he is Emmanuel. 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:49.480 He is our Redeemer, our prophet, and our Savior. And 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:53.760 in this moment in verse seventeen, here is in verse sixteen. 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.080 Simon Peter answered. 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:59.480 You are the Messiah, the son. 0:13:59.320 --> 0:13:59.920 Of the Living God. 0:14:00.080 --> 0:14:02.840 Jesus replied, blessed her, you, Simon's son of Jonah. For 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:04.959 this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, 0:14:04.960 --> 0:14:08.360 but by my Father in heaven. 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:10.319 You are the Messiah. 0:14:10.400 --> 0:14:14.760 It means savior, redeemer, and what Jesus came to save 0:14:14.800 --> 0:14:16.880 you from is not your bad decisions, a bad marriage, 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:19.360 or a bad job. He came to save you from 0:14:19.560 --> 0:14:22.640 your sins. That's why he had to die, to save 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:23.560 you of your sins, to. 0:14:23.520 --> 0:14:24.960 Redeem you from it. 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:27.880 Oh, but some of us come to church because we 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:30.680 feel bad, and we follow Jesus for two years and 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:31.880 I got the Bible. 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:33.920 But have never seen him as the Messiah. 0:14:34.240 --> 0:14:36.880 And it's beautiful from the Scripture says this was not 0:14:36.920 --> 0:14:39.800 revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by Father. 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.640 What he's saying is the grace you see. 0:14:44.720 --> 0:14:48.120 You and I are dead in our sin. We're born dead. 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:52.400 The scriptural the definition that Theologians have agreed to throughout 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.200 time is dead means you're dead dead. It means you're 0:14:56.240 --> 0:14:59.800 so dead you cannot make a live choice. It means 0:14:59.800 --> 0:15:01.280 that you if you don't come to God because it's 0:15:01.280 --> 0:15:03.600 a good idea or it's a cool emotional thing that 0:15:03.640 --> 0:15:05.680 somebody got stirred up inside of you. Know, what it 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:07.880 means is that right now the grace of God is 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.320 going forward, and some of you are leaning in because 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:12.840 when I picture this scene, because this is the scene 0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:17.640 where Jesus became the Messiah of Peter, he had been 0:15:17.680 --> 0:15:19.440 walking with him for two years. But he had never 0:15:19.480 --> 0:15:21.320 been forgiven of a since, I think until that moment, 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:24.480 Because in that moment, the grace of God, the spirit 0:15:24.520 --> 0:15:27.280 of God made him go. Oh, the Messiah, he was 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:28.120 a revelation. 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:29.640 It says this. 0:15:29.840 --> 0:15:33.960 It says this in Ephesians chapter two, verse eight, it says, 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:36.960 for it is by grace that you have been saved 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:37.560 through faith. 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:41.640 This is not from yourselves. It is a gift of God. 0:15:42.360 --> 0:15:44.560 So the grace of God goes forth, and the grace 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:47.360 is what enables you to consider him. The grace is 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.560 what enables you to look at him now. Faith is 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:52.560 your response to the grace that you just received. Some 0:15:52.640 --> 0:15:54.200 of you have been coming to church for a very 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:56.960 long time, but you have resisted the grace, standing on 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.240 the outside because you feel like I'm too dirty, I've 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.720 done too much to clean myself up before I come 0:16:01.760 --> 0:16:03.920 to God. You'll come to elevation every week, you'll sit 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.240 in the same seat, but you have not trusted in 0:16:06.320 --> 0:16:08.880 Him as your Lord and savior. You've stood at a distance. 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.200 Peter traveled with Jesus for two years, but this is 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:15.560 the moment that his destiny was secured in the hands 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:20.840 of his savior because he said, you are the Messiah, 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:23.200 and I believe the grace of God is leaning into 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:25.600 your heart right now, and for some of you it 0:16:25.640 --> 0:16:28.560 is beating out of your chest. And God is saying, 0:16:28.640 --> 0:16:30.960 will you respond to the grace that is going forward? 0:16:31.240 --> 0:16:33.920 It is by grace through faith. Faith is your response. 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:38.400 Will you receive it? You can't save yourself, but will 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:40.840 you receive the grace? And normally we would give an 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.480 invitation for salvation at the end of the experience. I'm 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:45.280 not gonna wait till then because i wanted to do 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:48.320 it right now and I'm not gonna bring the band up. 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.360 There's gonna be no pad behind this. And what I'm 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:53.400 gonna do in just a second at all of our locations. 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:55.120 So I'm gonna ask all of you who need to 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:58.000 begin a relationship with Jesus to stand to your feet. 0:16:58.040 --> 0:16:59.040 I'm in just a second. 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:02.080 And some are like, oh my gosh, you're gonna make 0:17:02.120 --> 0:17:04.320 me stand with Yes, he died a very public death 0:17:04.400 --> 0:17:04.760 for you. 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:10.119 He did. He died a very public death. 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:13.879 And the reason I want some of you to stand 0:17:14.520 --> 0:17:15.800 is because you're sitting. 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:18.760 Down in sin and I need you to remember that. 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:20.840 The next time the voice of the enemy tries to 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:22.080 get you to sit in that sin. 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.320 You can stand and say, no, I have been redeemed. 0:17:24.480 --> 0:17:28.920 I have been forgiven my Jehovah, Jirah, my Jehovah nieces 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:34.439 Jehovah Shaba. He changed me, He's redeemed me. This is 0:17:34.480 --> 0:17:37.440 not emotionalism. This is not me being a good motivational speaker. 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:40.679 I'm not that good. But the grace of God is 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:43.840 that good. And so at all of our locations in 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:45.920 online this is for you too. And if you need 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:48.440 to stand to place your faith in Jesus, I'm gonna 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.200 ask you, with the count of three, without hesitation, to 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.240 boldly stand. I know, all eyes open, normally we do 0:17:54.359 --> 0:17:57.320 every head bout every no eyes open, eyes wide open, 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:00.800 clear conscience, making a commitment to follow Jesus. No longer 0:18:00.840 --> 0:18:04.080 doing it in the shadows, standing out in the life. Surprise, 0:18:04.480 --> 0:18:07.399 they're already standing here at balance high. If you need 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:10.320 to place your faith in Jesus, stand to your feet. One, 0:18:10.960 --> 0:18:16.600 two three, stand up, Oh my soul, hey, stand to 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:19.600 your feet. All of our locations, someone at Lake Norman, 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.040 someone in Raleigh right now, stand to your feet, stand 0:18:23.040 --> 0:18:28.159 to your feet. Come on, stay standing stay standing, stay standing. 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.560 In all of our locations, I don't know what it 0:18:30.600 --> 0:18:36.080 looks like other way. We're right here, so many are standing. Hey, 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:42.200 stay standing, stay standing. Here's what we're gonna do. We're 0:18:42.200 --> 0:18:45.520 gonna say you pray together, stay standing, stay standing. We're 0:18:45.520 --> 0:18:47.920 gonna say a pray together, out loud. There's nothing magical 0:18:47.920 --> 0:18:50.159 about these words. But the Bible says, when you confess 0:18:50.240 --> 0:18:52.399 with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in 0:18:52.400 --> 0:18:54.280 your heart that he was raised from the dead, you 0:18:54.440 --> 0:18:58.200 will be saved. And if you have placed your faith 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:00.600 in Jesus and you're around these people, oh and be 0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:02.960 praying for him, be praying with me. But there are 0:19:02.960 --> 0:19:04.760 a couple of people. You haven't stood yet. And what 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:06.800 I want to tell you, standing doesn't save you. Jesus 0:19:06.840 --> 0:19:10.240 saves you. But standing is our response to take a stand. 0:19:10.280 --> 0:19:12.440 So if you need to still stand, stay to your feet. 0:19:12.520 --> 0:19:15.560 Right now, church family, let's say this prayer out loud, 0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:21.240 eyes wide open, clear conscience, knowing that we are following 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:25.040 Jesus as our savior. Pray this with me. I believe 0:19:25.040 --> 0:19:30.040 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died 0:19:30.040 --> 0:19:34.000 on the cross and rose from the grave. To forgive 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:37.680 me of my sins. I give you my life, I 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:42.040 give you my sin, I give you my shame. Forgive me, 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:47.000 and I'll spend my life following you. Now, give God 0:19:47.040 --> 0:19:48.320 the biggest praise you can give. 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:48.919 Him in this place. 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:53.320 Hey, if you're around those people, hug them, high five them, 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:56.240 let them know that they're not alone. We're proud of you. 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.960 Come on, give them a hug. Don't let them be alone. 0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:03.400 All all oak since church families surround him. Love on them. 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:13.359 Do it, do it, do it in that beautiful in 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:17.119 that beautiful. Oh, you can sit back now, but you 0:20:17.119 --> 0:20:18.560 can stand up anytime you need to. 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:20.720 Is God not good? 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:26.439 Oh, my soul, Your destiny, Your destiny is connected to 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:32.920 a decision. And the decision is who is Jesus. He's 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:35.000 a fairy tale of figment of their imagination or is 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:37.479 a fictional character. No, for some of you, he just 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:41.600 became your messiah, your savior. That's exactly what Peter said 0:20:41.640 --> 0:20:45.080 to do. Grow into grace. Is Jesus our savior and Lord. 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:48.919 But here's the reality. It's easier to trust Jesus with 0:20:48.960 --> 0:20:53.439 my destiny than my direction. It is so much easier 0:20:53.480 --> 0:20:55.560 to say one day by and by Jesus will trust 0:20:55.600 --> 0:20:58.399 you with that, but trust you with the hero And now, ooh, 0:20:58.640 --> 0:20:59.840 that's so much harder. 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:01.120 Why is it hard. 0:21:00.920 --> 0:21:04.440 To trust Jesus with the direction of our lives? You see, 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:07.960 saved is used in multiple boys. I was saved meaning 0:21:08.000 --> 0:21:10.200 there was a moment that Jesus became. 0:21:09.960 --> 0:21:11.560 Your Oh, you are the Messiah. 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:13.440 That moment for some of you, that moment just happened 0:21:13.520 --> 0:21:21.280 June thirtieth. Side note, today is my birthday. The best 0:21:21.359 --> 0:21:24.080 birthday present I could ever have is to be with 0:21:24.080 --> 0:21:29.840 my church family. And so in scripture, thank you. In 0:21:29.920 --> 0:21:37.280 scripture you were saved. You will be saved, meaning you 0:21:37.320 --> 0:21:39.600 will see him face to face and he will say 0:21:39.640 --> 0:21:43.399 either well done, good and faithful servant, or depart from me, 0:21:43.440 --> 0:21:46.760 for I never knew you. You see, religious activity does 0:21:46.800 --> 0:21:49.439 not matter in that moment. That's why you gotta have 0:21:49.520 --> 0:21:51.880 this moment that the revelation of God. The grace is 0:21:52.119 --> 0:21:54.000 you are the Messiah, and the faith is I choose 0:21:54.040 --> 0:21:58.119 to receive it. I was saved. I will be saved 0:21:58.160 --> 0:22:00.520 being made like him one day when we see it. 0:22:00.680 --> 0:22:01.960 But between these two, I'm. 0:22:01.800 --> 0:22:07.040 Being saved the sanctification. This is trusting Jesus with the 0:22:07.080 --> 0:22:10.199 direction of our lives? Why is it so hard to 0:22:10.240 --> 0:22:13.480 trust Jesus with the direction? And I want to show 0:22:13.480 --> 0:22:16.480 you from Peter's life why he struggled with this fundamental 0:22:16.600 --> 0:22:20.280 faith issue, Because to say, Jesus one day, by and by, 0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:23.320 but I got my plan, I got my goal, I 0:22:23.359 --> 0:22:26.840 got my thing. Now would you bless my thing in Jesus' name? 0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:30.080 If I'm honest, I live in that. 0:22:30.040 --> 0:22:33.159 Place anybody else would you confess with me that you 0:22:34.640 --> 0:22:36.200 Why do we struggle with that? And I'm going to 0:22:36.240 --> 0:22:38.400 go to a story in Peter's journey that I think 0:22:38.560 --> 0:22:41.679 so poignantly paints a picture of the tension that we 0:22:41.760 --> 0:22:44.400 face of why is it hard to trust Jesus with the. 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:45.840 Direction of our lives? 0:22:46.200 --> 0:22:49.399 In Mark chapter six, it says the apostles gathered around 0:22:49.440 --> 0:22:51.280 Jesus and reported them all they had done and talk. 0:22:51.359 --> 0:22:52.560 Let me give it a little context. 0:22:53.160 --> 0:22:56.840 Up to Mark chapter six, Jesus had been performing miracles, 0:22:56.880 --> 0:22:58.879 he'd been casting out demons, he had been preaching the 0:22:58.880 --> 0:23:01.320 word of God. Then he eventually he gets to the 0:23:01.320 --> 0:23:04.000 point that he's prepping his disciples for when he would leave, 0:23:04.480 --> 0:23:06.800 because he says, after I go, it must continue on. 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:09.720 So those of you, the ones that I picked that 0:23:09.760 --> 0:23:12.280 I revealed myself to, It is gonna be your assignment 0:23:12.400 --> 0:23:13.919 to do what I have been doing. 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:16.400 So he sends them out like Noah's. 0:23:16.119 --> 0:23:19.440 Art principal two by two, and they're gonna go cast 0:23:19.440 --> 0:23:21.880 out demons. They're gonna preach uh, and they're gonna they're 0:23:21.880 --> 0:23:24.840 gonna perform miracles. And now they come back to Jesus 0:23:24.840 --> 0:23:27.359 like googly little school kids, like. 0:23:27.680 --> 0:23:30.240 Jesus, look what we did. We talked to demons. 0:23:31.080 --> 0:23:33.320 And here's the reality of what I was reading that 0:23:33.320 --> 0:23:35.560 scripture this morning. I saw some of us living beneath 0:23:35.560 --> 0:23:39.080 the authority Jesus gave us. Why are you living underneath 0:23:39.080 --> 0:23:41.280 that oppressive spirit? When God give you authority over it? 0:23:41.600 --> 0:23:45.480 Stop it, stop it. Start standing in the authority he 0:23:45.600 --> 0:23:46.320 has given you. 0:23:47.119 --> 0:23:49.639 I'm not talking about walking into work slapping your boss 0:23:49.640 --> 0:23:51.560 in the fore and say get out demon. I'm not 0:23:51.640 --> 0:23:54.400 saying dumb stuff, but I am saying God will give 0:23:54.400 --> 0:23:57.040 you the strength to endure up under it. Quit wilting 0:23:57.520 --> 0:24:00.840 underneath it. Stand in the authority He's given you. It's 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:02.600 insulting when you act like that. 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:04.320 Stop it. 0:24:05.560 --> 0:24:07.560 So they go out and then they come back to Jesus. 0:24:07.600 --> 0:24:08.679 And now they're like reporting to. 0:24:08.640 --> 0:24:11.600 Them, Jesus, it was amazing. We cats out David's it 0:24:11.640 --> 0:24:14.200 was incredible. Ha ha, And then verse thirty one. 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:17.399 Then because so many people were coming and going, they 0:24:17.440 --> 0:24:19.200 did not even get a chance to eat. 0:24:20.280 --> 0:24:21.120 They were hungry. 0:24:22.320 --> 0:24:25.480 He said to them, come by yourselves to a quiet 0:24:25.520 --> 0:24:29.120 place and get some rest. So they went away by 0:24:29.200 --> 0:24:33.480 themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 0:24:34.320 --> 0:24:35.359 Now let me pause there. 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:41.840 Jesus says, you're tired, you're hungry, you're exhausted. Come on, 0:24:42.240 --> 0:24:47.040 let's go get some rest a quiet place by ourselves. 0:24:47.119 --> 0:24:49.880 What picture are you seeing in your head? Like, we're 0:24:49.880 --> 0:24:51.720 gonna get on a boat. This is gonna be amazing. 0:24:51.760 --> 0:24:53.240 We're gonna go to a B and B get some 0:24:53.359 --> 0:24:55.200 R and R. I'm gonna get a manny petty. I'm 0:24:55.200 --> 0:24:56.960 gonna put my feet up in a hammock. This is 0:24:56.960 --> 0:24:58.200 gonna be freaking amazing. 0:24:58.600 --> 0:25:00.159 Okay, I need some resp. 0:25:00.040 --> 0:25:05.960 Yes, what image of rest comes to mind some mom 0:25:06.040 --> 0:25:07.920 or dad? You've been working all week in a job 0:25:07.960 --> 0:25:10.160 you don't even like, and you're like, if I can 0:25:10.359 --> 0:25:14.240 just get to Friday night, I'm gonna get some rest. 0:25:14.560 --> 0:25:16.760 And you got this picture of rest in your head, 0:25:16.800 --> 0:25:18.800 of what you think it's going to be. But then 0:25:18.840 --> 0:25:21.280 you come home, the kids are running around the house, naked, 0:25:21.400 --> 0:25:24.240 stuff is burning on the stove, the dogs are barking. 0:25:24.280 --> 0:25:26.399 It is complete chaos. Do any of you look at 0:25:26.440 --> 0:25:26.960 that and go like. 0:25:29.680 --> 0:25:29.760 Oh? 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:33.400 Because all of us have an image of what we're expecting. 0:25:34.720 --> 0:25:37.480 But what do we do and what we pictured doesn't 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:43.080 line up with what we see. Because the story continues 0:25:43.119 --> 0:25:46.640 with the disciples here, he says, But many who saw 0:25:46.680 --> 0:25:48.760 them leave and recognize them, and ran on foot from 0:25:48.800 --> 0:25:51.200 all the towns and got their ahead of them. This 0:25:51.240 --> 0:25:54.560 is the feeding of the five thousand. When Jesus landed 0:25:54.560 --> 0:25:57.760 and saw such a large crowd, he had compassion on 0:25:57.800 --> 0:26:00.320 them because they were like sheep without a shepherd, began 0:26:00.400 --> 0:26:03.240 to teach them many things. Jesus had compassion for them. 0:26:03.359 --> 0:26:05.200 What the disciples feel for the crowds? 0:26:06.040 --> 0:26:09.200 Contempt, frustration? Are you freaking kidding me? 0:26:09.400 --> 0:26:09.760 Jesus? 0:26:10.960 --> 0:26:12.480 Question for you. 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:15.360 Jesus says, let's go to a quiet place by yourselves, 0:26:15.359 --> 0:26:18.000 to a solitary place and get some rest. 0:26:19.000 --> 0:26:20.200 They get across the lake. 0:26:20.920 --> 0:26:23.000 Does this line up with anybody's picture of what you 0:26:23.040 --> 0:26:26.840 thought rest would be? No, But what do you do 0:26:26.880 --> 0:26:28.760 when it doesn't line up with what you thought it 0:26:28.960 --> 0:26:35.840 would be? So question, was Jesus lying to them? 0:26:36.000 --> 0:26:37.280 Like it was just like who doing them to? 0:26:37.320 --> 0:26:38.560 Like I just need to get in the boat, say 0:26:38.680 --> 0:26:40.080 I'll lie to you just to get you here. No, 0:26:40.240 --> 0:26:41.520 Jesus is incapable of lying. 0:26:41.560 --> 0:26:42.240 He is truth. 0:26:42.400 --> 0:26:45.320 He is truth personified. He by deafine is truth. He 0:26:45.440 --> 0:26:49.280 is the truth. Did Jesus just not what was waiting 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.280 for them on the other side of the lake. No, 0:26:52.440 --> 0:26:55.240 he's omniscient, he's all knowing. So he knew what was 0:26:55.280 --> 0:26:57.200 on the other side of the lake, and he did 0:26:57.240 --> 0:27:00.000 not lie to the disciples. So how do you explain 0:27:00.320 --> 0:27:06.560 the discrepancy? They had a different definition of rest. And 0:27:06.600 --> 0:27:10.560 here's where it's so hard to trust Jesus with the direction, 0:27:11.400 --> 0:27:13.800 because when you have a different definition, you won't trust 0:27:13.840 --> 0:27:18.720 the direction. You see, when Jesus says, let's go to 0:27:18.760 --> 0:27:21.760 a solitary place by yourselves to get some rest, it's 0:27:21.800 --> 0:27:24.600 the same word that is used of Jesus in Mark 0:27:24.720 --> 0:27:28.320 chapter one. It says he was baptized and then he 0:27:28.400 --> 0:27:33.560 was driven by the spirit into the wilderness. You see 0:27:33.600 --> 0:27:39.280 what you and I call wilderness. God calls rest. Jesus 0:27:39.680 --> 0:27:42.320 was taken to the wilderness because the wilderness is the 0:27:42.359 --> 0:27:45.879 place that you experience grace. Because the only way you 0:27:45.920 --> 0:27:47.840 experience grace is when you get to the end of 0:27:47.880 --> 0:27:48.840 yourself and you. 0:27:48.920 --> 0:27:50.600 See the beginning of God. 0:27:51.280 --> 0:27:54.239 Oh, Jesus is taking them to the wilderness, not to 0:27:54.240 --> 0:27:57.080 punish them, but to speak to them, because. 0:27:56.760 --> 0:27:58.200 The wilderness is the place. 0:27:57.960 --> 0:28:00.440 That gives you the grace that you start with, I can't, 0:28:00.560 --> 0:28:03.479 but you can. Grace is what gives you the ability 0:28:03.520 --> 0:28:04.920 to look at a situation. 0:28:04.880 --> 0:28:07.160 You want to run from and you say I won't. 0:28:07.160 --> 0:28:11.960 But God, nevertheless, your will be done. Grace is what 0:28:12.000 --> 0:28:15.800 gives you the capacity to say I'm not, but you are. 0:28:17.320 --> 0:28:19.639 They had a different definition. 0:28:20.800 --> 0:28:21.440 Pastor Tim. 0:28:21.480 --> 0:28:23.520 When you lead so much, you lead so well in 0:28:23.520 --> 0:28:26.320 our church, leads our next gen teams, phenomenal leader. As 0:28:26.320 --> 0:28:32.000 a leader, don't settle for common language, push for unity 0:28:32.000 --> 0:28:37.680 of definition. Because I was doing marital counseling a couple 0:28:37.680 --> 0:28:39.520 of years ago with a young couple just been married, 0:28:39.560 --> 0:28:42.040 like six or eight months, and they both come in 0:28:42.080 --> 0:28:44.440 and their arms crossed, just not like you, they love 0:28:44.440 --> 0:28:47.880 each other, They just don't like each other. And they said, 0:28:47.920 --> 0:28:51.440 we just don't communicate very well. And I asked the wife, 0:28:51.440 --> 0:28:54.240 I said, how do you define communication? She goes, I 0:28:54.320 --> 0:28:56.360 think about him all day long when he's at work, 0:28:56.760 --> 0:28:59.360 and I wonder what he's doing and how he's feeling, 0:28:59.520 --> 0:29:01.800 and how is experiencing all of those things. And I 0:29:01.840 --> 0:29:03.840 cannot wait till the moment he walks in the door, 0:29:04.000 --> 0:29:06.080 and I just want him to share the deepest, darkest 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:08.440 parts of his stars. Don't spare any detail. Give me 0:29:08.480 --> 0:29:11.360 everything that happened in your day, and ask him how 0:29:11.400 --> 0:29:15.680 was your day? And all he said is fine. She 0:29:15.840 --> 0:29:21.400 had a definition of communication. I asked him to find communication. 0:29:21.560 --> 0:29:22.920 He said, we just need to have more sex. 0:29:27.120 --> 0:29:30.560 You'll never have unity when you've got different definitions. You 0:29:30.640 --> 0:29:32.520 might have a common word, but you don't have a 0:29:32.600 --> 0:29:35.360 common definition. I just gave somebody mertal counseling in here. 0:29:35.640 --> 0:29:37.680 Praise the Lord. Won't God do it? 0:29:40.360 --> 0:29:44.560 But you won't trust God with the direction when it 0:29:44.600 --> 0:29:50.200 doesn't line up with your definition. And that's where the 0:29:50.200 --> 0:29:55.080 disciples are at. And it's this amazing journey of some 0:29:55.160 --> 0:29:58.160 of you that you're sitting in a situation. You didn't 0:29:58.160 --> 0:30:01.920 think it would look like this, he said. I wanted 0:30:01.960 --> 0:30:04.880 to get married, and this isn't what I picture. 0:30:04.880 --> 0:30:06.080 And I wanted so. 0:30:06.120 --> 0:30:07.520 Much to get out of high school to be my 0:30:07.520 --> 0:30:10.080 own person, But now I got the dysfunction, and this 0:30:10.120 --> 0:30:12.120 isn't what I thought it was going to be. And 0:30:12.160 --> 0:30:14.160 what happens is when it doesn't line up according to 0:30:14.200 --> 0:30:16.280 your definition, you withhold and you don't trust God with 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:18.840 the direction anymore, not because you don't love God, you 0:30:18.840 --> 0:30:21.720 just don't want to be disappointed anymore. That's what I 0:30:21.720 --> 0:30:25.480 saw for some of you holding on to this updated definition. Maybe, 0:30:25.600 --> 0:30:28.200 just maybe, Holy Spirit, would you upgrade somebody's definition in 0:30:28.240 --> 0:30:33.400 here a good marriage, Define it sacrificial rather than receiving 0:30:34.840 --> 0:30:37.040 what would be an upgraded Definitely take whatever area you're 0:30:37.080 --> 0:30:40.960 frustrated in right now, God, upgrade their definition. Let them 0:30:40.960 --> 0:30:43.400 see it differently, let them see it as you see it, 0:30:43.480 --> 0:30:45.560 not as we've defined it, but let us see it 0:30:45.600 --> 0:30:47.880 as you see it. And now the disciples have been 0:30:47.920 --> 0:30:51.760 watching Jesus preach for about nine hours, nine hours. It 0:30:51.840 --> 0:30:54.080 started about nine in the morning. Now Peter's gonna come 0:30:54.080 --> 0:30:55.880 to him at six in the evening. They've been sitting back. 0:30:55.920 --> 0:30:58.040 They're like, oh my gosh, good summon, LJ. Can you 0:30:58.080 --> 0:31:00.560 please play the ham and B three and close this 0:31:00.640 --> 0:31:01.040 thing up? 0:31:01.080 --> 0:31:02.440 Can we shut this thing down? 0:31:02.560 --> 0:31:06.040 Because the disciples, remember, they're hungry, they're tired, they're exhausted, 0:31:06.080 --> 0:31:07.520 and they're looking at the whole scene, and I think 0:31:07.520 --> 0:31:09.120 they're resenting everything that's going down. 0:31:09.640 --> 0:31:11.600 Jesus had compassion. They did not. 0:31:12.160 --> 0:31:15.560 So finally they all nudge Peter like you're the obnoxious. 0:31:14.960 --> 0:31:17.440 One, go say something to him. 0:31:18.000 --> 0:31:20.000 By Verse thirty five says by this time it was 0:31:20.080 --> 0:31:22.000 late in the day, so the disciples came to him. 0:31:22.160 --> 0:31:24.560 This is a remote place, they said, and it's already 0:31:24.640 --> 0:31:26.960 very late. Send the people away so they can go 0:31:26.960 --> 0:31:30.120 to the surrounding countrysides and villages and buy themselves something 0:31:30.160 --> 0:31:33.400 to eat. But he answered them, you give them something 0:31:33.560 --> 0:31:34.560 to eat. 0:31:36.720 --> 0:31:41.000 In this most interesting scene, because here's the reality. 0:31:41.040 --> 0:31:48.080 The wilderness means desolate places, but also desolate people. Jesus 0:31:48.080 --> 0:31:52.560 brought them to the wilderness to see the wilderness, and 0:31:52.560 --> 0:31:57.520 their wilderness was the people without a shepherd. That's why 0:31:57.600 --> 0:32:02.000 he had compassion on them. And they come to Jesus. Hey, 0:32:02.080 --> 0:32:03.400 Jesus is late in the day. Can you send them 0:32:03.400 --> 0:32:04.920 away to give them something to eat? She said, I've 0:32:04.920 --> 0:32:07.640 been feeding him for five hours I've been feeding it 0:32:07.680 --> 0:32:09.400 for nine hours. I've been feeding him since I stepped 0:32:09.400 --> 0:32:11.440 off the boat. I've been feeding them the bread of life, 0:32:11.640 --> 0:32:13.640 the word of God. You just haven't seen it because 0:32:13.640 --> 0:32:16.160 you were so starving in the carnal flesh. You could 0:32:16.200 --> 0:32:19.160 not see what I was doing in the spirit. Here's 0:32:19.200 --> 0:32:21.360 the reality. The reason you couldn't see me feeding them 0:32:21.480 --> 0:32:26.560 is because you were feeding yourself. Why is it so 0:32:26.600 --> 0:32:28.680 hard to trust God with the direction? Because you're feeding 0:32:28.680 --> 0:32:31.880 the wrong things. And Jesus says to him, you give 0:32:31.880 --> 0:32:34.440 them something to eat. He said, we don't have anything, 0:32:34.480 --> 0:32:37.680 and he goes, you're right, because you've been feeding your 0:32:37.720 --> 0:32:40.320 doubt and you're insecurity. You've been feeding all of your 0:32:40.320 --> 0:32:42.680 cardinal stuff since we got here. You're right, you don't 0:32:42.680 --> 0:32:45.080 have anything for them to eat. But I'm good and 0:32:45.160 --> 0:32:46.760 I'm great, and I'm going to feed the people, and 0:32:46.800 --> 0:32:49.240 I'm going to use your frustrated heart to serve them. 0:32:49.400 --> 0:32:51.920 So take the bread and break it. And Jesus fed 0:32:51.960 --> 0:32:54.280 the people. But the miracle was not for the five thousand. 0:32:54.480 --> 0:32:56.440 It was for the disciples, and they did not see 0:32:56.480 --> 0:32:58.880 it because they had the wrong definition of what rest 0:32:58.960 --> 0:33:03.160 looked like. You see the kingdom culture, the upside down 0:33:03.240 --> 0:33:06.800 culture that Jesus is establishing is those who were fresh others, 0:33:07.400 --> 0:33:09.440 would they themselves be refreshed? 0:33:11.000 --> 0:33:12.040 One person, thank you. 0:33:17.160 --> 0:33:19.680 And then, if you skip a couple of verses, Jesus 0:33:19.680 --> 0:33:22.720 finishes the miracle. He puts the disciples on the boat, 0:33:24.040 --> 0:33:25.640 and he sends them back across the lake. 0:33:27.480 --> 0:33:28.920 In chapter six, verse. 0:33:28.800 --> 0:33:30.920 Fifty one, it says this, Jesus, he goes up to 0:33:30.920 --> 0:33:34.720 the mountaintop. He's up there praying, And there they're rowing 0:33:34.760 --> 0:33:38.400 back across the lake to where the journey began. It's 0:33:38.440 --> 0:33:40.720 taking of five times as long, and they're only going 0:33:40.880 --> 0:33:43.440 gone half as far. It speaks to them doing it 0:33:43.440 --> 0:33:45.440 in their own flesh and in their own frustration, into 0:33:45.480 --> 0:33:48.600 their own flesh. And verse fifty one it says this says, 0:33:48.640 --> 0:33:49.880 then he climbed into the boat with them. 0:33:49.920 --> 0:33:52.760 The wind died down. They were completely amazed. 0:33:53.280 --> 0:33:55.880 You've never heard this verse before fifty two, for they 0:33:56.520 --> 0:33:58.479 had not understood about the loaves. 0:33:59.600 --> 0:34:00.640 Their hearts were hardened. 0:34:02.000 --> 0:34:04.200 What did the conversation sound like on the boat after 0:34:04.240 --> 0:34:06.960 they fed the five thousand? Oh, look at Jesus up 0:34:06.960 --> 0:34:09.440 there on the mountain. Thinks he's better than us. You're 0:34:09.440 --> 0:34:11.640 just gonna sit up there, and now we gotta roll back. Oh, 0:34:11.719 --> 0:34:14.120 now here you come walking across the water. Finally you 0:34:14.160 --> 0:34:14.560 showed up. 0:34:14.640 --> 0:34:16.880 Jesus. We've been doing this all day, haven't you seen us. 0:34:16.920 --> 0:34:21.840 We're still hungry, we're still tired. And they were offended. 0:34:22.800 --> 0:34:25.319 The reason some of you cannot feed someone around you 0:34:25.360 --> 0:34:26.640 has been feeding your own offence. 0:34:29.040 --> 0:34:29.919 And here's the thing. 0:34:33.360 --> 0:34:38.160 Because Jesus, immediately after he said I'm the Messiah, he 0:34:38.200 --> 0:34:39.720 began to talk about I must go to the cross 0:34:39.719 --> 0:34:42.719 and die, and then he gave him these marching orders. 0:34:42.719 --> 0:34:45.239 If anyone would come after me, he must pick hip 0:34:45.200 --> 0:34:48.400 his cross daily, deny himself and follow me. It's a 0:34:48.480 --> 0:34:53.200 cheat code just to follow the direction can only happen 0:34:53.239 --> 0:34:57.600 with a denial. And now one of the pivot points 0:34:57.640 --> 0:35:00.760 in Peter's journey where all this thing comes full circle. 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:04.040 Here you see in Luke chapter twenty two, this is 0:35:04.080 --> 0:35:07.319 we fast forward in the timeline of our savior. We're 0:35:07.320 --> 0:35:10.520 going to go to We're gonna go to the Last Supper. 0:35:11.520 --> 0:35:14.399 This is the Thursday night meal. It's about six pm. 0:35:14.920 --> 0:35:18.920 Jesus would hang on across Twelve hours later is when 0:35:18.960 --> 0:35:21.799 he would be sentenced, and then he would be crucified, 0:35:22.160 --> 0:35:25.799 and at this last supper he looks at at Peter. 0:35:26.040 --> 0:35:28.480 He says this in verse thirty one, he says, Simon, Simon. 0:35:28.880 --> 0:35:31.480 Anytime you see a name repeated in scripture, it's a 0:35:31.480 --> 0:35:35.200 Hebrew term of intimacy. When you read a double name, 0:35:35.280 --> 0:35:38.239 read it as a whisper. What it means that God 0:35:38.320 --> 0:35:41.640 is close Moses Moses. 0:35:42.880 --> 0:35:44.000 Simon Simon. 0:35:44.040 --> 0:35:47.080 He doesn't call him Peter. It's very important you see 0:35:47.080 --> 0:35:49.840 that he called him Simon, Simon Simon. Satan is asked 0:35:49.840 --> 0:35:51.759 to sift you as weak. And if that's me, my 0:35:51.800 --> 0:35:52.840 eyes get really wide. 0:35:52.719 --> 0:35:55.919 Like what been calling for me by name? 0:35:56.440 --> 0:35:58.359 Yeah, because he sees how deadly you can be when 0:35:58.400 --> 0:36:02.440 you're when you're following the direction. He sees the weapon 0:36:02.440 --> 0:36:06.600 you can become in the hands of a master. But 0:36:06.640 --> 0:36:09.319 when you don't follow the direction, it's the people that 0:36:09.320 --> 0:36:12.680 you're leading that get punished. And he says to him, 0:36:13.239 --> 0:36:15.080 Satan's asked you, but I have prayed for you, Simon, 0:36:15.120 --> 0:36:16.440 that your faith may not fail. 0:36:17.960 --> 0:36:18.400 Oh. 0:36:18.440 --> 0:36:21.360 If I just stopped there, Jesus is praying for me 0:36:21.400 --> 0:36:24.319 by name. I'm good, I'm covered. I pray that your 0:36:24.320 --> 0:36:26.319 faith would not fail. But then he said to him, 0:36:26.680 --> 0:36:31.080 and when you turn back, strengthen your brothers. But he replied, Lord, 0:36:31.120 --> 0:36:33.800 I'm ready to go to prison and to death. Jesus answered, 0:36:33.840 --> 0:36:36.360 I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you 0:36:36.400 --> 0:36:40.400 will deny three times that you know me. Here's the 0:36:40.440 --> 0:36:43.080 truth of what I want to tell you today. Your 0:36:43.120 --> 0:36:47.520 destiny is connected to a decision, but the direction is 0:36:48.040 --> 0:36:54.480 directed by the daily denials of self. If anyone would 0:36:54.480 --> 0:36:57.000 come after me is pick up his crossing daily and 0:36:57.080 --> 0:37:00.439 follow me. This is what Jesus is saying to him. 0:37:00.760 --> 0:37:03.799 He says, you're gonna deny me three times. Peter, You're 0:37:03.800 --> 0:37:06.560 gonna deny me. And what happens is you're gonna want 0:37:06.560 --> 0:37:08.960 to walk away from me. But when you turn back, 0:37:09.160 --> 0:37:11.800 it means when you repent and come back the right direction, 0:37:12.200 --> 0:37:14.480 strengthen your brothers. You know what the word strengthen means. 0:37:14.520 --> 0:37:19.640 There means to feed connect the dots. Earlier to feeding 0:37:19.680 --> 0:37:23.279 of the five thousand, Peter was only feeding himself, which 0:37:23.880 --> 0:37:25.920 he didn't see how he could feed the people. And 0:37:26.000 --> 0:37:28.360 Jesus is trying to connect some dots here. The only 0:37:28.400 --> 0:37:30.040 way that you're gonna be able to feed somebody else 0:37:30.080 --> 0:37:31.720 is if you deny yourself. 0:37:32.040 --> 0:37:34.760 Here's the reality. The direction of your life is daily. 0:37:34.840 --> 0:37:37.279 It is multiple times every day you're gonna come to 0:37:37.320 --> 0:37:39.920 these crossroads, and the direction will be determined by do 0:37:40.000 --> 0:37:42.160 I deny Jesus or do I deny myself. 0:37:42.960 --> 0:37:44.279 That's where life comes down to. 0:37:44.560 --> 0:37:47.320 The direction of your life is connected to the denial. 0:37:48.280 --> 0:37:50.480 Let me ask it the opposite side. What are you 0:37:50.600 --> 0:37:55.799 feeding that God told you to starve? If you want 0:37:55.840 --> 0:38:01.959 something to die, starve it, starve it, Holy Spirit. 0:38:01.719 --> 0:38:03.520 Make it plain in this house today. 0:38:03.719 --> 0:38:06.399 Some of you are feeding self deprecation, and that's what's 0:38:06.440 --> 0:38:07.040 going to grow. 0:38:07.320 --> 0:38:09.920 Some of you are feeding greed and envy. 0:38:09.960 --> 0:38:13.360 You're feeding insecurity, You're feeding the assuming the worst of others. 0:38:13.840 --> 0:38:17.640 You're feeding those lustful thoughts. You're feeding gossip and slander. 0:38:17.680 --> 0:38:19.319 And what God is trying to tell you is the 0:38:19.320 --> 0:38:22.279 direction of your life is connected to the denial in 0:38:22.360 --> 0:38:27.440 your life. If you want something to die, starve it. 0:38:27.960 --> 0:38:30.560 I want to make it plain. What is the thing 0:38:30.640 --> 0:38:33.680 that God told you to starve? Deny that thing? Can 0:38:33.719 --> 0:38:36.800 I be really honest? I am addicted to my opinion, 0:38:37.520 --> 0:38:43.480 I said it. I am so addicted to my opinion, 0:38:44.520 --> 0:38:46.879 Like if I almost feel like sometimes if I don't 0:38:46.880 --> 0:38:48.880 share my opinion, I get like a visceral response, like 0:38:48.880 --> 0:38:52.399 I'm gonna throw up, Like no one has ever been 0:38:52.400 --> 0:38:54.799 one of the Gospel by my opinion, no one has 0:38:54.840 --> 0:38:57.520 ever been redeemed because of my opinion. Yet I can 0:38:57.560 --> 0:39:00.960 become so addicted to my opinion to start an opinion 0:39:00.960 --> 0:39:05.960 an anonymous club. Anybody else want to join my opinion club? 0:39:06.640 --> 0:39:08.799 Thank you for a few to only be up here 0:39:08.800 --> 0:39:13.360 by myself. What would it look like if you went 0:39:13.440 --> 0:39:18.480 into twenty one day opinion fast? You want that thing 0:39:18.520 --> 0:39:22.160 to die, starve it. I don't want it to be 0:39:22.200 --> 0:39:25.600 in ethereal, deny yourself. I want it to be very practical. 0:39:26.160 --> 0:39:29.359 What are you feeding that God said you need to 0:39:29.440 --> 0:39:33.239 starve that thing? Write it down in your phone, write 0:39:33.239 --> 0:39:34.719 it down in that piece of paper, that pen you're 0:39:34.719 --> 0:39:36.239 gonna steal anyway, Just. 0:39:37.880 --> 0:39:38.560 I'm serious. 0:39:38.800 --> 0:39:40.400 Here's what God told me to tell some of you. 0:39:40.440 --> 0:39:46.400 An unnamed enemy will never be defeated. You only hide 0:39:46.640 --> 0:39:49.840 your friends, and you expose your enemies. And what happens 0:39:49.880 --> 0:39:52.200 is when you do not expose that thing, you make 0:39:52.320 --> 0:39:54.680 it a friend. God will not deliver you from your friends. 0:39:54.719 --> 0:39:58.160 He will deliver you from your enemies, What do you 0:39:58.200 --> 0:40:02.799 need to starve? Now we fast forward, Jesus goes to 0:40:02.840 --> 0:40:08.200 the cross. Peter denies Jesus three times, just like he said. 0:40:08.760 --> 0:40:10.640 And in one of the Gospels it says that Peter 0:40:10.760 --> 0:40:17.200 saw Jesus and he wept bitterly because his direction he 0:40:17.280 --> 0:40:20.880 felt like had been so derailed by his denial of Jesus. 0:40:21.120 --> 0:40:23.319 He went back to where it all began. He went 0:40:23.400 --> 0:40:26.240 back to being a fisherman. And I love the fact 0:40:26.239 --> 0:40:28.120 that our Savior said, I cannot. 0:40:27.760 --> 0:40:28.960 Leave you like that. 0:40:29.880 --> 0:40:32.280 Oh, he sees you and the beauty of the grace 0:40:32.320 --> 0:40:34.280 of God as it comes to you, and it calls 0:40:34.320 --> 0:40:37.480 you by name. And as Jesus saw Peter out fishing, 0:40:37.719 --> 0:40:38.359 he called to. 0:40:38.360 --> 0:40:41.719 Him, here's the image I need you to see. 0:40:41.719 --> 0:40:45.000 As you're going your direction and you're denying Jesus, because 0:40:45.040 --> 0:40:47.640 you're not denying yourself. The grace of God is still 0:40:47.640 --> 0:40:52.359 calling your name, is still calling your name. And when 0:40:52.360 --> 0:40:57.040 it said Peter, Simon, Simon, when you have turned back 0:40:59.280 --> 0:41:04.040 means to repent. Jesus, I've been feeding that thing. Forgive me. 0:41:04.960 --> 0:41:07.520 I've been going my own direction. Forgive me. 0:41:07.560 --> 0:41:12.640 And then you come back and strengthen your brothers In. 0:41:12.680 --> 0:41:16.400 John twenty one, we have this intimate story of Jesus 0:41:16.400 --> 0:41:19.759 coming to Peter him and he calls him in and 0:41:19.800 --> 0:41:22.640 he has a meal waiting for him on the shore. Oh, 0:41:22.640 --> 0:41:25.720 it's just this beautiful picture of the grace of God. 0:41:26.280 --> 0:41:27.120 And he comes to him. 0:41:27.280 --> 0:41:29.760 In verse fifteen, it says, and when they had finished eating, 0:41:30.280 --> 0:41:33.839 Jesus said to Simon, Peter Simon, son of John, do 0:41:33.880 --> 0:41:35.319 you love me more than these? 0:41:36.120 --> 0:41:36.319 Yes? 0:41:36.440 --> 0:41:38.760 Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus said, feed 0:41:39.480 --> 0:41:40.200 my lambs. 0:41:41.640 --> 0:41:44.680 Jesus would ask him three times, one for each of 0:41:44.719 --> 0:41:48.000 the denials. But I think what's even better there is. 0:41:48.920 --> 0:41:54.000 Peter responds three times with the word lord. You see, 0:41:54.000 --> 0:41:56.440 I showed you the moment where Jesus became the savior. 0:41:57.880 --> 0:42:01.480 This is the moment where Jesus became the lord, because 0:42:01.520 --> 0:42:04.160 the Lord determines the direction. 0:42:05.600 --> 0:42:07.279 And he asked Peter, Peter, do you love me? 0:42:08.080 --> 0:42:11.919 And he goes, you know that I love you. There's 0:42:11.960 --> 0:42:16.120 three different words to describe love. And Jesus asked, do 0:42:16.200 --> 0:42:17.239 you agape me? 0:42:18.520 --> 0:42:20.080 Do you love me like your lord? 0:42:20.920 --> 0:42:24.240 Peter responds back with you know that I love you? Fileoh, 0:42:25.040 --> 0:42:29.120 I love you like a brother. You see, Jesus is 0:42:29.160 --> 0:42:32.960 a gracious he's correcting his definition because he asked him 0:42:32.960 --> 0:42:34.200 a second time. I didn't ask you if you loved 0:42:34.200 --> 0:42:36.520 me like a brother. I said, do you love me 0:42:36.640 --> 0:42:41.680 like your lord? Feed my sheep. There's something so much 0:42:41.680 --> 0:42:44.440 deeper going on here. It's significant that he gives him 0:42:44.440 --> 0:42:49.880 three times the opportunity to respond, Lord, and then again 0:42:50.160 --> 0:42:53.680 Jesus said, Simon, do you love me? He answered, yes, Lord, 0:42:53.719 --> 0:42:55.040 you know that I love you. Take care of my sheep. 0:42:55.080 --> 0:42:57.000 The third time he said to him, Simon, son of John, 0:42:57.040 --> 0:42:59.480 do you love me. Peter was hurt because Jesus asked 0:42:59.520 --> 0:43:01.960 him a third time do you love me? He said, Lords, 0:43:02.000 --> 0:43:04.360 you know all things. You know that I love you. 0:43:04.520 --> 0:43:09.560 Jesus said, feed my sheep. This would not have been 0:43:09.560 --> 0:43:14.760 the first time that Peter would have heard you feed them. 0:43:16.120 --> 0:43:17.960 Remember back to the feeding of the five thousand. 0:43:18.800 --> 0:43:20.359 You give him some deed. I don't have anything. 0:43:20.360 --> 0:43:23.200 You're right, you don't have anything because you've been feeding yourself. 0:43:24.880 --> 0:43:28.200 But now you went to the wilderness with your own despair. 0:43:29.840 --> 0:43:32.040 You went to the wilderness because of your own decisions. 0:43:32.560 --> 0:43:34.319 You went to the wilderness because you went back to 0:43:34.360 --> 0:43:36.719 old things, and you denied me. But I love you 0:43:36.760 --> 0:43:38.759 so much. I came to the wilderness to bring you 0:43:38.840 --> 0:43:41.680 out of it. That's how good our God is. And 0:43:41.719 --> 0:43:43.400 three times he asked him, do you love me? 0:43:44.320 --> 0:43:47.680 Do you love me? Here's how I picture the whole scene. 0:43:47.680 --> 0:43:49.040 The second time and the third time. 0:43:49.200 --> 0:43:51.919 Peter's face is down because you can't he can't even 0:43:51.920 --> 0:43:54.160 look himself in the eyes, let alone look Jesus in 0:43:54.160 --> 0:43:58.879 the face. I pictured Jesus reaching in and grabbing Peter 0:43:59.000 --> 0:44:01.719 by the chin at that table and lifting his chin, 0:44:01.800 --> 0:44:04.480 and he looks grace in the face. 0:44:07.120 --> 0:44:10.120 Do you love me? Feed my sheep? 0:44:11.640 --> 0:44:13.359 You didn't have anything to feed him the first time. 0:44:14.400 --> 0:44:19.000 Now what you just ate the grace. That's what you're 0:44:19.000 --> 0:44:22.200 going to go feed. That's why I called you out 0:44:22.960 --> 0:44:23.960 better three times? 0:44:24.000 --> 0:44:27.040 Do you love me? Do you love me? Now? Feed 0:44:28.239 --> 0:44:29.000 my sheep? 0:44:29.840 --> 0:44:35.440 Used him the word lord three times, And then verse eighteen, 0:44:36.480 --> 0:44:39.840 he says, very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, 0:44:39.880 --> 0:44:43.400 you dressed yourself and went where you wanted. 0:44:45.320 --> 0:44:45.400 You. 0:44:45.480 --> 0:44:49.719 See, maturity is not a product of age. It's a 0:44:49.719 --> 0:44:55.080 byproduct of direction. Some of you are very old, and 0:44:55.120 --> 0:44:58.879 you are so immature into faith because you have gone 0:44:58.920 --> 0:45:02.200 your own direction where you wanted to go. You picked 0:45:02.239 --> 0:45:05.480 up your outfit and you did what you wanted, and jesuys, 0:45:05.480 --> 0:45:07.200 I will not love you any less, but you will 0:45:07.239 --> 0:45:08.600 not be aware of how much I love you when 0:45:08.640 --> 0:45:11.560 you live like that, and you can't feed anybody else 0:45:11.600 --> 0:45:13.480 when you've been feeding yourself. And the reason that you're 0:45:13.480 --> 0:45:15.600 putting on that new outfit is you're trying to cover 0:45:15.680 --> 0:45:17.760 that old part of you that only I. 0:45:17.640 --> 0:45:24.759 Can Only I can cover that where you want it. 0:45:25.880 --> 0:45:29.279 But here's the moment that Jesus became the lord of 0:45:29.280 --> 0:45:34.800 Peter's life. But when you are old, you will stretch 0:45:34.840 --> 0:45:37.080 out your hands and someone else will lead you, or 0:45:37.120 --> 0:45:39.799 someone else will dress you and lead you to where 0:45:39.840 --> 0:45:40.440 you do. 0:45:40.320 --> 0:45:43.319 Not want to go. 0:45:43.480 --> 0:45:45.080 Lord, I don't know if I want to go that direction. 0:45:46.960 --> 0:45:50.560 You'll either deny Jesus or you'll deny yourself. And the 0:45:50.560 --> 0:45:52.759 beauty of our God is he'll bring you back to 0:45:52.800 --> 0:45:58.040 that point again and again and again and again, and. 0:45:58.000 --> 0:45:59.560 Someone else address you lead you. Do you not want 0:45:59.560 --> 0:45:59.680 to go? 0:45:59.760 --> 0:46:01.520 Jesus had this to indicate the kind of death by 0:46:01.560 --> 0:46:06.640 which Peter would glorify God, and then he said, follow me. 0:46:07.840 --> 0:46:09.680 I thought Jesus only. 0:46:09.560 --> 0:46:11.880 Asked Peter wants to follow him, follow me. I'll make 0:46:11.920 --> 0:46:14.799 you fishers of men. The first time was to learn 0:46:14.840 --> 0:46:16.560 how to fish. The second time was to learn how 0:46:16.560 --> 0:46:21.600 to feed. And when Jesus becomes the lord of your life, 0:46:21.640 --> 0:46:25.240 you start being more concerned with feeding others than feeding yourself, 0:46:27.400 --> 0:46:28.840 saying you feed at all of our locations. 0:46:28.880 --> 0:46:31.680 I'm going to pray for you in just a second. 0:46:33.200 --> 0:46:37.000 And as I was praying for everybody in our church, 0:46:37.600 --> 0:46:41.000 I kept getting this image of people feeling like, but LB, 0:46:41.120 --> 0:46:43.840 you don't know. I got these big decisions in life. 0:46:43.880 --> 0:46:46.080 I got these big decisions I need to make. 0:46:46.440 --> 0:46:49.200 Here's what I have looking back as an old man. 0:46:51.640 --> 0:46:55.160 The direction of your life is controlled more by the 0:46:55.320 --> 0:47:01.680 small daily denials than the big decisions. It always is, 0:47:02.800 --> 0:47:04.440 because here's the image I want to give you. When 0:47:04.440 --> 0:47:05.800 my kids were young, I would take him to the 0:47:05.840 --> 0:47:08.400 beach and the waves would come in at an angle, 0:47:09.800 --> 0:47:11.200 and so every time they would go out and surf, 0:47:11.280 --> 0:47:13.040 they would just get pushed out just a little bit. 0:47:13.880 --> 0:47:15.239 And they go out and surf, and they just get 0:47:15.280 --> 0:47:17.560 pushed up shore just a little bit, and they go 0:47:17.760 --> 0:47:20.880 out and surf again. They just just little little, little, 0:47:20.920 --> 0:47:25.640 little little directional shifts and they just get pushed up shore, 0:47:25.719 --> 0:47:28.919 up shore, and ten minutes later they're way over here 0:47:29.920 --> 0:47:31.160 and they wonder how did I get her? 0:47:31.239 --> 0:47:32.520 No one of those was a big decision. 0:47:33.120 --> 0:47:38.680 It was small self denials that were not show us it. 0:47:39.560 --> 0:47:42.560 But the grace of God calls your voice, and he says, Peter, 0:47:42.680 --> 0:47:51.840 when you come back, strengthen your brothers. Making Jesus the 0:47:51.880 --> 0:47:54.640 savior of your life is a one time decision. He 0:47:54.719 --> 0:47:56.279 holds you in his hand. No man can take you 0:47:56.320 --> 0:47:58.760 from it. If you can't save yourself, you can't unsave yourself. 0:48:00.280 --> 0:48:04.640 But the decision for him to be Lord is a daily, 0:48:05.400 --> 0:48:12.480 many times a day, daily decision. Will I deny him. 0:48:10.920 --> 0:48:11.759 Or will I deny me? 0:48:14.200 --> 0:48:16.239 But I want to challenge you at a very practical level, 0:48:16.239 --> 0:48:18.280 what's the thing you've been feeding. 0:48:19.360 --> 0:48:22.600 That God said, I need you to starve deny that thing. 0:48:22.800 --> 0:48:27.000 As you do that, that will be the grace that 0:48:27.040 --> 0:48:30.480 you will feed the others. Father, I thank you that 0:48:30.520 --> 0:48:32.920 your word is true, it's strong, it's right, it's powerful, 0:48:33.280 --> 0:48:36.080 it's effective. I pray for everyone and the sound of 0:48:36.120 --> 0:48:39.000 my voice who made a decision today that trust Jesus 0:48:39.040 --> 0:48:43.080 as their savior. Hallelujah and amen they're calling is an election, sure, 0:48:43.120 --> 0:48:44.200 and you hold them in their hands. 0:48:44.239 --> 0:48:45.359 Nobody can take you from it. 0:48:45.960 --> 0:48:47.920 But the decision to let you be lord of our 0:48:47.960 --> 0:48:50.799 lives is a many times a day decision. Make it 0:48:50.840 --> 0:48:53.799 plain in our lives. Show us one area that we 0:48:53.920 --> 0:48:57.320 have been feeding that you have called us to starve, 0:48:57.840 --> 0:49:01.239 Give us the grace in that space to deny that 0:49:01.280 --> 0:49:03.640 thing rather than to deny you. And every time we 0:49:03.680 --> 0:49:06.400 deny ourselves, we receive more of your grace, not to 0:49:06.400 --> 0:49:08.640 be kept to ourselves, but to be given out to 0:49:08.680 --> 0:49:12.200 the world. Father, we love you, we honor you, we 0:49:12.280 --> 0:49:16.760 praise you, we thank you, and all God's people said, Amen, 0:49:17.200 --> 0:49:19.560 come on, let's put our hands together, Come on us. 0:49:22.120 --> 0:49:24.680 Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 0:49:24.719 --> 0:49:27.719 you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 0:49:27.760 --> 0:49:30.680 you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 0:49:30.719 --> 0:49:34.440 link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 0:49:34.600 --> 0:49:37.880 dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 0:49:37.960 --> 0:49:41.200 enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 0:49:41.200 --> 0:49:43.520 with your friends. You can click the share button, take 0:49:43.520 --> 0:49:45.880 a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 0:49:45.920 --> 0:49:48.799 tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 0:49:48.800 --> 0:49:54.200 bless you.