WEBVTT 00:00:03.390 --> 00:00:06.110 We are in our first lesson of the Look Up series. 00:00:06.110 --> 00:00:10.099 If you're a note taker, I encourage you to take some notes or take pictures of the screens. 00:00:10.101 --> 00:00:15.740 As we're moving through this lesson today, in your service guide, there's an opportunity to take some notes. 00:00:15.740 --> 00:00:21.679 Also online, you can download the notes or you can just grab a piece of paper as we roll forward. 00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.420 We are in December and this has been a very unique year. 00:00:26.420 --> 00:00:30.379 Everything about this year has been unique, except one thing. 00:00:30.381 --> 00:00:36.979 We've had one thing that was normal this year, and I'm really excited to tell you that for Thanksgiving, Kristy made potatoes au gratin. 00:00:38.600 --> 00:00:39.829 The right way. 00:00:40.909 --> 00:00:43.310 She used a whole block of Velveeta cheese. 00:00:44.539 --> 00:00:45.950 It was delicious. 00:00:45.170 --> 00:00:49.189 And, I just believe that the Holy spirit works in that pot. 00:00:49.219 --> 00:00:52.219 Somehow Velveeta is one of those things that I love. 00:00:52.250 --> 00:00:53.450 I hate that I love it. 00:00:53.451 --> 00:00:54.950 T he fact is that I hate that I love it. 00:00:54.951 --> 00:00:58.670 And Kristy said, when I said, she a sked what I want for Thanksgiving. 00:00:58.710 --> 00:01:00.079 I said, you make whatever you want. 00:01:00.229 --> 00:01:02.539 I really would like some, some potatoes au gratin. 00:01:02.540 --> 00:01:04.219 She said, well, can I make it a different way? 00:01:04.221 --> 00:01:09.680 C an I make it, you know, fancier and nicer and, and, you know, not use Velveeta cheese. 00:01:09.950 --> 00:01:17.239 U h, a nd, and I said, no, that's a, no, I want something that's normal on Thanksgiving. 00:01:17.240 --> 00:01:19.280 I want something that's normal in the year. 00:01:19.281 --> 00:01:20.269 So you're welcome. 00:01:20.450 --> 00:01:22.219 I get to tell you about potatoes au gratin. 00:01:22.909 --> 00:01:23.540 Hallelujah. 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:26.480 I d on't k now how you make it here, but we make it the right way. 00:01:26.870 --> 00:01:37.280 So, one thing that changed in my world this this year is that the group of guys that, that exercise and most of them exercise a lot. 00:01:37.281 --> 00:01:44.750 They exercise every day of the week, morning, noon, night, weekends, every day, I exercise with them twice a week and enjoy it. 00:01:44.930 --> 00:01:45.950 It's a great group of guys. 00:01:45.950 --> 00:01:50.840 And, and how it works is we all meet in different parts of the city at different times. 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:59.959 And, and, and the, the group of guys that I exercise with most meets on Wednesday mornings out at, um, at, uh, the junior high school here in town. 00:02:00.060 --> 00:02:06.019 And, and every time we get together, one of the guys has put together a plan of exercise. 00:02:06.021 --> 00:02:14.629 So you don't really know unless you're that guy, you don't know what you're going to do when you arrive, you just get there and, and get warmed up and then get ready for when the time comes. 00:02:14.631 --> 00:02:17.900 Bam, we're exercising and it's, it's high intensity exercise. 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:23.330 We exercise for one hour, but everything is happening very quickly and you really don't stop for an hour. 00:02:23.330 --> 00:02:29.270 And so this particular day, I arrived at five 30 or a little before five 30 and five 30. 00:02:29.270 --> 00:02:30.080 It was time to go. 00:02:30.259 --> 00:02:31.400 And, and they said, let's go. 00:02:31.401 --> 00:02:39.680 And so we went over to the track there at timber stone, junior high, and we sat down on the track and began the big, the first set of exercises. 00:02:39.681 --> 00:02:51.770 And on this day we did, I think, you know, 20 pushups and 20 sit-ups and jumping jacks and burpees and, and a set of exercises like that for a few minutes. 00:02:51.770 --> 00:02:55.460 And then at the end of that set, we got up and we ran around the track. 00:02:55.461 --> 00:03:00.460 One time we came back to where we started, and then we did another of exercises. 00:03:00.461 --> 00:03:08.770 And when that was set was done, we got up and we ran around the track again, while you're something you might not know about me, I am not a runner. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:12.009 Historically I've run for two reasons. 00:03:12.010 --> 00:03:18.009 One, something very big was chasing me, or number two, something that I really wanted badly was getting away. 00:03:18.250 --> 00:03:21.909 And I would run then, but I don't really run outside of that. 00:03:21.911 --> 00:03:26.520 And I do other things, you know, and other exercises, but never really was runner. 00:03:26.520 --> 00:03:30.379 And so I ran and I'm getting better. 00:03:30.621 --> 00:03:32.789 And as I've been working out with these guys, they run a lot. 00:03:32.790 --> 00:03:34.710 And so I'm getting better at running. 00:03:34.711 --> 00:03:44.129 But on this day, I, I got done with the first set of exercises and I ran around the track and I ran around the entire track without stopping one time to breathe or to take a break or anything. 00:03:44.280 --> 00:03:45.479 And I felt really good about it. 00:03:45.480 --> 00:03:49.349 And then we did the second set of exercises and I got up and I ran around the track. 00:03:49.350 --> 00:03:51.870 Again, I didn't stop the Br ie t hat didn't stop the exercise. 00:03:51.900 --> 00:03:56.039 I did breathe by the way, while I was running around the track, but, but I didn't have to stop to do it. 00:03:56.040 --> 00:04:05.939 And so third set of exercises, I got up and on th e, and I started going around the track again on the third time and about halfway, I had to stop and ki nd o f w alk for a while. 00:04:05.939 --> 00:04:07.949 And then I picked it up again and started running again. 00:04:07.950 --> 00:04:09.449 And, we got to the end of that. 00:04:09.450 --> 00:04:13.110 And I did the fourth set of exercises and got up and ran around. 00:04:13.110 --> 00:04:15.330 I'm telling you, this is all happening very quickly. 00:04:15.509 --> 00:04:20.310 And I got up and started running around and about a quarter of the way I had the pause and I had to stop. 00:04:20.310 --> 00:04:25.110 And I just couldn't breathe and my muscles were burning and whatever. 00:04:25.110 --> 00:04:26.879 And so I will walk the little ways around. 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:33.600 And then I, then I started running in house, the last guy into the circle of guys getting ready to do the next set of exercises. 00:04:34.490 --> 00:04:36.329 I hate being last. 00:04:36.970 --> 00:04:39.360 I mean, I was last, I just hate being last. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:47.279 And so anyway, I got over there and I started exercising again, and everybody was running and ever, I mean, everybody was doing the exercise and now's the time. 00:04:47.550 --> 00:04:50.100 Unfortunately, we had enough time to do a fifth lap. 00:04:50.910 --> 00:04:54.660 And I was so excited to hear that we had enough time to do a fifth lap. 00:04:55.050 --> 00:05:03.540 And, uh, and so I jumped to my feet very slowly and painfully, and, uh, and I, and I began running and it's, it's dark, it's dark at this time in the day. 00:05:03.750 --> 00:05:11.850 And so I was looking ahead of me and in the darkness, I could see a shape of somebody that I was, they were running, but I was catching up to them. 00:05:12.689 --> 00:05:14.189 In fact, never happens. 00:05:14.959 --> 00:05:18.629 And so I thought, wow, something, something on boy, I must be really doing good. 00:05:19.019 --> 00:05:27.569 I started getting closer to the shape and I saw who it was, and it was Matt Aston. 00:05:28.740 --> 00:05:30.389 Matt's a member of this church and his family. 00:05:30.391 --> 00:05:34.439 And, uh, and he's a friend and he had invited me to do this for a long time. 00:05:34.440 --> 00:05:36.509 And I kept telling me no, but finally I told him, yes. 00:05:36.511 --> 00:05:38.550 And, and now I'm wondering why. 00:05:38.550 --> 00:05:41.250 And, and, and I, um, but I'm catching up to him. 00:05:41.250 --> 00:05:43.920 And then, and then I realized I'm not really catching up to him. 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:45.540 He's running in place waiting for me. 00:05:49.199 --> 00:05:53.129 So I thought, man, what a cool guy, what a cool guy. 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:57.889 He could have been all the way around the track already, but he's running a place waiting for me to catch up. 00:05:57.920 --> 00:05:59.420 He's gonna, he's gonna run with me. 00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:03.350 And then, and then as I got closer to him, he started moving away for him from me. 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:07.160 And I realized that he was keeping pace with me while running backwards. 00:06:08.660 --> 00:06:14.990 And then I thought, what a jerk, that's just rude, all right there. 00:06:15.019 --> 00:06:19.490 And so finally he had the decency to turn around and run forward. 00:06:19.579 --> 00:06:32.360 And as we were running side by side, we were going along and, and, and, and I don't know when he said it or where we were when he said it, but he just, he kinda just yelled out, Hey, look up and I'm running. 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:34.970 And he said it, and, and I was like, what? 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:36.980 And then he said it again, look up. 00:06:38.509 --> 00:06:41.089 And I looked at him and I said, what do you mean? 00:06:41.089 --> 00:06:44.420 He said, look where you're going, look up, raise your head. 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:56.060 And I realized for the first time that I was running while looking down at my feet, and I was looking down at my feet and really what I was doing, as I was saying, right, foot forward, left foot forward, right. 00:06:56.060 --> 00:06:59.149 Foot forward, breathe the right light for, for left foot, for right. 00:06:59.480 --> 00:07:00.050 For breathe. 00:07:00.230 --> 00:07:05.600 And I, and I was just trying to keep a cadence and try to try to keep it together, trying to keep moving. 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:07.160 And he kept saying, look up. 00:07:07.161 --> 00:07:09.709 And every time I would look down, he would say, look up. 00:07:10.069 --> 00:07:22.550 And so I kept looking up and I realized that what I was looking down, I didn't even know I'd gotten into the habit of running while looking down and now looking up, I could see where we were. 00:07:22.550 --> 00:07:24.649 I could see how far I had to go. 00:07:24.651 --> 00:07:26.120 I could see how far I'd come. 00:07:26.120 --> 00:07:28.610 I, I could see where I was on the track. 00:07:28.610 --> 00:07:30.769 I could see where everyone else was. 00:07:32.209 --> 00:07:37.459 And I didn't stop running on the fifth lap all the way around. 00:07:37.579 --> 00:07:39.860 I ran while looking 00:07:42.490 --> 00:07:47.230 We're in unchartered waters in this day and age, I'm okay. 00:07:47.230 --> 00:07:53.680 If we never have another year, like 20, 20 in my lifetime, not going to bother me a bit. 00:07:54.430 --> 00:08:03.879 I'm looking forward to 2021, or there's a lot of unknowns out there, but I'm still looking forward to possibly ending this season. 00:08:03.880 --> 00:08:09.939 Number one, we're in the 10th month of this pandemic, and that's changed so much of our lives. 00:08:11.110 --> 00:08:13.209 This election season has been brutal. 00:08:13.990 --> 00:08:22.689 It doesn't matter where you stand on what it's been a brutal election season and, and riffs and, and the verbiage that's out there is just incredible. 00:08:22.690 --> 00:08:24.790 And it's a tough, tough season. 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:27.699 Schoolwork has never been the same. 00:08:28.810 --> 00:08:37.929 I pray for our kids, our students that are working hard to try to do well in a, in a season where nothing is normal in their life in their families. 00:08:37.931 --> 00:08:42.549 Work has been unique to say the least where sometimes you're going to work. 00:08:42.551 --> 00:08:43.899 Sometimes you're not going to work. 00:08:43.900 --> 00:08:45.070 Sometimes you're on site. 00:08:45.071 --> 00:08:46.269 Sometimes you're off site. 00:08:46.419 --> 00:08:48.340 Sometimes, you know, what's coming. 00:08:48.341 --> 00:08:49.960 Sometimes you don't know what's coming. 00:08:50.230 --> 00:08:52.720 It's, it's consistently shifting and changing. 00:08:52.870 --> 00:08:58.379 And, and if you watch the news, the news is this is happening this day and that's happening the next then. 00:08:58.590 --> 00:09:01.110 And even that, isn't very certain at all, 00:09:02.659 --> 00:09:03.830 And everything's just different. 00:09:03.831 --> 00:09:05.389 But here's the rumor. 00:09:05.390 --> 00:09:08.690 The rumor is that just because COVID is happening and everything is different. 00:09:08.691 --> 00:09:11.000 Doesn't mean the rest of life hasn't has changed. 00:09:12.049 --> 00:09:13.250 You're still a parent. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:15.019 You're still a spouse. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.370 You're, you're still an employer. 00:09:16.370 --> 00:09:17.509 You're still an employee. 00:09:17.510 --> 00:09:21.559 You're still trying to figure out how to deal with the problems you were dealing with before. 00:09:21.561 --> 00:09:23.899 COVID, whatever was ever a known issue. 00:09:24.049 --> 00:09:27.710 Some of you are dealing with financial stresses that have just escalated. 00:09:27.711 --> 00:09:32.090 Some of you have dealing with health issues that have nothing to do with COVID, because guess what? 00:09:32.210 --> 00:09:33.440 Just cause COVID showed up. 00:09:33.470 --> 00:09:35.779 Doesn't mean all the rest of the health issues went away. 00:09:37.250 --> 00:09:42.759 Some of you're dealing with family situations and you're, you're approaching the holidays or you're in the holiday season. 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:46.820 And, and the stresses of the holiday season are normally there for you. 00:09:46.821 --> 00:09:50.539 But now they're even escalated because of all the other uniquenesses are there. 00:09:50.690 --> 00:09:54.200 And so you're trying to deal with life and trying to work through life. 00:09:55.070 --> 00:09:56.539 And everybody's in a different moment. 00:09:57.289 --> 00:09:59.210 Everybody's in a different phase. 00:09:59.659 --> 00:10:12.289 Some of us started the year strong and you walked into a strong and maybe even still feel fairly strong, but you're, you're, you're ready for this season to end anybody else ready for this season to end, we can just go on to next. 00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:16.070 Hallelujah, just ready. 00:10:17.210 --> 00:10:20.990 Others started strong, but the weight's getting to you 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:28.159 As you, you were strong running, but now, now you just feel that pressure feel that weight I've had leaders. 00:10:28.160 --> 00:10:33.919 I've had strong people tell me, man, I just feel like I'm carrying such a consistent burden. 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:37.850 Pastor Benton did an incredible job delivering the word last weekend. 00:10:37.850 --> 00:10:40.789 And he said he was talking to somebody shared that they were talking. 00:10:40.791 --> 00:10:41.600 He was talking to somebody. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:49.879 They just said, I feel like there's a consistent, uh, unsettled ness and consistent frustration that we're dealing with. 00:10:51.860 --> 00:10:54.440 Some people started the season week. 00:10:55.370 --> 00:10:58.100 You were already struggling and now, 00:10:58.190 --> 00:11:01.070 Oh, you're just doing everything you can to move your you're like me. 00:11:01.071 --> 00:11:03.590 You're you're saying I just, I just got to breathe. 00:11:03.710 --> 00:11:05.120 I've just got to put my right foot down. 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:07.039 I just got to bake my left foot and go forward. 00:11:07.041 --> 00:11:09.980 I just got right foot left foot breathe, right. 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:11.299 Foot left, foot breathe. 00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:13.080 And that's all I can do right 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:13.909 Now. 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:18.259 Everyone's looking for a solution. 00:11:18.950 --> 00:11:23.629 We hear about vaccines and summer. 00:11:23.629 --> 00:11:25.580 We're excited about vaccines coming in. 00:11:25.581 --> 00:11:27.379 Some are worried about vaccines coming. 00:11:28.220 --> 00:11:33.379 So even the solution that we have in our world seems uncertain and it brings its own concerns. 00:11:34.070 --> 00:11:39.379 Barnes, should you are you, will you, or won't you, what will they m ake 00:11:39.409 --> 00:11:46.279 You do versus what can you make a choice about wherever you stand on the spectrum of ideas and ideals? 00:11:46.429 --> 00:11:50.629 The reality is there's all kinds of uncertainty involved in all of it. 00:11:53.230 --> 00:11:58.840 And you may not realize that you've developed a habit of looking down, Looking down 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:01.330 At your feet, looking down at where you're at. 00:12:01.750 --> 00:12:05.409 And you're looking at just the moment, right in front of you. 00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.259 You're looking at the news of today. 00:12:08.260 --> 00:12:10.539 You're reading the article of now. 00:12:10.850 --> 00:12:14.789 You're, you're understanding how many, how many new sicknesses have 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:19.769 Then, discovered and tested in 10. 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:21.600 How many people tested positive today? 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:23.309 How many people died today? 00:12:23.311 --> 00:12:27.690 How many people died of COVID versus died of other things and situations. 00:12:27.691 --> 00:12:31.019 And, and, and, and it's just, it's just, it becomes overwhelming. 00:12:31.020 --> 00:12:33.720 So your world gets smaller and smaller and smaller. 00:12:33.721 --> 00:12:36.210 And I just, I just want to think about right now. 00:12:36.211 --> 00:12:43.889 And, and, and when you look down, the reason I was running while looking down is because it just seemed easier if I don't think about what's over there. 00:12:43.890 --> 00:12:53.850 If I don't look at how far I have to go and just worry about taking the next step, and don't worry about that, then, then maybe I'll be able to make it through and maybe it'll be okay. 00:12:55.559 --> 00:12:58.350 It seems, seems right to just look yeah. 00:12:58.409 --> 00:13:00.509 Down because it reduces the input. 00:13:00.510 --> 00:13:03.299 I'm not getting distracted by this, and I'm not thinking about that. 00:13:03.301 --> 00:13:03.580 I'm not, 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:11.340 But reality is we are because it begins to also fuel back into self. 00:13:11.730 --> 00:13:18.570 And what I mean by that is whenever I'm looking down, whenever I'm focused on breathe in, breathe out, left foot, right foot left foot, right foot. 00:13:18.571 --> 00:13:27.120 Then what happens is I exacerbate the realities of my own body because I'm thinking about breathing so much. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:32.610 I can't breathe because my, because I'm so aware that my muscles are hurting. 00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:36.149 Suddenly they, the hurt just continues to grow and expand. 00:13:36.299 --> 00:13:43.799 And suddenly what could be a minor problem in my life becomes a major problem in my life because I'm so focused on it. 00:13:43.980 --> 00:13:45.990 And it becomes my whole world. 00:13:45.990 --> 00:13:53.039 My whole world comes down to, I've got to breathe and I've got to move and nothing else is there, There before me. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:14:10.289 And we developed this habit of looking down, And this is the problem that the Hebrews dealt with for generations, because see, there was a, there was a promise, made a promise of a savior, a savior that would come and do great things. 00:14:10.291 --> 00:14:11.879 He would deliver them from enemies. 00:14:12.090 --> 00:14:16.019 He would make the worship of the one, true God, the primary worship. 00:14:16.020 --> 00:14:21.179 Again, he would lift Israel out of obscurity and back into world dominance and prominence. 00:14:21.181 --> 00:14:24.000 And, and he was going to do something awesome for Israel. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:25.889 And so Israel was looking for him. 00:14:25.890 --> 00:14:27.480 They were believing in the promise. 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:29.070 They were praying for the promise. 00:14:29.071 --> 00:14:30.690 They were searching for the promise. 00:14:30.691 --> 00:14:33.450 They were there, had their eyes out and Peele. 00:14:33.809 --> 00:14:37.169 My grandfather, my dad used to say, keep your eyes peeled. 00:14:37.740 --> 00:14:40.080 I'm not sure what an unpeeled I looked like. 00:14:40.110 --> 00:14:45.360 But what they told me is that if I kept my eyes peeled, I'd be able to see things. 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:48.210 And so Israel was looking for these things. 00:14:48.509 --> 00:14:50.100 They wanted to see the savior. 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:51.559 They wanted to know savior. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:58.039 They wanted to experience the savior and they wanted the savior to do all the things that the savior was promised to do. 00:14:58.041 --> 00:15:05.139 And yet, and yet with all of that being true, Jesus wept Jerusalem. 00:15:06.279 --> 00:15:08.379 Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem? 00:15:09.309 --> 00:15:10.330 Why did he say 00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:13.990 Some terrible things are gonna happen to you? 00:15:14.110 --> 00:15:17.440 You're going to go through some stuff that I wish you didn't have to go through. 00:15:17.590 --> 00:15:22.960 You're going to experience some things that are going to be hard and difficult, and they don't have to be that way. 00:15:22.961 --> 00:15:24.059 And then he goes on to say, 00:15:24.279 --> 00:15:27.220 Y Y they were going to experience these things. 00:15:27.221 --> 00:15:29.350 And this is what he said in Luke 19. 00:15:29.350 --> 00:15:33.129 He said, you did not recognize it when God visited you. 00:15:34.120 --> 00:15:36.879 You didn't recognize the day of your visitation. 00:15:37.629 --> 00:15:40.360 The savior showed up and you didn't know he was there. 00:15:40.539 --> 00:15:43.990 The savior showed up and you didn't recognize him for who he was. 00:15:44.139 --> 00:15:45.820 You didn't receive him. 00:15:45.909 --> 00:15:51.100 The savior showed the one you are looking for was right in front of you. 00:15:53.289 --> 00:15:54.730 And you didn't know it. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:57.879 Why did you miss him? 00:15:57.880 --> 00:15:58.299 Israel? 00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:09.129 You missed him because you were looking down, not looking up Israel, wasn't expecting a military leader, a political leader. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:12.850 They were expecting one who would deliver them from those that were oppressed. 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:16.539 I seen them from, from Rome, from, 00:16:16.629 --> 00:16:31.960 From all of the others in history who had, who had taken them into captivity, who had, who had ruled over them, they were, they were looking for someone who would take them back to world domination and worldly, prominence, and worldly wealth, and a worldly success. 00:16:31.961 --> 00:16:33.879 And, and they would be somebody 00:16:34.029 --> 00:16:35.259 In this world. 00:16:35.980 --> 00:16:41.289 They were looking down, they were not looking up for it. 00:16:41.409 --> 00:16:41.860 King. 00:16:41.970 --> 00:16:46.750 That was more concerned about their spiritual condition than he was their physical 00:16:46.750 --> 00:16:47.379 Condition. 00:16:48.370 --> 00:16:48.879 They weren't 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:58.629 Looking up for one who said, I care more about your soul, your spirit, and who you are on your, in your inner man than I am about what's going on outside of you. 00:16:58.750 --> 00:17:02.980 In fact, I will use what's outside of you to bring you closer to me 00:17:03.970 --> 00:17:03.970 Inside. 00:17:05.529 --> 00:17:17.920 They were looking at down, they were not looking up, but here's here's the, the ironic reality is that Israel had been in the very best place because they had been lifted up. 00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:20.559 They had been powerful. 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:22.210 They had been wealthy. 00:17:22.211 --> 00:17:25.599 They had been prominent Abrahams 00:17:25.660 --> 00:17:26.470 Started at all. 00:17:26.650 --> 00:17:29.349 And, and he w he was blessed by God repeatedly. 00:17:29.351 --> 00:17:35.470 In fact, people used to watch Abraham's life and be amazed by it, and they would pour blessing into 00:17:35.470 --> 00:17:36.190 His life. 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:48.279 And then you go all the way through the rise of Israel until you get to Moses and you see him in Egypt, and then God brings them out of Egypt and slavery and brings them into their own land. 00:17:49.740 --> 00:18:02.630 And then from the, from that day of the judges, they just begin to rise as a nation all the time, wait until they get to the, the reign of King Solomon and Solomon is so wise, and Israel is so rich. 00:18:02.970 --> 00:18:07.579 And, and they are at peace that every nation wants to have a, uh, Alliance with them. 00:18:07.580 --> 00:18:12.440 And, and people are coming from all over the world to see how Israel is doing what it's doing. 00:18:12.441 --> 00:18:24.890 I mean, they are, they're the people to watch, to look at the, see what's going on, but, but Solomon Solomon started his reign by looking up and asking God for the wisdom needed to rule the people. 00:18:25.009 --> 00:18:28.460 But eventually his eyes went from looking up to looking down. 00:18:28.609 --> 00:18:31.730 And that is the trajectory that most of us deal with. 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:50.690 We start off looking up, but eventually, eventually the weight of the world and the weight of our reality and the weight of the situation and the weight of the condition and all the weight of all the things that are pouring into our life and the weight of what we hear and the weight of what we experienced drags our eyes from being up to being down. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:58.490 And it just seems easy to look down, but Paul's does says something really unique in the new Testament. 00:19:00.289 --> 00:19:05.150 He, she's never known Israel at its peak of worldly, power and popularity. 00:19:06.109 --> 00:19:07.130 He wasn't there. 00:19:07.131 --> 00:19:14.539 In fact, when he was born, Israel was under the rulership of Rome and likely was never going to get out of it as far as he could. 00:19:16.250 --> 00:19:25.069 In fact, Paul is not only knows Israel as being a subjugated nation, but he is also a part of a subjugated people within a subjugated nation. 00:19:25.849 --> 00:19:29.599 He's a Jew within a subjugated nation. 00:19:29.730 --> 00:19:34.880 And then he becomes a Christian, which has even more of the minority within Israel. 00:19:36.109 --> 00:19:44.569 And he is in a difficult situation in many ways to the point where we know that he shares with us, that he's been shipwrecked and he's been beaten and he's been jailed. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:46.190 And he's, he's at all of this stuff. 00:19:46.191 --> 00:19:47.269 He's been beaten. 00:19:47.270 --> 00:19:49.789 He's all of these terrible things have happened to him. 00:19:49.940 --> 00:20:03.589 And yet Paul writes in Philippians, he says, I've learned to be content and every physical condition that I've experienced, not because of what's going on outside of me, but because what is within me drives me. 00:20:04.339 --> 00:20:09.349 I have a spiritual word, strength and wallet. 00:20:09.380 --> 00:20:21.289 Israel never felt contentment, even as it was at the top of the heap, as it were in this world, Paul says, I've learned in whatever state I'm in to be content. 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:23.750 I found peace. 00:20:24.230 --> 00:20:28.009 I found strength, no matter what's going on in my life. 00:20:29.029 --> 00:20:34.970 Well saying that external earthly conditions do not determine my interest, Colonel contentment. 00:20:35.690 --> 00:20:36.380 He learned it. 00:20:36.381 --> 00:20:42.619 And this is our big idea today that we must look up for what down can't offer. 00:20:44.089 --> 00:20:48.309 We must look up for what down offer 00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:54.190 Some have called Albert Einstein, a relatively intelligent individual. 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:56.559 I would agree. 00:20:57.789 --> 00:21:04.359 And he said, this problems cannot be solved with the same mind that created them. 00:21:07.230 --> 00:21:10.170 They cannot be solved with the same mind that created them. 00:21:10.171 --> 00:21:29.339 So earth cannot offer a savior for the problems that earth created, because whoever came to prominence, whoever came to power, as long as they were from the same level, as the ones that created the problem, the problems would persist. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:34.859 I'll say it this way, human solutions can shift issues. 00:21:35.789 --> 00:21:37.349 Only heaven can redeem them. 00:21:40.349 --> 00:21:40.349 Okay? 00:21:40.380 --> 00:21:42.269 Human solutions can shift issues. 00:21:42.270 --> 00:21:45.089 We, we can make it about something else. 00:21:45.210 --> 00:21:47.160 That's why entertainment is so powerful. 00:21:47.161 --> 00:21:47.940 That's why entertainment. 00:21:48.059 --> 00:21:48.990 It's such a draw. 00:21:49.650 --> 00:21:58.170 People will spend money on entertainment that they, that they shouldn't be spending on their bills, or should be spending on investment or should be spending on their future. 00:21:58.289 --> 00:21:59.940 But they'll spend it on entertainment. 00:21:59.941 --> 00:22:00.180 Why? 00:22:00.181 --> 00:22:03.210 Because I just want to be, I want to be distracted for just a moment. 00:22:03.211 --> 00:22:05.940 I don't want to think about what's going on right now. 00:22:05.941 --> 00:22:08.279 I want, I want my mind to go somewhere else. 00:22:08.280 --> 00:22:10.380 And the S the issue is shifted. 00:22:11.049 --> 00:22:14.430 Doesn't go away just because you get drunk. 00:22:14.460 --> 00:22:16.079 Doesn't mean your problem disappeared. 00:22:17.640 --> 00:22:18.299 It's just there. 00:22:18.300 --> 00:22:24.390 When you're sober again, just because you got high, doesn't mean that your problems are over. 00:22:24.839 --> 00:22:32.910 In fact, they may have just begun, just, just because you, you had the affair and found a moments of play. 00:22:32.940 --> 00:22:33.809 A moment of pleasure. 00:22:33.869 --> 00:22:37.890 It doesn't mean your marriage is going to be fixed or that it could ever be fixed. 00:22:37.891 --> 00:22:43.259 Now, you, we dig ourselves into a hole trying to find another solution. 00:22:43.589 --> 00:22:52.799 Heaven is the only place in which, in which our salute, our problem can be redeemed bought back and made new again. 00:22:54.150 --> 00:22:57.180 But I'm grateful that God didn't say, Hey, listen, you created this mess. 00:22:57.181 --> 00:22:57.750 Live with it. 00:22:59.250 --> 00:23:00.299 He didn't do that to us. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:03.029 He didn't say, Hey, you're in a tough time. 00:23:03.059 --> 00:23:03.960 Hope you make it. 00:23:05.849 --> 00:23:06.299 I'll see you. 00:23:06.300 --> 00:23:25.289 When you get out of this nonsense, he calls to us, look up in the middle of your difficulty in the middle of your dilemma, even in the middle of the mess, you made yourself, look up, look up and allow me to lift you up because up offers what down can offer. 00:23:25.290 --> 00:23:42.450 And I have one thought for us today, and that's this, that your life drifts in the direction that you're looking it drifts in the direction that you're looking, my pup, all, you know, if you've been around here for 22 seconds, you know how much I think about my pop, all my pop hall. 00:23:42.630 --> 00:23:44.880 He was my best friend in life until he passed. 00:23:45.730 --> 00:23:48.170 And, and, and well, until I married my wife, he was my best friend. 00:23:48.171 --> 00:23:50.750 And then he became one of my best friends until his death. 00:23:50.750 --> 00:23:53.900 And we were very close and I love him dearly even to this moment. 00:23:53.901 --> 00:23:57.200 But he was one of the scariest people on planet earth to drive with. 00:23:58.609 --> 00:24:00.920 He was just scary because he'd be driving. 00:24:00.921 --> 00:24:04.670 He always drove big cars or pickup trucks, and he would be driving along. 00:24:04.671 --> 00:24:09.289 And he would be looking at everything in the world, other than where he was going. 00:24:10.730 --> 00:24:13.940 He'd be telling the stories somebody would drive by. 00:24:13.941 --> 00:24:15.049 And he said, well, look at that guy. 00:24:15.170 --> 00:24:20.779 He's, he's going to pick up some eggs at the store right now because his wife's home buying, uh, making a cake. 00:24:20.780 --> 00:24:21.920 And here's what happened. 00:24:22.309 --> 00:24:24.859 Uh, some people showed up at their house unexpectedly. 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:26.839 And so they're trying to make them feel at home. 00:24:26.840 --> 00:24:31.579 And so, uh, he had the rush out to the store and I'm thinking, man, Paul knows everybody. 00:24:32.630 --> 00:24:37.640 And then I, as I grew up, I realized, no, he was just lying and making up stories. 00:24:37.641 --> 00:24:41.599 And he didn't actually know everybody, but he made stories. 00:24:42.019 --> 00:24:45.740 But every long once in a while, in the middle of his story, he hadn't glanced back at the road. 00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:51.529 All of us were getting saved 37 times a second, but he glanced back at the road. 00:24:51.530 --> 00:25:08.750 And when he do, when he, when he would, he would jerk back into the lane sometimes with the assistance of kind other drivers who were wanting to assist him in his attention situation, they would have emergency signals to flash at him. 00:25:08.750 --> 00:25:14.210 And sometimes they would drive by us and tell him how he's number one and how they really appreciated him. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:15.200 And, uh, 00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:30.130 Because he was looking in one direction, he began to drift there, look where you're going, or you will go where you're looking. 00:25:32.829 --> 00:25:40.420 If you're looking at the negativity, things, the negative things that are happening in our world right now, your life's going to go in a negative direction. 00:25:41.380 --> 00:25:45.910 If you're looking at the pain, then you're going to start experiencing more and more pain. 00:25:46.299 --> 00:25:48.970 You will find what you're looking for in this world. 00:25:49.839 --> 00:25:56.980 If you are focused on the, the points of anxiety in your life, then they are going to be fed and fueled in your life. 00:25:57.009 --> 00:26:02.349 If you're looking for plot points of fear in your life, then they're going to be fed and fueled and your life. 00:26:02.351 --> 00:26:11.529 And suddenly you are more anxious and more afraid and more uncertain and everything that you're looking at, your, you begin to drift in that direction. 00:26:11.530 --> 00:26:17.799 And every once in a while, you, you you'd glance up and, and you jerk yourself back into a position where you ought to be going. 00:26:17.800 --> 00:26:20.319 And, and I'm just, I'm encouraging us today. 00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:32.200 Instead of doing that, let's just keep our focus up and allow God to lead us in a healthy, prosperous, proper way and where we don't have to be jerking our lives all around praise God. 00:26:34.779 --> 00:26:41.829 So God's communicating with this young Hebrew girl named Mary, and he's doing it through an angel named Gabriel. 00:26:41.830 --> 00:26:46.799 And he says, this Gabriel says to her, and I'm going to draw your attention 00:26:47.089 --> 00:26:52.849 To some focus, to some directional focus issues. 00:26:52.880 --> 00:26:54.380 In this passage of scripture, 00:26:55.369 --> 00:26:58.099 Brill appeared to her and said, greetings favored woman. 00:26:58.309 --> 00:26:59.869 The Lord is with you. 00:27:00.740 --> 00:27:02.210 The Lord is with you. 00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:07.549 So he's, he's pointing her focus upward to upward companionship. 00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:09.470 If you want to look at who's with you, 00:27:10.130 --> 00:27:15.740 The Lord he's with you, your companionship comes from above. 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:16.849 And then he's 00:27:17.450 --> 00:27:19.759 The scripture says confused and disturbed. 00:27:19.970 --> 00:27:22.490 Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 00:27:23.089 --> 00:27:23.809 And he continues. 00:27:23.810 --> 00:27:31.250 Don't be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God favor with God. 00:27:31.970 --> 00:27:35.450 So he's telling her you have a patron in your life. 00:27:35.569 --> 00:27:43.009 Somebody who's covering the situation who have somebody who's covering you, providing for you going to fuel resources into your life. 00:27:43.069 --> 00:27:44.630 And where is that patron? 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:46.849 It's an upward patronage. 00:27:47.329 --> 00:27:49.160 He's coming from above. 00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:54.589 Do you want, he says you will conceive and give birth to a son and we will name him. 00:27:54.590 --> 00:27:55.309 Jesus. 00:27:55.519 --> 00:27:57.710 He will be very great. 00:27:58.279 --> 00:28:00.559 So he has an upward advancement. 00:28:01.190 --> 00:28:08.329 He's going to be born and you won't, you don't see him as great right now, but he is going to become very great. 00:28:08.330 --> 00:28:13.039 There's advancement upward in his life, and it will be called the son of the most high. 00:28:13.430 --> 00:28:17.599 So when you look at his pedigree, he's got an upward pedigree. 00:28:17.690 --> 00:28:25.190 His pedigree is pointing upward in his life, and it will be called the son of the most high upper pedigree. 00:28:25.191 --> 00:28:29.000 The Lord, God will give him the throne of his ancestor, David. 00:28:29.390 --> 00:28:31.579 So he has an upward ancestry. 00:28:31.849 --> 00:28:35.750 Whenever you look at who preceded him, it's something great. 00:28:35.750 --> 00:28:38.630 It's something elevated and something beautiful. 00:28:38.839 --> 00:28:41.089 And he will reign over Israel forever. 00:28:41.299 --> 00:28:43.849 His kingdom will never end. 00:28:44.420 --> 00:28:46.819 So he has an upward destiny. 00:28:47.450 --> 00:28:50.960 His destiny continues to track upward. 00:28:51.680 --> 00:28:57.109 And so everything that the, that the angel Gabriel is telling Mary, it's saying, Hey, look up, Hey, look up. 00:28:57.170 --> 00:28:58.160 Hey, look up. 00:28:58.220 --> 00:28:58.849 Hey, look up. 00:29:00.470 --> 00:29:02.000 And Mary responds 00:29:04.130 --> 00:29:04.519 Uplifting. 00:29:04.520 --> 00:29:06.140 Mary uplifting message. 00:29:06.319 --> 00:29:07.400 Mary responds. 00:29:07.401 --> 00:29:10.130 And she says, but how can this happen? 00:29:10.670 --> 00:29:10.670 Happen? 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:12.230 I'm a Virgin. 00:29:12.980 --> 00:29:14.390 Or I've not known a man. 00:29:16.309 --> 00:29:16.849 What is married? 00:29:16.940 --> 00:29:17.420 They do. 00:29:17.450 --> 00:29:19.640