WEBVTT 00:00:01.965 --> 00:00:04.432 Well, good morning Valley View. 00:00:04.432 --> 00:00:07.365 How's everyone today? 00:00:07.365 --> 00:00:08.132 That song. 00:00:08.132 --> 00:00:11.132 There's a hard line in that song to sing, isn’t there? 00:00:11.233 --> 00:00:13.398 I want to be tried by fire. 00:00:13.398 --> 00:00:14.965 That didn't come out real easy. 00:00:14.965 --> 00:00:16.899 That part for me. 00:00:16.899 --> 00:00:23.166 But I got to say, though, if you've been a Christian any amount of time, you know that's true. 00:00:23.265 --> 00:00:27.966 The Lord refines you and never the way you would pick. 00:00:28.065 --> 00:00:29.233 He knows what we need. 00:00:29.233 --> 00:00:35.832 In fact, how many would say because of his refining, you're way better person than you would have been otherwise. 00:00:35.932 --> 00:00:41.265 Yeah, we wouldn't choose it per se, even though we sing and ask for it. 00:00:41.265 --> 00:00:42.298 Maybe. 00:00:42.298 --> 00:00:47.566 But we know it's what we need and he knows what we need. 00:00:47.633 --> 00:00:52.198 Speaking of him knowing what we need, I wasn't supposed to be here today. 00:00:52.265 --> 00:00:55.732 Last weekend was our anniversary. 00:00:55.798 --> 00:00:57.198 24 years. 00:00:57.198 --> 00:00:59.566 Last September 18th. 00:00:59.566 --> 00:01:02.566 Yeah. 00:01:02.633 --> 00:01:10.998 Normally we try to get away on our anniversary, but we were presenting the budget and new Deacon/ Elders that weekend, so I pushed it to this weekend and the place we wanted to go fell through. 00:01:10.998 --> 00:01:13.198 So we've pushed it out a little farther. 00:01:13.198 --> 00:01:22.533 We're here. All that to say, I already had someone else scheduled to preach today, so we're going to stay with Andrew is going to deliver the message today. 00:01:22.632 --> 00:01:29.365 And I just want to say just a little bit about Andrew, because if you don't know him, you really need to get to know him. 00:01:29.365 --> 00:01:37.266 He has a fantastic heart, a passion for Christ, a love for the Lord, a love for people. 00:01:37.365 --> 00:01:43.099 And it's an honor to have a guy like that on our staff, let alone leading us in worship. 00:01:43.233 --> 00:01:54.965 He's a great guy and I love that at Valley View, we have a culture where it's not just one person delivering all the messages. 00:01:54.965 --> 00:01:56.698 We have other people come up. 00:01:56.698 --> 00:02:00.198 Andrew, Colby-- we've had people from the outside who come up. 00:02:00.266 --> 00:02:09.665 That helps bring just a variety of voices and personalities and ideas that just helps to shape our culture. 00:02:09.765 --> 00:02:14.332 And what I love about Andrew is his passion for worship. 00:02:14.399 --> 00:02:18.066 That's why he is going to be presenting today from the Book of Psalms. 00:02:18.066 --> 00:02:34.133 In fact, as he talked about this passage and Psalms, he's going to he's going to preach from, I just thought that couldn't be any more perfect because the themes that show up in that songs he's been talking about, just in our casual conversations about the way God is working in his life for the last few months. 00:02:34.133 --> 00:02:36.532 So I think you're going to be real encouraged by what you hear from Andrew. 00:02:36.532 --> 00:02:38.866 Let's welcome him up. Andrew? 00:02:38.966 --> 00:02:43.366 Thank you, Pastor John. 00:02:43.432 --> 00:02:54.733 This isn't one of those moments where you, you know, you trade off compliments, but I will say, it's an honor to serve under Pastor John because he's just a great guy, first of all. 00:02:54.733 --> 00:02:57.199 But, second of all, he's he's a great leader. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:00.366 He's a great pastor to be under and to grow from and learn from. 00:03:00.366 --> 00:03:05.566 So can we give him a big shout out? 00:03:05.633 --> 00:03:11.799 So this morning, if you've got your Bibles, let’s open it up to Psalm 91. 00:03:11.899 --> 00:03:14.966 I'm excited to get to share this with you all this morning. 00:03:14.966 --> 00:03:23.432 This is a passage that over the last I would say nine months has been a passage that has just gripped ahold of my heart. 00:03:23.498 --> 00:03:25.598 So I'm going to --we're going to break it down. 00:03:25.598 --> 00:03:31.665 We're not going to go through every detail of Psalm 91, but I'm going to start off by giving you a little history on it. 00:03:31.665 --> 00:03:44.032 Psalms 91 is known as-- in certain circles-- as a soldier song or the song that is the prayer against the attacks of the enemy. 00:03:44.098 --> 00:03:48.832 Historians believe and scholars believe that actually Moses wrote the song. 00:03:48.832 --> 00:03:54.899 And as you break it apart, you can see the-- how it would relate to Moses’ life. 00:03:55.133 --> 00:04:02.665 However, I do believe it is my personal conviction that this was a favorite psalm of David, especially when he was on the run from Saul. 00:04:02.733 --> 00:04:16.598 So what I'd like to do is I'm going to read straight through the whole thing and I'm going to pause in a couple of points and then we're going to go back and break it down because this psalm has just got so much meat to it. 00:04:16.598 --> 00:04:19.499 Like there was a few moments while I was preparing for this. 00:04:19.499 --> 00:04:24.865 I begin to just get pumped up because it was like, Oh my gosh, I never saw that before. 00:04:24.865 --> 00:04:26.533 I have read that a thousand times. 00:04:26.533 --> 00:04:27.233 Never saw that. 00:04:27.233 --> 00:04:30.932 And then his his kindness and his grace and the spirit of God on it. 00:04:30.932 --> 00:04:32.565 Revelating something in my heart. 00:04:32.565 --> 00:04:34.899 It was just like, lt's like, wow. 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:38.899 So I'm going to pause and kind of highlight those things to you all. 00:04:38.966 --> 00:04:46.365 So the first thing I want to address before we get there, I'm going to tell you at one point to make a mark in your Bible if you're okay making marks, I make marks in my Bible. 00:04:46.365 --> 00:04:50.298 It's for me to go back and and study and memorize. 00:04:50.499 --> 00:05:00.966 But the cool thing and I got to even experience this with Pastor John this week is Psalm 91 goes through in about halfway through it repeats itself in different language. 00:05:01.065 --> 00:05:04.233 So you read the first part, but then it actually repeats itself. 00:05:04.233 --> 00:05:06.632 So I'm going to let you know where that little part is. 00:05:06.632 --> 00:05:07.833 So I'm going to start off here we go. 00:05:07.833 --> 00:05:11.333 We're going to have it on the screens and this is the new King James. 00:05:11.333 --> 00:05:15.466 And the reason, again, I tell you, I personally like that is, I'm a worshiper. 00:05:15.632 --> 00:05:17.233 I'm a worship leader. 00:05:17.233 --> 00:05:18.132 It flows. 00:05:18.132 --> 00:05:21.132 It's a psalmist’s language. 00:05:18.132 --> 00:05:21.132 So here we go. 00:05:21.233 --> 00:05:29.165 He who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 00:05:29.266 --> 00:05:36.399 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I will trust. 00:05:36.499 --> 00:05:42.699 Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. 00:05:42.699 --> 00:05:48.065 He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge. 00:05:48.165 --> 00:05:52.098 His truth shall be your shield and buckler. 00:05:52.165 --> 00:06:04.499 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 00:06:04.565 --> 00:06:16.699 A thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked. 00:06:16.732 --> 00:06:21.298 Now, right here, if you want to make a little mark, this is kind of what repeats itself right here. 00:06:21.298 --> 00:06:27.766 Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place. 00:06:27.831 --> 00:06:44.999 No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, for he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all of your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against the stone. 00:06:45.065 --> 00:06:51.399 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. 00:06:51.499 --> 00:06:57.266 Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him. 00:06:57.266 --> 00:07:01.831 I will set him on high, because he has known my name. 00:07:01.932 --> 00:07:05.298 He shall call upon me and I will answer him. 00:07:05.365 --> 00:07:06.966 I will be with him in trouble. 00:07:06.966 --> 00:07:08.531 I will deliver him and honor him. 00:07:08.531 --> 00:07:17.232 And that is a really cool part we're going to highlight in a minute-- I'm super pumped --With a long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. 00:07:17.466 --> 00:07:24.466 Is that not awesome? Like, do you read that? And you're like, There is a lot there, like a lot to unpack. 00:07:24.466 --> 00:07:27.732 But this morning we're just going to point out a few things. 00:07:27.831 --> 00:07:30.932 The first key into really understanding 00:07:34.565 --> 00:07:39.932 Those who dwell and abide in the secret place. 00:07:39.999 --> 00:07:42.999 Those who dwell and abide in the secret place. 00:07:43.098 --> 00:07:47.132 Now dwell and abide can be kind of interchangeable sometimes with words. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:52.999 Here's -- I looked at a thousand definitions, but here's the way I like to break it down. 00:07:53.031 --> 00:07:54.432 Dwell. 00:07:54.432 --> 00:07:59.966 A child dwells in their home, they abide in the backyard near their home. 00:07:59.966 --> 00:08:01.365 But the home is the reference point. 00:08:01.365 --> 00:08:03.132 Does that make sense? 00:08:03.132 --> 00:08:08.531 And under that, as long as the child is dwelling and abiding in that, they're safe. 00:08:08.632 --> 00:08:10.732 Right? 00:08:10.732 --> 00:08:13.831 I got into beekeeping this year. 00:08:13.899 --> 00:08:18.531 I'm not an expert, harvested some honey this year, I'm excited and learning a bunch. 00:08:18.531 --> 00:08:29.266 But when my bees dwell in the house that I provided for them, they abide in my yard, all within they're using the reference point as as their home. 00:08:29.266 --> 00:08:30.266 Right? 00:08:30.266 --> 00:08:34.966 So the dwell and abide can be interchangeable. 00:08:34.966 --> 00:08:40.399 But in this passage they have a little bit of a of a distinction between the two. 00:08:40.466 --> 00:08:50.831 So I want you to think of like, okay, dwelling is residency and abiding is kind of the in within the distance of the residency. 00:08:50.831 --> 00:08:53.831 But the key part is this, the secret place. 00:08:53.899 --> 00:08:57.331 What is the secret place? 00:08:57.399 --> 00:08:58.731 What is the secret place? 00:08:58.731 --> 00:09:05.066 The secret place is where he is. 00:09:05.131 --> 00:09:11.499 The secret place is where he is. 00:09:11.599 --> 00:09:16.131 That sometimes looks different day to day. 00:09:16.198 --> 00:09:19.198 He's the king of kings, Lord of Lords. 00:09:19.432 --> 00:09:20.331 He's on the move. 00:09:20.331 --> 00:09:23.765 He's doing things. 00:09:23.865 --> 00:09:36.731 The secret place is where he is and in John 15, remember that It says if we abide in him, and his words abide in us. 00:09:36.831 --> 00:09:50.731 So my--if I want to really unpack and understand Psalm 91, I have to get those first keys of dwelling, in abiding where he is. 00:09:50.798 --> 00:09:54.932 The danger with the mere scripture is this-- we can roll past these words. 00:09:54.932 --> 00:09:55.999 I mean, I'm guilty of it. 00:09:55.999 --> 00:10:06.666 You know, sometimes, I get up in the morning, I do my morning reading and I'm exhausted, and I've got my cup of coffee, and the dog is running out and in, and all that, and I just am like, I just got to get this done. 00:10:06.666 --> 00:10:08.966 I just got to get this done. 00:10:06.666 --> 00:10:08.966 I got to get on to the kids. 00:10:08.966 --> 00:10:10.066 I gotta... 00:10:10.066 --> 00:10:11.932 So sometimes it can happen. 00:10:11.932 --> 00:10:24.499 We can we can easily roll past this because we think we already know it, but we cannot exhaust understanding the truth of God's living Word. Amen? 00:10:24.566 --> 00:10:33.365 We always need to ask the Lord for fresh revelation and to reveal himself in any area that we have self-deception and we need to be honest with ourselves. 00:10:33.365 --> 00:10:46.131 Like when I read a passage of scripture like this, I'm going to be honest with you all here, when I read it and when I begin to do it, some of my mentors, this is a key verse that that they've been anchored into for years. 00:10:46.166 --> 00:10:46.731 I would read it. 00:10:46.731 --> 00:10:48.966 I'm like, Sounds great. Sounds. 00:10:48.966 --> 00:10:51.966 I don't know what it means, but it sounds good, you know? 00:10:51.999 --> 00:10:56.298 Yay! And then I'll be like, okay, I want it to take root. 00:10:56.365 --> 00:10:58.331 I want it to take root. 00:10:58.331 --> 00:11:03.631 And I had to be honest, does it really govern the way I live my life? 00:11:03.698 --> 00:11:08.032 When I read some 91, does it govern the way I live my life? 00:11:08.032 --> 00:11:10.565 Does it usher me into prayer? 00:11:10.565 --> 00:11:19.131 Does it usher me into contending for this passage, or is it just head knowledge? 00:11:19.198 --> 00:11:32.198 And in this, it's realizing that it's an ongoing lifestyle that fosters consciousness and awareness of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:32.298 --> 00:11:39.932 A lot of people fall short of that because they get the idea of it, but they don't have the contending for it. 00:11:39.999 --> 00:11:42.631 Does that make sense? 00:11:42.631 --> 00:11:50.731 They get this idea that they're like, you know, I read it sounds good, but no, we are called to contend for it. 00:11:50.831 --> 00:11:58.131 Take this passage, grab a hold of it, let it become yours until you see yourself in that passage. 00:11:58.131 --> 00:11:59.831 And sometimes I'll do that with my journal. 00:11:59.831 --> 00:12:15.631 I will actually rewrite the passage out and I will say, Andrew abides and dwells with I mean, I will I will find myself in this passage to where it becomes me, because I need that to anchor myself. 00:12:15.698 --> 00:12:21.798 The second key that I want to highlight right here is this: He will deliver and protect. 00:12:21.798 --> 00:12:30.164 Now, I have read this, this verse, this passage numerous times, numerous times, numerous times, especially in different dark seasons. 00:12:30.231 --> 00:12:32.664 I would let it play over me all night long. 00:12:32.664 --> 00:12:34.764 Just listening to it, listening to it. 00:12:34.764 --> 00:12:38.731 I never realized the connection on this until this week. 00:12:38.798 --> 00:12:46.764 Verse three, which is ‘surely he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler’ in verse 14 through 16. 00:12:46.764 --> 00:13:02.798 Check it out‘because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him and I will set him on high because he knows my name and he shall call me and I will answer him and I will be with him in trouble.’ Here's the cool thing. 00:13:02.798 --> 00:13:09.532 Before this passage unlocks this thing about protection he talks about he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler. 00:13:09.532 --> 00:13:18.932 Now, the fowler was the hunter, and the way they would like trap these birds is they would they would like, put out usually fruit out of season. 00:13:19.032 --> 00:13:26.032 They'd put out the things that were enticing and they would set the traps and the birds would come in and start eating and, boom, they would catch them. And here... 00:13:26.032 --> 00:13:38.432 here's the cool thing, it’s Psalm 91, it says this‘I will deliver you from the fowler.’ But if you jump over to verse 14, it says ‘not only will I deliver you, but I will honor you.’ Are you getting it? 00:13:38.432 --> 00:13:41.331 Not only do I deliver you, but I will honor you. 00:13:41.331 --> 00:13:43.264 That is powerful. 00:13:43.264 --> 00:13:45.331 That is huge. 00:13:45.331 --> 00:13:50.231 How many times as a parent, when I deliver my child, I don't honor them. 00:13:50.331 --> 00:13:51.532 I'm late. 00:13:51.532 --> 00:13:53.164 So Declan is my middle one. 00:13:53.164 --> 00:13:54.831 He's always doing something. 00:13:54.831 --> 00:13:56.198 Jumping and getting hurt and all that. 00:13:56.198 --> 00:14:01.131 And I'm like, Declan, that's why you got stuck. 00:14:01.131 --> 00:14:03.099 Don't do it again. 00:14:03.099 --> 00:14:04.032 Get out of there. 00:14:04.032 --> 00:14:06.365 Why do you think your leg hurts? 00:14:04.032 --> 00:14:06.365 You just jumped out of a tree. 00:14:06.365 --> 00:14:07.231 You know, it... it... 00:14:07.231 --> 00:14:11.698 but here's what the Lord is saying in that passage. 00:14:11.764 --> 00:14:14.032 I will deliver him and then I'll go, you know what? 00:14:14.032 --> 00:14:15.499 Hey, that's my child. 00:14:15.499 --> 00:14:16.664 That's my son. 00:14:16.664 --> 00:14:18.899 That's my daughter. I'm so proud of them. 00:14:18.899 --> 00:14:20.331 They're awesome. 00:14:20.331 --> 00:14:23.331 They're amazing. That's my beloved one. 00:14:23.331 --> 00:14:25.331 Hey, that's my child right there. 00:14:25.331 --> 00:14:31.664 I know what, no, I know what they did here, but guess what? I love them. That's mine. 00:14:31.731 --> 00:14:38.798 That totally contradicts our culture of shame, right? 00:14:38.798 --> 00:14:40.831 It totally contradicts our culture of shame. 00:14:40.831 --> 00:14:47.231 And here he is saying, look, he's going to deliver you and honor you. 00:14:47.331 --> 00:15:02.899 And then if you continue with that it says this,‘and I will set him on high because he knows my name.’ If we know his name, if we have given our yes to him and we make him first, when we fall into the snare of the fowler, when we fall into those mistakes. 00:15:03.065 --> 00:15:04.599 Look, I had one this week. 00:15:04.599 --> 00:15:06.198 Maybe I'm the only one, but I had that. 00:15:06.198 --> 00:15:08.899 I made the dumb decision. 00:15:06.198 --> 00:15:08.899 I came in agreement with fear. 00:15:08.899 --> 00:15:13.865 I came in agreement with the law, and I agreed with this, saying I'm like, Oh my gosh, here I am again, man. 00:15:13.865 --> 00:15:15.331 How did I do that? 00:15:15.331 --> 00:15:19.264 And the Lord’s like, hey, I'm going to deliver you. 00:15:19.365 --> 00:15:20.731 And I got you. 00:15:20.731 --> 00:15:26.731 I love that the passage brings up deliverance before the protection. 00:15:26.831 --> 00:15:31.899 I love that it puts it in that order because we would think, oh, well, the protection wasn't there. 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:33.231 That's why I got here. 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:33.231 And then he had to deliver me. 00:15:33.231 --> 00:15:42.331 Now he's like, uh uh, I'm going to deliver you and then I'm going to protect you. 00:15:42.432 --> 00:15:43.865 Grab ahold of that today. 00:15:43.865 --> 00:15:46.231 Let that, let that pierce your heart. 00:15:46.231 --> 00:15:48.532 Let the Holy Spirit breathe on that. 00:15:48.532 --> 00:15:57.099 What does it look [like] in your life for him to have delivered you and honored you? 00:15:57.198 --> 00:16:04.298 The second part of that is he delivers and he protects me. 00:16:04.399 --> 00:16:09.231 Part of Jesus--part of God's name is Elohim. 00:16:09.231 --> 00:16:10.298 If I'm pronouncing right. 00:16:10.298 --> 00:16:14.365 I’ll have my expert right here correct me. Am I saying it right? 00:16:14.365 --> 00:16:16.599 Is that how you would say it, how would you say it? 00:16:16.599 --> 00:16:20.865 Okay, great. Awesome. Yes. 00:16:20.932 --> 00:16:26.399 I have to hold on to that name as my protector. 00:16:26.465 --> 00:16:32.399 And one of my favorite passages that ... that we... 00:16:32.465 --> 00:16:49.164 that I personally reflect back to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that says that he says in Daniel three he will deliver us from the hand o King, but it's not let it be known O King that we will not serve your God. 00:16:49.231 --> 00:16:59.998 This is the thing that Adrian and I were talking about this week a little bit, and there's so many people that they look at a passage like this and they'll say, okay, well, he protects me. 00:16:59.998 --> 00:17:06.897 But Andrew, I had an experience where he didn't I had this encounter where it didn't work out the way I thought it would. 00:17:06.964 --> 00:17:15.065 I'm holding on to this truth, but it didn't it didn't work that way. 00:17:15.164 --> 00:17:17.932 I'm sorry. 00:17:17.932 --> 00:17:20.932 I'm sorry. 00:17:21.097 --> 00:17:24.432 And it's okay not to know why. 00:17:24.531 --> 00:17:28.132 I had a friend of mine years ago went through cancer. 00:17:28.198 --> 00:17:29.332 She was. 00:17:29.332 --> 00:17:30.597 We were the same age roughly. 00:17:30.597 --> 00:17:38.897 She was two or three years older and she got diagnosed with the same exact diagnosis, Hodgkin's lymphoma. 00:17:38.932 --> 00:17:49.365 And she... I had 1A, she had 2B, which meant it was in two different locations with the same size and she didn't respond to chemo. 00:17:49.365 --> 00:17:51.932 Her body didn't respond to chemo. 00:17:51.932 --> 00:18:01.065 Her ...She and her husband pastored the largest youth group in the country that over 5000 kids a week that they were ministering to when she was in her hospital room. 00:18:01.065 --> 00:18:08.698 They were praying so loud outside of her hospital room that they actually had to shut down the wing of the hospital. 00:18:08.765 --> 00:18:17.031 And there were so many kids outside of the hospital that it was... it was just unheard of. 00:18:17.031 --> 00:18:19.231 News stories, all this. 00:18:19.231 --> 00:18:21.097 She didn't make it. 00:18:21.097 --> 00:18:23.832 I did. 00:18:23.832 --> 00:18:26.031 I don't know why. 00:18:26.031 --> 00:18:27.397 It was tormenting at first. 00:18:27.397 --> 00:18:31.698 It was ...it was... I had to get some prayer and healing over that. 00:18:31.765 --> 00:18:33.832 I don't know why. 00:18:33.832 --> 00:18:35.298 I don't know why. 00:18:35.298 --> 00:18:36.897 Was it open doors of the enemy? Was it? 00:18:36.897 --> 00:18:37.897 I don't know. 00:18:37.897 --> 00:18:40.132 I don't know. I don't know. 00:18:40.132 --> 00:18:41.397 I don't know. 00:18:41.397 --> 00:18:42.298 And that's okay. 00:18:42.298 --> 00:18:47.298 That I don't know, because the truth is this. 00:18:47.365 --> 00:18:52.132 I will say the Lord, He is my refuge, even when it doesn't make sense. 00:18:52.198 --> 00:18:58.498 Even when I don't understand, I will say the Lord is my refuge. 00:18:58.498 --> 00:19:03.932 I will white knuckle, grabbing ahold of the truth, that He is my refuge, even when it ... when I... 00:19:03.932 --> 00:19:07.832 I don't know why it's sometimes and sometimes I don't know. 00:19:08.031 --> 00:19:11.332 I'm going to grab ahold on and just say, this is where my identity is. 00:19:11.332 --> 00:19:13.932 This is where my hope is this is where my security is. 00:19:13.932 --> 00:19:15.097 I may be facing this. 00:19:15.097 --> 00:19:18.932 This may be the reality of the natural things, but it doesn't matter. 00:19:18.998 --> 00:19:19.964 The picture I see. 00:19:19.964 --> 00:19:22.531 It's like when a child grabs ahold of their parent's leg. 00:19:22.531 --> 00:19:23.897 It's I'm holding on. 00:19:23.897 --> 00:19:25.832 I'm holding on. You go, I go. 00:19:25.832 --> 00:19:29.164 We're together. We're one. 00:19:29.265 --> 00:19:36.998 Because that is what I have to be anchored in, because all the enemy wants is just that open door to start playing mind games. 00:19:37.198 --> 00:19:42.865 And if he gets in there and starts playing mind games, then I'll start questioning, Well, maybe it does and maybe it doesn't. 00:19:40.432 --> 00:19:42.865 And then what about this? 00:19:42.865 --> 00:19:43.432 And what about that? 00:19:43.432 --> 00:19:51.397 And then suddenly I'm on a slippery slope of unbelief because of maybe an experience. 00:19:51.397 --> 00:20:02.332 And I'm here to encourage you today that maybe you've had those, maybe you lost a loved one to COVID, cancer, sickness, disease or things just didn't happen the way you thought they would. The enemy came in. 00:20:02.397 --> 00:20:06.464 You know, the fowler came in, snuck something, stole something. 00:20:06.531 --> 00:20:11.332 He's my refuge End of statement. 00:20:11.332 --> 00:20:15.964 And when things don't make sense, he's still my refuge. 00:20:15.964 --> 00:20:25.731 And that's what I love in Daniel three when Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego say, if he doesn't protect me, I'm still not bowing. 00:20:25.731 --> 00:20:26.832 I'm still not bowing. 00:20:26.832 --> 00:20:29.464 I'm still standing, I'm still holding on. 00:20:29.464 --> 00:20:32.231 And I'll tell you right now, I'm still learning this process. 00:20:32.231 --> 00:20:44.731 I don't say I have it all figured out, but I am going to grab ahold and hold on I had a... back... that I always get Labor Day and Memorial Day. Labor Day, right? 00:20:44.731 --> 00:20:45.932 That was the one we just had, right? 00:20:45.932 --> 00:20:47.998 Yeah. Labor Day. Yeah. 00:20:47.998 --> 00:20:49.765 Labor Day. 00:20:49.765 --> 00:20:57.597 We did a family hike and Ariyah, we went to the spot that we hadn't been in a while. 00:20:57.597 --> 00:20:59.332 It was Hemlocks Cliffs. 00:20:57.597 --> 00:21:01.432 If you've never been there, it's an Indiana beautiful trail. 00:21:01.432 --> 00:21:02.632 Really easy trail. 00:21:02.632 --> 00:21:05.231 Well, I say real easy- easy for kids. 00:21:05.231 --> 00:21:07.731 It's a it's a great trail. 00:21:07.731 --> 00:21:14.964 You go down this ravine, then you hike along this creek bed and you pop out about a mile and a half long Ariyah. 00:21:14.964 --> 00:21:19.198 The last time she went was 3 years ago. And we almost went 3 years to the day. 00:21:19.265 --> 00:21:19.964 She was little. 00:21:19.964 --> 00:21:24.664 She's in a backpack carrier and all this. 00:21:19.964 --> 00:21:32.632 Now, my little princess recognizes all the things that you face in the woods, like the snakes and the bears and the lions and whatever else you can imagine. 00:21:32.698 --> 00:21:36.464 Wherever I went, she was glued to me. 00:21:36.698 --> 00:21:38.765 If you got a picture of her, put it up there. 00:21:38.765 --> 00:21:43.097 This is this is Ariyah and I in the woods together and wherever we went. 00:21:43.132 --> 00:21:47.932 Yeah, she's wearing a tutu running shoes. 00:21:47.932 --> 00:21:49.265 And that's. 00:21:49.265 --> 00:21:52.731 That's her normal attire when she's not in school. 00:21:52.798 --> 00:22:04.298 So there... there Ariyah and I were walking through the woods, and at first I'm walking ahead and I have this horrible tendency when I'm with my family, I tend to walk a little faster, be ahead of. 00:22:04.397 --> 00:22:07.464 She was glued to me and I'm like, Man, you're usually not this glued to me. 00:22:07.464 --> 00:22:14.131 But she knew that whatever the woods would bring, I would protect her. 00:22:14.198 --> 00:22:16.964 She knew whatever there was, obstacle would come. 00:22:16.964 --> 00:22:18.530 Whether we were going down a ravine. 00:22:18.530 --> 00:22:23.765 I was going to take care of her and, you know, certain sections. 00:22:23.765 --> 00:22:25.431 She was like, I'm tired. Carry me, all this. 00:22:25.431 --> 00:22:31.964 But I would try to even even hide from her a little bit just to see, like we'd go around a corner. 00:22:29.765 --> 00:22:31.964 I'd be like, my how about this? Right? 00:22:31.964 --> 00:22:33.365 No, she found me like that. 00:22:33.365 --> 00:22:34.964 She was on it. 00:22:33.365 --> 00:22:36.230 She was just like, Where you at dad? Nope, I’m right here with you. 00:22:36.230 --> 00:22:37.964 I'm right here with you. 00:22:37.964 --> 00:23:00.765 That was the perfect picture for me of abiding in this in this specific passage of Scripture was the way Ariyah was just glued to me because she knew no matter what we faced, daddy's got a knife, daddy's got a gun, and he's going to take care of it. 00:23:00.830 --> 00:23:01.330 And here's the thing. 00:23:01.330 --> 00:23:02.464 Here's the cool part. 00:23:02.464 --> 00:23:07.065 By the end of the hike, she felt so comfortable. 00:23:07.131 --> 00:23:12.730 She ran off ahead of me because she knew that I was still there on the trail with her. 00:23:12.830 --> 00:23:13.830 And I was like chased her. 00:23:13.830 --> 00:23:16.698 She's like, let's race, dad, you can't catch me. 00:23:16.698 --> 00:23:19.698 I'm going get back to the car before you know the beginning. 00:23:19.865 --> 00:23:22.230 She's like this by the end of it. Why? 00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:25.431 Because she knew that we were together. 00:23:25.498 --> 00:23:28.164 We were abiding. 00:23:28.164 --> 00:23:30.265 So he delivers and he protects. 00:23:30.265 --> 00:23:32.631 The third key is this. 00:23:32.631 --> 00:23:40.330 You will not fear verse five, verse six. 00:23:40.330 --> 00:23:50.397 You should not be afraid of the terror of the night with the arrows and flight day, nor the pestilence that walk in the darkness, nor the destruction that lays waste at noonday. 00:23:50.464 --> 00:24:06.230 If you're not abiding in God, if you're not spending that time with him, if you're not soaking in his presence, if you're not just sitting there and engaging with him, what are you abiding in? 00:24:06.230 --> 00:24:07.931 Are you abiding in pride? 00:24:07.931 --> 00:24:10.730 Are you abiding it fear? 00:24:10.730 --> 00:24:15.030 Are you abiding in hey, I am self-made. 00:24:15.131 --> 00:24:17.798 What are you abiding in? 00:24:17.798 --> 00:24:21.798 Are you abiding in unbelief, hopelessness? 00:24:21.865 --> 00:24:30.198 Every moment we have an opportunity to move deeper into truth with him. 00:24:30.265 --> 00:24:43.230 And when we abide with him, the fear just seems so much smaller of whatever we're facing, whether it's a job loss, whether it's health, finances. 00:24:43.230 --> 00:24:51.931 And again, I know all of these things are real, but when we're with him, we know, just like Ariyah. 00:24:51.931 --> 00:24:52.931 I'm with her. 00:24:52.931 --> 00:25:01.397 And whatever we face dad's going to take care of it, dad's going to take care of it. 00:25:01.464 --> 00:25:11.765 So then we go to the application part of this and that's this How do we abide? 00:25:11.865 --> 00:25:16.397 How do we endure? 00:25:16.498 --> 00:25:25.330 First of all, it's all about the secret place we have to learn how to abide in and dwell there. We have to learn. 00:25:25.431 --> 00:25:26.964 How do we go there? 00:25:26.964 --> 00:25:30.931 Matthew 6. 00:25:26.964 --> 00:25:49.164 ‘But when you pray, go into your room, and when you shut your door, pray to your father who's in the secret place and your father who sees in secret, will reward you openly.’ For me to abide, I have to learn to stop the busyness. 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:54.631 I am very, very, very busy. 00:25:54.730 --> 00:25:56.030 Very busy. 00:25:56.030 --> 00:26:01.698 You are very, very, very busy. 00:26:01.765 --> 00:26:09.198 I have to stop sometimes that once I drop a child off at school, I have to pull over on the side of the road. 00:26:09.198 --> 00:26:11.397 Okay. God, I know. I had the morning Bible moment. 00:26:11.397 --> 00:26:15.131 I know I drank my coffee. Here I am. 00:26:15.230 --> 00:26:18.397 Here I am. 00:26:18.498 --> 00:26:19.830 Where are you? 00:26:19.830 --> 00:26:20.698 Are we together? 00:26:20.698 --> 00:26:21.798 We on the same page. 00:26:21.798 --> 00:26:23.865 Am I ahead of you? Am I behind you? 00:26:23.865 --> 00:26:31.330 It like I just want to make sure we're in sync together. 00:26:31.431 --> 00:26:35.865 Sometimes, like I have to shut the phone off or I have to...and I get it. 00:26:35.865 --> 00:26:36.330 They're all ... 00:26:36.330 --> 00:26:39.131 we all have emergencies. We all have. 00:26:39.131 --> 00:26:40.397 Where are you? 00:26:40.397 --> 00:26:43.330 Where are you? 00:26:43.330 --> 00:26:44.365 What are you highlighting? 00:26:44.365 --> 00:26:46.330 What are you doing? 00:26:46.330 --> 00:26:49.230 Am I connected? 00:26:49.230 --> 00:26:52.865 Am I engaged with what you're doing? 00:26:52.931 --> 00:26:53.964 What do you want to talk about? 00:26:53.964 --> 00:26:55.265 What's on your heart? 00:26:55.265 --> 00:26:58.698 What's on your mind? 00:26:58.765 --> 00:27:03.265 Then that suddenly that that moment of stopping becomes a secret place. 00:27:03.365 --> 00:27:04.164 You understand? 00:27:04.164 --> 00:27:06.198 It becomes the secret place. Why? 00:27:06.198 --> 00:27:10.798 Because we're engaging as one, our hearts are connected. 00:27:10.798 --> 00:27:11.964 Because I'm stopping. 00:27:11.964 --> 00:27:15.730 I'm listening to what is on his heart. 00:27:15.830 --> 00:27:20.498 And a key part of that, too, is humility. 00:27:20.597 --> 00:27:25.964 Look, when I'm busy, sometimes I'm like, Oh, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it, I got it. 00:27:25.964 --> 00:27:26.664 I'll get it done. 00:27:26.664 --> 00:27:29.464 I got it, I got it. Humility. 00:27:29.464 --> 00:27:35.830 It requires me stopping and going, I can't do anything without you. 00:27:36.065 --> 00:27:44.730 And here I am about to run off, try to parent kids, try to lead worship, try to counsel situations, try to handle this, try to handle that. 00:27:44.897 --> 00:27:50.763 And I'm about to do it without you because I'm not in humility of dependance of you. 00:27:50.830 --> 00:27:54.030 I have to stop and plug myself in and go, okay, am I am unplugged? 00:27:54.163 --> 00:27:55.364 Am I running on empty? 00:27:55.364 --> 00:27:57.263 Am I... are we... are we in tune? 00:27:57.263 --> 00:28:00.230 Are we engaged with each other? 00:28:00.298 --> 00:28:06.431 That humility is what keeps me anchored to who he is, to what he's knowing. 00:28:06.431 --> 00:28:07.698 Okay, I'm dependent. 00:28:07.698 --> 00:28:09.864 I can't do anything without you. 00:28:09.864 --> 00:28:16.698 I've been fully forgiven and I have to have you for anything and everything I do. 00:28:16.763 --> 00:28:20.763 Or I will wake up and be stupid. 00:28:20.864 --> 00:28:22.163 I'm just being honest. 00:28:22.163 --> 00:28:27.631 Like I have to be that dependent because I could be stupid on the turn of a dime. 00:28:27.698 --> 00:28:28.498 Ask Adrienne. 00:28:28.498 --> 00:28:29.097 But I can. 00:28:29.097 --> 00:28:29.963 I can. But. 00:28:29.963 --> 00:28:33.163 But for real. Like I have to be. 00:28:33.263 --> 00:28:34.963 Okay. Here I am. 00:28:34.963 --> 00:28:36.663 Here I am. 00:28:36.663 --> 00:28:40.030 Here I am. 00:28:40.131 --> 00:28:43.131 It's got to be constant connection. 00:28:43.330 --> 00:28:57.431 John 2 verse 6 reminds us that whoever claims to abide in Jesus must walk as Jesus walked in step with his Father. 00:28:57.530 --> 00:29:02.163 So how do we trust? 00:29:02.263 --> 00:29:10.097 Like Psalm 91 shows us it's the simple steps of obedience in faith. 00:29:10.163 --> 00:29:15.131 The simple steps of obedience and faith. 00:29:15.131 --> 00:29:24.364 Exodus 33, Moses, one of my favorite people in the Bible, says, ‘My presence will go with you’ it’s God was telling him this. 00:29:24.463 --> 00:29:27.298 ‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. 00:29:27.298 --> 00:29:39.864 Then he said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us from here.’ We have to put our trust in God alone. 00:29:39.931 --> 00:29:42.897 And when I put my trust in others, I am. 00:29:42.897 --> 00:29:49.963 I am putting my trust in God in them, not in not putting my identity or my trust in them. 00:29:49.963 --> 00:29:51.931 Does that make sense? 00:29:51.931 --> 00:30:02.597 I'm putting my trust in what God is doing inside them, but we have to put our trust in Him alone. 00:30:02.663 --> 00:30:06.730 We have to put our focus in Him alone. 00:30:06.830 --> 00:30:17.030 If I can put my trust there and I realize that I'm not leaning on my own understanding and my own strength, and I can be obedient with the baby steps of faith. 00:30:17.198 --> 00:30:25.830 That's how my trust will go there When I'm comfortable, I honestly don't do as good a job trusting. 00:30:25.897 --> 00:30:35.263 When I've taken baby steps of obedience, It forces me to trust because it's usually things that make me slightly uncomfortable. 00:30:35.364 --> 00:30:39.163 It's usually things like, Hey, you see that person in the store? 00:30:39.163 --> 00:30:41.498 Why don't you ask me if you can pray for him? 00:30:41.498 --> 00:30:44.931 I really don't want to be that guy or it's or it's. 00:30:44.931 --> 00:30:50.864 It's another situation of God saying, Hey, I want you to call that person and ask them this. 00:30:50.963 --> 00:30:56.431 Or Hey, call that friend up and ask them a painful conversation. 00:30:56.431 --> 00:31:07.131 But you feel that I'm actually on it or do this, or it's those little steps of obedience being in tune with what he's saying in tune in that all comes out of abiding. 00:31:07.131 --> 00:31:12.798 As I'm abiding, I start ...my mind begins to get renewed as I dwell there with him. 00:31:12.798 --> 00:31:26.663 I start realizing, Oh wow, this starts changing inside of me because I am spending so much time in the presence of Jesus. 00:31:26.730 --> 00:31:37.431 Had these three friends in college and one was from one from New Zealand, other was South African, the other one was from England. 00:31:37.498 --> 00:31:42.864 And I hung out with them all the time and we were always doing stuff in music, things together. 00:31:43.097 --> 00:31:48.798 The thing was, because I spent so much time with them, I, weirdly enough, I'm from Louisiana. 00:31:48.798 --> 00:31:50.564 I grew up in Kentucky, don't have an accent. 00:31:50.564 --> 00:31:57.763 I actually started sounding like them a little bit and I was like, I would say something ... to a friend, I would say a word, and they'd be like, Say that again? 00:31:57.763 --> 00:32:05.631 I'd say it and they’d be like, You sound like Aaron, who was British, or You sound like this guy who is from South Africa, Jonathan. You sound like this guy Jason from New Zealand. 00:32:05.631 --> 00:32:07.698 I'd be like, No, I don't. 00:32:07.698 --> 00:32:10.763 They're like, You do, and I’m like, really? You serious? 00:32:10.763 --> 00:32:13.564 I don't know. That's weird. 00:32:13.564 --> 00:32:14.498 But here's the thing. 00:32:14.498 --> 00:32:21.864 When we abide with him and we're spinning that, we begin to look like him. 00:32:21.931 --> 00:32:35.663 The trust becomes more a part of our identity and what we do as sons and daughters of the King. 00:32:35.763 --> 00:32:49.564 So the last application point-- before I go there, I'm going to ask the deacons to go ahead and prepare communion-- is, hold fast to him in love. 00:32:49.663 --> 00:32:50.631 Psalm 27. 00:32:50.631 --> 00:33:05.830 ‘For one thing, I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek His temple.’ John 14, verse 15. 00:33:05.830 --> 00:33:11.631 ‘If you love God, you will keep His commandments, no matter how weak or small our love seems. 00:33:11.698 --> 00:33:28.463 God takes notice of every yes we give Him, every small step of obedience is lavishing your love upon him.’ He's got to be our first thing we look at. 00:33:28.463 --> 00:33:34.864 We've got to set our gaze and our love on him. 00:33:34.931 --> 00:33:37.497 And it comes from abiding. 00:33:37.497 --> 00:33:51.663 It comes from just being together and it comes together with...with, just to be relational, to interact, to engage with one another. 00:33:51.730 --> 00:33:55.263 Adrienne and I, a lot of y'all know Facebook, Instagram, all that. 00:33:55.263 --> 00:34:03.530 We just got back from a trip in Italy, and it's a trip that I've been wanting to do for a long time. 00:34:03.596 --> 00:34:05.297 I think they've got a picture of us up there. 00:34:05.297 --> 00:34:06.696 I just had such a good time. 00:34:06.696 --> 00:34:09.697 I was like, Oh, we got to put a picture up there. 00:34:09.697 --> 00:34:12.697 Yes, that is us in a boat on Lake Como. 00:34:12.831 --> 00:34:14.097 It's beautiful. Paradise. 00:34:14.097 --> 00:34:15.764 Part of heaven will look like Lake Como. 00:34:15.764 --> 00:34:19.864 I'm just telling you, just if you all want to know what heaven look, look up Google Lake Como. 00:34:20.063 --> 00:34:22.264 It's heaven. 00:34:22.331 --> 00:34:23.664 But here's the thing. 00:34:23.664 --> 00:34:26.063 We had such a good time. 00:34:26.063 --> 00:34:27.731 We got to travel the countryside. 00:34:27.731 --> 00:34:29.264 Just doing. 00:34:29.264 --> 00:34:33.063 Just being together. 00:34:33.130 --> 00:34:38.097 And because our life is really busy, just like your lives are really busy. 00:34:38.164 --> 00:34:48.530 When we got away like that, I realized, Oh my goodness, I really, really, really, really love my wife. 00:34:48.597 --> 00:34:50.697 Like you love each other. 00:34:50.697 --> 00:34:51.996 You love each other. 00:34:51.996 --> 00:34:56.164 But when you get away and you just are like, We're just going to be together. 00:34:56.164 --> 00:35:06.130 There's no kids around, there's no distraction, and we're going to be in one of the most beautiful places in the earth and just be together like, Let's go get gelato for the third time today. 00:35:06.264 --> 00:35:08.996 Let's, you know, let's, let's get pizza. 00:35:08.996 --> 00:35:15.331 You know, it's...it’s...but you're just like, we're just having fun and you're abiding. 00:35:15.331 --> 00:35:24.231 You're dwelling together in this relationship of, like, no agenda, but just being together in the most beautiful place. 00:35:24.297 --> 00:35:28.963 That's what God desires daily. 00:35:29.063 --> 00:35:31.297 And it's an invitation. 00:35:31.297 --> 00:35:33.264 It's an invitation. 00:35:33.264 --> 00:35:34.463 Yeah. To that.