The Way of Wisdom - Trust in the Lord | Week 2

In this teaching, the focus is on Solomon imparting wisdom to his sons, emphasizing the importance of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge. The fear mentioned here is not a fear of punishment but a reverence for God's love, correction, and holiness. The perspective encourages trust in the Lord, acknowledging Him in all aspects of life.

The passage from Proverbs 3 emphasizes the instruction from a father to his son, highlighting the significance of love and faithfulness as qualities to be bound around one's neck and written on the tablet of the heart. Trusting in the Lord with all one's heart, not leaning on personal understanding, and acknowledging God in all ways is presented as a path to straightened paths and wisdom.

The teaching delves into the practical application of wisdom, urging believers to avoid being wise in their own eyes, to fear the Lord, turn away from evil, and experience healing and refreshment. It also touches on honoring the Lord with one's wealth and first fruits, promising blessings in return. The concept is further connected to real-life examples, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging God's role in achievements and attributing success to Him.

The final section discusses the Lord's discipline as an expression of love, encouraging believers not to despise correction but to embrace it for personal growth. The teaching concludes with an invitation to trust in the Lord and a call to align oneself with the way of wisdom. Overall, the message emphasizes the transformative power of aligning one's life with God's wisdom and guidance.

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Transcript

Pastor Jason Brown: 0:00

Okay, this question who are you listening to? Where do you get your wisdom from? Well, this last week I was in my backyard and I was digging a hole. And I'll tell you like this is a skill set that was taught to me by my father, not because I wanted to learn it Anybody understand what I'm talking about. So when I was young, when I would be like Baba, here's a shovel, go dig a hole, and I'd be like, great, that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to do that right now. No, but what was amazing about that is you actually learn how to use a shovel, you actually learn how to put your pressure on it, you learn how to actually use the tool for the job. And there's something about that.

Pastor Jason Brown: 0:39

And so there I am in my backyard and there's this, this plant. I'm trying to get out of the ground and it's seriously stuck in there and I'm digging a hole and you know, I kind of tried to shortcut it. So I dug a whole part way and then I kind of got a hole underneath the plant and I was trying to use a pry bar to take it out of the ground and I bent the pry bar. So I was like I got a shovel, let's use the shovel. That makes sense. See, I didn't want to dig all the way around like I should have, right? So I put that bad boy in there and I crank it down as hard as I can until it snapped, and then I didn't have a shovel that worked anymore. Then I had the teeny, tiny shovel at just the end and I had to go and find another one to finish the job. But it was something where I had this voice that echoed in my head that was like JT, what are you doing, man? It was like the sound of my dad when I was young, using my initials to very clearly communicate that I was not doing it correctly, which is a good thing. You know, I didn't think it was a good thing when I was young, and so take two of trying to get the plant out of the ground. The plant is out of the ground successfully, thank you, thank you, but it's because I actually did it correct and I didn't take any shortcuts. I went all the way around and dug it all the way out, all the way to the root, and got that bad boy out of there.

Pastor Jason Brown: 2:01

And there's something about those skillsets you learn, and I'm so very thankful having learned them now as an adult, when, as a child and as a young man, it was not excited about learning those things. But now that I need the skills, I'm very thankful that I have the skills. You know, one of the things I was thinking about was that I had to learn to back up a truck in a trailer. I learned how to drive a truck in a trailer from when I was young and you know, a lot of people don't know how to do that around the world and, as we live in Europe and other places like, there's no context for that. So it's like a very unique skill, and so those of you who can do that, that's great, because someone taught you how to do that or, through trial and error, you have learned how to do it. And so it becomes this thing where I remember when I first got in there, I was like so nervous to mess it up Anybody know what I'm talking about and so you just told me to mess it up, and then you realize you have turned the other way for the thing to do what you wanted to do, and if you go too fast it's going to jackknife on you, and so you're trying to figure all this stuff out and look and use your mirrors. We didn't have cameras. And if you had a real long trailer, you're just hoping and praying that someone's not stupid enough to get out behind you because they are going to go see Jesus, and so you're backing it on up. Man.

Pastor Jason Brown: 3:21

But it wasn't just a skill like that, it's other skills too. It's the thought process of being able to change a tire whenever it goes out on your vehicle. It's not a skill you want to have because you don't want to have to change a tire, but whenever it happens to you that you have the ability to change a tire is a good skill to have. Like many of you guys are watching this guy change a tire, realize he has no leverage because he's sitting on his bottom and it's driving you crazy, just like it is me. But see it, the skill set is there so you can get out of a jam because you have the skill to do so. Someone has invested in you and you wisely learned how to do it.

Pastor Jason Brown: 4:00

I think I think about it like working on cars and and I had to work on cars a bit, I'm not good. My two brother-in-law is there like professional mechanics. They do it all the time. They can walk up, they can hear an engine and tell you what's the matter with it. Listen to your car. They open the hood and I'm like, standing there by them, I'm like, oh yeah, that bit is round. Is it supposed to be around? Look at that. And they'll explain it to me like yeah, this is this, and this is all you gotta do is like take off these five parts and this other thing and then you're good. I was like cool, that's cool. I don't know how to do that, you know, but it's some of the things you have to learn how to do. I could tinker enough to kind of get get by, but you know, it's one of those things, this skill set, and they have a real skill. I mean, it helps. It helps tons of people out because they have a skill that they can fix it.

Pastor Jason Brown: 4:54

And I was thinking about all those skills that we learned, that are passed on to us and imparted to us, and one of the ones that's probably something that was more caught than taught was that I was always someone who carried a pocket knife. And the reason I carry a pocket knife is because a pocket knife is a tool that you can use, no matter where you are. And, having lived in countries where I couldn't carry a pocket knife legally, it was very difficult, because you go looking for your pocket knife in your pockets and the tool you need to do the job was not there. And especially if you have, like, a pocket knife that has lots of different features and stuff, man, you can do all sorts of cool stuff with that bad boy. And it's not like you're trying to like arm yourself, like you're going to defend against somebody. It's the idea is that you have this thing that you can do all sorts of stuff with.

Pastor Jason Brown: 5:40

And the one thing my dad did teach me about that is not just like hey, here's a pocket knife, but how to use a knife safely. So you, generally speaking, you take the pointy end and you put it away from yourself. Okay, just that's how it works on a knife, in case you don't have one pointy end away from you. And the reason is because there's people in this room have learned the wrong way to use a knife and they put the pointy end into themselves. You guys know what I'm talking about. So we're like, oh, and you stick yourself, and so it's something that learns, not just a skill set here with a pocket knife, but also it translates to other things, like that sharp wit you use Don't use it to hurt others, or that sharp tongue you have, don't use it to cut yourself. Speak life and truth. Build up instead of cutting down.

Pastor Jason Brown: 6:32

And so these skills that we learn and the skill sets that accompany them, they're valuable and they translate to more than just our physical world. They translate into our faith and how we live for God, because we seek first the wisdom from God and we line up our lives with it. And we come back to this question who are you listening to? We need to trust in the Lord. Say it with me trust in the Lord.

Pastor Jason Brown: 7:04

Now, we have been talking about this theme of the way of wisdom and we are so thankful that you're here with us. If you're a guest of ours here at Cornerstone, welcome. We're glad you're apart. If you're coming to worship with us or joining us online, we're thankful for that. And if we haven't met, my name is Jay Celeste and I have such an awesome opportunity to be a part of this team here at Cornerstone and to lead, and we're very thankful for all that God is doing amongst us, we very much see ourselves as people who are imperfect. We are in need of a savior, and since that's true, then we embrace who Christ is in our lives and we see ourselves as walking with Christ wherever he's leading us to go. So if he's leading us, then we need to be walking with him. That's what it means to be a Christ follower. It's why we use this imagery of walking with Jesus, because none of us is finished. All of us are still on the process of walking with Christ and we want to be those who are living for him. Intentionally. We want to be more like Jesus Collectively. We do that here at the church on the weekend gatherings that we're in now, also in life groups throughout the week throughout the city. We're about to start a new semester here in about two weeks, so I encourage you, you can go on the app, you can go online. We're having a sign up event next week and you can get a chance to sign up for a group. Be intentional with your life to grow in this season after God, that we can connect, grow and serve together.

Pastor Jason Brown: 8:27

Now we as a church have been in a season of prayer and fasting. It's 21 days of prayer and fasting, and it's been amazing. I've heard a lot of powerful testimonies of what God has been doing At the same time 21 days of prayer and fasting. How many people have been participating with us? And if you haven't, man, let me encourage you you can jump in this last week and be a part of what's going on. What we're doing is we're taking something that's good, like food or entertainment or something else that we're fasting from, and we're taking that time and we're actually investing that time in time with the Lord, and so it's trading something good for something that's better, more of God, more of His presence in our lives.

Pastor Jason Brown: 9:05

But what I also realized is that this is a struggle because when we start fasting and praying and asking for a breakthrough, it's a spiritual thing, it's a decision we're making. So if we're saying to the spirit realm that I'm gonna go after Jesus, there's gonna be a fight on our hands. So, man, I've had these amazing moments where I'm like really breaking through, and even in this fast, where I'm just like feel really close to God. It's like an embrace, like a warm hug. I'm like, yes, and then he's like, okay, I need you to deal with this. I'm like, oh, I like the hug part. Let's go back to the warm part. He's like yeah, cool, I need you to deal with this. You know how? Like how you stand on stage and you tell people they should forgive their enemies, they say you should try that I'm like, but I do. He's like, yeah, yeah, cool, you need to deal with this.

Pastor Jason Brown: 9:59

See, as we all are in this thing, man, we're pushing towards him together. We're asking the Lord to forgive us where we fall short. We're asking him to empower us so we can live for him and do this thing close to him, draw near to him, because the battle is the Lord's, and that's the theme for us this year. We very much know that there's a battle on our hands and it's in the spirit realm. It's not against flesh and blood, other people around us, it's in the spirit realm. So we need to understand and align ourselves with him, because the battle is the Lord's.

Pastor Jason Brown: 10:29

Now we're excited because of this theme that we're going into, called the way of wisdom, and we've been looking at Solomon and his teaching as it's been coming to him, and how he was teaching, therefore, his sons and instructing them in the idea of wisdom. We looked last week and understood that godly wisdom comes from a fear of the Lord. It says in Proverbs 1.7,. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction, and so we see and understand that the fear of the Lord is having a perspective of God that's correct, not a fear like, oh, he's going to punish me or damn me or do these other things, but instead that he is a God who loves us and corrects us, that he's a God who is holy and is our creator. He's the one that sits outside of time and space. He is holy, and therefore we need to revere him, have respect for him and hold him in the correct place. It's amazing, though, because he also calls us his sons and daughters. He also calls us his friends. So it's a powerful thing, and we have to have the correct perspective today, as we continue in this theme. It's called the way of wisdom.

Pastor Jason Brown: 11:40

We want to open up our Bible as a proverb Verse three, starting in verse one it says my son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness. Forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart, so you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce. When, then, your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him, whom he loves as a father, the son in whom he delights. Lord, we thank you for your word, holy spirit. We ask that you would reveal it to us, you breathe upon it and make it alive, transformative, challenging, so we can align ourselves with you. We pray all this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ. Amen, the way of wisdom. Trust in the Lord. Say it with me. Trust in the Lord.

Pastor Jason Brown: 13:23

Proverbs 3 picks up here. In the very beginning of verse 1, it says my son, do not forget my teaching, let your heart keep my commandments. And so it's the instruction that we see here, solomon right to his son, and we see the same kind of instruction David had given Solomon. He reveals that in other parts of his writing, saying how he, how he was, imparted this idea, and it's not just knowledge, it's Impartation. The idea is that they want to be someone who it who. They download this information More than just to inform but to persuade on how to live this life Really, an anointing of God's instruction that have been given to him, now passed on to another generation. It's the same kind of idea that God gives us when he gives. When he gave Moses the law, he gave Moses the law as an understanding of the way to live wise. And just now, as broken people, we continually sinned against the law and that's why we needed to continually make Sin offerings because of our brokenness, because we fell short, because of our attitude and our actions that came out of it, and so that was something that happened. So he's trying to teach now a king, teaching another king to be on how to rule and how to be someone who lives for God, with wisdom from God that was imparted to him. See, remember it was Solomon who sought God and was worshiping him first, and so it's the impartation that he had.

Pastor Jason Brown: 14:47

He is now trying to pass on, and it's the very things that we would actually ask for. Someone asked what do you want out of your life? Well, I'd love to have a long life and I'd love for my life to be peaceful. Anybody, if it's not you you're like I want my life to be terrible and short, like we need to hug and talk about things, guys. Peace and long life. Now, what a beautiful thing to see all that God would have for you and for your family amazing. And so that's what it starts to talk about, and that's why we look to him as our source.

Pastor Jason Brown: 15:21

We need to be those that trust in the Lord. Say it with me. Trust in the Lord Continues in verse 3. It says let not steadfast. Love and faithfulness Forsake. You Find them around your neck and think about this concept. See, love and Faithfulness. They seem to be something that's an intimate idea. It's love, is something. That is not what shows a strong king. That would be something else, but he's saying no. Counter to that, you need to show love and faithfulness. You need to be the one that lives love on your heart. It's not something fleeting, it's not something passing, it's not just I identify with love today and then suddenly you identify with something else. It's something of who you are. It's what's written on your heart, at the tablet of who you are. It's funny, because so often we we're very fleeting in in in our emotions. We feel this way and we feel that way. See, we treat our emotions like an etch, a sketch. I feel like this, and then the next day we shake it off and we feel like this over here he's saying no, chisel these on to your heart. See, that's something entirely different, isn't it? See, all of us can do something for a short amount of time. Any of us could, could do something difficult. He's talking about being faithful. That means continuing to do it, even when it's not easy. And see, that's why needs to be chiseled in you, to remind you of who you are, held around your neck. Love and faithfulness. That these are the things that I keep close to me is the love and faithfulness of God, because he is these things I too can be these things that we chisel them upon us. It's the same thing that we would do in giving vows, like a husband to a wife and saying I will be these things for you and and I will be faithful to you and I will love you and protect you and guide you in sickness and in health, and all the things that are promised in a vow. That's the same things that we say in love and faithfulness that we would have that kind of commitment to God, that we would have that kind of commitment full stop In who we are. As people See, we can be those empowered by him to live differently than the culture around us which says do whatever feels good for the moment. Instead, we can be someone who says now I'm gonna live with love and faithfulness. I'm gonna be someone who lives set apart unto God. I'm going to be someone who trusts in the Lord. Say it with me trust in the Lord Continues forward. Here we see an example of it in Proverbs 3, 5 and 6. I love this piece of scripture. It's a piece of scripture that my parents wrote in In Bibles that they've given to me. I've done the same for others. It's it's a very challenging and pivotal scripture for me in my life. It says trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding, and all your, in all your ways, acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths.

Pastor Jason Brown: 18:25

We think about this idea because it says exactly what we've been talking about trust in the Lord with everything. Don't just think about your knowledge and live off of that. We think about how many things that we accomplish in our lives. God gives you skills and he gives you raw talent. He has you work hard after those things and, and, in people, make something of them.

Pastor Jason Brown: 18:44

I think about people when they do great things in sports and and so often it's about me and how great I am this moment. You guys know what I'm talking about and that's it's impressive. We're like whoa, that was impressive, whatever they were doing. And so often it's like me and me, and me, and me and me, and wow, and yes, look at me. And I love when people who, at the height of that moment, they don't take the praise for them, but they turn that praise to God and they acknowledge him.

Pastor Jason Brown: 19:15

Two examples of this happened just recently. One of them was Blake, who plays. He plays in football and was able to win a national championship with his team and, as doing so, doing so, those who cheer for them. In Michigan. They crushed. They did so well, they were awesome, and in the glory of all that he could have been about all the things that they did, he gave glory back to God. He said I'm a firm believer in Christ. I love that.

Pastor Jason Brown: 19:46

In that moment where he could have taken all the praise, he turned the praise back to God. The same way we see that grace into the same. As he wins a PJ Tour event, he's winning, and that's very much a solo thing. He could have been like I was awesome, I did all the things that these people couldn't do. Look how cool I am at golf. But instead he says Jesus Christ changed my life.

Pastor Jason Brown: 20:08

See, they realized that it's God who had been giving them those things. He's the one that opened doors for them. He's the one who provided for them. He's the one that gave them raw skill and talent and then he told them do something with it. And they worked hard to do it and so because of that, they turned the glory back to God. I love that.

Pastor Jason Brown: 20:27

He gives us talents. That's what he calls us in the Bible. It talks about that how he gives you these things and he asks you to work hard with them to use them for his glory for his glory. After all, he's the one that gave it to you and that's what it says in the talents is Jesus gives that example is he says they took this and they turned it into this, and the person that did nothing with it they just sat back he's like mm-mm and he took that talent away and gave it to the people who were doing something with it.

Pastor Jason Brown: 20:55

So we're called to be doers, not just sitting back lounging. We're not called to be like the church or the Renaissance, where they're like on a couch cushion. You know what I mean. We're called to be those who are doers, and the reason we're doing is not to earn our way into the grace of God. The reason we do it is because we are living the love of Christ to other people. We do it because we trust in the Lord. Say it with me trust in the Lord.

Pastor Jason Brown: 21:22

We continue forward here and we pick up with this concept of 1 John 2, 15. It says do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away with all its desires. But whoever does the will of God abides forever. Think about that very thing. That is what he's calling us to be. He's saying don't love the world, don't love all these things that we are called to be. Those that acknowledge him in all we do. Seek his wisdom first and align ourselves with it, and when we do, all these other things fall into place. Don't fall into the trap, but look to the Lord, who will give you the victory. Trust in the Lord. Say it with me. Trust in the Lord.

Pastor Jason Brown: 22:21

Proverbs 3, 7 and 8 says do not be not wise in your own eyes, or do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment or nourishment to your bones. You know we're talking about wisdom, and it goes beyond just decision making, though it goes into that as well. It goes into being those who align ourselves with God and with his perspective. It's not about just this decision or that decision. It's about how we live our life, the perspectives by which we align ourselves to him.

Pastor Jason Brown: 22:56

When we draw near to God, he draws near to us and he is our source, he is our strength, he is our healer and since he's our healer, he's the very one that can give us strength and wholeness and healing. In the name of Jesus Christ, and we believe in that, we're so thankful for the impartation he's given us in wisdom, with medicine. We're thankful for doctors and for nurses and for everyone that works in helping us and healing us up in that way. But we still contend for the miraculous. We still contend for healing. That's divine and that's what we're talking about is drawing near to him and seeing that he, the one who knits you together in your mother's womb, won't heal you and touch your body, and not just your physicality, but also in your mind, also in your emotions that he will give you a wholeness and a whole healing. That's who you are, encompassed. That we draw near to him and see these things happen because we are in step with what he wants to do.

Pastor Jason Brown: 23:56

We need to be those that trust in the Lord. Say it with me trust in the Lord. It looks like this when we talk about Proverbs 3, 9 and 10, honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce, then your barns will be filled with plenty and your vats will be bursting with wine. We think about this in giving our best and giving the first to the Lord, and this is a challenge for some. But I would tell you this that, as we understand where the source comes from, we do so with a joyful heart. We're not tipping God and giving God crumbs. We're giving God the first and the best. We're doing it as a worship, as unto God, and see that he will bless your 90% and more than if you had full reign of everything you know. He can do more in one moment than you can do in all one year of toil. He can give increase that you can't earn. He can do things in your business or in the relationships that you have with your coworkers that you can't fix. He can do all these things because it is possible through him, and if we do it on our own, we will toil, we will struggle, we will do all these things, but with him all things are possible and he works them together for good.

Pastor Jason Brown: 25:25

Celeste and I we've put this into practice. We both did it individually and we did it as we came together as a couple and as the Lord gave us children. The first moments that we had are children, when everyone else had cleared out. We're still very thankful. We would take our child, and we did that with Javen, we did it with Shiloh, we did it with Emilia. We would take our child and we would return our child back to God. Say, lord, you've given us this precious gift and, lord, we return them back to you that you would have your way and your will in their life, that you would have, that we give them to you, that you would use them for your purpose, for your promises, for the things that you want to do through them. We didn't wait until they were in a mess or they were off some other place, off path, to call out to God and ask Him to fix it. No, from the very first moment, the very best that we had, the thing that we would fight tooth and nail to protect, we gave to God Because we could give them to God.

Pastor Jason Brown: 26:31

Then everything else, the stuff, we weren't really that concerned because stuff is great, I like nice stuff, I like it. But stuff is stuff and stuff will fade away and stuff rusts and it gets old and gets thrown out and the stuff that you toiled so hard for goes out of style, whereas if we don't live for stuff, we live for God and we give to God generously. He'll give you all the stuff and more, because the stuff is not important. He'll give back through you because he can trust you with it. See that he won't multiply what's in your hand so that you can be a blessing to other people. Man I've heard recently Fran was sharing with me how they trusted God in tithing this last year and, as a result, they did the math on how much they earn this last year and were flabbergasted at the amount of money they made last year. And the reason they knew is because they knew how much they tithed.

Pastor Jason Brown: 27:32

See what God will do whenever you put things into alignment with Him. Here's what I love about this If he can trust you, he'll bless you and you will be a blessing to others and keep on blessing you because he can trust you and it's because you draw near to His heart. It's not about the money. It's your time, it's your talent, it's your testimony and your treasury. It's all of who you are, not just your pocketbook. It's all of who you are, and I love what it says.

Pastor Jason Brown: 28:03

It says, if you do that first, that you will see this amazing benefit and blessing come on your life. And that's what happens whenever you have say that your vats will be filled with wine. It says they'll burst in. They're overflowing. It means you can't keep it to yourself. You have to be one that shares it with others around you, and I love what it uses here. It's something that Jesus would later use.

Pastor Jason Brown: 28:25

You know, his first miracle in John is turning water into wine. It's taking something ceremoniously used for washing to make you purified before God and he's turning that into something that becomes a new covenant. He becomes the reconciliation, the fulfillment of the law. He becomes the new identity that we don't have to sacrifice anymore. He becomes the sacrifice. That's why, during Passover, he turns to what we know is communion, our sacrament. He says these elements represent me and the sacrifice I'm making for you.

Pastor Jason Brown: 28:57

It's the same idea that we see here is that if you align me with all these, if you align your life with all these things and follow after me, then see that I won't bless you, because I've already given you forgiveness and hope and freedom and joy and peace and all of these things, things you can't buy. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Man, celestin, I can tell you we had our own ambition, our own plans, where we were going to take on the world and grab by the tail and do all these things. But as we let go of that stuff and turned it over to God, he took what small things we had and he's used them for His glory with a bigger plan than we could ever imagine, way bigger than our own plans for even our own life. That's the same I wish for you. It's the same I wish for your family that you would experience the blessing of God that's not just yours, but it goes generation to generation until the Lord comes back that you would experience the blessing of God and we can, when we trust in the Lord, say it with me Trust in the Lord. We finalize here and we start to understand.

Pastor Jason Brown: 30:26

Proverbs 11 and 12 says my son do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of His reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves as a father, the son in whom he delights. You know it's a challenge that we talked about it before, about how the reason that we, as people, we correct our children is because we love them. We don't want to see anything bad happen to them. We want to see them live successfully, we want to see them learn the lesson and we want them to live in a way that doesn't hurt them long term. And so that's the reason that we let them learn from their mistakes and that's the reason that we help, correct and guide and do those things.

Pastor Jason Brown: 31:08

And it's the same with God and you and me that because he loves you so much, because he loves me so much, he will correct us. Because he loves us, because he loves you, he will. He will confront an attitude, he will confront an action. He will be the one that reminds you that you need to forgive or you can't pick up this offense, you need to let it go. You've already given it to Him. He will remind you of those things because he loves you and he wants to see you thrive. He wants to see you be blessed. He wants to see you live different than your past.

Pastor Jason Brown: 31:41

I love this because he's a God who doesn't condemn us. He's not one that passes judgment forever against us in that way. He instead comes and confronts us, he convicts us, and that's a challenge, so that we'll come and repent back to God. We'll turn back to Him and because he does that, we can come and we can actually ask the Lord to forgive us and be corrected. See, that's what the scripture talks about is being the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is coming and he's tugging on your heart and asking you to come back. Don't make those decisions, don't do that thing, don't pick up that offense, don't do those things. Instead, come back. But if we keep pushing and pushing and pushing away that prompting from the Holy Spirit, we start to grow cold to His heart of repentance for us. And when we push Him off to the final thing, he understands that we really don't want what he's been talking to us about. And that's when we ourselves have entered that place a place that I don't want for any of you that instead we would be those who understand.

Pastor Jason Brown: 32:48

The Lord's correction is that he wants us to learn so that we can live a better way, we can live the way of wisdom, we can live the way of God. It says, for the Lord reproves Him who he loves a father, a son and whom he delights. It's amazing. The Lord, our God, calls us His sons and daughters. He calls us His family. He calls us the redeemed. He has done all these things for us. We have so little to offer, nothing to offer that's holy at all. All of us have sinned, all of us have fallen short of the glory of God, but he and His great love for us while we were yet sinners, he sent Jesus to redeem us, back into relationship with Him, to bridge that gap, so that we can be those who love God and live in that relationship. That is why I can say to you that we should be those that trust in the Lord. Say it with me trust in the Lord.

Pastor Jason Brown: 33:54

Today we ask you that question where does your wisdom come from? Who are you listening to? And you have to settle for yourself and in your heart. Are you going to be one that lives the way of wisdom or are you going to be one that still tries to fight him for the control and friends? I know that's not an easy decision, it's not one that comes in a flippant way, but I will tell you this as Christ followers, we're called to already let go and let Jesus have it. So I encourage you to be obedient to him and to align yourself with the word of God so that you can live the blessed life that he has for you.

Pastor Jason Brown: 34:30

Or maybe you're here and you never made a decision to follow Jesus. Friend, let me tell you this giving your heart and life over to Jesus is the best decision you'll ever make in your whole life. It's saying yes to the God. You're created to have an active and living relationship with him. It's one where we ask him for forgiveness for our sins, and he is just a forgiveness of our sins. He cleanses us of all of those sins and mistakes, of all that righteousness, and it's the peace, the joy that you've been looking for. Today is your day to make the decision. It's your day of opportunity. You have to answer the question have you embraced me, jesus? See, for me, the symbol of the cross is a powerful one For all that are Christ followers. It's a powerful one because the cross is where Christ took the sin of the world. He took all of our sin and all of our mistakes. He took my mistake.

Pastor Celeste Brown: 35:27

He paid for it once, and for all.

Pastor Jason Brown: 35:29

He didn't make any of these mistakes, but he took them on himself and he became the substitute. He became the sacrifice for me, and when he went to his death he paid for it so that I wouldn't be separated from the Father for eternity, but instead I could have an active relationship with the Holy God. He became a holy sacrifice for us, and friends.

Pastor Celeste Brown: 35:53

That's what he wants to be for you as well.

Pastor Jason Brown: 35:55

He wants to have an active relationship with you too. Today is your opportunity to embrace Jesus. Apostle Paul, he writes to the church in Rome and he says this Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved, For the heart one believes and is justified. With the mouth one confesses and is saved. Friends, today is your day to make a decision. We encourage you to embrace Jesus. I'm going to ask him you would stand here in the room and just bow your heads. Where you are. If you're online, you just prepare your heart to respond to what the Lord wants to do in your life.

Pastor Celeste Brown: 36:43

As heads are bowed in you.

Pastor Jason Brown: 36:47

That's you and you want to make a decision to follow Jesus today. If you just raise your hand right here, say J, if you just include me in this prayer today, I want to embrace Jesus. Maybe you need to make a decision to recommit your life back to Christ today that you would raise your hand and say include me. I want to be remembered for that prayer today. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. People making decisions, people reinforcing decisions to follow after Jesus. Thank you, lord. Friends, such a powerful decision to follow Jesus. It's a simple prayer.

Pastor Jason Brown: 37:15

We pray and ask everyone to pray it together. It goes like this Lord, thank you for loving me, Thank you for sending Jesus. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I believe he rose again. Forgive me of my sins.

Pastor Jason Brown: 37:41

I surrender my life to you In Christ. I pray Amen, Amen. Friends, we rejoice that you make a decision to follow Jesus today. What a powerful, powerful, powerful thing that is. You and you're in the room and you made a decision to follow Jesus. We have some resources for you back by this prayer banner. If you would just meet our team over there, I want to put it in your hand If you're online. We made a decision today. Let me ask you to message us.

Pastor Jason Brown: 38:08

We want to send something to you to live this life successfully for the Lord. For all of us who've heard this challenge of who you're listening to, to call to trust in the Lord. I had a powerful example of God's faithfulness to us and, as we come to this altar, it's a call to ask for more of God, for more of His spirit, for more of His power to live for Him.

Pastor Jason Brown: 38:37

Today I talked to three people. The first one she said she was giving glory to God because she's one year without smoking after 60 years of smoking, and that was something that she wanted to do. So she was asking the Lord to help her. He's continued to help her. She said it's not been easy, but he's giving me victory in it.

Pastor Jason Brown: 38:59

I talked with another friend. This week marks 19 years of sobriety for him and it's changed his family. I talked to another friend. They said this week for them marks 40 years without drugs and alcohol in their life and they give all the glory to God. Here's why I share.

Pastor Jason Brown: 39:31

He's a God who can do all these things in one way Whatever you're facing, he is more than able to give you victory in it. No matter what addiction, whatever background, whatever thing you're facing, he can give you victory in it. So as we come to this altar, we do so to ask for more of God, for an impartation of His spirit, for a victory in the things that we're facing. Lord, we come to your altar, lord. Thank you, lord, for the. You are God who loves us, you are God who shows us the way of wisdom to live for you and, lord, we trust in you, we trust in the Lord and as we do so, lord, we come, lord, today to this altar, lord, to seek you an impartation of who you are, that you are a God who's greater than the circumstances around us.

Pastor Jason Brown: 40:18

Lord, you are the God who gives us victory for the year, and victory for 19 years, and victory for 40 years. Lord, you are the God who does these things. You're the one who mends marriages. You're the one who forgives us. You're the one who brings back, lord, the child. Lord, you're the one that brings them back into relationship with the parent. Lord, you are the one who sees the prodigal and runs to the prodigal. You are more than enough for us, lord, we come to this altar asking you to pour your spirit out of the Spirit. We ask for an impartation from you. We pray all this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, and then we look at this altar with you today.

Pastor Celeste Brown: 40:57

We're so grateful that you joined us here. Next week we're going to continue our series on wisdom, so I encourage you to invite someone, bring them along. And also next week we're going to start life groups sign up, so you're going to want to be a part. There's some new opportunities, new groups that are forming, so we'd love to see you just kind of jump right in and be a part of one of those.

Pastor Jason Brown: 41:16

Amen. You pray this blessing over us today. The Lord bless you and keep you. Lord, make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. Lord, let His countenance upon you and give you peace. Lord, I pray a blessing upon your true and true people. I pray that you can empower us by your spirit. So live your love unto those around us. We pray all this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Amen, know this. We love you very much here at Cornerstone. We love you and have a great week.