WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:00.321 Tonight. 00:00:00.321 --> 00:00:09.050 I hope this is going to be an encouragement for you to build your faith, to encourage you about who you are in Christ, what you have and what you can do. 00:00:09.050 --> 00:00:27.550 And so we're going to start off by praying tonight and lean on the Holy Ghost to ensure that what I say, no matter what I say, it's going to come across and you're going to hear exactly what you need to hear, that you're going to hear truth that will help you grow and increase and be victorious in this life. 00:00:27.550 --> 00:00:30.286 So, heavenly Father, I thank you for your Word. 00:00:30.286 --> 00:00:36.070 Lord, I thank you that this Bible contains promises for me. 00:00:36.070 --> 00:00:37.091 They're personal to me. 00:00:37.091 --> 00:01:02.585 Thank you for the Holy Spirit that dwells on the inside of me, that gives me revelation knowledge, gives our viewers revelation knowledge, gives our church revelation knowledge so that we can operate with wisdom, that we can utilize the keys to the kingdom of heaven that you have for us, so that we can unlock doors, we can go places, we can do stuff, because you said we can and we carry your authority In Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:02.585 --> 00:01:17.408 Well, we're going to start off tonight talking about Jesus, and I know that there's a lot of titles, a lot of different names for Jesus when you go through this Bible, you'll hear different references. 00:01:17.408 --> 00:01:20.183 He's called different things. 00:01:20.183 --> 00:01:21.548 He's described different ways. 00:01:22.359 --> 00:01:23.245 John wrote about him. 00:01:23.245 --> 00:01:26.682 Said in the beginning was the Word, and so Jesus is known as the Word. 00:01:26.682 --> 00:01:28.844 We know that he's our mediator. 00:01:28.844 --> 00:01:32.588 There's only one mediator between God and man and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:01:32.588 --> 00:01:37.370 He's called our Redeemer, our Savior, our Messiah. 00:01:37.370 --> 00:01:42.129 He was known as the Son of David, the Son of man and the Son of God. 00:01:42.129 --> 00:01:44.483 He's our Passover lamb. 00:01:44.483 --> 00:01:47.385 He's also the Lamb of God. 00:01:47.385 --> 00:01:55.664 He was called the Prince of Peace, king of Kings, lord of Lords, the Holy, one of God, the Lion of Judah. 00:01:55.664 --> 00:01:58.043 He's the Good Shepherd. 00:01:58.043 --> 00:02:00.125 He's also called the Head of the Church. 00:02:00.125 --> 00:02:02.662 He's the First Begotten. 00:02:04.064 --> 00:02:07.512 And I found a unique one reading in Revelation. 00:02:07.512 --> 00:02:13.866 He's called the Amen, and so you've got God, the Father, who's known as I am. 00:02:13.866 --> 00:02:16.544 You know who should I say, sent me? 00:02:16.544 --> 00:02:17.884 Tell him I am sent to you. 00:02:17.884 --> 00:02:18.722 That's God. 00:02:18.722 --> 00:02:24.211 But then Jesus in Revelation, chapter three is known as the Amen. 00:02:24.211 --> 00:02:26.425 So you have the I am and the Amen. 00:02:26.425 --> 00:02:29.895 He's faithful and true. 00:02:29.895 --> 00:02:36.766 He's the faithful and true witness, and so I'm going to reference that in Revelation chapter three. 00:02:36.766 --> 00:02:38.383 You don't have to flip there. 00:02:38.383 --> 00:02:50.031 But it says these things says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of creation of God, and so that was the beginning of the indictment of the church at Laodicea the Lukewarm church. 00:02:50.031 --> 00:02:54.330 The Amen called out the Lukewarm church for being Lukewarm. 00:02:54.330 --> 00:02:57.007 How would you like to have that as your title? 00:02:57.007 --> 00:02:57.622 The Amen, the. 00:02:57.622 --> 00:02:58.163 So be it. 00:02:58.163 --> 00:03:00.806 I think that's an impressive title. 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:04.850 He was also known as the Way, the Truth and the Life, the Bread of Life. 00:03:04.850 --> 00:03:10.971 He's the Rock, the True Vine, wonderful counselor, mighty God, prince of Peace. 00:03:10.971 --> 00:03:18.588 He's the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the One who is and was and is to come. 00:03:18.588 --> 00:03:20.242 He's the Almighty. 00:03:20.242 --> 00:03:26.132 So those are just some of the ways the Bible describes Jesus. 00:03:26.132 --> 00:03:37.389 We're talking about Jesus tonight, and the title of this message is Jesus, my Commanding Officer, because the most frequently descriptor of Jesus is simply Lord. 00:03:37.389 --> 00:03:39.002 He's my Lord. 00:03:39.002 --> 00:03:43.486 His disciples called Him Lord, people all through the Gospels called Him Lord. 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:48.009 Now I want you to turn in your Bibles to Luke, chapter 6. 00:03:48.009 --> 00:03:52.008 And we're going to read a short verse out of here, in verse 46. 00:03:52.008 --> 00:03:54.882 Luke 6, 46,. 00:03:54.882 --> 00:04:01.825 Jesus asked the question but why do you call me Lord, lord, and then not do the things which I say? 00:04:01.825 --> 00:04:07.115 Whoever comes to me and hears me, hears my sayings and does them. 00:04:07.115 --> 00:04:09.103 I will show you who he is like. 00:04:09.103 --> 00:04:14.569 He's like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. 00:04:14.569 --> 00:04:24.329 When we obey Jesus, when we call Him Lord and we obey Him, we're like the one who dug a deep foundation on and made sure it went all the way down to bedrock. 00:04:24.329 --> 00:04:33.649 And when the flood arose and the stream beat vehemently against the house and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 00:04:33.649 --> 00:04:38.226 You know, I just said Jesus is called the rock, so if it's founded on Him, it cannot be shaken. 00:04:38.226 --> 00:04:51.689 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built his house on the earth or the sand without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell and the ruin of that house was great. 00:04:51.689 --> 00:04:54.387 We don't want to be the house of great ruin. 00:04:54.387 --> 00:04:58.290 We want to be the house unshaken, the house that was founded on the rock. 00:04:58.290 --> 00:05:01.930 And so Jesus starts that off by saying why do you call me Lord, lord? 00:05:01.930 --> 00:05:04.026 And then you don't do the things that I say. 00:05:04.026 --> 00:05:18.673 If we're going to call Him Lord, it means we've got to obey our Lord, and so let's talk about who Jesus is, or let's get a better picture of how great Jesus is. 00:05:18.673 --> 00:05:24.648 So let's go all the way to Revelation so you can turn in your Bibles all the way to Revelation 19. 00:05:24.648 --> 00:05:29.906 That's just before the maps, at the very end, revelation 19. 00:05:29.906 --> 00:05:37.271 So in 18 is the fall of Babylon and in 19 is the beginning of the marriage supper. 00:05:37.271 --> 00:05:42.216 We're not going to read that first part there, but in 19, chapter. 00:05:42.216 --> 00:05:44.721 So we've got the marriage supper happening and then you've got in. 00:05:44.762 --> 00:05:46.704 Verse 17 is where we're going to pick this up. 00:05:46.704 --> 00:05:49.752 I'm going to back up a little bit. 00:05:49.752 --> 00:05:51.870 We're going to pick it up in verse 11. 00:05:51.870 --> 00:06:06.432 And it says now John is writing here in Revelation now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true In righteousness, he judges and makes war. 00:06:06.584 --> 00:06:08.471 So again we got some more names popping out here. 00:06:08.471 --> 00:06:11.992 He's called faithful and true In righteousness, he judges and makes war. 00:06:11.992 --> 00:06:20.115 His eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no one knew except himself. 00:06:20.115 --> 00:06:21.028 So here's another name. 00:06:21.028 --> 00:06:34.656 He was clothed with a robe and dipped in blood and his name was called the word of God and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed with him on white horses. 00:06:34.656 --> 00:06:43.613 Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself would rule them with a rod of iron. 00:06:43.613 --> 00:06:56.716 He himself treads the wine presses of the fierceness and the wrath of Almighty God, and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings, lord of Lords. 00:06:56.716 --> 00:07:03.014 We got a lot of names all wrapped up right there, but let's look up, read on and get a picture of who he really is. 00:07:03.285 --> 00:07:09.812 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven. 00:07:09.812 --> 00:07:30.115 The angels calling out to all the birds Come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of captains and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and the flesh of those who sit on them and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. 00:07:30.115 --> 00:07:37.673 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him, who sat on the horse, and against his army. 00:07:37.673 --> 00:07:47.908 Then the beast was captured with him and the false prophet who worked signs and his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. 00:07:47.908 --> 00:07:58.776 These two were cast alive in the lake of fire, burning with brimstone, and the rest were killed with the sword that proceeded from the mouth of him. 00:07:58.776 --> 00:08:05.137 That is Jesus who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. 00:08:06.185 --> 00:08:28.826 Imagine that picture Jesus and the armies of heaven coming in and an angel announces hey, birds, it's dinner time, because Jesus is coming in with his armies and he's got a sword that goes out of his mouth, and his sword will kill kings and great men, both great and small of all nations, and destroy them. 00:08:28.826 --> 00:08:35.561 That is a terrible picture, and I mean terrible in a really awesome way. 00:08:35.561 --> 00:08:40.754 If you like terrible things and their awesomeness, you're going to love this picture of Jesus right here. 00:08:40.754 --> 00:08:44.613 He is a warrior and he is to be feared. 00:08:44.613 --> 00:08:48.113 That is something that is soon coming. 00:08:48.113 --> 00:08:50.032 We're kind of wrapping things up here on earth. 00:08:50.032 --> 00:08:51.370 We're getting down to the bitter end. 00:08:51.370 --> 00:09:03.836 We're not quite to the point where the church is ready to rise up and be the spotless bride without blemish, but there's a dividing line and we're getting closer and closer. 00:09:03.836 --> 00:09:11.332 The people who will are coming to the right side and the people who won't are running to the dark side, and so that day is coming. 00:09:12.225 --> 00:09:16.054 I'd like to go to Joshua, chapter one, verse one. 00:09:16.054 --> 00:09:26.557 It says after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua, son of none, moses' assistant, saying Moses, my servant is dead. 00:09:26.557 --> 00:09:37.649 Now, therefore, arise and go over this Jordan, you and all these people, to the land that I'm giving to them, to the children of Israel, and every place that the soul of your foot shall tread I have given you. 00:09:37.649 --> 00:09:44.753 As I have said to Moses, god is talking to Joshua here and given orders. 00:09:44.753 --> 00:09:48.350 Joshua had to take those orders. 00:09:48.350 --> 00:09:51.092 He was good at following orders and he was good at giving orders. 00:09:51.092 --> 00:09:57.807 Jesus gives us orders In Joshua, chapter three. 00:09:57.807 --> 00:10:01.436 So we'll set this picture up a little bit while you're turning there. 00:10:02.184 --> 00:10:13.817 Joshua, chapter three the Israelites have crossed over the river Jordan, so everything that God said they would do, they have just done. 00:10:13.817 --> 00:10:22.427 So God told them you're going to take this ark and you're going to put it on the shoulders of the priests and they're going to march out into the river Jordan and they're going to stand there. 00:10:22.427 --> 00:10:29.214 And while they're standing there, the waters are going to stack up and the Israelites can come across on dry ground and come over into the promised land. 00:10:29.214 --> 00:10:34.110 And so that is exactly what happened those rivers stacked up. 00:10:34.110 --> 00:10:43.206 The ark and those carrying it stood still in the middle of the river and, just as it was described, it was so and so in. 00:10:43.206 --> 00:10:46.594 That's chapter three, so we'll flip over into Joshua, chapter five. 00:10:48.465 --> 00:10:50.229 Israelites are on the promised land side. 00:10:50.229 --> 00:10:51.552 They're sitting outside Jericho. 00:10:51.552 --> 00:10:56.969 They've obeyed the command of the Lord and command of Joshua. 00:10:56.969 --> 00:11:01.909 Only be strong and very courageous and be careful to do everything that I've told you to do. 00:11:01.909 --> 00:11:04.352 Don't leave anything, any box, unchecked. 00:11:04.352 --> 00:11:06.412 Obey, obey, obey. 00:11:06.412 --> 00:11:13.913 I'm your commanding officer, you're the soldier, and so you do what you're told, and so that's kind of the picture here that I want to paint. 00:11:13.913 --> 00:11:17.274 And so, joshua, you know he's a commander of soldiers. 00:11:17.274 --> 00:11:19.371 He's a commander, and the Israelites listened to him. 00:11:19.371 --> 00:11:22.835 They said you know, we will follow you the same way we followed Moses. 00:11:22.835 --> 00:11:26.710 If anyone doesn't obey your command, the death warrant for them. 00:11:26.710 --> 00:11:33.613 And so they were wholly committed to obey Joshua, and God backed up Joshua when he obeyed him. 00:11:33.613 --> 00:11:39.754 And so here we are in chapter five, and in verse 13 it says and it came to pass. 00:11:39.833 --> 00:11:47.135 When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked around and, behold, a man stood opposite him with a sword drawn in his hand. 00:11:47.135 --> 00:11:50.594 And so Joshua, he's feeling like a real bad dude. 00:11:50.594 --> 00:11:55.736 He's just done what couldn't be done and brought the Israelites over into the promised land. 00:11:55.736 --> 00:11:57.270 Moses hadn't been able to do this. 00:11:57.270 --> 00:12:01.035 And finally, joshua, he's the man and he's come across. 00:12:01.035 --> 00:12:04.274 And so he sees this man standing there with a sword drawn. 00:12:04.274 --> 00:12:06.591 And so Joshua quickly approaches him. 00:12:06.591 --> 00:12:09.433 I can imagine he's got his hand on the hilt of his sword. 00:12:10.105 --> 00:12:12.711 And Joshua says are you for us or for our adversaries? 00:12:12.711 --> 00:12:15.788 And the man answered no. 00:12:15.788 --> 00:12:19.874 Well, how can you not be for us or for our adversaries? 00:12:19.874 --> 00:12:22.611 Well, the answer is that man had his own side. 00:12:22.611 --> 00:12:23.333 He said no. 00:12:23.333 --> 00:12:27.200 As the commanders of the armies of the Lord, I have now come. 00:12:28.846 --> 00:12:40.599 The Lord of the armies of heaven came and stood in front of Joshua, and Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped him and says what does my Lord say to his servant? 00:12:40.599 --> 00:12:43.690 Immediately, he submits to the will of his servant. 00:12:43.690 --> 00:12:47.217 And so you got that kind of military picture right there. 00:12:47.217 --> 00:12:52.162 Jesus is our commanding officer, the Lord of the armies of heaven, and we're in God's kingdom. 00:12:52.162 --> 00:12:52.924 We're in his armies. 00:12:52.924 --> 00:12:54.669 We're not our own. 00:12:54.669 --> 00:12:56.436 We belong to Jesus. 00:12:56.436 --> 00:13:01.631 We've been paid for, and so if we're gonna call him Lord, we had better obey his word. 00:13:01.631 --> 00:13:03.937 We better have this, this phrase, in our mouth. 00:13:03.937 --> 00:13:06.164 What does the Lord say to his servant? 00:13:06.164 --> 00:13:07.630 What do you want me to do? 00:13:07.630 --> 00:13:10.691 So let's go New Testament. 00:13:10.730 --> 00:13:18.777 Now we're gonna look in John, chapter 15, and these, these should be familiar verses to you. 00:13:18.777 --> 00:13:20.664 We quote these a lot in church. 00:13:20.664 --> 00:13:22.851 We read out of this chapter quite a bit. 00:13:22.851 --> 00:13:25.729 We're gonna skip down to verse 7. 00:13:25.729 --> 00:13:28.870 Jesus is writing the words are read in my Bible. 00:13:28.910 --> 00:13:33.210 He says if you abide in me and my words abide in you, well, he's talking about. 00:13:33.210 --> 00:13:38.476 He's painting a picture here, so we'll go up a little further in there and he says I'm the vine and you're the branches. 00:13:38.476 --> 00:13:40.350 That's what it means to abide in Jesus. 00:13:40.350 --> 00:13:41.394 You're connected to him. 00:13:41.394 --> 00:13:43.772 You're drawing all of your nourishment from him. 00:13:43.772 --> 00:13:45.576 Your supply comes from Jesus. 00:13:45.576 --> 00:13:49.148 If you're a branch, your supply comes from the trunk that you're connected to. 00:13:49.148 --> 00:13:51.835 Well, jesus is that trunk that we're connected to. 00:13:51.835 --> 00:14:00.857 And so verse 7 if you abide in me and my words abide In you, you will ask what you desire and it will be done for you. 00:14:00.857 --> 00:14:04.413 Well, that's an astounding promise right there. 00:14:04.413 --> 00:14:07.365 And most people don't believe that that promise is true. 00:14:07.365 --> 00:14:24.216 And and that's sad, because Jesus said it and I guess people want to argue with them or make excuses for him Well, he didn't mean exactly that, but it says that if you abide in me and my words abide in you, it's conditional you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. 00:14:24.284 --> 00:14:34.900 And then he goes on to say by this my father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so you're the branch that's putting on fruit and you'll be known as his disciples. 00:14:34.900 --> 00:14:38.072 When you bear fruit, we are known as his disciples. 00:14:38.072 --> 00:14:45.284 God gets glory when we bear fruit, when we put a demand on our covenant, when we ask what we desire. 00:14:45.284 --> 00:14:58.208 You know our desires need to be aligned with his desires and when they are, we are right to ask or put a demand on our covenant For those things, and it is right for God to say yes, you're in alignment with me. 00:14:58.208 --> 00:15:04.514 So, again going back to those conditional terms right there, if you abide in me, that is, we're connected. 00:15:04.514 --> 00:15:16.090 We're connected with Jesus and and Everything he has we have and everything we have he has, and we're getting all the nourishment that comes through Jesus into us and we're abiding him. 00:15:16.291 --> 00:15:18.620 And then he says and my words abide in you. 00:15:18.620 --> 00:15:24.360 So we've got two things we're physically abiding in that trunk and we have his words in our mouth. 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:29.015 When those two conditions are met, we're not gonna ask anything outside of God's will. 00:15:29.015 --> 00:15:44.164 We're gonna be perfectly aligned with God's will, such that when we ask, it is it is the heavenly father's joy To say yes to his kids and say, yes, you can have that, it shall be done for you, and then you bear fruit and then God gets the glory. 00:15:44.164 --> 00:15:57.096 It's because people don't ask, they ask a miss, they ask for the wrong things, they ask outside the will of God and they do that because Jesus words are not in their mouth or they're not really connected with Jesus in the way that they ought to be, and so then they ask a miss. 00:15:58.567 --> 00:16:09.198 So a little bit later in there, you know Jesus cares that we, that we have what we need and so we can ask for these things and have chapter 15, verse 9. 00:16:09.198 --> 00:16:11.630 He cares about our joy. 00:16:11.630 --> 00:16:16.969 He cares that we have what we need and that we're bearing much fruit, but he also cares about our joy. 00:16:16.969 --> 00:16:19.856 As the father loved me, I also have loved you. 00:16:19.856 --> 00:16:21.668 Abide in my love. 00:16:21.668 --> 00:16:24.076 So there's another thing that we got to abide in his love. 00:16:24.076 --> 00:16:31.769 If you keep my commandments, if we obey him, you know he's the commanding officer again, and so we're listening for those. 00:16:31.769 --> 00:16:35.116 Those commands cross over this River Jordan, sir. 00:16:35.116 --> 00:16:41.457 Yes, sir, we don't question, we do, and so we obey without questioning. 00:16:41.457 --> 00:16:53.484 And so here we have another command if you keep my commandments, you will abide in me, in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. 00:16:53.484 --> 00:17:01.924 These things I have spoken to you that your joy may remit, that might, that that my joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full. 00:17:02.206 --> 00:17:07.768 He doesn't want you to have partial joy, a little bit joy, occasional joy, random joy. 00:17:07.768 --> 00:17:10.497 You should not have random outbursts of joy. 00:17:10.497 --> 00:17:12.825 You should have full joy all the time. 00:17:12.825 --> 00:17:15.371 It's good, you know, it's better to have some than none. 00:17:15.371 --> 00:17:17.837 So random outbursts are better than none. 00:17:17.837 --> 00:17:21.365 But where to have his joy all the time? 00:17:21.365 --> 00:17:28.318 This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you. 00:17:28.318 --> 00:17:31.384 Greater love has no man than this that he laid down his life for his friends. 00:17:31.384 --> 00:17:35.396 And then Jesus goes on to call his disciples his friends. 00:17:37.769 --> 00:17:39.505 I'm gonna skip ahead to chapter 16. 00:17:39.505 --> 00:17:47.438 We're gonna have a lot of scripture in here tonight and we're just gonna go from one thing to the next and you might have to listen to this again or read these scriptures again and get this in you. 00:17:47.438 --> 00:17:49.971 But there's revelation, knowledge and what you're hearing tonight. 00:17:49.971 --> 00:17:57.189 In John, chapter 16, verse 33, he's talking to his disciples. 00:17:57.189 --> 00:18:00.678 He's already prepped him and let him know hey, boys, I'm about to leave here. 00:18:00.678 --> 00:18:02.369 I've got to do what I've got to do. 00:18:02.369 --> 00:18:10.036 I've completed my ministry here, but I'm gonna leave you a comforter, the Holy Ghost, and so it's important that you get the comforter. 00:18:10.297 --> 00:18:14.904 And Jesus is saying here in verse 33, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. 00:18:14.904 --> 00:18:21.439 So he wants you to have a supply, he wants your joy to be full and he wants you to have peace. 00:18:21.439 --> 00:18:24.449 In me. 00:18:24.449 --> 00:18:26.273 You may have peace in the world. 00:18:26.273 --> 00:18:36.554 You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, the con connotation being that Everything I have done you can do. 00:18:36.554 --> 00:18:39.544 Also, because he taught his disciples along the way. 00:18:39.544 --> 00:18:44.721 He taught him this is what you do, this is how you do it and this is the result you can have. 00:18:44.721 --> 00:18:47.872 Okay, I've done it, okay, you guys try it. 00:18:47.872 --> 00:18:51.128 And so that's how he Discipled his disciples. 00:18:51.128 --> 00:18:51.450 It was. 00:18:51.450 --> 00:18:58.484 It was learned by hearing, learned by speaking, and then and then they got to do it and that was a constant repetition for them. 00:18:58.484 --> 00:19:01.012 And so he cared about he cares about our peace. 00:19:01.715 --> 00:19:05.469 And I want to zero in on a couple of words there that in me you may have peace. 00:19:05.469 --> 00:19:13.502 That word peace in the Greek irony is by implication, and this is in the strong's concordance. 00:19:13.502 --> 00:19:16.428 By implication it is prosperity. 00:19:16.428 --> 00:19:22.441 So that kind of reads a little differently when you get to reading that there. 00:19:22.441 --> 00:19:29.155 These things I have spoken to you that in me you may have prosperity, you may have an abundant supply. 00:19:29.155 --> 00:19:33.874 If you abide in me, if the branch is connected to the trunk, you're going to have whatever that trunk has. 00:19:33.874 --> 00:19:36.035 How many know, jesus is not poor. 00:19:36.035 --> 00:19:38.816 He did not run out of anything. 00:19:38.816 --> 00:19:41.156 He's got a supply that runs deep. 00:19:41.156 --> 00:19:42.314 His roots run deep. 00:19:42.314 --> 00:19:43.713 He's got a supply. 00:19:43.713 --> 00:19:57.162 And so these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace, or prosperity, or oneness, quietness, rest, in other words, you're not upset, easily excited by the turmoil going on around you. 00:19:57.710 --> 00:19:59.738 There may be a lack of things that we have need of. 00:19:59.738 --> 00:20:02.278 The grocery stores may be bare on their shelves. 00:20:02.278 --> 00:20:08.583 We ran out of toilet paper as a society, because I still haven't figured that one out. 00:20:08.583 --> 00:20:10.055 Why the rush on toilet paper? 00:20:10.055 --> 00:20:13.170 I don't know, but we ran out. 00:20:13.170 --> 00:20:15.517 But in me you have toilet paper. 00:20:15.517 --> 00:20:18.917 You have a supply of whatever it is you need. 00:20:18.917 --> 00:20:20.856 You've got a supply of produce and meat. 00:20:20.856 --> 00:20:22.114 Well, the meat's real expensive. 00:20:22.114 --> 00:20:24.309 It doesn't matter, we have a supply. 00:20:24.309 --> 00:20:25.474 Have you seen the price of gas? 00:20:25.474 --> 00:20:26.413 It doesn't matter. 00:20:26.413 --> 00:20:28.355 In me you may have gasoline. 00:20:28.355 --> 00:20:31.739 In me you may have anything that you have need of here on earth. 00:20:31.739 --> 00:20:33.536 If you need it here, he needs you to have it. 00:20:34.390 --> 00:20:36.236 And so let's look at the next word tribulation. 00:20:36.236 --> 00:20:39.898 In the world you will have tribulation. 00:20:39.898 --> 00:20:43.678 So there's two things here you may have peace in me. 00:20:43.678 --> 00:20:45.015 So it's kind of like a choice. 00:20:45.015 --> 00:20:50.440 There's that conditional side to it, but in the world that's unconditional you're going to have tribulation. 00:20:50.970 --> 00:20:54.131 I hate to be the bearer of bad news tonight, but this is. 00:20:54.131 --> 00:20:57.640 I'm just the messenger reading the scripture, john 1633. 00:20:57.640 --> 00:21:01.338 Jesus spoke and said you're going to have tribulation in the world. 00:21:01.338 --> 00:21:04.174 But Jesus said be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. 00:21:04.174 --> 00:21:05.454 We know we can overcome too. 00:21:05.454 --> 00:21:21.738 That word tribulation in the Greek, the ellipsis adent lisp, it means pressure, oppression, stress, anguish, adversity, affliction, a crushing, squashing, squeezing and distress. 00:21:21.738 --> 00:21:25.679 I mean that's coming in from every direction, every side. 00:21:28.492 --> 00:21:34.804 And so when I think about that, I think about diving deep in the ocean. 00:21:34.804 --> 00:21:38.397 You know we've got submarines now that can go down. 00:21:38.397 --> 00:21:47.521 You know they can pass 35,000 feet underwater and that column of water pressure on the hull of that submarine is extraordinary. 00:21:47.521 --> 00:21:58.058 It is probably one of the harshest environments that we have on earth is underwater in the deep parts of the world, one we can't breathe underwater without special gear. 00:21:58.058 --> 00:22:04.461 But you know, aside from the fact that you can't breathe, you'll be crushed at that depth. 00:22:04.461 --> 00:22:13.538 And so we can explore that depth by climbing into one of these specialized submarines and being lowered at a particular rate all the way down there. 00:22:13.538 --> 00:22:20.751 And I've watched some of the videos of the scientists that are in these submarines and it is quiet. 00:22:20.751 --> 00:22:30.038 It's quiet, and you know they may be nervous on the inside, wondering if what they've constructed is actually going to withstand that pressure. 00:22:30.038 --> 00:22:30.792 But it does. 00:22:31.630 --> 00:22:44.403 And if they would just let go of the, if they would just trust and have confidence in engineering design of that craft and not cast away their confidence, it would be peaceful on the inside of that thing. 00:22:44.403 --> 00:22:57.160 It would be a crushing, squashing, squeezing pressure on the outside of that hull, but inside it's just peaceful, and so that's kind of a picture of what we have when we're in him. 00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:58.595 We have peace. 00:22:58.595 --> 00:23:04.855 There's squashing, squashing, crushing pressure on the outside, but we're in Jesus and so we have peace. 00:23:04.855 --> 00:23:06.212 We're not affected by it. 00:23:06.212 --> 00:23:15.596 It's an impossible environment to live in, but we've got a shell around us and we're protected from that when we're in him. 00:23:16.009 --> 00:23:20.981 Hebrews 1035 says therefore, do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 00:23:20.981 --> 00:23:23.939 Trust that what Jesus said is true. 00:23:23.939 --> 00:23:24.612 He said it. 00:23:24.612 --> 00:23:36.240 You can have peace in me and the world is tribulation, but I'm going to give you a supply and you won't experience the crushing and the squeezing and the pressure and the anguish. 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:41.759 So we've got to have confidence that what he says is real and that he'll back it up. 00:23:41.759 --> 00:23:45.778 There's a great reward when we have confidence in that. 00:23:45.778 --> 00:23:53.799 You have need of endurance so that after you have done the will of God, after you have obeyed your commanding officer, you may receive your promise. 00:23:53.799 --> 00:24:00.799 It doesn't come before we obey first and God backs it up with his promise on the other side of it. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.173 So, jesus you know. 00:24:03.193 --> 00:24:05.520 He sent out his disciples, he sent out the twelve. 00:24:05.520 --> 00:24:09.780 He told them where to go, what to take, how to handle rejection. 00:24:09.780 --> 00:24:15.897 He said when they reject my word, when you go and bring my word and they reject it, just wipe your feet off and keep going. 00:24:15.897 --> 00:24:16.792 They're not worthy of it. 00:24:16.792 --> 00:24:20.336 And he warned them of the likely persecutions. 00:24:20.336 --> 00:24:25.017 And this is coming out of Matthew, chapter ten and verse twenty-eight. 00:24:27.569 --> 00:24:31.080 Jesus warns, he said and do not fear those who can kill the body. 00:24:31.080 --> 00:24:32.496 He's just previous verses. 00:24:32.496 --> 00:24:37.881 He's listed all the ways that they can torture and persecute and cause bodily harm and anguish. 00:24:37.881 --> 00:24:51.438 And he says do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul, but rather fear him, who was able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 00:24:51.438 --> 00:24:59.113 Remember that picture of Jesus and the angel calling in the birds to eat the flesh of everyone he was about to destroy with a sword that came out of his mouth. 00:24:59.113 --> 00:25:03.472 That, that, that, that terrible picture, that guy. 00:25:03.472 --> 00:25:05.017 We obey him. 00:25:05.017 --> 00:25:08.434 We don't fear man, the creation. 00:25:08.434 --> 00:25:13.444 We fear God, the Creator, who is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. 00:25:14.247 --> 00:25:24.094 And then he goes on and he says they're not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, and not one of them falls to the ground, apart from your father's will, but the very hairs of your head or number. 00:25:24.094 --> 00:25:25.597 Do not fear, therefore. 00:25:25.597 --> 00:25:29.394 You are of more value than many sparrows. 00:25:29.394 --> 00:25:33.298 That might be the first bit of good news that it had for you tonight. 00:25:33.298 --> 00:25:34.664 You're of more value than a sparrow. 00:25:34.664 --> 00:25:35.426 How about that? 00:25:35.426 --> 00:25:43.309 So you can raise your self-confidence up from whatever level it was and know that you are worth more Than the little birds. 00:25:43.309 --> 00:25:45.676 Your heavenly father cares for you. 00:25:45.676 --> 00:25:47.147 He is known. 00:25:47.147 --> 00:25:54.614 God is known as a mighty terrible one and he is a terror to evil, but not to you or his kids. 00:25:54.614 --> 00:26:00.773 He said we should come boldly before the throne of grace and Obtained mercy. 00:26:00.773 --> 00:26:10.490 In other words, we shouldn't shy at the door and duck and hide behind the the ficus plant in the corner and make your way over behind a chair and kind of tiptoe your way into. 00:26:10.490 --> 00:26:12.055 No, we don't hide from God. 00:26:12.055 --> 00:26:23.794 You can turn around and run to God and have full confidence that you can obtain mercy and help Whenever you need it because you're his kids and you're of more value than sparrows and he loves you. 00:26:23.794 --> 00:26:28.609 And so we can't let fear Get in the way of that. 00:26:28.609 --> 00:26:32.614 We can't let fear get in the way the commandments that we've been given. 00:26:32.614 --> 00:26:40.460 When we've been charged to go do this and go do that Fear, we'll try to interrupt that and sidetrack you from God's will. 00:26:40.840 --> 00:26:42.404 Fear and faith are opposites. 00:26:42.404 --> 00:26:43.446 You know, we've got faith. 00:26:43.446 --> 00:26:44.931 We believe God's word. 00:26:44.931 --> 00:26:48.097 Jesus spoke these words in me you may have peace. 00:26:48.097 --> 00:26:50.589 We've got to believe it. 00:26:50.589 --> 00:26:59.785 Faith says Look at the trouble all around, that crushing, squeezing pressure all the way around. 00:26:59.785 --> 00:27:02.711 Don't you feel it closing in? 00:27:02.711 --> 00:27:07.151 You don't have a supply big enough, you're not gonna make it. 00:27:07.151 --> 00:27:14.574 That's what the world says, that's what the devil says, and so fear is Faith in the wrong direction. 00:27:14.574 --> 00:27:22.758 Fear is disregarding God's word and believing what the devil has planted in our brains and calling that true. 00:27:22.758 --> 00:27:25.265 And so fear and faith are opposites. 00:27:25.265 --> 00:27:29.573 Fear causes us to believe the lie instead of the truth. 00:27:29.573 --> 00:27:35.548 It says that God's word might not work or we don't. 00:27:35.949 --> 00:27:37.633 We can't understand God's word. 00:27:37.633 --> 00:27:38.997 I know it says this here. 00:27:38.997 --> 00:27:44.444 I know it says believers shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. 00:27:44.444 --> 00:27:48.315 But God must have meant something different than that, because I'm not capable of that. 00:27:48.315 --> 00:27:49.758 Well, he said you are. 00:27:49.758 --> 00:27:51.607 You know. 00:27:51.607 --> 00:27:56.599 He called Gideon. 00:27:56.599 --> 00:27:59.869 He called him a mighty man of valor. 00:27:59.869 --> 00:28:10.069 When Gideon was trying to thresh some grain, hiding from his enemies, hoping that his enemies wouldn't see what little bit of grain he had and come and take it from him. 00:28:10.069 --> 00:28:12.757 And God looked down and called him something different. 00:28:12.757 --> 00:28:14.209 He said you, mighty man of valor. 00:28:14.209 --> 00:28:16.395 And then look what he did with Gideon. 00:28:16.395 --> 00:28:20.509 Look what he did with 300 people who were wholly committed to obeying him. 00:28:20.509 --> 00:28:27.943 He had to call the herd of all those who might not obey and get down to the handful of people that would obey. 00:28:27.943 --> 00:28:32.936 And he can do great things with people who are obedient to him, who will obey his command. 00:28:32.936 --> 00:28:36.693 That's what God is looking for, and so you know. 00:28:36.713 --> 00:28:40.009 Remember, remember, jesus Climbed in the boat with his disciples. 00:28:40.009 --> 00:28:43.278 This comes out of Mark, chapter 4 and verse 35. 00:28:43.278 --> 00:28:45.071 We'll read these verses here. 00:28:45.071 --> 00:28:52.515 It says on the same day, when evening had come, he, jesus, said to them let us cross over to the other side. 00:28:52.515 --> 00:28:55.990 You know, some commanders are very Direct in their commandments. 00:28:55.990 --> 00:28:59.708 Hey, getting the boat, I'm gonna sit in the back. 00:28:59.708 --> 00:29:01.873 You guys take us to the other side. 00:29:02.273 --> 00:29:07.114 But he was gentle with them, but there needed to be a certain level of respect. 00:29:07.114 --> 00:29:17.301 When Jesus said let us cross over to the other side, he meant you guys ensure that this boat gets to the other side, and I have full trust. 00:29:17.301 --> 00:29:19.086 You guys are sailors, you guys are semen. 00:29:19.086 --> 00:29:20.170 You've been around this stuff. 00:29:20.170 --> 00:29:22.454 This is your, your kind of territory here. 00:29:22.454 --> 00:29:23.798 You've been around boats. 00:29:23.798 --> 00:29:25.929 I'm gonna go take a nap in the back. 00:29:25.929 --> 00:29:28.534 This is nothing that you guys can't handle. 00:29:28.534 --> 00:29:30.699 You don't need me to do it for you. 00:29:32.166 --> 00:29:35.431 But they thought Jesus did need to do it for him. 00:29:35.431 --> 00:29:44.409 And so we know the story the there was a great storm that arose and the wheat waves beat into the boat and there was water already filling in and Jesus was asleep on the back. 00:29:44.409 --> 00:29:48.278 The boats rocking up and down, water splashing in there and Jesus is asleep. 00:29:48.278 --> 00:29:53.497 He had full trust they can handle this, and they could if they obeyed. 00:29:53.497 --> 00:29:56.851 If they did, jesus had been an example to them all the way through. 00:29:56.851 --> 00:29:59.217 He'd given them countless ways to handle this. 00:30:00.465 --> 00:30:03.996 But they had to wake him up and they said teacher, don't you care that we're perishing? 00:30:03.996 --> 00:30:06.089 Well, of course I care. 00:30:06.089 --> 00:30:07.674 Why are you perishing? 00:30:07.674 --> 00:30:08.616 That's dumb. 00:30:08.616 --> 00:30:11.753 Why aren't you guys doing something about this storm? 00:30:12.164 --> 00:30:15.151 And so he had to ask the question about their faith. 00:30:15.151 --> 00:30:19.837 First thing he did was he rebuked the wind and the sea and he said peace, be still. 00:30:19.837 --> 00:30:21.361 And there was a great calm. 00:30:21.361 --> 00:30:24.064 And then he said why are you so fearful? 00:30:24.064 --> 00:30:26.612 Why didn't you believe what I said to do? 00:30:26.612 --> 00:30:27.714 Why didn't you obey me? 00:30:27.714 --> 00:30:29.773 Where is your faith? 00:30:29.773 --> 00:30:31.365 How is it you have no faith? 00:30:31.365 --> 00:30:33.330 You've been around me. 00:30:33.330 --> 00:30:35.877 How long, I mean, can you just hear that, the parental tone? 00:30:35.877 --> 00:30:38.484 And in his voice as he's talking down to his kids? 00:30:38.484 --> 00:30:43.345 I have taught you how many times, how many times have I told you not to leave the back door open? 00:30:43.345 --> 00:30:46.318 Okay, now we're getting into my family, I. 00:30:46.318 --> 00:30:51.898 But they feared exceedingly and they said to one another who can this be? 00:30:51.898 --> 00:30:53.724 Even the wind and the sea obey him. 00:30:53.724 --> 00:30:55.371 I mean, there still don't get it. 00:30:55.371 --> 00:30:57.612 They still don't understand it. 00:30:58.626 --> 00:31:03.932 But he had faith that if they would just do what he did you know, we got those little bracelets people used to wear. 00:31:03.932 --> 00:31:04.894 What would Jesus do? 00:31:04.894 --> 00:31:07.464 And we're supposed to, you know, somehow remind ourselves. 00:31:07.464 --> 00:31:08.166 We look at this. 00:31:08.166 --> 00:31:09.089 What would Jesus do? 00:31:09.089 --> 00:31:11.236 Well, he'd turn this water into wine. 00:31:11.236 --> 00:31:12.871 Yeah, we have a party. 00:31:12.871 --> 00:31:14.458 No, he'd rebuke the storm. 00:31:14.458 --> 00:31:15.943 He would do either. 00:31:15.943 --> 00:31:19.035 There's a long list of examples of what Jesus would do. 00:31:19.035 --> 00:31:22.930 We don't need a silly bracelet to remind ourselves Apparently the disciples did. 00:31:22.930 --> 00:31:26.904 If they had had that bracelet, maybe they would have made it to the other side. 00:31:26.904 --> 00:31:28.210 I think that's what they were missing. 00:31:28.210 --> 00:31:29.374 They just needed the bracelet. 00:31:31.788 --> 00:31:38.433 And so the lie is anything that's contrary to God's world word, and it can come through people. 00:31:38.433 --> 00:31:43.865 It can come through physical circumstances, and so I've got three simple points here to wrap this up. 00:31:43.865 --> 00:31:49.394 When fear comes, remind yourself who your Lord is. 00:31:49.394 --> 00:31:57.172 Remind yourself who your Lord is and that, if he is your Lord, then I want you to remember that you're not your own. 00:31:57.172 --> 00:31:59.076