WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:02.240 Good morning, KCC. 00:00:02.479 --> 00:00:04.480 I want to welcome you to church today. 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:08.800 If you're out in the foyer, you can come on in and find a seat. 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:14.560 If you have kids in the house, we have an awesome program ready for them downstairs. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.160 For the rest of you, I'm gonna invite you to stand on up with me. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.480 We're gonna read a verse together. 00:00:21.679 --> 00:00:33.520 Isaiah 9, verse 6 to 7 says, and his name will be Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:39.759 His ruling authority will grow and there will be no limits to the wholeness he brings. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:48.399 And I was thinking about this this morning as we're getting into December in the Christmas season, that we have something we're celebrating, and it's more than a story. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:51.119 That we have a person that's with us this morning. 00:00:51.359 --> 00:00:55.840 Whatever you need, whatever you're going through, that you can grab on to the amazing counselor. 00:00:56.159 --> 00:00:58.799 You can grab on to a strong God this morning. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:14.079 You can grab on to an eternal Father, a Prince of wholeness, that there will be no limits to the wholeness he brings, whatever you need, whatever you're lacking this morning, that we can reach out to the God who has no limits to the wholeness he brings. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:14.959 Amen. 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:18.400 God, we thank you that you leave us whole. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:21.040 God, I thank you that when we're empty, you fill us up. 00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:24.640 God, I thank you that when we need peace, that you are the Prince of Peace. 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:28.719 I thank you that you are the everlasting Father, that you are a strong God. 00:01:28.799 --> 00:01:30.640 When we're weak, that you're strong. 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:32.640 So we gall out to you today. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:34.159 We grab onto you. 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:40.319 We just believe every word of everything that this is who you are, and we believe that it's true for us today. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:43.920 In Jesus' name, everybody said, Amen. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:45.680 Let's worship together. 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:11.199 Come as bow as we has a great thing. 00:02:18.560 --> 00:02:21.199 See how love overcomes. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:40.240 Oh you ahead, you conquer the grave, you free every life, and break every change, oh God. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:46.000 You have a great We death for your freedom. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:03:20.800 Oh Jesus, our savior, they all do I know you won't do it again. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:38.560 You will do I will do a heaven conquered break. 00:03:43.120 --> 00:03:49.360 Oh, we have freedom. 00:03:55.439 --> 00:04:00.080 I hope you have a big day. 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:28.399 Oh Jesus God, I'm loving all Hallelujah God, unshakeable, hallelujah. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.680 You have done great things. 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:45.839 Oh yes, Lord Hallelujah, God, I'm love it, oh, yeah, God, shake a bull, Hallelujah. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:51.040 Have done great things, you've done great things. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:06.079 You free every captive and break every chain, oh God, you have to break it back. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:17.120 Oh, his life. 00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:57.680 Oh, his he has ransomed his grace to us while I was a sage to Saint Jesus died for me. 00:06:58.800 --> 00:07:07.279 Yes, he died for me through the sub session. 00:07:07.839 --> 00:07:09.199 Oh, it's free. 00:11:15.360 --> 00:11:44.399 All your promises, oh yes, they promises, oh yes, they knew if a savior you have me. 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:51.759 You pulled me from the ashes, you have broken every curse. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:36.240 Oh yes, they will rest my confidence in faithfulness, I will rest. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:20:03.359 Here the prince of heaven comes, angel cries down the call for this day wrapped in a profit, the incarnate word of God, all the king's power, pressing down in this child, Prince of Heaven, Jesus all blood, King of Glory, we gladly born in Jesus who ever the wealthy, no friends of ever. 00:20:48.480 --> 00:21:50.000 We know him, his prince of peace, the light of mercy, ourselves, they are burning, and Jesus with gladness where the prince of his clothes came to wild sound across for this big rough in a boat, being carded with a kid's ball, pressing down in this job with the new Jesus. 00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:24.079 There's just such a spirit of worship in the place. 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:26.240 If you're comfortable, then why don't you just raise your hands with me? 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:28.000 Let's tell him how much we adore him. 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:30.240 Father, we love you. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:32.799 Thank you so much for all you've done for us. 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.960 Thank you for the season that we're going into. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:37.359 Thank you so much for everything in my life, Lord. 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:37.839 We love you. 00:24:38.079 --> 00:24:38.880 We adore you. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:40.240 Thank you, Jesus. 00:24:40.400 --> 00:24:41.519 Thank you, Jesus. 00:24:43.839 --> 00:24:49.039 You know, as we go into this Christmas season, I'm reminded how Jesus Christ became our living hope. 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:56.799 400 years prior to Jesus' coming, there was no living word, no prophecy, no word of God coming. 00:24:56.960 --> 00:24:58.400 It was like the heavens were sealed up. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:06.640 And I can imagine heaven almost waiting with bated breath as Jesus, as the living word, as the word of God became flesh and dwelt among us. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:12.559 Today, as we go into prayer, let's take our human hope, which is like, I think that'll happen. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:13.680 I really hope that'll happen. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:15.359 And let's put it on our living hope. 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:25.680 In every whatever your situation is today, whether it's financial, health, family, and friends that are far from God, let's reach out, let's put aside our maybe God, could you maybe do something in here? 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:31.200 But He is our living hope, and we know that He is an advocate with the Father and that our prayers are being heard. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:34.400 So let's raise up your voice, pray in your own way. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:36.400 But right now, Father, we come to you. 00:25:36.799 --> 00:25:39.200 Lord, you are our living hope. 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:44.799 You brought hope when we didn't have it, Lord, in our darkness, in every situation, Lord, you see in this house. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:50.000 Lord, we're praying for breakthrough, for miracles, for supernatural turnarounds. 00:25:50.319 --> 00:25:53.279 Father, open up paths where there were no paths before. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:55.200 You can do all things. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:58.559 Lord, I pray heaven come down and touch every single person. 00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:02.319 Lord, lead and guide us in our path right now in Jesus' name. 00:26:02.559 --> 00:26:05.440 Lord, direct us, I pray, Lord, your will be done. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:06.559 Thank you, Jesus. 00:26:06.640 --> 00:26:07.839 Thank you, Lord. 00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.319 Thank you, Lord. 00:26:12.640 --> 00:27:40.720 Well, we're gonna go into our time of uh of greeting right now, so just greet someone next to you, say Merry Christmas a little early, but uh, thank you, Jesus. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.640 Thank you, worship team. 00:27:42.880 --> 00:27:44.079 That was awesome. 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:45.759 Yeah. 00:27:47.039 --> 00:27:50.559 Hey, we're gonna start a new series this uh month. 00:27:51.119 --> 00:27:56.960 And uh he gave me about five days to prepare, you heard him, right? 00:27:58.240 --> 00:27:59.920 Asked me last week. 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:06.559 I love our pastor, you know, he's anointed spirit-led, right? 00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:11.839 He'll be hat he'll have a plan and then God will speak to him, and all of a sudden he'll change his direction. 00:28:16.079 --> 00:28:18.559 No, this is part of the plan, and it's good. 00:28:18.799 --> 00:28:19.759 It is good. 00:28:21.200 --> 00:28:42.559 Our uh series that we're going into is all hail King Jesus, and what an appropriate series for this time of the year to elevate and to lift up the king, and even as we were worshiping this morning, there's there's nothing like elevating Jesus and uh he is everything to us. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:43.359 Amen. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:52.559 That's wonderful, and actually, when you when you start to look into scripture, you find him in the beginning and you find him at the end, and you find him on every page. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:58.799 Every page, the whole Old Testament is written about the anticipation of Christ, the Messiah. 00:28:59.119 --> 00:29:02.799 And the whole New Testament is about his coming and how to live like him. 00:29:04.079 --> 00:29:04.640 There it is. 00:29:04.799 --> 00:29:05.519 That's that's it. 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:06.559 That's the book. 00:29:08.079 --> 00:29:10.079 So he's on every page. 00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:11.519 Hallelujah. 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:18.799 And just like in the Old Testament, they had to have faith and belief, so is it in the New Testament where we have to have faith and believe. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:19.599 Amen. 00:29:19.839 --> 00:29:21.680 Do you have faith this morning? 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:24.400 Is your faith more than wishful thinking? 00:29:24.640 --> 00:29:26.720 Is your faith on a solid rock? 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:27.920 Is it concrete? 00:29:28.079 --> 00:29:29.599 Do you know what you believe? 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:31.119 Do you have a hope? 00:29:31.440 --> 00:29:32.160 Come on. 00:29:32.480 --> 00:29:33.279 Hallelujah. 00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:34.160 He's worthy. 00:29:34.319 --> 00:29:35.599 He is so worthy. 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:41.359 So this morning, um, I'm going to launch out of uh you get Ed today, okay? 00:29:41.440 --> 00:29:44.240 You get Ed, Ed with the word, right? 00:29:45.119 --> 00:29:56.000 I just I love the scripture and uh boy, I tell you, when you want to, when you ask me to talk about King Jesus, there's so many different directions I could go. 00:29:56.160 --> 00:29:58.799 Uh, we could do this series for a year. 00:29:59.039 --> 00:30:08.319 Because there's there's endless stories and testimonies and books and things written about him that have uh that he deserves the highest place. 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:08.960 Come on. 00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:12.319 He deserves the highest place, and he's worthy to be talking about. 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:18.640 But I'm gonna launch out of Hebrews this morning, and I have I've done a little medley of scripture. 00:30:18.799 --> 00:30:32.640 I've actually, if you see like the my first piece of scripture is Hebrews 8, 1 to 6, but I've taken out some things just to simplify where we're going this morning, and then I want to talk about the fact that he wants to be with you. 00:30:33.119 --> 00:30:33.440 Okay? 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:41.039 He wants to be with you, and I'm going to use a lot of the Old Testament, and because when you talk about God, you're talking about Jesus. 00:30:41.200 --> 00:30:43.680 When you talk about Jesus, you're talking about God, right? 00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:44.960 The Father and the Son. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.039 When you see one, you see them both, right? 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:48.960 It's in their heart, and that's who he is. 00:30:49.119 --> 00:30:55.759 So Hebrews chapter 8, 1 to 6 says, now this is the main point of the things we are saying. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:31:08.720 We have such a high priest who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:12.960 Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:17.759 See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain. 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:28.000 But now he, Jesus, has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as he is also mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. 00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:32.160 If you want to know Jesus, read the book of Hebrews 2, right? 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:37.440 Get the gospels into you because you're introduced to his character, but get Hebrews into you. 00:31:37.599 --> 00:31:40.079 You start to understand that he's the best. 00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:42.079 He's the great high priest. 00:31:42.240 --> 00:31:45.119 He is forever making intercession on our behalf. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:49.920 There is, you know, he is just, he is just uh top, top, top, right? 00:31:50.240 --> 00:31:59.200 So um, second scripture, Hebrews 8, 10 to 12, for this is the better covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:05.519 I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 00:32:05.680 --> 00:32:13.119 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brothers, saying, Know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them. 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:19.759 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins, and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. 00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:37.039 So this is Jesus Christ who who uh just is such a uh a passionate intercessor, and uh he says, Everybody's gonna know me, and I'm gonna be merciful to your lawless deeds, and to, you know, it's just like we're here because of his grace. 00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:42.559 How many of you are grateful that he doesn't remember what you've done, but he's looking at what you're gonna do? 00:32:43.359 --> 00:32:45.200 Come on, hallelujah. 00:32:45.599 --> 00:33:09.519 Hebrews 11 or 9 from 11 to 14 says, But Christ came, this Jesus that we're talking about this morning, came as a high priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is not this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, he entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:26.640 For if the blood of bulls and goats and ashes of heifers sprinkling the unclean sanctifies for the puring of the flesh, purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:28.400 Now, this is a mouthful, okay? 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:31.759 So, you know, I I'm not you're gonna be overwhelmed with scripture. 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:32.799 Don't worry about the scripture. 00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:34.319 You're gonna listen to me preach in a minute. 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:36.319 Take the scripture home and read it. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:37.119 Okay? 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:46.799 Let the scripture percolate in your heart, because this is King Jesus, the great high priest that forever makes intercession for us at the right hand of God. 00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:55.920 He is sitting at the right hand of God right now, interceding for you and I so that we can become the best man and woman that he's ever created us to be. 00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:58.640 And he's sitting there going, Go, guys, go. 00:33:58.799 --> 00:33:59.599 You're awesome. 00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:00.880 I did all this for you. 00:34:01.039 --> 00:34:07.440 Go do it, because I've given you the power, I've given you everything you need to become what I've called you to be. 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:14.639 And he sits there cheering us on in the heavens, going, look at my church, look at my people, look at my family. 00:34:14.800 --> 00:34:16.000 That's who he is, right? 00:34:16.079 --> 00:34:18.800 He's the great high priest, the intercessor. 00:34:19.039 --> 00:34:22.719 And now that I have tears in my eyes, I can't see my last scripture. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:41.360 Hebrews 7, 24 to 26 says, but he, because he continues forever as an unchangeable priesthood, therefore he is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:51.119 For such a high priest was fitting for us, who is holy, blameless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. 00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.840 He's become higher than the heavens. 00:34:54.000 --> 00:34:59.920 You know, when we uh start to plummet the depths of of Jesus Christ, he was there in the beginning. 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:04.159 He what we sang about this morning, he is the word, he's the fulfillment of the word. 00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:07.519 He holds the universe in the power of his hand. 00:35:07.760 --> 00:35:11.920 This is God, he's he's got the name above all names, the highest place. 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:17.119 Come on, he the the the universe cannot uh contain him. 00:35:19.440 --> 00:35:27.679 And yet he's here in our midst, he's here in this place, he's here, and he longs to be with us. 00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:30.320 That's just absolutely amazing. 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:32.320 Praise the Lord. 00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:34.559 Father, we thank you for your word. 00:35:34.800 --> 00:35:39.360 We thank you that you are Jesus, you are the Son of the Father. 00:35:39.679 --> 00:35:43.519 We thank you that you became flesh to dwell among us. 00:35:43.679 --> 00:35:50.639 You you came to live with us, and we thank you that uh you're seated at the right hand of the Father. 00:35:50.800 --> 00:36:00.639 Not only are you making intercession on our behalf this morning, you've also sent us your Holy Spirit, who's come to invade our space and dwell in our midst. 00:36:00.719 --> 00:36:01.679 And we're so grateful. 00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:08.000 So, Holy Spirit, ravish our hearts, open up our hearts and our minds, give us an appetite for you. 00:36:08.400 --> 00:36:11.519 Let us feed on you and see how good you are. 00:36:11.599 --> 00:36:14.079 And we thank you for that in Jesus' name. 00:36:14.400 --> 00:36:15.280 Hallelujah. 00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:18.320 And everybody said, Amen. 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:20.559 How many of you like to go camping? 00:36:21.840 --> 00:36:23.039 Some of you. 00:36:24.719 --> 00:36:25.360 Right? 00:36:26.000 --> 00:36:27.119 I love going camping. 00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:28.239 I love setting up the camp. 00:36:28.320 --> 00:36:32.159 You get to a place where you're gonna go camping and you gotta figure out, you know, where's the tent gonna be? 00:36:32.320 --> 00:36:34.960 Which, you know, which way is the door gonna face, right? 00:36:35.119 --> 00:36:36.239 And how about the fire? 00:36:36.400 --> 00:36:38.159 We're gonna put the fire here, right? 00:36:38.239 --> 00:36:42.639 And and uh, you know, this is where uh and then there's gotta be the bathroom. 00:36:42.719 --> 00:36:44.480 Like, where are we gonna go to the bathroom, right? 00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:47.440 Everybody's worried about that when we're camping, right? 00:36:47.840 --> 00:36:49.440 Um yeah. 00:36:50.480 --> 00:36:52.079 The camp, the tent. 00:36:52.559 --> 00:37:01.199 What's really neat about camping though is not only the setting up of your shelter and uh enduring the elements, right? 00:37:01.360 --> 00:37:03.599 There's stories around the campfire. 00:37:03.679 --> 00:37:06.239 There's there's uh somebody pulls out a guitar. 00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:10.079 How many of you love it when somebody pulls out a guitar when you're camping and you start to play? 00:37:10.159 --> 00:37:13.440 And and man, it's just like music in the woods, it just sounds great. 00:37:13.519 --> 00:37:15.519 You know, the bears start to worship God, right? 00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:18.320 It's like it's just an awesome place to be, you know. 00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:20.079 Memories, experiences. 00:37:20.239 --> 00:37:24.159 How many of you remember times when you went camping and just right? 00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:26.960 And then people come to visit you in your camp. 00:37:27.119 --> 00:37:31.280 Don't you love it when you have visitors in your camp and you know they bring you hot dogs? 00:37:31.360 --> 00:37:34.159 Or I remember this time when uh I was in high school. 00:37:34.320 --> 00:37:39.599 We used to go camping on our motorcycles, and there was this boy that wanted to come with us, and he was kind of a rich kid. 00:37:39.679 --> 00:37:49.039 We had to work for our motorcycles, and you know, we would just go in the bush with a gun and a fishing rod and catch fish and shoot, you know, something and eat it and cook it on the fire, you know. 00:37:49.199 --> 00:38:13.440 And this guy, he he had every he had a brand new pack sack, and he had, you know, he had his spaghetti and he had his beans and he had all this stuff, and he had a brand new sleeping bag, and we would build lean twos, and he would just like he rolled his sleeping bag out by the fire and parked his new motorcycle there and and uh lined up his can of spaghetti and he cleaned it, can of beans, and put it all and climbed into bed. 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:17.679 And and so we were sitting there looking at the scratching our head, so we thought, man, you know. 00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:22.480 So we took his beans and his spaghetti and we put them in the fire, and he was sleeping right beside the fire, right? 00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:27.519 And about half an hour later, this can of beans exploded in the camp. 00:38:27.679 --> 00:38:29.760 He jumped out of bed, he says, What's going on? 00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:33.599 And then the spaghetti went off, and there was just stuff flying all over the place, right? 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:36.159 Memories, you know, of camping. 00:38:40.639 --> 00:38:54.320 You know, God went on a camping trip, and he said to Moses in Exodus chapter 25, he said, Look at take up an offering for all of those with a willing heart to contribute, right? 00:38:54.719 --> 00:39:02.159 And build me a tent, build me a sanctuary, build me a tabernacle, so that I can dwell among them. 00:39:02.880 --> 00:39:03.519 Right? 00:39:03.840 --> 00:39:09.679 And I thought, man, if I'm going to go camping, I'm gonna try and get away from people. 00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:17.599 And here God goes on a camping trip and he puts his tent smack dab in the middle of a million people in the middle of the wilderness. 00:39:18.800 --> 00:39:19.440 Right? 00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:23.360 And he's he's like, I want to be with my people. 00:39:24.639 --> 00:39:33.920 Not on the outside of the camp, not off at a distance, right there in the very middle of this camp. 00:39:34.639 --> 00:39:43.280 And I thought, man, he must have really desperately wanted to be with his people because who would pick that for a camping spot? 00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:44.000 Right? 00:39:44.480 --> 00:39:45.440 This is God. 00:39:46.159 --> 00:39:52.480 He he he wanted to be with his people, he wanted to, he longed to be with his people. 00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:56.320 He wanted to lead them, he wanted to be in the center of the camp and he wanted to lead them. 00:39:56.400 --> 00:39:59.599 So he came to take them on a journey. 00:39:59.760 --> 00:40:01.920 And uh he he wanted to be their guide. 00:40:02.079 --> 00:40:09.920 He wanted to, he wanted to show them, like when you get into the wilderness, or if you get into the bush, the elements are against you. 00:40:10.559 --> 00:40:15.199 It can be harsh, there can be huge obstacles, right? 00:40:15.440 --> 00:40:21.039 And here, God wants to invade this camp and he wants to show himself strong. 00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:25.360 You know, he promised them a journey, he promised them the promised land, he was gonna take them. 00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:28.639 He didn't leave them to struggle their own way through. 00:40:28.880 --> 00:40:30.719 He actually invaded their space. 00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:33.760 He was a big personality in the middle of the camp. 00:40:34.000 --> 00:40:46.719 He wanted to show them that he cared about his people, he wanted to provide for them, he wanted to do war for them, he wanted to protect them, he wanted to show them his way, right? 00:40:47.280 --> 00:40:54.320 And this this camp, this tent, uh, you know, it moved. 00:40:54.480 --> 00:41:04.960 It wasn't stationary, so they would pack up and go because he was the guide, he was the leader, he was the one that was showing them the way from out of slavery into promised land. 00:41:05.679 --> 00:41:07.519 He wanted to be with his people. 00:41:07.760 --> 00:41:15.440 And this tabernacle, this tent, um was was the whole camp was around it. 00:41:15.679 --> 00:41:17.360 He was in the center. 00:41:18.320 --> 00:41:44.719 And when I think about Jesus today, his presence, Jesus so longs to be with his people, he so longs to be in the center of our life, he so longs to be our protector, he so longs to be our guide, he so longs to be our provider, he's the one that wants to feed us, he's the one that wants us to engage him in the camp. 00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:54.559 And so we see the character of God in this amazing uh camping trip. 00:41:54.880 --> 00:42:15.199 And when I think about this tent, and when we start to read about this tent, and you see glimpses of this in the book of Hebrews, this this fact that Jesus was uh there was this pathway to the Father, and you he talks about the holy of holies, and he talks about the blood, and he talks about the sacrifice, and he talks about this thing. 00:42:15.440 --> 00:42:17.679 We see this in this tent. 00:42:18.480 --> 00:42:31.360 This tent uh was not only in the center of the camp and leading his people into freedom, this tent had three sections and had a set of rules with it. 00:42:32.639 --> 00:42:41.280 Okay, and these rules they they they showed the different levels of intimacy to God. 00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:55.519 So this tent had three parts, and God wanted to be in the middle and he wanted to guide people, he wanted to be with them on this journey, but he also opened up his heart and said, I want you to come inside. 00:42:55.679 --> 00:42:57.199 I want you to get to know me. 00:42:57.599 --> 00:42:59.760 I want you to come into my presence. 00:42:59.920 --> 00:43:02.480 I don't want to just be the presence in your camp. 00:43:02.559 --> 00:43:05.039 I want you in my presence. 00:43:05.440 --> 00:43:09.440 I want you to come in and find out what I'm all about. 00:43:09.760 --> 00:43:10.960 I want to be intimate. 00:43:11.039 --> 00:43:14.800 There was different levels of intimacy in this tent. 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:22.079 The first part that you see in this tent is the outer court. 00:43:22.400 --> 00:43:25.519 And if you actually look at the pattern, I have it up here. 00:43:25.599 --> 00:43:35.519 If you look at the pattern of the tent, there's a gate on the outside, then there's a uh a curtain into the holy place, and then there's a veil into the holy of holies. 00:43:35.920 --> 00:43:38.000 These curtains, they had names. 00:43:38.159 --> 00:43:47.280 The first on the outside was the way, the second gate to the holy place was the truth, and the third gate to the holy of holies was called the life. 00:43:47.519 --> 00:43:51.360 Because he is the way, the truth, and the life. 00:43:51.519 --> 00:43:56.880 And no man comes into the intimacy and presence of the Father without Jesus Christ. 00:43:57.519 --> 00:43:59.679 And we see him in this place, revealing his. 00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:00.639 Himself. 00:44:00.800 --> 00:44:18.639 And so we as onlookers, if we came to this tabernacle, and yeah, he was our guide, but if we came to this tabernacle and wanted to find out more and hear his voice, hear the sound of his voice and know what he was all about, the first thing that we encountered when we came into the outer court was this altar. 00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:20.880 And it was called the altar of sacrifice. 00:44:21.039 --> 00:44:28.800 And beside the altar of sacrifice was this tank, and it was the water, it was the baptism, and it was the cleansing, it was for the cleansing. 00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:35.840 And when when we encounter Jesus Christ, the first thing that we understand is that He is our sacrificial Lamb. 00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:38.320 He is the one that was sacrificed for our life. 00:44:38.480 --> 00:44:43.039 He's the one that laid down his life on the altar so that we could be free. 00:44:43.360 --> 00:44:46.400 And uh it's just such a precious thing. 00:44:46.480 --> 00:44:50.000 You know, we have in church, we have what we call baptism, right? 00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:53.519 We get saved and then we're baptized, right? 00:44:53.760 --> 00:44:59.119 And there's this washing and cleansing, and you feel like, yeah, this feels so good, right? 00:44:59.599 --> 00:45:09.119 But the outer court is all about coming to this place of, you know, we we think about our sin and we're constantly thinking about our sin. 00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:17.840 We're our our our dwelling place in the outer court is about the awareness of the sacrifice and the baptism. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:22.880 And sometimes we as Christians today we're only conscious of our sin. 00:45:23.360 --> 00:45:27.920 We're sin conscious, we're aware of our sin and we look at our sin, and that's important. 00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:32.079 That's the entrance into the relationship or into intimacy with God. 00:45:32.320 --> 00:45:37.199 But there comes a point in time when we actually realize that the sacrifice has been paid. 00:45:39.519 --> 00:45:41.920 The sacrifice has been paid. 00:45:42.559 --> 00:45:45.360 And when Jesus came, he paid it once and for all. 00:45:45.519 --> 00:45:47.920 It wasn't a repeated thing. 00:45:48.400 --> 00:45:53.840 We don't have to go back and keep sacrificing Jesus Christ so that we feel free. 00:45:55.280 --> 00:46:00.480 He doesn't want us to just stay in the outer court where we're sin conscious. 00:46:02.079 --> 00:46:02.639 Come on. 00:46:03.119 --> 00:46:09.280 He's inviting us to come a step further into the tent behind the curtain. 00:46:09.599 --> 00:46:15.840 Because when you get into the holy place, this holy place is no longer about sin consciousness. 00:46:16.000 --> 00:46:35.119 In the holy place, there's this table with bread on it, and there's this lampstand that shone in this place, and then there's this altar of incense that that had worship in it, and in this holy place is where you come and you feed on the bread of life, who is Jesus Christ. 00:46:35.840 --> 00:46:43.440 And his Holy Spirit is the lampstand, and he brings light, illumination, and revelation to the bread. 00:46:43.679 --> 00:46:49.199 And as you feed on the bread, his spirit is there, and you have these aha moments. 00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:51.280 You go, wow. 00:46:51.519 --> 00:46:53.599 You know, you sit in the presence of God. 00:46:53.679 --> 00:46:55.360 It's not outside, it's inside. 00:46:55.440 --> 00:46:59.360 You sit in this place and you start to see how good he is. 00:46:59.519 --> 00:47:02.559 Taste and see how good Jesus is. 00:47:02.960 --> 00:47:13.920 And you see that the Holy Spirit is in this place that he's illuminating and highlighting the uh excellence and majesty of the word. 00:47:15.119 --> 00:47:16.320 He is the word. 00:47:18.800 --> 00:47:19.679 Come on. 00:47:20.079 --> 00:47:23.440 You sit in that place, and all of a sudden, how many of you have had revelation? 00:47:23.519 --> 00:47:27.280 You go, Oh my goodness, is that ever beautiful? 00:47:27.519 --> 00:47:28.719 Is that ever wonderful? 00:47:28.960 --> 00:47:29.280 Right? 00:47:29.440 --> 00:47:32.559 And what it does is it inspires you to worship. 00:47:32.639 --> 00:47:44.719 And we see in this tent that there's this altar of incense that the priests came into this place and and they grew in understanding, they grew in revelation. 00:47:44.960 --> 00:47:53.679 The word of the Lord was in that place, and the Holy Spirit spoke to their hearts, and they just stood in front of the presence of God and they worshiped. 00:47:54.559 --> 00:48:06.159 They worshiped him because they were just so grateful, they were so blown away about how desirous God was to meet with them, to commune with them, to fellowship with them. 00:48:09.760 --> 00:48:15.199 Then we come into the third place of this tabernacle, it's called the Holy of Holies. 00:48:16.559 --> 00:48:21.679 And in that place, nobody could go, a priest could go once a year. 00:48:23.039 --> 00:48:29.679 And the amazing thing about the Holy of Holies was that there was an altar or there was this box inside there. 00:48:29.760 --> 00:48:31.119 It's called the Ark. 00:48:31.440 --> 00:48:35.760 And in the ark is the covenant, it's the promises of God. 00:48:36.320 --> 00:48:44.559 It's the promises, it's the and in this box, it's in called the mercy seat, and you see the mercy of God. 00:48:44.880 --> 00:48:58.320 Like when you get to a place where where you sit face to face with God, you see his mercy, his greatness, his love, his compassion for humankind and for mankind. 00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:09.760 And he loves us, and he wants to bring us into this place of communion and fellowship with him, where our heart beats for him but beats for whom he has created. 00:49:10.719 --> 00:49:20.400 Our heart beats for humanity, and this is the very heart of God that he has the holy place, it's a secret place. 00:49:20.639 --> 00:49:32.800 I don't know, you know, we were just doing a reno in our house, and how many of you have ever had visitors to your house, and uh you they want a tour, right? 00:49:33.280 --> 00:49:51.199 And you give them a tour and you show them, you know, this is the kitchen and this is the bathroom, and then you get to the master bedroom where all the magic happens, and you're kind of like, you know, feel like, you know, awkward, right? 00:49:52.320 --> 00:50:08.639 But God wants to bring us into his intimate place, he wants to invite us into this place of fellowship with him. 00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:21.840 And when we sit with him and listen to him, because I think we're gonna be so blown away when we're face to face. 00:50:24.400 --> 00:50:30.480 And I think what we're gonna be blown away with is his love for humanity and his desire to be with them. 00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:37.440 And I say them, well, how about I turn that around and say, his love for me and his desire to be with me? 00:50:38.719 --> 00:50:51.920 Not only does he want to journey with me, he wants to pull me into himself and bring me into the depths of his heart and show me what uh his heartbeat is. 00:50:52.480 --> 00:50:54.000 It's his presence. 00:50:54.480 --> 00:51:03.280 And it's in his presence that you find mercy and grace, you find who he really is and how much he loves. 00:51:04.559 --> 00:51:05.360 Amazing thing. 00:51:05.519 --> 00:51:13.519 You know, Psalm 91 says that he that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 00:51:13.760 --> 00:51:21.760 He that dwelleth in the secret place, God's calling us into himself. 00:51:22.320 --> 00:51:29.280 He's calling us into the secret place to hear his voice, to get to know him. 00:51:30.480 --> 00:51:33.760 The journey in the wilderness was not an easy journey. 00:51:34.000 --> 00:51:40.719 There was huge obstacles, and what I find that in our lives, God takes us, we are in a wilderness. 00:51:40.960 --> 00:51:42.639 And there are big obstacles. 00:51:42.800 --> 00:51:49.440 You sit here, I sit here, we know there's obstacles every day that are much bigger than ourselves. 00:51:49.599 --> 00:51:52.079 But his presence is with you, church. 00:51:53.360 --> 00:52:00.000 His presence wants to show you his character and nature that he's strong on your behalf. 00:52:00.320 --> 00:52:06.159 He wants you to trust him, so he's gonna overwhelm you, allow you to be overwhelmed. 00:52:06.400 --> 00:52:08.960 But in that place, his peace comes. 00:52:09.199 --> 00:52:36.639 And there's this confidence, it's not wishful thinking, there's this assurance that your life is in the palm of his hand and he's taking you on this journey, and he wants to be your provision, he wants to be your guide, he wants to show you great and mighty things that you have never experienced before because he is faithful, he is consistent, but he takes us not only on this journey, he brings us into his heart. 00:52:36.719 --> 00:52:50.159 And I love that when in John 17, when Jesus prayed, he said, I pray that as I and the Father are one, that you and I would be one as we are with the Father. 00:52:50.320 --> 00:53:04.960 And this is the secret place where God is pulling us into himself that we would be one with him, that we would look like him, that we would speak like him, that we would beat, our heart would beat like his heart would beat. 00:53:05.199 --> 00:53:11.519 Do you remember when Moses was in the wilderness and uh he was always called deeper? 00:53:11.840 --> 00:53:13.519 He was always called up. 00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:23.519 And when Israel sinned and they made a calf of gold and they wanted to worship another God, and his heart broke, and God's heart was angry. 00:53:23.599 --> 00:53:25.360 And and what does Moses do? 00:53:25.519 --> 00:53:34.239 He he goes to the mountain, he meets with God, he says, Don't let your presence depart from us. 00:53:34.400 --> 00:53:37.760 Like if your presence isn't going with us, I don't want to go. 00:53:38.000 --> 00:53:43.199 Block me out of your book if you're not gonna be, you know, I want I want your presence. 00:53:43.920 --> 00:53:51.840 And Moses starts to talk with God, and because he's interceding with him, God says to Moses, I know your name. 00:53:52.719 --> 00:53:54.320 I know who you are. 00:53:55.119 --> 00:53:56.480 You're like me. 00:53:58.400 --> 00:53:59.519 I'm like you. 00:53:59.599 --> 00:54:01.440 That's that's where I want to be. 00:54:01.599 --> 00:54:02.639 I know your name. 00:54:02.880 --> 00:54:06.079 And God calls him deeper and says, I want to show you. 00:54:06.239 --> 00:54:07.760 Moses says, I want to see. 00:54:08.480 --> 00:54:21.599 And God shows him his glory and shows him what how does God, if God has an opportunity, he doesn't blow them away with fire, he doesn't breathe on him and show him his flex his muscles, he shows him his mercy. 00:54:22.559 --> 00:54:28.559 He shows him his goodness, he shows them how good and how wonderful he is. 00:54:29.599 --> 00:54:32.079 That's what he wants us to see. 00:54:34.079 --> 00:54:37.039 His goodness and his mercy. 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:46.800 One of the things that I love about camping is that there's an element of dissatisfaction. 00:54:46.880 --> 00:54:49.360 It's called phuditis or something like that. 00:54:49.519 --> 00:54:50.800 We always want bigger. 00:54:51.039 --> 00:54:52.079 We want an upgrade. 00:54:52.159 --> 00:54:53.679 How many of you like a camping upgrade? 00:54:53.760 --> 00:54:55.679 How many of you like all inclusives? 00:54:57.440 --> 00:54:58.079 Right? 00:54:59.280 --> 00:55:01.679 Some of you are thinking, when I said, do you like camping? 00:55:01.840 --> 00:55:05.920 You're like, no, I like I like the resorts down in Mexico, right? 00:55:07.840 --> 00:55:09.440 Well, God liked an upgrade. 00:55:09.519 --> 00:55:12.239 He went from a tent to a temple. 00:55:13.119 --> 00:55:13.760 Right? 00:55:14.239 --> 00:55:16.000 He wanted an upgrade. 00:55:16.239 --> 00:55:24.000 And he moved into the temple, and I love some of Solomon's prayers about the presence and power of God to keep your eye on this place. 00:55:24.639 --> 00:55:26.159 But God wasn't happy. 00:55:26.320 --> 00:55:34.000 Like Solomon said, the the universe, the world can't even contain you, let alone this house that I've made for you. 00:55:34.079 --> 00:55:36.719 How could it contain God? 00:55:38.639 --> 00:55:42.159 God said, I don't want to live in a building with stone. 00:55:42.320 --> 00:55:43.920 I want to move in to you. 00:55:44.000 --> 00:55:47.599 You're my temple, you're my dwelling place. 00:55:47.760 --> 00:55:49.199 I want to live in there. 00:55:50.800 --> 00:55:52.320 I'm moving in. 00:55:54.559 --> 00:55:55.519 Come on. 00:55:56.960 --> 00:55:58.800 This is his choice. 00:56:01.519 --> 00:56:03.280 This is his heart. 00:56:04.559 --> 00:56:06.800 He could live anywhere that he wanted to live. 00:56:06.880 --> 00:56:07.920 He could be on Mars. 00:56:08.239 --> 00:56:09.599 We're trying to get there. 00:56:11.280 --> 00:56:12.960 We're not going to get there. 00:56:16.239 --> 00:56:17.840 Who'd want to go there? 00:56:18.639 --> 00:56:23.519 And look back at Earth and see that beautiful big blue ball where Jesus is living. 00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:29.119 Live on some dry frozen planet with nothing on it but dust. 00:56:29.440 --> 00:56:30.320 Come on. 00:56:35.199 --> 00:56:36.960 You're his choice. 00:56:38.800 --> 00:56:40.880