WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.439 Thank you for listening to the Kelowna Christian Center Podcast. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Our desire is that today's message will be fresh and encouraging to you. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.599 For more information on KCC and how to connect, visit us at KCC.net. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:15.119 Good morning. 00:00:15.519 --> 00:00:16.800 Welcome, everyone. 00:00:17.039 --> 00:00:18.079 Welcome, welcome. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:19.760 Let's give the Lord a hand. 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:21.679 Would you do that this morning? 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.000 I just believe we need to respond to that word. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:44.159 This is uh I sense that every time you come to church, there's gonna be, I believe that there's gonna be some form of resistance because I don't believe that uh that uh I believe God wants you here, but I don't believe the enemy wants you here. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:51.280 Connecting, supporting, encouraging, learning, growing in your faith. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:55.200 How many of you you come on a regular Sunday to grow? 00:00:55.359 --> 00:01:00.320 You want to grow in your faith, you want to grow in your relationship with God, you want to go deeper. 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:08.000 Well, that's a purpose for your attendance, that's a purpose for your engagement and your connection. 00:01:08.239 --> 00:01:15.680 When you come together, you you join, you become united with others who have a common purpose here in this place. 00:01:16.000 --> 00:01:26.159 So when we come together in worship, we're not just singing our own song, we're not just uh we're not just singing along with a band, we're engaging together. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:44.719 And today I've got a message that's actually uh comes from this song where we're we're actually surrounded, where we talk about the challenges that we may be facing and being surrounded and realizing that there's a hope when you feel that you're surrounded, God's got your back. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:56.640 And I know this is maybe a bit of a challenge because you're in the middle of summer and uh and many of you have been relaxing and been enjoying the time away and enjoying the weather. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:59.920 Thank you, Lord, for a great summer in Kelowna. 00:02:00.879 --> 00:02:08.960 Um but I do know that when I look around the room, I don't want to drop a weight in the pool. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:16.000 Like I and I know that there are people here who are struggling and have been going through their own battles, and I could hear it. 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:19.199 Could you hear the sound when we began to sing that song today? 00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:26.479 Where there are those who are just elevating their faith because there's they feel like they're surrounded. 00:02:26.719 --> 00:02:34.400 They feel that that sense of being overwhelmed, and they're feeling the fatigue of having to fight the battles. 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:37.599 Well, today I want to encourage you that the Lord is with you. 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:38.560 Amen. 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:39.919 The Lord is with you. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:42.479 Turn to your neighbor and say, God is with you. 00:02:42.800 --> 00:02:43.680 God is with you. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:44.639 Come on. 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:46.240 God is with you. 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:51.759 I'm I know this is the last of our series on summer vibes. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:56.159 Uh, it's the last before we enter into our next series next week. 00:02:56.400 --> 00:02:59.280 And uh, we've been so glad that you've been engaging with us. 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:02.639 Many of you have been joining us online as you've been on holidays. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:08.800 And I think it's just great that you're able to keep a bit of a pulse as where the house and the church is going. 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:11.759 A vibe is simply that it's a vibration. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:28.000 We feel that our lifestyle and our living should carry out a similar vibration that brings God glory and brings honor to him into his name, honor to him in our lifestyle, honor to him in the way that we live. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:31.759 And I believe in the house of God we should be having fun. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:32.639 Amen. 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.800 That there isn't something that's so great that we're overwhelmed. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:44.800 I believe that God's given us the capacity to be able to go through whatever we're we're going into. 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:46.719 We can go through it. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:48.960 So it's important to be here. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:50.479 Uh, holidays are great. 00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:56.639 We just came off of uh technically, we're still on holidays, but it's great to be at church. 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:59.280 And uh we just had some holiday time. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.439 We were spending some time with some family. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:05.599 It's always such a privilege to be able to have people come and visit us. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:08.960 And great grandma was in the house this week. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:15.919 Which means like cookies every day, bread, soup, meals. 00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:19.360 Oh man, it just never stopped, peaches, cobblers. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:24.560 I I looked pretty good for actually being with grandma every day, but man alive. 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:28.160 It was just like every day I felt like I was stuffed to the rafters. 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:36.720 But uh the kids were were wanting to spend time together, and I it reminded me of a story of these uh two little boys that were at a sleepover. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:48.079 And uh the first boy, before they go to bed, he begins to pray and he just says, Lord, I I really could use an Xbox. 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:54.720 I could really use an Xbox with all the games, and the ones at Walmart sound great. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.000 Like the the one at Walmart would be perfect, God. 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:03.360 That one there in the green box with the you know, that that Xbox right there. 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:05.360 And and Lord, I need some sneakers. 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:08.319 The Air Jordans, they're perfect, they would be perfect. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:11.600 They have a size 11 at Foot Locker, it's like perfect. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:15.680 And the brother, the other brothers listening to him going, why are you so loud? 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:16.959 Like God's not deaf. 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:27.600 And he goes, I know, but grandma is like make your requests known, make it loud, say it proud, come on. 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:30.639 It's gotta be an expressive church. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:33.040 God's not deaf, but grandma is. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:36.879 Um, I love this song, Take It All Back. 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:38.319 It's a bit of a story. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:42.399 Story from this song written by Judah and the Lion. 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:47.839 And uh this song it was actually, we were playing a game in our house. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:51.839 We just had some fun time, we were just hanging out as family upstairs. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:57.519 We just had this, I had my Spotify on, and I said, I'm gonna punch in someone's name. 00:05:57.759 --> 00:06:02.800 When I punch in their name, the first song, like one of our kids' names, the first song, it's gonna be your song. 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:07.120 And of course, I punch in Evangeline, she's a wild one. 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:10.079 And Evangeline's like, I don't like my song. 00:06:10.399 --> 00:06:16.800 I go to Judah, and Judah comes out with this song, which is like it's like a cross between hip-hop and folk. 00:06:16.879 --> 00:06:18.720 It's got hip-hop with a banjo. 00:06:19.040 --> 00:06:20.160 It was so cool. 00:06:20.319 --> 00:06:22.079 I'm like, I'm preaching on that song. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:23.600 That's a good vibe. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:29.920 Um, but this song really is about what is lost can be found. 00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:47.279 And we know that what is lost, what seems to be lost, can be found when we lean on God, when we trust in God, when we allow God to fight our battles, when we step back and we say yes to God. 00:06:48.959 --> 00:07:00.160 I want to talk to you today about these battles that we experience, the challenges that we may be feeling, the senses that we may be surrounded, and what it means to be surrounded by the Most High. 00:07:00.720 --> 00:07:07.040 Not just your troubles, not just your challenges, but that we too are surrounded by the Most High. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:14.959 We can feel like we're surrounded by our difficulties, by challenges, sicknesses, relationship challenges, debt. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:27.600 I did a little bit of traveling on our holidays, and it doesn't matter where I go, I saw the effect of people who are surrounded and have led to poverty and addiction. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:37.519 I see the result of people who are succumbed by the pressures that the enemy has against them and where they just give in. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:47.759 And the other day, when we were out fishing with the kids, uh a friend of mine uh met me on the dock and he was talking to me and he sent me a picture. 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:52.399 And uh he said, Brody, I want you to know the wolves are here. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:53.920 And I'm like, Oh, really? 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:55.279 Thank you. 00:07:55.839 --> 00:07:56.560 It's great. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:07:58.079 He says, No, the wolves are here. 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:00.560 He said, The other day I was out by the airport. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:04.959 I was taking a walk, and in front of me there was a wolf. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:13.199 So I made a real loud noise, and the wolf took off, but then the whole woods around me came alive with other wolves. 00:08:14.800 --> 00:08:15.920 Yeah, whoa. 00:08:16.879 --> 00:08:17.839 And I'm like, really? 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:18.720 Are you serious? 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.560 He goes, I am totally serious. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:22.399 He said, they were all around me. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:24.480 I was totally surrounded. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:28.720 He said, So at that point, I just looked for a safe retreat right back to my truck. 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:29.839 I'm like, good for you. 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:31.120 He made it back. 00:08:31.279 --> 00:08:41.919 But some of you may feel that pressure where you're surrounded, and it might have been inadvertent, it may have been unconscious, it may have been just uh unintentional. 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.360 You've you're now in a place where you feel surrounded. 00:08:45.600 --> 00:09:03.200 For others, you were flirting with something, and now you find yourself that you're too deep, you've surrounded yourself with perhaps offense, perhaps unforgiveness, perhaps you've leveraged yourself too hard financially. 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:13.120 It could be a multitude of things, but the find the pressure that we feel when you're surrounded, and I'm here to encourage you today that you're not alone. 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.320 In your pressure, you're not alone. 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:23.840 God is here, and the best way to face battles is to allow the God to fight for you, to fight on your behalf. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:38.799 So I'm gonna look at 2 Kings chapter 6 today, and it's a story of uh a young man who was uh trying, a young king who was actually trying to capture and kill the king of Israel. 00:09:39.120 --> 00:09:43.279 And it was a frustrating process for this young young king. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:56.559 Everywhere he sent, he went to actually set an ambush against the king of Israel, he found that the king of Israel had found a way to circumnavigate where his ambush was. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:10:01.200 And he was so frustrated, he said, I don't know what to do. 00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:09.120 I'm I'm I I set up all the ambushes for this king, and I don't know how to how to capture him. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:10.639 It's like he's slippery. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:11.679 What's going on? 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:22.320 And his advisor said, You should go after Elijah because Elijah tells him where you're going, and he doesn't even have to hear from you. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.320 He knows the secrets that you say when you're in your room by yourself. 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:28.320 He knows everything. 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:41.360 It's a great illustration of what happens when kings work together with priests, when businesses work together with those in leadership, and they work together and say, Lord, where do you want us to go? 00:10:41.519 --> 00:10:42.559 How do you want us to move? 00:10:42.639 --> 00:10:57.039 Because there can be a lot of challenges that can be avoided and a lot of advantages that can occur when you get a spiritual perspective of a technical, perhaps financial or business element. 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.840 And he said, it's a great example of this. 00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:05.519 And so finally they said, We're not going after the king, we're going after Elijah. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:23.440 So they pack up all their thousands of chariots and horses and militia, and they go to a city where Elijah is, and at night they decide we're gonna sneak up on him because I know he knows we're coming, and we're gonna surround the city where he's at. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:29.039 Well, of course, the first one to wake up that morning is Elisha's servant. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:38.879 And Elisha's servant wakes up, and the first thing he does is, you know, going out for his morning, I don't know what it is, goat milk. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:49.840 And uh at that point, and he sits up on the to look over where they were camped, and he looks and fully around him, they're surrounded by the armies. 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:56.639 The armies have surrounded him, and his first response is not dissimilar to ours. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:03.200 Oftentimes we we can put ourselves in this position of this young man, this young servant. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:05.840 He looks over and he goes, Oh no. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:11.759 And he runs to Elisha and he says, Elisha, what should we do? 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:15.200 And Elisha does not panic. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:18.480 Elisha does not, oh no, let me take a look. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:27.519 Elisha just relaxes, is he's in a total place of uh calm, serenity. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:29.200 He's just at peace. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:33.120 He says, but his servant is saying, what should we do? 00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:46.240 And what I want to comment today is that oftentimes when we feel pressure and we feel challenges, the first thing where we want to uh make a difference is we want to do something. 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:53.039 I'm gonna step in, I'm gonna make a difference, I'm going to be the change agent. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.399 And and we rely on ourselves first. 00:12:56.960 --> 00:12:58.960 How many of you have been in that situation? 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:00.559 I can make it happen. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.799 I can do it. 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:06.000 Don't worry, I'll I'll figure something out. 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:14.320 And you become the you become the the change agent instead of choosing a better way. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.480 So he says, let's look at what we can do. 00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:28.879 We can get educated, we can get surgery, we can get, we can throw money at it, we can go to the internet. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.200 The internet will solve the problem, right? 00:13:31.440 --> 00:13:33.120 We all know we've done that. 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:41.679 Um we know that a new relationship will solve my issues, or maybe some medication will help me. 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:57.440 We see ourselves as super capable, super comp uh competent, and at times I think it's our own ego and our own pride that actually says, I am the I'm gonna solve my problems. 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:00.639 I'll be in charge, I'll take it on. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:11.360 And instead, we our attempt requires that we a strength that we don't have. 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:18.960 And what happens is it becomes, we try and fix the problem with our own abilities. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:30.879 And the older you get, for me, like I know I'm still learning, but I'm realizing I am weak in a lot of areas. 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:44.320 I know where my vulnerabilities are, I know where my weaknesses are, I know where my my my soft spots are, my blind spots. 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:48.320 And I I love, you know, I don't have any blind spots. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:49.200 You do. 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:52.639 You have a blind spot. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:15:01.600 I took a few days during the during our holidays, it was a great opportunity to do some like self-care, self-awareness, you know. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:05.440 Let's let's just like diagnose Brody for a bit. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.559 Just me, God, and my wife. 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:28.639 And I I took a little like test and we sat at Starbucks, Natalie and I, and for this test takes about 40 minutes to do, and we looked like the most dysfunctional couple because we're sitting over coffee with our heads buried in our phones, right, for 40 minutes. 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:35.200 People are probably like people these days, you know, couples these days, they don't know how to talk to each other. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:47.600 And I figured out in this this uh this program kicked out a 65 page report on who I am, and it starts off saying Brody at his best. 00:15:48.159 --> 00:15:50.320 I was like, wow, I'm awesome. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:51.919 This is great. 00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:59.440 And then it starts going Brody at his average, and then Brody at his worst. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:01.600 I hated it. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:10.720 Because I saw every piece, every vault every deficiency in who I was. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:12.879 I said, Natalie, this isn't true, is it? 00:16:13.039 --> 00:16:16.879 Like we we just poured money out for nothing, right? 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.200 No, no, no, no, Brody, that's true. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:23.360 I'm like, ah so I had to find some friends. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:26.639 They told me the same thing. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:34.480 And I realized that my strength ultimately will not get me through the challenges I'm going to face. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:41.840 My own mental fortitude will not be able to carry me through the challenges I can face. 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:48.639 My own body will not be able to push me through the stress and fatigue that I have to face. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:57.600 And the result is what I hear in the language of today, people are trying to carry life on their own shoulders. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:05.119 And so you hear this sound that's coming from people, and they have so many different words to define it. 00:17:05.200 --> 00:17:14.000 I'm depressed, I'm I'm OCD, I'm ADHD, I'm I'm I'm anxious, I'm paranoid, I'm this, I'm that. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:19.359 All these challenges that they're facing, and they've got all these words to define it. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:39.440 I'm individualistic, and I'm I'm just in I'm an introvert, or I'm all these things, or I'm an extrovert, or they chat, and it's all these words that define what they're feeling, and all it's they're explaining is explaining is they're saying, I'm tired and I can't do it. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:45.359 I'm tired, I'm overwhelmed, and I can't do this on my own. 00:17:45.519 --> 00:17:55.839 Elisha's response to the same spirit from his from his assistant who was saying, Oh no, heart falls. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:57.440 I'm on our own. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:17:58.640 We're on our own. 00:17:58.799 --> 00:17:59.839 What are we gonna do? 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.359 Elisha, what are we gonna do? 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:07.759 And the first thing Elisha tells him is this quiet. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.240 Don't be afraid. 00:18:10.720 --> 00:18:16.880 The first thing, fear starts to immobilize you, paralyze you. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:18.880 He says, Don't be afraid. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:25.920 Realize this, remember, those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:41.839 To be honest, I think my response would be the same as the servant's response. 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:43.839 What are you talking about? 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:47.759 It's you and me in a pot of porridge. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.759 What are we gonna do? 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:52.480 And it's it's the don't be afraid. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:53.920 Are you serious? 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:57.359 They're out for your head. 00:18:57.680 --> 00:18:58.559 What are you saying? 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:01.200 There's more of us than there is of them? 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:02.720 Have you looked? 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:07.359 There are thousands of them surrounded. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:09.039 What are you saying right now? 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.880 And he's he and it's at this point that Elisha says this. 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:24.160 See, fear moves you into a place where where your emotions take over, and you begin to, your emotions define what you see. 00:19:24.400 --> 00:19:25.839 And Elisha says this. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:29.680 Elisha says, Lord, open his eyes to truly see. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:40.160 Beyond his emotion, beyond his fear, beyond what he sees, allow him to see the unseen. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:44.640 You think may this may be kind of weird? 00:19:45.279 --> 00:19:46.480 Kind of like odd. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:52.319 This church sees stuff that's not really there. 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:54.319 Yes. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:59.039 Do you see it when we sang that song today? 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.599 Did you sense it? 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:03.839 The serene surrounded. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.079 And at that moment, the young assistant's eyes became opened. 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:18.720 And as they opened, they began to see that around the soldiers that were surrounding them, the army of the Lord was surrounding those soldiers. 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:23.359 And he thought he was surrounded by the enemy. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:28.720 And in fact, the truth is that the enemy was surrounded by the army of the Lord. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:37.200 Like him, we often find a place where we're in trouble and we're in where we're dealing with something where we don't know how to overcome it. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:41.680 And we have to realize, Lord, open my eyes to see. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:45.680 Open my eyes to see what others don't see. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:48.400 Now, others are gonna say, you're crazy. 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:54.720 Because they can't see what God has given you the eyes of faith to see. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:57.200 It's so weird. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:20:58.960 Honestly, it's weird. 00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:02.720 It's different, it's complex. 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:08.400 It's like, Lord, but I need a way through, and I don't see the way through. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:10.640 Give me eyes to see the way through. 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:15.119 And this is the I we went to the drive-in while we were on holidays. 00:21:15.359 --> 00:21:17.440 We went and saw the Lion King. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:23.359 And I can't spoil it for you because if you haven't seen it already, um, that's your problem. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:32.160 But in this situation, the Lion King, I was watching what pieces they were keeping from the old movie because I watched the old Lion King like a hundred times. 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:33.440 It was awesome. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:47.359 And so I I watched this one scene, and there's one scene where the the little cub moves his way into a valley where there was uh elephant bones, an elephant graveyard. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:49.759 And he they were he was not supposed to go there. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:52.400 He had brought his young friend with him. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:58.880 And uh the cub decides to go into this area, and it was outside of the territory they were supposed to go. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.519 And 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:10.400 Young Simba is there, and Simba's there, and all of a sudden he finds himself surrounded by hyenas. 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:27.200 And he backs himself into a corner and he's got his young friend behind him, and he he lets out this mighty roar that sounds like just a like it's more of a meow, like an aggressive meow. 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:27.680 Meow. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:38.240 And the the thing was, what happens is the hyenas stop and then they bust out laughing, like, come on, are you kidding me? 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:47.519 And then the next time he stands up and he puts his feet down and he shows an image and he begins to roar, but this time you hear the roar of the lion. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:52.720 And he didn't know that behind the hyenas there was dad. 00:22:55.359 --> 00:23:01.119 His dad was there, and his dad quickly takes over, beats up the hyenas, etc. 00:23:01.279 --> 00:23:01.680 etc. 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:03.359 Kunamatara. 00:23:06.799 --> 00:23:09.440 It's uh end of the story. 00:23:10.400 --> 00:23:13.200 The circle of life, blah, blah, blah. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:16.559 We go home at 12:30 at night. 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:23.359 But in this situation, he's completely surrounded. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:25.839 And his roar isn't strong enough. 00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:28.240 He has a roar, but it's not strong enough. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:36.160 But when dad comes behind and supports that roar, and he and out of the darkness, dad steps in. 00:23:36.480 --> 00:23:40.160 He was always there, and he knew how to fix the situation. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:24:07.039 And I understand that there's a situation you may be feeling, and you may be feeling the tension, you may be feeling the anxiety, you may be feeling the fear and those emotions, but you need to be left when you see that God is for you and that God is there, you're left with a confidence, and you can relax and you can step back, you say, Yes, Lord, you go ahead, you fight my battles for me, you do it right now. 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:14.400 So depression, yes, you may be surrounding me, but I'm gonna tell you this you're not gonna keep me from my destiny. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:29.359 Yes, relationship, marriage, there may be a split, there may be a break, but I'm gonna say today, you're not gonna keep me from my relationship, my my joint together with my spouse. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:32.480 It's not gonna divide us, it's gonna unite us. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:40.480 And you gotta stand with that word and say, yes, I may be surrounded, but you don't know what's surrounding you. 00:24:41.279 --> 00:24:42.799 And that's the world. 00:24:42.960 --> 00:24:44.559 That's the world that we live in. 00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:45.759 It's another world. 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:59.759 It's a world that says that your marriage may look broken, but and beyond repair, that child that you love may be off course and not fulfilling their destiny, but you have to realize that God is surrounding your marriage. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:06.160 God is here to support you, God is here to encourage you, God is here to build your home. 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:10.400 God is here when we trust him and that he is in control. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:12.880 Let me read you this from Psalms 3. 00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.519 This is David who said this. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:18.160 He said, Look, how many are my foes. 00:25:18.720 --> 00:25:19.839 Take a look. 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:23.039 How many rise up against me? 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:26.000 Many are saying of me, God will not deliver him. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:28.000 Like, look, he's done. 00:25:28.559 --> 00:25:36.720 But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the one who lifts my head high, I call to you, Lord. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.640 He answers me from his holy mountain. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:40.240 I lie down and sleep. 00:25:40.480 --> 00:25:43.440 I wake again because the Lord sustains me. 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:54.240 I will not fear though tenth of thousands assail me on every side because victory is mine and it comes from the Lord. 00:25:55.359 --> 00:25:58.480 The victory is mine, it comes from the Lord. 00:25:58.880 --> 00:26:00.079 What do you say that with me? 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:03.759 Victory is mine, it comes from the Lord. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:09.440 I love that that's the secret sauce of our life. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:16.880 It's saying, I'm gonna step back and trust God that God is surrounding me. 00:26:17.039 --> 00:26:18.240 I know the secret. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:20.319 God will take care of this. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:22.720 We don't we can't believe the lies. 00:26:23.119 --> 00:26:37.440 Another example in scripture are the three Hebrew kids, the teenagers, and they were told to bow down before King Nebuchadnezzar, and he says, and they don't, they say, with all due respect, sir, we're not going to bow down to your idol. 00:26:37.839 --> 00:26:39.599 And they said, Well, that's it. 00:26:39.839 --> 00:26:43.839 You're not gonna bow, you're rejecting me. 00:26:44.079 --> 00:26:46.799 And he says, Stoke the fire six times hotter. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:53.039 He stokes a furnace, he says, either bow or go through, and they say, You're gonna have to put us through. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:58.079 They bind them and walk them into the fire. 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:07.200 And the Bible says that in the middle of the fire, in the middle of that place, uh, in the middle of the place, they went in quietly. 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:08.880 They didn't say a word. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:12.079 And there's a scripture in Exodus, and it says this. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:20.880 It says in chapter 14, 4 says, the Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. 00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:33.519 The hardest thing for us to do is sometimes be still and know that God is God, be silent, and trust God is gonna fight our battles for us. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:39.680 The hardest thing to do is to allow God to do the work, to not say a word. 00:27:39.839 --> 00:27:43.039 And yet God oftentimes works through silence. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:47.200 It's when we don't intervene and we just trust. 00:27:48.160 --> 00:27:50.799 Go around the walls of Jericho and just be quiet. 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:52.720 This is weird. 00:27:56.559 --> 00:27:59.599 Seventh time, raise up a shout and the walls come down. 00:28:00.400 --> 00:28:17.920 Peter, in the middle of a situation where Peter is literally imprisoned in the darkest part of the prison, laying naked, chained, between two guards, behind a locked door, he's sleeping. 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:20.480 Quiet. 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:22.240 The angel comes in. 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:31.759 Get up, put some clothes on, the chains drop away, he gets up, he walks to the gate, the gate opens up, he walks through. 00:28:31.920 --> 00:28:33.279 Where do I go? 00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:36.079 Go to the prayer meeting. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:40.079 That's where he goes, to a place where people were praying for him. 00:28:40.799 --> 00:28:42.160 He walked right through. 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:43.440 Be silent. 00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:44.640 Wait. 00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:46.000 Was Peter panicking? 00:28:46.160 --> 00:28:47.359 Was Peter in prayer? 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:48.960 Was Peter doing anything? 00:28:49.039 --> 00:28:50.559 No, he was sleeping. 00:28:51.119 --> 00:28:56.400 Sometimes the most spiritual thing to do is just go to bed. 00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.039 Trust God. 00:29:00.960 --> 00:29:05.680 It's a hard thing for us to do because we think that we have the capacity to do something. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:16.720 And at the end of the day, the Hebrew teens are like, you can do what you want to do, but at the end of the day, king, our lives are in God's hands. 00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:19.279 He walks them into the furnace. 00:29:19.519 --> 00:29:20.640 The king looks in. 00:29:20.799 --> 00:29:22.079 Didn't we put three in there? 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:23.519 Why is there four? 00:29:24.079 --> 00:29:25.839 One is like the Son of Man. 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:27.519 He calls them out. 00:29:27.680 --> 00:29:29.279 He says, Come out. 00:29:29.440 --> 00:29:31.359 At first he's saying, bow down. 00:29:31.599 --> 00:29:36.079 Now he's saying, servants of the Most High God, come out. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:39.440 Like it's quite a change in perspective. 00:29:39.759 --> 00:29:47.359 Teenagers, you know, you you know, good rebellious kids, teens, go into the furnace. 00:29:47.440 --> 00:29:49.039 You know, we're gonna make an example for you. 00:29:49.200 --> 00:29:53.039 Next thing he's doing is saying, servants of God come out. 00:29:53.200 --> 00:29:57.519 The Bible says they came out, they didn't even smell like smoke, their clothes weren't burned. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:30:02.000 The only thing that was burned was the cords that were tying them up. 00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:04.319 That was the only thing that had been burned. 00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:11.200 And I believe that sometimes God moves you through a fire to release you to greater freedom. 00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:16.640 And there are things that you can't experience without going through the flame. 00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:23.839 And that's a hard thing for me to say because I love, I just tell the Lord, Lord, I'm good now. 00:30:24.960 --> 00:30:27.200 I've learned it all, Lord. 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:30.079 And I feel like, are you kidding me? 00:30:30.240 --> 00:30:31.359 This is how you're gonna teach. 00:30:31.440 --> 00:30:34.720 And God's like, I'm gonna teach you, but I'm gonna walk through this with you. 00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:38.000 I'm gonna prepare a table for you in the middle of your enemies. 00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:40.079 I'm gonna be with you in the valley of death. 00:30:40.160 --> 00:30:42.000 I'm gonna be with you in that shadow. 00:30:42.160 --> 00:30:44.960 I'm gonna be with you in the furnace. 00:30:45.599 --> 00:30:49.440 And I'm gonna remove the things that are controlling you and keeping you back. 00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:53.680 The only thing that's gonna get burned through the process are your chains. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:30:56.640 I'm gonna release you to a greater freedom. 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:01.599 As soon as they come out, they're elevated, they're recognized, they're entitled. 00:31:01.759 --> 00:31:06.880 He says, Oh boy, you know, you guys, the whole place now is gonna worship your God. 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:10.559 He elevated them to that place. 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:12.799 This is the word of life. 00:31:12.960 --> 00:31:15.839 When God says live, you're going to live. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:26.640 Sometimes this is hard for us to respond to, but our response has got to be when you're in the fire, the right response is gonna be, I'm gonna come out. 00:31:27.519 --> 00:31:29.200 I'm gonna come through this. 00:31:29.759 --> 00:31:34.640 And I don't know what this word is for someone today because I know it's a heavy word. 00:31:34.960 --> 00:31:40.400 It should be church is fun, church is like summer and the whole thing. 00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:49.599 And I want this to be a message that lands in your heart, but I want this to be a message because I looked around the room, I know there are people experiencing sickness. 00:31:50.160 --> 00:31:55.200 I know there are people experiencing relational challenges, family challenges. 00:31:55.359 --> 00:31:58.640 And I'm gonna tell you today, you're gonna get through this. 00:31:59.119 --> 00:32:01.200 You're gonna come through stronger. 00:32:01.519 --> 00:32:04.640 You're gonna just hold on, hold on. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:12.000 And the Bible doesn't say that the young Hebrew children in the middle of the fire could see the fourth man. 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:15.119 The only person who saw him was the king. 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:19.440 In the middle of the flames, the only one who saw him was the king. 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:25.200 You may not see that God is with you, but I'm telling you today, the Lord is with you. 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:28.799 You're gonna come out, you're gonna move through. 00:32:29.119 --> 00:32:31.279 So, back to Elisha. 00:32:31.839 --> 00:32:39.599 Elisha is in this place where he says, Lord, open the eyes of my assistant. 00:32:40.240 --> 00:32:42.720 And God opens his eyes to see the other eyes. 00:32:42.799 --> 00:32:46.799 And then he says another word, he says, Close the eyes of my enemy. 00:32:47.200 --> 00:32:50.319 Open someone's eyes and close another's. 00:32:50.720 --> 00:32:58.240 He closes the eyes of the enemy, and the captain comes and knocks on the door and says, We're here to see Elisha. 00:32:58.400 --> 00:32:59.279 He's blinded. 00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:00.480 We're here to see Elisha. 00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:03.359 And Elisha's like, I think you have the wrong house. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:05.200 It's virtually what he says. 00:33:05.440 --> 00:33:07.200 Let me take you to him. 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:19.279 Leads the whole army to a city square, puts them in the city square, surrounds them with the army of Israel, and then opens their eyes. 00:33:19.680 --> 00:33:21.759 And they're completely surrounded. 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:26.480 Your enemy that thought that they were surrounding you is now surrounded. 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:29.200 And they say, Well, what should we do to them? 00:33:29.359 --> 00:33:30.160 Should we kill them? 00:33:30.319 --> 00:33:32.160 Should we do what are we gonna do? 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.079 And the king just breaks down. 00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:42.160 He said, he just breaks down, realizing they're terrified because they know that they've been chasing this king down forever, been a thorn in his side. 00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:45.440 They know that they should die. 00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:57.119 And Elisha says this to them: prepare a table, prepare a feast, make some food, put on the music, we're gonna dance, we're gonna have fun, and then let them go. 00:33:57.359 --> 00:34:05.279 And the Bible says at that point in time, that king left and never bothered the king of Israel again. 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:07.759 Let me tell you about this. 00:34:07.839 --> 00:34:13.119