WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 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 --> 00:00:13.679 For more information on KTC and how to connect, visit us at KCC.net. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:22.079 Well, I pray that this uh message, the time we have here this morning, and let's give the team a hand for leading us as well. 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:29.039 And a special hand to Brooklyn, our youngest of our worship team. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.880 It's great to have young worshipers. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:01:04.159 My hope this morning is that as we cap up this uh this 21 days of prayer, that that as the cap of this day of prayer, we would just be encouraged, built up, and not just for our own sake, that we would get we would get uh puffed up or heady, but that we would just launch into this new year, launch into this new season uh with the presence and the and the potential of God behind us. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:14.239 That's what we want is God driving us forward, pushing us through into his destiny for our lives. 00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:18.719 Um we had a great 21 days of prayer. 00:01:19.040 --> 00:01:20.000 Great 21 days. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:27.599 How many were were able to catch it on uh occasion on Instagram, on Facebook, and joining with us in prayer? 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:42.319 Uh we were able to just continue to pray up and pray out and pray in and just pray and and uh pray first in terms of January uh 2018, which is gonna be a great year, right? 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:43.359 Amen. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:47.120 Turn to your neighbor and tell them it's gonna be a good year for you this year. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:49.680 It's gonna be a great year. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:51.599 Amen. 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:56.400 I tell my kids in the morning, I tell them it's gonna be a good day for you. 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:57.920 You're gonna have such a great day. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:01.920 And I'm just speaking that it's gonna be a good year this year. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:03.200 I know it. 00:02:03.599 --> 00:02:04.239 Amen. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:09.599 Uh, John chapter 4, verse 34 says this. 00:02:09.759 --> 00:02:11.439 This is Jesus speaking. 00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:12.639 He said this. 00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:21.520 He said, The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the one who sent me, finishing the work he started. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:28.400 As you look around right now, don't you have a saying that it's four months and then the harvest? 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.840 Well, I'm telling you to open up your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:36.639 The Samaritan fields are ripe. 00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:38.960 It is harvest time. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:40.479 Amen. 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.360 The harvest is here. 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:46.240 Turn to your neighbor and tell them the harvest is here. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:48.319 Harvest is now. 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.080 The harvest is at present at this point. 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.680 Now, this is kind of an odd time of the year to be talking about the harvest. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:57.199 You know why? 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.000 Because everything's covered in snow. 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:03.680 And it doesn't look like things are alive. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:06.800 It doesn't look like the fruit is there. 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:11.199 But four months until the harvest. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:12.319 Four months. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.000 Start thinking now. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:15.599 That's what faith does. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:22.240 Faith starts believing now for something that's going to occur in our future. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:26.240 So four months, and then this will happen. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:28.479 Then there's going to be this harvest. 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:31.199 What are you believing for? 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.360 In four months' time, where are you going to be? 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.560 Where is the Lord going to take you? 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:42.560 So many people, so many answers. 00:03:42.639 --> 00:03:44.800 I hear them just, yes, that's going to be great. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:46.240 I'm going to be trailing. 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:51.599 Like, oh, these things, where is God leading the church in four months' time? 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:54.639 Where is God leading your family in four months' time? 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:56.719 Your business in four months' time. 00:03:56.960 --> 00:04:00.800 What is the harvest going to look like for you? 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:13.840 Sometimes the hardest thing about preaching is that there are things that we understand conceptually, uh, on a conceptual level, that we really don't understand on a practical level. 00:04:14.080 --> 00:04:20.319 And the challenge is that our spirituality can become uh too abstract. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:28.399 We talk about things like the harvest or the blood or the body, and we don't really connect with what it actually means. 00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:49.439 And the challenge with this message today is that if you come into the service today and you start learning about this harvest time, this harvest, and you have no connection to it, you could leave and just be like, Man, it feels right, but I don't know what that really means to actually experience. 00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:51.360 So it's a challenge. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:58.720 And uh in verse 45, Jesus is actually quoting a proverb, a Middle Eastern proverb that's ancient. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:07.199 It's not something we go around saying, it's not like you hear too often when you're walking on the street, hey, four months and then harvest. 00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:09.199 Hey, four months and then harvest. 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:16.800 It's not what people post on their on their uh you know Twitter feed or Instagram or Facebook, four months and the harvest. 00:05:17.279 --> 00:05:21.120 Because we don't see ourselves thinking forward that way. 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:26.800 But in an agricultural zone, that makes sense. 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:31.920 It's hard to think that way when we live in an app store world. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:38.240 You know, we just we don't think about harvest the way people would have thought about harvest at this point. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:48.160 It's not a part of our our modern vernacular, and uh and we we have to link it to the truth of what it really is saying. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:53.199 So most of us uh don't have a familiarity with farming. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:05:55.040 How many of you grew up on a farm? 00:05:55.199 --> 00:05:56.639 You might have some farmers in the house. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:05:59.680 Yep, hands up, hi, yeah, we love our farmers. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:02.800 We have a lot of farmers in this place. 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:08.720 Now I'm not talking about like a backyard where you like get a few pickles every now and then or cucumbers. 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:11.839 I'm talking about like real farmers. 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.319 Like, you know what it's like to farm. 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:25.040 I I, after school, grade 12, uh, between going to university in the summer, I actually worked at a on a farm. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:26.240 That was my job. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:33.839 It was on uh Benvolen Road, one of the farms, and I managed the farm, the actual uh the actual garden. 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:43.439 And this garden wasn't a small garden, it had corn and peas and beets and carrots and spices and herbs and peppers and pumpkins. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:46.319 I grew a pumpkin that was over a thousand pounds. 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:48.000 It was pretty cool. 00:06:48.240 --> 00:06:49.759 It was my my pumpkin. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:50.959 That was my pumpkin. 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.839 Had to put it on a pallet, it was so big. 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:59.040 But we had the uh Hawaiian pumpkin, in case you're interested, it was a Hawaiian pumpkin. 00:06:59.519 --> 00:07:10.720 But but when I was working on this harvesting and planting and building into this garden, it was a lot of work. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:16.720 Those who are have been a part of a farm know the kind of work that goes into it. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:37.759 If you aren't in there every day, you're planting, watering, uh, you're you're weeding, you're prepping, you're supporting, you know, plants that fall over and you're caring for this garden, you're never going to receive the harvest that that you could possibly receive. 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:45.600 The potential is there, but if you don't care for it, you'll never begin to harvest the maximum potential it can offer. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:50.720 So every concept needs context. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:55.680 And so when you think of the harvest, this needs to have some context related to it. 00:07:55.759 --> 00:07:59.199 And by giving it context, it provides clarity. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:14.240 Um this concept of the harvest is uh is a real, real uh signal that's happening in our in our community. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:28.319 When you look out over people, when you go to the mall, when you're driving down the street, when you're in the when you're shopping, when you're just traveling and you're looking out, do you see the harvest? 00:08:29.759 --> 00:08:40.879 Do you see souls that are ready to receive God, to hear God's voice, to be moved from darkness into light. 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:42.559 Do you see that? 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:52.879 Um, I think a lot of times we just consider the harvest as a something that we're just gonna walk into and it'll happen. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:56.080 But the harvest isn't just gonna happen. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:03.919 The harvest is gonna require us to work, it's gonna require us to make moves forward. 00:09:04.159 --> 00:09:21.039 Uh I think in our re in our mind we have these ideas and these concepts of, man, I'd love to be a worship leader, I'd love to be able to sing, I'd love to be able to play the piano, but you don't know all the work that goes into learning those small things. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:28.879 Just even the vocal training or the practice that goes behind a pianist being able to play. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:34.320 And instead, we think we can just do it, but you just wouldn't want to come up here and just try. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:45.919 Because you know that there's effort and exercise and practice that goes into the mastering of that instrument or the mastering of that work. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:48.799 The same thing goes towards the harvest. 00:09:50.879 --> 00:09:55.759 We when we see harvest, when we think of harvest, we get happy. 00:09:56.320 --> 00:10:00.720 We get cheerful because God is doing something and it's exciting in our life. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:03.200 We think, yes, the harvest is here. 00:10:03.519 --> 00:10:04.559 It's good. 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:07.679 And to me, it means celebration, it means a party. 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:10.480 I think of Thanksgiving, it's our harvest time. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:16.879 I've worked hard, I've waited, I've been patient, I've plowed, I've watered, I've weeded. 00:10:17.039 --> 00:10:20.080 Now I can sit back and I can enjoy the harvest. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:23.919 Because harvest time is when you can just sit back, right? 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.600 Harvest in my mind is breakthrough. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:34.639 I'm blessed. 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:36.879 God's about to hook me up. 00:10:38.799 --> 00:10:40.159 I'm connected. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:42.799 God's gonna do something great. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:49.759 But what we don't see is that when we say the harvest is here, the harvest is the hardest part. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:10:53.519 That's when you're waking up the earliest. 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:59.279 That's when you're going to bed the latest, and that's when you're actually doing the work of the harvest. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:07.120 It's the hardest part of labor is connected within the harvest. 00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:20.159 When we get context of the harvest, it isn't like a drive-thru that we go through and we just run through and we get our food and we make our way out, and we've got our hamburger and our fries or whatever it may be. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.320 It's not a drive-thru mentality. 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:27.519 The harvest requires exercise, it requires work and labor. 00:11:28.240 --> 00:11:30.960 And you can't reap if your feet are up. 00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:32.879 They need to be dug in. 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:34.720 You need to get your hands dirty. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:39.039 Your body will feel the pressure of the harvest. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:47.679 I love talking, you know, about it's like in January, you know, the resolutions come out. 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:49.200 I want to lose 20 pounds. 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.679 Well, that just isn't gonna happen. 00:11:52.720 --> 00:11:53.840 It's not gonna happen. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:59.919 You're not just gonna wake up one morning and be like, oh my goodness, help on the scale, it happened. 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:01.279 Thank you, Jesus. 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:02.559 Like it's there. 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:10.720 It's gonna require you getting up early, eating right, making small choices that make a big difference. 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:15.120 It's gonna, it's gonna matter every choice you make. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:25.519 Well, when we look at the harvest, sometimes we just zoom in, and what we have to do is we have to zoom out, we have to look at all the detail work that goes into this. 00:12:26.559 --> 00:12:32.960 The scripture actually says that that Jesus said, listen, prepare yourself. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:36.240 It's gonna be four months and then the harvest. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:39.600 Get a plan in play. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:42.799 Get a vision for it. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:46.480 Get prepared to get your hands dirty. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:48.399 We've got a vision ahead of us. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:57.440 There is a harvest, and it requires work, which this generation for some reason doesn't like to hear. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.440 We don't think, you know, you need to work hard. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:10.240 We where you actually have the the hardest part of work is actually knowing where to start working, and then just be directional that way. 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:16.480 If someone says hard work is overrated, uh the thing that's underrated right now is good judgment. 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:26.320 You can work really hard going the wrong way, but what you need is proper judgment to know which way to go and then work hard in that direction. 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:38.000 And so we really need to assess, Lord, where give us clear judgment as to what we need to do so that we can work hard in that area. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:44.559 So, Matthew chapter 9, I'm just gonna read a portion of this scripture for you. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.679 But this is a day in the life of Jesus. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.799 He gets back in the boat. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:55.679 Jesus and the disciples recross the sea to Jesus' hometown. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:14:02.720 They were hardly out of the boat when some man carried a paraplegic on a stretcher, set him down in front of them. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:09.519 Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, Cheer up, son, I forgive your sins. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:13.919 Some religious scholars whispered, why, that's blasphemy. 00:14:14.720 --> 00:14:24.320 And Jesus knew what they were thinking and says, Why this gossip, whispering, why do you think it's simpler to say, I forgive your sins, or get up and walk? 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:38.879 Well, just so it's clear to you that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either or both, at this time he turned to the paraplegic and said, Get up, take up your bed, go home. 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:39.919 The man did it. 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:46.720 The crowd was awestruck, amazed, pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:52.480 Right away, Jesus, first thing he does, heal a paralytic. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:58.720 Verse 9, passing along, Jesus saw another man working, collecting taxes. 00:14:58.879 --> 00:14:59.840 His name was Matthew. 00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:01.519 Jesus said, Come with me. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:04.000 Matthew stood up and followed him. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:14.320 Later, when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew's house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable uh characters came and joined them. 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:23.039 When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, litten to Jesus, saying, What kind of example is this from your teacher? 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:26.720 Acting all cozy with crooks and riff-raff. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:29.200 I'm reading from the message, by the way. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:33.360 Again, Jesus meeting with Matthew. 00:15:33.600 --> 00:15:39.200 Jesus overhearing them shot back, who needs a doctor, the healthy or the sick? 00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:41.519 Go figure out what the scripture means. 00:15:41.679 --> 00:15:44.000 I'm after mercy, not religion. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:49.919 I'm here to invite others, outsiders, not coddle the insiders. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:16:00.559 A little later, John's followers approached and said, Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don't? 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:04.879 Jesus said, When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp out on the cake. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:06.159 Uh, you feast. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:10.639 Later you make, you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:14.799 No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:16.320 The kingdom is coming. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:19.519 This is Jesus, every step he's taking. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:25.600 A paralytic, a religious person, other disciples. 00:16:25.840 --> 00:16:28.480 Do you see Jesus' work ethic here? 00:16:28.799 --> 00:16:38.320 He's looking, he's visibly in and surrounded by people that are constantly drawing from him. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:46.559 As he finished talking to them, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, My daughter's just now died. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:49.039 If you come and touch her, she'll live. 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:50.960 Jesus got up and went with him. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:52.960 His disciples followed along. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:17:00.960 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:05.440 She was thinking to herself, if I can just put a finger on his robe, I'll get well. 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:12.319 Jesus turned, caught her, and said, Courage, daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're well. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.960 The woman was well from then on. 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:22.720 By now he arrived at the house of the town official, pushed his way through the gossips looking for a story. 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:24.640 Jesus was abrupt. 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:27.920 Clear out, the girl's not dead, she's sleeping. 00:17:28.559 --> 00:17:38.079 They told him he didn't know what he was talking about, but when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl's hand, pulled her to her feet alive. 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:41.759 The news was soon out and traveled throughout the region. 00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:43.759 This is a day in the life of Jesus. 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:45.039 What has he done? 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:55.680 Healed a paralytic, healed a dead girl, healed a woman who had been hemorrhaging. 00:17:56.319 --> 00:18:01.119 Do you see what the lifestyle of the believers to look like? 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.880 Walking in a place of faith, walking in a place of expectation. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:12.079 Jesus was looking for the harvest everywhere he turned. 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:15.519 He was looking for opportunity to harvest. 00:18:15.920 --> 00:18:23.920 And Jesus left his house and he was followed by two blind men who were crying out, Mercy, son of David, mercy on us. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:27.440 And when Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:31.359 You see, they're blind and they're just chasing after him blindly. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:34.480 And do you really believe I can do this? 00:18:34.640 --> 00:18:36.799 And they said, Yes, master. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:42.640 So he reached out, touched their eyes, and says, Become what you believe. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:45.279 And it happened, they saw. 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:48.799 Then Jesus became very stern. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:51.119 Don't tell a soul what happened. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.599 Like, you see, this is a tough job. 00:18:53.839 --> 00:18:55.279 This is really busy. 00:18:55.519 --> 00:19:03.279 And he says, It happened, they saw, their eyes became, their eyes became clear, and right after that, the blind men were leaving. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:08.000 A man who had been struck speechless by an evil spirit was brought to Jesus. 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:09.920 A fellow who was mute. 00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:17.920 As soon as Jesus threw the evil tormenting spirit out, the man talked away just as if he'd been talking all his life. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:21.680 The people were up on their feet and they were applauding. 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:25.599 Applauding. 00:19:25.759 --> 00:19:30.640 There's never been anyone like this in Israel. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:34.319 Jesus had eyes. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:48.880 He, everywhere he walked, he was looking for opportunity, looking for reason to be able to extend the kingdom of God's influence. 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:51.200 Okay, I'll take this. 00:19:51.519 --> 00:19:52.880 Okay, I'll take this. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:54.799 I'll take this area here. 00:19:54.960 --> 00:20:01.359 And so the Pharisees were the ones who were trying to calm him down, like people are just cheering Jesus on. 00:20:02.000 --> 00:20:11.039 And he was and they said to him, A hocus pocus, it's nothing but hocus pocus. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:12.720 He's probably made a pact with the devil. 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:14.640 That's all they could conclude. 00:20:14.880 --> 00:20:18.160 And Jesus made a circuit of the towns and villages. 00:20:18.400 --> 00:20:26.079 He taught in their meeting places, he reported kingdom news, he healed diseased bodies, he healed their bruised and hurt lives. 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:28.960 And we looked over the crowds. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.960 His heart began to break. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:38.640 So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:40.640 And he said this. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:44.480 And again, think of it in terms of context. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:48.079 He said, What a huge harvest. 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:50.160 Would you say that with me? 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:52.640 What a huge harvest. 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:58.240 How few workers on your knees pray for the laborers. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:01.680 Jesus was moved with compassion. 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:03.039 His heart broke. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:04.079 He wept. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:06.079 What's going to move you? 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:10.880 And this is my question to you today: four months and then the harvest. 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:13.599 How is this going to move you? 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:19.680 Seeing the harvest and knowing that if you don't get it in time, it'll fall, it'll spoil. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:23.759 I'm struck with the activity around Jesus. 00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:30.640 Jesus' life was a work of effort to do the things he needed to do. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:36.640 And the needs of his day aren't as so different than the needs of today. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:40.240 We have lost and confused people here. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:43.920 We have lost and confused people in Kelowna. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:47.200 You may be one of them. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:51.200 Or your neighbor, whatever someone beside you might be. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:59.759 But in our own city of Kelowna, based on our discussion with some of the ministries here in Kelowna, let me share with you our youth are. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:03.440 Experience the highest percentage of self-harm in BC. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:12.000 In Kelowna, it's the highest percentage of youth that are self-harming in BC. 00:22:12.240 --> 00:22:15.519 They don't like who they are or what they're becoming. 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:21.599 Anxiety in youth is a critical issue because they're not happy. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:24.799 Or did they dislike who they are or what they're becoming. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:35.839 So anxiety in schools right now is at an all-time high because they have thousands of people who are just online who are just telling them who they should be and what they need to become. 00:22:36.160 --> 00:22:39.279 And they're not matching it with their own life. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:43.200 Self-identity is under attack. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:55.359 They said today that uh one of the groups in Klona was saying that parents are spending less than 45 minutes of meaningful conversation with their kids in a week. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:01.519 Most conversations circle around are you getting good grades? 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:06.160 Are you cleaning up around like the bedroom, the house, wherever? 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:10.400 Text me where you are, text me where who you're with. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:16.559 There isn't a meaningful conversation happening within the youth of our city. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:23.200 This summer, Klona topped Canada for a rate of opiate hospitalizations. 00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:31.920 In all of Canada, Klona was the top place where people were hospitalized for an opiate overdose. 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:36.240 Why do you think people are getting high? 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:40.400 Why do you think people are turning to drugs? 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:52.000 Ministries in our community, in downtown city, they performed 35 memorials in the summer for people who had overdosed. 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:53.519 Almost one a day. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:24:02.000 Our friends from the uh downtown church, they were saying that uh they were saying it was like a war zone. 00:24:02.079 --> 00:24:04.799 They would wake up in the morning not know who had died. 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:13.599 And in our own community, we we actually did two uh two funerals for two of our young men who passed on. 00:24:14.319 --> 00:24:17.920 Seniors are facing challenges with loneliness. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:23.440 And the big question for the church is this how are we gonna meet the need? 00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:28.400 Do you have faith to see and reach the harvest? 00:24:29.440 --> 00:24:32.480 Do you can you see the harvest coming in? 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:36.480 Do you believe the harvest can come into the church? 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:42.319 Do you believe people can be pulled off the street and planted in the house of God? 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:45.039 Do you believe that? 00:24:45.279 --> 00:24:55.519 Because when you look at this, it looks like hard work, it looks like difficulty, it looks like getting your hands dirty, it looks hard. 00:24:55.680 --> 00:24:58.799 But the question is, how are we gonna meet the need? 00:24:59.440 --> 00:25:06.400 What are we as Kelowna Christian Center going to do about extending the kingdom of God into our community? 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:10.319 Reaching those who are lost, reaching those who are confused. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:12.400 And Jesus said this. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:15.279 He said, What you need to do is you need to pray. 00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:22.799 You need to pray for labors, but not only pray for labors, you need to get out and get into the field. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:29.200 So not only pray, but do the work of bringing the harvest in. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:33.440 I'm I'm so grateful for this church. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:38.160 Uh that this church is um living a life. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:43.440 I know that there are a lot of people in the church who have retired, but they're not tired. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:45.440 They're doing the work. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:51.440 They realize the mission is still a go, that the harvest isn't gonna pick itself. 00:25:51.920 --> 00:25:54.799 The world moves for this heart. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:26:00.160 The world moves when we're actually connected to the heart of the Father for His people. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:03.440 The world moves when we're connected to the love. 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:09.359 Culturally, when the world considers love, they see it as like a feeling, an emotion. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:15.119 Uh it's uh it's it's something that it's an energy pass between two people. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:20.559 But in the gospel, we know that love is more than just words, love is action. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:29.599 That's why Jesus said, the Father said that God so loved the world that he did something. 00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:31.519 He sent his son. 00:26:32.799 --> 00:26:38.720 The love that we carry has to translate into momentum, into movement. 00:26:39.920 --> 00:26:43.440 It can't just stay for just love's sake. 00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:49.119 To say you love and have no action behind it isn't real love. 00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:58.079 Jesus' ministry was all about bringing back people to that place of love. 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:05.680 People who'd been sick to bring them to a place of wholeness, people who'd been blind to bring them healing. 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:09.200 It was the lifestyle of Jesus. 00:27:09.359 --> 00:27:19.359 And it's the same thing that every Bible story is about that that we read about that, even that God loved us first before we even loved Him. 00:27:19.920 --> 00:27:21.920 His love was there for us. 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.720 Love has got to be our motivating force. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:31.839 Love has got to be the force that pushes us out into the world. 00:27:32.559 --> 00:27:42.559 And I'm telling you today that there are lost and confused people, and that the mission of the church and the mission of KCC has not stopped. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:45.200 It's only just beginning. 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:46.079 Amen? 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:50.799 We're excited to share a few things with you today. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:28:07.759 Because we know that there's such great need in the world, and there's such great need in Kelowna, that uh we need God to come upon us as a church to help release us into this harvest field. 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:10.640 And so we're excited to share with you some of the good news. 00:28:10.799 --> 00:28:16.160 We say good news, good news that it is harvest time. 00:28:16.799 --> 00:28:21.039 And when God says it's harvest time, he starts preparing people. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:28.000 At HCS, we've been given three 18-seater buses to replace ones that we needed replacing. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:28.880 Amen? 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:40.480 Even the government increased our assistance per student so we get more resources for actually schooling our kids. 00:28:42.240 --> 00:28:52.799 A lot of churches in our community have uh been around for a long time, and they've been fortunate to be blessed into not having to pay into mortgages. 00:28:53.039 --> 00:29:02.079 Uh, but and they were, it was oftentimes their mortgages were paid off early, and it could it allowed them to have resources to actually move forward. 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:13.759 So KCC is still considered like a very young church in the community, and uh with humble beginnings, like we didn't have people helping support us, we didn't launch really strong. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:28.799 We've been building and growing as we as the older we get, um with faithful people that have been giving generously, they've been purpose-driven, they're driving the community forward, blessing and loving our community. 00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:32.319 There are people here who've who've been here since the beginning. 00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:36.319 Hannah, you're celebrating a birthday, aren't you, Hannah? 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:37.039 Yeah. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:40.160 90 years old? 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:42.319 90, eh? 00:29:45.839 --> 00:29:49.599 Now, how long, Hannah, have you been with us? 00:29:50.160 --> 00:29:50.880 33 years. 00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:55.279 33 years serving in the church. 00:29:56.000 --> 00:30:01.599 And I'll tell you, it's because of hearts and lives that have been committed to the harvest. 00:30:02.559 --> 00:30:10.559 Not just like we're gonna grab and hold on to what we have at present, but we're looking forward into what God has planned. 00:30:10.720 --> 00:30:17.279 Um, we're able to say today that our KCC, we paid our last mortgage bill. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:30.640 We paid the last mortgage bill that we paid on the property and the building, including all renovations that have been done in the property so far. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:32.799 It's all paid for. 00:30:33.279 --> 00:30:33.920 Amen. 00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:40.079 So we know that this is just the beginning. 00:30:40.799 --> 00:30:44.400 You realize that this isn't just, this isn't the end. 00:30:44.640 --> 00:30:46.799 This is put this is the beginning. 00:30:46.960 --> 00:30:51.119 This means we're no longer building the kingdom of TD Bank. 00:30:54.799 --> 00:30:56.960 We're gonna be building the kingdom. 00:30:57.119 --> 00:31:02.160 We're gonna have resource to be able to go out and do the things that God wants us to do. 00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:22.559 And I'm praying for the church today to be able to shed off the extra weight, the things that would hold you back and hold you down and keep you pulled down and would release you into being able to go and do the things that God has called you to do. 00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:29.599 To go into the mission, to go and complete the harvest, to go and reach out and bring in. 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:35.039 And so carrying debt in your home, in your business this morning. 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:42.880 I know that there may be many of you who still have a mortgage, and we want today to be able to take a moment and just pray. 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:50.960 I'm gonna invite Norm to come up and uh I'm gonna have the microphone here, and I'm just gonna have us stand together. 00:31:51.119 --> 00:31:56.720 How many of you would like to be mortgage free, debt-free this year? 00:31:57.359 --> 00:32:01.359 Would you stand with me for a I just everyone stand up? 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:08.960 Because I believe that there's an anointing for what has happened with the church. 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:14.480 I believe the church is being positioned strategically for our future. 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:15.599 Amen? 00:32:16.240 --> 00:32:26.000 And I want the testimony of our church to be that we're not held down, but that we're gonna move forward and launch forward in faith. 00:32:26.240 --> 00:32:26.640 Amen? 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:28.640 Would you pray for us, Pastor? 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:29.759 Praise God. 00:32:31.039 --> 00:32:42.880 You know, um when uh David uh sought Goliath, he first spoke to him and said, Today I'm gonna take your head off. 00:32:43.519 --> 00:32:45.759 And then he did it. 00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:55.920 And we are gonna speak to the mortgages that are out there, because when a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. 00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.839 And mortgages are enemies. 00:32:58.079 --> 00:32:59.279 It's a debt. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:15.200 And uh now, for those of you who want a house, you want lands, you want properties, the Lord also said, I will give you houses you did not build, I will give you vineyards you did not plant. 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:19.119 And we're having an opportunity today to sow into this. 00:33:19.920 --> 00:33:23.119 And I my mortgage is paid through the grace of God. 00:33:23.279 --> 00:33:35.839 However, what I'm gonna be sowing into is so that my sons they will have lands that they did not fight for, they will have vineyards they did not plant, and they will have houses they did not build. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:39.759 And we can all enter into defeating these things. 00:33:40.480 --> 00:33:43.200 So here we have a lot of faith here today. 00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:55.759 So by faith, we are going to be the most prosperous people, we are gonna be the owners of lands in this city, we are gonna be the landlords under the kingdom of God. 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:57.599 And that's what I'm speaking today. 00:33:57.759 --> 00:34:13.119 Father, in Jesus' name, we would come together in believing that all those mortgages that are there right now that are crushing, we speak to you like you are a Goliath, and this day your head is coming off. 00:34:13.360 --> 00:34:24.159 In the name of Jesus, you will the pro the prosperity of the Lord will come upon the people, and they will have the sense to put it towards the mortgage. 00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:31.360 Father, I thank you, Lord, that the word mortgage itself is a French word which means covenant with death. 00:34:31.519 --> 00:34:33.679 Well, we break that covenant. 00:34:33.920 --> 00:34:50.719 And in Jesus' name, we will be the owners of lands, we will be the blessed, and we will be the lenders and not the borrowers, we will be above and not beneath, for this is the will of the living God upon KCC and the people here in Jesus' name. 00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:52.719 And everybody says, Amen. 00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:53.440 Amen. 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:54.320 Amen.