WEBVTT 00:00:01.280 --> 00:00:04.320 Welcome to the North Iron Church podcast. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:09.759 Our mission is to take the gospel from the upper peninsula to the ends of the earth. 00:00:09.919 --> 00:00:14.480 We pray this message will inspire and encourage you in your faith journey. 00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:21.199 Enjoy week one of our I Am series, where we look at Jesus' character in the Gospel of John. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:22.960 Good morning, my family. 00:00:23.120 --> 00:00:27.679 Would you guys welcome everyone that's online with us across the UP? 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.039 Lantantan Republic. 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:32.880 We have people in Marinette. 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:36.399 We have people in Manistique, a lot of people watching us online. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:44.640 Sometimes we have a campus in that area, sometimes we don't, but you're a part of what we're doing in the UP and around the world. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:48.799 So thankful that all of you are here on Palm Sunday. 00:00:49.039 --> 00:01:01.359 This is typically Christians celebrating Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem that starts the crucifixion process of him giving his life, being our savior. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:09.200 And so we're going to have a great week this week, uh, celebrating that the death of and the resurrection of Jesus. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:18.879 We've been talking about Jesus for the last month, where Jesus is making some pretty incredible statements of him being God. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:20.799 And we find that in the book of John. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:22.159 And I want you to grab your Bible. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:23.680 If you don't have a Bible, raise your hand. 00:01:23.760 --> 00:01:25.599 We have a great version for you. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:29.120 If you're new to God's word, all you got to do is raise your hand. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:29.840 It's free to you. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:32.560 Take it home, give it away, leave it in your seat. 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:49.519 And I would encourage you to use your Bible as not only your guide for this life, its primary purpose is to show you God's plan in your life, but also that you would use it as a tool that you would take notes. 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.640 We believe that God's word is alive and active. 00:01:52.879 --> 00:01:55.680 That's fine, something we actually find in scripture. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:04.159 We believe that it will speak to your situation, not only corporately as a church, but as individuals. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:09.280 And sometimes that's important, uh especially with the brains that we have here. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:12.800 Uh sometimes we forget what God even says to us. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:15.680 I would say it's important for you to write those things down. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.879 I'm going to say, believe it or not, I'm going to say something important today you should write down. 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:24.719 We're going to be in, just prepping you all. 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.000 Um we're going to be in John chapter 10. 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:29.599 You're going to find the book of John. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:33.360 Again, if you're new to God's word, you're going to find it in the latter part of your Bible. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:39.439 If you are at John 1, 2, 1 John, 2nd John, 3rd John, right in front of Revelations, you're too far. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:45.360 This is the book, the Gospel of John in the Gospels, the first part, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:54.800 John is an apostle, and he's writing about the things that Jesus did and the things that he he says while he was here on earth. 00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:57.120 And John is recording that for us. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:03:04.560 And Jesus makes of a couple uh seven matter-fact references to himself being God. 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:09.840 This is a really big deal, especially to the people, the Jewish community that he's speaking to. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:15.439 Everyone is understanding what Jesus is saying when he uses the term I am. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:20.879 This is an Old Testament claim of God as he names himself. 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.159 And we see that as Yahweh or in Latin Jehovah. 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:25.680 Maybe you've heard those terms. 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:34.800 And God relates it to the needs of the Israelite people in the same way Jesus is doing the same thing to people hundreds of years later. 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.120 He's directing the I ams to the need of the Jewish people. 00:03:39.280 --> 00:03:40.719 And we've been walking through that. 00:03:40.800 --> 00:03:42.080 We're on week number four. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.080 You should go back and read those. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.520 I I heard an interesting story the other day. 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:49.520 Not the other day, I'm pretty old. 00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:52.000 It was when I was a young man. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:55.759 That's how pastors talk. 00:03:56.319 --> 00:03:59.520 And it really um it really affected me. 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:09.520 And uh this week I I looked looked up the story, but it's of a of a young man in the mid-1800s, and he was a farmer. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:13.280 He had bought in uh a piece of farmland in Pennsylvania. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:20.240 Honestly, he wasn't that great of a farmer, and things weren't going very well for him in any way. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:24.399 We're not really sure as you kind of look into this man's life. 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:34.560 We're not even sure if he wasn't a great farmer, or honestly, I don't I don't know if you've been to Pennsylvania, but it's basically swamps and trees, kind of like the UP. 00:04:34.639 --> 00:04:38.399 If you're a UP farmer in Ishpaming, good luck, right? 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:43.279 And so he buys this piece of property and things aren't going well. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:45.839 He's having a lot of trouble raising crops. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.079 His cattle are sick all the time. 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:53.439 He doesn't understand, he's frustrated, he's not able to support his family. 00:04:53.680 --> 00:05:11.600 And so he knows that he has a cousin at this time up in Canada that's working on this kind of cutting edge, uh, not only tech that was going on, but substance that they found up there that was seeping through the sands of Canada. 00:05:11.839 --> 00:05:16.639 They at the time they actually called it rock oil or coal oil. 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.680 And this cousin was making a lot of money, and so he says, I'm just gonna give up. 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:23.439 I don't want this farm anymore. 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:25.920 I can't make any money, I can't feed my family. 00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:29.519 I'm going to sell this farm and I'm gonna get a job with my cousin. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:30.240 And he does. 00:05:30.319 --> 00:05:40.079 And so someone came in and bought his property for$833, and he moved up to Canada and worked for his cousin. 00:05:40.319 --> 00:05:54.560 In the same way, the gentleman who bought the piece of property from uh the farmer was also having problems, and he recognized that the cattle wouldn't even drink from the stream, the brook that ran through his farm. 00:05:54.800 --> 00:06:10.079 And he said there was like a substance uh on the kind of almost as a skim where they he would have to take a board and skim off the sticky substance off the top of his water to get the cattle even to drink it. 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:13.120 Then yet they were always sick, he didn't know what was going on. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:26.480 So he took that that scum and that greasy substance and he had it analyzed, and they came back and said, Man, you got like pure petroleum, which was, by the way, a new word at that point. 00:06:26.639 --> 00:06:30.480 Uh, you have oil on, you have this rock oil on your land. 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:37.120 And so he he decided to start digging on his property in the sand, and the oil just pushed up. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:46.560 And what he didn't understand was that he was on the one of the largest at that time, largest oil department uh deposits in Pennsylvania. 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:56.720 Some of you have heard of Penn Oil or Pennsylvania oil, and that$833 turned into millions and millions and millions of dollars. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:06.639 And that's his farm is where the Titusville uh oil fields uh grew up, and the city grew up and uh was a big provider of oil. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:13.120 And I say all that because I don't know if you've ever heard the term, this this term before. 00:07:13.360 --> 00:07:16.560 One man's trash is another man's treasure. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.199 Some of you live by this. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.839 And I can't tell you I don't lean this way. 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:26.639 Have you ever seen my garage? 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:29.519 I'm just saying I like to redeem things. 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:32.399 I like to say it's what Jesus would do. 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:39.600 See, drive around on garbage day, and yeah, you know, your wife says, I need that dresser that's on the side of the road. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:41.120 You know what I'm talking about. 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:51.439 Well, that's what's going on in the gospel that really kind of messes with people a little bit. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:08:07.199 Where God looks at someone, the creator of us all, and knows and understands us why we were created, and yet sin has warped us and damaged us. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:26.639 The world has, and so the world looks at us like trash or the undesirable, and yet the gospel produces this beautiful thing in our life, it brings redemption and salvation and healing and purpose and mission, and honestly, it kind of blows the world's mind. 00:08:27.600 --> 00:08:46.159 Like out of all of this history of the world, and all the kingdoms and organizations that have been created, the one lasting thing you need to understand has always been the church. 00:08:46.559 --> 00:08:47.759 Think about that. 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:52.960 The Roman Empire is gone, the Inca Empire is gone. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:09:15.519 And yet the church, and what I'm really saying by the church, I is I mean the gospel has been enduring because there's something going on that's even confusing to us, that a God would look at someone so messed up, the world would consider you trash, and yet God looks at you and says, You're a treasure to me. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:36.639 This is what Jesus is referring to at the end of John chapter 10, where Jesus, and that's where we were last week, we're gonna take that a little bit further, where Jesus again references self, probably the most famous reference of the I am's. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:40.320 He says, I am the good shepherd. 00:09:40.559 --> 00:09:46.799 The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep for the last three weeks. 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.360 We we've been talking about the I am. 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:54.000 And when Jesus is saying, I am, he's saying, I am God. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:05.440 And if if you remember the first week we talked about to those people who are spiritually hungry, Jesus said, I am the bread of life to those who are spiritually blind. 00:10:05.600 --> 00:10:10.080 Jesus says, I am the light of the world for those who are spiritually lost. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:13.519 Jesus would say, I am the door. 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:17.919 And yet we again we see him say, and take that a little bit farther. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:20.879 Last week we talked about us all being sheep. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:26.960 We're gonna take that farther as Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:37.519 Let's look what he's saying to not only the Jewish people that are listening to him, but the religious elite that Jesus is contrasting himself to them. 00:10:37.759 --> 00:10:39.919 And he says, I am the good shepherd. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:47.759 The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, and he who is a hired hand, not a shepherd, but a hired hand. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:57.840 We talked a little bit about that last week, and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. 00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:01.600 And the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:09.440 And he flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 00:11:09.519 --> 00:11:13.279 And in contrast, Jesus says, I am the good shepherd. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:21.919 And I I I I know my own, and my own know me. 00:11:23.679 --> 00:11:25.120 Pretty interesting. 00:11:26.399 --> 00:11:44.000 Right before this statement, if you if you remember the miracles of chapter nine, is that Jesus heals with grace the adulterous women, woman that the the Pharisees or the religious elite are bringing in. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:45.759 Jesus wants to give her life. 00:11:55.440 --> 00:11:58.879 That the Pharisees reject in a way. 00:11:59.120 --> 00:12:06.720 And yet Jesus makes it possible for not only for him to physically see, but spiritually see. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:20.960 And Jesus is saying to the religious elite or the Pharisees, listen, you need to understand that a true shepherd sees value where others only see junk. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:25.200 I'm thankful for that. 00:12:30.080 --> 00:12:35.120 What's going on here is Jesus is referencing Ezekiel chapter 34. 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:49.759 Hundreds of years before Jesus arrives, God yells, condemns in a way the leadership of Israel that was not leading their shepherds at the time. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:52.399 Can I even say they were corrupt? 00:12:53.279 --> 00:13:03.840 And so through Ezekiel, God is saying to uh the leadership of Israel, you are a bunch of worthless shepherds. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:09.919 You take advantage of the sheep that I've given you to care and to love. 00:13:10.080 --> 00:13:11.919 He he gives, he names ten things. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:21.200 You don't love the sheep, you don't give food to the sheep, you don't guard and care for them, you don't bandage up the wound or go searching for the lost. 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:25.120 You abandon them as soon as they're a pain in your hind end. 00:13:32.080 --> 00:13:38.399 So Jesus contrasts these kind of statements that they all knew about. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:44.399 Jesus brought in a different kind of leadership. 00:13:45.120 --> 00:14:03.360 Now, everyone wanted Jesus to be king, they wanted this incredible authority that Jesus would bring as a leader of the people of Israel and for that nation and and destroy the the opposition of the of the Romans that that that they're experiencing. 00:14:03.519 --> 00:14:18.080 And yet Jesus comes in and kind of turns it upside down and shows a different kind of leadership that quite honestly was was new to them in in certain ways when they just they didn't understand fully. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:32.240 Even Jesus says this in Mark 10, 45 for even the Son of Man, speaking of himself, came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life away. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:39.120 That's contrary to what the world had experienced. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:45.840 Even in the Christian world, we call that servant leadership. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:48.240 Servant leadership. 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:54.559 That was a hard concept for pastors when I first got to Russia. 00:14:54.799 --> 00:15:01.440 And um because those two things, uh a servant doesn't a servant does not lead, they would say to me. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.600 They would say, Mark, uh a peasant can't be a king. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:09.919 Those those ideas were almost foreign to you. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:16.399 So you're saying, Pastor Mark, that I can have some kind of authority in people's life by serving them. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:21.919 That kind of seems backwards, but this is exactly what Jesus is saying. 00:15:22.879 --> 00:15:36.480 And you need to understand, you don't, you don't need to to question or or misunderstand or have confusion, but you need to understand that that Jesus has and is the authority. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.519 He possesses it. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:51.120 And we see this again and again and again in the way that he lives his life loving people around him, serving people, giving his life for someone. 00:15:51.279 --> 00:15:56.720 It's a it's a it's a it's a it's a new world that Jesus is laying out for everyone. 00:15:57.679 --> 00:16:00.240 And Americans, we have a little bit of problem with authority. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.000 I don't know if you know this or not. 00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:08.240 You're all little John Wayne's walking around, kicking doors open. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:20.080 And so we we oftentimes we like to reframe Jesus in this. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:25.440 I'm not sure about you being Lord. 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:33.840 I'm okay with you being a prophet or a good teacher or a hippie in sandals, spreading the love of essential oils. 00:16:34.000 --> 00:16:35.279 I'm all about that. 00:16:35.919 --> 00:16:43.200 Or if you just want to be my advisor, or you want to be a TikTok influencer, right? 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:48.240 We kind of have this idea, I'm guilty of this, you're guilty of this. 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:52.720 Where, you know, even within social media, maybe I heard a pastor say it this way. 00:16:52.879 --> 00:16:55.600 I thought it was uh was it it was brilliant. 00:16:55.840 --> 00:16:57.600 We want Jesus to be this way. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:06.960 I am your spiritual algorithm that will fill your feed with a variety of inspiring spiritual choices. 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:11.599 Mostly, Jesus, I just want you to speak Jeremiah 29, 11 to me. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:15.839 Maybe I should get a tattoo, it says it. 00:17:18.000 --> 00:17:21.200 I'm sorry if you have Jeremiah 11, 29. 00:17:23.200 --> 00:17:25.359 But do you understand what I'm saying? 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:28.720 We just want the positivity of Jesus. 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:38.319 And listen, it's there, it's important, it's a blessing in your life, but we don't we don't take on the fullness of the gospel in that process. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:53.119 We just want we don't want to give up all of our life, but you need to understand that the central idea of the gospel, the center, the central idea is that Jesus is Lord. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:59.680 He's Lord, He created you, He'll end you. 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:20.000 He is the Savior, He's the judge, He was at the beginning, He's going to be in the middle, He's gonna be at the end, and even those who don't want to fully give their lives to Jesus, scripture says at the end He'll gather them, and they will all kneel and declare Jesus is Lord. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:41.279 Jesus is even a little bit confused about this kind of idea of rebellion that we have as as humans, where he will even say in Luke chapter six, man, why even call me Lord, Lord, and don't do the things that I say. 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:55.920 Well, Jesus, you can have ninety-six point nine seven of my life, but don't touch this. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:11.119 As a very famous Christian missionary to China says, Hudson Taylor, he says, this should write this down, unless he's Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. 00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:17.759 This is this is this is what we struggle with. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:22.480 Ultimately, we don't trust him. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.680 This is why we sinned. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:31.119 Lord, you can't bring it to me, so I'm gonna go out and get it myself. 00:19:31.440 --> 00:19:37.599 Lord, I don't like your timeline, so I'm gonna I'm gonna pull some triggers. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:52.079 Maybe you're busy, maybe you're not powerful enough, but instead of trusting you and following you, I'm gonna do my own thing, and what you're saying is I'm gonna be God. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:20:05.200 And you might wrap it in hurt or an emotional response, but ultimately the reason you sin is because you're not trusting God to bring what you need. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:15.039 You also need to understand, and let me just walk through some things that his authority brings to you. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:19.519 Listen, it's it's a protective, it's a protective. 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:26.319 A good shepherd, as scripture says, lays down his life for his sheep. 00:20:26.720 --> 00:20:44.960 Remember, last week I told you, again, go back and watch last week's video, but a shepherd would literally lay in the doorway that nothing gets in the pen or out of the pen unless he is acknowledged through that activity. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:56.400 And when you're in the pen, his promises, his protection, his redemption, his provision is for you. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:01.039 And I get it, a lot of us don't like to think of ourselves as goats. 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:07.200 Like I've heard it said that you know, a goat, uh, uh, a che did I say goats? 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:08.000 Sheep. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:09.440 Sorry. 00:21:11.119 --> 00:21:14.799 Because some of you, your mama told you you were the goat. 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:18.000 Hercules, Hercules, Hercules. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:21.839 Like, you're not the goat. 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:24.720 You're just not. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:26.000 You're not the goat. 00:21:26.160 --> 00:21:34.880 And the reason I know that you're not the goat and that you're a sheep, and I I get that's offensive, like uh a sheep without a shepherd is a meal, right? 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:39.200 They they're not great at defending themselves, they're not great at leading themselves. 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:45.759 There's a lot of problems with if a goat, I'm sorry, if sorry, if a if a sheep gets, have you ever seen a sheep turned on its back? 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:47.279 It's like a turtle. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:53.759 Where a shepherd has to go go in and pull that sheep back on its legs. 00:21:54.960 --> 00:21:59.759 And I just I know you're not the goat because I know your life. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.000 I don't care what your mama told you. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:09.119 And the reason that I know you're a sheep is because you can't even simply lead yourself. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.440 Some of you can't feed yourself, protect yourself. 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:14.880 It's just a part. 00:22:15.519 --> 00:22:23.839 Like I love to be in control, but honestly, in following Jesus, it's just better that I'm not in control. 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:34.240 And there's a lot of times where I just want to pull my boots on by my own straps and make it happen. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:39.839 But I'm just telling you right now, that's the natural indication that we have. 00:22:40.160 --> 00:22:42.160 I think it's just a natural response. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:44.480 And we don't need a natural response. 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:48.480 Listen, I need a supernatural response to this life. 00:22:48.720 --> 00:22:51.200 Because Mark Broberg doesn't have it going on. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:23:00.960 And if Jesus doesn't step in and do something and lead me well and create miracles around me, like things are not going to go well. 00:23:01.680 --> 00:23:08.480 So even in my 59 years, I wasn't great at this at the beginning of my life. 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:13.359 It doesn't mean that I sit back and I just actively following. 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:20.559 You understand there's a lot of Christians will sit on their hindquarters and say, I just don't know why Jesus is not moving in my life. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:22.559 You're not doing anything. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:30.400 You're just sitting in the lazy boy of life, not following and walking with him. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:46.559 But I'm just telling you right now, when you trust him and you say, Lord, I just give you everything in my life, whatever comes into the sheepfold, I know that God has ordained in my life, may it be good, may it be painful. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:54.799 I know that he's at the door of the sheepfolds of my life, and he's allowing certain things to come into my life for my good. 00:23:56.880 --> 00:24:01.839 And how would that change as you go through your daily activities? 00:24:02.000 --> 00:24:16.240 I mean, you think about the worst things that have happened, and understanding because of his promises and his love and his protection in your life, you're just like, man, God, thank you for this opportunity in my life. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:21.440 How would it change if you believe that nothing enters the pen without his authority? 00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:36.079 I'm not telling you he's creating the negative things in your life or the hurtful things in your life, but you need to understand that he'll transform any negative, any hurt, any sin into the good things of your life. 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:38.240 King David mentions this. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:44.240 He says, No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly before him. 00:24:49.279 --> 00:25:03.359 So when things don't go my way, I say, Lord, I'm gonna make a decision, I'm gonna pray about this, I'm gonna get good counsel, and I'm going to trust you. 00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:07.599 So, God, I just want to thank you for the pain. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:10.559 Have you ever prayed that prayer? 00:25:11.519 --> 00:25:12.480 Probably not. 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:21.440 Lord, I just want to thank you for the pain because I know you order my footsteps. 00:25:22.960 --> 00:25:25.920 Again, we create a lot of the mess in our life. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:32.640 Don't don't, I'm not saying that God creates that, He's just gonna turn it for something good inside of you. 00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.680 And yet we move away from that all the time. 00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:47.440 There's a lot of correction that doesn't happen in our lives because we don't understand the promises of God. 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:54.079 So instead of going to God, we go to our buddy or our girlfriend and complain. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:59.119 Instead of taking in what God's discipling us through. 00:26:01.599 --> 00:26:08.799 There are times and Jennifer and I have gone through some very hurtful things, some troubling things. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:11.039 And you know what we do now? 00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:13.519 We giggle at those things. 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:17.279 And we say, I wish we could just go back. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:19.519 Well, why? 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:23.599 Because we were never closer to God than those moments. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:32.319 You can't get away from the presence of the Lord. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:35.279 You're here, and maybe this is the first time you've been here. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:38.480 You're here because God is drawing here you here. 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:45.039 I know your your friend said, I'll buy you lunch if you come to church, but this is God ordained. 00:26:46.319 --> 00:26:50.319 David even talks about this in Psalms 139. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:53.839 He says, Where could I go from your spirit, God? 00:26:54.000 --> 00:26:56.160 Where could I flee from your presence? 00:26:56.400 --> 00:26:58.559 If I ascend to heaven, you'll be there. 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:01.599 If I make my bed in hell, you are there. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:11.759 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the other parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:27.759 I love how David further on in Psalms 139 talks about how God thinks about you. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:31.920 How precious are you? 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:35.200 How precious also are your thoughts to me. 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:38.400 Oh God, how vast is the sum of them. 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:42.319 If I could count them, they would outnumber the sand. 00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:53.200 Can you imagine that God's thoughts about you are like the sand of a beach? 00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:56.559 I looked it up. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.799 Eight quatrillion pieces of sand. 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:06.960 I don't even know how that's how that's possible. 00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:13.440 Maybe you're here and you're like, I want someone to think of me that way. 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:17.759 I I want I want to be loved. 00:28:18.000 --> 00:28:27.519 You know that scientists say that the greatest need of human existence is to be loved and fully known. 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:33.119 And is that your desire? 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:47.359 Not only is his love and his authority protective, but there's also this incredible loving aspect to who Jesus is. 00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:54.160 In John chapter 10, if you if you if you saw that, I don't know if you should underline it in your Bible. 00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:57.599 I know my sheep, and my sheep, they know me. 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:01.119 And he calls them each by name. 00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:03.279 Jesus loves to name people. 00:29:03.359 --> 00:29:04.960 I don't know if you recognize that. 00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:12.880 So some of you he's called fluffy, maybe rufous, some of you fat head. 00:29:14.960 --> 00:29:16.880 It's enduring names. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:21.839 But Jesus, he names you. 00:29:22.000 --> 00:29:31.599 There's kind of this maybe focus when you're reading God's word, where his love and his sacrifice is worldwide. 00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:40.319 Like I get that, I understand that, but you need to understand it's just not that God so loved the world, but that God so loved me. 00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:49.839 Paul mentions this in Romans chapter 5, verse 5. 00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:53.440 He says that the Lord sheds his love. 00:29:54.720 --> 00:30:02.000 For some of you, King Jambers, here you go, in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. 00:30:04.960 --> 00:30:19.200 Just the fact that you're here hearing the gospel, maybe for the very first time, that he came and gave his life as a good shepherd for you so that you could live life abundantly. 00:30:19.599 --> 00:30:22.640 Man, that's God's love coming to you personally. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:35.279 I understand the corporate idea that God loves the world, but more importantly, listen, he loves you, he sees you, and he knows you by name. 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:49.920 That's why we can read scripture as we did last week and see this, that 1 Corinthians, that no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 00:30:51.759 --> 00:30:57.440 Your soul was created to be known and loved everyone. 00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:18.000 You know, sometimes that becomes very, very personable, where God goes over the top in his communication with you to show you that he loves you. 00:31:19.519 --> 00:31:32.319 I've had that happen a couple times where things just don't make sense, and God comes in just in a very personal, private way and just loves me, and I don't deserve it. 00:31:36.720 --> 00:31:47.680 Some of you know that I'm I I I grew up in a I consider it a very important organization ministry within the church called Royal Rangers. 00:31:47.759 --> 00:31:49.680 It's a boys' ministry. 00:31:49.839 --> 00:31:52.720 We even have it here at North Iron my whole life. 00:31:52.799 --> 00:31:54.880 I grew up in in Royal Rangers. 00:31:55.039 --> 00:32:01.119 Uh I also considered Royal Rangers to be kind of a salvation for me in a way. 00:32:01.599 --> 00:32:05.920 I I grew up in a um uh a place near St. 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:07.599 George, Utah. 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:17.680 And uh my dad, about halfway through my life, decided that he was going to be a missionary to Mormons, moved my family from Wisconsin all the way out to Utah. 00:32:17.759 --> 00:32:21.519 He might have moved us to uh uh Afghanistan. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:23.759 It was that kind of culture shock. 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:27.599 At the time, it was very controlled by the Mormon church. 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:33.119 We were probably maybe one or two other families were the only non-Mormons in town. 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:40.799 I didn't grow up with any friends, people weren't allowed to talk to me at school or my sisters, wasn't able to be involved in sports or anything. 00:32:41.039 --> 00:32:43.839 Royal Rangers always filled that need. 00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:51.920 And when my dad would would have Royal Rangers for myself and my brother, sometimes it was just three of us. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:56.880 My at my dad didn't act like that was that big of a deal. 00:32:57.039 --> 00:33:00.720 Like I'd be looking around and like, come on, dad, there's like three of us here. 00:33:00.880 --> 00:33:01.599 Nope. 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:04.400 We're having Royal Rangers, my boy. 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:10.640 And every single Wednesday he would teach us. 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:19.839 Matter of fact, he even created camps for us where we just needed one tenth. 00:33:22.480 --> 00:33:23.680 He didn't care. 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:42.799 In Royal Rangers, there's something that goes on a lot of people don't know about, but Royal Rangers does a lot of camping and events, and at every one of those, typically they'll make a patch, and then boys and leaders collect all of those patches. 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:44.400 I was very much involved in that. 00:33:44.640 --> 00:33:47.039 Had thousands upon thousands of patches. 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:54.000 When I went to Russia, because I thought I was never coming back, by the way, I sold all of them to another Royal Ranger, the leader. 00:33:54.319 --> 00:34:02.880 So when I when I got back in 2013 from Russia and came up here, I just kind of naturally started getting some of those patches back. 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:06.880 And I I would, I would, whenever I had a chance, I would collect them. 00:34:07.039 --> 00:34:08.960 It's just natural for me. 00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:17.119 And and um a couple years ago, I think it was maybe just before uh 2020, uh, church was growing. 00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:19.760 I was very, very uh very busy. 00:34:19.920 --> 00:34:21.840 Honestly, I was pretty tired. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:25.840 And I just I think I told Jen, I just need to go to the Royal Ranger camp. 00:34:25.920 --> 00:34:28.639 I'm just I don't care what's going on, I'm just leaving. 00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:30.639 I just have to, I have to go. 00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:36.000 And so I grabbed my stuff and I happened to grab some of these patches that I had. 00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:39.440 And I got I knew there would be some traders there. 00:34:41.360 --> 00:34:47.119 And so I sat down with one of these traders during this this camp, and he was showing me the patches. 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:49.280 He says, Do you have you want this one? 00:34:49.440 --> 00:34:51.679 And I would say, No, I already have that one. 00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:53.119 Well, which one do you want? 00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:58.239 And so he's he's because he wants some of the patches I have because I have Russian ones, they're highly valuable. 00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:09.920 And so he he kept on just throwing these patches down, throwing these patches down, throwing these patches down, and he lifts his hand one more time and he he throws this patch down. 00:35:11.199 --> 00:35:18.639 This means nothing to any of you, but this is a camp. 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:26.239 There's probably only 20 of this pet these patches, probably out of 200,000 patches in the Royal Ranger world. 00:35:27.199 --> 00:35:28.960 And my dad made 20 of these. 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.719 I don't even know how he did it, and he gave us boys each one. 00:35:33.920 --> 00:35:39.519 And this gentleman all the way from Missouri who came up to this camp brings this patch. 00:35:39.760 --> 00:35:43.840 When he laid it down, I said, Whoa, what's going on? 00:35:44.079 --> 00:35:46.239 I thought he was playing a trick on me. 00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:48.880 And he goes, What do you mean? 00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:50.719 I said, Where'd you get that patch? 00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:54.559 I said, There's only like maybe 20 in the world today. 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:55.840 He says, I don't know. 00:35:55.920 --> 00:35:57.920 I some kid gave it to me. 00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:04.000 I said, You can have patches. 00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:06.960 Just give me the one. 00:36:09.679 --> 00:36:11.679 Like I I came home with yet. 00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:16.400 I said, Oh, I don't know why God does that kind of stupid stuff to me. 00:36:18.400 --> 00:36:19.840 He didn't have to. 00:36:20.400 --> 00:36:28.960 I was fine, but he just comes in and he just loves on you for no reason. 00:36:33.039 --> 00:36:40.239 And yet we're always looking for validation somewhere else outside of who Jesus is. 00:36:40.400 --> 00:36:56.480 Like our world is full of us seeking validation from from the wrong sources, or even there's this kind of demonic idea in our society today where we think validation comes from within. 00:36:56.639 --> 00:37:01.599 I don't know if you you recognize this or not, that all I need is Mark Broberg. 00:37:01.679 --> 00:37:02.719 I don't need anyone else. 00:37:02.880 --> 00:37:04.320 I think I'm awesome. 00:37:04.480 --> 00:37:07.679 Here's my truth, here's my ideas. 00:37:09.119 --> 00:37:15.760 Reminds me of the very famous song of Whitney Houston: the greatest love of all is easy to achieve. 00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:18.960 Learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all. 00:37:19.519 --> 00:37:20.480 It's a lie. 00:37:22.079 --> 00:37:23.679 Didn't work out for Whitney. 00:37:27.360 --> 00:37:30.239 Or maybe, maybe the Barbie movie. 00:37:31.920 --> 00:37:34.639 You know I'm speaking some of your love language. 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:42.000 You gotta learn that whoever you are, or whatever you are, you're Ken enough. 00:37:42.239 --> 00:37:47.039 And if you believe that about yourself, you'll have Ken energy. 00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:50.400 It's a lie. 00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:59.039 Validation comes from God and God alone, why he knows you, he loves you, he names you. 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:04.559 You need people, you need people around you. 00:38:05.039 --> 00:38:22.239 I say it all the time that your heart change happens in the context of relationships, and there's some things in your life that you might need corrected, or you might need help with, or you just might need a hug and a shoulder to cry on. 00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:33.760 This is the important of church, broken people who come together and figure out God's will in our lives, and you need that. 00:38:34.480 --> 00:38:43.039 You need to be surrounding yourself with people who can speak love, the love of Jesus, into your life. 00:38:44.639 --> 00:38:53.119 You need to hang with the kind of people that are gonna challenge you about the ideas of this validation in your life. 00:38:55.519 --> 00:38:57.920 Don't hang out with people you like. 00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:00.719 Hang out with people you don't like. 00:39:00.880 --> 00:39:02.000 Oh no, no, I didn't. 00:39:02.400 --> 00:39:03.760 You want to be like. 00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:34.800 The good shepherd calls you by name. 00:39:34.960 --> 00:39:38.559 And everyone, his authority is thriving. 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:41.039 It's thriving. 00:39:41.280 --> 00:39:57.280 Just moments before Jesus walks into this portion of scripture, he says this, and I think we we brush over it because it's so much is going on with the miracles that are going on, but he says that a thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 00:39:57.440 --> 00:40:02.480 But he said, I came that you may have life and live it abundantly. 00:40:03.679 --> 00:40:07.440 That that word there abundantly means over the top. 00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:19.199 Where I'm saying, Lord, your will and not mine, and with that, this byproduct comes into our lives. 00:40:20.159 --> 00:40:21.920 We just live better lives. 00:40:22.079 --> 00:40:23.920 It's not the purpose. 00:40:25.519 --> 00:40:29.519 Serving Jesus' purpose in your life is not that you live a better life. 00:40:29.599 --> 00:40:46.880 And listen, there will still be pain, but I'm just telling you, when you surrender it all to Jesus, you gain a confidence that no matter what you walk through this assurance, because I just know that he's at the gate, he's at the gate of my pen. 00:40:49.679 --> 00:40:54.719 And nothing comes in unless he wants to use it for my good. 00:40:57.360 --> 00:41:08.639 So my my confidence in life is not in my ability to figure out God's will, but in his ability to lead me in it. 00:41:08.880 --> 00:41:17.679 Because sometimes I have, I have, uh man, I'm just telling you, when I'm trying to seek God's will, I don't know about you, but I'm like, oh man, I think this is this way, this way, this way. 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:25.920 And still at some point I go to uh certain men in my church and I talk about the things I'm I'm uh trying to understand, God. 00:41:26.159 --> 00:41:27.199 Where do you want me to walk? 00:41:27.280 --> 00:41:28.960 What path do you are you guys with me? 00:41:29.119 --> 00:41:32.639 Where you're like, man, I wish God would just paint my lawn blue in the morning. 00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:36.800 That would just be way easier than trying to discern his voice. 00:41:37.039 --> 00:41:42.880 And yet we even have God's word, which is a clear indication of the path he wants us to take. 00:41:43.039 --> 00:41:51.039 But in even in this good walking with him, sometimes we're faced with decisions about how we should live our lives. 00:41:51.199 --> 00:42:00.000 And you need to understand that when the church and its leadership loves you, they're going to help you discern those things in your life. 00:42:02.880 --> 00:42:07.199 And eventually, he ultimately just leads me. 00:42:07.920 --> 00:42:08.320 Why? 00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:25.920 Because I hear his voice and his word, I hear his voice and in people I'm talking to in my large family, in circumstances I can't control, as goofiness as me getting a patch that I had when I was a kid. 00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:29.360 And he shows himself to me. 00:42:30.400 --> 00:42:36.480 And he takes my hand and he just says, Mark, just close your eyes and come with me. 00:42:38.559 --> 00:42:50.559 So I look to all those people, and can I say, when you're dealing with the issues and the circumstances of your life, don't go to an arsonist asking how to start a fire. 00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:52.719