WEBVTT 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:12.000 You're listening to the road by Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.439 It's Dom to keep living in the past. 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:19.039 Everybody say it's Dom to keep living in the past. 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.679 It's more to live toward the future. 00:00:25.039 --> 00:00:26.960 That's how God views you. 00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:28.239 I mean, I love you. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:28.960 You're beloved. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:30.879 You're precious in my sight. 00:00:31.440 --> 00:00:32.079 Yes. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.119 I know all things, so I know what's happened in the past. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:36.799 I know what you've done. 00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:43.759 But quit looking in the rearview mirror and start looking forward by being in Christ. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:46.399 Quit being in you. 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:48.960 Got a new vehicle. 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.799 New creation. 00:00:51.439 --> 00:00:56.159 At The Road, our mission is to empower people to change the world. 00:00:56.399 --> 00:01:00.399 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:05.439 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:12.239 Well, we're in Ephesians. 00:01:13.040 --> 00:01:19.760 And let's just start at verse 1 because we've had two weeks we missed because of snow last week. 00:01:19.920 --> 00:01:22.079 And uh and we're we're actually at verse 9. 00:01:22.159 --> 00:01:23.920 But let's look at Ephesians 1:1. 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:31.359 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful in Christ Jesus. 00:01:31.519 --> 00:01:35.040 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:46.319 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who's blessed us with every, every, say every, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:53.040 Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:02:00.079 Verse 5, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:05.760 Verse 6, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the beloved. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:17.039 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and proofs. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:22.879 Now, this first part, he starts off by saying that you're in Christ and you're in Ephesus. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.080 And I mentioned before that you have two addresses. 00:02:26.319 --> 00:02:28.800 You have an address in heaven, you have an address on earth. 00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:33.439 And you are in Christ, but you're also in Colorado Springs, men and women. 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:36.000 You are in the Pikes Peak region. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:37.680 Be all here. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:38.960 Okay? 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.000 I'm not going anywhere. 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:44.319 I don't care what happens in Denver. 00:02:44.400 --> 00:02:46.960 I'm still called to this state. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:48.719 I'm still called to fight here. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.719 I'm still called to battle here. 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:57.039 And that's why we've got to have a long-term view about short-term problems that we have right now. 00:02:57.199 --> 00:02:57.520 Okay? 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.159 And so you are in Colorado Springs. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.599 You're in El Paso County. 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:02.159 You're here. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:03.360 So be all here. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:07.039 He's saying that you have two addresses, and one is in Christ. 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:10.400 14 times in Ephesians, he says, you're in Christ. 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.000 What does that mean? 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:20.719 That means that the Christ in you, the hope of glory, enables you to be something you can't naturally be. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:28.639 I mean, you can do things, you can believe God for things that you could not naturally do in you. 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:32.159 Anybody tired of you? 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:37.919 Okay, if you're not tired of you, ask your spouse if she is or he is. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:38.560 All right? 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:40.000 So we get tired of you. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:40.879 I get tired of me. 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:42.719 I look in the mirror and I'm tired of you. 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:46.080 But, but, listen, I'm beloved. 00:03:47.120 --> 00:03:48.560 I'm called to a purpose. 00:03:48.719 --> 00:03:51.199 You're called to a purpose is a plan for your life. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:54.960 And that plan for your life is to make an impact. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:58.719 You're not here just to take up space. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:01.360 You're not here to escape. 00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:04.240 That's Hinduism and Buddhism. 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:10.639 Christianity says you're here to take over, to take possession. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:14.159 And I believe God wants us to take possession in Denver. 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:17.439 I believe God wants us to take possession in El Paso County. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.160 I believe God wants us to take possession of city council. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:33.600 What I mean by that is not in some militant, aggressive way, but with the love of the Father and the love of the Spirit and the love of Jesus, we come and we have been given a responsibility. 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:41.439 So each one of the letters in the Bible, they're to Galatia, they're to Ephesus, they're to Rome. 00:04:41.759 --> 00:04:52.160 In other words, the heart of the Father is that wherever you live and wherever God has placed you, that He's put you as the Ecclesia. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.519 The Ecclesia is the church. 00:04:55.680 --> 00:05:04.319 And he says, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:09.920 So listen, if God builds a church, which by the way, he's not building all churches. 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:12.959 You know how you know that? 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:14.879 We know that just with COVID. 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:18.399 30% of churches are going to close down forever because of COVID. 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:21.360 Now, how could that happen if Jesus is building his church? 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:23.519 It's because Jesus wasn't building those churches. 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:30.639 So you can be a pastor of a church that you're pastoring and that you're building, but Jesus is not. 00:05:30.879 --> 00:05:32.560 I'm not the senior pastor. 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.600 I'm the small S, small P senior pastor. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:40.160 He's the capital S and Capital P senior pastor. 00:05:40.240 --> 00:05:41.920 He's building this church. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:48.160 And when he builds his church, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:49.360 I'm from Georgia. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:50.160 I'm not real smart. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:51.120 I figured it out. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.000 If he builds a church, the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:56.639 It'd be pretty dumb for me to build the church. 00:05:57.199 --> 00:06:00.480 So Ephesians is a manual for war. 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:02.639 It's a manual for how to fight. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:09.439 And so what he's doing in this first part is he's talking about the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.439 And we've talked about a number of these, but let's pick it up at verse 9. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:20.959 Having made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in himself. 00:06:21.279 --> 00:06:27.839 Now, the mystery of his will, most PhDs do not have a clue about. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:33.759 So most of the stuff that your kids are getting at school is not about the mystery of his will. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:39.519 Who instructs our children in the mystery of his will? 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:40.560 You do. 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:45.920 We've got your kids for an hour and a half at best on Sunday. 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:50.560 If they're in high school, we have them for an hour and a half at best on Wednesday. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:59.120 But the the main responsibility of equipping, empowering, and building these young people that are along this front row out here is mom and dad. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:00.399 It is. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:07.600 And so one of the great intellectuals of the 20th century was a guy named Alan Bloom. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:15.920 A Jewish intellectual who's not a Christian, a professor at University of Chicago, Yale, and Cornell, considered a prodigy in his time. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:20.639 He was accepted to University of Chicago at 15 years old and graduated at 18. 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:27.920 And he wrote a book that I read 25 years ago called The Closing of the American Mind. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:36.559 And he said this about Western thought, his belief that we were devaluing the source of wisdom but not reading great literature. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.279 By the way, they're starting to ban great literature. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:58.480 Bloom said this quote, I do not believe that my generation, my cousins who have been educated in the American way, all of whom are MDs or PhDs, have any comparable learning to my uneducated grandparents. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:17.279 When they talk about heaven and earth, the relations between men and women, parents and children, the human condition, I hear nothing from the MDs and the PhDs but cliches, superficialities, the material of satire. 00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:26.879 I mean that as my grandparents have always believed, that the life of this earth is based in the book. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:39.039 The Bible is closer to the truth, that it provides the material for deeper research and access to the real nature of things. 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:42.799 Men and women, we have the mystery of his will. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:44.320 Right here. 00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:46.000 The mystery of his will. 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:52.720 We know how it started, we know why we've got problems, and we know how it's going to culminate. 00:09:53.120 --> 00:10:02.799 So I, when I was studying this, I thought, you know, if I was on a desert island and I only had, you know, seven books of the Bible, what would they be? 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:10.639 And so I went and asked two of my pastor friends, if you had seven books of the Bible, what would you tell your people to read? 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:15.600 And we got an the three of us in a little triangle, we only missed by one book. 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:17.039 We all said the same things. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:24.399 And then when my dad was here last week, my Lutheran pastor dad, I asked him, and we were, again, only one book were we off. 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.480 And they were they were probably right, not me. 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:27.919 But but let me give you these. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:28.639 Write these down. 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.360 Here's what I think are the seven most important books. 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:33.600 I'm gonna call them the power seven of the Bible. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:39.120 Now, all the books of the Bible, 66 books, they're all inerrant, they're all infallible, old and new testament. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:40.320 Totally believe that. 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:44.639 But if I were to say to you, you could just start with seven this year. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:46.799 Just start with seven in 2021. 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:47.519 Here's what I'll say. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:49.039 Number one is Genesis. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.200 Read all of Genesis. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:56.399 Genesis is the found, if you wanted a title, it's the foundations of everything. 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:59.279 I think that's pretty inclusive. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.480 So the foundations of everything are found in Genesis. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:06.879 It's the foundations of humankind, it's the foundations of sin. 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:09.600 It's the foundations of covenant. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:12.159 It's the foundations of Israel. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.320 Second book, Psalms. 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:17.120 Read the book of Psalms. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.080 And you know that there's 150 Psalms. 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:24.960 And so you can, if you read five Psalms a day, which is that's quite a task because some of them are long. 00:11:25.120 --> 00:11:28.320 If you did five Psalms a long time, you'd read all the Psalms every month. 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:30.159 But read the Psalms. 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:37.039 The Psalms are about prayer, they're about the love of God, they're about the human condition in relationship with God. 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:44.320 And if you were to just take your Bible, as you know, and just kind of go like this and just kind of open it in the middle, go boop, ha! Psalms. 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:45.759 So it's right in the middle. 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:46.399 And it's there. 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.639 It's the Psalter, it's the worship hymnal of the nation of Israel. 00:11:50.879 --> 00:11:54.399 Genesis, Psalms number three would be Matthew in the New Testament. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:56.000 Read Matthew. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:11:58.799 Matthew is about the king and the kingdom. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:04.000 And as you guys know, our vision at the road is a kingdom of God revolution in the Rockies. 00:12:04.159 --> 00:12:05.120 That's what we believe in. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:06.879 That's what we're striving for. 00:12:07.039 --> 00:12:13.039 In media, in education, in government, in church, in the military. 00:12:13.200 --> 00:12:15.200 We want to see a kingdom of God revolution. 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.919 Well, Matthew is how Jesus did it. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:18.879 All right. 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:20.639 Fourthly, Acts. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:22.240 Read the book of Acts. 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:24.000 This is the history of the church. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:29.279 And what God has done in the past, He's going to do again in the future. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:31.360 The next book would be Romans. 00:12:31.519 --> 00:12:32.879 I would pick Romans. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:35.679 Romans is the theology of the Bible. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:43.440 So Genesis, foundations, Psalms, the love of God, Matthew, the kingdom, Acts, the history of the early church, Romans, theology of the Bible. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:46.399 Ephesians, the warfare manual. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:47.840 That's what we're in right now. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.720 So keep hanging with us over the next couple months. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:51.919 We'll get through Ephesians. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:53.840 And then lastly, Revelation. 00:12:54.320 --> 00:12:59.759 Know the book of Revelation, the culmination of all things, is found in Revelation. 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:04.960 And in so walking through these seven books, you get the mystery. 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.600 You get a thumbnail sketch of the mystery of his will. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:12.159 Isn't that exciting? 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:14.639 So dive into the book. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:17.120 Dive into the book. 00:13:17.840 --> 00:13:18.960 Verse 10. 00:13:19.200 --> 00:13:26.480 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ. 00:13:26.639 --> 00:13:29.759 So 14 times he's going to say, in Christ in Ephesians. 00:13:29.919 --> 00:13:36.399 He's going to, the culmination, all things are in Christ, both which are in heaven and things that are on earth, in him. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:38.639 Now this is the progression, okay? 00:13:38.720 --> 00:13:50.559 This is the constant, maybe juxtaposition of Ephesians, is that one minute he's talking about being in Christ in the heavenlies, and then the next minute he's talking about being in Christ on earth. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:52.879 So what in the world is he talking about? 00:13:53.039 --> 00:14:03.759 What he's saying is that there's this mystery of you being in Christ, where you've been given all of the spiritual blessings that are in heaven. 00:14:04.000 --> 00:14:06.240 You haven't experienced it totally yet. 00:14:06.399 --> 00:14:14.639 You're not even going to totally experience it at any point, but you're going to keep experiencing it more and more as you grow and mature in Christ. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:15.919 So here's what you're doing. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:27.519 When we pray, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, what we're doing is we're bringing down the heavenlies to the earth. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:28.639 Does that make sense? 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:31.840 So in other words, there's total healing in heaven. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:33.600 Nobody's sick in heaven. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:43.519 So when we pray for people up front and we're praying for healing, we're praying for the kingdom come in heaven to come down to earth. 00:14:43.679 --> 00:14:44.559 Does it always work? 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:45.759 Does everybody get healed? 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:47.360 No, they don't. 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:49.840 Because we live in a sinful world. 00:14:49.919 --> 00:14:52.080 We we have this thing called atrophy. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:55.360 I believe that God can heal at any time. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:04.720 I believe that I've seen probably as many miraculous healings as anyone, but I had LASIK surgery on my eyes. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:06.480 I have graying hair. 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:07.840 It's called atrophy. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:15.600 So it's when we pray for the kingdom to come, it's the, listen, it's the already, but the not yet. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:17.840 It's the already, but the not yet. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:18.639 It's not complete. 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.159 It's never going to be complete here, but does that mean we don't trust him? 00:15:22.639 --> 00:15:26.240 Does that mean that when we've got people here, I'll tell you this. 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:30.960 The more people we pray for for healing, the more people get healed. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:32.240 I'm really smart. 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:45.919 And when people decide I'm gonna get out of debt and I'm gonna start working toward that, I'm gonna battle for that, I'm gonna trust God, and when they do, their finances do get better. 00:15:46.799 --> 00:16:06.000 That when you have had diabetes or you've had struggles in your life, or you've been through a divorce, and you've been burned, and you've been betrayed, and you don't quit, but you keep battling for the mystery of his will, you keep coming to church, you keep getting involved with other believers, and you have blood-stained allies in your life, you get better. 00:16:06.240 --> 00:16:07.759 You just get better. 00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:12.480 And you say, Well, I don't, I don't, I'm not getting, I'm not, I'm not very far along. 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:13.519 Well, that's the right answer. 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:17.279 You're not, but you're further along than you were. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.399 So when people ask, are we living in the last days? 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:23.840 They say, Well, they're they're laster than yesterday. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:25.519 All right? 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:29.759 All right, are they the capital L last days? 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:30.639 Only God knows. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:32.240 Even the angels in heaven don't know that. 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.919 So I'm not gonna answer that question, but they're my last days. 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:39.440 They're my last days, they're your last days. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:40.720 Let's make an impact. 00:16:40.960 --> 00:16:48.960 So he's saying there's a culmination of all things because you guys, we have a future-looking God. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:51.759 He doesn't care about your past. 00:16:52.320 --> 00:17:06.319 I mean, he cares about it in the sense that sometimes you need to go back to the past to get healed up for the future, but as far as how he views you, we've got people in this church that are ex-prostitutes. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:11.759 We have people in this church that have been alcoholics, we have people in this church that have been addicts to something. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:15.839 We have people in church right now that how that are struggling in all those areas. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:20.000 And God can come and heal, and he can make you a new creation in Christ. 00:17:20.079 --> 00:17:22.640 And the old has passed away, and the new can come. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:24.720 But it's up to you. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:26.240 Do you want it? 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:30.079 It's dumb to keep living in the past. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:34.559 Everybody say it's dumb to keep living in the past. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.880 It's smart to live toward the future. 00:17:40.480 --> 00:17:42.079 That's how God views you. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:43.680 He's going, Man, I love you. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:46.400 You're beloved, you're precious in my sight. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:52.160 Yes, I know all things, so I know what's happened in the past, I know what you've done. 00:17:52.559 --> 00:17:58.960 But quit looking in the rearview mirror and start looking forward by being in Christ. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:01.839 Quit being in you. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:06.319 You got a new vehicle, a new creation. 00:18:07.519 --> 00:18:09.200 So Colossians 1. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:19.279 For by him all things were created that are in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. 00:18:19.519 --> 00:18:22.079 All things were created through him and for him. 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.680 And he is before all things, and in him all things consist. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:26.799 Verse 20. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:35.759 And by him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:37.920 That's what Good Friday's about. 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:40.160 We're gonna come here on Good Friday. 00:18:40.240 --> 00:18:50.880 It's gonna be dark in this room, and there's gonna be a light shining on this cross, and we're gonna celebrate together the cross because of the blood of Christ. 00:18:52.079 --> 00:18:58.799 And when you experience that at the deepest level, it's gonna make Resurrection Day pop in your heart. 00:18:59.119 --> 00:18:59.759 It is. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:02.000 And so that's why we do it. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:06.079 Because we're being reconciled in Christ. 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:10.640 So, in one sense, positionally, we are reconciled in Christ. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:13.440 All our sins are forgiven, past, present, and future. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:23.920 But in another sense, we're experiencing that reconciliation by being in Christ, by the choices we make every day to be surrendered to Him. 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:31.920 So you're reaching up into heaven and bringing it down each time we make a godly decision. 00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:39.440 Each time we we have responsibility for our actions, each time we ask for forgiveness because we blow it, we hurt people's feelings. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:42.160 That's why we have a covenant of harmony here. 00:19:42.400 --> 00:19:44.480 It's because we we challenge each other. 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:49.839 And you that are coming to the newcomer's luncheon today, you'll hear about the covenant of harmony. 00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.160 But we always encourage you from Matthew 18, work it out. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:55.599 Work it out. 00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:00.960 And have covenantal, harmonious relationships. 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:10.960 In him, verse 11, also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:15.200 So what he's saying here is that pro-horizo, that's the Greek word. 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:22.079 He, he, pro, ahead, pro horizo, he knows your horizons. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:26.319 Who would wanna, who would want to worship a God who doesn't know the future? 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.000 If he doesn't know the future, then definitely don't read Revelation. 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:38.720 If he doesn't know the future, then forget 450 prophecies about the Messiah Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas, about the coming of Messiah. 00:20:38.880 --> 00:20:40.240 He knows the future. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.200 He knows the future of America. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:47.680 He knows the future of this county in this city. 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:56.079 And he's just looking for men and women who want to partner with him to accomplish the great works that he has for us. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:59.440 I just personally don't believe that God's done with America yet. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:02.319 I personally don't believe God's done with the church yet. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:03.920 Now it's gonna change. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:07.599 I think we're gonna see changes in the days ahead, some positive, some negative. 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:17.680 But we push forward knowing pro-horizo, his predestinated plan in it, we will see the glory of God on earth. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:21.920 And here's the other thing: we're gonna see a united church. 00:21:22.400 --> 00:21:29.680 I mean, there's I'm writing it, I wrote an op-ed the last four days with some of you guys helping me put it together. 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:32.720 I got 12 pastors behind it to support our county commissioners. 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:34.319 This can go out in the Gazette. 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:36.799 Because we support them. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:40.240 Well, it's 12 pastors that also support them. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.440 Do you guys hear that? 00:21:41.759 --> 00:21:47.599 So God's bringing unity and synergy with certain pastors here in the city. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:51.759 That's a mighty, mighty, supernatural work of God. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:52.960 And it's a good thing. 00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:57.039 But sometimes you don't realize that until you go through tough times. 00:21:57.359 --> 00:21:59.759 Verse 12 that we who first trusted in Christ. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.519 Should be to the praise of his glory. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:02.160 So look at that. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:04.000 He says the praise of his glory in verse 12. 00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:04.960 You go to verse 14. 00:22:05.119 --> 00:22:06.400 Look at the last part of verse 14. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:08.240 He talks about to the praise of his glory. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.920 That's what this is all about. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:13.119 It's not about the road, it's not about the county commissioners. 00:22:13.200 --> 00:22:14.559 It's not about our governor. 00:22:14.720 --> 00:22:16.400 It's not about the Republican Party. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:18.319 It's about praise and glory to him. 00:22:18.799 --> 00:22:24.799 So if we would keep that focus, then we could get past all the egos. 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:41.599 When we have Elijah Fire Prayer here, when we have noonday prayer, which I think we're on like 180 straight days of noonday war room prayer here at the church, we go after the praise and the glory of God on earth. 00:22:41.920 --> 00:22:45.599 And I believe what we're seeing happen here is because of those prayers. 00:22:45.759 --> 00:22:53.680 And we pray for the county commissioners and we pray for our governor and we pray for uh parties and stuff and we pray for God to show up in a mighty way. 00:22:53.759 --> 00:22:56.160 We pray for your loved ones to get saved. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.039 We pray for our educational system. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:03.680 And by the way, the the school board elections are coming up next. 00:23:03.839 --> 00:23:05.839 We'll also have that next in our voter guide. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.000 Some of you need to run for the school board. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:09.039 Hello? 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:11.039 Okay, really? 00:23:11.359 --> 00:23:16.400 I mean, what a great place to make an impact on the school board. 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:20.480 That he who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory in him. 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:21.839 Here we go again. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:26.480 You also trusted after you heard the word of truth. 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:29.200 So two things there, men and women. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:33.759 You trust, you can't trust in something you haven't heard of. 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:36.720 So that's why we share our faith. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.240 That's why when we go to the restaurant, we try to share our faith. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:43.519 That's why we try to share our faith with our neighbor and co-worker. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.880 That's what the whole Worldview conference was about. 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:54.079 The last two messages were all about how to share your faith, how to handle difficult questions that come your way. 00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:01.440 I mean, it was copyright, so we can't, you can't listen to it, but next time we have one, you should be a part of that. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:08.880 But um he just, they were they were excellent and how to deal with some of the sort of issues of our time, questions. 00:24:09.039 --> 00:24:10.240 But we have to hear it. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:20.480 And so the hearing is what Romans 10 is speaking of when Paul writes, how then shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:26.960 And how shall they believe in whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear without a preacher? 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:33.920 Well, there's hundreds and hundreds of people right now online listening to me speak. 00:24:34.559 --> 00:24:44.720 That's so insignificant compared to the spheres of influence of each of you by being Christ-like wherever you go. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:47.920 And speaking of Christ whenever God gives you the chance. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:25:04.720 It's us at Saltgrass Steakhouse, right down here off Jamboree with the speakers on Friday, and we and we had this precious Hannah, who was our second generation Filipino server that Al and I got to pray with. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:07.599 And we prayed in Jesus' name. 00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:10.319 So in our small way, we were a witness for her. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:13.759 People can't believe if they haven't heard. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:15.599 And then he says they believe. 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:20.480 And the word here is listen, it's peace you okay. 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:26.799 It's not walk the aisle and sign the paper and become a Christian. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.480 It's trusting. 00:25:28.720 --> 00:25:30.640 The word means trust. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:39.519 It means credit by implication to give credit, to entrust. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:47.279 So if you have entrusted your soul and your heart to Christ, you're saved. 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:49.039 You're a believer. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.799 You're a Jesus follower. 00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:54.880 You say, yeah, but man, when I did it, I didn't, my life didn't clean up overnight. 00:25:54.960 --> 00:25:56.079 Of course it didn't. 00:25:56.400 --> 00:25:58.880 Nobody here has that testimony. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:00.240 It took time. 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:06.079 So there's a difference between justification and sanctification. 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:09.200 Justification means you are justified. 00:26:09.519 --> 00:26:15.440 You are now counted free, innocent, forgiven. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:22.319 Sanctification means that you're becoming holier as you walk with Christ. 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:29.519 The problem in America is we've got a lot of people who think they're justified without being sanctified. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:35.279 And I can tell you, if Jesus Christ is living in you and you have no desire to live a holy life, you're not justified. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:40.720 So justification is just the beginning, it's the marriage ceremony. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:42.400 So Liz and I at St. 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:47.599 Park Church in Tokyo, Japan, got married 35 years ago. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:50.079 And we went and we did the little thing. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:54.960 And man, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 00:26:59.440 --> 00:27:01.759 The honeymoon was awesome. 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:05.759 But then we had to learn to live together, right? 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:18.319 And she's smarter than me on some things, and and I'm smarter than her on some things, and she's wiser, and I'm wiser, and and the problem is she thinks she's wiser in more things than she is. 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:22.000 And I think I'm wiser in more things than I is. 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:27.200 Right? 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:28.720 You know what I'm talking about? 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:33.920 So that's that's what it's all about with Christ, too. 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:35.839 Christ is saying to us in Psalms. 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:41.680 He says things about how to pray, and we don't believe him, we don't agree with him, and so we have this little internal battle going on. 00:27:41.839 --> 00:27:43.680 And when we do that, it's called sanctification. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:44.559 It's okay. 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:46.160 He can take it. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:49.440 That's why you come to church, is so we grow. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:28:01.359 And it's and it's exciting if you realize that you don't have to be perfect, but you're becoming more perfect than you were yesterday by going after Christ in your life. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:18.640 So in him, you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and him also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance and to the redemption of the purchased possession, again, to the praise of his glory. 00:28:18.720 --> 00:28:20.640 And the in the word here is really interesting. 00:28:20.880 --> 00:28:24.400 The word for guarantee or earnest is arobana. 00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:30.960 Arobana is actually the same word in the Greek, in current Greece, for an engagement ring. 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.759 So when you give your heart to Christ, you get a guarantee. 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:37.039 It's called the Holy Spirit. 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:39.200 The Holy Spirit comes to live within you. 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:49.119 And I know there's some traditions in church theology out there that you don't really get the Holy Spirit until you speak in tongues or something like that. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:51.359 I don't agree with that because this is very clear. 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:54.880 When you put your faith in Christ, you get all of the Holy Spirit. 00:28:54.960 --> 00:28:58.640 You don't get like half of it, you don't get like the arm or the leg. 00:28:58.720 --> 00:28:59.599 I mean, you get it all. 00:28:59.759 --> 00:29:01.039 You get all the Holy Spirit. 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:12.640 But listen, listen, there's subsequent fillings of the Holy Spirit, there's subsequent encounters of the power of the Holy Spirit that bring all the spiritual gifts and brings parts of spiritual gifts. 00:29:12.720 --> 00:29:14.240 So keep going for it. 00:29:14.559 --> 00:29:15.119 Right? 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:24.319 In other words, if you've got a treasure house of gifts and talents that are available to you, you got to go and knock on that door. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:30.720 You've got to go for it because it's available to you, but he's not gonna dump it all on us, he asks us to seek in. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:35.119 And that's the reason he says, seek, ask not for this thing in our life. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:41.920