WEBVTT 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:16.320 Did you know there's coming a day when every wrong thing is gonna be made right on the earth? 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:21.839 And you are gonna have a resurrected body, and you are gonna get to serve the Lord with joy. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:25.760 You're gonna actually have a mind that desires God. 00:00:26.480 --> 00:00:30.000 But you don't have to like rein it in, but it'll automatically go. 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:31.280 I want to think about the body. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:32.960 I want to think about his presence. 00:00:33.039 --> 00:00:34.240 I want to think about his word. 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:36.479 I mean, that's unimaginable, right? 00:00:36.799 --> 00:00:44.479 You'll have a body that you don't have to buff it into submission, but you crave serving the Lord. 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:50.320 At the road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:54.799 For more information on the road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:55.039 --> 00:00:58.079 We hope you are encouraged by today's message. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:01.600 Amen. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.319 Welcome to The Road. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:13.439 And I'm usually the guy who's speaking up here, but uh today I've asked Marcus, our worship leader, our worship pastor, to share from God's word. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:15.680 Um it's awesome to have Marcus. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.439 Uh I met Marcus a few really actually not very long ago. 00:01:19.599 --> 00:01:27.120 I don't know how long it's been, but it's been a number of months, and he is one of the executive leaders over at Every Home for Christ. 00:01:27.439 --> 00:01:30.159 It's a subset of Every Home for Christ. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:32.480 He actually used the facility called Axe. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:45.519 But we uh we started meeting each other really through my daughter Anna, who helps lead worship over at the Prayer Times, 24-hour prayer of different things that they do with Axe over at Every Home for Christ. 00:01:45.680 --> 00:01:52.879 And I don't know if you know, but EHC and Axe Ministries is just a quarter of a mile, if that, from here. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:02:00.079 And uh we're actually talking about starting a noonday prayer for revival in Colorado Springs in 2017. 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.680 I am so excited about 2017. 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:12.080 I think I just really believe in my heart that this is a pivotal year, and it is a pivotal time for many of you. 00:02:12.240 --> 00:02:16.639 This is going to be life-changing this year for many of you, and you don't even know it right now. 00:02:16.719 --> 00:02:17.680 I'm just telling you. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:21.520 Would you turn real quickly to Jeremiah 23? 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:22.639 Jeremiah 23. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:39.520 This is not what Marcus is going to be speaking on, but I want to just take one minute to share what God's been speaking to me about personally for our church, and I'll uncover this way more next week when I speak on January the 8th. 00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:44.560 But I want to just maybe whet your appetite with where my heart is at. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.800 So Jeremiah's in the Old Testament. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:54.319 If you open your Bible right in the middle, it's always going to hit usually Psalms or Proverbs, then you kind of go right and you'll hit Jeremiah. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:03:02.400 But this is speaking of good and bad shepherds, good and bad prophets. 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:12.159 Many of you have been in churches where you've really had pastors who are more about themselves than about the church and about the sheep. 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:18.879 And hopefully you're in a church now with a pastor and pastoral team that cares about you and loves you. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:20.560 Here's the standards. 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:24.639 Let me read the first four verses, and may it be our prayer. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:30.400 Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. 00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:42.560 Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people, you have scattered my flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:48.639 Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord. 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:59.599 But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all of the countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. 00:03:59.840 --> 00:04:03.039 Now that's underlined and circled in my Bible. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:20.720 I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them, that's underlined and circled in my Bible, and they shall fear no more, that's circled, nor be dismayed, that's circled, nor shall they be lacking, that circled, saith the Lord. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:32.560 Men and women, I believe the responsibility of shepherds of the church, and the responsibility of anybody who comes up to preach in this church is to feed the sheep. 00:04:33.279 --> 00:04:38.639 That you, verse three, look at verse three, that you might be fruitful and increase. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:05:00.560 That is my main responsibility in this church, and that is our passion at the road, is that you, whatever God's called you to do, whatever the unique position you're in, the unique uh role that you have, the unique vocation that you're in, that you would be fruitful and increase in the name of the Lord. 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:08.720 And that you would be a fruit bearer, and that you would see multiplication of your gifts and your talents and the calling that God has on your life. 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:10.240 Does that make sense? 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:13.759 That's what Sunday morning's about. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:17.839 That's what next week is all about in our week of impact. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:34.800 That when you come, you would be impacted, equipped, motivated, and challenged and encouraged to go out and increase in whatever God's called you to do, to multiply out the influence and the love and the passion of Jesus Christ in your life. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:35.920 So that's what this is all about. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:45.279 And so I've asked Marcus to speak this morning because he has a message, I believe, for us to hear that is a great way, a perfect way to start 2017. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:47.600 So, Marcus, uh, would you come on up? 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:49.439 Let's welcome Marcus. 00:05:53.519 --> 00:05:54.959 Thank you, Steve. 00:05:55.759 --> 00:06:02.000 Now you're only allowed one yawn during this message, okay? 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.639 I'm keeping a little tally up here. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:08.319 If you give more than that, and I'm just playing, then it'll all spread. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:11.040 Did you guys enjoy bringing in the new year? 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:11.360 Yes. 00:06:11.920 --> 00:06:22.399 We had such a good time last night with we had some friends over, and uh we just had a good time fellowshipping with one another, talking about what the Lord is doing. 00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:27.439 We prayed over our families to bring in the new year, but we had our countdown at 8 p.m. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:35.759 We got the sparkling cider out, we started popping the corks, and and we did the countdown. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:37.120 10, 9. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:39.920 It was the most glorious countdown of my entire life. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:40.720 8 p.m. 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:43.279 I was in bed by 10 o'clock. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:56.560 So when uh we used to live in Brazil just for a season, we we we took an 18-month season and focused on the Church of Brazil and lived in Brazil for a year. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:06:59.120 And in Brazil, they have a ton of fireworks. 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:00.560 It's the summertime. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:05.839 My kids were begging me, Dad, can we stay out till midnight and see all the fireworks? 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:08.240 I'm like, we could, we could do that. 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:16.000 Or I could let you watch all the Lord of the Rings right, you know, right one after each other. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:19.839 We can start at 8 o'clock and you can watch it till you know, you know, till midnight. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:22.319 Now the reason I did, they thought that was a great idea. 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:27.040 The reason I did that is because I didn't want to get out at midnight seeing fireworks, you know. 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:29.279 So we have our strategies. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:33.680 Again, this is my beautiful wife, Rachel. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.439 Will you just stand up one more time just so people just so I can embarrass you one more time? 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:38.319 Yes. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:56.399 My beautiful wife, Rachel, and our kids next to her, and and uh just to give you a little bit of our story, we started in Kansas City, our family started in Kansas City, and we are a part of the International House of Prayer for 13 years. 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:05.519 And we are in the very early days of establishing night and day prayer and seeing it continue for five, seven, ten. 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:10.959 They're in their 17th year of praying night and day. 00:08:11.199 --> 00:08:13.360 I know that it really is a miracle. 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:15.120 It's a miracle in our land. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:26.720 And so, and as we sat in a prayer room, the Lord began to speak to us about the poor, the Lord began to speak to us about the nations, the Lord began to speak to us about orphans. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:32.960 How many of you guys know when you sit before the Lord, he begins to fill you with his desires? 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:42.960 He begins to fill you with his will, the word of God says, his desire, what he wants to accomplish in the earth, and how he wants to use you. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:57.360 And as we sat in a prayer room and as we ministered to him and worship and as we prayed the prayers of the word, we begin to feel the setting apart of being called as missionaries to the nations. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:04.159 And so that's what led us to uh Brazil, and that's actually what led us to Colorado Springs. 00:09:04.240 --> 00:09:19.600 And now we're a part of a ministry called Acts, and we labor and we gather and we train young adults to go to the hardest and darkest places of the earth and to take the gospel where it's never been preached before. 00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:30.639 So we have nine teams right now, some in Asia, some in the Middle East, some in uh in Southeast Asia, in the in the Himalayan regions in Nepal. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:44.159 And um, and it is just a joy to see these young adults, one, say yes to the Great Commission, but two, encounter the heart of God in the place of prayer. 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:47.120 And then three, go, Jesus is worthy. 00:09:47.279 --> 00:09:58.159 And they're moving for two and for five years to these hard places, learning different languages, but making Jesus known where he's not known. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:08.639 And so I'm gonna invite you this morning into a little bit of my burden when it comes to Jesus' worthiness in the nations. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:09.440 Amen. 00:10:09.679 --> 00:10:12.480 So we're gonna start in Matthew chapter 9. 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:18.960 So if you would turn your Bible to Matthew chapter 9, and we're gonna start in verse 35. 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:24.000 I loved it when I told Steve what the Lord had laid on my heart. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:30.000 I said, uh, we're gonna start in Matthew chapter 9, and he says, Are you gonna start in verse 35 and go through 38? 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:32.879 I'm like, that's exactly what I'm gonna preach on. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:39.440 So this is a famous uh passage when it comes to missions, but I believe it's an invitation for us. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:55.600 I believe it's an invitation for us, even January 1st, to begin to encounter the heart of our Savior, the compassion he has, and to follow his invitation of how to be filled with that compassion. 00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:00.799 So I know Steve already prayed, but I just can't preach without praying first. 00:11:00.879 --> 00:11:01.440 Is that okay? 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:02.879 Can we pray one more time? 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:06.480 All right, Lord, we just thank you for your word. 00:11:06.799 --> 00:11:11.039 We thank you that you came as a man. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:19.200 We thank you that you came not to serve, but not to be served, but to serve and to lay your life down as a ransom. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:24.240 We thank you for the resurrection, that we have hope in the resurrection today. 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:31.840 We thank you that you are alive with a resurrected body at the right hand of your Father, ever living to intercede for us. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:33.360 We thank you for that, God. 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:44.320 You are coming again to bring a new heavens and a new earth, and you are coming again to establish a kingdom that will never be overthrown, that will never be upset. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:47.279 And you, God, will reign victorious forever. 00:11:47.519 --> 00:11:49.120 We thank you for the hope that is ours. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:12:01.840 And Lord, I ask you by the power of your Holy Spirit to invite us into this journey that you are calling us on, into the great commission, into being whole-hearted disciples. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:03.039 We love you. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:04.480 Amen and amen. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.159 Well, Matthew chapter 9, let's just start out by reading it. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:22.639 It says in verse 35, And Jesus went out, and Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, healing every disease and every affliction. 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:31.600 And when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:36.879 Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 00:12:37.039 --> 00:12:43.600 Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out his laborers into his harvest field. 00:12:44.080 --> 00:12:50.240 First thing I want to focus on in this is that Jesus has compassion. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:56.399 Aren't you glad we don't serve just a stoic, emotionless God? 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:59.360 Did you know God is filled with emotion? 00:12:59.919 --> 00:13:01.600 The word of God calls, okay. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:04.960 By the way, we can interact a little bit, okay? 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:10.080 I'm up here, you can smile, you can say amen, you can say, preach it, brother. 00:13:10.159 --> 00:13:11.759 I can I get a preach it, brother? 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:12.960 Preach it, brother. 00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:13.919 Okay, all right. 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:15.360 So we're a family here. 00:13:15.440 --> 00:13:17.360 I know this is a stage and this is a microphone. 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:18.399 Don't let that scare you. 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:20.399 We can kind of interact a little bit, okay? 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:21.039 Is that good? 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:22.399 All right, awesome. 00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:25.519 So preach it, that's right. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:25.919 Thank you. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:26.879 I appreciate that. 00:13:29.600 --> 00:13:33.679 Jesus has compassion, Jesus has emotion. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:39.039 And he came to show what the Father was like. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:47.759 That the Father isn't just sitting on his throne and he puts a plan in place and then he just watches it with a very stoic, somber face. 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:51.200 No, God has emotion for his people. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:58.159 And I love to ask the Lord, let me feel the emotion that you feel toward me. 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:07.919 Let me feel the emotion that you felt when you looked out over your people and saw that they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 00:14:08.080 --> 00:14:09.600 You felt compassion. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.320 Help me to feel that same compassion. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:13.200 You know why? 00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:17.679 Because Jesus' compassion, it drove him to action. 00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:23.840 It drove him to actually show us what the Great Commission looks like. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:29.440 Did you know Jesus obeyed the Great Commission before he told us to obey the Great Commission? 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:34.720 He's the one who first went out to all the cities, to all the villages. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:37.200 And he taught what the Father was like. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.279 He opened the scriptures. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:44.799 And it said, He proclaimed the good news, the gospel of the kingdom. 00:14:45.039 --> 00:14:48.879 Did you know there's a coming kingdom and it's good news? 00:14:50.000 --> 00:15:03.600 Matthew 24, verse 14, it says, This gospel of the kingdom or this good news of Jesus' coming kingdom is going to fill every nation before he returns. 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:05.039 Did you know that? 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.720 And we have a part to play in that. 00:15:14.720 --> 00:15:24.159 I think we can we can have much more uh motivation for the Great Commission when we feel what Jesus felt for it, when we feel his compassion. 00:15:24.639 --> 00:15:36.960 Now, this word compassion here, and then Matthew chapter 9, it means to be moved with emotion, to be moved with so much emotion that you're almost sick to your stomach. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:39.360 That's what the actual the Greek word means there. 00:15:40.080 --> 00:15:44.879 That you actually feel uh what the Lord feels for his people. 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:52.000 It means to be gripped with sympathy, to be gripped with pity, and to be gripped with love. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:54.480 That's what this compassion means. 00:15:54.960 --> 00:16:03.840 And when Jesus looked out, now and this wasn't a one-time thing, this was during Jesus' ministry, when he encountered the multitudes. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.519 This is describing, I think this happened many times. 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:11.120 We see this word compassion many times in the gospel. 00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:13.679 It said Jesus had compassion. 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:19.600 Even when John the Baptist got martyred by Herod, Jesus went to be alone. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:21.519 And it said the multitudes followed him. 00:16:21.759 --> 00:16:24.240 And when he saw them, he was moved with compassion. 00:16:24.399 --> 00:16:25.360 Matthew 14. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:27.519 And it says, and he healed all of their sick. 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:30.159 And then from that, he feeds the five thousand. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:38.000 From that, Jesus encountered the multitudes, and when he encountered him, he felt real emotion for them. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:46.720 And this emotion, again, this compassion drove him to go to all the cities, to all the villages villages. 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:48.240 It drove him to teach. 00:16:48.799 --> 00:16:51.679 It drove him to preach the coming kingdom. 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:57.519 And from this place, he healed every disease and affliction. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:05.279 And then I believe Jesus invites his disciples into the compassion he's feeling. 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:18.799 So how do we, as disciples, how do we, in seeing Jesus, the one who's gripped with emotion over the lost, is gripped with emotion towards those that he wants to reveal the Father to? 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:22.240 How does he invite us into that compassion? 00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:25.599 And I believe we see this in verse 37. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:26.880 It says this. 00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:37.200 Then he said to his disciples, he turns to his disciples after he sees, after he's encountering the people that are harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. 00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:40.559 And he looks at him and he says, The harvest is plentiful. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:45.519 Now, right now in the nations, guys, the harvest is plentiful. 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:50.079 Right now in Colorado Springs, the harvest is plentiful. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:54.880 There are more people who don't know him in our city than do know him. 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:59.039 There are more people in the nations that don't know him than do know him. 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:18.319 We work in the 1040 window, 10 degrees north latitude and 40 degrees north latitude, and it's all over Asia and the Middle East, and in this kind of resistant belt, it's called in the missions movement, or in this 1040 window are found most of the unreached people groups of the earth. 00:18:18.559 --> 00:18:29.599 And just rough numbers tell us there are 3.2 billion people in this 1040 window area of the earth who don't know him. 00:18:30.240 --> 00:18:37.920 About 6,500, some say 6,700 people groups who are unreached and unengaged. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:39.599 They don't even have an opportunity. 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:41.279 You say, Do you know Jesus? 00:18:41.440 --> 00:18:43.039 They say, I've never, who is Jesus? 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:44.880 I've never heard of Jesus. 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:50.559 And when I read this, the harvest is plentiful, I think of those numbers. 00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:55.279 And then Jesus says this, but the laborers are few. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:06.319 And we know in the missions movement right now that there are about 250,000 evangelical missionaries. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:15.440 But only about 3% of those missionaries go to this place where 3.2 billion people live. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:18.079 So the harvest is plentiful. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:25.200 The harvest is plentiful in our nation, in our city, in our region, and in the nations of the earth, and the laborers are few. 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:35.519 So here, you would think Jesus would say your response to this should be you leave right now and you go proclaim. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.599 But Jesus actually doesn't say that. 00:19:38.240 --> 00:19:41.680 He invites us first into the place of prayer. 00:19:41.839 --> 00:19:45.279 He says, This the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:47.759 And here's the wisdom of Jesus. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:55.680 He says, Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:10.960 So the first thing Jesus does to invite us into the Great Commission, to invite us into this place of reaping a harvest in the earth, is to call us to cry out to the Lord of the harvest. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:13.279 And he didn't say pray. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:14.079 He says this. 00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.640 He says, pray earnestly. 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:24.000 It's like uh the picture of the leper that fell at Jesus' feet in Luke 5. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.559 And he said, please heal me. 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:28.000 Please touch me. 00:20:28.240 --> 00:20:30.640 Please, it's that type of prayer. 00:20:30.720 --> 00:20:32.000 It's falling at his feet. 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:35.039 Lord, would you please touch me? 00:20:35.200 --> 00:20:37.039 He said, I am willing for you to be healed. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.160 Be healed. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:42.400 I think of this earnest prayer as the neighbor in Luke 11. 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:46.640 How many of you guys know the parable of the persistent neighbor in Luke 11? 00:20:46.880 --> 00:20:58.319 And Jesus says, when you pray, and he went through the Lord's Prayer, he says, Pray like this, our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:20:58.400 --> 00:20:59.279 We all know it. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:09.279 But then right after that, he says, Pray to God that the glory of God would be revealed in the earth, but do it in a persistent way. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:13.759 Now, I have seven children, and I like to think of that parable. 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:18.960 I like to think of the house being locked, it's midnight. 00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:23.519 In that ancient culture, you know, they would they'd probably sleep in one room or two rooms. 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:31.519 I think I'd like to think of all my kids around me, you know, and then you hear this knock, and you're just like, oh no, no, no, no, please. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:33.200 They all just got down. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:35.839 Like, please, have you experienced that? 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:45.039 You know, like they all just get down and you lay in your bed, and then you hear the cry, and you're like, oh no, no, no, please, please, they all just fell asleep. 00:21:45.519 --> 00:21:54.160 And the neighbor continues to knock, and he continues to beseech his friend for bread for the neighbor that he's entertaining. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:58.000 Jesus says, When you pray, pray like this. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:21:59.519 Pray earnestly, pray. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.759 With persistence. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:06.240 And he says, and cry out to the Lord of the harvest for what? 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:14.400 That laborers would be set apart, that laborers would hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and would respond. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:23.759 One, to loving God with all of their heart, soul, mighty and strength, but two, to going and proclaiming who Jesus is to those who don't know him. 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:27.279 So, what does this setting apart look like? 00:22:27.440 --> 00:22:29.839 We're going to go to our second place in the Word. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.880 Let's go to Acts chapter 13. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:39.119 So Jesus calls us to pray for laborers to be set apart. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:49.440 And then I think we see a pretty profound picture of what it looks like for a labor to be set apart in Acts chapter 13. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:57.839 Of course, this is a the famous passage from the Church of Antioch where Paul and Barnabas get set apart. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:00.960 But I think we have something to learn here. 00:23:01.119 --> 00:23:03.920 We have something the Lord wants to show us here. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:08.720 And I feel like we have an invitation for 2017 for the road. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:13.039 I feel like the Lord wants to call us to this place of earnest prayer. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:15.519 We're about to have this week of impact. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:18.160 Make Jesus great again. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:19.680 I just love saying that phrase. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:23.599 Lord, make Jesus great again in our nation. 00:23:23.759 --> 00:23:25.039 We have this week of impact. 00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:27.920 We have this week of setting ourselves apart. 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:33.440 I'm asking God, Lord, would you give us the gift of earnest prayer? 00:23:33.680 --> 00:23:37.039 And would you open our ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit? 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:54.960 And would you speak to us about how you are setting us apart to labor in Colorado Springs, how you are setting us apart to labor in the nations, how you are setting us apart to labor in our businesses, in our families, in our marriages, so that we can make Jesus known, so we can make him great again. 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.440 So look, let's look at Acts chapter 13. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:02.640 This is our second passage, and then after this we have one more to get through. 00:24:02.880 --> 00:24:03.759 But let's look at this. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:20.640 Acts chapter 13 says, Now they're in the church of Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, who is also called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menane, a lifelong friend of Herod the Tetarch, and Saul. 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:30.319 And while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:35.200 Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off. 00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:36.319 Verse 4. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:43.920 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:54.559 So, Matthew 9, Jesus says, Pray, pray to the Lord of the harvest that labors would be set apart for the work of the harvest in the nations. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:58.720 And then, in Acts 13, we see this community. 00:24:58.799 --> 00:24:59.920 And what are they doing? 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:04.319 First, one, this is an amazing leadership team. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:10.319 But verse 2, it says, They were worshiping the Lord and they were fasting. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:13.119 Now, you don't fast without praying. 00:25:13.279 --> 00:25:15.119 You don't worship the Lord without praying. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:21.920 The other translation here, another translation here, says they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. 00:25:22.160 --> 00:25:39.200 And that word ministering to the Lord is it was the it was the priestly language for what the priests would do in the temple and taking the word of God through the Psalms and ministering it to the Lord and taking music and singing to God like David would sing to God, like Solomon would sing to God. 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:46.000 It's that ministry to the Lord, telling us through his word what he told us to tell him. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:47.440 That's all it is. 00:25:47.680 --> 00:25:54.160 We open up our Bible, we read it, and we talk to God and we minister to him in this way. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:25:58.160 And then they were in a season to where they threw some fasting in there. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:05.279 I would encourage you guys in our week of impact to set aside time to fast. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:06.880 Amen. 00:26:07.279 --> 00:26:13.680 Now, fasting is never the funnest thing to do, but it is required in our spiritual discipline. 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.559 It really is. 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:18.319 Jesus didn't say if you fast, he said when you fast. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:25.519 But he said the Father who is in heaven is going to see you and he's going to reward you openly. 00:26:25.839 --> 00:26:30.960 So, this community, they're worshiping together, they're fasting. 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:34.000 I mean, what a remarkable community. 00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:37.599 And in this context, the Holy Spirit speaks. 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:41.759 And he says, Set apart Paul and Barnabas. 00:26:42.319 --> 00:26:47.200 I like to say this: the Lord knows how to set apart labors. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:27:03.920 It's our duty, it's our responsibility, it's our privilege to worship and fast and minister to him, and it's his privilege to speak to us through his Holy Spirit and set us apart for the work he's called us to. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:12.799 Now, my prayer for 2017, and my prayer even for today, is Holy Spirit, would you do this to us again? 00:27:13.279 --> 00:27:19.200 Would you do this in a fresh way to this congregation, to the people at the road, to myself? 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:24.079 Would you speak to me and set me apart for the work that you're calling me to? 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:28.799 For some of you, he wants to confirm again the work that he's called you to. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:31.920 He wants to encourage you in the work that he's called you to. 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:38.240 For others of you, he has new things in 2017 that you were called to. 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:46.319 I think there's there's some young adults in here who are going to be the beginning process of being called as missionaries. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:52.160 That there's this calling on your life to proclaim the gospel where he is not known. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:55.279 And he's gonna begin to speak to you in this season. 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.519 He's gonna begin to speak to you in worship. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:09.119 There's mothers who who you're gonna be, the voice of the Holy Spirit is gonna invite you back into that place of intimacy with God and raising disciples in your home. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:17.279 But it's in this context of fasting and prayer that the Lord sets apart Paul and Barnabas. 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:18.799 I wrote this in my notes. 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:27.759 As we set ourselves apart in the place of prayer, the Holy Spirit will set us apart for the work he has called us to. 00:28:28.240 --> 00:28:31.680 And then what happens after they get set apart? 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:33.279 Look at this. 00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:36.799 It says, they're fasting and praying. 00:28:37.119 --> 00:28:43.519 It says, they get set apart, the Holy Spirit speaks, set apart from me, Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I've called them. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:45.519 What do they do in verse 3? 00:28:45.759 --> 00:28:49.200 They go back into fasting and praying. 00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:51.920 It's this wonderful cycle. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:58.240 We fast and pray, we're encouraged, we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, and what does it drive us to do? 00:28:58.559 --> 00:29:02.160 To go back into the presence of God and listen to his voice again. 00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:11.519 So they're fasting to pray, and the Holy Spirit speaks, they go back into fasting and praying, and then it says, after they fast and prayed, they sent them off. 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:26.319 And I like this relationship in Acts 13 between the Holy Spirit speaking and church leadership also responding and laying hands and sending them out as well. 00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:35.759 So the word here for uh for the church leadership, sending them off, is a Greek word and it means to loosen or to set free. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:41.519 And it's like we we we just got a dog this season, her name's Sammy. 00:29:41.680 --> 00:29:46.000 I had promised my daughter a dog for four years. 00:29:46.400 --> 00:29:49.519 And then I was like, okay, but when we go to Brazil, we'll get a dog there. 00:29:49.599 --> 00:29:52.079 But then we rented houses that wouldn't allow a dog there. 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:59.279 And then we came back and oh, design, I promise you, right when we get back to Colorado Springs, we'll get a dog. 00:29:59.440 --> 00:30:01.839 We rented two houses that wouldn't allow dogs here. 00:30:02.079 --> 00:30:03.920 So we finally bought a house. 00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:07.519 The first day, the first week of buying this house, guess what? 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:09.359 I took my daughter to do. 00:30:09.839 --> 00:30:11.359 We finally went out and got a dog. 00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:12.799 And so her name's Sammy. 00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:14.799 She's a pill, but we love her. 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:22.960 And uh and I like to think of Sammy like on a leash, but she she wants to run and she wants to be free. 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:32.559 And what this means is the Holy Spirit spoke to Paul and Barnabas, and they were ready to go, and the church blessed it, and they they set them free to run. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:39.039 They set them free to sprint, they set them free to run the race, they sent them off and they gave agreement. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:49.920 So not only does the Holy Spirit need to speak, but we need to agree with what the Lord is doing in the lives of our brothers and sisters in the church. 00:30:50.079 --> 00:30:50.720 Amen. 00:30:50.960 --> 00:30:54.240 When we hear, I'm feeling called to mission. 00:30:54.319 --> 00:30:55.920 I'm feeling called to preach the word. 00:30:56.160 --> 00:31:03.599 I'm feeling called to be a worship leader, I'm feeling called to open up this business and give thousands and thousands of dollars away. 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:06.240 We need to agree with it and say, Amen. 00:31:06.400 --> 00:31:07.440 I bless that. 00:31:07.599 --> 00:31:09.920 That's the Lord's working in your life. 00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:13.680 So, Matthew, I mean, Matthew, yeah, Matthew chapter 9. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:20.960 We're invited into prayer to experience the compassion that Jesus has for his people. 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:32.480 In that place of prayer in Acts 13, the Holy Spirit begins to speak and set us apart for the callings that we have been created for to glorify Jesus in the earth. 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:34.319 And then where's this all going? 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:37.039 We're gonna go to one more passage. 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:40.079 Let's go to Isaiah chapter 42. 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:42.559 Isaiah chapter 42. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:46.880 Now, this is one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. 00:31:47.680 --> 00:31:52.400 How many of you know you can have about a hundred favorite passages in the Word of God? 00:31:52.720 --> 00:31:53.359 Amen. 00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:56.960 This is one of mine, one of my hundred. 00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:05.200 Because I believe it gives us hope, and there's many places in the word where we see the big picture. 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:05.759 Okay? 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:26.720 We're called as a personal disciple of Jesus Christ, but we're in the family of God, and we're in a remarkable story that is culminating in the return of Jesus Christ and the rule and reign of the Father and his son over this earth forever. 00:32:27.200 --> 00:32:29.279 That's the story you've been called into. 00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:31.599 And it's going to go on and on. 00:32:31.759 --> 00:32:40.960 Uh, Isaiah chapter 9, the government has been given to him and it will ever increase, and you get to be a part of that. 00:32:41.200 --> 00:32:54.000 I mean, Isaiah chapter 11, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of wisdom and counsel and might has been given to Jesus so that he can make the wrong things right in the earth. 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:58.880 Did you know there's coming a day when every wrong thing is gonna be made right in the earth? 00:32:59.119 --> 00:33:04.160 And you are gonna have a resurrected body, and you are gonna get to serve the Lord with joy. 00:33:04.240 --> 00:33:08.160 You're gonna actually have a mind that desires God. 00:33:08.799 --> 00:33:13.680 That you don't have to like rein it in, but it'll automatically go, I want to think about God. 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.640 I want to think about his presence, I want to think about his word. 00:33:16.960 --> 00:33:18.880 I mean, that's unimaginable, right? 00:33:19.039 --> 00:33:27.039 You'll have a body that you don't have to buff it into submission, but it will crave serving the Lord. 00:33:27.279 --> 00:33:36.480 How would you like a body that when you set your alarm for 4 30 for your quiet time in the morning, it just wakes up and it's like, oh, this is what I wanted to do all night long. 00:33:36.559 --> 00:33:37.599 Why did we sleep? 00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:38.319 You know? 00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:40.079 How many of you would like that? 00:33:40.240 --> 00:33:49.119 Now we get to experience that now on this side a little bit by the power of the Holy Spirit, but guys, we have been given a living hope. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:52.400 He's gonna give us a resurrected body that will never die. 00:33:52.640 --> 00:33:54.720 We'll never fear death again. 00:33:54.880 --> 00:33:55.920 We will be provided for. 00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:59.200 And this is what Isaiah chapter 42 is speaking of. 00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.000 Alright, so we're gonna we're gonna go through this. 00:34:02.160 --> 00:34:05.359 We're gonna get through 13 verses really fast, okay? 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:06.319 I promise you. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:09.679 We are uh we're gonna sprint through it, alright? 00:34:10.079 --> 00:34:11.519 Let's begin in verse one. 00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:16.880 Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:18.559 Now, this is speaking of Jesus. 00:34:18.800 --> 00:34:23.599 This is one of the servant songs of the book of Isaiah, and there are five of them. 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:27.599 The most famous one is Isaiah 53, the suffering servant. 00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:32.480 But this speaks of the conquering servant. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:41.440 Now, in the book of Isaiah, the front half of the book is describes the king, and the second half of the book, Isaiah 40 on, describes the servant. 00:34:41.599 --> 00:34:41.920 Okay? 00:34:42.320 --> 00:34:46.960 Now, when Jesus came, he revealed the servant first in his earthly ministry. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:48.719 But guess what he's coming back as? 00:34:48.960 --> 00:34:50.880 He's coming back as a king. 00:34:51.440 --> 00:35:01.760 And this passage describes the relationship of the Father and the Son, Jesus being the servant of the Father's will and their interaction between the two of them. 00:35:02.000 --> 00:35:07.679 So it says, Behold, my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom my soul delights. 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:13.840 I have put my spirit upon him, and he will bring forth justice to the nations. 00:35:14.079 --> 00:35:18.480 Another way to say that is he will make every wrong thing right in the nations. 00:35:18.559 --> 00:35:20.320