WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:08.080 Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast. 00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:16.800 Thank you for joining us to learn more about Celebration Orlando, a church devoted to reaching the lost, equipping the found, and helping the hurting. 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:25.600 Follow us on social media using the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website, celebrationorl.org. 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:29.519 And um, I'm excited. 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.159 I'm excited not only that you're here, but I'm also excited for this series that we're about to get into. 00:00:34.320 --> 00:00:35.600 Thank you so much, madam. 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:44.640 Um, because we're going to be jumping into a series that has been near and dear uh to my heart for the past, I would say greater part of a of a year. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:58.719 Um, typically the way that we kind of get into series, just to kind of give you a little bit of uh insight into the kitchen of how we function here at Celebration, is ordinarily there's a word or an idea that God puts in my heart, and I begin to pray through it. 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:05.359 I share it with our staff, I share it with our elders, I share it with others to kind of get a consensus of what I believe God is speaking to us. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:09.840 And then we look at the time and season in which God is calling us to step into it. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:19.599 And so this theme of free indeed or freedom has been something that's kind of shaped my journey with God from my inception of walking with God over two decades ago. 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:31.760 Um and we've engaged this, it's woven into everything that we share, but but I specifically wanted to share it with us now post-Easter so that we can recognize that that God has more for us. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:38.879 Our our theme passage is found in the Gospel of John, um, chapter 8, verses 31 and 32. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.920 If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to join me there. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:46.480 We're gonna hit a couple of other passages um while we're here today, but but this is our theme. 00:01:46.560 --> 00:01:57.359 This is our anchoring passage that we'll come back to periodically throughout the course of our time together, just as a way of understanding what's framing and shaping up the direction that we're going into. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.879 Looking at John chapter 8, and if you don't have a Bible, it's perfectly fine. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:03.040 It's gonna come up on the Bible in the sky. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:07.040 But this is also an opportunity to invite you to one, download a digital Bible. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:08.560 These are free all over the internet. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:09.840 There are apps for it. 00:02:09.919 --> 00:02:13.520 Um, but also a good paper Bible is something that I continue to read. 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:20.159 If you don't have one, um, we have would love to gift you one at the end of service, so please just go out to our connect tent um and let us know. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:24.479 But starting at John chapter 8, verses 31 and 32, the word of God says this. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:36.800 So Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:42.800 Skipping down a couple of verses at verse number 36, this is still the words of Jesus saying these words. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:48.159 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 00:02:48.400 --> 00:02:58.719 This is Jesus doubling down on the idea of freedom, the concept of freedom, and we're gonna spend the next six weeks, inclusive of this week, unpacking what that means. 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:11.360 Now, the Bible is filled with stories about the journey of freedom and the ways in which God wants us to be free, but I believe that the one that illustrates it the most vividly, in my opinion, um, would be the book of Exodus. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:19.599 Um it literally walks us through the journey of people who are learning to trust God, coming out of bondage, walking through the wilderness, trying to pursue the promises of God. 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:26.240 And I suspect that's a lot of us, things that we're coming out of, things that we're walking through, but also things that God is leading us into. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:36.159 So I believe that the book of Exodus and the Exodus narrative is a beautiful image of what it means to walk in fellowship with God, trusting him every step of the way. 00:03:36.479 --> 00:03:44.479 Several years ago, this is going back before the days we had our YouTube channel, we actually did a pretty exhaustive eight-week series on um the book of Exodus. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:47.520 This is kind of like the underground track of a hip-hop artist that you don't know. 00:03:47.599 --> 00:03:49.039 Like, this is the underground track. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.479 So you can go onto our podcast, you won't find on our YouTube channel. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:57.599 But if you go deep into our podcast archives, you'll see um that we have a series on Exodus. 00:03:57.759 --> 00:04:00.400 So I'm gonna brush through what I did in eight weeks there. 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:03.039 I'm gonna do that in 26 minutes here. 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:10.159 Um, but there's absolutely resources out there that can hopefully help you to get a glimpse of what I believe God's vision is for all of us. 00:04:10.400 --> 00:04:16.560 Our teaching text today is gonna come from the book of Exodus, um, chapter three, um, verses seven through ten. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:23.920 While you're turning there, I want to give you some context that the children of Israel, God's chosen people, um, have been in Egypt for 400 years. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:26.879 And in that 400 years, they have been in bondage. 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:37.199 That means that they were working as slaves to help build up the economy and everything in Egypt, and they were not getting their fair share that reflects their hard work. 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:52.480 There was a man named Pharaoh, the king, this evil tyrant, who was over Egypt and he oppressed people, and he had a very strong world domination worldview where he wanted to minimize everyone else and exalt himself and exalt Egypt above everything else. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:59.360 So the Bible tells us that the children of Israel were trapped in this system for 400 years, but then God got involved. 00:04:59.600 --> 00:05:04.160 Starting at verse number seven of Exodus chapter three, this is what the word of the Lord says. 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:07.360 He's speaking to Moses at this time through the burning bush. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:17.040 Then the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:36.240 I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of the land to a good broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites with mosquito bites. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:41.519 Um, and now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:42.399 Focus, y'all. 00:05:42.480 --> 00:05:44.160 We're in the word we're in the word of God. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.839 I have also seen the oppression in which the Egyptians have oppressed them. 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:57.519 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:04.000 Today I want to talk to us around this idea that is going to be a theme for us over the next couple of weeks. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:09.600 And if you're taking notes, and I hope that you are, I've entitled today's thoughts, The Journey to Freedom. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:12.800 Let's pray and let's let's see what it is that God wants to speak to us today. 00:06:12.879 --> 00:06:15.759 Lord, we thank you so much for your presence. 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:21.519 We thank you for allowing us to come into a space where we can freely worship and declare your name. 00:06:21.680 --> 00:06:27.040 We honor and acknowledge that there are many others who don't have the privilege of being able to even do this. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:31.199 So, Lord, I just pray over the next few moments that I decrease and that you increase. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.240 Holy Spirit, we just got to finish singing about making room. 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:41.680 So, Lord, I pray that all of us can can lock in, that we can minimize the distractions and truly hear what it is that you want to speak to us. 00:06:41.759 --> 00:06:45.759 So, God, I pray for open eyes that we can see you and only you. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:51.920 Lord, I pray for open ears to hear you and only you, and I pray for open hearts to receive everything that you have for us. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:53.600 It's in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:55.839 Amen and amen. 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:04.399 For those who may not be familiar with my my family dynamic, I realize that we have new people that join our community almost weekly. 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:10.160 I want to give you a quick snapshot into who I am, who we are, and our family dynamic. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:18.399 Um, as I mentioned, I'm Keith, my wife Megan, and I, we've been serving as the lead pastors here for for several years, and our family dynamic is we have three wonderful children. 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:19.680 They're all adults. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:23.279 I know when you look at that and look at me, you probably find it very hard to believe. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:28.319 But my oldest is 31, um, my daughter is with us, she's 28, and then our youngest is 21. 00:07:28.399 --> 00:07:33.519 So when you look at me, you're like, man, y'all have a 31-year-old, a 28-year-old, and then also a 21-year-old. 00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:34.560 That seems unrealistic. 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:36.560 When you look at me, look at my clothes, look at me. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:45.199 I mean, and to that I have a very simple answer for those who are curious about how did we produce children and we look this good. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:46.399 Black don't crack. 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.199 So, anyway, it's true, it's true. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:52.399 But but the dynamic of our family is that Keith Jr. 00:07:52.560 --> 00:07:57.680 is three years older than his sister, and then his sister is seven years older than Caleb. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:08.879 So in our family structure, um, we had this unique dynamic of as we were leading Keith out of a season, De Niro was entering into that season, and then when we thought we were really free from that season, Caleb was entering that season. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:10.639 Basically, we were talking about hell. 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:19.439 Um you as soon as you think you get out of the teenage years, another one enters their teenage years, and then when you finally think you're free from it, another one is just starting their teenage years. 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:23.680 So that was our life cycle for the longest time, but it did come with some benefits. 00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:28.720 For Caleb, as he was looking at his older siblings, he would always aspire to be like them. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:35.519 He wanted to do what they did, and and I remember it kind of fleshes out so clearly when he wanted to learn how to ride his bike. 00:08:35.679 --> 00:08:40.480 Now, from a very young age, Caleb had no interest in going through the training wheels process. 00:08:40.639 --> 00:08:47.440 He would watch his siblings as they were riding their bikes, and so he wanted to jump straight from no bike at all to having a bike without training wheels. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:50.639 Like he would cry whenever he was on his training wheels. 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.360 He was like, No, this is for kids, and I'm like, Yeah. 00:08:53.679 --> 00:08:58.240 So he always fought the idea of having training wheels on. 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:08.879 And so the way that we had to kind of like negotiate around it is that we took the training wheels off, and then we would just let him ride down our slanted driveway, and then someone would catch him at the end, and then he would go back and do it over and over again. 00:09:09.039 --> 00:09:10.240 That is how he learned. 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:12.159 And so we kind of got stuck in the cycle. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:17.759 He would be at the top of the of the driveway, he would ride down with his feet out, he would wobble a little bit, and then he would come down. 00:09:17.840 --> 00:09:19.200 And that was a rhythm we were locked in. 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:22.720 And I was like, man, my kid's gonna be 15 years old and not know how to ride a bike. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:24.639 And I'm gonna be the parent of that kid. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:26.639 So I'm trying my best to work through it. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.480 But this one particular day, I'm I'm washing the car, I'm not paying close attention. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.919 His siblings are out there kind of watching him do this down-the-hill thing, and then something on the inside of him rose up. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:41.440 So instead of him stopping where he normally would stop, he turned and just started going down the street. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:42.639 And he started pedaling. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:49.279 And I remember hearing my son and my daughter like, Dad, and I looked and I saw Caleb just going down the street, just going. 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:51.919 And there's a part of me that's like, oh my gosh, she's doing it. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:58.720 But there's another part of me that's like, he has no clue of the rules of the road, he doesn't know where he's supposed to go, what he's supposed to do. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:04.320 And all I remember him yelling out to the top of his lungs is, Dad, look, I'm free. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:08.720 And then he crashed into some mailbox and he fell to the ground. 00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:10.320 He cried, went back in the house. 00:10:10.399 --> 00:10:11.519 My wife scolded all of us. 00:10:11.600 --> 00:10:13.759 It was a beautiful but also terrible thing. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:20.000 But there's something about that moment when he was riding his bike and he said, Dad, look, I'm free. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.960 It was it was so beautiful. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:30.639 It was so pure because I truly think that what's in the heart of all of us is this drive for freedom. 00:10:30.879 --> 00:10:35.200 From a time that a child is crawling, they can't wait until they are able to walk. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:47.039 From walking to now wanting to be able to run, from taking off the training wheels, there's something that's written in our DNA that desires to live a life where we're no longer confined by someone else's ideas. 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:59.919 It's for this very reason that we see that some countries rise up whenever they're under the oppression of a tyrant and they refuse to allow it to become their normal because all of us have inside of us this desire to be free. 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:06.399 Or as I would like to call it, this desire for the openness that Eden was supposed to represent. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:12.559 Because freedom in its most simple form means this: it means the absence of restraints. 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:14.720 Now that's a beautiful definition. 00:11:14.879 --> 00:11:19.679 And for some of us, as I say that definition, you're like, well, Keith, by that definition, I am free. 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:22.799 After all, I live in America. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:27.360 I understand my constitutional rights, I am free. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.840 I'm not in jail, I come and go as I want to, I am free. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:33.679 I live life on my own terms. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:36.639 I am literally living my best life right now. 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:38.399 I am free. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:45.919 And while I hear that, I would tell you that the Bible paints a different picture of what freedom actually means. 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:54.480 You see, the time that Adam and Eve chose independence over intimacy, Scripture says that a fracture ran through creation. 00:11:54.720 --> 00:12:03.600 Genesis chapter 3, verse 17 says that the literal ground became cursed as a result of sin entering our ecosystem. 00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:12.399 Paul tells us in Romans 5.12 that literally that our skin began to decay the moment that sin entered our reality. 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:21.600 Paul even says in Romans chapter 8, verse 22, that all of creation is groaning in response to the brokenness that we have in this world. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:25.919 And this brokenness that we're talking about, it shows up on every headline. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:27.279 It shows up in our feed. 00:12:27.360 --> 00:12:31.759 It shows up on the news when we choose to engage it, and it shows up in forms of wars. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:33.919 It shows up in the form of racism. 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:35.759 It shows up in the form of school shootings. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:39.840 It shows up in the form of someone driving their car into a crowded group of people. 00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:41.279 It shows up in greed. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:42.399 It shows up in poverty. 00:12:42.480 --> 00:12:44.159 It shows up in tegenocide. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:50.080 These are all things that were not a part of God's vision for humanity when He created the Garden of Eden. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:50.960 And guess what? 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:53.200 This is the world that we're born into. 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:56.480 This is the ecosystem that we have inherited. 00:12:56.799 --> 00:13:00.720 I like to think of it the same way that I think of when I cook on my grill in the backyard. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:02.879 I have this smoker that you guys have heard me talk about. 00:13:03.039 --> 00:13:13.840 And the thing that I've learned about cooking on my smoker is that no matter how hard I try to lot, to not let the smoke get attached to my clothes, it still finds a way of getting attached to my clothes. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:18.399 I've done everything I can do when I'm outside trying to cook on my smoker. 00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.399 When I go out there to check on it and the smoke comes out, I'm out there dodging and looking like little Kim. 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:29.440 Like I'm out, I'm doing everything I can to try to keep the smoke from getting on my skin, from getting in my clothes. 00:13:29.679 --> 00:13:34.799 But because I'm around it long enough, whatever you're around is eventually going to get on you. 00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:38.720 So we live in an ecosystem where sin is a reality. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:40.960 The brokenness of the world is our reality. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:50.960 And because we live in this environment, as we inhale the toxic fumes of sin, it begins to find parts of our heart that are unresolved and it gets manifested in our behavior. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:14:02.399 As I take a deep draw of the breath of the world that I currently live in, it's interesting how it's able to find the areas of insecurity that have not been resolved from childhood and it comes out in greed later on. 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:05.200 Because I live in a fallen and broken world. 00:14:05.360 --> 00:14:10.399 A world in which if I take a deep breath, I can begin to examine the insecurity and the rejection. 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:14.080 So now it causes me to be more controlling and it manifests itself in my behavior. 00:14:14.320 --> 00:14:26.080 This is why Paul talks about the war of the flesh and the spirit, because I could be still spirit-filled, but my flesh has a way of expressing itself because I live in a fallen and broken world. 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:32.159 All because of Adam and Eve's choice to choose independence over intimacy. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:36.000 David, the Bible declares him as being a man after God's own heart. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:40.559 And the thing about David is that David fought Goliath on behalf of the people of God. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:42.639 David literally fought lions and bears. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:46.960 David was a man who worked, worshipped melasses and all of these powerful things. 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:52.639 We've seen that he really pursued God, but David was also a man who was filled with sin. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:15:00.240 In fact, scripture tells us about a time where David was on his rooftop, just walking around. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:05.279 And he looks off in the distance and he sees Bathsheba taking a bath. 00:15:05.360 --> 00:15:07.440 It's interesting that her name is actually connected to her sin. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:10.080 He sees Bathsheba on a rooftop, taking a bath. 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:13.919 Bathsheba taking a bath, and he's like, ooh, man. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.240 He sends one of his servants to go and get her. 00:15:16.480 --> 00:15:18.879 Hey man, come on over and come and hang out with the king. 00:15:19.840 --> 00:15:20.720 He sleeps with her. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:21.519 She gets pregnant. 00:15:21.679 --> 00:15:23.279 Yo, we we gotta cover this up. 00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:26.320 Something inside of him intuitively is like, we have to cover this up. 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:33.759 This man after God's own heart, this man who wrote melodies to heaven, but this man still had fallen short of his sin, and now he's trying his best to cover it up. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:37.360 And then she's like, she's like, okay, the husband comes back. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.279 The husband refuses to be intimate with his wife, and so now David's like, we have to cover that up. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.480 So let us kill this man, all to cover my sin. 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:46.399 And then he gets confronted. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:52.639 And the Bible beautifully tells us about David's broken heart in Psalm 51, where he cries out to God. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:00.639 He begins to repent before God because even though he's a man after God's own heart, who knows what it means to be in the presence of God, he's a man who has fallen short. 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:10.000 And he says in Psalm 51, verse number 5, Surely I was brought forth in iniquity, and in my sin my mother conceived me. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:14.720 Born in sin and shaped in iniquity, by sin it means to miss the mark. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:16.080 God's perfect standard. 00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:22.399 There's a bullseye that God has intended for us to live in, and we all are human beings and we fall short of that mark all the time. 00:16:22.480 --> 00:16:23.440 That's called sin. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:25.200 That's a part of our human condition. 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:29.440 But iniquity, that literally means the patterns of sin. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.240 That it literally means the bending towards sin. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:37.200 That there's something about our human nature that intuitively bends towards sin. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:38.559 Think about it this way. 00:16:38.799 --> 00:16:44.399 I know I have successfully, at least I hope, raised three children who are all adults now. 00:16:44.559 --> 00:16:47.200 But I never had to teach them to be selfish. 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:49.440 It was already wired on the inside of them. 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:56.720 I remember looking at my children, and the first word they said to me when I tried to take something from them, not mama, not dada, mine. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:03.039 How is it that the first thing that we know to do is to be about self-preservation? 00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:06.480 Because we're bent in a way that that's all we know. 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:11.680 It's the same way as when you ask a child when a room is filled with broken glass, did you break the glass? 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:12.640 Nope. 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:14.480 You're the only one that was in here. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:23.440 But something intuitively allows us to be able to pull from within our carnal nature and allows us to lie with great confidence because we are built for self-preservation. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.839 But this is not the way that God had intended it. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:39.519 So biblical freedom, according to the way that scripture defines it, is helping us to recognize that it's not that I'm just free to do whatever I want, but I am actually free to worship God without any restraints or any restrictions. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:47.920 And this toxic fume is all around us unless or until something more powerful begins to permeate our environment. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.079 This enters in Jesus. 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:55.759 So the Bible is full of these incredible stories of God leading us to a place of freedom. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:03.359 And what we see in the book of Exodus is this beautiful imagery of God using a man to set his people free. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:13.359 On different occasions, Moses would confront Pharaoh and say, God said, Let his people go, but not let them go just so they can go and do what they want to do. 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:16.240 Not let them go so they can be free from their shame. 00:18:16.400 --> 00:18:22.000 But every time Moses uttered the words, God said, Let his people go, there was something connected to it. 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:25.759 Let my people go so that they can worship me. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:29.599 Let my people go so that they can be fully submitted to me. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:40.079 So freedom is not about doing whatever we want, but freedom is understanding that I'm called to be free from anything that keeps me from living a life that is fully surrendered to God. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:47.200 And it's when we live in that surrendered space that we begin to experience what Jesus talks about in John 10 10. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:55.519 See, John 10 10 says that a thief comes, the tyrant, the pharaoh comes to steal, to kill, and destroy. 00:18:55.839 --> 00:19:00.160 But I have come that you can have life and life to the fullest. 00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:01.519 A life of abundance. 00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:08.240 We see this contrast of the image that Jesus has for us versus what the world has perpetuated in us. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.359 Family and friends, I want you to know that God has more for you. 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:14.400 No matter where you are, there's more that God has for you. 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:24.640 And we serve a God that wants to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, but it requires us to get freed up from the things that are keeping us from fully engaging his presence. 00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:26.079 Can I get a good amen to that? 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:32.960 So I have three simple thoughts that I want to share with us that are going to serve as anchors and themes as we go out throughout the rest of this series. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:35.759 But here's the first one that I want you to write down. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:40.799 In order for us to experience God's best in our life, the first thing we have to do is get free. 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:42.400 Somebody say, get free. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:44.720 We have to get free. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:49.680 Now, now I want to I want to break this down for us in an efficient way as humanly possible. 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:54.400 The Bible tells us that the children of Israel were in bondage for 400 years. 00:19:54.559 --> 00:20:03.359 There were literally generations that were born into it, so they had no context or frame of reference beyond being under the whip of taskmasters. 00:20:03.599 --> 00:20:08.640 But God issues a promise to them in Exodus chapter 6, verse numbers 6 and 7. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:14.559 He says, I will bring you out, I will rescue you, I will redeem you, and I will make you my own people. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:23.039 God is promising that what you are experiencing, I want to bring you out of it, I will rescue you from your fears and your bondage, and I will make you my own people. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:30.720 So God gets involved, and what he does is something so powerful because he issues these incredible judgments on the land of Egypt. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:39.680 Each of those plagues that maybe we've heard about and seen in scripture was God's judgment against false gods and deities that the people in the land were worshiping at that time. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:41.680 He turns the Nile River into red. 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:44.240 He allows darkness to come, he allows locusts to come. 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:48.880 All of these things were meant to show that God is the true God of all. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:56.319 And then there's this beautiful moment where the blood of the Lamb is applied on the doorpost and it brought them to a place of complete freedom. 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:01.839 But what I want you to recognize is this is that God doesn't bargain with bondage, he obliterates it. 00:21:02.400 --> 00:21:05.279 There was no part of him that allowed him to negotiate with it. 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.799 Because hear me, friends, partial freedom is still total bondage. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:15.759 So there's a part of him that says, I need to make sure that you experience this, and we need to eradicate everything that's holding you back. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:21.839 What's important for us to know is that Egypt is more than a location, it's also a mentality. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:28.640 It's the mentality that tells us that it's safer to be in captivity than to trust God with the unknown. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:30.880 It's better to stay where I'm at. 00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:34.160 We've often heard the phrase, let me pick the devil that I know. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:39.039 Let me stay where I am instead of truly pursue something that could be better. 00:21:39.440 --> 00:21:46.400 Let me illustrate it this way imagine for a moment there's a person that you know that's in a toxic relationship. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:51.759 And when I say toxic relationship, I'm talking about a relationship that is literally draining them of life. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:57.039 It's not life giving, it's not a mutual buildup, it's something that's literally draining you. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:58.720 It doesn't build you up at all. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:00.640 And it's hard to get out of it. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:04.319 Now in the beginning, it was very, very beautiful if we think about it. 00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:06.480 Most toxic relations start off that way. 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:10.480 It it gives you the the feeling of the good morning text messages. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.640 The hey girl I made this playlist for you. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:14.000 It's just for me and you. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:16.640 Oh you was thinking about me with this playlist? 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.599 Like I was thinking just about you. 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:22.079 And when you ride and I want you to think about playlists, promises of being together forever. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:25.759 These things begin to create this connection and you're like man like this person is with me. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:28.079 And I know that they call me all the time and they're texting me all the time. 00:22:28.160 --> 00:22:29.920 That's just because they care about me so much. 00:22:30.559 --> 00:22:34.319 But then it begins to shift to oh are you are you going out with your friends again? 00:22:35.279 --> 00:22:38.880 If you if you really love me then you know I would try to spend more time with you. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:41.759 You're going over to your parents' house you know your parents don't really like me. 00:22:41.839 --> 00:22:44.079 I would prefer for you to stay with me. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:51.200 It suddenly begins to shift from a relationship that brings you life to a relationship that begins to hold you hostage. 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:57.920 A relationship that prevents you from being able to express yourself in any environment outside of the relationship. 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:00.480 This is where gaslighting begins to come in. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:18.559 This is where we're getting punished with silent treatments when we don't get our way and now before you know it the relationship that was once sending you these good morning text messages the one that was creating playlists for you is the very same environment that you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around because you don't know if you're gonna hurt their feelings or break their heart or make them upset by you just simply breathing. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:22.160 That is what we call something that is toxic. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:24.720 And then we begin to justify it in our minds. 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:27.440 We begin to find ways to to rationalize it. 00:23:27.599 --> 00:23:33.920 We find ways to compensate for our discomfort well I know it's not I know it's not good but he does bring me Chick-fil-A on Thursdays. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:44.160 We've lowered the bar to that that's how low it is now if any little thing that they do becomes the best thing in the world instead of us saying but maybe God has more for me than this. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:53.920 So what can happen before long, the Egypt in our life it could be a relationship that is bondage that is dressed up like making us feel like we belong. 00:23:54.400 --> 00:23:58.079 But but then there's a moment when you recognize that God's gotta have more for me. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:03.759 There's got to be something better than just this so the courage begins to rise up to to pack up your stuff and move out. 00:24:03.839 --> 00:24:08.559 You begin to create these these new ecosystems that allow you to thrive and you know what happens initially? 00:24:08.880 --> 00:24:09.599 Fear. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:18.319 Similar to the way that the children of Israel when they stepped out of Egypt they were in a controlled environment but they knew when they were going to eat they knew when they had to work they knew when they had to go to sleep. 00:24:18.480 --> 00:24:23.039 But now they had to go out and step God into the great unknown and there was fear. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:30.720 Being free is not easy because the bondage that we're used to has been so systematized that there's comfort in our dysfunction. 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:35.759 But God is leading us to something more that requires us to trust Him. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:45.839 The Bible tells us that after we spend so much time in toxic environments that it literally rewires our brain in such a way that we stay stuck in our fight or flight or freeze mode. 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:48.559 It's impossible to experience peace. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:25:01.920 Every time you get a text message you get a little bit of a reaction your heart flutters a little bit every phone call you're wondering what kind of day is this going to be did they wake up on this side of the bed or on that side of the bed some work environments like these environments that seem to rob us of peace. 00:25:02.079 --> 00:25:13.200 These are modern day pharaohs of our central nervous system and the only way that we can begin to experience peace is if someone guides us to a place and continuously reminds us you're safe. 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:26.880 You're safe now that the things that have controlled you the things that have perpetuated fear in you is no longer part of your reality you're safe and that allows us to move from this place of reaction to calm and peace. 00:25:27.519 --> 00:25:32.880 This is what the blood of Jesus does for us it takes us from the bondage of sin. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:54.240 It takes us from the captivity of Egypt and begins to lead us on a journey where we can truly experience freedom the Bible tells us that if God sets us free then we are truly free that the enemy loses his jurisdiction over our life the cross is our emancipation proclamation the blood still speaks to us as long as we don't cozy up to the comforts that are found in Egypt. 00:25:54.480 --> 00:26:11.920 Shame evaporates and we are able to walk in and clear victory where generational curses lose their dominion over our lives as long as we're willing to not look back this is what it means to get free and it requires us to make our mind up and recognize that maybe God has something better for me. 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:19.759 Here's a second thing I want you to write now now that we know that we need to get free from the things that are holding us back the next thing we need to do is stay free. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:27:11.440 Somebody shout stay free free see for the children of Israel now that they have been set free from the systemic bondage that they've experienced over the past 400 years they now had to begin the journey of getting Egypt out of them because here's the thing even though they were out of Egypt Egypt was still very much in them still embedded into the way that they saw the world it was still embedded into the way that they thought and the way that they functioned so even though they were delivered from Egypt mind you they had been praying generations about this God send us a healer send us a deliverer God sends them a deliverer and in three days they were already complaining three days 400 years of bondage God parted Red Seas God allowed all types of significant world altering miracles on their behalf and three days into the journey they were like man you know what we had a better when we're back in Egypt. 00:27:12.319 --> 00:27:30.480 What is it about the human condition that we can be so impatient with God's provision but we can be patient with dysfunction there's something about us that says like okay I'll wait in the world and suffer my entire life but if I pray about something two times and God doesn't do it I'd rather go back into the world. 00:27:31.359 --> 00:27:36.559 So God led them to this pond of water it was called the waters of Mara. 00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:41.279 And when you read it you see that the Bible says that the water was bitter. 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:50.640 And initially when I began to read and examine it something like why would God take people who were in the desert who were thirsty and lead them to bitter waters. 00:27:50.880 --> 00:27:54.400 The Bible said they drank it and they spit it out because it didn't taste good. 00:27:54.640 --> 00:28:00.880 Now archaeologists were able to go back and examine what exactly does it does it is in the water that makes it bitter. 00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:07.519 And what they found was in that particular pond is that it had high concentrations of magnesium. 00:28:07.839 --> 00:28:11.759 So there was water with high concentration of magnesium. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:30.640 Now what is the purpose of magnesium when it comes to our biology magnesium check this out it cleanses you magnesium is a purifier magnesium is a laxative stay with me. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:47.359 So God led them to water that would cause them to cleanse their palate from the appetite of Egypt and cleanse their system so they no longer had a hunger for the things of the world and they could appreciate the manner that God had for them in the wilderness. 00:28:47.599 --> 00:28:58.880 It's possible that maybe God is leading you to some places that are uncomfortable to the taste but maybe he's getting some of the toxins out of your body that causes us to still crave for the things of the world. 00:28:59.200 --> 00:29:03.920 He will lead us to some uncomfortable spaces but it's meant to bring us to a place of utter deliverance. 00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:25.759 What we see over and over again in scripture is that there are times that we have an appetite for the things of the world and while I'm walking with God I still crave the world and while I'm walking for God I still have a hunger for the world but the Bible shows us that when he brings us to a place of deliverance he's trying to purify us from the cravings of the world because for the children of Israel three days in they were saying we had it so good we were in Egypt. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:29.839 And do you know what their diet consisted of potted meat. 00:29:30.880 --> 00:29:39.839 It didn't even tell you what the meat was just potted meat that was terrible for them but it was predictable for them and they got used to it. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:45.839 And so because the potted meat was something they got used to they couldn't appreciate the manna from heaven. 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:52.400 Imagine that for a moment I would much rather have the food of the world than manna from literal heaven. 00:29:52.720 --> 00:30:02.640 So when we're going through the wilderness season what God is doing is he's beginning to cultivate a discipline inside of us that can purify us from the things that are keeping us from truly honoring God. 00:30:02.799 --> 00:30:07.519 He gave them manna to let them know I need you to trust me and not to be a person who hoards. 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:12.480 He gave them water for a rock to let them know that I will provide from you even in the most difficult situation. 00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:25.359 He gave them a word from Sinai to help them understand that you need to function with boundaries he even told them about the Sabbath so you can learn how to rest and not live according to the Pharaoh's unbusy work system that he's established for him. 00:30:25.519 --> 00:30:40.240 God was bringing them on a journey to bring them to a place of total deliverance because this is what I've learned in my life friends deliverance breaks chains but discipline breaks patterns we can we can always have deliverance services. 00:30:40.480 --> 00:30:50.640 We can come up to the altar we can lay hands and ooh I'm set free but if we don't change our patterns the very thing that we got free from will be waiting for us when we get home. 00:30:51.279 --> 00:31:03.839 So getting free requires us to stay free because freedom is great to celebrate but it's very hard to cultivate unless we establish new rhythms that reflect that that changes our reflexes. 00:31:04.160 --> 00:31:14.240 This is why Paul tells us to renew our minds Paul tells us that as we renew our minds it creates no new neural pathways that allows us to create fresh rhythms for us. 00:31:14.400 --> 00:31:23.839 So stand firm knowing that the God who sets you free from Egypt is the one who's leading you to a place of freedom in the wilderness but we got to be dedicated to stay free. 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:28.160 The chains have been broken but the discipline will break the patterns. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:35.839 So every time I wake up in the morning at six o'clock it may seem boring and mundane but me continuously doing that is carving new thought patterns in my life. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:42.559 I know that sometimes coming to church seems unnecessary and insignificant but establishes new rhythms of me coming and being a part of community. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:48.559 I know that me lifting my hands in worship doesn't mean that I'm going to always have the chills but it is a pattern of me surrendering my life to God. 00:31:48.720 --> 00:31:54.000 What God is doing is he is establishing a discipline inside of us that allows us to stay free. 00:31:54.960 --> 00:32:05.279 And then my third and final thought I want to share with us is now that we understand that we need to get free and we understand that God is ultimately calling us to stay free. 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:09.920 The third and final thing I want to share with us is now he's calling us to set others free. 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:15.039 The Bible tells us about Moses and the interesting thing about Moses is that Moses has a backstory. 00:32:15.359 --> 00:32:27.279 See Moses was born in Egypt and at a time when he should have been killed because he was a Hebrew boy but the Bible tells us that his life was preserved he ended up being raised in the very home of a Pharaoh that came before him. 00:32:27.440 --> 00:33:21.839 But there was still something inside of him that had this justice this social justice on the inside of him so as a grown man he was witnessing as an Egyptian was persecuting one of his Jewish brothers and sisters and so he got active he got involved he laid hands and there was no prayer some of y'all catch that later he killed a man okay okay stick with me he killed a man and after he killed this man he he ran off into the wilderness because he was afraid that there were going to be significant consequences which there absolutely would have been so now that he's in the wilderness he he ends up finding a place of refuge and then he ends up getting connected to uh a man who has um his own shepherd his own sheep he becomes a shepherd of those sheep he ends up getting married while he's there and then he spends 40 years in this wilderness location that God comes and visits him at a burning bush and tells him to go back to the very environment he was running from to lead people out of bondage. 00:33:22.079 --> 00:33:32.240 But the fascinating thing is the very environment that Moses had retreated to and spent 40 years in is the very environment that he ended up leading the children of Israel to. 00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:41.759 That means that Moses's fear his dysfunction all served as the training ground for him to lead people to a place of freedom. 00:33:42.079 --> 00:33:58.480 God used his brokenness God used his seasons that seemed like there was nothing going on but it was actually teaching him how to identify water how to look in directions how to recognize where the next mountain was God was using him the entire time and preparing him for his ultimate purpose. 00:33:58.720 --> 00:34:00.079 But it doesn't stop there. 00:34:00.319 --> 00:34:05.279 He taught Joshua how to lead and then ultimately they end up in the promised land. 00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:16.239 And when the children of Israel are in the promised land because they themselves knew what it felt like to be foreigners God gave them a mandate on how they're supposed to treat foreigners when they come into their land. 00:34:16.400 --> 00:34:22.000 It's just fascinating that God built this into the ecosystem of what it means to be a kingdom citizen. 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:25.679 Because God's standard was you know what it was like when you were in Egypt. 00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:27.679 You know what it was like when you were in bondage. 00:34:27.760 --> 00:34:35.920 So here's what I want from you I want to make sure that you are incredibly kind and generous to the foreigner because you yourself were once a foreigner in your sins. 00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:44.159 So he created a system called gleaning that means that when your harvest comes in I need you to leave something there for the foreigners because they're gonna have they're gonna have needs. 00:34:44.480 --> 00:34:58.800 He said create cities of refuge literally in your community create free and open spaces so that as people are trying to seek asylum from the suffering of other tyrants that this could be a safe place for them to come to to experience the wholeness that is available to the kingdom. 00:34:58.960 --> 00:35:05.679 And then he had established the Jubilee jubilee was this idea that God never wanted his people to be encumbered with debt. 00:35:05.760 --> 00:35:13.039 So he created an ecosystem that said when it's time for the Jubilee I want all debts erased and everybody have their land restored to them. 00:35:13.280 --> 00:35:15.599 This is the economy of the kingdom. 00:35:16.000 --> 00:35:32.079 So when I find Christians who have issue with biblical ideas we understand that we have been suppressed into an environment of tyranny because that is God's idea that those who are blessed become a blessing for others and we don't perpetuate pain on other people because we've experienced it. 00:35:32.480 --> 00:35:36.639 That's like me saying to my kids hey I didn't have this when I was growing up so you're not gonna have it. 00:35:36.719 --> 00:35:37.760 You know what they call that? 00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.800 Abuse. 00:35:39.039 --> 00:35:51.440 And it's unbiblical I was watching recently a documentary of a person who loves to go on hikes and he would talk about how he loved to go and tread terrain that other people hadn't been on. 00:35:51.599 --> 00:36:00.800 And as he would plow the ground he would put notes up and even start a website and an app so that when other hikers would go after him they would know what to watch out for. 00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:12.400 They would know what to avoid what places to go to where to find refuge because he understood I suffered through this I have scars from this and I don't want anyone else to go through this. 00:36:12.639 --> 00:36:14.800 That is what it means to be a kingdom citizen. 00:36:15.039 --> 00:36:21.519 It's to recognize that I've gone through some things and my goal and my purpose in life is to help you to avoid some of the things that I went through. 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:32.320 Now some things you're gonna walk through on your own and you're gonna figure it out but as a kingdom citizen my responsibility is to use the things that God has brought me deliverance through to hopefully bring deliverance to you. 00:36:32.800 --> 00:36:36.079 This is what God has commissioned us to do. 00:36:36.559 --> 00:37:17.519 This is what our calling is the church Canaan is not supposed to be a call to sack of blessing for an exclusive few but it's supposed to be a launch pad of liberation for all when Moses goes and confronts Pharaoh on three different occasions Pharaoh shot back with some unique compromises Moses goes to him and says God says set my people free and and Pharaoh's response to that was yeah you can go but you're not allowed to leave Egypt Moses says God says set my people free and Pharaoh shoots back and says well you can go but but you can't go that far I need to still be able to see you. 00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:34.320 Moses said God says set my people free and he says well only the men can go but the women the children and the resources have to stay in Egypt friends the greatest challenge to us experiencing freedom is compromise. 00:37:34.880 --> 00:37:39.119 Because if we think about it that seemed like a fascinating idea that sounds like a good bargain. 00:37:39.280 --> 00:37:43.679 Yeah you can go but just don't go that far you can go but but but make sure I can still see you. 00:37:43.760 --> 00:38:03.679 You can go but but make sure your children your family your resources stay in Egypt and I believe that the Pharaoh there is meant to be a bigger illustration of demonic activity now that I want to make sure that you hear me the devil is not concerned about you coming to church on Sundays he's concerned about you being the church on Monday. 00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:21.519 So let me break it down in a better way here's what the enemy is saying to all of us you can attend church but keep that secret habit hidden and continue to worship in the land yeah you can you can go and join a small group but don't you go to therapy and deal with your childhood trauma. 00:38:21.679 --> 00:38:40.320 I don't want you to go that far because if you go that far you'll actually end up being really healed or or you can take your Sunday self to Jesus but leave your money leave your calendar and leave your marriage in Egypt in other words don't bring God into your family don't bring God into your resources separate them all. 00:38:40.559 --> 00:38:46.079 And what that does is that creates partial freedom and partial freedom is still total bondage. 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:48.880 Partial freedom is polite captivity. 00:38:49.119 --> 00:38:54.400 But God's vision for us is to be free so that we can worship him with freedom. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:39:00.960 He wants us to get free he wants us to stay free and he's ultimately calling us to set other people free. 00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:07.039 Moses' response was not a single thing will be left in Egypt because God wants us totally free. 00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:38.639 I suspect for some of us we all have things in our lives that are Egypt the areas of our lives that we need to get free from free from our anger free from our unresolved trauma that we have things that are in the wilderness where we're we're walking it out but we just need better discipline so that we can actually get the breakthrough and and the traction that we know that God has for us but there's other areas of our life where we're actually thriving and now maybe God is calling you to use that area of your life to be a blessing to someone else every one of us in here has a next step. 00:39:38.800 --> 00:39:47.440 With every head bowed and every eye closed I want to just lead us to a moment of reflection and then we're gonna go into a time of response and worship but what is your Egypt? 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:51.599 What are the things that are going on in your life that are hidden? 00:39:51.840 --> 00:40:09.440 The things that you're not able to freely worship God in what are the things you're currently walking through the areas where God is cultivating deeper discipline because while the chains may be broken the patterns still remain and you find yourself going around this mountain over and over again and maybe God wants to do something new in you. 00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:18.159 But maybe there's an area of your life that God has given you victory and you've been sitting on your deliverance but God is saying it's an opportunity for you to activate it. 00:40:18.400 --> 00:40:25.840 Being a group leader or serving or doing something even out in the community but we all have something that God I believe is ultimately calling us to do. 00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:39.679 While you're reflecting I'm gonna ask you to stand on your feet and we're gonna go into a time of worship and as God has been speaking to you and stirring your heart let us worship with our hands lifted high fully expecting the Spirit of God to animate our next steps whatever that may be. 00:40:39.840 --> 00:41:39.039 But with our hands lifted up I want to pray this over us Lord I thank you I thank you that freedom is a journey it's not a box that we check but it's a part of a journey that we're on and my prayer is God that we can pray that we're locked that we take it we can discipline so that we can stay free and I'll pray that we can be a button and I'll be active and us to learn more about Celebration Orlando a church devoted to reaching the lost equipping the found and helping the hurting follow us on social media using the handle at CelebrationORL or visit our website celebrationorl dot org