WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:10.400 I was thinking about this thought this week about buying a car, and if you've ever bought a car, new or used, it doesn't matter. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:19.839 One thing you'll appreciate is that the moment you drive that car off of the parking lot of the car dealership, it loses 10% value. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:24.559 They lose appreciation the moment. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:26.160 I mean, it's the same car. 00:00:26.559 --> 00:00:28.719 Same car, same features. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:34.799 The moment you drive that puppy off of the car lot, it loses appreciation by 10%. 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:38.799 And then 20% in the first year. 00:00:39.280 --> 00:00:46.079 It's the worst investment you can ever make in your life, is buying a car. 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:52.320 And I started thinking about how excited that we get when we get a new car. 00:00:52.399 --> 00:00:55.520 Even if it's a used car, it's still new to you. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:01.840 I remember walking through a car dealership buying a used car, and I you know how it is. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:12.799 You get so excited, you picture yourself in the car, you go through 17 hours of paperwork, you finally give you the keys, and you get the keys, and you sit in that car. 00:01:12.959 --> 00:01:15.840 Do you remember the first drive that you had in that car? 00:01:16.159 --> 00:01:18.239 You're driving home for the very first time. 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.640 There's something about that first drive. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.760 You love the car, you're exploring the car. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:24.560 Look at all these buttons. 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:25.680 I didn't know I had all these buttons. 00:01:25.760 --> 00:01:26.319 Look at this button. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:27.200 What's that button do? 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:28.079 What's that button do? 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:29.920 And then you're like, oh my goodness it has a glove. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:30.319 What's that? 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:31.200 That's a glove box? 00:01:31.359 --> 00:01:32.719 What's a glove box? 00:01:33.120 --> 00:01:34.319 And you're calling your friends. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.560 I have a I have a glove box. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:39.200 I need to go get some gloves so I can put them in the glove box. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:40.400 I don't have gloves. 00:01:41.439 --> 00:01:50.079 And you know how you are when your friend the first six months, like you are so militant protecting that vehicle. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:51.599 Your friends try to eat it. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:52.480 No, no, no, bro. 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:54.640 Finish that milkshake before you sit in my car. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:57.120 You're not eating in my car. 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:59.200 You're not how many times do you have to say it? 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:00.640 You're not eating in my car. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:09.599 And then six months in, you have spilled so many French fries and crevices you will never find. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:13.199 You don't like wrappers are everywhere. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:19.280 And I realized your car is not the only thing to lose appreciation. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.680 You lose appreciation for your car too. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:31.039 What was once so fascinating and exciting, you just six months in, you lose appreciation. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:38.479 And I was cleaning out my car this week, and I came across a water bottle that was half full. 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:43.039 So I'm cleaning it out, the bottle's half full, I throw it away without even thinking about it. 00:02:43.199 --> 00:02:48.960 And as soon as I throw this bottle of water away, as soon as I throw it away, I have this thought. 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.120 This thought occurs to me. 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:54.080 And the idea is that it's so interesting. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:03:00.400 The strange thing about human nature is this whatever we have in abundance, we tend to stop appreciating. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.520 I even talked about it in my small group. 00:03:05.840 --> 00:03:09.039 Whatever we have in abundance, we stop appreciating. 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:12.879 If something's new and rare, we treasure it. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:17.919 If something's available everywhere all the time, we treat it like it's nothing. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:19.120 Like it's no big deal. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:29.280 Somebody in my small group said, Yeah, we used to live by Disneyland, and we had a um uh a year pass, and our kids wouldn't go. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:31.120 They were just like, let's go to Disneyland. 00:03:31.360 --> 00:03:32.080 The kids were like, eh. 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:38.080 There are people that fly around the world to come see that mouse. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:42.479 And these kids live ten minutes away and like eh. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:44.319 Why? 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:46.560 It's so available. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:53.439 Whenever something's so available, you stop appreciating it. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:57.840 Think about clean water. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:05.199 I have been to countries where people will walk for miles to get one bucket of water. 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:11.919 In America, we got water just going down the driveway after we wash our car. 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:16.399 We're throwing out bottles of water that we have taken one sip of, and it's not a big deal. 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:16.959 Why? 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:17.839 I'll tell you why. 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:24.639 It's not because water's not valuable, it's because when something's always available, we stop seeing it as valuable. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:27.839 Are you hearing what I'm saying, church? 00:04:28.720 --> 00:04:30.959 Write this down if you're a note-taker. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:34.000 Abundance often creates apathy. 00:04:34.959 --> 00:04:41.199 Abundance often creates apathy, and familiarity can kill honor. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.839 I'm gonna show you this in scripture. 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.079 Go with me to Matthew chapter 13. 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:54.399 Jesus is talking, and he says, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:57.519 Like his own town or his own home. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:04:59.199 Isn't that interesting? 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:02.079 Jesus is the Christ's child. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:05.120 The world would be changed because of him. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:10.480 Yet in his own town of Nazareth, they didn't value him much. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:14.480 And he didn't do many miracles there because they lacked faith. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:16.800 So the people of Nazareth, here they are. 00:05:16.959 --> 00:05:22.639 They had they had so much access to Jesus, they stopped seeing him as who he really was. 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:29.120 So they said, they're looking around, they're like, hey, this this is this is Joseph's boy, right? 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:33.279 Like he's the carpenter. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:36.000 He made my coffee table. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.279 What are we so excited about Jesus for? 00:05:40.079 --> 00:05:45.600 So there's such a familiarity with Jesus, they reduce the Son of God to somebody who's just ordinary. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:49.600 And because of that, the Bible says he didn't do many miracles there. 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:50.079 Why? 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:52.240 Because they didn't have honor, they didn't have faith. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:53.199 Listen to me. 00:05:53.600 --> 00:05:57.920 One of the ways, if you want to stop miracles in your life, stop honoring God. 00:05:58.160 --> 00:06:00.800 You'll see those miracles dry up real quick. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:04.879 God moves through honor, moves through faith. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:10.639 He's a reward of those who diligently seek him, but the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, you can't even please God without faith. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:15.600 So the greatest things in your life, it's weird how they become invisible. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:21.279 Some of the greatest things in your life become invisible because they could they become too familiar. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:22.560 It's just, eh. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:28.160 These people had access to Jesus, but they treated Jesus as if he was just common. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:30.079 Here's the definition, alright? 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:36.000 It's close association with someone or something that leads to comfort, ease, or routine. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:39.360 Let me give you the biblical sense of this. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:45.439 It's becoming so accustomed to something sacred that you begin to treat it like it's just ordinary. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:47.839 This is a familiarity. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.279 It's it's just eh. 00:06:50.319 --> 00:06:53.759 So in the Old Testament, we have Israel. 00:06:54.399 --> 00:06:58.000 They had the presence of God in what's called the Ark of the Covenant. 00:06:58.079 --> 00:07:02.079 This was a big box that God said, My presence is going to dwell here. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:03.839 Jesus had not come yet. 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:06.399 The presence of God was not available yet to everybody. 00:07:06.560 --> 00:07:08.959 So just here, here's my presence. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:15.360 And at first, at first, the presence of God was treated with enormous respect. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:18.160 They revered the presence of God. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:26.399 But the ark of the of the of the presence of God, it was so revered at first, but then eventually they became careless with it. 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:31.120 They had so much access at that moment, like the presence of God is here. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:32.240 Yes, thank you, God. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:42.879 And they worship God, they revere God, but then they got a little lazy, got a little too familiar, and here's what happens: they started thinking like, hey, we're going to battle, let's bring the ark. 00:07:43.040 --> 00:07:46.639 They started treating the ark, the presence of God, like a good luck charm. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.920 If we bring the ark, we're gonna win for sure. 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:51.439 And what happened? 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.720 They treated God's presence like a tool and not a treasure. 00:07:57.279 --> 00:08:02.000 So the Philistine army, this is one of the saddest days in that season. 00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:04.879 The Philistines captured the ark. 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:08.319 They stole the presence of God from Israel. 00:08:08.560 --> 00:08:16.000 And it was so embarrassing, they wept, they cried, they were just so distraught because the presence of God had been taken from them. 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:18.000 Listen to me when I say this, everybody. 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.360 When the holy becomes common, power disappears. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:32.720 You lose something, you lose appreciation for the presence of God, but you also lose power. 00:08:34.720 --> 00:08:41.440 They had access, they had access to the presence of God, but they lost appreciation for him. 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:46.159 Another group of people, two brothers. 00:08:47.120 --> 00:08:50.639 Their names are Nadab and Abihu. 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:52.799 Leviticus chapter 10. 00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:54.720 This is these are Aaron's sons. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:08:58.720 Two boys, Nadab and Abihu. 00:08:59.279 --> 00:09:04.639 The Bible says they offered a strange fire to God. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:06.399 So they're a priest. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:12.879 His dad is a priest, the high priest, so they were a learning priest, hood, and they just became with the presence of God. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:15.600 And they start offering God strange fire. 00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:21.039 In other words, they approach God however they wanted to, and not how God commanded them to. 00:09:24.399 --> 00:09:25.360 And what happened? 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:27.120 Okay, this is Old Testament now. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:28.159 You ready for this? 00:09:28.799 --> 00:09:30.960 The fire of God came and consumed them. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:34.639 Why? 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:38.080 Because they treated the holy like casual. 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:47.279 God said in Leviticus, look, among those who approach me, I will be proved holy. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:51.440 I'll show you how holy I am, he said. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:54.639 He was he's so holy. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:09:59.759 And there had not been Jesus to come between to help us have access. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:04.720 So God's establishing in the Old Testament how holy he really is. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:10.399 He's not to be played with, he's not to be trifled with, he's Almighty God. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:11.360 He's not eh. 00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:15.279 Okay, watch this. 00:10:15.919 --> 00:10:16.720 The presence. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:20.559 The problem wasn't access, the problem was the attitude towards the access. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:22.240 They had access. 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:30.480 They were blessed to be in the priestly family, to have access, some of the very few, to have access to the presence of God. 00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:34.720 The problem was not the access, it was their attitude towards the access. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.120 Think about this. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:38.960 This is a crazy thought. 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:45.360 We have greater access to the presence of God than anybody in the Old Testament. 00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:48.480 This is the shocking truth. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:59.759 We have more access to God and the presence of God than Abraham, Moses, more than any of them ever did because of Jesus Christ. 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:00.720 Look at this. 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:01.919 I'll give you two verses. 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.159 There are many, but let me just give you two. 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:12.559 Since we have been justified, a great word, great way my Bible college professor taught me how to understand what the word justified means. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:17.279 It means after Jesus Christ has paid for our sin, it's justified, never sinned. 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:21.840 After you've been justified, you've been made right with God. 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:27.679 Because of Jesus, by faith, we now have peace with God. 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:28.639 How? 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:32.799 Through our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:40.080 Through him, watch how many times, through him, just because there's a God knew the world would go sideways. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:46.240 God knew there would be a group of people in every generation that tried to say we're good with God without Jesus. 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:49.440 He's reiterating over and over and over. 00:11:49.519 --> 00:11:51.919 And we do not, we are not good, guys. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.159 We're not good without Jesus. 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:56.320 So we have peace with God. 00:11:56.559 --> 00:12:01.519 Through him, our Lord Jesus Christ, through him we have also obtained, what's that word? 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:03.679 Come on, say it like you mean it. 00:12:03.919 --> 00:12:04.799 Access how? 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:07.840 By faith into this grace on which we stand. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:16.879 The only reason that we're able to receive the grace of God, that's God giving you a free gift that you did not deserve, you didn't earn, you can't work for, you can't pay for. 00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:22.559 The only reason you're standing in grace today is because of the precious Son of God. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.519 Through him, we have obtained access. 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:28.559 By faith, we now receive this grace. 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:31.200 Look at Ephesians 3:12. 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:40.240 In him, again, in him, Jesus, we have boldness and access with confidence through through faith in him. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.039 So you do have access to God. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:48.320 And so many people have come to our church from a dead religious system and they're so amazed. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:50.000 Like, I didn't know we can approach God. 00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:52.559 I didn't know that we can have a relationship with God personally. 00:12:52.720 --> 00:12:54.240 I thought it was just some distant God. 00:12:54.399 --> 00:12:59.440 Yeah, that's what He He comes across in the Old Testament, but but Jesus made a way. 00:13:00.159 --> 00:13:02.320 You need to know Jesus made a way. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:08.720 You have access, you have boldness, not arrogance, boldness to come into the presence of God. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:12.159 So through Christ, we have access to God. 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:15.440 Through Christ, we now are filled with the Spirit of God. 00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:19.600 Through Christ, we can approach God at any time, any place. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:27.120 You can be on in traffic on highway four at 5:30 in the evening, and you can go into the presence of God. 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:30.080 But here's the danger. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:31.759 Here's the danger. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.559 What was once rare becomes routine. 00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.120 If you're not careful. 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:46.559 Heard a story about a guy who bought a house by a waterfall. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:49.039 It was a beautiful house, dream house. 00:13:49.600 --> 00:13:51.120 He was so excited. 00:13:51.440 --> 00:13:53.919 He couldn't believe that he got that house. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:01.679 Every morning, he'd go out there with his cup of coffee, look at that waterfall, appreciate the sound, and just would thank God. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:03.919 God, every day is a gift. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:05.279 This is a gift. 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:08.000 Friends would come over and they can't believe he's living there. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.360 He's like, I know, I just can't believe I live here. 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.759 This is my backyard, is this waterfall? 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:16.399 And a few months later, something changed. 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:23.360 That sound that once amazed him just became background noise. 00:14:24.639 --> 00:14:32.000 And that sound that once was so beautiful now started to annoy him to the point where at nighttime he'd say, It's keeping me up at night. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.080 That waterfall. 00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:40.320 Isn't it interesting? 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:47.519 If we're not careful, what once felt like a miracle, it can start to feel like a nuisance. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:51.279 Do you remember? 00:14:51.600 --> 00:15:02.000 For those of you that have been following Jesus for a long time, do you remember how excited and how honored you were that you could just even talk to God? 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.879 How honored you were, how just thank you, Jesus. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:10.399 Every time the church doors were open, you were first here, arms lifted. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.559 Oh Jesus, thank you, thank you, thank you. 00:15:12.639 --> 00:15:14.639 I'm just so excited, thank you, Lord, you're so good. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:28.559 If you're not careful, you can start to lose appreciation and call what's holy just that's just common. 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:31.039 That's amazing how quick that can happen. 00:15:32.879 --> 00:15:34.799 It's amazing how quickly that happens in a marriage. 00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:43.200 You did anything, anything while you were dating, just to be around them. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:47.120 You were paying for meals you could not afford. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.519 Girls, you know it was like you were telling, you were telling your friends about him, girls. 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:58.000 You're like, girl, he is he's just so chill. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:01.039 He's just, he's just so chill. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:02.480 I need that in my life. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.720 I need he's chill. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:09.039 And then a year in you're like, this boy is lazy. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:13.600 It's on my last nerve. 00:16:15.360 --> 00:16:18.080 Guys, you told your friends, bruh. 00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:21.279 She's perfect. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.759 She's so organized. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.639 I need she's so organized. 00:16:27.039 --> 00:16:30.720 You get married a year and you're like, this girl's a controlled freak. 00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:56.559 If we're not careful, we lose appreciation for the presence of God, and things just become routine. 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.799 What once amazed us now just becomes normal. 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:05.039 It's not that big a deal. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:10.000 And what once felt like a gift, now it's just something we expect. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:20.559 And here's the truth the danger is not losing the blessings, the danger comes when we lose our sense of wonder and all about the blessings. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:26.480 Like familiarity can turn miracles into background noise. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:38.160 And you don't even get excited when somebody comes and tells you, My life's been changed by Jesus, my marriage has been saved, and you're just like, eh, that's cool. 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:41.599 We've lost something if we're not careful. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:55.519 And pretty soon prayer becomes routine, and worship becomes routine, and serving becomes routine, and giving becomes routine, and church becomes routine, and what should be sacred just becomes ordinary if we're not careful. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.400 Don't treat miracles like electric electricity. 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:16.720 We go in to our rooms at our houses, and you flip a switch, you flip a switch, and light illuminates an entire room. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.880 When's the last time you turned a switch on and just stood there in amazement? 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.119 Oh my gosh. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:27.599 Oh my gosh. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:40.319 We race in and we just do our thing, we don't even think about it. 00:18:41.680 --> 00:18:54.960 But I promise you, if you would have lived 200 years ago, you'd be standing like appreciating. 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:00.079 Same thing can happen spiritually, everybody. 00:19:01.200 --> 00:19:06.319 You can come to church, you can lift your hands, you can hear preaching, you can hear worship, you can even sense the presence of God. 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:13.359 But if you're not careful, you start to treat the presence of God like spiritual electricity, like it's just expected. 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:26.960 When's the last time we walked in and just paused and just threw up our hands in appreciation for who God is, for the grace that He never had to give us, for the mercy He's bestowed every single morning. 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:31.839 Familiarity, it makes miracles just feel normal, like no big deal. 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:34.400 It makes revival feel like it's no big deal. 00:19:34.559 --> 00:19:39.359 It makes the listen, we're seeing 200 people come to Christ every weekend. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:40.640 That's not normal. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:45.759 But if we're not careful, we'll turn around and just be like, yeah, it's not a big deal. 00:19:49.440 --> 00:20:05.119 I'm just trying to give you this message because the presence of God should never become normal in the sense where we are not over the top appreciative that if it had not been for Jesus, if it had not been for his grace, we too would be consumed by our sin. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:08.480 We too would deserve hell, but it was the grace of God. 00:20:08.640 --> 00:20:13.279 Come on, church, he doesn't owe us access, he doesn't owe us anything. 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:21.359 It is by his amazing grace, his extravagant love, his over-the-world, over-the-top generosity, his kindness. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:29.039 May we never, ever, ever, ever lose appreciation for the presence of God in our lives. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:34.720 Lord help us never to treat your presence like it's just coming. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:41.279 Here are a couple signs I was thinking about. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:47.279 Here maybe some signs that we might sort of to lose our appreciation for God's presence. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:51.359 One, your prayer becomes routine. 00:20:54.000 --> 00:20:58.480 Your Bible reading becomes routine and optional. 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:08.880 Worship just becomes you start judging the music and you start hearing like I didn't I I didn't really like that one. 00:21:09.519 --> 00:21:13.680 I remember roller skating as a kid, it's a big deal. 00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.920 Go to the roller skating rink. 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:22.480 There wasn't much to do, you know. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:30.079 And when when a cool song would come on, we'd be like, oh man, let's go. 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:49.440 And then when a song we didn't like, when a song we didn't like came on, we refused to skate. 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:52.160 Oh man, this song is dumb. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:03.440 We wouldn't Cause we didn't like the song. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:08.720 Here's a sign. 00:22:08.880 --> 00:22:11.119 Here's a sign that you start to lose appreciation. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.599 You stop worshiping when you don't like the song. 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:25.599 And you forget it's not about you, it's about him. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:41.599 So prayer, reading your Bible, church attendance, all this stuff becomes routine and optional. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:43.680 I'm just giving you a few signs. 00:22:43.759 --> 00:22:44.640 Here's another one. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:47.200 You start to become easily offended. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:50.240 Listen to me. 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:56.079 Look, when your heart's full of the presence of God, there's no room to be offended. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:04.799 So if you are easily offended, patience is low. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:09.920 Don't look at somebody. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:19.119 How about this? 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.119 Forgiveness is low. 00:23:24.319 --> 00:23:31.119 Listen, you cannot follow Jesus closely and refuse to forgive people. 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:33.279 You just can't do it. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:38.799 So if you're struggling with forgiveness, you know we got an issue. 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:43.599 Don't mean that you you can't have boundaries for the person. 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:46.000 You can forgive somebody and still have boundaries. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:47.200 That's healthy. 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:50.720 But you got to bring their balance to zero. 00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:53.039 How about this one? 00:23:53.519 --> 00:24:06.480 If you if you, and this is hard because we don't we don't see it in ourselves, if you gossip, you know you've lost appreciation for the presence of God. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:08.319 You've lost the fear of God. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:15.920 If you start talking about badly about a church, the bride of Christ, and it doesn't bother you, you've lost appreciation. 00:24:18.400 --> 00:24:24.880 If you have less time for God now than you used to, you've lost some appreciation. 00:24:26.240 --> 00:24:30.400 Isn't it funny though how sometimes distance can restore value? 00:24:30.640 --> 00:24:42.160 You ever had like, you know, your spouse, your parents, uh, your friend, they go on a trip and they started, they were just starting to get to the point where they were irritating you, then they go on a trip, and three days later you're like, oh, I miss them. 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:53.839 Well, maybe even heavier. 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:01.759 Maybe you've had a loved one that they passed away. 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.359 And suddenly you realize how much they meant to you. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:09.839 That's a tough one. 00:25:12.480 --> 00:25:14.160 Today's my mom's birthday. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:18.720 She left this planet in 2008. 00:25:22.319 --> 00:25:23.839 I've been thinking about her today. 00:25:25.599 --> 00:25:27.039 I love that woman. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:37.759 Good. 00:25:38.319 --> 00:25:39.039 So good. 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:45.920 But now that she's gone, what I wouldn't do but to have one lunch. 00:25:56.720 --> 00:26:03.519 If you're not careful, sometimes we only value something or someone after they're gone. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:08.000 And maybe you don't tell them while they're all alive. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:11.759 My mom taught me so much about God. 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:14.640 She taught me how, oh my gosh. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:18.240 I could preach weeks on just the lessons that my mom taught me. 00:26:18.480 --> 00:26:22.960 But one of the things she taught me was this I learned to host his presence. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:25.279 I was little. 00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:26.960 I said, Mom, what do you mean? 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:32.559 She said, like, if somebody were to come to your house as a guest, you wouldn't ignore them. 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:34.720 You wouldn't just stand there and look at them. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:37.680 You'd host them. 00:26:38.960 --> 00:26:42.960 Go get him something to eat, some water, you serve them, give them attention. 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:48.079 She said, when the presence of God fills a room, host him. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.720 Lift your hands, pray, talk to God, worship. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:58.559 These are lessons that we can all learn. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:03.279 She told me, never forget to sit at his feet. 00:27:03.920 --> 00:27:05.680 She was on her deathbed. 00:27:14.160 --> 00:27:23.119 I have a tape record that she was speaking into the last couple weeks of her life. 00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:30.960 Would you believe it's been 18 years and I haven't been able to play it? 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:41.440 It's sitting on my counter in my bathroom. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:44.799 And I can't, I can't. 00:27:47.759 --> 00:27:49.839 I can't get myself to do it. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.480 I don't know why. 00:27:57.440 --> 00:27:59.440 But I do know what's on there. 00:28:00.720 --> 00:28:05.680 And one of the last things she said was never forget to sit at his feet. 00:28:05.759 --> 00:28:07.680 And I know what she meant by that. 00:28:08.400 --> 00:28:10.160 Because she was a woman of worship. 00:28:10.400 --> 00:28:13.200 Oh, you talk about a woman who loved the Bible. 00:28:13.440 --> 00:28:15.039 You talk about a woman who prayed. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:17.200 You talk about a woman who worshiped. 00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:20.559 I would walk in and she'd be on her knees on her bed. 00:28:20.799 --> 00:28:25.119 I could see her Burgundy Bible, and she's reading and just worshiping. 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:29.599 Tears, but not tears of sadness, just gratefulness, just appreciation. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:32.640 She taught me how to appreciate the presence of God. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:34.799 Never forget to sit at his feet. 00:28:34.960 --> 00:28:40.799 Sean, no matter how busy you get, how big the church gets, never forget to sit at his feet. 00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:43.279 And I tell you the same thing. 00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:45.599 Never forget to host his presence. 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:48.640 Don't lose appreciation for the presence of God. 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:54.720 Don't let this thing, listen, I can't let you, I can't let you get this thing just to be normal. 00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:58.240 I can't, not on my watch, not on my wife's watch. 00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:02.960 We can't allow you to just lose appreciation for the presence of God. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:05.359 I need you to keep this fresh. 00:29:05.519 --> 00:29:10.880 I need you to stay, stay, stay in your word, stay in prayer, stay with the right heart. 00:29:11.519 --> 00:29:14.480 I need, please, I'm begging you. 00:29:15.119 --> 00:29:19.039 Don't lose depreciation for the presence of God. 00:29:24.160 --> 00:29:28.240 Israel, they they cried when the ark got captured. 00:29:28.400 --> 00:29:33.519 Here's what's crazy: they cried when the ark got captured, but they never valued it when they had it. 00:29:35.839 --> 00:29:40.559 The presence of God, it's not a good luck charm, it's it's a privilege, it's an honor. 00:29:40.640 --> 00:29:42.480 It is the greatest gift. 00:29:43.119 --> 00:29:44.720 And we have Moses. 00:29:46.640 --> 00:29:51.519 The Lord replied to me, He says, My presence will go with you, and I'll give you rest. 00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:54.240 And watch, watch what Moses says. 00:29:54.559 --> 00:30:02.640 Moses said to him, If your presence does not go with us, I don't want to go. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:09.519 Please do not send us if your presence is not with us. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.759 Because he knew we can't do this without you, God. 00:30:15.039 --> 00:30:15.839 Like, how? 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:16.960 How would we do it? 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:23.039 How will anyone know that you're pleased with me and that and that we're your people unless you go with us? 00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:25.519 Do we have that type of cry? 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:27.759 Do you have that prayer in the morning time, Lord? 00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:34.319 If you don't go with me on this freeway, if you don't go with me to my job, if you don't go with me to this family meeting, I don't want to go. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:35.680 We can't go. 00:30:37.519 --> 00:30:42.880 That's how dependent we are on your presence for every breath, every word. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:50.720 What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:57.359 The Lord said to Moses, I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name. 00:30:57.519 --> 00:30:58.079 Listen to me. 00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:03.519 The Lord is a He's He's a big God, He's got a lot going on, but He still knows your name. 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:18.319 He knows where you are, He knows what you're facing, He knows the hurt, He knows the pain, He knows the agony, He knows the trauma, He knows the depression, He knows the anxiety, He knows, and He's like, I'm I'm not gonna leave you alone. 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:24.000 Moses understood something. 00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:26.160 Ready for this? 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:33.519 He understood the blessing of God is never greater than the presence of God. 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:37.839 I need you to get this church the blessings of God. 00:31:38.160 --> 00:31:41.680 They're never greater than the presence of God. 00:31:41.920 --> 00:32:05.759 And I can speak from experience, and I know you can too, that no matter the stuff, the blessings, the education, the diploma, the career, the influence, the followers, the opportunity, the open doors, the success means nothing without him. 00:32:06.640 --> 00:32:10.799