WEBVTT 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:05.360 In a few weeks, in a few weeks, we're gonna be jumping back into the book of Romans. 00:00:05.519 --> 00:00:25.039 If you're new, if you're joining us online for the first time, uh we we've been going through this letter in the New Testament called Romans for a long while, and it's probably the most comprehensive explanation of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done for us and what that means for us and what our condition apart from Jesus would be, but what living connected to Jesus does for us and how we live that out. 00:00:25.120 --> 00:00:26.800 It's extremely comprehensive. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:31.600 And so we're taking our time with Romans and we'll go through a bunch of it and then we'll take a little break. 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:39.840 But in just a few weeks, we're gonna jump back in and finish up Romans chapter 8, which honestly is probably one of the most climactic sections of Scripture that we have. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:43.920 A lot of people's favorite verses are in Romans chapter 8. 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:45.359 It's awesome. 00:00:45.600 --> 00:00:54.159 And the entire focus of that section is what it really means to be a child of God, to live as a child of God. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:01.359 Romans 8:15 says that we have not received a spirit that makes us fearful slaves. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:06.959 No, instead you received God's spirit when he adopted you as his own children. 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.599 Now we call him Abba Father. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:15.040 And Abba was a very personal word that you would use to talk to your father. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:16.799 It's less formal, more personal. 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:19.920 Now we get to call him Abba Father. 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:22.959 And so we've received God's Spirit. 00:01:23.519 --> 00:01:26.159 We put our faith in Jesus, and he's adopted us as his children. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:28.560 We are now the children of God. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:32.959 Now that's one of those phrases that we throw out a lot pretty casually. 00:01:33.200 --> 00:01:37.439 And, you know, usually when we say, oh, I'm a child of God, it's kind of this feel-good sentiment. 00:01:37.760 --> 00:01:38.799 Like it's encouraging. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:41.519 It's really interesting to think about yourself as a child of God. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:44.719 It means that God loves you and that's great. 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:50.159 But oftentimes it doesn't go further than that for us, at least in the term, at least in the way we think about it. 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.280 You know, I'm a child of God and that makes me feel good and I'm accepted. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.000 And yeah, that's that's true, but there's so much more. 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:04.560 Because if you really are the son or daughter of God, if he has adopted you, if that's not a metaphor, which by the way, the language is not metaphoric. 00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:06.959 It's not saying you're like a child of God. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:11.199 It's not it's not an analogy, it's not someone saying, you know, it's kind of like you're God's kids. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:14.960 No, no, it says that God the Father has adopted you. 00:02:15.599 --> 00:02:17.280 You are now the son or the daughter of God. 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:20.719 And then it goes so far to say that you are a co-heir with Jesus. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:22.479 That's intense. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:27.680 You are co-with Jesus in God the Father's eyes. 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:30.159 So you're not like a child of God. 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:35.039 You are a child of God, and if that is true, that is not just a warm, fuzzy sentiment. 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:36.879 That's just not just something that makes you feel good. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:39.360 That is a life-changing reality. 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:44.879 Because if look, if you're the child of someone important, that changes things. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:50.639 For example, let's say, let's say your dad was the mayor of the city you lived in. 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.960 By the way, anyone grow up as the child of a mayor? 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:53.919 I'm just curious. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:54.719 Anybody? 00:02:54.879 --> 00:02:55.039 No? 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:58.560 Any if you're online and you're the child of the mayor, just hit the like button, we'll find it. 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:04.319 But uh, but like if you were the child of the mayor, mayor, that would open up some opportunities for you locally. 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.080 That would change a few things, right? 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:07.840 But take it a step further. 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.400 Let's say you grew up and your father happened to be the governor of the state that you lived in. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.000 Well, that would change even more. 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:20.000 Let's say your father was the president, that would change a ton. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:22.719 You could get away with just about anything. 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:25.759 That's not a sorry. 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.120 It's not a political ding, but it is true. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:33.360 I mean, it's true. 00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:37.280 Let's let's take it a step further. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:47.680 Let's say you're the child of the God of the entire universe in which you exist. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:51.680 What does that change for you? 00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:53.840 Everything. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:04:13.520 If we actually grab a hold of the fact that we are the sons and the daughters of the living God, and we believe that, and we understand that, and we learn how to live that out, that changes everything. 00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:23.120 It's not just a nice thought, it's not just a warm sentiment intended to make you feel a little bit better when you're going through a rough patch. 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:25.360 No, you are the son or the daughter of God. 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:42.319 If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, that changes everything for your life, and we've got to explore what that really means so we can really grab a hold of it, so we can actually experience the benefits, the blessings, and honestly the challenges that come with being the child of the king. 00:04:42.639 --> 00:04:45.920 So in a couple weeks, we're gonna jump back into Romans 8 and talk about that. 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:57.279 But the reason I'm saying that we're doing that in a couple of weeks because is because first, I thought it would be really helpful for us to get ourselves in the mindset of a child. 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:08.720 Because if we're gonna think about what it means to be a child of God, we actually have to think like a child, which is harder for us than we might admit. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:14.000 Jesus actually said this in Matthew chapter 18. 00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:19.439 There's a situation where some of his disciples come to him and ask, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.279 They were always asking that question. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:24.800 And it's like they always anticipated Jesus to point to one of them and be like, You are. 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:27.040 And they'd be like, See, told you, I knew it was me. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.319 That's never how it goes, though. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.399 It's always a bad question to ask Jesus. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:41.360 And so Jesus called a little child to him, and he put the child among them, and he said, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:47.600 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:53.519 The way things work in Jesus' economy, the kingdom is just his way of life. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:57.279 His way of life on this earth, his kingdom. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:01.120 It's always upside down from the way that the world works. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.079 And so the servants are the greatest. 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:07.040 The humble child is the greatest. 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:10.480 And this is a really powerful teaching if you think about it. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:17.600 It's one of those teachings that if you've grown up in church, it's kind of cliched, like, oh yeah, Jesus wants to approach him like a child, let's have faith, childlike faith, that kind of thing. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:20.079 But but honestly, it's it's super loaded. 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:37.439 And as I was reading and studying and preparing for jumping back into Romans, talking about what it really means to be a child of God, it hit me that you know what, if I can't think like a child, if I can't engage with God like a child, like Jesus said to, then I'll never really be able to grasp what it means to be his kid. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:47.040 And so we're gonna spend a few weeks talking about what it means to approach God like a child so that we can experience what life is like like the child of God. 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:49.759 I'm gonna start with a question. 00:06:50.240 --> 00:06:53.279 So I'm gonna just do some soul searching, really think about this. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:07:00.319 When is the last time that your jaw literally dropped in amazement? 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:11.040 When is the last time you saw something that just blew you away and you couldn't contain yourself and you just went like that? 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:16.160 I've got some friends that uh that we've got this like ongoing text thread. 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:17.120 I love text threads. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:22.079 I don't know if you guys have those where you've got like seven or eight different people that text you and you just kind of keep it going. 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:24.160 Anyone, anyone have those that you enjoy? 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:26.000 Anyone hate those and avoid them at all costs? 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:26.480 Okay. 00:07:26.639 --> 00:07:29.279 Um I quick aside, this was not planned. 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:43.600 I promise I'll bring it back, but a few years ago, I got included accidentally in a text thread from some family in like the Midwest, and I had no idea who any of these people were, but it was Christmas, and I get a text, and there's like 12 people on the text, and it says, Merry Christmas, we miss you guys. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:45.680 Someone had just transposed the wrong number. 00:07:45.839 --> 00:07:51.600 And I'm getting pictures of this family's house, and it's snowing, and and I'm just like, Megan's like, what are you gonna do? 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:54.399 I'm like, I'm gonna ride this out as long as I can. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:08:04.319 So for six months, for six entire months, occasionally I would just throw out like back to that thread, miss you guys, how's it all going? 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:10.240 And they'd respond back, and then eventually I got this one text as I kept who is this? 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:12.800 I don't have this number saved. 00:08:12.959 --> 00:08:14.399 And I was like, the jig is up. 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:20.160 So I just literally texted the family, hey, not to be creepy, but you guys included me in this text thread like six months ago. 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:24.959 It's been wonderful to get to know your family, but uh, I don't know any of you at all. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:26.959 So it was awesome. 00:08:27.519 --> 00:08:30.639 Hey, when life presents you with an opportunity like that, you gotta you gotta take it. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:32.159 Megan was like, I would never do that. 00:08:32.240 --> 00:08:33.120 I'm like, I know. 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:36.080 But and she's probably right, you shouldn't do that, but I did. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:47.440 So I like text threads, and I've got this thread with my friends, and you know, we'll we'll share funny stuff and oftentimes, you know, pray requests, but also when something really good happens, you know, you get on there like, hey guys, this happened. 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:48.080 It's awesome. 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:56.480 And my favorite way to respond to good news in a text thread is I have this go-to gift. 00:08:57.279 --> 00:08:58.159 This go-to. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:00.320 And and I I have it for you guys, I want to show you. 00:09:00.399 --> 00:09:01.360 This is my go-to. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:03.440 Like, I love it. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:04.960 Leave it looping for just a second. 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.120 This is like, so a couple things. 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:09.840 That's uh the character Andy Dwyer from Parks and Rec. 00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:11.440 Anybody a Parks and Rec fan? 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:11.840 Okay. 00:09:12.240 --> 00:09:17.679 Um I used to get compared to Andy Dwyer often, before I'd ever watched the show. 00:09:17.759 --> 00:09:21.919 Uh, and once Chris Pratt lost a lot of weight, became an action star, never got compared to him again. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:27.440 But uh, but basically it's because he's just a giant child, and that's the way I guess people saw me. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:36.000 And so the reason I love this so much, before you guys take it down, is it's so endearing because you don't like it's such a childlike expression. 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.000 That is the way children respond when something amazing happens, but adults don't do that. 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:46.480 And so seeing an adult do that in loop form, especially, it's just it's just awesome. 00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:47.279 It's just awesome. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:48.240 You guys can take that down. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:54.000 That is that is my go-to response anytime someone shares something awesome. 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:59.279 And it's just it's so endearing to see someone drop their jaw in amazement and wonder. 00:09:59.360 --> 00:09:59.919 And you know what? 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:02.879 I have four kids, so I see that expression all the time. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:04.799 And it doesn't even take that much. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:11.039 A couple weeks ago, I took my kids to a park up in Ball ground, and this park has a bunch of ducks and geese, and you can you can feed them. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:13.759 I don't know if you're supposed to, but they're there, so we did. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:24.240 And we brought a bunch of bread, and we're like tearing off pieces of bread and throwing it, and my youngest son Eli, every single time a duck would eat his piece of bread, he would do that exact expression. 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:29.440 And he would just turn and be like it was the most amazing, he's never seen anything like it. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:35.600 You know, a duck ate a piece of bread, and he is just his life is complete, you know, he's never experienced anything greater. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.159 He's that easily amazed. 00:10:39.200 --> 00:10:46.159 You know, if it snows outside, the kids go to the window and it's like snow. 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.919 And I mean, we live in Georgia, they don't see snow that often, but it's it's snowed enough. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.159 It's not like they've never seen it before. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:58.480 But there's something about children, they are so easily left in a state of wonder. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.639 And that's what I want to talk about this morning, is wonder. 00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:23.039 If we're gonna be God's kids, if we're gonna live engaging with God in the way that we're meant to and experience all that goes with that, we have to be people who have the ability to be left in awe, to have a wonder in our hearts for God. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:29.679 We actually have to be people who can have our jaws drop in amazement over who God is and what he does. 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:34.240 Very often, all right, someone started the clap thing, you gotta do it. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:42.080 Two weeks from now, we're gonna have a clap training session, and after the service, we're gonna just work this out. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:45.039 Because we still as a church, we have, if you're new here, we haven't figured out the whole clapping thing. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.919 Sometimes one person claps and then we just no one knows what to do. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:50.879 But uh, it always comes from this side of the room, but it's all good. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:12:03.759 So sometimes I I we we think in terms of of what is more spiritual, and it's easy for us to go, oh, having really deep theological conversations about God, that's a super spiritual thing to do. 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:14.000 But in reality, dropping your jaw and just being amazed and blown away by God is as spiritual of a thing as you can do this side of heaven. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.480 And honestly, it's something you'll do on the other side of heaven. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:23.679 When you when you get a glimpse in scripture into heaven, the angels who who see God all the time, they're not like over it. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.159 They're not like, oh yeah, that's that's God. 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.120 You know, it's not like someone goes and gets this vision of heaven and they're like, this is amazing. 00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:30.480 And the angels are like, I don't know what you're talking about. 00:12:30.559 --> 00:12:32.559 This is this is God, like He's always there. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:35.919 The angels themselves are worshiping God constantly. 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:40.559 They're they're blown away by His presence and they're in His presence all the time. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:55.360 And so sometimes, guys, the the most spiritual thing you can do, the deepest, most powerful spiritual act you can do is just to drop your jaw in wonder when you consider and think and reflect on who God is, what he's capable of, what he's done. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.639 Wonder is it's a spiritual discipline. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:06.399 And it's something that children do so much easier than we do as we get up, as we get older. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:09.039 When's the last time your jaw dropped? 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:10.879 And honestly, think about this. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:21.120 Is there anything, is there anything in life that brings you back to that place where where children just live, where your jaw drops and you just go, wow. 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:23.120 What makes you go wow? 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:24.960 Think about that for a second. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:32.399 I I have a few things that that do actually take me back to that childlike mindset where I'm just blown away and I want to share my amazement with other people around me. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:35.120 One of those things is sleight of hand card tricks. 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:41.679 I don't know why, but I a sleight of hand card trick can just it just I go wow, that's the most amazing thing. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:48.720 And it annoys my wife because I'll go on this YouTube like black hole sometimes where I'll watch one and I'll be like, Megan, watch that. 00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:50.960 And she's not as impressed as I am. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:54.799 Um but I have that same expression, and I'll just watch the next one and the next one. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:56.240 And I I love it. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:03.120 And so it's funny, I actually have a friend, and a lot of you guys know this guy, his name's Arthur, and he is incredible at sleight of hand. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:10.240 And I thought, since we're talking about wonder, since we're trying to be like children, wouldn't it be fun if we actually got to experience that? 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:13.200 If we could like have a moment where we'd drop our jaw and just go wow. 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:20.320 So I called Arthur and I said, Hey, can you come on stage on Sunday morning and just wow people with one sleight of hand card trick? 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:21.600 And he said, sure. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:24.320 And so uh so the pressure's on, okay? 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:26.879 Pressure's on for Arthur, but it's also on for you. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:29.840 Don't be prideful, and if it blows you away, be like, eh, I mean, it seemed better. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:30.879 Don't do that. 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:32.639 Arthur, you want to make your way out? 00:14:32.720 --> 00:14:35.039 You guys give Arthur a round of applause as he comes out. 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:37.120 He's an awesome guy. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:44.000 If you recognize Arthur, it's because he also plays keys in the worship band, so that's great. 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:45.759 And he helps out in our kids' areas a ton. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:47.840 And so with that said, I'm just gonna hand it to you. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:48.399 That's it. 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:49.600 It's it's up to me now. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:51.120 Yeah, you have to blow people away. 00:14:51.279 --> 00:14:52.240 You get one shot. 00:14:52.399 --> 00:14:58.320 So all right, let's do this so we can see it. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:00.159 Let's turn this on right here. 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:03.759 So this is a card trick. 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:11.440 I'm not gonna use a full deck of cards, so I'm just gonna use a uh a small selection of cards that I've collected over the years. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:13.120 And these cards, they're all the same. 00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:15.200 They're the best card, they're the aces. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:19.679 They come from different decks, though all the decks looked alike as well. 00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:26.240 And even though all these cards are the same, each one of them can do something incredibly unique. 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.399 Let me show you what I mean. 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:31.600 We'll take them and we'll um we'll set them out like this. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:40.159 We'll have a face up ace, face down ace, face up ace, face down ace. 00:15:40.480 --> 00:15:48.399 We'll call this the mixed pile of face up and face down, and uh these aces over here, these are all gonna be the face-up aces. 00:15:48.559 --> 00:15:50.320 Alright, now you gotta watch. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:16:00.000 If I take a face down ace and place it on top of these and just give a little shake and a little wave like that, they play follow the leader and they all turn face down. 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:02.159 Just like that. 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:11.519 If I take a face-up ace and place it on top and give another wave and a little snap, they all play follow the leader and turn face up. 00:16:12.480 --> 00:16:13.440 I'll do it again. 00:16:13.519 --> 00:16:16.000 Now you know what to watch for, don't blink. 00:16:16.559 --> 00:16:22.399 Just a little wave, a little shake, a little snap, and all of them turn again face down in front of your eyes. 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:26.720 Now this last one creates a problem for me because it's the last ace here. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:32.799 When I add it to the pile and give a shake, and when all of them turn face up again, I'm a little bit outnumbered. 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:35.759 We have three face up now, just to two face down. 00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:38.399 So we'll recruit somebody here. 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:43.519 Turn them face down, give a little shake, and they all turn face down one more time. 00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:45.679 And now we have an even pile. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:49.279 Here to make another face up, we just give a little snap like this. 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:54.159 And that leaves me with the last two face down aces. 00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:56.240 Now, here's kind of the pretty part. 00:16:56.320 --> 00:17:00.799 I told you that all these aces came from different decks, though they look the same, but these really did. 00:17:00.879 --> 00:17:04.160 You see, this one comes from a purple deck of cards. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:08.960 This one comes from a green deck, and these that's orange and that's black. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.240 And this last ace over here is kind of cool. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:14.319 He really becomes the leader. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:20.880 He leads them all into a perfect hand in a game of cards. 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:23.119 There you go. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:31.119 Well done. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:32.240 Well done. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:33.920 I know you want to touch them. 00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:38.559 I do, I really do like goodness gracious. 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:39.440 I'm just go away. 00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:40.160 Just get out of here. 00:17:40.400 --> 00:17:42.160 Mess like messes with my hand. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:42.880 I love it. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:46.559 All right, does anyone drop their jama and awesome wild and a muscle? 00:17:47.039 --> 00:17:47.599 Well done. 00:17:51.119 --> 00:18:00.319 So Arthur and I will uh we'll grab breakfast together, you know, every so often, and every time we do, I'll go, hey man, do you have a deck of cards on it? 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:02.480 And he always does. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:06.480 And and to this day, he's never done the same trick twice. 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.160 And I'm it's always the same. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:09.839 I just kind of go, like, stop. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:11.039 This is crazy. 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:12.000 Like, how do you do that? 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.880 It just makes my jaw drop, and I'm in awe. 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.440 I'm in I'm feeling that sense of wonder. 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:28.240 A few years ago, Arthur and I were having breakfast together, and the night before I had gone down one of those YouTube black holes watching card tricks, and I saw this one that it blew me away. 00:18:28.400 --> 00:18:29.759 I was like, this is awesome. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.680 And I remember I'm meeting with Arthur tomorrow. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:33.039 I'm gonna show him this. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:34.079 And so I did. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.759 I I sat across from Arthur and I pulled up my phone and I said, Arthur, dude, check this out. 00:18:37.839 --> 00:18:38.799 I saw this last night. 00:18:38.960 --> 00:18:42.559 And he watched it, and his response was, uh. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:46.240 And I was like, What are you kidding me? 00:18:46.319 --> 00:18:47.759 Like, Arthur, like, look at that, watch it again. 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:48.880 You must have missed it because that was amazing. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:49.519 And then it hit me. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:51.440 Oh, wait a minute, he knows what happened. 00:18:51.839 --> 00:18:54.720 Like, he he sees all the things I don't see. 00:18:55.440 --> 00:19:05.359 And so that sense of awe and wonder, I kind of sometimes I feel bad because like Arthur, he doesn't get that same sense of awe and wonder whenever he sees card tricks. 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:10.240 Like for me, it's something that's so out of left field, I don't understand it, it blows me away. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:12.400 But he doesn't have that same experience. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:31.920 And I think the truth is when it comes to God, sometimes the longer we follow God, those of you who've maybe been in church for a long time, same thing can kind of happen to us where we we lose that sense of awe and wonder because, you know, we've we've heard that story, we've we've worshipped him so many times, it can become normal. 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:40.000 And I think what's vital for us as Jesus followers, especially if we're gonna engage God like a child, is to never let God be normal. 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:44.559 I don't mean not not normal in the sense of he's familiar and he's close. 00:19:45.440 --> 00:19:52.240 But it's vital that we we never believe that we've got him figured out. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:59.279 It's vital that we never allow ourselves to think that we've we've seen it all, we've experienced it all, we get it, we get the God stuff. 00:19:59.359 --> 00:20:03.759 In fact, 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 8 puts it really simply. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:05.599 Or sorry, chapter 8, verse 2. 00:20:05.759 --> 00:20:09.200 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn't really know very much. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:10.400 Right? 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:13.359 Anyone who claims to have all the answers doesn't know very much. 00:20:14.960 --> 00:20:25.119 It's very important for us to reflect on all of the unknown, unexplainable, unthinkable, unbelievable aspects of God. 00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:26.799 I'll give you an example. 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:28.480 Psalm chapter 8. 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:33.599 The entire chapter is just a chapter of wonder, being in awe of God. 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:39.839 And it begins by by the psalmist writing, O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth. 00:20:40.079 --> 00:20:42.720 Your glory is higher than the heavens. 00:20:42.960 --> 00:20:47.759 You've taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. 00:20:48.079 --> 00:21:00.799 When I look at the night sky and I see the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you set in place, what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:04.960 Some translations say, When I consider the work of your hands. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:13.039 And in this situation, the writer, he's he's looking up at the heavens, he's looking up at the night sky, and he's taking it all in. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:19.519 And you know, this is thousands of years ago before there was electricity, and and your view of the night sky was not robbed by any of that stuff at all. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:30.240 So he's just seeing it all, and he says, Looking at this, I recognize how big this is, and how small I am. 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:33.519 What are mere humans that you would even think about us? 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:35.039 And you know what's interesting. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:40.000 Typically, the more you learn about something, the less it blows you away. 00:21:41.359 --> 00:21:47.599 But our universe is one of those unique things where the more we learn about it, the more it actually rocks our world. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:52.799 And so years ago, I was a youth pastor, and there's a pastor in Atlanta named Louis Giglio. 00:21:53.039 --> 00:21:56.240 Louis has been an unbelievable pastor for a very long time. 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:59.279 He's written some incredible books, and if you're not familiar with them, check them out. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:03.759 Louis had this talk that he was giving really all across the country. 00:22:04.000 --> 00:22:06.240 And it was called God of Wonders. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:14.079 And I got a DVD copy of it, and it impacted me so much that I used to just have the youth group watch it once a year. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:16.240 Because again, we just need to be blown away by God. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:21.920 And in this, in this, he talked about some of the aspects of our universe that we can't fully comprehend. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:25.680 But if we recognize the fact that our God made that, that's who our God is. 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:26.799 It just fills you with wonder. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.119 There's no other thing to do but to just go, wow. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.000 For example, there's a star in our universe, the biggest star that we've been able to find. 00:22:34.160 --> 00:22:35.680 It's called Canis Majoris. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:37.680 Quick show of hands, how many of you have heard of this before? 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:39.039 You've heard of Canus Majoris. 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:40.079 Okay, not that many. 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:44.480 Guys, it's it's huge on a scale that we can't even comprehend. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:47.839 And this is something that Louis talked about in this message years ago. 00:22:48.160 --> 00:22:53.680 It's so large that you could fit four quadrillion earths inside of it. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:57.680 Now, that's a number that we don't really even understand. 00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.279 Quadrillion. 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:05.839 And to give you perspective, um one million seconds ago would be about 11 days ago. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:11.440 But one quadrillion, one quadrillion seconds ago would be about 32 million years ago. 00:23:11.759 --> 00:23:13.680 That's how much bigger a quadrillion is. 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:16.480 And four quadrillion earths could fit inside this star. 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:26.160 And in this message, Louis said that if you had four quadrillion golf balls, for example, you could cover the state of Texas in golf balls almost two feet deep. 00:23:26.319 --> 00:23:29.200 And that's how many earths fit inside this star. 00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:36.960 And so when when David is writing, when I look up at the heavens and I see all that you've put into place, like he didn't know that. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.640 He didn't know that there was a star out there that could fit four quadrillion earths. 00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:44.640 He actually didn't even know uh really what the earth was and how big the earth was. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:48.559 But but the more we've learned about the universe we're in, the more it actually blows us away. 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:57.440 I feel like if you could go back in time and say, hey David, you know what you wrote in Psalm 8 about looking up at the heavens and being like, wow, you were you were right to a degree that you don't even understand. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:00.000 Like our God made that. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:04.559 I mean, honestly, think about the universe and what it says about our God. 00:24:04.720 --> 00:24:06.240 Think about its size, for example. 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:11.279 How big and how powerful must our God be that He created the universe? 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:19.119 The furthest star that we found from us was just found a couple of years ago, 2018. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:22.880 And they they named it Icarus, which I was surprised that that name was still around. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:24.000 Like they found a lot of stars. 00:24:24.079 --> 00:24:25.759 I feel like that one would have been taken, but whatever. 00:24:25.920 --> 00:24:29.680 It is nine billion light years away. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:36.720 And and if you're familiar with the concept of a light year, because again, we're just looking at Psalm 8, this whole like space and how big God is thing. 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:42.960 Like if you want to know how big what He's created is, a light year is how far a particle of light travels in a year. 00:24:43.200 --> 00:24:45.839 And if you know anything about light, it's it's fast, right? 00:24:46.079 --> 00:24:47.039 Speed of light. 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:51.759 Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. 00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:59.279 So that means if you want to get to that star, you just have to go 186,000 miles per second for nine billion years. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:01.039 And then you're there. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:02.640 You made it. 00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:04.240 Journey done. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:06.240 Stretch your legs. 00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:09.440 Think about this. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:10.640 This is what's so crazy. 00:25:10.799 --> 00:25:17.920 If you really want to get trippy, this is the universe God's made, how big it is, and even for us to understand how small we are and how our brains can't even process it. 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:25.039 Because when you see something in the night sky, like you're actually looking back in time. 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:27.920 For example, the the moon. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:32.480 It takes 1.3 seconds for the light reflected from the moon to reach us. 00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:35.599 So when you look at the moon, you're seeing it 1.3 seconds ago. 00:25:36.480 --> 00:25:45.279 But like that star, if someone could point it out to you, you're not looking at that star now, you're looking at that star nine billion years ago. 00:25:45.599 --> 00:25:48.799 Because it's taken that long for that particle of light to get here. 00:25:49.359 --> 00:25:51.119 So who knows what it looks like now? 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:54.480 That's crazy, right? 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:55.839 Crazy. 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:00.400 And what the psalmist wrote was that we should do this as believers. 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:08.079 We should go outside and we should look up at the sky at night, and we should drop our jaw in wonder and just go, wow. 00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:09.920 Wow. 00:26:11.279 --> 00:26:15.680 My God created this, and it wasn't even hard for him. 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:20.799 My God, the God that I worship, the God that I serve, he made that. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:22.880 He made that. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:28.240 And David was appropriate to write, what are mere mortals that he should even consider us? 00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:36.400 And in context with the universe, in comparison with how big and how grand everything is, how small are we that he should even think about us? 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:37.839 But then he goes on. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:47.680 And he writes, Yet you made them, talking about us, only a little lower than God, were created to be in his image, to reflect him. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:49.599 You crowned them with glory and honor. 00:26:49.759 --> 00:27:00.400 You gave them charge over everything that you made, putting all things under their authority, the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. 00:27:00.559 --> 00:27:04.160 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth. 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:17.119 Yes, we might be small, but our God looks at us, values us, glorifies us, gives us authority, trusts us. 00:27:19.119 --> 00:27:31.200 And to the writer of Psalm 8, look, he's saying, as amazing as that stuff is, the fact that that God that made that loves me, sees me, notices me, that's even more amazing. 00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:34.880 Like that should fill you with awe. 00:27:36.640 --> 00:27:37.519 Should blow you away. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:38.640 Quick show of hands. 00:27:38.799 --> 00:27:44.960 Has anybody ever had a situation where someone important remembered your name and you didn't think they should have? 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:48.720 Like you walked by them and they remembered your name and you were like, how did they remember my name? 00:27:48.880 --> 00:27:50.960 You met them once and you thought they would have right. 00:27:51.200 --> 00:27:53.680 Did that fill you with a little bit of wonder? 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:55.920 Like they remembered my name. 00:27:57.039 --> 00:28:01.440 The God of the universe calls you by name. 00:28:01.839 --> 00:28:09.200 The God of the universe, the same God that set everything in motion, that can create something as big and as vast as the world that we're part of. 00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:17.119 He not only knows your name, scripture says that he knows how many hairs are on your head, he knows everything about you. 00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:21.680 And he loves you intensely. 00:28:22.640 --> 00:28:32.400 Ephesians chapter 1, verse 4 says that even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:33.759 Think about that. 00:28:33.920 --> 00:28:38.400 Before he made everything, before he set the universe in motion, he was already thinking about you. 00:28:39.119 --> 00:28:41.359 He'd already decided to love you. 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:43.920 I actually love the way the message translation puts it. 00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:53.359 Long before he laid earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. 00:28:55.759 --> 00:28:58.480 Now, the appropriate response is to drop your jaw. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:10.319 That God who made everything, that big, powerful God sees me, loves me, and he's been thinking about me since before the earth was created. 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:11.599 Come on. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:18.160 See, that's the crazy thing about our God is he's not just big, but he's personal. 00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:22.240 And usually in life, the bigger something is, the less personal it is, right? 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:26.640 As anything grows and gets larger, we've experienced this as a church. 00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:29.839 The bigger we get as a church, the harder we have to work to be personal. 00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:31.759 It's one of the reasons I love that whole one service thing. 00:29:31.839 --> 00:29:33.200 It makes it easier to be personal. 00:29:33.519 --> 00:29:35.039 It's easier just to hang out. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:36.720