WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.600 Thank you that you are alive. 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:04.639 We don't come together to worship the memory of you. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:11.039 We come to worship and to experience the person that you are because you are alive and you speak to us. 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:15.439 So right now we ask that you would speak to our hearts and we ask all this in your name Jesus. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:16.320 Amen. 00:00:17.280 --> 00:00:19.760 Well, we are right in the middle of a series called By Faith. 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:24.640 We're gonna take a break for Ken in the marriage series, and then for Easter, we'll come back and finish it up. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:28.399 But we're looking at how we as people can be people that live by faith. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:32.640 2 Corinthians 5.7 says we live by faith and not by sight. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.000 I have spent much of my life living by sight. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:39.200 And when I live by sight, I can see things for how they are. 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:46.159 I can see the problems, I can see the obstacles, but I have a really hard time for seeing things the way they could be. 00:00:46.399 --> 00:01:00.320 I have a really difficult time seeing the potential in people, in myself, in my career, my marriage, you name it, it's hard to see things for what they could be if we merely live by sight. 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.400 But when we live by faith, we see this world the way God sees it. 00:01:04.640 --> 00:01:10.319 And God often sees a greatness in us, and in this world that we have a really hard time seeing ourselves. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:15.120 We want to see the world through God's eyes, and we we do that when we live by faith. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:21.359 We're full of more hope, more joy, more peace, and more life when we live by faith. 00:01:21.760 --> 00:01:23.519 But faith is not easy. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:26.959 Faith does not always come naturally for us. 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:34.480 And so we're looking at Hebrews chapter 11, this chapter in the Bible where we see story after story of people who have lived by faith. 00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:36.239 And we can learn from these people. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:41.920 We can look at their lives and uh and apply what they did to live by faith to our lives. 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:48.480 This week we're gonna look at a very mysterious person in Scripture, someone who just sort of shows up and then they're gone. 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:56.799 There's not a lot discussed about them in the word, but we're gonna explore what there is because it's really interesting, it's really important. 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:02.480 But before we get to that, I want to know, just to be interactive with you this morning, does anyone enjoy taking walks? 00:02:02.560 --> 00:02:04.400 Or are anyone anyone a walk taker? 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:06.959 You're like, yeah, if I've got some spare time, I'm gonna take a walk. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.520 There were more walk takers in the 9 o'clock, so this is okay. 00:02:09.680 --> 00:02:11.919 Um I'm kind of with you. 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:14.080 I I don't love taking walks. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:16.879 My parents, my parents adore taking walks. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:18.240 It's a really good thing to do. 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:24.560 I had walk taking kind of ruined for me years ago, and it's all because of this golf course. 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:25.520 And I'll explain this. 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.080 When I was in high school, we moved to Ackworth. 00:02:28.159 --> 00:02:33.840 We moved to Ackworth from Tennessee, we moved to Tennessee from Wisconsin, we moved to Wisconsin from Missouri, we moved a lot. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:38.479 And we moved to Ackworth, and my dad was so excited because we lived on a golf course. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:40.800 And my parents had come from really humble beginnings. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:43.360 We lived in a double wide when I was a kid, and we loved it. 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:52.639 And so for my dad to go from that to a golf course was a big deal, and he loved golf so much, he was an enthusiast, and we lived right off the tea box of the tenthole. 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:57.360 Early in the mornings, my parents would get up and they would walk the golf course before it opened. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:00.639 And looking back, I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to do that. 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:04.080 I don't know many golf courses that are like, hey, just come and walk on our grass. 00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:05.360 We really like it to be worn. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:06.960 You know, we want you to walk on our grass. 00:03:07.120 --> 00:03:09.120 But my parents did that, they'd take the dog. 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:16.400 They'd take me sometimes, we'd go walk, it'd be relaxing. 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.680 We'd go at night whenever it was dusk and people weren't playing anymore. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.599 We walk a few holes. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:26.719 And it was really enjoyable, it was really relaxing, but then one day everything changed. 00:03:27.039 --> 00:03:30.719 Because we're walking, and my dad spots a golf ball. 00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:38.319 And so he walks up to it and he bends down and he picks it up and he he holds it up and he looks at my mom and I and he goes, guys, look, it's a titleess golf ball. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:43.039 My mom and I, not that into golf, go, great. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:45.919 I don't know how to respond to that, dad. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:47.439 And he's like, No, no, no, you don't understand. 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:49.919 This is a really expensive golf ball. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:55.120 And see, from that moment on, walking the golf course was not about relaxing time with family. 00:03:55.360 --> 00:03:59.039 For my father, it became a hunt to find golf balls. 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:01.599 And my dad is a very obsessive human being. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:03.680 He's he's borderline OCD sometimes. 00:04:03.840 --> 00:04:05.280 And so he became obsessed with this. 00:04:05.360 --> 00:04:11.360 One day, my mom and I were on the back deck and we're looking out, and we see my dad, who we we know had had gone for a walk that morning. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:15.919 He's coming back, and he's a long way off, probably a hundred yards or so. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.480 We can tell it's him, but he's walking really strangely. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:22.480 It kind of looked like the stay puffed marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:24.879 If you've ever seen that movie, he's just sort of like lumbering like this. 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.040 And we're like, what is wrong with dad? 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:29.680 And then he gets closer and we we can see what's going on. 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:33.040 He's wearing these sweatpants and a sweatshirt that he's got tucked into the sweatpants. 00:04:33.199 --> 00:04:44.240 And he had like wandered off into the woods on the golf course and he found so many golf balls that he had stuffed his pants and his shirt and even his sleeves, and he's like walking like this so that they don't fall out. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.480 And he arrives and he's so excited, his face is lit up, and he's like, Look at all the golf balls I found today. 00:04:50.639 --> 00:04:57.360 And you know when you have kids and they do something and it's just it's kind of strange, but you feel like you have to praise it because you want them to be encouraged. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:01.040 So you just sort of go like, Good job, way to go. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:02.240 That's kind of how we were. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:04.480 We're like, Yeah, dad, this is weird. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:05.519 This is really weird. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.199 All the neighbors can see you. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:10.160 You realize this is not normal. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:13.759 But my dad was obsessed with it. 00:05:13.920 --> 00:05:18.560 And I'm not exaggerating, he found thousands of golf balls and he began to organize them in our basement. 00:05:18.720 --> 00:05:21.600 He would wash them all off, and he organized them by brand. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:29.120 And so we had a bin of titleist golf balls, we had a bin of Nikes, the really expensive ones, and then we had the off-brand golf balls that he didn't care so much about. 00:05:29.199 --> 00:05:32.800 And occasionally I would want to go out and hit a few balls and play. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:38.079 And so I'd say, Dad, I'm going to play golf, and he'd say, Okay, don't take the titleists. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:40.480 And I would be like, Why? 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:43.519 And he would say, Do you know how expensive those are, son? 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:48.720 You found them! You found them, they're free, they didn't cost anything. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:54.879 But but it wouldn't convince him, and he'd yell at, No, I don't want you to lose them, and I'd be like, You'll find them if I do. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:00.079 In fact, you get more excited when you find the expensive ones anyway. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:05.600 So if I take those and lose them, I'm just adding to your joy when you find them in a few hours. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:07.759 But there was no convincing him. 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.399 So I stopped going on those walks because they got weird. 00:06:10.480 --> 00:06:12.800 He started taking a bucket and he had this pole. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:14.240 It was strange. 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:15.600 It was strange. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:22.000 That same golf course is where I would go on walks with Megan when we first started dating. 00:06:22.240 --> 00:06:35.600 And so for a while I thought, well, that that redeems that experience because yeah, it was weird with the golf ball thing, but but in our early days of dating, Megan and I would walk those those same holes on the golf course when she would come over and we just want some time to go talk. 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:42.480 And then one day, three or four years into our marriage, somehow I'm thinking about those walks, and I said, Hey, Megan, you remember when we would take those walks? 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:47.120 And Megan just goes, Oh yeah, I almost broke up with you on one of those walks. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:55.040 And and hold on, we've been married for like three or four years, and I had no idea that this had ever even been a thought in her mind, okay? 00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:57.920 Because I promised you it wasn't a thought in mine, and I'm like, What do you mean? 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:02.319 She's like, Yeah, I was gonna break up with you, and then I just couldn't, like out of pity or something. 00:07:02.399 --> 00:07:03.600 I don't know what it was. 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:09.839 But oh, just to know that, to know that on the back end, that's really hard. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.600 And so when I think of taking walks, those are the things that come to my mind. 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:21.839 My my crazy dad looking for golf balls with his bucket and his sweatpants full of golf balls, and Megan going, should I break his heart? 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:22.800 Should I crush him? 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:25.040 Should I now I'll see how things go. 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:26.879 That's what taking walks means for me. 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:29.519 So I don't take a lot of walks anymore. 00:07:30.319 --> 00:07:37.439 But it's interesting because that word walk has become pretty synonymous with our relationship with God, at least in our culture. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:43.920 And I grew up in church, so there's a lot of phrases and words that you only use in church that I learned. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.040 We try really hard not to speak what we call Christianese here at His Hands. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.199 We don't think you should have to learn a new language when you come here. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:53.360 So, like we call this room the big room, not the sanctuary, because it's it's a big room. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:07:55.920 It makes a lot of sense when we say that's in the big room. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.279 People know what we're talking about. 00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:03.759 But there are still a few phrases or a few words that have slipped through the cracks that I still use, and one of those is the phrase walk. 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:07.519 So I might ask a friend of mine, hey, how's your how's your walk with God? 00:08:07.920 --> 00:08:08.959 How's your walk going? 00:08:09.040 --> 00:08:09.759 And they know what I mean. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:11.759 I'm asking them, how are you and God doing? 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.480 How is your relationship with God? 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:20.000 It's just become a phrase synonymous with how we're doing with God. 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:21.680 And I don't know where that phrase came from. 00:08:21.839 --> 00:08:24.399 If I had to guess, I'd say Genesis chapter 5. 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:31.600 If you've never read Genesis chapter 5, it's one of these really, really exciting chapters in the Bible that's a genealogy from start to finish. 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:41.120 I don't know if you've ever been someone that said, I'm gonna start reading the Bible, I'm just gonna dig in, and you, you're pumped, you you're really excited, then you get to one of those chapters and you're like, Why is this in here? 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:42.639 What is the purpose of this? 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:44.399 It actually is really purposeful, though. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:46.639 Because it allows us to fact check the Bible. 00:08:46.720 --> 00:08:56.159 There have actually been other historical documents where they have found the same people, but from a different source, and it lets us know that the Bible's really accurate, which is great, but it's not a lot of fun to read. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:03.759 And if you're like me, you get to those chapters if you're reading and you just sort of glance at it, you kind of skim it, you go, yeah, a bunch of people lived lives, had kids, I get it. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:06.720 Maybe even just go ahead and skip to the next page. 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:14.639 And if you did that in Genesis chapter 5, I don't blame you, but you would miss a really interesting person and a really interesting moment. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:23.600 Genesis 5 begins in verse 3 by saying, When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness according to his image, and he named him Seth. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:27.679 The length of time Adam lived after he became the father of Seth was 800 years. 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:33.200 During this time he had other sons and daughters, the entire lifetime of Adam was 930 years, and then he died. 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:36.159 Now, if you're here and you're going, wait, hold on. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.279 930 years. 00:09:39.679 --> 00:09:44.480 How on earth am I supposed to believe that people lived that long, that long ago? 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:48.960 I mean, we have better medical knowledge and technology today than ever, and we're lucky to live 100 years. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:50.240 Like, what is going on here? 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:54.080 We could talk about this for hours, and it would be a really interesting conversation. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:09:59.600 I don't know how much it would help us tomorrow in our lives, but it would be really interesting. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:10.399 So, what I'll say is if you're someone really fascinated by that or you have questions about that, on Tuesday we'll post something on our Facebook page that'll kind of explain some really cool theories and ideas about that, really interesting stuff. 00:10:10.559 --> 00:10:13.200 If that's your thing, check our Facebook page on Tuesday. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:14.559 But let's continue on. 00:10:14.799 --> 00:10:19.120 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:24.159 Seth lived 807 years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.919 The entire lifetime of Seth was 912 years, and then he died. 00:10:28.080 --> 00:10:31.200 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:36.720 Enosh lived 815 years after he became the father of Cenan, and he had other sons and daughters. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:40.799 The entire lifetime of Enosh was 905 years, and then he died. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:42.159 And it goes on and on. 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:44.480 Same pattern, same wording. 00:10:45.039 --> 00:10:47.679 But then you get to verse 21, and it changes. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:49.279 Verse 21 is really interesting. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:50.639 We meet a man named Enoch. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:55.039 It says, When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 00:10:55.200 --> 00:11:01.840 Now, the previous guys all had kids when they were like 100 plus, so Enoch got started really early at 65 to start a family. 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:06.799 It says, after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:08.559 And he had other sons and daughters. 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.919 The entire lifetime of Enoch was 365 years. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:17.200 Enoch walked with God and then he disappeared because God took him away. 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:20.720 I don't know what your experience with walks is. 00:11:22.320 --> 00:11:27.039 Maybe you've had some golf ball moments or some breakup moments, but that's that's a walk, right? 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.840 I went on a walk with God and I never came back. 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:31.519 Because God just, he took me. 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:35.919 And if you're concerned for Enoch's well-being, let me assure you, everything works out fine for him. 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:38.159 Hebrews chapter 11, verses 5 through 6. 00:11:38.240 --> 00:11:39.679 It's the next time we see Enoch. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:43.039 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:44.879 Okay, now that's different. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:51.279 Enoch was taken by God into heaven and he didn't even have to die. 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.039 It's like he found the express lane to heaven. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:12:01.440 It says he disappeared because God took him, for before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.799 And it is impossible to please God without faith. 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:11.200 Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:14.000 So Enoch was a man who lived by faith. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:15.840 And he pleased God. 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:18.159 He believed God, he pleased God. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:24.879 But the only description that we have of how he pleased God is this very brief statement in Genesis 5.24. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:27.360 It says, Enoch walked with God. 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:36.000 I want to explore this morning what it means to walk with God, what it looks like to walk with him. 00:12:36.159 --> 00:12:39.919 And the Bible's full of these amazing metaphors, these pictures. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:46.720 When I was a kid and I read books in the library at my school, I loved books with really good illustrations. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:48.080 I love pictures. 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:52.240 But then at some point, as you get older, someone just decides, nah, pictures are for kids. 00:12:52.399 --> 00:12:53.679 No more pictures, just words. 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:59.039 And I don't know if you're like me, but I remember those times and I'm like, what why aren't there pictures in books anymore? 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:01.279 Pictures were like the best part. 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.080 And then one day they say, nah, we don't need those anymore. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:07.759 I love that scripture includes all these beautiful pictures for us. 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:14.480 Jesus painted beautiful pictures to help us understand what it means to live a life connected to God. 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:17.519 So one day Jesus said he wanted to fill us with living water. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:19.440 And water was this metaphor for life. 00:13:19.519 --> 00:13:22.879 So Jesus says, Hey, I want you to be full of living life. 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:25.840 Not stagnant life, not dead life. 00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:28.080 I want you to be full of living life. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:31.679 Life that is so powerful that even death cannot stop it. 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:36.320 Jesus talked a lot about agricultural things. 00:13:36.480 --> 00:13:43.360 And he wasn't a farmer, he didn't own a vineyard, but one day he said that he was a vine, and we're branches that come off that vine. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:49.679 And if we want to bear fruit, if we want to be people that are productive, if we want to be full of life, we've got to stay connected to the vine. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:52.000 We have to stay connected to Jesus. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:13:57.600 It's this picture that helps us understand what it means to live with Jesus. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.559 And one of those metaphors, one of those pictures is walking with God. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:07.120 If you ever read Jesus talk about roads, when we hear road, we picture vehicles, we picture cars. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:11.279 In that day, if you had a lot of money, maybe you could afford an animal to ride. 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:15.279 But what people did on roads was walk. 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:19.919 So that's the picture people would have had in their minds, walking on a road. 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:24.080 Enoch was a man who was described as walking with God. 00:14:25.200 --> 00:14:27.759 I want to look at three aspects of walking with God today. 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:39.120 I want to ask that as we explore this together, that your heart would just be open and you would say, okay, God, I want you to show me which of these three I need the most help in. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:42.480 I want to start progressing in this area. 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:48.399 Those three things are pace, destination, and direction. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:52.559 When we walk with God, we learn to walk at God's pace. 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:54.879 To live at the pace that He sets. 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:59.840 When we walk with God, we learn to walk toward the destination that God provides for our lives. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:05.279 And when we walk with God, we learn to follow the directions that God gives. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:12.240 And when we do those three things, we walk with God like Enoch walked with God. 00:15:14.080 --> 00:15:17.679 Have you ever known someone that lived life at a very different pace than you? 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.000 Maybe you're married to someone that lives life at a very different pace than you. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.519 That can be frustrating, right? 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.639 Someone wants to go faster than you want to go, that's hard. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:38.080 If you've ever followed someone in a car and that person is the one that knows how to get to where you're going, and they're aware of that, they know that you are dependent on them to get you to where you need to go. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:47.039 You're a stranger in a foreign place and you need to get there, and they're the ones that are supposed to take you there, but they don't seem to care much about you keeping up with them. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:54.159 And so you're driving behind them and there's a yellow light, and they gun it through the yellow light, and you're like, I'm how what are you doing? 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:58.399 Now I'm stuck here and I'm gonna lose sight of you, and oh, this is frustrating. 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:01.519 It's hard to live at a different pace. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:03.679 It's hard when people want to go faster than we want to go. 00:16:03.759 --> 00:16:06.159 It's hard when they want to go slower as well. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.039 I have spent a lot of time in this building. 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:12.720 In September, we'll be celebrating our 10-year anniversary as a church, which is so cool. 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:13.679 That's a decade. 00:16:13.840 --> 00:16:14.559 It's a decade. 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:16.080 That's a big deal. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:29.279 And I'm 31 years old, and so I've been here almost 10 years, which means I've spent about a third of my life here at this church, and a lot of it's been spent in these walls. 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:32.000 Not literally in the walls, but within the walls, you know what I mean. 00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:36.399 So we've knocked most of the walls down since we started, so there's very few walls left. 00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:44.240 But but a lot of the times I'll come here on Saturdays, especially a few years ago when I was working with youth or with kids, and I'd have a project to work on. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:54.159 And so on a Saturday, I would come in at the office door, and the office door is on the far left side of the building, and I'd have a project to do over here on the youth side, which is all the way across. 00:16:54.320 --> 00:16:56.000 You've got to walk down that big hallway. 00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:57.360 That's a very big hallway. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:01.120 It's one of the first things I noticed when I came here for the first time, the size of that hallway. 00:17:01.200 --> 00:17:03.919 But when Liam was born, I'd start to bring him with me. 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:06.000 Especially when he was about two years old. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:08.400 He'd want to come with Daddy on a Saturday. 00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:11.359 Well, Daddy worked on a project, and I wanted him to come along. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:16.480 And as big as that hallway seems to me, I cannot imagine what it looks like to the two-year-olds who are here. 00:17:16.880 --> 00:17:18.640 I think it just begs them to run. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:19.599 That's what I've experienced. 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:20.880 They're like, I gotta move. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.400 This is huge, I gotta go. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:24.559 So you see a lot of parents chasing their kids. 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:25.359 We're sorry about that. 00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:27.279 That was an unforeseen side effect. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:29.920 But but when Liam was two, he'd come with me. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:31.440 It'd just be the two of us here. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.119 And I'd have stuff to do. 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:37.039 And we need to get from the office to the youth area, and we gotta walk down that hallway. 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:40.160 And Liam just walked slow at two. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.880 It was very important to him, though, to walk with me. 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.119 I'd I'd say things like, Hey, do you want daddy to carry you? 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:46.160 Do you want to ride on my shoulders? 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.319 Because I kind of need to get there and work on stuff. 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:51.440 And he'd say, No, I want to walk with daddy. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:56.559 And so he'd walk and he'd reach his hand up and he'd hold on to my finger because he was that small. 00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.519 And here I am in a hurry to get something done, and we're just we're walking. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:01.279 And I'm like, oh my goodness. 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:02.720 Oh my goodness. 00:18:02.960 --> 00:18:05.119 This is the most infuriating thing, right? 00:18:05.200 --> 00:18:07.519 I'm just tortured by the pace that we're going at. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.000 And pardon me, I never did this, but I just wanted to yell, hurry up, Liam, move. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.359 Come on, son, you gotta move. 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:14.720 I got stuff to do. 00:18:15.680 --> 00:18:19.680 It is so hard when someone is moving at a pace that slows us down. 00:18:20.640 --> 00:18:31.119 Most of my life, I have believed that I am growing at a pace in my relationship with God that must frustrate him so much. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:37.519 That he must be in heaven just screaming, Justin, hurry up! What is taking you so long? 00:18:37.599 --> 00:18:40.720 Why are you making the same mistakes over and over again? 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:43.279 Why do you keep getting distracted by the same things? 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:44.319 Because Liam would do that. 00:18:44.400 --> 00:18:51.039 Like, there were pictures that Marlon had painted that are on the walls that he really liked, and so it didn't matter how many times we've been down the hallway, he would always stop and go look. 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:54.079 And I'm like, I know it's here every time we're here. 00:18:54.240 --> 00:18:55.200 We gotta move, son. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:55.519 Come on. 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.920 And and God must be in heaven going, Justin, stop. 00:18:58.079 --> 00:19:00.880 Stop doing the same things over and over again that are slowing you down. 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:02.160 You've got to move. 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:05.759 That's how I felt about God, how he must feel about me. 00:19:07.039 --> 00:19:09.119 I know I can't be the only one. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:19.519 I mean, how many of us in the room, if if we were asked the question, how do you feel like you're doing when it comes to the pace at which you're growing in your relationship with God? 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:22.559 How many of us would say, Oh, I'm doing awesome? 00:19:22.960 --> 00:19:24.480 I found that sweet spot, right? 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:26.240 Like I'm I'm growing at the perfect pace. 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:29.680 I know God is really, really happy with my progression so far. 00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:32.880 How many of us would say, hey, I don't want to brag? 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:34.799 I'm actually way ahead of the pace. 00:19:34.960 --> 00:19:35.279 Okay? 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:39.279 I'm like, I know they say it's a marathon, not a sprint, but I'm sprinting the marathon. 00:19:39.359 --> 00:19:40.240 I'm doing really well. 00:19:40.400 --> 00:19:45.279 Okay, so there's a lot of people back there, but God, he's just like, wow, you're doing great, keep it up. 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:50.000 Or how many of us would be honest and we'd say, you know what, I I know I'm behind. 00:19:50.400 --> 00:19:52.319 I know I'm not where I should be. 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:55.759 I've taken a few detours over the years. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:01.839 I've wasted a lot of time, time that I could have been growing with God, but instead I was focused on something else. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:04.960 There was one period of life where I actually turned around and ran the other way. 00:20:05.200 --> 00:20:08.400 So I'm kind of trying to make up lost crown. 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:11.440 And we believe that God might be going, hurry up. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:14.640 You are you're driving me crazy with how slow you're going. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:23.680 But see, in those moments where I was frustrated with Liam, I realized that I was not being a good dad. 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:28.799 Because see, in those moments I valued the task that I needed done more than I valued time with him. 00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:38.960 And there will never be a moment in your life where there is some task that God is trying to accomplish that he cares more about than you. 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:48.000 Because if we search scripture, we find that the task that God values the most is knowing you. 00:20:52.960 --> 00:20:55.200 One of my steps was like five of his. 00:20:56.880 --> 00:21:01.200 And it was foolish of me even to desire him to keep up with me. 00:21:01.359 --> 00:21:03.920 What I should have done, because now I actually look back and miss those moments. 00:21:04.079 --> 00:21:08.799 Now when we're here, he just scoots on with no, he doesn't want to be with dad, he just wants to run to his friends. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:11.279 And I'm like, oh, remember those times when he would walk with me? 00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:12.960 He'd hold my finger. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:15.440 I want that again. 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:25.759 I want you to know that God is not screaming to those of us in this world following him, hurry up. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:30.880 God is a God who knows that we cannot keep up with him. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:34.240 We could not go at God's pace. 00:21:34.799 --> 00:21:38.720 But he's a God that wants to slow down and walk with us. 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:52.480 And he's looking for people who will be like that child and and they'll forget about the pace and they'll just reach their hand up and hold his and appreciate the fact that we have a God that is willing to slow down and walk with us. 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.240 And this isn't just some nice thought. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.839 I mean, it's all through Scripture, Jesus in Matthew 11. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.200 11, 28 through 30 says, Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I'll give you rest. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:11.039 Take my yoke upon you, let me teach you, because I'm humble and gentle at heart, and you'll find rest for your souls. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:14.240 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. 00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:19.200 Does that sound like a God who is screaming, hurry up, move faster? 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:27.279 You will not find in Scripture a God who is impatient. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:30.240 You will find people who are impatient. 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:36.400 You'll find a lot of people in the Bible screaming at God, hurry up! Why aren't you doing something right now? 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:38.240 I need you to do something today. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:43.279 Read the Psalms so many times, David, a man who the Bible describes as being connected to God's heart. 00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:45.599 He and God just got each other. 00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.079 And he's screaming out to God, where are you? 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:49.119 Are you asleep? 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:50.559 Why aren't you moving right now? 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:52.480 Why aren't you doing something? 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:56.720 I need you now, and you're you're not on my timeline. 00:22:57.680 --> 00:23:02.880 And many of us have been in that situation in life where we're like, God, I need you today, and then tomorrow comes. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:06.079 And we're like, okay, God, I really meant it yesterday. 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:09.119 I wasn't joking around, I really need you today. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:13.599 In fact, I needed you yesterday, but then another tomorrow comes and it doesn't feel like God's doing anything. 00:23:13.839 --> 00:23:17.279 And we have to realize that God is just a patient God. 00:23:18.400 --> 00:23:25.759 And what he really desires more than anything is for you to slow down and walk with him. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:32.480 In fact, that's required that we're gonna see the kind of changes that we need to see in life. 00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:35.680 His idea of fast is just different than ours. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:38.000 Jesus said, I am coming back soon. 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:40.079 2,000 years ago. 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:44.480 His idea of soon is very different than yours and mine. 00:23:44.720 --> 00:23:49.200 And I would imagine that if you're an eternal God, 2,000 years would be pretty soon. 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.319 Jesus is saying, hey, I'm working on it. 00:23:52.880 --> 00:23:56.640 Things are moving at the perfect pace because I'm patient. 00:23:58.160 --> 00:24:04.720 When we walk with God, we learn to walk at his pace, and so often that pace is slower than the pace that we're trying to go. 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:13.920 So we've got to be people who recognize that our God will slow down and walk with us, and we need to enjoy that and walk with him. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:19.839 When we walk with God, we not only learn to walk at his pace, but we learn to trust the destination. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:22.319 One of my favorite words is the word destiny. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:23.599 It's such an epic word, right? 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:24.720 Destiny. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.720 Something from a fairy tale. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:28.079 It's my destiny to do this. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:29.039 This is my destiny. 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:31.440 The word destination, not as exciting. 00:24:32.079 --> 00:24:33.279 Not at all. 00:24:34.160 --> 00:24:41.359 I wish that an airline company one day would change their verbiage so that when you're going somewhere, somewhere really exciting, like Cleveland. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:47.039 And instead of you looking at your ticket and it says destination Cleveland, it says destiny Cleveland. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:49.599 Like I'm destined to go to Cleveland today. 00:24:49.759 --> 00:24:51.359 This is really cool. 00:24:52.160 --> 00:24:57.200 And even though destination, it's not as exciting as the word destiny, it means the same thing. 00:24:57.440 --> 00:24:59.200 It's all about where we're going. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:01.519 Our lives are heading somewhere. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.559 They absolutely are. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:07.599 It's just a matter of who's setting the destination. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:11.920 When we walk with God, we trust the destination that God has set for us. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:18.000 Most of my life I have had a difficult time surrendering to the destiny and the destination that God has for me. 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:22.160 Because I've believed that God wants less than I want for myself. 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:28.640 That me surrendering to what God wants means less money, it means less excitement, it means less success, it means less whatever. 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:38.319 And that's because religion very much informed my idea of God, and I was taught as a kid, not directly, I don't think, but just indirectly, that God wants you to learn how to live on less. 00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:40.480 You got too much. 00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:46.720 So God wants you to give this up and give that up and give this up and give that up so that you can learn to live with just Him. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:52.319 And one day the best life would be not even to need oxygen anymore, where you just have God. 00:25:52.480 --> 00:25:53.599 You don't even breathe. 00:25:54.480 --> 00:25:55.440 You just live with Him. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:58.240 That was kind of the idea that was presented. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:05.759 And it's crazy because as I search His Word, I don't see a God telling people, I want less for you. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:09.839 I want to take things from you so that you really appreciate me. 00:26:11.039 --> 00:26:14.880 I see a God who says, I want more for you than you want for yourself. 00:26:15.119 --> 00:26:19.200 I want more joy, I want more peace, I want more hope. 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:21.279 I want you to be successful. 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:22.799 I want you to thrive. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:31.839 I mean, Jesus Himself said that if good parents, if normal human beings, know how to give good gifts to their kids, how much more does God want to bless his children? 00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.319 We have a God that is all about more. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:44.000 And we've got to learn to trust the destination that he has for our lives and to believe in our heart of hearts that where he wants to take us is a place of more. 00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:46.400 And it's a good place. 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:50.240 I mean, Enoch's destination was pretty nice. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:51.359 Heaven. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:55.519