WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.360 Father, we praise you. 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:09.599 We thank you for being such a good God and a good dad in heaven to each of us and for adopting each of us as your children. 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:12.720 We just uh are amazed and praise you for that. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:20.640 Holy Spirit, thank you for being our teacher and our counselor, and please teach each of us today that we could all leave knowing that we got something directly from you. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:27.519 And Jesus, we just praise you for being our Savior, for being our King, for being our brother and our friend. 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:29.039 And it's in your name we pray. 00:00:29.359 --> 00:00:30.000 Amen. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:35.119 So we're taking a few weeks to talk about a prayer that literally changed the world. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:37.359 It changed people's perception of God. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:46.399 It explained a whole new relationship with God, and it changed how we talk with God forever. 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:48.719 Jesus says, pray like this. 00:00:49.119 --> 00:00:51.840 And then he teaches us, and we call it the Lord's Prayer. 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:54.079 It's in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:58.960 The Sermon on the Mount is probably one of the most radical things taught anywhere. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.159 It turned the whole religious world upside down, what Jesus taught. 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:05.359 And they were up on the slope leading down to the Sea of Galilee. 00:01:05.599 --> 00:01:08.400 And Jesus says, pray like this. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:13.760 And the whole prayer, this example he gives, the whole prayer is one minute long. 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:17.200 I mean, one minute long. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.519 Devout Jewish people were used to praying three times a day. 00:01:21.840 --> 00:01:27.599 They had a verse that they would recite and then 18 different separate prayers. 00:01:27.760 --> 00:01:31.280 And Jesus says, When you pray, pray like this. 00:01:31.840 --> 00:01:33.280 And it's it's one minute. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:37.920 And it's not it's not a command, pray like this. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:38.799 It's an example. 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:43.439 He's showing us how we can talk to our Father in heaven. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:48.480 So there's times Jesus prayed much longer, and there's times Jesus prayed much shorter. 00:01:48.560 --> 00:01:56.640 But I think the overriding thing of why this is such a short prayer is because it is so simple to talk to God. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:06.959 He's just demonstrating how simple it is for each of us to talk to God, and we can all do it and know that uh that God hears us and cares and answers. 00:02:07.359 --> 00:02:10.479 We saw last week that Jesus really blows their minds with a couple of things. 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:12.000 The first thing was the language. 00:02:12.159 --> 00:02:20.800 They were used to religious scholars praying in Hebrew, because that was the pure language of the Jewish people. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.240 But everybody around there spoke Aramaic. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:25.439 Jesus spoke both. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:29.039 He was fluent in Hebrew, but every day he spoke Aramaic. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.759 And so when he comes out, he says, pray like this, and his first words were in Aramaic. 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:35.919 I mean, that's alone changes everything. 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:38.080 It shows there's not a sacred culture. 00:02:38.240 --> 00:02:48.000 There's not uh one group of people that uh that God wants a relationship with all of us. 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:54.879 But the bigger deal was that he says the word Abba, um, which the closest English translation is daddy. 00:02:55.520 --> 00:03:03.280 And um that would have really freaked them out because they're just not used to that. 00:03:03.360 --> 00:03:18.800 And we talked last week about how in the Old Testament uh God is never directly addressed as father, and that seems kind of shocking because he's talked about as being a father and being a good father and a father to the fatherless and and like a father, but he's not prayed directly father. 00:03:19.360 --> 00:03:24.639 And uh afterwards last week, uh Chris came up and showed me a really cool verse. 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:28.000 It's in Jeremiah 3.19, and it's God speaking. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:33.919 And he says, I thought to myself, I would love to treat you as my own children. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:38.400 I wanted nothing more than to give you this beautiful land, the finest possession in the world. 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.919 I looked forward to your calling me father. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:45.599 And I wanted you to never turn from me. 00:03:48.400 --> 00:03:54.400 You know, God's plan since the beginning has been Him to be our Father. 00:03:54.560 --> 00:04:07.599 And we messed it up when we had a chance at the tree of life, and instead we said, Hey, give us the knowledge of good and evils, give us all the rules and systems and crap that comes with religion. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:14.879 His plan has always been for us to be his kids and he to be our father. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:19.199 And one thing that that's God created us in his image. 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:28.240 And if we can get a hold of that idea that that we're each created in God's image, and so sometimes the better parts of us are a true reflection of God. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:49.279 And I was thinking about this idea of calling um God um, him wanting to be called father, and him wanting to be called uh daddy, and just this whole perception that some of us have been taught, that I was taught, that God's up on this big throne demanding that we praise him because he's worthy and that's what we should do. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:50.720 And it's not that way at all. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:05:09.199 You know, I've uh just enjoyed my new grandson, and he just hit uh an age where he can reach, you know, and so um so I'll come in the room and and you know, make a goofy face or something, and and he'll reach for me, and it just it just melts me, you know. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:16.720 And you know, he reaches for mommy first and grandma second, but I'm third, which isn't bad. 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:26.160 And um, you know, but but the two nights ago, sitting on the couch and he's playing on the carpet, and now he can pull himself up too. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:32.000 And so he pulls himself up like in my in front of me and then kind of reaches, you know, and so oh, that was so great. 00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:42.319 You know, I'm sitting there thinking, man, wait when he can just kind of run and jump in my lap, and wait when he calls me grandpa or doo-doo or whatever he's gonna come up with. 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.439 But that is what God is like. 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:52.000 He wants to be our dads. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:06:02.480 God is the dad that Jesus describes in the story of the prodigal son, the one that we can never go run too far from, do too much, that he would turn from us. 00:06:02.639 --> 00:06:05.839 He's always running towards us with love and compassion. 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:13.120 And so I say that because all that kind of sums up the posture, our posture when we pray. 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:22.959 You know, and you might have heard of you have to be a prayer warrior or pray the word or pray the blood of Christ or all that kind of stuff. 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:27.600 And there's times to pray different types of prayers for sure. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:41.439 But overwhelmingly, when we pray, we are simply God's kids talking to our dad, telling him what we need, him wanting to provide it. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:49.040 And that's why talking with God is so powerful and so simple, and we can all do it with great confidence. 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:52.160 So this morning we're gonna look at the second part of that first sentence. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:55.199 And next week we're gonna pick up the pace quite a bit. 00:06:55.360 --> 00:07:04.480 But in Matthew 6, Jesus says, pray like this, our Father in heaven, our Abba in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:09.040 If you've memorized the Lord's Prayer, you might know it as hallowed be thy name. 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:12.879 God's name was a very big deal to the Jewish people. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.000 You know, God has a name. 00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.560 We don't think about it very often, but he has an actual first name, if you will. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:20.959 It's like Jesus has a name, Jesus. 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:27.839 Uh the Christ is more of a title, a description, but his actual name is Jesus. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:32.720 It's the same way with uh with God, his name is Yahweh. 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:37.360 Um we would say, I am Yahweh. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:39.120 Um it's his actual name. 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:43.839 When Moses was at the burning bush, uh, he says, you know, who do I tell the people? 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:46.639 God send them to the to the um Israelites. 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.360 He says, Who do I tell the people that sent me? 00:07:49.680 --> 00:08:01.600 And uh God says, say this to the people of Israel, Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. 00:08:01.839 --> 00:08:05.360 This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:13.120 Now, God has different um titles, if you will, Adonai and El Shaddai, but his name is Yahweh. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:25.040 And in the Jewish culture, um Yahweh was considered so holy that uh they wouldn't even even speak it. 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:31.920 Um and part of that was not wanting to break one of the Ten Commandments of I'll take the Lord your God's name in vain. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.159 And um if so they would not speak it out loud. 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:54.960 If a scribe was writing, you know, if a scribe was copying a scroll of uh of one of the books of the Old Testament, when they came to the word or name Yahweh, they would stop, they would go through a purification ritual, they'd get a new pen, they'd write the word, and then they'd break the pen and throw it away. 00:08:55.039 --> 00:09:00.559 Because they didn't want that name ever associated to another word. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:18.480 When they read the Old Testament, even in the synagogue, when they came to Yahweh, they wouldn't read Yahweh, they would change it and read um Adonai or El Shaddai or some other word, because they didn't want to take a chance about stumbling on that word and somehow uh profaning um Yahweh. 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:22.480 It was a really uh big deal. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:31.200 And there's a word that sums up what Yahweh is like, it's an all-inclusive description. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:34.720 Yahweh is holy. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:46.799 It sums up the character, the personality, the attributes of God, that he's holy, that he is different than anyone we know or can even imagine. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:48.960 He is holy. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:54.399 Sometimes we think of holy as just being uh perfect, you know, without sin. 00:09:54.559 --> 00:09:58.080 Holy sums up everything about God. 00:09:59.519 --> 00:10:04.960 And not only is God holy, but everyone he is around can be infused. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:10.159 Really, everyone and everything he's around could be infused with his holiness. 00:10:10.320 --> 00:10:15.519 For instance, his word is described as holy, that the Bible is holy. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:20.480 His temple was called holy, his spirit is holy. 00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:31.440 And one exciting thing is that as we're connected with God, our dad, we get to be infused with God's holiness too. 00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:33.519 And we become holy. 00:10:33.759 --> 00:10:42.720 In Hebrews 10, 14 it says, for by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:46.240 And so it's two simultaneous truths. 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:50.399 There's actually quite a bit of paradoxes, we'll see in the Lord's uh prayer. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:52.320 But there's two simultaneous truths here. 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:54.720 One is that God sees us as perfect. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:57.279 To him, we are perfect. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:02.399 Um, and you so you can come before him knowing that's how he sees you. 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:06.000 The other truth is we are being made holy. 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:11.360 That we're not perfect, even though he sees us that way, that God is making us holy. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:21.039 The more we're around him, the more we're connected to him, the more we think about him, the more we spend time with him, the more we read his word, it's a process. 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:26.240 And over time, little by little, he makes us holy. 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:33.120 May your name be kept holy. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:39.200 And we know about the Ten Commandments, and we uh know about not taking the Lord's name in vain. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:45.440 But that's not what Jesus is doing, reiterating one of the Ten Commandments for them. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:47.679 May your name be kept holy. 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.919 In Proverbs 22, it says, A good name is more desirable than great riches. 00:11:52.080 --> 00:11:56.000 To be esteemed is better than silver or gold. 00:11:56.399 --> 00:12:01.039 In Ecclesiastes, it says, A good name is better than fine perfume. 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:10.000 I believe Jesus is saying, May you be known for who you are in my life and everywhere. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:13.440 May everyone know you are holy. 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.879 It encompasses everything about the Father. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:26.240 In Psalms 103, it says, The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:34.639 In Exodus, it says, The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, Yahweh, the Lord, the God of compassion and mercy. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:39.679 I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. 00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:47.919 In Psalms 145, I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. 00:12:48.080 --> 00:12:49.279 I'll praise you every day. 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:51.519 Yes, I will praise you forever. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:54.879 Great is the Lord, He is the most worthy of praise. 00:12:55.120 --> 00:12:57.919 No one can measure his greatness. 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:01.840 Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:03.679 Let them proclaim your power. 00:13:03.919 --> 00:13:08.080 I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor, and your wonderful miracles. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:10.639 Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue. 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:12.240 I will proclaim your greatness. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:15.279 Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness. 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:18.159 They will sing with joy about your righteousness. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:23.519 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry, and filled with unfailing love. 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:26.080 The Lord is good to everyone. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:29.039 He showers compassion on all his creation. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:30.960 All of your works will thank you. 00:13:31.200 --> 00:13:33.519 Lord and your faithful followers will praise you. 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.440 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom. 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:37.840 They will give examples of your power. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:44.799 They will tell about your mighty deeds and about the majesty and the glory of your reign, for your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:46.720 You rule throughout all generations. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:50.320 The Lord always keeps his promises. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.200 He is gracious in all he does. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:58.399 The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:00.879 The eyes of all look to you in hope. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:02.799 You give them their food as they need it. 00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:07.759 When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.720 The Lord is righteous in everything he does. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:14.480 He is filled with kindness. 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:23.440 The way we can sum all that up is Father, you are holy. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:29.759 In Revelations, John has a uh vision. 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:34.080 Uh it's the vents surrounding heaven, and he sees these amazing beings. 00:14:41.440 --> 00:14:45.679 The one who always was, who is, and who is still to come. 00:14:47.519 --> 00:14:51.200 Jesus says, our dad in heaven. 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:55.279 May we never forget that you are holy. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:15:02.320 When we start the conversation that way with God, it does something incredible for us. 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:09.200 It allows us to stop for a second and put everything in perspective. 00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:14.000 Um no matter what's going on in our lives, we can take a deep breath. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:25.600 And at different times, I think this is more like like right now, that really hits me because I'm just too busy, you know, and it's for a short period of time, and it won't always be that way. 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:29.919 But right now it's just I'm way um too busy. 00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:40.639 And and to be able just to stop, take a deep breath, relax for a minute, and put it all in perspective. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:45.600 God's got it, He can handle it, He's holy. 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.600 Father, you are holy. 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:59.679 Years ago I learned a principle that's really helped me uh in business, and it's also helped here as we're doing things uh together at His hands. 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:05.519 But it it's a simple phrase, it's not the what, it's the who. 00:16:06.320 --> 00:16:13.600 And so say in business, there's something that we could do that that would be just a great thing to add value to our customers. 00:16:13.759 --> 00:16:17.519 Well, it can be a great idea and it can be a great thing, but there has to be a who. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:19.200 Who's gonna own it? 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:20.960 Who's gonna be responsible for it? 00:16:21.120 --> 00:16:24.639 Who has the right gifts uh to make it happen? 00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:26.080 You know, it's the same here. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.440 A lot of times it would be some great ideas, and you know, can we do this? 00:16:29.519 --> 00:16:30.720 Or what about this? 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:33.919 Um, but it's not the what, it's the who. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:44.240 You know, who's got the gifts, who has the time, who has uh the desire to own it and and uh and be responsible and make it happen. 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:50.720 There's always a lot of great what's um, but for them to happen, there has to be the who. 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:53.360 Who can actually do it? 00:16:54.960 --> 00:17:00.159 At the beginning of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus is saying, God can. 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:03.279 He's holy. 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:13.519 That's why we can all talk to God with great confidence, great expectation of the best answers is because it is not the what, it's the who. 00:17:15.359 --> 00:17:17.359 His reputation is impeccable. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:20.720 He has always been and always will be holy. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:30.160 That's why Jesus says to us, each of us, that if we have any faith at all, I mean, just the size of a mustard seed. 00:17:30.720 --> 00:17:36.240 The tiniest seed, if we could have that much faith, we can move mountains. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.240 Why does it take such small faith? 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:42.160 It's because we got such a big God. 00:17:44.240 --> 00:17:45.200 It's the who. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:52.000 You know, and so when when we're talking with God, there aren't formulas. 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:53.359 The what? 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:54.720 There aren't formulas. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:58.160 I don't believe personally that there are power phrases. 00:17:59.599 --> 00:18:03.200 You don't have to speak Christianese if you don't haven't already learned it. 00:18:03.759 --> 00:18:06.160 If you have, you might want to try and unlearn it. 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:17.680 There is a dad in heaven who loves you and he is holy. 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.200 It's the Who. 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.640 There's also a paradox in this verse. 00:18:22.799 --> 00:18:24.640 Uh two things going on. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:27.599 At the core, this is actually a request. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:36.799 In the theology world, it's called a divine passive, where someone's asking God to do something only God can do. 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:38.000 We'd be passive. 00:18:38.079 --> 00:18:40.880 He'd be the one that would have to do it. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:43.279 Make your name holy. 00:18:43.839 --> 00:18:45.759 Make your reputation holy. 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:48.799 Show everyone who you really are. 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:52.319 But the paradox is one of the ways he does that's through us. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:19:06.960 So in Ezekiel 20, it says, When I bring you home from exile, you'll be like a pleasing sacrifice to me, and I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:13.839 And so when we start a prayer like that, may your name be kept holy, we're accepting some responsibility for God's reputation. 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:18.799 Because we're going to affect it, you know, one way uh or the other. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:20.880 The way we live. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:23.599 It reflects on God, and often that's a good thing. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:37.519 Um, I mean, there's a great couple here that started coming because they saw another great couple here, and they're like, uh it was actually Thomas and Jen. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:40.799 Um but they live in their neighborhood. 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:44.720 And and and Tom saw such a change in Thomas. 00:19:44.880 --> 00:19:47.599 He's like, I gotta know what's going on. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:53.920 You you see, and so God showed his holiness through Thomas. 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:55.519 And it's true with a lot of us. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:02.640 A lot of us are here because you could see the change in someone else, how God is making us holy. 00:20:02.799 --> 00:20:04.400 And so we kind of take that responsibility. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.160 You're like, okay, I'm part of this, God. 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:09.759 Make your reputation holy. 00:20:09.920 --> 00:20:16.559 But you know, and he Jesus talks about it later on in this prayer, but help me be part of that too. 00:20:17.279 --> 00:20:24.079 And and the tension there is back to Hebrews 10, where it says, we are being made holy. 00:20:24.640 --> 00:20:30.240 That more than anything, it's a submission to him, and he's doing the heavy lifting. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:31.839 There's a great story in Isaiah. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:34.000 It's about a vision that Isaiah has. 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:38.319 Um, it was in the year King Isaiah. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:41.039 What do you think? 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.000 Uzzah, I'm gonna say Uzziah. 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:46.559 It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:49.920 He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:52.960 Attending him were a mighty seraphim, each having six wings. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:57.200 With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.160 They were calling out to each other, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of heaven's armies. 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:04.640 The whole earth is filled with his glory. 00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:09.920 Their voices shook the temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke. 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:12.480 Then I said, It's all over. 00:21:12.640 --> 00:21:13.920 I'm doomed. 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:22.640 For I am a sinful man, I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips, and yet I've seen the king, the Lord of heaven's armies. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:30.640 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with the burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs, and he touched my lips with it and said, See, this coal has touched your lips. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:33.839 Now your guilt is removed and your sins are forgiven. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:38.319 Then I heard the Lord asking, Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:40.000 Who will go for us? 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:44.160 I said, Here I am, send me. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:50.400 And that's kind of how we work, or how it works. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:53.519 When we realize God is holy. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:59.599 When we think of all the attributes of God, we realize He's holy and we're not. 00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:02.240 You know, we need him. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:08.000 Then we appreciate his love and compassion and help. 00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:14.880 Just like the seraphim and the coal, when he cleans us up, we respond with, here I am. 00:22:15.039 --> 00:22:16.480 How can I help? 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:18.799 Because we're so thankful for all he's done. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:23.759 And I really think that's why there's such an attitude here of helping others. 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:31.119 You know, at the Christmas Angels, the first day all the stars are gone, everything that was done at the snow's house. 00:22:31.920 --> 00:22:36.319 Yesterday, so many people showing up to be ready to help in an emergency. 00:22:36.400 --> 00:22:40.240 I think it's because we're not pretending to have it all together. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:42.240 You know, we know we need God. 00:22:42.480 --> 00:22:46.240 We know he's the holy one, he's the one that's doing it. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:56.319 But the fact that he still loves us, you know, that love starts pouring through us, and we want to show that love to other people. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:02.640 It's the right response when we realize that we've got a dad in heaven and he's holy. 00:23:03.440 --> 00:23:08.319 There's one thing better than talking to God, and it's being with God. 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:13.599 There's such a deep attitude of praise in these words. 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:18.400 So when we praise God, we get something, and we get his presence. 00:23:19.039 --> 00:23:20.160 It's kind of like this. 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:29.440 If Susan is sitting in the family room at home, and I come walking through, and she says, Steve, you know what? 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:31.279 You are amazing. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:34.160 I love you. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:37.519 So I'm gonna faint. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:50.640 But when I come to, no, I wouldn't faint, but the uh but I'm not gonna keep walking, am I? 00:23:50.880 --> 00:23:52.799 I mean, can you imagine that? 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:54.799 Steve, you're amazing. 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:56.000 I love you. 00:23:56.319 --> 00:24:01.279 I'm gonna stop and I'm gonna go over and I'm gonna hug her and I'm gonna say thank you. 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:02.160 You're amazing. 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:03.599 I love you too, right? 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:06.319 Okay, well, it's the same with God. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:12.319 When we stop and we praise him, he's not gonna leave us hanging. 00:24:13.519 --> 00:24:20.400 He's gonna come over and be with us and tell us he loves us too. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:24.400 And so it invites the presence of God. 00:24:30.720 --> 00:24:34.079 You know, when I first got connected with God, it came in my life. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:37.599 If you've been here a while, I've probably told the story, so I won't tell the whole story. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:51.680 But um, it came in the middle of a big crisis, like a lot of us, you know, where I uh finally understood I couldn't fix everything myself, and and I asked God to help me, and I asked him to show me if he was real, and I asked him what was really important to him. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:56.960 And um, and so he he something changed in me. 00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:02.559 I mean, immediately, and I and I got excited and I was hungry to um to learn more. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:14.240 And over time he showed me that not only is his love generic, if you will, that was my um understanding that God loves people and I'm a people. 00:25:14.319 --> 00:25:16.400 So I fall in that category. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:20.079 Um over time he showed me that he actually loves me. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:27.759 He really does know my name, he really does care about me, he cares about everything I'm going through every single day. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:29.839 And that blew me away. 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:31.279 I just couldn't believe it. 00:25:31.359 --> 00:25:35.920 And he did that and and and does that for all of us in different ways, you know, because we're all different. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:41.519 So there's different ways he he does things that we know um he cares. 00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:47.440 But um I was so excited, and I would go into my car some evenings in the garage. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:52.240 I didn't start it, but I just stayed in it, and and I'd play worship CDs. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:56.880 And I could feel God. 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:04.319 You know, and and my favorite really was a song, Agnes Die or Agnes Day that Michael W. 00:26:04.559 --> 00:26:15.119 Smith wrote, but but Third Day did the version I really liked, you know, and and um and there's just a part in the chorus where it's holy, you know, holy. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:17.440 And man, my heart would just cry out. 00:26:17.599 --> 00:26:19.440 And I could feel God. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:24.000 I could physically feel his presence. 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:29.839 And that's not an experience for me, and many of you know exactly what I'm talking about, but that's not an experience for me. 00:26:29.920 --> 00:26:32.480 That's an experience for all of us. 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:43.680 Um, that when we tell our dad that we know and appreciate how holy he is, he responds with his presence. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:45.839 And if that's something you haven't felt, ask him. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:53.680 You know, one thing Jesus teaches at another time is he says, you know, if you ask your dad for bread, he's not going to give you a rock. 00:26:54.559 --> 00:27:00.079 And if you want to feel him and feel his presence and that intimacy of being with him, just ask him. 00:27:00.480 --> 00:27:01.519 Just ask him. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:04.319 He won't leave you hanging. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.599 God, you are holy. 00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:10.640 What a great way to start a conversation with God. 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:20.880 I know you're my dad, but far better than any earthly dad, may everyone always know you are holy. 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:25.119 And so if the worship team will come up, we'll uh we'll stop there this morning. 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:30.160 I wanted to finish the same way we finished last week. 00:27:30.960 --> 00:27:37.359 Um, what is the one thing you need from your dad today? 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:40.000 Is there one thing? 00:27:40.160 --> 00:27:44.480 And I want you to know that some of some of the things we need are pretty tough. 00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:54.799 And we come on Sunday and we look around and you know, we're all kind of scrubbed up, and we think we're the only one that's going through something very difficult. 00:27:54.960 --> 00:27:58.160 Many of us are going through things very difficult. 00:27:58.559 --> 00:28:10.880 You know, uh things in our finances, uh things in our health, children or loved ones in jail, addictions that are tough to break. 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:14.799 Maybe shame over what happened last night. 00:28:15.680 --> 00:28:21.519 It can be anything, tough things, but here's the main thing is God can handle it. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:22.799 He's holy. 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:29.119 See, that's the great thing about having a dad that's holy, is it doesn't matter what it is, he's got it. 00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:31.119 He can handle it. 00:28:31.839 --> 00:28:38.640 And you can come to him with great confidence, in simple language, your own words, and say, I need you. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:40.960 Please help me. 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:45.039 The entire Lord's prayer lasted one minute. 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:51.200 Um, and so right now, we're gonna just take one minute, and that's just in our own words, in our own way. 00:28:52.079 --> 00:28:53.920 Tell our dad what it is we need. 00:29:56.480 --> 00:30:14.720 You can trust your dad with that one because he's holy and he's compassionate, and he's law, and he loves you, and he's never given up on you, and he's anxious to help you, and he loves it when we call him daddy. 00:30:14.960 --> 00:30:18.880 So let's stand, let's get ready to sing one last song together. 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:24.400 I mean, talking to God is so simple. 00:30:24.720 --> 00:30:28.880 Coming to Jesus for the first time is just as simple. 00:30:29.440 --> 00:30:32.000 Uh and I mention it every week, but it's the same thing. 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:36.240 It's in our own words, in our in our own way, just saying, you know, Jesus, I need you. 00:30:36.400 --> 00:30:40.960 Jesus, I trust you, Jesus, you know, I want to trust you. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:41.920 Help me. 00:30:42.240 --> 00:30:43.599 It's having that conversation. 00:30:43.759 --> 00:30:48.400 The best we can, you know, turning our lives over to him. 00:30:48.640 --> 00:30:52.480 But you know, you don't have to come to Jesus for God to hear your prayers. 00:30:52.799 --> 00:30:56.880 You know, the God loves you no matter what. 00:30:57.039 --> 00:31:01.920 And so maybe your first prayer is, God, show me. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:03.519 I want to, but I don't know. 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:04.799 He's a big God. 00:31:05.039 --> 00:31:06.480 Show me you're real. 00:31:06.960 --> 00:31:08.720 Show me about Jesus. 00:31:09.039 --> 00:31:09.759 And he will. 00:31:09.839 --> 00:31:13.599 But we get to the point where we say, Jesus, I need you, in our own words. 00:31:13.759 --> 00:31:23.039 And just like happened with me and and and uh and us, you know, we come alive inside, and his spirit connects with our spirit. 00:31:23.519 --> 00:31:25.119 And then he starts changing us. 00:31:25.279 --> 00:31:26.400 He starts making us holy. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:30.559 First our insides change, and then eventually our whole lives around us. 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:34.960 So if you've never done that, man, um do it today if if you're there. 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:37.119 Um let's pray. 00:31:37.680 --> 00:31:40.720 Father, Abba, Daddy, we praise you. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:43.119 Thank you for being such a great God. 00:31:43.359 --> 00:31:47.839 Thank you for hearing every single prayer that was just lifted to you. 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:49.599 And we thank you for your answers. 00:31:49.759 --> 00:31:53.759 Please bless everyone here this morning with everything they need. 00:31:54.160 --> 00:31:55.759 And Jesus, we praise you. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:58.079 We thank you for teaching us to pray. 00:31:58.319 --> 00:31:59.200 We love you. 00:31:59.359 --> 00:32:00.720 It's in your name we pray. 00:32:00.960 --> 00:32:01.599 Amen.