WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:01.439 All right, let's pray. 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:04.000 Father, thanks for being such a great God. 00:00:04.959 --> 00:00:07.759 Thanks for adopting us as your very own children. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:08.560 We just praise you. 00:00:08.720 --> 00:00:09.599 We thank you for that. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:11.839 We thank you for loving us so much. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:14.880 Holy Spirit, we thank you for being our teacher and our counselor. 00:00:15.039 --> 00:00:22.399 And we ask you to teach each of us this morning to speak something directly to each of us this morning. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:29.519 Jesus, we just thank you for being the center of our everything, the beginning and the end. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.759 Our lives revolve around you, and we praise you, and we thank you for it. 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.399 And it's in your name that we pray. 00:00:36.719 --> 00:00:37.359 Amen. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:43.840 So what do you say we just talk about Jesus for a little while this morning? 00:00:44.079 --> 00:00:58.880 You know, there's so many important things that we have to talk about, but there's something about just stepping back and talking about Jesus, looking at what he said, looking at what he did, looking at what was important to him, following his example. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:06.879 He had a lot of uh He had a lot of interesting days, Jesus did, when uh he was uh living as a man here on earth. 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:14.319 And and you also had interesting days where uh all those people around him, uh maybe even more so than uh than Jesus. 00:01:14.560 --> 00:01:18.640 Imagine just being one of his followers, being people just like us. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:23.040 And the different things that they encountered and different things that they experienced. 00:01:23.120 --> 00:01:26.159 And this morning we're gonna look at at one of those days. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:32.400 This particular day, there's uh Jesus and three of his friends and followers. 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:35.439 They're they're Peter and James and John. 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.760 Um, Peter and James and John had been friends from way back. 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.400 They were business partners before they met Jesus. 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:56.079 They were in the commer commercial fishing business, and they were partners, and one day Jesus kind of commandeered Peter's boat, and uh through that experience uh got to know Peter, James, and John. 00:01:56.640 --> 00:02:03.920 And so in Matthew 17, it says, Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:08.800 His appearance changed from the inside out right before their eyes. 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.120 Sunlight poured from his face. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:14.560 His clothes were filled with light. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.639 This is a moment that I learned, you know, uh, as the transfiguration. 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:22.240 That may be how you think of that. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:29.120 And the transfiguration is really just kind of one of those old English words that the Bible was uh uh translated into. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.479 I mean, the word we would probably use is transformation. 00:02:33.120 --> 00:02:38.319 Uh, Jesus is just transformed right before their eyes. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:47.280 And the way he's transformed is that light begins just pouring out of Jesus, emanating from Jesus. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:51.280 Light is pretty interesting in the Bible. 00:02:51.520 --> 00:02:57.520 Light itself is an inherent part of uh of God and represents his goodness. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:04.879 You know, we read about in the Old Testament, we read about the glory of the Lord or the glory of God, how the glory of the Lord fills the temple. 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:10.960 And when we might have an image of what that is, but when it's talking about that, it's talking about light. 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:13.360 The glory of the Lord was light. 00:03:13.520 --> 00:03:20.159 It was light that would emanate from God, that would that would pour um through the temple. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:21.439 The same thing in the New Testament. 00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:24.000 Remember when the angels visited the shepherds? 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:28.560 It says the glory of the Lord shone all around them. 00:03:28.960 --> 00:03:34.879 It was uh it was that bright, radiant light that was announcing Jesus' coming. 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:51.919 And I don't want to get too far off track, but um but if you remember when we talked about heaven, how heaven is not you know some place up in the clouds, how the Bible clearly talks about heaven that is gonna be a renewed and restored earth, a physical place. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:56.560 And and and in the middle, if you will, uh is this huge city. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:03.439 Uh it's called the New Jerusalem, but it's this huge city, kind of the main capital city in heaven. 00:04:03.520 --> 00:04:09.280 In Revelation 21, it says the city doesn't need sun or moon for light. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:13.360 God's glory is its light, the lamb, its lamp. 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:18.160 The nations will walk in its light, and earth's kings bring in their splendor. 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:23.199 Its gates will never be shut by day, and there won't be any night. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:32.160 And so here in this moment, the Peter, James, and John are with us, and light is pouring from Jesus. 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:40.959 And in a sense, it's a glimpse of what Jesus is going to be like when we all get to see him face to face. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:46.000 It's the transformed, the kind of glorified Jesus. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:48.959 In fact, that's exactly what Peter says. 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:57.680 About 30 years later, he writes in 2 Peter, he says that that moment was a preview of Jesus coming again. 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.319 The light is just emanating from Jesus. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.800 But it's not blinding light. 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:14.480 Um we know that because Peter, James, and John can not only see Jesus, but he is talking with two other people. 00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:17.759 He goes on to say in Matthew 17. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:24.480 Didn't they realize that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him? 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:30.000 Okay, for three Jewish guys, this is like the moment of a lifetime. 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:35.600 I mean, it's not just Jesus, it's Moses and Elijah. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.120 It's a huge, huge deal. 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:45.759 And what happens next is probably all that we need to know about where Peter was at that point in his life. 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:51.199 You know, Peter turns into a great, great man. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:53.839 But it was a process. 00:05:54.399 --> 00:05:57.839 And uh here we'll see kind of where Peter was at. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:01.040 In the next verse, Peter broke in. 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:03.360 Master, this is a great moment. 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:07.199 What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain? 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:11.439 One for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:13.600 Okay, seriously. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:20.720 You got Jesus, Moses, and Elijah in deep conversation. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:22.879 And what's Peter do? 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:25.120 He interrupts him. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:26.319 He interrupts him. 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:34.800 He thinks like whatever he's got on his mind has got to be more important than whatever it would be that Jesus, Moses, and Elijah would have to talk about. 00:06:35.759 --> 00:06:38.160 He just bursts right in. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:44.079 It'd be interesting to know what Jesus, Moses, and Elijah were talking about, wouldn't it? 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:45.120 We'll never know. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:46.720 Peter interrupted him. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:07:05.519 And what was so important that he just had to interrupt him was he had this idea that he would build three monuments, one for all of them. 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:10.560 And, you know, Peter had to mean this as a compliment to Jesus. 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:14.959 Because in the Jewish world, Moses and Elijah were such a big deal. 00:07:15.120 --> 00:07:22.800 When he said, let's build, or let's not us, I will build three monuments, one for each of you. 00:07:24.480 --> 00:07:28.720 He had to think of it as a big compliment to Jesus. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.920 But this time it's Peter's turn to get interrupted. 00:07:32.240 --> 00:07:43.680 It says that while he was going on like this, babbling, a light, radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounded from deep in the cloud a voice. 00:07:44.319 --> 00:07:51.839 This is my son, marked by my love, focus of my delight, listen to him. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:59.439 Peter, James, and John's big day just got bigger. 00:08:00.879 --> 00:08:09.360 You've got Jesus glowing with light, talking with Moses and Elijah. 00:08:11.680 --> 00:08:18.959 But now God the Father's presence, a cloud, that deep voice. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:23.839 What a moment. 00:08:24.720 --> 00:08:26.160 It was too much. 00:08:26.800 --> 00:08:28.160 It was too much. 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:30.160 It was overwhelming. 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:35.360 It says when the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:37.919 But Jesus came over and touched them. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:39.360 Don't be afraid. 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:45.600 When they opened their eyes and looked around, all they saw was Jesus. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.039 Only Jesus. 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:51.440 What a moment. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.039 You know, I was trying to put myself in their place. 00:08:55.120 --> 00:08:56.240 They're just people like us. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:04.320 What that must have felt like, you know, and uh to to see all that and and to be part of that. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:09.120 And the whole thing, it just really freaked them out. 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:20.879 What they experienced in a way, Peter, James, and John, is they experienced for them the whole Bible on Fast Forward. 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.080 You know, they didn't have the New Testament back then. 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:26.639 The Bible was was the Old Testament. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:36.879 And all at the same time, there's there's Jesus, who's God's Son, and you can see his power and authority and divinity. 00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:41.279 You got Moses, who represented all the law and everything that went with that. 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:45.200 You got Elijah that represented all of the prophets. 00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:52.399 You've got signs and wonders and God's voice, and this all happening at once. 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:56.879 And it was terrifying. 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:58.639 It was too much. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:00.559 They couldn't handle it. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:03.279 It was overwhelming. 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:14.080 And so as I was thinking about this, you know, I realized that the whole God thing is overwhelming. 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:16.159 It really is. 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:20.159 It is just overwhelming. 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:22.480 You know, it starts with God Himself. 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:25.200 You know, is there a God? 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:27.120 What's He like? 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:29.440 Does He know about us? 00:10:29.679 --> 00:10:38.399 You know, and God usually leads us to Himself and to that answer, and then leads us to the Bible. 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:42.720 Now, the Bible, that's overwhelming. 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:47.440 You know, it's full of so much, so many places and names we can't even pronounce. 00:10:47.600 --> 00:10:50.480 I mean, Ben did so good today. 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:54.879 Pronouncing Jonathan's son's name. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:59.360 I mean, there's so much in the Bible. 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:10.000 It was written in two different languages across generations, and it's full of facts and things that are very literal and very specific. 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:14.240 It's full of poetry and stories. 00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:17.519 And so much. 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.360 It's kind of hard to understand sometimes. 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:24.559 You know, some of it's kind of scary, some of it's kind of weird. 00:11:26.240 --> 00:11:29.360 You know, the whole thing can be overwhelming. 00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.440 And that's just the Bible. 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:51.679 You know, then you add centuries of people into the mix, and you've got people and their opinions and their egos and our traditions and all this stuff, all the religion, all the doctrine that is so life and death. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:12:01.360 You know, we've got to understand predestination and premillennialism and postmillennialism and end times prophecy and all this stuff. 00:12:03.120 --> 00:12:07.840 You know, you've got to figure out how to look and how to dress and how to how to speak. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:10.320 It's just too much. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.519 It can be overwhelming. 00:12:15.440 --> 00:12:26.879 Unless we do what Peter, James, and John did, which is to look up and see Jesus. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:30.159 Only Jesus. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:35.840 Jesus said in John 5, he said, You search the scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:38.559 But the scriptures point to me. 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:40.799 We love the Bible. 00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:41.840 I love the Bible. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:43.200 I mean, there's so much. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:44.960 And I don't want to minimize that. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:53.279 There's so much through every part of the Bible that we can learn about God and how God often just speaks to us directly as we read the Bible. 00:12:53.360 --> 00:12:54.320 And we can learn wisdom. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:58.639 We can learn about life, and we can learn about so many things. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:01.120 But we don't worship the Bible. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:04.080 We worship Jesus. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:09.039 The point of the Bible is that it points to Jesus. 00:13:11.120 --> 00:13:13.200 That's what Jesus said to the religious people. 00:13:13.759 --> 00:13:16.720 You search the scriptures looking for eternal life. 00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:20.639 But the scriptures point to me. 00:13:23.279 --> 00:13:24.480 To Jesus. 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:26.159 The answer is Jesus. 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:29.120 It has always been Jesus. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.039 That was what was happening on the mountaintop. 00:13:31.679 --> 00:13:42.559 You've got Moses, you've got Elijah, you've got light pouring, you've got signs, you've got wonders, you've got God's audible voice. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:52.000 And it's all summed up by God the Father, who says, This is my son. 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:53.360 Listen to him. 00:13:55.200 --> 00:13:57.759 The whole thing was about Jesus. 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:05.519 In Hebrews 1, it says, going through a long line of prophets, God has been addressing our ancestors in different ways for centuries. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:08.639 Recently he spoke to us directly through his son. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:15.519 By his son, God created the world in the beginning, and it will all belong to the Son at the end. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:20.799 The Son perfectly mirrors God and is stamped with God's nature. 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:26.320 He holds everything together by what he says, powerful words. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:31.679 See, it all revolves around Jesus. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.360 Jesus perfectly mirrors God. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:41.120 If we want to know God's plan to adopt us, it's Jesus. 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:48.159 If we want to know if God loves us, look at Jesus. 00:14:48.879 --> 00:14:52.159 If we want to see what true love looks like, it's Jesus. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.080 Is God really kind? 00:14:55.200 --> 00:14:57.279 Is God really compassionate? 00:14:58.879 --> 00:15:01.039 Is God really forgiving? 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:02.720 He is. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:04.159 Look at Jesus. 00:15:05.919 --> 00:15:08.080 What's my purpose in life? 00:15:09.679 --> 00:15:11.120 Ask Jesus. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:17.679 Jesus said the main thing is to love God and to love other people. 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:21.200 We can follow Jesus. 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:23.840 We want to know how to love other people. 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:24.960 We watch Jesus. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.440 The Bible says watch Jesus and do what he does. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.559 And mostly what he does is love. 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:34.080 What do I want to be when I grow up? 00:15:34.559 --> 00:15:36.559 I want to be like Jesus. 00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:42.559 See, we're almost exactly halfway through 2010. 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:56.080 And uh I don't know, it just seemed like a good time to take a step back and remind ourselves not to get too far away from looking at Jesus. 00:15:59.279 --> 00:16:01.679 Keep the main thing the main thing. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:13.840 With Jesus, the incomprehensible becomes understandable, the overwhelming becomes manageable, the scary becomes peaceful when we're looking at Jesus. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:24.080 Peter, James, and John had been afraid before. 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:28.639 The first time Jesus met them, they went out on their boat. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:33.919 And the three of them were partners, as I said, commercial fishermen. 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:43.919 Jesus tells them where to go, how to fish, and their catch is so great, it just breaks the nets and it about sinks their boats. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:46.960 And they're overwhelmed. 00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:50.960 But what they're overwhelmed by is not the fish. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:56.240 They're overwhelmed by their own sin in the presence of God. 00:16:56.960 --> 00:17:05.920 In Luke 5, it says, When Simon Peter realized what had happened, he fell to his knees before Jesus and said, Oh Lord, please leave me. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:09.519 I'm too much of a sinner to be around you. 00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:14.960 For he was awestruck by the number of fish they had caught, as were the others with him. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:20.319 His partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were also amazed. 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:26.880 Jesus replied to Simon, Don't be afraid. 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:29.599 Don't be afraid. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:32.240 From now on you'll be fishing for people. 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:38.240 And as soon as they landed, they left everything and followed Jesus. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.359 There's another time when these guys were terrified. 00:17:42.480 --> 00:17:45.839 They were in a boat again, middle of a terrible storm. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:48.400 They were sure they're going to drown. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:52.000 They look up and they see Jesus. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:56.480 And Jesus says, Don't be afraid. 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:00.880 And the storm was calmed. 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:05.359 And now here they are in a different storm. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:11.359 It's the whole God thing, all happening at once. 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.720 And it's too much to process. 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.519 It's too much to take. 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.359 Don't be afraid, Jesus says. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:28.000 And that storm was calmed. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:32.000 They look up and they see Jesus. 00:18:32.640 --> 00:18:33.920 Only Jesus. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:44.559 I guess I just don't want us to be overwhelmed this morning by anything. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:49.359 You know, it could be ourselves. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:55.119 I've been overwhelmed by all three of those these situations in my own life. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.519 You know, I've been overwhelmed by my own sin. 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:02.559 Just disgusted with myself. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:05.839 Not sure I could forgive myself. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:08.000 Not sure God would forgive me. 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:11.359 Don't be afraid, Jesus says. 00:19:11.680 --> 00:19:15.599 You know, I've been overwhelmed by my circumstances in life, by situations. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:18.960 I've been overwhelmed by God. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:20.240 There's so much to know. 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:21.119 You know? 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:30.559 I mean, if that was the key of learning everything, it's overwhelming. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.880 You know, Paul talks once, and he talks about, he's talking about religion specifically. 00:19:37.039 --> 00:19:43.359 And there were people that were so proud of basically their degrees and their spiritual accomplishments and all this stuff. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:46.079 And so Paul says, you know, I got a few of these myself. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:47.359 And he starts listening. 00:19:48.720 --> 00:19:55.759 All these things that that he has done or that he's experienced. 00:19:56.960 --> 00:20:03.839 And he says that all of it is like dog dew to me. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:07.359 That's what he says. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:11.359 When I compare it to knowing Jesus. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.000 When I compare it to knowing Jesus. 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:20.400 If you know Jesus, you've already got the main part. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.200 The rest is going to be gravy. 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:24.880 It's going to be icing on the cake. 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:26.480 The point is to know Jesus. 00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:30.400 The point of the whole Bible is to point us to Jesus. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:39.119 The answer to everything in some way is Jesus. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:46.160 You know, and so it could be ourselves and just our lives and how we've lived and all that that answers Jesus. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:47.680 It could be our situation. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:55.680 And it could just be the whole God thing that seems overwhelming. 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:01.920 But it's not overwhelming if we only see Jesus. 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:08.160 If we just stop, look up, and see Jesus. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:12.960 You know, if the worship team wants to come up, we'll finish here in a minute. 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:21.920 You ever feel like uh, these people say this from time to time, do you feel like, wow, that message was just for me that morning? 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:29.359 You know, like he was just talking to me, and I when I'm not the one talking, I have that same experience. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:32.880 And honestly, a lot of times I have that experience when I am the one talking. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:39.759 And I'm not sure that this weekend uh I was gonna talk about something else the today. 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:47.039 And yesterday it just seemed like, you know, I don't want to go too many weeks before we do nothing but focus on Jesus. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.319 And um. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.079 And so I get confused. 00:21:52.160 --> 00:21:53.440 I get discouraged. 00:21:53.599 --> 00:21:54.960 I get scared sometimes. 00:21:55.039 --> 00:22:03.039 I get overwhelmed by how much there is to know about God and all the The aspects of him. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:12.720 But whenever I do, if I just stop and think about Jesus, talk to Jesus, it's amazing. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.200 It is amazing what happens to my soul. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:17.359 Just the peace that I feel. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:19.519 How none of that seems that important. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:23.759 Because I'm back to the main thing. 00:22:24.240 --> 00:22:26.559 It's just seeing Jesus. 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:30.640 It makes it all fit together. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:35.920 You know, connecting with him is so simple. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:37.119 It's like God. 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:39.920 It's profound and it's simple. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:42.400 It's just humbly turning to him. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:46.400 And just telling them we need him. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:49.920 And in many ways, he takes over from that. 00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:52.559 From there, he fills us with his Holy Spirit. 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:54.960 He surrounds us with people. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:56.240 He teaches us. 00:22:56.480 --> 00:23:00.720 He shows us what to do next and gives us the strength to do it. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:05.279 He transforms us from the inside out. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:11.759 Just like Jesus kind of was transformed on that mountain from the inside out. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:16.559 And don't be overwhelmed. 00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:18.640 Don't be scared. 00:23:18.799 --> 00:23:20.319 Don't be afraid. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:22.240 It's just Jesus. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:24.480 It's connecting with Jesus. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:30.400 In Hebrews 12, it says, keep your eyes on Jesus. 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:35.519 Who both began and finished this race we're in. 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:37.279 And start that over. 00:23:37.519 --> 00:23:41.680 Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:43.599 Study how he did it. 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:46.079 Because he never lost sight of where he was headed. 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:48.640 That exhilarating finish in and with God. 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:53.119 He could put up with anything along the way, cross, shame, whatever. 00:23:53.279 --> 00:23:58.079 And now he's there in the place of honor, right alongside God. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:24:03.759 When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:11.599 That long litany of hostility he plowed through that will shoot adrenaline into your souls. 00:24:13.680 --> 00:24:16.079 Let's keep our eyes on Jesus. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:19.599 You know, if you want to stand, let's pray. 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:24.720 And then we'll finish like we always do. 00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:27.200 One more song to worship and celebrate Him. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:29.519 Father, thank you for being such a great God. 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:30.720 We do thank you. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:32.240 We thank you for Jesus. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:40.480 Your wisdom and that being the plan all along, your wisdom in all the scriptures pointing to Him. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:47.839 Your wisdom in giving us someone that shows us exactly what you're like. 00:24:48.000 --> 00:24:53.519 So we know that you're loving, you're kind, compassionate, you care about us. 00:24:54.720 --> 00:24:56.720 We thank you so much for that. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.519 And Jesus, we thank you. 00:24:59.599 --> 00:25:04.640 We acknowledge you as our King, the center of the universe, the center of our lives. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:05.359 Please help us. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:07.039 Please stir up our hearts. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:10.240 Help us not to be overwhelmed. 00:25:10.400 --> 00:25:11.440 Help us not to be scared. 00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:13.599 Help us not to be discouraged. 00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:20.720 Help us to see you, to look up, look around, and see you. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:22.640 Only you. 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:25.599 We love you, we need you, and we trust you. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:28.079 Jesus, it's in your great name we pray. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:28.960 Amen.