WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:05.500 We are getting back into the series of lowliness of mind. 00:05.760 --> 00:10.540 How many of you were here for the first five parts of the series? 00:11.240 --> 00:12.420 So a majority of you. Okay, excellent. 00:12.800 --> 00:18.240 If you were not, I would strongly encourage you to go and listen to the series again for many reasons. 00:18.580 --> 00:21.040 For many, many reasons. And you'll hear just a few of them today. 00:21.660 --> 00:24.720 But we're gonna get back into it, but I'm gonna... 00:24.720 --> 00:29.040 We're getting back into the series, but I'm taking a slightly different... 00:29.420 --> 00:31.660 I'd call it like the phase two of the series. 00:32.460 --> 00:36.300 What I want to do here for the next few Sundays that we have until Thanksgiving comes up, 00:36.340 --> 00:38.900 until Christmas comes up, for the next few Sundays, 00:39.140 --> 00:41.060 Pastor has allowed me to get back into it. 00:41.160 --> 00:43.060 And I'm gonna call it like the phase two. 00:43.220 --> 00:45.380 You don't guys don't have to quote that on the... 00:45.380 --> 00:48.360 How are you gonna document it for the... 00:48.360 --> 00:50.220 Our online stuff? It can just still be lowly. 00:50.660 --> 00:51.980 This is more for Kevin than for anybody. 00:52.160 --> 00:53.240 But anyway, sorry about that, wow. 00:53.940 --> 00:56.960 But I'm gonna call this more of like the phase two of the series. 00:56.960 --> 01:01.080 And the reason why I'm calling it more so of the phase two of the series, 01:01.320 --> 01:03.360 is I actually for the next few Sundays, 01:03.780 --> 01:08.960 I want to walk through the life of Jesus with you guys, through the scriptures. 01:09.600 --> 01:17.840 And I want to show you, I want to stress the fact that lowliness of mind 01:17.840 --> 01:21.680 is not something that Jesus did or does. 01:22.360 --> 01:28.440 But lowliness of mind or to be lowly is actually the nature of our God. 01:29.120 --> 01:30.820 It's not just something that he does. 01:30.980 --> 01:32.980 The Lord doesn't just choose, well, I'm gonna be lowly here, 01:33.100 --> 01:34.740 but I'm not gonna be lowly there. 01:35.100 --> 01:38.660 In everything, in everything that the Lord does, 01:38.800 --> 01:40.700 it's his nature to be lowly. 01:41.460 --> 01:42.740 And so for these next few Sundays, 01:42.860 --> 01:46.640 we're literally gonna start from the incarnation of God. 01:47.040 --> 01:50.280 And we're gonna walk through his life to the point of even death 01:50.280 --> 01:51.160 and even his resurrection. 01:52.060 --> 01:54.160 So, I hope you're as excited as I am, 01:54.180 --> 01:55.160 because I'm super excited. 01:55.900 --> 01:59.320 I want to give you just a quick overview of what the first five parts were. 02:00.100 --> 02:05.400 This whole series is based out of Philippians 2, starting at verse 1 to 11. 02:05.680 --> 02:08.400 That's where it's literally, this is the foundational scripture 02:08.400 --> 02:10.420 to the series of lowliness of mind. 02:10.660 --> 02:14.720 Because in those 11 verses, we see the apostle Paul 02:15.260 --> 02:19.860 just writing some magnificent depth in so many aspects. 02:19.860 --> 02:21.620 I mean, it's just, it's wonderful. 02:21.920 --> 02:24.760 I've been sitting on Philippians 2 for a long time. 02:25.260 --> 02:26.140 For a long, long time. 02:27.220 --> 02:30.420 So, a few things that we covered in the first five parts 02:30.420 --> 02:36.720 was that lowliness of mind is actually the blueprint of the end time revival. 02:37.480 --> 02:38.240 Do you guys remember that? 02:38.540 --> 02:40.380 I talked about that in one of the parts. 02:40.800 --> 02:43.560 To be lowly is literally think of it as like the blueprint. 02:44.640 --> 02:46.700 That's like the architect's name 02:46.700 --> 02:48.180 or that's like the contractor's name. 02:48.180 --> 02:51.140 And everything within it falls under being lowly. 02:51.580 --> 02:55.140 So, lowliness of mind is literally the blueprint of the end time revival. 02:55.460 --> 02:57.800 And I will even say this with confidence. 02:58.320 --> 03:02.120 That you're going to see this topic of lowliness 03:03.300 --> 03:05.400 actually expand, listen to me, okay? 03:05.880 --> 03:07.700 You're actually going to see this topic 03:07.700 --> 03:09.640 and this theme of lowliness of mind 03:09.640 --> 03:11.580 actually expand in other churches. 03:12.260 --> 03:16.480 Those that are living churches, those that are spirit filled, 03:16.480 --> 03:18.860 Holy Ghost, Jesus, loving churches, 03:19.040 --> 03:22.580 you're going to see this theme begin to unravel as the days go ahead. 03:22.680 --> 03:24.420 Just mark my words. Seriously. 03:24.740 --> 03:28.480 You guys are going to watch it as I've been watching it unfold. 03:29.420 --> 03:32.660 Lowliness of mind has to do more with the inner man 03:32.660 --> 03:34.120 than it does with the outer man. 03:35.080 --> 03:37.760 It has to do with the way that we perceive things. 03:38.100 --> 03:40.820 It has to do with the way that we posture our hearts. 03:41.160 --> 03:45.160 It has to do with our inner man rather than our outer man. 03:45.160 --> 03:48.560 And I even gave this example and this is literally a true story. 03:49.040 --> 03:51.720 Some of the lowliest people that I know in life 03:51.720 --> 03:53.900 that are very dear and very close to me 03:53.900 --> 03:56.320 that I call my friends, they're dear to me. 03:56.880 --> 03:59.460 Some of the most lowliest people are multi-millionaires. 04:00.360 --> 04:02.640 It has nothing to do with the car you drive, 04:02.900 --> 04:04.520 the house you live in, the clothes you wear. 04:04.620 --> 04:05.720 It has nothing to do with that. 04:05.920 --> 04:08.320 It has, I should say, very little to do with that. 04:08.660 --> 04:10.620 But you can be such a lowly person, 04:10.860 --> 04:13.520 yet make millions, yet have a successful business, 04:13.520 --> 04:16.120 yet have all these things, because they don't rule you, 04:16.160 --> 04:17.100 because Jesus is your king. 04:18.140 --> 04:23.800 Lowliness of mind actually brings us into a friendship with the Lord. 04:24.920 --> 04:25.740 That's huge. 04:27.440 --> 04:31.120 Lowliness to be of a lowly mind and to live a lowly life 04:32.220 --> 04:34.900 naturally brings us into a friendship with the Lord. 04:35.000 --> 04:35.880 It just naturally does. 04:36.940 --> 04:38.820 Because there's many people that claim, 04:38.960 --> 04:40.080 well, Jesus is my friend, 04:40.200 --> 04:41.740 but the question I always like to ask, 04:41.740 --> 04:43.200 well, does the Lord call you his friend? 04:43.980 --> 04:46.500 And automatically people say, well, yeah, the scriptures do, 04:46.820 --> 04:48.900 but it's like, you got to really look at the scriptures 04:48.900 --> 04:54.380 and you got to really understand who the Lord calls his friends. 04:54.860 --> 04:56.820 And the greatest example we have is John the Baptist. 04:57.180 --> 05:01.000 John the Baptist models to us what it means 05:01.000 --> 05:02.780 to be a friend of the Lord. 05:03.560 --> 05:07.440 To be lowly is to catch the attention of the Lord. 05:08.460 --> 05:10.320 The scriptures say, this is what Mary said, 05:10.320 --> 05:14.120 the mother of Jesus, that you regard the lowly Lord. 05:14.240 --> 05:16.580 And she's singing her song and she says, 05:16.620 --> 05:17.600 you regard the lowly. 05:18.120 --> 05:21.620 So living a life of lowliness or walking in a lowly mind, 05:21.800 --> 05:25.700 we actually attract the Lord. 05:25.840 --> 05:27.060 We capture his attention. 05:27.520 --> 05:29.580 And this is out of Isaiah 66-2. 05:29.760 --> 05:30.860 I talked about that as well. 05:31.400 --> 05:33.040 And then the last thing I just want to say, 05:33.420 --> 05:36.740 oh, I already said that, that the Lord regards the lowly. 05:37.020 --> 05:38.420 See, you get ahead of your notes. 05:39.960 --> 05:43.880 Can you put up the slide that I asked you guys to? 05:44.320 --> 05:47.520 This is the definition, the Greek definition of lowliness of mind. 05:47.780 --> 05:51.640 And I've been hammering at this and basically read it almost there. 05:51.680 --> 05:54.500 I think there's only one Sunday I did not read this definition, 05:54.760 --> 05:57.200 the Greek definition of what lowliness is. 05:57.480 --> 05:58.740 And I'm going to read it here again. 05:59.380 --> 06:01.260 And then we're going to have Miss Sally come up here. 06:01.440 --> 06:04.900 And Miss Sally is going to preach a little bit to us here. 06:05.160 --> 06:06.980 I'm telling you, a woman of God. 06:06.980 --> 06:07.620 Let me read this. 06:08.860 --> 06:11.060 This virtue, a fruit of the gospel, 06:11.580 --> 06:16.880 exists when a person through most genuine self-evaluation 06:16.880 --> 06:19.360 deems himself worthless. 06:20.080 --> 06:24.560 It involves evaluating ourselves as small because we are so. 06:25.140 --> 06:28.480 The humble person is not stressing his sinfulness, 06:28.940 --> 06:32.960 but his creaturelessness of absolute dependence 06:34.160 --> 06:38.960 of possessing nothing and of receiving all things from God. 06:39.840 --> 06:43.000 That is the definition, the Greek definition of lowliness. 06:43.720 --> 06:46.180 And I share this, Miss Sally, you can come up here. 06:46.480 --> 06:47.740 While you're coming up here, I'll share this. 06:48.380 --> 06:51.380 I share this in one of the parts. 06:51.640 --> 06:53.120 I think it was towards the beginning of the series. 06:53.680 --> 06:56.000 I said, we are worthless without Christ. 06:57.280 --> 06:59.440 We are literally worthless without Christ. 06:59.440 --> 07:05.140 And I even said this, I said, if we can... 07:05.140 --> 07:06.940 Let me just say this real quick. 07:07.340 --> 07:10.360 There is some revelations of the Lord that you cannot teach, 07:10.500 --> 07:11.500 but you have to catch them. 07:13.160 --> 07:16.600 There is literally some things of God that you cannot teach. 07:16.840 --> 07:18.380 You have to catch them by the Spirit. 07:19.440 --> 07:24.280 And if we could catch the revelation that Jesus found me worthy 07:24.280 --> 07:26.920 to die for, that should be enough for us. 07:29.480 --> 07:32.260 If we can catch that, your life will change. 07:32.420 --> 07:33.640 I promise you, it will change. 07:34.060 --> 07:36.540 Miss Sally, do you want the pulpit? 07:37.740 --> 07:38.560 Or are you good here? 07:39.280 --> 07:40.560 Yeah, why don't you come up here? 07:42.440 --> 07:43.400 You sure can. 07:44.880 --> 07:45.880 I would love to. 07:46.540 --> 07:47.620 I will help you get down. 07:47.840 --> 07:48.540 Is your husband okay? 07:50.180 --> 07:50.820 Tell me. 07:55.870 --> 07:57.550 Your husband is watching. Is that okay? 07:57.550 --> 07:58.330 Okay. 07:59.990 --> 08:01.130 I'm older than you. 08:01.390 --> 08:03.910 I know, but still, you know, I don't want Ken to be jealous 08:03.910 --> 08:05.110 that I just held your hand. 08:06.030 --> 08:06.770 Here you go. 08:07.830 --> 08:09.510 I'll move this. I'll move my notes. 08:09.730 --> 08:10.750 Why was going to read those? 08:11.070 --> 08:12.490 Pretty good. 08:15.310 --> 08:16.470 He endures me. 08:17.310 --> 08:19.330 I didn't say adore. I said endure. 08:21.410 --> 08:23.850 Okay, I didn't say adore. I said endure. 08:24.070 --> 08:25.350 Just in case they missed it. 08:25.350 --> 08:31.130 You know, this was during my quiet time, October 22nd. 08:32.750 --> 08:35.530 My quiet time with the Lord is never quiet actually, 08:35.690 --> 08:39.230 but you should, you know, say that so people know what happened. 08:41.470 --> 08:43.770 But it was basically a dialogue. 08:44.930 --> 08:50.230 I was asking, and then he'd answer, which is how it's, you know, back and forth. 08:50.850 --> 08:54.130 But these are things. This is what the Lord said to me. 08:54.130 --> 08:59.170 And I got so excited that I contacted my pastor. 09:00.050 --> 09:00.510 My pastor. 09:02.930 --> 09:05.550 Can I tell him that? 09:06.330 --> 09:08.510 I call him Pastor Honey Igor. 09:13.890 --> 09:15.170 But he... 09:15.170 --> 09:16.370 Like, now why I'm up here. 09:16.810 --> 09:18.790 These are the things. And this is serious. 09:19.610 --> 09:21.090 I'm all kidding aside. 09:22.210 --> 09:23.950 And here it was what he said. 09:24.550 --> 09:30.190 There are things that cannot be understood or comprehended except by the Holy Spirit. 09:31.030 --> 09:33.210 He moves and works supernaturally. 09:33.530 --> 09:36.350 He works from the inside, from within, 09:37.090 --> 09:39.670 building a foundation of godly character, 09:39.930 --> 09:43.910 which must be in place to be able you to handle 09:43.910 --> 09:48.670 and to be entrusted with the plans and purposes of God for you. 09:49.830 --> 09:51.950 So then I had some dialogue. 09:54.130 --> 09:54.910 Then this is what... 09:55.430 --> 09:57.850 A lot of this isn't new to you. I know that. 09:58.190 --> 09:59.330 But it's a good reminder. 10:00.310 --> 10:04.410 There are gifts and there is the fruit of the Spirit. 10:05.510 --> 10:06.970 Gifts can be instant. 10:07.810 --> 10:10.830 And even if your life is not a hundred percent, 10:11.850 --> 10:13.350 the gift is still there. 10:14.370 --> 10:16.830 The fruit, however, must be developed. 10:16.830 --> 10:19.630 As it is not an instant trait, 10:20.350 --> 10:24.190 you must be and you must stay connected to the vine 10:24.190 --> 10:26.630 if you're going to bring forth godly fruit. 10:27.790 --> 10:31.550 Only the life being lived going low 10:31.550 --> 10:37.090 will have the strength and the necessary gifts of the Spirit 10:37.090 --> 10:40.870 to be able to function in and walk in 10:40.870 --> 10:44.530 the protection, the power, and the anointing needed 10:44.530 --> 10:47.610 to endure the pressure of the things that will be coming. 10:49.670 --> 10:50.610 Without it. 10:53.290 --> 10:56.010 This is why Jesus always went low. 10:57.030 --> 10:59.170 To go low, we need godly character 10:59.170 --> 11:00.890 and the leading of the Holy Spirit 11:00.890 --> 11:03.770 within to freely follow in his footsteps 11:03.770 --> 11:05.690 unafraid and prepared. 11:06.770 --> 11:08.770 Don't be nervous. There's only two pages. 11:11.710 --> 11:12.930 We know this. 11:13.850 --> 11:14.950 God is love. 11:15.770 --> 11:17.970 And love is the main fruit of the Spirit. 11:19.110 --> 11:22.650 To walk in the Spirit is to live the love lifestyle. 11:23.710 --> 11:24.650 When you have the... 11:24.650 --> 11:27.530 Now this was both Igor and I picked up on this 11:27.530 --> 11:28.790 because this is what he said. 11:30.550 --> 11:33.710 When you have the royal law of love 11:35.450 --> 11:38.870 operating unconditionally in your life, 11:39.030 --> 11:40.970 when this is the governing factor 11:40.970 --> 11:43.030 upon which your life is based, 11:43.190 --> 11:46.950 you will not need a long list of do's and don'ts. 11:46.970 --> 11:49.150 Love always goes low. 11:50.350 --> 11:52.770 All the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit 11:52.770 --> 11:53.570 is supernatural. 11:54.530 --> 11:57.230 Everything man makes, this I thought was very interesting. 11:58.510 --> 12:01.490 Everything man makes is made from things that are dead. 12:06.150 --> 12:08.050 Everything that man makes 12:08.050 --> 12:09.730 is made from things that are dead. 12:09.730 --> 12:12.130 This is referring to works. 12:13.410 --> 12:16.510 Seeking to produce the fruit in your own life 12:16.510 --> 12:20.890 by works leads only to dead works and dead things. 12:22.090 --> 12:25.810 When God, by His Holy Spirit, builds within you His fruit, 12:26.330 --> 12:28.110 there is always life. 12:29.550 --> 12:32.850 Fruit is developed only as you are connected to the vine 12:32.850 --> 12:34.890 surrounded and submitted. 12:35.750 --> 12:38.430 These gifts manifest in those who are strong 12:38.430 --> 12:41.350 spiritually with no compromise. 12:43.570 --> 12:47.670 There is a compelling love that takes us out of our own safe zone, 12:48.350 --> 12:53.090 safe zone, and causes us to move out into the will of God 12:53.090 --> 12:56.810 on assignment that He is leading us to be involved in. 12:57.790 --> 13:00.170 The end-time church will show this love 13:00.170 --> 13:01.970 and walk in the supernatural. 13:04.030 --> 13:06.870 Faith works by love, by God's character, 13:06.870 --> 13:09.510 when we manifest the fruit of the Spirit, 13:09.910 --> 13:12.710 we manifest God's life within us. 13:13.730 --> 13:16.990 And this was very encouraging to me this last part. 13:17.610 --> 13:21.850 It says, you will find going low is not just something that you do, 13:22.490 --> 13:27.610 but you will find yourself becoming a follower of the one 13:27.610 --> 13:30.250 who always chose to grow low. 13:31.150 --> 13:33.230 So we talked about that for a while, 13:33.230 --> 13:35.630 and, you know, he reminded me. 13:36.530 --> 13:41.430 He said, read Isaiah 14 about Lucifer and the five, 13:41.730 --> 13:44.710 I will, I will, I will, I will, I will. 13:46.070 --> 13:49.230 And then I thought, you know, God has such a wonderful sense of humor. 13:49.730 --> 13:52.870 He said, I have my own strategy. 13:53.470 --> 13:54.970 I know how to deal with him. 13:55.790 --> 13:59.590 And he said, that's why I called everyone that is mine, 13:59.590 --> 14:01.430 our mind, to go low. 14:03.230 --> 14:06.110 Hold the mic real quick. Yeah, we can give her a... 14:06.110 --> 14:07.790 Yeah, that was wonderful. Yeah. 14:09.130 --> 14:09.670 That's fine. 14:11.650 --> 14:13.210 We're not honoring her, or I should say, 14:13.270 --> 14:14.330 we're not just giving her the glory, 14:14.370 --> 14:16.010 we're honoring her by giving God the glory. 14:17.830 --> 14:20.050 It's okay to clap in churches, just letting you guys know. 14:20.690 --> 14:21.930 But stay up here just for a second, 14:22.010 --> 14:23.770 because when you and I were on the phone, 14:23.870 --> 14:25.490 this is what I really wanted the people to catch 14:25.490 --> 14:27.830 when you were talking to me on Friday, right? 14:27.830 --> 14:29.830 We talked on Thursday. It's the 22nd, 14:30.370 --> 14:32.230 because I called you right after I got it. 14:32.430 --> 14:33.670 I was wired. Yeah. 14:34.050 --> 14:36.330 You said something, you said something 14:36.330 --> 14:38.010 that caught the attention of my spirit. 14:38.170 --> 14:40.330 You said, because I feel like our people need to hear this, 14:40.690 --> 14:43.710 you said that going low is actually 14:44.230 --> 14:45.850 for our protection. It is. 14:46.010 --> 14:48.230 Can you elaborate just a little bit on that, 14:48.550 --> 14:50.730 of what the Lord was dropping in you 14:50.730 --> 14:51.870 as he was talking to you about that? 14:51.970 --> 14:53.810 We will need that, we will need that, 14:53.830 --> 14:56.430 because God does know the strategy of the enemy. 14:57.610 --> 15:00.210 And not to want to sound doom and gloom, 15:00.250 --> 15:02.470 but we are going to go into some pretty hard times. 15:03.150 --> 15:04.750 And so you are saying... 15:04.750 --> 15:05.070 Go ahead. 15:07.030 --> 15:09.610 It's like when he showed me the blood of Jesus. 15:09.830 --> 15:11.050 We plead the blood of Jesus. 15:11.250 --> 15:13.910 We apply the blood of Jesus to our families and this. 15:14.670 --> 15:16.390 That is our... 15:16.390 --> 15:18.730 That's our battle equipment. 15:19.090 --> 15:19.990 That is our armor. 15:21.290 --> 15:23.290 And it looks just like 15:23.770 --> 15:25.230 we are covered with him, 15:25.230 --> 15:27.790 but to the enemy when he looks at us, 15:27.970 --> 15:29.490 he sees shining armor. 15:29.830 --> 15:31.210 He sees the reflection. 15:31.750 --> 15:32.830 He doesn't want to mess with it. 15:33.210 --> 15:35.290 So this going low 15:36.510 --> 15:38.650 is where our protection will be. 15:39.230 --> 15:41.270 When we try to seek the high place, 15:41.990 --> 15:44.490 we encounter all kinds of opposition. 15:45.210 --> 15:47.290 Unless you are... 15:47.290 --> 15:49.070 You've got to be spiritually strong. 15:49.210 --> 15:51.070 You've got to know God's word, first of all. 15:51.410 --> 15:53.070 You've got to know it. You've got to know him. 15:53.070 --> 15:54.290 He is the word. 15:54.430 --> 15:57.590 But it is the protection. 15:58.350 --> 15:59.790 For the church in the days ahead. 16:00.870 --> 16:02.430 Now and even in the days ahead. 16:02.650 --> 16:04.070 Well, it's starting right now. 16:04.370 --> 16:06.430 And anybody who isn't aware 16:06.430 --> 16:08.330 that we are in a time of transition, 16:10.990 --> 16:12.910 things are not as they used to be. 16:13.910 --> 16:15.210 Only he knows... 16:15.210 --> 16:16.130 He has a timeline. 16:16.750 --> 16:18.090 Only God has the timeline. 16:18.490 --> 16:21.710 We can have our suppositions and our ideas 16:21.710 --> 16:22.770 and talk about them. 16:23.470 --> 16:25.190 We've got to shut up the media. 16:26.150 --> 16:27.530 Don't listen to them. 16:28.330 --> 16:30.110 They're walking around in circles. 16:30.290 --> 16:31.650 They're the blind leading the blind. 16:32.470 --> 16:33.970 But you don't want to go, 16:34.130 --> 16:36.470 ooh, this is awful. We're going to perish. 16:36.870 --> 16:39.270 No. For such a time as this, we're here. 16:39.490 --> 16:40.650 Why do you think we're here? 16:41.130 --> 16:42.790 Why do you think God's let me live 16:42.790 --> 16:44.190 to be this age? I love it. 16:44.510 --> 16:45.270 25, right? 16:46.310 --> 16:47.350 Well, and a few more. 16:47.650 --> 16:49.350 Okay. But we'll keep it at 25. 16:49.350 --> 16:51.810 My youngest great-grandchild is that age. 16:52.010 --> 16:52.270 Oh, wow. 16:54.570 --> 16:55.910 So you must have had him really young. 16:56.270 --> 16:57.810 Oh, I got married at 13. 17:00.990 --> 17:01.910 I didn't really. 17:03.750 --> 17:05.290 Thank you. Thank you. 17:05.510 --> 17:07.810 Anything else you want to say before I help you down the stairs? 17:08.270 --> 17:10.630 Oh, yeah, you told me. Otherwise, I'll be up here with you. 17:10.810 --> 17:13.150 I can go sit down. I can go sit down. 17:13.430 --> 17:14.650 Thank you. Let me help you out here. 17:14.790 --> 17:16.230 I will let you... 17:16.230 --> 17:17.410 He endures. He does. 17:18.410 --> 17:19.870 Isn't Sally and Ken just wonderful? 17:20.030 --> 17:21.010 And don't we love him in our church? 17:23.910 --> 17:25.090 Here, let me hold this for you. 17:28.700 --> 17:29.840 See? Look at that. 17:30.460 --> 17:32.060 Praise the Lord. Multi-tasking. 17:38.400 --> 17:40.380 Ken, there is an adult moment at home, is there? 17:46.160 --> 17:48.420 I want to... I want to pray 17:48.420 --> 17:50.600 before we get into today's message. 17:51.480 --> 17:52.940 But I want to... 17:53.340 --> 17:55.120 I want to do something a little bit different. 17:55.560 --> 17:58.060 And honestly, it's even a little bit uncomfortable for me. 17:58.720 --> 18:00.640 But as a few weeks ago, my wife and I, 18:00.720 --> 18:03.780 we went with our family down to Florida 18:03.780 --> 18:05.700 and we had our family vacation, which was wonderful. 18:06.280 --> 18:08.880 And it's amazing. As soon as we left Minnesota, 18:09.640 --> 18:11.240 it's like being in a different state. 18:11.800 --> 18:13.820 I don't even know if it was maybe just like full rest, 18:13.920 --> 18:15.860 but God just started dropping things in my spirit. 18:16.040 --> 18:18.400 I wasn't even like, you know, pressing in or anything. 18:18.540 --> 18:20.000 The Lord just boop, just dropping things. 18:20.080 --> 18:21.520 And I'm like, wow, that's what happens when you leave. 18:22.240 --> 18:24.400 But the Lord dropped something in my spirit 18:24.400 --> 18:27.220 that I was like, Lord, I don't feel as comfortable doing this 18:27.220 --> 18:29.180 because I just... I don't know. 18:29.220 --> 18:31.700 Maybe it's my background of coming from a religious church 18:31.700 --> 18:32.660 and they would do this a lot. 18:33.260 --> 18:36.480 But I really felt like in it, the Lord wants us to do something. 18:36.620 --> 18:38.020 Now, this is completely voluntary. 18:38.420 --> 18:39.940 I'm not telling you you have to do this. 18:41.020 --> 18:43.040 But the Lord spoke this to me. 18:43.280 --> 18:44.960 And it was out of Romans 829. 18:45.240 --> 18:45.980 And I'm going to read it. 18:46.560 --> 18:48.420 In Romans 829, it says this. 18:48.880 --> 18:51.140 For whom he foreknew, this is who God, 18:51.680 --> 18:54.720 for whom he foreknew, he also predestined 18:54.720 --> 18:58.740 to be conformed to the image of his son 18:59.560 --> 19:04.840 that he might be the first born among many brethren. 19:05.460 --> 19:07.400 And what the Lord dropped in my spirit, 19:07.500 --> 19:08.500 he said, I want you to do this. 19:08.640 --> 19:09.720 And he said, you make it voluntary. 19:11.000 --> 19:12.300 And you don't have to do it right now. 19:12.560 --> 19:13.140 I'll let you know when. 19:13.280 --> 19:15.940 But he said, I want you to invite anybody who wants to stand up. 19:16.860 --> 19:18.680 And he said, as you're in the second phase 19:18.680 --> 19:19.860 of the lowliness of mind, 19:19.980 --> 19:22.320 he said, I want you to pray this scripture 19:22.760 --> 19:24.320 over us as a congregation 19:24.760 --> 19:29.160 that the Holy Spirit would supernaturally conform us 19:30.200 --> 19:31.540 into the image of Christ. 19:32.340 --> 19:34.200 And here's where I really got uncomfortable. 19:34.440 --> 19:36.140 And this is why, because the religious church 19:36.140 --> 19:37.960 that years, years, years ago 19:38.980 --> 19:40.680 is that the Lord said, 19:40.780 --> 19:42.620 I want you to ask them to repeat after you. 19:42.780 --> 19:45.100 He said, you pray and let them repeat after you. 19:45.100 --> 19:47.760 I said, Lord, they can pray on their own, God. 19:49.480 --> 19:51.020 So I'm going to ask you, 19:51.560 --> 19:53.580 if that bears witness with you, 19:53.860 --> 19:55.580 if you want to truly, 19:58.460 --> 20:00.380 truly, if you want to be conformed 20:00.380 --> 20:01.440 into the image of Christ 20:02.760 --> 20:05.260 as the bride that takes up the name of a husband 20:05.260 --> 20:06.600 and loses her identity 20:06.600 --> 20:08.300 and takes the identity of her bridegroom, 20:08.780 --> 20:10.700 I'm going to ask you if you can stand this morning 20:11.520 --> 20:14.140 and don't feel, if it doesn't bear witness with you, 20:14.140 --> 20:15.040 it doesn't bear witness with you. 20:15.140 --> 20:18.320 There's absolutely no judgment in this place, honestly. 20:19.820 --> 20:21.880 And I want to pray, and I would just like for you guys 20:21.880 --> 20:24.640 as a congregation to pray with me 20:25.720 --> 20:26.860 as I lead us in prayer. 20:26.980 --> 20:27.420 Can we do that? 20:31.450 --> 20:32.690 Father, we thank you. 20:35.450 --> 20:36.430 For your son, 20:37.870 --> 20:39.190 we thank you 20:39.990 --> 20:42.210 that your son died for us. 20:44.330 --> 20:46.010 Father, we thank you 20:47.150 --> 20:49.450 for your precious Holy Spirit 20:52.690 --> 20:55.650 that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit 20:58.990 --> 21:00.750 and he moves in us 21:00.750 --> 21:03.390 and he dwells in us 21:03.390 --> 21:06.450 and he does as he pleases. 21:09.370 --> 21:11.830 And Father, we're asking you 21:13.530 --> 21:17.050 that as we walk through the life of your son Jesus 21:17.050 --> 21:22.610 and we see the very nature 21:24.390 --> 21:26.570 of our lowly king 21:28.210 --> 21:30.450 that you would conform us 21:31.550 --> 21:33.550 that you would conform us 21:33.550 --> 21:36.470 that you would conform us, Lord 21:37.850 --> 21:40.550 into the image of your son Jesus 21:43.350 --> 21:45.010 that we would be a bride 21:46.170 --> 21:48.690 that would take the identity 21:50.370 --> 21:53.490 of her husband, of her bridegroom, 21:54.310 --> 21:57.370 Jesus Christ. Amen. 21:58.170 --> 22:00.710 Thank you. Praise the Lord. 22:01.530 --> 22:03.250 Praise the Lord. If you have your scriptures 22:03.250 --> 22:04.710 open up to Genesis 1. 22:07.910 --> 22:08.630 Genesis 1. 22:11.130 --> 22:13.890 I'm going to be doing some reading. I may stop here and there. 22:17.130 --> 22:18.810 But I really believe that supernaturally 22:20.410 --> 22:21.910 I don't even have an answer 22:21.910 --> 22:23.050 of how he's going to do it. 22:23.810 --> 22:25.290 But I just first thing that comes to me 22:25.290 --> 22:27.610 is going to be supernatural. The Lord is going to do something. 22:28.650 --> 22:31.950 It seems like such a cliche thing to say. Let me reword that. 22:35.710 --> 22:37.990 The Lord is already doing something 22:37.990 --> 22:39.630 special in this house. 22:40.010 --> 22:42.190 I can recognize it and I've recognized it 22:42.190 --> 22:44.210 since my wife and I have come here 22:45.010 --> 22:46.930 which was exactly a year ago 22:46.930 --> 22:49.190 that we officially started coming here 22:50.250 --> 22:50.770 regularly. 22:52.470 --> 22:55.150 We recognize then that the Lord is doing something 22:55.150 --> 22:56.550 very special in this house. 22:57.130 --> 22:59.110 But I really believe that as we 22:59.110 --> 23:01.370 behold the Lord in these next few Sundays 23:01.370 --> 23:02.910 as we walk through the life of the Lord 23:02.910 --> 23:03.890 and we behold him 23:04.730 --> 23:06.730 I just believe that he's going to do something 23:06.730 --> 23:09.090 very special in us internally. 23:09.310 --> 23:10.850 He's going to do something special in us. 23:12.270 --> 23:13.110 Individually, individually 23:13.110 --> 23:14.810 yet when we come corporately 23:14.810 --> 23:16.070 we're going to see it too. 23:17.610 --> 23:18.450 Genesis 1 23:19.020 --> 23:21.330 is a chapter that we all know 23:21.330 --> 23:22.510 in the Bible so well. 23:22.610 --> 23:24.590 But I'm reading it here for a reason 23:24.590 --> 23:26.130 and we'll see how many verses I read. 23:26.130 --> 23:28.290 There's technically 31 verses here. 23:29.330 --> 23:30.670 But I'm just going to read through it 23:30.670 --> 23:32.810 because I'm trying to emphasize something to you here 23:32.810 --> 23:35.390 because I want to show you 23:35.390 --> 23:36.310 the life of the Lord 23:37.050 --> 23:38.810 and I want to show you something 23:38.810 --> 23:42.030 that we oftentimes overlook 23:42.030 --> 23:42.870 or take for granted. 23:43.090 --> 23:44.450 We don't give enough attention to it 23:44.450 --> 23:46.890 because we've been taught since we just came 23:46.890 --> 23:48.850 to church, since we just came to the Lord 23:48.850 --> 23:50.130 in Sunday school growing up 23:50.130 --> 23:51.830 our parents taught us in the beginning 23:52.910 --> 23:54.170 the earth was out void 23:54.170 --> 23:55.450 and we go down it. 23:55.510 --> 23:57.690 So when I read it, please don't take it monotone 23:57.690 --> 23:59.830 or don't take it like, oh man, this again. 24:00.370 --> 24:02.410 But I'm trying to draw your attention 24:02.410 --> 24:03.150 to something here. 24:03.570 --> 24:04.910 But here in Genesis it says, 24:05.190 --> 24:07.650 in the beginning God created 24:07.650 --> 24:09.710 the heavens and the earth. 24:11.590 --> 24:12.670 Let me pause there. 24:12.770 --> 24:13.550 See, I'm already pausing. 24:14.210 --> 24:16.170 I want you to pay attention to God. 24:17.470 --> 24:18.510 How many of you know 24:18.510 --> 24:19.710 that God is three in one? 24:21.930 --> 24:22.790 God the Father 24:22.790 --> 24:24.830 God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 24:25.110 --> 24:25.190 Okay. 24:26.490 --> 24:28.490 In the beginning God created 24:28.490 --> 24:29.970 the heavens and the earth 24:29.970 --> 24:32.570 and the earth was without form 24:32.570 --> 24:33.510 and void. 24:34.070 --> 24:36.490 And darkness was over the face 24:36.490 --> 24:37.350 of the deep 24:37.350 --> 24:39.710 and the spirit of God 24:39.710 --> 24:42.030 was hovering over the face 24:42.030 --> 24:43.130 of the waters. 24:44.090 --> 24:46.310 Then God said, let there be light 24:46.310 --> 24:47.790 and there was light 24:47.790 --> 24:49.270 and God saw the light 24:49.970 --> 24:51.070 that it was good 24:51.070 --> 24:53.210 and God divided the light from the darkness 24:53.210 --> 24:55.090 and God called the light day 24:55.090 --> 24:56.650 and the darkness he called night. 24:57.950 --> 24:59.450 So the evening and the morning 24:59.450 --> 25:00.450 were the first day. 25:00.890 --> 25:02.530 Then God said, let there be 25:03.170 --> 25:05.270 if somebody help me with that word. 25:05.910 --> 25:06.310 Firmament. 25:06.930 --> 25:08.730 See, firmament. 25:09.270 --> 25:10.810 In the midst of the waters 25:10.810 --> 25:13.190 I should give somebody else the mic to read this. 25:13.870 --> 25:15.250 And let it divide 25:15.250 --> 25:16.590 the waters from the waters. 25:16.590 --> 25:19.190 Thus God made the firmament 25:19.190 --> 25:20.730 and divided the waters 25:20.730 --> 25:22.970 which were under the firmament 25:24.070 --> 25:25.870 from the waters 25:25.870 --> 25:26.850 which was above 25:26.850 --> 25:28.610 the firmament. 25:29.250 --> 25:30.670 And God called 25:30.670 --> 25:31.950 the heaven 25:32.590 --> 25:34.750 so the evening and the morning 25:34.750 --> 25:36.530 were the second day. Then God said, 25:36.610 --> 25:38.070 let the waters under the heavens 25:38.550 --> 25:39.870 be gathered together 25:40.410 --> 25:41.590 into one place 25:42.390 --> 25:43.930 and let the dry land appear 25:43.930 --> 25:45.810 and it was so. And God 25:45.810 --> 25:47.390 called the dry land earth 25:47.390 --> 25:49.350 and the gathering together of the waters 25:49.750 --> 25:51.570 he called the seas. And God 25:51.570 --> 25:53.550 saw that it was good. Then God said, 25:53.630 --> 25:55.610 let the earth bring forth 25:55.610 --> 25:58.390 then God said, let the earth 25:58.390 --> 25:59.630 bring forth 25:59.630 --> 26:01.530 grass and herb that yield 26:01.530 --> 26:02.850 seed and the fruit 26:04.210 --> 26:05.850 tree that yields fruit 26:05.850 --> 26:08.130 according to its kind. Let me go down here 26:08.130 --> 26:09.190 a little bit to verse 14. 26:09.770 --> 26:11.690 Then God said, let there be lights 26:11.690 --> 26:13.310 in the firmament of the heavens 26:13.310 --> 26:15.010 and divide the day from the night. 26:15.390 --> 26:17.510 I'm going to go to jump to verse 16. I'm just trying to 26:17.510 --> 26:19.370 catch some things here for you. Verse 16. 26:19.970 --> 26:21.810 Then God made two great 26:21.810 --> 26:23.650 lights. Let's jump down 26:23.650 --> 26:25.530 to verse 20. I just kind of want to skim through this 26:25.530 --> 26:26.830 because I want to stress something to you here. 26:27.530 --> 26:29.170 Verse 20. Then God 26:29.770 --> 26:30.970 then God said, 26:31.630 --> 26:33.410 let the waters abound 26:33.410 --> 26:35.930 in abundance of living creatures 26:36.510 --> 26:37.950 and let birds fly 26:37.950 --> 26:39.870 above the earth across the face 26:40.590 --> 26:41.770 of the firmament. 26:42.890 --> 26:43.730 So God 26:43.730 --> 26:45.630 created the great sea creatures and living 26:45.630 --> 26:47.270 things that move about. 26:48.050 --> 26:48.990 Verse 24. 26:49.890 --> 26:51.930 Then God said, let the earth bring forth 26:51.930 --> 26:52.910 the living creatures. 26:53.950 --> 26:55.730 Verse 25. And God 26:55.730 --> 26:58.170 made the beast of the earth 26:58.170 --> 26:59.310 according to its kind. 27:00.290 --> 27:01.430 Verse 26. 27:01.990 --> 27:03.670 Then God said, let us make 27:03.670 --> 27:04.250 man. 27:09.310 --> 27:10.750 Then God said, let 27:10.750 --> 27:11.930 us make man 27:12.610 --> 27:13.810 in our own image 27:15.770 --> 27:16.410 according 27:16.410 --> 27:18.730 to our likeness. 27:19.470 --> 27:20.950 I want you to pay attention 27:20.950 --> 27:21.950 to a few words here. 27:24.270 --> 27:26.510 It says, then God said, let us 27:26.510 --> 27:27.310 it's plural. 27:31.540 --> 27:32.020 It's plural. 27:34.060 --> 27:35.580 That means that in the 27:37.180 --> 27:38.580 that in the process 27:38.580 --> 27:40.480 of our God, the Genesis 27:40.480 --> 27:41.780 one God, in the process 27:42.280 --> 27:43.700 of our God creating 27:44.320 --> 27:46.200 earth and creating humanity, 27:46.540 --> 27:47.760 creating creatures, 27:48.360 --> 27:50.180 creating all things that we see, trees, 27:50.460 --> 27:52.620 waters, everything. It's plural. 27:52.860 --> 27:54.680 There was more than just one God 27:54.680 --> 27:56.300 or when I'm saying one God, it was 27:56.300 --> 27:58.160 more than just God the Father. 28:02.180 --> 28:03.540 I want you to catch that. 28:04.280 --> 28:05.960 I want you to understand that. 28:06.920 --> 28:08.400 Then God said, let 28:08.400 --> 28:10.480 us make 28:10.480 --> 28:12.500 man in our own image 28:12.500 --> 28:13.940 according to 28:14.180 --> 28:15.840 our likeness. 28:17.460 --> 28:19.960 Let them have dominion over the fish 28:19.960 --> 28:22.520 of the sea, over the birds of the air 28:22.520 --> 28:24.760 and over the cattle, over all the earth 28:24.760 --> 28:26.340 and over every creeping thing 28:26.340 --> 28:27.700 that creeps on the earth. 28:28.080 --> 28:29.780 So God created man. 28:30.360 --> 28:31.700 God created 28:32.360 --> 28:32.680 man. 28:35.780 --> 28:38.040 In his own image, in the image 28:38.040 --> 28:39.460 of God, he created him. 28:39.840 --> 28:40.540 Male and female. 28:41.500 --> 28:43.600 No in between. Did you hear me? No in between. 28:44.220 --> 28:46.140 Male and female, he created them. 28:47.540 --> 28:48.060 Then God 28:48.060 --> 28:49.940 blessed them and God said to them 28:49.940 --> 28:51.340 be fruitful and multiply. 28:52.260 --> 28:53.420 Here's what I want to stress. 28:53.560 --> 28:55.520 Go back to verse 26 and just leave it up there 28:55.520 --> 28:57.700 of where God creates man. Let us. 28:59.040 --> 29:00.360 Here's what I want to stress. 29:03.740 --> 29:05.400 Because we've so often 29:05.400 --> 29:07.460 heard the creation 29:07.460 --> 29:08.280 of the world. 29:09.460 --> 29:11.140 Because we've so often 29:11.140 --> 29:13.680 read it. An autopilot. 29:14.120 --> 29:15.520 Because we've so often heard 29:15.520 --> 29:17.620 our parents talk about it. Our Sunday 29:17.620 --> 29:19.600 school teachers teaching us on 29:19.600 --> 29:21.820 and so forth. We miss 29:21.820 --> 29:23.960 a thing that I believe 29:23.960 --> 29:25.640 a lot of people are missing 29:25.640 --> 29:27.080 in the church is that 29:27.880 --> 29:28.980 the God, 29:30.060 --> 29:31.340 the Genesis one God 29:31.340 --> 29:33.120 that created 29:33.120 --> 29:33.880 earth 29:35.300 --> 29:37.460 is actually the same God 29:37.460 --> 29:38.740 that then was 29:38.740 --> 29:39.840 incarnated 29:39.840 --> 29:41.500 and came down 29:41.500 --> 29:43.960 into his own creation. 29:47.330 --> 29:48.650 You need to catch this. 29:50.450 --> 29:51.450 The God that 29:51.450 --> 29:53.650 spoke all things 29:53.650 --> 29:55.550 into existence. This is the same God. 29:55.770 --> 29:57.410 God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit. 29:57.650 --> 29:58.970 This is the same God 29:58.970 --> 30:01.410 that had the authority, had the ability. 30:01.630 --> 30:03.210 This is the ancient of days 30:03.210 --> 30:05.130 friends. This is 30:05.130 --> 30:06.770 the God that was before 30:06.770 --> 30:09.310 time is. This 30:09.310 --> 30:11.390 is the God that creates 30:11.390 --> 30:13.150 all things and then 30:13.150 --> 30:15.410 the same God decides 30:15.410 --> 30:17.070 to go low 30:17.070 --> 30:19.070 and be incarnated 30:19.070 --> 30:20.710 and step into his creation. 30:23.530 --> 30:24.370 That's 30:24.370 --> 30:25.050 the God we serve. 30:28.490 --> 30:30.450 I said that's the God that we serve. 30:30.450 --> 30:31.150 Hell, yeah. 30:33.430 --> 30:35.790 He is not a God that is 30:36.370 --> 30:38.390 too good. He is not a God 30:38.390 --> 30:40.390 that is so high 30:40.390 --> 30:42.210 that he's unreachable. But 30:42.210 --> 30:44.230 in this, in this, the 30:44.230 --> 30:46.410 loneliness, the nature of our 30:46.410 --> 30:48.430 God, since Genesis, 30:48.670 --> 30:49.950 since the first 30:49.950 --> 30:52.190 few words we read in the 30:52.190 --> 30:54.150 scriptures, we find out 30:54.150 --> 30:56.430 that the God that actually spoke 30:56.430 --> 30:58.390 and created me, that gave 30:58.390 --> 30:59.670 me breath, now 31:00.390 --> 31:02.430 chose. You need to understand 31:02.430 --> 31:03.850 this. He chose 31:04.390 --> 31:05.970 because of his lowly nature. 31:06.270 --> 31:08.330 He chose now to step 31:08.330 --> 31:10.410 in to the creation that he created. 31:12.110 --> 31:12.450 And 31:12.450 --> 31:14.390 more than that, I'm going to go ahead on my notes a little 31:14.390 --> 31:16.370 bit, more than that, this 31:16.370 --> 31:18.170 God right here, the Genesis 31:18.170 --> 31:20.330 one God that we oftentimes read about 31:20.330 --> 31:22.170 and we're like, oh, that's cool. This 31:22.170 --> 31:24.370 God right here, the Genesis one God 31:24.370 --> 31:26.070 not only does he step 31:26.070 --> 31:28.110 in to his creation as 31:28.110 --> 31:29.970 a lowly nature that he is 31:29.970 --> 31:32.130 or of the lowly nature that he is, but 31:32.130 --> 31:34.350 this is the same God that actually 31:34.350 --> 31:36.230 allowed the creation 31:36.230 --> 31:37.950 that he created. He allowed them 31:37.950 --> 31:39.190 to crucify him. 31:40.230 --> 31:40.430 Yeah. 31:45.300 --> 31:47.140 Imagine creating something. 31:47.700 --> 31:49.940 Imagine having the ability. Yes, we have the ability 31:49.940 --> 31:51.960 to procreate and have children. Praise 31:51.960 --> 31:53.540 the Lord. Praise the Lord. 31:53.820 --> 31:55.540 But imagine creating something 31:56.120 --> 31:57.480 and then allowing 31:57.480 --> 31:59.500 that creation to 31:59.500 --> 32:00.280 crucify you. 32:01.420 --> 32:01.960 Yeah. 32:03.120 --> 32:03.980 Now that's lowly. 32:05.900 --> 32:07.560 I said, no, that's 32:07.560 --> 32:07.980 lowly. 32:12.160 --> 32:13.520 We're talking about a God 32:13.520 --> 32:15.280 that sits high above 32:15.280 --> 32:17.380 space. We're talking about a God 32:17.380 --> 32:19.220 that knows the name of every star. 32:19.600 --> 32:21.060 This is the God I'm talking about friends. 32:21.400 --> 32:22.560 This is the Genesis one God. 32:24.180 --> 32:25.600 We're talking about a God 32:25.600 --> 32:27.620 that has the ability in the 32:27.620 --> 32:29.420 lap of a finger to take the breath 32:29.420 --> 32:31.360 that you have in your lungs to literally 32:31.360 --> 32:33.420 take it away from you. Why? Because he has the right 32:33.420 --> 32:35.500 to do it. We're talking 32:35.500 --> 32:36.280 about that God. 32:37.380 --> 32:38.920 We're talking about a God 32:38.920 --> 32:40.900 that saw everything. 32:41.340 --> 32:43.540 He saw the waters as they split. 32:43.700 --> 32:45.000 He saw the day. He saw the night. 32:45.220 --> 32:47.360 He was there. He was in the participation 32:47.360 --> 32:49.400 of creating it and 32:49.400 --> 32:51.220 now this God by his 32:51.220 --> 32:53.460 lowly nature and his lowly character 32:53.460 --> 32:54.780 comes down into it. 32:58.160 --> 32:58.880 See now 32:58.880 --> 33:00.320 that's lowly. 33:03.830 --> 33:04.850 We have kings. 33:05.270 --> 33:05.990 We have priests. 33:06.510 --> 33:08.010 We have presidents. 33:08.250 --> 33:10.070 Let me even just say this. We have pastors 33:10.070 --> 33:12.230 and churches that don't even approach 33:12.230 --> 33:14.050 their own congregation because they 33:14.050 --> 33:15.730 feel they are better than. 33:19.880 --> 33:20.720 But we have 33:20.720 --> 33:21.200 a God 33:25.380 --> 33:27.000 that makes all these things 33:27.000 --> 33:28.600 higher than the heavens. 33:29.480 --> 33:31.140 He could have anything he wants. 33:33.100 --> 33:33.800 He's God. 33:35.020 --> 33:36.180 He could have chose to do 33:36.180 --> 33:38.160 something else. But because he's lowly. 33:38.680 --> 33:39.940 Because he's lowly. 33:40.160 --> 33:41.680 He said I'm going to step into my creation 33:41.680 --> 33:42.220 that I made. 33:43.680 --> 33:45.160 Friends, this is the God that I'm talking 33:45.160 --> 33:46.540 about to you today. This is Jesus. 33:47.920 --> 33:48.960 This is our Lord. 33:49.920 --> 33:51.380 This is our Bridegroom. 33:51.780 --> 33:53.340 This is our Savior. 33:56.600 --> 33:57.400 You see as 33:57.840 --> 33:59.460 studying the life of Jesus for 33:59.460 --> 34:01.600 a few years now as studying the life 34:01.600 --> 34:03.760 of the Lord. There is a pattern 34:04.660 --> 34:05.640 that I noticed 34:05.640 --> 34:07.380 and I noticed that even more 34:07.380 --> 34:08.980 after I began to really hone in 34:08.980 --> 34:11.440 and study the lowly, the nature 34:11.440 --> 34:12.620 of God that is lowly. 34:13.800 --> 34:15.360 And I saw this pattern. 34:16.700 --> 34:18.000 I saw this pattern 34:18.000 --> 34:19.300 in the Lord's life. And pay attention 34:19.300 --> 34:20.480 to it when you're reading the Gospel 34:20.480 --> 34:22.500 and you're reading about the life of Jesus. 34:23.160 --> 34:23.920 Pay attention to this. 34:24.980 --> 34:26.740 Everything that the Lord did. 34:26.740 --> 34:28.280 Everything that the Lord did. 34:28.580 --> 34:30.300 He constantly was going low. 34:31.060 --> 34:31.660 Constantly. 34:33.300 --> 34:34.720 Every decision that 34:34.720 --> 34:36.860 Jesus was making was of a lowly 34:36.860 --> 34:38.640 mind. He was going low with everything 34:38.640 --> 34:40.780 he was doing. From the way that he came 34:40.780 --> 34:42.600 into creation, the way that 34:42.600 --> 34:44.540 he stepped into his own creation was 34:44.540 --> 34:46.800 the beginning of him literally 34:46.800 --> 34:48.300 expressing and 34:48.300 --> 34:50.040 showing his lowly nature. 34:50.760 --> 34:52.040 From that moment, 34:52.880 --> 34:54.700 from the time that Jesus was 34:54.700 --> 34:56.360 incarnated, that God was 34:56.360 --> 34:58.440 incarnated, a man among us. 34:59.000 --> 35:00.400 The word becoming flesh 35:00.400 --> 35:02.320 in the beginning was the word 35:02.320 --> 35:04.600 and the word was with God and the word 35:04.600 --> 35:06.720 was God. The word 35:06.720 --> 35:08.720 Jesus. From the moment 35:08.720 --> 35:10.800 that he came into the world 35:10.800 --> 35:12.500 every decision he made 35:12.500 --> 35:13.640 was to go low. 35:17.720 --> 35:18.820 And in the scriptures 35:18.820 --> 35:21.060 it says that they came to the Lord 35:22.620 --> 35:25.100 the Greeks, the Pharisees, all these 35:25.100 --> 35:26.920 people, they came to the Lord and they said 35:26.920 --> 35:29.040 give us a sign. Show us a 35:29.040 --> 35:31.140 miracle, oh God. Show us 35:31.140 --> 35:33.200 rabbi. Show us something 35:33.200 --> 35:34.800 that would entertain us. 35:35.220 --> 35:37.100 Show us something that would flatter us. 35:37.440 --> 35:39.080 Do you know what the Lord replied to them? 35:40.580 --> 35:41.160 He said 35:41.160 --> 35:43.320 you're a wicked and evil generation. 35:46.060 --> 35:46.980 He said you're a 35:46.980 --> 35:48.780 wicked and evil generation. 35:49.100 --> 35:50.980 And he says the only sign that you will 35:50.980 --> 35:52.340 get is the sign of Jonah. 35:54.640 --> 35:55.120 Now 35:55.120 --> 35:56.060 in that statement 35:56.060 --> 35:57.260 the Lord makes 35:58.120 --> 36:00.140 a very deep statement if you 36:00.140 --> 36:01.680 actually know the life of Jonah. 36:03.400 --> 36:04.340 I heard somebody 36:05.620 --> 36:06.400 say this 36:06.400 --> 36:08.520 and it expanded my revelation. I said 36:08.520 --> 36:09.080 wow! 36:09.760 --> 36:11.660 But if you look at the life of Jonah 36:11.660 --> 36:13.400 this is why Jesus makes that statement. 36:14.480 --> 36:16.320 This is why Jesus says no miracle 36:16.320 --> 36:18.180 no sign. The only sign 36:18.180 --> 36:19.480 you'll get is the sign of Jonah. 36:19.480 --> 36:21.600 Because if you actually look and study the life 36:21.600 --> 36:23.280 of Jonah everything that 36:23.280 --> 36:25.460 Jonah did was going 36:25.460 --> 36:27.500 down. Let me give you an example. 36:28.180 --> 36:29.080 A great prophet 36:29.920 --> 36:31.520 God speaks to him and says go 36:31.520 --> 36:33.420 and talk to Nineveh 36:33.420 --> 36:35.240 and tell them it's time to repent. 36:35.980 --> 36:37.020 What does Jonah do? 36:37.720 --> 36:39.380 He goes from the town. The Scripture 36:39.380 --> 36:40.940 says if you don't believe me open up Jonah 36:41.280 --> 36:42.740 and just start reading from chapter 1. 36:43.360 --> 36:45.640 What does Jonah do? It says he goes from the town 36:46.520 --> 36:47.560 down to the 36:47.560 --> 36:49.040 dock. Listen. Down 36:49.220 --> 36:50.020 to the dock. 36:51.100 --> 36:52.960 From the dock down 36:52.960 --> 36:54.020 to the boat. 36:55.320 --> 36:57.400 In the boat down 36:57.400 --> 36:59.640 to the depths of the boat. 37:00.880 --> 37:01.440 A storm 37:01.440 --> 37:03.340 arises. They cast 37:03.340 --> 37:05.340 him off. What happens? Jonah 37:05.340 --> 37:07.400 falls into the deep 37:07.400 --> 37:09.100 sea and he goes down. 37:10.040 --> 37:11.280 More than that 37:11.280 --> 37:13.540 the Scripture says a great fish 37:13.540 --> 37:15.300 God commands a great fish 37:15.300 --> 37:16.600 to swallow Jonah. 37:17.340 --> 37:18.700 And what does the fish do? 37:19.460 --> 37:21.120 The Scripture says the fish goes 37:21.120 --> 37:23.040 down to the depths 37:23.040 --> 37:24.040 of Sheol. 37:26.840 --> 37:28.260 And some Jewish 37:29.320 --> 37:30.980 let's just call them this. Some Jewish 37:30.980 --> 37:32.860 scholars actually argue 37:32.860 --> 37:34.980 and say that Jonah actually 37:34.980 --> 37:35.420 died. 37:36.700 --> 37:38.860 They say that Jonah actually died 37:38.860 --> 37:40.860 and when the fish vomited him out 37:40.860 --> 37:42.840 that was the resurrection of Jonah. 37:46.340 --> 37:47.400 So the Lord makes 37:47.400 --> 37:49.080 a statement because here these people 37:49.080 --> 37:51.080 are crowding him and they're coming around 37:51.080 --> 37:52.880 him and they're saying give us a sign. 37:53.220 --> 37:55.260 If you really are the Messiah, give us 37:55.260 --> 37:57.140 a sign. Are you really the one that 37:57.140 --> 37:59.180 the Father spoke about? Give us 37:59.180 --> 38:00.780 a sign. Come on. Do a miracle. 38:01.100 --> 38:03.160 Heal somebody. Give us this. Give us that. 38:03.280 --> 38:04.580 And Jesus says you are a cruel 38:04.580 --> 38:06.540 and wicked generation. 38:09.120 --> 38:11.200 He says the only sign I will give you 38:11.200 --> 38:12.600 is the sign of Jonah. 38:13.380 --> 38:14.920 Can I tell you something? 38:15.740 --> 38:16.520 We oftentimes 38:16.520 --> 38:18.000 miss the Lord. 38:19.240 --> 38:20.880 Because we're looking for 38:20.880 --> 38:22.880 him up here where the Lord 38:22.880 --> 38:24.320 is actually down here. 38:25.240 --> 38:26.380 You didn't hear me. 38:27.820 --> 38:29.360 I said you didn't hear me. 38:30.000 --> 38:30.840 We have people 38:30.840 --> 38:32.940 that are battling sicknesses. 38:32.980 --> 38:35.020 People that have problems in their marriages. 38:35.320 --> 38:37.080 People that have issues in their families. 38:37.420 --> 38:38.820 We have people with all sorts 38:38.820 --> 38:40.740 of baggage. And we think 38:40.740 --> 38:42.560 if I go to the right 38:42.560 --> 38:44.400 conference. And if the right 38:44.400 --> 38:46.520 person prays for me. If the right 38:46.520 --> 38:48.640 person lays his hands on me 38:48.640 --> 38:50.720 then I'll be healed where the Lord 38:50.720 --> 38:51.880 is saying hold on a second. 38:52.340 --> 38:53.540 But I'm right here. 38:54.440 --> 38:56.700 Come to me. All who are weary. 38:57.340 --> 38:58.340 Come to me. 38:58.840 --> 38:59.980 I'm in the low places. 39:01.080 --> 39:02.800 I'm not saying that God doesn't 39:02.800 --> 39:04.440 come to conferences. And I'm not 39:04.440 --> 39:06.660 bashing conferences. I 39:06.660 --> 39:08.520 want you to understand how 39:08.520 --> 39:10.540 evil and cruel our 39:10.540 --> 39:11.760 generation is. 39:13.960 --> 39:14.620 We are 39:14.620 --> 39:16.520 looking for things. And we are 39:16.520 --> 39:18.560 looking for the Lord in these 39:18.560 --> 39:20.400 realms. Where our Lord is 39:20.400 --> 39:20.900 lowly. 39:22.940 --> 39:24.400 He's very lowly. 39:25.960 --> 39:26.720 And he's 39:26.720 --> 39:28.440 so lowly that he would all 39:28.440 --> 39:30.020 he would make is the statement. He says 39:30.020 --> 39:32.300 I'm not going to give you anything but the sign of Jonah. 39:32.560 --> 39:34.540 That's it. You want to find 39:34.540 --> 39:35.360 me? That's where I am. 39:36.320 --> 39:37.280 I'm low. 39:39.120 --> 39:40.960 And we have church services. 39:41.520 --> 39:43.320 And we have lives friends. I'm talking 39:43.320 --> 39:45.340 to us. I'm making this personal. 39:45.680 --> 39:47.280 Because I fall into the same 39:47.280 --> 39:48.660 category. We 39:49.180 --> 39:51.440 miss the Lord more often 39:51.440 --> 39:53.320 than we actually think we don't. 39:56.460 --> 39:59.180 I said we miss the Lord on a 39:59.180 --> 40:00.960 day to day basis in a 24 40:00.960 --> 40:03.060 hour time span. We 40:03.060 --> 40:04.860 actually miss the Lord 40:04.860 --> 40:06.780 more than we think we don't. 40:09.560 --> 40:10.500 We miss him. 40:11.320 --> 40:12.560 He goes over our head. 40:13.520 --> 40:15.160 His voice goes over us. 40:15.720 --> 40:17.140 His presence goes over 40:17.140 --> 40:18.940 us. And then we scream and we 40:18.940 --> 40:20.620 shout and we pout. God 40:20.620 --> 40:23.160 why aren't you here? Why aren't 40:23.160 --> 40:24.860 you hearing me? God says you're 40:24.860 --> 40:26.320 missing me. You don't know my nature. 40:27.080 --> 40:28.660 I'm a very lowly God. 40:30.280 --> 40:31.120 I'm very 40:31.120 --> 40:33.340 lowly. And you will find 40:33.340 --> 40:34.700 me in the low places. 40:37.260 --> 40:39.140 You will find me in places 40:39.140 --> 40:40.800 where nobody wants to 40:40.800 --> 40:41.600 seek me in. 40:43.700 --> 40:45.000 You will see my 40:45.000 --> 40:46.940 face in places that nobody 40:46.940 --> 40:47.760 is even looking. 40:50.280 --> 40:51.620 Oh, he's lowly. 40:55.540 --> 40:57.180 We have a generation of 40:57.180 --> 40:57.460 people. 40:58.920 --> 41:00.560 Hear me here. Hear me here 41:00.560 --> 41:02.460 correctly because I'm not against 41:02.460 --> 41:04.100 these things. I'm not against these things. 41:04.480 --> 41:06.580 But we have people in our 41:06.580 --> 41:08.460 generation. Not just my 41:08.460 --> 41:10.180 generation, but in the older generation. 41:10.700 --> 41:12.100 We run to conferences 41:12.100 --> 41:14.420 and we run for pastors to lay 41:14.420 --> 41:16.220 hands on us before we go 41:16.220 --> 41:18.140 and tuck ourselves away to be with the Lord. 41:24.180 --> 41:26.480 We have a generation that 41:26.480 --> 41:28.420 has become so cultured 41:28.420 --> 41:30.400 of them being fed from a 41:30.400 --> 41:32.520 pulpit when it comes to actually 41:32.520 --> 41:33.520 seeking him. 41:34.920 --> 41:35.620 That's tough. 41:36.560 --> 41:38.200 You're telling me that I have to go 41:38.200 --> 41:39.940 and I got to actually go study the scriptures? 41:40.280 --> 41:40.620 Yes. 41:41.980 --> 41:42.420 Yes. 41:44.620 --> 41:45.060 Yes. 41:48.700 --> 41:49.880 You know it's not just 41:49.880 --> 41:52.100 a pastor's job to study the scriptures 41:52.100 --> 41:53.640 and feed you from a spoon. 41:59.020 --> 42:01.700 I've shared this. Let me share this again because it just falls into this. 42:01.780 --> 42:02.980 I've shared this before if you remember. 42:04.980 --> 42:05.880 Years ago 42:08.060 --> 42:09.960 I had like this image 42:10.600 --> 42:13.000 and the Lord gave us in our ministry 42:13.000 --> 42:15.140 some years ago. The Lord gave us a sneak peek of this. 42:15.580 --> 42:16.600 But years ago 42:17.500 --> 42:18.720 let me say it this way. 42:18.820 --> 42:20.520 I long to see the day 42:20.520 --> 42:21.960 that every 42:21.960 --> 42:24.840 every individual that comes 42:24.840 --> 42:26.320 on a Sunday service 42:26.320 --> 42:28.900 comes with oil. It can be very little 42:28.900 --> 42:30.840 but comes with oil and breaks 42:30.840 --> 42:32.480 stellar basher jars and ministers 42:32.480 --> 42:33.120 onto the Lord. 42:34.300 --> 42:35.800 Listen to me. Listen to me. 42:36.180 --> 42:37.440 Do you know why I long to see that day? 42:37.780 --> 42:39.720 Do you know why I long to see that day? 42:40.020 --> 42:42.020 Because the type of presence that will come 42:42.020 --> 42:44.240 when every individual in every church 42:44.240 --> 42:46.120 does that, the Lord's going to come in a way 42:46.120 --> 42:47.040 that we've never even imagined. 42:48.680 --> 42:50.020 We saw a sneak peek of it. 42:50.760 --> 42:52.080 Nobody even had to pray for one another. 42:52.560 --> 42:53.560 The Lord was doing everything. 42:54.520 --> 42:56.320 Nobody had to lay hands on people 42:56.320 --> 42:57.200 when people were being delivered. 42:58.600 --> 43:01.700 It was so easy. 43:04.080 --> 43:05.420 It was so wonderful. 43:08.500 --> 43:10.600 So we have a generation that's been so 43:10.600 --> 43:12.460 cultured in being fed 43:12.460 --> 43:14.240 with a spoon from the pulpit. 43:14.780 --> 43:15.960 And if you look at it, 43:16.160 --> 43:18.200 it's not bad. Us pastors are supposed 43:18.200 --> 43:19.900 to teach, equip. 43:20.440 --> 43:22.280 It's scriptural. It is scriptural. 43:23.300 --> 43:24.780 But we can go 43:24.780 --> 43:25.200 deeper. 43:25.940 --> 43:27.920 We can go some places 43:27.920 --> 43:29.240 corporately 43:29.240 --> 43:31.260 if we seek him 43:31.260 --> 43:32.480 individually. 43:32.940 --> 43:34.020 Did you hear me? 43:36.220 --> 43:37.480 We can go 43:37.480 --> 43:39.120 some places very deep 43:39.120 --> 43:41.380 in the Lord. And when I say deep 43:41.380 --> 43:43.080 I'm saying lowly. 43:44.220 --> 43:45.480 We can go 43:45.480 --> 43:47.980 to some deep things in the Lord 43:47.980 --> 43:49.520 if we 43:49.520 --> 43:51.420 actually seek the Lord 43:51.420 --> 43:52.120 individually. 43:53.680 --> 43:54.240 But it's 43:54.240 --> 43:54.620 inconvenient. 43:56.480 --> 43:58.060 Igor, you don't understand my schedule. 44:00.940 --> 44:02.260 You don't understand what I've been 44:02.260 --> 44:03.500 through, Igor. I don't understand. 44:03.820 --> 44:05.020 But you know who does? Jesus does. 44:08.860 --> 44:09.560 Igor, you don't 44:09.560 --> 44:11.180 you just, you don't know 44:11.180 --> 44:12.860 what I've been through. 44:13.420 --> 44:15.160 You grew up in a family and da-da-da. 44:15.300 --> 44:17.320 I didn't have a mom and dad. Hey, I understand. 44:17.580 --> 44:18.780 But the Lord understands you. 44:20.740 --> 44:21.340 How long 44:21.340 --> 44:23.180 are we going to make excuses of our traumas? 44:26.120 --> 44:27.300 Let me go somewhere 44:27.300 --> 44:29.280 here. Because follow me here. Let me go somewhere here. 44:30.220 --> 44:30.800 How long 44:31.340 --> 44:33.320 are we going to hold the crutch 44:33.320 --> 44:34.460 underneath us? 44:35.900 --> 44:36.840 How long are we going to do that? 44:38.260 --> 44:39.320 Does not the Scripture says 44:39.320 --> 44:40.680 that his blood paid for all of it? 44:43.900 --> 44:45.380 Does not the Bible tell 44:45.380 --> 44:46.960 us that he paid for everything? 44:47.320 --> 44:47.400 Yes. 44:47.400 --> 44:47.640 Yes. 44:49.760 --> 44:51.220 You don't have to hold 44:51.220 --> 44:52.920 the crutch underneath you anymore. You don't. 44:54.400 --> 44:56.100 But Igor, I'm going to fall. That's okay. 44:56.540 --> 44:58.120 Proverbs says a righteous man falls 44:58.120 --> 44:58.960 and he gets back up. 45:00.420 --> 45:01.640 That's okay if you fall. 45:01.960 --> 45:03.100 Can I be real with you? 45:03.560 --> 45:05.560 For you to actually move forward, 45:05.840 --> 45:07.560 you're going to find yourself falling flat 45:07.560 --> 45:08.120 on your face. 45:08.740 --> 45:10.280 Ever seen a child learn to walk? 45:13.160 --> 45:13.600 Boom! 45:14.920 --> 45:15.900 Mom runs up. 45:16.060 --> 45:16.820 Get up. 45:19.060 --> 45:20.000 That's the truth. 45:20.240 --> 45:22.400 And we're afraid to let go of a crutch 45:22.400 --> 45:23.800 because I'm going to fall. 45:24.060 --> 45:25.700 But that's okay. You can get back up. 45:26.320 --> 45:28.300 And the Lord is going to help you get back up. 45:33.360 --> 45:34.560 Luke chapter 1 45:35.380 --> 45:36.380 verse 26. 45:40.990 --> 45:42.430 Is this good for you so far? 45:47.500 --> 45:48.860 Luke chapter 1 45:48.860 --> 45:50.020 verse 26. 45:52.740 --> 45:53.520 We're starting. 45:53.720 --> 45:55.540 So we talked about the incarnation of God. 45:55.740 --> 45:57.820 The Lord, the Genesis 1 God 45:57.820 --> 45:58.960 who literally 45:59.660 --> 46:00.520 came to earth. 46:00.640 --> 46:01.740 We already see his lowliness. 46:02.460 --> 46:02.900 Do we not? 46:04.160 --> 46:06.220 Do we not already see the lowliness of God? 46:06.320 --> 46:08.340 That the God that actually created the heavens 46:08.340 --> 46:10.380 and the earth is the same God 46:10.380 --> 46:12.120 that now steps into his creation. 46:12.980 --> 46:13.660 Now listen to this. 46:14.660 --> 46:16.420 Luke chapter 1 verse 26. 46:16.960 --> 46:18.340 Let me find my place here. 46:19.400 --> 46:20.900 Now in the sixth month 46:20.900 --> 46:22.640 an angel Gabriel was sent 46:22.640 --> 46:24.760 by God to the city of Galilee. 46:24.840 --> 46:26.180 We're going to read all the way up to verse 38. 46:28.200 --> 46:30.320 Was sent by God to a city 46:30.320 --> 46:32.260 of Galilee named Nazareth 46:32.260 --> 46:34.480 to a virgin betrothed 46:34.480 --> 46:36.720 to a man whose name was Joseph 46:36.720 --> 46:38.600 of the house of David. 46:38.960 --> 46:40.640 The virgin's name was Mary 46:40.640 --> 46:42.180 and having come in 46:42.180 --> 46:44.220 the angel said to her 46:44.220 --> 46:45.320 rejoice 46:46.640 --> 46:48.220 highly favored one. 46:50.560 --> 46:51.120 Rejoice 46:51.120 --> 46:53.200 highly favored one. 46:53.300 --> 46:54.740 Do you remember from the 46:55.180 --> 46:56.600 man I'm sweating. Do you remember 46:56.600 --> 46:59.200 from the series I talked about 46:59.200 --> 47:00.440 what the favor of the Lord is? 47:01.100 --> 47:03.320 You guys remember that? That's how Isaiah 66.2 47:04.120 --> 47:05.280 Mary a young 47:05.280 --> 47:06.140 teenage girl 47:06.740 --> 47:08.620 catches the attention of God 47:09.860 --> 47:11.420 the Lord is with you 47:11.420 --> 47:13.340 blessed are you among 47:13.340 --> 47:15.140 young women. But when she 47:15.140 --> 47:16.920 saw him she was troubled 47:16.920 --> 47:19.280 at his saying and considered 47:19.280 --> 47:20.940 what manner of greeting this was 47:20.940 --> 47:22.940 then the angel said to her 47:22.940 --> 47:25.220 do not be afraid Mary for 47:25.220 --> 47:27.420 you have found favor with God 47:27.420 --> 47:29.540 and behold you will conceive 47:29.540 --> 47:31.340 in your womb and 47:31.340 --> 47:32.900 bring forth a son 47:32.900 --> 47:34.960 and shall call his name 47:34.960 --> 47:37.520 Jesus. He will be great 47:37.520 --> 47:38.940 and he will be called the son 47:38.940 --> 47:40.880 of the highest and the Lord God 47:40.880 --> 47:42.820 will give him the throne of 47:42.820 --> 47:44.700 his father David and he 47:44.700 --> 47:46.340 will reign over the house of Jacob 47:46.340 --> 47:48.300 forever and of his kingdom 47:48.680 --> 47:50.680 there will be no end and Mary 47:50.680 --> 47:52.560 said to the angel how can this 47:52.560 --> 47:54.880 be since I do not know a man 47:54.880 --> 47:56.820 and the angel answered and said 47:56.820 --> 47:58.640 to her the Holy Spirit will 47:58.640 --> 48:00.620 come upon you and 48:00.620 --> 48:02.260 the power of the highest 48:02.660 --> 48:04.820 will overshadow you therefore 48:04.820 --> 48:06.520 also that holy one 48:06.520 --> 48:08.580 who is to be born will be called 48:08.580 --> 48:16.040 Now, indeed, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age. 48:16.640 --> 48:21.200 And this is now the sixth month of her who was called Barron. 48:21.680 --> 48:25.660 For with God, nothing will be impossible. 48:26.000 --> 48:28.940 And Mary said, Behold the maid servant of the Lord. 48:29.440 --> 48:35.810 Let it be to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her. 48:36.490 --> 48:42.210 Friends, not only did the Lord come lowly into his creation, 48:42.370 --> 48:45.210 but again, we're going to see this pattern as we walk through the life of Jesus. 48:45.570 --> 48:47.410 He continues to go low. 48:48.130 --> 48:49.250 Now, pay attention to this. 48:50.410 --> 48:54.390 A God that created that heavens and the earth had all the power. 48:54.830 --> 49:02.270 This God could have chosen to have himself be born into a high royal family. 49:02.270 --> 49:06.930 A family of a high status in society. 49:07.290 --> 49:09.330 A family that is very wealthy. 49:09.630 --> 49:13.030 A family that is very well known on and so forth. 49:13.430 --> 49:18.450 But yet this God, in his lowliness, chooses a young... 49:18.450 --> 49:19.370 Let's say she's 14. 49:19.570 --> 49:21.130 The scholar says that she was a young teenager. 49:21.470 --> 49:22.570 Let's just say she's 14. 49:23.210 --> 49:28.730 He chooses a 14-year-old girl to be the mother of God. 49:30.430 --> 49:31.830 Ah, you didn't catch it. 49:33.570 --> 49:34.790 You didn't catch it. 49:35.030 --> 49:35.790 Are you still with me? 49:36.090 --> 49:36.230 Yes. 49:37.090 --> 49:37.930 You're still with me? 49:38.010 --> 49:38.310 Yes. 49:40.450 --> 49:46.050 God could have chose a high and royal family. 49:46.910 --> 49:52.250 He could have chose a woman in society that many looked at, 49:52.450 --> 49:56.290 that many aspired to be, that many wanted to be like. 49:56.290 --> 50:01.010 Yet God chooses out of all the women that he had to choose from. 50:01.210 --> 50:06.550 He chooses a 14-year-old girl who's of a low status society. 50:06.630 --> 50:08.730 She is basically a nobody. 50:09.790 --> 50:11.690 And God chooses that young girl. 50:12.110 --> 50:13.890 And he says, you're going to be the mother of my son. 50:15.590 --> 50:17.490 You're going to hold him in your room for nine months. 50:20.250 --> 50:21.350 You're going to carry him. 50:22.790 --> 50:23.850 You're going to love him. 50:25.050 --> 50:26.270 You're going to watch him grow. 50:27.270 --> 50:28.990 You're going to watch him be hung on the cross. 50:29.330 --> 50:30.810 You're going to watch him race from the dead. 50:33.990 --> 50:39.870 And to that, the Lord doesn't even wait until Joseph and Mary get married. 50:45.350 --> 50:49.290 The birth of Jesus was basically a scandal, if you really look at it. 50:54.550 --> 50:56.690 The Lord didn't even wait for Joseph. 50:57.070 --> 50:58.570 The scripture says they were betrothed. 50:58.590 --> 50:59.590 They weren't even married yet. 50:59.590 --> 51:02.450 They were streaming towards marriage. 51:04.210 --> 51:05.850 It's the lowly nature of God. 51:08.900 --> 51:10.360 To show his character. 51:10.920 --> 51:12.000 To show his nature. 51:13.760 --> 51:17.560 So he chooses Mary that is betrothed to Joseph. 51:17.940 --> 51:19.640 Doesn't even wait for them to get married. 51:20.420 --> 51:22.360 Joseph doesn't even partake in this act. 51:23.000 --> 51:23.900 Sorry, Joseph. 51:26.580 --> 51:30.180 By the Holy Spirit, conceived the Son of God. 51:32.300 --> 51:33.160 That's lowly. 51:35.360 --> 51:38.340 Joseph is technically a stepfather, is who he is to Jesus. 51:38.820 --> 51:40.780 But you would think, you're God. 51:41.400 --> 51:43.200 You're ancient of days. 51:43.340 --> 51:44.160 You're the great I am. 51:44.300 --> 51:45.500 You are before time is. 51:45.900 --> 51:50.780 And you would have your son, not even have, you know, he has a stepfather. 51:51.440 --> 51:53.160 There's any stepfathers in this house? 51:53.560 --> 51:54.520 Props to you, man. 51:54.980 --> 51:59.420 Props to you for raising a child that maybe was abandoned by somebody else. 51:59.740 --> 52:00.340 By another father. 52:01.000 --> 52:01.320 Seriously. 52:02.580 --> 52:05.060 If you're a stepfather in this place, I honor you. 52:05.380 --> 52:06.020 I really do. 52:06.340 --> 52:08.140 Because you're raising somebody else's child. 52:08.980 --> 52:09.860 That's Godly. 52:13.580 --> 52:18.080 More than that, the Lord continues to go low. 52:18.760 --> 52:22.100 Jesus is born from the tribe of Judah, is what the scriptures say. 52:23.620 --> 52:28.600 In Hebrews, we read and we write that no high priest, because remember Jesus refers to himself, 52:28.920 --> 52:32.020 or I should say the scriptures refer to Jesus as the high priest. 52:32.460 --> 52:36.640 The scriptures tell us that no high priest came from the tribe of Judah. 52:39.810 --> 52:44.030 Jesus could have been born from a tribe, you know, where all the priests were coming. 52:44.350 --> 52:48.390 But because the Lord is lowly, the scriptures say, 52:48.390 --> 52:50.870 did not the son of God come from the tribe of Judah? 52:51.590 --> 52:56.990 Were technically, according to the Old Testament, no high priest ever came from. 52:59.830 --> 53:04.270 In everything that he does, literally from the creation of the world, 53:04.570 --> 53:10.490 of entering into the world, the birth of Jesus, everything he does is lowly. 53:11.930 --> 53:16.650 The arrival of Jesus, though to some extent it was grand, 53:17.470 --> 53:21.290 there was a huge star, people recognized it, they went and did it, 53:21.690 --> 53:24.610 you know, they went and found it and they went and they worshiped Jesus. 53:25.210 --> 53:29.690 Even in that, you would think, well that, you know, that really wasn't lowly, but it was. 53:31.810 --> 53:32.630 But it was. 53:34.550 --> 53:39.970 Because out of all places that the Lord could have been born, he was born in a manger. 53:41.010 --> 53:44.190 And more than that, he was born among animals. 53:45.390 --> 53:50.490 So you got to watch this, you got to, let me map this out, let me map this out. 53:51.890 --> 53:55.150 God the Creator is lowly, creates the world. 53:55.770 --> 53:58.630 That same God now steps into his creation. 54:00.090 --> 54:06.730 And in the birth of his creation is born to a woman that is a virgin of a low status in society, 54:06.850 --> 54:07.530 she's a nobody. 54:09.210 --> 54:12.550 Betrothed to a man that is not even really royal, he's a carpenter. 54:12.550 --> 54:15.170 He's a carpenter, he's a tradesman. 54:16.630 --> 54:17.970 He's a tradesman. 54:20.490 --> 54:24.250 He just built wood, he wasn't, he wasn't somebody that was a lawyer. 54:24.510 --> 54:28.130 He wasn't somebody that sat high in the places where other men sat. 54:28.470 --> 54:29.850 He is a carpenter. 54:30.630 --> 54:32.490 His stepfather is a carpenter. 54:32.990 --> 54:39.510 So the Lord, so the Lord comes in, Mary, the virgin, betrothed to Joseph, goes even lower. 54:42.070 --> 54:45.870 Born in a manger among animals. 54:48.250 --> 54:51.330 He wasn't in a fancy schmancy hospital that we have. 54:52.690 --> 54:57.390 And if you don't think our hospitals are fancy here, you have not given birth back in the Soviet Union. 54:59.190 --> 55:00.370 I'm going to be honest with you. 55:00.450 --> 55:02.870 If you're like, our hospitals aren't that good here, go to Russia. 55:03.290 --> 55:06.130 They'll slap you down on a metal table and say, push woman, push. 55:07.090 --> 55:09.150 You ain't getting no epidural, you ain't getting nothing. 55:09.290 --> 55:10.070 Woman, you better push. 55:10.170 --> 55:12.790 And if you ain't pushing, you dying and the baby's dying with you. 55:14.390 --> 55:17.950 The Lord goes low, born in a manger among the animals. 55:18.090 --> 55:18.830 Now listen to this. 55:19.250 --> 55:20.810 In a city of Bethlehem. 55:22.830 --> 55:25.310 Has anybody ever done a study of the city of Bethlehem? 55:27.550 --> 55:29.110 Let me tell you what it was because I did. 55:29.810 --> 55:31.910 I'm glad I did because then I wouldn't know what I'm talking about. 55:34.090 --> 55:37.830 Born in a manger amongst cattle, amongst animals. 55:38.850 --> 55:42.590 Yet in the city of Bethlehem, that is a very small village. 55:42.970 --> 55:46.250 It's actually a village that's not even known for like high people. 55:46.530 --> 55:49.130 It's mostly populated by shepherds. 55:50.370 --> 55:53.470 Which again, you look in their society at that time. 55:53.930 --> 55:57.350 A shepherd, that was your bottom of the food chain, man. 55:58.490 --> 56:01.070 Your bottom of the food chain, you're a shepherd, you're a farmer. 56:01.070 --> 56:02.630 You're down here. 56:04.050 --> 56:07.910 So our Lord wasn't even born in Jerusalem, so to say. 56:08.230 --> 56:09.990 The capital, the high place. 56:10.450 --> 56:15.690 Our Lord was born in a small city, very modest, ruled basically by shepherds. 56:15.790 --> 56:16.350 It's low. 56:16.910 --> 56:18.650 The Lord comes in and is born in that city. 56:21.830 --> 56:23.290 Our Lord is lowly. 56:24.890 --> 56:27.190 And everything he does is lowly. 56:28.030 --> 56:29.430 And he continues. 56:29.710 --> 56:33.770 He continues to go low and low and low. 56:36.190 --> 56:37.530 You want to hear something else? 56:37.590 --> 56:38.510 And we'll come to a close here. 56:40.750 --> 56:43.050 Amongst all of this that we just saw. 56:43.490 --> 56:45.330 Amongst all of this that we just saw. 56:46.110 --> 56:48.550 At a young age, at the birth of Jesus. 56:49.590 --> 56:51.310 He was sought to be murdered. 56:53.130 --> 56:54.370 Now that's lowly. 56:56.910 --> 57:00.630 You would think, well, maybe not until he grows up. 57:01.470 --> 57:05.530 But even in his birth, the scriptures tell us he was sought to be killed. 57:08.390 --> 57:10.010 He was sought to be killed. 57:10.350 --> 57:15.450 The destiny that God the Father had was sought to be cut off by the enemy. 57:17.870 --> 57:19.550 But the Lord went so low. 57:20.250 --> 57:20.910 Listen to me. 57:21.050 --> 57:21.930 We're going to come to an end here. 57:21.930 --> 57:25.410 But the Lord went so low that the devil missed him. 57:31.120 --> 57:35.600 I said, our Lord went so low that the devil missed him. 57:37.420 --> 57:42.760 And the trap that the enemy set up ended up being the trap that the enemy himself stepped into. 57:43.260 --> 57:44.920 And we see that in the life of Herod. 57:45.020 --> 57:46.720 The guy that... 57:47.480 --> 57:49.420 My goodness, my word, it's not coming to me. 57:49.480 --> 57:51.780 The king at that time that tried to seek and kill Jesus. 57:52.340 --> 57:55.100 The trap that he set up is basically the trap of death. 57:55.100 --> 57:56.280 He stepped into and he died. 57:58.140 --> 57:59.600 Friends, our Lord is lowly. 58:00.740 --> 58:01.940 In everything he does. 58:02.040 --> 58:02.800 And I'm just starting. 58:03.520 --> 58:04.340 I'm just starting. 58:11.930 --> 58:15.130 In everything he does, he goes low. 58:16.150 --> 58:17.730 And he continues to go low. 58:18.110 --> 58:20.470 And as the series progress, I'm going to show you more and more. 58:20.550 --> 58:21.250 I'm going to stop there. 58:22.810 --> 58:25.510 I don't want to go further than that because we're going to be here until one o'clock. 58:27.470 --> 58:30.870 But friends, the nature of our Lord is very low. 58:32.210 --> 58:34.690 And let me tell you this before we close with prayer. 58:37.730 --> 58:40.150 If you want to find him, the scripture says, 58:40.330 --> 58:43.650 Seek me with all of your heart and you shall find me. 58:44.110 --> 58:48.190 If you want to find the Lord, stop looking for him in these high places. 58:52.480 --> 58:56.360 If you want to find the Lord, if you want to seek him and you want to find him, 58:56.360 --> 58:59.100 start looking for him where he actually is. 59:03.330 --> 59:04.890 Do what nobody else is doing. 59:05.050 --> 59:06.670 And can I tell you what nobody is doing right now? 59:07.170 --> 59:09.830 Nobody is closing themselves and seeking the Lord on their own. 59:09.910 --> 59:10.590 Nobody is doing it. 59:10.950 --> 59:14.050 It's too inconvenient for us to close the door behind us and seek the Lord. 59:16.370 --> 59:17.490 You want to find him? 59:18.030 --> 59:19.370 Do what he says in Matthew 6. 59:21.290 --> 59:24.630 Go to your room, close the door and pray to the Father in secret. 59:24.630 --> 59:28.470 And you will find a lowly king. 59:29.810 --> 59:34.270 You will find a God that is not too good for his creation. 59:35.590 --> 59:40.490 You will find a God that is sympathetic with his creation. 59:40.910 --> 59:44.710 A God that actually intercedes because he's been in our shoes before. 59:45.670 --> 59:50.890 There is nothing that you have lived through that the Lord cannot understand. 59:51.110 --> 59:52.570 Why? Because he's lowly. 59:53.870 --> 59:56.110 He's been to places that we have not yet been. 59:57.590 --> 59:58.450 Did you hear me? 59:59.610 --> 01:00:02.130 I said he's been to places that we have not yet been. 01:00:04.470 --> 01:00:07.310 Let me pray and then we can be dismissed. 01:00:08.970 --> 01:00:10.090 Father, we thank you. 01:00:11.270 --> 01:00:12.830 We thank you for your scriptures. 01:00:13.910 --> 01:00:15.710 We thank you for who you are. 01:00:18.430 --> 01:00:25.430 We thank you that you are a mighty counselor, a wonderful king, a lowly king. 01:00:25.610 --> 01:00:33.150 Lord, we thank you that as we seek the scriptures, we will find you in places that we least expected we would. 01:00:36.390 --> 01:00:46.690 And Father, I'm asking you that you would sear our hearts to recognize that the Genesis 1 God is the same God that stepped into his creation. 01:00:48.750 --> 01:00:50.510 Sear our hearts with that, oh God. 01:00:51.530 --> 01:00:52.990 Change our perspective. 01:00:53.670 --> 01:00:54.710 Change our view. 01:00:55.810 --> 01:00:58.590 Renew our minds, Lord, in the nature of who you are. 01:00:59.030 --> 01:01:00.110 Let us see you, Lord. 01:01:00.510 --> 01:01:03.690 Let us see you as the Holy Spirit sees you. 01:01:06.790 --> 01:01:08.590 And enlighten our hearts, Holy Spirit. 01:01:08.810 --> 01:01:09.930 Enlighten our hearts. 01:01:10.330 --> 01:01:13.430 Put on the eye salve on our eyes that we would see rightly. 01:01:14.010 --> 01:01:15.630 That we would see rightly. 01:01:15.630 --> 01:01:17.390 Our lowly king. 01:01:17.930 --> 01:01:19.190 Lord, we thank you. 01:01:19.770 --> 01:01:21.690 We love you and we bless you. 01:01:22.110 --> 01:01:23.330 In Jesus' name we pray. 01:01:24.110 --> 01:01:24.290 Amen.