WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:09.680 If you've been tracking with us since January, Pastor and I have been bouncing through a few different things, which if you were in prayer this morning, Matt Bergman said it right. 00:09.840 --> 00:17.980 It may seem like we're talking about different things. You know, he's talking about identity. I've been speaking about revival is. 00:18.780 --> 00:27.600 Pastor Mary has just been doing a wonderful job with, with literally leading us through the Watchtower series that she does in the mornings for prayer. 00:29.140 --> 00:40.620 It's, it amazes me how Pastor Mary has the ability to, to take all these different facets because when we sit in our staffings and our meetings and Pastor Mary shares different things, 00:40.900 --> 00:48.760 and she takes these different things and she's so good at tracking things and then putting the pieces of the puzzle together. 00:48.760 --> 00:56.380 Then it draws this great picture. So with all that being said, if you've been tracking with us, there is a few things that the Lord's been really emphasizing on. 00:56.380 --> 01:01.300 And I think we'll probably see it come open heavens. We'll be like, oh yeah, that's right. 01:03.440 --> 01:12.640 But I'm going to be speaking on revival, revival is. That's kind of what I've been in that vein starting earlier from this year. 01:12.880 --> 01:21.640 And last Sunday I spoke on, I really just kind of gave the overview. I really, I really didn't even get into the Isaiah 66 too much and breaking it down. 01:21.640 --> 01:31.320 And today I want to do that. But I want to, I'm debating if I should share this or not because I don't know how it's going to flow with what I want to say. 01:32.200 --> 01:40.540 So maybe I'll hold off. Maybe at the end it'll come to me. But last Sunday, just a really quick thing that I want to say and then we'll get into Isaiah. 01:40.840 --> 01:49.860 We'll begin to break down Isaiah 66. But last Sunday I made this statement and I want to make this statement again is that if we can create 01:51.580 --> 02:04.840 if we can create a dwelling place for God. In other words, if we can create a dwelling place for God in our local body here as a geographical location. 02:05.260 --> 02:15.540 And at the same time, if we can create a dwelling place for God in us because according to New Testament, we are the temple of the living God. 02:16.140 --> 02:25.940 So I said this again last Sunday is that the Isaiah 66 has a twofold meaning to it. It has a twofold meaning to it. 02:26.040 --> 02:31.940 It has, though it's an Old Testament scripture, it has New Testament language in it. 02:32.520 --> 02:43.680 So if we can create a dwelling place for God as individuals and we can bring that to a corporate house like this, each and every individual. 02:43.680 --> 02:55.660 Not just the pastors, not just the leaders, but literally everybody who is born again filled with the Holy Spirit, you have the ability to be a temple. 02:55.800 --> 03:02.680 That's what Corinthian says. To be a temple of where God by His Spirit can rest. 03:02.680 --> 03:15.160 If we can do that, revival is inevitable because where God begins to dwell, things begin to happen. 03:15.560 --> 03:27.840 Let me say that again. Where God begins to dwell, things begin to happen. 03:39.090 --> 03:47.270 When a king enters into a place, a king does not come empty handed. 03:51.640 --> 04:01.300 When royalty steps into a room, it does not come alone, if you know what I'm saying. 04:04.360 --> 04:22.120 If you are a king, you do not enter a place without something that signifies you as a king, nor do you come alone. 04:23.120 --> 04:38.880 But there is a whole host of people, or in Jesus' side of things, there is angels and the Spirit of God and a presence that enters into a place. 04:40.880 --> 04:51.300 So when we create a dwelling place within us, yet at the same time when we gather together, whether it's on a Sunday, 04:51.300 --> 05:02.420 whether it's on a midweek meeting, whatever the case may be, when we gather together and our goal and our focus is God, 05:02.600 --> 05:13.880 we want to create a place for you, it's inevitable that when He comes, revival is going to happen. 05:14.400 --> 05:19.300 Because things begin to occur when God steps into a place. 05:22.040 --> 05:28.000 I'm talking about healings begin to happen without people laying their hands on you. 05:31.390 --> 05:40.110 I'm talking about deliverance beginning to happen without somebody yelling in your face, be set free. 05:43.800 --> 05:47.280 And it's hear me here correctly, please hear me here correctly. 05:48.220 --> 05:53.500 It's good for us to pray for healing. Why? Because Jesus gave us the authority to do so. 05:53.500 --> 05:58.500 He said, now go and lay your hands on the sick, the demon impressed, on and so forth. 05:58.840 --> 06:01.120 It's good. That commissioning is good. 06:02.940 --> 06:09.540 But I do believe, scripturally I'm convinced, I do believe that we can create a place for God. 06:10.660 --> 06:13.140 Not that that's not going to happen anymore, no. 06:14.820 --> 06:19.900 But it'll happen in ways where it's with such ease and effortlessness. 06:20.540 --> 06:26.420 That's even an English word. If it's not, I just created it. It works. 06:28.280 --> 06:32.200 You know, I hear stories and it's... 06:32.200 --> 06:36.500 That to me is evidence that they've created a dwelling place for God. 06:36.820 --> 06:40.740 I've heard multiple stories of Catherine Kuhlman. How many of you know Catherine Kuhlman? 06:42.160 --> 06:46.860 Amazing woman of God, just powerful. And do you know why she was powerful? 06:46.860 --> 06:56.760 It's not because she was so great, but because she created a dwelling place for God to rest within her. 06:57.880 --> 07:03.700 And then when she would go to these meetings, she made sure that there was a dwelling 07:03.700 --> 07:07.700 and a resting place for God in that place where she was at. 07:09.020 --> 07:15.260 I actually heard stories, which the sources I heard it from are very trustworthy sources. 07:15.260 --> 07:23.060 They said that she would not take the stage until she knew that the Holy Spirit was there resting. 07:27.540 --> 07:36.260 She wouldn't come up to the platforms until she knew that there was a resting place for God by the Holy Spirit in that place. 07:38.000 --> 07:41.220 And then other people would say she would walk onto the platform. 07:41.220 --> 07:48.140 All she did is she walked onto the platform and you'd have over 40 people just get up from their wheelchairs. 07:54.960 --> 08:03.320 That's what I mean by the evidence of creating a dwelling place for God here in this room. 08:07.630 --> 08:16.270 Can you imagine, just think about this, can you imagine that if we as a house, as a church, 08:16.270 --> 08:24.110 when I say house, I'm talking about as a church, as a local body, if we could be so hungry for the Lord 08:27.270 --> 08:30.470 and we would desire to make such a place for Him. 08:30.710 --> 08:35.370 And we do desire, hear me here correctly, I know that you guys love the Lord. 08:35.770 --> 08:38.550 I know that you are desiring more of Him. 08:39.010 --> 08:45.570 I know that you're seeking Him other days rather than just, I know you guys are doing all this. 08:45.570 --> 08:46.550 I know you are. 08:47.370 --> 08:49.090 And that's great that you are. 08:52.320 --> 08:54.100 But I'm after the more. 08:58.250 --> 09:07.290 So can you imagine that if we could be so hungry together, we could be so hungry for the Lord 09:08.650 --> 09:14.710 that in our hunger we would create a dwelling place for Him here. 09:15.410 --> 09:22.190 That anybody who enters through those doors, there would be such a dwelling place for the Lord here 09:22.190 --> 09:26.470 that He would just begin to heal Him as soon as they walk through the doors of our sanctuary. 09:38.060 --> 09:41.660 You do understand that we have the same right that the Lord did. 09:43.260 --> 09:44.720 Hold on, hold on, hold on. 09:46.860 --> 09:51.560 You do understand that we have the same right as the Lord did. 09:51.920 --> 10:00.860 And what I mean by that is that they brought the sick, the lame, the deaf, the mute, the crippled, the dead. 10:01.180 --> 10:02.900 They brought them to Him. 10:07.980 --> 10:15.900 Why are we seeing in our current day in society that they are bringing those type of people 10:15.900 --> 10:19.660 more to the hospitals than they are to the church? 10:20.320 --> 10:22.200 That should say something to us. 10:23.040 --> 10:26.180 That should say something to me as a pastor. And it does. 10:27.740 --> 10:28.540 And it does. 10:31.780 --> 10:34.000 Am I hungry for Him? Of course I am. 10:34.500 --> 10:36.520 Are you hungry for Him? Of course you are. 10:36.880 --> 10:42.200 But there is evidence that are undeniable is that they're actually bringing the sick 10:42.200 --> 10:46.140 more to the hospitals than they are to the churches. 10:46.980 --> 10:55.640 Because we have lacked in making a dwelling place for God to rest in our local bodies. 10:59.720 --> 11:05.080 Because we are more focused on the programs and the events. 11:05.520 --> 11:08.200 And we are more focused on everything else. 11:08.200 --> 11:14.460 We are more focused on the manifestation than we are on the manifestor. 11:14.940 --> 11:16.260 You following me? 11:18.280 --> 11:22.540 The manifestations are good and they are necessary. They're needed. 11:22.960 --> 11:26.620 But what about the one who actually manifests them? 11:28.060 --> 11:33.640 Because he can leave the room yet we still have the flesh act of it. 11:41.400 --> 12:03.920 So if we could create a dwelling place for God in this place to dwell in such a way of where they would bring the lame, the crippled, the sick, the deaf, the mute, even the dead. 12:04.160 --> 12:06.360 And I'm not talking about the spiritually dead. 12:06.360 --> 12:09.160 I'm talking about the physically dead. 12:13.430 --> 12:20.470 I'm talking about maybe a young person that has been cut short of their life. 12:20.610 --> 12:24.270 And a weeping mother brings her son in. 12:24.830 --> 12:27.330 And she says he's too young to die. 12:29.210 --> 12:31.430 He's been stripped of his life. 12:32.010 --> 12:36.790 Would you as a church that has created a dwelling place for your Almighty? 12:37.450 --> 12:40.090 Would you pray for him that life? 12:40.590 --> 12:43.730 I said that life would come back into his body. 12:47.400 --> 12:50.820 That's the type of dwelling place that I'm talking about this morning. 12:56.880 --> 13:07.220 Would we be hungry enough for him that that is the type of dwelling place that we would create for him within us as individuals? 13:09.280 --> 13:12.140 And then revival is inevitable. 13:14.220 --> 13:22.680 Because where God rests, things begin to be revived. 13:25.420 --> 13:27.140 Dead things come alive. 13:27.880 --> 13:28.600 Why? 13:29.200 --> 13:30.360 Because he is life. 13:31.980 --> 13:33.760 Did not Jesus say that? 13:33.760 --> 13:38.580 He said I am the resurrection and life. 13:38.760 --> 13:40.220 Those are the words of the Lord. 13:41.560 --> 13:49.160 That means that when he enters a room, he does not bring death with him, but he brings life with him. 13:49.480 --> 13:51.280 He brings about a resurrection. 13:52.060 --> 13:54.060 He brings about a reviving. 13:58.290 --> 14:01.310 He brings about a light unto him. 14:03.370 --> 14:04.710 That's who he is. 14:07.900 --> 14:10.140 Would we know him in that facet? 14:10.180 --> 14:11.620 That's a question I'm asking you. 14:12.100 --> 14:16.380 Would we be hungry enough to know him in that facet? 14:18.500 --> 14:19.680 Of my God. 14:22.240 --> 14:31.560 You did actually rightfully pay for me to be a temple like I read in the Old Testament. 14:33.460 --> 14:41.920 That the cloud rested on them and the ministers, the priests, they could not even minister because it was so heavy. 14:49.320 --> 14:52.560 Isaiah 66 has a twofold meaning to it. 14:53.740 --> 14:56.080 It is both, again, New Testament language. 14:56.720 --> 15:01.020 It's been an Old Testament scripture with New Testament language in it. 15:01.020 --> 15:10.320 The two meaning is that we can be a dwelling place of where God rests in measures that will blow your mind. 15:10.660 --> 15:22.460 Friends, it will blow your mind if your goal in life would not be how can I travel the world to preach the gospel or this, that, or the other. 15:22.580 --> 15:23.420 Those are good things. 15:23.540 --> 15:24.400 Those are good things. 15:24.520 --> 15:25.540 Please hear me right. 15:26.460 --> 15:40.500 But that first and foremost, our goal would be how can I live a life that God would dwell in me in such a measure that it would be like the tabernacle of Moses. 15:42.280 --> 15:44.260 And the Ark of the Covenant. 15:45.720 --> 15:56.800 And there would be such a heaviness of the presence of God that I would physically see a pillar, a fire, and a pillar that's a cloud. 15:56.980 --> 15:57.940 I would see it. 15:59.500 --> 16:02.200 And those that are around me, they would see it. 16:09.680 --> 16:24.400 I'm going to read Isaiah 66 and I'm going to tell you this morning, scripturally, not my opinion, not my fantasy or something that I fathomed up of how we can do this. 16:24.660 --> 16:26.920 We have the ability to do this, by the way. 16:28.180 --> 16:34.360 God is not a God who gives us something and then he goes, oh, you can't get it. 16:34.860 --> 16:42.780 No. When God says it's accessible to you, he says here is the principles of how you can do it. 16:44.100 --> 16:50.620 It's not that he doesn't want us to get there. It's not that he doesn't want us to do it. It's not that he can't. 16:50.800 --> 16:53.240 It's the fact that we won't pay the price. 16:54.140 --> 17:00.560 It's the fact that we are actually, the reality of it, is we are actually not hungry enough for it. 17:01.520 --> 17:08.620 We have not come to a place of where the pressure has come that we begin to be squeezed, 17:09.880 --> 17:15.060 that we are now desperate enough to go there and actually do it. 17:16.200 --> 17:19.440 Let me read Isaiah 66 and then we're going to break it apart. 17:20.120 --> 17:22.500 This is Isaiah 66 verses one. 17:23.400 --> 17:26.400 He says, heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool. 17:26.880 --> 17:29.380 Where is the house that you will build me? 17:30.880 --> 17:33.060 And where is the place of my rest? 17:34.000 --> 17:38.640 For all those things my hand has made, last Sunday I broke that down so well. 17:38.820 --> 17:48.080 I just quick, God says I've made all these things, yet I choose to dwell within my creation, which is mankind. 17:49.840 --> 17:53.840 That's the place that he desires to have a resting place in. 17:55.140 --> 18:03.240 More than in his angels, more than in the heavens and the earth and the creatures of the scene of the land and of the air. 18:03.760 --> 18:06.700 His desire, hear me here. 18:06.800 --> 18:09.460 This is the identity thing that Pastor Vernon was talking about. 18:09.960 --> 18:14.420 His desire in all the creation that the Genesis one God has made. 18:14.820 --> 18:19.320 His desire to rest and to dwell in is in mankind. 18:22.280 --> 18:24.580 That should speak something to us. 18:27.400 --> 18:32.340 For all those things my hand has made and all those things exist, says the Lord. 18:33.300 --> 18:35.320 But on this one I will look. 18:36.880 --> 18:43.520 In other words, on this one I want to rest and dwell in. 18:44.200 --> 18:45.080 That's what he's saying. 18:48.720 --> 18:52.940 All these things we see, but on this one he makes a separation. 18:54.060 --> 18:57.020 He makes a distinct separation. 18:58.040 --> 19:00.200 But on this one, which one Lord? 19:00.700 --> 19:02.460 Which one do you look at? 19:02.920 --> 19:06.780 Which one do you desire to rest and to dwell in? 19:06.820 --> 19:15.680 And he goes down the list and he says on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit and who trembles at my word. 19:16.740 --> 19:20.420 On that one God says I will dwell in them. 19:20.820 --> 19:22.680 I will rest in them. 19:23.700 --> 19:32.560 I will find pleasure to be there in my fullness. 19:34.540 --> 19:44.640 Why did the Father find pleasure in the Son to manifest Himself in His fullness? 19:45.640 --> 19:49.480 Because Jesus fit into these three. 19:52.540 --> 19:57.920 Jesus lived a life that was poor and not the financial poverty. 19:58.040 --> 19:59.300 I touched on this last Sunday. 19:59.720 --> 20:02.640 Not the financial poverty that we so quick go to. 20:03.900 --> 20:10.060 In this context, the prophet Isaiah is writing as God is talking to him. 20:10.280 --> 20:12.720 And he's not talking about financial poverty. 20:12.720 --> 20:17.440 He's actually talking about being poor in spirit and in heart. 20:21.080 --> 20:25.220 Jesus was a man that was poor in spirit and in heart. 20:26.620 --> 20:30.620 Jesus was a man that had a contrite spirit. 20:31.500 --> 20:36.420 And Jesus is a man who trembled at the word of his Father. 20:36.420 --> 20:45.120 He trembled in such a measure that when the pressing came in the Garden of Gethsemane. 20:45.380 --> 20:53.860 When the pressing came, the Lord, the Son of God, trembled at the word of his Father. 20:55.420 --> 21:00.640 That he would say in that moment, not as I will, but as you will. 21:03.060 --> 21:07.680 There's a trembling of the word of God that was within Jesus. 21:09.040 --> 21:12.880 That he did not take the word of the Father lightly. 21:14.680 --> 21:20.300 But he knew that this is the God of heaven and earth that has spoke to him and said, 21:20.700 --> 21:24.360 You are to go and to die for the world. 21:28.910 --> 21:32.170 To be poor, I touched on this on, I think it was part two. 21:32.290 --> 21:36.370 So I'm going to quickly skim through what it means to be poor in heart or poor in spirit. 21:36.730 --> 21:40.330 But to be poor is to walk in humility. 21:42.110 --> 21:46.450 To be poor is to walk in lowliness of mind. 21:46.890 --> 21:51.630 It is to have complete dependency on God. That's what it means to be poor. 21:52.610 --> 21:56.010 To be poor in spirit is to recognize... 21:56.010 --> 22:00.870 I'm literally giving an overview on, I think part two, I touched on this. 22:01.490 --> 22:08.070 But to be poor in spirit is to recognize your spiritual bankruptcy before God. 22:09.610 --> 22:14.790 Knowing that you have nothing of yourself to impress God with. 22:15.190 --> 22:20.090 But everything, everything, I said everything that you have 22:20.090 --> 22:24.090 that pertains to your spirituality comes from him. 22:26.970 --> 22:34.230 There is absolutely not an ounce that we can take credit to our spirituality. 22:37.740 --> 22:43.840 There is nothing that I can credit myself and say, 22:43.840 --> 22:51.480 yes, I did this better for my spirituality unless it came from God. 22:56.910 --> 23:05.770 Then I can say, yes, I have that because I am flourishing in my spiritual life 23:06.990 --> 23:10.150 because the Holy Spirit is my counselor. 23:13.920 --> 23:21.680 I am maturing in my spiritual walk because the Holy Spirit is my teacher. 23:26.140 --> 23:33.980 I am being stretched in my inner man, which the scripture talks about as your spiritual man. 23:34.440 --> 23:36.600 This is Thessalonians talks about this. 23:38.080 --> 23:41.860 I am stretched in my inner man, in my spiritual man 23:41.860 --> 23:48.460 because I am choosing to obey him when he is talking to me. 23:48.920 --> 23:50.480 I can't even take credit there. 23:50.940 --> 23:53.340 I can't even take credit in my obedience. 23:54.020 --> 23:54.420 Why? 23:55.580 --> 24:01.720 Because if I do something before he's asked me to do it, now I'm living by works. 24:04.680 --> 24:06.580 No, no, listen to this, listen to this. 24:06.980 --> 24:11.080 Because there's this whole thing about works and obedience and this and that. 24:11.080 --> 24:14.140 Here is how I distinguish the two. 24:15.840 --> 24:21.100 If you are doing something that God has not asked you to do, yet it's good. 24:21.200 --> 24:23.060 It's kingdom things, quote-unquote. 24:23.460 --> 24:24.500 It's kingdom things. 24:24.800 --> 24:31.460 But if God has not asked you to do them, friend, you could be actually living by works. 24:34.700 --> 24:41.060 But if God is asking me to do something, if God asked me and my wife to move up here, 24:42.500 --> 24:45.820 I am now not living by my fleshly works. 24:46.020 --> 24:47.540 I am now obeying him. 24:48.380 --> 24:51.060 But now I put my works into it. 24:52.540 --> 24:55.680 But even then, in my obedience, I can't take credit. 24:57.300 --> 24:57.820 Why? 24:58.620 --> 25:00.040 Because he first spoke to me. 25:04.750 --> 25:06.270 See, that's being poor in spirit. 25:09.390 --> 25:17.670 Obeying the Lord is actually a form of walking in a spirit and a heart that is poor before the Lord. 25:17.970 --> 25:19.630 I'm dependent on you, God. 25:21.090 --> 25:26.690 I'm spiritually bankrupt unless you talk to me and you tell me what I need to do next. 25:33.300 --> 25:39.660 I need you to tell me how I need to respond in this new season of my life. 25:39.660 --> 25:41.300 What do I got to do, God? 25:41.860 --> 25:43.000 You got to talk to me. 25:46.060 --> 25:51.300 Because we are so quick when we enter into a new season, you get two groups of people. 25:52.820 --> 25:58.920 You get a people that when they enter a new season, they completely don't know what they're doing. 25:59.060 --> 26:02.360 And they just sit there with their arms folded like, I don't know what to do. 26:03.240 --> 26:06.940 And then you get another group of people that when they enter a new season, it's like, 26:06.940 --> 26:10.400 they know exactly and this and that and the other. 26:10.580 --> 26:12.700 And it's like, but God's like, but hold on a second. 26:13.200 --> 26:16.640 You didn't even ask me how you need to walk out this new season. 26:19.820 --> 26:21.420 Does that make sense what I'm saying? 26:22.180 --> 26:22.780 Is it making sense? 26:25.080 --> 26:32.280 To be poor in spirit is to be spiritually, is to recognize I am spiritually bankrupt. 26:32.280 --> 26:37.900 Unless, unless the Holy Spirit is dwelling within me. 26:38.420 --> 26:47.780 Unless the Holy Spirit is teaching me, talking to me, maturing me, counseling me, leading me on and so forth. 26:49.960 --> 26:51.700 Then I'm not spiritually bankrupt. 26:52.000 --> 26:53.320 Then I'm full. 26:53.540 --> 26:56.760 I am a cup that is full and a cup that is overflowing. 26:58.070 --> 26:59.700 But there's no credit on to me. 27:01.160 --> 27:04.020 I'm poor in spirit and God says on those I will look. 27:05.300 --> 27:09.900 On those I will look who can live like that. 27:10.440 --> 27:13.120 I will find rest in them. 27:14.820 --> 27:20.720 Because even under mountain tops, they are still looking on to me. 27:22.180 --> 27:24.600 It's easy to look to the Lord in your valley. 27:25.000 --> 27:27.300 It's very easy to look on to him in your valley. 27:27.660 --> 27:28.000 Why? 27:28.000 --> 27:30.720 Because in a valley, you're distraught. 27:31.400 --> 27:33.920 In a valley, there is heaviness. 27:34.080 --> 27:38.440 In a valley, there is all these opposing things and challenges. 27:38.920 --> 27:40.000 And we come... 27:40.540 --> 27:44.840 It's easy to come to a realization that we need a God. 27:45.020 --> 27:46.580 I need a God in my life. 27:46.880 --> 27:49.120 Maybe what that pastor said is true. 27:49.660 --> 27:51.380 I should probably go to church. 27:53.960 --> 27:58.340 But to be poor in spirit is to have that same heart posture. 27:58.680 --> 28:01.180 That same attitude even in our mountain tops. 28:02.680 --> 28:06.020 Even when all is well in our life. 28:06.620 --> 28:08.460 The business is growing. 28:08.980 --> 28:10.820 The family is prospering. 28:11.400 --> 28:12.540 Church is good. 28:13.540 --> 28:14.860 Everything is well. 28:15.960 --> 28:17.880 It is well with my soul. 28:18.200 --> 28:20.580 But to position ourselves in a way 28:20.580 --> 28:22.700 that the posture we had in the valley 28:22.700 --> 28:25.480 is the same posture I'm having on the mountain top. 28:25.800 --> 28:26.980 I still need you, God. 28:28.720 --> 28:29.740 Everything's really good. 28:29.880 --> 28:31.120 But Lord, I still need you. 28:31.380 --> 28:31.800 Why? 28:32.200 --> 28:36.280 Because I know that as soon as I leave that recognition 28:36.280 --> 28:38.300 or my heart posture that I... 28:38.300 --> 28:40.140 that unless you come, I'm spiritually bankrupt. 28:40.600 --> 28:41.460 I got nothing, God. 28:46.400 --> 28:49.460 To be poor in spirit is to understand what sin is. 28:49.540 --> 28:50.560 I'm not going to develop on that 28:50.560 --> 28:52.180 because I spoke about this in part two. 28:52.180 --> 28:54.620 It's to understand what sin is 28:54.620 --> 28:55.600 and what it has done. 28:55.960 --> 28:57.520 But more than that, 28:58.300 --> 29:01.460 seeing the price that Jesus paid 29:01.460 --> 29:02.880 for we were bought 29:03.760 --> 29:06.600 at a very valuable price. 29:07.280 --> 29:09.760 Not silver, not gold, 29:10.340 --> 29:11.660 but the precious blood 29:12.180 --> 29:14.660 of a lamb that was sinless. 29:17.280 --> 29:19.120 We're talking about God 29:19.120 --> 29:22.340 that came in the flesh. 29:23.000 --> 29:24.480 We're talking about that kind of blood. 29:24.660 --> 29:26.360 We're talking about royal blood. 29:28.880 --> 29:32.000 I said we're talking about royal blood. 29:32.480 --> 29:34.480 You want to talk about bloodlines? 29:35.320 --> 29:37.480 We're talking about royal blood. 29:41.920 --> 29:43.920 Jesus came from a seed 29:45.620 --> 29:47.340 that was of royal blood. 29:48.060 --> 29:49.840 That when you actually trace 29:49.840 --> 29:53.420 the seed that Jesus came from, 29:53.840 --> 29:55.100 the 14 generations, 29:55.360 --> 29:57.720 the 14 generations, and the 14 generations, 29:58.160 --> 30:00.220 when you track that seed 30:00.220 --> 30:02.340 and you bring it all the way back to Adam, 30:02.680 --> 30:05.640 you recognize that Adam 30:05.640 --> 30:07.320 was of royal blood. 30:08.380 --> 30:10.100 And then you bring it back to Jesus 30:10.100 --> 30:11.060 and you're like, whoa, 30:11.760 --> 30:13.920 this is royal blood that was paid for us. 30:14.460 --> 30:15.940 This wasn't just a man. 30:16.640 --> 30:17.980 That was a Nazarene. 30:17.980 --> 30:20.960 This wasn't just a man that was Jewish. 30:21.240 --> 30:22.800 This wasn't just a man that was... 30:22.800 --> 30:24.240 This is royal blood. 30:24.420 --> 30:26.190 This is not just common. 30:26.860 --> 30:29.100 This is royal blood that was paid for us. 30:34.030 --> 30:35.610 To be poor in spirit. 30:37.310 --> 30:39.050 Let me actually read it for you here. 30:39.330 --> 30:41.510 Open up your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5. 30:45.320 --> 30:46.660 This is the B attitudes. 30:48.260 --> 30:49.780 Matthew 5 verse 3. 30:52.820 --> 30:54.020 Is this still good, by the way? 30:55.020 --> 30:55.160 Ken. 30:55.840 --> 30:57.120 He's still tracking with me. 31:03.580 --> 31:05.320 Matthew 5 3 reads this. 31:05.860 --> 31:07.560 Blessed are the poor in spirit, 31:07.820 --> 31:10.860 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 31:13.060 --> 31:15.840 Blessed are the poor in spirit, 31:16.420 --> 31:19.160 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 31:20.180 --> 31:21.980 To be poor in spirit 31:22.820 --> 31:24.720 is to be one of the most 31:26.920 --> 31:28.040 joyful, rejoicing, 31:28.880 --> 31:31.500 happiest, full of gratitude, 31:32.920 --> 31:34.780 fill in the blank, whatever's coming to you, 31:34.900 --> 31:37.160 people on this earth. 31:38.800 --> 31:40.940 Because we got it backwards in the church. 31:41.680 --> 31:43.700 We think if you're poor in spirit, 31:43.840 --> 31:45.120 it's like, oh man, I'm a sinner. 31:46.240 --> 31:47.760 No, you were a sinner. 31:48.260 --> 31:49.880 But now you've recognized 31:49.880 --> 31:52.120 that you've been washed by the blood. 31:54.720 --> 31:56.040 And Jesus is saying, 31:56.280 --> 31:58.720 blessed are the poor in spirit, 31:58.940 --> 32:00.480 for theirs is what? 32:02.160 --> 32:03.300 It's yours. 32:07.360 --> 32:09.880 So if you are living a life that is 32:10.760 --> 32:12.640 poor in spirit and you've cultivated 32:12.640 --> 32:14.940 and are cultivating a life 32:14.940 --> 32:16.360 that is poor in spirit, 32:16.780 --> 32:18.040 you're depending on him, 32:18.340 --> 32:19.620 you're walking in humility, 32:20.280 --> 32:23.020 you're recognizing that without him, 32:23.280 --> 32:24.500 you're spiritually banked up, 32:24.500 --> 32:26.160 you have all these facets. 32:28.840 --> 32:31.260 And now you're one of the most happiest people. 32:33.280 --> 32:35.940 Some of the most happiest people that I know, 32:36.400 --> 32:37.300 in the faith, 32:37.820 --> 32:40.060 are some of the most poor in spirit people 32:40.060 --> 32:41.120 that I've ever met. 32:42.200 --> 32:44.940 Because Jesus says yours is the kingdom of heaven. 32:45.080 --> 32:45.700 It's yours. 32:46.680 --> 32:47.820 Can you imagine 32:48.640 --> 32:50.440 the Lord coming to you right now, 32:50.680 --> 32:52.680 like physically the Lord comes to you and he says, 32:52.680 --> 32:55.540 the kingdom of heaven, not the kingdom right here, 32:55.800 --> 32:57.280 the kingdom of heaven is yours. 32:57.680 --> 32:58.860 What would your response be? 32:59.760 --> 33:02.060 You'd be shouting on the rooftops. 33:04.820 --> 33:06.640 You would come in in a Sunday service 33:06.640 --> 33:08.920 and you'd be dancing up front here. 33:09.040 --> 33:11.320 I promise you, I promise you, 33:11.500 --> 33:13.740 you would get undone before the Lord. 33:14.520 --> 33:16.980 If you actually believed this. 33:19.500 --> 33:21.380 If you actually believed 33:21.380 --> 33:24.440 that Jesus says, blessed are the poor in spirit, 33:24.600 --> 33:26.640 for the kingdom of heaven is yours. 33:28.640 --> 33:31.280 It's within reach. It's within grasp. 33:31.680 --> 33:33.620 You can experience it right now. 33:34.740 --> 33:36.700 You don't have to wait to die 33:36.700 --> 33:39.380 to get to heaven. You can experience 33:39.380 --> 33:41.440 my kingdom now. Why? 33:41.760 --> 33:43.200 Because it's yours. Why? 33:43.500 --> 33:44.820 Because you're poor in spirit. 33:48.270 --> 33:50.950 I'm telling you, if we actually believe this, 33:51.870 --> 33:53.290 our worship would change. 33:55.250 --> 33:57.210 If we actually believed 33:57.210 --> 34:00.790 that the kingdom of heaven is ours right now, 34:02.750 --> 34:05.890 we would deal with things differently. 34:06.630 --> 34:09.210 We would address things differently. 34:09.390 --> 34:11.610 We would live a life that is different. 34:15.140 --> 34:16.840 To be contrite in spirit. 34:16.940 --> 34:18.680 So again, remember, that's on whom God looks. 34:18.860 --> 34:20.000 Those that are poor in spirit. 34:20.000 --> 34:22.600 To be contrite in spirit, 34:22.940 --> 34:25.020 in the Hebrew and in the Greek, 34:25.380 --> 34:28.620 this word often times translates 34:28.620 --> 34:33.760 of being crushed, crippled, or even broken. 34:34.660 --> 34:36.520 That's the word it translates to, 34:36.640 --> 34:37.820 in the Greek and the Hebrew. 34:38.760 --> 34:40.680 To have a contrite spirit, 34:41.060 --> 34:42.620 I would say it this way. 34:43.480 --> 34:45.880 To cultivate and to live 34:45.880 --> 34:48.120 in a contrite spirit 34:48.120 --> 34:49.900 is to live a life 34:49.900 --> 34:52.680 that I'm choosing to deny myself. 34:53.380 --> 34:55.800 I'm choosing death to self. 34:56.760 --> 34:57.980 Remember when Jesus said, 34:58.660 --> 35:00.240 maybe it wasn't Jesus, maybe it was, I don't know, 35:00.260 --> 35:01.700 but I'll quote the scripture to you. 35:03.440 --> 35:05.060 Those who lose their life 35:05.060 --> 35:06.560 will actually what? 35:06.760 --> 35:07.980 It was the Lord that said that, right? 35:08.560 --> 35:10.340 Okay, I got like 10 different things 35:10.340 --> 35:11.320 running through my head here. 35:12.800 --> 35:14.620 Those who lose their life 35:14.620 --> 35:15.820 will actually what? 35:15.820 --> 35:17.600 They'll find it. 35:19.520 --> 35:21.180 And those who keep it, 35:21.300 --> 35:22.360 they'll actually lose it. 35:24.360 --> 35:26.800 So a contrite spirit is somebody 35:26.800 --> 35:30.740 who is choosing to deny their flesh. 35:31.320 --> 35:34.180 They're choosing to pick up their cross 35:34.180 --> 35:36.900 daily, just like the Apostle Paul said. 35:37.500 --> 35:39.700 He said, I crucify my flesh daily, 35:40.120 --> 35:41.220 not just on Sunday, 35:41.220 --> 35:45.780 but I actually choose to crucify it daily 35:45.780 --> 35:48.580 and I pick up, I bear, I pick up my cross 35:48.580 --> 35:51.660 and I bear my cross daily. 35:52.580 --> 35:55.080 In other words, I want to live a life 35:55.080 --> 35:57.160 that is of a contrite spirit. 35:59.760 --> 36:02.160 I'm gonna crush my flesh. 36:02.660 --> 36:04.320 I'm gonna cripple my flesh. 36:04.440 --> 36:05.340 And when I say cripple, 36:05.340 --> 36:06.580 please understand me here correctly. 36:06.960 --> 36:08.360 It's not that I become an invalid, 36:09.120 --> 36:10.180 but I'm talking about, 36:10.180 --> 36:13.200 I'm gonna cripple the desires of my flesh 36:13.200 --> 36:15.280 and the sinful desires of it. 36:16.520 --> 36:19.220 And I'm gonna bring it into submission 36:19.980 --> 36:21.560 to my spirit man. 36:24.360 --> 36:27.040 That's what it means to be of a contrite spirit. 36:27.420 --> 36:29.180 It's bringing your flesh, 36:29.640 --> 36:31.440 you're bringing it, you're crushing it down. 36:31.740 --> 36:32.700 Not today, flesh. 36:33.680 --> 36:34.440 Not today. 36:34.900 --> 36:36.200 I'm crushing you 36:36.200 --> 36:37.600 because I'm a man 36:37.600 --> 36:40.060 and I'm a woman of a contrite spirit. 36:42.280 --> 36:44.980 And you will not have your way in me today. 36:47.940 --> 36:50.740 Today I will choose to be a man and a woman 36:50.740 --> 36:52.260 that obeys God, 36:52.600 --> 36:54.980 that lives according to the spirit 36:54.980 --> 36:56.340 and not to the flesh. 37:02.870 --> 37:05.070 To live a life of a contrite spirit 37:05.070 --> 37:06.890 is to stop justifying 37:06.890 --> 37:09.470 your own wrong choices. 37:10.750 --> 37:11.710 My God. 37:12.290 --> 37:13.990 I could put a period on that 37:13.990 --> 37:15.830 and drop the mic and walk off the stage. 37:19.250 --> 37:20.610 We're all guilty of it. 37:22.530 --> 37:23.970 We're all guilty of it. 37:26.510 --> 37:28.530 We justify our actions 37:29.170 --> 37:30.610 and our choices. 37:33.450 --> 37:35.190 And I've learned I have to catch 37:35.190 --> 37:36.890 my thought process in this a lot. 37:37.650 --> 37:39.250 Let me just share with you 37:39.250 --> 37:39.830 my own thing. 37:40.830 --> 37:42.810 I have to catch my thought process in this 37:42.810 --> 37:44.670 and I see this in the church world. 37:45.170 --> 37:46.050 Well, God understands. 37:51.430 --> 37:52.890 Well, God understands though. 37:53.950 --> 37:56.250 He knows that I had a really hard day today. 37:57.350 --> 37:58.070 Of course he does. 38:01.110 --> 38:02.970 But to be of a contrite spirit 38:02.970 --> 38:04.750 is to stop justifying ourselves. 38:10.540 --> 38:12.260 I often times, friends, 38:12.460 --> 38:13.960 I'm being very transparent with you, 38:13.960 --> 38:16.500 I often times have to catch 38:16.500 --> 38:18.220 my thought process because 38:18.220 --> 38:20.760 there is genuineness in that. 38:21.620 --> 38:24.060 But when we begin to give into that time 38:24.060 --> 38:26.320 and time and time 38:26.320 --> 38:27.680 and time again, 38:27.920 --> 38:30.260 it brings us to a place of compromise 38:30.560 --> 38:32.060 and complacency 38:32.060 --> 38:34.460 and we begin to use this phrase 38:34.460 --> 38:35.940 of God understands 38:35.940 --> 38:38.140 as a form of justification 38:38.140 --> 38:39.280 for ourselves. 38:42.180 --> 38:43.920 Well, God understands 38:43.920 --> 38:45.860 that this, that and the other. 38:46.200 --> 38:46.820 He does. 38:47.240 --> 38:49.260 But do you want to be a man or a woman 38:49.260 --> 38:52.220 that God dwells in, that God rests on? 38:52.480 --> 38:53.840 Then you got to be a person 38:53.840 --> 38:55.760 that is of a contrite spirit. 38:56.420 --> 38:57.920 Which means stop justifying 38:58.700 --> 38:59.740 your choices 38:59.740 --> 39:01.060 and your actions. 39:01.440 --> 39:03.700 But admit in that moment 39:03.700 --> 39:05.320 go back to the posture 39:05.700 --> 39:07.400 of being poor in spirit 39:07.720 --> 39:09.100 and say, my God, 39:09.460 --> 39:10.900 my God, I need you. 39:17.240 --> 39:18.640 My flesh is weak. 39:19.200 --> 39:20.860 It's tired. It's weary. 39:21.340 --> 39:22.720 But Holy Spirit 39:22.720 --> 39:25.140 give me strength 39:25.140 --> 39:27.000 because I can't do it without you. 39:31.160 --> 39:32.700 They go hand in hand. 39:33.400 --> 39:34.780 All three of these things, 39:34.860 --> 39:36.760 they go hand in hand. 39:38.940 --> 39:41.140 To be contrite, you got to be poor. 39:41.420 --> 39:43.480 To be poor, you got to tremble at his word. 39:43.760 --> 39:44.840 To tremble at his word, 39:44.920 --> 39:45.940 you got to be of a contrite spirit. 39:45.940 --> 39:47.970 It's like they gel together. 39:49.260 --> 39:50.700 Yet all three of them 39:50.700 --> 39:52.220 are speaking about first love. 39:52.240 --> 39:53.180 And I'll get to that later. 39:56.140 --> 39:58.100 So to be of a contrite spirit 39:59.520 --> 40:01.160 is to stop justifying 40:01.160 --> 40:01.860 your choices, 40:02.700 --> 40:03.580 your decisions, 40:04.480 --> 40:05.880 your wrong things 40:05.880 --> 40:07.820 that you've done in life. 40:08.800 --> 40:10.720 It's easy to point a finger 40:10.720 --> 40:11.920 and say, but they're wrong. 40:12.760 --> 40:13.920 Oh my God, I got to share. 40:13.920 --> 40:15.560 I got to get real transparent with you here. 40:16.920 --> 40:17.840 I recently 40:17.840 --> 40:19.800 had an interaction 40:19.800 --> 40:20.560 with someone 40:22.420 --> 40:23.520 and we chatted 40:25.680 --> 40:27.840 and when I chatted with this person 40:27.840 --> 40:30.420 and they shared their perspective 40:32.280 --> 40:34.260 and then the Lord began to talk to me 40:34.260 --> 40:36.040 because I was like, there's just, there's no way. 40:36.180 --> 40:38.440 There's no way. Like I've done everything right, God. 40:38.900 --> 40:39.960 I've asked you. 40:40.420 --> 40:41.520 I've tested my heart. 40:41.520 --> 40:43.660 My heart intention was pure and clean 40:43.660 --> 40:45.580 and you didn't say nothing to me 40:45.580 --> 40:47.360 but it's like the Lord was waiting 40:47.360 --> 40:48.800 until I had that conversation 40:49.300 --> 40:51.020 and then after I had that conversation 40:51.020 --> 40:52.660 and I heard the person's perspective 40:52.660 --> 40:54.620 I walked away from there 40:57.100 --> 40:59.240 and I was like, man, I actually 40:59.240 --> 41:00.160 failed as a leader. 41:04.300 --> 41:05.280 So do you know what I did? 41:05.400 --> 41:07.540 I reached out to that person and I apologized to them. 41:09.720 --> 41:11.580 I said, I failed you as your leader. 41:13.660 --> 41:15.900 I actually failed you as your pastor 41:16.620 --> 41:18.440 because I didn't have your perspective. 41:20.620 --> 41:21.700 You following me? 41:24.760 --> 41:26.820 A contrite spirit and heart 41:26.820 --> 41:28.180 again, this is bounces off 41:28.180 --> 41:29.200 the wrong choices 41:29.760 --> 41:31.240 offers no excuses 41:31.240 --> 41:33.600 and does not shift blame, just like the story 41:33.600 --> 41:34.420 I just shared with you. 41:37.940 --> 41:39.000 It took me 41:39.000 --> 41:40.780 to posture myself 41:41.540 --> 41:42.920 of a heart that is 41:42.920 --> 41:43.580 poor 41:44.480 --> 41:46.520 because it takes humility to do that 41:47.100 --> 41:48.680 to then come to the person 41:49.220 --> 41:50.360 and tell them, hey, 41:50.660 --> 41:52.460 I actually failed you as a leader 41:52.460 --> 41:54.500 and as your pastor I actually failed you 41:55.960 --> 41:57.220 and in doing that 41:57.220 --> 41:58.900 what that does is it actually creates 41:58.900 --> 42:00.420 a contrite spirit in me 42:01.520 --> 42:03.060 because I'm not shifting blame 42:03.060 --> 42:04.300 I'm not making excuses 42:05.920 --> 42:06.960 but I'm bringing 42:06.960 --> 42:08.580 things that could be in darkness 42:08.580 --> 42:10.120 I'm bringing them into light 42:10.880 --> 42:12.980 it is easy for us 42:12.980 --> 42:15.060 to point fingers 42:15.060 --> 42:16.500 and say that somebody else 42:16.500 --> 42:17.280 is doing a wrong 42:17.280 --> 42:19.520 it is easy for us 42:19.520 --> 42:21.180 to point at our wife 42:21.180 --> 42:23.800 it's easy for us to point 42:23.800 --> 42:24.680 at our husband 42:25.660 --> 42:27.080 at our children 42:29.080 --> 42:29.940 and say 42:29.940 --> 42:31.420 they're just not getting it 42:31.420 --> 42:33.460 but here's my question to you 42:33.460 --> 42:35.160 and this is what Tonya and I 42:35.160 --> 42:36.700 me and my wife this is what we do often 42:36.700 --> 42:40.820 What can I do better as a husband? 42:41.720 --> 42:44.220 What can she do better as a wife? 42:44.600 --> 42:46.640 What can we do better as parents? 42:46.980 --> 42:50.500 To help our children understand more. 42:50.960 --> 42:53.200 To help her understand more. 42:53.580 --> 42:55.740 To help me understand... Do you see what I'm saying? 42:57.200 --> 42:59.880 If there's one thing I learned in pastorship, 42:59.880 --> 43:01.020 there's a lot that I learned. 43:01.160 --> 43:02.760 But if there's one thing I learned, 43:02.760 --> 43:04.540 is repetition is key. 43:07.960 --> 43:10.700 And you can go at repetition in different facets. 43:11.760 --> 43:14.160 I can be talking about the same thing to you, 43:14.320 --> 43:16.660 but you're not even recognizing that I'm telling you 43:16.660 --> 43:18.680 the same thing as the congregation. 43:19.220 --> 43:20.900 But I am. Why? 43:21.260 --> 43:23.020 Because I needed to hit you like a brick wall. 43:26.540 --> 43:28.880 So what can we do as a spouse 43:28.880 --> 43:31.360 rather than saying they just don't get it? 43:32.140 --> 43:34.460 They just, I've done everything pastor. 43:35.480 --> 43:37.160 I've everything I've done. 43:37.600 --> 43:39.360 Can you go at it at a different angle? 43:40.340 --> 43:42.280 No, there is no more angles. Are you sure? 43:45.480 --> 43:46.280 Are you sure? 43:46.960 --> 43:48.600 Because last time I checked, 43:49.740 --> 43:51.600 the spirit is given without measure. 43:56.980 --> 43:59.180 But pastor, I fasted, I've prayed. 44:00.340 --> 44:02.220 I've everything under the sun. 44:02.220 --> 44:05.440 Are you sure that the Holy Spirit 44:05.440 --> 44:08.940 is now out of options and limits? 44:09.420 --> 44:12.560 And I don't know, last time I checked, 44:12.720 --> 44:16.220 the Gospel of John says that he gives a spirit without measure. 44:16.920 --> 44:20.340 Which means that there is ways that you could go at it 44:20.340 --> 44:24.020 in a spirit of wisdom that you didn't even fathom you could. 44:24.540 --> 44:26.560 But the Holy Spirit is like, only if they ask. 44:27.720 --> 44:30.300 And ask with the right heart intent. 44:30.300 --> 44:31.700 And I will make a way. 44:35.120 --> 44:36.100 Still with me? 44:39.840 --> 44:43.280 A contrite spirit and heart throws itself 44:44.040 --> 44:46.600 at the mercies of God 44:47.580 --> 44:51.100 knowing that it deserves nothing but righteous wrath. 44:54.860 --> 44:57.460 Open up your Bibles to Isaiah chapter six. 44:57.580 --> 45:01.120 I'm gonna give you a very famous passage in the Bible 45:01.120 --> 45:03.480 that we know, we have songs about this. 45:04.160 --> 45:06.560 We have sermons about this. 45:06.900 --> 45:09.160 It's a very well-known passage in the Bible. 45:09.320 --> 45:10.940 This is Isaiah chapter six. 45:12.240 --> 45:14.220 But here's, while you're opening up your Bibles, 45:14.360 --> 45:16.440 I just, I wanna quickly jump back. 45:17.100 --> 45:19.420 It's these kind of people 45:21.400 --> 45:24.100 that God says, on him I will look. 45:25.180 --> 45:27.860 It's these type of people that have cultivated 45:27.860 --> 45:32.700 this type of life and are still cultivating, by the way. 45:34.660 --> 45:37.060 Let me give you a little nugget, and then I'll read it. 45:38.040 --> 45:40.740 You never stop growing in being poor in spirit. 45:41.540 --> 45:44.420 If you've grown, friend, you went down the rabbit hole 45:44.420 --> 45:45.340 of pride and arrogance. 45:46.380 --> 45:48.940 If you think that you are so humble 45:48.940 --> 45:50.880 that you don't even pronounce the H, 45:50.940 --> 45:53.620 and you just say, umble, friend, you need deliverance. 45:59.880 --> 46:00.320 Yeah. 46:01.260 --> 46:03.820 If you're so walking in such humility 46:03.820 --> 46:06.500 that you stop pronouncing humility, 46:06.900 --> 46:08.700 but humility, you need deliverance. 46:08.720 --> 46:09.760 I'm gonna flat out tell you. 46:10.200 --> 46:11.100 That is demonic. 46:12.960 --> 46:16.640 That is demonic to come to a thought process 46:16.640 --> 46:18.820 that I am now so humble. 46:20.000 --> 46:21.280 I am so meek. 46:22.040 --> 46:23.240 You are, you are... 46:23.240 --> 46:24.940 You need deliverance, friend. 46:27.080 --> 46:30.140 You need to be set free from some things 46:30.140 --> 46:33.500 that are giving you some false ideas and thoughts. 46:36.040 --> 46:39.160 But to walk and to cultivate 46:39.160 --> 46:41.560 a life of being poor in spirit, 46:42.220 --> 46:44.520 this is a process. This is a maturing. 46:46.420 --> 46:49.740 But it's on these type of people that God will look. 46:50.240 --> 46:51.620 And not just look. 46:52.000 --> 46:54.880 He will come and rest and dwell there 46:54.880 --> 46:56.980 and find pleasure. 47:01.560 --> 47:03.300 And we want revival. 47:05.200 --> 47:06.320 I'm going somewhere with this. 47:06.360 --> 47:07.920 I just feel a rabbit hole that I needed to go in. 47:08.360 --> 47:11.760 And we want revival in our arrogance. 47:16.630 --> 47:19.790 And we want revival in our arrogance. 47:22.230 --> 47:23.630 Let me share with you a story. 47:24.570 --> 47:25.650 This is years ago. 47:26.370 --> 47:28.210 It's when we were doing forerunners in our house. 47:29.470 --> 47:31.070 And there was... 47:32.590 --> 47:34.510 There was an individual that came 47:34.510 --> 47:36.090 that was brought by somebody. 47:37.170 --> 47:39.710 And I knew just a snippet of this individual's story. 47:39.830 --> 47:43.050 All I knew is that this individual is from a Christian home. 47:43.790 --> 47:46.550 They grew up in the church, but then they left the church 47:46.550 --> 47:49.210 and I know their fam... I know her family, 47:49.390 --> 47:51.290 but I don't... I didn't know this young girl. 47:52.110 --> 47:53.910 But I just heard that they've been praying for her. 47:53.990 --> 47:55.890 They've been asking her to come to church on and so forth. 47:55.890 --> 48:00.990 So anywho, she comes to our forerunner prayer 48:01.810 --> 48:03.450 and the Holy Spirit is there. 48:03.590 --> 48:05.930 He's moving. He's dwelling. He's doing what he does. 48:06.210 --> 48:08.770 And he was putting up with my immaturity. 48:09.070 --> 48:11.310 And he was putting up with my arrogance. 48:11.670 --> 48:14.030 But now let me show you or share with you 48:14.030 --> 48:17.410 how he corrected me in the midst of ministering to this young girl. 48:18.290 --> 48:20.250 As I'm ministering to her and I'm praying, 48:20.830 --> 48:22.830 the Lord touches her and she's like, 48:22.870 --> 48:23.990 I want to receive Jesus. 48:23.990 --> 48:26.530 So she receives Jesus there. 48:26.770 --> 48:28.830 And the Lord is just touching her, delivering her, 48:28.890 --> 48:29.930 doing all these things. 48:30.310 --> 48:33.890 And I have this thought in my mind that says, 48:34.010 --> 48:35.750 that's right. You see that? 48:35.910 --> 48:38.350 And I'm thinking like, yeah, that happened through me. 48:38.450 --> 48:40.550 And in the midst of me ministering to her, 48:41.750 --> 48:43.430 the Holy Spirit steps in. 48:45.110 --> 48:47.930 And he says, son, all you're doing is watering. 48:49.830 --> 48:50.930 And I was like, what do you mean, Lord? 48:51.650 --> 48:53.330 As I'm ministering, that throws you off. 48:53.330 --> 48:55.350 I'm over here like praying for her. 48:55.510 --> 48:56.890 And he's talking to me. 48:56.970 --> 48:59.850 And I'm like, he goes, all you're doing is watering. 49:00.590 --> 49:01.770 I said, what do you mean, Lord? 49:02.210 --> 49:05.670 He brought me to Corinthians where Paul says this. 49:05.950 --> 49:07.590 He says, who's Paul? 49:08.650 --> 49:09.530 Who's Apollos? 49:10.690 --> 49:14.530 He says, one comes to sow, another comes to water. 49:14.830 --> 49:16.510 But he goes, God makes it grow. 49:17.050 --> 49:20.110 And he says, son, he goes, all you're doing is watering. 49:21.030 --> 49:24.210 He says more than that, you're just simply reaping 49:24.210 --> 49:26.190 what her parents, grandparents, 49:26.590 --> 49:28.690 and the family has prayed for. 49:28.910 --> 49:31.030 And I've allowed you to simply reap 49:31.650 --> 49:34.390 what somebody else paid a price for. 49:35.230 --> 49:36.550 I said, my God. 49:40.480 --> 49:42.060 I said, my God. 49:44.620 --> 49:47.020 I was just, like Matt said today in prayer, 49:47.320 --> 49:50.040 we were just at a youth camp speaking on Wednesday. 49:50.160 --> 49:50.700 It was a privilege. 49:51.320 --> 49:53.120 Pastor Brad invited me to speak there. 49:53.180 --> 49:53.960 It was a privilege. 49:54.700 --> 49:56.960 And I was talking to our pastors this week. 49:57.860 --> 50:00.480 I mean, it was, guys, if you were there, it's powerful. 50:02.120 --> 50:03.400 It was powerful. 50:04.480 --> 50:06.540 It was like, come on. 50:07.260 --> 50:08.400 But here's the key. 50:08.820 --> 50:10.840 It's not because Pastor Igor showed up. 50:10.940 --> 50:12.880 No. Do you know what the key was? 50:12.960 --> 50:14.000 I told this to our pastors. 50:14.460 --> 50:17.120 I said, it's the hunger of these kids 50:17.120 --> 50:20.580 that drew the presence of God in. 50:21.600 --> 50:24.740 And Pastor Igor just had the privilege to steward it. 50:25.120 --> 50:25.680 That's it. 50:27.680 --> 50:28.300 That's it. 50:32.240 --> 50:33.540 It was powerful. 50:35.440 --> 50:36.860 I got to share with you something 50:36.860 --> 50:39.560 because I was like, my God, there was this young girl there 50:39.560 --> 50:41.760 that was so filled with the Holy Spirit. 50:41.840 --> 50:44.220 I think it was like two hours, nonstop laughing. 50:47.400 --> 50:48.980 Somebody asked me, they said, was it genuine? 50:49.260 --> 50:49.760 I said, I don't know. 50:49.840 --> 50:51.660 I said, they laughed for two hours, nonstop. 50:51.820 --> 50:52.940 You tell me, was that genuine? 50:55.800 --> 50:58.880 Another young girl was crying for like over an hour. 50:59.040 --> 51:01.020 She was like, rolling and crying. 51:01.140 --> 51:01.960 And I'm like, my God. 51:06.160 --> 51:07.080 It was beautiful. 51:11.730 --> 51:12.450 Isaiah 6. 51:13.250 --> 51:14.090 Let me read this again. 51:15.070 --> 51:17.050 The statement, and then I'll develop on Isaiah 6. 51:17.050 --> 51:19.290 A contrite spirit and heart 51:19.290 --> 51:23.350 throws itself on the mercies of God. 51:24.010 --> 51:25.050 It literally... 51:27.130 --> 51:28.930 To be of a contrite spirit 51:28.930 --> 51:32.410 is to forever thank Him for His mercy. 51:35.390 --> 51:37.410 It's to throw yourself 51:37.410 --> 51:39.950 at the mercy seat of God 51:39.950 --> 51:41.610 day in and day out. 51:41.710 --> 51:43.770 And here's what Isaiah sees. 51:43.970 --> 51:45.290 So Isaiah chapter 6 51:45.290 --> 51:47.290 is the prophet Isaiah's... 51:48.070 --> 51:49.710 He sees heaven. 51:49.810 --> 51:51.230 He sees the throne room. 51:53.710 --> 51:55.290 He gets the privilege 51:55.290 --> 51:57.650 to see the throne room of God. 51:59.850 --> 52:01.550 Let me read it from verse 1. 52:02.310 --> 52:03.850 It says, in the year of King... 52:03.850 --> 52:06.990 In the year that King Uzziah died, 52:07.190 --> 52:09.970 I saw the Lord sitting on a throne 52:09.970 --> 52:11.490 high and lifted, 52:11.730 --> 52:13.350 and the train of his robe 52:13.350 --> 52:14.610 filled the temple. 52:15.610 --> 52:17.270 And above it stood Seraphim. 52:17.670 --> 52:19.410 Each one had six wings 52:19.410 --> 52:20.650 with two. 52:21.070 --> 52:22.410 He covered his face 52:23.230 --> 52:24.710 with two. He covered his feet 52:24.710 --> 52:26.710 and with two he flew 52:27.070 --> 52:28.670 and one cried to another 52:29.150 --> 52:31.190 and said, Holy, Holy, Holy 52:31.190 --> 52:32.830 is the Lord of hosts. 52:33.110 --> 52:35.090 The whole earth is full of His glory. 52:35.650 --> 52:37.830 And the posts of the doors 52:37.830 --> 52:38.670 were shaken 52:39.470 --> 52:41.750 by the voice of him who cried out 52:41.750 --> 52:43.790 and the house was filled with smoke. 52:44.330 --> 52:45.290 So I said, 52:46.090 --> 52:47.330 woe is me 52:47.330 --> 52:48.810 for I am undone. 52:49.610 --> 52:52.570 Because I am a man of unclean lips 52:52.570 --> 52:54.510 and I dwell in the midst 52:54.510 --> 52:56.490 of a people of unclean lips 52:56.490 --> 52:57.970 and my eyes 52:57.970 --> 52:59.390 have seen 52:59.390 --> 53:01.750 the King, the Lord 53:01.750 --> 53:02.910 of hosts. 53:04.570 --> 53:05.790 That is a 53:07.410 --> 53:08.150 great 53:08.150 --> 53:10.030 and perfect example 53:10.030 --> 53:11.970 of a contrite spirit 53:11.970 --> 53:13.930 and of one who throws 53:13.930 --> 53:16.030 himself at the mercy 53:16.030 --> 53:16.930 of God. 53:19.910 --> 53:20.990 It... 53:21.650 --> 53:23.790 it boggles my mind 53:23.790 --> 53:25.850 it boggles 53:25.850 --> 53:27.810 my mind that we have 53:27.810 --> 53:30.030 so desensitized 53:32.110 --> 53:33.830 and I'm not talking 53:33.830 --> 53:35.490 about the user friendly churches, 53:36.070 --> 53:36.330 okay? 53:36.330 --> 53:38.930 I'm talking about 53:38.930 --> 53:39.950 the full gospel 53:39.950 --> 53:41.730 spirit filled 53:42.330 --> 53:43.930 Holy Ghost tongue 53:43.930 --> 53:45.890 speaking churches. 53:46.250 --> 53:48.770 It boggles my mind 53:48.770 --> 53:50.430 that we have so 53:50.430 --> 53:52.310 desensitized 53:52.310 --> 53:54.950 and watered down 53:54.950 --> 53:57.450 what it looks like 53:57.450 --> 53:59.610 when God actually 53:59.610 --> 54:00.590 steps in 54:00.590 --> 54:02.230 and touches us 54:02.230 --> 54:03.950 and speaks to us. 54:03.950 --> 54:05.450 And you're saying, 54:05.490 --> 54:06.570 what do you mean pastor? 54:07.990 --> 54:09.350 This is what I mean 54:09.950 --> 54:11.470 is I have heard people 54:11.470 --> 54:13.270 share with me their experiences 54:13.270 --> 54:14.070 with God 54:14.070 --> 54:16.210 of these magnificent 54:16.210 --> 54:18.890 Isaiah 6 experiences 54:18.890 --> 54:21.010 and then you look at their lives 54:21.010 --> 54:23.050 and nothing has changed. 54:28.420 --> 54:30.080 Nothing has shifted. 54:30.760 --> 54:32.560 There is absolutely no 54:32.560 --> 54:34.960 maturing in a contrite spirit 54:34.960 --> 54:35.680 within them. 54:40.930 --> 54:42.050 They share how 54:42.050 --> 54:44.210 God came as an angel 54:44.210 --> 54:46.210 of the night and talked to them 54:46.210 --> 54:47.690 and said this, that and the other 54:47.690 --> 54:49.930 and it's like, wow! 54:53.090 --> 54:54.350 Yet when the Lord 54:54.350 --> 54:55.070 is looking 54:56.030 --> 54:57.310 for labors 54:58.150 --> 54:59.650 you're nowhere to be found. 55:04.420 --> 55:06.820 Isaiah has this experience 55:06.820 --> 55:08.800 that is life changing 55:08.800 --> 55:09.480 for him. 55:13.590 --> 55:15.330 I will go to the extent 55:15.330 --> 55:17.150 and say this, that some 55:17.150 --> 55:19.050 of the experiences that we may 55:19.050 --> 55:21.190 have may be false 55:22.110 --> 55:22.810 or 55:22.810 --> 55:25.050 or we are lacking 55:25.050 --> 55:26.770 in the obedience of what God 55:26.770 --> 55:28.690 actually showed us and that 55:28.690 --> 55:30.930 is actually a scarier place 55:30.930 --> 55:31.510 to be. 55:34.370 --> 55:36.110 If Isaiah had this 55:36.110 --> 55:36.910 experience 55:36.910 --> 55:39.070 and he walked away 55:40.630 --> 55:41.270 nonchalantly 55:41.270 --> 55:42.690 at what he just saw and 55:42.690 --> 55:43.430 experienced 55:46.270 --> 55:47.670 I think there would be 55:47.670 --> 55:48.750 a dealing with Isaiah 55:48.750 --> 55:51.030 that we could have even probably found 55:51.030 --> 55:51.730 in the scriptures. 55:58.460 --> 55:59.720 But to have an 55:59.720 --> 56:01.660 experience like Isaiah 56:01.660 --> 56:03.460 has here in Isaiah 6 56:03.460 --> 56:05.700 the only thing that comes out 56:05.700 --> 56:07.780 of Isaiah is a contrite 56:07.780 --> 56:08.380 spirit. 56:10.380 --> 56:11.900 He throws himself 56:11.900 --> 56:13.920 at the mercy 56:13.920 --> 56:14.960 of God 56:16.820 --> 56:17.920 and he says 56:17.920 --> 56:19.940 these words, woe is 56:19.940 --> 56:20.320 me 56:22.300 --> 56:23.880 for I am a man 56:23.880 --> 56:25.800 of unclean lips 56:27.220 --> 56:27.980 living 56:27.980 --> 56:29.420 amongst a men 56:29.420 --> 56:31.820 and women of unclean 56:31.820 --> 56:32.160 lips. 56:36.470 --> 56:38.370 He doesn't come out of there 56:38.370 --> 56:40.050 saying I gotta go share this 56:40.050 --> 56:41.250 I gotta go... 56:41.250 --> 56:43.090 he came out of this 56:43.090 --> 56:44.790 with my God 56:44.790 --> 56:47.330 I gotta throw myself 56:47.330 --> 56:49.330 at the mercy seat of God 56:49.330 --> 56:51.850 so that a contrite spirit in me 56:51.850 --> 56:53.190 would be developed 56:53.190 --> 56:55.230 more because I just 56:55.230 --> 56:57.590 saw the throne room of God 57:00.970 --> 57:02.570 I just saw Jesus 57:02.990 --> 57:05.470 high and lifted in his fullness 57:05.470 --> 57:06.790 his full deity 57:06.790 --> 57:07.850 in holiness 57:08.650 --> 57:15.110 I just saw the cherubim and the seraphim. I saw the 24 elders. I saw it. 57:17.570 --> 57:27.030 And the only thing that comes out of them is I am a man that is of unclean lips living amongst the people that are of unclean lips. 57:30.830 --> 57:32.610 That's a contrite spirit. 57:33.670 --> 57:41.750 Is when we have experiences and I say true experiences with God and they occur. 57:41.950 --> 57:49.410 They do happen. They do happen. More than we even know they happen. 57:51.790 --> 57:55.490 But what comes out of those experiences and I'm talking about myself. 57:55.990 --> 58:01.650 What comes out of those experiences is a contrite spirit is developed in me. 58:01.650 --> 58:08.350 I begin to be a man that is far more thankful and grateful for his mercy on my life. 58:08.850 --> 58:15.290 I am far more grateful and thankful that his mercy renews in the morning. 58:19.460 --> 58:29.620 I don't walk around with condemnation, but I walk around with throwing myself and recognizing his mercy onto me. 58:29.620 --> 58:33.800 That he is willing to deal with my immaturity. 58:34.760 --> 58:39.480 That he's willing to deal when I'm not getting it. 58:41.520 --> 58:49.600 And as being the sweet and precious spirit that he is, he counsels me. 58:50.840 --> 58:55.440 He leads me as the good shepherd by still waters. 58:58.120 --> 59:01.100 His rod and his staff, it comforts me. 59:02.880 --> 59:06.240 He's not whacking me with it and saying how dare you. 59:08.220 --> 59:15.200 But he actually is putting up. I like to use that word. Putting up with my immaturity. 59:17.920 --> 59:20.520 Yes, us pastors are still immature by the way. 59:21.280 --> 59:25.060 I know we put pastors up on a pedestal and we put these speakers up on pedestals. 59:25.060 --> 59:27.120 Listen, I'm a man just like you. 59:29.960 --> 59:34.900 My wife is a woman just like you. Our pastors are men and women just like you. 59:38.320 --> 59:44.540 So to be of a contrite spirit is to throw ourselves at the mercies of God. 59:44.800 --> 59:46.860 Throwing ourselves at the mercy seat. 59:47.900 --> 59:57.060 If you sinned, don't put yourself in the jail. 59:59.740 --> 01:00:04.060 Don't condemn yourself because Jesus ain't condemning you. 01:00:07.210 --> 01:00:12.690 Don't put yourself on time out and say, oh man, I sinned. 01:00:12.690 --> 01:00:14.030 Run to him. 01:00:17.010 --> 01:00:18.350 Run to him. 01:00:22.520 --> 01:00:23.860 Run to him. 01:00:26.060 --> 01:00:27.760 Push through the crowd. 01:00:28.820 --> 01:00:32.240 Push through the crowd. Run to him. 01:00:32.800 --> 01:00:34.680 While you still can run. 01:00:36.140 --> 01:00:41.840 Because a day will come where you will not be able to run anymore 01:00:41.840 --> 01:00:44.040 and the breath from your lungs will be taken. 01:00:44.900 --> 01:00:47.000 And you will stand before him. 01:00:48.780 --> 01:00:51.320 And there will not be a second chance. 01:00:54.220 --> 01:00:58.440 So while you still can run to him, run to Jesus. 01:00:59.740 --> 01:01:03.300 Throw yourself at the mercy seat of God. 01:01:04.120 --> 01:01:09.800 And let him cleanse you from that sin that so entices you. 01:01:12.820 --> 01:01:14.680 Let him set you free. 01:01:19.070 --> 01:01:23.850 Let him set you free from the lust, from the desire. 01:01:25.390 --> 01:01:26.730 Let him deliver you. 01:01:32.100 --> 01:01:35.740 Would you be a person that would develop a contrite spirit? 01:01:36.520 --> 01:01:39.480 And you would throw yourself just like Isaiah did. 01:01:39.840 --> 01:01:43.040 And you would throw yourself at the mercy seat of God. 01:01:43.040 --> 01:01:49.460 And you would say, Lord, forgive me. 01:01:54.980 --> 01:01:56.280 Forgive me, God. 01:01:59.900 --> 01:02:04.800 I desire that you would come and rest and you would dwell in me. 01:02:06.240 --> 01:02:11.360 But I recognize that because of this sin that's in my life, 01:02:13.540 --> 01:02:15.380 you are not doing so. 01:02:15.560 --> 01:02:19.980 So set me free from this thing that entices me. 01:02:20.180 --> 01:02:26.360 So that you could come and dwell and rest in me as your temple. 01:02:35.180 --> 01:02:41.840 A contrite spirit puts you into a position to receive. 01:02:45.540 --> 01:02:48.860 We wonder sometimes why we don't receive from God. 01:02:51.760 --> 01:02:55.520 We wonder sometimes why God doesn't answer our prayers. 01:02:56.700 --> 01:02:59.900 We wonder, God, why am I not receiving a breakthrough? 01:03:00.220 --> 01:03:03.580 Why am I not receiving this, that and the other friends? 01:03:04.180 --> 01:03:11.980 A contrite spirit positions us in a place to actually receive from Him. 01:03:14.120 --> 01:03:18.740 It's like playing wide receiver in a football game. 01:03:22.960 --> 01:03:27.200 Unless you're a wide receiver, I'm talking football talk here, 01:03:27.240 --> 01:03:29.820 and I don't even know why, because I'm not that much into football anymore. 01:03:30.600 --> 01:03:32.380 But maybe I'm speaking to somebody. 01:03:35.000 --> 01:03:38.660 On the football field, unless you're a receiver, 01:03:39.440 --> 01:03:41.700 there's maybe a few other positions, a running back, 01:03:41.700 --> 01:03:46.460 maybe a tight end, but the ball is not thrown to you 01:03:46.460 --> 01:03:50.280 unless you're a wide receiver in a football sense. 01:03:52.580 --> 01:03:59.780 And a contrite spirit positions you to be a wide receiver on a football field, 01:03:59.880 --> 01:04:02.500 where now God can look as the quarterback 01:04:02.500 --> 01:04:06.260 and he can actually throw you that old pig skin. 01:04:12.260 --> 01:04:14.220 Open up your Bibles to Luke 18. 01:04:15.160 --> 01:04:16.320 Is this still good? 01:04:21.860 --> 01:04:23.480 The Gospel of Luke chapter 18. 01:04:28.170 --> 01:04:33.330 This is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. 01:04:35.990 --> 01:04:38.450 Luke chapter 18 starting at verse 9. 01:04:58.050 --> 01:05:00.870 Here this is Jesus talking and he's given a parable. 01:05:01.470 --> 01:05:05.430 Starting at verse 9 he says also he spoke this parable 01:05:06.390 --> 01:05:08.750 to some who trusted in themselves 01:05:09.610 --> 01:05:14.050 that they were righteous and despised others. 01:05:16.830 --> 01:05:19.630 Two men, this is Jesus giving the parable now. 01:05:20.370 --> 01:05:22.390 Two men went up to the temple to pray. 01:05:22.890 --> 01:05:25.930 One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 01:05:25.930 --> 01:05:30.930 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself. 01:05:32.150 --> 01:05:36.350 God, I thank you that I am not like the other men, 01:05:37.250 --> 01:05:39.150 extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 01:05:39.550 --> 01:05:41.210 or even as this tax collector. 01:05:44.590 --> 01:05:46.130 You know, we giggle. 01:05:47.090 --> 01:05:48.370 I gotta go here. 01:05:51.290 --> 01:05:52.650 We giggle. 01:05:56.420 --> 01:05:58.200 But you know what, I sense in the room, 01:05:58.240 --> 01:06:00.580 and I'm by no means picking on anybody, 01:06:00.740 --> 01:06:02.920 but I sometimes sense this in our room, 01:06:03.400 --> 01:06:05.500 in our church services. 01:06:05.880 --> 01:06:07.660 When the Lord really shows up 01:06:07.660 --> 01:06:09.200 and God's really beginning to do something, 01:06:10.720 --> 01:06:12.860 I sometimes, it's not all the time, 01:06:13.280 --> 01:06:15.300 but I sometimes sense this in a room 01:06:15.300 --> 01:06:18.420 that we think we're better than the other churches. 01:06:26.470 --> 01:06:28.710 I feel like when the Lord sometimes comes 01:06:29.070 --> 01:06:31.410 in a special way, it's like, you saw, 01:06:31.870 --> 01:06:34.570 again, it's not often, but it's sometimes comes, 01:06:34.690 --> 01:06:37.810 and it's like, huh, you kind of feel it in the room 01:06:37.810 --> 01:06:38.730 like, oh, we're better. 01:06:39.170 --> 01:06:40.950 That church down the road, they're not experiencing 01:06:40.950 --> 01:06:41.890 what we're experiencing. 01:06:46.780 --> 01:06:49.220 So, yeah, it's very true. 01:06:50.180 --> 01:06:51.200 I know what I'm saying is truth. 01:06:51.300 --> 01:06:52.000 Why would I lie to you? 01:06:52.560 --> 01:06:54.680 Did you know that pastors actually don't know how to lie? 01:06:57.220 --> 01:06:58.980 We just over exaggerate a little bit. 01:06:59.520 --> 01:07:01.020 I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. 01:07:01.300 --> 01:07:02.640 That was a joke. You can laugh. 01:07:04.620 --> 01:07:07.260 But we read this and we laugh and we're like, 01:07:08.100 --> 01:07:10.840 that's not us. I'm not that Pharisee. 01:07:11.700 --> 01:07:13.800 But it's interesting that the Lord comes 01:07:13.800 --> 01:07:14.940 and you just feel it in the room. 01:07:15.060 --> 01:07:16.320 It's like, yeah, we're better than other churches. 01:07:17.200 --> 01:07:18.300 Huh, they don't have what we have. 01:07:18.760 --> 01:07:20.760 They don't have a Ukrainian pastor like we have. 01:07:22.360 --> 01:07:23.380 Only if they did. 01:07:25.140 --> 01:07:26.280 Maybe, maybe then. 01:07:27.860 --> 01:07:30.580 They don't have pastors that have laid down their lives 01:07:30.580 --> 01:07:34.220 for over 40 years and held on 01:07:34.220 --> 01:07:36.540 to the Word and the supernatural. 01:07:36.940 --> 01:07:39.540 And we begin to think about this and we get into this thought process. 01:07:41.460 --> 01:07:44.480 May the Lord show you that if that's you, 01:07:44.980 --> 01:07:48.000 you are lacking and growing in a contrite spirit. 01:07:49.880 --> 01:07:55.100 You are actually removing yourself from receiving from the Lord. 01:07:55.100 --> 01:07:59.200 Because remember, a contrite spirit positions us to receive 01:07:59.200 --> 01:08:01.620 and we'll see this distinct difference between these two men. 01:08:02.680 --> 01:08:03.560 Verse 12. 01:08:05.060 --> 01:08:06.560 He continues to brag about himself. 01:08:07.720 --> 01:08:09.160 I fast twice a week. 01:08:10.020 --> 01:08:12.420 I give tides and all that I possess. 01:08:14.320 --> 01:08:17.880 I can reword that and say, 01:08:17.980 --> 01:08:20.300 we have the presence of God every Sunday 01:08:20.300 --> 01:08:23.260 and we held on to the Word and the supernatural. 01:08:23.260 --> 01:08:24.820 And those are good things. 01:08:25.080 --> 01:08:28.580 But what is the intent of our heart when we actually confess Him? 01:08:31.780 --> 01:08:34.440 Because the Lord searches the depths of our hearts. 01:08:36.400 --> 01:08:37.440 Verse 13. 01:08:39.620 --> 01:08:42.880 And the tax collector standing afar off. 01:08:43.260 --> 01:08:45.840 This guy wouldn't even come close. 01:08:52.480 --> 01:08:55.340 I think this man was poor in spirit 01:08:55.340 --> 01:08:57.060 and he had a contrite spirit. 01:09:01.990 --> 01:09:05.110 And he was throwing himself at the mercy of God. 01:09:05.450 --> 01:09:08.250 Maybe, I'm just thinking out loud, 01:09:09.430 --> 01:09:12.830 maybe he just sinned before he came in there. 01:09:14.410 --> 01:09:17.410 But he was throwing himself at the mercies of God. 01:09:21.300 --> 01:09:25.900 The tax collector far off, standing far off, 01:09:26.180 --> 01:09:30.380 would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven. 01:09:30.380 --> 01:09:33.660 This isn't condemnation, by the way. He's not condemning himself. 01:09:34.860 --> 01:09:37.120 Because I've heard preachers take that 01:09:37.120 --> 01:09:41.580 and they preach it from a very religious perspective. 01:09:44.460 --> 01:09:46.480 This is not a condemnation statement. 01:09:46.980 --> 01:09:48.980 He is not condemning himself. He's not. 01:09:49.280 --> 01:09:51.140 He's been a man of a contrite spirit. 01:09:55.320 --> 01:09:57.680 We need to learn to discern the difference 01:09:57.680 --> 01:09:59.740 of when somebody is in condemnation 01:09:59.740 --> 01:10:01.980 and when somebody is walking and living 01:10:01.980 --> 01:10:03.700 in a contrite spirit. 01:10:06.380 --> 01:10:08.160 I think I'm gonna wrap it up with this one here. 01:10:11.820 --> 01:10:12.720 Where is it here? 01:10:13.540 --> 01:10:15.420 And the tax collector standing far off 01:10:15.420 --> 01:10:17.520 would not even so much as raise his eyes to heaven, 01:10:18.000 --> 01:10:19.580 but beat his breast, 01:10:21.140 --> 01:10:25.840 saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner. 01:10:27.800 --> 01:10:31.340 I tell you, this man went down to his house, 01:10:32.900 --> 01:10:35.100 justified, rather than the other, 01:10:35.780 --> 01:10:39.580 for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled 01:10:39.580 --> 01:10:43.940 and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 01:10:49.890 --> 01:10:52.430 The Pharisee could have been at a mountaintop 01:10:52.430 --> 01:10:53.490 in his life right there. 01:10:54.690 --> 01:10:56.250 And he walked in there. 01:10:57.630 --> 01:11:02.570 And he said, man, I fast. I prayed all week. 01:11:02.570 --> 01:11:05.150 I sought the Lord all week. 01:11:08.230 --> 01:11:11.070 I crucified my flesh all week. 01:11:11.930 --> 01:11:16.090 And then we come in on a Sunday and we're like, yep, what a do. 01:11:21.720 --> 01:11:24.860 Just because you've done all of that stuff 01:11:26.060 --> 01:11:29.520 does not change that God still loved you the same 01:11:29.520 --> 01:11:31.140 the week that you didn't do all that stuff. 01:11:35.300 --> 01:11:37.680 Just because we do all that stuff 01:11:37.680 --> 01:11:40.100 does not mean that God now loves us more, 01:11:40.940 --> 01:11:43.680 nor when we didn't do it that God now loves us less. 01:11:44.080 --> 01:11:46.980 The only difference is that if we live that way 01:11:49.040 --> 01:11:51.820 and we cultivate a life that way, 01:11:53.760 --> 01:11:56.660 we are creating a resting in a dwelling place. 01:11:56.780 --> 01:11:57.620 That's the only difference. 01:11:58.760 --> 01:12:02.240 Just because some of you or some of us in the church world 01:12:02.240 --> 01:12:04.920 don't have a dwelling place for God within us 01:12:04.920 --> 01:12:06.760 doesn't mean that God doesn't love them 01:12:06.760 --> 01:12:08.320 as much as he loves you and I. 01:12:09.060 --> 01:12:11.440 Just because the church down the road 01:12:12.360 --> 01:12:14.800 doesn't have a moving of the spirit 01:12:15.640 --> 01:12:19.640 or maybe a sharp preaching of the word that we love here 01:12:21.180 --> 01:12:23.380 doesn't mean that God loves them less. 01:12:26.720 --> 01:12:30.680 He actually loves them as much as he loves us. 01:12:32.300 --> 01:12:33.600 And to me, it's interesting. 01:12:33.700 --> 01:12:35.240 I'm gonna hit one more rabbit hole and then we'll pray. 01:12:35.720 --> 01:12:39.520 To me, it's interesting that the parable of the lost sheep 01:12:40.300 --> 01:12:44.680 it says he left the 99 to go get the one. 01:12:51.500 --> 01:12:53.340 I wanna make a statement, but it's not very, 01:12:54.080 --> 01:12:56.400 maybe scriptural, so maybe I won't make it. 01:12:59.940 --> 01:13:01.500 Let's stand for prayer. Can we do that? 01:13:09.780 --> 01:13:11.900 Lord, we thank you for this morning. 01:13:13.060 --> 01:13:15.020 We thank you for your word. 01:13:16.140 --> 01:13:20.080 We thank you that your word is a lamp onto our feet. 01:13:22.820 --> 01:13:25.920 Your lamp is a word onto our feet. 01:13:28.140 --> 01:13:30.500 May your word wash over us. 01:13:33.520 --> 01:13:35.500 Convince us of your word. 01:13:37.080 --> 01:13:41.840 Convince us of your word. Convince us, Holy Spirit. 01:13:43.860 --> 01:13:47.160 Of the written and the spoken word of God. 01:13:48.140 --> 01:13:52.660 May we be a people, as individuals, as at a corporate house. 01:13:53.140 --> 01:13:58.740 May we be a people that would create a dwelling place for you. 01:13:59.260 --> 01:14:03.780 And that we would stretch the tent pegs. 01:14:05.500 --> 01:14:10.660 I feel the Lord. That we would stretch the tent pegs. 01:14:14.440 --> 01:14:21.100 That we would stretch the tent pegs of our house. 01:14:23.910 --> 01:14:29.010 That God would dwell in greater measures and facets. 01:14:29.570 --> 01:14:33.370 That there would be a moving and the brewing of the spirits. 01:14:36.070 --> 01:14:38.970 And the effectiveness of the word. 01:14:39.370 --> 01:14:47.030 I said the effectiveness of the word would go forth and touch the hearts of people. 01:14:49.070 --> 01:14:54.070 We thank you that you love us and that you desire. 01:14:54.830 --> 01:14:58.290 You desire. You said on this one, I will look. 01:14:58.290 --> 01:15:06.430 You desire, Father, to do this in us as individuals and in us as a corporate house. 01:15:07.390 --> 01:15:13.330 We love you, we bless you, and we thank you in Jesus' name. 01:15:13.950 --> 01:15:17.070 The church says amen. You may have a blessed Sunday. 01:15:17.310 --> 01:15:20.010 Have a wonderful rest of your day and week.