1
00:00:14,119 --> 00:00:17,339
 Welcome to the Lansdale Life Church podcast.

2
00:00:18,379 --> 00:00:24,100
 If you're seeking a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, this podcast is for you.

3
00:00:24,660 --> 00:00:26,980
 Thank you for joining us today.

4
00:00:35,799 --> 00:00:40,000
 Lord, thank you for your goodness in each person's life.

5
00:00:41,460 --> 00:00:43,659
 Thank you for returning Beth to us.

6
00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:47,719
 We ask Lord that you bless her and heal her.

7
00:00:47,719 --> 00:00:52,579
 Lord, that you won't be walking with a cane, that you'll be upright and strong.

8
00:00:53,420 --> 00:01:01,960
 And Lord, we thank you for Gordon, that you'll instill in him that husbandly attitude and love for his dear wife.

9
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:03,179
 Amen.

10
00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:04,180
 Amen.

11
00:01:04,859 --> 00:01:04,920
 Amen.

12
00:01:05,719 --> 00:01:06,019
 All right.

13
00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:07,099
 Just good to see you again.

14
00:01:07,459 --> 00:01:07,579
 Yeah.

15
00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:08,680
 All right.

16
00:01:08,859 --> 00:01:15,859
 We are, um, going to be talking about Romans eight.

17
00:01:15,859 --> 00:01:24,500
 And for those of you that have not been here, we have transcended Romans, not Romans, I'll be all right.

18
00:01:24,739 --> 00:01:25,000
 Numbers.

19
00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:26,439
 It's been a long day.

20
00:01:27,219 --> 00:01:27,400
 Yeah.

21
00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:28,319
 It's been a long day.

22
00:01:28,519 --> 00:01:33,959
 A lot of, a lot of activities at the, at the, at the retirement center in numbers.

23
00:01:34,420 --> 00:01:44,959
 And, um, what I wanted to do this week is create a theme out of numbers eight that has to deal

24
00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:56,239
 basically with, um, the Levitical code as we know it, the priestly code, the legacy that goes on from

25
00:01:56,239 --> 00:02:02,819
 generation to generation against that, which is our kingdom, the kingdom of God.

26
00:02:03,180 --> 00:02:10,460
 Currently, there was a covenant that was cut and we also have a covenant that was cut for us.

27
00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,280
 So we're going to be comparing those two.

28
00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:20,180
 And then when we come back together, I think with Jesse, we'll go on to chapter 10 and continue on.

29
00:02:20,340 --> 00:02:25,919
 So I want to make it, if this would be anything, it would be a parenthesis to what we have been doing.

30
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:32,300
 So having said that, uh, okay.

31
00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:39,699
 And, uh, if I don't fall flat in my face, all right, that's okay.

32
00:02:40,479 --> 00:02:41,020
 All right.

33
00:02:41,819 --> 00:02:42,280
 All right.

34
00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:43,639
 I'm a danger to myself.

35
00:02:44,020 --> 00:02:44,639
 Thank you, sir.

36
00:02:45,479 --> 00:02:45,879
 All right.

37
00:02:48,400 --> 00:03:01,979
 So we, um, we see in, uh, ancient Israel that lineage was the fundamental thing that brought

38
00:03:01,979 --> 00:03:06,939
 people together and that the lineage that we want to talk about is the priestly lineage,

39
00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:10,979
 which was established with Aaron and the Levites.

40
00:03:12,120 --> 00:03:17,560
 Again, all the errands descended, I'm reviewing for those of you that have been in

41
00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:22,460
 course with this would serve as high priests and the Levites were set apart for

42
00:03:22,460 --> 00:03:25,639
 Cabernacle service due to their tribal lineage.

43
00:03:26,479 --> 00:03:30,080
 So we have that as part of what God has had established.

44
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,419
 Then there's the Royal lineage.

45
00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:38,699
 Again, the divinic covenant that was set forth where there was a king.

46
00:03:39,020 --> 00:03:44,000
 And you know, we went through the idea of the Levites, the priests, then the judges,

47
00:03:44,139 --> 00:03:47,800
 and then all of a sudden the Israelites said, we want a king too.

48
00:03:47,979 --> 00:03:53,120
 So there was a king that was established and the Royal lineage again starts with him.

49
00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:59,500
 And, um, again, that kingship was tied to David's line.

50
00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,699
 God promised that his descendants would rule Israel.

51
00:04:02,939 --> 00:04:05,740
 Second Samuel seven, 12 through 16.

52
00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:15,900
 And then as a side from that, but God also anointed without lineage, those

53
00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:20,699
 individuals that he wanted to use from time to time, they were set apart for

54
00:04:20,699 --> 00:04:21,259
 service.

55
00:04:21,819 --> 00:04:25,519
 It's such like the prophets when they came.

56
00:04:25,740 --> 00:04:32,199
 Most of the prophets came with a message of what concern for the people do not

57
00:04:32,199 --> 00:04:33,720
 deviate, come back to the Lord.

58
00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:43,339
 And so you often read in the minor and the major profits, thus says the

59
00:04:43,339 --> 00:04:51,600
 Lord and the Lord would give them messages so that they would repent and

60
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:52,579
 come back to him.

61
00:04:54,820 --> 00:05:00,060
 The prophetic calling or choosing was God's voice to the people when it

62
00:05:00,060 --> 00:05:04,420
 came to these people that were anointed to do a prophet's work.

63
00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:08,439
 Prophets were not chosen by lineage, but, but divine appointment.

64
00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,699
 And so consequently, we have an example.

65
00:05:11,699 --> 00:05:13,319
 I just give you Amos.

66
00:05:13,620 --> 00:05:14,379
 He was a shepherd.

67
00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:16,139
 He wasn't anybody.

68
00:05:16,699 --> 00:05:17,759
 We'll look at David also.

69
00:05:18,439 --> 00:05:19,360
 He wasn't a priest.

70
00:05:19,540 --> 00:05:25,019
 He had no lineage, but he condemned the opposition or the oppression of the

71
00:05:25,019 --> 00:05:27,339
 poor by the wicked, by the wealthy.

72
00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:34,939
 So when God had to intervene, X his Levitical code and his prescribed

73
00:05:34,939 --> 00:05:41,160
 method of worship, he sent in prophets to proclaim what he needed.

74
00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,920
 Those people to apprehend, be apprehended for.

75
00:05:44,519 --> 00:05:50,180
 So we have two groupings of anointing that we have talked about in the past.

76
00:05:50,899 --> 00:05:54,319
 Now, why was lineage unique from all other nations?

77
00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:57,879
 Well, let's take a look back before we answer that question.

78
00:05:57,879 --> 00:05:59,259
 And I'll be asking that.

79
00:05:59,860 --> 00:06:03,279
 Well, first let's look at what other nations did or didn't do.

80
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:10,320
 Other nations leaned more on political persuasion, divine signs in the

81
00:06:10,540 --> 00:06:14,660
 heavens, in the stars, and again, imperial decrees.

82
00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:16,680
 You shall be this, you shall be that.

83
00:06:17,319 --> 00:06:23,959
 As an example, in Egypt, the priests often came from elite families, but not strictly

84
00:06:23,959 --> 00:06:26,740
 hereditary, so there was no lineage there.

85
00:06:27,879 --> 00:06:33,519
 And the Pharaohs, they had royal succession.

86
00:06:34,459 --> 00:06:38,700
 There was a dynasty, but yet they had power struggles within those

87
00:06:38,699 --> 00:06:41,379
 dynasties to establish their authority.

88
00:06:42,259 --> 00:06:46,600
 And then when it comes to Babylon and Assyria, which is basically Mesopotamia,

89
00:06:47,199 --> 00:06:50,360
 the priests were chosen for ritual expertise.

90
00:06:51,339 --> 00:06:53,019
 Lineage was not mandatory.

91
00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,180
 So it's different than what God said in motion.

92
00:06:57,699 --> 00:07:01,420
 And the Kings on that side, there was a dynasty that was performed and ruled.

93
00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:05,779
 But again, divine favor often justified new rulers.

94
00:07:06,199 --> 00:07:08,519
 We have to get him out because he's not part of us.

95
00:07:08,519 --> 00:07:11,240
 So they had skirmishes and wars, as we know.

96
00:07:11,860 --> 00:07:16,519
 And then in Greece and Rome, the priests and their roles would be elected,

97
00:07:18,039 --> 00:07:19,920
 purchased, and or inherited.

98
00:07:20,519 --> 00:07:21,879
 So there was a difference here.

99
00:07:22,660 --> 00:07:28,199
 And then the rulers, again, lineage mattered in monarchies, but again, in

100
00:07:28,199 --> 00:07:33,519
 republics, the second classification dam, and in empires, they shifted toward the

101
00:07:33,519 --> 00:07:35,439
 merit or political power.

102
00:07:35,439 --> 00:07:40,759
 And we know all the politics, even in the gospels and the New Testament about all

103
00:07:40,759 --> 00:07:45,860
 the infighting of the priests and the rulers as Jesus came into town.

104
00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:51,000
 But Israel was and is a nation unto God.

105
00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:57,560
 So my question is, why was lineage unique from these other nations?

106
00:07:57,740 --> 00:08:02,959
 What did God do that was different for the Israelites that wasn't part and

107
00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,319
 parcel of what we see here as the norm?

108
00:08:08,199 --> 00:08:08,579
 Wild guess.

109
00:08:13,699 --> 00:08:14,339
 Okay.

110
00:08:14,680 --> 00:08:16,060
 They weren't allowed to intermarry.

111
00:08:16,339 --> 00:08:16,779
 That's good.

112
00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:24,420
 So we can not allow them to marry the strange wives or whatever.

113
00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:30,699
 But what did God do that was different from all other nations?

114
00:08:33,180 --> 00:08:36,460
 Like he kind of gave the plans.

115
00:08:46,199 --> 00:08:52,440
 So consequently, God even today doesn't do anything but with covenant.

116
00:08:53,139 --> 00:08:55,860
 He has covenant to us to give us eternal life.

117
00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:57,480
 We have covenant with him.

118
00:08:57,820 --> 00:08:58,440
 We are believers.

119
00:08:59,159 --> 00:09:00,139
 So that's the difference.

120
00:09:00,899 --> 00:09:07,279
 Israel, Israel's emphasis on lineage was tied to the covenant that he

121
00:09:07,279 --> 00:09:09,580
 originally spoke to whom?

122
00:09:11,100 --> 00:09:12,559
 Abraham as a covenant.

123
00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:14,299
 This is God's nature.

124
00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:21,240
 Even today, without that, he has no association with you by covenant.

125
00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:26,580
 God promised to Abraham, Levi and David, their future and the social

126
00:09:26,580 --> 00:09:29,799
 structure that they were living in, the message that they had.

127
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:37,559
 Today, salvation brings us into the new covenant with God and he's what?

128
00:09:37,700 --> 00:09:40,360
 He's writing that covenant in our hearts.

129
00:09:40,779 --> 00:09:41,639
 That's what he's doing.

130
00:09:42,139 --> 00:09:43,639
 So that's the answer to that question.

131
00:09:43,879 --> 00:09:44,740
 He is unique.

132
00:09:44,919 --> 00:09:47,299
 He set that forth on like every other nation.

133
00:09:48,620 --> 00:09:51,080
 So we are the new covenant through Jesus.

134
00:09:51,279 --> 00:09:57,559
 And let's let, let us declare this for those of you that, that, um, um, are

135
00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,279
 catching up in Jeremiah 31.

136
00:09:59,539 --> 00:10:05,000
 It says the Lord said, the time will surely come when I will make a new

137
00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:10,080
 covenant with the people of Israel and Judah, it will be different from the

138
00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:11,899
 covenant I made with their ancestors.

139
00:10:11,899 --> 00:10:17,720
 When I led them out of Egypt, although I was their God, they broke that

140
00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,559
 covenant and we all know those stories.

141
00:10:20,539 --> 00:10:25,100
 Here is the new covenant that I, the Lord will make with the people of Israel.

142
00:10:25,519 --> 00:10:26,960
 And this is so beautiful.

143
00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,480
 This is where we come in.

144
00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:32,519
 I will write my laws on their hearts and minds.

145
00:10:33,299 --> 00:10:35,279
 It's not an external thing that we do.

146
00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:40,360
 You know, Chris doesn't have an, a tally up here and puts down a check

147
00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:42,139
 for when you're here, when you're absent.

148
00:10:43,740 --> 00:10:49,399
 The Lord writes his laws on our heart that we should assemble ourselves

149
00:10:49,399 --> 00:10:52,580
 together, that we should be part of the body of Christ and we are

150
00:10:52,580 --> 00:10:56,039
 drawn to fellowship and I will be their God.

151
00:10:56,039 --> 00:10:58,799
 And they will be my people in Luke 22.

152
00:10:58,799 --> 00:11:05,080
 It says this cup that is poured out for you in communion is the new

153
00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:06,799
 covenant in my blood.

154
00:11:07,259 --> 00:11:13,000
 So there was a covenant that we enter in also second Corinthians three six.

155
00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:19,320
 It says this, he has made us to, uh, he has made us competent to be ministers of

156
00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:24,679
 a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the law, the letter was the old

157
00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:29,700
 covenant, the laws that we went over in, in, in Leviticus.

158
00:11:30,139 --> 00:11:30,759
 Oh my gosh.

159
00:11:30,879 --> 00:11:35,480
 We labored on those things for weeks and some in numbers, but of the spirit.

160
00:11:35,919 --> 00:11:38,379
 And that's a much better way in which to live.

161
00:11:39,620 --> 00:11:45,320
 No, just for those of you that, um, are catching up a covenant is a formal

162
00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:50,179
 solemn and binding agreement between two or more parties.

163
00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:54,279
 So what's the covenant with God and us God's part.

164
00:11:54,279 --> 00:12:00,480
 He offers us unconditional love, forgiveness, and eternal life through Jesus.

165
00:12:01,139 --> 00:12:01,960
 That's what he offers.

166
00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:07,440
 He does not make us do that except that he offers that to us.

167
00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:14,139
 Our part then is that we respond to that with faith, obedience, and a

168
00:12:14,139 --> 00:12:20,259
 heart surrendered to him that bonafies the covenant to parties coming together.

169
00:12:20,259 --> 00:12:25,659
 And when you say, Lord come into my heart, he begins to work

170
00:12:25,659 --> 00:12:27,620
 that covenant in your life.

171
00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,860
 So let's go back now and look at the anointing for priests and kings.

172
00:12:34,320 --> 00:12:39,620
 Anointing someone is setting them apart for a divine purpose and

173
00:12:39,620 --> 00:12:41,000
 for a divine gifting.

174
00:12:42,179 --> 00:12:49,240
 And in that God has commissioned priests and Kings and prophets by a ritual

175
00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:55,279
 of oil being poured over them, a sign to them and to the people that the

176
00:12:55,279 --> 00:13:01,700
 authority and empowerment comes from the Lord, not from personal merit.

177
00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:06,000
 So the basis for that is the anointing.

178
00:13:06,259 --> 00:13:11,679
 As an example, Samuel anointed David, even though David was the youngest son.

179
00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,360
 Well, that doesn't follow the tradition, but no, he can do what he wants to do.

180
00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:23,240
 And again, the spirit of the Lord then rested on David, as the word says,

181
00:13:23,740 --> 00:13:27,259
 empowering him for his royal office, even before he got there.

182
00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:33,659
 One thing you want to understand when you talk about covenant and you talk

183
00:13:33,659 --> 00:13:38,679
 about the anointing of God, down in here in my note, anointing

184
00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:40,279
 doesn't come without calling.

185
00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,820
 You don't suddenly get an anointing without the calling.

186
00:13:44,540 --> 00:13:48,500
 The calling has to be the first thing that is birthed within you.

187
00:13:48,620 --> 00:13:54,659
 And as you work that and we'll talk about shepherding that calling in your life,

188
00:13:54,779 --> 00:13:59,779
 whatever that may be, and as you are faithful in that, the anointing of God

189
00:13:59,779 --> 00:14:04,720
 will then come and strengthen you to do the bidding that he has asked you.

190
00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:07,639
 And that's a learning process and we'll go over that.

191
00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:14,440
 So why lineage in one sense and one time and just calling on the other?

192
00:14:15,299 --> 00:14:21,500
 Well, in a traditional theological expression, it simply has stated it this way.

193
00:14:22,159 --> 00:14:26,279
 Lineage-based roles, in other words, the priest and the king, again,

194
00:14:26,700 --> 00:14:33,240
 underscored God's covenantal promises for what stability of the nation,

195
00:14:34,139 --> 00:14:37,279
 endurance of a nation, not just some fancy, okay,

196
00:14:37,279 --> 00:14:42,440
 we're here today and going tomorrow, but endurance and shared identity of whom

197
00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,360
 God was among the Israelites.

198
00:14:44,460 --> 00:14:45,539
 He educated them.

199
00:14:46,100 --> 00:14:48,419
 Some of you remember we talked about nation building.

200
00:14:49,139 --> 00:14:53,340
 Can you imagine taking 12 tribes, wandering in the desert and making

201
00:14:53,340 --> 00:14:54,120
 them a nation?

202
00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:55,960
 That was a big job.

203
00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:00,460
 And as we know, when we went through these things, it seemed for us

204
00:15:00,460 --> 00:15:04,639
 impossible for him to do, but yet he sovereignly brought them together.

205
00:15:05,199 --> 00:15:08,519
 Now, it was their decision to rebel, but he was bringing them together

206
00:15:08,519 --> 00:15:09,919
 as a nation unto him.

207
00:15:11,139 --> 00:15:16,340
 And calling-based roles, again, like the prophet, the prophet received

208
00:15:16,340 --> 00:15:20,820
 God's direct empowerment and calling when the need arose for spiritual

209
00:15:20,820 --> 00:15:22,659
 gifting over lineage.

210
00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:27,240
 Here was the priests, they weren't a bang, I want to step in.

211
00:15:27,299 --> 00:15:30,639
 He called in a prophet, he raised up a prophet and the prophet says,

212
00:15:30,740 --> 00:15:32,779
 thus saith the Lord, this is what you're doing.

213
00:15:32,860 --> 00:15:33,899
 You're not supposed to do it.

214
00:15:34,639 --> 00:15:42,220
 And then together, these methods reflect God's wisdom in balancing

215
00:15:42,220 --> 00:15:48,960
 the order and the order breaking process that he had to go through,

216
00:15:49,519 --> 00:15:53,740
 empowering both the continuity of worship with the lineage, the

217
00:15:53,740 --> 00:15:57,580
 priests, and the fresh revelation when needed coming from his

218
00:15:57,580 --> 00:15:59,240
 throne, thus saith the Lord.

219
00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:00,879
 So you have that.

220
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,360
 He's not bound within.

221
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,279
 Well, if he did this, why did he speak to the prophets?

222
00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:06,240
 Well, he did both.

223
00:16:07,019 --> 00:16:11,840
 One was calling-based and the other was a gifting base.

224
00:16:13,039 --> 00:16:14,440
 All right, think of it this way.

225
00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:22,059
 The prophets or the priests functionally, functionality as a system of regular

226
00:16:22,899 --> 00:16:27,220
 repeatable laws of God, they did it over and over and over and over and over again.

227
00:16:27,220 --> 00:16:32,580
 Whereas think of the prophets functionality as an irregularity within

228
00:16:32,580 --> 00:16:37,100
 the system with fresh impartation of God's heart to what?

229
00:16:37,419 --> 00:16:39,779
 To disrupt the status quo.

230
00:16:40,659 --> 00:16:41,899
 He needed that.

231
00:16:42,159 --> 00:16:44,659
 He could have spoken sovereignly, but what does he do?

232
00:16:45,019 --> 00:16:48,039
 By and large, he uses people to minister to people.

233
00:16:48,940 --> 00:16:53,759
 So consequently, he used the prophets to be able to say these things.

234
00:16:54,379 --> 00:16:55,860
 My children are going in error.

235
00:16:55,860 --> 00:16:58,600
 I want to bring a word of declaration to him.

236
00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:00,820
 He raises up a prophet and he speaks to the prophet.

237
00:17:02,179 --> 00:17:02,340
 All right.

238
00:17:02,460 --> 00:17:06,700
 Divine appointment then, whatever it is, trumps lineage and birth order.

239
00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:09,640
 The tribal identity matter.

240
00:17:10,319 --> 00:17:14,900
 We talked about that, but God's sovereign choice always overrides

241
00:17:14,900 --> 00:17:17,680
 the human seniority every time.

242
00:17:18,460 --> 00:17:20,119
 He can do what he wants to do.

243
00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:26,240
 Jesus fulfilled God's redemptive purposes who was not of Aaron's priestly

244
00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,220
 lineage, but of Melchizedek's order.

245
00:17:28,859 --> 00:17:32,180
 He didn't even go along the lines of where the lineage was.

246
00:17:32,339 --> 00:17:36,299
 He went out and he declared that he's the, and he was in the order

247
00:17:36,299 --> 00:17:37,799
 of Melchizedek as a priest.

248
00:17:39,059 --> 00:17:44,720
 Moses, the older son of Amron was chosen to lead alongside or with his

249
00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:49,359
 younger sibling, Aaron, which was the lineage that was started.

250
00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,859
 They were chosen to be, he was chosen to be high priest.

251
00:17:53,299 --> 00:17:57,759
 So he steps out of context and he does what he wants to do.

252
00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:04,000
 And then lastly, David, the youngest of Jesse's sons was anointed king.

253
00:18:04,420 --> 00:18:07,720
 Why wouldn't he do, why wouldn't he take the oldest and work with them?

254
00:18:08,519 --> 00:18:09,779
 He didn't want that.

255
00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,460
 He wanted to do what he wanted to do to bring about this nation

256
00:18:13,460 --> 00:18:15,940
 in Samuel first, Samuel 16.

257
00:18:16,900 --> 00:18:19,119
 All right, let's compare these two.

258
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,700
 Let's look at the Old Testament versus the New Testament now.

259
00:18:23,740 --> 00:18:26,980
 The Old Covenant lineage was determined by eligibility for

260
00:18:26,980 --> 00:18:28,579
 priestly and royal roles.

261
00:18:28,759 --> 00:18:30,079
 We, we talked about that.

262
00:18:30,460 --> 00:18:34,180
 The anointing was again confirmed was a divine choice.

263
00:18:35,039 --> 00:18:38,980
 The, again, the hierarchy within the family was something that was

264
00:18:38,980 --> 00:18:43,000
 part of ministry too, was also a determining factor of choice.

265
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,220
 In early Israel, the firstborn son held the special status.

266
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:48,119
 He was the oldest.

267
00:18:49,079 --> 00:18:51,359
 He got all the blessings and all the responsibilities.

268
00:18:52,759 --> 00:18:54,619
 He had inheritance rights.

269
00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:58,599
 He had the leadership role of the family.

270
00:18:59,819 --> 00:19:01,839
 He performed religious duties.

271
00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:06,180
 So he was the one that represented that family as the

272
00:19:06,180 --> 00:19:07,460
 priest represented God.

273
00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,339
 And again, in Genesis 49, three, four, and Reuben lost his

274
00:19:12,339 --> 00:19:14,279
 birthright because of his actions.

275
00:19:14,940 --> 00:19:16,500
 God took it away.

276
00:19:18,819 --> 00:19:22,920
 And now under the New Testament, we still have covenant.

277
00:19:23,900 --> 00:19:26,960
 We now have Jesus Christ intervening in the situation.

278
00:19:27,279 --> 00:19:32,559
 The new covenant then is a spiritual lineage that surpasses all bloodlines.

279
00:19:33,980 --> 00:19:37,559
 Remember the divine right of kings from England.

280
00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,460
 Just because you were born in that lineage, you were then given

281
00:19:41,460 --> 00:19:43,380
 the rightful heir to be king.

282
00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:45,480
 None of that.

283
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,099
 Second of all, Jesus is the fulfillment of the royal bloodline.

284
00:19:52,940 --> 00:19:56,660
 Jesus was born of David's line, Matthew one and Luke three,

285
00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:58,700
 fulfilling the royal lineage.

286
00:19:59,839 --> 00:20:03,980
 And yet he was also a priest after the order of Melchizedek,

287
00:20:04,319 --> 00:20:10,480
 not Aaron, as in Hebrews 7, 11, a priesthood based on eternal

288
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,519
 life, not ancestry.

289
00:20:13,140 --> 00:20:15,940
 So there's a big difference in that covenant.

290
00:20:16,799 --> 00:20:20,180
 All believers of the royal are of the royal covenant.

291
00:20:20,579 --> 00:20:24,000
 It says in first Peter two nine, you are a chosen nation.

292
00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:25,720
 A royal priesthood.

293
00:20:25,859 --> 00:20:29,279
 Each one of you are of the royal priesthood.

294
00:20:29,700 --> 00:20:30,859
 He loves you.

295
00:20:31,599 --> 00:20:33,539
 He's given his life for you.

296
00:20:33,839 --> 00:20:35,039
 He's gifted you.

297
00:20:37,519 --> 00:20:42,680
 We are adopted into God's family through faith, not through bloodline then.

298
00:20:43,019 --> 00:20:45,619
 In Christ, spiritual rebirth replaces physical

299
00:20:45,619 --> 00:20:50,140
 lineage as a basis for calling and anointing.

300
00:20:50,220 --> 00:20:51,619
 And that's where I want to go tonight.

301
00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:57,799
 Now question to you is what kind of person does God look

302
00:20:57,799 --> 00:21:00,240
 for when it comes to serving him?

303
00:21:01,839 --> 00:21:03,859
 What kind of person is that?

304
00:21:04,740 --> 00:21:07,339
 What are the attributes of that person?

305
00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:09,859
 He's called you.

306
00:21:10,119 --> 00:21:11,359
 You have a calling.

307
00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:13,700
 What's he looking for in your life?

308
00:21:16,660 --> 00:21:17,099
 All right.

309
00:21:17,339 --> 00:21:18,420
 Obedience is one.

310
00:21:19,319 --> 00:21:21,180
 Why was that important for us?

311
00:21:21,240 --> 00:21:22,319
 Not a challenge, a question.

312
00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:28,319
 Well, you, you have to obey God to follow his will.

313
00:21:28,619 --> 00:21:31,539
 Rather than your own, your own.

314
00:21:31,539 --> 00:21:34,000
 So that's a big hurdle for some people.

315
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:35,079
 Really?

316
00:21:35,759 --> 00:21:38,599
 I mean, especially in today's society, I'm going to do it my way.

317
00:21:38,859 --> 00:21:38,900
 Right?

318
00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:39,960
 Yeah.

319
00:21:40,779 --> 00:21:41,400
 Anything else?

320
00:21:43,380 --> 00:21:43,680
 All right.

321
00:21:44,259 --> 00:21:44,880
 Who said that?

322
00:21:45,559 --> 00:21:45,819
 All right.

323
00:21:46,539 --> 00:21:47,359
 Yeah, not challenging.

324
00:21:47,980 --> 00:21:49,039
 Work it, work it a little bit.

325
00:21:49,359 --> 00:21:53,740
 Goes right along with obedience of your putting other's needs above your own.

326
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:56,539
 Humility is something he looks for.

327
00:21:57,160 --> 00:21:58,779
 Not the aggrandizement of self.

328
00:21:59,500 --> 00:22:01,480
 Not the pride that is in our hearts.

329
00:22:02,059 --> 00:22:03,140
 And I still fight with that, right?

330
00:22:04,759 --> 00:22:05,259
 All right.

331
00:22:05,380 --> 00:22:05,680
 Okay.

332
00:22:05,980 --> 00:22:06,960
 We're in the same boat then.

333
00:22:07,299 --> 00:22:07,859
 Anything else?

334
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:12,720
 He's after God's own heart.

335
00:22:13,460 --> 00:22:14,900
 That's what it said about David.

336
00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:19,299
 David what he threw all the way to serve God.

337
00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,740
 Can you imagine being called King and running around in all the tunnels and

338
00:22:23,740 --> 00:22:25,839
 caves for half his life until he became King.

339
00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:29,160
 That promise I think was broken in his mind sometimes.

340
00:22:29,619 --> 00:22:31,539
 Yeah, his was trying to not kill his soul.

341
00:22:32,579 --> 00:22:37,220
 If you read in Psalm, it's almost like he's a manic, the present Lord save me.

342
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:38,180
 Where am I?

343
00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:39,019
 I'm forsaken.

344
00:22:39,180 --> 00:22:41,480
 And then the next breath, he finally comes around as his God.

345
00:22:41,660 --> 00:22:42,859
 You're the God of heaven and earth.

346
00:22:43,380 --> 00:22:44,259
 Yeah, really.

347
00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:46,980
 All right.

348
00:22:47,380 --> 00:22:47,819
 Okay.

349
00:22:49,839 --> 00:22:53,099
 Some other thoughts along those lines.

350
00:22:53,720 --> 00:23:00,259
 Again, willing heart, that was basically said, uh, degree of maturity, good

351
00:23:00,259 --> 00:23:06,640
 reputation and witness, humility, very, very good, faithfulness, good

352
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,039
 stewardship, orderly, household, and moral.

353
00:23:10,279 --> 00:23:10,640
 Of course.

354
00:23:10,779 --> 00:23:11,579
 Yeah, you made it.

355
00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,079
 You know, when the test comes at the end, I'll give you two points on you.

356
00:23:15,660 --> 00:23:15,960
 All right.

357
00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:17,339
 Okay.

358
00:23:19,039 --> 00:23:22,640
 Examples of generational blessing in serving God.

359
00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,339
 Let's just use some examples here to get you the idea of what's happening.

360
00:23:27,079 --> 00:23:31,799
 In the old Testament, the biblical lineage of Aaron, the high priest goes like this.

361
00:23:32,660 --> 00:23:38,240
 Aaron in 1446 BC was the grandson of Phineas.

362
00:23:38,559 --> 00:23:45,180
 He acts zealously at PR and God grants him and his descendants, a covenant

363
00:23:45,180 --> 00:23:49,339
 of perpetual priesthood for their faithfulness.

364
00:23:49,460 --> 00:23:50,599
 This is where it all started.

365
00:23:50,599 --> 00:23:57,339
 He then develops that in his priestly line and he re it runs from Ebenezer or

366
00:23:57,339 --> 00:24:05,039
 Eliezer to, to, uh, Phineas to, uh, Bishai to Bayak eventually to Zodak was one of

367
00:24:05,039 --> 00:24:10,360
 the last priest in nine 30 BC, again, maintaining Aaron's lineage throughout

368
00:24:11,019 --> 00:24:17,839
 that priestly era, and then again, they exemplified God's pattern of passing

369
00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:22,319
 of covenant responsibilities down through the bloodline.

370
00:24:23,319 --> 00:24:30,019
 And then lastly, Aaron's lineage lasted about 534 years of service to the Lord

371
00:24:30,019 --> 00:24:30,960
 and to God.

372
00:24:32,019 --> 00:24:36,319
 Now I'm just going to give you my side of the story as an example,

373
00:24:36,940 --> 00:24:38,680
 the natural lineage of John crowds.

374
00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:39,420
 Okay.

375
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:40,539
 Here we are.

376
00:24:41,059 --> 00:24:44,640
 There was a pastor John in 1684 in Heidelberg university.

377
00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:50,579
 He was dismissed from his ministry because of his beliefs and 18 writings of

378
00:24:50,579 --> 00:24:54,579
 glossolalia, which, you know, is the word Holy spirit way back in that time.

379
00:24:55,079 --> 00:24:57,019
 So there's nothing new about the Holy spirit.

380
00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:02,380
 John with two friends and their families received free passage and 2,400 acres

381
00:25:02,380 --> 00:25:03,680
 of land from William Penn.

382
00:25:03,940 --> 00:25:08,660
 He died before reaching Fairview village PA, which is about five miles from my place.

383
00:25:09,380 --> 00:25:13,859
 And his wife and friends arrived, lived in one house and ministered a spirit

384
00:25:13,859 --> 00:25:15,079
 of love to all others.

385
00:25:15,339 --> 00:25:20,579
 So they harvested it in my grandfather, John, another John.

386
00:25:20,759 --> 00:25:22,440
 There's about eight generations of Johns.

387
00:25:23,319 --> 00:25:26,240
 He was a lay minister in the Lutheran church and he worked in the Philadelphia

388
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,319
 mint, and of course, yours truly is pastor teacher and elder for 45 years.

389
00:25:31,819 --> 00:25:37,440
 So John's lineage has lasted 341 years of ministry to the Lord and God.

390
00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:38,660
 And it ends soon.

391
00:25:39,019 --> 00:25:39,579
 Okay.

392
00:25:42,460 --> 00:25:43,579
 All right.

393
00:25:43,579 --> 00:25:44,880
 This is my last will and testament.

394
00:25:45,140 --> 00:25:45,579
 Good night folks.

395
00:25:46,500 --> 00:25:51,880
 Now, now let's look at the new Testament, the lineage that Christ offers us.

396
00:25:52,359 --> 00:25:57,640
 It started in 30 AD when he came and he ministered first Corinthians five, seven

397
00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:02,339
 says this, if any wasn't anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.

398
00:26:02,940 --> 00:26:08,019
 All things and old things have passed away and behold knew the new has come.

399
00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,900
 That's you and I, that's the promise for us.

400
00:26:11,140 --> 00:26:11,720
 Thank you, Lord.

401
00:26:12,319 --> 00:26:14,720
 Galatians two 29 or three 29.

402
00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:18,859
 We are Abraham's offspring and heirs to all blessings.

403
00:26:19,420 --> 00:26:20,039
 There you go.

404
00:26:20,059 --> 00:26:21,019
 What's coming down.

405
00:26:22,019 --> 00:26:28,660
 We are again adopted as God's child through our faith and all covenant

406
00:26:28,660 --> 00:26:31,559
 blessings are forever hours.

407
00:26:31,900 --> 00:26:32,619
 Think about that.

408
00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:33,440
 Everything.

409
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,059
 Well, I just want a corner in heaven.

410
00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:37,039
 I just want to make it.

411
00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:38,099
 I want the free ticket.

412
00:26:38,500 --> 00:26:39,920
 Now God wants more than that.

413
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,200
 We'll find out about that.

414
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:42,619
 God is our dad.

415
00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,940
 We receive him and the Holy Spirit and we call him.

416
00:26:46,099 --> 00:26:47,079
 I have a father daddy.

417
00:26:47,180 --> 00:26:50,579
 God, you know, did you ever complained to your father?

418
00:26:51,359 --> 00:26:51,960
 I do.

419
00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:54,220
 I complained to my father.

420
00:26:54,460 --> 00:26:56,099
 You know, he wants to hear everything.

421
00:26:56,940 --> 00:27:01,940
 You know, just not, not the sweetness of, of what said the complaints, the

422
00:27:01,940 --> 00:27:06,960
 discouragements he wants them as you are a father and mother, if you are,

423
00:27:07,140 --> 00:27:11,200
 you will understand that you always want to hear what your children have to

424
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:12,640
 say, you want to console them.

425
00:27:12,740 --> 00:27:13,740
 You want to help them.

426
00:27:14,039 --> 00:27:15,720
 And so much more does he.

427
00:27:16,660 --> 00:27:21,059
 First Peter two nine calls us a Royal priesthood and a holy nation.

428
00:27:22,339 --> 00:27:25,539
 And then again, our nature moving from selfish desires.

429
00:27:25,539 --> 00:27:31,180
 We talked about that self to destiny now flows out from Christ's life

430
00:27:31,180 --> 00:27:33,920
 and into our very being.

431
00:27:34,140 --> 00:27:35,500
 Praise the Lord for that.

432
00:27:35,660 --> 00:27:35,960
 Isn't this?

433
00:27:36,099 --> 00:27:38,880
 Remember he writes those things on our heart.

434
00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:44,700
 And then again, the identity that goes along with us, we are defined

435
00:27:44,700 --> 00:27:53,880
 that by Christ as a pedigree, not of our past failures, the inheritance

436
00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:58,700
 that we have, we can stand in line for every promise God has made to his

437
00:27:58,700 --> 00:28:00,500
 son, because he was the example.

438
00:28:00,660 --> 00:28:03,720
 He was the first footprint and we will follow that.

439
00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:09,160
 And the purpose that we have then is to have been placed in a forever family

440
00:28:09,160 --> 00:28:16,400
 with a Royal calling and an anointing to accomplish his plan for each one of us.

441
00:28:16,799 --> 00:28:21,700
 My plan is different than Kathy's plan is different than Chris's plan.

442
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,279
 What his plan is now, not everybody goes along with a plan, but again,

443
00:28:26,299 --> 00:28:27,640
 there is a plan for us.

444
00:28:28,079 --> 00:28:32,220
 And then finally, our lineage lasts forever to this moment.

445
00:28:32,220 --> 00:28:39,599
 It has been 1,995 years of generational blessings to all who know him, the

446
00:28:39,599 --> 00:28:41,640
 King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

447
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:42,480
 Yes.

448
00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:44,960
 Is that a question or just a yes.

449
00:28:45,119 --> 00:28:45,240
 Amen.

450
00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:46,720
 All right.

451
00:28:46,980 --> 00:28:48,079
 Okay, good.

452
00:28:49,359 --> 00:28:49,700
 Okay.

453
00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,220
 How then do we become servants?

454
00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:58,500
 Let's look at some first steps, the transition from just simply

455
00:28:58,500 --> 00:29:01,619
 salvation to a calling and anointing in your life.

456
00:29:01,619 --> 00:29:04,599
 That's where I would hope that we would all be going.

457
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:09,160
 And I'm probably preaching to the choir here tonight, but some people

458
00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,819
 are satisfied to come in here, do the hour and a half, put their ties

459
00:29:13,819 --> 00:29:17,579
 in the offering, praise, sing, and then that's kind of it.

460
00:29:18,279 --> 00:29:19,539
 That's not what God wants.

461
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,779
 He wants to have a calling fulfilled in your life.

462
00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:26,059
 And with that, he gives the anointing.

463
00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:30,200
 So let's look at that salvation and embracing new identity.

464
00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:36,180
 Salvation occurs at the moment we are rescued from sin and we are

465
00:29:36,180 --> 00:29:37,859
 adopted into God's family.

466
00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:38,299
 Amen.

467
00:29:38,619 --> 00:29:39,259
 Thank you for that.

468
00:29:39,460 --> 00:29:39,500
 Right.

469
00:29:39,779 --> 00:29:40,940
 So we got the first step.

470
00:29:41,279 --> 00:29:41,500
 Okay.

471
00:29:41,579 --> 00:29:42,079
 That's good.

472
00:29:43,299 --> 00:29:46,740
 We receive forgiveness and grace through faith in Christ.

473
00:29:47,759 --> 00:29:51,019
 We all have experienced that in some lesser or greater form.

474
00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:56,500
 We are reconciled to God and begin to cultivate a personal

475
00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:58,339
 relationship with him.

476
00:29:59,279 --> 00:30:00,700
 That's not a requirement.

477
00:30:01,519 --> 00:30:02,720
 That's an invitation.

478
00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:05,460
 Would you come unto me?

479
00:30:05,579 --> 00:30:07,960
 Those that seek me, I will be found.

480
00:30:08,299 --> 00:30:12,480
 So he's waiting for you, but he is not inflicting himself upon you.

481
00:30:13,759 --> 00:30:18,099
 We experience a radical identity shift from sinner to child of God.

482
00:30:18,519 --> 00:30:21,420
 How many have had a shift in their life since salvation?

483
00:30:22,039 --> 00:30:23,960
 My gosh, every hand ought to be raised.

484
00:30:25,099 --> 00:30:26,220
 Roger, you didn't raise yours.

485
00:30:26,279 --> 00:30:27,599
 There's no change in your life.

486
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:29,240
 Oh, okay.

487
00:30:29,740 --> 00:30:30,519
 All right.

488
00:30:30,660 --> 00:30:31,799
 You have half a one there.

489
00:30:32,259 --> 00:30:32,460
 Okay.

490
00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:34,660
 I will leave you a slide because you're the senior.

491
00:30:35,380 --> 00:30:35,619
 All right.

492
00:30:36,660 --> 00:30:41,920
 This fundamental walk is all about the relationship that he desires.

493
00:30:42,220 --> 00:30:45,640
 And remember, he wanted a relationship so much.

494
00:30:45,660 --> 00:30:49,880
 That's why he took the 12 tribes of Israel, brought them in, wanted to set

495
00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:54,140
 them as example, came down in the cloud, visited them, ministered to them.

496
00:30:54,279 --> 00:30:56,900
 And he wanted a relationship with people.

497
00:30:57,599 --> 00:31:00,000
 And in that relationship, we see transformation.

498
00:31:01,519 --> 00:31:04,660
 He doesn't stoop to our median goals.

499
00:31:05,480 --> 00:31:09,039
 We, we loftily seek what he is after.

500
00:31:09,660 --> 00:31:15,740
 Our calling then is discovering a divine purpose for each life in this room.

501
00:31:16,359 --> 00:31:20,079
 After salvation, God then invites us into a unique calling.

502
00:31:20,079 --> 00:31:21,920
 Only we can fulfill.

503
00:31:22,679 --> 00:31:29,380
 It will certainly be different if there's four, six, eight, 10, 12, 15, 18 people here.

504
00:31:29,519 --> 00:31:31,240
 There's 18 different callings.

505
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,579
 Some may be parallel, but yet different.

506
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:37,180
 Okay.

507
00:31:37,740 --> 00:31:39,440
 He gives us the opportunity.

508
00:31:40,180 --> 00:31:45,859
 He doesn't demand us to seek him for our purpose, but we have to want that.

509
00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:54,059
 We have to be able to put things aside and spend time seeking him for that.

510
00:31:55,059 --> 00:32:01,839
 Take notice where your spiritual interests and passions intersect with needs around you.

511
00:32:01,880 --> 00:32:06,740
 This is how you begin to begin to be used and find out what God is saying to you.

512
00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:09,259
 What's, what's inside of you?

513
00:32:10,000 --> 00:32:14,039
 One, those are our passions and what are their spiritual interests we have?

514
00:32:14,339 --> 00:32:15,119
 Is it studying?

515
00:32:15,119 --> 00:32:16,019
 Is it proclamation?

516
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:17,500
 What is it?

517
00:32:17,660 --> 00:32:26,420
 So you combine these two together and begin to formulate some type of path, obey these

518
00:32:26,420 --> 00:32:29,799
 small little promptings that God gives you.

519
00:32:30,119 --> 00:32:35,640
 They're of the Holy Spirit and then they will stretch you.

520
00:32:36,119 --> 00:32:37,960
 If you were obedient, they will stretch you.

521
00:32:38,700 --> 00:32:39,720
 Oh, I can do this.

522
00:32:40,579 --> 00:32:44,559
 Well, that's good, but God wants to take you further to where you what?

523
00:32:44,559 --> 00:32:50,500
 You depend upon him, not your own needs or your own abilities to do these things.

524
00:32:51,319 --> 00:32:57,920
 And then again, find deep joy when you have a daily life that aligns with God's

525
00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:03,680
 design, sometimes you have to force yourself to do that, but sometimes you'll

526
00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,380
 begin to then understand that God is speaking to you.

527
00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:11,980
 And then the next step in sensing and stewarding what God's calling and

528
00:33:11,980 --> 00:33:16,980
 anointing is, is this, cultivate an awareness for his presence.

529
00:33:17,180 --> 00:33:19,619
 I can't, I cannot tell you enough.

530
00:33:20,299 --> 00:33:24,019
 It's not coming in and praying for five minutes on your knees and getting out.

531
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,880
 It's cultivating the presence of God in your life.

532
00:33:29,980 --> 00:33:30,900
 Well, how do you do that?

533
00:33:31,579 --> 00:33:36,579
 You begin each day simply by acknowledging God's nearness to you.

534
00:33:36,579 --> 00:33:41,200
 That is a declaration and he will, he will yield to that.

535
00:33:41,380 --> 00:33:44,559
 And he will tell you again, set reminders.

536
00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:49,700
 I have reminders all over the place in my desk in the lavatory.

537
00:33:50,420 --> 00:33:50,500
 Okay.

538
00:33:51,599 --> 00:33:52,680
 Sticky back things.

539
00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:54,759
 I basically now use a computer.

540
00:33:54,940 --> 00:33:58,859
 And I, when I get a thought when we have devotions in the morning, I'll stop

541
00:33:58,859 --> 00:34:03,160
 the, we listened to two, two individuals on a podcast in the morning.

542
00:34:03,160 --> 00:34:06,259
 And then we go off to our prayer and devotions intercede.

543
00:34:06,579 --> 00:34:07,640
 And I'll stop the thing.

544
00:34:07,740 --> 00:34:08,500
 She said, well, what are you doing?

545
00:34:08,579 --> 00:34:08,860
 Wait a minute.

546
00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:11,139
 I go to my computer and then put a thought in there.

547
00:34:11,699 --> 00:34:15,059
 Well, because you know, what happens with that thought it's fleeting.

548
00:34:16,480 --> 00:34:18,460
 Ron, do you remember things a half an hour ago?

549
00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:19,900
 I don't.

550
00:34:20,159 --> 00:34:20,940
 How about you, Gordon?

551
00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:22,440
 All right.

552
00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:24,719
 You're the same cloth that I am.

553
00:34:25,179 --> 00:34:27,219
 So what we do, we pause and pray.

554
00:34:27,460 --> 00:34:29,559
 We, we, we ask Lord, speak to me, father.

555
00:34:30,099 --> 00:34:36,159
 And what he does be faithful to kind of build a chronology of events and things.

556
00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:43,000
 Over time, these small little pauses will train your heart to recognize the

557
00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:47,320
 spirit's gentle promptings throughout the day.

558
00:34:48,119 --> 00:34:49,239
 And that's not easy to do.

559
00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:54,500
 And I realized that I can say that very easily like Don, you know, he's retired.

560
00:34:55,019 --> 00:34:59,599
 So am I a little bit more time in life to do while Ron, you are and so forth.

561
00:34:59,780 --> 00:35:02,099
 But when you're in the fray of life, I get it.

562
00:35:02,380 --> 00:35:03,400
 I understand that.

563
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:09,840
 But if as you can in your car, when I used to travel to Lehigh university, my

564
00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:16,280
 theater, my, my, my theater of events was an hour up in the car, going up the

565
00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:19,860
 Northeast expense extension over 22 and an hour coming back.

566
00:35:20,079 --> 00:35:23,840
 So I had two hours of solitude before my wife either gave me a

567
00:35:23,840 --> 00:35:28,119
 honeydew list or whatever the case may be.

568
00:35:28,639 --> 00:35:32,500
 So over time, you want to train your heart to recognize these

569
00:35:32,500 --> 00:35:33,260
 promptings.

570
00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:37,699
 Another thing I want you to practice consistent disciplines.

571
00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,480
 Well, today we're going to pray and we're going to do all these things.

572
00:35:41,679 --> 00:35:45,760
 And then two weeks later, you forget them prayer, reading, and studying

573
00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,000
 the scripture worship praise.

574
00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:53,619
 And even fasting is part of getting your body, your mind in tune

575
00:35:53,619 --> 00:36:00,519
 with what God wants structure them into your life, just like an appointment.

576
00:36:00,920 --> 00:36:03,000
 That's why I personally, I've said it before.

577
00:36:03,159 --> 00:36:08,559
 I find that in the morning, before things go crazy, I have time.

578
00:36:09,460 --> 00:36:13,940
 I like to really get up and have a cup of coffee before my wife gets up, you

579
00:36:13,940 --> 00:36:17,500
 know, just, you know, the solitude of the day, you know, in the cathedral

580
00:36:17,500 --> 00:36:21,980
 room up and looking at the skylights, thanking the Lord for his beauty,

581
00:36:22,179 --> 00:36:25,679
 his love, you know, there's, and then we kind of go into that, those

582
00:36:25,679 --> 00:36:27,300
 transitions that we've talked about.

583
00:36:29,460 --> 00:36:35,940
 The consistency, which is a gem of these habits creates special

584
00:36:35,940 --> 00:36:39,559
 encounters with him, special encounters.

585
00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:43,719
 He wants to visit you, he wants to communicate to you, making it easier

586
00:36:43,719 --> 00:36:47,639
 and easier to sense God's activity in your life.

587
00:36:48,420 --> 00:36:51,639
 But if you don't do it, but two times a month, and then three times

588
00:36:51,639 --> 00:36:54,460
 that month, and then the next month, nothing, it's going to be hard

589
00:36:54,460 --> 00:36:56,280
 to get consistency out of it.

590
00:36:56,980 --> 00:37:04,179
 Question now, who has stewarded their calling to a point where you

591
00:37:04,179 --> 00:37:08,400
 recognize what God desires for service from you?

592
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:13,619
 Anybody want to take that one?

593
00:37:14,719 --> 00:37:17,800
 Are you more sure of that now than you were some years ago?

594
00:37:18,559 --> 00:37:20,179
 What does that look like for you?

595
00:37:21,539 --> 00:37:26,440
 I can, I'll give you my, my, my, an abbreviated testimony.

596
00:37:27,659 --> 00:37:32,780
 There used to be a time that I was, as a pastor, this is a confession

597
00:37:33,599 --> 00:37:37,639
 because it was many people in my congregation that witnessed that I

598
00:37:37,639 --> 00:37:40,760
 didn't, you know, I wasn't comfortable in that while they go on the

599
00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:42,619
 outside and I do the inside work.

600
00:37:43,039 --> 00:37:46,420
 Well, I'll tell you, since I have moved 10 years ago into a community

601
00:37:46,420 --> 00:37:51,239
 where God said to me, after I'm saying to him, well, you know, what's

602
00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:57,559
 my next goal, what's my next, um, assignment, he showed me 400 people

603
00:37:57,559 --> 00:37:58,820
 in a gathering one time.

604
00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:02,860
 And I said, yeah, Lord, they all have come to the end of their life.

605
00:38:03,539 --> 00:38:05,679
 They all have money because they live there.

606
00:38:07,099 --> 00:38:08,300
 Some of them are disappointed.

607
00:38:08,500 --> 00:38:10,420
 Their kids don't visit them.

608
00:38:10,980 --> 00:38:12,559
 They're old, they're lonely, they're depressed.

609
00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:15,460
 This is your mission statement.

610
00:38:15,460 --> 00:38:15,900
 Okay.

611
00:38:16,760 --> 00:38:22,019
 So I took that and it's unbelievable when you begin to find out what that is.

612
00:38:22,639 --> 00:38:27,619
 And then as I began to share, I mean, we have been praying, I'll give you

613
00:38:27,619 --> 00:38:30,360
 an example, we have been praying for this particular couple for about a

614
00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:35,179
 year and a half opportunity is that we invite them out to dinner and you

615
00:38:35,179 --> 00:38:37,880
 know, you build a relationship, you see them in different activities.

616
00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,920
 And we, I see this one lady that I'm referring to in my

617
00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:43,719
 caregivers group, yada, yada, yada.

618
00:38:44,239 --> 00:38:48,579
 Well, this was our fourth dinner and I said, Joni, I said, I really want

619
00:38:48,579 --> 00:38:49,940
 to see fruit from this thing.

620
00:38:50,039 --> 00:38:52,019
 I just don't want to do dinners for the sake of dinners.

621
00:38:52,179 --> 00:38:52,579
 Let's pray.

622
00:38:52,719 --> 00:38:57,460
 So we prayed and through the meal last night, all the way up to the end.

623
00:38:57,599 --> 00:38:59,179
 I said, okay, Lord, it's getting late here.

624
00:39:00,199 --> 00:39:01,260
 When are you going to do your thing?

625
00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:05,460
 She said one sentence and it opened up to where the plan of

626
00:39:05,460 --> 00:39:06,739
 salvation was given to her.

627
00:39:06,940 --> 00:39:10,579
 And then the question was, you know, did you ever think about where

628
00:39:10,579 --> 00:39:12,000
 you're going after this life?

629
00:39:12,460 --> 00:39:15,619
 You know, I just haven't thought about that, you know, and it was

630
00:39:15,619 --> 00:39:18,300
 honest, you know, and we had a very honest.

631
00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:21,440
 Now I didn't bring closure because that's not my mission.

632
00:39:21,780 --> 00:39:25,699
 Our mission is what to plant seeds and somebody may bring increase.

633
00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:29,739
 But I said, Lord, I said, I just, you know, when we got home, I said,

634
00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:34,260
 we always kind of debrief, you know, what was said, because sometimes

635
00:39:34,260 --> 00:39:36,300
 my wife says, I stick my foot in my mouth.

636
00:39:36,559 --> 00:39:38,920
 But anyway, um, that's being real.

637
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:43,019
 And, uh, we just praise the Lord for that because that's a breakthrough

638
00:39:43,019 --> 00:39:46,880
 with this couple, you know, and somebody else may harvest those, those,

639
00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:52,420
 those lives, who knows, but the sensitivity of being available,

640
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:57,139
 hearing God say to these, to these issues, this is what I want you to do

641
00:39:57,139 --> 00:39:59,820
 here and, you know, we prepared it in prayer and so forth.

642
00:40:00,480 --> 00:40:01,619
 Anybody want to take that?

643
00:40:02,159 --> 00:40:05,219
 What does your life look like in part and parcel?

644
00:40:05,800 --> 00:40:06,500
 A little bit.

645
00:40:07,300 --> 00:40:07,900
 All right.

646
00:40:07,900 --> 00:40:09,579
 Nobody wants to bear their soul.

647
00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:10,880
 Okay, Chris,

648
00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:18,280
 I would say mainly from my, my all the years and mortgages and credit

649
00:40:18,280 --> 00:40:22,480
 and all that, just God using me in areas just to give practical

650
00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:26,920
 advice to people, which is good stewardship of whatever the situation

651
00:40:26,920 --> 00:40:32,519
 is and, you know, so I still get tons of opportunities to do that now.

652
00:40:32,760 --> 00:40:36,699
 And it's very practical, but like people just don't know because

653
00:40:36,699 --> 00:40:38,179
 they've never been shown, you know,

654
00:40:38,780 --> 00:40:42,639
 you know, I find more and more as you begin to bring your declaration

655
00:40:42,639 --> 00:40:47,920
 to bear in conversations that there, and excuse the word, there's a lot

656
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:52,119
 of ignorance about who God is and what he is, you know, these people

657
00:40:52,119 --> 00:40:57,099
 never been thought about really life after death to any great degree.

658
00:40:57,679 --> 00:40:59,219
 So anyway, okay.

659
00:40:59,659 --> 00:41:02,940
 The next step in sensing and stewarding God's calling and anointing

660
00:41:02,940 --> 00:41:06,380
 are these, listen and discern the spirit's voice.

661
00:41:07,679 --> 00:41:10,719
 So we talked about these little inklings on the inside, the still

662
00:41:10,719 --> 00:41:15,159
 small quiet voice that you know, that you know, that you know, that

663
00:41:15,159 --> 00:41:15,960
 God said that.

664
00:41:16,139 --> 00:41:19,760
 And sometimes you have to test that you want to act on it.

665
00:41:19,820 --> 00:41:21,000
 And if it's wrong, that's fine.

666
00:41:21,099 --> 00:41:21,559
 You come back.

667
00:41:21,599 --> 00:41:22,480
 It's a learning lesson.

668
00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:23,960
 Okay.

669
00:41:24,619 --> 00:41:27,840
 When you pray and read scripture, jot down these impressions,

670
00:41:27,840 --> 00:41:33,260
 emotions, and verses that jump out at you as a cornerstone to

671
00:41:33,260 --> 00:41:37,639
 build on other things and then evaluate them by asking, does

672
00:41:37,639 --> 00:41:39,559
 this really align with God's character?

673
00:41:39,820 --> 00:41:43,400
 And is it a biblical truth or am I thinking because I ate too

674
00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:45,699
 much meatloaf last night that I have indigestion?

675
00:41:46,480 --> 00:41:49,420
 You know, one of the things you can ask this, God doesn't

676
00:41:49,420 --> 00:41:51,800
 mind, he wants to speak to you.

677
00:41:52,420 --> 00:41:56,119
 And over time, a pattern, I guarantee you a pattern will

678
00:41:56,119 --> 00:41:56,760
 emerge.

679
00:41:57,860 --> 00:42:01,079
 It'll be a personal understanding of how the spirit speaks

680
00:42:01,079 --> 00:42:02,599
 uniquely to you.

681
00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:05,239
 Sometimes people have visions.

682
00:42:05,460 --> 00:42:10,320
 I don't, I have a still small voice inside that, that, that

683
00:42:10,320 --> 00:42:15,960
 again, I hear not always right, but I hear, I act upon that.

684
00:42:17,079 --> 00:42:20,980
 Other people have impressions in their mind, obey these

685
00:42:20,980 --> 00:42:22,059
 promptings immediately.

686
00:42:22,059 --> 00:42:28,219
 But what happens if you hesitate that moment goes by and

687
00:42:28,219 --> 00:42:32,920
 then he needs to ask somebody else to fulfill that carousel

688
00:42:32,920 --> 00:42:36,639
 moment, that timely moment where you know, God was in it.

689
00:42:36,860 --> 00:42:38,340
 How many ever have missed that?

690
00:42:39,300 --> 00:42:42,480
 Oh man, don't you feel bad Lord?

691
00:42:42,639 --> 00:42:43,139
 I'm sorry.

692
00:42:44,680 --> 00:42:50,079
 He loves us anointing grows in strength as you respond in

693
00:42:50,079 --> 00:42:50,599
 faith.

694
00:42:50,599 --> 00:42:53,079
 If you don't respond, the anointing won't grow in your

695
00:42:53,079 --> 00:42:53,360
 life.

696
00:42:54,820 --> 00:42:58,480
 When you feel nudged to reach out or to speak a word of

697
00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:01,019
 encouragement, like you said, act on it.

698
00:43:02,900 --> 00:43:08,880
 No matter how small it is, it can simply be if somebody's

699
00:43:08,880 --> 00:43:12,320
 going through grief and pain or facing an operation that

700
00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:14,559
 we, you know, we're dealing with one person in and out

701
00:43:14,559 --> 00:43:15,519
 of a particular lobby.

702
00:43:15,920 --> 00:43:19,320
 Her 24 year old son has, has, has rectal cancer.

703
00:43:19,860 --> 00:43:23,079
 You know, and it was just an opportunity to say, okay,

704
00:43:23,119 --> 00:43:25,400
 we're going to pray for you and we're believing for you.

705
00:43:25,780 --> 00:43:29,860
 No matter how small it is, each step of obedience deepens

706
00:43:29,860 --> 00:43:33,739
 your sensitivity to the Lord and the trust in the

707
00:43:33,739 --> 00:43:34,820
 spirit's guidance.

708
00:43:35,679 --> 00:43:37,960
 So you'll get to know, okay, that's you, Lord.

709
00:43:38,460 --> 00:43:39,559
 I'm confident of that.

710
00:43:40,519 --> 00:43:43,780
 Do not be afraid of making mistakes as you hear his

711
00:43:43,780 --> 00:43:45,440
 voice on the inside.

712
00:43:46,179 --> 00:43:49,900
 I think sometimes, you know, you, you kind of know

713
00:43:49,900 --> 00:43:53,239
 where the, where the stones are because you've fallen

714
00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:54,420
 in the water long enough.

715
00:43:54,699 --> 00:43:57,699
 You know, you know what you know by virtue of the

716
00:43:57,699 --> 00:43:59,239
 negative aspects of learning.

717
00:44:00,420 --> 00:44:03,699
 Walk us through your experiences about learning to

718
00:44:03,699 --> 00:44:07,900
 listen to his leading, the do's and don'ts, and

719
00:44:07,900 --> 00:44:09,320
 what are the results?

720
00:44:09,639 --> 00:44:12,380
 So nobody raised their hand and offered except Chris

721
00:44:12,380 --> 00:44:13,639
 the first question.

722
00:44:13,639 --> 00:44:15,280
 So I don't know whether you're going to want to do

723
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:17,420
 this one or not, but walk us through some

724
00:44:17,420 --> 00:44:20,619
 experiences that you may have had in hearing God's

725
00:44:20,619 --> 00:44:22,159
 voice, whether it was wrong or right.

726
00:44:23,480 --> 00:44:23,699
 Yes.

727
00:44:24,679 --> 00:44:25,059
 Oh, good.

728
00:44:25,179 --> 00:44:26,039
 We have somebody else.

729
00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:27,239
 All right.

730
00:44:27,940 --> 00:44:28,480
 Bear your soul.

731
00:44:29,699 --> 00:44:31,340
 I think I'm understanding this.

732
00:44:31,599 --> 00:44:35,059
 Walk us through the word says let the peace of

733
00:44:35,059 --> 00:44:36,199
 Christ rule in your heart.

734
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,579
 So I know, and I'm a school bus driver and drive

735
00:44:40,579 --> 00:44:43,800
 and I have time to pray and think, and I know, I

736
00:44:43,920 --> 00:44:47,579
 guess a year or two, maybe a year or two ago when

737
00:44:47,579 --> 00:44:50,360
 I'm, you know, and this is what happened all the

738
00:44:50,360 --> 00:44:53,579
 time where I feel a lot, a loss of peace, the

739
00:44:53,579 --> 00:44:54,539
 lack of peace.

740
00:44:55,300 --> 00:44:57,059
 And so I came, Lord, well, what is it?

741
00:44:57,159 --> 00:44:58,320
 And then I realized what happened.

742
00:44:58,659 --> 00:45:00,420
 The Lord will show me what happened at the

743
00:45:00,420 --> 00:45:02,559
 moment and where I had the loss of peace.

744
00:45:02,699 --> 00:45:05,900
 But I remember driving one morning and I've had,

745
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,800
 you know, some, my daughters, you know, going,

746
00:45:08,880 --> 00:45:10,579
 going through many, many, many things.

747
00:45:11,819 --> 00:45:15,340
 And I was driving and I, and I noticed it, you

748
00:45:15,340 --> 00:45:18,719
 know, I, what I, you know, I, I think I'm praying,

749
00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:20,900
 but I'm not feeling peace.

750
00:45:21,019 --> 00:45:22,239
 So I said, Lord, what is it?

751
00:45:22,360 --> 00:45:23,440
 You know, what am I doing here?

752
00:45:23,780 --> 00:45:26,739
 And he goes, I felt the Lord was saying,

753
00:45:27,719 --> 00:45:29,119
 she's not your problem.

754
00:45:30,259 --> 00:45:30,980
 I am.

755
00:45:32,099 --> 00:45:34,840
 In other words, you worship me, seek me first.

756
00:45:35,380 --> 00:45:36,199
 I'll take care of the rest.

757
00:45:36,340 --> 00:45:37,059
 I'll take care of her.

758
00:45:37,099 --> 00:45:38,099
 And then I felt the peace.

759
00:45:38,699 --> 00:45:41,659
 So I had to definitely say, you know, put him

760
00:45:41,659 --> 00:45:43,579
 first, let him take care of her.

761
00:45:43,719 --> 00:45:45,039
 And then I had the peace again.

762
00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:46,280
 So praise the Lord for that.

763
00:45:47,099 --> 00:45:50,000
 It's hard to put your kids on the altar, isn't it?

764
00:45:50,400 --> 00:45:52,400
 Because you have an empathy and emotion.

765
00:45:52,780 --> 00:45:55,420
 You've raised them, you birthed them, but yet

766
00:45:55,420 --> 00:45:58,900
 when they're not obedience, Lord, here they are.

767
00:46:01,960 --> 00:46:04,539
 This is a, it's just a really neat experience

768
00:46:04,539 --> 00:46:09,219
 that I had with the Lord where, and it wasn't just me.

769
00:46:09,420 --> 00:46:12,519
 There was, we were in the Liberty Thrift Store,

770
00:46:12,599 --> 00:46:14,059
 the old one in Quaker Town.

771
00:46:14,199 --> 00:46:16,280
 There's one really nice one and there's an older one, right?

772
00:46:17,059 --> 00:46:21,340
 And I'm in line and there was the Liberty, Liberty Thrift Store.

773
00:46:23,559 --> 00:46:24,420
 It's, they're fun.

774
00:46:24,679 --> 00:46:25,179
 Have you ever been to them?

775
00:46:26,860 --> 00:46:29,920
 Well, you have to catch the sales.

776
00:46:30,159 --> 00:46:32,119
 Actually, these thrift stores aren't thrifty anymore.

777
00:46:32,119 --> 00:46:37,019
 But, but the man, there was, we were waiting in line

778
00:46:37,019 --> 00:46:40,400
 and there was a, there was a, an African-American man

779
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:42,579
 in front of me with two daughters.

780
00:46:42,639 --> 00:46:45,260
 And he just seemed like a really wonderful person.

781
00:46:45,900 --> 00:46:47,460
 And the girls were really good.

782
00:46:47,539 --> 00:46:48,380
 So I just remember thinking,

783
00:46:48,559 --> 00:46:49,679
 well, that seems like a really nice guy.

784
00:46:50,480 --> 00:46:52,280
 Well, there was an older man in front of him.

785
00:46:52,539 --> 00:46:53,639
 All, we're all waiting in line.

786
00:46:53,800 --> 00:46:56,559
 So the older man turns to the African-American man

787
00:46:56,559 --> 00:46:57,960
 and said, just looks at him and says,

788
00:46:58,059 --> 00:46:59,000
 can I pray for you?

789
00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:00,119
 Is there something you like?

790
00:47:00,219 --> 00:47:02,019
 And I thought, well, isn't that neat?

791
00:47:02,019 --> 00:47:05,400
 This is somebody, this is somebody, you know,

792
00:47:05,599 --> 00:47:06,699
 operating in the spirit.

793
00:47:07,820 --> 00:47:09,679
 And, and the guy, the older man,

794
00:47:09,820 --> 00:47:11,699
 so then the African-American man says,

795
00:47:12,659 --> 00:47:14,500
 well, yeah, well, yeah, you can pray for me.

796
00:47:14,760 --> 00:47:17,159
 I'm, I'm, I'm just about to move to Allentown

797
00:47:17,159 --> 00:47:18,199
 with a group of people.

798
00:47:18,619 --> 00:47:21,360
 And we're going to start a church in Allentown.

799
00:47:21,840 --> 00:47:24,300
 And, and, you know, so you could pray for that.

800
00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:26,360
 So I'm there listening and I'm like,

801
00:47:27,039 --> 00:47:29,059
 this is a total divine moment.

802
00:47:29,739 --> 00:47:33,420
 So once he said that, I just said, hey, listen,

803
00:47:33,780 --> 00:47:35,780
 I just heard you're starting a church in Allentown.

804
00:47:36,340 --> 00:47:38,440
 I got somebody you have to meet.

805
00:47:39,219 --> 00:47:41,699
 So it was the pastor, Emmanuel Suarez,

806
00:47:41,920 --> 00:47:44,559
 who we started a church in Allentown with them.

807
00:47:44,739 --> 00:47:46,500
 And so we were ministering up there for seven years,

808
00:47:46,579 --> 00:47:48,199
 but Emmanuel has this, you know,

809
00:47:48,260 --> 00:47:50,119
 this incredible ministry of children

810
00:47:50,119 --> 00:47:51,179
 into that whole neighborhood.

811
00:47:51,880 --> 00:47:52,940
 So anyhow, I said, can I,

812
00:47:53,119 --> 00:47:54,320
 would I be able to have your number

813
00:47:54,320 --> 00:47:55,880
 and I could just put in touch with him.

814
00:47:55,880 --> 00:47:59,920
 Long story short, Ron becomes the assistant pastor

815
00:47:59,920 --> 00:48:01,059
 to Emmanuel.

816
00:48:01,440 --> 00:48:02,460
 They joined churches.

817
00:48:02,860 --> 00:48:04,219
 They're still ministering together.

818
00:48:04,599 --> 00:48:06,679
 And it's just such a great relationship.

819
00:48:07,639 --> 00:48:09,699
 And I just think bam, bam, bam.

820
00:48:09,840 --> 00:48:11,840
 Like that man was listening to the Lord

821
00:48:11,840 --> 00:48:13,079
 and said, can I pray for you?

822
00:48:13,179 --> 00:48:15,440
 And it was so funny that the answer to prayer

823
00:48:15,960 --> 00:48:17,679
 was in line behind Ron.

824
00:48:18,139 --> 00:48:19,639
 I was like, this is so,

825
00:48:20,119 --> 00:48:21,179
 it was like the intersection

826
00:48:21,179 --> 00:48:23,280
 of a lot of people really praying.

827
00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:25,099
 So that was a really neat experience.

828
00:48:25,099 --> 00:48:26,820
 What happens, Francine,

829
00:48:26,880 --> 00:48:28,400
 if you wouldn't have obeyed the Lord?

830
00:48:28,739 --> 00:48:29,440
 Think about that.

831
00:48:30,940 --> 00:48:32,920
 Yeah, but you wouldn't even know on the outcome.

832
00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:35,920
 Somebody else would have had to step in.

833
00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:38,059
 Just one thing I will say,

834
00:48:38,179 --> 00:48:39,820
 and I've noticed that the God,

835
00:48:41,119 --> 00:48:44,619
 whether you're naturally shy or whether you're not,

836
00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:45,980
 whether you're somebody that talks,

837
00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:49,380
 but God expects all of us to reach out.

838
00:48:49,539 --> 00:48:50,059
 And I don't think,

839
00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:51,960
 we don't get that message preached enough,

840
00:48:51,960 --> 00:48:53,239
 but Jesus, I'm sure,

841
00:48:53,239 --> 00:48:56,440
 didn't want to talk to everybody all the time like he did,

842
00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:57,760
 but he forced himself.

843
00:48:57,960 --> 00:49:01,000
 And I know that when I've gone out of my way,

844
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:03,599
 because like I was either too busy or whatever,

845
00:49:03,719 --> 00:49:05,480
 and I didn't want to, but I'm like, no,

846
00:49:06,139 --> 00:49:08,039
 I got to do what the Lord wants.

847
00:49:08,219 --> 00:49:09,119
 Like, I'm going to do this.

848
00:49:09,539 --> 00:49:10,980
 It's always been a blessing,

849
00:49:11,119 --> 00:49:13,559
 but it's also always been where you feel like,

850
00:49:14,099 --> 00:49:16,340
 yeah, that's a character development

851
00:49:16,340 --> 00:49:18,400
 that we should all have,

852
00:49:18,659 --> 00:49:20,519
 that we should be willing to just speak up

853
00:49:20,519 --> 00:49:21,139
 and reach out.

854
00:49:21,139 --> 00:49:22,840
 Really, amen.

855
00:49:23,780 --> 00:49:28,079
 The declarative word of the Lord brings life, not death.

856
00:49:28,920 --> 00:49:29,400
 Anyone else?

857
00:49:32,039 --> 00:49:32,340
 All right.

858
00:49:32,639 --> 00:49:33,960
 Don't want to leave any, yes, go ahead.

859
00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:34,380
 I have a quick one.

860
00:49:35,059 --> 00:49:37,940
 I remember one time, somebody I knew through business,

861
00:49:38,019 --> 00:49:39,559
 this was like 30 years ago,

862
00:49:40,119 --> 00:49:42,579
 but someone I knew from business was,

863
00:49:42,900 --> 00:49:44,900
 she had cancer, I knew she was terminal.

864
00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:48,239
 And the Spirit just kept saying,

865
00:49:48,239 --> 00:49:52,219
 you need to visit her and give her the gospel.

866
00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:54,280
 But I was kind of newer believer,

867
00:49:54,579 --> 00:49:56,460
 but it was whatever 30 some years ago.

868
00:49:56,539 --> 00:49:58,619
 And I'm like, yeah, but I don't know.

869
00:49:58,760 --> 00:50:00,519
 I'm not comfortable with that, you know?

870
00:50:00,780 --> 00:50:02,679
 And so I didn't do it and she died.

871
00:50:03,800 --> 00:50:07,139
 And I just remember like it was an annoying thing.

872
00:50:08,059 --> 00:50:08,860
 And I said to God,

873
00:50:08,960 --> 00:50:11,500
 if you ever give me an opportunity to do that again,

874
00:50:12,000 --> 00:50:13,139
 I won't let you down.

875
00:50:13,440 --> 00:50:17,619
 And with that, one after another, tons of opportunity.

876
00:50:17,619 --> 00:50:20,059
 It was like a terminally ill ministry suddenly.

877
00:50:20,639 --> 00:50:21,440
 And it was so cool.

878
00:50:21,500 --> 00:50:23,539
 He just kept on giving me more and more opportunities.

879
00:50:24,019 --> 00:50:25,440
 So yeah, it was great.

880
00:50:26,139 --> 00:50:27,099
 Oh my God.

881
00:50:27,800 --> 00:50:29,320
 You know, generationally speaking,

882
00:50:29,579 --> 00:50:32,139
 there's an opportunity that just came across our desk,

883
00:50:32,219 --> 00:50:33,820
 not an opportunity in answer to prayer.

884
00:50:34,460 --> 00:50:38,679
 One of my early marriages that I performed

885
00:50:38,679 --> 00:50:40,199
 were with this couple in church.

886
00:50:41,099 --> 00:50:43,860
 And long story short, they lived a life.

887
00:50:44,860 --> 00:50:48,460
 He was kind of, you know, disciplined in his ways.

888
00:50:48,780 --> 00:50:51,219
 She got into drugs, married, had two children.

889
00:50:51,619 --> 00:50:52,280
 They separated.

890
00:50:52,500 --> 00:50:53,940
 The two children got into drugs.

891
00:50:54,420 --> 00:50:55,599
 And we just heard recently,

892
00:50:55,599 --> 00:50:57,960
 now this goes back setting the seed again

893
00:50:57,960 --> 00:50:59,019
 in these people's lives,

894
00:50:59,460 --> 00:51:01,739
 that the daughters came back to the Lord.

895
00:51:02,780 --> 00:51:04,619
 They got married.

896
00:51:05,900 --> 00:51:08,599
 And one of them went on a missions trip last week

897
00:51:08,599 --> 00:51:09,360
 and prayed.

898
00:51:09,880 --> 00:51:11,260
 She stepped out in faith.

899
00:51:11,260 --> 00:51:13,059
 She prayed for a blind man

900
00:51:13,059 --> 00:51:14,760
 and the blind man received his sight.

901
00:51:15,139 --> 00:51:16,159
 Oh my gosh.

902
00:51:16,840 --> 00:51:20,079
 I said, boy, I said, that's a winner.

903
00:51:20,280 --> 00:51:21,380
 That's beyond me.

904
00:51:21,539 --> 00:51:22,679
 I've never had that happen.

905
00:51:23,780 --> 00:51:24,239
 Praise the Lord.

906
00:51:24,579 --> 00:51:24,920
 Okay.

907
00:51:25,519 --> 00:51:27,760
 Next step in sensing the stewarding

908
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:30,420
 of your gifting and calling is this.

909
00:51:30,940 --> 00:51:32,559
 You wanna partner with others.

910
00:51:33,900 --> 00:51:35,039
 That's a safeguard.

911
00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:37,619
 That's why the Lord says,

912
00:51:37,820 --> 00:51:40,179
 do not forsake the assembling of yourself together

913
00:51:40,179 --> 00:51:43,039
 because you learn from the ebb and flow

914
00:51:43,039 --> 00:51:44,599
 of our Christian experiences,

915
00:51:44,800 --> 00:51:47,199
 even what we learned tonight from each one,

916
00:51:47,900 --> 00:51:48,760
 or from some of you.

917
00:51:49,340 --> 00:51:51,940
 Share what you sense with a trusted friend,

918
00:51:52,079 --> 00:51:53,920
 a mentor in a small group.

919
00:51:54,400 --> 00:51:56,079
 And that's half of why we have small groups

920
00:51:56,079 --> 00:51:58,380
 because if we give testimony Sunday morning

921
00:51:59,020 --> 00:52:00,719
 and that's all we do Sunday morning,

922
00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:03,179
 probably five people will get up out of what?

923
00:52:03,880 --> 00:52:05,059
 100 and 120 people.

924
00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:07,739
 We're not inclined to do that,

925
00:52:07,739 --> 00:52:10,420
 but in small groups you can open yourself up

926
00:52:10,420 --> 00:52:11,780
 much easier and better.

927
00:52:12,699 --> 00:52:14,860
 Again, invite feedback and prayer.

928
00:52:15,659 --> 00:52:18,059
 Others can often help confirm or clarify

929
00:52:18,059 --> 00:52:20,320
 what God may be saying and leading you to do.

930
00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:23,659
 And then stewarding your anointing with others

931
00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:28,820
 prevents self-deception and keeps you accountable.

932
00:52:29,260 --> 00:52:31,760
 I can't say that enough.

933
00:52:32,360 --> 00:52:35,539
 There are lone rangers that if they're not getting

934
00:52:35,539 --> 00:52:38,480
 their needs met here, they're gonna take their marbles

935
00:52:38,480 --> 00:52:39,460
 and go elsewhere.

936
00:52:40,699 --> 00:52:42,920
 And okay, goodbye, out the door.

937
00:52:46,099 --> 00:52:48,840
 The fellowship of the brethren is a valuable,

938
00:52:49,119 --> 00:52:53,059
 most valuable asset which you need to use

939
00:52:53,059 --> 00:52:54,500
 and want to experience,

940
00:52:55,099 --> 00:52:58,360
 only because that's the safeguard that we have.

941
00:52:58,719 --> 00:53:02,619
 It's not Chris alone in what he says on Sunday.

942
00:53:03,420 --> 00:53:05,539
 It's the gathering of the saints,

943
00:53:06,360 --> 00:53:09,099
 the opportunity to worship together in declaration

944
00:53:10,619 --> 00:53:11,940
 and it keeps you accountable.

945
00:53:12,579 --> 00:53:14,340
 If you have an accountability partner,

946
00:53:14,820 --> 00:53:17,039
 we just finished a meeting with three guys

947
00:53:17,039 --> 00:53:20,059
 in another room, we work together.

948
00:53:20,599 --> 00:53:21,900
 We pray for one another.

949
00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:23,800
 Sometimes we cry together.

950
00:53:24,500 --> 00:53:27,340
 But the accountability, the exchange of ideas

951
00:53:27,340 --> 00:53:30,860
 and thoughts is safeguard for us.

952
00:53:30,860 --> 00:53:34,780
 Please, please reflect, record and rejoice.

953
00:53:35,260 --> 00:53:37,599
 Keep a notebook or a computer like I do

954
00:53:37,599 --> 00:53:39,559
 near your desk or use a phone.

955
00:53:40,099 --> 00:53:42,440
 Some of you put your messages on phones.

956
00:53:42,780 --> 00:53:45,139
 For moments when you sense God's direction,

957
00:53:45,579 --> 00:53:48,400
 I put things down, okay, when I have this one,

958
00:53:48,440 --> 00:53:50,719
 I'm out somewhere and the Lord prompts me to call,

959
00:53:50,980 --> 00:53:54,260
 I put the message, just the person's name, contact.

960
00:53:54,519 --> 00:53:56,900
 And then I read that because long behold,

961
00:53:57,059 --> 00:53:59,019
 10 minutes later, I'll forget the guy's name

962
00:53:59,019 --> 00:54:00,300
 or the person's name.

963
00:54:01,800 --> 00:54:05,099
 And sometimes your responses to grow from these things.

964
00:54:05,780 --> 00:54:08,659
 Review of these things periodically

965
00:54:09,380 --> 00:54:12,500
 to celebrate answered prayer strengthens us

966
00:54:13,519 --> 00:54:16,820
 when we read these notes and the lessons learned.

967
00:54:17,860 --> 00:54:20,780
 I used to keep, it's just got too big now,

968
00:54:20,880 --> 00:54:22,460
 a list on my phone of the requests

969
00:54:22,460 --> 00:54:24,099
 and then I used to cross it out

970
00:54:24,099 --> 00:54:26,579
 and put on an answered thing and got pages and pages.

971
00:54:26,800 --> 00:54:28,199
 I used to read that thing

972
00:54:28,199 --> 00:54:30,780
 and really get blessed with all the things God did.

973
00:54:31,199 --> 00:54:33,500
 And it was with the date, don't do it anymore.

974
00:54:34,500 --> 00:54:36,659
 This practice turns simple impressions

975
00:54:36,659 --> 00:54:40,179
 into a documented journey of spirit-led growth.

976
00:54:40,340 --> 00:54:43,780
 You can look back and say, Lord, you did work in my life.

977
00:54:43,900 --> 00:54:45,360
 You are working in my life.

978
00:54:45,940 --> 00:54:48,039
 And it also acts as a faith builder

979
00:54:48,039 --> 00:54:50,960
 when looking back on his guidance in your life

980
00:54:50,960 --> 00:54:54,260
 and especially when you're discouraged with your growth.

981
00:54:55,280 --> 00:54:56,119
 I'm not growing.

982
00:54:57,279 --> 00:54:59,179
 I don't feel the Lord's close to me.

983
00:54:59,699 --> 00:55:01,719
 There may be a season that he doesn't speak to you.

984
00:55:02,519 --> 00:55:04,380
 I had a season like that in my life.

985
00:55:04,519 --> 00:55:06,820
 God wanted to speak to me and his absence,

986
00:55:08,039 --> 00:55:10,559
 it was like driving down a turnpike

987
00:55:12,259 --> 00:55:15,179
 and the fog comes in and you don't even know

988
00:55:15,179 --> 00:55:15,739
 where you're at.

989
00:55:15,820 --> 00:55:17,239
 You can see the white line in the road

990
00:55:17,239 --> 00:55:19,059
 but you can't see 20 feet in front of you.

991
00:55:19,619 --> 00:55:20,659
 And it was about a year and a half.

992
00:55:21,380 --> 00:55:22,460
 It was a very lonely time.

993
00:55:22,559 --> 00:55:24,960
 But out of that experience,

994
00:55:25,639 --> 00:55:27,880
 I really learned a lot of things.

995
00:55:29,700 --> 00:55:31,239
 Okay, mentoring steps,

996
00:55:31,900 --> 00:55:34,099
 anointing is empowerment by the spirit.

997
00:55:34,900 --> 00:55:37,619
 Anointing is the Holy Spirit's power poured out in you

998
00:55:37,619 --> 00:55:40,159
 to equip you for the active service

999
00:55:40,159 --> 00:55:41,820
 that you are going to do.

1000
00:55:42,400 --> 00:55:45,099
 Through it, you ask for wisdom and insights

1001
00:55:45,099 --> 00:55:46,719
 beyond your natural ability.

1002
00:55:47,320 --> 00:55:49,719
 Lord, I can't do that what you're asking me to do.

1003
00:55:49,820 --> 00:55:50,579
 Yes, you can.

1004
00:55:50,840 --> 00:55:52,139
 If he's spoken to you,

1005
00:55:52,139 --> 00:55:54,719
 he will give you that strength to do it.

1006
00:55:55,679 --> 00:55:56,860
 Open your spirit to receive

1007
00:55:56,860 --> 00:55:59,980
 supernatural boldness and authority

1008
00:55:59,980 --> 00:56:01,619
 to act in Christ's name.

1009
00:56:02,760 --> 00:56:04,739
 And you know, my real learning process

1010
00:56:04,739 --> 00:56:08,860
 was when I started to deal in spirits and demons.

1011
00:56:09,679 --> 00:56:11,539
 Not everybody wants to do that.

1012
00:56:12,179 --> 00:56:14,880
 But the ability to do that when it comes up

1013
00:56:14,880 --> 00:56:16,199
 to take authority over that

1014
00:56:16,199 --> 00:56:19,139
 because he has given us authority to do those things.

1015
00:56:20,039 --> 00:56:21,679
 And that's a whole different experience.

1016
00:56:21,679 --> 00:56:23,699
 And learning, and doing.

1017
00:56:25,179 --> 00:56:28,619
 Depend daily on the spirit rather than your own strength.

1018
00:56:29,099 --> 00:56:30,659
 I can do this, Lord, I got it.

1019
00:56:30,940 --> 00:56:31,739
 It's not what he wants.

1020
00:56:32,500 --> 00:56:33,480
 He wants dependency.

1021
00:56:34,900 --> 00:56:36,179
 And like you say, humility.

1022
00:56:36,980 --> 00:56:38,260
 The power of God's anointing

1023
00:56:38,260 --> 00:56:40,760
 is a dynamic and transformative force

1024
00:56:41,320 --> 00:56:43,199
 equipping believers for service,

1025
00:56:43,460 --> 00:56:44,519
 guiding them in truth,

1026
00:56:44,840 --> 00:56:46,760
 and enabling them to live out

1027
00:56:46,760 --> 00:56:49,019
 their life's calling in Christ.

1028
00:56:49,019 --> 00:56:51,679
 That's the only deal at the end of the game

1029
00:56:51,679 --> 00:56:53,679
 that's important, what you've done for him.

1030
00:56:54,880 --> 00:56:56,900
 Now the final steps, and then we'll close.

1031
00:56:59,239 --> 00:57:00,539
 Plan for your legacy.

1032
00:57:01,619 --> 00:57:02,519
 What is your legacy?

1033
00:57:03,460 --> 00:57:06,480
 What will you have sown that is permanent?

1034
00:57:08,219 --> 00:57:10,420
 Is it retirement accounts?

1035
00:57:11,840 --> 00:57:15,320
 Is it a Mercedes camper?

1036
00:57:15,579 --> 00:57:16,519
 Oh, Don, I'm sorry.

1037
00:57:18,760 --> 00:57:19,780
 I'm kidding you.

1038
00:57:20,500 --> 00:57:22,239
 He doesn't have a smile on his face, Chris.

1039
00:57:22,380 --> 00:57:22,880
 I'm in trouble.

1040
00:57:25,280 --> 00:57:27,739
 Always be open and look to train

1041
00:57:27,739 --> 00:57:32,280
 and release the next generation onto their calling.

1042
00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:35,360
 You will have an opportunity to do that

1043
00:57:35,360 --> 00:57:36,360
 if you're open to it.

1044
00:57:37,539 --> 00:57:39,719
 The spirit of multiplication goes like this.

1045
00:57:39,820 --> 00:57:41,280
 It's in Timothy 2-2.

1046
00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:45,139
 The things that you have learned from me,

1047
00:57:45,139 --> 00:57:46,119
 that's Paul speaking,

1048
00:57:47,500 --> 00:57:48,880
 among many witnesses,

1049
00:57:49,500 --> 00:57:52,559
 commit to the same faithful men

1050
00:57:52,559 --> 00:57:55,539
 who will be able to teach others also.

1051
00:57:56,019 --> 00:57:59,420
 The replication of the deposits of God

1052
00:57:59,420 --> 00:58:02,179
 in your life transferred to others.

1053
00:58:02,539 --> 00:58:03,880
 That won't be the same experience,

1054
00:58:03,980 --> 00:58:05,579
 but those experiences are valuable.

1055
00:58:06,780 --> 00:58:10,239
 And then, again, discipling others as opportunities come up.

1056
00:58:10,320 --> 00:58:13,219
 Always look to, again, impart your experiences

1057
00:58:13,219 --> 00:58:15,099
 and your message to others

1058
00:58:15,099 --> 00:58:17,719
 in order for them to learn God's ways

1059
00:58:18,380 --> 00:58:20,099
 and not walk on your mistakes.

1060
00:58:21,119 --> 00:58:22,820
 Because I made a lot of them.

1061
00:58:23,920 --> 00:58:28,039
 Establishing, finally, a sustaining life in others.

1062
00:58:28,619 --> 00:58:29,219
 And I'll tell you,

1063
00:58:29,219 --> 00:58:31,619
 this is the only reward that is lasting.

1064
00:58:32,559 --> 00:58:36,059
 Nothing is greater and brings more reward in your heart

1065
00:58:36,059 --> 00:58:39,019
 than when you see people that you've nurtured,

1066
00:58:39,360 --> 00:58:40,619
 that you've cried with,

1067
00:58:40,619 --> 00:58:42,940
 that you've worked through difficulties with,

1068
00:58:43,280 --> 00:58:45,400
 and they move forward in their lives

1069
00:58:45,400 --> 00:58:46,420
 and in their calling,

1070
00:58:46,780 --> 00:58:49,059
 having helped them in some way.

1071
00:58:49,800 --> 00:58:51,280
 You almost bring tears to your eyes

1072
00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:52,320
 when you think of the people

1073
00:58:52,320 --> 00:58:54,940
 that you've influenced by God's grace.

1074
00:58:56,039 --> 00:58:57,559
 So I want you to think about

1075
00:58:59,019 --> 00:59:01,119
 the lineage that you have in Christ.

1076
00:59:02,039 --> 00:59:05,960
 What he wants to do for you, yes,

1077
00:59:06,699 --> 00:59:08,380
 but through you.

1078
00:59:08,380 --> 00:59:11,539
 That's most, most, most important.

1079
00:59:12,260 --> 00:59:13,219
 What does God want?

1080
00:59:13,840 --> 00:59:15,019
 Well, John, I don't know where to start.

1081
00:59:15,519 --> 00:59:17,139
 I've given you some tips here.

1082
00:59:17,980 --> 00:59:22,219
 The beginning and regular time with him

1083
00:59:22,219 --> 00:59:24,420
 and start that life of service.

1084
00:59:25,139 --> 00:59:28,719
 So Father, we thank you for your love toward us,

1085
00:59:28,820 --> 00:59:30,320
 for each one in this room.

1086
00:59:31,159 --> 00:59:35,260
 Lord, not only have you called us to be holy,

1087
00:59:35,980 --> 00:59:39,019
 you've called us to be missional,

1088
00:59:39,500 --> 00:59:41,780
 to be a declarative word of life,

1089
00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:44,880
 even by our presence and our stature

1090
00:59:45,660 --> 00:59:47,800
 to others that don't know you.

1091
00:59:48,519 --> 00:59:51,920
 And Father, we thank you that you live within us.

1092
00:59:52,320 --> 00:59:55,239
 Help us to be bold for you, we pray.

1093
00:59:56,000 --> 00:59:58,980
 And Lord, we ask a blessing on each one tonight

1094
00:59:59,500 --> 01:00:00,679
 as they go their way.

1095
01:00:01,119 --> 01:00:03,960
 In the name of Jesus, everyone said, amen.

1096
01:00:04,559 --> 01:00:06,199
 God bless you and thank you for your time.

1097
01:00:10,400 --> 01:00:13,159
 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church

1098
01:00:13,159 --> 01:00:15,659
 as we praise God and discuss his word.

1099
01:00:16,380 --> 01:00:19,420
 Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings

1100
01:00:19,420 --> 01:00:21,840
 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube.

1101
01:00:22,699 --> 01:00:24,920
 Be blessed and have a great day.

1102
01:00:33,960 --> 01:00:34,340
 Amen.