1 00:00:14,099 --> 00:00:17,359 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 00:00:24,620 --> 00:00:27,019 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,740 So we are going to continue in Hebrews chapter 4. 5 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:46,179 We're only looking at two verses today because they are so packed and so familiar to you, especially the one. 6 00:00:48,140 --> 00:00:52,500 And today's message is the two-edged sword and 7 00:00:55,219 --> 00:01:00,219 So let's pray and thank the Lord for being here. 8 00:01:00,420 --> 00:01:02,740 Lord, we just thank You for Your Word. 9 00:01:03,140 --> 00:01:04,799 We thank You for Your Holy Spirit. 10 00:01:06,799 --> 00:01:09,540 And that in and of itself is all we need here today. 11 00:01:10,379 --> 00:01:22,060 So Lord, we ask You to teach us from within, Lord, what we need to take out of here to transform our lives and really help others transform their lives as well. 12 00:01:22,060 --> 00:01:25,159 So we ask this in Jesus name, Amen. 13 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:38,200 So last week we talked about entering God's rest and how so many of the ways God interacted with Israel are very applicable to us Christians. 14 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:47,079 And we drew the whole parallel analogy of how the Lord led Israel out of Egypt through the wilderness. 15 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,379 And then when they got to the Jordan River and said, all right, go in, send those spies out. 16 00:01:51,379 --> 00:01:54,219 And then you're going in to inherit that land. 17 00:01:54,859 --> 00:01:58,180 And they did not heed God's voice. 18 00:01:58,599 --> 00:01:59,659 They doubted it. 19 00:01:59,719 --> 00:02:04,739 They didn't trust God that God would provide all the victory in that land. 20 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:12,240 And as a result, the word said that they hardened their heart and could not enter the rest of the Lord. 21 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:19,800 Right. And so for 40 years, the Lord had to filter out those unbelievers and then brought that next generation in. 22 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:27,139 And so it all came down to really hearing the voice of God and listening to it. Right. 23 00:02:27,740 --> 00:02:34,800 And so now from here, the spirit teaches us even more about how important the word of God is. 24 00:02:35,659 --> 00:02:38,280 And it's like a two edged sword. 25 00:02:38,759 --> 00:02:45,060 And this idea of a two edged sword, we see the sword of the spirit, right, is the word of God. 26 00:02:45,679 --> 00:02:47,939 Ephesians chapter six tells us that. 27 00:02:48,340 --> 00:02:55,319 In fact, in all the armor that we go into battle with, the only offensive weapon we have is the sword. 28 00:02:55,379 --> 00:02:59,819 The rest is the helmet, the shield, the breastplate, shoes and everything. 29 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,400 But it's that word of God. That's how we defeat the enemy. 30 00:03:03,479 --> 00:03:08,139 That's how we win victories is with the word of God. 31 00:03:08,599 --> 00:03:14,479 And this idea of a double edged sword, John, in Revelation, we don't have the verse up. 32 00:03:14,479 --> 00:03:20,460 But in Revelation chapter one, as he was having this vision, he sees, oh, actually we do. 33 00:03:20,979 --> 00:03:29,379 He sees Jesus Christ. And in Revelation one, 16 to 17, he had in his right hand seven stars. 34 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:33,719 All these are symbolic of so many things we don't have time to get into. 35 00:03:34,199 --> 00:03:38,020 And of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword. 36 00:03:38,439 --> 00:03:43,060 And his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. 37 00:03:43,060 --> 00:03:48,500 And when I saw him, this is how we know it was Jesus, I fell at his feet as dead. 38 00:03:49,439 --> 00:03:53,620 But he laid his right hand on me, saying to me, do not be afraid. 39 00:03:54,259 --> 00:03:59,400 I am the first and the last. He's the Alpha and the Omega. 40 00:03:59,780 --> 00:04:04,759 You know, as we were just reading that, I pictured, you remember when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration? 41 00:04:05,259 --> 00:04:09,340 This is John, the Apostle John with James, his brother and Peter. 42 00:04:09,340 --> 00:04:15,039 And when all of a sudden the Lord lit up and he was speaking to Moses and to Elijah. 43 00:04:15,539 --> 00:04:19,959 And they all fell down to the ground, just like they were dead, because they heard the Father's voice. 44 00:04:20,439 --> 00:04:24,220 Behold my son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. 45 00:04:24,540 --> 00:04:27,079 And they just like rattled and fell to the ground. 46 00:04:27,639 --> 00:04:32,500 And then out of all of that, Jesus just touched them and says, do not be afraid. 47 00:04:32,660 --> 00:04:36,120 It is me. And they looked up and it's all quiet. 48 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,100 And it's just Jesus back to the form that they could recognize. 49 00:04:40,860 --> 00:04:47,680 And so here he is saying the same thing only in this about 60 years later through this vision of revelation. 50 00:04:48,259 --> 00:04:53,819 And so Jesus is the Word of God, isn't he? And so that's why we see him. 51 00:04:53,899 --> 00:05:00,160 I was trying to find some kind of graphic on the Internet showing Jesus with a sword coming out of his mouth. 52 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,259 But they all are just so corny and weird. I'm like, I'm not even going to attempt that. 53 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:10,740 But this is what John saw. So we're going to dive right in and read these two verses. 54 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:15,079 Yeah. Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful word. 55 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:28,579 For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, 56 00:05:29,579 --> 00:05:36,420 of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 57 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:49,120 And there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 58 00:05:49,959 --> 00:05:55,160 So here we see the Word of God is living and powerful. 59 00:05:55,160 --> 00:06:02,319 Now, isn't that awesome how the word is living? It's not a dead word, right? It's living. 60 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:15,319 When we read the Word of God, it's not just a historical narrative or a theological narrative or an academic exercise to learn these things about the past. 61 00:06:15,959 --> 00:06:22,699 It's living. That means it's relevant to your life right now, just like we read last week. 62 00:06:22,699 --> 00:06:28,939 Now, what is all that Israel coming out of Egypt and the wilderness? What does that have to do with us? It has everything to do with us. 63 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:38,779 It's all a point. It's all pointing to Christ in us. So it's all relevant. It's living. It's not a dead word. It's living. 64 00:06:39,019 --> 00:06:47,079 I love how you ever notice how you're reading something that morning and suddenly you're out there and somebody says the same word you read that morning. 65 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:55,379 Or you see a situation and it reminds you of something you just read because the Word of God is living. 66 00:06:55,600 --> 00:07:03,100 That's why it's so important, not a guilt trip, but it's so important to really engage with the Word. 67 00:07:04,399 --> 00:07:12,620 I know little daily devotionals are good and fine, but when you just go through the book and you know what, just bite off one verse a day. 68 00:07:12,620 --> 00:07:18,819 Anybody can take one verse and you just bite that off and chew on it and just say, 69 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,899 yeah, Lord, how do you want me to use that word today? 70 00:07:22,399 --> 00:07:27,639 And you'll find yourself over time just adding more and more verses to it because it's all tied together 71 00:07:27,639 --> 00:07:36,240 and you don't want to take Scripture out of context. But after a while, it's so much fun to really just be living that Word of God. 72 00:07:36,379 --> 00:07:41,800 You know what happens? The world becomes like a parable to you. Did you ever notice that? 73 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,639 The more you know the Word, you see everything as a parable that you can also find in the Word of God. 74 00:07:47,759 --> 00:07:50,579 So it's living and it's powerful. 75 00:07:51,220 --> 00:07:57,060 The word energase is where we get energy. It's an energized Word, right? It's powerful. 76 00:07:57,779 --> 00:08:02,740 You know, that's why a lot of people when they're going through some sort of depression 77 00:08:02,740 --> 00:08:08,639 or they feel that they're being attacked by the enemy, they'll play the Word of God in their house. 78 00:08:08,639 --> 00:08:14,740 You know, at a level that isn't like distracting them, but the Word of God because as it's playing, 79 00:08:15,300 --> 00:08:20,060 the demonic realm, the spiritual realm hates hearing the Word of God, right? 80 00:08:20,439 --> 00:08:27,560 Because He casts out the evil one, right? So the Word of God is so powerful, so energized 81 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,279 that the Word has enormous power in your life. 82 00:08:32,700 --> 00:08:36,559 That's why when you don't know how to pray, just start reading the Word out loud. 83 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:43,659 I love when people just are, as they're praying, you can hear their paraphrasing 84 00:08:43,659 --> 00:08:48,879 and the Word of God just really coming off their tongue because they've been just soaking in it. 85 00:08:49,019 --> 00:08:53,500 You know, I picture it's like a wick just dumped in the oil and the Word. 86 00:08:54,019 --> 00:08:57,740 And when you just get all soaked up with the Word of God, it's just always burning. 87 00:08:57,940 --> 00:09:01,879 It's always coming alive out of you because it's so powerful. 88 00:09:01,879 --> 00:09:05,879 So the Word of God is living and powerful, amen? 89 00:09:07,539 --> 00:09:17,039 And then it pierces and this sword of God, it's this word for sword. 90 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,200 You know, a lot of times we picture like this long, you know, 91 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,539 I don't know how those guys picked those things up and actually swung them around. 92 00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:26,059 You ever watch those old gladiator movies? 93 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,840 I mean, those things, I don't know how much they weigh, but that looks difficult. 94 00:09:29,840 --> 00:09:33,639 But these weren't those kinds of swords. 95 00:09:33,899 --> 00:09:36,759 They were more like long knives, the Makira. 96 00:09:37,259 --> 00:09:38,820 In fact, we have a couple of pictures here. 97 00:09:38,980 --> 00:09:39,620 Thank you, Natasha. 98 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,179 I found these archives, you know, and here's a couple of them. 99 00:09:44,279 --> 00:09:49,919 This is maybe a straight edge we're talking about here that they'd wear right in their sheath. 100 00:09:50,279 --> 00:09:52,879 And but this, of course, would be a double edge. 101 00:09:53,000 --> 00:09:54,519 So probably that straight one. 102 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,919 But this one, I forget what age that is, 103 00:09:57,919 --> 00:10:00,539 but it's somewhere around the timeline that we're talking about. 104 00:10:00,759 --> 00:10:04,059 So it's a Roman and Makira, and it's a shorter knife. 105 00:10:04,620 --> 00:10:09,100 And it's used for practical things like butchering food and everything. 106 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:11,860 But it's also used for tactical purposes. 107 00:10:12,159 --> 00:10:15,879 You know, I have another one that shows just the kind of size it is. 108 00:10:15,940 --> 00:10:19,179 That's actually from 200 B.C., that one they found. 109 00:10:19,500 --> 00:10:21,659 I don't know why they're letting that guy hold it, but that's another thing. 110 00:10:22,059 --> 00:10:24,899 But anyway, but these are like short knives, okay? 111 00:10:24,899 --> 00:10:27,899 And I mean, long knives, short swords. 112 00:10:28,820 --> 00:10:30,820 They're very practical, right? 113 00:10:31,299 --> 00:10:36,240 And actually, all four gospels, okay, report how Peter, 114 00:10:36,799 --> 00:10:40,879 remember when Jesus was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane 115 00:10:40,879 --> 00:10:46,860 and Peter pulled out his Makira and sliced off Malchus's ear right off his head. 116 00:10:47,299 --> 00:10:49,019 And of course, Jesus restored it. 117 00:10:49,179 --> 00:10:52,860 But it was something that most people would carry for a lot of reasons, you know, 118 00:10:52,860 --> 00:10:56,519 not just for doing battle, but for a lot of practical reasons. 119 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:57,379 And you know what? 120 00:10:57,519 --> 00:10:58,919 And it cuts on both sides. 121 00:10:59,059 --> 00:11:01,100 It's a two-edged sword, right? 122 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:03,100 So it's very practical. 123 00:11:03,539 --> 00:11:08,340 And you know, when I think about this idea of a shorter two-edged sword, 124 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:13,419 it's meant for close-up battle, for everyday use, you know, 125 00:11:13,659 --> 00:11:17,139 both battle and also for practical purposes, like we just talked about. 126 00:11:17,639 --> 00:11:19,279 Just like the Word of God. 127 00:11:19,279 --> 00:11:29,519 The Word of God isn't for this big picture societal analysis of all things. 128 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:30,700 It's for everyday use. 129 00:11:30,820 --> 00:11:32,919 It's for like, you know, I need this all the time. 130 00:11:33,340 --> 00:11:38,419 You know, this is day in, day out, up front, close and personal battle 131 00:11:38,419 --> 00:11:41,700 in my everyday life, you know, that's what this... 132 00:11:41,700 --> 00:11:46,080 And so this is why they specifically use the Makira as an example 133 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:47,679 of what the Word of God is like. 134 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:49,120 And it's two-edged. 135 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:51,860 That means it cuts both ways, you know? 136 00:11:52,399 --> 00:11:56,200 Isn't it funny how when you read the Word and I'm reading, 137 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:58,500 I'm like, Jill really needs to get this. 138 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,680 She really needs to understand this. 139 00:12:02,620 --> 00:12:04,759 I mean, all my fingers getting cut, right? 140 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,919 Because really, it's probably me who has to really get that. 141 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,960 It cuts both ways, right? 142 00:12:11,259 --> 00:12:14,340 The Word of God, because we need it all the time. 143 00:12:14,419 --> 00:12:16,940 And God's always revealing things to us. 144 00:12:16,940 --> 00:12:19,720 And you know, we wouldn't want it any other way. 145 00:12:20,139 --> 00:12:21,679 Would you like to get up in the morning 146 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:23,799 and look in the mirror and say, you know what? 147 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,820 This is as righteous as I'm ever gonna be. 148 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:30,639 This is as, well, we are righteous in Christ. 149 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:33,600 But I mean, this is as good as it's gonna get. 150 00:12:33,779 --> 00:12:35,919 I'm looking at me right now and this is it. 151 00:12:36,279 --> 00:12:37,039 You get what you get? 152 00:12:37,740 --> 00:12:42,620 No, He's always, always just refining us, right? 153 00:12:42,899 --> 00:12:44,840 He's always cutting out the things 154 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:47,259 that don't belong in our life if we let Him. 155 00:12:47,919 --> 00:12:50,840 And He's always imputing the things that should be there. 156 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,679 And that's great, isn't it? 157 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:56,519 That you can know, especially as I get older in life, 158 00:12:56,539 --> 00:12:58,480 and I'm just being practical here for a minute, 159 00:12:58,879 --> 00:13:00,379 I realize there's a lot of things 160 00:13:00,379 --> 00:13:02,019 that aren't gonna necessarily get better. 161 00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:03,559 I'm not gonna run faster. 162 00:13:03,919 --> 00:13:05,399 I'm not gonna lift more weights. 163 00:13:05,740 --> 00:13:07,620 I'm not gonna, like, there's a lot of things 164 00:13:07,620 --> 00:13:10,379 that aren't gonna get, quote unquote, better. 165 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,899 But I can be more and more Christ-like. 166 00:13:14,940 --> 00:13:16,340 I can think more like Him. 167 00:13:16,700 --> 00:13:18,299 I can speak more like Him. 168 00:13:18,539 --> 00:13:21,139 I can love more like Him. 169 00:13:21,399 --> 00:13:22,720 This sky's the limit. 170 00:13:23,539 --> 00:13:27,659 Until my last breath, I can be more and more like Him. 171 00:13:27,779 --> 00:13:29,639 Isn't that something great to look forward to? 172 00:13:29,759 --> 00:13:31,500 In the end, it doesn't matter what age we are, 173 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,100 that's something to look forward to. 174 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,799 Lord, I'm just gonna surrender more and more to You, Lord, 175 00:13:38,799 --> 00:13:41,799 because I want You to be just resonating 176 00:13:41,799 --> 00:13:45,620 and being a fragrance, Lord, out of my life. 177 00:13:45,799 --> 00:13:50,340 And so that's the idea here, is this double-edged Makaira. 178 00:13:51,019 --> 00:13:52,100 And it pierces. 179 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:53,820 It pierces deep. 180 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,580 You know, this word, diyekmaiomai, 181 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,220 aren't you glad I tried to pronounce that? 182 00:13:59,639 --> 00:14:02,779 The Greek word, but it's only found one time in this verse. 183 00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:06,679 And it doesn't mean to just prick or pierce. 184 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,139 It means to cut through, okay? 185 00:14:10,299 --> 00:14:12,000 I mean, picture a butcher just saying, 186 00:14:12,139 --> 00:14:13,500 all right, we're gonna get this part out. 187 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,860 You know, it means to cut fully through. 188 00:14:17,039 --> 00:14:19,399 So this is the idea with the word of God. 189 00:14:19,500 --> 00:14:21,240 It wants to cut all the way through. 190 00:14:21,279 --> 00:14:24,019 We're gonna see, to separate, to distinguish, 191 00:14:24,379 --> 00:14:28,159 to differentiate things that don't belong, okay? 192 00:14:29,039 --> 00:14:34,139 And the first thing it says is dividing soul and spirit. 193 00:14:34,139 --> 00:14:36,159 Soul and spirit. 194 00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:39,539 Now, the thing about soul and spirit, 195 00:14:39,659 --> 00:14:41,519 we're not gonna get all into the body, soul and spirit, 196 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,919 because that's a long, long conversation. 197 00:14:46,059 --> 00:14:47,860 But the thing about soul and spirit, 198 00:14:47,940 --> 00:14:48,799 when you read it in the word, 199 00:14:49,179 --> 00:14:52,340 a lot of times they're almost interchangeable, okay? 200 00:14:52,340 --> 00:14:54,399 Which makes a theologian difficult 201 00:14:54,399 --> 00:14:56,799 because they want everything kind of to fit in a box. 202 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:00,559 But soul and spirit actually are kind of used interchangeably, 203 00:15:00,620 --> 00:15:01,980 especially in the Old Testament. 204 00:15:01,980 --> 00:15:07,139 I have an example in Job 7-11 and Isaiah 26-9. 205 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,759 It says, therefore, I will not restrain my mouth. 206 00:15:11,279 --> 00:15:14,159 I will speak in the anguish of my spirit. 207 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:17,840 I will complain in the bitterness of my soul. 208 00:15:18,259 --> 00:15:20,100 It's kind of interchangeable. 209 00:15:20,779 --> 00:15:22,259 And then Isaiah 26-9 says, 210 00:15:22,679 --> 00:15:25,919 with my soul I have desired you in the night. 211 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:30,620 Yes, by my spirit within me, I will seek you early. 212 00:15:30,620 --> 00:15:33,279 So again, it's like, it's the soul and spirit. 213 00:15:33,340 --> 00:15:37,279 And I've heard actually people have doctorates in theology saying, 214 00:15:37,679 --> 00:15:39,700 you know, that body, soul, spirit model 215 00:15:39,700 --> 00:15:42,159 kind of breaks down a little bit 216 00:15:42,159 --> 00:15:44,879 when you engage it in scripture. 217 00:15:45,639 --> 00:15:49,259 But nonetheless, it's blended, 218 00:15:49,539 --> 00:15:50,720 especially in the Old Testament. 219 00:15:51,279 --> 00:15:54,039 The spirit is often used as an emotion. 220 00:15:54,580 --> 00:15:55,460 I have an example. 221 00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:59,059 When Moses went to speak to the children of Israel, 222 00:15:59,059 --> 00:16:02,639 he says, God sent me to bring you out of Egypt. 223 00:16:03,659 --> 00:16:12,700 And they actually had a spirit of anguish. 224 00:16:16,039 --> 00:16:18,360 They were so used to being in bondage. 225 00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:22,019 The thought of leaving, they're like, no, no, no. 226 00:16:22,220 --> 00:16:23,360 We belong in bondage. 227 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:26,220 And they couldn't hear him. 228 00:16:26,659 --> 00:16:27,460 They couldn't hear him. 229 00:16:27,460 --> 00:16:30,440 Remember, Jesse just told on this recently, 230 00:16:30,440 --> 00:16:34,259 in Numbers when they're trying to figure out 231 00:16:34,259 --> 00:16:35,899 whether this woman had an affair 232 00:16:35,899 --> 00:16:37,639 and whether she committed adultery 233 00:16:37,639 --> 00:16:42,539 because the husband had a spirit of jealousy, you know, a spirit. 234 00:16:43,019 --> 00:16:44,519 So a lot of times, you know, 235 00:16:44,620 --> 00:16:48,659 the spirit is connected to an actual emotion or feeling. 236 00:16:48,899 --> 00:16:49,700 Now, all of this matters. 237 00:16:49,899 --> 00:16:51,000 I'll show you why in a minute. 238 00:16:52,980 --> 00:16:54,460 When Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes, 239 00:16:54,679 --> 00:16:59,320 he says it's better to have a spirit of patience than of pride. 240 00:17:00,100 --> 00:17:01,019 So you get the idea. 241 00:17:01,299 --> 00:17:04,680 There's a lot of so many things of anguish, of distressing. 242 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,579 Remember when Saul, 243 00:17:08,460 --> 00:17:11,000 when the Lord took the Holy Spirit from him 244 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,779 and put it upon David, 245 00:17:13,380 --> 00:17:16,420 he repeatedly had a distressing spirit. 246 00:17:16,559 --> 00:17:17,759 Now, that was also spiritual, 247 00:17:17,759 --> 00:17:20,299 which we'll talk about like an evil spirit. 248 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:22,380 But still, it's an emotion. 249 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:23,220 It's a feeling. 250 00:17:23,220 --> 00:17:27,319 So spirits are used that way as well, okay? 251 00:17:27,539 --> 00:17:30,019 And then so in all of this, 252 00:17:30,939 --> 00:17:33,099 this idea of spirit, 253 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:35,759 and then of course, it's also a spirit. 254 00:17:36,539 --> 00:17:37,680 There's evil spirit. 255 00:17:37,940 --> 00:17:40,240 So the spirit comprises so many things. 256 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:41,720 So let's look at this slide, 257 00:17:42,079 --> 00:17:44,619 ruah and numah, okay? 258 00:17:46,039 --> 00:17:47,480 In the Old Testament, 259 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:48,759 it's called a ruah, 260 00:17:49,039 --> 00:17:51,440 and it's numah in Greek in the New Testament. 261 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:56,819 But we see that the spirit is God's Holy Spirit. 262 00:17:57,319 --> 00:17:59,319 The spirit is the human themselves. 263 00:17:59,660 --> 00:18:02,220 We are all born with a spirit, okay? 264 00:18:02,599 --> 00:18:04,259 When he breathed into man, 265 00:18:04,579 --> 00:18:06,920 we all now have a human spirit. 266 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:09,279 We have emotions, we have feelings, 267 00:18:09,420 --> 00:18:10,220 like we were just talking about, 268 00:18:10,299 --> 00:18:11,579 that's considered a spirit. 269 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,900 And also there are evil agents of the enemy, 270 00:18:15,500 --> 00:18:18,059 spiritual, spiritual, 271 00:18:18,059 --> 00:18:21,380 evil spirits that also afflict us. 272 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,279 So what kind of spirit is the sword 273 00:18:24,279 --> 00:18:26,559 trying to separate from us? 274 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:29,140 Well, it's the spirit of God, right? 275 00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:33,279 He wants us to only be listening to 276 00:18:33,279 --> 00:18:35,859 and heeding the Holy Spirit. 277 00:18:36,180 --> 00:18:37,740 That's what he wants us to yield to. 278 00:18:37,900 --> 00:18:41,259 He wants to cut out these emotions and feelings 279 00:18:41,259 --> 00:18:43,720 that are not relevant 280 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:46,960 to what God is trying to do in our life. 281 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,380 If there's feelings and emotions that don't belong, 282 00:18:51,900 --> 00:18:52,819 like I'll give you an example. 283 00:18:53,019 --> 00:18:54,339 You ever notice sometimes that 284 00:18:54,960 --> 00:19:00,019 we could be triggered by situations or people, okay? 285 00:19:00,539 --> 00:19:03,799 In fact, a lot of times the PTSD is tied to this. 286 00:19:04,420 --> 00:19:09,960 If certain situations really haunt us from the past, 287 00:19:10,579 --> 00:19:13,599 whenever that situation or that kind of person 288 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:19,019 comes into our sphere of involvement, 289 00:19:19,700 --> 00:19:21,480 we can suddenly get these feelings again, 290 00:19:21,539 --> 00:19:23,440 like, oh no, oh no, I know how this is gonna end. 291 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:27,059 I've had many people come to me in situations 292 00:19:27,059 --> 00:19:31,059 and we just had to confront them about something, 293 00:19:31,279 --> 00:19:32,119 whatever it is, 294 00:19:32,519 --> 00:19:35,160 and they immediately tie everything from their past 295 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:37,460 that went wrong to this current situation. 296 00:19:37,660 --> 00:19:38,420 I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, no. 297 00:19:38,680 --> 00:19:39,819 That's not what this is. 298 00:19:40,819 --> 00:19:44,259 We need to separate things from the past 299 00:19:44,819 --> 00:19:47,900 that don't apply to this particular situation. 300 00:19:48,079 --> 00:19:48,880 Does that make sense? 301 00:19:49,660 --> 00:19:53,359 Because otherwise we could be carrying a load of emotions 302 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,920 and feelings that we've never allowed the Word 303 00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:01,799 to separate from our soul and really take it away 304 00:20:01,799 --> 00:20:03,880 and we just bring it with us 305 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:05,980 so everything still reminds us 306 00:20:05,980 --> 00:20:07,660 of everything bad that ever happened. 307 00:20:07,660 --> 00:20:11,000 But the Word of God wants to cut through all that and say, 308 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:13,359 no, no, this, I want this separate. 309 00:20:13,559 --> 00:20:14,640 I want this taken away. 310 00:20:15,059 --> 00:20:17,759 This doesn't belong because that's what he wants to do. 311 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,740 The Holy Spirit wants to separate soul and spirit. 312 00:20:22,299 --> 00:20:23,099 Does that make sense? 313 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:28,259 A lot of times our souls can get hijacked 314 00:20:28,259 --> 00:20:30,519 by these spiritual things. 315 00:20:31,039 --> 00:20:35,579 Even as a believer, it's easy to see why unbelievers 316 00:20:35,579 --> 00:20:39,119 would be afflicted by evil spirits 317 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:41,819 because they don't have the Holy Spirit 318 00:20:41,819 --> 00:20:44,700 because when we have the Holy Spirit greater is he who is in us 319 00:20:44,700 --> 00:20:46,480 than he who is in the world, 320 00:20:46,819 --> 00:20:50,039 we have the greatest Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God. 321 00:20:50,420 --> 00:20:52,299 When you accept Christ into your life, 322 00:20:52,559 --> 00:20:55,660 he comes in and dwells in you, right? 323 00:20:56,039 --> 00:20:58,079 He seals you to the day of your redemption. 324 00:20:58,500 --> 00:21:00,079 He has a deposit in you. 325 00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:02,279 The enemy cannot possess you, 326 00:21:02,299 --> 00:21:05,039 but he can oppress you sometimes. 327 00:21:05,039 --> 00:21:07,339 I don't know if you've ever been oppressed as a believer, 328 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:09,539 but it's still not fun. 329 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:13,400 You know it's not of God, but he's still oppressing you, right? 330 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:16,460 He can have an impact on your life, 331 00:21:16,539 --> 00:21:17,460 but the Lord is saying, 332 00:21:17,819 --> 00:21:21,920 look, allow my word to come into your life 333 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:26,200 and separate this spiritual affliction 334 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,960 because you're not to be manipulated by this anymore. 335 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,259 You know, we have a human spirit 336 00:21:33,259 --> 00:21:36,779 that sometimes has difficulty differentiating, 337 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,519 but the word of God helps us do that. 338 00:21:39,660 --> 00:21:40,880 In fact, I have a verse in this. 339 00:21:43,339 --> 00:21:48,019 1 Corinthians 2, 11 to 12 says, 340 00:21:48,660 --> 00:21:52,839 for what man knows the things of a man 341 00:21:52,839 --> 00:21:55,519 except the spirit of a man, which is in him? 342 00:21:55,859 --> 00:21:58,799 Even so, no one knows the things of God 343 00:21:58,799 --> 00:22:00,099 except the spirit of God. 344 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,940 Now we have received not the spirit of the world, 345 00:22:03,940 --> 00:22:06,480 but the spirit who is from God, 346 00:22:06,559 --> 00:22:08,859 that we might know the things 347 00:22:08,859 --> 00:22:11,740 that have been freely given to us by God. 348 00:22:12,019 --> 00:22:15,380 So we have a spirit that can help us discern, 349 00:22:15,799 --> 00:22:18,420 but we're still warned again and again in scripture, 350 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,119 don't be carried away with other spirits, 351 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:23,220 even as a believer. 352 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:26,779 We could be carried away if we aren't true 353 00:22:26,779 --> 00:22:31,400 to knowing the word and consistently absorbing it. 354 00:22:31,559 --> 00:22:32,440 So does that make sense? 355 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,960 So the Lord wants to separate a spirit that doesn't belong 356 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:41,500 so that we are completely dependent on his Holy Spirit. 357 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,960 We don't want to be manipulated by evil spirits. 358 00:22:45,059 --> 00:22:47,200 We don't want to be manipulated by our own feelings 359 00:22:47,779 --> 00:22:52,400 and our own fears and our own insecurities or pride 360 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:53,500 or whatever it might be. 361 00:22:53,759 --> 00:22:54,940 Those are spirits. 362 00:22:55,140 --> 00:22:56,039 We just looked at these. 363 00:22:56,039 --> 00:22:57,859 These are spiritual things, 364 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:02,079 but that's not who the Lord wants us to be captivated by. 365 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:05,700 He wants us to be captivated by the Holy Spirit. 366 00:23:06,380 --> 00:23:09,180 And then the next is cutting through the soul and spirit. 367 00:23:09,500 --> 00:23:13,279 Then it's the joint and marrow, the joint marrow. 368 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,500 He wants to separate the joints from the marrow. 369 00:23:16,700 --> 00:23:19,000 Now, again, all of this is kind of a metaphor. 370 00:23:19,259 --> 00:23:23,640 It's using bodily things, right, 371 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,220 to represent spiritual things. 372 00:23:27,799 --> 00:23:31,880 So why does he say joints and marrow? 373 00:23:32,140 --> 00:23:33,140 Why does he say that? 374 00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:34,740 That's a funny picture. 375 00:23:34,859 --> 00:23:36,980 I don't even know if I can contort my body that way. 376 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:38,299 I don't know. 377 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,819 But joints and marrow, why is he using this? 378 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:44,200 Well, think about what a joint does. 379 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,339 First of all, in scripture, right, 380 00:23:47,859 --> 00:23:51,119 this word joint is used for doors, okay? 381 00:23:51,599 --> 00:23:53,599 The hinge on a door, okay? 382 00:23:53,759 --> 00:23:55,299 It opens and closes the door. 383 00:23:55,380 --> 00:23:56,240 It's a hinge, right? 384 00:23:56,619 --> 00:23:58,259 But they call it a joint, right? 385 00:23:58,740 --> 00:24:02,000 It's not, don't be thinking joint like the cannabis joint. 386 00:24:02,220 --> 00:24:03,619 Some of you, I know what you're thinking. 387 00:24:04,339 --> 00:24:06,220 But we've been set free of all that, amen? 388 00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:12,720 But, or armor, it talks about the joints of an arm. 389 00:24:13,059 --> 00:24:15,720 Remember, Ahab was struck by an arrow 390 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:19,619 that happened to land right in between a joint in his armor. 391 00:24:19,619 --> 00:24:21,660 And as a result, he ended up dying. 392 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,160 And so they talk about that. 393 00:24:24,299 --> 00:24:25,160 But what is a joint? 394 00:24:25,319 --> 00:24:27,180 It's something that's moving, right? 395 00:24:27,559 --> 00:24:30,940 Now, our body has a lot of joints, doesn't it, right? 396 00:24:31,380 --> 00:24:32,220 And what does it do? 397 00:24:32,319 --> 00:24:33,539 It creates motion. 398 00:24:34,180 --> 00:24:35,619 And I looked at this diagram. 399 00:24:35,799 --> 00:24:37,940 It's too small to really see. 400 00:24:38,299 --> 00:24:39,119 But I didn't realize this. 401 00:24:39,259 --> 00:24:41,720 Our bodies have all kinds of joints. 402 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:42,500 Did you know that? 403 00:24:42,660 --> 00:24:46,220 Like all kinds of different identifying joints, 404 00:24:46,339 --> 00:24:48,359 like a pivot joint, a hinge joint, 405 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:51,819 a saddle joint, all these different joints in your body. 406 00:24:52,119 --> 00:24:53,519 But what do joints do? 407 00:24:53,700 --> 00:24:54,900 They enable movement. 408 00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:58,480 So why is the word of God sharp or two-edged sword 409 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,259 dividing the movement of our life? 410 00:25:01,380 --> 00:25:02,480 I'm going to tell you in a second. 411 00:25:02,980 --> 00:25:04,859 Then the next thing, joint and what? 412 00:25:06,339 --> 00:25:06,519 Marrow. 413 00:25:06,779 --> 00:25:08,759 So let's take a look at marrow for a minute. 414 00:25:09,140 --> 00:25:15,279 So marrow is so significant for our health, right? 415 00:25:15,279 --> 00:25:18,900 Because marrow is producing red blood cells, 416 00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:21,180 white blood cells, platelets. 417 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:23,240 I mean, it's what our body needs. 418 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:25,740 And the white blood cells, 419 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:27,000 I was reading up on this, 420 00:25:27,259 --> 00:25:29,759 how it produces all kinds of auto, 421 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,960 like it produces immunity, right, 422 00:25:33,220 --> 00:25:36,180 to viruses, parasites, bacteria. 423 00:25:36,740 --> 00:25:39,319 It produces T cells, right, Monday. 424 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:40,799 This is right up your alley. 425 00:25:41,039 --> 00:25:42,279 He's a chemical engineer. 426 00:25:43,019 --> 00:25:43,700 Did I get that right? 427 00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:45,779 Chemical, something like that. 428 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,200 He's kind of nodding like, okay, just move on. 429 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:51,940 But he's a chemical engineer over at Merck, 430 00:25:51,980 --> 00:25:54,240 and so he studies, he knows T cells. 431 00:25:54,759 --> 00:25:58,960 Well, T cells produce all kinds of anti-inflammatory agents 432 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:00,339 in your body. 433 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:02,559 They fight against, again, parasites 434 00:26:02,559 --> 00:26:04,400 and all these different things, 435 00:26:04,539 --> 00:26:07,079 viruses that can be attacking your body. 436 00:26:07,460 --> 00:26:09,700 Well, marrow is good for all of that. 437 00:26:09,980 --> 00:26:10,380 It produces. 438 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:12,720 And you know, when it releases these cells, 439 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,539 those cells only live 24 hours, 440 00:26:15,900 --> 00:26:17,200 and it has to keep producing. 441 00:26:17,460 --> 00:26:21,579 So it's producing millions of these cells in your body 442 00:26:21,579 --> 00:26:23,200 to fight against this stuff. 443 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,220 I mean, the body is truly an amazing thing, isn't it? 444 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:27,819 Like, God designed all this. 445 00:26:28,619 --> 00:26:30,759 So why is the Lord bringing up joints, 446 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:32,839 and why is he bringing up marrow? 447 00:26:33,099 --> 00:26:35,259 Like, what does that have to do with anything? 448 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:36,579 Well, think through this. 449 00:26:37,900 --> 00:26:39,859 Because joints represent what? 450 00:26:39,859 --> 00:26:42,380 Motion, action, okay? 451 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:46,220 And marrow represents health, right? 452 00:26:46,759 --> 00:26:49,940 Represents providing for our bodies 453 00:26:49,940 --> 00:26:52,259 what's necessary, health. 454 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,980 So if the Lord is separating our actions, 455 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:57,559 our emotions, right, 456 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,759 from what is healthy for our life, 457 00:27:01,500 --> 00:27:02,480 isn't that a good thing? 458 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,640 Because perhaps our actions aren't lining up 459 00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:07,279 with a healthy life. 460 00:27:07,920 --> 00:27:08,680 Do you see that? 461 00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:13,680 Like, because, you know, I can be saying on one side, 462 00:27:13,799 --> 00:27:15,599 well, my body, you know, 463 00:27:15,660 --> 00:27:20,299 I really want to be unaddicted to anything, okay? 464 00:27:20,559 --> 00:27:23,160 I really want to have more love in my life. 465 00:27:23,539 --> 00:27:26,119 I really want these things for my life, 466 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,299 because I know God wants it for my life. 467 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:29,319 That would be the marrow. 468 00:27:29,799 --> 00:27:31,000 And yet over here, 469 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:34,960 lying to my boss, I'm cheating on my wife, 470 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:40,279 I'm still, you know, shooting up, smoking, whatever I'm doing, 471 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:42,200 I'm still doing all the things, 472 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,920 because that's the joints of my life, that's my actions. 473 00:27:46,539 --> 00:27:48,640 But the marrow is over here saying, what's up? 474 00:27:49,019 --> 00:27:50,319 Like, you're not doing anything 475 00:27:50,319 --> 00:27:52,720 that should be lining up with marrow here, right? 476 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,880 And, you know, so the word of God wants to cut in 477 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:58,359 and separate and say, 478 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:00,599 look, your actions are not lining up 479 00:28:00,599 --> 00:28:03,299 with the health you want for your life. 480 00:28:03,299 --> 00:28:04,920 You know, in scripture, 481 00:28:05,420 --> 00:28:10,140 marrow is always pictured as a healthy, an abundant life. 482 00:28:10,539 --> 00:28:11,579 It's really, it's symbolic. 483 00:28:11,900 --> 00:28:14,160 And I have a few verses that we're going to look at, 484 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:22,440 Job 21, 24, and Psalm 63.5, Isaiah 25.6. 485 00:28:23,319 --> 00:28:24,980 His pails are full of milk. 486 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:26,539 This is seen as a blessing. 487 00:28:27,759 --> 00:28:31,000 And the marrow of his bones is moist. 488 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,299 You know, a moist, it's not dry. 489 00:28:33,319 --> 00:28:34,740 You know what dry marrow means? 490 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,079 It probably means you're dead, okay? 491 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:38,960 Or at least you're not healthy. 492 00:28:39,420 --> 00:28:40,819 Part of you is dying, right? 493 00:28:41,279 --> 00:28:43,720 But it's the idea of a healthy life. 494 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:47,920 In Psalms, my soul shall be satisfied 495 00:28:47,920 --> 00:28:50,339 as with marrow and fatness, 496 00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:53,720 as my mouth shall praise you with my joyful lips. 497 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:57,079 Again, marrow is seen as an abundant, 498 00:28:57,200 --> 00:28:59,680 thriving, healthy life. 499 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,980 And then finally, on this mountain, 500 00:29:02,140 --> 00:29:05,000 the Lord of hosts will make for all people 501 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,500 a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, 502 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,880 of the rich food full of marrow, 503 00:29:13,359 --> 00:29:15,740 of aged wine well refined. 504 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,920 So we see again, this marrow is seen as a positive thing. 505 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:22,579 So when we say the word of God is sharper 506 00:29:22,579 --> 00:29:25,940 than a double-edged sword that wants to divide, 507 00:29:25,940 --> 00:29:30,000 he's saying, are your actions lining up 508 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,240 with your desire to have a God-filled, 509 00:29:34,799 --> 00:29:37,920 God-honoring, God-representative life? 510 00:29:38,299 --> 00:29:39,039 Does that make sense? 511 00:29:39,700 --> 00:29:41,299 And that's what the word wants to do. 512 00:29:41,700 --> 00:29:43,259 And then finally, the word of God 513 00:29:43,259 --> 00:29:48,519 wants to separate thoughts and intentions, you know? 514 00:29:49,019 --> 00:29:53,220 So notice in all of these three analogies, 515 00:29:53,220 --> 00:29:57,440 he's always putting the lesser thing before the greater thing. 516 00:29:57,759 --> 00:30:02,380 So in other words, he says the soul and the spirit, 517 00:30:02,500 --> 00:30:05,359 the soul is really submissive to spirit. 518 00:30:05,500 --> 00:30:06,839 We just talked about that, right? 519 00:30:07,200 --> 00:30:09,180 In fact, we have a diagram of the soul. 520 00:30:09,559 --> 00:30:14,380 If you could put that up, the spirit, soul, and body, okay? 521 00:30:14,819 --> 00:30:17,599 And the body really is just going for the ride, okay? 522 00:30:18,059 --> 00:30:19,079 Not for animals. 523 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,200 Animals live by what their body wants, you know? 524 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:24,380 I'm hungry, I'm going to go kill something, right? 525 00:30:25,059 --> 00:30:27,859 I'm lustful, I'm going to go, you know, do something else 526 00:30:27,859 --> 00:30:31,660 and procreate with four dough or whatever it is, you know? 527 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,160 I mean, that's the body. 528 00:30:33,380 --> 00:30:34,000 We're humans. 529 00:30:34,180 --> 00:30:35,200 We're making Gods like this. 530 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:36,960 We're not to be animals, right? 531 00:30:37,339 --> 00:30:40,180 So the body is like a tent to us. 532 00:30:40,779 --> 00:30:42,779 You know, we don't have to submit to it. 533 00:30:43,079 --> 00:30:47,059 But the soul and spirit is where it gets a little murky, okay? 534 00:30:47,619 --> 00:30:51,099 Because the soul is weak and it just shifts. 535 00:30:51,099 --> 00:30:52,420 It changes its mind. 536 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,740 It changes its willpower, you know? 537 00:30:56,059 --> 00:30:59,539 But the spirit, the spirit is what drives. 538 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:00,900 It's almost like a steering wheel. 539 00:31:01,099 --> 00:31:03,859 It drives that soul, right? 540 00:31:04,119 --> 00:31:07,539 You've heard of the rudder of a ship being like this tongue 541 00:31:07,539 --> 00:31:10,259 of someone's life driving it through the ocean. 542 00:31:10,779 --> 00:31:14,019 Well, our soul is like the steering wheel, 543 00:31:14,299 --> 00:31:18,880 but the spirit steers, steers our lives. 544 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,640 So we need to make sure the right spirit is behind the wheel. 545 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:23,720 Does that make sense? 546 00:31:24,500 --> 00:31:27,420 And so the Lord, again, wants to separate the soul 547 00:31:27,420 --> 00:31:30,319 from the spirit because the soul is weak 548 00:31:30,319 --> 00:31:32,319 and it just submits to different spirits. 549 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:35,640 Let's make sure who's driving the ship or the car 550 00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:36,559 in this case, right? 551 00:31:37,019 --> 00:31:38,859 And then the next thing, the joint and marrow, 552 00:31:39,279 --> 00:31:40,779 the joint are your actions. 553 00:31:42,119 --> 00:31:44,140 It's what we do from instinct. 554 00:31:44,860 --> 00:31:47,359 But you got to change your actions 555 00:31:47,359 --> 00:31:51,380 if you want that marrow-filled life, the abundant life. 556 00:31:52,119 --> 00:31:55,039 And now we get to thoughts and intentions. 557 00:31:55,380 --> 00:31:58,299 So thoughts are what we think about. 558 00:31:59,319 --> 00:32:02,960 And Ken, by the way, did an amazing job teaching yesterday, 559 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:05,960 and he was talking about prayer, 560 00:32:06,700 --> 00:32:09,960 but he said again and again in 2 Corinthians 10-5, 561 00:32:09,960 --> 00:32:14,000 he kept saying, take every thought captive in Christ, 562 00:32:14,759 --> 00:32:17,180 because our thoughts can go all over the place. 563 00:32:17,319 --> 00:32:19,079 Have you ever been reading the word and all of a sudden 564 00:32:19,079 --> 00:32:22,180 you're thinking about bizarre, weird things? 565 00:32:22,359 --> 00:32:24,420 Like, wait a minute, I'm in front of the Bible. 566 00:32:25,339 --> 00:32:26,779 Why am I thinking about this? 567 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:29,619 Like we can think about a lot of strange things 568 00:32:29,619 --> 00:32:31,539 at strange times, right? 569 00:32:32,599 --> 00:32:35,119 But the intentions are right. 570 00:32:35,339 --> 00:32:39,059 Like I want my life to be reflective of Christ. 571 00:32:39,059 --> 00:32:40,720 That's the intentions. 572 00:32:41,140 --> 00:32:43,420 You know, I've officiated lots of weddings in my day, 573 00:32:43,980 --> 00:32:47,299 and one of the part is declare your intentions, right? 574 00:32:47,779 --> 00:32:50,099 Because you need to declare things and say, 575 00:32:50,339 --> 00:32:51,380 I plan to do this. 576 00:32:51,519 --> 00:32:54,099 And I say, you know, I'll say, do you, Jake, 577 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,220 promise to love, breathe with all your heart soul? 578 00:32:57,359 --> 00:32:57,920 That's not the one. 579 00:32:58,380 --> 00:33:00,660 But, you know, and provide for her through sickness 580 00:33:00,660 --> 00:33:04,140 and in health and be faithful to her. 581 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:06,680 And at the end, it's I do, right? 582 00:33:07,059 --> 00:33:08,160 That's the intentions. 583 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:10,380 But you have to state those intentions. 584 00:33:10,460 --> 00:33:12,279 Sometimes we have to keep reminding ourselves 585 00:33:12,279 --> 00:33:14,920 what the intentions of our hearts are, 586 00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:17,680 because sometimes our thoughts aren't lining up 587 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:19,240 with our intentions. 588 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,640 Because our thoughts can wander all around. 589 00:33:22,799 --> 00:33:24,940 That's why the word says take every thought 590 00:33:24,940 --> 00:33:27,680 captive, right, to Christ. 591 00:33:28,519 --> 00:33:29,799 So we can say, wait a minute, this, 592 00:33:30,359 --> 00:33:32,740 no, these thoughts don't belong. 593 00:33:33,059 --> 00:33:35,740 I shouldn't be looking at that. 594 00:33:35,819 --> 00:33:37,359 I shouldn't be thinking about that. 595 00:33:37,359 --> 00:33:40,200 I shouldn't be excited about that, whatever it is. 596 00:33:41,019 --> 00:33:43,519 These don't line up with my intentions 597 00:33:43,519 --> 00:33:46,480 to live that life for Christ, you know? 598 00:33:46,799 --> 00:33:48,799 So the Holy Spirit wants to divide. 599 00:33:49,180 --> 00:33:51,660 That's why in Romans 12, too, it says, 600 00:33:52,319 --> 00:33:56,859 don't conform to the patterns of this world, right? 601 00:33:57,319 --> 00:33:58,920 And that's one version, but the other is, 602 00:33:59,039 --> 00:34:01,480 don't conform to the world, okay? 603 00:34:02,519 --> 00:34:07,339 Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 604 00:34:08,059 --> 00:34:12,219 Then you will be able to prove the good acceptable. 605 00:34:12,539 --> 00:34:13,280 And you know, in the scriptures, 606 00:34:13,699 --> 00:34:15,380 acceptable actually means well-pleasing. 607 00:34:16,039 --> 00:34:20,059 The good, well-pleasing, perfect will of God. 608 00:34:20,179 --> 00:34:21,900 Isn't it amazing how it just keeps getting better? 609 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:27,820 The good, the well-pleasing, the perfect will of God. 610 00:34:28,019 --> 00:34:30,420 See, when our minds are transformed, 611 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,079 you know, then our thoughts will line up 612 00:34:34,079 --> 00:34:36,159 with the intentions of our heart. 613 00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:38,579 So the word of God wants to come in and say, all right, 614 00:34:39,039 --> 00:34:43,239 do these thoughts line up with your intentions? 615 00:34:43,820 --> 00:34:46,139 I think most believers, we get saved, 616 00:34:46,679 --> 00:34:48,539 and we think, wow, the sky's the limit. 617 00:34:48,840 --> 00:34:52,000 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 618 00:34:52,739 --> 00:34:56,659 I am now, I have the divine nature, 619 00:34:56,900 --> 00:34:58,480 second Peter, chapter one. 620 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,320 I am a divine, I have divinity living in me. 621 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:03,860 I have a divine nature. 622 00:35:03,860 --> 00:35:05,320 I have power. 623 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:07,420 I have authority in my life. 624 00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:10,519 And it's like, all the sun, we just, wow, 625 00:35:10,880 --> 00:35:12,300 like this is who I am. 626 00:35:13,039 --> 00:35:15,500 But then all of a sudden, what happens? 627 00:35:16,059 --> 00:35:18,360 Suddenly another spirit comes in and starts driving, 628 00:35:19,260 --> 00:35:19,599 you know? 629 00:35:20,019 --> 00:35:23,940 Or perhaps our actions are just running away 630 00:35:23,940 --> 00:35:25,960 doing their own thing, like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, 631 00:35:26,039 --> 00:35:27,659 you know, it's not lining up 632 00:35:27,659 --> 00:35:30,980 with who I just realized I was in Christ. 633 00:35:30,980 --> 00:35:34,780 Or perhaps my thoughts are going AWA, 634 00:35:34,900 --> 00:35:38,179 and I'm starting to think in a defeated mindset. 635 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:41,260 And we are forgetting who we are in Christ. 636 00:35:41,599 --> 00:35:44,599 So the Word of God wants to separate all of that 637 00:35:44,599 --> 00:35:48,079 and take what doesn't belong away, 638 00:35:48,699 --> 00:35:51,639 but He wants to put what should remain in. 639 00:35:51,739 --> 00:35:53,780 Imagine going into surgery, 640 00:35:53,860 --> 00:35:56,559 because after this, verse 13 talks about, 641 00:35:56,940 --> 00:36:00,239 He lays all things naked, and nothing's hidden from it. 642 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,079 Like, He sees right through you. 643 00:36:02,119 --> 00:36:02,719 Did you know that? 644 00:36:02,820 --> 00:36:04,460 Like that skeleton guy we just looked at? 645 00:36:04,780 --> 00:36:08,039 I mean, He sees right through, He sees everything in you. 646 00:36:08,099 --> 00:36:10,480 You're like, oh boy, I wish He didn't see ever. 647 00:36:10,619 --> 00:36:12,079 He sees it all, right? 648 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:15,059 He can just scan right through you, 649 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:17,619 and He still loves you, 650 00:36:18,300 --> 00:36:21,840 and He knows how much He can do through you 651 00:36:21,840 --> 00:36:23,059 if you would just let Him, 652 00:36:23,940 --> 00:36:26,019 just surrender fully to Him. 653 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:29,699 And when we're on the operating table, okay, 654 00:36:29,699 --> 00:36:31,079 we can't cover up. 655 00:36:31,539 --> 00:36:32,840 We can't say, no, Lord, 656 00:36:33,159 --> 00:36:35,440 I don't want you to be able to see everything. 657 00:36:35,599 --> 00:36:37,840 Well, then I can't operate on you, okay? 658 00:36:38,260 --> 00:36:39,460 I need to see it all. 659 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,059 And sometimes we think we're gonna cover up 660 00:36:42,059 --> 00:36:43,639 like Adam and Eve at the fig leaves. 661 00:36:44,260 --> 00:36:45,239 It's not gonna happen. 662 00:36:45,539 --> 00:36:47,760 I know exactly where you are, right? 663 00:36:48,159 --> 00:36:51,320 And He sees us for who we are, 664 00:36:51,519 --> 00:36:56,019 but He also sees us, who He is making us into, 665 00:36:56,199 --> 00:36:58,860 because we are predestined to be the image of God, right? 666 00:36:58,860 --> 00:37:00,280 And He sees it all. 667 00:37:00,599 --> 00:37:02,119 And I was just thinking, imagine, you know, 668 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:05,480 the Lord knows what to take out and what to put in. 669 00:37:05,539 --> 00:37:08,539 Imagine going into surgery and you have a brain tumor, 670 00:37:09,059 --> 00:37:11,260 and the surgeon's there, and He says, all right, now, 671 00:37:11,659 --> 00:37:14,880 so let's leave the tumor in, but take the brain out. 672 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,159 You know, it's like, you wouldn't do that, right? 673 00:37:19,039 --> 00:37:22,940 God doesn't, He knows what is meant to be left alone 674 00:37:22,940 --> 00:37:25,280 and what's to be put in. 675 00:37:26,039 --> 00:37:28,579 You know, I have a few anchors in my body here and there, 676 00:37:28,579 --> 00:37:30,880 you know, I had to get things put in 677 00:37:31,579 --> 00:37:33,420 so things would stay together, you know, 678 00:37:33,619 --> 00:37:35,179 probably some of you did too, right? 679 00:37:36,019 --> 00:37:37,619 He knows what to put in, 680 00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:40,099 but He also knows what to take out, amen. 681 00:37:40,519 --> 00:37:42,360 As the worship team comes up 682 00:37:45,199 --> 00:37:48,800 and we contemplate these things, 683 00:37:50,199 --> 00:37:52,900 now the Lord wants to divide 684 00:37:57,180 --> 00:38:00,539 the spirit and soul, the soul from the spirit. 685 00:38:00,739 --> 00:38:05,380 He wants to be able to separate the spirit 686 00:38:05,380 --> 00:38:07,860 that doesn't belong behind the wheel 687 00:38:07,860 --> 00:38:11,000 as He wants to separate our actions 688 00:38:11,000 --> 00:38:15,940 from the abundant life, the thriving, healthy life 689 00:38:15,940 --> 00:38:18,219 He wants us to have, spiritually healthy, 690 00:38:18,539 --> 00:38:20,019 maybe physically healthy too. 691 00:38:20,460 --> 00:38:22,880 I believe the more spiritually healthy you are, 692 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:26,179 you will be more physically, financially 693 00:38:26,179 --> 00:38:29,139 and other areas healthy too, you know, 694 00:38:29,380 --> 00:38:32,920 because He loves us and He wants to provide for us. 695 00:38:33,039 --> 00:38:35,159 And the word, it says in the word that the word 696 00:38:35,159 --> 00:38:37,300 will prosper our lives, right? 697 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:39,119 And so there's that. 698 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,659 And then finally, He wants to separate thoughts 699 00:38:42,659 --> 00:38:44,300 from the spirit. 700 00:38:45,659 --> 00:38:47,239 Are we letting Him do that? 701 00:38:47,420 --> 00:38:50,920 Are we letting Him really cut deep, cut through 702 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:55,840 and letting Him remove those spirits 703 00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,900 that just don't belong hijacking our lives anymore 704 00:38:59,900 --> 00:39:04,079 or the actions that need to stop if we're really gonna thrive 705 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:09,380 or the thoughts that are not from God, they're from the enemy. 706 00:39:09,619 --> 00:39:12,300 You know, that's why we have a shield of faith 707 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:15,780 to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy 708 00:39:15,780 --> 00:39:18,820 so that they don't land and stay in us. 709 00:39:18,820 --> 00:39:22,280 And so the Lord wants to purify us of all those things, Amen. 710 00:39:23,039 --> 00:39:24,559 So let's stand up and pray. 711 00:39:25,820 --> 00:39:28,920 Father God, we thank you that your word of God 712 00:39:28,920 --> 00:39:33,280 is like a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon. 713 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:37,360 And Lord God, you know exactly where to cut 714 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:41,820 and what to remove and what to put in 715 00:39:42,740 --> 00:39:45,179 that we would be vessels for you, 716 00:39:45,179 --> 00:39:48,179 that we would thrive in you, Lord God, 717 00:39:49,699 --> 00:39:52,440 that we would thrive in the Holy Spirit, 718 00:39:53,099 --> 00:39:57,619 that we would thrive in our actions and our motives 719 00:39:58,420 --> 00:40:00,880 and that we would thrive, Lord God, 720 00:40:01,519 --> 00:40:03,920 in our thoughts that they would line up 721 00:40:03,920 --> 00:40:06,980 with the intentions of our heart, Lord God. 722 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:11,780 We ask your word to just continuously just pour into us. 723 00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:14,440 We thank you for your Holy Spirit 724 00:40:14,440 --> 00:40:16,199 because without it we wouldn't even understand 725 00:40:16,199 --> 00:40:18,000 what we're reading or what we're hearing. 726 00:40:19,039 --> 00:40:23,699 But Lord God, your Holy Spirit enlightens it to us. 727 00:40:24,320 --> 00:40:25,739 It's like a lamp upon our feet 728 00:40:25,739 --> 00:40:27,320 so we could see where we're going 729 00:40:27,940 --> 00:40:30,079 through these dark days, Lord God, 730 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:32,239 and bring light everywhere we go. 731 00:40:33,199 --> 00:40:36,239 So we thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. 732 00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:38,000 Let's give the Lord a round of applause. 733 00:40:42,820 --> 00:40:44,360 Let's just make this our prayer. 734 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,860 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church 735 00:40:50,860 --> 00:40:53,400 as we praise God and discuss His word. 736 00:40:54,079 --> 00:40:57,139 Don't forget to join us for Worship Lives Sunday mornings 737 00:40:57,139 --> 00:40:59,559 at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 738 00:41:00,519 --> 00:41:02,639 Be blessed and have a great day! 739 00:41:09,559 --> 00:41:11,000 God bless!