1 00:00:14,079 --> 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 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:27,260 Thank you for joining us today. 4 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:42,340 Lord, we just thank you for the sweet aroma of prayer that is being lifted up into your kingdom right now. 5 00:00:44,100 --> 00:00:51,619 God, I just pray, pray over Chris right now, I just pray that you would bring his brain and his body back into unity 6 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:58,079 so that he can be balanced and be able to stand upright. 7 00:00:59,799 --> 00:01:09,959 But God, I also know that you're a sovereign God, fully intending for this morning to go the way it has. 8 00:01:11,219 --> 00:01:13,840 So God, I pray that you would give him rest this morning. 9 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:19,400 He's been working hard for your kingdom, Lord, and I know that he just needs some rest this morning. 10 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:28,680 So I just pray that you allow him to just enjoy that, just enjoy presence with you on his couch. 11 00:01:30,719 --> 00:01:34,599 Lord, we just thank you for your word this morning. Whatever it is, we'll see. 12 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:39,980 Lord, I just praise you that you are good, you are holy, you call us, Lord. 13 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:42,920 Help us to answer the call. 14 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:46,099 I just praise in Jesus' name, amen. 15 00:01:48,340 --> 00:01:51,519 Well, I'll tell you what, two hours ago I didn't have a sermon. 16 00:01:54,040 --> 00:02:00,760 It's funny, I woke up and I didn't have vertigo, but after Chris called me, I think I started to a little bit. 17 00:02:04,500 --> 00:02:10,759 We're going to be looking at chapter 3 of first Psalm. 18 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:19,419 Psalm 1, or first Psalm, chapter 3. 19 00:02:22,020 --> 00:02:29,419 I was going to just carry through Acts 22, but I feel like that's sermon stealing. 20 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:33,599 So I didn't want to steal Chris' sermon. He can preach it next week. 21 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:42,180 But I was just praying this morning, and I was like, Lord, all things happen on purpose. 22 00:02:42,699 --> 00:02:50,199 You've got a plan in this morning, and it's 8.30 in the morning, and I'm thinking, 23 00:02:50,319 --> 00:02:52,240 all right, I have to preach in an hour and a half. 24 00:02:53,219 --> 00:02:56,800 Lord, what do you want to speak? What do you want to say? 25 00:03:00,219 --> 00:03:06,400 I read this passage last night before bed, and I feel like I woke up to it. 26 00:03:06,719 --> 00:03:08,419 And God said, why don't you start here? 27 00:03:09,319 --> 00:03:16,240 So we're going to read the first 10 verses, and we'll just see what the Lord has for us. 28 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:17,939 We'll see where He takes us from there. 29 00:03:19,599 --> 00:03:26,719 Now, just to give some context, we're reading about Samuel and Eli. 30 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:34,219 Both are living in the temple of the Lord. Eli is the priest over Israel at the time. 31 00:03:34,879 --> 00:03:40,500 And Samuel had been brought by his mother, a faithful mother of the Lord, 32 00:03:40,860 --> 00:03:46,699 that actually gave her son to the ministry of the Lord in the temple. 33 00:03:46,699 --> 00:03:53,000 And so Samuel is a young boy in this story, and it says in verse 1, 34 00:03:53,699 --> 00:03:58,819 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli, 35 00:03:59,599 --> 00:04:03,060 and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. 36 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,500 That's relatable, isn't it? 37 00:04:07,219 --> 00:04:10,400 Oh, yeah, chapter 3, 1 Samuel, chapter 3. 38 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:12,580 What did I say? 39 00:04:14,359 --> 00:04:16,720 Did I really? Wow. 40 00:04:18,220 --> 00:04:21,240 Like I said, I didn't have a sermon two hours ago, okay? 41 00:04:21,899 --> 00:04:23,259 Be gracious, be gracious. 42 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:27,860 Maybe we should be in Psalms. 43 00:04:28,139 --> 00:04:30,500 I don't know, maybe the Holy Spirit's trying to do something here. 44 00:04:34,379 --> 00:04:36,519 We'll go to Psalms next, I promise. 45 00:04:37,420 --> 00:04:42,420 1 Samuel, good thing I gave context because Angelina was really confused, 46 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,360 who Samuel is in the book of Psalms. 47 00:04:47,540 --> 00:04:50,180 All right, now we're in 1 Samuel. 48 00:04:51,699 --> 00:04:55,959 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli, 49 00:04:56,819 --> 00:04:59,319 and the word of the Lord was rare in those days. 50 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,860 There was no frequent vision. 51 00:05:01,860 --> 00:05:07,779 At that time, Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, 52 00:05:08,439 --> 00:05:12,779 so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 53 00:05:14,519 --> 00:05:16,540 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, 54 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:19,660 and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, 55 00:05:20,180 --> 00:05:21,759 where the ark of God was. 56 00:05:22,939 --> 00:05:25,319 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, 57 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:30,339 Here I am, and ran to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you called me. 58 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,660 But he said, I did not call, lie down again. 59 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,680 So he went and lay down, and the Lord called again. 60 00:05:39,379 --> 00:05:46,939 Samuel, and Samuel arose, and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you called me. 61 00:05:48,340 --> 00:05:51,620 But he said, I did not call, my son, lie down again. 62 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,279 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, 63 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:59,220 and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 64 00:06:00,639 --> 00:06:05,019 And the Lord called Samuel again, a third time, 65 00:06:05,899 --> 00:06:11,459 and he rose and went to Eli, and said, Here I am, for you called me. 66 00:06:12,899 --> 00:06:18,399 Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 67 00:06:19,259 --> 00:06:23,639 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, Go, lie down, 68 00:06:24,060 --> 00:06:28,920 and if he calls you, you shall say, Speak, Lord, for your servant hears. 69 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:32,319 So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 70 00:06:32,939 --> 00:06:36,720 And the Lord came and stood, calling at other times. 71 00:06:37,399 --> 00:06:43,399 Samuel, Samuel, and Samuel said, Speak, for your servant hears. 72 00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:52,839 Lord, we just thank you for 1 Samuel and for Psalms. 73 00:06:53,660 --> 00:06:55,800 Thank you for what you have for us this morning. 74 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,279 Now, I want to just point out a couple quick things. 75 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:07,920 Number 1, at the very end of verse 1. 76 00:07:10,100 --> 00:07:14,360 In those days, there were no frequent visions. 77 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,439 The word of the Lord was rare. 78 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:19,519 It is sad, it is sad. 79 00:07:21,839 --> 00:07:25,240 Some days, in these days, it can feel like that, doesn't it? 80 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,279 I feel like the Lord just isn't always speaking, 81 00:07:28,980 --> 00:07:34,220 isn't always out there proclaiming in a way that draws the nation, 82 00:07:34,899 --> 00:07:36,399 large groups to him. 83 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,540 The good news, the Lord is speaking, 84 00:07:40,899 --> 00:07:43,620 more often than we might realize. 85 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:50,899 And then in verse 2, it says that at that time, 86 00:07:51,900 --> 00:07:59,060 Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see. 87 00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:03,220 I'm going to spiritually contextualize this. 88 00:08:03,699 --> 00:08:06,740 This is not what the Scripture is blatantly saying. 89 00:08:07,519 --> 00:08:13,100 But in those days, there was no frequent vision. 90 00:08:14,319 --> 00:08:19,480 The man that would receive those visions, Eli, the prophet over Israel, 91 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,000 is going blind, and he can't see. 92 00:08:22,740 --> 00:08:24,500 So, of course, he's not going to have any vision, right? 93 00:08:27,139 --> 00:08:28,839 I tried a little bit. 94 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,480 But I think there is spiritual context for us there. 95 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,259 In the New Testament, it talks about the eyes, 96 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:45,220 and it gives a spiritual picture of how when light goes into our eyes, 97 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:47,740 it fills the whole body. 98 00:08:47,740 --> 00:08:50,700 Talking about when we are seeing the light of Christ, 99 00:08:51,279 --> 00:08:54,039 and our eyes are open spiritually to it. 100 00:08:54,399 --> 00:08:56,179 We too are filled with the Lord. 101 00:08:57,039 --> 00:08:59,360 But what if we're spiritually blind? 102 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:02,879 What if our eyes are going dim? 103 00:09:04,919 --> 00:09:08,019 And we're not spending time in God's word. 104 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:10,720 We're not spending time on our knees in prayer. 105 00:09:11,500 --> 00:09:15,120 And we're just kind of allowing our flesh to be strengthened 106 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:16,779 and our spirit to be weakened. 107 00:09:17,740 --> 00:09:22,320 Well, then just like Eli, our eyesight will begin to grow dim, 108 00:09:23,580 --> 00:09:27,679 and we're not going to see what the Lord has for us. 109 00:09:30,860 --> 00:09:33,519 My wife and I were at a park in Doylestown. 110 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:35,820 This was like, what, two weeks ago? 111 00:09:36,279 --> 00:09:37,679 We took our daughter up on the train. 112 00:09:37,860 --> 00:09:39,080 She's been dying to go on the train. 113 00:09:40,159 --> 00:09:42,039 So we took her on the train to Doylestown. 114 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:43,639 Very exciting stuff. 115 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:46,360 Smelled like urine. It was wonderful. 116 00:09:47,740 --> 00:09:48,799 But she loved it. 117 00:09:49,039 --> 00:09:49,559 You know, it's great. 118 00:09:50,159 --> 00:09:51,179 Kids are easy, aren't they? 119 00:09:51,820 --> 00:09:54,279 You take them on a urine-smelled train, 120 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:55,779 and they're like, this is the best thing ever! 121 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,580 Anyways, we took her on the train to Doylestown, 122 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:02,720 and we went and got some brunch, 123 00:10:02,960 --> 00:10:04,059 and then we went to a park. 124 00:10:05,179 --> 00:10:07,720 And we met this couple that lives in Doylestown, 125 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:11,200 and we got talking to them, 126 00:10:11,460 --> 00:10:12,879 and we're just... 127 00:10:12,879 --> 00:10:13,820 If you know my wife, 128 00:10:13,940 --> 00:10:15,580 she becomes friends with just about anybody. 129 00:10:15,759 --> 00:10:16,320 She's very friendly. 130 00:10:16,899 --> 00:10:19,059 And so we become friends with this couple, 131 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:20,879 and they exchange numbers, her and the wife. 132 00:10:21,819 --> 00:10:24,159 And last week, they texted us, 133 00:10:24,220 --> 00:10:26,519 and they invited us to their kid's birthday party. 134 00:10:27,019 --> 00:10:27,799 I was like, are you sure? 135 00:10:28,179 --> 00:10:29,720 Like, we just met at a park. 136 00:10:30,100 --> 00:10:32,000 Like, you do not know us that well. 137 00:10:33,519 --> 00:10:35,279 Anyways, we go to this birthday party, 138 00:10:35,519 --> 00:10:36,320 and it was like... 139 00:10:37,940 --> 00:10:39,240 Best birthday party I've ever been to. 140 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:39,740 It was great. 141 00:10:40,159 --> 00:10:40,960 Very, very fun. 142 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,539 But I sat and I talked to this gentleman 143 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,019 that I can't even remember his name right now, 144 00:10:47,019 --> 00:10:47,799 which I feel terrible. 145 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,980 But Rob was the dad of the couple we know. 146 00:10:52,159 --> 00:10:52,899 He was another guy. 147 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:56,539 And I shared... 148 00:10:57,580 --> 00:10:59,879 He was asking me questions about... 149 00:10:59,879 --> 00:11:00,940 His wife is from California. 150 00:11:01,299 --> 00:11:03,000 I lived in California, 151 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,379 and so we got talking, 152 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:06,799 and I mentioned how I went to Bible college out there. 153 00:11:07,340 --> 00:11:10,840 And that kind of just sparked conversation 154 00:11:13,059 --> 00:11:15,860 about faith, about the Bible, about church. 155 00:11:16,159 --> 00:11:16,840 And he asked me... 156 00:11:17,779 --> 00:11:19,759 I brought up how I go to church in Lansdale, 157 00:11:19,759 --> 00:11:21,940 and he was super interested in that. 158 00:11:21,980 --> 00:11:23,259 And I was like, where do you go to church? 159 00:11:23,539 --> 00:11:24,679 You know, just being assumptive. 160 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:27,179 It's the best way to do it. 161 00:11:27,220 --> 00:11:27,759 Just assume. 162 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:29,559 And then if they don't go to church, they'll tell you. 163 00:11:29,940 --> 00:11:31,720 And then you can invite them to come. 164 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:34,480 But he does go to church. 165 00:11:36,139 --> 00:11:38,960 And he said how he came out of a background 166 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,240 of Catholicism, and his wife is a Buddhist. 167 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:46,080 And I'm waiting for the conversion story. 168 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,220 I'm waiting for this exciting moment to happen, 169 00:11:48,460 --> 00:11:49,899 like, but you're at church now, 170 00:11:50,059 --> 00:11:50,860 and a Christian church, 171 00:11:50,980 --> 00:11:53,940 and like, when did Jesus meet you? 172 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,139 And as we continued in conversation, 173 00:11:57,379 --> 00:11:59,399 it just never came up. 174 00:12:00,039 --> 00:12:01,840 And I finally did ask, I was like, 175 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:03,659 why are you going to church? 176 00:12:05,979 --> 00:12:09,960 Because this is a guy that isn't even a professing believer, 177 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,759 but he knows he wants to be there. 178 00:12:13,019 --> 00:12:15,519 Because in his words, 179 00:12:16,419 --> 00:12:19,200 there's something about it that just is right. 180 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,919 Just feels like there's something there. 181 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,200 And I want my kids to know a higher power. 182 00:12:26,779 --> 00:12:28,259 A very interesting conversation. 183 00:12:29,700 --> 00:12:33,240 I think there's a lot more people in our churches today like this. 184 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:35,799 We're just looking at and thinking, 185 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:37,899 hey, it's just a brother and sister in Christ. 186 00:12:38,139 --> 00:12:41,740 And they're like, I'm here because it feels good. 187 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:46,000 I'm entertained, and I want to believe in a higher power. 188 00:12:49,860 --> 00:12:52,120 What is the point of me sharing that story? 189 00:12:52,460 --> 00:12:53,179 I do have one. 190 00:12:53,539 --> 00:12:53,860 That's the point. 191 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:54,840 That's the point. 192 00:12:55,340 --> 00:12:57,559 The point is his eyes are blind, 193 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:00,919 and he can't see what's right in front of him. 194 00:13:05,099 --> 00:13:06,200 But he's searching. 195 00:13:06,940 --> 00:13:07,500 He's searching. 196 00:13:08,620 --> 00:13:10,860 And I would even argue that he's being called. 197 00:13:11,379 --> 00:13:14,759 Just like Samuel here is being called by the Lord. 198 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:17,240 That's my wife, by the way. 199 00:13:17,340 --> 00:13:18,379 So this is a bad sermon. 200 00:13:20,539 --> 00:13:22,460 Man, I'm going to hear about it later. 201 00:13:24,139 --> 00:13:25,779 Shouldn't have talked about that party, man. 202 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,379 I'm sorry, I'm in a bit of a silly mood this morning. 203 00:13:34,860 --> 00:13:38,460 But just like Samuel, he's being called over and over. 204 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,240 Here we see him being called four times. 205 00:13:42,019 --> 00:13:44,320 The Lord is calling him and calling him and calling him. 206 00:13:44,559 --> 00:13:46,879 Does Samuel know that the Lord is calling him? 207 00:13:47,919 --> 00:13:48,259 No. 208 00:13:48,679 --> 00:13:49,700 He has no idea. 209 00:13:50,820 --> 00:13:52,519 Why does Samuel not know? 210 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:53,740 Pop quiz. 211 00:13:55,820 --> 00:13:58,320 He doesn't know who God is. 212 00:13:58,940 --> 00:14:00,539 I mean, he knows here. 213 00:14:01,340 --> 00:14:01,960 He knows here. 214 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,379 We probably all in this room know God up here, don't we? 215 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:08,120 But Samuel didn't know him here. 216 00:14:09,340 --> 00:14:11,600 If you know all about Scripture up here, 217 00:14:11,879 --> 00:14:13,820 you know all about the Lord up here, 218 00:14:14,299 --> 00:14:17,860 but it doesn't ever get here, then it's worthless. 219 00:14:19,159 --> 00:14:21,440 Theology that doesn't lead to doxology. 220 00:14:22,179 --> 00:14:26,460 Understanding the Lord, but never praising him. 221 00:14:27,460 --> 00:14:28,419 What's the point? 222 00:14:29,420 --> 00:14:31,139 So Samuel said here, 223 00:14:32,420 --> 00:14:33,580 let's see if I can find the verse. 224 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:36,460 Someone just said seven. 225 00:14:37,679 --> 00:14:38,299 Thank you. 226 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:39,500 Praise the Lord. 227 00:14:40,379 --> 00:14:44,379 Now, Samuel did not yet know the Lord, 228 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:49,740 and though the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 229 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,600 He was called, but he did not yet know. 230 00:14:54,340 --> 00:14:55,419 You've been called. 231 00:14:56,339 --> 00:14:57,200 Praise the Lord. 232 00:14:57,279 --> 00:14:58,980 I know so many of you, 233 00:14:59,139 --> 00:15:02,980 and I know that you know here, you know the Lord. 234 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:07,679 You've confessed faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior, 235 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,299 and he's been transforming your life ever since, 236 00:15:12,639 --> 00:15:17,559 making you into a holy man, a holy woman, 237 00:15:18,539 --> 00:15:22,159 who can go out and proclaim the good news of Jesus, 238 00:15:22,159 --> 00:15:25,840 who can go to your neighbors and be life and light to them. 239 00:15:26,639 --> 00:15:30,360 We can only do that if we know, if we know the Lord, right? 240 00:15:32,039 --> 00:15:33,740 So Samuel did not know. 241 00:15:34,639 --> 00:15:35,399 He did not know. 242 00:15:35,659 --> 00:15:37,700 So every time he was being called, 243 00:15:38,740 --> 00:15:40,779 it didn't fall on deaf ears. 244 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:43,860 He actually answered every time. 245 00:15:43,940 --> 00:15:47,159 I love that, because I think sometimes we feel like 246 00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:50,019 God is out there, and he's calling. 247 00:15:50,019 --> 00:15:51,419 Like, this whole world. 248 00:15:52,159 --> 00:15:54,259 Guys, he's calling this whole world to him, 249 00:15:54,860 --> 00:15:56,700 and he wants them to come to him. 250 00:15:57,240 --> 00:16:00,059 And sometimes we can feel like it's just falling on deaf ears. 251 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,080 Like, they don't even hear that he's calling. 252 00:16:04,559 --> 00:16:06,200 And sometimes I start to think that. 253 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,779 I start to feel like, like, does the world out there even, like, care? 254 00:16:10,580 --> 00:16:13,340 Do they even know God is trying to reach them? 255 00:16:13,980 --> 00:16:15,860 And then I had this conversation last night, 256 00:16:16,620 --> 00:16:18,419 and I realized, yeah, they know. 257 00:16:18,419 --> 00:16:21,779 They're actually answering that call. 258 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,000 They just don't know who it's calling. 259 00:16:28,179 --> 00:16:30,519 And so they're sitting in a pew at church, 260 00:16:31,039 --> 00:16:32,519 and they're like, yeah, amen. 261 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:38,860 But they have no idea what, who Jesus is 262 00:16:38,860 --> 00:16:41,539 and how he can transform their lives 263 00:16:41,539 --> 00:16:44,179 and how they can live for him. 264 00:16:47,059 --> 00:16:50,539 There was something that in this conversation the other night 265 00:16:50,539 --> 00:16:53,899 that this gentleman had said, 266 00:16:57,899 --> 00:17:01,820 he said that one of the things that he loves 267 00:17:02,459 --> 00:17:05,900 is that he goes every Sunday, 268 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:09,180 and it's like school. 269 00:17:10,539 --> 00:17:13,200 It's really funny hearing, I'll back up. 270 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:17,720 It's really funny hearing people who've never been to church before, 271 00:17:18,200 --> 00:17:20,680 and they describe to you what church is, 272 00:17:21,039 --> 00:17:23,119 and you're just sitting there like, yeah, man, that's church. 273 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,819 He's like, yeah, like, a teacher will go up for about 40-ish minutes, 274 00:17:28,099 --> 00:17:30,980 and he kind of, I don't know, they call it like, 275 00:17:31,519 --> 00:17:32,660 what do they call it? 276 00:17:32,859 --> 00:17:37,480 He, like, expounds or something on the text in the book that he's reading. 277 00:17:37,900 --> 00:17:39,519 This is the book he's reading, by the way. 278 00:17:40,859 --> 00:17:42,660 And I'm like, yeah, man, that's church. 279 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:43,920 You're in the right place. 280 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:48,420 But he was talking about how for him, 281 00:17:49,180 --> 00:17:51,319 I asked one of the questions I said, 282 00:17:52,799 --> 00:17:56,180 do you feel like you are building a relationship with this church, 283 00:17:56,559 --> 00:17:59,160 or do you feel like you're building a relationship with God? 284 00:18:04,099 --> 00:18:07,680 And it's kind of an awkward question to ask a stranger that you don't know. 285 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,460 But he gave an interesting answer. 286 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,819 He said that, I need this church for community. 287 00:18:16,559 --> 00:18:22,180 But I think for me, it's more of a personal relationship thing that I am after. 288 00:18:23,940 --> 00:18:25,299 Which is just like, isn't that beautiful? 289 00:18:26,539 --> 00:18:28,319 I was like, amen, me too. 290 00:18:30,039 --> 00:18:32,559 It is a personal relationship thing. 291 00:18:34,519 --> 00:18:38,079 I wish I could tell you that I shared the gospel and he gave his life to the Lord, 292 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,660 but that unfortunately didn't happen last night. 293 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:44,579 But it will happen next time I talk to him. Amen. 294 00:18:50,819 --> 00:18:52,740 The Lord is calling. 295 00:18:54,519 --> 00:18:58,900 And he wants us to know him, to experience him. 296 00:19:00,779 --> 00:19:05,200 Now what's interesting here is that eventually, 297 00:19:05,859 --> 00:19:10,259 after the third time, it says in verse 8, 298 00:19:10,500 --> 00:19:12,019 the Lord called Samuel again. 299 00:19:13,099 --> 00:19:16,599 The third time, he arose and went to Eli and said, 300 00:19:16,859 --> 00:19:18,940 here I am, for you called me. 301 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:24,740 And Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 302 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,259 This is a really cool thing that he perceived. 303 00:19:37,460 --> 00:19:40,420 But if you're looking at the context of who this man is, 304 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,319 it's also a really sad thing that it took three times. 305 00:19:46,839 --> 00:19:51,380 For the man that is closest to the Lord in the entire nation of Israel. 306 00:19:52,900 --> 00:19:54,819 Not just spiritually, but like physically. 307 00:19:55,539 --> 00:19:58,000 He's literally in a room right now. 308 00:19:59,039 --> 00:20:01,019 Ministering to the Holy Spirit. 309 00:20:02,940 --> 00:20:05,940 And it took three times before he realized, 310 00:20:06,180 --> 00:20:08,720 oh shoot, God's talking right now. 311 00:20:09,259 --> 00:20:10,559 I completely miss this. 312 00:20:11,759 --> 00:20:14,759 And then he instructs Eli, or he instructs Samuel, 313 00:20:14,940 --> 00:20:16,440 to go and answer that. 314 00:20:22,140 --> 00:20:23,720 Where are you at today? 315 00:20:24,799 --> 00:20:26,079 How are your eyes today? 316 00:20:29,180 --> 00:20:30,140 Not literally. 317 00:20:30,839 --> 00:20:33,640 I mean, let's pray for that too if they're going down. 318 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:37,220 But I mean spiritually, where are your eyes at today? 319 00:20:38,579 --> 00:20:40,680 Do you feel like your eyes are full of life? 320 00:20:41,220 --> 00:20:43,539 Do you feel like when the Lord is speaking, 321 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:45,940 you're seeing it, you're picking it up. 322 00:20:46,519 --> 00:20:49,680 And you're ready to answer, you're ready to obey, 323 00:20:50,599 --> 00:20:53,099 you're ready to receive and act. 324 00:20:53,980 --> 00:20:56,480 Or are we like Eli right now? 325 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,900 I mean, context to Eli's life, Eli loved the Lord, guys. 326 00:21:01,319 --> 00:21:02,460 He was faithful. 327 00:21:05,820 --> 00:21:09,019 But when we learn about how he parents, 328 00:21:11,460 --> 00:21:12,900 it's pretty gnarly. 329 00:21:13,779 --> 00:21:15,960 He just kind of lets his sons do whatever they want. 330 00:21:17,519 --> 00:21:19,299 He lets them disgrace the temple, 331 00:21:19,299 --> 00:21:22,759 disgrace the people, and disgrace God. 332 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,700 I don't know what happened in Eli's life 333 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:31,119 that caused him from being a Godly man 334 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,240 that was ministering to the Spirit of the Lord 335 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,059 on behalf of the entire nation of Israel. 336 00:21:38,940 --> 00:21:42,180 Like, God doesn't just pick anybody. 337 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,599 Like, this was a dude that must have loved him deeply. 338 00:21:46,940 --> 00:21:48,500 And maybe you've been in this position 339 00:21:48,500 --> 00:21:51,839 where you love the Lord deeply. 340 00:21:53,579 --> 00:21:55,720 But then the years go by, 341 00:21:56,839 --> 00:21:59,039 the rhythms kind of go to the side, 342 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,180 and the eyes begin to dim. 343 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,759 Maybe it was in Eli's parenting life, 344 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:10,740 maybe it was really challenging, 345 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:13,680 and he didn't allow it to be his sanctifier. 346 00:22:14,180 --> 00:22:16,420 Instead he allowed it to be just a turmoil 347 00:22:16,420 --> 00:22:19,559 that drew him into this dimness. 348 00:22:21,339 --> 00:22:23,299 I don't know Eli's full story. 349 00:22:26,099 --> 00:22:28,579 Doesn't give us what his thoughts were 350 00:22:28,579 --> 00:22:29,599 and what his heart was. 351 00:22:30,940 --> 00:22:32,319 I don't know your full story. 352 00:22:32,420 --> 00:22:33,279 I don't know your thoughts. 353 00:22:33,460 --> 00:22:34,900 I don't know where your heart is. 354 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:36,599 But I have a feeling you do. 355 00:22:37,599 --> 00:22:38,759 And I know the Lord does. 356 00:22:39,559 --> 00:22:43,519 And I know that the Lord is calling us right now 357 00:22:43,519 --> 00:22:46,180 to say, hey, would you just come back to me? 358 00:22:47,339 --> 00:22:49,859 I'm not proclaiming that there's someone in here 359 00:22:49,859 --> 00:22:52,420 that's just running away from Jesus right now. 360 00:22:52,759 --> 00:22:55,839 I mean, statistically, yeah, there probably is. 361 00:22:56,579 --> 00:22:58,099 And we love you so much. 362 00:22:58,599 --> 00:22:59,700 And we're glad you're here. 363 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:01,460 Because this is the place 364 00:23:02,279 --> 00:23:04,880 where God can grow you and mature you 365 00:23:05,519 --> 00:23:07,859 and receive you with loving, open arms. 366 00:23:09,039 --> 00:23:10,339 And these, by the way, 367 00:23:10,339 --> 00:23:13,019 are the loving, open arms all around you. 368 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:17,819 So where are your eyes? 369 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:19,740 What's the health? 370 00:23:21,420 --> 00:23:23,599 Maybe today would be a perfect opportunity 371 00:23:23,599 --> 00:23:25,779 to just go home and just pray, 372 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,099 Lord, what is the health of my eyes right now? 373 00:23:28,759 --> 00:23:31,039 Am I letting you into my life? 374 00:23:31,599 --> 00:23:33,539 Or am I pushing you out of my life? 375 00:23:34,180 --> 00:23:36,259 Is there unforgiveness in my heart? 376 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:38,119 Is there bitterness? 377 00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:43,920 Is there just big sin that I'm just excusing 378 00:23:45,140 --> 00:23:47,119 because it feels good, 379 00:23:48,279 --> 00:23:50,259 because it's convenient, 380 00:23:51,619 --> 00:23:53,119 because it's comfortable? 381 00:23:57,140 --> 00:24:00,240 Just allow the Lord to just point it out 382 00:24:01,120 --> 00:24:04,119 and then just give it to him 383 00:24:04,119 --> 00:24:06,500 and just repent before the Lord. 384 00:24:07,100 --> 00:24:08,799 I watched the sermon. 385 00:24:09,500 --> 00:24:11,220 There was a pastor in China. 386 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:13,880 The sermon was not in English, 387 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:14,940 but they had a translator, 388 00:24:16,660 --> 00:24:18,480 which is very interesting to watch. 389 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:23,900 But he's an older man now, 390 00:24:24,099 --> 00:24:25,119 but when he received the Lord, 391 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:26,119 he was a young man. 392 00:24:27,519 --> 00:24:31,880 And he was in a very rural village in China, 393 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,559 and his mother had received the Lord 394 00:24:35,559 --> 00:24:37,440 from a missionary that came and visited 395 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,380 and just proclaimed the gospel 396 00:24:39,380 --> 00:24:41,259 and shared scripture. 397 00:24:42,380 --> 00:24:43,839 But in this village, 398 00:24:43,859 --> 00:24:45,279 they didn't have a single Bible. 399 00:24:48,559 --> 00:24:50,180 So they would just pass down 400 00:24:50,180 --> 00:24:53,640 to all their kids this one sermon, 401 00:24:54,079 --> 00:24:57,200 he said, just one sermon from this missionary 402 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:58,359 that they could all remember, 403 00:24:58,819 --> 00:24:59,640 this one sermon. 404 00:25:01,220 --> 00:25:02,539 And he goes, 405 00:25:02,579 --> 00:25:04,160 you want to hear what this one sermon was? 406 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:06,519 And I'm like, yeah, of course, 407 00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,180 let's hear what this one sermon is. 408 00:25:10,759 --> 00:25:12,079 Get down on your knees 409 00:25:13,259 --> 00:25:14,920 and call out to the Lord. 410 00:25:17,420 --> 00:25:18,160 That was it. 411 00:25:18,900 --> 00:25:19,619 That was the sermon. 412 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,480 And he said he's been going around China, 413 00:25:26,319 --> 00:25:28,720 preaching that sermon for decades. 414 00:25:30,079 --> 00:25:31,880 And now he has a Bible, praise the Lord. 415 00:25:32,500 --> 00:25:33,940 He actually has it memorized, 416 00:25:33,940 --> 00:25:35,839 which is, I don't understand. 417 00:25:40,259 --> 00:25:42,819 Persecution does something to you, doesn't it? 418 00:25:43,819 --> 00:25:45,880 Makes it a little bit more dedicated. 419 00:25:47,279 --> 00:25:48,720 I'm not asking for persecution, 420 00:25:49,079 --> 00:25:52,519 but maybe I need a little bit. 421 00:25:55,259 --> 00:25:56,660 Get down on your knees, 422 00:25:57,279 --> 00:25:58,259 call out to the Lord. 423 00:26:00,799 --> 00:26:02,440 I think sometimes we need to do that 424 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:03,640 a little bit more often, don't we? 425 00:26:04,339 --> 00:26:05,460 Just get down on our knees 426 00:26:05,460 --> 00:26:06,799 and call out to the Lord. 427 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:09,079 I love how simple that is. 428 00:26:10,279 --> 00:26:12,539 Like that's all he's asking us to do. 429 00:26:12,599 --> 00:26:13,539 That's all the Lord wants. 430 00:26:13,779 --> 00:26:17,160 Hey, just bow before me 431 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:18,400 and call, 432 00:26:19,180 --> 00:26:20,119 and I'll answer. 433 00:26:20,299 --> 00:26:22,880 There's a song I was listening to this morning. 434 00:26:24,599 --> 00:26:25,539 Come to my rescue. 435 00:26:25,859 --> 00:26:26,660 Do you guys know that song? 436 00:26:27,319 --> 00:26:28,119 I'm not a singer. 437 00:26:29,539 --> 00:26:30,920 I don't want to sing it. 438 00:26:33,559 --> 00:26:34,480 Oh, man. 439 00:26:35,619 --> 00:26:38,059 I called, you answered, 440 00:26:39,099 --> 00:26:42,200 and you came to my rescue, 441 00:26:43,099 --> 00:26:47,220 and I want to be where you are. 442 00:26:48,819 --> 00:26:50,440 You were supposed to sing with me 443 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:50,920 and help me. 444 00:26:51,140 --> 00:26:52,400 Goodness sakes, come on. 445 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:55,440 I don't think they're coming up. 446 00:26:56,099 --> 00:26:56,700 Sorry, Ben. 447 00:26:56,700 --> 00:27:02,579 Let me read a psalm really quick. 448 00:27:03,039 --> 00:27:04,759 It's not in Psalm 2. 449 00:27:05,259 --> 00:27:06,400 I don't know what that was about. 450 00:27:12,899 --> 00:27:15,700 138, chapter 138. 451 00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:20,880 Verse 3. 452 00:27:24,519 --> 00:27:31,420 On the day I called, you answered me. 453 00:27:33,799 --> 00:27:37,519 My strength of soul you increased. 454 00:27:39,700 --> 00:27:40,759 Another translation. 455 00:27:41,900 --> 00:27:45,680 You made me bold in my soul with strength. 456 00:27:47,420 --> 00:27:50,859 On the day I called, you answered me. 457 00:27:52,980 --> 00:27:54,779 You strengthened my soul. 458 00:27:59,619 --> 00:28:02,880 What I wanted us to see in this chapter 459 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,339 was that God is calling us. 460 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,660 Always, always, always, always. 461 00:28:08,940 --> 00:28:10,420 Whether you've never answered 462 00:28:10,420 --> 00:28:12,519 or you've been walking with the Lord 463 00:28:12,519 --> 00:28:14,480 for decades upon decades. 464 00:28:15,279 --> 00:28:18,200 He's always calling us into something, isn't he? 465 00:28:22,139 --> 00:28:24,720 But there's another part of this 466 00:28:25,359 --> 00:28:28,240 where He asked us to call. 467 00:28:28,900 --> 00:28:30,839 He asked us to get down on our knees 468 00:28:30,839 --> 00:28:32,319 and call out to Him. 469 00:28:35,420 --> 00:28:37,559 And if you've never done that before, 470 00:28:40,039 --> 00:28:41,200 you can do that whenever. 471 00:28:42,539 --> 00:28:43,960 You can do it right now if you want to. 472 00:28:44,859 --> 00:28:46,140 No one's going to be upset 473 00:28:46,140 --> 00:28:47,359 if you get down on your knees 474 00:28:47,359 --> 00:28:48,519 and just call out to Him. 475 00:28:48,519 --> 00:28:49,680 You can interrupt. 476 00:28:51,700 --> 00:28:53,480 But maybe you have done that. 477 00:28:54,140 --> 00:28:56,099 And again, you've been walking with the Lord for decades. 478 00:28:58,380 --> 00:29:00,420 And the invitation is still there for you too. 479 00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:02,460 Get down on your knees 480 00:29:03,119 --> 00:29:04,539 and call out to Me. 481 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,420 And He promises that He comes to our rescue. 482 00:29:10,420 --> 00:29:12,619 No matter what you are going through, 483 00:29:13,259 --> 00:29:14,960 the turmoil in your life. 484 00:29:15,599 --> 00:29:16,839 Does anyone in here, by the way, 485 00:29:16,839 --> 00:29:18,400 have a perfect life with no hardship? 486 00:29:19,579 --> 00:29:20,339 Okay, just me. 487 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:21,200 I just want to make sure. 488 00:29:26,020 --> 00:29:28,240 When we're going through life, 489 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:29,440 we're going to have hardship. 490 00:29:29,779 --> 00:29:31,619 It's called being human, right? 491 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,240 We're in a fallen, broken world. 492 00:29:36,700 --> 00:29:39,019 But when we call out to Jesus, 493 00:29:39,700 --> 00:29:41,059 He answers us. 494 00:29:42,740 --> 00:29:45,059 He proclaims life over us. 495 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,319 He redeems us. 496 00:29:46,319 --> 00:29:47,599 He restores us. 497 00:29:48,279 --> 00:29:49,359 He gives us wisdom. 498 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,380 In James chapter 1, 499 00:29:57,180 --> 00:29:58,240 it says, 500 00:29:58,759 --> 00:30:00,660 Consider it joy, my brothers, 501 00:30:01,319 --> 00:30:03,559 when you face trials of various kinds. 502 00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:07,819 For you know that the testing of your faith 503 00:30:07,819 --> 00:30:12,000 produces steadfastness. 504 00:30:13,079 --> 00:30:14,720 I memorized it in ESV. 505 00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,839 Sorry, someone said a different word. 506 00:30:19,859 --> 00:30:24,140 And let steadfastness have its full effect in you 507 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:28,859 so that you may... 508 00:30:28,859 --> 00:30:29,319 something. 509 00:30:30,119 --> 00:30:32,380 You may be made perfect and whole. 510 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:33,420 Amen? 511 00:30:37,220 --> 00:30:40,299 Consider it joy when we face trials. 512 00:30:40,559 --> 00:30:41,559 You know, I love that verse 513 00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:43,000 because it doesn't say, 514 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,299 Be joyful if trials come into your life. 515 00:30:47,279 --> 00:30:48,619 There is no if, right? 516 00:30:49,319 --> 00:30:50,480 It's just trials are coming. 517 00:30:52,299 --> 00:30:54,880 So consider them to be a joy 518 00:30:54,880 --> 00:30:58,240 because of what they produce in you. 519 00:30:59,339 --> 00:31:01,000 If you lean into them, 520 00:31:03,119 --> 00:31:05,000 what are they going to produce in us 521 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,619 if we lean away from the Lord into the world? 522 00:31:09,180 --> 00:31:10,940 More hardship, more pain, 523 00:31:12,939 --> 00:31:13,819 trauma, horror. 524 00:31:15,220 --> 00:31:16,619 But if we lean into the Lord, 525 00:31:17,519 --> 00:31:19,839 it's going to produce steadfastness, 526 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,480 which is going to make us whole. 527 00:31:22,779 --> 00:31:24,539 I love that that word is used. 528 00:31:25,279 --> 00:31:25,380 Whole. 529 00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:29,920 So many people in this world right now 530 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:30,960 want to be made whole. 531 00:31:32,500 --> 00:31:34,160 There's a lot of days where I feel like 532 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:35,099 I want to be made whole. 533 00:31:36,240 --> 00:31:37,960 And there's a lot of days where I feel like 534 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:39,500 I'm being made whole. 535 00:31:39,500 --> 00:31:42,059 Because I just get down on my knees 536 00:31:42,679 --> 00:31:44,180 and I cry out to Jesus. 537 00:31:50,079 --> 00:31:51,700 It's really interesting when you don't 538 00:31:51,700 --> 00:31:53,559 fully know where you're going in a sermon. 539 00:31:54,539 --> 00:31:55,420 The Lord is good. 540 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:11,259 I love this in verse 10 as we continue on. 541 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:14,720 The Lord came and stood, 542 00:32:15,319 --> 00:32:17,660 calling as the other time, 543 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:18,740 Samuel, Samuel. 544 00:32:19,900 --> 00:32:20,859 And Samuel said, 545 00:32:22,319 --> 00:32:24,700 speak for your servant hears. 546 00:32:28,960 --> 00:32:30,700 Isn't that the best way to answer the Lord? 547 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:32,720 I'm listening. 548 00:32:34,279 --> 00:32:35,180 And I'm not great. 549 00:32:36,380 --> 00:32:37,200 I'm not special. 550 00:32:37,940 --> 00:32:38,880 I'm just a servant. 551 00:32:40,119 --> 00:32:41,799 I'm just here to do what you want. 552 00:32:43,220 --> 00:32:44,339 What do you want me to do? 553 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:46,000 Speak to me, Lord. 554 00:32:47,319 --> 00:32:47,980 There's a book 555 00:32:49,759 --> 00:32:51,240 that's like every chapter, 556 00:32:51,460 --> 00:32:53,900 it's talking about living for Christ 557 00:32:53,900 --> 00:32:57,140 and walking in a life of prayer. 558 00:32:58,119 --> 00:33:01,200 And living like fools, 559 00:33:01,380 --> 00:33:03,420 praying like monks is the name of the book. 560 00:33:03,720 --> 00:33:04,740 Tyler Stanton, I think. 561 00:33:06,880 --> 00:33:08,779 And I think it's chapter two. 562 00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:10,500 He gives a practice of prayer 563 00:33:10,500 --> 00:33:15,079 that is a very old traditional monk practice. 564 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:17,660 I don't think they came up with it. 565 00:33:17,660 --> 00:33:19,839 Jesus was probably doing it before then. 566 00:33:20,559 --> 00:33:25,380 But where you just put your hands on your knees, 567 00:33:25,980 --> 00:33:26,920 typically you're sitting down, 568 00:33:27,079 --> 00:33:28,859 otherwise standing like this would be awkward. 569 00:33:29,700 --> 00:33:31,559 You sit down, you just put your hands on your knees. 570 00:33:32,380 --> 00:33:33,759 And yeah, you can go ahead and do it right now. 571 00:33:34,079 --> 00:33:34,900 Let's just all do this. 572 00:33:35,539 --> 00:33:36,839 Just put your hands on your knees 573 00:33:38,279 --> 00:33:39,859 and just take a breath in. 574 00:33:41,779 --> 00:33:42,960 And just breathe out. 575 00:33:43,759 --> 00:33:45,140 And then take a breath in again, 576 00:33:45,140 --> 00:33:48,579 but this time just invite the Lord to speak to you. 577 00:33:48,940 --> 00:33:51,339 Say, Lord, would you speak to me? 578 00:33:52,819 --> 00:33:56,039 And in this practice, you just sit there. 579 00:33:56,799 --> 00:33:57,599 Just like this. 580 00:33:58,759 --> 00:33:59,380 Just silent. 581 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:02,839 It's really restful, isn't it? 582 00:34:04,380 --> 00:34:07,259 Just to let the Lord be present with you. 583 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,519 Let the Lord just speak to you. 584 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:14,079 And my wife and I were going through 585 00:34:14,079 --> 00:34:17,880 some of that life turmoil when I was reading this book. 586 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:21,179 You can stay in that moment if you want to, 587 00:34:21,300 --> 00:34:23,320 or you can come listen again. 588 00:34:23,739 --> 00:34:24,300 It's up to you. 589 00:34:25,739 --> 00:34:27,559 But we're just going through some hard stuff. 590 00:34:28,839 --> 00:34:30,420 And I'm reading this book, 591 00:34:30,760 --> 00:34:32,019 and it's like, you know what? 592 00:34:32,460 --> 00:34:33,619 Let me just do this today. 593 00:34:34,420 --> 00:34:36,420 And so I just sat on my couch, 594 00:34:37,099 --> 00:34:39,039 and I just took a breath in. 595 00:34:39,599 --> 00:34:40,860 I just invited the Lord. 596 00:34:40,860 --> 00:34:44,699 And I had a notebook next to me. 597 00:34:45,760 --> 00:34:48,019 And I don't remember what I wrote down. 598 00:34:49,559 --> 00:34:52,139 But I sat there in silence for probably five minutes, 599 00:34:53,820 --> 00:34:56,119 just not waiting for anything, 600 00:34:56,860 --> 00:34:59,820 not expecting anything, but just sitting with the Lord. 601 00:35:00,920 --> 00:35:02,900 And after about five minutes, 602 00:35:03,420 --> 00:35:05,159 I just felt like the Lord was speaking to me. 603 00:35:05,239 --> 00:35:07,679 And so I grabbed my notebook, and I start writing. 604 00:35:07,679 --> 00:35:11,380 And pages, man, just pages going by. 605 00:35:11,679 --> 00:35:13,340 I have no idea what I wrote. 606 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:15,960 I'd have to go look back, and it doesn't even matter. 607 00:35:18,179 --> 00:35:21,079 And there's many other times I've done that practice 608 00:35:21,699 --> 00:35:25,420 where I sit there, and I just wait. 609 00:35:26,639 --> 00:35:28,619 And I have my notebook ready, just in case. 610 00:35:29,780 --> 00:35:31,440 And a lot of times, nothing. 611 00:35:32,860 --> 00:35:35,179 But every single time I do that, 612 00:35:35,179 --> 00:35:38,820 with the intention of just waiting on the Lord, 613 00:35:39,179 --> 00:35:41,420 not with the intention of hearing something, 614 00:35:42,019 --> 00:35:44,719 not with the intention of getting something from Him, 615 00:35:46,119 --> 00:35:48,940 but just to be there in His presence. 616 00:35:51,000 --> 00:35:53,880 I leave that moment feeling lighter, 617 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,480 more joyful, more filled with peace. 618 00:35:59,039 --> 00:36:02,039 That's what the presence of the Lord does in your life. 619 00:36:03,400 --> 00:36:05,340 You don't have to do anything 620 00:36:05,340 --> 00:36:08,440 except for sit there in His presence, 621 00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:10,639 and He actually transforms you. 622 00:36:10,820 --> 00:36:11,460 Isn't that amazing? 623 00:36:15,900 --> 00:36:17,900 Do you guys like self-help books? 624 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:21,820 Read a few? 625 00:36:22,820 --> 00:36:24,199 I've read quite a few. 626 00:36:27,539 --> 00:36:31,400 The problem with most of them is you've got to do 627 00:36:31,400 --> 00:36:33,679 and do, and do. 628 00:36:34,539 --> 00:36:37,440 Get rid of this habit, get this habit instead. 629 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:40,219 Some of it's great. 630 00:36:40,820 --> 00:36:42,320 I'll be honest, some of it is great. 631 00:36:44,139 --> 00:36:45,880 And a lot of it's just a bunch of hogwash. 632 00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:51,179 A lot of it is just you 633 00:36:52,019 --> 00:36:54,260 doing something to get something 634 00:36:54,260 --> 00:36:57,820 instead of allowing yourself to just do nothing 635 00:36:57,820 --> 00:37:00,579 and allow God to change you. 636 00:37:04,219 --> 00:37:08,320 That's how a lot of us in the church grew in the Lord. 637 00:37:09,920 --> 00:37:16,360 And we thought that to be God's holy people, 638 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:19,739 we got to accomplish holiness. 639 00:37:21,199 --> 00:37:26,260 We got to go and be these amazing Christian people. 640 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:30,519 But His invitation is just, 641 00:37:32,460 --> 00:37:35,239 I'm going to call and you just answer. 642 00:37:37,340 --> 00:37:40,579 You don't have to go and accomplish anything. 643 00:37:41,420 --> 00:37:46,420 In Hebrews it says that we are His holy people. 644 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,199 When you give your life to Jesus, you're just holy. 645 00:37:52,340 --> 00:37:54,340 It doesn't always look like it. 646 00:37:55,059 --> 00:37:57,280 Like you come live in my house for a week 647 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,800 and you're not going to see as much holiness 648 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:02,780 as you see unholiness, probably. 649 00:38:04,119 --> 00:38:05,619 That's just me being honest. 650 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:10,019 And I can't really blame it on my kids. 651 00:38:11,539 --> 00:38:15,320 They do test my patience, but that's the point, right? 652 00:38:16,380 --> 00:38:17,980 They're there to sanctify me 653 00:38:18,639 --> 00:38:21,059 as I'm there to instruct and teach them. 654 00:38:30,039 --> 00:38:32,679 Will we answer? Will we answer? 655 00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:35,139 I'm going to take us to another passage. 656 00:38:37,079 --> 00:38:39,059 Let's go to Matthew. 657 00:38:40,500 --> 00:38:42,920 I'm going to make sure I articulate that clearly 658 00:38:42,920 --> 00:38:44,940 so you don't get lost on the way. 659 00:38:46,460 --> 00:38:47,980 Matthew chapter 1. 660 00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:54,440 I'm not going to read this whole chapter, 661 00:38:55,039 --> 00:38:57,380 but I'll try and sum it for us. 662 00:38:59,619 --> 00:39:02,559 First off, we get the genealogy of Jesus Christ. 663 00:39:03,099 --> 00:39:05,539 Super awesome if you dig through all these names 664 00:39:05,539 --> 00:39:07,019 and then go back to the Old Testament 665 00:39:07,019 --> 00:39:08,460 and read who these people are. 666 00:39:09,059 --> 00:39:09,800 It's really awesome. 667 00:39:11,260 --> 00:39:12,619 Not what we're doing right now. 668 00:39:13,460 --> 00:39:15,440 But we get through this genealogy 669 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:19,300 and then we get the story of Jesus 670 00:39:19,300 --> 00:39:21,619 being born into the world. 671 00:39:25,520 --> 00:39:28,099 If you don't know this story, 672 00:39:29,260 --> 00:39:31,019 I don't know where you've been, 673 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:33,239 but man, this is a good one. 674 00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:37,880 Jesus is born to Mary, 675 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:39,920 who's betrothed the Joseph. 676 00:39:41,179 --> 00:39:43,179 Mary is a virgin woman. 677 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:47,800 She's never been with anybody. 678 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:53,519 And God comes to her through an angel 679 00:39:53,519 --> 00:39:55,619 and the angel's like, hey Mary, 680 00:39:56,880 --> 00:39:58,760 I know that you're a virgin 681 00:39:58,760 --> 00:40:02,400 and this is going to not make any sense to you 682 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:07,219 or anybody for the next thousand and beyond years, 683 00:40:08,100 --> 00:40:10,239 but you're going to have a baby. 684 00:40:11,220 --> 00:40:13,860 And it's the Messiah, Jesus. 685 00:40:15,860 --> 00:40:18,079 I don't understand how that works. 686 00:40:19,139 --> 00:40:23,099 God's Spirit is above our biology, I think. 687 00:40:26,039 --> 00:40:28,519 And so this happens. 688 00:40:29,820 --> 00:40:30,780 She's now pregnant. 689 00:40:32,460 --> 00:40:34,940 And then we get to the story of Joseph. 690 00:40:36,159 --> 00:40:37,539 Can you imagine being Joseph 691 00:40:38,219 --> 00:40:40,119 and like, you're going to marry this girl 692 00:40:40,659 --> 00:40:42,900 and she comes back from her aunt's house 693 00:40:45,719 --> 00:40:47,820 and she looks like she's been eating good. 694 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:51,539 And you're like, what happened Mary? 695 00:40:52,139 --> 00:40:54,260 Like, come on, I thought we were going to get married. 696 00:40:54,380 --> 00:40:55,159 What's going on? 697 00:40:57,420 --> 00:41:00,199 He doesn't say that in this text, by the way. 698 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:03,559 But it said, 699 00:41:05,619 --> 00:41:08,039 let's see, in verse 19, 700 00:41:08,820 --> 00:41:12,619 and her husband Joseph, being a just man 701 00:41:13,559 --> 00:41:15,699 and unwilling to put her to shame, 702 00:41:17,239 --> 00:41:19,360 resolved to divorce her quietly. 703 00:41:21,139 --> 00:41:23,099 But as he considered these things, 704 00:41:24,300 --> 00:41:27,019 behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream 705 00:41:27,559 --> 00:41:30,699 saying, Joseph, son of David, 706 00:41:30,699 --> 00:41:35,099 do not fear to take Mary as your wife. 707 00:41:36,780 --> 00:41:38,719 For that which is conceived in her 708 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:40,440 is from the Holy Spirit. 709 00:41:41,739 --> 00:41:42,719 She will bear a son, 710 00:41:43,219 --> 00:41:45,239 and you shall call his name Jesus, 711 00:41:46,300 --> 00:41:50,260 for he will save his people from their sins. 712 00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:50,579 Amen? 713 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:55,019 All this took place to fulfill 714 00:41:55,019 --> 00:41:56,840 what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. 715 00:41:57,059 --> 00:41:59,480 Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son. 716 00:41:59,480 --> 00:42:01,539 They shall call his name Emmanuel, 717 00:42:01,860 --> 00:42:03,960 which means God with us. 718 00:42:06,740 --> 00:42:09,639 Here's the part I want to just zoom in on, verse 24. 719 00:42:10,119 --> 00:42:12,679 When Joseph woke from sleep, 720 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,840 he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him. 721 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:20,960 He took his wife, but knew her not, 722 00:42:22,119 --> 00:42:23,880 until she had given birth to his son, 723 00:42:24,079 --> 00:42:26,320 and he called his name Jesus. 724 00:42:34,339 --> 00:42:35,219 He answered. 725 00:42:38,059 --> 00:42:40,940 And he didn't answer, like, the story of Jonah. 726 00:42:41,260 --> 00:42:42,139 You guys know that one? 727 00:42:43,119 --> 00:42:45,619 God calls him, hey, go preach to these people 728 00:42:45,619 --> 00:42:47,159 who you hate and who are awful. 729 00:42:48,179 --> 00:42:49,599 And Jonah's like, peace out. 730 00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:50,559 I'm going the other way. 731 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:52,159 He doesn't do that. 732 00:42:53,199 --> 00:42:55,539 He just says, okay. 733 00:42:57,500 --> 00:42:58,440 I am now awake, 734 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,159 and I'm trusting that that was a real thing that just happened, 735 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:04,019 and I'm going to obey. 736 00:43:06,079 --> 00:43:07,280 And so he sticks it out, 737 00:43:09,599 --> 00:43:10,579 which is hard. 738 00:43:12,039 --> 00:43:12,619 Like, that's it. 739 00:43:13,159 --> 00:43:16,260 Like, if you just look at what's going on here, 740 00:43:16,639 --> 00:43:18,840 apart from just, like, this is a Bible story, 741 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:21,440 like, just take yourself back into their shoes. 742 00:43:21,739 --> 00:43:24,739 Like, this is major marriage conflict. 743 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:26,800 Like, major. 744 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:30,539 If you're a husband, has your wife ever come home pregnant 745 00:43:30,539 --> 00:43:32,960 and you hadn't slept with her? 746 00:43:33,239 --> 00:43:34,559 And you're like, whoa! 747 00:43:35,139 --> 00:43:37,099 Like, that's what's going on here. 748 00:43:37,900 --> 00:43:38,460 It's huge. 749 00:43:40,019 --> 00:43:42,699 I can't even imagine the arguments 750 00:43:42,699 --> 00:43:44,679 that would be going on in this house. 751 00:43:46,539 --> 00:43:48,900 But the Lord speaks, and he calls. 752 00:43:50,820 --> 00:43:54,619 He says, Joseph, I know this is hard. 753 00:43:55,400 --> 00:43:57,579 I know you probably don't want to do this, 754 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:02,079 but I need you to stick this out and just trust me. 755 00:44:02,880 --> 00:44:06,579 This is my son, and you're going to raise him. 756 00:44:07,780 --> 00:44:08,840 And he wakes up, 757 00:44:10,240 --> 00:44:11,940 and he does what God said. 758 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:24,559 So, what do we do? 759 00:44:25,539 --> 00:44:29,820 Are we going to wake up and answer with obedience? 760 00:44:33,580 --> 00:44:35,340 Maybe we're the Eli. 761 00:44:36,559 --> 00:44:37,960 Our eyes are a little bit dim. 762 00:44:40,900 --> 00:44:42,300 We've kind of been drifting. 763 00:44:44,480 --> 00:44:45,880 We still know the Lord. 764 00:44:46,500 --> 00:44:47,780 We still love the Lord. 765 00:44:48,500 --> 00:44:51,000 We're still Godly followers of Jesus. 766 00:44:52,619 --> 00:44:56,500 We've just kind of let our eyes grow dim over the years. 767 00:44:58,360 --> 00:45:00,840 And God's been speaking to you. 768 00:45:02,100 --> 00:45:04,719 And you're just missing it right now. 769 00:45:06,340 --> 00:45:08,579 And he doesn't want you to miss it 770 00:45:08,579 --> 00:45:12,199 because there's an amazing life with the Lord for you. 771 00:45:14,139 --> 00:45:15,320 Don't waste it. 772 00:45:15,619 --> 00:45:17,179 Don't miss this opportunity. 773 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:20,659 I did not wake up this morning 774 00:45:20,659 --> 00:45:22,619 expecting to be standing here. 775 00:45:26,360 --> 00:45:28,659 But I do not want to miss this. 776 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:32,980 What is God calling you to this morning? 777 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:36,739 Maybe for you, you need to go home. 778 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:39,179 Put your hands on your knees. 779 00:45:40,420 --> 00:45:43,340 Take a deep breath and ask the Lord to speak. 780 00:45:45,159 --> 00:45:45,820 Start there. 781 00:45:48,559 --> 00:45:49,840 Maybe some of you already know, 782 00:45:50,679 --> 00:45:51,880 and you're like Joseph. 783 00:45:54,780 --> 00:45:56,639 As the worship team comes forward, 784 00:45:56,639 --> 00:45:59,099 we can close. 785 00:46:01,639 --> 00:46:03,059 I have a very loving wife back there 786 00:46:03,059 --> 00:46:04,739 who's playing air guitar 787 00:46:05,239 --> 00:46:07,739 to remind me that I forgot to call you guys up. 788 00:46:07,900 --> 00:46:07,960 Sorry. 789 00:46:10,599 --> 00:46:11,300 Thanks, honey. 790 00:46:15,880 --> 00:46:20,619 Maybe you know exactly what the Lord is telling you. 791 00:46:22,300 --> 00:46:26,400 And you're just not sure you can do it. 792 00:46:27,360 --> 00:46:29,039 Not sure you have what it takes 793 00:46:29,039 --> 00:46:30,780 to be a faithful follower of Jesus. 794 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:32,380 Guess what? 795 00:46:33,199 --> 00:46:33,760 You don't. 796 00:46:34,400 --> 00:46:35,300 I don't either. 797 00:46:36,719 --> 00:46:37,699 Praise the Lord. 798 00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:38,980 God is still good. 799 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:42,820 And he's going to carry us. 800 00:46:43,380 --> 00:46:44,760 He's going to carry us. 801 00:46:45,619 --> 00:46:46,099 Let's pray. 802 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:50,800 Yeah, actually, before we pray, 803 00:46:50,960 --> 00:46:53,099 can I just... 804 00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:55,920 If there's just something on your heart, 805 00:46:56,460 --> 00:46:59,380 like if God is really pressing on your heart, 806 00:46:59,599 --> 00:47:01,260 not because of what I said, 807 00:47:01,639 --> 00:47:02,880 but because of his Spirit, 808 00:47:04,099 --> 00:47:06,960 could you just take a moment to just hear that? 809 00:47:07,380 --> 00:47:08,760 I'm not going to ask you to stand up 810 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:10,800 or come up here or raise your hand, 811 00:47:11,559 --> 00:47:13,699 but just like take a moment to pause. 812 00:47:14,500 --> 00:47:17,860 We are so utterly distracted, 813 00:47:19,579 --> 00:47:20,679 so distracted. 814 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:23,800 We live in an attention economy. 815 00:47:24,519 --> 00:47:26,780 Everything is fighting for your attention. 816 00:47:28,059 --> 00:47:32,360 And there's only one being that actually deserves it. 817 00:47:34,739 --> 00:47:37,440 So would you just give your attention to him? 818 00:47:38,659 --> 00:47:39,599 So just take a moment. 819 00:47:40,179 --> 00:47:43,099 I'm going to pray, but would you just... 820 00:47:43,099 --> 00:47:44,079 Put our hands on our lap. 821 00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:46,380 Take a deep breath. 822 00:47:47,199 --> 00:47:48,260 And would you just invite the Lord 823 00:47:48,260 --> 00:47:49,480 to speak to you right now? 824 00:47:50,739 --> 00:47:52,280 Maybe your heart is just pounding. 825 00:47:55,119 --> 00:47:56,199 Answer, would you? 826 00:47:57,300 --> 00:48:00,059 The phone has been ringing and ringing and ringing. 827 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:02,280 Answer. 828 00:48:03,860 --> 00:48:04,659 Stop waiting. 829 00:48:06,079 --> 00:48:09,219 There's no magical thing that's going to appear in the sky 830 00:48:09,219 --> 00:48:10,360 to tell you what to do. 831 00:48:10,900 --> 00:48:13,179 You just got to take one step. 832 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,000 Lord, would you... 833 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:24,440 Oh, would you press on our hearts right now, Lord? 834 00:48:34,820 --> 00:48:36,659 Lord, would you speak to us right now? 835 00:48:51,099 --> 00:48:52,960 Thank you for calling us. 836 00:48:53,840 --> 00:48:57,920 Thank you for equipping us in things that we are not equipped in. 837 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:02,659 Thank you for loving us. 838 00:49:05,239 --> 00:49:08,739 Thank you, Jesus, that this is about you, not about me, 839 00:49:08,739 --> 00:49:11,099 not about any of us. 840 00:49:12,420 --> 00:49:15,760 Lord, help us just to lay all our fears aside, 841 00:49:17,079 --> 00:49:18,860 all our anxieties. 842 00:49:19,199 --> 00:49:22,480 Lord, let's just cast them at your feet right now. 843 00:49:23,739 --> 00:49:25,900 You can fill us. 844 00:49:26,980 --> 00:49:27,800 We know it. 845 00:49:28,460 --> 00:49:29,199 We've seen it. 846 00:49:29,260 --> 00:49:30,739 We trust it. 847 00:49:31,500 --> 00:49:33,340 Lord, give us a greater portion of faith 848 00:49:33,340 --> 00:49:34,659 to go and do your work. 849 00:49:38,739 --> 00:49:41,719 I don't know what the Lord is calling you to do right now. 850 00:49:43,440 --> 00:49:46,920 I don't know if there's somebody in your heart that you need to forgive. 851 00:49:48,760 --> 00:49:51,679 I don't know if there's a neighbor that you need to go talk to. 852 00:49:52,500 --> 00:49:54,360 Be the love of Jesus with. 853 00:49:58,619 --> 00:50:03,599 But I just want to compel you to stop waiting. 854 00:50:06,960 --> 00:50:14,639 Do not waste your life waiting unless it's waiting on the Lord. 855 00:50:15,940 --> 00:50:21,019 That's the only kind of waiting that we should be doing. 856 00:50:21,300 --> 00:50:21,980 Amen. 857 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:32,460 Thanks for joining us at Lansdale Life Church as we praise God and discuss His Word. 858 00:50:32,460 --> 00:50:38,619 Don't forget to join us for Worship Live Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. Eastern on YouTube. 859 00:50:39,659 --> 00:50:41,719 Be blessed and have a great day!