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- [00:01]
A
I love me a worship song with some O's in it. Some good old O's. The O's to me are sometimes the best lyrics because I don't always have the words to articulate how good God has been. So every once in a while, I need a good look. Oh, and you ain't got to know what my O is about. That's between me and him.
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He knows my O.
- [00:18]
A
He knows your O2. That's the beauty of our God. All the people in this room, in the Watch Party room, make some noise for Watch Party.
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Watch Party.
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A
How y'all feeling?
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What up? Watch Party. Watch Party. If they don't praise them in here, I'm coming over there.
- [00:43]
A
It's gonna be a good Sunday. Look at the person next to you and say, neighbor, you look unshakable. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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You still feel unshakable. How many know there are 50 days left in this year, y'all?
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50 days left. It's crazy.
- [01:03]
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In just 50 days, y'all be talking about, yo, 2025 gonna be my year. I know I said 2024, 2025, I'm coming alive, okay?
- [01:12]
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And we always start off our year with the Word. And we started off this year with the word unshakable, saying that a shaky world needs an unshakable church. And we connected a scripture to that Word. And we have read this scripture every single Sunday of this year. So we ain't going to stop today. Y'all ready? Come on. Hebrews, chapter 12, verses 28, 29. Let's read it with caffeinated voices as loud as you can.
- [01:38]
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Come on.
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Do you see what we an unable?
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And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He is actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won't quit until it's all cleansed. God himself, social fam. Y'all sound good.
- [02:08]
A
You get better every Sunday. I don't know how, but you do. And then our scripture for today is going to be in Joshua, chapter five. Now, last week we were at home, it was Watch Party Sunday, and I did something unusual. I kicked off a series on Watch Party. And the series is just simply called look, look, look, look, look. If there was a tagline to this series, it would be seeing what God sees. Look, look. So last week, we looked back at what God has done in our church. Next Sunday, we're going to look ahead for what is to come. Don't miss. If you miss next Sunday, I'm just saying you're going to be mad at yourself. And. And then today we're gonna look at where we are now. And I think this is a critical series, not just for our church, but for your life. Cause how many know? You need to be able to look back at where you've come from. You need to look ahead to where you're going, and you need to be aware and cognizant of where you are right now. Look, look. Somebody say look, look. Learn how to look. If all you see is what you see, you have yet to see all there is to be seen. Open up your eyes and Look. Joshua, chapter five. Y'all ready? Verse 13. And it says, and it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a man stood opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said, are you for us or for our adversaries? I need to know, are you friend or foe? And so he said, the man did no. I love that. Another version says, neither. But as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, capital H. What does my Lord say to his servant? Then the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy. And Joshua did. So can you say, amen? That is good stuff right there. I guess a title for this message could have been like, look, Part two, but you wouldn't go home talking about that. Okay, so that's. That's not my title. I am intrigued with this conversation between Joshua, who I thought was the commander of the armies of Israel, but he encounters this mystery man who says, I am the commander of the army of the Lord. I want to tag a title to this text and just talk to you from this thought. The Commander in Chief. The commander in chief. Look at your neighbor for the last time. Maybe not the last, but just look at him. Say, oh, neighbor, I hope you know who the commander in chief is. Look at your other neighbor. Say, other neighbor, I hope you know who's really in charge.
- [05:17]
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Somebody give God some praise.
- [05:19]
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Like he can speak at the 11:30 service today.
- [05:23]
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Shout out. Before you sit down, shout out to the team that's from Norway. Did I hear that? Y'all are from Norway. Come on, y'all. Can you make them feel welcome? This amazing team from that's the best Clap Y'all got from Norway. So honored to have y'all with us.
- [05:40]
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You can be seated. You can be seated. That's amazing.
- [05:42]
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Some of y'all won't even come from Northwest highway. They came from Norway.
- [05:50]
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The commander in chief. Last week, or I should say a couple of weeks ago, Social fam. Pastor Taylor and I went and traveled to the humid city of Houston, Texas, with, I think, about 30 of our staff and their spouses, and we went to Houston for social, Dallas's second annual staff retreat. It's our second annual staff retreat. Now, that's not a big deal to you, but that is a big deal to me. In fact, it sounds even surreal to say second annual staff retreat, because I remember y'all when we had no staff. Yes. When we launched this church in 2021. Whoo.
- [06:33]
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Nobody was on staff, including myself and Pastor Taylor.
- [06:37]
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We weren't on staff.
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The reason we're on staff is because.
- [06:39]
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We couldn't afford to put us on staff. Amen. That's. That's just the answer to that. We was like a nonprofit for real. And it's just amazing to see what God has done in three years that we have a staff now and we.
- [06:52]
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Can go on a retreat with this staff. Y'all.
- [06:56]
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Look what the Lord has done.
- [06:59]
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You can't clap. I'm gonna clap. It's a big deal. One psalmist said, started from the bottom.
- [07:06]
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Now we're here. That's just big deal to me. And we traveled to Houston. It was amazing time. And I really felt on this staff retreat that it was incumbent upon me to not just talk about strategy and calendars and org charts and timelines and budgets and graphs. All that is good, and I love it. In fact, our CFO really loves it. Pastor Doug Tuttle is here.
- [07:30]
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Shout out, Pastor Doug.
- [07:31]
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Would you give everybody a wave right here?
- [07:34]
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Not that all that has its time and its place, but I felt it.
- [07:37]
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Was my responsibility at this staff retreat to remind our team about the necessity to continually fight to see what we've got. To fight to see what we've got. You have to understand that when you work in ministry, it's like working in the kitchen at your favorite restaurant. They don't put chandeliers in the kitchen. It is tough sometimes when you're working in the kitchen and the fight of your life when you work in ministry is to fight to see the beauty of ministry and not the burden of ministry.
- [08:15]
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To fight to see the miracle of a ministry and not the mess that.
- [08:20]
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Comes with the miracle. See some of y'all are confused right there because you're like, wait a minute. Howsoever could it be that there be a mess and a miracle simultaneously? How in the world could you have a miracle season but within the miracle have a mess? And if that's what you're thinking, you let me know. You don't got kids because anybody that.
- [08:41]
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Has some offspring, you know what it's like to hold a miracle. But know that that miracle does not.
- [08:48]
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Give you a pass on messes, that.
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You can have a blessing in your life. And sometimes with that blessing comes the.
- [08:55]
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Greatest burden of your life.
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Sometimes with that miracle comes some sleepless nights, it comes some pain, it comes with some turmoil, it comes with some things that you never thought were attached to the blessing. In fact, I could pass this mic around today and somebody could testify and say that, honestly, the most brutal season of your life was not the season of closed doors. It's the season when God opened doors because it opened you up to a new level of attack.
- [09:23]
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It opened you up to enemies you.
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Didn'T even know that you had. It opened you up to ridicule and persecution that you didn't know that came with the blessing. Oh, it is a wonderful thing when God speaks a word and says, throw your net on the other side of the boat and you throw over the net and all of a sudden you got all this fish. But you forget that when the disciples caught the fish that day, their net started breaking and their boat started sinking.
- [09:48]
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Because sometimes there is a burden attached to the blessing.
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And some of you are trying to.
- [09:54]
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Get rid of the miracle. And God says, if I get rid of the miracle, oh yes, you'll have. Won't have the mess, but you'll still sit there wondering, how in the world did this come with that?
- [10:06]
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So I was just encouraging the team.
- [10:08]
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To fight to see the beauty of what we've got. Why do you have to fight to see the beauty of what you have? The reason you got to fight to see it is because whatever you are looking for, how many know you will find it. You don't necessarily see what you see. You have the tendency to see the things that you are actually looking for. This is the way life is. Have you noticed this? In fact, I want to ask you just right in the onset of this message, what are you looking for? What are you looking for? Because whatever you're looking for, that's what you will find. You will not find what you see, you will find what you are looking for. What are you looking for? It reminds me of A guy who was desperate for a job, and he wanted a job so bad. And he prayed to the Lord. He said, lord, if you'll just open up a door and give me a.
- [10:56]
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Job, I promise you, Lord, I will praise you forever. Lord, I'm on tithe.
- [10:59]
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Please just give me a job. I'm desperate. God opens up a door, gives this man a job, and he starts working at this arboretum. He's working at an arboretum, and his job at this arboretum is to pick up the trash at this arboretum. This was a beautiful place. All kinds of wonderful flowers and trash would often blow to the arboretum. And his job was to make sure that this arboretum stayed pristine and clean. And y'all, when he got the job, he was doing the Holy Ghost 2 step. He was like, oh, thank you, Lord. I'm so glad I have this job. I'm so glad that you bless me.
- [11:27]
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Two months into the job, a friend.
- [11:28]
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Of his said, how's the job?
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He's like, I hate it.
- [11:31]
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I can't stand this job. You should see what I have to do. It's ridiculous. And the friend was like, what you talking about?
- [11:37]
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You were just excited about this job. He's like, I've been to that arboretum. It's beautiful. Must be amazing to work there.
- [11:42]
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He's like, no, people are disgusting. They are filthy. You should see the trash that I.
- [11:47]
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Have to pick up every single day. Complaining about the job and how many know. There was nothing wrong with his environment. His environment was beautiful. His environment was amazing.
- [11:59]
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The problem was what he was looking for. He wasn't looking for the beauty of the roses or the flowers. He was looking for the trash. Because that's what he was looking for. It changed his perspective. Even though he was in a great environment. Can I tell you, that tends to be our society and our culture today. Have you noticed this?
- [12:18]
B
We have a culture that's not looking for the beauty. We are looking for the trash. We will do a blog and a commentary of the trash. We are already trying to see what's negative, what's wrong, what's jacked up, every single thing you scroll on. We don't want to sit and watch a video of somebody actually being a blessing to somebody. We want to watch somebody whose wig got snatched off and started fighting in the middle of the street. We will scroll for hours and watch a car wreck because our culture has conditioned us to see the trash and not see the beauty. But can I tell you, as somebody who's supposed to be salt in the earth, somebody who's supposed to be light in the earth. Can you just fight to see the beauty? Can you fight to see the life? Can you fight to see the hope? Can you fight to see the joy? Can you fight to see what God could actually do? Do you see what we've got? An unshakable king? Do you see how thankful we must be? See, you know what? Some of I just gave that little. Because it's not in our DNA.
- [13:15]
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We're always looking for what's messed up.
- [13:18]
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This is why nobody's ever left a date or a meeting with somebody and come back from the date or come.
- [13:23]
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Back from the meeting somebody and said, oh, my goodness, there were so many green flags.
- [13:28]
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You have never in your life come back from meeting somebody or having an experience and say, oh, yo, the green flag. No, all we are looking for is red flags. That is the lens. We look through everything rfo red flags only. But can I just speak like I'm in Gen Z? I'm not. But can I just say, can we normalize green flags too? Can you normalize actually seeing the miracle that is loading in the midst of what you're going through? Can we normalize seeing the life in the situation? What are you looking for? What are you looking for? Don't just look for the red, look for the green. And why we talking about it? Can I just say, I'm not saying you should be cautious. Everybody got red flags. If you are breathing, you got a red flag. And if you don't think you got a red flag, you let me tell you, it's a whole parade in your life right now. Humanity is broken. All of us got some red flags.
- [14:25]
A
But let's normalize actually seeing the beauty, actually seeing the hope, actually seeing the life and seeing what God is able to do. I'm trying to challenge you to look at things differently. Somebody say look now. Say it with your chest. Say look. Look. What are you looking for?
- [14:44]
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I'm in a season of life.
- [14:45]
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And I can just say it because I'm 40. I'm looking at me.
- [14:50]
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Not like in a narcissistic way. I'm just saying I'm looking at me.
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I'm not looking to be offended.
- [14:55]
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I'm not looking to be triggered. And if I do get triggered, I'm.
- [14:58]
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Like, why am I triggered? I'm looking at me.
- [15:02]
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I'm looking at me and my button gets pushed.
- [15:04]
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I'm like, why is that button there?
- [15:07]
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Why did I react that way? It's powerful when you turn the lens.
- [15:11]
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And you look at the right thing. Somebody Say look. Say it with your chest. Say look. Peppered throughout your Bible is this word look. Matter of fact, when you get to the crib, if you want to do a Bible study, just look for look and you will see. Look all throughout your Bible. It's like God is trying to get our attention. All throughout passage of scripture, you'll see this word look. In fact, let me be more precise, almost 1500 times, depending on the version in your Bible, you'll see this word behold, Behold, which is just like look. In fact, I just love that word behold.
- [15:47]
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I love.
- [15:47]
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You gotta say behold with a British accent and some Shakespearean gravitas. Behold. Behold.
- [15:53]
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What a powerful word. In fact, behold generally has an exclamation.
- [15:57]
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Point on the end of it. It's like, behold. You know what exclamation point is?
- [16:01]
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It's the grammatical way of just grabbing.
- [16:03]
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You by your collar and saying, yo, pay attention.
- [16:06]
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Look at this. This is a big deal. Why in the world, 1500 times in your Bible would God need to say.
- [16:13]
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And sometimes through angelic visits, behold.
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Why would behold need to precede? Because God knows how much our attention.
- [16:22]
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Gets distracted from things that don't even matter.
- [16:25]
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So he often has to tell us, yo, pay attention. Look. Behold. Don't you see? I think God knows the human tendency to ignore the incredible how sometimes we can just bypass the things that are beautiful. He knows that sometimes we can be in the middle of the miraculous and be oblivious to the miracle. So he has to say, hey, behold. Look. Pay attention. If I had time, I would just.
- [16:47]
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Preach a whole message on all the.
- [16:49]
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Looks and all the beholds in the Bible where God was trying to get the attention of the person to let them know this is not just an ordinary moment. This is a God moment. Open up your eyes and pay attention to it. Look.
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Behold.
- [17:02]
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Come here, Abraham. You can't even get out of Genesis without the word. Look, Abraham, look up. Do you see the stars? See if you can count those stars. I know you're dealing with infertility right now, but you're going to find out that when I give you a promise, that promise will come to pass. And I don't care if you're a senior citizen. Get ready. You and Sarah about to have a baby. But look, I want you to see the stars because that's how I'm going to make your descendants look. Look, Moses, open up your eyes and look. I know you've been on the run from Egypt and you're out here in the wilderness and you think your life is over. And you've lost hope. But look, there's a bush that's burning, but it's not being burnt up. I'm trying to get your attention to that bush so I can speak to you and let you know I am that I am. And you got. You need to do what I've called you to do. Look, open up your eyes and look. Look at the lilies of the field. Jesus said, look at the birds of the air. If I'm taking care of the lilies and the birds, you know I can take care of you. You know I'm gonna make sure your rent gets paid. You know I'm gonna make sure that a door opens for you.
- [18:07]
A
Look. You better look. All throughout the Bible, these moments that seemed ordinary until God said, look. Even God's arrival. Remember John the Baptist? He was baptized in just the ordinary day. And I feel bad for the person that was getting baptized when he saw it, because, you know, they drown because he was baptized. And all of a sudden he's like, whoa, look. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Jesus didn't even let him know when.
- [18:41]
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He was going to show up and.
- [18:42]
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Shows up in the line to get baptized.
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The Savior of the world with no.
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Sin shows up in line for a baptism service. And people were just in line, just going, just a regular day, until John the Baptist said, look. Look at what is in our midst. And we didn't even notice it. We didn't even. I wonder what you're not noticing because you don't look, you don't see. This is why the writer of Hebrews tells us, before it gets to our verse of the year, it says, looking unto Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him, even Jesus knew where to look, for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. I'm telling you, there's a power in what you look at. As a matter of fact, I'm learning that the people who advance in the kingdom of God are the people who have learned what to look at. The people that step into the places that God has already prepared for them are the people that know what to look at. I need you to elbow that neighbor that ain't said Amen the whole service and just tell them, look.
- [19:50]
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Don't tell them, look.
- [19:52]
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Whenever I travel, Whenever I travel and I'm driving, this is assuming. Assuming that the engine is working and the tires are good. I have three I have three lenses that I have to have whenever I'm driving, whenever I'm traveling somewhere to a destination. I have three lenses that I have to look through. One is my rear view mirror. I need my rear view mirror. I have to have it because how many you know, it matters. To look behind you, you need to learn the power of hindsight, your history.
- [20:23]
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You don't want to keep staring back.
- [20:25]
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There, but there's something powerful about understanding what has led you to the current moment you are in now. I need my rear view mirror. I need my history. I got three kids and two dogs that need deliverance. I am first looking at my rearview mirror. I need that lens. That is hindsight. I also have my windshield. I need that, too. Don't pull up at my crib and spray paint my windshield black, okay? I need to see that because my windshield. That's my insight. I need to see what's happening right now in real time. I need to know where I am now. But I have something else I look at, and some of y'all don't know about this, but you need to know about it. And it's called ways. Anybody use Ways? Come on. If your hand ain't up, you are missing on a blessing in life, okay? Don't use Apple Maps. Don't use Google Maps. You need ways in your life, okay? You need way. God will make a ways where there seems to be no ways.
- [21:21]
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I need ways because even though I got my rearview mirror, even though I got my windshield, I need ways. Waze helps me because Waze is foresight. Waze is where I program in the destination of where I'm headed to. I need Waze. And I don't need to just look at Waze. Waze talks to me. It lets me know what's coming at.
- [21:39]
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Turn right here.
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I need. Wait. Waze will be specific object on road ahead. I need to know. Police hidden around the corner.
- [21:47]
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Thank you.
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Ways. Let me know what is going to be on my journey and let me know the route to take. That is foresight. Because I have a prepared place. I'm not just out here driving around aimlessly. I'm driving because I'm headed somewhere. So it is this beautiful collision of hindsight and insight and foresight that helps me arrive to the place that God has for me. And some of y'all don't got all three, but you need to get all three. You just got hindsight and you just got insight. But can I tell you, you need a little bit of foresight. You need a God, that'll tell you this is where you need to go. Turn left here. This is the season to be doing this. Oh, don't date them now. No, don't even call them back. You need a God that'll speak to.
- [22:28]
A
You and let you know where to go and where to turn. And it's the power of these three vantage points that I believe comes to a collision in Joshua's life. Hindsight, insight, and foresight. I love what George Barna says. He says, vision is foresight with insight based on hindsight. Vision is foresight, what's ahead with insight. But it's based on hindsight. And all of these collide at this pivotal moment in the life of Joshua. Before I talk about his insight and the foresight of the prepared place that God had already prepared for him, a promise given to Abraham. Can we just go to the hindsight? You gotta understand Joshua's history. Matter of fact, if you're going to understand anybody, you need to know something about their history. I love Joshua. His name means the Lord is salvation. I love Joshua. Because Joshua's life could be determined by what he. What he saw, what he looked at. Elbow your neighbor, say look. Elbow your other neighbor, say look.
- [23:36]
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It's what he saw. It's what he looked at. Understand that Joshua, he was raised under.
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The tyranny of Egypt.
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He was there.
- [23:44]
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He was a part of that sick system of slavery.
- [23:48]
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He was there. He saw God show up and do the miraculous. He saw when God showed and flexed.
- [23:54]
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His power to Pharaoh.
- [23:56]
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He saw all the plagues. He saw the frogs come out of nowhere. He saw the Nile river turn into blood. He saw when the sun refused to shine and it was dark. He saw the locust. He looked. He saw the miracle working power of God, y'all. Joshua saw the night that the death angel came into the camp and began to sweep through the camp that night. And the only people that were saved were the people that took a lamb and killed an innocent lamb and took the blood of the lamb and put it on the doorpost. And the only places that that death angel passed over were the houses that had the blood of the lamb on their doorpost. Here's what I love. It wasn't that the house was perfect. It wasn't that the house had it all together. But the only place that the death angel passed over were the houses that had the blood of the lamb on the doorpost. I wish somebod would shout like you knew it wasn't your record that justified you. It wasn't your church Attendance that justified you. It wasn't your Bible reading program that justified you. Is there anybody in it that's thankful for the blood of Jesus Christ? That is the only thing that caused death to pass over my life. It is not my perfection. It's the perfect lamb that chose to live a sinless life and lay it down for the world. Joshua was there. He saw. Joshua was there the day they said, yo, we out of here. And all of a sudden they start leaving. And then Pharaoh changes his mind and starts chasing them. Joshua was there when they got to the Red Sea. And there was a red light at the Red Sea. And he saw Moses look up to God and go, hey, what we do about this now? And God said, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Joshua saw. Moses saw this lift up his staff and the Red Sea split. And they walk through looking at a wall of water. Can you imagine? But ain't the part that makes me shout. The part that makes me shout was that they walk through on dry ground.
- [25:52]
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It shouts me every time.
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It's not just that God can make a highway in the middle of the sea. I love that God is so intentional that he would take time to dry up the ground. Come on, you know, if water was there, it should have been mud for them to walk through, but not God. He said, I don't want you taking the foot footprints of your past into your future. So I'm gonna throw in an extra miracle and make sure that the ground that you step on is dry. I don't know who I'm preaching to today, but God said, the place you about to step into, you're not gonna have any traces of your past. So keep walking and trust God that what he's got in front of you is greater than what's been behind you. Somebody take like 10 seconds and give God the best praise that you got. I mean, give him a dry ground praise. I'm thankful that he can split the sea, but I'm more thankful that he it dry, dry ground. Joshua saw all of that. You know what kind of confidence you got in God when you see stuff like that? When you realize your God can talk to frogs and locusts and split water.
- [26:57]
A
And dry up ground, but none of that is the stuff that if I was Joshua, I would have put on my resume. Joshua's biggest flex, his biggest flex, the thing that he should have had right on his Instagram profile, is Joshua, son of nun, assistant to Moses. That's a big deal. Millions of people walk through, and the one person that Moses trusted to be his right hand man. Joshua as a leader. I wish Moses would at least given us some blues clues as to why you picked Joshua. All these people and you choose this young dude, you trust him to walk with you. Joshua must have been something special. You understand? When Moses says, I want you to be my right hand man, that is the equivalent of Martin Luther King Jr. Saying I've been having more than dreams.
- [27:53]
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I want you to come and walk with me. Just is Moses, the greatest prophet to ever live, chooses Joshua? What type of character did Joshua have.
- [28:07]
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For Moses to pick him? And Joshua would just watch. He would look, look and watch how God would speak to Moses. In fact, read it when you get to the crib. In Exodus 33, there's an incredible moment because God shows up to Moses and the tent of meeting, the glory of God shows up. And if you read fast, you'll miss it. But how many know Joshua was not too far from the tent of meeting and he's watching the miraculous power of God, the glory of God show up to Moses. Joshua saw everybody else is in the tent, but Joshua got insight and revelation that nobody else got. How many know there are some things in your life that once you see it, you can't unsee it. It, once you experience it, you can't not experience it. There's some of you right now been running from God for the longest and the thing that keeps drawing you back is what you have seen. You know the power of God, you know the presence of God, even while.
- [29:09]
B
You all turning up in the club. You remember that moment at youth camp.
- [29:13]
A
When God's presence filled you. It's just amazing that there's some things that once you see it, it, you can't unsee it. Matter of fact, I, I, I'll take you back. Since we're looking back and looking at where we are now. Do you remember one of the first messages I preached this year? The title was? What was the title? The title was. It was there all along. You remember that message? Nobody effective ministry.
- [29:41]
B
How many? How many?
- [29:42]
A
Remember you remember that message? Remember that message? Okay, if you do, how many never heard that message. It was there how long? Okay, beautiful social Dallas YouTube page like Share and subscribe. But there's a moment in that message. There's a moment in that message where I showed you this right here. Remember I Talked about the FedEx logo, remember?
- [30:01]
B
And you got all them FedEx packages and you had no clue right there in the middle, that arrow right there. You didn't know it was there.
- [30:09]
A
All along.
- [30:10]
B
Remember that? Remember that? Then I showed you the other logo. Remember I showed you Baskin Robbins? Come on, come on. Tell the truth. Shame the devil. You were eating all that ice cream, had no clue why you're eating pink flavored ice cream. They're right there. They were letting you know there was 31 flavors. Remember that?
- [30:21]
A
Remember that?
- [30:22]
B
Remember I showed you that? Remember that? Remember that? Remember I showed you in Tostitos? Remember all them super bowl games that the Cowboys are not in? Amen and still praying. And remember all them super bowl games and you eating Tostitos, dipping in the guacamole and had no clue right in the logo. Two people dipping one chip in the salsa. Remember that? Remember that? Remember that? Remember I showed you that? One day when we get our own building. Remember I showed you? We're going to turn our current headquarters possibly into a coffee shop. It's going to be social. Coffee, coffee. Remember that? Coffee with a cause. Remember I said? I said you flip it and they.
- [30:52]
A
Just gonna think it's a cup with steam, but it's sd. Okay, now watch this.
- [30:57]
B
Here's what I love about that metaphor, is those of you who saw it the first time, the second time, you're like, yeah, you were going crazy.
- [31:05]
A
Oh, I didn't know. I didn't know.
- [31:06]
B
Now you're like, yeah, I know you didn't. And those of you, it was your first time, you're like, well, I didn't know that.
- [31:14]
A
But here's the thing about this, that you can never unsee it.
- [31:18]
B
Every time you see those logos, now.
- [31:20]
A
You will see it. That's the power of an encounter. That's the power of not just seeing something, but taking time to actually look. Joshua's life could be defined as somebody that knew how to look. So much so that when Moses gets ready to go spy out the land that was already put in the GPS that was predestined for them, he sends out 12 spies to go look. They came back with a report. Ten said, yo, we can't do it. There's no way. It's giants in the land. Two people said, we are more than able to take it. Joshua and Caleb. Joshua was the only one with his brother Caleb that looked not at the giants in the land, but looked at the fruit in the land and the promise that God had already given them, that it was already theirs. But their report didn't stand. The majority report spread throughout the camp. And so watch this. Joshua and Caleb have to listen to people who aren't moving in faith, but are moving in fear. And their fear led them to rebellion. So much so that God said, all right, you don't believe my promise for your life. Cool. None of y'all are going to enter into the promised land except for Joshua and Caleb. He said, you are going to die in this wilderness and your kids will inherit the land. I can't imagine being on the other side of that and realizing I'm not even going to get into the land. But I also can't imagine being Joshua and walking with people who made you miss your opportunity to seize a moment. Walking with people from for 40 years.
- [33:03]
B
Knowing it's a two day trip. And here you are because of their fear, walking around a wilderness for 40 years waiting for them to die. So you can walk in your. Can you see them?
- [33:21]
A
Is that a fake cough or a real cough?
- [33:22]
B
What? Can you die so I can get into my promise?
- [33:29]
A
And once they all die, Watch this. Now Joshua is charged with the task of leading a new generation into a land that was already theirs. And what does God say to Joshua? Moses, my servant, is dead. Joshua knew that. How many know when a great leader dies? The world feels it. Joshua knew Moses was dead. Why does God feel the need to state the obvious? Moses, my servant, is dead. He's letting Joshua know that. You will not conquer what I have for you in the next season. Until you bring closure to this season, you cannot step in what I have ahead of you. Until you come to the grips with the fact Moses ain't coming back, bro.
- [34:24]
B
Cause they saw Moses do some incredible things.
- [34:27]
A
So even after he went up to the mountain, they're like, he gonna come back. Let's give him some time. Come on. Then, Moses, Come on, bro.
- [34:33]
B
He hit a rock and water came out.
- [34:35]
A
He coming back. God's like, no, he's not. This season is over. Somebody needs to take that. Cause you stand there in the mountain, relationship that's been over. He gonna text me back. No. And even if we do, God, shut that relationship off. Don't go back. I want to show you how you can be mourning and still moving. Moses is dead. That season is over.
- [35:06]
B
I have now. Watch this. Gotta be strong and courageous and stepped into what's ahead of me. Who am I preaching to today? Is there anybody in here that feels God pulling you into something new? But you're going to have to get closure over a season that is not coming back. Moses is dead. Move on.
- [35:30]
A
So now Joshua has to lead them. And God says, be strong and courageous. You only tell somebody to be strong and courageous. If they scared.
- [35:39]
B
And I don't blame him.
- [35:40]
A
He was scared to follow Moses. Can you imagine the fear?
- [35:45]
B
Why didn't God just say, be strong? He said, be strong and courageous.
- [35:51]
A
Why? Because they're connected.
- [35:53]
B
Strength is an inner resilience and a.
- [35:57]
A
Resolve to say, I can handle it, because God said I could. But courage is the boldness to make a move and act on the promise God has given you. You need both.
- [36:11]
B
Don't tell me you're strong if you've never stepped out in courage. You don't know you're strong until you actually make a courageous step and say, God, I'm gonna trust your word and believe that if you said, it's mine, I'm gonna move into it. God, I know that there's enemies occupying the land, but the enemy has nothing to do with my destiny. If you said, it's mine, they're just squatters. They're not inhabitants. I have the title deed, but I'm gonna have to move in strength and courage. And you ain't got courage till you start taking a step. Oh, can I tell you that's why as a church, I have looked at every building in the Dallas Fort Worth area. Cause I can't just pray for God to open up a door. You gotta start taking a step. We can. Oh, you can make offers that you ain't even got the money in the for. But when you make the offer, it's showing courage. And the courage is connected to the strength God says, I'm waiting for you. Not just to tell me you're strong. I know you're courageous when you take the step with the strength that you have. I'm preaching better than y'all are talking in here today. Take a step. You only know you got the courage when you actually make a move. Well, can you prove that in the text? Absolutely.
- [37:28]
A
What did he say? Every place that your foot treads upon, I'll give you. In other words, if you just stand.
- [37:38]
B
There waiting for God to do it.
- [37:40]
A
Guess what territory you gonna have? The spot you're standing on. But when you take a step, you're moving in courage. And each step is saying, God, I believe that what you said will come to pass. And so I gotta take a step.
- [37:58]
B
If you're only gonna give me the place where my feet tread upon, I'm gonna have to walk and pray. I can't be stationary in prayer this time. I'm gonna have to pray and fill out the job application. I'm gonna have to pray and go back to school. I'm gonna have to pray and do.
- [38:15]
A
Some work and step.
- [38:18]
B
Oh, no wonder. No wonder. When they got to the Red Sea with Moses, God just split the water.
- [38:25]
A
Water.
- [38:26]
B
Because you're running from an enemy. And there's a difference between running from an enemy and taking territory. When you're about to take territory, you get to the Jordan River. And God does not split the water. What he tells you is to step into the water. And when they step in the Jordan river and got their feet wet, then God started rolling back the water. But I'm not rolling back anything this.
- [38:49]
A
Time until you step into it. Is this helping anybody in here today? Take a step. I know you're intimidated. Take a step. I know you're thinking, well, I'm not.
- [39:02]
B
Moses, and I don't have what Moses had.
- [39:04]
A
God didn't call you to be Moses. He called you to be you. Take a step.
- [39:08]
B
But what about my insecurities and what about my trauma?
- [39:10]
A
Take a step. Step in the Jordan. It opens. And watch this. Now they're right at the precipice of getting the first city in the land. They're in the land. Joshua gets up one morning. Can you see him? Homeboy is 80 years old. He's been here before. And I can see him going, I ain't missing this moment now. I wasted 40 years of my life, and now I'm stepping in it. And as he's up that morning, walking around, the Bible says, he lifted up his eyes and he looked. And he sees a man with the sword drawn. And Joshua looks at this dude and is going, he's 80.
- [40:16]
B
Who is that?
- [40:17]
A
It's a mystery man with a sword drawn. Now, here's what's intriguing.
- [40:24]
B
I don't think this guy looked like an Israelite. He didn't look like Joshua. And my proof is in the question that he asked. He asked the man, are you for.
- [40:33]
A
Us or for our innocent enemies?
- [40:36]
B
That question lets me know, whoever this mystery man is, he looked different. He didn't look like an Israelite. Because Joshua would have been like, hey, bro, what you doing? We ain't. We ain't doing the march and the Yale thing till tomorrow. Go back to bed. If he looked like the enemy, which Joshua would have been aware of, he's already seen the land twice. He would not have asked the dude, are you for us or for the enemy? If it was the enemy, one of them Ites, Canaanites, Hittites, how many know? He would have stabbed him and asked questions, like, later.
- [41:02]
A
That means whoever this mystery man is, he looks so different.
- [41:06]
B
He looks so otherworldly. There was something different about him.
- [41:10]
A
It made Joshua ask questions.
- [41:12]
B
Who are you?
- [41:13]
A
Who are you for?
- [41:14]
B
Because you don't look like anybody I've seen before. You look different. You don't look like me. You don't look like my enemy. Can I tell you? Often God will expose you to different, so you'll stop making assumptions and you'll start asking questions. We live in a culture where everybody makes assumptions off of how somebody looks. But God will confuse you every once in a while, so you'll stop making assumptions and have the humility to ask some questions.
- [41:39]
A
Can I make it real plain?
- [41:40]
B
Shout out to my beautiful biracial kids. I tell my son all the time, you better start learning some Spanish. Because I'm telling you, when summertime hits, if that boy knew some Spanish, you swear he's Puerto Rican. Now. You don't know. You don't know what you see. And Joshua is stunted because he doesn't know. And he knows this dude, whoever he is, he's not to be played with.
- [41:59]
A
Because he's got a sword out. So he's like, who is this that looks different? That is a warrior that is not to be played with. So can you see him? Perhaps with some trepidation, going, hey, you for us or you for our enemy? Me.
- [42:19]
B
Let us know. Because the way I see the world is there's only two sides. You're either for us or you're for the enemy. From my limited vantage point, because I am uncertain and I am human, there's only two categories for you to fit in. For us or for the enemy. Because I am human and I only see things through a human lens, I can only put you in the category of my side or their side. You must either be a Democrat or a Republican. You either gotta be conservative or liberal. You either gotta be for the older generation or the younger generation. You either gotta be for the Pentecostals that run around the church or the Presbyterians that. And I love whoever this mystery man is because he says, I refuse to be limited by the narrow confines of the categories you want to put me in. You asking the wrong question. The answer is, is neither. The question is not, am I for you or for your enemy. The question is, are you on my side? Do you know who I am? The question is not, am I for you. The question is, are you for me and my agenda? I think I know who this mystery man is. It must be Jesus. It must be the son of the living God. It must be the Commander and chief. It must be the one who is so big. He says, you can't put me in your narrow category. You asking the wrong question. I know who the mystery man is. This is. Watch this. This is a pre incarnate manifestation of Jesus. I don't want to lose some of.
- [44:07]
A
Y'All that are new to church, but.
- [44:09]
B
I know you've been shouting every Christmas.
- [44:11]
A
Because Jesus came in Bethlehem in the manger, and please believe he did. But when you look at the Old Testament, there were actually moments where God was given a preview before he showed up.
- [44:26]
B
It was the second person of the Trinity. It's called a theophany where he shows.
- [44:30]
A
Up and he shows up prior to the New Testament.
- [44:34]
B
There's a moment, there's moments where Jacob is wrestling with a man and it ain't a normal man. Is God trying to get Jacob to surrender his will? You didn't like that one. Remember when Nebuchadnezzar thought he was greater than God and he threw those three Hebrew boys in the fire and there they were in the fire and all of a sudden he looked in thinking he was going to see them in smoke. But he said, wait a minute, didn't we throw three people in the fire? I see a fourth in the fire. Guess who that fourth man was? It was the same one that showed up to Joshua. This is Jesus saying, this is a moment for me to show up early and show you that the commander and the chief. I am the one who rules. I am the one who reigns. I am the one who has all authority and sovereignty. I got to hurry. This is. This is a pre incarnate manifestation of God. And I'll show you how.
- [45:38]
A
I know. Just real soft. What does Joshua do? He falls down and worships. Read your Bible. There are moments when angels showed up and humanity responded in worship and quickly. The angel says, don't worship me. I'm just a servant. This person received the worship. This is God showing up up saying, joshua, don't get it twisted. You think you're the commander. I did call you, but I'm the real commander in chief of this army. Your job as commander in chief is just to obey the word that I give you and I'm going to prove it in your first battle. So much so you ain't even going to pull out a sword. You just going to look at a wall and yell and get the victory because you're not really in charge. I am the commander in chief. And as you follow me, you will possess what is already yours. Can I Give you one more thing. Would you stand to your feet, please? Nobody leave. This is a holy moment. Watch this. Joshua worships. And then he says, what message do you have for your servant?
- [46:59]
B
Joshua is like us.
- [47:01]
A
He had the wrong question.
- [47:02]
B
Whose side are you on? Pick a side. You for them or for us?
- [47:09]
A
And God says, I refuse to be limited to those confines.
- [47:14]
B
The question is not whose side am I on?
- [47:16]
A
The question is, are you on my side? That is the most critical question. I wish our culture would be obsessed with that question. Am I on God's side?
- [47:28]
B
Am I prioritizing your agenda? Or am I trying to get you.
- [47:32]
A
To co sign mine? Am I on your side? I wish we would ask the question that Joshua asked. What message do you have for me?
- [47:43]
B
I don't got time to go to war with my thumbs.
- [47:46]
A
And got a message for everybody else. Lord, I'm looking to you.
- [47:48]
B
What?
- [47:49]
A
What message do you have for me? Let's look at the message God had for Joshua. Look at what he says. The commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, take off your sandal. Take the sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy. This is not an ordinary moment. You thought it was. This is a holy moment.
- [48:10]
B
Take.
- [48:10]
A
Take off your sandal.
- [48:12]
B
My Sunday school alumnus. Where have we seen this before? Remember Moses? The burning bush? Same voice. Only difference is God told Moses, take off your sandals. He told Joshua, take your sandal off your. I didn't do too good in English, but that's singular. Take the santa off your. What?
- [48:41]
A
Why?
- [48:41]
B
He got Joshua like this and Moses had to take off both.
- [48:50]
A
In eastern tradition, whenever there was going to be the transfer of property from one party to another, because there was no docusign, you signified, I am surrendering my rights of this land to you by taking off one sandal. And by taking off that one sandal, you said, I relinquish my rights to this land to you.
- [49:21]
B
Hola, God, how you gonna give me a land that you said is mine.
- [49:25]
A
That has enemy in the land?
- [49:27]
B
And you said, it's mine. And then when I get in the land, man, you tell me, take off my sandal to give up my rights. How you gonna say it's mine and tell me to give it back to you? That sound crazy? No, that sounds like God. Isn't this a God who put breath in your body and gave you life within that same life that he gave to you? He says, will you give your life back to me? And the way that you say that, I believe that you Truly are. The commander in chief is to say that the life, life that you gave me, God, I willingly give it back to you. You put breath in my body, so the least I can do is open up my mouth and give this breath of worship and praise back to you. That's how I say.
- [50:11]
A
You are truly the commander in chief. God will always give you something that's yours and then make sure you know that it's his. And you prove it by saying, God, I give it to you. I give this business to you. You gave it to me, but I give it back to you. I give this church to you. God, you gave it to me, but I give it right back to you.
- [50:35]
B
I give these kids to you. God, you gave it to me. I give it right back to you.
- [50:40]
A
I give this marriage to you. God, you gave it to me. I give it to you. That's how ordinary becomes holy. I'm gonna ask every head be bowed and eyes be closed today. Don't want to just ask you, what are you looking for? I want to know who is really the commander in chief in your life. I think a lot of us say that God is the commander in chief, but we live our lives like we are. And some of you, if you're honest, you are sitting on the throne of your heart. You do what you want when you feel like doing it, because you are the commander in chief. Can I tell you, there are critical moments in your destiny? Well, God will show up, just like with Joshua. And he'll show up with his sword drawn, letting you know that, yes, he is a God of grace, but he is a holy God of truth too, and he will place second to no one. He's asking you, will you take your sandal off? I don't know what that looks like for you. For somebody, taking off your sando is to surrender your life to Jesus. I felt that so strongly earlier. There somebody, you've been on the run, but you can't unsee what you've seen. You've had encounters with God. He's calling you home today for somebody else. You've surrendered your life to him. But there's areas of your life where you said, oh, I'm keeping both my sandals on. God, I trust you with my salvation, but not my relationships. I'll make the decision here. And God says, take off your sandal. Relinquish your rights in that relationship. For somebody else, it's your finances. God, you can have every area of my life, but oh, not my money.
- [52:43]
B
I'll choose what I want.
- [52:44]
A
To do with that. And God says, no, take off your sandal. I don't want bits and pieces of you. I want all of you. I am the commander in chief. And hear me, just like within our constitution, the reason the president is called the commander's chief is because he is responsible for the safety of the nation. And this is what I love about God, is when you surrender all that you are to him. He says, I got you. I got you. I will keep you covered. I'll keep you saved. I know it's scary to let it go, but take off your sandalwood. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. If you're here today and you'd be so honest, first of all to say, you know what, I need to give him my life. I'm not asking you, have you had an encounter with church. I'm asking you, have you surrendered your life to the commander in chief? His name is Jesus. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand high enough and long enough to where I could see it? Today, say today. Today. I'm coming up. You know, when God is talking to you. Thank you, Lord. Wow. Yeah. Thank you, Jesus. Anybody else? Hands are going up in this room. Watch party room. Just right where you are. If that's you, just lift up your hand. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord. Anybody else? Heads are still bowed, eyes are still closed. If you're here today and you be so honest and say, you know what, there's an area of my life where I still got both of my sandals on and I need to take off my sandal and say, God, I'm letting go of my rights of this property. It is yours. I don't know what it is. I do know that God is speaking to you while I'm speaking and he's saying, that's the area that you haven't surrendered. If that's you and you know what that is and you just want to respond today, would you just lift up your hand and say, God, I'm giving that to you. I'm giving that to you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. Jesus, here's what I want to do. If you lift up your hand that first time in this room and in the watch party room, saying, I need to give you my life, Jesus, and please nobody leave, we're going to have an official dismissal. But if that's you, I just believe this is a holy moment, just like it was for Joshua. And there's something powerful about holy moments, about just leaving the space where you are. And stepping into a new place. Every place your foot treads upon, I give you. God is a God of movement. If you lift up your hand that first time, saying, I need to give my life to Jesus. Maybe there's a season you were walking with the Lord, but your heart has gotten cold. Or a church person made you mad and you've walked away. And today, you know he's speaking to you to come home. I'm just going to ask you to be so bold and so brave in this room and watch party and just come home. Up here, to the front. Always respond when God is speaking to you. This is a holy moment. When I count to three, irrespective of what anybody else thinks, I just want you to come. 1. Come on. This is your moment. 2.
- [55:48]
B
Come on.
- [55:48]
A
God is calling you. 3. Would you come? Would you come? Come on. Come on.
- [55:53]
B
And church.
- [55:53]
A
You know what to do.
- [55:55]
B
I want somebody to give God some praise, like you understand the holiness of this moment. Come on. Come on. Come on. In the watch party room. Just walk up to the front. I don't care how long you gotta walk.
- [56:08]
A
Come on.
- [56:08]
B
God orchestrated this moment. Come on. I wish I would clap like the angels in heaven are rejoicing right now. Come on. Come on. Come on. Yeah. Come on. Come on. This is a holy moment. This is a holy moment. This is a father who has been waiting for you to come home. We say it all the time. You can always come home. You can always come home. You can always come home. Don't let the enemy lie to you. You are not too far gone. It is not over. If you still got a pulse, God has a purpose for your life. Come on.
- [56:49]
A
Anybody else? Somebody else? Yeah. Yeah. Come on. Yeah.
- [56:54]
B
Come on.
- [56:55]
A
Come on. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord. Anybody else?
- [57:06]
B
I promise it's worth the walk. I promise is worth every step. I promise.
- [57:14]
A
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, God. Thank you, Lord. Thank you. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. Yeah. Thank you, Jesus. I always want to wait. Because what kept a whole generation in the wilderness when they should have been in the promise was fear. In moments like this, the enemy is loud. So you can't go down there. You can't go down there.
- [57:43]
B
And.
- [57:43]
A
And I love to pause right in the silence and say, yes, you can. The devil is a liar.
- [57:51]
B
God has a promise. A prepared place for you. Come on.
- [57:57]
A
Thank you, Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [58:00]
B
Come on.
- [58:02]
A
Thank you, Jesus.
- [58:04]
B
Come on.
- [58:04]
A
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, God. Anybody else? Thank you, Lord. Those are at this altar. Can you just make this a holy moment? I just want you to lift up your hand. In fact, let's all do it and join them as a family. I love this posture of hands lifted because it is a sign of surrender. Surrender to the commander in chief. Surrender to the only person whose captivity actually brings free freedom. God is the only one that will take you captive to set you free. He's the only one that you will never regret the vulnerability or giving him all of you. It might be scary, but he refuses to take pieces of you. He is the commander in chief. He's savior and the and so with hands lifted, I'm going to lead you in this prayer. I'm going to give you the words, but you say it from your heart. In this room, in the watch party room, we're going to join them as a family. Can we declare this. Would you say, Jesus, my hands are lifted because I surrender. I give up. I give up my authority. I give up my ways. I give up my sin. I give it to you because I know you can handle it. Jesus, you can handle it because you died for it. You lived the life that I was supposed to live and you died the death that I was supposed to die. You took my place. So, Jesus, my response is to give you everything. I hold nothing back. Take my heart, take my mind, take my soul. My trust is in you, the commander in chief of my life. In Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.