MAR 5 2017 | Hebrews 1

Sea Change Church · "Hebrews 1" · Adam Stadtmiller · March 5, 2017
Hebrews 1
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

A foundation. I want to continue to give everyday believers solid foundations that you can build a framework not only of faith but of active and living faith. And so as we are going into this rooted series, as we're into the episode 3 of the 10-week series, which is being backed up by our small groups that we're doing, I want to continue to allow some margin for being able to go back to the basics.

We tend to make faith like rocket science. We tend to make faith incredibly complex. Obviously, we serve an eternal God. And if you just wanted to take the word faith or the word simplicity or the word holiness and spend a thousand years diving into what holiness is, you wouldn't even scratch the surface. But I think that God understands that while we need to have minds that seek to go deeper, that follow after him into the minutia and the extravagance of eternity, that we basically need to get back to understanding God through a simple faith.

And so for the next seven to eight weeks, I'm going to continue to speak about simplicity. How to make faith simple. How to get out of bed in the morning and have simple things. Like I'm going to get on my knees and say, I'm a beloved child of God and I'm going to live like it today. Basic things like pulling aside and slowing down the chaos of the world for some margin of 15 minutes of just sitting in God's love or perhaps reading the Psalms.

What does that look like? One of the things that I want to do, though, is to help you set up a theological and a philosophical, those are big words, understanding of faith. And so a lot of believers don't realize that you have a faith-based, or at least Christ-following requires a faith-based understanding or a worldview. Now, the primary worldview, and most people wouldn't know how to put it in terms, I don't want to give you simple terms, is today you are seeing a view called secular humanism.

And if that sounds like a big word, I want to encourage you to read a very simple document. It was written in the 1930s. It was called the Humanist Manifesto. The Humanist Manifesto has been updated two times since then. But I think a mistake was made. I actually think it's true. But they realized that it was a mistake in the second and the third versions of the Humanist Manifesto.

When in the 1930s, they said the world is in need of a new religion. Now, they were royal today against the fact that you would call secularism a religion. But in the very beginning document of the Humanist Manifesto, which goes back beyond that to probably the age of enlightenment, you were going to see where God is no longer God, but they had put someone else in the place of God.

Does anybody know who that someone else is? Mankind. It's you. Mankind. It's you. So if you have a chance, I want to give you that tool to go this week and download it for free and read the Humanist Manifesto. You're going to understand a lot about culture by reading that. Now, the reason I talk about that is because in the Humanist Manifesto, there's, I think, 14 principles that they start with.

And the first principle is that there was not a divine creative. That is the number one principle. And as you read through it, you're going to see that it begins to debunk biblical, faith-filled worldview. We are coming from this church and from this pulpit from a biblical worldview that sets faith as the primary tool to knowing God. The faith, the believing perhaps, and the things that you cannot see, believing in the unknown.

And I would argue that even secular humanism has to believe in the unknown because where did it all come from as we begin to look at that? Now, let's talk about what we're talking about today. Because coming from a faith-filled perspective, we're going to talk about what we classically call hearing from God. How many of you? Raise your hand if you have difficulty hearing from God.

Raise your hand. I'm going to give you. Okay, well, I'm going to raise my hand. Right. I have a hard time. You know, I have a difficult time deciphering what God is saying. And now we're going to look at one verse, looking at Jesus and the importance of hearing from God. If you're going to live a faith-filled life and a life of purpose that does not lead to nothingness.

Nothing in the scripture is a word which is eternal, just like it is the opposite of eternity. So, if you think of the eternity going forever, then the opposite of that, of having nothingness. Nothingness is a complete eternal, absolute darkness. The only word I have to describe it is nothing. Does that make sense? Just like you can dive into God, you can go into nothingness forever.

And both are eternal. So, Jesus says this in John 5, 19. Look at the verse behind it. Jesus gave them this answer. Very truly, I tell you, the Son, that is the Son of God, once again showing God His Father, can do what? What's the word there? Nothing. That is the opposite of something. And it actually is a complete void. It doesn't mean He can do some things.

It doesn't mean He can do a little. It doesn't mean He can accomplish a few things. What He's saying is, and we will see in this, if I'm not experiencing direction from the Father in my life, then what I actually do will amount to zero. It will have zero worth. And I will say, anything that happens in this creative order, which does not have the kiss, the touch, the stain of God upon it, will not last into eternity.

But when you love your children in the name of God, you are imprinting eternity upon the actions of your life. And those actions will be remembered in heaven. And this is why it's important to seek God, to understand how we partner, co-labor with God, to make sure the things that we are doing, like the clutches of love, have the resonance of God within them.

And this is classic Christian faith-filled spirituality, how to take the substance of heaven and touch the things of earth. This is what makes your life supernatural. This is what makes your life eternal. This is what makes your life immortal. When you pray before you go meet with a counseling appointment, and perhaps you're a counselor. When you do it in your own power, the scripture says that that will become nothing.

But when you perhaps pray, or you seek faith, or you bring God into that picture, you imprint eternity on what you are doing, and in a sense, become an experience in mortality. Because the things that are done in the name of Jesus will be remembered in heaven forever. This is how we bring eternity into the common. And so Jesus says, I can do nothing by what?

By himself. And perhaps you've been living by yourself lately. I'm really good at living by myself. But God says, I am the author and perfecter of your faith. And the cool thing about God is he wants to co-author with you. How good are you doing at co-authoring? You ever put the pen down and give him a chance to write on parchment? What was the last time you said, God, you know what?

I don't need to understand this. I don't need to control it. I'm going to give you, Martin, to write my story for a while. God wants to co-author. Jesus says, I need to do nothing by myself. He can only do what he sees his father doing. So it's not hearing from the father at this point. Jesus says he actually sees the father. I think there's an open parenthesis in Western spirituality on hearing.

We always talk about hearing from God. The idea about hearing from God is it's so dimensional, one-dimensional, that I feel it's very loaded. Jesus did not just hear from God. He experienced his father in a multi-layered stratosphere of understanding. He saw his father in everything that he did. He heard his father. He saw his father. He tasted the fragrance of his father when he ate and had the last communion.

Everything involved experiencing the father. So he says in that verse, I can do nothing that I don't see the father doing, because whatever the father does, the son does also. There's a word right there, obedience. Not just seeing what God is doing, but being willing to only do what you see the father doing. I'm very good at getting off the rails.

I see the father going this way, but I'm very good at trying to get my own spiritual machete and half my way to the jungle when I realize if I just followed the father, there would be a path made in that wilderness. And so in episode three of the Rooted Series, we're looking to Jesus as a model. We're not just hearing from God. I want to take you to a 30,000 foot view in this faith-filled existence, this faith-filled worldview.

When you speak to people and you begin to have debate and dialogue about your life and perhaps their life and your worldview, one of the key things to say is I want you to know that I'm coming from a faith-filled worldview. A faith-filled worldview. Know the place that you are coming from. You can even write that now. Go into Hebrews. Do a Google search on faith and understand what that is.

And so in episode three, we look at Jesus as the model. I want to say three things quickly before we get into six ways to experience the revelation of God. Because I don't want you just to hear from God. Don't you want to experience God? I mean, when you go to a restaurant, it's the only thing you experience. I heard later. No, you go to a restaurant.

How much more diverse is the understanding when you go somewhere? You go to your favorite place or you go to the Grand Canyon. Is it more than just hearing? But we tend to look at God in the singular way of understanding. I haven't heard from God like that. He's going to come and just speak to me in one way. When around you, there was a symphony of God's presence.

We're going to talk about that. And I want to open up doors for you to experience God that perhaps have been open or closed for you for a long time. And I'm going to challenge you this week to go out and experience your faith in ways that you've never done it before. Here's the first thing. If we're going to experience the revelation of God, then you're going to have to get beyond noise and chaos.

Oh, that hurt. Let me say it again. If you are going to experience, not just hear from God. If you're going to experience revelation from God, you're going to need to make it a practice. You're going to need to make it a habit. You're going to have to make it a custom. You're going to have to make it a value in your life to get beyond the noise and chaos of this world.

The enemy loves chaos. Just search the news. He loves it. He loves chaos. I'm sure you can find God in the news. But the enemy wants chaos. I want to say, I know a lot of churches that I've been in, and I think it was my way of ministry in the past, that spiritual chaos, meaning we're doing a lot of stuff for God, is seen as sanctity of God's presence.

And I think we need to be doing things for God. But are we still offering a place like what Lisa said earlier, where pilgrims can come and be fed and have margin and space? And so you're going to find that this church, besides our community groups and Sunday services, we don't have too many other things going on. And I feel as this culture has gotten so fast that we need to provide a place where you can come and actually be in a place that's sacred again.

We want this campus to reflect what we want to see happening on the corner of your heart, your faith-filled understanding of chaos. Excuse me, of God's peace. And we want to stay away from chaos. You know, I think there's some people that can't have peace unless they have chaos. That was me for a long time. I couldn't have peace in my life unless I had chaos.

Couldn't slow down. Didn't want to slow down. Didn't want to hear from God. Didn't want to have to go through the painful thoughts that showed up when I slowed down. But if we are going to hear from God, we need to be able to get away to a place to hear from. If we're going to not speak and hear from God, we use new language, we're going to experience the revelation of God.

Number two, these are not in your notes. If you are going to experience the revelation of God, you're going to have to get beyond self-consumption. Let me say that again. If you're going to experience the revelation of God, we might have to get beyond self-consumption. Meaning it's all about what God wants to say about me and my purpose and my life and what's going on with me and what's he saying.

Am I going to get the new house? Am I going to get married? Or is this going to be where it's just all about us? I want to say a practice of spiritual discipline, of mature discipleship, is the ability to try to hear God about other things beside yourself. To be able to look to your neighbor. What is God? What are you saying about my neighbor? What are you saying about my church?

What are you saying about Africa? Whatever it is. What are you saying about how much you love this world? What are you saying about forgiveness? What are you saying about yourself? I think the enemy wants to continually get us into a place where we're only wanting to hear about ourselves from God. I heard someone say once, when was the last time you cried for anyone besides yourself?

I want to say, get out and say, God, I want you to speak to me today and you don't have to say anything to me about me. When was the last time you sought God for someone other than yourself? Or sought God just for the sake of seeking God? Is God not worthy to be sought just because he's God, not because of what we are going to get out of it? We live in a Western society that I think values self-consumption.

It's all about me. And I want to say, we are going to truly experience God getting out and stop looking at ourselves and opening our eyes and saying there's a lot more happening. God, what are you doing? What does the universe say about you? And number three, I've already said we need to get to a place of seeking revelation versus here. We want God to reveal himself.

There's six fundamental truths that God has shown to make himself known. Before that, I want to give a foundational truth that you can build upon in this faith-filled understanding or worldview. And it's this. That God desires to make himself known. God is not in a big hide-and-seek cat-and-mouse game with him where he, you know, runs and you find him for a little bit.

You're in the center of his will, whatever that means. And he runs and hides again until you can go seek him again and he laps up in the heavens. But the reason that God allows us to perhaps tarry in a place before he reveals himself is because he wants to build relationship. He wants to build trust. He wants to see the experiencing of God is not just hearing so you can make the right decision.

Can we get beyond trying to hear from God so we don't make a wrong decision? Can we get beyond that to a place of experiencing God so that we might have a relationship with a father who calls us beloved? To experiencing God so that we can melt in the presence of God's love and his mercy and his joy. Where we ask deeper questions than, what am I supposed to do?

Who am I supposed to marry? Who am I going to date? How are my finances going to show up? Where we go to a deeper place and say, God, beyond all that worldly stuff, show me your heart. God, what about a prayer like this? God, show me your heart that I might melt in the sea of your love. God, can you show me that? I dare you to show me how much you love me.

I dare you to show me how much you love me. I dare you to show me how much you love others. Show me your forgiveness. Show me your holiness. Show me your grace. Show me your mercy. Not only for my sake, but that I might have a relationship with you and dive in. Is this expanding your understanding of hearing from God? It's so much bigger. It's so much wider than a few questions that we were trying to get answers to so we don't make mistakes.

I've long believed that you could make the wrong decision every single time the rest of your life. And if you did so, believing that you were doing it in God's name and in faith and saying, God, I'm doing the best I can. I'm making this decision. Even if you were wrong every single time, at the end of that journey, when you stand before God, you will say, well, then we can be able to do that.

I'm not saying you try to make the wrong decision, but it's not about making the right decisions. Proverbs 16 talks about God, you know, determining your steps. Man makes his plans, but God determines their steps. To make it about knowing God. What if your experience was about knowing God, not hearing from God? You see, what I want to do is give bigger tools.

I want to take your faith out of a little box of personal consumption and understanding to a place of rich believing and knowing and experiencing God and walk down the street, looking up into the stars. But in order to do that, we have to slow down and be willing to step into eternity and willing to step into God. Here's the ways that God makes himself known because he wants to make himself known.

The scripture speaks of all these. The first one is through creation. The second is through scripture. The third is through Jesus. The fourth is through our conscience, that little voice in our heart. The fifth is through the Holy Spirit. And there are more than this. God's eternal. I'm just giving you six. The six is through a thing called special relation.

That's a theological term. You won't find that term in the Bible. But you will find the first five in the Bible. Let's look through these. And I'm going to challenge you this week to begin to learn to speak another spiritual language. I'm not talking about tongues. I'm talking about if you have never experienced God in the person of Jesus, exploring what it looks like to know Jesus.

Or perhaps creation has not been something you've slowed down long enough to spend any time in to see what God has to say through creation. Because God expresses himself in his creation, but he calls us not to worship the creation, which is what Romans talks about. Because he is so expressive in his creation, and he tells so much about himself, that oftentimes people miss the creator and worship the creation.

Paul talks about that in Romans. There's a lot of religions that do that today. Let's look at the first one. Creation. God speaks through creation. I was at the beach with our new puppy. We got a new puppy. It's in Chesky. You can follow him at hashtag a puppy named, excuse me, a Frenchie named Chester. And he's a French bulldog, and we love him, and he's not house training.

He doesn't want to be house training. And every time he leaves me a little calling card, I just feel like it's part of the French resistance, rising up now. I wanted to call him Javert. He ended up being called Chester. I love Javert. You know, Les Mis was a better call. And that's my brother's only one-fledged musical. We'll get this one. My brother said, call it 34601.

So we'll get that one through people. Okay. Great. Through creation. I was with Chester last night in creation. And as we look through creation, it's not to be a pivotal verse. This verse is pivotal to a faith-filled understanding. There's ten verses that I believe you need to have to understand a faith-filled worldview versus a secular religious worldview.

And I'm not letting secular humanists off the hook because they changed their mind in the 1970s and said it's not religion. I'm going to stick to what they originally said and agree with them that it is religion and it is faith with man replacing God. Okay. So you can have man as God or you can have God as God. You choose. But I'm going to use that first document that they wrote.

Okay. Romans 1.20. Really key. For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities, I love that, His eternal power and His divine nature. Those are pretty awesome things. Have been what? Clearly seen. Can we please get back to just seeing what is clear? Well, you know, I'm not sure if this, you know, society has always arguments now. What about this?

What about this? No, it's clearly seen. This is clear. It's so obvious. How do you get into the different arguments? You know what they are. This is clear. No, I'm not so sure. It's clear. Look. It's clear. At the end of the scripture says that people will no longer, they will reject truth in order to accept what itches their tingling ears. I think it was.

And something close to that. It says clearly seen. Being understood from what has been made so that people are without excuse. There's going to be no excuses we just have before. He's going to say, look, it was clear. If you look at creation, it's clear. It was basic. And I want to encourage you to go out into creation this week. To get away from Facebook.

To get away from the news. I've been two weeks now without the news, which is great. It's awesome. I don't think anything's happened. Nothing I need to know about, obviously, at the moment. As Lewis said, he never watches the news. If something important happens within three days, you'll know about it anyway. It's really important. I'm warning you about that.

But to get away with God and say, God, look around and say, what do you have to show me? You know, the Buddhists figured this out and Christians have rejected it. You get that? They have leaned into this scripture, not knowing they've leaned into this scripture. Get into creation and say, God, what do you have to show me? Just go be with God and settle down.

Creation has a way to heal. Creation, they say, if you look at the ocean and the colors, it has the ability to lower your blood pressure. It has healing properties and qualities in the presence of God. Are you experiencing God in creation? If you're not, that is the first way. That is called creative revelation. The first way God revealed himself to mankind was through creative revelation.

The second is this. Through scripture. 2 Timothy 3.16. A powerful scripture. It says, as all scripture is God breathed. So imagine the metaphor there, that when scripture is being written, we saw a picture of it earlier, that as frail mankind is writing, God is breathing like into embers to bring fire into it. And as you read it, God, through the Holy Spirit, breathes into your understanding.

We'll talk about that in a moment. But it says, all scripture is God breathed. It's useful for what? Teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Now here's the deal. We have this Old Testament love of the way they heard from God. In the Old Testament, what would happen? Moses would go somewhere, and God would show up. In his face, if you were listening to the Daily Audio Bible every day, like I do last night or two nights ago, was Moses going up the mountain, and his face shoved into the presence of God, and he got to hang out with God.

And that's the way God used to speak to people in the Old Testament. And I want that. That's what I want. Bring it back to reality. God only spoke to like one person that way. And then that one person would go ahead and tell the rest of the people what God said. That is not cool. That is not the way God wanted it. As a matter of fact, God didn't want to have a representative, see him, get a word face-to-face, and come share it.

God wanted to live in your heart. And through the cross, he allows the Holy Spirit now where you have become the temple of God. You can see that happening in Scripture. That once you accept Christ, you believe and want to Christ follow. It says that he fills you with his spirit, and through that, he speaks to you. I want to say that Moses himself would have given up every face-to-face meeting with God to be able to say, You mean that's going to incite you?

You mean like in my heart? You mean like in my being? You mean the temple, I don't have to go into the temple and clean my hands anymore? I am in the temple? What? Yeah, I'll tell you that. Moses is training that every single time. Because God wants to speak to us through our inners, so to speak. He wants to speak to us through our hearts. And so as we look at Scripture, this understanding that we want God to speak to us through some divine manifestation, we need to get back to realizing that God has spoken to us through his word.

And the Holy Spirit is within us to interpret that word for what it means to you. Not that we change the meaning of the Bible, but God has sometimes a unique understanding that he wants you to know about. And God never spoke to you about anything, but only gave you his word, that book. And you lived according to his word, but he never once gave any special revelation to you.

Now Mother Teresa said she had special revelation from God at the beginning of her life. And you read her book, at the beginning of her life and at the end, and she went like 65 years, she said, without hearing from God. You read her book, read her book. She said she went like, I think it was 65 years, without hearing from God at all. She said it was so dry and difficult.

And she lived her entire life by looking at how Jesus lived his life and following the words of the Bible. I would say there is enough in the Bible that if you just do what the Bible says, there is enough in there for your entire life. Let's get back to letting the Bible rule our life. Let's get back to letting the Bible speak into our life. When the Bible becomes like your best friend, what's your go-to?

Do you have a go-to? Is your phone? What if we went to the Bible as often as we went to our phone? Now granted, you need to call people and things like that. But what's your go-to? What if the Bible becomes important again? Honestly, the Bible is speaking loud and clear. And it might not come with an angel who speaks to you to your face and gives you a warm, fuzzy hug.

But the word of God is there. And if you want to experience God, you can experience it as a word. It is holy. It is revelatory. To sit and to read. And if you are new to this Christ following, I want to encourage you. Read the Psalms. They're real. They're really, they're just so gut-wrenching and real. Read the book of John. Read the book of Matthew.

Read Genesis. Read Exodus. Stay away from Deuteronomy for a while. Stay away from Deuteronomy for a while. Read the narratives. Get back into the word of God. If you want God's word to speak to you, he will. Number three, through Jesus. You know, not only did God give us his name. Not only did he give us scripture. Not only did he give us creation. God gave us himself.

I used to say about a junior high or a year ago. It's God in a human suit. That's what I would say. It's very simple. I'm still using it today. Hebrews 1.3. And it says this. And you're going to see it behind me in a moment. That if you just look at the life of Jesus. Clearly read about what he was like. What he did. How he lived his life. You're going to have a template that you can follow.

To say, you know, he was forgiving. He was loving. He was hard with people sometimes. He had great boundaries. He loved getting away with his father. If you just look at this scripture. So let me read this. Hebrews 1.1-3. In the past. So this is a time that was antiquated. Now remember I said. We've fallen in love with the Mosaic understanding. Of how to hear from God.

But that was past. And let the old things pass. And the new things come. And it says. In the past. God spoke to our ancestors. Through the prophets. At many times and in various ways. But in these last days. How has he spoken to us? Through who? Through his son. It says in his last days. He's spoken to us. Meaning God has yelled to us. Through the life of Jesus.

Through his son. Whom he appointed heir of all things. And through whom he also made the universe. The son is the radiance of what? God's glory. The exact representation of his being. Sustaining all things by his powerful word. Let's say. The gospels talk about who Jesus is. This is another doorway. If you want to begin to experience God. Experience Jesus.

Especially through the gospels. They are one of the best tools. To know Jesus. To read about him. To read about his love. To read who he is. This is the fourth way. Excuse me. The third way that we hear. When we understand revelation of God. Number four. We are circling the tower now. Ready to land. I've heard from the tower. That told me to land. What's up with that buzzer tower?

Like a top gun. And I come back. I'm going to drop your coffee. I'm going to do something. Number four is to our conscience. Which can become calloused. Conscience is developing the ability to have a baby soft skin on your heart. That when God whispers to you, you can hear what he says. If you are into, let's say, some type of sin. I'm not naming this particular sin.

If you are into some type of sin. Eventually, it is going to begin to numb what God is saying. It is like white noise. Sin is like white noise. That numbs our conscience. And so imagine if while I was speaking right now. You began to play this really loud white noise. You wouldn't be able to hear or articulate. Or be able to hear what is being articulated.

To understand what God is saying. Because of the noise and the chaos of that. Not only does having too much confusion in our life. Having chaos in our home. Create a white noise. But sin also creates a callousing of our hearts. And so look at this verse. Romans 2. 14 through 16. Indeed, when the Gentiles. That's people that were not Jews at the time.

Who didn't know God. Who do not have the law. Do by nature the things required by the law. Meaning that in their nature. God has taken the law. And he has imprinted the ten commandments. On every single person's heart. It is in there. He wrote it for Moses. But it's already in there. It says that when they do. The things required by the law. Then this becomes a law for them.

So what he's saying is. When people who have never heard about the Bible. So imagine the people that were on an island 700 years ago. Who never heard the gospel. What's the hope for them? This scripture says. That the law is on their hearts. And that those thoughts. Will become a law unto them. That it's saying. Hey, don't steal your neighbor's chickens.

Don't, you know. Take your neighbor's wife. Don't murder. Why are there these things in every culture. These things in every culture you go to. They believe that stealing is wrong. Why? In every single culture. But murder. These different things. Because God has written it in our hearts. These people. In the end of time. As you'll hear when I read this in a moment.

Will be judged. According to how they follow that law. This is God's grace. He gave them a way. To have eternity with God. Even though they never hear about Jesus. It is through this way. And that's why in Revelations. It says that someone. From every tribe. And every tongue. Will be in heaven. Meaning people who never heard about Jesus. People. Tribes.

That were in Africa. And Polynesia. And all these different places in the world. So look at how this plays out. In this scripture here. It says that these things become a law for themselves. So basically it becomes a Bible. The Bible is on your heart. Even though they do not have the Bible. Or the law. They show. That the requirements of the law. Are written on their hearts.

Their consciences. Will bear witness. And their thoughts. Sometimes it will accuse them. And at other time. It will defend them. Now look what it says here. This will take place in the day. When God judges people's secret thoughts. Through Jesus. As my gospel declares. Meaning. That some person. Who was born in Polynesia. Who followed the things of God.

That was on their heart. And tried to live according to. What they do in their being. Was right. Those persons. Will. It says. Be not condemned. Because they will become a law amongst themselves. And they will be saved. That is the grace of God. And that is how. You've never understood that before. How people are saved. Who don't know Jesus. But the key is.

How good are you. At listening to that law. And not just the law. The presence of God within. What are the things. That are keeping you. What is the white noise. In your life. That is stopping you. From hearing those things. Where God is whispering. To you. Right. Now. And how good are you. At sensing. When you get into a situation. Run. Or yes. I've been in business situations before.

I've had some times. Where. Somebody will come into the office. And they'll say. I'm new to the church. And I just. I love ministry. And I've been in ministry. And they give me all their credentials. And they're so excited. And I've got to leave. The more you tell me you've got to leave. The less I think you probably need to leave. And they'll talk. And as I'm there.

I just get this sense in my heart. That says. No. And I'll just say no. I'm just going to hang out. And wait on this person for a while. The thing I've told my kids too. And I've said this in many of my parenting talks. I don't really teach my kids that know how to say yes and no to every situation they know. Because the devil is going to be really good at creating a system that I didn't train them for.

He's really good at figuring out some way to ruin their life that I never trained them. And if you don't teach your children to hear the voice of God beyond the rights and the wrongs. If you're only teaching them to do this. Don't do this. Don't do this. Don't do this. You never teach them how to have a voice in their heart. What is the voice of God saying to you?

I say this on a regular basis. What did God say before? Okay. Let's go back. Before you did that. Did you feel a issue? Yeah. I knew I shouldn't do that. Okay. Let's talk about that voice. Why did you disobey that voice? Because there will come a time when my child is going to be in a situation. And perhaps there's a boy and they're going out and they're drunk.

And he's getting ready. And he says he's not too drunk. And he's getting ready to get into the car. And it's going to be a bad deal. And all the peer pressure. But something in their heart says, ah. Is she going to be able to hear when that voice says, ah. Perhaps it will scream. But I need to teach my children how not just to know about the right and wrongs of God.

But to know God. And there's a big difference between the right and wrongs of God and knowing God. And I've tried to teach my children. I've tried to teach myself on a very ambitious basis. Do I know God? Do I obey that voice? Jesus says in that first scripture, right? Obey. Number five. Through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit says when the Father will send, we'll teach you all things.

We'll remind you of everything I have said. Building a culture of hearing from the Holy Spirit. Through experiencing the voice of the Spirit. Of testing the things that you feel that you hear. So many Christians are running by their emotions. They think it's God's voice. They think it's the Holy Spirit. Oh, I felt this. I felt that. God told me this.

I was such a God told me guy. I've tried so hard to get away from that now. Like now, usually if you're a Christian, I'll say, I think God might have said this. Like I need to. I just. I'm always speaking for God. You know what I really. I can't even get half the thing. My wife tells me right. Like I try to say something. I'm a bit of a question. I never said that.

Oh. But every time I speak for God. I'm like God said this. God said that. It's like 100% right. Every single time. Like it's ridiculous. You need to settle down and learn how to hear and experience the presence of the Holy Spirit. One of the best ways that we're done to experience God is to sit and say, God, let me experience your Holy Spirit. And to wait on the Lord.

That is not a Western. I'm really. I really struggle with it. So. God, I. To wait on the Lord. How good is America waiting on the Lord? How good are American Christians at waiting on the Lord? Like more than 10 minutes. Like God didn't show you for 10 minutes. Come on. What's up? What is it? And the final one is just special revelation. God speaks to us through dreams, through movies, through conversations.

It's all. God's just always speaking. He wants you to understand his self revelation to you. And so this week, as we close this time to worship team, come forward. You'll see some challenges. I want to challenge you to experience God beyond the here. To experience God beyond self consumption. To experience God in the fullness and the richness. And perhaps even experience him in other people.

I was at Home Depot yesterday. And I was showing the guy my cool goat skin wallet. I remember right now. He's in Uganda. His co-worker's from Uganda. He got his goat skin wallet. Every time I'm looking at him, I want a pet. I don't want him. You want a pet? I bring it out. And people like, touch my wallet. I'm like, what? Dude. The guy was so cool at Home Depot.

And I know that. And I'm like, dude, you want a pet? There's a blessing there. I was like, I'll pet. There's a blessing. You know? We're just having a good thing. He had so much joy. And I walked down there because I was a little bit edgy in the morning. And I was like, yeah. I feel so much better because I was with that person. It was awesome. To experience God in each other.

Let's stand. Lord, we want to sing now to you. We want to experience you. We sing to you as a congregation. We hear your voices. We're going to ask the prayer team to come forward. Give me prayer today. We're going to sing a little bit of this song. And I'm going to bless you. And I think we have food today.