Accredited – God was with Him

All righty. Guys, we are starting a new series that might last two or three weeks or more.

And it's called Accredited. And it comes from Acts 2 verse 22, Acts 2 22. And here's what

Acts 2:22

it says, Acts 2 22. It says, Men of Israel, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man

accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through

him. One more time. Men of Israel, listen to this. Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited

by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs which God did among you through him. So that's

basically what we'll be exploring for the next few weeks. What does it look like if we were

accredited? Yeah? And so here was Jesus of Nazareth. And it's a deliberate thing, eh?

It doesn't say Jesus Christ. It doesn't say Son of God. It doesn't say Savior. It says

of Nazareth. It was very deliberate because the intent was, can you see that he was a man?

That he was fully man. And that he needed to be accredited by somebody, by somebody. In this

case, that somebody was God. If you go to Acts 10 38, you see the same thing being presented there.

Acts 10 38. Again, it's very deliberate, the usage of words there is so deliberate.

God anointed. And so we now see how he was accredited. We now see how he was accredited.

God anointed. And again, not Jesus Christ. Not Son of God. Not Savior. God anointed who? Jesus of

Nazareth. What's the intent? Can I let you guys see that we are not talking about anybody else,

but someone who was fully man. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth. Then we see the source of his power.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with who? With, anointing is not what. Anointing is always who.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit. With the Holy Spirit.

It's critical that we understand this, that we're not being anointed with something,

but with someone. Because anointing and power seem to be things that go together. And so what happens

is we think we are being anointed with power. We're not being anointed with power. We're being

anointed by the Holy Spirit. What's anointing? To immerse, to smear, to completely empower. But

we are being empowered by a person, not by the sheer quantity of power. So it first says Jesus

of Nazareth, God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Because of the

Holy Spirit, he had power. With the Holy Spirit and power. When people seek an anointing just for

the sake of power, that's when you can still have a sign, miracle or wonder, but the person

of Jesus is not conveyed. The acts of Jesus are conveyed, but the nature of Jesus is not conveyed

when the anointing is after power and not after the person of the Holy Spirit.

So it would be like me coming to you, not because of a relationship with you, but because of what I

know you have that will help me do what I need to. And so do I still get to execute whatever is

necessary because you give me what you have? Yes. But do I build a relationship with you? No.

One thing God is forever after since the beginning of time is relationship. I want us to know that

when we don't go after relationship, God sometimes turns the tap off.

And when he turns the tap off, then we have to create power ourselves. And that's when the drama

comes in. The smoke and the lights come in. Because now, why? Because it's easy to get power. It is so

difficult to get a relationship because relationships need time. It is so easy to get power. It is so

difficult to cultivate relationships. Power will lead to methods. Relationship will lead to Jesus

being made more obvious. So God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with power and the Spirit.

And it's then that he goes around. He goes around.

Doing what? Now that he is accredited. So what is accreditation at the end? To be accredited

is to be in relationship. That in relationship with the Spirit, that releases the power of God.

With the Spirit, that releases to you

the power

to do what? To heal? Yes. To cast out demons? Yes. To raise the dead? Yes. To preach the good news?

To put the poor? Yes. But what's the overarching theme? To make all things new.

This is brilliant. Let's look at it again.

What does it mean to be accredited? To be accredited is to be in increasing relationship.

Because anointing increases as relationship increases. In increasing relationship.

The strange thing is we are in relationship with someone who lives inside of us.

So we're not even climbing up a mountain to get it.

It's not that we have to ascend somewhere or descend somewhere to get it.

This is someone who is in your house.

So to be accredited is to be increasing in relationship with the Spirit. And that increase

is what releases to you power to do what? To make all things new. Why is that important?

Because that's the only thing Christ is after. I want to make all things new.

In that making all things new is the bit about the healing, the demons, the

understanding of things, the preaching of the good news, the cleansing of lepers.

All that is making things new. Remember, there is a power that made all things old.

Don't forget that. This is a power struggle. This is a conflict of powers, guys.

There is a power that made all things old. Made not all things old, all things decay.

Made not all things old, all things decay.

Towards death.

And what is that power? It is the power of sin.

It is the power of death.

It is a power that has been given to the satanic kingdom by man.

And Ephesians 2 talks about it where it says that he holds under his sway

the world and those who disobey.

So there is another power that's at work, which is why

I want to be accredited. Whatever word you want to use for it.

I'm just picking on that word because it's in Acts 2.22.

The intent is, hey, can I accredit you? Can I endorse you? Can I stamp you?

I can do it whenever I want because I'm God and I'm sovereign.

I can pick anybody. I can pick a donkey. I can pick Samson who was sleeping around

every night. And I can still use him by anointing him to pick up gates on his back,

to slay Philistines with the jawbone of an ass, to destroy things.

I can do that. But that's not the way I function.

I function through relationship, not through anointing.

That is a sad thing, eh? That we flip from relationship to anointing so you have people

who can function greatly anointing. And God will still do it for the sake of someone else.

He'll still do it. He'll still anoint you despite everything that you and I are during the week.

He may still say, hey, let me release through you and upon you my power for the sake of someone else

who is in need and who's calling out to me. And you seem to be the only one here right now.

So let me use you. That's not his favorite way of doing things.

You use servants or employees to do your bidding only because your son is not in his place.

But once you have a son who is faithful, if you had to choose to send something special to someone,

you would choose your son, not your servant. Because the servant does not have relationship.

Jesus said it. I don't call you servants anymore. I call you my friends.

Because the servant does not know what his master wants, but his son knows what his father wants.

But his son knows what his father wants. And so as I increase in relationship,

I now have released to me a consistent increasing inexhaustible source of power

that God now uses to accredit me to do what? To make all things new. Why?

Because there's another power that has made all things old or decay.

And that is the power of sin, of death, and of the devil. Any questions?

Any questions, guys? No?

Okay. In which case, accreditation

must result,

usually results in illustration. As in, if someone accredits you, it should show,

there should be evidence that someone has accredited you with power or with, in this case, power.

Well then, illustrate it. Show that you're accredited. Show that you're accredited.

If you go to Luke chapter 10, Luke 10, 9, Luke 10, 9,

Luke 10 · chapter mention

this was the way Jesus would accredit the disciples he was sending out.

When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is said before you,

and you will be granted the power of the Spirit.

This was the way Jesus would accredit the disciples he was sending out.

When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is said before you,

heal the sick who are there, and tell them the kingdom of God is near you.

Go to 11, 20, Luke 11, Luke 11, verse 20.

Luke 11:20

It says there, but if I drive out demons by the finger of God,

then the kingdom of God has come to you. What was Jesus trying to say? He's saying, listen,

if I accredit you as people that belong to the kingdom, then you have to show people that the

kingdom is here. But you cannot show people the kingdom is here unless there is power working

through you. Because as it says in 1 Corinthians 14, this kingdom is not a kingdom of eating and

drinking and of talk. This kingdom is a kingdom of power, peace, joy, and the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 14, 20 says, the kingdom of God is not a kingdom of eating and drinking and talk.

I would say to us that we are in the danger of becoming that. We can talk this,

we can eat, and we can drink. But eating and drinking and talk isn't enough. We have to get

to a place where we have to show that this is a kingdom that has in it righteousness, peace, joy,

power, and the Holy Ghost. Five things. Righteousness, peace, joy, power, and the Holy

Ghost. Yearn for this. Yearn for this. This is what makes up authentic Christianity. This is what

makes up authentic churches that actually display the kingdom. To aim for anything less is actually

going to affect us in the future. It will affect us in the future. It will be, these guys talk a

solid game. But where is the evidence? And the evidence cannot be one or two people.

And the evidence cannot be in India or Africa or Asia. The evidence has to be local.

And there's a lack. As individuals, we may go places and we may see the power of God at work,

but it's not necessarily something that's present here.

That's why I want to go down this topic.

Go ahead. Yeah. Righteousness, peace, joy, power, and the Holy Ghost. Or the Holy Spirit.

Or the Holy Spirit. Righteousness, peace, joy, power, and the Holy Spirit.

As in the Holy Spirit supplies all of them. So it should be the Holy Spirit, righteousness,

peace, joy, and power. Because he's the one who supplies it all.

One is 1 Corinthians 14 20. I don't know the other one.

I'll sign it. Any other questions?

Say that again.

Yeah, I'm saying that most people hunger after power so that we can show evidence of the kingdom.

But I don't want that power without a relationship with the king. Though the

king will provide that power for the sake of the kingdom. I don't want that. Jesus didn't want it.

None of the disciples wanted it. You know who wanted it? The guy in Acts chapter 8 who said,

Acts 8 · chapter mention

can I give you some money so I can have the same power? And he was a believer. He had already been.

He believed. And then he said, I see this great power. He was a magician who

converted, believed, and then wanted the power. And then he said, let your power perish with you.

Yep.

Oh, it's Romans 14 20. Oh, it's Romans 14 20. And then there's another scripture says

1 Corinthians 4 20. 1 Corinthians 4 20 and Romans 14 what? Romans 14 17 and 1 Corinthians 4 20.

Romans 14 17 and 1 Corinthians 4 20. If you combine both, you find that the kingdom of God

is actually not a matter of eating or drinking or talk, but of Holy Spirit,

righteousness, peace, joy, and power. And therefore, if you look at those things,

this is a litmus test for all of us. Because that's how you know relationship is growing.

We said we must increase in our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

What is the evidence of an increase in relationship with the Holy Spirit?

Right living,

peace, or wholeness in different circumstances,

peace, joy, which is not British, like meaning it should show peace, joy, power.

So it makes things new, and all of it is provided by the Holy Spirit.

So this is a good litmus, and this must keep increasing.

That's how you know that there is a relationship ongoing with God.

None of this can be gotten instantly. This is waking up and starting afresh every morning.

Like sometimes you want things instantly. There are guys who want to iron their shirts,

and they wear their shirts, and then they iron it after wearing their shirts.

Because they don't want to take the trouble of taking out an ironing board, putting it down,

taking a shirt, putting it on the ironing board, ironing it. That takes time. This takes time.

This takes time. But Don, guess what he did? He wore his shirt. He saw a wrinkle here,

so he took the iron and started ironing it. And if you open his shirt a little,

show them that scar, there's a burn all over. You can't do that. Yeah, really? I mean, would I lie?

I did it once, but I did it without burning myself. So Don, you knew it would come up in a sermon.

Yeah, this was before he got married. Yeah.

Guys, this takes time, eh? But here's how we deal with time. Instead of looking at,

oh my God, this will take forever, look at every day as an opportunity to start afresh.

It happens to people who are in love. They go to sleep and they wake up the next morning saying,

I got another opportunity to start afresh. That's how this works. Relationship always involves

love and feelings. And the Holy Spirit is so, so into feelings, eh? Please don't sideline feelings.

He's a very feeling Holy Spirit.

Yeah.

I once stayed in a hotel in Taiwan called Feeling Hotel.

Honest. Feeling Hotel. And then there was a sign in the parking lot which said,

for feeling guests only. It gets worse. Honest, for feeling guests only. And then below it,

there's another line which says, non-feeling guests will be prosecuted. So this is real. Yeah.

So, increase in those guys. Guys, here's the thing, eh? If you read Judges 2, you realize

that a generation will come up that will not know the ways of their fathers.

So if you've had parents who've seen miracle signs and wonders, if you have come from churches that

have seen miracle signs and wonders, if you are someone who has seen miracle signs and wonders,

then stand up and begin to talk of what has happened and yearn for it to happen again.

Because there is a generation coming, especially the generation born after 9-11,

that does not know what signs, miracles, and wonders are. They only see it on TV.

If you think you're old, well then, recall the things God has done. Renew them, oh God, renew them.

In our time, in our lives, make them known. In wrath, remember, mercy. I've heard of your fame.

I stand in awe of your deeds.

Because even though Christ inaugurated the kingdom, even though the Holy Spirit is the engine of the

kingdom, we are the ones through whom it's established.

Any questions, guys?

Remember the other thing. Because Christ temporarily, temporarily,

because Christ is the engine of the kingdom, we are the ones through whom it's established.

Temporarily, temporarily, because Christ temporarily and voluntarily

set aside

the independent exercise

of his divine attributes.

His power came from

the Holy Spirit on whom he had to be

completely dependent.

The last word is dependent.

This puts us all on the same playing field. It puts Christ and you on the same playing field.

Because Christ temporarily and voluntarily had to set aside

the independent exercise of his divine attributes. He deliberately decided, nope, if I'm going to walk

the earth and I'm going to share what you guys here in Vancouver are, then I will have to set aside

my divine attributes and I will have to set aside my independent exercise of power, which I have been

exercising since the beginning of time. I created everything. I set it aside. Why? So that my power

will only come from the Holy Spirit and my power will have to come from the Holy Spirit, but me

depending on the Holy Spirit for this power. It evens the playing field.

The last word is dependent. The rest of it is pretty legible, at least compared to what I normally do.

The foundation for most of what God does, whenever God, the foundational nature, the foundational,

these are things that we want to establish early as we go trying to get accredited or

allow God to accredite us, not trying to get, allow him to accredite us. The foundational

nature of God at work, nature of God at work today, at work in this world,

regardless of what he does, it doesn't matter whether it's healing, whether he's

warring, whether he's

causing demons to flee, whatever it be, the foundational nature of God at work in this world,

what's that nature? It is compassion.

This is super important if I want the Spirit of God to flow easily through me uninterrupted,

compassion, and you have to ask yourself, is that natural for you? Is compassion the most natural

thing that rises in you? And the strange thing with God is it's an indignant compassion or a

justice-seeking compassion. It's not compassion that's just mushy. It's compassion that is

indignant at times. It's not only something that flows from his womb, but it's also something that

flows with the degree of, I will do this. It's a little indignant. That's what you see, indignant

compassion coming out when they try to stop him from healing a man who is coming up for healing on

Sabbath. That's when the indignance comes up. You will pull out your donkey out of a hole when it

falls into the hole on Sabbath, and you are preventing me from healing this man who has a

hand that is withered? How dare you? Justice-seeking indignant compassion.

So what happens when we have indignant compassion? When you have indignant justice-seeking compassion,

it unleashes the power of God. It's always, the power of God is always released

when you have compassion, unleashes the power of God. And what happens when power is unleashed?

It displaces

the government or the system of darkness.

Please spend some time looking at this, guys. We don't realize how important this is because,

see, all the natural attributes of God need time to be cultivated. These are fruit. The Holy Spirit

lives in us. These are the fruit of the Spirit. But the flesh opposes it. Is this scriptural? Yes.

Galatians chapter 5. The ways of the flesh oppose the ways of the Spirit. So it needs to be

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

cultivated. One of the things that's required if I want to be able to let the power of God

flow through me is to become like God in his attribute. And what is the attribute of God

that causes power to flow? It has always been, will always be compassion. It is compassion

that does not first reckon your sins. So you are at this bitter pool called Marah.

Israel has rebelled. They're at the pool of Marah and this is a rebellious people. And what does he do?

He says, take a stick, cut it, throw it into the water, let the bitter waters turn sweet.

It was called Marah because Israel rebelled there. And yet he turns its sweet. What is flowing out of

him at that point? Compassion. And if we get that, if I get the foundational nature of God at work

in the world at this present time, regardless of how terrible situations are, regardless of how we

are heading towards the days of Noah, if this begins to take hold of me instead of the war is

me or how terrible and all this stuff, then something will happen. This is what you will not learn in a method.

You never learn this in a method. Or some kind of a forensic, let's check your car heating system.

I mean, you know the hook you, not hook you, hook a car to a computer and then they check what's wrong?

That doesn't have compassion in it. A method is like a computer.

But if compassion can form the foundation layer, the methods begin to work.

What does it do? Indignant compassion leads always to the unleashing of the power of God,

always to the unleashing of the power of God. Do you realize now why some of the simplest, unlearned,

uneducated, bad pronunciation people have tremendous power working through them? Why?

Because there's a simplicity and a compassion in their lives. I've met many of them.

Emily recently visited this guy called Roland Tan. Some of you have met him.

That guy oozes with compassion. But he was not like that. He was a hard man.

He used to be one of the, on the Olympic judo team of the UK. When, when he used to train cops,

cops used to start swimming even though they didn't know how to swim. His wife used to throw

him in the water. He was a very good swimmer. He was a very good swimmer. He was a very good swimmer.

His wife used to throw up when he would come home because he was that hard a man. And then

Jesus touches him and it changes him. His heart goes so compassionate that I've never seen a man

being used as much in healing as he. Compassion unleashes the power of God. Because nature calls

out to nature. Deep calls out to deep. Nature calls out to nature.

And then when that happens, what, what, what happens? It displaces the government

or the system of darkness.

Yeah.

This compassion and indignant compassion. That's what he said, right? Yeah.

Indignant compassion wants to make things that are wrong, right.

This compassion, just natural, Godly compassion is what arises in a mother's womb for a child.

The word used in Hebrew is Raham. And Raham means the same compassion that a mother has,

or the pity that a mother has that rises up from the womb of a mother for a child.

And that is just born out of sheer love. And then there is a compassion that wants to set

things right. That carries in it a degree of, I will seek justice for this, but it is not an angry

justice. The activism of Christianity today often gets angry, which is why it always causes harm to

someone and causes good to someone else. But indignant compassion takes the whole, I don't even

know how to do it because this is the brilliance of God. It is the wisdom of God. Indignant compassion

has in it the wisdom of God. Indignant compassion has the ability to go to Nineveh and send a man

and say to Nineveh, listen, if you don't repent, entire city will be destroyed. Knowing that this

message is going to turn the hearts of the king and the people. And as they begin to turn, there

is one man who came with compassion, but now his compassion is being questioned because he is upset

that the city is not destroyed. And then you hear God conversing with Jonah and he begins to talk

about, you're worried about a little sun on your head and you think I shouldn't be worried about

120,000 people perishing? Plus the animals, plus the livestock. I mean, there is no greater

environmentalism than Jesus Christ. Makes things right. And that's something Isaiah is so full of

today. Isaiah continuously, I will make things right. I will restore things. I will make things

right. I will make things right. It's so precious to him. This displacing the government or the

system of darkness is part of war. Like I always say, kingdom means warfare, warfare means clash

of kingdoms. Making all things new is to retrieve or restore what it used to be like.

So when you go pray for somebody, know that there's an active enemy.

Guys, why is all this important? Why can't we just go and just do stuff? Won't that be, isn't it,

much better being practical than learning all this? Yeah, but it's not one or the other. It is both.

I learned the guitar from some guy who learned it from someone else. So I know very little about

guitar. Self-taught guitarists don't know music, don't know how to read notes, don't know anything

other than the chords they learn. And then there are guitarists who go and learn. And now they both

have the theory and the improvisation. And when those two things come together, they're usually

better musicians. So it's not one or the other because usually that's the way we go. What if

you can combine both? So those of us who are more theoretical, who love teaching, who love

writing down notes and memorizing those notes, time for us to go in, step out and do something

with those notes. For those of us who just say, why all this eating? Let's just go do. Well then,

time to start learning.

Because it can't be one or the other.

So we return to what Thu Nhi was talking about. Why am I writing his name down here?

Thu Nhi in the time, oh there he is. What makes all things new here on earth? What brings the

kingdom to bear here on earth? Who is important to release power? At the end of the day, it all

comes back to that we talked about in January of 23. His presence makes all things new. His presence

makes all things new. And so practice presence by desiring to make all things new.

It's like a virtuous cycle. So do not practice presence if you do not have a desire to make all

things new. As you desire to make all things new, you will find that you cannot do it without

presence. It comes together. Do not practice presence for the sake of your Christian growth.

The presence of God is here on earth to make all things new. The presence of God is not here on

earth so we can speak more in tongues, have a better time of worship, have a few healings

inside the church, have a few prophetic words inside the church. That is not the reason the

presence of God is here. The presence of God is to make all things new. All things, all of creation.

Remember we talked about how when he opens a scroll, he immediately activates everything that

needs to in Revelation 4 and 5. They both, again, this is something I have to hold together. When

you are at work, can you desire to make all things new? In your own life, can you desire to make all

things new? And as that desire, just as you desire things to be made new in your own life, so can you

desire it for others. It is not love your neighbor instead of yourself. It is love your neighbor as

you love yourself, not instead. We are frightened of that scripture because we immediately hear it

as love your neighbor instead of yourself. It says love your neighbor as you love yourself,

as you desire things in your life to be made new, as you desire a hurt to go away, as you desire

warmth, as you desire security, as you desire friendships, as you desire that you have what

is required for your living. Will you now desire it with the same passion for somebody else?

Because if I do not desire it with the same passion for somebody else, I will not inconvenience myself.

The difference between a believer who inconveniences himself and a believer who does not

inconvenience himself is simply this. That the passion to desire things for myself is not the

same passion I have for you. Therefore, do not expect me to inconvenience myself for your sake.

I'll write out a check. I'll give you the dollars, but do not expect me to inconvenience myself.

Any pushback on that? Any questions?

Go ahead.

Yes, there is joy in going to the cross, but it is highly inconvenient.

Is it true to go to the cross for the joy that was set before him?

Hebrews 12. For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, but the cross was very

inconvenient. It is what drew him towards it. So on one hand, if you can have joy in serving people

and making all things new, my God, you waste it, man. What do I do when I don't have the joy?

That's the question. If I don't have the joy, does that mean that I don't inconvenience myself now?

Do I wait for the joy to come before I inconvenience myself? What if the joy only comes when I'm 84?

Sometimes I have to begin the journey towards inconvenience because I share the same passion

that he has for somebody else and that I should now develop for somebody else. It's difficult.

It's very difficult. One of the guys who used to inconvenience himself just over and over again

for others, locally and in India, was Jeevan. Jeevan would inconvenience himself like crazy.

Doesn't matter whether it was money, whether it was time, whether it was his own health,

whether it was work, whether it was sleep. That guy would inconvenience himself over and over again

for the sake of others. And so many benefited because of it.

Inconvenience opens the tap of your life and if your life is connected to Christ, it's inexhaustible.

Yeah, making all things new. Examples.

Examples. From Jesus' life or our lives?

Not just about getting a new job.

No, no, no. Yeah. Okay, and we'll end with that.

So if we are looking at examples for making all things new,

let's first look at what has decayed.

So, right living.

Sex has become lust. Order has become chaos.

Money has become mammon or security.

Marriage has become dominion.

Knowing God's will has become not something about a relationship, but about divination.

Gifts have replaced character.

Sickness, demons, oppression, affliction, torment, death.

Eternal damnation.

Environment has an ecology.

Depravity.

Poverty.

Humans being used like animals.

Worse than animals. Even animals won't do it to each other.

Bigotry.

What do you call it when you despise people based on race and all that stuff? What's the word?

Discrimination.

Sorry, discriminate. No.

Race discrimination.

No, when you take all of it together.

Discrimination based on something or the other. Where you treat the other one really, really badly.

Religion.

I mean, I can keep going.

This is what is decaying and dying.

Right living. Sex becoming lust. Order becoming chaos or confusion.

Money becoming mammon. Literally worship.

Fear.

Anxiety.

Marriage is becoming a place of dominion.

Knowing God's will.

Even in churches becoming more about I need to know God's will not because I really want a relationship with him because I want to know the future.

Divination is basically knowing the future.

Gifts replacing character.

Sickness, demons, oppression, affliction, torment, death.

Eternal damnation.

Environment or ecology.

Depravity.

Poverty.

Humans being used worse than animals.

Bigotry.

Discrimination.

Religion.

And every day is there even a place for that?

Is there even a possibility that I'll want to make this thing new or have we as Christians settled into having our Christianity as the own?

Injustice.

Injustice.

So much of it.

And it's not that all of us can do all of these things.

It is that some of us can do some of these things and if some of us did some of these things, all of us will end up touching every area.

Go ahead, Diana.

Can you talk a bit more about ecology and environment because that will seem unnecessary as an environment.

Unless you're talking about the human body.

No, the creation is decaying.

The Bible talks about it.

In Romans chapter 8 it says all creation is in bondage.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Tigers have become?

Cats.

So.

Thanks, Don.

You need a little more ironing.

The thing is, all of us can't take all of this on.

But may I suggest to you that to be accredited, one has to desire fixing this.

Why is it that my Christianity focuses on me and my church?

And us doing well.

Why is it that I don't say, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem.

How I long to gather you like a hen gathers its chicks.

There's plenty to make things, make new.

Meanwhile, you have to be made new and you're making news very easy.

Why?

Because you have the Holy Spirit and what do you focus on?

Very simple, guys.

We focus on the things that are new.

Very simple, guys.

We focus only on this.

It's actually quite nice.

Our stuff is sorted out.

This is the only thing you have to focus on.

We only focus on this.

This is what the church should focus on in individual lives.

And then our lives should focus on this.

That first part gets sorted out as we increase in relationship with the Holy Spirit.

And that then makes it possible for you to then take care of this in your little area.

To make all things new.

What is it that makes all things new?

The presence of God.

Why is he here?

To make all things new.

Let me give you those scriptural references and close.

We'll have communion before we go.

Can you get the communion ready?

Look at Isaiah 43.19.

Isaiah 43.19.

Just look at these three scriptures.

Isaiah 43.19.

I'm trying to knit three scriptures from the Old Testament.

I mean, scriptures from the Old Testament.

Isaiah 43.19.

Isaiah 43.19.

Isaiah 43.19.

Isaiah 43.19.

The scriptures from the Old Testament and the New Testament together.

Isaiah 43.19.

For I'm about to do something new.

See, I've already begun it.

Do you not see it?

I'll make a pathway through the wilderness.

I'll create rivers in the wasteland.

Another version.

Behold, I'm doing a new thing.

Now it springs forth.

Do you not perceive it?

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

Romans chapter 8.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

18-23.

For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed.

For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.

For creation was subjected to futility, not willing, but because him who subjected it in hope, that creation itself may be set free from its bondage or corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

And verse 23.

And not only creation, but we ourselves who have the first roots of the spirit, grown inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

In the sense that there is a time coming when everything will be made absolutely new.

While we are waiting for that, let's continue the job.

And finally, Revelation 21, which is one of my favorite scriptures nowadays.

Revelation 21, 4-6.

Revelation 21, 4-6.

Guys, participate in what Christ is doing so that you can be there as someone who walked this time with him to see that time come.

Revelation 21, 4-6.

He will wipe away every tear.

So put sorrow in the list.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Death shall be no more.

No more crying.

No more pain.

No more mourning.

For these former things have passed away.

And then look at this line.

And he who was seated on the throne said, behold, I'm making all things new.

Also he said, write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.

And he said to me, it is done.

This is the second time you hear the, it is finished.

The first is when he says it is finished on the cross and it begins.

On the cross, the first it is finished is the beginning of restoration.

Sins have been paid for.

Every sin has been paid for.

Every human has the ability now to enter heaven because sins have been paid for.

That is one bookend of this it is finished.

And then the last bookend is in Revelation 21 where he says, it is now done.

No more pain.

No more tear.

What is he doing?

He's restoring Eden.

I created Eden.

This is what it is meant to be.

This will be what it will be.

Nobody can stop him.

Sovereign.

But man, you and I have to have this so deeply ingrained in us that it is almost like some of the other things we learned for six or seven years.

Where it's default.

And so in verse 6 he says, and he said to me, it is done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

To the thirsty I'll give the spring of life without payment.

Let's end there, eh?

And we'll continue again later.

Just remember to try and practice this this week.

Presence is to be God-conscious.

Just try going with this sentence and try to break it up during the week.

Or to be more aware of him than of myself.

So play with that this week.

Play with that this week.

Presence is to be God-conscious and less aware of yourself.

Or presence is to be God-conscious or to be more aware of him than of myself.

Play with that this week.

Write it on your mirror.

And so what about my children?

What about my spouse?

Trust me, he's so aware of them that if you're aware of him, you will be aware of them.

This is not some kind of monastic living where you write it with lipstick on your mirror

and you sit in front of the mirror and just zoom in and zoom out.

No, this is...

It's not that kind of thing.

It is like...

It's to be God-conscious, as in very aware of God.

And then he leads you.

And so when your child starts crying or your husband is throwing a tantrum,

you now know how to react the way God would help

so that the child stops crying and the husband starts throwing a tantrum.

How to deal with pets.

Everything will become clear.