Making The Father Known

So, Baba, we continue from there, Baba. We thank You for Your presence here.

Baba, we don't want to do anything without You, outside of You.

Father, I don't know why, but You want this to be said.

If you are burned out, if you are tired, if you are weary, come to me. I will give you rest.

If you are burned out, if you are weary, if you are tired,

if you don't know how to go ahead, if you feel stuck, if you feel you have come to the end of yourselves,

Jesus is saying, come here, I will give you rest.

So, Jesus, we thank You. We thank You that You came against religion.

You came against the spirit of religion and You offered us freedom.

For every single person sitting here, Baba, we operate in Your Spirit, the Spirit of freedom.

I thank You for the Spirit of freedom that You have given me.

I thank You for the Spirit of freedom that is available for every single person sitting in this room,

that has come to them by the blood that Jesus shed.

And we will not take it for granted. Instead, we choose to grab it.

We choose to pull it close to ourselves, because that's Your inheritance for us.

We thank You, Baba, in Jesus' name.

So, two weeks ago when Jacob was teaching, he talked about the overarching theme that's true for any church.

An overarching theme that's true for every single believer.

And there were three M's that he talked about. Can someone tell me what those three M's are?

Make the Father known. Great.

I'll try this, see if that works.

Make the Father known.

Make disciples.

What's the next one?

Multiply churches.

Up until Friday or so, I was thinking we'll be talking about something else, but later into the day, Friday,

I felt like God wants us to talk about the first one.

Make the Father known.

Make the Father known.

So, if you believe in Jesus Christ, if you are part of His body, it doesn't matter where we are from,

it doesn't matter what we do. These are the three things that we have to participate in with Christ.

Make the Father known. Make disciples. Multiply churches.

Make disciples.

We sang this song today, which is God, what's the name of that song, Jane, that you sung?

The one that Bishop recommended? Same God.

In that song, we said God is the God of Moses, God is the God of Jacob, God is the God of all of those guys we read in the Old Testament.

One thing that's peculiar about that is we know God, or the Old Testament guys, let's say when Jesus came to earth,

all of them who listened to Jesus, up until that point, they all knew God because of the lives of Moses,

David, other heroes from the Old Testament, and everything that the prophets said.

So Jesus, when He entered the scene, they all have an understanding of who God is.

They know Him as Adonai. They know Him as God.

As soon as Jesus enters the picture, Jesus reveals God to them as the Father.

I have said this again, I'll say it a hundred million times for the rest of my life,

but here's this one scene that I can't forget, that I can't get away from,

and it is this that when Jesus taught the disciples how to pray,

I believe that all of heaven leaned to hear the first two words when Jesus said,

Our Father. For the first time on earth, for the first time on earth, it was said, Our Father.

Because they all knew God. Moses is a great guy, and Moses, I think in one of the Exodus 33,

it talks about Moses where Moses said, I want to know you, and I've seen you, I've encountered you.

That's who Moses is. He has lived a life where he experienced God so closely,

and so he was able to tell others this is who God is. Pharaoh knew God through Moses.

Egypt knew God through Moses. Israelites came to know God through Moses.

Let's look at the life of Abraham. James chapter 223, it's written about Abraham by James that

Abraham was a friend of God, because he believed and it was counted to him as righteousness,

and therefore Abraham is a friend of God. So the guys who knew Abraham,

they related to God because of how Abraham knew God, and they were brought in,

they were brought closer to the reality of God through this man's life.

David was a shepherd boy, knows God. People around him get to know closer, better,

because of the life he lived. So God makes himself known through us,

but we can't escape Jesus who said, the Father and I are one. I'm in the Father, and the Father is in me.

And Jesus said, guys, if you want to pray to this God that you know as Adonai,

if you want to pray to this God that you have always read about, have heard about,

the prophets that you have longed after, I'm going to tell you this.

This is how you go to him. This is how you approach him. You approach him as our Father.

And that is ground zero for us today. Our Father, my Father, and even as I stand here,

he is my Father. I don't need to do anything to please him because his delight is on me.

You don't need to do anything to please him because his delight is over you.

And we thank you, Abba. We thank you for that. That you're a God who is always with us.

You're a God who, for whatever reason, Abba, well, I shouldn't say for whatever reason,

because it's in the very nature of you to be Father. That's who you are.

We are thankful for that, Abba. So thankful for that. We will not take that for granted.

We cannot take that for granted. We don't want to know you as just God.

We want to know you as God and Father.

So from the beginning of creation, God had been waiting and waiting and waiting

to portray himself through his Son. And the Son finally reveals God to others as Father.

So the mission of God is to make himself known to the world around us.

The mission of God is to make himself known to the world around us.

So we can paraphrase it, talk about it in many different ways, but at the end of the day,

the mission of God is to make himself known to everyone around us. Why?

What's motivating that? What is motivating that? And that is his love for others.

It is his compassion for others. Because the only way the earth can be rescued,

the only way others can find freedom, the only way others can find forgiveness,

the only way others can find fulfillment of what they need to be or where they need to be at,

it is only through the Father. And because of that, God longs,

God longs and desires for everyone around us to know him, to know him,

make himself known. And that then becomes the commission that we carry.

And guys, it's so simple today. It's so simple today. I'll tell you this.

Everything that I have to say today is line by line. I don't even need to say anything.

If we just put it on the board, you can read it and that'd be it.

But we got to go back to what God is telling us. For whatever reason, we need to solidify ourselves in this.

So the thing is in, let's read that. I think it is in Exodus 33.

Exodus 33, 12 and 13.

Moses said to the Lord, See, you say to me, bring up this people.

But you have not let me know whom you will send with me.

Yet you have said, I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.

Now therefore, Moses said, If I have found favor in your sight,

please show me now your ways that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.

That's Moses saying after all of the life he lived, after having encountered God on the burning bush,

after having led the people of Israel, he's saying,

If I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways that I may know you.

Show me your ways that I may know you. Show me your ways that I may know you.

And that's what we are saying. Abba, show us your ways.

Yeah, we know you. We know you in that you are our God, you are our Father.

Wherever we are at today, we have an understanding of you. But we ain't going to settle.

Because this God that we are talking about is the mighty possessor of heaven and earth.

He is Yahweh. He is creator. He is so good and so big.

And the entire earth is contained in Him. The universe is contained in Him.

And we could, if we chose to, settle for it.

But then there is another way of living, like Moses lived, where you go to God and say,

If I have found favor in you, and we know through Jesus Christ, we have already found favor in Him.

And now we can tell Him, show me your ways that I may know you.

This is what David wrote about, deep calls unto deep.

Abba, Paul writes about it. Abba cry. Abba cry. Abba cry.

Father, Father, Father, those are words that please Him.

Those are words that make Him run after you.

Abba, guys we are going to go so basic today.

We are going to make sure that whatever God wants us to do will happen in our hearts.

That's all I am meant to do. And that's all I will do.

Abba, that's who He is. That's our relationship with Him.

And so we come against every spirit of religion that tries to make Him anything else.

Our experience, where we have been, what we have done, what we have heard, other people's experience,

it does not matter. God is Father. And we cry out to Him. Abba.

So this mission that God has for us, this mission came before even the earth was created.

Because Jesus Christ was slain for the sins of the world before the foundations of the earth were laid.

And because of that, the mission of God, which is to make Himself known to others, existed even before we were known.

And all we are doing right now is jumping into what He has always said for us, which is,

guys, come. You experience me. You know me. And then you go and take it to the world,

to the ends of the earth, so that they can experience who you are.

And I've got three things I want us to look at today. We'll talk about those three things.

Do we have the eraser somewhere here? Thank you.

For anyone who doesn't know who that is, that's my brother.

Okay, I'll use my hands, Dawn. Thank you.

It's only because of you. Okay, guys, so the first thing.

So God is saying, this is the commission that I've given you.

Make the Father known.

So three things. Thanks, Evan. Now I need to do this.

First with this. Thank you. And second with this. Now we are clean and ready to go.

All right, so three ways we're going to make the Father known, or three ways that God

wants us to think about, learn about, practice more with regards to how we can go about it.

The first thing is, or the first point is, living in his house.

And we'll explore that. Living in his house.

This is from Luke chapter 15.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

See, in the story of the prodigal son, we don't have to read it.

In the story of the prodigal son, it's so easy for us to be reading that story

and thinking about the prodigal son, how he wanted all of the inheritance,

how he left the house, how he returned, the Father's heart,

how the Father threw a grand party for him, all of those things.

But for the younger brother and for the older brother, there was a greater reality for them,

which was the opportunity to have lived with the Father always.

So Luke chapter 15 is about the opportunity,

Luke 15 · chapter mention

it's about the incredible privilege that I have, you have, to live with the Father always.

To always be in communion with him. And all of that is possible because of what Jesus did.

And Jesus said that now that I am here, you can be one with God.

What we are talking about, if we live in this truth,

every second of our lives will change our lives. Even from where we are today to another place in God.

We have an incredible privilege to be in the Father's house all the time.

So I am not talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit is in us.

Yeah, the Holy Spirit is fully in us and he is present with us and he will never depart from us.

He is in us, yes. But there is a practical lifestyle, a way of living,

that allows us to be in fellowship. Not in relationship,

because the relationship part is always taken care of or has always and forever been taken care of by Christ.

But there is a fellowship part, which is to walk with him.

To walk with him every day. Wake up with an Abba cry.

Go through your day with your Father.

To go into the night, to walk into the night with the Father.

To go to bed knowing that he is with you.

To wake up the next day knowing that this God is my Father.

There is no other way to live but this.

And the reason we came against religion is because regardless of how many years we have known God,

let me guarantee you this. There is one thing that comes against this idea and that is religion.

Where it can point you to that and this and this other thing

and take our eyes off of the fact that this God that we call God is also our Father.

And for a church like Acts 29, this is so fundamental to how we have been raised.

But we still need to remind ourselves.

Otherwise life will come, disruptions will come

and we will almost very quickly forget that he is not just God.

That I don't have to run to him a certain way like I run to someone else.

That I can just call him Abba and he is here.

When I was thinking about this, God was just reminding me that wherever you are, whatever you do,

when you cry Abba, when you just say Abba, it breaks through everything around you and it reaches his ears.

Abba.

And the truth is that this is our spirit crying to his spirit.

And now we verbalize it. Now we live like this.

So it's a lifestyle where unlike the prodigal son who ran away from the father's house,

you have the privilege to wake up every day in his house and be in fellowship with him.

Where you wake up to the plans he has for you on a daily basis.

To engage in father-son intimacy. Matthew 11.

Wake up to the reality of, Abba, I don't need to prove anything today.

I don't need to prove anything today. I don't need to work to please you today.

I don't need to do anything to make you smile today.

You're already smiling at me. You're already here.

Sometimes these truths that we know have to be said in certain words so that we can really engage with it.

I don't need to do anything. I wake up and you're here.

Only if I would give my ears to you. Only if I would talk to you now.

Only if I would speak to you now. You're here. You're delighted with me.

Because your son has done everything that needs to be done.

I don't need to work extra to make you love me more.

And you don't love Pawan more than me. You love Pawan and me the same way.

I'm not a lesser son or a lesser daughter.

I am fully accepted. Fully taken care for.

I pray that as I say these words, some of you will come against lies that have been formed in your minds.

That you'll shatter them. Because the truth of God is this.

Regardless of how many years we know God.

Sometimes when we don't realize that this is happening, it's easy to forget it.

Now this house has several rooms.

When you live in this house, you'll realize that this house has several rooms.

They are carefully designed by the father.

To create an environment for you to know him deeply.

One of the rooms could be joy.

Do you feel like you're in a place where you can be happy?

Do you feel like you need joy?

Do you feel like that's something that I know the difference between happy and joy.

But I don't really know exactly what that means.

I want to understand this more. I want to understand this better.

I want to live in this better. I don't want to settle for anything else.

I want to experience joy. Peace.

How about you said peace is my inheritance. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.

I ain't settling for anything less.

There are several rooms in this house.

All carefully designed for you.

To create an environment for you.

To live in and to know him deeply.

If I were to take advantage of this truth,

let's do that for the next two minutes.

Think about, Aba, I know you're good.

I know you're faithful. I know you're kind. I know you're merciful.

I know you have a plan for me. I know when I am with you,

because you're in me, when I have decided to follow you,

you won't leave me. Your peace is with me.

Your power is available for me. Your authority is there.

But there are two things where you feel like God is wanting you to upgrade in.

To reach a new level in that area.

Whatever those two things are, or three, write it down.

And if you ask God, God I want this to be so true.

I want to live in this. The Father will make that happen.

Let's go practical. Why hear something and not be affected by it?

Take two minutes. This house we're talking about has several rooms.

All for you. Take two, three minutes and say, Aba,

here is what I need in my life.

Here is an area where I need to grow from where I am to a new place in you.

And I ain't going to be a settler.

And for that reason, show me what those things are.

And I'm going to ask you for them right now. Take two minutes and do that.

We have a Father who said, if you ask me, I will give it to you.

So whatever you're writing down, if you ask for it, you will get it.

So whatever you're writing down, if you ask for it, you will get it.

Yeah. Okay.

So the older son in the prodigal story, Luke chapter 15,

Luke 15 · chapter mention

we hear about him or read about him at the very end, one or two lines.

But the story is more so about this older son than the younger son.

For those of us who have returned to Christ, for those of us who have returned to God,

for those of us who have returned to the Father,

the story is more about the older son than the younger son.

Because if you think about it, the older son had everything.

In fact, in the last two verses of that passage, the Father says, son, you are with me always.

All of me is for you. You are with me always.

But for whatever reason, the son wanted to take things, the older son wanted to take things in his own hands.

And he said, I'm not going to come into the house.

This guy has been gone away and he's been doing this and that and the other.

And now he's come back. You love him so deeply.

And you know what? I don't really care anymore. I worked really hard.

I've made sure I woke up at 6 a.m. in the morning.

I worked out in the field till 8 p.m. Two hours more than your servants.

And that's how you treat me? I'm not coming in.

If this son knew the Father, if he held the Father closer than the other things,

he would never say those words.

Because he would know that every day at such and such this time, the Father would go out to the porch.

He'd be looking at the road that's leading on to the house.

He's waiting for his son to return.

If for once he went and asked him, Abba, why? Why are you doing this?

I know you told me to go and do this work and I've been laboring in the field.

But for once if you told me, if I asked you why, then the Father would say, son, my heart is aching.

It's difficult for me. It's difficult for me.

He has left the house. I don't know where he's at.

I want him to come back. It's difficult for me.

And if the son had listened to that answer from the Father,

and if the son, the older son, had loved the Father enough,

when the son returned, he would be the one throwing the party.

Because he would have by then known what the Father really wanted.

And so we need to be reading that passage differently.

The first time when Jesus said this parable,

don't think that people were teary-eyed and listening to it at that time, no.

Jesus was going right against everything they knew about God by saying this.

Jesus was saying that your religious ways of doing this is not how you approach the Father.

You just need to go back to him and that's it.

And so they were teary-eyed and listening to it.

Half the people or more who listened to him that day wanted to stone him perhaps.

And so we are the older sons and daughters.

And we were the older sons and daughters.

And we want to live in this house.

Experience the different rooms you've designed.

Know you, know your heart so well that we know how you are.

To a point where we recognize your footsteps like Adam did,

where day by day it's better.

We are only growing from one level of intimacy to another.

That we won't settle.

That we aspire to be like Jesus.

And we'll stand against religion.

We'll stand against any form of thought, lofty knowledge, whatever that is.

To say, no, I won't give this any room in my life because my God is my Father.

Because He loves me and I don't need anyone between Him and I.

I will follow Him.

Everything that is dear to His heart will be dear to me.

Guys, the true meaning of sonship then changes from just being a son and a daughter

to a son and a daughter who is interested in the very things He is interested in.

That is sonship.

And that is knowing Him well.

Because sometimes as Christians you can be all about my God is my Father,

my God is my Father.

I can't sing otherwise I would have sung.

But true sons go from that to my God is my Father.

And I care about everything He cares about.

And He is waiting for His sons and daughters to return.

And so while I am in this house that He has designed for me,

I know I'm repeating, I'll repeat it again, with rooms for me to enjoy,

to be in fellowship with Him,

I'm going to not let go of this inheritance.

Because everything around me will fight for me to leave this inheritance.

My inheritance is not what He is leaving behind for me.

My inheritance is Him.

If the older son knew that,

that the inheritance is not really what he will get when the Father dies in that story.

But the inheritance is the Father Himself.

That being with the Father, walking with the Father is what He needed.

So think about it this way.

Some days when we wake up,

what the Father would want of us is to walk with Him,

hold His hand and just keep walking.

One day He wants to take us on a hike.

Next day when you wake up, He may want you to just sing to Him,

because He is in the mood to listen to your singing,

regardless of how bad it is or good it is.

He doesn't care. Every word is sweet to Him.

Another day or the same afternoon,

He may ask you to put on your boots and take an axe

and go out and complete the work that He has asked you to do.

It doesn't matter what it is,

but we've got an adventure filled days

that are our inheritance with Him,

that we cannot let go for anything else.

Let's move on to the next one.

Or maybe a couple more things before we move on to the next one.

So every day is an opportunity to know Him more

and explore what the Father has for you every day.

I want to phrase this in a different way,

because practically for me, when I thought about this,

this is what happens.

Sometimes I do not include Him in everything I do.

Think about it and see if this is true for you.

Sometimes I do not include my Father in everything that I do.

If you don't include Him in everything He does,

I am missing out on the inheritance that I have.

I don't want to. I want to include Him in everything.

Everything, every day, everything.

That's how Jesus lived. I can live like that.

And if I'm already living far better than how I've been the last two years,

good for you, but still not good enough,

because Jesus is the only one who can live like that.

But still not good enough, because Jesus has set the bar so high,

and we can grow to that stature.

And it's not a condemning thing, because when I think about it,

for me it's almost like, thank you for opening my eyes to the fact

that I don't include you in everything in my life,

and now I want you to be included in everything.

From one, one, one, one, whatever you call it, one level to another, so be it.

Call it whatever you want to,

but it is a better way of living, and I want that.

I need that.

Next point, so you start by living in His house.

Number two is go out to bring in.

The prodigal son, his older brother, could have gone out looking for the younger son.

If he really knew the father, one day he would go up to the father,

he would have asked him, Abba, I know that you really want your younger son back,

my brother back. You know what I'm going to do?

I'm going to put all of this work on the side,

I'm going to give it to the servants, and I'm going to go out looking for him,

because it's important for me to find him so that he can return home.

And for us, we don't have to do anything except do what is commissioned to us,

which is to make our father known, because the world around us does not know a father like that.

The world around us, they don't know that God is a father who cares, who loves, who forgives,

who transfers us from one kingdom to another and is with us all the time,

and will always look after us, will forgive all sins. They don't know that.

And so all we've got to do is not make a wait for the son to return or the daughter to return,

but just let them know who the father is, because the moment they know who the father is,

their eyes will be open, and some of them will choose the way back to the father.

So go out to bring in.

When you live with the father, you have a deep understanding that this father spends himself for his children.

He spends himself for his children.

He gives everything he has for his children.

And when I have that deep understanding of who he is, I will begin to spend what I have for what matters for him.

Sons and daughters take after their father.

Sons and daughters take after their father.

And if that is true, his business becomes mine.

And so the purpose of your journey, when you go out from this house into the world to bring people back in,

to bring sons and back in, the purpose of your journey is the mission of God to make the father known.

Hey, I know this father, and this father is like this.

And I know you don't know him. I know you think of him differently.

But I'm here to just tell you from my life and my experience that this is who he is.

One of the things that we need to be aware of is there are sometimes certain virtues that we place in high value that we will have to break away from.

Virtues like, you know what, my personality is that kind of a personality, but I don't really talk much to people.

And it's not really my style to tell anyone how I am or what's going on.

I just like to keep it low and not really talk much.

And if they want it, they'll see it and they'll get it.

Who said that's the way?

So certain virtues, and you can look into your own lives, certain virtues in double quotes aren't really good virtues.

That are helpful for the mission at hand.

And we have to know what those which virtues are and break away from them so that we can be everything that the father wants us to be.

Because there ain't there ain't any showing of who he is.

If I don't open my mouth.

One on one, I've got to speak.

I've got to speak of my father so that they can hear of my father.

I'm called to embrace God's desire to make himself known.

I am called to embrace God's desire to make himself known.

I wrote it down this way to just listen to this.

You become someone who is matured in his nature and likeness and carries an unadulterated message.

This is what God is saying to the world.

I'm not upset and angry.

I'm just waiting for you to return.

I am fattening a calf so that I can throw a huge party to celebrate your return.

You become someone who is matured in God's your father's nature and likeness and carries an unadulterated message.

I'm not upset says God says the father and angry.

I'm just waiting for you to return.

I am fattening a calf so that I can throw a huge party to celebrate your return.

And so when we go out into the world to bring in, we also then need to know that the Holy Spirit is already there.

Because this mission that we step into is a mission that is designed, orchestrated, carried through by the father himself.

And so when I step into this mission, the whole of heaven is there to back me up.

This is what heaven beats for.

And I step into this not like, OK, I now need to go and do all of these things.

No, I don't need to.

I need to just step out into the stream that's already flowing.

And this river will take me where I need to go.

It will take me to destinations I never thought I could go to.

It will take me to people of various backgrounds.

It will take me to friends, family, but also strangers.

Because he loves them all.

And there is a way for me.

To walk, and this is something I will not get away from.

This is something that I will not break away from.

So before he sends me, the Holy Spirit is already there.

And God chooses to be relationally and personally present by his Spirit.

God chooses to be relationally and personally present in everything that I do by his Spirit.

Earlier today, Evan was supposed to come up and share something.

So I thought it's best for him not to share it earlier, but to share it now.

So he's going to come up and share something.

And we'll listen to that and go from there.

Cool, thanks.

So I'm going to read...

I was asked to pick a verse from Isaiah 62.

So I'm going to read verse 6.

And then I wrote a little thing that I'm going to share.

So Isaiah 62 verse 6 says,

Isaiah 62:6

I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.

They will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest.

And then...

So as Derek was saying the last couple weeks, two weeks ago I think,

Jacob talked about permission and kind of the theme there was like

going into people's lives, friends, family, nations, etc.

And then the next week he talked about prayer.

And I don't know about any of you guys, but one of the first things I thought of

when he was talking about prayer was just my circle, people that are in my life, whatever.

And so as I was writing this this morning, God was like,

Evan, why were you thinking only about your little circle when literally a week ago

I was talking about going into other people's lives that you don't know and into nations.

I was like, oh yeah, okay, duh, sorry.

So then, yeah, so he gave me a little smack there.

Anyway, so of course that's important.

We all know it's super important to like pray for those around us.

But then this is what he wanted to share.

So going back to Isaiah chapter 62, and God's already said this.

Isaiah 62 · chapter mention

So this is just a reminder.

He said, don't you see that I have already given you authority in the city,

in the city that you're in, whether it's Vancouver or across the world?

Does that not count for nothing?

I've already told you that you're a watchman on the walls of this city.

I have looked and I have found you to be faithful, Acts 29.

So don't back off. Don't let go.

And in verse 7, I didn't read it, but God is telling us to not give him rest.

He's asking us, don't let me catch you slackin' or whatever.

Like keep, keep going.

And he says, I really mean it.

And then when he said that, I thought about Malachi chapter 3, 10 to 12.

Malachi 3 · chapter mention

So I'll go there. Malachi 3.

So I know the first half of 10, Malachi 3, talks about tithes,

but he wanted to focus on the second half.

Yeah, so the second half says,

And see, if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven,

and pour out so much blessing, that there will not be enough room to store it.

I will prevent pests from devouring your crops,

and the vines in your fields will not drop the fruit before it is ripe,

says the Lord Almighty.

Then all the nations will call you blessed,

for yours will be a delightful land, says the Lord Almighty.

So God was saying that, he has already told us that this is something that we have been called to,

and I guess Derek will share something in a minute,

but we're not supposed to back off.

We're not supposed to just say, you know, I'm only going to take care of my little circle.

He wants us to push ourselves, go to the next step, go to the next level,

and test God, see that he can bring us a blessing that we can't even handle.

So, yeah.

Else, thank you.

Acts chapter 10, I think.

Acts 10 · chapter mention

We won't read that today, but if you have time, once you get back home, read that,

because that's a beautiful illustration of what praying can do.

Because in Acts chapter 10, you see Peter in one place,

Acts 10 · chapter mention

and later on in that chapter, you see him somewhere else,

and what happened in a span of 50 or something verses, I don't know how many,

is breaking open a new region for the truth, for the progression of the gospel.

So, we have our circles, but God's circle is so much bigger.

Nations, cities, villages are waiting to our obedience,

and if we obey, he will take us to wherever we need to go to carry out what he needs us to do.

So, keep in mind that the Father is always waiting.

While the Father is in the house and we live with the Father,

he's always waiting for us somewhere else as well.

And so, if I recognize that he is waiting for me to be somewhere,

and his heart is beckoning me to go there, I will go to places, people, as he leads me.

While I do this, I am to recognize that everyone is made in the image of God,

and I can't escape it.

That every single person, regardless of their orientation, their background, skin color, whatever that is,

every person is made in the image of God, and I'm being called to every person out there.

And then there is specificity to it.

A couple weeks ago, when we were in Bali, I thought I'll add a story to this as well,

because it helps to, at least for me, to think about it this way.

When Prashant and Bishop and I were together, we were walking somewhere.

That particular week was interesting because normally we go out and we try to meet people.

That week, it was strange, because while we were walking,

people are making eye contact with us, and these are regular folk.

They're making eye contact with us and we go talk with them.

We don't even know them. They don't know us, but they're like, so we go.

So we had a couple instances where that happened,

and there is this guy and his friend who are walking, and they look at Bishop and go,

so Bishop and Prashant and I go and say hi to them.

And we were there for about 20-25 minutes, just random strangers on the road talking to each other.

And one of the things that this person, while he and I were talking,

felt that I need to just tell him one thing, that it was an odd thing to say, which is,

you know a lot and you have so much knowledge in your head,

but God is telling you that there is a better way to live, and this is the way.

It took me about 20 minutes until I said that line,

and for the first 20 minutes I was at a place in that conversation with this person,

thinking about how can I break open this man in a way,

because he is, we're talking, but there is something that needs to be said.

I don't know what that something is, but something needs to be said,

and I know that when I say that, what you have for me to say,

then something else will transpire.

So I said this, and as soon as I said what I said, this guy said,

you know what, what you're saying is very true,

and it's not by chance that we have met, and this is good.

And we went on talking for a little bit more, followed up with him even last week, regular guy.

I don't even know him, he doesn't know me. We don't know him.

But through a conversation, by telling him about the father,

by telling him about what's happening, because our father knows what's happening,

something is broken open.

And the prophetic is a gift that we can practice in breaking open people's lives.

It's a gift for the body, and God speaks,

and when we hear and we just say what he is asking us to say,

it breaks open people's lives.

And I pray that this is something I know for a fact that there will be so many stories at Acts 29

that God will write, whereby strangers, people we don't even know will hear about him

through what God is telling us.

And I'm waiting for that to happen more and more and more,

because that for sure is a way that God is leading us.

So prophecy and prophetic is not just for us within these walls,

it is to go out into the world and speak what God wants us to speak,

because there are lives that are in such bad shape and are in such good shape that they don't know him.

We've got to speak.

So God's mission is towards exposing idols that blind and trap people.

God's mission is towards exposing idols that blind and trap people.

And then the last one, I kind of already talked about it, but let's put that as point number three.

When we are in the world, we've got to live open lives.

Open lives mean that you intentionally share the reality and nature of your father

by living a life that does not isolate you from those around you.

Open lives mean that I live in the city I live in, in the apartment I live in,

I live in the workplace I work for,

I live in a way that doesn't isolate me from those around me,

that doesn't put walls all around me,

that secludes me from what's happening around me,

that Jesus with the Samaritan woman, all he did in John chapter four is break one wall after the other after the other.

Culture, gender, you name it, he broke all of those walls to reach this woman.

And we cannot afford to put walls around us.

We are people who look at things and go,

Abba, I am being sent out. I am to live an open life.

So give me wisdom and discernment to break down everything that I need to break down

so that those around me know my father.

With the way you pray, with the way you talk, with the way you deal with frustration.

And in all of these things, they'll observe you in how you handle good times

and they'll observe you in how you will handle difficult times.

Both.

So it doesn't mean that there won't be difficult times.

Regardless of what the situation is,

we are not doing anything so that others can see and know God.

No, we are just living our lives.

We are just obeying what the father has put in us.

And by simply responding to him and operating in a manner that he has designed for us,

we then become what Israel was to be to the nations.

A sign unto the people.

A sign unto the people.

So Prashanth at Langara is a sign unto the people all around him.

Students, staff, facilities, managers, whoever walks into that building,

he is to be a sign unto them.

I am to be a sign unto whoever I am to encounter, whoever is around me in my life.

Live intentionally by breaking down walls of isolation.

Walls of individuality.

Personality types.

And I am to display a kingdom.

We have been talking about this for weeks now.

And I am to display a kingdom.

And my values come from a different kingdom.

I react to situations differently.

And I represent my father.

One of the things we cannot forget while we talk about living an open life is,

and this was important to the father with the Israelites,

it's important to him with us, is holiness is not just,

holiness is practical holiness and blazing purity.

Jacob always talks about that.

He talks about blazing purity.

And it's practical holiness for us.

Because I am righteous.

You're righteous with the father.

I don't need to do anything to make myself righteous.

But there is also practical holiness.

Where I am not to engage in everything.

I am not to taste everything.

I am not to hear everything.

I am not to see everything.

And my practical way of following him,

practical holiness, blazing purity, what do we call it,

that attracts and is a sign for people around you.

Because the world operates opposite to that.

Complete opposite to that.

And the world needs to know that there is a group of people,

there is a community, a family of families,

who think, operate differently because of how they relate to their father

and because of who their father is.

Again, we're doing none of this to show other people something.

We're doing all of this because I am just living the way God designed for me

and because his commission is to make him known to everyone else.

I engage in that.

So the trust of doing all of this is not to show,

okay, I'm going to do it this way so that others can see.

No.

This is the father-son operation.

Jesus lived like that and everyone around him saw it.

It's natural.

Everything else is a byproduct.

You don't even know what you're talking about.

You don't even know how you're dealing with the situation.

But for those around you,

it is the opposite of everything they've ever seen in their lives.

And that will enable them to ask a question, why?

Practical holiness, blazing purity.

Okay, one scriptural reference, 1 John 3, 2 to 3.

1 John 3, 2 to 3.

Listen to this.

Just as he is pure.

And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.

And we share the good news of the father through something that we have talked about for years now.

Good lives, good homes, good works.

Good lives, good homes, good works.

Does not mean that there aren't any problems.

It means that through good times, difficult times,

we follow God and live a life that attracts others to the beauty of Jesus.

And when you live like this, invite them to come home.

Come and see.

So that they can experience the father.

Let's be practical about that too.

I think it was a month or two months ago.

I remember a time when Jacob was teaching and at some point during the teaching he said,

over the next four, five weeks, why don't you open up your home?

And why don't you invite a group of people, maybe two or three people,

with a friend or if you're a single person, have other friends with you, invite them.

Invite people who you know, who are friends, family.

Open your house for that.

Open your homes for that.

Let's go back to that. Let's do that.

We are to, because everything that we're talking about otherwise is not practical.

And when I do one small act to say, Abba, I'm just going to obey what you said,

you'll be surprised how he is, how he operates.

And so I want to remind us of that.

And some of you may have done that.

Some of you may have thought about it recently.

So I just want to remind, open your homes.

Open your homes.

Invite people.

Share the father with them so that they can explore him.

Two, three things, not points, but just sub points, I guess.

Seek to know your inheritance so that you can walk in it.

Seek to know your inheritance or purpose, so that you can walk in faith in it.

And I should have, and we should have a large enough vision

that it demands all of God's strength for us to walk in it.

I should have a large enough vision that it demands all of God's strength for us to walk in it.

That vision should be so big in terms of what he is leading us to,

that we can't do it all by ourselves.

We just need God to do that.

Chava, can you bring up the last slide that I had for you?

This is something that, you guys remember this?

Say yes or no?

Yes.

Good.

So this is something that God said we are to,

this was a prophetic word I think, for Acts 29.

And we've been reading this and just this morning I felt,

go search for these lines, there were one or two words from this that God reminded me of.

So I went and checked my email and got this,

so I felt I should pull this up and have you guys read this.

All of what we talked about, making the Father known.

Number one, living in his house.

Number two, going out.

Number three, living open lives.

To what end? To this end.

And the good thing is, because again, God has already said this,

and this is his plan for us, this is what he wants us to step into,

all of these things can happen when I say yes, and when we say yes.

So let's read it together, because we used to read this together quite a bit,

I think early 2020.

Let's read this together.

This is a word for Acts 29.

So don't be afraid, I am with you, says God.

I am with you, says God.

I will bring your children from the east and gather them from the west.

I'll send orders north and south.

I will say to the north, give them up, and to the south, do not hold back.

Return my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth.

I want them back.

Every last one who bears my name, every man, woman, and child whom I created for my glory,

yes, personally formed and made each one, how wonderful and beautiful they will be.

The young men will thrive on abundant grain, and the young women will flourish on new wine.

You will raise up young men and young women, bishops, strong apostolic ministries,

strong teachers, going out from your company, and they will reproduce this anointing.

Your young people will freely join you at the break of dawn with all the vigor of youth,

resplendent in holy armor on the day of your conquest.

This is what God wants for us.

So I want to have someone come up and pray along these lines and wrap up.

I think Jelena asked someone to do that. Was it you, Dom?