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Secret Place_2

Acts 29 Vancouver

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  1. Okay, hey guys before I left for the last trip I went on and I'm supposed to go to South Africa tomorrow by the way

  2. But today in South Africa just this afternoon they brought a law saying you can't have gatherings that are larger than a hundred people

  3. so

  4. yeah, so before we went we were talking about the secret place because

  5. Remember what we've been examining?

  6. We went down the road of

  7. Does God

  8. We won't even go there. We just go straight to secret place. Don't want to spend time rehashing what we've done

  9. We were talking about the secret place

  10. We talked about Psalm 91 and now we continue with that

  11. And then if you go back and listen to the previous sermons, you will find the context in which we've been

  12. Placing Psalm 91 and it has nothing to do with kovat. We started that before kovat

  13. So guys when you look at Psalm 91

  14. most

  15. Hebrew sages suggest that when Moses talked about

  16. The secret place of the Most High he was actually referring to his experience

  17. Shortly after he came down from Mount Sinai

  18. So when he talks about he that dwells in the shadow of the Almighty is the one who hides in the secret place of the

  19. Most High the secret place of the Most High was that place that Moses went to for 40 days and nights where he ascended Mount

  20. Sinai and spent his time hidden under the hand of God and in the secret place of the Most High and

  21. It is out of that experience that it suggested that Moses is writing Psalm 91

  22. Where he actually was in the midst of the dark cloud?

  23. Which was a place of holy concealment where he had this face-to-face conversation with God

  24. Far far from the madding crowd below where Aaron and the rest of the Israelites were actually

  25. Carving a golden calf and out of this experience on Mount Sinai with Yahweh

  26. Someone no one had ever seen and Moses never sees him fully

  27. He just sees him passing by out of that experience now Moses writes Psalm 91 where he says

  28. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High

  29. So this is a man who actually

  30. Experienced something that no human being has experienced since

  31. Because not even Peter and James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration

  32. Probably saw what Moses saw

  33. Sure, it was hard to look at Jesus in his divinity

  34. But this was something else when Yahweh descended on Mount Sinai Exodus 33 and 34 talk about it

  35. It was so dreadful and dreadful here is not grotesque or ugly

  36. Dreadful here is something that brings up such fear out of the awe and the reverence of a holy God

  37. That people begin to back off because a whole mountain began to tremble

  38. Because here's the reality guys the fallen earth cannot handle the glory of God even when he turns up in

  39. limited

  40. In limited proportions if I can call it that

  41. The earth if it had not fallen when it was pristine could have handled God and did handle God

  42. Because God would come and walk in the Garden of Eden having conversations with Adam and yet after the earth has fallen

  43. The groaning that is induced cannot handle God

  44. Where the whole earth begins to tremble it begins to back off people begin to back off and out of that you can imagine

  45. Why Moses was unafraid man?

  46. He he didn't even I mean when God says I'll hide you behind my back

  47. When God says I'll hide you behind my hand

  48. It's just an anthropomorphic statement where God is compared to a man and so you give him a hand

  49. It wasn't like God was

  50. Chilling him with his hand. It was God saying hey, you cannot see me because you will not survive

  51. And out of that Psalm 91 comes I'm saying to you that this was an external God because God could not live inside Moses

  52. I'm saying to you that we actually have in dwelling in us

  53. You don't have to climb up a mountain to meet him

  54. But if we can begin to imagine what it is to have the presence of Yahweh in us

  55. In our midst, which is why sometimes I'm not scared of meeting like this

  56. It's very hard to be scared with Jesus present here

  57. And what are we really scared of death really is that a big deal

  58. It's such an external temporal thing there are things that are far richer eternal and internal

  59. And so how do you live in this secret place Moses had to ascend somewhere

  60. He ascended it found God in this place and then out of his experience

  61. He begins to write he that dwells in the secret place

  62. After that he was never afraid

  63. He had seen him in the burning bush, but that experience paled in comparison

  64. Paled in comparison there. It was an object that was set alight by God

  65. It was still blazing. It was still magnificent, but it was nothing compared to what happened on Sinai

  66. And so he was in the burning bush

  67. It was still blazing. It was still magnificent, but it was nothing compared to what happened on Sinai

  68. And so how do you and I now since we don't have a Sinai to climb how do you and I live there the strange thing is

  69. The first thing that needs to happen if you want to live in the secret place of the most high is you have to be invited

  70. And guess what you are

  71. Because very clearly God says to Moses in Exodus 34 for listen

  72. I want you to take those two tablets you've hewn with your own hands

  73. I'm gonna inscribe on them again because you broke the first two so here

  74. I want you to come up the mountain so there's an invitation to come up the mountain

  75. And then

  76. And in our case guys this invitation is very simple you are invited and what you invited to

  77. entering into what God is doing entering into what

  78. God is doing. That's the invitation

  79. The invitation is not into worship the invitation is not into prayer the invitation is not into some kind of religious

  80. Activity the invitation is hey. I am constantly at work. Do you want to enter into what I'm doing?

  81. Entering into what he is doing doesn't matter whether it's my notes getting married whether it's even getting a car whether it's

  82. Derek getting married and getting a car it doesn't matter at the end of the day

  83. Getting a car for your brother. That's what I meant. Yeah

  84. Yes, but the car is for his brother. Yeah

  85. So at the end of the day guys the strange thing about God is he operates both in extremely ordinary

  86. mundane circumstances and extremely extraordinary divine circumstances, and he doesn't divide them a

  87. Like he is as involved in your washing of dishes and

  88. You're finding hand sanitizer as he is in the salvation of an entire nation

  89. He's involved in both and in both cases what he's asking is hey you're invited

  90. But Jacob listen to what I'm inviting you into I'm inviting into entering into what I'm doing

  91. And therein lies the secret place man is the safest place on earth it is the safest place on earth

  92. I

  93. Second

  94. Once he invites you prepare it's good to go prepared. We'll talk about that talk about what preparing looks like

  95. Once he invites you prepare and this was a common theme in most of Jesus's teachings in parables

  96. Remember when he says and even in the parable where he says many are invited fewer chosen or many are yeah

  97. Many are called fewer chosen. He talks about this banquet where people are invited and yet people turn out without being prepared

  98. Some people come up with excuses others turn up without being prepared prepare. We'll talk about that third

  99. Exert faith if you want to enter

  100. The secret place because the secret place is not actually a place guys

  101. It's not in the Old Testament. Everything was a place

  102. You had to go to the temple in Jerusalem you had to go to Mount Sinai

  103. You had to go to a certain river, but no longer do we go to places?

  104. Because God isn't found in a place anymore. He's found in a

  105. people

  106. So we're not talking about

  107. Going to a place therefore. There's an exertion of faith required. We'll talk about that. So that's one. That's two. That's three the fourth

  108. the fourth one is

  109. Once you enter dwell

  110. dwell for 40 days and 40 nights

  111. Whether it be in an ark whether it be in the desert or whether it be in the mountain

  112. Learn how to dwell learn how to recite learn how to rest in that place that he's invited into you into I

  113. Mean Noah spent 40 days and 40 nights in a boat Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights in a desert

  114. Moses spent 40 days and 40 nights on a

  115. Mountain it doesn't matter which place you went into the

  116. Desert was full of wild animal serpents the devil temptations and yet guess what?

  117. Every time you go into the wilderness you find God stronger than any other place

  118. Never write a song about how miserable you were in the wilderness because that wilderness was definitely not God's making any wilderness that God sends

  119. You into is a place of absolute strength where people find God like they find him no other place

  120. I'm tired of people telling me how difficult the wilderness God is taking them through is it is false

  121. It's not biblical check any wilderness in the Bible and every wilderness that God takes you into is a place where God is found

  122. like no other place

  123. Be Jesus beat Elijah beat Hagar beat Ishmael beat

  124. Israel every beats Paul

  125. Every wilderness is a place where you come back stronger because you meet a God who is much more than you ever expected

  126. And so it doesn't matter where you end up having God take you

  127. Because he builds a secret places in different places man

  128. So it doesn't matter whether it's an arc whether it's in the wilderness or whether it's in a glorious mountain

  129. Learn how to dwell learn how to rest and the last one is when you come out of there make sure you unveil his glory

  130. Make sure you unveil what you learned in the secret place unveil what you learned in the secret place

  131. Make sure you unveil what you learned in the secret place any questions before we go on

  132. Four is dwell dwell wherever you are

  133. Wherever God is right now taking you to figure out more of him

  134. Wherever he wants to reveal himself in a way you've never seen him before

  135. Beat in an arc a float in the water beat in the wilderness or beat on a mountain wherever he takes you so that he can show

  136. You another

  137. Facet of his nature learn how to dwell there don't don't don't

  138. Don't get out of that place fast if it takes 40 days a night let the process be complete

  139. Five is unveil what you learn unveil what you learned in the secret place unveil what you learned in the secret place

  140. unveil what you learned in the secret place

  141. Unveil what you learned in the secret place

  142. Unveil what you learned in the secret place

  143. Okay, the fourth one let me let me give you a good example when Sheldon first came to this church

  144. He just wanted to do stuff. Can I do this? Can I do that? Maybe I should lead worship

  145. Maybe I should play the piano. Maybe I should do and in the end

  146. I remember sitting him down and telling him hey Sheldon. Can you not do anything? Can you just let God iron out?

  147. Really lousy stuff out of your life and build really good stuff into your life

  148. And it took a while and I used to feel so bad for Sheldon because he was like a frustrated horse

  149. Wanting to run like crazy who asked this question, okay

  150. so

  151. He was like this horse that wanted to run and not a horse that wanted to be trained

  152. And I know I've said this before but the difference between the horses that run and the horses that pull the Queen's chariot

  153. through the streets of London are very simple the horses that run can gallop through meadows at

  154. breakneck speed and then they're the horses that train to pull the Queen's chariots and they're put through a series of tests between

  155. cannonball fire and

  156. bullets and car exhausts and crowd noises and through all that they have to learn how to respond to the whispers of the

  157. Master and once they learn that six of them are picked to pull the Queen's chariot through the streets of London

  158. And it takes such a long time

  159. And these are thoroughbreds that have now been tamed

  160. They don't lose their strength, but it's meekness it is strength under control and I remember telling

  161. Sheldon the story and saying hey

  162. Do you really want to get to a place where you can dwell 40 days and 40 nights?

  163. Learn the process so that after that God can tell you to do anything and you can do anything without thinking or do you

  164. Want to be given a job to do and this is our plight. I'm just using Sheldon because

  165. if he gets upset, it doesn't bother me much, but

  166. But

  167. But the point is this that this is the process that all of us have to go through

  168. There's just no shortcut when it comes to the kingdom. Just no shortcut. Does that answer your question Jeevan?

  169. Okay

  170. Any other questions?

  171. Hey

  172. Moses could have gotten this stuff inscribed by God on the stones and then said all right job is done

  173. And then said all right job is done new set of Ten Commandments, let's go down. What was he doing there 40 days and nights?

  174. What was he doing there? I mean why wouldn't you be

  175. Like stunned by the presence of God in a place man

  176. How could you depart I mean he had to depart because I think God said you have to go

  177. Otherwise who leaves places like that

  178. I

  179. Enjoy where you are at if you think it is God and wait for God to begin to expand you and push you into the new

  180. Place if you begin to desire things before time

  181. you'll end up having what you want, but you won't be ready for that space and

  182. If you are in a wrong place get out because that place can't handle you

  183. So it will only do one other thing it will squeeze you back to size

  184. Let me repeat the second part again if you're in a place that you don't fit anymore

  185. It will squeeze you into shape

  186. It's like wearing shoes that you've outgrown

  187. Somehow you can squeeze your feet back in there

  188. But my god, it's gonna hurt even though the shoes look good

  189. Any questions

  190. But Jacob how do I find out if the space is good or not if God hasn't already told you because most of you get

  191. An idea before anyone even comes and tells you if God hasn't told you then go sit with someone who you think

  192. Here's God and asks them and if that if you don't have anybody then come to me

  193. And we can talk and see any questions

  194. Okay, Diane any questions you look like you have a question beginning to gurgle

  195. Do I

  196. Do you leave where you are not if yeah, I understand your question

  197. Yeah, I understand your question

  198. Till Denny's closes down we can always meet and talk at Denny's pray that it doesn't close down

  199. Okay, so we talked about invitation I don't I don't know how what's the time

  200. That clock is actually right. Is it 333?

  201. Okay

  202. Derek did you tell Charlie and his friends that we go on and on forever? Okay

  203. So guys the first thing is invitation and so invitation is where you enter

  204. Into what God is doing into what God is doing and you embrace it you enter into what God is doing

  205. You enter into what God is doing. It's a risky embrace. It's a risky embrace

  206. It's a risky embrace of his action. It's a risky embrace

  207. It's a risky embrace of his supernatural action

  208. Yeah

  209. Because at the end of the day even though from a from God's perspective

  210. It's not at all risky from our perspective. It seems to be a risky embrace of God's supernatural action

  211. When it's really not so it's a risky embrace to step out of a boat and walk on water, but it's really not

  212. But this invitation thing has to be a thing that I know we've talked about it so many times

  213. But it's worth saying it again and again guys every week every day get up and look for manna

  214. So the question is Jacob what is this manna thing get up and look for what God is saying for that day

  215. Give us this daily bread was way way beyond food

  216. I

  217. Know you

  218. Know what I'm saying

  219. I know the things that are predictable

  220. I know the things that I'm called to I know the things that I have to do because of the fact that I live in

  221. this world, but besides that what is it about and manna just means what is it?

  222. What is it about that you have for me that I can enter into because I so want to embrace

  223. Embrace the supernatural action that you are involved in today

  224. Make it a daily habit

  225. And doesn't matter where we are at doesn't matter that you may have sinned yesterday

  226. God has a way of

  227. new mercies every

  228. morning and faithfulness every evening guys there is nothing as

  229. Helpful to break away from a life of sin and worldliness as being connected to the living God

  230. You listen to good music you leave bad music you eat good food you leave bad food

  231. You leave it at a better restaurant you leave the sadder restaurant you find a better school you leave the old school

  232. You come to BC you always leave Ontario

  233. And so

  234. It wasn't that funny Mike

  235. So

  236. So here's the thing guys

  237. Once you enter into this way of living with

  238. God on a daily basis you will find that life becomes a very godly life more easy

  239. And at the end of the day faith is your response to what God has already provided right faith is faith is not stepping into some

  240. Thing that you are actively pursuing faith is stepping into something that God has already provided

  241. It's a risky embrace of what he's already provided. It's appropriating what he's already done

  242. I'd suggest to you that acts

  243. Think think of this

  244. In a day how many times do we indulge in acts that require no recognition of God?

  245. That require no faith or reliance on God

  246. And I would suggest to you that when you look at the list of things you do that does not require a recognition of God

  247. That does not require faith that does not require a dependence or a reliance on God

  248. I would suggest to you that none of those acts are regarded in heaven and they're not

  249. respected in heaven because the strange thing according to Hebrews 11 4 is that any act or work that does not have in it a

  250. Reliance or dependence of God is not regarded. How do we know that? Look at what Abel and Cain brought

  251. God regarded Abel sacrifice because Abel brought it with faith and Cain's was not given with faith

  252. So even in the things that you are good at what if we cultivated a dependence on reliance on God

  253. See the problem is we think the opposite of faith is

  254. Doubt or we think the opposite of faith is fear. The opposite of faith is not doubt or fear. It is

  255. self-reliance

  256. For

  257. Far too long we've been taught that the opposite of faith is doubt

  258. Hey doubt seems to be natural because ever since the fall of the world

  259. It is natural for the mind to just click into rationale and doubt can always be overcome by going back into the word and finding

  260. what God says

  261. Fear can be overcome too. But what do you do with self-reliance?

  262. You have become and I have become so self-reliant

  263. Especially in the areas that we are good at that we don't need to depend on him

  264. What if he learned how to begin to be reliant in the very areas where we are really good at stuff imagine what will happen then

  265. Let's assume I'm good at worship. What if I became reliant on you on God? Imagine what that will then do to the worship

  266. What if you're good at computers or what if you're good at whatever you do and you become more reliant on him?

  267. Any questions

  268. Yeah, watching this is not my specialty so let me choose something else

  269. Mundane things I'll give you a very simple example. This is really dumb. I really didn't want to share it, but you forced me to

  270. When I go and park underground I

  271. have to go down four levels and

  272. Every time I go down four levels

  273. I have the option to turn right or to the option to turn left and it's such a silly thing

  274. You can turn right or left you can do whatever I want, but I've begun to play this game with God

  275. where I say father I

  276. know this is absurd and silly but

  277. Anytime you want me to turn right or left while I go down this can you just begin to tell me how to go?

  278. I'd like to do it just so I get into the practice of doing really silly things by asking you

  279. And so every time I go down I'll follow my natural path

  280. Which I've taken but every now and then when I come to the turn, I'll just throw this question at him any choices

  281. Not because turning right or left is going to save my life or not because I'm going to find ten dollars

  282. On the ground and then stop the car and put it in and then find the car going away because I forgot to put it

  283. on break the point

  284. The point is by by learning how to listen in the silliest of things you begin to learn how to listen on the

  285. more important things

  286. So you can begin to bring him into the mundane where you begin to rely on him

  287. Not because of any other reason but because you want to have your ear finely tuned

  288. During times of worship

  289. Like today, I know I knew I was gonna lead worship because Jane is a slave driver

  290. I've just gotten back from a trip and she asked me to lead worship but

  291. That family is really getting it today

  292. So

  293. Yeah, so

  294. I was standing here. My only thing is father. I know how to do this

  295. I've done this for 27 or 28 years, but could you just show me how you want to go?

  296. So that we ended up skipping songs doing four lines from each song and going from song to song

  297. And suddenly I realized that the worship team was not leading. It was a congregation that was

  298. Including man in these little things. It's so easy to do this and remember March and April

  299. We're gonna try and figure out God

  300. And his presence so that by May 1st, we are so aware that we miss him when we are not aware

  301. It'd be like couples on a honeymoon where honey, where were you?

  302. It'll be cool man, I believe that's how it happens. What do I know?

  303. So

  304. Remember the acts or works that do not carry in it really

  305. It's not a work that you can't do it. It's a work that you can't do it

  306. It's a work that you can't do it

  307. It's a work that you can't do it

  308. So remember the acts or works that do not carry in it reliance or a recognition of God our faith are actually not

  309. respected in heaven

  310. Very odd a but they're not respected in heaven

  311. Here's the other thing we need to do

  312. Faith always names a journey guys faith always names a journey

  313. faith names a journey as

  314. In

  315. As soon as you think God is saying something to you

  316. Regardless of whether it'd be how to deal with this present epidemic or how to deal with

  317. Future prospects or how to deal with the situation that you're personally going through faith names a journey

  318. It doesn't leave things unnamed it puts into words what you expect

  319. The easiest way to hollow out faith is to have low expectations

  320. Lower your expectations and you will need very little faith

  321. So faith names a journey so name what you are expecting of God based on what God is saying

  322. You're being invited to enter into name what God is

  323. Expecting you to enter into name it and when you name it you have to voice it you have to voice it

  324. Name the journey

  325. Once you do that begin to recognize and speak about the impossibility of it recognize the impossibility of it

  326. Recognize the impossibility of it

  327. Once you recognize the impossibility of it dare to trust God

  328. The impossibility of it dare to trust God

  329. Dare to trust God

  330. Once you dare to trust God grasp the outcome as your present possession grasp the outcome as

  331. Your present possession as your present

  332. possession

  333. And

  334. Then it doesn't matter whether you receive it

  335. In two minutes or 20 up 20 years

  336. Any questions on oh god, this is such a mess

  337. Any questions

  338. Faith names a journey. So first you name the journey

  339. Go ahead

  340. Yeah, if it is time-dependent and it ain't happening go back and ask God why

  341. This is a very conversational God

  342. So if you need something by tomorrow and you've been standing and you do not know how it's gonna happen

  343. Go and ask God begin to have conversations like don't you know it's tomorrow father and I still don't have an answer

  344. What do I do next go ask him?

  345. Faith must be so chill that there should be no

  346. Stress in it the moment faith is a matter of stressing. You know that something is missing

  347. It has to be from a place where it is

  348. Relational and conversational

  349. It is relational and conversational whenever anything with God loses relationality, you know that it ain't pure

  350. Fear causes a loss in relationality

  351. Doubt causes a loss in relationality as with your spouse if there was fear between you and your spouse

  352. It's impossible to relate the way you can if there's doubt. It's just out of question

  353. So one of the ways you know whether you are walking in faith or not is

  354. Is the quality of your relationship?

  355. It is improving it still maintains the same pleasure or increased pleasure that

  356. Than before and there's no disturbance to it

  357. Someone asked me this question so

  358. When you're anxious about something, how do you know whether that anxiety is created by you or whether that anxiety is created by

  359. God in terms of God saying hey, you got to do something you got to do something

  360. Is it God saying you got to do something do something or is it you saying you got to do something do something at the end of

  361. The day guys whenever there's fretting involved fretting do not fret

  362. It says in Psalm 37 whenever there's fretting involved you need to go and do something

  363. Involved you need to go and realize the fact that fretting is evil and it rises from my intent to have my way and

  364. it usually is a

  365. Is a symptom of control and it usually happens without planning that involves God

  366. Let me repeat that again whenever I fret over something

  367. When I'm how do I know whether an anxiety that I have is an anxiety that comes from me or whether it's an anxiety

  368. Where God is prompting me to keep checking how I know it is whenever I fret it is either because I am trying to control

  369. the outcome

  370. Without planning with God whenever I fret it is usually because I want my way and I do not have God involved in it

  371. Jesus never fretted because he did not ever have his plans in mind and he always

  372. Included the Spirit of God in the way he needed to go

  373. Anxiety is usually a direct result of me trying to control stuff and finding out that I'm not able to control stuff

  374. Hence everybody wants toilet paper

  375. Yeah

  376. Yeah, it's crazy man how much we try to control stuff

  377. So faith names the journey make sure you voice out what your expectations are and if your expectations are not high enough if

  378. Bill Gates or Steve Job's can meet your needs. You don't need God and

  379. They can meet most Christians needs

  380. Between Gates and Job's we could have a new God called Gates Job's

  381. Yeah

  382. So, yeah

  383. Jeff throw Jeff Bezos in too and then you'll get things delivered really fast. There'll be no need for faith

  384. So name a journey may voice it out. May your expectations be so ridiculous

  385. Then recognize the impossibility of it. You must recognize the impossibility of it and speak about it

  386. If you don't speak about how impossible it is, then what's the point? How do we know these things? Is it biblical?

  387. Look at Romans 4 70 to 20 Abraham does this

  388. And once you speak about how impossible it is then dare to trust God

  389. A voice it if you don't tell your story before it happens the story that is told after it happens lacks

  390. suspense

  391. Tell your story before it happens

  392. We try to hedge our bets by not telling people what we expect so that should it fail we still save face

  393. We say we're trying to save God's face we are trying to save our face

  394. Fourth

  395. Grasp the outcome as your present possession if you dare to trust him now you begin to behave like a my name's Abraham

  396. But I'm changing it to

  397. Abraham because even though I don't have a kid and it's been 20 years now

  398. Guess what? I'm so convinced that I'm grasping the outcome as my present possession

  399. and then the last one is

  400. Regardless of whether you receive it in two years or 20 years you have learned the first four steps so well that

  401. It's very hard to break you from it

  402. Any questions guys anything you want to add anything you want to challenge?

  403. Thing is guys faith became a necessity only after Adam fell eight

  404. Adam fell eight it's strange how Adam has never mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11 in all the guys mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11

    Hebrews 11 chapter mention Hebrews 11 chapter mention

  405. You would think that a guy who came first would be mentioned and Adam has never mentioned

  406. It goes straight to came

  407. Sorry, it goes straight to Abel Adam isn't mentioned because he did not need faith. He just needed obedience

  408. Faith was a result of Adam's eyes being open

  409. And so here are the things that you have to recognize comes at you even at a time like this

  410. These are the things that we will struggle with on a daily basis ever since the fall

  411. Adam's eyes were open as Satan said it would be open, but look at what his eyes were open to one

  412. reasoning

  413. to

  414. speculative thinking

  415. clockwise

  416. eding

  417. I

  418. thought

  419. you

  420. I

  421. Leave alone the fact that his eyes open to evil.

  422. When it came to taking God at his word,

  423. the moment Adam's eyes opened, these things kicked in.

  424. And man, do we struggle with this every day. Every day.

  425. I mean, take the simple thing like COVID that's happening right now,

  426. and this is what we're battling with, eh?

  427. Every day, your eyes are open to this idea of reasoning things out.

  428. Every day you indulge in speculative thinking.

  429. If this happens, this could happen, and if this happens, then it's speculative thinking,

  430. where you begin to think about and speculate about what you do not yet know.

  431. Every day we go into calculated responses,

  432. as in I have to weigh the pros and cons before I decide.

  433. Pros and cons weighing is not the way any of those guys would have made it into Hebrews 11.

  434. None of the Hebrews 11 guys chose this, eh?

  435. They never made it into Hebrews 11 had they chosen this path.

  436. And yet this is what confronts us every day.

  437. Fourth, selective allegiance, as in this I should walk with God,

  438. this I should go with my boss, this I should walk with God,

  439. this I should go with my doctor, this I should walk with God,

  440. this I should go with family traditions.

  441. It's selective allegiance because the outcome is determined by the allegiance you forge.

  442. And the last one is sheer rationale, and rationale is a little different from reasoning.

  443. Diana's going to ask how is it different, so I'm going to answer before she asks.

  444. Reasoning is reasoning that Diana will ask that question.

  445. Rational is the ability to have a philosophy that you constantly use as a foundation

  446. to interpret the world through. It's your worldview.

  447. Fight this, guys. Fight this.

  448. Yeah, don't get mad and blame Adam. If he hadn't fallen, you would have.

  449. Yep. Eyes were open to the knowledge of good and evil.

  450. So Adam wasn't aware of evil, which is what makes his fall so pathetic

  451. that he fell even though he didn't know evil.

  452. We guys have a far greater struggle. We have to choose between good and evil.

  453. He had to choose between obedience and disobedience with no evil.

  454. I would say it's hiding under his wings and being able to see adversity and evil

  455. and not be affected by it or not be influenced by it.

  456. So when Moses talks about hiding under his wings, he's not talking about an escape from adversity.

  457. He's talking about being in the midst of adversity.

  458. He's talking about being in the midst of adversity and being able to see it.

  459. So that's why we have to choose between good and evil.

  460. He's not hiding under his wings. He's not talking about an escape from adversity.

  461. He's talking about being in the midst of adversity and still being safe.

  462. Yeah. So it's not this idea of being raptured.

  463. Christians want to be raptured. God is not interested.

  464. No, really. He wants us to be in the midst of adversity and in the midst of adversity, become a safe haven.

  465. The Ark was a classic example of the midst of adversity and yet a safe haven.

  466. Yeah, very good.

  467. Reasoning is this insatiable thirst we have to understand things before we can obey.

  468. We have to have our reason satisfied.

  469. And it's overrated, guys. You do not need to understand to obey.

  470. The obedient believe and the believing obey.

  471. But to try and understand stuff before you obey is so irrational

  472. because we are talking about a God who works in the impossible.

  473. Yeah. Seek wisdom and understanding.

  474. Seek God's wisdom and understanding.

  475. Because there's a difference between Sophia, which is worldly wisdom, and then there is God's wisdom.

  476. God's wisdom is enshrined in the person of Christ and his nature.

  477. So seeking the wisdom of God, which he gives ungrudgingly, as it says in James chapter 1,

    James 1 chapter mention

  478. is very different from trying to reason things with Sophia, which is the wisdom of the world.

  479. So it's two completely different things. And one will contradict the other.

  480. Divine wisdom contradicts worldly wisdom. That's a strange thing. It contradicts worldly wisdom.

  481. And so even when we deal with epidemics like the one we are dealing with,

  482. remember that faith does not deny reality.

  483. It faces the facts and then moves to the truth.

  484. Faith does not deny reality. Faith does not deny reality.

  485. I think I've told you about this girl I used to work with.

  486. I used to sit next to her and I would sneeze all over her and she'd say,

  487. you have a cold? And I'd say, no, I just have symptoms of cold.

  488. And then I'd sneeze over her face again. So that is an extreme.

  489. So you cannot deny the reality of your situation, but after you face the facts,

  490. then you start moving towards the truth. Classic example, Abraham.

  491. Having looked at his body and realizing the fact that he was absolutely important

  492. and was incapable of bearing children, he now began to look at the truth

  493. and was fully persuaded that the one who said that he would become the father of nations

  494. was fully capable of bringing it to pass. So one must confront facts and reality.

  495. So if someone were to get this COVID thingy, it is required that we recognize that the person has it.

  496. After that, it is required that we begin to help the person move towards the truth of healing.

  497. And then there's another question that rises up. When you move this person...

  498. Oh, shucks, the thing is on, right? Can you turn it off for a while?

  499. And then you'll have to turn it on again. And then you'll have to piece it together.

  500. Yeah.

  501. Sinserah Mubarak.