Sermon
About My Father’s Business | Abundant Life Ministries
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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e
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e e
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we trust you
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Jesus
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hallelu just saying I trust in
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God myor
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one who will
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never
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fail he will never
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fail I trust in
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God my
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savior the
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one who will
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never fail
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he will never
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[Music]
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fail just look to the Lord right now
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church if you would lift up your hands
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and just say Lord I do trust you with
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all things Lord I know that you see me I
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know that you know me and I know that
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your plan is for my good Lord because
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you're a good father I trust you and so
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Lord I ask you to Lead Me Guide Me help
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me
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today and I know that as I ask I receive
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as I seek I find as I knock you answer
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because you're so faithful and good Lord
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we praise you we trust you Hallelujah
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[Music]
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You Are
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Holy Holy
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holy are you Lord
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God oh
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my Worthy is the
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Lamb Worthy is the
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Lamb You Are
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Holy
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ho are you Lord God
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Al Worthy is the
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Lamb Worthy is the
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[Music]
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Lamb oh Hallelujah we
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praise for you
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hallelu oh we praise the
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name you GL
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You Are
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Holy come on let's sing it together
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holy oh are you Lord
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God
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Almighty you're in this place Worthy is
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the
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Lamb Worthy is the
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Lamb you are
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ho GL are you Lord
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God oh
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my oh Worthy is the
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l oh Worthy is the
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L for
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Holiness you are Lord
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oh
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my You
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Are
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Holy are you Lord
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God
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Almighty Worthy is the
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L Worthy is the
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L
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[Music]
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holy we give you glory
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Lord we praise you for your goodness
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your love and all that you've done Lord
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out of this heart it's been so touched
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so moved so Changed by you we worship
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you today freely not out of
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obligation not cuz we have to but
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because we love you and we want to
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glorify your name for all time all our
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days Lord be lifted up hallelujah thank
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you hallelu
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[Music]
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halelu for the Lord God Almighty
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Reign yes you do Lord you Reign let's
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just say it one more time Hal Hallelujah
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[Music]
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Hallelujah for the Lord God Almighty
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Reign you're holy
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Lord
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hallelujah church just turn and tell
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somebody The Lord Is Holy he's unlike
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any other and I love him I invite you to
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take your seats this morning
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hello okay um you might have noticed
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there's this woman running around the
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church she has a crown on her head and
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she has a banner across her chest it's
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because she's 40 years old
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today and her name is
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Omega and
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um I want to say in 1982 Dan and I went
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through drug and alcohol
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treatment and we had tried to conceive a
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child for nine years but we were told
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that we could not conceive because of
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all the drugs that we had done had made
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our body sterile that was
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1982 we went through treatment in
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1984 I got saved Dan got saved in ' 85
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in 1984 within a month after I got saved
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we
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[Music]
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conceived and now it's been 43 years
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since we went through
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treatment and this is what I feel like
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God impressed on my heart to share that
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when you're going through something like
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that you can like look way off in the
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future and say that is too hard that is
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going to take too long
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I'm never going to get there that that's
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too much that's too difficult it's too
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far
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away it's never going to happen or you
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can take it one day at a
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time and if you look if you try to do it
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in your own strength looking into the
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future thinking it's too hard to get
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there it's going to take a really long
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time but if you do it one day at a time
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do what you need to do one day at a time
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it it goes fast and all of a sudden you
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have a child who's 40 years
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old she's 40 years old and it went
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fast it went fast one day at a
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time amen amen thank you
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Cindy isn't that awesome isn't that just
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like our God who's so good and
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miraculous to do what man said was
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impossible you know uh Jesus he was he
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was known for doing some impossible
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things and when people would ask him
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Lord how how can this be possible I mean
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he said one time with man it's
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impossible but with God what all things
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are possible and so we serve a God who
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makes all things possible amen we'll
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have the lights come up here in just a
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second I I I uh I just thought while
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Cindy was sharing that too you know her
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encouragement about a little bit at a
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time you know it see the life that the
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word talks about us living that promises
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that God promises to each of us it can
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seem so much different than what we know
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when we first come to know the Lord it
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can seem like so big so miraculous so
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amazing so impossible um it can be a
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struggle to think how can I even start
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walking in that but I'll tell you what
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the word it doesn't say to take these
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leaps of faith and jump from you know
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worldliness to a full life as a mature
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believer in Christ know it says walk by
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faith take a step at a time of Faith
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follow God one step at a time is what
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the word shows us and as we take step
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after step following him over time we
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find ourselves in a much different place
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than we were before amen you I think
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about the children of Israel you know
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they didn't get to the promised land in
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one jump they got there one step at a
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time amen and so God still leads us he's
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still with us today can you say Amen to
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that church he is and he's a good and
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loving God and we're grateful for that
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hey we're uh this is a little different
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order this morning but uh we're going to
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prepare to receive tithes and offerings
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at this time I'd like to look in the
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Book of Genesis if you'd go there with
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me as we prepare our hearts to give
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today Genesis Chapter 30 to begin and if
Genesis 30 chapter mention
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anybody needs an envelope just put your
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hand up and Usher will come find you
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with one of those and then I think we'll
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have some online uh options on the
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screens here in a moment um Genesis
Genesis 30 chapter mention
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Chapter 30 it picks up in The Narrative
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of Jacob's life now Jacob eventually his
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name would be changed by God to Israel
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he had 12 sons who were known as the 12
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tribes of Israel and so Jacob was was a
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man through whom God brought the
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children of Israel and eventually those
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people were brought into um the land
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that God had promised to them but this
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was many many years before that and this
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is when Jacob was really getting started
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in life this is Jacob um at a time where
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he was working for laben who was his
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uncle but would become his father
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mother-in-law um Jacob wanted to marry
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laan's daughter Rachel and laan had kind
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of pulled a fast one on Jacob and
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instead of marrying off Rachel to him he
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had married off his other daughter who
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was older named Leah or Leia depending
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on how you want to say it and so Jacob
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worked seven years for laan to have
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Leia's hand in marriage but then he
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worked another seven years to earn
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Rachel's hand in marriage and so over
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the course of all of this time Jacob had
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been very successful he had he had been
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a really good Hired Hand in laan's flock
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of of sheep and so Jacob is now at the
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point where he's got his wife's he's had
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some children he's uh he's accumulated
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some wealth and he's ready to go launch
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out on his own and as he's considering
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doing this laan says this to him in
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Genesis 30 chap uh verse 27 he says
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please listen to me says laben I have
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become wealthy for the Lord has blessed
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me because of you tell me how much I owe
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you whatever it is I'll pay it and Jacob
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replies you know how hard I've worked
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for you you and how your flocks and
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herds have grown under my care you had
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little indeed before I came but your
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wealth has increased enormously the Lord
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has blessed you through everything I've
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done but now what about me when can I
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start providing for my own family what I
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see in this interaction is a couple of
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things one is this laan had been so
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blessed through Jacob that he couldn't
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bear the idea of Jacob leaving him I
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mean have you ever worked with somebody
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that was so good at their job that like
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when they left you really felt it and it
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really disrupted things or if you if
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you've hired people that person that
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just they know what they're doing
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they're a good laborer they make things
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produce and flourish well Jacob was one
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of these kinds of guys in laan's
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Enterprise in his flocks Jacob had
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caused Great increase to come and what I
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would say about that is this why are we
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talking about laan and Jacob it shows me
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something about a blessed life see the
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blessing was on Jacob's life not laan's
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life but because Jacob was so blessed
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laan was blessed by proxy by being
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around somebody that's so blessed laan
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had blessings pour into his own life too
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and it really it gives me this picture
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of what God intends for us as a blessed
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people to be not just that we're blessed
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and we accumulate things and we just
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enjoy a blessed life though I think we
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get to enjoy a blessed life isn't it
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nice to live blessed it sure is but I'll
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tell you this I see this example ofan
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and Jacob being this idea of being
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blessed to be a blessing to someone else
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it makes me think about God's plan for
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our life that we would be so blessed
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that when we get around other people
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when we touch and interact with other
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people's lives they can hardly bear the
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idea of not having that blessing present
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anymore isn't that a neat thought that
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Jacob was so blessed laan couldn't
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couldn't even imagine living without
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that blessing around him well rather
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than going and you know having that same
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kind of a relationship or Covenant with
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God you know laan just says hey I need
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you to stay here I believe God's intent
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for us is that we would be so blessed
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that when we go places people want us
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around that they can't bear the idea of
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losing you at your job or losing you as
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a friend because you bring such a supply
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such a blessing such a light such a joy
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into their life you see Jacob he was a
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blessed man and I'll back up just two
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chapters earlier in Genesis real quick
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Genesis 28: 20- 21 shows us that Jacob
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was blessed because he was in Covenant
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with God it says Jacob made this vow now
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this comes after God had given this
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great promise to care for Jacob to lead
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Jacob to provide and establish him and
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then Jacob responds to God's word by
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saying this if God will indeed be with
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me and protect me on this journey if he
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will provide me with food and clothing
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and if I return safely to my father's
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home then the Lord will certainly be my
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God and so these are the words Jacob
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gives to the Lord The Vow he gives to
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God to respond to God's word and his
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promise see Jacob was a blessed man
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because he responded to God's promise
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because he put his faith his trust and
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his commitment fully in the Lord Our God
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and it's true for us today we will be so
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immensely blessed when we put our faith
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and our trust and our commitment in the
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Lord Our God like it says in the word
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the first and greatest commandment is
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love the Lord with all your heart all
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your soul all your mind and all your
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strength you see Jacob had given his
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heart to God and he was immensely
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blessed through that and so I'll tell
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you this what I see in the picture of
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Jacob's life God came through with
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blessing for Jacob God said hey I'm
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going to bless you I will prosper you I
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will establish you and you know what he
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came through on that God did it for
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Jacob and he will do it for you can you
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say Amen to that church and as God
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blesses you I want you to know this
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there is a bigger purpose than just
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having material things and accumulating
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a comfortable life we are blessed so
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that we can pour out the light and
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goodness of God on the world around us
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can you say Amen to that church we're
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going to receive our tithes and
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offerings now if our ushers would come
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forward and I just want to encourage you
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in this this morning as you give trust
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that this is part of your commitment
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your Covenant your trust in God Lord I
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trust you and so I can give to you I
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trust you and so I offer you all that I
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have to use I offer you my time I offer
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you my labor I offer you these finances
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that you've blessed me with so that you
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can use them to do something greater so
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that you can continue blessing and
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increasing me because God is a rich and
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generous God and so let's pray over this
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offering let's have that that Heart Like
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Jacob where we trust fully in the Lord
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and allow him to work blessing in our
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life father I do praise you that your
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word reveals to us who you are what your
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plans and intentions for us are and Lord
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just like you had made a covenant a
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promise a a a an established
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relationship with Jacob you've done the
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same thing for us through your son
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Christ Jesus and so it's in Christ that
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we know our needs are provided for there
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is a good plan to do good things for
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your glory upon each of us Lord that you
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are a meter and a provider and an
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exceeder of our every need and Lord that
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you you just establish light and hope
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and joy and this abundance of life in us
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so that we lord can can be beacons of
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your light in this world so that we can
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be ambassadors for your name's sake and
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point this world around us to your glory
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Lord I ask that you bless us so that we
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can bless others I ask that you provide
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for us so that we can pour out your
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provision generously in the places where
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it needs to go Lord we are willing we
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are ready and so we ask you use us and
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use this offering for your glory Lord we
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love you we trust you and we pray these
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things in Jesus name can you say Amen to
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that church family amen we agree for it
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I believe it's blessed as it's given and
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uh this morning I'm going to invite the
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lovely Taylor Wangler up to the stage
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because she has an announcement for
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us
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hello um at the bottom of your bulleon
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says warm welcome for Morgan Jasperson
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so our lovely assistant U Morgan will be
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joining us next weekend for the first
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time she'll be um moving either Friday
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or Saturday probably into her new
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apartment and so it would just it was on
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my heart to um have like a little
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housewarming party so next Sunday at
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9:30 we're going to have a little table
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out with some donuts um so you can come
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meet her and if you feel um led to get
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her a gift for her house to help um do
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some Furnishing for her kitchen um at
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the bottom there's a little QR code and
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you can scan it and I asked her if she
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can make a little registry on Amazon um
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otherwise you can you know buy whatever
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you want for her but if you need some
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ideas um they're on it's on the bottom
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of here so that will be next weekend on
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Sunday at 9:30 for
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church yes so come early get some donuts
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come and you know get a dut meet Morgan
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and uh just enjoy some time with our
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church family if you have any questions
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about that just catch Taylor after
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service today um before well let's let's
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go ahead now we'll dismiss kids um and
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as they're getting ready to go out kids
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and teachers to their classes here in
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just a second um we're going to hear a
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little update now um at Abundant Life
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you know we support several Mission
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Partners from all around the world um
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we've got missionaries on I think maybe
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five out of the seven continents is what
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we figured out one time and so we've got
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we've got partners and connections and
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relationships uh working for the kingdom
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all over the world and uh we take a
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month uh to highlight each partner as we
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go through the year and we're not
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starting those yet but I did get an
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update from one of our mission Partners
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here a couple of weeks ago and I wanted
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to share that with you I didn't want to
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hold off and wait uh it's just such
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exciting news about what God is doing in
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the nation of India through pastor Kevin
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kulie and his uh Mission Ministry
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Embassy of Hope and so we've got a
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little video from pastor Kevin uh just
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sharing about the the work in India so
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let's go ahead and play that and be
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encouraged to
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Abundant Life Church I just wanted to
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pop in and give you an update on the
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difference that you've made and that you
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are making in the nation of Salvation
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India now the most populated Nation on
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the planet with pushing 1.6 billion
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people can you imagine and I just got
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back from spending about a month in our
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ministry over there and wow celebrating
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25 years this year of ministering in
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India and you have a huge part in the
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Eternal fruit that's coming out of
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Embassy of Hope and that Nation we've
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got about 1,500 Bible School grads and
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we wanted to do an inventory of what's
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the impact that we've made so I
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interviewed four of these grads and
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we're already over a million Souls saved
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hundreds of churches planted and
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thousands of leaders trained wow I just
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wanted to say thank you and continue to
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invest in things that have an e I
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eternal return on investment where else
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can you take a temporary thing like a
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dollar and turn it into an eternal thing
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like a soul or a local church it's
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awesome you I was just there preaching
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in a church that I helped plant back in
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1992 I know right I must have been like
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8 years old right no but it's amazing to
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see the ripple effect of the influence
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that continues to just to Ripple out
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into eternity from one act of what
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seemed to be small obedience I was
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ministering in a bible school I help
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plant years ago and they've turned out
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thousands of leaders and just one step
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of Faith one step of obedience and the
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influence that just continues to Echo
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and Echo and create and generate
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momentum for the kingdom of God so we're
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building a bible school over there we've
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got two out of three levels completed
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we've started the third level we need
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about 150 Grand to finish up that
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building project until we move on to the
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next one but I'm telling you I'm so
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proud of our Bible School grads and I'm
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so thankful for people like you that
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pray for us and invest into what we're
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doing and into other Eternal projects
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and so I just wanted to say we love you
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and already over a million Souls
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thousands of leaders hundreds of
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churches well at least so far but the
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best is yet to come thank you and we
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love
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you awesome
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it's good to see the kingdom expanding
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the work being done and I love pastor
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Kevin and the the ministry they've got I
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mean what did he say a million Souls
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already and he says we're just getting
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started so uh God is using them in that
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Ministry in India um I I believe that is
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the most populated nation in the globe
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right now and so God's doing a work
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there you know God has harvest in that
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place and uh I'm grateful that we're
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connected to a person who's over there
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and a a Ministry that's got um you know
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got inroads in India to bring the gospel
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it's good work and uh Hey as we pray for
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Laborers to go God raises them raises
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them up and sends them amen so we're
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grateful for that hey Church um talking
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about the the working of the Kingdom
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I've got a message to preach to you this
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morning out of Luke Chapter 2 and so if
Luke 2 chapter mention
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you'd open your Bibles up and turn over
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there we're going to read um kind of a a
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little interaction out of scripture and
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as you're turning over there to Luke
Luke 2 chapter mention
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Chapter 2 um i' I'd like this morning to
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look with you at the first words Jesus
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spoke in the gospels the first words
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that Jesus spoke in the gospels now that
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kind of strikes me as something
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significant usually you know first words
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are a significant thing it's why I get
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so excited when our little kids say da
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da first because the first words matter
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right they don't matter that much but it
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is significant the first things that are
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spoken and uh these were very likely not
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Jesus's first words ever spoken out but
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they're the first words recorded in the
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gospel for us to know and hear and read
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and be encouraged by by today and so as
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we look to Luke 2 where we find it
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located in the gospel narrative is after
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Jesus's miraculous birth in Bethlehem
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after he had been presented at the
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temple to Simeon and the prophetess Anna
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after he had been visited by the wise
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men from the East that brought him Gifts
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of gold frankincense and myrr after his
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family had fled and then returned to
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Nazareth from uh Egypt trying to escape
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herod's infant Massacre this is after
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all of that had happened this is several
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years after you know the the Nativity
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Story had fully uh happened we pick up
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finding Jesus and his family in or I
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suppose we could say just outside of
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Jerusalem so let's read in Luke Chapter
Luke 2 chapter mention
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2 starting in verse 41 says every year
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jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the
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Passover Festival when Jesus was 12
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years old they attended the festival as
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usual after the celebration was over
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they started home to Nazareth but Jesus
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stayed behind in Jerusalem his parents
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didn't miss him at first because they
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assumed he was among the other Travelers
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and so they were traveling in this big
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group of people from Nazareth headed
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back together and so they thought well
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Jesus he's just running around with the
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other kids right it's like when you come
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to church and you've got you know a kid
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or a teenager and you don't see him for
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half an hour but it's okay cuz they're
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just playing with the other kids they're
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probably in the basement makes me think
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this morning Judah was running around
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here here and all of a sudden I didn't
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see him and it's like okay where did he
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go and I found him in my office playing
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with a pair of pliers and so we had to
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get him and interrupt that that plan
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that he had but you know Jesus wasn't
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like that he wasn't playing with pliers
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and so Jesus isn't here he doesn't show
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up that evening and so they get
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concerned they start looking for him
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among their relatives and friends when
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they couldn't find him they went back to
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Jerusalem to search for him there 3 days
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later can you imagine those those three
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days they found him they finally
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discovered him in the temple sitting
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among the religious teachers listening
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to them and asking questions all who
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heard him were amazed at his
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understanding and his answers his
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parents didn't know what to think son
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his mother said to him why have you done
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this to us your father and I have been
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frantic searching for you everywhere
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that seems like such a level response
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from Mary doesn't it I mean I can't
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imagine what I would have like been
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thinking if I hadn't seen my son for 3
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days Jesus says this why did you need to
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search he asked didn't you know that I
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must be in my father's house but they
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didn't understand what he meant I had
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planned to stop with that verse but
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let's let's finish this chapter out and
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read just a couple more it says then he
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returned to Nazareth with them and he
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was obedient to them and his mother
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stored all these things in her heart
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Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and
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in favor with God God and all the people
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now I've always loved this Bible story
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I've always loved this piece of Jesus's
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life you know before he had had the Holy
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Spirit descend upon him like a dove
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before he was doing all these miraculous
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things we see Jesus as a pre-teen in the
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temple away from Mom and Dad and I've
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always imagined this exchange kind of
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from the perspective of Mary and Joseph
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you know we lost the Son of God that's
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not good I've always I've always thought
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about what that must have been like for
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them and I find some humor in that
-
because I get tense when I lose my
-
airpods at home I can't imagine what
-
losing the Son of God would have felt
-
like for Mary and Joseph and so I think
-
there's probably several lessons in this
-
Bible story we could probably talk about
-
drawing assumptions you know just
-
believing that he's with the crowd but
-
he's not we could probably talk about
-
taking things personal like Mary says
-
Lord why did you do this to me we could
-
talk about maybe some sound parenting
-
advice but the thing I want to share
-
with you about today isn't about any of
-
those things No in fact the scripture
-
that illuminates my heart is when Jesus
-
said didn't you know that I must be in
-
My Father's House another translation
-
reads it this way didn't you know I must
-
be about my father's business and that's
-
the title of this morning's message
-
about my father's business because as I
-
hear those words it it brings resounding
-
Clarity to the fact that Jesus knew what
-
the purpose of his life was Jesus knew
-
what he was about he wasn't questioning
-
where he should be who he should be with
-
what he should be doing he knew what his
-
business was and it was his father's
-
business that he was to be about we
-
could say it this way Jesus had clear
-
and definitive purpose which governed
-
his life he had he had a call and he
-
knew the call he knew he was called to
-
this business I must be in my father's
-
house I must be about my father's
-
business and when he says to his mother
-
didn't you know this wasn't a sarcastic
-
teenager this was somebody who so
-
clearly understood what God had called
-
him to do that he just didn't understand
-
that anybody else could miss that it was
-
so obvious to Jesus what the purpose of
-
his life was he thought how can you not
-
understand this and it wasn't a rude
-
thing it wasn't an offensive thing it
-
wasn't a sarcastic thing it was just so
-
obvious to Jesus that in that moment he
-
couldn't believe that other people
-
didn't realize that too and it makes me
-
think about later on in the gospels when
-
Jesus would question he'd say you know
-
where is your faith do you really doubt
-
how how do you not understand and it's
-
it's this idea that when you are so
-
reassured it just becomes obvious in
-
your life and I believe that was the
-
case for Jesus but I believe that's
-
God's intention for us is that we aren't
-
going about life questioning wandering
-
wondering but I believe God wants us to
-
know what we're to be about do you
-
believe that church that God has a good
-
plan for you and that he wants you to
-
know it that he has a good acceptable
-
and perfect will for your life and that
-
he desires to lead you into that not
-
only for your benefit but also for his
-
glory you see Jesus he says it's didn't
-
you know this I must be in my father's
-
house it's so obvious to him even though
-
it was not to others so Jesus at age 12
-
he had this much figured out that I need
-
to be in my father's house house or I
-
must be about my father's business so
-
let's talk for a minute about what that
-
phrase really communicates what does
-
that mean I must be about my father's
-
business I believe what it speaks to is
-
that Jesus knew the Affairs the concerns
-
the happenings the activities the
-
purposes the needs of the heavenly
-
father Were Meant To Be of the utmost
-
importance and concern to him as well
-
what Jesus was really saying here is
-
that what is important to my father is
-
important to me what what my father is
-
wanting to do is what I am wanting to do
-
what he is uh what he is making happen
-
is something that I am going to have a
-
hand in he's saying this I must be about
-
these things that my father is about and
-
so though there were other things
-
happening around him like Hey the family
-
unit is going back to Nazareth Jesus was
-
not distracted or moved he wasn't
-
distracted by it was time to go he was
-
he was so focused on the father's
-
business that he he spent three days
-
just there with the teachers being about
-
that work being about that business the
-
way that the inner lineary Bible which
-
it it gives you you know Greek words
-
verbatim and then you can look into the
-
definitions the inner linear Bible um
-
speaks this passage this way it says in
-
the house of the father of me it
-
behooves to be now that doesn't sound
-
like concise English so let me
-
paraphrase it a little bit the you know
-
direct translation would say it behooves
-
me to be in the father's house it
-
behooves me to be in the father's house
-
let me modernize that here's Pastor
-
Isaac's paraphrase I am inevitably moved
-
and drawn to the things of my father I
-
am inevitably moved and drawn and
-
motivated by the things that my heavenly
-
father is about the things he cares
-
about the things he wants the things he
-
directs the things he says Jesus is
-
saying these things are what move me you
-
get that this morning church Jesus was
-
so clear I know my purpose I am moved I
-
I am drawn I am motivated by what my
-
father cares most about it's not clear
-
here how much of the plan of the father
-
Jesus had sorted out I don't know if In
-
This Moment he knew that the cross lay
-
ahead of him I don't know if he knew how
-
the resurrection was going to take place
-
but this much he knew I must be about my
-
father's business I must be in the place
-
my my father directs me to go I must be
-
concerned with the concerns of his
-
kingdom the kingdom the plan the way and
-
the work of Heaven are what moved him
-
and Drew him and I am convinced that
-
today it is no different for us who are
-
in Christ that we also must be moved
-
must be drawn must be motivated must be
-
inspired by the business of the father
-
rather than the business of the world
-
and so Jesus is the perfect example to
-
us of being about the father's business
-
we think of some examples in scripture
-
one of the things we find in John 3:16
-
is that Jesus came at the command of the
-
father he was sent here on the father's
-
business what does John 3:16 say God so
-
loved the world what he sent his only
-
begotten son and so Jesus obediently
-
came because he was sent by the father
-
who knew it was his business to send him
-
in John 12:49 we hear Jesus say I speak
-
the things that I hear from the father
-
what does that tell us the words Jesus
-
spoke were words about the father's
-
business he wasn't just you know Free
-
Will and his best ideas Out Among the
-
people of Jerusalem no Jesus was
-
speaking what he heard Jesus was on
-
assignment from the father to speak
-
those things and so G Jesus was obedient
-
to be about the father's business in his
-
speech we see in John 5:19 Jesus says I
-
do the things that the father shows me
-
that says to us that the actions Jesus
-
would take when he would miraculously
-
heal people you know what that was all
-
about it was about the father's business
-
it was about the kingdom that the father
-
was instructing to be built and then in
-
John 14:13 Jesus points all the glory to
-
the father Jesus didn't want the credit
-
the acknowledgement he says elsewhere in
-
the word there is only one that's good
-
the father he says why do you call me
-
good why are you giving me glory and he
-
points it all right back to the father
-
you see Jesus for as miraculous and
-
amazing and perfect as he was he was all
-
about the father's business Jesus was
-
actually sent modeling an obedient
-
servant who was on somebody else's plan
-
somebody else's assignment do you get
-
that this morning church what could we
-
say about Jesus he was fully submitted
-
to the father that's what it means to be
-
about the father's business is this deal
-
isn't this isn't my show I'm not doing
-
what I want to do I'm doing what the
-
father sent me to do and here in Luke
-
chap 2 we see the first example of that
-
where there was another plan there was
-
other stuff to be doing I mean how many
-
12-year-olds just want to sit and listen
-
to teaching like like can we call any of
-
the 12-year-olds up here to just sit
-
here for the next 3 days and I'll play
-
sermons on the screen like probably not
-
right were there distractions for Jesus
-
sure but he was about the father's
-
business were were there other polls and
-
demands on his time and attention sure
-
but he was about the father's
-
business and so this was a staying focus
-
a staying purpose purpose in his life
-
that it was all about the father and so
-
as we think about the business Jesus
-
came to accomplish it was all at the
-
direction and will of the father Jesus
-
came to proclaim the word of truth I
-
mean he came and said I am the truth
-
Jesus brought the truth to the world he
-
was doing it because that was the
-
assignment the father gave him Jesus
-
came and he witnessed to the kingdom of
-
heaven showed people what the glory of
-
the Kingdom of Heaven Was you know what
-
that was because it was the father's
-
business to show the world the Kingdom
-
of Heaven he examed implified this new
-
abundant and eternal life I mean he gave
-
us the perfect image of life and the
-
glory of God that was because the father
-
sent him to show this Perfect Image to
-
man and he accomplished the complete
-
work of Grace for us through his death
-
and Resurrection on the cross because he
-
was sent to provide eternal life amen I
-
just say this Jesus was about the
-
father's business now he's in perfect
-
agreement with the will of the father so
-
we could say it this way Jesus made the
-
father's bus business his
-
business but that's the plan for us too
-
I make God's business my business I take
-
personal the calls and the instructions
-
the word the commands of God because his
-
business is meant to be my business I'm
-
his son you know what Sons inherit the
-
business of their father
-
amen I should inherit his business I
-
should care about his business my future
-
the Legacy that I'm a part of is the
-
father's business and so it's not about
-
me finding my own way and doing doing my
-
own thing it's about my father's
-
business and so Jesus models this so
-
perfectly and aren't you glad Jesus was
-
about the father's business aren't you
-
glad that in the Garden of Gethsemane he
-
said father not my will but yours be
-
done I'm so glad that he was about the
-
father's business because if he wasn't
-
where else would have salvation come
-
from We're saved because Jesus was about
-
the father's business and so it's a good
-
thing it's a good thing to be about the
-
father's business in a similar way the
-
word promps us it might not say it just
-
like this you're probably not going to
-
find a scripture that says and every
-
Christian must be about the father's
-
business but there's some verses that
-
say something very similar and show us
-
that God's intention is that we live for
-
his purpose rather than our own in
-
Philippians 2:13 talks about the power
-
of God the grace of God that works in us
-
and and here's what it says God is
-
working in you aren't you glad God's
-
working in you don't you want God
-
working in you I need God in my life to
-
help me toow me and it says this God
-
working in you giving you the desire and
-
the power to do what
-
pleases him isn't that interesting God's
-
power God's grace it's not about me
-
doing what pleases and gratifies my
-
flesh it's not about me being able to
-
buy a superar which was my dream at 16
-
years old you know God's never once
-
empowered me to do that but has he
-
always met with me with a supply of
-
Grace to do what pleases him absolutely
-
he has has has he always showed up and
-
given me the word to speak the prayer to
-
pray the thing to do when it's needed
-
absolutely he has because he not only
-
brings the power to do what pleases him
-
but he also works the desire in our
-
heart to do what pleases him and I
-
believe that's what Jesus had when he
-
said I must be about my father's
-
business I must be in my father's house
-
it was that desire that God was working
-
in him to do the work of the Kingdom
-
Jesus had that desire in his heart to do
-
what pleased God to do what God was
-
commanding and directing him to do you
-
see God was working the father was
-
working in Jesus the father was stirring
-
in Jesus the father was moving him
-
giving him the power and the desire to
-
do Kingdom Business you see we are
-
empowered and we're drawn by God's grace
-
God's grace not only makes us able to do
-
the things that he's planned for us to
-
do but that his grace also draws us to
-
do those things he will he will change
-
Desires in our heart has anybody who's
-
been saved ever had a desire of yours
-
changed it makes me think of the quote I
-
I was just talking to somebody about
-
this the other day brother Hagen quote
-
he used to say you know I I do all the
-
smoking I want all the cussing I want
-
all all the drink and I want he said but
-
I just don't want
-
to I just don't want to what happened
-
God gave him the desire to do something
-
different God put in him a new heart a
-
clean heart
-
that's the grace of God at work that's
-
the father's business working in our
-
heart and we ought to have the desire
-
working in us and if you don't if you
-
don't desire the things of the Kingdom
-
of Heaven ask the Lord to put that
-
desire in your heart today you know you
-
can ask for a greater desire for what
-
God wants to have happen you can choose
-
in your own life to say Lord I want what
-
you want more than what I want so
-
increase my desire for your kingdom
-
increase my desire for people increase
-
my desire for the church Church to be
-
built and expanded increase my desire
-
for miracles to be done increase my
-
desire for the word to be proclaimed
-
increase my desire for opportunities to
-
witness and speak to others and I will
-
tell you if you ask the Lord to put a
-
desire in your heart he will absolutely
-
put a desire in your heart when I was
-
starting to Pastor I realized pretty
-
quickly that compassion was not one of
-
my intrinsically found motivations you
-
know the mercy gifts over in
-
Romans 12 I'm not Mercy or the the
-
motivational gifts rather I'm not the
-
mercy one that was never me I know
-
people who are Mercy love being around
-
them but that's not me and I started
-
pastoring and I realized pretty quickly
-
wow pastoring is like all about taking
-
care of people it's all about caring for
-
God's people and so if I'm going to care
-
for people I I have to have like
-
compassion for people I have to care
-
about people if I'm going to care about
-
people
-
right and so I grew up like a self
-
focused teenager not caring about any
-
anybody except myself and so I'm
-
starting to pastor and I'm maturing a
-
little bit you know just natural
-
maturity but I see this need in my life
-
I'm like Lord I am going to be a
-
terrible Pastor if I don't have
-
compassion for people in my heart and so
-
I I just started praying Lord please
-
give me compassion please help me to be
-
more compassionate to care about people
-
to think about people like the word
-
empathy used to make my skin crawl i' be
-
like ew I don't want to think about
-
feeling other people's feelings like no
-
and you know what the Lord changed that
-
about me now I I cry at
-
movies I had like a good 10-year run of
-
no crying and now I like I I watched a
-
cartoon the other day and I was like
-
this is such a good movie so the Lord
-
can can do some stuff is all I'm trying
-
to say he can put in you the desire for
-
the things that he cares about he can
-
put in you his heart amen a heart that's
-
tender and sensitive and cares about the
-
things that he cares about
-
and so this desire it's that pull it's
-
that drawing it's that behooving can you
-
say behooving
-
church I want to be behooved for Kingdom
-
Business I want to be behooved into what
-
God cares about I am so drawn so moved
-
so inspired by what God loves I can't
-
help myself but getting into it I can't
-
help myself but getting involved with it
-
and this is what happens when he puts
-
desire in our heart he wakes us up he he
-
awakens desire in our heart to do
-
something that we never would have
-
desired or had the ability to do on our
-
own and I'll tell you when when I hear
-
the word of God preached it puts a
-
desire in my heart there's a Grace when
-
the word is preached there is a deposit
-
of Desire when the word is preached come
-
on can you say Amen to that church you
-
ever heard a scripture that gives you a
-
promise and all of a sudden you want
-
something you never wanted
-
before peace that passes understanding
-
I'll take some God I want that in my
-
life the very first time you heard the
-
message of Salvation And you responded
-
to it you know what that was it was the
-
grace of Desire that God worked in your
-
heart I want that Kingdom of life I want
-
forgiveness of my sins I want eternal
-
life why would we ever want that cuz God
-
puts desire for his business in your
-
heart for his kingdom for his house in
-
your heart and so this desire works when
-
we hear the word preached it works when
-
we receive Revelation I've had times
-
where I've just been praying and
-
speaking to the Lord and he he and he
-
puts a vision for something in my heart
-
and you know what when I get it I want
-
it when I get it I want it I want to see
-
that Kingdom Come I want to see that
-
will be done I want to see it on Earth
-
as it is in heaven
-
amen it's this grace of the desire to be
-
about the father's
-
business and in these moments where
-
desire for his business where desire for
-
his his house for heaven are awakened it
-
behooves us to pursue that and in those
-
moments we must choose to be obedient
-
because we can have desire but if we
-
never follow through on desire we're
-
going to live a life full of deferred
-
hope full of disappointment and so when
-
God inspires something in my heart I
-
need to act upon that take some step and
-
and like we said earlier like what Cindy
-
shared it's not all at once you know God
-
gives me vision for stuff that it may be
-
years before I start seeing that come to
-
pass but I'm going to take a step I'm
-
going to take a step when I know there's
-
a step to take I'm going to move where
-
he draws me to
-
go and so when God puts desire in your
-
heart when by his grace he he works in
-
you the power and the desire to do his
-
will respond to it when God draws you to
-
something when he behooves you to a work
-
it's because he has business for you
-
there it's cuz he has an assignment for
-
you there you know God doesn't just pass
-
out desires all willy-nilly he's got a
-
plan for what he does yes I just said
-
willy-nilly in
-
church God has a plan for the desires he
-
puts in your life and it's so his
-
business can come to pass when you get a
-
desire to reach out to somebody reach
-
out to them when you get the desire in
-
your heart to talk to somebody to just
-
check on them go ahead and do it because
-
what you'll find is God may have
-
business for you with that person he may
-
have an assignment for you with that
-
person he may have a word of
-
encouragement to be spoken a prayer to
-
be agreed
-
upon a testimony to be shared I don't
-
know what it might be but when God draws
-
you
-
respond respond what if Jesus hadn't
-
responded to the behooving to be in the
-
house well we would have missed out on
-
Luke
-
249 we wouldn't have I must be about my
-
father's business we need to respond to
-
the desires God puts in our heart when
-
you feel drawn to pray just go ahead and
-
pray don't fight
-
it I've had it happen before where I
-
wake up in the middle of the night and I
-
think I don't want to be awake right now
-
but my heart is moved to pray sometimes
-
I know something to pray for sometimes
-
I'm I'm really just kind of mad that I'm
-
awake but I sense in my heart I I am
-
moved in my heart I desire in my heart
-
to pray and so I have a choice I can
-
either fight my way back to sleep for an
-
hour or I can just pray until until
-
that's done until the assignment's over
-
with and so there are nights I wake up
-
and I just pray in tongues until I'm
-
ready to go to sleep again and I believe
-
that's an assignment I believe that's
-
father business being done right there
-
in my bedroom with no one else in the
-
house awake it's all about responding to
-
what he moves or behooves us to do and
-
it's different than worldly desire his
-
his desires his business are different
-
and and I think one of the biggest
-
differentiators about the father's
-
business is that it's not about us his
-
business is not about me his business is
-
not my business I kind of had this this
-
fun little thought you know his business
-
is not my business you know in our at
-
least in the way I hear that phrase
-
spoken you know that's not my business
-
you ever said that it's usually not
-
something you say because like you care
-
or you're being nice it's usually a
-
statement to get out of something right
-
well that's not my business I don't need
-
to deal with that I'm going to leave
-
that alone
-
I think sometimes not my business
-
becomes an attitude of apathy an
-
attitude of not my problem I don't care
-
I don't need to do anything about that
-
and I think sometimes when it comes to
-
the kingdom of God and I'm just speaking
-
from my own experience
-
sometimes the Lord will put a desire or
-
an assignment in my heart but because I
-
don't see how it directly connects or
-
benefits me I just say well that's not
-
my
-
business and I'm quick to pass off his
-
business because I'm too wrapped up in
-
my business I'm too focused on myself to
-
think about what he may be leading me to
-
do and I just have the thought what if
-
we could make not my business an
-
attitude of
-
selflessness an attitude of
-
servanthood an attitude of stewardship
-
rather than apathy in our life where
-
when I see something that's not my my
-
business and I'm not talking about
-
getting into like gossip or things that
-
I really shouldn't be involved in but
-
I'm talking about when it might cost me
-
something to be part of that when it
-
might be inconvenient for me to go and
-
enter that situation but I know that
-
there's something I can do to be a help
-
to be a servant to benefit to bring
-
light but it's so easy for me to just
-
say that's not my business I'm going to
-
stay out of it I'll let somebody else
-
handle that I'll pray for them but Lord
-
I don't want to talk to them
-
What If instead of that's not my
-
business being an attitude of apathy and
-
dismissal it was instead a call for us
-
to show up and do Kingdom Business
-
that's not my business but it is the
-
Father's this might not be my concern
-
but the Lord is concerned about that the
-
Lord cares about that and so I'm going
-
to make it my
-
business I'm going to make his business
-
my business what if some of the not my
-
business things are actually Kingdom
-
Business Opportunities waiting to be
-
done what if some of the things I've
-
been ignoring because it's not my
-
business are some of the areas God wants
-
to most use me to do something
-
miraculous Jesus was about the father's
-
business and we're to be about the
-
father's business also Ephesians 2:10
-
God says for we are God's Masterpiece
-
Paul wrote this to the church inspired
-
by the Holy Spirit he says we are God's
-
Masterpiece he is created us a new in
-
Christ Jesus so we can do the good
-
things he planned for us long ago I mean
-
if that's not Kingdom Business I don't
-
know what is the things he planned for
-
us his business for us when he got us it
-
was for a purpose it was for a plan it
-
was for business that he knew he would
-
use us to do you know it makes me think
-
about when I buy tools I've always got a
-
plan for them anybody else ever bought a
-
tool you got a plan for it right you
-
don't you don't drop a couple hundred on
-
a saw to just let it sit in the garage
-
unused right you don't buy a saw just to
-
let it run and use electricity you use
-
it for a plan
-
amen we're like the saws in God's Garage
-
when he bought us with the price of
-
Jesus blood it was for a purpose it was
-
for a plan it was for business his
-
business that he's building and doing
-
and establishing on Earth and so you
-
might be a saw you might be a hammer you
-
might be a screwdriver whatever kind of
-
implement you
-
are be about the business God redeemed
-
you
-
for First Peter
-
2:9 gives us a little impression that
-
being about the father's business might
-
make us a little different and isn't
-
that true that in the world I mean we're
-
all we're all kind of about our own
-
business we're doing our own thing we're
-
you know building our house our kingdom
-
our our
-
desires 1 Peter
-
2:9 the word says but you are not like
-
that not like what not like the people
-
in the
-
world that are lost instead the word
-
says you are a chosen people your Royal
-
priests a holy nation God's very own
-
possession I'm saw in God's Garage I
-
belong to
-
him God's very own possession as a
-
result you can show others the goodness
-
of God for he called you out of the
-
darkness into his wonderful light and
-
and I mean that's really the business
-
that God's about showing the light to
-
the world bringing light to overcome the
-
kingdom of darkness that ultimately
-
that's like top level mission statement
-
of God's business you know businesses
-
have mission statements that could maybe
-
be God's to shine light in the Kingdom
-
of darkness that that would be an okay
-
one I think I haven't worked on that so
-
don't hold me to it but you know mission
-
statement that's a pretty good one
-
business statement for the kingdom of
-
God Shine the Light be the wonderful
-
light and show others the goodness of
-
God and so what I wanted to focus in on
-
in 1 Peter 2:9 it says God's very own
-
possession other translations of this
-
specific part of the verse read a
-
peculiar people and don't you just love
-
that idea of being
-
peculiar weird there's another way you
-
could say that it says you're God's very
-
own possession you are a peculiar you
-
are a different you're weird in the eyes
-
of the world why because we're about his
-
business not about our business because
-
we're about his house building his house
-
building his people worshiping him
-
rather than me myself and I I I've heard
-
it said before that that you know the
-
counterfeit Holy Trinity is me myself
-
and I you got Father Son and Holy Spirit
-
or you can worship me myself and I right
-
maybe take it or leave it but uh the
-
truth is it's a different way to live
-
when we're about his business about his
-
word about his call his instruction his
-
plan just obedient to his commands and
-
dependent on his help to do it we're
-
peculiar because of who we belong to
-
that's why God's very own possession can
-
translate to A peculiar people it's
-
because we belong to God we're so
-
different than everybody who doesn't
-
belong to God I mean we're literally
-
part of a kingdom that is the exact
-
opposite of the world's kingdom kingdom
-
of dark kingdom of light and so we are
-
as opposite as opposite can be at least
-
that's what's true in the spirit now if
-
we live that out or not is another
-
question and that has to do with
-
maturity and Revelation and a whole host
-
of other things related to discipleship
-
but the truth of the matter is this who
-
you are is different than who lost
-
people in the world are and how God
-
intends for you to live is as his very
-
own possession as a peculiar person to
-
show the world the goodness of God we
-
have a certain way about us and it's the
-
way of being about the Kingdom Business
-
about the father's business and this is
-
a choice that each believer must make
-
and I believe it's a choice we must make
-
daily regularly that that we we don't
-
just choose one time I'm going to be
-
about the Kingdom Business for the rest
-
of my life and then I never think about
-
it again and somehow just fall into
-
God's plan for my life no if I really
-
want to follow the lord it's a daily
-
Pursuit it's a it's a daily devotion a
-
daily coming to him right takes more
-
than a than a one time it's it's not an
-
event it's a lifestyle that's kind of
-
been a statement that's been on my heart
-
lately I like that it's not an event
-
it's a lifestyle that's what being about
-
the father's business is it's a choice
-
that we regularly make I think about
-
Jesus he had a choice in this moment in
-
Luke 2 he chose to be there to be about
-
the father's business to be in the house
-
but it was the first in a lifetime of
-
choices where Jesus had to make a
-
decision to be about the father's
-
business to go where the Lord led him to
-
go to do what the Lord the father led
-
him to do to speak what he heard to go
-
to the Cross Choice after Choice after
-
choice to be about the father's business
-
or to be about his own business and so
-
you and I we encounter opportunities
-
probably every day to choose to be about
-
the father's business or to choose
-
not when we take time to spend it with
-
the Lord that's being about his business
-
that that's that's the that's the staff
-
meeting in the father's company we sit
-
down and we talk about things Lord
-
impart to me what I need to know today
-
give me an assignment for today give
-
give me an awareness of what your plans
-
are today help me to be concerned about
-
what you're concerned about care about
-
what you care about be thinking about
-
what you're thinking about
-
about I mean what what company runs
-
effectively where there's never
-
communication right it's like common
-
sense when it comes to the world but we
-
make it something confusing when it
-
comes to the kingdom we need time with
-
the Lord because that's how we get to
-
know about his
-
business that's time spent that's a
-
decision to make and then we have the
-
opportunities to be obedient when he
-
speaks and he leads we have the
-
opportunities to share the truth to
-
witness to who he is to pray for others
-
to trust him through adversity these are
-
all
-
moments where we can be about his
-
business and so just like Jesus had to
-
choose to be about the father's business
-
you and I have to choose daily probably
-
more than daily to be about his business
-
but then I have this thought isn't that
-
the commitment that I made when I gave
-
my life to Jesus when I made him my Lord
-
wasn't that me saying L I'm I'm in I'm
-
following you I'm committed to
-
you I'll serve you I'll obey you that's
-
what the Lord is someone that you obey
-
someone you serve someone you live your
-
life following
-
after and so just as I would be
-
compelled to keep my word to someone
-
else I desire to keep my word toward the
-
lord to be about his business as one of
-
his peculiar people one of his
-
possessions and a servant in his
-
kingdom and the truth is this as we
-
consider the nature of the father's
-
business we must realize that his
-
business does necessitate A peculiar
-
approach to life we're not going to be
-
very good with his business if we if we
-
try to be the same as everybody else in
-
the world if we try to live a life
-
conformed to the ways of the world we're
-
we're going to be less than what the
-
potential would be uh when it comes to
-
the father's business here's just some
-
thoughts about the father's business
-
some things we can draw from this
-
interaction with Jesus the first is this
-
being about the father's business is not
-
an excuse for
-
neglect um being about the father's
-
business is not an excuse for neglect
-
and and why I say that is because we see
-
with Jesus he did not use the business
-
of his father to neglect other
-
responsibilities he did not use the fact
-
that he had to be about the father's
-
business in the father's house to be
-
disobedient to his parents in fact it
-
says he went back to Nazareth and was
-
obedient to his mother and father and so
-
Jesus still met the requirement the
-
responsibility the obligation that he
-
had to
-
obedience he returned to Nazareth he was
-
Obed obedient he was not neglecting what
-
was right in that
-
regard and I would say this if anybody
-
has ever
-
lived that had the right to be
-
disobedient to the their parents it
-
would have been Jesus but he wasn't no
-
he was obedient because the word says
-
children obey your father mother in the
-
Lord for this is right Jesus was
-
obedient to the responsibility he had
-
and it shows me this even when he was on
-
assignment even when he was about the
-
father's business Jesus did not neglect
-
to do that which was required and was
-
right of him and it I guess the way it
-
works out what I think of in this regard
-
for myself is there are things in our
-
life that we must tend to we must give
-
attention to and working for the Lord is
-
not an excuse to neglect the things God
-
has entrusted to us can you say Amen to
-
that working for the Lord is not an
-
excuse to neglect things that he's
-
entrusted to us I'll give you a personal
-
example of that in my own life one of
-
the things that I I'm very aware of it
-
I've probably said this on a Sunday
-
before but I really don't get sick ever
-
the only times in in the last maybe six
-
or seven years where I have found myself
-
getting sick is when I am on a prolonged
-
period of not taking a break when I
-
refuse to rest I get sick that that's
-
the simplest way I can say it and and
-
it's just my experience now I am healed
-
and I know I'm Healed and so when
-
sickness comes and the symptoms show up
-
I speak against them I confess the word
-
I'm standing in belief in faith that his
-
grace is enough for me but I also
-
recognize that just because he's graced
-
me to live a life healthy overcoming
-
illness does not mean that I get to
-
neglect the requirement of rest that
-
he's given me and so when I am
-
disobedient to rest even when the Holy
-
Spirit is speaking to me saying you need
-
to take a break you need to rest you
-
need to take a day off if I don't listen
-
if I don't obey I end up sick and then I
-
have to rest all right and so what I'm
-
getting at with that is we don't get to
-
neglect things God's entrusted to us
-
spoken to us made us responsible for
-
just because we're doing Kingdom work I
-
I I don't get to refuse rest just
-
because I'm Lord I'm working for your
-
kingdom I'm visiting and speaking with
-
and trying to minister to your people
-
yeah well you still have to take care of
-
your physical body you still have to
-
rest so that's a personal example for me
-
and there may be other things for you I
-
I could speak in other ways too I I
-
don't get to neglect my family just
-
because I'm a pastor I I don't get to
-
just say hey Lord you're going to take
-
care of my family right and just like
-
they're going to have all their needs
-
met and I don't have to show up because
-
I'm doing your work over here right
-
right I mean that would be neglectful
-
wouldn't it I don't know what it might
-
be in your life but don't neglect the
-
things God's entrusted to you just cuz
-
we're working for his kingdom I heard a
-
story one time I wasn't sure if I'd
-
share this but I guess I will I heard a
-
story one time about this gentleman who
-
had gone to Bible school and uh he
-
graduated and you know he believed the
-
Lord was calling him to Pastor someday
-
and so he started you know writing
-
sermons and he made that his life's
-
intent like he just all day every day he
-
was writing sermons now I don't really
-
know how you do that cuz I I have to
-
take breaks I can't just write sermons
-
for like 10 hours a day my thoughts get
-
confused like I my process is different
-
than that but I guess this guy he would
-
just sit down and all day every day was
-
writing sermons and he was married and
-
his wife was working and and they were
-
under a lot of financial stress and he
-
wasn't pastoring yet he was just you
-
know preparing to go and pastor and and
-
so he's Every Day writing these sermons
-
for the congregation that he does not
-
yet have to preach to but he's saying
-
well I'm doing it for the Lord I'm doing
-
it by
-
faith but his wife is saying we need you
-
to get a job and in his heart he knew I
-
need to go get a
-
job but he was using this work of the
-
king well I'm I'm doing the business I'm
-
preparing the sermons as an excuse to
-
neglect the responsibility that he had
-
in in making an effort to provide for
-
his family and so that man in the story
-
that I heard the way I heard it told he
-
he never did end up pastoring and I
-
think part of it is because he neglected
-
the things that were entrusted to him
-
and isn't that a scriptural principle
-
that we first must be faithful in the
-
little before we'll be faithful with
-
much that if you won't even be faithful
-
with you know worldly things that the
-
Lord considers lesser than than who will
-
entrust to you the riches of the Kingdom
-
so probably too much on that point but
-
Kingdom Business father's business is
-
not an excuse for neglect here's another
-
one for you being about the father's
-
business requires humility to be about
-
the father's business requires humility
-
Jesus was the most humble man to ever
-
walk this Earth he is the most humble
-
man that ever will walk the earth
-
Philippians 2: 5-8 it tells this us this
-
about Jesus you must have the same
-
attitude that Christ Jesus had though he
-
was God he did not think of equality
-
with God as something to cling to
-
instead he gave up his Divine privileges
-
he took the humble position of a slave
-
and was born as a human being when he
-
appeared in human form he humbled
-
himself in obedience to God and died a
-
criminals death on the cross and so
-
Jesus is the most humble person that's
-
ever lived because he was in his God and
-
he gave up Divinity to come and walk as
-
a man that that's the greatest
-
expression of humility ever and then
-
went to the Cross so Jesus was so so
-
humble and the reason he could be about
-
the father's business is because he let
-
go of the selfish Pride he let go of
-
selfish Pride humbling himself into the
-
father's plan most of the time doing the
-
Lord's business will mean setting some
-
part of ourselves aside if we can't put
-
oursel aside we won't be very effective
-
for the kingdom it makes me think of
-
what Jesus taught that no one can serve
-
two masters you can't live for God and
-
live for Ma and we could say that
-
another way you can't live for God and
-
live for self and again it's that you
-
know father son Holy Spirit are me
-
myself and I I I have to humble myself
-
to not only be dependent on him but to
-
also being obedient to him obedience is
-
part of humility we see it right here on
-
the screen in Philippians 2 he humbled
-
himself in obedience to God and so our
-
actions of
-
obedience come from a humble heart and
-
so we must be humble if we're going to
-
obediently carry out Kingdom Business
-
and humility is something that will lead
-
to faithfulness we could say that about
-
Jesus too if you want to be faithful in
-
the father's business be be humble
-
before him Jesus was was totally
-
dependent totally trusting on the father
-
he did what he saw he spoke what he
-
heard he lived his life obedient to the
-
father's plans and purposes and and so
-
dependency and Faith go together um we
-
will be more filled with faith as we are
-
constantly in a position of humbly
-
depending on the Lord and and that will
-
cause us to live in agreement with his
-
way live um you could say faithful
-
Faithfully obeying him and as we do that
-
more and more Grace will come the Lord
-
says he gives grace to the humble and so
-
uh the father's business requires
-
humility here's another point this
-
morning the father's business will not
-
always be convenient maybe that's one of
-
the biggest things we can take away from
-
Jesus story is that it was not
-
convenient to be in that Temple for
-
three days listening and speaking and
-
questioning and being about the father's
-
business but Jesus knew where he needed
-
to be in that moment and even though it
-
wasn't the convenient thing even though
-
it wasn't the easy thing he knew being
-
about my father's business was more
-
important I would just say it like this
-
for you and I today uh the father's
-
business won't always fit into my plans
-
his business his assignment will not
-
always fit neatly and nicely into my
-
plans but I love this statement I felt
-
like the lord gave it to me for you
-
today we are never in the wrong place
-
when we are about his business we are
-
never we are never in the wrong place
-
when we are following his command when
-
we are going where he sends us even if
-
it isn't what we planned even if it's
-
not convenient even if it's not
-
comfortable and it often won't be you're
-
never in the wrong place if you're
-
following the Lord and on his
-
business but it's true it won't always
-
be convenient it won't always be
-
comfortable it won't always be easy I
-
think about when he gives an assignment
-
you know to to generously give to
-
support something it's not convenient to
-
give generously it's not convenient to
-
my financial plans to give money away
-
but when he calls me to do it there is
-
no other no other place I could direct
-
those funds that would be more fruitful
-
in the long
-
term it's not convenient but it's right
-
you know I I think about the investment
-
of I mean sometimes the Lord will send
-
you to minister to somebody and like at
-
least this is for me sometimes I'm tired
-
and I don't want to have another
-
conversation I love talking to all of
-
you all right I love talking to
-
everybody that I get to talk to as a
-
pastor but there are just days where I'm
-
tired and and I'm you know emotionally
-
drained you ever had a day like that and
-
then somebody wants to talk to you and
-
it's like this is not convenient right
-
now there are times where that's true
-
but you know what some of the best
-
conversations that I've ever had with
-
people came when it wasn't scheduled
-
happened when I wasn't planning on it
-
the Lord made it an a possibility he
-
made it fruitful when I didn't feel like
-
I even had anything left to invest into
-
that conversation it's like you know I'm
-
thinking my eyes are like just glazed
-
over as I'm listening but then the Holy
-
Spirit does something miraculous why
-
because he gives us the power and the
-
desire to do
-
it and so it's it's a matter of being
-
led and following where he sends us to
-
go I think too you know these times what
-
we're doing right now this is Kingdom
-
business meeting and Gathering
-
fellowshipping worshiping corporately
-
hearing the word spoken this is Kingdom
-
Business that's happening here this
-
morning you hearing this this word
-
imparted to you the Holy Spirit
-
revealing things in your heart this is
-
Kingdom Business happening but it's
-
probably not
-
convenient I mean if we want to talk
-
about convenience there a lot of our our
-
culture doesn't go anywhere on Sunday
-
morning at 8 910 11 or at all why cuz
-
well it's not it's not easy it's not
-
convenient you know it's not what I
-
want can I admit something to you as a
-
pastor there are Sunday mornings that I
-
wake up and coming to church is not the
-
thing I'm most excited about
-
doing I know that's that sounds like
-
really bad doesn't
-
it but you know what as I spend time
-
with the Lord that desire is imparted in
-
my Heart by the time I get to church I'm
-
always excited about
-
church sometimes it takes the drive to
-
get here before I'm like pumped and
-
ready for a Sunday
-
morning but it's something that he works
-
in me because it's his business this
-
this isn't about Isaac getting to do the
-
Isaac thing it's about father what do
-
you want us to do today what word do you
-
want spoken how how should we glorify
-
your name this
-
morning and so because it's about him he
-
inspires the desire for these things in
-
our heart I I could give you more
-
examples but I'll I'll move on to my
-
last point along this line
-
about some things to consider about the
-
father's business the last is this last
-
I said it wasn't convenient the
-
following is the father's business will
-
not always be understood or approved of
-
by
-
others what the father calls us to do is
-
not always something that the world's
-
going to understand probably most of the
-
time it won't make sense to the world
-
it's foolishness to the world but it's
-
the wisdom of God he uses you know the
-
foolish things to confound the
-
wise well we following the leading of
-
the Lord will be led to do things that
-
other people don't have time interest or
-
preference for but God will work through
-
people who are available so when I make
-
myself available even though it doesn't
-
make sense to The World God will use me
-
for his intents I think about the
-
prophet Isaiah who said in Isaiah 68 he
-
heard the Lord asking whom shall I send
-
as a messenger to the people who will go
-
for us and Isaiah said here am I send me
-
even if it doesn't make sense to others
-
even if others don't give you approval
-
for serving the lord making yourself
-
available is how we step into his plans
-
for our life it it he works through the
-
willing God uses the willing to achieve
-
and accomplish his kingdom business and
-
so Jesus had to speak to his parents'
-
misunderstanding didn't you didn't you
-
know didn't you realize isn't it obvious
-
why I'm doing these
-
things but it's true that the call God
-
puts on you won't be obvious to
-
everybody this is why I believe Paul
-
said I don't seek the approval of man
-
for if I'm seeking to approve man how
-
can I serve God our desire our intent is
-
to serve our heavenly father he is the
-
one we seek to serve and live for and so
-
it's okay when it doesn't make sense
-
it's okay when people don't understand
-
because if we know what God has called
-
us to
-
do then we have the confidence to follow
-
through it's more important to be where
-
God has called you than where someone
-
else expects you that's a good word
-
today it's more important to be where
-
God called you than where someone else
-
expects you and it's more important to
-
do what he asked than what someone else
-
understands Church the last thing I'll
-
just say this morning about my father's
-
business is this you can know his
-
business for you God wants to awaken a
-
desire in your heart to know his plans
-
and his intentions for your life like it
-
says in Ephesians 210 he has good plans
-
for you and he wants you to accomplish
-
them he wants you to know what his
-
assignments and his business for you are
-
today and the way we come to know those
-
more and more is by knowing our father I
-
spoke about that a minute ago but there
-
is no replacement for spending time with
-
God there's no replacement for time
-
familiarizing oursel with his word with
-
his way considering the things he cares
-
about reflecting on the things that he's
-
done in our life getting to know the
-
Lord is something that will will awaken
-
desire and understanding about Kingdom
-
Business in our life and I'll tell you
-
this his work is a blessed work his way
-
is a blessed way uh I love in verse 52
-
of Luke 2 it says that Jesus grew in
-
wisdom stature and favor with God and
-
all people when you're on Kingdom
-
Business you're going to grow you'll be
-
blessed you're going to grow in stature
-
and wisdom and favor and that's good
-
news for all of us
-
and so this is not a a costly way to
-
live it might require you to lay
-
something down at the start but as you
-
get to know the Lord and you put your
-
trust in him he will increase you he
-
will promote you he will enable you to
-
do miraculous things and so as we get to
-
know the Lord and we get to know his
-
word it will cause us to get to know
-
more and more of what his business is we
-
we through the familiarity of knowing
-
him through the intimacy we have with
-
him we will be drawn to his heart and
-
his responses and situations and so it
-
comes from knowing him knowing the
-
father's business it also comes from
-
knowing who he's made me knowing my
-
identity in Christ recognizing that he's
-
made me righteous that that that I've
-
been made someone who has been loved and
-
I can love and and love is a part of the
-
call on my life that I've been assured
-
and given peace and confidence those are
-
things I need to operate in his business
-
for me and so I need to know him but I
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also need to know who I am in him Jesus
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knew who he was and it was knowing his
-
identity that that Drew him this is why
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he could say I must be in my father's
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house when he said that he was speaking
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to the identity that he held as the Son
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of God you and I you need to know you
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are a son or daughter of God if you're
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going to be about his business you need
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to be assured of the right relationship
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you have with him you need to be assured
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that he is your victory that you're an
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overcomer in Christ
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that he will deliver you from any
-
situation because if we don't know who
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we are in Christ and we don't know who
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our father is and that he's good then
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then we will be dissuaded we we will be
-
afraid of pursuing the calls that he
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places upon us and then if we're going
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to be about his business we we we must
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be sensitive to see and hear where he
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leads and what he shows we need to ask
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the Lord to open our eyes and our ears
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so that we can be sensitive to his
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leading his urging his his unction his
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instruction to those desires that he
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puts in our heart Lord help me to be
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sensitive when you awaken desire in me
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let me recognize that and not pass it
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off as you know a short-lived idea help
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me help me to respond Lord to be about
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your business to be about your house
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your kingdom when you put desire or or a
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leading an unction a direction on My
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Heart Like Jesus said in John 10:27 my
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sheep listen to my voice I know know
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them and they follow me Lord help me
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help me to recognize help me to listen
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and to hear and to respond following
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your voice when you call me last thing
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I'll say and then we'll pray church is
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is
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what what does God compel in you what
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does he behoove you to be about Jesus
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was moved in Luke 2 to be in the house
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questioning and speaking with the
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leaders of that
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time when your attention is set on the
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Lord what business does he inspire you
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to be about what does he move you or
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Draw you
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toward what does he remind you of what
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words does he remind you of what things
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what what what Vision does he give you
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when you spend time with him I just want
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to tell you church as you as you respond
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as you're sensitive as you obey that's
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how we be about his business and this is
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how we accomplish things for his kingdom
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and so if you would close your eyes this
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morning close your eyes and bow your
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head just want to take a moment it's
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something simple it doesn't take a lot
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of time or you know special environment
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he's with you all the time he's here
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right now I'm just going to pray and ask
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that he would in this next minute show
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you something about his business and so
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I ask that you just say this say this
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with me as we all have our eyes closed
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and our heads bowed just say Lord I am
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ready to be about your business show me
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what I need to see help me to to hear
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what I need to
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hear Lord draw me move me behoove me to
-
be about your assignment for me today
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I'm ready to receive in Jesus name and
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father I pray that in this moment in
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this this this special time that we set
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apart right now show us your plans show
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us your intentions remind us in our
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hearts of the things that you've been
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calling us to what you've drawn us
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to what you what what assignment you've
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given us for today or maybe it's an
-
assignment we got some time ago but
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we've been waiting we've had reasons why
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we couldn't do it reasons why we were
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scared of it reasons why we we rejected
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it reasons why we passed it off but Lord
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I'm ready to set those aside right now
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and to be about your business I'm ready
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to be someone that builds in your
-
kingdom by your spirit not by myself but
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by your grace Lord by your power by your
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might it is done Lord and so I Look to
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You with
-
expectation not for myself only but for
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each person that's here and ready to
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receive this morning Lord awaken purpose
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awaken desire awaken that movement a
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awaken inspiration awaken vision for
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your kingdom remind us of the people
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that you've assigned us to go and reach
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remind us of the things that you've
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called us to build for your glory Lord
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remind us remind us show us teach us
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speak to us Lord we need your voice we
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need your direction we need your
-
leadership to lead us into your business
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into building your house Lord because
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you said you would build your church and
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that the gates of hell would not Prevail
-
against it you said Lord that you would
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Empower and awaken desire in our heart
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to do what is pleasing to you and so I
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trust you I trust you our faithful God
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to come through on your word to be found
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faithful and able and willing once
-
again to make us people who are about
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your business Lord I pray that you
-
remind us of your word overcome every
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deception every concern every excuse
-
that the enemy would give us to not be
-
about your business Lord help us to walk
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in victory over the enemy to take every
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thought captive and make it obedient to
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Christ your word Lord I thank you I
-
thank you for the business you have for
-
us to do thank you for making us with
-
good plans and intentions and Lord thank
-
you for using us empowering us and
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establishing us as stones in your house
-
Living Stones useful stones in your
-
kingdom Lord have your way in us use us
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I'm ready to go on assignment I'm ready
-
to be about your business Lord I love
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you and I thank you that you have good
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things in store for us we look forward
-
with expectation and joy
-
Lord show us what to do and we will
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willingly follow we confess this we pray
-
it we trust you in Jesus name we pray
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amen amen love you church thank you for
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being here this morning be dismissed be
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blessed and come early next week as we
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welcome Morgan
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[Music]