Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Welcome to the Karma Church podcast.
[00:00:08] Can we remain standing for just a moment?
[00:00:12] I feel the Lord so strongly in this place this morning. Lord, we love you.
[00:00:16] God, we thank you that we are not alone this morning. But first and foremost, we come for you.
[00:00:23] Holy Spirit, would you come and meet with us this morning?
[00:00:27] Would you cause our hearts to burn within us this morning at your scripture, Lord? Would you open up the scriptures, Holy Spirit, that we could comprehend them?
[00:00:38] Teach us your ways, Lord, so that we might know you.
[00:00:42] In Jesus name, amen.
[00:00:44] We can be seated.
[00:00:46] I want to start off by sharing a testimony.
[00:00:49] I think in some ways it's prophetic because we just had a miracle happen in our church in regards to our building.
[00:00:59] So this next weekend, Joel will be leading worship at our church conference in Portland in five or six days, which I'm selfishly excited because I get to hang out with him again. And I'm excited for what the Lord's going to do. But that's the first time we'll be meeting in our new church building. And we actually went on a journey very similarly to you, where our senior leader got a word from God that we would buy the building in cash and not take out a loan, $5 million.
[00:01:25] And he chose to believe God and take God at his word and rend heaven and stand in faith and not look to other options, but stand on the word of God. And what I got to see is as one man received a word, a community gathered around that word.
[00:01:41] I think sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that Steve and Juliet are believing for a building, but that's not the reality. God is inviting a community into partnering with the Word and having faith for what God wants to do. I would hate for you to miss out on what God wants to do through your life in partnership and what God's doing in this building in faith. So I would encourage you to ask God to apprehend your heart to where you believe in praying and fasting, because this is God's promise to you too, to your generations, to the future generations. And I watched as not one person believed, but a community believed. And God showed up in miraculous ways ways. And we were able to purchase the building in cash, debt free.
[00:02:19] And next weekend we can give God praise for that.
[00:02:23] And next weekend will be the first fruits of the service. The church is barely done. Construction is still definitely happening, but we'll happily be in the building in the midst of construction, which somewhat there's beauty in that, that we'll be in there, but I think that's Prophetic. If God can do it with us, he can do it through this house. Amen. And one of the things that we believe is that it's not about equal giving, it's about equal sacrifice.
[00:02:46] Each one of us on a different journey. So how is God telling us to partner with him for what he wants to do? So I want to encourage you to sacrificially give and believe and partner your faith together for that miracle. Amen.
[00:03:00] Okay, we're going to get into a couple different passages. If you have your Bible, let's start in Luke chapter 21.
[00:03:07] We can start in Luke chapter 22. Actually, we're going to bounce around Luke 22, Luke 24 and John 21. We're going to look at two different aspects of a similar time period. And I feel like God wants to do a couple different things in the room. Is that okay?
[00:03:21] So firstly, I love this time that we're going to study because it's after Jesus's resurrection, primarily right before he ascends to be with the Father. He spends some time on earth and is glorified body, which is fascinating to me. He appears to his friends and engages with them after the resurrection. And oftentimes, even though people knew him intimately, they were unable to recognize it was him during this time period.
[00:03:45] And one of my favorite parts of the story is actually Peter's encounter with Jesus in John 21, where he's out back in his old lifestyle. Jesus had called him out of this industry of casting nets and, and seafood. Are you with me, fishermen? So he was doing that. God calls him out as a disciple and goes, I'm going to build my church upon you.
[00:04:10] What a profound thing for Jesus to say to one individual. I'm going to build the future of my church upon you. Yet Peter ends up denying Jesus three times.
[00:04:20] So you can see the shame and the condemnation when he goes back to his old lifestyle, he's feeling shame and condemnation. I actually think this is quite interesting. Like, I wonder if it was easier or harder for Peter when he found out Jesus did resurrect because the one he denied was faithful to still resurrect. And he denied him.
[00:04:43] I wonder if that caused more shame inside of Peter. Are you tracking with me, like, wait, I denied him and he defeated death, hell in the grave. But I couldn't stand with him.
[00:04:52] I turned my back on him. I'm going back to my old lifestyle.
[00:04:56] And you see this moment and when you read here in Luke 22:60, but Peter said, man, I do not know what you are saying immediately while he still was speaking, the rooster crowed and the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
[00:05:16] And Peter remembered the word of the Lord and how he had said, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.
[00:05:24] So Peter wept bitterly before this. You see that they sitting around coals and flames while they're having this conversation. To me, when you really take time to think through what's just happened here is Jesus is sitting around. I mean, Peter is sitting around warming himself, and somebody says, do you know Christ? And he denies Jesus. And in that moment, Luke's the only one that records this. In the moment of him denying Christ, he locks eyes with love.
[00:05:54] He locks eyes with the one he's denying across the room.
[00:05:58] What a moment that would be.
[00:06:01] Because I think sometimes when we're in our darkest, worst moments, we think God isn't seeing us.
[00:06:07] But Peter recognizes I denied him and he's watching me do it.
[00:06:14] The shame that that would cause, that Jesus watched you deny him after you said you wouldn't do it. Anyone else ever been there where you made God a promise you wouldn't do it again, and then you happen to do it again?
[00:06:28] So the shame Peter would have in this moment. Now it makes sense of why he leaves and goes back to his old lifestyle.
[00:06:34] And in John 21, we can turn there.
[00:06:38] It's where Jesus. And they're out casting nets, and he says, throw the net on the other side.
[00:06:45] And Peter hears this and sees him saying, cast down the other side, but has no recognition that it's Jesus yet.
[00:06:55] But he throws his net on the other side of the boat, and suddenly the net begins to break because of the catch that they have. And in the abundance of the catch, Peter's veil is torn and he recognizes that it's Jesus.
[00:07:09] See, Jesus is teaching us something. When he comes back after his resurrection, he often veils his natural appearance to people because he's teaching you and I a lesson that now he's not necessarily here in the flesh, but now his nature is what moves us.
[00:07:25] Peter is in denial and condemnation. But then God's abundance tears the veil for him to see who he is.
[00:07:32] See, this is beautiful because in Peter's shame and condemnation, it's the goodness of God that causes him to see the Christ.
[00:07:40] It's the goodness of God that leads him to repentance.
[00:07:43] God doesn't wait for him to repent, to then give him this abundance. No, no. Remember in the New Testament, it's the goodness of God that leads you to repentance.
[00:07:52] It's the fact that Peter goes, even at my very worst moment, God chooses to bless me and overwhelm me with abundance. How could I not repent?
[00:08:04] So in this moment, he recognizes it's God. Why? Because he recognizes the nature of the one who called him.
[00:08:10] He's seen the provider before.
[00:08:13] He's seen the one who multiplies the loaves before.
[00:08:17] And he goes, this is the Christ. And he jumps and swims to the ocean. And Jesus then begins to make them breakfast over a flame and over coals.
[00:08:27] And then over these coals, Jesus looks at him and says, peter, do you love me?
[00:08:35] This is wild, because what was Peter's most painful moment connected to fire and coals?
[00:08:44] Jesus takes him back to the most shameful moment in his life.
[00:08:48] Back to the fire and back to the coals.
[00:08:53] See, Jesus isn't afraid of the shameful moments in our life. He actually takes us back there to heal us what was connected to shame and condemnation. And. And his eye contact with Jesus. He's looking at his eyes again over coals and flames again. And God is calling him again.
[00:09:09] See, I was praying for this morning, and I felt like God wanted to remove shame from people's lives.
[00:09:15] We have parts of our lives that we hide that no one knows about, like Peter, the coals and the flame. And Jesus goes, no, I'm going to meet you in your pain.
[00:09:23] I'm going to meet you in your shame, what you've been running from. I'm going to heal.
[00:09:28] See, the problem with shame is that when we carry shame, we rob the power of our testimony.
[00:09:36] There's people in the room that no one knows parts of your story. That's to say that I cannot prophesy what happened in my life as possible in somebody else's life, because the testimony of Jesus prophesied he can do it again.
[00:09:49] So he healed you of pornography in your marriage, but you're too ashamed to share it. Now other marriages suffer where if you shared your testimony of how God set you free in marriage, other marriages could be free through your testimony of what Jesus did.
[00:10:07] The enemy would love for you to be stuck in shame and condemnation, maybe free from sin, but bound by shame and insecurity.
[00:10:17] And oftentimes we begin to tell stories to protect our shame, to protect our insecurity.
[00:10:25] Be very careful of the stories you tell of the people because you might start to believe them.
[00:10:31] Here's what I mean. I had a lot of shame in my life because I've struggled with stuttering my whole life, which somehow it would be Just like God.
[00:10:44] And I remember my mom came to town recently, and mom did what moms do. She embarrassed me.
[00:10:50] She's like, when Dylan was in the third grade, he stuttered so badly, he got up in front of the school auditorium to give a speech about his rugby match because I was the rugby captain.
[00:10:59] And he's like, she got up. He got up and couldn't say one word because he stuttered so badly and went and sat back down.
[00:11:07] And I struggled with that my whole life with this social anxiety, especially as I got older, the social anxiety of meeting new people brought me a lot of anxiety, which is not great in my line of work.
[00:11:19] I meet a lot of new people.
[00:11:21] So this insecurity rose up. No one knew it because I didn't want people to know it, because if they knew, they might reject me. So no one knew my struggle.
[00:11:30] So instead of inviting people, then I started telling people, I just don't like meeting new people.
[00:11:36] And everyone else believes it because why would they not believe it? I'm an introvert.
[00:11:41] The problem is that if you start telling stories like that long enough, you might start to believe it.
[00:11:47] So be really careful what you say to protect your insecurity.
[00:11:52] Some of us say, I don't have anything to share. Really. Or do you have something that you wish you could share, but the fear of man holds you back?
[00:12:01] Are you with me? We make statements to sometimes protect the internal world.
[00:12:07] I don't like people. Really? Or are you afraid of rejection?
[00:12:12] So we start to say these things, and I remember a story that changed my perspective. I got invited to a retreat probably three or four years ago, and this retreat was a real privilege to get invited. It was. People from all over the world were coming together for four days. It was about a hundred people that were young people in some level of influence. Like there was people from Trump's administration, people that had won Grammys, people that had won reality shows. And somehow I got invited.
[00:12:40] The combined reach on social media was like 60 something million people.
[00:12:44] So my 10,000 really helped the team a lot.
[00:12:48] And I got invited to this. But the problem is I would have had so much social anxiety because I would want to stutter in front of new people. Are you with me? So I'm not going to go to this. Why on earth would I go? That's setting myself up for the most awkward three days of my life.
[00:13:02] But I can't tell anyone the truth there because I'm hiding my insecurity. So I'm telling my friends, like, I got invited to this, but you know me, I don't like meeting new people and it's too expensive. Threw on the second thing.
[00:13:15] So one of my friends goes, that's dumb, bro. You going. And I'm paying for it.
[00:13:19] And I'm like, oh boy, should I be honest? No, I can't tell him why. I actually don't want to go, so I'm going to go.
[00:13:27] So I go. The whole time I'm nervous, I'm worried.
[00:13:30] When we get there, I get a name badge, which is fine because then I don't have to introduce myself. Like, praise God, I got here when I went home, my tears in my eyes. And I still think back that because from that retreat I've been to four or five people's weddings that became lifelong friends.
[00:13:48] And I had tears in my eyes thinking about it afterwards because I wonder how often insecurity holds us back from what God wants to do in our life.
[00:13:56] So I went on a journey of going, do people really know me?
[00:13:59] You know what I started doing with my close friends? Because it's one thing to confess your sin, but what about your insecurity and shame?
[00:14:06] I started going to dinner with close friends. I'd go, hey, bro, what's the biggest insecurity in your life?
[00:14:13] Well, let me ask you this. What's the one thing you think if a girl knew this, they wouldn't want to marry you? I'll go first.
[00:14:19] Because I realized if they go first, they're like, I'm just too good looking, bro. People don't want to marry me. I'm too good looking.
[00:14:25] So I realized when I go first, their answer changes because they see the vulnerability that I'm portraying.
[00:14:32] But you know where I found freedom from all that insecurity is in sharing it with other people.
[00:14:40] I went to Disneyland years ago and I'm going to bless you with a picture in a moment.
[00:14:46] And at Disneyland, I just punched Goofy because he's scary. And this is me with Mickey Mouse. A few moments later, the drip is still there.
[00:15:00] Who wouldn't be afraid of a huge rat? Can I get an amen?
[00:15:03] We call him a mouse. It's a big rat.
[00:15:06] Why would you not be afraid? So moments before this, I'd hit Goofy in the stomach.
[00:15:12] And that's why I'm still crying, because I'm traumatized by the big dog. And then the big rat comes into the picture.
[00:15:18] Can I tell you, Mickey Mouse and Goofy didn't go home that day saying, I'm so offended the person with the mask on didn't Go home saying, I'm so offended. This kid hated me.
[00:15:29] Why? Because I didn't hate the person. I hated the character he was portraying.
[00:15:34] Right. So they don't go home offended. But just like Elsa doesn't go home from Disney every day with that mask on in the hair and go, I'm so loved.
[00:15:43] All the girls love you. No, they don't love you. They love the character you're portraying.
[00:15:49] See, why do so many of us wear masks?
[00:15:51] Because it's safe.
[00:15:54] Why do we protect our insecurities? Because then no one can actually hurt you. They just are rejecting the version you present of yourself.
[00:16:04] They didn't hurt me. They hurt the version I presented on myself. See, masks are safe because no one rejects you.
[00:16:11] That's why many of us are so afraid of community, because then no one can reject you.
[00:16:16] And if somebody does reject you, you have the safeguard of saying, they didn't reject me. They rejected that version, the character I was portraying.
[00:16:24] So many of us live there. But the danger of living there, like, let me ask this right now. Does anybody truly know you?
[00:16:29] Everything, your closet, every part of your life? Are you fully known?
[00:16:34] If the answer is no, then you aren't fully loved either.
[00:16:40] Because Elsa doesn't go home feeling loved. Why? Because they love the character she's portraying.
[00:16:46] They don't love the. They don't know the person behind the mask.
[00:16:50] They don't know the character behind the makeup and the hair. They don't even know her real name.
[00:16:57] Are we fully known? Are we fully loved? I feel like this morning God wants to set some people free from shame. The that's keeping us away from freedom.
[00:17:06] You might be free from sin, but are you free from shame?
[00:17:10] Are you fully known? Are you fully loved?
[00:17:13] You might be afraid of rejection, but the problem is, what is your other option? Never being loved.
[00:17:19] Yes, love is scary because you can get hurt. That's a part of the deal.
[00:17:25] Here's what I want to do right now. We're going to church early today. Is that okay?
[00:17:29] If you're in the room right now and you know you're still carrying shame and you want to get free, I think there's a grace this morning to get free.
[00:17:37] So if that's you, I just want you to stand right now where there's parts of your story you still carry shame about that people might not know about. Just stand right now.
[00:17:45] We're going to pray together right now. You know, you wear a mask. People don't truly know you. There's parts of your story that you Go. No one will ever know this about me.
[00:17:55] You're afraid of letting people in because you're afraid they might hurt you.
[00:18:02] Let's just close our eyes right now. Lord, we thank you for your love, that you don't run from those moments, that you take us back to those moments and that's where you call us, God, that every trial, every test, everything we've gone through is to give you glory. God, we repent for having shame for what you've done in our life. Lord, show us your perspective. I just see light coming into closets, like where there's been things hidden in our closet, where there's been baggage no one knows about.
[00:18:30] The light of God just coming in and consuming and bringing light and clarity to those areas that shame is leaving, that some of you need to sit down and have those conversations. Hey, here's my biggest insecurity.
[00:18:45] It kills that thing that the enemy wants you to not be known because then you'll never be fully loved.
[00:18:50] Lord, we receive the gift of being known by those around us.
[00:18:54] Give us grace, Holy Spirit.
[00:18:57] Remove all shame.
[00:19:00] Can I tell you that people want to know the real you?
[00:19:03] I break the lie off that people don't want to know the real you.
[00:19:07] I break the lie off that people will respect you less when you're honest and vulnerable.
[00:19:13] They'll love you more because at least you're being honest.
[00:19:18] Lord, I thank youk that those who are free are free indeed.
[00:19:22] That we are not defined by our past.
[00:19:26] Therefore we are not ashamed by our past. Lord, because you redeem all things in Jesus name. Amen. You can be seated.
[00:19:40] If you can turn me in your Bible to Luke chapter 24.
[00:19:46] Similarly to what we talked about before in this passage is after Jesus is resurrected. And I think there's something I want us to take away this morning from this passage.
[00:19:56] And essentially what's happening is there's these two gentlemen that are on a walk to a city called Emmaus. And it's about a seven mile walk. We're going to pick up at verse 14.
[00:20:07] And these two men talked. We're in Luke 24:14, and they talked together of all the things which had happened. And so it was while they conversed and reasoned that Jesus himself drew near and went with them. Firstly, if you want Jesus to show up in your life, start talking about him more.
[00:20:29] Two men are talking about Him. Suddenly he inserts himself into the conversation.
[00:20:35] People like, I don't need community. I'm like, who are you going to talk about Jesus to?
[00:20:40] Good word, Dylan.
[00:20:43] Verse 15 so it was while they conversed and reasoned, Jesus himself, Junior went with him. And their eyes were restrained so that they did not know him. Fascinating. Jesus chooses to restrain their eyes.
[00:20:56] Why?
[00:20:57] Because there's a day coming soon where he won't be with them in the flesh anymore. So he's trying to show us how to engage with him when he's no longer in the flesh. Are you with me?
[00:21:07] So they see him, but it's restrained that it's him. Because he wants to teach us something from this passage. He wants to teach them something from this passage.
[00:21:15] Verse 17.
[00:21:16] Jesus says, what kind of conversation is this that you have with one another? And you walk and are sad.
[00:21:21] How many of you know when God asks you a question? It's not because he doesn't know the answer.
[00:21:26] Another he throws it. And or sad because they have a misunderstanding of what's taken place.
[00:21:30] Cleopas says, are you the only stranger in Jerusalem that doesn't know? I love his sarcasm in the response. There Jesus goes, what? Tell me about these things that have happened. And they go on to speak. In verse 25, Jesus corrects them, says, o foolish ones and slow of heart to believe. And all the prophets have spoken.
[00:21:49] Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into glory? Verse 27.
[00:21:55] And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. I said it's a conference. I'll say it again. I love this verse. Because Jesus had no problem preaching himself from Moses and the prophets.
[00:22:11] Exodus preaches the same person as John.
[00:22:14] Exodus preaches the same person as Hebrews. Leviticus preaches the same person as Colossians.
[00:22:20] The Old Testament preaches the same person as the New Testament.
[00:22:24] I'll help you out for a second.
[00:22:26] The Old Testament, Jonah is not about a whale swallowed for three days and then comes back out and starts revival. Sound like anyone? Jesus.
[00:22:39] What about the Red Sea? That's not about a sea.
[00:22:42] Captive goes through water no longer captive. Sounds like Jesus and Baptism to me.
[00:22:49] What about a serpent that will bite you and you'll have its sting, but then you will create a bronze one and hang it on a tree. And whoever looks at the tree will be free from the sting.
[00:23:00] Not about a serpent, about Jesus that will one day come and die and whoever beholds him is free from the sting of death.
[00:23:12] The whole Old Testament is not about Leviticus preaches Jesus.
[00:23:19] Jesus didn't even have the New Testament. He had no problem opening up Exodus and the prophets to preach Himself to them, it all preaches the same person.
[00:23:30] Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and he indicated that he would have gone farther.
[00:23:35] And they constrained him, saying, abide with us, for it is towards evening and the day is far spent. And he went in and stayed with them. Now it came to pass as he sat at the table with them, and he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were open and they knew him and he vanished from their sight.
[00:23:58] Okay.
[00:23:59] They break bread and he vanishes.
[00:24:06] They break bread, he vanishes. His body is the bread.
[00:24:12] A lot of the early church believed this happened to communicate to you and I that every time we take communion, he's present.
[00:24:21] He does nothing by mistake.
[00:24:24] He chooses to vanish when they break the bread.
[00:24:27] Why? Because now every time you break the bread, he's present.
[00:24:32] If we knew the power of communion, we wouldn't just take it once a month in church, in your house, you'd be taking it all the time.
[00:24:40] That's his body, that's his blood, which if you take, rightly produces healing and wholeness.
[00:24:48] Oh, that's good news. I don't know about you, but that I love Jesus, that he chooses to disappear in the moment that the bread is broken.
[00:24:58] Verse 32. And they said to one another, did not our hearts burn within us when he talked on the road to us? And he opened the Scriptures to us.
[00:25:07] I love that about him. So they rose up that very hour, turned to Jerusalem, and found the 11 saying, the Lord is risen indeed and has appeared to Simon. And they told him all the things that had happened on the road and how he was known to them in the breaking of bread.
[00:25:22] So what happens here? Their eyes are spiritually dull. Their heart is dull. And all of us, to a certain degree, our hearts are dull. And we need the Holy Spirit to light our hearts ablaze.
[00:25:32] So what do they do? Firstly, their hearts are dull. They talk about him in community.
[00:25:37] Then he shows up.
[00:25:40] When he shows up, their hearts begin to burn.
[00:25:44] Then it says, our hearts begin to burn. And he opened up the Scriptures to us.
[00:25:49] That progression is still how it works today.
[00:25:53] Our hearts begin to burn. Jesus takes you to the Scriptures to reveal Himself.
[00:25:58] We need the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures to meet.
[00:26:02] He will always take you there to reveal Himself to you.
[00:26:06] So in this moment, their hearts are burning. The Scriptures are opened up to him. And then here's what's fascinating about the story. They were on a journey to a city called Emmaus. The word Emmaus means a Warm, bubbling up of a spring. It was a city that was known to be a spa.
[00:26:22] And essentially they're on their way to find some relief and comfort in Emmaus, and they're going to the city, to this destination. But suddenly Jesus invites himself into the conversation and they get to the end destination, only to realize that they were never going to find comfort and relief in the destination.
[00:26:45] Now, why do I say that? Because I feel like on our journey, we often get confused, thinking that certain things are going to bring us satisfaction and contentment.
[00:26:54] Because here's the reality. When they get to the destination, they're more concerned about the person they were walking with in the destination.
[00:27:02] And my worry is that often, as believers, we dangle locations and destinations and callings and jobs and spouses and finances and cars in front of us as motivation.
[00:27:15] The danger of that is you will one day obtain it and realize that they'll never gave you what you thought it promised you.
[00:27:22] Here's my. Ask of all of us, anything in your life, where you go. This thing will bring me joy and contentment. Make sure you find a verse that promises you that.
[00:27:31] Find me the verse that says, your promotion will bring you better contentment.
[00:27:36] Because the problem with that is you can get another promotion.
[00:27:40] We often find something to dangle in front of us to bring us contentment.
[00:27:46] Sometimes it's a calling, sometimes it's a trip or a vacation.
[00:27:50] Where I live in Portland, people always like, I'm going to Florida. You go to Florida. Your anxiety didn't get healed on the flight.
[00:27:58] Anyone ever been there? You go on a vacation, you move cities. Still, you didn't heal your marriage promotion. What's next? As soon as you get it, you're like, what's next?
[00:28:10] I need something else to dangle in front of me. I need a new motivation. I need something new to the soul, needs something to bring satisfaction to it.
[00:28:19] I remember the first time I preached in a stadium. I was 23 years old. They had all these prophetic words about a stadium. And it was this carrot that was dangled in front of me that I put there. And I got there, spoke in the stadium, was so excited with my 10 minutes, and it felt really good. In the moment, people are applauding, saying how good it was, and it feels really good. And I'm. I'm like, blowing up on Instagram by 100 followers. I'm like, I'm famous. I need to be verified. Trying to get verified. It's like, no, you don't, bro. So I'm like, then that night, I'm lying in my hotel room and I'm looking at all the tags, and I'm resharing the same thing a hundred times. Like, boy, that's for no one else except you. Yeah.
[00:29:00] And I'm doing it in my room. And slowly, as everyone else is going to bed, I'm not, because the adrenaline is still pumping. And I'm in my room and I'm like, oh, this feels amazing. And I'm so cool, and I'm refreshing. And eventually it's 12, it's one, I'm looking out over the harbor, and I'm still refreshing. Everyone's gone to bed. So, like, nothing else is really happening on my phone.
[00:29:21] I'm like, I need something to feed me. Because, like, that's. I still need something. Like, that didn't really do it.
[00:29:27] And I'm lying on my bed and I realize it's still the same me.
[00:29:31] Nothing changed. I remember the Holy Spirit said to me, dylan, this will never get bigger than you and me alone on your bedroom floor.
[00:29:39] Never get bigger.
[00:29:42] You will never graduate from this. See, Paul said in Philippians 4, I learned to find contentment whether I have a lot or a little.
[00:29:50] But we fall into the lie of thinking that contentment comes through an external circumstance when Paul said he learned it regardless of his circumstance.
[00:30:00] My fear is that we'll get to a destination only to realize it will never give us what we hoped it would.
[00:30:06] See, these men got to the destination and realized that they were more concerned with the one whom they were with. I love this about the Lord. Someone can jump up on the keys.
[00:30:17] I love this about the Lord. And oftentimes it's not emphasized in church. We read it in the story. Their hearts begin to burn. The scriptures open. They get to the destination. Their hearts are burning. They get to the destination. Jesus says, I'm going to keep going.
[00:30:32] He does that when. When you experience him. It always comes with a test of, do you want more?
[00:30:39] Jesus is like, I'm gonna keep going. All they say is, no, please stay. He goes, okay, I'll stay.
[00:30:45] I'll stay. You convinced me. It's like, no one really convinced you. One stay. Like, will you stay? It's like that friend that's hinting. Then you're like, hey, bro, you should stay. Okay, I'll stay.
[00:30:54] That's Jesus. But, like, he waits to be asked if he can stay.
[00:31:00] Why? Because he wants to see if you want more or if you're satisfied with what you have.
[00:31:05] He looks for those that go stay with Me, I'm not satisfied with just a burning heart.
[00:31:11] And you know what happens? He stays. Break bread. And then he's made known to them.
[00:31:17] One man saying, hey, stay with me. Because of that, they know him.
[00:31:21] They would have never known him unless one man said, stay with us.
[00:31:28] Stay. I'm not satisfied with just a conference in a moment. Stay with me.
[00:31:34] Come to my room with me, God. Because here's my thing, is that we so fixated on a journey. We so fix it. And one day I'll get to eternity and be with Jesus. Amen. But the same one you excited for eternity is with you today.
[00:31:51] He's with you on the road.
[00:31:53] Why am I so fixated on eternity? The one who's enthroned in heaven is walking side by side me today.
[00:32:01] It's not about a destination. It's about a journey. Can I tell you? Fall in love with the journey.
[00:32:07] Because you will get there to realize it was all about the one who was next to you. Anyway, why are you excited about heaven? Because he's there.
[00:32:17] But he's with you today, he's with you tomorrow.
[00:32:21] And can I tell you, if he's everything and you don't find contentment in him, how will you find it in something else?
[00:32:29] He's everything. How can he not be enough?
[00:32:33] He doesn't bring us contentment, but somehow a spouse will.
[00:32:40] He's everything perfect, but somehow finances will.
[00:32:45] Somehow your calling will.
[00:32:47] Somehow a new job or a vacation will.
[00:32:51] If he caught nothing will.
[00:32:55] If he's everything, he has to be enough.
[00:32:59] He is both the destination and the road.
[00:33:03] Don't dangle anything in front of you.
[00:33:06] Lay it all down. Every idol. Moses got to the promised land and goes, God, unless you come with me, I don't even want it.
[00:33:13] I don't want the promised land. I would rather be in the desert with God than the promised land without him.
[00:33:18] Cleopas is like, I don't the destination. Who cares? God, you stay.
[00:33:23] I was headed there, but now I'm more consumed with you.
[00:33:28] Can we stand right now?
[00:33:30] Steve, you can come.
[00:33:32] Jesus, we love you. Just put your hands out. Jesus, we love you.
[00:33:36] God, we repent for every idol that we've pursued.
[00:33:40] For every lesser lover that we've entertained, for every place we've gone to find contentment that wasn't in you. Lord, we repent. Lord God, we say, you are enough.
[00:33:53] The one who fills heaven lives in us.
[00:33:57] The one who created the earth abides in us.
[00:34:01] Lord. It's not about a destination or it's about a journey. It's about walking with the One whom we love.
[00:34:09] Lord, we pray that we would learn the lesson which you taught Paul, which is I learned to be content.
[00:34:15] I didn't receive it. I learned it.
[00:34:19] Thanks for listening to the Chroma Charge Podcast. If you enjoyed this message, you can like and subscribe. You can also join us in person or online every Sunday at Cromer Church. For more information about us, including our ministries, events, worship and how to donate, visit our website at Cromer Church.
