WEBVTT

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 The scripture reading today comes from the book of Exodus, chapters 2 and 3.

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 Please follow along in your bulletin.

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 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died,

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 and the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out.

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 And their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

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 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

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 God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

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 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,

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 and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

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 The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush.

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 And he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

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 So Moses said, I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight.

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 Why the bush is not burnt up?

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 When the Lord saw that, he turned aside to look.

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 God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses.

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 And he said, Here I am.

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 Then he said, Do not come near here.

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 Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.

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 He said also, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

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 Then Joseph hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

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 The Lord said,

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 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,

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 and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters,

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 for I am aware of their sufferings.

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 So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians,

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 and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land,

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 to a land flowing with milk and honey,

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 to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Pezite and the Hevite and the Jebusite.

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 Now behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to me.

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 Furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

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 Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh,

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 so that you may bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.

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 But Moses said to God,

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 Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh,

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 and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?

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 And he said,

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 Certainly I will be with you,

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 and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you.

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 When you have brought the people out of Egypt,

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 you shall worship God at this mountain.

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 Then Moses said to God,

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 Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel,

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 and I will say to them,

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 The God of your fathers has sent me to you.

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 And now they may say to me,

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 What is his name?

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 What shall I say to them?

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 God said to Moses,

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 I am who I am.

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 And he said,

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 Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,

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 I am has sent me to you.

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 This is the reading of God's word.

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 Wow, do I hear amen to that?

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 You can say amen, we're in church, that's okay.

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 That's amazing.

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 Thanks guys.

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 Guys,

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 We are

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 finishing up a series on prayer.

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 We've had Mike do an amazing sermon on the kingdom.

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 What do we wait for?

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 We had Wehan,

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 did a great job on just praise and worshiping him.

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 And what does that look like?

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 I don't know if you were here last Sunday.

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 If you weren't,

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 I don't often say this,

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 but I think you need to go online and listen to the sermon

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 because we talked a lot about

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 where we feel like God has a church.

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 We handed out these,

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 we ran out of these.

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 Actually, we'll have some more next week.

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 If you didn't get one of these,

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 you need to get one of these

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 and look at where we've been

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 and where we are now

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 and where we're praying that God will take us as a church.

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 It's an amazing,

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 exciting time to be on this journey with him.

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 We talk a lot about in this church

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 that we're on a journey.

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 And in this journey,

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 we all have stories that are being told.

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 Our hope is that your story

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 is being interwoven with God's story,

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 that God is touching you

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 and he's meeting you

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 and he's changing you.

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 We've said a couple times

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 and you've seen this illustration

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 that our hope is that as we're on this journey

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 as a church and as a community

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 that we're reaching out,

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 that somewhere in this life

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 that God comes into your life

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 and he touches you.

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 We have a PowerPoint hopefully for this

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 and here it is.

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 So you're on this journey

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 and we have this conversion event that happens.

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 Somewhere God opens your eyes

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 to his son Jesus Christ.

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 You fall in love with him

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 and he changes you.

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 And as you go on this journey,

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 we grow in two dimensions.

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 We grow in this dimension of

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 that we're growing awareness of God's holiness.

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 And as we do that,

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 hopefully we're growing in the dimension

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 that we're aware of our brokenness,

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 our neediness,

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 our sinfulness,

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 our flesh.

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 And these two things we hope should be,

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 we want them to be,

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 growing at the same time.

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 And if you don't grow both of these

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 at the same time,

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 we kind of become lopsided.

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 And as they grow at the same time,

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 we see that the cross gets bigger and bigger.

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 We start to understand even more

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 what grace means.

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 We start to understand even more and more

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 what holiness means.

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 We start to understand even more

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 what God sacrificed

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 and what it cost Christ to bring you

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 into his family.

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 I think sometimes we forget that.

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 We forget what it costs God

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 to bring us back

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 to the family of God.

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 And sometimes on this journey,

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 as we grow,

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 we enter into this dimension

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 and we're going to talk about it today.

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 And it's hard as a pastor

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 because I wish I could be

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 in every one of your stories.

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 I wish I could know

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 what is going on in your life.

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 And I don't.

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 I can only share

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 what's been going on in my life.

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 And I know that we're all

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 about the same on this journey.

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 But as we enter into this lifestyle,

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 sometimes we have these things happen.

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 And as we go along in time,

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 we basically see,

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 you can just keep pushing them out there,

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 that we have this time,

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 we have hope,

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 and we have reality.

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 That we're on this journey

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 and we understand

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 how we want to live our lives.

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 We understand what our lives

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 want to look like.

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 But something is happening there.

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 That our reality

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 and what we hope to happen

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 aren't matching up.

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 That we hope

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 that we would get this job

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 by this time

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 or we hope that we would be married

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 by this time

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 or we hope that our kids

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 would act right by this time

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 or we hope that something

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 would happen by this time

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 and the reality just doesn't match it.

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 And what happens

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 is we enter into this period

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 of tension and despair

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 and hurt and anguish and angst

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 and sometimes we deal with it

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 by just denial.

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 We just say,

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 hey, I know you've felt like this.

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 Sometimes I have.

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 You know, it's like this.

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 There's a 500-pound gorilla

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 in our room right now.

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 My wife and I need to talk about that,

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 but we don't want to talk about that

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 because we just think

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 if we ignore it,

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 it'll go away.

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 And we do that

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 in our relationships

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 and in the church

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 and when things are hurting

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 and when somebody offends us.

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 We just do that

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 and we live in this realm

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 of unreality

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 trying to cover up

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 all that tension.

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 Sometimes on our journey,

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 we try to just basically

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 work harder.

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 We figure,

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 okay, here's what my reality is.

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 This is what I want.

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 If I just work harder,

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 everything is going to be okay.

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 I mean, maybe

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 I haven't been praying enough.

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 Maybe I haven't been reading

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 my Bible enough.

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 Maybe I haven't done

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 these other things enough

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 and if I do these

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 and I work really hard

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 or maybe I study really hard,

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 if I do all these things

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 then God's going to go,

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 that's great.

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 You did it.

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 Here, here's the golden ticket.

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 Great job.

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 And so we become determined

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 and we just work

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 and we work and we work.

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 And the Bible says

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 that we enter into religion.

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 That's what religion is.

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 Religion is,

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 I do these things

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 so that I earn God's favor.

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 If I do these things,

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 then God owes me.

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 Sometimes we enter

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 into just despair.

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 I think despair

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 is sometimes

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 the easiest thing to do,

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 especially in certain cultures.

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 You just give up.

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 Well, you realize

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 that my reality

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 will never match

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 what I hope.

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 And instead of walking around

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 frustrated,

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 all the time

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 and in anguish

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 and in despair

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 and just frustrated,

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 I just give up.

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 And I say,

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 well, whatever.

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 I don't know

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 if you've ever felt

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 those things

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 in your life,

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 but the passage today

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 is full

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 of those things.

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 And it's something

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 I think that we

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 as a church

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 need to deal with

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 and talk about

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 instead of hiding.

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 We're looking

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 at this passage

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 in Exodus

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 which I think

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 is one of my

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 favorite passages.

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 And I'm just sharing

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 my story with you guys.

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 It's something

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 that I continue

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 to come back to

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 over and over

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 and over again

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 as I get despaired.

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 In Exodus,

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 in the Old Testament,

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 we often look

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 at narrative.

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 The stories

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 are narrative.

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 They're telling

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 a story.

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 Now, it's much

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 different than

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 the New Testament.

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 The New Testament,

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 you come to it

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 and this gives you

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 this action point.

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 Christ died for you.

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 He shed his blood

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 on the cross.

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 You need to repent

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 and turn back

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 to him

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 and that point

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 is very,

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 very clear.

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 But sometimes

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 when we come

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 to the Old Testament,

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 that point is there

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 but we have to read

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 and read

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 and think about it

00:10:06.920 --> 00:10:07.360
 because often

00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:07.860
 it's hidden

00:10:07.860 --> 00:10:08.960
 in the shadows

00:10:08.960 --> 00:10:10.800
 because the ultimate

00:10:10.800 --> 00:10:11.400
 fulfilling

00:10:11.400 --> 00:10:12.940
 of this truth

00:10:12.940 --> 00:10:15.040
 is in Jesus Christ.

00:10:17.040 --> 00:10:18.100
 And so we see

00:10:18.100 --> 00:10:19.480
 these truths there

00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:20.860
 and we read them

00:10:20.860 --> 00:10:22.020
 and we compare them

00:10:22.020 --> 00:10:22.740
 to what we know

00:10:22.740 --> 00:10:24.019
 of the story

00:10:24.019 --> 00:10:24.940
 that God is weaving

00:10:24.940 --> 00:10:25.700
 throughout all

00:10:25.700 --> 00:10:26.180
 of Scripture.

00:10:27.299 --> 00:10:28.039
 And so this passage

00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:29.120
 today talks about

00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:30.080
 the desert times,

00:10:30.639 --> 00:10:31.019
 talks about

00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:31.940
 the difficult times

00:10:31.940 --> 00:10:32.700
 and I don't know

00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:33.560
 what the desert times

00:10:33.560 --> 00:10:34.379
 are for you

00:10:34.379 --> 00:10:35.159
 in your life.

00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:37.100
 When I looked

00:10:37.100 --> 00:10:38.340
 at those first charts

00:10:38.340 --> 00:10:38.700
 and I looked

00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:39.480
 at this despair,

00:10:40.060 --> 00:10:41.159
 I think of country

00:10:41.159 --> 00:10:41.419
 western,

00:10:41.480 --> 00:10:42.399
 okay, I'm gonna confess,

00:10:42.519 --> 00:10:43.019
 I think of country

00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:43.680
 western music.

00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:44.899
 Does anybody here

00:10:44.899 --> 00:10:45.259
 ever listen

00:10:45.259 --> 00:10:46.139
 to country western music?

00:10:46.940 --> 00:10:47.440
 Okay, so country

00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:48.000
 western music

00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:48.659
 is like the most

00:10:48.659 --> 00:10:49.460
 listened to music

00:10:49.460 --> 00:10:50.560
 in America,

00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:51.360
 maybe worldwide,

00:10:51.460 --> 00:10:51.820
 I don't know.

00:10:51.820 --> 00:10:53.080
 But in country western,

00:10:53.520 --> 00:10:55.879
 I don't know.

00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:56.920
 It's where I learned

00:10:56.920 --> 00:10:58.120
 about grief and despair

00:10:58.120 --> 00:10:58.820
 before I became

00:10:58.820 --> 00:10:59.580
 a Christian, okay?

00:11:00.140 --> 00:11:01.280
 But in country western music

00:11:01.280 --> 00:11:02.320
 there is a scale

00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:03.080
 of despair.

00:11:04.220 --> 00:11:05.220
 If you hear the guy

00:11:05.220 --> 00:11:06.240
 singing and he's singing

00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:07.440
 about he lost his job

00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:08.980
 or his boss is a jerk,

00:11:09.420 --> 00:11:10.320
 then his despair

00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:11.120
 is pretty low.

00:11:12.020 --> 00:11:12.200
 I mean,

00:11:12.220 --> 00:11:12.680
 if he's singing

00:11:12.680 --> 00:11:14.180
 about his boyfriend

00:11:14.180 --> 00:11:14.900
 or his girlfriend

00:11:14.900 --> 00:11:16.600
 broke up with him

00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:17.460
 and life is terrible,

00:11:17.780 --> 00:11:18.360
 then the despair

00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:20.020
 is a little high.

00:11:20.019 --> 00:11:22.000
 If he talks about

00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:23.439
 his car broke down,

00:11:23.559 --> 00:11:24.699
 especially his truck,

00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:26.639
 then it's in the medium

00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:27.679
 level of despair

00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:29.299
 because that's very important

00:11:29.299 --> 00:11:30.639
 for country folk,

00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:31.759
 their trucks.

00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:34.179
 If he talks about

00:11:34.179 --> 00:11:35.699
 his wife left him

00:11:35.699 --> 00:11:37.960
 for his best friend

00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:41.100
 or her best friend,

00:11:41.620 --> 00:11:43.100
 that's really bad,

00:11:43.799 --> 00:11:44.240
 okay?

00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:46.620
 And the ultimate is

00:11:46.620 --> 00:11:47.560
 if he talks about

00:11:47.560 --> 00:11:48.519
 his dog dying.

00:11:49.860 --> 00:11:50.759
 If you're listening

00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:51.399
 to the song

00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:52.180
 and a guy's talking

00:11:52.180 --> 00:11:53.159
 about his dog dying,

00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:54.779
 you know that he's like

00:11:54.779 --> 00:11:57.379
 in the pit of despair.

00:11:57.840 --> 00:11:58.139
 I mean,

00:11:58.159 --> 00:11:58.820
 the only thing worse

00:11:58.820 --> 00:11:59.600
 than your dog dying

00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:00.560
 is if you lost your job,

00:12:00.620 --> 00:12:01.519
 your boss is a jerk,

00:12:01.799 --> 00:12:02.220
 your boyfriend

00:12:02.220 --> 00:12:02.600
 and your girlfriend

00:12:02.600 --> 00:12:03.320
 broke up with you,

00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:04.019
 your wife left you

00:12:04.019 --> 00:12:04.539
 for her friend

00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:05.220
 or your best friend,

00:12:05.560 --> 00:12:06.600
 your car broke down

00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:07.480
 and your dog died,

00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:08.419
 then your life,

00:12:08.620 --> 00:12:10.139
 you're in despair,

00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:10.720
 you just give up,

00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:11.299
 there's no hope.

00:12:11.299 --> 00:12:13.959
 I don't know

00:12:13.959 --> 00:12:15.079
 where you are today

00:12:15.079 --> 00:12:17.279
 and my hope is

00:12:17.279 --> 00:12:18.299
 that you're not there.

00:12:18.620 --> 00:12:19.139
 My hope is

00:12:19.139 --> 00:12:19.919
 that some of these things

00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:20.620
 you're gonna hear today,

00:12:20.719 --> 00:12:20.919
 you're gonna go,

00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:21.519
 that's just not

00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:22.599
 where I'm at.

00:12:22.939 --> 00:12:24.639
 I'm not in the desolate times.

00:12:27.939 --> 00:12:28.959
 But if you're

00:12:28.959 --> 00:12:30.919
 God's child,

00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:33.799
 you will be.

00:12:36.939 --> 00:12:37.719
 You will be.

00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:40.879
 Because the Bible says

00:12:40.879 --> 00:12:42.899
 that God loves us

00:12:42.899 --> 00:12:43.740
 so much

00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:46.000
 that he doesn't want

00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:46.480
 to leave us

00:12:46.480 --> 00:12:47.200
 as we are.

00:12:49.139 --> 00:12:50.159
 He doesn't want

00:12:50.159 --> 00:12:51.840
 to leave us broken.

00:12:52.019 --> 00:12:52.559
 He doesn't want

00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:53.659
 to leave us needy.

00:12:53.720 --> 00:12:54.240
 He doesn't want

00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:55.139
 to leave us in guilt.

00:12:55.460 --> 00:12:56.000
 He doesn't want

00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:57.100
 to leave us in shame.

00:12:57.539 --> 00:12:58.000
 And often,

00:12:58.299 --> 00:12:59.240
 he will take us

00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:00.480
 to the desert places

00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:02.600
 to fix those things.

00:13:03.419 --> 00:13:04.000
 I don't know

00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:04.759
 what the desolate things

00:13:04.759 --> 00:13:05.460
 are in your life.

00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:06.440
 Maybe they're

00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:07.259
 broken promises.

00:13:07.500 --> 00:13:07.919
 Maybe they're

00:13:07.919 --> 00:13:08.840
 broken relationships.

00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:09.379
 Maybe they're

00:13:09.379 --> 00:13:10.860
 broken families.

00:13:11.279 --> 00:13:11.700
 Maybe they're

00:13:11.700 --> 00:13:13.060
 broken kids,

00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:13.560
 or your kids

00:13:13.560 --> 00:13:14.120
 are out of control.

00:13:14.220 --> 00:13:14.800
 Maybe your boss

00:13:14.800 --> 00:13:15.399
 is out of control.

00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:16.840
 Maybe your health

00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:18.320
 is broken.

00:13:18.500 --> 00:13:19.539
 Maybe it's caused

00:13:19.539 --> 00:13:20.440
 because you've been

00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:20.879
 sinful,

00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:21.419
 and you've just

00:13:21.419 --> 00:13:22.100
 been disobedient

00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:22.539
 to God,

00:13:22.639 --> 00:13:23.820
 and you've gone

00:13:23.820 --> 00:13:24.960
 into this desert place.

00:13:25.419 --> 00:13:26.120
 Maybe you've made

00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:27.440
 poor choices.

00:13:27.680 --> 00:13:29.960
 Maybe you're married

00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:32.300
 to your desert place.

00:13:33.580 --> 00:13:34.840
 But the passage today,

00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:36.039
 for me,

00:13:36.740 --> 00:13:37.480
 and I've only been

00:13:37.480 --> 00:13:38.159
 at this for about

00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:39.039
 38 years,

00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:39.339
 okay,

00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:39.740
 so I've been

00:13:39.740 --> 00:13:40.399
 on this Christian

00:13:40.399 --> 00:13:41.759
 journey for 38 years,

00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:43.339
 and it's scary to me

00:13:43.339 --> 00:13:44.179
 because every day

00:13:44.179 --> 00:13:45.319
 I learn something new

00:13:45.319 --> 00:13:47.379
 about God's grace.

00:13:48.439 --> 00:13:49.240
 Every day I learn

00:13:49.240 --> 00:13:49.639
 something new

00:13:49.639 --> 00:13:51.099
 about God's mercy.

00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:52.759
 Every day I learn

00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:53.299
 something new

00:13:53.299 --> 00:13:54.439
 about what God

00:13:54.439 --> 00:13:55.539
 is doing in my life,

00:13:55.579 --> 00:13:56.299
 and what he needs

00:13:56.299 --> 00:13:56.639
 to do,

00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:57.079
 and what I need

00:13:57.079 --> 00:13:58.000
 to give up to him.

00:13:59.099 --> 00:14:00.059
 But this passage

00:14:00.059 --> 00:14:01.099
 has three

00:14:01.099 --> 00:14:03.419
 seminal points

00:14:03.419 --> 00:14:04.319
 I want you to hear

00:14:04.319 --> 00:14:05.039
 really carefully.

00:14:05.719 --> 00:14:06.299
 Because if you don't

00:14:06.299 --> 00:14:06.719
 need them now,

00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:07.740
 you are going to need

00:14:07.740 --> 00:14:08.199
 them sometime

00:14:08.199 --> 00:14:08.740
 in your life.

00:14:09.059 --> 00:14:09.759
 And we're in the book

00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:10.219
 of Exodus,

00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:11.579
 and Exodus begins

00:14:11.579 --> 00:14:14.839
 at about 1500 B.C.

00:14:15.659 --> 00:14:16.719
 The people of God

00:14:16.719 --> 00:14:17.860
 have been in Egypt

00:14:17.860 --> 00:14:19.519
 for over 400 years.

00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:21.319
 I mean,

00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:22.379
 it ends in Genesis

00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:23.360
 when we're told

00:14:23.360 --> 00:14:24.259
 that Joseph brings

00:14:24.259 --> 00:14:25.019
 his whole family,

00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:26.099
 the people that God

00:14:26.099 --> 00:14:26.599
 has chosen,

00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:27.959
 and we get to this part

00:14:27.959 --> 00:14:28.659
 in Exodus

00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:29.579
 where we're told

00:14:29.579 --> 00:14:30.740
 that the king dies,

00:14:31.459 --> 00:14:32.339
 and things get

00:14:32.339 --> 00:14:33.000
 really bad.

00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:34.179
 They get so bad

00:14:34.179 --> 00:14:35.120
 that the people of God

00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:36.620
 start to cry out

00:14:36.620 --> 00:14:38.360
 and ask God,

00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:38.980
 where are you?

00:14:39.019 --> 00:14:39.500
 Where are you

00:14:39.500 --> 00:14:40.159
 in this despair?

00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:41.000
 Where are you

00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:41.940
 in these terrible times?

00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:43.539
 You can take that off.

00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:43.960
 That's great.

00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:45.539
 Where are you

00:14:45.539 --> 00:14:47.320
 in our lives?

00:14:48.519 --> 00:14:49.580
 And as I look at that

00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:50.200
 in my life,

00:14:50.279 --> 00:14:51.259
 there are three things

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:52.200
 that keep sticking out

00:14:52.200 --> 00:14:52.580
 to me.

00:14:53.460 --> 00:14:54.279
 The first thing

00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:55.460
 is the question,

00:14:55.940 --> 00:14:56.179
 what?

00:14:56.580 --> 00:14:57.220
 What I hope to do

00:14:57.220 --> 00:14:57.820
 is we're going to cover

00:14:57.820 --> 00:14:58.159
 what,

00:14:58.639 --> 00:14:58.940
 where,

00:14:59.460 --> 00:15:00.820
 and will.

00:15:01.480 --> 00:15:02.279
 Those three points.

00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:03.539
 And the first thing

00:15:03.539 --> 00:15:04.019
 that sticks out to me

00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:04.419
 in this passage

00:15:04.419 --> 00:15:05.559
 is the question,

00:15:06.120 --> 00:15:06.799
 what?

00:15:07.700 --> 00:15:08.600
 As we've gone

00:15:08.600 --> 00:15:09.419
 through this journey time,

00:15:09.480 --> 00:15:10.460
 as you look here

00:15:10.460 --> 00:15:11.259
 in this passage,

00:15:11.620 --> 00:15:12.440
 now it came about

00:15:12.440 --> 00:15:13.419
 in the course of many days

00:15:13.419 --> 00:15:14.120
 that the king of Egypt

00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:14.940
 died and the sons

00:15:14.940 --> 00:15:15.840
 of Israel sighed

00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:16.940
 because the bondage,

00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:18.899
 and they cried out

00:15:18.899 --> 00:15:19.440
 greatly.

00:15:19.659 --> 00:15:20.080
 They cried,

00:15:20.139 --> 00:15:21.039
 it says four times,

00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:21.620
 different ways.

00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:22.419
 They cried,

00:15:22.500 --> 00:15:23.179
 they cried for help.

00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:24.039
 They wailed

00:15:24.039 --> 00:15:25.120
 because their bondage

00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:25.919
 rose up to God

00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:26.700
 and it was really,

00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:27.299
 really bad.

00:15:27.620 --> 00:15:28.720
 So God heard

00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:29.340
 their groaning

00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:30.240
 and God remembered

00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:30.799
 his covenant

00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:31.559
 with Abraham,

00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:31.980
 Isaac,

00:15:31.980 --> 00:15:32.420
 and Jacob

00:15:32.420 --> 00:15:33.820
 and God saw them

00:15:33.820 --> 00:15:36.139
 and he felt compassion

00:15:36.139 --> 00:15:37.500
 on them.

00:15:37.580 --> 00:15:38.139
 The word is

00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:38.940
 he noticed them

00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:39.639
 but it's actually

00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:40.659
 he,

00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:43.259
 he has been noticing them.

00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:45.800
 But it's not just

00:15:45.800 --> 00:15:46.820
 he's woke up one day

00:15:46.820 --> 00:15:47.180
 and realized,

00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:47.340
 oh,

00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:47.980
 I have this promise.

00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:50.600
 But the scripture says

00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:51.899
 that he's been watching them

00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:53.480
 the whole time.

00:15:54.019 --> 00:15:54.700
 And the first thing

00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:55.379
 that I learn

00:15:55.379 --> 00:15:57.000
 about prayer

00:15:57.000 --> 00:15:59.639
 in the desert places,

00:15:59.779 --> 00:16:00.740
 in the difficult places,

00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:01.740
 in the desolate places,

00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:03.059
 is that often

00:16:03.059 --> 00:16:04.360
 God

00:16:04.360 --> 00:16:05.620
 is the one

00:16:05.620 --> 00:16:07.139
 who takes us

00:16:07.139 --> 00:16:07.840
 to these places.

00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:11.480
 God

00:16:11.480 --> 00:16:12.559
 is the one

00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:13.679
 who leads us.

00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:14.399
 God

00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:15.200
 is the one

00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:16.059
 who takes us.

00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:16.440
 God

00:16:16.440 --> 00:16:16.940
 is the one

00:16:16.940 --> 00:16:17.639
 who allows us.

00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:18.159
 God

00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:18.500
 is the one

00:16:18.500 --> 00:16:19.100
 who places us

00:16:19.100 --> 00:16:19.700
 in these places

00:16:19.700 --> 00:16:20.460
 and is through

00:16:20.460 --> 00:16:21.220
 throughout scripture.

00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:23.000
 He brings the people

00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:23.519
 of God

00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:24.799
 in Genesis

00:16:24.799 --> 00:16:25.419
 to Egypt.

00:16:26.379 --> 00:16:27.079
 He brought

00:16:27.079 --> 00:16:28.179
 Moses to the wilderness

00:16:28.179 --> 00:16:30.039
 and to the mountain.

00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:32.159
 He brings the people

00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:32.860
 in a little while

00:16:32.860 --> 00:16:33.879
 out into the wilderness

00:16:33.879 --> 00:16:34.659
 where they travel

00:16:34.659 --> 00:16:36.279
 for 40 years.

00:16:37.340 --> 00:16:38.179
 He brings

00:16:38.179 --> 00:16:39.039
 Jesus,

00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:40.860
 his son,

00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:43.019
 into the wilderness

00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:44.759
 for 40 days.

00:16:45.779 --> 00:16:46.639
 And in the wilderness

00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:47.960
 he does something

00:16:47.960 --> 00:16:48.480
 that he

00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:50.919
 changes them.

00:16:50.919 --> 00:16:53.959
 he changes

00:16:53.959 --> 00:16:54.860
 us.

00:16:56.240 --> 00:16:56.740
 I mean the Bible

00:16:56.740 --> 00:16:57.620
 tells us that God

00:16:57.620 --> 00:16:58.179
 is going to take

00:16:58.179 --> 00:16:59.259
 everyone he loves

00:16:59.259 --> 00:16:59.979
 into the wilderness.

00:17:00.979 --> 00:17:01.319
 Now I know

00:17:01.319 --> 00:17:02.179
 that's not sexy.

00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:04.279
 That's not the sexy gospel.

00:17:04.379 --> 00:17:05.119
 The sexy gospel says

00:17:05.119 --> 00:17:06.099
 well you become a Christian

00:17:06.099 --> 00:17:06.759
 and you get a Rolex

00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:07.740
 and everything is perfect

00:17:07.740 --> 00:17:09.399
 and you never have problems.

00:17:09.960 --> 00:17:10.599
 But the Bible

00:17:10.599 --> 00:17:11.619
 it doesn't

00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:12.460
 say that.

00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:12.779
 It says

00:17:12.779 --> 00:17:14.039
 that he loves us

00:17:14.039 --> 00:17:14.980
 so much

00:17:14.980 --> 00:17:15.839
 that he wants

00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:16.819
 to heal us

00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:17.720
 and the only way

00:17:17.720 --> 00:17:18.839
 that he can heal us

00:17:18.839 --> 00:17:19.879
 is by taking us

00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:21.060
 into these desert places

00:17:21.060 --> 00:17:22.260
 into the desolate places.

00:17:24.340 --> 00:17:25.380
 And what we see there

00:17:25.380 --> 00:17:26.460
 is when he takes us

00:17:26.460 --> 00:17:27.160
 into these places

00:17:27.160 --> 00:17:28.280
 he teaches us

00:17:28.280 --> 00:17:29.460
 two things.

00:17:29.760 --> 00:17:30.320
 The first thing

00:17:30.320 --> 00:17:30.780
 that he does

00:17:30.780 --> 00:17:31.480
 is he shows us

00:17:31.480 --> 00:17:32.680
 a lot about ourselves.

00:17:35.340 --> 00:17:36.200
 He shows us

00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:36.720
 our idols.

00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:40.440
 He shows us

00:17:40.440 --> 00:17:41.300
 our pride.

00:17:42.820 --> 00:17:43.640
 He shows us

00:17:43.640 --> 00:17:44.440
 our arrogance.

00:17:45.800 --> 00:17:46.740
 And he can only

00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:47.460
 show us

00:17:47.460 --> 00:17:49.279
 us these things

00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:51.799
 when everything

00:17:51.799 --> 00:17:52.640
 is stripped away

00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:54.539
 when things

00:17:54.539 --> 00:17:55.059
 are difficult.

00:17:56.819 --> 00:17:57.360
 I mean you look

00:17:57.360 --> 00:17:58.259
 at the passage here

00:17:58.259 --> 00:17:58.860
 and sometimes

00:17:58.860 --> 00:17:59.759
 we read through it

00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:00.299
 really quickly

00:18:00.299 --> 00:18:01.380
 but I think it is

00:18:01.380 --> 00:18:02.140
 an amazing passage.

00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:03.019
 Verse 1

00:18:03.019 --> 00:18:03.460
 look at that

00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:04.220
 really quickly here.

00:18:04.460 --> 00:18:05.039
 What does he say?

00:18:05.940 --> 00:18:06.500
 Now Moses

00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:07.559
 who is pasturing

00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:08.400
 the flock of Jethro

00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:09.200
 his father-in-law

00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:10.539
 the priest of Midian

00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:10.960
 and we're going to

00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:11.579
 stop right there.

00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:13.220
 Now if you were

00:18:13.220 --> 00:18:14.019
 a Hebrew person

00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:15.319
 and you read this passage

00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:15.860
 you would be

00:18:15.860 --> 00:18:16.480
 freaking out.

00:18:17.460 --> 00:18:18.700
 And if you were

00:18:18.700 --> 00:18:19.140
 an Egyptian

00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:20.039
 you would be

00:18:20.039 --> 00:18:20.720
 even more

00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.160
 concerned

00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:23.880
 and messed up

00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:25.519
 because you have

00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:25.980
 to realize

00:18:25.980 --> 00:18:26.900
 that it's Moses.

00:18:28.200 --> 00:18:29.180
 Now of all the people

00:18:29.180 --> 00:18:29.740
 in the scripture

00:18:29.740 --> 00:18:30.860
 besides Christ

00:18:30.860 --> 00:18:31.740
 he is the person

00:18:31.740 --> 00:18:32.460
 who probably

00:18:32.460 --> 00:18:33.059
 has the greatest

00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:33.460
 influence

00:18:33.460 --> 00:18:34.259
 in all of us.

00:18:36.319 --> 00:18:36.680
 Moses

00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:37.759
 who was

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.640
 raised

00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:39.559
 and educated

00:18:39.559 --> 00:18:40.779
 in the best

00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:41.740
 education system

00:18:41.740 --> 00:18:42.500
 in the world

00:18:42.500 --> 00:18:43.319
 at that time.

00:18:44.980 --> 00:18:45.340
 Moses

00:18:45.340 --> 00:18:46.559
 who hated

00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:47.340
 shepherds

00:18:47.339 --> 00:18:48.220
 when Joseph

00:18:48.220 --> 00:18:48.619
 came

00:18:48.619 --> 00:18:49.119
 and the Egyptians

00:18:49.119 --> 00:18:50.039
 hated shepherds

00:18:50.039 --> 00:18:50.259
 they said

00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:50.740
 don't even tell

00:18:50.740 --> 00:18:51.699
 Pharaoh

00:18:51.699 --> 00:18:52.279
 you're a shepherd

00:18:52.279 --> 00:18:52.899
 because

00:18:52.899 --> 00:18:55.359
 shepherds

00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:55.899
 are disgusting.

00:18:56.639 --> 00:18:57.099
 The Egyptians

00:18:57.099 --> 00:18:57.859
 used to shave

00:18:57.859 --> 00:18:58.500
 all the hair

00:18:58.500 --> 00:18:59.179
 off their body

00:18:59.179 --> 00:19:00.799
 and it was a daily

00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:01.799
 ritual of cleansing

00:19:01.799 --> 00:19:03.299
 and they realized

00:19:03.299 --> 00:19:03.799
 and they thought

00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:04.279
 that anybody

00:19:04.279 --> 00:19:04.740
 who dealt

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:05.379
 with animals

00:19:05.379 --> 00:19:06.000
 and livestock

00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:07.699
 especially shepherds

00:19:07.699 --> 00:19:08.439
 were defiled

00:19:08.439 --> 00:19:09.079
 and unclean.

00:19:10.919 --> 00:19:11.740
 Keep them away

00:19:11.740 --> 00:19:12.179
 from us.

00:19:13.679 --> 00:19:14.459
 But here we see

00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:14.960
 that Moses

00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:17.079
 is shepherding

00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:20.340
 the flock

00:19:20.340 --> 00:19:22.799
 of his father-in-law.

00:19:24.340 --> 00:19:24.860
 Moses

00:19:24.860 --> 00:19:26.579
 the prince of Egypt

00:19:26.579 --> 00:19:27.660
 who had

00:19:27.660 --> 00:19:29.180
 enormous amounts

00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:29.759
 of wealth.

00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:31.160
 He was one of the

00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:32.200
 most wealthy men

00:19:32.200 --> 00:19:32.960
 in his age

00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.000
 before he made

00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:34.519
 his exodus

00:19:34.519 --> 00:19:35.579
 into the wilderness.

00:19:37.299 --> 00:19:37.880
 And here

00:19:37.880 --> 00:19:38.779
 he doesn't even

00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:40.019
 have his own flock.

00:19:41.240 --> 00:19:42.100
 He doesn't have

00:19:42.100 --> 00:19:42.819
 anything to say

00:19:42.819 --> 00:19:43.619
 this is mine.

00:19:44.779 --> 00:19:45.179
 God

00:19:45.179 --> 00:19:46.259
 took all that

00:19:46.259 --> 00:19:47.139
 away from him

00:19:47.139 --> 00:19:49.000
 because he realized

00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:49.399
 that Moses

00:19:49.399 --> 00:19:50.019
 was clinging

00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:51.700
 to those things

00:19:51.700 --> 00:19:53.099
 more

00:19:53.099 --> 00:19:54.259
 than he was

00:19:54.259 --> 00:19:54.559
 clinging

00:19:54.559 --> 00:19:55.859
 to God.

00:19:56.700 --> 00:19:57.200
 We read

00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:57.740
 in the passage

00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:58.259
 that Moses

00:19:58.259 --> 00:19:59.200
 is a hired hand

00:19:59.200 --> 00:19:59.839
 and he basically

00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:00.500
 is subservient

00:20:00.500 --> 00:20:01.379
 to his father-in-law.

00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:02.879
 So we see

00:20:02.879 --> 00:20:03.460
 that God

00:20:03.460 --> 00:20:04.720
 took Moses

00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:05.899
 who for 40 years

00:20:05.899 --> 00:20:07.519
 was the best educated

00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:08.279
 the wealthiest

00:20:08.279 --> 00:20:09.119
 in the middle

00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:10.179
 of Pharaoh's court

00:20:10.180 --> 00:20:12.620
 and he took

00:20:12.620 --> 00:20:13.200
 him to this

00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:14.100
 desert place

00:20:14.100 --> 00:20:16.660
 for 40 years

00:20:16.660 --> 00:20:19.960
 to teach him

00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:22.779
 to teach him

00:20:22.779 --> 00:20:23.480
 about himself.

00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:26.960
 It took 40 years

00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:28.740
 to get Pharaoh's

00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:29.480
 court away from him.

00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:31.779
 I've thought about

00:20:31.779 --> 00:20:32.279
 this often

00:20:32.279 --> 00:20:32.840
 as I've gone

00:20:32.840 --> 00:20:33.400
 through the desert

00:20:33.400 --> 00:20:33.759
 times

00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:34.700
 and I wonder

00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:35.759
 how often

00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:36.380
 and how long

00:20:36.380 --> 00:20:36.980
 many of us

00:20:36.980 --> 00:20:37.799
 have been working

00:20:37.799 --> 00:20:39.419
 in Pharaoh's court

00:20:39.419 --> 00:20:40.879
 today.

00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:43.460
 And I wonder

00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:43.980
 if God

00:20:43.980 --> 00:20:44.539
 were really

00:20:44.539 --> 00:20:45.579
 to use us

00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:46.539
 and to use us

00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:47.539
 in mighty ways

00:20:47.539 --> 00:20:50.019
 how many times

00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:50.559
 would he have

00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:52.159
 to separate us

00:20:52.159 --> 00:20:54.539
 remove us

00:20:54.539 --> 00:20:56.779
 take us

00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:57.319
 to the desert

00:20:57.319 --> 00:20:57.879
 places

00:20:57.879 --> 00:21:00.079
 where all we can

00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:00.539
 do is

00:21:00.539 --> 00:21:02.599
 trust him

00:21:02.599 --> 00:21:05.480
 cling to him

00:21:05.480 --> 00:21:09.940
 be careful

00:21:09.940 --> 00:21:10.839
 how you pray

00:21:10.839 --> 00:21:11.720
 when you're

00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:12.180
 in the desert

00:21:12.180 --> 00:21:12.740
 times.

00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:16.039
 Often my prayers

00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:16.599
 are get me

00:21:16.599 --> 00:21:17.019
 out of here

00:21:17.019 --> 00:21:17.599
 right away.

00:21:19.120 --> 00:21:19.680
 This is

00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:20.120
 uncomfortable

00:21:20.120 --> 00:21:20.819
 this hurts

00:21:20.819 --> 00:21:21.259
 I need

00:21:21.259 --> 00:21:21.839
 relief

00:21:21.839 --> 00:21:22.380
 get me

00:21:22.380 --> 00:21:22.880
 out of here.

00:21:24.519 --> 00:21:25.279
 But what we see

00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:25.759
 in the scripture

00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:26.420
 is that God

00:21:26.420 --> 00:21:27.660
 has this amazing

00:21:27.660 --> 00:21:28.259
 thing that he

00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:28.839
 wants to do

00:21:28.839 --> 00:21:29.539
 to your story

00:21:29.539 --> 00:21:30.400
 he's weaving

00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:31.180
 your story

00:21:31.180 --> 00:21:32.599
 into his story

00:21:32.599 --> 00:21:34.140
 he's making

00:21:34.140 --> 00:21:35.099
 something wonderful

00:21:35.099 --> 00:21:36.240
 something amazing

00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:40.439
 sometimes the only

00:21:40.439 --> 00:21:40.939
 way he can do

00:21:40.939 --> 00:21:41.259
 that

00:21:41.259 --> 00:21:43.599
 is by taking

00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:43.939
 you into the

00:21:43.939 --> 00:21:44.199
 desert

00:21:44.199 --> 00:21:46.579
 and showing

00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:47.019
 your heart.

00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:51.279
 In the desert

00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:51.899
 we learn about

00:21:51.899 --> 00:21:52.219
 ourselves

00:21:52.219 --> 00:21:52.639
 but we learn

00:21:52.639 --> 00:21:53.299
 about God

00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:53.859
 I mean this

00:21:53.859 --> 00:21:54.699
 passage is all

00:21:54.699 --> 00:21:55.779
 about God

00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:56.259
 in the desolate

00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:56.599
 places

00:21:56.599 --> 00:21:57.399
 we learn in

00:21:57.399 --> 00:21:58.240
 verse 14

00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:59.259
 that he

00:21:59.259 --> 00:22:00.659
 is who he

00:22:00.659 --> 00:22:01.079
 is

00:22:01.079 --> 00:22:03.299
 that he's

00:22:03.299 --> 00:22:03.679
 holy

00:22:03.680 --> 00:22:04.620
 he's

00:22:04.620 --> 00:22:05.160
 separated

00:22:05.160 --> 00:22:07.160
 nothing

00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:07.740
 influences

00:22:07.740 --> 00:22:08.140
 him

00:22:08.140 --> 00:22:09.060
 he's

00:22:09.060 --> 00:22:09.380
 dependent

00:22:09.380 --> 00:22:09.720
 upon

00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:10.160
 nothing

00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:10.779
 he's

00:22:10.779 --> 00:22:11.620
 totally

00:22:11.620 --> 00:22:12.360
 other

00:22:12.360 --> 00:22:14.400
 we learn

00:22:14.400 --> 00:22:14.980
 in the passages

00:22:14.980 --> 00:22:15.920
 that he

00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:17.000
 is holy

00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:18.620
 it's the first

00:22:18.620 --> 00:22:19.200
 time that that's

00:22:19.200 --> 00:22:19.660
 ever used

00:22:19.660 --> 00:22:20.420
 in verse 5

00:22:20.420 --> 00:22:21.380
 in all of

00:22:21.380 --> 00:22:21.660
 scripture

00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:23.860
 but Moses

00:22:23.860 --> 00:22:24.580
 knows what it

00:22:24.580 --> 00:22:25.019
 means right

00:22:25.019 --> 00:22:25.340
 away

00:22:25.340 --> 00:22:26.920
 because he

00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:27.259
 doesn't even

00:22:27.259 --> 00:22:27.660
 want to look

00:22:27.660 --> 00:22:28.060
 at God

00:22:28.060 --> 00:22:28.519
 but he bows

00:22:28.519 --> 00:22:28.940
 his head

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:30.500
 and he drops

00:22:30.500 --> 00:22:31.080
 to his feet

00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:34.139
 we learn

00:22:34.139 --> 00:22:34.500
 that he's

00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:35.039
 the God

00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:36.179
 of your

00:22:36.179 --> 00:22:36.720
 fathers

00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:38.059
 the God

00:22:38.059 --> 00:22:38.599
 of Abraham

00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:39.500
 the God

00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:40.019
 of Isaac

00:22:40.019 --> 00:22:41.039
 the God

00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:41.519
 of Jacob

00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:42.859
 the God

00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:43.099
 of your

00:22:43.099 --> 00:22:43.399
 father

00:22:43.399 --> 00:22:44.720
 and what

00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:45.099
 he's saying

00:22:45.099 --> 00:22:45.460
 there is

00:22:45.460 --> 00:22:46.019
 I'm not

00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:46.399
 this God

00:22:46.399 --> 00:22:46.839
 that's way

00:22:46.839 --> 00:22:47.379
 out there

00:22:47.379 --> 00:22:49.659
 but I'm

00:22:49.659 --> 00:22:50.000
 a God

00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:50.439
 who's

00:22:50.439 --> 00:22:52.379
 right here

00:22:52.379 --> 00:22:54.619
 now the

00:22:54.619 --> 00:22:55.139
 people would

00:22:55.139 --> 00:22:55.599
 never have

00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:56.199
 understood that

00:22:56.199 --> 00:22:56.779
 because all

00:22:56.779 --> 00:22:57.199
 the time

00:22:57.199 --> 00:22:57.500
 they thought

00:22:57.500 --> 00:22:57.819
 that God

00:22:57.819 --> 00:22:58.220
 was out

00:22:58.220 --> 00:22:58.359
 there

00:22:58.359 --> 00:22:58.619
 God

00:22:58.619 --> 00:22:58.939
 was out

00:22:58.939 --> 00:22:59.039
 there

00:22:59.039 --> 00:22:59.419
 don't bring

00:22:59.419 --> 00:22:59.539
 him

00:22:59.539 --> 00:22:59.779
 close

00:22:59.779 --> 00:23:00.399
 if you bring

00:23:00.399 --> 00:23:00.519
 him

00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:00.740
 close

00:23:00.740 --> 00:23:00.880
 you're

00:23:00.880 --> 00:23:01.000
 going

00:23:01.000 --> 00:23:01.160
 to get

00:23:01.160 --> 00:23:01.559
 destroyed

00:23:01.559 --> 00:23:02.000
 don't

00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:02.180
 look

00:23:02.180 --> 00:23:02.420
 at him

00:23:02.420 --> 00:23:02.720
 or you're

00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:02.799
 going

00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:03.220
 to die

00:23:03.220 --> 00:23:03.759
 but what

00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:03.980
 God

00:23:03.980 --> 00:23:04.359
 is saying

00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:04.640
 here

00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:05.259
 is that

00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:05.440
 he's

00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:05.900
 knowable

00:23:05.900 --> 00:23:09.680
 and he's

00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:10.099
 personal

00:23:10.099 --> 00:23:13.019
 and he wants

00:23:13.019 --> 00:23:13.339
 to do

00:23:13.339 --> 00:23:14.200
 something amazing

00:23:14.200 --> 00:23:15.039
 in your life

00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:16.839
 and so when you

00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:18.059
 go into the

00:23:18.059 --> 00:23:18.700
 desert times

00:23:18.700 --> 00:23:19.579
 what I'm learning

00:23:19.579 --> 00:23:20.380
 is I don't

00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:21.180
 want to pray

00:23:21.180 --> 00:23:22.059
 I want to be

00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:22.720
 careful how I

00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:22.920
 pray

00:23:22.920 --> 00:23:23.620
 my heart

00:23:23.620 --> 00:23:24.180
 says pray

00:23:24.180 --> 00:23:24.680
 why

00:23:24.680 --> 00:23:25.140
 why

00:23:25.140 --> 00:23:26.000
 why is this

00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:26.660
 happening to me

00:23:26.660 --> 00:23:27.359
 why are you

00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:27.880
 allowing this

00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:28.259
 to happen

00:23:28.259 --> 00:23:29.099
 why is this

00:23:29.099 --> 00:23:29.900
 person so mean

00:23:29.900 --> 00:23:30.920
 why is these

00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:31.280
 things not

00:23:31.280 --> 00:23:31.740
 going the way

00:23:31.740 --> 00:23:32.019
 I want

00:23:32.019 --> 00:23:32.280
 them to

00:23:32.280 --> 00:23:32.500
 do

00:23:32.500 --> 00:23:33.120
 but what

00:23:33.120 --> 00:23:33.340
 I've

00:23:33.340 --> 00:23:33.759
 learned is

00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:34.019
 what I

00:23:34.019 --> 00:23:34.320
 should be

00:23:34.320 --> 00:23:34.860
 asking is

00:23:34.860 --> 00:23:35.240
 what

00:23:35.240 --> 00:23:39.080
 God what

00:23:39.080 --> 00:23:40.320
 what are you

00:23:40.320 --> 00:23:40.860
 trying to teach

00:23:40.860 --> 00:23:41.540
 me in this

00:23:41.540 --> 00:23:45.519
 God what are you

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.000
 trying to teach

00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:46.380
 me about

00:23:46.380 --> 00:23:47.380
 yourself

00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:51.680
 God what are you

00:23:51.680 --> 00:23:52.160
 trying to teach

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:52.640
 me about

00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:53.580
 me

00:23:53.579 --> 00:24:07.559
 what do you

00:24:07.559 --> 00:24:21.619
 what do you

00:24:21.619 --> 00:24:22.239
 want me to

00:24:22.239 --> 00:24:26.819
 what am I

00:24:26.819 --> 00:24:27.619
 supposed to do

00:24:27.619 --> 00:24:28.199
 with this

00:24:28.199 --> 00:24:32.059
 how am I

00:24:32.059 --> 00:24:32.579
 supposed to

00:24:32.579 --> 00:24:33.339
 glorify you

00:24:33.339 --> 00:24:36.019
 don't be so

00:24:36.019 --> 00:24:37.639
 quick in the

00:24:37.639 --> 00:24:38.119
 desert I'm

00:24:38.119 --> 00:24:38.679
 warning this

00:24:38.679 --> 00:24:40.399
 because we

00:24:40.399 --> 00:24:40.739
 don't want to

00:24:40.739 --> 00:24:41.359
 keep going into

00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:41.819
 the desert we

00:24:41.819 --> 00:24:42.279
 want to be in

00:24:42.279 --> 00:24:42.759
 the desert and

00:24:42.759 --> 00:24:43.579
 God teach us and

00:24:43.579 --> 00:24:44.019
 we say well I

00:24:44.019 --> 00:24:44.500
 learned that that's

00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:44.799
 great I don't

00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:45.219
 need to go back

00:24:45.219 --> 00:24:45.719
 there again

00:24:45.719 --> 00:24:48.079
 but don't be so

00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:48.719
 quick to say I

00:24:48.719 --> 00:24:49.179
 need to get out

00:24:49.180 --> 00:24:51.560
 of here because

00:24:51.560 --> 00:24:52.240
 God wants to

00:24:52.240 --> 00:24:52.740
 teach you an

00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:53.620
 incredible question

00:24:53.620 --> 00:24:54.480
 and I think that

00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:55.400
 question is what

00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:57.740
 not why

00:24:57.740 --> 00:25:00.720
 another thing that

00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:01.200
 I've been learning

00:25:01.200 --> 00:25:02.200
 in these desert

00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:03.160
 times in my 38

00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:04.240
 years is as I

00:25:04.240 --> 00:25:05.500
 listen to God and

00:25:05.500 --> 00:25:06.420
 I try to figure out

00:25:06.420 --> 00:25:07.460
 where is he working

00:25:07.460 --> 00:25:08.440
 here and I feel

00:25:08.440 --> 00:25:09.279
 very disappointed

00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:10.000
 sometimes when my

00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:10.860
 lines don't match

00:25:10.860 --> 00:25:12.500
 up and what I

00:25:12.500 --> 00:25:13.519
 realize is I'm

00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:14.360
 disappointed because

00:25:14.360 --> 00:25:15.519
 God is not writing

00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:16.539
 the story the way I

00:25:16.539 --> 00:25:17.100
 want it written

00:25:17.099 --> 00:25:20.519
 I mean in my

00:25:20.519 --> 00:25:21.259
 mind I had this

00:25:21.259 --> 00:25:22.399
 very specific idea

00:25:22.399 --> 00:25:23.480
 of how my life

00:25:23.480 --> 00:25:24.039
 is to be lived

00:25:24.039 --> 00:25:24.899
 what's going to

00:25:24.899 --> 00:25:25.740
 happen when is it

00:25:25.740 --> 00:25:26.579
 going to happen and

00:25:26.579 --> 00:25:27.339
 when that does not

00:25:27.339 --> 00:25:28.059
 happen I become

00:25:28.059 --> 00:25:30.980
 disappointed the

00:25:30.980 --> 00:25:31.699
 story isn't being

00:25:31.699 --> 00:25:32.559
 played out the way I

00:25:32.559 --> 00:25:34.939
 want it to be God

00:25:34.939 --> 00:25:38.439
 where are you don't

00:25:38.439 --> 00:25:43.539
 you even see me and

00:25:43.539 --> 00:25:44.819
 we see in verse 24

00:25:44.819 --> 00:25:47.159
 and 25 that he's

00:25:47.159 --> 00:25:48.240
 the God who hears

00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:52.099
 that he's the God

00:25:52.099 --> 00:25:52.919
 who is present

00:25:52.919 --> 00:25:54.839
 that he remembers

00:25:54.839 --> 00:25:56.480
 his covenant he

00:25:56.480 --> 00:25:57.079
 remembers his

00:25:57.079 --> 00:25:58.000
 relationship with his

00:25:58.000 --> 00:25:59.000
 people he remembers

00:25:59.000 --> 00:25:59.879
 his relationship with

00:25:59.879 --> 00:26:01.899
 you and I I mean

00:26:01.899 --> 00:26:02.519
 sometimes we just

00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:03.179
 think well I'm

00:26:03.179 --> 00:26:03.740
 married to God

00:26:03.740 --> 00:26:04.399
 that's what scripture

00:26:04.399 --> 00:26:05.539
 says but every once

00:26:05.539 --> 00:26:06.119
 in a while God just

00:26:06.119 --> 00:26:06.939
 forgets his ring or

00:26:06.939 --> 00:26:07.419
 he forgets to look

00:26:07.419 --> 00:26:08.099
 down on his hand

00:26:08.099 --> 00:26:09.079
 because life gets

00:26:09.079 --> 00:26:09.879
 really difficult and

00:26:09.879 --> 00:26:12.819
 really bad but the

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:13.519
 scripture says here

00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:14.619
 that God remembers

00:26:14.619 --> 00:26:16.660
 his covenant

00:26:16.660 --> 00:26:19.720
 that there's never a

00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:21.240
 time that he forgets

00:26:21.240 --> 00:26:23.359
 about you there's

00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:24.819
 never a time that he

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:25.660
 says oh yeah I forgot

00:26:25.660 --> 00:26:26.680
 all about Tobin yeah I

00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:27.339
 need to go back and see

00:26:27.339 --> 00:26:28.000
 how he's doing there

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:31.700
 but that he's always

00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:32.839
 involved he's always

00:26:32.839 --> 00:26:34.319
 working in verse 7

00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:35.279
 which I think is one of

00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:36.900
 my favorite verses it

00:26:36.900 --> 00:26:38.420
 says the Lord said I

00:26:38.420 --> 00:26:39.319
 have seen the affliction

00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:40.379
 of my people that are in

00:26:40.379 --> 00:26:41.799
 Egypt I have given

00:26:41.799 --> 00:26:43.379
 heed to their cry

00:26:43.379 --> 00:26:44.139
 because of the task

00:26:44.139 --> 00:26:45.579
 masters I'm aware of

00:26:45.579 --> 00:26:46.460
 their suffering so I

00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.419
 am going to come down

00:26:47.419 --> 00:26:48.440
 and the words you see

00:26:48.440 --> 00:26:49.139
 there is he's the God

00:26:49.139 --> 00:26:50.399
 who sees he's the God

00:26:50.399 --> 00:26:51.579
 who hears he's the God

00:26:51.579 --> 00:26:52.680
 who knows he's the God

00:26:52.680 --> 00:26:56.440
 who acts that in the

00:26:56.440 --> 00:26:57.099
 midst of the desert

00:26:57.099 --> 00:26:57.819
 time in the midst of

00:26:57.819 --> 00:26:58.539
 things when things

00:26:58.539 --> 00:26:59.359
 aren't working up in

00:26:59.359 --> 00:27:00.019
 the midst when I feel

00:27:00.019 --> 00:27:02.619
 the tension I come

00:27:02.619 --> 00:27:03.460
 back to this truth and

00:27:03.460 --> 00:27:05.379
 I realize that it's God

00:27:05.379 --> 00:27:07.700
 and he's there he sees

00:27:07.700 --> 00:27:10.220
 he knows he hears and

00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:14.400
 he acts and the

00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:15.480
 tension is with me

00:27:15.480 --> 00:27:17.480
 sometimes that he's

00:27:17.480 --> 00:27:18.539
 not doing it the way

00:27:18.539 --> 00:27:21.039
 that I want it done or

00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:21.759
 I feel like he's not

00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.839
 there maybe instead of

00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:25.740
 praying God why aren't

00:27:25.740 --> 00:27:27.180
 you here where are you

00:27:27.180 --> 00:27:27.940
 how come these things

00:27:27.940 --> 00:27:28.680
 are happening what's

00:27:28.680 --> 00:27:29.920
 going on here God I

00:27:29.920 --> 00:27:30.579
 just feel like you're

00:27:30.579 --> 00:27:32.279
 not with me here maybe

00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:34.779
 we should be asking God

00:27:34.779 --> 00:27:35.740
 where are you in this

00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:40.120
 he says really

00:27:40.120 --> 00:27:41.440
 specifically it's a very

00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:42.440
 special word in verse

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:43.700
 eight he says I have

00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:45.240
 come down to them in

00:27:45.240 --> 00:27:46.519
 Hebrew translated into

00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:47.460
 the Greek that word is

00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:50.720
 Advent it's the word we

00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.620
 get our Christmas Advent

00:27:51.620 --> 00:27:54.259
 from and what he's

00:27:54.259 --> 00:27:55.160
 telling the people of

00:27:55.160 --> 00:27:56.099
 God as they're on this

00:27:56.099 --> 00:27:57.000
 journey as things get

00:27:57.000 --> 00:27:58.859
 difficult that God is

00:27:58.859 --> 00:28:01.440
 making himself known in

00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:05.720
 your life right now in

00:28:05.720 --> 00:28:06.759
 Moses story it was a

00:28:06.759 --> 00:28:10.440
 burning bush there was a

00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:13.140
 bush burning and it was

00:28:13.140 --> 00:28:15.920
 the presence of God look

00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:16.700
 what he says here in

00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:19.059
 verse three the angel of

00:28:19.059 --> 00:28:20.100
 the Lord in verse two

00:28:20.100 --> 00:28:21.140
 appeared to him in a

00:28:21.140 --> 00:28:22.160
 blazing fire from the

00:28:22.160 --> 00:28:23.839
 midst of a bush and he

00:28:23.839 --> 00:28:24.660
 looked and beheld the

00:28:24.660 --> 00:28:25.579
 bush was burning yet the

00:28:25.579 --> 00:28:27.259
 fire yet the bush was not

00:28:27.259 --> 00:28:29.539
 consumed so Moses said I

00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:33.720
 must turn aside now all

00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:35.259
 throughout scripture we see

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:37.480
 that God is making himself

00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:40.440
 known all throughout

00:28:40.440 --> 00:28:41.680
 scripture we see that God

00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:43.180
 is entering into our lives

00:28:43.180 --> 00:28:44.839
 he says I'm in the bush he

00:28:44.839 --> 00:28:46.759
 says it I'm coming down and

00:28:46.759 --> 00:28:49.160
 the question is do we look

00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:54.220
 for him I think what I'm

00:28:54.220 --> 00:28:55.200
 learning in the journey is

00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:57.079
 instead of saying where are

00:28:57.079 --> 00:28:59.279
 you or why are you allowing me

00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:00.160
 to go through this the

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:02.460
 question I ask is God where

00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:05.899
 are you because your word

00:29:05.899 --> 00:29:06.759
 says that you're here

00:29:06.759 --> 00:29:09.859
 somewhere your word says

00:29:09.859 --> 00:29:11.259
 you're working in the midst

00:29:11.259 --> 00:29:15.059
 of me getting fired your

00:29:15.059 --> 00:29:17.160
 work says that you're here in

00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:18.839
 the midst of my family life out

00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:22.160
 of control your word says

00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:24.099
 you're here when I just got

00:29:24.099 --> 00:29:25.839
 this incredibly bad doctor's

00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:29.919
 report your word says you're

00:29:29.919 --> 00:29:31.939
 here when my best friend has

00:29:31.939 --> 00:29:39.179
 left me where are you what are

00:29:39.179 --> 00:29:40.259
 you what are you trying to show

00:29:40.259 --> 00:29:45.939
 me in this how am I supposed to

00:29:45.939 --> 00:29:49.740
 react to this make yourself

00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:51.679
 known to me help me help me to

00:29:51.680 --> 00:29:54.279
 see you more clearly in the

00:29:54.279 --> 00:29:56.860
 desert times we're going to be

00:29:56.860 --> 00:29:59.000
 tempted to say what the heck is

00:29:59.000 --> 00:30:00.160
 going on and where are you I

00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:01.660
 feel like I'm looking for you in

00:30:01.660 --> 00:30:03.900
 a crowd and I cannot find you

00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:07.340
 but this passage says that God is

00:30:07.340 --> 00:30:12.860
 right beside us and he wants a

00:30:12.860 --> 00:30:16.860
 relationship with us and the

00:30:16.860 --> 00:30:18.440
 question we should be asking is

00:30:18.440 --> 00:30:21.620
 where the Bible always says that

00:30:21.619 --> 00:30:23.519
 God comes into your life right

00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:27.619
 now he wants to do two things he

00:30:28.339 --> 00:30:31.619
 wants to save you from something

00:30:31.619 --> 00:30:36.259
 verse 8 says he wants to save us

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:39.099
 from Egypt he wants to save us save

00:30:39.099 --> 00:30:40.759
 us from slavery he wants to save us

00:30:40.759 --> 00:30:43.939
 from bondage and he wants to save

00:30:43.939 --> 00:30:49.159
 us to something verse 8 says he

00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:51.920
 wants to save us to a land flowing with

00:30:51.920 --> 00:30:54.940
 milk and honey he wants to save us to a

00:30:54.940 --> 00:30:58.160
 place where we will be safe and whole and

00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:03.980
 fixed one of the things I'm learning in

00:31:03.980 --> 00:31:08.380
 the desert places is that God's story

00:31:08.380 --> 00:31:15.480
 always ends in hope did you know that it's

00:31:15.480 --> 00:31:16.980
 very interesting I'm watching movies

00:31:16.980 --> 00:31:20.480
 nowadays and I went to the Hunger Games

00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:22.700
 with my wife I'm not recommending that if

00:31:22.700 --> 00:31:26.480
 you have kids don't take your kids it's

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:28.860
 one of the first movies I've seen lately

00:31:28.860 --> 00:31:31.680
 that has some kind of hope in it but it

00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:33.299
 really doesn't end in hope because you

00:31:33.299 --> 00:31:36.440
 know something bad is going to happen but

00:31:36.440 --> 00:31:41.440
 hope is a very specific Christian message I

00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:44.940
 mean my wife calls me a geek because I

00:31:44.940 --> 00:31:47.620
 like to read and I like to read ancient

00:31:47.620 --> 00:31:49.320
 stories and things like that in Greek

00:31:49.320 --> 00:31:51.120
 plays and things like that and what you

00:31:51.120 --> 00:31:53.660
 see about the Greeks are two things one

00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:56.620
 is they only have two types of stories they

00:31:56.620 --> 00:31:59.279
 have comedies and they have tragedies

00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:03.640
 comedies are fun and funny but they're not

00:32:03.640 --> 00:32:08.060
 real life tragedies are not fun but they

00:32:08.060 --> 00:32:12.840
 are real life and until Christ's time this

00:32:12.840 --> 00:32:18.500
 was how all stories were laid out and then

00:32:18.500 --> 00:32:22.000
 we have God who advents into our life and

00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:24.560
 for the first time in human history we see

00:32:24.560 --> 00:32:27.980
 this idea of hope and so the question I

00:32:27.980 --> 00:32:31.680
 want to ask ourselves is where where's the

00:32:31.680 --> 00:32:35.940
 hope God where are you in the midst of

00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:38.360
 this where are you working how can I see

00:32:38.360 --> 00:32:46.060
 you please let me see you what where and

00:32:46.060 --> 00:32:49.640
 will and for me this is the biggest

00:32:49.640 --> 00:32:51.700
 challenge for me as I walk with Christ

00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:55.799
 when I enter into the desert I come back

00:32:55.799 --> 00:32:58.560
 to verses 3 and 4 I want you to read them

00:32:58.559 --> 00:33:05.000
 with me really quickly so Moses said I must

00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:06.960
 turn aside now and see this marvelous

00:33:06.960 --> 00:33:09.879
 sight why the bush is not burned up then

00:33:09.879 --> 00:33:12.319
 the Lord saw that he turned aside to look

00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:15.240
 God called to him from the midst of the

00:33:15.240 --> 00:33:18.179
 bush and said Moses Moses and he said

00:33:18.179 --> 00:33:22.919
 here I am I think the question we have to

00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:26.880
 struggle with is the question will will we

00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:36.000
 turn aside will we meet with God will we

00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.900
 spend time with him because to be honest

00:33:37.900 --> 00:33:39.960
 with you sometimes in my day I'm so busy

00:33:39.960 --> 00:33:41.820
 even in the midst of the desolate times I

00:33:41.820 --> 00:33:43.080
 just don't have time to spend time with

00:33:43.080 --> 00:33:46.220
 God because I have so many things on my to-do

00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:53.600
 list but the message here in the desert is

00:33:53.600 --> 00:33:59.339
 really clear God turned and spoke to Moses

00:33:59.339 --> 00:34:03.799
 after Moses noticed him and moved towards

00:34:03.799 --> 00:34:06.900
 him there's a really strong cause and

00:34:06.900 --> 00:34:10.260
 effect thing happening here you see that

00:34:10.260 --> 00:34:13.220
 God spoke to him after he saw Moses turn to

00:34:13.220 --> 00:34:15.019
 him and in this passage there's two groups

00:34:15.019 --> 00:34:17.739
 of people there's the people in captivity

00:34:17.739 --> 00:34:20.739
 they're crying out to God in Hebrew it

00:34:20.739 --> 00:34:22.400
 says they're they're praying they're

00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:24.800
 God why aren't you here what is going on

00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:30.280
 for 400 years and they have Moses it's

00:34:30.280 --> 00:34:31.739
 interesting because Moses isn't crying out

00:34:31.739 --> 00:34:34.739
 for God I mean they're both working in the

00:34:34.739 --> 00:34:38.239
 desert the people are in the desert and

00:34:38.239 --> 00:34:40.659
 they're desolate in captivity Moses is in a

00:34:40.659 --> 00:34:42.440
 desert and he's desolate in captivity the

00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:44.280
 only difference is that Moses doesn't know

00:34:44.280 --> 00:34:53.740
 it and God comes to Moses and he shows

00:34:53.740 --> 00:34:57.260
 himself to Moses in a desolate place and

00:34:57.260 --> 00:35:00.200
 Moses makes a choice and he turns to him

00:35:00.200 --> 00:35:04.200
 and spends time with him one of the

00:35:04.200 --> 00:35:06.280
 biggest lessons I continue to learn after

00:35:06.280 --> 00:35:09.820
 38 years in the deserts is that I have a

00:35:09.820 --> 00:35:13.100
 choice the choice is will I look for God

00:35:13.100 --> 00:35:17.180
 where he is and when I see him there will I

00:35:17.180 --> 00:35:20.140
 turn to him and spend time with him will I

00:35:20.140 --> 00:35:22.039
 pray to him will I spend time in his word

00:35:22.039 --> 00:35:24.340
 will I come back to community will I be

00:35:24.340 --> 00:35:27.420
 involved in what God is doing there's a

00:35:27.420 --> 00:35:32.960
 choice as we journey with Christ in the

00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:36.639
 midst of this life our stories are being woven

00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:41.639
 together with him he wants to change us and

00:35:41.639 --> 00:35:45.440
 make us more like his son in the midst of this

00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:50.079
 he's trying to show us why he's trying to show us

00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:56.940
 where but the question is will will we spend time with

00:35:56.940 --> 00:36:07.440
 him will we come to him will we allow him to change us I

00:36:07.440 --> 00:36:10.900
 don't know what's happening in your story today I don't know

00:36:10.900 --> 00:36:14.220
 where you are I think some of us think of prayer as something

00:36:14.220 --> 00:36:17.639
 that we just do in a vacuum or we do when it's difficult but

00:36:17.639 --> 00:36:20.599
 the passage says that prayer is something that we do all the

00:36:20.599 --> 00:36:24.440
 time because God is with us all the time that God is personal he

00:36:24.440 --> 00:36:28.079
 wants to be in a relationship with us he wants to be with us in the good times

00:36:28.079 --> 00:36:32.740
 and he wants to be with us in the difficult times he wants to start a

00:36:32.740 --> 00:36:39.720
 relationship with us and the question today is will we will we allow him to

00:36:39.720 --> 00:36:46.400
 have that time with us will we turn to him when things are difficult will we

00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:53.260
 trust him will we allow him to change us in the difficult times

00:36:53.260 --> 00:37:01.900
 where are you on your journey my prayer is is you don't need these

00:37:01.900 --> 00:37:08.900
 points right now but I know that someday you will and my hope is is you will come

00:37:08.900 --> 00:37:14.960
 back to them and allow God to change you father we just thank you for this day we

00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:19.860
 thank you for your goodness in our life we thank you for your mercy we thank you

00:37:19.860 --> 00:37:26.220
 that you desire to take us to a new place a place flowing with milk and honey

00:37:26.220 --> 00:37:31.760
 father we thank you that even in the midst of the chaos which is our life in our

00:37:31.760 --> 00:37:37.660
 world that you're speaking to us you're speaking to us in burning bushes

00:37:37.660 --> 00:37:43.880
 you're speaking to us in sunrises you're speaking to us in worship songs

00:37:43.880 --> 00:37:48.940
 you're speaking to us through friends you're speaking to us through relatives

00:37:48.940 --> 00:37:59.420
 but I just pray as you speak to us that we will turn aside to you that we will spend time

00:37:59.420 --> 00:38:06.480
 with you we will allow you to take us to these places that only there you can change us and

00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:15.019
 make us the type of people you want us to be only there can you heal us and strip away the things

00:38:15.019 --> 00:38:26.280
 that cling to us and drag us down only there can you show us who you really are that you are the God

00:38:26.280 --> 00:38:33.420
 who's noble that you are the God who desires to have a relationship with us that you are the God

00:38:33.420 --> 00:38:41.920
 who's holy and just that you are the God who withheld nothing to bring us back to you

00:38:41.920 --> 00:38:49.760
 that in a poker game you were all in and you laid it all there to win us back

00:38:49.760 --> 00:39:00.480
 father we just thank you for this day and for your word may we be people that worship you

00:39:00.480 --> 00:39:08.980
 that love you that trust you and we pray these things your son jesus name amen

00:39:08.980 --> 00:39:17.260
 amen i'm gonna ask you to sit down just for one minute i remember more and more than that

00:39:17.260 --> 00:39:25.240
 and i'm gonna ask uh josh and trish to come up here and so uh we're uh and my wife

00:39:25.239 --> 00:39:32.639
 and uh so you know when we started the the church uh i shared this at a staff gathering last night

00:39:32.639 --> 00:39:39.259
 uh josh and trish this is their last sunday here for a while so he's being called back uh by his

00:39:39.259 --> 00:39:47.079
 mission agency to the states and then to the philippines and so we have been so uh blessed to have

00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:54.619
 them steal them for this year and a half two years and so when we started the church i had a couple

00:39:54.619 --> 00:40:01.099
 prayer requests i actually had three miracles i wanted from god because i we were still like

00:40:01.099 --> 00:40:05.679
 god we feel like we want you need to do this but i need these things from you or i just can't do it

00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:13.079
 and so my first uh miracle that i prayed for was someone who could come up and preach besides myself

00:40:13.079 --> 00:40:18.539
 because i know that you get tired of just hearing me all the time and the goal wasn't just to have one

00:40:18.539 --> 00:40:23.380
 pastor or someone sharing god's word because we want to multiply and plant other churches

00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:30.539
 and so one day i met with josh at a greasy spoon place that no longer exists and he says trish and

00:40:30.539 --> 00:40:37.039
 i have asked our mission agency whether we can join you and we we are going to join you and so for me

00:40:37.039 --> 00:40:44.179
 that was the first miracle that god gave me personally and us as a church to move forward and to plant this

00:40:44.179 --> 00:40:51.460
 church and so uh you guys we're going to incredibly uh miss you massively miss you as we say in the

00:40:51.460 --> 00:40:59.699
 office and uh and so uh i'm going to pray for you but i wanted to uh give you uh this plaque so this is

00:40:59.699 --> 00:41:06.319
 i think this is the first one of this type so we'll we'll so it's uh and i need to put some white behind

00:41:06.319 --> 00:41:14.159
 it so i can read it um it says uh founding members joshua and patricia hammond found

00:41:14.159 --> 00:41:20.819
 members of watermark community church so that's the first founding member one we've ever done so you

00:41:20.819 --> 00:41:27.879
 guys are uh thank you for your partnership to watermark community church in hong kong spreading

00:41:27.879 --> 00:41:34.379
 the gospel of the lord jesus christ your faithfulness commitment and sacrifice have resulted in countless

00:41:34.379 --> 00:41:39.779
 people being influenced for our savior we love you so we want to

00:41:39.780 --> 00:41:51.280
 so we want to uh give you that and i'm going to ask the elders uh the two elders we we brought on

00:41:51.280 --> 00:41:57.140
 elders last week and so we had a huge week last week so again you're going to want to pick up one

00:41:57.140 --> 00:42:04.280
 of these and we're going to just lay our hands on you guys and commission you and uh and pray for you

00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:09.600
 and just pray for safe travels and safe return in what god's doing in your life so let me

00:42:09.600 --> 00:42:15.880
 if you guys would join us father guys thank you for uh the hammond family thank you just you brought

00:42:15.880 --> 00:42:23.019
 them here for this uh amazing special time and so uh we have been incredibly blessed by their them as a

00:42:23.019 --> 00:42:28.500
 couple and as a family and with their kiddos and just to continue watching them grow with two boys and a

00:42:28.500 --> 00:42:35.860
 girl on the way uh and many more to come uh we just thank you for bringing them to us and what a

00:42:35.860 --> 00:42:42.599
 blessing it is we we part uh in sadness but we know that you are sending them to great things as they

00:42:42.599 --> 00:42:49.800
 go out to equip and train uh pastors and planters in the philippines and beyond and so we just we pray

00:42:49.800 --> 00:42:55.820
 that you would watch over them guard them keep them safe and uh father we we love you and thank you for

00:42:55.820 --> 00:43:02.480
 these amazing gifts you've given us and we pray all these things in your son jesus name amen thanks guys

00:43:02.480 --> 00:43:09.680
 and they'll be around out back or out in the front so you can grab some time with them

00:43:09.680 --> 00:43:19.360
 and uh please uh just yeah they they're our first miracle so let's yeah also uh let me just really

00:43:19.360 --> 00:43:24.960
 quickly just two things i want to share up here really quickly the first one is this in your bulletin

00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:31.639
 the very first uh thing right there there's going to be a woman's of watermark gathering it's a panel

00:43:31.639 --> 00:43:37.300
 discussion it's this wednesday from 9 30 to 11 30 they're going to have women at all life stages

00:43:37.300 --> 00:43:45.320
 single with kids with kids who are causing trouble and with kids who've gone and they're probably still

00:43:45.320 --> 00:43:50.900
 causing financial trouble to dads and things like that so that will be this wednesday from 9 30 to 11 30

00:43:50.900 --> 00:43:57.780
 want to highly encourage you women guys you can't go there but send your wife uh want to highly

00:43:57.780 --> 00:44:03.079
 encourage you to go to the community center from 9 30 to 11 30 for that time of fellowship also right

00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:08.740
 after this class right after this service we're going to have a baptism class and so if you haven't

00:44:08.740 --> 00:44:14.240
 signed up for the baptism class it's not too late to do that and so please come and see me

00:44:14.239 --> 00:44:20.919
 or franklin who'll be leading it and so we want we're going to do a big baptism celebration on may

00:44:20.919 --> 00:44:27.039
 6th so we're going to bring out that sylvia and millen are laughing at me back there uh so we'll

00:44:27.039 --> 00:44:33.000
 bring out our big uh kiddie pool out back we spared no expense in how we do baptism but if he uh

00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:39.559
 scripture says it as a follower of christ the first act of obedience is to be baptized and so if you are

00:44:39.559 --> 00:44:45.659
 a christ follower you've invited christ into your life and you haven't been baptized and you are part

00:44:45.659 --> 00:44:52.320
 of this church we want you to be a part of this because this is a family event and a family gathering

00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:59.840
 and also on tuesday nights at 7 30 the love and respect marriage group is gathering we've only done

00:44:59.840 --> 00:45:06.019
 one session so there's time for you to gather there were 20 or 19 couples last tuesday it was an amazing

00:45:06.019 --> 00:45:12.559
 amazing thing so husbands be a good husband and invite your wife on a date night for the next five

00:45:12.559 --> 00:45:21.280
 tuesday nights wife be a good wife and say yes husband i'll go with you okay uh and with that let

00:45:21.280 --> 00:45:27.059
 me just pray for us father we just thank you for your goodness in our life we thank you that um

00:45:27.059 --> 00:45:36.000
 we thank you that your story is being written all around us it's being written in captivity

00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:40.980
 it's being written in bondage it's being written through burning bushes it's being written through

00:45:40.980 --> 00:45:47.659
 people crying out it's being written through people being faithful and everywhere you're speaking to us

00:45:47.659 --> 00:45:54.500
 you're here and you've called us into a relationship into a covenant with you and where we just pray as

00:45:54.500 --> 00:46:00.579
 we come before you as your people that we would realize just how amazing that privilege is

00:46:00.579 --> 00:46:06.319
 that we'd realize in a desert and difficult times that it's not why but it's what you're trying to

00:46:06.319 --> 00:46:11.380
 teach us and do in us and it's not why aren't you here but it's where are you because you've said that

00:46:11.380 --> 00:46:16.940
 you're always there that you are the god who sees you are the god who hears you're the god who knows

00:46:16.940 --> 00:46:23.480
 you're the god who acts so maybe we cry out where lord where are you help us to see the burning bush

00:46:23.480 --> 00:46:31.340
 help us to see your hand help us to meet you where you're meeting and lord is the will will we turn

00:46:31.340 --> 00:46:38.800
 aside and i pray as a church that we would always turn aside to meet you i pray as families that we

00:46:38.800 --> 00:46:45.179
 would always turn aside to meet you i pray as singles we'd always turn aside to meet you because

00:46:45.179 --> 00:46:54.739
 you want to talk to us moment by moment and so we come and we worship you and we praise you and we

00:46:54.739 --> 00:47:01.859
 love you we pray all these things your son jesus name amen god bless you and have a great week