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What It Takes To Build God's House | Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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  If you have your Bibles this morning and I hope you do meet
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  me in the Old Testament. Book of the book of 1st
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  Chronicles in chapter 22. We're going to take a break from
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  our study in the book of 2nd Timothy and address a very
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  important matter, that is relevant to our situation here
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  today is the first gathering on the Lord's day as Maranatha,
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  Bible Church. And it wasn't something that we
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  had planned, but we believe that God had saw this in advance, he
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  planned it in advance and he providentially executed whatever
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  was needed for us to be exactly where we are today.
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  And as you can imagine throughout the week, there have
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  been many thoughts and ideas of what should be said from this
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  Pulpit on this specific morning. But there is one dominant thing
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  that replaced everything else and that is this to allow the
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  word of God to turn our Attention to what's ahead.
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  It's not get entangled. What happened in the past, it's
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  as simple as that and as a community of people who love
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  God's word, I believe you're here because you love God's
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  word, you honor the Scriptures. It is the supreme authority of
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  your life. We have been given an amazing
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  opportunity to build a Ministry from the ground up.
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  And although, that is a very exciting thing.
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  It is also a very crucial window of time because we are laying a
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  foundation and that foundation will determine the future of
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  this ministry. And I want to let you know this
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  morning that a foundation of a Ministry is far greater than who
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  is elected to be in the board of directors, or what kind of name
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  you have or whether or not the government recognized you as an
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  entity. Every single one of us has a
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  role to play. Because Peter says, we are all
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  living stones being built up together as a spiritual house.
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  Every person here is a piece in the puzzle to make this house
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  the way God intended to be, but it requires us to honor God's
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  principles. And when you hear the word, the
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  phrase of the label the Temple of the Holy Spirit, we often
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  limit that and apply it individually.
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  I am a temple of the Holy Spirit, you are a temple of the
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  Holy Spirit. That's not wrong.
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  Paul tells us that he tells us that our bodies are the Temple
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  of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it requires a
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  protection to preserve the purity of the Sacred thing that
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  host. The presence of God.
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  But Paul also says that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit
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  Ephesians 2. 22 tells us that in him, we are being built together
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  as a dwelling place for God by the spirit.
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  So that means that if in Christ, I am recognized as the Temple of
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  the holy spirit that demands more than just individual
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  responsibility, there is a corporate call in that identity.
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  And every single one of us here has a role to play in order to
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  ensure that the holy spirit of God would dwell in this place
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  and radiates the glory of Jesus Christ.
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  With that being said, our aim today is to do one thing.
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  It's to draw insights from the Old Testament, with New
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  Testament eyes, to see how they built the temple of God, in
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  which he dwelt in at one point and see how it applies to us.
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  So that we may lay the right foundation for Maranatha bible
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  church. Today, I want to speak to you
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  about three vital principles. To building God's house.
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  Pray with me. Lord your word says that we are
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  the Temple of the Holy Spirit. We realize the seriousness of
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  such an identity, the responsibility, and even the
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  honor, we ask, Lord of that in this place, not one, heart would
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  be close to these instructions. What we pray for the empowerment
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  of the Holy Spirit to deliver this word, that man would
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  disappear, but that the voice of Christ would be recognized.
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  We pray O Lord that your power. We destroy all lies, all doubts,
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  all unbelief, and that you would redeem onto yourself
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  faithfulness from your people. And so Lord, in this moment,
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  would you cancel every assignment of the enemy?
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  Would you shelter us from all distraction?
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  And would you allow us to hear your voice at is?
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  That is being delivered through your word through a broken
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  vessel. We ask these things in Jesus
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  name. Amen.
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  Now, if you remember there was a structure in the Old Testament
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  that God had instructed, the people of Israel to build, and
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  it was called The Tabernacle, it was this tent and this tent
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  would travel with the nation. That was delivered from Egypt
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  and they would go along through the wilderness.
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  And enter into the Promise Land, so that they would have a place
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  to worship. God, they would have a place
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  where God could cover their sin and that God would have a place
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  where he can do well in close proximity with his people.
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  Because that is the heart of God, he long should dwell with,
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  man? And this Tabernacle has been
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  given Specific Instructions, which is very, very, very
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  interesting. You've probably read through
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  Exodus, you probably read through numbers.
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  In fact, if you look at the totality in the scripture of how
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  much is mentioned concerned, the Tabernacle there is around 50
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  chapters And thinking about that tells us that God is very
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  specific with his needs and his desires.
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  And if he was specific with his desires, with that old
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  structure, that would reflect his glory and Hostess presents.
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  How much more is he specific with his new structure you and
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  me being built together as the temple of God.
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  This Tabernacle came into the promised land, it was situated
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  in a town called Shiloh. But after a while, when Israel's
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  monarchy started and the second king in line, David was in rain,
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  we learned that there was something disturbing him in the
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  soul. There is this holy agitation
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  concerning the house of God? And the thing that kept him up
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  at night, was that he lived in a palace made of cedar while God
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  dwelt in a tent. And this concerned him.
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  How is it that God Almighty, who chose to make his Abode on Earth
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  Here among his people is not dwelling in some place that
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  reflects his majesty and his Splendor.
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  How is it that when people look at where God dwells compared to
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  where a human King dwells, they see more excellence in this
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  house rather than in God's house.
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  So David determined within himself, that he would build a
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  new place, a new house for God. That there would be a place that
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  would reflect his Divine Beauty in his Divine glory.
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  And so at that point, he was consumed with this passion, I
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  must build God a house And it was at a specific time while he
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  was King that we receive a discovery from David of exactly
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  where geographically God's house would be built.
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  And it's in first Chronicles 22 verse 1.
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  We read then David said here shall be the house of the Lord
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  God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.
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  What happened prior to this? Well Davidson greatly and it
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  wasn't with Bathsheba, he created a census and we won't
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  get into why that was a sin. He numbered his people who could
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  go to war. God, judges him disciplines him
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  and sends a plague on the nation since he was a leader, leading
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  his people into sin. But God in his discipline wants
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  to give away out into his mercy. And so he gives an instruction
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  through a prophet to David. If you want this plague to cease
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  then you must make a sacrifice on a specific threshing.
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  Field owned by a man named ornan the jebusite.
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  So David makes his way there. He walks to this obscure
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  individual and he says, I need your land.
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  The man is moved that the fact that the king is coming to him
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  for such a request. And so he doesn't even hesitate
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  to say, well it's yours just take it for free.
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  David says, no, I want a full price He builds an altar, he
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  makes a sacrifice fire falls from heaven to show God's
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  approval for this sacrifice and it is at that time David steps
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  back he looks and the Revelation comes to him.
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  This is where God's house has to be built.
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  It's amazing to know that the Bible tells us exactly where
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  that field was located bear with me.
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  Go to Second Chronicles chapter 3 and look at verse 1.
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  Then Solomon and second chronicles. 31.
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  Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem.
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  Did you see it? We're on Mount Moriah. on Mount
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  Moriah where the Lord had appeared to David, his father at
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  the place that David had appointed on the threshing floor
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  of ornan the jebusite, Now, this is why Mount Moriah is so
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  interesting because it is only mentioned twice by name in the
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  entire scriptures and second chronicles 31 here and where's
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  the other place? With Abraham and Isaac in
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  Genesis 22, verse 2, when Abraham was awakened by this
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  strange call by God, go to the land of Moriah and there you
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  shall sacrifice your son. And so the only two places where
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  Mount Moriah is mentioned, Is linked to the theme and the
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  application of what sacrifice. Abraham was called to sacrifice
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  to give up his most prized possession, the long-awaited
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  promise. And though he drank from the
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  goodness of God, for a short period and relish in the fact
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  that he has now from his old body, a an offspring God says,
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  give him up. And David fast forward, hundreds
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  of years comes to the same area. To make a sacrifice.
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  And when on and says I'll give it to you for free.
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  Let me read to you what David said in response and First
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  Chronicles, 21 24. But King David said to ornan no,
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  but I will buy them for the full price.
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  I will not take for the Lord. What is yours?
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  Nor burnt offerings. That cost me nothing.
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  It's up there. Good.
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  What was David saying? I'm not interested in worshiping
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  God in the cheapest way possible.
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  If it doesn't cost me anything, it's not worth anything.
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  Here's the first principle for building God's house.
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  Nothing will truly host. The glory of God apart from a
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  collective attitude of people who are willing to give and
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  sacrifice, God's house must be built upon a people who are
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  convinced to being selfless. The same way.
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  God's house was built upon a land that symbolized sacrifice.
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  That's the foundation. And that's what we saw in this
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  past week. How is it that you can see a
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  Ministry being recognized by the government?
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  How is it that? When we were homeless for a
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  brief moment, we received the home in the same night.
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  And have all our meetings the same way they were before.
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  How is it that we can live stream our services in a place
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  that doesn't have internet in less than a week?
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  How is it that people were able to be picked up who don't have a
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  car to get to the services? How is it that there are those
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  who move things from one place to another?
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  How is it that people were willing to make food for busy
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  leaders who are trying to get things done in the background?
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  How is it? Because there are people who are
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  willing to sacrifice. And not just in the family of
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  faith that you're familiar with. But even this church, this place
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  that is hosting us. It was their sacrifice.
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  That said come be here. You are God's people.
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  You are our brethren. We want to help you and without
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  hesitation saying you are among us, we worship the same Christ.
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  See, when you have a people who are willing to sacrifice
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  Miracles can happen. Supernatural.
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  Things can occur. Things that we never thought
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  could be accomplished could be accomplished.
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  This principle of unity in one minded and one hardness is so
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  profound that it can even be utilized among the wicked.
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  That's why when God saw the Tower of Babel being built, he
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  says this is trouble. They're unified, they're set on
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  accomplishing something, and we got to get down there and
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  confuse them. And that's why we have to
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  understand that. If we are willing to see this
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  place, continue to grow with God's glory.
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  Each of us in this place who calls this ministry home.
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  Must say, whatever you ask of me.
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  God, I will do Just tell me and I'll do it.
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  Let me fill in the Gap. And I will do my best by the
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  grace of God. Notice David said something else
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  to orn and he says, I will not take for the Lord.
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  What is yours? Unfortunately, there are many
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  Christians who have a different standard of worship than David
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  does here. In some cases, you have members
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  of churches who just ride on the labor of others without making
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  any investment on their own and those are people who usually
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  complain the most. They make no contribution, they
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  come to receive receive receive and when it's not to their exact
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  taste, or when they want to see the menu change, they begin to
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  complain. Well, join the club and do
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  something. and our other members who, Are not willing to serve
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  unless they occupy a certain position to their liking.
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  They have their eye on a particular place with a specific
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  title and they say unless I have that I will not serve at all.
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  And then there are others who won't serve, unless they receive
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  the recognition that they desire because all of the serving is a
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  facade to feed selfish ambition. And so, if I'm not getting
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  Praise of not, if I'm not being thanked if I'm not getting paid,
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  And this place is not worthy of My Sacrifice.
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  I read something humorous, a long time ago, and I thought to
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  myself, when will I ever be able to share this?
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  And it's a sarcastic comment that somebody made about their
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  Church. They said no one appreciates my
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  steadfastness loyalty. And long-suffering.
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  So I'm leaving. Some of you will get that on the
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  way home. Very loyal of you.
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  Very long suffering of you. Sacrificial attitude that might
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  cost you something will contribute to the building of
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  God's house. And I want to prove to you how
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  the opposite attitude is detrimental to the advancement
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  of the gospel, and the health of a local church.
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  I want to show you how when people are consumed with
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  anything else, except a willingness to lay down your
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  life, your comfort, your desire, your pleasures, even This is not
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  the first time that Israel had a project to build God's house
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  after many years. Many generations, they sinned
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  against God continually, he warns them Prophet after prophet
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  and even says, if you go this way, my house will be in Ruins.
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  Sure enough God kept his word, they send one generation was
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  exiled into Babylon. The place that Solomon built was
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  destroyed. But after a certain amount of
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  time a new generation re-enters into the promised land, and they
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  begin to with excitement and adrenaline build God's house
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  again, And something happens. Outside.
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  Hostility comes because whenever you build God's house, Satan
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  won't do it. He won't allow you to do it
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  without frustration and intimidation and persecution
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  even at the foundational level. Be careful.
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  So, the enemy recognizes that they're building God's housing
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  and they start sending reports. They start slandering they even
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  go back to the leader. That let them out into the
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  Promise Land again and the project comes to a halt And then
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  they waited and then they waited.
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  And then they waited and a long period of time goes by, where
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  the house of God was placed on pause then God speaks through a
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  prophet named haggai and I want you to hear this, you don't have
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  to turn there, haggai chapter 1, verse 2.
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  Thus says the Lord of hosts, these people say, the time has
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  not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.
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  Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of haggai.
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  The Prophet, is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your
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  paneled houses while this house lies in Ruins?
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  So, this halt became an excuse. They were willing to fight for
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  God's house, they thought themselves, you know what, maybe
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  we're not supposed to do this and they turned their focus and
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  their energy and their efforts to their personal homes.
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  Making it more luxurious and spacious and glamorous is God
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  against nice homes. Know the issue here is about
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  priorities He says you're willing to continue in your
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  life. You're willing to be so consumed
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  with your own Empire and your own little kingdom while my
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  house lies in Ruins. She was an attitude problem, it
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  was a priority issue. And God's house could not
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  continue because the people's hearts were consumed with
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  something else more than his glory more than the gospel more
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  than the Great Commission. And I will tell you this, that
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  if we allow ourselves to be lullaby, I'd by The American
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  Dream by our own personal plans. More than the kingdom of God, we
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  won't go very far as a church. Well maybe just ride it along
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  and come from meeting to meeting once in a while, have a potluck
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  but that's not what church is. We want to see, Souls getting
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  saved. We want to see people
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  transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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  We want to live this life for eternity but it's going to
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  require sacrifice. It's going to require sacrifice,
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  you know I've heard from missionaries and missionary kids
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  that when they come from the field back to America, they lose
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  the fire when they get here. They lose the fire and they wish
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  they can go back where they have to hide to have church where
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  they were threatened, to be killed for singing and reading
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  the Bible. Prosperity has hurt the church
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  more than persecution ever has. But I want to tell you today,
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  that the foundation must be an attitude of sacrifice because
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  that's where God's house was built on Mount Moriah.
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  Where an altar was planted to show God.
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  Whatever you ask of me, I will give it, but that's not the only
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  thing. Because David, although he made
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  an instrumental move by saying, I will not give to God that
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  which cost me nothing. Realize that there is another
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  standard that God has in order for his house to be built.
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  And this one must have hurt David but he received it because
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  he received it from God. This man was willing to
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  sacrifice. There is no doubt but
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  unfortunately he had a reputation.
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  He possessed a reputation that eliminated him as a direct
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  builder for the temple. It was so serious in God's eyes
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  that although David even in one of the Psalms says, my eyes,
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  can't sleep and less. I see this thing come to pass,
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  although he was daydreaming, although he tossed and turned,
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  although he took all his resources emptied, his bank
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  account to make it happen. God said, that's wonderful.
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  David. It's a good thing that's in your
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  heart, but you can never build my house.
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  Why go back to 1st Chronicles, 22.
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  And look here at verse 7. David said to Solomon, my son, I
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  had it in my heart to build a house to the name of the Lord,
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  my God, but the word of the Lord came to me saying you have shed
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  much blood And have waged great Wars, you shall not build a
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  house to my name because you have shed so much blood before
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  me on the Earth. It's amazing that God doesn't
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  just have standards for leadership in the New Covenant.
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  He had it also in the old Because he's the same.
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  And here we are. Told that David was not allowed
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  to be associated with the laying of the foundation of this new
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  house, because his reputation was associated with war and
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  conflict. And God says, I will have no man
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  of violence. Have any connection concerning
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  my house, which represents peace and Holiness and beauty and
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  love. And so David was denied by God.
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  David was not allowed. In fact, it was passed down to
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  his son. Solomon Solomon was the one who
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  had received the resources from David but he wouldn't be the
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  Builder. Now, here's what's amazing
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  Solomon's name means what peace. And this is also interesting.
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  The Tabernacle is the permanent structure before that was sorry,
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  the temple. The Tabernacle was the tent that
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  Tabernacle when it first came into the promised land was
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  placed in a place called Shiloh. Which means tranquility Then the
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  temple comes. David, you're not allowed to
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  build this house, it will be given to Solomon because of
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  principle number two principle number one.
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  It must be built upon the collective attitude of
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  sacrifice. But number two, it can only
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  build be built by those who are men and women of peace.
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  Men and women of rest. if you are someone who is attracted to
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  conflict, if the highlight of your life is drama, If you are
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  drawn to people who are who make it, their mental and social
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  exercise to speak ill of others and to smear people's
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  reputations. You will have no part in
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  building, God's house. You're a man of blood, you're a
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  woman of blood, I don't care how pretty your dresses.
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  I don't care how much money you make, I don't care what kind of
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  title you have in society. Does it matter how much you
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  think you pray? In fact, much prayer for
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  people's gossip in disguise. It's just the perfume on the
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  poison to say. Oh yeah, it's not really gossip.
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  Your praying is not praying. Doesn't matter how much you
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  think you sing? How much scripture you, memorize
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  do? You realize, who David was?
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  Was he not a man of prayer. A real man of prayer, was he not
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  a worshiper? Was not an author of scripture.
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  And yet God says, you cannot build my house because you're a
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  man of war. God uses those who hate
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  friction. God uses those who are willing
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  to have awkward conversations so that they could put tension to
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  rest, God uses those who actually obey the words of the
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  Lord Jesus Christ. Who tells us what you should do
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  when somebody sins against you. To such people does God give the
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  honor to help build his house. In fact, let me tell you this.
• 26:11
  Not only do you disqualify yourself of being a stone, a
• 26:14
  piece in the puzzle of God's glorious Temple.
• 26:17
  You might actually be a contributor to the destruction
• 26:20
  of that. Very same Temple.
• 26:24
  In the New Testament. This is not Old Testament stuff.
• 26:27
  I'm fact, if I didn't give you the reference, you would
• 26:29
  probably think what I'm about to quote, the use from the old
• 26:31
  Covenant, and it's not, but I want you to see it in your
• 26:34
  Bibles for yourself and First Corinthians 3:16, Look what Paul
• 26:43
  says here to a New Testament Church.
• 26:49
  Interesting enough who is also referred to as the Temple of the
• 26:53
  Holy Spirit. But notice what he says at this
• 26:56
  particular time Do you not know that you you see that word you
• 27:02
  in the Greek? It's plural.
• 27:04
  So he's not talking individual, he's talking to the corporate
• 27:06
  body, the church at Corinth. Do you know that all of you are
• 27:11
  God's Temple? And that God's spirit dwells in
• 27:16
  you. If anyone.
• 27:21
  Some. Professing Christians Heretics
• 27:25
  know. If anyone destroys God's Temple,
• 27:31
  God will destroy him. For God's Temple is Holy and you
• 27:37
  are that Temple. Now, I'm sure all of us in here.
• 27:45
  Can conjure up what? It looks like in our minds for
• 27:48
  somebody to destroy a physical building.
• 27:51
  You vandalize. It take a sledgehammer to the
• 27:54
  walls. You bulldoze over it.
• 27:57
  But here's my question reading this text.
• 27:59
  How do you destroy a spiritual structure?
• 28:02
  Because that's what he is saying here, he's not talking about a
• 28:05
  physical Temple. He's talking to the church, he's
• 28:08
  talking to the body of Believers, the collective saints
• 28:11
  that make up the church. How do you destroy that?
• 28:16
  Do you punch somebody in the face?
• 28:19
  Do you catch either car? Do you flip over the pulpit?
• 28:25
  I'm sure many of us can draw principles from the word of how
• 28:28
  God's church can be destroyed, but let's honor the context.
• 28:32
  Look here in verse 18. Let no one deceive himself.
• 28:39
  If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him
• 28:42
  become a fool that he may become wise.
• 28:47
  What is he saying here? Paul is not advocating that
• 28:52
  Believers. Let go of wisdom and apply
• 28:56
  foolishness. The way, the Bible characterizes
• 28:58
  it and condemns it as we read in Proverbs.
• 29:00
  For example, we all know that. He's talking about those who are
• 29:05
  wise in this age and are proud of it and are Guided by it and
• 29:11
  are led by it. A humanistic understanding
• 29:15
  modern philosophies and ideologies what he's saying is
• 29:19
  let go of that and embrace God's wisdom, and Revelation and
• 29:24
  whatever he sheds light on as your supreme authority in all
• 29:28
  things. That is very important because
• 29:34
  this church was riddled with division.
• 29:38
  And he points out the source of why, Corinth had so much trouble
• 29:43
  internally, because there is a people who have elevated their
• 29:47
  own ideas, their own Concepts. Their own successful business
• 29:52
  models above God's word, God's Authority and that bread chaos.
• 30:03
  And so you have a man in First Corinthians 5 who was in gross
• 30:06
  sexual sin and you had a church that had no problem him
• 30:10
  congregating with them because they would not honor the words
• 30:13
  of the Lord, Jesus Christ about church discipline, and a little
• 30:16
  leaven affects the whole lump. And you are believers and First
• 30:20
  Corinthians 6, who had conflict with one another.
• 30:24
  And they were what going to court going to secular court.
• 30:29
  And a watching unbelieving world is seeing Christians who can't
• 30:33
  get along and are willing to charge each other.
• 30:38
  And then the first Corinthians 8, there are people who could
• 30:42
  care less about the weak conscience of others who have
• 30:45
  come out of idolatry. So they're eating food and
• 30:47
  wounding the hearts of others who don't have the strength to
• 30:50
  understand the gospel of grace, that liberates them from such
• 30:54
  things. And Paul says, you're not
• 30:55
  operating in love. It is because you are operating
• 31:01
  with your own ideas. Your own desires, your own
• 31:06
  feelings. And you are an Essence
• 31:11
  diminishing, the power of God's word over your assembly.
• 31:18
  That was the source of division. And I want to tell you
• 31:21
  something. Over the years in Ministry, I've
• 31:24
  learned a lot. I'm still learning, I will never
• 31:26
  stop learning. But I want to tell you one of
• 31:29
  the strongest things that I've learned throughout the past
• 31:32
  seven years, there are many people who profess to hold God's
• 31:36
  word as their ultimate guide and authority and final say, but
• 31:42
  very few who deny that by their practice.
• 31:49
  Many people profess the holds God word is their ultimate
• 31:52
  Authority, but those same people who deny it in their practice.
• 31:57
  I see many people who claim to love God's word by don't want to
• 31:59
  govern the church the way the scriptures do.
• 32:02
  I've seen many people who love to hear sermons but they also
• 32:05
  love to hear and eat gossip. And spread slander and failed to
• 32:10
  approach a brother to clear a matter.
• 32:13
  And instead use it as fuel, more hatred in their hearts, I've
• 32:17
  seen many people who are asking for counsel and their marriages
• 32:20
  and their family and when you open the book and you point to a
• 32:22
  verse and you apply it to their situation, they refused because
• 32:25
  their feelings are stronger than the scriptures and they invite
• 32:29
  chaos into their home's. Here's what I want to tell you
• 32:33
  this morning. If you don't honor God's word
• 32:37
  and you don't submit to its teachings Maranatha Bible Church
• 32:41
  is not for you. It's not.
• 32:46
  It's not I'm sorry because this church WIll Elevate God's word.
• 32:51
  The pastures are not the supreme authority.
• 32:53
  The scriptures are, this is above all of us and if you're a
• 32:57
  people that doesn't want to take the Bible.
• 32:59
  Seriously you're not welcome at this church. if you're not a
• 33:08
  person of peace, you have no part in building God's Temple.
• 33:16
  And please feel free to never come here again. if the Bible is
• 33:22
  not what you treasure and what you obey above everything else,
• 33:30
  God's house must be built upon a collective attitude of
• 33:32
  sacrifice. God's house must be built by
• 33:36
  people of peace and those who Endeavor to destroy God's
• 33:40
  Temple. God will find a way to destroy
• 33:44
  him. But there's something else.
• 33:51
  Up to this point, we've learned those two things.
• 33:54
  But it cannot be separated by the motive of wanting to be a
• 33:58
  people of Peace, the motive of wanting, to, lay down, whatever
• 34:01
  it costs to make this happen. There's, there's a desire there
• 34:04
  that drives that what was it in David that initiated this?
• 34:10
  What was it? That was consuming of the say,
• 34:13
  Lord, whatever it is. Here's all the talents of gold
• 34:16
  and silver, Lord, whatever it is.
• 34:18
  Even though I'm not the Builder, I won't have my name etched on a
• 34:21
  brick, let my son do it, or his son, do it.
• 34:24
  No matter what it takes for your name to be exalted.
• 34:26
  What? What was it?
• 34:30
  1st Chronicles 22 verse 19. As David stands before.
• 34:36
  Not just Solomon, but all the leaders of Israel.
• 34:41
  And he says this to them. Now set your mind and heart to
• 34:45
  seek the Lord, your God, arise and build the sanctuary of the
• 34:50
  Lord God. So that the Ark of the Covenant
• 34:54
  of the Lord and the holy vessels of God, may be brought into a
• 34:58
  house built for the name of the Lord.
• 35:00
  Do you see it arise and build wise so that the Ark of God can
• 35:06
  have a home? What was the driving passion and
• 35:11
  David's heart the presence of God?
• 35:15
  That God would have a place that would radiate his Beauty and his
• 35:21
  goodness and his Holiness. So that people could see, this
• 35:25
  is who God is. and I want to tell you, That our ambition may
• 35:33
  look different in New Covenant but it is the same in principle.
• 35:36
  We want to see the glory of God in Christ Jesus.
• 35:40
  Put on display. We want to see the Gospel of
• 35:43
  Jesus Christ Advance with the greatest Force, possible through
• 35:48
  these Jars of Clay. We want to see God's word obeyed
• 35:55
  and applied, so that his his image can be reflected and
• 36:01
  shining through us. And as I said earlier, if you do
• 36:06
  not love Christ, if you don't really have a personal
• 36:10
  relationship. If this is just religion for
• 36:12
  you, if this is just something that you can do to, just check
• 36:15
  off your religious conscience because you need to go somewhere
• 36:18
  and tell people you go to a church.
• 36:21
  If you don't believe that he is returning, if you don't believe
• 36:24
  that all of this is coming to an end and Christ will rule and
• 36:27
  Reign. This is not the church for you.
• 36:29
  I'm sorry to say it. It isn't, you're going to be
• 36:33
  very very uncomfortable. This is not a place that has
• 36:39
  their sole ambition to make sure you don't feel lonely in life.
• 36:43
  So you have a community, this isn't a place to find friends,
• 36:46
  though. That's a byproduct.
• 36:48
  This place is dedicated to Christ and Christ Alone.
• 36:59
  And just, like I said, earlier. if even the ambition of a
• 37:04
  handful, Is something else. That is enough for Havoc to
• 37:10
  ensue in this place. Because there was a king before
• 37:15
  David. His name was Saul.
• 37:19
  And Saul had equal opportunity to take the Ark of God that was
• 37:24
  tucked in somewhere and bring it into a place where he would be
• 37:28
  honored and Central again in the nation of Israel, but he blew
• 37:32
  it. He blew it, man.
• 37:36
  He forfeited the opportunity. Why?
• 37:43
  Because as we're learning on Friday, Saul did not have the
• 37:46
  same passion as David David was Possessed with this desire to
• 37:53
  know the presence of God and unfortunately saw was possessed
• 37:58
  to maintain a position. The main concern was for saw was
• 38:06
  this is my Throne. This is where I have my power
• 38:10
  and any threat to that. I will crush like a bug.
• 38:14
  And here's this young teenager, David who kills Goliath and Saul
• 38:19
  was told by a prophet that there is a neighbor among you, who is
• 38:22
  better than you, who will take your place and he's trying to
• 38:25
  connect the dots. Is this, the guy They come back
• 38:29
  from the battlefield into the main city and a new song is on
• 38:34
  the top list of Israel's hottest radio station, Saul has slain
• 38:40
  his thousands and David his tens of thousands and as he walks in
• 38:45
  there, he realizes that people are praising David and that
• 38:50
  wasn't the issue. Saw had, no problem, David being
• 38:53
  praised his issue as David was praised more than him.
• 38:58
  Jealousy Creeps in and the man spends the rest of his Reign
• 39:03
  chasing David around. Instead of chasing the presence
• 39:08
  of God. In fact let me read to you what
• 39:11
  David says about the the reign of Saul and First Chronicles
• 39:15
  13-3. Listen, this is a very short
• 39:17
  sentence but it says a lot. David says when he became king
• 39:22
  then let us bring again the Ark of our God to us for.
• 39:26
  We did not seek it in the days of Saul.
• 39:33
  What a terrible commentary. For Sol's leadership.
• 39:39
  He had no concern about the presence of God.
• 39:41
  He had no concern about the glory of God.
• 39:43
  He had no concern about people coming into close proximity to
• 39:48
  their God because he was consumed with a different
• 39:50
  ambition. It's about me.
• 39:54
  It's about my Throne. My name, my reputation, my
• 39:58
  Monument. And the third principle to
• 40:02
  building God's house in a way that would host.
• 40:05
  His Beauty, his power. His majesty is that we must all
• 40:09
  have the same goal Christ and Christ Alone.
• 40:14
  This man was the opposite but he symbolizes what's possible.
• 40:20
  For those who are in leadership positions, or those who are in
• 40:23
  congregations, I want to tell you according to the scriptures,
• 40:28
  the worst recipe that you can have.
• 40:31
  That would be the breeding ground for innumerable evils.
• 40:37
  It's what consumes Saul jealousy?
• 40:43
  And selfish ambition. Jealousy.
• 40:48
  And selfish ambition. Does that sound familiar to you?
• 40:53
  Maybe you're not convinced of what I'm saying.
• 40:56
  All you have to do is look to Saul's Reign and realize the
• 40:59
  disaster that he left behind him as a king.
• 41:03
  The internal division, the heartbreaks.
• 41:07
  Families, being torn apart. and a weakened Kingdom, that was the
• 41:12
  laughing stock of a watching world that heard that the god of
• 41:17
  Israel, the true and living God is apparently among this group,
• 41:23
  Let me read to you. What James says just in case you
• 41:25
  don't believe me and I'm reading too much into this and James
• 41:28
  3:16. He speaking to multiple churches
• 41:32
  and he says for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist,
• 41:38
  there will be disorder, and every vile practice.
• 41:46
  Jealousy and selfish. Ambition, when you have those
• 41:50
  two things, operating in a church, You open the floodgates
• 41:55
  for every vile practice imaginable, lies, slander.
• 42:03
  Violence division. So what will it require to see
• 42:10
  God's house built for Maranatha Bible Church?
• 42:12
  Let me remind you. A collective attitude of
• 42:16
  sacrifice like we've seen in this week, in a way that I will
• 42:18
  never forget for the rest of my life.
• 42:22
  Number two, built by people of Peace, you want war.
• 42:26
  You find joy. And creating clicks.
• 42:32
  You find joy and hurting others. You find joy and getting dirty
• 42:37
  details about somebody go somewhere else.
• 42:43
  And built by people who are unified in mind and heart saying
• 42:47
  we're here for Christ Jesus. We're here for him to be pleased
• 42:51
  and blessed at any cost. Where we are flushed by all
• 42:59
  pride and arrogance jealousy and envy let it die today.
• 43:04
  In Jesus name these things brothers and sisters If We Hold
• 43:10
  true to our hearts and apply them, We will see God building
• 43:14
  this house in a way that we can ever imagine.
• 43:18
  We will see God do things in this place that I see a couple
• 43:22
  of times in the scripture where the ministers could not even
• 43:25
  Minister. Because of the glory of God,
• 43:29
  Taking over in that meeting. We have so much ahead of us, so
• 43:34
  much to plan, so much to pray for, but none of that will mean
• 43:39
  anything. Unless the foundation is laid,
• 43:40
  right? Let me ask you a question today.
• 43:45
  Are you willing to sacrifice? Are you willing to serve in a
• 43:50
  way where you fill the Gap? Not serving the way you think
• 43:52
  you need to serve. Are you a person of peace?
• 43:58
  Are you a person that's willing to forgive?
• 43:59
  Are you person that's willing to say you know it's a little
• 44:01
  awkward but I'm going to call so and so because I heard this and
• 44:04
  I don't want to deal with this in my heart I don't want to
• 44:05
  think differently. Let me get all the facts.
• 44:07
  Straight hey brother is this true?
• 44:09
  Oh it's not oh whoa. Okay, I'm sorry.
• 44:13
  Maybe we should talk with so-and-so and figured I do that.
• 44:19
  And are you in this moment? I don't care how hungry you are
• 44:22
  today right now, I want to ask you, do you have a greater
• 44:25
  hunger for the glory of God? Are you living for Christ?
• 44:30
  Are you living for his gospel? Are you saying to yourself and
• 44:34
  to God on a daily basis? I live for one thing, His name.
• 44:41
  His pleasure. His truth, if not.
• 44:47
  I'm sorry, you're going to feel very very uncomfortable in the
• 44:51
  days ahead. Because by the grace of God, we
• 44:55
  will try to obey as closely as possible.
• 44:59
  Everything that's written in this book.
• 45:02
  People say what's the vision of the church?
• 45:04
  This, I don't have a fancy Vision.
• 45:07
  It's this whatever you see here. That's our vision.
• 45:10
  What's your model of ministry? I don't know what Jesus said.
• 45:14
  What Paul said. I don't have tricks.
• 45:17
  We don't have a fog machine. We're not going to get one.
• 45:31
  What's your hope? That is long as its leadership.
• 45:37
  And as long as we are, people are alive and healthy and sound
• 45:43
  in mind. Christ.
• 45:44
  Would do whatever you want to do through us, and that he would be
• 45:47
  pleased to see a place that says, we are the Temple of the
• 45:52
  Holy Spirit. We belong to you, host Your
• 45:58
  Truth, your power. Your manifold wisdom in this
• 46:04
  place. And let Christ be seen alone.
• 46:09
  On that note. Let's close in prayer.
• 46:22
  Would you apply these truths to your heart this morning?
• 46:29
  As the worship. Team comes up.
• 46:33
  Let's spend a little bit of time in prayer.
• 46:37
  I hope my memory doesn't fail, fail me.
• 46:39
  If somebody can look at me and Nod is not today, the
• 46:42
  recognition to pray for the persecuted Church.
• 46:45
  Is that today? Next week, it was last week
• 46:50
  well, because we missed the last week.
• 46:51
  We're going to do it this week as well.
• 46:55
  It's been an eventful two weeks, as you can imagine.
• 46:59
  Just pray in your heart, spray in your hearts for this
• 47:01
  ministry. Pray in your hearts.
• 47:03
  Well, what is it that you're asking of me.
• 47:05
  Pray in your hearts for the persecuted church.
• 47:07
  That has endured way more suffering than you could even
• 47:10
  comprehend and ask God to have his way in his Temple.
• 47:17
  Just pray. Take your time.
• 47:19
  Don't be distracted today. Take your time.
• 47:24
  Heavenly Father, we come before you on this precious afternoon,
• 47:28
  we've heard your voice today, we've heard your will and your
• 47:31
  purposes for this ministry and Lord together as living stones
• 47:38
  have been made Alive by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and
• 47:42
  dwelt by the power of the Holy Spirit, we long to be your
• 47:45
  temple. And Lord the same way.
• 47:48
  You were so detailed and how you constructed that Tabernacle.
• 47:53
  Through the words of Moses. Lord, we give you every detail
• 47:57
  of Our Lives. We give you every detail of this
• 48:01
  ministry. And we asked, oh God, that you
• 48:03
  would have your way, Lord. We pray that you would beautify
• 48:08
  it. As you see fit that, you would
• 48:11
  color it that you would display it, that you would place it
• 48:15
  wherever you believe. It needs to be.
• 48:17
  We ask you Lord that. As long as we are your temple,
• 48:21
  we would know your presence. That every meeting we would know
• 48:24
  your conviction, we would know the comfort of the Holy Spirit,
• 48:28
  we would know, illumination concerning the word of God and
• 48:31
  that people would walk in this place and realize, God is in the
• 48:34
  midst, God is in this place. They wouldn't give their
• 48:38
  attention to a man. They want to give their
• 48:40
  attention to any gifting, they would even give their attention
• 48:43
  to the building itself. They would know something of the
• 48:45
  tangible presence of Christ. Make it so in Jesus name Lord,
• 48:51
  we pray for divine wisdom. In unity.
• 48:54
  We pray that we would all be a people of peace that are willing
• 48:57
  to obey. You, we subdue all personal
• 49:01
  reasonings even our experiences We submit it to the word of God,
• 49:07
  we say your word will be our Authority.
• 49:11
  Lord, we ask that this church wherever you would take us.
• 49:16
  Would fulfill one thing. It would win, your smile, you
• 49:19
  would be blessed. People would be blessed that
• 49:24
  selfish ambition would die. It would not have any room to
• 49:29
  breathe in this ministry. Oh God, that it would be
• 49:32
  suffocated by a love for. Christ, that it would find no
• 49:36
  room to have its way in this place.
• 49:39
  Oh, Lord. Only you can do that
• 49:42
  supernaturally within us. Lord, as a church, we lift up
• 49:45
  the persecuted church across the world.
• 49:48
  Lord, those who are hiding those who are speaking in code.
• 49:53
  Those who have lost family members, those who are at one
• 49:56
  time met together and the next week, their church was destroyed
• 50:00
  because they have been found and discovered and torn.
• 50:04
  Heart Lord, strengthen them. Strengthen them, we don't know
• 50:08
  them by name but, you know, them, Lord strengthen them in
• 50:12
  Afghanistan, strengthen them in Africa, and South America, in
• 50:16
  China and Russia, strengthen them and Canada have your way.
• 50:21
  Lord, Jesus. Strengthen those Pastors in
• 50:24
  those leaders. Oh God, the wives of pastors and
• 50:27
  leaders. Oh God.
• 50:28
  The children of ministers, or those who attend those churches
• 50:32
  who have paid a high price. Been disowned by their family
• 50:36
  who've lost their jobs, Lord, even as we pray.
• 50:39
  Now would you manifest your presence Comfort them?
• 50:43
  Embrace them. He continued to enjoy freedom in
• 50:48
  America met that freedom. Not be.
• 50:51
  Our curse may not be. Our hindrance may not be the
• 50:55
  lullaby that puts us to sleep Lord.
• 50:58
  While this window of time is still available, give us the
• 51:02
  grace and strength to stride and to move forward with great
• 51:07
  leaps. We asked, oh God, not knowing
• 51:10
  what tomorrow will hold. As we learn since Sunday, then
• 51:14
  not one day would be ways. It, our lives are more than our
• 51:19
  homes. Our lives are more than
• 51:21
  vacations. Our lives are more than what we
• 51:24
  wear. Our lives are more than even our
• 51:26
  health, your gospel, your kingdom.
• 51:30
  Eternity, make us an eternity conscious people, only your
• 51:36
  spirit and your word can accomplish that though.
• 51:38
  We thank you for those who have supported us online.
• 51:42
  Those who are watching even now bless them in Jesus name.
• 51:46
  Bless them. Lord, encourage them.
• 51:48
  Oh God, let them know. Let them know that we love them
• 51:52
  and that their support means so much.
• 51:55
  And in this moment as your temple, We sing to you.
• 52:02
  We sing to you and Thanksgiving for your goodness.
• 52:05
  Receive this level of Praise from a place that agrees that we
• 52:10
  will be a people who was sacrificed be at peace and be of
• 52:13
  one mind in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
• 52:16
  And amen. Can we stand and Worship the
• 52:18
  Lord Jesus together? Please.