1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:01,042 2 00:00:01,125 --> 00:00:06,125 [music] 3 00:00:18,625 --> 00:00:20,875 You having a bad day? Bad day? 4 00:00:20,958 --> 00:00:24,042 Oh, come on, don't lie. It's church. Bad day? 5 00:00:24,125 --> 00:00:26,208 You fought with your spouse on the way here. 6 00:00:26,292 --> 00:00:29,708 I know you did. I know your kids were late getting out. 7 00:00:29,792 --> 00:00:32,708 I know that some of you are single and even talking about 8 00:00:32,792 --> 00:00:34,542 spouse and kids just makes you depressed. 9 00:00:34,625 --> 00:00:37,042 It wasn't a bad day 'til just a minute ago. 10 00:00:37,125 --> 00:00:40,208 Some of you are married with kids and it wasn't a bad day 11 00:00:40,292 --> 00:00:41,750 'til I mentioned single people. 12 00:00:41,833 --> 00:00:44,875 Now you're wondering if that wouldn't have been a better option for you. 13 00:00:44,958 --> 00:00:46,375 Is it a bad day? 14 00:00:46,458 --> 00:00:48,292 Lot of people are bummed out, depressed. 15 00:00:48,375 --> 00:00:49,917 Oh, it's a rough season. 16 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:51,917 Number one category of prescription medication 17 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,917 in America: antidepressants. 18 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,958 Anti--people are bummed out, depressed, sad. 19 00:00:58,042 --> 00:01:02,333 Fastest growing segment of the anti-depressant industry? 20 00:01:02,417 --> 00:01:04,000 Preschoolers. 21 00:01:04,083 --> 00:01:07,000 Preschoolers! Ha! 22 00:01:07,083 --> 00:01:11,125 It's just Jell-O and LEGOs and Play-Doh. 23 00:01:11,208 --> 00:01:12,625 And that's bummin' 'em out. 24 00:01:12,708 --> 00:01:15,250 Everybody is bummed. Everybody is bummed. 25 00:01:15,333 --> 00:01:18,125 And if you live in Seattle, you're extra bummed 'cause 26 00:01:18,208 --> 00:01:22,417 the traffic's bad, the weather's bad, the sports teams are bad, 27 00:01:22,500 --> 00:01:26,083 the economy is bad, your home equity is bad. 28 00:01:26,167 --> 00:01:29,250 There is no joy to be had at all. 29 00:01:29,333 --> 00:01:30,750 And this is what happens: 30 00:01:30,833 --> 00:01:32,958 People go pursuing joy in people and things 31 00:01:33,042 --> 00:01:34,458 and they don't find it. 32 00:01:34,542 --> 00:01:36,583 "Oh, once I get to this life stage, 33 00:01:36,667 --> 00:01:39,292 "once I get this experience, once I obtain this possession, 34 00:01:39,375 --> 00:01:41,958 "once I finish this degree, once I pass through this season, 35 00:01:42,042 --> 00:01:43,458 then I'm gonna have joy." 36 00:01:43,542 --> 00:01:46,208 No. Wild goose chase, no goose. 37 00:01:46,292 --> 00:01:48,167 How many of you have figured this out? 38 00:01:48,250 --> 00:01:50,917 Then you get totally depressed. You get bummed out. 39 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,917 You go buy a lot of black clothes 40 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,750 and you come to Mars Hill, maybe a night service. 41 00:01:55,833 --> 00:02:00,167 Just cranky. Just cranky. 42 00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:03,750 Well, here's the good news. Your hope is not in your marriage. 43 00:02:03,833 --> 00:02:06,542 Now, I hate to break it to you if you're engaged. 44 00:02:06,625 --> 00:02:09,875 Right? I hate to break it to you. Secret's out. 45 00:02:09,958 --> 00:02:12,208 You know, your joy is not in your marriage. 46 00:02:12,292 --> 00:02:15,583 Your joy is not in your kids. Your joy is not in your job. 47 00:02:15,667 --> 00:02:19,000 Your joy is not in your health. Your joy is not in your wealth. 48 00:02:19,083 --> 00:02:21,000 Your joy has to come from someone else. 49 00:02:21,083 --> 00:02:22,500 His name is the Holy Spirit. 50 00:02:22,583 --> 00:02:24,000 We're gonna learn about him today. 51 00:02:24,083 --> 00:02:25,500 Jesus rejoices in the Holy Spirit. 52 00:02:25,583 --> 00:02:28,458 Luke 10:17-24. You got a Bible? Go there. 53 00:02:28,542 --> 00:02:31,583 We're gonna learn about joy in the Holy Spirit. 54 00:02:31,667 --> 00:02:33,292 You got to say it like that. 55 00:02:33,375 --> 00:02:35,875 Got to get fired up so your wood's not wet. 56 00:02:35,958 --> 00:02:38,417 Joy in the Holy Spirit! 57 00:02:38,500 --> 00:02:40,833 Here we go. First thing we learn: 58 00:02:40,917 --> 00:02:46,542 We rejoice because Jesus wins. We rejoice because Jesus wins. 59 00:02:46,625 --> 00:02:48,500 Luke 10:17-20. 60 00:02:48,583 --> 00:02:51,167 "The seventy-two." Those are his disciples. 61 00:02:51,250 --> 00:02:52,833 "Returned with," what? 62 00:02:52,917 --> 00:02:54,667 "Joy." There's our big idea. 63 00:02:54,750 --> 00:02:56,250 Say it like you mean it. 64 00:02:56,333 --> 00:02:59,125 They returned with joy! There we go. 65 00:02:59,208 --> 00:03:03,750 "Saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!' 66 00:03:03,833 --> 00:03:05,917 "And he said to them, 'I saw Satan fall 67 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:08,750 like lightning from heaven. Behold.'" 68 00:03:08,833 --> 00:03:10,250 Got to say it like that. 69 00:03:10,333 --> 00:03:12,917 "'I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, 70 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,417 and over all the power of the enemy,'" or Satan, 71 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:16,958 "'and nothing shall hurt you. 72 00:03:17,042 --> 00:03:18,667 "'Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, 73 00:03:18,750 --> 00:03:20,375 "'that the spirits are subject to you, 74 00:03:20,458 --> 00:03:23,875 but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'" 75 00:03:23,958 --> 00:03:27,375 First thing Jesus says is, "Bad news. 76 00:03:27,458 --> 00:03:29,292 There's an enemy." 77 00:03:29,375 --> 00:03:30,875 He's a serpent. 78 00:03:30,958 --> 00:03:34,542 He shows up in Genesis 3 like a serpent. 79 00:03:34,625 --> 00:03:37,083 Revelation 12:9, he's a serpent. 80 00:03:37,167 --> 00:03:39,708 Revelation 20:2, he's a serpent. 81 00:03:39,792 --> 00:03:43,833 The serpent shows us, reveals to us, 82 00:03:43,917 --> 00:03:47,458 typifies for us the great enemy of God, Satan. 83 00:03:47,542 --> 00:03:50,083 God has an enemy named Satan. 84 00:03:50,167 --> 00:03:52,083 He's a spirit being. 85 00:03:52,167 --> 00:03:53,750 He was a created angel. 86 00:03:53,833 --> 00:03:57,250 He was to worship and serve and honor and obey and glorify God, 87 00:03:57,333 --> 00:04:00,458 and he didn't want to honor God. He wanted to be God. 88 00:04:00,542 --> 00:04:02,958 He didn't want to glorify God. He wanted God's glory. 89 00:04:03,042 --> 00:04:09,208 And he declared war on God and there was a war in the heavens. 90 00:04:09,292 --> 00:04:10,750 And Jesus says something crazy. 91 00:04:10,833 --> 00:04:13,500 Jesus is gonna say a few crazy things here. 92 00:04:13,583 --> 00:04:15,500 You're gonna see why they crucified him. 93 00:04:15,583 --> 00:04:17,500 He said some stuff that you either believe 94 00:04:17,583 --> 00:04:18,917 or you will oppose. 95 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:21,042 There's no neutrality with him. 96 00:04:21,125 --> 00:04:24,250 And he says, "You know, I was there. 97 00:04:24,333 --> 00:04:26,750 "I was there when there was this great battle 98 00:04:26,833 --> 00:04:28,958 and I saw Satan defeated." 99 00:04:29,042 --> 00:04:32,958 Now, the bad news is that God has an enemy. 100 00:04:33,042 --> 00:04:35,167 Do you believe that? 101 00:04:35,250 --> 00:04:39,417 Do you believe that there is an enemy called Satan, the serpent, 102 00:04:39,500 --> 00:04:41,542 and that there are serpents and scorpions, 103 00:04:41,625 --> 00:04:45,125 the language for demons, other fallen angels who are with Satan 104 00:04:45,208 --> 00:04:49,125 and against God and at work in the world? 105 00:04:49,208 --> 00:04:52,000 See, some of you are Christians and you don't factor Satan 106 00:04:52,083 --> 00:04:54,000 into your life at all. 107 00:04:54,083 --> 00:04:55,417 So something happens, you're like, 108 00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:58,417 "God, why are you tempting me? God, why are you hurting me? 109 00:04:58,500 --> 00:04:59,958 God, why are you oppressing me?" 110 00:05:00,042 --> 00:05:02,792 You forgot to factor in the other variable. 111 00:05:02,875 --> 00:05:05,958 God has an enemy, that this world is a battlefield, 112 00:05:06,042 --> 00:05:09,750 that Satan has fallen from heaven and that battle between 113 00:05:09,833 --> 00:05:14,750 God and his enemy has now arrived in your life. 114 00:05:14,833 --> 00:05:17,250 God is good. Satan is bad. 115 00:05:17,333 --> 00:05:20,250 And the bad news is that Satan is at war against God. 116 00:05:20,333 --> 00:05:22,000 Now, here's even worse news. 117 00:05:22,083 --> 00:05:24,333 He's at war against us. 118 00:05:24,417 --> 00:05:27,500 He's seeking our death, our temptation, our devastation, 119 00:05:27,583 --> 00:05:29,583 our destruction. 120 00:05:29,667 --> 00:05:33,042 He wants to fool you, deceive you, accuse you, tempt you, 121 00:05:33,125 --> 00:05:38,625 lead you astray, rob you of joy, obscure for you God. 122 00:05:38,708 --> 00:05:40,750 So the bad news is there's an enemy. 123 00:05:40,833 --> 00:05:44,292 The really bad news is he's declared war on us too. 124 00:05:44,375 --> 00:05:48,458 Where's the good news? The good news is Jesus defeated him. 125 00:05:48,542 --> 00:05:51,083 Jesus says, "I was there as creator God 126 00:05:51,167 --> 00:05:53,667 before the world existed." 127 00:05:53,750 --> 00:05:56,292 This is a big statement. 128 00:05:56,375 --> 00:05:59,083 "In eternity past, in the heavens, 129 00:05:59,167 --> 00:06:03,583 "before the book of Genesis records Adam and Eve and Satan 130 00:06:03,667 --> 00:06:08,833 "in the garden, I was there when Satan declared war 131 00:06:08,917 --> 00:06:12,542 "and was cast down and he was cast out of heaven. 132 00:06:12,625 --> 00:06:15,375 Like a bolt of lightning, he was sent to the earth." 133 00:06:15,458 --> 00:06:18,250 Like the Led Zeppelin t-shirt, he just fell to the earth. 134 00:06:18,333 --> 00:06:20,708 That's what Jesus is saying. 135 00:06:20,792 --> 00:06:25,208 So the good news is Jesus defeated Satan in the heavenly 136 00:06:25,292 --> 00:06:29,750 kingdom and then Satan was cast down with demons to the earth. 137 00:06:29,833 --> 00:06:34,417 And then the really good news is that Jesus comes to earth, 138 00:06:34,500 --> 00:06:37,417 God becomes a man, the second member of the Trinity 139 00:06:37,500 --> 00:06:41,542 enters into history, and he continues his battle 140 00:06:41,625 --> 00:06:43,750 against Satan and demons. 141 00:06:43,833 --> 00:06:46,625 And the really, really, really, really good news is that Jesus 142 00:06:46,708 --> 00:06:51,083 is going to ultimately, utterly destroy and defeat and disarm 143 00:06:51,167 --> 00:06:53,417 Satan at the cross. 144 00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:57,417 The right that he has to you and I because of our sin is taken 145 00:06:57,500 --> 00:07:02,167 away at the cross of Jesus, where our God dies in our place, 146 00:07:02,250 --> 00:07:06,750 for our sins, canceling our debt and crushing our enemy. 147 00:07:06,833 --> 00:07:08,750 That's the really, really, really good news. 148 00:07:08,833 --> 00:07:12,583 And then Jesus gives us even more good news. 149 00:07:12,667 --> 00:07:15,167 That now if we are in Christ, 150 00:07:15,250 --> 00:07:16,875 the positional authority of Christ, 151 00:07:16,958 --> 00:07:20,125 the victory of Christ belongs to the children of God 152 00:07:20,208 --> 00:07:23,792 and we can command Satan and demons and in Jesus' name, 153 00:07:23,875 --> 00:07:26,875 they must obey and flee us. 154 00:07:26,958 --> 00:07:28,458 So the 72 come back. 155 00:07:28,542 --> 00:07:30,583 These are Jesus' followers and disciples. 156 00:07:30,667 --> 00:07:32,750 They're like his community group leaders. 157 00:07:32,833 --> 00:07:35,500 And previously in Luke, there was a handful of his disciples, 158 00:07:35,583 --> 00:07:38,083 went out to cast out demons, and it didn't work. 159 00:07:38,167 --> 00:07:39,792 They failed. 160 00:07:39,875 --> 00:07:43,292 And here, these disciples come back and they're just buzzin'. 161 00:07:43,375 --> 00:07:44,875 They're thrilled. They're excited. 162 00:07:44,958 --> 00:07:47,250 They're like, "Jesus, you'll never guess what. 163 00:07:47,333 --> 00:07:50,750 We could tell demons what to do and they listen." 164 00:07:50,833 --> 00:07:53,250 That's awesome. That's fantastic. 165 00:07:53,333 --> 00:07:54,917 How many of you, that's incredible? 166 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,583 'Cause no one listens to you. 167 00:07:56,667 --> 00:07:59,583 No one listens to you. Right? 168 00:07:59,667 --> 00:08:01,750 Your kids don't--"Hey, Johnny, could you stop lighting 169 00:08:01,833 --> 00:08:03,167 "bottle rockets in the house? 170 00:08:03,250 --> 00:08:04,625 "Okay, it was a suggestion. 171 00:08:04,708 --> 00:08:07,292 I--you know, I wasn't anticipating you would obey me." 172 00:08:07,375 --> 00:08:09,958 Right? Your dog won't obey you. 173 00:08:10,042 --> 00:08:11,958 Your cat sure ain't gonna obey you. 174 00:08:12,042 --> 00:08:14,750 Nobody, nothing obeys you. Nothing! 175 00:08:14,833 --> 00:08:16,833 No one obeys you. Can you imagine? 176 00:08:16,917 --> 00:08:18,292 And then demons come. 177 00:08:18,375 --> 00:08:20,375 You're like, "Ooooh, boy. 178 00:08:20,458 --> 00:08:22,250 "That person's oppressed, possessed. 179 00:08:22,333 --> 00:08:24,083 "They're sick. They need to be healed. 180 00:08:24,167 --> 00:08:26,083 "They're tormented. I don't know what to do. 181 00:08:26,167 --> 00:08:27,583 "Leave in Jesus' name. 182 00:08:27,667 --> 00:08:30,125 "Ho ho, they left! 183 00:08:30,208 --> 00:08:31,625 "Ahh! This is fantastic! 184 00:08:31,708 --> 00:08:34,708 "Oh, if I only had this skill when driving to command people 185 00:08:34,792 --> 00:08:37,167 "in front of me. 186 00:08:37,250 --> 00:08:39,958 This would be a fantastic skill set." 187 00:08:40,042 --> 00:08:43,625 So they're able to command Satan and demons away from people 188 00:08:43,708 --> 00:08:46,208 and they're healed, and they're cured, and they're liberated, 189 00:08:46,292 --> 00:08:48,333 and they're delivered, and their lives are changed, 190 00:08:48,417 --> 00:08:51,292 and their souls are saved, and their bodies are healed, 191 00:08:51,375 --> 00:08:56,042 and they're absolutely excited, and you and I, in Jesus Christ, 192 00:08:56,125 --> 00:08:59,708 have the same authority, not in and of ourselves, 193 00:08:59,792 --> 00:09:03,250 but delegated to us from him. 194 00:09:03,333 --> 00:09:04,917 It's absolutely true. 195 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,667 So let's just do it right now. 196 00:09:06,750 --> 00:09:09,542 In the strong name of Jesus Christ, 197 00:09:09,625 --> 00:09:13,583 we command Satan and demons away from us, 198 00:09:13,667 --> 00:09:18,208 individually and corporately, and we invite the Holy Spirit 199 00:09:18,292 --> 00:09:23,000 to teach us, instruct us, and fill us in Jesus' name. 200 00:09:23,083 --> 00:09:28,625 Satan and demons must obey in the strong name of Jesus Christ. 201 00:09:28,708 --> 00:09:31,333 And the disciples are mind-blown. 202 00:09:31,417 --> 00:09:33,292 Bad news: we have an enemy. 203 00:09:33,375 --> 00:09:35,375 Really bad news: he's against us. 204 00:09:35,458 --> 00:09:38,750 Good news: Jesus is in authority over him. 205 00:09:38,833 --> 00:09:42,458 Really good news: Jesus delegates his authority to us. 206 00:09:42,542 --> 00:09:45,625 And Jesus says, "I've got something even better than that." 207 00:09:45,708 --> 00:09:47,875 What could be better than that? 208 00:09:47,958 --> 00:09:51,542 He says, "Don't even rejoice that the demons obey you. 209 00:09:51,625 --> 00:09:55,542 "Rejoice in this. Your name is written in heaven." 210 00:09:55,625 --> 00:09:59,708 How many of you, you've never been on a good list ever? 211 00:09:59,792 --> 00:10:02,417 All right, you tried out for the sports team in high school 212 00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:03,958 and they posted the list. 213 00:10:04,042 --> 00:10:05,958 You're like, "Am I on it? No. 214 00:10:06,042 --> 00:10:09,167 Okay, I'll try drama," which is what you do when you 215 00:10:09,250 --> 00:10:10,875 don't make the sports team. 216 00:10:10,958 --> 00:10:12,375 All right. 217 00:10:12,458 --> 00:10:14,208 "Okay, I tried out for the play. 218 00:10:14,292 --> 00:10:15,792 "Did I make the list? No. 219 00:10:15,875 --> 00:10:19,125 "I didn't make it? I tried out to be a tree. 220 00:10:19,208 --> 00:10:22,292 "I was just--they won't even let me do this. 221 00:10:22,375 --> 00:10:23,958 "Didn't make the list. 222 00:10:24,042 --> 00:10:25,792 "Okay, well, I'm gonna apply to college. 223 00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:28,500 "Did I--no, I didn't make that list. 224 00:10:28,583 --> 00:10:30,500 "Oh, I made it into this other college. 225 00:10:30,583 --> 00:10:33,000 "Okay, well I'm gonna try to get into the department 226 00:10:33,083 --> 00:10:34,833 "that I really want to get into. 227 00:10:34,917 --> 00:10:37,708 "Did I--no, I didn't make that list, dang it. 228 00:10:37,792 --> 00:10:40,417 I'm gonna start drinking. That's what I'm gonna do." 229 00:10:40,500 --> 00:10:43,458 Go to the club. "All right, I need to start drinking." 230 00:10:43,542 --> 00:10:46,125 "You can't come in." "Why?" 231 00:10:46,208 --> 00:10:48,792 "You're not on the list." "I'm not on the list? 232 00:10:48,875 --> 00:10:52,625 "Oh man. Okay, fine, then I'm gonna go get something to eat." 233 00:10:52,708 --> 00:10:54,375 You go to the restaurant. It's packed. 234 00:10:54,458 --> 00:10:55,833 Walk up to the maître d'. 235 00:10:55,917 --> 00:10:57,292 "Can I get something to eat? 236 00:10:57,375 --> 00:11:00,083 I was gonna start drinking, but I wasn't on the list." 237 00:11:00,167 --> 00:11:03,042 "Are you on this list?" "No, I'm not on this list." 238 00:11:03,125 --> 00:11:05,042 "You can't eat. You're not on the list." 239 00:11:05,125 --> 00:11:07,708 "Not on this list either?" There's one list you're on. 240 00:11:07,792 --> 00:11:09,458 The junk mail list. 241 00:11:09,542 --> 00:11:14,417 That's the only list you're on. That's the only list you're on. 242 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:17,042 Spam and junk mail. 243 00:11:17,125 --> 00:11:19,708 You're like, "How did I get on that list? 244 00:11:19,792 --> 00:11:21,542 "That's the only list I'm on. 245 00:11:21,625 --> 00:11:24,208 I never get to be on the good list." 246 00:11:24,292 --> 00:11:25,625 Jesus says, "You know what? 247 00:11:25,708 --> 00:11:28,708 "I'll put you on my list, write your name down. 248 00:11:28,792 --> 00:11:31,042 "There's a kingdom waiting. 249 00:11:31,125 --> 00:11:32,542 "There's a father who loves you. 250 00:11:32,625 --> 00:11:34,083 "There's an eternal inheritance. 251 00:11:34,167 --> 00:11:35,625 "I'm building a place for you. 252 00:11:35,708 --> 00:11:38,625 "You can die and rise and stand before the living God. 253 00:11:38,708 --> 00:11:41,125 "And he'll look you in the eye and say, 254 00:11:41,208 --> 00:11:42,958 'Ho ho, you're on the list!'" 255 00:11:43,042 --> 00:11:46,125 Yes, finally! I'm on some list. 256 00:11:46,208 --> 00:11:49,917 I'm on a list of God's people and God doesn't take anyone 257 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:54,042 off his list and God loves everyone on his list. 258 00:11:54,125 --> 00:11:58,250 And is your mind absolutely blown today that God 259 00:11:58,333 --> 00:12:00,792 would put you on his list? 260 00:12:00,875 --> 00:12:04,417 Save you, love you, forgive you, heal you, redeem you, adopt you, 261 00:12:04,500 --> 00:12:08,958 bless you, pursue you, adore you, rejoice in you. 262 00:12:09,042 --> 00:12:11,208 Your name, if you're a Christian, 263 00:12:11,292 --> 00:12:13,417 your name's on that list. 264 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:14,917 You can get excited about that. 265 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:17,583 You can be like Jesus anticipates. 266 00:12:17,667 --> 00:12:20,667 [congregation applauding] 267 00:12:20,750 --> 00:12:23,917 Now, so we rejoice because Jesus wins and we rejoice 268 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,542 because of his victory. 269 00:12:25,625 --> 00:12:28,042 We rejoice because of his authority and we rejoice 270 00:12:28,125 --> 00:12:30,292 that he puts us on his list. 271 00:12:30,375 --> 00:12:31,917 Then we find out this. 272 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,958 We can rejoice because we know God. 273 00:12:34,042 --> 00:12:36,000 Luke 10:21-22. 274 00:12:36,083 --> 00:12:38,667 "In that same hour," he what? "He rejoiced." 275 00:12:38,750 --> 00:12:40,250 This means Jesus is fired up. 276 00:12:40,333 --> 00:12:42,458 He's excited. He's happy. 277 00:12:42,542 --> 00:12:45,542 He's not an emo kid. He's in a good mood. 278 00:12:45,625 --> 00:12:47,917 He's rejoicing. His voice is loud. 279 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,083 His hands are doing Italian things. 280 00:12:50,167 --> 00:12:52,292 He's very excited. 281 00:12:52,375 --> 00:12:55,125 "He rejoiced in," what? 282 00:12:55,208 --> 00:12:57,125 "The Holy Spirit." 283 00:12:57,208 --> 00:13:00,125 Jesus isn't rejoicing in his circumstances. 284 00:13:00,208 --> 00:13:01,917 He's marching. 285 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,292 He's walking from the region of Galilee to Jerusalem. 286 00:13:04,375 --> 00:13:06,792 That's gonna take a few months. 287 00:13:06,875 --> 00:13:10,250 How many of you, if I said, "Take a few months' walk over 288 00:13:10,333 --> 00:13:14,583 "rugged terrain in the heat with a bunch of disciples, 289 00:13:14,667 --> 00:13:18,417 "some of whom are weird, and Judas, who's ripping you off, 290 00:13:18,500 --> 00:13:21,208 "while homeless, not sure what you're gonna eat, 291 00:13:21,292 --> 00:13:23,625 "with the occasional random religious dude 292 00:13:23,708 --> 00:13:27,792 or demon-possessed odd ball," how many of you'd go, 293 00:13:27,875 --> 00:13:31,125 "That's what I'm looking for. That's a good time right there." 294 00:13:31,208 --> 00:13:34,292 You'd say, "No, no, no, I can't rejoice in that," right? 295 00:13:34,375 --> 00:13:36,250 "Chicken wings and a nap? 296 00:13:36,333 --> 00:13:38,542 I could totally rejoice in that." 297 00:13:38,625 --> 00:13:41,958 Jesus isn't rejoicing in the fact that he's suffering 298 00:13:42,042 --> 00:13:45,833 and he's marching to Jerusalem for what ultimate purpose? 299 00:13:45,917 --> 00:13:48,458 To get murdered and crucified. 300 00:13:48,542 --> 00:13:50,583 He's rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. 301 00:13:50,667 --> 00:13:53,583 The Holy Spirit brings joy to him. 302 00:13:53,667 --> 00:13:56,708 The Holy Spirit wants to bring joy to you. 303 00:13:56,792 --> 00:13:58,167 We'll unpack that. 304 00:13:58,250 --> 00:14:00,917 "He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said," --here's his prayer: 305 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,917 "'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, 306 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,583 "'that you have hidden these things from the wise and 307 00:14:06,667 --> 00:14:09,500 "'understanding and revealed them to little children; 308 00:14:09,583 --> 00:14:12,250 "'yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 309 00:14:12,333 --> 00:14:16,083 "'All things have been handed over to me by my Father, 310 00:14:16,167 --> 00:14:19,208 "'and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, 311 00:14:19,292 --> 00:14:22,250 "'or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom 312 00:14:22,333 --> 00:14:24,250 the Son chooses to reveal him.'" 313 00:14:24,333 --> 00:14:26,417 The whole Trinity's here. Do you see it? 314 00:14:26,500 --> 00:14:28,417 One God, three persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. 315 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:31,500 Praise to the Father, Jesus Christ is the Son, 316 00:14:31,583 --> 00:14:33,250 and he's rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. 317 00:14:33,333 --> 00:14:34,833 Here's the whole Trinity. 318 00:14:34,917 --> 00:14:37,167 Do you see the whole Trinity right there? 319 00:14:37,250 --> 00:14:40,000 How is the Trinity connected to joy? 320 00:14:40,083 --> 00:14:44,833 The happiest person is God. The happiest person is God. 321 00:14:44,917 --> 00:14:47,667 And some of you, you don't know that 'cause you've been 322 00:14:47,750 --> 00:14:49,292 hanging out with religious people. 323 00:14:49,375 --> 00:14:51,042 You're like, "God can't be happy. 324 00:14:51,125 --> 00:14:52,792 "I've met some of his people. 325 00:14:52,875 --> 00:14:55,208 "Wow, those are not happy people. 326 00:14:55,292 --> 00:14:57,167 "They're no fun at all. 327 00:14:57,250 --> 00:14:59,458 "They're no fun. If they're in heaven, 328 00:14:59,542 --> 00:15:01,542 I'm gonna ask for my own room." 329 00:15:01,625 --> 00:15:05,750 Right? Like, they're not fun people. 330 00:15:05,833 --> 00:15:08,833 God is joyful. 331 00:15:08,917 --> 00:15:11,125 God is filled with joy. 332 00:15:11,208 --> 00:15:15,917 No one is as happy as the Trinitarian God of the Bible. 333 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,417 Let me explain this to you. 334 00:15:17,500 --> 00:15:21,542 God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit, for eternity, 335 00:15:21,625 --> 00:15:25,542 they coexist, sharing attributes, sharing love, 336 00:15:25,625 --> 00:15:28,917 communicating, glorying in one another. 337 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:30,583 There's no sin. 338 00:15:30,667 --> 00:15:32,125 There's no covetousness. 339 00:15:32,208 --> 00:15:33,625 There's no guile. 340 00:15:33,708 --> 00:15:35,125 There is no lying. 341 00:15:35,208 --> 00:15:36,750 There is no betrayal. 342 00:15:36,833 --> 00:15:41,833 There is only love and affection and connection in God. 343 00:15:41,917 --> 00:15:44,750 So God is the happiest person there is. 344 00:15:44,833 --> 00:15:47,375 God is the happiest person there is. 345 00:15:47,458 --> 00:15:51,417 No one is as happy as God. 346 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:54,833 And God reveals himself to us 347 00:15:54,917 --> 00:15:58,375 first of all, we find here, as Father. 348 00:15:58,458 --> 00:16:01,750 This is a mind-blowing concept. 349 00:16:01,833 --> 00:16:03,417 The Jews, up until this point, 350 00:16:03,500 --> 00:16:05,542 they were not prone to call God, "Father." 351 00:16:05,625 --> 00:16:09,083 When Jesus starts talking about God as Dad or Abba or Father or 352 00:16:09,167 --> 00:16:15,917 Daddy, this was not a customary way of referring to God. 353 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:20,417 This was not typical. When Jesus prays, "Our," what? 354 00:16:20,500 --> 00:16:23,333 Who? "Father." 355 00:16:23,417 --> 00:16:27,750 Unusual. Unprecedented. Unparalleled. 356 00:16:27,833 --> 00:16:31,667 Of all the names God could have chosen to reveal himself to us 357 00:16:31,750 --> 00:16:35,625 by, how majestic that he would choose Father? 358 00:16:35,708 --> 00:16:39,875 How majestic that he would choose Father? 359 00:16:39,958 --> 00:16:43,042 See, today it's common with new spirituality and new age and 360 00:16:43,125 --> 00:16:48,708 pantheism and panentheism that God is in all and all is in God 361 00:16:48,792 --> 00:16:51,917 and God is not a father, God is a force. 362 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:53,875 You don't need a force. 363 00:16:53,958 --> 00:16:55,917 You need a father. 364 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,000 We're like crazy, orphan kids. 365 00:16:58,083 --> 00:17:01,833 The last thing those kids need is Red Bull. 366 00:17:01,917 --> 00:17:04,375 What they need is a dad. 367 00:17:04,458 --> 00:17:06,750 We don't need more power. 368 00:17:06,833 --> 00:17:09,042 We need a father. 369 00:17:09,125 --> 00:17:12,208 We don't need more power to live an evil life. 370 00:17:12,292 --> 00:17:15,667 We need a father to give us a new life. 371 00:17:15,750 --> 00:17:18,083 God's not a force. He's a father. 372 00:17:18,167 --> 00:17:21,125 He's not impersonal. He's personal. 373 00:17:21,208 --> 00:17:23,083 He loves us. 374 00:17:23,167 --> 00:17:25,208 How many of you parents, right? 375 00:17:25,292 --> 00:17:26,708 How many of you are parents? 376 00:17:26,792 --> 00:17:29,208 When you think of God in a parental fashion, 377 00:17:29,292 --> 00:17:33,042 or you fathers think of him as father, do you love your kids? 378 00:17:33,125 --> 00:17:35,458 I adore--I really, really, really, really like being a dad. 379 00:17:35,542 --> 00:17:37,417 I don't know if I've ever mentioned that, 380 00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:39,083 but I really like being a dad. 381 00:17:39,167 --> 00:17:43,083 I have five kids. I love 'em, I enjoy 'em, I have fun with 'em. 382 00:17:43,167 --> 00:17:46,417 We have a great time. I love raising 'em, and praying with 'em, 383 00:17:46,500 --> 00:17:50,083 and hanging out with 'em, and snuggling with 'em, and wrestling with 'em. 384 00:17:50,167 --> 00:17:51,583 Adore 'em. Enjoy 'em. 385 00:17:51,667 --> 00:17:55,417 Absolutely. They're starting school and I go into a mild depression 386 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:57,917 'cause I don't like 'em to be gone at all. 387 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:01,667 I just like 'em around. 388 00:18:01,750 --> 00:18:03,125 You start thinkin' about it. 389 00:18:03,208 --> 00:18:06,250 If God's a father, and his father heart is toward us and 390 00:18:06,333 --> 00:18:12,083 his father heart is for us, and his father heart is perfect, 391 00:18:12,167 --> 00:18:15,250 then even the best parent among us only has a fraction 392 00:18:15,333 --> 00:18:19,250 of the affection that the Father has for us. 393 00:18:19,333 --> 00:18:20,667 I'll tell you what. 394 00:18:20,750 --> 00:18:22,958 If God loves me like I love my kids, 395 00:18:23,042 --> 00:18:27,083 but only perfectly and infinitely, I am more than fine. 396 00:18:27,167 --> 00:18:29,833 Someone asked me recently, "Does God need us?" 397 00:18:29,917 --> 00:18:31,458 No, God doesn't need us. 398 00:18:31,542 --> 00:18:33,083 God doesn't need anything or anyone. 399 00:18:33,167 --> 00:18:36,458 He's self-sufficient, all-powerful. 400 00:18:36,542 --> 00:18:38,250 I said, "No, God doesn't need us. 401 00:18:38,333 --> 00:18:40,917 "And if he did, it seems like he could have picked 402 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:42,750 somebody more efficient." 403 00:18:42,833 --> 00:18:44,583 Right? 404 00:18:44,667 --> 00:18:47,750 He said, "Well, why does he make us if he doesn't need us?" 405 00:18:47,833 --> 00:18:50,250 I said, "He didn't make us because he needs us. 406 00:18:50,333 --> 00:18:52,583 He made us because he wants us." 407 00:18:52,667 --> 00:18:54,750 Mars Hill, that's better. 408 00:18:54,833 --> 00:18:58,667 You know what's better than being needed is being wanted. 452 00:21:10,250 --> 00:21:12,917 He looks at you and me, just some of us neglected, 453 00:21:13,000 --> 00:21:14,958 abused kids, some of us rebellious kids, 454 00:21:15,042 --> 00:21:18,417 some of us just bratty, horrible, naughty kids, 455 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:24,458 and what he says is, "You know, they need a dad." 456 00:21:24,542 --> 00:21:27,833 So he sends Jesus as the big brother to atone for sin 457 00:21:27,917 --> 00:21:30,417 so that we might be adopted. 458 00:21:30,500 --> 00:21:33,417 He gives us the family name, Christian. 459 00:21:33,500 --> 00:21:38,542 He gives us the inheritance of the family, the kingdom. 460 00:21:38,625 --> 00:21:41,958 And the Father loves us. 461 00:21:42,042 --> 00:21:44,083 And so when Jesus prays to the Father, 462 00:21:44,167 --> 00:21:47,917 he is modeling for us the fact that God is a Father 463 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:49,333 who loves us. 464 00:21:49,417 --> 00:21:52,167 Now, in saying that, I know some of you are instantaneously 465 00:21:52,250 --> 00:21:55,417 conflicted because your dad was anything but like 466 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:57,125 God the Father. 467 00:21:57,208 --> 00:21:58,875 Some of you didn't have a father. 468 00:21:58,958 --> 00:22:02,083 Like 40% of kids tonight, you went to bed 469 00:22:02,167 --> 00:22:04,250 without a father. 470 00:22:04,333 --> 00:22:07,417 Like a younger woman that we got to hear the testimony of earlier 471 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:11,250 today, your father raped you, beat you, molested you, 472 00:22:11,333 --> 00:22:13,917 abused you physically, emotionally, spiritually, 473 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:15,792 mentally, sexually. 474 00:22:15,875 --> 00:22:19,625 You hear the name "father" and immediately you just--you recoil 475 00:22:19,708 --> 00:22:25,875 because so much negativity and evil is connected to that name. 476 00:22:25,958 --> 00:22:28,875 And I would tell you, don't judge God the Father by your 477 00:22:28,958 --> 00:22:30,875 earthly father, judge your earthly father by 478 00:22:30,958 --> 00:22:35,667 God the Father, who is even a Father to the fatherless. 479 00:22:35,750 --> 00:22:39,167 Fathers are supposed to be like the heavenly Father. 480 00:22:39,250 --> 00:22:42,000 And when they're not, they're acting as if their father was 481 00:22:42,083 --> 00:22:45,875 the devil, to use the language of Jesus from John 8. 482 00:22:45,958 --> 00:22:49,833 So you need to forgive your fathers so that you can see 483 00:22:49,917 --> 00:22:52,292 the capital 'f' Father. 484 00:22:52,375 --> 00:22:56,375 Get beyond your bitterness and get to your real Dad. 485 00:22:56,458 --> 00:22:59,708 And so Jesus tells us that the Father is who God is, 486 00:22:59,792 --> 00:23:03,542 and the father heart of God is God's affection for you. 487 00:23:03,625 --> 00:23:06,458 And then Jesus says something that is mind-blowing, 488 00:23:06,542 --> 00:23:10,333 earth-shattering, history-altering. 489 00:23:10,417 --> 00:23:14,042 What he says is, "No one knows the Son," himself, 490 00:23:14,125 --> 00:23:17,000 "except for the Father and," here's the big idea, 491 00:23:17,083 --> 00:23:21,667 "no one knows the Father except for the Son." 492 00:23:21,750 --> 00:23:24,167 Sometimes we can just read Jesus' words. 493 00:23:24,250 --> 00:23:27,625 No, hit the brakes, pull over, take a look. 494 00:23:27,708 --> 00:23:29,375 Here's what Jesus is saying: 495 00:23:29,458 --> 00:23:33,417 "I'm the only person on earth who knows God." 496 00:23:33,500 --> 00:23:36,458 That's a big statement. 497 00:23:36,542 --> 00:23:39,500 Can you imagine Jesus saying that today? 498 00:23:39,583 --> 00:23:41,292 Can you imagine the headlines tomorrow: 499 00:23:41,375 --> 00:23:45,125 "Jesus Christ says, 'No one else knows God.'" 500 00:23:45,208 --> 00:23:47,417 Really? How do you feel, Dalai Lama? 501 00:23:47,500 --> 00:23:51,125 Ms. Oprah? Do you have any opinions? Right? 502 00:23:51,208 --> 00:23:53,667 This would be a big debate. 503 00:23:53,750 --> 00:23:57,792 Jesus says, "No one knows the Father except for me." 504 00:23:57,875 --> 00:24:00,333 This is a big statement. 505 00:24:00,417 --> 00:24:02,625 Jesus is saying, "As the Son of God, 506 00:24:02,708 --> 00:24:04,333 "as the second member of the Trinity, 507 00:24:04,417 --> 00:24:07,042 "the Father and I have been together perfectly, 508 00:24:07,125 --> 00:24:09,833 "unceasingly, eternally. 509 00:24:09,917 --> 00:24:14,083 "He knows me like no one knows me, and I know him, 510 00:24:14,167 --> 00:24:19,042 and no one knows him unless I reveal him to them." 511 00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:20,583 Here's the point. 512 00:24:20,667 --> 00:24:25,042 No one knows God the Father apart from God the Son. 513 00:24:25,125 --> 00:24:28,583 No one knows God apart from Jesus. 514 00:24:28,667 --> 00:24:31,792 Jesus was crucified for saying things like this, 515 00:24:31,875 --> 00:24:34,250 and were he walking the earth still today rather than 516 00:24:34,333 --> 00:24:38,208 seated in heaven, he'd get crucified again. 517 00:24:38,292 --> 00:24:41,500 What this means is that those who are Jewish but don't love 518 00:24:41,583 --> 00:24:46,000 Jesus, they have no idea who the God of the Bible is. 519 00:24:46,083 --> 00:24:49,000 Those who are Muslim and say, "We believe that God is like 520 00:24:49,083 --> 00:24:51,958 a father, but we don't believe Jesus is the Son of God," 521 00:24:52,042 --> 00:24:54,333 they have no idea who God is. 522 00:24:54,417 --> 00:24:56,167 The Jehovah's Witnesses who would say, 523 00:24:56,250 --> 00:24:58,833 "We believe in God the Father, but we don't believe that 524 00:24:58,917 --> 00:25:02,917 Jesus is God," they have no idea who God is. 525 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:06,875 There is no knowledge of God, there is no revelation of God, 526 00:25:06,958 --> 00:25:12,917 there is no declaration of God apart from Jesus. 527 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,583 So you say, "That's very offensive." 528 00:25:15,667 --> 00:25:19,000 What's more offensive to God are false religions who would 529 00:25:19,083 --> 00:25:23,500 encourage you to know the Father apart from the Son, 530 00:25:23,583 --> 00:25:25,583 meaning you don't know him at all. 531 00:25:25,667 --> 00:25:29,458 We don't want for you morality, religion, or spirituality. 532 00:25:29,542 --> 00:25:31,250 We want the Father's love. 533 00:25:31,333 --> 00:25:34,208 We want you adopted into the church, the Father's family. 534 00:25:34,292 --> 00:25:37,542 We want you to receive the Father's inheritance, 535 00:25:37,625 --> 00:25:40,917 which begins with a down payment of the Holy Spirit, 536 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,583 and that is only made possible through seeing and savoring 537 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:49,375 Jesus as Lord, God, Savior, and Christ. 538 00:25:49,458 --> 00:25:51,583 Do you know Jesus? Have you met Jesus? 539 00:25:51,667 --> 00:25:53,750 Mars Hill, do you love Jesus? 540 00:25:53,833 --> 00:25:56,250 Some of you are here today and you would say, 541 00:25:56,333 --> 00:25:57,792 "I believe in God." 542 00:25:57,875 --> 00:26:00,125 Jesus is who you need to get to know. 543 00:26:00,208 --> 00:26:02,333 Some of you would say, "But I'm very spiritual." 544 00:26:02,417 --> 00:26:06,042 Spirituality apart from Jesus is demonology. 545 00:26:06,125 --> 00:26:07,917 Get to know Jesus. 546 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:11,417 You cannot know Jesus without the Holy Spirit. 547 00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:15,292 You cannot know the Father without Jesus. 548 00:26:15,375 --> 00:26:18,542 You need to know all of God, the fullness of God. 549 00:26:18,625 --> 00:26:23,917 There is one mediator between us and God, the man Christ Jesus. 550 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:28,875 You cannot, you will not connect to God apart from Jesus. 551 00:26:28,958 --> 00:26:31,208 Your sin needs to be atoned for 552 00:26:31,292 --> 00:26:34,333 and God needs to reveal himself to you. 553 00:26:34,417 --> 00:26:38,000 If you miss everything I say, you need Jesus! 554 00:26:38,083 --> 00:26:41,000 Am I clear with my big idea? 555 00:26:41,083 --> 00:26:43,500 Now, some of you come here today and you say, 556 00:26:43,583 --> 00:26:46,792 "I don't know Jesus. I don't want to know Jesus. I don't--" 557 00:26:46,875 --> 00:26:50,000 Here's the good news. This is what Jesus says. 558 00:26:50,083 --> 00:26:53,375 "No one knows the Father except for the Son and those to whom 559 00:26:53,458 --> 00:26:56,417 the Son has revealed him." 560 00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:59,792 Congratulations! 561 00:26:59,875 --> 00:27:01,625 This is fantastic! 562 00:27:01,708 --> 00:27:06,875 Jesus has chosen right now to reveal the Father to you. 563 00:27:06,958 --> 00:27:09,917 You're hearing the preaching of God's Word. 564 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,667 You're hearing the revelation of God's Son. 565 00:27:12,750 --> 00:27:16,542 You're invited to know God as the Father. 566 00:27:16,625 --> 00:27:18,083 You may have not known him. 567 00:27:18,167 --> 00:27:19,917 You may have not known about him. 568 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,917 You may have not known of his love and forgiveness and 569 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:29,125 adoption and salvation, but Jesus has chosen you on this day 570 00:27:29,208 --> 00:27:32,667 to reveal himself to--that's what he says. 571 00:27:32,750 --> 00:27:35,917 You cannot know the Father unless Jesus Christ the Son 572 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,292 chooses to reveal himself to you. 573 00:27:38,375 --> 00:27:40,958 Look, he loves you. 574 00:27:41,042 --> 00:27:43,375 Look how much he loves you. 575 00:27:43,458 --> 00:27:47,083 He's revealing himself to you right now. 576 00:27:47,167 --> 00:27:50,417 Some of you, you don't know what's going on inside of you. 577 00:27:50,500 --> 00:27:52,750 You don't know why your life's not working. 578 00:27:52,833 --> 00:27:54,542 You don't know why you're here. 579 00:27:54,625 --> 00:27:56,250 You don't know what you're feeling. 580 00:27:56,333 --> 00:27:57,708 Let me tell you this. 581 00:27:57,792 --> 00:28:00,792 Jesus is revealing himself to you so that you can be adopted 582 00:28:00,875 --> 00:28:05,292 into the family of God, to know the love of the Father. 583 00:28:05,375 --> 00:28:08,250 And this all happens in the Holy Spirit. 584 00:28:08,333 --> 00:28:10,083 That's what Jesus says. 585 00:28:10,167 --> 00:28:13,917 "In that same hour, he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit." 586 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,083 You know what's super sad today? 587 00:28:16,167 --> 00:28:18,292 Fifty-two percent of those who would say they are 588 00:28:18,375 --> 00:28:21,917 evangelical Christians between the ages of 18 and 29, 589 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,208 according to a Pew study, say you don't need Jesus 590 00:28:25,292 --> 00:28:28,250 to be saved, to know the Father, and go to heaven. 591 00:28:28,333 --> 00:28:31,625 Fifty-two percent of people who would say they were Christians 592 00:28:31,708 --> 00:28:33,458 would say, "Yeah, I believe in Jesus, 593 00:28:33,542 --> 00:28:36,958 but I don't think that you need him to know the Father." 594 00:28:37,042 --> 00:28:39,083 Jesus says that's demonic. 595 00:28:39,167 --> 00:28:44,750 That's what the liar, the father of lies, would tell you. 596 00:28:44,833 --> 00:28:47,750 Mars Hill, it's about Jesus. 597 00:28:47,833 --> 00:28:50,417 It's always about Jesus, and it's only about Jesus, 598 00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:52,250 and it's all about Jesus. 599 00:28:52,333 --> 00:28:55,917 And if you understand that, the Holy Spirit wells up in you 600 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,000 with a rejoicing. 601 00:28:58,083 --> 00:29:00,917 There's an enthusiasm. There's an excitement! 602 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:02,833 "What? Jesus is God? 603 00:29:02,917 --> 00:29:05,083 "Jesus is Savior? Jesus is Lord? 604 00:29:05,167 --> 00:29:08,333 "Jesus conquered sin? Jesus defeated the enemy? 605 00:29:08,417 --> 00:29:10,292 "Jesus rose from death? 606 00:29:10,375 --> 00:29:13,250 "Jesus is preparing a place for me? 607 00:29:13,333 --> 00:29:16,292 "The Father wants to adopt me into his family? 608 00:29:16,375 --> 00:29:18,375 "I have a Dad who loves me? 609 00:29:18,458 --> 00:29:21,458 Woo-hoo! Good news!" 610 00:29:21,542 --> 00:29:25,542 Good, good, good news. 611 00:29:25,625 --> 00:29:28,750 Now, some of you hear that and you're constipated, right? 612 00:29:28,833 --> 00:29:30,833 You're con--you're like, "Mmm." 613 00:29:30,917 --> 00:29:34,458 You're constipated and you can't let the joy out. 614 00:29:34,542 --> 00:29:38,125 You can't get fired up because you're living in your head. 615 00:29:38,208 --> 00:29:39,917 You're stuck in your head. 616 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,667 So Jesus says, "You need to be more like a child." 617 00:29:42,750 --> 00:29:44,500 Not childish. Right? 618 00:29:44,583 --> 00:29:46,000 Not childish. 619 00:29:46,083 --> 00:29:48,542 We don't want you guys--you like 27-year-old guys 620 00:29:48,625 --> 00:29:51,792 who are like, "I have training wheels and LEGOs. Jesus loves me." 621 00:29:51,875 --> 00:29:53,292 No, not childish. 622 00:29:53,375 --> 00:29:55,292 Child-like faith. 623 00:29:55,375 --> 00:29:58,083 So he says, "Father, thank you that some people 624 00:29:58,167 --> 00:30:00,625 "that are educated beyond their intelligence, 625 00:30:00,708 --> 00:30:02,625 "with more degrees than Fahrenheit, 626 00:30:02,708 --> 00:30:05,667 "for some reason haven't been able to figure out you love 'em. 627 00:30:05,750 --> 00:30:08,833 "But thank you that for those who are child-like 628 00:30:08,917 --> 00:30:11,917 in their faith, they get it." 629 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:14,250 Now, here's the deal. 630 00:30:14,333 --> 00:30:18,458 You have caught my sickness. All right? 631 00:30:18,542 --> 00:30:21,458 I tend to live in my head. I'm more of an introvert. 632 00:30:21,542 --> 00:30:23,125 I like books. I like footnotes. 633 00:30:23,208 --> 00:30:25,625 I like dead guys. I like to think about things. 634 00:30:25,708 --> 00:30:30,125 I have a huge library. I love to study. All right? 635 00:30:30,208 --> 00:30:32,458 I mean, I know I'm educated beyond my intelligence, 636 00:30:32,542 --> 00:30:34,292 but I'm even thinking about a Ph.D. 637 00:30:34,375 --> 00:30:37,792 I was looking at one this week, not that I have time for it. 638 00:30:37,875 --> 00:30:40,292 I just like to study and I like to think. 639 00:30:40,375 --> 00:30:42,292 And since I'm in Seattle, it's even worse. 640 00:30:42,375 --> 00:30:45,792 'Cause see, Seattle is where all the thinkers go. Right? 641 00:30:45,875 --> 00:30:48,583 It's most educated, most literate city in America, 642 00:30:48,667 --> 00:30:51,208 but it's--the weather's bad, everybody's indoors with 643 00:30:51,292 --> 00:30:53,500 their ear buds on, sitting in the coffee shop, 644 00:30:53,583 --> 00:30:56,625 ignoring everyone else, reading books, and blogging, 645 00:30:56,708 --> 00:31:02,375 and Twittering, and thinking and... 646 00:31:02,458 --> 00:31:05,167 So I apologize to Pastor Dave in Albuquerque because we 647 00:31:05,250 --> 00:31:08,625 may have exported this sickness. 648 00:31:08,708 --> 00:31:11,917 So we only listen to depressing indie rock and all the people 649 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:15,750 we really like kill themselves, and that's how we do it. 650 00:31:15,833 --> 00:31:17,917 Maybe that's why most of our buildings are black, 651 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,292 and our chairs are black, and I only wear black, 652 00:31:20,375 --> 00:31:23,375 and it's just all dark all the time. 653 00:31:23,458 --> 00:31:25,958 We're just all stuck in our head. 654 00:31:26,042 --> 00:31:28,458 You seen kids with their dad? 655 00:31:28,542 --> 00:31:31,625 They're not stuck in their head. They're not. 656 00:31:31,708 --> 00:31:34,292 They just trust their dad and have fun with him. 657 00:31:34,375 --> 00:31:36,292 Some of you gotta get outta your head. 658 00:31:36,375 --> 00:31:39,125 I'm not saying be anti-intellectual, anti-academic. 659 00:31:39,208 --> 00:31:41,625 But man, some of you guys really gotta lighten up. 660 00:31:41,708 --> 00:31:43,625 And I know you've caught this from me. 661 00:31:43,708 --> 00:31:46,458 So, let me repent publically. Right? 662 00:31:46,542 --> 00:31:48,750 And let me encourage you, lighten up. 663 00:31:48,833 --> 00:31:51,417 Right? It's okay. Get a little excited. Right? 664 00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:53,917 Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, Jesus is alive, right? 665 00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:57,750 Hey! These are hands, 666 00:31:57,833 --> 00:32:00,583 you can clap or raise, whatever you like. 667 00:32:00,667 --> 00:32:03,583 [congregation applauding] 668 00:32:03,667 --> 00:32:05,917 Now, I learned this from my 4-year-old son, Gideon. 669 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,500 Gideon's awesome. 670 00:32:07,583 --> 00:32:10,667 He's got this little brohawk goin', and he's awesome. 671 00:32:10,750 --> 00:32:14,250 He only wears skinny jeans. It's awesome. 672 00:32:14,333 --> 00:32:16,250 He got new skinny jeans recently, he says, 673 00:32:16,333 --> 00:32:18,083 "Hey, Daddy, do you wear skinny jeans?" 674 00:32:18,167 --> 00:32:21,417 I was like, "Uh, no. If they fit, they're just jeans." 675 00:32:21,500 --> 00:32:26,417 And we're--he only wears--he likes Vans with skulls on 'em 676 00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:28,500 and a sideways baseball cap, and he's just, 677 00:32:28,583 --> 00:32:31,208 he's just very excited, happy guy. 678 00:32:31,292 --> 00:32:35,917 And you can tell when Gideon learns or experiences, he just tells ya. 679 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,708 You can hear him. 680 00:32:37,792 --> 00:32:40,542 Like the other day, honestly, I'm in the house and I hear, 681 00:32:40,625 --> 00:32:42,042 "Woo hoo! Woo hoo!" 682 00:32:42,125 --> 00:32:43,542 "What's up, Giddy?" 683 00:32:43,625 --> 00:32:45,417 "I found a worm!" 684 00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:49,417 That's it. "I found a worm. Woo hoo!" 685 00:32:49,500 --> 00:32:52,583 He's just excited. He's just child-like faith, "Woo, worm, nice!" 686 00:32:52,667 --> 00:32:56,625 He's just excited. I can go up to Giddy and be like, "Hey, Giddy, 687 00:32:56,708 --> 00:32:58,833 "you know what, you're my son, I'm your dad, 688 00:32:58,917 --> 00:33:01,375 I love you with all my heart, let's hang out." 689 00:33:01,458 --> 00:33:02,833 You know what he won't do? 690 00:33:02,917 --> 00:33:05,042 He won't say, "What do you mean by "love"? 691 00:33:05,125 --> 00:33:07,417 "Eros, agape, phileo? 692 00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:09,042 "What do you mean, "father"? 693 00:33:09,125 --> 00:33:11,750 "What do you mean, "father," like Father God, 694 00:33:11,833 --> 00:33:15,125 "or like foster parent father? 695 00:33:15,208 --> 00:33:17,542 "What do you mean, "do something"? 696 00:33:17,625 --> 00:33:20,542 "Is your love for me, Dad, predicated on my love for you? 697 00:33:20,625 --> 00:33:23,292 "Are you--do we have an Arminian relationship? 698 00:33:23,375 --> 00:33:24,958 "Did I love you first, Dad? 699 00:33:25,042 --> 00:33:26,708 "Or do we have a Calvinistic relationship? 700 00:33:26,792 --> 00:33:28,292 "Did you love me first? 701 00:33:28,375 --> 00:33:31,125 "Or, you know, do we have an eternally secure relationship or 702 00:33:31,208 --> 00:33:34,083 "someday are you gonna change the name on my driver's license? 703 00:33:34,167 --> 00:33:35,917 Or, Dad--" Ugh! 704 00:33:36,000 --> 00:33:38,250 Some of you are like that with your Dad! 705 00:33:38,333 --> 00:33:41,000 Your Dad's like, "Woo! Love ya! Forgive ya! 706 00:33:41,083 --> 00:33:44,667 C'mon, let's hang out!" And you're like, "Well I want to discuss the footnotes 707 00:33:44,750 --> 00:33:46,167 and get in my head." 708 00:33:46,250 --> 00:33:49,375 You know, the Father needs to just get you going a little bit, 709 00:33:49,458 --> 00:33:50,833 you gotta get outta your head. 710 00:33:50,917 --> 00:33:53,292 Mars Hill, we tend to be the most constipated bunch 711 00:33:53,375 --> 00:33:57,208 of well-informed people the world has ever known. 712 00:33:57,292 --> 00:33:59,167 We are a cheese-filled church. 713 00:33:59,250 --> 00:34:02,750 We're just all bound up. 714 00:34:02,833 --> 00:34:05,417 Jesus says, "Rejoice! 715 00:34:05,500 --> 00:34:07,750 "If you know the Father loves you, rejoice! 716 00:34:07,833 --> 00:34:09,583 If the Holy Spirit is in you." 717 00:34:09,667 --> 00:34:12,708 'Cause the Holy Spirit takes the love and the joy and the peace 718 00:34:12,792 --> 00:34:15,375 and the life of the Trinitarian God of the Bible, boom, 719 00:34:15,458 --> 00:34:18,375 puts it in the child of God, explodes in their heart. 720 00:34:18,458 --> 00:34:19,875 New love, new life, new joy. 721 00:34:19,958 --> 00:34:24,000 "Ah, I see Jesus! Ah, I'm loved by the Father! Woo hoo!" 722 00:34:24,083 --> 00:34:25,542 Get a little fired up. 723 00:34:25,625 --> 00:34:28,667 [congregation applauding] 724 00:34:28,750 --> 00:34:30,917 Oh! We gotta reload. 725 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:35,167 Luke 10:23-24, rejoice because the kingdom is coming. 726 00:34:35,250 --> 00:34:37,750 "Then turning to the disciples he said privately, 727 00:34:37,833 --> 00:34:40,083 "'Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 728 00:34:40,167 --> 00:34:42,750 "'For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired 729 00:34:42,833 --> 00:34:45,250 "'to see what you see, and did not see it, 730 00:34:45,333 --> 00:34:47,917 and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.'" 731 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,333 He pulls the disciples aside. 732 00:34:49,417 --> 00:34:51,583 I kinda see it like a little league coach. 733 00:34:51,667 --> 00:34:54,083 Any time a little league coach has got something important 734 00:34:54,167 --> 00:34:56,292 to tell the boys, he pulls 'em all over. 735 00:34:56,375 --> 00:34:58,292 "All right, don't let the other team hear. 736 00:34:58,375 --> 00:35:01,333 "I gotta tell you boys something. Let me explain this." 737 00:35:01,417 --> 00:35:03,042 They all huddle around. 738 00:35:03,125 --> 00:35:05,833 It says Jesus had this private conversation with the disciples. 739 00:35:05,917 --> 00:35:07,333 There's a large crowd there. 740 00:35:07,417 --> 00:35:09,583 "All right, guys, here's the deal. 741 00:35:09,667 --> 00:35:13,292 "You guys have no idea what's going on. 742 00:35:13,375 --> 00:35:15,250 "You have no idea what's going on. 743 00:35:15,333 --> 00:35:17,917 "This is a big deal. This is a big deal. 744 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:21,583 "Now, you guys remember that thing called the Old Testament? 745 00:35:21,667 --> 00:35:23,125 You remember that?" 746 00:35:23,208 --> 00:35:25,250 This is--this is a great conversation. 747 00:35:25,333 --> 00:35:27,292 "Oh yeah, Jesus, we remember the Old Testament." 748 00:35:27,375 --> 00:35:32,292 "Okay, that was about me. That was about me. 749 00:35:32,375 --> 00:35:35,208 "And for thousands of years, the prophets? 750 00:35:35,292 --> 00:35:37,708 "Yeah, they were talking about this virgin who would have 751 00:35:37,792 --> 00:35:41,250 "a baby, who would be in Bethlehem and [whistling] 752 00:35:41,333 --> 00:35:44,292 "yeah, that's guess who? 753 00:35:44,375 --> 00:35:45,875 "I'm here. 754 00:35:45,958 --> 00:35:48,792 "So, since they've been waiting thousands of years and I'm here, 755 00:35:48,875 --> 00:35:51,250 "you guys should be pretty fired up. 756 00:35:51,333 --> 00:35:53,375 "Oh, and kings? Kings. 757 00:35:53,458 --> 00:35:55,125 "Kings don't wanna meet anybody. 758 00:35:55,208 --> 00:35:57,792 "Kings wanna meet me, 'cause I'm the King of Kings. 759 00:35:57,875 --> 00:36:03,833 "You should see my throne. It's pretty awesome. 760 00:36:03,917 --> 00:36:06,917 "So here's the deal, guys. 761 00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,333 "It's happening. 762 00:36:09,417 --> 00:36:12,583 "The kingdom of God is among you, 'cause the king is here, 763 00:36:12,667 --> 00:36:14,583 "and the kingdom is showing up. 764 00:36:14,667 --> 00:36:16,417 "You know why those demons obeyed you? 765 00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:18,083 "The kingdom of God has dawned. 766 00:36:18,167 --> 00:36:19,917 "You know why people are getting healed? 767 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:21,583 "The kingdom of God has dawned. 768 00:36:21,667 --> 00:36:23,583 "You know why people are getting saved? 769 00:36:23,667 --> 00:36:25,083 "The kingdom of God has dawned. 770 00:36:25,167 --> 00:36:28,083 "Do you know who I am? I'm the King of Kings. 771 00:36:28,167 --> 00:36:31,458 Do you guys have any idea the privileged position you're in?" 772 00:36:31,542 --> 00:36:37,875 This is supposed to awaken in them awe-filled joy. 773 00:36:37,958 --> 00:36:40,917 "Wow, God. 774 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:44,208 You let me see what you're doing and be a part of it." 775 00:36:44,292 --> 00:36:46,292 You know what's amazing? 776 00:36:46,375 --> 00:36:49,583 They hadn't even seen him rise from death yet. 777 00:36:49,667 --> 00:36:53,750 You know, we're in an even more privileged position in history. 778 00:36:53,833 --> 00:36:55,375 He hadn't gotten to Jerusalem. 779 00:36:55,458 --> 00:36:57,875 He hadn't died on the cross to atone for sin. 780 00:36:57,958 --> 00:36:59,333 He hadn't risen from the dead. 781 00:36:59,417 --> 00:37:01,583 He hadn't conquered Satan, sin, and death. 782 00:37:01,667 --> 00:37:03,167 He hadn't yet ascended into heaven. 783 00:37:03,250 --> 00:37:06,542 He had not yet sent the Holy Spirit. 784 00:37:06,625 --> 00:37:08,833 We are in a more privileged position. 785 00:37:08,917 --> 00:37:14,208 Mars Hill, do you have any idea the privileged position we have 786 00:37:14,583 --> 00:37:20,083 to see Jesus risen, reigning, ruling? 787 00:37:22,917 --> 00:37:28,458 One of the ways that God the Holy Spirit increases our joy is 788 00:37:28,542 --> 00:37:34,792 by getting us, inviting us to seek and savor the evidences of 789 00:37:34,875 --> 00:37:41,417 God's grace in our life and in our church and in our midst. 790 00:37:41,500 --> 00:37:46,583 Mars Hill, do you have any idea what we get to see? 791 00:37:46,667 --> 00:37:49,042 Do ya? 792 00:37:49,125 --> 00:37:52,625 Do you know how many churches--I don't mean to disregard, 793 00:37:52,708 --> 00:37:58,208 discourage, or diminish any church. 794 00:37:58,292 --> 00:37:59,750 You know how many churches, though, 795 00:37:59,833 --> 00:38:01,917 they're plateaud and declining? 796 00:38:02,000 --> 00:38:03,333 Most. 797 00:38:03,417 --> 00:38:07,250 Do you know how few churches get to see anyone become Christians? 798 00:38:07,333 --> 00:38:10,083 Do you know how many few churches there are weddings and 799 00:38:10,167 --> 00:38:14,750 baptisms and babies and rape victims coming forward and 800 00:38:14,833 --> 00:38:18,750 getting helped and those who are addicted to substances 801 00:38:18,833 --> 00:38:23,083 and experiences being redeemed? 802 00:38:23,167 --> 00:38:25,750 We get to see lives changed, churches planted, 803 00:38:25,833 --> 00:38:28,333 campuses started. 804 00:38:28,417 --> 00:38:31,917 It's as if they're along the journey toward Jerusalem 805 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:34,250 and Jesus says, "All right, everybody huddle up. 806 00:38:34,333 --> 00:38:35,750 "Pull over for a minute. 807 00:38:35,833 --> 00:38:38,042 "We just need to stop and pay attention 808 00:38:38,125 --> 00:38:39,750 to what's been happening." 809 00:38:39,833 --> 00:38:41,583 And then rejoice in that! 810 00:38:41,667 --> 00:38:43,750 Throw a little party. 811 00:38:43,833 --> 00:38:47,042 Mars Hill, it is amazing what we get to see. 812 00:38:47,125 --> 00:38:50,750 It is amazing what we get to see. 813 00:38:50,833 --> 00:38:56,250 Today already, somebody from Japan moved here to go to church. 814 00:38:56,333 --> 00:38:57,875 Japan. 815 00:38:57,958 --> 00:39:00,167 Some of you are like, "I couldn't make it." 816 00:39:00,250 --> 00:39:01,583 Really? 817 00:39:01,667 --> 00:39:04,625 Japan! 818 00:39:04,708 --> 00:39:08,333 There's--I met a guy a little bit ago, "Hi, I'm from France." 819 00:39:08,417 --> 00:39:14,083 "Hi," or, "Bonjour." 820 00:39:14,167 --> 00:39:18,083 Somebody from the Ukraine. "What are you doing here?" 821 00:39:18,167 --> 00:39:21,417 "I heard Jesus was doing stuff, and I came to hang out." 822 00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:23,917 People come from all over the world to just come 823 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:25,583 and hang out and just see. 824 00:39:25,667 --> 00:39:27,583 People tune in from all over the world. 825 00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:31,083 We take no credit for it, but we're pretty fired up about it. 826 00:39:31,167 --> 00:39:35,167 Earlier today, I saw a guy walk in, 827 00:39:35,250 --> 00:39:38,750 "Ok, I wanna give my life to Jesus and be baptized today." 828 00:39:38,833 --> 00:39:41,708 "How long you been here?" "Uh, today." 829 00:39:41,792 --> 00:39:44,458 "Wow! Welcome. That's a big start. 830 00:39:44,542 --> 00:39:48,125 That's a big start." 831 00:39:48,208 --> 00:39:51,750 Heard a gal today, "My father raped me, beat me, 832 00:39:51,833 --> 00:39:54,083 "abused me, molested me. 833 00:39:54,167 --> 00:39:57,250 I now know the love of the Father, wanna be a Christian." 834 00:39:57,333 --> 00:39:58,750 Baptized. 835 00:39:58,833 --> 00:40:01,500 We see this hundreds of times here. 836 00:40:01,583 --> 00:40:04,667 We saw this almost a thousand times last year. 837 00:40:04,750 --> 00:40:07,250 We get to see crazy stuff. 838 00:40:07,333 --> 00:40:10,083 Crazy, God-sized stuff. 839 00:40:10,167 --> 00:40:11,583 We just do. 840 00:40:11,667 --> 00:40:13,625 It's unbelievable. 841 00:40:13,708 --> 00:40:16,833 I mean, I started college ministry in the U-District 842 00:40:16,917 --> 00:40:19,750 in 1994. 843 00:40:19,833 --> 00:40:23,958 I kept trying and working and laboring to get a place to meet, 844 00:40:24,042 --> 00:40:27,583 and we had a space for a little while, but we couldn't keep it, 845 00:40:27,667 --> 00:40:29,250 and nothing worked. 846 00:40:29,333 --> 00:40:31,833 And I only know of two buildings in the U-District 847 00:40:31,917 --> 00:40:34,333 that have come available in the last 20 years. 848 00:40:34,417 --> 00:40:36,250 We just bought one. 849 00:40:36,333 --> 00:40:38,833 A church, zoned for our use. 850 00:40:38,917 --> 00:40:41,750 I drove by it yesterday, just to make sure it was there. 851 00:40:41,833 --> 00:40:43,417 I'm still--literally. 852 00:40:43,500 --> 00:40:46,083 I was like, "This happened. 853 00:40:46,167 --> 00:40:48,167 This happened." 854 00:40:48,250 --> 00:40:49,917 We haven't even started services there, 855 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:51,875 the college students--school's not even back. 856 00:40:51,958 --> 00:40:54,417 The college students show up to just fix the place, 857 00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:56,417 and clean it up, and throw stuff out. 858 00:40:56,500 --> 00:40:58,250 The first meeting they have in there, 859 00:40:58,333 --> 00:41:00,125 it's not even official yet, it's full. 860 00:41:00,208 --> 00:41:01,958 They gotta go to multiple services. 861 00:41:02,042 --> 00:41:04,292 They haven't even started and it's full. 862 00:41:04,375 --> 00:41:06,125 And-- 863 00:41:06,208 --> 00:41:10,542 [congregation applauding] 864 00:41:12,375 --> 00:41:14,958 And here's a crazy one. I hear this story. 865 00:41:15,042 --> 00:41:16,875 I hear crazy stories all the time. 866 00:41:16,958 --> 00:41:19,750 Some of the volunteers, the college students are walking to 867 00:41:19,833 --> 00:41:22,625 Mars Hill to set up the new building for the first initial, 868 00:41:22,708 --> 00:41:26,583 informal gathering in what is a clean-up and construction site. 869 00:41:26,667 --> 00:41:29,583 They see a young woman who's about 19 and feel compelled by 870 00:41:29,667 --> 00:41:31,542 the Holy Spirit to go talk to her. 871 00:41:31,625 --> 00:41:34,250 So they walk up, "Do you know that Jesus loves you? 872 00:41:34,333 --> 00:41:37,583 Do you know that God cares for you? Do you know?" 873 00:41:37,667 --> 00:41:40,583 And this gal just melts, she's like, "That sounds good to me. 874 00:41:40,667 --> 00:41:44,083 "I'm 19 and I'm on the street as a prostitute to pay my bills 875 00:41:44,167 --> 00:41:46,917 "'cause I ran away from home 'cause I was being abused 876 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:48,542 "by my father. 877 00:41:48,625 --> 00:41:50,667 "And there's another Father who loves me, 878 00:41:50,750 --> 00:41:53,833 "and he'll forgive me for what I've done and he'll cleanse me 879 00:41:53,917 --> 00:41:56,750 "from what's been done to me, and he wants good for me? 880 00:41:56,833 --> 00:41:59,792 Ok, fine. Where's this church?" 881 00:41:59,875 --> 00:42:02,542 Mars Hill, we had a convert before we had a service. 882 00:42:02,625 --> 00:42:07,375 We had a convert on the way to set up chairs. 883 00:42:07,458 --> 00:42:08,875 You know what that is? 884 00:42:08,958 --> 00:42:10,708 The Father seeking worshipers. 885 00:42:10,792 --> 00:42:14,458 The Father out adopting, collecting kids. 886 00:42:14,542 --> 00:42:16,458 Lots of 'em. 887 00:42:16,542 --> 00:42:18,583 We get to see it. 888 00:42:18,667 --> 00:42:23,833 We are in this very privileged, sacred position. 889 00:42:23,917 --> 00:42:26,500 And he's not doing this just at Mars Hill. 890 00:42:26,583 --> 00:42:29,083 There's other churches that are growing, that love Jesus. 891 00:42:29,167 --> 00:42:31,083 We're seeing even spiritual unity. 892 00:42:31,167 --> 00:42:33,583 I'm teaching for the Assemblies of God, Foursquare, Baptist, 893 00:42:33,667 --> 00:42:36,875 independent, all kinda groups. 894 00:42:36,958 --> 00:42:38,375 You know what they keep saying? 895 00:42:38,458 --> 00:42:40,208 "We just want people to meet Jesus, 896 00:42:40,292 --> 00:42:42,583 "and we want churches to be healthy and grow, 897 00:42:42,667 --> 00:42:44,708 and we want the Bible to be taught." 898 00:42:44,792 --> 00:42:47,708 Praise God. And we would have some differences, 899 00:42:47,792 --> 00:42:49,958 but those are differences between members of the family, 900 00:42:50,042 --> 00:42:53,833 not differences between enemies, but brothers and sisters. 901 00:42:53,917 --> 00:42:57,750 See, Jesus is pulling us aside today and he wanted me 902 00:42:57,833 --> 00:43:01,042 to tell you, "Look what's going on! 903 00:43:01,125 --> 00:43:03,875 "This is fantastic. 904 00:43:03,958 --> 00:43:06,542 "Look at what God is doing. 905 00:43:06,625 --> 00:43:09,792 "The Father is loving, and adopting, and saving, 906 00:43:09,875 --> 00:43:15,583 and embracing a whole bunch of kids." 907 00:43:15,667 --> 00:43:18,917 Mars Hill, this should just fill us with joy and enthusiasm 908 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:22,375 and hope and expectancy. 909 00:43:22,458 --> 00:43:28,875 And I apologize because I have not led us well, 910 00:43:29,250 --> 00:43:33,375 historically, in a real enthusiastic, passionate, 911 00:43:33,458 --> 00:43:37,583 affectionate response to the Father. 912 00:43:37,667 --> 00:43:42,250 But man, I am filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit that 913 00:43:42,333 --> 00:43:45,833 the Father loves us, that the Son has redeemed us, that 914 00:43:45,917 --> 00:43:51,292 the Spirit is--he is in us, and that God is at work among us, 915 00:43:51,375 --> 00:43:54,000 and that we get to see the kingdom of God 916 00:43:54,083 --> 00:43:55,792 unveiled around us. 917 00:43:55,875 --> 00:43:58,500 Isn't that amazing? 918 00:43:58,583 --> 00:44:01,917 And the Bible says to watch our life and doctrine closely. 919 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:04,083 We've looked at doctrines like the Trinity, 920 00:44:04,167 --> 00:44:07,667 and salvation through Jesus and the Father and the Spirit, 921 00:44:07,750 --> 00:44:11,167 but I wanna look at the life part and I wanted to share with 922 00:44:11,250 --> 00:44:14,208 you some things I've learned through experience. 923 00:44:14,292 --> 00:44:17,125 This is the life part. Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit. 924 00:44:17,208 --> 00:44:18,917 Here's what I've found, Mars Hill. 925 00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:21,917 And I share it with you as an act of repentance, 926 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:23,417 and, I hope, encouragement. 927 00:44:23,500 --> 00:44:27,250 I find that my joy in the Holy Spirit increases when some things happen. 928 00:44:27,333 --> 00:44:29,250 Number one, when I spend sufficient time 929 00:44:29,333 --> 00:44:31,417 in the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit wrote. 930 00:44:31,500 --> 00:44:33,042 If your joy is low, 931 00:44:33,125 --> 00:44:35,875 it may be because your Bible intake is low. 932 00:44:35,958 --> 00:44:37,708 You hear me? Okay? 933 00:44:37,792 --> 00:44:40,042 The Holy Spirit dwells in the child of God. 934 00:44:40,125 --> 00:44:42,042 The Holy Spirit inspired the writing of Scripture. 935 00:44:42,125 --> 00:44:45,583 He'll speak through the Scripture to you to instruct you 936 00:44:45,667 --> 00:44:49,417 in the Father and to fill you with joy. 937 00:44:49,500 --> 00:44:52,958 And so when you're discouraged, pick up your Bible. 938 00:44:53,042 --> 00:44:55,583 Before you're discouraged, pick up your Bible. 939 00:44:55,667 --> 00:45:01,708 Bible intake is connected, I am absolutely convinced, with joy. 940 00:45:01,792 --> 00:45:03,542 Hearing from God. 941 00:45:03,625 --> 00:45:07,000 Number two, I find that my joy goes up when I repent of sin 942 00:45:07,083 --> 00:45:08,583 he has convicted me of. 943 00:45:08,667 --> 00:45:10,750 As the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin, 944 00:45:10,833 --> 00:45:13,750 like Jesus said that he would, as I repent of that sin, 945 00:45:13,833 --> 00:45:15,917 I remove those barriers to receiving the fullness of 946 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:18,500 the Holy Spirit and his joy. 947 00:45:18,583 --> 00:45:22,042 Sin gets in the way of the Holy Spirit unleashing joy 948 00:45:22,125 --> 00:45:23,583 in your life. 949 00:45:23,667 --> 00:45:26,750 Repentance, acknowledging that it's so serious, our sin, 950 00:45:26,833 --> 00:45:30,000 that Jesus died for it, that we need to give it to him 951 00:45:30,083 --> 00:45:33,958 and put it to death because he died for it, 952 00:45:34,042 --> 00:45:38,583 allows us to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit 953 00:45:38,667 --> 00:45:40,292 and his joy. 954 00:45:40,375 --> 00:45:42,750 What sin do you need to repent of? 955 00:45:42,833 --> 00:45:44,417 Number one, how's your Bible reading? 956 00:45:44,500 --> 00:45:46,542 Number two, how's your sin repenting? 957 00:45:46,625 --> 00:45:49,750 Number three, when I serve with the gifts he has given me. 958 00:45:49,833 --> 00:45:52,500 The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit gives us, 959 00:45:52,583 --> 00:45:55,500 individually, certain supernatural capacities 960 00:45:55,583 --> 00:45:57,417 or gifts to do ministry. 961 00:45:57,500 --> 00:45:59,375 Some of you are administrators, encouragers, 962 00:45:59,458 --> 00:46:02,208 biblical counselors, community group leaders, artists, 963 00:46:02,292 --> 00:46:04,250 musicians, whatever it is. 964 00:46:04,333 --> 00:46:09,708 When you do what God made you to do, you share in his joy. 965 00:46:09,792 --> 00:46:13,000 See, some of us, when we're not having joy, we think, 966 00:46:13,083 --> 00:46:15,500 "You know, I need more people to serve me." 967 00:46:15,583 --> 00:46:18,750 It may mean that I need to serve. 968 00:46:18,833 --> 00:46:22,917 How many of you find joy in using your gifts and abilities? 969 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:24,583 "Hey, I'm part of God's kingdom! 970 00:46:24,667 --> 00:46:26,583 "Hey, I'm going to work with my Dad! 971 00:46:26,667 --> 00:46:29,167 "Hey, I get to see fruit out of my efforts! 972 00:46:29,250 --> 00:46:31,125 Praise God, this is great!" 973 00:46:31,208 --> 00:46:36,000 I want you to know this, I love my job. I love it! 974 00:46:36,083 --> 00:46:38,750 I love studying, preaching, teaching, praying, writing, 975 00:46:38,833 --> 00:46:42,083 love it, love it, love it, love it! 976 00:46:42,167 --> 00:46:43,583 Somebody asked me recently, they said, 977 00:46:43,667 --> 00:46:46,417 "If you could do anything you want, what would you do?" 978 00:46:46,500 --> 00:46:49,250 "What I'm doing!" I love this! 979 00:46:49,333 --> 00:46:52,667 Because this is what the Holy Spirit has given me to do, 980 00:46:52,750 --> 00:46:55,833 and when I do it, he fills me with joy. 981 00:46:55,917 --> 00:46:58,500 There's joy in serving God according to the gifts 982 00:46:58,583 --> 00:47:00,167 that you have. 983 00:47:00,250 --> 00:47:02,292 Additionally, number four. 984 00:47:02,375 --> 00:47:05,625 There is joy when you forgive those who sin against you 985 00:47:05,708 --> 00:47:07,583 and as you pray for your enemies. 986 00:47:07,667 --> 00:47:10,167 I don't know about you, if I don't forgive people, 987 00:47:10,250 --> 00:47:12,958 I get bitter, I get angry, I get hard-hearted, 988 00:47:13,042 --> 00:47:15,792 I get calloused, I get nasty. 989 00:47:15,875 --> 00:47:18,917 And that blocks the fullness of the work of the Holy Spirit 990 00:47:19,000 --> 00:47:23,208 in my life, and it restricts his outpouring of joy. 991 00:47:23,292 --> 00:47:27,250 But as I forgive others as God in Christ forgave me, 992 00:47:27,333 --> 00:47:31,167 Ephesians 4, I'm not saying that what they've done is okay, 993 00:47:31,250 --> 00:47:35,125 but I'm trusting God for justice and judgment. 994 00:47:35,208 --> 00:47:37,250 And I hope they come to repentance. 995 00:47:37,333 --> 00:47:41,292 So, in forgiving others and praying for our enemies, 996 00:47:41,375 --> 00:47:44,542 we open ourselves up to the fullness of the Spirit 997 00:47:44,625 --> 00:47:46,833 and we don't give the enemy a foothold. 998 00:47:46,917 --> 00:47:49,083 Who do you need to forgive? 999 00:47:49,167 --> 00:47:52,583 I spoke to a man earlier today, an older man who was embittered 1000 00:47:52,667 --> 00:47:55,417 against his father for many, many years. 1001 00:47:55,500 --> 00:48:00,167 By all accounts, his father was a very mean, cruel, nasty man. 1002 00:48:00,250 --> 00:48:02,208 And he said, "I became a Christian, 1003 00:48:02,292 --> 00:48:05,250 "but I didn't experience the joy of the Holy Spirit 'cause 1004 00:48:05,333 --> 00:48:07,250 I had ongoing bitterness against my dad." 1005 00:48:07,333 --> 00:48:10,167 And he said, "I heard a sermon about forgiving those who sin 1006 00:48:10,250 --> 00:48:13,625 "against us and I ran to my father and I went to his house 1007 00:48:13,708 --> 00:48:15,792 and I told him that I forgave him." 1008 00:48:15,875 --> 00:48:17,958 And he said, "It was like a weight lifted 1009 00:48:18,042 --> 00:48:20,792 "and I was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit 1010 00:48:20,875 --> 00:48:22,625 and I've never been the same since." 1011 00:48:22,708 --> 00:48:24,292 Who do you need to forgive? 1012 00:48:24,375 --> 00:48:26,958 I find that my joy in the Holy Spirit increases when 1013 00:48:27,042 --> 00:48:29,208 I enjoy what I have and I give generously. 1014 00:48:29,292 --> 00:48:30,750 See, when God gives you something, 1015 00:48:30,833 --> 00:48:32,833 he's a Father who blesses you, enjoy it! 1016 00:48:32,917 --> 00:48:35,500 Enjoy your possessions, your income, whatever God gives you, 1017 00:48:35,583 --> 00:48:37,917 enjoy it and share it. 1018 00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:39,875 And be generous with it. 1019 00:48:39,958 --> 00:48:42,417 That's why God loves a cheerful giver. 1020 00:48:42,500 --> 00:48:46,083 That's why it is more blessed to give than receive. 1021 00:48:46,167 --> 00:48:49,000 This is why God is the happiest of all! 1022 00:48:49,083 --> 00:48:51,500 God gives more than anyone else. 1023 00:48:51,583 --> 00:48:54,250 That's why the Bible says that God so loved the world 1024 00:48:54,333 --> 00:48:55,792 that he--he what, Mars Hill? 1025 00:48:55,875 --> 00:48:57,583 What did he do? 1026 00:48:57,667 --> 00:48:59,583 He gave! He gave! 1027 00:48:59,667 --> 00:49:01,375 Our God's a giver. 1028 00:49:01,458 --> 00:49:05,667 As we give, we receive joy from the Holy Spirit. 1029 00:49:05,750 --> 00:49:08,542 How many of you, this has been your experience? 1030 00:49:08,625 --> 00:49:12,083 You enjoy what God gives, and you share what God gives, 1031 00:49:12,167 --> 00:49:14,917 and God gives to you joy. 1032 00:49:15,000 --> 00:49:19,458 Number six, I pay attention to my health. 1033 00:49:19,542 --> 00:49:23,583 Some of you, it's not that God is far away or he's not blessing 1034 00:49:23,667 --> 00:49:27,083 you or the Holy Spirit isn't pouring out joy on you, 1035 00:49:27,167 --> 00:49:28,583 but you're sick. 1036 00:49:28,667 --> 00:49:30,125 You're tired. You're not eating well. 1037 00:49:30,208 --> 00:49:33,792 You're not sleeping well. You're not getting your day off. 1038 00:49:33,875 --> 00:49:35,250 You're not doing what Jesus did. 1039 00:49:35,333 --> 00:49:38,083 We learned in Luke earlier he often withdrew to lonely places 1040 00:49:38,167 --> 00:49:39,625 to be alone with the Father. 1041 00:49:39,708 --> 00:49:42,458 Some of you'd say, "Holy Spirit, I don't feel the joy." 1042 00:49:42,542 --> 00:49:45,292 And he'd say, "I wanna meet with you, I'm right here. 1043 00:49:45,375 --> 00:49:47,125 "Turn off your phone, shut down the laptop, 1044 00:49:47,208 --> 00:49:48,625 "stop Twittering about your depression. 1045 00:49:48,708 --> 00:49:50,458 "Come over here, take your day off, 1046 00:49:50,542 --> 00:49:53,708 "maybe eat something that grows it the ground, drink some water, 1047 00:49:53,792 --> 00:49:58,333 take a nap, read your Bible, let's work on your health." 1048 00:49:58,417 --> 00:50:01,083 I don't know about you, when I'm tired, when I'm sick, 1049 00:50:01,167 --> 00:50:02,583 I get grumpy and grouchy. 1050 00:50:02,667 --> 00:50:05,000 Or grumpier and grouchier. 1051 00:50:05,083 --> 00:50:08,375 I find my joy goes up when I remind myself that joy is 1052 00:50:08,458 --> 00:50:10,333 one emotion that God gives. 1053 00:50:10,417 --> 00:50:13,125 You're not gonna be joyful all the time. 1054 00:50:13,208 --> 00:50:16,458 Isaiah 40-66 talks about Jesus, on and on, 1055 00:50:16,542 --> 00:50:19,625 as the Man of Sorrows, familiar with suffering. 1056 00:50:19,708 --> 00:50:23,125 The shortest verse in the Bible is that, "Jesus wept." 1057 00:50:23,208 --> 00:50:25,708 We've seen him get angry and frustrated and tired 1058 00:50:25,792 --> 00:50:29,375 and annoyed, and here we see that he has joy! 1059 00:50:29,458 --> 00:50:33,750 There is a full emotional experience and spectrum 1060 00:50:33,833 --> 00:50:35,708 for us like Jesus. 1061 00:50:35,792 --> 00:50:38,750 But when joy comes, grab it, embrace it, love it, pursue it, 1062 00:50:38,833 --> 00:50:42,875 rejoice in the gift of the Holy Spirit. 1063 00:50:42,958 --> 00:50:44,875 Number eight, I find my joy goes up 1064 00:50:44,958 --> 00:50:46,917 when I rejoice in the joy of others. 1065 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:49,250 You got saved? Woo hoo! 1066 00:50:49,333 --> 00:50:52,250 You got married? Good for you! 1067 00:50:52,333 --> 00:50:54,917 Congratulations! You're pregnant? 1068 00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,417 Been praying that you make it to the end 1069 00:50:57,500 --> 00:50:59,417 and you get to hold that baby. 1070 00:50:59,500 --> 00:51:00,833 You did? Praise God! 1071 00:51:00,917 --> 00:51:02,833 You have a friend, your sins are forgiven, 1072 00:51:02,917 --> 00:51:04,875 ya found a community group, you're doing ministry, 1073 00:51:04,958 --> 00:51:08,250 you're finishing school, you're learning some truth, 1074 00:51:08,333 --> 00:51:10,750 you memorized a verse, praise God! 1075 00:51:10,833 --> 00:51:13,625 Glad for you. Don't covet. 1076 00:51:13,708 --> 00:51:17,917 Celebrate God's goodness in the lives of other people. 1077 00:51:18,000 --> 00:51:20,583 We have so much to celebrate, 1078 00:51:20,667 --> 00:51:24,417 to rejoice with those who are rejoicing. 1079 00:51:24,500 --> 00:51:28,750 I find as well that my joy goes up, number nine, when I respond physically, 1080 00:51:28,833 --> 00:51:31,792 trusting that my emotions will catch up. You know what? 1081 00:51:31,875 --> 00:51:35,792 Some days you're not gonna feel like picking up your Bible. Pick it up. 1082 00:51:35,875 --> 00:51:38,625 Some days you're not gonna feel like kneeling down in prayer. 1083 00:51:38,708 --> 00:51:40,292 Kneel in prayer. 1084 00:51:40,375 --> 00:51:42,917 Some days you're not gonna feel like going to community group. 1085 00:51:43,000 --> 00:51:44,458 Go to community group. 1086 00:51:44,542 --> 00:51:47,792 You're not gonna feel like going to church. Go to church. 1087 00:51:47,875 --> 00:51:51,417 You're gonna come to church, you're not gonna feel like raising your hands. 1088 00:51:51,500 --> 00:51:52,958 Raise your hands. 1089 00:51:53,042 --> 00:51:55,958 You're not gonna feel like singing. Sing. 1090 00:51:56,042 --> 00:51:58,083 And the Holy Spirit honors that obedience. 1091 00:51:58,167 --> 00:52:01,417 And he shows up and he blesses that obedience. 1092 00:52:01,500 --> 00:52:05,083 He just does. He just does. 1093 00:52:05,167 --> 00:52:08,208 How many of you are married and you found that some days 1094 00:52:08,292 --> 00:52:09,958 you don't feel like going home? 1095 00:52:10,042 --> 00:52:11,917 Some days you don't feel like hugging 'em? 1096 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:15,583 Some days you don't feel like talking to 'em? 1097 00:52:15,667 --> 00:52:20,750 But if you're obedient and you go home, you walk toward 'em, 1098 00:52:20,833 --> 00:52:24,208 put your arms around 'em, you look at 'em, 1099 00:52:24,292 --> 00:52:26,750 your emotions follow. 1100 00:52:26,833 --> 00:52:28,458 They follow. 1101 00:52:28,542 --> 00:52:30,917 That's how it is in a relationship. 1102 00:52:31,000 --> 00:52:33,917 And number ten, I plan fun and I capture sacred moments 1103 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:35,417 as they come. 1104 00:52:35,500 --> 00:52:37,583 So I like to plan fun in my life. 1105 00:52:37,667 --> 00:52:39,125 And I invite the Holy Spirit, 1106 00:52:39,208 --> 00:52:40,958 "Hey, drop a fun bomb right here. 1107 00:52:41,042 --> 00:52:42,958 "I got this day, this opportunity. 1108 00:52:43,042 --> 00:52:44,417 "All right? 1109 00:52:44,500 --> 00:52:47,083 "Me and the kids and Grace, we're gonna go do something. 1110 00:52:47,167 --> 00:52:50,042 Drop a--please Holy Spirit, drop a fun bomb on that day." 1111 00:52:50,125 --> 00:52:53,833 And as it comes along, you grab these sacred moments. 1112 00:52:53,917 --> 00:52:57,167 "Ooh, this is an opportunity for joy in the Holy Spirit." 1113 00:52:57,250 --> 00:52:58,958 And that's what's happening. 1114 00:52:59,042 --> 00:53:01,250 They're walking to Jerusalem for Jesus to be crucified, 1115 00:53:01,333 --> 00:53:05,833 and he is here grabbing a sacred opportunity, a moment for joy. 1116 00:53:05,917 --> 00:53:08,583 "Woo hoo! You can cast out demons. 1117 00:53:08,667 --> 00:53:10,083 "Your names are written in heaven. 1118 00:53:10,167 --> 00:53:13,250 "Do you know who your Father is? Let me tell you about him! 1119 00:53:13,333 --> 00:53:14,750 "The Holy Spirit is in you. 1120 00:53:14,833 --> 00:53:16,750 "The nations are ripe for the harvest. 1121 00:53:16,833 --> 00:53:19,875 Be glad! Be exceedingly glad!" 1122 00:53:19,958 --> 00:53:21,667 So we're gonna do that right now. 1123 00:53:21,750 --> 00:53:23,292 We're gonna pull aside. 1124 00:53:23,375 --> 00:53:25,083 Don't check your phone. 1125 00:53:25,167 --> 00:53:28,167 Don't check your e-mail, your Twitter, your Facebook. 1126 00:53:28,250 --> 00:53:30,000 Shut it down, set it down. 1127 00:53:30,083 --> 00:53:31,833 Don't leave, don't go anywhere. 1128 00:53:31,917 --> 00:53:33,833 We're gonna give you a chance to respond. 1129 00:53:33,917 --> 00:53:37,667 We're gonna pull over on the side of the road, throw a little party. 1130 00:53:37,750 --> 00:53:40,167 We're gonna clap, we're gonna sing, we're gonna pray. 1131 00:53:40,250 --> 00:53:43,375 I'll explain to you how in just a moment. 1132 00:53:43,458 --> 00:53:47,250 First, I'm gonna pray, and then we're gonna have some fun. 1133 00:53:47,333 --> 00:53:49,042 Is that okay with you? 1134 00:53:49,125 --> 00:53:51,417 Anyone mind if we have a little fun? 1135 00:53:51,500 --> 00:53:53,125 We pray against the enemy, his servants, 1136 00:53:53,208 --> 00:53:55,292 their works and effects. 1137 00:53:55,375 --> 00:53:57,667 Satan, you're a liar, a tempter, a deceiver, 1138 00:53:57,750 --> 00:54:01,292 an accuser, a condemner, a destroyer. 1139 00:54:01,375 --> 00:54:03,750 We confess that at the cross of Jesus, 1140 00:54:03,833 --> 00:54:06,958 you were defeated and disarmed, 1141 00:54:07,042 --> 00:54:11,417 that in Christ we share his positional authority. 1142 00:54:11,500 --> 00:54:14,250 Lord Jesus, we thank you that you alone know the Father 1143 00:54:14,333 --> 00:54:16,750 and you have chosen to make him known to us. 1144 00:54:16,833 --> 00:54:20,083 That is good news! 1145 00:54:20,167 --> 00:54:23,083 Father, we thank you that you love us, that you adore us, 1146 00:54:23,167 --> 00:54:25,125 that you are crazy about us. 1147 00:54:25,208 --> 00:54:30,083 Not because we deserve it, but because you are good. 1148 00:54:30,167 --> 00:54:34,458 Thank you for adopting children into your family. 1149 00:54:34,542 --> 00:54:38,333 And Holy Spirit, we invite you to fall upon us. 1150 00:54:38,417 --> 00:54:40,333 We invite you to flood us. 1151 00:54:40,417 --> 00:54:44,583 We invite you to fill us with the joy of the Trinitarian God 1152 00:54:44,667 --> 00:54:48,750 of the Bible so that we might, like Jesus' disciples, 1153 00:54:48,833 --> 00:54:54,792 today rejoice, like Jesus today, rejoice in the Holy Spirit, 1154 00:54:54,875 --> 00:54:57,333 in whose name we pray, Amen.