Next week, we turn our clocks back one hour.  We fall back and get an extra hour of sleep before coming back to church.

According to our clocks it may look like we get to go back and live that hour all over again, however, we know the reality.  None of us can ever do such a thing.  Daylight savings time is a man-made event and time hasn’t really started over.  Whatever was done during that hour is done and we’ll never get to live that hour again.  No, we continue moving forward moment-by-moment. 

There is something within us that often longs to go back in time.  Sometimes out of regrets wishing that we could go back and make better choices.  Sometimes it is a longing for better days and fond memories that we would love to relive over and over again.  In any case, neither can be done.

From this reality, we can learn what Paul wrote in Colossians 4.  We learn to be watchful and thankful and devoted to prayer; ensuring that we make the most of every opportunity.  After all, every day is a gift of God and none of us know how many days our future might contain.  Perhaps it is the unknown of the future and the comfort and familiarity of the past that causes us to long to stay there.

There’s nothing wrong with recalling and sharing our past.  We can learn from our mistakes, share powerful testimonies of the goodness of God, and laugh as we remember the good times.  However, we have to be careful not to become stuck in our past nor allow it to hinder us from moving forward in life.

God was very intentional in every way to show us through all that He created that His desire is that we always more forward in life.  That is why hope and faith are so valuable in God’s kingdom! 

He placed our eyes in the front of our head, our knees to only bend back with our feet facing in front of us and our arms to only bend forward.  To try and run backwards is incredibly awkward and dangerous and it’s sure to eventually hurt us pretty badly if we continue to try and do it.

Longing for the past is a desire of our flesh.  The Holy Spirit within longs much, much more for the good days still ahead!  God knows our potential and His plans and purposes for our lives that have yet to be fulfilled!  He is incredibly excited for the awesome things that He has in store for us in the days yet to come. 

This is why Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NLT)

Don’t long for “the good old days.”

    This is not wise.

The Bible provides many accounts that teach us the wisdom of looking and moving forward in life.  We learn to fix our eyes on Jesus who has already gone ahead of us pioneering a way for us.  He is the author, the perfecter, and the finisher of our faith.  He is eternal and knew us before we existed, is with us now, and knows fully what lies ahead of us.  He lived in this same flesh to show us how to get through life’s temptations and challenges and struggles and opposition and to finish well and gain the ultimate victory over it all! 

His life and death and resurrection reminds us of the importance of looking ahead with fullness of hope and to derive our strength from unshakable faith and trust in our Heavenly Father.  The Father has proven that He will work all things together for good and set all things right.

Hebrews 12:1-3

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Instead of longing for the past, we can become eagerly excited for the good things that God has planned for our future!  Consider Jesus and how trusting the Heavenly Father through the good tim

This morning, we’re continuing where we left off last week.  Jesus shared in Matthew 13 that He spoke to people in parables to essentially hide the secrets about the Kingdom of Heaven in plain sight.  Those who were seeking the kingdom found it through His parables.  Those who weren’t really seeking, or even seeking to oppose Jesus, wouldn’t understand them at all.

Jesus also shared in Matthew 13 the reality that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a house containing storerooms of hidden treasures for us.  It is God’s great joy to reveal these hidden things to us as we eagerly seek after them.  When we receive that revelation, He’ll give us even more in an even greater measure!  We learned about Daniel who received such lofty revelation that it caused him to pass out and be ill for days.

God is always working, but do we see it or perceive what He is up to?

God is always speaking, but are we hearing Him and understanding what He is saying?

If we’re to be honest this morning, we all speak plenty of idle words every day.  Some are meaningless chit-chat.  Some are encouraging and serve to build up.  Some are hurtful and tear down and injure.  There is tremendous power in speaking just the right word at just the right time.  It can transform lives and release Kingdom treasures so that it is here on earth even as it is in Heaven.

We’re currently training up our second teen driver and we’ve seen first-hand times that our lives, and the lives of others, have been saved by a simple word spoken at just the right time.  Words like, “Stop!” or “Car!”  or “Person!” or “Red!” at a stoplight.

These are what we refer to in Kingdom culture as “now” words.  They are intended for right here and right now.  They are for what is called in the Greek language kairos times.  They are specific moments in time that will never happen again.  There is only one defining moment in time and only one chance to get it right.

If that word is spoken too early, it will make no sense.  If that word is shared too late, well, it will be too late.  However, when spoken at just the right time, it is powerful and effective!  God is aware of divine moments and appointments in our lives and we don’t want to miss them!  Remaining sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit can help ensure that we don’t miss them.

Jesus mentioned in Matthew 13 that we can also bring out of the storerooms old treasures.  There can be a tremendous amount of wisdom gained from words of the past.  They can serve as a guide to our futures or even become kairos words when brought out at just the right time.  This is why it is important for us to know, study, and memorize God’s word.  It’s a rich treasure that is powerful when hidden in our hearts.

There are also other words that we refer to in the Kingdom culture as “prophetic” words.  They are intended for a future time that has yet to come.  They can be specific insight into God’s plans and purposes for our lives or even warnings about future events and wisdom for how to navigate through them.

The Apostle Paul encouraged us in 1 Corinthians 14 to eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit and especially the gift of prophecy.  Although we can all move in the prophetic, God has also given us individuals who fill the role or office of prophet according to Ephesians 4 to build us all up in Christ.

Some prophetic words can seem a bit confusing or even like nonsense at the time.  However, it’s wise to record them and refer back to them because at the right time, they become now words where we then understand what God was speaking about at the time.

Much of God’s word is prophetic in nature.  As we learned last week, it’s alive and active; unlike any other book that we could read.  Even historical accounts found in God’s word can read prophetically to us here and now as we see aspects of history repeating itself and can clearly see what God was up to before through them.

Jesus often quoted Old Testament scriptures that pert

It seems that God has us on a journey the past month or so learning how to better discern and perceive Him and what He is doing in our lives.  Last week, Annette brought us a fresh and new perspective on the significance and the power of the blood of Jesus.

She provided historical and cultural context that helped bring a new level of depth of understanding that helped us to more fully perceive why Jesus shed His blood to establish a new covenant with us.  Though this event happened thousands of years ago, it still boldly declares the value that the Heavenly Father has placed in our lives here and now today.  After all, we are not our own, we were bought at a price!

This morning, we’re going back yet again to Matthew 13.  In this chapter is recorded several parables that Jesus spoke, which lead His disciples to ask:

Matthew 13:10-12

10 … “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see;

    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

Prayerfully, we will choose to be ones who see and perceive what God is doing and ones who hear and understand what God is speaking.  Knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven have been hidden for us to seek after.  They are just waiting to be revealed to us as we seek after them!  In fact, Jesus said that those who seek will find.

Jesus gave a few parables that emphasize the rich reward waiting for those who seek after the treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven in just a few simple sentences.

Matthew 13:44-45;52

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

I love, love, love this picture that Jesus paints of the Kingdom of Heaven.  It’s like a house that we own.  As we explore that house, we find storerooms of treasures.  Some are new to us.  Some are old and familiar.  However, everything in the kingdom is always new and fresh!  Last week, Annette brought back out the treasure of the blood of Jesus, that old, old story that we are all very familiar with. 

However, we saw it from a new and fresh perspective and a whole new revelation came forth to us!  God’s wisdom is manifold.  There’s always a different way of looking at things and a new perspective to be gained for those who seek to see and listen to hear.  Paul explained it this way as he brought out the old, written word of God.  He received the grace of God that enabled him to see and experience a truth that was hidden within that same word that was passed down from generation to generation that they never saw.

Ephesians 3:2-12

2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me throu

[The below text has been machine translated and may contain errors. Please listen to audio for original and integral translation]

I like how Marie shared like definition of you know, what does it mean to decrease a thing and I kind of feel like that goes along with because where I was starting today was sort of on what pastor Steve spoke last week. Oh children’s church, I’m sorry. Thank you. Yeah. kids can be dismissed. I’m sorry. Feel free to help me as needed. But pastor saved message last week. He spoke about perception and I want to start with one of the scriptures that he use in it’s Matthew, 1310 through 7. This is new living translation. His disciples came and asked him, why do you always tell stories when he talked to the people? Then he explained to them, you have been permitted to understand the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but others have not to those who are open to my teaching more understanding will be given and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even when they have even what they have will be taken away from them. This is why I tell these stories because people see what I do. But they don’t really see, they hear what they say, but they don’t really hear. And they don’t understand this for the prophecy of Isaiah, which says, you will hear my words, but you will not understand. You will see what I do, but you will not perceive meaning, or the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes. So their eyes cannot see in their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand. And they cannot turn to me and let me heal them. But bless, start your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear. I assure you many profits and godly people have long to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not. And I just feel like what Marie shared like the cree shared read that every decree every week. I god, there are things I think in our Christian walk our, our Christian life, that it foundational and it’s it’s the basis of what we believe in and yet I think we really fully understand that and do we Or the longer we’re a Christian i think. And I think for me then I’m sure I’m not a can’t be the only person, but sometimes we become kind yeah. Or lack the days a cold kind of you know, so um, before I go any further, i just want to pray and using the scripture and for the message. lord, I asked that according to Matthew 13 lord that you would open our ears to hear open our eyes to see in our heart that we would understand lord, that we would turn to you though we may be healed, not turn from you. Or if we want to be the ones that are blessed, blessed because our eyes see in our ears hear what you’re saying to us today board and she’s a name man. Um. So one of the things to I think but pastor Steve shared last week was a few words. A few phrases that Do we said, do we train ourselves to perceive the kingdom Sometime? I know I was talking to Billy outfront here and I’m thinking as I’m telling kind of telling on myself a little pittman like why my, even the one speaks. Wow. But the whole reason that I can do this is the very thing I’m speaking about today, which is the blood of Jesus. And it’s one of those basic beliefs in our Christian faith that without it, without the blood that was shed him hanging on the cross, the blood was shed, he died, went to hell, took the keys at the hole in the grave. Then we’re, we’re like other religions, at least he was a good product. So our whole premise of what we believe is based on the blood of Jesus. But I guess my question is is if we really had the perception like pastor Steve talk last week, if we really had the perception about the blood of Jesus, i think our lives would be very different. And I know even starting this and turn has some like got a little peek, a little window. And I really feel like when it’s all said and done, I’m only presenting a little peak and a l

Today begins the Jewish New Year; the feast or festival of trumpets found in Leviticus 23.  Modern Jews call it Rosh Hashanah.  Today begins the year 5783 in the Lord!  It is celebrated as a Sabbath day of celebration where no work is to be done, a food offering is to be brought to the Lord, and with several blasts on the shofar, or trumpet.

Though I don’t think that any of us here this morning are Jewish by birth, our Christian faith has its heritage in the Old Testament.  Jesus lived as a Jewish man and rabbi.  He is the only human not born into sin who lived out the Jewish faith sinlessly; fulfilling the law perfectly.  Now, still by faith in the same God of the Jews, do we receive the fulfillment of all of God’s promises through Jesus. 

The most significant difference between us and modern Jews is that we acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited savior.  As Paul taught it, we as the universal church of Jesus Christ have not replaced the Israelites/Jews as God’s chosen people, we have been grafted into them.

Romans 11:11-21

11 Again I ask: Did they (Israel) stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!

13 I am talking to you Gentiles (non-Jews). Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

So though we are not Jewish by birth, we receive by faith everything from Jesus, the Root of Jesse, as we are grafted into Him and all of the promises of God prophetically made under the Old Covenant through the New Covenant.  We still value the Old Testament as God’s word, but enjoy the fact that our salvation has been fulfilled and look forward to some of the prophecies which are still left undone.

Alright, spiritual history lesson aside, today is a new day full of new beginnings and lots of new hope!

I think it is interesting that God’s new year begins with what appears to us to be death.  The grass is finally slowing down, leaves are changing and falling, and everything is preparing for the winter. 

However, we know that in Christ, life comes from death. 

Even as the natural world around us enters a season of death, we die to ourselves; to our old flesh and old ways.  Then, the season of spring comes around where everything comes back to a new life!  In the same way, we may put to death our old selves, but it is only so that we might rise up again into a new life through Jesus!

This morning, God is bringing our attention to something that we all possess that has the ability to make or break us, to embitter or embolden us, to cause either fear or faith to rise in us.  It is what He has been speaking about to us the past few weeks as well.  It is our: perception!

Perception is how the apostles were able to physically be with Jesus and not recognize Him.  It wasn’t that they

Before getting started this morning, I need to add an important correction to last week’s message.

Although Jesus was resurrected from death to life on the third day, He did not ascend back into Heaven until at least 40 days after His death. 

I had wrongfully taught that Jesus resurrected, ascended to Heaven, was seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father, and then decided to return to hang out with His buddies.  This is not a Biblically accurate timing of events, though.

Instead, He resurrected, then remained on earth and hung out with His buddies, then ascended to Heaven after 40 days to be seated at the right hand of the Heavenly Father.

We find the clearest evidence of this timeline here:

Acts 1:1-11

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

This morning, we’re going backwards a few chapters to learn from a few other times when the resurrected Jesus came to be with His disciples.

The biggest lesson for us from these accounts is to be discerning and more aware of what God is doing in our midst.  This was a tremendously uncertain and concerning time of danger for the disciples of Jesus.  Their lives were literally in danger during this waiting season between the promise and the fulfillment of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

We now go back to the third day after Jesus have His life on the cross to pay the cost of our sin to form a new covenant with us after the old was fulfilled.

Luke 24

Jesus Has Risen

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

No word of God will ever fail, right?  Jesus often spoke of the day that all of this would take place, but they did not yet understand it.  Oh, they were about to, though!

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary

This morning, Jesus is renewing His call to us to follow Him.  He’s calling us not only to continue His mission and to do the works that He did (and even greater things), but He’s also reminding us just how much He values just being with us and living life together with us.

Luke 5:1-11

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. 2 He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon Peter, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

5 Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

6 When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. 7 So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8 When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” 9 For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, 10 and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.

Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

For the next three years, Peter and the other disciples travelled with Jesus living life together with Him as He ministered.  They learned from Him and not only saw firsthand signs, wonders, and miracles, but were even empowered to perform them, themselves.

The saw the blind have their sight restored, the deaf hear, demons cast out, the dead restored to life, leprosy and every other sickness and disease healed, and so much more.  In fact, John said it this way:

John 21:25

Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

It had to be such an amazing period of their lives that I’m not sure if the disciples often stopped to consider the lives that they left behind; their careers, friends, and family.  They abandoned their old lives altogether to follow Jesus and it was an adventure and wonder-filled time.

Peter, James, and John were still fishermen, just instead of being men who fished for fish, they were now men who fished for men.  They joined in on Jesus’ mission to seek and save the lost.

You and I have been invited to join in on this mission as well!  You and I have also been empowered to perform the miraculous as it is here even as it is in Heaven.  We may not necessarily change careers and physically leave friends and family, but our focus and motive shifts from fishermen to fishers of men.

Of course, some of us are uniquely called to leave behind everything to follow Jesus wherever He takes us on His mission field just as the disciples did.

There came a time, however, when this exciting adventure of following Jesus took an unexpected turn for His disciples.  Although He warned them and explained to them many times that this shift was coming, they still didn’t understand it when the time came.  Knowing that the time had come, Jesus said:

Luke 22:28-62

28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strength

God is so awesome!  He meets us and accepts us right where we are at, but always desires to grow and mature us and to take us to a better place.  He wants to do a work in and through us so that we can obtain the full potential for which we were created.

There’s a lot that we can learn from our past mistakes, but there is a far better way of doing it.  Learning from the mistakes and successes of others!

God didn’t create everything, hand it over to us, and then leave us on our own to figure things out.  He left us a record spanning the course of thousands of years to teach us about why we’re here, how to best live our lives, who God is, and how people before us got it wrong and got it right.

It’s a pretty impressive and thorough user’s manual for life!

Romans 15:4-6

4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

The scriptures provide encouragement and hope.

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

God provides endurance and encouragement.

If you picture a runner taking on a marathon, God is like one driving alongside of them giving them directions to stay the course, guidance in how to run the race, encouragement when the road gets tough, water when we’re getting dry, healing when we get injured, and everything else that we could possibly need to run the race well.

God gives us everything we need, but it is our choice whether or not to run the race.  God is speaking, but are we listening?

Hebrews 1:1-4

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The author then goes through an exhaustive list of quotes from the Old Testament proving that Jesus was not an angel.  It’s a great apologetic resource when studying the scriptures about this issue with those who might hold this view such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  Apologetics is not apologizing for our beliefs, but rather, the ability to explain and defend what we believe.

Hebrews 2:1-4

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

Again, signs, wonders, and miracles testify to God’s great salvation available to us all.

It’s so easy in life to drift away from God and His ways.  It’s so easy in life to ignore God’s great salvation.  It’s so easy in life to neglect the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has distributed to us.  It’s so easy to miss out on God’s will.

To live out God’s will takes effort.  We have to seek Him, listen to His voice, and obediently follow His lead.  However, it is the only way to live a full and abundant life.  It is the only way to live a blessed life where we never lack  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

To live out our own will comes easy and natural

We learned last week about God’s purpose behind signs, wonders, and miracles.  He does these things to turn lives back to Him; to lead people to repentance.  This morning, we’re taking a step back.  First of all in time from the life of Jesus to Moses.  Secondly, stepping back in the scope of life to see a bit of the bigger picture.

God is unchanging.  The miracles that Jesus performed, God was performing by His Spirit from the beginning.  His call to repentance isn’t just for the sake of our own lives both mortal and eternal, but also for the sake of the generations that follow us.

Deuteronomy 34:7-12

7 Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. 8 The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

9 Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and did what the Lord had commanded Moses.

10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, 11 who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

Although some of the greatest signs and wonders were experienced through Moses, his entire generation still refused to repent.  They grumbled and complained and they all lived their lives and died on the threshold of the promises of God.  They were unable to enter in because of their attitudes.

The following generation, the Joshua generation, was not like this one.  They were eager to enter into the promises of God.  They had faith that nothing was too hard for their God.  They were convinced that God was greater than any enemy that they could face and that He would honor His word.  Joshua and Caleb bridged these two generations and they alone received the promise.

When entering into it, Caleb said to Joshua:

Joshua 14:6b-11

6 … “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.

There are so many awesome things to admire about the Joshua generation.  However, there was one point where they failed horribly and tragically.

One of the most significant things that we can do in our lifetime is to help to build a legacy for the generations to follow us.  After all, the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

Proverbs 13:22

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

We often think of finances and property and material resources when we think of an inheritance.  However, the principles and values and attitudes and behaviors that we pass along as an inheritance is just as important, if not more important, than these material things.  All of the material possessions of the world will become a curse and a person’s downfall if they are not left with the right values.

The Joshua generation crossed the Jordan river and spen

Last week, we were reminded that God is always pursuing us and were challenged to consider what it is that we pursue each day.  Although there are times when it may not feel like it, the truth is that God is never far from us.  As we pursue Him, as we seek Him, we will find Him.

James 4:8a

8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

When Paul was reaching out to the lost in Athens, he described it this way:

Acts 17:24-28

24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

God is not far from us if only we choose to seek Him.  God’s desire is not to be far from us, but to live life together with us just as it was in the beginning.  God walking together and working together with Adam and Eve in the cool of the garden. 

Often, we don’t really understand what it means to seek God.  We think we’re seeking God, but in reality, we are just seeking the benefits of God.  The two look much the same in daily disciplines, but the two are as different as night is from day.  Especially when we have nowhere else to turn and are desperate for a miracle, we seek after the benefits of God.  However, seeking God is different from seeking after some provision of His.

Most of us have people in our lives that only reach out to us when they need something.  They know our benefits, perhaps some skill that we have, or that we manage our money well and might have some to spare.  However, they don’t really know us.  They don’t desire to build a relationship with us and to get to know us, they just know that we offer some benefit and that they can use it when they are in a bind.

If we took time to honestly analyze our relationship with God, we may look a bit like that kind of a friend.

Yes, God wants to be a help in our time of need.  He wants to be our savior and healer and deliverer and to do all that He has promised to do for us.  However, His desire is that we seek not only the benefits of God, but to have a genuine relationship with Him.

When we seek God, we will find Him.  Today, we’re considering what our re:Sponse is.

God appointed to place us in this time of history within the boundaries of this land so that we would seek Him and reach out for Him and to find Him.  How will we respond to Him, though?

Jesus once healed ten men who had leprosy (Luke 17:11-19).  However, only one came back to Jesus and to thank Him and to give praise to God.  All ten cried out to Jesus for healing.  Jesus healed all ten.  Only one returned and laid down his life in response.

Crowds of thousands would come to receive from Jesus and to hear His teaching.  However, only a few laid down their lives to follow Him.  Only a few really took the time to build a relationship with Jesus and got to know Him.

Revival is awesome!  When true, genuine revival breaks out as the Spirit of God moves, it is amazing!  Just like when the church first began on the day of Pentecost, people are getting saved, filled with the Spirit, healed, delivered, sent out to the missions field, gifted, and so much more!

Crowds come for the benefits of God, but why does God choose to move in such ways?  Is it just to attract large groups of people?  Are miracles just signs that make you wonder?  What is the purpose of signs, wonders, and miracles?

Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say as revival was breaking out.  He was b