WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.590 --> 00:00:02.609 Glad to be in the house of the Lord. Amen. Father, 2 00:00:02.649 --> 00:00:06.190 we thank you for your word today. Thank you for 3 00:00:06.269 --> 00:00:12.099 your ministry of truth. We welcome you to open the 4 00:00:12.199 --> 00:00:14.740 eyes of our understanding. We welcome you to lead us 5 00:00:14.939 --> 00:00:21.260 into that which is good. Holy Spirit, keep releasing heaven 6 00:00:21.379 --> 00:00:24.899 in our midst. We thank you for it in Jesus' name. 7 00:00:24.940 --> 00:00:29.250 And everybody said, Amen, Amen, Amen. You may be seated. 8 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:34.359 I'm going to read to you out of Psalm 133 9 00:00:34.359 --> 00:00:40.200 this morning. And I'm focusing on the commanded blessing. The 10 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:43.990 commanded blessing. There's this portion in Scripture where it says 11 00:00:44.109 --> 00:00:49.630 God commands the blessing. And that's an amazing thing. It's 12 00:00:49.689 --> 00:00:54.310 an amazing thing that something would get God's attention in 13 00:00:54.390 --> 00:00:58.189 such a way that He would command a blessing wherever 14 00:00:58.250 --> 00:01:04.530 that thing does exist. And Psalm 133 describes this atmosphere. 15 00:01:05.409 --> 00:01:10.299 Verse 1, Behold. And even the word behold, right? The 16 00:01:10.329 --> 00:01:17.579 word behold means take note of this. Draw your attention 17 00:01:17.659 --> 00:01:23.909 to this. The word behold is an exclamation that draws 18 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:28.569 our attention to something of super importance. How good and 19 00:01:29.390 --> 00:01:36.930 pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity, and sisters too. Amen? 20 00:01:37.689 --> 00:01:40.599 How many think sisters ought to dwell in unity? How 21 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:47.379 many think it's harder for sisters sometimes than brothers? Come on, 22 00:01:47.420 --> 00:01:52.280 you know I'm speaking truth right there. It is like 23 00:01:52.379 --> 00:01:57.230 the precious oil on the head running down on the beard, 24 00:01:57.250 --> 00:02:01.959 on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar. 25 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:06.719 Some translations say, you know, to the edges of his robe, right? 26 00:02:07.200 --> 00:02:08.759 This is the ESV. I don't know why I picked 27 00:02:08.780 --> 00:02:12.759 the ESV, but, okay, this is the ESV today that 28 00:02:12.810 --> 00:02:18.150 we're reading from. And so this is a picture of Aaron. 29 00:02:19.030 --> 00:02:21.530 I think this is Leviticus 26 is what I remember, 30 00:02:21.629 --> 00:02:23.789 but this is a picture of Aaron. Aaron is the 31 00:02:23.830 --> 00:02:29.639 high priest. So you remember that as... Moses was called 32 00:02:29.719 --> 00:02:33.099 to bring the people out of Egypt and they went 33 00:02:33.319 --> 00:02:35.819 into the wilderness and they were on their way to 34 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:42.069 the promised land. Then they were given instruction for the 35 00:02:42.129 --> 00:02:46.949 tabernacle and Moses was given instruction for the tabernacle. Aaron 36 00:02:47.030 --> 00:02:52.840 had become his assistant because when God approached Moses out 37 00:02:52.960 --> 00:02:54.639 in the desert and said, I want you to go 38 00:02:54.699 --> 00:02:57.400 set my people free. Remember, he said, I can't talk 39 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:02.039 very good. Remember that? So he said, I'm of slow speech. 40 00:03:02.060 --> 00:03:04.860 I can't talk. God said, who made your mouth? And 41 00:03:04.900 --> 00:03:07.939 they had a little argument there. And then he's like, well, 42 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:11.340 can I appoint Aaron to represent me? If you follow 43 00:03:11.379 --> 00:03:13.539 the story a little while, it wasn't long. Moses was 44 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:18.699 talking just fine. But so Aaron is his assistant. But 45 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:22.930 then as we come into the tabernacle and the revelation 46 00:03:22.969 --> 00:03:26.770 of the tabernacle, then Aaron is made the high priest. 47 00:03:28.379 --> 00:03:32.639 And so when Aaron is made the high priest, he 48 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:37.930 is anointed with oil. And this oil is the presence 49 00:03:37.990 --> 00:03:41.610 of the Holy Spirit coming upon him. So the presence 50 00:03:41.650 --> 00:03:47.090 of the Lord was distributed upon Aaron. As the oil 51 00:03:47.169 --> 00:03:51.389 was poured out upon him, he was anointed, he was enabled, 52 00:03:51.449 --> 00:03:56.889 he was empowered. And this oil, like it wasn't just a... 53 00:03:57.419 --> 00:04:03.080 We have little vitals up here. So if you want anointed, 54 00:04:03.139 --> 00:04:06.870 we will anoint you with a drop of oil. Because 55 00:04:06.930 --> 00:04:10.289 we know you are very, very conscious of your hairdo. 56 00:04:13.469 --> 00:04:16.439 And we know that there's not a lot of shampoo 57 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:20.819 available out there. And so because there's a shampoo shortage, 58 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:23.040 we don't want to get carried away. We've got to 59 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:24.860 be careful about how much oil we put on your head. 60 00:04:25.649 --> 00:04:28.110 So we just give you a little drop of this oil, 61 00:04:29.209 --> 00:04:36.300 and it's shipped in from Israel. Now I'm lying. But 62 00:04:36.319 --> 00:04:38.819 that's what we should tell you. This is special oil 63 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:49.350 from Israel, from olives that are squeezed at Mount Zion. 64 00:04:49.370 --> 00:04:51.850 And we can make more of this available to you 65 00:04:51.910 --> 00:04:58.879 after the service. For $ 1, 000 per vial. And we take 66 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:07.470 credit and debit. No, we just have little bottles of 67 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:11.689 anointing oil. But back in the day, when this was 68 00:05:12.389 --> 00:05:16.300 the Holy Spirit being distributed upon somebody, they poured a 69 00:05:16.459 --> 00:05:20.819 bucket of oil on them. They poured this flask of 70 00:05:21.060 --> 00:05:25.920 oil upon Aaron. And it came down over his hair. 71 00:05:26.060 --> 00:05:28.060 And he had long hair. And it came down over 72 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:29.939 his beard. And he had a big beard. And it 73 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:32.569 came down over his robe all the way to the 74 00:05:32.629 --> 00:05:39.089 edge of the robe. And now this is the song 75 00:05:39.129 --> 00:05:40.930 of David, by the way. This is one of the 76 00:05:40.990 --> 00:05:44.009 few songs that David actually wrote. And this is a 77 00:05:44.129 --> 00:05:49.569 song of ascent. So he actually wrote this going up 78 00:05:49.689 --> 00:05:53.420 to Zion. And they would sing it going into worship. 79 00:05:54.939 --> 00:05:58.660 Because one of the most valuable things at the house 80 00:05:58.699 --> 00:06:02.850 of Zion and one of the most valuable things in 81 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:08.310 worship was unity. And this song is all about unity. 82 00:06:09.350 --> 00:06:14.680 And it says that unity is like that oil that 83 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:20.439 was poured out upon Aaron. That unity will flow over 84 00:06:20.500 --> 00:06:25.290 the head and that unity will cause peace. the blessing 85 00:06:25.709 --> 00:06:28.509 and the presence and the ministry of the Spirit to 86 00:06:28.870 --> 00:06:32.470 flow not only over the head, and how many of 87 00:06:32.490 --> 00:06:34.430 you know back in those days David was the head? 88 00:06:34.449 --> 00:06:44.250 This is a song he sung about himself. The anointing 89 00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:49.230 was on David and God was showing David that as 90 00:06:49.290 --> 00:06:53.339 the anointing would flow upon David, and the anointing was 91 00:06:53.399 --> 00:06:55.959 on David in worship, by the way, which goes all 92 00:06:55.980 --> 00:06:59.199 the way back to the harp that he had in 93 00:06:59.220 --> 00:07:02.339 the pasture, and the harp and the music that he 94 00:07:02.379 --> 00:07:07.920 would bring to deliver Saul from evil spirits. So this 95 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:14.370 anointing is on David. It's David who appointed the worshipers, 401. 96 00:07:14.370 --> 00:07:20.519 47 worshippers, something like that, who worship 24-7 for 40 years, right? 97 00:07:21.350 --> 00:07:25.389 And God is showing David that that same anointing that 98 00:07:25.470 --> 00:07:29.649 is on you, that same anointing will be distributed to 99 00:07:29.709 --> 00:07:35.920 the entire Jerusalem, the entirety of the flock of Zion, 100 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:41.240 the entirety of Israel. This anointing will be distributed where 101 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:47.240 there's unity. Where there's unity. where there's unity, this is 102 00:07:47.259 --> 00:07:49.800 what they learned, by the way, they learned where there's unity, 103 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:54.100 there will be victory in warfare. There will be victory 104 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:00.689 over the enemy. There will be prosperity that cannot be eclipsed. 105 00:08:01.569 --> 00:08:05.750 There will be prosperity poured out upon Israel, poured out 106 00:08:05.829 --> 00:08:10.310 upon Zion, poured out upon the people of Zion that 107 00:08:10.449 --> 00:08:16.170 cannot be eclipsed. Even described, it is so amazing. The 108 00:08:16.209 --> 00:08:20.779 blessing of the Lord will be commanded. It will be commanded. 109 00:08:21.100 --> 00:08:28.759 Commanded means to be spoken with a shout. The voice 110 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:32.159 of the Lord will shake the atmosphere. This is what 111 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.490 he's saying to David. The voice of the Lord will 112 00:08:34.629 --> 00:08:39.269 shake the atmosphere over Jerusalem, over Zion, over the people 113 00:08:39.309 --> 00:08:45.889 of Israel where there's unity. where there's unity. Isn't that amazing? 114 00:08:46.389 --> 00:08:51.110 Isn't that good? It will be like this precious oil 115 00:08:51.710 --> 00:08:53.629 running down over the beard, over the beard of Aaron, 116 00:08:53.669 --> 00:08:55.909 running down over the collar of his robes, to the 117 00:08:55.950 --> 00:09:02.100 edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon. Now, 118 00:09:02.779 --> 00:09:05.799 we love our mountain, and we love our Cascades, right? 119 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:10.240 And I don't know why we don't have a lot 120 00:09:10.279 --> 00:09:13.970 of dew here. Do we ever have dew here? So 121 00:09:14.070 --> 00:09:21.029 I grew up in Bend, Oregon. And I remember we 122 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:23.259 had a lot of dew in Bend. So I don't 123 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:25.059 know why. We were right there at the Cascades, Mount 124 00:09:25.100 --> 00:09:28.879 Bachelors there, and Jefferson and all the mountains. But I 125 00:09:28.940 --> 00:09:31.740 remember waking up to a bunch of dew on the grass. And, 126 00:09:32.139 --> 00:09:35.220 you know, we'd sleep out, we'd go camping, we'd goof around. And... 127 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:40.220 And if you didn't cover yourself at night with something, 128 00:09:40.620 --> 00:09:42.860 you'd wake up soaking wet. Your sleeping bag would be 129 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.700 soaking wet. Well, we look at the mountains like the Cascades. 130 00:09:46.539 --> 00:09:52.179 Their mountain was Mount Hermon. And Mount Hermon was adjacent 131 00:09:52.370 --> 00:09:57.149 to Jerusalem and to Mount Zion. And Mount Zion was 132 00:09:57.190 --> 00:10:00.799 literally just the hill in Jerusalem. We would consider it 133 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:04.299 a hill. I've been there. It's not really much of 134 00:10:04.379 --> 00:10:07.600 a mountain. But to them, it was a mountain to Jerusalem. 135 00:10:08.419 --> 00:10:13.379 But Mount Hermon was the mountain nearby. And Mount Hermon 136 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:18.860 is what drew the dew near to Jerusalem. So it's 137 00:10:18.909 --> 00:10:22.480 another picture. He's trying to tell us that unity will 138 00:10:22.519 --> 00:10:27.639 be like the dew of Hermon. This dew that falls 139 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:33.620 on the mountains of Zion. So the picture is that 140 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:39.039 where there's unity, there's going to be a watering. There's 141 00:10:39.059 --> 00:10:41.980 going to be a gentle watering that will sustain you. 142 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:46.100 It's not a flood. It's not overwhelming. It's not disturbing. 143 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:49.940 It's not frustrating. It's not a mess. It's going to 144 00:10:49.980 --> 00:10:55.549 be the gentle watering that sustains you will be upon 145 00:10:55.570 --> 00:10:59.870 you as the dew of Hermon is upon Zion. For there, 146 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:07.179 there where there's unity, the Lord commanded the blessing. The 147 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:14.870 Lord commands the blessing. And then Zoe goes with it. Life. 148 00:11:16.210 --> 00:11:18.429 And in most translations, there's a comma there, and it says, 149 00:11:18.820 --> 00:11:23.840 even life evermore. He commands the blessing, and he commands life. 150 00:11:25.159 --> 00:11:30.539 He commands life. It's like a picture of Ezekiel 37. 151 00:11:30.539 --> 00:11:33.019 Can these bones live? I don't know, Lord, only you know. 152 00:11:33.419 --> 00:11:39.580 Command life. Command life. Command life to the bones. Well, 153 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:43.399 this is God. This is God over you. This is 154 00:11:43.480 --> 00:11:46.840 God over us. This is God over our families. This 155 00:11:46.919 --> 00:11:52.259 is God over our church. This is God over our marriages, 156 00:11:52.480 --> 00:12:01.750 over our relationships, where there's unity. Where there's unity. Unity is, 157 00:12:01.769 --> 00:12:05.490 it's the absence of division. It's the absence of discord. 158 00:12:05.509 --> 00:12:16.389 Division is divisions. Division is more than one vision. Division 159 00:12:16.509 --> 00:12:20.309 is two visions. Where there's two visions, there's no unity. 160 00:12:21.129 --> 00:12:28.169 Where there's division, there's no unity. Division is one of 161 00:12:28.190 --> 00:12:32.919 the tactics of the enemy to steal unity. Why is 162 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:43.529 the enemy after... What is the enemy... Oh, yeah. Okay, 163 00:12:43.590 --> 00:12:53.279 thank you so much. Give Hugo a thank you. He's 164 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:56.200 having trouble EQing the microphone. But we have a new 165 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.620 microphone coming, by the way. They're shipping a new microphone 166 00:12:58.639 --> 00:13:03.269 to us. Remember, this one broke. So somebody's bought us 167 00:13:03.330 --> 00:13:14.669 a new microphone. Unity is hard because our flesh feeds 168 00:13:14.789 --> 00:13:20.970 on this unity. Unity is hard because our flesh feeds 169 00:13:21.190 --> 00:13:26.720 on opinions. Our flesh feeds on gossip. Our flesh feeds 170 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:32.659 on slander. Our flesh feeds on pride. And pride is 171 00:13:32.740 --> 00:13:41.649 to assert my opinion. Pride is... The showing forth that 172 00:13:41.720 --> 00:13:48.639 I'm right and you're wrong. And so unity has to 173 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:53.159 be fought for. And the enemy contends against the unity 174 00:13:53.230 --> 00:13:57.710 of the spirit and the unity of the brethren and 175 00:13:57.789 --> 00:14:02.970 the unity of the kingdom and the unity of the 176 00:14:03.049 --> 00:14:05.929 word that we can unify around. He contends against it. 177 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:09.710 Why does he contend against it? Because that's where God 178 00:14:09.789 --> 00:14:17.679 commends the blessing. The commanded blessing. The blessing that cannot 179 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:22.159 be overthrown. The blessing that causes us to triumph. The 180 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:25.779 blessing that puts the enemy under our feet. The blessing 181 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:29.580 that causes victory. The blessing that causes everything to grow. 182 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:34.679 The blessing that brings life evermore. The blessing is where 183 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:43.600 there's unity. Unity. Where there's unity. Now I'm convinced, I'm convinced, 184 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:52.669 I hope I can't be unconvinced. I'm convinced that you 185 00:14:52.710 --> 00:15:01.570 don't have to have perfect agreement to have unity. Now 186 00:15:01.590 --> 00:15:06.309 that sounds like a contradiction. Because unity sounds like perfect agreement. 187 00:15:07.409 --> 00:15:14.509 But unity is preserved by peace. And unity means that 188 00:15:14.610 --> 00:15:18.529 we can choose to unify over what we do agree 189 00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:24.399 upon while we patiently allow Holy Spirit to lead us 190 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:31.240 into that which is excellent and true and noble and upright. 191 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:38.970 The enemy wants us rushing to division And God wants 192 00:15:39.049 --> 00:15:45.169 us rushing to wisdom and counsel and truth and understanding. 193 00:15:47.929 --> 00:15:53.230 And what if, what if, what if so many times 194 00:15:53.610 --> 00:15:57.519 because of our flesh or whatever it is, and I 195 00:15:57.559 --> 00:15:59.639 could give you some good reasons, but I really think 196 00:16:00.100 --> 00:16:03.120 that in the midst of the kingdom, in the midst 197 00:16:03.259 --> 00:16:06.759 of Christianity, in the midst of the church, I believe 198 00:16:06.779 --> 00:16:15.049 that that unclean spirits are pushing forward disunity and division 199 00:16:15.730 --> 00:16:22.429 all of the time. And they're baiting us. They're baiting 200 00:16:22.529 --> 00:16:27.049 us to see if we will bite on those things 201 00:16:27.169 --> 00:16:32.509 that bring another vision. Remember, this is how Satan got 202 00:16:37.169 --> 00:16:40.860 Adam and Eve to fall from the greatest blessing, the 203 00:16:40.889 --> 00:16:45.480 commanded blessing. They were dwelling in the commanded blessing. Think 204 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:51.659 about that. They're dwelling in the commanded blessing. But he 205 00:16:51.720 --> 00:16:59.149 came with another vision. Another vision paid attention to is 206 00:16:59.210 --> 00:17:05.789 the open door for division. And division brought disunity and 207 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.240 And disunity removed them from the commanded blessing. Satan came 208 00:17:12.279 --> 00:17:16.009 in Genesis 3, it's recorded. Satan came and said, has 209 00:17:16.210 --> 00:17:23.230 God said not to eat of this tree? Remember? Has 210 00:17:23.289 --> 00:17:27.450 God said not to eat of this tree? What is 211 00:17:27.490 --> 00:17:33.720 it that the enemy is pulling us, pulling our perspective, 212 00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:40.609 pulling our pulling our heart, pulling our mind, pulling our attention, 213 00:17:40.660 --> 00:17:46.930 pulling our imagination with what is it that, what hook 214 00:17:47.650 --> 00:17:50.890 or what bait on that hook is he using to 215 00:17:50.970 --> 00:17:55.410 draw us into something that really has nothing to do 216 00:17:56.150 --> 00:17:58.900 with the thing itself, but it has everything to do 217 00:17:58.940 --> 00:18:09.750 with the enemy wanting to steal your commanded blessings. How 218 00:18:09.849 --> 00:18:16.480 many churches have failed, are faltering, have fallen? How many churches, 219 00:18:17.059 --> 00:18:26.000 how many kingdom expressions have suffered desperately because we as 220 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:32.279 the body fell for the bait of the enemy that 221 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:38.940 brought division? We fell for the bait that made us questioned. 222 00:18:39.970 --> 00:18:43.910 We fell for the bait. And it could be anything. 223 00:18:44.029 --> 00:18:49.490 So with Eve, it was, but doesn't this look attractive? 224 00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:54.720 Doesn't this look good to eat? How could something good 225 00:18:54.819 --> 00:19:00.720 to eat be something you shouldn't have? Doesn't it look 226 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:03.079 good to eat? And so Eve looked at it and 227 00:19:03.180 --> 00:19:10.309 she saw that it did look attractive to eat. And 228 00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:15.829 so the vision introduced, right? The vision introduced caused her 229 00:19:15.890 --> 00:19:22.869 to ponder and to be drawn away. Isn't that interesting? 230 00:19:23.849 --> 00:19:30.690 Moses is mightily used of God. Moses is the called 231 00:19:30.809 --> 00:19:34.269 out of God. Pastor Joel just mentioned him a moment ago. 232 00:19:34.829 --> 00:19:37.670 He's the called out of God. He was called out 233 00:19:38.109 --> 00:19:46.910 by a burning bush. But at one point, Miriam doesn't 234 00:19:46.950 --> 00:19:57.130 like his instruction. And so Miriam says, I don't think 235 00:19:57.170 --> 00:20:01.490 we ought to listen to Moses anymore because he married 236 00:20:01.509 --> 00:20:09.099 a woman of dark skin. Now Jewish folks have olive 237 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:11.539 skin anyway, but. This must have been a woman of 238 00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:17.519 darker skin, Zipporah, right? And so she brings this accusation 239 00:20:17.579 --> 00:20:24.789 against Moses, which was to result in him losing credibility 240 00:20:24.829 --> 00:20:30.630 with his people so that the words of wisdom coming 241 00:20:30.730 --> 00:20:34.069 out of him and his leadership would fall into disrepute. 242 00:20:35.609 --> 00:20:39.819 I'm just saying, what won't the enemy try? What won't 243 00:20:39.859 --> 00:20:44.869 he try? He'll try anything. He'll try anything. And in 244 00:20:44.890 --> 00:20:49.420 the church environment, he'll try everything to get you into 245 00:20:49.500 --> 00:20:53.660 disagreement with the house and with the people. He'll try 246 00:20:53.900 --> 00:20:58.559 anything and everything. A couple of years ago, I started 247 00:20:58.599 --> 00:21:03.319 talking about buying a Tesla. Remember that? Started talking about 248 00:21:03.359 --> 00:21:05.890 buying a Tesla. Like I was being tempted to buy 249 00:21:05.930 --> 00:21:08.809 a Tesla. And I kind of mentioned from the platform, 250 00:21:08.849 --> 00:21:12.869 we were going to go try out a Tesla. You know, 251 00:21:12.890 --> 00:21:14.809 like two or three people talk to me with this 252 00:21:14.930 --> 00:21:19.289 weird stuff about, you know, and people start talking about, 253 00:21:19.710 --> 00:21:23.329 can he afford a Tesla? And how much money do 254 00:21:23.369 --> 00:21:28.220 we pay him? And should we even pay attention to 255 00:21:28.259 --> 00:21:33.599 somebody who might have enough money to buy a Tesla? 256 00:21:33.619 --> 00:21:38.440 I mean, like weird stuff started happening around the congregation, right? 257 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:50.210 And eventually I bought a Tesla. I bought an old 258 00:21:50.349 --> 00:21:56.609 used one. Beat up. Previously crashed. Paid cash for it. 259 00:21:58.470 --> 00:22:00.349 But it looks brand new so it fooled all the 260 00:22:00.410 --> 00:22:03.269 people who hated me for buying a Tesla so they 261 00:22:03.289 --> 00:22:09.009 all had to go. Because they don't know the history 262 00:22:09.029 --> 00:22:11.390 of the Tesla I bought. They just think it's a 263 00:22:11.410 --> 00:22:14.410 really cool Tesla, and no pastor should have a cool Tesla. 264 00:22:18.789 --> 00:22:20.430 I'm messing with you a little bit, but I want 265 00:22:20.470 --> 00:22:24.210 you to hear, this is how weird it gets. This 266 00:22:24.269 --> 00:22:27.450 is how weird it gets in churches. And the enemy 267 00:22:27.490 --> 00:22:31.859 knows that a little whispering here, a little slander there, 268 00:22:32.230 --> 00:22:38.440 a little gossip over here, a little question there, a 269 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:45.730 little prayer request there, You know, the enemy brings it 270 00:22:45.769 --> 00:22:48.990 like a prayer request. You know, hey, hey, hey, hey. 271 00:22:50.250 --> 00:22:52.089 I know you're a person of prayer. I just want 272 00:22:52.130 --> 00:22:57.140 us to remember Frank and Angela in prayer. Frank and Angela. Yeah, 273 00:22:57.160 --> 00:23:02.000 they're going through something. I can't say nothing about it, though. Well, 274 00:23:02.039 --> 00:23:06.779 you can trust me. Oh, okay. Well, praise God. All right, well, listen. Listen. 275 00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:19.990 You know what I'm talking about? And well, you know, 276 00:23:20.029 --> 00:23:22.130 that shouldn't have been an issue. I wasn't saying nothing 277 00:23:22.170 --> 00:23:26.809 about our doctrines. No, no, no. To slander or to 278 00:23:26.930 --> 00:23:32.440 gossip or to bring disrepute against any of us is 279 00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:36.359 just as bad as bringing disrepute against doctrines. Because why 280 00:23:36.380 --> 00:23:40.549 would we listen to anyone bringing doctrines who has disrepute? 281 00:23:44.430 --> 00:23:48.289 And what it is, it's creating another vision and the 282 00:23:48.349 --> 00:23:55.430 creation of another vision is to create division. And division, 283 00:23:55.970 --> 00:23:59.890 division is not what the enemy is after. What he's 284 00:23:59.970 --> 00:24:04.930 after is the commanded blessing. He's after the commanded blessing 285 00:24:05.490 --> 00:24:10.170 and the way to tear down, to remove, to destroy 286 00:24:10.190 --> 00:24:16.190 the commanded blessing is to remove the unity. Remove the unity. 287 00:24:18.900 --> 00:24:25.140 The commanded blessing is something that only exists in the 288 00:24:25.259 --> 00:24:31.960 coalescing of brethren and sistren. This commanded blessing, this is 289 00:24:32.019 --> 00:24:39.640 different than like the blessing on you individually. Because the text, 290 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:50.099 the context is unity together. when we unify together, then 291 00:24:50.460 --> 00:24:57.660 that creates an atmosphere where Father commands a blessing that 292 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:03.119 is different than any blessing that is ours, respectively, in 293 00:25:03.220 --> 00:25:07.400 our own salvation. This is a commanded blessing that is 294 00:25:07.599 --> 00:25:18.750 loosed upon us when we're unified together. And it's loosed 295 00:25:18.890 --> 00:25:22.559 in a business atmosphere where there's unity. It's loosed in 296 00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:31.299 a marriage atmosphere where there's unity. But the ministry of division, 297 00:25:31.339 --> 00:25:39.220 the ministry of division wants to split and dilute. Wants 298 00:25:39.259 --> 00:25:42.579 to bring in whispering and gossip and doubt and second guessing, 299 00:25:43.140 --> 00:25:55.069 accusation and fault finding, discontentment. cynicism. Just remember this, remember this. 300 00:25:58.210 --> 00:26:01.599 I think that Adam and Eve would like a redo. 301 00:26:08.759 --> 00:26:15.869 Sometimes we don't realize that we're abiding in a commanded blessing. 302 00:26:16.779 --> 00:26:22.099 Sometimes we don't realize, sometimes we don't see the beauty 303 00:26:22.119 --> 00:26:30.609 of what we're enjoying in the midst of unity. And 304 00:26:30.730 --> 00:26:33.750 I think Adam and Eve didn't realize the depth of 305 00:26:33.809 --> 00:26:38.119 the commanded blessing they were enjoying, right? I think they 306 00:26:38.140 --> 00:26:43.180 would want to redo. And I'm just saying, when... When 307 00:26:43.400 --> 00:26:48.420 the enemy comes to you through someone else, if it's 308 00:26:48.460 --> 00:26:52.109 not you, when the enemy comes to you through someone else, 309 00:26:52.990 --> 00:26:58.670 oh my goodness, realize the enemy is after your commanded blessing. 310 00:26:59.410 --> 00:27:06.029 He's after our corporate blessing. He's after our corporate blessing. 311 00:27:08.710 --> 00:27:12.009 Go over to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. talks 312 00:27:12.069 --> 00:27:21.170 about how that unity is preserved with the bond of peace. 313 00:27:23.630 --> 00:27:27.440 I want you to see this because we can have 314 00:27:27.559 --> 00:27:33.039 peace in the midst of disagreement. Again, I'm saying disagreement. 315 00:27:33.759 --> 00:27:40.970 And something really crazy happens. Peace can supersede. In other words, 316 00:27:41.009 --> 00:27:46.119 listen to this. Peace can supersede your understanding. Isn't that 317 00:27:46.140 --> 00:27:51.779 Philippians 4? The peace of God can exceed your understanding. 318 00:27:54.849 --> 00:27:58.849 Because I choose peace and I abide in peace because 319 00:27:58.890 --> 00:28:06.140 I'm still growing in my understanding. That's humility. Humility might say, 320 00:28:07.329 --> 00:28:09.690 I don't see it exactly the way you do right now, 321 00:28:09.750 --> 00:28:12.880 but I don't need to divide from you. I don't 322 00:28:12.930 --> 00:28:15.559 need to be at war with you. I don't need 323 00:28:15.599 --> 00:28:18.019 to see you as my enemy. I don't need to 324 00:28:18.099 --> 00:28:21.180 pit myself against you. I don't need to bring you 325 00:28:21.259 --> 00:28:28.380 down because I'm still growing in understanding. I'm seeking counsel. 326 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:38.559 I'm seeking wisdom. That make sense? I'm looking at Ephesians 327 00:28:38.599 --> 00:28:41.619 chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 says, As a prisoner of 328 00:28:41.640 --> 00:28:45.859 the Lord, then I urge you to live a life 329 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:50.519 worthy of the calling you've received. Be completely humble and gentle. 330 00:28:50.559 --> 00:29:01.109 Be patient. Listen to that. Be completely humble and gentle. Patient. Patient. 331 00:29:01.710 --> 00:29:07.150 Bearing with one another in love. Bearing. Bearing. Bearing, forbearing. 332 00:29:08.009 --> 00:29:15.759 That means you're bugging me right now, but my love 333 00:29:15.819 --> 00:29:20.900 for you is greater than the bug. So even though 334 00:29:20.940 --> 00:29:24.740 I'm feeling bugged, I'm not going to manifest that I'm bugged. 335 00:29:26.829 --> 00:29:29.349 I'm going to manifest love because my love is bigger 336 00:29:29.390 --> 00:29:35.839 than the bug. Right? This is forbearing. Because I recognize 337 00:29:36.460 --> 00:29:39.230 God's working on you and he's working on me. And 338 00:29:39.269 --> 00:29:42.240 maybe I'm the person. with the bug and maybe you're 339 00:29:42.279 --> 00:29:45.230 the problem. But if we keep loving one another, the 340 00:29:45.250 --> 00:29:47.450 bug's going to work out. We're going to work out 341 00:29:47.470 --> 00:29:55.730 the bugs. be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing 342 00:29:55.789 --> 00:29:59.710 with one another in love, making every effort, how many efforts? 343 00:30:01.230 --> 00:30:06.130 Every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through 344 00:30:06.150 --> 00:30:10.619 the bond of peace. So we don't keep unity or 345 00:30:10.660 --> 00:30:16.339 the unity of the Spirit because of perfect agreement. We 346 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:19.579 keep the unity of the Holy Spirit in our church 347 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:26.660 because of peace, We're choosing peace because we love one another. 348 00:30:27.299 --> 00:30:30.880 And peace is, no matter what happens, I'm not going 349 00:30:30.900 --> 00:30:36.660 to be at war with you. I'm not going to 350 00:30:36.680 --> 00:30:40.089 make you my enemy. I have one enemy, and he 351 00:30:40.130 --> 00:30:43.849 has a cohort of partners. That's the one that's my enemy. 352 00:30:44.609 --> 00:30:48.019 That's the one I'm against. I'm not against my body members. 353 00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:53.920 I'm not going to... This is not... autoimmune disease in 354 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:58.410 the church. I'm not going to be attacking the body members. Right? 355 00:31:00.009 --> 00:31:02.670 No matter what. I'm going to love the body members. 356 00:31:04.390 --> 00:31:13.099 Going to choose to be unoffendable. Right? You okay? Making 357 00:31:13.180 --> 00:31:16.039 every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through 358 00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:21.049 the bond of peace. This is Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, 359 00:31:21.049 --> 00:31:24.849 he starts with unity. In the middle, he talks about unity. 360 00:31:27.250 --> 00:31:31.170 Because he says the gifts of Jesus have been distributed 361 00:31:31.319 --> 00:31:36.259 to the five-fold ministry for the equipping of the saints 362 00:31:37.819 --> 00:31:42.519 until we all come into the unity of the faith. 363 00:31:44.140 --> 00:31:49.329 And then he closes this passage saying, Chapter 4, he 364 00:31:49.390 --> 00:31:53.130 closes this passage talking to us about how to walk 365 00:31:53.599 --> 00:31:59.180 in peace. Because if we walk in peace, we will 366 00:31:59.220 --> 00:32:05.460 be preserving unity. If we preserve unity, the commanded blessing 367 00:32:05.480 --> 00:32:11.109 will be in our midst. We will be receiving the 368 00:32:11.250 --> 00:32:15.250 same anointing that was on David and on the house 369 00:32:15.329 --> 00:32:21.220 of Zion. we will be receiving that gushing oil that 370 00:32:21.279 --> 00:32:25.880 came over Aaron and over the beard and over the robe. 371 00:32:27.900 --> 00:32:31.079 Here it is. I'm going to start at verse 25. 372 00:32:31.079 --> 00:32:36.519 End of the chapter. Therefore, each of you must put 373 00:32:36.579 --> 00:32:41.660 off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor for we 374 00:32:41.720 --> 00:32:45.740 are members of one body. Now, by the way, he 375 00:32:45.799 --> 00:32:48.980 says that's actually the That's actually why we're going after 376 00:32:49.019 --> 00:32:51.759 the peace so badly. We're going after the peace so 377 00:32:51.799 --> 00:32:56.539 badly to retain the unity because we are members of 378 00:32:56.640 --> 00:33:05.059 one another. I'm not going to bring injury to Angela 379 00:33:06.019 --> 00:33:12.180 or injury to Craig or injury to Mary or injury... 380 00:33:16.410 --> 00:33:20.160 to Jerry, I'm not going to bring injury. I'm not 381 00:33:20.180 --> 00:33:31.099 going to bring accusation, harm, slander, reproach, judgment, gossip against 382 00:33:31.220 --> 00:33:38.029 them because I wouldn't step on my toe. And even 383 00:33:38.089 --> 00:33:41.970 as I wouldn't step on my own body, they are 384 00:33:42.730 --> 00:33:48.029 a member of my body. Together we are members of 385 00:33:48.130 --> 00:33:53.710 his body. So we're going to make every effort to 386 00:33:53.750 --> 00:33:57.670 be at peace with one another. In your anger, do 387 00:33:57.710 --> 00:34:01.309 not sin. Do not let the sun go down while 388 00:34:01.329 --> 00:34:08.420 you're still angry. I think he just defined the sins. 389 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:16.960 This is one of the definitions of sin in anger. Now, 390 00:34:17.099 --> 00:34:25.679 anger is a righteous emotion. Anger can be a righteous 391 00:34:25.780 --> 00:34:40.639 emotion when wrong has occurred. But if we don't seek reconciliation... 392 00:34:41.550 --> 00:34:51.409 Before the sun sets, we've given Satan an opportunity. That 393 00:34:51.449 --> 00:35:01.719 would be sin. In your anger, do not sin. Do 394 00:35:01.760 --> 00:35:04.340 not let the sun go down while you're still angry 395 00:35:04.539 --> 00:35:07.500 and do not give the devil a foothold. The word 396 00:35:07.539 --> 00:35:11.369 foothold there is actually topos in the Greek. Do not 397 00:35:11.469 --> 00:35:15.989 give place or ground to the enemy. How do you 398 00:35:16.010 --> 00:35:25.219 do that? By not seeking to reconcile a wrong. If 399 00:35:25.280 --> 00:35:28.219 you're going to process this for the next three years 400 00:35:29.179 --> 00:35:33.659 or process this for the next month or two. Hello, somebody. 401 00:35:38.980 --> 00:35:45.409