WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:08.080 See the Word of God is alive. It actually is alive. A beautiful poem and author wrote a hundred years ago, 2 00:00:08.080 --> 00:00:16.720 pretty words, but it's not got breathed. It's not inspired. The Word of God is alive. Paul said it 3 00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:23.440 actually worked in us and that Greek word for work is this energy. It energizes. It produces 4 00:00:24.080 --> 00:00:30.080 innate. Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today, 5 00:00:30.080 --> 00:00:34.960 as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. 6 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:41.360 If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com 7 00:00:41.360 --> 00:00:49.280 that citylightnyc.com. Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit 8 00:00:49.360 --> 00:00:55.280 is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you 9 00:00:55.280 --> 00:01:02.480 are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace, and that He has a real hope and a future for you. 10 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:13.440 Welcome everybody and those of you joining us online. Welcome to you. It's feeling extra 11 00:01:13.440 --> 00:01:18.720 Christmassy in here, isn't it? It's not just the decor, although that helps. 12 00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:28.480 Thank you, Jesus. It's good as we're in this Advent season or looking forward and anticipating 13 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:35.760 December 25th. It's good for us to just every day remember what we're celebrating. The Incarnation. 14 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:48.080 Carnia Sada. Carnie. Meaning flesh. The Incarnation is when God became flesh. 15 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:56.720 dwelt among us. If it didn't do that, we'd still be stuck in our sins with God's wrath hanging 16 00:01:56.720 --> 00:02:06.160 over us, but God Himself came, became flesh, and in and with that sinless life that He lived, 17 00:02:06.160 --> 00:02:14.720 He went to the cross, and it was the divine exchange. He who knew no sin became sin for us, 18 00:02:14.720 --> 00:02:23.040 that we who knew only sin would become the righteousness of God in Christ. Hallelujah. 19 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:29.280 And as much as we celebrate what Jesus has done, it's good. It's healthy to just remember who you 20 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:37.040 are outside of Jesus. I do that just to refresh myself a little bit. I remind myself of what my 21 00:02:37.040 --> 00:02:43.120 portion is outside of Christ. It's not pretty. The wrath of God was on me, because sometimes I say, 22 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:49.360 well, that's a bad person, but they're so nice, even though in an unsaved group that hasn't 23 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:55.040 accepted Jesus. Well, they're so nice. You know, before I was saved, I was also very, very polite, 24 00:02:55.600 --> 00:03:01.440 and very, very nice, but in my core, I was an enemy of God. That's what the scripture says. 25 00:03:01.440 --> 00:03:06.880 My very existence was in opposition to Him. All I deserved was wrath and hell. 26 00:03:08.880 --> 00:03:15.120 And now because of Jesus, I deserve God's best. Now because of Jesus, you deserve 27 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:24.400 it's your portion. It's your right. It's your heritage. You deserve to receive all that Jesus 28 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:30.080 died for you to have. Forgiveness of sins, righteousness, peace with God, prosperity, 29 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:36.640 overflowing abundance in every area of your life, spiritually, physically, soulishly, 30 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:41.520 socially, yes, and even financially. Hallelujah. 31 00:03:42.480 --> 00:03:46.560 Well, let me just do a couple of announcements. I love this part. I'm so good at it. 32 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:54.720 If you're a guest or you've been coming for some time, fill out one of these connection cards. 33 00:03:54.720 --> 00:03:59.520 This is the best way to stay in touch with us, to let us know you exist. So that way, 34 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:02.560 you don't get your feelings hurt six months from now. So you know, it just let me treat you, 35 00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.680 me like I didn't exist. Did you fill out a connection card? 36 00:04:05.920 --> 00:04:12.240 You can have questions answered. You can be a part of the volunteer team, join the life groups, 37 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:19.120 city kids, prep team. But you know, this used to be easy before everybody was trying to capture 38 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.280 your information. Like we were doing this 20 years ago. Now I can't even buy anything without 39 00:04:23.280 --> 00:04:28.240 what's your email address. Just let me buy the thing. What do you need my email address for? 40 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:36.320 Are you hitting on me? I'm married. So now it's harder because everybody's real 41 00:04:36.960 --> 00:04:43.200 weary, but you're in a safe place and you can give us your email. We'll only use it once a week 42 00:04:43.200 --> 00:04:48.960 unless there's a snowstorm in which case we'll let you know about the snow in a second email. 43 00:04:54.080 --> 00:04:56.640 Are you already the worship of the Lord with your tides and offerings? 44 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:03.520 Amen. Before we show all the ways to give, let's just see where we're doing with our end 45 00:05:03.520 --> 00:05:11.920 of the year offering. All right, we just started December and we're a little less than halfway 46 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:21.200 there. I just want to say this, if you believe that the offering is for you and not for God, 47 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:28.000 you will be of a certain mindset. I received the revelation early on 48 00:05:29.280 --> 00:05:36.720 that the offering, it's not for the organization. It's not even because God needs it. It's because 49 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:44.480 I need to give it. So I made a decision that if I'm in service or I'm visiting another church, 50 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:50.880 I'm always going to give. Always because if I just don't give, then I missed out on my 51 00:05:50.880 --> 00:05:56.400 opportunity to increase. Why would I do that? I'm not a glutton for punishment. I don't hate 52 00:05:56.400 --> 00:06:01.520 myself. I'd like to increase. So I'm going to take advantage of that opportunity to increase. 53 00:06:01.520 --> 00:06:05.920 So I learned this when I was in my early 20s and sometimes all I'd have is a dollar on me. 54 00:06:06.800 --> 00:06:12.480 So I'd give a dollar. Once I gave a piece of gum in a wrapper, not chewed. 55 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:17.600 Because I refused to let that thing, all I had was a pack of gum. It said, God's going to get one 56 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:23.440 stick. I refused to let, and I say that thing passed by. See, kids, once upon a time churches had 57 00:06:23.440 --> 00:06:30.480 offering buckets. Before we went into the digital age, you can give with a QR code. It was real 58 00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:35.680 awkward. Offering buckets would come down. Even more awkward in the Catholic church where they hold 59 00:06:35.680 --> 00:06:40.960 it and they're trying to, they're trying to gauge by your reaction if you're going to give anything, 60 00:06:40.960 --> 00:06:44.240 right? You're going to, how long I have to wait here? Are you still digging in that purse? 61 00:06:46.240 --> 00:06:51.120 But I just made a decision. The bucket wasn't going to go by without me giving something. I'd 62 00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:56.000 ask the Lord and I encourage you to get to that place. But that's only if you really believe that, 63 00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:03.040 well, the 100 plus scriptures all throughout 66 books of the Bible that say, when you give, 64 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:08.560 you actually increase and that the liberal soul, the giving soul, the generous soul, 65 00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:13.440 shall be prospered and he, that water, shall also be watered himself. That's why I'm inviting 66 00:07:13.440 --> 00:07:18.800 you to specifically ask God what He'd have you give towards our end of the year offering, 67 00:07:18.800 --> 00:07:25.440 so that we can celebrate come the new year and say, look, we met our goal. Amen. So that's it. Ask 68 00:07:25.440 --> 00:07:29.520 the Lord and then there's a drop down menu where you can specifically give to the end of the year 69 00:07:29.520 --> 00:07:34.160 offering. Let's go back to the different ways to give and honor the Lord with your tie, 70 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:42.640 the offering. I make my living by my giving. Hallelujah. I believe in a hundredfold return. 71 00:07:44.400 --> 00:07:47.440 A hundredfold return, I don't believe, is a hundred times what you've given 72 00:07:49.280 --> 00:07:56.400 because frankly, then the Lord would be a little bit behind then. But you're, you're promised 73 00:07:56.400 --> 00:08:01.360 up to a hundredfold return, and Jesus had some 30, some 60, some 100. So what is a hundredfold 74 00:08:01.840 --> 00:08:06.000 return? Remember when you used to get a hundred on a test? That was the best possible score you could 75 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:11.200 get, right? A hundredfold return is the maximum the best possible return that you can get. 76 00:08:12.320 --> 00:08:18.320 Some get 30, some 60, I want a hundredfold. My faith is out there for a hundredfold. What's the 77 00:08:18.320 --> 00:08:24.240 best possible return? Well, giving, giving my own financial status and how much I'm actually 78 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:29.520 sacrificing and giving and where I'm sowing into and have I instantly obeyed the voice of the 79 00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:34.480 Holy Spirit and other factors, they come in and I'm trusting, God, you're going to get me the best 80 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:42.000 possible return. We just, we just now, both kids tithe, and Victor's used to it, but it was 81 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:46.880 Vivian's first time and it was a wonderful little thing we went through last night because she's 82 00:08:46.880 --> 00:08:52.880 only five, six. So you should have seen her face when I explain the tithe to her and it's like most 83 00:08:52.880 --> 00:08:59.360 people. It's, it's, I said, look, if she got twenty dollars. So I'm trying to tell her God gets a 84 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:07.360 tenth, two, and she went, but then I won't have any money left. And I said, well, God will bring you 85 00:09:07.360 --> 00:09:13.440 more. And she blessed her heart. She set out loud with most people think but never say out loud. 86 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:19.760 She went, because I said, God, I'll get you more. She went, how? I said, that is a great question. 87 00:09:19.760 --> 00:09:26.560 How? And then I shared where there's some stories how God brought it back to mommy and daddy. 88 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:32.240 So have your faith out there. That's how, but it'll be some way. Trust. I mean, how did you get the 89 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:39.040 first twenty? You didn't, she didn't get a job. It came. So give and trust that God will bring more. 90 00:09:39.040 --> 00:09:46.960 Amen. I already for the word this morning. All right, we're in Hebrews chapter four. We're going 91 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:54.080 through the entire book of Hebrews and we're saying no to biblical illiteracy. We're saying no to 92 00:09:54.080 --> 00:10:00.800 living in a word desert. The word is alive and it brings life. The word cleanses its strengthens, 93 00:10:00.800 --> 00:10:06.720 it edifies, it builds us. And my dream is to have a church of word strong people filled with the 94 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:12.320 word who can't be easily deceived won't go away into false doctrine and know in whom they have 95 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:18.640 believed and know what they believe and why they believe it. So a little bit of context, Hebrews 96 00:10:18.640 --> 00:10:25.920 is being written to a very discouraged, despotent group of Christians. They're in a very, very bad 97 00:10:25.920 --> 00:10:32.480 place, which it's good to study the book of Hebrews because then you can see God's heart and what 98 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:38.720 the message would be to people who are in a similar predicament. So let's begin chapter four with 99 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:48.960 that in mind. Verse one, therefore he's just continuing right from where he left off in Hebrews 100 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:56.160 chapter three where he was talking about the children of Israel and how God threw many signs and 101 00:10:56.160 --> 00:11:02.160 wonders brought him out of the land of Egypt and promised them a land of rest, a land flowing in 102 00:11:02.160 --> 00:11:10.000 milk and honey, cane and land. But only Joshua and Caleb of that whole group of two million plus Jews, 103 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:18.800 they're the only ones who made it in. Them and the ones who weren't born, who were born in the wilderness, 104 00:11:18.800 --> 00:11:24.400 but the original ones who came out of Egypt, it says they could not make it in because of unbelief 105 00:11:24.400 --> 00:11:31.520 and evil heart of unbelief. Something happened to them where they got bitter. Really they just went 106 00:11:31.520 --> 00:11:36.080 the way of most people. They could see mighty signs and wonders happening before them. God comes 107 00:11:36.080 --> 00:11:40.960 through but then six months later they begin to wine, they begin to complain and the Bible says 108 00:11:40.960 --> 00:11:46.480 an evil heart of unbelief was found within them and they never entered into God's rest. 109 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:53.280 Therefore since the promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear, 110 00:11:54.240 --> 00:12:00.080 lest any of you seem to come short of it. Now it's really important to understand 111 00:12:00.800 --> 00:12:08.560 that in the Old Testament everything was physical. In the New Testament a lot of those physical things 112 00:12:09.360 --> 00:12:14.960 are spiritual. Like in the Old Testament says God is going to slay your enemies before your face, 113 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:21.280 dash them into pieces. It's not talking about Karen, your coworker who can keep her mouth quiet. 114 00:12:22.160 --> 00:12:25.040 It's not talking about another human being and you're like God I'm still waiting for 115 00:12:25.040 --> 00:12:30.960 when are you going to smite her or great smite her and do it so I can witness it. In the Old Testament 116 00:12:30.960 --> 00:12:33.760 it was real people. Some of you I just messed up your whole prayer life didn't I? 117 00:12:35.760 --> 00:12:40.160 In the Old Testament it was a physical enemy. In the New Testament it's a spiritual enemy, 118 00:12:40.160 --> 00:12:47.360 demons, devils that you have the victory over. They had a physical Sabbath day, we have a spiritual 119 00:12:47.360 --> 00:12:54.320 Sabbath day. See they had the promise we have the fulfillment. They had the shadow and the form 120 00:12:54.320 --> 00:13:01.680 we have the substance. So this whole thing about rest. It's a big theme in the Bible, the Sabbath, 121 00:13:01.680 --> 00:13:06.320 the Sabbath day, remembering the Sabbath to keep it holy. And even in this example where the 122 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:12.480 writer of Hebrews is referring to Canaan land being the place of rest, it's all pointing to another 123 00:13:12.480 --> 00:13:20.480 day, another place this day and this place under the new covenant. The Sabbath is now for us. 124 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:27.840 What day of the week? Every day said everyone who was in the first service. Very confidently. It's 125 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:34.960 every day. People will obsess over what day is the Sabbath. What day is the day where you can have 126 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:41.760 peace and rest and abstain from working to try to impress God every day. Monday, Sabbath, 127 00:13:41.760 --> 00:13:47.440 day Tuesday, Sabbath day, Wednesday, Sabbath day. The place of rest is the place where you know that 128 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:59.760 you are forgiven by God. So now the striving is gone. And he says, look, let us fear less than 129 00:13:59.760 --> 00:14:07.200 any of you seem to have come short of it. That means that even as a believer, he's writing to 130 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:15.120 believers, by the way. Even as a believer, you can believe in Jesus and be saved but not live in God's 131 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:24.240 rest. And I venture to say that the majority of Christians, they're saved, they're heaven bound, 132 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:31.200 but they just miserable on earth because they never entered into God's rest. They're walking 133 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:38.960 civil wars, full of anxiety, always kind of afraid of God in all the wrong ways. 134 00:14:42.640 --> 00:14:46.800 They're still under guilt, they're still under shame, they're under condemnation, 135 00:14:47.520 --> 00:14:51.920 they're wondering what they need to do so God would smile upon them. Instead of Christian who's 136 00:14:51.920 --> 00:14:57.840 living in the rest of God knows there's nothing more that they can do. It's already done, done, done. 137 00:14:58.800 --> 00:15:03.840 They can't do anything that will cause God to love a more. They can't do some act of right, 138 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:08.240 I'm going to go feed the homeless, I'm going to go pray, I'm going to serve people. Those are 139 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:12.640 all great things, but they're not going to contribute to you being made righteous. That's already for 140 00:15:12.640 --> 00:15:18.320 free. That's already been done. A great rest comes from that. By the way, notice, he's not telling 141 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:23.920 this, he spends the next 10 verses talking to them about this rest. That's not by accident 142 00:15:23.920 --> 00:15:29.760 that to a group of people who are under such heavy persecution, they were being tempted to quit 143 00:15:29.760 --> 00:15:33.920 their Christianity. It's not by accident that one of the solutions he presents to them is, 144 00:15:33.920 --> 00:15:39.600 hey, you need to get into the rest of God. Because find me a Christian who wants to leave the Lord, 145 00:15:40.160 --> 00:15:45.440 backslide, leave the church. I'll show you somebody who's not living in the rest of God. 146 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:54.640 It's connected. Let's just read those things I had to make slides of what the rest of God is. 147 00:15:54.640 --> 00:16:05.040 Rest means peace with God. Rest means freedom from a survival bondage-like spirit in the worship 148 00:16:05.760 --> 00:16:14.640 and service of God. Rest means deliverance from the burden of mosaic, observance, mosaic, 149 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:21.840 the law of Moses. Did you ever wonder why it doesn't matter whether we meet on Sunday or, I mean, 150 00:16:21.840 --> 00:16:25.040 Sunday, we do it because it's tradition. God didn't say me on Sunday. 151 00:16:25.680 --> 00:16:35.680 How come we get to eat bacon now? How come we get little things like we get to wear outfits 152 00:16:35.680 --> 00:16:41.120 where there could be cotton, there had strict laws on fabrics and what they can wear? 153 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:50.000 That was such bondage. When the neighborhood we live in Long Island is very Jewish. 154 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:54.560 One of the first things the Realtors showed us with our kitchen set up was there was a crisper in 155 00:16:54.560 --> 00:17:00.400 there that you just can keep on warm so that Friday night before the sun goes on, Emily can make 156 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:04.400 the final meal for the weekend and leave it in the crisper and we'll have warm food. 157 00:17:08.560 --> 00:17:13.440 Like God doesn't know. Like, you got me. You legalist, you outlegaled me. 158 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:22.400 Because that's done. Jesus said to those who are under the bondage of trying to religiously, 159 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:27.200 do you know any people like this? Some of them are in the church. They can only pray with confidence 160 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:32.400 if they feel according to their mental list. They themselves have studied enough, 161 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:36.880 gone to church enough, given enough, evangelized enough. They're like a gerbil on a wheel. 162 00:17:37.520 --> 00:17:43.840 Those people will backslide. That's why I'm always preaching grace. That's why I'm always preaching 163 00:17:43.840 --> 00:17:48.000 the blood. That's why I'm always showing the finished work of the cross. Because there is so 164 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:53.280 long you can spend as a hamster on a wheel. Eventually you get tired of it and then you quit. You 165 00:17:53.280 --> 00:18:00.480 collapse. That's what religious legalism does. It causes you to collapse. That tire trying to 166 00:18:00.560 --> 00:18:07.520 please a God who according to your doctrine can never be pleased. Well, I got good news. He is 167 00:18:07.520 --> 00:18:13.920 well pleased with you if you've received his son. He's well pleased. Can't get any more pleased 168 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:19.120 if the blood of Jesus has been applied to your life by you saying yes to the Lord and giving 169 00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:28.240 your life to him. Hallelujah. Sometimes when I got to pray just like you, I have moods. 170 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:35.200 I have emotions, right? You get to call me up. I got to be right on and pray with you. 171 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:42.160 But you don't know what I could be coming out of. I don't know. I could just cut out of 172 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:46.800 like, reprimanding my kids and I'm like, oh, was it too rough? Was it too tough? And I feel, 173 00:18:46.800 --> 00:18:52.960 and I'm feeling feelings, but the moment it's time to pray and I say, Father, in the name of Jesus, 174 00:18:53.040 --> 00:18:58.240 everything changes. It doesn't matter what's been going on in my head, in my motion. It doesn't 175 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:03.280 matter what I did. It doesn't matter. All that can wait. I'm coming to the Father in the name of 176 00:19:03.280 --> 00:19:10.720 Jesus. That means I am coming to him as his own son. I am completely righteous. I deserve great 177 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:15.360 things from the Lord. Not based on what I've done or who I am, but based on what Jesus has done 178 00:19:15.360 --> 00:19:21.680 and who he is. So now I have confidence. Hallelujah. Now I want to quit like these new covenant 179 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:29.440 Hebrews because I'm in the rest of God. Hallelujah. So let's just go back to that first verse. 180 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:37.520 And this is why I'm always in some way trying to get this to you, family. I want you to have this 181 00:19:37.520 --> 00:19:42.640 because he says, let us fearless. Any of you seem to have come short of it. Be concerned in other 182 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:49.280 words if you're not living in the rest of God. Christianity is a struggle without the rest of 183 00:19:49.280 --> 00:19:56.720 God. Some of you, you're just too alive. You need to die to yourselves. Really give your life 184 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:08.480 to the Lord. Die already. Submit and yield and realize that you have been crucified with Christ 185 00:20:09.360 --> 00:20:14.400 and let the power of God come through and watch how he lives life as you yield to him. 186 00:20:15.360 --> 00:20:24.320 Hallelujah. Merry Christmas. Die already. Amen. That was the word. Verse two. 187 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:34.000 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. Now to us, he means to us. He's 188 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:38.640 writing to the first century Hebrews. He's saying the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. 189 00:20:39.600 --> 00:20:44.560 Hundreds of years ago, those Hebrews in the wilderness, you say, how was the gospel preached to them? 190 00:20:45.600 --> 00:20:50.640 The gospel is on every page of the old covenant is just concealed. In the new covenant, 191 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:57.520 the gospel is revealed. Even Moses leading two million Hebrews through the red sea, the new 192 00:20:57.520 --> 00:21:01.760 covenant explains that was a type and a picture of baptism as they went through the red sea. 193 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.360 The man from heaven was a type and a picture of the word of God that were to eat that sustains us. 194 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:16.320 But this is so. But the word which they heard, the Hebrews in the wilderness, 195 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:24.240 it didn't profit them because it wasn't being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 196 00:21:29.040 --> 00:21:35.200 That's so huge. I never want to be that person. When I first got saved, my attitude was, 197 00:21:35.200 --> 00:21:40.160 I'm either going to be a Christian, a Christian Christian, what the Bible just simply calls a 198 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:46.000 Christian, a real Christian, a Christian that gets prayers answered, a Christian that has the 199 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:49.760 power of God in their lives, or I'm not playing games, right? You were the same way. 200 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:57.600 Because we both came out of the world. We were both plucked out of the world and we both knew, 201 00:21:57.680 --> 00:22:06.240 hey, if this isn't real, I don't want it. I want to do it real. And so we have to mix faith with the 202 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:12.320 word. And I'm provoking right now people who don't mix faith with the word. And some people 203 00:22:12.320 --> 00:22:18.640 like that still come every Sunday. I don't know how I couldn't do it. If I didn't see evidence of 204 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:25.920 the Lord working in my life, I mean, there will be times you have to go by faith for a while, 205 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:30.960 but eventually the breakthrough comes. I don't want to be the person who just gets wet. I want to 206 00:22:30.960 --> 00:22:36.000 be the person who gets baptized. What's the difference? Some people get baptized and encounter the 207 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:41.440 Holy Spirit. The life has changed after baptism. Other people, they just had a baptism and they got 208 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:48.080 wet. What's the difference? One mixed faith and they had an expectancy. The other one just went, 209 00:22:48.080 --> 00:22:54.240 oh, yeah, it's okay. I'll do it like the rest. Oh, why don't be that person? I don't want to be a 210 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:58.480 bucket plunker who just gives here and there and then expects for nothing. I'll run out of money 211 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:05.440 that way. I have to mix faith with my giving. Every time we give, we don't do it haphazardly, 212 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:11.440 we do it by faith. We say, Lord, we're giving you the time and an offering on top and we're 213 00:23:11.440 --> 00:23:18.720 trusting for more to come back because the word says you take pleasure in the prosperity of your 214 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:25.680 servants. Now I'm releasing faith. Amen. Whatever you hear preached, if it's in the word, 215 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:30.800 you got to grasp it with your spirit and say, that's for me. That's for me. It will be 216 00:23:30.800 --> 00:23:37.520 fulfilled in my life. I'm like a, like a rot wiler. I've grabbed ahold of that word. I'm not 217 00:23:37.520 --> 00:23:46.240 letting go until I see it bring fruit in my life. Hallelujah. And I believe, look, I believe we're 218 00:23:46.240 --> 00:23:49.120 going to see people like that. Look, in every church, you're going to have people who are just 219 00:23:49.120 --> 00:23:55.440 hearers and not doers. I just want to see that the stats go up properly in the right direction. 220 00:23:56.560 --> 00:24:04.080 Like 95% of you mix faith with what you hear and the other 5% you're new. You'll come around it. 221 00:24:04.080 --> 00:24:15.440 That those are good stats. Verse 3. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I love you church. You know, if I, 222 00:24:16.560 --> 00:24:20.080 if I just kind of seems like I'm shaking you a little bit, it's out of love. I promise you. 223 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:29.760 I just want to, I just want you to be able to receive all that's already been paid for in full 224 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:40.240 and requires faith. For we who believed do enter that rest as he has said, so I sworn my wrath they 225 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:47.280 shall not enter my rest. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world, 226 00:24:47.280 --> 00:24:52.880 so with the children of Israel in the wilderness, he swore in his wrath they're not going to enter my 227 00:24:52.880 --> 00:25:00.560 rest. Let's keep reading to verse 4. For he has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day. 228 00:25:00.560 --> 00:25:06.160 You know what it says in a certain place like that? You know what that really theologians will 229 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:11.040 all say this. He's talking about a certain place in the Bible, but whatever book it was they hadn't 230 00:25:11.040 --> 00:25:16.640 figured out chapter and verses like we have today. So it's just in a certain place. Anyway, that 231 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:22.400 doesn't interest you, but it was funny to me. On the seventh day in this way, and God rested 232 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:29.120 on the seventh day from all his works. And again in this place they shall not enter my rest. 233 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:36.400 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it this wonderful place called the rest of God. 234 00:25:37.040 --> 00:25:44.240 And those to her to whom it was first preached the Hebrews in the wilderness did not enter because 235 00:25:44.240 --> 00:25:52.080 of disobedience. What disobedience? Unbelief, doubting, a bad attitude, getting bitter, 236 00:25:52.800 --> 00:25:58.240 having unbelief towards God. That's what's considered disobedience and evil. All other disobedience 237 00:25:58.240 --> 00:26:04.720 and evil actually comes from the root which is unbelief. Again, he designates a certain day saying 238 00:26:04.720 --> 00:26:10.400 in David today, after such a long time as it has been said today, if you will hear his voice, 239 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:24.000 do not harden your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken 240 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:32.640 of another day. Now just keep that up there. Joshua was supposed to bring them to this place 241 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:40.480 arrest, a physical place, a land of Canaan. But they couldn't enter in because of disobedience which 242 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:48.480 was their unbelief. What the first Joshua failed, the next Joshua succeeded. Because Jesus's name 243 00:26:49.040 --> 00:26:56.320 some would say Yeshua or Yeshua, most commonly today would be Joshua. So where the first Joshua 244 00:26:56.320 --> 00:27:02.480 failed, the second Joshua succeeded. Just like where the first Adam failed, the second Adam succeeded. 245 00:27:02.560 --> 00:27:09.760 Jesus. For if Joshua had given them rest, then he would not afterward have spoken of another day. 246 00:27:11.040 --> 00:27:17.440 Even in the Old Testament, this New Testament rest that we are invited to partake of was prophesied. 247 00:27:19.040 --> 00:27:24.800 It was never supposed to be a physical location and it wasn't supposed to be a day. The Sabbath 248 00:27:25.520 --> 00:27:31.200 is a place in Christ that you live in all the time. It's a place where you ceased from your 249 00:27:31.200 --> 00:27:38.640 labors as God did from his. God didn't stop working because he got tired. It was just time to rest. 250 00:27:39.280 --> 00:27:43.680 Jesus right now, the Bible says he sat down. That's a position of rest. 251 00:27:45.440 --> 00:27:51.280 So many Christians, they feel like from God, everything is a to-do list. And life is hard enough 252 00:27:53.280 --> 00:28:00.080 and stressful enough. And also, then preachers burn them out because every time they come to church, 253 00:28:00.080 --> 00:28:05.600 the preacher gives them a to-do list. Thank you for coming, everybody, this Sunday, Mary, Christmas. 254 00:28:05.600 --> 00:28:11.440 Today I got for you seven steps you need to take in order to be closer to God. In my next week, 255 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:16.800 I'm going to present to you 10 keys that you need to adopt and really, really appropriate work 256 00:28:16.800 --> 00:28:20.960 through your life. And after that, we're going to have the 26 highways that are going to take you to 257 00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.880 and you're busy taking notes like, okay, I knew I missed one. I got to do something else. There's 258 00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:30.960 something that's just not clicking. That's why you have Christians who are full of anxiety. 259 00:28:31.520 --> 00:28:36.160 Don't feel close to God and always wondering, do I deserve even what I'm praying for? No, there is a 260 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:45.920 rest. In the rest, you realize he is daddy God. He loves you. It pushes his buttons to give you good gifts. 261 00:28:47.760 --> 00:28:52.160 How can you say that? I'm just paraphrasing what Jesus said. Jesus said, it's your father's good 262 00:28:52.160 --> 00:29:01.760 pleasure to give good gifts to his children. Hallelujah. And then the Satan says, why do you deserve him? Oh, 263 00:29:01.760 --> 00:29:08.720 I don't. Glad you brought that up, devil. You know, the Bible says, agree, Jesus says, 264 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:13.920 agree with your adversary quickly. So, Satan says, you don't deserve that. Oh, yeah, no, don't try. 265 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:20.080 I know. But the whole gospel is set up where I receive not what I deserve, but what Jesus deserves. 266 00:29:20.080 --> 00:29:26.800 Get that mindset. That terrifies the enemy. Hallelujah. Verse nine, 267 00:29:28.800 --> 00:29:34.960 there remains therefore a rest. He's inviting them to this place. I pray that everyone who calls 268 00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:40.640 city light their home has come or is quickly coming and on their way into the rest of God. 269 00:29:41.600 --> 00:29:50.480 The rest of God, you've quit from striving. If you're under guilt, constant condemnation, 270 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:56.640 you're not in the rest of God. Look upon Jesus. Look upon what he did for you on the cross. It'll fill 271 00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:07.680 your soul with rest. Verse 10, for he who has entered his rest, God's rest, has himself also ceased 272 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:16.960 from his works as God did from his. So now there is nothing I can do to impress God. 273 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:24.000 I can leave right now. I can say, guys, it's been a nice 24-year run, but I'm out of here because 274 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:30.000 it's just gotten too easy and we're too blessed. So we're going to Calcutta. We're Mother Teresa used 275 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.400 to hang. Victor, we're going to Calcutta. We're going to live in the streets. We're going to 276 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:39.680 minister to the poor and I really believe if we do that, God's just going to love us a little bit more. 277 00:30:44.720 --> 00:30:51.680 Thank you. Landmines set up to distract me in the shape of my wife's coffee mug. 278 00:30:56.400 --> 00:31:01.200 If God didn't tell me to go to Calcutta, I'm going to die in Calcutta. I'm going to have a miserable time. 279 00:31:04.960 --> 00:31:14.640 What is the rest of God? The rest of God is you doing only what the Lord tells you to do. 280 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:22.160 Nothing less, nothing more. That's it. That's your only responsibility. Hallelujah. 281 00:31:22.160 --> 00:31:28.240 When I first started pastoring, I thought the whole world was my responsibility. Right? Go 282 00:31:28.240 --> 00:31:33.600 into all the world. Jesus said the world. I was an agony. You didn't want to know me the first 283 00:31:33.600 --> 00:31:39.200 five years. I was a terror. I'd say all the right things from the pulpit, but in my private life, 284 00:31:39.200 --> 00:31:44.720 oh, God, I'm not measuring up. Oh, God, they're all dying. I'm going to hell. I got to rescue them. 285 00:31:47.760 --> 00:31:51.440 I know my assignment. I have peace and rest with my assignment here in New York City. 286 00:31:53.360 --> 00:31:58.720 And you know, when you're not operating in the rest of God, you're always in a state of anxiety 287 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:03.360 because you have to maintain that thing. When you're in the rest of God, God builds it and he 288 00:32:03.360 --> 00:32:09.280 maintains it. When you're not in his rest, you got to concoct it. You got to build it. And then 289 00:32:09.280 --> 00:32:14.720 you got to maintain it. Do you notice that at City Light, we're flourishing, but as a church, 290 00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:20.720 we're really very simple. We don't have a lot of bells and whistles. Notice no fog machines. 291 00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:26.400 Notice no lasers. Notice we didn't have the rock cats do the can can while Santa appeared on a 292 00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:32.640 giant LED screen behind them. And next week, if you come, we're going to have so and so who you 293 00:32:32.640 --> 00:32:37.600 never heard of who was a famous football player who just recently received Jesus. He's doing the 294 00:32:37.600 --> 00:32:44.640 sermon because whatever you get people with, you have to keep up the charade to keep them in there. 295 00:32:45.600 --> 00:32:49.840 So when it comes to a Bible-based biblical church, what are the important elements? I know 296 00:32:50.800 --> 00:32:57.360 uncompromised preaching of the Word. Amen. Powerful praise and worship where you can enter in. 297 00:32:58.080 --> 00:33:06.000 And three, the Holy Spirit can do whatever he wants to do. Everything else is fluff. Hallelujah. 298 00:33:07.520 --> 00:33:15.200 Praise God. And the same goes for your life. Some of, I dare say this, I say, would love some of the 299 00:33:15.200 --> 00:33:20.720 desires you have. You may be even praying that you have to come before the Lord with this. 300 00:33:21.280 --> 00:33:26.800 Some of the desires you have, they're not of God. The desire is like for whatever success you want. 301 00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:32.080 They may not be from God. They may be, but they may not be. They may be coming out of a place 302 00:33:32.080 --> 00:33:37.120 where you're hurt and you're wounded in your heart and you want to become somebody so other people 303 00:33:37.120 --> 00:33:41.360 will respect you and think, well, of you. And that'll end up like sand in your mouth. 304 00:33:41.520 --> 00:33:47.840 In ministry land, you can do all of the right things for all of the wrong reasons. 305 00:33:50.320 --> 00:33:55.280 It looks nice and looks right on the outside, but only the Lord knows the motives of the heart. 306 00:33:57.120 --> 00:34:02.960 Some of the most productive, fruitful preachers, I know, when you actually peek under the hood and 307 00:34:02.960 --> 00:34:06.880 have a conversation, you realize you're some of the most insecure people on planet earth. 308 00:34:07.600 --> 00:34:14.640 If the dad didn't hug him enough, they don't know the father's love, so they're working and 309 00:34:14.640 --> 00:34:18.320 working. He's going, wow, that's so impressive. No, they're absolutely miserable. They're just 310 00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:24.640 trying to get God's approval and everybody else's. Be free of that. You already approved by God 311 00:34:24.640 --> 00:34:30.480 and what other people think it doesn't make you only knew how much it doesn't matter. Hallelujah. 312 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:41.920 Verse 11, let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest. In the Old King James, it says, 313 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:47.680 let us labor to enter into the rest. Sounds like an oxymoron. Work real hard to stop working. 314 00:34:48.720 --> 00:34:52.400 Labor to enter into that rest. Oh, and by the way, 315 00:34:52.400 --> 00:35:00.320 sweetie, your coffee cup exploded while I was preaching. I'm sorry. Yes. It just happened. I 316 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:12.560 have no idea how. Again, way too comfortable in that second row. She gets a man and now she's 317 00:35:12.560 --> 00:35:20.080 mopping off from the second row. Unbelievable. This is the part where you squeeze her hand and go, 318 00:35:20.080 --> 00:35:27.840 not now, dear. God bless you. I love what you've done with this facial here. Keep up the good work. 319 00:35:27.840 --> 00:35:33.280 Thank you. It's a real step up. Stay close to her. She's got your best interests at heart. 320 00:35:33.280 --> 00:35:52.400 What was I talking about? Oh, thank you. When I look at when we need something done in the church, 321 00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:59.680 the ones who rally the first to serve to help when we have a giving campaign, the ones who give first, 322 00:35:59.680 --> 00:36:03.120 it's actually the ones who completely understand that they don't have to do any of that. 323 00:36:04.080 --> 00:36:09.040 Like, will God love you anymore if you serve? No, He just loves you. But then out of that, 324 00:36:09.040 --> 00:36:15.200 you're filled with the Holy Spirit. You do it anyway. So now knowing that I don't have to do anything 325 00:36:15.200 --> 00:36:22.080 is actually fuel and empowerment to do the important things. Hallelujah. In other words, you don't 326 00:36:22.080 --> 00:36:27.760 take this message of rest and then just become a bum. And just go, well, he did it all. I'm going 327 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:35.120 to lay in a hammock. No. But you also don't want to be the person who's working for the Lord. 328 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:42.640 But secretly, you're working for him, hoping that it's going to help you in being justified before 329 00:36:42.640 --> 00:36:52.640 him. Is this making sense? Okay. Verse 12. Oh, one of the most famous scriptures in the new 330 00:36:52.640 --> 00:37:01.120 Testament for the word of God. Shout this is living. See, the word of God is alive. It actually is 331 00:37:01.120 --> 00:37:07.040 alive. A beautiful poem and author wrote a hundred years ago. Pretty words, but it's not, 332 00:37:08.000 --> 00:37:14.880 God breathed. It's not inspired. The word of God is alive. Paul said it actually work 333 00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:23.440 in us. And that Greek word for work is this energy. It energizes. It produces innate, innate 334 00:37:23.440 --> 00:37:28.960 within comes together with the word of God. It's power to fulfill that word. 335 00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:37.280 The word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to 336 00:37:37.280 --> 00:37:42.560 the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow and is a discernor of the thoughts and 337 00:37:42.560 --> 00:37:47.680 intense of the heart. I want to read this to you. I found out in the first service, I won't be 338 00:37:47.680 --> 00:37:54.720 able to get through it all. So I'm going to read a few. But it's something I wrote yesterday 339 00:37:55.760 --> 00:37:59.760 from different verses on the power of the word of God. I want to show you what the Bible says 340 00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:03.440 about the Bible. And I won't be able to get through this whole thing. But if you want this 341 00:38:03.440 --> 00:38:07.200 entire list, which when I'm done with this, I'm going to put this right up above my desk in my 342 00:38:07.200 --> 00:38:13.440 office because I want to memorize all these scriptures. You can email info at CityLightNYC.com 343 00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:17.040 and just say, hey, can you give me the thing? They'll know what you're talking about. Send me the 344 00:38:17.040 --> 00:38:22.800 thing the pastor spoke about. Send me the thing and we'll send it to you. And you can print it out 345 00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:29.600 and get familiar with this. But since we're Bible-believing Christians, it's important to know what 346 00:38:29.680 --> 00:38:36.000 actually is the quality. What are the qualities of the Word of God? What does it do? 347 00:38:37.680 --> 00:38:43.120 God's Word, put that slide up. God's Word brings true health, fruitfulness, prosperity, 348 00:38:43.680 --> 00:38:53.360 and success to what we do. Psalms 1 verses 2 through 3. Show that. But his delight is in the law, 349 00:38:54.160 --> 00:39:01.520 the Word of the Lord. By the way, there's different names for the Word of God. Not every time 350 00:39:01.520 --> 00:39:07.040 is it just called the Word. Testimonies means the Word of God. Statutes means the Word of God. 351 00:39:07.040 --> 00:39:13.680 Precepts means the Word of God. And the law, sometimes it means the 10 commandments. Sometimes it 352 00:39:13.680 --> 00:39:17.520 means just the mosaic law, but oftentimes it just means it's a synonym for the Word of God. 353 00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:23.440 So when your delight is in the Word of the Lord and in the Word you meditate day and night, 354 00:39:23.440 --> 00:39:29.040 here's the promise. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings 355 00:39:29.680 --> 00:39:37.600 forth its fruit in its season whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper. 356 00:39:37.600 --> 00:39:44.080 Why? Because he's merging with the Word of God. He's meditating on it day and night. Now the 357 00:39:44.080 --> 00:39:51.920 Word which is alive and will end at Gio you is going inside of you. The more Word you have inside 358 00:39:51.920 --> 00:39:59.520 of you, the more successful the outcome will be. Do you believe that church? Hallelujah. The Word 359 00:39:59.520 --> 00:40:05.200 works. The Word gets the job done. This is why Satan is trying to keep you away from the Word. 360 00:40:06.320 --> 00:40:11.840 Hallelujah. And I'm not just talking about your everyday reading when you need the Word. When you 361 00:40:11.840 --> 00:40:20.400 have a task or hurdle, I don't mean just do your 10 minutes. Light a candle, open up the devotional, 362 00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:27.040 and read a little bit of Deuteronomy. That's all nice. I have that too. But when I have a task at 363 00:40:27.040 --> 00:40:33.360 hand, I want specific Word. Not just any Word. If I'm facing a certain problem, I don't want to 364 00:40:34.080 --> 00:40:40.080 read about King Huzamahaya. I'm sure a wonderful story in the Lord has used it and we'll use it 365 00:40:40.080 --> 00:40:46.160 and to bless my life. But now I need specific verses that bring life to me, that promise me victory. 366 00:40:47.280 --> 00:40:50.800 Something that you know your spirit leaps when you read a certain scripture. That's a scripture 367 00:40:50.800 --> 00:40:58.400 you want to memorize. Get in your belly and allow the Word to work. The Word of God has healing power 368 00:40:58.400 --> 00:41:06.080 and the power to deliver from oppression. Psalms 10720. Speaking of the Lord, He sent His Word and 369 00:41:06.080 --> 00:41:11.760 healed them and delivered them from their destructions. You know that church that we meet in? 370 00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:17.920 The other one that we have five minutes from here. You notice how the pulpit is off to the side? 371 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:23.760 Have you ever noticed that? There's a lot of these, what do they call, mainline high churches 372 00:41:24.400 --> 00:41:29.840 where the pulpit is off to the side. Do you know that marks exactly when all those denomination started 373 00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:36.000 to go downhill and now they have rainbow flags and all that nonsense outside? Do you know why? 374 00:41:36.400 --> 00:41:42.160 Because this pulpit used to be where it ought to be, front and center, and the choir was off to 375 00:41:42.160 --> 00:41:47.520 the side until things got a little too lukewarm. And they said, you know what, put the choir and the 376 00:41:47.520 --> 00:41:52.000 orchestra and the instruments put that in the center and put the pulpit off to the side. And that's 377 00:41:52.000 --> 00:42:00.320 when you can see right then the stock plummeted is what I'm saying. The Word of God is to be first 378 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:06.640 place in the church and in our lives. He sent his Word and healed them. Some people get healed just 379 00:42:06.640 --> 00:42:12.960 by reading about it. My mother, when I was 16, experienced a tremendous healing. She was diagnosed 380 00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:20.720 with tumors in her breast, lumps in her breast. And 16-year-old me just paraphrased Isaiah 53 to her 381 00:42:20.720 --> 00:42:25.440 and tears started running down her cheeks and she went, I believe it. And I said a 16-year-old 382 00:42:25.440 --> 00:42:29.760 22nd prayer. The next day she went and shared that to take multiple mammograms because they couldn't 383 00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:38.000 find where the lumps were. The Word healed her. Yeah. Matthew 8.8, the Centurion answered and said, 384 00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:45.200 Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof but only speak a word. Your word, the word 385 00:42:45.200 --> 00:42:52.960 of God and my servants will be healed. Matthew 8.16, when evening had come they brought to him many 386 00:42:52.960 --> 00:42:59.600 who were demon-possessed and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 387 00:43:00.480 --> 00:43:08.240 Say this, the Word of God is alive. Oh my gosh, you sound like my pulpit is off to the side. 388 00:43:08.240 --> 00:43:19.520 Come on. The Word of God is alive. It's powerful. It's at work in me. Hallelujah. God's Word 389 00:43:19.520 --> 00:43:25.680 cleans us. It cleanses us. If we take heed according to God's Word our way will be cleansed. 390 00:43:25.680 --> 00:43:30.400 Have you ever just read the Bible and instantly felt better? Instantly felt cleaner? 391 00:43:31.200 --> 00:43:35.200 Victor, when we read the Bible afterwards we're done. I say, how do you feel? What? 392 00:43:35.200 --> 00:43:44.720 I always feel amazing. A couple of times specifically you said, I feel holy, right? I feel holy. 393 00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:50.880 What he's trying to say is I feel clean. I feel holy. The Word of God, have you ever seen a 394 00:43:50.880 --> 00:43:56.560 launderer soap? It's not a regular sized bar soap. I don't really see him in Yugoslavia here because 395 00:43:56.560 --> 00:44:01.200 we have little tight packets and whatnot. But back in the motherland in Yugoslavia you get a 396 00:44:01.200 --> 00:44:07.360 launderer soap. The thing is huge. It's just a giant. The Bible says that the Lord is like a fuller 397 00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:14.080 soap, a launderer soap. You read a little word and I was like, I just feel clean. 398 00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:23.520 John 153, you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Ephesians 526, 399 00:44:23.520 --> 00:44:30.320 that he might sanctify and cleanse her, the church, with the washing of water by the word. Hallelujah. 400 00:44:30.800 --> 00:44:37.280 I'm just giving you examples in different areas of the Word of God operates in. Is this all right? 401 00:44:38.640 --> 00:44:41.920 The Word of God hidden in our hearts keeps us from sin. 402 00:44:48.320 --> 00:44:57.680 If there's sin struggles in your life, I can also almost guarantee you that there's a word 403 00:44:57.680 --> 00:45:03.440 dearth in your life. It doesn't mean you'll be perfect in every area, but when you have 404 00:45:04.160 --> 00:45:09.920 enough word in you, there's just some things that you don't even want it. You're not even tempted to 405 00:45:09.920 --> 00:45:14.400 do because the Word of God is holding you in check. You don't even have an appetite. You don't even 406 00:45:14.400 --> 00:45:20.880 have a desire for those based things because the Word of God that's cleansing you is keeping you also. 407 00:45:20.880 --> 00:45:23.840 The Word of God, did you read that verse? Did you put that up? 408 00:45:25.920 --> 00:45:31.040 I want them to see. They don't think I'm just making it up. Psalm 119, there it is. Your word 409 00:45:31.040 --> 00:45:38.320 have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you. God's Word is a counselor. When we 410 00:45:38.320 --> 00:45:47.280 delight in God's Word, it becomes a rich source of counsel and guidance. Psalms 119, 24, your testimonies 411 00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:55.920 also are my delight and my counselors. So when you need to know what to do, you need to know 412 00:45:55.920 --> 00:46:03.520 what to do. The Word of God, if there's been enough of a deposit in you, will cause guidance to come 413 00:46:03.520 --> 00:46:12.800 up, his guidance to come up from within you. When I read the Scriptures five years ago, I never 414 00:46:12.800 --> 00:46:20.160 found the Scripture that said, thou, O man of God, when thou seaest, when thou seaest, 415 00:46:20.160 --> 00:46:27.360 thy store of value being deflated, and when thou seaest thy US dollar going into the toilet, 416 00:46:27.920 --> 00:46:34.800 surely son of man thou shalt buy Bitcoin. I never found that in the Scriptures. But I found 417 00:46:34.800 --> 00:46:42.240 Scriptures where he promised to lead me, to guide me, to bless me, to bring me abundance. That was 418 00:46:42.240 --> 00:46:49.200 in my spirit. And then five years ago, I have no doubt that that's what caused that to come 419 00:46:49.200 --> 00:46:54.640 up out of me because I felt the hand of God on me. I felt him directing me. What I'm trying to say 420 00:46:54.640 --> 00:46:58.320 is when you search the Scriptures, it's not going to tell you go and change your job and go get 421 00:46:58.320 --> 00:47:01.840 that. Oh, no, you need to switch cities. Oh, it's not going to say that. But when you're full of the 422 00:47:01.920 --> 00:47:09.120 word, the word will actually act like your counselor. So many people who say, I don't know what to do. 423 00:47:09.120 --> 00:47:17.360 They have a word, dearth. The Bible says this, counsel and the heart of man is like deep water. 424 00:47:17.360 --> 00:47:22.240 And a man of understanding will draw it out. If your well has no word in it, the Lord can't 425 00:47:22.240 --> 00:47:27.440 draw anything out to lead you and guide you. But if you have word in your well, then he will 426 00:47:27.440 --> 00:47:33.600 speak to you through his word. Draw it out of your own well. And you'll just, you'll know what 427 00:47:33.600 --> 00:47:38.480 you need to do, what next step you need to take, how you need to turn things around or whether you 428 00:47:38.480 --> 00:47:43.120 should just stay still. That's nine out of 10 times. That's the word for me. All right, Lord, 429 00:47:43.120 --> 00:47:48.640 what do I do now? Nothing. Stay still. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to sit on your hands. 430 00:47:48.640 --> 00:47:53.360 This is just how it is right now. I'm working behind the scenes. You got to trust now. And not 431 00:47:53.440 --> 00:48:01.520 do anything. Can I help you out a little bit? But when he says move, then you better move. 432 00:48:03.600 --> 00:48:09.680 Hallelujah. You know what? Let's go back to Hebrews. I only got into like a fifth of what I had. 433 00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:16.480 But email for the thing. Let's go back to Hebrews. 434 00:48:16.960 --> 00:48:26.160 Verse 13. Oh, no, go back to verse 12. I'm sorry. I wanted you to see something else too. 435 00:48:27.600 --> 00:48:36.080 The word of God is alive. It has an innate power. It's sharper than any two-edged sword than 436 00:48:36.080 --> 00:48:40.080 what in the world have you ever wondered what that second part has to do with the price of eggs? 437 00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:46.960 I mean, I'm glad the word of God is sharp. But what does it have to do? I mean, for years, 438 00:48:46.960 --> 00:48:52.240 I was like, what? I'm piercing the soul and spirit and joint simmer. What are we in a butcher shop now? 439 00:48:52.240 --> 00:48:59.040 What are we talking about here? What is this talking about? You are a tripartite being. You 440 00:48:59.040 --> 00:49:07.200 actually are a spirit. You have a soul. The Greek suke means your mind, your will and your emotions 441 00:49:07.200 --> 00:49:13.360 where we get psychic from. Suke, so it's your mind and you live in a body. And one of the most 442 00:49:13.360 --> 00:49:20.640 common questions I get is how do I know pastor whether it's just me or if it's really the Lord, right? 443 00:49:21.280 --> 00:49:27.280 Well, when it's the Lord, it's in your spirit. When it's quote-unquote just you, it's in your soul. 444 00:49:28.560 --> 00:49:34.640 And sometimes people have a hard time distinguishing between the two. Like, they just stop 445 00:49:34.640 --> 00:49:39.520 finishing scrolling their phone and they're like, you know what? I really, I feel like I need to go to 446 00:49:39.520 --> 00:49:47.040 Cancun. I want to know. In fact, I think the Lord wants me to go to Cancun. In fact, I'm going to be bold. 447 00:49:47.040 --> 00:49:51.440 I feel like Lord spoke to me to go to Cancun. And then like five minutes later, you're like, but I 448 00:49:51.440 --> 00:49:56.000 don't know if it's the Lord or just me. But what you forgot was as you were scrolling you saw 17 449 00:49:56.000 --> 00:49:59.760 hidden advertisements for Cancun. And now all of a sudden you want to go to Cancun and you're 450 00:49:59.760 --> 00:50:05.280 wondering if it's the Lord or you. It's just you. All right. The Lord will speak to your spirit. 451 00:50:05.280 --> 00:50:10.160 Our soul is full of, our soul is just like a giant sponge picking up all the information of the 452 00:50:10.160 --> 00:50:18.000 world. That's what the Bible says to receive with meekness the word of God because it'll actually 453 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:24.320 save our souls. So our souls will line up with our spirit. So what's the solution? The Bible says, 454 00:50:24.400 --> 00:50:30.720 when you have the word of God, it'll separate fact from fiction, fantasy from reality, 455 00:50:30.720 --> 00:50:37.040 and spirit, soul, and body. That's the joints and marrow part. So if you want to be less confused, 456 00:50:37.040 --> 00:50:43.680 get more word in you. If you want to hear clearer from heaven, get more word in you. Hallelujah. 457 00:50:45.200 --> 00:50:49.040 There's not a lot of rules to this. Get the word in you however you like. 458 00:50:49.840 --> 00:50:56.480 Stand on your head, clap your feet in your corner and say the word out loud. Go for a walk and 459 00:50:56.480 --> 00:51:00.720 just think about the word. Be on the subway and choose a verse. You're going to memorize before 460 00:51:00.720 --> 00:51:07.520 you hit your stop. Sing it. Say it out loud. Write it out over and over again. But get the word in 461 00:51:07.520 --> 00:51:16.400 you. Hallelujah. Verse 13. Worship team, you can come up and there is no creature hidden from his 462 00:51:16.400 --> 00:51:23.360 sight. But all things are naked and open to the eyes of whom, to the eyes of him, to whom we 463 00:51:23.360 --> 00:51:31.280 must give account. Verse 14, seeing them that we have a great high priest. And that's what Jesus 464 00:51:31.280 --> 00:51:37.760 is doing in heaven. He is our high priest, our mediator. That's why we can run to the Father 465 00:51:37.760 --> 00:51:44.640 whenever, because he's our mediator. Who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, 466 00:51:44.640 --> 00:51:50.800 let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with 467 00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:57.600 our weaknesses, but was in all points, say all points that make some people blush. I thought 468 00:51:57.600 --> 00:52:02.640 Jesus was only tempted three times by Satan in the wilderness. That's true. There were three 469 00:52:02.640 --> 00:52:08.720 temptations as the devil departed from him for a season, but throughout his life he was tempted. 470 00:52:08.800 --> 00:52:12.720 In all points, you go not those points. Yes, those points, especially those points. 471 00:52:16.720 --> 00:52:23.600 Perhaps to the people who can chuckle. Who are secure enough in the Lord to chuckle out loud. 472 00:52:29.440 --> 00:52:38.400 But was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. All right. So because we have this rest 473 00:52:38.400 --> 00:52:44.960 in the Lord Jesus, because our own striving and our own effort, it doesn't matter when it comes 474 00:52:44.960 --> 00:52:49.600 to our justification before the Lord, you already did all the work for you. What a rest that is. 475 00:52:52.480 --> 00:52:57.840 Because the Word of God is so powerful, because you now have a high priest who's actually 476 00:52:58.640 --> 00:53:06.080 still fully man and fully God in heaven, who knows. He knows how you feel. He knows what you're 477 00:53:06.080 --> 00:53:14.000 going through. Because of all that, now we finally come up to this point. We can come boldly, 478 00:53:14.000 --> 00:53:22.320 verse 16. Because of all this, we can come boldly to the throne of grace. And that's one of my 479 00:53:22.320 --> 00:53:28.240 hearts for City Light Church, that you're bold Christians. I used to be Greek Orthodox when they 480 00:53:28.240 --> 00:53:34.080 were ministering to me. That was the first time I heard people pray together and I was freaked out. 481 00:53:34.080 --> 00:53:39.840 I was freaked out because they were so bold. It was a bunch of teenagers. But I thought, 482 00:53:41.840 --> 00:53:45.760 this first of all, I thought they're being so irreverent. They're talking loud to God. 483 00:53:47.120 --> 00:53:52.480 They're talking to him like he's a friend. Greek Orthodox, you don't, I've never heard a Greek 484 00:53:52.480 --> 00:54:03.120 Orthodox pray ever in my life. Have you? The priest will pray. But they'll never pray. You're 485 00:54:03.120 --> 00:54:08.480 afraid to talk to him. That's why you go through some saint or someone else. Talk to God directly. 486 00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:17.520 And I hear I get saved and all these people are talking to God and they're bold about it. Freak me 487 00:54:17.520 --> 00:54:24.960 out. That's the Bible way. May we have no man be pain be Christians. May we have no Christians that 488 00:54:24.960 --> 00:54:30.480 pray from their throat. Oh Lord, I know you're tired of hearing from me. And I'm just an old 489 00:54:30.480 --> 00:54:37.600 worm coming up to your throat. Boldly. Why? Because your life is hidden with God in Christ. 490 00:54:38.240 --> 00:54:44.480 Do you think Jesus is before the father and terror? No. He knows his rightful place as a son. 491 00:54:44.480 --> 00:54:50.800 That is your place. He made it so. He paid for you to have that place with his own precious blood. 492 00:54:51.840 --> 00:54:57.760 Hallelujah. And if you've named the name of Jesus and surrendered your life to him, that is your 493 00:54:57.760 --> 00:55:03.360 portion. That is your inheritance. That's your prize. That's the pearl of great price. So you can 494 00:55:03.360 --> 00:55:12.640 come boldly. Never don't come boldly. Never come with your head down. Come boldly to the throne 495 00:55:12.640 --> 00:55:19.040 of God. Also known as the throne of grace that we may get something. Two things actually. Two 496 00:55:19.040 --> 00:55:26.320 things that we really, really need. Mercy and grace. And as too many folks use the terms interchangeably 497 00:55:26.320 --> 00:55:36.240 but actually mean two very different things. Grace is God giving you what you don't deserve, right? 498 00:55:36.240 --> 00:55:43.200 Salvation forgiveness of sins, abundance, healing. Grace is God giving you and me what we don't deserve. 499 00:55:43.200 --> 00:55:51.040 You know what mercy is? Him not giving us what we do deserve. Yeah. Grace is for today and tomorrow. 500 00:55:51.040 --> 00:55:54.720 Mercy is for that thing yesterday that you did. You don't want anybody to know about 501 00:55:56.880 --> 00:56:01.920 honest people chuckling again. God bless you. May the Lord multiply you and bring more here just like 502 00:56:01.920 --> 00:56:11.760 you. Yeah. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't have a beautiful wife and children that I look at and 503 00:56:11.760 --> 00:56:16.720 a blessed church and dear friends. I should I should be living under a bridge eating stale crackers 504 00:56:16.720 --> 00:56:21.600 and cheese right now. Really? That's where I should be. No, I'm not talking in some exaggeration. 505 00:56:21.600 --> 00:56:26.320 No, I've made mistakes where I should have been where God himself should have been. You know what? 506 00:56:26.320 --> 00:56:30.880 I'm through with you. I knew you were done when I called you but now you've outdone yourself. 507 00:56:32.000 --> 00:56:38.720 That's what I did. But what happened? His mercy. His mercy. Some people have great faith for 508 00:56:38.720 --> 00:56:44.160 punishment and divine retribution. Oh, I'm going to get it now. Yeah, you will according to your 509 00:56:44.160 --> 00:56:51.840 faith. Be it unto you. My faith is for mercy. Amen. And I'll come and get it boldly knowing that 510 00:56:52.400 --> 00:56:56.880 I don't deserve it. But it doesn't give me what I deserve. Man, I'm hitting this over and over again. 511 00:56:56.880 --> 00:57:02.640 He gives me what Jesus deserves. So we're going to come boldly and get mercy for yesterday's failures 512 00:57:02.640 --> 00:57:06.720 and grace and empowerment from heaven for today and tomorrow. Hallelujah. 513 00:57:06.960 --> 00:57:14.320 Let's finish up just a couple of more verses. No, that's it, right? 514 00:57:16.880 --> 00:57:22.160 I'm the guy teaching you Hebrews. We're finished? Good. Hallelujah. 515 00:57:24.160 --> 00:57:28.320 Heavenly Father, we thank you. Thank you for Jesus. 516 00:57:28.640 --> 00:57:37.440 Thank you that because of Jesus, we know we can come right to you and you will in no 517 00:57:37.440 --> 00:57:41.520 wise cast us out. You will never reject us. You will never push us away. 518 00:57:45.600 --> 00:57:50.000 Father, I'm asking you specifically that you would get our church ready for what's to come. 519 00:57:50.000 --> 00:57:58.160 Yeah. Lord, we need your help. Infuse us with strength, with the power of the Holy Spirit, 520 00:57:58.160 --> 00:58:01.600 cause relationships. Some of you you have ministries you're carrying on. You don't even know 521 00:58:01.600 --> 00:58:06.720 it yet. God's going to cause that to flourish. Whatever you want, Lord, do it in us. 522 00:58:08.240 --> 00:58:15.760 In Jesus name, amen. Hallelujah. Ministry team, once you go to that well lit area to my left, 523 00:58:15.760 --> 00:58:21.600 you're right. And if you want prayer for anything, anything at all, you want our ministry team 524 00:58:21.600 --> 00:58:26.240 to lay hands on you, pray with you for you. You want the Lord to touch you. Go right over there 525 00:58:26.240 --> 00:58:32.240 and they'll pray with you and for you. Everyone else, let's stand. Hallelujah. 526 00:58:35.120 --> 00:58:38.960 And let's sing this song with our whole hearts to the Lord. 527 00:58:39.760 --> 00:58:47.600 Say this before we do. I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. I'm righteous. The Lord is on my side. 528 00:58:48.960 --> 00:58:56.320 He's working in the invisible realm. And I'm on the rest of God. Amen. 529 00:58:57.440 --> 00:59:02.240 This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message, 530 00:59:02.240 --> 00:59:06.720 or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, 531 00:59:06.800 --> 00:59:16.320 visit us at citylightnyc.com. That's citylightnyc.com. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. 532 00:59:16.320 --> 00:59:21.760 We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today. That you have 533 00:59:21.760 --> 00:59:28.560 been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. 534 00:59:28.560 --> 00:59:33.440 Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts 535 00:59:33.440 --> 00:59:37.840 worldwide.