A Call of The Heart

KB Interest lunch

Pray for LA fires

Luke 5 ESV

17 On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18 And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19 but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. 20 And when he saw their faith, he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” 21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 22 When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? 23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.” 25 And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. 26 And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen extraordinary things today.”

Amen.

Prayer / Come Lord Jesus, Lead us forward. We are your sheep. We know your voice, we look to your leading in all that we do. Amen.

Intro:……New Series:

MAKE ROOM / 2025 / Today we begin a series talking about the church, the forward movement of our church and ultimately for the purpose and for the sake of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus.

Over the next 4 weeks we will be talking about what it looks like for all of us to MAKE ROOM. For us all to take up the invitation that God is extending to us today to be the people of God, to do the work of the people of God… and by the spirit of God - see the nature of Gods grace revealed not just to us… but to a multitude around us.

This will cullminate on what were calling our “Make Room Committment sunday” which is feb 2nd. And i am excited.

Are you excited?

Prophetic Moment

So we begin with our text here in Luke 5 which is our primary text for our series, for our next season of church growth & our future with what we believe will be MANY and MANY MORE will come to have an encounter with Jesus…. And have a revelation of GRACE that changes their lives.. and the lives of their families and generations… and what I am personally believing for - that by the GRACE of God a City will change. For Jesus.

Im believing for a mighty revival to come to st Augustine - for people to come not for a vacation but an encounter: not for a nice place to rest on a beach but for their very souls to find its rest in the Lord JESUS, for people to come here not realizing this would be the place where they find the very purpose for their lives which is to encounter the one who will become the custodian for the soul: Jesus Christ.

It’s quite an amazing picture isn’t it?my question for you today is this: would you be willing to believe for something that amazing also?

A true miracle - Something we have never seen before

A true work of God - A real wave of Holy Spirit transformation

A genuine move of the spirit over a region… which affects a nation…. And the world.

Seems almost impossible doesnt it? Well - thats why it very well may happen because when Faith and the power of God collide - the impossible things become possible, in Jesus name.

MAKE ROOM Is the name of our Series, our building initiate, our movement: But really this is the heart of GOD: that there would be ROOM. Room for all of his children, to come, to be in his presence… and to be changed by his love from now on and foreverMORE.

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So where do we begin: It begins with everyone, the same way… every-time: with a call of the HEART

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In conjunction with our primary text today what I am excited to do is to also look at what I am calling the original building project which is found in Exodus the second book in the Bible. Now technically the tabernacle isn’t the first thing seen “built” in the Bible - we've been reading the account of Noah who was called by God to BUILD an Ark. But the Ark that was built was a symbol of the deliverance God would give his people. It was not a place where his presence would be and he could dwell among His people.

God desires to be with his people.

To Tabernacle with us

God loves to dwell in our hearts and show up in our presence, so really there is no question if God wants us to do this - we trust his timing but one thing we can be very much sure of its this: God loves to be with his people:

lets begin where we need to ensure we begin, write this down

1.HE WANTS OUR HEARTS

Did you know that above all - There is one thing God cares about the most - and thats your HEART

why is it?

God initiates this in us - A love for us and a way for us to love him back and for us to give our hearts to the lord not partially but completely and in every way:

Deuteronomy 10:15 “15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”

and our response is found here also when God says:

Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

The heart goes first, the soul also… and even our strength, our determination.. our might

RELATIONSHIP IS WHERE WE ALWAYS BEGIN

WHO I AM IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT I DO

Who i am to God, is more important to God than anything we can ever do for God.

Relationship over Rules

1.Commitment to God is always preceded with covenant relationship thats initiated by God

Because God wants us to always know that he loves us and that we can trust him first - before we do anything:

Consider Ex 35:1-3

Exodus 35:1–3 ESV

1 Moses assembled all the congregation of the people of Israel and said to them, “These are the things that the Lord has commanded you to do. 2 Six days work shall be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on it shall be put to death. 3 You shall kindle no fire in all your dwelling places on the Sabbath day.”

Before there is a commandment to do anything for God - what happens here

what you find here is a peculiar way to the way in which God begins to instruct his people through Moses to give towards the building of the tabernacle…. Its quite incredible when it jumped out at me

Moses assembles everyone

and instead of saying “right all of yall empty out your wallets, start taking up an offering”

how does he begin?

remember how it all began. Keep the sabbath Holy to the Lord.

start here: Gods done the work. You begin a place where he rests with you. and so you can begin.

remember the sabbath: Remember the work He did in creation.

a place of rest

a place of security

a place of trust

This is where we begin our make room journey in the same place, i believe, of trusting in Gods plan for our lives… Gods plan for our church

For us as a church to humble ourselves before the mighy hand of God.

But to remember something that is so vital and significant to remember: He LOVES US

He Loves His Church

And for us - This is culminated in not for us Moses, but our greater moses. Our Deliverer: Jesus. Our rest

Jesus is our good shepherd

Devotion follows ( always comes after encounter

He wants our hearts way before he wants our service… There’s just something about our hearts and our hearts devoted to him that makes the difference

Exodus 35:4–5 ESV

Moses said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. Take from among you a contribution to the Lord. Whoever is of a generous heart, let him bring the Lord’s contribution: gold, silver, and bronze;

2.HE WELCOMES OUR HANDS

HE LOVES TO INCLUDE US IN WHAT HE IS DOING

But what he doesnt want, is our hands without our hearts

12

Luke 5.

They were just sitting there (instead of hosting, welcoming, making room)

The men carrying the paralyzed saw the need, all the Pharisee’s saw regulation.

The man had faith, the Pharisees had fear. Something they weren’t familiar with. That was greater than them, that was God - but they didn’t know it.

They saw their own order upset instead of seeing his life healed.

They saw a loss of power

Instead of celebrating the fact that a man’s very life would now be completely transformed forever

They saw control taken away rather than seeing that it was godly surrender

Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

luke 5:17-26

Luke 5:17–26 MSG

17 One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him. 18 Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus. 19 When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus. 20 Impressed by their bold belief, he said, “Friend, I forgive your sins.” 21 That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. “Who does he think he is? That’s blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins.” 22 Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, “Why all this gossipy whispering? 23 Which is simpler: to say ‘I forgive your sins,’ or to say ‘Get up and start walking’? 24 Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both.…” He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: “Get up. Take your bedroll and go home.” 25 Without a moment’s hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way. 26 The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, “We’ve never seen anything like that!”