July 24, 2022 - How to win the Hostile and Hiding

Problem with that. Having just a short break is, there's never enough time for conversations. But I do want to welcome you here today. And we Last, I heard on Friday. Pastor Sean. And his family were in London. They made it there. And my mom and Ernie made it to Calgary yesterday. I haven't heard from him since. So I'm assuming everything's okay. Cuz they're the ones that have to contact us if things aren't but

I want you to think about the people in your life who used to be part of the church, but have fallen away, not just this church but the church, You know that it might have been might be in another town. They might be in another part of the city. They might have attended another church, they might have attended our church.

But you haven't seen them for a while or you haven't seen them in the context of church for a while, they seem to have fallen away. Maybe they found something better to do on Sunday morning, you know, there are better things to do Sunday morning then I mean, if you're not worshiping God, and you're just doing this out of mechanism, like, if it is a whole lot better, things you could do Sunday morning then.

Get all dressed up and come no. Like dressed up when I say dressed up as I did wear socks today. Okay. You can see them cuz they're short. But anyway, the the think about these people, you know, they might just be hiding where they might even be hostile towards the message of Jesus. You know, they once knew they might want to worship God. They once they once knew the truth, And yet they're not there anymore. I want you to think about them.

yeah, you yeah I'm sure all of us that we personally have known people that it once were on fire for God and now they are stone cold, maybe even antagonistic

Get that clear image of them in your mind. I want you to know first and foremost that the same God that is going to finish the good work. He started in, you will finish the good work. He started in them.

He might use you to help in that process. That's what we want to talk about today. These people, if you remember when I talked to boats, you know, Jerusalem Judea Samaria, and the ends of the Earth, but that Jesus commanded his disciples to go to Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and the ends of the Earth. I wanted you to understand that it did for me. Jerusalem are the ones that are family and friends are like family, those really close people that we love and and God loves them even more than we love them. And the good news is God wants you that wants them to know his love for them. You know that and you love them and you know what they like and what they don't like any. And you know how they communicate and won't communicate and you know, when you've been, you've been trained to reach this Mission field, you have been groomed by God to reach this Mission field. That's your Jerusalem, it's those closest to you. That's the good news.

The not-so-good news is that family and friends are like, families are the ones that know us best as well.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Jerusalem is the place. Jesus said they will try to kill you.

Those closest to us are the ones who can hurt us the most. They're the ones that say they can do it intentionally or unintentionally. They, they want the best for us, and that what they think is best might not be what God thinks is best. And they can be embarrassed for us or be embarrassed by us. And that just adds to the agony for us, it's tough, It's Not Easy, our family and her friends were like family. They they won't be the first to believe us. They weren't the first to believe Jesus. They won't give us the same respect that. They give a stranger because they didn't Jesus, his family, and friends, didn't give him the same respect that the strangers gave him. Our family and friends are like family are the ones who know the words that can hurt us. Jesus's brothers, knew the words that could hurt him.

May 1st to call is crazy. That's what his brother is called him. They're the first. You got that, you have these in your notes, so you can look them up later, our family, and her friends are like family are the ones who are question, who you are, and who you are becoming, that's what John did for Jesus. His cousin is closed buddy.

But the best way for them to find Jesus is the let him come and transform, you more and more into his image. When they see that change, they know that change is real. And it does take time, it does take effort, it does take consistent love, but you can reach them by being changed by God and they see that change and they want that change for themselves.

now, the ones who are in Judea, Judea remember it's a place that we connect with really good. We like these people The good news is that they're the ones that were comfortable with their not really what you called close friends. But they would be friends if they could be friends. These are the ones who are their kids are on your kids, soccer team. They are your neighbors. They are your co-workers, you know, you have some sort of relationship with them and yet, like, hanging around them. They might not be as close as your closest friend, but but you probably, like, you could be could be, they would be if they could be. And, you know, if they had time and you have time, you could probably really hit it off well with them the good news for them. You like them? Ben and Jesus said they probably won't try to kill you. But he also said the Bad and the not-so-good news is he said some will judge you something to eat you some will persecute you and call you names.

These are the ones who are hostile and hiding that God has for you to reach. These are the ones who were once part of the church and have since grown really cold. And there's one scripture that I need to address because I know it will become a sticking point for all of us. If we don't understand the context of what this verse says, so we're going to start with that. Hebrews 4 Hebrews 646. It says. 4-H impossible to renew to repentance those who were once Enlighten to taste of the Heavenly gift who became companions with the Holy Spirit Taste of God's good word in the power of the coming age. For those who have fallen away to be to do their own harm for, they would are re crucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt. Now, if we just stop there, you got to think that the message I'm about to give you is a total waste of time because they've already falling away from God. So don't we just wait for our hands of them and turn them over to Satan. No. That's not what this versus saying. What does versus Sting? If we go down to 11 and 12 where is 11 + 12/6? + 99.

Yeah, verse 9. Because even though we're speaking this with your friends, in your case were confident, the better things that are connected with salvation for God is Not unjust, you will not forget your good works and love that you showed his name, when you serve the Saints. And you continue to serve him, the writer of the book of Hebrews, was not writing to the ones with turn from God and falling away, and it's impossible to reach, he was writing to their loved ones. He was writing to the ones who knew them any he made it clear a couple of verses. What? I just read he wasn't writing to those ones that are there are too hard to get to He's writing to the ones who will reach them, actually. And it goes on the Seattle, verse 11 and 12. We want each of you for. We want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence and final realization of this hope. So you will become lazy. But imitators of those who inherit the problem, Sophie through perseverance. Now, What he saying? Is it another translation? Put it this way? I like this one. He says, then you will not become spiritually Dollar in different So, you said, I'm writing to you this way. To see if you fall away. There's no coming back.

But honestly, that's not what Jesus says.

Jesus doesn't say, you get one in. He said if your brother sins against you 70 x forgive him, Seventy Times, not just 7070 * 70, 70 * 7. It's not that someone can do, you know, sin against God 490 times and got there. Okay, I'm done. His grace is sufficient.

This text often, we just read that first couple of verses and we think, oh, there's no hope for these people. But he was using what are you said in those first couple of verses to say no stay on this path. Don't get dull and indifferent, stay on fire for God because of you can fall away to If you're not on fire for God, you can be the ones that are hiding and hostile. So don't do that.

Because the only Heart Holy Spirit can't touch is the one that doesn't want to be touched.

And yet, God has a way of surrounding us with people who love us and what the best for us and love God and want God's best for them.

Listen.

I'm going to read a story from the Old Testament and a story from the New Testament. And you're going to see something that is entirely credible. Like just just in case it's in, it's incredible how God's heart is for those who have gone to fight for the enemy, how God's heart is for those that are hiding in the Hills. how God picks people up and says, no, you go do the crazy now because I told you to go

Can I pray?

Lord, I want to thank you for your love for us and I want to thank you for the love that you have for those that we love. And that we like,

And right now, I pray for all of those that we've been thinking about who we know personally who are hiding or hostile towards your love and your gospel. And we pray holy spirit that even now you would continue that good work, you started in them and stir up in them, the questions they need to have that will draw them back to you. The Lord help us to become confident to know that you will finish the good work in them. And God give us the confidence to do what you want us to do, in order to help facilitate that and have you blessed that and multiply that Lord in your precious name. Amen.

And we have quite the mix of age groups in this place right now. So, you might, I'm just saying, Some of you are like me. We were alive before the internet, right? You remember what it was like before the internet? Like, I remember our first computer was a 280-6286. I don't know where your phone is now, but it's like a billion times faster than I do. 86 computer. We had a 1200 baud modem, which meant John Pastor Sean. My brother. He was not Pastor that he was just drawn and he he would download a 75-kg be game. And it would only take all night as long as no one else called out on the part. You like, He would go up these bulletin boards which was a sort of the internet and get the game and download it and then we could play this 75 KB game with these block characters.

some of you might remember what it was like before this the What are we calling me the smartphones? Write most of us have lived through that. You remember, when we had to text with you did do, do do you know a a a to get c111 to get see and then one to get a and then go I've never actually I texted once using the keypad and I just forget it, I don't need it. Now with my phone, I can just hit the button talk and it sends a text to whoever I want to send it to him. So I can you forget you forget what it was like for wouldn't when things get easier?

We've all lived through. Incredible technological advances. In the first story, I'm going to read today. There is a technological advance that I want you to be aware of.

In Samuel. 1st Samuel 3. Are 1319 old my goodness I miss that altogether. 1319, it says no blacksmith could be found in all the land because the Philistines that said otherwise the Hebrews will make swords and Spears.

This was a time between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

Iron was found was discovered by the hittite nation. We've learned this through archaeological. Evidence has had it first the Philistines, either through conquest or trade, got it from the hit from the Hittites. The Philistines would not give it to the Israelites because they wanted to keep control. Why was that important will? Let me tell you, or just the context Route, 22 do on the day of battle, there was not a sword or spear found in the hands of any of those troops are with solder Dent. At Jonathan only saw land is Jonathan, had any weapons doing all of his real there was only two weapons. So had one Jonathan had one Why is it significant? Well.

I'm going to show you a quick little video before it shows. Let me just compare this. This video is from how you make it, or how things are made.

How to make everything, it's a YouTube channel and may need a cast Ron's iron sword, and then an on hardened, steel, sword, and compare the two. And I want you to see this comparison, it's only like 90 seconds. Can you play that video?

Who put a dick in there, you want to look at yours.

Oh wow. Why I didn't put a dent in the cell?

That's just two hits wiggling and result was, so it was really one that went up against each other of the main differences came out. This guy is pretty beat up some pretty major Knicks and bends and we were up against an iron sword and they were just waiting on you. You're trying to protect yourself, it would not have been hard for them to break all the way through your sword and then then your toast, if someone with Bronze Age, Technology went up against someone with iron technology. It does seem that the iron had a very definitive advantage and could potentially make quick work of anybody with bronze. So welcome to the Iron Age. so that's what was going on with the Philistines and the, the Israelites Israelites had no swords. What had happened? What facilitated is real to get a king was because one of the major things was a Philistines. We're coming from the coast and coming into the promised land, and they were taking over, put its patient in garrisons and keeping the Israelites pushed back and push back and push back. And they were slowly taking over the promised land, because they had iron and Israel had bronze or stone, or maybe would they had something they fought with something? what's a sling, probably

That's the reality that they were facing. That's the story that we're going to read. Starting at verse. I don't know where I'm starting now. 14 verse 6. A 1st Samuel. It's a Jonathan said to his attendant to carry his weapons. Come On, Let's cross over to the Garrison of these. Uncircumcised men, perhaps the Lord will help us. Nothing can keep the Lord from saving weather many or few and his armor Bearer responded to do what's in your heart. You choose. I'm right here with you, whatever you decide or right, Jonathan replied will cross over to the man. Then let them see us. And if they say wait until we reach you then we'll see where we are. Not go up to that but if they say come up here and then we'll go out because the Lord has handed over it to us and that'll be our sign. They let themselves be seen by the Philistine Garrison. The Philistine said, look, the Hebrews are coming out of their holes. They've been hiding it and the men of the Garrison called to Jonathan and his armor Bearer come up and we'll teach you a lesson they said follow me Jonathan told his armor Bearer for the Lord has handed them over to a Israel. Jonathan went up using his hands and feet and his armor Bearer behind him and Jonathan cut down the armored bear, followed up and finish them off.

In that first assault, the armour-bearer struck down about twenty men and a half an acre of the field. Now this is not the way you would expect a battle to happen. When one side had bronze weapons and the other one at Steel.

Let's go show ourselves.

I will give up The High Ground. Only lets lets us go only ass, not the whole Army, let's show them on ourselves. Let's Get Up The High Ground so instead of him coming down we fight them on a level, will let them have the advantage of being up high. We've all seen Star Wars, you don't give up The High Ground. And if they say they're ready, that's when we should attack.

I'll take the one sword we have. This is a great plan. Yeah, let's go do that.

Almost three thousand years later another battle was fought in this exact same location. It was during World War 1. And in the Bible is history by Warner color page 173. He quotes a book I made your Vivian Gilbert and let me just read that for you. Now, need your Big Ben Gilbert was an officer in Allen bees Army who is fighting in the Palestinian fighting in Palestine, in the first world war against the Turks, his Brigade was ordered to take a village that still in Rocky prominence. On the other side of a deep valley, it was called michmash. And during the night, just as he, he have this nagging feeling, there was something he was missing and forgetting about. And he went to the Bible and the he found this portion of scripture. Do you read the part where it said? They climbed up between two rocks. You woke up is Commander together, they re-read the passage, which roles were sent out and they found these two rocks above. They could see the small flat field, the Brigadier altered his plans of attack. And instead of the poem the whole Brigade, he sent one company through the pass under the cover of Darkness, the to Turks the encountered were overpowered without a sound and the cliffs were skilled scaled and shortly before Daybreak the company of taking up their positions on half an acre of land. The Turks woke up and took their took to their heels and disorder. Since they thought they were being surrounded by Allan Pease Army and they were killed, they were all killed or taken prisoner. So, that's how the battle should have been fought. Three thousand years ago. It should have been, let's take everybody who can you do? Let's take our baths dinner. Brightest or Elite Force. Give them fully armed. Let's go Darkness, let's sneak up. Let's play Jonathan. Did the exact opposite?

Jonathan, his plan was perhaps the Lord will help us.

It's counterintuitive to Common Sense.

He was risking his life in the life of his armored bear, they only had one sword between them. I may use it quite effectively and they trusted God and we'll get to the results in just a bit.

Do this message is always bothered me because it's like Go to the irresponsible, maybe God will help.

And that's kind of like it, what it seems like before the Holy Spirit came on all of us. Because in the New Testament after Jesus died and was resurrected the Holy Spirit came on us and we have a similar story. With a little bit different, take on this whole thing but the principles of both line up beautifully.

1000 years later after the cross. Let's look at that story in the book of Acts.

Soul another song, not Jonathan's father. Saul Saul was eager to eager to kill the followers of the way. You got letters from the high priests to go to Damascus and go to the synagogues and arrest followers of the way and as he went there, a light from Heaven, Sean on him and he heard a voice say Saul Saul, why are you persecuting me and saw looked up? And then asked who the voice was and he says, I'm Jesus. The one you're persecuting now, go up to the city and you'll be told you must do in the ones who were with him, saw the light, but didn't hear the voice and he was blind for 3 days and didn't eat.

now, we've all heard that part of the story but this next part is really interesting to me and acts 9 verse

10. It says, now in Damascus there was a disciple named ananias and the Lord said to him in a vision and Ann is Here, I Am Lord, he said get up and go to the street called straight for the Lord said, to him to the house of Judas and ask for a man named from Parsons named Saul since he's praying. They're in a vision. He has seen a man named ananias come in and place his hands on him if he knew routine is Gordon. And I answered, I've heard from many people about this man and how much harm he has done to your Saints in Jerusalem, and he has no Authority here. Now from the chief priests to arrest, all who call on your name, what the Lord said to him, go

For this man is My Chosen instrument to carry out my name to the Gentile Kings and of the sons of Israel for I will certainly show him how much he must suffer in my name.

So I had a nice win and he entered the house and he placed his hands on him and he said, brother saw the Lord. I will leave it at that. Anyway, come back to that story in a bit. Did you catch the similarities between these two stories?

Ananias had to be with Jesus told him, he knew it was counterintuitive to Common Sense. this song was looking for people like him and he was just going to go to this all You want to make sure God is telling you to do that before you do that.

But only cuz I had said was go. You didn't say go and I'll be with you go and you'll be safe, going it all work out for the good.

I hope you got that.

Cuz when God tells you to go do something. It might not always work out. Well. It might take a while to work out to the good. It really means that you'll be safe.

Only says go.

Oh, go.

cuz maybe, Got to show up and good things will happen.

Look at how both stories and where can I finish up ananias and what happens? Verse, 16 17 again. So analyze left and enter the house and placed his hands on him and said, brother saw, the Lord, Jesus who appear to you on the road. When you were traveling has sent me. So do you to regain your sight? And he add me filled with the Holy Spirit and it went something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight and he got up and was baptized and effort eating some food. He regained his strength. Now, in case you didn't know and I'm sure you already did This soil, is this all that became Paul? What was the one that wrote 13 of the 27? Books of the New Testament? We think he started about 20 of the first Christian churches. He is recognized at the most is the movie after Jesus. All is the most insignificant and influential spiritual figure and founder of the church. He has written the most spoken, the most changed the most lives of anybody in the entire church. Now, what?

What event happened, if the man named ananias didn't obey that call and go and lay hands on him.

I want you to catch something here.

The ones who are hidden in hostile always hostile.

They're the ones. That when they turn the God, God can use in ways he could never use you. When you can reach people that you will never reach in ways that you never thought possible. They are so comfortable doing things using that sword. That you never even been picked up, because all you've used as a stick, American lead the charge, but needs to take place to wrote the enemy. We need the hidden in the hiding, we need them to come into the kingdom. We need them to come back in the fight on our side. You don't believe me or just finished reading a story that we started with cuz my goodness look what happens. There it is. 1st Samuel. 14 vs 14.

Yeah. You're not first assault. Jonathan is a armor Bearer, struck down about twenty men in half of field. They look at this Terror, spread through the Philistines camp and the Open Fields. To all the troops. Even the Garrison and the raiding parties were terrified The Earth shock and Terror spread from God, from God's plan. OK, Google, what happened? So they attacked, 20 people got killed, everybody got scared. Like what's going on? How are they coming up here? And then an earthquake yet? Hahaha God. God is the one that always sincere earthquakes, by the way.

In the Bible about you anyway.

Then the earthquake happen and then Terror spread everywhere.

You got that? Okay, down the verse 20. Some of the troops with him assembled in March to the battle. And there, the Philistines were fighting against each other in great confusion. There were Hebrews from the area who had gone earlier into the camp to join the Philistines but even they join the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the Israeli men who had been hiding in the Hill Country of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also joined Saul and Jonathan in the battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day so you can get what was happening.

Israel. Had wood and bronze Philistines had swords and Spears iron.

So probably some of the best fighters Israel had thought it was probably better to fight with the ones who had Spears and swords cuz they knew how to do it.

Some of you have been thinking of it but people who have fallen away from the church and I'm thinking about some who have gone over to the other side just because the other side knows how to make a difference in this world. They know how to do the protest. They know how they get those to get the things together. They know how to change the culture. So they're over there with them now because they're doing a better job in the church can do or has done or will probably do cuz Anyway.

But when they saw that act, and I'm going to call it a blatant stupidity. That counterintuitive action of Jonathan.

Trusting God.

Perhaps he'll show up.

And then God took what he offered and multiplied it and blessed it.

Empty earthquake. Felt the terror. It was the people who are with the Philistines that started fighting against him, with the swords, they got for the Philistines with the spears they got from the Philistines.

And then the ones hiding in the hill. When the enemy started running, they started chasing after them because they saw the battle was go in and they were coming to be going to be part of it.

I really don't. I don't hold it against people who aren't coming to church. If church is not getting them so excited about God that can't help but go and live the message.

But when they see that message being lived out there going to be the ones on the Frontline chasing, they're the ones that are going to keep on going, you get with your fighting the battle and fighting the battle. You get tired and someone starts running away? Yeah, I don't want to chase some. I got to chase them now. I have to change that they're coming from the hills and they're chasing for me. They're chasing them, they're doing it.

We need the hiding to come back.

Cuz we can't do it on our own.

What if you could see those family members and friends who are families and would be friends? Who could be friends or hostile toward God? And are hiding from God, come back and be welcomed into the family of God. What would it feel like to have them worship with you again, or maybe invite you to their Church to worship with them? That is so it is so exciting. It is so exciting. To think about it's happened to me. You know, when relationships get restored and you get the meet with them and say yeah God is so good. It's awesome. It's incredible.

You have you got a role in that?

And we can take principles from both stories both before the cross, and after the cross, and we can see what we need to do, so that we can help facilitate God to bring back the Hostile in the fighting.

Will you do what you can to make things conducive for them to know Jesus as Lord once again?

question, I'm asking you is, Will You Love That's the acronym. We're working with love, love.

Will you tell we are leaning to love? Will you obey? Hold will you be open to obedience? Will you value? The counter-intuitive, will you every time leave it to God? Let's unpack that event. Elemental of 1st Corinthians 16 for says, every action must be done in love.

What we're talking about today is doing the counter-intuitive thing that thing that doesn't really make sense. And I want you to know you can't do it for any other reason than love. It has to be done out of love. It can't be over. I look great if this works out and I be amazing if this thing comes together.

You know, when people say go big or go home, they seriously seriously underestimate my desire to go home. A lot of times home is kind of my goal.

And there's a verse in the end. Where's the verse 1st Thessalonians that we all thought the church in? Thessalonica, he says make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your own and just as we told you to. So then daily life, you may win the respect of Outsiders so that you will not be dependent on anybody. How many think that's a good plan of attack. I do, it's awesome. But God.

But God.

For the cross. It was a matter of maybe. God will do it. Let's try something. After the cross, it seems to be more. Well, let's argue with God cuz we think it's a bad idea, but no Wilkie will obey. God knows who he wants us to go talk to that person is really hostile. Are you serious Godlike? Are you sure? Maybe I should go talk to his mother. Cuz his mother could make more sense to him. That what you want me to talk to him? No. Go.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in Luke for, I don't have had to hear Luke for night at 12. It says so we took. That up there good. So he took him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the Pinnacle of the temple and said to him. If you're the Son of God for yourself down from here for its written, he will give his angels orders, concerning you to protect you, and they will support you with their hands, so they're not strike your foot against a stone in Jesus answered it is said, do not test your lord, your God. You understand what that Temptation was for Jesus? He was on the temple. if he had jumped off and floated down and gently rested there, do you think his ministry would have taken that jump start? It would have just placed a right there and people would have got excited right away. It would have been pressed. The Romans the Romans would have loved them. They probably wouldn't imitated the needed, the religious ones because how they can copy that. That was the Temptation. It the Temptation for Jesus was Mi going to fulfill my destiny and my time or in the father's time that was the temptation. Am I going to do it my way or the father's way? And this is important to us. Because when God puts that thing that counterintuitive thing in your heart, if it's not first and foremost at a love for God or love for the person or hopefully love for them so that they can love God, so that they can love other people. If that's not the motive anything, it's a motivation is. Oh, I can do this are. Oh, it'll make me look good or oh, it won't that be cool if I could, you know, I can raise the dad.

I met the only reason that I think it's really cool. I really never been impressed with anyone who's right? This is it at I really am. You start to talk to him and they don't have the theology. I have you don't know enough to know. You can't raise the dead. Like I've been taught. That's that's why I struggle is the work through that the ology. I've been. It's actually a believe Jesus and raise the dead and so that I Marvel at that for them. But other than that it's like

It's not like I'm just saying the few that I've met on everybody. Who's Reese the Dead.

It can't be able to show, it can't be able to do. It's got to be able to doing it in love. I love God and love others so that they can love God and love others. So the question you can ask yourself is, am I doing what I do in love?

The old in love reminds us to be open to obedience. John 14:15 Jesus said, if you love me obey my Commandments, Jonathan. Had an outstanding order from Joshua that God gave Joshua. Joshua was told to go and possess the land. He didn't finish. Possessing the land and all the judges after him weren't enough to finish possessing the land. Land was still not in the possession of the Israelites. When the Philistines started coming in with their iron, But that land that they were coming in on that, he's the promised land. So Joshua Kurtz is just so Jonathan could stand on the promise that Joshua got to possess the Promised Land. Joshua was given the command. Have I not commanded, you be strong and courageous. Don't be discouraged for the Lord. Your God will help you wherever you go.

Down the Old Testament. You could say perhaps God will show up his men who can stop us. In the New Testament.

He just had this. He brought a complaint to God and God said, go. Enough complaining and whining go.

You see after the cross, we were given the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit, empowers us to accomplish a good work. Prompted by faith. The Holy Spirit teaches is everything. We need to know what the holy spirit gives us both. This. When we need boldness to the holy spirit. Gives us the words to say when we don't have the words to say it's holy spirit's job to do the work in us or our job is to go.

And honestly, if we could get that, they understand our role is to be so connected with God that we can get those props when when we think about that person to call or to text or email. When I go over there place for coffee, number to Brass him to come over and get across the yard to talk to stop and work and say, listen, what's, what have you been going through them and thinking about you, and those kind of things if we can be. So, in tune to God, I know he's going to tell us to do things that are too scary for us to do on her own thinking. I know he's going to tell us to do things that just don't make sense, because if I do that is going to be this in this in this and I don't want to screw that up. Well, know if God brings it to us and we are confident that we can trust him, we just go and if we can get to that place of being. So in step with the spirit and seeing God's love poured out on so many, we would be out there every day. It would not be just something to check off our list. It's just God's will show up. I need. Show up. My goodness. What are the best jobs? I have? I got several jobs. What are my best jobs? As I get to go into companies and create safe space for them to self express their feelings and emotions without judgement criticism or condemnation. And and what that means is I just hang out with them and become friends until life happens and they really lose it and then they need to talk to somebody. And then they talked to me and almost every time I go in, I was this is being broadcast. I can't say too much, but I was talking to somebody this week and

I asked her if I could frame and I know enough about her to know. She went she's going to be hesitant, right?

Hey, I asked and and she was she kind of that. Okay, fine, you know, and I know she was expecting judgment and condemnation and all this stuff because I knew it was I just said, Lord I thank you that as you we asked for wisdom, you give it generously without finding faults and Lord. She's asking for wisdom. So can you give her the wisdom? And Lord, I Thank you that you can pave the way for this situation to change and so Lord, I pray that you would just do and I just started praying scripture over her. And, and then after I'm done, she said, you can pray for me like that all the time. And it's like, all of a sudden. She's a communist. She doesn't believe in God. And you can prove her anytime. It's awesome.

We need to be obedient to God. We need to be willing to do the counterintuitive, the things that we wouldn't normally do. Now a lot of the stuff he wants us to do, we're doing naturally. And sometimes the counterintuitive becomes the intuitive after we've done it a couple times. There's no fear because we've done it but other times.

Wait, when I just say when you get when we get to that place, I find God. Just always have like he likes to keep it interesting.

He likes to keep it interesting.

Oh yeah, open up to obedience question. We can ask ourselves if my being what am I doing what I do to will be God.

Being in love is the value of the counter intuitive. We got this from Isaiah 55:8, my thoughts are not your thoughts. As the Lord in my ways are beyond anything you could imagine.

Jonathan value the counter intuitive. When he's at, perhaps the Lord will help. And a nice value of the counter intuitive when he shot up and God said go. So he went

If you want to win the Hostile, in the hiding, you need to Value the counter intuitive. And what does, what does that might look like for you? I don't know what that looks like for you. It could be praying over your meal in the lunchroom at work. It could be asking a friend or stranger, who complains about an acorn. A element. If you can pray for them right now and might be letting others to your good works and glorify your father in Heaven, might be Healing The Sick, fighting two leopards, casting out demons, raising the dead. What does those things mean? Healing The Sick means Healing The Sick. Cleansing the lepers with the most leprosy is and other parts of the world that can solve it with a drug. What it meant was welcoming the unwelcome back into a real Community, that's what that means. Welcoming of them back in the community. Healing The Sick, a casting out, demons It's still today. We cast out demons raising the dead. Like I said, when I learn how to do it, I will have a course on it. But all I know now it's simply obey, God will be what he says and do it.

I don't know what it look like for you, but I do know it'll follow some basic principles. So that what it looks like when you value the counter intuitive, it it means if it will be countered. First, it'll be counterintuitive to at least the ones at the common sense of others. It might be counterintuitive to your common sense to, but it will be at least counter-intuitive like, why would you do this? Why would you be nice to me? If you use your that right number to it will, at least risk your reputation.

Maybe it'll risk your comfort. And respectability. It could ultimately risk your life.

That's a good thing. honestly, like The die is to be with Christ forever. Like why do we worry about stuff like that?

And third it it will be motivated by life. It will be motivated by love.

Question we can ask ourselves is why I value the counterintuitive or do I avoid the counterintuitive.

God is in the counterintuitive, those, those things? Those thoughts that come out like oh, I haven't parked in that person for years. What was the first people I've learned to call okay, if I haven't thought about them for years or talked about them for years, I'd look him up on Facebook and then we start chatting cuz man, there's something going on and it would God how God taught me with this was, I would be diligent about doing that. And every time there was something I specifically, I could pray for them about their worst are going through some really hard things and then he be trusted me enough that they could tell me and we could pray about it. And I learn to say, Okay, God whenever what book does for me is is if I see someone that reminds me of somebody else. Generally, he has to show it to me. Three times before I flew in, but if I see that person over there over there and over there is like oh my goodness. Look, I haven't talked to them for years. Let's find out what's going on and I'll call them up.

some of us will get so excited about doing the crazy things, like Jonathan did

Please do the crazy things that Jonathan did because we need you to do the crazy things at Jonathan. Did we need you to

But all of us have to be aware that God is asking us to do stuff that me feel a little uncomfortable or really uncomfortable.

but there's a blessing that follows obedience

It wouldn't be fun. If It all works out every time we do it.

Because after a while, it's just not fun.

so, I guarantee you