[00:00:00] Speaker A: You.
[00:00:01] Speaker B: Welcome to the Jacob Barientos podcast. To stay connected, go to jacobbarientos.org. And now here is Pastor Jacob.
[00:00:15] Speaker A: Two Corinthians, chapter three and verse 18. Every week I read out of a different translation. This week I'm looking at the Passion translation.
Technically the Passion paraphrase, but it does all right in a lot of places. Two corinthians 318. And this is what it says we can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil, we become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Hallelujah. Let's pray. And let's ask the Lord to minister this to our hearts. I want this to go so far beyond a teaching that God would really release the reality of this in each and every one of us. So come on, let's just ask his anointing to come. Lord, we pray right now that you would bless the Word as it goes forward. Lord, we thank you for all that you've done already in our time together, but I pray now for a special anointing to be upon our time together as we open your Word. God, may you breathe wisdom and revelation into each and every one of our hearts. Come on, church, help me. Pray right now. Lift your voice. Pray with the spirit. Pray with your understanding. God, we ask even now for a great anointing to be released, that you would give us eyes that see, ears that hear, a heart, and a mind that perceives with unveiled faces. May we receive what you are speaking, O God. And I pray that even as Jesus was anointed to preach good news, I pray that same anointing would rest upon me, O God, that under the unction of your spirit, I would preach with authority. And even now I bind the works of the enemy. He would seek to distract, to distort, to confuse, or uproot the Word as it comes forward. Lord, give us liberty in receiving all that you have for us tonight. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen. Amen. You may be seated.
I just want to touch on a couple different verses tonight. The idea the series that we've been in on Thursday nights, on Sunday mornings, has been the idea of what you behold, you become.
What you look at is what you are transformed into. So as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed into his glorious image as we gaze upon the Lord. And I've shared a number of ways that we can do that. We've talked about the fact that as you read the Word and the Word reads you, it's literally transforming you into his glorious image. As you spend time in prayer, in worship, even our giving. These are all moments where we are offering something to the Lord where we look upon Him, we're diffusing his fragrance. These are all touch points in various messages, but we're releasing what God has implanted in us. And so it's these moments where we've made jokes about people looking like their dogs when they spend a lot of time, or couples that end up looking like each other after many years together and even watching.
I've got friends that I've spent time with, and my wife will kind of give me a hard time. Like, you've been hanging out with so and so, haven't you? Because you start talking like them. Anybody know what I'm talking about? Like what you get around, what you surround yourself with, you will become so this is why we must be so mindful of what are we feeding ourselves? What are we gazing upon? What occupies our time? And so we want to behold the glory of the Lord. We want to become transformed. In fact, I like what the passion translation? Just to give you a Greek word here, you'll notice that most every translation that we've read so far, it says that we are being transformed into his image or transformed from glory to glory. But the passion actually says we are being transfigured. Now, that's an interesting word. So let me see. And it's actually a good translation because that's the Greek word metamorpho. Everybody say metamorpho.
What does that sound like?
Yeah, you got it. Metamorphosis. It's this process of transformation as we gaze upon the glory of the Lord. We are metamorphosis. We are metamorpho. We are transformed or transfigured into his image. Now, here's what's interesting.
Maybe you've read the story. It's in Matthew 17, it's in Mark, chapter nine. But there was a moment where Jesus took Peter, James and John up onto a mountain, and the Bible says he was metamorpho, he was transfigured before them. And it's very interesting. I'm going to give you a picture. I want us to rightly see Jesus tonight, and then I'm going to hopefully expand even what your expectancy is. Guys, I feel like we have set the bar so low in what we expect God to do through our lives. Like for most of us, hearing you could give a million dollars to God just sounds outrageous.
It's a miracle. There's no way he can do that. To hear that we are serving a God who can cure cancers well, who gets cured from cancer? People who believe. People who expect, people who contend for diabetes, people who contend for divorce free zones, people that contend for prodigals that come home. Like we've set the bar so low. Well, I guess this is just where life is going to be. I guess people just die and marriages rot and bodies fail, and not for the people of God. It does not have to be that way. I am thoroughly convinced that I'm only getting deeper in that belief. Now, what happened was Jesus, he takes these three up on the mountain, he's metamorphoed. He's transfigured before their eyes. And the Bible says that his face became white like the sun.
Have you ever tried to look at the sun? I think all of us have. You shouldn't do it for too long, but, you know, all of us have experienced trying to watch the sunset. I can't look too much yet. That's what Jesus in this moment, I mean, it was like he showed these guys like they had already come to the understanding you are the Christ, you're the son of the living God. They had this awareness that Jesus was God in the flesh. But in this moment, Jesus was actually giving them a glimpse of his deity. I'm going to give you a glimpse of the fact that I am not just a prophet, I'm not just a miracle worker, I'm not just a great teacher or rabbi. I am God. And he allowed them to see a glimpse of his face. The Bible says his face, it's in the Matthew text. His face shone like the sun. And his clothing, both Mark and Matthew say that his clothing was as white as lightning, whiter than any launderer could even make it. I wore a white shirt tonight. It does not even come close, I promise you to what these guys were seeing, it was glorious. I mean, so much so that Peter, James, John, these guys were ready to forsake their ministry and let's just build temples right here and just stay here forever. This is awesome.
But Jesus had better ideas. No, he went down and cast out the devil and I mean, he continued to move forward with his ministry, but I want us like, how do you view Jesus?
How do you picture Jesus?
We've got all of these images. We see the statue and my wife for the women's embrace, she had all these decorations that she ordered and one of the things that she got a bunch of were like faith based stickers had like scriptures and all of this. But one of the things that had a mixture of all of these Jesus pictures stickers.
There was an Asian Jesus in the boat with Asian disciples. I guess they missed the memo. He's a man from Nazareth. He's Jewish. Leading Jewish disciples. I guess they missed that, I don't know. But I've seen pictures of black Jesus and blonde haired, blue eyed Jesus, and you've all seen this kind of stuff too.
There's the Catholic Jesus that you know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm talking about. I'm glad nobody got a picture of that, praise God. But I've got the sticker and it's like, so who is Jesus? We see baby Jesus and all of that, but who's the Jesus that John saw in the Book of Revelation? The Jesus that looking upon the man whom he had walked with, who he had laid his head upon. But at seeing Jesus in the fullness of who he was. The Bible says he fell on the ground as though he were dead. His hair was white like wool. His eyes were like fire, a sword proceeding from his mouth. That is Jesus. And friend, if I can have you do anything, search the Scriptures to find Jesus, this is who you are. Because if we can learn who he is in his beautiful, glorious image friend, if you begin to behold that Jesus, who is great and mighty, he is the fullness of the Godhead bodily friend, it'll elevate everything that you expect from God and we will be transformed into his glorious image. But if you have a wimpy view of Jesus, if you have a low view of Jesus, if you have a puny view of Jesus and that's what you behold, then guess what? That's the level you're going to live at as well.
The Measure of Glory I praise God for men and women of faith that we can look to. But I'm telling you, Dr. Morocco, whoever I, my wife, nobody within the south, none of us are your measure of what the glory of God looks like, it's Him. We behold him. And as we behold Him, we are transformed, metamorphoed into his image. In fact, I'll read this again in verse eight, two Corinthians, chapter three in verse eight. I read this last week. It says, shouldn't we expect far greater glory under the new way now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? Friend, I'm not going to repeat what I did last week, but let me just say, if you read the Bible and you see how Jesus ministered, we should not be saying to ourselves, it's all downhill from there. No, we are moving from glory to glory. We are expecting a kingdom of the expanse will never see an end that we are increasing. Jesus is not coming back for a bride that is weaker and more beat up than the one that he left 2000 years ago. He's coming back for a bride that has not spot or wrinkle or blemish that has been conformed into his image. So our job is to raise the standard and look more and more like Him.
I feel like you guys are with me, so I'm not even going to ask. But let me just I'm going to begin to make a transition here.
Are you beginning to get an elevated view of Jesus? I sure hope so. You pray into it. You ask as you go to the Lord in prayer, you ask Jesus, I want to see you as you truly are. Father, I want to see you as you truly are. Holy Spirit, reveal to me who you are and what you're doing in my life and through me. Give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation. Show me who you truly are. You know, you can go to God like that.
You can go to God like that.
The bible says that we can come boldly before the throne of grace.
You are qualified. I don't care if you repented and committed your life to Jesus while we were in worship.
You already are qualified to come into the presence of God. Boldly give you. Can I go on one bunny trail? I think this is going to bless you.
I was praying as I was driving to church tonight and I've been taking a lot of notes and one of these things just came alive as I was reading through some stuff tonight and praying and I was reminded of the fact do you realize we're not growing in righteousness?
You either are the righteousness of God in Christ or you are outside of Christ and your righteousness is as filthy rags.
It's one or the other. It's not like I'm a little better than I was last week. Now I am being sanctified. I am growing in the Lord. However, righteousness is a posture. Righteousness is a gift that I have received from Jesus. So either I've got it and I have just as much as Jesus does, or I don't have it at all. And even my best deeds are like a dirty rag, literally. Do you know what that actually translates to? It's like a menstrual rag. It's literally the picture that Isaiah gives. That's how good your best deeds are in the eyes of God. But when you are in Christ, guess what?
You become a son.
You become a daughter of the Most High God. Now think I want you. I don't know why this came into my heart, but I was pondering the prodigal.
And when a prodigal comes home, he received a robe. You know, the Bible says that Jesus actually clothes us in his righteousness.
Why does he cover us with his righteousness? I'm going to help some of you because some of us think I'm so ugly on the inside that God's righteousness needs to cover it wrong.
Do you realize when the Father went to the prodigal and clothed Him in that robe, he was not putting that robe on Him? Because I'm ashamed of you. Because you've been with hookers and you have been partying and you are a disgrace to me and I need to cover you. No. Instead, he took that robe to Him as a declaration. You are still my son, even though you have failed miserably.
So when God clothes us in his righteousness, he's not saying, I'm so ashamed of the way that you used to live that I need to cover you up. Instead, what he's doing is he's coming and he's placing his righteousness on you as an affirmation. You are my child, and out of our identity, we are transformed.
Do you get it? A couple of you got it. God's not ashamed of you. You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. You realize that declaration that came from the Father declared over the Son jesus had not done one miracle, not 1oz of ministry, and yet he declared, you are my beloved. It literally means you're my favorite.
Did you know that the Apostle Paul, more than anything else, as he's greeting the people of God, he calls you beloved.
Not I'm ashamed of you, as long as you did better than last week. No, you are my beloved. Like the Father's declaration over your life is the very same as it was over Jesus, because you're in Christ.
You're my beloved. You're my favorite, and I love you and I'm pleased with you.
We need a right perspective of God.
We've got this idea that he's just waiting to squash me, waiting to judge me. No, he's the Father who's standing at the end of the driveway, just waiting for you to come home so he can affirm, you're my son. You're my daughter, and you were all along. And I'll clothe you in my righteousness, and it will transform you. Okay? Was that an okay bunny trail for you? Hallelujah. So I want you to turn with me now quickly to John, chapter 17. I'm going to read to you two verses, and then we're going to minister out of this heart tonight, okay? John, chapter 17 and verse 20. Now, how many of you appreciate when somebody prays for you? Like even tonight? This is why I'll have moments where we call, hey, I want you to pray for somebody. We'll have times where you can come for prayer. I used to have a friend, his name was Stephen. He's gone to be with the Lord now, but he used to call me about once a week. And Pastor Jacob, you're in the prayers of someone who cares. And I knew he was praying for me for real, because he would then tell me all the things that he had been praying about and the things that God had laid on his heart. Now he's next to Jesus, praying for me still. I'm sure I'm in the prayers. How many of you have people that pray for you?
We all need people that pray. That's why you ought to get connected in life groups and ministries and get to know some people who will wake up in the middle of the night and pray with you. Hallelujah.
But here's an idea.
Did you know that Jesus prays for you?
Jesus, one of his prayers is recorded right here.
He's about to go to the cross. He's praying for his disciples. And he says, I do not pray for these alone, talking about his disciples who've been with him. But I also pray for those who will believe in me through their word. That's you.
Jesus is praying for all who will believe that's us. And this is what he prayed, that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you. Let me say that again. I pray that they may be one, as you, Father, are in me. Jesus is praying, and I am in you. I pray that they will be one in us that the world may believe you sent me. And watch this. The glory which you gave me, I have given them. What is this? This is beholding and becoming, friend, that they may be one just as we are one. I in them, and you and me. That they may be made perfect in one. Do you see what's happening? Like, we're beholding God in his glory, the same glory he shares with the Father, and he's praying a ridiculous prayer. God, Father, let them have the same glory that I have in you.
What?
Shouldn't we two Corinthians three eight. Shouldn't we expect far greater glory? Friend, this is all I'm one. This is why if Jesus could be transfigured on the mountain as he fellowship with his father, like, why not me? Why not my face glowing with the glory of God? Why not you? I'm telling you, I'd watch Steve Hill. He was a mentor of mine, brownsville Revival. This guy had bright blue eyes, but people would look in his eyes and say, he has eyes like fire.
And you look at his eyes and you're like, how do bright blue eyes equate fire? Like maybe water or the ocean? But no. But when you would get in a service and he would scan the crowd, boy, you understood what people were talking about. You felt like that man could look through your soul. And so you were repentant before the altar call. Ever game. Hallelujah. I mean, it was scary, man, when that guy but what is that?
I believe that man had been in the presence of God, and he was beholding the Lord. And as he was gazing upon the Lord, literally, the Lord begins to reflect out of him, what are we believing for?
What is your level of expectation? Jesus continues to pray. Jump down to verse 24 there. This is John 17.
And look at this. That they may behold my glory. There it is.
That they may behold my glory which you have given me, for you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I know. I have known you, and I have known those you sent me. I have declared to them your name, and I will declare it that the love with which you loved me may be in them, and I in them.
He loves you.
He loves you. Tell your neighbor he loves you.
Come. Not everybody participated. Everybody. Turn to your neighbor and say he loves you.
He does. Thank you. He loves me. Come on, we all ought to say that. Put your hand on your heart and say, he loves me.
He really does.
He's not pretending. He's not pretending. No. You are his son. You are his daughter. I don't care what your sin history is. If you have come to him, as many as receive Him, he gives the right to be sons of know. You want to know a statement that really messed with me? I was reading last night in Colossians and Paul makes the statement, I am blameless.
What? You are a murderer. You are a blasphemer and yet I am blameless.
Are you in Christ?
If you are, you are blameless.
I know I'm messing with some of you. Pastor, am I allowed to say that? Yes, you are. Yes, you are. I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
I'm trying to push you because even if you land like halfway on the road to what I'm talking about, friend, you're going to be reflecting glory and working miracles and walking in identity and security so much greater than anything you've ever seen.
Somebody's going to get this and I'm going to know it because you're going to come in and you're going to have those eyes of fire and you're going to be reflecting the glory. And boy, I just hugged somebody and a demon came out. I'm telling you, I'm going to start seeing this kind of stuff in your lives just like we did here. One last verse. And I like this. What you guys laughing at?
I was getting so stirred as I was putting this together earlier today.
Ryan will make you come sit by me if you can't stop. Now watch this second. I'm sorry. Colossians, chapter two. Colossians, chapter two. Just pull up verse nine. We'll skip the first few verses there for the sake of time because 715, I want to start praying for people.
Colossians, chapter two in verse nine. Now, this passage is about Jesus. Actually, you know what, let's read these other verses. This is really good. Verse six, go back to verse six. I'm sorry.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord? Have you received Christ Jesus as your Lord? Amen. So walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, established in faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. That's pretty self explanatory. But watches verse eight. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy, empty deceit according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. Pause right there.
Beware lest anyone cheat you. I know when I start talking like this, somebody's going to come along and well, I don't know if that can really operate that way and I don't know if we can really live that way. And boy, you are just a sinner saved by grace. And you're going to have people come in and it's not the Bible, but you're going to have traditions of men. You're going to have basic principles of the world, not the Bible. And people will try. Look what it says. Don't let them cheat you.
Beware lest anyone cheat you. You know what I'm trying to give you? I'm trying to give you a picture of your Godly inheritance.
And the enemy would love to send deceiving voices that will cheat you out of your inheritance and say, that's not for you.
That's not for you.
Don't let anybody cheat you if you're hearing this tonight, this is for you.
This inheritance, this identity is for you. Now, one last verse, verse nine. This is one of my favorite in all of the Bible.
In Him Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead. The Godhead is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All that God is is found in Jesus in a human body. Another translation. The new living translation says, for in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. The ESV says, in Christ the whole fullness of deity. That's god stuff. In him the fullness of deity dwells bodily. The Passion says he is the complete fullness of deity in human form.
As we have a right view of Jesus, you understand when you look at him. You might as well be watching the transfiguration. You're watching Jesus in the fullness of his glory. All that he is is all that God the Father is and all that God, the Holy Spirit is. Jesus embodies all of it as we behold this. Now watch where this goes. This is another ridiculous statement. Look at verse ten.
In Him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him.
And you, you get this idea jesus, you are the fullness of all of God in a human body. And then he turns you're beholding, but then he turns to becoming. And you also look at this and you also the Amplified says, you have achieved a spiritual stature through Christ.
You are complete through your union with Christ. Let me say that again. You are complete through your union with Christ.
He is all that God is, and you also are complete through your union with Him.
That's a big deal.
That's a really big deal.
Kyle, would you come and just play in the background here for a moment?
You know, I think you and I both have been so privileged to receive from some tremendous men and women of God.
Has anybody been blessed? Like man, that person prayed for me. That person laid hands on me and it was an awesome moment.
I've been in some of the most powerful revival meetings and some of the I mean, it's just what a privilege, what a joy.
But I would also say that some of the most profound encounters that I've ever had with God, some of the most timely words that I've received from the Lord came in moments where I was in a prayer meeting and Auntie So and So gave me a word.
And it might as well have been Billy Graham speaking to me in that moment. Anybody know what I'm talking about?
You've had these moments where it's like, oh, yeah, I was in that service with apostle so and so. But man, one time my son gave me a word and, man, it was just what I needed in the right time. Like, what is that? Have you ever thought about that?
Because there's moments. In fact, my son, I'll give you a great example.
We were doing blind prophecy a couple of weeks ago. We had just come back from our prophetic conference with some of the most notable prophets on the planet. Truly, he was prophesied over. It was wonderful.
But then we come here and we all close our eyes. My wife had selected him. Nobody knew, but we prayed. And many of you sitting here in this room gave words to him.
And he came up here weeping, moved by the Lord. And when we went home, he told me, he said, I got more out of that prophetic time than even what I got in the prophetic conference.
Why?
Because you have the same God stuff that they do.
And as we behold the glory of the Lord Jesus, friend, I'm telling you, we need to begin to shift our perspective. God does raise up and anoint and elevate men and women of God, no doubt about it.
But there has to come a point in time where you say, I'm a believer too.
And God said that signs and wonders would follow all who believe.
God said that in him is the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and I am complete because of my union with him.
That means you have all the same stuff that Jesus had that'll trip your brains, friend. You have all the same stuff that Jesus did.
That'll change the way you pray for somebody.
It'll change the way you go into your workplace.
Jesus, all that you were in the world. I am that's Bible.
Lord, help us with this.
Help us with this.
Lord, all I'm asking, can we just stand all across this room right now?
I was reading these passages earlier, and I just I felt like my heart began to burn.
I don't know where that Catholic Jesus with the fiery heart thing ever came from, but I kind of get it, to be honest with you, because there's times where I'm leaning into the word or I'm praying in the Spirit, and that's exactly what I feel.
Would you just put your hand over your heart right now?
And, Lord, I ask right now over every open heart that as we behold You, Jesus, you would transform us into Your glorious image.
Jesus, you prayed, and all I'm doing is agreeing with your prayer. You prayed that we would be one, just as you and the Father and the Holy Spirit was upon you, as you were one.
Lord, as we behold your glory, you prayed that we would become one with you. So, Lord, I'm praying.
Allow us to become one with you, jesus, you said, Lord, that. You did nothing unless you saw the Father do it. You did not speak anything unless you heard the Father speak. You were led by the Spirit in everything you did, and we have the opportunity to do the very same thing. So, Lord, I'm asking that you would allow us to see you and to hear you and to be led by you. Your word says, as we are in you, we are brought into union with you. And, Lord, even as you are the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the Word says we are complete in you.
So, Lord, I pray the same virtue, the same power, the same love, the same care, the same compassion, the same joy, the same justice, the same mercy. Oh, the same grace. I pray the very same attributes of the invisible God, Lord, would be made manifest in each and every one of our lives. Lord, may your heart be our heart your thoughts our thoughts your love our love your power, our power. O God, your vision, our vision. O Lord, may we be full of light and expel all darkness. Almighty God, lord, I ask, do a mighty work.
Do a deep work in every one of us, O God.
[00:37:36] Speaker B: Thank you for listening to this podcast. Our goal is to make as many messages available for free as possible. But if you have been impacted today and would like to sow into our ministry, please visit our
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