Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] I want to preach something today that has actually been stirring in my heart for quite a few months.
[00:00:08] Many of you were here at the end of last year and heard me preach for boy, probably two, almost three months on our series. Beholding and becoming what we behold is what we become.
[00:00:20] I've been in two corinthians, chapter three. But this passage right here I've been in, and I have not felt released of the Lord to preach in it. But I really think this is going to take us to the next level as we dig in over the next number of weeks. Romans chapter eight, beginning at verse five. And this is what it says, those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh, those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity or it wars against. It's not at peace with God. It is at enmity with God. It is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be so then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. I want you to jump down to verse 14. Over the next weeks, I'll preach on every verse in romans eight, but just for the sake of our time today, verse 14 says, as many as are led by the spirit of God. These are the sons of God. Everybody say sons of God.
[00:01:32] Are you a child of God?
[00:01:34] All right, we're going to dig into this. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba. Father, the spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children. I like this part. Verse 17. If children, we are heirs. Heirs of God. Joint heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. Wow.
[00:02:10] Let's pray. Let's ask the Lord to speak to us through his word today. Lord, I commit this word to you. I thank you for the word that is light, it's life, it's instruction, it's correction where we need it. And, Lord, I pray that today your word would accomplish all that you desire it to. Holy Spirit, I ask for a mighty anointing, the spirit of wisdom and revelation to just saturate this atmosphere. Come on, church. Help me pray. Pray that God give you eyes that see and ears to hear. If you can pray with your spirit, do that right now. Pray with your understanding. Ask the Lord to come. Holy Spirit, we commit this time to you. We ask you to speak to us a word that would change us, challenge us, bring us to the next level. I pray an anointing for eyes that see, ears that hear, a heart and a mind that perceives what your spirit is speaking today. And 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 today. In Jesus name, I pray, and everybody say amen. You may be seated.
[00:03:14] Wow.
[00:03:18] I believe God wants to take us higher in the things of the spirit. I don't know what the heading in your Bible says, but in mine, romans chapter eight at the very top, says, life in the spirit. Life in the spirit. In fact, if you're taking notes or you want to know a good title for this sermon, you can write that down. Life in the spirit. Everybody say, life in the spirit.
[00:03:45] So we read in these passage, you'll see this comparison. There's a life that we can walk in the spirit, and there's a life that we can walk or live in the flesh. Do you realize that there are two parallel realities going on right now? Even right here in this room? There are two parallel coexisting realities. We got up in the morning and you look in the mirror and you see your physical body in the mirror. Praise God. And you got in your car, you got on your scooter, maybe you walked, and you're operating in this physical world. You come into this physical room and you shake somebody's hand and you're holding your physical Bible. This is the world that we live in. It's a physical world. It's a natural world, but there's a spiritual reality as well. How many understand that when we worship, how many of you have sensed, maybe in a time of prayer or worship, or maybe we were reading the word and you had a sense like, whoa, I feel the presence of God. Whoa, I feel like there's angelic activity. When that person prayed for me, I felt something happen. How many of you have had a sense that man, something in the spirit has gone on today, and you have these moments where we pray and somebody's healed. And it's a moment that you know that that which is in the spirit has been made manifest in the physical realm and it produces a miracle, is what we would call glory, a physical manifestation of God in the earth. When somebody is saved, they're spiritually dead, the Bible says, but in the moment they believe they are born of the spirit, their spirit man comes alive, and now all of a sudden, things begin to change and transform even in their natural life. You used to be a jerk, but now you're kind of nice from time to time. You weren't a great husband, but now you are and everything. You weren't the best employee, but now you're outperforming. Now you're in management, and you see that spiritual life begin to affect your natural life. Is this making sense to you so far? So I want you to write this down, three ideas for you, and we're going to get deeper with everyone. And I want you to go with me on this journey. It's going to help us.
[00:05:59] I want you to write this down. We can live life in the spirit or we can live life in the flesh. We can live life in the spirit or in the flesh.
[00:06:12] And I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you, I know that most people in the world are almost exclusively mindful of what goes on in the natural world with little care or consideration of what goes on in the spirit realm. But I would even take it a step further and just say to you, I believe that most people, even in the church, are far more mindful of the natural versus the spiritual. We like to think, oh, I'm a very spiritually minded person. I'm walking, I'm living in the spirit. But in reality, we all have these moments where we realize, man, I'm more fleshy than what I thought I was. And I remember when God began to expose this to me. And I've been in the ministry this year. Actually, later on this summer will be 20 years that I've been walking with the Lord. And I began casting out devils the first summer that I was saved. I mean, I've been in the ministry virtually since I got born again.
[00:07:16] But even it was about five years ago, I had a moment where I realized I'm more fleshly, I'm more carnal than even what I realize. I had spent every day, we had early morning prayer there, just like we do here. And every day there was a couple that would show up, Uncle Kaoki and Auntie Kavehi, hawaiian couple, awesome couple. Came to know them very well. Kavehi still, you know, loves the Lord, and she'll join on the live stream from time to time. But uncle Keoki, he was my buddy, we pray together every morning. You have prayer partners, you have people, you grow close to those people. It's like, you pray for me and I'll pray for you, and you just grow close to these people, so we'd pray together. And I just grew close to these guys. And remember, one day we're praying for Kaoki because he's got some problems in his body. And the next week we're visiting him in the hospital and praying for him in the hospital, and the next week, I'm performing his funeral. It was like three weeks in a row. I watched this friend, this prayer partner go rapidly downhill, and I watched him die. And I remember I was sitting in the car, and I was just grieving my friend. And I remember asking God this question. God, we prayed, we laid hands. I visited him. I contended for him. Why did Kaoki die?
[00:08:36] And I heard the Lord speak to me as clearly as I've ever heard him. This was a pivotal moment in my life. I heard the Lord speak to me. Jacob Kaoke is more alive right now than you are.
[00:08:51] And it hit me like a ton of bricks. All of a sudden, I realized that this.
[00:08:59] I'm so in this natural, physical realm that I'm not even mindful. The Bible actually says that what we see and experience and touch and feel right now is a shadow compared to what we're going to experience. Then he's more alive than I am. That person you care about who's gone to be with the Lord, they are more alive than you are right now. This is why we can pray with authority. Why? Because God's healing virtue in the spirit is more real and powerful than anything that you can experience here in this natural world, this natural life. The question is, are we going to walk in the spirit? Are we going to walk mindful of the spirit, or are we going to remain trapped in this physical world?
[00:09:48] This is where God wants to take us. I believe with all my heart. And so even when I'm training. Okay, so we shared the testimony last week. My wife and I have begun our training for our triathlon. Praise God. It's a lot of fun.
[00:10:03] She got her coach, and she has become my coach, so she's my boss. I'm not calling her pastor or honey. I'm calling her coach now, and it shows. I can barely hold up this microphone right now because I was swimming last night, and it's tiring. My body is screaming at me. And this is something we can all relate to. It was another moment that I realized I am still in many ways, dominated by my physical, even over my spiritual. I want to walk in the spirit, but when I'm running on a treadmill, when I am swimming in the ocean, I have moments where my body screams at me, stop.
[00:10:45] Anybody know what I'm talking about? If you've ever played sports, if you've done conditioning, if you're helping someone move their house, we've all had those moments where your body says, that's enough, stop. But I find myself, I'm quoting one corinthians where it says, I discipline my body. I make it my slave.
[00:11:06] And I know that's for the Bible theologians, I know that's slightly out of context, but it's true, man, it's true.
[00:11:14] My body is here to serve my walk in the spirit, not the other way around. Not the other way around. So if my spirit man is in alignment with God and it's saying, you know what? I'm going to do this training, and my body will do what I am determined to do. I discipline my body. My body is here to serve me, not the other way around. That's what those first passages in Romans are talking about. And this is where a lot of people get in trouble. I'm telling you, they live their life dominated by their flesh, what their body is crying out for. But it feels good to eat that much. But it feels good to sleep around. But it feels good to have people praise me. But it feels good. Pick your sin. You realize most sin is just an excess of something that God created as good. Like honor is good, but if you're craving it, envy, pride, it's too much.
[00:12:10] Sex is wonderful, but if it's with the wrong people in the wrong context, then it's sin. Praise God.
[00:12:18] Cake is wonderful.
[00:12:22] A piece of cake is wonderful, but the whole cake, that's excess, that's gluttony. You understand all these things.
[00:12:33] Most sin falls into that category. It's like man, this is something God created good. But if you abuse it, that's where it becomes damaging. You understand? So we need to be mindful. I'm not going to be dominated by my flesh. I don't care what my body or my carnal sinful nature is screaming for, because I'm not dominated by that. I'm not led by that. It serves me. My body serves me. Who I am in the spirit is more real than this body that you see. What I see in the mirror, you understand, is less real than the spirit man that has been resurrected.
[00:13:08] I know that's like far out for some of you, but you are not what you see in the mirror.
[00:13:16] I'll get into that a little bit. Your brain, you understand? Your brain and your soul are different. This is why people can be brain dead and then come out of that and they have memories of, I heard you praying for me. I heard this. You'll hear stories like that all the time. Why? Because your brain is physical. Your soul, your mind, your will, your emotions is spirit.
[00:13:39] And so when I wake up in the middle of the night and I'm thinking about some conversation I've had or a meeting that I'm about to have, and it's keeping me awake, it's keeping me anxious or I'm trying to. You guys ever have like imaginary conversations? Like man, I should have said this with that person said this and having like imaginary conversations.
[00:14:01] I tell my brain, you work for me.
[00:14:07] My brain does not dominate me. You're not going to keep me awake. You serve the spirit in my life. In the spirit now, okay, we're going to go a little deeper. I think you trekking with me so far, we're going to get deeper into this. And this, by the way, has a lot more to do with sin than sin and righteousness. Most people will read a fee, I'm sorry, Romans, chapter eight. And they'll read about this life in the spirit and we'll just like, okay, I'm living holy now, okay, I'm not bound by sin any longer. And most of us stop right there.
[00:14:45] I'm just here to tell you today that us being free and forgiven of our sin is only the beginning. It's only the beginning of what God wants to do. In fact, as you continue to read through this, I didn't preach on it, I didn't read the passage, but in verse 19 it says that all of creation is literally crying out. It's groaning what for? The revealing of the sons of God. Do you realize that the world around us and it goes on. I almost preached on this Sunday. I think I will next Sunday. But the world, other people and the spirit of God himself is crying out groaning the Bible says, for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. When is somebody going to realize I'm called to be more than a sinner, saved by grace. I am called to be a son, a daughter of the most high God, a change agent that actually shifts things in the world and for people's eternity. We got to get beyond this. I got my fire insurance and now I get to die and go to heaven one day. Friend, that's only the beginning. You see, Jesus messed with a lot of people.
[00:16:08] Everybody in Israel was waiting for a military leader who was going to rise up. They expected that Jesus was going to pull together an army and we're going to overthrow Rome. And, man, we got bad leaders in our nation. We need to overthrow Caesar and this guy, Pontius Pilate and Herod. And they were fed up with the whole thing. There was persecution and taxes and all of these things that were just so wrong. But Jesus said very little about any of those things because Jesus was so set on, yes, seeing a kingdom come, but not a kingdom like what they expected.
[00:16:47] Jesus wanted to see heaven come to earth. And I know his disciples even after the resurrection. You can read this in acts, chapter one. Okay, Jesus, great, you conquered hell and death, great, you died for our sins. Will you now at this time, restore the kingdom back to Israel? Are you at this now? Is it time for the army to come together? And he's like, no, one day that will happen on the authority of scripture. One day we're not going to go to heaven. Heaven's actually going to come to earth. And Jesus will rule and reign from physical Jerusalem on the other side of the globe or on the other end of the flat earth. However you look at it, whatever you think, we'll find out on that day. Okay, I'm sorry, but one day we're going to see that. But Jesus was far more intentional about bringing heaven to earth. And it messed with people. It messed with people. And I'm telling you, most of us live in the very same way. We decide, are we going to be strong for the Lord based on who's president? Are we going to decide whether we're going to walk in victory? I mean, I'm telling you, you realize that one of the things, our church grew rapidly throughout Covid because we took a stand that, you know what? The Bible has commanded us to preach this gospel of the kingdom, and the Bible has commanded us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. So we're going to have a place where people can come together and worship, and we're not going to mandate who comes in or who doesn't, who's allowed and who's not. No, everybody's welcome. Come and worship the Lord. It's a gospel issue.
[00:18:35] I've had people, I'm not exaggerating. I have had people leave our church because I wouldn't stand behind the pulpit and just praise Donald Trump. And just like, this is the hero of Christianity and this is who. Why? Because, friend, I'm not looking to a man. Do you realize, you realize my family and I, we prospered under Obama and we prospered more under Trump, and we have prospered even more under Biden. Do you realize that the anointing of God moved when Obama was in office and the anointing came to the next level? Even when Trump was in office, and the anointing came even to the next level, now that Biden's in office? Why? Because I'm not living in this kingdom. There's another kingdom, and my God is on a throne.
[00:19:26] His kingdom is from glory to glory. You watch leader to leader, you're going to watch wars and famines and trouble, and you're going to watch inflation and all kinds of mess, deception, and all of this. Not so in the kingdom of God. His kingdom is glory. To glory. It is peace. To peace, it's victory. To victory, it's grace. To grace. It's ever increasing. So praise God.
[00:19:51] I'm holding my tongue. I just.
[00:19:58] So praise God. We're going to do well.
[00:20:02] I feel like people just, we get stuck in the natural, we get stuck in this world, and we forget about who's on the throne, what's going on in the spirit. So we're going to live a life in the spirit. Amen. So next, I want you to write this down. The kingdom of God is accessible right now.
[00:20:24] The kingdom of God is accessible right now. I'm just going to tell you, we're going to go deeper in this thing, okay? So we got our salvation stuff figured out, and now we're kind of being mindful of the things of the spirit. But we're going to go to a whole nother level here. As you read the gospels, I'm going to give you a lot of Bible on this in a moment. As you read the gospel, you'll notice the Bible talks a lot about the kingdom of God. In fact, in the New Testament alone, there's 150 references to the kingdom of God. There's two about church, by the way, 150 about the kingdom of God. 127 of those references were by Jesus himself.
[00:21:08] So people ask me all the time, pastor, what you preaching about on Sunday? And the answer, I'm doing prophetic ministry on Thursday, and I'm preaching on the glory. We're doing this thing on faith. And Jesus, if people were to ask him, Jesus, what are you ministering on today? His answer, 95% of the time would have been the same answer, the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. You'll notice every one of his parables. The kingdom of God is like this. He would preach everywhere he went. The kingdom of God is at hand. You see, in his day and in our day, we live like God's kingdom is something that's way out.
[00:21:50] Know, I'm going to throw these prayers up and God, maybe if you're out there, you can hear and you can pray. But Jesus turned that whole idea on its head and he says, no, the kingdom of God is at hand. That means break the christian ease for a second. The kingdom of God being at hand means that I can touch it. It's close enough, we can grab hold of it. It's accessible. His kingdom is near to us right now, and we can receive. This is what Jesus preached in Matthew 935. It says this. Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues. Preaching what? The gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom. And here's the result of the gospel of the kingdom. He healed every sickness and every disease amongst the people.
[00:22:49] How many sickness and disease? Everyone. There was nothing that Jesus did not have authority over. Why? Lepers come walking in. They need to be cleansed. He's not praying to a God who's far off. No. The kingdom of heaven is accessible right now. And you have the power to be healed and cleansed right now. A paralytic is lowered into the room. He not only needs to be healed, but he also needs to be forgiven. And guess what? The kingdom of heaven is accessible. And there is power to heal you. And there is authority even to forgive your sins. Heaven is accessible. Resources are needing to feed a multitude of hungry people. Jesus doesn't even pray. He just thanks God for his provision. And guess what? Heaven's resources were available. Kingdom of heaven was accessible, and God fed the multitude.
[00:23:47] This isn't just the ministry of Jesus either. We're going to build on this. The Bible says in Matthew ten and verse seven. As you go, he's sending his disciples out now. Preach. Saying what? The kingdom of heaven is at hand. That means for you disciples, it's accessible, too. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers. Raise the dead. Cast out demons. Freely. You have received freely. Give. Oh, my goodness. And guess what? They had the same results that Jesus did. In fact, the Bible says that they came back and they were amazed. Jesus, it worked.
[00:24:31] It worked. Bodies were healed, the dead were raised. We preached the gospel. Your words coming through. And even demons were subject to us in your name. You know what Jesus said? He says this in Luke, chapter ten. This is his response to the disciples. Even demons were subject to us. He says, behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. And nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
[00:25:13] Why do you have authority? Because your name is registered in heaven. Why is heaven accessible? Because you're already seated there in heavenly places. Oh, I'm getting fired up over this. Listen, it worked for the disciples. But let me ask you, is your name written in heaven?
[00:25:35] Are you seated with Christ in heavenly places? According to the Bible, you are. So why don't we see these things?
[00:25:44] We ought to be raising the dead and casting out devils and preaching good news and ambassadors of the kingdom of God. We can do this. Listen, for some of you end times buffs, this is a sign of the kingdom. Matthew 20 414. This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to the nations, and then the end will come.
[00:26:11] You want to know some bad eschatology?
[00:26:15] You know what eschatology is? It's study of end times.
[00:26:18] Bad eschatology is this, things are going to get worse and worse. So we just need to band together as the church and hold the fort till Jesus comes and takes us out. That's bad theology.
[00:26:32] You read about these guys in the 80s who were like racking up as much as they could on credit cards because they were so convinced that God was just going to come and take them out. And those guys are dumb. Hallelujah. It's not good. That's bad theology.
[00:26:48] Jesus didn't say, hold the fort till I come back. No, he said, go into all the nations, preach the gospel of the kingdom, meaning heaven is accessible. It didn't stop when the apostles stopped ministering. You understand, like, heaven is accessible for you and me. Today, all you y wham. I'm so glad that you guys are here. Not many months from now, you're going to be launched all around the globe and your assignment is going to be the same. To go into nations and preach the kingdom of God is accessible.
[00:27:21] So cleanse lepers and heal the sick and cast out devils and raise the dead and preach good news to those who need it.
[00:27:30] My goodness.
[00:27:33] And the end will come.
[00:27:36] The end will come.
[00:27:39] For many, the gospel is believe in Jesus.
[00:27:45] Pray the prayer so that God can take us out of this wicked, fallen world one day. Save us now, Jesus. Take us out now. I crin, don't ever talk like that around me.
[00:27:57] I'm just telling you, I will rebuke you to your face. Take me out now, Jesus. Oh, Biden won the election. Take us now, Jesus. Stop it.
[00:28:07] Stop it.
[00:28:09] That's goofy, friend.
[00:28:12] Stop that.
[00:28:14] You realize the hope of heaven is only the beginning. Religion says just pray the prayer and hold the fork. Do the stuff, do the religious stuff till Jesus comes and take us away. It's like work harder until Jesus rescues us from this wretched life. That's the message of religion. Religion only has one sermon, by the way, and it's try harder.
[00:28:39] Religion's one sermon is try harder. And Jesus rebuked the Pharisees because of their religious try harder message. He said it actually restricted people from entering into the kingdom. Look at this. Matthew 20 313. Woe to you, scribes and pharisees. Hypocrites. You shut up the kingdom of heaven against men. For you neither go in yourselves nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. You realize this religion try harder message actually hinders people from receiving the kingdom of God.
[00:29:21] And God's going to set us free because many of us are still in that mindset the same way. Even my story kind of exposed like man, I'm still fleshy and God reveals that all the time in the same way God is going to reveal man. I've got a religious works mentality in this, but that's not why I was born again.
[00:29:40] You realize, you want to know what the gospel is? Religion says try harder. The gospel is be born again.
[00:29:51] Be born again.
[00:29:55] I'll tell you. We're going deeper. Can you go a little deeper with me?
[00:30:00] Write this down.
[00:30:02] We have been born of God into his kingdom.
[00:30:08] We have been born of God into his kingdom. You realize why Jesus died? Yes. Save us from our sin. Absolutely. But God, so much more than that, is building a family. He's bringing his sons back home. We read the verses earlier. Those who are led by the spirit are the sons of God. We are children of God. Verse 16. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. Verse 17. You realize we have been adopted into his spiritual family.
[00:30:48] And it's more than a name change.
[00:30:52] It's more than a name change.
[00:30:56] My dad left when I was very young. I didn't grow up with my biological father, but I had a wonderful stepdad who came in and my kids actually asked me just this last week like, well, why didn't you take your stepdad's last name? And I could have. I could have, but I didn't honestly see a great need to do that. I remember when they asked me, do you want to take your stepdad's last name? His last name's more confusing and long to spell it's. Llamadou, or Lamdu is a french name, and I don't look very french inside. I don't know. A lot of the things that I exhibit and my characteristics are reflective of my stepfather and his great influence in my life, truly. But I didn't take his name.
[00:31:42] Do you realize that when we were adopted into the family of God, it wasn't just a name change?
[00:31:49] What did I read earlier when we were receiving the offering? He has given us the right to be partakers of his divine nature, the same God stuff that Jesus was made of.
[00:32:04] He has brought us into that very same reality. Now you and I can be partakers of the divine nature. This is what it means when the Bible says in Romans that we are being conformed into the image of his son. He's literally working. When you were adopted, it's not just that your name changed. Now I'm a Christian. No, he's actually transforming you to look like God.
[00:32:33] Now the amens are getting weaker. Let me give you some theology to back this up. John three. Three. Jesus said, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again. Everyone say born again.
[00:32:46] Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse five says, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. You'll notice there's two difference. You can see the kingdom, you can enter the kingdom. I'll talk about that. John 112, go back a little bit. And it says this. As many as received Jesus, to them, he gave rights to become children of God to those who believe in his name. So believing in his name is not just for fire insurance. Believing in his name gives us the right to become children of God. Now let me show you something that's really, really cool. When it says become. To become children of God, or it says born again, it's the same greek word in both of those. And if you want to write this down, you can. It's the greek word Ganeo. G-E-N-N-A-O. Ganeo. To be born again and to become children of God is both the same greek word Ganeo, and it means to be born again, to procreate, to bring forth, or here's my preference, and you'll see why, to regenerate.
[00:34:06] In fact, I want you to write that down. If you're taking notes, even if it's in your phone, I want you to write that down. Regenerate. R-E-G-E-N-E-R-A-T-E. This is what it means to be born again. To become children of God. Ganeo means to regenerate. Now, here's what's interesting. That word ganeo in the Greek is where we get our english word genes.
[00:34:33] Genes. You already see where I'm going with this. So look at the word regenerate. R-E-G-E-N-E. You realize when you are born again, when you are given the right to become children of God, it's not just a name change. No. You're literally being regened with God's genes. You are being regened as a child of God. You are receiving his divine, godlike nature in yourself. That's crazy. So on a genetic level, you are like him.
[00:35:18] That's wild, friend.
[00:35:21] That's wild. Creation is crying out for sons and daughters to realize who you are and what you have been given.
[00:35:36] I look at this DNA thing. I took a DNA thing, and a couple of years ago, they had a mother's day special where I could take it and send one to my mom for free.
[00:35:46] I look at this thing, and it's crazy.
[00:35:49] They compare these things, they look at my genes, and they're like, based on this, you probably have this kind of earwax. Have you ever seen this kind of stuff? You probably have this kind of earwax. Or you probably have hypersensitive smells and tell you weird stuff, like, how do you know that? Because they see your genes. And so I can look and like, okay, dad, the reason that I'm losing my hair is your fault. Is his genes. But today I've started claiming, no, I've been regened. And I think God's got luscious hair. And so I'm laying hold of his hair, mom, the reason my feet hurt is because of your genes, but we've been regened. This is why I don't even have a problem with when people say, you know what?
[00:36:37] My sexual identity, it's in my genes, or this alcoholism is in my genes, or this sin preference is in my genes. Doesn't matter. Because when you get born again, friend, you get new genes. You get regened. Now, you have his nature, and guess what? His nature is blameless. His nature is holy, and that's what you are if you get this. I know we think, like, I need to try harder. That's religion. But, friend, you'll fall every time. But if you understand your identity, you'll walk in a higher level of integrity than your greatest efforts would ever produce in you.
[00:37:16] Wow.
[00:37:18] I've been rejeamed in Jesus. Hallelujah.
[00:37:25] Jesus is the first born. The Bible says, amongst many brothers and sisters. That's Romans 829. The father is conforming us to the image of his son according to romans eight and verse 29. So that means when you read the gospels, the kind of people he was able to love and give time to, the power he was able to operate in, the resources that were available to him, he was never begging his father. Lord, is your healing power going to work here today? Lord, are you really able to feed these people today? God? Is my message going to carry authority in these hearts today? No. He walked in confidence because he was a son of God. And I want you to understand that God, the father himself, is intentional in reforming, regening you to look like him, like God.
[00:38:22] I know that sounds scary. Us, and I'm not for one moment, we're not going to go into worshipping one another or you are God. No, that's not. He is God. But I need you to understand, you are a son, a daughter of the most high God, and what he has access to, you have access to. The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus screamed it 127 times.
[00:38:51] 127 times. The kingdom is accessible to you and to me.
[00:38:57] William Booth. You know what he said? I like this. You know who William Booth is? William Booth, founder of the Salvation army. You ought to look him up. He had a glorious beard. Great man.
[00:39:09] William Booth was a founder of the Salvation army. And you'll see Salvation army churches all over the planet. You'll see Salvation army distribution centers. These are some of those who respond when there's disasters. They're feeding and they're clothing people. They're making clothing available to those who may not have extravagant means. And William Booth, you know what he said? This is a guy who was not just hunkering down and waiting for the rapture.
[00:39:37] William Booth said, I'm not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God.
[00:39:44] What? I'm not waiting for a move of God. I am a move of God. So, I mean, here's a guy who's like, the earth, here's. Here's a situation. The earth is crying out for a solution. We need people to be clothed. We need people to be fed. We need new places of worship. And here's a guy who said, let's stop praying for revival. Let's stop praying for a move of God. I am a move of God. And 122 years later, we still see his works, even in our city right here.
[00:40:17] How does that work, friend? I'm telling you, it's time that some of us just get. We got to pray a little more. We got to pray a little. No, go for it. You already have it. Oh, my goodness.
[00:40:29] The kingdom of God.
[00:40:34] We've been born of God.
[00:40:36] Oh, my. All right, worship team, you come. I'll close.
[00:40:43] My goodness.
[00:40:48] Jesus. I'll close with this thought, and we're going to talk about receiving this. It's very simple.
[00:40:53] How do I walk in this reality? Well, the Bible says the kingdom of God is at hand. I read, I think, three different references to that. It's in Matthew three, Mark one, Matthew, chapter four. But Jesus made the statement in Luke 1721.
[00:41:10] Jesus said that the kingdom of God is within you.
[00:41:15] The kingdom of God is within you.
[00:41:20] Now, I'm just going to say that is not a reality for every person that's sitting in this room today.
[00:41:28] It is accessible for all of us.
[00:41:31] We all. I mean, the fact that you came to church today is in evidence to me that you at least have some measure of faith. That when I get around the people of God, I hear the word, I get in worship.
[00:41:42] I can touch heaven. I can receive something from God. God can speak to me. God can touch me. He can refresh me, can give me a timely word, whatever.
[00:41:52] But some will so grab hold of this kingdom, reality that they actually receive it. And it's beyond a kingdom that I can come and observe and participate in. And it actually becomes something we carry around with us everywhere we go.
[00:42:13] It can be a reality for all of us.
[00:42:16] Although for many of us, it's not yet today. It will be.
[00:42:21] It's like yesterday, my wife brought me a salad that she made me for lunch. And I was right in the middle of this message right here, just finalizing it, and I'm like, thank you so much. I actually feel like I was maybe rude. I'm sorry if I was rude. I was flesh. That was flesh.
[00:42:38] So I repented. But I did not accept the food. It was at hand. It was accessible. But I didn't receive it. I didn't eat it.
[00:42:48] Later on in the day, I finished the message. I finished my preparation. I went and I received that salad. And, man, it was a great salad. Thank you for making me a salad.
[00:42:59] And that's how the kingdom of God is like. It's here, and we encounter it every Sunday. But you and I, if we would accept. You're an heir to the kingdom with an inheritance in the kingdom. You have been born of God, Ganeo. You have been regenerated into the image of his son. You're a son. You're a daughter. And if you'll receive this reality. All of a sudden, it's like, oh, I'm not just going to come visit the church and experience the kingdom.
[00:43:33] I have the kingdom with me when I go into my school, into my workplace, when I go into my life group, when I step into a foreign nation, when I go into Willie's chicken. Everywhere I go, everywhere I go, the kingdom is with me.
[00:43:52] Hallelujah.
