House Rules | Part 5

Christ is my firm foundation, the rock on which I stay when everything around me is shaking. I've never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus. He's never let me down. He's faithful through generations. So why would He fail now? He won't. No He won't, no He won't, no He won't. For I've still got joy in chaos. I've got peace. Somebody shout this right here, sing. So I won't be going under. I'm not held by my own strength. Cause I've built my life on Jesus. He's never let me down. He's faithful through every season. So why would He fail now? He won't. No He won't, no He won't. He never fails. Shout it, sing. He won't fail. No He never fails. He won't fail. Somebody over here, testify and shout it, sing. He won't fail. No He won't, no He won't. He won't fail. Somebody begin to build your faith and shout this together. He won't fail. No He never fails. He won't fail. See Christ is. Christ is my firm foundation. See the rock, the rock. On which I stand. With everything around me. I've never been. I've never been. I put my faith in Jesus. He's never let me down. He's never let me down. He's faithful through every season. So why would He fail now? He won't. No He won't, no He won't. Say He won't fail. He won't fail. He won't fail. No He never fails. Come on, would somebody just begin to testify.

If the Lord hasn't failed you. If you've seen His faithfulness. Somebody just begin to take the testimony of what God's done in your life. And would you go ahead and just lift up a roar of praise. Come on, if you've seen Him move in your life, go ahead. You've got something to worship about. Go ahead. You've got something to praise about today. When He's walked you through season after season after season. He is faithful. Come on, this is your anthem today. Somebody testify. Somebody testify. Let your faith build up somebody next to you today. Go ahead. Let your faith build up the person next to you today. If God's been good, say rain came and went blue. Say, in the wind blew, my house was built. Come on, right there at home, would you say, I'm safe. I'm safe with Jesus. When I am standing on the rock, I have nothing to worry about. I have nothing to fear. Say, oh, it's blue. My house was built. I'm safe with you. Let's sing it again. Let's sing it again. Say rain came. It went blue, they came with the blue I'll sing with you I'll sing with you I'm gonna make it through I'm gonna make it through

I'm gonna make it through I'll sing with you I'm gonna make it through I'm gonna make it through It's my loss It's my loss to live on you Christ is my firm foundation See the rock The rock of me Every single one of me Will be my foundation I've never been more glad I've never been more glad I put my faith in Jesus He's never let me down He's never let me down His faithful will never fail So I will keep Him now So I will keep Him now Somebody rejoice in the Lord You're all I need No it won't, no it won't Hey He won't fail He won't fail Say He won't He won't fail He won't fail He won't fail No, He never fails

No, He never fails God will make a way Where there seems to be no way Works and ways I cannot see He will make a way for me He will be my God Hold me closely to His side With love and strength for each new day Oh, with love and strength for each new day With love and strength for each new day He will make a way He will make a way He will make a way Pain is not the final word Grief is not the final word Fear is not the final word Always bringing new beginnings Always bringing new beginnings Because Jesus is the final word Oh, He's the final word So here I am to worship Here I am to bow down Here I am to say that You're my God You're all together in love with me All together in sight All together, one word All together, one word Here I am to worship Here I am to bow down Here I am to say that You're my God

You're all together in love with me All together in sight All together Oh, that's a sweet sound. The dew will set it well up in your spirit today. See, here I am. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my Lord. Say, Lord. Altogether, worthy. Altogether, worthy. Altogether, worthy. Altogether, worthy. So here I am. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my Lord. Say, Lord. Altogether, worthy. Altogether, worthy. Altogether, worthy. All I've left unto me. Never know how much it costs to see my sins. But one and all. Say, I'll never know. I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins. But one and all. Lift up his praise today. Say, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins.

But one and all. I'll never know. Say, I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins. But one and all. Say, I'll never know. I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins. But one and all. Say, I'll never know. I'll never know how much it costs to see my sins. But one and all. That cost. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my Lord. Say, Lord. You're all together. So here I am. Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. I give it up. I give it up. Here I am to say that you're my Lord. You're my God. You're all together. You're altogether wonderful to me. You're altogether wonderful to me. You're altogether. You're altogether wonderful to me. Oh, you're wonderful. A thousand generations have fallen down and worshipped

to sing the song of ages to the land. And all who've gone before us and all who will believe will sing the song of ages to the land. Come on, sing it out. Let the angels cry. Shout it. Come on, join all of heaven today. Join all of heaven. Say, you are lifted. Say, you are lifted high. Holy, holy forever. Yeah. If you've been forgiven. And if you've met the Lord. Sing the song. Sing the song forever to the land. And if you walk, if you walk in freedom. And if you walk. For ever and ever Sing song For ever to the landed And the angels cry Sing it out Holy I Holy Angels Oh preach it Christ Holy You are lifted high Holy

I Holy And for That's just it Holy for ever Can your people sing Can your people sing Oh shout it out Holy To the people Oh with the Lord of Lords Holy You will always be That's just it Holy Holy for ever Come on if you know this say Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above all Say all thrones and dominions All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Come on let it be said of Grand Rapids first That this is a random to declare That's it Oh come on Somebody can shout it just a little louder Somebody can dance just a little harder Take your worship just a little deeper for that All thrones and dominions

All powers and positions Say your name Come on lift up your praise say Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above all Say your name Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above all Hear your people sing Shout it out Holy To the King of kings Holy, holy, holy, holy You will always be Holy, holy forever Hear your people sing Hear your people sing Holy To the King of kings Holy, holy, holy, holy You will always be Holy, holy forever

You will always be Holy, holy forever Well we've been in our series House Rules How many of you have enjoyed House Rules so far? Learning things from it I'm learning things from it And when we talk about House Rules Remember what we're saying here That rules in a game Are not there to ruin the game Remember rules are there to make it work To show what victory is To show meaning and purpose To protect It makes the game actually more fun and enjoyable And meaningful Well the same thing goes with your personal life Only you're more valuable than a game or Monopoly or Uno And the creators of the game put it there Those rules to make it work Give you the sense of victory Accomplishment And meaning Well God created you You are fearfully and wonderfully made You were knit together in your mother's womb The psalmist said Every one of your days were recorded in God's book How many of you know that if God created you Then the present

Principles and the rules he puts there is not to be a spiritual killjoy But to make your life really work and meaningful and he did it with your family And he just doesn't put it to your life and your family. He does it for your money He does it with your marriage. He does it with things you put in your mind. He does it with your sex life He created it. So would you take a cue from the one who created? He really knows what he's saying when he says follow the rules with this that I created for you I Said you should have said amen a little louder than that. It's Y'all still have a problem with your pastor saying sex or something sex sex sex sex sex sex sex sex Thank you Thank you. So if God created these things just like the creator creates the game. I Think the creator made the games a little bit better genius than the people who are playing in the game. I Think the one who fearfully and wonderfully made you probably knows a little bit more than you and me about you and me So that's the reason why I'm gonna defer to him on every issue of my life So when I look to God God has not given me a suggestion and he's not giving me Sam. Hey, this is my opinion He's saying Sam. This is the truth because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. So is your marriage? So is your life so it's everything that I blessed you with so follow my house rules Can somebody say amen? So when you do that in your home, guess what love is really protected You can really win at unity in your home, even when things get chaotic You can even see restoration and peace even when there's been turmoil and hurt feelings and broken promises that God can actually restore Actually when you play the game, can I tell you honor Can really be realized For your husband, even when he fails you can have love for your wife Even when she isn't responding you can honor respect your parents Even when you disagree with them honor can actually be won in your home so today I want to cover this one thing a home that God honors How

Many want your life to be honored by God Okay. So if I want God to honor Sam right Kogel What is God required of me? And here's a line that I just want to give you you ready for this? The more I honor God above me The more I honor people around me The more our nation will start honoring the God above them The more they will start honoring the people around them. Even when they Strongly disagree with them. They can still have an honor for humanity Now you look at this country right now. I Love my nation, but we are losing honor At breakneck speed in this country And I'll tell you exactly the reason why Not because of a political party Not because who sits in places of authority But because individuals have stopped honoring God and when you sir you ma'am you young lady young man Cannot honor God more above you you will never learn to honor your parents that are around you Your teachers people in authority will never ever get it But God says I want you to experience my honor. How many want God's honor on your life? Come on How do you really want it? Okay, so I'm gonna just talk about this just for a moment because it's about a home God honored because this isn't new to God This isn't new to God's people. In fact, I want to take you to a moment when the people of God Have left it and it's so interesting today all the references To Israel in slavery for 400 years today Even even the prophetic word all of this is just Culminating and I think God's wanting to say something to us and if he's wanting to say something to us, it's probably because it's happening Okay So Joshua has brought the people Through the wilderness with Moses Moses cannot go into the promised land

You know that story or you read it and study about it but Joshua's now brought the people of God into the promised land and They're now being blessed. They are so fruitful and as he's sitting there He's thinking something is not right I am watching God's people losing honor for God and it will manifest in their homes It will manifest in the nation. It will manifest because because they individually, so I'm not gonna go point to somebody else. Samurai of Kogo, are you honoring God more above so that you can honor people that are around you? Can you do it? And it all comes back to honoring God. So look what Joshua says to them. So here's what he's saying to them. So I'm gonna break it down a little bit and try to get through it as quick as I can. So in Joshua 24, verse 14, look what Joshua says to the people of God, because he knows something is wrong here. And he says, so fear the Lord. That word fear there is a respect, an awe, even an awe so much that this is God, this is honor. He says, so honor the Lord, is what he's saying. Honor Him, honor Him. Fear the Lord and serve Him wholeheartedly, not halfway. Put away, just look at this for a second. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. That's when they were in slavery and bondage.

Serve the Lord, what? Alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods of your ancestors serve beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But here's what Joshua says. He ends his life the way he started it with God. And he says, but as for me and my house, my family, we will serve the Lord. And notice what he said. He did not say, and as for my house and me. He said, for me and my house, because he knows what I model of honor to God is the way my family's gonna go. So if you wanna know why the nations and America is not turning to God, it's because me, it starts at home. It starts with us. Because what I do affects the people around us. So he says, here's what's gonna start. The more I honor God above me, the more I will learn to honor people around me. And God begins to bring honor. He says, we'll serve the Lord. How many are ready to see household salvation and household honor come to the people of God in this house and those of you watching online, amen?

So Joshua, let me just take you through the story a little bit. So Joshua, first of all, starts reminding them of the care of God. He reminds them of all the blessings of God, even though they have gone through things where they probably said he failed us, he failed us, he failed us. He said, oh, but look what he is. He's bringing you to the promised land. And he looks at them and he tells them, don't just remember the blessings. He says, remember the bond you have with God. Remember to honor him. Remember the bond. If I could use a heavier word here than bond. He said, don't just remember how he's cared for you on the journey. Remember the covenant God made with us. And that is big. You've got to remember not just his care, but his covenant, not just his blessing, but you got to remember the bond he had with his soul. What does Joshua do? He reminds them of God's goodness. Pastor Kerry did the same thing that Joshua did to the people. He looks at them and he says, read first chapter 24. I'll just give you the rundown. He says, okay, first of all, he says,

remember your ancestors. You remember Tara and all of them before, our ancestors before us, they worshiped false gods and they worshiped demonic gods and the earth, the Chaldeans, and God brought them out and said, I want you to leave. You remember that? He says, he took them out. And then you remember how God took Abraham, picked him out and took him out of that evil. He left his family and he left that place of Haran. And God said, I'm going to send you to a place, a promised land. He promised them the promise. And he led him to the promised land. He said, you remember on the journey from that time that we were held in slavery for 400 years to Egypt. And remember the reason why they were in Egypt was God blessed them to sustain them so that the lineage of the Jews could be some preserved so that Jesus Christ could eventually come through. He said, remember how God cared for him. But guess what happened in that place of blessing? They forgot God and they got in bondage. And now they're in 400 years of slavery under Pharaoh. And he said, remember how God brought them out just as pastor Kerry reminded us that God sent all the plagues against Pharaoh, used Moses and Aaron to bring all the plagues of God's judgment on Egypt.

And he said, and then when they were, when you're running for your life and you went through the Red Sea and you got on the other side of the Red Sea, he said, don't you remember, you saw it with your own eyes. Some of you sitting here right now, he said, you saw it with your own eyes. your own eyes. God drowned the entire army of Pharaoh in the Red Sea and you saw it with your own eyes. And he said, you remember how we went through for 40 years in the wilderness? But he said, here again, if you don't remember God's covenant and bond, guess what happens? You ended up wandering for 40 years on hot sand in the wilderness. It was only an 11 day foot. It was only 11 day trip by foot to go from that area of Egypt to the promised land. 11 days. But why did it take 40 years? Because see, it only took one day for God to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel's heart. That's why some of you are still in your wilderness. And I'm going to explain that in just a moment. Wilderness in your marriage, sometimes even wilderness in your finances, wilderness in your decisions, wilderness in your purpose, wilderness in your own sexual identity. You're in a wilderness because you've got to understand. There's a reason why God says, remember not only my goodness and my care, but my covenant with you. And so now he says, now guess where you guys are now? He says, you're in the promised land. God didn't fail you. He kept his word. We won the game. We're in the promised land. And now you're living in homes you didn't build. Look at the nice subdivision that you're in now. He says, you're harvesting out of vineyards that you didn't even plan. Look, you just got a pay raise and a promotion on your job and you didn't even start that company and you're getting blessed. You didn't start that company. And he says, it's a land flowing with milk and honey. But then he says in verse 14, I've got a problem and God's got a problem. You need to put away your idols forever and serve him with your whole heart. Every bit of it. And look at the people, boy, I mean, Joshua, he is preaching. And look what it says in verse 16, the people, when he starts bringing this up, it says the people replied, Oh, Oh, we would never abandon the Lord or

serve other gods. He's going to check my driver's license. If I was born yesterday, we would never do this. Praise the Lord. But Joshua is not satisfied with what's coming out of their mouth. Look what he says in verse 23. He says, all right, then you're serious about this. You say you really love God. Joshua said, destroy the idols among you and turn your hearts to the Lord. He said, this is not about behavior. It's about who has your heart. And idols only reflect who has your heart. He said, turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel. The people said to Joshua, we will serve the Lord, our God. You say like an old, it sounds more Holy God. We will obey him alone. Joshua comes back. So Joshua made a covenant with the people. He made a covenant with the people that day at Shechem, committing them to follow the decrees and the regulations of the Lord. He made a covenant. He says, I'm going to tell you, you need to remember the bond that God has with you. That's why you're being blessed. And even while you're still being blessed, you have forgotten him. Remember the covenant with God. So what's a covenant when he says covenant, what's covenant? It's basically this, a covenant is a sacred binding agreement with clear promises and boundaries. Actually what it is, is God saying, when we get in covenant, I'm your covering with clear promises and boundaries. So when God, listen, when God wanted to, when you look through the old Testament, when God wanted to establish something with people and he was going to govern it, he was the one going to govern it, not the people. He would seal it with the covenant. So you would see it many times, like with Abraham, they would take, there would have to be the shedding of a blood, a sacrifice of an animal. So just like with Abraham, they split that animal in half and then he walked through it. And then the smoking flask was the preacher of God himself moving through that smoking flask. And basically when that animal slaughtered in covenant, it basically said, as I walk through this, just what happened to this animal will happen to me if I break my covenant with you. That's what it meant. That's what it meant. So in the old Testament, when God brings him out of the slavery of Egypt for 400 years, God tells him, I want you to sacrifice a lamb, sacrifice, slit its throat and take the blood of that animal and put it over the doorpost of your house. This means that you are under the covenant with me. Blood had to be shed. And the covenant sign was when that animals happened, that animal was destroyed. If I break covenant, that's what will happen to the animal may it happened to me. That's what it meant. That was the Old Testament picture of something God was gonna bring to us?

Well how many know that you and your pastor have broken covenant with God? Why aren't we destroyed? I'll tell you the reason why. Jesus Christ said this in Luke 22 20 before he went to the cross and he had that last supper he said to them look at this he said likewise he took the cup also also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the what the new what the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you. Now when he used the words covenant I'm gonna go a little deep just for a moment okay we're gonna go deep put your snorkel on get your mask on okay we're gonna go deep just for a moment when he says the word covenant in the Greek it is the word diatheke the word is diatheke and it's a very important word because this is what it meant it was a legal term denoting a legally binding declaration of benefits to be given from one party to another with or without conditions attached. He used that word one party blesses another party with or without conditions attached so it literally meant this when Jesus used that word it meant you don't have jack squat to bring me I've got everything you have nothing but I'm gonna get in covenant with you it is unilateral it is what are you seeing this it is one way from God because he had everything Sam Ryfogle had nothing and whatever righteousness I could bring was like filthy rags he said Paul it's nothing because he has everything I have nothing yeah but but but what about that animal in the Old Testament that made this happen to me if I ever break this covenant we broke in covenant well let me tell you what Jesus did he was the lamb slain before the foundation of the earth and he said Sam Ryfogle here what's gonna happen you don't have nothing to bring me but if you come to me and come into covenant with me remember this one thing I'm gonna go on the cross and they're gonna stretch me wide and they're gonna spill my blood because you have nothing and instead of you being the one that's gonna be destroyed I'm the one that's gonna be destroyed but I'm coming back and I'm coming back to bless you that's what Jesus Christ did I have everything you have nothing because somebody has to take the hit you didn't have to take that you got all your sin you just pile it up take it all from when you in the military take it all when you're teen

years take every bit of it take all the sin that you were thinking about right now and Jesus Christ said you've got nothing sir but remember I already took the hit on the cross get under the get under the covenant I have everything you have nothing but when you get in me you have everything that I have it's forgiveness and salvation it's eternal life how many of thank God for Jesus Christ and his blessing on our life come on somebody ought to give God praise for what he's done for you if you if you believed and accepted Jesus a Savior as sin bearer you're a part of that covenant I don't have nothing he's got everything and I don't deserve it you got it all he won't fail you so you're under covenant but Joshua's reminded him although God in the Old Testament make covenant with us you better remember it and stay in him but something else is getting in you besides him let me explain it I'm gonna take just a little bit time on the first two points and then we'll come in for a quick landing the point is this you can be in covenant without living under it listen you can be born again you can speak in tongues and Shondi the wallpaper off the wall be saved but not living under the blessings of the covenant many times Israel was in the covenant with God he cut a deal with him he had everything they had nothing but you can get out from under the blessing of that covenant let me put it you like this way sometimes I go overseas sometimes y'all been traveled overseas so I don't go to any country where there is not a US Embassy not going in fact they'll tell you don't go why because when you're in that foreign country you have no rights no protection No provision in that country as an American, although you may be born in America and Be an American if there's not a US Embassy there You have no rights But if there's a US Embassy there, it means that this is a piece of America in this country And they tell you when you're in trouble as America Run into that embassy because in that embassy it's like being in the United States and you have the rights and the

Provisions and the care and the blessing of that nation because you are in side that embassy There are some people you have given your life to Jesus Christ But you are not aligning by keeping him in you and staying in him house rules Why is there so much chaos? Why is my life not making sense? You stay in him? like an embassy We're in foreign territory right now. I know I'm a United States citizen, but I'm still in a foreign land I'm passing through this place I'm passing through this place. I know where my home is But Could it be That some of us are walking in the favor in the salvation of Jesus Christ But you are living uncovered you have salvation But you're living uncovered because you aren't living in covenant and you are ignoring the terms of the agreement You are saying I don't want to play by those rules It means you are not aligned you're in it, but you're not aligned under Like you're going into an embassy I'm here just to tell you that the name of the Lord is a strong tower if the righteous who just run into it and Stay in it. You will actually see the blessing in the favor of God in your life The problem is is a lot of us have the person of Jesus Christ But we ignored the principles of Jesus Christ You can actually be born again saved and know the person of Jesus Christ But wondering why the game is a mess because you're not living in the principles of Jesus Christ This is why the Apostle Paul said in Galatians chapter 4 verse 1. He says this he says He says now I say as long as the heir is a child He does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of Everything you have all the possession all the things that God has access to because you are in covenant

But when you don't align yourself to the principles God you live like a child and you're almost living like an unbeliever because You will not mature and play by his house rules and remember your bond Okay How are you ready to get in the covenant with Jesus he has everything I have nothing but I'm gonna stay in him I Am the vine You are the branches If you abide in me and I in you Everything that comes out of that vine will flow into the branch you break the branch off and align. It's still a branch It's still gonna be a great branch. But once you align get out from underneath that covenant blessing Joshua saying remembered because if you don't this is not gonna be a good outcome Wow All right. I gotta keep moving. All right, here we go. So he says number one. Remember your bond everybody say remember your bond Here's rule two real rule two that he gives him rule two is he says reject your bondage Remember your bond but reject the bondage now look at verse 23 Joshua 24 23 He says all right, then Joshua said Destroy everybody say destroy Destroy the idols among you and turn your hearts to the Lord God of Israel Now put your snorkel back on put your mask on we're gonna go down there deep dive When you read this scripture You got to pay attention To the setting that it's in and the audience he's talking to He's the the people he's talking to and the place that he's talked to him the people he's talking to right now is he has Gathered together the elite leaders That lead with him His point is is we're expecting God's people to do this you can't be messing around like this and The reason he's saying it is because he knows there are God's people who are in God's covenant, but living outside of the blessing and vulnerable against the enemy and He's telling them

You're the one that's setting the pace for this dad. You're setting the pace mom. You're setting the pace young person You're setting the pace in your classroom. You're setting it and he's saying first of all, I'm gonna talk to the leaders But then look at the place he said it. He's it says that they're at the ancient shrine of Shechem Why would they record this at Shechem because there was an important incident that happened? to one of their ancestors 500 years prior in Genesis 35 same place and the same thing It's when Jacob left the Laban's house with Rachel and Leah Remember the story and Rachel took the foreign gods of Laban and she hid them. You remember the story? She hid him in her satchel. She sat on him. She made the excuse it and here comes Laban saying you took my foreign gods Jacob says let the judgment happen on anybody What didn't know is his own wife was the one that took him from her father's house and she lied She says oh, I'm on my period and I can't get off of here So you can't look and so this this idol was never found So why is this so critical important just as Jacob told his family? We are serving God and God alone and we are messing around with idols and God's dealing with me This is the day that we are gonna put these out of our family But it's gonna start with me Now Why didn't Laban find them? It's because these gods were portable. They usually were little hand-carved little stone metal images made and they were very portable So that means you can hide them in a pocket that could be a pocket God You could put him in your satchel put him in your purse You could put him anywhere you want to put him and no one would know they're so out of sight out of mind So what does this mean you can actually have an idol in your life that you've tucked away so much that now you are even Unaware and don't even know it's an idol. I Believe the Holy Spirit's talking to us to you and me today. I Believe God has drawn a line in the sand because there are some of us that God has spoken to us far before the pastor Sam ever brought this message or that prophetic word and He's saying you're my people completely trust me because I want to bless your life

So this is how this is how this can happen. It's so sneaky young people want you This is really sneaky here that house happens They're portable gods who can be hidden and you can even be unaware that we're so comfortable with them We don't even know they're worshiping and they're taking our heart That's why Jesus made this strong statement. You ready for a real strong statement from Jesus. Let me give it to you You could sometimes you don't know you're making them your idol. Look at Luke 14 26. He says if anyone comes to me and Does not hate His own father and Mother and sister and children and brother and sisters. Yes, even his own life He cannot be she cannot be my disciple that follows me Jesus is saying you better hate your family Now I know you're all tripping out now Wait a minute, I thought you told me love my wife like Christ loved the church and laid down his life for what's Jesus He's nice. Tell me a hater Hate my dad hate my mom hate hate him Can I tell you how difficult it was for this first set? You're having a problem with me telling you right now hate your family. You're having a problem with that This first century wigged out over it. You're doing much better than them Because the first century family family was everything listen, especially in Eastern cultures from which I came out of Families were the center the hub. In fact, your whole identity was based on your family That means your occupation was determined by your family. Jesus father was a carpenter He was a carpenter, but then Jesus says do you not know about my father's business? He starts saying who the higher calling is. I'm not even gonna worship my dad's business watch this Let me go a little bit further it even meant who you married Your families would pick your spouse Come on every parent say amen that's got a teenager right now. Hey, man, we'll pick them for you. We'll do better and Jesus says hate him See that woman besides you hate her. Is that what he's saying? Is he telling you to have hostile hate against your mother or father when he tells you wait a minute?

Forgive your enemies love your enemies and now he tells you to hate your wife, but love your enemies What this is all messed up. It's jacked up When you look at this What Jesus spoke Aramaic Aramaic and in Aramaic the language Jesus spoke the word hate in Aramaic actually meant this to love a great deal less than Leave that up there for a second To love a great deal less than, He is saying, unless you cherish me more than your husband, unless you cherish me more than your spouse, unless you cherish me more than your parents or your car or your money or your beauty, unless you cherish me more than your sex life, unless you cherish me more than even your own personal identity, unless you cherish me more, a great deal more than the rest of this, you cannot follow me and you will not survive. Because Jesus knows whatever you love the most is what controls your life. And He wants to make it apparent that your wife doesn't control you, your husband doesn't control you, your pastor doesn't control you, it is Jesus Christ and His love who I follow is the one I follow alone and I love most. Now you say, wait a minute, that's the reason why honor really is when I honor God above me more, I will learn to honor people around me more. In fact, you can't truly honor your husband or your wife until you honor him more. You will never learn it. You will never learn it. And Jesus is saying, it's really easy to make something that's good your God, even your kids. I'm not picking on you, but I'm telling you something has shifted even our culture. We will make sure our kids get all the perfect places and you should get them in the best places you can possibly get them in. But I see more parents chasing their kids around the country for sports activity and never have them in church. And the chances of them being professional athlete, you probably pay for their high school

and their college. I mean, pay for their college with the money you save, not traveling all those places and put it in a nice little interest-bearing stock, seriously. And now those things become out because I want my kid to be perfect, turn out right. You want to do things right, but God says you will never put your family, your marriage or your money or your sex life in the right perspective until you honor God more above. You will honor other people. You'll honor your boyfriend or girlfriend. You won't ask them to cross the line in sexual expressions because you honor God more than getting what you want for right now. So Jesus says, unless you love me with an intense love more than them, you will never put them in the right perspective and you can't be my disciple because other things will make their way. Your family will make their way in, your job will make your way in, your identity, your beauty, everything will make it in. You will go far above because you worship it more. You worship your position. You'll worship your job far more higher than you will him. You won't submit to him. So what is that like, pastor? Well, let me just put it like this. How many hope the sun shines today? And so when the sun's shining, we're going, oh, God must have put the stars to bed and put them in a little room. Do you know that when the sun is shining, do you know the stars weren't removed? They're there. You just can't see him because the intensity of the sun is much stronger than the stars. And what he's trying to tell you is would you stop making your children the sun that you're now being, you're now caving in to some of the culture ideology because you're afraid you're going to lose them.

If you just simply say, I'm sorry, I disagree. Here's what God's word says. So you're caving to your kids and you're caving to your employer to do something wrong in business, to lie or cheat, to make the books look good. You're doing something. Now you're caving to your husband. You're caving to your wife. And Jesus says, no, your love for me has got to be like the sun. It doesn't take away your marriage. It doesn't take away your respect and honor for others. What it does is you can't see them because they see me, the sun over every other detail of your life. And Joshua is saying to them, he's saying, please listen to me. He says, please listen to me. Put away these foreign gods and turn your heart. It's your heart. Why are you still tinkering with this and holding onto this? When I'm talking to you about your heart, it's pulling your heart away. In fact, you're mad at the guy talking right now for saying what he's saying. Well, I'm done with this church. I know exactly what happens. It's exactly what happens. Scripture records, watch this. said this, and he made a covenant with them. Scripture records no evidence that they ever got rid of their gods. Nothing. They just said, Amen. Praise the Lord. That's all they did. There is no evidence that actually destroyed the things that were taking their heart more. And some of them are good, but they become God. But we do have evidence that we know they didn't. Here's how we know. Go to the next book of the Bible, the book of the judges, and this is the book right after. Joshua has left, and Judges 2 says, here's what happens. After that generation died, the Joshua generation,

another generation grew up who did not acknowledge God, acknowledge the Lord, or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel. The nation turned into a complete sin. And why are the rules in the game? Why did the creator put the rules in the game? Because he just wants to tick you off and see how he can just browbeat you and tell you, no, don't have any fun. Stop laughing. Stop smiling. No, he puts the rules there so you actually enjoy the game and you're actually cheering when you win. But you're more than a game. Why does he tell you, remember your bond with me and what I did and I paid it? Stay aligned in me. Why does he say that? Why would he say, reject the things that are trying to encroach in your heart, Sam. Don't let it happen to you. Even as a pastor, don't let it happen to you. Why? Because he wants you and me to receive his blessing when you're aligned under him. That's what he honors. So Joshua ends his life with the way he started it. He kept remembering and he kept rejecting so he could keep receiving. Look what it says in Joshua 1.8. This is how he started. He said, keep this book of the law. How often everybody? Always. Keep this on your lips. So that means be talking about it to your family. Meditate. What does that mean? Be careful what you put in your mind. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Watch this. Then, everybody say then. Then you will be prosperous and successful. God is saying, I'm not giving you this because I just want to see who I can tick off and make frown the rest of their life. Man, that's the way some Christians are. I mean, goodness gracious, they got a rule for everything and look like they've been baptized in formaldehyde. You don't want to be around them. Why does God say this? He's not trying to ruin your joy. He's trying to give it to you. He's not trying to rob you of a blessing. He's trying to release the blessing to you. So when God gives his house rules and you want him to honor your family, let it start with honoring you, ma'am and you, sir. Let it start with me and say, Holy Spirit, would you put a microscope into my heart and let me see if it's turning? Has the money gotten me? In my dating relationship, am I compromising simply because I fear losing this girl or this man more than God? Do I fear not having enough money and fear the spirit the Bible calls mammon,

the ability to buy or sell? If I am dishonest in my business or the business, the company, they're asking me to do this because that person's God. And when God says, when God says no, this is what he said. Don't say he said no. Here's what God says. When God tells Sam no, here's what it means. You're ready for this? No means you'll hurt yourself. Stop. Say no and say, I'm going to hurt myself. If you say no, and you know, it's no, and God's telling you, it means don't hurt yourself. You will hurt yourself. Josh was telling me you are going to pay for this. It will hurt you. So when God says no to something, it's coaching. Say no, sir. Say no to it. Cause he said you hurt yourself. But when he says, yes, yes, yes. really means go ahead help yourself have at it all the blessings of mine you want to put your marriage in covenant you want to stop living together and stop you want to get in marriage covenant come on get in marriage covenant get under the covenant with your spouse the one you want to be your spouse get in covenant with them and say god open up the windows of heaven we want you to bless our marriage get in covenant that's why it's their covenant it's the picture of jesus christ and you the reason why he wants you to be honest with your money why because he says here's all my resources help yourself help yourself how many want god to reveal to us anything that gets in the way so that we stay aligned and we just keep helping ourself to every benefit and blessing he has oh my