Do You Know Him

April 9, 2017 · Matt Litzelman

Scripture referenced 8 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

John 12 The crowd taking palm branches to meet Jesus, shouting praise and hailing the king of Israel

1 Then six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 So they made him a supper there. Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with him.
3 Mary, therefore, took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.
4 Then Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, one of his disciples, who would betray him, said,
5 “Why wasn’t this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?”
6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money box, used to steal what was put into it.
7 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial.
8 For you always have the poor with you, but you don’t always have me.”
9 A large crowd therefore of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests conspired to put Lazarus to death also,
11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
12 On the next day a great multitude had come to the feast. When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
13 they took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet him, and cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus, having found a young donkey, sat on it. As it is written,
15 “Don’t be afraid, daughter of Zion. Behold, your King comes, sitting on a donkey’s colt.”
16 His disciples didn’t understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about him, and that they had done these things to him.
17 The multitude therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, was testifying about it.
18 For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.
19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”
20 Now there were certain Greeks among those that went up to worship at the feast.
21 These, therefore, came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we want to see Jesus.”
22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn, Andrew came with Philip, and they told Jesus.
23 Jesus answered them, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
24 Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25 He who loves his life will lose it. He who hates his life in this world will keep it to eternal life.
26 If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
27 “Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this time.
28 Father, glorify your name!” Then there came a voice out of the sky, saying, “I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
29 The multitude therefore, who stood by and heard it, said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
30 Jesus answered, “This voice hasn’t come for my sake, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world. Now the prince of this world will be cast out.
32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”
33 But he said this, signifying by what kind of death he should die.
34 The multitude answered him, “We have heard out of the law that the Christ remains forever. How do you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?”
35 Jesus therefore said to them, “Yet a little while the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, that darkness doesn’t overtake you. He who walks in the darkness doesn’t know where he is going.
36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become children of light.” Jesus said these things, and he departed and hid himself from them.
37 But though he had done so many signs before them, yet they didn’t believe in him,
38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, “Lord, who has believed our report? To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
39 For this cause they couldn’t believe, for Isaiah said again,
40 “He has blinded their eyes and he hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and perceive with their heart, and would turn, and I would heal them.”
41 Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory, and spoke of him.
42 Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,
43 for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise.
44 Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me, but in him who sent me.
45 He who sees me sees him who sent me.
46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in the darkness.
47 If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day.
49 For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.
50 I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

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Romans 8

The spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

3 For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;

4 that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6 For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;

7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.

8 Those who are in the flesh can’t please God.

9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.

10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.

15 For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;

17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.

19 For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.

20 For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

21 that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.

23 Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.

24 For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees?

25 But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered.

27 He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God.

28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

30 Whom he predestined, those he also called. Whom he called, those he also justified. Whom he justified, those he also glorified.

31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?

33 Who could bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

38 For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from God’s love, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Philippians 3:10

Paul's determined purpose to know Christ progressively and intimately, sharing in his sufferings and resurrection

10 that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death;

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Song of Solomon

The Lord ravished by one look from the beloved's eyes, used to illustrate God's longing for our attention

Read Song of Solomon

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Matthew 6

Instructions on praying in secret rather than to be seen, and the Lord's Prayer as an outline for how to pray

1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

8 Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal;

21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

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Psalm 119:160

The sum of God's word is truth, cited in the context of reading the Bible to know God

160 All of your words are truth. Every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.

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Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another, cited in the context of spending time with other believers

17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.

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John 17:3

Closing words: this is eternal life, that they may know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent

3 This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

On Palm Sunday 2017, elder Matt Litzelman brought a message about knowing God personally. Drawing on Philippians 3:10 and passages from Matthew 6, he called the congregation to move beyond knowing about God toward a genuine, attentive relationship with Him.

What was said

Matt opened by noting that Paul, a Pharisee who had every religious credential imaginable, counted all of it as loss compared to the determined pursuit of knowing Christ. That word "know" was the anchor for everything that followed. The question was not whether people believed the right things, but whether they were genuinely spending time getting acquainted with God.

To illustrate what attentiveness to God looks like in practice, Matt talked about training his Labrador retriever, Joe. A young dog learning to sit for his food bowl starts by staring at the food. Over time, the trainer waits the dog out until the dog glances up at the handler's face. That glance is the moment the trainer is looking for, because a finished hunting dog has to be so focused on its handler that even a small movement of the elbow sends it in the right direction.

Matt connected that picture to Song of Solomon, where the Lord is described as ravished by even one look from his beloved. The point was that God is already there, already waiting, and that He longs to pour out His heart to us the moment we turn our attention toward Him. The dog's drooling focus on Joe's face was offered, half-humorously, as a picture of the kind of attention we might bring to God.

From there, Matt walked through four practical ways he said a person grows in knowing God. The first was prayer, and he read through the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6, noting how it moves from praise, to seeking God's will, to petition, to forgiveness, and back to worship. He stressed praying in a secret place rather than for public appearance.

The second was reading the Bible, specifically because we need to know what God's voice sounds like. Matt compared it to recognizing a friend's voice on the phone without needing an introduction. If a voice does not match what the word says, he suggested, it is probably not God speaking.

Third was spending time with other believers. He pointed to the image of iron sharpening iron and acknowledged that rubbing up against each other is not always comfortable, but that accountability and encouragement in small groups and one-on-one relationships are essential to growth.

Fourth was finding a secret place to be alone and still before God. Matt mentioned that for him it tends to be outdoors during hunting season, when physical tiredness helps him slow down enough to listen. He closed that section with a simple observation: if you are talking, you are not listening.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Matt opened with the crowd in John 12 recognizing Jesus as king and savior. In what ways do you personally recognize and declare Jesus as king in your everyday life?
Matt read from Philippians 3 where Paul says his determined purpose is to know Christ more deeply and intimately. What does that kind of determined purpose actually look like in a person's daily routine, and how does it compare to how you currently approach your relationship with God?

and 3 more questions in the guide

Open the study guide

Read the full transcript 5,860 words

Find in this transcript

0:00 It's Palm Sunday, and you see Palms. I believe there are also a few kids that we wrangled into waving palm trees down the aisle here, as we sing this first song. In fact, are are those kids here? Are are they maybe out in the foyer or does anyone know? My dear wife.

0:21 Oh, there's some. They're coming this way. Okay. In light of Palm Sunday, this this is this is why we celebrate this from from John 12. A large crowd of Passover visitors, they took palm branches and they went down to the road to meet Jesus and they shouted, praise God, blessing on the one who comes in the name of the Lord, hail to the king of Israel.

0:43 They give him praise to God, recognizing him as a savior. So what do you say we do the same and sing Hosanna? This is I don't know if it's familiar to you all or not, but it was one that I sang as a kid, and let's stand and sing together. Amen. Could you give these guys a hand?

2:33 Whoo. Alright. You all may be seated and Renzi's got some announcements for you.

2:47 That I do. I do have some announcements here and we have got a bunch of them. So, buckle up. We're coming back from spring break. So, we're gonna try to go through them as swiftly as possible but with keeping as much information as possible as well.

3:01 So, first off, the church directory, we have got pictures. We've got information. We've been working on it for a few months now and we have sort of the rough drafts and what we wanna do is pass these out through the service when it comes to you. Just check, see if your name is in here and if the information is correct. If the information is correct, that's fantastic.

3:21 If it's wrong, go ahead and just write the correction right next to your name. And if you get this and you say, I'm not in this directory and you wanna be in this directory, all you gotta do is put your information in here and we'll make sure to edit or get all the edits figured out and get all the additions made. And we'll hopefully have this all ready to go here very soon. So I'm gonna get these started here and you can just pass them on. You wanna start one Conway?

3:47 Thank you. One here. Alan, actually I'm gonna have this go over here for you, Florine. And one more way over here for mister Littelman. Alright.

4:02 So that is done. If you see Nick, tell him that I did announce this. He was very concerned about it. So just an update. We are gonna start a bunch of stuff again this week.

4:13 The fellowship hall is going to be start under construction for the yes. This is exciting stuff. Yes. It's

4:21 been

4:21 a long time coming and officially, believe Tuesday. Is that right? Tuesday, they start swinging hammers? Tuesday. And we are up to $2,255.06, and 94¢.

4:36 Thousands of dollars raised for this thing. So, the numbers up there, you put the decimals in and the commas. But, we have raised this much and it's all starting. So, we're very excited about that. That being said, a big thank you to all who donated for that and are continuing to give.

4:55 But that being said, it's going to sort of put a wrench in some things as ministries continue in that room. So, we just wanna be aware of that. Yes. Yes. After Tuesday, if you have something in the kitchen that was yours at one time, you'll probably be able to find it at Habitat after that or browsing by it.

5:29 One of those two things. So while it last. But connect hour, so this is kind of the last connect hour of the old school way we've been doing it until the new kitchens remodeled. It's kind of a potluck deal going on down there. If you didn't bring anything, don't worry about it.

5:42 If you did, thank you. I believe it was announced at some point that we'd be doing that for connect hour today. But no big deal if you did not bring some. Go ahead and head down there after the service and fellowship and enjoy the look of the kitchen as it was and remembered. Today at 2PM, Good Samaritan Mission is doing a Palm Sunday service right here as well.

6:04 So if you didn't get enough this morning and you'd like to come back, they do some testimony and some some some updates and things on what's happening at the mission. Chuck Fitteroff is in charge of that and that's gonna happen at 2PM today. Monday nights is back officially Monday down here in the fellowship hall. Carl, anything about that? Meal Meal music message.

6:24 And that coincides with the Wana happening in here at the same time at 6PM. And they're gonna be working on some derby cars, believe. The derby is coming up soon. So I think they're gonna be chopping on some cars here. The men's, the series 33 for authentic manhood, men's fraternity, that's back on at 6AM on Wednesday.

6:44 The truth project continued through spring break and it's got about four four meetings left, 06:45PM on Wednesdays. Precepts Bible study is back on 9AM on Thursday mornings. Seamless, I think they started up last week again, but that's happening 06:45 downstairs on Thursday nights. Normally, Thursday nights, we've got middle school youth group. As it being Maundy Thursday, we'd like to we we show the passion movie here at First Beast.

7:16 So if you're interested in watching the passion of the Christ movie, we'll be watching that Thursday evening in the sanctuary on the big screen. So join us for that. Parental guidance is suggested of course. It's got some graphicness to the the video so be aware of that. But 7PM right here, we're gonna be watching the passion of the Christ.

7:38 So join us for that. Mike D, you here? Come on up. He's got a quick announcement about the Guatemala trip, missions trip.

7:46 Hey, guys. My name is Mike Demetrius, a member here. And we are taking a mission trip to Guatemala. The roster's in now. If anyone is still interested in going, we could get your name in.

7:58 We just need to know right away. Also, another thing is we went two, three years ago with a big group from here, and it was just an incredible missions trip. There's an organization down there, headed up by this guy named Carlos, and, they're essentially out in the middle of nowhere with all these villages. They put in a hospital. They've got an old folk center.

8:20 They're doing some really an orphanage. They're doing some really good things in the heart of in Guatemala, a place called Secapa. And, so we're taking another team back this year. So if anyone wants to go, I'm gonna have a table set up in the back. Come and talk to me.

8:35 Another thing that we can do is there was just a fire at an orphanage in Guatemala City displaced around 700 kids. The organization that we're gonna be going down there to see could see as many as a 100 of these kids come onto their compound. They've got this massive compound, like I said, with a hospital, an old folks home, retirement home, and then a, an orphanage. So they're gonna be inundated with new orphans. So if you wanna give to that, they are asking for money and donations to help care for these kids.

9:07 If you wanna give for that, you can write a check to the church. You just put Guatemala trip, and then we are going to cut a check to them when we get down there to help pay for resources and things like that. So, that's it. We're gonna be in the back. Come and talk to us in a few.

9:21 Thanks.

9:22 Alright. Thanks, Mike. And I think that is the last one. Check your bulletins for any more announcements. If you guys grab those when you come in.

9:29 Otherwise, let's stand up. Let's greet one another and we will bring it back with song.

10:24 Alright. We seek your kingdom first. We seek your kingdom first. We hunger and we thirst. Build the darkness freeze.

12:38 Joy on my dear hand. Eli Street said lamb. Set your Man of sorrows, lamb of God. Man of sorrows, lamb of God. Been debt is paid.

16:09 It is paid in full by the precious blood that my Jesus spilled. And now the curse cross my salvation where your love poured out over me. Now my soul cries out. Hallelujah. Praise and honor to you.

17:01 See the stone is rolled away. Behold the almighty. Hallelujah.

18:07 Amen. From Romans eight, it says, the spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. Can you let that sink in just for a moment? Because that's a very real and very powerful truth that the spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead lives in the life of those who believe in him.

18:34 I can see Waters raging at my feet. I can feel the breath on those surrounding me. I can hear the sound of nations rising up. We will not be overtaken. We will not be overcome.

19:03 I can't walk down this dark and painful road I can't face. Every fear of the unknown I can't hear. All God's children singing out. We will not be over and taken. We will not be overcome.

19:28 The same power. The same power hope that his promise is untrue in his strength. There is nothing we can't do. Yes. We know.

20:30 There are greater things in store. We will not be over and taken. We will not be overcome. In us. The same power that moves mountains when he speeds.

21:08 The same power that can calm the rage and sea lives in us, lives in us. It lives in us, lives in us. A greater sea, greater no weapon prevails. We stand here in ventsoring. And greater sea, let's say.

21:50 Greater sea has power The same power that commands undead to wait lives in us, lives in us. The same power that moves mountains, wind, and speeds. The same power that can conquer the rage and sea lives in us, lives in us, lives lives in us.

23:01 Thank you, God, for that power that lives in us. And God, we confess that we we truly do need it. And those around the world, and even God, for those who have been persecuted and and even palm this Palm Sunday during the worship gathering. I I pray God that you would bring comfort, that you would bring strength to that church because not only are are they affected, but we are because we are the family of God all around the world. And so I pray God for your strength, for your courage, but also for the hope of the gospel that even though we die, we live.

23:47 And I thank you for that hope, and I pray that that hope would just resonate from that church and from every church because it is the truth. And we give you praise this morning. We recognize you as our king of kings, the Lord of lords, the Lord of our lives. And I pray that you would continue to move in power in your church. I thank you God for blessing us with every good and perfect gift that comes from you and so we acknowledge that and and this time of giving.

24:20 I I I pray that we would give from the deepest parts of our self out of a grateful and thankful heart. In Jesus' name, amen.

24:50 Well, good morning, one and all. Welcome back for spring break. I'm a little slow to catch on, but I just realized why it's called spring break. You go away to have spring and then you come back to winter. Right?

25:05 At least that's what it seems. At any rate, I'm here before you this morning to, sing a rather special song. And, it's sort of in honor of my spiritual birthday, which happens to be, April 22. We're not gonna be here April 22. So it seemed like this was the time to, do it.

25:29 Now this song is one that, the Holy Spirit helped me compose. And, for those of you that have some Irish in you, and there are a lot of you, right? How many how many have Irish? There's a few. Where's Marty?

25:51 Anyway, you'll recognize the melody to this song. It's the melody to, Danny Boy. And I In my opinion, Danny Boy is the most The melody is the most beautiful melody that's ever been composed. So at any rate, here it is to the lyrics of, oh Jesus Lord.

26:23 Oh Jesus Lord, our hearts, our hearts are crying for you to come and set the captive free. And when you come, please find our souls united in humble adoration just for thee. But come you back when warfare would engulf us and bring the peace that only you can oh Jesus we seek your sweet assurance that by your grace you'll see us with your love oh Jesus lord help us to reach your children with gospel hope which frees them from their sins and let them well come you their lord and savior with hearts aglow and cleansed for now within so keep us strong till we see your glory and guard us from our ancient enemy and lead us to the father's new Jerusalem oh Jesus lord oh Jesus lord we love you so

28:53 Awesome. Before I get started sharing this morning, I just wanted to say a few thank yous. Just it's amazing to be a part of a body with so many people who are serving. And I just wanted to take a second to say thank you. Thank you to staff and to BOT Board of Trustees members and elders and and frontline team, and it just goes on and on and on and on.

29:18 There are so many people in the body here that serve, that help, and and make a difference in small groups and that that make all this happen, worship team, and a very sincere thank you to all of you who serve this church. So thank you so much. I'm gonna get started. My name is Matt Litzelman. I have the honor of serving here as a as an elder, and we're gonna we're gonna jump in.

29:48 I'm gonna start out with a video this morning by mister Lockridge.

29:53 The Bible says my king is the king of the Jews. He's the king of Israel. He's the king of righteousness. He's the king of the ages. He's the king of heaven.

30:04 He's the king of glory. He's the king of kings, and he's the Lord of lords. That's my king. I wonder, do you know him? My king is a sovereign king.

30:17 No means of measure can define the of And greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world. He's God's Son. He's a sinner's savior. He's the centerpiece of civilization. He's unparalleled.

30:52 He's unprecedented. He is the loftiest idea in literature. He's the highest personality in philosophy. He's the fundamental the only one qualified to be an all sufficient savior. I wonder if you know him today.

31:12 He supplies strength for the weak. He's available for the tempted and the tried. He sympathizes, and he saves. He strengthens and sustains. He guards, and he guides.

31:26 He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives

33:17 That's my king. The only one qualified to be an all sufficient savior. Amazing. This morning, I wanna share I wanna share about relationship. I'm gonna do that in kind of an interesting way, but I just have a couple of questions just to start out with.

33:38 Are you a friend of God? Do you spend time with your friend? Do you invite him to be part of your day? And and have you taken time to get to know him? Like mister Lockridge talks about, do you do you know him?

33:56 Do you spend time getting to know him? I I'm gonna go I'm gonna read Philippians three ten, if we can put that up. This is Paul, and he says, for my determined purpose is that I may know him, that I may progressively become more deeply and more intimately acquainted with him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of his person more strongly and more clearly. And that I may in the same way come to know the power outflowing from his resurrection, which it exerts over believers and that I may so share his sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into the likeness even to his death in the hope that if possible, may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body. And and I just for me, when I first read this, I just thought of Paul, Pharisee of Pharisees, blameless according to the law after his encounter with Christ counts everything as loss compared to getting to know our savior Jesus Christ.

35:19 So I just, so for me, this is just something I've been aspiring to. I I'm preaching to the choir up here, believe me, because this as I was preparing for this week, I just I'm like, am I am I doing this? Am I am I really am I really am I really trying and really pressing into God to to be what I'm gonna share? And so so it's about relationship. And that's there's two essential parts I feel in in growing and and being in a place where we're coming to know God better is one is to be attentive.

36:04 When we're attentive, we're playing we're paying close attention. We we have we're alert, and we're observant. We are we are attentive. We're focused. And attention is the main sorry about that.

36:16 Am I a little close there, buddy? Good. Also, does God have our attention? If he has our attention, we we are we are focused. We are we have a narrowed, consciousness on Christ.

36:33 We're we're focusing on him. I'm gonna I'm gonna share a little bit about, dog training too, about hunting dogs, about Labradors because I'm passionate about those. And I think there's a parallel that I'm hoping that you're gonna see as I share. So, Blake, if you wanna put that photo up. This is my dog.

36:54 This is my dog, Joe, and that's me in case you don't recognize the baldness. In training retrievers, particularly hunting retrievers, we have to kind of keep the end in mind in that these dogs are going to be able, when they're what we would call a finished dog, finished with their training, they would be able to mark multiple fallen birds. So a mark is just a bird that's fallen at, let's say, a lot of field trial dogs are running 200, three, four hundred yards for those marks. They'll have multiple marks. They'll be able to pick up multiple blinds and blinds of birds that are down that the dog doesn't see.

37:41 And they have to take direction from the handler to find those birds, as well as being an amazing game finder and companion and good citizen. This is kind of the pinnacle of their career or their training is to be able to do these things. So when we start out with a puppy who is seven weeks old, generally when you get a dog, we love them and we're building relationship with them. They have to be able to trust us and and they have to be able to to bond with us. There's a relationship there.

38:17 It's a team effort to be able to pick those 200 yard marks up. So and blinds as well. So so when we start out, Joe is almost two. But as puppies, we teach them to sit, stay calm, or their first three main, those are the big basics. And those those they do with without no excuse at all.

38:43 They perform those instantly. So when I start training my puppies, we teach them to sit. And after we teach them to sit, we use mealtime to reinforce sit. So the dog sits. And usually when a puppy, he's he's totally focused, you set the bowl down on the floor and he he goes like this and he stares at his food and he's sitting and that's his job.

39:09 So at first, that's good enough. We release him. After some time, I wait. Alright? And I'll wait on him, and he'll sit there.

39:19 He'll be staring at his food, drooling a puddle on the floor, waiting. And I wait. And what I'm waiting for is a glance in my to my face, to my at me. And as soon as he glances at me, I release him. And I have to be on the ball because it's gonna be quick.

39:39 He's gonna look at me, and then I'll release him. And we continue on this process feeding time. This is something I just do at feeding time as well as his other training. He has to learn to sit, stay, and be steady. And we're teaching him to fetch, and he's having a big time, having fun retrieving whatever we're throwing for him.

40:00 So, eventually, he he looks like this. He doesn't look at his food anymore because he knows that what he wants is gonna come from me. And what he wants is he wants his food. There's two things in a Labrador's life, birds and food. Those are the two most important things.

40:25 And sometimes it's a toss-up of which one is a little more because they're, as you know, if any of you have labs, they're big eaters, ravenous eaters. So anyway, here's Joe. He is completely focused on me, and he knows that what he wants is gonna come through me. And the same thing goes when we're when we're running those blinds. When when I send him on a blind, I teach obviously, there's a lot more to it, and I'm not gonna go on all the detail, but when he sits, he sits perfectly.

40:59 He's conditioned to do what I tell him to do. Right? So he's sitting. I send him on a blind. He's taught to run quickly as straight and keep running until I stop him.

41:10 So I tweet, blow the whistle. He stops. He instantly turns around and he looks like that right there. He looks into my face because he's waiting he's waiting for direction. He's waiting, to know what's next.

41:25 So the first thing I do is I go like this. I'm first of all praying that my dog's gonna do what I tell it to do. And secondly, this is the position where I give him hand signals to go in different directions. So if I if I want him to go to the right, when I first teach him, I'll I'll lift my elbow a little bit to kinda give him a signal, and I'll go nice and slow, and I'll put my hand out like that, and he'll go that way. We play a game called baseball.

41:54 There's bases, bumpers all on the bases. And anyway. So if I after a while, he's learned he's very attentive and he waits, and he'll and all I have to do if I twitch my elbow, he's already looking to whichever side I'm I'm moving or if I even do this. That's how attentive. That's how focused he is on me.

42:17 That's what we're teaching. It's focus. So if I send him back, I go like this. He's already knowing that he's gonna turn this way. If I go like that, he's gonna turn that way, and he's gonna go back, and he's gonna run back.

42:31 So that's the team. That's that's what we're doing. That's the game. So where this is all boiling down to, and I think you probably are following me at this point, are we focused on Christ? Are we even have we even glanced in his direction?

42:55 It says in, Song of Solomon I'll read it right here. I just wrote it. You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my promised bride. You have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look from your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. So so the Lord on the other side is so in anticipation waiting, and then he's waiting.

43:23 I mean, I waited for Joe a long time to look at me for for him to get his food, but he's he's he's there. He's always there, and he's waiting for that moment when we glance in his direction. And he's so he can pour out his heart to us. So he can he can enter in that relationship that he longs for. He's right there.

43:49 So also, our lord is he sees the whole picture. Right? From before our conception to our death, he knows the number of hair on on our heads. His thoughts towards us are more than sand of the sea. He's he's passionate about us.

44:13 So I got a little excited there. I might have lost my lost my place. So he is he's longing for that, you know, that attentive behavior looking to him. So how do we get to know God? Lockridge says, do you know him?

44:37 And he went on for three minutes describing God's attributes and who he is. And that and that's not even the tip of the iceberg of of our Lord. But we used to do a study, and the guy would always say, but how do we do that? How do we how do we get to know God? So I wanna, I wanna just read a few verses out of Matthew, verse six.

45:11 The first one, I have four of them. They're pray, read the word, hang out with people who love the Lord, and find, spend time alone with God, that secret place with the Lord. So number one is to pray, and this is how the Lord says that we should pray. And when you pray, you should not be like the hypocrites for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

45:44 But you, when you pray, go into your room. And when you have shut the door, shut your door, pray to your father who is in secret in the secret place. And your father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathens do for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not play pray like them for your father knows the things you have need of before you ask him.

46:15 In this manner, therefore, pray. Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and deliver us from the evil one.

46:36 For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. So when we pray, we're to pray in a secret place to the Lord and and and to know him. But also in in this in the Lord's prayers, we break it down in verse nine, he starts out, by hallowed be your name. We praise him and I and I'm I'm sure many of you have have seen a study.

47:03 There's there's there's they're out there about the Lord's prayer and this is kind of just a little outline. We pray. We praise him. We worship him. In the in verse nine.

47:16 And then in verse 10, give us this day our daily bread. We're seeking the father's father's face. Excuse me. Your kingdom come. I'm sorry.

47:27 Your kingdom come is father's face. So we're we're asking God what he wants. What's your heart, lord? What do you wanna do? Your will be done on earth as in heaven.

47:38 Give us this day our daily bread. We're petitioning him for the things that we that are on our hearts for healing, for friends, for for the things that are going on in our lives. And then and we're asking forgiveness and and forgiving. And as you know, the Lord says that those if you don't forgive, you don't get forgiven. You know?

47:59 It's it's part of the it's it's part where we get free. It's part where we where we have the freedom to enjoy Christ. And then 13 is for discernment. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. I pray often that I would not be that I would not be deceived in this life, that I would hear clearly.

48:25 And then finally, we're worshiping it. We're worshiping again. We're thanking him and praising him and and calling out his name and and glory again. Number two, read the word. Psalm nineteen one sixty.

48:42 The sum of your word is truth. The total of the full meaning of all your individual precepts and every one of your righteous deeds endures forever. When you when you pray or when excuse me. When you read, ask for a spirit of pray for a spirit of understanding. Holy Spirit.

49:05 Holy Spirit's our teacher. One of the reasons why we need to be so grounded in the word is because we need to know what we need to know what our lord sounds like. We need a we need a foundation for hearing God. I was thinking about this morning when we listen to the Lord. We know his voice.

49:26 Pastor Ray calls me on the phone. He doesn't say, hey. This is Ray. He says, I already know it's Ray because I know his voice. And it's just as simple as we know each other's voice.

49:36 If that voice isn't a voice that you recognize and it doesn't line up with the word, then it's probably either you or the devil whispering in your ear. Right? So the word is our guideline. The word keeps us in that place of discernment that we know who's talking. Third, hang out with people who love the Lord.

50:05 And this is huge because we need one another to we we desperately need one another to to grow. And the scripture for the scripture for hanging out with other other folks is as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. And that and that's true because we we kinda rub up against each other a little bit, man. That's that sandpaper's that's kinda rough sometimes, and we have to endure. And and it's not always easy, but I would encourage you in men's fraternity.

50:40 We always encourage the guys that we should be in small group. One twos and three, even if it's just one other person or two or three that we gather together in in groups and we live life together. We have accountability there. We have encouragement there. We have it's just so important that that we're growing together.

51:01 We need we need one another. And fourth, we're spending time alone with God. Last last week, I don't know many of you were here, but Florine shared about his secret place right here, that this piano is his best friend. This is the place where he came in the middle of the night. And he poured out his heart to God, worshiping and praying and crying out to the Lord.

51:28 For me, it's it's different. Mine's outdoors, generally, more so in the fall when I when I'm hunting and I can get in a high place. And I'm tired from hiking and I'm usually, it takes me getting a little worn down in my physical body where I can be still and quiet before the Lord. I don't know where your place is. It can be it can be anywhere, really, as long as you can be quiet there.

51:55 And because the secret place is really in Christ. That's the secret place in his presence. So wherever that place is, I encourage you to find it, to find that place where you can be still before the Lord. And if you're talking, you're not listening. So just wait there.

52:17 So before our pray, read the word, hang out with people who love the Lord, and find a secret place to be with the Lord. Seemed like there was one other thing. Pop up that picture, please, of of mister Joe. Here's Joe. He's kinda hard to see, but those in the front can probably see that by now he's drooling.

52:44 He has a he's about this much hanging out on each side of his mouth. I want you to think about being so focused. That's probably me before the Lord drooling uncontrollably, but just imagine, okay, I'm focused on Christ. You have my attention. Amen.

53:27 Would you stand up with we're gonna sing one last song. But before we do, Blake, can I ask you a favor? The slide that has our father art in heaven. Can we, go back to that slide and just together as a church family, say that together beginning with our father in heaven. Here we go.

53:47 Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors. Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

54:18 Who breaks? Who breaks in power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so stronger, the king glory, the king above volcano. Who shakes and hold in all of its brilliance. The king of glory, the king above all kings.

56:12 This is amazing grace. This is unfailing life that I would be set free. Oh, Jesus says, same for all that you've done for world.

57:40 You bear my cross. We're

57:44 If you would lay down your life that I would be set free. Oh,

58:12 Amen. Do I get to say this?

58:14 You or me?

58:15 No. No. You do. Please, will you?

58:17 And this and this is eternal life that they may know you and the the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. Get to know him. God bless you.

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