Blinded by the gods Before Me

It's family month and we believe in the family of God and we believe in the family unit. Now, I'm going to say some things today in my message and I feel like it's important for me to qualify a few things. We all have a a sphere of influence in our life. We all have a community of of individuals that we talk with. That could be a work community, a work family, a school family, a a friend group that is there, a small group we do community with.

We have a church body and family that is here. And then we have a family at home. Now family dynamics are different for everybody. There are husband and wife with kids family. There are there are blended families. There are single family units. There are grandparents and there's nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and then everything in between. So I say all that to say this. When I say family and I say the word culture and family, the family culture we're trying to build. I want you to know whatever your family dynamic is, I'm speaking to you, okay?

I don't want you to dismiss this and think to yourself, "Well, pastor's not preaching to me because it's family month." No, I am preaching to you today. This word I have, I feel very confident that God laid in my spirit for today. He knew who was going to be here. It's not an accident that you're here. He was aware. You may not have been aware. This may have been a last minute decision for you, but God's not surprised that you're here. So, here's what I want us to do.

I want us to set the tone of expectation at the very beginning of the message this way. I want I want you to say something and I hope you you believe what you're about to say because we're in the house of God. Don't be a liar here. >> Okay? This is a good place to be honest, to be transparent. I want you to do this with me. I want you to say, "This message, >> this message >> is for me. >> It's for me.

>> I hope you believe that. This message is for me." And I know I said it too. It's for me. >> It's for me as well. Exodus 20. going to read a couple of verses of scripture for us and hopefully set this up. I'm going to try my best to stick to my notes because I do feel like I have quite a bit from the Lord today. And I hope that I'm going to read some familiar passages. And those of us who have been around church for a while or maybe you were even raised in church and there's a temptation for us to to sometimes go on autopilot when we hear a familiar passage and say, "I know how that story goes."

And I want you to do something. I want you to repeat after me. I want you to say this. You ready? Say, "Stop it." >> Stop it. >> Don't do that. Okay, you guys are intelligent group today. Don't don't go to the default setting. Don't say I already know where the story goes. Stop it. Cuz here's what happened to me when I was reading this story. The Lord stopped me and pointed out some things I had never seen before. So before you dismiss and say, "I already know where we're going."

No, you don't. >> You don't. Just let it unfold the way God intended. Amen. Amen. >> I want to I want to I want you to pray with me one more time and we're going to get into our scripture. We get into this tonight. I want you to pray that our hearts and our minds could be open today. Can we do that? Will you help me right now? Jesus, in this most special moment right now, Lord, I pray that our hearts and our minds could be receptive to what it is you have to say to us today.

Let your word, let your anointed, holy word take root in our heart today. Give us the ability to comprehend, to process, and apply it in our lives. I pray God today for a restoration of understanding of purpose in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Exodus 20 and verse number one says, "And God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me."

I believe in having vision. I I feel like I've always had the ability to see things and to even work towards casting vision for both my my own individual life and for the church as a whole, for my family especially. But one of the most dangerous things about losing your vision is that it rarely happens all at once. Very few people wake up one morning and decide, you know what, today I'm going to walk away from God. They don't ever make that decision. They don't wake up one morning, say, you know, today I'm going to have an affair.

Today I'm going to become an alcoholic. Today I'm going to become a drug addict. That that no one wakes up and says those things, but it's a process of time. It gradually happens. One compromise, one distraction, one misplaced priority, one idol at a time. I want you to do something for How many people brought your Bible with you today? Just hold your Bible up. You got your Bible. Look at you guys get a star today. Everybody gets a gold star. Now I want you to know how many of you brought your Bible this way.

All right. All right. There you go. You're with me. Okay. Whether it's this way, it's a little harder this way. Or if it's this way, this is the better way. That was good preaching. I can take up an offering and go home right now. All right. Whether you have this version, if you have this version, stick with this one. But if you have this version, it's okay. I want you to do something. I want you to get it really close to you. All right?

Whichever version you got. All right? Get it really close. Right? And we're going to do something in just a second. I want to count to three. And when I count to three, I just want you to do this. I want you to slide it right in front of your face. Now, if you have this version, you probably need to do it this way. Okay. Okay. Everybody good? >> All right. One, two, three. Now, leave it there. Everybody leave it right there. Now, am I still here?

>> Did I go anywhere? How many of you have a hard time seeing me right now? Why is that? Because something's between us. All right, you can put it down. Something's between us. Nothing changed about me. Nothing changed about you, >> but something came between us. >> Do you feel that? >> Yeah. That isn't mind-blowing, but yet there's a principle that is there. Something came between us. We didn't You didn't change. I didn't change. But your ability to see me change because something came between us.

Most people think that an idol is something like especially you've been around the Bible before in in the church world. You think about the golden calf or you think about Molech or you think about one of these other gods that was there that got brought up that they begin to worship many many thousands years ago. But idols are much more subtle than that. An idol is simply anything that moves between you and God until it begins to shape how you see him. >> Anything anything that becomes between you and God.

And it doesn't happen quickly. If it's quickly, we could bat it down. All right? Doesn't happen quickly. It's it's small, subtle decisions that we make every single day. That's why the wording of the first commandment is so fascinating. God didn't say, "You shall have no other gods above me." Did he say that? That's not what the word says. No, he said, "You shall have no other gods before me." Why? Why did he say that? The issue isn't merely rank. It's a position. Anything that stands between you and God eventually distorts your vision of God.

And here's what makes it so dangerous. When your vision becomes distorted, your worship becomes distorted. >> That's something powerful that happens when we come in here to have service. When we begin to worship, I'm so thankful that we come down to the front. It's a way of saying basically this how I feel when I step forward is God, I'm going to step away from life. I'm going to step away from my schedule. I'm going to step away from my distraction. I'm going to step away from work.

But just God, I'm taking a step forward. Why? I don't want there to be anything between me and you so that I can worship you. >> Why? Because I gain strength when I worship God. >> I don't need that. You know what? Work's waiting for you tomorrow. >> Some of you get to Sunday scaries. >> Church is over with. That's a real thing, right? Get all worked up because why? Monday's coming. But you don't have to go in Monday by yourself. >> He goes with you.

>> That's why we come in here on Sundays and we worship God. It's not just a social gathering. so that I gain strength and make it through the rest of the week. Amen. Today I want to answer a few questions. Questions like what blinds us or what does the blindness produce? Or how do I regain clear vision in my life? So let's begin. Idols do not replace God. They have no ability to replace. You can't replace God. How can you replace God? But there's something that can come in front of you and God that distorts our view of him.

Again, verse number three, you shall have no other gods before me. One of the greatest lies the enemies ever tells us is that idolatry is only about what you worship. Idolatry is also by what shapes your vision of God, >> how you see him. Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse number three, but even our gospel is veiled. It is veiled to those who are perishing. Listen to this. whose minds the God of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest in the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is in the image of God should shine on them.

Now, Satan, he knows what to attack. >> He doesn't come in there to try to steal your Bible. >> He already knows the word of God, whether you believe that or not. He's pretty good at quoting it. >> He's pretty good about misquing it, too. >> He doesn't come in to remove churches. Paul doesn't even say he tries to silence the the the gospel. He says, "The enemy tries to blind your mind, >> your ability to think and process how you see and view what God can do for you in your situation.

>> He's sly. He's subtle about it. He doesn't come in with a big attack full frontal." No, he tries to sneak in through any open door he sees. Any moment where you begin to compromise and slide backwards in your walk with God, he sees as an opportunity to slide into your mind, into your thoughts, into your every day. Why? Because he knows if I can get in front of him, if I can get in front of her to prevent them from fully seeing all that God is and all that God desires for them, I can prevent them from becoming fully all that God has intended for their life.

>> Blinded in the mind, not trying to steal the Bible from you. >> He's trying to get in your mind. >> Let's be honest. Where's the biggest fight? >> It's always right here, isn't it? >> It's in our thoughts. It's in the dark of night, in the lonely times, when we're facing overwhelming set of circumstances. It's always up here. It's not a physical fight. >> No, he's trying to blind our minds because the enemy can distort your vision. He doesn't have to force your decisions.

Your distorted vision will make the decisions for you. I'll say that again. Your distorted vision will make the decisions for you. That's why the first commandment is so important. God knows that whatever comes before him will eventually change how you see him. An idol doesn't have to convince you that God doesn't exist. It simply has to become so large in your life that you no longer can see God clearly. That's why the first commandment is so important. God knows that whatever becomes before him changes your ability.

You can't see him the way you're supposed to see God. So, you got to be careful about how you view life. That's exactly what happened throughout Israel Israel's history. I mentioned it. The golden calves and Baal and Molech and none of these idols. They didn't appear overnight, but they were warned before they ever went into the promised land. Be careful. you're going to be tempted. When life gets easy >> is when we need to be the most guard >> about not allowing something to slip into our life.

When you begin to be comfortable with how things are going. That's what he was saying. They were warned going into the promised land. Look, you're fixing to have houses you didn't build and vineyards you didn't plant. I'm fixing to give you the promise that I had given to your forefathers before you. But look, there's a temptation that's going to come for you to slip up and allow something to come between me and you. I don't want you to have anything between me and you because you'll realize or you'll forget that it was me who provided this for you.

>> And then isn't it interesting how quickly we become self-reliant and self-sufficient? How that all of a sudden when life is good and things are going all right and we got a few dollars in the bank account and gas gets under $4. Praise God. That all of a sudden we found ourselves for whatever reason being a little less reliant on God. Why subtle small everyday decisions make a difference in the outcome. Now this whole month of family month is about building a legacy. How that you can establish in your sphere of influence a a a a proper understanding of why we worship and serve God, why we stay committed to him.

How we can establish principles inside our home, inside our area of influence that can live on past us. And there's no area that I feel like the Lord directed me more in this month to talk about than the area of idols in our life because it still happens today. Our idols are much more respectable. We don't have a golden calf set up in the house. At least I don't think so. I've been in everybody's house here. Maybe you do. We don't we don't sacrifice to bail, but we have things like careers and sports and education and ambition and money.

Or sometimes it's things like now go with me before you dismiss. Remember I told you it early on to say this is for me. >> This is for me. Sometimes it's fear. >> It's the idol of offense. >> It's the idol of I have to be approved. None of those things are evil in themselves. The danger comes when a good things moves into God's place. A blessing becomes an idol in the moment it occupies the place that belongs to God alone. >> Right? And sometimes the very things that we interpret as blessings are things that God says, "I don't think you can handle it because if I give it to you, you'll put it in place of me."

Before long, we don't schedule our lives around God. We schedule God around our lives. Little by little, we once served things that only come into our lives the way we want him to. And without realizing, we've placed something before him. The tragedy that is after enough time, we don't even recognize that we become blind. We don't even sense it or realize what's happened. We're like Samson after all those times of Delilah trying to get him to to tell where his secret source of strength come from that he finally gave it away.

And one of the saddest verses in scripture says he got up and shook himself as before and didn't realize that the presence of God had left him. Why? Because he became blinded over time. Don't let that be said of us. Center point. Wake up in the day we're living in. We're we're living in a culture that has so many idols around us all the time that are justifiable >> as if they're needed in our life. Not necessarily bad inside themselves unless we put them in an improper place between us and God.

We become blind. Idols distort our vision. So the next question is obvious. How do we know when our vision has become blurry? To me, I feel like Jesus answered this question. I'm going to go to Mark chapter 8 to a story that was there. And I'm going be honest with you. I'm going be honest with you, brother Ren. I've read this story. I don't I mean, I've grew up in church and this particular passage in Mark, every time I've seen it, I've never understood it until now.

Everybody say, "Oh my." >> Oh my. >> I know you guys are impressed, too, right? Let's go to Mark chapter 8. Interesting. Interesting story. Mark 8:22. and he came to Bethesda. And they brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. So he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when he had spit on his eye and put his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, "I see men like trees walking."

Then he put his hands over his eyes again and made him look and he was restored and saw everyone clearly. Most most unusual miracles in the Bible. Now maybe you guys are okay with that. Maybe you don't ask questions. You know, for those of you who've been around a while, you know, pastor ask a lot of questions when I read the Bible. A lot of questions here. I have questions like, "Why do you have to spit on him?" I mean, I I like miracles.

I want to be healed, but why why you got to spit? And then he asked him, you know, can you see? Like, well, you packed mud in his eyes. That's kind of an unfair question. Let me make a mudball and smack it in your eye now. How do you see? I really can't see anything. It's kind of blurry. But you got to remember the context of story. Stay with me. Let me let me unpack this verse. Let me get let me do a little expository preaching for just a minute.

You guys are comfortable with that, right? I don't really care. So, this chapter starts off with a miracle, the feeding of the 4,000. I said that on purpose. It's the 4,000 in this instance. It was there. And then after the feeding, the Pharisees come up and begin to ask him some questions. They're looking for a sign, right? I want a sign. I want a sign. I want a sign. Here's your sign. Then Jesus says, "Let's get in the boat. Let's let's take a little trip.

Let's let's talk about this." And he begins to ask some questions inside this chapter. And it's important because he's asking questions like, "Who do men say that I am?" That's a good question. What's the rumor about me? What's the story going around? I There's a little bit of notoriety out there. I know you guys are kind of liking this. So, what are they what are they saying about me? And they said, 'Well, you know, they're saying that thou are the prophet here or the prophet there.

They're Elijah. And then and there's a prophet. He said, 'Well, okay. Well, let me let me let me ask you a question. Who do you say I am? >> Yeah. >> And then Peter says, we're going to have a story about a guy that was blind that Jesus is trying to heal. And he says, "Well, who do you say?" And Peter says, "What?" Peter, those church, what does Peter say? What was Peter's answer? >> Thou art the Christ. He's like, "Gold star. Flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, but my father in heaven gave you that revelation.

And Peter's like, "I'm the best disciple." The best disciple. Stick with that, okay? Don't you remember me doing that? I'm the best disciple. Okay, keep that image because that that that's where Peter's at. He's he's star student for the day. And then Jesus says, "Okay, let me go into some more teaching. Let me talk to you about a few more things. You don't need to have leaven like the Pharisees." And they're in the boat and they're like, "Oh, he's mad because we didn't bring bread."

Now, they just fed 4,000 people with one loaf of bunny bread and a fish stick. And then they get in the boat and say, "You know what? He's bringing up leaven because we didn't bring any of that extra bread with us. And Jesus is saying, "You're missing the point. You're not understanding." So then they stop and there there's the story we picked up where there's a blind man they bring him. Now you got all the context, right? Feeding the 4,000 Pharisees looking for a sign.

Jesus asking the question, "Who do people say I am?" You with me so far? The order of the story. Then we have a blind man. Now it's bothered me. Why did Jesus not heal him completely? Why? That's always bothered me. Why? Why? When he's able, he's more than able to heal instantaneously. Why the stages? And then God revealed to me because it fits the context of the story. Why? Because right after that, what happens? Right after the blind guy's eyes are open. In fact, I'm going to go back to my notes because I got off topic just a little bit.

So stay with me. He says, "I see men like trees." He's no longer blind, but he can sees clearly. Why did Jesus not heal this man instantly? Instead, he did in two stages. I don't believe this miracle reveals a limitation of Jesus Christ's power. But it reveals something about the journey of the disciples. It comes in stages. I want you to say this with me out loud. Say, I have not arrived. >> Have not arrived. There was revelation without understanding. Who do men say I am?

Thou art the Christ or they they say you're a prophet. Who do you say you're thou art the Christ? Eyes were beginning to open. And this happens to us when we start to read scripture and start a relationship with God. Paul says we're being transformed in the same image from glory to glory. The Christian life is a continual process of seeing Jesus more clearly. That's why spiritual growth requires humility. One of the greatest dangers in living for God is assuming that because we've received light in one area, we see everything clearly.

Sometimes we're convinced that we're seeing perfectly when in reality we're seeing with blurry lenses. I'm gonna get all right. There's more to the story, but listen to me. Let me finish my notes because this is setting this up. Okay, everybody still with me? If you're with me, say, "Okay." >> Okay. >> All right. Good. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more he exposes areas where our vision still need correction. >> It's not condemnation, ladies and gentlemen. That is sanctification. That is disciplehip in its purest form.

He begins the closer I get to the more I put this in me. Wow. The more I get this in me, the more it reveals the things that I still have to change. >> Now, here's the here's the here's where we get in trouble is because all of a sudden, we come in and we begin to have a relationship with God. We begin to say things like, "Thou art the Christ." Good job, Peter. Good job. Yeah. Yeah. We're with you. You're going to come in.

You're going to establish some things. We've been waiting on you. You're the Messiah. We've had the promise for years, but my mama's mama's mama told us about you. And now you're here. You're stand. I'm watching you do the miraculous. I'm watching you do these things. And he's saying, "Yeah, but you're not getting it." When I say things like, "Don't let the leavenven of the Pharisees get you." You think it's because you don't have bread. What I'm trying to tell you, Peter, is there's a process in your life that'll take you from now until you draw your last breath.

You have not arrived. Be careful. speaking to the church, be very very careful how you think that you've got it all figured out. >> And then all of a sudden, you find yourself being frustrated when you're like, "God, I know that you have this for me that that do do you you you've called me into this area that you want me to do this ministry, but yet God, it seems like every door's getting slam my in my face. You you haven't gotten yet fully all that he needs you to comprehend for the next stage of your life."

>> Right. That's good. >> It's in there. All right. He showed it to me, brother, in this passage. I didn't understand why why the why the stage cuz he's showing the disciples it's a process. >> Amen. >> It's a process. >> Listen to me church. Sanctification is a process. And if you try to go around the process, you abort the mission. >> I'll prove it to you. Spiritual maturity isn't reaching the place where you have all the answers. Spiritual maturity is remaining teachable enough for God to keep correcting your vision.

Look, look, look, look. Don't look. This is good. If you got your scripture, look at Mark 8. Immediately after the miracle, he asked, "Who do you say that I am?" And I'm going to read a story now. Jesus asked disciples out of town Philippi on the road. He asked his disciples saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?" So they answered, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah and others one of the prophets." And he said them, "But who do you say they am?"

Here's Star student. And Peter answered, said, "You are the Christ." And then he strictly warned them that they should not tell tell no one about him. and he began to teach them that the son of man must suffer. Now listen, all right, look, look at me real quick. I'm going to finish reading this, but look at me. Peter identified who he is and it was correct. He's feeling good about himself. Before he can get too far down the road to feeling good about himself, Jesus continues to tell him the rest of the mission.

This is what's going on. The mission is being unfold. He's giving him he's giving him the battle plan. Listen to the battle plan. And he began teaching them, "The son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed." And after three days, rise again. And he spoke this word openly. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. And when he had turned around and looked at the disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, "Get thee behind me, Satan, for you're not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

Jesus asked one of the greatest questions. And Peter gave the greatest answer. What an incredible moment of divine, listen to me, of divine revelations. What a what a what a powerful service it was. >> What a powerful moment of understanding that God is acknowledging that what you just did was good, which was right. You you you're honoring him with your commitment. Things are going good up until this point. Everything's all right. He's he's I'm the star student. I'm the star disciple. All right. You got that image?

And then look, if the story stopped there, we would all have a pretty good opinion of Peter. But a few verses later, Peter pulls Jesus aside and rebukes him. What in the world? Now, process this. The star student who's acknowledging his call and all that God's going to do and like, "Yes, yeah, you are the Christ. You are the Messiah. You're the one we've been waiting for. You're going to come back and establish the earth. We're ready. Let's go. Iron fist. I'm ready." Well, I got to go suffer and I got to be rejected.

I got to go through some stuff. And Peter's like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, Jesus, come here. Sidebar. Look, you're doing real good. And I'm your guy. Look at me. We're we're we're tight. I'm your guy. Like, I just told you who you were." Remember that? That was me. This whole suffering business, like that's bad for morale. Like that's like we just we just need to cut that out. Like I don't know what you we we know you're the one.

We look you're open and blinded eyes. It took you a couple times on that shot. But hey, you still got it. But we you probably just need to not not say that. And what's he say to him? Get thee behind me, Satan. Because you all of a sudden stopped being teachable. >> You're no longer mindful of my things. You want to do it your way. >> Oh my, how we get in trouble when we have to do things our way. >> Oh. Oh, how many ministries have been abandoned in the ditch because they try to do things their way, because it wasn't going the way they wanted it to, because it wasn't working out the way they wanted it to, because the timing wasn't this or someone would let them do this or whatever the case it was.

And all of a sudden, they became offended. And the offense became their ambition, their ministry, their goals, their intentions, their version of what the kingdom's supposed to look like, their version of what the Messiah is supposed to do. All of a sudden it it >> and they can't see because the enemy has blinded them by using their own ambition against him. That's exactly what's going on in this story. >> He spoke these words openly and Peter took him aside. doesn't mean that he couldn't hear the voice of God.

But instead of just a few verses later, the beloved Peter is the one who says, "You're acting like Satan." When Jesus no longer fit the lens, Peter tried to reshape him the way he thought he should be. His expectation became a lens to which he viewed the Messiah. That's still one of the greatest dangers facing all of us when we don't always reject Jesus. Sometimes we simply recreate him in our own image >> because I I I I know, God, I know you have me on this earth to do this.

I I know that this is what you're supposed to do. I know this is what God, I know that you wouldn't want me to be unhappy. I know that you wouldn't want me to suffer. God, I know that that that you wouldn't want me to go that that you want to establish your kingdom, that you want to use me, that you want to do that. But God, I've been good. I've been I've been coming to church. I've been paying my tithe. I've been I've been showing up.

And because you have an issue with how he chooses to construct you. We get blinded. We get blinded because something's coming between us. I feel the Holy Ghost strong today. I'm speaking to somebody. >> We like him as savior, but we struggle with him being lord of all of our life. >> We love his promises, but resist his commands. We we we celebrate his blessings. But we avoid the cross. Peter wasn't resisting Jesus because he hated him. He was resisting Jesus because he loved his own expectations more than God's plan.

And when you and I look at Jesus through the lens of what we want him to be, our vision becomes blurred. Peter wasn't blind to Jesus' identity. After a while, he was the one that said they are the Christ. He was blinded to his own ambition. Sometimes we pray, "Lord, fix my circumstances." when he's saying, "I'm trying to fix your heart. >> You're trying to pray away the very thing that I'm using to expose the real issue inside of you." >> This is where we struggle.

This is where the rubber meets the road. When we can't figure out and we can't understand and we don't have we don't have an answer for the why that is there. This is a much much bigger message than I'm going to get out today. But we got to be very very careful that in our frustrations and in our in our in our inability to see the full picture because we're limited because we're stuck inside of time that we don't find oursel arguing with the very God who's orchestrated everything in our life to bring us to a way to your glory that you can't see in the moment because YOU'RE SO FOCUSED ON WHAT ISN'T working right in your life that YOU CAN'T SEE THAT GOD IS STILL MANEUVERING in the background and he's still orchestrating everything the way he wants it to be to bring you to the expected end that he has for you and you're trying to argue against God >> to the POINT THAT YOU OUTRIGHT OPENLY REJECT the very thing that it wasn't long ago you acknowledge was true and right >> and you compromise >> because you're blind and you fell right into the enemy's trap that he didn't come at you with a frontal attack but he slid in the open cracked door that you left in the background of your life through the hurt and through the pain.

But there's much more at play than just you. Here's the lesson. An idol isn't always a possession. Sometimes an idol is an expectation. Sometimes it's the version of life that we decided we must have. It's our comfort. It's our control. It's our reputation. Anything we refuse to surrender can become a god before him. Amen. >> And when that happens, we slowly begin trying to make Jesus serve our kingdom instead of allowing his kingdom to be built in our life. The greatest idol may not be what we possess.

The greatest idol in life may be what we refuse to surrender. >> >> What I choose that I'm not going to give I'm not going to give up is the very thing God's trying to illuminate and show you that is taking you away. You might when our expectations become greater than our trust. We placed something before God. The good news is that Jesus didn't leave Peter in his distorted way of thinking. Instead, it was love that gave him the rebuke. It was love that gave him the correction.

It was love. It was proof positive that God is still reaching for him. >> I mean, if anybody had reason to be disqualified, it was Peter. Immediately after correcting, Jesus turns to the crowd and gives them the remedy for every distorted heart. He said this in verse number 34. When he had called the people to himself and when his disciples also, he said to them, "Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow." The cure for spiritual blindness isn't to try harder.

is to remove whatever stands between you and God. >> Because here's the reality, and this is family month. I'm going to get down into the crux of the message, right? Whatever you place before God, your children may place beside God. Look, look, and this is where this is where brothers was trying to march all over my message. I was going to get him. Oh, but go back to Exodus 20 verse4. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, and a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the father upon the children, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, but showing mercy to a thousand, to those who love me and keep my commandments." At first glance, like it was said last Sunday, this is a little bit unsettling passage of scripture to think about how things have been placed on me from my former generation. and yet I got to bear the brunt of it that is there.

But that's not what the scripture teaches as he talked about. I'm not going to repreach that part of the message he preached last Sunday, but Ezekiel talks about that the that it makes it very clear that every individual is responsible for his and her own sins. So then what is God saying here? Here here's here's the message for today. Here's the direction I'm taking it based off of the idol talk we just had. He's revealing the principle that every family needs to understand. Choices have consequences and those consequences often outlive the people who made the choice.

That's what he's talking about right there. There's consequences. One of the most interesting things to me is the meaning of the word iniquity in that verse. The actual literal translation has three meanings. Bent, twisted, distorted. God is saying idolatry doesn't just affect the worshipper, but it bends their home and it twists their priorities and it distorts the way of life for the next generation to see. Children aren't born worshiping money. They learn what matters by watching what matters to you and I. >> Children aren't born believing success is the greatest of pursuits in life.

They learn it by watching what we celebrate. Children aren't born thinking that church is optional. They learn that by watching what we make optional in our lives. >> So it passes on to the next generation. The choices that we make in our sphere of influence have a way of lasting now long after we have passed on from this life. That's why it's important that you set up your priorities correctly and don't allow subtle idols to enter your life because I promise you there's a price to be paid by the next generation's influence that you have over them.

That's what the word of God is saying. It matters what legacy we live and what things we're going to pass on to our family. It matters. You don't live in a vacuum. Every decision you make has an impact to those of influence around you. The consequences of this rebellion affect three or four generations. But his mercy extends to a thousands who love him and keep his commandments because God's grace is always longer than his than the reach of sin. Always. Every generation is given opportunity to become the one that says it stops with me.

>> It stops with me. That's why we do family month is to remind you you don't have TO CARRY ON THOSE BAD CHOICES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOUR HOME ENVIRONMENT LIKE. I don't know what things that that that you inherited down through the generations from your family's last name. But I want you TO KNOW IT STOPS WITH YOU. IF YOU DESIRE TO DO SO TODAY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT PATTERN OF BAD DECISIONS. You can establish a legacy today that can carry ON FOR A THOUSAND GENERATIONS.

WHY? BECAUSE OF GOD'S MERCY THAT IS AVAILABLE to us. Oh, I'm so thankful for his mercy. This new every day in my life. Thankful for God's mercy. >> It's why your worship matters. You know why it matters? Because your kids are watching. You know why it matters? Because your grandkids are watching. You know it matters because your nieces and nephews are watching. You know it matters because your neighbors are watching and your co-workers are watching and your friends at school. They're watching you.

>> And we're called to be good stewards of everything that is entrusted to us, including our time and my ability to worship. It's not just about me. WHEN I WORSHIP, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT ME. I'M WORSHIPING GOD, BUT IT'S ALSO MAKING AN IMPACT to those that are around me. Even when you know I'm not feeling good or I'm not going through ideal circumstances, when you see me worshiping or something inside you says, "Hey, he's got his hands up. I know what he's going. I'm being a GOOD STEWARD OF WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN ME BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE IN A VACUUM.

MY CHOICES, MY DECISIONS, MY ABILITY, >> how do you break the generational pattern? Your greatest legacy isn't what you leave to your kids. It's what you leave in your kids. I'm going to say that again. Your greatest legacy isn't what you leave to your kids. It's what you leave in your kids. You can leave them. You can leave them a billion dollars. I'm sure they'll be happy. But if they lose their soul in the process, >> what was the gain? >> But you don't have to leave them one nickel.

But if you left them an understanding of the importance of having a prayer life, an understanding the mighty God in Christ and the importance of being baptized in Jesus name and filled with the spirit and walking an overcoming life, I promise you that is something far more valuable than you can purchase with money. >> What are you leaving in? What are you leaving in your sphere of influence? What are you what are you planting down inside of them? Many of you are here today as a standing testimony of mom and dad, grandma, grandma.

They didn't leave me much, but they left me a heritage of understanding that we love God in our house. Hey, we go to church. Hey, we know how to pray. We know how to get a hold of God. We know how to go to the altar. They didn't leave you a million dollars in the bank, but they left you the ability TO KNOW HOW TO CALL ON HIS NAME WHEN TIME OF TROUBLE comes in. Cuz the song sang, WHEN THE WATERS COME CRASHING IN, I'M NOT DROWNING.

OH, HOW POWERFUL IS THAT LEGACY? It's not about money OR MATERIAL THINGS, BUT a relationship AND AN UNDERSTANDING THAT I HAVE A GOD WHO LOVES ME, WHO DIED FOR ME. [applause and cheering] Every generation must choose its God. Joshua 24. Now therefore the fear of the Lord. Serve him in sincerity and in truth. And put away the gods of your fathers served on the other side of the river. And in Egypt serve the Lord. If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose you yourself this day whom you will serve.

Rather the gods of your fathers served that were on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Yeah, >> he's 110 years old. 100 best best we can know. He's 100 He's 110 years old. You know what he does? He's like, >> I'm drawing a line in the sand. >> I'm going to unpack this for you cuz there's a lot of good stuff in it.

I got to get my line drawn though. He drew a line. And Joshua's basically this is this is his swan song. He's wrapping it all up and he says, "Look, I'm 110." And and this is Kevin's version. He's saying, "I'm tired." He's like, "I'm tired of y'all. I'm tired of you complaining. I'm tired of your bickering. I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of fussing." Moses gave you a whole bunch of warnings in Deuteronomy. You didn't listen to him. He told you what not to do.

Now, he he broke this down. I don't know how many of you took the time to realize that. He gave you a few things in here. He gave you some nuggets. There's some nuggets right here. He fought battles. He buried a couple of generations. He led Israel to the promised land. At the end of his life, he gathers the entire nation together for his final message. Let me ask you, this is a sobering question. Let me ask you, if you had the opportunity to put together one last question for your family, what would you ask them?

One last question. Before you die, before you pass on to your reward, what would that question be? What would your question be? Because here's Joshua 110 victories, fights, battles, watched multiple generations die off. He's seen the goodness of God, and he says, "You know what? Here's the deal. I don't know what y'all going to do. I can't control you. But as for me and those in my house, we're going to serve the Lordise. >> Made a declaration. The greatest battle isn't for territory, ladies and gentlemen.

The greatest battle has always been for the heart. I want you to notice Joshua identifies three different sets of gods. The gods beyond the river. Those are the gods of Abraham's ancestors, the old gods, the inherited gods, the family patterns that existed long before he became along. In other words, don't keep repeating what your family always did simply because it's familiar. Right? >> Some traditions deserve to be preserved. Some don't. >> Then he mentioned the gods of Egypt. This represents everything God had already delivered them from and what was behind them.

The chains that were broken, the slavery that he brought them out of. Yet Joshua still had to tell them, "You got to put away the gods of Egypt." Just because you left Egypt doesn't mean Egypt has left you. >> I know some people who God has filled with the spirit. Has done a mighty work in their life. And they still struggle with Egypt. They still struggle with this world. They still struggle with the peels that are there. They struggle with lifestyle convictions. They struggle with it.

Freedom isn't just about you changing locations. It's about changing your loyalties. >> Finally, Joshua mentioned the gods of the Amorites. Those are the gods of the culture that they were in. Notice the progression from family idols to personal idols to culture idols. Nothing's changed. Still, the world we live in is facing the same things. Idols that we inherit, idols that we've escaped, idols that our cultures invited us to embrace. Culture always offers us substitutes for a wholehearted devotion to God. Joshua's message says, "Don't let your father's gods become your gods."

Here's what I love about Joshua. He wasn't standing there a perfect man or even a faithful man. He'd watched an entire generation die off in the wilderness. He'd seen fear destroy people's future. He had lived through disappointment and delay and hardship that we probably can't even understand. Yet, after all those years, his conclusion was simply this. Simply this, guys. I boil it down to simply this. It's as simple simple as this. And you're going to roll your eyes. So, I'm telling you, don't roll them.

He simply said this. Here's it is here it is. You ready? Choose. >> Choose. >> I can give you all the warnings. I can show you all the Bible that is there. I can go through the Bible studies with you. I can tell you why you need to do this. But at the end of the day, it boils down to this. It's a choice. You can you can choose those gods. You can go back to your father's gods. You can go back to your Egyptian ways.

Or you can be influenced by this culture. But as for me in my house, >> I've watched you. See, Joshua's 110. 110. I feel a little I feel like I'm 110 today sometimes. He's saying this. He's saying, "Look, I've lived long enough to see I've watched I've watched the compromisers. I've watched. I've seen. I've buried your generations before you. And I see you're dealing with the same thing that they were dealing with. You ain't no better than them. You ain't figured it out. You keep going back to the familiar.

You keep running back to the comfortable. You keep trying to fashion God into something he was never intended to be. That's why he said, "Don't make any carved images. You don't know what I look like. >> Don't make me something that fits inside of your mind. I don't fit inside your mind. >> I fit inside your heart." He told him, he warned them, "Don't do that." And Joshua's standing there, they're standing there again and saying to them, "Look, you do whatever you going to do, but it's a choice you make."

>> And if you want to leave a legacy that matters, not a legacy of brokenness, not a legacy of destruction, not a legacy of burden, not a legacy of addiction, not a legacy of a If you want to leave the right legacy, then you got to choose today. Stop fighting these silly fights that don't matter for nothing >> because you've allowed something to come between you and me. Faithfulness is never an accident. It is always a decision. >> As I get ready to end today and the musicians are going to come.

I'm so thankful that mercy reaches farther. Exodus 20:5. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth generations, of those who hate me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments. When I first read those verses, my eyes naturally were drawn to the warning. The emphasis of the passage isn't judgment. It's it's mercy. Don't miss it. Like, we're always to the negative. Why are we that way?

You ever noticed that? We always we always naturally drawn to the negative that is there and you're like oh my goodness but he's bringing it to this point of saying if you miss it it's about mercy. God says the consequences may reach three or four generations but my mercy reaches to a thousand. The enemy wants you to believe that what has been broken in your family can never be restored. That anger and that addiction and bitterness and fear and compromise and spiritual apathy you've inherited is simply your family story.

But mercy says my mercy is longer than your history. Yes, >> my mercy reaches farther than the darkest decision you've ever made. >> Some of you walked in this room carrying things you didn't choose. >> Listen to me. Listen to me. I'm bringing this to a close. Maybe your parents made decisions that left deep wounds inside of you. Maybe there were idols in your home that distorted what love looked like, what faith looked like, what forgiveness looked like, and you didn't choose that. But today, but today, but today, by the grace of God, you can choose what happens next because mercy has entered this story.

Mercy is here in this room today. Mercy doesn't just pretend that the past never happened. Mercy rewrites the future. When Jesus went to the cross, he didn't just die to forgive individual sins. He came to break the power of sin and restore what had been distorted by it. He came to give sight to the spiritually blind so the families could have a different ending than they expected. So maybe today you're thinking this, Pastor, you don't know me. Pastor Kevin, you you don't know my story.

And you know what? I probably don't. I may not know the details of your story. I know a lot of the I know a lot what's in the room right now, but I I may not know your story, but I know my story. And I know Peter's story. The same Peter who confessed Christ and then rebuked Christ would later deny him three times. If anyone had a decision to believe his failure had disqualified him, it was Peter. Yet at the resurrection, the mercy of God said, "Go tell the disciples."

And Peter, Peter went fishing, right? He went back to the familiar. He went back to what was comfortable. He went back to his old ways. He hadn't yet learned to burn that boat. He went back to the thing that he knew how to do. Jesus is on the shoreline and good southern. He speaks out across the water and say, "Hey boys, y'all caught anything?" No, it's been a rough night. We cast your nets on the other side. All of a sudden, something sounded familiar about that.

It kind of sparked a memory. They realized Jesus is on the shore. Now, Peter, because he went back to his old ways, he was not properly dressed, had to put on his apparel. There's a sermon there, jumped in the water, swims to shore. There's a whole beautiful moment where Jesus has prepared breakfast for him. And we have this recorded story of this interaction between Jesus and Peter. And he says, "Peter, do you love me? Lord, you know I love you. feed my sheep. Then he looks back at me again and says, "Peter, I'm going ask you a question."

Yes, Lord. Do you love me? Well, sure. We just had this conversation. Lord, you know I love you and feed my lambs. Hey, Peter, I want to ask you one more thing. Sure, God. What is it? I want to know. Do you love me? I don't understand. Lord, why you asking me three times if I love you, Lord? Surely you know at this point I love you. Peter, I need you to understand that your three times denying me has not shorthanded my mercy.

So if you love me, Peter, it's not about the boat. Go back to feeding my people. And I'm reaching for somebody in this room today that somehow in your mind you've disqualified yourself from what God has placed on you a long time ago because of your mistakes and failures or because of what your last name represents or what your family has been known for. I'm here to tell you that's all a lie from the pit of hell. His mercy is new every morning.

Amen. >> And though there are consequences for decisions that are made that sometimes have an impact on the preceding generation, it's not something that the preceding generation cannot get past if they choose to say it stops with me. >> Right? >> It says this family's branch stops here and now. So, I'm appealing to somebody in this room right now to have some boldness in the Holy Ghost today to be willing in just a minute to step out and make a declaration of my life's work has maybe not been perfect, but God, I'm willing to commit to you for whatever future you have for me.

Regardless of what you bring my way, I will not allow anything to come between you and I. I will not allow it to slide in. God, give me clarity of vision. I'm reaching for somebody today that maybe your family's history is a little shady. Maybe it's something that you're embarrassed about. You're not you're not happy that your last name always brings this memory or this feeling up. I'm here to tell you that you get a new name. >> You get a new name >> because of his mercy.

So, will you stand with me right now today? If you've been spiritually blind, there's mercy. If you've allowed success or fear or comfort or offense or anything else to stand before you and God, there is mercy. If you feel like you failed your family, there is mercy. If you're carrying a legacy you wish you had never been handed, there is mercy today here in this place. So, I'm going to pray. And while I'm praying, I think there's decisions that need to be made today.

So, if you're going to make a decision, while I'm praying, just make your way down. Make make a bold declaration today. God, I'm not going to I'm not going to allow anything to proceed further from me. I'm going to change my family's dynamic. I'm going to leave a proper legacy. Jesus, we love you. I'm so thankful for your spirit that is drawing people right now in this place. God, I'm so thankful for the restoration that you're going to do. So thankful for the outpouring of your spirit that's going to happen in this room today.

I pray God for for there to be a boldness rise up in us to make a stand like Joshua to say as for me and my house we're going to serve the Lord. As for me and my house we're going to serve the Lord in Jesus name. In Jesus name. It's prayer time. Those in ministry right now be sensitive. I need your help in the altar today. God desires to do a restorative work. Allow God to use you in a mighty way.