Thank you so much especially,
00:00:34.36\00:00:36.06
Angela - you know
she left one part out
00:00:36.10\00:00:38.93
of my little
CB, my little bio...
00:00:38.97\00:00:42.50
I am an ordinary sinner,
make no mistake about it.
00:00:42.54\00:00:47.94
An ordinary sinner just
like each of you in this room,
00:00:47.98\00:00:51.51
and it's just a bunch of
beggars gathered here together
00:00:51.55\00:00:55.48
to encourage one another.
00:00:55.52\00:00:58.32
Let us pray...
00:00:58.35\00:01:00.66
Father, As we open Your word,
00:01:00.69\00:01:02.52
we just plead again for
Your Spirit - for we know
00:01:02.56\00:01:05.89
in and of
ourselves, we can do nothing.
00:01:05.93\00:01:08.03
At this moment, I just
want to rededicate my life
00:01:08.06\00:01:11.43
... it is all to
Jesus I surrender,
00:01:11.47\00:01:14.77
and all to Him I
freely give. Amen...
00:01:14.80\00:01:20.34
I want to give a real special,
special welcome to the men
00:01:20.38\00:01:23.81
in our audience today.
00:01:23.85\00:01:25.41
I am so
impressed that you're here.
00:01:25.45\00:01:27.42
We're so glad you're
here because we, as women,
00:01:27.45\00:01:31.22
we need you!
00:01:31.25\00:01:33.22
And as much as we love
to be together as girls,
00:01:33.25\00:01:36.59
we love to come home to you,
so we're so glad you're here,
00:01:36.62\00:01:40.50
and we hope that
you are blessed as well.
00:01:40.53\00:01:43.43
Last night we talked a
little bit about what it means
00:01:43.47\00:01:46.63
to be filled at the table.
00:01:46.67\00:01:49.54
And, I shared a little bit of
my story - kind of some things
00:01:49.57\00:01:52.27
that had happened in
life, some tragedies actually,
00:01:52.31\00:01:55.98
and just asking God
for just a few more souls
00:01:56.01\00:01:59.98
that would fall from His table.
00:02:00.02\00:02:02.38
And God listened and God heard,
00:02:02.42\00:02:05.29
but God was
silent for some time.
00:02:05.32\00:02:08.42
Today, we're going
to pick up that story...
00:02:08.46\00:02:10.96
and the title of our message is,
"Filled at the Throne of Grace"
00:02:10.99\00:02:15.83
This is it!
00:02:15.86\00:02:17.97
This is the real stuff!
00:02:18.00\00:02:19.80
The Throne of Grace...
Have you been there today?
00:02:19.83\00:02:23.77
Come on people, have
you been there today?
00:02:23.81\00:02:27.28
Because if we're
missing that, it doesn't matter
00:02:27.31\00:02:30.08
what the building
is like that we come to
00:02:30.11\00:02:32.21
or what the backdrop is like,
or what the people are like.
00:02:32.25\00:02:36.18
What matters is - have we been
00:02:36.22\00:02:38.19
to the Throne of
Grace this morning?
00:02:38.22\00:02:42.96
I was a P.O.W. for some
time, a prisoner of war,
00:02:42.99\00:02:51.83
and I'm talking
about the spiritual war...
00:02:51.87\00:02:53.80
you know that
invisible battle that goes on
00:02:53.84\00:02:56.54
that you and I know about.
00:02:56.57\00:02:58.57
It's the battle
between good and evil...
00:02:58.61\00:03:00.81
It's the enemy saying lies and
many of us victims are bleeding.
00:03:00.84\00:03:08.62
That's the P.O.W.
camp I'm talking about.
00:03:08.65\00:03:11.92
Often when we go
through empty seasons,
00:03:11.95\00:03:15.39
we go through loss,
we go through times when
00:03:15.42\00:03:17.69
things happen that
we don't understand.
00:03:17.73\00:03:19.76
We go through misunderstandings,
relationships suffer.
00:03:19.79\00:03:23.13
We find ourselves behind
these bars and often our anger
00:03:23.16\00:03:28.20
is directed right at
God... that's how it was for me.
00:03:28.24\00:03:33.34
I mean, I did everything a girl
could do to have a healthy baby,
00:03:33.38\00:03:37.55
and all I had from
that was injustice.
00:03:37.58\00:03:41.68
I did
everything a girl could do,
00:03:41.72\00:03:43.52
there was nothing that
I missed, ladies, nothing.
00:03:43.55\00:03:46.32
I planned for
this... my mother taught me!
00:03:46.35\00:03:49.49
She had 10, I figured she'd be a
00:03:49.52\00:03:51.09
pretty good
teacher, don't you think?
00:03:51.13\00:03:54.00
There was nothing that
was missed and God said, "No,
00:03:54.03\00:04:00.04
you're not going
to have a child today,
00:04:00.07\00:04:01.60
and you're not ever
going to ever have a child."
00:04:01.64\00:04:03.91
And I found myself
in this camp, empty.
00:04:03.94\00:04:09.11
Just this void, I mean,
we as women, we're created
00:04:09.14\00:04:13.15
to be nurturers and I
wanted something more than a
00:04:13.18\00:04:16.58
dog or a cat, but a child.
00:04:16.62\00:04:23.02
The wisest man, the
most influential man,
00:04:23.06\00:04:29.40
the most powerful
man that ever lived...
00:04:29.43\00:04:33.00
if he was standing here today,
00:04:33.03\00:04:34.84
this is what he
would say to you...
00:04:34.87\00:04:37.01
I've seen
families, large families;
00:04:40.94\00:04:43.75
I've seen people with
all the money they need;
00:04:43.78\00:04:46.38
I've seen barns that
are full and running over;
00:04:46.41\00:04:49.55
I've seen it all and I'm
here to tell you today...
00:04:49.58\00:04:52.75
it's all empty.
00:04:52.79\00:04:56.42
Vanity, vanity - it's all empty.
00:04:56.46\00:04:59.69
Without God, it's empty.
00:04:59.73\00:05:01.66
Well you see, I
thought all I needed was a baby
00:05:01.70\00:05:03.50
and I'd be full - that's all I
needed to be filled was a baby.
00:05:03.53\00:05:08.24
God has to take us
through these times
00:05:08.27\00:05:11.77
where He develops our
faith and He trains us,
00:05:11.81\00:05:15.58
and He teaches us what's really
important and the important
00:05:15.61\00:05:18.75
things have everything
to do with eternity...
00:05:18.78\00:05:21.12
And if eternity isn't in the
picture, we're wasting our time!
00:05:21.15\00:05:25.22
Whether it's our career,
whether it's our education,
00:05:25.25\00:05:27.72
whatever it is, we
are wasting our time
00:05:27.76\00:05:30.66
if it doesn't hold us
and seal us for eternity.
00:05:30.69\00:05:36.26
Well after I lost the
baby, people began to say...
00:05:36.30\00:05:39.70
"Donna, Donna, you
gotta get on the list,
00:05:39.73\00:05:43.00
you know that adoption
list, because healthy babies
00:05:43.04\00:05:46.57
are hard to come by
- so get on the list.
00:05:46.61\00:05:49.14
It could take you
10 years, on that list,
00:05:49.18\00:05:51.01
before you
could get through it."
00:05:51.05\00:05:52.38
And I just hung my head
and I said, "I can't do it."
00:05:52.41\00:05:55.65
My husband began to nudge
me, "Honey, why don't you do
00:05:55.68\00:05:58.92
the paperwork - let's
get through the paperwork
00:05:58.95\00:06:01.22
so we could move forward with
our dream to have a family."
00:06:01.26\00:06:04.79
I just pushed back, I
can't do it, I can't DO IT.
00:06:04.83\00:06:09.80
It's like here's the catalog,
open it up, point to a picture,
00:06:09.83\00:06:15.44
call it a family.
00:06:15.47\00:06:19.11
It's like
applicant number 6-billion-22
00:06:19.14\00:06:22.31
goes to baby number 6-billion-22
and I came to the point,
00:06:22.34\00:06:26.98
I said, "NO, I can't
do it, I'm going do the
00:06:27.02\00:06:30.89
Hannah-thing, okay honey?
00:06:30.92\00:06:32.59
I just want to do the
Hannah-thing, that's all."
00:06:32.62\00:06:37.43
If we're going to be a family,
it's not something we can do.
00:06:37.46\00:06:42.20
It's only something God can do,
00:06:42.23\00:06:43.77
and I want to
tell you here today...
00:06:43.80\00:06:45.13
Whatever you're striving
for in life, whatever that is,
00:06:45.17\00:06:49.77
if God is not
directing it, it will fail.
00:06:49.80\00:06:54.24
Or, it will be just a little
stream - when He has a whole
00:06:54.28\00:06:59.61
flood, a whole flood of joy
and fulfillment waiting for you.
00:06:59.65\00:07:04.39
Don't go it
alone, don't go it alone.
00:07:04.42\00:07:07.82
Ask Him to take you.
00:07:07.86\00:07:11.79
Seven years passed, I'm
doing the Hannah-thing...
00:07:11.83\00:07:17.53
My husband is not understanding,
my friends aren't understanding.
00:07:17.57\00:07:23.41
I'm doing the Hannah-thing
and I'm as empty as can be,
00:07:23.44\00:07:27.71
and I want to share this with
you - I shared it last night,
00:07:27.74\00:07:30.48
but I want to share it again...
00:07:30.51\00:07:33.11
When empty people
sit in your congregation,
00:07:33.15\00:07:37.19
they often will
sit in the back row.
00:07:37.22\00:07:40.12
They'll sit close to the
door to ensure there's an easy,
00:07:40.16\00:07:43.02
fast escape because their
tears will shame them to a point
00:07:43.06\00:07:47.26
that they got to get
out of the room fast...
00:07:47.30\00:07:51.17
And it may not have
anything to do with a baby,
00:07:51.20\00:07:53.87
it may be a different
failure in life, but sometimes
00:07:53.90\00:07:57.47
it's so hard to come here
and sit among God's people
00:07:57.51\00:08:01.71
because the ones that
are hurting seems they're
00:08:01.74\00:08:05.68
the only ones hurting and
we often forget that we are
00:08:05.71\00:08:11.42
all in the same boat.
00:08:11.45\00:08:13.15
We're all sitting on the
same Titanic ship - all of us,
00:08:13.19\00:08:19.26
and it is sinking.
00:08:19.29\00:08:21.13
Praise God!
00:08:21.16\00:08:22.50
Seven years went by,
we got a phone call and on
00:08:22.53\00:08:25.07
the other line they said, "Rod,
Donna, we got a baby for you."
00:08:25.10\00:08:28.10
I said, "Yeah, I
finally got this, God heard me."
00:08:28.14\00:08:31.04
And we named her "Nikki Marie"
and I loved that little girl.
00:08:31.07\00:08:33.74
It took all of 3 seconds
from the time I saw her...
00:08:33.78\00:08:36.81
No doubt she's
mine, she's got my eyes,
00:08:36.85\00:08:40.05
she's got Rod's hair...
she didn't have any of us.
00:08:40.08\00:08:43.69
But I thought she had it
all because God had chosen
00:08:43.72\00:08:47.86
this little girl for us.
00:08:47.89\00:08:49.52
My line was so... I was FILLED!
00:08:49.56\00:08:53.70
I was just thrilled what
God was doing in our life.
00:08:53.73\00:08:57.43
I was talking about
Him, I was praising His name,
00:08:57.47\00:09:00.20
I didn't sit in the
front of the church anymore,
00:09:00.24\00:09:02.00
I was in the front for 10 weeks.
00:09:02.04\00:09:05.87
We held this little
girl, we called her our own.
00:09:05.91\00:09:08.81
We moved from our
little apartment to a house.
00:09:08.84\00:09:11.61
We had a nursery, everything
was done that needed to be done.
00:09:11.65\00:09:15.05
We were now a
family and 10 weeks later,
00:09:15.08\00:09:17.95
that phone call came that
no one wants to have come...
00:09:17.99\00:09:20.89
And the birth mother
said, "I've changed my mind,
00:09:20.92\00:09:22.89
I want the baby back."
00:09:22.92\00:09:24.89
"And wait a
minute, wait a minute...
00:09:24.93\00:09:26.70
This isn't the way
it's supposed to go.
00:09:26.73\00:09:30.80
You're gonna take that baby
back - God gave me this baby,
00:09:30.83\00:09:35.10
not you - you
can't take this baby.
00:09:35.14\00:09:37.34
The law said I can have this
baby - I'm taking this baby."
00:09:37.37\00:09:39.94
And I'll never forget
standing in our home...
00:09:39.97\00:09:44.11
and she wanted to meet
me somewhere - I said, "No."
00:09:44.15\00:09:47.22
No, the only right I
have right now is to name
00:09:47.25\00:09:50.52
the time and the
place of the exchange.
00:09:50.55\00:09:55.29
So we're going to
do it at my house,
00:09:55.32\00:09:57.09
and we're going to
do it on the Sabbath,
00:09:57.13\00:09:58.79
and I'll see you at 4
o'clock, here's the address.
00:09:58.83\00:10:04.60
And at 4 o'clock, the doorbell
rang and Nikki was in my arms
00:10:04.63\00:10:08.84
where she was every
day for those 10 weeks.
00:10:08.87\00:10:11.71
And that birth mother
came in with no apologies,
00:10:11.74\00:10:15.24
words were not shared,
our eyes didn't even meet.
00:10:15.28\00:10:18.61
She reached down, she took
the baby and she walked out.
00:10:18.65\00:10:24.09
Now, I'm back
to the P.O.W. camp.
00:10:24.12\00:10:28.52
And my husband - and this is
why I'm so glad you men are here
00:10:28.56\00:10:31.66
because often we think
that when tragedies happen,
00:10:31.69\00:10:34.83
when something goes down,
00:10:34.86\00:10:36.20
it's the woman
alone that's suffering.
00:10:36.23\00:10:37.93
I want you to know my
husband suffered greatly.
00:10:37.97\00:10:40.94
He went to the backyard
and he had it out with God.
00:10:40.97\00:10:45.07
"Who do You think
You are if You are God?"
00:10:45.11\00:10:48.11
As he is shaking his
fist, "If you are God,
00:10:48.14\00:10:50.75
how did you
allow this to happen;
00:10:50.78\00:10:53.21
how could You stand by
and watch this happen?"
00:10:53.25\00:10:56.82
And I'm inside and I'm
just filled with anger.
00:10:56.85\00:11:00.09
You know, none
of this makes sense.
00:11:00.12\00:11:02.56
Everything I grew to love
and know was now ripped out
00:11:02.59\00:11:07.23
from under me and that's
what happens when you go through
00:11:07.26\00:11:12.20
an empty season.
00:11:12.23\00:11:15.20
You know, I can say
it now, I didn't then,
00:11:15.24\00:11:19.97
I stand here ashamed
that I couldn't say it then,
00:11:20.01\00:11:23.88
but I'm gonna say it
now, "God was in control
00:11:23.91\00:11:28.98
of everything that went on
in my life," I didn't see it,
00:11:29.02\00:11:33.52
I didn't know it, I
certainly didn't admit it,
00:11:33.56\00:11:35.96
and I'm sharing it with you
because He has no favorites.
00:11:35.99\00:11:40.16
That's one of the great
things about God, no favorites.
00:11:40.20\00:11:43.00
What He's going to do for
me, He's going to do for you.
00:11:43.03\00:11:45.03
What He's going to do for
John, He's gonna do for you.
00:11:45.07\00:11:46.94
What He's going to do
for anyone in this room,
00:11:46.97\00:11:49.00
He is willing to do
for all of us because
00:11:49.04\00:11:51.84
that's what makes God God.
00:11:51.87\00:11:54.48
It's a love that overflows
that we don't understand
00:11:54.51\00:11:57.25
because we have
boundaries, we have restrictions
00:11:57.28\00:12:00.75
in our relationships, not God.
00:12:00.78\00:12:04.09
And as my anger
continued to beat down on God,
00:12:04.12\00:12:09.69
my silent God
began to speak to me,
00:12:09.72\00:12:13.19
this is what He
said very clearly...
00:12:13.23\00:12:17.83
"Okay Donna, you wanna talk
about this, let's talk about it.
00:12:17.87\00:12:22.00
Where were you when
I created the world?
00:12:22.04\00:12:25.81
If you think you know
everything that's supposed
00:12:25.84\00:12:28.31
to happen and how
life is supposed to go,
00:12:28.34\00:12:30.61
where were you?
00:12:30.65\00:12:32.71
Tell Me Donna... If
you have all the answers
00:12:49.66\00:12:52.33
tell Me.
00:12:52.37\00:12:55.17
And then Job answered...
And this was my answer too.
00:13:10.82\00:13:15.86
No purpose of Yours
can be withheld from me,
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.44
and I will hush and
I will learn to grow
00:13:42.98\00:13:46.76
in Your will and
not my own, okay?
00:13:46.79\00:13:52.19
So for those here
today, let this be your story.
00:13:52.23\00:13:57.87
God is saying, "I want
to ask you a few questions.
00:13:57.90\00:14:02.64
I want to draw you in, I
want to help you understand
00:14:02.67\00:14:06.71
that I am God and I'm
gonna take care of you."
00:14:06.74\00:14:11.61
In order to experience a
flood instead of a stream,
00:14:11.65\00:14:16.75
we have some preparation to do.
00:14:16.79\00:14:20.52
We went through some of
those preparations last night,
00:14:20.56\00:14:22.59
and today I want to
bring another one to you.
00:14:22.62\00:14:24.73
To prepare for a
flood that God has for you,
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.66
to really prepare
for a flood, surrender.
00:14:27.70\00:14:35.44
We sing about
it, we talk about it,
00:14:36.94\00:14:38.84
we hear sermons about
it, but I'm sharing this
00:14:38.87\00:14:40.61
with you today - until you
give that complete surrender,
00:14:40.64\00:14:43.81
you will not experience
what God has in store for you.
00:14:43.85\00:14:48.18
I didn't.
00:14:48.22\00:14:49.98
I had to understand
that where they take it apart
00:14:50.02\00:14:52.02
and put it back together.
00:14:52.05\00:14:53.39
I had to understand that
in ways I never knew before...
00:14:53.42\00:14:56.12
surrender, surrender.
00:14:56.16\00:15:00.10
At the Pool of
Bethesda, thousands wait
00:15:04.63\00:15:09.34
for the magic show.
00:15:09.37\00:15:11.67
The myths that are around that
pool are almost unbelievable
00:15:11.71\00:15:16.51
to us today, but you
see, it was all about magic.
00:15:16.54\00:15:19.45
There were five porches and
I could remember walking around
00:15:19.48\00:15:23.12
that pool and it's just
the story going through my mind
00:15:23.15\00:15:26.86
when we were in Jerusalem.
00:15:26.89\00:15:29.79
And there they lie, they
lie there weak and dying.
00:15:29.82\00:15:36.03
It is the hospice of the day.
00:15:36.06\00:15:38.50
They lie on moldy, rotten cloth.
00:15:38.53\00:15:43.24
They lie there on concrete
and dirt that means nothing.
00:15:43.27\00:15:48.81
Day and night, they wait.
00:15:48.84\00:15:51.88
They're waiting for the
water to move, the magic water
00:15:51.91\00:15:54.95
to move and out of that,
someone is going to be healed.
00:15:54.98\00:15:59.92
That emptiness is
going to be filled.
00:15:59.95\00:16:02.26
The stream is going
to turn into a flood.
00:16:02.29\00:16:04.83
So the lies go... but
on this one particular day,
00:16:04.86\00:16:10.23
there is no ordinary
stranger that comes to the pool.
00:16:10.27\00:16:16.40
No ordinary stranger.
00:16:16.44\00:16:19.37
And as I was standing
at the Pool of Bethesda,
00:16:19.41\00:16:23.51
in my mind, I saw the picture.
00:16:23.55\00:16:26.65
I saw the man that had
been crippled for 38 years,
00:16:26.68\00:16:29.52
and here I was sobbing because
it had only been 7 years.
00:16:29.55\00:16:32.85
I saw him laying there, I
smelled the rotten clothes
00:16:32.89\00:16:37.69
he was wearing.
00:16:37.73\00:16:39.06
I smelled the stench of
death all around that pool.
00:16:39.09\00:16:43.63
And this stranger lays
there, the cripple lays there,
00:16:43.67\00:16:50.61
and a stranger appears.
00:16:50.64\00:16:52.91
And though no one else may
have known the cripple's name,
00:16:52.94\00:16:55.84
the Bible
doesn't give us a name,
00:16:55.88\00:16:57.48
it just refers
to him as a cripple,
00:16:57.51\00:16:59.05
though no one else knew
that, Jesus knew his name.
00:16:59.08\00:17:04.05
And he comes over, he
is blind to the things
00:17:04.09\00:17:08.59
that would have
made me nauseous.
00:17:08.62\00:17:12.23
Blind - He doesn't
smell it, He doesn't see it.
00:17:12.26\00:17:17.63
He goes to the cripple and
He takes a knee beside him,
00:17:17.67\00:17:23.07
and He looks him right
in the eye and He says,
00:17:23.10\00:17:27.11
"Do you want to get well?"
00:17:27.14\00:17:31.48
"Do you want to change?"
00:17:31.51\00:17:37.42
Now look it... I don't
know how many people were
00:17:37.45\00:17:39.39
there at that pool,
but there was something
00:17:39.42\00:17:41.19
about this one man
that Jesus focused on.
00:17:41.22\00:17:45.16
He knew the face of
this man and He went to him.
00:17:45.19\00:17:50.27
You wanna prepare for a flood?
00:17:50.30\00:17:55.54
I think Jesus is asking
you the same question today.
00:17:55.57\00:17:59.97
Are you satisfied
with where you are?
00:18:00.01\00:18:02.14
Are you really satisfied?
00:18:02.18\00:18:05.58
Or... or do you want to change?
00:18:05.61\00:18:11.02
That's the all-powerful
God, the One that just spoke and
00:18:11.05\00:18:16.12
everything came into existence.
00:18:16.16\00:18:20.10
That's the all-powerful
God asking you that question.
00:18:20.13\00:18:23.60
Are you satisfied with
where you are or do you
00:18:23.63\00:18:27.37
really want to change?
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.31
And the man looks
at him and he says,
00:18:30.34\00:18:31.87
"Sir, I can never make it
into the magic water in time,
00:18:31.91\00:18:38.61
someone else
always beats me to it."
00:18:38.65\00:18:42.32
And Jesus is
still right beside him.
00:18:42.35\00:18:46.15
You want to get
ready for a flood?
00:18:46.19\00:18:47.69
Here we go...
00:18:47.72\00:18:49.06
If we try to make changes on our
own, we will fail every time.
00:18:49.09\00:18:56.83
If you're not happy
where you are... Praise God.
00:18:56.87\00:19:02.54
The Holy Spirit is speaking
to you, but don't you dare
00:19:02.57\00:19:04.97
leave this room today and
try to make changes on your own,
00:19:05.01\00:19:08.28
only God can help you
through those changes.
00:19:08.31\00:19:10.75
And Jesus looks at him
and He said, "Okay, then rise,
00:19:10.78\00:19:16.15
take up your bed and walk."
00:19:16.18\00:19:21.62
Look at all the birds in there,
"Take up your bed and walk."
00:19:21.66\00:19:25.13
How long had this man been
laying on that bed? 38 years
00:19:25.16\00:19:31.07
For 38 years,
those knees didn't move.
00:19:31.10\00:19:34.64
For 38 years, his feet
didn't walk, for 38 years,
00:19:34.67\00:19:40.41
and God just says, "Rise,
take up your bed and walk."
00:19:40.44\00:19:45.55
And he did it.
00:19:45.58\00:19:48.78
Are you kidding
me...? He did it!
00:19:48.82\00:19:54.92
Because God told him too and he
wasn't satisfied where he was.
00:19:54.96\00:19:59.56
As I read through that
story, let me tell you,
00:19:59.59\00:20:01.63
when you are down,
when you are empty,
00:20:01.66\00:20:06.70
when you've lost that job,
when the marriage has broken up,
00:20:06.74\00:20:11.94
when the teenagers are
doing what teenagers do,
00:20:11.97\00:20:14.91
when all of that stuff is
going on - head to the Bible
00:20:14.94\00:20:19.35
because there's a
story there for you...
00:20:19.38\00:20:21.32
there's a story
with your name on it.
00:20:21.35\00:20:22.88
Do not cut yourself
short by just using the name
00:20:22.92\00:20:27.02
that's in Scripture
- put your own there.
00:20:27.06\00:20:29.22
This cripple was me and
what Jesus asked the cripple,
00:20:29.26\00:20:36.50
He was asking me...
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.63
"Donna, take up your
cross, and follow Me."
00:20:38.67\00:20:47.01
I want you to rise
from your knees right now,
00:20:47.04\00:20:50.15
take UP your
cross and follow Me,
00:20:50.18\00:20:53.18
and follow Me into the Garden.
00:20:53.21\00:20:56.55
Now remember, I've been
going to church my whole life.
00:20:56.58\00:21:00.46
I read my Bible, I had
all this Adventist education,
00:21:00.49\00:21:07.96
but at the end of the
day, Jesus was asking me to
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.83
take up my cross and
follow Him into the Garden.
00:21:11.87\00:21:16.44
Think about it,
friends, think about it...
00:21:16.47\00:21:18.91
Without the Garden of
Eden, we wouldn't have Calvary.
00:21:18.94\00:21:25.15
There wouldn't
have been a cross,
00:21:25.18\00:21:26.88
it wouldn't have happened.
00:21:26.92\00:21:29.42
It's the Garden that prepared
Jesus for what was before Him.
00:21:29.45\00:21:33.15
I can remember that cool
day... I got out of the bus,
00:21:33.19\00:21:39.06
and I stood on
the Mt. of Olives...
00:21:39.09\00:21:44.10
I was not
prepared, I was not prepared.
00:21:44.13\00:21:49.14
As I stood on the Mt. of
Olives, I looked to the right,
00:21:49.17\00:21:53.07
and there is the
Garden of Gethsemane.
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.48
I looked straight ahead of me
and there's the Kidron Valley.
00:21:55.51\00:21:59.18
and from there is
Jerusalem, the Eastern Gate...
00:21:59.21\00:22:03.55
And I stood there and
it just overwhelmed me.
00:22:03.59\00:22:09.29
I began weeping - I couldn't
control because the whole
00:22:09.32\00:22:15.83
story, finally I saw.
00:22:15.86\00:22:19.87
You know, Job says to
God, "I always heard of You
00:22:19.90\00:22:24.94
with my ears, but now
I see You with my eyes...
00:22:24.97\00:22:29.71
And that's what that was
like for me at that moment.
00:22:29.74\00:22:31.98
I saw the Garden, I saw
the city, I saw the gate,
00:22:32.01\00:22:35.32
the Kidron Valley, the
caskets stacked 5-8 tall in that
00:22:35.35\00:22:40.16
Kidron Valley to give a
message, and the Eastern Gate
00:22:40.19\00:22:43.66
is completely blocked shut with
cement and the message is...
00:22:43.69\00:22:47.40
"Jesus Christ, you're
not coming through here."
00:22:47.43\00:22:51.10
And I tasted, I felt
the hate in that moment,
00:22:51.13\00:22:56.17
and I just wept
knowing what all He did for us
00:22:56.20\00:23:01.71
in the Garden of Gethsemane...
knowing what was going to
00:23:01.74\00:23:04.48
happen and what is going
to happen in the near future.
00:23:04.51\00:23:07.75
In the Garden,
the stakes are high.
00:23:07.78\00:23:10.59
When you go to the
Garden of Gethsemane,
00:23:10.62\00:23:12.49
this is not a
casual prayer. Uh uh
00:23:12.52\00:23:15.06
This isn't even
family prayer. Uh uh
00:23:15.09\00:23:18.79
The stakes are high.
00:23:18.83\00:23:20.16
When you're coming
before the Throne of Grace,
00:23:20.20\00:23:23.47
the stakes are high.
00:23:23.50\00:23:24.97
Here's the deal...
If Satan failed here,
00:23:25.00\00:23:29.37
now remember, he
failed 3 years prior to this
00:23:29.40\00:23:32.47
with the temptation and
now he is going to redouble his
00:23:32.51\00:23:36.98
effort.
00:23:37.01\00:23:38.35
If Satan fails here in
the Garden of Gethsemane,
00:23:38.38\00:23:41.12
his hope of
mastery would be lost.
00:23:41.15\00:23:47.19
The earth would become
his kingdom and the human race
00:23:47.22\00:23:49.62
would be forever in
his power, unbelievable.
00:23:49.66\00:23:54.40
And what was going on there?
00:23:54.43\00:23:56.53
Jesus had brought three
of His closest disciples...
00:23:56.56\00:23:58.60
He said, "Hey, guys...
pray for Me, I'm going to go
00:23:58.63\00:24:02.77
talk to My Father -
stay awake and pray for Me."
00:24:02.80\00:24:08.74
And He comes back
and they're sleeping.
00:24:08.78\00:24:12.01
Laodicea right outside of the
Garden of Eden... right there!
00:24:12.05\00:24:18.39
And He wakes them - "Can you
just pray, wait, watch, pray?"
00:24:18.42\00:24:21.82
And He comes back a second time,
He comes back a third time.
00:24:21.86\00:24:24.43
And do you know why
Jesus was doing that?
00:24:24.46\00:24:26.59
Do you know why
He kept going back?
00:24:26.63\00:24:28.63
He kept going back because He
was looking for encouragement.
00:24:28.66\00:24:31.80
He kept going back
because He needed to know
00:24:31.83\00:24:34.87
that He wasn't ALONE!
00:24:34.90\00:24:39.47
When you're having a Garden
of Gethsemane time in your life,
00:24:39.51\00:24:43.85
you need people praying
for you and encouraging you,
00:24:43.88\00:24:48.98
and that's how it was for me.
00:24:49.02\00:24:50.39
The Garden of
Gethsemane is a place of...
00:24:50.42\00:24:53.32
It is in the Garden of
Gethsemane that Jesus said,
00:25:07.87\00:25:14.24
... and this isn't theologically
correct but it's the
00:25:14.28\00:25:19.71
way I take it... it
is in that Garden of
00:25:19.75\00:25:21.98
Gethsemane that Jesus
said, "It is finished."
00:25:22.02\00:25:24.65
He repeated it on
the cross, I get it.
00:25:24.69\00:25:26.52
But it is at that point,
he said, "It is finished,"
00:25:26.55\00:25:28.52
because He said, "Not My
will but Your will be done."
00:25:28.56\00:25:32.09
And once we give it
over to God, it's over!
00:25:32.13\00:25:34.80
Satan loses! Come on!
00:25:34.83\00:25:39.97
He's outta here! He LOSES!
00:25:40.00\00:25:42.37
And that's what we're looking
for... You got it... it's over!
00:25:42.40\00:25:48.98
I surrendered my
bucket list to God.
00:25:49.01\00:25:57.09
And the world has us convinced
00:25:57.12\00:26:00.09
that it's all about
having a bucket list...
00:26:00.12\00:26:03.09
All of our
dreams, all of our plans,
00:26:03.12\00:26:05.29
all of our goals, things
we're going to do in this life,
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.20
you only live once,
let me tell you what...
00:26:07.23\00:26:08.76
That bucket list
has nothing to do with
00:26:08.80\00:26:12.23
God's will for you and me.
00:26:12.27\00:26:15.20
My bucket list
looked like this...
00:26:15.24\00:26:16.67
You know what? I want
4 newborn babies, Lord.
00:26:16.71\00:26:19.51
And make sure
they're all healthy.
00:26:19.54\00:26:21.28
I want them all to be Caucasian.
00:26:21.31\00:26:23.48
I want them all to have dark
hair and dark eyes just like me.
00:26:23.51\00:26:26.08
That's my bucket list!
00:26:26.11\00:26:29.35
I want to bring them
home from the hospital.
00:26:29.38\00:26:32.12
Just as though I had
given birth - maybe then
00:26:32.15\00:26:34.66
they'll be some
justice to all the injustice
00:26:34.69\00:26:36.83
that was done to me.
00:26:36.86\00:26:40.80
God says, "I want you to
give up your bucket list,
00:26:40.83\00:26:44.30
and trust Me with My
will in your life, okay?"
00:26:44.33\00:26:49.57
That's what God is really like.
00:26:49.60\00:26:51.11
Let me tell ya - my heart
just, I just plead for words to
00:26:51.14\00:26:55.78
share with you because week
after week, I stand before a
00:26:55.81\00:27:00.02
congregation and I see
it, I see it in their eyes,
00:27:00.05\00:27:06.29
I see it in your eyes...
00:27:06.32\00:27:08.72
We think we're just
trapped in this world...
00:27:08.76\00:27:11.29
We're just like a hamster in
a cage going around and around.
00:27:11.33\00:27:16.00
We think that and it's
only because we haven't given
00:27:16.03\00:27:22.64
our will to Him and
said, "Lord, not my will,
00:27:22.67\00:27:25.04
but Your will be done.
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.41
I gotta tell ya, I'm
doing a Bible study with someone
00:27:26.44\00:27:30.15
that I have fallen in love with.
00:27:30.18\00:27:32.91
She's a stripper at the
local club and I've never been
00:27:32.95\00:27:39.15
to the club - if she
invited me, I would go,
00:27:39.19\00:27:41.79
but I've never been to the club.
00:27:41.82\00:27:45.26
And when she comes and she
shares with me what it's like,
00:27:45.29\00:27:48.06
my heart breaks and it
should break your heart too.
00:27:48.10\00:27:54.60
The reason why is because she
doesn't think there's any hope.
00:27:54.64\00:27:58.54
The reason why is because
she's listening to the lies,
00:27:58.57\00:28:01.41
the lies that say,
"You're worth nothing."
00:28:01.44\00:28:06.45
And when we go into
these empty seasons,
00:28:06.48\00:28:08.32
that's often what we
listen to because we're not
00:28:08.35\00:28:11.02
spending time in the Garden,
because it's in the garden that
00:28:11.05\00:28:15.12
we trade in our bucket list.
00:28:15.16\00:28:17.09
She wants to be beautiful,
she wants to feel accepted,
00:28:17.13\00:28:19.79
she wants to feel loved and it's
never gonna happen on the pole.
00:28:19.83\00:28:24.93
That's not where it
going to take place.
00:28:24.97\00:28:28.30
It's going to happen in
that secret Garden place.
00:28:28.34\00:28:31.41
All right, let's
prepare for a flood...
00:28:31.44\00:28:35.14
If you're looking for more than
a stream of joy in your life,
00:28:35.18\00:28:38.51
if you're here today, you're
looking for more than just a
00:28:38.55\00:28:40.72
little bit of hope,
you're looking for just a
00:28:40.75\00:28:42.98
little bit of happiness
and you really want a flood,
00:28:43.02\00:28:45.29
you need to surrender.
00:28:45.32\00:28:49.66
Surrender precedes the
flood. Say that with me...
00:28:49.69\00:28:54.20
Surrender precedes
the flood. Louder...
00:28:54.23\00:28:58.40
The surrender precedes the
flood. That's what it's like.
00:28:58.43\00:29:04.84
All right... the
years are going by.
00:29:04.87\00:29:08.64
It's two weeks before
Christmas, I get a phone call.
00:29:08.68\00:29:12.41
Donna, Donna - we
got a baby for you!
00:29:12.45\00:29:15.88
And I'm in
complete neutral. Why?
00:29:15.92\00:29:19.95
Because it's not my will that
matters anymore - it's His will.
00:29:19.99\00:29:24.76
Donna, we got a baby
for you, this is a newborn.
00:29:24.79\00:29:27.33
Oh, this is going to be a
beautiful baby - a perfect baby.
00:29:27.36\00:29:30.70
When can we meet?
00:29:30.73\00:29:33.07
And I said, "Well, I
tell you what - you know,
00:29:33.10\00:29:35.54
um, my husband,
he's not here right now,
00:29:35.57\00:29:38.74
give us a couple of days
to really pray through this,
00:29:38.77\00:29:41.91
and discuss it and
I'll call you back."
00:29:41.94\00:29:45.55
Emotions are intact - ladies
that's a big thing for us.
00:29:45.58\00:29:50.12
Emotions are intact.
00:29:50.15\00:29:53.15
The next day, I
get a call again.
00:29:55.56\00:29:59.19
They said, "Donna,
we're just really anxious
00:29:59.23\00:30:01.00
for you to meet
the birth mother."
00:30:01.03\00:30:03.90
I said, "Well you know,
Rod and I, we're just trying to
00:30:03.93\00:30:06.67
work our way through, you know,
give us a little more time,
00:30:06.70\00:30:09.70
and I will call you."
00:30:09.74\00:30:11.67
The next day, the
birth mother called me!
00:30:11.71\00:30:14.54
And she says, "Hey, you don't
know me, but I know your story,
00:30:14.58\00:30:18.91
and I know you and I just
really believe that you're to be
00:30:18.95\00:30:25.39
the mother for this baby."
00:30:25.42\00:30:28.36
And I looked at Rod and I
said, "Rod, I think we need to
00:30:28.39\00:30:31.79
meet - let's go meet this lady."
00:30:31.83\00:30:35.56
It was on a Sabbath afternoon,
we drove down to their house.
00:30:35.60\00:30:37.50
Here's their story...
They had three little girls
00:30:37.53\00:30:39.97
and they separated,
the husband and wife.
00:30:40.00\00:30:44.41
He went to live with
another woman and she went
00:30:44.44\00:30:46.74
to live with another man.
00:30:46.78\00:30:48.91
Someone, someone knocked
on the door where the husband
00:30:48.94\00:30:55.32
was staying and said, "I'd
like to offer you Bible studies,
00:30:55.35\00:30:58.72
are you interested?"
00:30:58.75\00:31:00.09
He said, "Yeah, I'll take those
Bible studies." "What, what?"
00:31:00.12\00:31:04.03
"Yeah, I'll take
those Bible studies."
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.39
Okay, we're going to get
studying and at the end of the
00:31:05.99\00:31:09.13
studies, he took them to
church with him and there he met
00:31:09.16\00:31:13.97
his Seventh-day
Adventist family.
00:31:14.00\00:31:18.17
And then he went to the pastor
and he said, "You know, I'm in a
00:31:18.21\00:31:20.68
situation - I'm living
with someone and my wife and
00:31:20.71\00:31:27.48
three children
are in another place."
00:31:27.52\00:31:30.32
And the man of God
said, "You need to reconcile
00:31:30.35\00:31:33.59
with your wife."
00:31:33.62\00:31:35.16
He went back to reconcile
with his wife and he went back
00:31:35.19\00:31:37.26
to be with her... she's
pregnant with another child,
00:31:37.29\00:31:39.36
someone else's child.
00:31:39.39\00:31:42.36
And through prayer and study,
they decided the very best
00:31:42.40\00:31:45.23
thing for that child -
because they already had three,
00:31:45.27\00:31:47.14
the very best thing for
that child would be to find
00:31:47.17\00:31:49.84
a home where she could be
adopted and loved forever.
00:31:49.87\00:31:55.04
And that's when we got the call.
00:31:55.08\00:31:57.38
So on New Year's Day, January
1, we arrived at the hospital,
00:31:57.41\00:32:02.48
just in time - to see
this little bundle going from
00:32:02.52\00:32:06.42
delivery room to
nursery room and I'm telling ya,
00:32:06.45\00:32:10.46
you want to see
a walking miracle?
00:32:10.49\00:32:13.09
Do you want to see
that? Say "yes." YES!
00:32:13.13\00:32:16.16
"Tonya," my daughter,
would you stand up please.
00:32:16.20\00:32:19.97
There she is... there she is.
00:32:26.74\00:32:30.18
Incredible! My line
was full, I tell ya!
00:32:30.21\00:32:32.65
I was just so
overjoyed... now it's like
00:32:32.68\00:32:34.88
God, You are alive, You're real!
00:32:34.92\00:32:37.95
We did it Your way for a change.
00:32:37.99\00:32:41.16
Three months later,
we're driving home from church,
00:32:41.19\00:32:44.13
and we pull in our driveway,
I mentioned to my husband,
00:32:44.16\00:32:47.83
I said, "I think
this car is following us,
00:32:47.86\00:32:50.40
we're being stalked."
00:32:50.43\00:32:52.57
And we pull in the driveway
and we get out of the car,
00:32:52.60\00:32:57.11
and here's a doctor - he says,
"Rod, Donna, you guys moved.
00:32:57.14\00:33:00.58
I've been looking
all over for you."
00:33:00.61\00:33:01.94
I said, "Yeah, we moved."
00:33:01.98\00:33:03.31
He said, "Listen,
I've got a baby for you."
00:33:03.35\00:33:05.01
I said, "We got a baby!"
00:33:05.05\00:33:06.61
He said, "Now you guys
need another baby!" Laughter
00:33:06.65\00:33:11.02
And God said...
00:33:11.05\00:33:17.23
Don't even try to imagine
what God has in store for you.
00:33:29.77\00:33:32.51
Three months later, we're
in the hospital - just in time
00:33:38.18\00:33:43.05
to see the baby going from
the delivery room to the nursery
00:33:43.08\00:33:46.92
and this is Tyler
Rodney. It's just incredible!
00:33:46.96\00:33:51.03
And now, our life is
full, totally completely full.
00:33:51.06\00:33:56.67
What God has done for
us, we're so satisfied,
00:33:56.70\00:34:00.07
we're so excited!
00:34:00.10\00:34:02.77
Five years later... hold on
to yourselves, I know you guys,
00:34:02.80\00:34:06.27
don't get ahead of the story.
00:34:06.31\00:34:07.71
Five years later, laughter,
you got it all figured out!
00:34:07.74\00:34:12.65
Five years later,
it's Christmastime and I'm
00:34:12.68\00:34:16.89
sitting in bed - Tonya is
on one side, Tyler is on the
00:34:16.92\00:34:19.09
other side - we're going through
the little Christmas story,
00:34:19.12\00:34:21.69
and Tonya says, "Mommy,
were we born in a barn too?"
00:34:21.72\00:34:30.87
And I said, "No, no, no
Tonya... You see, we always knew
00:34:30.90\00:34:35.54
we would tell
them about adoption,
00:34:35.57\00:34:36.91
we just didn't know
when the time was right.
00:34:36.94\00:34:39.01
Well the time was right.
00:34:39.04\00:34:40.91
She wanted to know if
she was born in a barn,
00:34:40.94\00:34:42.84
that's an open-ended
question for an adoptive mom.
00:34:42.88\00:34:46.21
And I shot up a prayer,
"God, what am I going to tell
00:34:46.25\00:34:51.45
Your daughter, Tonya?"
00:34:51.49\00:34:53.96
And I looked at her and I
said, "Honey, you weren't born
00:34:53.99\00:34:56.83
in a barn, you were born
under my heart and you were
00:34:56.86\00:35:00.76
born the same way the
King of the universe was born."
00:35:00.80\00:35:06.00
"We prayed for you and
God brought you to us."
00:35:06.03\00:35:11.84
To Him be the honor and glory.
00:35:11.87\00:35:15.01
Gave them a kiss, tucked them
in, stepped out into the hall,
00:35:15.04\00:35:17.78
shhoo - made it
through that without Rod.
00:35:17.81\00:35:20.82
Where are you
when I need you most!
00:35:20.85\00:35:24.25
And I heard some noise
in the room, I go back up,
00:35:24.29\00:35:29.96
and here's 5-year-old Tonya
and Tyler - they're kneeling
00:35:29.99\00:35:32.23
beside their bed and
this is what they're saying...
00:35:32.26\00:35:35.00
"Jesus, if you'll
give us a baby brother,
00:35:35.03\00:35:39.23
mom and dad will help us
take care of him." Laughter
00:35:39.27\00:35:45.14
I'm like - how do I explain
this to these kids, you know?
00:35:45.17\00:35:49.08
We haven't even talked about
the birds and the bees yet!
00:35:49.11\00:35:51.55
How am I gonna get through this?
00:35:51.58\00:35:54.48
Well, 15 months
later, the phone rang.
00:35:54.52\00:36:01.06
The doctor said, "Rod,
Donna, I got a baby for you."
00:36:01.09\00:36:05.89
"A what?" "Yeah,
yeah, I got a baby
00:36:05.93\00:36:08.53
for you." "How
did this come about?"
00:36:08.56\00:36:09.93
"Well, he's a part of a group,
there are five obstetricians
00:36:09.96\00:36:12.27
in this group - he was
not on call this night,
00:36:12.30\00:36:14.70
the phone rings and they say,
"Listen, we've got someone here
00:36:14.74\00:36:17.67
you really need to come in
and see - he said, "No, I'm not
00:36:17.71\00:36:19.87
on call - call someone
else." Hangs up the phone.
00:36:19.91\00:36:22.04
It's like - I just felt
impressed, I needed to go...
00:36:22.08\00:36:27.28
He goes to the hospital,
walks in and this woman is
00:36:27.32\00:36:30.52
in abdominal pain,
takes her right into delivery,
00:36:30.55\00:36:34.16
delivers that baby and
she looks up at him and she
00:36:34.19\00:36:36.36
says, "Doc, do
you know of anyone
00:36:36.39\00:36:39.06
that would take this baby?"
00:36:39.09\00:36:41.30
He said, "Well yes, I do, I do!"
00:36:41.33\00:36:43.77
And he picked up the
phone and he called us.
00:36:43.80\00:36:46.37
And we were on a plane
within 2 hours with some really
00:36:46.40\00:36:50.01
important people - Tonya and
Tyler, little bit of luggage,
00:36:50.04\00:36:54.28
and off we were going to
get their little brother.
00:36:54.31\00:36:57.21
A miracle! A miracle!
00:36:57.25\00:37:00.58
The Garden of
Eden is holy ground.
00:37:00.62\00:37:04.99
That's where you go
when you're wanting to know
00:37:05.02\00:37:08.42
what God has in store
for you, it's holy ground.
00:37:08.46\00:37:13.13
Well, what's the title here?
00:37:13.16\00:37:17.33
"Why Settle for a Stream
When You Can Have a Flood"
00:37:17.37\00:37:22.30
Our lives were full,
we were just flowing over.
00:37:22.34\00:37:27.81
So thankful for
what God was doing,
00:37:27.84\00:37:30.15
but God wasn't done.
00:37:30.18\00:37:32.11
Remember that tent
thing? "Don't limit your
00:37:32.15\00:37:35.75
imaginations," remember that?
00:37:35.78\00:37:37.72
It's real. It's real.
00:37:37.75\00:37:40.86
We thought all was
well until the phone rang...
00:37:40.89\00:37:44.49
And you know, at
some point, you gotta stop
00:37:44.53\00:37:46.66
answering the phone. Laughter
00:37:46.70\00:37:48.66
But not yet... The
phone rang, "Rod, Donna,
00:37:48.70\00:37:52.57
we got a baby for you!"
00:37:52.60\00:37:55.87
I want to introduce
you to Bryce Robert.
00:37:55.90\00:37:59.97
And now, the line is full...
00:38:00.01\00:38:01.94
I want to share
with you our family. Aww
00:38:01.98\00:38:04.15
This was last Christmas.
00:38:04.18\00:38:06.98
You know, I'm so glad
that God gave us a family
00:38:07.02\00:38:15.39
on this side of
heaven; however, had He chosen
00:38:15.42\00:38:22.00
to give us that family
on the other side of heaven,
00:38:22.03\00:38:25.30
it was the faithfulness
that mattered to Him.
00:38:25.33\00:38:28.34
It wasn't the
number of children.
00:38:28.37\00:38:30.67
It wasn't all
the little miracles.
00:38:30.71\00:38:32.71
What really mattered to Him
is, "Will you be faithful to Me
00:38:32.74\00:38:36.54
regardless of
how things work out,
00:38:36.58\00:38:38.91
regardless of your bucket list,
will you be faithful to Me?"
00:38:38.95\00:38:43.02
If you're looking for a flood,
you gotta prepare for it folks,
00:38:43.05\00:38:46.59
you gotta get ready for it.
00:38:46.62\00:38:49.22
Don't limit your imagination!
00:38:56.73\00:38:59.10
Reset the stakes,
stretch out your tent.
00:38:59.13\00:39:02.07
God wants to
deliver some mighty, mighty
00:39:02.10\00:39:04.71
things for you and that
is where you will find Him
00:39:04.74\00:39:09.08
at the Throne of Grace.
00:39:09.11\00:39:12.21
Now before I
leave, I love this story,
00:39:12.25\00:39:14.55
it's exciting, but
there's a seriousness I want to
00:39:14.58\00:39:18.19
leave you with
today... Okay? Are you ready?
00:39:18.22\00:39:21.56
Here's what's going
on, the great controversy
00:39:21.59\00:39:25.76
between heaven,
between Christ and Satan
00:39:25.79\00:39:28.63
is soon going to close and
Satan redoubles his efforts
00:39:28.66\00:39:38.44
to defeat the work of
Christ in man's behalf...
00:39:38.47\00:39:43.31
And to fasten souls with doubt,
with frustration, with anger,
00:39:43.35\00:39:48.42
with disappoint -
that's what Satan is in the
00:39:48.45\00:39:50.99
business of doing.
00:39:51.02\00:39:52.35
He's going to fasten
people to him, to his snares,
00:39:52.39\00:39:57.39
and he's going
to hold them there.
00:39:57.43\00:40:00.23
This is a real enemy,
you guys, a real enemy.
00:40:00.26\00:40:05.20
His only goal is to
hold us in disappointment and
00:40:05.23\00:40:08.67
hurt and pain and in
darkness and in impenitence
00:40:08.70\00:40:16.14
until Jesus stands up and
He says, "It is finished."
00:40:16.18\00:40:22.05
And there is no
longer a sacrifice for sin,
00:40:22.08\00:40:24.15
and without a sacrifice
for sin, there's no more hope.
00:40:24.19\00:40:31.69
This is the object
which he seeks to accomplish.
00:40:31.73\00:40:38.73
My guess is - there are
people here today that have
00:40:38.77\00:40:42.60
stories about how God
has worked in their life
00:40:42.64\00:40:45.67
much more exciting than
my story - that's my guess.
00:40:45.71\00:40:49.51
The real thing, the
real reason we're here today
00:40:49.54\00:40:54.48
is to recognize
that time is short.
00:40:54.52\00:40:57.75
Look, I know what it's like to
be tired at the end of the day.
00:40:57.79\00:41:03.56
I know what it's like
to work 40+ hours and then
00:41:03.59\00:41:08.16
work with my
church, and then my family,
00:41:08.20\00:41:11.83
and now my
little granddaughters...
00:41:11.87\00:41:13.64
I know what all of that is
like, but in the middle of that,
00:41:13.67\00:41:16.44
God is saying, "There's
a stripper that I need you
00:41:16.47\00:41:20.48
to talk to."
00:41:20.51\00:41:26.21
In the middle of my
mother's aging years,
00:41:26.25\00:41:30.65
she is my hero.
00:41:30.69\00:41:32.65
In the middle of her
aging years and she's tired,
00:41:32.69\00:41:36.32
and I see her hands and
they're a little gnarly,
00:41:36.36\00:41:39.83
and in the middle of
that, you know what she does?
00:41:39.86\00:41:41.96
I call her Sunday
morning, "Mom, where are you?"
00:41:42.00\00:41:44.80
"Well, I'm down at the church."
00:41:44.83\00:41:46.17
Of course, you know, I
don't know why we don't have a
00:41:46.20\00:41:48.27
bed there for her yet.
00:41:48.30\00:41:49.64
"Well I'm down at the church."
"Mom, what are you doing today?"
00:41:49.67\00:41:51.81
"Well, you know, honey, I
just thought we needed to plant
00:41:51.84\00:41:54.31
some flowers out front,
it could encourage somebody
00:41:54.34\00:41:56.75
that's driving by."
Okay? Okay? - picture.
00:41:56.78\00:42:02.38
We are all busy and I
just want to share with you,
00:42:02.42\00:42:07.16
there are people
in this neighborhood,
00:42:07.19\00:42:08.59
there's people
in the grocery line,
00:42:08.62\00:42:10.13
there's people
that you work with,
00:42:10.16\00:42:11.93
there's people that your
kids go to school with...
00:42:11.96\00:42:13.73
All of this is around
you and God is saying,
00:42:13.76\00:42:16.77
"I want to use you
to enlarge My kingdom."
00:42:16.80\00:42:20.47
And He can't do it
until we get to the Garden.
00:42:20.50\00:42:25.47
Come to the Garden,
come to the Garden and sense
00:42:25.51\00:42:30.68
and hear that soft
whisper in your ear...
00:42:30.71\00:42:34.95
"I want you to do
this, I want you to go here."
00:42:34.98\00:42:37.92
"There's someone waiting."
00:42:37.95\00:42:40.26
Be that... be that...
maybe it's the Ethiopian.
00:42:40.29\00:42:47.63
And he's saying - you
know, "Will you teach me,
00:42:47.66\00:42:50.90
because if you
don't teach me, who will?"
00:42:50.93\00:42:52.93
And that's what God
is calling us for today.
00:42:52.97\00:42:57.24
It's great to have
"Women's Ministry Weekend."
00:42:57.27\00:43:00.28
I think women
have a lot of needs.
00:43:00.31\00:43:02.01
I think men have a lot of needs.
00:43:02.04\00:43:03.38
I think teenagers have a
lot of needs... we all do.
00:43:03.41\00:43:05.81
What's important is
what we leave here with.
00:43:05.85\00:43:08.15
And what we leave here
with is... God's got a flood!
00:43:08.18\00:43:12.85
He's got a flood planned for us.
00:43:12.89\00:43:15.26
And we can experience
it on this side of heaven.
00:43:15.29\00:43:20.43
In closing, I want to
re-invite you to this afternoon.
00:43:20.46\00:43:27.77
Don, would you please
take a stand - Don and Lisa,
00:43:27.80\00:43:30.41
would you stand please.
00:43:30.44\00:43:31.77
Lisa is going to be presenting,
"Filled at the Well Today"
00:43:31.81\00:43:36.64
And what I didn't
realize is the powerhouse
00:43:36.68\00:43:39.98
that's beside her...
this is Don and Don has
00:43:40.02\00:43:43.52
a lot to say to men
in this world today.
00:43:43.55\00:43:46.76
Come and listen to them.
00:43:46.79\00:43:48.46
Nicole, can you stand...
00:43:48.49\00:43:50.46
Nicole is another incredible
young woman and you know what?
00:43:50.49\00:43:53.40
She's going to present this
afternoon, "Filled at the Altar"
00:43:54.16\00:43:58.43
If you miss it, I'm sorry.
00:43:58.47\00:44:03.17
Thank you, Nicole.
00:44:03.20\00:44:04.87
I want to extend a
warm invitation to you
00:44:04.91\00:44:07.21
to come because God
has a whole lot more
00:44:07.24\00:44:10.05
that He wants to
fill our lives with.
00:44:10.08\00:44:12.58
We have been
filled at the table.
00:44:12.61\00:44:14.32
We've been filled
at the Throne of Grace,
00:44:14.35\00:44:16.25
and He's not done,
so why should you be!
00:44:16.28\00:44:20.02
Come this afternoon, we
look forward to seeing you
00:44:20.06\00:44:22.99
and getting to
know you, let us pray.
00:44:23.02\00:44:25.69
Father, We stand in awe at Your
00:44:25.73\00:44:30.27
mercy, at Your omnipotent power.
00:44:30.30\00:44:34.30
We stand humbly before Your
Throne of Grace knowing that
00:44:34.34\00:44:40.38
without the sacrifice that You
and Your Son and all of heaven
00:44:40.41\00:44:45.18
has made for us,
we would be lost.
00:44:45.21\00:44:48.15
We would be left for the enemy
to do with us what he pleases.
00:44:48.18\00:44:51.79
Thank You for rescuing us.
00:44:52.72\00:44:54.49
Lord, thank You for Your
invitation to re-create us.
00:44:54.52\00:44:59.26
We don't have to stay
and remain where we are,
00:44:59.29\00:45:02.16
we can change.
00:45:02.20\00:45:03.77
Thank you Father for
asking each of us to take up our
00:45:03.80\00:45:07.94
cross, whatever that
may be and follow You
00:45:07.97\00:45:11.04
into the Garden.
00:45:11.07\00:45:12.51
We love you, Lord.
00:45:12.54\00:45:14.28
We long to see You face-to-face.
00:45:14.31\00:45:17.15
We are so excited
about the bride becoming
00:45:17.18\00:45:21.85
the wife and until that day,
Lord, hold on to us we pray...
00:45:21.88\00:45:26.49
In the name of Jesus... Amen
00:45:26.52\00:45:29.39