Making Room for Israel Tribe 2023-09-25 Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record. ---- Yeah. Priority, it's better for me to not go to the bathroom. If you feel like it's cold in here, just wait a minute. It blows hot and it blows cold. Good morning. Well, you're joining us on the livestream this morning, we're here. We're here. Alert, we're here. We're just waiting for our friends to trickle in this morning. So fill up your coffee. We'll get started in just a minute. Let's stand up together. Yes, Kelsey. It's okay. Go ahead. You can stand up before Joe does. Anyone feel like they have sensed a battle in their life as of recent and I'm right? Never mind. The pastor walks in front of the cabinet while I'm talking. I told you before and still didn't even hear me. Let's fight our battles together this morning to pray. Lord, we just come to you this morning. We say that you're worthy. You're worthy of our praise today. We give it to you. And forever who's watching on the livestream today or who's in this room today, I just encourage you to lay aside your burdens and worship him. In Jesus name. Because this is how. Is as strong as your blood. Do you believe that this morning? Just lift your own song to him this morning. Just tell him you worship him today. Not just come to this place today to check off a box of Sunday church, but let's meet with him. Let's press in. Let's purpose our hearts this morning. Lay distractions aside. Invite his spirit in this place pray pray us. Come, rest on rest on us. Sing that out. So, was moving over the water. Spirit, come, move over us. Alright. Yep. I'm on. Let me a week. You bring me a check once in. Okay. If if you're new here, my name is Brian. Sometimes I get the mic when they let me. But I wanna I'm not quite sure exactly what this will accomplish, but I I feel led that we need to do this. And so if we could have all the instruments drop out, there's a lot of really good, like, Jesus momentum in here this morning. And I think what we need to do to I'm gonna ask that we take a thirty second break from just take thirty seconds ish and I'm not quite sure what we're supposed to do during the thirty seconds, but or, you know, a little a little break, a little pause, catch our breath. But I think what we'll notice at the end of it and whenever you feel led to come back in Liz, I think what we'll notice is we will be able to pick up right where we left off. So Maybe when we were still for just a moment, maybe you heard the Lord speak to you. Maybe in that just stillness for just a minute, your heart opened up just a little more. The distraction was removed. Who's singing louder on this side of me? Can anyone hear me? I can't hear myself. All those thoughts that go through our minds when we're singing together, I know I have those. Maybe the Lord was speaking to you in that little window, and I would just encourage you. We have a microphone for our livestream family and so that people can hear. We're gonna sing just a little bit of this next song, and then I'm gonna do a little pause. We'll keep the music going. And if you feel like the Lord has something on your heart that you wanna share, just get the courage now so that when I ask you again, you're ready. Yeah? Sound good? And, Lord, again, we just say to you, I never we said this in our prayer this morning as a team. We never ever wanna get in the routine of checking a box of what we do when we gather. There's there's there's beauty in structure. Don't get me wrong. There's beauty in it. But lord, we just we just say to you right now, come and have your way in this place and in us. We bring ourselves here today as an offering, an offering of praise worship. And we just remind ourselves that without you, we have nothing. That we even had the breath in our lungs and the muscle strength to get here today because you exist, that you're alive, that you're our creator and our father. We just say come and use us. Make us your vessel today. Holy Spirit, thank you for searching the deep mysteries of god and making them known to us. And today, right now, by faith, we walk into, we step into, we run into divine encounters, divine revelation that you have established, you've set up, you've set in place for us to encounter. And holy spirit, thank you for the challenge of discovering all that you have for us. Us. And some of us may ask, what's this deal? Divine revelation, divine encounter. And the Jesus, today, we thank you for giving us that desire to search. By the power of the spirit, lead us in. Lead us through into and through the discovery process so that we can step into all that you have for us. We thank you for that, Jesus. We thank you. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen. But all you have given me. Jesus, bring you wine out of me. Sing this verse in the crushing, In the crushing, in the pressing, you are making new wine. Jesus, bring you wide out of me. Jesus, Jesus, bring you wide out of me. Is lord the putting something on your heart to share? Just lift your hand up. Kat's gonna bring you a mic. Maybe a picture, maybe a word, an encouragement. I needed this this morning desperately. I went to a political meeting last night that could have put me under a rock. What the intentions are for Wyoming is horrifying, and we have legislators allowing it. But today, though I tried to focus on Jesus last night, today, he is alive, real, and in me, and there is nothing greater than our god. That's right. And we will be all he has called us to be as we search for him as Lee shared. So we do have a calling. You gotta know that. And it's an important calling each one of us because the corruption as we know, is huge, but not bigger than our god. I was I was thinking about the the lyrics in the first song. My battles with praise. Just, like, been been thinking a lot about, like, How there's, like, so many struggles in this town. Like, so many people, like, just, like, need to know God is so good. And if you praise him, like, you'll provide. Yeah. Yeah. Who else? I'm gonna throw out a challenge for everyone here. Every chance you get, spread the gospel to someone. Too many people aren't out there doing that. So you gotta get out there and keep it simple and keep it truthful. If if each one of us got to five people this week, think about that. That's just fine. You but you have to have courage. I usually the Lord just gives me things like small little crimpets. And so, like, the praise, you know, the word says, enter my gates with thanksgiving and my courts with praise. And it and it shifts atmospheres when we do that, when we when we live our lives in a place of thankfulness and praise. And also the song, Holy Spirit Rest On Me. I mean, this is just like a theological thing for me, but as we're singing that, for myself, I'm seeing the holy spirit rise up in me because we all have the holy spirit. If we believe that Jesus, you know, came, died, was rose again, we get we're baptized. Now and yeah. So I just wanna encourage us that we all have that Thank you, Lord. Thank you, father, that you have given us the gift of the Holy Spirit, Lord. What an amazing gift, Lord God, that we get to live, Father God, being led by your spirit, Lord, we choose each day, Father, to submit to you, and to Anyone else? One more time to sing, make me your vessel. Something new in us today? We tell you we love you. Open our hearts to your word today as we continue to press in. We tell you we love you in Jesus' name, and everybody said it. Lanisha. I just wanted to share the beautiful encounters that I just had with David and Carrie. Carrie's the daughter, David's the father. And they just came in just to check it out. So he goes into this ballroom of a wedding, and it he's like, this is the most a A dream. Yes. Tough right in there, Lanisha. Oh, I'm so Yeah. Oh, I am so sorry. That's what a microphone does in my mouth. Didn't realize I was not talking to the microphone. A dream he recently had, and he was like, the wedding I went to just yesterday, that's the reason why he's here. He like, so ungodly. Not holy, but this dream was so beautiful and spiritual. And he said it was an amazing ballroom. Everyone there was dressed in clothes like the Titanic. Like, I should I don't I've never seen the Titanic. So I'm guessing older, but nice dress clothes. He said the orchestra. So and part of the ballroom floor started to, like, rise, and and comes the bridegroom. And he was like, it was my nemesis. The bridegroom looked up and he said, he said, And, like, went towards the bridegroom. And then he said how two lines of people disappeared. And he quoted how Jesus says, I am the father. And at those two lines of people, when they started walking towards the group, they just and he said it was probably the most magnificent, beautiful, extravagant wedding he's ever seen. And he said it could be calling to intimacy for me, rapturing. And I was like, this is 100% intimacy for you and your family. And Sam and I were just able to just pray over him. And I just wanted to share that little vision with you guys. Like, if you've been feeling like the Lord's been calling you to intimacy and, like, go. He's a gentleman. He will ask you. Like, he will ask you for that dance. If he wants a beautiful relationship with you, go for it. Truly. Grab his hand. Go on the ballroom floor and dance with him. He loves you so much. Isn't he beautiful? Love it. Well, meet somebody next to you. Say, I hope to see you at the wedding on the dance floor, and then fill your coffee and get your bible I know. I wasn't even thinking of it. Alright. I don't know how I'll ever regain control of this room. Alright. Alright. Yep. Connor's actively working on it. That's just your ears, Colleen. Alright. So I'm going to as we get into the next part of worship, lot of lot of love in the room. Lot of love in the room. I'll I'll I'll tell you I'll tell you a quick anecdote that that happened to me this weekend. So we were we recently, maybe two and a half years ago, we we bought a new house down at the South End of two and a half years ago? I don't know. I don't know how long it's been. Two and a half years ago, we were living in Rafter Jay. We bought a house with three acres at the South End Of Hog Island. And it was a big remodel, and we tried really hard to, like, save enough money to buy a hot tub. And it because our I I need my I need my hot tub. The invite was yesterday. The invite was yesterday because of the story that I'm gonna tell. But the the hot tub was delivered, and it came in this big, like like like wooden crate thing, 900 pounds of freight weight. And, you know, the guy, you know, did did it on his, you know, his little lift gate, lowered it down. He and I, like, barely wiggled it off the gate, and the guy drove away. And I'm like, how are we gonna get this hot tub around to our backyard? I've got a friend. I've I've got a friend, Paul Sandretto. He's part owner of, Curtis Owings. You know, like, he's got, like, machines and stuff, and and, like, he can get it done. So I texted him, and I said, hey. Come sit in our hot tub. But bring some straps and a gradle because we need you to help us put it in place. And he's like, yeah. Yeah. You know, it's kinda wet. We'll see, you know, get around to it. So yesterday afternoon, you know, the sun was out and it was nice. And Lissa had been telling me like, I bet like, I bet we could like get some guys, some people, you know, and like, I bet we could like do it. I was like, babe, the thing weighs 900 pounds and we gotta unbox it and we've moved a hot tub before. And if you've ever moved a hot tub before, it's like the least enjoyable, most awkward, heaviest thing that you can ever, like like, lug around. And so I was like, just wait for the great all. Just wait for the great all. But, Lissa. This is a story about Lissa and how amazing she is. And if you know my wife, you probably are like, you you you're probably not surprised at all. If you don't know my wife, she is pretty amazing. And when she gets inspired, there's literally nothing that can stop her even 900 pounds up an incline around the corner and then over some rocks up onto a deck. And she's like, what if we just try to like un you know, get that get it out of the crate? And I was like, oh, here we go. Here we go. This is going to result in injury or success. And maybe both. And so we we we un we uncrate it and then we're like, you know, it's like flapped down, you know, like a like a, you know, an onion that's peeled and we're like, Kinda rock it back. Liz is rocking it back and forth and I'm like, This is happening. We sent a text out to like maybe we could get like like, you know, like 10 guys or something. We've got Paul Sandretto and this great all that should be coming sometime and this is like, I bet. And we'd already sent a text out for people to come help us like today after church. And and then this is like, what if we had Zach and Anna who are living on our property in their trailer? Like, what if we just had the four of them? What if we just laid it down? This is just lay it down and just, you know, see that way it'll be e and then we'll put some boards under it. So Paul Sandretto can, you know, do the straps when he comes around with the Greatall. And Zach and Anna came over and and Micah was a big help as well. You can talk to Micah. Micah is probably in the other room over there. He's got big diaper on, so that's how you can recognize him. And and Anna and Alyssa get it in their minds that, like, maybe we can let's just see what we could do. So we end up lowering this 900 pound thing down to the ground. And of a a a long, really great feat of engineering and a story that Anna can tell you about later. Within an hour, we had that hot tub in place and ready for Isaac to come and wire. But the main takeaway of the story is couple things. Number one, my wife is amazing. I thought there would be no way that we could, like, move it without a lift. And she's like, let's just see. And the second thing is, maybe you today are facing something that seems almost insurmountable and impossible. Well, the truth is, with Lisa, all things are possible. The takeaway is what may seem I was I was I I like to think of myself as an optimistic guy, but I was like, it's just it's just not possible without, like like, a lot of help. And and in a similar way, maybe there's something that you find yourself up against today or during this season that feels like there's just there's just no way. There's a 900 pound hot tub, like, sitting in your front yard that needs to be dealt with. Well, here's what I feel like the spirit of the lord would say to you today. Can you take one small step? We started by like, let's just unfold the little flappy metal brad things, and we just did. And then, like, well, maybe this panel will come off, like, the crating, And it just came off, like, that wasn't so bad. And and one small step at a time. And so if you find yourself today, this morning, squared off against the 900 pound hot tub, let me just pray for you really quick. Okay? Lord Jesus, maybe there's somebody in here today that's facing some circumstances that seem very difficult or impossible. By your spirit. I made a joke earlier, but it's by your spirit. All things are possible. God, right now, would you whisper one small, tangible step that could be taken by this couple, this individual, or this family? Just one small step. Whisper it to their heart right now, lord. Your word says, do not despise the humble beginnings. And in in an in another place, there was words of the Old Testament prophet that were encouraging Israel. Who are you, oh mighty mountain, when Zerubbabel steps up to you? At the sound of grace, grace, the mountain will become a level, flat plane. Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, says the lord. We love you. In Jesus' name, amen. Oh, let me just ask real quick. We're all family here even if you're new for the very first time. Was what I just said was if that was for you, you know, like, man, I feel like that was for me. Would you just raise your hand so I can know who we prayed for? Yeah. Come on, lord. Thank you, Jesus. Romans chapter 11 is where we're going today on our conversation. If you haven't been with us for a while or if you're one of our livestream families and you are just tuning in, maybe from your dorm room at the Central Oregon Community College. Young man, he did send me a screenshot saying that the the audio and the livestream looks and sounds great today. So maybe he's maybe hopefully, he's still tuned in. We love you and we miss you, buddy. Get back here for Thanksgiving. We are in a twenty one day or a three week series of conversations about developing a heart for Israel. And The reason why we are developing or or creating room in our hearts for Israel is because we have a conviction here at Tribe that Jesus is the senior pastor of this church. He makes the rules. He sets agendas for meetings. He sets the direction and he outlines to me and to us as a leadership team. The direction of where we're going with, like, the the conversations that we have. And the fall is typically a great time to talk about anything other than Israel. It's a great time to talk about like like getting your priorities right as you're like getting back to school and rhythm and routine. It's a great time to have series of conversations on parenting. It's a great time to have a series of conversations on time management and you know, all these different things and if you're coming from a church that's talking about those things, great, fantastic, wonderful. Tis the season. But as we were this summer, looking ahead like, Lord, what do you have for us? Senior pastor Jesus, where do you wanna go? He said, I want you to talk about something that is special, near, and dear to my heart. Israel. And we said, okay, great. How we do that? And he said, for all of us, we need to make room in our heart in order for me to whisper to you about my heart for Israel. And we said, okay, how do we make room in our hearts for Israel? And that led us to twenty one days of either fasting and or denying ourself to make room in our hearts so that god could speak to us about Israel. We we ramped up to it for three weeks. This is the third week that we're having this conversation. And next week, we will we will touch on it, but the end of the twenty one days happens on Friday. So this coming Friday will be the end of the twenty one days. And if you're just like brand new and you're like, wait, what? I'm missing out. How do I do this? I'm I'm I'm in. All you need to do is just go back. You can watch our livestreams on wherever you watch that stuff. You can find it. You're smart. Go back. Watch it with us. You can jump in on the prayer guide and devotional that we've been going through and today, part of our conversation, I want to include Connor is just working so hard trying to get that dialed in. Bear bear bear with him. And if it would be easier, I could switch mics maybe, but that might mess up the livestream. But Connor, you got this. You're not playing Minecraft over there back on your iPad. You're working on it. Technology demons out. And there it goes. So so you can you can jump in with us. And what I would like our conversation to be around today is we're going to read from Romans chapter 11. We're gonna have some discussion I really am interested in hearing from you on your journey. How has your journey of twenty one days for Israel? How has that gone? Have you learned something new? Have you been challenged? What's something maybe that was even revealed or exposed in your heart that perhaps you might not have known was there. So, that's where we're going today. With that in mind, why don't we jump into Romans chapter 11? We'll pass the mic around. It's not that many verses so one person can bite off the whole thing but let's read verses 11 through 15. It's not up on the screen but it's on your paper Bible or on your phone. So, whoever would like to read that, go. I asked then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not. I myself am an Israel Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, and a member of the tribe of Benjamin. No. God has not rejected his own people whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize when what the scriptures say about this? Elijah, the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, Lord, have they killed your prophets and torn down your altars? I am the only one left and again, quick pause. Where are you reading? Ah, he's given us a big old generous runway. You know, let's let it go. Let's yeah. Just just keep going, bud. I thought you said 10. 1111. Okay. Yep. Alright. But but just keep going. Come on. Romans 11 is so good. People like to go, like, Romans six, seven, eight, and then, like, jump in back. They reengage with Paul at Romans 12, and so, like, this is this is good. It's like nobody likes doing wall balls in, like, a a workout. We'll just skip the wall balls in the workout, but, like, these are some good wall balls. Like, get into it. Romans chapter 11. Reading from how far did you get? Verse four. Alright. Let's keep going. Verse four all the way to 15. Okay. And if you wanna pass it off. You can pass it off. Yeah. I wow. Wow. Okay. I guess I'll go to Hold that mic right here. Anybody who uses a mic, quick micmanship lesson. I'm not gonna do it with this mic, but here's how you hold the mic. You put it to the bottom of your chin just right here. Not necessarily here, not here, not down here. Just touch it to the bottom of your chin. It stays with you wherever you look, and then the sound guy can, like, tweak it from there. Continue. Alright. You're learning so much today, Joe. I thought I signed up for, like On the floorboard? After church, wall balls. Yeah. Okay. And do you remember God's reply? He said, no. I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down bowed down to Baal. Baal. Very good. It is the is the same today for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God's grace, his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God's kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in the case God's grace would not be what it is, free and undeserved. So this is the situation. Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have, the ones God has chosen, but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the scriptures say, God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day, he has shut their eyes so they do not see and closed their ears so they do not hear. Like Pause. Yep. Why has God put them into a deep sleep so that their eyes don't see and their ears don't hear? This is not in the text, but this is one of the principles and ways of god. When he reveals himself to man or mankind, implied in the revelation of god is responsibility to handle that revelation. The Bible says that you cannot be held responsible for a law that was not made known to you. Now, you can't use that in a in a courtroom. I didn't know that the speed was 55 miles an hour, and that's why I was going 75 miles an hour. Ignorance is not an excuse because Now, imagine if there were no speed limits ever posted, that would be a different story but when god reveals himself to man or to mankind, there is culpability and responsibility to to handle and to deal with that. One of the ways in god's sovereignty and in his grace is so that Israel wouldn't be held responsible for the neglect of obeying the revelation of the lord is that god removed his revelation. In his mercy which is and Paul says it in a little bit different way that we just read. The what is it? Cloud what I just read? Yeah. God has put them into a deep sleep. There you go. Yeah. Yep. To this so to this day, he has shut their eyes so they do not see and closed their ears so they do not hear. They had it. They had it. And God's like and so in his sovereignty, he just removes it. But there's coming a day, we're going to keep reading, where it will come back, and they're going to get it. Let's keep going. Likewise, David said, let their bountiful table become a snare, a trap that makes them think all is well. Let their blessings cause them to stumble, and let them get what they deserve. Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see, and let their backs be bent forever. Did God's people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not. They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles, but he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Now, if the Gentiles were enriched because of because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Would you read verse 12 again? Not that you are rushing through it, but I kinda verse 12 as if you're eating a beautiful prepared steak. K. Tender, juicy, free range organic. Now, if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God's offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it. Alright. Let's keep going. I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful, and it will be life for those who were dead. Oh, that's so good. Would you read verse fifteen one more time now as you are savoring your most favoritest dessert? For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead. All of Romans 11 is is great, and and find a find a good swim buddy and wade into Romans chapter 11 with, with a friend or a group of people, and especially if you've been on this journey twenty one days making room, allowing God to make room in our hearts for Israel because there's so much to pull out of this text. And we could keep reading. I want us to focus primarily on verses 11 through 15 for our conversation today but we'll start at the 5,000 foot view and let me check-in with you and ask you from this passage. I'm not looking for in this moment any deep spiritual truths that you can pull out of here. We'll get there but how about any preliminary observations from the text that you see that stand out to you? Any details that that you see like, that's interesting. What do you see? And Kat's got the mic. She'll run it over to you. In verse 11, but he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. Yeah. That's 11. Yep. There it is. Got it. Right. What do what about that? What's interesting to you about that? I mean, usually, when I think of jealousy, I I think of, like, it in the bad context. So good. Let's talk about jealousy, an attribute of the Lord and our our best understanding or most easily relatable experience with jealousy. So, when we talk about the nature and you can hand that back to Kat. When we talk about the nature and character of god, this is one of the things that's amazing about the god of the universe is that he can be knowable. He has chosen to conduct himself in a manner that in some ways, in small ways, we can relate to as humans. The Bible says in Isaiah that god's ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He is so infinitely above and smarter and different in kind than we are, it would be so easy for him in his in his the how he conducts himself would be completely unrelatable to us. But he has chosen to conduct himself in in in some ways that we can have grasping concept of. For example, and he's done this on purpose. These are what's known as the communicable attributes of God, if you like theological words and and phrases. Meaning, that he conducts himself in a way that we have some semblance of being able to relate to it, right? Now, there are incommunicable attributes of god that we just can't even wrap our minds around. What would an example of one of those be like? I just don't I don't even get it. I can't fathom it. Just shout it out. His. His omnipresence. Or is he he's he's infinite like, I don't know. I just go. I just go. But then there are other attributes, ways that he conducts himself that we can know and connect and relate to. For example, since he justice. We have we have an understanding and a concept of justice, and it's because we're made in his image. We he loves to create beautiful things. In our human nature, we have an ability to recognize and appreciate beauty when we see it, when we encounter it, when we hear it. One of the attributes that humans have that god has a version of is this idea of jealousy. Now, when we, as humans think of jealousy, it is perverted and fallen and and it is negative. There is a difference between jealousy and envy. I don't wanna split hairs with words right now, but for the sake of our conversation, we'll just mash them together for right now. So our understanding of jealousy is is something that we think belongs to us, has been given to someone else, or belongs to someone else, and we want what somebody else has or or it's there's a void that's left in us, and we grasp, and we try. We can't get it by honorable means, we'll get it by dishonorable means, and or we have this emotional, usually negative reaction associated with jealousy. And you're right. It's it's not good. However, the Bible says that god describes himself as a what? A jealous god. So, here's the trick. We try to put our fallen emotion and experience of jealousy on as an attribute of god but he's like, his jealousy is noble, right, true, pure, and good. So, when he says to to to make Israel jealous, we're like, wait, is god jealous? The answer is yes but his jealousy is so very different. In the same way that I would be jealous that I am jealous for my wife, that if she were to stand at the altar as we were getting married and say, I pledge fidelity to you three hundred and sixty four days out of the year. I'm all yours, baby. One day. Just one day out of the year, I get to go do, like, what I want. And I was standing at the altar there. Would I go for that deal? Would you go for that deal? No. I want $36,524.07 because I'm prepared to give. 365247. God has given himself holy and completely, and that's what enables him to be jealous for us. Jesus laid down his whole life for us. He is a jealous god. He will not be content until every barrier that hinders love is removed, and he will even use tribulation to remove barriers that hinder love because he is a jealous god. Other observations? So first of all, I wanna thank you for the twenty one days for it's real. It's been really enlightening. I realized, you know, when I gave my heart to Jesus in the eighties, you know, I view the scriptures through a kind of self focused lens where, you know, the everything in the Old Testament, you know, these things had to do with me. And so I read the whole scripture, like, the blessings, the promises. It all has to do with me. And it's kinda like the replacement theory has kinda seeped into my theology, whether I realized it or not. You know? And that Israel rejected Christ and, yeah, okay, that he'll come back for them in the end. But just reading this, really illuminated the fact that we have a responsibility to be lights for the lost people of Israel. And another thing that stood out to me recently, I've been you know, at at one of my quiet times, I realized in the story of Jonah, where he was given a mission and was on a boat just completely shirking his responsibility that God had given him, but he was in a sleep too. It says that Jonah fell into a deep sleep while these people are all panicking, throwing stuff overboard, trying to figure out how to stop the waves and the sea. And they woke him up and said, hey. How are you how come you're sleeping? Wake up. Like Mhmm. What's up? Mhmm. And he's like, throw me overboard, and the the storm will stop. Mhmm. And I almost feel like this is our awakening to our mission. Mhmm. We are being woken up to reach the lost people in our tribe, Israel, who were grafted into. And it is time. Like, if you watch the news for a day, you know we're hurtling towards the end times. Like, it's obvious. And it's our job to show Christ to the lost people of Israel. We need to make them jealous. We're not gonna do that hiding in our homes. So that's all I have to say. I think I I I really think that you're onto something, Renee, about rousing the church from its self absorbed slumber. If you think if you don't think that Israel will play a or the central role in the generation of the lord's return. I just don't know what Bible you're reading. But we need the lord to awaken us and to open our eyes. Just don't kick me awake like the angel had to do to Peter. How about just like a gentle wake me up Bible joke? A a few more observations from the text and then I'd like to hear from you more about how this twenty one days has gone, what it's meant to you, what you've learned, and then we're going to weave these two things together and then land the plane. Other observations from this text? Or how about questions from the text? Well, I I it's on him. But anyway For our livestream. Oh, okay. For our livestream family. Well, anyway, haven't been here in a few weeks and I had no idea what you guys were studying but I was laying in bed last night, couldn't sleep and I woke up at like woke up at I don't even know what time but my phone is in airplane and moaned off and I was like, must read Romans 11 And I was like, woah. You did? Yeah, last night. And I had no idea what you guys were studying because I haven't been here in a while. So it's kinda cool to see that pop up on the screen this morning. Was kind of in shock. Everybody say, dun dun dun. Dun dun dun. Kinda cool. Thank you. It's cool. Observations from the text or questions about the text. And don't worry, ask a hard question. Because if it's hard, I'll just give it to John or to the other theological scholars in the room. If it's hard, I'll just look to you guys. An observation that I'm sure we've all made that in our call to pray for the Jews, there are so many Jews that are doing so many horrible, horrible things. And I think what we are called to lift them up to him to realize who they really are and not to live as they are living. Jews doing horrible, horrible things. Do you mean like like all of us do every day because we're fallen and not perfect? And worse. And worse intentionally. Now, and Steve did a great job a few weeks ago addressing and pointing out, warning us not to fall into you know, rose glassed, you know, rose glasses, rose tinted glasses, sentimental affection for Israel. Like, can they do no wrong or that they're perfect or or that they ain't perfect. They ain't perfect. Joy This goes along with verse 15, but also in some of the stuff that I've been studying. For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It'll be life for those who are dead. And I've been studying about how we as Gentiles are grafted into the tree, which I've always kind of taken for granted as, well, we're grafted in, so we're good. But, not recognizing that our life source was originally the Israeli family, like the the Jewish family, that that's where our salvation comes from. And if it weren't for that, there would have been no tree for us to be grafted into and how vital that is, to our salvation. Yeah. Yep. Soon as that mic gets to you. Kate's on a roll today. Well, on that note, the the from Romans twelve twenty eight, it kinda talks a little bit about that. It says, as regards the gospel, they, Israel, are enemies for your sake, for the Gentile's sake. But as regards election, which you were talking about, they are they are our beginning family of faith. But as regards election, where they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers, forefathers, for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Yeah. And I think that's so key. Just knowing that God's promises are always yes and amen. Mhmm. And he has a multitude of promises. Mhmm. To the nation of Israel that he that he will come to pass. And it's a it how many of you have heard a sermon from that text about you and God's plan and destiny for your life? You know, it it preaches well there. It preaches well and you're not stretching the text beyond what would is what it was intended to bear but I believe that that many preachers have used that text at the exclusion or detriment without giving the full context of who that's for. That's not for you so that you could live your best life now. That's for Israel. Wayward, stiff necked, stubborn, rebellious Israel. That is for Israel. And we get to be in on it as well. How about maybe something that you have learned, maybe something that you've been challenged with, or we've got to hear a few stories already of how this journey has exposed things or revealed things or how you've learned things. But how about a little bit of feedback how this journey is going for you? So on day six of the twenty one days, it was my goodness. It was a hard hard day six. I've never felt a hard day like that before. Are you and what was hard? Are you fasting? I was I fasted for six days at the beginning. Five days, ate lightly, and now I'm on day five until the until the end. What day of the fast are we on? '14? '14? '15? '15. Yeah. '15. '16? Today, '15. It ends on Friday. I know what day we're on when I read the devotional. Yes. Right. I'm like, yes. I haven't read this one yet. But on day six, when I read the devotional, I was like, okay, Lord, I hear you. And I also gave up social media. But before I gave it up, I watched one last reel, and it was this but it was all gone because it connects. It was this guy in the airport, and I'm like, why am I watching? But then he started talking about the Lord. I said, oh, it's a Christian. And That'll be okay. Yeah. And I was like, I'll finish the reel. It was only thirty more seconds. But he talks about the phrase, you're the apple of my eye. And he's like, we all hear it like, oh, she's the apple of my eye. He's the apple of my eye. But what if you know that it's not just about beauty, it's actually about intimacy. And the Hebrew word for apple of your eye, can't remember it, but it's about intimacy and closeness with one other. You know them so well that you're able to just see them. And then I gave up Instagram at six days past, and then day six is the scripture in Deuteronomy thirty two nine through 12, which he quotes about how Israel is the apple of God's eye. And that really just got me. I Joy's been a big support. If you guys ever wanna do a long fast, have her pray for you. She's so great. And I'm texting Joy. I'm texting Gretchen. I have a high fever as well. It was it was a lot happening. And that next day, in the morning, I just got on my knees. I'm like, Lord. Yes. I may not be eating, but what else in this fast you wanna teach me? He's like, I'm proud of you. You didn't eat. Congrats. But let's get onto that intimacy part. Like, you're giving your body up as a living sacrifice. Let's grow into that area. And that's, like, that's been the biggest thing during this fast. It's just intimacy with the Lord and truly, like, letting him fulfill the areas that you are giving up. Yeah. Amanda teaches us about these things called Hebraic ideisms. You know, if we say today, like, man, it was raining cats and dogs, and that gets written down. And if the Lord tarries three thousand years in the future and somebody reads that, it was raining cats and dogs. What? Like, what? So the apple of my eye, the apple of his eye is a Hebraic idiism, and it does speak of intimacy. The idea is that if you were to get, like, eyeball to eyeball with somebody, you were you were that close, you could see your own reflection in the pupil of their eye. And that's what that's what the lord is getting out with that expression and what and its intent is to give us an idea of how important Israel is to the lord. Israel is ever in the eyes and at the forefront of the Lord. He looks intently and lovingly cares for guides, stewards, shepherds, Israel as if it's Israel is a person who has pupils, and he can see his own reflection in them. Israel is ever before me. I've set watchmen on your wall that they would not sleep but they would cry out in day and night. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We'll put our we'll begin to, put our tray tables in their upright and locked position. Bring our seat backs forward as we just take a moment to to allow the holy spirit to just speak to us about this passage in Romans 11 and continue to marinate our hearts in Israel, the people, the land, and specifically the city of the great king. I think maybe and it's reasonable that there could be one or more people either in here today or that have, you know, popped in and out during this journey that have said, why are we talking about Israel? I get it. It's special to the lord. Okay. I haven't been yet. School bustling city. Okay. Whatever. But but they're they've got this other thing that's on their mind or on their heart. Like like, yeah, yeah, yeah, Israel but I'm going through this. I think the lord would say to you remember when it was Elisha, Elijah, can't remember, who had the showdown with the false prophets of Baal? Yes, that's what I said. He runs away and he goes and hides and he's like, lord, you know, he's like, he's like, you know, throwing a pity party for himself and he's like, lord, it's so awful and there's nobody left and oh, the Lord just, you know, rubs his belly, gives him some food, lets him rest, and then he, like, he just goes on again, like, like, me, me, me, like, they're out to get me. Jezebel's gonna get me. Oh, this is terrible. Me, me, me, me, me. And what does God say? He's like, what are you doing here? Get up and I want you to go and anoint the next prophet. Had nothing to do with Jezebel or the 400 false prophets or the sacrifice or the miracle or where Israel, it had absolutely nothing to do with it. I think in a similar way that over the course of these twenty one days, as you have denied yourself to make room for Israel, I know that you got stuff going on. He knows that you got stuff going on. He knows that that that you may be hurting or you may be at a crossroads or you need breakthrough or delivery or you just need help raising your kids. He understands that and he and what I think he would say to you is, let's just do this because his way is always right. His timing is always perfect. He's kind of really smart. And there's one more attribute that we don't know of but is is a part of his nature. He has foreknowledge. He knows how things are gonna turn out. And he says, if you make time for this, I'm gonna sort that out. So, Jesus, as we take just a moment longer to just marinate, would you and and we say, okay, and we set aside our agenda even for just a few more moments of what we've got going on, bills and kids, marriage, life, and stuff, and things. We set it aside, and we just invite you, Holy Spirit, to just speak to us from Romans chapter 11 about your heart for Israel. Jesus. And we know and we trust that you will sort out all of that other stuff. And when we say stuff, it's important to us, and it's not like it's not unimportant to you, Lord. But we just want to align our priorities with yours, and we lay down our own agenda. Would you take just a moment, talk to him, and we're gonna worship the lord in one other way before we get out of here. Just talk to him from your heart. Thank you, Jesus. Jesus, we love you. Just a moment, I'm gonna invite Jay to come up, walk us through offering and announcements and offering another way to worship the lord. Few announcements and I'll come back and pray us out. I've got one more thing to share when I come back up. Will you come lead us in one more way to worship the lord this morning? For those of you that know Nina and I, you know that this has been a journey for us. And even before the twenty one days for Israel, we were, like, meeting with Brian and I were like, are you sure? Like, you wanna do this? Like, I don't know about this. Theologically, I don't know if I'm on board. And I was on the couch telling me to I think yesterday morning, I was just like, I feel like the Lord has really done a work in my heart. And similar to Israel, I've always struggled with the power of prayer. And when my brother was engaged, I was not a big fan of his fiancee. And it was coming up to the wedding and with my whole family, and I was just telling my mom, I'm like, like, I don't want them to get married. Like, I'm not on board for this. Like, and I felt all righteous in my opinion and I'm like, I know what's best and I know like like, she's not good for him and I was like, I'm gonna I'm gonna tell him and I'm gonna make sure this is called off and everything. And my mom just rebuked me. She was like, no. Like, this is happening and if you're not okay with it, you need to go talk to the Lord about it and see what he says. And I was like, okay. So I think I was like 19, but I like went to my room and I was like sat down and was all like like and not even like ten minutes later, I walked out of that room after talking to Lord and my heart and my emotions was completely changed. I felt radically different about her and I was like, I totally just surrendered that to the Lord and said, okay Lord, like, I trust it like, you're in control of this and that if this is something that you want, something that you're on board with like, okay, like I trust you. And I think similarly with Israel, leading up to it and even through the first ten, eleven, twelve days, like, single devotional, every single book that I've read, I'm just like, this, that, like, I don't know about this. This commentary says that and and disagreeing with this and that and I don't know. Just slowly over time being obedient and coming before the Lord and saying, alright, Lord, like submitting to my pastor and and just allowing him to work in my heart, it's slowly, slowly transforming me. Surrendering that to the Lord saying, alright, God, like if this truly says in your word and it is what you mean, just like in the past few days, like the same verses that I've been reading all month are starting to hit me differently, and I'm starting to experience the living, breathing word of god. So, just wanna encourage you guys. If you're struggling with your fasting or with denying yourself or with some other area of your life, continue being obedient to the lord and just surrendering that to him and allowing him to teach you what he cares about. So as we transition into this time of giving, bringing our tithes and offerings before the Lord, I just I ask you guys to continue to be obedient with our finances. This is another area where we could practice just giving that to the Lord saying, our Lord, I trust you. Your will be done, not my own. And eventually, he's gonna bring your heart along for the ride, and your your mind and your heart are gonna be in union with him. And there's nothing better than being in the will of God. So if you don't mind bowing your heads with me and praying over the offering today. Father, we just give you everything that we have. Bring our hearts and minds in alignment with your word and with your teaching. Give us and impart to us a heart for Israel. Surround us with the right people and lead us into the correct conversations that you want us to have, God. We trust that you are good and that your will is great, that your plan is better than anything we could have dreamed of with our finances, with our time, and with our talent, Lord. We give you all the praise and all the glory. It's in your name that we pray. Everybody say, Amen. Ways to give if you're unfamiliar are we have a little box right to the right of those saloon doors with a little slot for cashier check-in there. We also have our website. There's a gift tab up there and as you just saw on the screen now, you can text at 84321. It's as easy as texting a friend. Couple announcements for you guys. I think mainly revolve around young adults. Thursday mornings, Sam has been leading a bible study for young adult men. So if you or someone you know needs to get into the word and wants to be surrounded with a great group of guys that do it, it's really fun. And I can honestly say I look forward to it every week even though I'm getting up super early and things like that. And Sam's awesome. He's got great fist pumps. More of that to come. And Lanisha is hosting a is it on the thirtieth? Correct? Thirtieth. It is a homemade pizza. I think we're you're making your own dough and everything. Right? And movie night for young adults. So that'll be super fun. Get that on your calendars. Any other major announcements I'm missing? Sweet. Sounds good. Super good, Jay. Here's what here's what I'm going for. I'm not well, I'll start by saying here's what I'm not going for. I'm not going for conformity. Conformity would be whether you're all in and have the Lord's heart for Israel or you don't. You just kinda ride for the brand and like, okay. This is what we do. Okay. I I don't want conformity, but I am eager and zealous for unity. And unity looks like your needle moving. If my needle is at a at a 10, conformity would be everybody else's needle has has to be at a 10. That's a great way to start a cult. What I'm looking for is that your needle is moving. And if you've gone from a zero to a point five, praise the lord. Right? I I've got that thing, but then I was gonna say one other thing. Maybe it'll it'll come to me. So, I got it. I got it. How many of you have watched one or more of those documentary films, Covenant and Controversy? Okay. Oh, now I do want conformity to this. Even though I just said that, I'll have Lissa send out the links again. Everybody, I want you to watch those documentary films. It's going to wreck you, challenge you. Okay? And I'll ask again. I'll ask again as long as it takes until a lot of us have and if you have, are the it's it's heavy but is it not for those of you who've raised your hands, is it not so nutritious and challenging and valuable? Okay. So, watch em. Watch em. We'll send out the, we'll send out the links. Again, if you're on the text blast, you can also go to, like, YouTube and type in covenant and controversy, and this is how you type. Part one, two, and three. Are they on tribegh.com? Oh, we've put a link on there. How about that? Amazing website administrator must have done some wizardry. This is the last thing I'm gonna say. So the fast, it just you can if you wanna pull out your calendar, look at it, or just think, the fast ends this Friday. Alright? So you can break your fast this Friday, or you can break denying yourself, and you can just gorge yourself on all the reels that you missed. Hopefully, my friends have sent me lots of Instagram fun videos that I'll get to catch up on. But that ends on Friday, and it also begins another feast of the Lord called Sukkot. And this coming Sunday, so next Sunday, I'm gonna talk about this feast of the Lord Sukkot. We the Lord called us to recognize the feast to remember, recalibrate, and to rehearse. We're not like a crazy, like like, Jewish church. We're just crazy about the Lord. And he has established patterns and rhythms that it's important for us to get synced up on because he does things according to patterns and and rhythms. And so we're gonna dive into that feast, and then that feast goes all week long. So starting on the feast starts on Friday. We'll start on Sunday. Right? Because that's the next time we get together together. And then we're gonna take that week, and I I mentioned it. I'll have more details. I've got a little couple of options for a campsite picked out. It's like a group site. Don't go there, like, today because nobody will be there or hunters will be there and they'll look at you weird. Don't go on Friday because I won't be there. Not that you need to, like, look for me, but, like, a few days next next next week, we'll just go. We'll we'll camp out. If you can stay all night, great. We try to want we wanna make it close enough that if you can just bop down for the evening, have a s'more, sing some Jesus songs with us, that would be great. But that's going to begin next week as the fast for the twenty one days for Israel ends this Friday. Is that clearish? Let's stand up. Would that be alright if I prayed for you? Lord Jesus, thank you so much for being so good to us. There's lyrics for a song like, break my heart for what breaks yours. Is that a that's some lyrics from a song. Right? That's our simple prayer. Break our hearts, Lord, for what breaks you. Wreck us. Wreck us. Wreck us for what you love and for what you care about. I command a blessing over each and every member of our tribe family here today. Help us to have a great week. And Lord, if we have our, if I, we have our hunting tags, Lord, help us to get the brown down and fill our freezers full of meat this hunting season. We pray these things. In Jesus name, the strong son of god and everybody said, amen. I love you guys so very much. I want you to have a great week and remember, Will, you got this.