Who Is the True Authority in Your Life?

``Their hearts weren't prepared to receive the truth yet. They weren't ready. They were more concerned about their self preservation and their self image. They'll look instead of saying, you know what? You're right. It's a facade. It's wrong. And listen to this. Spiritual insight is withheld from those who reject god's authority. The spiritual discernment and authority, you won't even have the ability to discern correctly if you reject God's message. [01:14:37] (30 seconds)  #OpenToTruth

But when you hear that in this church and the preaching steps on your toes or god's word begins to convict you, at least come with an honest spirit. If you come with a proud heart and a proud self righteous way and say, no. That doesn't apply to me. No. I. I'm above that. That doesn't apply to me. You need to go to god's word. You need to go to god first of all and say, lord, give me a humble spirit. Lord, help me. Help me. Help me to see it your way. And understand that Christ's authority isn't optional. We need to submit to it. We need to go to his word and come with that spirit. [01:19:26] (37 seconds)  #HumbleToReceive

So what Jesus listen to this. What Jesus is saying to these people is is, have you received the message of John? What was the message of John? Repent of your ways. Repent of your sin and turn to God. Trust God. That's simply put, and the one that is coming. I'm pointing to Jesus. I'm pointing to him. I'm pointing to him. I'm pointing to your messiah, your savior to come. He said that was a simple message. [01:12:19] (29 seconds)  #RepentAndTrust

What a a misconception. What a wrong concept. He said, no. This is the freedom that you can stay out of those things so that you can then do what? And he says, use your liberty as an occasion not for the flesh, but by love serve one another. That's the spirit that we have. I don't I'm not enslaved to those things anymore. Those passions, those those desires, those fleshly things. God, they belong to you now. God, they're yours. [01:23:22] (24 seconds)  #FreedomToServe

Challenging his authority that's there. They come with an accusatory spirit. They didn't come wanting to really know. They didn't come with the spirit of, well, we're curious. Where did you, you know, tell us? How how are you able to do these things? No. They came demanding, saying, prove it, which he'd done over and over. They came saying, basically, you don't have the right. [00:40:51] (31 seconds)  #SeekToUnderstand

Now a name, a lot of times, they'll say, oh, I tolerate it. I'm fine with it. I'm okay with it. But in reality, when it comes down to it, how often? Say, no. No. I don't want that. Christ's authority, as I said, demands obedience, and yet so often we respond in fear, pragmatism, or pride as we'll see. Only those willing to receive truth, willing to humbly come and accept and say, lord, open my eyes that I can understand your truth. Help me to see it. Help me to understand it. [00:43:33] (35 seconds)  #ObeyChrist

What he's trying to basically, in compassion, bring them to the understanding and get them to open their eyes. But so as so often, Jesus was. When he asked a question, he wasn't primed for information. He already knew. When Jesus asked the question, it wasn't like, oh, I don't know the answer. He already knows the answer and he knows the truth and he wants the the the reason he would ask questions is to get them to think, to get them to self examine, to look inside, and how often he does that with us. When we think about that, when the bible brings us into question, think, seek inwardly. [00:53:25] (39 seconds)  #SelfExamine

As we think about this, we think about the how this applies to our lives. We think about how God has given us something. What has he given us? He give he's given us several things. He's given us, first and foremost, his word, the bible. The word of God is given us as instructions in our life and guidance in our life, but he says that's not that's not it. You're not I'll use this word and then explain it when I say it's not enough. Because there's a lot of people that intellectually know the bible, but yet they're not even believers. They intellectually know the things of god's word. What does it also take? It takes god's spirit. [01:15:07] (37 seconds)  #WordAndSpirit