God Will Vindicate You | Pastor Caleb Grant

would you stand with me i want to read psalm 131 verse 1 to 3 in the csb the christian standard bible psalm 131 verse 1. it says this lord my heart is not proud my eyes are not haughty i do not i do not get involved with things too great or too wondrous for me instead i have calmed and quieted my soul like a winged child with its mother my soul is like a weaned child israel put your hope in the lord both now and forever i'm gonna pray father i thank you for your faithfulness and your goodness towards us i thank you that for the last 17 months you have spoken clearly to us you have not been silent at all and for those who have had ears to hear you have spoken they have received and we have been changed and transformed so father i pray that this sunday would be a continuation of your faithfulness to this community that this sunday in the word of the lord would be a continuation of your track record of speaking what we need to hear when we need to hear we thank you from fresh manna we thank you for a rhema word that speaks to our heart father i pray that you anoint me now for this purpose i pray that you'd anoint me for this assignment go beyond my limitations go beyond my education go beyond even my preparation and lord may your revelation be given to your children we thank you for this we pray that you'd save souls and we ask that your presence would be among us in jesus name amen amen amen amen amen amen thank you so much david ah so thankful to be in the presence of the lord this morning uh there's a lot of places that we could be but there's no better place to be than in his presence uh um i'm excited to share the word of the lord this morning i believe what the lord has to say to us is going to be a strong encouragement for us and as we've been speaking for the last few weeks it's been encouraging to hear how the lord has invited us into this special place of rest a season of rest a time of rest but also into a lifestyle of rest where we we don't see rest as simply a suggestion but as a command uh i i uh i'm getting older uh this year i turned 30 we're all getting older right so that wasn't specific to me so captain obvious right but i i'm turning 30 this year and i'm actually looking forward to it it's not something i'm dreading or bemoaning uh it is something i'm looking forward to and uh it's so strange it's strange to me because as you get older uh you begin to get excited about and appreciate certain things that in your youth or in your immaturity or in your childhood you just really didn't get excited about i'm be honest okay i never was excited about naps until i had kids when i had kids oh my goodness i got excited for you tell me pastor caleb go take a nap that that's like going to zion we must be going to heaven it's a good time how many adults you you resonate you say i get excited for now when i was a kid i used to fight naps and i think to myself now why did i ever fight naps why did i ever fight the opportunity to have structured intentional rest now i have kids and now life is busy and so now i get excited for naps one other thing that might be strange to you so please just don't judge me i i i get excited about laundry laundry is therapeutic to me i love doing the laundry i love the scent of gain i love the scent of the scent boosters i love the center of the fabric softener i love the scent of the stain remover i love the scent of the fabric softener and the dryer sheet i love folding it i love putting it away it's therapeutic to me now i know some of you are thinking you are insane but to me i get excited about it when the house is quiet and the boys are napping and i just i can see the dryer just spinning i say yes do your work dry or do your work job yeah it's it's i get excited about it another thing i get excited about is landscaping now it's something i i've recently got into like three days ago recently i've gotten into landscaping i actually went down a whole youtube rabbit hole for like four hours and just watching people feed their lawn and treat their lawn and cut the lawn seeing all the symmetrical lines i don't just love the lines on the lawn with all the dads all the fathers you know what i'm talking about i get excited for things now that before i had no no no interest in and uh this brings me to a point in the story where i tell you about an interesting experience i had and don't worry it might not seem interesting to you but it's going to make sense for where we're going i have a dream neighbor i have a neighbor that is amazing they are amazing amazing amazing neighbor sometimes i think there are angels next door to me because they they take care of anything and everything that you would ever need if you left your garage up if you left the trash out if there's anything on they bring it up to the house they'd send you a text hey man i don't know if you left you meant to leave the garage up that i can close it for you they'll cover your pipes when it gets really cold in florida to make sure that they don't get frozen that they look out for your kids they're there for everything i remember from my wife's birthday they came over and and and wrote chalk on the driveway it said happy birthday celeste i'm just telling you these neighbors are a godsend they're amazing neighbors there is this one time though all right um there's this one time uh i i it was actually last year in march i noticed a a a patch in my my uh my lawn that was was looking uh a little rough it seemed to have some crabgrass i actually know what that is now after you know three days ago on youtube um and it had some stuff going on i didn't know i thought it was just regular grass with crabgrass and you know i won't get into all that and so i saw it looking rough and so i did like a little youtube research i said you know what let me go to home depot let me get some stuff and let me put it down on the grass and i'm gonna see see this grass come back to life and so uh you know one night one day i went out and i dug up you know the the rotten grass the crab grass the weeds and i'm not gonna lie when i looked at the lawn after i had kind of done some work on it it looked pretty terrible it didn't look really good um in fact the neighbor he came he came out and he said caleb what are you doing and i was like oh yeah i'm just you know i just just just take care of the law and like pretend like i know what i'm doing yeah i know i'm just i'm just you know doing some stuff here but here's the thing about three months later come check my grass out after three months it was first at first it was looking pretty scarce it was looking pretty rough it didn't look like much was happening about three months later that grass started coming through and it looked healthy and it looked strong and i kind of wanted to knock back on his door and say hey that's what i was doing you know what i mean i was doing something that was going to improve the aesthetic of my lawn and it took some time but after a few months my work was vindicated it was vindicated the waiting and the ugliness and the toil it was vindicated now this season has been intense immense long we've gone through a decade and a year and we every week seemed like a month you know the phrase it just it just feels difficult and long and strenuous and i just kind of want us to give us a little bit of a timeline because i don't know about you but i'm so thankful that i have not walked through this season blind because of our pastor and his his dedication to the lord the faithfulness of the lord to speak someone who presses into the heart of god i understand that there are others of us who communicate in these spaces but for the majority of the sundays and the weeks it has been our pastor who has gone before the lord has shot out the lord's heart has sought the lord's face and asked the lord what he wants to say to our community specifically now some of the things that have been spoken have implications to nations and implications to regions but but for all of us who call deeper home we just ought to give god praise just for a moment that we haven't had to walk through this season blind the faithfulness of the lord and and good leadership a person who carries a shepherd's heart in our pastor has ensured that we every step of the way there has been inside and clarity and revelation as to what is happening and our response to him starting on march 15th when we first began our streaming uh which to many of you you're you're part of the family now because of that day it was the message we heard may i have your attention and it was the prophetic announcement that the lord had come to answer our prayer for revival but it would come through the door of repentance and specifically the lord allowing a pestilence to hit the land and it was our responsibility and there was divine urgency to repent in april and specifically nine 19th we heard the message no more idols which was to give us the indication of what we were to repent of we were to repent of our idolatry we were made aware of the things in our hearts that had taken god's place in our heart it was to be what set the remnant apart it was the repentance of idolatry in may we we heard on the 31st in the wake of of the murder of george floyd we heard the message don't forget to prophesy and this began us on a journey where we talked about our need to repent of injustice we were invited to cry and to weep but also to prophesy what the lord is showing us and what would take place if we would be willing to be persistent in the place of prayer and to build our lives upon the foundation of christ go to june and in june we had to repent of enmeshment repent of entanglement we were invited to repent of being enmeshed with the world and its ideologies and its ways trying to mix politics with jesus and our life with jesus we were invited to deny self and to offer the truest form of worship which was self-denial in october october 4th specifically we heard a message that said repentance matters there was another call of urgency to say repent while you have the time we heard prophetic insight from numbers 11 that gave us insight to the window of repentance and it was a strict warning do not long for egypt do not long for normal do not long to go back and then in december we came to the season of choosing where we began to talk about the divine distinction and how the holy spirit was making a separation between those who said they were his and those who actually were his they would be the emergence of the true church it would be those who had gone through the refiners fire and had come out as pure gold for everyone would go through the fire but only someone come out being purified in february we heard that the mature endure there was this invitation into endurance to endure the season endure the hardship endure the scattering that god was using it all for his good for our good and his glory in april we started talking about our devotion to fellowship it was the invitation to embrace the revelation of koinonia and you might not seem it would seem you might not see it as very prophetic but i'm telling you in the coming days months and even years you're going to see how significantly prophetic the series that we put a little bit of a pause in as we talked about coin in the and true fellowship you're going to see how significant it is and then june 13th god said i i see how you're weary i see how you're tired you've been repenting you've gotten rid of the idols i said like repentance like 11 times there right you've been living in divine urgency distinction you've been enduring and then god asked us the question how's your soul how's your soul it was an invitation in to rest if you can look at some of the themes there's a lot of things that we can say about the prophetic themes that the lord has been as woven together but we can see three distinct things that there would be repentance distinction and reward repentance distinction and reward and we have this invitation to rest to rest not just ceasing from physical activity although that is necessary but it was the inward rest the the care of the soul even the willingness to lament and the willingness to cry and be honest and transparent we made a few statements about rest rest is a declaration of faith it's simply saying god's got this i don't need to work i don't need to continue to toil god's got this rest is also a command it's not optional in the life of a believer who desires to honor the lord it is to be a part of the regular rhythm not simply event driven or pulpit driven number three we we heard this and again this is not a comprehensive list this is not all that we heard but these are just necessary for where we're going today rest is necessary for the future rest is a declaration of faith rest is a command and rest is necessary for the future what is to come demands that we rest now otherwise we will not be able to participate in and enjoy the future first kings chapter 19 gives us a little bit of an inside us to this resting for the future rest is necessary for the future excuse me first kings 19 verse 1 says ahab told jezebel everything that elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword so jezebel sent a messenger to elijah saying may the gods punish me and do so severely if i don't make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow then elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life when he came to beersheba that belonged to judah he left his servant there but he went on a day's journey into the wilderness he sat down under a broom tree and prayed that he might die he said i've had enough lord take my life for i'm no better than my ancestors let's just stop right there for a moment and we'll keep reading why was why was elijah so beat up why was he so depressed why was he even suicidal why was he so discouraged well the reality was first kings 19 happens after what takes place in first kings 18 which is the battle upon mount carmel or the contest i should say on mount carmel where the prophets of baal call upon baal to answer by fire and elijah calls on yahweh to answer by fire and and and god answers by fire he consumes the sacrifice and he consumes the water and there was a choice made before the people they saw the carrying on of baal and they saw the care that the prayers of elijah it was kind of this heavyweight match that was going on really there was really no heavyweight gods the only heavyweight everyone else is lightweight but but there's this this match going on and god establishes himself as true as real as holy as righteous and if we go back to first kings 18 you'll see that when god revealed himself the people remain silent they refuse to choose in fact if you read first kings 18 they said that's fine when god god revealed himself by fire elijah said now you choose and they said that's fine that's cool that's great that was a cool show but there was never a pivot of the heart to say i will lay aside my idols and i will serve the one true god and so here in first kings 19 when he says i'm no better than my ancestors what he's talking about is not the fact that elijah had lived a sinful life know what he's talking about is the fact that his previous ancestors had tried through prophetic proclamation and declaration and prayer and presence to see a nation turn and serve the one true god and here was elijah saying i've prayed i i've been fed by a widow i've been fed by ravens i've been fed by a brook i've endured there's been a famine in the land i've seen your power i've seen this and i've seen that and yet it seems not to make a difference in the life of the nation i see no fruit of my labor i see no fruit of the season i see nothing changing i wish that i was dead verse 5 the scripture says then he lay down and slept under the broom tree suddenly an angel touched him the angel told him get up and eat get up and eat and then he looked and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones and a jug of water so he ate and drank and laid down again i just want to put this in here elijah was so used to the supernatural when the bread and the water showed up he wasn't like oh my goodness where did this come from he was like he just he was living in life in the supernatural verse seven then the angel of the lord returned for a second time and touched him this is the key verse he said get up and eat or the journey will be too much for you so he got up and ate and drank then on the strength from that food he walked for forty days and forty nights to of the mountain of god he entered a cave there and spent the night suddenly the word of the lord came to him god has no intention on us being unable to fulfill the assignment upon our lives his love for us and desire to partner with us in the earth causes him to invite us into divine moments of rest or refreshing the express reason for why he was commanded to eat and get his strength up was because of what was ahead deeper family hear me there is something ahead there is a future ahead there is something on the horizon and in the moment the invitation is to rest because it is necessary for the future yes he invited us to rest because we are weary but because he is already in the future he is standing there saying if you only knew what i had in store for you if you only knew the doors that are about to open if you only knew the favor that you are about to be shown if you only knew the authority you are going to walk in the spirit with if you only knew the miracles i will perform through your hands if you only knew the stages you will be standing on if you only knew i'm prophesying to you if you only knew that nations that will be stamped in your passport book if you only knew the boardrooms that you will be sitting in if you only knew the destiny of your children and their children's children if you only knew the glory that is coming if you only knew that the revival will break out among you if you only knew you got to put that in the chat if you only knew if you only knew you would rest if you had true prophetic insight true prophetic intuition understanding ability to see and what god is about to do you would rest i'm here to tell you you may have an inkling you may have an idea but i'm telling you it's about to blow your wildest dreams it's about to blow your mind it's about to everything you conceived about the future god is going to do greater if you only knew you would make sure that your soul is well if you only knew you would cease from all activity you would go home when your shift is over you would probably over prioritize the date night over the house project you would shut off the tv and sit in stillness if you only knew if you only knew if you had a real understanding of what god is about to do you would rest i'm telling you i know it doesn't feel like it i know you're like sitting there like elijah this feels like it was all for nothing i endured i was scattered i repented and the bank account is overdrawn and the door got shut in my face and they didn't hire me for the promotion and i lost all my clients and i lost all my relationships and i lost all my friends and the nations still don't turn these nations still caught in political idolatry it seems like this was for nothing oh but elijah deeper if you only knew you would take the bread you would take the water you would rest you would kick your feet up you would sit in stillness you would turn off the radio you would prioritize the family because if you knew what was coming you would rest i asked this a few weeks ago when it came to koinonia and i asked it again in this moment if we are being invited we know it's biblical we know it's a command we know jesus did it we know god did it on the seventh day and we're still not resting then why i i'm the type of individual it doesn't make me special i just i'm a person i want to get to the motive of my disobedience otherwise i may be obedient for some time because i felt bad but eventually i am destined to repeat the cycle because the heart never changed so so um let me talk about me for a second why is caleb still not resting why is he still i track actually my time in my work i've worked more since we started this message series than before why am i still not resting it's okay i'm not gonna tell on you i'm gonna tell on me why am i still not resting i've heard about rest we've talked about rest done prayer calls about rest if i can be honest it has been a challenge for me maybe maybe for you you're like i have no problem resting pastor for me i am a chronic terrible wrestler chronic bad i am the guy who when he sees the activity rings on his apple watch it it feels like a challenge was issued to me it feels like tim cook the ceo of apple himself it's challenging me saying you better close those rings otherwise you shall enter the ring of shame that's what it feels like to me okay okay the pastor said he turns this off he's like you're not you're not gonna shame me i'm not gonna lie my apple watch feel like you'd be shaming me sometimes yesterday i was sitting down actually preparing my message and my apple watch has the audacity to say it's been a while since you've stood excuse me you tell them tell me when i should stand you should leave me alone i'm resting in god st sitting still just is is not my thing i pace when i talk i get jittery i remember when i first came to deeper and uh when we were in in person c this cameras really helped me with that because i can't be you know because all you all know y'all at 170 y'all be like i one lady she came and she said pastor caleb can you please stop i'm so tired of looking at you at first i wanted to get offended but then i was like oh i get what you say i'm moving a lot okay i'll i'll calm down sitting still is just not my thing uh it's not even just about physical activity like working out or or running it involves the levels of activity that even when it comes to like chores and things around the house like not gonna lie like three days ago after i got on my my little youtube binge i i vacuumed my garage floor who vacuums their garage for there was dust on it i saw my neighbors looking at me like this what is he doing you you sweep the garage or you maybe pressure wash the girl you don't vacuum but i was like no no we're gonna vacuum i'm gonna get every piece of this stuff when i put out the trash i'm not gonna these little black spots on my feet you know when i go out and take out the trash no i'm gonna be i'm gonna be good i don't need to wear my sandals nowhere i'm gonna be fine i wish i wish the activity stopped there for me i wish it was just stopped with laundry and the things that to do around the house but if i'm honest if i was to compare the activity of my mind to the activity of my body my mind takes the cake my mind is like the hummingbird flapping its wings 10 to 15 times every second my inner man my soul my mind constantly planning thinking strategizing sensing evaluating processing how will i be perceived did i make the right decision what's coming next why didn't i see that coming what's needed for the future where will i be am i on the right path do i need to stop do i need to start why did i do that what was the motivation what in the world is happening why did that happen god is that you devil is that you caleb is that you my mind my soul my inner man busy working active i don't know about you but the season the inner man has been very loud the thoughts very loud it would seem like the volume steadily increases as seasons get longer and longer as more time passes and as more distinction and more refinement takes place the volume gets louder you see we entered into the refiners fire family the lord told us about it but here's the thing refinement by definition involves purification which is to remove impurities meaning you can't go through refinement and not lose anything anybody lost anything in this season i've lost i've lost some things the fire has burned away a number of things the the pruning of the lord has cut off seemingly half of the tree idols motives of the heart attitudes mindsets perspectives relationships opportunities comforts rhythms just to name a few these are some of the things that would have been lost in the fire so here we are we're looking at our lives and we see a lot less god has been faithful don't get me wrong he has been and will always be good he has kept us oh i need to say that again he has kept us the same god that delivers is the same god that keeps the power is just as great there's some things that should have taken us out should have taken you out should have taken you out of your mind but he's kept you he's kept us and he's preserved us and protected us however for honest there seems to be decreased activity and it would seem like decreased fruitfulness you might be standing there thinking uh lord i humbled myself i repented i i've gone through the fire still going through the fire i've submitted to the lord i have torn down the idols i've drawn closer to you in intimacy but i'm looking at my life and i can't seemingly find the reward of my obedience what do i have to show for this where's the corresponding fruit to my obedience and then the mockery gets louder the accusations get more intense well maybe you missed god maybe you didn't hear correctly surely if that was god you wouldn't be where you are right now you would have more to show for the business would be more successful the relationships would be more abundant you'd be invited to other churches and stages and platforms and because the accusation is loud and the mockery is fierce because we can't make sense of the fact that like job and david we have walked with you and obeyed you yet it would seem as there is no evidence that i have been rewarded with anything to show that indeed i have trusted in him and have not been disappointed i don't rest why am i not resting because i feel the need to vindicate myself i feel the need to prove that i heard from god i feel the need to show that his word actually will come to pass so i toil and i labor and i sweat and i work and i stay late and i run and i push and i try and i strive because i need to have something to show for at the end of the season if we were honest our refusal to rest even though we've been invited despite the invitation despite the command despite the example is connected to the fact that we are trying to vindicate ourselves we are trying to conjure up proof and evidence to say i was right god was right see here's what i have to show for this season i just walked through see look at my children see look at my business see look at these vehicles see look at these stages see look at these opportunities see look at these invites see look i have something to show for and so if we're honest many of us are not working because we have to we are working because we think god needs our help and vindicating us vindication proof that someone or something is right reasonable or justified the action of clearing someone of blame or suspicion vindicate to prove that what someone said or did was right or true after other people thought it was wrong hear me pastors hear me family the lord is going to vindicate us he's going to vindicate you he's going to vindicate me he's going to vindicate the presence people who believed his word who tore down idols who said i will have no other gods before he is going to vindicate us psalm 17 verse 1. it's david's prayer when david's prayer or enemies were chasing him or when enemies were chasing him in the esv he says hear a just cause oh lord attend to my prayer attention to my cry rather give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit look at this from your presence let my vindication come that your eyes behold the right you have tried my heart you have visited me by night and you have tested me anybody been tested and you will find nothing i have purpose that my mouth will not transgress with regard to the works of man by the word of your lips i avoided the ways of the violin my steps have held fast to your paths my feet have not slipped i call upon you for you will answer me o god incline your ear to me hear my words wondrously show your steadfast love o savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand keep me as the apple of your eye hide me in the shadow of your wings psalm 26 verse 1. it was a prayer for vindication vindicate me lord because i have lived with integrity and i've trusted in the lord without wavering test me lord and try me examine my heart and mine for your faithful love guides me and i live by your truth psalm 35 verse 22 it was a cry for deliverance from his enemies you saw it lord do not be silent psalm 35 verse 22. i want you to see this i want you to see this because some of you are praying this right now you saw it lord do not be silent lord do not be far from me wake up and rise to my defense to my cause my god and my lord vindicate me lord my god and keeping with your righteousness and do not let them rejoice over me psalm 135 verse 13 psalm 135 verse 13 a psalm of praise the writer writes lord your name and yours forever your reputation lord through all generations for the lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants many times through the psalms david and some of the other psalmists wrote songs to the lord asking for vindication asking for god to prove their case to make them right to justify their actions and their obedience when everyone thought they were crazy and insane when they were persecuted and mocked and accused the psalmist lifted up his voice and said lord vindicate me now let's look at some of the components of vindication one one of the components of vindication requires accusation and mockery by adversaries the need for vindication is due in part to the presence of mockery doubt and accusation where there's a delay in reward the opportunity for mockery and accusation arises you know you notice no one comes around or no one says anything to you now if you think this is a message about haters you're sorely mistaken this is not a message about haters because our adversary is not people it's the devil okay so let's just i just want to make that clear but have you ever been in a situation where where everything was going right and you never heard from somebody they never had anything to say but the moment everything goes wrong they have all the opinions they have all the advice they have all the things well maybe you got it wrong maybe you missed it maybe you should try this maybe do they weren't saying nothing when you were doing the same thing and everything was producing fruit in your life and seemingly the fruit has disappeared and all of a sudden the mockery and the accusations when there's a delay in the reward when there's a delay in seeing the corresponding reward to my obedience then the mockery and the accusation arise and maybe the mockery and the accusation has been loud in your own mind and in your own soul recently where the devil has tried to torment you and mock you and see see nothing's good is going to come from this sheep you're right where you started see you went through a whole season and you're still the same and still have the same and nothing is better in fact it's worse and so the mockery and the accusation arises but god will vindicate his people the voice of the markers say what do you have to show for you went through all of that look at you vindication is shot when the timeline has seemingly begun beyond expectations anybody been waiting on a promise from the lord and the timeline has gone beyond expectations i mean you were prepared to endure you were prepared to wait you were afraid to prepare to to hunker down and wait upon the lord but even then the timeline has gone beyond what you expected and that's when the mockery starts and the accusation comes but i want you to know that god will vindicate his people the lord will not allow anyone to mock his name or to mock his word he will not allow anyone to make fun of what he commanded you to do and asks you to obey i know they make me might make fun of you nehemiah i know they might make fun of you and how you're building the wall and rebuilding the city but i will vindicate you i will cause you to build it faster than they ever expected i will cause it to come to completion and every mocking tongue every word of accusation that is arisen in your inner man and the devil has tried to dement you we strike it down in the name of jesus we rest in him because god will vindicate us so when he sees the mockery rising to a level it seems overwhelming he steps in and he vindicates vindication is the reward of the mocked it's god's way of saying i saw it and i got you i saw it and i got you i saw what happened i saw what was said i saw how you were passed over i saw the mistreatment i saw the injustice i saw it i saw it and i got you vindication can include vengeance against your enemies but it is not only vengeance against your enemies vindication is the reward of those who are fiercely obedient to the lord and i personally you're going to have to make a commitment i'll refuse to exaggerate about where i am to help the lord look better to avoid the mockery for my obedience i refuse to exaggerate about where i am to help god look better to avoid the mockery for my obedience i obey god and he's not really working out in the natural the way i thought it was going to be and then people come around and say well how you doing man oh i've never been better i'm just blessed and highly favored going on the king's highway you know all the the the church eating lingo in language no no no no no no i'm gonna be like david and say no no no no my soul is in torment i'm crying out to you god i don't know what's going on i don't know what's going on i don't know what's happening but i refuse to exaggerate i refuse to to make it look better now i'll be honest it's not working now i'll be honest no it's not flourishing i'll be honest no no one calling my name i'll be honest no i seemingly have nothing to show for but it does not change the fact that my hope and confidence is in the lord and he will do what he said and i'm waiting on his vindication another component of vindication is adversity and injustice god allows sufferings and trials he allows you to walk through these things not because of your disobedience but in spite of your obedience to perfect your character and to prove his power number three a component of or the anatomy of vindication requires faith and faithfulness faith in god and faithfulness to god vindication is not reserved for the perfect hear me vindication is not reserved for the perfect we're going to get to it in galatians chapter 2 in just a second i don't want to get ahead myself vindication is not reserved for the perfect if it was reserved for the perfect no one would get vindicated in god's eyes no one would get vindicated or as the theological term is is illustrated or or spoken about uh amongst common uh those who who write commentaries and scholars that the term justification no one would be justified if it was about being perfect vindication is not reserved for the perfect but vindication is reserved for those who have faith and for those who are faithful it is those who despite not seeing what they desire refuse to turn to other idols it is those who despite stumbling despite being depressed and discouraged they remain confident that they will see the goodness of the lord in the land of the living you don't have to be perfect to be vindicated by god i know this season you might might have stumbled uh you you might have made mistakes you might have done things that you regret but at the end of the day the vindication is not reserved for perfect people it's for the faithful people the people that will repent of their idols that will come back to god and will say i'm sorry you have my heart you have my affection i love your presence vindication is not for the perfect it's for the faithful so if you've been faithful you can have expectation because god's about to vindicate you another component of vindication is prayer and waiting you have accusation and mockery number one you have adversity and justice number two you have faith in faithfulness number three and you have prayer and waiting psalm 123 says i lift my eyes to you the one enthroned in heaven like a servant's eyes on his master's hand like your servant's girl's eyes on her mistress's hand so our eyes are on the lord our god until he shows us favor show us favor lord show his favor for we've had more than enough contempt some of you just need to pray that right now wherever you are show me favor lord show me favor lord show me favor it's like almost as the psalmist was writing it got good to him so he said it again show us favor lord show his favor show me favor lord show me favor vindicate me lord vindicate me we have had more than enough scorn from the arrogant and contempt from the proud this was the psalmist's writing and if you were to read the previous verses that i read before you hear this constant theme of a cry and a prayer and waiting upon the lord we're crying out to you for vindication and we have to wait for it why because vindication cannot come from yourself vindication comes from the lord the mockery and the contempt and enduring is an invitation into prayer and intimacy not frustration and complacency when the mocking gets louder and the contempt arises and the accusations of the enemy come and your soul wants to be tormented by what you don't have it's an invitation into the secret place into the place of prayer into the place of intimacy to say god vindicate me god hasn't forgotten patience and waiting are required for vindication why because obedience is seldom greeted with instant reward obedience is seldom greeted with instant reward i know we live in the instant generation press the link the webpage opens instantly press the app the movie downloads instantly everything instant but the kingdom doesn't operate that way there are moments where i will see no physical corresponding reward in the natural for a while but it doesn't mean i was disobedient just mean i had faith abraham leave leave what you know and go to a land that i will show you he does it and he waits on the promises and he waits and he waits and he waits and he waits and he would seem like god you said you you would make me abundant and and i would i would have all these descendants and i still don't have a son it would seem like abraham had done something wrong it was the mistake that job's friends made they assume that because of the calamity and the fact that everything in his life had been torn away they assumed that it was because of his sin and because of his error and because of his disobedience but the reality was job was still blameless job was still righteous job was obedient and there was coming a moment where god would vindicate him vindication makes the waiting the enduring the suffering the sacrifice makes sense god's about to make sense out of the last season for you he vindicates you you you oh i get it god you are up to something you were doing something you were working you you were structuring things on my behalf here's the last component again this is not comprehensive this is just what i observe from the scripture vindication includes visitation vindication is rarely private rarely god has a way and he does it the best to prepare a table in the presence of your enemies he could have done it in private but because he wants to silence the voice of the marker and the accuser forever he says i'm gonna spread the table out and i'll make all y'all watch you all had a lot to say when it was seemingly a fruitless season it had a lot to say when the reward was delayed you had a lot to say when the building wasn't open you had a lot to say while we were scattered had a lot to say when there seemingly there was a decrease in activity with a decrease in activity wasn't a decrease in intimacy or fruit bearing no no god was doing something behind the scenes so god says because there was a lot to say when when there was nothing going on i'm gonna make you watch when i'm doing a lot i'm gonna make you see when my glory hits the space i'm gonna make you see when my bible hits the space i'm gonna make you see what i'm about to do for a people who waited upon me vindication is marked by presence psalm 17 verse 2 from your presence from your presence let my vindication come let your eyes behold the right vindication is often accompanied by divine visitation talk to me david talk to me david when it came time for your vindication the vindication was the fact that you recaptured or reclaimed or or possessed the presence of god it was marked by a visitation of the presence and the glory of god yet saul had a lot to say there was a lot of people that had a lot of things that they wanted to do to you and intended to do to you there you were mocked and you were accused but the reality was when the time of vindication came david it was marked by a visitation to my presence talk to me anna you you've been given over 60 years of your life in the temple praying night and day and you've been a widow for some time and some people think you should remarry and some people think you should get a career and why don't you go into business and why don't you start this company why don't you go in this endeavor it's such a waste why don't you remarry why don't you do other things with your life anna why why don't you you spend other time this makes no sense and i can only imagine the mockery and the accusation day after day as anna went to the temple serving god with supplication and prayer with worship and fasting going before the lord praying in the messiah praying in the messiah praying in the messiah and she would get and she would hear some chatter in the corner she would hear some chatter in that corner and people would walk in and say is that that lady still doing that again those people still on youtube and facebook those people are still not meeting and gathering still talking about a move of god and a waymaker and a miracle worker and you got first-hand experience and you got all this what in the world that they're doing i don't see nothing happening i don't see how anything happen at the building i don't see anything taking place in their lives it seems like the profile has decreased oh but anna there's a day coming there's a moment coming where you will behold the savior with your very own eyes and all of a sudden baby jesus was carried into the temple and i got up and i just have a feeling the mockers were there to spectate and see god has vindicated me you say well pastor kim i'm coming to close here what how does this have to do with wrecks how does that have to do with rest yeah my god god will vindicate me for the people of places presence is a priority who've repented from idols destroyed their idols have embraced the divine invitation but god will vindicate me ah i like to hear that that's great why does rest have to do it here here's this here's a statement i'll make a statement it's going to seem pretty what but just i'm explaining there is no vindication without rest there is no vindication without rest galatians chapter 2 verse 15 is where we see paul speak about being justified or being vindicated this word vindication justification can sometimes be interchanged in the old testament it dealt with essentially god judging not judging you but judging for you and rendering a righteous judgment upon your behalf or some essentially proving that your actions and your words and your behavior was justified based on your obedience to his word this word vindication in the new testament deals with justification now it is a very deep theological term that that that we can really spend you can spend literally years unpacking this specifically justification by faith but i just i want to bring up something really simple for us in this moment galatians 2 15. this is paul speaking we are jews by birth and not gentile sinners and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in jesus christ even we ourselves have believed in christ jesus this was so that we might be justified with story justified by faith in christ not by the works of the law because by the works of the law no human being will be justified remember no rest no vindication but if we ourselves are also found to be sinners while seeking to be justified by christ is christ and a promoter of sin absolutely not if i rebuild those things that i tore down i show myself to be a law breaker for through the law i die to the law so that i might live for god i have been crucified with christ and i no longer live but christ lives in me the life i now live in the body i live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me i do not set aside the grace of god for it for if righteousness comes through the law then christ died for nothing let's just read verse 16 again and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in jesus christ even we ourselves have believed in christ jesus this was so that we might be justified by faith in christ and not by the works of the law because by the works of the law no human being will be justified we are justified or vindicated made right with god by faith and not by works i am justified or vindicated when i cease trying to uphold the law in my striving and believe in what jesus the son of god has already done when i believe in him i am then proved to be right or righteous when i cease from works and choose to believe in the finished work what did we say at the beginning of this rest is a declaration of faith and i am justified by faith rest is a declaration of faith how am i justified i'm not justified by working i'm not vindicated by proving myself by by what i wear but how i look by how much i accomplish by the stages i stand them on how well i can fulfill the law no no i'm justified by faith i'm made right by placing my faith in jesus christ and believing in what he has already done so if rest is a declaration of faith and i am justified by faith that means the only way i will be vindicated is if i rest when i rest i am saying i believe in what you've already done and i believe in what you have already said i will cease from my activity because i know that vindication comes from you and you alone god hear me god doesn't want anyone including you to be able to take credit for what he's about to do in your life he doesn't want even you to be able to say well i worked this way and i networked and i connected with this and i had this strategy and i had no no no no no it's going to be by faith it's going to be by rest i'm going to rest and when he opens the doors he's gonna open them and when he allows things to pop off as they say it's gonna pop up but it won't be because i was networking i was striving i was posted i was showing no no i was resting and it was the declaration of my faith and while i waited upon him and while i rested in him and when i said your presence is enough he said i'm gonna vindicate you i'm going to show you it was worth it i'm going to make it make sense how many of you just this last season like lord make it make sense please make it make sense i don't get it i don't understand the world going crazy the nation gone crazy the president gone crazy everyone going crazy make it make sense he's gonna vindicate you here's as long as you are working god cannot and will not vindicate you as long as you're still doing your own strength god said okay what do you need me for [Music] it it brings the scripture says that the lord takes no glory in the legs of a man that the strength the legs are to represent the strength of a man he takes no glory he doesn't get glory when you work he receives glory when you allow him to work [Music] this brings me to where i started i told you why you need to rest you need to rest because your resting is creating room for your vindication your ceasing from activity is giving god permission to cause your enemies the accuser the mockers to watch but how how do we do this psalm 131 is a beautiful indication this was a song of a center the song of pilgrimage a scholars debate about whether these were psalms that david wrote for the people as they would go up to jerusalem jerusalem was on a hill and so as they ascended to jerusalem they would sing these songs and other scholars believe based on some of the content context of the writings that these were post-exilic psalms where where literally these were songs that the the exiles sang on their way back from a scattered state back into the place that god had intended for them psalm 131 is one of these psalms and the csb says lord my heart is not proud my eyes are not haughty i do not get involved with things too great or too wonders for me i don't know about you but probably 853 times in this past season i felt overwhelmed by what was going on i'm i don't get this and the the the psalmist said i don't even get involved in things that are two great wonders for me i must stay out of it we go with your own soul you just gotta stay out of it stop trying to figure it out stop trying to to make sense of it all something that one of some of the stresses and anxieties that you're carrying are the realities that you're getting involved in things that are too great and wonderous for you they're not too great and wonders for him but they're two great wonders for me so because they're too great and wonders for me and overwhelm me i i i i decide to retreat from those things and just trust him he says ah verse two instead all right so i i remove myself if you're watching the news and if you're watching what's going on and there's things going on shut it off they're too wonderful they're two wonders for you they're too great that god's going to use it for for your good and his glory so just you can sum it up to that and just take confidence in that but instead psalmist said i i worked no instead i strategize for the next five years no it said i planned out what my five year and 10 year and 15 year and retirement plan are going to be no it said i came up with that new business idea no instead i networked and tried to do it no instead i look at this i have calmed and quieted my soul look at that the responsibility was not on god to calm and quiet the psalmist's soul it was the responsibility of the psalmist to calm and quiet his own soul literally that that that calmed and quiet phrase literally means to speak completely still to cease from activity i have calmed and quiet he's literally my inner man is completely still and he goes more description like a winged child with its mother my soul is like a weaned child now that may seem like strange language to you but what the psalmist was saying is [Music] i no longer need the comforts of milk on my demand i no longer need what i want when i want it i'm no longer going to throw a tantrum when god isn't answering my prayer in the time that i thought he was going to we all have a whole lot of believers that are still breastfeeding in the spirit they steal every time they cry and every time they don't get what they want they yell and they throw a tantrum and they fling themselves back wanting the milk and wanting the sustenance wanting the resource and the favor from the lord but the psalmist said i'm like a weens child meaning i've grown up a little bit i no longer need milk on demand i know that you're gonna feed me when i'm supposed to be fair i know what you have to take care of me and so all i do like a wing child is i rest in the arms of my mother in other words for the weaned child his presence is enough for the weaned child for the mature i'm fine just being with him for the maturity your presence is good enough for me and while i'm in your presence my soul is still i'm at rest why because i know you are going to vindicate me we're going to give the salvation call in just a moment one of our pastors is going to come and invite you to be justified to be right with god by placing your faith in christ the hearing family today hear me family we will be vindicated i know i know you're looking at the season you say oh ah i don't see much fruit pastor but trust me if you will rest if you will quiet your soul if you will rest in him [Music] if his presence will be enough for you god's gonna prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies he's going to silence the voices of mocking and accusation the adversity and injustice that you experienced you won't even remember it with how great and how much god is going to bless you this is where the people who have been faithful not the perfect people the faithful people people who have said lord your presence matters more to me than anything i pray today you are encouraged i pray today that you're uplifted i pray today you receive fresh courage and strength to rest in the lord to wait upon him to cease from your activity and wait upon the vindication of god god bless you [Music] [Music] thank you jesus we thank god for his word we thank god for the way that he is speaking to us and how he is encouraging us and at the same time challenging us encouraging us for those who have been resting that we will see the justification of the vindication of the lord and encouraging those of us who have been fighting this rest in order to embrace it so that we can see what the lord wants to do for us i want to do something very very unorthodox in this moment um just because i've been wrestling in my spirit uh with this because i didn't have a lot of time to process it it's just a matter of obedience in this moment and it makes for awkward streaming but necessary moments one of the things that we've talked about in our settings when we are together is that when the lord comes for one he comes for all and we also have talked about the nature of when he speaks to one you can grab a hold of that in faith and one of the things that being in a streaming environment has done is it is kind of taken some of the personal prophetic moments and kept him corporate which is necessary because ultimately we're not we don't have a bunch of people in the room uh we're very limited in the amount of people we have in the room and so therefore god typically speaks to us prophetically corporately but there are moments in time when the lord will do some things unorthodox we've had a couple of unorthodox streaming moments because we're in a streaming space does not mean that god is not speaking it does not mean that he's not moving it does not mean that he does not know exactly where you are what you're facing what you're walking through or that he doesn't want to speak to you directly he can do that and we've seen that happen by word of knowledge and word of wisdom on multiple occasions in this last 17 months but there haven't been a lot of personal moments we had when we released kendu and kiera mcdowell to go in and launch revival now global ministries in north carolina we had a extended prophetic moment there but i feel like the lord wants to do something powerful and yet at the same time brief as an objective moment for many of you i actually believe that what the lord wants to say in this moment to an individual is actually what he's using as an object lesson to speak to several of you in this moment for those of you who will hear what the lord says to one he's also saying to you so i want to take this moment to do something a little unorthodox if you'll give us a moment to do so and then we will take this moment to minister to those of you who have yet to place your faith in jesus so i encourage you not to go anywhere for just a moment and this may seem awkward and different partially because of the proximity of relationship but i received an impression of burden and i thought i'll do this later i'll do it privately but the thing that i see in my spirit is that several of you need to hear what the lord is going to say to one so gabriel would you come for just a moment what the lord has to say to gabriel he actually has to say to several of you which is why even though by proximity i could have said it to him after the stream is over i could have waited until we ended i could have waited until we got to the back i could have texted it to him i could have called him but the reason why i'm doing it now publicly is because several of you also need to hear what the lord has to say to him because the lord also has to say it to you and there is a dual nature for how the lord is going to say what he's going to say to him for some of you you're going to receive what the lord says to him as the lord saying it to you for others of you you are going to hear what the lord says to him and it's going to cause you to recognize your misalignment and as a result of recognizing your misalignment it's going to cause it to become an alignment so that you can also grab a hold of this word as i was sitting next to you and pastor caleb was preaching this particular message i was taking the notes and being blessed and recognizing all the things that the lord was saying and then i looked over at you and the lord begin to deal with my heart concerning vindication for you um and and it was in this way that there has been a level uh in your life and and we are very close just so you know so this is not one of those things where i have no knowledge but this is the lord's not as not mine all right just so you know this is just being very very clear um there's been a uh almost a a concern of yours in your heart concerning whether or not um the burden for your the family and the things that you've been carrying in your heart have been decreasing and you've been wondering if in the place of prayer and am i am i in the right place anymore because i don't feel like i carry the same burden and so you've been wondering do i need to step up in the place of prayer and do i need to step up in the place of these things and do more and begin to work more because i feel like um perhaps maybe the burden is lifting and is my love changing it is my burden changing it has my heart changed and has my heart for evangelism in my heart to see them one change but the lord says no son it is not that the burden has changed it has been that i've been maturing you it has been that i've been maturing you and in the process of maturing what has been happening is you've been learning now to trust me with the things that you've given to me and you've been learning how to give the burden to me and as the word was being preached the lord began to to minister to your heart this level of vindication that's getting ready to take place this is maturity because rest has come upon you and so it has not been that the burden has been taken it has been that you've given the burden to the proper place you've given the burden to me says the lord and because you put the burden on me i am the one carrying it so it is not that you no longer feel it it is that i am the one who is now carrying the burden it is a sign of your maturity and the lord says and not too many days what you are going to begin to see is a vindication come among the members of your family and the reason why this is happening publicly is because you are also going to testify publicly in the days ahead how this one called and how that one called because you gave the burden to the lord this is a manifestation of your trust in him and it's a manifestation the lord is bringing you into this moment to say that i have heard you and a burden has not been lifted from you is that you've put it in the right place in your day of vindication for the many prayers that you prayed on behalf of your family you shall see and when you begin to see that you will also begin to see that they'll become a new burden but this burden will be for the nations that you also thought that you'd forgotten about the lord says no i'm going to vindicate you there too i have not forgotten the dreams i have not forgotten the prayers and you will see the vinification so the lord says to you take the word and rest some don't work for it rest in it don't work for it rest in it don't work for it rest in it and watch me vindicate you says the lord thank you jesus thank you jesus thank you jesus for many of you for many of you the reason why this had to happen publicly for many of you you begin to wonder in this season is your is your is your relationship waning you begin to wonder in this season i don't feel the sense that i used to feel before i don't i don't have the the burden or the burn it is not that your relationship has gone downhill no what has actually happened is as the lord has begun to to do these things in your heart he's beginning to settle some things in you and what you heard today allows you to literally recognize what the lord's been doing in you not just for you what he's been doing in you he's been settling some things and he is going to vindicate you so the burden is not less it's been that you've placed the burden in the right place and because you place the burden in the right place you will begin to understand that when you are yoked with the lord he takes the heavy part he takes the heavy part which is where we're going to go today as it relates to salvation because the lord says these words to those of you not just the found but also the lost come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and i will give you rest take my yoke upon me and learn to me for my yoke is easy and my burden is light why is the burden light because he takes the heavy part he takes the heavy part most [Music] team of oxen when they are yoked together they handle the load together but for those of you who are perhaps married if you have to move something heavy and you're not able to call one of your boys over or something like that or call a mover and your wife says hey i'll help you you know that as a man you take the heavy part all you're basically looking for is balance but you you take the heavy part as it relates to the lord he took the burden of perfection he took the burden of the fulfilling the law he took the burden of all the things that we have to do and what he asked us to do to be yoke with him is trust him place our faith in him because he knew that we couldn't carry the pressure of perfection he knew that we couldn't carry the fulfillment of the law so he took that on him on the cross and in exchange for that by placing our faith in him he gives us his righteousness right standing and justification or vindication and so perhaps you're watching and you've been trying to figure out this entire time not just the time of this message but for your life you've been trying to figure out how is it that i can be right with god how is it that i can make sure that that when i die i stand before him how is it that i can have this relationship with god well i can tell you this it's not by works it's not by works it's not about what you do it's not by being good enough that's not how we are accepted by him we're accepted by god by his grace through faith it is a work that he does for us a work that we receive and i recognize it that may sound too good to be true to you but that is why it is called the gospel it is the good news it is the good news that god has done for you what you could not do for yourself and the only requirement he has of you that you place your faith in him allow him to do the work so i'm inviting those of you who are far from god you may not know that you're far from god but if you're not close to him you're far that's how you know but those of you who have yet to place your faith and trust in jesus christ you've been trying to live this life and hope that you do well enough and live good enough and do nice enough things and give enough charity and be nice to somebody and whatever hopefully trying to earn a favor that you don't actually deserve for the nature of your sin but i want you to know the love of jesus is greater than your sin it's greater than your shortcomings it's greater than your faults it's so great that before you came to him or the bible says while we were yet sinners in due time god sent christ to die for the ungodly when you weren't even thinking about him he was thinking about you he was making a way for you before you messed up so now that way is open the door is open this is the way the scripture describes it jesus talking says behold i stand at the door and knock and by his spirit he is knocking on the door of your heart right now this is not just me talking to you this is not soft music playing with this is the invitation of the lord saying will you let me in or will you continue to have a heart heart and look for another way jesus is the way so if you're a person right now you're watching me wherever you are around the world whether you're watching live or watching at another time this is your moment this is your moment no one can do this for you we can help you we can we can lead you we can show you a way to pray to open up your heart but ultimately it's a decision that you make to allow the holy spirit to do his work right now in your heart to not run from god but to run to him the bible says that god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life god did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved jesus didn't come to condemn you friend he came to save you he came to justify those who have placed faith in him to vindicate those who had placed faith in him to do for you which you could not do for yourself you say okay what let me stop doing these things first let me get myself together let me come back well here's the thing you don't get good to get god you get god and he makes you good here's the other thing we don't know when we'll have another chance we don't know when we'll have another moment so that's why the moment of salvation is right now so right now where you are if you're willing to stop running from god and run to him say this is the day i've decided that this is it i know that he loves me i'm going to accept and receive this love i'm not going to run from him anymore if that's you i want you to pray with me and the reason i want you to pray with me is because i recognize that some of you may not even know what to say right now but if you're willing to be open to open up your heart and say i need god pray with me it's not the prayer that saves us your faith in christ this is just giving you some language but wherever you are just pray these words with me and if you want you can pray your own prayer or you can repeat after me again it's not repetition of prayer that does it it's just believing in your heart and i need god and so i'm praying this prayer to invite him into my life and to surrender my life to him so would you pray with me just say this say father in the name of jesus i come to you just as i am i recognize that i've sinned against you even when i didn't know that i was sinning sometimes i did sometimes i didn't even know i was breaking your law but i do recognize that i need you now so today i surrender my life and everything i have to you because i believe that you are the son of god jesus you came you lived you died a perfect sinless life in my place and you rose again on the third day so that i could have new life in you so today again i place my faith and my trust completely in you not in my own way but in your way and with your help i'll live for you for the rest of my life i'm yours forever now in jesus name amen family if you prayed that prayer with me or some version of that prayer something that acknowledged that you need jesus something that acknowledged that you believe in jesus something that acknowledged that you surrendered to jesus have good news for you you are saved it is a work of the spirit and it doesn't mean that you know what to do right this second but at this moment there's a work of the spirit a miracle that has just taken place you've just passed some depth of life it's a resurrection that took place in your house or in your car or wherever you are and the scripture says that heaven is rejoicing so we rejoice with you but we don't want to leave you not knowing what to do and so if you would do this make a public declaration by putting in the chat hashtag which is the number sign i met jesus hashtag i met jesus if you would do that our moderators will be able to send you a link and give you some information so that you will know what to do next first steps in this walk with christ because we don't want to leave you alone i want you to know what to do and i want you to also know that you have gained a family yes the deeper family but whether you ever watch this stream or not whether you ever step inside the doors of this church we're still family we're brothers and sisters in christ whether we meet you in person on this side or not we are brothers and sisters in christ and we want to say congratulations to you because you made the best decision of your life because this decision lasts for eternity so congratulations to you family you are brothers and sisters in christ well we are so grateful for our time together and our time in the word grateful for pastor caleb bringing this word you and i family we will be vindicated but it is connected to resting we will be vindicated but it is connected to resting so don't continue striving and working to try to produce fruit to show for let god do the work it's a finished work let him do it let's continue to model this in our life this week not just physically we know we can do that physically but what we're hearing about is what we're doing internally with our inner man with our soul let's continue to model this and walk this out and watch god do some great things for us until next time same time same place next week we love you family [Music]

Channel: Deeper Fellowship Church

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Length: 85min 0sec (5100 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 27 2021