Hillsong Church - Content, Not Stuck

[Music] we're gonna sing joy to the world it's a new version we're gonna see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] kiss me [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] well come on Church I see this hands again let's sing this one out [Music] No you [Music] [Music] you [Music] you [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] come on for all the world Oh to love [Music] [Music] lighter [Music] [Music] let me go this morning we gather God to worship your name to glorify you to be honest with ourselves about how great you are and how much we need you and God we also know that you're so faithful that you're gracious and that you choose to meet with us right where we're at with arms stretched out high if the loudest same voices we have with hearts open to all that you have for us this morning we ask that you would have your way in every situation in every life god that we wouldn't take this moment for granted we would make the most of this moment to worship and to allow you to have your way [Music] you are making [Music] in the side you are breaking [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] come on let's take this opportunity [Music] can we begin to see [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] sois we'll see [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] come on now hilltop sir [Music] having to know the Holy Spirit is in this room the presence of God is in this room you bring the Holy Spirit with you when you come in here and I believe even now God can answer people's prayer miraculously people who need situations in families sorted out and fix maybe you didn't put a prayer request here but people here facing a domestic assured I mean domestic violence necessarily but I mean something happening in the home amongst your children a grown-up children small children inside a marriage of family whatever it is I'm gonna believe God right now to move in families lift your hand if you need a miracle and your family father in Jesus name you see those whose hands are raised here those who are watching online father those who are watching from other locations lord I just thank you right now that you work in families and you bring miracles lord I thank you the family is your idea you are named of Lord Jesus and we believe right now for the Holy Spirit to already have gone before a specific situation read healing and Reconciliation turning young people to salvation Lord seen you work in intervened and the families of the people of our church we believe it in Jesus name we thank you in Jesus name in Jesus name you need healing in your body that sickness trying to hold you in affliction but you raise your hand we're gonna believe for healing lord I just thank you in Jesus name you are a healer Lord we know you are a healer and we speak health and healing into people's lives here every sickness every symptom every disease every pain we bring before you love by your stripes we were here we are here we Lord coz live in the healing you've already made possible for us so lord I just thank you in Jesus name we believe the painterly we believe the sickness digger will Eve believe the disease to shrivel up and die we believe father for you to have your way in the lives of your people amen amen [Music] [Music] [Music] wonder who has big decisions to make in 2018 it's kind of vexing that's something that could cause anxiety this you're gonna make some big calls about 2018 we're going to be praying here Hills campus at least next weekend our anointing service train specifically for your 2018 that it will be covered with the blessing of God promise of God we're looking forward to that but I love right now just you got your decisions to make and it's kind of vexing fun let's come in here would you raise your hand no and a protein you guys have spoiler Lord you see those again whose hands are raised we thank you Lord that the Holy Spirit Lord is and comforta manners have guide I believe for direction Lord real Holy Spirit direction Lord them you was put into people's hearts the right word the right thought the right thing Lord make the right choice and let me just thank you for we believe you in it and I believe father the people will know they heard from heaven Lord we just thank you now and lord I pray for every one of these prayer requests every sickness and disease here father Lord every physical need every material need every spiritual need we say have your way amongst these means love people faithfully bring their prayer requests they make their petition knowing to you and Lord you answer those Lord we just thank you right now in advance that every single situation we can trust you with so we claim promised victory breakthrough new beginnings in Jesus name [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] great to have you in church big warm welcoming especially if you happen to be visiting we love to have visitors at Hillsong Church hope you feel at home yep make it your place amazing put your feet up during the sermon sit back enjoy say the odd Amen so I feel like you're there with me and close eyes and pray just try not to snore you're welcome it's great to have you here look lots of praise reports always and someone's thinking God for a successful cataract surgery and people are thanking God for the way he's blessed them this year and you know people are thanking God for the sisterhood United Night and some of what has come from that and lots of other things people testifying a blessing and of healing which we always love to see praising God for healing of my nephew who was back at home safe and healthy so they're thanking God for healing hey come on there's all sorts of praise reports here yet why don't we give the Lord a big bang you guys say hi to someone greet them you got 15 cents second mingle [Music] discounted that's fantastic we'll grab a seat grab a seat do you believe it's just I think it's about three weeks till Christmas and it's gone so fast well tell you what Christmas is a big deal and as a church what I'm holding in my hand is to stuff the bus bag and if you've been coming to our church you know what this is about this is about our Christmas appeal and the food that you bring in from these bags goes together and put towards hampers which we put together and give Tillet reasons of families the other thing we do is we bring in toys and so it's we're in need of actually teenage toys for boys and girls so it'd be great Church if we can just land all those we want to be able to get them out as soon as we can and really help make a difference is Christmas - otherwise what would be a tough Christmas for many families the other thing about Christmas is our Christmas Spectacular our Christmas Spectacular a lot of people have been asking you is it different this year and yes it's actually gonna be different this year completely different Christmas Carol spectacular I know about you but I was growing fond of those three guys on the video I was really enjoying them but oh well they've gone and we're into something completely new so which that's gonna be great what you can do is you can get online best way to get your tickets plan your Christmas season you can just go online press the app and you'll get your Christmas Spectacular tickets that way look if you haven't got that set up you can go out the Foy's grab your tickets we got Friday nights said though we've got Sunday sessions they're filling up so make sure you get them for you and your family and that would be great are you ready you excited it's gonna be a great Christmas hey we're gonna continue our worship with Peter tugs and he's going to come and encourage us around our giving so thanks Peter thank you Sam who loves the Christmas season it's great isn't it well as Sam said we're gonna continue in our worship right now and come around our tires our offering so you can go ahead and prepare for that behind me there's a few ways you can give and I think the apps are really cool ways so you can do that no pressure at all if you're new or visiting so hey let me encourage you with this thought as you prepare proverbs 18 16 it's going to come up behind me on the screens it says a gift opens way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great love that other translation says a gift makes room for the giver you see what we're doing right now is a church as individuals as families as as a marriage we are making room for God's blessing in our lives no doubt God's going to pour out such a blessing room enough that you you won't have any room but that's where we've got to make room in our lives in that He pours out his blessing and that's what this moment is about is making room for the loss to come home making room for his blessing in our life making room for his plans and his purposes on Friday night I was on the property and I was watching willows School Concert and the school comes and has their School Concert in this facility right here and it's amazing and it's incredible and our next door the youth were having their programs and over here at the hub the multicultural ID thousands of people on property and people walking around looking at the Christmas lights five hundred thousand light bulbs I'm told which is pretty incredible and do you know what that comes through the faithfulness and diligence of God but also the faithfulness of the people here who've sacrificed week-in week-out it's funny on the Friday night I talked to one of willows classmates and he said do you work here and I said yeah he's like he was just blown away because he was looking around this facility and he was just amazed and I think more than just bricks and mortar it's about making room for more people to find home and find belonging amen so with that in mind I'm gonna pray and if you don't have anything to give just borrow something from someone next to you pay them back next week it's all good we're one big family here at Hillsong Church father thank you so much for Lord people that are gathered here thank you for marriages households businesses Lord individuals children here god that choose to put you first God as we make room for you in our lives may you pour out such blessing God in allies and we see something incredible happen in our lives in Jesus name I pray and everyone said amen amen okay Thank You hosts why don't we give it up for our hosts as well as they give as they give as they serve us and as they give hey we're going to go to Church news yes Church is I'm killing this this is amazing we're gonna go to church news and then off the back of church news come on let's honor the word right now Pastor Brian is going to be bringing the word as well which is going to be awesome check out the screens [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] well it's Christmas that we love Christmas and we want you to be at a Christmas Spectacular it is a brand-spanking-new shutter never been seen before hey why don't you do any comfort bring lots of friends and people with it [Music] hi church our team have prepared these beautiful Christmas baubles as a gift from our church to you but also to the people in your world so after the service if you want to grab a whole lot of these in the foyer you can take them out and give them as an invite to all that's happening in church this Christmas season and leave them with the message of peace Merry Christmas church [Music] 2015 was a very hard to you for us because our a friend lost his job it was made redundant and my grandmother passed away and when she passed away just hit me so hard you know um so I didn't work Frank was not working and so we're living off our savings and so Kim Christmas time you know we had to be choose what was more important you know you know with things and we had our friends visiting us from South Africa as well would place a bit of pressure on us and I remember praying doesn't anything and hope it got us here Mia was in the car and another 24th person team and cake holders and when they presented us with the stuff the bus helped ah ah my eyes were drawn straight today Christmas pudding the custard all is and chips I I felt God's love for that in that moment ah I knew God loved me but in that moment I knew that got really really loved me and cared about me so deeply that he had me ask him for that Christmas pouring and Cosette [Music] how beautiful is that story from our West Melbourne Melbourne West Campus with Tim and Kathy Michael are at campus past was there and she mentioned them in the story Lobby just show me a verse right now so I thought I'd come and show you this is not my pink Bible it's Bobby's and it's the passion Bible it's actually the Psalms and proverbs Bobby loves this the passion version of translation but listen to what it says in this verse there's problems 18 verse 20 sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being it encourages you to know that you've changed someone else's life you know that's what preaching is all about it's all about changing other people's lives helping be able to grow and go forward and helping sometimes for us to see things through the Holy Spirit working prompting in our own hearts and so on and I always see preaching is a great honor a chance to speak life into people and hopefully help keep nudging people towards all that God's got for them in Jesus now I'm gonna read it one more time sharing words of wisdom is satisfying to your inner being and it is it's very fulfilling it encourages you to know that you've changed someone else's life could you pass that to my wife okay because if it doesn't get back to her I'd be in huge trouble fantastic okay across the whole church every location wherever you guys are big hello to everyone Merry Christmas it's really into that season now we're in December our college students Hillsong college students have already graduated and somewhere close to 2,000 college students mostly on this campus and in the city campus here in Sydney and so they're often about and headed home to wherever and we'll come back and full force next year which we're looking forward to course some of the students are still here and we're glad you are because place is never the same without you and you're all here look at you and you look good and tonight is going to be an amazing night across all campuses where we have Sunday services it's going to be an amazing night because we're not just having communion we're gonna have a real special communion moment it's gonna be beautiful and powerful and I've got a new message to preach tonight which I'm excited about looking forward about looking forward to and we're also graduating even in college students here all sorts of good things happening so so you're there see you there if you watch cricket tonight when churches on your side's gonna collapse if you come here and pray well the crickets on your team against break records is gonna be amazing just to see what would happen I'm actually talking to myself I'm pretty the only one here who even cares about the cricket anyone else in the whole place care about the cricket that's a few of us look at that fantastic all right well looks like you guys don't want to listen to me you want to start worshiping the Lord side we're gonna stay and we're gonna worship God together and never gonna receive the Word of God come on let's sing this song together everyone [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] make your father that you're working in us constantly Lord that we have the opportunity to be vessels and offerings used by you the Lord we come with so little we come with nothing and Lord all that you give us I can only pray you'll be filled with gratitude and I pray again today your word does speak life into people and thank you for the honor and the privilege in Jesus name Amen amen across the whole church every location let's be seated perfect thank you content not stuck content means what's going on inside of me is not going to be ruled by what's going on around me or on the outside of me contentment is a settling down has not been resigned and blandly accepting things as unchangeable and your lot in life content doesn't mean that in a flawed ID a concept of God's sovereignty either that God just dishes out what he dishes out and I just suck it up and that's all there is to it contentious in a sufficiency in adequacy in a satisfaction and paucity had learned Philippians four he learned to be content maybe it doesn't come so naturally maybe it's something we have to learn one of the things about wisdom is that you learned and I know whether you've ever been stuck I mean right now there are people listening to me and in life you feel stuck feel stuck in a situation maybe you feel stuck in a relationship feel stuck when it comes to your job or your career or just feel stuck when it comes to your spiritual life and I don't know whether you've ever been stuck in real life like in a vehicle like in a car I have and not just once he would think that maybe you would learn lessons I've been stuck in sand on a big long sandy beach and of course when you're stuck the more you spend your wheels what happens the deeper the hole the more stuck you become well you know some people in life are like that they're kind of stuck in a situation and the more they spin their wheels the more they dig themselves into a hole well thank God that we have wisdom and listen carefully that we in life can wisdom our way forward we can wisdom our way out we can wisdom our way onwards I love the fact that wisdom builds lives the Bible says a builds the house says it's the print small thing it says it's better than silver or gold the Bible talks about wisdom and since eventually shouts in the marketplace the marketplace where you do business where you do trade where you're going to work every day wisdom is shouting at you sometimes we're so distracted sometimes we're so caught up in other things that we don't even see wisdom when it's shouting at us when it's right there before us so you don't have to live your life stuck wisdom is a gift from God that can lead you on words and upwards and of all he has for you and wisdom and insight and the same thing wisdom is a way of seeing listen to proverbs 16 verse 16 get wisdom it's worth more than money choose insight over income every time wisdom no barber says get that it's worth more to you than money or income choose insight the ability to see into things through the power of the Holy Spirit over income every time that's what Solomon did Solomon he was told by God he could ask for anything and second chronicles chapter 1 and this is what Solomon says I just want wisdom there are they lead these great people of yours and God's in me you could have asked for anything Solomon you could have asked the money you could have asked for riches you could have asked for fame you could have asked for the life of your enemies you could have asked for long life but you didn't you asked for wisdom he said because you asked for wisdom I'm going to grant you wisdom but not only am I going to grant you wisdom I'm going to bless you with all these other things as well all the things that you ranked below wisdom because wisdom will often bring into your life the things that people pursue and try to try to obtain through their own endeavors their own efforts rather knowing the power and the value of godly wisdom so I'm talking about not living stuck I'm talking about wisdom with wisdom een there's a word for you wisdom een your way forward wisdom ease your way onwards tell someone next to you have you been living your life wisdom II you're so obedient you do everything you're told hey listen to it there's three ways of seeing that I talk to our staff about this week ones hindsight hindsight it's probably the easiest everyone becomes an expert with hindsight the others inside go and row the foresight hindsight you see the significance of something once it's gone and foresight you can see and understand the significance of something that's still ahead in sight you see the significance of what's behind the scenes what's under the surface literally within sight you can see in two situations when Moses Farrow all of that whole story in Exodus when God called Moses and said I'm gonna call you to let my people go Pharaoh help people bound in Egypt setting the scene Sunday school story rarely but setting the seat it's a real story not just a sunday-school story but so fairer he's holding people as he's a slave master the people are being held against their wishes the scripture talks about taskmasters burdens too heavy to bear and so that was the condition and Moses God spoke to him since you're gonna let my people go you're gonna leave my people forward and so Moses was able to say to Pharaoh let my people go well listen in the story Moses I mean Pharaoh everybody say Pharaoh Pharaoh didn't even have hindsight I mean he didn't even get a ground base because he had so many opportunities to say to Moses all right you can take the people you can go here one chance after the other God started sending plagues the first thing that happened is the water was turned to blood people turned on their taps but the whole water system had been turned to blood imagine that for a wake-up call you turn on the tap and blood comes out well there was a starting point but with hindsight that didn't change Pharaoh and so then there was a chance for the plague of flies for ferry to change his mind a plague of flies in Australia we just call that summer Australian salute they call it hey and then well that didn't seem to work and said there was lice yuck and there was boils yuk yuk yuk he only ever had to have had a boil to know you never want another one and they tend to come and sense well the people were plagued by boils that didn't see no it didn't learn from hindsight there's diseased animals there was hail there was all sorts of other things came against them until ultimately but there was frogs and even finally when the land was taken over by frogs it's Australia again cane toads we call it Queensland bedside even then got it fair it was asked when are you gonna let my people go he said tomorrow he's still procrastinating it's an exodus chapter 8 so he didn't even learn from hindsight the people had no foresight they saw the obstacle the Red Sea they said we were you brought us out here we would be better off in Egypt than mean brought out here to die they had no foresight whatsoever and even Moses laid inside he couldn't see what God could see God said to Moses I'm going to use you to take my people there to bondage and take them toward a Promised Land and Moses he can't see what God can see goes well Who am I actual words Who am I and then he said people are going to ask me who sent me what shall I tell them who are you who am i who are you he's like they're not gonna listen who's going to listen to me and then he said I'm not eloquent I'm of slow speech and a slow tongue which in the Hebrew it's quite amazing when you realize it actually means I've got a New Zealand accent I never shocking to me when I saw that to finally says scene send someone else you say hindsight foresight an insight a wonderful thank God for Jesus obviously as the Son of God he's out for an Amiga and he knows the end from the beginning but as a man Jesus had hindsight he would speak of the Old Testament prophets and the Apostle Paul and others obviously spoke of the Old Testament prophets messianic Psalms and Isaiah the stubbing years io9 for unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given etc so there was hindsight involved and you'd have to say those prophets they definitely had foresight because I was speaking things to come and then Jesus he has foresight he spoke of the Holy Spirit if I don't come the comforter won't come and so starts talking about the Holy Spirit II spoke before of his crucifixion and the disciples didn't like it but he began to speak of had his pending death and resurrection and ultimately through a vision to John he basically speaks the whole of the book of Revelation talking about things to come talking about the end of time and so on and so we serve a savior who has hindsight foresight and insight what about you what about where you're stuck right now I wonder what situation in your life well you need to believe God number one to learn from hindsight the Apostle Paul learned to be content and I think that really life gives us the chance to learn hindsight gives us so many chances to learn and I said just very recently there's three different ways people bernd there's the easy way which is what learning from your own mistakes there's the hard way which is learning from other people's mistakes and there's a tragic way and what's the tragic way when you don't learn from any of these things you don't learn from hindsight you don't learn from foresight that's the tragic way because you get stuck you get stuck outside of all that God has prepared for you and so let's be people who at least know the power and value of learning through hindsight it is funny isn't it virtually everybody is an expert in hindsight higher I saw that you know I wondered about that I thought that I yeah well you didn't say a word up till now it's amazing how good we all are with hindsight we had a situation happen in our church but really across Australia where a young person was very very very well known in Christian circles and a worship leader and songwriter and so on got sick got horribly sick with a terminal disease and over the next two or three years people gave money people went round cut his lawns and looked after his place people dropped them at the hospital and would pick him up several hours later he wrote a song right around that time I believe you're my healer and we just put their song out on one of our live albums for the year and not just right after it came out within a month it turns out that the whole story was made up there was a fraud he wasn't sick at all there was the whole thing he would even have oxygen bottles and so on and the whole thing was a fraud well you know something over those years I never even heard one person anywhere say I think there's something wrong here not even one I've heard of it I was duped I went to his house with a very very famous Australian celebrity by the way we're praying for him and spending time with in there and so I didn't see it coming but afterwards it's amazing how many people not just here but around the country oh you know I saw that it was obvious there was something know who was saying that before but hindsight hindsight we should learn from it I think it's a gift from God then we can take experience we can take things that work well and the things that didn't go so well and with the use of hindsight we learn we grow and we go forward and it's actually a really really good thing listen you might think they're just getting old we'll make you wiser I wish that was true unless we learn and we make changes through hindsight usually older age just accentuates whatever the weaknesses and the vulnerabilities are in your life so in other words someone who's got stuff they don't deal with on the inside and you think that they're gonna mature their way out of it grow out of it an actual fact unless we learn godly wisdom from hindsight then you'll just find as you get older it starts having an even bigger impact on your family and on the people around and about you and on your own life and the fallout becomes even greater any lie who knew that Eli who was speaking to jobs comforters jobs comforters for anything but comfort us but they're called comforters they filled him up with so much defeat and so much negativity and started to blame him for his boils for the fact that he was sick they just pointed the finger and they didn't do anything to really help job in his situation and so a young guy caught elihue job 32 verse 6 listen to what it says this is what Eli who's son of Berrocal the buzz right a bow tie goods there do you know any buzz rights we called that's actually flies as well well listen I'm I'm a young man he says and you're all old and experienced that's why I kept quiet and held back from joining the discussion I kept thinking experience will tell that the longer you live the wising you become but I see I was wrong it's God's Spirit in a person the breath of the almighty one that makes wise human insight what wise human insight possible moving right ahead the experts have no corner on wisdom getting old doesn't guarantee good sense so I've decided to speak up listen well I'm gonna tell you exactly what I think getting old doesn't guarantee good sense when I get old a long time away I hope I at least knew the value of hindsight so I don't get stuck in some dysfunction or some other thing that's gonna try to rob me or rule me anybody in the house they build this stage and they put this barrier here so I can't come down you know I like to come down and stir everybody up but they're making it harder and harder this looks dangerous it's making it harder and harder for that to be possible listen to me my friends at least let's learn from hindsight you worked for me one time looking after my yard yes wrong person sorry laughter there was that guy Randall net Randall no Francisco well from Portugal yeah I knew I knew yes obvious maybe is prophetic maybe it's foresight maybe one day you will work for me who knows then again maybe I'll end up working for you we just don't know we just don't know do we well hindsight foresight the ability to see ahead imagine the decisions that we would have made if we just could have seen further down the road imagine the things that we would have avoided if we just lifted up our eyes and looked further down the road foresight is a gift from God and wisdom through the Holy Spirit can give our lives for sight if we can go into a new year believing the Holy Spirit to give us foresight to be able to see forward to be able to see what is ahead to be able to see I don't have to go back around the long way to get back up there and so just take a moment take a moment make yourself a cup of tea I'll be there soon fantastic okay that's why I exercise done for the day well listen to it second Peter chapter 1 verse 9 it talks about not living your life short-sighted it does it says listen to it verse 9 2nd Peter chapter 1 for he who likes these things the things that is talking about are pretty well things that relate to the fruit of the Spirit things like virtue in faith and brotherly love and kindness and all these sorts of things and it says in verse 9 for he who likes these things is short-sighted even to blindness and has forgotten what he has cleansed what he has cleansed that forgotten scuse me that he is cleansed it's amazing how quickly people can forget it's amazing how quickly we live our lives short-sighted some people in this room and wherever else you guys are some people are short-sighted other people are long sided if I've got it around the right way I think I'm long cited I've always been able to see Wow in the distance and when I was much younger I was also short sighted 20/20 I mean I also could see fantastic right there and one day I said to my older sister I got perfect eyes I can see I can read this sign way up there and she goes yes but can you read this and my instant reaction was to do that and I suddenly realized for the first time that my eyes weren't what they used to be I used to preach and read the Bible and I read it here and over a few years it was a year and here in here and then I had to hold it so far out there that I realized I had no choice but to get glasses well I hate glasses I don't hate your glasses heal glasses no no I hated me having glasses they were always crooked I would sit on them on aeroplanes they were dirty I would lose them I would sit on my nose crooked because my ears don't line up properly I mean I hated glasses so I tried contact lenses but I didn't like contact lenses because for a start I would get so frustrated trying to get the stupid things into my eyes and no one likes just touching their eye and so you'd have to clean them you'd have to do all that stuff and so I was always long sided I could see the beach I could see the ocean but when I had to come to contact lenses yes I could read there but it totally compromised the distance all of a sudden it was blurry and so disoriented me so I used wisdom I basically took one contact lens out kept the other one in him and everything's perfect it's perfect I wisdom my way forward so literally true right now I've got a contact lens in this eye nothing in that eye from this eye I can see what color your shirt is in the back there those of you who think you're hiding from me and with this eye I can't even see anything up there but I can read it's perfect it's a perfect solution well here's the thing about contact lenses you have to put them in the right way there's a right way anyone who has contacts knows what I'm talking about in a wrong way if you put them in inside out I did that once and then drove my car and every other car have four headlights that was the most like how I got there safe I don't know I thought man I don't think I'm drunk anything because that's what it felt like it was it was like literally every car have four headlights that was disorienting totally and then one time I was in a aeroplane and the Louvre in the bathroom and I was trying to put in a contact lens I hold it up to the light to make sure I had it the right way around but as I held it up there it winds up straight up the exhaust man I never saw it again so many people they live their lives short-sided they they just don't look far enough down the road the most frustrating drivers to to drive with to be in the car with when you're a renowned backseat driver which is not me because I'm always in their front seat so but I do wind up with our team and staff tell them the best lessons are learned in the car which other people would translate a ridiculously controlling backseat driver well here's the thing there's nothing more frustrating than when you in the outside lane the right lane summons indicate a win on 400 meters ago I mean 500 yards ago someone's indicator went on in front and you were just looking further up the road you'd have time to just put on the indicator look in the rear-vision mirror have a little check there nicely move lanes not even have to slow in the slightest go straight past but without any foresight people drive up like this they're just inside that bubble they just inside that car and then when it's too late and trying to change it in almost causing accidents hey let's have people live their lives people live their lives like that Jesus told us own disciples lift up your eyes see the fields see the fields they are ripe they are ripe for harvest as John chapter 4 verse 35 they're saying he's saying don't what say for months and then the harvest have a look look further down the road this is how to live your life lift up your eyes don't get so focused here in the circumstance in this situation that you're stuck here it's amazing with the Holy Spirit's help if we can lift up our eyes look at John 4:35 do you not say they are still four months there's four months and then comes the harvest behold I say to you lift up your eyes see the fields and it amazing it would seem that perhaps they hadn't even seen those fields and the word of the Lord has just lift up your eyes the psalmist he talked about lifting up his eyes listen to what he says Psalm 121 verse 1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills this is the powerful part from whence comes my help I wonder if you are looking far enough down the road to see where help is coming from to remember who you help her is that the Holy Spirit yes he's a comforter but he's also a guide and he's also called helper you see if we just live our lives believing God for direction and you can develop some foresight man for sight is a powerful powerful gift you know when we started this church 34 years ago and after the story so many times there was 70 of us first week and it quickly grew down to 45 in the first month and before that Bobby and I had actually started to other churches we started when I was 26 she was 23 a church of the Central Coast and that church is still there today it's an air another got an incredible church facility and they do amazing community work and it's pastored by a couple chord in and Yvonne's Erna so it's still there to this day that was a 1980 then the next year 1981 we started a church in Liverpool which is in the western suburbs of Sydney and they actually had been a church there but it has fallen into such disrepair that were literally only three old ladies left in the church and the first Sunday there I removed the plastic flowers out of the basses and moved the huge great monstrosity of a pulpit and so two of the three old ladies left that's how we started you know the interesting thing is both of those churches the one on the Central Coast the one in Liverpool actually grew quicker in those very first few weeks then the one here at Hills which now is known as Hillsong but after four weeks here I knew this was a future Hino wasn't how many people but it was the gold that was in the people there was something about the people after four weeks there was nothing naturally speaking I was looking out really in a rabble we were all young we were all inexperienced we were all green hey I didn't even know really what I was doing preaching because I used to preach out and use the live things and ice to preach out doing staff or do Sunday night type things I never had to teach people week by week by week by week by week so at first I thought all is safe well I guess some people would look back now with hindsight sour you could always see but you couldn't you couldn't they're filming you couldn't see then what God was going to do and you know I think God that he did give me enough foresight to see there's a future here for Bobby and I but that's all I knew but thank God I knew that thank God that my eyes were looking for are enough down the road to be able to see that to be able to know that because look what we would have missed out on if I hadn't have had the holy spirit able to talk to my spirit and say this is the way forward for you this is the future and then of course within sight well then so you actually see the gold that's there you actually can see I mean we couldn't see but God could see he had insight into the potential into the possibilities God could see that's why David prayed in Psalm 139 search me O God and know my heart he said see if there be any hurtful way in me he knew that God he didn't just look from the outside and make surface judgments he could see what was in us hindsight foresight foresight is to not live our lives short-sighted it looks further up the road the prodigal father's the prodigal sons father the prodigal sons father he definitely had foresight and how do I know because when the prodigal son had so misses life up in the big city that the scripture says he was destitute he came to his senses literally assist he came to his right mind and so with his thinking sorted out he starts heading back to his father and there's what the Bible says when he was still a long way off his father saw him ran to him kissed him and hug him or welcomed him back into the family if he hadn't been looking far enough down the road he would never have seen a long way off when things come your way in life and I ain't hitting you in the face before you see it let's believe the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom to live with high insight we learn from whatever has happened before good or bad with foresight and then ultimately with insight because insight also is a gift from God Jesus taught in parables and he told his disciples why he did that simple simple stories of very ordinary everyday things like fishing and farming and planting crops and and growing vineyards etc and he told his disciples why he did it listen Matthew 13 verse 13 therefore a speak to them in parables because seeing they do not see and hearing they do not hear I speak to them in parables do you know in the message it says that that's why I tell stories to create readiness to nudge the people toward receptive insight to not just award insight what a gift from God insight is some people they're looking at something that I still can't see it that's men could be like that I'm like that with the pantry I say to Bobby where's the hot English mustard it's on there right in front of you I'm going that's not there just go next there Brian oh where is that she goes right in front of you it's not there it's there so you know what happens she comes looks where I'm looking and with some kind of weird magic trick suddenly it's right there where she said it was seen but you cannot say you know in sight what you see is so much more significant so much deeper than what happens when we just live our lives we can see something but we're oblivious to its potential we're oblivious to what might be inside of that and what it may actually be able to bring in our lives people live their lives oblivious you know wisdom and insight they're the same thing probably 10 13 your farm wisdom on the lips of a person of insight you're what find wisdom on the mouth of somebody who's living with insight being able to see into a situation and we try to do that in her own strength and we can mess it all up but with the Holy Spirit and all the promises surrounding who the Holy Spirit is and what he does in our lives to bring direction and to bring insight it's powerful you see inside it sees what no one else can see inside seize the golden people I want to be that kind of pasta I don't want to just see the flaws and the dirt I want to go gold-digging I want to see the golden people and see the part deceived God can water and do something beautiful with so easy to see people's flaws and judge people by their flaws in sight it saves you from a lot because within sight you get the sense something's not right here something's not right you get a sense within sight in a crisis what a gift why David some 16 he said my heart instructs me in the night season one thing we know about night time is it's pretty hard to see isn't it I mean it's hard to see you start seeing things that aren't even there and you start living so that you can't see in David he asked God for the kind of heart that would instruct him when he just couldn't see which way to go you know that's what insight does for you it shows you when you just don't know which way to go God can give you insight seek the Holy Spirit believe the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and see and to be able to see into things the golden people you know when something's not right every now and then you'll see maybe a marriage just blow up and right before that happened one of the partners the behavior just started to change just out of character there suddenly isolate people and become a little more distant and start hanging with different people maybe you're cutting off people who they'd been close to some of this changes and and you know where did that come from and it didn't come from nowhere one of the beautiful things about insight in our own marriages and relationships is we don't wait till something's hitting us in the face till we try to make changes we understand the importance of seeing into and being able to see further down the road amen inside doesn't just see the thing the inside sees the thing behind the thing will see the thing inside the thing we can see the thing but whatever that if you can strip it back and see inside that thing that's a way to find answers that's a way to move forward that's a way not to live your life stuck you may be content let's believe that you are but you don't have to by being content just okay I'm stuck here I don't think that's true wisdom your way forward wisdom your way forward wisdom your way common wisdom your way forward you got the Holy Spirit listen to that still small voice learn to back yourself if you're the Holy Spirit your guide step into the great unknown sometimes believed God to give you insight you know you look at a Bible verse you read it on the surface you do your daily read in you gonna read a chapter and you just gloss over it you might see a little bit in it but have you ever just tried staring at that verse and then staring some more and they're staring some more and then meditating on it have you ever noticed that when you do that suddenly you start seeing layers that you didn't see the first time I love that I love how you meditate on the scriptures and you start seeing depth and layers and it's powerful well you know sometimes that's how to live your life with inside with the Word of God yes but just stare at things a little longer don't get distracted don't get style you know starts trucking the lights don't get struck in the lights fell sometimes you just need to look at something and pray and seek God the more you look at it the more he reveals the way forward to you hey life so much can be avoided if we believe God for godly wisdom wisdom builds the house doesn't it wisdom builds the house nice guitar awesome I always wanted a white guitar with gold knobs fantastic father I thank you that you lead us of wisdom help us Lord not to live stuck but to wisdom our way forward to understand you give hindsight Lord we can learn from whatever is gone before and we can move on and grow through it Lord I pray we will look further up the road live our lives with godly foresight Lord not be blinded by simply not looking far enough ahead Lord I just believe above all else that you'll give us the kind of insight that is wisdom the kind of wisdom that makes a way where there is no way and takes us on Lord and takes us up in a wall that you have for us lord I just thank you for that now in Jesus name hey man come on ass Stan let's worship right across the church every location let's worship together [Music] lift your voice Church the singer boldly the basic line [Music] yeah [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] what a great message that was this morning why don't we thank Pastor Brian and every service every single weekend we give people the opportunity to meet Jesus their Savior and we're gonna do that right now in this moment so if every eye closed every head bowed ask you one question do you know Jesus do you know Jesus he knows you is a plan and a purpose for you he laid down his life willingly for this moment for you to connect with him for him to forgive you to bring freedom into your life to pour out his favor on who you are and what your about him on your future so I wonder this morning if in this moment you could step into the destiny that he has for you he loves you he's got a great plan and a purpose for you and this morning I'm believing they're gonna be many many people who are gonna respond to the loving grace of a heavenly father and accept this free gift of salvation that not only can change and alter you today and your tomorrow but can alter your eternity and with every eye closed and every head bowed I'm gonna count to three and I wonder if you this morning courageously with a whole bunch of other people could respond to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ this is your moment this is the moment that the Heavenly Father's been waiting for for you to step into this relationship with him he's not austere he's not distant he's not just a religious God he's a personal God and he's so deeply wants a relationship with you so at the count of three all I'm going to ask you to raise your hand high enough or long enough for me to see it and I'll include you in this prayer that we as a whole church family will pray together so you're ready the count of three one all you need to do is raise your hand and you can put it back down again to be ready three beautiful many many people right across the auditorium maybe you're away from the Lord and you know that today is the day you need to make a choice and step back into all that he has for you come on just in this moment we should raise your hand that's it beautiful you put your hands back down again come on church let's pray this prayer together let's pray it together as a church family with faith and let's pray it with a celebratory attitude with all those people that are praying it for the very first time are you ready dear Jesus turn all together dear Jesus I come to you as I am thank you for dying on the cross for my sin forgive me thank you for being raised again and I thank you for your life I think you're gonna come in to my life and live with me help me in Jesus name Amen amen one end [Music] and of course we're believing many of you and the other locations also just prayed that prayer and so well I just love the faith of the Lord's there and the Lord's here and the Holy Spirit there and the Holy Spirit are you talking about foresight when people make a choice to give their lives to Christ and serve Him that's really and really is living your life with inside and turn what life is actually about and who life is actually about foresight to say I'm putting my eternity and my future in the hands of a living God it's pretty powerful so what we would love to do is to gift every single person whether you prayed that prayer for the very first time or whether you've prayed it before but today something clicked on the inside we love to give to this Bible a New Testament magazine formatted Bible and in all the foyers and lobbies in all locations in all our campuses there gonna be people waving this Bible around they're trying to get your attention because they would love to give to this on the back there's a small little card with a couple of details that we'd love you to fill in so we can help you step up from here take your next step so thank you all your piece and kind [Music] [Applause] Oh [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] ah so beautiful so beautiful let me pray for you never pray a benediction then we pray for the week ahead this time of year we're really starting to pray for the whole year ahead which is powerful father I think you you're blessed people and you keep them in there your face your favour your grace shines upon them blood I just thank you that in the countenance of the Lord is you smile lord I just thank you this week no matter what's going on in people's world that you're gracious to us that you're merciful that you're merciful that you are filled with love and mercy of peace and kindness I speak those things into people's lives let's wait maybe a week a breakthrough how we can you begin in a week of victory a week of tremendous stare testimony tremendous stories of the goodness of God love we trust our life with you I thank you for people coming this morning and being a part of our church family we go in the name of the Lord we say to be God be glorified in Jesus name Amen we'll see you guys tonight looking forward to it well before we go out judge I'm gonna do one more song the phrase [Music] this is no performance lord I praise worship words I can [Music] [Music] kidding [Music] [Music] - yes [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] be blessed church have a great afternoon a mercy hitting on

Channel: Hillsong Church

Views: 34,505

Rating: 4.8983831 out of 5

Keywords: jesus, hillsong, praise, worship, Brian Houston

Id: lZyTVCqWKNY

Length: 88min 15sec (5295 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 02 2017