The Pursuit | 05.10.20 | Sunday 11AM

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] hey friends welcome to another incredible day here at the pursuit online campus we're so glad to be joined by you and your family this morning hey just as a reminder we have special content for kids that will be rolling immediately following today's service so if you have kids or you you feel like a kid or you act like a kid why don't you stay on the broadcast immediately following today's service we're going to have special kids content from pastor Hilary god bless thanks again for joining us this morning boy thank you Father [Music] the key my heart be the mountain where fountain I drink from Oh is my song let the king of my heart be the shadow where I my friend oh here's my fall good who you are oh come on tell him you are yes you are good [Music] let the key my heart be the wind beside myself the yeah here's my song let the key my heart be the fire inside my [Music] Wow [Music] [Music] [Music] every season everything baby when I can [Music] come on right where you're at this morning come on lift those hands or less deeply you're never gonna let you're never gonna let me die are never gonna let you never gone let me die declare it or never gonna let you never go let me down [Music] I'm never gonna let you're never gonna let come on declare it over your family today you're never go let me die [Applause] [Music] [Music] never you are [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] I know York always good you're good always good always so good [Music] you are he moving in army I work should be I will she [Music] you are he working in is please I will she be [Music] I wish if you said again you are you are he moving in army I worship you I worship [Music] you are here working in I worship oh I will [Music] as you are we make miracle-working promised keep light in the darkness my god that is who you oh you are way make a miracle-worker promise keep light in the darkness my god that is who you you are he touching every heart [Music] should be I will she [Music] you are here Oh I wish to be who I would see you are [Applause] turn Eliezer [Music] you are he every Oh cuz you because miracle can't promise people light in the dark [Music] we make [Music] that is [Music] oh you we make a miracle but not in the that is who you [Music] we make a miracle misty put light in the darkness my god [Music] that is to you that is you that is who you are that is who you are oh I know that is who you that is who you is who you that is who you [Music] when I don't see it you're working even when I don't feel it you're working and never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working even when I don't see it you're working even when I don't feel it you're working you never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working I don't see it you're working the I don't feel it you're working never stop you never stop working you never stop you never stop working [Music] I don't see you [Music] never stop call you never stop working never stop you've never stopped and I don't feel I don't feel it you were gay you've never stopped working never stop never stop working your work [Music] you're working don't see it you're worthy [Music] don't feed you worthy don't feel like you were [Music] you never smile [Music] bacon spirit right in the dark man that is [Music] make miracle workers promise people [Music] we make Miracle Whip promise keeper light in the darkness my god that is who you are you are we make miracle work promise Kiba light in the darkness my god that is who you are that is who you are that is who you that is too that is who you are even - that is Hugh that is who you that is who you it's who you are it's who you are Jesus even in the dark even in the pain it's who you are my setbacks my heel that is who you are that is to you that is who you are that is who you that is who you that is who you that is who you that is who you [Music] there [Music] cuz you came Oh [Music] there would be [Music] we'll give you [Music] [Music] more than [Music] repeated [Music] [Laughter] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] ooh [Music] give it all [Music] you came [Music] [Music] [Music] no phone you in [Music] you would be there [Music] often arms and often hard you fool me unless I once believed they crumble [Music] at the way [Music] and we fear the grimoire heart his arrester so they like [Music] sighs [Music] I believe [Music] cuz you finished why do you start we'll trust you in [Music] to the table [Music] you said you say [Music] [Music] here's a rest [Music] [Music] we'll just how see [Music] this [Music] we'll just [Music] who you say you are to us you are who you say you are to us [Music] if you can and fear can go to hell sure you can go there - I know God I belong to you fear can go you can go there Oh No can go hi No [Music] you can go they're too [Music] in shame [Music] here [Music] shei [Music] [Music] [Music] I will trust you [Music] [Music] I will prophesy from a yes [Music] trust [Music] the ball Fred right now would you add your faith together with mine and believe for the empowering presence of God to so fill your heart your home your life your sphere of influence that today with mark yet another day in the ongoing transformative work of God in your life you know what I've learned in following Jesus is that there are some times where spiritual moments feel really spiritual there's a lot of times where spiritual moments don't really feel spiritual at all and I know from where you're sitting today it looks different than being gathered here in a traditional church environment we just sincerely believe in the God who walks through walls the ministers through the power of the Holy Spirit to all those who believe his scripture says that a two or three would gather and they would agree on anything that they could consider it done and so today I would agree with you in this broadcast and I'm gonna ask you to agree with me right where you're at and together we're gonna pray for the god of Hope and the God of peace and the God of joy to do an overwhelming work in your life that you would receive exceedingly watch abundantly more than you could ever ask or think that is the goodness of God on full display not giving us what we deserve not giving us the things that we feel are owed to us but going above and beyond providing in accordance with his resources and glory so let's believe that that God is at work today in your life he's at work in the northwest as we have friends joining this broadcast from literally around the world we are believing for another work and another move of God in your heart and it wouldn't just be another ordinary Sunday we know that we got about 52 of them a year but that today would be special in a sense where you feel is empowering presence in your life in a fresh way that you would leave today's broadcast saying I've got some more hope I've got some more joy I've got some more belief and it doesn't all make sense right now in the moment but I know God's got it if scripture says this about his promises he is not slack concerning what he has said meaning this than everything that God has promised he will perform it's not always on our timeline it is not always in a in a frame at which we can analyze it but I can tell you this today that as sure as I'm standing here the God who promises will not delay and he will perform so let's believe that that God is at work in our lives today come over as the team to sing again and then we're gonna pray we're gonna prophesy we'll just go believe that God is as good as he says he is [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] scripture says this it says that God has not given us a spirit of fear power love and a sound mind and terms sound mind the Greek literally means this the ability to think safe thoughts the ability to think like God fix about the circumstances in your life and then sometime maybe the charismatic world we use these terms like prophesy and people get freaked out and what does that mean and that's what encouraged you this morning with a really simple basic definition that you with your own mouth that you would speak out what God has already spoken in his revealed and written word God is faithful he is my ever present help in time of need he's my Redeemer my healer the lifter of my heavy head he's the one who forgives he's the one who empowers if what we're doing is we are reminding ourselves of what Scripture already says to be true about who God is it's a really simple way to interact with this concept of prophecy itself disporting is I pray I'm just going to declare the truth of Scripture over your life and together we're just going to believe that through that simple agreement through the simple agreement with what God's Word says about who he is number one and and about who we are number two then through that agreement and something will transpire in your heart of hearts this morning would you join me in faith as we pray today father we thank you that you see every person connected to this broadcasts of sporting it and all we simply ask that you would do what you do best in every season you prove in faithful in every situation you've proven faithful over and over and over again that the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob who was faithful to every generation would demonstrate that faithfulness and his kindness and his goodness to those who are in need this morning those who need a touch in their physical body they got a sickness and illness and disease come on they need a miracle God we thank you for miracles this morning for those who need supernatural provision they need turnaround they need breakthrough in their jobs that they need turnaround in their finances father we thank you that you are the one who supplies according to your resource and so God today we pray that you would open a window of heaven and that you would pour out blessing that people can't contain all the we thank you that we are the head not the tail and we are leaders not just followers God that you have to finally positioned us for favor and even in the midst of Kurla that we prophesied those forty friend even in the midst of corona this is the year of God's favor on your life this is the year of God's provision on your family this is not a year of setback this is not a year of famine a year where you will see the faithfulness of God on full display and so God today we received out of your abundance and we say God do your best work if you will be our God we will be your people if you say go we'll go if you say stay we'll stay God we're following your presence and so God today we dare ourselves to believe that you are better than what the media reports you are better than what the negative cynics say that you are everything scripture says you are hide exalted filled with glory filled with Wonder and we say God do your best work in our lives for every family watching this broadcast but people watching it on the replay but they sense the unique power and presence of God displayed in their lives through the power of the Holy Spirit in such a way today God we receive from you we say let it be done to us according to your word not what you have said let it be true for us we'll give you all the praise give you all the glory we'll give you all the honor fold now and forever in Jesus name Amen Hey [Music] good morning pursuit family thank you for joining us for church today if you're here on YouTube make sure to subscribe to our channel and hit that notification bell so you know when we're uploading content here every single week if you're on Facebook make sure to like and share this post with all your friends and family make sure to stay connected with us on all of our social media platforms Instagram Facebook and YouTube you can also text persuit updates to nine four zero nine zero stay tuned right after the service today because we will be premiering the kids content that we had planned for this week also thank you mom so much for everything that you guys do we appreciate you so much that's all the announcements we have for you guys this morning thank you so much for joining us if you're new here at pursuit you can text pursuit guest to nine point zero nine zero thanks for joining us again we'll see you guys the next weekend hey friends today you have an opportunity to continue to invest in the house of God here as a pursuit and we just want to start out by say thank you for those of you who generously contributed over the last number of weeks and months as we are kind of walking through this unusual season together and as many of you know there are a couple of ways that you can engage in generosity here number one is through our text to give program and and another way is giving on our website all that information to be on the screen below me another way still is mailing in envelopes to the church but however you so desire to engage we just continue to encourage people to develop that habit of generosity even in this season thanks for believing with us and praying with us and continuing to make this church in this community a priority during this season god bless we hope to see a lot of you real soon [Music] hey friends today's sermon is is gonna be a little different than it than it normally is in fact we had already recorded and and and developed content for this Sunday and and are now coming in late on the weekend to change everything up and let me tell you why as you know we're in the middle of a sermon series on the last days heaven the return of Christ the book of Revelation but this week the news demands that we stop and in and we pause and and we recalibrate for a moment and let me explain why I recognize that that what I'm about to say is is not a perfect response and I will undoubtedly irritate people who wish I wouldn't comment or disappoint others who think I should comment more I admit that I don't have all of this figured out I am just doing my best as a pastor as a friend as a co laborer to try and be what God has asked me to be in this season many of you know me others of you know our ministry because you follow online from different parts of the world I'm not the type of person who believes that it's my job to comment on every single issue that we see in the news every day there is tragedy somewhere in the nation every moment of every day there is pain somewhere in the world but every so often there is a story that grips the conscience of a nation and in those moments unless we find our voice to that pain we abdicate our responsibility to be a prophetic voice in our culture in our history we have had these moments the lynching of Emmett Till in 1955 the assassination of Martin luther king jr in 1968 the murder of James Byrd Jr in 1998 and more recently the Charleston Church Massacre in 2015 on Wednesday of this week a video of a young african-american man named Ahmad Aubry was released and that video showed this young man being gunned down right outside Brunswick Georgia deservedly it has sent shockwaves throughout the nation a mod was born 26 years ago this week I imagine Mother's Day will not be the same for his mom today apparently a mod at some point in his life had had run-ins with the law let me be clear none of that justified what we saw this week did the events of that day really warrant the gunning down of an unarmed man in the middle of the street I don't know every detail of what happened on that day in February but I know enough to say that our legal system does not afford any individual the right to be both judge jury and executioner all in the same 30-minute time frame the punishment fit the supposed crime in this situation Fred make no mistake what we saw this week on that video was the modern day lynching of a black man in America why are we finding out about this in May two and a half months after it happened why wouldn't you allow the police to intervene and let them handle this matter instead of chasing someone down why did it take so long for an arrest to be made why can you open every other business in Georgia but you can't convene a grand jury it just doesn't make sense and yes we can speak out about other things like abortion and violations of human rights and we do so on a pretty regular basis but just because other things are wrong doesn't mean we can't focus on this injustice today I love our country I think it's one of the best Democratic experiments and in all of human history but we cannot and must not tolerate racism in our nation yeah I've been running the last number of weeks trying to keep myself sane during the shutdown I don't even particularly enjoy it but I have never once been afraid of running in my own neighborhood or a neighborhood around Seattle no one has ever stopped me looked at me funny or given me a second glance but unfortunately that is not the experience for so many others in a 2017 interview Condoleezza Rice formerly the first female African American Secretary of State said this we forget in the United States how long it has taken us to make we the people mean people like me and indeed I do think that America was born with a birth defect it was slavery and the impacts of those historical constructs are still felt today I don't know what to do I'm not here to pretend that my commentary on this issue is going to solve anything but what I do know is this conversation is one of the building blocks of culture and as a communicator and a spiritual leader I've got a responsibility to help our community conversate appropriately about the issues that are impacting people in our world today here are some things that I think we can do in the midst of the frustration and the anger about things that we're seeing around us number one we can mourn with those who mourn because without a capacity to mourn listen our joy is inauthentic we can learn what it means to lament for the broken state of our nation remember in the Bible we've got an entire book about that topic lamentations we can recommit to acting justly in everyday interactions and we can raise our voice when we see injustice around us but mostly mostly we can refuse to grow callous to the pain and suffering of everyday people no matter how many times it happens as we pray for our nation and in our community and the people who make the news and the other people who are passed over by the media in earnest in earnestness we are praying and believing that God can only God can heal the wounds that we see that only only God and and and the Prince of Peace is what had only son Jesus can make the ultimate difference in our lives and in our neighborhoods but it's not just enough to send prayers and to send thoughts we must recommit as individuals to be agents of justice in the world around us I don't mean that in a liberal context I don't mean that in a conservative context I mean that in a Christian context you and I have a role to play it's not enough to turn a blind eye and then hope it doesn't happen again or hope the media won't cover it again as there are there are people experiencing these type of hardships on regular basis in our country and frankly I'm not sure how much more our country can take we so desperately need the church to be the church we need God to intervene in incredible ways we need to demonstrate what it actually means to be Christ followers you know what is so compelling about Christianity at least for me it's the empathic nature of the God that we serve remember the value of the Incarnation that Jesus became like us to save us from us the human condition is irreparably broken by sin remember racism and Prejudice is not so much a skin issue as it is a sin issue and it hurts and grieves the heart of God and for us I think one of the things that we have to continue to practice because I know that sometimes with the stories that roll out we just we kind of we kind of grow cold to the lived experience of people around us and here's my encouragement for you practice empathy practice what it looks like to bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ there's not an easy solution there ain't a silver bullet there's not one line from any one communicator or even one piece of legislation that automatically is going to cause there to be solutions overnight but there are steps that we can take in both seen ways in unseen ways to be the type of people that God so desires us to be during this season of our nation yeah I wish we could say that racism and Prejudice and and racial animosity is behind us but it's not it's not and for you and I we have a role to play in the healing of this nation in the nations of the earth friend there are a lot of things that you lose when you go to heaven you lose your pain you lose your sickness your sin your disease limitations but there is something you retain your culture your heritage your language and your ethnicity let me prove it to you revelation 7 verses 9 through 10 after these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could number of all nations tribes peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the lamb clothed with white robes with palm branches in their hand and crying out with a loud voice saying salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and unto the lamb and why are those things that you keep because diversity in the kingdom is part of what brings God so much glory all nations all tribes all peoples and all tongues you know the first non Jew convert in the New Testament after the day of Pentecost you know who he was an Ethiopian eunuch the first convert of the New Testament church who was a Gentile an Ethiopian eunuch you can read that story in acts 8 yeah I don't know about you but I don't think the Bible records things in the chronology that it does by accident I think it communicates to us something significant about the heart of God it is good news to all people the first person to name God in all of Scripture was an Egyptian slave girl in Genesis 16 she says you are the God who sees me in acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out in the upper room people gathered and they heard the wonderful works of God each in their own language not to mention we serve a Jesus who came to earth as a middle-eastern man we know that when Christ returns he'll write every wrong but until he returns we must decide what type of world we want to leave for our kids and that begins by addressing things that we rather not talk about the fall in human condition has impacted the way Humanity treats people who look different than them and we need God's help to continue to crucify racial prejudice not a liberal or even a conservative I'm just trying to be a Christian and I think part of that looks like recognizing that this is wrong there isn't an easy fix and we must do better I want you to think for a moment about packaging and how we package our theology and how we package the gospel and how we communicate about the heart of God you know for example here of I've got I've got a bottle of water and and and this represents a something normal that you would drink on on a daily basis and it's the idea that water is is a requirement and a necessity in life but I've got this same bottle of water in this brown paper bag now if you were to see me around town jogging drinking a bottle of this you wouldn't have any questions any concerns any problems but if you saw me around town drinking out of this even though it's the same water the packaging would cause you to have a different reaction and friend that that's my encouragement for you in the form of a picture as we think about the gospel it's not just about telling people that they're in sin and and and they need a Savior of course that's true it's not just about telling people Jesus's is is coming soon so you better get your life right well of course that's true but we see in Scripture that it is the goodness and the kindness of God that draws men unto repentance and so that is why we want to be emblematic of that goodness of that kindness of that empathy of that love to the world around us in fact scripture says this that they will know speaking of the world that we are his disciples because of our love not our signs and wonders although I believe in signs and wonders not our miracles although I believe in miracles not our great church services although I believe in having great church services but they'll know that we follow Christ because of our love and so my question for you today is what is your theological construct wrapped in because sometimes we take living water and we put it in brown paper bags and then we wonder why people don't want it my question for you is is is is can we allow the gospel to speak for itself can we allow scripture to so clearly communicate the love and the heart and the kindness of God that it becomes the most attractive message on earth can we also be the type of church and the type of community that can recognize that not everything is awesome and not everybody shares the same experience and friend for you and I we live in probably a much more tolerant part of the United States but it doesn't mean that people don't experience the real hardships connected with racial prejudice I don't mean that we turn every sermon into some sort of news clip or or or or or talking head about the issues of the day I mean we could spend all of our energy doing that and still not cover all the issues but I'm telling you there are certain moments in our history that function as turning points and if the church can't find an empathetic and and and a prophetic voice my fear is that my fear is that that we lose the authenticity or credibility to speak to people where they're at I want to repackage for you today how you understand the last days how you understand the return of Christ how you understand heaven I don't know if you've ever seen one of those older movies that it may be made in the 80s and it appeared on Christian TV and it was kind of like a a cheesy rendition of what the return of Christ would look like and what I always notice is that like the pictures of heaven were so monolithic like everybody is white with blue eyes and blonde hair including Jesus and we're just standing there with all the angels who look a lot like us too and what I'm struck by when you read revelation is that it is not monolithic it is every tribe every nation every language every culture every ethnicity and although we look different we worship the same Jesus and can I tell you that that picture of heaven is God's heart for his church I know some churches are more diverse than others and some cities are more diverse than others my heart is that people from every background would feel as welcome here as anywhere else and that we would be the type of Christians the type of Christ followers who communicate the heart of God on the topics of things like diversity there is a Jesus who defeated the grave and is coming soon and this is good news for all people and for those who have lost family members for those who have lost children for those who have lost friends and loved ones there is a day of reunion and we live in its shadow and just a reminder that our prayers for healing and restoration and justice will not go and answer the question is not if but when we still contend for the here and now but we trust God with the not yet and it's actually a discipline of my spirit to trust God with things that have not yet been completed let me say it again it is a discipline of my spirit to trust God with things that have not yet been completed and so we pray in the direction of justice we pray in the direction of healing we pray in the direction of restoration knowing that there are some prayers that get answered in the immediate and then there are some prayers that get answered in the eternal but we ought to trust God with the time and recommit to being people who live in the hour and look for the day you know the idea of the return of Christ became so prominent amongst the early church that its theology literally infused their communication and there was actually a new term that was developed in the first century church that gave language to this idea that Christ would return soon it was common all throughout history for the Jewish people to greet one another with this terminology Shalom which means peace but the Jewish Christians in the first in the second century begin to utilize another term would they would greet one another or tell each other goodbye and that term was this Maranatha and it was a term that literally meant this Jesus has come and he also is coming soon I want you to think about that from this context this morning as I draw your attention to what the Apostle Paul tells the church in 1st Corinthians 16 he says this If any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be accursed maranatha the grace of our Lord Jesus be upon you and may love be with you all in Christ Jesus amen Paul in his first letter to the church in Corinth uses this term and it only appears in the writing of Scripture once although it was more common in the dialog of the people in that day and it's it's this term maranatha and an impulse starts off by making a very direct commentary to some of the issues and the problems in the backsliding he sees in the church he says if the love of Christ is not in you you are already accursed however as believers we cling to this idea of Maranatha christ has come in and he is coming soon I've said this before but Fred please hear me the return of Christ is not some ancillary doctrine it's not some kind of abstract weird dispensational idea that a few people believe in the return of Christ is literally one of the most profound repeated and talked-about theological topics in the New Testament I'm not exactly sure how it will look when it happens but I am more confident today that it will happen and what I don't mean to communicate today is that we put off all justice to the return of Christ like well when Jesus returns he'll make things right but it's to actually live in this tension where you hold more than one truth at a time you hold the truth of needing to be a person of justice in your generation a person who advocates for and fights for what is right and also at the same time somebody who believes that when the Prince of Peace returns the government will be upon his shoulders into the increase of his kingdom there will be no end and you can hold both of those simultaneously but I think sometimes we like to camp in in one end or the other we took put too much stock in the temporal or we put too much stock in the eternal and Fred I'm asking you to believe in both I'm asking you to believe in a Christ who will return who will set everything right I'll also ask you to believe in a mission that you have on this side of eternity to be a person of justice and peace and love in the world around you and we can believe both of those things and hold both of those truths at the exact same time watch what scripture says the concept of peace is incomplete without the person of Christ Jesus is the one who in him brings together the rich and the poor the slave and the free male and female Jew and Gentile Jesus is what can bring our nation together I think there's a movement today to replicate the benefit of Christianity just as long as you leave out the person of Christ friend let me be clear this morning pagan philanthropy will not save the world political systems will not save the world social programs will not save the world only a Jesus who saves and that Jesus who is coming soon can command the worship and attention of all of heaven and earth and here's what I love about Jesus he meets people where they're at consider the story of Zacchaeus in the tree he doesn't lecture him from the ground he invites himself over for dinner in his house consider the fact that Christ is criticized for eating with prostitutes and tax collectors consider the fact that instead of commenting from far away he literally sits with people in the middle of their mess because that's where transformation begins a friend it is not just the Jesus that we serve it's it's the type of person that God has asked us to be not just a pity from far off made it I got feel so bad for those people now I'm just glad that it didn't happen here no but people who embrace the pain and and and the narrative of of those who's lived experiences is different than our own and is willing to meet people in that place of brokenness meet people in that place of confusion meet that person in that place of chaos and be God's hand and feet extended in a special in a unique way we are people who live and believe for the eternal we are also stewards of the temporal in one of the ways that we steward our influence is by speaking out about injustice in one of the ways that we steward the eternal is by forgiving people who don't ask for forgiveness by loving people who don't deserve love by being who God has asked us to be even without the affirmation or affiliation of the crowd because we know that when he returns all wrongs are made right all tears are wiped from every eye all sicknesses are healed and yet while we watch for his return we remain people who are at work in our world today my prayer for our world is maranatha Jesus has come but he is also coming soon as I close I want to pray for our nation I want to pray for our part of the world and and and III want you to add your faith to mine and mine to yours and let's believe together that's somehow out of this mass what the enemy meant for evil God can can use for good and together we could join with the Prophet Amos in our prayer as we say that justice would roll on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream that we would truly see revival in our day and Reformation in our life top god we we asked for your help we need it like we've never needed it before we are fractured and broken in ways that we couldn't even comprehend god we need your help god I thank you that you are the comfort to those who weep and so God today we pray for your comfort to be upon families communities moms dads brothers sisters who have been so grieved and so impacted by the events of this week we pray for your justice God we pray for your justice we pray that that that that that the right thing would be done in this circumstance that people would be held accountable that people would be held responsible we need your supernatural intervention we need your help like never before and so we say God do your best work and we'll commit to be people of Prayer and action in both the temporal and the eternal with your help we will see revival in our day and Reformation in our lifetime we pray these things that Jesus day thanks so much again for joining us for church today make sure to stay connected with us here in social media or at the persuit NW comm slash online campus gather the kids around visit a couple minutes we're gonna be starting the kids lesson stay safe stay healthy we'll see you guys next week [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hey pursuit kids welcome back I'm here today to talk to you about the big God story the main theme for today is God is near and we are gonna be talking about the story about when jesus walks on water okay let's pray can you shake shake shake shake them you fold your heads bow your head close your eyes just helps you focus dear Jesus thank you so much for my friends Lord is asked for your presence to come fill this place thank you so much for the story about how you walked on water let us learn more about you and about how you are near in Jesus name Amen I was just seen I mean it looks like you have a cool little science experiment going on here we have some boats and some rocks yeah I just wanted to see because I'm I'm thinking about going fishing in a couple days and I heard that you know the governor opened up back the state so we can go fishing and so my moms letting me go but see I have these rocks here and I'm worried that because they keep sinking and I'm thinking that if I go out in the water I might sink - oh okay well a couple things here um I like your hat like so you're ready they're um you're gonna need your life vest when you go out fishing so do you have that too or is your mom gonna help you your mom is gonna help you perfect okay so yeah I mean gee let me take a rock here yeah it seeks see what I did soon she's what I mean right but it's a rock that's what rocks do ready it sinks so you're worried you're a rock all right oh you know I'm a pretty big boy I'm just worried that I'm gonna sink too and if the Rock sinks I'm definitely sinking okay well so there's a couple things with this Jake like one I mean we have your life jacket I'm sure you're gonna go with like your mom your dad or maybe your grandpa they're gonna be super safe out on the boat um and you're actually you're not a rock you're not gonna sink and you do you know how to swim yeah sure okay so then that's another way but you know what there's a story in the Bible it's talking about how Jesus walks on water would you like to hear about that story okay sure yeah because you know what it's a really cool one talk about how Jesus is near to us and Jake maybe that's what you need to be reminded of that Jesus is near and you're not gonna speak okay for suit kids let's talk about the big God story high pursuit kids my name is Caitlin and I bet you can't believe but this is my friend and her name is Caitlin too and we're here to show you a little science experiment about Peter and Jesus walking on water now what we have here is we have some paper clips we have some water and we have some dish soap and I bet you can't wait to figure out what this is for at the end so paper clips if you have a paper clip and you put it in water it's going to sink right to the bottom we'll try a couple just so you can see and this is what what have happened to Peter if Jesus wasn't near right Peter could not have walked on water if Jesus wasn't near so now let's go ahead and see if we can make one of these paper clips walk on water with some help from this helper paper clip which is going to represent Jesus being near and helping Peter walk on water here we go but with Jesus near and with Jesus helping it floats it's walking on water and sometimes boys and girls we can be doing a great job with having our eyes on Jesus and having just being in constant communication with him and we're going great with Jesus and then doubt comes in and the soap is going to represent our doubt like when Peter was looking around at the waves in the water and he lost his faith is what could happen and the paperclip safe just like what would happen with Peter when he took his eyes off of Jesus but don't forget Jesus is always in the air so if you need to you can always put your eyes right back on him and he'll be there to help you hey pursuit kids let's learn more about the big God's story today our lesson is gonna start in Matthew 14 in 22 and it's about how jesus walks on water so Jesus was with his friends the disciples they're all on a boat and the storm and the waves were coming they're crashing down they're getting soaking wet and they're just like oh my goodness this huge storm what are we gonna do and out in the distance they look out and they see a ghost whoa how scary would that be I mean a ghost coming towards them but no it wasn't a ghost it was Jesus and Peter saw and he looked out and he's like Jesus is that you if it is call me out I want to walk on water too and you know what happened Peter took that step he stepped out of the boat and started to walk on water oh my goodness that would be so amazing to do then he started to look around if Peter became sinking he was sinking in the water and he called out to Jesus and said lord help me you just reach down lifted Peter up and helped him because Jesus was near they then went back into the boat they went back to the shore all his friends the disciples were with Jesus and other people were able to see that Jesus was and truly is the Son of God it was another miracle that he did that he was walking on water like I can't do that you can't do that it was a huge miracle there's a few things with this story that I love number one is that Jesus knows our storms those bad things those hard things that we go to go through he knows them number two sometimes it's easy not to recognize Jesus they thought Jesus was a ghost I mean that would be like super silly to even think but sometimes it's hard to see that Jesus is there but he's always near to you number three is that doubt will cause you to see Peter was focused on Jesus and he was walking on water the moment that he looked around and saw that you know that he couldn't do it he wasn't quite sure the storm was there he began to see so when you have those thoughts you're gonna sink but we know that Jesus is there with us and he is near and the fourth thing is is that if you cry out to Jesus he will help you I have a story that there's but some times that I've been running and you know doing some exercise and stuff so I was running around Green Lake I was outside I was like yeah this is gonna be great going on my run and then I just had all those doubts I had all those thoughts like I'm not good enough like I need to practice more like you know maybe I shouldn't have the ice cream there's just all these things that are going through my head and my eyes started to go down and just running and it just wasn't looking up and I was just really down on myself and I remembered this story but the thing about this story is that Peter looked down but then he had to ask Jesus and say Jesus help me rescue me and I too had to look up and go Jesus I need you I need your help and you know what he's right there he responds and he is near cute and friends I just want you to know that Jesus is always near that he's just so close and all we need to do is call on him and he'll be with you in any circumstance or any of those hard things that happen he's always with you so let's pray Jesus thank you so much for today thank you for the story in the Bible about how you walked on water and you showed the disciples this miracle that Peter was out there and the moment that he started to doubt he called out to you to you you were near and you helped him and you rescued him Lord I just asked that my friends they would remember this story and they would know that you are near to them and that you will help them with whatever they need in Jesus name hey pursuit kids let's work on our remember verse and remember our remember verse is our memory verse that we can remember ready for this Caitlin's okay so we have the verse here just like I had last week remember how I printed it off each word on a card so it says great is our Lord and mighty and power his understanding has no limit Psalms one forty seven five well today I just wrote out some ways that we could say this verse and I'm gonna choose one and we're gonna do it together because we're just repeating it repetition and we're trying to get this verse memorized okay oh we're gonna say every other word okay I'm gonna try this so actually let's do it this way up with every other word we'll go down the line so you'll stay one than me than you and then we'll go back okay ready go great is our Lord and mighty in power his understanding has no limit Psalm 147 5 okay pretty good okay let's try it everyone okay super fast okay here we go are you mark good set okay one more here we go let's go with okay his understanding has no limits 1:47 five okay high five high five nice work nice work thanks friends so pursue kids you could try this at home too you're just trying to work as hard as you can to remember that memory burps hey Jake so did you hear about the big fat story and about how Jesus is near yeah that's a great story it's pretty dope it was a pretty good one huh yep so let me just get this straight okay so basically if I'm scared about something I know that Jesus will come to my rescue and help me yeah exactly and if you call out to him he is going to come and he's gonna help you because Jesus is near okay well you know what I've got a few things I'm scared about someone give it a try yeah that would be a great Jake and you know what when you go out and you get a go fishing and bONIES you're gonna have a great time and you're gonna stay safe so pursue kids thank you so much for joining in and we'll see you next week [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music]

Channel: The Pursuit NW

Views: 522

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: the pursuit, the pursuit nw, pursuit snohomish, russell johnson, pursuit church, pursuit seattle, pursuit, pursuit worship, bethel, bethel music, bill johnson, kris vallotton, pentecostal, steven furtick, elevation church, elevation worship, zoe church, chad veach, view church, kyle veach, vous church, rick wilkerson, upperroom, upperroom worship, mercy culture, landon schott, jesus is king, creative churches, churchhome, judah smith, jake hamilton

Id: KWdP9zFMBpk

Length: 81min 52sec (4912 seconds)

Published: Sun May 10 2020