Diving Board Moments

Thank you so much. It is so good to be here with you this morning, as JD said my wife Laura and I we got to spend a year here with some a church doing a church planting residency and God use that year in our life in massive ways and there were a lot of ways that we were expecting him to change is one of the things I don't think we were fully prepared for the was how much this church family would become a spiritual home for our family during our our time here. Why don't we expected how much God was going to connect us with this family week which was interesting because the whole year were here as I okay love that you're getting connected. Don't get all that connected to your leaving your dawn at the end of it, but man, it is just such a joy to if you linger back home at Summit this weekend. I'm so excited to study God's word together would be in Exodus chapter 3 if you want to find that in your copy of the Bible. It is the second book in the Old Testament if you're sort of new to studying Scripture, and as you find that Lucas set up a little bit of where were headed this morning when I think about planting a church and I think about the journey that God has us on I tell people often that I have right now. What is for me the dream job is. This is what God has called me to do this is what I want to be doing. It is the greatest job I've ever had up, but there's a close second in my life. It is all of the years that I spent my summers working as a lifeguard right. It is pretty hard to argue with a job with the primary qualifications are can you sit in a chair and twirl a whistle but it's an amazing it's an amazing feeling, not only easily get to work on your tan you're paid to work on your tan all the good you do want all of the drama that unfolds in a pool on a daily basis right there is the drama of the parents trying to teach the toddler how to swim.

The toddler that has water wings and a life jacket and the innertube around them and you're like, ma'am, that child cannot move, yet alone swim but there he is all inflated as you like.

Most of her head and liking the stick his head and he so inflated 90s he just their right you to watch that happen now in the middle of the pool that gives a little bit more interesting there because that's where the middle schoolers are playing Marco Polo, there's a lot of emotion and a lot of drama happening right there right here.

There is a coed game and everything you close but not too close look interested but not too interested. So this kind of endless fascination happening there. But to be honest all of that is just a warm-up for the main event which down in the deep end of the pool because I threw the diving right in there and watching kids experience the diving board for the first time as a source of never ending entertainment. I realized some of your managers make you sound sick and twisted you like to watch your kids suffer and the diving board is not so much. It is just amazing to watch it unfold right to some kids they they just get down there. They own that diving morning to just walk right up that ladder go out the end of the board God do the backflip cannonball, whatever.

And life is great for them, but under some other kids.

You can tell they're just a little bit more timid about the whole diving board thing there to pick their moment at the diving board pretty carefully there either. Constantly looking there trying to find the time where there's not a lot of other kids at the diving board like they want to be by themselves in that moment and they don't want any back pressure from the lying behind them so they got picked. The moment I okay there's nobody down there to get over there to get the latter really fast.

They get out to the end of the diving board and some keep going, but something either there and they just freeze that point, like oh no, you're stuck in this moment right here. I realized my life for some of you, I'm just bringing up childhood trauma right now is like group therapy you're like oh I thought it was over it and I'm not I did it I I know just to lean into that with me for a minute here in that moment you can see what they certainly start doing them. After looking behind it was what happened.

By the way, inevitably what's happened. There was nobody else around. When they started to go up the ladder and now 15 kids are behind him somehow and are totally trapped in looking back I can't go that way and I don't but I can't go that way. Now the kids are yelling out of job my way and others in the fresher the book, but I can't do that. Just freeze. I don't know what the long term plan is at that point I'd I think some of them honestly to look at some point they will have to shut as I seen kids are out there there like look. My hope is sunset. I will I will I will wait here until the sun goes down and they close the pool and that's how I'm going to get out of this moment and there just are frozen.

There was much fun to think about that and so it was me to relive it.

We all can envision that moment. Here's my question. How much does that look like your walk with something. There's a lot of us that God has led us to a place in life. We know he's calling us to do something that is thrilling and terrifying all in the same moment.

We don't want to run away from it. We don't want to back out, but were not quite ready to jump either. I think there's a lot of us that are in some form of spiritual paralysis where we're stuck at the end of a particular diving board and what were going to see this morning is that if that's where you are.

You're not alone.

If I were the great heroes of the Scriptures finds himself in a very similar spot. His name is Moses and you have already figured out. Exodus 3 and four is the story that we commonly refer to as the burning bush and Morgan to see come to the quick summary of the story is that God calls Moses to do something that is absolutely extraordinary and then Moses is going to spend nearly 2 chapters of Scripture offering objection after objection to God basically explained got here's how I would try to get out of your plan for my life but ultimately God is going to answer Moses objections and the reason were studying all this by the way is because Moses objections look very similar to the ones you and I are tempted to offer God and his God answers Moses objections to be developing confidence in us that will carry us over our objections into a life of risky obedience to Jesus because the simple reality of it is that you have continued spiritual growth in our life, we must confront those diving board moments growth in Christ requires us to deal with risky obedience to Jesus front terrific story.

Nexus chapter 3 verse seven.

The links give you a quick summary to make sure were all on the same page. Moses was born into a Jewish family during the time of Israel's enslavement in Egypt and Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt. He was starting to get worried about the power of Israel, so he gave a decree that said all Jewish males were to be killed at birth right. Moses mom couldn't stand the thought of that. So she put them in a basket right you seen Prince of Egypt. You know how this works puts them in a basket and floats him down the Nile River. Pharaoh's daughter finds him takes him into her home loves him as her own. But ultimately Moses goes into exile flees Egypt goes into exile at the time of this story. She's living in a land called Midian, where he's working as a shepherd attending his father-in-law's sheep and one day he's out there hanging out with the chief and in the distance he sees a bush that is on fire.

That, all by itself is not particularly remarkable. It's a desert area. It's very dry take very little to light that kind of a bush on fires that all by itself is an interesting what's interesting is this bush is on fire but it's not being consumed is not being burned. The justice fire that has come to rest on the bush and and Moses, honestly, probably out of sheer boredom decide to go over and take a look at this book is like you to spend afternoon hang out with a sheep or we can wander over and see what's happening with the Bush let let's go check that out as he gets closer what he succumbs to realize is this is no natural phenomenon what's happening is that God help has actually come to rest his presence on this bush and God himself is speaking to Moses and with God himself was about to say to Moses is absolutely Exodus chapter 3 verse seven the Lord says I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their task. I know their sufferings and I've come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of the land to a good and abroad land, a land flowing with milk and honey to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the parasite Hittites and the Jebusites, and now the hold the cry of the people of Israel has come to me and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. If you're Moses that's an amazing moment. Riley not only is God himself speaking to Moses. But what he saying is absolutely extra nursing Moses. I see the suffering of my people.

I've heard their cry matters to me and I'm about to lead Israel into freedom. All this time of slavery is about to come to an end. I'm about to do a whole new thing in Israel. Moses would going home at that point a very happy man. If that was the end of the story RAM. It would've been an interesting dinnertable conversation that if they Moses, how was your day well fairly ordinary until God showed up. Then he started talking and by the way, I think Israel is on the way out of slavery need you every lab that would've been interesting. That would've been worth tweeting out in the moment and I while that that's pretty fascinating in life would've been great.

The problem is God's not done talking yet yet verse 10, where God says, I will send you Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. Now we get to Moses diving board moment Moses is absolutely terrified the loving God's plan and he's terrified because God's plan is to send him in Egypt, and God's plan is sent him to confront Pharaoh and pick up the text in just a minute, but let's pause for a second because in order for this to really come alive in our lives. We have to ask the question what is the diving board moment in your life right now. Where is God leading you to do something that is thrilling and terrifying where is God asking you to do something that makes you incredibly uncomfortable about it before you answer that to quickly. Let's make sure we understand the characteristics of these diving board moments number one it's God initiated not man initiated by this is God having a plan for Moses. This is God's vision for Moses like this is not Moses dreaming up some great idea, lighting a bush on fire to see if God will possibly show up and see if you can talk God into blessing his plan. This is God thing. Moses, here's what I'm asking you to do by the way, you know, it's a God initiated vision when it's also a God glorifying vision, not a man glorifying the whole point of this story is not that the whole world can see the greatness of Moses. The point of the story is that Israel and Egypt were to see the glory of God. By the way, it is an absolutely terrifying vision for Moses, not an absolutely comforting vision.

So please, as we walk through this passage together, please, let's just all be clear about this.

This is not three steps and how to get God to do what you've always wanted him to. This is how do we respond in the moment where God calls us to do something that's absolutely terrified. So is only asking what is the diving board moment in your life right now. I percent for some of us it might be getting baptized. You heard it over and over and over again and you know God's ask you take that step. You keep resisting your stuck at the end of the diving board for some of us it it's joining a small group know you're meant to live in community, but you just keep pushing it off right right for some of us in sharing the gospel with a particular coworker you know exactly the person that I'm talking about for some of us it's using vacation time to go on a short-term mission trip. Maybe for some of us it's forgiving somebody that's hurt us badly.

Maybe for some of us it is moving to a whole new city for the sake of the gospel for some of us, by the way the diving board moment today is probably placing faith in Jesus for the first time even coming to Summit for a while. You've heard the story of the gospel.

You know that there is nothing you can do by yourself to earn God's favor is nothing you can do to make yourself acceptable to God, you know that Jesus died in your place.

You know that eternal life is found only in him know that the door where that life is repentance. You know it happens through faith. You know all of that yet for some reason you just hesitated and waited to make that decision. Maybe because you know it's going to cause you to change your lifestyle fairly significantly in your camped out at the end of the diving board faith in what God's calling you to do today is just a belief. And let's be honest with the number of people to call the summit church home campuses all over this city.

There is a good number of us who are sitting here right now probably thinking I don't even know what my moment is anymore.

I've gotten so complacent in my walk with Jesus and I'm not even sure where he's trying to lead me anymore. There were there was a time where I had all this vision is a time where I felt like he was leading me to do things like share the gospel. He was leading me to take risks of my failures leading me to give is leading to search, but I just been so complacent. I'm not sure I hear his voice anymore in your camped out at the end of the diving board of complacency in the moment for you today think God is the will of my life that way. Would you lead me to something specific, would you show me what is it you saved me for something a whole lot more significant than just taking up a signature lead me God show me speak to me. Show me what that moment is whatever it is for you, whether it seems like it's something massive or it seems something relatively small.

I want you to hold onto that. I want to be thinking about that as we follow the rest of the way through the passage because you think about that moment. There's objections in your heart and probably look very similar to the ones that Moses off. To be honest with you if you don't have some objections in your heart to the thing God is calling you to do is probably not one of these true diving board moments because Moses responds with a whole series of objections. The first of one is that he's inadequate, but it just comes right out and says look God, I am not able to do what you are asking me to do. Exodus chapter 3 verse 11 but Moses said to God, who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. By the way, who am I in the original language that is a classic way of expressing inadequacy. The prophet Isaiah the prophet Jeremiah. They both respond the same way when God calls them into ministry. It's the way that David responds when Saul offers him one of his daughters in marriage is this whom I that I could marry one of the king daughters. It's the way Elizabeth responds when Mary comes to visit her with Jesus in her womb and Elizabeth is who my mother, my Lord would come to visit me. It is a classic expression of inadequacy is Moses. Second, what II can't pull this off.

God, this vision is way bigger than me. This vision is beyond my ability and I think Moses was feeling not only on a general sense of inadequacy, but he had some specific inadequacies in mind.

Exodus chapter 4 verse 10 makes out a little bit. Moses says to the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue I got you seemed him he hiring me as your spokesman and the problem with that is, I'm not a really very good public speaker. I'm not all that eloquent.

I'm not going to do a very good job but we just we need a different person because I am totally inadequate and here's what's amazing about God's response to Moses letting we hear them in the oh Moses doesn't feel up to the task and I think our 21st-century American culture has led us to believe that what happened now is that God is going to give Moses a pep talk biweekly kind of expect God to say Moses is all Moses stop with all this negative self image. What is wrong with you. You are a special boy. You always have been a special boy you floating down the river. Man, that's stuff you had potential floating down that river.

You are a go basket a potential even back then when you were born and you had made up ringing and what I need you to do Moses I need you doing vision yourself confronting Pharaoh and I need to see you this, your greatness and I need you to believe your greatness.

I need you to put your big boy pants on and I need you to get in there and go get it done.

Moses I believe in you body. Why do you think I lit Bush up it's because you're also like oh yeah, I went up like the word from the Lord for me today. Isn't that great. Okay, here's the problem before you go ahead and claim that one for yourself.

That's not what God says Moses overlie. Hey, I'm pretty inadequate and God's response is essentially oh good point. You are pretty mediocre. Nothing awesome happening with you and he just kinda leaves them in that moment is your right that's true, but but I'm to go with you and I'm going to be your adequacy and I'm good to be your sufficiency verse 12 God says I will be with you and that will be the sign for you that I have sent you that when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain was Moses. Here's what you need to know I called you to do this I'm going with you and that's enough for you know you are going to be successful you're coming back to this mountain, but the next time you come to bring about 3 million of your friends and you worship me. This could be a sign that I am the one that delivered wasn't some of us are camped out at the end of the diving board because we don't feel adequate to be perfectly honest, you shouldn't feel adequate if you feel adequate for what God is calling you to do.

You are either shockingly arrogant or you haven't really heard from God because God's call on our lives is always bigger than what we can do in our own power. God's always been a lead you to moments recently.

God, I can't do this because in those moments of personal inadequacy that we experience the sufficiency of God. I cannot tell you I do not wake up in the morning feeling sufficient to plant a church. I do not wake up in the morning feeling like I've got it all figured out I owe. Here's our strategy. Here's our plan. Here's everything O God, absolutely. You're gonna bless this more mornings. The night I wake up thinking God we have no hope of being able to reach the city.

This 50 people in our church plant and we look out over Washington DC and we say God, we are asking you to use us to reach this city and I'll tell you what 50 people are huddled together on a Sunday morning looking out over a city of 6 million people. That is a city that is hostile to the golf course and got ready. We want to reach these people for Jesus. We want your gospel to go forward.

We do not feel adequate to that pass and I know there's more people here in the Summit church in R&R tiny little church plant. But can I be honest this church with all the blessings it has all of the resources all of the blessing of God on this church all by ourselves. We are not meant to feel adequate for the task of reaching Raleigh-Durham were meant to sit back to God.

I can't do this.

I can even share the gospel faithfully. My workplace without your help. God I can't even love my wife way I should.

Without your help. God, I was terrified to go start serving on a Sunday morning.

I don't even know that I'll do that right, God, I need your help. And in that moment that we inadequate. We are poised to be reminded that God's story for our lives is always been one of gas we are inadequate. But he is adequate.

That's the gospel. Jesus didn't save us because we were adequate. In fact, the gateway to following Jesus was admitting our own inadequate we start inadequate and we stay inadequate throughout the whole journey.

It's not like we start by admitting our need for Savior and then we grow out of that Jesus was fully aware that his church was always going to need his help.

That's what he promised to help her to you and to me, John chapter 14 verse 16 Jesus is and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper to be with you forever is talking about the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit that lives inside of you and inside of me.

If you're a follower of Christ. Jesus doesn't need to offer a helper to adequate people.

Jesus offers a helper because he knows our inadequacy. So if you're at the end of the diving board waiting until you feel ready, is never going to happen.

You just need to jump anyway and see that God is adequate, but Moses goes on from there. His next objection. It is a little irreverent but is it a little. I will say that the God who essentially could hear what he says to God is your plan doesn't make any sense.this is a really bad plan is essentially Moses, calling timeout here is I had a God, let's just review the fundamentals of your plan you would like me to go back to Egypt.

March my little Shepherd self into Pharaoh's throne room and if I understand the Scripture correctly you would like me to tell him that you and I were having a little chat out by a Bush and it would please you greatly if he would let all of Israel go, thereby upending the Egyptian economy and throwing everything into total chaos. That's the plan.

Moses like okay will huff that's not a very good plan. What if they don't believe me or what will that that's not little work God and God is good answer.

Moses objections very specifically, but I think for our purposes today. We need to come to see ourselves where Moses is because Moses number one is concerned about the plan and Moses number two concerned about the cost of the plan member earlier told you Moses was living in exile at the time the God appears to mean the burning bush. Let's just remember why it is that Moses was in exile. Moses was in exile because the last time he was in Egypt, he killed an Egyptian slave master with his own hand. So Moses is thinking what got you want me to go back to Egypt okay. Problem number one I'm wanted for murder. You want me to go back to Egypt. Okay, here's what's likely to happen. They are going to kill me arrest me there to do something with me when I get back there is less I was there I killed the guy. So first of all, got your plan is potentially very costly to me purse and overdo this plan is illogical done it's just it's just not going to work and for some of us. That's why were camped at the end of the diving board was in God when you're calling me to do is incredibly costly.

God what you're calling me to do is incredibly illogical. That plan doesn't make sense and can I just remind us that if God is calling you to do something that is illogical and God is calling you to do something that's costly you are in incredibly good company. Just think about all the great characters in the Scriptures.

Think about Abraham and back I got God had a conversation with them is that AA ramp can make you the father of a great nation is working to do. I need you to leave everything behind and moved to a whole new land they ran right where we don't, I will tell you on the way. Les got what he waiting for you know are going to like excellent will get started, but Noah little thing about I got for a minute because I know it's great to see if what I need you to do is get started on about going to need a boat out of you know why why with the boat and as was gonna rain us right before we haven't had to build a bug as I get this right is different is, last for about 40 days, and truth be told I'm sorry to wipe out creation, so you need to build a boat so I can spare you and your family.

You that's awesome about and remote know is coming soon makes no sense because I do, don't worry, you can end up in the Bible, and someday Russell Croson to play you in a movie is really awesome like fun, but you got no problems.

I know is that he's like this makes no sense God always does.

The illogical thing is the apostle Paul, a former professional killer of Christians just assume nobody in your small group has that testimony, like I used to kill Christians for a living. And now here I am. Paul turns him into one of the great evangelist in history and write so much of the New Testament out that Windows, the gospel doesn't make sense. Jesus is incredibly illogical that the father who created everything he created you and created me sent his only son, innocent, sinless, blameless, sent him to walk among us is a man and sent him to die in our place on the cross so that a trader rebel people who turned our backs on God, who were hostile to God in every way could be adopted into the family of God that would make much sense either. The whole thing is illogical, were saved by wonderful, logical, amazing Grace, yet we see all that were like. That's right, Abraham, Moses, Noah, Paul, Jesus, yet we get our diving board like oh no God your plan for my life needs to make sense where'd we get that from so somewhere along the line we started selling a version of Christianity that said God would never ask you to do something that's uncomfortable God would never ask you to do something as difficult God's plan is always going to make sense God's following the American middle-class playbook and I know we got that from you. We didn't get it from Jesus. If God didn't spare his own son, isn't it possible he might ask you to take a pay cut for the sake of the gospel or I don't know he would not know my Jesus well I will your Jesus is but the Jesus is in Scripture. Here's what he says will chapter 9 verse 22.3 and he said if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life, lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save you and I are called to a life of risky obedience.

Risky obedience implies that it's because legally it implies that it's illogical at times, it implies that we get to the moment we say God I have been dreaming about retirement planning for it for 30 years. I got a plan in place. I'm ready to rest and I'm ready to just call it quits, and call it easy and just play golf all day and God said, hey, how about this. How about you use retirement for mission. How about you use these years were you don't need an income to go pour into the next generation God. Nobody does that. Don't let the fact that it's illogical. Don't let the fact that it's costly stop you from following God but II think about the people that came to plant restoration city with us. The people who said look I don't yet have a job in DC, but I know God is calling me to go there. I don't yet know how it's all gonna come together. But God is: neither II have a great church here in Raleigh-Durham are part of the summit church yet.

I'm going to leave that for a tiny little church point would mosey with that you are crazy your part one of the great churches in America. What even to move your life to some sort of fledgling little church with a vision of reaching the nation U hey you know what it's illogical doesn't make sense don't have a job. It's costly yet. I'm going any weeks. I know the God don't wait at the end of the diving board until you can play it safe because as I read the Scripture play it safe doesn't exist as an option for the people of God jump anyway.

Hugs one more objection on this one really really quickly, because it's just so real it's so raw.

It's were so many of us find ourselves objection number three is essentially got Moses saying to God, can't you find someone else. Okay, got what would you somebody else in your great big plan here to see where I get that from Exodus chapter 4 verse 813 but he that Moses said oh my Lord please send someone else. I do a lot of work on that one to get. Point number three lot lot careful exegesis went into that one. Moses is basically saying God okay fine you got your planets awesome Juergen to be glorified. Let's just get somebody else to do it if we could just find somebody else to do it in a feeling that is where so many of us are in life. Sometimes it's great to see Moses in the same place I think about that objection. When I see JD calling the church to embrace three services on a Sunday morning call your church to step up in servant and to get out of our comfort zone and and to volunteer some time for the sake of the gospel going forward and I think what happened, just really, honestly, I think what happens in moments like that is think wow that's inspiring. That's awesome, that's great. It's a wonderful vision. Thank you for that JD is great and we start looking around the room arose.

A lot of other people here. There's a lot of other services that are happening and there's a lot of other campuses that are out there.

You know what I just think somebody else will do it… Let's get somebody else to do it.

That's great. I nominate that got three rows up you about to fall asleep in the sermon clearly needs to do something so let's have him get involved. That guy right there God you should send him but I'm not going to do it because I vertically happy and perfect comfortable with what doing it and here's what I want you to see because God's response to Moses. It is both merciful encouraging and a little unsettling all at the same time is God's response to Moses essentially was going to show him and show us is your right God's plan does not rest on our cooperation. But the future of the summit church does not rise and fall on whether or not you start serving the future of the kingdom of God is not rise or fall on our level of obedience. So yeah, maybe God could send somebody else. But in the moment that you and I don't respond to the call of God in our lives. We are the ones that miss out where the one that's what you sir so you don't miss out right here is what God says to Moses Exodus chapter 4 verse 14 and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and God is not happy with Moses. By this point he said is there not Aaron your brother the Levite. I know that he can speak well, behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you. You will be glad in his heart, so the merciful side is all right. I'll send you Aaron get you some help. Moses. But it's interesting that he identifies Aaron as his brother. The Levite it.

It's as if God is saying to Moses in this moment.

Hey, I'm gonna send you help. But when it comes to the line of the priests when it comes to the Levites that something to be your line, that's good to be your brothers line you look at the story of Moses, and he is a God who believes the promises of God. Yet there are a couple places where he comes up short where he doesn't enter the promised land where he misses out because of some of the hardness of his heart, so here's my question. Where you missing out where you camped at the end of the diving board praying that God would send somebody else and by the way, if that's you, I don't want you to feel beat up because it's a logical reaction at times when God calls us to something great by the way Jesus prayed something very similar.

The night before he went to the cross in the garden of Gethsemane. Luke 2242 father.

If you are willing, remove this cup from me.

Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.

I get it is moments for the diving board terrifies us to God, I'm inadequate God. The plan doesn't make sense. A guy just send somebody else.

I get it safe is believing that if God is called you to do it.

He's good to be faithful to see you all the way through round and one day that I saw a kid is hanging out at the end of the diving boards. Parents were down in the shallow end of the pool and he was just frozen there, and he'd been there for a couple minutes when all of a sudden his dad got up out of the lounge chair. Indexers are moving like quickly and I was interested because his dad was the assistant football coach at the local university.

So I was kind of like I don't actually know how this is going to happen by what's about to happen here. Part of me was like you know what that is pick the kid up and just throwing him into the pool and be like no son of mine early and I will like I was going to have a good yell at him blow the whistle on like I don't know what's about what what's happening right now is we were all intimidated by this that I think I came walking with purpose down the side of the pool. I don't know what's about to happen and got numbers I will be just very casually slid into the swim out underneath board looked up at his son.

He said I'll catch you and that kid's face lit up. You wouldn't leave and he just went for it wasn't the pressure of the line up behind him that made him jump was and that the board somehow got lowered its that he absolutely trusted that man in the pool. Hussein wanted to jump and that's the story of what God is trying to say to us today.

I am not trying to be if you will the line behind you, forces you off the diving board.

What I want to get out of the way and point into the pool and safe. There is a heavenly father in that pool who loves you and who is for you and who is promised to be faithful to all of his promises you can trust him record the story of the gospel is not the story of a father who gets off the lounge chair is the story of a son who gets up off the throne of heaven and even walked down the side of a pool.

He became a man and he died in our place and he died on our behalf, and he was faithful to all of his promises and he was faithful to us and that God you can trust that God is I don't know if I can join a small group, you can join a small group what not because your adequate but because he is you can do what God is calling you to do not because it makes sense. You can do what God is calling you to do because he is faithful don't jump off the diving board. Is it all rests on you jump off of the diving board to experience the joy of the father's embrace Passover to end our time together by taking communion is really to deal with our fear to deal with our inadequacy. We gotta be reminded of the goodness of God, we gotta be reminded that he who knew no sin became sin for us, so that in him we could become the righteous God, you look to that cross and think you know what I can trust that God he's going to be faithful to me in this moment. So let's think about him. Together, I must pray together. Father, you are good you are faithful always thank you for Jesus here this morning.

We thank you that he has gone in our place on the cross. We thank you that he's rescued us from sin and from guilt and from shame and from condemnation. We thank you. These faithful God not to pray over all of our lives. This morning, Lord of all of us face these diving board moments over and over and over in those moments whether big or whether small, would you remind us that your faith would you remind us that your adequate would you remind us that your good and we can trust you got that's all were asking we need to see you this morning when you see your power when you see your greatness this morning to just bring that to life in our hearts now. I pray in Jesus name, amen