Creflo Dollar - Grace-Based Holiness
Father, we thank you for this, another opportunity to minister to these, your precious sheep. Thank you, Lord, that revelation knowledge will flow freely uninterrupted and unhindered by any satanic or demonic force. And Father, I pray that you will speak through my vocal cords and think through my mind. None of me and all of you. And I give you all the honor, and the glory, and the praise. It's in Jesus's name we pray. And everybody said amen.
Praise God. Well, God bless you. I pray that your day has been filled with the favor of God, that the power of God's blessing is working in your life, and that you will understand that God is perfecting everything that concerns you. I wanna get right into this tonight. Last week we began to talk about grace-based holiness, and we talked about what holiness, what it is and what it is not. And we concluded that holiness is all about being whole, that God has made you whole. So, when he says be ye holy as he is holy, he is saying be whole as he is whole. In other words, he made you whole, and he expects for us to begin to mature and come to that place of being who we've been made, and we've been made whole, so we need to come to that place of wholeness.
And so, I wanna begin again in the Book of 1 Corinthians chapter 1, and verse 30. And I've got a lot to share with you, and I believe that this is gonna really change your life forever. 1 Corinthians chapter 1, verse 30, as we look at holiness, grace-based holiness, let's just see how this works together. Verse 30 says, "But of him are you in Christ Jesus". Now, the day we got born again we are in Christ Jesus. We've been reconciled to God by Christ Jesus, but of him are you in Christ Jesus who of God Jesus is made unto us wisdom. Jesus is made unto us righteousness. Jesus is made unto us sanctification, and Jesus has been made unto us redemption.
Now, interestingly enough, in this word "sanctification", it is the same Greek word translated "holiness". And so, "sanctification", "holiness", they come from the same Greek word in the New Testament. Now, holiness, as I said last week, is a fruit of grace. You cannot be more righteous because you are already 100% righteous by Jesus Christ, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Because of his blood, we have been made righteous. But under grace, you can grow in holiness in the way that you choose to live your life, living a life of wholeness, nothing missing and nothing broken in your life. And then according to verse 30, practical holiness is not possible if you don't understand that you're righteous in Christ.
The day you come to realizing, "I am righteous in Christ", then that's the day you'll also realize that "I'm whole", the day that you'll realize that, "I am holy". And then once you have the person, then you have all these other things. Romans 8:32, he gave us Jesus, and he's given us all these other things. And I think last week I closed with the erroneous teachings of holiness that were directly mostly towards women.
And so tonight, I wanna pick up with 1 Chronicles chapter 16, and verse 29. 1 Chronicles chapter 16, and verse 29. David said something here that I think it's worth paying attention to, and I want you to look at this, and we'll begin here tonight. He said, "Give unto the Lord the glory that's due unto his name: bring an offering, come before him: worship the Lord", now watch this phrase, "in the beauty of holiness". Underline that phrase, "the beauty of holiness". So, David said worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Beauty is, of course, something that you behold. But he says here, and here's what I want you to understand, that holiness comes from the word, "complete" or "whole".
So, worship the Lord in the beauty of wholeness. Worship the Lord in the beauty of completeness. And so, the opposite of holiness. And please understand, holiness comes from that word "complete", it comes from that word "whole". It comes from the place of something that's already been done, already, it's complete, it's whole. And so, if we look at the opposite of holiness religion has said that the opposite of holiness is sin. But I say to you tonight that the opposite of holiness is not sin. All my life I thought, "Well, you know, the opposite of holiness is sin, and then if you sin, then you're not holy".
And I thought about this from last week when I taught this. I thought about the fact that, you know, God made us whole. He made us holy, and he wants us to mature into that. And so likewise, a baby that's learning how to walk, he'll mature into his physical and his humanity, but as he's learning how to walk, he may fall. Well, you don't beat him because he fell. You pick him up, you encourage him to continue to walk. You pick them up, and you encourage him to continue to mature, and then eventually he gets that. I believe the same thing is true where we've been made holy, we've been made whole, then if you miss the mark, then you're not gonna be penalized from maturing into what God has made you.
And so, this is why you can't say that sin, or the opposite of sin, is holiness. The opposite of holiness is not sin. The opposite of holiness is not sin. The opposite of holiness is being common. The opposite of holiness is commonness. It's like you're alike something else. Let's put it practically. If the world is sick, then the opposite of holiness is you're sick too, common with the world. If the world is worried, then, you know, the opposite of holiness is you'd be worried too. So, what he's trying to show you is that you should not see yourself common or like the world. You've been separated from what the world goes through, and you have been sanctified as someone that's uncommon with the world.
So, when they're sad, you're happy. And when they're sick, you're healed. And when they're frustrated, you have the joy of the Lord. You understand what I'm saying? So, the opposite of holiness would be when you're trying to be common with the word or commonness, commonness. And so, you gotta examine that. Somebody says, "Well, you're not holy". Well, they're saying you're not holy because of sin and in reality, you're not holy because you're being common with the world, and holiness is not being common with the world. You're whole, you've been created to be whole, nothing missing, nothing broken, and you mature into that wholeness, and you begin to see the fruit of holiness in your life.
So, when God says be holy, basically what he is saying when he says be holy, he's saying, stand out. When he says be holy, he's saying be whole. When he says be holy, he says stand out, he says be separate. "You are my people, be holy as I am holy, stand out". And I'm telling you in the times that we're living in right now, this is an opportunity for us to stand out. When people are operating in hate, we operate in love. It's an opportunity to stand out. We do that because we've been made that way. We've been made holy so we can forgive while they hold on to all non-forgiveness. We've been made holy. We should be, seriously, the light of the world, or something the world can look at and say, "That's how this ought to be, this should be done. Oh, I get it".
They're not holding on to these things. They're going forward, praise God. They're not allowing, you know, somebody to use their anger against them. They're gonna go forward. And so, the question you need to ask yourself, "Am I standing out? Am I separate from what we see in the world with people who have not been reconciled with God"?
And so, here's an example. Look at this when people, again, when you see the world, they're worried, you're in peace, all right? So, you're not common with them. You're not worried like they're worried. It's what I spoke of before. It's so important that we understand that as the church, we're the light of the world, we're the salt of the earth. The world should be revolving around the church to see how we're doing it, and we've gotta understand that. So, you know, when they're broke, we're prospering. When they're sick, we're healed. God's people stand separate from all of that stuff, that's what it means.
So, "holy" literally means separate from the world. Look at 1 Peter 2 and 9. It's separate from the world. You are whole, praise God, in this world, nothing missing, nothing broken. That's not so with those who are in the world. Look at what he says, 1 Peter 2:9. He says, "But you are a chosen generation. You're a royal priesthood, you're a holy nation. You are a peculiar people, peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into the marvelous light".
So, your life is not common with the darkness that you've been called out of. While you were darkness, now that you've been reconciled to God, you're light. That's what this thing is all about, where holiness is concerned. So, when people don't see the beauty of holiness, if they don't see the beauty of wholeness, they won't pursue it. When the world is revolving around the church and they see the beauty of holiness, they see that there's something different there, they see that they're not common with what they're going through.
Well, when they see, that's the beauty of it, that's the beauty of it. When they see that, then they have a desire to wanna pursue that. But when they don't see that, there's no really desire to pursue that. I mean, if the church is revolving around the world, then the world has no need to try to pursue it because it's the church that's revolving around the world. And it's a sad thing to say that, but we've gotta be careful because it's some of the churches are like that, revolving around the world and so the world has no desire at all to want to be like that which is a revolves around them. And so, when people don't see the beauty of holiness, they don't pursue it.
Now, look at 1 John chapter 4:17. The Bible says, "As he is, so are we in this world". We're holy. So, we are like Jesus while we're in this world. 1 John 4:17 says, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world". Well, we've been put in this world to be holy so we can be a light, so we can be salt with season, so we can be a city that's on the hill where people can see it and our holiness begins to minister to people.
You see how we got this all messed up? We started thinking holiness was in the dress, and then you put people in bondage because you say, "Well, if you got pants on, you're not holy". And then we thought holiness was in, you know, wearing a lot of makeup, and then you told people that it's a sin to wear makeup, and then they stopped wearing makeup. And you know the thing about it, they know something's gotta be wrong with that. They know something's gotta be wrong with that. And so, it's important that we begin to see this and correct this.
Now, look at 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. So, we are as he is, but we're like that in the world, and that's what Jesus was like when Jesus was on this earth. I mean, they're acting this kind of when you look at Jesus, he's totally different to the point, well, I'm sure they looked at him and was like, this guy is weird. Why? Because, you know, the Bible just said it, peculiar, peculiar people. And he's called us to be peculiar people so that when people look at us, we're peculiar, we're not common to everybody else. Wow, praise God. 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18. He says, "But we all with open face beholding as in a glass". We behold the glory of the Lord.
So, we're beholding the glory of the Lord. He says this is what happens when you start beholding the glory of the Lord, when you start beholding the manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus you start beholding him, you start beholding Jesus, he says you're changed into that same image. Well, that's what he meant when he says, you know, as he is, so are we, that comes as a result of beholding him. And the more we behold Jesus, we're gonna be changed in the same image from glory to glory. It's a process, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. So, the Holy Spirit has committed himself to initiate and to be a part and to be involved in this process of changing you from glory, glory into that image.
So, somebody says, "Well, what is my part then? If the Holy Spirit has committed to changing me from glory to glory, what is my part"? My part is to behold him. My part is to behold him and just by beholding him, the Holy Spirit now is able to change me into that same image by beholding him, by beholding him through the Word of God, by beholding him through my relationship, by beholding him, just by beholding him. So holiness is actually, ladies and gentlemen, a person and his name is Jesus. Holiness is a person, his name is Jesus. Jesus was made unto us. He's been made for us holiness. And by beholding him, he's been made for us sanctification. And by beholding him, we're changed into that same image. And as he is, so are we in this earth.
So, listen to me, holiness will not come by looking at yourself, and that's so important. You know, we spend so much time looking at us and checking out what we would do. Holiness is not gonna come by looking at yourself. Holiness is in Christ, not in self. It's not gonna be in self, it's gonna be in Christ. So, true holiness looks to Christ. We study the life of Jesus, because as he is, so are we, and we look at the life of Christ. Look at John chapter 17, verse 16 through 17, John 17:16 through 17. "He says, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world".
Now, we're in the world, but we're not of it. We're not gonna carry the same image. Verse 17, he says sanctify, sanctify, make holy, make whole them through thy truth. So, I see that. I now am made whole through the truth. Sanctify, or make holy, or make whole through the truth. And then he says, thy word is truth. So again, we're back to the same point of the power that comes by spending time in that Word, the power that comes by beholding Jesus through that Word. And he says, "I am sanctified through the truth", and the Word of God is truth. I'm sanctified through the truth. The Word of grace is truth. The Word of grace is true. Jesus is grace.
And so again, I behold Jesus as I behold the truths of the grace of God. I behold Jesus as I behold the word of truth. I behold Jesus as I behold the gospel of truth, 'cause that gospel of grace is Jesus. The gospel of grace is all about unveiling Jesus so that we can behold him, so that we can see him. And as we behold Jesus by unveiling him through the gospel of grace, we begin to see him and we begin to be made in that same image by the Holy Spirit. As he is, so are we in this world. So, how do I look? How do I... you say, "Behold him, how do I look"?
I hope I made that plain. You look through the Word of God. You look through the Word of God, then the Holy Spirit begins to transform you. You read to find the glory of the Lord, and the Holy Spirit begins to transform you, transformation that takes place. I wanna show you something. Go to the Book of Mark chapter 9, verse 2, speaking of transformation, I wanna take you to the Mountain of Transfiguration in Mark chapter 9, and verse 2. And just if you would allow me, let's go through this and allow God to reveal some things to us just here in this illustration in Mark chapter 9 and verse 2. All right now, watch very carefully. He says, "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, James, and John".
Now, it was very significant, not by mistake, he specifically wanted Peter, James, and John. "And he leadeth them up into a high mountain apart from them, themselves: and he was transfigured before them". So, Jesus leads them up to a high mountain, he's transfigured before them. "And his raiment, or his clothes, became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them. And there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking to Jesus".
So Peter, James, and John went up to this mountain with Jesus, and Jesus was transfigured. And he, he was, appeared with Moses and Elijah. Verse 5, "And Peter answered and said to Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias". I'm sure it was good to be there. Oh, man. And look at verse 6. "For he wist not what to say: for they were sore afraid. And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, except Jesus only with them".
Wow, so, what was going on here? I would read this as a young Christian, and I thought it was pretty amazing that you would get an opportunity to behold that, so I could really relate to them when they said, "Oh, it was good to be here". But there was so much more going on here. For example, you know, Moses appeared. Well, what does Moses represent? Moses represents the law. And then Elijah appeared. Well, what did Elijah represent? Elijah represented the prophets. And then Jesus was there with them, and what did Jesus represent? Jesus represented grace and truth. Notice what they saw, Peter, and James, and John. They saw Moses, law. They saw Elijah, prophets. They saw Jesus, grace and truth.
So, on the Mountain of Transfiguration, you have a representation of law, of prophets, of grace and truth. So, two disappeared, and they saw no man only but Jesus, and a voice said, "Hear him". So, now look at this, Peter, Peter represented stone. James represented replace. John represented grace. What was he saying here? He said, stone replaced by grace, grace replaced stone. In other words, we're not under the law anymore, praise God. He says the grace of God has replaced the stone. The law was written on stone. The grace of God replaced the stone.
Elijah and Moses disappeared, and the Bible says a cloud was over them, and a voice said, "Hear him". He says you don't need the law to direct your life anymore. You don't need the prophets' ministry as it was in Elijah's day to direct your life anymore. He says, "Hear him". Behold Jesus, praise God. Don't behold the law anymore, praise God. Behold Jesus, praise the Lord. Grace replace stone, and that's what he was meaning. "Jesus has replaced that. Look at him. Hear ye him", praise God. Behold him. Be transformed by him. Be transfigured by him, praise God.
Now, look at Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14 through 15, because I'm telling you right now if we don't have Jesus, we don't have holiness. There's just no way it can happen. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14 through 15. He says, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness", follow peace and follow holiness, but here's what he said, "without which no man shall see the Lord". All right, here's what you gotta understand. If you don't see Jesus, you're not going to follow peace or holiness, 'cause the only way you're gonna follow holiness is you're gonna have to see Jesus. Only way you're gonna have to see Jesus, you follow peace and holiness by seeing Jesus. And then, he says, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God", fail of the grace of God, "lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled".
So, it's like you gotta look diligently, unless you find yourself falling from the grace of God. And then, if you're not looking diligently at Jesus, you're probably gonna be looking at yourself, and when you look at yourself bitterness is gonna be the result. Bitterness is the result of self-centeredness. Bitterness is what happens when you're so centered on yourself and Jesus is not the center of your life. I'm telling you. And so, in Jesus' name we wanna focus in on him. You see, the glory of the law frighten people, but the glory of grace attract, attracts people.
Lemme say that again. The glory of the law frighten people, but the glory of grace attracts people, so God's way of deliverance is to take your eyes off yourself and get it on him. Take your eyes off yourself and get it on him. Take your eyes off your problem. Take your eyes off your pain. Take your eyes off your hurt. Get your focus on him. Get your eyes on him. This is how he plans on delivering you from all the things you need to be delivered from, delivering you from the world. Look at this.
Numbers chapter 21, and I think verses 5 through 9. This is the key to deliverance. The key to all deliverance, I believe, is to get your eyes off yourself and to get it on Jesus, the key to all deliverance, so in what areas of your life are you in need of deliverance? Get your eyes off yourself. Get your eyes on him. I believe that the key to all deliverance is operating like this.
Look at what it said verse 5 through 9. Old Testament illustration. He says, "And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness"? I mean, man, their eyes are on self. "For there is no bread, and neither is there any water; and our souls loatheth this light bread". "We're tired of the light bread". "And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us". They're needing deliverance, right? "And then Moses prayed for the people".
And look what happened. "And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live". So, there is a serpent out of brass. "Put it on a pole and when they focus in on that then they'll be healed". And I'm thinking, "What, God? A serpent on the pole"? What did that represent? Well, that represented a Jesus who had taken on upon his self the sins of the world. All that Jesus has taken, everybody's grotesque sins, is now on Jesus hanging on that cross. And you know what he says? Says, "Yeah, I know y'all got a lotta issues, but you're not gonna get delivered paying attention to yourself".
And so, if you want deliverance you're gonna have to look at him. You gotta look at him. And I tell you in the name of Jesus any time you start getting selfish, I tell you, you need to look at Jesus on that cross. You need to recognize, man, he took upon all of your sins. You ain't got nothing to complain about. He's taken upon the sins of the whole world. You don't have anything to complain about and to begin to focus on you and look at what's going on in your life. I'm telling you real deliverance, the key from real deliverance is when you stop looking at yourself and start looking at him. You see, holiness does not consist of our feelings. It does not consist of our experiences. It consists of us beholding Christ. That's what it is, beholding Christ, looking at Christ.
That's what it consists of, which means preachers, we gotta preach it. We got to read about it. We gotta tell people about it. We gotta put him up. Maybe not on a pole again, but we gotta set him up so people can see him, because that's where holiness consist of, seeing him. Lemme show you something, another interesting illustration in the Bible, Matthew chapter 14, verse 22, and just see what happens when you're beholding him. I believe as you behold Jesus, you'll be transferred into the supernatural. I believe supernatural things happen as you behold Jesus. Look at this illustration here. He says, "And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitude away".
Twenty-three. We're gonna read on down here. Twenty-three says, "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary". Sounds like they're in a tremendous storm, maybe even a hurricane. "And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea". Check that out. "And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit", or that word's translated "phantom" or "ghost", and they thought it was a ghost walking on the water. "And they cried out for fear", because they thought that was a ghost walking on the water. "But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid".
He goes on, and he says, "And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, then bid me to come unto thee on the water". I mean, he put Jesus, kinda put his back to the wall. "If it be thou"... I mean, what was Jesus supposed to say? You know, "It be me". Or, "It be not me". It was Jesus, but Peter said, "If it is you, then bid me to come on the water". Now, watch this very carefully. "And Jesus said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus".
Now, that's powerful. He got out of the ship, and he started walking in the supernatural. Here is Jesus there. I don't know but two men that walked on the water: Jesus, and here's Peter walking on the water. I tried it. It's a rough thing to do, and I'm telling you right now something supernatural happened because Jesus was there and Peter was beholding him. Now, watch this. "And he said, Come". And he came, and he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Verse 30, "But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me".
When he saw the wind, so I'm convinced that the wind and the waves stole his focus. But as long as he was looking at Jesus, he went from the natural to the supernatural. Why? Because he was beholding Jesus. He went from the natural to the supernatural because he was beholding Jesus. As he saw the Lord, he became as the Lord. Oh, my God. As he saw the Lord, he became as the Lord. He began to be able to do what the Lord was able to do, but when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he was no more supernatural. But when his eyes were on Jesus, he was supernatural. He's now natural, and natural men can't walk on water, so why did you doubt or why did you take your eyes off Jesus?
He said in verse 31, go back there. In verse 31 he says, "And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hands, caught him, said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore did thou doubt"? In other words, he says, "Why is it that your faith didn't last long enough"? Little faith is a short burst of faith. Wwhy didn't you allow your faith to endure longer? And the Bible says, "Wherefore did you doubt"? Something keeps you from doubt and something keeps your faith continuing to work when you keep your focus on Jesus, and I'm telling you there are so many things going on in the world today trying to get your focus off of Jesus. There are even people that are cursing Jesus and saying, "That's just the blue-eyed Jesus", anything they can do to try to get your focus off Jesus, because when you're not looking at Jesus and when you're not beholding Jesus, you're not gonna walk in the supernatural.
When you're not looking at Jesus and when you're not beholding Jesus, you're not gonna walk in holiness and wholeness. When you're sick, behold Jesus so you can walk in that wholeness. When you're broke, behold Jesus so you can walk in wholeness. How do I do that? By beholding Jesus, and I'm saying to some of you right now get your focus back on Jesus. Start beholding him and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform you into that same image. Peter saw a supernatural Jesus walking on water, and he became supernatural just like what he began to behold. I believe that same thing is true today.
I believe the only reason that a lot of us have not gone crazy is because we've kept our eyes on Jesus, that we behold Jesus, and I tell you I'm committed to preaching Jesus, praise God. He saved me. He reconciled me. He made me righteous. He made me sanctified. He made me holy. He died for me, he went to hell for me, he got up on the third day, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, and he's coming back again. And until then, I am going to behold him. I'm sticking with him, amen. Some people teach that you are responsible for keeping yourself from falling. No, Jude said, in the book of Jude he says, "Now unto him who's able to keep you from falling".
Oh, you gotta get that. I'm not accepting the responsibility for me falling. Now unto him who's able to keep me from falling. I'm beholding him and as I behold him he will keep me from falling. It's pretty hard to do stupid things when you're beholding Jesus. It's pretty hard to continue to snort cocaine and do stupid things and it's hard to do that when you're beholding Jesus. It's hard to hate when you're beholding Jesus, amen. "Now unto him who's able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the Almighty God. Be glory and majesty and dominion and power".
Did you hear that? That's out of the book of Jude. Unto him who's able to keep me from falling. Unto him who's able to present me faultless before the Almighty God. Ooh, glory to God. That just does something to me, to think just by beholding him he accepts the responsibility for keeping me from falling, and he accepts the responsibility for presenting me faultless before the Almighty God. Amen, amen, amen, and amen. So, the question is where is the focus? The focus is on Jesus, not you. The focus is on Jesus Christ, not you.
Look at 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 12. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 12. This could be so life changing if you will begin to walk in it. You know, this has gotta go beyond, you know, a cute little teaching or, "Oh, that was powerful". It's gotta get to the place where it really ministers to you. 2 Chronicles chapter 20 and verse 12. It's gotta get to the place where it really ministers to you.
Now, look what it says here. "O our God, will thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee". 2 Chronicles 20. Man, everybody and their mama seem like they were getting ready to try to attack, and they said, "Here's what we know to do: we're gonna get our eyes on you. We're gonna start beholding you". Man, they sent the praisers and the singers down there to the battle line, and they began to praise God, and they began to dance and sing that the Lord is good and his mercy endure forever. And the glory of the Lord set an ambushment on those armies. What were they doing? They were beholding him. You gotta understand a lotta problems and troubles in your life, it's designed to steal your focus. It's designed to get you to give more attention to your problems around you so that you're not focusing in on Jesus.
That's why the book of Proverbs says, "Attend to my Word. Give attention to my Word". And when you give attention to the Word you're beholding the right thing. You're looking at Jesus, and I'm telling you that is the thing we have to mature in. We've got to become mature enough to understand that "yes, there are hard times going on and weird things happening, but I'm gonna still keep my eyes on Jesus". And that's just not what's happening right now.
Again, we want to revolve around the world, instead of the world revolving around us, and we get to looking at the world, instead of looking at Jesus. And I'm gonna look at Jesus. I'm gonna look at Jesus in the middle of a pandemic. I'm gonna look at Jesus in the middle of racial injustice. I'm gonna look at Jesus in the middle of a loss of jobs. I'm gonna look at Jesus in the middle of people dying of COVID-19. I'm gonna look at Jesus. Dear God, I have to, 'cause if I look away from him I might lose my mind. I'm gonna look at Jesus so he can keep me in the supernatural, and I'm asking you to get your focus back right. Look at Jesus. Look at Jesus, praise God.