Completed By Love

And I want to confess, or maybe more profess to you, that I experienced great conviction in preparing for this message. That's really how it usually is. But in the last couple of years in particular, I kind of smile as I write things down on my computer, realizing, okay, this is a setup. The Lord's speaking to me. And so I want you to know everything I say to you this morning, I'm saying from a place of receiving from Him.

So we're going to talk about this topic, and it's cool, you know, Valentine's and whatnot, completed by love. But I do believe that this is his message to us this morning. And it comes out of 1st John 4:18. There's a translation that I often consult. It's called the voice translation.

I don't have a voice translation Bible, but I often look up this translation online. And this is where the message came from. I think we have it for the screens. First John 4:18. In the voice translation, love will never invoke fear.

Perfect love expels fear, particularly the fear of punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love. The one who fears punishment has not been completed through love or by love. I'm going to give you the Greek word there for punishment. You don't have to write it down.

You can, but it's Colossus K O L A S I S. It's used numerous times in the New Testament. I really want you to lean in on this, the word punishment there, because we need to understand what Scripture is saying, because punishment has a specific definition. And the one who fears this kind of punishment has not been completed through love. It's used throughout the New Testament in the context of divine correction. So you'll read a lot of commentaries, talk about the fear of hell and ultimate retribution for our sin.

And certainly there's a level of application in this verse for that. You know, we can't be completed through love if we're just afraid of hell. But there's a much greater application. It's written all throughout the New Testament. It's used in the context of divine correction.

It's used to describe consequences of sin and disobedience, certainly, but it's emphasizing an aspect of corrective justice. Think of the Scripture that says he rebukes those he loves. And so it is the correction we need that comes in various forms and often through the fire of refinement. So this punishment is not talking about a corrective nature of retribution. It's speaking of the things God uses in life to refine Us.

And when we fear those, when we fear the outcome. I'm speaking to myself this morning. We can't be complete, in love or through love. The word completed there is the word telios. That word literally means a consummated goal or purpose, mature, going through the necessary process to attain the end goal.

And some translations call it perfect. So this phrase, the one who fears punishment has not been completed through love. It's perfected through love. It's not about actually being perfect, it's being perfected. Okay, are you guys with me?

So one time Jesus said to a rich man, a wealthy man, in Matthew 19:21, if you want to become telios, if you want to become mature, if you want to become complete, if you want the consummated goal for your life to be realized, sell all your possessions and give to the poor. I don't think that was the desired outcome for this wealthy man, but it was exactly what Jesus needed for him to understand so that love can be complete and in him. Fear of punishment doesn't refer to the retribution of sin in this context, but it more refers to an unexpected outcome.

It refers to the refiner's fire. And I don't know about you, but when I'm facing things that I don't know where they're going to land, and I know I've talked a lot about my last couple of years, I told the Lord this morning, I know the ladies are sick of hearing it, I'm sick of saying it, but in reality, it's where I am. And when you're at the base of a mountain, knowing you need to climb it, and not knowing what's gonna come of it, there's a fear that overtakes us. And he's saying there's not love in that because we're distracted by the unexpected outcome rather than what the lover of our souls is trying to work out within us.

So perfect love, if that's where you are, we go to the only perfect love that exists. Love doesn't invoke fear. So if you have fear about anything, it could be the small things, it could be the sound outside your house in the middle of the night, and you know how then that grows into all these worst case scenarios. Doesn't help if you watch 2020 that day. I'm working on it.

I'm fascinated by 20 20. Human depravity. It blows my mind. It's not. It's not good for your sleep, and it's not good for encountering perfect love.

But perfect love does not Invoke fear. That's not his goal. He doesn't want to live us. Live. Want us to live.

Walking around going, well, Terry's going to talk again about suffering. And my God, I'm sick of hearing about it. I'm scared of having to live through it. But no, perfect love expels the fear. And if we just say, lord, there may be an outcome that you have designed, that wouldn't be my choice.

I was just telling a couple of ladies in the. In the concourse or gathered there around the cake pops, they're individually wrapped. If you don't eat sugar, bring one to your valentine. If they're still out there. Ladies, we spent money on those.

Don't let us have leftovers. But anyway. But I was saying out there that I don't know if I would if I was given the option right now. I still don't know if I would say yes to the season. I just walked through the last couple of years, still walking through in many ways.

I don't know if I would have said yes, but I also wouldn't want to live my life without the fruit that's come from it. And so perfect love causes us to say, but, Lord, I desire you, and I know you're making me complete through it. And I'm facing some mountains now, and I can become completely overcome with worry. It happened a couple of times this weekend. I'm like, this is ridiculous.

I'm in the midst of this ministry trip. Like, lord, I give it to you again, because whatever the outcome is, you're gonna complete me in the midst of it. So we're gonna look at a longer passage of Scripture that records one of Jesus first post resurrection appearances. And it speaks of two people being completed by love. So we're gonna look at this longer passage.

I'm gonna give you three takeaways, and then we'll be done. Luke 24. We're going to start with verse 13. I think we have this longer passage for the screens. Thanks, Allison.

I know it's a longer passage, but really try to connect with this passage. It'll help you in the message or what I feel like the Lord wants to say now. That same day. We'll talk about that phrase in a moment. Now, that same day, two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.

They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them, but they were kept from recognizing him. He asked them what are you discussing together as you walk along? They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, are you the one visiting Jerusalem?

Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days? Days Jesus asks, what things about Jesus of Nazareth. They replied, he was a prophet. He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people, the chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death. And they crucified him.

But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it's the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. I mean, don't women always? Okay, they went to the tomb early this morning, but they didn't find the body.

They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it was just as the women had said. Oh, I could go off on a tangent about that. Those men had a check for themselves. And you know what they found exactly what the women said.

But they did not see Jesus. Verse 26. He said to them, how foolish you are and how slow to believe. All the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?

And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going further. But they urged him strongly, saying, stay with us, for it is nearly evening, the day is almost over. So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.

Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him. And he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the door scriptures to us. So this longer passage started with now, that same day. What same day?

Well, if you read earlier in the chapter, we learn it was the same day the women went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus body so that when his body decayed from death, it wouldn't smell. It was the same day that the stone had been rolled away. It was the same day his body was gone. It was the same day that two men in clothes that gleamed in gleamed like lightning said, why do you look for the living among the dead? He's not here.

He's risen and ladies. He told you it would happen. It was the same day the women told the disciples what they saw. And the men didn't believe them. It was the same day Peter ran to the tomb to see for himself.

Why is that important? That same day, two people, two unknown travelers. We learned that one was named Cleopas. He had a companion. Most scholars think it was his wife.

So Mr. Cleopas and Ms. Cleopas were on the road and they were walking a seven mile journey from away from Jerusalem to Emmaus. And they encounter Jesus. Jesus had just think about this for a moment. He had just defeated death. He had just rolled away the stone.

He had just fulfilled multiple prophecies. And he had only 40 days left on his time on earth. Left in his time on earth to fulfill the mission. A very specific mission. He only had 40 days.

Then he would be taken up to heaven. He would be seated at the right hand of the father for 40 days. He was gonna reveal himself in a greater way to the world. He had 40 days to do it. He had 40 days to reveal he's the Son of God.

He had 40 days to reveal that death could not hold him. He had 40 days to reveal that the grave could not keep him. He had 40 days to reveal that the tomb was only borrowed because he didn't need it very long. 40 days. And on this day that he defeated death, hell and the grave, he chose to walk away from where all the activity was towards Emmaus.

And if you go to Israel now, they can't. They don't really know. They're kind of guessing at what Emmaus is. It's kind of this obscure village and he chooses to appear to these unknowns. This past weekend, as Pastor Steph already mentioned, I had the opportunity to preach to the inmates that were there.

And I preached on the woman at the well. And the first phrase I brought out, I love the part of scripture where it says Jesus had need to pass through Samaria. I love that phrase. I've heard it preached that he had need to pass through Samaria when he sent his disciples the other way. I've heard it preached that he was so sick of the disciples, he had need to go a different way.

That may be true, but Samaria wasn't on the way. It was out of the way. So why did he have need to go that way? Because there was a woman he needed to encounter. And so our takeaway number one, because we find the same concept here to be completed by love, we must understand takeaway number one.

Jesus has need to encounter us, which is really amazing. Not because he's lacking anything, but because it's part of his nature. Ladies, I want every one of you to hear me. He has chosen to have a need to encounter you. That same Jesus is here.

Jesus was walking on a road toward Emmaus, away from Jerusalem. Jerusalem was where Jesus died. Jerusalem was where Jesus conquered death and came out of that tomb. Jerusalem was the place the Passover feast had just been observed and celebrated. Jerusalem was the place that the promised Holy Spirit was to come.

Yet Jesus is walking away from that place. Where? Why? Because he had two people that he needed to encounter. Who is this God that even in a room this size, he sees each one of you and wants to encounter you?

Don't underestimate the intention of God in your life. I don't care how long you've been doing this, how many sermons you've heard, how many times you've heard exactly what I'm saying. Even in the small things. Even today, February 13, he has a desire and even a need attached to his Persona to encounter you. He wants to introduce us to parts of himself that we have yet to see.

Today, Jesus had trampled death, sin and the grave. He had made a mockery of Satan. And we find him on an obscure road, pursuing two unknown travelers, Mr. And Ms. Cleopas. And he's pursuing them why? Because he wants to complete them.

By love. They were worried about the unexpected outcome. Why did he pursue them? Because, love, I want you to hear me. It's going to sound like I'm trying to say some profound thing, but I want you to really hear me.

Because love will always chase you down. Always. Always. Will you yield to the pursuit? Will I yield to the pursuit?

Will you allow him to encounter you? He's moved towards us by his need to encounter us, not by how well we're doing. We've got to be willing to yield. Most of you have Proverbs 3, or a lot of you, Proverbs 3, 5 and 6 memorized. I'm going to read through verse 8.

Don't let the familiarity of this lose its impact this morning. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways. Submit to him, and he will make your path straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes. The Lord has been speaking this to me probably every day for the last week. Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord. That's the only thing we're to fear and shun evil.

This will Bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Cleopas and his companion, they're talking with each other about everything that had happened. How they hung on a tree the one they had hoped would be the Redeemer. How the Romans had crucified the one who was supposed to deliver them from their oppression. Verse 15.

As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them. But they were kept from recognizing him. Take away number one. Jesus has need to encounter us. Take away number two.

Sometimes we don't recognize resurrection right in front of us. Sometimes we don't recognize resurrection right in front of us. Oh, you have no idea how much I'm preaching to my own soul. The two on the road were discussing everything that had happened, and here Jesus joins them, and they don't recognize him. Why?

Because they're in the mundane of walking on this road. And we often look for God in the dramatic, but we fail to see him in the details. Just a normal walk. This is super precious to me because for many months now, I'll get up early. You know, with the rain and some of the cold, I don't do it every day.

But I'll get up early and I'll walk multiple miles. And when I reach for my walking shoes, I'll hear the Holy Spirit say, just keep walking. Just keep walking. And so when I was considering the two on the road to Emmaus, I'm like, oh, I know why he's saying that. Because he likes to come and join us on the walk.

What a beautiful God. Yeah, he wants to show up in the details, not just in the dramatic. And the details that we tend to rehearse are the very ones we tend to keep him out of. Resurrection begins in your life when you're willing to ask the question, what is keeping me from recognizing the presence of God beside me and within me? What is keeping me from accessing resurrection?

I don't want to get too heavy, and I've wrestled even this morning, like, I put this note in here to share it with you, and then I erased it. And then I put it in. Then I erased it. And so I'm going to try to do, like, a hybrid where I kind of tell you, but don't go too deep because it's whatever. So I had one night a couple of years ago when a lot of different things had just kind of broken loose.

The long journey of Amelia, she was still so sick. And. And then just the news of the bomb going off in our House, everything changing and what felt like in an instant. And I was laying in bed, and I had, like, been thinking about when the psalmist said, my tears have been my food, and thinking about the reality of that, and would kneel by my bed, then lay in my bed and was kind of going back and forth. And I had this moment.

I finally fell asleep, and I was waking up, like, choking on some kind of acid in my throat. And I'm telling you, I've never had this happen before. But it was like I knew that if I just let whatever was happening in me physically happen. It was like I knew that I wouldn't have to face tomorrow. I know that sounds dramatic, but it's real.

And I mean, and for an instant, I was just like, yep, I'm good with this. I even forgot about the little girl around the corner. Not so little. She's 19. But for a moment, that grappling, like, I don't want to face this.

I don't want to live with this. And all of a sudden, I was like, no. And I was literally gasping for breath. I'm not making it up. There was all this.

I had a medical person tell me later what it was that was happening. Some long word. But if I would have chosen to swallow that and not breathe, I would have. I don't even know if I would be here. I'm not trying to be overly dramatic, but Resurrection himself was standing in front of me saying, no, get up.

Because what I have for you is beyond even the best days you've known up till now. I reference it a lot when Pastor Steph said to me years ago, he's making you the woman you always wanted to be but never dreamed possible. But I had no idea the pain that would be in between that statement and the now. Sometimes we don't recognize resurrection standing right in front of us. Every successful journey begins with the end in mind.

He wants to complete us by love. The end result for us is not punishment. The end result is not even the refiner's fire. The end result is gold. And we are distracted by the hardship that will be attached to the process.

Maybe it's just me. The end result is that God will use whatever I go through to reveal his glory. He is with us. He is for us. He is completing us.

I am convinced that the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be compared with the glory yet to be revealed in me. The two travelers were kept from recognizing Him. How many times have I been kept from recognizing what God is doing? Right in front of me. How many times have I missed the miracle because all I saw was the mess?

Come on, I'm preaching in my soul. How many times have I missed the opportunity to give something because I was so centered on myself. How I feel, what I need, what I didn't get. How many times have I been kept from recognizing ordinary moments of joy because I was distracted by the perplexity of my situation? We just came through launch services for those of you that were here when Michael Kulianos was here.

Some of you know, he and I were able to make a connection that was by virtue of the spirit. So I ended up in the green room talking to him, and he said, I didn't meet you last time. And I didn't go into this, but in my mind I was like, yeah, because when you were here last time two years ago, you were the only one of the speakers that I considered bringing myself to meet. And I couldn't do it. I could not go in the green room.

I was in too much pain. Launch services were awesome, but they were so very difficult. So I'm like going through all that in my mind and then all in like a 15 second span as that's all in there. And I'm remembering, oh, my goodness. I remember how I felt.

I remember showing up for launch. I remember pressing in. I remember how I felt on the drive home. I remember it. And like, in 15 seconds I was like, and I'm better.

I don't feel two years later like I did then. Now am I telling you I never cry about my season anymore? No, that wouldn't be true. It's not every day now, but it's most days. But what's happening in here?

Like, I'm better. Like, lord, I don't want to miss this moment of joy because I'm still rehearsing the perplexity of my situation. Like when I joke around with people and laugh like it's an authentic laugh. Like, you've been with me. Resurrection has encountered me.

How often are we kept from recognizing our own patterns that produce these outcomes that we don't want? We're kept from recognizing the behaviors that lead us to consequences. You know, you hate where you are, but you don't know how you got there. Resurrection is here. He's right here, wanting to complete you through love.

But we can't be completed by or through love if we're fearful of the end result. That's what the scripture says. If we're consumed by what the end result is going to be, we can't be completed by love. There is no fear in love.

That's good. I've just. I'll be 54 next month. I'm just going to start bringing my own Amens. Pat's on the back.

He's right here. And he was right there with Cleopas and Cleopas companion, Jesus, the author of life who knows all things. That's who's here. The one who lays bare the intents of every heart. And the one that lays bare the intents of every heart asks the question.

I love this. They're talking about Jesus of Nazareth. He is Jesus of Nazareth. And he's like, what are y' all talking about? I love it.

What's going on? And it's funny because sometimes if I see people in an intense situation, some people on our staff can tell you this. I'll just walk up and go, what are you talking about? I don't actually want them to tell me, but I think it's funny because the last thing they want to do is tell me what they're talking about. But it kind of blessed me that Jesus is like, what are you talking about?

And they responded, wait, are you kidding me? Are you literally the only one in all of Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have happened in these days? I don't know how he kept it like, but isn't that just like us? We inform God of these things as if he's not the author of all of it. Like, I find this funny in this story, but when will I start finding it funny in my own life?

Cleopas started explaining to the one who created life how life was supposed to go. Don't we do that?

I probably did that this morning. If not this morning, then for sure, yesterday morning. You're the one who created life, but let me tell you how life supposed to go. This is literally what Cleopas said. Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet, powerful in word.

Indeed, before God and all the people, the chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. Listen, this is a powerful statement. They were standing before the great I am. And all they could say, all they could talk about was the one who was.

He was a prophet. He was who we thought was going to be the redeemer. Are you missing what is. Because you're stuck in what was. He's asking me this.

Then they go on to say, he was these things, and we had hoped that he was the one. Can I just hit the pause and say if your conclusion of the Lord is well? We had hoped he was the one. That's not hope. Real hope is a hope that holds on.

I had hoped it would be over by now. I had hoped for the single gals I'd be married by now. I had hoped they'd be good to me. I had hoped they'd pay me back. I had hoped they'd appreciate me for all I've done for them.

I had hoped that he was going to redeem me. I had hoped that he was going to heal me. The scripture says their faces were downcast and their hopes were dashed. From their standpoint, the journey was over. This is huge for me.

From their standpoint, the journey was over. But could it be that we're only willing to look for him in the context of our preferences rather than the reality of his plan? I'm going to say that again. Could it be that we're only willing to look for him in the context of our preferences rather than the reality of his plan? And when we do that, we cannot be completed by love.

He's here, and we've got to stop fearing the punishment of the final outcome. The punishment, the refining of the final outcome, and let him complete us by love. Cleopas goes on in his explanation to Jesus. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning, but didn't find his body.

They came and told us they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it, just as the women had said. But they did not see Jesus. Here's the irony. Cleopas was talking to Jesus about other people who didn't see Jesus, right?

They went to the tomb. This may feel like a stretch to you, but I feel like this is how the Lord's showing me things in my own heart and journey. Cleopas was talking to Jesus about other people. They went to the tomb. They couldn't see him.

Yet Jesus was physically there and they couldn't see Him. Have you ever realized how easy it is to judge someone else's journey and not even recognize what God's doing in your own? Stop doing that. Jesus said to them, how foolish you are. And how slow to believe that all the prophets would.

And how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and. And enter into his glory? In other words, you knew this already. And beginning with Moses and All the prophets.

He explained to them what was said in all the scriptures concerning himself. I was recently at something where the question was asked, if you could live any moment in Scripture, what would it be? And there are a ton. It would be difficult to choose. This one would be at the top of my list.

Hearing Jesus show himself from Moses through all the prophets. Like think about Jesus revealing himself through scripture. I mean, the two on the road to Emmaus. These two obscure travelers were obviously super important to the Lord. Don't underestimate the one his eyes are on in this room.

Because you think it's everyone but you, and it's actually you. I remember Fuchsia Pickett. The first time I heard her preach. I was in college. Then we hosted her ministry.

A woman who preached into her late 80s. She had an intimacy with the Lord. I had never been around. I remember the first time I heard her talk, she would refer to her teacher and I thought it was a person. She was so intimate with her teacher, which was the Holy Spirit.

But I remember the time I heard her say, well, she would say this a lot, actually. I had to allow the teacher to introduce me to my lover. The teacher, the Holy Spirit, the lover, Jesus. And now Jesus, the God incarnate. The Trinity is teaching them his heart as it is laid out in Scripture to be completed by love.

We, we've got to understand that Jesus has need to encounter us. Number two, that sometimes resurrection is standing right in front of us. And number three, we've got to understand that he wants to open the eyes of our hearts. How foolish you are and how slow to believe. All the prophets have spoken.

Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things? And beginning with Moses and the prophets, he explained what was said in all of scriptures concerning himself. And then they asked each other because, you know, then he broke the bread and he was gone. And they realized, well, first their eyes were open, he broke the bread. They saw that it was Jesus, the Messiah, and then he was gone.

And their takeaway was this. Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us? This is what he invites us to in this journey, our encounters with him. We allow him. I just.

I dare you. As you open the Scriptures, which he can't open things to us in the Scriptures if we're not opening the Scriptures, if we're reading our few scriptures on our Instagram Swipes, that's no. But in the midst of it, I dare you to sit before him and say, oh God, please, like you did on the road to Emmaus. Open my eyes, cause my heart to burn. He's looking for people that will ask that Jesus wants to open the Scriptures and teach us about himself.

And I'm going to say it again. But he can't open the Scriptures to us if we are not opening them. Hebrews 4:13. For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double edged sword. It penetrates even to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow.

It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. A couple of weeks ago I went to bed, having to make some decisions, some legal stuff, feeling confused, not knowing what to do, I went to bed. I had this dream that felt I didn't know if it was from the Lord or if it was in the soulish realm. And I was trying to contemplate it. And I'm telling you, the Lord said there's one thing that divides, right?

That divides the soul and the spirit, the joints and the morrow. Sometimes that comes because he'll speak a reference or we'll find something in Scripture that'll give an answer to our situation. Sometimes he does that. It happens to my friend Pastor Steph a lot, to the point where I'm jealous. Lord, can I buy a purse?

And he tells her a reference. And then the reference is, it literally has the word purses in it. I will get a reference and it'll say, and they had a skin disease all over their body. Okay, I made that up. That wasn't the Lord talking to me.

But sometimes he will direct us. There have been a time or two in 54 years, maybe three times, where I heard a reference and the Lord spoke directly to my situation. Or when I've been reading, in my quiet time, I'll read something, heart pounding, he's speaking something to me. But more often than not, it's not that. For me, it's being faithful.

It's getting in the atmosphere of what His Word produces. I may or may not read something that feels completely applicable to my situation and. But then somehow there is a clarity and revelation that comes. Why? Because when we open the Word, the author is present and he loves to explain himself to us.

So get in the Word of God. John 14:21. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. There's no way around it. The one who loves me will be loved by the Father.

You want to be loved by God? Then we have to love Jesus. How do we love Jesus? Keeping his commands. That's the indication.

I too will love them and show myself to them. He desires to show himself, John 8, 31 and 32, to the Jews who had believed him. Jesus said, if you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. How can we hold to it if we're not reading it? He wants to open the eyes of our hearts.

Because when he reveals his teaching through His Word, we know that we hold to that teaching. That's the indication of being disciples. And then it says, then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. A lot of times we just quote because the truth will set us free. He's like, no, no.

You have a step in that. You have to know the truth. And that's where freedom. That's where freedom comes. Jesus paid the way for us to be completed by love.

The John 19:30. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. I should have set this up. He was on the cross.

This was right before his spirit leaves him. This is when he gives up the ghost, if you will. But right before he had received the sour wine, he said, it is finished. Then he bowed his head and. And gave up his spirit.

It's the same word as complete by love. It's teleos. It is finished. I'm bringing you to maturity. Like everything that has been paid for, everything that he did on the cross made a way for us to be complete in Him.

We don't have to stay in the same patterns that we have known our whole lives. And we don't have to be the result of our own journeys and consequences. Or circumstances is the better word. That's the reality. And there are aspects of my life that are part of my life.

When I have to fill out forms about marital status, when I'm meeting someone new, like, I still choke on certain conversations. It is a reality of my life. But even in the midst of that, I don't want to fear how all of that is going to translate in all these offshoots of my life. Because if I live in. In fear of that, fear of the punishment, of my season, things I've done wrong, things that have been done wrong against me.

Whatever the case, if I live just in a perpetual rehearsing of that, I can't be completed by love. He wants to complete us by love. And he is enough. So, Lord, I pray in the name of Jesus. As Elisa and Sarah were leading us earlier.

Let heaven come. Let heaven come. Let heaven come. And may we recognize you in our midst. Do what only you can do.

In the name of Jesus, minister to your ladies. God I pray. Move in our midst in the name of Jesus. I want you to stay in a posture of prayer. I'm so grateful Pastor Trent came back or has been here the whole time.

Not sure. Like Jesus, I couldn't see him, but, Lord, I just pray that you would move during this time. I'm going to ask Elisa and Sarah to come back. We're just going to do this. We're going to worship.

If you feel that you need to get in a place of surrender before the Lord, you can come stand and kneel at this altar. There are people that can come pray with you. Let's do business with God. You can leave whenever you want to leave. In fact, I'm going to pray a blessing over us, and then we're going to spend these next few moments leaning in.

If you have to go, you can go. If you need to take a moment and surrender before you go, I would recommend it if you're able to do that. Lord, I thank you that your kingdom is altogether different. And I pray that you would open the eyes of our hearts that we might know you better. Oh, in the ways that you're right there and we're saying, well, he was a prophet, he was good.

No, no, no. The great I am is here and you are enough. May we understand and let it breathe that you have need to encounter us, not because you owe us something, but because it's who you are. So may each one say, lord, I'm going to trust that woven into the fabric of who you are. You have need to go through Samaria.

You have need to walk away from Jerusalem towards Emmaus. Who is this God that would leave the 99 to find the One? But it is who you are. It's who you are. It's who you are.

So may we lean into the encounter, because it blesses you to encounter us. In fact, you fulfill your purpose. You didn't come from for those that didn't need help, but you came to seek and to save the lost ones. So even as we find ourselves lost in our journeys, would you pursue us and allow us to encounter you? Open our eyes that we see resurrection standing right before us, and open the eyes of our hearts that we know the richness of your inheritance.

God, give your ladies grace to respond and meet them as they respond in worship, as they maybe bow their knee or stand at this altar. God, encounter your daughters in the name of Jesus. And I pray those that have to go and go after they spend time with you would be blessed that you would meet them and encounter them throughout today. In Jesus name.