Written on the Palms of His Hands

Say good morning to someone. Good morning. Lissa, how do I turn down my vocal? I’m afraid to turn my head. Alright.

You can keep bringing it down a little bit more. Okay. If you have your bible with you this morning, would you open to the book of Jeremiah? That’s where we’re gonna start today. We’re gonna read Jeremiah chapter 31.

And while that page loads, let me just check-in with folks. How is the Pause app going for you guys? For those of you who downloaded it, yeah? It’s good, Leo. Admittedly, like when life and schedule and things get busy, like, there’s grace if you get behind a day or two or three or four.

It’s okay. It’s okay. If you have not started this journey with us, the very first Sunday of twenty twenty six, we rolled out this app. It’s not our app. Thank you, ma’am.

It’s not our app, but five years ago or more, there was a group of us that was Shabbat together that I don’t know, like most really great things that have been introduced to our family. I think Joy maybe recommended it and was like here there’s this really cool app by John Eldridge and we’re like well let’s see we got. So our little group went on this thirty day journey and it was so good and as we were coming into 2026 I thought why don’t we as a tribe family go on this journey together. And so if you haven’t started the journey, it’s not too late. It’s not too late.

Just jump in with us. Would you go back one slide? This is the app. So if you go if you have an iPhone. I don’t know what it looks like on the other weird phones but if you have an iPhone.

Oh cool. Yeah. But I don’t know I don’t trust it. Weird to me. My phone updated and I was I was telling Maddie, was like, I don’t know about this.

I don’t like it. Yeah. I’m yeah. I’m definitely at that age. Maddie was like, I mean, you mean the app that was like a the update that was like a month ago?

And I was like well mine just did it. But this is the app, it’s called Pause. It’s put together by this guy John Eldridge and when you download the app and then open it up, you’ll see these different things. But this is a program called thirty days to resilient. And it is a brief meditation in the morning.

It’s a brief meditation in the evening. If you listen to it as you’re like still like having your look around time in the morning as you wake up or maybe you’re on the bus commuting out to the village or wherever you are. There’s one little session in the morning and one in the evening and join us. Anybody I’d love to hear yes. It’s nice because it’s short.

I was literally just gonna ask what sort of feedback do you have so far from this app? It’s short. What else? What else is happening with you or for you on this app? I am so busy right now.

This pause is very I really appreciate that honesty. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

How about like, is this your second time through? How’s it like how’s is it hitting different? Yeah. Oh, yes. Yeah.

Yeah. We have a mic in the room. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Livestream participants that haven’t heard a single amazing incredible comment that’s been said. Any other like feedback about the app like how how it’s doing you? It really helps me fall asleep both at both at night and in the morning. Oh.

It really helps me what? Oh, she just said it in the mic. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. It does help you fall back asleep even in the morning. So I don’t know maybe get up out of bed before you start the morning session. I don’t know. I don’t know.

But I’m what I’m loving about doing this program in this app is I’m thinking about all of you and as you’re going through the journey as well. It warms my heart. I mean, you know me. I love doing things together and I love thinking about our tribe fam collectively going on this journey even if we’re not all perfectly on the like exact same days. So it’s not too late jump on on this app.

And one other thing before we get into Jeremiah 31 is for those of you who made it to the worship night at the church down in Raptor J Gateway on Friday, did not our worship leader like grand slam home run knock it out of the park? Ella thought so. Yeah. Yes. Yes.

Yes. It was it was it was so good and we get to have her each and every week. We’re so blessed and lucky to have the talent and the beauty and the anointing and the leadership of our worship leader. It’s true. And it was evident.

I mean, I don’t compete with everything. But our worship leader won. But with unity being the theme there was one that was more unit than the others. You it was just it was just awesome. And so, next time those next time that comes around, we try to do those three a year, four a year.

Yeah. Yeah. And it is a great opportunity for unity. And so, you just did so great, baby. Mhmm.

Let’s read verses one through 22 together. We’ll take turns reading and then we’re gonna get into the discussion that we’re having today. Look at this paper bible, paper bible, paper bible, paper bible, paper bible, paper bible. What? Jeez.

This is cool. Electronic bible. Okay. Jeremiah chapter 31 verses one through 22. If somebody would be willing to start reading and then we’ll hand it off after a couple of verses and then I’ll tell you where we’re going.

Nick, come on Nick. Nice. At that time, declares the lord, I will be the god of the clans of Israel and they shall be my people. Thus says the lord, the people who survived the sword found grace in the wilderness when Israel sought for rest. The lord appeared to him from far away.

I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, I have continued my faithfulness to you. Again, I will build you and shall be built, oh virgin Israel. Again, you shall adorn yourself with tampines and shall go forth in the dance of merrymakers. Again, you shall plant vineyards on the mounds Of Samariah.

The planter shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit. For there shall be a day when watchmen will call in the hill country of Ephraim. Sure. Arise and let us go up to Zion to the Lord our God. For thus says the Lord, sing aloud with gladness for Jacob and raise shouts with the chief of the nations.

Proclaim, give praise and say, oh Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them forth or from the North country and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Among them, the blind and the lame, the pregnant woman and she who is in the labor together. A great company, they shall return here. With weeping, they shall come, and with please for mercy, I will lead them back.

I will make them walk by brooks of water in a straight path in which they shall not stumble. For I’m the father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn. Israel, I will embrace Israel will embrace her god. Okay. Dude, cold boar fired the whole thing.

Excellent work. You got all the way through 22. Right? Nine. Oh, only through nine?

A great company. Will you read the end of verse oh, for I am Israel’s father and Ephraim is my oldest child. That’s as far as you got verse nine. Well done. Let’s keep going.

Listen to the message from the Lord. You nations of the world proclaim it is a distant, it is it in distant coastlands. The Lord who scattered his people will gather them and watch over them as a shepherd does his flock. For the Lord has redeemed Israel from those too strong for them. They will come home and sing songs of joy on the highs of Jerusalem.

They will be radiant because of the Lord’s good gifts. The abundant crops of grain, new wine, and olive oil, and the healthy flocks and the herd. Their life will be like a water garden and all their sorrows will be gone. The young women will dance for joy, and the men, old and young, will join in the celebration. I will turn their mourning into joy.

I’ll comfort them and exchange their sorrow for rejoicing. The priest will enjoy abundance, and my people will feast on good gifts. I, the Lord, has spoken. Rachel’s sadness turns to joy. This is what the Lord says.

A cry is heard in Rhema. Rhema, deep anguish, and bitter weeping. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children are gone. But now this is what the Lord says, do not weep any longer for I will reward you, says the Lord. Your children will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future, says the Lord. Your children will come again to their own land. I have heard Israel saying, you discipline me severely like a calf that needs training for the yoke. Turn me again for to you and restore me. For you alone are the Lord my God.

I turned away from God but then was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity. I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days. Isn’t that Israel still my son, my darling child? Says the Lord.

I I often have to punish him, but I still love him. That’s why I long for him and surely still have the mercy on him. Set up road signs, put up the guideposts, mark well the path by which you came, come back again my virgin Israel. Return to your towns here. How how long will you wander my wayward daughter for the Lord will cause something new to happen.

Israel will embrace her God. Well done. So, the title of the conversation that we’re going to have for the next several weeks is called Unbreakable. And, today, we start a series of conversations about Israel. And you will hear more as we continue through the weeks about the meaning behind unbreakable.

It certainly applies to Israel, but it really mostly applies to the Lord’s commitment to Israel. It is unbreakable. And the passage that we just read drips with meaning about Israel and God’s unbreakable, more than a promise, a covenant to Israel. And as we get into this series of conversations, at the advice of suggestion of Lissa, I’m gonna put my phone number up here. And I know that the what we’re gonna talk about is, like, potentially for some contentious and for others maybe confusing.

And so just text me, we’ll talk. We’ll meet, we’ll talk, See, and we’ll have coffee. See, the old people get the joke. She’s like, you have a misspelling there. And, I was like, oh, Joyce daughter.

Which is an excellent student and it’s intentional. Just text me. We’ll talk. Don’t be a coward. Don’t be a coward and and not.

Yeah. And be offended. To be offended and write off this subject, that’s the route of a coward. Don’t be a coward. Lean in.

Okay. I’ve got so many things to say. I said this. This is not a political series, but it does have political implications. And this series is a flag planting series from time to time.

I usually don’t necessarily announce it, and sometimes I don’t even know until we’re done with a series of conversations. Maybe it’s two weeks, three weeks, or four weeks. I don’t know. But but sometimes I don’t know that it’s a flag planting series until like halfway through or at the end. Sometimes I know at the beginning, can say that this is a flag planting series at the beginning.

And what do I mean by a flag planting series? Just kind of what the imagery that comes into your mind. We’re planting a flag. This is a stand that I am taking, that tribe is taking, that you’re welcome to consider adopting. And this is, like I said, it’s not a political series at all, but it could have political implications.

The next question that you might be thinking is why? Don’t we talk about Israel all the time? If you’re newer to tribe, maybe you haven’t heard too much. If you’ve called tribe home for a while, you may be asking why. Don’t we talk about Israel all the time?

Well, I’m going to answer that question in a moment. I have been hatching, sitting on this series like a mother hen does an egg for a while. Not necessarily developing the content for this series, but I’ve been thinking and praying about it, wrestling with this series really since July or or August. And now is the time for us to roll this out. But while I’ve been wrestling on this series, I’ve come to a realization that I have about seven core themes that I talk about or flavor our conversations.

Seven core themes that really God has hardwired me for. These aren’t fads. These aren’t themes that I’ve picked. These aren’t things that I like to preach about so much as they are things that I have to preach about because this is the way that God made me. And if you’ve ever sat under one or more pastors, each pastor that you have been a part of that church, they have different flavors and and different themes.

There was a pastor that mentored me for many years and I mean that guy could preach the cross a 100 Sundays in a row and a 100 Sundays in a row, you’d be like, what? But I mean, he preached the cross and it was great. And that was like his that was like his jam. We’ve sat under a pastor who has an evangelist heart and every week it was like this simple gospel whether he was talking about parenting or or tithing or anything. It just always came back to this simple gospel and and great, wonderful for him.

I feel like there are seven and they could maybe be consolidated and boiled down, but there’s seven core themes that reflect what I communicate, how I communicate, and what we come back to. Oh, let’s play a little game called guess one of Brian’s core themes that he talks about. Return to Jesus. The holy spirit? Did you say the holy Oh, I was just gonna say, Jacob, we’re off to a great start.

This is awesome. What’s another one? Israel. God’s Israel. Commitment to Israel.

End times. Times. Or the return of Jesus. Obedience. Oh, you’re so close.

There we go. Okay. Now, you’re just throwing out churchy words. Okay. You what did you say?

Obedience. You said obedience, but you always talk about that one. Turn your cat around. Oh, that was a good one. That was a never ending series of conversations that was so good.

How about surrender? Surrender is one. Oh, I didn’t put that. Okay. So, I have eight themes What?

That I Identity Yeah. In Jesus. Your identity in Jesus. Yes. Now, I mean, I had these oh, one here this is you when you hear this one, you’d be like, oh, yeah.

Chris Bates or Connor, like, what would you like? Running hard after Jesus. Tribulation? Endurance. Endurance.

Endurance. That’s that’s a huge that’s a huge theme. And so let let me go from the top. It’s probably worth writing down. These are core themes that we talk about at Tribe, the Holy Spirit, God’s commitment to Israel, the return of Jesus, endurance.

Oh, we did not do this one yet. I’ll just tell you. Joy in the midst of tribulation. I mean, we we talk we I feel like we or I talk about this all the time. Like, the harder things get, the better we do.

Identity in Christ and then surrender. The holy spirit. The Holy Spirit. Would you all agree with that? Okay.

Here comes the mic. And I’m not trying to be difficult with what where you’re you’re headed with this, but I see a pattern with Israel and believers, nonbelievers, whatever. It it it just seems to be circular hitting these things over and over again. I mean, Israel’s had their issues of disobeying god. Just people who believe have issues of believing in god and and just all people in general and I just feel like that this kinda keeps kinda going around.

And we just you know, what depends on what day it is as to whether it’s gonna hit you or, you know, somebody else. Yeah. Is that I mean, I think we could see I think we could see Israel in each of these themes. The Holy Spirit at work in the nation of Israel. God’s steadfast unrelenting commitment to Israel.

The return of Jesus being tied to the destiny of Israel. Israel’s endurance. Joy, if you’ve ever been to anything on the town square with rabbi Zelman, there’s always singing and dancing joy in the midst of tribulation. Now they don’t quite have identity in Christ yet. Well, what they gonna?

And then surrender. Surrender. Still something perhaps to be learned. They have yes. Yes.

Correct. That’s right. That’s right. Just like all of us. So with every message I preach, with every series we do, with every book I write, every event we do, it will have the fragrance of one or more of these themes.

And maybe if you’ve been with our tribe fam for long enough as I look around the room, so many of you have been with us for years. Hopefully, none of those make your dog head go. The way that we said it could be like, oh, I hadn’t quite thought of it that way, but I tried to distill these. And so, hopefully, you have sensed or picked up on that. And as we continue down the road together from now until the Lord gives me another assignment or Jesus returns that you’ll continue to see and smell and pick up on these things.

And this will help you to pick up what I’m putting down. So I asked this question a moment ago. Why do we talk about Israel? Why does it seem like we talk about Israel all the time? Let’s answer that question.

Why are we talking about Israel again? Why do we always talk about Israel? Can we please talk about something else? Well, here’s why we’re going to talk about Israel for a couple of weeks. This is a great verse worth turning to in your acoustic or electric bible.

Isaiah chapter 49. Why do we talk about Israel? Isaiah chapter 49 verse 16. This makes my heart so happy in the front row. Isaiah 49 verse 16.

God is speaking, and he says this, see, I have written your name on the palms of my hands, Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. How many of you see your hands, your own hands at least once a day? All of us. Oh, and more. In the same way that you see your hands every day, God is saying that I have written your name on the palms of my hands.

Always in my mind. Now, with the omniscience and omnipotence of God, he’s able to hold a lot of thoughts in his mind. But he specifically says, always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls and ruins. What he’s speaking of in that passage is, yes, the physical condition of the walls surrounding the city of Jerusalem at that time, But what he means is I see her as she is broken down, tore up in a rough spot, but I’m also thinking of her future and her potential. I’m all I see her as she is, and I’m always thinking about her potential.

And we have a tendency as not that it’s bad, and I do this all the time too, but we read this verse, and then we kind of, like, slip ourselves in there. Like, oh, he’s thinking about me. It’d be yes. It’s true. Yes.

Yes. He’s thinking about you. He sees you as you are, and he sees your potential. But what does the actual word, the Greek word is logos? What does the logos say?

I have written your name on the palm of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in its ruins. He’s speaking of Israel there. One. Yes.

Yes. Who is the your in this verse? Like, I have written your name on the palms of my hands contextually. Okay. So, I can’t answer that question using technical grammatical sentence structure language, but the your is the subject?

Joy? Well, I do in a moment. Yours are describing name. So who is it describing? Jerusalem’s Walls, Israel.

I’ve written your names. Is it just Israel? Is it every person that is Israel? You’re collectively Israel. Yes.

So this is so I I I I just oh oh, Joy, to repeat it in the mic. Your question is, I’ve heard this preach that the your name is us, all of us. And what I what I said a moment ago is the tendency of of Protestant church pastors is to read this verse and say, see, god’s thinking about you. Right now, he’s written your name on the palm of his hand. He loves you.

He’s thinking about you and yes, that is true. It is true. But I want us to go I want us to pay attention to who God is speaking of specifically, Israel. So the answer is yes and. Phil.

Yeah. So I mean, looking into context here, like in verse 14, it says that Zion has said that the Lord has forsaken me. The Lord has forgotten me. And so there’s a response to that. This is like, Zion, no.

I’m reminded of you. Like, I have your names on the palm of my hands. And then verse 19 continues into that context saying, though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people and those who devoured you will be far away. So, like, just looking into context this is about Zion. Zion.

Israel. And it’s also about and for us Jacob and then Chris Bates. Phil. My train of thought usually is so good. Hold on.

More brain juice. Contact is real. Oh, has anybody ever felt like they’ve cried out to the lord and it feels like he’s changed his phone number? Sorry. This number has been disconnected.

Does it feel like you’ve ever been forgotten? Well, yeah. It’s really easy for us to read ourselves into that passage and yes, it it’s not inappropriate to do so But, we’re looking at this with Israel in mind. Phil, that’s a great point. Jacob, you said you have a little different translation?

Yeah. I find that reading in different translations sometimes answers those questions a little easier. Oh, love it. And, this is in ASP. It says, behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.

Your walls are continually before me. So, it says you’re and it’s using you. So, it kind of puts them both as in the same subject together. Fantastic. Grammar for the win.

Chris Bates. Chris Bates and then Suzanne. Mhmm. This is a lot of we haven’t even gotten into the no. This is good.

This is really, really good. Really good. Did you hear the affection and excitement dripping from her voice? Go, Chris. You know, I backed it up to verse seven.

Oh. It says, the Lord, the Redeemer, and Holy One of Israel says to the one who is despised and rejected by the nations, To the one who is the servant of rulers. And then it has a colon, which then means everything after that colon is addressing the person who it just mentioned. Grammar. Which is the one who is despised and rejected by nations.

Could that be Israel? A 100%. Certainly. And then it goes all the way through, I don’t know, another couple 100 verses or something. Talking about Israel?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Suzanne, is it you still wanna jump in? Yeah.

Okay. Okay. I have a connection. Oh. And that is every time you keep talking about this and then you’re you also sort of say, well, could be talking about us too.

Every time you say that, I think of that we’re grafted in as Christians. And we are children of Abraham. Abraham was basically Jewish, and he became Jewish. And so think of us as sort of maybe a second thought or a part of this big picture of redemption in Israel, and we are grafted into that. And then I can understand it that way.

Yes. But Israel is first. Yes. The Bible is super clear. Israel is my firstborn son.

It doesn’t mean it just means that he was born. We’re we’re gonna get into so much more of this. You’re gonna say exactly what I’m gonna say, but I think it’s important for us to Same time, Ray. Say it upfront. Upfront.

Finishing each other’s And nothing, nothing. It was not worth anyway, the important thing I’m learning is that and Brian’s gonna talk about this, I’m sure, is the yes and. And I think as Protestants, we just say and or us. We only focus or at least I had for a long time on the grafted in part. But when you think about it, the tree doesn’t die when you’re grafted in.

The tree is still the most is vital. And so I think that’s in my opinion the point of Brian’s doing this series is for us as believers who immediately wanna jump to us because it’s true. We have been grafted in and there’s a whole new testament. But it doesn’t negate who he’s actually talking about when he said it. The yes and.

That’s all I was gonna Yeah. Yeah. I think one of my common methods of preaching is for us to examine passages. I feel like we do this all the time. We read a passage that’s familiar but there’s an invitation to examine it in a different light, from a different angle, from a different perspective that sheds new, deep, wonderful, holy spirit inspired insight into it.

And I say, we’ve all read this passage as no. No. No. No. No.

Now, let’s take the perspective of and try to read this again with fresh eyes and ears. And so, that is kind of what we’re doing. Let’s look at another verse, Jeremiah 31. Now, we were in 31, but we only read to verse 22. But look at verse thirty five and thirty six.

This is what the lord says. Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below explored, will I consider casting them off? The them in that sentence is Israel. So here’s what he’s saying. Jeremiah.

Oh, sorry. 31. I have the verses, but not the chapter. Shari. Lock him up.

Jeremiah thirty one thirty five through 36. Sorry. Here’s what God is saying. You know that expression. Well, when pigs fly, I mean, I’ll do that when pigs fly.

This is this is what God is saying. I’ll forget about Israel. Think about casting them off once beyond the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Once the entire known universe is explored, Dagobah, Hoth, Jeddah, all of these planets have been explored. Star Wars.

Okay. Thank you, Phil. Thank you, Phil. Once all of these places have been explored in the heavens and the subterranean realms below the earth, define that how you will. Only then will I consider casting off Israel and forgetting about her.

Israel can be referred to sometimes as a him or as a her. Essentially, God is saying never ever ever ever ever will I consider casting her away, forgetting about her, discarding her, dismissing her, disregarding her. And we could spend three weeks alone just going through verses like this. But these two really jumped out at me and are worth writing on the palm of your hand. It’s it is 37.

I can read 37 if you want. Okay. 37. Thus says the Lord, if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel. Yes.

For all they for all that they have done declares the Lord. 37. Seven. But 36. I mean, like 36.

They’re all good. Alright. So we we also talk about Israel because this is how God made me. Did you know that God talks about Israel a lot? He does in his in his word.

I did I did a survey. I had Chad help me look up popular contemporary popular sermon and sermon series topics in The United States. And then I did a little investigating on how much or how frequently those topics are talked about in God’s word. And so before you put this up there, You hear a lot of topics and each one of these topics great, wonderful, awesome, valid, valuable, nutritious, incredible. But let’s let’s do a guess on the subject of evangelism.

How many of you have ever heard a sermon or a series about evangelism? Reaching your neighbors, inviting them. Yeah. That’s great. Wonderful.

How many times do you think the Bible mentions that topic, subject, or theme? Take a guess. It’s over it’s over a 100. I’ll start you off there. Trinity was like, six.

It’s over a 100. One twenty five. Alright. Alright. Alright.

I know this is a really this is a I don’t know why. I don’t know why. Alright. In in the Bible, God speaks about evangelism 250 times. 250 times that subject is mentioned.

Forgiveness, big important topic and subject. Each and every one of us have bumped up against either being forgiven or needing to forgive somebody else. It is an inescapable part of the human experience. It’s good, right, and true, and wonderful that pastors preach on it and do sermons on it. Forgiveness is mentioned three hundred and three hundred and fifty times.

Old and new throughout the whole bible. Prayer. Prayer. Big one. One.

This is kind of fun for me. 650 times. Oh, money? I should have looked up money. I’ll I’ll next week, I’ll have a good one about.

Alright. Now, something not talked about a lot, but really important to god. When he speaks about his own nature and character, when he describes or mentions or references or talks about his glory, the glory of God. 800 times. How many of you have ever sat through a sermon or a sermon series or read a book or been to a workshop on marriage?

Marriage. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Marriage.

Marriage is talked about 1,100 times. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

Quit running ahead. Parenting. Parenting. You ever been a part of like a big old mega church and they’re doing that series on parenting? And for you singles, listen up too because someday it’ll be applicable to your life.

You know, he’s catching everybody. Parenting is talked about 1,600 times. Oh, I I think I skipped one, but you were doing really good. Sorry. Sorry.

Sorry. How about Jesus? Jesus. Whether it’s by name in the New Testament or by inference or reference, Messiah, Mashiach, savior, in the old and new testament. You say twenty two hundred?

Twenty two hundred. 2250. Alright. Jesus mentioned either by name directly or indirectly comes in at 1,400 times. I know.

Sorry. She was being a really good she was being a really good keynoter and and followed me. I skipped Jesus, but I came back to him. Oh, I always go back to Jesus. Jesus is mentioned 1,400 times in the Bible, but parenting is mentioned 1,600 times.

Alright. How about Israel? 2,200. Israel in the Bible is mentioned 3,500 times. How’d you get that?

Colin said it in the back. So when it comes to majoring on the majors and minoring on the minors, How many churches in America and around the world have spent much time, if any, on something that is evidently very important to God’s heart. Israel is mentioned more is mentioned five times more than forgiveness. Let me just go through those just really quick succinctly just so that you if you wanted to write it down, you can. God talks about evangelism 250 times.

He talks about forgiveness 350 times. He talks about prayer 650 times. He talks about his glory 800 times. He mentions it in the Bible. He talks about marriage 1,100 times, and Jacob is right.

A majority of the time that God is speaking about marriage in the bible, he is speaking about himself as the groom and Israel as the bride. Jesus, the Messiah, the Mashiach, the savior, the cloud writer, the skull crusher, is mentioned 1,400 times. Parenting, that subject is mentioned 1,600 times. And if you had to guess in what context God speaks about parenting, what would you guess? God being the father and Israel being his child.

A majority of those references about parenting have to do with God as the father and Israel as the child. But Israel, he speaks of 3,500 times. 72. So no. I mean, we we could we could play fill in the blank all day long, and I would encourage you to ask your chat about that.

Okay. So we’re talking about why speak about Israel. We speak about Israel because Israel is always on God’s heart. We speak about Israel because the subject of Israel is is one of the most it’s the top three talked about things in all of scripture. Why talk about Israel?

Because I believe this is PB talking. I believe that Israel is this particular generation’s major fork in the road. And and by generation, I mean that if you’re alive in this room today, I know that we have several generations represented here, but but collectively together, this generation, I believe that Israel is this generation’s major fork in the road. And if you’re like, I I think I’m with you. What do you mean?

Let me give you some examples of past forks in the road from church history that have been defining moments that only we that only we have the best insight as we look back retrospectively. For example, the divinity of Jesus. Was he just a man? Was he completely divine? Or like the theological phrase that came about called hyperstatic union that he’s both fully God and fully man?

That that church that age wrestled with that greatly. The authority of scripture. Early church age. Early. Early.

Early. The authority of scripture. Is this just a collection of stories written down by man, parables, and fables that can teach us some great lessons, or is it divinely inspired? Grace versus works. This was a huge fork in the road for the church of Jesus, dividing Protestants and Catholics.

How about this one? The person and ministry of the Holy Spirit. There are forks leading to different branches of the Protestant church that that they believe and teach that the holy spirit is not active today. His role was to get the church going like like a like a battery pack jump starter. Now that the engine of the church is going and we have the word that has been canonized, the holy spirit’s job is done and he’s sitting on the bench like, go team.

Someday soon, your theology of the return of Jesus will be critical. But I believe that’s perhaps a a a future fork in the road. Right now for us in this generation, this age of the church, I believe our greatest fork in the road is Israel. Failure to have right thinking about Israel will result will result in either blatant or inadvertent antisemitism. Unchecked antisemitism always leads to Haman’s gallows, the pogroms of Russia, or the gas chambers of Europe.

And if you disagree, you have not studied your history very well. Failure to have right thinking about Israel results in distance from God’s heart. Failure to have right thinking about Israel will result in deepening confusion about many other things. In some ways, Israel and God’s thoughts on Israel is a Rosetta Stone that unlocks a lot of other really important precepts and principles of God, His nature and character, and how He interacts with man, His plan for all of the nations. Rosetta Stone, that is a term that is is it’s also like an online learn language learning thing.

But, there’s an archaeological fact called the Rosetta Stone, and there were previous languages undecipherable, unknown to scholars. When they found this stone and the same thing was written in Egyptian hieroglyphics and then maybe cuneiform and then some other language. And scholars knew how to read and interpret hieroglyphics, and then they realized, oh, they’re saying the same thing in multiple languages. We know Egyptian hieroglyphics, and that helped them unlock these other languages. And it’s called the Rosetta Stone.

In many ways, Israel is the Rosetta Stone to unlock or decipher or interpret God’s heart, God’s nature and character, God’s thoughts about you, his plan for the universe. Conversely, correct thinking about Israel results in greater clarity in the purpose of the whole story arc of God’s plan for the universe. Correct thinking about Israel results in a deeper understanding of God’s great love, mercy, long suffering for you, which we’ve kind of touched on. Worship. Have you ever connected correct thinking about Israel with affecting your worship?

It does. It was correct thinking about Israel results in closer communion with the father. Correct thinking about Israel results in a refined, through the fire, faith. Meaning, it’s gonna cost you something to stand on the Lord’s side regarding Israel. Hearers take note of what I did not say.

What I did not say is it’s gonna cost you something to stand with Israel. That’s a that statement is pretty loaded and contentious for good reason. I stand with Israel. It sounds good. Sounds good.

But you should always define terms. What I did say is correct thinking about Israel results in a refined faith, meaning it’s gonna cost you to stand on the Lord’s side regarding Israel. So we’re gonna talk about Israel, not because I want to, not because it’s popular, not because it’s fun, but because it’s good for you. As a shepherd, I have a mandate to lead his flock to green pastures and by still waters. And this is what he has laid on my heart.

I don’t wanna be come across as disobedient, but I have delayed this for months just trying to pray through and wrestle with, like, I don’t want something that is on my heart to talk about. I only want your heart, Lord. But we’re going to have these discussions because it’s good for you. For the next several week, we’re gonna talk about the subject of Israel and how it relates to our journey right where we are today. If you think about Israel some place in the past or if you think about Israel as some distant geographical area that, you know, comes up in the news cycle every now and then, but like, it doesn’t it doesn’t connect or relate to me in any way.

My goal is that as we continue this series, you will see connection points again and again and again and again, how Israel affects you, how you can how God’s thoughts on Israel relate to God’s thoughts about you. We’re gonna talk about things like where did Israel come from? Why are they important to God? Here’s a big one. Who even is Israel today?

So many people use that as an exit ramp or an off ramp to not stand on the Lord’s side regarding Israel because they either say, well, Israel is actually no, no, no, no, no, and that’s an off ramp or they say, who can really know who Israel is? It’s impossible to really know who Israel is and then that’s another off ramp for standing on the lord’s side in terms of Israel. So we’re gonna talk about who is Israel today. How should we think about Israel? Is Israel in the right?

What does it mean to stand with Israel? What’s the big deal with Jerusalem? Will there will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Those sort of things we’re going to to talk about and to journey through together for the next several weeks, and the invitation and the connection today is for you to see Israel to see Israel like a mirror. Israel is like a mirror.

When you look and study Israel, when you have correct thinking about Israel, the reflection sharpens. And in a mirror, we always see ourselves. When you look into God’s heart for Israel and you see God’s heart for this nation and this people group, it is inescapable to see yourself. One of the things we talked about at staff meeting and or people that we do life with is I was like, ugh, this subject, this topic, and they’re like, certainly no one here but the consensus was, so many church goers have a consumer mentality. How does this help me?

How does this how does this help my marriage? How does this do like, what is this gonna do for me? And, I mean, you’re you’re not wrong in, like, like, asking and thinking those thoughts. But I wanna suggest to you that part of the Lord’s intention as we go on this journey together for the next couple of weeks is that as you look intently and deeply into Israel, you’re gonna see yourself. I invite you sometime soon this week.

Go back to Jeremiah 31. Listen, he’s talking about Israel, but can you not see yourself in that? You’re gonna learn about yourself. You’re gonna learn about God’s heart for you. You’re gonna learn about his nature and character.

And as you learn about Israel, my goal is that worship for the Lord will naturally come bubbling up to the surface. Oh, they are naughty and stiff necked and rebellious and oh, they’re so naughty. And then you’re like, wait a dang minute. That looks like a lot like me. The mirror says and then you’re like, oh, you lord, you’re so patient with them.

You’re so good to them. And you’re like, wait a minute. Isn’t that not how you are towards me? So calibrate your heart. Come into this series with an open mind and an open heart for what the Lord would want to speak to you about Israel, about yourself, and pay attention to we’re at this crossroads.

We’re at a fork in the road of church history. Where will you land and end up? Lord, help us. Help us. Help us.

Help us. Help us to have your thoughts about Israel. We ask you. This is a really brave prayer. Don’t know that many would pray this in America or around the world right now.

Lord, we ask you for your heart for Israel. Give us your thoughts about Israel. The people, the covenant, the land, the modern nation state of Israel. Give us your thoughts. That’s what we want.

We don’t want CNNs. We don’t want Fox. We don’t want Tucker Carlson’s. We don’t want any number of sources that are blabbing their thoughts on Israel from the mountaintop. We don’t want any of their thoughts.

We want your thoughts. We want your heart for Israel. Help us and guide us on this journey. Now, you take a moment and just make that personal. Just let him speak to you, and then we’ll close-up service.

Speak to us, Lord. Sometimes I’m supposed to come up and I’m so I’m like having a moment with the Lord. I’m like, oh, yeah. Sorry, everybody. These little moments, are not for nothing.

As we think about worshiping the Lord, and we’ve done it today through song and through contemplation and through the reading of his word, and another way we do that is through bringing our tithe and our offering to him every week. It’s what we do as a local church. Not only does it speak volumes of our obedience to the Lord, it’s we say, God, it’s all yours anyway, so we’ll bring a portion of our finances to you. Sure. It’s not always easy.

It usually isn’t, but we’re doing it out of obedience because it keeps our heart calibrated to his. Keeps it from getting hard and crunchy, you know? Keeps our heart soft. One of the many ways. But I was just thinking to kind of encourage us and to kind of piggyback on what Brian was saying.

When whenever you come to church on Sunday, it should not in any local church, anywhere, it should not be the summation of your Jesus time for that week. And if you’re a new believer, which I don’t think any of us in this room are, but if you’re a new believer, he meets you where you’re at. You gotta start somewhere. But the more you walk with the Lord, Sunday morning should not be the summation. So when we talk about Israel or whatever churches are talking about, if God’s called you to that church, just embrace it and think of it like a diamond that you’re turning and looking at from a a different angle.

Embrace that time because you’re spending seven days a week with the Lord. So just enjoy that your pastor has done research and just take it in. You don’t have to agree with all of it. That’s okay. Tension is okay.

We grow in tension. So whatever we’re talking about, you know, I’m thinking of Ephesians when Paul talks about the body of Christ. Jesus is the head, and we are the the body. So if tribe is an arm or a leg or whatever those seven things, great. Other churches are other body parts.

It’s a beautiful speaking of unity, it’s really beautiful. And if the Lord we kind of believe that the Lord calls you to certain churches. You don’t just shop around and pick, but that’s another sermon. But if God God’s called you to try it for this season, just embrace it. Just go on this ride.

Agree or disagree, that’s okay. Wrestle with stuff, but embrace it. So TXT TXT and to walk with coffee. But let’s pray over our tithe and offering. I just wanted to to say that to encourage us as a as a tribe family.

But whether you’re giving now or another time, we’re just gonna pray over and then I’ll get show you ways to give. So heavenly father, thank you so much for who you are and how you love us and how you are so faithful. Thank you. Like we just sang, your promises are true. You are never not faithful.

Your timing is perfect. Your ways are perfect. So often, it stretches our faith because it when you provide, which you always do, it doesn’t often look like the way or the timing that we prefer. But we thank you that you don’t go off of our preferences because we don’t know the end from the beginning like you do. We are not omniscient like you are.

So we just thank you and we trust you. And every week when we bring our portion of our finances to you called the tithe and sometimes above and beyond that in offering, Lord, we just say, it’s all yours. Thank you that we get to partner with you. Pray for everybody in this room. Thank you that you meet us where we’re at.

And I just pray that in a practical way that every single penny comes into tribe will do exactly what you want it to do, to go and serve and love the people of our community and beyond. What a privilege it is to do that. In Jesus’ name, amen. You can give by cash or check or Bitcoin, Chris. If you downstairs in the black box, you guys know this, or this little box with our logo on it.

Also, your smartphone, as you can see on the screen, is the easiest way to give. You type give a dollar amount, the amount, and to the number 8333697847. And that’s an easy way to give or of course online, tribejh.com. And you will be getting year end giving statements sometime soon for tax stuff. That always is emailed to you and it’s done really well.

Through your planning center, however you can. Perfect. Pastor Brian, will you please come up and pray for us? I’m right here. Let’s stand up.

As always, if you filled out maybe a prayer request on the connect card, if you either leave that in your seat or put in that little wooden box, our team prays over these each and every week. We’d love to lift up that prayer request. Lord Jesus, thank you for being good to us. Thank you for being a good shepherd to us. Lord, we look forward to going on this journey that you have for us.

And father, I command a blessing over each and every person here this morning. God, give us a great week and help us to impart, to have your heart for Israel and really everything. We just want your heart on everything. We pray these things in Jesus’ name, the strong son of God. And everybody said, amen.

I love you guys so very much. Don’t slip on the ice out there in the treacherous parking lot. Have a great week, and remember, you got this.