Transcript [00:04] So, a few days ago, I was looking at my [00:07] kids in the living room. They were [00:08] playing this ball game. Uh they had to [00:10] be you know, you have to be fast. [00:12] And Eliana is eight and Hadasa is five. [00:16] So, naturally he's faster, you know, and [00:19] Hadasa is just losing time and time [00:22] again. And every time she loses, she [00:24] gets more frustrated, more frustrated, [00:25] and then she starts to cry, you know. I [00:28] know that feeling. Yeah, simply. [00:31] So, I had to intervene, you know, I saw [00:33] this and I said to them, "Kids, [00:35] Eliana, you are much older [00:37] and she's you know, she's younger. Like, [00:39] we have to make this game fair. [00:41] From now on, we have a new rule. [00:43] Every round of the game, you have to [00:46] give her five extra seconds before you [00:48] even start to to compete." [00:51] You know, and as I said it, I saw Hadasa [00:53] light up, you know, like, "Oh, I can [00:54] win, you know?" Like, suddenly like the [00:56] game changed, you know? [00:58] And Eliana was like, "Oh, now I have to [00:59] be serious. This is a challenge now." [01:01] You know. But it reminds me of soccer [01:03] and I love it cuz especially like when [01:04] it's there's two teams, one a lot of [01:06] times there's one that's stronger, is [01:07] better, and say they score a goal early [01:10] on and they're in control of the game [01:11] like the whole time, but then [01:13] the other team in the final minute [01:15] suddenly they break through and they [01:16] score and it's a game changer. [01:18] Everything changes. They suddenly have [01:19] so much confidence and energy and like [01:22] they're confident they're going to score [01:23] another and win the game and the other [01:25] team is just like stressed. And what do [01:26] we do and confused and Yeah, what you [01:28] said is exactly right. That's what you [01:30] did for Hadasa. You gave her a game [01:32] changer. It's something that shifts [01:34] everything. [01:35] Um it actually makes me think about uh [01:37] Romans chapter 8 and what God did for [01:41] us. [01:42] Uh because and it's not he's talking [01:44] about life, not a game, [01:46] uh [01:46] but he changed everything. [01:47] >> The law of sin and death and then he had [01:51] also talks about the law of the spirit [01:52] of life. [01:53] >> Yeah, he set set us free actually. Yeah, [01:56] it's it's exactly that. It he initially [02:00] we were under the law of sin and death. [02:02] >> Yeah. And it's struggle all the time. It [02:04] doesn't matter what we do in our own [02:06] strength. [02:07] >> Not good enough. It it won't it won't we [02:09] can't overcome. Yeah. But then God steps [02:12] in and he intervenes and he gives us he [02:15] said he he would give us the law of the [02:18] spirit of life. Give us a new law, a new [02:21] rule, and that changed everything. [02:23] >> Amazing. And [02:24] it's so amazing because we really so [02:27] many people are [02:28] fighting against sin and death. Trying [02:31] to win, but they can't win because it's [02:33] under impossible rules. [02:35] But then God comes and he changes the [02:37] rules and he says, "I've given you the [02:40] spirit of life through Yeshua [02:42] Hamashiach." And now you have new tools. [02:45] Like, now you don't walk by the flesh. [02:48] Now you walk in a different way. You [02:50] walk by the spirit. No longer under sin [02:52] and death. Yeah, it's because of what he [02:54] did in Yeshua. He was our sacrifice for [02:56] sin and it changed it. [02:57] >> Yeah. [02:58] And it's [02:59] it's interesting that the new freedom it [03:02] comes because of a new law, you know? [03:05] And I think people sometimes they don't [03:06] associate [03:08] freedom and laws and [03:11] they even see it as a contradiction, you [03:13] know? But they're not a contradiction. [03:15] It's actually if you like when you [03:17] consider thing laws or structures [03:20] actually create freedom. It's true. It [03:22] makes me think of like when I was [03:23] learning piano or keys at the beginning [03:27] it was just a lot of keys and then [03:28] suddenly I started to understand there's [03:30] scales and trying to learn which keys [03:31] are in the scales. And at the beginning [03:33] it's challenging to memorize them and [03:34] get them, but then it gave me so much [03:36] freedom to make beautiful music cuz I'm [03:38] no longer trying to guess. [03:40] >> [laughter] [03:41] >> Exactly, because a new piano player, he [03:43] sees all these options before him, all [03:46] the black notes and the white notes. Uh [03:49] sure, you have freedom, you know, but [03:51] the freedom will not sound so good, you [03:53] know, when you just exercise it. Yeah, [03:56] yeah, unless you know some scales, some [03:59] chords, and not just know them like [04:02] intellectually, but you you learn them [04:04] at a heart level like where it becomes [04:06] natural, then you're free to express [04:08] yourself. You're free to worship. [04:09] >> Yeah, so the law of spirit of life given [04:13] to us through Yeshua was given to us so [04:14] we can walk in true freedom. [04:17] >> Yeah, that's right. That's and that is [04:19] it. True freedom or real freedom [04:21] it doesn't it's not just freedom from [04:24] something, but it's freedom to [04:25] something. [04:26] That's a powerful thought because I [04:28] think it's exactly that freedom [04:31] should exist with a purpose. [04:33] >> That's right. I'm thinking about the you [04:35] know, the big summer break we used to [04:37] have in the [04:39] In Hebrew it literally means like the [04:41] great freedom. You know, so like all [04:44] year long as a student you're looking [04:46] forward to that moment. [04:48] And then it comes and for a few days [04:51] you're just the king of the world, [04:52] you're in heaven. [04:54] And then, you know, if you didn't come [04:56] with a plan [04:57] to do something in the [04:59] summer break [05:00] you start to like play more video games, [05:03] you start to wake up late, you know, and [05:05] and then you start to be bored and you [05:07] start to be tired, you know, and [05:09] actually it doesn't feel so good. [05:11] >> Your freedom kind of [05:13] falls falls to the side because really [05:16] freedom with no purpose isn't really [05:18] freedom. [05:19] God knows how he made humanity and the [05:22] truth is he didn't just give us [05:25] empty space. It's he wants us to have [05:28] purpose. I really reminds me of of [05:30] Exodus and and the people of Israel and [05:32] they're still under Pharaoh in Egypt in [05:35] slavery [05:37] and they don't have a way to get out, [05:38] but God hears their cry and he sends [05:40] Moses to go to Pharaoh and say, "Let my [05:43] people go." [05:44] Right, but he has a he has a purpose. [05:46] >> Yeah, he has a purpose. It's not just [05:48] let my people go, but the continuation [05:49] is let my people go so that they may [05:51] worship. That's the to. So, he's giving [05:54] the Israelites freedom from [snorts] [05:57] slavery, but he's giving them freedom to [05:59] worship. [06:00] From something, but to something. Yeah, [06:02] it's [clears throat] amazing I have to [06:04] to see how the Exodus story is such a [06:07] picture, such a revelation of God's [06:10] grand plan of salvation, you know? For [06:13] starters, like [snorts] the Israelites [06:15] are enslaved in Egypt and can't do [06:18] anything about it to a listen to self [06:20] like [06:21] this is humanity, you know? Humanity is [06:24] enslaved to sin and death and cannot do [06:27] anything in their own power to be set [06:30] free of that. Yeah, so God sees their [06:32] desperation, he hears their cries, and [06:35] he sends them a savior. In the story of [06:38] the Exodus it's Moses, but obviously he [06:40] sends them a savior [06:42] who's Yeshua to fight for them, stand up [06:44] for them, and to bring freedom. And we [06:46] have the sacrifice which of course we [06:48] know what Yeshua did on the cross, but [06:50] there's a blood sacrifice that was shed [06:53] for the people to take place of [06:56] so that the judgment would pass over [07:00] pass over them so that they would be [07:01] protected from death from that law of [07:04] And finally, the Israelites have [07:07] experienced this, but they had to [07:09] actually respond in faith. They had to [07:12] act in faith. They had to [07:14] take the first step in the journey [07:17] out of Egypt into the unknown for them [07:20] into the wilderness. Yeah, that that [07:22] response is what's crucial because if [07:25] the children of Israel would have just [07:27] seen all the miracles that God did and [07:30] still just kind of like chill and [07:33] stay in Egypt, you know, they'd still be [07:35] in slavery. [07:36] So, it was really significant that they [07:39] respond, that they step out in faith. [07:42] They they had to exercise the ability to [07:45] respond, you know, which is [07:47] responsibility. [07:50] It's so good cuz really freedom isn't [07:52] free. [07:53] And we have to choose every day. It's [07:56] not just the from, but the to to walk [07:59] with Yeshua and to walk with him before [08:02] our eyes step by step like every day. [08:05] And that's the key because if you have [08:08] Yeshua in front of you, if you have this [08:10] goal, then you are truly walking in in [08:13] freedom towards freedom and it reminds [08:15] me of when I was driving, I was learning [08:17] how to drive and uh my father was with [08:20] me in the car and I was driving in [08:22] zigzags all the time, you know? [08:27] Uh so, my father saw this and he said, [08:28] "Why are you driving like in zigzags? [08:30] Drive straight." And I said, "I can't, [08:32] you know?" [08:33] And he said he he recognizes the [08:35] problem. And he told me something deep [08:37] and practical, but he said, "Stop like [08:41] you're trying to avoid not being too [08:43] right, too left, you know? [08:45] Just look far. Look at the destination [08:48] and just drive there, [08:50] you know?" Yeah, it's so good because we [08:52] can try to focus on don't do this and [08:55] don't do that or even be positive and do [08:58] this and do that, [08:59] but if we're focused on something, it [09:02] doesn't really help us. We need to be [09:03] focused on someone so that we can become [09:06] like him. Amen. And it's then that we [09:08] really experience and walk in that [09:10] freedom and that peace and that [09:12] stability. That's right. Yeah. Yeah, it [09:14] makes me think of a passage in Hebrews [09:18] 12. [09:19] It it says [09:20] it talks about fixing our eyes on Yeshua [09:23] who's the author or the pioneer the [09:24] perfecter and the perfecter or finisher [09:26] of our faith. It says who for the joy [09:29] that was set before him he endured the [09:31] cross. He scorned the shame and and [09:34] ultimately he sat down at the right hand [09:36] of the Father. Yeah. And it says [09:39] for us to to consider him, to consider [09:42] him because he's the one that uh he [09:45] withstood all the opposition of sinful [09:47] men. Yeah, it says consider him so that [09:49] we won't grow weary and lose heart. [09:51] Yeah, it's all about him. [09:53] Even this Pesach, you know, when we [09:55] think about this feast, it's [09:57] unbelievable how much Yeshua is in the [10:00] center of it. How much it points towards [10:03] here. Even one of the names, like [10:05] another name uh [10:07] most of the [10:09] feasts have several names. And one of [10:11] the names for Passover is Hag HaHerut, [10:13] which means feast of freedom or [snorts] [10:15] liberty. And that's God's heart even [10:17] today. Like he wants us to be set free, [10:20] to walk in freedom. That's right, cuz [10:21] even today so many people are still so [10:24] bound up with things. [10:26] All kinds of sin, confusion about gender [10:29] or uh lies and and addictions, all kinds [10:33] of things. And yet he's still just [10:35] saying, "Let my people go so that they [10:38] can worship." [10:38] >> Amen. Amen. [10:40] Yeah. And I think [10:42] many people, you know, they know God [10:44] gave me freedom. But it's not enough to [10:46] know God gave you freedom. You actually [10:49] have to respond in faith in that [10:52] freedom. You have to take the first step [10:55] and then the next step and the next step [10:57] and just walk in the freedom that God [10:58] has given you from fear, from shame, [11:00] from uh [11:01] any confusion, you know? [11:04] And that's exactly what Passover is. [11:06] It's not just [11:08] a historical memory of something that [11:10] happened, but it's really today [11:13] God asking us [11:15] come out of slavery, walk with me [11:18] to the destination, to the purpose that [11:20] he has for us. And actually the journey [11:23] is where we get to know God. It's not [11:27] just like we are walking towards [11:28] freedom. No, it's actually when you make [11:31] these steps in the desert, the [11:32] Israelites didn't know God in Egypt. [11:34] But as they were walking every day [11:36] throughout these 40 years, they get to [11:38] know him. They get to know his heart, [11:40] how he is. And God wants us to take this [11:42] journey. Yeah, they were following God, [11:44] just like we're called to follow Yeshua. [11:45] They were following that pillar of fire [11:47] and cloud. It's as they were following [11:49] that they began to know God. So, and for [11:52] us [11:53] just to say again clearly, Yeshua is our [11:55] Passover lamb. That's what the scripture [11:57] teaches us. And he's the one he had to [12:00] shed his blood just like the the lamb [12:03] was killed at Pesach and the blood was [12:06] put over the door posts. This is what [12:08] has taken place in our lives. And it's [12:11] it's [12:12] our our way to walk in freedom and to [12:14] follow after him. So, that I have some [12:16] air. [12:19] Happy feast of freedom. Yeah, that's [12:21] right. So, let's just say thanks. Thank [12:23] you, Abba. [12:24] We just give you thanks and praise [12:26] because you through Yeshua, through the [12:29] blood of the lamb uh our sin, the [12:32] judgment in our over our lives has been [12:34] passed over, and we're free from sin, [12:36] we're free from death. [12:38] Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Yeshua, uh [12:40] that you gave your life, that you gave [12:43] your blood on the cross. And now we can [12:45] walk in freedom. And uh we just set our [12:47] hearts as we enter this season [12:49] uh this year of of remembering Passover [12:53] and also many people celebrating [12:54] resurrection, Lord, we thank you that [12:56] for the freedom [12:58] that you've given to us. And as [13:00] as we all have different places in our [13:02] lives where we still want to see more, [13:04] we just we pray for ourselves, we pray [13:06] for our brothers and sisters who are [13:07] watching with us. [13:09] And uh we just ask you, Lord, lead us [13:11] into freedom. Help us respond to you in [13:14] faith, Lord, to say yes again, even in [13:17] places where we've struggled and where [13:18] we've we've run up against uh sin again. [13:21] Lord, we thank you that you don't grow [13:23] weary, that you're not tired of us or [13:26] our struggle, but you have what we need. [13:29] And so we just come to you in a fresh [13:30] way, and we say yes to you in a fresh [13:32] way, and we thank you for the victory [13:34] that is ahead of us in the blood of the [13:37] lamb. So, thank you, Lord. We bless you, [13:39] and we love you. We pray this in your [13:40] name, B'shem Yeshua. Amen. Amen. Amen.