1 00:00:00,001 --> 00:00:13,920 I usually do this on the last Sunday of October, but do you know how hard it is to get a group 2 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,440 of pastors in the same room on a Sunday? 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,040 That's very difficult. 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,620 Guys, you are incredibly blessed. 5 00:00:22,620 --> 00:00:23,620 We are incredibly blessed. 6 00:00:23,620 --> 00:00:28,940 I am incredibly blessed to have a group of associate pastors at this church who love 7 00:00:28,940 --> 00:00:31,720 and serve the way that they do. 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:40,120 The group of people behind me have been faithful, have been loyal, have been servant-hearted 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:43,440 for multiple years, even before I got into this position. 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:51,340 You know, I was told by several respected business people and even ministry people that 11 00:00:51,340 --> 00:00:55,440 whenever I stepped into this role as lead pastor, I needed to clear the deck. 12 00:00:55,440 --> 00:01:00,080 And it didn't resonate with my spirit to clear the deck because you don't clear the deck 13 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,760 with family. 14 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:06,500 You guys are my family. 15 00:01:06,500 --> 00:01:11,800 And there is nobody that I would rather do this journey with than the people who are 16 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:24,220 on the stage, whether you're on time or not, Justin. 17 00:01:24,220 --> 00:01:29,600 The way that you guys have picked up the mantles that you've been charged with, the way that 18 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:34,840 you execute them is why we have the DNA in this house the way that we do. 19 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:41,260 You guys shepherd from a posture looking through the lands of Jesus, and you deeply care for 20 00:01:41,260 --> 00:01:42,960 these people. 21 00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,700 And I know that if we didn't do this, you would do your job with as much excellence 22 00:01:47,700 --> 00:01:49,880 as you do right now. 23 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:51,800 But I wanted to appreciate you guys. 24 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:56,360 I wanted to recognize you for your fingerprints being all over this house in the hearts of 25 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:57,400 the people. 26 00:01:57,400 --> 00:02:02,820 The longevity of the staff here goes to show not that, "Hey, look at us. 27 00:02:02,820 --> 00:02:03,820 Look what we've done." 28 00:02:03,820 --> 00:02:08,460 It goes to show the grace of God, the grace of the Lord in each of your lives and the 29 00:02:08,460 --> 00:02:10,340 way that you have ministered. 30 00:02:10,340 --> 00:02:15,160 The Lord gave me three words for this church body whenever I stepped in this role to love 31 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,040 big, huge hearts on this stage. 32 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,200 To live truth, you guys have a relationship with the Word of God and you live the truth 33 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:25,260 of God's Word. 34 00:02:25,260 --> 00:02:29,800 And we are a healthy family because you shepherd so well. 35 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:31,000 So I just want to thank you. 36 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,760 I want to thank you for serving the body. 37 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:36,800 I want to thank you for loving the body and loving me. 38 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:41,040 Thank you for putting up with my shenanigans and all of the things that I asked you to 39 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,840 do and going with me. 40 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:48,500 I think the greatest gift is to know that I unequivocally, unquestionably know that 41 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:49,980 your yes is on the table. 42 00:02:49,980 --> 00:02:51,940 If I go, you're coming with me. 43 00:02:51,940 --> 00:02:54,180 And I can't tell you there's not a greater gift. 44 00:02:54,180 --> 00:02:57,760 So we have something small for you that they're going to bring out, and I just want to say 45 00:02:57,760 --> 00:02:59,080 we appreciate you guys. 46 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:05,240 Do you love the pastoral team here at Springhouse, guys? 47 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:25,240 Yeah, yeah. 48 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:27,340 Now I believe it was Pastor Barbie. 49 00:03:27,340 --> 00:03:28,340 Come on y'all. 50 00:03:28,340 --> 00:03:40,220 Come on. 51 00:03:40,220 --> 00:03:45,580 Now I believe it was Pastor Barbie who said a few weeks ago it doesn't matter how much 52 00:03:45,580 --> 00:03:48,160 fruit you have, only if it's good fruit. 53 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:51,760 That's all good fruit, so hopefully you can eat it. 54 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:53,460 Would you guys just gather here in front of me? 55 00:03:53,460 --> 00:03:54,460 Would you all stretch your hands? 56 00:03:54,460 --> 00:03:59,640 I pray over these guys. 57 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:05,440 And you're going to not see Pastor Barbie for a few weeks because she's going on sabbatical. 58 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:09,880 So I didn't want you to think she left her, you know, and you know, I get to repay her 59 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:14,780 for some remarks she made about me last time I was on sabbatical. 60 00:04:14,780 --> 00:04:15,780 It's going to be great. 61 00:04:15,780 --> 00:04:16,780 It's going to be fun. 62 00:04:16,780 --> 00:04:17,780 Let's pray. 63 00:04:17,780 --> 00:04:22,520 Father, I thank you so much for the gifts that you've given us. 64 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,180 The greatest gift you ever gave us was your son Jesus. 65 00:04:25,180 --> 00:04:30,900 I thank you Lord for the pastors that you have assigned to this house, including Jonathan. 66 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:34,900 And I thank you Lord for the people that are standing on this stage. 67 00:04:34,900 --> 00:04:38,020 And I ask Lord that you would continue to use them God. 68 00:04:38,020 --> 00:04:39,940 Father, I thank you for their appointment. 69 00:04:39,940 --> 00:04:43,680 I thank you that they walk with it with excellence. 70 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,900 Lord I thank you that they walk in integrity God. 71 00:04:45,900 --> 00:04:49,120 And I thank you Lord that their desires to truly please you. 72 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,920 I pray Lord as they love our body big, as they live your truth, and as they sow into 73 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:59,720 healthy family, I pray Lord that we'll return to their families and to their homes a thousandfold God. 74 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:04,820 I pray that you would cover them, put a hedge of protection around them, us, as a body. 75 00:05:04,820 --> 00:05:10,420 And I pray Lord that you would continue to use them as your oil pours down their head 76 00:05:10,420 --> 00:05:16,380 to their feet, that they would walk in peace and that we would continue to maintain unity 77 00:05:16,380 --> 00:05:17,380 in you. 78 00:05:17,380 --> 00:05:18,380 In Jesus' name. 79 00:05:18,380 --> 00:05:19,380 Amen. 80 00:05:19,380 --> 00:05:22,380 Thank you guys so much. 81 00:05:22,380 --> 00:05:25,380 [applause] 82 00:05:25,380 --> 00:05:33,380 Okay, I'm coming down to the floor because I want to spit on the front row. 83 00:05:33,380 --> 00:05:35,380 That's holy spit. 84 00:05:35,380 --> 00:05:41,380 Three reasons why I chose to do that today. 85 00:05:41,380 --> 00:05:42,380 The first I've already told you. 86 00:05:42,380 --> 00:05:43,380 It's hard, thank you buddy. 87 00:05:43,380 --> 00:05:47,580 It's hard to get the pastors all in one room together on a Sunday. 88 00:05:47,580 --> 00:05:53,180 The second reason is we have a picnic following this gathering. 89 00:05:53,180 --> 00:05:55,180 Are you not excited about the picnic? 90 00:05:55,180 --> 00:05:59,080 Okay, I'm excited about the picnic. 91 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,080 These pastors are going to be out there. 92 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:06,780 I want you to find them and hug their necks and tell them how much you appreciate them. 93 00:06:06,780 --> 00:06:07,780 Is that sound good? 94 00:06:07,780 --> 00:06:08,780 Can you do that for me? 95 00:06:08,780 --> 00:06:09,780 Thumbs up? 96 00:06:09,780 --> 00:06:10,780 Are we good? 97 00:06:10,780 --> 00:06:11,780 Are we live this morning? 98 00:06:11,780 --> 00:06:12,780 Okay. 99 00:06:12,780 --> 00:06:13,780 All right, good deal. 100 00:06:13,780 --> 00:06:20,180 And lastly, I wanted to do this today because of the message I'm about to speak. 101 00:06:20,180 --> 00:06:21,980 And you'll see why once we get done with it. 102 00:06:21,980 --> 00:06:25,780 Let's stand together and read the scripture. 103 00:06:25,780 --> 00:06:31,180 "In Lystra there set a man who was lame. 104 00:06:31,180 --> 00:06:34,740 He had been that way from birth and never walked. 105 00:06:34,740 --> 00:06:37,480 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. 106 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:43,760 Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed, and called out, 'Stand 107 00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:45,340 up on your feet.' 108 00:06:45,340 --> 00:06:49,340 At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. 109 00:06:49,340 --> 00:06:55,560 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lyconian language, 'The gods 110 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:59,020 have come down to us in human form.' 111 00:06:59,020 --> 00:07:06,180 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 112 00:07:06,180 --> 00:07:12,380 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside of the city, brought bulls and reeds 113 00:07:12,380 --> 00:07:18,780 to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. 114 00:07:18,780 --> 00:07:24,780 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed 115 00:07:24,780 --> 00:07:30,020 out into the crowd, shouting, 'Friends, why are you doing this? 116 00:07:30,020 --> 00:07:33,240 We too are only human like you. 117 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:39,140 We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the 118 00:07:39,140 --> 00:07:45,780 living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.' 119 00:07:45,780 --> 00:07:50,580 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 120 00:07:50,580 --> 00:07:54,820 He has not left himself without testimony. 121 00:07:54,820 --> 00:08:01,260 He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. 122 00:08:01,260 --> 00:08:07,020 He provides you with plenty of foods and fills your heart with joy. 123 00:08:07,020 --> 00:08:13,640 In these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. 124 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:19,500 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. 125 00:08:19,500 --> 00:08:25,260 They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 126 00:08:25,260 --> 00:08:31,700 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. 127 00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:35,400 The next day, he and Barnabas left for Derby. 128 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:41,200 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. 129 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:47,980 Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging 130 00:08:47,980 --> 00:08:51,020 them to remain true to the faith. 131 00:08:51,020 --> 00:08:56,900 They said, 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.'" 132 00:08:56,900 --> 00:09:00,140 Father, I thank you for your word and I thank you that it brings life. 133 00:09:00,140 --> 00:09:04,300 I pray, Lord, that you would transform us from the inside out today. 134 00:09:04,300 --> 00:09:09,040 I pray that our hearts would be pliable, God, and I pray, Lord, that you would always remain 135 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,180 in the center of everything we do. 136 00:09:11,180 --> 00:09:13,200 In Jesus' name, amen. 137 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:15,900 You may be seated. 138 00:09:15,900 --> 00:09:18,060 Couple of things real quick that I missed at the top. 139 00:09:18,060 --> 00:09:21,700 Thursday night, a new series is starting with Pastor Justin. 140 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:24,300 So I invite you to come and be a part of that through series. 141 00:09:24,300 --> 00:09:29,420 It's called, I had it in my notes, but I'm not going to go back to it. 142 00:09:29,420 --> 00:09:32,180 It's based on 1 John, Desires. 143 00:09:32,180 --> 00:09:35,380 It's about desires, I believe. 144 00:09:35,380 --> 00:09:36,860 It's a desire word. 145 00:09:36,860 --> 00:09:39,540 Come Thursday night, six o'clock. 146 00:09:39,540 --> 00:09:40,660 And then of course the picnic. 147 00:09:40,660 --> 00:09:42,420 I already talked to you about that. 148 00:09:42,420 --> 00:09:43,420 Okay. 149 00:09:43,420 --> 00:09:44,420 Wanted to do that. 150 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:45,420 Okay. 151 00:09:45,420 --> 00:09:46,420 We're in Acts chapter 14. 152 00:09:46,420 --> 00:09:49,340 Now we've kind of gone a little bit around and jumped some. 153 00:09:49,340 --> 00:09:52,180 So we were in Acts chapter 11 last week. 154 00:09:52,180 --> 00:09:54,500 Wasn't that a phenomenal word from Pastor James? 155 00:09:54,500 --> 00:09:56,000 Really good word from Pastor James. 156 00:09:56,000 --> 00:10:01,180 Then we were in Acts chapter, we were in Acts chapter 12, we were in Acts chapter 13 the 157 00:10:01,180 --> 00:10:02,180 week before that. 158 00:10:02,180 --> 00:10:04,980 And now we're jumping to Acts chapter 14. 159 00:10:04,980 --> 00:10:09,420 So real quick in review in chapter 11, we meet Barnabas and Paul and Barnabas become 160 00:10:09,420 --> 00:10:14,820 traveling partners and they begin to go out and to do the work of preaching the gospel. 161 00:10:14,820 --> 00:10:19,900 And in chapter 12, the focus of the chapter shifts to a man named Peter. 162 00:10:19,900 --> 00:10:21,240 And we talked about Peter. 163 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:26,280 Remember Peter was put in the jail cell and the Lord provided an angel to come and bust 164 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:32,040 Peter out of that jail cell and walked him out liberated from that jail. 165 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:33,960 So we talked about that in chapter 12. 166 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:38,720 What we didn't talk about in chapter 12 was the king at the time, King Herod, he was in 167 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:42,560 charge and he got up in front of the people after this event and he began to make some 168 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:47,440 declarations and he began to make some proclamations, but he did not acknowledge God. 169 00:10:47,440 --> 00:10:52,680 And the word tells us in chapter 12 that the angel of the Lord came and struck Herod down 170 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:54,320 and he was eaten by worms. 171 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:56,760 How many would like to be eaten by worms? 172 00:10:56,760 --> 00:10:57,760 Nobody here hopefully. 173 00:10:57,760 --> 00:10:58,980 Okay, get your life right. 174 00:10:58,980 --> 00:11:00,560 Get your life right church. 175 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:01,560 Okay. 176 00:11:01,560 --> 00:11:05,460 So the angel of the Lord comes and he strikes Herod down. 177 00:11:05,460 --> 00:11:08,960 So you've got Peter broken free from prison. 178 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,640 You've got Herod being struck down from the angel of the Lord. 179 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:16,960 These two events, if I was there as a believer looking at this, I kind of would go, whoa, 180 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:22,080 I don't know if I want to be in this church or this setting because those are some big, 181 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:23,080 big events. 182 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:30,400 In verse 24 it says this, "But the word of God continued to spread and flourish." 183 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:35,040 The word of God continued to spread and flourish. 184 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,940 I want us to continue to put in front of us that the sanctification of the church, us 185 00:11:39,940 --> 00:11:44,160 looking like Jesus Christ is going to add numbers to the kingdom far greater than any 186 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:47,940 show, any program, any tent, any picnic that we do. 187 00:11:47,940 --> 00:11:49,840 That we would become like Christ Jesus. 188 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:54,240 That when people look at us and meet us, that they would see Jesus Christ. 189 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,240 When they see Jesus, numbers are added to the kingdom. 190 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:58,380 Amen. 191 00:11:58,380 --> 00:12:04,000 And so we continue in chapter 13, Pastor Barbie several weeks ago talked about the false prophet 192 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,320 and sorcerer whom Paul filled with the Holy Spirit said, "You're a child of the devil. 193 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:10,320 You're a child of the devil." 194 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,720 It takes real boldness to tell somebody, well, it didn't take boldness, I guess too much 195 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:16,240 to tell somebody that they're filled, that they're the child of the devil. 196 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:19,120 But you don't need to say that unless you're filled with the Holy Spirit, right? 197 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:20,120 That's not very kind. 198 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,780 It's probably not kind either way, but one's true and one's false, right? 199 00:12:23,780 --> 00:12:28,980 We want to only speak the things that we are filled by the Holy Spirit and told to say. 200 00:12:28,980 --> 00:12:35,200 So Paul and Barnabas continue to preach the gospel and what we see is increasing faith. 201 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:40,640 We see their faith increase, their confidence in presenting the gospel continues to increase, 202 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:42,720 but guess what else increases? 203 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,260 Persecution. 204 00:12:44,260 --> 00:12:46,900 What else increases is that they have opposition. 205 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:52,040 It doesn't necessarily get easier, it gets harder. 206 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:56,280 Have you ever found that in your walk, that the closer you get to Jesus, it gets harder? 207 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,880 It gets harder. 208 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,400 But we are not by ourselves and all alone. 209 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:10,640 We have a Holy Spirit who protects us and guides us and leads us and empowers us. 210 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:17,000 And so in verses 44 and 45 of Acts chapter 13, "On the next Sabbath, almost the whole 211 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,480 city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 212 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,240 When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy." 213 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:25,420 Would you say the word jealousy? 214 00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:27,400 Jealousy. 215 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:32,720 Jealousy is extremely crippling. 216 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,440 The Jewish leaders were filled with jealousy. 217 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:38,440 Why were they jealous? 218 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:45,560 They were jealous because they were not getting the following and the accolades and the notoriety 219 00:13:45,560 --> 00:13:51,800 as these lowly apostles in giving the word of God. 220 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:52,800 And they were jealous. 221 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:57,160 And we're gonna see what they do with their jealousy here in just a moment. 222 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,580 So they begin to contradict what Paul was saying and they heaped abuse on him because 223 00:14:01,580 --> 00:14:03,440 of their jealousy. 224 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,480 So this brings us to where we are today with Paul and Barnabas and they go into a city 225 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:12,460 called Iconium and then to Lystra where we read that Paul sees a lame man. 226 00:14:12,460 --> 00:14:16,520 He sees a lame man and he looks at this lame man and he says, "Get up and walk." 227 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:23,640 Oh, that we would have the boldness and the faith to look at crippled, look at lame, look 228 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:29,760 at the death, look at mute, look at the blind and say, "See, walk, be healed." 229 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:32,120 Do you know that God moves in that way today? 230 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,680 Church, he will move in that way today. 231 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:35,920 It only takes faith. 232 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,440 It takes faith and listening to the obedience of the Holy Spirit. 233 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:41,960 So Paul looks at this lame man, he says, "Get up and walk." 234 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:45,560 And he gets up and walk and something crazy happens. 235 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:53,200 The people of Lystra look at Paul and Barnabas and they say, "You must be gods." 236 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:59,020 And so they named Barnabas Zeus and they named Paul Hermes because he was the big speaker 237 00:14:59,020 --> 00:15:03,480 and they say, "We're gonna give you the accolades and we're gonna give you the praise of these 238 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,880 gods and we're gonna lift you up and we're gonna elevate you as gods." 239 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:12,380 Now, as we sit here as believers and we hear this story, we read this story and we think 240 00:15:12,380 --> 00:15:14,120 about all this, guess what we do? 241 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:15,800 We go, "That's crazy. 242 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,080 That is so crazy. 243 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:21,340 How could they mistaken Paul and Barnabas for some gods? 244 00:15:21,340 --> 00:15:22,340 How could they do that?" 245 00:15:22,340 --> 00:15:27,960 But can I tell you, we do that all the time. 246 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,520 We idolize people so fast. 247 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:36,200 Some of us grew up with posters, giant posters of basketball and football players in our 248 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:37,580 bedrooms just posted. 249 00:15:37,580 --> 00:15:39,120 We looked at it, we said, "I'm gonna be like them. 250 00:15:39,120 --> 00:15:40,440 Oh, I'm gonna be like them. 251 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:42,400 I'm gonna be like them when I grow up." 252 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:45,080 We idolize people. 253 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,140 We put people on pedestals. 254 00:15:48,140 --> 00:15:51,640 We will follow the one who is popular, the one who's good looking, the one who has a 255 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:53,680 great personality all the time. 256 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:57,200 We do it all the time and it just happens in a snap. 257 00:15:57,200 --> 00:15:59,680 It happens so quickly. 258 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:03,360 These people said, "You're gods and we're gonna give you the accolades of gods." 259 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:09,600 Thankfully, Paul and Barnabas had the sense to rend their clothes and say, "No, no, no, 260 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:10,660 no, no, no. 261 00:16:10,660 --> 00:16:12,560 You don't understand. 262 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,520 We are human just like you. 263 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:17,740 We are one of you. 264 00:16:17,740 --> 00:16:22,280 We are in need of a sovereign God just like you. 265 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:26,440 And let me tell you that there's a testimony they're saying to the people. 266 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,960 There's a testament of God's move in your life, the way he provides for you, the way 267 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,200 he gives you abundant joy, the way he supplies all of your needs. 268 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:40,000 And they're trying to motivate the people to see the one true living God. 269 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:41,120 Now here's a problem. 270 00:16:41,120 --> 00:16:43,140 Remember those jealous Jews? 271 00:16:43,140 --> 00:16:48,520 Those jealous Jews are combating that message with a different message and confusing the 272 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:49,520 people. 273 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,660 See, jealousy confuses things. 274 00:16:52,660 --> 00:16:59,420 Jealousy causes you to act in a certain way, have attitude in a way that can really cause 275 00:16:59,420 --> 00:17:01,360 destruction. 276 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:06,000 It causes you not to see people, causes you to see yourself. 277 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:11,400 So these Jews seeing themselves and walking in jealousy, they decided to take Paul. 278 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:15,300 They confused the people and the people decided to take Paul and they decided to go out and 279 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:17,500 to stone him. 280 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:19,880 But man, miracle of miracles, Paul does not die. 281 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:23,420 Now I'm pretty sure it felt great to get stoned. 282 00:17:23,420 --> 00:17:24,820 I meant with rocks. 283 00:17:24,820 --> 00:17:32,820 And you know, and I, and it, no, no, it didn't, it didn't feel good. 284 00:17:32,820 --> 00:17:37,600 I'm sure Paul was a mess, but he was alive. 285 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,140 And you know what? 286 00:17:39,140 --> 00:17:44,080 Paul counts it all joy to be able to suffer for the cause of Christ. 287 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,660 When was the last time you suffered for the cause? 288 00:17:47,660 --> 00:17:53,080 The cause of Christ. 289 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:56,460 When something extraordinary takes place, we have this natural inclination to elevate 290 00:17:56,460 --> 00:17:59,560 people above God. 291 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:06,740 We would rather be enslaved to flawed humans than to be liberated by a God who breathes 292 00:18:06,740 --> 00:18:11,360 stars, the God of the universe. 293 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:15,960 Over in 1 Samuel chapter 8, we read of a story of the Israelites. 294 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,980 Samuel is there and the Israelites are here talking to Samuel and you know what they're 295 00:18:19,980 --> 00:18:20,980 saying? 296 00:18:20,980 --> 00:18:21,980 They're saying, "We want a king." 297 00:18:21,980 --> 00:18:25,800 But you know what was crazy about them saying, "We want a king?" 298 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,960 They had a king. 299 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:28,960 They had a king. 300 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:30,440 Let's read what it says in verse four. 301 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:34,320 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 302 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:38,880 They said to him, "You are old and your sons do not follow your ways. 303 00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:44,220 Now appoint a king to lead us such as all the other nations have." 304 00:18:44,220 --> 00:18:48,740 But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel. 305 00:18:48,740 --> 00:18:53,440 So he prayed to the Lord and the Lord told him, "Listen to all that the people are saying 306 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:54,440 to you." 307 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:59,120 And then the Lord says this, and guys, this is such a sobering statement. 308 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:04,080 It is not you who they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 309 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,640 Oh, may that never be said of my life. 310 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:14,120 Oh, may that never be said of our lives that the Lord God Almighty says that we have rejected 311 00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:15,960 him as our king. 312 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:19,880 But guys, we are so fickle. 313 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:21,860 We change day by day. 314 00:19:21,860 --> 00:19:28,060 We so long to idolize or to promote or to elevate flesh and blood, to attribute the 315 00:19:28,060 --> 00:19:31,760 things that God is doing to a human, to a person that we can see. 316 00:19:31,760 --> 00:19:32,760 Do you know what? 317 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:36,440 Guys, if you just pay attention, you can see God, you can hear God, you can feel God. 318 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:38,100 He is real. 319 00:19:38,100 --> 00:19:39,560 He is real. 320 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:40,840 He is real. 321 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:44,740 You don't have to have a person come to represent the Lord for you. 322 00:19:44,740 --> 00:19:51,040 He uses people and people do represent him, but you can have a relationship with God Almighty. 323 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:52,120 He is real. 324 00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:55,800 This is Mellow Yellow. 325 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:58,200 Mellow Yellow has been around for a while. 326 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,600 This is actually a can from the 1990s, the early 1990s. 327 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:07,600 And I was in fifth grade at one point and I had a teacher named Miss Lightford and she 328 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,200 wanted to lose weight. 329 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:12,140 But she loved Mellow Yellow. 330 00:20:12,140 --> 00:20:16,400 And so she would drink Mellow Yellow pretty religiously. 331 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,360 And she just finally said, "Class, I've got to make a deal with you. 332 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,120 I can't be drinking Mellow Yellow all the time. 333 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:26,760 And so if you come into my classroom and you see a Mellow Yellow sitting on my desk, the 334 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,520 first one who tells me or catches me in that, I'm going to give you a Mellow Yellow. 335 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,060 Now I'm going to tell you, fifth graders love Mellow Yellow. 336 00:20:33,060 --> 00:20:34,760 No weight loss plan, doesn't matter. 337 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:35,760 We're good. 338 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:36,760 We want the Mellow Yellow. 339 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:38,280 So we're always looking for this Mellow Yellow can. 340 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,520 Well, it was after an elective one day and I came into the classroom and I was the first 341 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,120 one there and guess what? 342 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:46,480 Miss Lightford had a big old Mellow Yellow sitting right there on her desk. 343 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:51,000 My buddy John came behind me and I said, "John, she's got a Mellow Yellow on her desk." 344 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:54,800 And right behind John comes Miss Lightford and John turns around and says, "Miss Lightford, 345 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,280 you got a Mellow Yellow on your desk." 346 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,520 And Miss Lightford says, "John, you get a Mellow Yellow." 347 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:04,520 Now I thought totally John being my buddy was going to say, "Well, it was actually Kevin 348 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:05,680 who caught the Mellow Yellow." 349 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,440 But he said, "Yes!" 350 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,280 And she gave him the Mellow Yellow. 351 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,200 I was so upset. 352 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,600 I was so, I mean, it's decades later. 353 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:17,200 I'm still holding a grudge. 354 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:18,200 Pray for me. 355 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,680 I mean, that should have been my Mellow Yellow. 356 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:25,800 That should have been my Mellow Yellow. 357 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:30,940 What do you do when you don't get the recognition you deserve? 358 00:21:30,940 --> 00:21:38,280 What do you do when you don't get the recognition you think you deserve? 359 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:39,960 Let's face it. 360 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:46,200 All of us are going to do things from time to time that do not get recognized or appreciated. 361 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:47,640 And I might go a step further. 362 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:48,640 Listen to me, church. 363 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:49,640 I might go a step further. 364 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:55,080 I believe the Lord has asked you to do things that you don't get appreciated for. 365 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:59,160 I believe the Lord is asking you to do things that you don't get recognition because He 366 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:03,360 has a greater reward for you. 367 00:22:03,360 --> 00:22:07,480 And anytime you take the recognition, it's as if there is one stool here and you're trying 368 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,700 to have one side of your behind on it with God. 369 00:22:10,700 --> 00:22:17,240 God does not like to share the stool with anybody. 370 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:21,900 It's either all him or I guess the alternative is all you. 371 00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:27,080 We live in a society and time and space where people are so sensitive to attaboys and good 372 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:32,440 jobs and elevation and promotion that we find very little space to serve in a way that gets 373 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:38,240 us out of the way and illuminates the one who really does the work. 374 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:46,600 I'm reminded of Rhonda Frazier who diligently served forever on the Salt Theater Council, 375 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:48,700 Springhouse Theater Council. 376 00:22:48,700 --> 00:22:51,120 And I remember I used to serve on that board. 377 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:55,000 I remember the time they were trying to pay her some money for the work she was doing 378 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:56,620 to recognize her. 379 00:22:56,620 --> 00:23:00,340 And she basically laughed out loud and said, the first thing was we could not pay her enough 380 00:23:00,340 --> 00:23:02,720 for the work that she was doing, the fingerprints. 381 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:06,120 You can't pay Rhonda enough to do what she's doing, first of all. 382 00:23:06,120 --> 00:23:09,640 But she was doing it for a greater purpose. 383 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,960 She wasn't doing it for a paycheck or an accolade or recognition. 384 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:16,480 She was doing it to serve. 385 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:21,040 And can I tell you guys in our society and our climate and our culture, just serving 386 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:27,320 has become a lost, lost idea that we would actually just serve without getting anything 387 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:28,760 in return. 388 00:23:28,760 --> 00:23:32,460 That our first thought process is if I do this, I need this. 389 00:23:32,460 --> 00:23:37,560 Or I have served for this amount of years, for this amount of time, and nobody's pulling 390 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:38,700 me on stage. 391 00:23:38,700 --> 00:23:43,080 Nobody's putting me in the limelight. 392 00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:47,420 What would it look like if you abandoned those thought processes and surrendered to the Lord 393 00:23:47,420 --> 00:23:51,920 Jesus Christ and said, Lord, I give this as a gift to you. 394 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:55,520 Can you imagine if I gave Kirk a gift and I had a string tied to it and said, OK, now 395 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,040 I want you to pay me back for this gift that I've given you and just held it? 396 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,560 That would have been a great object lesson. 397 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:06,000 I could have walked around this entire place with a string holding onto this. 398 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,960 But some of us are holding onto strings from our service for years. 399 00:24:09,960 --> 00:24:13,360 And we hold onto them and we say, you owe me something. 400 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:14,600 You owe me something. 401 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:20,940 And God is today wanting you to release and surrender that need to be edified and given 402 00:24:20,940 --> 00:24:28,220 accolades from man and allow him to fill that place and to reward you for what you've done. 403 00:24:28,220 --> 00:24:33,400 Any talent or gift or special ability you have comes from him. 404 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,220 The word says in James, do not be deceived, my brothers and sisters. 405 00:24:36,220 --> 00:24:40,100 Every good and perfect gift comes from above, comes down from the Father of heavenly lights 406 00:24:40,100 --> 00:24:42,260 who does not change like the shifting shadows. 407 00:24:42,260 --> 00:24:43,840 Guys, we change. 408 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:45,320 He doesn't change. 409 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:50,340 He's the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. 410 00:24:50,340 --> 00:24:57,160 And so that brings us to a sobering truth that it does not begin and end with you. 411 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:06,680 In fact, I would rephrase that and say it actually continues with me and continues with 412 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,040 somebody else. 413 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,440 It continues with me and it continues with something else. 414 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:14,800 Here's the thing, the rope, remember the rope analogy. 415 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:17,260 You got about this much of the rope that's red. 416 00:25:17,260 --> 00:25:18,260 This is our life. 417 00:25:18,260 --> 00:25:21,840 And then you got all of eternity. 418 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:27,040 What you do in this red part has everything to do with what happens in eternity. 419 00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:34,280 And so the persecution, the persecution, the lack of appreciation, if you will, the lack 420 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:38,880 of recognition or whatever it is that the man is not giving you here, God is going to 421 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:40,740 well make up for here. 422 00:25:40,740 --> 00:25:49,500 If your heart is in the place and you're doing it for him. 423 00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:55,380 Sometimes the promises that we have been believing God for are not for us, but they are for a 424 00:25:55,380 --> 00:25:58,920 generation to come. 425 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:02,620 You are a small part of a very large story. 426 00:26:02,620 --> 00:26:07,980 And guys, every person in this room, including me, is a supporting cast member. 427 00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:10,840 He's the main star. 428 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:11,840 He's the main star. 429 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:16,540 And if there's anybody that's going to be given glory or should be given glory or put 430 00:26:16,540 --> 00:26:20,260 in the spotlight, it should be our Lord Jesus Christ. 431 00:26:20,260 --> 00:26:23,100 It should be our Lord Jesus Christ. 432 00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:28,000 The word says, Jesus says in Matthew, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will acknowledge 433 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:29,480 before my Father in heaven." 434 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:30,480 Guys, I want my name. 435 00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:34,240 Kevin O'Day said before the God of the universe. 436 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:38,520 I want to be one who acknowledges Jesus Christ's name. 437 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:43,160 I used to be a young adult pastor many, many, many, many years ago. 438 00:26:43,160 --> 00:26:49,200 And I actually started, I started as I guess, pastoring young adults back at Chick-fil-A 439 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:54,100 between 1996 and 2004. 440 00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:59,400 And the reason I started a ministry at Chick-fil-A of young adults was because there were a bunch 441 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:03,620 of young adults who stopped going to church because the churches weren't offering programming 442 00:27:03,620 --> 00:27:04,620 for them. 443 00:27:04,620 --> 00:27:08,320 So they were like, well, there's nothing for me, so I'm not going to go anymore. 444 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,140 And so that hurt my heart because I was in love with God, with the church. 445 00:27:11,140 --> 00:27:12,140 I'm in love with Christ. 446 00:27:12,140 --> 00:27:14,620 And I'm thinking, man, surely we can provide something. 447 00:27:14,620 --> 00:27:15,620 You know, I've got an idea. 448 00:27:15,620 --> 00:27:16,920 Chick-fil-A's closed on Sunday. 449 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:17,920 They've given me keys. 450 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,080 I've got access to chicken. 451 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:22,800 Sounds like a winning combination, right? 452 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:24,640 So I said, why don't you all come, we'll do a Bible study. 453 00:27:24,640 --> 00:27:26,200 We'll do a small Bible study. 454 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:27,200 I'll turn on the fryers. 455 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:29,760 We'll cook up some nuggets and we'll have a Bible study. 456 00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:35,520 You know, that turned into 75 people coming to Chick-fil-A for worship and for the Word 457 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:36,520 on Sunday nights. 458 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:37,520 It was great. 459 00:27:37,520 --> 00:27:38,520 It was glorious. 460 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,720 Last for two or three years, we grew. 461 00:27:40,720 --> 00:27:42,440 We ended up getting a leadership team. 462 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:43,440 We had a worship team. 463 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:45,280 We had all of these things going on. 464 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:50,240 And at the prime of what was going on, at the middle of where everything was just flourishing, 465 00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:54,420 and I started to dream about what's next with this thing, God said, Kevin, I want you to 466 00:27:54,420 --> 00:27:56,420 lay this down. 467 00:27:56,420 --> 00:27:58,420 And you know what I said? 468 00:27:58,420 --> 00:28:04,520 Not only did I say, no, my heart posture was, this is my baby. 469 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:06,900 Look what I started. 470 00:28:06,900 --> 00:28:10,140 Look what I built. 471 00:28:10,140 --> 00:28:14,920 Do you know that next week in our leadership meeting was the very first time I could ever 472 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,560 remember that we had a disagreement and a fight? 473 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:22,360 It was followed by the next month, half of the attendance out the door. 474 00:28:22,360 --> 00:28:26,320 It was followed then by one of the leaders being accused of something very egregious 475 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:29,080 that caused us to have to stop altogether. 476 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:33,420 God's hand was removed from it. 477 00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:38,860 And he had given me some insight before and he said, lay this down. 478 00:28:38,860 --> 00:28:39,960 And I disobeyed. 479 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:40,960 I was hurt. 480 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,760 I was hurt for a while because I felt like I had to invest. 481 00:28:43,760 --> 00:28:44,760 I didn't understand. 482 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:46,360 It was the prime of what was going on. 483 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:48,280 This was a flourishing ministry. 484 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,160 God, why would you have me lay this down? 485 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:51,360 I don't understand. 486 00:28:51,360 --> 00:28:53,880 And so I was serving here in kids' ministry. 487 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:56,160 It was years later and I was dealing with this. 488 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:57,160 I was hurt and pain. 489 00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:01,240 I knew I had a call in my life to minister, but that was just a sore spot in my life. 490 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,000 And one Wednesday night, I'm walking out of the mailroom down the children's ministry 491 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:09,360 hallway and I see this cluster of young adults in the little foyer here. 492 00:29:09,360 --> 00:29:13,240 And they're going to Starbucks because our church at the time didn't have a meeting place 493 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:14,760 or a program for young adults. 494 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:17,360 And I looked by and I walked by that and I said, Lord, you better raise somebody up to 495 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:18,640 do something about that. 496 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,040 And I just continued down the hallway. 497 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:27,400 The next Wednesday, God, I did not, believe me, I was not looking to be in the position. 498 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:30,360 I literally would walk out of the mailroom and there they are again. 499 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:33,280 Lord, you need to raise somebody up. 500 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:35,840 Lord, you need to raise somebody up. 501 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,080 You know what God said? 502 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,240 "Kevin, I want you to lead these young adults." 503 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:40,240 I said, "No, sir." 504 00:29:40,240 --> 00:29:44,480 He said, "Kevin, I want you to lead these young adults." 505 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:51,280 Lord, no, I'm hurt from the last time. 506 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:57,580 He said, "Don't let your disobedience of the past affect your obedience in the present." 507 00:29:57,580 --> 00:29:59,760 So I made a deal with God. 508 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,760 I said, "God, I'll do this for three months, but you need to raise somebody else up to 509 00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:05,760 lead it." 510 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:10,960 And so for three months I led what started to be four or five people, grew to 40 or 50 511 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:11,960 people. 512 00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:15,640 Some of the people sitting in this room were a part of that ministry. 513 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:20,600 And I'm sitting three months later across from Ronnie Meek at McDonald's and out of 514 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:25,480 the blue, out of the blue, he says, "Kevin, I want to transition you from a children's 515 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:30,200 pastor to a young adult pastor, the anointing and oils on your life." 516 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:35,540 And I became a young adult pastor here at this church. 517 00:30:35,540 --> 00:30:41,920 God will use your sore spots to train you to understand what your place is and who this 518 00:30:41,920 --> 00:30:44,760 is really about. 519 00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,520 And I learned, I was humbled. 520 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:48,880 I was humbled. 521 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:54,400 The Word says this, "Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up." 522 00:30:54,400 --> 00:30:55,920 He will lift you up. 523 00:30:55,920 --> 00:31:01,080 I would much rather Him lift me up than me trying to lift up myself. 524 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:06,120 So when we become participants in setting the stage for Him to receive the glory, then 525 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:08,680 we become receivers of His blessing. 526 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:11,440 Who would like to be blessed by the Lord? 527 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:12,440 Anybody want to be blessed? 528 00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:13,440 I want to be blessed by the Lord. 529 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:19,960 Well, when we set up the stage for Him to receive the glory, the blessings are abundant 530 00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,040 because He is faithful to take care of those who will get out of the way and point others 531 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,480 to Him. 532 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:29,880 Self-centeredness will always taint your experience. 533 00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:33,840 When you are the center of attention, when you are the center of what's going on, when 534 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:38,960 you're the one who says, "Look at me, I'm in the center, I'm in the limelight," when 535 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,920 that is you, when you're in the center, then it taints your experience. 536 00:31:42,920 --> 00:31:47,040 It doesn't just taint your experience, it taints everybody else's experience. 537 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,280 Because out of your self-centeredness, you begin to treat people a lot differently than 538 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,040 what you need to treat them. 539 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:59,240 Can I say to you, do you know that God actually sees value in the person that you despise? 540 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:03,000 In the person you can't stand? 541 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:04,520 God actually sees value in them. 542 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,560 So what you're thinking about that person, what you say about that person, how you treat 543 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:15,080 that person, you're treating somebody who God says, "I see value in that person." 544 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:20,560 That's why I need the Holy Spirit to empower me, to give me a lens to see people the way 545 00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:23,320 He sees them. 546 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:29,400 Because sometimes I don't see people in a very healthy, "Lord, clean these glasses." 547 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:34,560 And He says, "Let me empower you as you work through what you've got." 548 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:39,160 And a lot of times it's not them, it's you. 549 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:44,680 So as you work through it, let me empower you to see them the way that I see them. 550 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:48,480 This is macaroni and cheese. 551 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:49,880 I love macaroni and cheese. 552 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:54,800 I don't know about you, but I am a mac and cheese connoisseur, and it's gotta be good. 553 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:55,800 It's gotta be good. 554 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:57,080 And guys, I've tasted some of your mac... 555 00:32:57,080 --> 00:32:58,080 Well, I won't say that. 556 00:32:58,080 --> 00:32:59,080 Okay. 557 00:32:59,080 --> 00:33:03,240 Macaroni and cheese, okay? 558 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:05,160 Some of you know this story, I'm gonna tell it real quickly. 559 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:11,160 We were doing a newcomer's lunch, and I walked in and Ms. Gina Gibson and a team were back 560 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:14,160 there just taking the kitchen over. 561 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:15,160 It was great. 562 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:17,880 And I smelled this food and I walk in, and guys, I'm one of the pastors here. 563 00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:19,680 I wasn't the lead pastor at the time, but I was one of the pastors. 564 00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:20,840 I think I was a youth pastor at the time. 565 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:25,800 And I walked in and man, I tell you what we're supposed to do as pastors at those lunches 566 00:33:25,800 --> 00:33:29,240 is meet with you guys, is learn your names and talk with you. 567 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,120 Do you know, I saw that macaroni and cheese. 568 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,440 I grabbed the plate and got right in line. 569 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:34,440 I did not wait. 570 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:36,400 I didn't think about anybody else in the room. 571 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,560 I literally saw the macaroni and cheese and my body went plate. 572 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:42,440 And I was like fourth in line. 573 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:44,840 Well, and I'm waiting and I cannot wait to get that. 574 00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:45,840 It looks so good. 575 00:33:45,840 --> 00:33:46,840 It's bubbly. 576 00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:47,840 It was great. 577 00:33:47,840 --> 00:33:52,720 And so I'm waiting in line and down the hallway comes Pastor Bruce Kobel. 578 00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:57,480 Now Bruce Kobel was our missions pastor for forever. 579 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:02,960 And one of Bruce's big things is when you are a leader, you eat last. 580 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:06,140 And it was the same like reaction my body had to grabbing a plate. 581 00:34:06,140 --> 00:34:08,920 When I saw him, I went whoop, about step. 582 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:10,880 Because I was, and it wasn't even the Holy Spirit. 583 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:12,520 I just didn't want to get in trouble by Bruce. 584 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:13,520 Okay, let me just be real. 585 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:14,520 Okay. 586 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:15,880 I knew Bruce would be, that eyebrow would go up. 587 00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:20,660 So I turned around and now, now not only do I not have macaroni and cheese, but I'm mad 588 00:34:20,660 --> 00:34:26,040 and I'm upset because I see all of the hawking, no, all of the people in there taking all 589 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,680 the macaroni and cheese and there I am back in the back and I'm sitting here, I'm going 590 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:32,420 to be left with bean casserole. 591 00:34:32,420 --> 00:34:35,120 And so here I am just waiting in line. 592 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:39,080 And do you know Bruce walks in the room and about the eighth person in line, he shakes 593 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:41,960 their hand and they invite Bruce to get in line. 594 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:43,840 And he gets in line. 595 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,320 Oh, it gets worse. 596 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:53,500 Not only is Bruce eighth in line, guess who gets the last scoop of macaroni and cheese? 597 00:34:53,500 --> 00:34:55,640 Bruce Kobel. 598 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:56,640 I was livid. 599 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:58,640 I don't remember one person's name from that lunch. 600 00:34:58,640 --> 00:34:59,680 I don't remember anything. 601 00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:03,320 I was so, I was so upset, but let me tell you what I did remember. 602 00:35:03,320 --> 00:35:07,000 I got up close to the bar, there's a couple of people in front of me. 603 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,000 I'm at the end. 604 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:11,240 I'm going to be the last person. 605 00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:17,040 And Ms. Jeannie pulls out, sees me and pulls out a brand new fresh pan, macaroni and cheese 606 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:20,480 and sets it down knowing that I'm coming in the line. 607 00:35:20,480 --> 00:35:23,520 Do you know that that was the worst plate of macaroni and cheese I've ever eaten in 608 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,400 my life? 609 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,160 And it wasn't because it didn't taste good. 610 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:33,000 It's because I was hanging my head in shame because I disobeyed the Holy Spirit. 611 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:34,680 I made it about myself. 612 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:35,680 I was self-centered. 613 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:36,680 And you know what? 614 00:35:36,680 --> 00:35:40,800 It taints your experience when you make it about you. 615 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:44,680 It taints your experience when you make it about you. 616 00:35:44,680 --> 00:35:49,720 Anytime you have a me focus, you will sacrifice the things that really matter. 617 00:35:49,720 --> 00:35:53,400 The Lord gave me a word for Springhouse at the top of the word, the top of the year. 618 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,560 Does anybody remember what it was? 619 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:56,560 Okay. 620 00:35:56,560 --> 00:35:59,960 Has anybody been walking through it? 621 00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:01,240 I didn't forget about the word. 622 00:36:01,240 --> 00:36:02,840 The Lord gave me the word. 623 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:03,840 Okay. 624 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:04,840 Refined. 625 00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:09,120 I've talked and cried with some of you who have been walking through a refining season 626 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:12,380 this year. 627 00:36:12,380 --> 00:36:16,100 If you look up and you think of January, February, March, you think of obstacles you've had to 628 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:21,180 go through this year, trying circumstances, heartbreaks. 629 00:36:21,180 --> 00:36:25,600 The Lord is refining you to be more like Him. 630 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:30,480 And whenever we are refined, we have an opportunity to look more like Him or look more like our 631 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:33,460 disgusting selves. 632 00:36:33,460 --> 00:36:38,360 And my prayer has been this year is that as we are being refined as a church, that I look 633 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:43,260 more like Him, that you look more like Him in the refining process. 634 00:36:43,260 --> 00:36:47,140 Jesus came to give us an abundant life and you can shortchange yourself on that abundant 635 00:36:47,140 --> 00:36:52,680 life when you magnify yourself more than you magnify Him. 636 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:54,280 Spirit gives birth to spirit. 637 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:58,200 Flesh gives birth to flesh. 638 00:36:58,200 --> 00:37:03,300 The refining process separates those who want to have a relationship with the Lord and those 639 00:37:03,300 --> 00:37:09,120 who just want to play church on Sunday. 640 00:37:09,120 --> 00:37:14,420 And so Paul and Barnabas say, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom 641 00:37:14,420 --> 00:37:15,420 of God." 642 00:37:15,420 --> 00:37:20,620 And I know that this is, I know that we are accustomed to being told in the American church 643 00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:25,760 that it is about goosebumps and feel good and good lattes coming into cushy chairs and 644 00:37:25,760 --> 00:37:27,180 a nice show for worship. 645 00:37:27,180 --> 00:37:29,660 But guys, it's not about any of that. 646 00:37:29,660 --> 00:37:31,380 It is about God Almighty. 647 00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:36,540 And can I tell you, He is going to put you in places as you are being refined, that you 648 00:37:36,540 --> 00:37:38,280 are going to suffer for Christ. 649 00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:39,760 And it's a short span. 650 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,860 It's a little bit, guys, our suffering is sometimes that our coffee is lukewarm instead 651 00:37:43,860 --> 00:37:44,860 of piping hot. 652 00:37:44,860 --> 00:37:50,460 I mean, goodness gracious, we do not suffer the way that there are others across the world, 653 00:37:50,460 --> 00:37:54,540 especially Paul and Barnabas, but you are going to be called as He's raising you up. 654 00:37:54,540 --> 00:37:58,500 And as you are becoming less of yourself, He is going to call you up to look more and 655 00:37:58,500 --> 00:37:59,500 more like Him. 656 00:37:59,500 --> 00:38:01,420 Now I know so many of you look like Him right now. 657 00:38:01,420 --> 00:38:02,420 Is that true? 658 00:38:02,420 --> 00:38:09,080 Okay, well, I was going to have you come and take over because I certainly need to be listening 659 00:38:09,080 --> 00:38:10,980 to the person who looks. 660 00:38:10,980 --> 00:38:15,980 I've got work to do on my journey. 661 00:38:15,980 --> 00:38:17,980 I'm going to have to lay down my pride. 662 00:38:17,980 --> 00:38:19,660 I'm going to have to lay down my ego. 663 00:38:19,660 --> 00:38:24,180 I'm going to have to lay down the things I want to do at times. 664 00:38:24,180 --> 00:38:26,140 My selfishness, I got to lay that stuff down. 665 00:38:26,140 --> 00:38:27,140 That doesn't feel good. 666 00:38:27,140 --> 00:38:31,180 Do you know all of those things are wonderful in the world? 667 00:38:31,180 --> 00:38:33,300 The world wants you to be full of pride. 668 00:38:33,300 --> 00:38:35,040 The world wants you to be selfish. 669 00:38:35,040 --> 00:38:38,080 The world wants you to do every, you wake up in the morning and you decide what you're 670 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:39,080 going to do. 671 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:40,340 Nobody's going to tell you what you're going to do. 672 00:38:40,340 --> 00:38:41,820 You do what you want to do. 673 00:38:41,820 --> 00:38:42,820 This feels good. 674 00:38:42,820 --> 00:38:43,820 I'm going to do it. 675 00:38:43,820 --> 00:38:44,820 Man, I got to call. 676 00:38:44,820 --> 00:38:45,960 I got to go do this thing. 677 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:49,740 I'm just not going to do it or whatever it is. 678 00:38:49,740 --> 00:38:54,780 To suffer for Christ, we must go through some hardships. 679 00:38:54,780 --> 00:38:57,900 Let's look at some of the rewards because we talk about rewards. 680 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:02,060 Let's look at some of the earthly rewards that some of the predominant figures in scripture 681 00:39:02,060 --> 00:39:04,660 receive because I don't, but I haven't found it. 682 00:39:04,660 --> 00:39:05,660 Barbie, maybe you can correct me. 683 00:39:05,660 --> 00:39:09,580 I haven't found it in scripture yet where somebody was spreading the gospel and God 684 00:39:09,580 --> 00:39:13,540 said we would like to take a moment and a time out to render a certificate of completion 685 00:39:13,540 --> 00:39:17,540 and appreciation for Kurt Bryson and his willingness to give the gospel. 686 00:39:17,540 --> 00:39:20,340 Would all the angels please stand and applaud Kurt. 687 00:39:20,340 --> 00:39:21,700 That's not happened anywhere in scripture. 688 00:39:21,700 --> 00:39:22,700 I don't see that. 689 00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:23,700 In fact, it's quite opposite. 690 00:39:23,700 --> 00:39:24,700 It looks like this. 691 00:39:24,700 --> 00:39:26,380 John the Baptist beheaded. 692 00:39:26,380 --> 00:39:28,620 Congratulations, John. 693 00:39:28,620 --> 00:39:31,660 Thank you for being an advocate for Jesus Christ. 694 00:39:31,660 --> 00:39:34,560 Steven, stone to death. 695 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:39,680 Thank you, Steven, for having the faith to stand up and speak out about the gospel of 696 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:40,680 Christ. 697 00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:44,800 Peter, we're going to crucify you. 698 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:49,280 Now Peter, he was like, listen, if you're going to crucify me, crucify me upside down 699 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:53,640 because I'm not worthy to be crucified in the same manner as Christ Jesus. 700 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:56,520 Oh, what heart posture. 701 00:39:56,520 --> 00:40:02,660 Oh, would that be our life in the way that we would live and the way that we would think 702 00:40:02,660 --> 00:40:08,480 when it comes to how we would suffer for the cause of Christ. 703 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:12,600 Guys, the bottom line is this. 704 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,020 Do you believe what you say you believe? 705 00:40:16,020 --> 00:40:19,300 Do you believe in who you say you believe? 706 00:40:19,300 --> 00:40:24,040 Because if you do, the work that you do on this planet isn't for naught. 707 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:25,080 It's not for nothing. 708 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:29,740 If you believe what you say you believe, there is a great reward on the other side. 709 00:40:29,740 --> 00:40:34,400 There is a reward that pales in comparison to anything somebody here could say to you 710 00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:37,980 or give you or do for you. 711 00:40:37,980 --> 00:40:40,240 This is what the scripture says in Romans. 712 00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:44,040 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 713 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:45,560 What benefit did it reap at that time? 714 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:49,240 The things that you are now ashamed of, these things result in death. 715 00:40:49,240 --> 00:40:53,460 But now you have been set free from sin and you become slaves of God. 716 00:40:53,460 --> 00:40:57,560 The benefit you reap leads to holiness and the result is eternal life. 717 00:40:57,560 --> 00:41:00,320 For the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life. 718 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:04,180 Guys, the price of my sin is death. 719 00:41:04,180 --> 00:41:05,660 But do you know what God did? 720 00:41:05,660 --> 00:41:09,020 He exchanged my death for life. 721 00:41:09,020 --> 00:41:11,320 He exchanged my death for life. 722 00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:13,000 You know what that means? 723 00:41:13,000 --> 00:41:14,920 God owes me nothing. 724 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,860 I was dead but now alive. 725 00:41:16,860 --> 00:41:18,600 Do you know what my posture should be? 726 00:41:18,600 --> 00:41:23,180 God, whatever you want from me, whatever you need me to do, I don't care what they say 727 00:41:23,180 --> 00:41:24,180 about me. 728 00:41:24,180 --> 00:41:25,180 I don't care what they do to me. 729 00:41:25,180 --> 00:41:27,820 God, if you tell me to do it, my yes is on the table. 730 00:41:27,820 --> 00:41:28,920 You rendered my death. 731 00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:31,020 You took my death from me and you gave me life. 732 00:41:31,020 --> 00:41:32,340 You gave me eternal life. 733 00:41:32,340 --> 00:41:35,660 God, whatever you need from me, I worship you with reckless abandon. 734 00:41:35,660 --> 00:41:39,500 I don't have to be 15 minutes late to church because I want to get here early because I 735 00:41:39,500 --> 00:41:41,860 want to worship with the saints. 736 00:41:41,860 --> 00:41:46,140 They don't have to beg me to serve somewhere because I'm going to render myself available 737 00:41:46,140 --> 00:41:49,840 to serve in this race and I'm going to run it well because I know I've got a gift and 738 00:41:49,840 --> 00:41:51,980 a talent and an ability that you've given me. 739 00:41:51,980 --> 00:41:55,980 God, I'm not going to be self-centered and I'm not going to be chasing after my own glory. 740 00:41:55,980 --> 00:42:04,480 I'm going to work as unto you because I know that on the other side, not only am I going 741 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,900 to be rewarded for it, but I'm advancing your kingdom. 742 00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:09,560 I'm advancing your kingdom. 743 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:15,700 All those guys I mentioned, Peter, John the Baptist, and who else did I mention? 744 00:42:15,700 --> 00:42:16,700 Steven. 745 00:42:16,700 --> 00:42:21,260 They were rendering the gospel in obedience to the Holy Spirit. 746 00:42:21,260 --> 00:42:24,260 They were advancing God's kingdom. 747 00:42:24,260 --> 00:42:30,800 Your obedience could literally help save somebody's life for eternity. 748 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:36,340 And when I say somebody, God works in multiples, I mean somebodies because it's not just about 749 00:42:36,340 --> 00:42:40,940 the 80 years here on this earth, 90 years here on this earth. 750 00:42:40,940 --> 00:42:46,660 If I lead Noah Jansen to the Lord as a teenager and he leads multiple people in his thirties 751 00:42:46,660 --> 00:42:51,300 to the Lord, who then lead multiple people to the Lord and their forties and multiple 752 00:42:51,300 --> 00:42:53,660 people, do you see how it continues to matriculate? 753 00:42:53,660 --> 00:42:57,020 God, he was talking, Cole was talking about a cloud of witnesses. 754 00:42:57,020 --> 00:43:02,960 We are a part of a large story and it's a wonderful, glorious story. 755 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:07,000 And all of it points to him, not to us. 756 00:43:07,000 --> 00:43:08,760 It points to him. 757 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:10,500 God owes me nothing. 758 00:43:10,500 --> 00:43:13,940 In your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ. 759 00:43:13,940 --> 00:43:14,940 This is Jesus Christ. 760 00:43:14,940 --> 00:43:16,000 This is God Almighty. 761 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:21,020 If we didn't have a better example, this is God Almighty, powerful God Almighty who breathes 762 00:43:21,020 --> 00:43:22,020 stars. 763 00:43:22,020 --> 00:43:25,540 It says, "Who being in the very nature of God did not consider equality with God something 764 00:43:25,540 --> 00:43:30,600 to be used for his own advantage, rather made himself nothing by taking on the nature of 765 00:43:30,600 --> 00:43:34,780 a servant being made in human likeness and being found in the appearance of a man, he 766 00:43:34,780 --> 00:43:35,860 humbled himself." 767 00:43:35,860 --> 00:43:40,940 If God Almighty humbles himself, what ought we be doing? 768 00:43:40,940 --> 00:43:42,660 By being obedient to death. 769 00:43:42,660 --> 00:43:45,060 Why does it reiterate even death on a cross? 770 00:43:45,060 --> 00:43:50,920 Because death on a cross was the most grueling death that you could pay. 771 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:52,400 Therefore God exalted Jesus. 772 00:43:52,400 --> 00:43:57,800 So what was the consequence of Jesus's actions? 773 00:43:57,800 --> 00:44:01,820 God exalted Jesus to the highest place. 774 00:44:01,820 --> 00:44:06,680 Gave Jesus the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus what should happen? 775 00:44:06,680 --> 00:44:12,180 Every knee will bow on heaven and earth and every tongue will acknowledge that Jesus Christ 776 00:44:12,180 --> 00:44:13,820 is Lord. 777 00:44:13,820 --> 00:44:15,420 Hallelujah. 778 00:44:15,420 --> 00:44:16,620 Hallelujah. 779 00:44:16,620 --> 00:44:22,620 So God owes me nothing yet. 780 00:44:22,620 --> 00:44:27,580 He will reward me if I will seek him earnestly. 781 00:44:27,580 --> 00:44:30,580 What kind of God is this? 782 00:44:30,580 --> 00:44:39,180 What kind of God is this that he trades death for life, dies himself, but yet wants to still 783 00:44:39,180 --> 00:44:43,260 gain a reward you for your faithfulness and the things that you do. 784 00:44:43,260 --> 00:44:47,700 What kind of God is this that we serve? 785 00:44:47,700 --> 00:44:48,940 An incredible glory. 786 00:44:48,940 --> 00:44:52,620 Who would not want to know this God? 787 00:44:52,620 --> 00:44:57,060 Who would not want to know this amazing, amazing King? 788 00:44:57,060 --> 00:44:58,060 He talks about rewards. 789 00:44:58,060 --> 00:45:01,340 Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe 790 00:45:01,340 --> 00:45:02,340 that he is this. 791 00:45:02,340 --> 00:45:03,340 And what? 792 00:45:03,340 --> 00:45:05,600 He rewards those who earnestly seek him. 793 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:09,660 What good would it be for somebody to gain the whole world but forfeit their own soul? 794 00:45:09,660 --> 00:45:12,700 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 795 00:45:12,700 --> 00:45:16,020 For the Son of Man is going to come in the Father's glory with his angels and then he's 796 00:45:16,020 --> 00:45:17,600 going to do what? 797 00:45:17,600 --> 00:45:21,140 He will reward each person to what they have done. 798 00:45:21,140 --> 00:45:25,100 Be careful to not practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. 799 00:45:25,100 --> 00:45:27,780 Those are the people that hold up signs and say, "Look what I'm doing. 800 00:45:27,780 --> 00:45:28,980 Look what I brought. 801 00:45:28,980 --> 00:45:30,620 Look what I, look how I'm serving. 802 00:45:30,620 --> 00:45:31,620 Look at all the time I'm doing. 803 00:45:31,620 --> 00:45:34,820 Look at all the calls I'm on." 804 00:45:34,820 --> 00:45:39,580 If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. 805 00:45:39,580 --> 00:45:49,940 I was so glad last week that James put up Kirk Whitlur's picture because a majority 806 00:45:49,940 --> 00:45:52,980 of you don't actually know Kirk. 807 00:45:52,980 --> 00:45:56,940 But if you know Kirk, you know Kirk. 808 00:45:56,940 --> 00:46:01,460 Because Kirk has a way one time in his presence to make you feel like you have just hung the 809 00:46:01,460 --> 00:46:06,420 moon because he's such an encourager. 810 00:46:06,420 --> 00:46:08,820 Kirk's life is not about Kirk. 811 00:46:08,820 --> 00:46:12,220 It's about glorifying Jesus Christ. 812 00:46:12,220 --> 00:46:14,660 And so I believe that Kirk is a hero of the faith. 813 00:46:14,660 --> 00:46:18,460 Let me tell you some other heroes. 814 00:46:18,460 --> 00:46:22,860 People that, there's a few of them sitting in this room right now and a majority of you 815 00:46:22,860 --> 00:46:26,440 don't even know who they are. 816 00:46:26,440 --> 00:46:28,580 This is DJ Matthews on the top left. 817 00:46:28,580 --> 00:46:30,500 Worship team, you can come out. 818 00:46:30,500 --> 00:46:35,500 She has served faithfully in our kids' ministry for over two decades. 819 00:46:35,500 --> 00:46:42,840 And I'm talking about in moments and times when we had nobody else show up, DJ was there, 820 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:43,840 loving on kids. 821 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,180 I don't think DJ's ever been on this platform. 822 00:46:46,180 --> 00:46:52,580 I don't think she's ever been down here, but she has served faithfully in kids' ministry. 823 00:46:52,580 --> 00:46:55,780 Second lady on the bottom, her name is Alice Bagwell. 824 00:46:55,780 --> 00:46:57,820 Alice has been a Tabor. 825 00:46:57,820 --> 00:46:59,660 Alice Bagwell is a former named Tabor. 826 00:46:59,660 --> 00:47:03,920 She is a warrior for the kingdom. 827 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:04,980 She has been faithful. 828 00:47:04,980 --> 00:47:08,360 She has encouraged Pastor Ronnie and the staff here for a year. 829 00:47:08,360 --> 00:47:12,560 She has sown into this ministry and she has believed in what the Lord is doing in this 830 00:47:12,560 --> 00:47:16,300 place and continues to be faithful. 831 00:47:16,300 --> 00:47:21,540 Kelly King on the top right, the Lord told me back when I was a young adult pastor, he 832 00:47:21,540 --> 00:47:25,340 said, I want you to come into this space and I want you to pray from five in the morning 833 00:47:25,340 --> 00:47:28,140 to six in the morning every week. 834 00:47:28,140 --> 00:47:32,200 Do you know that Kelly for three years showed up every single Tuesday with me? 835 00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:33,860 So many times, so many times. 836 00:47:33,860 --> 00:47:34,860 There's just the two of us. 837 00:47:34,860 --> 00:47:38,860 We're just praying for an hour, for an hour. 838 00:47:38,860 --> 00:47:45,340 She's a silent ninja, silent Christian ninja. 839 00:47:45,340 --> 00:47:52,940 I want to be there when Jesus acknowledges these people for their acts of service. 840 00:47:52,940 --> 00:47:58,320 I want to see what the Lord does for them because he's a rewarder of those who earnestly 841 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:01,140 seek him and these earnestly seek him. 842 00:48:01,140 --> 00:48:02,980 They do it for no recognition. 843 00:48:02,980 --> 00:48:06,580 They do it because they love Jesus Christ. 844 00:48:06,580 --> 00:48:12,100 And there are many others in here that do the same thing. 845 00:48:12,100 --> 00:48:15,300 In Revelation, he says, look, I am coming soon. 846 00:48:15,300 --> 00:48:18,820 My reward is with me and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 847 00:48:18,820 --> 00:48:21,300 He says, I am the alpha and Omega. 848 00:48:21,300 --> 00:48:22,780 I am the first and last. 849 00:48:22,780 --> 00:48:25,060 I am the beginning and the end. 850 00:48:25,060 --> 00:48:26,800 It stops with him. 851 00:48:26,800 --> 00:48:28,380 It starts with him. 852 00:48:28,380 --> 00:48:29,600 Everything in between is him. 853 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:31,720 It's not about us. 854 00:48:31,720 --> 00:48:34,260 It's not about us. 855 00:48:34,260 --> 00:48:36,720 It's about this great glorious God. 856 00:48:36,720 --> 00:48:40,000 And I used to say, and I still mean it. 857 00:48:40,000 --> 00:48:46,380 I want them to shut heaven down when Kevin O'Day is called up for accountability for 858 00:48:46,380 --> 00:48:51,000 the things that I've done here, because I want them to have to just scoop treasure and 859 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:52,440 treasure at my feet. 860 00:48:52,440 --> 00:48:53,440 Why? 861 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:57,140 Because I want to be up in heaven looking at you and saying, look what I got. 862 00:48:57,140 --> 00:48:58,720 No. 863 00:48:58,720 --> 00:49:02,660 I want insurmountable treasure in heaven because what I believe is going to happen is that 864 00:49:02,660 --> 00:49:10,140 once everybody has their treasure, we're going to look at Jesus and we're going to scoop 865 00:49:10,140 --> 00:49:13,820 all that treasure and put it right back at his feet. 866 00:49:13,820 --> 00:49:15,580 And I want so much treasure. 867 00:49:15,580 --> 00:49:17,820 I want you all have to wait in line. 868 00:49:17,820 --> 00:49:18,980 Go get some macaroni and cheese. 869 00:49:18,980 --> 00:49:26,900 I'm going to be putting treasure at Jesus's feet because he's worthy, because he paid 870 00:49:26,900 --> 00:49:29,320 a price for my life. 871 00:49:29,320 --> 00:49:34,600 He paid an ultimate price for my life and I deserve nothing, nothing more from him. 872 00:49:34,600 --> 00:49:37,740 And it is such a privilege and honor to serve him. 873 00:49:37,740 --> 00:49:41,460 And where I mess up, he gives me the fifth chance and the eighth chance and the 20th 874 00:49:41,460 --> 00:49:45,020 chance and the hundred chance to do it over and do it over and do it over. 875 00:49:45,020 --> 00:49:47,140 And he says, come my child. 876 00:49:47,140 --> 00:49:49,600 And he still has some type of reward for me. 877 00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:51,400 What kind of God is this? 878 00:49:51,400 --> 00:49:53,120 He is a great glorious God. 879 00:49:53,120 --> 00:49:54,960 Do you know him today, church? 880 00:49:54,960 --> 00:49:55,960 Do you know him? 881 00:49:55,960 --> 00:49:56,960 Do you serve him? 882 00:49:56,960 --> 00:49:57,960 Do you worship him? 883 00:49:57,960 --> 00:49:59,320 Would you stand with me this morning? 884 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:01,060 We are not going to have an altar call. 885 00:50:01,060 --> 00:50:06,680 We are just going to end this by praising this great glorious God with reckless abandon 886 00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:08,940 as if he matters. 887 00:50:08,940 --> 00:50:13,700 He matters so much more than anybody else or anything else that we've put our minds 888 00:50:13,700 --> 00:50:15,160 to our hearts to today. 889 00:50:15,160 --> 00:50:19,620 So let's worship the altar spaces open and it probably a good idea if you came and worshiped.