Stop Thinking Like a Servant

Hey, any fellas in here? Couple. There's two. There's two guys in here. That's good. Ladies, welcome the two guys that are here. We got a couple guys in the front here. Any other guys here that maybe weren't here the first time? They're here now. Any other guys there? Hey, we had a great time yesterday., I just I'm going to invite some guys to come share their heart. just a couple minutes and just to give a takeaway, but I just before I do, I just want to extend with a full heart my gratitude. it is not my show. This is a team and in the Spirit of football playoffs, I guess. if if I'm playing the position of quarterback, the only way it succeeds is if the offensive linemen are doing their job, the receivers are running the routes, the running back's doing his thing, that's the only way the play unfolds, and that's the only way you score and win. It is a full team achievement every time. individuals do their part, but we all together succeed. And I just say that to say that I want to first acknowledge the guys that are in here. I text some yesterday and just, the way that the way that you all the team took ownership of the event to make it happen is such an honor to God and a blessing.

I'll speak for myself to me to watch it happen. to watch guys take ownership of just grabbing things and solving problems and making it happen., loving on guys, seeing guys that I know don't go to Church anywhere and haven't been here but were here yesterday., watch what happens unfold because people take ownership of getting the Word out of inviting people. And I think everybody here helped to do that. Also, I would acknowledge my wife. had to step out for a minute, but I know that she does she does more and I probably give her credit for because she does it behind the scenes and doesn't say anything or tell me. And then, and I'll be like, "Hey, hey, we whatever. " She's like, "Yeah. " I'm like, "Okay, okay, okay. ", and I want to acknowledge that and I appreciate that. And the ladies that are in here, the way that you make that happen, it's a silly statement. It's not really a biblical statement, I guess. But that whole wind beneath your wings thing, if yesterday we got to soar, it's because of the energy and the effort that you did to help make it that kind of an event. And your grace, your effort, your offering of time and money and to cook and to serve. it's just it's just amazing. And h won't get emotional, but I just it's a lot to process. sometimes the weight of responsibility that you start to feel, the overwhelming generosity that people show, the buyin to vision that people start to grab, the effort and time and sacrifice that other people made also to come here in addition to the sacrifice you all made. and you feel the weight of that sometimes. And I just and to be such an investment in the community is a beautiful thing.

And I drove those guys back to Popular Bluff to an airport there yesterday and then I just I wasn't ready to come back. I couldn't I couldn't I just had to be by myself for a while and I was in that big van and I I was going to go to the beehive and look at some vitamins cuz and u and I and I didn't plan this but I was driving down whatever road that is off by Tmont Main Street, the Purple Brick Road. And I got over there and I grew up in that house that's on 9116 Tmont Street. My mom and my two older brothers and it's it's pretty hood house now and it probably was then, but it's my mind's eye. It was pretty cool. but I was in this vacant parking lot beside it and it's and I just sitting there and I was singing the song. I don't know if I can do it now because there's the reckless love tuning in my head, but the Who am I? that you keep me on your mind. God, I'm just grateful for you. " And I was singing that and then I found myself sitting in that parking lot next to that house. And then the next line says, something and but I knew it then. All my life you've been right here by my side. And I and that's a lot because since that house to now, a lot's happened. and he's never left and it's a real privilege to be part because I'm not qualified but he qualifies and I didn't mean to do this. So, I'm going to invite the guys to come up that I asked to just share their heart and we'll just see how this goes. but I'm just grateful for God's faithfulness and I'm grateful for what God's doing in your heart. And I've said this many times before. I go home many nights, last night being one of them. And I'm just grateful that God allows me the privilege to be part of something he's doing in other people's lives. And I and I hope that you feel that way.

I hope that you take ownership of that idea that it's a privilege to serve God and to be part of something God put in other people's lives. I'm going to say this thought and I'm going to hand this microphone to somebody. But I was thinking about this. I want us to always be on offense as individuals. And as a Church, I want us to go on offense regularly. As individuals, we have to get fed. We have we have to receive. And so we have to make some degree of investment. People made an investment of their time and energy to come and receive yesterday. And so I would text a lot of people yesterday that I knew and invited that came and I would say thank you for coming to the event. Thank you. But they respond back and a lot of people thank me for the effort and energy it was to host the event. And so I gave an investment of my time and energy and along with all of you to create an opportunity for people who invested their individual time and energy to come to it and make a difference. And here's my point that I'm trying to get out that God, I want to always invest energy to create those opportunities to build. In other words, I don't want to just always be the sponge. I want to give my energy in my life to create moments for other people to get the breakthrough. Do you understand what I'm saying? If I'm going to invest my time and energy, it's not always going to be for me to get. I'm going to invest my time and energy to get. I've already got it.

I've got to I've got I need these guys in my life and we've got to gather every week and we've got to rally. We've got to get in the Word. We got the Word equipus. But I'm going to tell you right now, like my friend Tim Tibo said, I don't know him yet, but he said, "I don't want to get to Heaven well rested. " The Bible, there's a principle of rest in the Bible. And as an athlete, a professional athlete, he understands physical recovery. And the principle of rest in the Bible is really resting in God. and who God is in our life. But there's more about the This is him talking too. There's more in the Bible about running than there is about resting. And we have a race to run. And I want to I want to get there exhausted. And there's going to be times I'm going to want to take a break and want to sit down and quit. And these guys are up here that and some of you that are sitting there are going to go, "Hey, bro, get you drinking Gatorade. Let's go. We got we still got more to run. " And I'm going to need it because I'm going to want to sit down. All right. Okay. Who's first?

Cowboys. Cowboys. go first., I would just say the last this last couple days have been not only amazing to be around those kind of men that serve God with all they have, their life is all about him., I'm trying to look around and see if there's any guys just a little bit few tonight, but I would just encourage any guy that didn't get to make it, there's any in the house tonight to get there next year., and not only that, but start participating in some of the things that we've got going here. Really encourage you., I think one of the biggest takeaways I had from the weekend from Friday, Saturday, being with the guys, was there's a calling on every man's life. And it's not a calling out, it's a calling up to elevate your life, to elevate you to what God has called you to do., he's calling us up to the sunship as Jeremy preached a couple weeks ago. I won't get emotional like Jeremy because he already started, but it's been heavy. So, all those guys might start crying, but to be around those kind of guys, I did the same thing as Jeremy after those guys left the restaurant yesterday afternoon. I was kind of debriefing and just like they were all coming up hugging and saying bye. And I kind of had a part of me that was like leaving. There's part of me I was like, man, I don't want him to go. I didn't want him to go. Not going to get super b like just, cry up here all the whole time. But man, there was some awesome stuff happening Friday night, Saturday. And [snorts] I think the biggest takeaway I had was there is a calling on every man's life and it is to rise up to the sunship that he's called us to., I've been going through a couple different things with biblical manhood and Chris hit on these things.

All these men hit on these things., I took notes and Chris asked me like what was my biggest takeaway right away and I just I honestly put an answer. There's so much in my mind. I was like, man, I got to sit and just kind of retain everything that just happened and everything that was spoke about. And I just want to encourage every man in here that there is a calling on your life specifically for you that God is calling you up to that sunship. He wants you. He needs you. He's grabbing a hold of you. is pursuing you. And I would just encourage you guys to be a part of to rise up to that. That's okay. Good. I like that. It's okay to try. It's good. Very good. How many of y'all love Jeremy? Yeah. Come on. I love you, dude.

, everybody, I just want to say this. You're so good at representing God's excellence and building your team to where that's what we're presenting. I want you all to know something. I know that it's Jeremy's heart not to put on a show. You want people to come and receive God's Word without any distraction. Okay? And everybody that cooked, the food was fantastic. the everything was smooth and ready and prepared. It was very good. So that first off, but mainly bro just your heart your heart for your brothers and for men. I just want to thank you for that for being that in my life and so many people's lives. so like Chad said, it's an amazing experience. If you didn't go, you really need to go. you need to make a point to go. the men that are coming to these things on Chris and his team, they're very the world would see them as very high level men. We can all agree with that. But they didn't come here for that. They didn't come here to toot their horn about their success, what all they've accomplished. They came here to tell you how great God is in their life and how God led them to where they're at today. And they all have they all have stuff like we all have stuff.

But it was so uplifting because they said this is how God did it. This is how God did it. And they're not just successful naturally. They're all about their families and they're all about building up their brothers. That's why they came and that's why we need to make the point. It was absolutely wonderful. And just to kind of piggyback on what Chad said, I think one of my biggest takeaways and I took notes too was I think Chris they all had absolutely there was so much there was so much. It's a great way to start the year because what these guys have done is they've walked in the Word of God and they're literally living in the in the fruit of what God's done just because they're following his Word and listening to his voice. But one of the biggest things that hit me was that I think Chris said that it's a it's a it's a disservice to undermine the giftings that God has put in you. That was one of the biggest things that hits that hit me. There is like Chad said there men and women in life there's a specific purpose you've been created. There are things on this earth that are only meant for you to do. Do not say I can't do it or I'm not good enough or whatever. If God says to take this step, take it and it'll take you to where you're meant to be. It was a wonderful time and thank you Jeremy and Nina and everybody you involved to prepare these things because it really is. I asked for this little Father-Son combo right here, too. I just hope I can make it through it. It's funny when you when you're in God's house, you never know what he's going to do. Like, I had a plan yesterday. I had a plan and it was made out of Legos apparently because God kicked it and it went all over the floor.

And I had a one of my very closest friends came and I know his dad and my dad both passed away last about not too far apart from each other and I had an expectation of these guys talking about a certain thing right and something that I was going to work on in my heart right because of that and if you ever have podcast Christian podcast you'll scroll through them and you'll find one that you think oh maybe I like that one it's not we should pray before that and say what do you want God what do you want me to hear . Well, to make a long story short, I was sitting back there, men everywhere. And they had started talking the night before on Friday night about Father, the importance of being a dad and your leadership. And we the praise music was going on and I just looked through the crowd and I saw my Son, my only Son, praising God with everything he had. And I'm going to tell you something. That's when God kicked the leg over. That's they started going across the floor then and I was I was listening to those guys talk and I was like my best friend that I wanted so much to hear so much. I had a plan but I didn't I didn't I didn't come to say God what do you want from me? I had a plan, right? And I every time they would say something, I was like, "Wait, you hear that? ", almost like, "Amen. " And they started talking about just that how as a Father, as a husband, how you should treat your family. See, we go out in the world every day and women too, we're in this dirty world all day long. And we need to clean ourselves off before we come in that house. We need to prepare ourselves for the most important people in our lives every single day when we walk in that house. When Jay and Spencer come in the house, I'm really bad about I just sit there sometimes. I love them and I'm like a dog wagging my tail and I want to jump up and lick their face, but I'm like I'm not I know that's a stupid analogy, but like I identify with our dogs and I'm like don't be don't be too over excited here. Don't pee in the floor. And God wants you to be excited about your family. I can tell you that right now.

If there's somebody in your life that you love, tell them you love them. Every time they walk in the door, jump up and hug them. I got I just started thinking about like how God works. And I was like, "Well, this is this is not what I was thinking you were going to do, God. " And I just thought about being on a wildfire out west. You're out in the dirt all day long and you don't realize how dirty you're getting, right? and you go and take a shower and these showers and the mirrors are all clogged up and you're you clean the best you can, but you realize a lot of the times that you're really right-handed. So, you go back to get in your tent and you look in this mirror, right? And you realize the whole side of your face is still dirty. God does that to us in such a good way. Like whenever you have a toddler and you tell them they've been playing in the dirt. God told me, he's like, "You're in the tub. " He said, "They're still a little dirty. Still a little dirty. " And he hugged me up and he says, "Let's clean this off. " And he pierced my heart and told me, "Be a better dad. When they come in the house, tell them you love them. Clean that dirt off of them. " And I'm going to tell you something. it.

I also got convicted of I invited a bunch of my buddies and I was like, they're going to be here. They didn't show up. Sometimes, why I didn't show up for them. It's the same thing. Am I not are they not important? Like when they invite me? So, I was like I mean, I'm telling you, I had a whole list. I got home and I was like, I was there to support my buddy all day and I got home and I just throw myself down in the recliner and Shell sitting on the couch like you got to do this. But I'm going to tell you something. Make your family most important. Make God first important. That feels Well, I hate to kill the mood. [laughter] It was an absolutely amazing event., and there were so many takeaways., like all the guys said, there's so many things that if you're not taking notes, you don't really get everything and you don't really retain it because there's so many good things that were spoken in three or four hours yesterday and the night before and all the different things., so speaking of that, before I start rambling, if you were a man and you were here yesterday and you took notes, I would love to get a picture of your notes after service if you have them, just so and I've got like eight pages of notes if anybody wants to take pictures of them., just because there's so much stuff. that kind of comes back alive after something like that we can bounce off of each other and find something that Jeremy wrote down that I didn't even think of that open something up for me. So after service, if you interested in that, come up. Jeremy texted a bunch of us that were here yesterday and asked if we wanted to come up here and share something about yesterday's event.

And like I said, it was amazing. There were so many takeaways., and as soon as I saw that text, I hadn't done anything all day. I was very well rested., but not in God's Word., very well rested today. As soon as I saw Jeremy's text, there was I was like I think I even said it out loud to my wife. I said, I don't really want to talk in front of everybody today. And then immediately right after that went and took my dog on a walk and I was starting to think about it and thinking about like preparing what I was going to say and trying to think of all the takeaways and different things that I could share from yesterday. And I started thinking about it and I was like, man, you really don't want to share how awesome God was yesterday, how amazing he's moving in this Church and in these men in this community and through all of the guys that came to from Tulsa and the friendships that are being built and just the greatness that was yesterday. yeah, just because I don't want to get up here and talk in front of everybody, that's why I didn't want to share it with everybody., and that was one of Chris's points yesterday, about taking the wilderness is that we have to do it little by little, little by little. The Devil wants to kill things in its infancy. That's what he talked about yesterday. Whenever they're small, whenever we don't think about it being that big, whenever it's just something coming up here sharing about the men's event that happened yesterday, whenever it's small, but there's something big that's happening here and we're growing the kingdom. But I viewed it as something that was so small of just coming up here and talking. He wanted to kill that in its infancy. It's something that was for somebody in this crowd today. He wanted to kill it and not let it grow and grow the kingdom. so really my biggest takeaway was from today was from that and hearing that of the little by little.

Don't let that fear and that doubt and those lies that come in affect your heart and get in the way of you sharing the Word with people because that's the most important thing that we could do with our lives. So what's the who cares if you don't want to sit and talk to somebody about it or you don't you don't there's some tug on you that you want to go and share the Word or ask somebody if they need prayer that day. but you don't go and do it. Listen to that tug. Don't it little by little, little by little take the kingdom and we'll see it grow. That was convicting. [clears throat and cough] Yeah, I may have said the same words. So, [laughter], so yeah, I went and played basketball and thought about what I was going to say in the gym by myself. And so and it was very simple as to what I was going to share today because it didn't know sitting right up there not crying but it was Derek he does a family podcast and man he said something that he said raising your sons up teaching m things that they hear and it's I'm proud of you. I've got your back. You've got what it takes. That's what every Father should tell their Son. And the sons that haven't heard that, they tend to go a couple ways. And sometimes they rebel, sometimes they live their lives trying to excel, to get acceptance. Neither one of those really help. So telling all fathers here there make sure those my Son but I'll be honest it kind of hit me in the nose because I was like there's some of those fight with that and it hit that they'll play that victim card because we have a Father in Heaven who's proud of us got our back he says got what it takes. So I just want to share that with anybody in here for you guys. Well, it was first class. Give honor to our pastor and everybody that was involved. It was it was an incredible event.

That's the moment that got me. I told you I wanted to go in front of you and he flopped me for it, but it was just a powerful moment. And there were so many so many guys that hit the stage yesterday. that if you weren't here, you missed a great opportunity because somebody was going to connect. whether you've dealt with addiction, whether you've dealt with, not having a Father, whether you've dealt with, business challenges, you have problems with your relationships. There was so many things that hit home. And I challenge you, get in the room every time you have the opportunity. Be here next year. It'll change your life. Hey, can you give these guys a big round of applause one more time? Appreciate them. Any other guys in the room? Wave at me if you were here. Hold your hand up a little bit. You guys look around. Everybody look around. Hold your hand up. Okay. Find one of these guys and ask them to share something with you from yesterday later during dinner. Okay.

, we probably could have spent the whole hour doing it., but I just it was a remarkable thing., and I appreciate nobody, not many people like to get up here and do this. And, I text Ryan and he text me back, "Not my will, Lord, but yours be done. " [laughter] And I told him he's a true disciple of the Lord Jesus. Because he is willing to do it., I I personally would like to hear a lot of other people's takeaways and feedback and it's amazing. And ladies, I got a couple announcements, but ladies, your time is now coming. It's your turn. And in the same way, let me just tell you on behalf of all the men, in the same way that you helped create a tremendous experience for us yesterday, we will always want to do the same for you. And the Gallentines, ladies, Gallentines will be February 7th at 11:00., it'll be right here. Same same vibe for all the ladies. And so that'll be February 7th. You'll start seeing a lot of that the next couple of weeks, but go ahead and Mark your calendars and be ready. Most of you knew it was coming., but that's coming up February 7th. It's on a Saturday. It'll be 11 o'clock. And then gentlemen, while we're here coming off the brodown, I'll remind you that we have a couple of opportunities just for connection.

It's all about relationship., the thing that in impacts the most yesterday and last year is something people see even more sometimes than what they hear. And what they see is this connection amongst brothers. What they see is this camaraderie. And I'm just telling you that's built with time. It's built with the effort to spend time together. The relationships that we have are only as strong as the time we spent together. And so a couple of simple options for you is Tuesday morning we do play basketball. So, as I said yesterday, if you like to shoot air balls and bricks, we're your guys, okay?, but that's early and that's not everybody's jam, but we get together and play and it's kind of fun. But what I do really want to promote to you now is that this Thursday, we're going to start reading the Bible together as men in the brick room at the ranch house., I would never ask somebody to raise their hands, but I have a hunch that there are people in here that don't really know how to read the Bible. And that sounds funny to say because it seems easy enough and it's like where do I start? How do I read it? Do I read the whole thing? Do I read a lot of it? D and there's something powerful about us getting together. So from 6:30 to 7 we're going to have coffee and we're going to and we're going to read the Word and we're going to read a chapter together and I'm going and I'm going to take that opportunity to help instruct. And here's what I want to challenge you. Number one, to be there, of course, and bring your Bible and we're going to learn how to find stuff in the Bible.

Because when I say we want to read there that if I said, "Hey, we're going to turn to Ephesians in your Bible. " Some of us couldn't find it. And that's not a knock. It's not a condemnation. I want to help disciple you. I want to help you learn how to get familiar with your Bible. I want you to be able to find it and get familiar with it. I want you to bring a pen and a highlighter. We'll help get you. And when I say a cheap Bible, I don't want that. I mean a less expensive Bible that you're not afraid to Mark up and write in and do things. we'll help get some if you need it. but to come and we'll read through and and learn how to read and let God speak to you in those moments. we're going to do that from 6:30 to 7:00 on Thursday mornings in the brick room and then at 7:00 if you need to go to work, go to work. If you want to sit around and come and then have breakfast because the ranch house open at 7:00, you can have breakfast and spend some quality time with the guy, whatever it is. But we have to continue to build relationship. Otherwise, yesterday is just this big flash in the pan, ? We have to continue to take momentum and now you build with that momentum. It's like, well, there's so let's keep building., but we have to also generate moment.

Yesterday, we generate momentum. And now we use the momentum to continue to building. And then we generate momentum again. And that's really what Sunday night is. You've heard me say it so many times about a rallying and halftime and all the ways to describe Church is to generate momentum again in your life for this week. And then you're going to start to burn that energy up. And it's like, hey, you need to get back in here. And you're going to feel like Spencer and go, man, I really feel like going. I don't really feel like talking. I really feel like and you need to come because it generates momentum in your life again. All right? And that's what Thursday's going to be. It's an opportunity for the Word to generate in your life again. And that's really the message I want to preach to you for the next 10 minutes or whatever I have left. is to is to build on that God's Word will work in your life. It can't not produce. It's impossible for the Word not to produce in your life. If you can hear it, that's why Jesus said, "If you have ears to hear, if you can hear it and you can receive it and you will believe it, it will change your life. It will transform you. " The simplicity of the message and believing it will transform you.

And so Chad referenced the idea of the sunship that we preached last couple weeks, and I just want to build off it coming off the new year, where most of us will accept the servant mentality. We're not in the pig pin anymore and we embrace the servantthhood and say, "I'm not worthy to be a Son. I know how I'm not lovable. I know how I've failed. " And so, we're satisfied with just being a servant when God wants to do overwhelmingly more in your life. That don't do a disservice to the Father and think that you're not qualified and you don't act on it. God wants you to operate as a Son or a daughter. God wants you to think like a Son. He wants you to think like a daughter. He wants you to talk like it. He wants you to act like it. He wants you to take ownership of the house and ownership of the vision of the Father. He wants you to enjoy the benefits of being in the bloodline and being in the family, but he also wants you to help expand and manage the household. And so, we have the privilege to get to do that, but we will settle for less. We will settle because well, it's better than where I was and I don't and and we're not going to do that. And I touched on last week Ephesians 3:20. We'll put on the screen here. And it and it says simply says this that all glory to God who is able. God is able. Okay?

And I'll go ahead and throw in God is willing. God wants to. He's demonstrated his love for you and the sacrifice of his Son. He's already demonstrated his desire to want to heal you. He's already demonstrated his resolve and his commitment and his love and his devotion. God wants to heal your heart. God wants to heal your mind. And when that happens, it will begin to heal your marriage. It will begin to heal your relationship with your children. It will begin to change the atmosphere of your home. That will change the direction of your kids to go because your heart is changing. Your desires are changing. And so, you will begin to change your behavior. And it will change the fruit of your life. That's how Jesus is the answer. It's not just a cliche term. The Truth of who he is and the Truth of his Word, the Truth heals, the Truth liberates. And when I receive the Truth, then I will begin to walk in the liberty and the freedom that comes with it. God who is able through his mighty power. It's not yours.

It's nothing that you're doing. The transformation is not because of you. I know we want to take credit for our Church attendance and we want to take credit for coming to the Bible reading study and we want to take credit for coming to program. We want to take credit. But what we're doing when we put ourselves in these places, his mighty power is at work in you. That's what's happening right now. And I said this last week, it's at work within you to accomplish something. It's the Word will accomplish. It can't not. The Bible says in Isaiah that his Word cannot return to him void. It's impossible. When he says, "Let there be light. " Light cannot show up. It cannot not happen. Double negative. I don't know if that works out. Okay. what I'm saying though? When he says, "Let there be light. " There's going to be light.

When he says it, it's happening. It's going to be achieved. It's going to be accomplished. It's going to succeed. you're going to overcome. That you're going to win. Put whatever verbiage you want to put on it. Okay? His mighty power at work. It's working. It's working. It's turning. It's washing. It's cleaning me up. It's it's unveiling things. It's illuminating things. It's revealing things to me. It's working in my life. Why? To accomplish infinitely more than you could ask or think.

And I touched on this last week. We will settle for the servantthood. And God's wanting to give you the sunship. He will do infinitely more if we will give him the place and the space to work in our lives. When we invite, I put my faith in Jesus, the finished work of Jesus, and I welcome him into my life. the reason you become reborn or the reason that oh man I got too much Scripture to have to get to tonight. there's a confirmation an affirmation in Romans that we're not going to probably read tonight where the Spirit of God joins your Spirit. That's the affirmation that you're his children. Because when you say the finished work of Jesus on that cross is my righteousness, there's nothing separating you from the Creator anymore. You're no longer just his creation, but now you are his children. You're walking with him. That's infinitely more than just knowing that there's a higher power and hoping that everything's good and at least I'm not suffering with the addiction anymore. No, no, no. Now I'm thriving. Not just trying to stiff arm something, right? I talk about this a lot. We're not just playing defense, man. We get to go on offense. We're a Son. We're not just dodging things anymore.

I'm free from that. Let me go build something. Let's go do something great. God wants to do infinitely more than you can even ask or think. And so what highlighted me this week that I want to show you and I and I touched on in our academy with the kids, I want to go to Romans 1:16 that's up there and it says this. Paul said, "I'm not ashamed of this good news. " Now, before I go any further, the reason I'm on this verse is because when we hear the power, the Word power is kind of abstract. What does that look like? What does that mean? it it's through his mighty power at work within us. Well, one definition I've heard in sports is that it's the combination of both strength and speed at the same time. So, in other words, there's like powerlifting. So, you're going to you're going to power clean 300 lb. It's heavy. It requires strength, but it also has to have speed. And so, that's power. It's explosive. And explosion has a lot of strength, and it's very fast. So, what's cool about it is when God's mighty power is at work within you, it's strong enough to conquer anything, any foe that you're holding on to, and it's fast and how free you can be right away. The slow part is your brain catching up to who you are now.

The slow part is you believing it tomorrow when you wake up. It was easy to get excited yesterday and then today it's like, well, I mean, that was yesterday. It's like, I know it was yesterday. What happened? That's how fast that can begin to change. But the but the moment is the reality is you're free. We it takes us a long time because we just want to justify our acceptance by God. We just want to it's all we understand is conditional love. And so we just want to earn it. We just want to prove that we're good enough. And the bottom line is you cannot. You will never be able to do that. You'll never qualify. And no matter how much success in the world you have, it will end up empty. Because the only fulfillment that's found is in knowing him. The only reason to want to be successful is to expand my capacity for the singular mission that we have of telling people about Jesus. Can I help you with something? The only mission of your life is to make it back home. The Prodigal Son, the only mission IS TO GET BACK HOME. AND NOW that we're home, all we can do is invite people to come home.

So, I can do that through business. I can do that through my gym life and my hobbies. I can do that through a lot of ways. But at the end of the day, the mission of my life is to bring people home. I'm already home, so I'm good. Now, I'd like you all to come with me. And then collectively, if we're all home, why do it's not this isn't just for us now. Yes, there's the equipping of the saints. Yes, there's the washing of the Lord. Yes, that's all happening here. But now, it's like, let's go pick a fight. Now, let's go grow something. Now, let's go build. Let's make a more noise cuz collectively we can make more noise than individually. Collectively, we can do an event like yesterday and we can have a ripple effect in the community and we CAN SAY, "YO, COME HOME. " THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE that were here yesterday that don't know Jesus or haven't put their faith in Jesus that are dealing with stuff today. They're probably watch football right now and they're probably having a beer. They're probably doing whatever they're doing. And that's so fine. There's no judgment, no condemnation.

But low level, low-key inside of them, they're processing yesterday. And here's the deal. They're going to see you in town this week and you're going to be recharged when they see you and you're going to have an opportunity to go, "Man, that great Saturday. " Yeah. And the conversation going unfold and then bam, you're going to be right there to close them. If you're ready, right? Or you can be crabby because you didn't sleep good the night before and miss that opportunity. You got to overcome crabby. I'm off my notes. Here we go. I'm not ashamed of the good news. The good news, the Gospel, the message, right? I'm not ASHAMED OF IT. WHY? It's the power of God at what? Read it? At what? At work. It's working. My God who is able through his mighty power.

What? At work. God is You're already going to Heaven, okay? But now God's working on your heart so that you can be and live and function and think and produce and live the life of God as a Son or a daughter. When the prodical Son came home, he stunk. He was dirty. He didn't have his ring on his finger. He was he had no shoes like a slave would. And God put shoes back on him. And he put a robe of righteousness back on him. And he put a ring of authority back on him. And then how tab boot he prosperously gave him a big old fatted calf in a party. Not because he earned it, not because he deserved it, because it was the love of God celebrating his RETURN HOME. HE'S A Son. KILL THE CALF. LET'S EAT THAT thing and party. THAT'S HOW God ROLLS. God WANTS TO CELEBRATE YOU. He wants to bless you. He's at work in your heart so that you can enjoy the role of sunship, but also the responsibility that comes with it.

And the power of God is at work doing what? It's working to accomplish something. What's it accomplishing? It's saving your life. And hear me, I'm not talking about the sweet buy and buy. I'm talking about he's saving YOUR FREAKING LIFE RIGHT NOW FROM YOURSELF. THE Word GETS IN you and is saving you from the sin that's trying to dictate in your life that keeps you living apart from God. And the longer you live apart from God, WE'RE NOT GOING TO get there. Romans chapter 8, but you're living apart from God. So, you're giving into the selfish nature, the carnal nature, and it produces death. So, you're wondering why your relationships aren't working out. Not because you're not going to Heaven, because you're being led by the flesh. On somebody's toes. It's because I because I say what I want to say. Instead of dissing myself to be slow to speak, I'm quick to speak and I can't figure out why I can't get the results I want from that. It's because I'm not being patient and letting the Spirit lead me. The Word is at work. Where we at here? That's Romans 3. I'm not there yet.

There it is. It's saving. You did anything wrong. I just wasn't ready. It's saving. It's at work. It's working in you. Listen. So, when the Word comes into your heart like like a while ago, let God love you. What? I can I help you with something? Why this job is hard? The Bible says we're trying to explain the mysteries of God. I got kicked out of three colleges and almost two internships. And when I say kicked out, I mean they didn't really want me there. what I'm saying? because I wasn't producing much. Here's my point. What was my point? My point was I now I'm going to explain God to you.

I'm going to explain how the power of I'm going to explain that to you. I'm wrestling with the right words every week to help it connect for you to go, "Okay, I'll try that. " And hope that when you walk out the door, you don't just cast it aside and go right on back to what you were doing. I'm working my tail off not this as a victim, as a desire and a pleasure. I'M WORKING WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE SO THAT it'll and you'll do something with it. You'll feel inspired. You'll talk about it tomorrow. You'll wake up and have to what? Maybe I'll go to that book today study. Maybe I'll maybe I'll GO TO HOW HARD IT IS TO GET PEOPLE TO COME TO A MEN'S EVENT. And what's crazy? What we're really saying because we believe this, RIGHT? I'M INVITING YOU TO COME live God's promise, the joy of the Lord, and come be a Son in the house. and like, "No, I got to mow the grass. There's a ball GAME ON. I'M INVITING YOU TO FORGIVENESS AND JOY AND PEACE AND Heaven AND ETERNITY AND FREEDOM. " [screaming] HE'S LIKE, "AH, WELL, THERE'S A ball game on. I got I got a couple things going on. HEY, COME TO Church. " WELL, IT'S SUNDAY NIGHT.

IT'S NIGHT TIME. IT GETS dark early now. Damn, I'm trying. We're trying, aren't we? But the power of God, the mystery of how it's working, it's hard to explain, but here's what I'm telling you. The message, God loves me. Like, like, hear the message. That's what I'm trying to say. I want to go to the song. Hear the hear it. Picture Jesus on the cross. And don't just look at the imagery of the cross. See the message. Dog gone it. He's he's pursuing you. He's taking your punishment. He's so committed to you. He jumped in the line of fire for you. He didn't have to do it. There's nothing for him to gain other than the joy of having you.

What the heck else are you bringing to the table? He created galaxies and you're like, "Hey God, I got this one. I brought a fruit pie or whatever. " It's like, "Okay, awesome. " I'm sure he could have come up with that if he wanted to, right? like what are you really bringing to the table? That's how much he just wants you to enjoy him. He just wants you to enjoy the promise. That's why I tell you all the time, we're not performing the Gospel for people. We're get to enjoy living the promise of the Gospel, right? And the and the message that God loves you, it be when you hear it, it something happens. It works in you. Did something. It changed me. It I felt that feeling of that forgiveness. You forgave me. Like when you hear it, you're forgiven. When you hear it, you heard it. But did you hear it? When you when you when you hear that I'm forgiven, I don't deserve it.

It works in you. It does something. It saves you because now when you feel forgiven, there's an appreciation and now there's this desire to want to know him more. And so it begins to grow and it and it's saving you. It's pulling you out of the muck and mire and it's placing you over here on the solid rock where he wants you to get to live that he paid for so you can live here like no no I got I'm good. No, no, no. I'm going to embrace it. That's why it's like now we're going to read the Word good. I'd like to get more of this message in me so I can enjoy this. I'd like to get more of this washing. I'd like to hear more of this. This is pretty dog on good news. I got more good news for you. Like really? We're pretty good on good news right now. Let's take a break, right? I mean, that's what we're talking about. What if what if we just let God work in our life for a minute? Let's look at the last verse. I'm not going to get to Romans 8, but we'll get there next week.

Okay. What I got in there? Hebrews 4. The Word of God is alive and it's powerful. The Word. Listen, we've said it before. We've gone through this process. The Word became flesh. That's Jesus. Jesus is God. He's the visible image of the invisible God. The Word is God. A Word is only as credible as the person who's saying it. The Word is the Spirit. The Spirit is the Word. The Word is Jesus. Jesus is God. God is his presence. It's all it's all the anointing. It's him.

It's all one thing. The Word of God. God who is love. God who is eternal. God who is the essence of life itself. Life comes from life. We exist because he exists. All the thing his Word is living because it can't not be. His Word cannot not be alive because he's the essence of life itself. Can I help you with something? God is not our idea. You were God's idea. Just chew on that for a minute. We like to think that we're creating this and coming up with this and we came up with God and we're putting all this thing together and what'll be a fun story. He picked you. You're his idea. He's alive and he gave you life. Why? So you can enjoy him. The Word of God is alive.

And that Word is powerful. It's sharp. It's sharper than the two-edged sword. Cutting between your feelings and his Truth. Cutting between your opinions and his Truth. Cutting between your preferences and his Truth. Cutting between your experiences and his Truth. His Word draws a very clear line and separates. So when you say, "I hear the Word, I read the Word, I heard the Word, and I received the Word," then it cuts away any other message I've ever heard that's not the Word. That's the transformation that's happening. That's the presence of God working because his Word is alive. It's got his presence on it. It's got his anointing on it. So there's two words that we learn about the Hebrew words, the logos and the rama. The logos is the physical Word. The Rama is the spiritual Revelation of the physical Word, which is beautiful because God, Jesus, we live in the physical, but he is spiritual. He created the heavens and he created the earth, right? We've talked about all these different things. And so, we have a physical Word, a physical book, a physical chapter. We're going to read together on Thursday.

But God's going to give you a Revelation, a spoken Word that came directly from Heaven to your heart. You heard that Jesus died on the cross for you, but one day you're going to hear that Jesus died on the cross for you. Different. It came alive. That's why people that have been in Church, like myself, most of your life, I've read a verse a thousand times, some of them or heard them a thousand times, and then you'll hear it again, and it'll speak to you completely different. You're like, "Oh my God, I've heard this verse a thousand times, and it just did something different. " Why? Because it's alive. It's alive. It's living. And it distinguishes between him and you, between the joint and the marrow, and it exposes or illuminates your motives. It illuminates false beliefs. It illuminates your innermost thoughts and desires. It brings light and life to it so you can see like, "Oh, I didn't even know I had that much bitterness. Oh, I didn't I didn't know. I didn't know that. Wow. I didn't know I had that much unforgiveness in my heart toward that guy or that girl, my parents. Wow. But when you're reading the Word, that'll come alive.

And then and then guess what? Now I can say, "God, forgive me of that. I repent of that. " Washes it. And I'm changed because I didn't know I was carrying that bitterness. And he illuminated it. And then I can say, "God, forgive me. " And he washes it. and I can and I can replace it with the Truth of his Word. And I begin to love people instead of being bitter toward people. And it changes the outcome of my life. You're a vessel of love now. You're a vessel of healing now. But you have to let God love you and heal you so that you can learn to love and heal people. You got to let him love you so that you can learn to love like he loves. You've got to let him speak his Word over you so then you can speak the Word over people. He speaks his Word to you. It heals your heart and then you speak the same living Word to people and they hear it and it heals them. You're a vessel of healing. We are not here to fix people and fix this town and fix the community and fix my wife AND FIX MY WE'RE NOT HERE TO FIX STUFF.

I'm here to let God heal me. That's why I'm here tonight. And then God heals me. I get to the opportunity, the privilege to be and serve in his court and do my very best to bring the Word to you and it heals you. And then you go out this week and you share the Word with somebody else and it heals them. And God's healing the world. God's healing this area. God'S BRINGING REVIVAL. YOU SAY, "WELL, how are people going to Whoa. HOW ARE PEOPLE GOING TO COME? [laughter] How are people going to come FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO THIS LITTLE TOWN for ministry and healing? Because we're going to be ready because we're healed and whole and they're going to come here and we're going to share THE HEALING OF God with them because that's WHO WE ARE. God'S building this army of people right now. WHY DOES IT MATTER IF YOU'RE Church? " BECAUSE God'S BUILDING AN ARMY. I don't feel like going to practice today. I know that's how you get good, though. Cuz look, if you want to play good in the game, you got to go to practice, right? We all know this. I heard a pastor say one time the idea that practice makes perfect, right?

He said, "Not really, because if you practice it the wrong way all the time, then you'll do it wrong. Perfect practice makes perfect. You perfectly practice so that when the rubber meets the road and it's game time and there's and the Devil's coming at you, I'm ready for this, dude. I wish somebody would I got boots on tonight. what I'm saying? I look tough. Just kidding., one more verse. I don't know what time it is, but I blame those guys for talking so long. Okay, just kidding. That was a joke., Romans. I'm not going to read the whole chapter. I'm going to read this verse, though. The law of Moses. The law. Before we go any further, you guys like to read ahead and I like that. That's cool. Watch this. Chapter 7 says, "The law is good.

" Why? Because the law brings clarity and brings a light to what that thing is in me that I didn't know what it was. Here's how Paul writes it. He says it like this. I did not know it was coveting, which is longing for what you have and never being through myself. If the law didn't say do not covet, then I wouldn't know that thing in me is coveting. Make sense? The law exposes it. So, in that way, the law is good. That's why when the Bible says in Romans 7 that the law gives power to sin, what it means is it's showing you that you're disqualified and separated from God. The law shows you that. What the law does is it makes you recognize your need for a Savior. Yes, I didn't know that's what that thing was in me. So, the Word exposes that, illuminates like, oh, I need to get that out of there. That's holding me back. That's a lid in my life. So the law of Moses, watch, but the law and the performance of doing those things was unable to save us because of the weakness of our body. In other words, your performance of the law is not enough to ever qualify you. The law can't save you. It can show you that you need a Savior, but in itself is not a Savior.

It's a light switch. It shows you something, but it can't heal you. It can't rescue you. It just shows you that ah man I am not very good at this. I thought I was better. The law is unable to save because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So what that means is on your best day on your best day where you didn't drop that fbomb on your best day when you when you bought somebody a coffee on your best day. How does that compare with a Holy God who's eternal and build galaxies and how does your best day stack up to who he is? Think about it. And then the next day you're crabby on your best day. How does it because you can't do it. You cannot perform the law at that standard all the time constantly. It can't save you. So God did. Everybody say it. God did. So God did what the law could not do. God did what you could not do. God did what your performance will never be good enough to do. God already did it.

Look at the next part. This is the rest of verse three. He sent his own Son. I love this verbiage. In a body. It's a Son because it's the Son of man, the Son of God. It came in the likeness of man. And that's where that verbiage comes from. Just simplest definition. But God is Spirit and he came in a body like you are. In other words, the Creator comes into the creation. God comes sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. Let me be very clear anymore. Please hear me. You're not a sinner anymore if Jesus is Lord of your life. Please hear me. This is vital important. I'm derailing for a minute. You are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You do not live in a pig pit anymore.

You're now a Son. Why? Because he has did what the law can't do. You're not a sinner anymore. He saw you coming. He ran to you. He hugged you. He brought you in. He told the servants to get you cleaned up. Okay? You're a Son. You're the righteous of God in Christ Jesus. And if you play, and I've said this many times, if you play the statement that, well, I'm just a sinner saved by grace with that victim kind of sappy kind of kind of bull, then listen to me, you are settling for a servant mentality. Yes, you were a sinner and yes, you were saved by grace. Because you were saved by grace, you are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You are now righteous and in right standing with God. You are now in right standing with the Father. You are now a Son again or a daughter again. Are you hearing what I'm saying? So, were you a sinner?

Yes. Were you saved by grace? Yes. But I am no longer a sinner anymore. I do not live apart from God. I live in alignment with God. I live in a in a relationship with God. God's Word is in me. God's Word is working in me. My mind's being renewed. I'm transformed. All these things are growing. I hear his voice. I'm led BY HIS Spirit. I'M JOINT HEIR WITH Jesus. I've been grafted in. I've been adopted in. And these are all verses we didn't get to tonight. This is who we are. So they don't say that anymore.

So watch, he came in a body like us. We were. And in that body, watch, God declared an end to sin's control over us. God made a statement. God came in a body like this and he made a statement and he put an end to sin's control over us. So you say, "Well, the Word's working. What's it doing? The power of sin is broken. So now the Word is working, giving me back the position of the Son to walk in authority over sin. I don't have to live like that anymore. I don't have to live sinfully minded, which we didn't get to in Romans 8. I don't have to live I don't have to live thinking that way. I don't have to give precedence to it anymore. But the only way to do that is I've got to be Spirit-minded. I've got to keep my eye on the Word. I got to keep my eye on the message. But I got to keep it working in me so I can speak it, talk it, live it. I can't be with it for 30 minutes once a week and think I can live it 5 days from now. I got to I got to meditate on I got to chew on it. I got to listen to it in music, in Word around people.

I go to books, Bible studies, and come to Church and I do the things. Why? Because I'm keeping the Word in front of me so I can live it. because he's declared an end to sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice. Which means the Spirit of God, Jesus, where does Jesus live? He lives in my heart. What are we really saying? His Spirit lives there. Why? Because God has made me Holy because he's paid the price for it. What I couldn't do, he did. What my you tracking? So now I'm right with God. I get to hear his voice. I get to be led by his Spirit. I get to talk to you if all the things that we say all the time. Why? Because it's working in me. But I've got to let it work in me. I have to let the Word work in me.

That's where the power is. I promise you. You want You want an example? I'm done. You want to one moment. One example of explosive power. If you will believe me when I tell you this, I use this verse for this example a lot. Ephesians 2:10. You are a masterpiece. You are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. A new a ne a new. You are created a new in Christ Jesus to do the great works that he predetermined for you to walk in. If you believe that, it explosively changes everything in your heart. That's how powerful it is. Go ahead and say it. I'm a masterpiece. Close your eyes and say, "I'm a masterpiece. " And so, to Brad's point earlier about the guys, I do him a disservice when I don't own this. His Spirit is cuz watch his promise is for you and yours. His promise is for me and mine.

But it's his promise in you. And it's his promise in you. It's his promise in you. His promise is the same for all of us. But it's beautifully packaged different with each one of us. All he needs is that humble heart to allow it to work. The humility to say, "God, I'm going to get your Word. Let it work. It can't not produce in your life. It's God's heart to heal. He's the healer. It's his presence. It's who he is. Father, we love you and praise you for the privilege to be in your house and to know you. It's not It's not a cliche statement. It's a privilege to know you. It's a privilege to live in your home, to live in your house, to be invited home to you. Thank you for adopting us. Thank you for bringing us in the name of Jesus. I take authority over every demonic Spirit that is lying to people right now that the promise in the Word does not apply to them, is not available to them, that they're too far gone.

I'm here. I'm just telling you. I'm telling you, it is your choice tonight to believe what you want to believe. You can believe the lie that you've been told about yourself. You can believe what some sinner told you from their own selfishness. You can believe that you're disqualified because of the law. Or you can believe that the law just showed you your need for a Savior. And he has saved you. He saved you. Not for the sweet by and by. He saved you for right now. And his Word is working in you right now to do what? to save you. To save you to experience more of the Truth, more of the promise. He's saving you right now. His Word is saving you. Fall in love with his Word. Fall in love with his promise. Fall in love with this person of him. Fall in love with him.

He loves you. We've already established this tonight. He loves you. He just He just loves you. He just does. That's just He's just going to love you whether you like it or not. He loves you. But you got to respond and say, "I receive that love and I choose to love you. I love you, Lord. I love you. Thank you for loving me. I love you. I will love you. I will love you with my heart. I will love you with my soul. I will love you with my strength. I will love you because you loved me and love me. I will love you. I want to learn to love like you love God. It's okay that you don't today, but you can desire to love like God loves and let him work in your heart.

God, we give you praise. We give you glory. We give you honor. We give you all the majesty forever. You are eternal king of kings and Lord of lords. There is no other name by which man will be saved. Jesus, you are the visible image of the one true living God with no rival and no equal. And our hope is in you in the finished work on the cross. And you conquered death. So we live in your victory. We live in your life. You're in here tonight just where you're sitting. Just make Jesus Lord of your life. Dog gone it. It's not this big pageantry. It doesn't have to be. Just sit there and go, "Jesus, man, I'm sorry, man. I've been selfish and I'm done with that and I'm making you Lord of my life again. I was selfish today. I was selfish this week and I'm I'm getting my life right back with you again.

I'm making you I'm putting you back in the driver's seat. Just tell him, Jesus, I'm sorry and I make you Lord of my life. I know who you are. I know who you are and I thank you for saving me and I choose to love you back. I choose to follow you. I choose to receive it. I'm in. Thank you for making me right with you. God, we love you. We trust you. We thank you for who you are. Give you praise and glory forever and ever in Jesus name. Amen.