WEBVTT - Be Vulnerable 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. 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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:34.319 Hi, this is Joel. Thanks so much for downloading the podcast. 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.240 I believe you'll be inspired and challenged. I hope you 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:53.440 enjoy the message. Well, God bless you. It's a joy 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:55.960 to come into your homes. And if you're ever in 0:01:56.040 --> 0:01:59.000 our area, please stop buying. Be a part of one 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:01.920 of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel 0:02:02.040 --> 0:02:05.000 right at home. I like to start with something funny, 0:02:05.000 --> 0:02:07.880 and I heard about this burglar that broke into a 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:11.600 home one night as he was stealing the stereo, he 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:15.720 heard a voice saying, Jesus is watching you. He froze 0:02:15.720 --> 0:02:19.480 in his tracks, shined his flashlight and saw a parrot 0:02:19.560 --> 0:02:22.320 over in the corner. He said, did you say that 0:02:22.400 --> 0:02:25.280 to me? The parent said yes, I'm just trying to 0:02:25.320 --> 0:02:28.560 warn you. He said, warn me? What are you talking about? 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:32.160 Who are you? He said, my name is Moses. The 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:35.280 burglar laughed, said what kind of crazy people would name 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:38.320 a parent Moses? He said, the same kind of people 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:42.040 that would name a one hundred and fifty pounds Rotweller, Jesus, 0:02:43.960 --> 0:02:46.520 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.200 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.760 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:54.600 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.760 of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my 0:02:58.880 --> 0:03:03.200 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name, 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:06.760 God bless you. I want to talk to you today 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:11.240 about being vulnerable. It's easy to go through life trying 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:14.680 to impress people, show them that we're strong, that we 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:18.240 have it all together, and it's good to carry ourselves 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:22.760 with confidence, But sometimes we have a need to keep 0:03:22.840 --> 0:03:26.200 up our image so much that instead of being real, 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:30.360 we put on a mask and start pretending. We can't 0:03:30.440 --> 0:03:34.400 let people see we have weaknesses. We struggle in these areas. 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:38.000 We're people of faith, We're supposed to have all the answers, 0:03:38.640 --> 0:03:43.120 But the scripture says God's power shows up greatest in 0:03:43.200 --> 0:03:47.760 our weaknesses. If we go around pretending acting like we 0:03:47.800 --> 0:03:51.200 don't have any weaknesses, then God's power is not going 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:55.360 to show up. God won't bless who you pretend to be. 0:03:56.240 --> 0:04:00.400 He looks beyond the mass, beyond the superficial. When you're 0:04:00.440 --> 0:04:03.920 big enough to admit God, I don't have it altogether, 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:08.040 I'm struggling in these areas. I need your help. Being 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:12.200 vulnerable is not a weakness, it's a strength. But when 0:04:12.280 --> 0:04:15.800 we pretend and try to impress people live for our image, 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:19.000 that puts pressure on us. We have to perform and 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:22.359 make sure they think I'm good, I'm strong, I'm talented. 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:27.159 Take off the mask. You can be real, well, Joel, 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:30.279 what if they think less of me? What they think 0:04:30.320 --> 0:04:34.720 of you doesn't really matter. They don't control your destiny. 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:38.000 If your friends judge you for being real, they're not 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:42.039 true friends. A true friend will accept you for who 0:04:42.080 --> 0:04:47.280 you are faults, weaknesses, shortcomings, and all people that judge 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:51.320 you are not being honest with themselves. They have their 0:04:51.360 --> 0:04:54.919 own issues. They're just wearing their mask hoping that you 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:58.840 don't notice. Everybody is dealing with something. There are no 0:04:59.160 --> 0:05:04.360 perfect people. But we live in a society that stresses image. 0:05:04.480 --> 0:05:07.440 It tells us if we don't have it all together, 0:05:07.960 --> 0:05:11.160 if you don't wear the latest, drive the latest hang 0:05:11.200 --> 0:05:14.400 out with the most popular, then you're less than. This 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:19.120 creates all kinds of pretending. We're in masks trying to impress, 0:05:19.800 --> 0:05:23.240 and that may feel strong, but in fact it's weak. 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:27.200 If you can't be honest with yourself, if you have 0:05:27.320 --> 0:05:30.720 to hide your struggles, act a certain way to keep 0:05:30.800 --> 0:05:33.680 up your image, that's going to keep you from your 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:37.960 full potential. God is not looking for the ideal you, 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.560 to pretend you the future you. He's looking for the 0:05:42.600 --> 0:05:45.960 real you. And this is what the apostle Paul did. 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:50.080 He said in Philippians three, I count not myself to 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:55.240 have apprehended. One version says I'm still not everything that 0:05:55.320 --> 0:05:58.760 I should be now. Paul was one of the greatest 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:02.360 apostles that ever lived. He wrote half of the books 0:06:02.400 --> 0:06:06.279 in the New testament. He was a scholar, a theologian. 0:06:06.800 --> 0:06:11.680 He spoke five languages. No one was more effective than Paul, 0:06:12.400 --> 0:06:15.640 but he had the humility to admit, I don't have 0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:19.880 it altogether. I'm doing my best, but I'm not there yet. 0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:25.880 He could have let pride hide his weaknesses, mask his shortcomings, 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:30.719 but he was vulnerable. Nobody would have argued if he'd 0:06:30.720 --> 0:06:33.480 have said, Hey, I wrote half of the scripture. I've 0:06:33.520 --> 0:06:37.839 attained the highest level. Paul was a great man, but 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.960 as he neared his death, when he could have impressed people, 0:06:42.480 --> 0:06:46.120 when he could have bolstered his image, instead he took 0:06:46.160 --> 0:06:49.960 off his mask. He was real. That's the kind of 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:55.800 people God promotes. There's power in vulnerability. It's okay to 0:06:55.880 --> 0:07:01.000 say I'm not there yet. I'm still struggling with these issues. 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:03.760 But I'm not going to wear a mask. I'm not 0:07:03.800 --> 0:07:08.200 going around pretending I'm at peace with not being perfect. 0:07:09.040 --> 0:07:13.640 If you're not vulnerable, you'll stop growing. If you can't 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.560 be honest with yourself and say God, I need your help. 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:21.320 I'm acting strong, but God, I'm afraid I don't know 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:25.880 which way to go. When you empty yourself out, then 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:29.840 God will fill you. But God cannot fill a vessel 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:35.320 that's already full. If you're full of yourself acting. I 0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:40.280 said it nice, acting, pretending, wearing mask. There's no room 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:44.760 for God. But when we humble ourselves and empty out 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.120 our pride, our doubts, our fears, then God will fill 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.480 us with favor, with strength. He'll help us get to 0:07:50.520 --> 0:07:54.640 the next level. Mark chapter nine. A man had a 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:58.280 son that was sick with something like epilepsy. He brought 0:07:58.320 --> 0:08:01.680 him to Jesus and said, Sir, my son has all 0:08:01.680 --> 0:08:06.160 these convulsions. If you can do anything, please have compassion 0:08:06.240 --> 0:08:10.800 on us. Jesus said, if you believe, all things are possible. 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:15.160 The man said, yes, Lord, I believe, but help me 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:20.080 in my unbelief. He was honest, he was being vulnerable. 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:23.520 Jesus could have said, I just told you I do it. 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.120 What do you mean you have doubts? You don't believe? 0:08:26.160 --> 0:08:29.600 I'm gonna go find somebody else. Know. When we're honest 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:34.120 with God, when we're real, he doesn't judge us, he 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:38.160 doesn't turn the other way. He comes to us. Jesus 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:41.920 went and healed this man's son. And when you take 0:08:42.000 --> 0:08:44.560 off the mask and get down to the real you, 0:08:45.280 --> 0:08:48.760 maybe the doubting you, the lonely you, the insecure you. 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:53.200 When you're vulnerable, God will begin to change things. But 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:57.240 sometimes we think we have to always be strong in faith, 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.760 strong in courage. We can't admit we have doubts, we 0:09:00.840 --> 0:09:05.200 have fears. The scripture says, let the weak say I 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:10.040 am strong. Doesn't say you should never feel weak, never 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:14.439 have doubts, never feel discouraged. Now, God, I feel weak today, 0:09:14.760 --> 0:09:18.400 but I know in You I'm strong. God. I'm concerned 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:21.840 about my finances. I don't see how it could work out. Lord, 0:09:22.280 --> 0:09:26.640 help me to believe. That's being honest before God. That's 0:09:26.720 --> 0:09:31.280 being vulnerable. The first time John the Baptist saw Jesus, 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:35.000 he said, behold the lamb of God. He knew he 0:09:35.160 --> 0:09:40.200 was the Messiah. In Matthew chapter three, John was baptizing Jesus. 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:43.160 When he came up out of the water, A dove 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:48.360 landed on Jesus. The heavens opened up. A voice boomed out, saying, 0:09:48.480 --> 0:09:52.200 this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. 0:09:53.040 --> 0:09:55.880 If anyone should have been a man of faith, it 0:09:55.920 --> 0:10:01.679 would have been John. He baptized Jesus. Chapters later, in 0:10:01.800 --> 0:10:07.320 chapter eleven, when he was in prison, John started having doubts, thinking, 0:10:08.000 --> 0:10:10.880 is he really the Messiah? Is he really the son 0:10:10.920 --> 0:10:15.079 of God. John sent two of his disciples to see 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:18.520 if Jesus was who he really said he was. Now 0:10:18.559 --> 0:10:21.679 you would think if you saw the heavens opened up, 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:25.439 if you heard the voice boom out, you would believe. 0:10:25.960 --> 0:10:29.880 You wouldn't change your mind. But even John had doubts. 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:34.280 Even he didn't have it all figured out, he was vulnerable. 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:38.600 He could have said, I baptized the man. I told 0:10:38.600 --> 0:10:41.280 people he was the Lamb of God. I can't let 0:10:41.320 --> 0:10:44.800 anyone know that. I'm not sure. Now I have to 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:47.760 keep up my image. I have to wear this mask. 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:52.960 John's attitude was I'm not a pretender. I'm not trying 0:10:52.960 --> 0:10:55.800 to impress people. Go ask him if he's the son 0:10:55.840 --> 0:11:00.840 of God. What's interesting is Jesus didn't get upset. He 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:03.720 didn't say, tell John he needs to have more faith. 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:09.280 I'm disappointed in him. Jesus understood, He said, tell John 0:11:09.640 --> 0:11:13.080 the blind, sea, the crippled walk, the lepers are cure. 0:11:13.320 --> 0:11:16.640 Tell him, yes, I am the Messiah. So when you 0:11:16.760 --> 0:11:21.240 have doubts, things you don't understand, don't be down on yourself. 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:24.920 You didn't see the heavens open up. You didn't hear 0:11:24.960 --> 0:11:29.000 the voice boom out. John had all these signs, but 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:33.520 it didn't disqualify him. God was not disappointed in John, 0:11:34.000 --> 0:11:37.280 and he's not disappointed in you. You may not be 0:11:37.400 --> 0:11:39.679 where you think it should be. You have these questions. 0:11:40.200 --> 0:11:44.800 It's okay to say, like Paul, I haven't apprehended it 0:11:44.920 --> 0:11:48.840 all just yet. I'm on a journey. I'm growing. God's 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:52.080 still working on me. But so often we think we 0:11:52.160 --> 0:11:55.280 have to hide our struggles. We can't let God know 0:11:55.400 --> 0:11:58.800 our fears. That wouldn't be a person of faith. But 0:11:58.840 --> 0:12:01.880 you can't overcome a weakness if you don't get it 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:06.280 out in the open, when you're honest with yourself and 0:12:06.440 --> 0:12:10.559 honest with God and say, God, help me break this addiction. 0:12:11.160 --> 0:12:13.520 I can't do it on my own. God help me 0:12:13.600 --> 0:12:16.040 to not be jealous. I'm a coworker. Help me to 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:19.280 be more disciplined in what I watch. That's the first 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:24.240 step to getting better. But sometimes religion has taught us 0:12:24.559 --> 0:12:28.280 that God will condemn us, make us feel guilty. That's 0:12:28.400 --> 0:12:32.000 not the way God is. Like with John the Baptist, 0:12:32.360 --> 0:12:37.719 God understands our doubts, our weaknesses, our failures. When we 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:43.120 humble ourselves and ask him for his help. When we're vulnerable, 0:12:43.679 --> 0:12:47.560 we say, like Paul, I don't have it altogether. We say, 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:50.840 like John, I have these doubts. We say like the 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:54.880 man and his son, Lord, help me to believe. That's 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:58.679 when the creator of the universe will help you overcome 0:12:59.040 --> 0:13:02.480 what you could not owe. Come. Are you wearing a mask, 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:06.840 pretending trying to protect your image in front of people 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:10.600 and in front of God. I'm asking us to take 0:13:10.640 --> 0:13:15.040 off the mask. Let's be real. Sometimes we think, when 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:18.080 we get it all together, we'll be honest, when we 0:13:18.120 --> 0:13:22.360 break the addiction, when we overcome the temptation, then God 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:26.040 will accept us. Then he'll be pleased with me. But 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.560 God is not waiting for the perfect you, for the 0:13:29.600 --> 0:13:33.160 cleaned up you, for the no doubt you. He's waiting 0:13:33.440 --> 0:13:37.200 for the real you, the vulnerable you, the honest you. 0:13:38.280 --> 0:13:43.680 God already knows everything about us. There is a freedom 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:48.200 when you can come to God open and honest, knowing 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:52.640 that he doesn't condemn you. He's not finding fault. He 0:13:52.720 --> 0:13:57.720 has mercy for every mistake, grace for every weakness, faith 0:13:57.800 --> 0:14:01.800 for every fear, our attitude. It should be God my 0:14:01.960 --> 0:14:05.199 life is an open book. I have nothing to hide. 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:09.679 You know everything I am. Everything that I'm not made me, 0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.600 Mold me, help me to become who you've created me 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:18.000 to be. John Chapter four. Jesus was at a well 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:21.960 in Samaria. This woman came out to get some water. 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:26.239 Jesus asked her for something to drink. She was surprised. 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:30.240 She said, sir, you're a Jew, I'm a Samaritan. We 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.960 don't have anything to do with each other. Why are 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:36.800 you asking me for something? Jesus said, if you knew 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.640 who I was, you would ask me and I would 0:14:39.640 --> 0:14:43.440 give you living water. She said, please give me some 0:14:43.520 --> 0:14:46.880 of that water. Jesus said, I will, but go call 0:14:46.960 --> 0:14:51.440 your husband. I can imagine time stopped for this woman. 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:55.240 She had had five husbands, was living with a man 0:14:55.320 --> 0:14:59.080 she wasn't married too. Life had been rough for this lady. 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:04.280 No out she'd been mistreated, taking advantage of. She knew 0:15:04.320 --> 0:15:07.720 she had made mistakes. She felt bad enough about herself. 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:12.400 She didn't need any more guilt. In town, everyone knew her, 0:15:12.920 --> 0:15:16.440 she was looked down on, made fun of. But out 0:15:16.440 --> 0:15:20.640 here at the well, alone, just her in Jesus, she 0:15:20.680 --> 0:15:23.680 could have thought, I'm not telling this man my past. 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:27.360 I'm going to put on my mask and pretend everything 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:30.480 is fine. She could have said, Okay, I'll go get 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:33.640 my husband. Wait for me. I'll be back in thirty minutes. 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:39.120 Everything in her said, hide your hurts, hide your failures, 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:42.680 turn and leave, take the easy way out. She could 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.520 have walked away and it would be the end of 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:50.280 this story. But after years of wearing a mask, years 0:15:50.320 --> 0:15:54.040 of pretending, she said, no, this is a new day. 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:58.480 I'm not making excuses, I'm not covering it up. I'm 0:15:58.520 --> 0:16:02.360 going to be honest. She said to Jesus, I don't 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:06.280 have a husband. The first thing Jesus said was you 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:10.920 have answered. Well. He was saying, now you're being honest 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:15.640 with yourself, and you're being honest with me. Jesus went 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:19.240 on to tell her how she had five husbands and 0:16:19.400 --> 0:16:22.880 was living with this other man. She said, sir, you 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:26.520 must be a prophet. We know one day the Messiah 0:16:26.600 --> 0:16:30.320 will come. Jesus looked at her and said, I am 0:16:30.440 --> 0:16:36.680 the Messiah. The first person Jesus ever revealed himself too 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:42.200 as the Messiah was this woman, A woman who was vulnerable, 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.200 a woman who was willing to take off the mask 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:50.520 and not pretend everything was okay. You may have made mistakes. 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:54.520 You're not where you think you should be. God is 0:16:54.600 --> 0:16:59.000 not displeased with where you are. He's only displeased if 0:16:59.000 --> 0:17:02.720 you get stuck there. And when Jesus asked this woman 0:17:02.760 --> 0:17:05.760 to go get her husband, he already knew she didn't 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:08.639 have a husband. He was waiting to see what she 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:12.160 would do. Would she be vulnerable? Would she take off 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:18.680 the mask? God already knows our struggles, our failures, our weaknesses. 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:24.520 When we live open and honest before God, not guilty 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:29.359 because of past mistakes, beating ourselves up for weaknesses, pretending 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:34.160 that everything's okay, but saying God, I need you help 0:17:34.200 --> 0:17:37.639 me to overcome, Strengthen me in my weaknesses, give me 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:41.400 faith to do the right thing. That's when God will 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:44.679 do for you what he did for this woman. He 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:48.359 will break bondages that have held you back. He will 0:17:48.359 --> 0:17:51.840 make more out of your life than you've ever even dreamed. 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:55.560 What am I saying today? It's okay to be vulnerable. 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:59.000 You don't have to have it altogether. You're a work 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:04.160 in progress. God is not finished with you. Even Abraham, 0:18:04.320 --> 0:18:08.240 the father of our faith, was vulnerable. He even admitted 0:18:08.520 --> 0:18:12.280 that he didn't have all the answers. God told him 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:15.320 to take his son Isaac out to the mountains and 0:18:15.440 --> 0:18:18.800 sacrifice him. God was going to show him where to go. 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.119 I can imagine Isaac said, Dad, where are we going? 0:18:23.880 --> 0:18:29.040 Surely Abraham would be strong, confident, But I hear Abraham saying, son, 0:18:29.560 --> 0:18:34.080 I don't know where. I don't have clear direction. Isaac 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:38.080 must have thought, that's my father, that's my hero, the 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:40.919 man I look up to. You mean he doesn't have 0:18:41.040 --> 0:18:46.440 everything figured out. It's okay to be vulnerable to your children. 0:18:47.160 --> 0:18:50.480 You don't have to hide your weaknesses, hide your struggles, 0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:55.080 take off your superman outfit. Sometimes you just need to 0:18:55.119 --> 0:18:59.639 be Clark Kent. Just be real. Your children will learn 0:18:59.680 --> 0:19:04.440 more from how they see you handle your struggles than 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:07.480 they will from your successes. You don't have to be 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:12.680 strong all the time. Let them see your humanity. One 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:15.639 time in my early twenties, I was in the TV 0:19:15.840 --> 0:19:19.440 control area after a church service at the other location. 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:23.359 My father had just finished ministering. Myself and some of 0:19:23.359 --> 0:19:27.320 the crew members were laughing and having fun as we 0:19:27.320 --> 0:19:30.720 were putting up the equipment and turning everything off. My 0:19:30.840 --> 0:19:34.400 father came in for some reason. He thought we were 0:19:34.400 --> 0:19:37.200 making fun of something that had happened in the service. 0:19:37.800 --> 0:19:41.639 We weren't. We were laughing at something totally different. I 0:19:41.720 --> 0:19:43.959 tried to tell him it didn't have anything to do 0:19:44.040 --> 0:19:47.239 with that, but my father wouldn't hear it. He let 0:19:47.359 --> 0:19:50.320 us have it, told us how we should be more respectful, 0:19:50.359 --> 0:19:53.159 and how we should make fun, on and on. A 0:19:53.240 --> 0:19:57.600 couple hours later, my father called. He said, Joel, I 0:19:57.680 --> 0:20:01.359 blew it tonight. I knew when you told me it 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.480 wasn't what I thought, but I was uptight about some 0:20:04.680 --> 0:20:07.240 other things, and I want to ask you to forgive me. 0:20:07.640 --> 0:20:10.960 I'm sorry. Then he asked me for the phone numbers 0:20:11.000 --> 0:20:14.080 of everyone else in the room. There were seven or 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:18.040 eight people. He couldn't sleep until he made things right. 0:20:18.480 --> 0:20:20.159 I said, Daddy, you can take care of it tomorrow. 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:22.919 Nobody's gonna mind. He said, no, I need to do 0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:27.400 it right now. Eleven o'clock at night, this well respected 0:20:27.560 --> 0:20:32.960 minister called all these young men to apologize to them. Now. 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:36.679 As a son, that spoke louder to me than my 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:41.639 father's accomplishments. To see him swallow his pride and admit 0:20:41.720 --> 0:20:44.760 that he was wrong met his huge impressing on me. 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:50.320 He could have tried to protect his image and convince 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:54.920 himself he was right, but he was vulnerable. He was honest, 0:20:55.240 --> 0:20:59.200 not just with me, but with himself. When you can 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:04.000 be honest with yourself, when you're big enough, secure enough 0:21:04.040 --> 0:21:07.199 to take off the mask, not live for your image, 0:21:07.359 --> 0:21:11.080 but you do the right thing when it's hard, apologize 0:21:11.160 --> 0:21:14.040 when it's not your fault, Show your children you're big 0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:16.680 enough to admit that you were wrong. When you live 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:21.080 transparent before God, not the fake you to pretend you 0:21:21.119 --> 0:21:24.679 the wanna be you, but the real you. When you're vulnerable, 0:21:25.080 --> 0:21:29.119 you're pliable. God will make you and mould you into 0:21:29.119 --> 0:21:31.600 the vessel of honor that He created you to be. 0:21:33.640 --> 0:21:39.439 That's what these heroes of faith did, Abraham, John, the Baptist, Paul. 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:43.480 They were real. They had doubts, they had questions, They 0:21:43.480 --> 0:21:47.679 made mistakes, but they didn't pretend to be superhuman like 0:21:47.720 --> 0:21:52.479 they had it all together. They knew the power of vulnerability. 0:21:52.600 --> 0:21:56.720 They knew in their weaknesses, God's power shows up the greatest. 0:21:57.680 --> 0:22:01.600 Are you down on yourself because you have doubts, fears, 0:22:01.880 --> 0:22:05.480 things you don't understand. Are you trying to perform perfectly 0:22:06.000 --> 0:22:09.640 to protect your image to impress your friends, to show 0:22:09.680 --> 0:22:12.720 your children how strong you are. Why don't you take 0:22:12.720 --> 0:22:16.640 the pressure off. There is a freedom when you can 0:22:16.680 --> 0:22:20.720 be at peace with not being perfect, when you can say, 0:22:20.800 --> 0:22:24.600 like Paul, I'm doing my best. I'm improving, but I'm 0:22:24.640 --> 0:22:28.040 not there yet. Joel with my temper, I'm better than 0:22:28.040 --> 0:22:30.680 I was five years ago, but I'm not there yet. 0:22:31.240 --> 0:22:36.240 That's okay, You're making progress. God said about John the Baptist, 0:22:36.440 --> 0:22:39.960 there was no one any greater than him. This was 0:22:40.000 --> 0:22:43.840 about a man that doubted he was the Messiah, a 0:22:43.920 --> 0:22:47.640 men that had questions. Why are you beating yourself up 0:22:47.840 --> 0:22:50.920 over your weaknesses? Why are you trying to hide your 0:22:50.960 --> 0:22:56.719 struggles thinking that it's disqualifying you. The accuser whispers you 0:22:56.760 --> 0:22:59.640 still have that addiction. You should be ashamed of yourself. 0:23:00.080 --> 0:23:02.880 You lost your temper again. Go sit on the sidelines. 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:07.359 Don't believe those lies. You may not have attained it all. 0:23:07.720 --> 0:23:10.679 You're not there yet. The good news is you're on 0:23:10.800 --> 0:23:14.560 the way. God still working on you. What he started 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:19.200 in your life, He's going to finish. Genesis twenty five, 0:23:19.920 --> 0:23:24.120 Esau and Jacob were born. They were twins. Esau came 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:28.240 out first, but Jacob was grabbing at his heels. Jacob 0:23:28.280 --> 0:23:31.560 grew up doing everything he could to get ahead. He 0:23:31.680 --> 0:23:35.800 was dishonest. He went around deceiving people. When his brother 0:23:35.960 --> 0:23:39.359 was hungry, instead of giving him something to eat, he 0:23:39.520 --> 0:23:44.119 traded Esau a pot of stew for his birthright. This 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:48.760 was significant, the firstborn son received a double portion of 0:23:48.800 --> 0:23:53.920 the family inheritance. When Jacob's father, Isaac was near death 0:23:54.040 --> 0:23:58.199 and couldn't see Jacob dressed up like his brother, he 0:23:58.359 --> 0:24:02.600 pretended to be Esau and tricked his father into giving 0:24:02.680 --> 0:24:06.840 him the blessing that belonged to the firstborn son. But 0:24:06.960 --> 0:24:10.159 when we don't do things God's way, what should be 0:24:10.200 --> 0:24:14.719 a blessing is not a blessing. When we deceive and manipulate, 0:24:15.040 --> 0:24:17.320 we may get to where we want to be, but 0:24:17.400 --> 0:24:20.800 it won't be what we thought. Jacob got the blessing, 0:24:21.200 --> 0:24:24.159 but for the next twenty one years his life was 0:24:24.200 --> 0:24:28.080 a struggle. He had to live in exile. He worked 0:24:28.080 --> 0:24:31.040 for his uncle Laban to get one of his daughters 0:24:31.080 --> 0:24:35.320 for his wife, But Laban was a bigger trickster than Jacob. 0:24:35.880 --> 0:24:38.640 He kept making excuses why he had to work longer. 0:24:39.240 --> 0:24:42.639 Jacob was reaping from all those seeds that he had sown. 0:24:43.640 --> 0:24:47.600 I'm sure Jacob didn't like who he was. Deep down, 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:51.000 he thought, look who I've become. I'm a con man, 0:24:51.320 --> 0:24:55.800 I'm a deceiver. After years, he decided to go back 0:24:55.800 --> 0:24:59.840 home and make peace with Esau. The night before they 0:25:00.119 --> 0:25:04.359 going to meet, Jacob was camped out alone. This stranger 0:25:04.440 --> 0:25:08.600 showed up and started wrestling with Jacob. The man was 0:25:08.680 --> 0:25:13.040 actually an angel. They wrestled all night. Jacob must have 0:25:13.160 --> 0:25:16.560 known there was something special because he said to the man, 0:25:17.040 --> 0:25:20.119 I'm not going to let you leave until you bless me. 0:25:20.800 --> 0:25:23.880 The angel looked at him and said, what is your name? 0:25:25.040 --> 0:25:30.720 Jacob had spent his whole life deceiving, pretending. Years earlier, 0:25:31.240 --> 0:25:34.320 when he was trying to steal his brother's blessing, his 0:25:34.480 --> 0:25:37.680 father asked him the same question, what is your name? 0:25:38.280 --> 0:25:43.480 He said, I am Esaul. This moment, Jacob had to 0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:47.400 decide am I going to keep pretending? Am I going 0:25:47.480 --> 0:25:51.520 to keep wearing the mask hiding my weaknesses? Or am 0:25:51.520 --> 0:25:55.000 I going to be real? I can imagine this debate 0:25:55.119 --> 0:25:58.640