1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:03,880 Speaker 1: Aren't you glad to be in the House of God today? 2 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: I think the only word to describe what I feel 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: in this moment is just grateful. I'm grateful to God. 4 00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 1: I'm grateful for our church. I'm grateful for Pastor Stephen 5 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: and Holly for giving me the amazing honor preaching God's 6 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: word today because this has been our church home for 7 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: fifteen years, and like Pastor said, the majority of that time, 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 1: I got the great honor of serving as worship pastor 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,160 Speaker 1: and really living out my dream. I had my dream job. 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:33,760 Speaker 1: And then last year, as God led our family to 11 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: enter into a new season, our church and our pastors 12 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: have been so loving and supportive every single step of 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: the way in this new journey for us. And there 14 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: was a conversation I had with Pastor Stephen in January 15 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: where I was just trying to say thank you, and 16 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,159 Speaker 1: I was trying to express that there's no way I 17 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: could ever say thank you enough for everything he's done 18 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,960 Speaker 1: for me, the investment he's made and our family, and 19 00:00:58,000 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: what he said next has really stuck with me all 20 00:00:59,840 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: you long. It's kind of been a guiding light for 21 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: me this year. He said that the greatest way I 22 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: could thank him would be to run after everything God 23 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: had put in me with all of my heart. And 24 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: at a time when I was questioning if I had 25 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,480 Speaker 1: what it took, at a time when I was nervous, 26 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:18,039 Speaker 1: at a time when I was scared, he spoke so 27 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: much just confidence and faith and belief encouraging to me. 28 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: And as I've been reflecting on that this week, I 29 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 1: realized that that's all of our story. Because every Sunday 30 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: we leave church believing that God can actually use us, 31 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: and that when He preaches, we believe that God, God 32 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: cannot just use us. He wants to use us. He 33 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: wants to invite us in to his work. And so 34 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: that's kind of been my vision for this year. I'm 35 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: just going to run after what God put in me. 36 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:47,800 Speaker 1: So a lot has been different, but a lot of 37 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: stayed the same too, because every week in our family's 38 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: in church, we've made the Blakeney Campus our home. Shout 39 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: out to Blakeney, the rowdy crew over there, and we 40 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: love that we still get to sit under such amazing teaching. 41 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: We love watching our daughters thrive in our youth ministry. 42 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: We love going to our e group on Sunday night. 43 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,720 Speaker 1: I have some of my e group here right here, 44 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: And even when I go to minister at another church, 45 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: I still feel like I'm at home because every service 46 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: of any church I ever go to, there's always an 47 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: elevation worship song in the service, usually more than one. 48 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: I think I've heard same God at every church I've 49 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: ever been to this year. But it's beautiful. I meet 50 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: epham from all over the country and meet people that said, 51 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 1: thank you for the ministry of this church because God 52 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: has changed my life through it. And so as our 53 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 1: family gets ready to give in the year end offering, 54 00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: we are more excited and more convinced than ever that 55 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: this is great ground to sow into for the Kingdom 56 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: of God. So if you're grateful for our church, if 57 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,359 Speaker 1: you're grateful for our pastors and our leaders, you're grateful 58 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: for what God has done in your life to this ministry. 59 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: Put your hands together. I'm grateful to be with my 60 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: favorite worship team on the planet. Again. You ready for 61 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: the Word of God? All right, I'm ready to appreciate it. 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: We're going to be in Ephesians today. This is chapter three, 63 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: verses fourteen through twenty one, and this is what the 64 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: word of God says for this reason, I kneel before 65 00:03:13,400 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 1: the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on 66 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: earth derives its name. I pray that of his glorious riches, 67 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: he may strengthen you with power through a spirit in 68 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:25,679 Speaker 1: your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your 69 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted 70 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: and established in love, may have power, together with all 71 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: the Lord's Holy people, to grasp how wide and long, 72 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: and high and deep is the love of Christ, and 73 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may 74 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 75 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: And maybe you've heard these next two verses. Now to 76 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: him who is able to do immeasurably more than all 77 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 1: we ask are imagining, according to his power that does 78 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: that work within us. To him be glory in the 79 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: Church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, for ever 80 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: and ever. Amen to Him who's able to do immeasurably more. 81 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:06,960 Speaker 1: I feel like there should be a song that says 82 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: something like you are more than able. I think that 83 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: would be That would be a great song. That song 84 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: is amazing. It's fantastic. Now I know. I just read 85 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: a scripture about more, but today I want to preach 86 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: on the topic Lessons from less, Lessons from less Let's 87 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: pray together. God, we thank you for the richness of 88 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,480 Speaker 1: your word and how every time your word has opened, 89 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: you will speak to us. We can be confident of that. 90 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: We can be confident that you are here among us 91 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,200 Speaker 1: right now, and you want to do a work in 92 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: each one of us, whether it's Epham, whether it's in 93 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: the room here at Valentine or Blakeney or Gaston. God, 94 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: you want to speak to us who speak through your 95 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: word now in Jesus name. Amen. All right, go ahead 96 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: and give three high fives on your way to your seat. Now, 97 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: my family, did we ditched Blakeney for Balentine this week? 98 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: I've got my family here. I've got my parents here, 99 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:03,719 Speaker 1: the whole crew. But I do want to put a 100 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: picture of my family on the screen because I'm just 101 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: a proud husband and dad. So it's my wife, Ferris. 102 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: We've been married for seventeen years. I've got twin girls, 103 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: Adlene Leanna, they are fourteen now, and then Sidney is 104 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: our youngest one. So you can see that I am 105 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: surrounded by women. And so the word count in our 106 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: house right now is incredibly high. Like the word per 107 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: minute number would blow your mind any other girl, Dad's 108 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: out there, can you feel me on that. Plus I've 109 00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 1: got two teenagers that are going through all the teenage 110 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: things at the exact same time, so please pray for me. 111 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: But Sidney, she's our youngest. She's ten and Cydny's amazing. 112 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: She's short like her dad, so sorry, sid but she 113 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,200 Speaker 1: more than makes up for it in personality. And my 114 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: wife and I joke all the time because she Sidney 115 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:54,159 Speaker 1: is just full of personality. She's feisty, and we're laid 116 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: back and Sidney's whatever the opposite of laid back is. 117 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,119 Speaker 1: But we know God's going to use it. God's gonna 118 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: channel that for good one day. She has the spiritual, 119 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: spiritual gift of perseverance. So parents, you know what I'm 120 00:06:06,080 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: talking about. Whenever she gets something in her mind that 121 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: she wants, she's going to wear you down until she 122 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: gets it. She is going to find a way to 123 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: get what she wants. And so a couple of years ago, 124 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: when she was seven, she got it in her mind 125 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,719 Speaker 1: that she wanted to watch a shark movie. And I 126 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,359 Speaker 1: knew this was not going to end up in a 127 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: good place because she'd have nightmares, and then it would 128 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 1: ruin our night because we'd be up all night. So 129 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: I was like, Sidney, you're too young to watch a 130 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:35,560 Speaker 1: shark movie. But she was set on it, and through 131 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: some mix of charm and stubbornness and my weakness, before 132 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 1: I knew it. On Friday night, Family movie Night, we 133 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:47,160 Speaker 1: were watching Jaws, and I convinced myself that not only 134 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 1: was I exposing her to one of the greatest movies 135 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,000 Speaker 1: of all time, but I was going to teach your 136 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: proper ocean safety. Because I know people say that we're 137 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: not on a shark's menu, but I don't buy that. 138 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,279 Speaker 1: I think I look like a tasty treat to a 139 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: shark myself. So we were watching the movie and the 140 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: girls were excited, but then about an hour into the movie, 141 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: they got a little bit confused because they're like, Daddy, 142 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: I thought we were going to watch a shark movie, 143 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: but we haven't seen a shark yet. And I don't 144 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: know if you've seen Jaws in a while. But for 145 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: the whole first part of the movie, you see a 146 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: fin every now and then, you see some red water, 147 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:23,119 Speaker 1: you hear the famous theme song, but you don't see 148 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: the full shark, and so they were complaining about it, 149 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: and I was like, I promise, the shark is coming. 150 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 1: And so then finally the moment arrived that they had 151 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 1: been waiting for, and they saw the shark, and I 152 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: was waiting to heal like squeals of terror and fear. 153 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,440 Speaker 1: I don't know why I wanted that, but I guess 154 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: I wanted them to have the full experience. And instead 155 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: I heard something I didn't expect. I heard laughter. And 156 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: I look over it and they are pointing at the shark, 157 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: pointing at the screen, just mocking this movie, making fun 158 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: of one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. 159 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: And they're like, these special effects are awful. Marvel is 160 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: so much better. This is terrible. And I couldn't convince 161 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: them otherwise, and you know, I kept trying to tell 162 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: them that, you know, that was cutting edge technology at 163 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: the time that Steven Spielberg knew that the shark didn't 164 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: look super real, and so he went with a less 165 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: is more approach that he knew in order for people 166 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: to truly enjoy the movie the way it was meant 167 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: to be enjoyed. They had to see less of the 168 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 1: thing that they went into the movie wanting to see. 169 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: So less is more something. I'm not teaching you anything new. 170 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: You all know this. So less time on Instagram means 171 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: more time in person with the people you love. Less 172 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: shopping means more money in the bank. Can I get 173 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: a witness on that after this weekend? You know, less 174 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: donuts is more abs. Now I don't personally like that. 175 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: I want more donuts and more abs. I would actually 176 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: just settle for one AB, but I don't think the 177 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: Lord has given me the ab anointing. But usually we 178 00:08:57,840 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: don't like less as more when both are things that 179 00:08:59,800 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 1: we want, we want more and more. So you want 180 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: more relaxation and more influence at your job. You want 181 00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:12,160 Speaker 1: more free time and more money. But usually a trade 182 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: off has to be made in order to get something 183 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,360 Speaker 1: that is most important later. You have to see less 184 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: of something that you want right now. So with that 185 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: tension in mind, I want to read the ty the 186 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: two key verses from Ephesians, and let us really think 187 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: about what God is wanting to say to us about 188 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: more so now, to him who's able to do immeasurably 189 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: more than all we ask are imagine according to His 190 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: power that is at work within us. To Him be 191 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 192 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: forever and ever. Men. See that scripture used to be 193 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 1: my cheak code when I was a worship leader, because 194 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: if I needed to get the people to shout, all 195 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: I had to do is start talking about immeasurably more, 196 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: and people would shout about it because you should shout 197 00:09:55,160 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: about it. It's an awesome promise from God. It's an 198 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: awesome declaration of faith because I can imagine a lot, 199 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 1: and if God can out do what I can imagine, 200 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:05,959 Speaker 1: then that sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me. 201 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:10,520 Speaker 1: But what I didn't realize is that I would also 202 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: I would almost treat it like God would take my 203 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: dreams and whatever I wanted and just like crank it 204 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: to eleven, like God just wanted to take whatever my 205 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:23,839 Speaker 1: wish list was and just maximize that that immeasurably more 206 00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:26,319 Speaker 1: was going to come my way, no matter what, more success, 207 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: more money, more happiness. I treated it like it was 208 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: Paul's Mike drop moment at the end of Ephesians. And 209 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: the problem with that is this, it doesn't usually line 210 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: up with real life because many of you, you're looking 211 00:10:40,360 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: at the last year of your life and you're not 212 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 1: seeing more of what you hoped for. You're actually seeing less. 213 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: You're seeing less of what you prayed for, less of 214 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,200 Speaker 1: what you thought God was going to do in your life. 215 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:55,800 Speaker 1: And that can be especially painful during the holidays. So 216 00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: this Thanksgiving, you were looking at one less person across 217 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: the table from you, that divorce that you never saw coming. 218 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: You're looking at less financial security after you just lost 219 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: your job. I've got two friends right now who just 220 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: got a devastating diagnosis about their unborn son where they 221 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,480 Speaker 1: were told that he would not live past childbirth. So 222 00:11:16,559 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: where is a measurably more for them right now in 223 00:11:19,679 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: this season? You know, when Sidney was born, five weeks 224 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,280 Speaker 1: after she was born, we found out that she has 225 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: cystic fibrosis, and so we weren't shouting about a measurably 226 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: more in the hospital room when we got that diagnosis. 227 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 1: So here's the question we're going to wrestle with from 228 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: our main text today is how can we as a 229 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: people of God claim to worship a god of a 230 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: measurably more in a world that often feels like a 231 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: measurably less So as we look at this question, I 232 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: think it's important that we go back and see what 233 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,600 Speaker 1: Paul was actually experiencing when he wrote it, because he 234 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: didn't write this as like a mic drop moment Benediction 235 00:11:55,080 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: at the end of Ephesians. It's right smack dab in 236 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: the middle of that letter. And it's what he's says 237 00:12:00,559 --> 00:12:04,079 Speaker 1: next that I think is really interesting for us to explore. 238 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: He says this in four verse one. He says, as 239 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 1: a prisoner for the Lord den I urge you to 240 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:13,920 Speaker 1: live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 241 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: So if you're not seeing what you expected a measurably 242 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: more to look like in your life right now, Paul's 243 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: immeasurably more at this moment look like a prison cell. 244 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:26,000 Speaker 1: He wasn't seeing more. He was seeing less, less freedom, 245 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: less visible fruit of his ministry, less of his dreams 246 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: coming to life. So how could Paul still write about 247 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,760 Speaker 1: God doing more? Well, we know that Paul was a 248 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: student of the Scripture, so I wonder if bes he's 249 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: writing this letter, if he's thinking about Isaiah fifty five, 250 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: verse eight, where it writes, my thoughts are nothing like 251 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 1: your thoughts, says the Lord, and my ways are far 252 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 1: beyond anything you could imagine. So if God's thoughts are 253 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 1: beyond our thoughts, and his ways are beyond what we 254 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: can imagine, then maybe the way that God sees more 255 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:00,880 Speaker 1: is different than the way we see more, the way 256 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: we view more see Paul was writing this letter either 257 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: to the church in Ephesus or to several churches in 258 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,560 Speaker 1: that area, and they would just pass it around and 259 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 1: they would read it because he was trying to show 260 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: them what the church should be like, what was the 261 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: purpose of the church, what did it mean to follow Christ? 262 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,200 Speaker 1: Because so many people were coming to faith in Jesus 263 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: from so many different backgrounds and so many different walks 264 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: of life, and there was very little blueprint for what 265 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: this life in Christ was supposed to look like. And 266 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: they were facing opposition from so many different things, And 267 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: so Paul wanted them to know where their hope came from, 268 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,599 Speaker 1: where their power was found, how they could be in 269 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:39,800 Speaker 1: power to live out the Gospel, live out this life 270 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:43,240 Speaker 1: that Christ was calling them to. And in verse twenty, 271 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,839 Speaker 1: I think there's two words that make sense of the 272 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: whole passage for us. So put Ephesians three twenty on 273 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: the screen. See. Most of my life I focused on 274 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 1: the two words immeasurably more. But I've always skipped over 275 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,400 Speaker 1: the two words within us. And I think that is 276 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: the key to understanding this chapter, because the more Paul 277 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: is talking about here is less about an external wish 278 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: and more about internal weight. It's less about what we see. 279 00:14:11,720 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: It's less about the more that we can view with 280 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: our own eyes, and it's really about the more that 281 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: God wants to produce within us, the more that he 282 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,080 Speaker 1: wants to form within us, the more that he wants 283 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: to shape, and the more that He wants to do 284 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: through us. And so when you read scripture, context is everything. 285 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 1: So I want to show you some of the verses 286 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: leading up to Ephesians three twenty, and notice all the 287 00:14:32,640 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 1: internal language in it. So let's see. I think it's 288 00:14:36,160 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: Ephesians three sixteen. I will show it. Here we go, 289 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: says I pray that out of his glorious riches, he 290 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your 291 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: inner being verse seventeen, So that Christ may dwell in 292 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: your hearts through faith. Go to verse eighteen nineteen. I mean, 293 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 1: there we go, that you may be filled to the 294 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: measure of all the fullness of God. See paul Is 295 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: prayer saying that they would experience the process of sanctification. 296 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,000 Speaker 1: So when you put your faith in Jesus, you're saved 297 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:09,560 Speaker 1: by grace through faith in a moment. But it takes 298 00:15:09,640 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 1: a lifetime for the Holy Spirit to work out the 299 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: reality of what He wants to do in your heart. 300 00:15:14,600 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: It takes a lifetime to line up our hearts to 301 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: the reality of what God says we are and who 302 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: God says we are. And so paul is saying, there's 303 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 1: a work that God needs to do inside of you. 304 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 1: But often I want to bypass the inner work of 305 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit and get right to the external reward. 306 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've ever felt that way too. 307 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: Now let me say this though, Do I believe God 308 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: can do a measurably more in your circumstances and do 309 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: things beyond your wildest dreams? Yes, of course. I'm married 310 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: to the woman in my dreams. I have three amazing daughters. 311 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: I've seen God do miracles. This church, this is a 312 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: living breathing a measurably more testimony what we have seen 313 00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 1: God do through this church. I believe what the Bible 314 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, 315 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: but we are not promised are preferred more. But here's 316 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,080 Speaker 1: what you are promised that, if you've placed your faith 317 00:16:08,080 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: in Jesus, God will do whatever it takes to create 318 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: more and more christ likeness in your heart. He will 319 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: do more and more to conform you to the image 320 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: of Christ. And I remember one time Pastor Stephen preached 321 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 1: on the stage and he said more is not always bigger, 322 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: but it's always deeper. And often the deepest work that 323 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: God wants to do in our heart and our faith 324 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: and our character, it has to enter through the doorway 325 00:16:35,360 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: of less And so that's what we're going to talk 326 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: about for the brief time, remaining, just three lessons from 327 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: less areas of your life where you might be seeing 328 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: less of what you wanted, but it's an opportunity for 329 00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: God to produce more of what He wants for you 330 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: in your life. So here's the first lesson. You might 331 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,400 Speaker 1: see less certainty, but God wants you to become more confident. 332 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: You might see less serain, but God wants you to 333 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: become more confident. My personality love certainty, I crave at 334 00:17:07,119 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: chunks texting me this week something You're like, Hey, I 335 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:10,760 Speaker 1: know you're a planner, so you're only going to see this. 336 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:13,840 Speaker 1: So like, I'm addicted to it, and this is how 337 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:16,439 Speaker 1: bad I am, how far I take it, y'all. I 338 00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,399 Speaker 1: look up spoilers online for my favorite TV shows and 339 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: movies because I want to know what's going to happen 340 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,200 Speaker 1: before I go in there. I got burned by the 341 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,159 Speaker 1: season finale of Lost, and so I decided that was 342 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,840 Speaker 1: never going to happen again. I'm actually am trying to 343 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: get better. I'm a recovering spoiler addict. So maybe you 344 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: can't relate to that, but maybe this is your story. 345 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,120 Speaker 1: When someone texts you and says, hey, I really need 346 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: to talk. Can we get together later, my mind goes 347 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,840 Speaker 1: to the worst thing I could have possibly done. I'm like, 348 00:17:44,880 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 1: what did I say? What did I do? Why did 349 00:17:46,680 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: they hate me? And I'm going to get fired? And 350 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: so just a couple weeks ago, somebody texted and said, Hey, 351 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: can we hop on zoom later today? There's something I 352 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,160 Speaker 1: want to talk to you about. I spent all day 353 00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: worrying about it, and then it was like the most 354 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:03,280 Speaker 1: encouraging Zoom call ever had. But I hate uncertainty because 355 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: I fill the gap of uncertainty with worst case scenarios. 356 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,680 Speaker 1: And somehow Paul Paul didn't seem to do that, or 357 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: at least he didn't seem to let his heart stay 358 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: there because he was in an incredibly uncertain situation. He 359 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 1: was in prison, he had no idea when he would 360 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 1: get out. If ever, he had no idea what the 361 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: day would hold. But he still sounds like someone who, 362 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,359 Speaker 1: even in the middle of uncertainty, had confidence that God 363 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: was working. And that confidence is what the Bible calls faith. 364 00:18:32,720 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: Hebrews eleven one says, now, faith is confidence and what 365 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 366 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 1: So it's a confidence in the unseen. That means if 367 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: you see it, it's not faith. It's not going to 368 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,720 Speaker 1: take faith to walk into it. So we have to 369 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: believe that God is at work even when we don't 370 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: see the evidence of it in our circumstances, because in 371 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: that uncertainty is when we learn what we can really 372 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: depend on and hold on to. And this is how 373 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,000 Speaker 1: Paul breaks that down. And Ephesians three sixteen and seventeen, 374 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 1: he says, I pray that out of his glorious riches. 375 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,240 Speaker 1: He may strengthen you with power through His spirit and 376 00:19:07,280 --> 00:19:10,160 Speaker 1: your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your 377 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: hearts through faith. Paul saying here that the foundation of 378 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 1: our confidence isn't what we're walking into, it's who's walking 379 00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,439 Speaker 1: into it with us. Paul is saying that we're not 380 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,479 Speaker 1: promised more certainty on this earth, but you are promised 381 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,199 Speaker 1: that you have a God who will never leave you, 382 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: He will never forsake you. That every promise in Christ 383 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:33,400 Speaker 1: Jesus is yes and amen. And I love how pastors 384 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: taught us the last couple of weeks. I want to 385 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: make sure I get this quote right. That confidence in 386 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,960 Speaker 1: God's promise without commitment to his process is not dependence, 387 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: it's delusion. And you see, uncertainty is one of the 388 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 1: greatest invitations into that process of growing and confidence, of 389 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: growing in faith. So if you're a Christian, you've probably 390 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: prayed at some point because I know I have God, 391 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:58,400 Speaker 1: give me more faith. But are you willing to give 392 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: up some of your certainty to get it? See? The 393 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,959 Speaker 1: least certain I've ever been in my life is when 394 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: our twins Adling Leanna. They were born three months premature 395 00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: and I've told this story before here, but when they 396 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: were born, they were born at twenty seven weeks. Leanna 397 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 1: was one pound fourteen ounces Adley was two pounds five ounces, 398 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: and the doctors didn't give them much hope of survival. 399 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:23,240 Speaker 1: And in fact, three days after they were born, we 400 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: got a call from one of the doctors saying, hey, 401 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 1: you and your wife need to come up and talk 402 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,080 Speaker 1: to us right now. And they told us that Leanna 403 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,679 Speaker 1: had a Grade four brain bleed and they said she 404 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,119 Speaker 1: will most likely never walk, most likely never taught. They 405 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:38,240 Speaker 1: used the word vegetable, and they said that we should 406 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:42,480 Speaker 1: consider taking her off life support. And I remember how 407 00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:46,439 Speaker 1: devastated we felt. We were angry, we were hurt, we 408 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: were scared. We didn't feel any feelings I associate with faith. 409 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:54,160 Speaker 1: And after about an hour of crying, I remember Pastor 410 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,440 Speaker 1: Stephen called us and he was telling us, you know, 411 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,720 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to deal with a lot of uncomfortable conversations, 412 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: and you have to deal with those. You can't ignore 413 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: the facts, but you can choose what you focus on 414 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 1: in the middle of it. And he said, you know, 415 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:09,719 Speaker 1: you can't change your feelings, but you can choose your 416 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 1: focus and so I remember, we didn't feel faith in 417 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: that time, so all we knew to do was just 418 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: put up scriptures of promises of God all over the 419 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:22,359 Speaker 1: hospital room. And it didn't change things overnight, but it 420 00:21:22,359 --> 00:21:24,399 Speaker 1: did give us the faith and the confidence to just 421 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: take one step. And then we'd wake up the next 422 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: day and I'd be freaking out and I'd be worrying, 423 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: and I'd look at those promises, and it gave us 424 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: the faith to take another step. And people would tell 425 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:36,960 Speaker 1: us during this time, they would say something like, you know, 426 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:39,560 Speaker 1: we really admire your faith. And I didn't have the 427 00:21:39,560 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: heart to tell him that it didn't feel like faith 428 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: to us. It felt like desperation. And I'm here to 429 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:48,040 Speaker 1: tell you today, some of you think you have zero faith, 430 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,679 Speaker 1: but if you have the faith to call upon the 431 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,240 Speaker 1: name of Jesus and just take one step towards God, 432 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: you have all the faith that you will ever need. 433 00:21:56,080 --> 00:22:00,160 Speaker 1: Faith doesn't feel like faith. It feels like desperately going 434 00:22:00,280 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: on to a promise from God. It feels like desperately 435 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: just showing up to church saying I know, if I 436 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:06,720 Speaker 1: just get in the house of God, then I can 437 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: borrow someone else's faith. It means tuning in a line 438 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: saying I need this word from God. It means opening 439 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:13,399 Speaker 1: up your Bible every day and saying, you know what, 440 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: even if I don't feel anything right now, I know 441 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: God's depositing something in me and that it's going to 442 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:22,439 Speaker 1: turn out for my good. Sometimes faith is saying, you 443 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: know what, this year in the year end offering. I'm 444 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: not going to give from a timid standpoint of certainty, 445 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: but I'm going to give from a bold standpoint of confidence, 446 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: believing that everything I have comes from God and that 447 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,800 Speaker 1: he's a rewarder of those who seek him. See, it's 448 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: about taking one step after another. And here's what's awesome. 449 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:42,680 Speaker 1: I was just thinking about this last week. I could 450 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,679 Speaker 1: never have imagined my family sitting on the front row 451 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,119 Speaker 1: of Blakeney fourteen years later healed. But God could see that. 452 00:22:49,640 --> 00:22:54,520 Speaker 1: I couldn't see it. And I don't even know. I 453 00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,439 Speaker 1: don't even know if I had the faith to believe 454 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:58,639 Speaker 1: for that then. But I did have the faith to 455 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: make one step. And here after you take one step 456 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 1: after another step after another step, you look back and 457 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: you've made it through valleys of uncertainty, and then that's 458 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: when your confidence starts to grow because you can say 459 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,440 Speaker 1: I'm not certain about the economy right now, but I'm 460 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,360 Speaker 1: confident that God is my provider. You can say I'm 461 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: not certain about the diagnosis I just got, but I'm 462 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,919 Speaker 1: confident that God is a healer and a sustainer and 463 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: he's my strength. You can say I'm not confident about her, 464 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: I'm not certain about the government right now. Lord knows 465 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:30,560 Speaker 1: we all feel that way. But you can say I 466 00:23:30,600 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: am confident that I serve a king and a kingdom 467 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 1: that can never be shaken. You know. You can say 468 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: I'm not certain about what I'm walking into, but I 469 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: am confident that in Christ I have a firm foundation. 470 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: So God wants to produce more confidence in us. Here's 471 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:50,159 Speaker 1: the second lesson from less You might see less fulfillment, 472 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 1: but God wants you to become more faithful. You might 473 00:23:55,280 --> 00:24:00,560 Speaker 1: see less fulfillment, but God wants you to become more faithful. See. 474 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: I think one of the most dangerous lies today is 475 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: that life is mainly about chasing personal fulfillment. See we're 476 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: bombarded with that value from all sides in our culture. 477 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: And not only is it a very self centered way 478 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: to live, but if you play it out to its 479 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:18,480 Speaker 1: logical conclusion. It doesn't lead you to a good place, 480 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:21,560 Speaker 1: because that means you're not fulfilled in your marriage. The 481 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: world says, move on. Or your boss at work challenges 482 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: you to get better, the world says, well, they don't 483 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: appreciate you, so quit. Even though your boss was right. 484 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: You don't like something that was set in church and 485 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,360 Speaker 1: something stepped on your toes, Well, the world says, we'll 486 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:36,320 Speaker 1: just go find another church that you'll leave six months 487 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 1: later for a different reason. See, we constantly uproot ourselves 488 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:43,840 Speaker 1: from actually producing fruit because we don't let our roots 489 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 1: go down deep. And I doubt Paul felt very fulfilled 490 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,359 Speaker 1: in prison. Sometimes we think these Bible characters just had 491 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,000 Speaker 1: faith all the time. But I don't think he felt fulfilled. 492 00:24:57,040 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: I don't think he saw the evidence of the impact 493 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: he was making. There had to be a lot of 494 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:03,399 Speaker 1: hard questions, a lot of wrestling with God, because Paul's 495 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: resume looked a lot more like pain than progress. If 496 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: you want proof, here's some extra credit for all you 497 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 1: Bible nerds. Go and read about his trials in Sewod 498 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:15,280 Speaker 1: Corinthians chapter eleven, and ask yourself if it looks like 499 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:18,240 Speaker 1: a picture of dreams being fulfilled. For those of you 500 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,240 Speaker 1: who aren't going to do that, here's the cliff notes. 501 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: Paul's resume looked like persecution, like shipwrecks, like beatings, like suffering, 502 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: and it doesn't look like what I think the life 503 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,720 Speaker 1: of fulfillment looks like. So Paul's immeasurably more didn't always 504 00:25:31,760 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: look like progress. But Paul didn't judge success by the 505 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,440 Speaker 1: progress that he could see, so set back after setback 506 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:40,679 Speaker 1: didn't stop him. He kept showing up to do what 507 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:43,440 Speaker 1: God had called him to do, no matter what awaited 508 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: him there. So here's what I think Paul knew that 509 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,919 Speaker 1: I think we need to get deep in our hearts. 510 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: Success isn't achieved when you feel fulfilled. Success is achieved 511 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: when you have been faithful and specifically faithful to what 512 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: God has called us to as followers of g Jesus. 513 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:03,719 Speaker 1: Because Paul was incredibly successful, there was an impact he 514 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: was making for the Kingdom of God unlike anyone else. 515 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 1: We are living in it two thousand years later, and 516 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: sometimes I like to imagine, what if did Paul ever 517 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,040 Speaker 1: have those moments where he was like, you know what, God, 518 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: enough is enough. I've done everything You've wanted me to do. 519 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:20,080 Speaker 1: I've said everything he wanted me to say, and nothing 520 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: seems to be going right. See if Paul had backed down, 521 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: If Paul had quit, the entire course of church history 522 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,080 Speaker 1: would have been affected. But Paul remained faithful. There was 523 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: fruit because of his faithfulness, even in the times when 524 00:26:34,520 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: he didn't feel fulfilled. Now, I want to make sure 525 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,080 Speaker 1: this is really clear, so don't mishear me. God is 526 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 1: a good father who wants to do good things for 527 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 1: his children. There is fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus says 528 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: there is abundant life in him. Like I said, I've 529 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 1: seen God do amazing things in my family's life. I've 530 00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:56,000 Speaker 1: seen them healed, I've seen prayers answered. But I've also 531 00:26:56,080 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: heard God say no to things that I wanted and 532 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 1: things that I thought would fulfill me in the moment. 533 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: And as a dad, I know that not everything that 534 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: is best for my daughters is what fulfills them right now. 535 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: But I want them to trust me as their dad, 536 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,080 Speaker 1: and the same way with our heavenly father. We have 537 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: to trust that he knows what is best for his 538 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,679 Speaker 1: creation for his children. He knows what to allow and 539 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 1: not allow in our life and So here's what I'm learning. 540 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: The Kingdom of God isn't about chasing fulfillment. It's about 541 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 1: God fulfilling his purpose in me and through me. That's 542 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: what see what God can do through you is all about. 543 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: So we often put God in a box thinking that 544 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: he can only do what we ask or imagine. We 545 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:39,760 Speaker 1: just want him to elevate and no pun intended the 546 00:27:39,760 --> 00:27:41,960 Speaker 1: thing that we want him to do. But what if 547 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 1: God has a dream for your life that is in 548 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,560 Speaker 1: a completely different area. You've never even thought about it, 549 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 1: You've never even imagined it, But it's something God wants 550 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: to do through you. But because your hands are closed, 551 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: and because you keep uprooting yourself trying to chase that 552 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: one thing that you think this is the only way 553 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: God can use me, then you miss out on the 554 00:27:59,119 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 1: real thing God wants to do through your life. Because 555 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,480 Speaker 1: there's only fruit when we let our roots go down deep. 556 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: And that's what Paul says in our main text. Look 557 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: at this verse. I pray that you, being rooted and 558 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:16,920 Speaker 1: established in love, may have power. Power comes from being planted, 559 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: from being faithfully rooted in God's love and being faithfully 560 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: rooted in the things that God loves his church, the 561 00:28:25,320 --> 00:28:28,399 Speaker 1: people of God, those who are made in the image 562 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: of God. When we're rooted in prayer, when we're rooted 563 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: in worship, when we're rooted in scripture. See, power comes 564 00:28:35,359 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: from letting our roots grow deep through love, which doesn't 565 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: happen when we continually uproot ourselves. We have to let 566 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: our roots go down deeper when things are hard, because 567 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,360 Speaker 1: that is when true fruit is produced. And there are 568 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: many people under the sound of my voice. You're not 569 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 1: feeling very fulfilled right now, but God's sent a very 570 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 1: short blonde man to tell you that because you're faithful 571 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 1: to the things that matter to His heart, you are 572 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: more successful than you think you are. You're a successful 573 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:06,240 Speaker 1: your faithful husband, your faithful wife. You're a faithful friend. 574 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,240 Speaker 1: You're a faithful student, You're a faithful e kids volunteer, 575 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:12,720 Speaker 1: You're a faithful e group leader. So continue to show 576 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: up and be faithful. Plant yourself and the things that 577 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: God loves. Plant yourself in prayer, plant yourself in service, 578 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,640 Speaker 1: Plant yourself and you know, be kind to the person 579 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: at work that hates you and you honestly you don't 580 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,239 Speaker 1: like them either, but you know God has caused you 581 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: to love them, keep showing up to do the next 582 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,440 Speaker 1: right thing, the next hard thing, the next step of obedience. 583 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: And when we live that way, that is when we 584 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:41,600 Speaker 1: find true fulfillment and true impact and true fruit. All right, 585 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: here's the final lesson. You might see less of your preference, 586 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: but God wants you to become more purposeful. You might 587 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,160 Speaker 1: see less of your preference, but God wants you to 588 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: become more purposeful. How many of y'all are saved by 589 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,840 Speaker 1: the bell fans? I'm really dating myself talking about Jaws 590 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 1: and say by the bell. Zach Morris was my hero. 591 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:07,360 Speaker 1: I remember I took a picture of Zach to my 592 00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:09,520 Speaker 1: barber and I said, give me his hair. Didn't quite 593 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,720 Speaker 1: work out that way, but I got the next best 594 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 1: thing because I love I wanted Zach's cell phone, y'all. 595 00:30:15,240 --> 00:30:18,920 Speaker 1: Remember that it's like the size of a toaster, just massive. Well, 596 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 1: I didn't get the cell phone, but I was one 597 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: of the first students at Spring Valley High School in 598 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three to get a car phone. Y'all. Are 599 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: car phones that like are attached to your car. So 600 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: it was attached to my Toyota Celica, and I just 601 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 1: I just thought I was the man. It was going 602 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: to help my dating life, that I could be like, 603 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: hey girl, come check out my car phone in my selica, 604 00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: which sounds super sketchy and creepy. So if anybody ever 605 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,680 Speaker 1: says that, don't do it. But I promise I had 606 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: pure intentions. It didn't really work. I was a short 607 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: guy in high school. I needed all the help I 608 00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 1: could get. But here's the thing about the car phone 609 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 1: in nineteen ninety three, it didn't work a lot of 610 00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: the places because there weren't a ton of cell phone towers. 611 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: And this was especially noticeable to me when I worked 612 00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: at a Christian camp up in Ridgeway, South Carolina, and 613 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: I couldn't get a signal anywhere. And there was one 614 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: night where there was a long line for the landline, 615 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,600 Speaker 1: remember those, And I was like, I'm determined, I'm going 616 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,120 Speaker 1: to make the call I need to make tonight. So 617 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,240 Speaker 1: I get in my car and I drive around the 618 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,680 Speaker 1: camp and I go to the very top of the camp, 619 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: the highest point, which is the softball field, and I 620 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:20,680 Speaker 1: drive up and down the softball field trying to find 621 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,560 Speaker 1: a signal, and I eventually found the sweet spot. It 622 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:26,080 Speaker 1: was like this one tiny spot, and if I just 623 00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:28,280 Speaker 1: moved a little bit forward or put my car in reverse, 624 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,720 Speaker 1: I wouldn't get a signal. But right there in that spot, 625 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: I could make a call. I made a call to 626 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:34,920 Speaker 1: the girl that I had talked into dating me at 627 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 1: the time, but we had to keep it quick, because 628 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 1: a five minute call then costs as much as like 629 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: your monthly bill. Now. But here's what I realized. From 630 00:31:43,960 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: much of my life, I have thought about the purpose 631 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: of God like that car phone, like it only worked 632 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 1: under ideal conditions. That all of my preferences had to 633 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,600 Speaker 1: be met, that all of my wish lists had to 634 00:31:56,600 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 1: be fulfilled, and so I had to search for it 635 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:00,720 Speaker 1: in the perfect job. And then I had to have 636 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 1: the perfect family over here. And then I had to 637 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 1: make sure I had the right them out of resource 638 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:06,840 Speaker 1: and the right amount of influence, and I had to 639 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: feel all the right things, and maybe when all those 640 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: things converge together, then God could finally use me. I 641 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: don't know if you've ever found that, but I have it, 642 00:32:18,040 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: or maybe there's like just a glimpse of it, but 643 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,480 Speaker 1: it quickly got messed up. Now, thankfully we don't have 644 00:32:23,520 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: carphones anymore. We have we have these. This is my iPhone. 645 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:29,800 Speaker 1: You might have an Android. I'm not here to judge 646 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: your phone choices, but this is a massive upgrade because 647 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 1: it pretty much works anywhere. As long as it's with me, 648 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:40,760 Speaker 1: I can use it. So I've used this in Charlotte, 649 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: I've used this in Columbia. I've used it in the UK. 650 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: I've used it in Israel, use it in Australia, use 651 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: it in Gaston County. I've used it in a hospital. 652 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,280 Speaker 1: I've used it on my way to my friend's funeral. 653 00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: I've used it at work. I've used it everywhere because 654 00:33:01,840 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: it's portable. And what I'm really thankful for right now 655 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 1: is that my purpose isn't like that old carphone or 656 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: it had to be in one spot for God to 657 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,719 Speaker 1: use me. But my purpose is portable, and your purpose 658 00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: is portable. We carry it with us. You can be 659 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,960 Speaker 1: full of purpose. You can be full of purpose in 660 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: the job you love. You can be full of purpose 661 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: in the job that you hate. You can be full 662 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 1: of purpose as a single person. You can be full 663 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:30,280 Speaker 1: of purpose when you're married. You can be full of 664 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: purpose when everything is going wrong in your life. And 665 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 1: you can be full of purpose when everything is going 666 00:33:35,480 --> 00:33:38,080 Speaker 1: right because your purpose is not career dependent. It's not 667 00:33:38,160 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: dependent on your preference. It's based on who you are 668 00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: and what you carry as a follower of Jesus. And 669 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: Paul explains what our purpose is in Ephesians three twenty one. 670 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,480 Speaker 1: It says to him be glory in the Church and 671 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:55,720 Speaker 1: in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. So 672 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:58,800 Speaker 1: it's God's glory and all generations through the Church. When 673 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,960 Speaker 1: you build the church, you are walking in purpose. When 674 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:04,840 Speaker 1: you build the church, you are living out your purpose. 675 00:34:04,880 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 1: But also it's when you go out and live like 676 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,719 Speaker 1: the Church, when you take the heart of Jesus, the 677 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:12,160 Speaker 1: heart of the Church, into every sphere of your life. 678 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: That is how we glorify God. And Paul tells us 679 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:16,880 Speaker 1: what that kind of life looks like in Ephesians four 680 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,560 Speaker 1: one through three. As a prisoner for the Lord, then 681 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: I urge you to live a life worthy of the 682 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:25,880 Speaker 1: calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, 683 00:34:26,000 --> 00:34:28,799 Speaker 1: bearing with one another in love, make every effort to 684 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:31,560 Speaker 1: keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 685 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:36,040 Speaker 1: That description does not really describe our world right now 686 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,879 Speaker 1: at all, which is why we as the church can 687 00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,839 Speaker 1: make such a powerful difference because when we live and 688 00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 1: love and serve and obey in a way that makes 689 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 1: no sense to the world and makes them take notice 690 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,239 Speaker 1: of Jesus. So that is the life that we're meant 691 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,000 Speaker 1: to carry with us. So ask yourself today, am I 692 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: carrying more humility and gentleness into every interaction? Am I 693 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 1: displaying more pain in a world that runs people over 694 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 1: in the name of greed and efficiency? Am I bearing 695 00:35:04,719 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: one another's burdens and love? Am I making every effort 696 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 1: to bring peace in a culture that only seeks to 697 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,880 Speaker 1: divide us? And the good news is you can be 698 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: that kind of purpose, of that kind of person anywhere. 699 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,239 Speaker 1: You can live out your calling in any situation. That 700 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,160 Speaker 1: means this is good news. You might not have ended 701 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:22,719 Speaker 1: up where you thought you would have. You think you've 702 00:35:22,719 --> 00:35:25,680 Speaker 1: taken too many detours, made too many mistakes, but you 703 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:28,680 Speaker 1: didn't lose your purpose. You think you're stuck in a 704 00:35:28,680 --> 00:35:30,640 Speaker 1: position of less What if you stop looking at it 705 00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,759 Speaker 1: like that and realize that you're not stuck. You're sent. 706 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:38,080 Speaker 1: You're sent to carry a measurably more into every situation. 707 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:41,640 Speaker 1: Because what if what if Paul was writing this a 708 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:44,799 Speaker 1: measurably more. Was less about what we're meant to get 709 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: and more about what we're supposed to bring, bringing a 710 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:52,879 Speaker 1: measurably more light, a measurably more love, a measurably more life. 711 00:35:52,920 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: And the model of what that kind of life looks 712 00:35:55,080 --> 00:36:00,200 Speaker 1: like is Jesus. So how much forgiveness do offer someone 713 00:36:00,719 --> 00:36:04,719 Speaker 1: A measurably more? How much generosity do I need to 714 00:36:04,760 --> 00:36:08,680 Speaker 1: show A measurably more. How much integrity do I need 715 00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:11,919 Speaker 1: to have in this situation A measurably more? How much 716 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:14,200 Speaker 1: compassion do I need to show my brothers and sisters 717 00:36:14,239 --> 00:36:18,440 Speaker 1: who are hurting A measurably more. See this is the 718 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:20,839 Speaker 1: prayer I would love for every single person to pray 719 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:25,080 Speaker 1: every day this week. Where is God calling me to 720 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,560 Speaker 1: be a measurably more more like Christ and the way 721 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: I love and serve others? See God answers prayer through people. 722 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,080 Speaker 1: And so God is going to do a measurably more 723 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,200 Speaker 1: than we can ask or imagine. But most of the 724 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:40,680 Speaker 1: time he wants to do it through you. And so 725 00:36:40,800 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: here's what I just want to challenge you to do. 726 00:36:43,960 --> 00:36:45,759 Speaker 1: Use your phone this week, instead of as a tool 727 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,400 Speaker 1: of distraction, make it a tool of remembrance because you 728 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:53,360 Speaker 1: can just remember my Sillys carphone iPhone illustration. And whenever 729 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 1: you look at your phone, I want you to just think, 730 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,080 Speaker 1: where's God calling me to be more right now? And 731 00:36:58,160 --> 00:36:59,839 Speaker 1: the text that I'm about to send and the call 732 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,160 Speaker 1: that I'm about to make in the meeting I'm about 733 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 1: to walk into, as I'm about to step into my 734 00:37:04,760 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 1: house after work, and then put your phone away because 735 00:37:06,960 --> 00:37:09,040 Speaker 1: you don't want to be on it too long. But 736 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:13,319 Speaker 1: if we started asking that prayer as the church, our communities, 737 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:18,560 Speaker 1: our families, our jobs would be drastically different. See Paul 738 00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: gave us this promise in Ephesians to mobilize the church 739 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:26,120 Speaker 1: to be the more the world needs in Jesus. And 740 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,200 Speaker 1: it's not our strength that enables us to do it, 741 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,239 Speaker 1: because Paul also writes in Colossians one twenty seven to 742 00:37:32,320 --> 00:37:34,640 Speaker 1: them God has chosen to make known among the gentiles 743 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:38,239 Speaker 1: the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, 744 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:43,000 Speaker 1: the hope of glory. That's why Paul could say God 745 00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:45,239 Speaker 1: could do a measurably more in his prison, because in 746 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: his prison he had Christ. And that is why you 747 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: can be confident that you carry more into every situation. 748 00:37:52,719 --> 00:37:56,239 Speaker 1: Because you have Christ, you are a carrier of the 749 00:37:56,320 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 1: immeasurably more almighty power in presence of Jesus Christ, of God, 750 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:03,400 Speaker 1: and out of you is meant to flow more grace, 751 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:07,080 Speaker 1: more power, more love, and more forgiveness to a world 752 00:38:07,120 --> 00:38:10,279 Speaker 1: that often sees less until you show up. So I 753 00:38:10,400 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: invite you to stand as we pray together because I 754 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,839 Speaker 1: believe that there's some people who you need the immeasurably 755 00:38:17,920 --> 00:38:20,520 Speaker 1: more touch of God this morning. So with heads bowed 756 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:25,759 Speaker 1: and eyes closed, if there's an area of your life 757 00:38:25,840 --> 00:38:33,600 Speaker 1: where you need more peace, more power, more confidence, I 758 00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,000 Speaker 1: just want you to lift your hands up. If you 759 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 1: need God to do an immeasurably more work in you 760 00:38:40,440 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: and around you, We're just going to call upon the 761 00:38:42,800 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 1: mighty name of Jesus and So God, right now, we 762 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: are so grateful that the storehouses of Heaven are not limited, 763 00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,759 Speaker 1: that you can pour out everything that we need. God, 764 00:38:56,760 --> 00:38:59,440 Speaker 1: that you see every need represented in this church, every 765 00:38:59,520 --> 00:39:02,560 Speaker 1: need reper presented by people who are watching online, and 766 00:39:02,640 --> 00:39:06,919 Speaker 1: you are more than able to meet that need. So God, 767 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:10,399 Speaker 1: help us just to keep our focus firmly fixed on you. 768 00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:15,680 Speaker 1: So God open our eyes to how you're already moving 769 00:39:15,719 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 1: in our life, how you're already demonstrating your love and 770 00:39:18,360 --> 00:39:21,360 Speaker 1: your power and your grace. And I pray Lord that 771 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,040 Speaker 1: as we call out to you in our weakness, that 772 00:39:24,120 --> 00:39:26,359 Speaker 1: you would fill us with your strength so that we 773 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 1: can then be that same strength and that same love 774 00:39:29,239 --> 00:39:32,799 Speaker 1: and that same more to others. So God, thank you 775 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:36,040 Speaker 1: for being a God who is able to do a 776 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:39,400 Speaker 1: measurably more than we ask or imagine. Well, thanks for 777 00:39:39,480 --> 00:39:41,920 Speaker 1: joining us today for the message. And we trust that 778 00:39:41,960 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 1: God spoke to you right where you are as we're 779 00:39:44,960 --> 00:39:47,719 Speaker 1: in this year end season. If God is speaking to 780 00:39:47,760 --> 00:39:50,680 Speaker 1: your life and you'd like to begin tithing or give 781 00:39:50,719 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: above and beyond, we would invite you to head over 782 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,279 Speaker 1: to Elevationchurch dot org. There you'll find all of the 783 00:39:56,280 --> 00:39:59,160 Speaker 1: information available for you to take part in the year 784 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,160 Speaker 1: end offering. If you haven't begun tithing, we would always 785 00:40:02,239 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 1: encourage you to start there. Place God first in the 786 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 1: air of your finances and begin tithing and make that 787 00:40:08,200 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: a part of your every day life. If you already tithe, 788 00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:13,879 Speaker 1: then would like to go above and beyond and help 789 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: expand the ministry here at Elevation Church. You can also 790 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: do that through the year end offering. All you have 791 00:40:19,160 --> 00:40:21,960 Speaker 1: to do is click the banner at Elevationchurch dot org. 792 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,239 Speaker 1: You can select the campus that you're a part of. 793 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:27,040 Speaker 1: If you're a part of our online community, select online, 794 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:29,200 Speaker 1: and if you're part of one of our physical locations, 795 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:32,040 Speaker 1: make sure that you select one of those campuses. Then 796 00:40:32,080 --> 00:40:34,359 Speaker 1: you can select how much you'd like to give and 797 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:36,439 Speaker 1: be a part of all that God is doing right 798 00:40:36,520 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: here at Elevation Church. Again, we thank you for being 799 00:40:39,520 --> 00:40:41,399 Speaker 1: a part of the family here and we can't wait 800 00:40:41,440 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: to see how God works in and through your life 801 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: as you open up your hands and ask God to 802 00:40:46,640 --> 00:40:48,960 Speaker 1: use you right where you are. Thanks for being a 803 00:40:48,960 --> 00:40:49,960 Speaker 1: part God bless