1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:05,040 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation Church, 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: and this is our podcast and I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message, 6 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: Matthew twenty verse twenty. I'd love to say that I 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 1: planned to start the year twenty twenty with Matthew twenty 8 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: verse twenty. I did not plan that that. Maybe God did. 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: That was coincidental. I'm not that smart, but God is. 10 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: Matthew twenty twenty is the verse I want to start 11 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: with today, And let me read this in its entirety, 12 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: and then come along and preach behind it and give 13 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,320 Speaker 1: you a little bit along and along, Matthew twenty verse twenty. 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,519 Speaker 1: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with 15 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,599 Speaker 1: her sons and kneeling down as the favor of him. 16 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: What is it you want, he asked, and she said, 17 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: grant that one of these two sons of mine may 18 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: sit at your right and the other at your left 19 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,400 Speaker 1: in your kingdom. You do not know what you are asking, 20 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: Jesus said to them, can you drink the cup I 21 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: am going to drink? We can? They answer, that's kind 22 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: of cocky, you know we can. And Jesus said to them, 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: you will indeed drink from my cup, But to sit 24 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,040 Speaker 1: at my right or left is not for me to grant. 25 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: These places belonged to those for whom they have been 26 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: prepared by my father. And when the ten heard about this, 27 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: they were indignant with the two brothers. Jesus called them 28 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: together and said, you know that the rulers of the 29 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: gentiles lorded over them, and their high officials exercise authority 30 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to 31 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: become great among you must be your servant, and whoever 32 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: wants to be first, must be your slave, just as 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: the Son of Men did not come to be served, 34 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: but to and to give his life as a ransom 35 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: for many. Amen. What a fascinating little story. What a 36 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: great place to talk about this subject of kingdom clout 37 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: And before I forget this, Holly said it stressed her 38 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: out last night because I didn't give a title for 39 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: the message. She said, she couldn't hardly listen to me 40 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: or notice how attractive I look in this red track 41 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: jacket because I didn't give a title. So for those 42 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: OCD Saints, this is Kingdom Clout Part one. You good, 43 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: Let's go. My series ideas don't come from brainstorming sessions. 44 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: They come from conversations. And my favorite person to talk 45 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 1: to about the sermons that I'm going to preach is 46 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: not Bishop TD Jakes. He's my favorite preacher. I heard 47 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: a rumor he might be coming to preach for our anniversary, 48 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: but he's not my favorite per to talk to about 49 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: my sermons. When I really want to talk about a sermon, 50 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: I love to talk to my fourteen year old, my 51 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:13,919 Speaker 1: firstborn son, Elijah dash Beats on YouTube Thirdy. He is insightful. 52 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: He helps me to understand concepts really through his eyes. 53 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: That and he has such a great way of getting 54 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: excited about what I'm preaching. He gets it quick before 55 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: I even tell him what I'm going to preach. It's 56 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: like we have this thing and he gets it. And 57 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: my best sermons that I ever preached came from me 58 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: talking to him. If I track them back, even if 59 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: I go to on YouTube. The highest sermons that people 60 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: watch and say it helped me came from talking to 61 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,080 Speaker 1: him and don't get any ideas that I'm gonna start 62 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: giving you a cut or anything like that. But I 63 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: really appreciate you earning your keep around the house because 64 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: when you think about the ages of our children, it 65 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: may help you to understand the subjects that I choose 66 00:03:54,920 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: for my messages fourteen, twelve, and eight. Having a brilliant 67 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: fourteen year old son affords you the ability to relive 68 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: parts of your life through their eyes and really to 69 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: give them advice that you didn't take when you were 70 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:20,280 Speaker 1: their age, either to tell them things you know that 71 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: they need to do that you didn't do. And so 72 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: when Elijah started talking to me about clout cloud chasers 73 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: and how people do anything for clout, I think he 74 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,799 Speaker 1: was quoting Offset or one of the other theologians from 75 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: those three Apostles, but he was saying, how you know 76 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: cloud chasing because listen, how many of y'all are like me, 77 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: you're thirty eight years old or older. Things are so 78 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: different now for kids, they really are, like these days, 79 00:04:56,120 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: kids are really obsessed with popularity. It's different than it 80 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: was when we were kids. You know, we were focused 81 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: on serving God and making a difference in our world. 82 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: These days, kids will do anything for clout. They're driven 83 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: and obsessed by what people think about them. They spend 84 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,680 Speaker 1: their time trying to prove stuff to people who aren't 85 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: even paying attention. It's different than it is. Wait a minute, 86 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: you know, for all of us who have ever said 87 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 1: something stupid like you shouldn't care what people think about you, 88 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: that is the worst advice that you could ever give. 89 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,479 Speaker 1: Please care what people think about you. Please brush your teeth, 90 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: Please wear the odoran, please smile, please be nice. It's 91 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: okay to care what people think about you, is not 92 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: okay to be controlled by what people think about you. 93 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,479 Speaker 1: In Matthew Chapter twenty, Jesus has just finished giving his 94 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: disciples two consecutive lessons on the Kingdom of God. The 95 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God was not a new concept, but Jesus 96 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,040 Speaker 1: was the first one who called it that. In Matthew's Gospel, 97 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,559 Speaker 1: you'll see the phrase the Kingdom of the heavens. Because 98 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 1: the Jewish audience that Matthew was writing to would be 99 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 1: offended if he used the name of God. It was 100 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,680 Speaker 1: not to be spoken, so he referenced it in a 101 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: more abstract way, the Kingdom of the heavens. You'll see 102 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: it in other Gospels. The Kingdom of God. It was 103 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: preached about over one hundred times through the mouth of Jesus. 104 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: But he didn't just preach about it. He demonstrated it 105 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: everywhere he went. He taught the Kingdom of God, not 106 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: so much that they could learn it by principle, but 107 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:07,279 Speaker 1: so that they could observe it by demonstration. How many 108 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: know a good sermon is one you can see and hear, 109 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: and Jesus did just that. He would teach it, and 110 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: then he would do it. He would talk about it, 111 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,800 Speaker 1: and then he would transformatively heal or bless or forgive. 112 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: And he was demonstrating everywhere he went this Kingdom of God. 113 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 1: It was not the kingdom that his disciples expected. It 114 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: was not a kingdom that delivered them from Roman oppression. 115 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: That's what they wanted, that's what they prayed for. And 116 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: you could make the case that for the twelve disciples 117 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,119 Speaker 1: that he chose, they signed up to see his kingdom come. 118 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: They signed up that they could witness his kingdom, But 119 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: when they saw it, they almost missed it because they 120 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: were looking for something so different than what he came 121 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: to bring that it was right in front of them, 122 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 1: but they were looking past to something in the future 123 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: that Jesus did not even intend to bring, which was 124 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: political deliverance, which was an economic deliverance, which was a 125 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 1: military reign or rule. But Jesus came to preach the 126 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: Kingdom of God. This particular instance in the ministry of 127 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: Jesus did not happen at the beginning, but it was 128 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 1: just before his ministry would start to come to a 129 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: close on Earth. The Bible says that this mother of 130 00:08:32,920 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 1: Zebede's sons came to Jesus with their sons and kneeling down, 131 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: asked the favor of him. I think the most profound 132 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: question is the one that Jesus asked next. And the 133 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: question sounds simple on the surface, but let's take a 134 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:51,319 Speaker 1: moment and think about it. As a new year begins, 135 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: Jesus asked this mother, what is it you want? What 136 00:08:56,880 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: is it you want? We all have a list, but 137 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 1: usually in church we are taught to downplay our desires 138 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:09,559 Speaker 1: and to pray prayers that we don't really mean because 139 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: they sound good, but they're plastic. What I admire about 140 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: this mother in the passage is that she got honest 141 00:09:19,120 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: with Jesus and said, I want my boys to have 142 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: vip seating in your kingdom. Don't you love somebody who 143 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:33,080 Speaker 1: will be honest about what they want. Don't you ever 144 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: have people who call you on the phone and you 145 00:09:35,520 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: just want to tell them cut the crap and tell 146 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: me what you want. I know you're not calling to 147 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: check on me. You never do. Do you need twenty 148 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: dollars I'll cash ap you just to get off this 149 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:47,600 Speaker 1: phone right now? What do you want? Or even with 150 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: my kids, you know, I love being a dad, but 151 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: when they're being too nice, there's something behind it. How 152 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: was your day, dad? Okay, you can have more video 153 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: game time, blah blah blah blah blah. Well you want, 154 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: let's just get to it. But Jesus is asking the 155 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: question not on the level of inconvenience, like what do 156 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: you want? Because everything the woman is doing, this mother 157 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:11,839 Speaker 1: of Zebede's sons, is on the surface exactly what you 158 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: should do. Let's look at it real quick. She comes 159 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: to Jesus, that's what you're supposed to do. I think 160 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: I don't know where else to go. How many have 161 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: something in your life that people can't do for you 162 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:24,600 Speaker 1: and only God can do for you? And the only 163 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: way you're gonna get it is. God gets it to 164 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: you when you come to him. That's why I came 165 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: to church to get something from God. I didn't come 166 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: here to hear the same thing I hear on the 167 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: news that the world has falling apart. I came for 168 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: a gospel message, that there's something greater than who sits 169 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: in an office, that there is a kingdom that cannot 170 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: be saken. Have we gotta access. I'm sorry trying to 171 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: pace myself. So she came to Jesus. She came to 172 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: the right person. She knelt before him, she had the 173 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:03,600 Speaker 1: right place posture, she brought her sons, she had the 174 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: right priorities. What parent doesn't want their kids to go 175 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:11,520 Speaker 1: to the best school. But this takes helicopter Mom to 176 00:11:11,559 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: a whole new level, because these boys are thirty years old, 177 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: still setting up play dates, and they got a beard. 178 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: And these disciples, these are not just any disciples. I 179 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:31,439 Speaker 1: want to show you something. Can I show you something? 180 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it anyway. Mark Chapter three. The Bible 181 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: gives an indication of who Jesus chose when he came 182 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:42,719 Speaker 1: to set up his kingdom. Notice this, the Kingdom of 183 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: God had already been established, but it had never been 184 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:50,640 Speaker 1: reflected in human form. And so when Jesus got ready 185 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,400 Speaker 1: to show what the Kingdom of God looked like, he 186 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:56,640 Speaker 1: could have come looking like thor he could have come 187 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: looking like Dwayne Johnson. He could have come with biceps. 188 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,680 Speaker 1: But he came as a baby. That's fascinating to me 189 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: to know that when he wanted to show us the kingdom, 190 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: he started with the ultimate emblem of weakness. He did 191 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: not start with deliverance. He started with diapers. Because everything 192 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: God brings into your life will come in a small form. 193 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: It will seem insignificant in the beginning stages. That's why 194 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: you can't despise the day of small beginnings. You gotta 195 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: celebrate some baby steps this year. You got to realize 196 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: God is working in my life even if people don't 197 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:38,439 Speaker 1: see it. To celebrate it. People don't know to celebrate 198 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: what they can't see. So celebrate yourself for a moment 199 00:12:42,559 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 1: that you came to church on this weekend to get 200 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: a word from God. I said, celebrate yourself that you 201 00:12:53,040 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 1: came to church this weekend. I need you to know 202 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: that Jesus picks people who have problems. Peter Andrew, James 203 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: and John look at this passage in Mark three. And 204 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,560 Speaker 1: I still haven't gotten over this. So if I read 205 00:13:21,600 --> 00:13:25,400 Speaker 1: it slow is to keep from getting choked up, because 206 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:28,880 Speaker 1: I am someone who struggles a lot of times with 207 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:34,480 Speaker 1: believing that God chose me. And when I read this 208 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:40,000 Speaker 1: about how Jesus was calling his disciples to establish his kingdom, 209 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: he didn't go to a seminary. He went to the 210 00:13:47,640 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: sea found four fishermen. The first four Peter, Andrew, James, 211 00:13:56,679 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: and John. And it says that in March three, in 212 00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 1: such a beautiful way, that Jesus went up on a 213 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: mountain side and called to him those he wanted, and 214 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:12,079 Speaker 1: they came to him. He appointed twelve, designating them apostles, 215 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: that they might be with him, and that he might 216 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: send them out to preach and to have authority to 217 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: drive out demons. I said, to have authority, not just 218 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: to get attention. We live in a time where people 219 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:36,360 Speaker 1: don't know the difference between attention and authority. Can I 220 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: preach like I'm sixty five. It's embarrassing to me that 221 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: we have created a generational perspective that doesn't know the 222 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: difference between greatness and fame, And now it's coming up 223 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: in a time and if you don't believe me, grabs 224 00:15:00,120 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: somebody that looks like they're younger than you and ask them, 225 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,960 Speaker 1: would you rather be rich or famous? Don't even put 226 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 1: God in the question, save that for later. Would you 227 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: rather have money or followers? And if they really get 228 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: honest about what they want, they will tell you. It 229 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: is a culturally pervasive issue of our day and it's 230 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: the devil and is short sighted. And I came to 231 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: preach about it. And I'm not salty, but I am serious. 232 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: Everybody famous isn't great, and you're ready. Everybody great ain't famous, 233 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: So somebody on your row might be great and you 234 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: don't even know their name. I came to preach about 235 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: Kingdom Cloud. I have a name that's registered in heaven. 236 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,479 Speaker 1: My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 237 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: And I might not have Alu, but he set his 238 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: red blood for me and I'm his. But I'm getting 239 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: ahead of myself. This is a five week series, and 240 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: I gotta go slow. It said he chose them to 241 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 1: be with him and to preach. He chose them to 242 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: be with him and to preach. When we meet somebody, 243 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:33,560 Speaker 1: we identify them by what they do. Hey, I'm Jerry, 244 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: I'm Stephen. What do you do? He called them notice 245 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: the order, to be with him and to preach, so 246 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 1: that what they do would flow out of who they were. 247 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,080 Speaker 1: But when you define who you are by what you do, 248 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:56,360 Speaker 1: it's shaky ground. So before he called them to do it, 249 00:16:56,400 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: he called them to be it, and real kingdom authority 250 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:05,879 Speaker 1: from knowing who you are, whose you are, and not 251 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,920 Speaker 1: allowing this crazy world to define you by what you do, 252 00:17:10,800 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: what you have, what you wear. So let me tell 253 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,639 Speaker 1: you somebod didn't tellhim last night. There was a preacher 254 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:22,640 Speaker 1: that was talking to me the other day about my shoes. 255 00:17:25,280 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: He didn't ask me anything about a sermon, exegesis, insight 256 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: from the text, or the Holy Ghost. He wanted to 257 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: know about sneakers. How about these? How about those? I said, Man, 258 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,959 Speaker 1: I don't know. Most of the stuff I wear somebody 259 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:42,840 Speaker 1: gave to me. I don't even know what it's called. 260 00:17:43,359 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: And now half of it's an Elijah's closet because he's 261 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 1: my size, and I don't even get to wear it 262 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:52,880 Speaker 1: before he steals it. And it bothered me because when 263 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: we started the church, Hollywood, go buy me button down 264 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: a shirt because I had a superition. Every weekend. I 265 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:02,920 Speaker 1: wanted to wear something new, but we didn't have any money, 266 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: so she would find a two ninety nine clearance at Dillers. 267 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: But I was proud of it because when I would 268 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 1: put it on and i'ld give myself a haircut, and 269 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: I didn't know how to fade my hair, I only 270 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:15,479 Speaker 1: had one guard on the thing. I didn't know how 271 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: to fade. I didn't know how to dress. I didn't 272 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:21,919 Speaker 1: know how to do anything. But I was called anointed, appointed, passionate, 273 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: fired up, charged up, I was, I was, I was, 274 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,199 Speaker 1: I was set apart. And what I wanted you to know. 275 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: I was so proud of those three dollar shirts from dollars. 276 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: I was anointed in those three dollars shirts from Dillers. See, 277 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,199 Speaker 1: when you really got something from God, it is not 278 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: about externals. The external is fine, but it is the 279 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: spirit of God that makes you gring. It is not 280 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,320 Speaker 1: an income level. It is not a number of followers. 281 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: It is not clicks and comments and all this crap 282 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: that the world calls cloud. When you have a father 283 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: who is in heaven, who knows your name, who chose you, 284 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 1: who called you, you can do what you gotta do 285 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: because it's in you. And he called to him those 286 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 1: he wanted. Did you see that he called those he wanted? 287 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 1: He called those he wanted because God has options. There's 288 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: a difference between having clout and being chosen clout. People 289 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: can give it, they can take it away. Josennah, Josnnah, 290 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: crucify him within a seventy two hour period. They will 291 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: change their mind. Oh God, they'll change their mind. But 292 00:20:12,640 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 1: when you're called and chosen, he called Look at verse thirteen, 293 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: those he wanted. What does it feel like to be 294 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: wanted like that? See how happy you get? See? God 295 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:39,719 Speaker 1: has options. Sometimes you don't be honest. Sometimes you hang 296 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: out with people because they were the only one available. 297 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: Sometimes you hire somebody because they were the best available candidate. 298 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: You make it work. God looks for exactly what he wants. 299 00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:55,359 Speaker 1: And I don't mean to get biological, but he fertilizes 300 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 1: the right egg at the right moment. Do you realize 301 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 1: the percentage chance of you being being born when you 302 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 1: were born to do what you do? And you're gonna 303 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:06,440 Speaker 1: walk around in self doubt trying to figure out if 304 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: God chose you. You ought to know. God shows you 305 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: you ought to believe God shows you, and you ought 306 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: to go through your light with your head held high, 307 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:19,120 Speaker 1: no matter what is in your bank account. Because I'm 308 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: so sick. Where's Eric? I know he had to sit 309 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: in the back today because something. Yeah, he used to 310 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:32,640 Speaker 1: always tell them, because they would make fun of him 311 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:34,639 Speaker 1: for being adopted when we were in high school. And 312 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: he say, my parents picked me, yours got stuck and 313 00:21:42,160 --> 00:21:47,359 Speaker 1: shut him up real quick too. My father picked me. 314 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:56,960 Speaker 1: He wanted you in the earth right now, and he 315 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: wanted you short, or he wanted you tall, or he 316 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:05,280 Speaker 1: wanted you to have experienced this set of circumstances or 317 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: the other. And he got what he wanted, and he 318 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: called what he wanted. He called what he wanted beautiful. Man. 319 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:18,520 Speaker 1: Let's stay in it for a moment. Sometimes we rush 320 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:22,640 Speaker 1: past stuff too quick. Who did he choose? It lists them, 321 00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,400 Speaker 1: It lists them, It listened them. No, I'm talking about 322 00:22:24,400 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: the twelve Disciples, not you right now. Uh, it gives 323 00:22:30,119 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: a list. These are the twelve. Everybody say, twelve twenty 324 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 1: two minutes to do this, y'all pray for me. All right, 325 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: we'll pick it up next week. I'll do what I 326 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: can do this week. Clear the parking lots so we 327 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: don't have any fistfights, and then we'll come back next week. 328 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 1: Come every week for the series. We're gonna build on it. 329 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:49,840 Speaker 1: We're gonna build on this. Don't come to me like 330 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: once every four weeks and then wonder why you don't 331 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:56,280 Speaker 1: get any stronger. I'm gonna need you to come regularly 332 00:22:56,320 --> 00:22:58,479 Speaker 1: so we can build on this, and then we can 333 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: get it in with repetition to talk about the Kingdom 334 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: of God. It's always invisible to the human eye, it's 335 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: always insignificant to the human mind, and it is always immediate. 336 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: It's right now. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 337 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,760 Speaker 1: That was the first message Jesus preached. He said, repent, 338 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,240 Speaker 1: change your mind medanoia in the Greek for the Kingdom 339 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 1: of Heaven is at hand. And when he established his kingdom, 340 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: he chose certain candidates, and he chose twelve. He chose twelve, 341 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 1: and he appointed those he wanted. He made you her mom, 342 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: he made you her daughter. He put you in that. 343 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: He let you have that because he believes in you 344 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:58,680 Speaker 1: that much. He called those he wanted, and who did 345 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: he want, Simon, to whom he gave the name Peter. 346 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:07,080 Speaker 1: You may know him for his profanity more than for 347 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:09,960 Speaker 1: his preaching, because he was cussing when Jesus was about 348 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,960 Speaker 1: to go to the cross. That's the first round draft 349 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: pick two. People never pick correctly. People never do. They 350 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: never picked Tom Brady first. People never know what they're 351 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: looking for. People never see what's inside. And people will 352 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: celebrate all the wrong stuff. People will celebrate when you 353 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,920 Speaker 1: lose weight, Wow, you've lost weight, but keep it off. 354 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: They won't say anything. Who we don't celebrate consistency. You 355 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: know another thing about people. I'm getting into week two already. 356 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: They will celebrate a talent or a gift, but not 357 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 1: effort because we're crazy, because we need Grammys and Academy 358 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:03,720 Speaker 1: awards and compliments from people who are insecure themselves. And 359 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: then if they don't give us a compliment, we don't 360 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,440 Speaker 1: think we did anything. But it's their insecurity that kept 361 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,800 Speaker 1: them from giving a compliment, not anything deficient in us. 362 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: And people don't know what to celebrate. Even in a 363 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: good sermon, people clap at the wrong times. And so 364 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: when Jesus was choosing, he chose on the basis of 365 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:26,439 Speaker 1: something that he could see that they couldn't. And so 366 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,120 Speaker 1: the scripture says he chose Simon, to whom he gave 367 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:32,919 Speaker 1: the name Peter. He liked the nickname people. Everybody in 368 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: our family has a nickname. I don't call any of 369 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: my kids by their real name. And they don't even 370 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:38,520 Speaker 1: call me dad. They call me much. And it's a 371 00:25:38,520 --> 00:25:40,439 Speaker 1: long story. I don't have time to explain it. But 372 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,680 Speaker 1: Jesus started that. He called people stuff that he knew 373 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: they were, that they didn't know yet. So he'll call 374 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 1: you righteous while you're still struggling with addiction. So he'll 375 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 1: call you an influencer when nobody else knows your name. 376 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: So he will call you great when the world will 377 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: trample over you to get what they think is great. 378 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: And he called those he wanted, and he called them 379 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: to be with him. And when he called them, he 380 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: called Simon and he said, you're Peter petross Rock. Youre's 381 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: something I can build on. Here's something I can build on. 382 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:23,240 Speaker 1: Then he called James, son of Zebedee, the one from 383 00:26:23,280 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 1: Matthew twenty. Remember he chose him and his brother John. 384 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,280 Speaker 1: You may recognize him because he had a whole gospel 385 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: called John. Not a trick question. You'll think I'm messing 386 00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,760 Speaker 1: with you. He wrote the Gospel of John, and he 387 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: always called himself the disciple Jesus loved. That's not what 388 00:26:46,119 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 1: Jesus called him. Look what Jesus called him, James son 389 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 1: of Zebede, and his brother John. To them, he gave 390 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:57,720 Speaker 1: the name bo and air jes That's Greek for hot tempered. 391 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: It also means disturbance. He called them that, and then 392 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: he still chose them. Who in here struggles with something 393 00:27:15,840 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: like a temper or an issue. I swear your wife 394 00:27:20,280 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: is gonna raise your hand for you if you don't 395 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: get it up real quick. I'm trying to spare you 396 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: some embarrassment. How many of you struggle with something? And 397 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:31,400 Speaker 1: God can look right past what people trip over and say, 398 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: come on, go with me. We've got a job to do. 399 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: I know you don't see it. I know you don't 400 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:45,679 Speaker 1: feel it. But the Kingdom of God is at hand, Yes, Lord, 401 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,280 Speaker 1: booing energies, which means sons of thunder. That's a nice translation. 402 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: That's a nice translation. And so these boys they follow 403 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:05,120 Speaker 1: Jesus for three years. They left their father's fishing business, 404 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: which was successful. I know it was successful because when 405 00:28:09,200 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 1: he called them, they had hired men helping them Zebedee 406 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: their dad. He had servants on the boat, so they 407 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:22,840 Speaker 1: left something where they had servants to become servants. Kingdom clout, 408 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: when you stop worrying about what looks good to people 409 00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:29,800 Speaker 1: because you want to be right with God. Kingdom Cloud. 410 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:38,000 Speaker 1: We need this message, man, our children need it. We 411 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: need it. We're still teenagers dressing for everybody else, spending 412 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,680 Speaker 1: for everybody else. And then the credit they're not there 413 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 1: to pay off the credit card, and they didn't even 414 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:54,280 Speaker 1: notice that we wore it. Jesus said, what do you 415 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:58,720 Speaker 1: want now? Remember what they've seen. They've seen miracles, they've 416 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 1: heard sermons, they've seen his compassion, and they've seen his 417 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: How should I say this other side? When he flipped 418 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,880 Speaker 1: over the tables in the temple because they had started 419 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:18,640 Speaker 1: making it about clout rather than kingdom, he didn't like that. 420 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: He didn't like that exclusivity where it's like, these kind 421 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: of people are the people God can use and these 422 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:27,600 Speaker 1: can't because they're this and they're that. He didn't like that, 423 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:33,560 Speaker 1: and he taught them and showed him. But then just 424 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: before the last week of his life, James and John 425 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 1: and their mom come to Jesus and they're like ah, 426 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: we want you to give us VP seed in the kingdom. 427 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:57,680 Speaker 1: At least that's how I always read it. But I 428 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 1: realized something that it wasn't just important what they asked for. 429 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,720 Speaker 1: Listen to me. You can't understand what they ask unless 430 00:30:05,720 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 1: you understand when they asked it. Okay. And the verses 431 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: just before the verses that I read you where this 432 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 1: mom comes up to Jesus and kneels down and says, 433 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: I want my boys to be okay, He had just 434 00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 1: for the third time told them about his death. They 435 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,200 Speaker 1: didn't want to hear it because it meant that in 436 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: order for God to bring about what they wanted him 437 00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: to bring about, they would have to go through what 438 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: they didn't want to go through. And when he talked 439 00:30:41,560 --> 00:30:46,080 Speaker 1: about the Cross, he did it in dramatic language, but 440 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: they couldn't hear it. They didn't want to hear it. 441 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 1: They rejected it. They rejected that message because it did 442 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: not fit with their expectation of what the kingdom would be. 443 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: When God does something in our life that does not 444 00:31:01,440 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 1: conform with our expectation of how we wanted him to work, 445 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 1: we will tend to reject it. When someone that God 446 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: wants to use is raised up in our life that 447 00:31:11,560 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: we don't we don't really have different values than the 448 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: world because we think that in order for the Gospel 449 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: to go forward, we need celebrities to get saved. That's 450 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:30,480 Speaker 1: that's the kingdoms of this world, not the kingdom of 451 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:35,640 Speaker 1: our God. God calls the known and the unknown. And 452 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: I need to preach this message because just Friday, I 453 00:31:40,960 --> 00:31:44,959 Speaker 1: went to Cheesecake Factory. It's been a minute since I 454 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,520 Speaker 1: did that, and one reason I quit going is the 455 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,239 Speaker 1: menu gives me a panic attack. It's so big. It's like, 456 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:55,680 Speaker 1: y'all remember Encyclopedia Britannica. The menu is like chapter seven, 457 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: verse three on the Yeah. So, but after we ordered, 458 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: and let me tell you, were talking about choosing. You 459 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: got options at Cheesecake Factory, seventeen different kinds of ways 460 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:11,600 Speaker 1: to die early and all of that. But we finished eating. 461 00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:13,880 Speaker 1: We were sitting there a moment and I was telling 462 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: Elijah Kingdom Cloud, I'm so excited. He's like me too, 463 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 1: it's gonna be awesome. What's gonna be the first message? 464 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: And the server not the one that had taken care 465 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 1: of us during the meal, but somebody I had noticed 466 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: a few times and we both talked about it. He 467 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:29,480 Speaker 1: just had something special about him. Both of us noticed, 468 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:30,960 Speaker 1: and he came over and said, I don't want to 469 00:32:30,960 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: disturb you, but this meal I've been the whole time. 470 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: I thank you. He said that our messages have helped him, 471 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: encouraged him, and somehow he thought that would bother me 472 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: to tell me that. I was like, oh, man, thank you, 473 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: so thank you. Man. That means the world really does. 474 00:32:51,800 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: And he went to walk away. He's like, I don't 475 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:54,600 Speaker 1: want to bother I said, nook, come on, what was 476 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:59,400 Speaker 1: your name? He said his name? He said, my name 477 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: is Mike, but I'm nobody. And I said something to 478 00:33:10,800 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 1: him just to say no man. And then and then 479 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:16,959 Speaker 1: after he left, I totally jo I was like, that's 480 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: why I got to preach this, because most everybody feels 481 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:29,160 Speaker 1: that way. Play me off if you want to. I know. 482 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:35,680 Speaker 1: That's the same thing you walk around telling yourself I'm nobody. 483 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:39,680 Speaker 1: I'm nobody, because y'all will have the nerve to say 484 00:33:39,720 --> 00:33:43,000 Speaker 1: stuff to me like this. Like one woman in the 485 00:33:43,080 --> 00:33:45,120 Speaker 1: church said the other day, she said, I'm just to 486 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:50,000 Speaker 1: stay at home mom. If you ever say something like 487 00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:53,760 Speaker 1: that to me, I will find the nearest elevation pin 488 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,240 Speaker 1: and throw it at your forehead like a death star. 489 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: Stop saying stuff like that. You are just a what 490 00:34:02,880 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 1: if you are a stay at home mom. Let's do 491 00:34:05,160 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 1: the man. You are a doctor, a lawyer, an uber, 492 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:18,640 Speaker 1: a UFC referee, if you got more than one of them. 493 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: I'm not just a nothing. Oh that wasn't good grammar, 494 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:26,400 Speaker 1: but it felt like God. I'm not just a student. 495 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:30,560 Speaker 1: I'm not just a teenager. I'm not just a woman. 496 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: I'm not just a nothing. Get your hands off my 497 00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,719 Speaker 1: calling devil. He called who he wanted. He shows me 498 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:46,920 Speaker 1: for it. I'm important because he made me. You don't 499 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,880 Speaker 1: have to know my name. I know a name that 500 00:34:51,080 --> 00:35:01,000 Speaker 1: is above every name, kingdom in the kingdom. I'm somebody 501 00:35:01,120 --> 00:35:04,440 Speaker 1: in the kingdom. I have a father. He knows every 502 00:35:04,520 --> 00:35:07,680 Speaker 1: hair on my head. Robert, that don't take much for you. 503 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: He knows when I'm hungry. He knows when I'm thirsty. 504 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: He knows what I secretly wish I had, And if 505 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,960 Speaker 1: we will get honest about it. When he said what 506 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:25,600 Speaker 1: do you want? We really all want the same things. 507 00:35:27,239 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: There's only two things we really want. There's a lot 508 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,160 Speaker 1: of ways we try to get it. Some try drugs. 509 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:40,879 Speaker 1: Some try sex, but that's not really what you want. 510 00:35:43,160 --> 00:35:45,800 Speaker 1: Whether you drink something or eat something, that's not really 511 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:52,279 Speaker 1: what you want. What you want it's significance. What you 512 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:58,840 Speaker 1: want is security. But here's what I want to say. 513 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,919 Speaker 1: Under the unction of the spirit of God. Somebody share 514 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,480 Speaker 1: this message online right now. Share it online, because what 515 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:07,320 Speaker 1: I'm about to say is going to set somebody free. 516 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:14,400 Speaker 1: When you attach your significance to status, or when you 517 00:36:14,560 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: attach your security to stuff, it's never enough. It is 518 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:32,320 Speaker 1: never enough. So if it's four figures, five figures, six figures, 519 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: seven figures, eight figures, if you get it, you'll be 520 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:40,840 Speaker 1: worried about losing it. If you have to have it 521 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:46,759 Speaker 1: to make you somebody, I'm not mad. I've got an 522 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 1: Instagram account to post on it and swipe up about 523 00:36:50,320 --> 00:36:53,520 Speaker 1: it and share it with a friend. But if I 524 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:58,520 Speaker 1: need that to be me, it's just a matter of 525 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:02,759 Speaker 1: time and I'll prove it to you. Out of all 526 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:08,880 Speaker 1: the fishermen in the Sea of Galilee, Jesus chose four. Okay, 527 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 1: out of those four, he had a favorite three. Andrew 528 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: didn't even make the three. He's the one that brought 529 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: Peter to Jesus. Some of us will be defined not 530 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 1: by what we do, but what we empower others to do, 531 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:27,160 Speaker 1: and it will be the greatest contribution of our lives. 532 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:37,160 Speaker 1: Somebody shout about that, Yeah, you don't even know. You 533 00:37:37,200 --> 00:37:40,960 Speaker 1: don't even know how God is using you. That parking 534 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:44,400 Speaker 1: dude out there this morning, jumping up and down. He 535 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,600 Speaker 1: made me so happy to preach to you. He didn't 536 00:37:46,600 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: even know I start. He was doing all this stuff, 537 00:37:50,280 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 1: all this throwing up stuff. Kat I didn't know what 538 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:56,360 Speaker 1: he was doing. It made me happy, helped me preach. 539 00:37:57,480 --> 00:38:01,560 Speaker 1: You don't know, because the kingdom of this world only 540 00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:10,840 Speaker 1: celebrates what is seen. And out of the four he 541 00:38:10,880 --> 00:38:14,719 Speaker 1: had a favorite three, Peter, James and John. But it's 542 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: never enough. Out of all the people he could have chosen, 543 00:38:19,120 --> 00:38:21,600 Speaker 1: he chose twelve. They were two of the twelve. Out 544 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:23,759 Speaker 1: of the twelve that he chose, there were three. They 545 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:27,520 Speaker 1: were two of the three. But it's not enough. It's 546 00:38:27,560 --> 00:38:30,799 Speaker 1: never enough. So they come to him and they're like, 547 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:36,200 Speaker 1: a mom, you do it. You know all the ways 548 00:38:36,239 --> 00:38:44,680 Speaker 1: we used to mask our real motives. Mom, Now it's 549 00:38:44,719 --> 00:38:47,120 Speaker 1: not so much what they asked, it's when they asked it. 550 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 1: He had just told them, I'm going to the Cross. 551 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:55,280 Speaker 1: I used to think they were selfish. They weren't selfish. 552 00:38:55,320 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: They were scared. When you are scared, when you are fearful, 553 00:39:03,080 --> 00:39:05,520 Speaker 1: when you secretly think you don't have what it takes, 554 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:08,720 Speaker 1: it causes you to do crazy stuff to get attention. 555 00:39:09,040 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: It's not really attention that you want, it's intimacy. This 556 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,719 Speaker 1: is getting good. This is getting good. Let's do the 557 00:39:19,840 --> 00:39:22,480 Speaker 1: series for the rest of the year. It's not really 558 00:39:22,719 --> 00:39:27,719 Speaker 1: to be noticed, it's to be known. That's what we 559 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:30,840 Speaker 1: really want. It takes you a lot of your life 560 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: to figure out what you really want before you realize. 561 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:37,000 Speaker 1: What I really want is to be connected to God. 562 00:39:37,200 --> 00:39:39,560 Speaker 1: And when when they came to him, they came to 563 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:42,839 Speaker 1: him honestly. And I need to illustrate this. Come here, JJ, 564 00:39:43,960 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 1: who else who wants to help me preach? Will you 565 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 1: help me? Help me? Help me, help me, help me, 566 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: help me, help me? So come here. I need one more, 567 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 1: I need one more. You look a little too anxious. 568 00:39:55,560 --> 00:39:57,920 Speaker 1: I'm scared you're gonna steal the spotlight. Yeah, come on, 569 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:00,319 Speaker 1: come on, come on, go, you'd be good. We just 570 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: acted out real quick. And I'm going to leave you 571 00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:04,880 Speaker 1: with this because it's powerful. It's the way my mind 572 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:09,000 Speaker 1: imagines the scriptures and the way I see things. And 573 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: I want you to be thinking about this this week. 574 00:40:11,040 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: Somebody say I already got it. I already got it. 575 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:16,800 Speaker 1: Say it again, I already got it, already got it, 576 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:19,080 Speaker 1: already got it, already got it, already got it. Because 577 00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:24,160 Speaker 1: the kingdom of this world is all about arrival. The 578 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 1: Kingdom of Heaven is all about awareness. The kingdoms of 579 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,080 Speaker 1: this world are all about achievement. When I get that, 580 00:40:35,480 --> 00:40:38,000 Speaker 1: when I have that, when I get there, when I 581 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,560 Speaker 1: lose that, when I gain that, that is the world's 582 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:45,960 Speaker 1: definition of greatness. When will we stop allowing the world 583 00:40:46,280 --> 00:40:51,839 Speaker 1: to define what God created? God makes you great, God's approval, 584 00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:58,040 Speaker 1: God's authority, God seal, God's ownership. You are not a nobody. 585 00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:02,560 Speaker 1: He didn't die for nobody, He didn't set his lifeblood 586 00:41:02,600 --> 00:41:07,240 Speaker 1: for nobody. He didn't go to the cross for nobody. 587 00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:15,719 Speaker 1: And the way I saw it, look here, you be 588 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:22,160 Speaker 1: over here, you be Jesus, just for this illustration. Don't 589 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:25,600 Speaker 1: go home with this. Just be Jesus for three minutes. 590 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 1: God show you something. It was powerful to me how 591 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,719 Speaker 1: I read it. Both y'all come here, you be James 592 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:38,480 Speaker 1: you stay there, Jesus, I felt weird saying that. You 593 00:41:38,560 --> 00:41:44,640 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Lord, he said. Matthew recorded it 594 00:41:44,680 --> 00:41:47,000 Speaker 1: like this, He said this mother, I'll be the mom 595 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: you be. The boys brought her sons to Jesus. She knelt, 596 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:59,719 Speaker 1: they stood, said, need you to do something for me. 597 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:06,720 Speaker 1: My deepest desire is that these boys will be okay 598 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:12,320 Speaker 1: and in your kingdom that you've been preaching about in 599 00:42:12,360 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 1: demonstrating that you came to establish. I need you to 600 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:21,479 Speaker 1: make sure that one gets at your right, one gets 601 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:27,280 Speaker 1: at your left. I read the text so many times 602 00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:32,000 Speaker 1: before realizing that at the moment that she asked for this, 603 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:38,480 Speaker 1: she brought her boys to Jesus. And when she said, 604 00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:42,880 Speaker 1: will you grant that my boys can stand at your 605 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: right and your left, at the moment that she asked 606 00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:58,520 Speaker 1: that they were already there. Could it be that you're 607 00:42:58,560 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 1: already there and you don't even know it. You could 608 00:43:08,000 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: be chosen and not even know it, to be so 609 00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:20,520 Speaker 1: focused on the future, to be so focused on there 610 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:27,480 Speaker 1: that you miss it here. When he came to preach, 611 00:43:27,560 --> 00:43:34,640 Speaker 1: he preached, the Kingdom of Heaven is here. I want 612 00:43:34,719 --> 00:43:38,560 Speaker 1: us to take just a moment, and every grateful person 613 00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,360 Speaker 1: I want you to celebrate where God already brought you 614 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:48,480 Speaker 1: from and where He already brought me to, just to 615 00:43:48,480 --> 00:43:56,200 Speaker 1: get a picture that I'm already there. He already loves me, 616 00:43:57,480 --> 00:44:03,520 Speaker 1: he already accepts me, he already shows me, he already 617 00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:08,040 Speaker 1: knows me, he already called my name. Come on, that's 618 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 1: not a big enough praise. You need to get down 619 00:44:11,800 --> 00:44:15,920 Speaker 1: and humble yourself and say, thank you, Lord for what 620 00:44:16,120 --> 00:44:20,640 Speaker 1: you've paved me, for what you've made me. He's doing 621 00:44:20,680 --> 00:44:28,520 Speaker 1: it right now. He's doing it. He's doing it right now. 622 00:44:28,560 --> 00:44:33,000 Speaker 1: The kingdom is at hand, The kingdom is here, The 623 00:44:33,120 --> 00:44:39,960 Speaker 1: kingdom is now, the Kingdom is within you. Thank you Lord, 624 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:46,719 Speaker 1: Thank you Father. If you never do anything else, you 625 00:44:46,840 --> 00:44:53,320 Speaker 1: did so much for me. I believe greater things are ahead, 626 00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:56,040 Speaker 1: but I thank you for where I am right now. 627 00:44:57,960 --> 00:45:03,200 Speaker 1: I already got it. It is mine right now. I'm accepted, 628 00:45:03,320 --> 00:45:09,560 Speaker 1: right now, I'm validated. Right now. Puts your approval on them, God, 629 00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:13,120 Speaker 1: puts your yes on him, puts your favor on them. 630 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:16,839 Speaker 1: Puts your has said to find mercy be upon him 631 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:22,759 Speaker 1: in this year. Would you just lift your hands like this, 632 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:27,040 Speaker 1: like you're receiving something God. I've I've searched so hard 633 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:30,160 Speaker 1: for what I already had, and I just want to 634 00:45:30,160 --> 00:45:34,360 Speaker 1: stop in your presence and thank you today that you 635 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:39,239 Speaker 1: called who you wanted, and you wanted me. I thank 636 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 1: you that I'm already at the right hand where there 637 00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:46,960 Speaker 1: are pleasures forever, more fullness of joy in your presence, 638 00:45:47,000 --> 00:45:52,560 Speaker 1: in your presence, in your presence, in your presence. We 639 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:54,520 Speaker 1: know the past has its issues, and we know the 640 00:45:54,560 --> 00:45:57,759 Speaker 1: future has its uncertainties. But in your presence, it's fullness 641 00:45:57,760 --> 00:46:03,160 Speaker 1: of joy. Right here now, I thank you that these 642 00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:10,000 Speaker 1: your children are a royal priesthood, a holy nation belonging 643 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:14,640 Speaker 1: to a kingdom that can never be shaken. We give 644 00:46:14,680 --> 00:46:23,360 Speaker 1: you praise for your name is great in Jesus, saying Amen, Amen, 645 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:28,200 Speaker 1: come on, celebrate him on the level of who he 646 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:32,960 Speaker 1: is to you. Come on, celebrate him on the level 647 00:46:33,760 --> 00:46:38,359 Speaker 1: of who he is to you. Thank you for joining us. 648 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:41,120 Speaker 1: Special thanks to those of you who give generously to 649 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 1: this ministry. Is because of you that this ministry is possible. 650 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:47,680 Speaker 1: You can click the link in the description to give now, 651 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:52,040 Speaker 1: or visit Elevation Church dot org slash podcast for more information, 652 00:46:52,600 --> 00:46:55,719 Speaker 1: and if you enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You 653 00:46:55,760 --> 00:46:57,840 Speaker 1: can share it with your friends. You can click the 654 00:46:57,840 --> 00:47:00,160 Speaker 1: share button, take a screenshot and share it on your 655 00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:03,120 Speaker 1: social stories and tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again 656 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:04,279 Speaker 1: for listening. God bless you.