Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / How to Feed Your Flame for Christ - Pastor Daniel Batarseh

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How to Feed Your Flame for Christ - Pastor Daniel Batarseh · Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago

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Morning to all our viewers who are joining us this Sunday
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morning, and we know that it's Mother's Day.
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So happy Mother's Day to the mothers of our church and to the
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new mothers that became mothers these past few months.
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We just want to extend from the leadership to all of you, our
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gratitude and our love and we pray for the families of our
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church. We pray for the parents of our
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church that God would continue to strengthen you and use you to
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raise up Godly Offspring for his glory.
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He and a personal happy. Mother's to my mother.
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I love you. I wish I could see you and I
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trust that we will be able to sooner than later.
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I trust that you're awake this morning and that you have your
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Bibles with you because we're going to just touch on a few
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verses here, but it's going to be intensely practical.
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We're not going to like a Bible study dig into various
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scriptures to try to pull out some theological truths.
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This is the illogical but it's going to be very very very
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Practical and my prayers, that it's going to help.
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It's going to be kind of a connecting message to last
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week's. And if you're with us last week,
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you know that we spoke about how to overcome a cold heart, how to
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escape this lukewarmness, that many Christians have testified
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of experiencing at one point in their lives.
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And sometimes it's been a prolonged season of dryness and
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complacency and indifference and we looked at the way to escape
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that. That kind of a heart posture and
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near the end of the message. If you were with us last week,
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you remember that, we spoke about the necessity and the
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discipline of feeding, the flame of the devotion that we have
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towards the Lord, that despite emotion.
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We must have necessary disciplines of an intake of the
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word of God, of being honest and transparent with the Lord in the
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place of prayer and sharpening ourselves by the fellowship of
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other like-minded believers. Now, We all generally know that
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though. We all know as Christians, that
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the thing that we all have to do is pray read meet with other
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believers and serve in your local church.
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But I don't want us to just understand that General sense
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because those tools can be handed to somebody and then they
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can be adopted as principles. Only to be a mechanical routine.
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Only to be an end in itself when they are means to an end.
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And so what you have is people who understand this, who are
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charged with this and then they end up trying to do it and they
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feel as though they are absent minded throughout it and they
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don't really know why they're doing it.
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All they know is that this is what Christians do.
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And so I'm going to do it and hopefully something will come
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out of it. But that is not the way we ought
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to think about these spiritual disciplines.
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Imagine somebody being told that they need to go to the gym and
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they are getting a membership. They get the right outfit and
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everything else and day in and day out they go and they do what
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they think they need to do and they move around with machines
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and they spent a good hour every day in that facility.
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And they come out after a year spending money spending time and
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energy with little to no results.
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How is that possible that happens to a lot of people?
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And one of the reasons is because there is the wrong
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approach. There isn't the comprehension of
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how to do certain things and why they should do it.
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And then they come out with greater disappointment and with
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again little fruit in their efforts.
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I would argue that when we understand the spiritual
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disciplines, there has to be the right attitude, and there has to
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be the right Outlook. Less, we find ourselves just
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going through some motions and not seeing what God wants us to
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see. And I think that what we need to
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do is examine our own hearts and be as honest as possible to ask
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ourselves. If this is what we find in our
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thoughts, this is what we find in our souls concerning our
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relationship with the Lord. Oh Lord, because what this
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message is really going to do is touch on three types of mindsets
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were three, attitudes, are three outlooks or our frame of mind
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that is absolutely necessary to specifically and more
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effectively feed the flame of our devotion to Lord it.
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And really, they're all going to be drawn from one person and
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even one book. And that is the book of
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Philippians with a man named the Apostle Paul, and I love Paul.
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Because if there is anyone, that was consistent in his Zeal for
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the Lord, if there was anyone that God has given to us.
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So as an example of how to live from beginning to end only going
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from glory to glory, it is this man and this is going to be just
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a brief touch on these points and I hope that again your heart
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will be able to be honest enough to say yes.
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This is true of my life and no it's not because if you're
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honest enough and you're not able to say yes to these things
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or you're not able to identify or connect with them, then
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perhaps you found a reason why even though you're doing these
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spiritual disciplines? Why they're not really effective
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and not just effective why they're not enjoyable.
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C by understanding this, we will know how we can have a
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determination in these disciplines but not just in
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determination. We want enjoyment and the light.
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I think God has given us these things to really know a joy and
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the reason why so many are either board or they are
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distracted. Many of the times it's because
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they don't realize what these things should lead to.
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So join with me in your Bibles and turn to Philippians chapter
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1. And let's look at the first
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point that I think is absolutely necessary.
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The ingredient that is needed to feed a greater flame for the
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things of God. It's a flip Ian's one and let's
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look at verse 21. It's a very familiar passage.
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You probably heard of you probably memorized it.
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But let's look at Philippians 1:21 and see what Paul says, he
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says for to me to live is Christ.
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And to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh,
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that means fruitful labor for me yet.
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Which shall I choose? I cannot tell.
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Now, Paul, this point is expressing, because he's writing
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from prison. He is expressing the possibility
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of him dying at some near point, and he is distressed about this
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possibility of dying at a near point and the distress that he's
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experiencing. Her expressing is not because he
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has a fear of death. It's not because he is in dread
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of pain, know, the turmoil that he is expressing is because he
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is trying to convince himself. If living is better for him, or
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dying, is better for him. Most of us want to live.
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We don't want to die. And that's a great thing, life
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is a gift. But Paul here, as though he did
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have the choice is saying, listen.
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I have the choice to either be with Jesus and he goes, that is
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far better because there's nothing that can compare to
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that. This is my longing.
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This is why I live to know him and to experience him and to
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have that as we heard even last Friday without hindrance.
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Oh, that's my number one choice, but this might be shocking to us
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as much as that is a desire to pawn.
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It should be the desire of every believer.
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There is one. Other thing that would keep Paul
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Earthbound. There's another thing here that
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would keep him in this scene shattered, broken depressing,
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dark world, and it is found here in this verse where he says, yet
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to remain. In the flesh, means fruitful
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labor for me. This is his turmoil.
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This is the one other thing that would keep him on this side of
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Eternity. Do you realize how profound this
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thought is. Do?
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You realize what Paul is saying? He's saying the only reason why
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I would not be in the presence of Jesus enjoying his glory
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forever. The only reason why is because
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there is a sense of mission that I have in this life and if I can
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glorify him more with my breath, then I will choose to do that
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because I'm going to end up going to heaven.
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Anyway, I'm going to be in the presence of Jesus, no matter
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what, that is where I am headed. So the longer I can stay here to
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glorify him and to live for him. I'll do that in the ends up
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concluding saying yep. On your account, for your sake.
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I'm going to stay. Think about how this man lived,
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his life was all about. One thing.
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It was framed around one certain direction and that was to serve
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the Lord with everything within him.
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Do you think Paul is saying this because he's it's a lesser
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option. It's not obviously as more
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amazing being with Jesus, but you have to understand Paul had
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a joy in serving the lord in Acts 20:24.
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He says, but I did not account my life of any value nor as
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precious to myself. If only, I may finish my course.
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And the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify
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the gospel of the grace of God. He was my life, literally has no
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significance. There's nothing about living on
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this Earth, that matters more to me than living to bear fruit for
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the glory of the name of Jesus Christ.
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So you're saying what's your point?
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Here's my point. This is not to say that your
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identity has to be in your ministry and it wasn't for Paul.
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But you can't deny that he had a joy in it and that his life was
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organized around it that all the events in the planning and the
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motivation and the ambition was centered around this truth.
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So the question in the point to make is this, that if you want
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to know a consistency in a passion and a Zeal for the Lord,
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you must have a grasp on your personal mission for God.
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You personally. Yes, you watching, whoever you
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are. You, you must have a grass, an
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understanding of your personal mission for God.
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Paul had that and that's what kept Paul going.
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That's what made Paul want the state, he knew what he was
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called to do and he would live for that with everything within
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him. This is what kept Paul
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energizes. What kept Paul animated.
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This is what gave something called to pray over.
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And Weep over into contemplating to dream up.
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And to hope for, he knew that there was a calling from Heaven.
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He knew he responded to that call, and he knew that there is
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nothing greater than living for that call.
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And this is what every believer is called to do at the same
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time, because unfortunately, what you have as many Believers
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that are either deceived by ill motive leaders, or they
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themselves have tricked their own understanding of the faith
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or the Devil Himself. Has brought them into a state.
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Of deception and to thinking what?
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That all my Christian Life. You can sum it up in the purpose
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for it. Is this formality in attendance?
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As long as I have a church, as long as I go there to hear a
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message as long as I give from time to time, I may not be a
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super Christian but on the standard Christian, that's a lot
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of people think. I have a church named.
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I attend their I give I here I've done my part and that's
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exactly what my life is all about as a Christian.
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That is deception. That is not God's Will and that
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is a great reason why many people are lukewarm and that is
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pervading our generation today because they've adopted that
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mentality. When I was in high school and
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even early on before high school, I played a lot of
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basketball. Something I gave myself to with
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great Zeal and passion, but there is a season of my journey
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in basketball where I had to spend a lot of time on the
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bench, especially my early years of high school.
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I had to sit down a lot if not most of the games and come in
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from time to time, but most of the times, every other night,
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when we had a game, I would sit on the bench and I would watch
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my friends play. And even though we were
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encouraged and I wasn't even trying to stir myself up to be a
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good Sportsman at the Clapping to applaud and to show my
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support. Can I be honest with you?
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It was boring. It was boring.
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I did not want to spend all of my time sitting and watching
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other people contribute to an effort to win while I'm just
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here shouting and yelling. I wanted to get in there.
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I wanted to do something. I wanted to contribute.
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Give me some kind of a goal here.
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Give me Some kind of a roll here, even if it's just for a
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few moments. I'll give everything I have.
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Whenever I have the chance I was able to do that.
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Now, here's the thing. Sports might be organized to
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have people who are playing and other people who are on the
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bench as a backup, but that is not how the kingdom of God is
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organized. That's not how its organized.
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The kingdom of God, is organized in such a way that every single
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person that has chosen to be a part of God's team has a role to
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play. There is no such thing as a
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bench. But what we have is many
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believers who have created this spiritual bench and are sitting
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on it and are looking upon others who are serving God,
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mainly leaders, who are praying evangelizing, a dreaming
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sweating, pouring everything out to serve God, and they're there,
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and they're showing their support.
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There are plotting their cheering, they show their
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appreciation. But again, you have to
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understand that is not how God designed his kingdom.
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The kingdom of God is not a sports team.
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The kingdom of God, is in our me.
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This is way bigger. This is a way of life.
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It's not something that we just do recreationally know.
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But unfortunately, again, we have people is convincing
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themselves that as long as they have the Jersey.
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And as long as they tell other people and they convince
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themselves, they're part of the team that they've done
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everything they need to do. You will not find such an
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attitude in the New Testament. And let me tell you this, that
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kind of mentality might soothe your religious conscience, but
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it will not contribute to an ongoing Zeal that you and I
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desperately need. Paul knew his personal mission
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from God. And the question you and I have
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to ask this morning. Yes.
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Right now is this is where it gets very practical.
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What part do I me as I'm sitting and watching and hearing this
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via livestream. What part do I fill in the
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blank? My name play in contributing to
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the advancement of God's kingdom while I attend church.
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No. No, that doesn't mean anything.
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That's part of it. What part do you play?
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What do you give yourself to? What is the gift?
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You were exercising. What it what is it that you are
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saying? This is what I'm giving myself
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to in order to best help Advance the message of the Gospel in my
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local context. Now, you might be hearing and
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saying yeah, I totally understand what you're saying.
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And yes, now you are stirring my heart to even to even consider
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what I should do. So, you know, what I'm going to
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do. I'm going to be a blogger.
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I'm going to be a worship. I'm going to be a guest speaker.
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I'm going to be the next Ravi Zacharias.
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That's what I'm going to be. Now, hold on.
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Since when did being used by God mean that you have to be known
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in order to be effective or to no fulfillment.
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God can use anybody for one of those things on a public
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platform. But many people get this idea
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that the only way that I can serve God and to know a personal
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mission is if I have a title if I'm known.
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If I'm recognize if I'm demanded for Is that really true?
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Is that how we ought to think about what it truly means to
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know the calling that God has for us?
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Or is it possible that God has callings and many callings that
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are hidden? That are unknown that man may
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not be able to identify or even vocalize appreciation for I like
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to think that there are some who are in the background and their
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hidden agents for God, those that are unknown around the
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world that are glorifying God, and that is true.
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But unfortunately, because I believe this idea of celebrity
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culture has invaded the church. It is affected the way we view.
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What it means to truly be used by God and then it's
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disappointing thing. But here's what you and I have
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to grasp. That you don't have to be known
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or you don't have to pursue Fame in order to no faithfulness.
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That is going to be one of the most frustrating things in your
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life. If you begin to covet, somebody
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else who has a public Ministry and you think that is the only
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way that I can truly serve the Lord.
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No, that is not the case at all. I think we have to understand
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one core understanding here concerning being used by God.
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The you and I are not limited to those things.
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There is a array of ways of being energized by the Holy
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Spirit to have anointed Ministries, that would touch
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lives, whether people recognize it or not.
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And I think what you and I have to settle at this point.
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If we do not know what God wants us to do.
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I think we have to be comfortable and convinced of
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this that no matter what it is that God wants me to do.
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I will not look to another. I will not try to get into
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somebody else's Lane. I will seek what God has for me.
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I will exercise the gifts that he's given me to the capacities,
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giving it to me, and I will try to do it with as much patience.
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Enjoy that he can offer. If not, you'll just add more
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frustration to this spiritual Zeal that you're trying to tap
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into, but there is also another group of people that are hearing
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this and understand. Okay.
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I got to know my personal mission for God.
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I got to know what it is that God wants me to do.
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And they think to themselves. Well, I just don't know.
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My lifelong purpose. I know, I need it.
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But I don't know. I prayed about it.
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I fasted, I've sought counsel I researched but I don't know what
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it is from now to the last point of giving my breath.
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I don't know what it is. And that's another thing too is
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because some people they want to know a definite.
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Category or a definite Lane to be in so that they can give
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everything they have into that kind of a thing, and that's
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okay. And some people even know it,
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they sense a certain calling in their life, but because of the
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lack of opportunity, the lack of resources or even the lack of
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maybe open doors, people begin to feel discouraged and maybe
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even disqualified. I hope this is making sense.
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I hope this is reaching different people who have
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different kind of thoughts about this idea of knowing what God
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wants me to do. Now, listen, if there's any
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advice I can give to you, there's any piece of wisdom that
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has blessed my life. And I hope will bless yours.
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Let's simply be this that you. And I should not be concerned
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about the long-term you. And I should not be consumed
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about the lack of clarity of what I am supposed to do or even
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being frustrated, a lack of opportunity.
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Do you know what you're supposed to do?
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We can't get caught up in that. The one thing that God wants you
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and I to do is simply this to know the purpose he has for us
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in This season alone. And to take a hold of it with
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everything within you and to trust that at his own pace.
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He will unveil what he needs to unveil.
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That is extremely important. If there is any inspiration
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regarding this in the Bible, you might be surprised to hear the
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name, Philip. Philip in the New Testament is
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one of the most inspiring people to me.
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Concerning the subject of serving the lord.
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Wholeheartedly, no matter what has been given to him.
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Look at Philip in Acts chapter 6, with six others.
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He's been called to his literally serve tables and he
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does it wholeheartedly, you go to Acts chapter 8, the same
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Philip, you know what he's doing.
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He's not waiting on tables. He doesn't have an apron on,
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he's not washing the dishes. After the Fellowship of the
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church, know he is preaching at a Revival and Samaria.
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And God is doing miracles to him and there is mass conversions
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and awesome baptisms. And then at the same chapter,
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you see, God taking Philip from that Revival and putting him
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with one Ethiopian eunuch, who is reading the scriptures and
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needs Clarity. And he evangelized him and
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disciples him. Just one from a Revival 21.
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And then you go to Acts chapter 21 and you read a Philip who had
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four unmarried daughters, who were able to prophesy.
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I love this. What does it tell us?
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Well, should tell us at least one thing that no matter where
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Philip found himself in a matter.
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What kind of a service he was given, he did it with everything
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within him. He was serving tables.
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Wholeheartedly if he was preaching a Revival without
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compromise, if he was talking to one-on-one, he would do it with
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patience and join. He let him with Christ and if
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you found him in his home, he would raise up his family to
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love and honor God. No matter where you found this,
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man. He was bearing fruit.
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No matter what he was given, no matter what role, no matter what
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opportunity, lack thereof in terms of breath.
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He loved to serve the Lord. And everything he touched turned
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to Gold because I believed he had that right mind.
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He loved Jesus, and he served him with whatever was granted to
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him. This is how you and I have to
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understand this Mission from God.
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It is sometimes seasonal. It is.
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Sometimes in part. It is now always this long thing
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where your this is who I'm going to be for the rest of my life.
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And this is what I'm going to do.
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Can I be transparent with you? When I first got saved.
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I thought it was going to be a full-time evangelist.
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That was at least what I desired.
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That is what I was dreaming about and throughout time.
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God led me to something that I never thought I would do.
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That was to be a full-time pastor, but I do it with so much
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joy and Thanksgiving, but that A, how I understand it.
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Now. There was a season of my life
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where it was full-time evangelism.
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And in fact, it was not the way you and I might think of
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full-time evangelism. It wasn't doing Crusades and
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preaching in front of thousands. Know when I got saved, I knew in
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my heart that I was called to full-time Ministry.
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I knew it within a few months and had great desires, and great
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dreams and great prayers before God, but guess what?
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I didn't have the opportunities that I thought I would have and
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I didn't have the resources. Resources, but what did I have?
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I had a college campus. And So, within a few short
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months was there with a Christian group and we would
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read together, pray together and hand out pamphlets and try to
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talk to students. There was a youth group.
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I was a part of, and I was a leader that youth group.
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And I would sit down with a group of students that were
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assigning me every week, and we would go over questions on a
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sheet based on the message and just talk and pray together.
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There's no Pulpit. There was no camera.
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There is no conferences. It was simply whatever God gave
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me and whatever I was I was out my disposal and to serve him to
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that capacity and slowly. But surely God began to just
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like when you're in a car at night and there is so much light
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you receive from the headlights. You see it in part and as you're
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driving more, has revealed more to reveal, God began to reveal
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it at his own pace and I thank God.
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He did it at his own pace. No, the mission even if it's
23:37
seasonal, what is it now? How are you serving God?
23:40
Now. And you don't have to be a
23:43
revivalist to be used by God. I look at Susanna Wesley, who
23:47
raised up to Godly men. She had many children and
23:50
perhaps apart from her Godly influence.
23:53
We would not have these revivals that we read of, in our book.
23:56
We will not have these hymns that we read of but there was a
24:00
Godly mother behind the scene, I think about the necessity of so
24:04
many parts in the kingdom of God.
24:06
That need to come together in order to make the bigger
24:09
picture, a greater reality. I think about those who invest
24:12
themselves in media and those in graphic design and those who
24:17
say, I'm going to take the gospel.
24:17
I'm going to display it in the Avenue in which we are living in
24:21
this generation. I want to I want to help get.
24:23
You might not be the guy on the other side of the camera
24:25
speaking, but you can be the guy that chops it up and edit sits
24:27
and does something with it to make it effective and gripping,
24:31
all these different things. I can go on with example, after
24:33
example, but what you need to be convinced of right?
24:36
Now, or you need to figure out between now.
24:39
And the next time, you are allowed to go out into this
24:41
world, is what does God called me for?
24:44
What is it? And don't again look for the
24:47
title and don't look for the grand picture.
24:50
Just look for it, seasonally in this time.
24:53
In this moment. It might be to give it might be
24:57
too to be an intercessor. It might be to just be a Sunday
25:02
school teacher or youth lie, whatever it is seasonally.
25:05
What is it? And take a hold of it again.
25:09
Paul had this mindset and I know and we have to understand it.
25:12
Contributed to his passion and his Zeal and I think the reason
25:15
why so many people don't have that seals because they don't
25:18
know what they're here for. They're sitting on that
25:21
spiritual bench and it looking at others play.
25:24
And again, they're happy. They have the Jersey on, I'm a
25:25
Christian. They have a number, they're part
25:28
of the team. But listen, that's boring.
25:32
That might work for sports. That might be good.
25:33
Sportsmanship, that not in the kingdom of God.
25:36
Everybody has to get on the field and that is what you and I
25:39
have to understand. But there's a second point is
25:42
not just understand my personal mission for God.
25:45
The second point is that you and I must believe that there's so
25:48
much more for God to reveal to us.
25:52
Go to Philippians chapter 3, verse 13 to 14 and see that with
25:55
me. Look what Paul says in
25:57
Philippians 3:13. Brothers, I do not consider that
26:04
I have made it my own. But one thing I do, Paul says
26:09
forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies
26:14
ahead? I press on toward the goal for
26:18
the prize of the upward call of God in Christ.
26:23
Jesus. Many people quote verse 13 of
26:27
this chapter to encourage people who have perhaps failed in their
26:31
past who have, perhaps disappointed God or a Fanta,
26:34
Grievous sin or of wasted money. Each time and they quote, this
26:38
refer get what lies behind and just strain forward to what lies
26:41
ahead and that is absolutely true.
26:43
And this is a wonderful wonderful scripture to use to
26:46
bless others who might feel disheartened because of
26:49
something that's happened in their past, but we can't limit
26:53
what Paul is saying here, to seeing past failure, as a
26:58
potential way of paralyzing us and moving forward in the
27:00
present, we can use it, but it's not limited to that and many
27:04
people limited to that. We have to broaden the
27:08
application here and I'm sure Paul understood it in this way
27:11
as well. There is another danger of your
27:14
past and mind that can be equal equally as the mobilizing.
27:20
As our past failures. Do you know what it is?
27:23
It's your past successes. It's your past achievements
27:28
spiritually. These things can be equally
27:32
paralyzing to somebody growing in their Zeal and faith and
27:38
service to God. How can that be?
27:41
Well, when you have somebody who has had wonderful experiences
27:45
with God, or has been used by God, whether individually or
27:49
corporally the dangers that is it can produce a
27:53
self-satisfaction where it makes somebody relax in their Pursuit.
27:59
Greater things. It's possible to have witness
28:04
got to do amazing things only to continue to contemplate on those
28:09
matters and not believe God for more ahead.
28:14
And so, the person's heart can almost think like this.
28:17
Well, I've seen God, do these miraculous things.
28:21
I've received Revelation from the word of God in such and such
28:24
a way. And so there seems to be this
28:27
kind of numbness or this neutrality and believing for
28:32
more or church can even experience it corporately.
28:35
They we have witnessed God do things.
28:37
We've experienced wonderful manifestations of his presence
28:40
and then we just continue to rehearse those.
28:43
Still a point where we don't look forward, always looking
28:46
back. You know what?
28:48
Paul would say to that. I forget what lies behind me,
28:51
his failures know, even his past achievements.
28:54
Now, doesn't mean that we don't talk about those things.
28:56
It doesn't mean we draw, and we don't draw encouragement from
28:59
those things. But to keep your eyes on those
29:00
things. Can I, can I ask you don't
29:03
experiment with this but visualize it try driving, even a
29:07
mile. In your car, by looking in the
29:11
rearview mirror the whole time and see how well that goes and
29:15
many people doing the same. They always have their eyes on
29:17
the rearview mirror and they're looking either at their past
29:20
mistakes or they're looking at their past successes and equally
29:24
are dangerous for you to not going where you need to go.
29:29
And what Paul is saying here is simply this no matter what
29:32
Christ has used me for no matter, the mountainous
29:35
achievements that he is enabled me to accomplish.
29:41
I'm straining forward to what lies ahead.
29:45
Do you think this was wishful thinking, you think Paul had
29:48
false? Hope?
29:50
What did Paul have an Insight in his relationship with God?
29:54
That it only goes Higher and Higher and it only gets greater
29:56
and greater and the possibilities of things that no
30:00
matter how much I've tapped into can take me from one level of
30:05
Glory to another Yes, Paul did not have wishful thinking Paul
30:10
really believe what many Believers unfortunately, don't
30:12
believe. And what makes it worse is when
30:14
you have believers who haven't had any kind of testimony of God
30:18
doing something in and through them.
30:20
And so they haven't tasted something for them to crave
30:23
more, and they are just left with the status quo
30:26
Christianity, and they've been left with this unfortunate
30:29
standard that we've talked about in the first point.
30:32
And they think this is just the way it's supposed to be.
30:35
No, it's not. It's not and the moment.
30:39
You even come to a place where you get a little sample of the
30:42
glory of God, where you see what the gospel can do through your
30:45
life. If you surrender to it.
30:47
If you just yield as a vessel and allow the Holy Spirit to
30:49
take control of your life. And you just get a little taste.
30:53
You'll never be the same again. Paul believed there was
30:58
something more, this Paul who is experienced so much.
31:02
So, the question we have to ask is this number one?
31:05
Do I have a grasp on my personal mission for God and not just
31:08
that number to do? I believe that, no matter what
31:11
I've known in the past, that there is something greater ahead
31:15
for me in the future. Now ask yourself that now.
31:20
If you don't know the answer, if you don't know the answer, if
31:23
you can honestly examine your heart.
31:25
And say, I believe that there is something more, or I don't know
31:28
if I believe all you have to do is this one thing ready, pay
31:30
attention. Examine your prayer life.
31:34
That's all you have to do. Just look back at the language
31:37
of your prayer life and you will be able to determine whether or
31:41
not you have what Paul is saying and talking about here.
31:45
Because to be honest, a lot of professing Christians, all their
31:48
prayers have been reduced to is this Lord Jesus, protect my
31:52
family from harm and feed the poor, and those who are
31:55
unfortunate in Jesus name. Amen.
31:57
There's nothing wrong with that. But can I tell you something
32:00
else God wants you to have more than your family being protected
32:04
from harm and other people being blessed by not your service of
32:08
helping the poor. But God somehow using somebody
32:10
else to bless the poor. God's not interested in just
32:12
those things in your prayer. Life.
32:15
Ask. Where's the desire?
32:20
Is there more for me? And you might be wondering what
32:22
he's talking about more when you're saying more?
32:25
I mean, I have all of God. Now I'm saved.
32:29
I have all that I need in. God and toes are said this the
32:33
great Paradox of Love Is that we have God or God has us yet.
32:38
We search for him and long for him still.
32:42
It's a great Paradox. We do have the fullness of God,
32:45
but there is experientially a Pursuit Of God that we do not
32:48
have in fullness. So what I mean by more I'm
32:52
talking about this. I'm talking about a greater
32:54
awareness of the presence of Jesus Christ in your life.
32:58
I mean more I mean greater insight and Holy Spirit, Led
33:02
revelation of the word of God that will burst life into your
33:04
soul. What?
33:06
I mean more. I mean, that God wants to use
33:08
you. You don't have to be a pastor.
33:10
You'd have to be an evangelist. You know, how to be a gifted
33:12
speaker. God wants to use you to touch at
33:17
least one person on this Earth, who is Bound for an eternal hell
33:22
to taste of the goodness of God through a vessel that's been
33:25
saved. What I mean by more, I mean, you
33:29
being able to witness something of the glory of God, even in
33:32
your church context where God can at any moment, crash into a
33:36
service and sweep through and sanctify.
33:39
His people in miraculous ways. That's what we're talking about,
33:42
more in the spiritual Realm. And again, I think the reason
33:49
why so many lack of zeal. So many who try to pray so many,
33:55
who try to come to prayer meeting so many, who try to
33:59
read, can't continue. Because the motive and the
34:05
ambition is missing. People don't really believe that
34:10
there's more. And so their devotional life,
34:15
the church spiritual disciplines are just things we have to do
34:20
because that's what Christians have to do.
34:24
We won't go far. It won't last.
34:28
God gives us a man by the name of Paul to show us and he even
34:33
allows them to experience things that you know, anybody watching
34:36
ever been to the third heaven. Anybody just comment if you have
34:40
if you've been to the third heaven, know anybody raise the
34:43
dead, anybody use their napkin and then have somebody take it
34:46
and lay it on a sick person. They recovered anybody.
34:49
Okay, so then there's more and even if you have had those
34:52
experiences like Paul, he said there's more there's more and
34:56
that's what kept Him going. That's what's going to keep you.
34:58
and I going, in fact, it wasn't just Paul.
35:04
It was Moses in Deuteronomy 3, verse 23.
35:08
He says and I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying O Lord
35:11
God. You have only begun to show your
35:15
servant your greatness in your Mighty hand.
35:17
Hold on, Moses coming near the end of his life and he's telling
35:21
God, you've only begun to show me after a hundred plus years of
35:27
experiencing. Interventions and miraculous
35:32
proportions. You're telling me.
35:35
Now, you've only begun to see what is he saying?
35:38
He's saying that there's more God, that there is no way of
35:41
exhausting the possibilities of your hand being stretched forth
35:45
in my life and seeing things that will keep me in all of you.
35:49
And that's why I look what he says here in verse 25, please.
35:54
Please. Let me go over and see the good
35:56
land beyond the Jordan. There's more.
35:59
Need to know Beyond the Horizon as long as I'm in this world
36:02
that there is something greater to experience here.
36:05
God. See his prayer language.
36:09
Do you sense the passion? Do you sense the Zeal?
36:13
Yes, because behind the prayer is the posture of Faith to say
36:19
God Almighty. I know, I know, I know.
36:22
I've only scratched the surface. I know that I've only
36:26
Entertained, the tip of the iceberg and God you have more.
36:31
As long as I have breath show me reveal to me, use me Empower me.
36:39
You know, what's amazing is what Paul says in Philippians 3, 15
36:45
and this demolishes any argument to think of this is only the way
36:49
pastors should think. This is only how full-time
36:51
Minister should think. Yeah as ministers.
36:54
You should think that there is more as pastors.
36:56
You should believe that there is more that's your ambition.
36:59
Just give me a sermon and I'll be happy.
37:02
I'll satisfy my spiritual Endeavors and will be inspired
37:07
by your Zeal for God, this verse will shatter that thought.
37:11
Look what Paul says in verse 15 of Philippians 3.
37:14
Let those of us who are mature, think this way, let those of us
37:21
who are mature, think this way and if anything, you think
37:24
otherwise God will reveal that also to do you see this, this is
37:30
so important. If you've missed any part of
37:31
this message, take a hold of this verse.
37:34
This is the context. Remember Philippians 3:13-14
37:37
forgetting It lies behind me and straining for two lies ahead.
37:40
I press on right, he's saying this and then I'm verse 15.
37:45
He goes. Hold on.
37:46
Let me just pause for a moment if there's any one Among Us, who
37:49
doesn't think this way? Realize that you are outside of
37:54
the category of mature Christianity.
37:57
He says let those of us who are mature, think this way.
38:01
So a sign of a mature Christian is a person who's thinking the
38:05
way Paul is thinking in these verses prior the sign of a
38:09
Believer who is who is growing in their zeal.
38:15
The evidence of that is that when you open up their thought
38:17
life, when you open up their hearts, they're going.
38:21
I know that there's so much more.
38:23
I'm believing that there's so much more.
38:26
And look what he says if in anything you think otherwise God
38:32
will reveal that also to you and what he's saying, he's saying
38:38
it's possible for you as a Christian.
38:39
Not to think the way that I'm saying.
38:41
It's possible for you watching to the saying, you've just laid
38:45
out a whole, another standard of Christianity, that I've never
38:48
even thought was possible. Are you saying that I can be
38:51
invited to know more and I should believe for more?
38:53
And this is the secret to knowing greater Zeal.
38:56
Yes. And if you don't he says God
38:58
will reveal that also to you. I love that.
39:01
Do you know why? Because a preacher can only go
39:03
so far a message like, this can only go so far.
39:07
It can pray. Philippe point you in the right
39:08
direction, But ultimately the person that's going to be able
39:11
to change the way you think and I think who's going to do it,
39:14
God. God is going to reveal it and
39:17
then God is able to change it. So if God is revealing it to you
39:20
right now and God is convicting, you if God is showing you the
39:24
lack of the maturity that Paul describes here, then don't
39:27
dismiss it. God is doing something in you
39:30
and now partner with God until he rewires the way you think.
39:34
For the sake of your Zeal. In fact, Paul is starting to
39:38
stay here. Is that if you want your heart
39:39
to burn with Zeal, you have to fuel it with the right mindset.
39:44
If you want your heart to burn with Zeal, you have to have the
39:47
right mindset. There's a connection between
39:50
what I believe here. For those of you are mature,
39:53
think this way and how it's going to feel the Zeal in my
39:58
heart to keep pressing on and to keep believing God.
40:02
It's very simple, isn't it? But we miss it completely.
40:07
So we see it in Paul. We see it in Moses, men of God,
40:12
and we know that they both had one thing in common, at least,
40:14
open to different covenants and though they had two different
40:17
Ministries. They had one thing in common
40:20
God, there's more So, let me see it.
40:24
I'm going to forget what lies behind.
40:26
I'm not going to just dwell on the past.
40:28
I'm so I'm striving towards greater things in the spirit.
40:33
Point. Number one.
40:34
Do you have a grasp on the personal mission that God has
40:37
for you? Well, I don't know what God
40:38
wants me to have been praying and seeking.
40:39
I need a title. I need to know what it is.
40:41
Hold on. What is it in this season?
40:42
That's all you need to know and it will be season by season
40:45
where God will reveal it. Number two, do you believe that
40:49
God has much more to reveal to you in your life.
40:53
Just just ask yourself. Well, I don't know.
40:55
Just go to your prayer life and see how you're praying over your
40:58
workplace. Is it your mission field?
41:01
See how you're praying over your family.
41:03
Sear your praying over your own life.
41:04
Do you desire? Greater christlikeness, sear?
41:06
You're praying for your church. See.
41:11
But let me come to point number three, here.
41:14
Point number three, is this you and I must be totally convinced
41:19
that nothing in life is more satisfying.
41:21
The point number one and point. Number two, you and I must be
41:26
totally convinced that nothing will be able to satisfy as more
41:29
in this life. Then point number one and point
41:32
number to see you can hear what's being said this morning
41:37
and you knowing that you have a mission from heaven and you
41:41
Really apprehending that there is more for me in my personal
41:45
life, for God personally, to do something wonderful in and
41:47
through me, you can have that. But listen, it will not go
41:50
unchallenged throughout your life.
41:53
It will be challenged. And one of the challenges that
41:55
will come throughout our lives. One of the temptation of the
41:58
zealous believer, is to diminish in their Zeal, by Satan the
42:02
world or your own flesh, trying to present something that will
42:04
be greater in Joy or satisfaction, and it doesn't
42:07
have to be necessarily evil things.
42:10
And so there has to be a protection over that.
42:13
And there must be a continual convincing and that obviously
42:18
comes through consistency in our disciplines.
42:22
But my mind must be preached to my mind, must be saturated with
42:28
things that would continue to keep me hungry and believing so
42:33
you don't have to experiment with the world to find out.
42:35
If it is greater than what you have in God.
42:38
I've met too many young people at different.
42:40
Conferences who can't respond to a call to surrender.
42:44
Because they've been cooped up in their Christian home, as they
42:46
would say it, and they have not experimented with the world.
42:49
And so they're going to experiment and then come back
42:51
when they try to weigh and balance the difference between
42:54
the significance of both pathetic.
42:57
That's not the way it works. And that's just a recipe for
43:00
disaster. No you.
43:03
And I have to trust by faith. That there's nothing that can
43:09
satisfy other than knowing that I have been given a task from
43:14
headquarters on high. And I know that I can have a
43:19
greater unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ and his
43:23
character and fruit through me. Oh, nothing can even come close.
43:27
Nothing can even come close. And you might be saying, well,
43:30
where's the verse for that? In Paul's life, go to
43:32
Philippians 3. Verse 8.
43:40
Indeed. I count everything as loss
43:42
because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
43:46
Jesus, my Lord for his sake. I have suffered the loss of all
43:50
things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.
43:55
See what he's saying here. He was Christ.
43:58
He was the call that he's given me.
44:00
Here's the possibilities of his power being known to be in the
44:05
fellowship of his suffering. This is on one scale and here's
44:09
everything else. Whether good or evil on the
44:11
other side of the scale? And let me tell you how it is
44:14
Wade out. Everything is a loss, and
44:18
everything is counted as a rubbish.
44:21
That I may gain Christ. I've counted, I looked at it
44:24
said, that's it. I don't want any of it.
44:28
I don't want religion. I don't want performance.
44:32
I don't want sin. I don't want Mere entertainment.
44:35
I don't want the American dream. I want to gain Christ.
44:42
And that is the great shield for somebody's Zeal for the Lord.
44:47
If you're not convinced that what I am speaking about is
44:51
greater than anything else. Of course, you're not going to
44:53
know consistency and Zeal. There's going to be a fight for
44:56
your Zeal. There's going to be a greater
44:58
struggle to keep a zeal. You might be saying, I know what
45:03
you're saying. But experientially I can't say
45:05
it's true. Then it's time to do something
45:07
about it until you can look at a verse like this and highlight it
45:10
with 10 different colors and say, my heart can say, Amen to
45:13
this. My heart can say, Amen, to this.
45:16
And sometimes it doesn't come through Temptations of worldly,
45:19
pleasure or meaningless Thrills in life.
45:23
Sometimes, you can come over time when you set your heart to
45:27
believe you have a mission from God.
45:29
And to set your heart to believe that there's more only to be
45:32
faced with disappointment. Only be due to be faced with a
45:35
lack of answer. Only the experience.
45:40
Many dry seasons, weather doesn't seem to be any rain as
45:46
you call upon heaven to be poured out upon your life.
45:51
But then again, we are called to live by faith and to believe
45:54
that God wants us to have this more than we think.
45:58
And I'm scared that many people and I even know of some people
46:02
who've burn for Christ in their lives who had a Zeal but have
46:05
now settled in their lives to simply be entertained to simply
46:10
just Be addicted to a TV show and to have no sense of passion
46:15
or or purpose in the things of God.
46:18
People who used to serve god with such intensity and joy.
46:22
And let me tell you something, if you're watching and that's
46:24
you, you know, that they happiest you've ever been is
46:27
when you were completely surrender to the will of God,
46:29
you know, that the most Joy you've ever experienced is when
46:32
you Full Throttle gave yourself to saying, God, I don't live for
46:37
anything else. I need more of you and I need
46:39
you to use Me For Your Glory, you know, you know that nothing
46:42
can compare to that. But so many have settled, so
46:45
many have just turned it off. And I've just Gone through the
46:49
motions. They're still good people.
46:51
They still love God, but they don't have zero.
46:53
They don't have the fire that God wants us to have.
46:58
And so, don't just exercise your spiritual disciplines.
47:04
Don't just think I'm going to pray moment to read more.
47:06
I'm going to Fellowship more. I'm gonna go to church more and
47:08
then I'm going to know is, he'll know if you're not doing it with
47:10
these motors in mind. You're not going to last a week.
47:14
But if you know that you have a call from heaven and if you know
47:17
that as you pray and as you read and as you meet and as you seek
47:20
and as you serve, that God is able to just blow your mind with
47:25
his power. And if you'd know that there's
47:27
nothing else in this world can be satisfied.
47:29
So the only thing that you're going to do is give all your
47:30
energy in your effort to this Pursuit, then your zeal.
47:33
Well, not only be kept, it will grow, it will grow.
47:36
Will it be challenged? Yes, will you feel dry?
47:39
Spell. Sometimes sure, but you will
47:42
know that there's nothing else. I give that to you this morning
47:46
hopefully as ingredients to add to your flame.
47:49
Hopefully as a way of stepping back and looking beyond the
47:53
mechanical issues here and the actions and to see the heartbeat
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behind it that is necessary. And if you just adopt this
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mentality and if you don't have Have it.
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You can ask God for a what do you say?
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God will reveal that also to he'll reveal and he'll help you
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with it pulse, at him, Philippians, 3, 15.
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This is what we need. We need faith.
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We need understanding, need to sense of life, like Paul did and
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we will know something of long-term passion for Jesus
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Christ. So as you're sitting there this
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morning, I want to pray with you through this camera that these
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things would would be true in your heart and mind.
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And that we would Into a new height of Devotion to Jesus
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Christ. Let me pray.
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Lord, we thank you for this message.
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Simple yet so needed. The things that we need. as a
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motive, has an attitude as a posture as As a frame of mind in
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order to even no consistency in our spiritual disciplines and
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more importantly, the passion for you, Lord.
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And for your kingdom. Lord, May every person watching
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this morning. Not in a bondage type of way,
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but in an exciting way, seek you to know what it is in this
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season of Life. They need to do to fulfill their
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personal mission for the kingdom.
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And Lord. We pray for those who have maybe
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thought church and Christianity was all about hearing a message
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and maybe taking some notes, only to leave a notebook filled
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with something that probably won't be Revisited again.
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Help us understand that this is experiential that there is
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things that God you want to do in us and through us and you
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require our hunger and our faith in our participation to
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experience it. I even pray for those who have
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believed those two things, but are very disappointed.
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Maybe even now discouraged deflated.
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They feel like I give up. I've sought God, and I just
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maybe, I'm not the one chosen. Maybe I didn't make the lottery
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for his purposes. Lord help them understand.
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That there's nothing else to go to otherwise and that in your
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time you make things happen. And lastly, we pray that you
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would Shield us from any lie of the Flesh of the world of
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compromising Christians. That we try to tell us that
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there's Greater Joy outside of Point.
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Number one, and point. Number two.
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Keep us believing. Keep us believing these two
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things and understanding them. Well, we give you praise and
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glory. In Jesus.
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Mighty name we pray. Amen.
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Amen. May God lead, you and guide you.
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In these points that were mentioned met.
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You and I know a joy fruitfulness and a zeal.
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That before this quarantine, maybe we didn't think would be a
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possibility. God will meet us if we seek Him
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in Jesus name. God bless you and we'll see you
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next week.