Latest / Citipointe Church Caboolture / Believers to Followers - The Apology | Ps Melanie Politanski

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Believers to Followers - The Apology | Ps Melanie Politanski · Citipointe Church Caboolture

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Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast.
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Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to
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take hold of, so we hope this message inspires you and builds
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your faith. But it helps you have more of a
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God perspective for your day. Enjoy God.
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Is individual. He has a word.
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For each and every one of us. And do you know that this often
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happens in discipleship? For some of you in this room.
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There is the desire that. What just took?
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Place there for this gorgeous young woman would happen for
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your life. Do you know that there is access
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to that? It.
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Doesn't just happen here, it happens every single day in
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discipleship relationships. I was thinking about bringing
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the second part of this message because I know it's been a
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little while since I brought Part 1 and then randomly did
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another message in between and people like what is wrong with
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past Mel part 1's been sitting? There and lingering and where.
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Is Part 2. I promise it's coming forth
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today, but I was thinking about it and meditating on God about
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bringing the second part of this and.
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I want to share. With you, something I didn't
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share with you when I brought the first message going from
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followers to believers. And that is where this.
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Began for me in the turn of the year from 2024 to 2025.
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In my time with the Lord. I was journaling as I normally
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do, or writing down. About something specific in my.
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Life. Where I got to a place and I've
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been in this place before, but not to this desperation where I
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was looking something in the face that I have struggled with
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most of my life. And I, I was looking at full in
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the face and I started to ask God, something I've never asked
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in relation to this thing ever before.
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I have brought it to him, I've surrendered it to him, I have
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repented in it. I have laid it at his feet and
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walked away and yet this thing reoccurs in my life all the
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time. And at the turn of the year I
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got spiritually desperate and I said to God, how long?
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How long Lord, is this going to be a struggle?
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How long is this going to be the thorn in my son?
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I'm 44 next week. Thanks for clapping.
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I'm somewhere in the middle of my life, God willing, 44 years.
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This is a long. Time to struggle with something.
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And even as I say that you're going to sit here today, and
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many of you are. Going to go Uh huh I've been
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struggling with this thing for 50 for 60-70 years.
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I don't know what that is. Could be fear, could be a
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poverty mindset, could be rejection.
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But I, I hit the turn of the year and I was like, God, I
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don't believe according to your word that this struggle is
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supposed to remain a struggle in my life for the next 44 years.
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I believe your word to be true and that the things that I have
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found to be the mess and the test are supposed to mature,
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supposed to have healing, supposed to have breakthrough,
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and they should become my testimony.
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Does anybody else in this house have the faith to believe that
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God can do that with your? Stuff.
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A beautiful grace that has happened in my family is that I
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have had the opportunity to witness first hand what the Holy
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Spirit can do with a life. My mom and dad walked into the
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House of God as young people, as young adults and gave their
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hearts to Jesus. First generation believers.
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Both of them have horrific stories.
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They could write books, and I know that they mirror so many of
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the stories. Sitting in seats today.
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But I have witnessed with my life.
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I was only sharing this. We had a great conversation with
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my beautiful mother in love this week, and we were.
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Marveling. At what God has done in my
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family, marveling that if you meet my parents today you
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wouldn't believe what they. 'D come from.
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You wouldn't. The woman I am today, you
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wouldn't believe my childhood because she's always had it.
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She's always done this. She's always had a strength in
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every area, She's always had a confidence.
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Do you know when? I was a teenager.
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I was so not confident. I hated to be called on.
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The greatest fear I had was to be called on in a classroom to
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read. My whole body would be overcome
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with emotions and I couldn't stop shaking.
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I could never. Get the words out.
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Look at what God is. Doing with my life.
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God can transform a life, every life and every life is
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deserving. Every life.
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Is worthy. That's a word for somebody.
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This morning, somebody just just felt in the spirit.
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Not my life. I'm not worthy of it.
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Yes, you are. Your identity in Christ is not
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your You are not responsible for the doing or undoing of it.
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You are a son or daughter of the Most High God.
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Do you know you were before? You understood it, Jeremiah,
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before I formed you in the womb. I knew you before.
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Before you went. Jesus, I accept you as Lord and
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Savior. He goes son, daughter, my son.
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My air, my air, you mightn't understand it yet.
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But every single one of us have been called sons and daughters
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and heirs of the Most High God. And.
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Your story cannot undo that. But discipleship?
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Can help us understand it. It can help us remind ourselves,
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as Isaac said today, that we are sons and daughters of the Most
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High God and be transformed into Christ likeness, which is what
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God does with our life when we begin to follow him.
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So Part 2 of this discipleship message today.
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Is how or. Some of the necessary things.
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That we've got to step. Into in discipleship because
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when we are not discipled we miss out on specific things that
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God. Always.
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Had as a portion for our lives. In his word, he commissioned his
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disciples to go out into all the.
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World and make disciples now. There was a key found there.
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Those who had been discipled were sent to make disciples.
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But often in church, because we haven't done this well for the
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last 2025 years, we set people from believing to mission and
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say, now go and make disciples. But every single one of us has
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permission, has access to be transformed by the Spirit of
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God. This is not a set time.
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Often he'll begin to work and say OK.
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Take somebody else on that. Journey with you now.
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I'll keep doing something in you while you keep.
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Passing that on. But every single.
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One of us requires discipleship, and there's beauty found in it.
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Absolute beauty found in it. The Biblical.
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Definition of discipleship is this.
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Discipleship is the intentional spirit.
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LED process of being. Formed into the image.
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Of Christ through obedience to His Word.
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Through intimacy with him in one-on-one investment from
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someone more spiritually. Mature so we can.
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Learn to follow Jesus and lead. Others to do the same.
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When I cried out to God at the beginning of this year, do you
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know what the Holy Spirit said to me?
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I want you to go back. And call your disciple.
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I want you to get wisdom from somebody more spiritually mature
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than you to walk you through this and see transformation.
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Because you're right, this was never your.
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Portion Mel. This is supposed to be your
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mission. This is part of why I've got you
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here on planet Earth is to say I have overcome the enemy.
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I am a victor. This is what the Bible says we
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are. But I can't be a victor until I
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have victory in areas of my life.
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And so I require being walked through this.
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And this is the gift of discipleship.
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We cannot be discipled in isolation.
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True discipleship happens in relationship.
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Not just with Jesus. But with someone who?
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Walks. Ahead of you in faith and Jesus.
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Modelled this so beautifully walking.
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Closely with his disciples not. Merely teaching them not just
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this corporate teaching, but up. Close and personal Luke 9 verse
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23 says whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themself and
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take up their cross daily and follow me.
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There is a difference between believing in.
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Jesus and following Him believing is the beginning of
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our journey. Maybe you're here today and you
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made that decision to choose to believe in Jesus Christ last
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night. It's the best decision you could
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have made and it is the beginning of a life.
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That is going to be transformed by the Spirit of God.
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If you choose today to follow him, believing is the beginning
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of following is where transformation is found along
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our journey. So today I want to unpack three
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final things that we miss when we remain undiscipled as
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believers. We unpacked 2 in the last
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message and if you missed that message you can go on to any of
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our streaming platforms and have a little listen.
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For I unpacked. Two, that it was significant
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and. What the state of?
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Us as believers is like maybe you saw some of those things in
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your own life that you're like, oh, there are areas there that
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have not been discipled and so I've.
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Walked forward. Thinking there's maturity, but
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there isn't. And I want to mature because
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that's what God wants for me. Wants every single one of us to
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come into maturity as believers. I unpacked in the last message
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very quickly that when we are undisciple, we miss out on the
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gift of the power of transformation that can take
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place in our lives. And Jesus didn't just come to
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forgive our sin. He came to transform our life.
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The second thing I unpacked. Very quickly is that we?
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Miss out on the joy of intimacy with Jesus.
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John. 1515 says I no. Longer call you servants, but
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instead I've called you. Friends, this is significant
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discipleship. Brings us close to the heart of
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God, into friendship and into partnership.
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With Him, which is significant, disciples are not just.
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Learning about Jesus they are becoming more like.
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Him This is what God wants for each and every one of us.
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And so. I'm going to jump very quickly
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into the. Final three things.
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That is so crucial for you and I as a part of our journey with
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Jesus Christ. And when we are discipled, they
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are parts and gifts that we. Get to partake in.
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But when we don't, we miss out on these gifts that God is.
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Just going this is for you. #3 the point.
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Three that I'm going to launch with today is that we miss out
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on the strength found in spiritual maturity when we are
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undisciple. We miss.
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Out on the strength found in spiritual maturity.
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Hebrews. 5 verses. 12 to 14 says this.
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There's a big word. You ready?
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Brace yourself. Some need to put a seat belt on.
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All right, it says this. Hebrews 512 to 14.
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Though. By this time.
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You ought to be. Teachers, you need someone to
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teach you. The elementary truths of God.
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'S word all over again. This particular scripture is
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saying to believers of this time, come on by this time.
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You should be a teacher. Of this you should be
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discipling. You should be.
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Passing this on. But you need somebody to take
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you back and take you through the elementary truths of God's
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Word all over again. When we are under discipled, we
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miss out on the strength found in in spiritual maturity.
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Now here's the wild thing. Physically, we understand this
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if you are over. 40 in this room.
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You understand that even though our beautiful youth and young
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adults are passionate and falling in love with Jesus and
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reading their words, some of the things that come out of their
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mouth are young. I just was trying.
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To find the kindest word. Because stupid isn't something
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that should. Come off the platform regularly.
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It's not because they don't have deposits of wisdom from the Holy
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Spirit sewn in all the time. They do.
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That's why they do not conform to the patterns of this world.
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That's why they're sitting here with a passion and a zeal for
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God, like unlike other people of their generation.
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That's why there is a purity that has marked this generation
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and an integrity. But sometimes they go, you know
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what? I think that this is my next
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move. And you're like, what?
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No, no, that's not it. He sounds all right.
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Not really. Physically, we understand.
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That we go through a season of our life when we are.
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Stepping into into independence and.
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You're supposed to go. Through the season.
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It's a God-given season, all right when you're.
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Stepping into independence and learning.
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Wisdom. While making decisions for your
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life, while learning revelation in God's Word.
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We understand this physically and it's what I know it sounds
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funny. It's why we've got phrases
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coined like. Do not do they not just use
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common sense? Right.
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Do you know? There's no such thing as common
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sense. It's not common.
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It's true. But you know, there is actually
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no such thing as common sense. There is learnt and taught
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things. Do you know my children are my
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fault? Come on, scare real in this
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place. They do as I do and because of
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their ages. Maybe not with the understanding
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it. Fully why I.
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Do as I do. What's huge in that is every
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single week, somewhere in the life of this church, I teach
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amazing things from this. And yet, because I am still
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being discipled and transformed by the Spirit of God, I don't
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always do exactly what I should do according to this.
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And so my children are following suit.
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The reason discipleship is so necessary is because there's no
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such thing as common sense. Something that the general
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consensus of people go, that is OK for everyone.
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That's why our right and wrong measures is different for each
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and every one of us. Something I deem is that's OK,
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you go. That's terribly not OK.
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Right, our young people. And those new to Christ.
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Don't just require us to be spiritually mature if you have
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followed the Lord for 10/15/20 years.
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They need us to grow spiritually mature so they can do as we do.
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They need us to teach them not just in words and not just in
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platitudes and not just on Instagram Reels and in messages
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like this that can go to YouTube and they can access in times of
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trouble. They need us to follow.
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God's Word. This is where there will be a
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unity. Not a common in what we do, but
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what a God never said to come into common sense, said to come
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into unity as the body of believers follow Christ, to lay
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down our crosses and follow Him. This is huge, undisciple
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believers say, but God knows my heart.
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Come on, even right now, it's OK to repent or as long as I go to
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church, I'm good, I'm good. But do you know, there is
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something that's so dangerous and Pastor John went there
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before in his generosity moment, There is something that
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spiritually immature believers say all the time that is
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massive, massive. And this is not going out to
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condemn anyone. This is a call, a call to
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spiritual maturity. This is a call to discipleship,
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but something that is common when maturity is yet to be
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formed. Or people are meant to be.
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Discipled, but maybe it's been undisciple and been left and
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we've had to scrounge and find this on our own.
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One of the most common things that believers say is you know,
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I feel or I know God is telling me I feel God is telling me
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this. I know God is telling me that.
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As I've studied my word, I have discovered that even Jesus said
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is it not written? Last year, the Holy Spirit took
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me on a journey of unpacking, taking the Lord's name in vain.
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And I realized the countless times I've done this in my life,
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where I've gone, I really feel that the Lord God is taking me
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this way, or I really feel that God is saying this and he's
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going. I didn't say that you're taking
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my name in vain. You're using my name as
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ammunition when you Speaking of people, would you please point
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them back to my word and tell them what I really said for our
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life, For those of you here seeking guidance on your next
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move, your decisions, everything you need to know is found in
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here. Everything.
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There is nothing. There is no circumstance that is
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new, all right, No political debate, no virus, no financial
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climate, nothing. Nothing has been left
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unanswered, no relational dynamic, no spiritual force that
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comes against you. Everything is found in here.
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Everything. The answer to everything.
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It's OK to not know where to look.
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Find an amazing disciple who. Loves to look who loves to find
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out to go. Let's find the answers in the
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word of God for what it is that you are walking through.
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Let's get some God wisdom. So instead of us saying I feel.
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God is we can go. It's.
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Written, he has said in his word, This is what it means for
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my circumstances. This is a powerful thing.
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You know these statements or these thought?
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Patterns can sound humble, but. Often they cover up.
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Spiritual immaturity, true. Maturity, says Lord, grow me
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when it's hard and show me in your word.
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Show me in your word. Without discipleship, believers
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stay spiritually weak and easily.
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Shaken, facing the same thing over and over and over again.
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Repeating patterns over and over in our life.
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If you want to get off the hamster wheel today, this is a
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word for somebody. If you want to get off the
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hamster wheel and not do a repeat of the same type of
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relationship over and over and over and over, or the same
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dynamic in your workplace over and over and over, the answers
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are found in transformation through God's Word.
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Not I feel my feelings leave me in the most ridiculous places.
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I can tell you I feel all sorts of awesome.
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Things in shopping centres, all the best things of the hair, all
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the best things. The good food is there, the
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stuff is there, feel good when I'm wearing something new and my
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house has been redone again, all the good stuff is there.
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And yet. I can still be so.
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Empty. How long?
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How long do we go like? This or do we get desperate and
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say God make this mess my message, make this test, my
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testimony, a victory and a breakthrough and of growing into
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spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is not
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measured in years, but in a depth of intimacy with Christ.
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Remaining undisciple means we're remaining spiritually mature.
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Spiritual. Infants was hard.
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They remain vulnerable, tossed around by emotion, culture,
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situation, circumstance, and temptation.
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You know, if you're struggling with any of those things today,
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this is an invitation by the Holy Spirit to go come and be
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discipled. Come and walk beside somebody
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who's going to beautifully and gently by the Holy Spirit, show
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you in God's Word how to be transformed into the likeness of
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Christ #4 I can see the time. I promise to get you out of here
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shortly. We miss out on our Kingdom
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assignment. Do you know, I notice that this
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is a common thing and has been a common thing in the last 20 to
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25 years. I said it right at the beginning
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that we come into a belief of Jesus, we receive salvation, and
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then we very quickly want to move people on to mission,
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right? I can tell you in that season,
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after you've given your heart to Jesus, you can't help but tell
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people about it, right? Who's experienced that you?
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Can't help but. Tell people about what?
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God is doing in your. Life and what happens from that
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is that people. Follow.
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And they listen. The harvest is ripe.
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They're ready to hear what God is doing in your life.
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And when we first accept Jesus, we do.
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This. But every single one of us is on
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planet Earth today. Yes, you who just said not me.
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Yes, you were each on planet Earth today because God has put
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you on a today present day for purpose.
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There is a reason you're here, and it's not for how many people
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will know you on Instagram. We're going to give you a
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platform for what God wants to do in your life.
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He wants to do something in you because He's got something
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significant for you to do. You're going to leave a mark on
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planet earth in this time. But to do this, we've got to be
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discipled. Matthew 2819 says go and make
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disciples of all nations. Do you know undisciple
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believers, particularly those who've sat in church for a
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really long time? They said that's the pastor.
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'S and leaders job. It's not my job, it's their job.
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I'm not ready to be used by God now that I have lost that
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initial fire that happened after giving my.
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Heart to Jesus. I have been acutely aware that I
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am not fit for service. These beliefs keep believers.
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Inactive in God's Kingdom? But every single follower is
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Commission, not to just receive, but to go.
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Say I was called to go. I don't believe you.
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Say it again. I was called to go.
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You've been commissioned to go. Your calling doesn't just begin
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when you're ready. It begins when you obey,
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer says. When Christ calls a man, he bids
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him to come and die. So encouraging, but it's true.
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It's what? It's so true, disciples.
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Lay down comfort for Kingdom they go, they serve, they lead
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others. Believers consume, followers
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contribute. Disciples are not just growing
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personally, they're living missionally.
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Many believers never step into their calling because they feel
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like they're not gifted, but it's not true.
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It's just undisciple. Today, if you're sitting in this
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auditorium, you do not, you're not aware of, you don't
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understand the God, the God-given gifts that have been
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given to you. Please come and see one of the
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team after the service. Today.
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Every single one of us has been given incredible spiritual
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gifts. Do you know, as funny as it
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sounds, preaching is not one of mine.
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It's just ludicrous. God's got a really funny sense
29:48
of humour. OK, It's not in there, all
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right. Leadership is and evangelism is
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and. In this.
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Season. The assignment is to preach it
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so it changes from season to season what it looks.
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Like young people in every. Season of your life, your God
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giving gifts, it'll change. The assignments will change.
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Just like the assignments change from term to term, God
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assignments change too. But He will use your God-given
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gifts. He'll develop them if you're
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willing to be disciple, He'll cause them to come into
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maturity. And you'll understand then why
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He sends certain assignments. This is not just a word for
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young people today. Maybe you're sitting in this
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auditorium and you follow Jesus for 30 or 40 years.
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Or you've understood that He loves you deeply.
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He's called you to mission today.
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Every single one of you have been God-given, God-given gifts.
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If you don't know what they are, you go.
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I don't know. I definitely Can't Sing like
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Pastor Rachel, Pastor Rye, when he sings that song with the
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electric down, it's amazing and it rocks the House of God, No.
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Maybe a spiritual gift isn't to lead worship, but you've each.
31:07
Been given gifts? Some of you are sitting there.
31:10
You've got a whole platter of gifts, and I wonder if you would
31:16
allow some discipleship to help bring them out and grow them and
31:22
mature them and get them ready to be used for the Kingdom of
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God. You don't need a platform.
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You just need obedience. And finally, as the team comes,
31:36
the final thing that we miss out on when we're undisciple is that
31:40
we miss out on the community of accountability and encouragement
31:45
found in the body of Christ. Acts 2 verses 42 says they
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devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to
31:54
fellowship. Do you know undisciple believers
31:57
say it's just me and Jesus, I'm good, nobody else can speak, and
32:01
just Jesus. I don't need discipleship.
32:03
I've gone this long without it. It's just me and the Holy
32:09
Spirit. Some don't articulate it, but
32:14
the attitude behind it is really and truly which comes from a
32:18
place of spiritual immaturity is I don't like people telling me
32:23
what to do. Can I tell you something really
32:27
profound and spiritual today? Nobody does.
32:34
Or just somebody needs to go and then and lift their hands and
32:37
receive that. Nobody like that.
32:41
That's being told what to do. I'm raising 2 toddlers right
32:45
now. I can tell you with all
32:48
confidence right from the very start of life, nobody likes to
32:53
be told what to do. They don't like to be told to
32:56
put their shoes on. They don't like to be told to
32:58
eat their breakfast. They don't like to be told to
33:00
eat that breakfast. And you know what?
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That same thing continues through our whole life.
33:07
What's big? That's all ridiculous speed for
33:09
this road. Why is every single St. 40 now?
33:15
School zones have gone warm. None of us like it.
33:22
Do you know what this is actually developing in us?
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The reason we say to our kids those shoes?
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In your school uniform, I know. They're not cool.
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I know they're not on. Trend.
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It's not so you conform, it's. So that you learn in a safe
33:41
place how to obey. Right from when they're
33:45
children. And some.
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People are receiving this parents today.
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You got to give your kids a permission and a platform to
33:53
learn to obey in a safe place when they're young, so that when
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they're our age, they're OK at obeying.
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Now, I know that there are circumstances where that has
34:05
been abused and if that is the. Case where authority or those
34:14
with permission to lead you have misused that authority, I can
34:21
tell. You that the Holy Spirit wants
34:24
to bring healing and restoration there.
34:27
That was not your portion. That was not God's intent for
34:32
your life and there can be healing found for you.
34:38
Release for He heals. The broken hearted binds up
34:44
their wounds. But from a young age, we have to
34:51
be OK to let our little ones learn through obedience how to
34:57
submit to God by submitting and honouring, as Pastor John said,
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their parents. We have to actually advocate for
35:07
our teachers. We've got to go.
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It's it's actually good when they speak in your life and go,
35:17
there's a due date. And I know that you've got lots
35:20
going on at home. Everybody does.
35:25
But it will benefit your life if you obey so that they get to our
35:33
stage and they can be discipled in the ways of the Lord and go.
35:36
It's a safe place to go. But what you have thought was
35:40
God's word isn't actually can I show you in small things like
35:48
shoes and assignments in school. Now young people are being
35:53
having something cultivated in their life that is pivotal when
35:58
we get to this really important stuff.
36:04
Maybe you've missed out on the gift of discipleship in your
36:07
life. It's not too late to start maybe
36:13
over these two messages, if you've heard both, there's been
36:17
an area, just one of the five that you go.
36:19
I've missed out on that. I'm missing out on an intimacy
36:23
with God and I'm not hearing Him like I hear other believers
36:27
talk. About how God speaks.
36:30
To them through his word, how he gives them visions, glimpses of
36:36
the future. And so I fear my future, maybe a
36:43
missing community, maybe God, I feel.
36:45
So alone, and I don't have the gift of community, of
36:53
accountability and encouragement.
36:57
I feel like I navigate this all the time on my own.
37:00
And so I'm on a hamster wheel and I face the same stuff every
37:04
job. There's always a person.
37:08
There's always a person. God just goes, oh, I want to do
37:13
something in you, this transformation found for you to
37:19
help you grow, to help you mature.
37:23
So this morning I'd love to invite you to step into this.
37:29
Now you know, what I really love about this church is you're just
37:31
so in, you're so engaged. So that after the first message,
37:36
we kind of found out about like 50 people who are like, I'm
37:38
going to ask my person today. I'm not, I'm not waiting.
37:41
I don't care that she didn't get the whole message out.
37:44
I'm engaging in this today. Good on you.
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That is so brave. It's so.
37:50
Beautiful. And God's going to.
37:52
Do something significant through that relationship.
37:54
I know it. Next year, in 2026, we're going
37:59
to unpack for both disciples and those being discipled.
38:03
How to find yourself a disciple? And how to disciple somebody
38:10
really well. Stay tuned because we're going
38:13
to do some beautiful equipping in these spaces.
38:16
So that each and every one of us has the gift of being able to
38:20
step into. All that God has for us.
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But I wonder. Today, if there are people.
38:25
Sitting here today. That are receiving from the Holy
38:28
Spirit that invitation through these.
38:30
Messages to come follow me. It's not a salvation thing to
38:38
come and be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
38:41
Invitation. And I wonder if that is.
38:45
You this morning, if in faith you'd boldly stand where you
38:48
are. Maybe you've already even asked
38:50
somebody to disciple you. But you're going.
38:52
You know what? I'm going to step into this.
38:55
I'm going to allow my life to be transformed into Christ's
38:58
likeness right now. While eyes are shut.
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Why? Don't you just stand in faith
39:03
and accept that invitation from the Holy Spirit to come follow
39:08
Him and experience the transformation that God has for
39:14
each and every one of us? Belief is free.
39:17
Following does cost. Everything but it gives you more
39:21
than you can imagine. Jesus didn't just want to save
39:24
us. He wants to shape us, to send
39:28
us, to mold us, to make us and to walk with us.
39:32
All along this journey. You would never call to do it
39:35
alone and the Holy Spirit I even just feel I haven't even opened
39:39
my eyes to see how many of you are stood, but the Holy Spirit I
39:44
just literally felt him smiling upon people here this morning
39:49
going well done. Son.
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Well done daughter, this is always the plan for your life
39:58
regardless of your age and your stage.
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Well done the gift that is going to be bestowed on you.
40:06
Is going to be an incredible intimacy and for many of you,
40:10
you are going to begin to hear the Lord very clearly and the
40:14
scriptures are going to be opened up to you and there's
40:17
going to be incredible revelation for many of you,
40:23
things that you have walked. With for years you're.
40:26
Going to see rewritten restored. Redeemed and renewed, and God,
40:36
I'm just going to use those things for you to minister from.
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No, it's not yet, but it's soon. It's quicker than you think.
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God, I pray an incredible blessing on each person who's
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responded in faith this morning with a brave yes to you.
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Yes, God, I'm going to be discipled.
41:00
Yes, God, I'm going to walk through the spiritual maturity.
41:04
Yes, God, I'm going to be obedient to the call of God in
41:07
my life and. You're going to use.
41:09
This for Kingdom purposes you have permission to.
41:13
Use this vessel for Kingdom purposes.
41:17
And yes. I'm going to be encouraged.
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And yes, I'm going to be aligned and.
41:24
Yes, I'm going to be transformed by your spirit.
41:28
But God, I can't do this alone anymore.
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And so today I say, here I am. If you stood here today, just
41:36
say that here I am, Lord, transform my life, transform my
41:45
life, grow me, shape me, mold me, and make me into the
41:51
likeness of You. That is my heart's greatest
41:55
desire. That is our heart's greatest
41:57
desire, God, that we would make, that you would make us more like
42:02
you, that this time would not be wasted, that you've put us on
42:06
planet Earth, but that way. When you call us home.
42:10
Because you're going to call each and every one of us home
42:16
that we would be met with well done, well done, good and
42:21
faithful. Because we've stepped into all
42:25
that you've had for us through this gift of discipleship.
42:32
Jesus, mighty name. Wow.
42:38
Maybe you're in this place today and I've spoken this morning and
42:44
you're now even seeing if your eyes are open.
42:46
People who are responding to follow Jesus with their life
42:51
wholeheartedly because they want to be transformed into the
42:58
likeness of Christ. They're not content to remain as
43:01
they are, nor am I. Do you know this journey begins
43:08
with something significant, begins with a decision made by
43:13
each and every one of us to believe in Jesus Christ?
43:19
That's why this message is called going from believers to
43:22
followers. Now I can tell you with
43:26
confidence that if you choose to believe in Christ, He's going to
43:29
call you by name to follow Him. I know that.
43:36
But I understand. Maybe you've walked in here
43:38
today. Maybe you were brought by a
43:39
friend. I don't know.
43:41
Maybe you were invited to a miracle services and you thought
43:44
this morning was going to be that.
43:47
It's not an accident you're here today.
43:51
Nothing is an accident with God. You're not an accident.
43:59
Before you were here, God formed you, He knew you, He created
44:05
you, He made you, and he what he made He loves so desperately.
44:13
And for a long time he's been calling your name.
44:17
I wonder if this morning you'd respond to that call and say,
44:19
yes, Lord, I'm going to choose to believe.
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You. To believe in you, to put my
44:25
faith in you this morning. My way is not work for me thus
44:29
far. I got to do it another way.
44:35
Do you know when you? Choose to believe in Christ.
44:38
You are given something that is just one of the greatest gifts
44:41
on planet earth. It's His grace and it washes
44:44
over you. There's no decision you've ever
44:47
made. There's no thing you've ever
44:48
done that disqualifies you from the love of God.
44:53
He calls you a son. He calls you a daughter, even if
44:57
you haven't accepted him as your father.
45:01
He says, come on home, come and let me show you how much I love
45:05
you. He went to a cross and paid for
45:10
everything, a debt you couldn't pay.
45:12
And you mightn't understand everything I'm saying today.
45:14
That's OK. It's part of the journey of
45:17
following the Lord. You'll learn.
45:22
But this morning I want to ask the greatest question, the most
45:25
important question you'll ever be asked.
45:30
Would you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior today?
45:34
Would you choose? To believe that He is your Lord
45:40
and Savior, that He is a good Father, and that He paid a debt
45:45
that you couldn't pay. Would you accept that this
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morning?