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Cross Church - The Danger of Idle Hands · Upliftd by KHCB

0:01
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining us today.
0:03
SPEAKER_00: At Crosschurch, we believe people need Jesus.
0:07
SPEAKER_00: People need each other.
0:08
SPEAKER_00: People change the world.
0:09
SPEAKER_00: And people leave legacies.
0:11
SPEAKER_00: Our desire is for you to understand, accept, and grow in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
0:17
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening.
0:18
SPEAKER_00: If you would like to know more about Crosschurch, please visit CrossChurch.com.
0:24
SPEAKER_01: We are in the middle of a series in 1 Corinthians.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: If you've got a Bible, why don't you grab it?
0:28
SPEAKER_01: 1 Corinthians chapter 12 is where we're going to be.
0:31
SPEAKER_01: And uh we are talking over 11 weeks through this great book of the Bible about the 11 dangers for every Christian.
0:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh, some of these are blatant and outright, others are more subtle in nature.
0:42
SPEAKER_01: And uh today, uh, I believe we're covering one of those that is definitely more subtle in nature, and one that you may not even realize you're walking through right now.
0:50
SPEAKER_01: Uh today I'm gonna talk to you about the danger of idle hands.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: You say, What in the world is that talking about?
0:56
SPEAKER_01: Well, it's gonna make sense as we go on today in 1 Corinthians 12.
1:00
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we are uh talking through a passage that is all about you.
1:04
SPEAKER_01: I think we always listen better when we know the message is directly about your life.
1:09
SPEAKER_01: And so let me be loud and clear this morning as we get started.
1:11
SPEAKER_01: This message is 100% about your life.
1:15
SPEAKER_01: It is about you today, and really it is about you finding your spiritual gift and using it for the glory of God.
1:21
SPEAKER_01: Uh, 1 Corinthians 12 is uh the most famous passage in the Bible about spiritual gifts.
1:27
SPEAKER_01: And uh, so we're gonna talk through nine of those.
1:29
SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if anybody ever taken a spiritual gifts test online.
1:32
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever done that?
1:34
SPEAKER_01: Okay, like six of us.
1:35
SPEAKER_01: That's cool.
1:36
SPEAKER_01: Uh you don't have to.
1:37
SPEAKER_01: Um, but uh sometimes people like to do that, they're fun.
1:40
SPEAKER_01: I I think they're fine, they're just a little incomplete and maybe out of context.
1:45
SPEAKER_01: And uh, so today I'm gonna try to put you on a path according to the Bible of how you can find your spiritual gift and use it for the sake of other people uh in your church.
1:54
SPEAKER_01: So let's uh let's look together, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and uh let's begin reading in verse four together.
2:00
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna give you some things to underline.
2:02
SPEAKER_01: It says, now there are varieties, underline that, of gifts, but the same spirit.
2:08
SPEAKER_01: And there are varieties of service, but here it is again, but the same Lord.
2:14
SPEAKER_01: And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
2:20
SPEAKER_01: Now, let me be clear.
2:22
SPEAKER_01: Um, what we are talking about today is only for Christians.
2:26
SPEAKER_01: And so if you're here today and you'd be honest enough to say that, Nick, I'm not a Christian, somebody invited me, or I come with my family, but this is not really me.
2:33
SPEAKER_01: Like I'm just here checking it out.
2:35
SPEAKER_01: First of all, we're thrilled that you are here.
2:37
SPEAKER_01: Second of all, I would say this I would listen from a different lens today.
2:41
SPEAKER_01: Of your greatest need today is not figuring out what your spiritual gift is, your greatest need is the Lord Jesus Christ personally.
2:48
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and so I would encourage you to put your trust in him, put your faith in him.
2:52
SPEAKER_01: Some of you are attempting to live the Christian life without being a Christian.
2:56
SPEAKER_01: And that's a very, very hard thing to do.
2:58
SPEAKER_01: Uh, it's hard to do for two primary reasons.
3:01
SPEAKER_01: Number one, when you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: So God Himself comes to live inside of you and dwell in you and gives you the power to live the Christian life.
3:12
SPEAKER_01: So why I say it's hard for you to live the Christian life without being a Christian is because it's hard for you to live the Christian life without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit within you.
3:21
SPEAKER_01: It is going to be a very frustrating life.
3:23
SPEAKER_01: Your tires are gonna be spinning in mud type of feeling.
3:26
SPEAKER_01: And so today, some of you need to put your faith in Jesus.
3:29
SPEAKER_01: That's the very first step I would encourage you to make.
3:31
SPEAKER_01: Uh, but first of all, when you get saved, Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.
3:35
SPEAKER_01: The second thing that happens is that at salvation, you are given a spiritual gift.
3:40
SPEAKER_01: This is not something you choose, it is something you are given, and you really just receive whatever it is that God has given you.
3:47
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
3:48
SPEAKER_01: This might go right in line with your natural abilities, or it may be something completely different.
3:54
SPEAKER_01: But I want you to understand this.
3:56
SPEAKER_01: Right as we get started here, it is God and God alone who gives you the gifts that you have.
4:01
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 7.
4:03
SPEAKER_01: It says this uh to each is given the manifestation of the spirit.
4:07
SPEAKER_01: Here's what it is, for the common good.
4:10
SPEAKER_01: All right, let me talk to you about the danger of misusing your gift.
4:14
SPEAKER_01: You may ask yourself, Nick, can you can you actually misuse a spiritual gift?
4:19
SPEAKER_01: Like, what are you talking about?
4:20
SPEAKER_01: Misusing your spiritual gift.
4:22
SPEAKER_01: How do you do that?
4:23
SPEAKER_01: Well, I think we we primarily do that in two ways.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: Write these down in your journal today.
4:27
SPEAKER_01: Number one, we we use it with a wrong motive.
4:31
SPEAKER_01: All right, so you've been given a spiritual gift.
4:33
SPEAKER_01: How do you misuse it?
4:35
SPEAKER_01: Well, you use it for a wrong motive.
4:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh I'm gonna make a really basic statement here.
4:40
SPEAKER_01: As soon as you hear me say it, you're gonna say, that's basic.
4:42
SPEAKER_01: It's intentionally basic because I think sometimes we miss the basics.
4:47
SPEAKER_01: Your spiritual gift is not for you, it is for serving others.
4:51
SPEAKER_01: That's the basic statements right there.
4:53
SPEAKER_01: Your spiritual gift is not for you, it is for serving others.
4:57
SPEAKER_01: So to misuse your gift is to make your gift all about you.
5:01
SPEAKER_01: Our passage today, and we're gonna about to cover these in depth here a little bit.
5:04
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we'll cover nine of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: This is not an exhaustive list.
5:10
SPEAKER_01: Uh, depending on how you group them in other passages, there are 10 plus more gifts uh that you find elsewhere in the New Testament.
5:20
SPEAKER_01: Let me use two as an example of misusing your gift.
5:23
SPEAKER_01: Let's say that you have the gift of teaching.
5:25
SPEAKER_01: That's not in our list today, it's in another one.
5:27
SPEAKER_01: But let's say you have the gift of teaching and you teach a class or you teach a small group, and uh man, you are really all in it for yourself, meaning you teach in such a way where it makes it all about you.
5:39
SPEAKER_01: You're the hero of every story, you're the example to follow in every illustration, and you really want all the people in the group to know how smart you are and how wise you are.
5:48
SPEAKER_01: That's misusing your gift to make it all about you.
5:51
SPEAKER_01: Uh, let's say that some of you have the gift of mercy, another gift not mentioned in these nine, but mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament.
5:59
SPEAKER_01: And so you you're drawn to people in need.
6:02
SPEAKER_01: And so you serve and you serve and you serve them in need, but you're really not serving them for them.
6:06
SPEAKER_01: You're serving them for you because you love to be needed.
6:10
SPEAKER_01: Anybody ever seen that?
6:11
SPEAKER_01: I love to be needed and I want them dependent on me.
6:14
SPEAKER_01: Well, really, it's it's all about you in both of those scenarios, okay?
6:19
SPEAKER_01: Our hearts are wicked.
6:20
SPEAKER_01: Anyone learned that about yourself yet?
6:22
SPEAKER_01: Our hearts are wicked, and Satan knows how to take good, godly things and turn them not for God's glory, but for our own glory.
6:31
SPEAKER_01: And really, what I would say is when we misuse our gift, our spiritual gifts, think about this.
6:36
SPEAKER_01: This is crazy.
6:38
SPEAKER_01: Our spiritual gifts become megaphones of our own glory.
6:42
SPEAKER_01: It's the opposite intention of how God uh uh intended these things to be used.
6:48
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so that's the first way we misuse it.
6:50
SPEAKER_01: Here's a second, write it down.
6:52
SPEAKER_01: You only use it outside of the church.
6:55
SPEAKER_01: You only use it outside the church.
6:58
SPEAKER_01: Now, I'm of the firm belief you should be using your spiritual gift wherever you go.
7:02
SPEAKER_01: For those of you in business, man, I don't I don't know why you would not use your spiritual gift at the office.
7:08
SPEAKER_01: If you got a family, by all means, you should be using your spiritual gift within the family or your friend group, your neighborhood, your school, those of you who are teenagers, like by all means, it should be uh used in all this.
7:20
SPEAKER_01: It's not wrong to use it in any of those venues, okay?
7:24
SPEAKER_01: Here's my caveat, all right?
7:26
SPEAKER_01: I do think it can become wrong if you use it in all these other places, but never use it within your own church.
7:33
SPEAKER_01: Wrong may even be too strong of a word.
7:36
SPEAKER_01: Let me let me phrase it this way.
7:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I think God's intention when he gave you the gift was to benefit the other people around.
7:44
SPEAKER_01: So when the Bible says for the common good, uh common good of the community, yes and amen.
7:50
SPEAKER_01: Common good of your business, yes and amen.
7:52
SPEAKER_01: Common good of your family, yes and amen.
7:55
SPEAKER_01: But you have to remember what the context is of 1 Corinthians chapter 12.
7:59
SPEAKER_01: He is writing to people just like you in a situation just like this.
8:04
SPEAKER_01: We just have air conditioning and they did not.
8:06
SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's the only difference, all right?
8:08
SPEAKER_01: Real people in a real church, and uh the point is this you're given a spiritual gift to use it primarily within your church, okay?
8:18
SPEAKER_01: Um, may it not be said that everybody else experiences the benefit and the blessing of our spiritual gifts to the detriment of those who are sitting next to you this morning, okay?
8:29
SPEAKER_01: First and foremost, the people around you today should be the ones who benefit most from your spiritual gifts.
8:36
SPEAKER_01: Okay, let me tell you a story.
8:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh, there's a guy at our Springdo campus.
8:40
SPEAKER_01: If I said his name, you'd many of you would know who he was.
8:42
SPEAKER_01: Prominent business guy in our community, led a multi-billion dollar company for many years.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: And uh, I have zero doubt because I know this guy well, zero doubt that he would use the spiritual gifts that God gave him uh in the workplace.
8:56
SPEAKER_01: Like zero doubt he used it there.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I know he did.
8:59
SPEAKER_01: Um, I believe that he used it within his family, using his spiritual gifts there in the community through other speaking engagements.
9:06
SPEAKER_01: Yes and amen, no doubt about it.
9:09
SPEAKER_01: But you know where you would find that brother?
9:11
SPEAKER_01: A very busy man for many years.
9:14
SPEAKER_01: You know where you would find him and still find him today?
9:17
SPEAKER_01: Teaching a small group every Sunday morning.
9:21
SPEAKER_01: Like, yes and amen for everybody else getting to experience the blessing of his spiritual gifts, but first and foremost, for a matter of decades now, he has been faithfully leading a small group, using his spiritual gift for the benefit of other people.
9:37
SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's what we're talking about today.
9:39
SPEAKER_01: Now keep on reading.
9:40
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about this, let's talk about the danger of not using your gift.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: In all reality, we're gonna spend a lot of time on that today because I think this is where many of you are at today.
9:49
SPEAKER_01: You're bought into who we are as a church, you're saved, you're here every single Sunday, but there is in your life, there's not like an ongoing outpouring of your spiritual gift for the sake of other people here at our church.
10:05
SPEAKER_01: Look at verse 8 with me.
10:06
SPEAKER_01: Says this for to one is given through the spirit the utterance of wisdom.
10:11
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna I'm gonna list off these nine and underline them so you can do that in your journal as well.
10:16
SPEAKER_01: And to another, the other uh the utterance of knowledge according to the same spirit, to another, faith by the same spirit, to another, uh the gifts of healing by the one spirit, to another, the working of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another, various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
10:39
SPEAKER_01: Verse 11.
10:40
SPEAKER_01: All these are empowered by one and the same spirit who apportions to each one, underline these this last little phrase, to each one individually, last three words are key, as he wills.
10:55
SPEAKER_01: What this means is this the Holy Spirit gave you what he gave you, and he gave it to you on purpose.
11:02
SPEAKER_01: Have you ever looked at somebody else in your life and thought, man, I wish I could do that like she does?
11:08
SPEAKER_01: Or I wish I was more like that guy and what he's able to do.
11:11
SPEAKER_01: Anybody besides me ever been that way?
11:13
SPEAKER_01: And I look at other people and look at their giftings, and I'm like, man, I could never do what they do.
11:19
SPEAKER_01: You know what the Bible would say?
11:21
SPEAKER_01: You're right.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: Because you're not supposed to do what they do, you're supposed to do what God gave you to do.
11:28
SPEAKER_01: And so if you've ever been frustrated, uh man, I just wish I had a different gifting.
11:32
SPEAKER_01: Let me encourage you by the word of God today, you are exactly as God intended you to be.
11:38
SPEAKER_01: And not only your spiritual gifting, but the experiences you've been through life, uh, experiences you've been through in life, uh, the background that you have, the natural abilities you have that coordinate or sometimes go beyond your spiritual gifting, like all of those things make up you.
11:55
SPEAKER_01: And so I know it's it what it's like to walk into a big church like this, and everything seems like it's rolling well.
12:01
SPEAKER_01: Everything seems covered.
12:02
SPEAKER_01: You walk into the nursery and like, yeah, they have people in the nursery, and you walk in the parking lot, like, yeah, there's people, there's people doing this, you know.
12:09
SPEAKER_01: And you know, I walk at the door, and there's somebody greeting me, and there's somebody doing this or that.
12:14
SPEAKER_01: And I don't know if I'm really needed here.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: I just want you to know you're needed here, you're wanted here, you're valued here.
12:23
SPEAKER_01: And I often use this phrase when I talk about this uh passages like this, and I say it this way if not you, then who?
12:31
SPEAKER_01: Like God has given you a spiritual gift, biblically, first and foremost, for the benefit of your church.
12:38
SPEAKER_01: Let's say that this is your church home.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: I assume for most of you it is, for the benefit of the people at Cross Church, for the benefit of the people on your road.
12:47
SPEAKER_01: And so if you're not doing that, who is gonna do that?
12:52
SPEAKER_01: You may say, well, Tommy, surely somebody else will do it.
12:55
SPEAKER_01: What if they're not?
12:57
SPEAKER_01: God has given you a specific role for a specific season.
13:02
SPEAKER_01: Write this down, okay?
13:03
SPEAKER_01: You'll be most fulfilled in your life of serving God when you are living out your spiritual gift.
13:09
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna be most fulfilled serving the Lord when you are living out and serving God and serving others through your spiritual gift, okay?
13:18
SPEAKER_01: Uh, there are nine gifts mentioned here.
13:21
SPEAKER_01: In all reality, honestly, we could do like a gift a week.
13:25
SPEAKER_01: And so this is not an exhaustive look at these gifts.
13:29
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna I'm gonna walk through these pretty quickly.
13:31
SPEAKER_01: So, write quick.
13:32
SPEAKER_01: If you write quick, listen quick, I'll go quick.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: All right.
13:34
SPEAKER_01: So let me talk about the nine gifts that are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12.
13:38
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna group one and two together for a reason.
13:41
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about wisdom and knowledge.
13:43
SPEAKER_01: All right, wisdom and knowledge.
13:45
SPEAKER_01: I've coupled these together because I think that they go together and how they practically play out within the life of a church.
13:52
SPEAKER_01: Um, here's what this is: this describes people that God gives a unique ability of discernment.
14:00
SPEAKER_01: These are discerning people, okay?
14:02
SPEAKER_01: Let me say it to you another way.
14:03
SPEAKER_01: We'll throw this on the screen for you.
14:04
SPEAKER_01: These people apply wisdom and knowledge from the Bible to a situation.
14:10
SPEAKER_01: They apply wisdom and knowledge from the Bible to a situation.
14:14
SPEAKER_01: So this is not just like a wise person.
14:17
SPEAKER_01: This is not just a person who knows a specific craft or trade.
14:21
SPEAKER_01: This is a person who uh who knows the Bible well enough to say, hey, that's what you're going through.
14:29
SPEAKER_01: This passage is for you.
14:30
SPEAKER_01: Or you don't know, you don't know what to do, you've just told me your situation.
14:34
SPEAKER_01: Uh X, Y, and Z passage would say that you should do this according to this way.
14:39
SPEAKER_01: Does that make sense?
14:39
SPEAKER_01: Anybody got friends like that?
14:41
SPEAKER_01: These are good friends to have.
14:42
SPEAKER_01: You should look for people who have wisdom and knowledge according to the word of God.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
14:48
SPEAKER_01: Uh, let's talk about a third gift.
14:50
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about the gift of faith.
14:52
SPEAKER_01: Man, I love people with the gift of faith.
14:55
SPEAKER_01: This is what David K.
14:56
SPEAKER_01: Lowry writes about the gift of faith.
14:58
SPEAKER_01: He says, this it is an unusual measure of trust in God beyond that exercised by most Christians.
15:06
SPEAKER_01: It's an unusual measure of trust.
15:08
SPEAKER_01: You know these people in your life?
15:10
SPEAKER_01: They like, they believe God like when you're struggling to believe God.
15:14
SPEAKER_01: Let me say it in a simpler way.
15:16
SPEAKER_01: People with the gift of faith believe when no one else believes.
15:20
SPEAKER_01: People with the gift, yeah, that's right.
15:22
SPEAKER_01: She's probably got it right here, okay?
15:24
SPEAKER_01: People with the gift of faith believe God when no one else believes.
15:28
SPEAKER_01: Uh, so let's let's make this practical, like in a small group setting.
15:31
SPEAKER_01: Let's say you went to a small group today or this week at some point, and uh let's say that somebody in your group is bringing up yet again their prodigal son or prodigal daughter, and you've been in the same group with them for about a year, and they brought it up for about the last six months, and it's like a week by week update, and they're like, Hey, can we just pray for them?
15:50
SPEAKER_01: And if you don't have the gift of faith, you're going, I mean, I'm gonna pray, but I don't really think anything's gonna change.
15:56
SPEAKER_01: Like you may just honestly think that.
15:58
SPEAKER_01: Whereas the person with the gift of faith hears that and they're like, I don't believe that God's gonna move tonight.
16:03
SPEAKER_01: Like, we're gonna pray right now.
16:05
SPEAKER_01: The Holy Spirit grips that person and He's gonna, he's gonna call them back home.
16:10
SPEAKER_01: That's the person with the gift of faith.
16:12
SPEAKER_01: And so again, if you're looking for friends, look for people who believe God, right?
16:16
SPEAKER_01: Like these are great people in your life.
16:18
SPEAKER_01: And if you know somebody with the gift of faith that's been an encouragement to you today, man, I'd I'd text them today or call them today.
16:25
SPEAKER_01: Hey, thanks for believing God.
16:26
SPEAKER_01: And when I struggle to believe God, you're really helping me.
16:29
SPEAKER_01: That's a that's a great thing, okay?
16:30
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm gonna group number four and five together on purpose here.
16:33
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about healing and the working of miracles.
16:37
SPEAKER_01: Healing and the working of miracles.
16:39
SPEAKER_01: Do we see this in the Bible?
16:40
SPEAKER_01: Yes or no?
16:41
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, we see it in the Bible, okay?
16:43
SPEAKER_01: You see it through all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, through the ministry of Jesus.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: Uh, you see it uh also on display in the book of Acts through the apostles.
16:52
SPEAKER_01: Like, no doubt, this happened in the Bible again and again and again.
16:56
SPEAKER_01: Theologians call these types of gifts uh the miraculous gifts.
17:01
SPEAKER_01: So this is beyond like faith or wisdom or knowledge.
17:05
SPEAKER_01: Like, there's some supernatural stuff going on right here, okay?
17:08
SPEAKER_01: When somebody gets healed, working of miracles.
17:11
SPEAKER_01: And so the question we got to ask is this well, are these still for today?
17:14
SPEAKER_01: And in fact, I'm gonna recommend a book to you with that same title.
17:18
SPEAKER_01: It's called this Are Miraculous Gifts for Today.
17:20
SPEAKER_01: It's got four different authors, edited by a guy named Wayne Grudom.
17:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh let me let me walk through these four very quickly.
17:27
SPEAKER_01: And if you're like nerding out on what I'm saying right now, this is a book for you, okay?
17:32
SPEAKER_01: Um, uh first view is this, it's called the cessationist view.
17:36
SPEAKER_01: Uh, this is the view, as you can tell from from uh the word there.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: This is the belief that these gifts have ceased.
17:42
SPEAKER_01: In other words, yes and amen.
17:44
SPEAKER_01: They were in the Bible, wholehearted believe that, but they basically ceased when the apostles and their age kind of stopped, okay?
17:53
SPEAKER_01: Uh they were used for really to legitimize, uh legitimize the apostles at that time of like, man, they're healing, and here's the gospel message, right?
18:02
SPEAKER_01: That's the cessationist view.
18:03
SPEAKER_01: Uh, second view is what is called open but cautious.
18:07
SPEAKER_01: Open but cautious people would say, Well, I am open to um unique manifestations of the Holy Spirit, but I'm also cautious as to what many people say that those things are.
18:19
SPEAKER_01: Um, so like, yeah, I'm open to some things, but I'm also like, I don't know, at the same time.
18:26
SPEAKER_01: All right.
18:26
SPEAKER_01: Third view is this is called a third wave or continuationist uh view.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: This is uh in in very short lingo, they would say all these are still around today.
18:36
SPEAKER_01: In fact, you should seek after them, that kind of thing.
18:39
SPEAKER_01: And then the fourth view would be a Pentecostal or charismatic view.
18:43
SPEAKER_01: Some of you have come from that background, and this would explain all of these similarly in the way that yes, these still exist.
18:51
SPEAKER_01: You should seek after them, and they would explain these from a Pentecostal view, okay?
18:55
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I've got friends in all four categories, all right?
18:59
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I I should say this.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: What we're talking about right now are second-tier issues, they're not first tier issues.
19:07
SPEAKER_01: First tier issues, like we will fight to the death on first tier issues.
19:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh what are these?
19:12
SPEAKER_01: Um, Jesus is the only way to salvation.
19:16
SPEAKER_01: First tier.
19:17
SPEAKER_01: Bible is the word of God, first tier.
19:20
SPEAKER_01: Like those types of things, first tier issues.
19:23
SPEAKER_01: Second tier, uh what do you believe about miraculous gifts?
19:29
SPEAKER_01: Are they still around?
19:30
SPEAKER_01: Are they not around?
19:31
SPEAKER_01: Now we have very strong beliefs as a church about that, but uh, I would just tell you, if you've ever wondered why there are so many denominations out there, often it's because of different beliefs on secondary issues.
19:42
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna go to heaven with a lot of people who do not believe the same about miraculous gifts as you do.
19:48
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I just tell you that.
19:50
SPEAKER_01: You're gonna you're gonna show up in heaven and be like, huh, huh?
19:53
SPEAKER_01: You're like, yeah, it Jesus is the only way to salvation.
19:56
SPEAKER_01: They got that right, okay?
19:58
SPEAKER_01: And so um, the most annoying thing when I was going to college and seminary that theology professors would do is they would lay all these out and then they would never tell me which one they were.
20:08
SPEAKER_01: Thought that was so annoying.
20:09
SPEAKER_01: So I will not do that to you.
20:10
SPEAKER_01: I will tell you where I land, and then you can do your own study on this.
20:14
SPEAKER_01: Um, I I fall in the camp of open but cautious.
20:18
SPEAKER_01: Meaning this, um, I I think if if I were to hold it like this, I got two hands.
20:23
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot of chaos in modern day church related to to miraculous gifts.
20:29
SPEAKER_01: Some of you have come from that background, you're like, yeah, I experienced some of that.
20:32
SPEAKER_01: And on the other flip side of that, I would say, I don't think we believe God enough in modern day church.
20:38
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lack of faith.
20:40
SPEAKER_01: And so honestly, I I just hold both of them together and say, I'm I'm comfortable here.
20:44
SPEAKER_01: Anybody else comfortable here?
20:45
SPEAKER_01: Like, I want to believe God.
20:47
SPEAKER_01: I don't know about you.
20:48
SPEAKER_01: Maybe it's true for you.
20:49
SPEAKER_01: The older I get, I'm 42 now, the older I get, the more I want to see the power of God on display.
20:56
SPEAKER_01: Anybody else?
20:56
SPEAKER_01: Like the more I desire, like, God, I don't want things that I can stir up in my life.
21:01
SPEAKER_01: I want Holy Spirit, all sovereign, all-powerful God type of stuff in my life and in my church.
21:07
SPEAKER_01: And so I I think you can hold both of those uh in a very clear way.
21:12
SPEAKER_01: Uh to make it practical.
21:14
SPEAKER_01: Like, if you're sick and you come to me, I'm gonna pray for you.
21:21
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna believe God for healing.
21:22
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna anoint you with oil.
21:24
SPEAKER_01: By the way, we anoint with oil in a public setting about once every two years, usually at cross church together.
21:30
SPEAKER_01: Um, planning on doing that in the spring.
21:32
SPEAKER_01: I didn't mention that all morning, but there you go.
21:33
SPEAKER_01: All right.
21:34
SPEAKER_01: And so um, so we're planning on doing that in the spring.
21:38
SPEAKER_01: Uh, one that we do there.
21:40
SPEAKER_01: But I would say this we actually anoint with oil all the time privately at our church.
21:45
SPEAKER_01: And we do that according to James chapter five.
21:47
SPEAKER_01: And the order is very specific for us is we never approach you like if you got cancer out there today, none of our pastors should be coming to you saying, Hey, do you want us to anoint you with oil?
21:57
SPEAKER_01: That's not the order of the Bible.
21:59
SPEAKER_01: The order of the Bible Bible is let the person who is sick call for the elders of the church to anoint them with oil in faith.
22:07
SPEAKER_01: And so it honestly happens all the time in smaller gatherings of our pastors.
22:12
SPEAKER_01: If you approach us about being anointed with oil, the answer is yes and amen.
22:16
SPEAKER_01: We're going to anoint you, pray for you, and believe God for you for healing.
22:19
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
22:20
SPEAKER_01: I I can't heal.
22:21
SPEAKER_01: I'm going to pray that God would heal you, okay?
22:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh by the way, we all believe in healing when it's us on the table.
22:30
SPEAKER_01: Like like you all call that one charismatic Baptist friend that you have, who you're like, bro, I don't know what to do.
22:37
SPEAKER_01: Can you come over tonight and pray for me?
22:40
SPEAKER_01: We all got them.
22:41
SPEAKER_01: We all believe in healing when it is us who is uh who is the one in need of healing.
22:45
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
22:46
SPEAKER_01: Here's uh here's gift number six.
22:47
SPEAKER_01: Let's talk about the gift of prophecy.
22:50
SPEAKER_01: If uh if you um have come from a more charismatic background, you may view prophecy in a little bit of a different way than I will.
22:59
SPEAKER_01: Um people from a charismatic viewpoint will often say, Well, you know, I I believe that God's given me a word for you.
23:08
SPEAKER_01: And they'll tell they'll give you a word or whatever they feel like God told them about you.
23:12
SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, that it's easily misused, uh easily misunderstood, potentially.
23:18
SPEAKER_01: I think it's a much safer thing, as R.T.
23:22
SPEAKER_01: Kendall writes about, like, I think it's a much safer thing to say, man, I'm not sure if this is of the Lord or not.
23:28
SPEAKER_01: But I just feel impressed that this may be something for I think that's a much wiser way to say that than God told me tomorrow you're gonna die.
23:34
SPEAKER_01: Like, what?
23:35
SPEAKER_01: What are you talking about?
23:36
SPEAKER_01: Tomorrow I'm gonna die, okay?
23:38
SPEAKER_01: So uh again, open but cautious.
23:41
SPEAKER_01: Am I personally open to a word from God from someone else?
23:45
SPEAKER_01: Like for my life?
23:47
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
23:48
SPEAKER_01: But I'm I'm gonna filter that through the word of God.
23:50
SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be like this.
23:51
SPEAKER_01: It's gonna be like word of God and then a word of prophecy from somebody else.
23:56
SPEAKER_01: And so so I just encourage you.
23:58
SPEAKER_01: Like this happened to me years ago, right here on this stage.
24:01
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I've never told this story publicly.
24:03
SPEAKER_01: About 17, 18 years ago, uh, we were at a conference here.
24:08
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna be general to protect those in involved, okay?
24:11
SPEAKER_01: But uh, we were at the Pinnacle Hills campus on a at a conference at a very famous man uh in the Christian world who had come to speak, did a great job.
24:22
SPEAKER_01: It was right before we started the Fayetteville campus in 2011.
24:26
SPEAKER_01: So however many, I guess it wouldn't be that long ago, it was 15 years ago, so probably 16-ish years ago, probably be the right math there.
24:33
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and so that was about to happen, and so they brought me up to pray for me as I was about to go start the campus.
24:40
SPEAKER_01: And this man who, you know, is like a like a man of faith type of guy, and I love it.
24:47
SPEAKER_01: Um but he laid his hands on me, like I I think I sat down on these steps right here, and he laid his hands on me and he and he prayed and almost gave like a word of prophecy within the conference, and he said this of like, Lord, I I'm asking that you would use Nick to reach 10,000 new people with this campus.
25:07
SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, I'm sitting here, and you know, in that moment and the moments that followed, of like, man, we're meeting in a strip mall.
25:15
SPEAKER_01: Like literally cannot reach 10,000 people.
25:19
SPEAKER_01: Like worship center sat 560 packed.
25:24
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so so people came up to me after, you know, those coming days, like, hey, do you feel like nervous about it or pressure of that?
25:30
SPEAKER_01: I was like, no, I really, I really don't, you know, and and why?
25:34
SPEAKER_01: Because it's word of God, and then maybe a word from somebody else.
25:40
SPEAKER_01: If I if I look at this from an open but cautious view with a lot of grace, I've wondered, was that a word not for then but for now in my life where our church is more than 10,000 people?
25:52
SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: Um, but here's what I'd say my personal belief on prophecy is that it is actually speaking towards the clear proclamation of the Bible.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so um to say it very like clearly, prophecy is for the building up of people, it's for the building up of people, and uh and so that's that's where I land on that, much more than God gave me a word for you.
26:18
SPEAKER_01: It's it's like God gave us a word.
26:22
SPEAKER_01: Uh one of the preachers that I listened to so many times, he said this you want to hear the the audible voice of God?
26:29
SPEAKER_01: Read the Bible out loud.
26:33
SPEAKER_01: That's pretty good advice, right there.
26:35
SPEAKER_01: How about number seven?
26:36
SPEAKER_01: Man, these are good people to have in your life.
26:38
SPEAKER_01: Those who can distinguish between the spirits.
26:42
SPEAKER_01: You say, Well, what what in the world does that mean?
26:44
SPEAKER_01: Okay, this is the ability to distinguish who is influencing a person, the ability to distinguish between who is influencing a person.
26:56
SPEAKER_01: Here's here's the spiritual realm.
26:58
SPEAKER_01: Is this the voice of God they're listening to, or the voice of Satan?
27:02
SPEAKER_01: Are they listening to demonic voices in their life or worldly voices in their life?
27:07
SPEAKER_01: Or are they listening to the voice of God in the scriptures?
27:10
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
27:11
SPEAKER_01: Uh some of you are counselors out there for a living.
27:16
SPEAKER_01: You probably have this right here.
27:18
SPEAKER_01: And you're able to listen to somebody and be like, no, no, no, no.
27:21
SPEAKER_01: Don't think that.
27:22
SPEAKER_01: That's not what's going on here.
27:24
SPEAKER_01: That's the voice of the enemy.
27:25
SPEAKER_01: This is what God is saying to you from the word of God, okay?
27:29
SPEAKER_01: Uh, so maybe you do that for a profession, or maybe you do something else for a profession, but God's just giving you this spiritual gift, man.
27:36
SPEAKER_01: What what a gift to be able to use within the church family and the church body.
27:40
SPEAKER_01: So if God's given you that, man, what a gift that He has given you, okay?
27:44
SPEAKER_01: All group uh number eight and nine, obviously, uh He calls it various kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues.
27:51
SPEAKER_01: All right.
27:52
SPEAKER_01: Out of all the spiritual gifts in this list and the other list, this is the one that gets the most hype, it gets the most controversy.
28:00
SPEAKER_01: And uh we could have a separate message just on the issue of tongues, all right?
28:04
SPEAKER_01: Uh let me let me clearly define what this is.
28:07
SPEAKER_01: All right, tongues is someone who speaks in a language that they do not know.
28:12
SPEAKER_01: They speak in a language that they do not know.
28:15
SPEAKER_01: Again, there are various beliefs all over the map related to tongues that I cannot properly do justice in the time that we're allotted for this message today.
28:25
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
28:25
SPEAKER_01: Uh let me, again, if you're if you're nerding out over what I'm saying, let me give you a second book recommendation.
28:30
SPEAKER_01: All right.
28:31
SPEAKER_01: This is called Spiritual Gifts, What They Are and Why They Matter by Tom Schreiner.
28:36
SPEAKER_01: Tom is a professor at Southern Seminary, brilliant man.
28:40
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and this will give you a word on not only tongues, but beyond all the, you know, talk about all the spiritual gifts here.
28:47
SPEAKER_01: So I would encourage you to pick that up and read it.
28:50
SPEAKER_01: Let me uh I'm gonna give you a longer quote from him, so you're not gonna be able to write it down.
28:53
SPEAKER_01: If you want it, snap a picture of the screen, okay?
28:56
SPEAKER_01: He says it this way He says, the gift of tongues is the gift of speaking in human languages.
29:02
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, tongue speaking is not as many day today believe, speaking with ecstatic utterances, that is to say, speaking words with no discernible code or linguistic pattern.
29:14
SPEAKER_01: So you say, Well, when the Bible speaks about tongues, what's going on?
29:18
SPEAKER_01: This is what I believe the Bible is speaking about.
29:20
SPEAKER_01: I believe that this gift primarily speaks to the age of the apostles in the New Testament when God would use someone speaking in a different language than they were able to for the sharing of the gospel.
29:33
SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I'm an English speaker, and you're a Spanish hearer and Spanish speaker by by birth and by knowledge, and I can't communicate with you, and then God gives me the gift of tongues, and I'm able to share the gospel with you in your own native language.
29:50
SPEAKER_01: That's what I believe tongues are.
29:52
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
29:53
SPEAKER_01: Um, uh am I open to that still happening today?
29:56
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I really am.
29:58
SPEAKER_01: I think you hear about this sometimes in mission context, where like, yeah, we pulled up to this tribe, we didn't know the language, and God did some kind of weird miracle.
30:07
SPEAKER_01: Shouldn't call it weird.
30:08
SPEAKER_01: God just did a miracle, and I was able to speak in their language and share the gospel with them.
30:13
SPEAKER_01: Do I believe that can happen?
30:14
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
30:15
SPEAKER_01: I'm all game for that.
30:17
SPEAKER_01: And so here's here's what I've just done.
30:19
SPEAKER_01: I have opened the can of worms, and I'm not gonna put the top back on.
30:23
SPEAKER_01: I'm just gonna leave it there on the table and back away slowly, and you do with that all that you want.
30:28
SPEAKER_01: All right, let's wrap up with this.
30:30
SPEAKER_01: Verse 12.
30:32
SPEAKER_01: It says, for just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are what?
30:39
SPEAKER_01: They are one body, so it is with Christ.
30:46
SPEAKER_01: You matter here.
30:48
SPEAKER_01: You've mattered in every church that you've been a part of.
30:52
SPEAKER_01: You have a role to play in the church, and uh God has made you a part of a big family that you need to play your role within the family.
31:01
SPEAKER_01: Everybody, everybody's got a family out there, and everybody plays a different role within the family.
31:05
SPEAKER_01: You got one who's the awkward person in the family, you got one who's the one who stirs it up in the family.
31:10
SPEAKER_01: Everybody's got a role to play, right?
31:12
SPEAKER_01: And you need to find your role within the body of Christ, within the church to play.
31:16
SPEAKER_01: Here's gonna be the temptation, okay?
31:18
SPEAKER_01: The temptation is gonna be that you you get excited about this and you go on a search of like, okay, I'm gonna go take an online assessment of what my spiritual gift is, or I'm gonna just like try to nail it down in my own mind.
31:30
SPEAKER_01: What is my spiritual gift?
31:32
SPEAKER_01: And I'm gonna bring that and I'm gonna print it out, and I'm gonna bring it to somebody here at the church.
31:37
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna slap it down and say, This is my spiritual gift, and I would like a role that matches exactly with that.
31:44
SPEAKER_01: I would just say that's I don't think I've ever seen that happen.
31:48
SPEAKER_01: Like in a good way, okay?
31:50
SPEAKER_01: Um, I don't think that that's really how it works.
31:53
SPEAKER_01: Again, those tests are not bad, they're just incomplete.
31:56
SPEAKER_01: Let me tell you a story about a guy named uh Bill.
31:58
SPEAKER_01: Okay, Bill and Pam Bornstein um uh lived in Dallas.
32:03
SPEAKER_01: Okay, Meredith and I, when we were first married, we moved to Dallas.
32:06
SPEAKER_01: I went to seminary and we worked at a church in Plano, Texas, which is North Dallas.
32:11
SPEAKER_01: And so um while there, uh we met this couple, Bill and Pam Bornstein.
32:16
SPEAKER_01: Several years before that we got there, uh, Bill and Pam had moved from Las Vegas.
32:21
SPEAKER_01: They were like uber successful in Vegas.
32:24
SPEAKER_01: You say, well, how what do you mean uber successful?
32:26
SPEAKER_01: Well, when they left Las Vegas, they sold their home to a guy by the name of Andre Agassi.
32:32
SPEAKER_01: If you don't know who that name is, and you're younger in the room, Andre Agassi was like a cool tennis player uh that hit his peak like in the 90s.
32:40
SPEAKER_01: So these people were very successful, millionaires, all that kind of stuff.
32:44
SPEAKER_01: They they moved to Dallas in a new business venture and uh and were invited to the church that Meredith and I would later serve at.
32:52
SPEAKER_01: And they uh they were invited to a Christmas Eve service.
32:56
SPEAKER_01: At that Christmas Eve service, uh they were introduced to certain certain people and they met one of our one of our pastors on staff who like this pastor on staff was like soul winner of all soul winners, you know what I'm saying?
33:07
SPEAKER_01: And uh he ended up meeting with them later and and he and he led Bill and Pam to faith in Christ.
33:13
SPEAKER_01: And when Bill and Pam got saved, y'all, they got saved.
33:18
SPEAKER_01: Like radical reorientation of their lives.
33:24
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and by the time that Meredith and I arrived at this church, they were years after being saved, they were leading small groups, they were, they were, uh Bill had actually called God, uh, God had called Bill to ministry.
33:36
SPEAKER_01: It's a different way to say it.
33:37
SPEAKER_01: Bill called God into the ministry.
33:39
SPEAKER_01: That's a different one.
33:40
SPEAKER_01: God called Bill into the ministry, heresy.
33:44
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and Bill was the men's minister at the church.
33:48
SPEAKER_01: And so I worked for Bill, and uh, Bill would often bring me into counseling sessions with men uh or couples, and I had no reason for being there.
33:57
SPEAKER_01: Like I I would just I would just sit there, I often wouldn't say anything, and I didn't realize it at the time, but now I realize that not only was Bill discipling them, he was discipling me.
34:07
SPEAKER_01: Like I was like just third hand getting discipled.
34:11
SPEAKER_01: To this day, Bill and Pam Bornstein are the greatest disciplers of people I have ever been around.
34:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm talking about a machine of developing people in their faith with Jesus.
34:23
SPEAKER_01: And so I would sit there and I would listen to Bill again and again and again, and uh, and over time I heard him say the same statement to so many people in like one-on-one settings and also in group settings, and he would talk about spiritual gifts like this in relation to finding your place to serve in the church.
34:41
SPEAKER_01: He would say it this way, he said this start serving and God will reveal to you your spiritual gift.
34:47
SPEAKER_01: Start serving somewhere and God will reveal to you your spiritual gift.
34:53
SPEAKER_01: We like to think in terms of straight lines.
34:55
SPEAKER_01: Anyone like me?
34:56
SPEAKER_01: Like, this is my gift, and this will be a straight line to the role that I can fulfill my spiritual gift in the church.
35:04
SPEAKER_01: Again, I don't I think that rarely works like that.
35:09
SPEAKER_01: Uh can I give you some advice as your pastor today?
35:12
SPEAKER_01: I'm just gonna call this pastoral advice about spiritual gifts, all right?
35:16
SPEAKER_01: Stop thinking about spiritual gifts like a straight line and look at it more like surrender.
35:23
SPEAKER_01: Stop looking at it like a straight line.
35:26
SPEAKER_01: This is what I expect to happen.
35:28
SPEAKER_01: And really, when you say, Lord, I want to be used for your kingdom, you're just saying, God, man, whatever you want me to do, the answer is yes.
35:36
SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, you hear an announcement about a need in the church, and you're like, Well, I don't know if that really fits my gifting.
35:44
SPEAKER_01: Can I give you some advice again?
35:46
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we all prefer roles over needs.
35:52
SPEAKER_01: And every church that you're ever a part of will have both roles and needs.
35:57
SPEAKER_01: And, you know, someone on staff comes up to you and says, Hey, we we've got a need in blank ministry.
36:02
SPEAKER_01: And I was wondering if you'd help.
36:04
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes you're like, Well, I don't, I don't really feel like that's my sweet spot of spiritual gifting.
36:09
SPEAKER_01: And so maybe you say, No.
36:11
SPEAKER_01: Can I give you some advice?
36:12
SPEAKER_01: Focus on needs and you'll find your role.
36:15
SPEAKER_01: Focus on needs and you'll find your role.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: Uh let me make this practical.
36:21
SPEAKER_01: Let's say that um some point you you went through growth track and you signed up somewhere to serve, and somebody called you from the church, and they're like, hey, I we really need a greeter at this door at the 11 o'clock service.
36:36
SPEAKER_01: And you're thinking to yourself, I got the gift of faith, and you're asking me to be a greeter.
36:44
SPEAKER_01: And can I can I show you how any spiritual gift that you have can be used in any role that you were given when you just meet a need?
36:53
SPEAKER_01: Here's what the gift of faith looks like as a greeter.
36:55
SPEAKER_01: Hey, man, welcome.
36:56
SPEAKER_01: Oh man, look at that suit.
36:57
SPEAKER_01: Oh, golly, that dress.
36:59
SPEAKER_01: Hey, welcome.
37:00
SPEAKER_01: We're glad to have you here.
37:01
SPEAKER_01: Man, so thankful you're here.
37:02
SPEAKER_01: They walk off.
37:03
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I'm praying for that couple today.
37:05
SPEAKER_01: Lord, would you meet them where they need it today?
37:08
SPEAKER_01: Hey, buddy, what's up, man?
37:09
SPEAKER_01: You're high-fiving a little kid.
37:11
SPEAKER_01: Gotta pray that kid would meet Jesus today.
37:13
SPEAKER_01: That's what the gift of faith and greeting looks like.
37:17
SPEAKER_01: Or let's let's uh you know give a different scenario.
37:20
SPEAKER_01: Let's say that you have the gift of administration, not mentioned in our list, but other New Testament lists, and you're in a small group, and the small group leader's like, hey, you know, Sally, we really need somebody to take over the prayer ministry of our small group, to, to, to make sure we're praying.
37:38
SPEAKER_01: And you, Sally, are like, I've been given the gift of administration.
37:41
SPEAKER_01: I'm not even a good prayer.
37:43
SPEAKER_01: So why am I doing this?
37:45
SPEAKER_01: You know what it looks like to have the gift of administration and you're given the prayer ministry?
37:49
SPEAKER_01: It means you think to yourself, I'm going to administrate this to death.
37:53
SPEAKER_01: That's what this means.
37:54
SPEAKER_01: So we had eight prayer requests mentioned in the group today.
37:58
SPEAKER_01: And so I'm going to identify eight people who they can each pray for one thing this week.
38:01
SPEAKER_01: And I'm going to have a second tier of people.
38:03
SPEAKER_01: These other eight are going to follow up by Wednesday with that person, letting them know our group is praying for them.
38:09
SPEAKER_01: That's what it looks like to have the gift of administration.
38:12
SPEAKER_01: And you're given the prayer ministry of a small group, okay?
38:16
SPEAKER_01: Um, just because you start somewhere doesn't mean you'll you'll always be there.
38:20
SPEAKER_01: And could it be, like, could it be that God is asking you to fill a need before he gives you a role?
38:29
SPEAKER_01: To be a servant before you ever become a leader.
38:33
SPEAKER_01: This past Thursday, right there in the lobby, we uh we had the summit.
38:36
SPEAKER_01: By the way, we have the summit all of October on Thursdays during lunch.
38:40
SPEAKER_01: It's a business person's luncheon.
38:41
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we'd love to invite you.
38:43
SPEAKER_01: We've got Kyle Reynolds, who's a pinnacle member right here, who's gonna be this Thursday.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: We encourage you to come, okay?
38:49
SPEAKER_01: Um, this past week we had Tony Dungey, the Tony Dungey, Super Bowl winning, Hall of Fame NFL coach.
38:59
SPEAKER_01: If you know me, I'm a football guy.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: So, like, it was like marriage to Meredith, birth of my three children, Thursday.
39:07
SPEAKER_01: Okay, like I'm just kidding.
39:08
SPEAKER_01: But it was, it was really cool.
39:10
SPEAKER_01: And we had a great interview out here with Tony, and what a godly man, what a humble man, what a leader.
39:16
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
39:17
SPEAKER_01: You know, the best thing I learned was before we we walked downstairs and we were sitting in my office over here, and uh, and I learned about his church involvement.
39:28
SPEAKER_01: He attends a church in Tampa, which is where it's the church we hired Mark Hutchinson from, who Mark preaches here.
39:34
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
39:34
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and so Mark knew Tony, and that's our connection to be able to get him here.
39:39
SPEAKER_01: And uh, and so when when Tony's family began attending Mark's church down in Tampa, his kids started being involved in Wednesday night activities.
39:48
SPEAKER_01: And so Tony just wanting to serve the church, he said, Hey, he asked there's hey, is there any way that I could serve on Wednesday nights?
39:55
SPEAKER_01: You know, my kids are coming.
39:56
SPEAKER_01: I just want to I just want to pour in and just any way I can serve.
39:59
SPEAKER_01: And I said, Well, yeah, coach, we need help in the parking lot.
40:04
SPEAKER_01: You know what Tony Dungey said?
40:07
SPEAKER_01: Okay, and and he ended up serving in the parking lot.
40:18
SPEAKER_01: You know how long he served?
40:21
SPEAKER_01: Three weeks.
40:22
SPEAKER_01: You know why?
40:23
SPEAKER_01: He was such a distraction because he was so famous, they fired him from the parking team, and they said, Coach, this is probably not the best fit for you.
40:36
SPEAKER_01: Would you be open to leading a Bible study on Wednesday nights for people?
40:41
SPEAKER_01: Tony Dungey wasn't too wealthy to meet a need, wasn't too famous to meet a need, wasn't too busy to meet a need.
40:51
SPEAKER_01: In fact, you know, we always try to get our summit speakers if they're from out of town to like come in the night before so we're not all stressed about a flight the morning of.
40:58
SPEAKER_01: And as Mark was going back and forth with him, he he was like, I I really, I really need to take a late flight so I don't have to miss my Bible study.
41:09
SPEAKER_01: I mean, Hall of Famer using his spiritual gift at his own church.
41:16
SPEAKER_01: And how did he get there?
41:18
SPEAKER_01: He just said, Oh, I'll meet and eat.
41:20
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you probably want.
41:22
SPEAKER_01: Okay, sure.
41:23
SPEAKER_01: I don't care.
41:24
SPEAKER_01: Whatever you need me to do.
41:27
SPEAKER_01: As you might imagine, um today I'm gonna push you to deeper involvement with the church, and really just beyond involvement as well.
41:37
SPEAKER_01: Uh, some of you would say, Well, I'm involved, like I'm here every Sunday, I'm even intended small group, but that's about it.
41:43
SPEAKER_01: And there's no real pouring out of your life for the sake of other people, there's no real using of your spiritual gift for the sake of other people.
41:49
SPEAKER_01: And so if like you would say, Well, Nick, I I'm here every Sunday, I'm really happy about that.
41:56
SPEAKER_01: I honestly I love seeing you when I'm up here, and I'm so thankful that you're here.
42:00
SPEAKER_01: But I just say there's so much more for you.
42:03
SPEAKER_01: Like with the Lord, there's so much more.
42:06
SPEAKER_01: Or you may say, Well, Nick, we're very generous to the church.
42:08
SPEAKER_01: We're we're a tithing family, we're we're above and beyond that.
42:11
SPEAKER_01: Like, we're very generous.
42:13
SPEAKER_01: Man, a million times thank you.
42:16
SPEAKER_01: But there's more for you than that.
42:19
SPEAKER_01: And I I could go on and on and on in lists like that of just saying, Man, God has more for you to do.
42:25
SPEAKER_01: And really, what you figure out is it's not for the church, it's for you.
42:31
SPEAKER_01: You'll be most fulfilled serving the Lord when you are out playing 1 Corinthians 12 in your life.
42:38
SPEAKER_01: And so I'm gonna ask you to take one of two steps today.
42:41
SPEAKER_01: They're both the same, just two ways to do it.
42:43
SPEAKER_01: Uh, if you're here today, here's my prayer.
42:46
SPEAKER_01: I I've prayed this morning for God to enlist 1,000 new people at our church who are not involved, like as far as serving in some capacity, to jump in.
42:57
SPEAKER_01: It's not, it's not for us, it's for you.
43:00
SPEAKER_01: Okay?
43:01
SPEAKER_01: Of how can God use you to make a difference in the lives of other people?
43:05
SPEAKER_01: Man, some of you are about to step into a calling you never knew you had, and you're gonna be like, it's gonna be like six months from now, and you'll be like, Nick, it's been the greatest six months of my life.
43:17
SPEAKER_01: I found my spot, I found my purpose.
43:20
SPEAKER_01: And so uh here's the first step.
43:22
SPEAKER_01: If this is you and you're like, Nick, I'm not serving anywhere, and I want I want to be plugged in somewhere.
43:27
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you were at some point, but now you're not.
43:31
SPEAKER_01: Time to get back involved, okay?
43:33
SPEAKER_01: First step is this you can go to the next steps area in the lobby today.
43:36
SPEAKER_01: Okay, you have it on both sides right here.
43:39
SPEAKER_01: I I would say that's plan A.
43:41
SPEAKER_01: All right.
43:42
SPEAKER_01: Why is it plan A?
43:44
SPEAKER_01: Because you get to talk to somebody, they get to see your face, you get to see their face, and uh that's always better.
43:50
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
43:50
SPEAKER_01: Step number two if you're like in a rush and you want to beat all the other churches to lunch today.
43:55
SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's fine.
43:56
SPEAKER_01: Um, text the word serve to the number that you see on the screen.
44:00
SPEAKER_01: Behind me, okay.
44:01
SPEAKER_01: If you're watching at home today online, there'll be a different number on your screen than it is on this screen.
44:06
SPEAKER_01: So text the word serve to that number, okay?
44:11
SPEAKER_01: And uh that will be a way that we help you get involved in using your spiritual gift, all right?
44:16
SPEAKER_01: Can I close with just a special word?
44:18
SPEAKER_01: I want to speak to the men of the church, okay?
44:22
SPEAKER_01: So, ladies, take a deep breath and just nudge them right now.
44:26
SPEAKER_01: This is for you, okay?
44:28
SPEAKER_01: Uh God has called you to lead.
44:32
SPEAKER_01: God's called you to lead in your family.
44:35
SPEAKER_01: Your kids need to see you serving the Lord.
44:37
SPEAKER_01: Your wife needs to see you serving the Lord.
44:41
SPEAKER_01: Um, I believe God's called you to lead in the church.
44:45
SPEAKER_01: And so here's, we're gonna give you all kinds of opportunities out there.
44:49
SPEAKER_01: If this is not your cup of tea, but for some of you, you just need a nudge.
44:52
SPEAKER_01: And here's the nudge.
44:53
SPEAKER_01: I need many of you men to become small group leaders.
44:58
SPEAKER_01: You say me?
45:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
45:04
SPEAKER_01: You lead in every other capacity in your life, and you come to church, you're like, Well, I don't think I'm qualified for that.
45:12
SPEAKER_01: So I let me say, like, don't make this a bigger deal than it is.
45:16
SPEAKER_01: Can you take 10 other people once a week and lead some discussion questions about the sermon?
45:23
SPEAKER_01: You can lead a small group.
45:25
SPEAKER_01: Or can can you take 12 to 20 people, depending on your size of your group, and can you can you walk them for some of you are married?
45:35
SPEAKER_01: So your wife's gonna be right alongside of you.
45:38
SPEAKER_01: Can you two together just love people well?
45:41
SPEAKER_01: It's really all a small group is, by the way.
45:43
SPEAKER_01: If you can love people well, you can lead a small group.
45:47
SPEAKER_01: Okay?
45:47
SPEAKER_01: They will they will sit through bad lessons that you teach, they will give you grace because you showed up at the hospital when they went in there.
45:57
SPEAKER_01: Our favorite thing as a church is when we arrive at the hospital and the small group's already there.
46:04
SPEAKER_01: Like that's that's when we know the thing's working.
46:08
SPEAKER_01: And so um, so some of you men, I'm gonna ask you to step up and we need you to lead small groups.
46:17
SPEAKER_01: You say, well, so I guess the church needs more small groups.
46:21
SPEAKER_01: Don't think about like the institution, look around the room.
46:26
SPEAKER_01: That's who needs small groups.
46:28
SPEAKER_01: So you're a part of like a big family here where we're all come together, there's a lot of people in one room at one time.
46:33
SPEAKER_01: Can I tell you there as great as this is, there's a different level of relationship when it's a small family.
46:40
SPEAKER_01: So when it can go from like a lot to 12, and you find you find some people in your life that and you're you're walking the same way.
46:52
SPEAKER_01: You know, all it takes to lead a small group and say, hey, I'm going after Jesus.
46:55
SPEAKER_01: Y'all want to go?
46:57
SPEAKER_01: That's all it takes.
46:59
SPEAKER_01: And so if the shoe fits for you today, I'm gonna ask you to wear it.
47:03
SPEAKER_01: And if that, you know, if that's not your deal, we got a lot of other places to serve, but I'm just I just feel that.
47:10
SPEAKER_01: Wasn't them in the notes today.
47:11
SPEAKER_01: Started at 8 a.m.
47:12
SPEAKER_01: at Fayeville, gave the word at 9:30 at Springdale, giving the word here at 11 o'clock at Pinnacle.
47:17
SPEAKER_01: We need men to lead groups.
47:20
SPEAKER_01: And so, will you be one of those men that God calls out, okay?
47:23
SPEAKER_01: Can I pray for you today?
47:24
SPEAKER_01: Let's just bow our head and close our eyes as we wrap up.
47:26
SPEAKER_01: Chris, you go ahead and make your way.
47:29
SPEAKER_01: Our staff is gonna be down at the front.
47:33
SPEAKER_01: Uh, we're not gonna have a normal invitation like we do, but I just want you to know this.
47:38
SPEAKER_01: If you're here today and you need Christ, and you realize like this is this is my need.
47:45
SPEAKER_01: It's not, it's not something about spiritual gifts.
47:48
SPEAKER_01: Um, I need Jesus.
47:50
SPEAKER_01: That's why we're having the men and women of our team line up across the front right now.
47:54
SPEAKER_01: And it's for you.
47:56
SPEAKER_01: So in just a moment, as we dismiss, as everybody else walks out, I'm gonna encourage you to walk forward and just take one of these men and women by the hand and say, I need Christ, and they will lead you to faith in Jesus this morning, okay?
48:08
SPEAKER_01: But for the rest of you, I'm gonna encourage you to take one of those two steps today.
48:14
SPEAKER_01: And I want to pray over you right now, okay?
48:17
SPEAKER_01: Lord, it is uh it's our desire that you would move as only you can in the hearts of people.
48:22
SPEAKER_01: I pray that people are uh moments away from stepping into purpose, moments away from giving away their lives for the sake of someone else, moments away from rededicating their life, not only to you, but rededicating their life to your bride, the church.
48:42
SPEAKER_01: Lord, uh I pray that 12 months from now we would look at this same room and it would be a group of fulfilled people who are uh using the gifting that you have given them for the sake of the common good of the people that they're sitting next to.
48:59
SPEAKER_01: We trust you to do that, and it's in Christ's name that we pray.
49:02
unknown: Amen.
49:04
SPEAKER_00: If you have questions about what you have heard or would like more information about your relationship with Jesus, please email us at info at crosschurch.com or visit our website at crosschurch.com.
49:17
SPEAKER_00: At Crosschurch, our mission is to reach Northwest Arkansas, America, and the world for Jesus Christ.