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Adam Dragoon Adam Dragoon

Running Man Of God

We delved into the importance of redefining ourselves according to God's perspective, rather than the world's. Our identity in Christ is not based on our past or our failures but on who God says we are. This new identity empowers us to live differently, to pursue righteousness, and to flee from evil. We are called to run from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money, which can lead us astray. Instead, we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness—fruits of the Spirit that grow in us as we align ourselves with God's will.

Running Man Of God

Our New Identity in Christ Flees evil and Pursues Righteousness

Sermon Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound impact of words and identity in shaping our lives and spiritual journeys. We began by acknowledging the power of words, both negative and positive, and how they can influence our self-perception and destiny. Many of us carry the weight of negative words spoken over us, but we are reminded that words of faith and encouragement can transform our lives. The Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy serves as a powerful example of this, as he speaks words of affirmation and identity over Timothy, calling him a "man of God" despite the challenges and accusations he faced.

We delved into the importance of redefining ourselves according to God's perspective rather than the world's. Our identity in Christ is not based on our past or failures but on who God says we are. This new identity empowers us to live differently, to pursue righteousness, and to flee from evil. We are called to run from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money, which can lead us astray. Instead, we are to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness—fruits of the Spirit that grow in us as we align ourselves with God's will.

The life of Jesus exemplifies this secure identity, as He served others with humility, knowing who He was in relation to the Father. We are encouraged to embrace our identity as saints, set apart for God's purposes, and to live confidently in that truth. As we reflect on our lives, we are challenged to consider what we are running from and what we are running toward. Our pursuit should be toward a life that honors God and reflects His character.

“Our identity in Christ is not based on our past or failures but on who God says we are. This new identity empowers us to live differently, to pursue righteousness, and to flee from evil.”
— Pastor Adam

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Key Takeaways

  1. The Power of Words: Words can shape our destiny, whether negative or positive. We must choose to speak and receive words of faith and encouragement, allowing them to transform our lives and align us with God's purpose. [44:52]

  2. Redefining Identity: Our identity in Christ is not determined by our past or failures but by who God says we are. Embracing this new identity empowers us to live differently and pursue a life that honors God. [51:35]

  3. Fleeing from Evil: As men and women of God, we are called to flee from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money. These distractions can lead us away from God's purpose for our lives. [01:10:01]

  4. Pursuing Righteousness: Our pursuit should be toward righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. These fruits of the Spirit grow in us as we align ourselves with God's will. [01:22:13]

  5. Confidence in Christ: Like Jesus, we can serve others with humility and confidence when we know who we are in relation to the Father. Our security in Christ allows us to live boldly and fulfill our calling. [01:03:39]

Bible Reading

  • 1 Timothy 6:11– 'But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. '

Observation Questions

  1. In 1 Timothy 6:11, Paul instructs Timothy to "run from all these evil things." What specific evils does Paul mention in the surrounding verses that Timothy should flee from? [01:09:30]

  2. According to the sermon, how does Paul redefine Timothy's identity, and why is this significant for Timothy's ministry? [51:35]

  3. What analogy does James use in James 3:3-5 to describe the power of the tongue, and how does this relate to the sermon’s message about the power of words? [57:53]

  4. What are the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23, and how do they contrast with the works of the flesh discussed in the sermon? [01:25:35]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How does Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to embrace his identity as a "man of God" serve as a model for how believers should view themselves in Christ? [55:46]

  2. The sermon discusses the importance of fleeing from false teachings, discontentment, and the love of money. How might these issues manifest in a modern church setting, and what are the potential consequences if they are not addressed? [01:10:01]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that Jesus’ secure identity in relation to the Father empowered Him to serve others with humility? How can this understanding impact a believer’s approach to service? [01:03:39]

  4. The sermon highlights the importance of pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. How do these pursuits align with the fruits of the Spirit, and why are they essential for a believer’s spiritual growth? [01:22:13]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when negative words affected your self-perception. How can you begin to replace those words with affirmations of your identity in Christ? [44:52]

  2. Consider the areas in your life where you might be tempted by false teachings, discontentment, or the love of money. What practical steps can you take to flee from these temptations? [01:10:01]

  3. How can you cultivate a secure identity in Christ that empowers you to serve others with humility, as Jesus did? Could you identify one specific way to serve someone in your community this week? [01:03:39]

  4. Choose one aspect of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) to focus on this month. What specific action can you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? [01:25:35]

  5. Reflect on your current pursuits. Are they aligned with pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness? What changes might you need to make to ensure your pursuits honor God? [01:22:13]

  6. Think of a person in your life who needs encouragement. How can you use your words to speak life and faith into their situation this week? [45:38]

  7. Identify a distraction that prevents you from focusing on your identity in Christ. What steps can you take this week to minimize that distraction and deepen your relationship with God? [51:35]

  • Let's open up our Bibles, 1 Timothy chapter 6, if you join me there this morning. 1 Timothy chapter 6.

    One thing that I have marveled, I have been amazed by over the years, is the power of some key words spoken in the right moment. I don't know if you've had this experience. I hope you have. I hope you have somebody in your life that speaks good things over you.

    The power of words to transform your life. Because how many know we get a lot of negative words, right? Most of those negative words that are directed our way come from bullies in school, come from abusive parents or families. Negative words and criticisms come from the world. No doubt words can be used to belittle, to destroy, to denigrate, to abuse. And words are powerful. Some of you are still dealing with words that have been spoken to you when you were a child.

    Somebody called you worthless or useless. And for many years, it is easy for us to receive those words. And what's amazing is that words have the power to destroy, to denigrate, to abuse. And words have the power to shape your destiny. That someone speaks negative words can literally have an impact over your life to cause you to be useless and worthless. Because when you believe that, you start making decisions.

    The same is also true when it comes to positive words. You are able to speak over people. And people are able to speak over you words of faith and encouragement. That when we are going through difficult situations, sometimes in my life, I have been going through difficult situations. And one word, one word of encouragement from my pastor, an encouragement, I'll call him on the phone and say, "Pastor, this is what's going on." He'll say, "Let's believe God." Simple things. Doesn't have to be profound.

    But words of direction and purpose spoken over my life. Ladies, if you want to transform your husband, speak words of encouragement over him. Remind him that he's a good man. And even when he is discouraged and getting beat up by the world, a wife's words to her husband have the power to shape him and to give him strength.

    And I want to encourage you this morning because what we're going to find in our scripture is the Apostle Paul. He's writing to his, as he calls him, his beloved disciple, Timothy. And there's a verse here, there's some words that are spoken over Timothy that are meant as encouragement and strength and courage. And he gives us incredible direction for our lives. I'm praying that you'll be blessed by this message today.

    1 Timothy 6, verse 11. I'm reading from the New Living Translation.

    One verse here, but you, Timothy, are a man of God. So run from all these evil things, pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

    Let's pray. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. I am so grateful that this audience has gathered together today, your church, your people, the ones you've called and set apart for your glory. I'm praying, God, that you would use this word to transform their hearts, God, to draw us closer to you. Lift up, God, to the title that you call us. We are saints of the living God. And I'm praying, Lord, for your anointing and grace over this service in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, amen.

    This message I've titled, "Running Man of God." And let's look, first of all, at redefining ourselves.

    As I mentioned, the context of this verse is a letter being written from the Apostle Paul to his disciple, Timothy. Timothy is a younger man. He's of another generation. He's younger in the faith also. The Apostle Paul has ministered to him and brought him into the faith. He is what you could call a spiritual father to Timothy. There is care and concern. There's relationship over time.

    But as we, if you know the context of this letter that Paul writes to Timothy, Timothy is struggling, as every young pastor would. And he is struggling because people are talking about him. People are accusing him. People are saying evil things about him. And so Paul is writing this letter to Timothy, who is the pastor of the church in Ephesus. Paul is the one who has commissioned him and given him that role in the church and trusted him with that role of leadership.

    And now what Paul's role is, as he has left him there in Ephesus to lead that church as a young man, a young pastor, as Timothy begins to question and begins to maybe listen to some of the lies that are being spoken about him. You know, we all tend to do that sometimes. The tricky thing about lies is that there's always an element of truth to them. That's why they're believable.

    And perhaps Timothy is swirling in a sea of accusations. He's questioning whether or not this is really God's will for his life. Maybe he's even thinking of quitting. Say, "Paul, you better come back to Ephesus and put somebody else in charge because I don't think I'm equipped for this. I don't think I'm the right guy for the job."

    Have you ever had imposter syndrome? You think about your life and say, "God, why did you bring me to this place? I don't think I can do it. I don't think I can be the father you want me to be or the husband. I don't think I can be the wife that you've called me to be, Lord." And this is very difficult.

    And so often what is necessary in those times, you know, we want to pull the plug and we want to do radical extreme measures. But so often what is needed in those situations is simply a redefining of how we see ourselves.

    Thinking a little bit about Timothy's background, Timothy was the son of a Jewish mother and a Greek father. That means he's mixed race. That means that when the Jewish people looked at him, they would not see necessarily a Jew to the same level that they would see themselves. They would say, "Oh, you're half Greek, Timothy. What kind of Jew are you?"

    Also, we don't read that his father was any kind of a believer, only that he had a legacy of faith that came from his mother and his grandmother. We know all of these things about him. But he came to faith in Jesus, and he gave himself to the ministry as a young man. And we're grateful that there are young people who make decisions like that, decisions to become disciples of Jesus and even of the Apostle Paul.

    But see, one thing that can go missing along the way is the necessary ingredient of identity. Somebody say the word identity. It is so important how we define our own identity. Because as I mentioned before, the way we see ourselves is going to play out in the way we live our lives.

    What we believe about who we are will determine the kinds of decisions that we make and the kind of path our future will take. If Timothy would just believe that I'm half Jewish, I am unequipped to do the work of God, if he would believe those things about himself, he could easily throw away his ministry and the opportunity that God would give to him.

    And so Paul, in our scripture, is seeking to give him a new identity. A new definition of who he is, even if he can't believe it at first. Definition and identity is critical.

    Listen carefully this morning. Jesus didn't just die to change your actions and behaviors. The reason Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood is to change who you are. To give you a new nature. A new identity. A new identity in Christ.

    Some of you remember Evangelist Richard Brooks before he went on to be with the Lord, but he had a statement that I want to give to you this morning. You should listen carefully because it's important. Listen. He said, "It's not what you do that determines who you are, but it's who you are that determines what you do."

    What you believe about yourself will create the kind of life that you want to live. The kind of life that you live. Either you believe that you are broken and lost, and no wonder, you'll be broken and lost, or you'll believe that Christ has set you free and you are a new creation in Him.

    And that does require faith. Because how many know that the Bible calls us saints? Forty-eight times in the New Testament, Paul referred to the church as saints. You know what a saint is, right? A saint is a holy person. The Bible calls you a saint, but I'm not sure about you. When I wake up in the morning and I look at myself in the mirror, I don't always see a saint. I see a guy who is messed up. I see a guy who has fallen short. I see all of my failures and my sins of my past, but when God looks at me because of the blood of Jesus, He doesn't see what I see.

    He sees beyond those things into who I could be in Christ, who I am by faith in Jesus. And so Paul wants to remind Timothy of this truth. In the moment where, actually, accusations are swirling against his ministry, in a moment where the negative self-talk, the vortex, the whirlpool is spinning in Timothy's mind, he's wondering if he's up to the task. He's wondering if he was never called in the first place. He's wondering about all these things.

    Paul wants to bring definition to his life. And he does this by speaking words of faith over him. And I want you to catch what he says. But you, Timothy, verse 11, you are a man of God. You are men of God. Women, you are women of God. If you are saved, if you are bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus, God does not see you the way you see yourself.

    He doesn't see all your faults and your failures. He has separated your sins as far from you as the East is from the West. What does God see when He looks at you, oh man? He sees man of God. And that term comes with some baggage, right? It comes with some reputation. And that's why we're often afraid to embrace a title like that.

    Are you a man of God? Oh, I don't know. There's, you know, expectations there. I don't know if I can live up to them. Guess what? Nobody can live up to them. We can't. We can, however, submit our lives to the Holy Spirit and pursue this calling that God has put on our lives.

    Paul spoke this over Timothy. You are a man of God, Timothy. You better not forget that. Remember who you are. Definition came through the words of Paul. This is so important, church. This came within the context of a relationship between a spiritual father and a spiritual son.

    You better have some people in your life that you trust to speak over you. You better be close enough to somebody that they can speak encouragement into your life when you're on the edge, when you're on the side of the cliff ready to jump. You better have somebody that can speak sense into you when you're stuck on crazy.

    You ever been stuck on crazy? Like you can't change the channel? And your thinking is leading you down a path that you don't want to go. It's a path of wickedness and unbelief and carnality.

    Let me remind you, oh man of God, woman of God here this morning, don't you remember who you are in Christ? Embrace your identity. And this is done through relationship. So important. This is what the church exists for. We are not made to do this thing alone.

    This is the power of words. Remember James chapter 3 verse 3. We can make a large horse go wherever he wants by using a small bit in its mouth. Also, a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses, even though winds are strong. And in the same way, like a bit in a horse's mouth, like a rudder at the bottom of the ship, in the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches, but a tiny spark can set a great forest afire.

    James understands the power of words. He understands how powerful it is when we speak over our lives. What Paul is doing, he's speaking encouraging words to a discouraged young man. Timothy, remember who you are. You're a man of God.

    Why? Why is that so important? Because when we can allow these words to be spoken over us, we can gain greater perspective. As I said, we need to see ourselves the way God sees us.

    I love the story of Moses. We find Moses on the backside of the desert. After 80 years of life, what do you think Moses thought about himself? He said, I'm sure, in his mind, Moses says to himself, "I'm washed up. I'm used up. Nothing left for me. I can watch these sheep. I can take care of my family. But my life is done. All the important things that I'll ever do have already been done at 80 years old."

    And one day he's walking through the desert, and God meets him at a burning bush. And He tells Moses, "You are going to be my deliverer. You are going to speak for me."

    See, listen. God saw. He saw Moses in a way that Moses could not see himself. Here's my question for you this morning. Man of God. Woman of God. Can you gain a bigger perspective for your life? Or are you stuck with only the things you can see and understand?

    In that moment, all Moses could see was my little life with my little sheep, with my little family. God says, "I see opportunity for you, Moses. To do something. To do something greater." God gave Moses a new identity. "You're going to be my voice. You're going to bring the people out of bondage through my word and your actions."

    Think about Jesus. We also see it in the life of Jesus. You know why Jesus had such a powerful life? Because He knew His identity was rooted in His relationship to the Father. The life of Jesus is so powerful because the day that He goes to be baptized, Matthew 3, verse 17, there was a voice that came from heaven. And what did that voice say? The voice said, "This is my dearly beloved Son who brings me great joy."

    How would that feel for Jesus to hear the Father speaking from heaven? "This is my Son. Hey, listen up, y'all. He's got something to say." That puts Jesus on a path of knowing who He is and what He's supposed to do. "I am called by my Father to be the Messiah."

    I love the scripture in John chapter 13. Now we're at the Last Supper. Jesus is preparing on the next day to go to the cross. And He's having His last meal with His disciples as they celebrate the Passover together.

    And the Bible says these words, that as they finish their supper, Jesus takes off His outer garments and He appears to them as a servant. He pours water into a basin and begins to wash their feet. If you know anything about the traditions of the day, that was the job given to the least servant of the household. Nobody wants to wash feet. That's disgusting. Even Christians. Clean feet are kind of gross.

    But here are His disciples who've been walking around in the muck and the mire, no paved roads. And the only source of power, you know, power animals is animals walking up and down the street. Guess what the road is filled with? Not nice things. And they're out there in their sandals walking up and down those streets. No wonder they give this job. I mean, we don't even like doing dishes.

    But this job of washing the feet is gross. It's nasty. It's something that should be done by the least servant. But Jesus takes on the appearance of that lowest servant and begins to wash His disciples. Peter, he's like, "No, no, no, hold on. You can't do this to me, Jesus. I know who you are. You're the Lord and Master, the Christ, the Son of the Lamb. You don't wash my feet. I have to wash your feet."

    And what did Jesus say to him? "If I can't wash your feet, Peter, then you can have no part of me." He is exhibiting something to them. He is secure in who He is.

    How does Jesus do this without becoming embarrassed? The Bible tells us. John 13, verse 3. Jesus knew. Everybody say, "Jesus knew." What did He know? He knew that the Father had given Him authority over everything, that He had come from God and that He would return to God.

    Jesus has nothing to lose here. You know why? Because He knows who He is. He knows where He came from and He knows where He's going. He has security in who He is.

    The problem is many of us, we don't have that security of knowing who we are. That's why we are insecure. And people who are insecure are always trying to overcompensate by proving to everybody how important they are.

    You seen that before? Insecure people, listen, insecure people don't wash feet. Insecure people don't serve. Insecure people don't join ministry. Because they view that as a job that is beneath me. I don't have time for that. I got more important things to take care of.

    But Jesus, who is Lord and Master of all creation, He says, "I've got time to wash the feet of my disciples." Why? Because He is secure in who He is. "I know where I'm going. And I know where I've been. And I know who I am."

    He's got nothing to prove. What about you? Do you find insecurities in yourself? The proof is in how we serve others. And what Paul is trying to give to Timothy is to give him that security in knowing who he is.

    "Timothy, don't let these voices alter your course. Don't change your destination, Timothy. You're a man of God. So live like it. So do what you've been called to do."

    When the Bible calls us saints, as I mentioned, used over 40 times in the New Testament. Saint. You're a saint. You're saved. That means you're a saint. The word in Greek is very interesting. It's hagioi. It means holy ones or ones who are set apart. Sacred. Set apart for special usage.

    You know the story of John Newton? John Newton is the one who wrote the song "Amazing Grace," one of the most famous songs of all time. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me." He wrote those lyrics. Do you know what his story is?

    John Newton, when he was a young man, was given command of a slave ship. In other words, it was his job to travel by ship to West Africa to purchase people as slaves sold by the African kings, put them, lock them up on his boat, and bring them back to England where then he would sell them again to the highest bidder.

    Now, you can only imagine the horror of having to do a job like that. Treating people like cattle. If they get sick, you don't do anything for them. If they die, you just toss them overboard. It's demeaning and it's wicked. And he says, "I lived that life." John Newton. That's who he was.

    And later on, he writes a biography and he says, "The ghosts of 20,000 slaves haunt my dreams." That man heard the gospel. He was actually the child of a minister. Grew up a church kid. He knew the gospel, but he rejected it his whole early life. Later on, he received Christ as his Savior and he went on to become a pastor and a minister.

    And that's why he can say those words, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see." You know what else is interesting about that? When he wrote that verse, he was actually losing his eyesight. In his older age, his eyes began to fail him.

    But he still pens those words, "I once was blind, but now I see." What a powerful story. A man found a new definition of who he was. "I am no longer a slave master. I am no longer captain of a slave trading ship. That was the old me. I have to let that go and embrace a new identity in Christ."

    Can I ask you, have you done that? Have you turned from who you were and become who God wants you to be? God wants to redefine your life also.

    So, this verse is powerful because Paul goes on to describe what a man of God does. But you, O Timothy, are a man of God. So run from all these evil things.

    My second point is what are we running from? Men of God. Women of God. There are some things that we need to run from. That was a good place to say amen.

    As men and women of God, people who are, our identities are being changed on a daily basis, there are some decisions, actions, words, and thoughts that you and I must run from. The word in the New King James is flee. Everybody say the word flee.

    We're not talking about a tiny bug that makes you itch. We're talking about F-L-E-E. That means run away. Run, Forrest, run. When it comes to evil, Paul did not say negotiate with it. He did not say justify it. He did not say ignore it or defend it, make excuses for it, pretend that it goes away on its own. He said flee.

    You need to run from this, Timothy. As a man of God, this is what men of God must do. They must flee from evil. If you went home today and found that while you were at church that there was an infestation of cockroaches in your kitchen, would you just come to your house and look across the thousands of cockroaches and say, "Huh, that's weird. I'm going to go take a nap."

    No, you would do something about it. You would call the bug man. You would order some cockroach gel on Amazon. Like this, you need to do something. We can't just let this remain. We got to do something about this.

    I'm not living with a gaggle of cockroaches. But yet, there are men and women of God. God is redefining who you are, but we allow evil to live in our lives. There are some things we got to flee from, church. There are some situations. There are some relationships. Hello? There are some people that are not helping you live for God. We should run.

    The word is flee. In the Greek, it's "pheugo," which means to take flight, to run away, run as fast as possible, to escape. You know what happens when we negotiate with evil? It leads to us falling into it rather than conquering it.

    So rather than negotiating with sin and trying to face it head-on, instead, we should just get up and run. Remember the story of Joseph? Joseph in the Old Testament, as Potiphar's wife starts putting the moves on him, she says, "My husband's not at home. You come and lie with me."

    This is like the perfect scenario for every young man that he dreams about. But Joseph is a man of God. And she grabs hold of his coat, and he starts running. "I'm out of here." Leaves her with his coat in her hand. He ran so fast, he didn't even think to take his coat. He said, "I'm not doing this. I'm not going to negotiate with you, Potiphar's wife. Let's have a reasonable conversation about this."

    No, he ran out of her presence. Let your feet fly. You know, my grandfather, we call them Cliffordisms. He had some sayings that he would always say. And my grandfather was always, you know, in his youth, he was a tall, skinny guy.

    And he said when he was in World War II, he always told us, he was in the army in World War II. And he was one of only, like, 20. And out of his whole brigade, he was a truck driver. So many of them died. He was one of only 20 that came back with his group.

    And so, you know, the question was, "Grandpa, how did you survive when so many died?" And he would say, "My feet never let my face get hurt." There's some wisdom in that. That when it got dangerous, he knew how to run.

    That's not cowardice. You know, some people say running from a fight is cowardice. No, not when you know you're going to lose. You trying to face evil like you think you can defeat it with your own smarts and intellect.

    So there are three things that Paul mentions in this scripture. What are these things? Verse 11 again says, "Run from all these evil things." Well, there are three specific things that Paul mentions in the context of this chapter.

    The first thing that he mentions that we must flee from is false teachings. 1 Timothy 6, 4 and 5. "Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. It stirs up arguments which end in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt and they have turned their backs on the truth."

    Paul is calling out something that's happening there in the Ephesian church, that there is a spirit of controversy being stirred up, arguments and divisions, people who are declaring false gospels. And Paul says, "Timothy, you don't get wrapped up in this. You need to flee. It is unacceptable. This is a cockroach in the church. You don't allow divisions and strife to remain in the house of God. You need to learn how to judge this, Timothy, and in those that you lead."

    We, how many know we're supposed to be unified? We're supposed to be one body. What happened in the amens? False teachings and stirring up of arguments. Paul says, "You got to be careful about this. Flee, Timothy."

    The second thing he mentions is discontentment. Verse six, "True godliness with contentment is great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world. We can't take anything with us when we leave. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content."

    The evil that Paul mentions to run from is the evil of ingratitude or discontentment. Why is this such a dangerous thing that we must run from? Because ingratitude is self-focused. Gratitude is God-focused.

    Do you remember how Satan tempted Eve? Remember that? Genesis chapter three, when the Bible says they had freedom to eat any fruit they wanted. They had the pick of every tree. And you got to think about before sin, man, what kind of fruit did they have access to? We only can imagine.

    And in that garden, they could eat whatever they wanted. But guess what the devil came telling her? "God didn't give you everything. He's holding out on you, Eve." Genesis three, verse five, "God knows that the day you eat of this fruit, your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it. And you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

    The devil puts this in front of Eve, and she has everything that she wants. But the devil says, "You don't have enough." Can I tell you, the enemy uses that strategy on God's people and on the church. That's something we must flee. We must run from it.

    "No, Lord Jesus, you have blessed me. I'm not going to let the devil lie to me and say I don't have enough. That the world has more to offer to me. That homeboy down the street is going to fulfill my life."

    If the devil can strip you into discontentment, then he can deceive you into disobedience. That was good. I better say that one more time. One more time. I'll say amen to myself.

    "If the devil can strip you into discontentment, then he can deceive you into disobedience." Flee this evil, Timothy.

    The third thing that Paul mentions that we must flee as men and women of God is the love of money. I thought it was quiet before. Now it's going to get quiet.

    Verses nine and ten, same chapter. "But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

    I looked up that phrase in the Greek, "pierced themselves." You know what? The original definition of this word, it goes like this: "Torture your own soul with sorrows."

    The love of money, the desire—I'm not saying we shouldn't be good financial stewards. The Bible does teach that also. Don't waste what God has put in your hands. But if the desire of your life is just to be rich, to heap up a pile of money, flee. Flee. Run away from this.

    Why? Why is this such a danger? Why is this a cockroach in the life of the man or the woman of God? Why? Because it diverts your attention, your love, your joy. It takes it away from the blesser and gives it to the blessing instead.

    What did Paul say? He said, "This love of money." He didn't say money is the root of evil. He said the love of money is the root. Think about the word root. You ever had a problem with roots?

    In my neighborhood, there are these giant trees that were planted back in the 70s. And they're right next to the sidewalk. And over time, as those trees grew, those roots grew with them. And there was a time in my neighborhood when you couldn't ride a bike on those paths. Remember that, Jaylee?

    Because the roots had grown under the sidewalks and caused them to bulge. Right? The roots. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. This can grow into many branches.

    Don't worry. We'll get through this real quick. Think about Hollywood. Think about what people in Hollywood have allowed themselves, sold their souls. Many of them sold their bodies to achieve fame and fortune. Why? For a bank account?

    The love of money is a root. People who win the lottery. Man, it's almost a punishment to win the lottery. You look at what happens to people after they win the Powerball and get $500 million out of nowhere. And they have no idea what to do with it.

    And all of a sudden, every friend and every enemy comes knocking on their door. And the suicide rate of lottery winners. Drug addiction. You say, "Oh, all I need is money." All I need is more money. No. You need more Jesus.

    You say, "Pastor, if I won the lottery..." No, you would. There's a reason why God doesn't give some of us some money. Because He knows if you had it...

    So do you notice any of these? Do you notice any of these evils in your life? Stirring up, contention, discontentment, or love of money? Run. Run, Forrest, run. Don't put up with it. Don't allow it in your life.

    Now, as we close, I've got to close quick. The life of the man of God, the woman of God, is not just running from things. There are things that we are running towards. Hello?

    Hello? This is what Paul says in our scripture. "Oh, man of God, Timothy, run from these evil things." Then he says, "Pursue." Everybody say, "Pursue." That means chase after.

    "Pursue righteousness, a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness." Oh, this is good. We're not just running from evil. We are running toward a new kind of life.

    The word pursue in the Greek, "dioko," it means follow after carefully. You know what I thought about when I was studying that word? I thought about a young man as he is pursuing a young woman. He ain't going to leave her alone.

    I can remember back in the old days, my wife, my girl at the time, she couldn't get rid of me. I was pursuing her. There's a reason why young men pursue young women.

    The word pursue, listen, as men of God, as women of God, there are things that we must pursue. Romans 14, 19, Paul says in Philippians 3, verse 12, "I have not attained, I am not already perfected, but I press on." Same word, "dioko," I pursue. "I pursue that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold. I press toward the goal, dioko, I pursue the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

    Can I ask you, what are you running towards? What is the pursuit of your life? What's the goal? What is the finish line? Because for some of us, it is something way out in left field or something that has no meaning in the Kingdom.

    Paul says, "What do we run toward? What do we pursue?" The first thing he says is the word righteousness. Somebody say righteousness. What is righteousness? Why are we running toward righteousness? It is living in the way that is morally upright and in alignment with God's standards. This is our first priority.

    If we are men of God, if we are women of God, what are we pursuing? We're pursuing righteousness. "Seek first the kingdom and what? His righteousness," Jesus. He said, "Matthew 6, 33, seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

    The next thing he mentions is godliness. And this is wrapped up, I believe, in righteousness, exhibiting a reverent awareness of God's sovereignty and committing to a life that honors Him.

    And the rest of these that Paul mentions are faith, love, patience, and gentleness. All of these are fruits of the Spirit. In other words, if we are men of God, if we are women of God, the fruits of the Spirit begin to grow in us.

    In Galatians 5, Paul describes the difference between works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. See, the works of the flesh are obvious. They're the things your flesh wants to do. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, and on and on he goes.

    Our carnal desire wants to do evil, yes? That's works of the flesh. A work is something that you know how to do, and that has a consequence. But in contrast to that, in Galatians, Paul speaks about the fruit of the Spirit.

    How many know fruit is not something that you do? Fruit is not something that you do. Fruit is something that you receive. It's something that grows. It's a seed that plants and becomes a tree, and then branches, and then fruit.

    Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Paul mentions faith and love and gentleness. These are fruits of the Spirit of the living God in you.

    Man of God, woman of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, and these are the fruits which will grow from your life. So let me ask you, as we reflect, let's give it a time period. Let's reflect on the last week of our lives. Since the last Sunday that we gathered, how have you been doing in the arena of love?

    I know we love our people. We love our families, hopefully. But what about the family of God? Could you give half a flip about somebody on the other row? What's going on in their life? What about not just our friends and family, but what about, Jesus said, your enemies? Love your enemies and do good to them.

    See, that's not something our flesh does. We don't do that. That's against our flesh. That's something that's a fruit. It's something that grows. When the Spirit of God is alive in us, the love of God, even toward enemies, begins to grow. It's a fruit of the Spirit.

    Patience. See, I've got to pause for a moment to make sure, because while I'm pausing, all of you are like, "Come on, hurry up. I've got a lunch to eat, Pastor."

    Fruit of the Spirit is patience. Patience, even through trials and difficulty, gentleness, approaching others with humility and kindness, avoiding harshness or aggression. You know, the Holy Spirit will make you gentle. That doesn't mean weak. It means we're patient and gentle and kind.

    Have you been kind in the last week? Can I just be honest with you? God's trying to work on me with kindness. It doesn't come naturally to me. I'm usually a little more sharp toward people, more than I need to be. Why are you smiling, Amanda?

    And the final call is to keep going. Verse 12. "Fight the good fight, Timothy, for the true faith. Hold tightly to eternal life, to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses."

    Oh, man of God, bring new definition to your life. The evidence of that is that we are running away from evil and we are running toward righteousness. The fruit of the Spirit grows in our life, and as we do that, we must continue in the faith.

    Do not grow weary while doing well, church. We can make it to the finish line. Somebody say amen.

    So I charge you, I challenge you, know who you are in Christ. Run from what is evil and run toward what is good.

    Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. As we bring this service to a close, what a blessing. A God in heaven who is showing us, gives us an example of who we are in Christ. Jesus is our example.

    Every day we're supposed to be changing from glory to glory into His likeness and His image. The world should look at you and see the life of Jesus, the thoughts of Jesus, the words of Jesus, the ways of Jesus. The world should look at how you speak, what you say, how you treat people, and say, "Wow, that's how Jesus treated people."

    This morning, before we close, we're going to have some time for prayer. I believe God has spoken to some people about running from evil and running toward righteousness, about redefining who we are in Christ.

    But before we open the altar for prayer, I believe there's someone here that's...morning, and if you'd be honest for a moment, you'd say, "Pastor, I'm not sure that I'm right with God. I'm not sure that I'm living for God. My sins are destroying me, and that's what the Bible says. The wages of sin is death. The default destination of our lives without Jesus is separation from God for all eternity, judgment for our sins.

    You're going to stand before God one day, every single one of us, and on that day, either you will pay the price for your own sins because God is just, or the price for your sins will be paid by Jesus. By virtue of faith, we put our trust in Him.

    So you're here today. Say, "Pastor, I'm not sure that my heart is right with God. I want to turn from my sins." If you want that today, please don't miss it. Please don't miss what God has for you. He wants to redefine your life.

    Jesus says you must be born again if you want to see the kingdom of God. We can't do it in our own strength or in our own intellect. We need the Spirit of God to transform us, new creations in Christ, and you're here today saying, "Pastor, I'm religious, but I'm not right with God. I know some scriptures, but I'm not saved."

    And if that's you, I want to pray with you quickly as we close this service. Honest hearts today. You want to lift up your hand. "Pastor, remember me in prayer. I need salvation." Is that you? Quickly slip up your hand. Thank you, dear. Is there someone else? Quickly. God's speaking. The Holy Spirit touching you right now. The Spirit of God is convicting you of sin and drawing you to Jesus. That's what He does.

    Don't miss this opportunity to pray and receive Christ as your Savior and your Lord. Is there someone else? Quickly, "Pastor, pray for me. I need Jesus." Is that you? Come on. Is there someone else? Quickly lift up your hand. Honest hearts right now. Young man on the front, is there someone else? God's dealing with your heart.

    Maybe backslidden, maybe prodigal. Maybe there's someone here who left the Father's house, went to the far country. You've been living in sin, and what you know is wrong. You want to get your heart right. Time to come home. Is that you? Quickly. Anyone else? Quickly lift up a hand. Honest hearts, is that you? Let me pray for you.

    Somebody here, lift up a hand. Say, "Pastor, please, I need Jesus." Is that you? Quickly. Quickly, I need forgiveness. Amen. Honest hearts.

    If you lifted up your hand, would you come and join me? I want to pray with you. Over here on the left, would you come? We're going to pray with you. I have somebody pray with you. Young man up here, you want to pray? You want to pray? You want to find a place? Young man, you can come too. Let's believe God right now. You can kneel down. God's going to help you.

    Man, come and pray with these boys. Thank you, Jesus. Church, I want to open up this altar for prayer. Some of you have believed, but you don't know the lies of the enemy. Some of you have had definition on your life. It doesn't belong. Would you come?

    Oh, man of God, woman of God, let's come receive definition from Jesus. Some of you have things you need to run from. There are some cockroaches, some evil in your life that you've been allowing. It's time to say goodbye to those things. I'm fleeing. I'm running. I'm not going to put up with it.

    Some of you, there's some things you need to run towards. Not enough to just run away from the world. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards. We got something to run towards.

    Would you come and join us here at this altar? Come on, church. Let's begin to lift up our voices in prayer, believing God to help us speak to us. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise.

    We're praying together as we sing a song of praise. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise. Would you come? We're praying together as we sing a song of praise.

    Salvation is more than mercy. Salvation is grace. Salvation is God inviting us into His family. We have a seat at His table. We are sons and daughters of the King, man.

    And some of us are living as second-class citizens of heaven. Let me tell you, there ain't no such thing. There ain't no such thing. You're either His child or you're not.

    So quit staying in the barn out back and come in for dinner time, man. Let's live like He is our Father, like Christ is our elder brother. And we've joined His family, and there's a place for you.

    So quit beating yourself up, because in Christ there is no longer condemnation. Leave that to God. Leave that to the voice of hell. But use your voice to proclaim, "I'm a man of God. I'm a woman of God."

    Use your voice to bless others, to speak faith and confidence over them. Let's believe God together. Let's lift up our hands in surrender to the Lord and say this prayer.

    Say, "God in heaven, forgive me for defining myself in ways that don't bless you, that don't honor you, for believing the voices of hell and negative self-talk. I cast those things away. And today, by faith, I choose to believe your words about me, that I'm your child, that you have set me free. I'm no longer bound. God, you've made me into a saint of the Lord.

    You're the living God. I'm not finished, but I'm not who I was. And thank you, Lord. You've set before me a path to follow. Help me today to run from evil, from those things that I know are causing problems in my life and drawing me away from you. I'm fleeing from those things.

    And in Jesus' name, I am pursuing your heart, the fruits of the Spirit. Lord, I need your presence in my life every moment. So strengthen me by the Holy Spirit in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

    Let's give Him praise right now. Lord, we thank you. Can I tell you, God wants to raise you up as a confident son and daughter of the King.

    Oh, the Lord knows that the church is filled with ambivalence, filled with people who couldn't care one way or another, filled with people who are weak and compromised. But God's will for us is not that we would be weak and compromised, that we would be confident in who we are in Christ.

    We would be confident in who we are in Christ. We would be confident in who we are in Christ, pursuing His heart. That's my desire, my prayer for each and every one of you, that we can be transformed into who God wants us to be.

    We're closing in prayer today, and we do want to once again invite you back for our service tonight. Again, we'll be coming together for prayer at 6 p.m. Service tonight begins at 7. We've got another word that I believe God would speak to us tonight.

    Let's come with the victory. Let's bring someone who needs Jesus. As you go, wherever you go today, to the grocery store, to the restaurant, bring an invitation. You never know, God will lead you to someone who needs Him. Can you say amen?

    Let's bring somebody tonight. Call a friend, speak to a neighbor, tell someone that needs Jesus. Be in the service with me tonight. You never know what God would do if you would invite somebody.

    Let's close with a word of prayer, believing God to help us as we go out from this place. Amen. Brother Mason, will you close us in prayer today?

    Hey, y'all, we got a very special birthday in the house today. Can we sing happy birthday to Miss Dania? She's turning 16? 16? Let's wish her a big happy birthday.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Why Plant?: Planting Seeds of Faith for Kingdom Growth [Acts 13:2-3]

The calling to plant churches is not merely a strategy but a divine mandate to expand God's kingdom by sending out our best to establish new pioneer works. We reflected on the example of Barnabas and Saul, who were set apart by the Holy Spirit for a specific work, illustrating the necessity of being open to God's direction and willing to sacrifice for the greater good of His kingdom.

Why Plant?

Planting Seeds of Faith for Kingdom Growth

Acts 13:2-3

Sermon Summary

In this sermon, we explored the unique calling to plant churches, a mission rooted deeply in the early church's practices, as seen in Acts 13. This calling is not merely a strategy but a divine mandate to expand God's kingdom by sending out our best to establish new pioneer churches. We reflected on the example of Barnabas and Saul, who were set apart by the Holy Spirit for a specific work, illustrating the necessity of being open to God's direction and willing to sacrifice for the greater good of His kingdom.

Planting churches is similar to a farmer's decision to plant seeds rather than consume them. While eating the seeds might provide immediate satisfaction, planting them yields a far greater harvest over time. This metaphor underscores the long-term vision and discipline required to see the fruits of our labor in God's kingdom. It challenges us to consider whether we are willing to invest in the future by planting seeds of faith, even when it means letting go of valuable resources and people.

We also discussed the importance of each individual's role within the church. Just as every part of the body has a function, so does every member of the church. Whether through giving, administration, evangelism, or other gifts, each person is called to contribute to the mission of the church. This requires a shift from being mere spectators to active participants in God's work.

Furthermore, we emphasized the need for obedience to the Holy Spirit's leading. Just as Saul and Barnabas were called to new ventures, we too must be ready to pivot and follow God's direction, even when it disrupts our plans. This obedience is crucial for the church to fulfill its mission in these last days, as we anticipate a great revival and the outpouring of God's Spirit.

Finally, we were reminded of the cost of discipleship and church planting. It involves sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice that leads to exponential growth and the expansion of God's kingdom. As we pray and fast, seeking God's will, we are called to support this mission with our resources and our lives, trusting that God will provide and guide us in this endeavor.

“We must shift from being spectators to active participants in God’s work.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

Key Takeaways

  1. The Call to Plant: Planting churches is a divine mandate, not just a strategy. It requires us to send out our best, trusting that God will use them to expand His kingdom. This mission is rooted in the early church's practices and is essential for reaching new communities with the gospel. [01:02:05]

  2. Seeds of Faith: Like a farmer choosing to plant seeds rather than consume them, we are called to invest in the future of God's kingdom. This requires vision, discipline, and a willingness to sacrifice immediate gains for long-term growth. [57:54]

  3. Active Participation: Every member of the church has a role to play. We are not called to be spectators but active participants, using our unique gifts and skills to contribute to the mission of the church. [01:06:23]

  4. Obedience to the Spirit: We must be open to the Holy Spirit's leading, ready to pivot and follow God's direction even when it disrupts our plans. This obedience is crucial for fulfilling the church's mission in these last days. [01:10:37]

  5. The Cost of Discipleship: Church planting involves sacrifice, but it leads to exponential growth and the expansion of God's kingdom. As we pray and fast, we are called to support this mission with our resources and our lives. [01:23:02]

Bible Reading

  • Acts 13:2-3: 'While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. '

Observation Questions

  1. What specific work were Barnabas and Saul set apart for by the Holy Spirit according to Acts 13:2-3? How does this relate to the church's mission today? [01:02:05]

  2. In the sermon, the act of planting churches is compared to a farmer's decision to plant seeds. What are the implications of this metaphor for the church's mission? [57:54]

  3. How does the sermon describe the role of each church member in contributing to the mission of the church? [01:06:23]

  4. What examples from the sermon illustrate the necessity of being open to the Holy Spirit's leading, even when it disrupts personal plans? [01:10:37]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How does the example of Barnabas and Saul in Acts 13:2-3 illustrate the importance of obedience to the Holy Spirit in church planting? [01:02:05]

  2. The sermon mentions the cost of discipleship and church planting. What are some specific sacrifices mentioned, and how do they contribute to the growth of God's kingdom? [01:23:02]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that every church member can actively participate in the mission of the church, rather than being a spectator? [01:06:23]

  4. How does the sermon challenge the traditional view of church growth and expansion, particularly in the context of sending out the best people for church planting? [01:18:26]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on the metaphor of planting seeds. Are there areas in your life where you are consuming rather than planting? How can you shift your focus to invest in long-term growth for God's kingdom? [57:54]

  2. Consider your unique gifts and skills. How can you actively contribute to the mission of the church rather than being a spectator? Identify one specific way you can get involved this month. [01:06:23]

  3. The sermon emphasizes obedience to the Holy Spirit's leading. Is there an area in your life where you feel the Holy Spirit is prompting you to change direction? What steps can you take to follow that leading? [01:10:37]

  4. Church planting involves sacrifice. What resources or comforts might you be holding onto that God is calling you to release for the sake of His kingdom? [01:23:02]

  5. How can you support the mission of church planting in your community, whether through prayer, financial support, or other means? Identify one specific action you can take this week. [01:25:48]

  6. The sermon discusses the importance of being open to the Holy Spirit's guidance. How can you cultivate a lifestyle of prayer and fasting to better discern God's will for your life? [01:16:36]

  7. Reflect on the story of Elisha and the mantle. Is there a "mantle" or calling that God has placed on your life that you have been hesitant to accept? What steps can you take to embrace that calling? [01:30:42]

  • Acts chapter 13. If you joined me there this morning, Acts chapter 13. I want to begin this morning by showing you a video, if we could get that queued up. Uh, this, uh, as I mentioned already, we had a conference, a Bible conference in Prescott, Arizona. As you can see on the screen, that's Pastor Greg Mitchell. And this is our Friday night of Bible conference. If you have been to a conference, you know that this is the focus and the heartbeat of our fellowship, of our churches. And on Friday night, Thursday night, we announce new missionaries as they're going out into cities and nations around the world. We make those announcements Thursday night of the conference. And then Friday night, the closing night of the conference, we make announcements for new couples that are going out domestically as well. And then we pray for them. We commission them. We pray God's blessing and covering over them as we send them out into the mission field for the work of God.

    And so I want to show you this is something that absolutely is mind-blowing. It's a milestone for our fellowship. Now, just to give you a little context, I got saved in Chandler, Arizona under Pastor Joe Campbell. I was saved in the year 1998. And I was 17 years old when I started coming to, well, 16 when I started coming, 17 when I really got saved and gave my life to Christ and started living for Him seriously. And so in 1998, I can remember pretty clearly when I got saved, there were about 1,700 churches in our fellowship, 1,700 around the world. As of this conference, since that time, our churches, our fellowship have multiplied, have expanded rapidly. And so I want to show you what happened this Friday night. This is just a three-minute video. I'm going to show you what happened.

    I want to say today that this is a work of God. What you are part of is more than just our Sunday morning and Sunday night and Wednesday night gatherings. You are part of a move of God. We are connected to the church in Prescott by covenant. We are connected because of our mother church in Chandler, Arizona. What happens there sets the tone and the effect on our congregation as well. And so this morning, I want to preach a message about why we plant. We are not here to glorify a man or even a ministry or the name of a church. We are here to glorify Jesus and what He is doing in the earth. But I want to give a message this morning about why we plant.

    Our focus this year and our theme is decisions make disciples. Now you can make an argument about why planting churches is foolish. Many people do not believe in what we do. Many churches do not do this sort of thing. Why? Because planting churches is hard. Planting churches is expensive. Planting churches means that we take the best people that we have in our congregation and we send them away. Rather than holding on and using them in our congregation, allowing God to use their lives to multiply our congregation, we choose to have a multiplication of smaller churches around the world rather than a very few amount of bigger churches. We choose to do that for a reason. And I want to give you the vision and the purpose why we do that and why this is such an important part of our fellowship because I want you to take ownership of this vision this morning.

    Why we do what we do. The scripture we have is Acts chapter 13. Every farmer comes to a moment, a decision that he must make when the time comes to plant. Every farmer understands that when it comes time for planting season, you have to plant something. So farmers spend most of the harvest and the winter season preparing their seeds, right? Every farmer has a cache, a store of seeds that they are going to plant. Now the thing about seeds is interesting. Seeds are fascinating. The thing about seeds is this. You can eat the seeds if you wanted to. You can eat the seeds if you wanted to. You can eat the seeds if you wanted to. If you have a bag full of seeds, seeds on their own have nutritional value. You could survive on seeds if you wanted to. If you have a bag of apple seeds, it's, you know, it's not that much, but you could swallow the seeds and you could get enough to survive.

    But the choice that every farmer has is either to eat the seeds or to plant the seeds. And someone who is wise does not eat their store of seeds. Because if a seed is properly placed, properly grown, properly cared for, if that seed is put into the ground, then the harvest that comes forth is far greater than the nutritional value of just one seed. And so the wise farmer must plant. But guess what? Planting is a lot harder than eating seeds. Planting requires investment of time and energy over generations. A tree does not grow in one season or in one year. A tree takes at least four to five years before it begins to bring forth a harvest. And so planting requires greater vision. Planting requires greater discipline. Planting requires greater intentionality and effectiveness and discipline over time.

    My question for us this morning as a church, are we going to eat the seeds ourselves or are we going to choose to plant? Now this church, for many years, we did not have the opportunity to plant a church until a couple of years ago. Our brother and sister, their family, Pastor Dave and Mrs. Caitlin, they were part of our congregation going back from before I was the pastor here. They were saved and discipled in this congregation. And a couple of years ago, again, our best couple in the church, our most faithful couple, our couple who was one of our most generous givers, we sent them away to go plant a new church. And if you were here when that happened, you understand. That was difficult. They left behind needs, a whole of ministry. They were both, both of them were serving, were fulfilling roles, were doing things in our congregation. And to send them into the harvest field to go pioneer a new church, that was hard for us, wasn't it? There was a price that we paid.

    I want to tell you, this is where destiny is unlocked. And I want to preach a message this morning. Why do we plant? Acts chapter 13, verses 2 and 3. This example comes from the example of the early church. Let's read it together. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for your spirit and your grace. We thank you that you are a God that calls us to plant. A God who calls us to plant. Calls the church to multiply. Lord, I pray, let us receive this revelation and let us put our hearts and our minds into this work. And we give you glory, Lord, that you are a God who saves wicked people into righteousness. You are a God who restores the backslider, the broken, the lost. You are a God who brings them into fellowship with yourself. God, you are the God who is building your church. You've called us to make disciples, raise them up into usefulness for your kingdom, and then to plant churches. God, put this vision and this heart in every person that is here. This work is difficult. This work is expensive. This work requires vision. Lord, so you plant it in the hearts of your people this morning. In Jesus' mighty name, God's people would say, amen.

    Why do we plant? In our scripture, we read about the early church, and you, there is this same truth that is at work in the congregation there in Antioch. Both of these men that are mentioned, Barnabas and Paul, in this scripture, he is called Saul. And the Bible says of both of these men that they were very fruitful and effective ministers of the gospel. Both of these men were highly useful to the kingdom, useful to the church. No doubt that in the congregations where they served, that they had a great influence and great effectiveness for the gospel of Jesus Christ. No doubt that both of these men, Barnabas especially, that name, Barnabas, his name literally means the son of encouragement. Man, as a pastor, I pray for those people. We need Barnabas in our congregation, someone that can encourage and stir up the faith of people around them. Can God call you to be a Barnabas, someone who encourages and stirs up faith in others, who drives out discouragement and fear? We need some good Barnabas in the congregation.

    Saul, we know the influence that he had. Saul being a Pharisee who then was converted and became a disciple of the Lord Jesus with his knowledge, with his wealth of biblical understanding and revelation could be a powerful tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit. Here's Barnabas, who is an encourager of people. Saul, who is an incredible intellect and leader in the early church. There is no doubt in my mind, these are the kind of people that every pastor would pray for to have in their congregation. We need these kinds of people, people who have intellect, who have discipline, who have had genuine experiences with the Lord Jesus, who have been converted, who are not divisive, who are not tearing others down, who are helping together to build the house of God and to cause it to grow and to thrive. We need people like this in our churches. We need people who are givers and not takers. We need people who are on the field, in the game, and not only spectators. Hello?

    So often the church falls into this unfortunate ratio like there is at a football game where you have 22 football players on the field at any given time, and they are the ones doing the difficult things and playing the plays, and then you have 10,000 fans who are eating hot dogs. And unfortunately, sometimes the church can look like that, where you have a tiny minority of people who are caring for the church. And then you have 10,000 fans who are eating hot dogs. And then you have 10,000 fans who are carrying the weight of ministry, and you have a whole lot of other people who are spectating. And I believe that that is not the vision that the Word of God gives to the church, that we are called, how many understand, to be active and involved as the Lord would lead us and give us revelation, that He would prepare us not just to be spectators on Sunday mornings, but to get involved and to embrace the ministry that God has given to us.

    Every one of you have a place in God's kingdom. Every one of you have a gift, a skill that you can offer to the church. You have something in your hands, just like Moses. When God called Moses, He thought that he had nothing to offer. He looked at himself and said, Lord, what can I do? I'm a man of slow speech, slow of understanding. What am I going to do? I'm a has-been. I'm a washed-up, old Egyptian. I'm a guy trained, but Lord, it's been 40 years since I had any dream. And God said to Moses, what is that in your hand? He looked in his hand. Oh, it's nothing, just a shepherd's staff. This is what I use to lead the sheep. And God said to Moses, I'm going to use that staff to help you lead God's people. Fast forward, they're standing in front of the Red Sea, escaping from Egypt, and God says to Moses, use the staff I gave you, Moses. Use that to part the waters, open up the pathway.

    The lesson from the life of Moses is God doesn't need much. He only needs what you have. What is it that you have this morning? What gift has God given to you to use for His kingdom? God doesn't save us just for us, for our benefit, and so that we can have a comfy place in heaven. God saves us for a work. Your calling is different from my calling. Everyone has a unique calling, a unique gift, a unique skill, a unique personality that you are called to put it in the hands of the Lord for Him to use as He sees fit. I want to first of all challenge you. We are not called to be spectator Christians, but to find our place so that we can have a place in heaven. Some of you are gifted for giving. Some of you are gifted for administration. Some of you are gifted for evangelism. Some of you are gifted for music ministry. Some of you are gifted for things that right now are untapped resources.

    And I want to challenge you first of all to understand God didn't save you just for you to have a place to go when you die. It's not just fire insurance, hello? We are saved to be useful and profitable to God. We are saved to be useful and profitable to God. Profitable for the kingdom of God. When Saul first got saved, he asked two questions that are very important for every person. Question number one, who are you, Lord? I want to know who you are. I want to know you personally. Second question, what do you want me to do for you? And if you would honestly, with an open heart, approach the throne of grace and ask those two questions, I am confident that the Lord will give you answers. Who are you, Lord? I want to know who you are. I need revelation of your heart and your mind for my life. Second question, Lord, is there something that I could be doing for you? I believe there's an answer to that question for your life.

    And the answer to that might be different for you than it is for me. That's good. We need a variety of workers with a variety of skills and gifts, just like the body. The body has many members, but together we are able as hands and feet and eyes and mouth and nose and hair and all of the parts that you have, some of them have lesser roles than others. But in the body of Christ, we all have a role to play. We have a part that we are called to. And as each of us embrace that this morning, we are able to accomplish God's will. This was true for Saul, for Barnabas, that they were incredible blessings to their local church. But in our scripture, something happens. There's a shift. The Bible says that as they prayed and as they fasted, that the Lord called them. Did you see that?

    Verse 2, while they were worshiping, and worshiping the Lord and fasting, it's the Holy Spirit who says, Can I ask you? First of all, before we continue, does the Holy Spirit have the right to redirect your life? Does the Holy Spirit have the authority to tell you that you need to change directions? But Lord, I like the direction I'm going. I understand what I'm doing now. So did Barnabas and Saul. They had ministry. They had a work that they were doing. But the Holy Spirit said, I've got something else for you. Set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them. Listen, we as a church, corporately, and you as a Christian, individually, we must be open to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

    For a long time, Dave and Caitlin Smale, they were part of our church. They were part of our congregation. They were a great blessing here. They're still a great blessing to our congregation. But there came a time when the Holy Spirit said something different. We must be able to pivot according to the Holy Spirit. This is not about the plans or the desires of men. This is not about the will of where you want to live or where you want to go. This is about obedience to the Holy Spirit. And there are times when the Holy Spirit will say, set them apart so that they can do the work to which I have called them in our fellowship. We believe in church planting. We believe in the principle of sending the best that we have. And it is a central mission of the church. If we are going to multiply, if we're going to see in our last days, I believe God is positioning us for the revival that the Bible predicts in the last days. How many believe that? That there is, before Jesus returns, there will be a revival.

    There will be a great pouring out of the Spirit of God onto the earth. And that is going to result in many people getting saved. We've been seeing it in waves throughout the last hundred years. But I believe this is all a leading up to something even greater, a worldwide, a global, a cultural-wide revival in which God begins to save people on massive scales. And if that happens, God is going to need a church to be in place in local communities where new believers are able to receive the revival that God pours out and be able to do the will of God. It's the Holy Spirit who separated Barnabas and Saul. Now think of everything. This is only the beginning of Saul's ministry. But if we focus in on Saul for a moment, just think about all the things that Saul went on to do. All of the churches he went on to pioneer. He went on to do. He went on to do. He went on to do. He went on to do. He went on to pioneer. All of the places he went on to preach. All of the names of the books we have in the New Testament. Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Romans. All of these are the names of cities where Paul would go to preach the gospel. And as he preached, people got saved. And those people gathered together and formed a church. Thessalonica. It goes on and on. Ephesus. These are all cities where Paul would go. And all of this, listen, occurred after the Holy Spirit spoke to him.

    So here's the question I want you to think about. What if the church did not obey the call to send? What if the pastor got in the way of what the Holy Spirit... You say, does that ever happen? It happens. Sometimes the pastor can be the greatest hindrance in the church. I pray it's not me. But I want to tell you, the pastor of the church in Antioch could have been very upset about this. I don't want to send Saul. I don't want to send Barnabas. They're the best men I have. But if they didn't obey, I wonder what could have happened in Ephesus, in Corinth, in Thessalonica, in all of these places where Paul went to go preach. All of these letters. Not only would those churches have been affected, but we would probably not have all the same letters in the New Testament. It's because the church obeyed that the will of God began to unfold in that first church generation.

    I want to tell you, this is true in the story that we read in Acts. It's true in my life. It was as I surrendered my heart, as my wife and I began to pray, and fast, and lay hold of God, and seek His direction, that we responded to the calls that were set before us. I never had a plan to go to Virginia Beach. I never had a plan to become a missionary. I never even had a plan to be a pastor. That was not in my thinking. But it was the Holy Spirit that led us, and guided us, and brought us to where we are today. Can the Holy Spirit speak to you?

    In Genesis, the father of our faith, Abram, it says these words about him, that God called him to a land where he did not know where he was going. Abraham, you go down to Canaan. God led and directed his life. In Acts 16, Paul had a vision. He had a plan to go into Asia, but the Holy Spirit gave him a vision. A man from Macedonia, saying, come and help us. Paul had a plan to go one direction. The Holy Spirit said, I want you to go the other direction. And the Bible says that immediately, in Acts 16, that they made adjustments to their plan. Can the Holy Spirit make adjustments to your plan?

    We must prioritize seeking the will of God through the same means that the early church did, worship through fasting and prayer. Are you a person of worship? Do you fast for His direction? Do you pray, Lord, show me the way for my life? And then it's not enough just to know the way, it is about obedience. Church planting is God's idea, not man's idea. And there will be time. We are in a fellowship where we are going to be in a fellowship where we are going to be in a fellowship where we believe in church planting. 4,000, I want you to think about that milestone. On that, we're seeing an image now that we have just launched the 4,000th church from our fellowship. That means 4,000 times pastors have said to someone in their congregation, a family, a couple, the Holy Spirit has said, separate unto me. And 4,000 times that call has been answered.

    Has it done perfectly? Not every time. But I want to tell you that spirit of obedience is something, it is a thriving, beating heart of our fellowship. And it is something that must be alive in our congregation as well. Do we believe God to plant other churches? My prayer since arriving here in 2010, Lord, if you will give us the resources and if you will give us the personnel, we will send them. But that is more than just the calling of a pastor. It requires God to speak to people. The church must have a vision for this. And you say, Pastor, it's so hard to plant a church. Yes, it is. But that's what we're called to.

    In order to plant a church, we must have the people that send and the people that go. Neither one of those is easy. But it is what we're called to as the Holy Spirit leads us. You know, it blows my mind. There are mega churches, and I don't want to call any of them out by name, but there are churches that gather thousands of people together on Sunday mornings. And, you know, I know that God is moving in large churches like that. I know that people are getting saved. I know that there are those who are being discipled. I know that there are those who are being discipled in those congregations. But it's amazing to me that when a large mega church like that announces, we're going to plant another church in another area of our city.

    And they make a grand spectacle of a building. They make a grand palace. And they erect from the ground millions and millions of dollars to build a beautiful facility and a campus. As I'm... You know, we use some software for our church, our text messaging software and various things. And often what I'll see in these softwares is a place where you can enter in different campuses. Say, you know, where do you want this message to go? Campus 1, Campus 2, name your campuses. I'm like, can I even call our church a campus? That doesn't sound right. But this is what many churches put their focus in. And so they erect a large building on the other side. They erect a large building on the other side of town and say, we're going to open up this congregation. We're going to make this available for a new area of our city.

    And so you're telling me you have a church of 1,000 people, 1,500 people on Sunday morning. You're telling me not one person is able to go and be the pastor over there? And what many churches are doing is they have a screen the same size as the stage. And when the pastor is preaching in one location, they're beaming his image over to the other location. And you have another 500 people watching him from that location. Is that what God has called us to? Is spreading the fame of some person's personality? You're telling me not one other person is qualified to preach in that brand new congregation? Not one family could rise up and take the leadership in that place?

    Where much of the church world is getting it wrong is right here. Because we are called to discipleship and church planting just like the early church was. And it's true. We pay a price for this. Our churches tend to be on the smaller side. And you might look around at what we have here this morning. You might look around and say, what's the big deal? Why? Is this even worth doing? And I want to tell you, when you multiply what you see this morning, by 4,000, what Pastor Mitchell was saying, 4,000 Sunday morning services, 4,000 Saturday outreaches, 4,000 disciple-making centers, I want to tell you, that is exponential growth. And that is something worth giving our lives to.

    I want to close with this idea that planting churches expands the kingdom of God. Our scripture says, you know, often when couples are planted, when we have our Thursday night and our Friday night church planting services, it is not uncommon to see tears. It's not uncommon for the couples that are going, as they're walking up to the stage to be announced, announced and prayed for, it's not uncommon that you'll see tears streaming down their face. Why? Because they're paying a price. It is also not uncommon when a change is being made, a pastor is moving from one city to another, perhaps that the church that is being left behind, that there will also be tears of church members to say goodbye to their pastor if he's going to be a missionary.

    It's very common to pay a price, but I want to tell you it's worth it. Planting the seed is more difficult than eating the seed, but it's worth it over time. Are we as a congregation willing to pay the price? Christ. Church planting ensures that the gospel continues to expand where Christ is not yet known. I believe that the Holy Spirit in these last days, the Holy Spirit still has a plan for the United States of America. God still wants to save Americans. You know, there are places where we do not have fellowship churches. We were just looking on the map yesterday, a couple of days ago. There are still states in America where we do not have churches. There are still cities right here in Virginia. Hey, Virginia Beach, what do we have? We have three churches in Virginia Beach. Now, I'm not saying we're the only church. I'm not saying we're the only thing that God is doing. I understand that, but I want to tell you what we have in our fellowship is a faithful witness to the world around us.

    We have a unique calling, winning souls, making disciples, and planting churches. I want to tell you this is something that God is blessing. This is not Pastor Adam's desire. This is not just the passion of Pastor Mitchell and Pastor Campbell. This is something that God is blessing. God is doing it, and it is expanding and growing and making impact. It's God's idea. The church has to support it. We have to gain a vision. We have to hear the Holy Spirit. We have to hear it as He leads us. So, as we close, I want to ask this congregation to pray, to fast. We're praying for couples to rise up. In our fellowship, we send couples. We send families. There's a reason for that. We don't send out individuals. We don't send out single people. We send out families.

    So, we're praying for God to raise up couples that can go into the harvest field. We're praying for God to raise up couples that can go into the harvest field, that God would speak to them. We're also praying for the finance and resources. Listen, there's a reason why we don't build million-dollar facilities. There's a reason why we don't get burdened down by tons of debt. We want to stay mobile. There's a reason why we're looking for a church building of a certain size. It's not too big. We don't want to get burdened just by maintaining a facility. Our vision is so much bigger than just a physical building. Our vision is, God, we need the resources to plant churches, to invest, to send them.

    So, I want to ask this congregation to join me in prayer and fasting, to give and to go. We need the men, and we need the money. We need the resources. We need the resources, and we need the people. I also want to encourage you to consider giving for church planting efforts. I know we're in the middle of a building project. There's lots of expenses there. And thank God for good buildings, but a building doesn't win anybody to heaven. It's what we do in the building that's more important.

    And finally, I want to ask you to consider, Lord, would you lead me? Perhaps, to be one of those who is set apart, and to go as the Holy Spirit leads. In the Old Testament, there's a story, as we close, a story about Elijah and Elisha. It's very instructive, as we consider this. One day, Elijah, we know that he is coming to the end of his ministry. God has spoken to him, and he says, Elijah, I know you're discouraged. He speaks to him in the midst of the cave. You know, there's the fire, there's the wind, the earthquake, and God was not in those things. But then a still, small voice, and he hears the voice of God, and God says, Elijah, I have commissioned you that you are going to raise up another worker.

    And so Elijah takes that instruction, and thank God that discouraged workers still have a place in God's kingdom. You found yourself discouraged. You found yourself saying, what's the point? Is my life worth anything? God says, yes, I have a point for you. We can still raise up an Elisha. So Elijah goes, and he, the Bible says he has something called a mantle. In those days, the prophets would wear a garment over their shoulders to mark their position as a prophet. That everyone would look on them and see that God has used them to speak prophecy over people's lives. And so Elijah, as he's following the will of God, he comes to a man named Elisha. Two different people, Elijah, Elisha. I know that can be tricky. But he sees this young man, Elisha, and the Bible says a few things about Elisha, very interesting.

    The Bible says that he has 12 yoke of oxen. What does that mean? That means he's a very successful young farmer. Normally, a farmer would only have one or two animals to plow their fields. The fact that he has 12 yoke of oxen, that means for one yoke you have two animals. That means 24 oxen. These things are expensive to maintain and to purchase and to use. He's got not just his farm, he is a successful owner of multiple farms that he is a successful young man. 12 yoke of oxen. And one day, Elijah, he's walking by and he sees this man, Elisha. The Holy Spirit speaks to Elijah and the Bible says he takes the oxen and he takes the oxen and he takes the oxen and he takes the oxen and he takes that mantle, that garment, and he throws it onto the shoulders of Elisha.

    And the message is clear that the mantle, the ministry of Elijah is being passed on to Elisha. Now, just think about that. Elisha was not expecting this. He had not followed Elijah up to this point. He had plans and purposes for himself and they were not evil. But one day, the direction of Elisha's life changed because a mantle was put upon him. And when that mantle was received by Elisha, some things changed. Immediately, the Bible says he took the yokes. This is the farming equipment that goes on the back of the oxen. They're made of wood. The Bible says he takes those yokes and he burns them. This would be like selling your local business. He takes the yokes and he burns them. And on the great fire that is produced by the yokes, the Bible says he takes the oxen and he cooks them. And he has a feast. Man, what a barbecue. Why did he do that? Because he understood the calling of my life has now changed.

    I'm going in a new direction. And I can't let the distraction of my farming business get in the way of my calling to be a prophet. I see a lot of young men like Elisha having great potential in the world, great potential in business, great potential when it comes to the things of this world. Can God put a mantle on you? That was expensive, what Elisha did. He paid a price, his career, his income. To go and follow Elijah, he paid a high price. I want to tell you as a young man, a young man in my life, I made a decision to follow the call of God even before I understood all that it entailed. I went to my pastor and I said, I want to be a disciple. I believe God has called me. I found a place at the altar where the Lord spoke to me and called me to ministry. I said, pastor, God is calling me to this. What do I have to do next? And I paid a high price. I still pay a price.

    But I'm asking you, is there someone here that God is calling? He's putting a mantle on your life. If you run from that, you run from the blessing of God. And I want to challenge this. This congregation, we need the men, we need the money, we need the people, and we need the resources to plant churches. This is the vision God has given us, and this is how we win the world. We don't just broadcast on television and radio and internet advertising and YouTube and TikTok. All of those things may be useful to get out a message, but the way that we build the church is by planting, and that's difficult. Can we choose together to receive that mantle?

    Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. The Lord is speaking to us. The Lord is calling us to the mission of planting. As we reflect this morning on what the church was doing in the book of Acts and what we are called to do, is it possible you've come here this morning, you're not right with God. You're not right with God. Those who find themselves in church services like this one, and hearing good messages about what God did and what the Holy Spirit did in times past, what He has done in our fellowship, but listen, all of that is meaningless unless you're saved and right with God. And I want to ask you before we close this service, is there someone here, if you died today and stood before the Lord, you're not going to stand before me or any church leader, you're going to stand before Jesus.

    He's going to take account of your life, and you'll be judged based on every word and action that you have said and done. On that day, if you step into eternity, will you be right with Him? Will your sins be forgiven? Or will you be found guilty of sin? The Bible says we've all fallen short of God's glory. Nobody deserves heaven. We've all broken His laws. And we all stand in judgment before Him, if we're honest. But I have good news for you. For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, so whoever would believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life. The good news is that God loves sinners. He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for us. And if you're here, you're not sure about the condition of your soul. The first step to knowing God's will for your life is to surrender to Him, to believe that Jesus is who He says He is, Lord of all creation.

    You're here today. You're ready to surrender. You're ready to turn your life from sin unto righteousness. Maybe this life has beat you up. Maybe this world has left a foul taste in your mouth, and that's what it does. But I want to tell you, God's plan for your life is good. He has a purpose. He does not create junk. And He is here this morning to rescue and to redeem the lost. If that's you this morning, I want to pray for you. You're here. You're not right with the Lord, but you want to be. Would you do one thing quickly for me today? You lift up your hand. Pastor, pray for me. I need salvation. Thank you, young man. Is there someone else? Right now, God's dealing with you. The Holy Spirit is speaking to you right now. Maybe your heart beating inside your chest. I remember what that feels like. It almost feels embarrassing. But I want to tell you, we're not here to embarrass you. We want to lead you to the Savior who can set you free. If that's you, is there someone else? Quickly. Not right with the Lord, but you want to be. Would you lift up your hand? Don't miss this opportunity. Life is short. Thank you, young man. Someone else. God's speaking to you. You want to respond in faith. Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God. I'm not on my way to heaven. Oh, but I want to be. Oh, I believe God has a plan. He made me for His purposes. Would you lift up your hand so I can pray with you? Is there someone else? Quickly. Thank you, young man. Someone else. God's speaking to you. God brought you here for this moment so that you could turn your life. You can become a new creation in Christ. Old things pass away. Everything becomes new. You need that before you leave this place. One last call. Someone else. Right now. God's dealing with you. Would you lift up your hand? Can I pray with you? Let's believe God right now.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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True Disciples: Understanding the Call to Discipleship [Mat 28:18-20]

Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is a call to action for all believers. He has given us all authority to go and make disciples of all nations. This is not a suggestion but a commandment, a testament to His last will for us. Discipleship involves being a follower, a learner, and an imitator of Christ. It requires us to leave behind our old ways and fully commit to following Jesus, just as His first disciples did.

Understanding the Call to Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20

Sermon Summary

As we embark on a new year, we are reminded of the importance of discipleship in our Christian journey. The theme for this year, "Decisions Make Disciples," calls us to reflect on the choices we make as followers of Christ. Discipleship is not merely about being busy with church activities; it is about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness. Just as a mule, despite its strength and hard work, cannot reproduce, we must ensure that our efforts in the church lead to the making of new disciples.

Jesus' Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is a call to action for all believers. He has given us all authority to go and make disciples of all nations. This is not a suggestion but a commandment, a testament to His last will for us. Discipleship involves being a follower, a learner, and an imitator of Christ. It requires us to leave behind our old ways and fully commit to following Jesus, just as His first disciples did.

Being a disciple means being a student of Jesus, constantly learning and growing in our faith. It requires humility, recognizing that we do not know everything and that we must continually seek His wisdom and guidance. Moreover, discipleship is about imitation, striving to live like Christ in every aspect of our lives. This is why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, to empower us to become more like Him each day.

The church plays a crucial role in discipleship, not by saving souls, but by nurturing and guiding believers to grow in their faith. This involves a commitment to love one another, as Jesus commanded, and to work together in unity for the kingdom of God. Discipleship is a journey of surrender, where we lay down our desires and ambitions to follow Christ wholeheartedly.

As we move forward this year, let us embrace the call to discipleship with renewed vigor and dedication. Let us make decisions that align with God's will and purpose for our lives, knowing that true discipleship comes with a cost but is ultimately worth it because of the price Jesus paid for us.

“Discipleship involves being a follower, a learner, and an imitator of Christ.”
— Pastor Adam

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[33:45] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[40:32] - Testimonies and Building Updates
[44:46] - Prayer for Comfort and Strength
[46:02] - Introduction to Discipleship
[47:20] - The Importance of Reproduction
[50:12] - The Great Commission
[50:59] - Authority and Purpose
[51:28] - Misconceptions of Church Growth
[53:28] - What is a Disciple?
[55:17] - Following Jesus
[57:36] - Personal Sacrifices
[59:00] - Continuous Learning
[01:02:20] - The Role of Humility
[01:07:13] - The Church's Role in Discipleship
[01:13:15] - The Cost of Discipleship

Key Takeaways

  1. Discipleship as Reproduction: Discipleship is about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness, not just hard work. Like mules, which cannot reproduce, we must ensure our efforts lead to making new disciples. This requires intentionality and focus on spiritual growth and multiplication. [47:20]

  2. The Great Commission: Jesus' command to make disciples is a testament to His last will for us. It is a call to action for all believers, emphasizing the importance of discipleship in fulfilling God's purpose. This involves going beyond mere church attendance to actively engaging in the mission of making disciples. [50:12]

  3. Being a Follower, Learner, and Imitator: Discipleship involves following Jesus, learning from Him, and imitating His life. It requires humility, recognizing our need for continual growth and transformation. This journey demands leaving behind old ways and fully committing to Christ. [55:17]

  4. The Role of the Church: The church plays a vital role in discipleship by nurturing and guiding believers. It is not about saving souls but about helping them grow in faith and become more like Christ. This involves a commitment to love and unity within the body of Christ. [01:07:13]

  5. The Cost of Discipleship: True discipleship comes with a cost, requiring us to forsake all for the sake of Christ. It involves surrendering our desires and ambitions to follow Him wholeheartedly. Despite the challenges, the journey is worth it because of the price Jesus paid for us. [01:13:15]

Bible Reading

  • Matthew 28:18-20: 'And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.’

Observation Questions

  1. What is the significance of Jesus stating that "all authority has been given to me" in Matthew 28:18? How does this authority relate to the command to make disciples? [50:12]

  2. In the sermon, the pastor compares discipleship to the inability of mules to reproduce. What point is being made with this analogy? [46:02]

  3. According to the sermon, what are the three key aspects of being a disciple of Jesus? [55:17]

  4. How does the pastor describe the role of the church in the process of discipleship? [01:07:13]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why does the pastor emphasize that discipleship is not just about church activities but about spiritual reproduction and fruitfulness? How does this perspective challenge common views of church involvement? [47:20]

  2. The sermon mentions that discipleship involves leaving behind old ways. What might this look like in a believer's life today? [55:17]

  3. How does the pastor interpret the cost of discipleship, and why is it considered worth it despite the challenges? [01:13:15]

  4. What does it mean to "abide" in Jesus' word, and how does this relate to being a true disciple? [01:07:13]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How did it align with the call to discipleship as described in the sermon? What might you do differently next time? [44:46]

  2. The pastor talks about the importance of humility in discipleship. Identify an area in your life where you struggle with humility. What steps can you take to seek Jesus' wisdom and guidance in this area? [59:52]

  3. Consider the analogy of the mule. Are there areas in your spiritual life where you feel busy but not fruitful? How can you shift your focus towards spiritual reproduction? [46:02]

  4. The sermon emphasizes the role of the church in nurturing disciples. How can you contribute to this process within your church community? [01:07:13]

  5. The pastor mentions the cost of discipleship. What is one specific thing you might need to forsake to follow Jesus more closely? How can you begin to take steps in that direction? [01:13:15]

  6. Think about someone in your life who might be open to learning about Jesus. How can you intentionally engage them in a conversation about faith this week? [50:12]

  7. The sermon highlights the importance of love and unity within the church. How can you actively promote these values in your interactions with fellow believers? [01:08:41]

  • So I want to ask you to open up your Bible with me as we look into the Word of God again. We are beginning a new year with a theme called "Decisions Make Disciples." We started our new Sunday school just this morning at 9:45, and each week we're going to be studying a decision that is demanded from those who choose to follow Jesus.

    Throughout this next year, it will be a series of decisions that we want to encourage you that the Bible calls us to. This message, I want to set the theme and the thinking of this coming year as we take a turn into discipleship.

    You say, why is this so important, Pastor? What is the deal with discipleship? Well, how many here have ever seen a mule? A mule is not a horse. A mule is not a donkey. A mule is a cross between a horse and a donkey, okay?

    And mules have great strength. They are hard workers. Mules have done a lot of amazing things on the farm. They can carry supplies. They can plow fields. They can pull wagons. They can transport people. But one thing that's true about mules is that they cannot reproduce.

    You cannot have two mules that are not mules make a baby mule. They only come about as a process between mules, between horses and donkeys, rather. And they do not produce more like themselves.

    I believe this is an unfortunate consequence of the world that we're living in, specifically many churches in the world today that are full of hard workers, full of people laboring, full of people doing a lot of good things. And we congratulate the workers, the laborers. We thank God for people who put in work. They teach classes. They serve the physical needs. They clean. They cook. We outreach. We do many, many other things.

    But let us never become like the mule, unable to reproduce who we are. Discipleship is about reproduction. It's about spiritual fruitfulness. Jesus said, I will build my church. But he also said, go and make disciples. And that is the job that each and every one of us have before us this morning.

    I want to focus in a message I've titled "True Disciples." Matthew chapter 28. This familiar text as Jesus sends his church into the Great Commission. Matthew 28, verses 18 through 20. Let's read together.

    And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

    Let's pray. Lord, we're grateful for the opportunity another year to serve you. I'm praying, God, that you would help us to catch the vision that you have laid before us for discipleship, to make disciples, to teach the nations. And God, we're believing you today. Help us to be fruitful and effective for your kingdom. We give you glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, amen.

    True disciples. Let's look at this call to make disciples. This is such a critical part of the Christian life. And this is a very strong statement. As you know, last words are important.

    We have in our leadership something called a last will and testament. And what that is, is a legal document that will communicate your wishes and your desires upon the day that you die. It's essentially your last words, your last desires.

    In the scripture we read, this is a form of Jesus' last words to his disciples before he returns to heaven. These are our marching orders. This is our standing commandment. And that is to go and make disciples.

    Now, Jesus starts with a statement. He says, "All authority has been given to me." How much authority is that? All authority. In other words, there is no power that God has that Jesus does not have.

    Jesus has been given all authority in his resurrected condition. It seems right to God to put all power into the hands of his son, Jesus. All authority has been given to him. The work of the cross has sealed his position as the king of the universe. His death and his resurrection was enough to be glorified to the place of power and prominence.

    Jesus said in Revelation 1:17, "Do not be afraid. I am the first. I am the last. I am he who lives and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of death."

    How much power does Jesus have? All power and all authority and all strength. There is no strength that the Father has that Jesus does not have. That's a lot of power. That's a lot of authority.

    My question I want you to think about: What does Jesus do with that authority? There's a lot of things that he could do. There's a lot of potential that he has. There's a lot of opportunities.

    But there's one thing that Jesus said that he was going to do with this powerful authority. He is not going to go and entertain the nations with great music. He's not going to go and fill buildings with smoke machines and fancy lights.

    This is a time when the church has thought that the way to build an audience is to become a place of entertainment. We'll just entertain people better than the world can, and that will draw people in. We'll stir up emotions. We'll make people feel good. We'll give them a little religious scratch for their itch.

    It's a generation of mega churches. And if you don't have a hundred people, then it's not going to be a good time. And if you don't have a hundred, it must be a failure.

    I want to tell you, Jesus is not interested in the huge crowds. In fact, sometimes Jesus made sure the crowd was smaller when there were those who were following him for the wrong reasons.

    Jesus could have used his authority and his power to do many wonderful things, to go build houses and send doctors and win favor and people be open to the gospel. And these are strategies that parachurch organizations have used over time, and none of these things are evil. But these are not the purpose, the point of the church of Jesus Christ.

    Jesus' words, his last will and testament, was this: I want you to take my authority that I have received from the Father. I'm giving it to you for one reason, and that is not to preach sermons, not to have big, large cathedrals, not to be popular. The strategy is this: Make disciples.

    This is the plan. This is the goal. This is what the church should be doing every day. Our focus is winning souls and making disciples. We can't save anybody. Is that true? Evangelism is us planting seeds. We should be involved in that.

    But when those seeds sprout, the church's goal, the church's desire, the church's purpose by the authority of the Lord Jesus is to make disciples. What's your focus this morning? What's your desire? If it is something else, then you've missed the desire of Jesus, his last will and testament.

    Acts chapter 6, verse 7 says that the word of God spread. And listen, the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and many of the priests were obedient to the faith. When the word of God spreads, discipleship should soon follow.

    So that brings up a very important question then: What is a disciple? What is a disciple? What do you mean? What does the Bible mean when we think about disciples?

    So the Jews in the first century that Jesus would be speaking to would have had a much better understanding of what it meant. The Greek word disciple normally means to follow a particular teacher or a religious philosophical school of thinking. It was the task of the disciple to learn, to study, and then pass along the sayings and the teachings of their teacher.

    In rabbinic Judaism, a disciple is one who is committed to the interpretations of scripture and the religious tradition given him by his rabbi or his teacher. And through a process of learning, through a process of following, through a process of understanding and revelation, they would set meetings and time for question and answer, instruction, repetition, memorization.

    A disciple is one devoted to the teachings of their teacher. Does that make sense, everybody?

    So what can we conclude? A true disciple, number one, is a follower. This is the first definition of what it means to be a disciple.

    When Jesus came to his first followers, isn't it amazing? We call them followers, right? What were the first words he said? He said, "Follow me."

    So our first way that we find to become disciples is to follow. Ten times Jesus commanded his disciples to follow him. Mark chapter 1, as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

    They immediately left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little farther from there, he saw James and John, his brother, who were in the boat mending their nets. Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with hired servants and went after him.

    Again, our theme this year is "Decisions Make Disciples." I want you to see that we all, if we are serious about serving Jesus, the first call is this: follow him. Where is he going? I want to go there too.

    His call was for them to follow. And to follow Jesus means we're not following other things. Is that true?

    So some of us in this place, we made a decision to marry, right? When I was 19 years old, I married my wife, Taya. Isn't she beautiful over there?

    When I made the decision to marry Taya, there were a whole lot of other decisions that came along with that, right? That one decision means I am not pursuing any other women. And I have not been pursuing any other women for the entire time. That was a decision that I made.

    I'm following her. I'm following her needs; the needs of our home and our household. As a husband, as a father, that's what I am called to do. I'm not responsible for your house. I'm responsible for my house because I made that decision.

    To follow this purpose of my life means that I couldn't follow other things, right? There was a time in my life when I was struggling with the call to preach the gospel, to become a pastor. There was a time that I believed that this was God's will, but I was struggling about whether to do that or not.

    In order to follow the calling that was on my life, that means there were other things that I had to give up. There were other dreams and desires and careers that I could not do because I was following the will of God to where God was taking me.

    I want to say for every single one of you, the decision to follow Jesus means that there will be something to give up. For Simon and for Andrew, they gave up their nets. For James and John, sons of Zebedee, they left their father. It was very personal. They left their father mending the nets. That means the labor that they were doing now had to be put on somebody else.

    Can I ask you, are you following? What have you left behind to follow him? Following means we are leaving behind something.

    Some people, we enjoy the religion, we enjoy the songs, we enjoy the fellowship, we enjoy the preaching perhaps, but when it comes time to lay something down for the sake of the gospel, we become unwilling. That's not what disciples do. Disciples are followers.

    This is not just a one-time decision. Oh yeah, 10 years ago, 20 years ago, I decided. No, it is an ongoing decision. I am following him, and sometimes he doesn't go where I want him to go. Sometimes I have to subvert my will for his. I have to give up my desires for his. That's what it means to be a follower, a disciple.

    Are we actively leaving our nets, our boats, our father, like James and John did, to follow Jesus?

    The second thing we learn about the gospel is that they are learners. This is the most basic definition of the word disciple. Someone who is a learner. Maybe a better word is a student.

    So a disciple is a follower. A disciple is a student. In other words, he is studying. He is learning. He is gaining information, but more than just information, revelation.

    Do you know what you need in order to learn something? Now we're going to talk about the Bible. Do you know what you need in order to learn something? In other words, you need to learn something: humility. You have to understand that you don't know everything.

    Have you figured it out yet? In fact, I think the longer I live, the more I figure out how little I know. There are things that we know that we don't know. There are also things that we don't know that we don't know.

    And the purpose, the point of this is for all of us to figure out this morning that we still have things to learn from Jesus. Is that true?

    Which one of us has figured it all out? Anybody here? Have you reached the pinnacle of achievement of knowing all that there is to know from Jesus? Of course not.

    No matter how long you've been saved, either five minutes or five decades, we still need to learn from him. And guess what? Sometimes we need to relearn a few things because we'll learn them and then forget them. And God has to teach us again.

    So a disciple has to stay in the position of humility, which says, I am still learning. I am still gaining. I am still trying to understand. I haven't figured it all out.

    When we reach that point, when you are the smartest person in the room, say, I've got it. Yeah, I've heard that one before. You reach a point where you cannot learn, and that is not what disciples do.

    Matthew 10, verse 24, a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. When the church begins to critique and criticize the methods and the teachings of Jesus, we are no longer able to learn.

    He is still our master. He is still our Savior. He is still our Lord, and he is still our teacher. I want to tell you, we are not only learning from the Word of God, from the pastor, from the sermons, from the teachings, from YouTube. We are learning from Jesus.

    That is the mark of a disciple. There would be times when Jesus would set aside simply to teach, to simply begin to unveil revelation to his disciples. They would sit at his feet and listen.

    That story of Mary and Martha, where Jesus was at their house in Bethany. And he's teaching, and the wisdom of God is pouring out through him to the disciples. And Mary has chosen to sit at his feet and hear his teaching.

    Martha, she's busy with all the household chores. She's cooking and cleaning and being the hostess with the mostess. And there are some of us in here that tend to be more like Martha. If I'm busy, that means I'm doing something for God.

    But just because we're busy doesn't mean we're doing God's work, and doesn't mean that we're disciples. Jesus said that Mary has chosen the better part. Mary has chosen to be a disciple, a learner.

    Martha, why don't you come leave the dishes? The dishes can be done later. Come sit and hear what I have to say. Can you hear that this morning? The call to continue your journey of learning.

    The third thing a disciple is... is an imitator. A disciple is a follower, a learner, and an imitator. It is said that if you want to have success in any field, you should find someone who is already successful and then make yourself like them.

    If you get hired at a new job, what you should do is look for the best employee who's doing your job, figure out how they do it, and then make yourself like them. If you get hired at a new job, what you should do is look for the best employee who's doing your job, figure out how they do it, and repeat their success.

    Don't try to reinvent the wheel. Don't try to start over from scratch. If you want to be a good chef, maybe you're baking cakes. Well, you should do a search of Virginia Beach and find the best cake shop in Virginia Beach and go observe.

    Say, I'm not here to take anything from you. I just want to see what has made you successful. How do you do this? I want to observe. I want to see what has made you successful.

    Now, I would say it again and try to make yourself like them to fail with you really. Volunteer my time. Young people, it's a great opportunity. You want to learn how to do a certain job. You look up on Google, Virginia Beach, and find the top-rated place that is doing what you want to do. Go offer to be a volunteer and see what it is that makes those people successful.

    As you do that, you will learn what they do, and so you will learn how to be successful yourself if you imitate. Too often, the church is trying to recreate the methods, trying to supplant what Jesus taught us.

    Disciples are not just called to learn and to follow, but to be like Him. Is that true? Again, Luke 6:40, a disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.

    Jesus is encouraging us to be like Him. Isn't that the definition of what it means to be a Christian? It means to be like Christ, to live the way He lived, to speak the way He spoke, to think the way He thought, to treat people the way He treated people, to love what He loved and hate what He hated.

    This is the definition of what it means to be a Christian. This is why Jesus sends us the Holy Spirit, by the way, because in our own strength and in our own ability, we cannot do this.

    But by the power of His Spirit, He enables us each and every day to become more and more like Him. That is discipleship. Discipleship is a work of the church.

    We saw this in the movie last night. Thank God that He saves us. Thank God He sets us free. There are things that only God can do. We're not trying to take that place. The church cannot save people. The church cannot reform the heart, the inner man.

    But what are we called to do? When the Bible said, when Jesus says to us, "You go and make disciples," what does that mean? It means that we, as the church, we have a part to play in the discipleship of others.

    We have a part to play. We have a part to play in the discipleship of others. When it comes to submitting and surrendering our lives to others around us, together we are seeking with one accord to do the will of God.

    And this is all in a work of love. This is not a power play. This is not politics. This is not one person having authority over another. This is servanthood.

    I, as a pastor, my job is to equip you to do what God has called you to do, to reproduce. I don't just want a bunch of busy robots doing church business. I want disciples of Jesus, and I want my life to be a blessing to you in that way.

    Jesus taught in John chapter 8. He said, "If you abide," John 8:30, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed." It's a whole interesting thought here that we don't have time for, but the word abide means to rest in or to make your home in.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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The Need for Warriors: Training disciples for Kingdom rescue [Genesis 14:14-16]

A message on the story of Abram from Genesis 14, where Abram mobilized 318 trained men to rescue his nephew Lot. This narrative serves as a powerful metaphor for our spiritual journey.

The Need for Warriors:

Training disciples for Kingdom rescue

Genesis 14:14-16

Sermon Summary

In service, I preached on discipleship and the call to be and train warriors for God's kingdom. We are reminded of the importance of discipleship, a process that transforms us into the likeness of Christ. Discipleship is not merely about conversion but about growing in relationships and community, becoming more like Jesus daily.

We jumped into the story of Abram from Genesis 14, where Abram mobilized 318 trained men to rescue his nephew Lot. This narrative serves as a powerful metaphor for our spiritual journey. Just as Abram trained warriors in his household, we are called to be trained in spiritual warfare, equipped to fight the battles of faith. The Christian life is not a passive one; it requires active engagement, training, and readiness to wage the good warfare against spiritual forces. We are reminded that our battles are not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers, and we must be prepared to fight with the weapons of faith, prayer, and the Word of God.

The call to discipleship is a call to action. It is about being trained and training others, creating a culture of discipleship within our church. This involves making intentional decisions to follow Jesus, to learn from Him, and to teach others. As we look forward to the coming year, we are challenged to embrace this theme of "Decisions Make Disciples," committing ourselves to be both learners and teachers in the faith. We are encouraged to cultivate relationships that foster growth and accountability, ensuring that our church is where new believers can thrive and mature in their walk with God.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[45:05] - God's Provision and Partnership
[46:07] - New Building Opportunity
[49:02] - Call to Discipleship
[50:44] - Theme for 2025: Decisions Make Disciples
[52:09] - Spiritual Warfare
[53:32] - Victory in Christ
[54:30] - The Need for Warriors
[57:06] - Holy Ghost Confidence
[58:04] - Embracing the Battle
[59:12] - Lot's Captivity and Our Compassion
[01:01:14] - Abram's Response
[01:06:21] - Training Warriors
[01:13:05] - Training in the Local Church
[01:19:41] - The Power of Relationships
[01:23:30] - Spirit of Discipleship
[01:28:38] - Call to Prayer and Commitment

Key Takeaways

  1. God's Provision and Partnership: The new building opportunity is a divine provision, emphasizing the importance of partnerships in expanding God's kingdom. This partnership is not just about physical space but about fulfilling God's vision for our congregation. [45:05]

  2. The Call to Discipleship: Discipleship is a lifelong journey of becoming more like Jesus. It involves intentional decisions and relationships within the community of faith. We are called to be more than converts; we are called to be disciples who make disciples. [50:44]

  3. Spiritual Warfare: The Christian life is a battle against spiritual forces. We must be trained and ready to fight with the weapons of faith, prayer, and the Word of God. Victory is not automatic; it requires active engagement and readiness. [53:32]

  4. Training in the Local Church: Just as Abram trained warriors in his household, we are called to train and be trained within the local church. This training is essential for spiritual growth and for equipping believers to fulfill their God-given purpose. [01:13:05]

  5. The Power of Relationships: Discipleship and spiritual growth occur within the context of relationships. We need mentors, peers, and those we can mentor. These relationships are vital for accountability, encouragement, and growth in the faith. [01:19:41]

Bible Reading

  • Gen 14:14-16 NKJV - 14 Now when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his three hundred and eighteen trained [servants] who were born in his own house, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 He divided his forces against them by night, and he and his servants attacked them and pursued them as far as Hobah, which [is] north of Damascus. 16 So he brought back all the goods, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, as well as the women and the people.

  • 1Ti 1:18 NKJV - 18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

    Mat 11:12 NKJV - 12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Observation Questions

  1. In Genesis 14:14-16, what actions did Abram take when he learned about Lot's capture, and what was the outcome of his actions?

  2. According to 1 Timothy 1:18, what charge does Paul give to Timothy, and how does it relate to the concept of spiritual warfare?

  3. How does Matthew 11:12 describe the nature of the kingdom of heaven, and what does this imply about the attitude of its followers?

Interpretation Questions

  1. What does Abram's mobilization of 318 trained men suggest about the importance of preparation and readiness in spiritual battles? [01:06:21]

  2. How does the concept of "decisions make disciples" challenge the traditional view of discipleship as merely a passive process? [50:44]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that spiritual warfare is an active and ongoing process for believers? [53:32]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt unprepared for a spiritual challenge. What steps can you take to be better equipped for future spiritual battles? [01:06:21]

  2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of relationships in discipleship. Identify one person in your life who could benefit from a mentoring relationship. How can you initiate this connection? [01:19:41]

  3. Consider the theme "decisions make disciples." What intentional decisions can you make this week to grow in your faith and help others do the same? [50:44]

  4. How can you incorporate the practice of prayer and the study of God's Word into your daily routine to strengthen your spiritual readiness? [53:32]’

  5. The sermon highlights the need for a warrior mentality in the Christian life. What specific area of your life requires a more proactive and courageous approach? [54:30]

  6. Reflect on the partnerships in your life that help expand God's kingdom. How can you strengthen these partnerships or form new ones? [45:05]

  7. How can you create a culture of discipleship within your local church or community, and what role can you play in this process? [01:13:05]

  • Amen. This church is a living house of God, living stones. Each one of us is part of the family of God, a member in the body of Christ. And we are grateful for each and every one of you tonight.

    There was one more QR code that I wanted to show this evening, and that is to join our new Bible plan. As you know, for the past few years, we've been having a yearly Bible program that we've been going through in the Bible app. And for 2025, we also have a new plan that we're all beginning.

    And I want to just give you the link for that if you haven't connected with it already. We have a QR code up there. I think, did you get that, Amanda? Sent it before the service.

    Anyways, sometime during the service, a QR code will appear. And if you want to join our Bible plan for the year 2025, we want to encourage you to join us. And another year in the Word of God, we desperately need that. Can you say amen?

    Amen. So grateful that we have tools like this available. The Bible app has been a great blessing to me, to keep me on track, reading the Word of God, and staying accountable.

    Amen. Let's open up our Bibles. Tonight, we're looking at Genesis chapter 14. I want to look at a story here, a story from the life of Abram.

    And there's a little detail in this story that is quite powerful when you begin to consider it. As Saban mentioned, we're starting a new Bible study starting next Sunday, and this is kind of a precursor to that.

    It's going to go along with a theme, a theme that I've prayed about, a yearly theme that I would like us as a church to focus on in the next year, 2025, and that is the theme of decisions make disciples. Disciples, and we are a church that believes in winning the lost through evangelism.

    A church can win a lot of people, and thank God over the years, God has given us many, many people that have come through our congregation and prayed at the altar. That is a wonderful thing, and that is nothing short of a miracle.

    However, God wants us to be more than just new converts. Can you say amen? Amen. The process that begins when we get saved is the process of discipleship, and that is where we are changing from glory to glory into His likeness and image.

    Now, you might have been saved for five minutes or for five decades. However long you've been saved, how many know we all are called to become more like Jesus? And that process of becoming more like Jesus is what we call discipleship.

    And discipleship is something that is done in the context of relationship, friendships, fellowship, within the context of a community and a church. And I believe that God would put this on our hearts for the next year.

    I believe that God has challenged me personally to take a step up in discipleship. And I want to ask you to join me this year to believe God that we make new steps in discipleship as we step forward in God's will.

    In the scripture we're about to read, we're going to read about Abram and his servants that are trained in his house. And they are trained to do warfare.

    1 Timothy 1:18, Paul charges his son in the faith. He says that you would wage the good warfare. Paul saw Timothy as a warrior in the kingdom of God. He saw him as a fighter. Not fighting against flesh and blood, as it says in Ephesians, but we are fighting against powers and principalities of the air.

    There's a spiritual battle, isn't there? Every day you are targeted by hell. We have an enemy, and he wants to kill, steal, and destroy. But we are on the winning side. Can you say amen?

    We serve a God who is on His throne. We serve a resurrected Savior. And when we are serving Him, we have access to victory. Victory over the demonic. Victory over the world. Victory over our flesh.

    But that does not come without a fight. It does not come automatically. We don't win the victory in this war by default. There have to be some people who are willing to wage the good warfare.

    There have to be somebody, men and women alike, old and young, who have the capacity, the ability, and the availability to wage a good warfare. The problem is that many Christians are acting like they are on a spiritual vacation.

    There are many who would consider themselves spiritual civilians, not warriors. But the Bible says that when we are saved, we are enlisted into the Lord's army. We should act like it. We should think like warriors. We should think like we are soldiers.

    Matthew 11, verse 12, from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. It's a powerful revelation there.

    But I want to look at this story from Genesis chapter 14, and I want to stir up some Holy Ghost righteousness in God's people tonight.

    Genesis 14, beginning with verse 14, when Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Keterleomar's army and led them to the city of Bethlehem.

    And he led his army until he caught up with them at Dan. And there he divided his men and attacked during the night. Keterleomar's army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.

    Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives.

    This message tonight, the need for warriors. Let's pray.

    Lord, we come by the precious blood of Jesus. Lord, you saved us. You called us. You set us apart for your glory. Lord, we are called to be servants, to be friends. You've called us to be stone, living stones in your house, members of one body.

    God, you've also called us to wage a good warfare, to fight a good fight. I'm praying, God, that you would raise up a holy people in this place willing to fight the battles of your kingdom.

    I'm praying, God, that you would raise up women and men with courage and strength to fight and win battles for your kingdom. And we give you glory tonight in Jesus' mighty name. God's people said, amen.

    Did you feel it tonight? When Brother Andre said, let's pray, you know what I felt in my spirit? I said, come. I felt a spirit of let's go. Let's do something for God.

    And I believe that God would give us a Holy Spirit confidence. I'm not talking about ego. I'm not talking about pride. But what God's people need is a Holy Ghost confidence in who God has called us to be and what God has called us to do.

    In this life, we will have battles. You will have battles. You will have financial battles. You will have relationship battles. You will have personality struggles. Yes? Not everybody gets along. That's part of life.

    You will have family battles for your family, for your career, for many, many things, for your personality, for your mental stability. We will battle many, many things.

    I want to say tonight, it is not evil. It is not unusual for us to have a battle. Some people are surprised that a battle comes to their doorstep. Wait a second. I thought I was following Jesus. I thought all the battles have already been won.

    And many times, you can get discouraged just because a battle shows up. But be not discouraged tonight. God never told you. God never told you. God never told us that we would not battle.

    He did tell us, though, that He would be with us through the battle. In the scripture that we read tonight, Abram is God's man. God has chosen him and called him to be a friend and a promise receiver from the Lord God.

    And in this story, this narrative of Abram's life, there is this occasion when his nephew, Lot, was captured. Now, it's a long, complicated story that I don't want to fully explain. But the bottom line is this: a war breaks out.

    And this war is between five kings on one side and four kings on the other side. And they're battling it out for land and territory and possessions, the same reasons why wars have been fought for thousands of years of human history.

    This is an earthly battle between earthly kings for earthly gains. Lot is not on one side or another. Neither side is fighting for the kingdom of God, only for self and earthly kingdoms.

    And yet, it is during this battle that Lot and his family are dragged into the fight. He is captured. He's in the wrong place at the wrong time.

    There's a little lesson that we can learn here before we go forward. Where was Lot living? In Sodom. He had seen the green pastures and the beautiful fields and the opportunities to make a lot of money down there in Sodom.

    And he chose his path in a land of wickedness. And who knows if the reason why he got captured in this fight is because he made a bad decision to follow his money instead of following his uncle.

    And there's a good lesson for us. Sometimes we find ourselves wrapped up in unnecessary battles because we are pursuing the wrong priorities in life. Hello?

    When you find anything other than Jesus at number one, you'll get wrapped up and caught up in battles that you should have nothing to do with.

    I find that people get caught up in relationships that they have no business being in because they're not seeking first the kingdom. I find that people sometimes end up at jobs that you have no business working at that job. You have no business going to that place.

    And yet there you are because we've made decisions that are outside of seeking first the kingdom.

    And so, in parentheses, back to the story. It is during this battle between five earthly kings over here and four earthly kings over there, they're battling it out, and Abram's nephew, his name is Lot, is taken as a casualty of war.

    And this is where Abram finds himself. He is a family member to Abram. No doubt, Abram cares about him. Lot had lived in Abram's household. He was family.

    Abram, at an old age, did not have his own children. Perhaps, to him, Lot was kind of like a son, someone that he trusted, someone that he cared for, him and his family.

    And so there he is. In this story, Lot represents to us a full category of people. There are many people like Lot in our world today.

    Many people who are caught up in battles that really they have nothing to do with. There are those who have been captured by mentalities, captured by inherited curses, captured by bad decisions, captured in poverty, captured in failing systems, captured in a failed justice system, captured in so many things to no fault of their own.

    And I want you to understand that. Wonder, can you see them? Do we still think about them? Today is our World Evangelism Sunday, the last Sunday of the month. And you know, there are some Lot people groups out there in the world, out there in nations that do not know Jesus.

    Jesus came for the captured ones. You remember his proclamation on the day when it was his turn to read the Torah, and they opened up the scroll to the book of Isaiah. And on that day, he proclaimed his mission statement for why did I, why did Jesus come?

    And one of those things was to set the captives free. Jesus came to earth because there are a bunch of people who are held captive. Ultimately, we are held captive because of sin.

    And if we are on the side of Jesus, if we are on the side of God's kingdom, then our heart also needs to be who is still in captivity that needs freedom.

    How many of you remember when you were in captivity? You were in bondage to your sins. It's not so long ago that you forgot. I can still remember how bound I was in my sins, feeling like I was in a prison of my own making.

    And even though I was not in a prison cell physically, I was in a prison cell of my mind. Spiritually, I was a captive. Like one of those slaves born during that 400 years of captivity where your great-great-great-great-grandpa was a slave. And you see no hope of getting out.

    Listen, there's a lot of people in our world that that is what, that is their daily life. Just like Lot, caught up in a battle that he didn't start and he didn't finish. He wasn't involved in. He's just caught up in the middle of it.

    Do we have compassion? Do we have compassion? Do we have compassion for the captives? Do we see them? Do we hear them? Do we pray for them?

    There's a story in the New Testament when the apostle Peter finds himself in prison. And this is what the Bible says about this. This is Acts chapter 12, verse 3. When Herod Agrippa saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter.

    Taking place during the Passover celebration, he imprisoned him and placed him under the guard of four squads, four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial, but watch.

    Verse 5, while Peter was in prison, the church prayed earnestly for him, fervently, round-the-clock prayer. Thank God that there was a church who cared about Peter.

    Our guy, he's a Christian. He's a Christian. He's a Christian. He's a Christian. He's a Christian. He's in prison. We've got to pray. We've got to believe. And fervently they prayed.

    Do you have a family member who's in prison spiritually? Do you have a family member who is captive by their sins, by their unbelief, by their cynicism, atheism, demonic oppression?

    We should continue to pray earnestly for those. Can you say amen? But we should do more than pray.

    In our scripture, we're reading about Lot. And Abram has a response. Abram's response was not to sit back on his chair and fold his hands and bow his head and say, Lord, I hope you get Lot out of there.

    Lord, I just pray that you would just open up a door. Somehow, Lord, that you would set Lot free. No, the Bible says that Abram was prepared to do something.

    And we don't often think of Abram in this light. But this scripture reveals that Abram was a warrior. Not only a warrior, but a trainer of warriors.

    Let's look at this scripture, verse 14. He mobilized 318 trained men who had been born into his household. What can we learn from this?

    Abram, in addition to being a successful farmer, business person, follower of the voice of God, receiver of the promise, in addition to all those things, Abram also had another notch on his belt, which was he trained men in war.

    He had his own personal army, 318 strong. And when the time came... When the time came for them to be deployed, he did not withdraw from the fight. Abram knew when to pull the trigger.

    He said, I'm prepared for this. I don't have to just sit and pray. I can do something. He mobilized 318 trained men. What a powerful thing that is.

    What a powerful thing the kingdom of God needs is trained warriors. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not talking about taking up M16s this evening. What we need is some men who are trained in John 3:16s. Come on.

    We need some people who are trained in the Word of God. Trained in prayer. Trained in discipleship and ministry. Trained in how to lead someone to Jesus and teach them how to live for God.

    This is the kind of warriors we are seeking, both men and women. And to do this is not automatic. You know, we have an elite fighting force in the U.S. Navy called the SEALs. Most of you know exactly what that is.

    It is a rigorous training. Just to be considered to go to the BUDS program, you have to pass a screening test. Just to be considered. You know what the screening is? I looked it up.

    In order to be considered to become a SEAL and go to the BUDS training, you have to perform the following. Are you ready for this? 500-yard swim in 12 minutes, 30 seconds. 50 push-ups in 2 minutes. 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes. 10 consecutive pull-ups in 2 minutes. And a 1.5-mile run in 10 minutes, 30 seconds.

    There's probably only a few people in this room who would even come close. That's only the first step, the first test to be a candidate for the BUDS program.

    If you are selected and receive a passing score, the attrition rate fluctuates, but at average, only 20% graduate from BUDS. That means 80% fail. 80%. That's hard.

    The average candidate spends over a year in formal training courses before being awarded the special training. That's a special warfare operator naval rating.

    And if they are selected to be a Navy SEAL, the next thing that happens is, guess what? Even more hard stuff. Eight weeks of naval recruit training. Eight weeks of naval special warfare prep school. 24 weeks of basic underwater demolition. Five weeks of parachute jump school. 26 weeks of SEAL qualification.

    Then, if they make it through all of that, only then will they receive the Navy SEAL trident. And after that, is 18 months of pre-deployment before you ever face any action. That's hard.

    Why would anyone do this? Because some people are programmed to be warriors. And thank God that there are. Thank God that there are some men who are willing to sacrifice their bodies, their families, their time, their lives, and they're willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Navy SEALs.

    And they're willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Navy SEALs. And they're willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Navy SEALs. And they're willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Navy SEALs.

    And they're willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the Navy SEALs. That's what I'm talking about when I'm talking about training.

    When the Bible says that Abram had 318 trained men, I want to tell you that training is not automatic, and it is not easy. The word in Hebrew is the word chanik.

    And if we translate that word, we get trained, instructed, trained servant, experienced. The root word of that comes from the same word where we get javelin or spear. The idea is an initiation, a dedication.

    It's the same word, the root word of Hanukkah, which is the festival of dedication. You know the story there. And so these trained men, they had been initiated, dedicated. They had surrendered their hearts and their lives into the hands of Abram to train as a person of war.

    And I want to tell you, this says a lot about Abram. It says that he's a leader, someone who knows how to prepare his house for battle. What does it say?

    One more time as we read that scripture. Verse 14, when Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized 318 trained men who had been born where? In his household.

    So where had they been trained? Under his hands. In other words, Abram did not send these men off to BUDS training. He didn't send them off to another king to learn how to fight somewhere else.

    Abram is the one who trained them in his household. This is a powerful principle. He didn't send them to some outside warrior school. He trained them in his own house.

    This was a powerful discovery of Pastor Mitchell. And when he began to plant churches, the Prescott Church back in the 1970s, something happened at the time. And still to this day, the expectation is that if you're going to pioneer a church or become a pastor, that we have to send these people off to cemetery. I mean seminary.

    And we have to train them how to be pastors. And that has always been the way that things are done in the church world here in America. So Pastor Mitchell has these men that are saved. They're radical for God. They're disciples.

    And now they want to respond to the call and become pastors. So he does what everybody does. Send them off to cemetery. I mean seminary.

    And when they go to seminary, they come back and they've lost the fire. They've lost the passion. They've lost something. And so Pastor Mitchell determined in his heart, he says, you know, when I read the Bible, I don't see Jesus sending his disciples off to another school.

    I don't see Jesus. I don't see the early church sending them off to some Bible training program. I don't see him sending them off to another school. I don't see Jesus sending them to the temple to train under the Pharisees or the Sadducees.

    You know what we see in the New Testament? We see Jesus training his men. And we see those men training other men. And that training is occurring in the context of the local church.

    And what this did for Pastor Mitchell and what it has done for our fellowship over the last 50 years is it has accelerated the work of God. We are approaching now 4,000 churches around the world. 4,000 churches.

    I was just thinking about this the other day. When I came into the church in the year of our Lord, previous century, 1998 is when I got saved. And when I got saved, there was only about 1,400 churches in the fellowship at that time.

    So I'm not that old. But in that amount of time, our fellowship has more than doubled. How does that happen? It happens when men of God, women of God will put themselves in a position of being trained in the house of the local church.

    That was the secret for Abram. 318 trained in his own household. That is powerful. It's a miracle. And it gives great dignity to the local church.

    You know what it means? It means we have enough to train workers and warriors right here. This church has what we need to train men of God and women of God to do the work of God, to be the rescuers and the warriors.

    I want to tell you, I'd rather have 300 trained men from our own house than an army of thousands that I don't know. We find this pattern in the Word of God.

    We find that the principle of training that in 2 Timothy, where Paul says, Timothy, I want you to take the things that I've shown to you, and I want you to teach those to others who will be able to teach others also.

    And right there in that one scripture, we have the four generations of discipleship. So Paul has taught Timothy. Timothy is charged to train other people who are going to then train other people.

    And unfortunately, I think that there's a breakdown in the church, and even in our church, when it comes to discipleship. We're not just called to get saved and to heap up on ourselves all kind of intelligence and blessing and revelation, and thank God that God helps us.

    But the reason we get saved is not just for us. It's to be trainers. Who are we training to fight for the kingdom of God? Abram trained these men in his own house.

    We need trained warriors. We need men who will submit themselves. We need women who will surrender their hearts to the work of training to be warriors.

    But I want to tell you something. Those of us who have some experience in the Word of God and in the will of God, you know what else we need? We need warrior trainers. We need trained warriors, and we need warrior trainers.

    We need the servants, and we need the leaders. And if we will, if we will submit to this need, I want to tell you, the rescue will be successful.

    Verse 16, Abram, listen carefully, Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken. He brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions, all the women, and all the other captives.

    This is powerful. There are two times in the Word of God where it identifies Lot not only as nephew, but if you look at that Hebrew word in the original text, the word is not just nephew, it's brother.

    He brought back his brother Lot, his close family member. And thank God for that, because you know what? There had been a rift between these two.

    They're in this scripture through the ritual rescuing of Lot out of his captivity, there is also the idea that there is a relationship that is restored. That because, thank God, Abram had these trained men in his house, he was able to rescue Lot.

    And he not only rescued him from his captivity, but he rescued a relationship. Through this rescue, the relationship of Abram and Lot found healing. Proverbs 17:17, a brother is born for adversity.

    Can I tell you, in my life, I have had some brothers that have saved my life spiritually. When I have been going through things, I thank God that I have a network of people that I can call on.

    People that I trust. I have a pastor that I trust. Thank God, I've had the same pastor from the first day I got saved. There is power in that.

    I can call him. Sometimes if my mind is circling and swerving and in all kinds of chaos and insanity, and I make one phone call, and Pastor Campbell's prayers, our relationship over the years, he is able to bring me back to sanity in about 30 seconds.

    Thank God that I have that. Not only that, I have brothers in my life. I have brothers in my life. I have brothers in my life. I have brothers in my life.

    In the faith, I have fellow pastors and evangelists and people that I have trust in, and they are able to speak into my life, and I am able to ask them questions.

    By the way, that's a mark. That's a mark that you're still learning something. Are you asking questions? People that you trust.

    I'm amazed at some people that never have a question. Got it all figured out. I already learned it, Pastor. You know, when I'm around my pastor, you know what I'm constantly trying to do?

    I'm constantly trying to think of a question I can ask him, because my pastor has so much wisdom, and I have so much respect for him. His battles over the years, his experiences, that's worth something to me.

    Whatever ministry that I have is a direct outflow of my relationship with Pastor Campbell and with other trusted people that are in my life.

    We want to see the captives rescued. We want to see an army raised up, but I want to tell you, armies don't happen on their own. They don't happen in isolation.

    The army of God relies on relationships. It relies on rank and submission and obedience to commands. All of you who have been in the military, and even if you haven't, you understand the concept that an army cannot function without rank, cannot function without submission and surrender.

    Not everybody gets to make the calls, right? Somebody's got to follow the calls. And so it is in the kingdom. God calls some to leadership and some to being followers.

    It's okay to be a follower. In fact, the reason that we can become good leaders is when we become good followers. If we will do this, I want to tell you, the same kind of victory that Abram found, rescuing Lot and all of those who were captive, I want to tell you, we want to see spiritual victory, right?

    We want to see spiritual captives being rescued and redeemed from the hands of the enemy. But God is not going to rescue lost souls and bring them into a chaotic church.

    He's not going to bring new converts into a place that is not conducive for converts to grow. This is why we have to be a family.

    I'm so grateful that Brother Philip that I went to lunch with today, he made that statement to me and he said, when I came to your church, I felt like I was home. That was beautiful to me.

    It spoke to me that there is a spirit in our congregation, a spirit of family. It's more than just a family. It's more than just church on Sunday, hello?

    It's not just religion. It's not just a facade. It's not just putting up a front and putting on a performance. If we're going to have that, it means we're going to have to be willing both to train and to be trained.

    Have you already figured it all out? Or is there still room for discipleship in your life? I know there's still room for discipleship in my life. I haven't got it. I haven't figured it out yet. I'm still learning.

    Please. Our theme for the next year, decisions make disciples. And I want to encourage you over these next few months as we kind of hone in on what that means, would you join me to begin examining what kind of decisions can you make to be a disciple?

    Not just of local authority and leadership within the church, that's important, but ultimately disciples of Jesus. Followers, learners, imitators.

    We need warriors. It's not easy, but it's not meant to be. Let's bow our heads. We're going to close our eyes tonight.

    I thank you for the opportunity to examine the word of God with you tonight. A powerful story from the life of Abram, 318 trained in his own house. Trained for warfare. Trained for rescue.

    I have good news for you. We are on the winning side. We have a commander-in-chief who knows what he's doing. We have a mighty savior, Jehovah Nisi, the Lord who fights for us. The Lord, our banner, who goes before us.

    And tonight, before we open this altar for prayer, I'm challenging you to a spirit of discipleship in this coming year. But we cannot embrace discipleship unless first, we find ourselves in a right relationship with God.

    And before we contemplate what kind of decisions will lead to discipleship in our lives, I want, I wonder, are you right with God? Are you living for him? Are your sins forgiven?

    And before we do other things, tonight I want to give an opportunity for someone who's not saved, not living for God, not sure about the relationship you have with him.

    Jesus died so that we can have a relationship with God. And tonight, before we open up this altar for prayer, if you're not right with God, I want to pray with you.

    If you're not serving him, you're not living for him, but your sins are before you. You're feeling a weight and a burden on your shoulders of sin and condemnation. Jesus is here to set us free tonight.

    He wants to set the captive free. And your captivity to sin can be broken in a moment. He can open prison doors.

    If you need that tonight, before we pray, I want to ask you to respond with an uplifted hand. Say, Pastor, I'm not right with the Lord, but I want to be. Is that you? Quickly, you'd slip up your hand.

    Unsaved, you're not right with God. Would you respond with an uplifted hand tonight? God's dealing with you. Is there anyone at all?

    Say, Pastor, pray for me. I need Jesus. I need his love. I need his mercy. I need his grace. I'm lost. I'm broken. Would you respond in faith right now? Lift up your hand so I can see it.

    Amen. Then tonight, as we open up this altar for prayer, a simple message, the need for warriors.

    See, most of the church has a civilian mentality. I just want to survive. I just want to be happy. I just want to take my ease and eat, drink, and be merry and be blessed and be filled.

    I want to tell you, the kingdom of God is not for the faint of heart. Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force.

    There is a battle. There's a battle for spiritual dominance. There's a battle for souls. There's a battle for righteousness. There's a battle for discipline in your life, a battle for prayer, a battle for righteousness.

    And tonight, we've got to have a warrior mentality. We've got to be willing to train and to be trained.

    And if God has spoken to you tonight, I want to open up this altar for prayer. You want to make 2025 a year of discipleship for your life, to be trained and to train others, to seek God's will for your life, to seek out the rescue of those who are captive.

    This is how it happens through discipleship. And tonight, as we put our focus in the next year, if you want to join me in that, I want to ask you to come and pray.

    God, we desperately need a spirit of discipleship. Would you stand up to your feet with me? We're going to open up this altar for prayer.

    God, I want to be a disciple. I want to give myself to discipleship. I want to be trained and to be a trainer.

    Lord, I'm asking you, God, fill us, trained warriors, skilled in the art of rescuing the captives. Would you come? Parents, you can train your children, family members, church leaders.

    We need people tonight to respond to the call. Let's cry out to the Lord. Let's pray to the Lord for a few moments here. Come on, church, let's lift up our voices.

    The spirit of discipleship at work in our lives and in our congregation. Let's believe God tonight. Father, we thank you.

    Oh, we're crying out to you, Father. Oh, your spirit and your grace. Raise us up, oh God. Raise us up in your will. Raise us up in your every heart tonight, washing and cleansing, purifying, I pray.

    Oh, come on, let's worship the Lord tonight. Lift up your hands.

    Oh, when you said, it is finished. It is finished. Death has lost. Death has lost. Now forever I will stand and I will stand and sing hallelujah.

    It is finished. Come on, let's give him praise tonight. God, we thank you.

    Let me remind you tonight, Jesus said, I will build my church. That's his job. Building of the church is his job. That's what he does.

    But Jesus said in the Great Commission, you go and make disciples. He builds his church; we make disciples. And every one of us is called to this.

    When you are training your children, that is a form of discipleship in the church. When you are showing someone how to do the work of the kingdom, that is discipleship.

    When you are showing someone, helping them to get free from their sin, which so easily besets, to live righteous and holy, that is discipleship. Nobody here is perfect. Nobody here has it all figured out.

    But here's what we have to focus in on. I believe what we can make a priority for the coming year is discipleship. You know, Jesus only spent three years with his disciples.

    Can you imagine? Three years, and then I'm out of here. I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit, and that's all you need prepared for ministry.

    God help us if you only had three years of salvation under your belt. Could you be fruitful in what God has called you to do? That's what we're looking for, church.

    And if you say, Pastor, how do you know? How do you know that it works? How do you know that this vision is successful? Because I saw it. I was a part of it.

    In my mother church in Chandler, Arizona, it is a discipleship machine. People get saved. Lots of people get saved. But there is an expectation. There is an atmosphere. There's a culture of discipleship.

    And I want to see that replicated here in our congregation. And it's going to take all of us. But I believe that God has good things for us.

    God has rescue of captives in our future if we will give ourselves to this work. Let's lift up our hands tonight. I want to pray with you.

    I want to believe God for a spirit of discipleship. Let's pray together. Say, God in heaven, oh, thank you, Lord, for saving me and setting me free from the captivities of my sins.

    I thank you, Lord, for saving me from the captivities of my sins. I thank you that you've set me free to serve you.

    And with this salvation, Lord, I want to serve you. I want to do your will. The will of God is righteousness, seeking obedience to please my Father in heaven.

    And I thank you for the church, the training ground, that you've given to me with a resource of other people that I can learn from, that I can seek.

    Lord, help me to be humble, to be a learner. Lord, that I can continue to learn how to live for you. And God, give me a position to train others in this kingdom.

    I give you glory tonight in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Let's give him praise once again.

    Wage the good warfare. That's, I believe, what God is calling us to tonight. Amen.

    And I'm so grateful for this congregation. I'm so grateful over the years for the opportunity to minister.

    And, you know, I feel like, just like a successful parent, if a parent is successful, they are working themselves out of a job, right?

    We are training our children to go away from us. And also, a successful parent, ministry is also training itself out of the job.

    You know, I've been leading the worship services here for too long. Can I be honest with you? This is not me whining and complaining.

    This is me admitting that I have failed in training up new people to do what I have held on to for too long. And I believe that there's many examples of that, that we can train others to take our place, and the kingdom of God will be blessed, benefited because of that.

    Amen. So tonight I want to ask you to pray. Pray for this coming New Year as we put our focus once again on the topic and the priority of discipleship.

    And we're going to close in prayer tonight. Thank you for being here. We're going to believe God as we go from this place.

    We're going to have a wonderful time Tuesday night for our New Year celebration. Please come back and join us for that.

    Again, there is a sign-up sheet. We do need some people to sign up. I know that most everybody's going to be here, but we don't have everybody signed up for a dish that you're going to be bringing for the potluck dinner.

    So please take a look at that list. Even if you're not going to perform in the talent show, you can put your name and what you're planning to bring. That would be helpful so we can make a plan.

    And then also remember your wrapped gifts that you can bring with you. The celebration is going to be from 7 to 10 p.m. We're going to have a wonderful time.

    Lots of good things in store. And we're excited for another coming year that we can serve Jesus. Can you say amen?

    Glory to God. We're going to close in prayer tonight. Brother Mason, would you close us off this evening? Amen.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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No Time to Delay: Immediate Obedience Needed [Matthew 1:18-21]

Just as Mary and Joseph had to act promptly and without delay, we are called to respond to God's call in our lives with faith and trust. The will of God is not automatic; it requires our active participation and willingness to step out in faith, even when the path is unclear.

No Time to Delay:

Immediate Obedience Needed [Matthew 1:18-21]

Matthew 1:18-21

Sermon Summary

In this service, we explored the story of Mary and Joseph, focusing on their obedience to God's will despite their challenges and uncertainties. Their story is a powerful reminder that God's will requires our response and trust. Just as Mary and Joseph had to act promptly and without delay, we are called to respond to God's call in our lives with faith and trust. The will of God is not automatic; it requires our active participation and willingness to step out in faith, even when the path is unclear.

We also discussed the importance of trusting God with our lives, futures, and decisions. Trusting God means acknowledging that His ways are higher than ours and that He can direct our paths when we lean not on our own understanding but on His wisdom. This trust is crucial, especially when God calls us to make life-altering decisions or step into new territories of faith and obedience.

As we approach the new year, we are reminded of the importance of discipleship and the call to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. This involves making conscious decisions to leave behind anything that hinders our walk with Him and to embrace the new life He offers. Our spiritual success is measured not by our achievements but by our obedience to God's call.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:55] - Joy to the World
[04:37] - Angels We Have Heard on High
[06:06] - Gloria in Excelsis Deo
[07:39] - Come to Bethlehem
[09:34] - Peace Has Come
[11:10] - All Creation Glorifies
[14:36] - Announcements
[32:12] - The Gift of Jesus
[33:04] - God's Will and Timing
[37:48] - Trusting God's Plan
[41:03] - No Time for Delay
[47:19] - Responding to God's Call
[52:18] - Trust in the Lord
[01:06:16] - The Call to Discipleship
[01:22:05] - God's Provision and Timing
[01:31:17] - Making Room for God's Plan
[01:36:16] - Closing Prayer

Key Takeaways

  • The Gift of Jesus: Christmas is a celebration of the greatest gift—Jesus Christ, who came to save us from our sins out of God's mercy and love, not because of our righteousness. This gift is a reminder of God's overwhelming generosity and His nature to give the best gifts. [32:12]

  • Obedience to God's Will: The story of Mary and Joseph teaches us the importance of responding promptly to God's call. God's will requires active participation and trust, even when the path is unclear. Delaying our response can hinder the fulfillment of His plans in our lives. [41:03]

  • Trusting God: Trusting God means acknowledging His sovereignty and wisdom. We are called to trust Him with our lives, futures, and decisions, knowing that His ways are higher than ours. This trust is essential for navigating life's uncertainties and stepping into God's will. [52:18]

  • The Call to Discipleship: Following Jesus requires making conscious decisions to leave behind anything that hinders our walk with Him. Discipleship involves embracing the new life He offers and being willing to step into new territories of faith and obedience. [01:06:16]

  • God's Provision and Timing: God's provision is always timely and sufficient for His purposes. Just as He provided for Mary and Joseph, He will provide for us as we step out in faith and obedience. Our spiritual success is measured by our obedience to God's call. [01:22:05]

Bible Reading

  • Matthew 1:18-25 NKJV - 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

  • Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV - 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

  • Genesis 12:1-3 NKJV - 1 Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Observation Questions

  1. What was Joseph's initial reaction to Mary's pregnancy, and how did his response change after the angel's visit? [41:03]

  2. How does the sermon describe the role of trust in God's plan, especially when making life-altering decisions? [50:40]

  3. What examples from the sermon illustrate the importance of timely obedience to God's call? [01:21:20]

  4. How does the story of Mary and Joseph highlight the necessity of responding to God's will, even when the path is unclear? [47:19]

Interpretation Questions

  1. In what ways does Joseph's obedience to the angel's command reflect the broader theme of trust in God's plan? How might this apply to modern believers? [41:03]

  2. How does the sermon suggest that trust in God can impact our decision-making processes, especially in uncertain times? [50:40]

  3. What does the sermon imply about the relationship between God's provision and our willingness to step out in faith? [01:22:05]

  4. How does the sermon connect the concept of discipleship with making conscious decisions to follow Jesus? What might this look like in a believer's life today? [01:06:16]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt called to make a significant decision. How did you discern whether it was God's will, and what role did trust play in your decision-making process? [50:40]

  2. Consider the story of Mary and Joseph. Are there areas in your life where you feel God is calling you to respond promptly? What steps can you take to ensure you don't delay? [41:03]

  3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of trust in God's provision. Identify a current situation where you need to trust God more. What practical steps can you take to lean on His understanding rather than your own? [52:18]

  4. Discipleship involves leaving behind anything that hinders our walk with Jesus. What is one thing you feel God is asking you to leave behind as you enter the new year? How can you take a step towards this change? [01:06:16]

  5. Reflect on the idea that God's will is not automatic and requires our active participation. How can you be more intentional in seeking and responding to God's will in your daily life? [47:19]

  6. The sermon mentions the importance of making room for God's plan. Is there an area in your life that is too full for God to work? How can you create space for His purposes? [01:31:17]

  7. Think about a decision you are currently facing. How can you apply the principles of trust and obedience from the sermon to this situation? What might be the first step in aligning your decision with God's will? [01:21:20]

  • Adam Dragoon (00:00.214)

    much. Let's open up our Bibles. Once again, we're going to turn our attention to this most important story at this time of year, Matthew chapter 1.

    And as I've been praying for this service today, I've been asking God to help us.

    The last few Sundays, if you've been here, I've been preaching on the topic of God's will. I preached a couple of Sundays ago about the mystery of knowing God's will. Last week, a message about dreams and visions that lead us into God's will. And I kind of want to continue that theme. This was not purposeful or planned, but just studying the Word of God leading me this direction.

    this morning, and I want to continue with the theme of stepping into God's will for our lives from the story of Mary and Joseph. It's a very powerful, powerful story. And to get your mind moving in the direction I believe the Scripture would have us to go this morning, I want to show you a three-minute video. There is a company you probably know called SpaceX who is innovating.

    in a very powerful way, creating rockets and vehicles which are designed to go into orbit and deliver payload. And ultimately, the vision of SpaceX is to make humanity an interplanetary species, in other words, to put people on Mars. And so they've been doing test flights of their launch vehicle, and this was the most recent one. This is just a three-minute

    Adam Dragoon (01:47.63)

    video that is kind of a summary of that recent launch. Go ahead and play that.

    Adam Dragoon (01:58.958)

    All flight crew members, this is the final go-no-go poll for operations. Raptor 1. Raptor 2. Go. Stage 1. Go. Stage 2. Go. Flight directors go for launch.

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    have the time.

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    Vehicles watching downrange.

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    Thank

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    Start up. Stage separation. Booster, respect,

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    Confirming 30 seconds to make that decision.

    10 seconds tail-catch decision. Hot stage, separation confirmed. Flight director is go for booster return. Operator go vote is set true. We are go for catch.

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    In hot for booster touch.

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    booster FTS is saved

    Adam Dragoon (03:40.556)

    I can't

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    Vila has caught the booster. Ship avionics power from trade nominal. Starship has entered the atmosphere. Starship is approaching the peak heating phase of entry. Mantic brake start up.

    Adam Dragoon (05:13.548)

    So how amazing is that? You did not see any computer generated images on that screen. That was all real life. That vehicle that landed on the tower is 200 feet tall. That's like a 20 story building. And it's pretty incredible to think about how much technology and how much has to go right in order to make that happen. And

    I was just thinking about that in the context of this scripture because in order to see what we just saw on that screen, there's about 10,000 things that have to go right. Not only do they all have to go right at the same time, but they have to go right in a particular order. For example, you saw that when the rocket reached the pinnacle of its flight, that there was a separation that occurred, right?

    that the flight vehicle or the payload is separated and the booster rocket falls back to Earth. So what I mean to say is that there is a particular moment that it is right for the separation to happen. You don't want that separation to happen while it's launching, right? Or you can't have a successful landing on the chopsticks is what they call them, if that separation has failed for some reason. And what I mean to

    to show you this morning is not only do 10,000 things have to go right, but they have to go right in order. There's a step one, there's a step two, there's a step three, and who knows what is the list of all the things that have to go right, and they have to go right in order to make all of that possible. There is a parallel in our scripture this morning and in the Christmas story. That there is a timing.

    to the will of God that must occur. Not only are Mary and Joseph going to have to respond to the call of God, not only is Joseph going to have to receive these dreams that we talked about last week, but he is going to have to respond to them and act in a particular moment at a particular time, and he cannot delay. And that's what I want to focus in on this morning is

    Adam Dragoon (07:37.767)

    I believe the people of God that if you're here this morning, it means you've got a heart that is sensitive to God's will. I hope that you're here this morning because you are trying to do God's will. But often the mistake of believers is that we want to do God's will, but we want to do it on our own terms. We want to do it in the way we understand. And because of that, I believe many of God's people, including myself from time to time,

    We tend to delay. We tend to put things off. We tend to write things out of the script that God had there from the beginning. And I want to encourage you this morning with a message I've titled, No Time for Delay. And once again, as we turn to this familiar story, Matthew chapter one, verse 18, now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed,

    to Joseph before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. And Joseph, being her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife.

    that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Verse 22, so all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold the virgin shall be with child and bear a son they will call his name Immanuel, which is translated God with us.

    Then Joseph, listen, this is the key that I want to focus in on this morning. Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took to him his wife and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn son. And he called his name Jesus. No time for delay. Let's pray. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. And once again,

    Adam Dragoon (09:58.078)

    We thank you for your grace and your mercy. We thank you Lord that there is a place in your kingdom for people like us. Lord that you have called us and you have saved us and you have set us apart from this world for your glory and for your purpose. That there is a calling upon every person's life. Individual calling, yes, and indeed a corporate calling together as a body of Christ. I'm praying God that we would realize.

    and we would understand the important part that we have to play as we respond to your Word and your truth. We give you glory this morning in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, Amen. I want to look at God's interventions. There are people in this world who would consider themselves deists. What that means is that God, that there must be a God, that there is some kind of supernatural

    prime mover that people who are not atheists, they are convinced by the natural world that this place had to come from somewhere. That there is a designer. And if we look in the world and we see design, then that means there must be a designer. Just like if you look at a painting, it is logical to conclude that there was a painter. Or if you look at a sculpture,

    It is logical to conclude that that came from a sculptor, someone who sculpted that thing. And it is also logical to conclude that if we find design in creation, if we find magnificent purpose in everything that the cosmos contains, that it makes sense to believe in a designer, that there is a God who put this into motion.

    But how many know there's a large gap between believing that there is a God and then believing that God is involved in the affairs of men on a day-to-day basis. It is possible to be a deist and think that God is somewhere off in the clouds, arms folded, not involved. He started things off, but like a cosmic watchmaker, sent the creation off into existence and has not intervened since then.

    Adam Dragoon (12:19.089)

    It takes a lot of faith to believe that, by the way. When you have seen the life changes of people that I have seen as a pastor, it is hard to believe that God is not involved in this world. I believe in a God who is involved. I believe the Bible reveals a God who intervenes in the affairs of this world. I believe that there is a God who can change the course of your life. That there is a God.

    who can supernaturally intervene in the affairs of men you know this this most recent presidential election there is a there is some things that happened that natural man cannot explain one turn of a head determines the outcome of an entire election in the united states incredible to think about that love him or hate him that there is a there is something about that situation god was involved

    It's like an open miracle that everyone could see. And I believe it's not just the affairs of who is rising up in power and who is being voted in to office. I believe that God gets involved in your life personally, in your marriage, in your family, in the affairs of what you are doing. Every person here, you are unique, just like we all have a unique fingerprint that we can identify.

    Biologically, we also have a unique spiritual identity with God that he creates us all with purpose and with importance with a job to do that was true of Joseph and Mary that's also true about you and if God's will is going to come to pass if this world is going to Step forward if this if if the will of God is going to be done

    on earth as it is in heaven like we pray, that means many times that God has to intervene. I want you to think about this. The will of God is not automatic. Right? The will of God doesn't just happen by default. It doesn't just play out without anyone's input that God waits

    Adam Dragoon (14:46.034)

    for a response. know that God is sovereign. We know that he's in control. And whether people respond to him or not, God's got plans for every purpose. But what I want to say to us here this morning is that there will be unique moments in time in your life when God asks you to step out by faith into something that is perhaps dangerous or uncomfortable or out of your ordinary.

    Mary and for Joseph it is true with both of them God intervened in the course of their life. They were not evil people They were not living in sin. They were not Cursing the name of God. No, they were faithful young people that were living in their time doing their part for their society but in the course of their life God intervened and he needed their response

    Look at first of all Mary's amazing response. You know the story in Luke chapter 1. the angel appears to Mary and he says, do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son. You shall call his name Jesus. What a surprise. Mary is betrothed to a husband. She's probably a very young girl.

    probably 14, 15, 16 years old in that age range. And this would be very surprising to her and to everybody else that the Holy Spirit is going to conceive a child in her womb. This has never been done before and it's never been done since. And yet it was the will of God. And what's amazing to me, she asks one question, how is this gonna be? Can you please explain a little more?

    The angel replies, this will be the work of the Holy Spirit. In verse 38, this is how Mary responds. Behold, the maidservant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word, and the angel departed from her. This is what God looks for in your life. I believe that God has some surprises in store for you.

    Adam Dragoon (17:08.114)

    How many you lived through a few of God's surprises in your life? You lived through a few unanticipated decisions that you had to make. That God led you to a place that you never expected and could never dream of on your own. And what God is looking for in those moments, He's not looking to explain everything to you. He's not looking to give you the five-point plan, the MO. He's not looking to give you all the mission details.

    All he's looking for is, let it be according to your word unto me. That's what he's looking for in you, and that's what he's looking for in me. These are some life altering decisions. And I just want to say right here,

    You can trust God.

    Thank you, Ms. Teresa. I got one amen. You can trust God. Why? Because God is trustworthy. If we are going to respond to God in these life-altering decisions, in these miracle interventions, these pivot points of life, these moments where it's...

    It can't happen two weeks before. It can't happen two weeks after. The will of God must happen now. And if we are going to make decisions like that, we have to trust Him. We have to trust that He knows what He's doing. Can I ask you this morning, do you trust God? Do you trust Him with your life? Do you trust Him with your future? Do you trust Him with your money?

    Adam Dragoon (18:52.945)

    Do trust Him with your family? Do you trust Him with your career? Do you trust God? You know, this is the same God who created the universe just by speaking. Like, He's also the same God who keeps the entire universe from spinning out of control into chaos. If God can take care of those things,

    If he can hold the universe in its place, I want you to know you can trust him with the decisions of your life. Proverbs 3 verses 5 and 6, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and listen, here's where it has to do with our scripture this morning, he shall direct your path.

    When you trust God, He is able to direct you. You ever seen those guys if you've been on the airplane a few times? There's guys out there on the tarmac and they've got those orange cones in their hands. What are they doing? They're waving the cones and they're giving direction to the pilot because the pilot, he's only got a short view. He can only see just to his side and in front. He can't see everything that's behind. And so the pilot is leaning on the understanding

    of those that are

    Adam Dragoon (20:24.535)

    And when he is leaning on the understanding of other people, he's able to line that airplane exactly where it's supposed to go. See, this is what happens with many believers when they are leaning on their own understanding and not trusting in God is we end up in a place you were not supposed to be. We end up on a path that was made by our own understanding instead of on

    His understanding. And it's often because we fail to trust Him. We fail to do what Mary did and say, Lord, let it be to me according to your word. If we don't trust Him, we'll end up on a path that is not God's intentions. First Kings chapter 8 verse 56 says, blessed be the Lord who has given rest to His people.

    according to all that he promised. Listen to this. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised through his servant Moses. Can I tell you? We serve a God who has never failed. He has never failed to lead people in the right direction. You say, well, pastor, you don't know what I'm going through. You don't know what's happened in my life.

    you don't know how jacked up my family is or the situation i came from you don't know my money house of the year my money problems are you know god might work for other people but you don't know what i'm going through

    I to tell you, we serve a God who has never broken a promise. He has never failed His word. The only times that we experience failure and loss is when we don't listen to Him, when we do our thing instead of His thing.

    Adam Dragoon (22:19.482)

    I want to just share a couple of stories with you at this point to remind you of how God has been faithful. You remember last year, you're part of this congregation, you remember Pastor Rocky Colona came into our church and did a powerful revival. During that revival, he raised up an offering for a church van. Before that time, we had been, every time we needed a van, we were either borrowing a van from another church or we were renting a van to the tune of $150 a day, which is very expensive.

    And so we prayed, we asked God, God, would you help us to get a van so that we can use it for your kingdom? Pastor Rocky Colona received an offering for that purpose, and the people of God responded. Some of you gave in that offering. What a powerful thing. We raised about $5,000, maybe $6,000 for a van at that time. But you know $6,000 is not, it's a good amount of money.

    But to buy a 15 passenger van for a church, you know, it's not quite all the way there. And so I'm thinking, at the time, I'm thinking maybe this will be a down payment. The church has to go in debt to get a van. Or I'm thinking, okay, maybe we can find, you know, the junkyard special and get a van that's not working and then maybe put some money into repairing it and getting it in working condition.

    Maybe that's what this $6,000 is for. And to be honest with you, there was an amount of time, maybe a month, maybe six weeks, where I was very troubled about this. I didn't know what to do. The way was not clear. And we were praying. Now, it's easy to look back on this situation having known the outcome and thinking, Pastor, why were you so upset? But I want to be honest with you, I was kind of upset. I was kind of just wondering what was going to happen.

    One day I get a phone call. And that phone call was from a brother, David Pintor, that many of you know, former member of our church. He's now going to a different church. And he says, he says, so I heard you're looking for a van. I yeah, we're looking for a van. What's the deal? He says, well, I know a pastor, a guy that I've known since I was in high school. He's a pastor now at a church. They're looking to get rid of a van.

    Adam Dragoon (24:47.074)

    Hey, praise the Lord, that's what we're looking for. So I called this man and you know, he's got not just one van, he's got two church vans that they're not using. They use them maybe once a month. It's not worth all the upkeep to keep these vehicles. And so I go, I do a test drive on the van. It's in good shape, it's got low miles. Like I said, they've only been using it on Sunday mornings to pick people up and drop people off after the service.

    It's got like 105,000 miles to 2005, and I'm thinking, praise God, we've got money to purchase a van like this. And so we do around the block, I drive it, seems like it's in pretty good shape, and then we get back to the church parking lot, I ask the pastor, so what are you thinking for a price? And the man looked at me.

    And he said, we want to gift it to you.

    Adam Dragoon (25:48.836)

    Can I tell you, right in that moment, God was telling me, you were worried about this for six weeks, and I had this van lined up for you the whole time. You need to trust me, Pastor Adam.

    Adam Dragoon (26:08.42)

    and we received that van as a gift we were able to take that money and put it toward repairs and get it in perfect tip-top working condition still working on a paint job though just so you know

    But that van has become an incredible blessing to this congregation. Most of you have ridden in that van on trips to North Carolina, outreaches, various things that we do. What a blessing. I want to tell you, that's just a small example. What are you worried about today? What are the things that are stressing you out?

    What are the things that you are curious, how is this going to work out? Like Joseph and Mary, like man, I'm going to become pregnant. That comes with a whole lot of problems, right? In those moments, we're to have to learn to trust him, that his ways are higher than our ways, that his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

    Adam Dragoon (27:08.195)

    Secondly, this morning I want to remind you that in these most important moments that responses are necessary. Focusing in once again on Joseph, verse 19, I want to read you two scriptures back to back which are surprising. It's Matthew 1, verse 19, and verse 24 if you're following along. Here's those two verses back to back. Then Joseph, her husband being a just man,

    and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. So just to explain that a little bit, these two people had been betrothed to one another in the Jewish custom. They probably had, since they were children, had an agreement between the two families that when these children come to age, they're gonna marry each other. They would have known each other. They would have been familiar with one another. They would have...

    been preparing already for a future marriage. And now, because she is pregnant, Joseph is a just man. He says, I can't marry someone who is in that condition. That's against my convictions. And so he would have had the right in that time to publicly accuse her and to bring her before the elders. And if she's found guilty of crime, that she could have stood trial.

    and maybe even executed as a result of being found pregnant serious consequences

    But Joseph's not a guy like that. His mind is, we're going to deal with this quietly, but I'm not going to marry you. We're going to just break this off. Obviously, you're not the right girl for me. That's verse 19. Now read verse 24. Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took to him his wife.

    Adam Dragoon (29:10.093)

    Do you see how that is a 180 degree opposite change? That Joseph was walking this way toward breaking the thing off. He had a dream, he woke up from that dream, he did what the Lord commanded, he had to turn around and say, Mary, I was wrong, we're getting married, here's your ring, let's do this thing.

    He had to change his direction in order for the purpose and the plan of God to go forward. I want to tell you there are going to be lots of moments like that in your life when God is going to help you to course correct. Isn't this exactly how we get saved? Is not this the very definition of repentance? This is how we gain entry into the kingdom of God.

    We were all once a stray, lost sheep, and Jesus came to find us. And in that condition, when we were running away from Jesus, we didn't want to live for Him, but He found us, we turned our lives around by faith, and we said, now, Lord, I want to serve you. Isn't that repentance? Repentance means a change of mind. I'm going one way. I realize this way is destroying me.

    So by the grace of God and by the blood of Jesus, I'm able to turn around and go back the other way. Thank God. That's conversion. That's how you gained injury into this kingdom. This is like Saul on the road to Damascus. Think of the incredible miracle of his conversion. The Bible says he's breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord. He's going into Damascus to go kill some folks.

    The Lord meets him. He has an encounter with the resurrected Christ. He is knocked off of his horse. And now when he gets up back on his feet, now he's still going to the same city, but his purpose is entirely different. Yes? Now he's going to meet with them. I need prayer from these people. I need them to minister to me. I need someone to help me to learn how to live for this Jesus that appeared to me on the road.

    Adam Dragoon (31:30.452)

    A complete 180 of his life now saw the persecutor becomes Paul the Apostle, church planter and epistle writer. We have two-thirds of the books of our New Testament from that same man who wanted to kill Christians when we first met him in Scripture. What a turnaround.

    We see the example of Jesus when he began to choose his disciples in Matthew chapter 4. Now think about these disciples is that most of them they began as disciples of John, John the Baptist. We know for sure Andrew and Peter they were familiar. They had witnessed the ministry of John the Baptist and were following some of his ways. But then Jesus approaches them in Matthew chapter 4 and he says,

    In verse 19, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. When they approached John about this, they said, John, is it okay for us to go be with Jesus? John said, please, please, he's the one. John was willing for them to turn away from his ministry in order to serve Jesus. Now, John was not doing evil things, but it was God's will for them to make

    transition, right? To step out from under John's ministry and to begin to follow Jesus. That is a decision for discipleship. I want to say, maybe this is little sneak preview, but in our New Year's Eve service, in our celebration on New Year's Eve next week, I'm going to be revealing the theme for our next year. And it's going to be a focus on discipleship.

    I believe God's been dealing with me about focusing in on this decision for discipleship. And I see that reflected in that story. These men were hungry for God. They were following John. But Jesus came and said, follow me. And the Bible says immediately they left their nets and they followed him. They had to make a distinct decision. I can pick one.

    Adam Dragoon (33:49.566)

    or the other. this critical moment, this separation has to take place. The booster has brought them so far, but now it's time to separate off into a new level of ministry following Jesus and learning from him. Can I tell you, every believer here, there's going to be a moment of your life when you realize following Jesus means that you're going to have to cut some things off of your past. Some ways of thinking. Maybe even some people.

    maybe even some lines of work that you're not going to be able to serve God and continue in this. Follow me. And immediately they left their nets. There's nothing wrong with nets. There's nothing sinful about being a fisherman. But in that moment, Jesus is asking them to walk away. That's what discipleship looks like. Discipleship means making conscious decisions to walk away from things that are not God's will.

    will step into a new level of following Jesus. We also see this

    in decisions of destiny, Abraham. We see it at the very first word we hear about Abram in the Bible. It's Genesis 12 verse 1. Now the Lord said to Abram, get out of your country from your family and from your father's house to a land that I will show you. God says, Abram, time to get up and go. Where we going, Lord? I'll tell you when you get there. And by faith Abram had to gather up his house, his family, his flocks,

    and step out going in a direction without knowing the destination. What a powerful story. No wonder later on, this is many years later now after he's received the promise and God speaks to Abram again, now his name has been changed to Abraham. And in Genesis 22 it says that it came to pass that God tested Abraham and said, he said, here I am.

    Adam Dragoon (35:55.125)

    He said, take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on the mountains of which I shall tell you. Now that would be a hard thing to hear from God, wouldn't it? God spoke to Abraham. God didn't speak to Isaac. God didn't speak to Sarah.

    God spoke to Abraham to sacrifice his son on an altar.

    Adam Dragoon (36:26.858)

    God had never asked something like this before. It was a test. We know now it was a test. But to Abraham, it was not a test. It was reality.

    And Abraham had a choice, either to obey or disobey.

    And what I love about this story is that Abraham didn't sit on it. He didn't wait. He didn't consult. He didn't have to pray for six weeks about the will of God. He knew the will of God. It says in the next scripture, verse three, that Abraham rose early. Everybody say the word early.

    he rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his men and Isaac his son, split the wood and arose. He made up his mind. I'm not going to wait. I'm not going to delay. There's a reason God spoke to me about this. I don't know what it is, but I'm going to do it.

    Can I ask you, are you able to do that? Make up your mind to do the will of God even when you don't know how it's going to all play out. Make up your mind to be faithful to prayer. Make up your mind to give a tithe and an offering beside. Make up your mind to cut off some unhealthy habits off of your life. But there's going to be a price to pay. Yes, there will be a price to pay. But it's worth it.

    Adam Dragoon (37:58.143)

    Sometimes in ministry, there's a price to pay. We read in Acts chapter 18 about a man named Apollos. The Bible has lots of good things to say about Apollos. Listen carefully. Acts 18, 24, a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, an eloquent man, mighty in the scriptures, came into Ephesus. And this man had been instructed in the way of the Lord. Being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord.

    though he only knew the baptism of John. There's a lot of good compliments in there about Apollos, right? He spoke well, he's mighty in scriptures, he's an instructor, he's fervent in spirit, he's teaching according to the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But then there was a couple of people there, Aquila and Priscilla in the church of Ephesus. And when they heard him, watch this, they took him aside.

    and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

    So, Apollos, who is doing great things for God, but here's this couple from the church in Ephesus that says, hey Apollos, can we take you out to eat for lunch this week after church? Come on, let's go have a good conversation. And they had to explain to Apollos the way of God more accurately. You know what would happen today in our generation if that happened? Pastor Apollos came in and preached a kind of off the wall sermon.

    up past recalls would say who do you think you are trying to correct me

    Adam Dragoon (39:41.097)

    Can't you see the results of my ministry? Can't you see my fervent spirit? That I preach with power of the Holy Ghost.

    Many people in ministry are not able to receive that kind of instruction. But thank God that Apollos did. He had to make a course correction according to the Word of God and he humbled himself and put himself under the ministry of the local congregation. That is powerful. Are you able to do that?

    Adam Dragoon (40:17.545)

    There was also, as we close, an occasion from the apostle Paul. We know that his desire was to go into Asia. But in Acts 16 verse 9, a vision appeared to Paul. The man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, come to Macedonia and help us. had to intervene in the plans of Paul. He says, I want to go this way. But in his dream, God says, I want you to go that

    And the Bible says after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to, say immediately. He didn't wait. He didn't delay. His trust was in the will of God for that moment. I think the mistake that the church often makes is waiting. It's not that we're living in sin. It's not that we're doing evil necessarily, but we delay.

    Adam Dragoon (41:17.638)

    My wife and I were younger. I'll tell you the story of how we ended up as missionaries in Bulgaria.

    We were both 24 years old. We had spent time in our mother church training for the ministry. In our churches, we have a program for ministry. We learn on the job how to serve God's people by doing the job. It's called on the job training, right? You've heard of that before. In our fellowship, we don't send people off to seminary classes because we believe in the dignity of the local church that here within the church is the best training grounds

    for future ministry. That's the way the early church did it. That's the way we do it in our fellowship. And so we had spent, I got saved when I was 17 years old. We got married when we were 19 years old. And I spent the years from 19 to 24 under the leadership of my pastor in the Door Church of Chandler, Arizona, learning how to do ministry, learning how to work with people, learning how to preach, learning how to run an outreach, learning how to do these.

    being corrected. And finally the time came for us to go and to pioneer a new church. And the whole year we were discussing with Pastor Campbell where we're going to go. We finally came to a decision. Pastor, you've been preaching about big cities in America. At the time, on Pastor Campbell's heart was the bigger cities of America where many millions of people live and there were not many churches from our fellowship in those places. One of those cities was Chicago.

    During that year we had gone on a mission strip or on a impact team to Chicago and while we were there God led me and spoke to me and said this is a place where we could really do some good ministry for the Lord, Chicago, Illinois. So with the direction of pastor and with his blessing that's the decision we made. We felt God had led us that way. And so we went to a Bible conference. Some of you have been to a Bible conference and on

    Adam Dragoon (43:17.05)

    Friday night we were announced past Adam and Taya Dragoon going into the city of Chicago, Illinois. Everybody shouts, yay! And we nervously walk up to the stage to get prayed for as they're going to send us into that city. That was in August of 2005. And so the next couple of months, you know what we started doing? We started preparing to go to Chicago. We sold our house, we sold our cars, we sold, we got rid of a bunch of stuff.

    getting ready to get a moving van and fast forward a couple of months. Now it's the month of October. We're almost ready to go. We're attending a revival service in another church. Pastor Campbell is there preaching. It's in Phoenix, Arizona. And before the service begins, it's after the prayer meeting, but before the service begins, pastor comes and he says, can I talk with you for a moment? I said, sure. We walk outside of the building and this was like,

    This was like in ghetto town, central Phoenix, Arizona, with all like gang members and scary and dark. And he, we walk around the church building into a little alleyway. Do you remember this? And it was, it was dark. And it was, we were like, pastor, what's going on here? So we walk around the corner and he says these words. He says, there's an opportunity. There's a need. It's in the nation of Bulgaria.

    He said, do you know where Bulgaria is? I said, I don't even know what a Bulgaria is. Had no idea even what continent it was on.

    We were 24, 25 years old, and Pastor Campbell said, if you're willing to go, then I'm willing to send you and support you. We in the Chandler Church. He said, I need to know by Sunday. That was on a Thursday night. Need to know by Sunday. Turns out that there was a church in Rusea, Bulgaria, a church that had been established. People had already started coming. A building had already been acquired. Equipment was already there.

    Adam Dragoon (45:23.408)

    But the pastor had to come back to the states. And so there's a need for somebody to take this church. That need was passed through the Gravevine. Pastor Suspansky tells Pastor Campbell, you got anybody that can fill this need? And the thing was, it was not that we were this great and mighty, you know, ministry couple. All it was, so we were available. In that moment, we had already sold our stuff. We were available. We were flexible.

    And so as we went home, this is days before Google, we opened an encyclopedia, Children Ask Your Parents, what that is, and we found the letter B.

    Where is this place? And we read about Bulgaria, a nation in Eastern Europe, just came out from under communism.

    And we said yes before we fully understood what we were doing. The next morning I went to Pastor Campbell. I went to prayer. And I prayed it through and I asked God, God is this what you want us to do? And when I went in Pastor Campbell's office my only question was, why would you want us for a huge job like this? We're young, we haven't been pastors before. There's other people definitely more qualified.

    And Pastor Campbell, I'll never forget, he looked at me and he said, it's not about your ability, it's about your availability. If you're willing, I'm willing to send you. Can I tell you, that shaped the course of our lives. That was in 2005. We're coming up on 2025. I can guarantee you I would not be standing here unless I responded to that decision back then.

    Adam Dragoon (47:13.606)

    That led to a ministry for four and a half years in Bulgaria. That led to a time coming back to the states. That led to a time when there was an opening similar here in the Virginia Beach Church in 2010. That led to us having to respond. Will you be able to call? Listen, we didn't come back and wait. We moved directly back from Bulgaria to Virginia Beach, Virginia. And now we've been here for close to 15 years. I'm saying all of that to tell you this.

    we had no idea how it was going to work out.

    But we responded in confidence that God knew what He was doing. As we close, verse 21 of our scripture says, she will bring forth a son, you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Can I tell you, obeying the call of God brings Jesus to the world.

    Adam Dragoon (48:11.878)

    That was a good place for an amen. Obeying the will of God brings Jesus to a lost world. Rick Renner, a pastor, his quote is this, our spiritual success isn't measured by what we do, but rather by our obedience to do exactly what God asks us to do. This story was repeated in the life of Joseph.

    as God gave him dreams in exact moments. Now it's time to get up and go to Egypt.

    And Joseph didn't wake up and go, hmm, let me take a couple of weeks to think about that. This might sound like a good idea, but I'm not sure. If he would have delayed, Jesus could have died because the death warrant went out. He had to move immediately. Same thing after Herod's death there in Egypt. He has another dream. Time to go back. There is a time.

    Adam Dragoon (49:17.167)

    God provided for them. We know that God sent some Magi to go visit the young Jesus. And the Bible says that one of their gifts, you remember what they brought as gifts? They brought gold. How do you think they had the money to travel? These were a couple of peasants. The money to travel and to take care of themselves.

    down in Egypt and then travel back. Well, God provided for them. He brought a gift of gold. And they filled up their money bags and they said, thank you, Mr. Magi. Thank you, Lord. You provided so that I could do your will in your time. And as we close, just listen, I'm confident that God has brought you, perhaps, to a moment where He's calling you out.

    into an unknown, into an adventure, into a place where you're not sure the outcome. 2025 could be a new frontier for you spiritually. Will you respond? Will you say, Lord, I'm going to trust you even though I don't know how it's all going to work out? Can we pray the same prayer like Mary? Let it be to me according to your word. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment.

    Adam Dragoon (50:45.125)

    Thank God for His word and thank God for His grace. Thank God that He has not left us to ourselves. With our heads bowed and our eyes closed for just a moment, we're going to bring this service to an end. We're going to pray together. Before we do that, I want to present the greatest opportunity that you've ever had, and that is for your sins to be forgiven.

    Before we close this service, you're going to have the chance to respond to God's call. God's call is that every man will be saved. That no man will be separated from Him forever. We know the will of God, first of all, is for us to be saved. He is not willing that anyone would perish, but that all would come to the life-saving knowledge of the Savior.

    If you're here today, you recognize your desperate need before God. The Bible says we've all sinned. We've all fallen short. We've all broken commandments. We've all hurt people. We've all hurt ourselves. We've all hurt God through our failures and our evil actions.

    But God's not done with you. He loves you and He sent His son Jesus to die for you. That's the miracle that we celebrate at Christmas, the gift of God to people like us who don't deserve it. And if you're here this morning, you say, Pastor, I want to receive that gift. I want to receive salvation by faith in Jesus. It's not automatic. You can't sit there and wait for the Lord to save you automatically.

    There is a response that is necessary. And that response is called faith. Lord, I trust you. And I'm going to turn from my sins. I'm going to believe your word is true. I don't know how it's all going to work out. But Lord, I'm asking you to save me today. And if that's you, that prayer, that desire is on your heart, I wonder, would you signify that? It takes a little courage. But would you lift up your hand right now and say, Pastor, pray for me?

    Adam Dragoon (52:56.0)

    I need this salvation you're talking about. need. I don't need more religion. I don't need another church service. I need Jesus and I need his grace on my life. If that's you, please let us know. We just want to we want to pray with you without anybody looking around for a moment. You respond, Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. Is that you? Quickly slip up your hand. Maybe you are wandering. Maybe you're one of those prodigals.

    You know the Father's house. You've been there. You've lived there. But you've stepped away from the Lord. You've stepped into a far country. You find yourself confused and lost. Prodigal son, prodigal daughter, the Father's not done with you. He waits for you. And if you would respond tonight, make up your mind, as the prodigal son did in that famous parable, he came to himself and he said, maybe my Father would have mercy on me. And I want to tell you,

    The Father had much more than mercy. He had grace. He had blessing. To the one that would respond, is that you? Quickly lift up your hand. I want to pray with you unsaved or backslidden in your heart. Time to come home. Is that you? Let me see your hand. Somebody here, God's speaking to you. Don't miss this opportunity. The timing is important. The reason God is speaking to you now, not yesterday, and maybe not tomorrow, but today, today is the day of salvation.

    Don't wait till tomorrow if God is speaking to you now. Please don't miss this opportunity. You lift up your hand. Is there someone here quickly? With an uplifted hand I want to pray with you. Thank God. And I want to speak to God's people. We're going to open up this altar for prayer. The altar is a place of surrender. The altar is a place where our selfish plans go to die. Can I tell you the decisions that I've made over the years as a pastor?

    Things have had to die at the altar. My own plans, my own ideas, my own ways, my own thinking have had to die. And those things die at an altar. That's why we have an altar. We don't come here to sacrifice animals. We come here to give up on our own ideas. To ask God to make room for His purpose and His plan in our lives.

    Adam Dragoon (55:17.707)

    As we stand together to our feet, we're going to open up this altar for prayer. God's leading you. Maybe there's a decision that needs to be made in your life. God's been dealing with you, showing you His purpose and plan. It is not time to delay. It is time to respond in faith. As we open up this altar for prayer, would you come and join us? We're going to lift up our lives before the Lord. We're going to pray. We're going to lift up our voices. We're going to lift up our hearts. We're going to believe God to speak to us and lead us.

    Would you come and join us here for a few moments of prayer at this altar as we cry out to the Lord. Amen. I want to pray with you this morning. We want to stand up to our feet as we receive God's instruction and plan for our life. Right where you are, would you stand to your feet? Take your time to pray if you need to at this altar. if you could pray with us this evening, we're going to, or this morning, we want to believe God together. I just want to remind you.

    In this film we're going to watch on Wednesday, it depicts that moment that Mary and Joseph come into Bethlehem and you know that they couldn't find room at an inn.

    Adam Dragoon (56:29.753)

    The Son of God is arriving on earth, but there's no room to receive him.

    And there's a powerful lesson there that the will of God, the purpose of God wants to be born in your life. God wants to birth something new in your life. Is there room? Is there room for the plan of God in your life? Is there room for revelation? Or are you at a place, Lord, I don't need you to speak, I got things worked out. Listen, this inn is full. Sorry, keep moving.

    Adam Dragoon (57:09.048)

    I want to pray because we serve a God who fills empty vessels. Right? The miracle that Elijah did was he said, bring as many water pots as you can and as many as you can find, God will fill them all up. And when the water pot stopped, so did the miracle. The idea here this morning is that many people, God cannot pour His purpose into your life because it's already full.

    You've already got too much going on. You've already got your will. You've already got your dream. You've already got your plan. There's no room at the end. Let's open up some space for God. Can you say amen? He is worthy. His plans are better than our plans. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts. Let's lift up our hands together as a sign of surrender and say this prayer. Say, God in heaven, I thank you.

    for sending Jesus to be my Savior. I repent of leaning on my own understanding and not trusting in You. Remind me today that You are trustworthy. I can trust You with my life, with my family, with my future. You know what You're doing, Lord.

    And even when I don't understand, even when I can't see how it's going to work out.

    I'm asking you to help me trust you. I believe, but help my unbelief. And this morning, I put my life in your hands. Let it be to me according to your word. Don't let me delay. Let me respond with confidence in you. And I thank you for the blood of Jesus.

    Adam Dragoon (59:17.003)

    that washes me clean. It's in His name we pray. Amen. Come on, let's give the Lord praise that He deserves.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

Written with Love by Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Divine Guidance: Dreams and Visions Explained [Matthew 1:18-21]

In today's gathering, we explored the thought-provoking story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the book of Luke, focusing on the birth and naming of their son, John the Baptist. This story is a powerful reminder of how God's plans often challenge cultural norms and personal expectations. Zechariah and Elizabeth faced a choice that defied tradition: naming their son John instead of following the customary practice of naming him after his father. This decision was not merely about breaking tradition but..

Divine Guidance: Dreams and Visions Explained

Matthew 1:18-21

Sermon Summary

This Sunday, we examined the pivotal role that dreams and visions play in the biblical narrative and how they remain relevant in our lives today. We reviewed the Christmas story, highlighting how dreams were pivotal in guiding Joseph and others in the Nativity Story. Joseph's dreams were crucial in protecting Jesus and fulfilling God's plan, demonstrating the importance of being receptive to divine guidance through dreams.

Throughout the Bible, dreams and visions have been instrumental in revealing God's will, from Abraham's covenant to Joseph's dreams in Genesis and Daniel's interpretations to the visions of the Apostle John in Revelation. These instances underscore the significance of dreams as a means for God to communicate with His people, especially when other avenues are unavailable.

In the New Testament, dreams and visions continue to play a vital role, as seen in the lives of figures like Saul of Tarsus and Cornelius. The early church experienced a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit, marked by dreams and visions, as prophesied by Joel and affirmed by Peter on the day of Pentecost.

However, it's essential to approach dreams with discernment. Not every dream is from God, and we must weigh them against the truth of Scripture. While dreams can be subjective, they can also be a powerful tool for divine guidance when aligned with God's Word.

In our lives today, God may still use dreams and visions to guide us, especially when His Word is not readily available. We must remain open to His leading, ensuring we do not ignore or dismiss the dreams He gives us. As we seek God's will, let us be faithful to the revelations we have received and trust Him to guide us to His purposes.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[44:15] - Offering and Building Fund
[45:52] - Story of the Persian Migrant
[48:24] - Dreams in the Christmas Story
[51:52] - Joseph's Dreams
[53:32] - Wise Men's Dream
[55:44] - Joseph's Role in the Nativity
[57:46] - Biblical Examples of Dreams
[01:01:45] - New Testament Visions
[01:03:23] - Pentecostal Blessing of Dreams
[01:08:47] - Discernment in Dreams
[01:12:39] - Warnings Against False Dreams
[01:15:09] - Modern Examples of Dreams
[01:18:44] - Responding to God's Dreams
[01:20:44] - Invitation to Salvation
[01:23:42] - Altar Call and Prayer
[01:24:48] - Closing Prayer and Encouragement

Key Takeaways

  • The Role of Dreams in the Christmas Story: Dreams were crucial in guiding Joseph and others in the nativity narrative, demonstrating the importance of being receptive to divine guidance. Joseph's obedience to his dreams protected Jesus and fulfilled God's plan. [48:24]

  • Biblical Precedent for Dreams and Visions: Throughout the Bible, dreams and visions have been instrumental in revealing God's will, from Abraham's covenant to the visions of the Apostle John. These instances underscore the significance of dreams as a means for God to communicate with His people. [57:46]

  • New Testament Examples: In the New Testament, dreams and visions continue to play a vital role, as seen in the lives of figures like Saul of Tarsus and Cornelius. The early church experienced a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, marked by dreams and visions. [01:03:23]

  • Discernment in Dreams: Not every dream is from God, and we must weigh them against the truth of Scripture. While dreams can be subjective, they can also be a powerful tool for divine guidance when aligned with God's Word. [01:12:39]

  • Openness to Divine Guidance: In our lives today, God may still use dreams and visions to guide us, especially in situations where His Word is not readily available. We must remain open to His leading, ensuring that we do not ignore or dismiss the dreams He gives us. [01:18:44]

Bible Reading

  • Mat 1:18-25 NKJV - 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just [man], and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 "And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." 22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." 24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

  • Gen 37:5-11 NKJV - 5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told [it] to his brothers; and they hated him even more. 6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed: 7 "There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf." 8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me." 10 So he told [it] to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What [is] this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?" 11 And his brothers envied him, but his father kept the matter [in mind].

  • Act 2:17-18 NKJV - 17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Observation Questions

  1. In the Christmas story, how did Joseph respond to the dreams he received, and what were the consequences of his actions? [48:24]

  2. What role did dreams play in the lives of biblical figures like Joseph in Genesis and Daniel? How did these dreams impact their lives and the lives of others? [57:46]

  3. How did the early church experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through dreams and visions, as prophesied by Joel and affirmed by Peter? [01:04:51]

  4. What warnings does the Bible give about false dreams and visions, and how should believers discern the truth? [01:12:39]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why might God choose to communicate through dreams and visions, especially in situations where His Word is not readily available? [01:10:20]

  2. How can believers discern whether a dream is from God or just a product of their subconscious mind? What role does Scripture play in this discernment process? [01:08:47]

  3. In what ways did Joseph's obedience to his dreams protect Jesus and fulfill God's plan? How does this illustrate the importance of being receptive to divine guidance? [51:52]

  4. How does the prophecy from Joel about dreams and visions in the last days challenge or encourage believers today? [01:04:51]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was speaking to you through a dream or vision. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [01:18:44]

  2. How can you ensure that you are open to divine guidance in your life, especially when it comes in unexpected forms like dreams or visions? [01:19:39]

  3. What steps can you take to weigh your dreams against the truth of Scripture to discern if they are from God? [01:12:39]

  4. In what ways can you cultivate a heart that is receptive to God's leading, even when it challenges your current plans or comfort zone? [01:16:51]

  5. How can you support others in your community who may be experiencing dreams or visions from God, ensuring they feel encouraged and guided in their spiritual journey? [01:15:09]

  6. Consider the role of dreams and visions in the early church. How can your small group or church community create an environment that is open to the Holy Spirit's leading in similar ways? [01:03:23]

  7. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel God might be leading you through a dream or vision. What practical steps can you take this week to explore and act on this guidance? [01:18:44]

  • Matthew chapter 1. And again, the pastor's challenge with the Christmas season every year is to mine the depths of the Word of God and to bring forth some truth from the Christmas story.

    I'm grateful this morning that the Word of God is an unsearchable resource of truth and righteousness and wisdom and understanding.

    And every time we turn our attention to it, we find incredible resources and things that we need from God.

    So if you join me together, Matthew chapter 1, turning back to the Christmas story.

    I want to tell you, first of all, a story of a Persian migrant.

    This story is told by a pastor.

    And he speaks about this Persian migrant who came to a refugee center at 6 a.m. one day, visibly shaken and upset.

    He told this story to the pastor. He said, during the night, I saw someone dressed in white raise up his hand and say to me, "Stand up and follow me."

    The Persian man said, "Who are you?"

    The man in white clothing replied, "I am the Alpha and the Omega. I'm the way to heaven. No one can go to the Father except through me."

    Now this Persian man, of course, being of Islamic background, had never heard those words before, was not familiar with the Scripture.

    And he began to ask this Persian pastor, "Who is this man? What am I going to do? Why did he ask me to follow? How shall I go? Please tell me what this means."

    In response, the pastor held out his Bible and asked, "Have you ever read this book before?"

    He said, "No, I've never read this book. Do you know what it is?"

    He said, "No."

    The pastor then opened the Scripture to the book of Revelation and showed him the Scripture where it said, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."

    The man instantly began to cry and said, "How can I accept him? How can I follow him?"

    The pastor led him in prayer. Peace came over his life.

    The pastor gave that man a Bible, told him to hide it because Muslims in the camps could cause him trouble.

    The man replied, "This Jesus that I met today, he's more powerful than the Muslims in the camp."

    In one hour, the man returned with ten more of his friends and told the pastor, "All of these people want a Bible too."

    No one had trained him how to be an evangelist.

    And yet there he was, bringing people to Jesus because he had had a powerful vision of the resurrected Savior.

    I want to preach this morning a message about dreams and visions and a message titled, "When Dreams Are Necessary."

    Because when I approached the Christmas story, once again, the story of Mary and Joseph and how Jesus was born into this situation, the wise men, all of the things that we celebrate during this time of year, I was struck at how often in the Christmas narrative are the occasions, the appearances of dreams and visions and why it was necessary for men and for women to follow the dreams and the visions that God gave to them.

    And I want to preach a message titled, "When Dreams Are Necessary."

    Let's begin in Matthew 1, verse 18.

    The Bible says these words: "Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'"

    Let's pray.

    Father, we come by the precious blood of Jesus, and as your word is spoken over our lives, God, that we be able to hear.

    Lord, I believe that there are people here who have received dreams and visions of your will for their life, God, your purpose of decisions that must be made.

    And I'm praying, God, that we would not just throw these things away, but God, that we would consider your will and your purpose as it is revealed, even through dreams and through visions.

    I'm praying, God, give us wisdom and discernment in these things, and we give you glory in Jesus' mighty name.

    God's people would say, amen.

    When God speaks through dreams.

    And let's look, first of all, at the role of dreams and visions in the Bible.

    We certainly cannot ignore the very pivotal and important role that dreams played, especially in this Christmas story.

    It's very difficult for us to overstate how important it was that these men, especially Joseph, would listen and obey the dreams that they received.

    No fewer than five absolutely critical dreams are recorded by the Holy Spirit in the Word of God.

    And I want you to think about these dreams.

    There are five of them that are recorded for us.

    And as I remind you of each one of these dreams, I want you to think about two things.

    Number one, what if these dreams were ignored or excused?

    Number two, I want you to think, what if these dreams were not taken seriously enough to make an impact in their waking life?

    These are very crucial and critical.

    First of all, we read about Joseph in our scripture that we read.

    The message that Joseph received in a dream was this: "Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. Do not put her away, but you take her to yourself, and you protect her, you watch over her, because that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

    What if Joseph said to himself, "I had some bad pizza last night? That's a crazy dream. Going to ignore that one."

    He would have missed his role and purpose as protector and provider to Mary.

    Also, in the Christmas story, we read a second important dream in Matthew 2, verse 12.

    This is a dream that the wise men had.

    When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

    So we have these wise men recorded.

    We don't know whether it was only one who dreamed or all three who had a dream at the same time, but they were divinely warned by God not to return to King Herod.

    God was keeping them.

    What if they had just thrown that away?

    What if they had just thrown it in their back pocket?

    What if they had just thrown it in their back pocket and said, "Well, don't pay attention?"

    No, they did pay attention, and it was for their good.

    We also read about Joseph who had a second dream in Matthew chapter two, verse 13.

    After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.

    "Get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother," the angel said.

    "Stay there till I tell you to return because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

    Now this was a message from God given to Joseph in his second dream.

    And the outcome of this dream is that God is going to protect Jesus from death.

    Like, that's pretty important.

    And as I mentioned in one of my previous messages, there is a whole generation of baby boys that were killed by King Herod.

    Jesus is the only one of his particular age in all of Israel, in all of Judea, because God divinely warned Joseph in a dream to flee down to Egypt.

    The third dream that Joseph had is also in Matthew 2, verse 19.

    When Herod finally died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph.

    "Get up," the angel said.

    "Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel because those who were trying to kill the child are dead."

    So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel.

    And finally, the fourth dream we read about from Joseph is in Matthew 2, verse 22.

    When he learned that the new ruler of Judea was Herod's son, he was afraid to go there.

    Then after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.

    And the Bible records, so the family went and lived in a town called Nazareth.

    This fulfilled what the prophets had said, saying, "He will be called a Nazarene."

    And with this final dream that is recorded in the scripture from Joseph, God spoke to him in this fourth and final dream that you need to go up to Galilee to dwell in the city of Nazareth.

    Because this, as Matthew records it, he says, this will fulfill the scriptures, a prophecy from the Old Testament, which says he shall be called a Nazarene.

    Now, you cannot say that Joseph was able to figure all this stuff out on his own.

    Joseph was not that smart.

    But what Joseph was able to do was to allow God to speak to him in his dreams.

    Each and every one of these plays a crucial role in guiding the events of the nativity story, protecting Jesus and putting him into the place exactly where he needs to be.

    You might even say that the primary role of Joseph in the Christmas story is this: responding to the dreams that God gave him.

    And that is a powerful way to interpret the story.

    Joseph as protector, provider.

    Yes, I'm actually going to be preaching on marriage tonight, so come back ready to hear from that, hear from the Word of God, from the story of Joseph and Mary, some powerful truths about marriage.

    So a little sneak preview for our evening service.

    But Joseph, I believe his primary ministry was this: being a faithful responder to dreams and visions.

    And the Bible does have a prominent record of people responding to dreams and visions all throughout the Bible.

    Please allow me some patience this morning as I remind you of how many stories there are of God's speaking to important moments in time through dreams and through vision.

    It starts with the founder, the father of our faith, Abraham, in Genesis 15, verse 1, that God spoke to Abram in a vision to reinstate the covenant, reminding him that he would have a son and be the father of many nations.

    Then in Genesis chapter 28, we read about Jacob.

    Jacob, we know, had angered his brother by taking the rights of the firstborn.

    And the Bible says as he is traveling through the wilderness, he lays down his head on a rock in the middle of the desert.

    And the Bible says he has a dream.

    You remember?

    And in this dream, he sees a ladder which stretches into heaven on which the angels were ascending and descending.

    It was during that dream that he had a wrestling match with the angel of the Lord and received God's promise that day that Abraham's blessing would be carried through his life.

    A powerful vision, a dream from God.

    Joseph, of course.

    Joseph in Genesis.

    It's no accident that Joseph in the Bible, husband of Mary, is a dreamer because his namesake from the Old Testament, Joseph, was also one of the Bible's most famous dreamers and a dream interpreter.

    He first recorded his dreams in Genesis chapter 37.

    We know the dreams that he dreamed actually got him into trouble with his family.

    He dreamed that he saw a dream.

    He saw a dream.

    He saw a dream.

    He saw a dream.

    He saw a dream.

    He saw a dream.

    He saw a sheaf, a gathering of grains in the center, and around this gathering of grains were 12 other gatherings.

    These sheaves, as they're called, and all of the sheaves were bowing down, and he interpreted this dream that he himself was that central group of grain and the other groups of grain were his older brothers, and they were all bowing down before him, and even the sun and the moon, which represented his mother, his father, bowing down to him.

    And he's explaining this dream, and at the time sounded totally crazy, and they all wanted to kill him.

    And yet through this dream, God was predicting the future of Joseph's life, an incredible story.

    We have young Samuel in 1 Samuel chapter 3.

    God spoke to him through a vision and told him that judgment was coming on the sons of Samuel's mentor, the priest, Eli.

    And young Samuel was faithful to relay that information.

    God spoke to Samuel throughout the rest of his life.

    King Solomon, if you'll remember, King Solomon had a powerful dream in 1 Kings chapter 3, verse 5, the famous dream where God spoke to Solomon and asked him, "Ask what you wish me to give you."

    God appeared to Solomon, and Solomon replied in his dream and chose, "Lord, that you would grant me wisdom to lead your people."

    And God gave him that incredible wisdom.

    Daniel, of course, Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 4.

    God put Daniel in a position of great power and influence by being able to interpret the dreams of Nebuchadnezzar.

    Powerful revelation.

    Then as we turn to the New Testament, there is also a great record there of dreams and visions.

    We've looked in the last weeks about Zacharias, the priest.

    God used a vision to tell Zacharias that he would soon have a son.

    Not long after that, they had John the Baptist.

    Joseph, of course, the four dreams that he had, I've already spoken about.

    Then we have in Matthew chapter 27, we have the record of the wife of Pontius Pilate.

    Pontius Pilate, of course, is the governor that is going to condemn Jesus.

    He's going to condemn Jesus.

    He's going to condemn Jesus.

    He's going to condemn Jesus to the cross.

    But the Bible records that his wife sent him an urgent message during the trial, and she was encouraging her husband to let Jesus go.

    Why did she send him this message?

    Because she had had a dream, maybe more like a nightmare, that had convinced her Jesus was innocent.

    Pilate should have nothing to do.

    So here's a case when Pilate ignored the dream.

    He said, "I'm not listening to that. I'm wise. You're foolish. Whatever your dream is, not listening to that."

    And Pilate condemns Jesus to death.

    What a powerful picture.

    We have Saul of Tarsus.

    How do you explain a man who is persecuting the church, who is driving men and women into prison?

    How do you explain the fact that in a moment of time, the direction of his life changes?

    Where he no longer is persecuting the church, but becomes an apostle and a church planter.

    How can you explain?

    The reason is because he saw a vision.

    He had a vision of the resurrected Jesus where Jesus spoke to him in Acts chapter 9.

    Then we have the record of Ananias.

    Ananias, of course, is the one that God has selected to pray for Saul, the persecutor.

    How do you explain someone who is the enemy or who has been targeted by Saul?

    All of a sudden now Ananias wants to help him.

    Why?

    Because in Acts chapter 9, verse 10, Ananias had a vision from God.

    And God spoke to him to pray for Saul that his eyes would be opened.

    In Acts chapter 10, listen, I'm telling you, the story of the new church is filled with visions and dreams.

    Cornelius, who's not even a Jew, he is a Gentile.

    And yet here is a man, the Bible says in Acts chapter 10, that he feared the God of the Jews, and God gave him a vision.

    And in this vision, he saw an angel.

    And this angel told him to go and find Simon Peter and send for him to listen to that message.

    Cornelius obeyed the vision.

    Peter preached to him, and his household full of non-Jewish believers were saved by the grace of God.

    Of course, Peter, during his ministry, the early ministry of the church was pronounced specifically to the Jews.

    Jesus said, "I came first for my brethren, the Jewish people."

    But how many know that the will of God was for more than just the Jews?

    God wanted to save all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.

    But Peter, he was so focused on the Jewish ministry, God had to open his eyes to begin ministering outside of Jewish circles.

    To do that, God gave Peter a vision.

    And the Bible says he was not asleep; he was awake, a waking vision.

    And in this vision, there was a net being lowered from heaven, a net full of animals that were specifically animals that were not allowed to be eaten under the laws of Moses.

    And in this vision, God spoke to Peter and said, "Take, Peter, and eat these things."

    Peter said, "No, I don't want to do that. Lord, I've never eaten such things."

    And the point was, God told Peter, "Do not call unclean what I have called clean."

    This is the vision that opened up the ministry of the church through Peter to the Gentile believers.

    How many times did Paul have visions in his missionary career?

    One vision sent him to preach the gospel in Macedonia.

    Another vision, Acts chapter 18, encouraged him to stay in the city of Corinth.

    Also, he speaks of a man who had a vision even of the third heaven.

    Many people say it's probably Paul himself in 2 Corinthians 12 who had a vision of heaven itself, things which could not be uttered, things that I cannot explain to you, he says, but they were seen in a vision.

    In fact, we have a whole book of the Bible that is essentially one long vision.

    Vision from God, and that is the book of Revelation.

    The Apostle John, the Bible says that as he was praying and as he was worshiping, God began to show him things which were to come in the future.

    We study the book of Revelation because a man was faithful to record the vision that God gave him.

    Okay, so that was a pretty exhaustive list in the Bible, and I appreciate your patience to allow me to remind you of how many times God uses dreams and visions to speak to and to lead God's people in the biblical narrative.

    We can only conclude that these things are very prominent.

    These things are very pivotal, that as these people in the Bible responded to those dreams and visions, that God began to pour out His Spirit.

    In fact, dreams and visions are recorded as part of the Pentecostal blessing on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.

    We know the story that the church is gathered in prayer in the upper room, and there as they're praying, they hear the sound of a rushing mighty wind.

    The tongues, as of fire, come and gather upon each and every one of them.

    They begin speaking out new languages, which the crowd is able to hear the gospel being preached in their own language.

    They thought, "It's nine o'clock in the morning. These people are crazy. They're drunk."

    The crowd that was gathered for the harvest there that day.

    But Peter, the Bible says, Peter stepped forward on that day, filled with the Holy Spirit, and he said, "Listen carefully, all fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem.

    These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o'clock in the morning is too early for that.

    No, what you see is predicted long ago by the prophet Joel."

    And now he is quoting the prophet Joel, and this is what he says: "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.

    Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men, listen, will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams."

    And this is part of the last day.

    This is the last day's blessing that God is pouring out His Spirit on the church, so that men and women alike, old and young alike, will see the visions and will dream dreams, and God will begin to move in this particular way.

    Now, this prophecy from the prophet Joel is fantastic because it is opposite from the pattern that we see in the Bible.

    Usually, it's young men who are dreaming the dreams, and it is old men who are seeing the visions.

    But in this prophecy, it's young men who are dreaming the dreams, and it is old men seeing visions.

    But in this prophecy, it is reversed.

    Young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams.

    Now, having said all of that, we have to understand that there is also a balance.

    Dreams must be kept in their place.

    Let me first of all say, not every dream that you have is from God.

    How many of y'all had some crazy, wacky dreams?

    Okay, some of those are just your subconscious.

    You know, the people who understand and study the brain, they've been figuring this out over the last 20 to 30 years, is that sleep is so important for your brain because it is while you're sleeping, your REM sleep, they say, that your memories of the day are being compiled and set aside into your long-term memory.

    And sometimes dreams are a byproduct of that, which is an amazing thing.

    But I want to say that not every dream is from God.

    I mean, y'all, I've had some crazy, crazy, insane, psycho, crazy dreams.

    And not everything is from the Lord, okay?

    I've woken up and, you know, and been in a frantic state and tell my wife, you know, I dreamed this and that and crazy, and she's looking at me like I was from another planet.

    Okay, so let me just say, personally, in my own life, probably 80, 90% of the dreams that I dream, I don't count them as being from the Lord.

    They're probably just my brain activity in my night, okay?

    But does God speak through dreams?

    There is no indication in the Bible that God has stopped using dreams as an avenue to speak to His people.

    The simple answer is yes, God does speak through dreams, but we have to be careful how we apply this.

    Every dream that God speaks to, we have to remember that we have a mirror to which to weigh it against.

    This is how I know my dreams are crazy often and not from God, is because they don't agree with Scripture.

    They're not confirmed by Scripture.

    So we have to understand that the Bible has been completed.

    We have a gift now that people in the Bible didn't have, which is we have His revelation.

    And so primarily the way that God uses dreams is when there is no other avenue for God to speak.

    If someone doesn't read the Bible, or if someone lives in a Muslim nation, we've been reading for the last 10 or 15 years incredible accounts of how God is saving people in Muslim countries by appearing in dreams and in visions.

    The reason is because missionaries cannot get to those nations, because the Bible is not common in those places.

    And so Jesus can still save people through dreams and visions.

    And so yes, we being people of the book, we being people of God's revelation, we have a gift that others might not have, so we are not as dependent on dreams and visions from God.

    There are a few problems that we have to be reminded of.

    First of all, dreams and visions are subjective.

    What I mean by that is that if you have a dream, and you come and say to me, "Pastor, I've had a dream from the Lord," like, how am I supposed to contradict that?

    If you say it's from the Lord, I have to believe you, right?

    Somebody says, "I've heard from God," how am I supposed to counteract that?

    The only way I can say is if something is obviously in your dream that goes against Scripture, but dreams and visions are subjective.

    The Bible warns about this, Deuteronomy 13, verse 1: "Suppose there are prophets among you, or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles, and those signs or miracles occur, then say, 'Come, let us worship other gods, gods you've not known.' Do not listen to them. The Lord God is testing you."

    He's saying, "Watch out for those who say they've dreamed dreams, but then they're saying, 'Worship other gods.' That's not from God."

    Jeremiah warned about this in his time.

    He says, "I'm against, I'm against false prophets," Jeremiah 23, verse 32.

    "Their imaginary dreams are flagrant lies that lead my people into sin. I did not send or appoint them, and they have no message at all for my people. I, the Lord, have spoken."

    So there are warnings, obviously.

    People can use dreams to abuse the people of God, and we should not obviously just receive every dream as if it's from the Lord.

    Zechariah 10, 2: "Household gods give worthless advice. Fortune tellers predict lies. Interpreters of dreams pronounce falsehoods that give no comfort."

    Not every dream is from the Lord, and not everyone who says, "I've had a dream from the Lord," should be accepted, okay?

    Are we, everybody clear on that?

    The issue is that people in the Bible, they did not have the revelation of God's word like we do, but we have a great gift.

    And so, where do dreams and visions fall in our lives today?

    How much credence, how much faith, how much response should we give to dreams and visions?

    Well, I believe that in the absence of clear direction, God is able to use dreams and visions to guide us into His will.

    And this is the point of this scripture today.

    There are always two opposing dangers that we need to balance.

    Danger number one is this: taking the Lord's name in vain and causing confusion by falsely claiming dreams and visions when you actually haven't had them from the Lord, okay?

    It is easy for you to make up a story, "I had a dream about this and that," and abuse that for your own personal will.

    That is danger number one.

    But there's also, on the opposite side, a second danger, which I believe is also common, unfortunately, in the world, and that is when God does give us a dream or a vision and it's clear and God has spoken to you, but we often ignore it or diminish it or run away from it or say, "That's not important to me."

    And we don't receive God's direction.

    Let me share with you another example of a powerful dream.

    There was a husband of a woman who became a Christian.

    He was a Christian.

    He had traveled to Greece, but she lived in Iran.

    He would call her from the refugee camp nearly every day to share the gospel with her.

    She decided that she needed to get a divorce because she could not be married to a Christian and remain a faithful Muslim.

    So she decided, "I'm going to look up all the verses in the Quran about Jesus."

    And she was shocked that Jesus was in the Quran, which led her then to find a Bible to do further study.

    One day as she was reading the Bible, she recounted, "I was by myself alone in my room. In one moment, the whole room became white, and I felt completely clean. At that moment, by trusting in Jesus, I became a Christian."

    God moved through a vision.

    One more story.

    There was a family on a boat traveling from Turkey to Athens.

    And this family, on their way, they lost their seven-year-old daughter who had fallen into the water.

    Everyone on that crowded boat was searching for her, couldn't find her.

    Suddenly, she appeared on the other side of the boat where no one expected her, and she was repeating the same words over and over.

    She said, "A man who walked on the water brought me to the other side of the boat."

    Everyone heard her saying these words and dismissed her as silly or imagining things.

    And when they arrived at their destination, they met a Christian who made a fire and wanted to speak with them.

    That day, without knowing what happened, he asked if they would like to know about a God who walked on water.

    He said, "I had never used that illustration as I evangelized to people before. But somehow God led me to say those specific words, a God who walked on water."

    And they asked him, "Who are you?"

    He said, "I'm a Christian. What do you mean by walking on water?"

    He opened up the Bible and read the story of Jesus walking on the water.

    They all began to cry and say, "Our daughter fell off the boat. We thought she was crazy because she was dry on the other side. We had no understanding."

    She kept saying these words, "It was a man who walked on the water that took me to the other side."

    God speaks through visions and dreams.

    Listen, I believe the reason I'm preaching this sermon this morning is because I believe I have experienced it myself when God has spoken to me through a dream.

    But because it does not fit into my idea for my life, I want to crumple it up and throw it away and forget about it.

    I have had times that I knew God was leading me to step forward into a new level, a new destiny, a new purpose, a new future.

    But because it was difficult or uncomfortable or outside of what I thought was normal.

    Listen, this goes exactly with my message from last week when they named their son John instead of naming him Zechariah.

    That was the normal, the course of life.

    But they had to step outside of the boundaries in order to obey the Spirit of God.

    I want to ask you today.

    What has God led you to do?

    Has God given you a dream? A purpose?

    Have you begun to excuse or rationalize the vision God has put in your life?

    Maybe God has given you a dream, a vision for a future ministry.

    Maybe a pastoral ministry.

    Maybe for a vocation, a job that God would lead you to.

    Maybe it's for a family, a future.

    Maybe it's for a ministry in the church.

    But I'm telling you, I believe that there are so many people God would put a dream or a vision on your heart.

    But we often crumple that up and throw it away thinking it doesn't mean anything.

    I recognize not every dream is from God.

    This does take discernment and wisdom.

    It does take filtering through the revelation of God's Word.

    But I want to encourage you today.

    I want to warn you.

    Don't ignore the dreams from God.

    Don't ignore the visions that God would give.

    If Joseph would have thrown away those visions, it would have cost Jesus his life.

    I want to ask you, how many things, how many dreams have died in the church of Jesus because people did not respond?

    This is a mark of a Pentecostal faith, is that old men will dream dreams, young men will see visions.

    That this is a mark of God moving in the last days.

    That people begin to have incredible experiences with God.

    And I want to encourage you, let's believe God.

    Let's contend that God would bring these dreams into reality.

    That as we believe God's Word, I want to encourage you this morning.

    Be open to the dreams from the Lord.

    Let's bow our heads.

    We're going to bring this service to a close, and I thank you for your attention this morning.

    Thank God we don't need a dream and we don't need a vision to know God's will.

    God's will is for you to be saved.

    God is not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to a life-changing knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    We know that for God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever would believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.

    We don't need a dream.

    We don't need a vision.

    We don't need a message painted in the clouds to know that God loves us.

    He loves you.

    He died.

    He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you.

    Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God, the Father.

    To know Him is to know God.

    And I wonder if you've come here this morning, your heart not right with God.

    You be honest for a moment.

    Say, "Pastor, I'm not living right. I'm living in sin. I need to repent of my sins. I need to trust in Jesus to save me."

    Before we do anything else, we need to get our hearts right.

    If that's you, take a moment right now and ask, if I die today, what would happen to me?

    Would I be in the presence of God for all eternity, or would I be separated from Him?

    Listen, it is not God's will to be separated from Him.

    God's will is that you would be saved and sanctified and set free from sin so that you could serve the living God.

    If you need that today, please don't miss this opportunity.

    The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to save you.

    Because of His death on the cross, His resurrection on the third day, you can be miraculously saved.

    If that's you this morning, don't miss this opportunity.

    Can I pray with you?

    Is there someone here?

    With an uplifted hand, you'd say, "Pastor, please pray for me. I need Jesus. I need His mercy. I need His grace. I need His love. I'm tired of running from God. I'm tired of carrying the weight of my sins."

    Would you respond by faith today, with an uplifted hand right now?

    I want to pray with somebody.

    Is that you, quickly, unsaved, or maybe backslidden in your heart, maybe like the prodigal son?

    You're one of those who has run from God, spent all of His inheritance on riotous living, and He was separated from His Father in a far country.

    It is possible for us to know the goodness of living for Jesus, but to be separated from Him because of our sins.

    Is that you today?

    It's time to come home.

    The Father is waiting for you.

    Don't miss this opportunity.

    Is there anyone at all?

    Quickly, you'd slip up your hand.

    Unsaved or prodigals, would you lift up your hand right now?

    I want to pray with you.

    Is there someone here?

    You're believing God to set you free.

    Is that you?

    Can I pray with you?

    Anyone here?

    Quickly, you'd lift up your hand.

    Say, "Pastor, please pray for me. I need Jesus. I need His love and mercy in my life."

    Thank God.

    We're going to open up this altar for prayer.

    And you've heard the word that I preached.

    I'm preaching about dreams and visions from God.

    Not every dream is from God.

    Sometimes it's just the byproducts of your brain while you're sleeping.

    I understand that.

    But I believe God is still able to speak through dreams and visions.

    And I believe by faith that the reason God would turn my attention to the dreams of the Christmas story is because someone is here listening to my voice.

    God has given you a very specific dream.

    You've been wrestling.

    You've been questioning.

    "Lord, is this from you?"

    And with discernment, with wisdom, but with the word of God in one hand and with a dream in your mind, you'd say, "I believe God is leading me."

    I want to encourage you to respond to those dreams and those visions.

    We're going to stand up together.

    We're going to open this altar for prayer.

    If the Lord is leading you, please, would you come and join us?

    Maybe you want to pray for someone else here.

    But let's stand up to our feet together as we open up this altar for prayer.

    God's leading you.

    Would you come?

    Would you come together?

    We need those who would respond to dreams and visions.

    We need God to speak in these last days.

    We need God to lead us.

    We need God to help us.

    We need God to show us His will.

    Church, would you come as we pray?

    Let's pour out our hearts.

    Prayer means words.

    Let's lift up these needs before the Lord.

    Let's respond with faith and with expectation this morning.

    Let's believe God to help us for a few moments while we worship together.

    Let's pray.

    Let's pray.

    Let's pray.

    Let's pray.

    You, you, you are...

    Can we stand together?

    We want to pray.

    We want to believe God.

    Listen, none of this is scripted.

    The will of God is often mysterious to seek His will.

    But listen, there's also some parts of this that are not mysterious.

    There are some parts that are obvious.

    Now often, God is waiting for us to respond to the things that we know before He reveals things that we do not know.

    What I mean by that is we know God's will is for us to be saved.

    We know God's will is for us to pursue holiness and righteousness.

    We know God's will is for us to be free from sexual perversion.

    We know these things.

    We know that we're supposed to love one another.

    Like, the Bible is filled with things that we already know.

    But what we're talking about is the next step.

    When we're faithful to the things that we know, then God is able to lead and to bring direction for things that we don't know.

    And I'm believing that God would bring guidance and leadership to your heart this morning.

    Can we lift up our hands together as a sign of surrender to God's will?

    And we're going to believe God just as He led Joseph through dreams and visions, just as He gave direction to the Apostle Paul and Ananias in the early church, that God would lead us and give us divine direction as well.

    Let's lift up our voices.

    Say, "God in heaven, I thank you for the blood of Jesus that washes me clean and gives me a place in your kingdom, in your family, and in your will.

    Lord, I'm asking you today to break all selfishness.

    God, I want to follow your will, your purpose for my life.

    I'm asking you to help me to be faithful with things you've already revealed.

    And as I am seeking your will, that you would help me to hear your word in visions and dreams.

    Give me discernment and wisdom according to your word by the Holy Spirit who lives in me.

    I'm asking you now to lead my life and guide my steps in Jesus' mighty name."

    Amen.

    Come on, let's pray.

    Let's give Him praise right now, Lord.

    Amen.

    Allow God to activate His will and His vision for your life.

    Amen.

    We're going to close in prayer this morning.

    Again, as I mentioned during the message tonight, I'm going to be preaching a message on marriage from the example of Joseph and Mary.

    There are some powerful truths in their relationship that I want to relay to married and single people here.

    And so please come back tonight ready to hear from God, whether you are married or preparing for marriage or never want to get married.

    Wherever you are, it's okay.

    We're going to hear something powerful tonight.

    I want to encourage you to come back.

    6 p.m. is prayer, and 7 p.m. the service will begin.

    Amen.

    Let God lead our lives as we close in prayer this morning.

    Brother Saban, will you close us off for the sake of this prayer?

    Amen.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love, Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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His Name is John! | Trusting Beyond Tradition [Luke 1:57-65]

In today's gathering, we explored the thought-provoking story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the book of Luke, focusing on the birth and naming of their son, John the Baptist. This story is a powerful reminder of how God's plans often challenge cultural norms and personal expectations. Zechariah and Elizabeth faced a choice that defied tradition: naming their son John instead of following the customary practice of naming him after his father. This decision was not merely about breaking tradition but..

His Name is John!

Luke 1:57-65

Sermon Summary

In this message, we explored the thought-provoking story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the book of Luke, focusing on the birth and naming of their son, John the Baptist. This story is a powerful reminder of how God's plans often challenge cultural norms and personal expectations. Zechariah and Elizabeth faced a choice that defied tradition: naming their son John instead of following the customary practice of naming him after his father. This decision was not merely about breaking tradition but about obedience to God's specific revelation to them. It highlights the importance of discerning God's will, even when it contradicts societal norms or personal desires.

The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth teaches us that God's will is often mysterious and may not align with our understanding or expectations. It requires us to trust in His higher ways and thoughts, which are beyond our comprehension. This trust is rooted in a deep relationship with God, cultivated through prayer, devotion, and a willingness to surrender our plans to His divine purpose. The narrative also emphasizes the significance of revelation, where God unveils His plans to us in new and personal ways, though not necessarily unprecedented.

As we navigate our lives, we are encouraged to seek God's perfect will, which may involve making choices that are not merely between good and evil but between good and best. This discernment requires us to be open to new things God might be doing in our lives, even if they seem unconventional or challenging. We are reminded that God's will is not always a straightforward path but a journey of faith, requiring us to step out in obedience and trust.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:47] - Announcements and Events
[36:30] - Offering and New Building Update
[42:28] - The Story of Zechariah and Elizabeth
[47:43] - Obedience Over Tradition
[49:58] - Cultural Norms vs. God's Will
[51:06] - Jesus' Unexpected Arrival
[52:24] - Trusting in God's Higher Ways
[54:33] - The Mystery of God's Will
[01:01:16] - Pursuing God's Perfect Will
[01:02:35] - The Sin of Disobedience
[01:04:47] - Revelation and New Things
[01:07:08] - Joseph's Dream and God's Plan
[01:09:43] - Faith and Obedience
[01:12:28] - Knowing God's Word and Ways
[01:15:03] - Embracing New Things
[01:17:49] - Six Steps to Knowing God's Will
[01:23:42] - Trusting God's Guidance
[01:27:19] - Seeking God's Will in Our Lives
[01:31:43] - Surrendering to God's Will

Key Takeaways

  • Obedience Over Tradition: Zechariah and Elizabeth's decision to name their son John, as instructed by God, illustrates the importance of prioritizing divine revelation over cultural norms. This obedience opened the door for God's blessings and reminded us that God's plans may require us to break from tradition. [47:43]

  • Trusting in God's Higher Ways: God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours, often leading us into the unknown. Like Abraham, we are called to trust God even when His plans seem mysterious or counterintuitive, knowing that His purposes are ultimately for our good. [52:24]

  • The Mystery of God's Will: Understanding God's will involves embracing the mystery and unpredictability of His plans. We must be willing to follow His lead, even when it disrupts our own plans or expectations, trusting that He is guiding us toward His perfect purpose. [54:33]

  • Revelation and Relationship: Knowing God's will is not just about understanding His word but also about cultivating a relationship with Him. Through prayer and devotion, we learn to discern His ways and align our lives with His divine purpose. [01:12:28]

  • The Role of Timing and Surrender: God's will often involves a sense of divine timing, requiring us to act promptly and decisively. Surrendering to His will means being open and ready to respond to His leading, trusting that He will equip us for the journey ahead. [01:31:43]

Bible Reading

Luke 1:57-66 NKJV - 57 Now Elizabeth's full time came for her to be delivered, and she brought forth a son. 58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. 59 So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. 60 His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John." 61 But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." 62 So they made signs to his father--what he would have him called. 63 And he asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue [loosed], and he spoke, praising God. 65 Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all those who heard [them] kept [them] in their hearts, saying, "What kind of child will this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.

Isaiah 55:9 NKJV– For [as] the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

Observation Questions

  1. What was the cultural expectation for naming Zechariah and Elizabeth's son, and how did they respond? [43:52]

  2. How did Zechariah communicate his agreement with Elizabeth about their son's name, and what was the immediate result of his action? [43:52]

  3. What does the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth teach us about the importance of obedience to God's revelation over cultural norms? [47:43]

  4. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of God's will being mysterious and often counterintuitive to human understanding? [52:24]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why might God choose to reveal His will in ways that challenge cultural norms or personal expectations, as seen in the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth? [47:43]

  2. How does the sermon suggest that a deep relationship with God can aid in discerning His will, even when it seems mysterious or counterintuitive? [54:33]

  3. In what ways does the sermon highlight the role of timing and surrender in following God's will, and how can this be applied to personal decision-making? [01:31:43]

  4. How does the sermon use the example of Zechariah and Elizabeth to illustrate the difference between choosing what is good and what is best according to God's will? [01:02:35]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt God's will was leading you in a direction that contradicted societal norms or personal desires. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? [47:43]

  2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of a relationship with God in discerning His will. What specific steps can you take this week to deepen your relationship with God through prayer and devotion? [54:33]

  3. Consider a decision you are currently facing. How can you apply the principle of choosing between what is good and what is best in this situation? [01:02:35]

  4. The sermon discusses the role of timing in God's will. Is there an area in your life where you feel God is prompting you to act promptly? How can you ensure you are ready to respond? [01:31:43]

  5. How can you cultivate a mindset of surrender to God's will, especially when it involves stepping into the unknown or the unconventional? [52:24]

  6. Think about a tradition or cultural norm in your life that might be hindering your obedience to God's will. What steps can you take to align more closely with His revelation? [47:43]

  7. How can you seek wise counsel from fellow believers to help discern God's will in your life, and who might you approach for such guidance? [01:20:58]

  • Let's open up our Bibles this morning. We are grateful for all that God has done. If you were here last week about this time, I began the Christmas season by preaching through a story about a man, a priest named Zechariah in the book of Luke, and we're going to return to this story because I believe we can find some interesting truth again from the wife of the priest Zechariah, her name is Elizabeth.

    And I want to look at a moment in her life that I believe is very inspiring and helpful to us this morning. So Luke chapter one, if you'll join us there, Luke chapter one. Maybe you heard the story about the family that they every year when they began to cook the traditional Thanksgiving turkey that this family had a tradition that what they would do is every year they would take the turkey and they would always cut it in half before they would cook it.

    And that's kind of unusual, but that was just the tradition that this family had. We're always just going to split it right down the middle. And so instead of having one nice presentable bird that the families normally have, we're going to cut it in half. But this whole turkey is cut in half and becomes the centerpiece in that way.

    And so this strange ritual went on and on until one year a child decided that she was going to find out why they had such a strange tradition. Why do we cut this bird in half? And when mom heard this question from the child, she thought about that and thought that's a good question. Why do we always cut the turkey in half? And she couldn't come up with a good reason.

    She said, well, I cut the bird in half because my mother always cooked the turkey the same way. She cut it in half, and so I thought that was just the way that we do it. So, of course, they got Grandma on the phone. Grandma got on the phone and said, well, to tell you the truth, I can't figure out why we cut the turkey in half either. All I know is that I saw my mother do it, and that's how I did it all these years.

    So, why don't we ask Great-Grandma Nanny? So, they all gathered together, and they asked Grandma Nanny. They said, Grandma, we always cut the bird in half. Nobody else does that. Why do we do it? And they all huddled around waiting for some deep inspiration or some meaning behind the symbolism of cutting the bird in half.

    And Great-Grandma sat up, and she said, and she looked at them. She said, didn't you realize that our oven was never big enough to put a whole turkey in it? We had to cut it in half to make room. You know, not every tradition is rooted in good reasons.

    In the Scripture we're going to read, we're going to find an interesting moment where they're going to give John the Baptist this miracle baby that has been conceived in the womb of Elizabeth, the wife of the priest, Zechariah. And there is a good and a wholesome tradition in the Jewish community and in many other families around the world. But in that moment, they understand that the tradition is not for them.

    And I want to preach a message I've titled, "His Name is John." I want you to lock in your mind with me, his name is John. Let's read the Scripture, Luke chapter 1, beginning with verse 57.

    Now Elizabeth's time came for her to be delivered. And she brought forth the son. When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her. So it was on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child, and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zechariah, the normal, healthy family tradition.

    But his mother answered and said, "No, he shall be called John." But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name." So they made signs to his father, what he would have called him. Remember, Zechariah had been silenced for his lack of faith when the angel spoke to him in the temple. And he is still not speaking at this moment.

    So they made signs to his father. What would he have him called? And he asked for the writing tablet and wrote, saying, "His name is John." So they all marveled. Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke, praising God. Then fear came on all who dwelt around them, and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea.

    Let's pray. Father, we come by the precious blood of Jesus. We thank you that in this Christmas season, Lord, in this time, Lord, this is a time that we celebrate. And not every tradition is evil, but some traditions, God, according to your word, must be broken. And I'm praying, Father, that you would help us to have wisdom and discernment about your will for our lives. I'm praying, God, that you would give us that wisdom. You said, if any man lacks wisdom, that we can seek and we can ask. And Lord, that you are a good father who gives good things. I'm praying, give your people wisdom as they pray. Seek to do your will, and we give you glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, amen.

    His name is John. And let's look first at encountering some cultural norms. Verse 59 of our scripture says it was the eighth day. And if you know anything about Jewish culture, Jewish history, Jewish tradition, you know that baby boys experience what they call the bris. It is the day of circumcision. It's also the eighth day, is the day that baby boys experience what they call the bris. It is the day of circumcision. It is the day that baby Jewish boys receive their names.

    In the tradition, those two things are connected. It is the continuation of the promise which was given to Abraham. This was the mark that God spoke to Abraham and said, "This is how my people will be identified by a circumcision of the flesh." And the tradition of the Jews is that when a baby boy receives that promise, that tradition, that mark of the covenant, that that is the day they receive their name as well and how they are going to be defined for the rest of their lives.

    The cultural norm, of course, at the time was, as it is in many families to this day, that a son, especially a firstborn son, will receive the name of his father. And so the expectation that everyone had, that as this baby boy, this miracle child born to two people in their older years, this is kind of the Abraham and Sarah story of the New Testament, Zechariah and Elizabeth, they have a child in their latter years.

    And this was no doubt a joy to everyone who knew them, that they would have struggled for many years dealing with the fact that they did not have children. And finally, after all this time, here's a new baby boy to enter the world and enter their family. And everyone expected that they would be born to this boy, that this boy would receive the name of his father, Zechariah.

    Everyone gathered around for the birth, for the circumcision, for the naming of the boy. And so they began to get the name, get documents together. What are we going to call him? We're going to call him Zechariah. And in this moment, that is not wrong, right? It was not a bad tradition. However, we know that God had a different plan for this boy.

    And we know that based on what God spoke to both Zechariah and Elizabeth in verse 13, same chapter, the angel said to Zechariah, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers are heard. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son and you shall call his name John." The angel spoke.

    And can I just tell you, first of all, this morning, God spoke to Zechariah. He spoke to Zechariah. He spoke to Zechariah. He spoke to Zechariah. God has the right to disrupt your plans. God has the right to tell us to do things that we might think strange or inconsistent with what we know and what we understand.

    Zechariah no doubt would have been overjoyed and filled with compassion and love for his son to call his name the same as his own, Zechariah. But in this case, God had another plan for this. And that plan required that Zechariah and Elizabeth had to stand up against the cultural norm.

    And what I see in this scripture is what I see a struggle in many people who are trying to live for God in our time, in our generation, is that how many understand there are some cultural norms that are not the will of God. In fact, to do God's will, to live for him in this time, means that there are some things that we're going to have to reject what the world says.

    We're going to have to reject what friends and family might expect. Obviously, some of the most obvious examples is the culture of the world. John said that any man who loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. One of the marks that you are saved and changed by God is that you are willing to live for God. You are willing to go against the grain of the world. Somebody said amen.

    That, you know, living for yourself, right? The world says put self number one, put your self-interest number one. Well, we can't do that as believers, can we? In the kingdom of God, we follow Jesus who takes up his cross and he says to us, now take up your cross and live for me daily. Follow me daily. We don't get the right to live for ourselves.

    Examples like living together before marriage. This is not the will of God. We understand that, but it's such a normal practice of the culture, people who sleep together before they get married, and it becomes such a, just an automatic of the world. But Christians, we are following Jesus. We don't get to do that. We don't have that right to shack up before marriage.

    Listening to worldly music, addictive behaviors, wasting our time, wasting time on frivolous things. These are just some examples of how living for Jesus means living different than the rest of the world. How many know Jesus called us to be a little bit weird?

    That when Jesus came to the earth, he exemplified this. Didn't he? People had an idea of what they thought the Messiah would be. Especially the Jews, their people thought that the Messiah would come as a conquering king riding on a great stallion and leading the people of God in a rebellion against the Romans.

    But Jesus showed up and he did none of those things. He didn't come as a conqueror. He came as a suffering servant, at least the first time. They were confusing his first arrival with his second. One day Jesus is going to come back, as we sang about this morning, and he will be the conquering king. He will take his place, his rightful place as king of the universe.

    But when he first arrived on the scene as Messiah, he came to bear the sins and the consequences of the world. And so that took people by surprise. That was unexpected. That was not the norm that they wanted. And so the scripture says, Isaiah 55 verse 9, "So are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."

    How many have figured it out already that you can't figure God out? If you could figure out God, then he wouldn't be God. There will always be a sense of mystery when it comes to doing God's will for our lives. You're just going to have to get used to that. You're going to have to get used to the idea that I can't figure out all that God is doing in my life.

    We have to make a commitment like Abraham did. The reason we call him the father of our faith is because God called him out to a place he did not know where he was going. But he says, "Lord, I'm willing to follow you because I trust you." That is the heart of the true believer. I don't understand everything, Lord, but I'm willing to follow anyway.

    And to do that means we're going to have to go against the sense of the world, the norms, the cultural standards, and even sometimes what we think is best for our lives. Think of Joseph. Joseph in the Christmas story, man, I feel bad for Joseph. He had it rough because he had everything planned out. He had his life laid out before him. He'd be betrothed to a nice girl. He's getting ready to marry her. He's got his plans laid out. And he's a carpenter. And he's got a skill. He's got a place to stay. He's got a woman laid out. And everything's on the track.

    He's got everything he thinks he needs. And then he hears the news. Mary's pregnant. What a monkey wrench. How many know that the will of God is often like a monkey wrench in the middle of our plans? So most of us, when we got saved, it's not that we were planning to get saved. We weren't planning, "Oh, yeah, when I turn 18 years old, I'm just going to surrender my life to Jesus, and it's going to..." No, we weren't planning that, right? I wasn't certainly, I was certainly not planning to get saved.

    God showed up in my life, and I had a choice to make whether to surrender or whether to reject. And I chose to surrender to Him. Thank God I did. And serving God, there's a sense of mystery behind everything that we do. The Bible is a mysterious book. Yes, we know that there are some things that are absolutely clear, right?

    But some things you're going to read in the Bible, and you're like, I can't figure that out. Lord, you're going to have to help me. You're going to have to show me. You're going to have to give me some revelation here. Think of the midwives in Egypt. That when the Pharaoh began to destroy all of the baby boys, and they had to reject what was expected of them. They had to stand up with civil disobedience and say, "No, we're not going to do that. We fear God before we fear you, Pharaoh. And we're going to save these baby boys."

    This idea of overturning what is expected and what the world is going to do, and what the world expects, this is something that Christians have to be prepared to do. Much of Jesus' ministry was, how many know, upending cultural norms. We love Jesus calling the little children to himself. We love the Jesus that's pictured in so many religious iconography where he looks like a woman with a beard. Or he looks soft. Do you know what I'm saying?

    But Jesus wasn't soft. There was a time that Jesus braided, he did a whip and took it to the temple and began driving out the money changers. That was savage. He turned over their money tables. Everybody expected Jesus to just go along, get along, but he didn't do that. He turned over their tables and said, "My father's house shall be called a house of prayer. You've turned it into a den of thieves." He was angry in a righteous way.

    How many times did Jesus upend their expectations regarding the Sabbath laws? He finds people that need healing, the man with the withered hand, and he says, "Stretch forth your hand," and the man's hand was miraculously healed. But guess what? It happened to be a Sabbath day. And to them, those priests, those rabbis, those religious people, those Pharisees, they saw Jesus healing on the Sabbath day, and it just popped a fuse in their brain. They couldn't handle it.

    He's working on the Sabbath, and Jesus, he's upending and overturning their cultural expectations of what the Messiah is supposed to say and what he's supposed to do. He touched the lepers. Nobody touched lepers. He healed them. He believed God for them. He entered into their world.

    Can I tell you serving God sometimes there is an element of mystery and we've got to do something about it. We've got to be okay with that, church. Now I'm not saying here that every trend or every cultural norm is evil. The Bible does say don't remove the ancient landmarks. We don't reject tradition just for the sake of rejecting it. There's a reason why traditions exist.

    But we have to be willing to examine them in the light of scripture and in the light of how the Holy Spirit leads us. Can you say amen? See, we look at these stories in the Bible and thank God we have to be willing to examine them and we have to be willing to see the whole story as it plays out. We see the benefit of beginning, middle, and the end of the story, right?

    We see Zechariah and Elizabeth, they were childless and barren. We see the action that happens, the angel visits them, a child is born, and we see how it plays out and how they're going to trust God. But we see the whole run of the story as it plays through and we can learn lessons from that. But guess what? We see the whole, we don't have that advantage for our own lives.

    I can't see everything how God is going to work everything out. I know the past, I know my testimony, I know how God has moved in my life, but I can't see how everything's going to play out, right? We don't have that advantage. And so we have to be willing to trust God that he is sovereign, that he does know what he's doing, and that he is good. Can you say amen?

    The will of God for Zechariah and Elizabeth and for their son was different and distinct from the good and decent cultural norm that everybody expected. And so what we have here then is not a battle of good versus evil, okay? Both choices that they would not have sinned, but the choice was between what is good and what is best.

    And often that's what requires the most wisdom and discernment for the Christian believer. This is what so many people struggle with when it comes to the will of God. What is the will of God for my life? The will of God is not always a black and white sin versus righteousness decision. So often the will of God is what do most people do and what is God calling me to do?

    And that is where it requires discernment and an open ear to heaven. Imagine how many been on a cruise? Anybody here? Okay, some blessed people, hallelujah. Okay, so if when you're on a cruise, you know, you can get, they have a lot of people on those ships or maybe even like an aircraft carrier. You know, they have a population of what, four thousand people, five thousand people?

    And so, you know, five thousand people leave the port and they're all on the same ship, right? But does that mean that they are all held captive? No, they're free. They're doing their duties. They're on a cruise ship that you're having a good time, you're watching shows, you're eating food, you're sleeping in your quarters, you're swimming in the swimming pool. There's a lot of things you can do on the ship, right?

    But everybody's moving together in the same direction. The will of God is kind of like that, that we trust the sovereignty of God that we are all traveling together in His will, but within the will of God that we do have the ability to make certain decisions about God's will for our life.

    Everybody with me so far? And the question this morning is not always, should I sin or should I not sin? Sometimes the question is being able to pursue God's mysterious will even when it's going to break some expectations that somebody has for me.

    So, my question as we think about this story with Zechariah, would it have been a sin for them to name him Zechariah Jr., ZJ? You think that's a sin? And at first when I thought about that question, I thought, I mean, it wouldn't have been a sin, right? It's the cultural norm. It's the expectation.

    But then I thought about the scripture in James chapter 4, verse 17, where it says, "Now listen carefully, church." The reason I believe it would have been a sin for them to name their son Zechariah is because they had received a clear word from the angel. And the angel told them specifically, "You will call his name John."

    Now, the norm, the cultural tradition of naming a son after the father, there's nothing wrong with that. It's normal. It's good. There's a reason for that. Maintains a certain tradition, right? And so there's a reason why most fathers would name their sons in this way.

    But for Zechariah to do that, it would have been a sin. It would have been wrong. He would have violated the trust of God to do that. And so this is what I'm saying. We can learn from this situation that just because something is permitted for you does not mean that God has ordained it.

    There's a lot of things that God would permit you. You're not going to go to hell over it, but it's not the will of God. What's important for us then, church, is that we have to seek God's perfect will for us. It takes discernment.

    There's a scripture in Isaiah chapter 43. We read it this morning in our Sunday school lesson. Isaiah 43 verse 19, "Behold, I will do a new thing. Now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."

    Is it possible for God to do something new in your life? I'm not saying completely new that the world has never seen before. I'm always wary about when people come to me saying, "I read something that never has been revealed before in the word of God." Come on, buddy.

    Okay, there's nothing new under the sun, it says in Ecclesiastes. But there are new things that God can do in our lives. The more that I've lived for God, the more I've come to appreciate when God does something new or reveals something new in my life. Revelation.

    So think about the idea of revelation. The word is something is being revealed to us, right? So when you have a revelation, you read a scripture and something pops out from the Bible that you never saw there before. That is a revelation.

    And a revelation is not a brand new truth that the world has never seen. A revelation is simply new to you because you never saw it before. Thank God that he shows us new things, that new springs can flow in the desert wilderness of our hearts, that God can bring you to new levels of faithfulness and obedience to him.

    But that doesn't mean that it's something uniquely brand new that the world has never known. It's just new for you. That's why we call it revelation. It's revealed. It was there already. You just didn't see it. And God reveals it to us.

    The will of God requires revelation. This is what Jesus said to Peter. When Peter piped up, Jesus is asking them, "Who do men say that I am?" And Peter pipes up and he says, "You are the Messiah, the son of the living God."

    Now, was that true? Had it always been true? Won't it always be true? But somehow, Peter figured it out before others. And Jesus said to him, "Flesh and blood did not reveal that to you. My Father revealed it to you."

    It was new for Peter. It was new for the others that heard it that day. But it doesn't mean it was completely. There are some things, I believe, in our lives that God wants us to do some new things.

    And the reason I'm saying this is because this idea can be abused. The idea of, "Oh, God spoke to me in a unique way, Pastor, and so I'm going to go out on this tangent, this left field idea, and start a new ministry." Well, most of the time, that's just rebellion, a spirit of rebellion at work.

    Don't abuse the idea of God doing a new thing. But it is true that God, His will, often goes against the grain of what we expect. Think of Joseph in the Old Testament for a moment. When Joseph, God gave Joseph a dream for his future, right?

    And this image of the barley sheaves that, and there was 12 of them, and they're all bowing down, and even the sun, moon, and stars, they're bowing down to him. And man, what a dream that would be like. And that made no sense to anybody at the time.

    It didn't even make sense to him. He's just telling this dream to his brothers, and they're like, "What are you talking about, Joseph? You think we're going to bow down to you? You're just the bratty little brother. Daddy's favorite." That don't make no sense to you, to me, to nobody, even to mom and dad. They were like, "Shut up, Joseph."

    Got him in all kind of trouble. But that dream, that dream was a prediction of Joseph's future, wasn't it? That years passed, down the road, he ascends to the throne of Pharaoh, and he's the right-hand man in the powerful superpower of the nation, of the world at the time.

    And guess what? There he is. He is responsible for divvying out the wealth and resources of Egypt, and here come the brothers. What do they do? They all bow down before him. God predicted it, and it came to pass.

    But what I'm saying is that in that moment, it didn't make sense. Only in the course of serving God and doing his will and following closely after the Lord, only then, after time, eventually, it would make sense.

    This is why serving God is a mystery. In the moment, not everything is going to make perfect sense to you. You're not going to be able to figure everything about God. Thank God. I don't want a God I can figure out. That's not a God I'm interested in.

    I want a God who is bigger than my common sense, who is beyond my ability to imagine. Abraham, it would make absolutely no sense on a human level to take your son, your only son, up to the mountain and there sacrifice him like an animal.

    That makes no sense on a human level. It only makes sense that as he simply obeys, as he simply does what God told him, he lifts up the knife to murder his son, and God says, "Stop. Now I can see, Abraham, that you will withhold nothing from me, and now I am able to radically bless you."

    It was a test. There will be moments like this in your life when God will call you out to do something that makes no sense, that doesn't make sense to the culture, doesn't make sense to your family, doesn't make sense maybe even to people in the church?

    Will you have the heart to step out in faith and follow the mystery of God's Word? I want to close with the idea of knowing God's Word and God's ways. Going back to our Scripture in Zechariah, Luke chapter 1, verse 63.

    So we're here at this moment. They say, "Aren't we going to name the son Zechariah, right?" And Elizabeth pipes up. She says, "No, we're not going to call him Zechariah. We're calling him John. His name is John. Get it? His name is going to be John. Stop arguing with me."

    And all of the people, they were like, "She's crazy. She just had a child. I made something wrong with her brain." They turned to Zechariah. Remember, he's been silent. For the last, I don't know, nine, ten months maybe. God made him mute supernaturally because of his lack of faith.

    So they turned to Zechariah and said, "What do you say, Zechariah? What do you say about this?" He asked them for a writing tablet. He began to write, saying, "His name is John." It's John. And they all marveled.

    Now, what's amazing about that scripture is that it's this moment that God chooses to open his mouth back up. It's when he obeys, when he does the thing that is weird to everybody else. "His name is John." He shows it to them. "His name is John."

    And everybody's like, "Oh, he spoke." God opened his mouth again, and he spoke and began to praise God. You know what this tells me? This tells me that serving the Lord and doing his will is much more than just a matter of faith.

    It tells me much more than just following a list of do's and don'ts. Zechariah discovered something here, that doing the will of God is much more about having a relationship with him. It's not just following the commandments.

    It's knowing who God is. This is how Abraham is able to trust God when he tells him to do something crazy. "Okay, God, I know you. I have experience with you. I've followed you. I've done your will so many times that when you tell me to do something that doesn't make sense, God, I'm just going to follow because I know who you are, Lord."

    It's out of relationship that obedience begins to flow. It's not just a list of do's and don'ts. It's the moment that Zechariah writes the name. His obedience is fulfilled, and his mouth is opened.

    It's not just a dry religious thing. It's that he trusted God in that moment. Let me ask you, do you know the difference between God's word and God's ways? They're not always different, but they are distinct.

    It is possible to read the Bible from the back to the front and still not know God. You can know his word, but not know him. You can't know him personally. And so much of serving God is not just learning his word, but learning his ways.

    How do we learn the ways of God? How does God act? How does God think? Well, we learn his ways the same way that you learn about the ways of anybody else. You've got to spend time with them, right?

    You have to know the kind of person that they are. So what about you? How's your relationship? How's your relationship with God? I'm not asking how much of the Bible you've memorized.

    There's plenty of Christian professors who know the Bible inside and out and have a deep understanding of theology, but they don't know God. Many there will be on that day, Jesus said, who say, "'Lord, Lord, did we not do all these things in your name?' But I will say, "'Depart from me, for I never knew you.'"

    The way that we know the ways of God, not just his words, but his ways, is by spending time with him in prayer, in devotion, worship, to spend time seeking, devoted to his word and his truth.

    Sometimes serving God means doing something that's out of the ordinary, a change in your schedule, out of the ordinary. And, you know, that's hard for us because we get set in our ways. We become inflexible.

    We say, "Well, God never did it before, so he can't do it now." And I want to challenge you. Be open to new things. I am so grateful that we have a fellowship, we have a church, that is open to new things that God is doing.

    You know, if you rewind the clock back to the time when Pastor Mitchell was taking over the church in Prescott, Arizona, and, you know, he started out with 20, I think it was 24 people, and seven of them were his family, right?

    And he's there in this little tiny cowboy town, Prescott, Arizona, but God begins to sweep across the nation, starts saving hippies in the 1970s. Those people were very different from the normal church-going believer at that time.

    Very different from Pastor Mitchell, who was 40-plus years old at that time. And all these young hippies with long hair and long beards and no shoes and bringing their dogs to church. And they'd sit on the floor with their guitars and play along.

    But they were getting saved in miraculous ways. And thank God Pastor Mitchell was able to receive them. God was doing something new. And our fellowship was born in that environment.

    So as we close, I want to give you some practical ways to discovering the mystery of God's will. And this thought comes from a book written by Chuck Swindoll called The Mystery of God's Will.

    Chuck Swindoll, interesting about him, he was born with a genetic deficiency in one of his ears. There was a hole inside his ear. And when he was young, this caused a lot of pain and even infections in his ear.

    And so as he got a little bit older, the doctors told him that they should probably close this hole up and perform some surgery on there to repair this hole. And so as he was going through that, there was a time that he had hearing loss in that ear.

    And so he began the process of thinking this was going to be a permanent change that he's going to have to live with. So he began learning how to read people's lips. And he observes that as he began to learn this skill of reading lips, that he discovered something.

    It's possible to hear someone's words without looking at them. But if you're going to read their lips, you have to, like, stare intently at their face to get every word. If you can't hear the word, then you have to be able to see the lips moving.

    And he began to appreciate people who articulate their words in a way that was easier for him to understand. Thankfully, that was not a permanent condition, but... He equates that to the idea of learning to hear from God.

    It's possible for us to hear his word, but not look at his face. And learning the divine mystery of God's will is more than just reading his word, but it's looking into his face.

    So, six steps to knowing God's will as we close. Number one, we have to approach God with an accepting frame of mind. Meaning, "Lord, whatever you have for me, I'm ready." That's like step one. That's like entry level, "Lord, whatever you have for my life, I'm willing."

    Some people never make it that far. Some people are still holding on to their dream, their idea of what's best for their life. You're not going to get there. You're not going to be faithful to God's will unless you're willing, first of all, to say, "Lord, I'm open, I'm teachable, I'm sensible, I'm available." That's step one.

    Step two is a biblical investigation. And I say that because God's will is never contrary to his word. God will not tell you to rob the bank. I was praying last night, and God told me, "I'm going to supply for your need. So just purchase a firearm and go to the local bank of Hampton Roads. Hold up the teller there, and they're going to give you all the money that you need."

    The angel is not going to tell you that. He's not going to say that to you. Okay? We know that. Because the will of God is clear. Thou shalt not steal. That's easy. You don't have to pray about whether or not to rob the bank.

    We have to investigate the Bible. Knowing God's will, we understand that God will never speak contrary to his word. The third thing is clarification and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

    In other words, the will of God is not an impulse. It's not an emotion. It's not just mere inspiration, and we get all fired up about something and exciting, and, "Oh, I'll jump into it." We have to be open to hearing from the Holy Spirit, waiting patiently for the Lord. Psalm 40, verse 1.

    The fourth thing is determine if peace is occurring. The peace of Jesus is like an umpire that keeps the game moving. Never move ahead unless you have the peace that passes understanding, like Philippians 4, verse 7.

    The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. I've had God speak to me about things, and sometimes it's not necessarily a thing that God wanted me to do because it's a test, like Abram on the mountain.

    Are you willing to move? But I have experienced the peace of God, which passes understanding, about certain decisions. We have to be sensitive to that peace. If we don't sense it, we shouldn't move forward.

    Fifth, we should expect struggles and surprises as we experience the results of following the Lord and His mystery. And finally, the last thing, is to seek out wise counsel. This is one that's often missed. Talk over the way that God is leading you with other believers who are faithfully serving Him.

    There is wisdom in the multitude of counselors, Proverbs 15, 22. Doesn't mean that every time you're going to do what counselors tell you to do, but to have the confidence of people that you trust, people who have more experience in the Lord than you do.

    I close with this illustration. Jim Lovell, who's an astronaut in Apollo 13. Maybe you saw the movie from Ron Howard, Apollo 13 with Tom Hanks. And he tells a story in that movie about how he had gotten in trouble.

    There was a time when he was a Navy pilot and he was flying in a Banshee at night in combat. There were no running lights on the carrier. He's trying to land in the Sea of Japan. His radar had jammed. His homing signal was gone.

    And so it was leading him away from where he was supposed to be. He says, "I'm looking down at a big black ocean and my instruments are failing. So I flip on my map light. I'm going to try to read the map. And as soon as I turn on the light, he says, everything shorts out right there in the cockpit. All the instruments fail and it's completely dark."

    He says, "I can't even tell what my altitude was. I know I'm running out of fuel. So he says, I'm thinking about ditching into the ocean. And then in a moment, I looked out of the window and I see in the darkness, a green trail."

    He says, "It's like a long carpet laid out right beneath me." What was it? It was the algae in the ocean, this phosphorus light that is churned up with the ocean. And he says, "I can't even tell what my altitude was. I know I'm running out of fuel. When the carrier goes through and those big propellers stir up the water and that algae begins to glow with a phosphorus green light."

    He says, "I never would have seen that if the lights were on. I never would have seen that unless my map light failed." And he says, "The lesson that he got from that was you never know what is going to transpire to get you home."

    And this is what it's like. The mystery of trying to figure out what's going to transpire to get you home. God's will. Sometimes it's not going to make all the sense to you, but God will lead us into his will.

    And my prayer this morning is that like Jim Lovell, that you and I would be able to close our eyes and trust God sometimes with what he's doing. Do you have a relationship with him? One of trust.

    And when we do, I want to tell you, God will supernaturally equip us. It's just after this that Zechariah begins to prophesy. The Bible says he's filled with the Holy Spirit and begins to prophesy. And all of that struggle comes to pass.

    And God wants to help you this morning. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment. Thank you for your patience this morning. I believe God's trying to speak to some people about his will.

    God's trying to reveal his will for your life. How often it goes against what we anticipated and what we expected. How often the will of God is so much greater than anything we could predict or understand.

    The will of God is for you to be saved, first of all. God is not willing that any man should perish, but that every man would come to the knowledge of salvation in Jesus Christ.

    God's will is not to send us to hell. And yet many people end up there because they never turn to Jesus in their desperation, in their sin, in their brokenness. Maybe you're here this morning and the first and greatest need of your life is to be forgiven.

    Maybe you came here this morning not planning, not planning to surrender your life to Jesus, but you find yourself here and he is speaking to you. The Spirit of God is convicting you of evil and wrong that you have worked in your life.

    The Bible says there's a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to destruction. And if you're here today, you say that you're not going to be forgiven. You're not going to be forgiven. You're not going to be forgiven.

    Pastor, I'm not living right. I'm living in sin. I've done things I'm ashamed of and I don't want to continue. There is a God in heaven who loves you and he proved it by sending his son Jesus to die for you.

    Before we leave this place, you have an opportunity. Cry out to God and ask him to forgive you and set you free. If you need that this morning, can I pray with you? Somebody here, God's speaking to you. Would you lift up your hands?

    Somebody here. God's dealing with your heart right now. He's knocking on the door of your heart. If anyone would open that door and let the Lord come in, become the Lord of your life. You receive Him as your Savior and your Lord.

    The Bible says you can be saved. Old things would pass away. Everything will become new. That happened in my life when I was 16 years old. God changed me and transformed me in a moment of time because I reached out to Him.

    I didn't even know if He was there or not. I said, "God, if you are there, I don't want to live like this. I don't want to continue like this. Please save me. I'm lost. I'm broken."

    Maybe that's you right now. And with an uplifted hand, you'd say, "Pastor, please pray for me. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. Before I leave this place, I want Jesus to set me free." Is that you? Quickly, would you lift up your hand?

    Somebody here. God's dealing with you. Unsaved or backslidden in your heart, maybe like a prodigal son. You're living in that far country. You're far away from the Lord, but you want to come home today.

    Today is the day of salvation. Don't wait for tomorrow. Would you lift up your hand? Unsaved or backslidden in your heart? Please don't miss this opportunity. Is there someone here? Anyone at all? Quickly, with an uplifted hand, you'd want to respond.

    Thank you. I want to speak to believers then. I want to speak to those of us who have made a commitment to Christ. We realize what He's done for us. He died on the cross so that we could be set free.

    And that now this life does not belong to us. We've been bought. We've been paid for. We've been purchased by the precious blood. And that means our lives do not belong to us.

    That means that our greatest purpose is to figure out what God wants us to do. What is your will for my life, Lord? And you might be surprised. God's will for you might be different than your will for you.

    God's will for you might be different than your parents' or your family's will. Might be different than any expectation. The will of God is something that we have to be open to in order to receive it.

    And if you're here this morning and this is something that's a concern of your heart, say, "Pastor, I want to speak to God. I want to believe God to show me His will. Reveal it to me."

    I want to ask you to come to this altar and pray. Could we stand up to our feet for just a moment? We're going to open this altar for prayer. If God's dealing with you, God's leading with you, you want to find God's will for your life. Would you come to this altar?

    We're going to pray together. Lord, lead me in your ways. Lead me in your truth. Lead me according to your word and your ways. I want you to show me, Lord, the will of God for my life, even when it goes against what some might expect.

    Lord, I'm trusting you to help me. Let's pray. Come on, let's let our voices be heard. By heaven this morning, let's cry out to the Lord for a few moments. Church, would you pray with me while these are here? Let's cry out to the Lord for a few moments.

    God, we come. Let's pray.

    This is a place of surrender. Pastor Mitchell, the founder of our fellowship, used to make a statement, and he said, "God will often not reveal His will to you until you are surrendered to it."

    The requirement to knowing God's will is, first of all, being surrendered to it. And I want to pray a prayer with you this morning, a prayer of surrender. Can we stand up to our feet together?

    We're going to lift up our hands. Thank God for the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth. They said, "No, his name is John, because that's what the angel told us."

    And I believe that there are some things that God is speaking to His people this morning. There are some specific actions that God is asking you to make, but it seems weird, it seems strange, it seems out of the ordinary.

    But through counsel of Scripture, through seeking the will of God, through seeking His peace that surpasses understanding, through godly counsel, God is able to lead you in the mystery of His will.

    And I just want to pray that we would have the heart to surrender to it. Let's lift up our hands together, and I want you to pray this prayer with me. Say, "God in heaven, I thank you that you are the Lord of my life. I give you all authority, power to make decisions. I release that into your hands.

    I give up control over my own life, and I recognize that your ways are higher than my ways. Your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. And I surrender completely freely to your will for my life.

    Give me wisdom and understanding, revelation of what you want me to do with the life that you've given me. I believe, Lord, that you are faithful to speak to me as I seek your will.

    And I give you glory this morning, in Jesus' name. Amen. Come on, let's give Him praise right now. God, we want to make one last statement this morning, and that is, that there is a sense of timing when it comes to the will of God.

    We don't always have forever. There are some chapters that God is trying to move on us with expediency. There is a time and a place for the will of God. Think of Zechariah. They didn't have the liberty.

    Let's just wait another six months to name the boy, because we're not too sure about this. No, they couldn't do that. They had to do it now. They had to make up their mind.

    And sometimes there are issues of our lives that if we delay, if we wait, if we say, "I need to pray another six months, I need to believe," sometimes the will of God passes by. Jesus, he's out there on the lake walking on the water, and it says he would have passed them by.

    Isn't that crazy? Until they called out to him. And I believe the will of God can be like that, that there is a sense of divine timing. So I want to charge you, church, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

    Stay in your word. Surround yourself with godly people that you trust that you can help. They can help you to discern the will of God for your life. And I believe that as each one of us is faithfully doing this, that the purpose of his church can go forward in the earth today.

    This is not about a single person. This is about the will of God playing out in all of our lives together, and God is able to use that for his kingdom, for his purpose. Amen.

    Amen. So grateful for all of you this morning. I'm believing God that there will be some powerful decisions made as a result of this truth revealed in our hearts today.

    We do want to encourage you. We're back this evening for another service. We open up the doors at 6 p.m. We can pray together. The service begins at 7 p.m. We've got another from heaven. Let's believe God to speak to us tonight. Amen.

    Let's close with the word of prayer, and we do appreciate each and every one of you this morning. Brother Steven, will you close us in prayer?

    Happy birthday for Mr. Andre back there. One, two, three, happy birthday!

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love, Pastor Adam Dragoon

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Adam Dragoon Adam Dragoon

When God Says, "SHUT UP!"

In this message, we explore the profound story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from Luke Chapter 1, a narrative that sets the stage for the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. This story is a powerful reminder of how God can intervene in our lives, even when we least expect it. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous and devout, yet they faced the deep personal struggle of…

When God Says, “SHUT UP!”

Luke 1:18-22

Sermon Summary

In this message, we explore the profound story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from Luke Chapter 1, a narrative that sets the stage for the miraculous birth of John the Baptist. This story is a powerful reminder of how God can intervene in our lives, even when we least expect it. Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous and devout, yet they faced the deep personal struggle of childlessness, a situation that often led to societal judgment and personal doubt. Despite their faithful service, they likely resigned themselves to a life without children until God intervened in a miraculous way.

Zechariah's encounter with the angel Gabriel in the temple is pivotal. It highlights the reality that no amount of religious devotion or service can prepare us for a direct encounter with God's presence. When faced with the angel's message, Zechariah's initial response was one of doubt, reflecting a common human tendency to question God's promises when they seem impossible. This doubt led to a period of enforced silence, a time for Zechariah to listen and reflect, ultimately preparing him to speak with faith and prophecy once his son, John, was born.

This narrative challenges us to consider our own responses to God's promises and interventions. It encourages us to embrace moments of silence and listening, allowing God to speak into our lives and prepare us for His purposes. As we enter the Christmas season, a time of miracles and reflection, we are reminded to be open to the unexpected ways God might work in our lives, just as He did with Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[41:57] - Opening Announcements
[46:45] - Building Fund and Support
[51:36] - Introduction to Zechariah and Elizabeth
[54:47] - When God Says, "Shut Up"
[56:40] - Zechariah's Role as a Priest
[01:00:43] - The Struggle of Childlessness
[01:03:02] - Divine Interruption by Gabriel
[01:04:24] - The Power of God's Presence
[01:06:55] - Zechariah's Doubt and God's Response
[01:09:21] - Embracing God's Promises
[01:11:41] - Silence as a Tool for Growth
[01:17:06] - Zechariah's Transformation
[01:24:34] - Zechariah's Prophecy
[01:26:57] - New Beginnings and Miracles

Key Takeaways

  • Faithful Service Amidst Struggles: Zechariah and Elizabeth's story teaches us that even the most devout can face deep personal struggles. Their faithfulness amidst childlessness challenges us to remain steadfast in our service to God, trusting His timing and purposes. [51:36]

  • The Power of God's Presence: Zechariah's encounter with the angel Gabriel underscores that no amount of religious routine can substitute for a genuine encounter with God's presence. This moment reminds us to be open to divine interruptions in our lives, which can transform our understanding and faith. [01:04:24]

  • Silence as a Tool for Growth: Zechariah's period of silence was not a punishment but a divine tool for growth. It allowed him to listen and prepare for the role God had for him. This teaches us the value of silence and listening in our spiritual journey, enabling us to hear God's voice more clearly. [01:11:41]

  • Embracing God's Promises: Despite knowing the scriptures, Zechariah initially doubted God's promise. This reflects our own struggles with faith when faced with seemingly impossible situations. We are encouraged to trust in God's promises, even when they defy our understanding. [01:09:21]

  • The Potential for New Beginnings: The birth of John the Baptist was a new beginning for Zechariah and Elizabeth, illustrating that God can bring about new life and purpose in our lives, regardless of our past or present circumstances. This encourages us to remain open to the new things God wants to do in and through us. [01:26:57]

Bible Reading

Luke 1:18-22 NLT - 18 Zechariah said to the angel, "How can I be sure this will happen? I'm an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years." 19 Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn't believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time." 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah to come out of the sanctuary, wondering why he was taking so long. 22 When he finally did come out, he couldn't speak to them. Then they realized from his gestures and his silence that he must have seen a vision in the sanctuary.

Observation Questions

  1. What was Zechariah's initial reaction to the angel Gabriel's message, and how did it reflect his faith at that moment? [01:08:45]

  2. How does the Bible describe Zechariah and Elizabeth's character and their service to God? [56:40]

  3. What was the societal perception of childlessness during Zechariah and Elizabeth's time, and how might it have affected them personally? [01:00:43]

  4. What significant change occurred in Zechariah's life after his encounter with the angel, and how did it prepare him for future events? [01:17:06]

Interpretation Questions

  1. Why might Zechariah have doubted the angel's message despite his knowledge of scripture and his role as a priest? [01:09:21]

  2. How does Zechariah's period of silence serve as a tool for spiritual growth, and what might this suggest about the role of silence in our own spiritual journeys? [01:11:41]

  3. In what ways does Zechariah's story illustrate the potential for new beginnings, and how does this relate to the broader narrative of the Christmas story? [01:26:57]

  4. How does the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth challenge our understanding of faithfulness and God's timing in our lives? [01:00:43]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a time when you doubted God's promises in your life. What steps can you take to strengthen your faith in seemingly impossible situations? [01:09:21]

  2. Zechariah's silence was a period of growth and preparation. How can you incorporate moments of silence and listening into your daily routine to better hear God's voice? [01:11:41]

  3. Consider the societal pressures or judgments you face. How can you remain steadfast in your faith and service to God despite these challenges? [01:00:43]

  4. Zechariah and Elizabeth's story is one of new beginnings. What new beginnings might God be preparing for you, and how can you remain open to them? [01:26:57]

  5. How can you create space in your life for divine interruptions, allowing God to transform your understanding and faith? [01:04:24]

  6. In what ways can you actively embrace and trust in God's promises, even when they defy your understanding or expectations? [01:09:21]

  7. Identify an area in your life where you need to be more open to God's timing and purposes. What practical steps can you take to align your actions with this trust? [01:00:43]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love, Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Joyful Self-Forgetfulness [Philippians 4:6-8]

This message focused on the theme of joyful self-forgetfulness, a concept that encourages us to shift our focus from ourselves to God and others. As we approach Thanksgiving, it's a timely reminder to cultivate gratitude and humility. We explored the idea that true peace and joy are found not in self-awareness but in self-forgetfulness, where we think less of ourselves and more of God and His work in our lives. This shift in focus allows us to…

Joyful Self-Forgetfulness

Philippians 4:6-8

Sermon Summary

This message focused on the theme of joyful self-forgetfulness, a concept that encourages us to shift our focus from ourselves to God and others. As we approach Thanksgiving, it's a timely reminder to cultivate gratitude and humility. We explored the idea that true peace and joy are found not in self-awareness but in self-forgetfulness, where we think less of ourselves and more of God and His work in our lives. This shift in focus allows us to experience God's peace, which surpasses all understanding, guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

We delved into Philippians 4:6-8, which instructs us not to worry but to pray about everything, thanking God for what He has done. This practice leads to experiencing God's peace. We also discussed the importance of fixing our thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. By doing so, we align our minds with God's will and purpose, allowing His peace to reign in our lives.

The sermon emphasized that salvation involves dethroning ourselves as the center of our lives and allowing Jesus to take His rightful place. This transformation requires us to focus on Jesus, His teachings, and His example. By doing so, we become more like Him, reflecting His glory and living a life of service to others.

We were reminded that worship is not just about singing songs but about living a life that honors God. It's about making choices that reflect His values and priorities, even when no one is watching. As we enter this week of Thanksgiving, let's commit to putting Jesus at the center of our thoughts and actions, allowing His peace and joy to fill our lives.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Youtube Chapters

Key Takeaways

  • Joyful Self-Forgetfulness: True joy and peace come from thinking less of ourselves and more of God. By focusing on His work and presence, we find a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment. [56:59]

  • The Power of Gratitude: Philippians 4:6-8 teaches us to replace worry with prayer and gratitude. This practice leads to experiencing God's peace, which surpasses all understanding. [57:39]

  • Dethroning Self: Salvation involves removing ourselves from the center of our lives and allowing Jesus to take His rightful place. This transformation leads to a life of service and purpose. [59:17]

  • Worship as a Lifestyle: Worship is more than music; it's a way of life. By making choices that honor God, we align our lives with His will and experience His peace and joy. [01:37:48]

  • Focusing on Jesus: We cannot think about Jesus enough. By centering our thoughts on Him, we become more like Him and experience the peace and joy that come from a life lived in His presence. [01:11:24]

Bible Reading

  • Phl 4:6-8 NLT - 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

    Observation Questions

  • According to Philippians 4:6-8, what are the steps Paul outlines for experiencing God's peace? How does this relate to the concept of joyful self-forgetfulness discussed in the sermon? [56:59]

  • What does the sermon suggest is the relationship between gratitude and experiencing God's peace? [57:39]

  • How does the sermon describe the process of "dethroning self" and allowing Jesus to take His rightful place in our lives? [59:17]

  • What are some of the characteristics of thoughts that we are encouraged to fix our minds on according to Philippians 4:8? How does this align with the sermon’s message? [01:03:01]

    Interpretation Questions

  • How does the practice of prayer and gratitude, as described in Philippians 4:6-8, lead to a peace that surpasses understanding? What might this peace look like in a believer's life? [57:39]

  • The sermon emphasizes the importance of focusing on Jesus to experience transformation. How does this focus help in dethroning self and living a life of service? [01:00:59]

  • In what ways does the sermon suggest that worship is more than just singing songs? How can worship as a lifestyle impact our daily decisions and actions? [01:37:48]

  • How does the concept of joyful self-forgetfulness challenge the common cultural emphasis on self-awareness and self-promotion? [56:03]


    Application Questions

  • Reflect on your current prayer life. How can you incorporate more gratitude into your prayers this week to experience God's peace? [57:39]

  • Identify an area in your life where you might be placing yourself at the center. What steps can you take to allow Jesus to take His rightful place in that area? [59:17]

  • Consider the thoughts that occupy your mind daily. How can you intentionally fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, and praiseworthy this week? [01:03:01]

  • Worship is described as a lifestyle in the sermon. What specific choices can you make this week to honor God in your daily life, even when no one is watching? [01:37:48]

  • The sermon mentions the dangers of distraction. Is there a specific distraction in your life preventing you from focusing on Jesus that you want to change? How can you minimize that distraction this week? [01:14:15]

  • How can you practice joyful self-forgetfulness in your interactions with others this week? Identify one person you can serve or encourage without expecting anything in return. [01:19:46]

  • As we approach Thanksgiving, what are some practical ways you can express gratitude to God and others in your life? [54:08]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love, Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Willing Sacrifices: Lessons from Veteran's Day [Galatians 6:14-17]

A Connecticut National Guardsman prepares to hug a family member at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Windsor Locks, Conn., Jan. 22, 2022, after returning from a nearly yearlong deployment in the Horn of Africa.

Willing Sacrifices

Lessons from Veteran’s Day

Galatians 6:14-17

Summary

This message focuses on sacrifice, comparing the commitments of military personnel with those of followers of Christ. As we honor veterans, we acknowledge their sacrifices—personal freedom, time with family, and safety. These sacrifices parallel our spiritual journey. In Galatians 6, Paul mentions bearing the marks of Jesus, highlighting the willingness to endure hardship for the Gospel. This reminds us that following Christ requires sacrificing our desires and comforts for God's kingdom.

In Christ, we become new creations, similar to the transformation in military service, demanding a renewed mind and commitment to God's will. Just as military service requires sacrifices, our faith walk requires laying down our lives, plans, and comforts. Jesus set the ultimate example of sacrifice by giving His life, calling us to do the same in our pursuit of His kingdom.

Sacrifice comes with rewards; God honors our commitments. Like military service brings benefits, serving Christ yields eternal rewards. We are encouraged to persevere, confident that our sacrifices are meaningful and that God rewards those who seek Him.

Reflecting on these truths, let us be willing to make sacrifices, trusting in God's strength. Remember, sacrifices are inherent to following Jesus and show our commitment to Him. May we be inspired by our veterans and Christ's ultimate sacrifice to live sacrificially for God’s glory.

Watch/Listen

Message Study Guide

Key Takeaways

  • Sacrifice is a fundamental aspect of both military service and the Christian life. Just as soldiers give up personal freedoms and comforts, we are called to lay down our lives for Christ, embracing the transformation into new creations in Him. [45:53]

  • The marks of sacrifice, as seen in Paul's life, are a testament to our commitment to Christ. These marks, whether physical or spiritual, serve as evidence of our willingness to endure hardship for the sake of the Gospel. [01:02:50]

  • Following Christ requires a willingness to sacrifice personal relationships, comforts, and desires. Jesus calls us to prioritize His kingdom over earthly ties, reminding us that true discipleship involves bearing our cross daily. [57:42]

  • The sacrifices we make for Christ are not without reward. God is faithful to honor and reward those who diligently seek Him, and our sacrifices are seen and valued by Him. [01:17:11]

  • Just as military service comes with benefits and honors, serving Christ comes with eternal rewards. Our willingness to sacrifice is part of the package of following Jesus, and it is a testament to our commitment to Him. [01:18:59]

Youtube Chapters

Bible Reading

  • Galatians 6:14-17 NKJV - 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. 16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy [be] upon them, and upon the Israel of God. 17 From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

  • Luke 14:26-27 NKJV - 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

  • John 15:13 NKJV - 13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Observation Questions

  1. In Galatians 6:14-17, what does Paul mean when he says he bears the marks of Jesus on his body? How does this relate to the concept of sacrifice? [42:12]

  2. According to the sermon, what are some specific sacrifices that military personnel make, and how do these compare to the sacrifices Christians are called to make? [49:54]

  3. What does Jesus mean in Luke 14:26-27 when He talks about hating one's family and bearing one's cross? How does this relate to the idea of sacrifice in the Christian life? [57:42]

  4. How does the sermon describe the transformation that occurs when one becomes a new creation in Christ, and how is this similar to the transformation experienced by military personnel? [45:53]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How does Paul's willingness to endure physical marks for the sake of the Gospel challenge modern Christians in their understanding of sacrifice? [01:02:50]

  2. What might be the spiritual significance of the sacrifices Jesus calls His followers to make, as described in Luke 14:26-27? How do these sacrifices reflect one's commitment to Christ? [57:42]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the sacrifices made for Christ are rewarded, and how does this compare to the rewards and honors given to military personnel? [01:17:11]

  4. How does the concept of being a new creation in Christ require a renewal of the mind, and what are some practical ways this renewal can manifest in a believer's life? [45:53]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on a personal sacrifice you have made for your faith. How did it impact your spiritual journey, and what did you learn from it? [01:20:11]

  2. Consider the relationships in your life. Are there any that might be hindering your walk with Christ? How can you prioritize your commitment to His kingdom over these earthly ties? [58:52]

  3. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel God is calling you to sacrifice. What steps can you take this week to begin making that sacrifice? [01:14:12]

  4. How can the example of military personnel inspire you to embrace the sacrifices required in your spiritual journey? What practical actions can you take to demonstrate this commitment? [49:54]

  5. Reflect on the rewards and honors that come with serving Christ. How does the promise of eternal rewards motivate you to endure hardships and sacrifices in your faith journey? [01:18:59]

  6. Think about a time when you felt uncomfortable or challenged in your faith. How did you respond, and what might you do differently in the future to embrace these moments as opportunities for growth? [01:03:56]

  7. How can you support others in your community who are making sacrifices for their faith? What specific actions can you take to encourage and uplift them this week? [01:24:53]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Ministry of Reconciliation [2 Corinthians 5:17-20] | VBPH Sermon Summary & Study Guide

The Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

Summary

In this Sunday morning service, we explored the concept of reconciliation, both with God and others. We acknowledged the divisive times and the strain on relationships. The message emphasized the need to embrace the ministry of reconciliation, as outlined in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20. This passage reminds us of our transformation in Christ, making us new creations. This transformation will necessarily reflect in our interactions with others.

Reconciliation is a practical call to action. It requires letting go of past grievances and recognizing the inherent worth of every individual. This contrasts with the world’s approach, which often treats relationships as disposable. We are called to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who persecute us, as Jesus did.

The message also highlighted that reconciliation begins with God. He initiated salvation, offering grace and mercy even when undeserving. This divine reconciliation inspires us to seek reconciliation in our human relationships. We are called to be ambassadors of reconciliation, modeling forgiveness and healing.

As we reflect, we are challenged to examine our lives for relationships that need reconciliation. We must release bitterness and unforgiveness to God, trusting Him for justice and healing. This fulfills our role as ministers of reconciliation, embodying Christ’s love and grace in our interactions.

Watch/Listen

Key Takeaways

  • Reconciliation is a divine mandate, calling us to let go of temporary grievances and embrace a new way of thinking that values every person as made in God's image. This requires a radical shift from the world's disposable view of relationships. [20:50]

  • In Christ, we are new creations, and this transformation should be evident in our lives. Old ways of living, including bitterness and unforgiveness, must pass away, making room for new, Christ-like behaviors. [26:35]

  • Jesus exemplified the ultimate act of reconciliation by praying for His enemies even as He was crucified. This challenges us to love and pray for those who have wronged us, trusting God to bring justice. [46:47]

  • God initiated reconciliation with humanity through Christ, offering grace and mercy even when we were undeserving. This divine act should inspire us to seek reconciliation in our human relationships. [53:05]

  • As ambassadors of reconciliation, we are called to model forgiveness and healing in a broken world. This requires us to be proactive in mending strained relationships, trusting God to guide us in this ministry. [57:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[14:22] - Introduction to Reconciliation
[16:22] - Temporary Problems, Permanent Solutions
[17:41] - Hope in Divisive Times
[19:23] - Real-Life Examples of Division
[20:50] - The Call for Reconciliation
[22:23] - Understanding 2 Corinthians 5
[23:58] - The Model of Reconciliation
[26:35] - New Creations in Christ
[28:39] - Old Things Passed Away
[30:09] - Personal Testimony of Change
[32:14] - The Transformative Touch of Jesus
[33:18] - Baptism into New Life
[34:09] - The Cost of Following Christ
[37:40] - The Struggle with Bitterness
[39:13] - Disposable Relationships
[41:25] - A New Way of Thinking
[42:14] - The Value of Every Person
[43:42] - Loving Our Enemies
[46:47] - Jesus' Example of Forgiveness
[49:10] - The Universality of Christ's Sacrifice
[51:00] - The Devil's Division
[51:59] - Salvation by Grace
[53:05] - God's Initiative in Reconciliation
[55:39] - The Gift of Salvation
[57:32] - Our Ministry of Reconciliation
[58:43] - The Challenge of Forgiveness
[01:00:00] - The Block of Bitterness
[01:01:06] - Vertical and Horizontal Reconciliation
[01:02:48] - The Call to Action
[01:04:10] - Invitation to Salvation
[01:05:57] - Prayer for Reconciliation
[01:07:49] - Altar Call and Prayer
[01:09:19] - Communion and Closing Remarks

Message Study Guide

Bible Reading:

2 Corinthians 5:17-20


Observation Questions

  1. According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, what does it mean to be a "new creation" in Christ? How does this transformation manifest in a believer's life?

  2. In the sermon, the pastor mentioned that reconciliation is a divine mandate. What examples were given to illustrate the world's disposable view of relationships? [39:13]

  3. How did Jesus exemplify the ultimate act of reconciliation, as discussed in the sermon? What was His response to His executioners? [46:47]

  4. What role does God play in the process of reconciliation, according to the sermon and 2 Corinthians 5:18-19? [53:05]

Interpretation Questions

  1. The sermon emphasized that reconciliation requires a radical shift from the world's view of relationships. How might this shift challenge a believer's current way of thinking and interacting with others? [41:25]

  2. Reflecting on Jesus' prayer for His enemies, what does this teach about the nature of forgiveness and love in the context of reconciliation? [46:47

  3. The pastor mentioned that God initiated reconciliation with humanity. How does understanding this divine initiative impact a believer's approach to seeking reconciliation in their own relationships? [53:05]

  4. In what ways does being an "ambassador for Christ" involve the ministry of reconciliation, and how can this be practically applied in daily life? [57:32]

Application Questions

  1. Are there any relationships in your life where you need to seek reconciliation? What steps can you take this week to initiate that process? [01:02:48]

  2. The sermon challenged us to let go of bitterness and unforgiveness. Is there a specific person or situation you need to release to God? How can you begin to do that today? [01:00:00]

  3. Jesus prayed for His enemies even in His suffering. Is there someone you find difficult to pray for? What might be a simple prayer you can start with to begin this process? [46:47]

  4. The pastor spoke about the importance of viewing every person as made in God's image. How can this perspective change the way you interact with people you disagree with or find challenging? [42:14]

  5. As an ambassador of reconciliation, what is one practical way you can model forgiveness and healing in your community or workplace this week? [57:32]

  6. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's grace and mercy. How can this memory inspire you to extend grace to others, especially those who have wronged you? [53:05]

  7. The sermon mentioned the importance of not solving temporary problems with permanent solutions. Can you identify a situation where you might be tempted to do this? How can you approach it differently? [16:22]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The Ministry of Refreshment [2 Timothy 1:16-18] | VBPH Sermon Summary & Study Guide

The Ministry of Refreshment

2 Timothy 1:16-18

Summary

In Sunday’s gathering, we explored the profound ministry of refreshment, drawing inspiration from the life of the Apostle Paul and his relationship with Onesiphorus. Paul, despite his immense spiritual stature and accomplishments, experienced times of deep need and hardship. He faced numerous trials, including physical beatings, shipwrecks, and imprisonment. Yet, in these moments of vulnerability, Onesiphorus emerged as a beacon of support, often refreshing Paul and not being ashamed of his chains. This narrative serves as a potent reminder that even the most spiritually mature among us require refreshment and encouragement from others.

The essence of the message is that we are all called to be like Onesiphorus, to be refreshers in the lives of those around us. This ministry of refreshment is not limited to grand gestures but can be as simple as offering a kind word, a listening ear, or a helping hand. It is about being present and supportive, especially when others are in their most challenging times. The act of refreshing others aligns us with the heart of Christ, who invites all who are weary to come to Him for rest.

Watch/Listen

“The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; ... he sought me out very zealously and found me.”
— Apostle Paul [2 Tim 1]

Furthermore, the sermon emphasized the importance of community and connection within the church. In a world where isolation is common, the church is called to be a place of refuge and support, where believers actively seek out and uplift one another. This is not just a duty but a privilege, as it allows us to participate in the divine work of bringing comfort and encouragement to those in need.

Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[06:17] - Announcements and Upcoming Events
[08:57] - The Principle of Generosity
[10:20] - Overcoming Fear with Faith
[14:11] - Introduction to 2 Timothy 1
[19:19] - The Need for Refreshment
[23:22] - Paul's Trials and Hardships
[26:31] - Onesiphorus: A Model of Refreshment
[30:39] - The Importance of Community
[35:28] - The Power of Encouragement
[39:56] - Using Our Tongue for Good
[45:34] - Seeking Out Those in Need
[47:15] - Aligning with Christ's Mission
[52:12] - The Good News of Salvation
[59:52] - Prayer for Refreshment and Blessing

Key Takeaways

  1. The Ministry of Refreshment: Just as Onesiphorus refreshed Paul, we are called to be sources of encouragement and support to those around us. This ministry is vital, especially in times of spiritual dryness and hardship, and it reflects the heart of Christ, who offers rest to the weary. [19:19]

  2. The Power of Community: Isolation can lead to spiritual dryness, but being part of a supportive community can provide the refreshment we need. The church should be a place where believers actively seek to uplift and encourage one another, fulfilling the law of Christ by bearing each other's burdens. [20:14]

  3. Overcoming Fear with Generosity: Fear often holds us back from being generous, but the Bible teaches that true richness comes from a generous spirit. By trusting God and giving freely, we align ourselves with His principles and open the door to His blessings. [10:20]

  4. The Role of Encouragement: Encouragement is a powerful tool that can transform lives. By speaking life and blessing into others, we can become a source of refreshment and strength, helping others to overcome their challenges and grow in their faith. [39:56]

  5. Aligning with Christ's Mission: When we engage in the ministry of refreshment, we align ourselves with the mission of Christ, who came to seek and save the lost. This calling invites us to be proactive in seeking out those in need and offering them the love and support of Christ. [47:15]

Message Study Guide

Bible Reading:

  • [2 Tim 1:16-18 NLT] 16 May the Lord show special kindness to Onesiphorus and all his family because he often visited and encouraged me. He was never ashamed of me because I was in chains. 17 When he came to Rome, he searched everywhere until he found me. 18 May the Lord show him special kindness on the day of Christ's return. And you know very well how helpful he was in Ephesus.

  • [Mat 11:28 NLT] 28 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

  • [Gal 6:2 NLT] 2 Share each other's burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Observation Questions:

  1. What specific actions did Onesiphorus take to refresh Paul, according to 2 Timothy 1:16-18? How did these actions impact Paul during his time of need? [20:14]

  2. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the concept of "spiritual dryness" and the need for refreshment? [18:26]

  3. How does the sermon describe the role of community in providing refreshment and support to believers? [20:14]

  4. What does the pastor say about the challenges of living a life of faith, even for someone as spiritually mature as the Apostle Paul? [24:33]

Interpretation Questions:

  1. How does the example of Onesiphorus challenge the common perception of what it means to serve others in the church? What does this suggest about the nature of true Christian service? [27:20]

  2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that fear can hinder generosity, and how does this relate to the broader theme of refreshment? [10:20]

  3. How does the pastor connect the ministry of refreshment to the mission of Christ, and what implications does this have for believers today? [47:15]

  4. What does the sermon imply about the importance of seeking out those in need, and how does this align with the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 11:28? [44:58]

Application Questions:

  1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually dry or in need of refreshment. How did you find support, and what role did others play in that process? [18:26]

  2. Consider the people in your life who might be in need of refreshment. What practical steps can you take this week to be a source of encouragement and support for them? [28:01]

  3. The sermon highlights the power of community in overcoming isolation. How can you actively contribute to building a supportive community within your church or small group? [20:14]

  4. Fear often holds us back from being generous. Identify a specific area in your life where fear has hindered your generosity. What steps can you take to overcome this fear and trust God more fully? [10:20]

  5. Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul's chains. Are there people in your life who are going through difficult times that you might be hesitant to support? How can you overcome this hesitation and offer them the refreshment they need? [42:08]

  6. The pastor mentioned the importance of using our words to speak life and blessing. Think of someone who could benefit from your encouragement. What specific words or actions can you offer them this week? [39:56]

  7. How can you align your actions with Christ's mission of seeking and saving the lost, particularly in the context of being a refresher to those around you? [47:15]

 

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 Did you benefit from this message? Support our ministry with a generous donation: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://give.vbph.church⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Discipleship in the Digital Age | Sermon Summary & Study Guide

Summary

Livestream Replay

This Sunday, we explored the profound impact of technology on our spiritual lives and how we can navigate this digital age as disciples of Jesus. We began by acknowledging the rapid technological advancements that have transformed our world, drawing parallels to historical innovations like the printing press, which revolutionized access to the Word of God. While technology itself is not inherently evil, it requires wisdom and discernment to ensure it does not replace our connection with God or become an idol in our lives.

We delved into the concept of discipleship in a digital age, emphasizing the importance of abiding in God's Word. Jesus calls us to make His teachings our home, our place of comfort and truth. In a world saturated with digital content, we must be intentional about where we direct our attention and how we spend our time. The truth of God's Word is absolute, and it is through knowing this truth that we find freedom.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. ‘”
— John 8:31-32,36

Message Inspiration came from Chandler Bible Conference

Podcast Version

We also discussed the dangers of allowing technology to create a false sense of connection and community. While digital platforms offer numerous ways to connect, they can never replace the depth and authenticity of face-to-face relationships. True discipleship involves impartation, a life-to-life transfer of spiritual gifts and wisdom, which cannot be fully realized through digital means alone.

As we navigate this digital age, we must develop habits of wisdom, such as setting boundaries on our screen time, being mindful of the content we consume, and prioritizing real-life interactions. We are called to reject the dehumanization that technology can bring and to remember that we are not just products of algorithms but human beings created in the image of God.

Ultimately, our goal is to be disciples who are free in Christ, not bound by the distractions and deceptions of the digital world. By abiding in His Word and living out our faith in tangible ways, we can be effective witnesses for His kingdom in this generation.

Youtube Chapters

Key Takeaways

  1. Abiding in God's Word: To be true disciples, we must make our home in the teachings of Jesus, finding comfort and truth in His Word. This requires intentionality in a world filled with digital distractions. [47:46]

  2. The Reality of Truth: Jesus teaches that there is absolute truth found in His Word, and it is this truth that sets us free. In a culture of moral relativism, we must hold fast to the truth of the Gospel. [01:01:51]

  3. The Dangers of Digital Connection: While technology offers many ways to connect, it can never replace the depth of real-life relationships. True discipleship involves life-to-life impartation, which cannot be fully realized through digital means. [01:23:00]

  4. Developing Habits of Wisdom: We must be intentional about how we use technology, setting boundaries and prioritizing real-life interactions. Our time is valuable, and we should use it to glorify God and build His kingdom. [01:09:31]

  5. Rejecting Dehumanization: We are not just products of algorithms; we are human beings created in God's image. We must resist the temptation to let technology define us and instead live out our faith authentically. [01:13:41]

Message Study Guide

Observation Questions

  1. What does Jesus mean when He says, "If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed"? How does this relate to the concept of discipleship in a digital age? [47:46]

  2. In the sermon, what historical technological advancement is compared to the impact of modern technology on our spiritual lives? [49:04]

  3. How does the sermon describe the potential dangers of digital connections compared to face-to-face relationships? [01:15:52]

  4. What are some examples given in the sermon of how technology can become an idol in our lives? [01:30:39]

Interpretation Questions

  1. How might the concept of "abiding in God's Word" challenge the way individuals consume digital content today? [47:46]

  2. The sermon mentions the importance of setting boundaries on screen time. What might be the spiritual implications of failing to do so? [01:09:31]

  3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that technology can create a false sense of community, and how does this impact true discipleship? [01:15:52]

  4. How does the sermon interpret the idea of being "free indeed" in the context of the digital age? [01:26:36]

Application Questions

  1. Reflect on your current habits with technology. Are there specific areas where you feel technology is distracting you from your relationship with God? What steps can you take to address this? [01:07:12]

  2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of real-life interactions. How can you prioritize face-to-face relationships in your daily life, especially in a world dominated by digital communication? [01:15:52]

  3. Consider the content you consume online. How can you be more intentional about ensuring it aligns with the truth of God's Word? [01:01:51]

  4. The sermon discusses the idea of technology becoming an idol. Are there specific technologies or platforms that you find yourself overly reliant on? How can you begin to shift your focus back to God? [01:30:39]

  5. How can you develop habits of wisdom in your use of technology, such as setting boundaries or being mindful of your screen time? What practical steps can you take this week? [01:09:31]

  6. Think about a time when you felt disconnected from others despite being "connected" digitally. How can you foster deeper, more authentic relationships in your community? [01:15:52]

  7. The sermon calls us to reject dehumanization by technology. What are some ways you can remind yourself and others that we are created in God's image, not just products of algorithms? [01:13:41]

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for Prayer Prompts and Daily Devotionals based on this message over the next five days.

 

In Love,

Pastor Adam Dragoon

 

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Church is a Team Sport

The church is not merely a collection of individuals but a cohesive body that thrives on cooperation and mutual support. Just as a sports team or a choir requires each member to play their part harmoniously, the church needs every believer to contribute their unique gifts and talents for the common good. Division, whether caused by foolish disputes, racism, politics, or pride, is demonic and counterproductive to the mission of the church. Paul’s instruction to reject a divisive person after the first and second admonition underscores the seriousness of maintaining unity.

We explored the metaphor of the church as a team, an army, and a temple. Each metaphor highlights the necessity of working together under a common purpose and authority. Just as a team cannot win if its members are divided, and an army cannot succeed if its soldiers do not follow orders, the church cannot fulfill its mission if it is fractured by internal strife. The unity within the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—serves as the ultimate model for the church, providing a strong theological basis for our call to unity. This divine unity should be reflected in our relationships with one another, fostering an environment where the Spirit of God can dwell and work powerfully.

The Apostle Paul’s transformation from Saul, a persecutor of Christians, to a beloved church member exemplifies the power of reconciliation and unity. His story reminds us that our vertical relationship with God must translate into horizontal relationships with others. The church is called to be a living example of heaven on earth, where diversity is celebrated and unity is paramount.

In closing, we were challenged to embrace a spirit of humility and unity, to avoid foolish disputes, and most importantly, to actively seek ways to contribute to the body of Christ. By doing so, we can become a powerful, harmonious force that reflects the glory of God and advances His kingdom on earth.

Key Takeaways

1. **Unity in Diversity**: The church, like a choir, thrives on the harmonious blending of diverse gifts and talents. Each member's unique abilities contribute to a powerful collective impact that surpasses individual efforts. This unity in diversity reflects the nature of God's creation and His design for the church. [01:08:01]

2. **Rejecting Division**: Paul’s instruction to reject a divisive person after the first and second admonition highlights the seriousness of maintaining unity. Division is demonic and counterproductive to the church's mission. It is better to have fewer people united in purpose than a large, divided congregation. [01:03:19]

3. **The Church as a Team and Army**: The metaphors of the church as a team and an army emphasize the importance of working together under a common purpose and authority. Just as a team cannot win if its members are divided, and an army cannot succeed if its soldiers do not follow orders, the church cannot fulfill its mission if it is fractured by internal strife. [01:31:43]

4. **The Power of Reconciliation**: The transformation of Saul to Paul exemplifies the power of reconciliation and unity. Our vertical relationship with God must translate into horizontal relationships with others. The church is called to be a living example of heaven on earth, where diversity is celebrated, and unity is paramount. [01:27:20]

5. **Living Stones in God’s Temple**: The church is described as a temple built with living stones, each uniquely shaped and placed by God. This imagery underscores the importance of each member's role and the masterful way God fits us together to create a dwelling place for His Spirit. Our unity allows God's presence to manifest powerfully among us. [01:34:12]

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Conquering Chaos: Finding Peace in the Storms of Life

Watch it Here:

YouTube Chapters

1. [0:00] - Welcome
2. [09:02] - Announcements
3. [12:16] - Outreach Report
4. [13:50] - Offering and Generosity
5. [16:44] - Bible Reading Plan
6. [17:43] - Structure and Boundaries
7. [21:33] - Conquering Chaos
8. [24:38] - Jesus Calls Us into Chaos
9. [30:49] - Feeling Out of Control
10. [32:30] - Stepping Out in Faith
11. [36:59] - Jesus as Our Advocate
12. [40:13] - Challenges in Chaos
13. [48:25] - Limitations of Human Ingenuity
14. [56:47] - Faith Overcomes Fear
15. [01:00:29] - Invitation to Salvation
16. [01:06:16] - Altar Call and Prayer
17. [01:11:25] - Communion
18. [01:15:06] - Final Charge and Dismissal

Summary

The importance of structure and boundaries in parenting was acknowledged, drawing parallels to how God provides order in our lives. Without structure, chaos ensues, and this is true not only for children but for all of us. The story of Jesus walking on water from Matthew 14 was explored, illustrating how Jesus calls us into chaotic situations to test and grow our faith.

Jesus sent His disciples into a stormy sea, a place of chaos and fear, to teach them reliance on Him. This act mirrors God's call to us to step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown, trusting Him to guide us. The sea, often a biblical symbol of chaos, represents the unpredictable and uncontrollable aspects of life. Yet, Jesus walks on this chaos, demonstrating His power over it.

Human ingenuity and our own "boats" of understanding are insufficient to navigate life's storms. True peace and safety come from stepping out in faith, as Peter did when he walked on water. However, Peter's momentary doubt and subsequent sinking remind us that our focus must remain on Jesus, not on the surrounding chaos.

Jesus' actions show that He is always interceding for us, even when He seems distant. His call to step out in faith is a call to experience His supernatural power. The story concludes with Jesus calming the storm, reinforcing that He is the ultimate source of peace and order.

As we face our own chaotic situations, we are encouraged to trust in Jesus, step out of our boats, and keep our eyes fixed on Him. This faith journey is not without its challenges, but it is through these trials that we experience God's miraculous power and grow closer to Him.


Key Takeaways

  1. Structure and Boundaries in Life: Just as children need structure and boundaries to thrive, we too need God's order in our lives. Without it, chaos reigns. God provides us with guidelines and limits not to restrict us but to help us grow and flourish.

  2. Jesus Calls Us into Chaos: Jesus intentionally sends us into chaotic situations to test and strengthen our faith. Like the disciples on the stormy sea, we are often called to step out of our comfort zones and trust in God's guidance, even when it seems risky.

  3. Human Ingenuity is Limited: Our own understanding and abilities can only take us so far. In the face of life's storms, our "boats" of human ingenuity are insufficient. True safety and peace come from stepping out in faith and relying on Jesus.

  4. Faith Overcomes Fear: Peter's experience of walking on water teaches us that faith can enable us to conquer chaos. However, when we take our eyes off Jesus and focus on our problems, we begin to sink. Keeping our focus on Him is crucial.

  5. Jesus is Our Advocate: Even when Jesus seems distant, He is interceding for us. He is our advocate before the Father, praying for our strength and guidance. This assurance should encourage us to step out in faith, knowing that He is always with us.

Conclusion

Facing chaos is an inevitable part of life, but with faith and trust in Jesus, we can navigate through it. By stepping out of our comfort zones and keeping our eyes fixed on Him, we can experience His peace and order amidst the storms.

  • And I'm grateful that in our Bible reading plan, if you don't know, we do have a churchwide Bible reading plan. And in the last couple of weeks, we have finally made the switch into the New Testament. If you want to know how long it takes to read the Old Testament, it's about two-thirds of the year. So we made it through the Old Testament, and in our Bible reading plan, we finally arrived into the book of Matthew, and it's always a refreshing experience to get into the story of the Gospels after being in the Old Testament and reading the prophets and the law.



    And so we find ourselves in the book of Matthew. God, it's really inspired me about this message this morning. I pray it's a blessing to you.



    How many here are parents? Let me see your hands. You're parents, you have children. How many understand this morning that raising and training children requires structure and boundaries? If you've ever tried to remove structure or boundaries or failed to set proper structure and boundaries, what happens as a result? Chaos. You said it. The word is chaos. Chaos.



    When children are not given structure and boundaries, they have chaos. And can I tell you, this is necessary for parenting. Actually, children will appreciate when they know what the limits are. They operate best when they know what time is bedtime, what time is time to get ready for bedtime, what time is time to brush your teeth, what time... when they know when properly set expectations.



    When they understand expectations and boundaries, it actually helps them. Do you know why? Because children were not made to make decisions. They don't have the experience. They don't have the knowledge. They don't have the wisdom yet. Especially small children, what we're trying to do is in the time that they are incapable of making decisions, we, as parents, have to make decisions for them.



    Everybody know what I'm talking about? And so when you go to your four-year-old, and you say to him, I have a great problem. To them, what do you want for dinner tonight? You have made a grave mistake. It's going to be 30 minutes of trying to figure out what to eat. Instead, if you want to give them a choice, you should say, okay, we have pizza or we have chicken nuggets. Which one would you like? Now, that's a decision they can make. I would choose pizza if that was me.



    But you say this or that, and they think for a second, and we'll go with this. That's a decision that a child can handle. Don't give your child some open-ended, what do you want to do with your life, right? Children of four, five, six years old, they cannot handle decisions like that.



    This is why it's such a crime to, you know, to how people allow their children to make a decision on what kind of gender they want to be when they're four or five. They don't even know what to eat for dinner tonight. And so as parents, we are called to create limits and borders and boundaries for them. Otherwise, chaos will reign.



    Everybody say the word chaos. I believe that chaos is part of life. We're going to look at that in just a moment here, why it's an important part of life. Risk-taking sometimes. But chaos left uncontrolled is not good. The job of a good parent is to bring order.



    Parents are not prison wardens. They're not supposed to lock down every decision in the same way that God gives us the ability to make some decisions with our life while He retains the ability to be in control of all things. Is that true? Chaos is the natural state of the world. Sometimes that can be exciting or adventurous. But we realize that we cannot build important things that last while we are in chaos.



    In other words, you can't build a business if you can't even keep a budget, right? You can't go on to greater things until you establish a foundation of order. And so while chaos, while risk-taking, while those risky behaviors can sometimes feel exhilarating, we can't remain there forever. There has to be a balance of chaos and order.



    And it is God, who as our heavenly Father, brings order into our chaos. And I want to preach a message out of the book of Matthew, chapter 14. If you join me there, this is the famous story of Jesus walking on the water, calling His disciples out on the Sea of Galilee. And we're going to find a very powerful illustration of conquering chaos. That's the name of my message this morning, conquering chaos.



    Let's read together. Matthew, chapter 14, beginning with verse 22.



    Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake. While He sent the people home, after sending them home, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray. Night fell while He was there alone.



    Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble, far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning, well, that's not a good time to be on the sea. About three o'clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water.



    When the disciples saw Him walking on the water, they were terrified, and in their fear, they cried out, it's a ghost. Jesus spoke to them, don't be afraid. Take courage, I am here. Then Peter called to Him, Lord, if it's really You, tell me to come to You, walking on the water.



    On the water, yes, come, Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. When he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. Save me, Lord, he shouted. And Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him.



    You have so little faith, Jesus said. Why did you doubt? And when they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. The disciples worshipped Him. You really are the Son of God, they exclaimed.



    Let's pray. Father, we come once again, thanking You, God, by the blood of Jesus, for Your grace, for Your mercy, for Your forgiveness. Thanking You, Lord, for the opportunity to gather in this house. May this message inspire, convict, draw people closer to You. Help us, Lord, to recognize the chaos of our lives. Lord, to understand You've called us to conquer, to overcome. I'm praying, God, give us faith to believe You for great things.



    In this place, we give You glory in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, this message is titled, Conquering Chaos.



    And I want to begin by looking at Jesus, how He called His followers into chaos. This is very interesting. It was Jesus' idea. It was He who told them to get into the boat and put them out into a dangerous place.



    I want to give you a test. I want to give you a test to start this message out. Are you ready? Pop quiz. See if you can finish this sentence without Googling. Are you ready? In the beginning, God... Whoa, pretty good, pretty good. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That's the very first line of the Bible, one of the most well-known sentences in the English language.



    And just following it is verse 2, which is fascinating. The Bible says this, the earth was without form and void. Void. Without form and void. The darkness was on the face of the deep. If you do a deep study into the Hebrew language here, you'll discover that the words that are used to speak, that were translated in English, without form and void, is a very interesting pair of words in Hebrew.



    And I'll quote them to you. It sounds like this. Tohu wabohu. They rhyme. Without form and void. Tohu wabohu. Tohu wabohu. And the idea here is much deeper than what we get in the English. It's not just that the earth was formless and empty. That's the wrong picture. When you study the Hebrew, you find that these words are used, especially the word tohu, is used in 20 other places in the Old Testament.



    And the idea is a wildness, a wilderness. It's a place that is... It's not just vast emptiness of space. It's describing a place of chaos. Imagine a jungle with no structures, with no path that maybe a helicopter drops you in the middle of a wild jungle. That's the idea of tohu wabohu. It was without form and it was void. It was without structure.



    And the idea added to that is that there is water involved. It said, the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And so these ideas of chaos, of wilderness, are joined together with the idea of water in the Bible, and especially seas or oceans.



    Now, here in modern-day America, in the West, when we think of water, we think of a vacation, right? We think of, oh, I'm going to go on the cruise or, uh, I'm going to go join the Navy so I can see the seven seas of the world, right? And it's a place of vacation and it's a desirable place where we want to be. We are seeking, right? The most valuable properties are what? Waterfront properties, right? We think of a vacation. We think of some tropical paradise where the sea and the horizon meet and you're sitting in a little chair on the beach.



    And that sounds relaxing to us. But from the biblical narrative, when we think as though we were one of the people writing the Bible or we were one of the original audience of God's Word, the idea of the sea was scary. It was frightening. It was a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    The ancient world thought about water and especially seas and the wild places of the world much differently than we did in the Bible. And so we think of the sea as a place of uncontrolled chaos. And so we think of the sea as a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    When they would think about the sea, they would think about people that they one day waved goodbye to as they went out onto the sea and never saw them again. That the sea was a place where people were consumed. The sea was a place of danger. The sea was a place not just to relax, but a place of great fear. It's a place the Bible describes of chaos. A place of wilderness, void, of structure, a place of chaos.



    And what's interesting about our scripture is that Jesus calls His disciples out onto the water. Now we have a beach here. We live in Virginia Beach. And if you've ever been, have you ever been out at the beach in the water? This has happened to me a couple of times. And you feel something brush your leg. And then you're like running back to the beach. I got to get out of here.



    I've had that happen. I don't know if it was a dolphin. I don't know if it was a fish. I don't know if it was a shark. I don't even want to know what it was because that's scary. It represents a place of the unknown. It's a place where we don't have control. It's a place where human beings are not supposed to be.



    In fact, they say the final frontier of our earth, the only place that is left unexplored are the depths of our ocean. It's just as foreign to us as the depths of the cosmos. There are so many creatures there that we don't even know about still. And it's a place of the unknown. It's a place of uncontrolled chaos.



    And what's interesting in our scripture is that Jesus tells them to get in their little rickety fishing boat and go out onto the sea at nighttime. Now that is crazy. We wouldn't even do that today with all of our modern technologies. But here they are. And Jesus says in verse 22, Jesus insisted that His disciples get into the boat and cross over to the other side of the lake.



    Now that would be one thing if He says, hey boys, let's go together. I'm coming with you. But in this case, He made the point to send them and He did not get in the boat. He says, you guys go out there. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray. I'm going up to the mountain to pray.



    We'll see y'all later. Have you ever felt, have you ever found yourself in a place of chaos? Have you ever felt out of control? Have you ever gotten yourself into a situation that you didn't know how to get out of? That's where the disciples have found themselves, in a place of chaos.



    And there are many times that the Lord will lead us into these places. He will ask you to take a risk, to do something. He will ask you to do something uncomfortable. To go out, to step foot into a new arena for His kingdom. This is how the life of faith began.



    Think of the father of our faith. His name was Abram. And at the ripe age of 70 plus years old, a man who has everything that the world says you need. He had wealth. He had family. He had culture. He had a job. He had possessions. He had a whole bunch of stuff. He's 70 years old. He's comfortable. He's in a culture where he knows, he understands.



    And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 12, verse 1, that the Lord spoke to Abram. And the Lord did not say, hey, Abram, everything's cool. Just chill. What did the Lord say? He said, get out of your country, from your family, from your father's house. Okay, God, no problem. Where are we going? He says, I'll show you when you get there. No plan. No map. No five-year progress map. No goal.



    He said, just step out by faith, Abram. Now that is similar to Jesus calling His disciples out to a dangerous sea. And that is so similar to many times in our lives. Jesus will speak to us and lead us to step out into chaotic or uncontrolled places.



    Acts chapter 1, verse 8, Jesus is leaving back to heaven. He's going to ascend to His Father and His last words to the church as He rises from the Mount of Olives. In Acts 1, verse 8, He says, you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem.



    Jerusalem is where they were, right? Mount of Olives is right next to Jerusalem. So you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, that place where you are. Then you'll be my witnesses in Judea. That's the larger area, the countryside. It is not just the city, but the whole surrounding region. Then He says in Samaria, you'll be my witnesses in Samaria.



    What's that? Samaria is the place where the Jews did not want to travel. In fact, they had a road connecting northern Judea with the northern part of Judea and they were to the southern part of Israel. Samaria was right in the middle, and it was the shortest distance to go through Samaria. But the Jews had a different road that went around instead of through because they didn't like Samaria. They didn't like those people.



    That's why the Samaritan woman, it was such a surprise that Jesus even spoke to her. That's why it was such a surprise when Jesus used the illustration of a good Samaritan who healed the man who fell among thieves. And Jesus said, you'll be my witnesses here where you are, Jerusalem, in Judea, the surrounding region and nation, and also Samaria, that place filled with people you don't like, places you don't want to go.



    And finally, Jesus said, you'll be my witnesses to the end of the earth, to places you never heard of, to cities and nations and countries and islands with people that you've never encountered, the ends of the earth. That, you know what that sounds like to me? A call into chaos.



    We've had the privilege, my wife and I, to be called as missionaries. We were in Bulgaria for four and a half years. Can I tell you that when Pastor Campbell came to me, and the opportunity had been explained to him, he approached us, and he said, have you ever heard of Bulgaria?



    And to be completely honest with you, I don't think I had ever heard that word uttered in the English language. I said, what's a Bulgaria? Where is that? And so, he says, well, there's an opportunity. It's a country, Eastern Europe, a former communist nation. There's a church there, and if you're willing to go, we'll be willing to support you.



    I had not one single fact in my brain about Bulgaria. And so, we were called upon to make a decision. That was a call out of our comfort zone, out of what was familiar. It was very similar. In my life, it was similar to God calling Abram, get out of your country, the place that's familiar to you. The place where you know how to pay bills.



    And going to a place you don't even know anything about. This is the missionary calling, isn't it? And while you may not have the same missionary calling, I do want to tell you, somewhere in your life, God is going to call you to an uncontrolled, chaotic, risky place. Maybe it's into a new job. Maybe it's into parenthood. Maybe it's into marriage. God will call you into a ministry that you never expected.



    There are many areas, there are many seas, many chaotic places, risky places that God will send us into. And many times, when we find ourselves there, we seem to be separated from Him. Verse 23 says, after sending them home, the other people, He said, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.



    So, Jesus is not bodily with us. He's not physically with us. He's not physically with them. He's not with them in a physical sense. But as Jesus goes to the hills, He begins to pray. I want to tell you, Jesus is still praying for you. If you find yourself in a chaotic situation this morning, don't suppose that you are completely left alone.



    Because we have an advocate with the Father. 1 John 2, verse 1 says, my little children, these things I write to you, so you may not sin. And if anyone sins, listen, we have an advocate. Say the word advocate. With the Father. Who is that? Jesus Christ, the righteous.



    You know, it's important in life to have a good Jewish lawyer. That's who Jesus is. He is our advocate before the Father. He stands on your behalf. If you are in His will, He will be praying for you. Listen, 1 Timothy 2, verse 5, there's one God and one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus.



    Jesus exists today. His present ministry between the time of the cross until the time He returns, His primary role, His primary mission, His primary ministry is to advocate on behalf of His church to the Father. He's praying for us. Hebrews 7, verse 24. But He, Jesus, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood.



    Therefore, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercessions for them. Jesus was praying for them, even though He wasn't in the boat. You know, that's just a picture of what it's been like for the church for the last 2,000 years. We don't see Him. We can't speak to Him, to His face. We can't, you know, give Him a handshake or a hug.



    But I want to tell you, just like these disciples in the boat on the waters of chaos, Jesus is up on the hill. He can't see them, but He's praying for them. Just remember that. In the moments of chaos, in the moments of difficulty, in the moments where you can't predict how your situation is going to end, there is a Savior. There's an advocate who's pleading on your behalf to the Father.



    And it's here in chaos, in the tohu wabohu places of our lives, where we find complications. Jesus will call us to adventure. He will call us into exciting things. And they hold great promise. It is true that there's no reward without a risk, right?



    This is why people don't start businesses. Because businesses are risky. It requires a large amount of investment and time and effort. And you're not guaranteed to be a success. So it's a lot easier to, you know, go find a corporate cubicle to do your work in, right? And you get benefits and 40 hours a week and a set schedule.



    And not many people want to go into business because it's risky. But if you are successful in it, there's a larger reward that is available. And it's the same with God. We could spend the rest of our lives being comfortable. Just receiving the blessing of God. Just going to church, have a good time, shake a few hands, say a few prayers.



    And we could get through our lives and make it to heaven like that. But I believe God calls us into riskier situations. That living for Jesus will, He will purposefully put you out on the lake sometimes. And in that place, there will be complications.



    Let's look at these complications. Number one, the disciples felt a period of darkness. It says that as, verse 23, after sending them home, He went up to the hills to pray and night fell while He was there alone. That also means that night fell on those poor disciples out there on the sea. They're rowing. They're trying to get across the lake.



    They're hours into this thing. And by the time, it was Jesus who sent them out there. Remember that? They didn't get sent out there at 6 a.m. It was in the evening. The day had already passed and He said, you guys need to go out there right now. He compelled them to do that. He ordered them to do that, even though it was the wrong time.



    And darkness fell in that chaotic place. You know, when we find ourselves in these risky steps for God, it is easy for us to lose our sight. When there's a lack of light, there's a lack of clarity. David described what this was like. Psalm 82, verse 5. They do not know, they do not understand. They walk about in darkness. The foundations of the earth are unstable.



    When you can't see in the darkness, you can't see in the darkness. When you can't see in the darkness, everything automatically gets more difficult. Is that true? So darkness falls on them. The second thing they find is that they're separated from safety. Matthew 14, verse 24. The disciples were in trouble, say in trouble, and they were far away from land.



    They were so far into this journey that even if they said, boys, we're in trouble, we got to go back. The journey back was even farther than the journey forward. They were in trouble. They were in trouble. They were in trouble. They were in trouble.



    Have you ever found yourself neck deep in a situation and you don't know how it's going to work out? Maybe financially. The bills with the red ink start showing up. You know what I'm saying? The phone calls from the bill collectors start blowing up your phone. We become separated from safety. What used to be comfortable now becomes difficult.



    And if that wasn't enough, then there was a storm. It says a strong wind had risen. And they were fighting heavy waves. This is what happens in chaotic places. When you take a risk, it's risky. And there's a chance that a storm could rise and that it might get harder before it gets better.



    And I want to tell you, people come to church on Sunday morning and we can put on a certain view to other people, but often we're in over our heads in many situations. Maybe in your marriage this morning, your family. There's a relationship that's strained. You don't know how to get out of it. You don't know how to handle it. You don't know how to make it better.



    Finances. We can get over our heads. Our children. Training children is hard, man. Teenagers can be difficult. Not my teenager, but other teenagers. Ministry. Hey, in the church, working with people can be hard. In your job, in your workplace, you know what? Customers, bosses, fellow workers.



    And you find yourself in conflicts and situations where like, is this ever going to get better? And the winds and the waves are beating against this boat. Remember, it was Jesus who told them to go out there. It was Jesus who said, you guys, at this time, when the sun is going down, when the storm is coming, I'm going to send you out there at this moment.



    And they are in the boat facing a storm. And it shows us that there are going to be inevitable challenges as we face a life with Jesus. We just got back from our missions trip a couple of weeks ago. Our missions team, we had eight of us. We went to St. Lucia. It's an island in the Caribbean. So that sounds pretty nice.



    And yeah, there are some nice things there. But you know, being a missionary, and if you were on the trip, you saw it. If being a missionary and actually living your life, you saw it. There's a lot of challenges related to that. There's a lot of things they've had to adjust their lifestyle. There's challenges.



    Yeah, it's exciting, right, to go to conference and to hear the announcement, going into St. Lucia. Heath and Renee Flitcroft, everybody, yeah, everybody cheers. It's exciting. A call out to the water. But then they get out there. And they've lived there for two and a half years. And there's a lot of complications.



    And now he's having to deal with the government officials to try to get a visa. And it's taken him six months. When we were there, he told me, yeah, they lost all of our paperwork. Have to do it all over again. Have to start from scratch. And in the meantime, they're threatening him. If you don't get this right, we have to send you out of the country.



    While he's trying to build a church, while he's trying to do something for God, right, while he's trying to keep his family, and there's real challenges that come by following Jesus. Now there's a temptation in the challenge, in the midst of the storm. And that is that we rely on the boat alone.



    This is a great mistake. Now remember, it's 12 disciples, no Jesus. He's up on the hill praying for them. The only thing that's keeping them alive in this moment is their rickety little fishing boat. Now let me ask you something. Who built that boat? Some guy, right? They probably, somewhere a fisherman.



    It could have been Peter, Andrew. I don't know. They had some fishermen in the crew. Might have been their boat. We don't know for sure. But at the end of the day, this boat did not come down from a cloud from heaven. This boat was built by the hands of men.



    We know how to make boats. These guys know how to make a boat, how to maintain a boat. They know that, you know, you have to build it in a certain way. You have to have this kind of wood. You have to seal it up tight. You have to have some little holes where the oars will rest. You have to have a keel that goes down the center. You have to have some seats.



    We have been, as a species, as human beings, we have been making boats for thousands and thousands of years. They know how to make a boat. The problem is that in this situation, their boat is not good enough.



    Have you discovered the limitations of human ingenuity? See, when we get out on the, and when we find ourselves in the midst of chaos, the mistake is, it's gonna be okay. I know how to handle this. I've got my little fishing boat. You'll discover very quickly that your boat is not enough to save you.



    Your intelligence is not enough to get you through. Your education is not enough. Your human experience is not enough. Your human relationships are not enough. Your intelligence is not enough. Your human relationships are not enough. Your human ingenuity, your ideas, we will bump up against challenges that all of our preparation is not enough to get us to the other side of that lake.



    Because this storm was stronger than their boat. And if their trust was in that piece of wood, if their trust was in the maker of that piece of wood, then they would have drowned. I want to tell you, Jesus not only calls us out into the sea in a time of chaos, but there's going to be a time when He asks us to step out of that comfort.



    To step out of our own experience. To step out of our own wisdom. Our ingenuity is not enough. See, God made man in His image, but He made us with limitations. Even from the beginning, we had limitations. Adam and Eve, they were made in God's image. They were without sin. They lived in a perfect existence.



    And yet, God limited them. He said, of all the trees, Genesis 2, verse 16, you may freely eat from every tree in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He said, this is my tree. Don't touch my tree. Don't touch its fruit. And God said, this is the one limitation that you have as my created beings.



    And man could not even handle that limitation, right? They came up with the idea. It was inspired by the enemy. Eve was beguiled because what did he tell her? He said, oh, God's just trying to hurt us. He said, oh, God's just trying to hurt us. He said, oh, God's just trying to ruin your fun. He's holding back from you.



    And that one limitation. See, what we try to do is we try to get through our chaotic situations by leaning on our own understanding, by doing a few Google searches, by watching a few YouTube videos. Oh, I can make it. We buy a book from the self-help section. We even ask chat GPT these days, right? What does AI have to say?



    And you know, we can come up with some interesting answers. But at the end of the day, there are going to be some seas that are too powerful for your boat. Despite being skilled fishermen, they're overwhelmed by the storm. And this shows us that human ability is limited.



    If you are relying on your skill, on your wisdom, on your saving account, on your resources, if you're depending on these things, things that you can understand, then you're going to be able to do a lot of things. And if you're going to understand things that you have control over to navigate life's challenges, I want to tell you, you're going to reach a limit of how far they can carry you.



    That boat was able to get them into the problem, but not out of the problem. And this is the problem. Have you ever known somebody who thinks too much for their own good? People are pointing at themselves. Some people consider themselves too smart to believe in God.



    I often say those are the people who watch the show. I'm not saying they're not smart. I'm saying they're not smart. I'm saying they don't watch too much YouTube. They think too much because they think themselves into the problem, but they can't get out of the problem.



    Consider with me as we close the woman with the issue of blood in Luke chapter 8. Now, this woman has a desperate problem. It says, a woman having a flow of blood for 12 years. Think about what that would be like. She's got some kind of hemorrhage, female problems, and she's been bleeding for 12 years.



    Now, this is difficult in a Jewish culture where a woman who has that kind of a situation, she is considered by the culture to be unclean. That means she cannot have regular human interactions. She can't go worship at the temple. She can't be with her family. She is ostracized from society. She has to live outside the city for 12 years.



    Not only that, but the Bible says she spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed. She's went to every doctor, she's went to every healer, she's went to every place that took her money and failed to bring a satisfactory resolution to her problem.



    And this is where we find ourselves often. We've tried everything we knew to try. We did everything we were supposed to do. We did everything right. We did everything I thought I knew. But this woman, having spent all, being desperate, heard about Jesus.



    The Bible says she came from behind, touched the border of His garment, and immediately her flow of blood stopped. I want to tell you, where human ingenuity ends is where supernatural power begins. If we want to see the hand of God, we have to get out of the boat.



    Peter did not walk on water until he got out of the thing that he understood. And that's where we're going to look, finally, as we close, supernatural solutions. The answer doesn't always come the way that we expect. I love this scripture, verse 25.



    Three o'clock in the morning, they're all freaking out. Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. Now, aren't you glad Jesus came walking on the water? In another gospel account, it says that He would have passed them by. He was just out for a stroll. Hey, guys, good luck.



    But they cried out to Him, and He turned aside to them. Now, this was very frightening. It would be frightening to you, too, if you were out on the water, thinking you're about to die, and you see somebody walking on the waves. They were terrified. They thought He was a ghost.



    But He was the answer to their problem, wasn't He? Often, the answer that we want from God is terrifying at first. Wait, what do you want me to do? What offering do you want me to give? Wait, what place do you want me to go? Often, the answer to our prayers is so far away. Isn't that true?



    The kingdom of God is so opposite from our own understanding. Jesus says, if you want to live, you have to die. If you want to be first, you have to be last. This is the paradox of the kingdom. It's not an earthly kingdom. It's a heavenly kingdom, and it's opposite from our own thinking.



    It was terrifying. The second thing we see is that it required great faith. Verse 28, Peter called to Him, Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you walking on the water. This was not Jesus' idea. It was Peter's idea. He was so afraid and so desperate that he didn't want to die.



    He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die. He was so desperate, and so on the edge of himself, he thought, Lord, the only safe place is wherever you are, so help me to get to you. Man, Peter had a lot of flaws, but one thing he had right. He wanted to be with Jesus, even if it required getting out of his own understanding.



    Walking on the water represents to us stepping into the realm of the impossible through faith. It shows us that when we do step out in faith, trusting in the power of God, you can conquer chaos. You can walk on the thing which you think is about to destroy you.



    Let me ask you this evening, this morning, what boats have you been struggling to survive in? What water and what wind, what waves have been crashing against your life? Is Jesus calling you to a new level of conquering chaos?



    This morning, it requires faith. It's not easy, but I want to encourage you to step out of your boat and trust Him. See, Peter did this. He's the only human being, besides Jesus, to walk on water. He took a few steps, miraculous steps, but he started looking around. He saw the wind.



    The problem was he took his eyes off of Jesus. He was distracted by his problems again, he was distracted by the waves that were crashing, the wind that was blowing, and when he put his focus on the problems instead of on the Savior, he began to sink again.



    Now, he did cry out. He said, Lord, save me. And Jesus did save him, pulled him back out, but there was a rebuke. Man, it's like, Jesus, pretty hard on the guy, right? I mean, he has just stepped on the water. Nobody's ever done this except for you, Jesus. And Jesus still rebukes him.



    Why did you doubt? You were doing it, Peter. You were succeeding. You were conquering your chaos. But even as he began to fail, Jesus had a rebuke for him. Why did you doubt? Wow. Some expectations the Savior has for us. He expects us to conquer our chaos.



    It requires faith this morning. And I want to challenge each and every one of you. There's a chaotic place of your life. You're in a boat trying to figure it out yourself. But the boat's not good enough. I challenge you this morning to step out of the boat and trust Him.



    Because, here's why, walking on the waves with Jesus is safer than staying in the boat. Did you hear what I said? Walking on the waves with Jesus is safer than staying in the boat. The end of the story is that Jesus gets back into the boat with them. Immediately, the storm is calm.



    He exercised His power over nature. And the end of the story is they're all, okay, this guy really is the Son of God. And that's the point. At the end of the day, when Jesus helps us to conquer our chaos, the proper response is one of fear, admiration, and worship.



    Okay, Jesus, you are worthy of my whole life. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes as we bring this service to a close. And I'm grateful for your attention.



    This morning, as we look at this powerful scripture, this story, before we close this service, before we pray together here at this altar, we're going to come together to pray, and then we're going to be receiving the Lord's Supper together.



    But before we do that, I want to ask if someone has made their way into the service today, and the honest truth of your life at this moment is that you're not right with God. The Bible says we have all sinned. We've all fallen short of God's glory. There is nobody here who deserves heaven.



    In fact, what we do deserve is condemnation. We deserve the wrath of God. We have all sinned against Him, broken His laws. The bad news is that we are all sinners in His eyes. But there's also good news. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.



    And if you're here this morning, I want to give you some good news. If you're in sin, if you are consciously and knowingly disobeying the will of God, the Word of God, the laws of God, I want to give you some good news. There's a God in heaven who knows exactly who you are, knows exactly what you've done, knows exactly what you're going through, and He loves you.



    Say, how could God love somebody like me? Well, He made you, and He doesn't make junk. He made you, and He wants to save you from your sins, and He proved it by sending His Son, Jesus. If you want to know how much you are worth to God, you need to think about what Jesus did for you.



    Jesus was willing to give His life, shed His blood, His body to be broken on the cross. He was willing to do that because it was the only way to atone for your sins and mine, to ease and to put at peace, to put at rest the wrath and the anger of the Father. Jesus paid the price so that you and I don't have to.



    And the Bible says, if you are willing to turn from sin and trust in Jesus, that that sacrifice can be applied to your life. It's a decision that I made at about 16 years old. It's a young man finally understanding that my sin was leading me to death. If I didn't get right with God, all of my church experience would not save me.



    All of my Christian morality, all of my church attendance, all the scriptures I read, all of the religious activities of my life, you put them all together and add them up. It is not enough to save us. And I realized that at 16 that my sin was going to destroy me. And I said, God, I don't want to go to hell. I don't want to be separated from you forever. I said, save me. I'm lost. I'm broken.



    It requires humility. But if you're willing to do that, if you're willing to step out on the sea, humble yourself and trust in the Lord Jesus, the Bible says, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all our iniquities.



    And before we close this service today, I wonder if someone's here. I'm describing you. You're separated from God. Oh, but there's hope for you. He is not finished. You are here at this moment for a purpose. He's calling out to you. Will you respond?



    If that's someone here today, would you do something that takes a little courage for me? Would you just lift up your hand so I can see it? Say, Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God. I've been running from God. My sins are before me, and I feel the guilt and the weight of my sins. And I believe God wants to save me.



    Don't miss this opportunity. Someone here, unsaved or backslidden, prodigal, you're here today. You need Jesus. Can I see your hand? Would you lift it up right now? I want to pray with you. I don't want to embarrass you. We're not going to put you on the microphone, but you want to experience the salvation of the Lord Jesus. You want to not just know about it, but you want to know God.



    You don't want to have a relationship with Him personally. Is that you? Quickly, lift up your hand. Put it right back down so I can see it. Someone here, you need Jesus to save you. Don't miss this. Don't leave this place without knowing the Savior. Can I pray with you? Is there anyone at all? Quickly, right now, as God's speaking to hearts.



    Amen. Then we want to pray together, church. I preach a simple message about stepping out on the waves, about conquering chaos. Yes, it's Jesus who calls us into chaotic and difficult places. Places that are filled with complications and wind and waves and storms.



    We find ourselves up to our neck and not knowing what to do. Often, we are grasping on as tight as we can to the little rickety boat of human understanding. You know what the Bible says in Proverbs? It says, trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.



    That little boat of understanding, it can get you so far. It can get you into the lake, but it can't get you out. And there are some people here this morning, God's speaking to you to take a step of faith, take a step out of the boat into the presence of the Lord Jesus.



    See, miracles begin when human understanding ends. And we're going to open up this altar for prayer. If God's dealing with you about a situation in your life, would you come? Let's stand to our feet. We're going to pray together here at this altar. Would you come and present your chaotic situation?



    Lord, you brought me this far, but I can't continue unless you speak to me. Amen. This altar is open. Let's begin to pray. Let's find a place here. We can cry out to God together. Amen. Church, let's begin to lift up our needs to the Lord. He's the only one who can rescue. He's the only one who can redeem. He's the only one who can bring us all the way through.



    Would you come and present your need? Listen, Jesus, you are not alone. He is praying for you. He is advocating for you even at this very moment. So let's come. And let's cry out to the living God. If you're still in your seats, please be praying for these that have come. Let's lift up our needs. Let's believe God for a few moments.
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Adam Dragoon Adam Dragoon

If You're Not a Disciple, You're Not a Christian | VBPH SUNDAY MORNING

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Sermon Summary

Today, we gathered to worship and reflect on the true meaning of discipleship as taught by Jesus in Luke 14. This is a transformational and powerful message about what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.

Discipleship is not merely about being a follower in name but involves a deep, all-encompassing commitment to Jesus. Jesus' words in Luke 14 challenge us to reconsider our priorities and the cost of following Him. He uses strong language to emphasize that our commitment to Him must surpass all other relationships and possessions. This means being willing to forsake everything, even our own lives, to follow Him.

Jesus illustrated this with examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war, both of whom must count the cost before proceeding. Similarly, we must understand that following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. This is not a path of convenience or comfort but one that demands total commitment.

Moreover, Jesus likened discipleship to being the salt of the earth. Salt, in ancient times, was valuable for its preserving and healing properties. As disciples, we are called to be a preserving force in a broken world, maintaining righteousness and spreading the gospel. However, if we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless.

The message concluded with a call to action, urging us to examine our lives and make a genuine commitment to discipleship. This involves prioritizing Jesus above all else and being willing to make uncomfortable and inconvenient decisions for His sake. True discipleship is about surrendering all to follow Christ, knowing that He has already given everything for us.


Key Takeaways

  • True Discipleship Requires Total Commitment

    • Jesus emphasized that to be His disciple, one must be willing to forsake all other relationships and possessions. This means prioritizing our commitment to Christ above everything else, even our own lives. This level of commitment is not optional but essential for true discipleship. [58:25]

  • Counting the Cost

    • Jesus used the examples of a man building a tower and a king going to war to illustrate the importance of counting the cost before committing to discipleship. Following Jesus involves self-denial, sacrifice, and a willingness to bear our own crosses. It is not a path of convenience but one that demands total dedication. [59:21]

  • Being the Salt of the Earth

    • As disciples, we are called to be the salt of the earth, preserving righteousness and spreading the gospel in a broken world. If we lose our "flavor" or fail to live out our calling, we become ineffective and worthless. Our lives should reflect the preserving and healing properties of salt. [01:24:25]

  • The Challenge of Discipleship

    • Discipleship is not about comfort or convenience. It involves making difficult and sometimes painful decisions to follow Jesus. This means being willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, and even dreams to prioritize our commitment to Christ. [01:10:14]

  • The Reward of Discipleship

    • While the path of discipleship is challenging, it is also the most rewarding. Jesus promised that those who lay down their lives for Him will produce much fruit. True discipleship leads to a deeper relationship with Christ, greater spiritual growth, and the fulfillment of God's purposes in our lives. [01:27:41]

YouTube Chapters

  1. [0:00] - Welcome

  2. [15:05] - Opening Worship: "I Will Praise Your Name"

  3. [18:07] - Lead Us Up the Mountain

  4. [19:59] - Hearts Abandoned

  5. [21:25] - Send Me Out

  6. [25:12] - Jesus, Savior: The Victory is Yours

  7. [29:17] - I Will Look Up

  8. [41:55] - Announcements

  9. [48:20] - Offering and Tithes

  10. [51:31] - Outreach Report

  11. [53:07] - Introduction to the Sermon

  12. [56:50] - True Discipleship: Luke 14

  13. [58:25] - The Cost of Discipleship

  14. [59:21] - Counting the Cost

  15. [01:24:25] - Being the Salt of the Earth

  16. [01:27:41] - The Reward of Discipleship

  17. [01:29:21] - Call to Commitment

  18. [01:33:17] - Altar Call and Prayer

  19. [01:42:28] - Closing Remarks and Prayer

  • What a blessing it is to serve the living God.



    It is an opportunity that we have each and every day.



    Just a few quick announcements we want to share with you.



    Today is our, as already mentioned during the worship, is our World Evangelism Sunday.



    We do this every month.



    On the last Sunday of the month, we put a highlight and a focus on the needs of world evangelism.



    We are reminded about how great need there still is to reach the nations for the kingdom of the Lord.



    Can you say amen?



    And so tonight in our evening service, we're going to be doing something special.



    As most of you know, we just got back from our annual missions trip.



    We were in the nation of St. Lucia for one week.



    And so tonight we'll be seeing a video report from that trip.



    Also, those that were with us on the trip, a few of us are going to be testifying tonight in a kind of a testimony service this evening.



    So you want to hear about St. Lucia, tonight would be a good opportunity to come and hear about that.



    So our service begins this evening at 7 p.m.



    We open the door for prayer at 6 p.m.



    We also want to remind you this week, we have a Wednesday night, our week, we call it our midweek recharge service on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.



    That is another opportunity to gather together to worship and hear the word of God.



    It's a full service that we do.



    It's a full service that we do on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.



    Then this coming Thursday, we were planning to start our new believers class last week.



    We were not able to make that happen.



    So part one of our, what we call the fresh fire new believers class that is beginning this week, Thursday night at 7 p.m.



    We have a sign-up sheet.



    If you are a new believer or if you want a good reminder of foundational principles of the kingdom of God, what it means to be a follower of Jesus and a disciple, this is a great class to be part of.



    It's going to be five or six weeks, Thursday nights beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.



    There is a sign-up sheet on that table if you would like to put your name so that we can prepare for how many people we're going to have.



    This coming Saturday, we're going to be having a movie night.



    We'll be showing a film here in our building and that's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.



    I believe, hopefully, we have a trailer available.



    We'll give them a minute to get that ready.



    The name of the film is called Sight and it is a true life story.



    It's a true life story of someone who came from China, a doctor, who developed a...



    Yeah, there we go.



    Go ahead, hit play there.



    Amen.



    So, we want to invite you to that.



    This is not publicly available without paying for it online.



    So, we want to encourage you to come, invite your friends and co-workers.



    We have some invitations available on the tables out there.



    You can grab one of those before you leave.



    That's going to be this Saturday at 7 p.m.



    Powerful presentation.



    And so, we'll be having a movie night.



    You'll be inspired.



    A couple other things quickly.



    We want to remind the teenagers.



    There's a rally happening in Jacksonville, North Carolina for all teenagers, 13 through 19.



    That's happening next week, Friday and Saturday.



    It's the 6th and the 7th of September.



    It's a Friday night and a Saturday morning event.



    It's an overnight stay.



    And so, we do have a few teens that are going to be joining in that.



    If you have a teen that is interested to go get inspired as we begin a new school year, this would be a great opportunity.



    So, again, next week, Friday and Saturday, an overnight stay, Jacksonville, North Carolina, just about a three-hour drive away.



    And then, finally, we want to announce our upcoming Bible conference in Chandler, Arizona.



    We are very excited, as always, to join together with our leadership church.



    Pastor Campbell hosts this every year to inspire us, to help us, to retool us, and get us back in working condition.



    Amen?



    And it's like taking your car to the mechanic.



    Sometimes you just need a tune-up, right?



    This is our annual spiritual tune-up.



    And I want to encourage you, if you can, to come along with us in Chandler, Arizona.



    There is more information.



    We have the brochures out on the table.



    The dates on that are September the 30th through October the 4th.



    I've heard some families already planning to go.



    That's very encouraging.



    And I wish that you get that time available.



    You will be inspired.



    You will see the heartbeat of our fellowship.



    You will see churches launched.



    You will see missionaries go.



    And we're excited to always be a part of that.



    October the 30th through...



    Sorry, September the 30th through October the 4th.



    And we are preparing for all that God is going to do.



    Our ushers are going to come forward this morning as we receive the Lord's tithe and offering.



    And as we do that, we always want to remind you how important it is that all of us do our part.



    We are not independently financed by some large benefactor.



    We are completely supported by the giving of God's people.



    We don't have a side project, a side business.



    We don't have angel investors.



    What we have is we have faithful people.



    Ha ha.



    We have faithful people who are with average, normal, everyday jobs.



    And as we set aside a tithe and an offering, God is able to use that together to further His kingdom.



    That this church can continue to thrive, can continue to meet our obligations, and can continue to fulfill our mission of winning souls, making disciples, planting churches.



    And I want to encourage you in that this morning.



    If you see something that God is doing here, you believe in that, then this is your way.



    This is an obvious way that you can support and you can continue to help us as we give tithes and offerings.



    Cash, if you are giving cash this morning, the ushers will have envelopes.



    If you would like a record of cash giving, put that in an envelope.



    You can also give with a check.



    You make that out to the Potter's House.



    Most people are giving through our online giving system these days.



    And you can do that by scanning the code up on the screen.



    We also have Cash App available if you prefer.



    That Cash App tag that you can give to is the letters VBPH, standing for Virginia Beach Potter's House.



    Let's pray for this offering this morning, asking God's blessing over it and the rest of the service.



    Amen.



    Brother Mason is going to pray.



    Oh, Lord, I will sing about your mercy.



    And I will sing about your mercy.



    Lord, you deserve the highest praise.



    You deserve the highest praise.



    Be exalted here as we begin to praise.



    We lift him higher.



    Let our praises sing.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Oh, we're gonna lift you.



    Lift him higher.



    Let our praises sing.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    Wonders of his love.



    Lift him higher.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Oh, yes, he deserves the glory today.



    He deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    For he deserves the glory.



    Amen.



    If you love Jesus, give me a shout.



    Hallelujah.



    God is good.



    All the time.



    Amen.



    We're grateful.



    Thank you for your presence here this morning.



    What a blessing it is to be gathered in his house.



    And we're grateful for those who fulfill the needs of ministry both here on the stage for our song service.



    For those who helped us yesterday with our outreach.



    I want to bring a good report from our outreach yesterday.



    We had a van full of people that went and outreached in a local apartment complex.



    Many of you saw what I posted that there were people who were saved as a result of our outreach yesterday.



    Who prayed for salvation.



    We also prayed for healing.



    Several people made some good contacts.



    We're believing God to help us.



    I just want to say thank you for people who go on outreach.



    We appreciate that.



    We do that every Saturday.



    And that outreach is not just an outreach team but is also a cleanup team.



    The reason that you can look down at the carpet and not see too many crumbs is because we came back from outreach and did a cleanup crew.



    And so I want to say thank you.



    That's a big job for our church building.



    And we appreciate all of you who labor, set aside that time to help us.



    And you can be a part of that.



    We always are looking for people to help us on Saturdays as we prepare for our services on Sunday.



    So I'll just put in a plug.



    If you are interested in that or service in any area, maybe in the AV team back there in the booth or in music ministry.



    We're always looking for people that are willing and able to help us with those things.



    And so I would appreciate anyone who would like to find out what is necessary to do that.



    Amen.



    So we're going to open up our Bibles this morning.



    We're going to look together in Luke chapter 14.



    If you would join us there.



    Luke chapter 14.



    We are grateful for all that God has done.



    Amen.



    We had a powerful week in St. Lucia.



    And you're going to hear a lot about that this evening.



    But I do want to just say.



    If you gave to world evangelism in the last few weeks.



    Last year.



    We thank you.



    We thank you for your support.



    We do this on a yearly basis.



    A missions trip.



    And that comes as a result of your generosity.



    Giving specifically to the need of world evangelism.



    So we thank you for that.



    This morning I want to turn our attention to the word of God in Luke chapter 14.



    Words of Jesus.



    As we consider the topic of discipleship.



    This was the ultimate goal.



    Also the topic of the message that was preached on Friday night.



    There was a men's discipleship class that happened in Jacksonville.



    Myself and a few others from local churches went to go be a part of that.



    On Friday night it was a great time.



    But I was just really, really inspired.



    And I wanted to share with you some of the themes that came from that message.



    Luke chapter 14.



    If you'll join us there.



    So there's a wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.



    And this particular wilderness area.



    Remember it's called a wilderness area.



    And they have a comment card box.



    Have you ever seen the comment card boxes?



    And so this was a few comment cards that were collected at the wilderness area in Bridger, Wyoming.



    One person said, too many bugs, leeches, spiders, and spider webs.



    Please spray the wilderness to get rid of these pests.



    Okay.



    Another comment.



    Please pave the nature trails.



    We need chair lifts.



    So that we can get wonderful views without having to hike.



    Another comment.



    From the wilderness area.



    Coyotes made too much noise last night.



    Kept me awake.



    Please eradicate these annoying animals.



    One person said there was a small deer that came into camp and stole my job.



    A jar of pickles.



    Can I get reimbursed for this expense?



    Please call.



    One person said escalators could help on steep uphill sections.



    A McDonald's would be nice at the trail head.



    One person said too many rocks in the mountains.



    Maybe they missed what was on the sign.



    This is a wilderness.



    Maybe they should go to the shopping mall if they have all these expectations.



    These comments and complaints indicate that people who made them do not understand what a wilderness area actually is.



    They were looking for something more convenient, more comfortable.



    This is why some people don't go camping.



    That's okay.



    I'll stay in my bed, Pastor.



    I have a house with air conditioning.



    Why would I go fight with bugs?



    But in the same way that here's people who went to a wilderness area looking for something that was not there.



    In the same way, there are many people today who do not know what it really means to be a believer and a follower in Jesus.



    They don't know what it means.



    They have different expectations.



    They assume that living for Jesus means one thing when it in reality means something very, very different.



    And so I want to take this opportunity this morning to reset some expectations.



    Going back to the source, to the original blueprint, Jesus himself.



    So that we can learn exactly what it means to be his follower.



    We want to follow him, yes?



    If you want to get to heaven, this is how.



    Jesus, the one who came from heaven and went back to heaven.



    If we want to live eternally, we got to follow the one who knows about it.



    The tour guide who's been there, who knows about it.



    He is there now.



    But we have to follow correctly.



    There are many people who consider themselves and even name the name of Christ.



    But in many ways, they're not really followers.



    It's possible to be religious, to go to church, to profess faith, to read the Bible, even give in the offering.



    But like people who expect an escalator to the top of the mountain, we often have expectations buried.



    And we are secretly disappointed because Jesus isn't doing everything we thought he would do.



    I want to preach this morning a message that I've simply titled True Discipleship.



    And let's look at Luke chapter 14, beginning with verse 25.



    Now great multitudes.



    Say great multitudes.



    That means that's a whole lot of people.



    Great multitudes went with him, Jesus.



    It's almost like Jesus gets a sense.



    Okay, there's a large crowd here.



    I got to do something about that.



    And he turned and said to them.



    Here it comes.



    He's about to drop the bomb.



    If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.



    Say cannot.



    That means it's impossible.



    And verse 27.



    Whoever does not bear his cross and come after me.



    He who intending to build a tower does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.



    Lest after he has laid the foundation is not able to finish.



    And all who see it begin to mock, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.



    Second example.



    Verse 31.



    What king going to make war against another king does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against or 20,000.



    Or else while the other is away off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace.



    Verse 33.



    So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all.



    Say the word all.



    Does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.



    Final example.



    Jesus uses his salt as good.



    But if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?



    It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill.



    But men throw it out.



    And he who has ears to hear, let him hear.



    True discipleship.



    Father, we come today once again in the name and by the blood of Jesus Christ.



    We thank you for your spirit.



    We thank you for your grace.



    We thank you for your power this morning.



    Lord, that you would remove the guilt as a result of misunderstandings today.



    We are praying, God, that you would reveal once again what true discipleship looks like.



    Lord, that we would set our hearts to that.



    If we want to live for you, this is what is required.



    And we give you glory in Jesus' mighty name.



    What is a disciple?



    What is a true disciple?



    We often, when we think about what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus, we call ourselves Christians.



    And the word disciple, I think, has fallen out of favor with many Christians.



    Because right there in the word disciple is the word discipline.



    And that is not an easy word, is it?



    We don't like discipline.



    Discipline is what professional athletes have to do or super jacked movie stars.



    That takes discipline.



    But living for Jesus, I don't know.



    I just want to go to church on Sunday.



    You know what I'm saying?



    The more common term that we use for a Christ follower is Christian.



    And the problem is that when you look at the Bible, the word Christian and the word disciple are not used interchangeably.



    In fact, far more often in the scriptures, the word Christian is only used three times.



    And it is only after Jesus has gone back to heaven in the book of Acts.



    And it was in Antioch.



    Acts 11 verse 26.



    It says the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.



    And do you know why?



    The reason they called them Christians is that they were making fun of them.



    It was a derogatory term.



    The word that they used for themselves was not Christians.



    They would run from that term.



    The people who were living for God in that time, they said, we are Christ followers.



    And so when we understand, we think sometimes that there is this two-tiered salvation system.



    We think that in many churches, okay, I can be a Christian without being a disciple.



    Like if you profess faith in Jesus and you answer an altar call and you do some religious things, okay, I can be a Christian.



    But discipleship, that's like serious believers.



    That's like the ones who are pursuing ministry or want to be a pastor or a missionary or, you know, they are in leadership.



    And those are the guys that need discipleship.



    I want to tell you that's a false view.



    That's not how the Bible represents.



    In reality, every disciple is a Christian and every Christian ought to be a disciple.



    There is no difference biblically speaking.



    In fact, if you are not a disciple, you are not a Christian.



    And that might be hard for some people to hear.



    Pastor, but isn't there a way that I can be a believer without being a disciple?



    And I say to you scripturally speaking, no, you cannot.



    To be a disciple means to be a Christian.



    And that is what we all must strive for.



    So we have to understand what then does it mean to be a disciple.



    If just being a Christian without discipleship is not enough, then what is required of me to follow this guy Jesus and make eternal life with him?



    Alright, good question.



    I'm glad you asked.



    I'm about to answer it.



    To be a disciple, number one means to be all in.



    How many ever heard the term all in?



    It's a poker term, right?



    It's when you take all of your chips, all of your winnings, and you got the hand that you know is going to beat everybody else at the table.



    And you're going to put it all in at the table.



    And you might be bluffing, you might not.



    But when somebody goes all in, you know what that demands? A response.



    I'm going all in.



    I'm putting it all on the line.



    I want you to understand from our scripture, first of all, that to be a disciple means to be all in.



    In our scripture, it said that large crowds, multitudes were following Jesus.



    And when he understood this, there was probably something happening in Jesus' mind.



    He's saying there's a lot of people following me here, but not many who are actually disciples.



    And so this is why he began to challenge them.



    This is why he began to use some harsh language.



    He began to understand that there were some people just traveling around the countryside hoping he would multiply a few more loaves and fishes.



    That's a good day when Jesus is multiplying fish sandwiches.



    You know what I'm saying?



    Like the McFishes.



    Come on, bring some more of those, Jesus.



    Maybe if I follow this guy for another day or another week, he'll multiply some more food and I'll get to fill my belly.



    But Jesus began to understand some of the people here are not following for the right reasons.



    It means to be my disciple.



    It's more than just physically present.



    It means more than just having a positive attitude toward Jesus.



    The Bible says even the demons believe in Jesus and they tremble.



    And so even just mental acknowledgement that yes, Jesus is a cool guy, that Jesus is the Lord, Jesus is in charge.



    We can say all of those things and still not be a disciple.



    They considered themselves followers of Jesus, but in reality, they had not gone all in for him.



    I wonder if there's any churches today in the same place.



    I wonder if there's any Christians in the same place in their lives today where we like to do many Christian things.



    We leave Caleb on the radio, positive and encouraging.



    And we listen to the nice Christian artists who record nice Christian pop songs.



    And I'm amazed at how many people have Jesus fish on their bumper sticker but still drive like maniacs.



    Like if you're going to drive like a maniac, maybe take the Jesus fish off.



    You know what I'm saying?



    Bad advertisement.



    In a sense, people are along for the ride, but they haven't gone all in.



    Is it possible that there are large crowds in the world today in America?



    Listen, we have a legacy.



    We have a culture of Christianity.



    This nation founded in Christian principles.



    I would say we were a Christian nation at one time.



    But I don't think we can describe ourselves that way anymore.



    Unfortunately, I'm not happy about that.



    I'm sad.



    I'm grieved in my spirit.



    We are no longer a Christian nation.



    We have turned from the God that founded this nation.



    And America is mostly a backslidden nation.



    But what that means, what that has produced is that people can name the name of Jesus, can have a church membership, can have a Jesus fish on their bumper sticker, but not know anything about Jesus, about following him, about going all in.



    Let's be clear from our scripture, from what Jesus said here.



    To be a disciple means to have a 100% commitment to Jesus.



    Let's make that totally clear.



    He said, unless you are willing to forsake all that you have, you cannot be my disciple.



    Does that describe you?



    Are you willing to forsake all that you have to follow him?



    Now Jesus is not going to force all of us to forsake everything that we have.



    But if that opportunity came, if the choice was follow Jesus or keep all your stuff, if the choice was if you are going to serve Jesus, you have to be destitute, would you make that choice?



    Would we be willing to give up self-interest, possessions, careers, hobbies, goals, dreams even to follow Jesus?



    Verse 26, anyone who comes to me but is not fully committed.



    In verse 26 it said, anyone who comes to me and does not hate father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, and his own life also cannot be my disciple.



    Jesus, Pastor, is Jesus telling me to hate my family?



    No, he is saying that your commitment to your family must be the number one.



    To Jesus must be your number one commitment.



    Your commitment to Christ must come before any other commitment.



    He is saying that this principle applies to everyone who is following Jesus.



    Jesus uses hyperbole to show us exaggeration to show us that our commitment level to him is number one.



    Not number two, not number three, not number four, not number ten.



    That following Jesus is our number one commitment.



    And let me just give you a hint.



    When you seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, then God is good.



    He is a blesser.



    He will add all these other things to you.



    People get this out of order in their lives.



    We seek the things and hope that Jesus can come along with it.



    But that is not how it works.



    He is saying we must seek first his kingdom.



    Our commitment to obey and follow the Lord must be greater than any other commitment in our lives.



    Is Jesus bigger than your house?



    Is Jesus bigger than your bank account?



    Is Jesus bigger than your social media?



    Is Jesus bigger than your gaming system?



    Is Jesus bigger than your lake house?



    Is Jesus bigger than your family?



    Now I don't think God makes a practice of making us choose between our family and serving him.



    That is not a common thing, right?



    But when we serve Jesus first, when we have this priority correct, God helps us to work out other things.



    To be a disciple, we must be committed to him above even our own lives.



    Verse 26, it is not just father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, but also his own life also.



    That means our commitment to Christ is not only about our possessions, our relationships.



    It is about what do we count most dear to us.



    And in an environment where Jesus knows who he is talking to, he is talking to disciples that in a few short years they are going to have to make a very real choice.



    Either to confess Christ as Lord and Messiah or to lose their very lives.



    He is making it clear for them.



    Listen guys, you have to love your commitment to Christ greater than even your life.



    There is not many in America today who are called to become martyrs for the faith.



    You know, it is not a calling that is very common in our Christian experience today.



    More often it is harder for us to live for Jesus, much less die for him.



    But if it came down to it, if you like that girl with the Columbine shooting so many years ago, you remember that story?



    I think her name was Chrissy, is that right?



    Somebody will correct me.



    But those armed gunmen came into the Columbine High School, pointed a gun in her face and said, do you believe in Jesus?



    And she said yes.



    And she went straight to heaven.



    I wonder, I wonder if it really came down to it.



    Somebody threatened you with your life and said, do you really believe in Jesus?



    What would you say?



    Would you seek to preserve your life instead of confessing Christ?



    Jesus uses a metaphor here in our scripture.



    Verse 27, whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.



    Everyone present would be familiar with what Jesus was talking about about carrying their cross.



    Ultimately Jesus was going to carry a cross, right?



    They would put the cross on him, on his back, and they would make him carry it up to Golgotha the hill.



    The very thing that he carried would be the thing that they would crucify him on.



    It was a common form of execution during those times.



    And so when Jesus says this to his followers, he is reminding them that following me is going to lead to self-denial and self-sacrifice.



    Following me does not mean comfort and ease.



    Following me, Jesus is saying, does not mean everything is going to be convenient.



    Oh, we love our convenience.



    You know how much we love convenience here in America?



    We don't even want to get out of our car to get food.



    America is the land of the drive-through.



    We want it handed to us through the driver side window.



    And you could drive down Lynn Haven and count 20 drive-through restaurants because we want it so convenient that I can pay and I can eat in my car before I get home.



    Can I tell you serving Jesus is not convenient?



    It is not comfortable.



    Following Jesus means that we are going to have to choose some difficult roads.



    Hello.



    Jesus said you cannot be my disciple unless you bear your cross.



    For him, what about you?



    Here is a good illustration.



    Let's say that I had a desire to climb Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.



    And suppose that with that desire comes a cost.



    There is a price that is involved.



    So first of all, I have to give up my time to be able to prepare for that.



    I have to buy equipment.



    I have to set aside money and time for people to help me.



    Let's say that the cost to get up Mount Everest is $70,000.



    I don't have that kind of money, right?



    So suppose there was a wealthy businessman who heard about this desire and he felt inclined to offer and pay for that expedition.



    He would pay for the clothing and the gear and the transportation and the guides and the training.



    It is free for me.



    So I don't have to pay that money out of my bank account.



    But if I accept his free offer, then that means now I am committed to doing this thing.



    Now I am committed to going to training and preparing my body and preparing that time and to give that effort.



    If you are going to be the one who sponsors me, then I have to put in the work.



    Hello.



    Anybody getting the picture yet?



    Is it possible that Jesus has paid the price for us?



    And the price that he paid was so great that we can never repay him.



    The blood that he shed, the body that was broken on our behalf, the salvation that he provided.



    He has purchased us with a high price.



    And that price that he paid, he offers freely a ticket to eternal life.



    I want to tell you there comes an expectation if you receive this offer of salvation.



    Be aware, count the cost that there is a life attached to this salvation that Jesus comes with expectations.



    That we are going to choose to do a few things that are not comfortable, not easy.



    We are going to choose to be a disciple.



    And to illustrate this, Jesus gives us two examples in our scripture.



    The first example is a man intending to build a tower, a building.



    And he says he has enough to finish it after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish.



    All who see it begin to mock him, saying this man began to build and was not able to finish.



    This is a picture of many, unfortunately, in the Christian world who get into this thing.



    They have been invited by a friend.



    They come.



    They hear a nice story.



    They hear a good scripture.



    They confess a sin.



    They find themselves what it means to serve Jesus, find themselves building a building but not having enough to finish.



    We call it false conversions.



    Jesus described the seed that falls on the rocky soil and it is able to take some root.



    But when it sprouts, the sun beats down or the weeds begin to choke it out and it does not have enough to sustain through the difficulties.



    The church today in the West has created so many false converts.



    They say just follow Jesus, everything will be good.



    Just follow Jesus, just come to church and your life will get better.



    Just follow Jesus and name him, put the bumper sticker on, everything will work out.



    That is not reality, is it?



    I tell in our little sneak preview of our fresh fire new believers class, what I tell new believers is actually it gets harder before it gets easier.



    The first year of salvation, just like the first year of marriage, is the hardest year.



    And you are going to be willing to go through a few things and pay a price.



    That is why we have to count the cost.



    To be a disciple means we have to be committed through the high value.



    If you have ever done a building project, you know it is always going to cost more and take longer.



    We figured that out here in our building when we build this place.



    We knock down some walls.



    Yeah, I am talking to Pastor Campbell.



    Yeah, Pastor, I think we can get it done for $5,000.



    We can finish this thing in a couple of weeks.



    Yeah, right.



    It always costs more.



    It always takes longer.



    And the same way this building, this tower that we are building in our faith, yeah, it is going to cost you more than you thought.



    It is going to mean giving up more than you thought.



    The second example is he speaks about a battle.



    He speaks about a king.



    What king, verse 31, going to war against another king does not sit down and consider whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him against 20?



    Or else while the other is a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks a condition of peace.



    Isn't this life, this Christian life, isn't it a battle?



    We are waging a war.



    Not a war of guns.



    There will be casualties.



    You know who is most often a casualty of war?



    Those who are unprepared.



    When the bullets start flying, you really know who is the warrior.



    There are so many believers that find themselves in the middle of a battle.



    All of a sudden they begin following Jesus and then there is a war in their home.



    There is division.



    How many know Jesus came?



    He said I will bring a sword.



    I will turn you against family.



    That there will be people that you start serving Jesus and there is a war.



    They say we don't like this.



    We like the old version of you better.



    You are going to make decisions.



    Friends that you used to care about, used to hang with, and all of a sudden you are serving Jesus.



    Man, there is a division there.



    It is polarizing to serve Jesus.



    Some people will love it, other people will hate it.



    There is a battle.



    You are going to have to fight some battles.



    Be willing.



    You are going to have to fight flesh.



    Hello.



    There is a recent poll.



    It showed little difference between the way the world lives and the way professed Christians live.



    For example, polls show that Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to be divorced, just as likely to buy lottery tickets, just as likely to watch rated R movies, just as likely to watch even pornography.



    There is a problem with that.



    Yes, that means that there is a large number of Christians who are not fighting the battle for holiness.



    There was several years ago in Washington, D.C.



    It happened to be on a Palm Sunday.



    You know that is the Sunday before Easter.



    And the city had scheduled a marathon, a running marathon on that same day, Palm Sunday, which greatly interfered with all the traffic in Washington, D.C.



    All the leaders of the various churches were upset and made their feelings known in the local newspapers.



    They reported that their attendance was down 70% on that Sunday.



    Why?



    Was it impossible for people to get to church that day?



    It was not impossible.



    It was just inconvenient.



    Because the race delayed traffic to those churches, many by their own admission were unwilling to spend an extra 30 minutes in traffic to get to church.



    See, those are Christ followers, but those are not disciples.



    He makes it clear to us, doesn't He?



    Jesus says following Him means to give up everything.



    It means to be committed to Him above everything else.



    The final picture that Jesus uses, he uses a building and then a battle and then finally he talks about salt.



    Verses 34 and 35.



    He says salt is good, but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?



    It is not fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out.



    Salt is a very interesting picture in the Bible.



    Salt was very valuable in the ancient world.



    In fact, that is where we get the word salary.



    You get a salary comes from the word salt because in the ancient times it was possible to be paid in salt because it was so valuable.



    It was used as a replacement for currency in many places.



    Why?



    Because in a world without refrigeration, the way that you would keep meat fresh is you would salt it so it would preserve things.



    It was also a way to cleanse and bring healing to wounds.



    They could use salt as a fertilizer to keep plants growing well.



    Salt had many, many good uses in the ancient world.



    Today we just keep it on our tables and it doesn't do a whole lot.



    But to them, they would understand how valuable salt is to the world.



    Salt is a preserving and Jesus says you are the salt of the earth.



    My followers, disciples, we bring a preservative power to a desperate and dying world around us.



    This is what Abraham prayed for in those wicked ancient cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.



    And God says to Abram, I'm going to destroy that place, but because Abram prayed, he said, Lord, if there's five righteous there, would you preserve the city?



    And God said yes, I will.



    I'll answer that prayer.



    In the same way, we live in a wicked world today, but because for the sake of believers doing the work of the kingdom in wicked cities, we are preserved.



    That we are supposed to be the force that preserves righteousness in a broken world.



    But Jesus is making a point here.



    He says salt is good, but what happens if it loses its flavor?



    What happens if the salt is just mush?



    What happens if the salt doesn't do what it's supposed to?



    Then it's worthless.



    It's lost its value.



    In the same way, what happens if a church is no longer doing what it's supposed to do?



    No longer winning souls, no longer making impact, no longer all we do is gather and pat ourselves on the back on Sundays.



    That's not discipleship.



    True discipleship leaving all to follow Christ.



    Leadership magazine ran a cartoon with a billboard that spoke about the light church.



    24% fewer commitments, 7.5% tithe, only 15 minute sermons, 45 minute worship service, we only have eight commandments, everything you've wanted in a church and less.



    Some people are hearing that saying, man, that sounds pretty good.



    What's the address?



    What time?



    What time do they meet on Sunday?



    To be a disciple means committing our lives above everything else.



    But I want to leave you with a promise.



    There are great possibilities.



    It is not just doom and gloom.



    It's not just sad news this morning.



    Following Jesus is not a bummer.



    It's the best thing that you could ever do because Jesus gave us this promise.



    Listen, John 12 verse 24.



    Most assuredly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone.



    But if it dies, oh, it produces much grain.



    If you take a look at the map that's on that back wall, what you see is the product of people laying their lives down for Jesus.



    What you see is 38.



    What's printed there is 3595, 3595 churches.



    But that was as of January 2024.



    Since that time, there have been nearly 500 more churches planted in our fellowship.



    We're getting close to 4000 in just what month is it?



    August.



    In just 8 months, our fellowship planted close to 500 churches.



    How do you do that?



    By laying down your life.



    How do we reach the nations?



    How do we reach our city?



    How do we reach our neighborhood?



    We have to be willing to be disciples, to be followers, to be learners, give up our lives.



    So I ask you, are you willing to forsake all to follow Jesus?



    That's what it means to be a Christian.



    You cannot be a Christian without being a disciple.



    And my call for us today is that, Lord, I want to take seriously your call to discipleship.



    This is not about me.



    It's not about Pastor Adam.



    It's not about the Potter's House.



    This is about your decision, what it means in your life to be a disciple of Jesus.



    And some of us is going to require some uncomfortable decisions, some inconvenient ideas.



    And I want to ask you to allow the Holy Spirit to challenge you into the realm of discipleship.



    Let's bow our heads and close our eyes for just a moment.



    We're bringing this service to a close.



    And as we consider these things, this powerful scripture from the words of Jesus, I wonder maybe you've come here this morning and if you'd be honest for a moment, you'd say, Pastor, I'm not sure.



    I'm not sure if I'm right with God.



    I'm not sure I'm really living for Him.



    I'm not sure that I'm truly a disciple.



    I've made comfort my idol.



    Things and the opinions of others and fear of the world and my job and possessions have become more important to me than what God thinks.



    And as you're here today, maybe God would convict you of sins.



    Sin is what separates us from God.



    Sin is when we do what we know is wrong and it brings death.



    The Bible says the wages of sin is death.



    First, sin separates us from the Lord spiritually, but then it ultimately, sin will separate us from Him forever.



    When our physical bodies die, the Bible says we will stand in judgment before the Lord and our sins will be convicting us.



    You know what the Lord will use as evidence in the court?



    He will use your own words against you.



    He has every word you've ever spoken recorded in His book and your words will bring judgment against you and separate you from God unless there is a change in your life.



    The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.



    And that is the good news we are here to proclaim.



    The church of Jesus Christ exists to send this good news into the heart of every person.



    Our sin will destroy us, but there is a God in heaven who loves you, proved it by sending His son Jesus to die for us.



    And if you're here today, you want to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ who died for you, paid the price.



    And I'm asking you to do one thing.



    Somebody here, you're not right with God, but you want to be.



    I want to ask you to just lift up your hands.



    Say, Pastor, pray for me.



    I want to get my heart right.



    I want my sins forgiven.



    I want to live for Jesus.



    I want to leave it all behind this life of sin and brokenness.



    I'm not going to stay there.



    I'm going to trust Jesus to save me.



    I'm going to follow Him.



    Is that you?



    Someone here unsaved or backslidden in your heart?



    Thank you, honest hearts.



    Is there someone else?



    Quickly, God is speaking to you.



    Would you lift up your hand?



    Unsaved or backslidden?



    We want to believe God to help us.



    See, religion and church membership is great, but it's not enough.



    Religious activities and good deeds are great, but it doesn't save us.



    I declare right now that there are people who have been convincing yourself that everything is good when everything is not good.



    Jesus said many there will be on that day that call Him Lord, Lord.



    Did we not do so many things in your name, casting out demons, praying for the sick?



    Jesus said I did not even know you.



    And I wonder if there's anyone else quickly.



    You'd say, Pastor, I don't want to deceive myself.



    I want to know Jesus.



    I want to know His forgiveness.



    I want to know His mercy.



    Would you lift up your hand?



    Anyone else quickly, quickly this morning as God deals with hearts.



    Holy Spirit moving right now upon the hearts of somebody.



    You lift up your hand.



    Don't forget about me.



    We're going to pray together.



    Amen.



    Thank God.



    Thank God.



    If you lifted up your hand, I want to ask you to come.



    We're going to pray together.



    Would you come?



    We're going to pray with you.



    I need a sister to come and pray.



    With our heads bowed for just one moment more, we're going to open up this altar for prayer right here at this altar.



    We're saved in this place, but the challenge always remains to surrender our hearts, to surrender our lives.



    God's speaking to you today.



    Would you come?



    We're going to pray together right here at this altar.



    Would you come and join us?



    Say, Lord, I don't want to just be a follower.



    I don't want to just be a Christ.



    I don't want to just have a bumper sticker.



    Lord, I want to be your disciple.



    I want to give up all and surrender my life to serve.



    And so we're going to pray together for a few moments here.



    If the Lord is speaking to you, don't miss this opportunity.



    Would you come and pray with us for a few moments right here at this altar?



    Hallelujah, Lord, we thank you.



    If you do me a favor as you're here at this altar, please remain here.



    We're going to pray together before we go back to our seats.



    But God, let's cry out to the Lord right now.



    I want to pray with you, church.



    If we could stand right to our feet right where you are, or if you need more time to pray at the altar, please take as much time as you need.



    But I want to pray with you for a moment.



    I want to believe God with you.



    I want to lead you in a prayer.



    But before we do that, I just want to remind you, you know, if you have heard this message today and it has touched your heart and you realize that there's some things that it's been difficult for me to let go of, well, welcome to the Christian experience.



    Welcome.



    We're glad you're here.



    Even if it was a little late, but we're glad you're here.



    It's difficult to give things up.



    The word for giving things up in the Greek, it's also the same word for the word goodbye.



    Being willing to say goodbye to things that we care about.



    It's like missionaries in times past.



    You know, there was a time before airline travel that when somebody said goodbye, they're packing their casket with them.



    We're going and we're not coming back.



    They would say goodbye forever.



    And they'd be willing to plant their lives in a foreign nation.



    You know, that's a picture of what it means to actually follow Jesus.



    But we're not saying goodbye to our friends and family.



    We're saying goodbye to our old lives, to our old way of thinking.



    That's what water baptism is.



    It's a picture.



    I'm saying goodbye to that old person and I'm saying yes to the Lord and all that he has for me.



    I want you to think about this.



    What did it cost Jesus to get you here?



    What did it cost him?



    Was there anything he was unwilling to give to save you?



    Was there anything that Jesus withheld from the Father so that you could have a place in heaven?



    What I'm saying is we don't get the liberty, we don't have the right to receive that salvation from Jesus and then to say, nah, I'm not willing.



    We don't get that right.



    So he's asking for all of you.



    He's asking for your mind, for your heart, for your joy, for your future.



    He's asking for your family, for your possessions.



    He's asking for it all.



    And he has the right to do that because he gave it all himself.



    Serving Jesus means he's the Lord.



    He's not just Savior, he's Lord.



    So we're going to lift up our hands together and we're going to make a commitment to the Lord.



    And I am right along with you and I understand this is not easy, but we're going to pray together.



    Let's say, God in heaven, thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my sins, to pay the price for all humanity.



    I thank you, Lord, that you are faithful, that you are just, that when we confess our sins and trust in you, that God, you are able to cleanse us and heal us and adopt us into your family.



    Lord, today we realize that true Christianity means discipleship, means leaving all to follow you, means placing the first priority on Jesus and his will for my life.



    I'm asking you now, remove every excuse, remove every earthly lover, remove every earthly idol, remove everything, even you.



    And I thank you to have given you that you are faithful.



    Therefore, when we now worship your kingdom and great things, kingdom and pray in this world, life by the Holy Spirit.



    In Jesus' mighty name.



    Amen.



    Now, come on, let's give God praise right now.



    How many feel His presence right now?



    You know, it pleases the Father.



    It pleases the Father.



    You know, if you have kids at home, you know, sometimes we want to explain to our children why we're making all the decisions, right?



    And we want them to understand things so that in the future they can make good decisions also.



    But there are also times when as a parent, you're making decisions that the child cannot understand.



    And you're going to ask them to trust you.



    I can't explain everything about this, but you're going to have to trust me.



    And we are imperfect as parents, right?



    If that's true for us, isn't it also true for the Father in heaven?



    That when He asks us to give up of ourselves and we say, why?



    God, it's painful.



    And He doesn't owe us anything.
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Adam Dragoon Adam Dragoon

The SPIRIT of ELIJAH: God's Answer for Wimpy Men and Wicked Women [Sunday School Series]

Part 4: Defining the Spirit of Elijah

Originally preached May 26, 20224

1 Kings 17:1 NKJV - 1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "[As] the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 

  • Adam Dragoon (00:00.494)

    Thanks for listening to the Sermon Podcast from the Potter's House Church in Virginia Beach. Our vision is winning souls, making disciples, and planning churches. You're about to hear a message that was preached live from one of our recent church services. We hope that you'll open your heart to hear the Holy Spirit speaking directly through this message. Stay tuned after the message for information on how to get connected with us. Thanks again, and enjoy today's message.

    Adam Dragoon (00:28.686)

    school. Once again as we gather together we're in the middle of a series that I've titled, Confronting Wimpy Men and Wicked Women. God's Answer is in the Spirit of Elijah. So just to do a little bit of a review this morning, get your minds rolling, need your participation. This is not a sit and watch time, this is audience participation time, so please help me out.

    Number one, we saw the origins of both the Ahab and the Jezebel spirit at work in the very first chapters of the Bible there in the Garden of Eden. How did we see that and what do you remember from what we learned? The spirit of Ahab and the spirit of Jezebel at work in the Garden. What do we remember from that? Noel?

    Adam Dragoon (01:24.334)

    Very good. Okay, we see both the Ahab spirit. So Ahab spirit is passive, is on the sidelines, is too busy with

    earthly affairs to be involved in spiritual matters. It's a good thing that Ahab doesn't infect anyone today. Maybe I should say that one more time. Ahab is passive. He's on the sidelines. He's too busy with his business, with his career, with his hobbies. Then he is with spiritual matters. So then we see the spirit of Jezebel also at work.

    because she was deceived, she was overtaken, and the spirit of Jezebel is a domineering, take charge, tyrannical attitude that jumps into battle with the serpent without asking for any support. I can do it! And so from the garden we see both of these powerful demonic strategies that have, over the thousands of years since then, have been refined, have been concentrated, and have been deployed against...

    both God's people and worldly people for many generations. So the last two Sundays that we looked at this, we looked at first the historical character King Ahab. We looked at the lineage of kings that led up to his reign in the nation of Israel. And what do you remember from what we learned about King Ahab? What was the defining factor of his life? Shadon?

    Adam Dragoon (03:24.43)

    that he just wanted to just let Jezebel have control so he didn't have to be accountable for anything. Okay, that's true. But what's the Bible's description about Ahab? Yes, Mason. It describes him as being the most wicked of all the kings. Yes, so more than all who come before him that he did more evil in the sight of the Lord.

    And so the way that this evil is translated, at least in this character of Ahab, is that the most evil thing that a man could do, that a king can do, would be to usurp his throne and to give that control and that authority into the hands of someone who doesn't have the best interest at heart, and that's Jezebel. So last week we looked at defining the Jezebel spirit, and what did we say was the best definition of the Jezebel spirit?

    If we could boil it down to one word, what was it? Ms. Shakima, good morning. Control, that's right. Control. And so what Jezebel desires more than anything else, what she hangs onto, what she defends, what she fights for, is control. And what does she use in order to keep that control? What do we see? Chris? Manipulation. Okay, what else? She manipulates. Jaden? Takes advantage of...

    Ahab not wanting to be accountable? Yeah, well she definitely feeds off of the Ahab who because he's passive because he he doesn't want to get involved She's gonna take advantage of that for sure want to add to that

    It's along the same lines as manipulation, but I was going to say fear. Fear? She uses fear. Who is she threatening? Elijah. Elijah. And what does she say to him?

    Adam Dragoon (05:15.79)

    Noel?

    May the gods of my land do to me more than if I don't make you as one of them. I'll kill you. So she's threatening. And guess what? She can back up those threats too, can't she? Because the Bible says very clearly that she's the one who massacred the prophets of the Almighty God. She is not into true religion. She is not into worshiping the true and living God. And she will attack anyone who

    who is standing up for God. She's not afraid to use violence. There's one more factor that we missed. What does she use to keep control? David? Seduction. Seduction. Okay. So the Bible says in 2 Kings there where she, her strategy against Jehu is that she puts on her makeup and she gets her eyelashes and she gets her hair did and she puts on her nails and she gets looking fine because she understands...

    that she can use her looks and her attractiveness to seduce men. And then we find in Revelation we find the words of Jesus who he confronts the church in Thyatira and what does Jesus say? Why is this account important in this discussion about Jezebel? Anybody remember? Well let's go there, it's in Revelation chapter 2 since nobody remembers it.

    I think we just mentioned it in passing last week, so we'll jump in right there one more time. So Revelation chapter two, starting in verse 18, write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God whose eyes are flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze. He commends them, first of all, I know the things that you do, seeing your love, your faith, your service, your patient endurance. I can see your constant improvement.

    Adam Dragoon (07:17.71)

    in all these things. But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman, that Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet, to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn from her immorality. Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will greatly suffer unless they repent and turn from their evil deeds.

    I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person, and I will give to each of you whatever you deserve." So he goes on, I also have a message for those who have not followed this false teaching. I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over the nations. So in this...

    message to the church in Thyatira, Jesus brings up, there is obviously a spirit at work, there is a woman who is seducing and leading people to sexual sin and idolatrous behavior in this church in Thyatira, and Jesus calls this person Jezebel. Not because that's her name, but because the spirit of Jezebel is inhabiting this person.

    Thousands of years later, or maybe hundreds in this case, after Jezebel has died and gone, but the spirit has lived on and Jesus calls her out in this church in Thyatira. Okay, so today, let's take a pause there. Thoughts, questions so far? Anything to add? Okay, so now we're going to, what we've done so far in this study is we've defined the problem. And it's always easy to define the problem.

    The harder thing to do is to find the solution. And so if it's obvious to us that there is a problem with Ahab, with men being weak, wimpy, passive, and uninterested in spiritual truth, that's a problem. If it's also a problem that there's a Jezebel spirit, which is tyrannical, which desires control above all things. And as I mentioned before, it's not that Ahab only affects men and Jezebel only affects women, that they can.

    Adam Dragoon (09:41.838)

    They can cross -pollinate as well. You can have Ahab -type women and you can have Jezebel -type men, 100%. But it's just the inherent weaknesses of who we are as men and women that men are more susceptible to Ahab and women are more susceptible to Jezebel. And so it's easy for us maybe to see these problems and to recognize them at work in the world today and more specifically in the church. But what's more difficult for us is how do we stop it? How do we confront it?

    And the answer to that question is found with the introduction of the third character of this study, and that is Elijah. Let's get some scriptures this morning. I need some volunteers to read if I could get some help, Chris. First Kings chapter 17, First Kings 17 verse 1. Leanna is gonna get Acts chapter 5, verses 27 through 29. Then...

    I will meet you in the next video.

    Adam Dragoon (10:44.046)

    Let's see, Sabin. Sabin can keep your Bible open in Revelation 2. We're going to read that scripture again. Revelation 2. And I think that's all I need for now. Okay, so into this account, the Bible has described in 1 Kings chapter 16 has given us this long line of evil kings that are ruling over the northern kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes.

    that went astray from the teachings of the Lord and these kings led the way in setting up idol worship and became just like all of the pagan nations around them embracing their belief systems, their sacrificial systems, turning away from the living God. That's basically the whole chapter, 1 Kings 16. And it concludes by introducing us to Ahab, who the Bible says was more wicked than all of them. Did more evil in the sight of God than any of the rest.

    And so now, verse 1, chapter 17, we are introduced to God's solution for this problem. And verse King 17, verse 1. Okay, so here comes this mystery character, Elijah from Tishbe.

    or some of your translations will say the tishbite. And so immediately what we notice about Elijah is that he is a man of few words. He's not going to stand and preach a sermon to Ahab. He gives him the word of God. He is standing in the role of a prophet. Okay, so let me ask you, what do you think is the biblical role of a prophet? What does that mean? When you see...

    teachings and preachings in the Old Testament specifically of a prophet. What is that to you? What do you take from that? What is a prophet? What is he supposed to do? Yes, Ms. Ernestine.

    Adam Dragoon (12:54.318)

    Say it again. Like an owner of, okay, okay, Chris.

    Adam Dragoon (13:05.998)

    would be the chosen man to voice the word of God. Okay, good. So he is supposed to give voice to God's desires, right? Okay, a prophet, does the prophet have his own opinions? No, he, the prophet in the Old Testament, when you see the word prophet, you can replace it with the mailman, okay? So you might have a letter that has a $5 ,000 check in it. That's good day.

    or you might have a letter that has a five thousand dollar bill in it. That's a bad day. But either way, whichever letter he's got for you, the mailman is just there to deliver. He's there to take it from the one who sent it and to deliver it to the recipient. Okay? So in the Old Testament, a prophet is similar. The prophet is there not to deliver long expositions about what he wants, what he desires. He is simply the...

    the mailman so he's delivering the message of God so why is this a problem what what happens to so many of the prophets in the Old Testament? They got killed and persecuted they got chased out of cities they got stoned they had a rough time. Why? Because they were called upon by God to deliver bad news to the politicians of the day. Now remember who Ahab and Jezebel are. Remember that he is the king of Israel that Jezebel is the queen.

    And so they stand as leaders of their nations. They are politicians. OK? And so we understand politicians because we still have some around today, right? We don't have a lot of respect for our politicians these days. They say that getting an illness and disease is more popular than Congress these days. So there's people that we have.

    have called upon to represent us. And so what is a politician? A politician is a contrast to a prophet. A politician will do and say anything to remain in power, right? Somebody who's slippery, somebody who takes a poll, somebody who is sticking their finger up and seeing which direction the wind is blowing. And I just need to catch a hold of that so that I can remain in authority.

    Adam Dragoon (15:33.934)

    So here's why I'm talking about politicians. In our world today, and in our church, we don't need more politicians. We need more prophets. The church today is filled with religious politicians who are carefully judging the public opinion. What does the audience think of what I'm about to say? What happens if I preach this message or that message? What happens if I actually teach what the Bible says and all of it, not just the parts?

    that people like to hear. How many pastors in our world today have become politicians, carefully weighing whether their next sermon is going to cause people to stop tithing. So much of our church world today, unfortunately, is politics. When what God needs, He doesn't need politicians. He needs prophets. He needs men and women who are going to deliver the mail and worry, let God worry about the consequences.

    Okay, so this is what we see in Elijah. First of all, Elijah, his prophetic ministry is defined by civil disobedience. So, remember the context of where we're reading this. Remember that Ahab and Jezebel, they have killed the prophets. They have torn down the true sacrifices, the true temples of the living God. And in their place they have erected all of these pagan shrines, these places where

    ungodly and and wicked practices, bail worship, even child sacrifice is happening, sexual pagan nasty things are happening and these are all being encouraged by Ahab and Jezebel. And so here comes Elijah and the first thing that he says to them, he says, there will not be dew nor rain these years except at my word. This is his first word into the situation. This is a stand against

    the powers of the world. He is willing to stand up against them. He is willing to speak against them. He is willing, even at his own risk of his own life, that he's going to not let them continue unchallenged. So can somebody tell me why, when Elijah says, there will not be dew nor rain, why was that such a direct confrontation and a challenge to Ahab and Jezebel?

    Adam Dragoon (17:59.598)

    See you then.

    Because Baal is supposed to be a god of storms and rain and stuff like that. Exactly. So when they are worshiping Baal, they are praying that their false god is going to cause the storms to come to rain on their crops to produce a good harvest. And so Elijah comes into the scene, and he simply says, that's not going to happen. All of your pagan worship is not going to work. He's going to be the monkey wrench in this system.

    And this is what we call civil disobedience. Can somebody tell me what civil disobedience means? What does it mean to you? Mom?

    Joni.

    A united effort by people who are not united with the majority making acts against the norm. Okay, okay, that's good. Noelle, want to add to that?

    Adam Dragoon (19:04.526)

    Would it be like anarchy? It is not anarchy. This is not just disobedience, it's civil disobedience. So it is not introducing anarchy into a situation. That only makes things worse. If Elijah was going to bring anarchy, well then he would just come in with uncontrolled force. He's going to raise up an army. But that's not what he does. It's civil disobedience. Want to add to that, Mason?

    going against the norm imposed by the system, but in a calm and collected manner. Exactly. That's exactly what he's got. So remember, again, the situation. They've outlawed worship. They've made sport of massacring prophets. They've commanded their citizens to worship Baal and Asherah. So if you were a true follower of Jehovah in that day, what are you called to do? If the government, if your king and your queen come to your town and say,

    Here's the new statue. You're supposed to come here twice a week and make a pagan sacrifice. What are you supposed to do as a true follower of God? You're supposed to disobey, aren't you? You're supposed to say, no, I'm not doing that. And people will die for that because the systems of power don't like it when the little people rise up and say, no. Is there a history of civil disobedience in the Bible? If so, can you think of some examples?

    Adam Dragoon (20:35.214)

    Was it the prostitute Rahab? Hmm, that's an interesting case. Who helped them on the wall? Is that the person I'm thinking of? Yeah, that is a correct story, but tell me why you think that that is civil disobedience. Because she wasn't supposed to welcome them in, and she also provided them a safe haven to come into the city and to do their agenda, not what the government wanted. Okay, that's good.

    Very good. Yep. That's Liana.

    Adam Dragoon (21:11.182)

    The three men who were tossed in the fire. Okay. This is a perfect example. And their names?

    so those are the names I don't like. Those are their Babylonian names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We should remember them by their Hebrew names, which is Hananiah, Meshael, and Azariah. And these three Hebrew boys, when everybody else, when everybody else was bowing down, they were saying, no, we're not gonna bow. Go ahead and kill us if you want to. But our God, who is able to save us, he is worthy of worship, and we're not gonna bow down. Yes, Noel.

    Esther. Esther? Okay, explain. When the, what was his name, Haman decided to go to the king and say that there's a bunch of people who did not want to worship and to follow his rules to get rid of them, then, what was his name? I'm trying to remember. Esther's cousin Mordecai went to her and

    telling her that she needed to figure out a way to save the people of Israel. And so they had a big fast. And at the end of it, Esther had told the king that it was Haman who wanted to get rid of them. So Haman was hanged instead of Mordecai, who was his true target, and the people of Israel. She had been put in a position of authority.

    She had a position that very few people had. She had access to the king, but even with all that access, it was very dangerous for her to present this need. There was protocol, there was different things that she was supposed to do, but she just rushes into the courtroom of the king and presents this request. She could have been killed for that, but instead, God uses her. So that's an interesting case because she's the queen. She's the queen at the time.

    Adam Dragoon (23:14.382)

    But that's normally not what civil disobedience looks like. Civil disobedience means it's being done by people at the bottom, people who don't have a lot of wealth influence in the world. Andre? You. Daniel? OK. How did he practice civil disobedience?

    Adam Dragoon (23:38.574)

    Correct. So this is a great example because in Babylon, they're trying to attack Daniel. He's an old man. He's probably up in his 70s when this happens. And they're trying to attack him. They're trying to get him out of a position. And so they can't find any flaws in his character. They can't find that he's cheating on his taxes. They can't find that he's sleeping around with prostitutes. And so the only thing that they can find is that this is a man that prays.

    So what we could do is we could go to the king of Babylon and we could tell him, hey king, did you know that Daniel prays to the God of Jehovah? He prays to the Lord most high. And that was an offense because he's not praying to the Babylonian gods. So they go to the council and they make a law. And the law says anyone who prays to any other god is going to be killed. So when that law passes, what does Daniel do? Does he hide? Does he run? Does he preach a sermon? No.

    He keeps to his practice, which is he opens up the windows, he faces Jerusalem, and he prays. He says, you do to me whatever you're going to do. So this perfect example of civil disobedience. Deanna? Moses, technically, because he may have started at the top, but he fell to the bottom after he murdered her man, originally ran. And then once he got the...

    like the message from the Lord, he went all the way back at the risk of pretty much putting not only him but the rest of his people in jeopardy, but he still was just standing up to Pharaoh so that he can free his people. And I'm sure a few of the, you know, as the, sorry, words have escaped my brain, plagues progressed and the people saw more of God's miracles, they started joining with Moses to stand up against Pharaoh.

    How about the account that led to the life of Moses? How about when Pharaoh commanded that all the Jewish boys would be killed as soon as they're born? He made a law. And so a good, well -meaning citizen is supposed to follow the law. Is that right? That's what it says in Romans. In Romans, Paul tells us that if we want to have peace in this life, it would be a good idea for you to follow the laws of the land that you live in. So what happens when...

    Adam Dragoon (25:57.198)

    The Pharaoh makes a law that says kill all the Jewish baby boys. Well, what are good and righteous people supposed to do? On one side we have a command, follow the law. On the other side we have a command, the law is telling me to kill the Jewish baby boys. What are we supposed to do? We're supposed to disobey the laws of the king, aren't we? And that's what the Hebrew midwives did. They said, we're not going to obey that commandment. We're going to do what's right in the eyes of God.

    But John the Baptist. The king and his wife, they was committing a sin and John the Baptist called it out. But in their power they could say whatever they wanted to say. But he called it out. That's right. That's why he lost his life ultimately because he is willing to call out sin even in high and public officials. How about Acts chapter 5? Who had that one? Acts chapter 5 verses 27 through 29.

    Adam Dragoon (27:00.334)

    And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood on us. But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. That's what we need in the church today. That's what we need in God's people. We're supposed to obey God, not men.

    that can lead us to civil disobedience. Can somebody think of examples where the church has been called to disobey the authority of the ruling class? Yes.

    Adam Dragoon (27:47.374)

    Yep. Yep.

    That's right. So we do our best to honor the authorities that God has put over us. But when it causes us to disobey God, when the laws of the land are going against, do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, especially in these latter days, we're going to disobey. If you're going to send the police and shut down our church service, go ahead. We were willing to risk that.

    Okay? How many churches shut down during that time? What is that? Ahab. That is Jezebel in the government colluding with Ahab in the church and Elijah with the Messiah. Where is the Elijah? Stand up and say, no! We're not going to follow your edicts. We're not going to follow your commands because they're forcing us to disobey God. What else?

    Adam Dragoon (28:46.734)

    You've got to do what your heart says is right. Follow your conscience. Absolutely. Ramon?

    Adam Dragoon (28:54.894)

    So, can we consider Noah and David's situation as civil disobedience? Noah? Noah, when he went against the crowd and David, when he decided not to pay attention to his brothers and to the king, and he told him, God has helped me before, I know He's going to help me now.

    Can that be considered civil disobedience? I think you're on the right track there, for sure. So the point of all of this is that we have to be aware that there is a Jezebel spirit at work in the world today, a spirit of tyranny, control, and guess who it's coming down on? People of faith. They would love nothing more than for every church to be shut down. They would love that. Because why? When people have a mind to serve the living God,

    then they're not the obedient sheep that they want. And so, when there is obstruction, when there are attacks against Christianity, you know what another huge attack in our world today, somebody know what I'm talking about? There's another huge area where the government, the government, the president, the cabinet, even the congress, they are forcing us to try to believe something which is not God.

    There's a few big things like that. Noelle? The LGBTQ society and the marriage act that they are trying to tell us that marriage is, they're saying that marriage is not defined by a man and a woman. It can be defined by a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Okay. Teresa, I saw your hand go up. She got it.

    Okay, trans ideology, mom.

    Adam Dragoon (30:56.206)

    they also are marrying animals and dolls and trees and bridges and bridges yeah I I don't know in a public place like that when we wouldn't have to witness their honeymoon that would be just disgusting so yep Mason pretty much you're not allowed to offend anyone for any reason despite the fact doing so offends others like we can't call

    trans person by their birth name or gender but yet they could call us bigots. Okay so again was Elijah when Elijah comes to confront King Ahab and Queen Jezebel is he angry? Is he upset? Is he sweating? Is he shouting? No he's just a mailman. I'm here to deliver God's word. What you're doing is wrong and God's gonna judge it. There's gonna be no rain. God needs people like that.

    in our world today. We're not called to hate people. We're not called to be aggressive. We are called simply to stand on the Word of God and to be prophets of our generation. So when the government says, we're going to let anybody marry whoever they want, where's the church? Ahab. The church is led by Ahab. Passive, non -confrontational. we don't want to mention anything. We don't want to say. Just...

    Just let them do whatever they want. We're just going to preach Jesus. There's a lot of churches like that. And it's not wrong to just preach Jesus. But if we're just preaching the love and the mercy, the grace, and the salvation of God and ignoring what Jezebel is doing outside of our door, then we're missing. We're missing in action. So Elijah's are necessary. We need Elijah's. Let's look at who is Elijah. Verse 1 again, Elijah the Tishbite, the inhabitants of Gilead.

    So just looking into history, this city that he's from, Tishbeh, is apparently such a small ancient town that to this day, we don't even know exactly where it is. It wasn't on the map at the time, and it's not on the map today. It's a very small place. He literally started as a no one from nowhere. Very opposite of King Ahab. Ahab, we know his lineage. We know the king before him, the king before him, the king before him, all the way back to David and Solomon. And...

    Adam Dragoon (33:25.006)

    And so Elijah is completely the opposite. There's no family history. There's no lineage. There's no, nothing has been passed. It's just he shows up. Elijah from Tishpet. Where? I don't know. That's where he's from. Why is this important for us? Why is that important to you? Mason? Come on. Any one of you can be used by God. The spirit of Elijah.

    can rest on any one of you. Doesn't matter where you're from, what's your background. If God can speak through you, then he can use you. Gilead, it says of the inhabitants of Gilead. So we know a little bit more about Gilead, which is the region where this city was located. So Gilead is a region known as a very remote place of refuge. It was a mountain area, place of a lot of peaks and valleys. It was desolate and a rocky hill country. And so,

    The Gileadites, those people from Gilead, were known, generally, as people who lacked social etiquette and educational credibility. They were kind of the backwater, the country bumpkins, we could say. How many of you have seen the TV show Alone? Interesting show, gets your attention. So if you're not familiar with it, Alone is a TV program where they take these people and they send them out into this wilderness place.

    where there's nothing, no people, and they see how long they can survive completely on their own. They give them a pack of tools and resources that they can use, but then the game is, whoever lasts the longest without any help from the outside world, that's the winner, and they get some large sum of money. And so you really see in that kind of show, if you've watched any of it, I've watched a few episodes, it's pretty interesting.

    You see that it's not just a question of do you have survival skills. So much of it is about the mental. It's about can you stay sane? Can you avoid hurting yourself? Can you gather enough food to eat? And these shows, they go on sometimes weeks, sometimes six weeks, seven weeks, two months even. And so the biggest, to me, the biggest game, the biggest factor that's gonna cause success there is,

    Adam Dragoon (35:51.054)

    Can you be okay being alone? So many of them, it's not because they don't know how to fish or cook, but it's because they can't handle being alone, completely alone. Because man was not meant to be alone. So it's a battle of will. And so when I think about Elijah, I think he would probably do really well on this show. He's an outdoorsman. He's not dependent on anybody else, for right or for wrong.

    At one point, the Bible tells us that he hiked about 100 miles of rugged terrain through the heart of Asherah worship while on Israel's most wanted list so that he could go visit the widow and her son at Zarephath. If you look at it on the map, he had to go through this very rugged terrain to get there. Second Kings chapter one, I don't think I got this one. Can somebody get this for me? Second Kings chapter one, verses seven and eight. Chris, you got that? Second Kings chapter one.

    verses seven and eight. We get a little description of Elijah the Tishbite, what the Bible says about him.

    What sort of man was he? the king demanded. What did he look like? They replied he was a hairy man and he wore a leather belt around his waist. Elijah from Tishbell, the king exclaimed. So they're trying to figure out who this guy was saying all these crazy things. They said just describe him to me. What does he look like? He's hairy. He's got a leather belt. Sound like he's from Texas. And as soon as they describe him they said, that's Elijah. I know that dude.

    He's a little weird. And what I'm saying is that that spirit of independence, now we're not saying independence from God. He is completely dependent on the word of God. He's a prophet. But he's not into the customs of the day. He's not there to impress people. Do you know who else takes on the spirit of Elijah? In the New Testament. Who else reminds you? Somebody who's a little bit off. John the Baptist, right? The Bible says he's eaten bugs out in the countryside.

    Adam Dragoon (37:56.878)

    What's wrong with this dude? But he's preaching the Word of God. He's preaching repentance. He is not there to please people. He's there to prepare the way for Messiah. So why is this important to us? Why is it important? If we're going to be able to confront the controlling Jezebel spirit and the passive Ahab spirit, then what's going to be necessary for us as prophets, as messengers of God? Chris?

    Just the confidence to stand on one's own and on God's word while everyone else is bowing down, to stand there and do what you're supposed to do, whether it may make people happy or upset, just because it's what God's called you to do. That's true, but what's the problem with that?

    Andre? You're trying to do it in your own strength. But you have to depend upon the Holy Spirit to give you the boldness. Yes. And I'll just say this, though. We as the church, we have to realize that the Holy Spirit lives in us. That's right. So we have access to that power all the time. So when we get that revelation, we're able to go through these things. We don't have to say,

    Well, I'm waiting until the Holy Spirit land on him. Because he's in us. And he said he would never leave nor forsake us. Amen. Amen. So, yeah, whatever Elijah had, we have even in a greater supply. So if the Spirit of God rested on Elijah to empower him to do what he had to do, what we have as sons and daughters of the king now, now that we've been redeemed and rescued and justified and sanctified,

    Bible says your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. That means you can be an even greater Elijah. Jesus said you'll do greater things than I did. The problem is that we don't do that and often because we're too interested in what people might think. If I really stand up for righteousness, if I really do what the Bible says, if I really sanctify my life and act as the messenger of God, how's it going to affect my paycheck? How's it going to affect

    Adam Dragoon (40:12.366)

    my family, how's it going to affect my future, where I live, what kind of stuff I own. Because often we're too worried about that stuff, right? We're too worried about the possessions, the earthly possessions and our bank accounts, and we're too worried about, you know, what kind of clothes we can wear, and we're too worried about what the world thinks of us. What Elijah shows us here is he's not worried about any of that. He says, I can get along with a burlap sack and a leather belt. I don't need to shave.

    The hairy man. Okay, so let's look at his name Elijah. This is a good name Elijah when you break it down the name means this my God is Yahweh So can you imagine being Ahab or Jezebel? Just by speaking his name. They are violating what they believe Where is my God who is Yahweh? Where is he? Where is my God is Yahweh?

    just by speaking out his name is causing them to have an internal conflict with their false world system. Can I tell you that's how the world should think about you? That just by thinking about you and your testimony and how you live for God, that that should be a speed bump whenever they think about sinning. That's how it should be. So if we break it down a little more, Elijah. Eli means the strength of the Lord.

    And Jah, of course, is short for Jehovah, or my God is Jehovah. So the literal translation when you mash those two thoughts together, I live by the strength of the Lord my God. How did this man live that kind of a life? He certainly didn't do it on his own. And it's what we're talking about. He lived by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit sustained Elijah to live beyond his natural limitations to live a supernatural life.

    The very first thing that he says in the scripture as we've read, as the Lord God of Israel lives, there will not be dew nor rain except at my word. So he is commanding the heavens to be closed. It's going to be Phoenix, Arizona from now on. No rain. He initiates a fight. You know, so often the church is trying to end fights. And sometimes we need to be starting a few. I'm not saying that we should, you know, we should be chaotic.

    Adam Dragoon (42:38.446)

    It's not chaos, right Noel? But when we are in a world that is attacking godly principles, sometimes the only way to confront that is with a fight. If you're the school kid and every day you get on the bus to go to school and you have a bully who's tormenting you every single day, sometimes the only language a bully understands is violence. We do not negotiate with terrorists. Or that's what we're supposed to be anyways.

    That's why you can't let your two -year -old, your three -year -old, your four -year -old, you cannot let them be in charge of your house. Your four -year -old has a spirit of Jezebel. I will be in control. And many parents are Ahabs. whatever you want, little baby. We've got to have a spirit of Elijah. Sometimes we've got to start a fight. Sometimes no is a confrontation. Your reign is not going to fall, Ahab. When the world is all twisted up, people of faith,

    need to be willing to confront. He's confronting the power of their false gods. Baal is worshiped as the god of rain. He's supposed to control the seasons, the crops, and fertility. So Elijah, by saying it's not going to rain, he's saying, nope, your god is not going to do what you want him to do. But see, in order for this to happen, miracles are required. Because guess what? Elijah, in his own strength, he doesn't have power over the weather.

    He needs God's miracle working power. Is that correct? He has to stand on faith to believe that God's going to carry out this edict. Okay, so if we are going to have the spirit of Elijah in our wicked world, full of Ahab and full of Jezebel, if we're going to live according to God's Word, if we're going to be the messengers that God has called us to be,

    It means that we have to live supernatural lives. Are you all with me? What does it mean to live a supernatural life? That supernatural, that word means above the natural. Okay? Our natural lives are things that we understand. We have natural lives, we understand, we go to work, you get a paycheck. That's natural. We understand. You live in a house, you pay the electric bill, you turn the switch, the light comes on. For some people, that's a miracle. But for us, that's natural. That's what we expect out of life.

    Adam Dragoon (45:03.918)

    Okay, but what I'm saying is, if we're gonna confront Ahab and Jezebel, we need supernatural lives. We need lives that include the miraculous. There is a list of miracles in the account of Elijah. Let me just go through this list. You can take your own time to do your study. But these are the miracles that the Bible says that Elijah, that God worked through Elijah. These are all in 1 Kings chapter 17.

    Number one, God stopped the rain for three and a half years in answer to his prayer. Number two, the widow of the Zarephath, her oil and flour were supernaturally renewed every day. Number three, the widow's son died and then returned to life the first resurrection in the Bible. Can you imagine that? No record of ever a resurrection ever happening, but Elijah believed God and contended for a resurrection. Number four,

    God fed Elijah with bread and meat delivered by ravens two times a day. Not a bad deal. Number five, God, at the command of Elijah, God sends fire from heaven. We're going to look at that one in its own study to destroy the prophets of Baal. Number six, God sent rain in response to Elijah's prayer after three and a half years of drought. So one day Elijah prays, Lord, don't send the rain. And God said, OK.

    And after three and a half years, now the time comes for rain. He says send the rain and God sends the rain. That's miraculous. Number seven, in 1 Kings 18, Elijah outruns a horse to escape a coming flood. You ever seen anybody that can outrun a horse? No, that requires supernatural ability. God enabled this man. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is hiding in a cave and God speaks to him through a whisper. That's a miracle.

    2 Kings 1, fire comes down from heaven two more times, and then 2 Kings 2, the final chapter of Elijah's life. Did you know Elijah did not die? He's one of only two people in the Bible. The Bible records did not taste of death. One is Enoch, the other is Elijah. Do you know anybody who doesn't have to taste of death? No, this is supernatural. So all of these things give us a window into the life of this man.

    Adam Dragoon (47:26.766)

    yet God enabled him to work all of these miracles and we know miracles don't come from man. Miracles come from God. It was a supernatural life. So why is this all important to us today? Why is it important that we know about this? Is Elijah some kind of superhero? Is he kind of some, you know, God of thunder? No, the Bible says Elijah is a man just like us. Chris, you want to add to that? As Jesus said,

    miracles that have been done before, you can do and even more now with the power of Spirit. So if all that was possible through God then, even more can be possible now through God if we just trust Him and follow His Spirit. I wish that the church would believe this. I wish the church would believe that any individual from anywhere, with any name, with any background, with any culture, doesn't matter where you're from, that any one of us can tap in to a supernatural God.

    You and I can live supernatural lives also. We can see miracles. There is a strain of Christianity in the world today called cessationism. Can somebody tell me what that is? Anybody know? Cessationism. There are some entire denominations that accept cessationism as fact. And what cessationism means, unless somebody wants to grab it, somebody know what it is? Sabin?

    that the miracles it gives to the Spirit are no longer in operation. Okay. So the argument goes that the miracles that we see in the book of Acts were only for that first generation of Christians. Were only for the apostolic age. After that, miracles ceased. That's where the name comes from. Cessationism, that things have ceased. That the miracles of God, at least in that way, have stopped. And I believe that's a complete lie. I believe that's a strategy from hell.

    I believe that the devil would love it if Christians believe that they can't believe God for miracles. The devil would love it if people wouldn't even pray for miracles. The devil would love it if people would say, well, God, we know.

    Adam Dragoon (49:37.838)

    But underneath there is a spirit of doubt which says even if you don't. Now we believe that, okay? That's true. We're gonna be like the three Hebrew boys that say, Lord, even if you don't heal me, I'm still gonna serve you. Okay, I get that. But don't let that hide a spirit of fear. Don't let that be an excuse for doubting what God can do. And so often that's what happens and our faith is limited. Listen, God enables us to live supernatural lives.

    The whole Pentecostal movement is built around God is moving. God is doing miracles. Whatever you see in the book of Acts, you can see it today. We pray for the sick. We see people get healed. We pray for deliverance. We heard a testimony, we're going to hear testimony this morning about Miss. Ernestine, God healing her body. That God still does supernatural things, supernatural timing. Listen, we know salvation is supernatural.

    And if just coming to Jesus as sinners we can be saved, if that miracle can still happen, then why not all the rest? Because all the rest of the miracles are less than the miracle of salvation. God can use your life. You can keep a spirit of Elijah on your life too. Okay, we have a few minutes for questions or comments before we close here.

    Perla. I was just thinking about, I think one pastor that I listened to, he was saying that God does not make miracles. Like he answered prayers. Like he already know what's going to happen in our life. It's kind of like, I already know what am I going to do for Savannah, whatever, next week or whatever. She might come and say, can you do this? But I already know if I might say no right now.

    but I already know what's gonna happen, right? Because I kinda have control of her life. That's a goddess, he had control of her life, and he don't always answer the prayers that we request on our time, but he already knows what he's gonna do. And those miracles are just answer prayers, because he's in the business of, you know, but we have to come to him, he want us to come to him because he's our father. I still want Savannah to come to me, you know, to request or whatever, but I already know what's gonna happen.

    Adam Dragoon (51:54.666)

    It's not like there is miracles because God, that's his business. That's what he does every day. He just, but he wants us to come to him to answer. It's born out of relationship. That's so good. We're going to look next week at how Elijah, the reason why he lives such a supernatural life, because the Bible says he's a man of prayer. He had a relationship with God and he didn't do everything right. We're going to see that too. He made some mistakes and he fell in.

    He was manipulated by Jezebel. Even an Elijah can become a target of Jezebel. But what I'm saying is that, what you're completely right, Perla, is that for us, what God does is supernatural. It's miraculous. But for God, it's normal. That's what he does every day. For God. And so we've got to begin seeing our lives through that lens. Mr. Andre. I just want to add this, because God has been dealing with me with this. You know,

    The same way we have that zeal that all things are possible through Christ, you know, and we can do all things through Christ. We have to have that same zeal with him delivering us out of our sin. Amen. Because, you know, when it comes to that, I hear a lot of people in the church own that. But when it comes to seeing it, it's like, I can't get I can't, you know, you see what I'm saying? It's every excuse when it comes to seeing it.

    God bringing us out of these addictions. Absolutely. But when it comes to that, we don't have that same God can do this. Amen. But when it comes to these other things, God can do everything. He can give me this job. He can give me that. But we the number one, the number one is bringing us out of sin. Sanctification. Sanctification. We got to have that that God can bring us out of sin and then we'll see these things to go away.

    That's all I wanted to add.

    Adam Dragoon (54:14.478)

    I believe Jesus Christ is your Son and that He died and rose again for me. I receive Him today as my Lord and Savior. May the old things of my past pass away as you make me a new creation. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit to give me strength to live for you for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. We want to help you live for God. Please join us in person for one of our upcoming church services. We are located in the heart of Virginia Beach at 1045 Linhaven Parkway.

    about one mile from the Lynn Haven Mall. Please check the show notes for links to our website and social media. You can also find a link to support this ministry with a generous donation. We would be so grateful. We look forward to sharing future messages here on the VBPH Sermon Podcast. In the meantime, we pray that God would strengthen you to serve Him with all your heart.

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Part 3: Defining the Jezebel Spirit

Originally preached May 19, 2024

1 Kings 16:29-32 NKJV - 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.

Part 2: Defining the Ahab Spirit

Originally preached May 12, 2024

1 Kings 16:29-32 NKJV - 29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who [were] before him. 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Part 1: Origins of the Ahab and Jezebel Spirit

Originally preached on April 28. 2024

Gen 3:1-7 NKJV - 1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 "but of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make [one] wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

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Sin-Revival, Self-Denial [Romans 7:7-12] | GOSPEL OF GOD, #25

Originally preached in our Mid-Week Recharge Service on May 8, 2024.

Scripture: Romans 6:16-23 NLT:

Rom 7:7-12 NKJV - 7 What shall we say then? [Is] the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, "You shall not covet." 8 But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all [manner of evil] desire. For apart from the law sin [was] dead. 9 I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. 10 And the commandment, which [was] to [bring] life, I found to [bring] death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed [me]. 12 Therefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Takeaways:

  • The existence of evil in the world is an argument for the existence of a righteous God.

  • Knowing the law in your head is not enough; it must be written on your heart.

  • Lawlessness leads to destruction and is a rejection of God's sovereignty.

  • Receiving a personal revelation of God's word leads to personal transformation.

  • Understanding the revival of sin requires recognizing one's own brokenness and the need for spiritual death. Understanding the holiness and power of God leads us to repentance and a recognition of our own sinfulness.

  • The law is not the problem; our sin is. Jesus came to fulfill the law and bring us victory over sin and death.

  • Surrendering to Jesus and allowing Him to transform our lives is the path to freedom and a new creation.

  • The blood of Jesus washes us clean and allows us to be adopted as sons and daughters of God.

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Full Transcript (Auto-Generated):

Amen. Romans chapter seven, we are continuing in this series on the book of Romans. Romans is an adventure of theology and wisdom from the apostle Paul. And so tonight we're going to look at a scripture. Paul is going to give us a powerful argument tonight about how the law interacts with our sin.

our sinful nature, our carnality. There is a relationship there tonight that Paul's going to explain to us and I pray that it will be encouraging to you before we leave this place. I want to ask you for a moment, I want to begin with a question and ask you to consider. If somebody asked you to define what is darkness, what would you say? How would you define darkness?

And maybe even one step more difficult than that is how do you define darkness without using the concept of light? It's interesting when you begin to think about it because light is a physical thing. Light is a form of electromagnetic radiation. It has physical properties. Light moves at a certain speed and even has a certain amount of mass because of its

Momentum. The people at NASA are even experimenting with incredibly large, what they call a solar sail, as a form of propulsion that they would be able to open up a fan of light, reflective material, which would be able to catch the sun's rays and propel a craft through space simply because of the power of the particles of light passing into that sail.

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But darkness, on the other hand, darkness is not a thing. In fact, darkness is nothing. It is simply the absence of light. And in the same way tonight, there's a powerful argument for the existence of God when you think about that there is evil in the world. How many have observed some evil in the world? We've seen it on display.

We've seen murder, we've seen mayhem, we've seen even in the last few weeks and months, we've seen an attempt of genocide once again in Israel. We've seen people rioting in the streets and bringing destruction. And when you see pure evil, that in fact is an interesting argument for the existence of an almighty, righteous God. In other words, tonight, the shadow

can prove the sunshine. If I'm outside on a sunny day and I pass by under a tree and I notice that there is sun shining on me, I pass under the tree's shadow and then I realize I'm in the darkness now, well what does that really prove? It proves that there is a sun that I can know the difference between darkness and light. Everybody with me so far? And in the same way if we experience evil, if we experience murder,

if we experience injustice in the world. That that is also a powerful argument that there has to be something good, otherwise how would you know that it was evil? C .S. Lewis said it like this. He said, I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. How many understand that without light we would not be able to see anything?

And also without God we would not be able to understand the difference between good and evil. Without the perfect presentation of God's law we would have no understanding of our sin. And that's exactly the argument Paul's going to make in our scripture. He says that before I knew the law I was, I was, I was, he's saying that I was not under the power of sin.

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But when I became aware of the law, the law caused sin to be revived in my heart. And you're going to see how this relationship works tonight. Let's read the scripture, Romans chapter 7, beginning with verse 7. What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not. On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness.

unless the law had said, you shall not covet. But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Verse nine is a key here in this scripture tonight. I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. We're gonna spend a little bit of time on that scripture by itself.

Let me repeat it. I was alive once without the law, but when commandment came, sin revived and I died. And that commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. Therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Let's pray tonight. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. I thank you for your word.

And I thank you for this teaching, Lord, from the book of Romans tonight, that you would cause it to come alive in our hearts, God, that we, as we gain greater understanding and revelation of your word, that it would cause even more things in our flesh, in our carnality, in our past. Cause those things to die, Lord, so that we might live forevermore. And we give you glory tonight for what you're going to do. I need your anointing and your grace. Bring clarity for this service tonight in Jesus.

mighty name. God's people would say, amen. This is a message I've titled, Sin Revival for Self -Denial. Because that's the idea of what Paul is trying to communicate to us. The law caused sin to be revived, which caused Paul to die. His carnality, his old life. Let's look first of all at the lawless life. Again, verse 9 in our scripture is the key to unlock this entire

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portion of scripture and we're going to understand it we have to understand exactly what Paul is talking about here. Verse 9 he says, I was alive once without the law. Now what is he talking about? I was alive once without the law. Now remember who this man is and who he was before Christ. Remember that he described himself as a Hebrew of Hebrews.

a Pharisee of Pharisees zealous for the work of the Almighty God, but the problem was he was not saved. So in his pre -salvation condition, do you suppose that the apostle Paul was once unaware of the laws of God? No, he was not unaware. He was not unaware of the written law from a very early age.

he and most young Jewish men would have been trained in the law. In fact, they would have, if he had gone early on into Hebrew school and into a... he was being taught under the teacher named Gamaliel, most of these Pharisees would have at least the five books of Moses memorized to heart. And the reason I mention that is because you can have the law...

even memorized in your mind without touching your heart? Is that true? Is it possible to know what the law says but to not have it written on your heart? That's what Paul is talking about. He's saying that it wasn't that he did not know the law, but he says I was once without the law. It means that it had no effect on his heart, on his mind.

on his conscience that the law was powerless over him because it was dead to him. It was just a teaching. It was just something that he would go and soak up like a sponge in his mind. He would memorize it. He would even most likely begin to study the teachings of rabbis and the interpretations even and what does this mean and what did Elijah, what did Moses...

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mean by these things and to understand that there was tradition, that there was teachings, that there was different opinions and philosophies that come out of it, but the problem was all of that teaching, it meant nothing to his heart. He was still hard -hearted toward the will of God. The law was powerless over him, and I'm saying all of that because it's possible tonight for you and I to spend lots of time in church.

to spend lots of time in the Bible app even, to listen to hundreds or perhaps thousands of sermons and still be without the law. Being without the law, this kind of person has no thought about death or what comes after, has no thought of standing before the judgment seat of Christ. People without the law are wrapped up in their own attempt at keeping

their own set of distorted moral virtues. It's what people do when they compare themselves to other people to determine their own righteousness. The person without the law is at ease and at peace. Nothing disturbs him because everything's okay. Right, think about the person who grew up in church but stopped going for one reason or another, wrapped up in career, wrapped up in hobbies.

wrapped up in taking care of the house and taking the children to Little League. Think about the person who, it's not that they've never read the Bible, it's just that the law has no effect on them. The law is dead to them. Paul remembers what that was like in his life and he says, I was without the law. And that's a powerful statement considering the incredible amount of training and learning that he would have done.

regarding the laws of Moses. It's the Pharisee who prayed, Luke 18 verse 11, God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust adulterers, or even like this tax collector. Paul remembers what his life was like in Philippians chapter 3 verse 4 before Christ. He says that if anyone thinks that they may have confidence in the flesh, I the morso,

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circumcised on the eighth day the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews concerning the law, a Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church, concerning the righteous which is in the law blameless, but reflecting on that life that he had before Christ, he says this in verse seven, what things were gained to me, these now I have counted loss for Christ. He goes on to say, I count them as rubbish.

I treat them like trash to be thrown away. Why would he say those things about his teaching and his training? Well, because he understands that even though he had incredible wisdom and knowledge and teaching and training under the laws of Moses, but all of that did not bring him to Christ. In fact, knowing those laws, being aware of them, but not having them written on his heart, what it leads to,

Listen carefully, is lawlessness. It's possible to know the law in your head, but be lawless in your heart. Are you hearing what I'm saying tonight? It's possible to know it in your head, to read the scriptures, to highlight the scriptures on your Bible app. It's possible to share some social media and know it in your mind and even memorize it.

but it misses the mark because I have observed people that if you have a biblical discussion they can have an intelligent conversation with you about what does the Word of God say? Rightly dividing the Word of Truth and yet you look at their life and there is a spirit of lawlessness. It's the idea that the law, even if I know it, even if I've heard it, even if it's been preached to me or even if I've preached it myself, but does it have an effect on us?

what paul is trying to show us here is that it's possible to know the law but to be self -exempted from it in other words it doesn't apply to me i can live how i want i can do what i want this is the perfect example of the spirit of lawlessness everybody say lawlessness in the same way church would like we live in a society that has laws right like we have traffic laws for example and i

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you know in a few months here, Jaylee's gonna be getting her learner's permit, everybody watch out. And so in order to get a learner's permit, you know, she's gonna have to get a book that's filled with laws. She's gonna have to study that and take a test. But how many understand that you could ace the test and still act like an idiot? The evidence is on every freeway in Hampton Roads.

that you can know what the book says but when you get behind the wheel you can act like a fool and you can be dangerous and even kill people because of the spirit of lawlessness you could pass the test and get an A and then throw the book and that's possible also when it comes to the word of God isn't it that's the spirit of lawlessness listen to what the Bible says about lawlessness because the Bible says a lot are you ready for this Matthew 7 verse 23

These are the words of Jesus written in red ink in my Bible. It says, I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. That means an unwillingness to submit or surrender your own heart to the laws, to the message, to the kindness, to the mercy of a holy God. Matthew 13, 41, the son of man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the things that offend and those who practice

lawlessness. It matters not if you have it in your head. What truly matters is if you do it from your heart. Jesus said, why do you say you love me when you don't obey what I tell you to do? Matthew 23, 28, even so, you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. This was the rebuke of the Pharisees. they had it all together on the outside. They had

very fine clothing and had carefully manicured their habits and their appearance and how they look before men and their prayers on the street corner and everyone looked at them and said, wow, that's a great man. But Jesus said, he said, they have their reward because all they wanted was to impress people and they got it. But you should know that none of their prayers reached heaven.

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because on the inside they had a spirit of lawlessness. They were willing to teach it to others. They were willing to study it day and night to try to memorize it. But when it came time to do what the Word of God says, it was a spirit of lawlessness. Jesus predicted that in the last days, this would be the biggest problem of the last days. The biggest problem Jesus predicted in Matthew chapter 24,

And the mark, the sign that we are in the last days is this, Matthew 24 verse 12, lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold. I don't know how you can read that scripture and not see that it's coming true before our very eyes. That even in the church world and people who call themselves Christians and yet living all kinds of ways, I don't know if you saw this, I picked up the newspaper.

it was funny i was with adam mcfeeters down there in in in florida and it was on sunday morning we we got up early and he came down to the hotel we ate some breakfast down there in the lobby and you know they had the the u s a today the only time ever read the paper you know it's when it's a sitting there and so i grabbed it because on the on the headline right in the middle the big headline that said that you said the methodist church you know i'm talking about

the United Methodist Church had a vote to remove the language from their charter regarding homosexuality, LGBTQ +, all of this, that they are basically allowing anyone to identify however they want. Can you imagine? United Methodist Church, the vote was something like 600 to 50 to allow this change to occur. You know who the United Methodist Church is? This is the movement started by Charles Wesley.

Charles and John Wesley, the second great awakening. This is a powerful movement, Salvation Army. These were street preachers. These were men that were on fire. You pass by Methodist Church, you'll see the logo. It's a world on fire, not too much different from our logo. You know what I'm saying? They were on fire. They were preaching the word of God for hundreds of years. Now they're allowing homosexuals and worse in their pulpits. I tell you, the Wesley's are rolling in their graves.

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at what has happened to the Methodist Church. I can't imagine. But what this is, listen carefully, this is a spirit of lawlessness. yeah, we know what the word says. Yeah, it's still in there, but we're just going to do whatever we want. We're going to live how we want. We're going to speak how we want. We're going to sleep with who we want. And you can't tell us anything different. That is the spirit of lawlessness.

Ultimately all sin is a spirit of lawlessness. In verse John 3 verse 4, whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. Can I tell you who else has a spirit of lawlessness? The enemy of your soul. Second Thessalonians 2 verse 7, the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way.

They're speaking about the Holy Spirit. He is the one who restrains that spirit. But then when the Holy Spirit is taken away, many people believe this is talking about the rapture. But when the lawless one is revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming, the coming of that lawless one is according to the working of Satan with all power, signs, and lying wonders. There, Satan...

and the antichrist spirit are described as the lawless one isn't that exactly what the devil did the reason why he was ejected from heaven because he wanted to be god he wanted to make the rules who do you think you are god to tell me how i need to live that is the spirit of lawlessness and what i'm telling you tonight church is that this is not a sinner thing or a church person thing this is a

human being thing. There is a part of you that wants to reject the influence and the sovereignty of an almighty God. There's a piece of us that says, I want to do it. I'll live the way I want to. And you can be educated. You can have Bible knowledge. You can go to church a thousand times and still harbor a spirit of lawlessness. How do you know? How do you know?

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Well, it's because of what it leads to. The lawless life always leads to destruction. Imagine. Imagine if you were planning a large ocean voyage across the sea. And you go down to the harbor to find a ship. And you don't inspect it. You just get on the boat and start sailing. Let's go. I need to get across the ocean. Halfway.

halfway through the voyage you go down to the bottom of the ship and to inspect the hole and find to your horror that the entire ship is full of holes. That would have been something to check before you left, right? That is a picture of the life that is lawless. You might be able to sail for a little while, but it will eventually get to you. It's like what Jesus said, living in a house whose foundation is sand.

And yeah, you might have some cover, you might have some shelter for a while. But when is it revealed? When the storm comes, when the waves, when the wind beat upon that house, and that reveals the weakness of the foundation. And Jesus said, great was its fall. Paul is speaking here. He says, I was once alive without the law. And it is possible to be alive...

It is possible even to know the law but to be without the law in your heart. Let's look then at the revival of sin. Are you all with me tonight? The revival of sin. Look at what it says next in verse 9. It says, when the commandment came. So he's describing his own personal experience. He says, there was a time I was alive without the law and then the commandment came. And what does he mean by that? What does he mean when he says the commandment comes?

It means that as he began to not just know it, but to understand it, to receive it, he found the meaning of it. In other words, that the law of the Lord became alive in his heart. That it was possible he could have had all kinds of education about the law, but it wasn't until the commandment came. It wasn't that he was just reading the letter, but he found the spirit. It means that...

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He discovered the law was not a thing to mess around with. It wasn't meant to just sit on the shelf like a dead letter, but that God had spoken that word and he would carry it out. That he would execute judgment on those who defy him and break his commandments. When he saw that the commandment had come, the next thing that happened, it says, is that sin was revived. Okay, this is where it gets pretty crazy.

When the commandment came, he says, then sin was revived. In other words, the knowledge of his brokenness before the Lord was revived. Psalm 19 verse 7 says this, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making the wise simple. Verse 9 goes on to say that sin revived and I died.

There are two Greek words to describe the word word. All right, I'm going to do a little Greek word study, right? There's two words you got to know about in the Greek language. And both of them can be translated into our English word, word. There is the idea of logos and the idea of rima. So maybe you cried like the rest of us after episode number three.

of the chosen, you know what I'm saying? So the name of that character that died, her name was Ramah, right? That name is a Greek word that is transliterated from the Hebrew. Ramah means, it can mean word. Okay, but there's a difference between logos and Ramah. So if you understand, logos is the written word. Logos is helpful because logos is what we study. Logos is what we speak.

Logos is what you hear in your ears. Logos is what Paul had. The concepts, the principles, the precepts, the philosophies, the logos. He had the logos, but he never had the rima. The rima means when God takes his logos and applies it directly to your life. The logos is what the preacher preaches, but the rima is what you receive in your heart.

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And how many know that can be different? If there's 30 people in a church service like this tonight, there is one logos because I'm preaching the same sermon, right? But God can have 30 different ramas applying to 30 different people in 30 different situations. Rama is how God takes his logos and applies it to your personal life, your personal situation. It's revelation. It's what Jesus said to Peter.

when Peter piped up and said, you are the Messiah, the son of the living God, and Jesus comes back and says, flesh and blood didn't reveal that to you, Peter. That was a rama. That was a revelation. That was something that God spoke to you. Can I ask you tonight, when's the last time you had a rama? When's the last time, I'm not just talking about you learned a scripture and memorized it. I'm not just talking about you highlighted it on your Bible app and shared it on your social media.

I'm talking about when the word became true in your heart, when it hit you and it changed you. The mark of what happens when you have more than logos, you receive a rama, what happens next is what happens to Paul. He says, sin was revived and I died. In other words, when I understood what God was saying to me,

My sinfulness was also revealed to me and I had to die. That old Saul had to go away and somebody else took his place. You know what reminded me as I was putting this together, I was reminded of that story in Isaiah. We've been reading our Bible plan through Isaiah recently and there's this account in Isaiah chapter 6, a powerful story. You've heard it preached no doubt many times.

But Isaiah has a revelation of God. In Isaiah chapter 6, he says, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne high and lifted up. The train of his robe filled the temple. We sing the song. And above the throne there was seraphim. These are special angel, angelic creatures designed and purposed for one reason, to worship the living God day and night for all eternity.

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and they cried out to one another they said holy, holy, holy is the Lord of all. I mean he's getting this vision. He's having this personal encounter of who God is. His holiness, His power, the whole earth is full of His glory. He says the posts of the door were shaken and the house was filled and he has this powerful revelation of a holy and a righteous God and you know what he's not doing? He's not bored out of his mind.

He's not falling asleep, I'll tell you that much. He's not sipping a lemonade. Hmm, I wonder what happens next. What's happening to Isaiah in this moment is the more that he realizes the holiness and the power of a righteous God, the very next thing that happens, verse five, woe is me for I am undone. See, the power of the holiness of God revealed, it uncovered something about his own life.

When you read that in the Bible, when it says, woe, woe unto, in fact the first five chapters of Isaiah, he's pronouncing woes on all these other nations because of their disobedience and rebellion against God. But now in chapter six, he sees God and now the woe comes against himself. He's cursing himself. Woe is me, I am undone. And almost, it's almost without his, it's like,

He can't stop himself from profusely speaking about his sin. It says, I'm a man of unclean lips. I dwell in the midst of a people. He's just repenting. He just can't stop. My eyes have seen the King compared to the holiness of God. Listen, I'm going to tell you, if you have an understanding, if you get a rama about the power of God's word in your life, your sin will be revived. You'll get a revelation.

I like to ask people, you know, when I'm out witnessing, I like to ask them, you believe you're a good person? You know why I like that question? Because everybody says yes. Everybody thinks they're a good person. And they might be good compared to, you know, the person who's in prison or, you know, the person who killed somebody or a drug dealer down the street. That's how we judge ourselves, isn't it? Let's put that to the test. I always ask people, do you mind if I put that to the test?

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You know, let's examine what the Bible says. How does God judge? I know how I judge. But how does God judge? Have you ever told a lie? I guess so. Don't lie to me! No. See, when we have a revelation of His Word, when we get that rama, Paul says, when I received the commandment, sin was revived and, whoa! It means I died. Think about it like this.

Imagine that in your house there's a cellar. I don't think there's a lot of cellars around here, but some places in the Midwest, there are houses that have cellars. And those cellars, maybe the doors have been shut for a long time and it gets dark and it gets nasty down there. And maybe even the walls are covered with critters. But if you open the door and you descend the steps,

but you have no light, you have no flashlight, you have no candle, you could walk down the stairs and be completely unaware of all of the cockroaches and termites and all kinds of spiders and nasty critters all over the wall. You could just walk down there, as long as you're in darkness, you're unaware of them, they're unaware of you. I'll just go down there, come right back out, no big deal. But if you bring a lantern with you, like oldie in the Indiana Jones, into the snake pit,

And you walk down there and you look around and you start seeing, this is not good. There's spiders, there's snakes, there's critters, there's rodents, there's, nasty things everywhere. That's what the law does. When the light of God's law shines into your life, when you allow the Word of God to be more than just words printed on the page, but you begin to allow them to examine your heart, you'll discover that there's a lot of critters in there.

There's a lot of cockroaches that need to be exterminated. There's some things down there, and by the way, when you bring the lantern down into that cellar, not only are you aware of them, but now they become aware of you. And the cockroaches start scurrying. And the walls start moving. We gotta get out of here. All the things that had been sleeping, dormant, are now made active and aware. I wanna tell you,

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When you get saved, when you truly give your life to the Lord, this is what happens when we try to get close to God. Have you ever done that? Have you ever tried, Lord, I just want to be close. We sang it tonight. I want to know you. I want to see your face. And God says, really?

Okay, well there's a few things we're gonna have to deal with then. We're gonna bring the smoke fog down here. We're gonna have to do some work. That's what Paul means when he says, sin was revived and I died. The law brings forth death. Remember a couple of messages ago what we said, wherever we allow to die for the Lord can then be resurrected.

In verse 9, once again, I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Can I just remind you tonight that once you have tasted and seen the Lord's goodness, His mercy, His forgiveness, once you have tasted of that, can I tell you, you are ruined for the world? Whatever pleasure you had in your sin before Christ will now be forever gone. The world is ruined.

will no longer produce the kind of pleasure that it did before. You know that? Some of the most miserable people on planet Earth are backslidden people who know what God had done for them. They walked away. Paul says, I died. The great I, the great self, the great ego has to die in the presence of the Almighty God. And so the problem though, the problem is not with the law, right?

What Paul's trying to show us, he starts this scripture by asking the question, is the law sin? And he's trying to answer, he's trying to bring clarity that no, the law is not sin. The law is not evil. The law is good and righteous and God gave us his law for a purpose, but it was not the law that was the problem. What's the problem? The problem is our sin.

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And the law is what causes that sin to stir up in our lives. Maybe you've seen it at work in your life. Maybe you've seen what it's like when you try to make a step of faithfulness to God. When you try to do something for the Lord, right? When you come to the altar and you say, Lord, Lord, I'm going to do my best. I'm going to try my hardest. And Lord, I'm going to commit myself to you. And we make our oaths and our vows and we try and we... But guess what? All of the attacks of hell double down, right?

And we leave from this place feeling all good and then it's not 24 hours later that just like the Israelites out in the desert, they start complaining and moaning and wishing they were back in Egypt. And I wish that we were different. We're not. When we try to make a step in faith so often, the law, the word of God penetrates our heart and we become sensitive and say, Lord, I want to change, but the law, it causes...

our sin to revive and then we have to die. He goes on to say that the problem is not the law, it's the sin. Verse 10, the commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death. In other words, as Paul thinks about the revelation of God as revealed through Moses, he says, listen, God was trying to help us. God was trying to bring us to life. But the problem was that when you bring the law to a sinner,

the sin is revived and then brings forth death. Verse 11, for sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it killed me. You know the devil is such a jerk.

You know what he does? It's the same devil who tempts you, right? He tempts you to sin. Like you're trying to live right, and you're just trying to mind your own business, and out of nowhere here comes this temptation from hell. And what does he tell you? come on, it's not a big deal. Everybody does this. come on, you know. Don't be such a prude, you know. Just live a little. Just do something exciting. Have a little fun, the devil says.

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And then if you fall into that temptation and your flesh is weak, the spirit might be willing, but your flesh is overcome and you enter into that temptation. And guess what? That same devil who was just telling you it wasn't a big deal. Now he comes around and he says, what have you done? How dare you? Who do you, what kind of Christian do you think you are? You could never live for God. You could never be righteous. You could never be what that preacher says you could be.

same devil on both sides bringing his condemnation lawlessness see the the problem with us is that our sin betrays us it's on his side but there is a fulfillment tonight roman seven as he goes on we're going to look at this in future message but this is how paul wraps up this argument at the end of the chapter roman seven verse twenty four

His final conclusion on this point is, wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Have you felt like that before? Have you been there? Like, what is the point of all this? God, is there any way that this is ever going to turn out good? Because guess what? Your law, I tried to obey it, but it just revived sin in me, and it caused death. And Paul comes to the point of desperation.

Who will deliver me? And he answers his own question in verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. With the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. In other words tonight, I thank God. I thank God that because of Jesus we can find victory over the body of death. Jesus is the great law fulfiller.

Remember what he said in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 17, do not think that I came to destroy the law. No. You would think that if the law was so dangerous, if it causes our sin to be revived, if it causes death and devastation and destruction, that Jesus would say, get this law out of here. But no, he did not come to destroy the law. He came to fulfill it. In other words, to fill it full.

Adam Dragoon (40:52.782)

He came to put the pieces together, to do what none of us can do. See, none of us, even in our best efforts of obeying God's law, all it does is frustrate us and get us to the point where Paul was there, wretched man that I am. That's life without Jesus. That's understanding the law but not having Jesus to help us. But if Jesus is there to help us, I want to tell you that we can find the victory.

He came to fill the law full. To take what we could not do in our own strength. He did it. He took upon himself the penalties of the law so that we don't have to. And the way that that happens tonight is when we simply put our trust and faith in the Lord Jesus. You were waiting for some heavy revelation tonight, weren't you? You were waiting for some golden nugget.

that came down from the top of the mountain but I don't have that for you what I do have is the gospel and the gospel says put your trust in Jesus who did fulfill the law who never committed sin and when we follow him when we remain close to him then the Bible says we don't have to fight with sin anymore we don't have to fight the law anymore we can put our trust in him because he has taken victory over sin over death over the grave

He has fulfilled the law and we can join him in that victory as we follow him tonight. Was that good news? That's pretty good news, right? It's good news because we don't have to remain there forever, wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? We already know the answer. Jesus. Jesus will deliver us from this body of death. But I want to tell you it's not automatic.

It doesn't come as a result of all of your experience in church. The law itself. Paul says, there was a time that I was alive without the law, even though he knew it in his mind, but not in his heart. I want to challenge you tonight. Let Jesus fulfill the law in your life. Let's bow our heads tonight, close our eyes as we bring this service to a close as we consider these truths tonight.

Adam Dragoon (43:18.03)

Before we close this service, I want to ask you, I'm not asking you how many Scriptures you've read or memorized. I'm not asking you if you've been to...

class at a seminary or theology class. Listen, we can know a lot about the Word and still not know the Word who has made flesh. Jesus is the one who fulfills the law. And any child without having any understanding, if he receives Christ as his Savior, he's got all he needs. I wonder tonight if you have it. Have you received knowledge, wisdom, and understanding?

I wonder tonight, maybe you know the logos, but do you have a remma, a revelation? Not from flesh and blood, but from God Himself. Paul says, when I got that, when I got that revelation, sin was revived in me and I died. I couldn't survive. I needed to be renewed. I needed to be made new, born again, is what Jesus said.

I wonder tonight, have you been born again? Have you been transformed from your old life? Don't tell me how close you are to Jesus if you're still living that old life. Don't tell me how great of a Christian you are if when you leave this place, your life is still full of those critters, those little nasties. Your life, there's disobedience and lawlessness at work in your heart.

saying, yeah, I know what God said, but I'm going to do it my way. I'm going to keep trying to do it my way. See, that's lawlessness tonight. Lawlessness leads to destruction. If we'll put our trust in Jesus, the Bible says He can fulfill the law so that we can avoid that destruction. Tonight, if you're not saved, if you're not right with God, I want to pray with you before we leave this place. Say, Pastor, I'm not right. I want to get right.

Adam Dragoon (45:29.294)

struggling tonight because of my sin. I've been thinking I know better than God. But He's got your attention tonight. You want to respond in faith. Say, Lord, save me. I'm lost. I'm broken. Maybe you have a revelation like Isaiah. the Lord is high and lifted up. And you don't want to be caught in your sin. You don't want to die and stand before a holy God without turning to Him and asking Him to save you. Would you do that tonight before it's too late?

Let me see your hand quickly tonight. You lift it up. Say, Pastor, pray for me. I'm not right with God, but I want to be. Would you lift it up quickly? God's speaking to you. Is there anyone here unsaved or perhaps backslidden in your heart? Maybe I described you tonight when I said that there is no such thing as a successful backslider. There are many people who are miserable because they've turned from God and now there is no pleasure in the world like there was before. Ruined to sin.

because you've seen the truth. And now it's time to come back home. God's calling on you, unsaved or back -sitting in your heart. Don't miss this opportunity. Would you lift up your hand? Can I see it quickly? Is there anyone here? God's dealing with hearts.

Thank God. Let me speak to the believer then. Amen. The Apostle Paul, as he reflected on his own life, a man who is very learned, very knowledgeable, highly educated on the laws of Moses, but he says, I was alive without the law. The Word of God, there was head knowledge, but you know what? It was not alive in my heart.

And then the commandment came and sin was revived.

Adam Dragoon (47:12.27)

And I died, he said. That's exactly the life of a believer. When the commandment comes, that means there's part of us that has to pass away. There's a part of our will. I want to tell you, surrender is a death of the will. We have to say goodbye to the old life, to the old pleasures, to the old habits, to the old mindsets. We have to be renewed in our minds.

as we are transformed into his likeness and image. Jesus came to fulfill. Listen, all of the heavy work has already been done. Jesus paid the price for us. All we have to do is surrender ourselves and submit to his will. And if you're here tonight and you say, Lord, I need some help with that. I realize that the word, the law brings condemnation, brings death, brings an end to myself, and I felt that struggle.

between the spirit and the flesh. But tonight, Lord, I need the victory. I need you to fulfill the law in my life. Overcome the destruction of my bad decisions. Overcome the temptations of hell. Take the keys of my life, of death and hell in the grave. Lord, I want the victory tonight. We're going to stand up to our feet. We're going to pray here at this altar. God's speaking to you. Would you take some time this evening to join us here as we pray?

we want self to die so that Christ can rise in our place. Paul says, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives within me. That means that the more and more that we live for Him, the less and less the world should see of you, the more and more we should see of Christ in you. We're saying goodbye to our old ways, to our old thoughts.

to our old strategies, our old habits, to our old philosophies which were leading to death. And in their place rises something new tonight. Come on church, let's cry out to the Lord. All we're called to do, submit ourselves, surrender to him.

Adam Dragoon (49:30.894)

When we will, there's blessing, there's favor, there's peace that passes understanding. Come on, let's cry out to him for just a few moments here tonight at this altar. God, we pray and listen. Can I tell you, this is why the blood of Jesus is so precious and so powerful. The blood of Jesus was shed so that we who were broken by the law, that the law brought death and destruction to us.

but it's the blood of Jesus that washes us clean. And now, as sons and daughters of the Most High God, we've been adopted into His family, and when God looks down on you, if you have received the gift of salvation and trusted in Christ, set you free, then when God looks down at you, He no longer sees a guilty law breaker. He no longer sees one with the spirit of lawlessness.

What does he see? He sees a son or a daughter. He sees one that with Christ is being redeemed. Listen to what the next chapter... I want to tell you, Romans 8 is where it starts soaring. Paul is going to kick it into another level in Romans 8. And he says this in verse 11, If the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life

to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you.

Adam Dragoon (51:08.686)

The Spirit of God will bring life to our mortal, to our bodies that are, hey, every day that passes, we're not getting better, guys. We're getting worse over time. But these mortal bodies can be strengthened. We can receive life from Christ. We are not debtors.

But we are the sons of God. Romans 8, 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Romans 8 is going to be fun. Yeah, Romans 7 gets a little dark and difficult. But Romans 8, telling you the promises of God. Come on, we're going to receive his Spirit and his life tonight. We're going to break the power of the law over our lives. And we're going to receive his life tonight. Let's lift up our hands.

And I want you to receive more than just a Logos right now. I want you to receive a Rhema from the Lord. Let Him speak to you directly, okay? Let's say this prayer. Say, God in heaven, I recognize the depth of my sin, my brokenness, Lord, my lawlessness. How many times have I done what I thought was right and ignored Your law?

ignored your word, ignored your prompting, even violated my conscience. God, I'm so sorry. I need your Spirit. Lord, I plead the blood of Jesus over my mind, my heart. Speak to me a word of life for my situation.

Lord, You are not a God who's far away, but You are close. You are here to speak to me and move on my life. Forgive me and cleanse me and set me free so I can do Your will. Lord, make me free from the bondage of the law which leads to death. Lord, I need Your Spirit.

Adam Dragoon (53:31.566)

which brings life and peace and harmony. Lord, I thank You. You've given us a path forward. Let me walk in that path in Jesus' mighty name. Amen.

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Whose Slave Are You? [Hint: You Belong to SOMEONE]

Originally preached in our Mid-Week Recharge Service on April 17, 2024.

Scripture: Romans 6:16-23 NLT:

Don’t you realize that you become (are) the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. 18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. 19 Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Takeaways:

  • Everyone is a slave to something; we must choose whether to serve sin or God.

  • Choosing sin leads to death, while choosing God leads to righteous living and freedom.

  • Being in control of our own lives is a misconception; we surrender to the Lord of this earth.

  • Serving God is a choice that brings life and freedom. Being a slave to God means surrendering our lives completely to His will and trusting that He is a perfect and loving master.

  • Choosing to be a slave to God leads to righteous living, holiness, and sanctification.

  • We should serve God with the same passion and dedication that we once served sin.

  • Being a slave to God leads to eternal life and freedom from the power of sin.

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Full Transcript (Auto-Generated):

Let's open up our Bibles to Romans, chapter 6.

We are proceeding through this incredible book, this letter written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Rome so many years ago. You can tell that the Bible is a God book and not a man book. And the way that you can tell that is because the words that we read in the Word of God are spirit and they are life. They are timeless. And what that means, some books get old. You know, you probably can remember reading a book.

10 years ago. And if you tried to pick up that same book again, there would be some truths that have lasted that would continue on. But many of the things that are written by human authors will fade. They grow old with time. They go out of date. But the Word of God is alive. It is powerful. And the reason we know that is that these words are 2 ,000 years old, written by the hand of men, but by the Spirit of God.

The reason we know it's a God book and not a man book is because when we read these words, when we study them, when we apply them to our lives, they have profound effect on us today in 2024, even though they're 2 ,000 years old or more in the word of God. The word of God is sharper than any two -edged sword. And tonight when you will...

If we will take that seriously, if we will put our trust into what God is speaking to us tonight, I believe that our lives can be changed. Not only do I believe that the Word of God is living and powerful, I believe also that God is big enough to ordain what is going to be preached when.

Adam Dragoon (02:16.334)

That's why I'm not afraid to do expository preaching. And so if you don't know that word, all it means is to take a book like Romans and step by step, verse by verse, section by section, begin preaching through it. I'm not afraid to do that because here's what I know. As we preach through the book of Romans, we're gonna find ourselves here in chapter six, verses 16 to 23. But I am confident that there are people here that God has brought you here.

and that this message is going to speak exactly to something that you're going through today on April 17th, 2024. I've been preaching the gospel long enough to know that God is faithful to arrange His exact Word to meet the need of this exact moment, and He can arrange that. He can order our steps. We will be going through certain seasons of our life that the Word of God...

that I didn't plan this. I couldn't plan it. You know, some weeks I'll preach something else if God puts it on my heart, but I don't plan out exactly every service like some preachers might because I know that God is able to speak. And so don't let me go off on a tangent tonight. We're going to look at Romans chapter 6, and I want to share with you an experience that our family had several years ago.

as we were there in Arizona. And sometimes when we were in Arizona, we like to have some family events. My wife's mother lives there, and her stepfather as well, Russ and Cynda. And a couple of years ago, they went with us, we went with them actually, and we went to a place that we had never been to before in Arizona, and it was a place called Bear -A -Zona. You remember that?

Okay, Bayrezona, what is this place? Well, this place is something called a drive -through wildlife park. Okay, it was pretty interesting. It's up there in northern Arizona, very nice place. And you can pay a fee, and they have basically a nature reserve, and they have collected animals from all around the country and even some from around the world. And they put them into these...

Adam Dragoon (04:41.582)

into these pens essentially, these large reserved areas. And you can drive your vehicle slowly through these areas and as you're driving, you'll look out the window and there's a black bear sitting there, you know, doing whatever black bears do. And look out this side and wow, there's some bison and magnificent large creatures and they're out there chowing on some straw or whatever bison do. And...

and then you can drive through and they have multiple areas in and everybody gets their cameras out and they say don't open the door stay in your vehicle these are wild animals after all and uh... you know as i was thinking about this place barizona the drive -through wildlife park i was thinking about those animals they have a pretty good don't they don't feel bad for animals in zoos

because they are living in the lap of luxury compared to their actually wild counterparts. Most animals in the wild are starving to death, but animals that live in zoos or nature parks like this, they are being taken care of, they have veterinary care. On a daily basis, they are getting their full quota of calories. They are not in want at all. We call them wild animals because you don't want to have a face -to -face confrontation with one.

But in reality, these animals are far from wild. In fact, this is one of the great problems when they bring animals into a zoo when they're young. They're trying sometimes to release them back into the wild, but often that doesn't work very well because especially if you capture them young, they don't have the skills or the abilities to hunt and kill and feed themselves. And so they end up living in the zoo for their whole lives, which is not a bad thing for most animals.

And, but so when you, when you, When I'm thinking about these animals, bison, bears, wolves, whatever they are, now you might look at them and they might be thinking to themselves, I've got a lot of freedom. And you know, inside this park, there's a lot of land for them to roam. There's a lot of places for them to go. They've got shady areas and sunny areas and they've got, they've got things to do. They've got, you know, things to keep them busy.

Adam Dragoon (07:07.182)

By the way, they've got cars rolling through every five minutes with tourists pointing cameras at them and that might be entertaining to them. They might think that they have a lot of freedom, but in reality, they are in a cage. They are in a fenced -in area. If they walked in one direction for long enough, they would run into a barrier that they could not escape. And as I was thinking about that, I think...

that that is reality for every person, saved or unsaved. And what we're going to read in our scripture tonight is this very profound truth, that there is no such thing as a truly completely free individual. I want you to ponder this for a second. What Paul, the argument that Paul is about to make is he is going to say, you are a slave. You are either...

slave of sin or you are a slave of God and the profound understanding of this scripture is that you choose. You choose who you're going to be a slave to. In Romans chapter 6, Paul is answering the logical question that comes out of his explanation of his amazing grace in chapter 5. Last week we spoke about the newness of life that Christ gave to us. This week,

We're going to look at how our slavery to God leads to freedom. And I hope that you'll catch this tonight. Romans chapter 6, beginning with verse 16. I'm going to read from the New Living Translation tonight. Don't you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? That is such a profound statement tonight. You become the slave of whatever you choose to obey.

You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I'm using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all of this.

Adam Dragoon (09:33.07)

Previously you let yourself be slaves to impurity and lawlessness which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that ended in eternal doom. But now, verse 22, you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God.

Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Let's pray. Father, we come by the blood of Jesus. I'm praying God that this scripture would help us tonight, would illuminate some areas in our lives that we can let go of and that we can surrender to you. I'm praying tonight, God, for your blessing on your words spoken tonight.

anoint these lips, God, to speak your word, and anoint the ears to hear what you want to say. We give you glory tonight in Jesus' mighty name. God's people would say, Amen. This message I've titled, Whose Slave Are You? And that is the question we must consider tonight. Let's look firstly at choosing your master. Again, the scripture that we started with, verse 16, you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey.

Now that translation is maybe a little presumptive. In the New King James it says, do you not know that whom you present yourself slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey. It's a little more convoluted in the New King James, but I think probably the translation is more accurate. The word become is not quite accurate to the verb that's there in the Greek.

Instead of saying you become the slave of whatever you choose, probably the better way to say that, you are the slave of whatever you choose to obey. In other words, tonight it's not a process. It's not something that's a 12 -step program. Whatever we choose to obey is the one that we are a slave to. This is a profound truth tonight. Every one of us is gonna make a choice in our life.

Adam Dragoon (11:59.118)

who is our master, who is the one that we serve. Paul says here that each of us have the profound and powerful ability to choose who you serve. Now there is a lie that Paul has to debunk here, and one that has echoed throughout the generations and is more powerful today than perhaps at any other time in human history.

And that is the lie. I am the master of my own destiny. I am the captain of my own ship. I will make the decisions what I do, where I go, who I talk to, what my convictions will be. How many believe that this is something that is pervasive? It's everywhere in our culture. I'm gonna do what I wanna do. I'ma be me. And whatever...

This world says whatever the preacher says, whatever the politicians say, doesn't matter because at the end of the day, I'm the one who decides. I'll decide. That is a lie tonight. It is a lie that we tell ourselves to think that we have more control than we actually do. Can I tell you, people who desire to be in control of every situation end up being very frustrated people.

If you are one of those control freaks, I will pray for you. I will pray for your spouse, and I will pray for your children. Because in the end of the day, what do you really have control over? Not a whole lot. You have control over who you choose to serve. That's the choice. The lie that says, I'm my own man, I'm my own woman, I don't serve God, I don't serve the devil, I serve me.

Well, those of you who might be old enough to remember when Bob Dylan was saved for about two years, he wrote a song. And that song is, you're gonna have to serve somebody. It might be the devil, it might be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody. I was torturing my children, making them listen to that song before the service tonight. The truth is that you have a master, and that master is not you. You are either,

Adam Dragoon (14:26.254)

serving God or you are serving sin. That is the reality. And if you think that that is not true, then you have swallowed the lie and you have believed something that is far from truth. The reality is that when you say, I'm the captain of this ship, I'm making the decisions, I'm in control, the reality is that by taking control of our own lives, we surrender it.

to the Lord of this earth, that we become sons of the father of this world. That is the devil. Patrick Henry was famous for exclaiming, give me liberty or give me death. But you know what that's turned into in 2024? It's become libertinism, not liberty. That means freedom to do whatever my carnal desires want to. It's not freedom from tyranny, it's freedom to do

anything that I want, any carnal thought that passes through my head, that is what the liberty that we fought so hard to gain has become. It's become libertinism. And so, Paul begins to show us then what are the effects of choosing sin as our master. What are the effects of that? What is the consequence of refusing to choose to follow Jesus if we don't do that?

Our scripture is very clear, verse 16, you can be a slave to sin, which leads to death. Everybody say the word death. Choosing to be a slave of sin will always lead to death. Verse 19, previously you let yourself be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Paul has explained this at great length in chapters one and two.

and partially chapter three where he described that drain circling down into death and destruction, that's what sin leads to. When we choose to serve sin, it leads deeper and darker into sin. Verse 20, when you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. He is saying here that when we were outside of Christ,

Adam Dragoon (16:51.086)

when we were not repentant, when we were not born again, then, A, if you're going to be hot, be hot. If you're going to be cold, be cold. I have a lot more respect for somebody who says, I am not a Christian, I am not a believer, I don't believe the Bible, and I'm going to live how I want to live. I have far more respect for that person than the person who says, you know what, I am a believer, I'm a Jesus follower, I'll go to church on Sunday.

but I can live however I want to. That's called lukewarmness, and Jesus said, I will spew that out of my mouth. I would much rather you be hot or cold than to be lukewarm. And that's what the point Paul is making here. He said, when you are a slave to sin, you're free from the obligation to do right. You don't have to do what God says if you're a slave of sin because you will receive exactly that penalty which...

leads to, and that is death. Verse 21, what is the result of being a slave to sin? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that will end in eternal doom. And finally, verse 23, the wages of sin is death. If you have a job, you know about wages. Wages are your just return for your labor, right? What happens if you don't get a paycheck at the end of the week?

That's fighting words. Excuse me? What am I not gonna get? Not gonna get my wages? No, no, that's not gonna happen. That's when lawsuits start, right? Wages are the just reward for your labor. And Paul says the wages of sin, the just consequence of sin is death. It makes sense. This is what God does to the sinner. He brings the wages of death. But the profound...

truth about this scripture is the power of your choice. I can choose tonight. I can choose. I will make a choice and every one of you makes your choice whether to follow Jesus or not. It is a profound choice. It is what God said. He said, I set before you today life and death and oh that you would choose life. But the thing is you don't have to.

Adam Dragoon (19:17.518)

God will not twist anybody's arm to choosing life. God will not twist your arm. He does not kick down the door. He doesn't force his way into anyone's life. He allows you to choose. He gives an invitation. God does not push anybody into heaven. He draws. He invites. He is a gentleman. He says, come and follow me. He doesn't say, do my will or else. He gives us a choice, just like in the garden.

He gave them a choice. He said, this whole garden is yours. You can have all the fruit you want, but one tree, this one belongs to me and don't touch this tree. And you have the choice. And when the time came for the temptation, God did not rush down there. He didn't send angels to jump in the way and push them away. No, he let them make a choice, didn't he? And the same is true for your life. He will not force you.

He will not stomp on your will. We serve a God who loves you enough to let you choose. Husbands, would it work if you said to your wife, honey, you are going to love me now? That doesn't work, does it? Love is a choice, true love. See, if you force someone,

to love you, that's not love, that's bondage. True love is a choice. It's an invitation to decision. And the same is true of God. He does not force anyone. He leaves us with a choice. You have the choice tonight. Every person in this world has the choice to follow Jesus or not, and that is the choice. When we choose not to follow Jesus, you might, somebody might say, well,

I don't want to make that decision. Let's put that off till tomorrow. You know, it's not that I don't want to serve Jesus. It's just that I have a lot of other things going on in my life. Not to choose is to choose. When we choose to not follow Jesus, tell this to your friends, your neighbors, your coworkers, your family members. When you choose to not follow Jesus, that means you are choosing the opposite direction.

Adam Dragoon (21:47.31)

It is a choice to not follow Jesus, which means I'm going to follow sin. I'm going to be a slave to sin and to the enemy. So the logical conclusion then, the opposite is also true. When we do choose to follow Jesus, that's us here in the house tonight. When we choose to follow Jesus, then there is also, it means that that's a choice. I am not following the ways of sin.

I'm not following the ways of the world. I'm not following my flesh. I'm not following the devil and his will for my life. And we have to make sure that we keep those lines clear tonight. We cannot have some kind of in -between path of either choosing Jesus or not choosing Jesus, which means being a slave of sin. There is no third middle option here. There is no...

I want to choose Jesus, but I still want to hang on to a few of these things over here. That does not exist. That path is not available to us. To choose Jesus means I'm turning away from my flesh. It means I'm turning away from the ways of this world. I'm turning away from the devil and his will for my life. I am turning to God. It's an interesting factoid from history.

You know, the Romans, when they were in power, when they had the greatest superpower on the earth of their time, they were masters of torture and killing people. You didn't want to mess with the Romans, right? They were bad at a lot of things, but one thing they were good at is hurting people and killing people. That's why we're confident that when Jesus went to the cross, that he was completely dead.

He wasn't 50 % dead. He wasn't 90 % dead. He was all the way dead, and they made sure by stabbing him with a spear, right? Like they were confident Jesus died and we have confidence. The Romans were good at killing people. Well, another thing they were good at doing is torturing people. And one way that they would do that is that when they would bring people captive, the story goes that,

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If there was some enemy that they wanted to really severely punish, they would take them and join a captive live person, and they would join them face to face with a dead body. Imagine this. They would tie a dead body to a living person. And so they would attach by the arms, by the neck, by the waist, by the legs. And so imagine that.

you'd be walking around every day with a dead corpse staring at your face. And that's how they would torture somebody. And it wouldn't be long until that death, that constant rotting corpse immediately in your face, that it wouldn't be long until that death spread to the living. And it was a death sentence. It caused people to be overwhelmed by the power of death.

One man, one historian described this cruel punishment. He said, That is a picture of our lives if we choose to be a slave of sin. We might have for a few years on this planet, we might have some semblance of life.

We can live, we can make decisions, we can buy a house, we can work a job. But there is a corpse attached to those who are outside of Christ. And that corpse is going to bring death. That corpse, only repentance, only when we choose, I am choosing to serve Jesus, can that old corpse be cut away from us. And we can serve Christ in freedom. It's your choice tonight. What do you choose?

You're going to have to serve somebody. And so secondly, I want to look then at embracing our new slavery. Now, I know that there's a lot of baggage attached to that word, slavery, here in the United States because of our history with slavery. But I don't want you to get hung up on the term slavery because when the Bible, this is a Bible word, when Paul says, I am a slave of God.

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That is exactly the same word, but it doesn't have all the same baggage in the original language that we do here today. But I want to say to you that we shouldn't be afraid to say, I am a slave of God. Why? Well, because the baggage of slavery in our nation, thank God that we've come a long way since slavery, but obviously we still have some way to go. But I want to say tonight, the problem with slavery in the world, and by the way,

There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in human history. There are still slaves all over the continent of Africa, Asia, and many other places. There are slaves all around the world. Slavery is a human problem. And the problem with slavery is that even in the best of conditions, the master of the slave is a sinner. And that master will inevitably, whenever you give someone power, they will abuse that power.

Is that correct? And that's why it came to such a point, even in our nation, that we had to fight a civil war over this problem. And we had to bring the 13th Amendment to outlaw it. Because slavery, when it comes to one person being a slave of another person, it always ends up really, really bad. But the reason tonight why can Paul say,

I'm a slave of Christ or I'm a slave to God. The reason that we can say that tonight is because God is not a human being. God is perfect and God does not abuse his servants. God does not abuse us when we surrender our lives to him. So that's why we shouldn't get caught up with that word because when we say a prayer, God, I surrender my life completely and totally to your will.

God is the only one who is able to receive your life and to do well. It means that your life as a slave of God is far better than your so -called freedom in the world. Because when we are slaves of God, He is able to set us free to do His will. Now listen, verse 19 says, previously you let yourself be slaves to impurity and lawlessness.

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which leads ever deeper into sin. Now, you must give yourself to be slaves to righteous living so that you'll become holy. Remember what I said, you make a choice. Either I'm gonna be a slave of sin, which leads to death, or I'm gonna be a slave to God, which means righteous living, holiness, sanctification, purity. That's what it leads to. Now listen, there are very few things that are repeated.

in all four gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, four gospel accounts, right? There's only one miracle that's repeated in all four, and that is the miracle feeding of the 5 ,000, the stories told in all four gospels. And when I looked up the scripture tonight, I was amazed to find that this saying of Jesus is one of the few sayings that is repeated in all four. Are you ready for this? If it's repeated four times by four eyewitness accounts, that means it must be pretty important.

Matthew 16, 25, whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Mark 8, 35, whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it. Almost exact. Luke 9, 24, whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. And finally, John 12,

Verse 25, he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Same saying of Jesus in all four gospel accounts. The question is, do you believe that? Do you believe what Jesus said is true? If I love my life, if I try to hang on to my life, if I try to hang on to control,

If I try desperately to do all the things I want to do, then I'm going to lose that control. But if I lose my life for the sake of Christ, for the sake of the gospel, then that means God will give it back to me. It's the picture of Moses. Oh, I love this story. Moses had a mother. Her name was Jochebed. What a beautiful story it is. In the time when Pharaoh was destroying all the little boys of the children of Israel,

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all those who were two years old and younger. And when Moses was born and he was something special about him, the Bible says that she noticed there was something radiant about this boy and she says, I must save him. And at a very young age, still a baby, she made up her mind, the only way I'm going to save this baby is to put him into a little basket and release him into the waters of the Nile River. She had no idea what was going to happen next.

She had no idea how it was going to play out. All she knew was it is safer for my baby to be in the Nile River, full of all kinds of swamp creatures, safer for my baby to be there than to be here in my home where the soldiers are going from house to house and slaying all the little boys. She had to let go of that life. And you know how God rewarded that. The story goes that floating down the river is this little basket with a baby in it and the daughter of Pharaoh is there.

taking a bath, and she sees that, she receives that baby, takes him as her own, and then the next amazing thing is that the sister of Moses was running down the side of the river at the same time watching what would happen, and she sees the Pharaoh's daughter pick up the baby, and she goes and she shouts, do you need a nurse to take care of that child? You need a babysitter? I got one this weekend. She'll work for free. And the daughter of Pharaoh says, yes, I need that.

She obviously is going to need somebody to feed the baby, to clean the baby, to take care of it. Listen, Pharaoh's daughter, she's probably a busy lady. She wants to keep the baby, but she needs help. And Sister of Moses has just the lady in mind. She goes back home and says, you're not going to believe what happened. You're not going to believe it. Moses was received by the daughter of Pharaoh, and she needs a nurse. Guess who is qualified? And so you see the illustration.

She was willing to let go of that life, and only in that way was she able to receive him. And thank God, because it is in that time that the rabbis teach that while Moses was still a baby, while he was still a young boy, that Yockebed began to train him in the ways of his people. And that's why when he grows up and becomes 40 years old, he looks out and he sees the Egyptian guards abusing the people, and something rises up in him. Where did that come from?

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came from Jochebed when he was a just a boy. She put something into him that all the training of Egypt could not take out. Maybe that's another sermon. If you want to save your life, you've got to let go of it. This is the same message as last week. Wherever you want to find a new newness of life, you've got to give a funeral, right? In the same way, wherever you want to find,

Christ, you've got to give up yourself. Now then, I want to make this point very quickly tonight. I believe that as followers of Jesus, instead of followers of sin, as slaves of God, instead of slaves of sin, I believe, I don't know about you, but my conviction is I want to serve Jesus with at least as much passion as I served my sin.

and shame on you if that's not your conviction. If we come into the kingdom and we want to give half the same effort that we used to give to the world, but that is the reality for many Christians today. When it comes to their time, oh, you know, I got time for one service on Sunday, Pastor. That's it. No more. Other than that, you know, I'm serving the world. When you were a sinner, you only served your sin for two hours a week?? I don't think so. You served your sin

with dedication. You served your flesh on a daily basis and you were willing to give all hours of the night to your sin. And then pastor says, we got another church service on Sunday. And we say, oh, why? I already did my two hours, right? Our abilities. We used to serve sin. Our money. Pastor Campbell, you know, he says when he was a sinner, he would get his paycheck and he would spend it all.

on alcohol. Thank God, I never had that privilege, that wonderful expectation, but you know that's probably not a very, we were at the baseball game the other night and you know the guy coming down the aisle saying, cold beer! And some guy behind us says, I'll take one. And he says, how much is that can of beer? $14 .50. One can of beer. And guess what? He's passing them out like candy. All day long.

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And then the pastor says, we need to raise an offering. This church always ask him for my money. Right? And if we serve, if we used to serve sin with greater efficiency, with greater effectiveness, with greater passion, with greater zeal, then we serve Jesus? That's a problem in my humble opinion. We ought to be servants of God. Why? As we close tonight, when we choose to be slaves of God,

The first reason why we would make that choice is because, as mentioned already, it's the only way to not be a slave of sin. It's the only way, it's the only escape. But that's not the only reason why we would make this decision. There's more. What Paul says in verse 22, now you do those things that lead to holiness. So reason number two to be a slave of God is that it leads to righteous living.

Now some people think of righteous living as boring, you know, little house on the prairie, you know, fundamentalism, Puritanism, that's backwards, that's, but I want to tell you something, righteous living is exciting. It's exciting, why? Because you get to be who God made you to be. You get to live in his freedom. Being a slave of God doesn't lead to anything else except a life of holiness.

Did you hear what I said? When you get saved, this is the path that you are traveling on. It is the path toward holiness. You say, pastor, that's a high bar. That's a really far away expectation, because I know who I am, right? We know that we're not perfect, that God is still working on us in many areas of our life. But the reason we aim for perfection is because if I'm striving for that, you know what?

I might not be perfect today, but I'm different than I was yesterday. And the path of following Jesus leads us to righteous living. I can tell by the fruits. Jesus said, you'll know a person by their fruit. How do they act? How do they talk? What decisions do they make? What do they do when nobody's looking? That's the real fruit. That's the mark. And you might not be perfected yet. None of us are. But we are on a path that leads to holiness.

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Romans 8 verse 30, having chosen them, he called them to come to him. Having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. God is doing a work in you. That's a good place to say amen. It is his work to sanctify and purify his bride, the church, that he might present to himself a bride spotless and clean. That's his work, and we've got to participate with him.

The third reason is that it leads to eternal life. Being a slave of God turns into righteous living, turns into eternal life. And that's a pretty nice promise, isn't it? It means that we don't need to experience annihilation and destruction that sin does. Romans 8 verse 2, because you belong to him, the power of the life -giving spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

2 Corinthians 3, 17, for the Lord is the Spirit and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, there is liberty. Galatians 5, 13, you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters, but don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. Paul is making this point. You choose. You choose who your master is. It's only one of two options.

You're either a slave of sin or you're a slave of God. It seems like a simple choice. Why would anyone choose to be a slave of sin? And yet, every day, people are going to hell. Millions of people going to hell because they've chosen by not choosing Jesus, they've made up their mind. The wages of sin is death, verse 23, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

It's a gift. That means we can't earn it. We only can receive it by faith. And I want to challenge every person here. There are places in your life God is working on you. God is, he is asking us every day to become more and more like him, to be made in his image. And the way that we do that is by giving up more of ourselves. It's the prayer of John the Baptist. Oh, that I might decrease so that he might increase.

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There is less and less evidence of sinful Adam Dragoon and more and more evidence of Christ. We want the world to see Jesus in us. That's the goal tonight. Let's bow our heads and close our eyes as we bring this service to an end. Whose slave are you?

Now before we close this service, it would be a crime for me to take such a gospel -centered scripture and not give an opportunity for people to get their heart right with God. In this moment, right now, it's possible someone's here who's not right with God, who despite outward appearances and despite habits of life, sometimes we have habits which deny the reality of what's happening inside.

It's possible to be a church member and still be a slave of sin. It's possible to go to church on Sunday and still be a slave of sin. It's possible to know scripture. It's possible to pray. It's possible to even witness to people and still be a slave of sin. Jesus said there will be many on that day who say, Lord, Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty?

many mighty works in your name. And what will he say? I never knew you, workers of iniquity. And even despite a life of doing some works for the Lord, still possible to be a slave of sin. I want to ask you for just a moment to consider the condition of your own heart right now for a moment. Ask this question, whose slave am I? It's one or the other.

not both. Say well I want to be a slave to God, good. Are you still a slave to sin? The only way to be free from death and hell is through the free gift of salvation that Paul throws in at the end there. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. He made it possible. God loves sinners. He sent his only son to die for us.

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so that whoever would believe on him would not perish but have everlasting life. And maybe you're here and you say, Pastor, I'm not sure the condition of my heart. I'm not sure if I'm truly a slave of God. I still have the power of sin at work in my life and I desperately need Jesus to set me free tonight. I want to pray with you. If someone's here this evening, you're being honest before the Lord, I need to get my heart right. I need to turn from my sin. I need to cut off that old corpse that's attached to me.

That body of death that is corrupting my life on a daily basis, leading me to a devil's hell. I want to cut that old corpse away and trust in Jesus. If that's you tonight, I want to pray with you, unsaved or backslidden. Would you get your heart right tonight before this service is over? If someone's here, you want to lift up your hand. I see that hand. Someone else, God's speaking to you. God's leading you. This is not a manipulation.

This is simply responding to the Spirit of God. Is there anyone else? Quickly, lift up your hand. Pastor, pray for me. I need what you're talking about. Maybe backslidden in your heart. It's possible for us to slip and slide back into old habits and old ways and old lifestyles. It is possible, like the children of Israel, to become re -entangled with the ways of the flesh. Is that you tonight? As we hold this out one more moment.

need to get your heart right, rededicate your heart to the Lord, is that you, can I pray with you? Anyone else quickly with uplifted hands, honest hearts, would you lift up your hand so I can see it? I want to pray with you. Amen. And you lifted up your hand, my man, would you come? We're going to pray, we're going to believe God. God's going to help us tonight. Thank you.

Oh church, we want to open up this altar for prayer, a simple message tonight. A simple but profound. Listen, we are all going to make a choice in every area of your life. Your mind, your heart, your money, your talents, your abilities, in every area we make a choice of who we're going to serve. Don't believe the lie of the enemy that you're in control, because you're not. He's in control. God is in control or he's not. And if God is not in control of your life,

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than somebody else is. I want to encourage you now, we're going to open up this altar for prayer. Let's make a space here at this altar and declare ourselves dependent upon God. Would you come forward as we pray for a few moments here at this altar? This is a place where we do what Christ commanded, where we lose our life for the sake of finding eternal life. We lose control over ourselves so that He can take control.

If God's speaking to you, don't miss this opportunity here at this altar. Let's come and let's do some business with God right now here at this altar. This is going to set somebody free tonight. Everybody has a choice to make. And I want to, I just want to remind you that when it comes to other people, okay, as believers, right, you've made up your mind, hopefully everybody here, we've made up our mind, I choose to follow Jesus. He is my God.

He is my King, Him alone do I serve. If you make up your mind. But here's the problem. Not everybody makes that same choice. And sometimes we can get angry, or we can get upset, or we can grow frustrated with people who are not making that same choice. Even when you've explained it to them, even when they understand it, even when they know the gospel clearly, and they still choose to turn away. That can be very frustrating.

And even in church, there is a clear divide between people who have chosen to give up their lives and follow Jesus and do his will and go all in 100%. And I'm going to serve Jesus with passion and fire and zeal for the kingdom. But then there's a there's another group, right? And we are encouraging and we are praying and we are rebuking sometimes and we are manipulating even sometimes.

And here's what I want to say about that tonight. If God gives people the choice, you need to let people choose. Sometimes it means bad consequences. I just want to encourage you, don't be frustrated at somebody else's decision to make their choice. And that can be painful sometimes because they're people we care about. They're children. They're fellow members of our congregation. And sometimes the answer is not

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more encouragement. The answer is, if you're going to be a slave of sin, then just go sin. Paul said, there's somebody in your congregation who's committing great sin. You need to release them to go sin. You need to allow the devil to have his way. Put them out of that congregation so it doesn't spread. I was reflecting on the story of the prodigal son, and I often wondered about the father of that prodigal son.

When the prodigal came and demanded his inheritance, remember this story? Give me my inheritance. And you know what the father did? He did not resist him. So you have it. You know what that was? In the end, it was an act of love because it accelerated the prodigal son's descent into sin. It made it faster instead of slower. Isn't that amazing? The father did not stop him from going to the far country.

but he was there to receive him when he came back. And that's the part that we've got to have in our hearts. Listen, I can't make other people's choices for them. I can't, I can't, my convictions are not the same as your convictions, but I can be willing to receive you when you're ready to serve Jesus, when you're ready to make up your mind. Okay, we're going to pray together. Let's lift up our hands tonight. I believe God is moving. God is speaking tonight. Let's say this prayer together. Say, God in heaven, I've made up my mind.

I will no longer be a slave of sin. I choose today to be a slave of God. No conditions, no reservations. My life is yours. I hold nothing back. It belongs to you. I am bought and paid for. My life has been purchased by the blood of Jesus and I recognize I do not own my life.

But you own me. You are a good Father. You are a righteous Master. I can trust my life in your hands. And I surrender totally and completely to your will for my life. I hold nothing back. My past, my present, my future belongs to you. My mind, my heart, my will.

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belongs to you. My money, my possessions, everything I hold dear belongs to you and I leave it in your hands. Help me tonight in Jesus name. Amen. Let's give him praise tonight. God we thank you. Oh we thank you God. We thank you God. We praise you. Oh Jesus hallelujah help us tonight.

Oh God, if we want to lose our life, we got to hang on. We're going to hang on to it. But if we want to keep our life for eternity, we got to be willing to let go. I remember when I was a new convert, there was a evangelist who came through and he described it like this. He said, some people come to God and they have a contract and say, I promise to serve God as long as I've got a nice house.

As long as my wife is nice to me, as long as I've got no problems, as long as there's money in the bank, and we have a bunch of conditions. I'll serve God if, signed Adam Dragoon. And we try to put that into the hands of Jesus. How many know that doesn't work? That doesn't work. That's not true submission. You know what true submission looks like? I promise to serve God and leave the conditions blank. Signed.

Adam Dragoon. You know why? Because we can trust him. He is big enough to take care of us. He is smart enough. I'm going to figure it out already. When you do life your way, it doesn't really work out too well. But when you serve him, when you follow him, he is the master of our lives. He keeps, you know, he keeps the sun and the moon and the stars all moving in perfection. So finely tuned that we can predict...

The next solar eclipse with certainty will happen in the next whatever it is, 40 years, whatever they said. And we can predict it because exactly the time and the movement of the sun and the moon and the stars and the earth and it's twirling at exactly this and we can predict it because God keeps it together. If he can hold the universe, then he can hold your life and you can trust him. We're gonna close in prayer tonight. I pray that this message would encourage you.

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You're going to be a slave to somebody and you choose. You choose tonight.

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