Lessons From Less (Wade Joye)

0:00:00.720 --> 0:00:03.880 Aren't you glad to be in the House of God today? 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:08.440 I think the only word to describe what I feel 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:12.200 in this moment is just grateful. I'm grateful to God. 0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:16.080 I'm grateful for our church. I'm grateful for Pastor Stephen 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:19.320 and Holly for giving me the amazing honor preaching God's 0:00:19.360 --> 0:00:22.080 word today because this has been our church home for 0:00:22.120 --> 0:00:25.239 fifteen years, and like Pastor said, the majority of that time, 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:28.040 I got the great honor of serving as worship pastor 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:31.160 and really living out my dream. I had my dream job. 0:00:31.240 --> 0:00:33.760 And then last year, as God led our family to 0:00:33.880 --> 0:00:37.400 enter into a new season, our church and our pastors 0:00:37.440 --> 0:00:41.080 have been so loving and supportive every single step of 0:00:41.120 --> 0:00:43.800 the way in this new journey for us. And there 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:46.720 was a conversation I had with Pastor Stephen in January 0:00:47.400 --> 0:00:49.000 where I was just trying to say thank you, and 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:51.159 I was trying to express that there's no way I 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.800 could ever say thank you enough for everything he's done 0:00:53.800 --> 0:00:57.960 for me, the investment he's made and our family, and 0:00:58.000 --> 0:00:59.800 what he said next has really stuck with me all 0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:01.680 you long. It's kind of been a guiding light for 0:01:01.800 --> 0:01:04.520 me this year. He said that the greatest way I 0:01:04.520 --> 0:01:07.200 could thank him would be to run after everything God 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.080 had put in me with all of my heart. And 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:13.640 at a time when I was questioning if I had 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:15.480 what it took, at a time when I was nervous, 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:18.039 at a time when I was scared, he spoke so 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:22.920 much just confidence and faith and belief encouraging to me. 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:25.320 And as I've been reflecting on that this week, I 0:01:25.440 --> 0:01:29.040 realized that that's all of our story. Because every Sunday 0:01:29.080 --> 0:01:32.240 we leave church believing that God can actually use us, 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:34.959 and that when He preaches, we believe that God, God 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.200 cannot just use us. He wants to use us. He 0:01:37.240 --> 0:01:39.959 wants to invite us in to his work. And so 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.039 that's kind of been my vision for this year. I'm 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:44.760 just going to run after what God put in me. 0:01:44.800 --> 0:01:47.800 So a lot has been different, but a lot of 0:01:47.840 --> 0:01:50.080 stayed the same too, because every week in our family's 0:01:50.120 --> 0:01:53.200 in church, we've made the Blakeney Campus our home. Shout 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:56.760 out to Blakeney, the rowdy crew over there, and we 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:59.600 love that we still get to sit under such amazing teaching. 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.440 We love watching our daughters thrive in our youth ministry. 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:04.640 We love going to our e group on Sunday night. 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:06.720 I have some of my e group here right here, 0:02:06.760 --> 0:02:09.000 And even when I go to minister at another church, 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.040 I still feel like I'm at home because every service 0:02:12.040 --> 0:02:14.200 of any church I ever go to, there's always an 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.840 elevation worship song in the service, usually more than one. 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:20.120 I think I've heard same God at every church I've 0:02:20.160 --> 0:02:24.000 ever been to this year. But it's beautiful. I meet 0:02:24.040 --> 0:02:26.880 epham from all over the country and meet people that said, 0:02:26.919 --> 0:02:29.560 thank you for the ministry of this church because God 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:32.639 has changed my life through it. And so as our 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:35.400 family gets ready to give in the year end offering, 0:02:35.800 --> 0:02:38.120 we are more excited and more convinced than ever that 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:41.280 this is great ground to sow into for the Kingdom 0:02:41.280 --> 0:02:44.000 of God. So if you're grateful for our church, if 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:47.359 you're grateful for our pastors and our leaders, you're grateful 0:02:47.360 --> 0:02:49.520 for what God has done in your life to this ministry. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:54.480 Put your hands together. I'm grateful to be with my 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:59.320 favorite worship team on the planet. Again. You ready for 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.600 the Word of God? All right, I'm ready to appreciate it. 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:05.560 We're going to be in Ephesians today. This is chapter three, 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:10.400 verses fourteen through twenty one, and this is what the 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.360 word of God says for this reason, I kneel before 0:03:13.400 --> 0:03:16.520 the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on 0:03:16.560 --> 0:03:20.040 earth derives its name. I pray that of his glorious riches, 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:23.040 he may strengthen you with power through a spirit in 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:25.679 your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your 0:03:25.720 --> 0:03:28.680 hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:32.640 and established in love, may have power, together with all 0:03:32.639 --> 0:03:35.560 the Lord's Holy people, to grasp how wide and long, 0:03:36.000 --> 0:03:38.680 and high and deep is the love of Christ, and 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:41.880 to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:44.480 be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.360 And maybe you've heard these next two verses. Now to 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.440 him who is able to do immeasurably more than all 0:03:50.520 --> 0:03:53.520 we ask are imagining, according to his power that does 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:55.800 that work within us. To him be glory in the 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:59.880 Church and in Christ Jesus, throughout all generations, for ever 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:05.400 and ever. Amen to Him who's able to do immeasurably more. 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:06.960 I feel like there should be a song that says 0:04:06.960 --> 0:04:09.000 something like you are more than able. I think that 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:11.960 would be That would be a great song. That song 0:04:12.040 --> 0:04:14.880 is amazing. It's fantastic. Now I know. I just read 0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:18.120 a scripture about more, but today I want to preach 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:22.440 on the topic Lessons from less, Lessons from less Let's 0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:26.680 pray together. God, we thank you for the richness of 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.480 your word and how every time your word has opened, 0:04:29.480 --> 0:04:32.120 you will speak to us. We can be confident of that. 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.920 We can be confident that you are here among us 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:37.200 right now, and you want to do a work in 0:04:37.240 --> 0:04:39.919 each one of us, whether it's Epham, whether it's in 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:43.080 the room here at Valentine or Blakeney or Gaston. God, 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:44.960 you want to speak to us who speak through your 0:04:45.000 --> 0:04:48.960 word now in Jesus name. Amen. All right, go ahead 0:04:48.960 --> 0:04:55.040 and give three high fives on your way to your seat. Now, 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:59.479 my family, did we ditched Blakeney for Balentine this week? 0:05:00.000 --> 0:05:01.800 I've got my family here. I've got my parents here, 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:03.719 the whole crew. But I do want to put a 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:06.719 picture of my family on the screen because I'm just 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.760 a proud husband and dad. So it's my wife, Ferris. 0:05:09.760 --> 0:05:13.000 We've been married for seventeen years. I've got twin girls, 0:05:13.000 --> 0:05:16.440 Adlene Leanna, they are fourteen now, and then Sidney is 0:05:16.440 --> 0:05:18.320 our youngest one. So you can see that I am 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:21.400 surrounded by women. And so the word count in our 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.520 house right now is incredibly high. Like the word per 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:28.159 minute number would blow your mind any other girl, Dad's 0:05:28.160 --> 0:05:31.240 out there, can you feel me on that. Plus I've 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.760 got two teenagers that are going through all the teenage 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.640 things at the exact same time, so please pray for me. 0:05:38.040 --> 0:05:41.360 But Sidney, she's our youngest. She's ten and Cydny's amazing. 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:44.680 She's short like her dad, so sorry, sid but she 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:48.200 more than makes up for it in personality. And my 0:05:48.240 --> 0:05:51.400 wife and I joke all the time because she Sidney 0:05:51.480 --> 0:05:54.159 is just full of personality. She's feisty, and we're laid 0:05:54.160 --> 0:05:57.200 back and Sidney's whatever the opposite of laid back is. 0:05:57.240 --> 0:05:59.119 But we know God's going to use it. God's gonna 0:05:59.200 --> 0:06:01.840 channel that for good one day. She has the spiritual, 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:06.080 spiritual gift of perseverance. So parents, you know what I'm 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.960 talking about. Whenever she gets something in her mind that 0:06:09.040 --> 0:06:12.880 she wants, she's going to wear you down until she 0:06:13.000 --> 0:06:15.200 gets it. She is going to find a way to 0:06:15.320 --> 0:06:18.200 get what she wants. And so a couple of years ago, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.520 when she was seven, she got it in her mind 0:06:21.520 --> 0:06:24.719 that she wanted to watch a shark movie. And I 0:06:24.800 --> 0:06:26.359 knew this was not going to end up in a 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:28.680 good place because she'd have nightmares, and then it would 0:06:28.720 --> 0:06:30.320 ruin our night because we'd be up all night. So 0:06:30.360 --> 0:06:32.039 I was like, Sidney, you're too young to watch a 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:35.560 shark movie. But she was set on it, and through 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:40.440 some mix of charm and stubbornness and my weakness, before 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.599 I knew it. On Friday night, Family movie Night, we 0:06:42.640 --> 0:06:47.160 were watching Jaws, and I convinced myself that not only 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:49.520 was I exposing her to one of the greatest movies 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:51.000 of all time, but I was going to teach your 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:55.800 proper ocean safety. Because I know people say that we're 0:06:55.800 --> 0:06:57.800 not on a shark's menu, but I don't buy that. 0:06:57.839 --> 0:06:59.279 I think I look like a tasty treat to a 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:03.080 shark myself. So we were watching the movie and the 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.320 girls were excited, but then about an hour into the movie, 0:07:06.320 --> 0:07:09.520 they got a little bit confused because they're like, Daddy, 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:10.960 I thought we were going to watch a shark movie, 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:13.400 but we haven't seen a shark yet. And I don't 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:14.840 know if you've seen Jaws in a while. But for 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:17.000 the whole first part of the movie, you see a 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:19.920 fin every now and then, you see some red water, 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.119 you hear the famous theme song, but you don't see 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:25.800 the full shark, and so they were complaining about it, 0:07:25.800 --> 0:07:28.080 and I was like, I promise, the shark is coming. 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:31.680 And so then finally the moment arrived that they had 0:07:31.720 --> 0:07:34.160 been waiting for, and they saw the shark, and I 0:07:34.240 --> 0:07:36.920 was waiting to heal like squeals of terror and fear. 0:07:36.960 --> 0:07:38.440 I don't know why I wanted that, but I guess 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:41.680 I wanted them to have the full experience. And instead 0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:45.880 I heard something I didn't expect. I heard laughter. And 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:48.040 I look over it and they are pointing at the shark, 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:51.320 pointing at the screen, just mocking this movie, making fun 0:07:51.360 --> 0:07:54.200 of one of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. 0:07:54.280 --> 0:07:58.000 And they're like, these special effects are awful. Marvel is 0:07:58.080 --> 0:08:02.200 so much better. This is terrible. And I couldn't convince 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:05.040 them otherwise, and you know, I kept trying to tell 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:07.520 them that, you know, that was cutting edge technology at 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:10.520 the time that Steven Spielberg knew that the shark didn't 0:08:10.520 --> 0:08:13.320 look super real, and so he went with a less 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:16.880 is more approach that he knew in order for people 0:08:16.920 --> 0:08:19.320 to truly enjoy the movie the way it was meant 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:21.440 to be enjoyed. They had to see less of the 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:24.840 thing that they went into the movie wanting to see. 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:27.680 So less is more something. I'm not teaching you anything new. 0:08:27.720 --> 0:08:30.840 You all know this. So less time on Instagram means 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.360 more time in person with the people you love. Less 0:08:34.360 --> 0:08:36.880 shopping means more money in the bank. Can I get 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:42.520 a witness on that after this weekend? You know, less 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:47.640 donuts is more abs. Now I don't personally like that. 0:08:47.720 --> 0:08:51.280 I want more donuts and more abs. I would actually 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:53.160 just settle for one AB, but I don't think the 0:08:53.200 --> 0:08:57.760 Lord has given me the ab anointing. But usually we 0:08:57.840 --> 0:08:59.800 don't like less as more when both are things that 0:08:59.800 --> 0:09:03.400 we want, we want more and more. So you want 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:08.160 more relaxation and more influence at your job. You want 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:12.160 more free time and more money. But usually a trade 0:09:12.160 --> 0:09:14.440 off has to be made in order to get something 0:09:14.480 --> 0:09:17.360 that is most important later. You have to see less 0:09:17.360 --> 0:09:20.480 of something that you want right now. So with that 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.200 tension in mind, I want to read the ty the 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:27.120 two key verses from Ephesians, and let us really think 0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.560 about what God is wanting to say to us about 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:32.520 more so now, to him who's able to do immeasurably 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:35.200 more than all we ask are imagine according to His 0:09:35.440 --> 0:09:37.600 power that is at work within us. To Him be 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.760 glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, 0:09:41.800 --> 0:09:46.360 forever and ever. Men. See that scripture used to be 0:09:46.400 --> 0:09:48.680 my cheak code when I was a worship leader, because 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:50.400 if I needed to get the people to shout, all 0:09:50.440 --> 0:09:52.640 I had to do is start talking about immeasurably more, 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.120 and people would shout about it because you should shout 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:57.760 about it. It's an awesome promise from God. It's an 0:09:57.800 --> 0:10:01.560 awesome declaration of faith because I can imagine a lot, 0:10:01.880 --> 0:10:04.280 and if God can out do what I can imagine, 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:05.959 then that sounds like a pretty sweet deal for me. 0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:10.520 But what I didn't realize is that I would also 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:12.720 I would almost treat it like God would take my 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:16.480 dreams and whatever I wanted and just like crank it 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.280 to eleven, like God just wanted to take whatever my 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:23.839 wish list was and just maximize that that immeasurably more 0:10:23.920 --> 0:10:26.319 was going to come my way, no matter what, more success, 0:10:26.400 --> 0:10:28.640 more money, more happiness. I treated it like it was 0:10:28.679 --> 0:10:32.880 Paul's Mike drop moment at the end of Ephesians. And 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:36.720 the problem with that is this, it doesn't usually line 0:10:36.760 --> 0:10:40.280 up with real life because many of you, you're looking 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:43.160 at the last year of your life and you're not 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:47.079 seeing more of what you hoped for. You're actually seeing less. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:49.840 You're seeing less of what you prayed for, less of 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:52.200 what you thought God was going to do in your life. 0:10:52.240 --> 0:10:55.800 And that can be especially painful during the holidays. So 0:10:55.880 --> 0:10:58.640 this Thanksgiving, you were looking at one less person across 0:10:58.640 --> 0:11:01.600 the table from you, that divorce that you never saw coming. 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.840 You're looking at less financial security after you just lost 0:11:06.280 --> 0:11:09.040 your job. I've got two friends right now who just 0:11:09.080 --> 0:11:13.000 got a devastating diagnosis about their unborn son where they 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:16.480 were told that he would not live past childbirth. So 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:19.600 where is a measurably more for them right now in 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:23.120 this season? You know, when Sidney was born, five weeks 0:11:23.120 --> 0:11:25.280 after she was born, we found out that she has 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:29.120 cystic fibrosis, and so we weren't shouting about a measurably 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:31.880 more in the hospital room when we got that diagnosis. 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:34.720 So here's the question we're going to wrestle with from 0:11:34.760 --> 0:11:37.400 our main text today is how can we as a 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:40.040 people of God claim to worship a god of a 0:11:40.120 --> 0:11:43.160 measurably more in a world that often feels like a 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:47.560 measurably less So as we look at this question, I 0:11:47.600 --> 0:11:49.400 think it's important that we go back and see what 0:11:49.440 --> 0:11:52.600 Paul was actually experiencing when he wrote it, because he 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.000 didn't write this as like a mic drop moment Benediction 0:11:55.080 --> 0:11:57.640 at the end of Ephesians. It's right smack dab in 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:00.400 the middle of that letter. And it's what he's says 0:12:00.559 --> 0:12:04.079 next that I think is really interesting for us to explore. 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:08.040 He says this in four verse one. He says, as 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:10.880 a prisoner for the Lord den I urge you to 0:12:10.960 --> 0:12:13.920 live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 0:12:14.320 --> 0:12:16.320 So if you're not seeing what you expected a measurably 0:12:16.360 --> 0:12:19.200 more to look like in your life right now, Paul's 0:12:19.200 --> 0:12:21.840 immeasurably more at this moment look like a prison cell. 0:12:23.080 --> 0:12:26.000 He wasn't seeing more. He was seeing less, less freedom, 0:12:26.360 --> 0:12:28.920 less visible fruit of his ministry, less of his dreams 0:12:28.960 --> 0:12:32.680 coming to life. So how could Paul still write about 0:12:32.720 --> 0:12:35.760 God doing more? Well, we know that Paul was a 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:37.600 student of the Scripture, so I wonder if bes he's 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:40.360 writing this letter, if he's thinking about Isaiah fifty five, 0:12:40.440 --> 0:12:44.000 verse eight, where it writes, my thoughts are nothing like 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:46.800 your thoughts, says the Lord, and my ways are far 0:12:46.920 --> 0:12:50.840 beyond anything you could imagine. So if God's thoughts are 0:12:50.880 --> 0:12:53.880 beyond our thoughts, and his ways are beyond what we 0:12:53.920 --> 0:12:58.000 can imagine, then maybe the way that God sees more 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:00.880 is different than the way we see more, the way 0:13:00.960 --> 0:13:05.200 we view more see Paul was writing this letter either 0:13:05.240 --> 0:13:07.520 to the church in Ephesus or to several churches in 0:13:07.520 --> 0:13:09.560 that area, and they would just pass it around and 0:13:09.559 --> 0:13:12.240 they would read it because he was trying to show 0:13:12.280 --> 0:13:14.920 them what the church should be like, what was the 0:13:14.960 --> 0:13:17.400 purpose of the church, what did it mean to follow Christ? 0:13:17.520 --> 0:13:20.200 Because so many people were coming to faith in Jesus 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:22.680 from so many different backgrounds and so many different walks 0:13:22.679 --> 0:13:25.440 of life, and there was very little blueprint for what 0:13:25.600 --> 0:13:28.280 this life in Christ was supposed to look like. And 0:13:28.280 --> 0:13:31.440 they were facing opposition from so many different things, And 0:13:31.520 --> 0:13:34.200 so Paul wanted them to know where their hope came from, 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.599 where their power was found, how they could be in 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:39.800 power to live out the Gospel, live out this life 0:13:39.880 --> 0:13:43.240 that Christ was calling them to. And in verse twenty, 0:13:43.320 --> 0:13:45.839 I think there's two words that make sense of the 0:13:45.880 --> 0:13:48.720 whole passage for us. So put Ephesians three twenty on 0:13:48.760 --> 0:13:51.920 the screen. See. Most of my life I focused on 0:13:51.960 --> 0:13:56.040 the two words immeasurably more. But I've always skipped over 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:59.400 the two words within us. And I think that is 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:02.880 the key to understanding this chapter, because the more Paul 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.840 is talking about here is less about an external wish 0:14:06.120 --> 0:14:11.360 and more about internal weight. It's less about what we see. 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:14.280 It's less about the more that we can view with 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:17.000 our own eyes, and it's really about the more that 0:14:17.040 --> 0:14:19.080 God wants to produce within us, the more that he 0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:21.080 wants to form within us, the more that he wants 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:23.720 to shape, and the more that He wants to do 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:27.840 through us. And so when you read scripture, context is everything. 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:29.520 So I want to show you some of the verses 0:14:29.600 --> 0:14:32.600 leading up to Ephesians three twenty, and notice all the 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:36.040 internal language in it. So let's see. I think it's 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:41.120 Ephesians three sixteen. I will show it. Here we go, 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:43.360 says I pray that out of his glorious riches, he 0:14:43.400 --> 0:14:45.960 may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your 0:14:46.080 --> 0:14:49.160 inner being verse seventeen, So that Christ may dwell in 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:52.960 your hearts through faith. Go to verse eighteen nineteen. I mean, 0:14:54.280 --> 0:14:56.120 there we go, that you may be filled to the 0:14:56.160 --> 0:14:59.720 measure of all the fullness of God. See paul Is 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:03.320 prayer saying that they would experience the process of sanctification. 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.000 So when you put your faith in Jesus, you're saved 0:15:07.000 --> 0:15:09.560 by grace through faith in a moment. But it takes 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:12.480 a lifetime for the Holy Spirit to work out the 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:14.520 reality of what He wants to do in your heart. 0:15:14.600 --> 0:15:17.520 It takes a lifetime to line up our hearts to 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.600 the reality of what God says we are and who 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:22.320 God says we are. And so paul is saying, there's 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:24.680 a work that God needs to do inside of you. 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:27.880 But often I want to bypass the inner work of 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:30.560 the Holy Spirit and get right to the external reward. 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:32.880 I don't know if you've ever felt that way too. 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:35.880 Now let me say this though, Do I believe God 0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.280 can do a measurably more in your circumstances and do 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:42.040 things beyond your wildest dreams? Yes, of course. I'm married 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:44.960 to the woman in my dreams. I have three amazing daughters. 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:48.120 I've seen God do miracles. This church, this is a 0:15:48.200 --> 0:15:51.880 living breathing a measurably more testimony what we have seen 0:15:51.960 --> 0:15:55.080 God do through this church. I believe what the Bible 0:15:55.120 --> 0:15:58.600 says that God is a rewarder of those who seek Him, 0:16:00.080 --> 0:16:05.320 but we are not promised are preferred more. But here's 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:08.080 what you are promised that, if you've placed your faith 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:12.200 in Jesus, God will do whatever it takes to create 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:15.680 more and more christ likeness in your heart. He will 0:16:15.680 --> 0:16:18.200 do more and more to conform you to the image 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:21.120 of Christ. And I remember one time Pastor Stephen preached 0:16:21.160 --> 0:16:24.800 on the stage and he said more is not always bigger, 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:29.560 but it's always deeper. And often the deepest work that 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:31.920 God wants to do in our heart and our faith 0:16:32.320 --> 0:16:35.320 and our character, it has to enter through the doorway 0:16:35.360 --> 0:16:37.680 of less And so that's what we're going to talk 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:41.240 about for the brief time, remaining, just three lessons from 0:16:41.320 --> 0:16:44.080 less areas of your life where you might be seeing 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:47.320 less of what you wanted, but it's an opportunity for 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:49.960 God to produce more of what He wants for you 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:53.680 in your life. So here's the first lesson. You might 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:57.400 see less certainty, but God wants you to become more confident. 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.200 You might see less serain, but God wants you to 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:07.080 become more confident. My personality love certainty, I crave at 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:09.080 chunks texting me this week something You're like, Hey, I 0:17:09.119 --> 0:17:10.760 know you're a planner, so you're only going to see this. 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.840 So like, I'm addicted to it, and this is how 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.439 bad I am, how far I take it, y'all. I 0:17:16.480 --> 0:17:19.399 look up spoilers online for my favorite TV shows and 0:17:19.520 --> 0:17:21.560 movies because I want to know what's going to happen 0:17:21.640 --> 0:17:24.200 before I go in there. I got burned by the 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:28.159 season finale of Lost, and so I decided that was 0:17:28.160 --> 0:17:29.840 never going to happen again. I'm actually am trying to 0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:33.040 get better. I'm a recovering spoiler addict. So maybe you 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:35.320 can't relate to that, but maybe this is your story. 0:17:36.640 --> 0:17:39.120 When someone texts you and says, hey, I really need 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:42.320 to talk. Can we get together later, my mind goes 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:44.840 to the worst thing I could have possibly done. I'm like, 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:46.639 what did I say? What did I do? Why did 0:17:46.680 --> 0:17:50.399 they hate me? And I'm going to get fired? And 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:52.720 so just a couple weeks ago, somebody texted and said, Hey, 0:17:52.720 --> 0:17:54.439 can we hop on zoom later today? There's something I 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.160 want to talk to you about. I spent all day 0:17:56.200 --> 0:17:58.280 worrying about it, and then it was like the most 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:03.280 encouraging Zoom call ever had. But I hate uncertainty because 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.440 I fill the gap of uncertainty with worst case scenarios. 0:18:07.520 --> 0:18:10.680 And somehow Paul Paul didn't seem to do that, or 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:12.680 at least he didn't seem to let his heart stay 0:18:12.720 --> 0:18:17.080 there because he was in an incredibly uncertain situation. He 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:19.520 was in prison, he had no idea when he would 0:18:19.520 --> 0:18:21.480 get out. If ever, he had no idea what the 0:18:21.600 --> 0:18:25.160 day would hold. But he still sounds like someone who, 0:18:25.320 --> 0:18:28.359 even in the middle of uncertainty, had confidence that God 0:18:28.480 --> 0:18:32.320 was working. And that confidence is what the Bible calls faith. 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.200 Hebrews eleven one says, now, faith is confidence and what 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.520 we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:42.399 So it's a confidence in the unseen. That means if 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:45.320 you see it, it's not faith. It's not going to 0:18:45.400 --> 0:18:47.720 take faith to walk into it. So we have to 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.040 believe that God is at work even when we don't 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:53.159 see the evidence of it in our circumstances, because in 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.280 that uncertainty is when we learn what we can really 0:18:56.320 --> 0:18:59.000 depend on and hold on to. And this is how 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:02.000 Paul breaks that down. And Ephesians three sixteen and seventeen, 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:04.960 he says, I pray that out of his glorious riches. 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:07.240 He may strengthen you with power through His spirit and 0:19:07.280 --> 0:19:10.160 your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your 0:19:10.200 --> 0:19:14.240 hearts through faith. Paul saying here that the foundation of 0:19:14.240 --> 0:19:17.440 our confidence isn't what we're walking into, it's who's walking 0:19:17.520 --> 0:19:20.439 into it with us. Paul is saying that we're not 0:19:20.480 --> 0:19:23.479 promised more certainty on this earth, but you are promised 0:19:23.520 --> 0:19:25.199 that you have a God who will never leave you, 0:19:25.440 --> 0:19:27.800 He will never forsake you. That every promise in Christ 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:33.400 Jesus is yes and amen. And I love how pastors 0:19:33.400 --> 0:19:35.440 taught us the last couple of weeks. I want to 0:19:35.440 --> 0:19:38.000 make sure I get this quote right. That confidence in 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:41.960 God's promise without commitment to his process is not dependence, 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:45.800 it's delusion. And you see, uncertainty is one of the 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:49.760 greatest invitations into that process of growing and confidence, of 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:53.440 growing in faith. So if you're a Christian, you've probably 0:19:53.480 --> 0:19:55.280 prayed at some point because I know I have God, 0:19:55.320 --> 0:19:58.400 give me more faith. But are you willing to give 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:01.800 up some of your certainty to get it? See? The 0:20:01.840 --> 0:20:04.959 least certain I've ever been in my life is when 0:20:05.000 --> 0:20:08.320 our twins Adling Leanna. They were born three months premature 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:11.879 and I've told this story before here, but when they 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:14.200 were born, they were born at twenty seven weeks. Leanna 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:17.440 was one pound fourteen ounces Adley was two pounds five ounces, 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:20.080 and the doctors didn't give them much hope of survival. 0:20:20.119 --> 0:20:23.240 And in fact, three days after they were born, we 0:20:23.280 --> 0:20:24.760 got a call from one of the doctors saying, hey, 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:26.160 you and your wife need to come up and talk 0:20:26.200 --> 0:20:29.080 to us right now. And they told us that Leanna 0:20:29.119 --> 0:20:31.679 had a Grade four brain bleed and they said she 0:20:31.680 --> 0:20:35.119 will most likely never walk, most likely never taught. They 0:20:35.200 --> 0:20:38.240 used the word vegetable, and they said that we should 0:20:38.280 --> 0:20:42.480 consider taking her off life support. And I remember how 0:20:42.520 --> 0:20:46.439 devastated we felt. We were angry, we were hurt, we 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:50.240 were scared. We didn't feel any feelings I associate with faith. 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:54.160 And after about an hour of crying, I remember Pastor 0:20:54.160 --> 0:20:57.440 Stephen called us and he was telling us, you know, 0:20:57.480 --> 0:20:59.720 you're gonna have to deal with a lot of uncomfortable conversations, 0:20:59.760 --> 0:21:01.399 and you have to deal with those. You can't ignore 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:04.240 the facts, but you can choose what you focus on 0:21:04.640 --> 0:21:06.919 in the middle of it. And he said, you know, 0:21:06.960 --> 0:21:09.719 you can't change your feelings, but you can choose your 0:21:09.760 --> 0:21:13.679 focus and so I remember, we didn't feel faith in 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:16.080 that time, so all we knew to do was just 0:21:16.119 --> 0:21:19.000 put up scriptures of promises of God all over the 0:21:19.000 --> 0:21:22.359 hospital room. And it didn't change things overnight, but it 0:21:22.359 --> 0:21:24.399 did give us the faith and the confidence to just 0:21:24.400 --> 0:21:26.920 take one step. And then we'd wake up the next 0:21:26.960 --> 0:21:29.000 day and I'd be freaking out and I'd be worrying, 0:21:29.000 --> 0:21:30.760 and I'd look at those promises, and it gave us 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.960 the faith to take another step. And people would tell 0:21:34.040 --> 0:21:36.960 us during this time, they would say something like, you know, 0:21:37.000 --> 0:21:39.560 we really admire your faith. And I didn't have the 0:21:39.560 --> 0:21:41.600 heart to tell him that it didn't feel like faith 0:21:41.640 --> 0:21:45.439 to us. It felt like desperation. And I'm here to 0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:48.040 tell you today, some of you think you have zero faith, 0:21:48.640 --> 0:21:50.679 but if you have the faith to call upon the 0:21:50.760 --> 0:21:53.240 name of Jesus and just take one step towards God, 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:55.960 you have all the faith that you will ever need. 0:21:56.080 --> 0:22:00.160 Faith doesn't feel like faith. It feels like desperately going 0:22:00.280 --> 0:22:02.840 on to a promise from God. It feels like desperately 0:22:02.920 --> 0:22:04.680 just showing up to church saying I know, if I 0:22:04.800 --> 0:22:06.720 just get in the house of God, then I can 0:22:06.720 --> 0:22:09.040 borrow someone else's faith. It means tuning in a line 0:22:09.080 --> 0:22:11.560 saying I need this word from God. It means opening 0:22:11.640 --> 0:22:13.399 up your Bible every day and saying, you know what, 0:22:13.520 --> 0:22:15.920 even if I don't feel anything right now, I know 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:18.240 God's depositing something in me and that it's going to 0:22:18.400 --> 0:22:22.439 turn out for my good. Sometimes faith is saying, you 0:22:22.440 --> 0:22:24.440 know what, this year in the year end offering. I'm 0:22:24.480 --> 0:22:26.960 not going to give from a timid standpoint of certainty, 0:22:27.160 --> 0:22:29.840 but I'm going to give from a bold standpoint of confidence, 0:22:30.119 --> 0:22:33.119 believing that everything I have comes from God and that 0:22:33.160 --> 0:22:35.800 he's a rewarder of those who seek him. See, it's 0:22:35.800 --> 0:22:39.960 about taking one step after another. And here's what's awesome. 0:22:39.960 --> 0:22:42.680 I was just thinking about this last week. I could 0:22:42.720 --> 0:22:45.679 never have imagined my family sitting on the front row 0:22:45.680 --> 0:22:49.119 of Blakeney fourteen years later healed. But God could see that. 0:22:49.640 --> 0:22:54.520 I couldn't see it. And I don't even know. I 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:56.439 don't even know if I had the faith to believe 0:22:56.480 --> 0:22:58.639 for that then. But I did have the faith to 0:22:58.680 --> 0:23:01.720 make one step. And here after you take one step 0:23:01.800 --> 0:23:04.800 after another step after another step, you look back and 0:23:04.800 --> 0:23:07.680 you've made it through valleys of uncertainty, and then that's 0:23:07.680 --> 0:23:10.080 when your confidence starts to grow because you can say 0:23:10.560 --> 0:23:13.440 I'm not certain about the economy right now, but I'm 0:23:13.480 --> 0:23:16.360 confident that God is my provider. You can say I'm 0:23:16.359 --> 0:23:19.320 not certain about the diagnosis I just got, but I'm 0:23:19.320 --> 0:23:21.919 confident that God is a healer and a sustainer and 0:23:21.960 --> 0:23:25.480 he's my strength. You can say I'm not confident about her, 0:23:25.520 --> 0:23:28.040 I'm not certain about the government right now. Lord knows 0:23:28.160 --> 0:23:30.560 we all feel that way. But you can say I 0:23:30.600 --> 0:23:33.160 am confident that I serve a king and a kingdom 0:23:33.400 --> 0:23:36.760 that can never be shaken. You know. You can say 0:23:36.800 --> 0:23:39.040 I'm not certain about what I'm walking into, but I 0:23:39.040 --> 0:23:43.000 am confident that in Christ I have a firm foundation. 0:23:44.560 --> 0:23:46.720 So God wants to produce more confidence in us. Here's 0:23:46.760 --> 0:23:50.159 the second lesson from less You might see less fulfillment, 0:23:50.760 --> 0:23:55.240 but God wants you to become more faithful. You might 0:23:55.280 --> 0:24:00.560 see less fulfillment, but God wants you to become more faithful. See. 0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:03.879 I think one of the most dangerous lies today is 0:24:03.920 --> 0:24:08.480 that life is mainly about chasing personal fulfillment. See we're 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:11.440 bombarded with that value from all sides in our culture. 0:24:11.520 --> 0:24:14.080 And not only is it a very self centered way 0:24:14.080 --> 0:24:16.080 to live, but if you play it out to its 0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:18.480 logical conclusion. It doesn't lead you to a good place, 0:24:19.200 --> 0:24:21.560 because that means you're not fulfilled in your marriage. The 0:24:21.560 --> 0:24:25.480 world says, move on. Or your boss at work challenges 0:24:25.520 --> 0:24:27.320 you to get better, the world says, well, they don't 0:24:27.320 --> 0:24:29.440 appreciate you, so quit. Even though your boss was right. 0:24:30.560 --> 0:24:32.320 You don't like something that was set in church and 0:24:32.359 --> 0:24:34.360 something stepped on your toes, Well, the world says, we'll 0:24:34.400 --> 0:24:36.320 just go find another church that you'll leave six months 0:24:36.400 --> 0:24:40.680 later for a different reason. See, we constantly uproot ourselves 0:24:40.880 --> 0:24:43.840 from actually producing fruit because we don't let our roots 0:24:43.880 --> 0:24:49.880 go down deep. And I doubt Paul felt very fulfilled 0:24:49.920 --> 0:24:53.359 in prison. Sometimes we think these Bible characters just had 0:24:53.760 --> 0:24:57.000 faith all the time. But I don't think he felt fulfilled. 0:24:57.040 --> 0:24:58.879 I don't think he saw the evidence of the impact 0:24:58.960 --> 0:25:00.840 he was making. There had to be a lot of 0:25:00.880 --> 0:25:03.399 hard questions, a lot of wrestling with God, because Paul's 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:07.000 resume looked a lot more like pain than progress. If 0:25:07.040 --> 0:25:09.040 you want proof, here's some extra credit for all you 0:25:09.040 --> 0:25:12.240 Bible nerds. Go and read about his trials in Sewod 0:25:12.240 --> 0:25:15.280 Corinthians chapter eleven, and ask yourself if it looks like 0:25:15.320 --> 0:25:18.240 a picture of dreams being fulfilled. For those of you 0:25:18.320 --> 0:25:20.240 who aren't going to do that, here's the cliff notes. 0:25:20.680 --> 0:25:25.600 Paul's resume looked like persecution, like shipwrecks, like beatings, like suffering, 0:25:25.640 --> 0:25:27.720 and it doesn't look like what I think the life 0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:31.720 of fulfillment looks like. So Paul's immeasurably more didn't always 0:25:31.760 --> 0:25:35.359 look like progress. But Paul didn't judge success by the 0:25:35.400 --> 0:25:38.440 progress that he could see, so set back after setback 0:25:38.440 --> 0:25:40.679 didn't stop him. He kept showing up to do what 0:25:40.720 --> 0:25:43.440 God had called him to do, no matter what awaited 0:25:43.520 --> 0:25:46.520 him there. So here's what I think Paul knew that 0:25:46.600 --> 0:25:48.919 I think we need to get deep in our hearts. 0:25:49.640 --> 0:25:53.840 Success isn't achieved when you feel fulfilled. Success is achieved 0:25:53.840 --> 0:25:57.560 when you have been faithful and specifically faithful to what 0:25:57.600 --> 0:26:00.280 God has called us to as followers of g Jesus. 0:26:00.359 --> 0:26:03.719 Because Paul was incredibly successful, there was an impact he 0:26:03.800 --> 0:26:06.080 was making for the Kingdom of God unlike anyone else. 0:26:06.119 --> 0:26:09.119 We are living in it two thousand years later, and 0:26:09.200 --> 0:26:11.840 sometimes I like to imagine, what if did Paul ever 0:26:11.880 --> 0:26:14.040 have those moments where he was like, you know what, God, 0:26:14.359 --> 0:26:17.320 enough is enough. I've done everything You've wanted me to do. 0:26:17.400 --> 0:26:20.080 I've said everything he wanted me to say, and nothing 0:26:20.080 --> 0:26:23.320 seems to be going right. See if Paul had backed down, 0:26:23.359 --> 0:26:27.080 If Paul had quit, the entire course of church history 0:26:27.280 --> 0:26:31.080 would have been affected. But Paul remained faithful. There was 0:26:31.200 --> 0:26:34.480 fruit because of his faithfulness, even in the times when 0:26:34.520 --> 0:26:38.520 he didn't feel fulfilled. Now, I want to make sure 0:26:38.560 --> 0:26:41.080 this is really clear, so don't mishear me. God is 0:26:41.119 --> 0:26:43.000 a good father who wants to do good things for 0:26:43.040 --> 0:26:46.520 his children. There is fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Jesus says 0:26:46.560 --> 0:26:49.240 there is abundant life in him. Like I said, I've 0:26:49.280 --> 0:26:52.160 seen God do amazing things in my family's life. I've 0:26:52.160 --> 0:26:56.000 seen them healed, I've seen prayers answered. But I've also 0:26:56.080 --> 0:26:58.480 heard God say no to things that I wanted and 0:26:58.560 --> 0:27:01.359 things that I thought would fulfill me in the moment. 0:27:02.000 --> 0:27:06.040 And as a dad, I know that not everything that 0:27:06.119 --> 0:27:08.640 is best for my daughters is what fulfills them right now. 0:27:09.480 --> 0:27:11.200 But I want them to trust me as their dad, 0:27:11.960 --> 0:27:14.080 and the same way with our heavenly father. We have 0:27:14.160 --> 0:27:16.800 to trust that he knows what is best for his 0:27:16.920 --> 0:27:19.679 creation for his children. He knows what to allow and 0:27:19.760 --> 0:27:22.399 not allow in our life and So here's what I'm learning. 0:27:22.400 --> 0:27:25.720 The Kingdom of God isn't about chasing fulfillment. It's about 0:27:25.720 --> 0:27:29.680 God fulfilling his purpose in me and through me. That's 0:27:29.720 --> 0:27:31.879 what see what God can do through you is all about. 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:35.240 So we often put God in a box thinking that 0:27:35.280 --> 0:27:37.560 he can only do what we ask or imagine. We 0:27:37.640 --> 0:27:39.760 just want him to elevate and no pun intended the 0:27:39.760 --> 0:27:41.960 thing that we want him to do. But what if 0:27:41.960 --> 0:27:43.920 God has a dream for your life that is in 0:27:43.960 --> 0:27:46.560 a completely different area. You've never even thought about it, 0:27:46.600 --> 0:27:49.600 You've never even imagined it, But it's something God wants 0:27:49.640 --> 0:27:52.280 to do through you. But because your hands are closed, 0:27:52.280 --> 0:27:55.080 and because you keep uprooting yourself trying to chase that 0:27:55.119 --> 0:27:57.000 one thing that you think this is the only way 0:27:57.040 --> 0:27:59.080 God can use me, then you miss out on the 0:27:59.119 --> 0:28:02.000 real thing God wants to do through your life. Because 0:28:02.000 --> 0:28:05.480 there's only fruit when we let our roots go down deep. 0:28:05.520 --> 0:28:07.800 And that's what Paul says in our main text. Look 0:28:07.840 --> 0:28:11.040 at this verse. I pray that you, being rooted and 0:28:11.280 --> 0:28:16.920 established in love, may have power. Power comes from being planted, 0:28:18.040 --> 0:28:21.600 from being faithfully rooted in God's love and being faithfully 0:28:21.640 --> 0:28:25.320 rooted in the things that God loves his church, the 0:28:25.320 --> 0:28:28.399 people of God, those who are made in the image 0:28:28.440 --> 0:28:30.960 of God. When we're rooted in prayer, when we're rooted 0:28:30.960 --> 0:28:35.359 in worship, when we're rooted in scripture. See, power comes 0:28:35.359 --> 0:28:37.800 from letting our roots grow deep through love, which doesn't 0:28:37.840 --> 0:28:40.720 happen when we continually uproot ourselves. We have to let 0:28:40.720 --> 0:28:43.360 our roots go down deeper when things are hard, because 0:28:43.400 --> 0:28:46.360 that is when true fruit is produced. And there are 0:28:46.360 --> 0:28:48.680 many people under the sound of my voice. You're not 0:28:48.720 --> 0:28:51.800 feeling very fulfilled right now, but God's sent a very 0:28:51.840 --> 0:28:55.480 short blonde man to tell you that because you're faithful 0:28:55.520 --> 0:28:58.120 to the things that matter to His heart, you are 0:28:58.120 --> 0:29:01.720 more successful than you think you are. You're a successful 0:29:02.080 --> 0:29:06.240 your faithful husband, your faithful wife. You're a faithful friend. 0:29:06.600 --> 0:29:09.240 You're a faithful student, You're a faithful e kids volunteer, 0:29:09.280 --> 0:29:12.720 You're a faithful e group leader. So continue to show 0:29:12.840 --> 0:29:16.320 up and be faithful. Plant yourself and the things that 0:29:16.360 --> 0:29:20.600 God loves. Plant yourself in prayer, plant yourself in service, 0:29:20.640 --> 0:29:23.640 Plant yourself and you know, be kind to the person 0:29:23.680 --> 0:29:25.480 at work that hates you and you honestly you don't 0:29:25.520 --> 0:29:27.239 like them either, but you know God has caused you 0:29:27.640 --> 0:29:30.120 to love them, keep showing up to do the next 0:29:30.240 --> 0:29:33.440 right thing, the next hard thing, the next step of obedience. 0:29:33.680 --> 0:29:36.560 And when we live that way, that is when we 0:29:36.640 --> 0:29:41.600 find true fulfillment and true impact and true fruit. All right, 0:29:41.640 --> 0:29:45.680 here's the final lesson. You might see less of your preference, 0:29:46.280 --> 0:29:49.600 but God wants you to become more purposeful. You might 0:29:49.640 --> 0:29:52.160 see less of your preference, but God wants you to 0:29:52.200 --> 0:29:55.880 become more purposeful. How many of y'all are saved by 0:29:55.880 --> 0:29:59.840 the bell fans? I'm really dating myself talking about Jaws 0:30:00.040 --> 0:30:05.240 and say by the bell. Zach Morris was my hero. 0:30:05.360 --> 0:30:07.360 I remember I took a picture of Zach to my 0:30:07.440 --> 0:30:09.520 barber and I said, give me his hair. Didn't quite 0:30:09.640 --> 0:30:11.720 work out that way, but I got the next best 0:30:11.720 --> 0:30:15.240 thing because I love I wanted Zach's cell phone, y'all. 0:30:15.240 --> 0:30:18.920 Remember that it's like the size of a toaster, just massive. Well, 0:30:18.960 --> 0:30:20.600 I didn't get the cell phone, but I was one 0:30:20.600 --> 0:30:22.640 of the first students at Spring Valley High School in 0:30:22.680 --> 0:30:25.680 nineteen ninety three to get a car phone. Y'all. Are 0:30:25.760 --> 0:30:28.560 car phones that like are attached to your car. So 0:30:28.640 --> 0:30:31.320 it was attached to my Toyota Celica, and I just 0:30:32.280 --> 0:30:33.560 I just thought I was the man. It was going 0:30:33.600 --> 0:30:35.040 to help my dating life, that I could be like, 0:30:35.080 --> 0:30:37.760 hey girl, come check out my car phone in my selica, 0:30:38.000 --> 0:30:40.560 which sounds super sketchy and creepy. So if anybody ever 0:30:40.560 --> 0:30:43.680 says that, don't do it. But I promise I had 0:30:43.680 --> 0:30:45.960 pure intentions. It didn't really work. I was a short 0:30:46.000 --> 0:30:47.480 guy in high school. I needed all the help I 0:30:47.480 --> 0:30:50.440 could get. But here's the thing about the car phone 0:30:50.480 --> 0:30:52.880 in nineteen ninety three, it didn't work a lot of 0:30:52.880 --> 0:30:55.240 the places because there weren't a ton of cell phone towers. 0:30:55.920 --> 0:30:59.240 And this was especially noticeable to me when I worked 0:30:59.280 --> 0:31:01.920 at a Christian camp up in Ridgeway, South Carolina, and 0:31:01.960 --> 0:31:05.080 I couldn't get a signal anywhere. And there was one 0:31:05.160 --> 0:31:07.040 night where there was a long line for the landline, 0:31:07.120 --> 0:31:09.600 remember those, And I was like, I'm determined, I'm going 0:31:09.680 --> 0:31:11.120 to make the call I need to make tonight. So 0:31:11.160 --> 0:31:13.240 I get in my car and I drive around the 0:31:13.280 --> 0:31:15.680 camp and I go to the very top of the camp, 0:31:15.760 --> 0:31:18.000 the highest point, which is the softball field, and I 0:31:18.160 --> 0:31:20.680 drive up and down the softball field trying to find 0:31:20.680 --> 0:31:23.560 a signal, and I eventually found the sweet spot. It 0:31:23.600 --> 0:31:26.080 was like this one tiny spot, and if I just 0:31:26.120 --> 0:31:28.280 moved a little bit forward or put my car in reverse, 0:31:28.320 --> 0:31:30.720 I wouldn't get a signal. But right there in that spot, 0:31:31.160 --> 0:31:33.200 I could make a call. I made a call to 0:31:33.240 --> 0:31:34.920 the girl that I had talked into dating me at 0:31:34.920 --> 0:31:36.600 the time, but we had to keep it quick, because 0:31:36.600 --> 0:31:38.320 a five minute call then costs as much as like 0:31:38.320 --> 0:31:43.880 your monthly bill. Now. But here's what I realized. From 0:31:43.960 --> 0:31:46.840 much of my life, I have thought about the purpose 0:31:46.880 --> 0:31:50.360 of God like that car phone, like it only worked 0:31:50.400 --> 0:31:54.040 under ideal conditions. That all of my preferences had to 0:31:54.080 --> 0:31:56.600 be met, that all of my wish lists had to 0:31:56.600 --> 0:31:58.840 be fulfilled, and so I had to search for it 0:31:58.880 --> 0:32:00.720 in the perfect job. And then I had to have 0:32:01.040 --> 0:32:03.160 the perfect family over here. And then I had to 0:32:03.160 --> 0:32:05.200 make sure I had the right them out of resource 0:32:05.240 --> 0:32:06.840 and the right amount of influence, and I had to 0:32:06.840 --> 0:32:09.800 feel all the right things, and maybe when all those 0:32:09.800 --> 0:32:14.440 things converge together, then God could finally use me. I 0:32:14.480 --> 0:32:17.920 don't know if you've ever found that, but I have it, 0:32:18.040 --> 0:32:20.080 or maybe there's like just a glimpse of it, but 0:32:20.120 --> 0:32:23.480 it quickly got messed up. Now, thankfully we don't have 0:32:23.520 --> 0:32:27.800 carphones anymore. We have we have these. This is my iPhone. 0:32:28.000 --> 0:32:29.800 You might have an Android. I'm not here to judge 0:32:29.800 --> 0:32:35.000 your phone choices, but this is a massive upgrade because 0:32:35.480 --> 0:32:37.920 it pretty much works anywhere. As long as it's with me, 0:32:38.000 --> 0:32:40.760 I can use it. So I've used this in Charlotte, 0:32:41.200 --> 0:32:44.720 I've used this in Columbia. I've used it in the UK. 0:32:44.920 --> 0:32:48.360 I've used it in Israel, use it in Australia, use 0:32:48.400 --> 0:32:53.040 it in Gaston County. I've used it in a hospital. 0:32:54.160 --> 0:32:56.280 I've used it on my way to my friend's funeral. 0:32:57.640 --> 0:33:01.840 I've used it at work. I've used it everywhere because 0:33:01.840 --> 0:33:05.720 it's portable. And what I'm really thankful for right now 0:33:06.280 --> 0:33:09.160 is that my purpose isn't like that old carphone or 0:33:09.240 --> 0:33:10.760 it had to be in one spot for God to 0:33:10.840 --> 0:33:14.719 use me. But my purpose is portable, and your purpose 0:33:14.800 --> 0:33:17.280 is portable. We carry it with us. You can be 0:33:17.400 --> 0:33:21.960 full of purpose. You can be full of purpose in 0:33:22.000 --> 0:33:23.800 the job you love. You can be full of purpose 0:33:23.840 --> 0:33:25.880 in the job that you hate. You can be full 0:33:25.920 --> 0:33:28.240 of purpose as a single person. You can be full 0:33:28.280 --> 0:33:30.280 of purpose when you're married. You can be full of 0:33:30.280 --> 0:33:32.880 purpose when everything is going wrong in your life. And 0:33:32.920 --> 0:33:35.400 you can be full of purpose when everything is going 0:33:35.480 --> 0:33:38.080 right because your purpose is not career dependent. It's not 0:33:38.160 --> 0:33:40.800 dependent on your preference. It's based on who you are 0:33:40.800 --> 0:33:45.560 and what you carry as a follower of Jesus. And 0:33:45.600 --> 0:33:48.360 Paul explains what our purpose is in Ephesians three twenty one. 0:33:48.400 --> 0:33:51.480 It says to him be glory in the Church and 0:33:51.560 --> 0:33:55.720 in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. So 0:33:55.800 --> 0:33:58.800 it's God's glory and all generations through the Church. When 0:33:58.840 --> 0:34:01.960 you build the church, you are walking in purpose. When 0:34:02.000 --> 0:34:04.840 you build the church, you are living out your purpose. 0:34:04.880 --> 0:34:07.040 But also it's when you go out and live like 0:34:07.120 --> 0:34:09.719 the Church, when you take the heart of Jesus, the 0:34:09.719 --> 0:34:12.160 heart of the Church, into every sphere of your life. 0:34:12.400 --> 0:34:15.000 That is how we glorify God. And Paul tells us 0:34:15.000 --> 0:34:16.880 what that kind of life looks like in Ephesians four 0:34:17.000 --> 0:34:19.560 one through three. As a prisoner for the Lord, then 0:34:19.600 --> 0:34:21.480 I urge you to live a life worthy of the 0:34:21.520 --> 0:34:25.880 calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, 0:34:26.000 --> 0:34:28.799 bearing with one another in love, make every effort to 0:34:28.880 --> 0:34:31.560 keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 0:34:33.120 --> 0:34:36.040 That description does not really describe our world right now 0:34:36.480 --> 0:34:39.879 at all, which is why we as the church can 0:34:39.920 --> 0:34:43.839 make such a powerful difference because when we live and 0:34:44.000 --> 0:34:47.120 love and serve and obey in a way that makes 0:34:47.239 --> 0:34:49.640 no sense to the world and makes them take notice 0:34:49.640 --> 0:34:52.239 of Jesus. So that is the life that we're meant 0:34:52.280 --> 0:34:55.000 to carry with us. So ask yourself today, am I 0:34:55.080 --> 0:34:59.200 carrying more humility and gentleness into every interaction? Am I 0:34:59.200 --> 0:35:01.759 displaying more pain in a world that runs people over 0:35:01.760 --> 0:35:04.680 in the name of greed and efficiency? Am I bearing 0:35:04.719 --> 0:35:07.560 one another's burdens and love? Am I making every effort 0:35:07.600 --> 0:35:10.000 to bring peace in a culture that only seeks to 0:35:10.040 --> 0:35:12.880 divide us? And the good news is you can be 0:35:12.960 --> 0:35:15.280 that kind of purpose, of that kind of person anywhere. 0:35:15.320 --> 0:35:18.239 You can live out your calling in any situation. That 0:35:18.320 --> 0:35:21.160 means this is good news. You might not have ended 0:35:21.200 --> 0:35:22.719 up where you thought you would have. You think you've 0:35:22.719 --> 0:35:25.680 taken too many detours, made too many mistakes, but you 0:35:25.680 --> 0:35:28.680 didn't lose your purpose. You think you're stuck in a 0:35:28.680 --> 0:35:30.640 position of less What if you stop looking at it 0:35:30.680 --> 0:35:32.759 like that and realize that you're not stuck. You're sent. 0:35:33.360 --> 0:35:38.080 You're sent to carry a measurably more into every situation. 0:35:38.200 --> 0:35:41.640 Because what if what if Paul was writing this a 0:35:41.719 --> 0:35:44.799 measurably more. Was less about what we're meant to get 0:35:45.440 --> 0:35:48.680 and more about what we're supposed to bring, bringing a 0:35:48.719 --> 0:35:52.879 measurably more light, a measurably more love, a measurably more life. 0:35:52.920 --> 0:35:55.040 And the model of what that kind of life looks 0:35:55.080 --> 0:36:00.200 like is Jesus. So how much forgiveness do offer someone 0:36:00.719 --> 0:36:04.719 A measurably more? How much generosity do I need to 0:36:04.760 --> 0:36:08.680 show A measurably more. How much integrity do I need 0:36:08.719 --> 0:36:11.919 to have in this situation A measurably more? How much 0:36:11.960 --> 0:36:14.200 compassion do I need to show my brothers and sisters 0:36:14.239 --> 0:36:18.440 who are hurting A measurably more. See this is the 0:36:18.480 --> 0:36:20.839 prayer I would love for every single person to pray 0:36:20.920 --> 0:36:25.080 every day this week. Where is God calling me to 0:36:25.160 --> 0:36:28.560 be a measurably more more like Christ and the way 0:36:28.640 --> 0:36:33.640 I love and serve others? See God answers prayer through people. 0:36:34.200 --> 0:36:36.080 And so God is going to do a measurably more 0:36:36.080 --> 0:36:38.200 than we can ask or imagine. But most of the 0:36:38.200 --> 0:36:40.680 time he wants to do it through you. And so 0:36:40.800 --> 0:36:42.920 here's what I just want to challenge you to do. 0:36:43.960 --> 0:36:45.759 Use your phone this week, instead of as a tool 0:36:45.760 --> 0:36:49.400 of distraction, make it a tool of remembrance because you 0:36:49.400 --> 0:36:53.360 can just remember my Sillys carphone iPhone illustration. And whenever 0:36:53.400 --> 0:36:55.120 you look at your phone, I want you to just think, 0:36:55.440 --> 0:36:58.080 where's God calling me to be more right now? And 0:36:58.160 --> 0:36:59.839 the text that I'm about to send and the call 0:36:59.880 --> 0:37:02.160 that I'm about to make in the meeting I'm about 0:37:02.200 --> 0:37:04.680 to walk into, as I'm about to step into my 0:37:04.760 --> 0:37:06.960 house after work, and then put your phone away because 0:37:06.960 --> 0:37:09.040 you don't want to be on it too long. But 0:37:09.080 --> 0:37:13.319 if we started asking that prayer as the church, our communities, 0:37:13.360 --> 0:37:18.560 our families, our jobs would be drastically different. See Paul 0:37:18.960 --> 0:37:22.200 gave us this promise in Ephesians to mobilize the church 0:37:22.239 --> 0:37:26.120 to be the more the world needs in Jesus. And 0:37:26.160 --> 0:37:28.200 it's not our strength that enables us to do it, 0:37:28.880 --> 0:37:32.239 because Paul also writes in Colossians one twenty seven to 0:37:32.320 --> 0:37:34.640 them God has chosen to make known among the gentiles 0:37:34.680 --> 0:37:38.239 the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, 0:37:39.000 --> 0:37:43.000 the hope of glory. That's why Paul could say God 0:37:43.040 --> 0:37:45.239 could do a measurably more in his prison, because in 0:37:45.239 --> 0:37:48.319 his prison he had Christ. And that is why you 0:37:48.880 --> 0:37:52.120 can be confident that you carry more into every situation. 0:37:52.719 --> 0:37:56.239 Because you have Christ, you are a carrier of the 0:37:56.320 --> 0:38:00.600 immeasurably more almighty power in presence of Jesus Christ, of God, 0:38:01.120 --> 0:38:03.400 and out of you is meant to flow more grace, 0:38:03.920 --> 0:38:07.080 more power, more love, and more forgiveness to a world 0:38:07.120 --> 0:38:10.279 that often sees less until you show up. So I 0:38:10.400 --> 0:38:13.520 invite you to stand as we pray together because I 0:38:13.560 --> 0:38:17.839 believe that there's some people who you need the immeasurably 0:38:17.920 --> 0:38:20.520 more touch of God this morning. So with heads bowed 0:38:20.520 --> 0:38:25.759 and eyes closed, if there's an area of your life 0:38:25.840 --> 0:38:33.600 where you need more peace, more power, more confidence, I 0:38:33.680 --> 0:38:36.000 just want you to lift your hands up. If you 0:38:36.120 --> 0:38:39.960 need God to do an immeasurably more work in you 0:38:40.440 --> 0:38:42.719 and around you, We're just going to call upon the 0:38:42.800 --> 0:38:46.560 mighty name of Jesus and So God, right now, we 0:38:46.640 --> 0:38:51.920 are so grateful that the storehouses of Heaven are not limited, 0:38:52.840 --> 0:38:56.759 that you can pour out everything that we need. God, 0:38:56.760 --> 0:38:59.440 that you see every need represented in this church, every 0:38:59.520 --> 0:39:02.560 need reper presented by people who are watching online, and 0:39:02.640 --> 0:39:06.919 you are more than able to meet that need. So God, 0:39:07.520 --> 0:39:10.399 help us just to keep our focus firmly fixed on you. 0:39:11.640 --> 0:39:15.680 So God open our eyes to how you're already moving 0:39:15.719 --> 0:39:18.319 in our life, how you're already demonstrating your love and 0:39:18.360 --> 0:39:21.360 your power and your grace. And I pray Lord that 0:39:21.480 --> 0:39:24.040 as we call out to you in our weakness, that 0:39:24.120 --> 0:39:26.359 you would fill us with your strength so that we 0:39:26.440 --> 0:39:29.200 can then be that same strength and that same love 0:39:29.239 --> 0:39:32.799 and that same more to others. So God, thank you 0:39:33.840 --> 0:39:36.040 for being a God who is able to do a 0:39:36.120 --> 0:39:39.400 measurably more than we ask or imagine. Well, thanks for 0:39:39.480 --> 0:39:41.920 joining us today for the message. And we trust that 0:39:41.960 --> 0:39:44.960 God spoke to you right where you are as we're 0:39:44.960 --> 0:39:47.719 in this year end season. If God is speaking to 0:39:47.760 --> 0:39:50.680 your life and you'd like to begin tithing or give 0:39:50.719 --> 0:39:53.000 above and beyond, we would invite you to head over 0:39:53.000 --> 0:39:56.279 to Elevationchurch dot org. There you'll find all of the 0:39:56.280 --> 0:39:59.160 information available for you to take part in the year 0:39:59.239 --> 0:40:02.160 end offering. If you haven't begun tithing, we would always 0:40:02.239 --> 0:40:05.040 encourage you to start there. Place God first in the 0:40:05.080 --> 0:40:08.080 air of your finances and begin tithing and make that 0:40:08.200 --> 0:40:11.880 a part of your every day life. If you already tithe, 0:40:11.880 --> 0:40:13.879 then would like to go above and beyond and help 0:40:13.920 --> 0:40:17.040 expand the ministry here at Elevation Church. You can also 0:40:17.120 --> 0:40:19.080 do that through the year end offering. All you have 0:40:19.160 --> 0:40:21.960 to do is click the banner at Elevationchurch dot org. 0:40:22.320 --> 0:40:24.239 You can select the campus that you're a part of. 0:40:24.280 --> 0:40:27.040 If you're a part of our online community, select online, 0:40:27.160 --> 0:40:29.200 and if you're part of one of our physical locations, 0:40:29.280 --> 0:40:32.040 make sure that you select one of those campuses. Then 0:40:32.080 --> 0:40:34.359 you can select how much you'd like to give and 0:40:34.440 --> 0:40:36.439 be a part of all that God is doing right 0:40:36.520 --> 0:40:39.480 here at Elevation Church. Again, we thank you for being 0:40:39.520 --> 0:40:41.399 a part of the family here and we can't wait 0:40:41.440 --> 0:40:44.120 to see how God works in and through your life 0:40:44.160 --> 0:40:46.520 as you open up your hands and ask God to 0:40:46.640 --> 0:40:48.960 use you right where you are. Thanks for being a 0:40:48.960 --> 0:40:49.960 part God bless