Need Meeters

0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.519 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:07.000 Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:10.360 you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.400 it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:16.960 see God is moving in your life. Enjoy. The message 0:00:17.680 --> 0:00:21.000 kind of unintentionally went into a mini series from Philippians. 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:24.160 I want to share from chapter four, Holy Spirit, give 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:29.240 me accuracy and precision to speak this word. May it 0:00:29.880 --> 0:00:31.880 get through my mouth, but may it come from your 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.800 heart Jesus Name, Amen, Philippians, Chapter four, and I want 0:00:35.800 --> 0:00:38.680 to link this message with the other messages from Philippians. One. 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:41.519 I'm not going to be dragging anybody across the stage 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:45.320 in a chain this week. I figured it's a bad pattern. 0:00:45.880 --> 0:00:51.000 But I do want to go to this great passage 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:53.560 of scripture that was originally like a ps that Paul 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:56.800 put in his letter to the Philippian Church, and he 0:00:56.960 --> 0:00:59.040 just kind of tagged it on at the end to 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:02.040 thank them for the gift that they sent to help 0:01:02.120 --> 0:01:06.240 him with his defense, his legal defense, and from a 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:09.080 prison cell, he writes, and he's like full of joy, 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.680 which is counterintuitive that you'd be in jail and have joy, 0:01:13.400 --> 0:01:15.720 or lose your job and still trust God and call 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:18.920 him your provider, or be single but still know that 0:01:18.920 --> 0:01:23.039 you're not alone. Or maybe be wronged, but know that 0:01:23.080 --> 0:01:27.000 God is even using that to ultimately bless your life 0:01:27.080 --> 0:01:30.119 and to use you. And all of this is taught 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.760 in the Book of Philippians. But I find myself coming 0:01:32.800 --> 0:01:36.520 back to this section, which is like a ps not 0:01:36.560 --> 0:01:41.120 only a PostScript to use an old letter writing term, 0:01:41.560 --> 0:01:45.960 but also it's a perspective shift. So we're going to 0:01:46.040 --> 0:01:50.280 see the power of a perspective shift today. Philippians, chapter four, 0:01:51.880 --> 0:01:56.080 verse ten through nineteen. I rejoice greatly in the Lord 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:01.120 that you at last renewed your concern for me. I 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.760 was laughing when I read that. He's like, thanks, I 0:02:03.760 --> 0:02:08.040 got your gift. It's about time. I didn't think that 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:11.399 was very good etiquette, very good thank you note etiquette. 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:16.800 I got the gift finally, But then he clarifies, indeed, 0:02:17.880 --> 0:02:21.919 you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:25.600 I'm not saying this because I'm in need, for I 0:02:25.680 --> 0:02:29.440 have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. Just touch 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:31.440 the person next to you and say I'm good, I promise. 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:36.720 I know what it is to be in need, and 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:38.520 I know what it is to have plenty. I have 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:42.000 learned the secret of being content. I wasn't born this way. 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:45.960 I was born screaming my head off. I was selfish 0:02:46.040 --> 0:02:49.360 when I was two. But I'm maturing and I have 0:02:49.560 --> 0:02:53.880 learned to be content. I've learned that you can complain, 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:55.880 but it won't do any good and people won't like you. 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:00.799 So I'm learning amen to be content, whatever the circumstances, 0:03:00.840 --> 0:03:02.200 because I know what it is to be in need, 0:03:02.240 --> 0:03:03.560 I know what it is to have plenty. I've learned 0:03:03.560 --> 0:03:05.880 the secret of being content in any and every situation, 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.919 whether wealth that are hungry, whether living in plenty or 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:11.560 in want. And I can do all this through Him 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:14.840 who gives me strength. I call that the international bingch 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:18.840 press verse where you see these posters in every Christian 0:03:18.880 --> 0:03:22.560 school weight room all over the world. But it's got 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.520 a little deeper meaning than that. It's about the sufficiency 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:28.520 of God's spirit in every situation. And I just feel 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:32.440 good today. I feel I feel relaxed and happy about 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:36.520 this message. Verse fourteen. Yet it was good of you 0:03:36.600 --> 0:03:40.200 to share in my troubles Moreover, as you Philippians know, 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:43.760 in the early days of your acquaintance with the Gospel, 0:03:44.000 --> 0:03:47.520 when I set out for Macedonia, not one church shared 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:51.080 with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you. 0:03:51.720 --> 0:03:56.680 Only you were there for me. You were there for me, 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:58.360 and I won't forget it, for even when I was 0:03:58.360 --> 0:04:05.000 in Thessalonika sent me aid more than once when I 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:07.960 was in need. It's kind of confusing because he keeps 0:04:08.000 --> 0:04:11.360 going back and forth. I don't need anything yet, thank 0:04:11.400 --> 0:04:13.680 you for meeting my needs. But I don't need anything, 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:15.600 And I'm like, well, Paul, if you don't need it, 0:04:15.600 --> 0:04:19.679 can we have it back because we need it. You know. Look, 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:24.279 not that I desire your gifts. What I desire is 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:28.000 that more be credited to your account. I have received 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:32.680 full payment and have more than enough. I am amply 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:36.120 supplied now that I have received from a paphroditis that 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:41.120 gives you sent They're a fragrant offering an acceptable sacrifice, 0:04:41.480 --> 0:04:47.479 pleasing to God, and my God will meet all your needs. 0:04:48.240 --> 0:04:50.080 I wonder if Paul was just saying this to the 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:53.720 church at Philippi, or will he say it to Elevation 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:59.960 Balentine today too? And elevation Toronto. And my God, in fact, 0:05:00.040 --> 0:05:01.839 I wonder would you say this to the person next 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:08.000 to you. My God will meet all your needs. And 0:05:08.080 --> 0:05:10.560 this part is important according to the riches of His 0:05:10.600 --> 0:05:13.760 glory in Christ, because I don't have what you need, 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.479 and I can't always be what you need because I 0:05:16.480 --> 0:05:19.200 got my own needs. And that's why I'm tired all 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:22.720 the time. Is because people want me to meet their 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:25.720 needs and I've got so many of my own. If 0:05:25.760 --> 0:05:28.520 you only knew how much I'd needed, you would leave 0:05:28.560 --> 0:05:31.120 me alone. How many want to say this to your 0:05:31.160 --> 0:05:33.839 kids every once in a while, not me. I love 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:39.919 my kids, They're delightful. But I think that's the most 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:43.359 misunderstood verse in the whole Book of Philippians. And I 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.240 want to spend some time with it today. My God 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:48.400 will meet all your needs according to the riches of 0:05:48.440 --> 0:05:50.200 his glory in Christ, Jesus, and see if we can 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:53.560 get a fresh hearing for this verse in Paul's presence. 0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:55.800 And I want to speak to you today about need meeters, 0:05:56.800 --> 0:06:01.920 need meeters. Some things you learn about your spouse very 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:05.599 quickly after marriage. Some things you know going in, Some 0:06:05.720 --> 0:06:09.640 things you find out progressively. I will never forget on 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:13.320 our honeymoon learning. Uh. I learned a lot about Holly 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:18.840 on our honeymoon. And yeah, and then and so and 0:06:19.040 --> 0:06:21.120 but uh in church. The thing that I learned about 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:24.240 her that I wanted to tell you about today is 0:06:24.440 --> 0:06:32.080 we have we have very opposite vacation personalities. When she 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:40.320 gets relaxed, she gets quiet and and boring, And when 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:45.240 I get relaxed, I get playful. Some would say silly, 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:51.800 some would say obnoxious, but I say playful. And the 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:54.160 reason I knew that this was going to be interesting 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.880 in our relationship is because I thought she was mad. 0:06:57.360 --> 0:06:59.760 I thought she didn't like the cruise ship. And I 0:06:59.839 --> 0:07:02.200 was like, well, I know I couldn't afford the balcony room, 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:06.039 but at least it's a princess cruise. I was proud 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:08.520 of it, proud of the princess cruse and nobody she 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:12.800 was happy, and she said something to me. I just 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.720 remembered it when I was preparing this message. When I 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.240 was jumping up and down on the bed in that 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:20.120 little room that they give you on the cruise ship, 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:23.440 jumping up and down on the bed, maybe wanting to 0:07:23.560 --> 0:07:28.480 arm wrestle and making animal noises. She looked at me, 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:30.840 and I've heard her say this to our kids, but 0:07:30.920 --> 0:07:32.280 this was the first time I heard her say it. 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:39.520 She said, do you need attention? And you know what 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:43.840 I want to say publicly, Holly, Yes, Yes, I need 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:50.040 your attention, your affection, your tender mercies. I need it all, 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:54.280 all of it, anything, y'all need it all. I don't 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.760 know what I need. That's one thing I know at 0:07:56.760 --> 0:07:59.440 age thirty eight that I didn't know earlier on. I 0:07:59.480 --> 0:08:02.520 don't even know what I need. I don't. She wants 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:04.520 to be a doctor, so she's like, well, where does 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.760 it hurt? And I don't know. I just it hurts. 0:08:06.840 --> 0:08:12.160 She'll ask me this, what kind of headache? The kind 0:08:12.200 --> 0:08:16.400 that hurts? And she wants to know you know, what 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:19.760 do you need? What do you need? And the frustrating 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:23.720 thing about it is somebody can really love you and 0:08:23.840 --> 0:08:30.000 want to meet your needs. But two things. One, if 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:33.760 you don't even know what you really need, how in 0:08:33.800 --> 0:08:37.880 the world would they know what you need and meet 0:08:37.920 --> 0:08:41.480 your needs that you don't even really know. I can 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:44.360 see we've got some work to do today because some 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:46.360 of us want to act like we have no needs. 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:48.880 You know. I almost thought that's where Paul was going, 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.880 I don't need it, but thanks, but I mean I 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:55.280 don't need it. Sorry. And some people you can't even compliment. 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:58.760 I'm real good. It's terrible to try to compliment certain people. 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:02.200 They'll make you feel so awkwardy, especially in church, good 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:08.480 sermon it was God, Wow, it wasn't that good, pastor 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:16.080 it was just okay. And when we come to Christ, 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:21.720 there's often an expectation, on realistic expectation, that He's going 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:24.520 to take away our needs, and he doesn't. In fact, 0:09:25.200 --> 0:09:27.280 if you are a Christian, you still have the same 0:09:27.440 --> 0:09:32.120 needs now that you did before you met Jesus, the 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:38.440 same needs, but they are now met in a different way. 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:42.559 In other words, you still have the same need for approval, 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:46.480 but now instead of trying to get it from another 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:51.560 human who doesn't even fully like themselves, you are getting 0:09:51.559 --> 0:09:55.520 it from the all sufficient, all knowing, all seeing, ever present, 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.439 ever living God who gives you breath and who intricately 0:09:59.520 --> 0:10:02.360 knit you to together in your mother's wombs. So it's 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:05.200 not that I don't have needs. It's it's not that 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:07.880 I don't have wants. The Lord is my shepherd. I 0:10:07.920 --> 0:10:10.880 shall not want. That doesn't mean I never want anything, 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:14.080 never need anything. It doesn't mean my appetite went away. 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:17.400 It just means I go to a different buffet now. Amen, 0:10:17.480 --> 0:10:20.440 that means I eat off a different menu now. And 0:10:20.520 --> 0:10:23.480 sometimes we are so focused on people's behaviors that we 0:10:23.520 --> 0:10:28.200 can't discern the needs that drive the behaviors. And a 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:33.160 lot of Christian teaching and preaching is focused on condemning 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:39.720 behaviors without understanding the need. There is no need that 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.400 you are currently meeting in your life that is an 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:46.600 evil need or a bad need. And many of us 0:10:46.640 --> 0:10:50.040 who have various addictions need to hear this exact point. 0:10:50.600 --> 0:10:52.480 And maybe you can even leave after I say this, 0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:54.920 because this may be the whole reason God brought you here. 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:59.120 You're not meeting the wrong need, You're just meeting it 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:09.920 with the wrong mess. Means this applies to overspending, overeating, 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:16.560 over talking, over bragging, and yes, I hear you Facebook 0:11:16.600 --> 0:11:22.920 over sharing. It applies to every sexual addiction. You know, 0:11:23.080 --> 0:11:26.400 there's a certain shame that comes with sexual addiction, but 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.880 there shouldn't be because all the addiction is is a 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:35.800 valid need trying to express itself. It's a need for connection, 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:39.240 which is very good and very God. It is not 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:44.079 good for men to be alone. But loneliness, if left untreated, 0:11:44.280 --> 0:11:50.160 becomes lust. That's all lust is is the need for 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:54.480 connection being met through something that has no ability to 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.640 satisfy the need that it is trying to meet. So 0:11:57.720 --> 0:12:02.920 it becomes more and more and more and more and more. 0:12:03.280 --> 0:12:08.480 And Paul says, My God shall supply all your needs, 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:14.479 or meet all of your needs, not according to your resources, 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:18.959 but according to his. And I'm I'm glad about it. 0:12:19.480 --> 0:12:21.400 I'm glad that the only one who has what I 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:23.440 need happens to be the only one who knows what 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:27.120 I need. How many are glad about that? Let's give 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.760 God five seconds a praise for knowing what we need 0:12:30.480 --> 0:12:33.800 and for being what we need. The Lord is my 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:37.880 light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:40.840 is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:44.480 be afraid? Listen, Blakeney, when the wicked, even mine enemies, 0:12:44.520 --> 0:12:47.800 came upon me, even they stumbled and fell, he prepares 0:12:47.840 --> 0:12:50.800 a table for me in the presence of my enemy. No, 0:12:50.960 --> 0:12:54.400 he doesn't take the need away. He becomes what I need. 0:12:54.720 --> 0:12:57.440 He meets my need. Some of us are waiting for 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:00.200 God to remove the need. But if he removed the need, 0:13:00.000 --> 0:13:04.439 He would remove the means by which he meets the need. 0:13:04.480 --> 0:13:12.719 To remind you that he is what I need. He 0:13:12.840 --> 0:13:17.240 not only gives it, he is it. Let's back up 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:20.560 a little bit and let's talk about your need meter. 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:24.040 You know, spell it different, just if we spell it 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:27.760 like this need not that meters, but the other one 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:32.800 need meter? Like how needy are you? Like? What's your 0:13:32.840 --> 0:13:36.040 meter read? If we could read the meter on your 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:39.520 need today, if it was right there on your forehead 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:44.560 when you came in the house of God, what would 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:47.280 we see if we could read your meter? What we 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:50.760 could read your joy meter today? Not your happy meter. 0:13:52.040 --> 0:13:58.720 Happy meter might be just caffeine Starbucks can make you happy, 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:03.400 and yet there's this joy. This contentment is described in 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:07.679 the scripture. Oh, don't let people smile confuse you, because 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:11.400 some people's bone structure is just arranged in their face. 0:14:12.360 --> 0:14:15.560 They look like they're smiling. Okay, some people just have 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:21.920 you know, resting, blessed face and they just look happy. 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:24.560 But it's covering up a lot of stuff. Don't worry 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:29.280 about that. I'm saying, like the thing that we can't see, 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:31.880 if we could see it, if you had a peace 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:36.480 meter on your forehead today and we could see your 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:42.600 peace meter, would it be like or would it be 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.320 like the gas gauge of a sixteen year old who 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:48.920 fills up five dollars at a time, you know, filling 0:14:49.000 --> 0:14:51.000 up five dollars at a time, A click at a time, 0:14:51.040 --> 0:14:52.880 a like at a time, a comment at a time. 0:14:53.400 --> 0:14:55.040 If we could see your meter, I'm gonna help you 0:14:55.120 --> 0:14:56.520 next week in triggered. I want you to come back 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:58.960 and we'll discuss all of this in depth. Because here's 0:14:59.000 --> 0:15:05.320 what I've learned about this. When joy is low, usually 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:14.680 it's because entitlement is high. That's why the most joyful 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:18.080 book in the Bible, according to many, was written in 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:20.440 a prison cell. Because Paul has come to the point 0:15:20.480 --> 0:15:23.640 where he says I don't need it. I don't need it, 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:27.800 and he really means it. It's not like the one 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:29.640 preacher who got up. You know, I don't preach for 0:15:29.720 --> 0:15:40.880 the praise him in amen, Amen, Amen. He's really he's 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:44.920 really found a place. He's really found a place of 0:15:44.960 --> 0:15:49.520 freedom from what he thinks he deserves. And once he's 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:51.920 set free from what he thinks he deserves and what 0:15:52.040 --> 0:15:55.080 he expected it to be, ooh, that's good. That's good. 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:57.440 God just gave me that for this particular worship experience. 0:15:57.480 --> 0:15:59.800 I didn't say it any other time. Once he set 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:05.040 from what he expected, he can receive what he needs. 0:16:05.080 --> 0:16:09.520 And sometimes what blocks us from receiving what we need 0:16:10.760 --> 0:16:13.960 is what we expected we would get, and when it 0:16:14.000 --> 0:16:16.480 doesn't show up like we expected, we can't receive what 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:19.920 we need. Can I move a little deeper into this 0:16:19.960 --> 0:16:27.920 teaching you good? Okay, find Acts chapter sixteen if you 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:29.600 can find it in your Bible or if you want 0:16:29.600 --> 0:16:31.400 to look it up on your phone. I always have 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:34.040 a backup plan on the screen for you just in case. 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:35.960 In case it was hectic getting out of the house, 0:16:36.000 --> 0:16:41.040 it'll come upon the screen. But we're flowing with last 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:46.479 week's message, and we're linking that message of how sometimes 0:16:46.520 --> 0:16:50.480 God uses a no in our life. And I know, 0:16:50.600 --> 0:16:53.880 yes sounds better, but sometimes the no is more important. 0:16:54.520 --> 0:16:58.240 Sometimes what God doesn't give you and what God won't 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:01.640 allow is just as important as what He has given 0:17:01.680 --> 0:17:04.400 you and what He does give you permission to do. 0:17:05.200 --> 0:17:08.800 And that was a really really interesting message even I 0:17:08.840 --> 0:17:11.920 could feel it as I was preaching it, this resistance 0:17:12.000 --> 0:17:15.439 to receive God's no with this same faith that you 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:19.280 praise Him for his yes. And when we get to 0:17:21.320 --> 0:17:26.600 married to our plans, we can miss God's purpose. And 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:30.800 so God does something unusual in Acts sixteen as Paul 0:17:30.880 --> 0:17:33.480 is taking the gospel out. And you have to understand 0:17:33.520 --> 0:17:37.560 that Paul isn't writing the principles in Philippians in a vacuum. 0:17:37.920 --> 0:17:42.159 He's writing them in the context of historical relationship with 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:44.680 people in the church, and he loved them, and he's 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:49.400 writing saying, thanks got the gift, gonna use it, don't 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:52.359 need it. What I'm excited about is how God is 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:56.280 going to use your gift to bless you. That's what 0:17:56.320 --> 0:17:59.159 he's saying, and it goes all the way back to 0:17:59.200 --> 0:18:01.560 how he met them to begin with. And how many 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:03.360 would say that some people in your life right now 0:18:03.400 --> 0:18:05.920 don't understand you properly because they don't know your background, 0:18:07.119 --> 0:18:09.439 and they expect you to be farther along in certain areas. 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:13.200 But you're like, if you only knew how good I'm 0:18:13.280 --> 0:18:16.440 doing to even be as far along as I am. 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:20.320 I mean, I still cuss, but I used to beat people. 0:18:26.640 --> 0:18:31.800 And why I think we really do Philippians four nineteen 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.919 of disservices because we strip it of its context. So 0:18:35.280 --> 0:18:36.920 I want to take you through something. Hopefully it won't 0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:40.399 be boring. But one thing I love about you is 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:43.840 you let me lay a foundation when I teach. I 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:48.040 don't feel the pressure to perform antics to keep you engaged. 0:18:48.080 --> 0:18:50.240 And I thought we needed to look at this real 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:53.320 quick to understand the stuff we shout over. My God 0:18:53.440 --> 0:18:56.880 will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches. 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:00.400 And I'm sad, but that verse sounds great, so I'm 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.600 going to shout over top of my sadness. It's because 0:19:04.640 --> 0:19:08.720 we don't understand the means. We don't understand the means. 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:14.399 So let's go back several years earlier. Paul is trying 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:17.000 to get somewhere verse seven, when they came to the 0:19:17.000 --> 0:19:20.760 border of my sea. He's got Timothy with him, and 0:19:20.800 --> 0:19:24.400 they tried to enter Bathynia, but the spirit of Jesus 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:27.199 would not allow them to wouldn't allow them to what 0:19:27.400 --> 0:19:31.919 wouldn't allow them to preach about Jesus. Jesus stopped his 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:38.840 own pr campaign. That's very very very unusual, very difficult 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:41.160 for me to get my mind around until I get 0:19:41.160 --> 0:19:45.919 to the next versus. And sometimes you do not understand 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:50.359 at all what God is doing in the moment, Graham 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:52.960 is so funny. We're coming to church today and a 0:19:52.960 --> 0:19:55.480 lot of our staff kids went to camp last week, 0:19:55.520 --> 0:19:57.439 and we had a staff advanced last week, and I 0:19:57.520 --> 0:19:59.480 was sharing with the staff all week and it was 0:19:59.520 --> 0:20:03.200 just a fan bent and family affair. And Graham got 0:20:03.240 --> 0:20:05.520 to play Joseph in a skit in a small group 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:07.960 at camp. So he had the story of Joseph the 0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:10.560 Old Testament Joseph on his mind, and they sent me 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:12.919 a video of him down on the ground when Potiphar's 0:20:12.920 --> 0:20:16.359 wife is accusing Joseph. Potiphar's wife is called Hottifer, and 0:20:16.960 --> 0:20:20.720 she was a She was accusing him of trying to 0:20:20.760 --> 0:20:23.159 make advances, and Graham was on the ground saying, no, 0:20:23.240 --> 0:20:24.760 I didn't do it. But Graham asked me something. He said, 0:20:25.080 --> 0:20:27.720 you think when the Bible says God was with Joseph, 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:33.399 you think Joseph felt that way at the time. I 0:20:33.440 --> 0:20:37.240 don't know. It doesn't say how he felt. It states 0:20:37.240 --> 0:20:41.000 the fact after the fact. But you can't really know 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:44.639 what God is doing until he's done it. And you 0:20:44.680 --> 0:20:46.639 don't really know what you need until you get what 0:20:46.680 --> 0:20:48.399 you want and find out it isn't even what you 0:20:48.760 --> 0:20:56.160 thought it was. So Paul wants to go to Asia blocked. 0:20:56.400 --> 0:20:59.560 Paul wants to go to Myceia blocked, and he does 0:20:59.560 --> 0:21:01.800 something that you got to learn to do when you 0:21:01.880 --> 0:21:06.800 don't know what to do. Instead of going home, he 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:12.280 goes into the place of active waiting. It means God, 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:16.359 I'm not just waiting for you to do something. I'm 0:21:16.400 --> 0:21:20.200 waiting on you. Like we used to not call them servers, 0:21:20.240 --> 0:21:24.960 it was waiters. I'm waiting on you, God, What would 0:21:25.000 --> 0:21:27.600 you like me to do in this season? So I'm 0:21:27.640 --> 0:21:29.880 praying for a new job, but I'm being nice at 0:21:29.880 --> 0:21:34.120 this one. Y'all don't want to help me preach. I'm 0:21:34.160 --> 0:21:36.919 praying for my kid's behavior to improve, but I'm not 0:21:36.960 --> 0:21:39.879 going to exemplify the exact behavior that I'm trying to 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:43.920 correct by going off on them and demonstrating anger. While 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:48.160 I'm trying to correct anger, I'm actively waiting. And this 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:51.600 place is called trow Ass. Bible says that since they 0:21:51.600 --> 0:21:54.960 couldn't get into my Sea, they went down to troe Ass. 0:21:55.280 --> 0:21:57.520 This is a place of transition. It's a port city 0:21:57.560 --> 0:22:00.320 Asia minor one side, Europe on the other where we going? 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:02.600 What's God doing? I don't know, but I'm not going home. 0:22:03.720 --> 0:22:06.600 I don't know, but I'm not giving up. I don't know, 0:22:06.640 --> 0:22:09.720 but I'm not losing sight. I don't know, but I'm 0:22:09.720 --> 0:22:11.399 not going to go into despair. I don't know. I 0:22:11.400 --> 0:22:13.119 don't know. I mean, I thought it was God, and 0:22:13.160 --> 0:22:15.120 I thought it was this, and I moved to Charlotte, 0:22:15.200 --> 0:22:17.120 or I moved to Raleigh, or I moved to Winston. 0:22:17.280 --> 0:22:19.600 And I had this idea and I had this plan. 0:22:19.880 --> 0:22:23.000 But God's purpose is greater than my plan. So I 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:26.960 am in. I am in the place I'm positioned to 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:32.520 hear God's voice, and God speaks to Paul in that place, 0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:35.680 God speaks to Paul. I believe He's going to speak 0:22:35.680 --> 0:22:39.440 to somebody here today too, during the night Verse nine, 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:42.200 not in the daytime when everything is pretty and you 0:22:42.280 --> 0:22:45.159 can see what you're doing. During the night. This is 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:47.840 a theme in scripture. Some of the greatest stuff God 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:49.800 will show you will be when you can't see with 0:22:49.880 --> 0:22:54.480 your eyes, and when you can't feel with your emotions 0:22:55.240 --> 0:22:58.320 and you can't understand with your mind. During the night, 0:22:59.119 --> 0:23:05.880 Paul had a vision of a man, a man of Macedonia, 0:23:07.040 --> 0:23:12.080 this big region in Europe with people who were not 0:23:12.160 --> 0:23:14.920 yet reached by the Gospel. There were a lot of 0:23:15.000 --> 0:23:19.960 Jewish people in Macedonia, but not many believers yet, and 0:23:20.080 --> 0:23:24.200 certainly no church. And now I understand why God told 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:32.439 Paul no, because God knew the real need. The plans 0:23:32.440 --> 0:23:34.840 of a man are in his heart, but his steps 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:39.480 are ordered by the Lord. God has a purpose and 0:23:39.560 --> 0:23:41.879 you have a plan, and sometimes he has to do 0:23:42.000 --> 0:23:46.760 away with one to get to the other. I'm preaching 0:23:46.840 --> 0:23:49.840 right to your heart today, trying to get you to 0:23:49.880 --> 0:23:52.560 see this vision that Paul saw. It was a man 0:23:53.200 --> 0:23:58.640 of Macedonia, a what of Macedonia, a man of Macedonia 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:04.679 standing in begging him come over to Macedonia and help us. 0:24:05.720 --> 0:24:10.040 Paul was looking for an opportunity. God showed him a need. 0:24:11.880 --> 0:24:15.600 Could it be possible that you've been asking God for 0:24:15.680 --> 0:24:19.879 an opportunity and God is showing it to you in 0:24:19.920 --> 0:24:24.560 the form of your greatest need. Would you be willing 0:24:24.600 --> 0:24:28.199 to receive that? Maybe the way God is speaking to 0:24:28.240 --> 0:24:31.280 you in this season is not by what you feel, 0:24:32.080 --> 0:24:34.920 and not by what you think, and not even by 0:24:34.960 --> 0:24:37.600 what you want. When you try to figure out your 0:24:37.680 --> 0:24:40.840 life and how others should act and how it needs 0:24:40.920 --> 0:24:43.520 to be, have you got to the place like Paul 0:24:43.560 --> 0:24:46.280 where you say I don't know what I really need. 0:24:46.880 --> 0:24:51.640 I need you to lead me. God. Somebody say lead 0:24:51.720 --> 0:24:56.040 me Lord. I don't want to lean on my own understanding. 0:24:56.560 --> 0:24:59.359 I need God to lead me. I don't need to 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:02.680 lean on what I think I need because I think 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:06.520 I need one thing when I really need another. That's 0:25:06.520 --> 0:25:09.280 how I gained weight when we got married. I thought 0:25:09.320 --> 0:25:13.520 I needed an oreo and I really need an exercise. 0:25:13.920 --> 0:25:16.679 Sometimes we think we need food, we really need an 0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:21.280 app sometimes we think Sometimes we think we need another person. 0:25:21.520 --> 0:25:24.560 What we really need to do is pray and ask 0:25:24.640 --> 0:25:28.239 God to get our minds right. Sometimes we think we 0:25:28.280 --> 0:25:30.960 need people to treat us different, when what we really 0:25:31.000 --> 0:25:35.040 need is to see people not as trees for us 0:25:35.080 --> 0:25:38.640 to pick the fruit from, but for soil for us 0:25:38.680 --> 0:25:42.280 to sew in. And God speaks to Paul and says, 0:25:42.440 --> 0:25:47.800 if you want an opportunity, here it is, and it's 0:25:47.840 --> 0:25:52.040 in the form of a need. God is trying to 0:25:52.160 --> 0:25:57.200 lead you through your need. And my God will meet 0:25:57.960 --> 0:26:06.480 all your needs with a need. God is God, He 0:26:06.520 --> 0:26:14.920 meets needs with needs. He's better than Christian mingle. God 0:26:15.000 --> 0:26:20.880 is a matchmaker. He's better than farmers only and Christian 0:26:21.000 --> 0:26:27.360 farmers only, and God is in the business of meeting 0:26:27.560 --> 0:26:33.720 needs with needs. Has your joy been low lately? Has 0:26:33.760 --> 0:26:37.000 your focus been off? Is your meeter reading need need 0:26:37.040 --> 0:26:40.520 need need, need, need, need, need need need? Maybe God 0:26:40.600 --> 0:26:43.560 is going to show you a need that you can meet, 0:26:44.560 --> 0:26:47.560 so that you can see what you had all along 0:26:48.320 --> 0:26:52.720 that you have not been using. The plot thickens now. 0:26:53.600 --> 0:26:56.200 Paul's like, God, give me an opportunity. God give me wisdom. 0:26:56.200 --> 0:26:57.680 God give me God, God, God give me. You know 0:26:57.720 --> 0:26:59.440 the prayers we pray. God give me, God give me, 0:26:59.480 --> 0:27:00.800 God give me, give me, get me me, give me, 0:27:00.800 --> 0:27:01.920 give me, give me, give me, God, get me, give me, 0:27:01.920 --> 0:27:02.960 get me, get me, give me God, God, give me, 0:27:02.960 --> 0:27:04.080 give me, get me, get me, give me, give me, grace, 0:27:04.080 --> 0:27:05.639 give me, give me, give me me, get me, get me, 0:27:05.680 --> 0:27:07.080 get me, give me, give give give me, chill bumps, 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:08.080 give me, give me, give me, gain me, gain me, 0:27:08.119 --> 0:27:09.399 give me. I don't like the song. God give me, me, 0:27:09.400 --> 0:27:10.359 get me, get me, get me, get me, give me, 0:27:10.359 --> 0:27:11.480 give me, give me, gim me, get me, give me, 0:27:11.320 --> 0:27:15.600 get me, get me, give me. And Paul, there's no 0:27:15.680 --> 0:27:18.280 evidence that he's praying that. But I'm just I'm imposing 0:27:18.320 --> 0:27:20.400 what I would be doing on Paul. I'd be praying, God, 0:27:20.440 --> 0:27:21.800 give me, give me, give give me, direction, give me, 0:27:21.840 --> 0:27:22.879 give me, give me, give me, gim me, give me, 0:27:22.880 --> 0:27:24.000 give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, 0:27:24.000 --> 0:27:29.199 and give me, give me me. And God gives him 0:27:29.200 --> 0:27:34.080 a need of a man standing and begging him come 0:27:34.119 --> 0:27:42.920 over and help us. No, Paul needs help. So God 0:27:42.960 --> 0:27:47.360 helped Paul. And the way God helps Paul is by 0:27:47.400 --> 0:27:55.320 showing him someone who needs help. Y'all are quiet, y'all 0:27:55.320 --> 0:27:58.639 want me to get back to and my God, we'll 0:27:58.640 --> 0:28:01.480 meet all your needs. I wasn't saying that about himself. 0:28:03.600 --> 0:28:08.880 Paul was in prison thinking about somebody else's needs because 0:28:09.000 --> 0:28:12.600 he knew if I focus on my needs right now, 0:28:12.960 --> 0:28:16.159 I'm gonna be depressed because I am going to shrink 0:28:16.240 --> 0:28:20.280 my spirit to the size of my situation. So God, 0:28:20.800 --> 0:28:24.200 instead of focusing on what I need, what I think, 0:28:24.440 --> 0:28:26.840 what I want, what I don't, give me, give me, 0:28:26.880 --> 0:28:27.960 give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, 0:28:27.960 --> 0:28:30.119 give me. I'm changing my prayer. Show me, show me, 0:28:30.160 --> 0:28:32.560 show me, show me, show me, show me, show me, 0:28:32.600 --> 0:28:34.840 show me. Show me what you're doing in the world, 0:28:35.080 --> 0:28:37.520 Show me what you put in my kids. Show me 0:28:37.560 --> 0:28:39.480 what you're calling me to be in the season that 0:28:39.520 --> 0:28:42.080 I'm in. Show me who I can bless, Show me 0:28:42.120 --> 0:28:44.800 who I can encourage. Show me ten people I can 0:28:44.840 --> 0:28:47.720 text and tell them you got this, because I'm waiting 0:28:47.760 --> 0:28:50.520 on somebody to tell me you got this. But maybe 0:28:50.560 --> 0:28:52.640 the way I'm gonna get it is to give it. 0:28:53.040 --> 0:28:57.040 Give it, and he shall be given unto you good measure, 0:28:57.360 --> 0:29:01.040 press down, sick it together, and run over if you 0:29:01.080 --> 0:29:07.680 want joy, rejoice if you want purpose, give praise, Give 0:29:07.720 --> 0:29:17.600 it if you want it. I don't mean to holler 0:29:17.640 --> 0:29:20.760 at you. Sit down, and I've caught up in the moment. 0:29:20.840 --> 0:29:21.920 Give me him me, give me, give me, give me, 0:29:21.960 --> 0:29:25.000 give me, give me him and the men came in 0:29:25.080 --> 0:29:30.440 the dream. And then it makes an interesting turn. How 0:29:30.480 --> 0:29:32.400 many you love the little details that we slow down 0:29:32.400 --> 0:29:35.880 and point out in the Bible. When you read this 0:29:35.920 --> 0:29:39.800 thing slow and stop skimming, you'll be amazed. How to 0:29:39.840 --> 0:29:44.360 come alive. You can't read this like BuzzFeed. The Bible 0:29:44.480 --> 0:29:47.240 is not BuzzFeed. When you treat it like that, you 0:29:47.360 --> 0:29:50.200 miss the blessing of it. Slow down and watch what's 0:29:50.200 --> 0:29:55.640 happening here? Watch what's happening here? Verse seven, when they 0:29:55.720 --> 0:29:57.960 came to the border of Mysia. That's where they wanted 0:29:57.960 --> 0:30:01.600 to go. Look at verse ten. After Paul had seen 0:30:01.600 --> 0:30:04.520 the vision, we got ready. Why did he shift from 0:30:04.600 --> 0:30:07.560 day to we? This is when Luke, who wrote the 0:30:07.560 --> 0:30:09.440 Book of Acts, got on board with the mission when 0:30:09.480 --> 0:30:13.880 Paul saw the vision. And what got me was it 0:30:13.920 --> 0:30:18.240 took faith for Paul to go out on a mission 0:30:18.240 --> 0:30:21.560 after seeing a vision. How much more faith did it 0:30:21.600 --> 0:30:24.640 take for the people who didn't even see the vision 0:30:24.640 --> 0:30:29.320 Paul saw to go with him. Sometimes it's hard to 0:30:29.360 --> 0:30:34.080 follow something that you can't see for yourself. And Luke's 0:30:34.120 --> 0:30:36.160 like Paul said, he saw a man in Macedonia. So 0:30:36.200 --> 0:30:40.479 we packed up and went. We didn't debate. How many 0:30:40.520 --> 0:30:42.200 of you would have at least asked God for one 0:30:42.240 --> 0:30:45.960 confirmation before you got back out on the sea. Paul, 0:30:45.960 --> 0:30:55.760 you had a dream. And I think there's a blessing 0:30:55.760 --> 0:31:01.400 in immediate obedience when we set straight out and just give. 0:31:01.560 --> 0:31:04.880 I don't understand people who I'll meet and they'll go 0:31:04.920 --> 0:31:07.680 I've been coming to the church four years. Do you serve? No, 0:31:08.520 --> 0:31:11.280 you're in a group. No, you invite your friends. No. 0:31:12.240 --> 0:31:13.720 I don't usually ask them if they give it's a 0:31:13.760 --> 0:31:16.120 little too personal. You know, that's a weird thing to 0:31:16.160 --> 0:31:19.360 ask in that. But then they say, let me know 0:31:19.400 --> 0:31:25.040 if you ever need anything, And I'm like, do you come? 0:31:26.720 --> 0:31:29.080 Do you see the people that God is bringing each week? 0:31:30.080 --> 0:31:32.480 You see how some of them come in with a 0:31:32.520 --> 0:31:36.480 look in their eyes like they might not make it. 0:31:38.200 --> 0:31:42.360 Do you see how God is unifying this church from 0:31:42.400 --> 0:31:46.920 so many different backgrounds, not just skin color, but even 0:31:47.000 --> 0:31:53.520 belief system, ideology, and how God is centering us on 0:31:53.680 --> 0:31:57.760 Christ in a culture that has never been more divided? 0:31:58.720 --> 0:32:01.720 Do you not see the needs? The harvest is here 0:32:02.120 --> 0:32:04.960 and the laborers are few? What do you mean if 0:32:05.000 --> 0:32:08.680 I need anything? It's right in front of you. Let's go, 0:32:09.160 --> 0:32:20.640 let's steal this, let's build the charts. Have you brought 0:32:20.640 --> 0:32:23.680 a friend with you in the last couple months, invited 0:32:23.680 --> 0:32:29.680 somebody to come with you to share it with you? Go. 0:32:29.680 --> 0:32:34.640 God's not gonna meet your needs independent of you. He's 0:32:34.680 --> 0:32:38.520 gonna meet your needs through your willingness to meet someone else's. 0:32:40.160 --> 0:32:41.880 I want to spend the rest of my life preaching 0:32:41.960 --> 0:32:46.480 like this to help us see that My God will 0:32:46.520 --> 0:32:50.240 meet all your needs according to his glorious riches. Paul 0:32:50.280 --> 0:32:54.200 said that after he thanked the Philippians for meeting his needs, 0:32:55.080 --> 0:32:58.960 he said, now that you've met somebody else's needs, God 0:32:59.000 --> 0:33:04.680 is going to meet yours. And I just couldn't get 0:33:04.680 --> 0:33:07.880 over it. How they had the faith to go out 0:33:07.880 --> 0:33:11.200 to Macedonia. There's like three hundred thousand people in Macedonia. 0:33:11.880 --> 0:33:13.920 And Paul saw one man in a vision. He's like, 0:33:14.000 --> 0:33:17.280 let's go, let's go find that man that I saw 0:33:17.320 --> 0:33:20.800 my vision. How tall was he? I don't know. This 0:33:20.920 --> 0:33:24.520 is his eye color, I don't know. Gotta show, gotta 0:33:24.520 --> 0:33:26.080 show us when we get there. So they go. So 0:33:26.120 --> 0:33:29.080 they go, and Verse eleven describes it from Troe as 0:33:29.120 --> 0:33:31.720 we put out to sea and sailed straight for Simothrus, 0:33:32.440 --> 0:33:35.880 and next day we went to Neapolis. Side note, God 0:33:35.920 --> 0:33:39.600 doesn't take you there all at once, It's little stops 0:33:39.600 --> 0:33:42.000 along the way. Is this? It is this? It is this? 0:33:42.080 --> 0:33:44.040 It is this? It is this? It How many can testify? 0:33:44.240 --> 0:33:46.520 God doesn't just take you there all at once, and 0:33:46.560 --> 0:33:48.440 he doesn't meet every need all at once, because then 0:33:48.440 --> 0:33:50.880 he knows you'd start thinking you didn't need him. So 0:33:50.920 --> 0:33:53.520 what he does is he leads you step by step, 0:33:53.800 --> 0:33:56.920 little bit of light. Thy word is a lamp unto 0:33:57.040 --> 0:33:59.960 my feet. Watch me walk, and a light onto my path. 0:34:00.280 --> 0:34:03.800 Next step, next step, next step, next step. I'm gonna 0:34:03.840 --> 0:34:05.920 been down and buck on my shoe back because that's 0:34:05.920 --> 0:34:08.239 going to annoy me and it's probably been driving somebody 0:34:08.280 --> 0:34:11.160 crazy on the front. Row is just the little things, 0:34:11.480 --> 0:34:14.640 and God speaks through the little things and he meets 0:34:14.760 --> 0:34:19.319 big needs. Watch this through small acts of obedience. We 0:34:19.360 --> 0:34:22.080 went here, we went there. What you're looking for, Paul? 0:34:22.239 --> 0:34:24.640 I saw a man in Macedonia and I'm looking for 0:34:24.760 --> 0:34:28.280 him and they end up. Watch this from there. Verse twelve. 0:34:28.560 --> 0:34:34.520 We traveled to Philippi, Philippians. That's the city, that's the place, 0:34:35.400 --> 0:34:39.080 that's where the first church in Europe or the Western 0:34:39.120 --> 0:34:44.640 world was started. This is how it started, this right 0:34:44.640 --> 0:34:49.640 here through someone you've never even heard of. I know 0:34:49.680 --> 0:34:52.600 you've heard of Paul. I'm really not here to preach 0:34:52.640 --> 0:34:56.040 about Paul today. I'm gonna show you somebody who doesn't 0:34:56.040 --> 0:35:00.000 get listed, Samson. All he ever did is get a haircut, 0:35:00.080 --> 0:35:03.960 and we preach about him all the time. No, I 0:35:04.040 --> 0:35:08.600 want to introduce you to a woman. Let's hear it 0:35:09.200 --> 0:35:17.520 from the women. This is this is like the ultimate 0:35:18.239 --> 0:35:23.680 women's Bible. Holly write a Bible study about this, because 0:35:24.280 --> 0:35:29.240 the Bible says that they traveled to Philippi, a Roman 0:35:29.280 --> 0:35:32.520 colony where a lot of the Roman generals would go 0:35:32.560 --> 0:35:35.920 to retire. About twenty to thirty thousand people lived in 0:35:35.960 --> 0:35:39.200 this one city, and then there's four districts of Macedonia. 0:35:39.239 --> 0:35:41.160 So Paul's really looking for a needle in the haystack. 0:35:41.719 --> 0:35:43.640 And there's not a lot of not a lot of 0:35:43.719 --> 0:35:46.920 Christian If there are any believers here, they're hiding. And 0:35:46.960 --> 0:35:48.920 there's not that many Jews either. I'll show you how 0:35:48.960 --> 0:35:51.279 I know that in a moment. But he gets there 0:35:52.400 --> 0:35:57.080 and God uses a need to lead him there. Lead me, Lord, 0:35:57.880 --> 0:36:02.520 How did God lead with the need? How is God 0:36:02.560 --> 0:36:04.080 going to lead you into what he has next for 0:36:04.120 --> 0:36:07.759 your life? With a need? How is God going to 0:36:07.880 --> 0:36:10.520 choose who he uses through the people who are broken? 0:36:11.440 --> 0:36:13.600 He can't meet a need through someone who doesn't have 0:36:13.640 --> 0:36:18.279 a need. And He will often use you to alleviate 0:36:18.400 --> 0:36:23.120 the same pain that you yourself are experiencing. Because God 0:36:23.200 --> 0:36:26.040 leads with me. God is leading me. What do you 0:36:26.080 --> 0:36:27.520 mean when you say that you mean you feel good 0:36:27.560 --> 0:36:29.600 about it. Jesus didn't get to the cross feeling good 0:36:29.600 --> 0:36:33.000 about it. In fact, he prayed, Father, if it's possible, 0:36:33.120 --> 0:36:34.960 take this cup from me. I don't want to do it. 0:36:35.000 --> 0:36:37.680 I don't feel like doing it. But lead me, Lauren. 0:36:38.600 --> 0:36:42.080 If this is what they need to be redeemed, then 0:36:42.160 --> 0:36:44.960 let's do it. If you need me in philip I, 0:36:45.120 --> 0:36:47.359 I wanted to go to Masia, I wanted to go 0:36:47.400 --> 0:36:50.160 to Asia. I wanted to be married. I didn't want 0:36:50.200 --> 0:36:53.080 to be in this situation. I don't even like this 0:36:53.239 --> 0:36:56.600 right now. But God lead me, show me the need 0:36:57.760 --> 0:37:02.440 and lead me through the valley of the shadow of death. 0:37:03.800 --> 0:37:06.800 God being my leader doesn't mean I won't go through anything. 0:37:08.200 --> 0:37:11.200 It means he won't leave me alone. And there's a 0:37:11.360 --> 0:37:17.320 reason I'm going through what I'm going through. God knows 0:37:17.400 --> 0:37:24.279 what I need. And so he says. We ended up 0:37:24.280 --> 0:37:27.400 in Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia, 0:37:28.000 --> 0:37:30.759 and we stayed there several days, and he doesn't talk 0:37:30.800 --> 0:37:33.759 about what they did over those couple of days. And 0:37:33.800 --> 0:37:36.319 I wonder, you know, what do you do when you 0:37:36.360 --> 0:37:39.000 get to philip Hi. It's twenty thirty thousand people in 0:37:39.040 --> 0:37:41.360 the town and you saw one man in a vision? 0:37:41.480 --> 0:37:44.040 Do you walk around looking for him, like, hey, I 0:37:44.080 --> 0:37:48.040 saw a man, are you? Are you him? What do 0:37:48.080 --> 0:37:51.160 you do? One time me and Buck went on a 0:37:51.200 --> 0:37:54.480 mission trip in Buck's on staff. Now he's been on staff. 0:37:54.920 --> 0:37:58.280 God guess about coming up on eight years on staff. 0:37:58.280 --> 0:38:00.480 But we've been friends since college. We were on this 0:38:00.520 --> 0:38:04.680 mission trip and he's a Bucks Bucks, a funny guy, 0:38:05.280 --> 0:38:07.120 but he doesn't like to show it a lot. He 0:38:07.200 --> 0:38:08.799 reminded me of this guy that we went on the 0:38:08.800 --> 0:38:12.680 mission trip with. This dude was country. Oh no, I 0:38:12.680 --> 0:38:16.120 don't mean like Monks corner country. This dude was from 0:38:16.200 --> 0:38:20.120 Louisiana and he was big country and he would walk 0:38:20.200 --> 0:38:22.120 up and talk to anybody and he had these little 0:38:22.120 --> 0:38:24.040 country sayings that I still don't know what they mean. 0:38:24.280 --> 0:38:26.040 He used to We be getting ready in the morning 0:38:26.120 --> 0:38:28.080 and be like you're ready, and he say waiting, no 0:38:28.160 --> 0:38:33.359 men backing up. And the first part was understanding what 0:38:33.400 --> 0:38:36.600 he actually said, like please say that again, And then 0:38:36.640 --> 0:38:38.480 he'd say what he said, if you're waiting on me, 0:38:38.560 --> 0:38:40.400 you're backing up, And I still wouldn't know what it 0:38:40.480 --> 0:38:44.680 meant even though I understood what he said. But I 0:38:44.719 --> 0:38:47.560 had this flashback preparing this message. We were at a 0:38:47.600 --> 0:38:51.080 gas station and there was another guy named Clint that 0:38:51.200 --> 0:38:53.200 was on the team, and he was from Australia, but 0:38:53.239 --> 0:38:55.640 he wasn't with us at the time. They were somewhere 0:38:55.640 --> 0:38:59.600 else and a vanful of people rolled up and this guy, 0:39:00.320 --> 0:39:02.719 Bob in case he watches he's a pastor now. And 0:39:04.080 --> 0:39:06.040 Bob just walk up and talk to anybody. And they 0:39:06.040 --> 0:39:07.759 didn't understand a word he was saying. But he just 0:39:07.800 --> 0:39:09.440 walk up and talked to anybody. And he's walking up 0:39:09.440 --> 0:39:13.800 to him, where are you all from? And they said Australia, mate, 0:39:14.440 --> 0:39:16.560 And he liked that to him, that was exotic. You know, 0:39:16.680 --> 0:39:21.880 a van full of foreigners. I just got back from Australia. 0:39:21.920 --> 0:39:25.040 So that's the best accent. I can do a kind 0:39:25.080 --> 0:39:27.040 of Australia. If you want to do Australian accent, just 0:39:27.120 --> 0:39:30.680 leave off random syllables all the times. They just leave 0:39:30.800 --> 0:39:34.359 crap off all the time and shorten everything. Australia, mate, 0:39:34.600 --> 0:39:43.000 he said, Australia. Hey, Australia. Y'all know a guy named 0:39:43.000 --> 0:39:51.200 Clint from Australia, And the poor guy driving the van goes, 0:39:53.000 --> 0:39:58.680 Australia is a pretty big place, mate. There's more than 0:39:58.719 --> 0:40:06.279 one Clint. So Macedonia is a big place, you know. 0:40:06.320 --> 0:40:09.560 It's not. Faul sees this vision, but he's not exactly sure. 0:40:09.640 --> 0:40:11.480 You ever noticed how many times you're not exactly sure, 0:40:11.560 --> 0:40:13.600 like you since God is leading you to do something, 0:40:14.320 --> 0:40:18.600 but it's a needle, ooh, a need, a needle in 0:40:18.640 --> 0:40:21.120 a haystack. So I'm here, but I don't know what 0:40:21.120 --> 0:40:22.359 I'm looking for. I'm raising these kids, but I don't 0:40:22.360 --> 0:40:23.600 know if I'm doing it right. I'm trying to discipline 0:40:23.600 --> 0:40:25.080 them and be their friends. Sometimes I don't know which 0:40:25.120 --> 0:40:26.719 one to be at each which time. And I want 0:40:26.760 --> 0:40:28.200 them to love me, but I need them to fear me. 0:40:28.239 --> 0:40:29.640 So I don't know which one to be right now. 0:40:29.960 --> 0:40:31.480 And I'm trying to be patient, but I'm also trying 0:40:31.520 --> 0:40:32.960 to be proactive. And sometimes I don't know what's waiting 0:40:33.000 --> 0:40:34.319 on God and what's pushing ahead because I hear both. 0:40:34.320 --> 0:40:35.439 I hear step out the boat and I hear stay 0:40:35.440 --> 0:40:36.200 in the boat, and I don't know what to do 0:40:36.239 --> 0:40:37.640 with boat and boat. I don't even have a boat 0:40:37.680 --> 0:40:47.040 running like the water. So you got to look for 0:40:47.080 --> 0:40:50.240 a synagogue, right That's where Paul would always start his preaching. 0:40:51.160 --> 0:40:53.640 And to have a synagogue, you need everybody, say need 0:40:54.239 --> 0:40:56.200 you need ten men at least but there's not ten 0:40:56.280 --> 0:41:00.080 Jewish men to form a synagogue in Philippi. That's how 0:41:00.080 --> 0:41:03.040 desperate the city is for what Paul had. And that's 0:41:03.040 --> 0:41:05.040 why God had to tell him no about my sea 0:41:05.680 --> 0:41:07.880 and know about Asia, because there was a more desperate 0:41:07.920 --> 0:41:10.840 need somewhere else. I wonder if God told you no 0:41:10.920 --> 0:41:14.440 for a reason. I wonder if God left you there 0:41:14.480 --> 0:41:22.040 for a reason. Paul's looking. You've seen Clint Clinton this 0:41:22.120 --> 0:41:24.600 big place. Mate. I saw a man in a vision, 0:41:25.360 --> 0:41:27.359 and they go out one Sabbath and watched this since 0:41:27.360 --> 0:41:31.560 they knew that there wasn't a synagogue Verse thirteen. On 0:41:31.640 --> 0:41:36.880 the Sabbath, we stayed outside the city gate to the river, 0:41:38.000 --> 0:41:40.560 where we expected to find a place of prayer. You'll 0:41:40.560 --> 0:41:43.520 find what you're looking for. By the way, if you 0:41:43.680 --> 0:41:45.719 look for a place God is working, you will find 0:41:45.760 --> 0:41:49.759 it in every situation. Ask Lanny if God will show 0:41:49.840 --> 0:41:52.719 up in a hospital room. Ask him if God will 0:41:52.719 --> 0:41:56.440 show up in a desperate situation. Oh yeah. God will 0:41:56.440 --> 0:41:58.839 show up at a custody hearing. Oh yeah. God will 0:41:58.840 --> 0:42:01.239 show up in a bankruptcy. God will show up in 0:42:01.280 --> 0:42:03.959 a divorce. God will show up in a broken heart. 0:42:04.280 --> 0:42:07.160 God will show up in a season of despondency. God 0:42:07.200 --> 0:42:09.640 will show up in a crisis. God will show up 0:42:09.680 --> 0:42:14.200 in national turmoil. God is here. I'm just looking for it. 0:42:15.360 --> 0:42:19.000 So Paul says, I didn't find what I expected, and 0:42:19.080 --> 0:42:23.680 I didn't get what I wanted, but my God will 0:42:23.719 --> 0:42:26.880 meet all my needs. Now here's what God knew. I've 0:42:26.920 --> 0:42:28.960 been waiting all week to show you this. So please 0:42:29.040 --> 0:42:31.520 be merciful if I'm too excited and you don't like 0:42:31.600 --> 0:42:33.600 my level of energy, because I've had all week to 0:42:33.600 --> 0:42:37.080 get ready for this. There was a woman, let's hear 0:42:37.120 --> 0:42:41.640 for the women one more time, who was what the 0:42:41.800 --> 0:42:45.040 Old Testament called a god fearer. Now, a god fear 0:42:45.280 --> 0:42:48.680 is a gentile who believes in the Jewish God. So 0:42:48.960 --> 0:42:53.520 she's ready to receive the message about Jesus Christ, the Messiah, 0:42:53.760 --> 0:42:59.640 but she needs somebody to explain it to her. Well, 0:43:00.200 --> 0:43:06.520 good news. There's somebody in Philippi who need somebody to 0:43:06.640 --> 0:43:12.120 preach to. So somebody who needed the message got together 0:43:12.239 --> 0:43:17.080 with somebody who needed a congregation. God is a need meeter. 0:43:17.600 --> 0:43:20.640 God is a matchmaker. God knows how to put you 0:43:20.719 --> 0:43:23.680 where you need to be to release what He gave 0:43:23.760 --> 0:43:32.960 you to care. Don't leave yet, I'm not done. And 0:43:33.080 --> 0:43:35.080 some of you needed this word today, and that's why 0:43:35.080 --> 0:43:38.520 you almost didn't get to church. That's why you almost 0:43:39.760 --> 0:43:42.560 could go to the line. No, you needed this word. 0:43:42.840 --> 0:43:45.200 So you got in your car and you got to 0:43:45.280 --> 0:43:48.640 this church because you have a need. Well, God gave 0:43:48.719 --> 0:43:51.680 me the word, and he gave you the need. And 0:43:53.960 --> 0:44:02.560 I declare that my God shall supply all your tearing 0:44:02.640 --> 0:44:10.000 up my stuff. So said that we expected to find 0:44:10.000 --> 0:44:11.640 a place of prayer, but I bet they didn't expect this. 0:44:11.920 --> 0:44:16.240 We sat down and began to speak to the women 0:44:17.239 --> 0:44:22.080 who had gathered there. What did Paul see in his vision? 0:44:23.560 --> 0:44:28.920 A man from Macedonia? What did he see when he 0:44:29.000 --> 0:44:34.239 got to his assignment a woman. God's not going to 0:44:34.280 --> 0:44:41.080 do it how you thought he was. It's not going 0:44:41.160 --> 0:44:44.120 to feel like you thought it would feel. He's not 0:44:44.200 --> 0:44:46.319 going to do it who through you? Who you? He's 0:44:46.360 --> 0:44:48.000 not going to do it through the people that you 0:44:48.480 --> 0:44:50.600 wanted him to do it through, because then you'd worship them, 0:44:50.600 --> 0:44:56.319 not him. No synagogue. Let's find a place of prayer. 0:44:56.320 --> 0:44:58.600 That's where they could gather informally, and they would do 0:44:58.600 --> 0:45:01.399 it by the river. Let's go to the river. Let's 0:45:01.400 --> 0:45:04.840 go to the place we didn't find what we wanted. 0:45:04.960 --> 0:45:07.960 But God's going to give us what we need. Remember 0:45:08.000 --> 0:45:10.200 when can I do a Bible study with JJ real quick? 0:45:10.719 --> 0:45:12.359 I want you appreciate a sequel to this. Next time 0:45:12.360 --> 0:45:14.520 you're want to pumpet, do it from onet Ting seventeen. 0:45:14.880 --> 0:45:17.880 Do it from the Widow at aera Fath. Elijah needs food, 0:45:18.280 --> 0:45:21.480 she needs food. He sends somebody with the need to 0:45:21.520 --> 0:45:24.840 somebody with the need. When he gets there, he says 0:45:25.320 --> 0:45:28.160 to the widow, meet my need. She said, no, you 0:45:28.239 --> 0:45:30.839 meet mine. And then Elijah says something that we can 0:45:30.920 --> 0:45:34.879 learn from when you meet my need, God will meet 0:45:34.960 --> 0:45:39.000 your needs. Doesn't that sound like Philippians for and my God, 0:45:39.400 --> 0:45:42.160 I got what you sent, I got what you supplied. 0:45:43.400 --> 0:45:47.840 And now my God is gonna meet your needs because 0:45:47.880 --> 0:45:50.440 you stopped thinking so much about your needs and focused 0:45:50.480 --> 0:45:58.040 on somebody Else's my God. We'll meet all your needs. 0:45:59.560 --> 0:46:02.040 And there's one woman and we need to put her 0:46:02.080 --> 0:46:04.440 in the list. You know, good for Daniel, good for Noah, 0:46:04.440 --> 0:46:08.520 that old drunk boat building drunk. But let's put let's 0:46:08.560 --> 0:46:13.600 put Lydia in the list because one of the people listening. 0:46:16.440 --> 0:46:23.360 There's always somebody listening. You never know who's listening. You 0:46:23.400 --> 0:46:26.160 see how I'm preaching today, like I'm fighting something or 0:46:26.200 --> 0:46:30.360 like you see see it? Because I never know who's listening. 0:46:31.719 --> 0:46:37.000 I never know who's listening. And this week, somebody very 0:46:37.000 --> 0:46:39.200 famous was texting me about a message that I preached, 0:46:39.200 --> 0:46:41.719 and one of my kids was like, how cool is that. 0:46:41.800 --> 0:46:44.000 I was like, it's really cool. You never know who's listening. 0:46:45.360 --> 0:46:48.399 But it might not be a celebrity that God wants 0:46:48.440 --> 0:46:52.240 to speak to the most today. It might be somebody. 0:46:52.680 --> 0:46:54.160 I'm not going to ask you to raise your hand, 0:46:54.160 --> 0:46:56.719 but if I did. Ninety percent of this church has 0:46:56.760 --> 0:47:00.400 never heard a sermon about Lydia, and yet I weren't 0:47:00.440 --> 0:47:03.000 for her, there would have been no church in Philippi. 0:47:05.640 --> 0:47:08.719 It was just as important who was listening as it 0:47:08.840 --> 0:47:12.160 was who was preaching. And we've got to do away 0:47:12.200 --> 0:47:16.480 with the celebrity culture, where God only uses people who 0:47:16.520 --> 0:47:20.000 have a certain number of followers or who have reached 0:47:20.000 --> 0:47:24.880 an elevated status in the world's eyes. We are not 0:47:25.120 --> 0:47:29.279 all Paul. I'm not Paul, You're not Paul. But there 0:47:29.320 --> 0:47:31.520 was a woman named Lydia, and God was shown me 0:47:31.600 --> 0:47:34.480 this week in my study. You've got a church full 0:47:34.520 --> 0:47:37.920 of Lydia's some men, some women, but they're unlikely. People 0:47:38.800 --> 0:47:46.000 who see themselves as unlikely, but they are the missing link. 0:47:46.760 --> 0:47:50.760 And when they begin to see themselves as a vessel 0:47:51.080 --> 0:47:55.319 and not just a receptacle. And when they begin to 0:47:55.360 --> 0:47:57.680 see themselves as the conduit through which I want to 0:47:57.680 --> 0:48:00.840 bless the people around them, the earth will not be 0:48:00.880 --> 0:48:02.799 able to contain the increase of the measure of the 0:48:02.800 --> 0:48:07.640 glory of the Lord. God is looking for Lydia. God 0:48:07.719 --> 0:48:11.799 shut down a whole Apostolic tour because he was looking 0:48:11.800 --> 0:48:16.239 for Lydia. Paul didn't know her name, but he went 0:48:16.280 --> 0:48:17.920 where he thought he was supposed to go, because sometimes 0:48:17.960 --> 0:48:21.240 all you can do is obey the best you know how, 0:48:22.719 --> 0:48:25.200 let that set you free. Paul didn't even know what 0:48:25.239 --> 0:48:27.320 he was looking for, but he was doing his best 0:48:27.400 --> 0:48:33.239 to be obedient, are you, because if you will, you'll 0:48:33.239 --> 0:48:40.160 always find a Lydia. Lydia was a woman verse fifteen, 0:48:40.960 --> 0:48:45.319 excuse me fourteen from the city of Thiatyra, formerly known 0:48:45.360 --> 0:48:49.720 as the Kingdom of Lydia. So her name probably wasn't Lydia, 0:48:49.760 --> 0:48:51.360 but that's where she was from, and that's how they 0:48:51.440 --> 0:48:56.480 often referred to women in those days, and she was 0:48:56.520 --> 0:49:01.960 a dealer in purple cloth. So purple's the expensive stuff. 0:49:03.760 --> 0:49:07.960 If you deal purple claw, you make bank. And I 0:49:08.000 --> 0:49:09.759 know it's cringey what I just said, Elijah, I don't 0:49:09.760 --> 0:49:12.680 even need to hear about it. After the sermon, Lydia 0:49:12.719 --> 0:49:18.440 didn't need money. She needed a message. Paul had the message. 0:49:19.520 --> 0:49:23.920 She had the money. And when his need and her 0:49:24.000 --> 0:49:29.640 need met, the Church in the West was born. Because 0:49:29.680 --> 0:49:33.640 God is a need meeter. But God does not meet 0:49:33.760 --> 0:49:39.600 needs independently of his people. He uses us. There's a 0:49:39.680 --> 0:49:42.279 tendency in a church this size to look around and go, 0:49:43.880 --> 0:49:46.600 I don't think they need me here. So then you 0:49:46.600 --> 0:49:49.400 get all focused on yourself. You know, how is the 0:49:49.400 --> 0:49:53.960 sermon today? Yeah? A little long, It's all right, what 0:49:54.000 --> 0:49:57.480 do you talk about? Some guy named Philip? I think 0:49:57.560 --> 0:50:02.840 his name. Give me, give me, give me, give me, 0:50:02.840 --> 0:50:04.040 give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, 0:50:04.520 --> 0:50:09.879 give me, give me. But there's a perspective shift, there's 0:50:09.880 --> 0:50:14.200 a ps there's a Paul said, my God will meet 0:50:14.200 --> 0:50:16.720 all your needs. He said, I didn't even need the money. 0:50:17.400 --> 0:50:26.320 You needed the message. And so Paul shows up. Lydia's 0:50:26.360 --> 0:50:29.400 sitting down. He saw a man in the vision, but 0:50:29.440 --> 0:50:32.640 he sees a woman by the river. God shows up 0:50:33.239 --> 0:50:37.560 how he wants to show up, through disappointment, sometimes through 0:50:37.600 --> 0:50:41.640 what seems to be a setback, sometimes through unexpected people. 0:50:43.040 --> 0:50:45.319 A dealer in purple cloth, she was a worshiper of 0:50:45.360 --> 0:50:48.080 God or a God fear She was close. You know, 0:50:48.120 --> 0:50:49.800 there's people in your life who are close to the 0:50:49.880 --> 0:50:54.600 kingdom and they're waiting on somebody who would have the willingness. 0:50:55.680 --> 0:50:59.160 There are people in your circle who need the presence 0:50:59.160 --> 0:51:04.560 of God, and God put you in their life. And 0:51:04.600 --> 0:51:06.719 you're part of a church. At many of our locations, 0:51:06.719 --> 0:51:10.480 we have so many seats available. Everybody could bring somebody 0:51:10.760 --> 0:51:14.320 next weekend we'd be full of everybody found one person 0:51:14.320 --> 0:51:17.600 who needed Jesus last week, our church would double in 0:51:17.640 --> 0:51:20.880 one week. And not even thinking about the impact of 0:51:20.880 --> 0:51:25.080 our Etham that's watching online. I mean we use social 0:51:25.120 --> 0:51:29.680 media to spread everything. Why not the message of the 0:51:29.680 --> 0:51:32.919 only name that saves. Why would you sit on a message? 0:51:33.600 --> 0:51:36.560 Why would you sit on something that has the power 0:51:36.640 --> 0:51:42.239 to say? Paul took the message across the sea. And 0:51:42.360 --> 0:51:45.520 sometimes I'm burdened that we just come to get our 0:51:45.560 --> 0:51:49.160 needs met and we don't get them met. Because God 0:51:49.200 --> 0:51:53.000 doesn't meet your needs. Through thinking about your needs, You've 0:51:53.040 --> 0:51:55.920 got to get outside of yourself and outside of your customs, 0:51:56.000 --> 0:51:59.120 and outside of your traditions, and outside of your expectations, 0:51:59.239 --> 0:52:03.120 and outside of your entitlement. Paul said, it's not even 0:52:03.160 --> 0:52:07.840 about me and this woman Lydia. I don't know a 0:52:07.880 --> 0:52:11.040 whole lot about her, except for I'm thankful for her. 0:52:11.600 --> 0:52:15.440 And I feel like there are many Lydias watching me 0:52:15.520 --> 0:52:19.960 today whose names may never be known, but whose purpose 0:52:20.560 --> 0:52:24.080 is important. And watch what happened when Paul's need to 0:52:24.120 --> 0:52:30.160 preach met her need to hear. This woman who was 0:52:30.160 --> 0:52:32.560 sitting by the river, it says, the Lord opened her 0:52:32.600 --> 0:52:36.840 heart to respond to Paul's message. That means she decided 0:52:36.880 --> 0:52:39.400 to become a follower of Christ. And when she and 0:52:39.440 --> 0:52:42.440 the members of her household see it's never just about you, 0:52:43.719 --> 0:52:46.319 It's not just about you. The first thing she did 0:52:46.360 --> 0:52:49.880 when she was touched by the power of God was 0:52:49.920 --> 0:52:53.520 to think about somebody else. God, Who have you connected 0:52:53.560 --> 0:52:59.000 me to that needs You, that needs hope, that needs Jesus? 0:53:00.360 --> 0:53:03.799 And I love the language, it says. After those who 0:53:03.800 --> 0:53:06.920 were in her household were baptized, the people closest to her, 0:53:08.000 --> 0:53:11.360 she invited us to her home. If you consider me 0:53:11.400 --> 0:53:13.279 a believer in the Lord. She said, come and stay 0:53:13.280 --> 0:53:16.439 at my house. And she persuaded us, and the Lord 0:53:16.480 --> 0:53:19.040 told me like this, he said, I opened her heart 0:53:19.080 --> 0:53:22.120 and she opened her house. And some of the people 0:53:22.160 --> 0:53:24.879 that you've preached to, I've opened their heart and I've 0:53:24.880 --> 0:53:29.239 blessed them, but they haven't opened their house yet. And 0:53:29.280 --> 0:53:31.680 they're in this big church just thinking about me and 0:53:31.760 --> 0:53:33.560 my nees. And it's so easy to do, and I 0:53:33.640 --> 0:53:39.200 do it all the time, and so we sing about 0:53:39.200 --> 0:53:42.080 breakthroughs and blessings and it's good. It's good, it's good. 0:53:42.600 --> 0:53:46.040 I promise, man, I help write the song. I know 0:53:46.600 --> 0:53:53.480 a breakthrough is coming. By faith. I see you, my God. 0:53:53.960 --> 0:53:59.120 God told me to tell you, be the breakthrough. Be 0:53:59.239 --> 0:54:07.040 the breakthrough, Be the breakthrough, Be the breakthrough. Be the 0:54:07.080 --> 0:54:10.839 breakthrough for somebody else, and watch how God will break 0:54:10.920 --> 0:54:15.000 through for you. Be the breakthrough for someone else. It's 0:54:15.040 --> 0:54:17.960 time to turn the pain. You've been rehearsing it over 0:54:17.960 --> 0:54:19.719 and over again. It's time to release it and ask 0:54:19.760 --> 0:54:21.799 God to use it. God lets you go through that 0:54:21.920 --> 0:54:24.319 for something. God didn't just keep you through all of 0:54:24.360 --> 0:54:26.960 that so you could just be a survivor. You are 0:54:27.000 --> 0:54:30.160 to be an agent of change and the world needs 0:54:30.200 --> 0:54:37.320 what we have, but we've got to give it and God, 0:54:38.280 --> 0:54:42.040 God is looking for Lydia, and I want to pray 0:54:42.080 --> 0:54:45.440 for you right now. I was intentional about this message 0:54:45.480 --> 0:54:49.040 going into my new series because it's going to be 0:54:49.080 --> 0:54:52.560 so helpful for people who are fighting demons. They don't 0:54:52.560 --> 0:54:54.319 even know they're fighting, they don't even know how to name. 0:54:56.040 --> 0:54:58.840 But the best thing we can do is not just 0:54:58.880 --> 0:55:01.799 come and get our needs man, but ask God to 0:55:01.880 --> 0:55:04.480 open our eyes to the needs of those who are 0:55:04.480 --> 0:55:08.239 around us. The harvest is plentiful, and I want to 0:55:08.280 --> 0:55:10.239 take a moment as the pastor of this church. This 0:55:10.280 --> 0:55:13.680 is not a performance. This is a partnership. I'm gonna 0:55:13.680 --> 0:55:18.080 say it again, this is not a performance. And I 0:55:18.120 --> 0:55:22.160 can't do this by myself. This church was built on 0:55:22.280 --> 0:55:26.920 sacrificial people Dan Horner and Eric Miller and guys that 0:55:26.920 --> 0:55:29.600 have been with me for a long time who are 0:55:29.600 --> 0:55:32.640 willing to open their lives and say, yeah, there's people 0:55:32.680 --> 0:55:34.799 in my life who need Jesus, and there's things I have, 0:55:34.840 --> 0:55:38.759 and there's resources and the answers yes. And I want 0:55:38.760 --> 0:55:41.160 to stand you up right now with no one leaving 0:55:41.480 --> 0:55:44.120 and disrupting the moment for someone. And I want you 0:55:44.239 --> 0:55:47.960 to get someone on your mind at every location. Campus pastors, 0:55:48.880 --> 0:55:50.600 I want you to get near the stage so you 0:55:50.680 --> 0:55:54.239 can agree in faith with this prayer. And I want 0:55:54.280 --> 0:55:56.680 to agree with you in faith concerning someone in your 0:55:56.760 --> 0:56:02.359 life who needs Jesus, someone who needs the Lord that 0:56:02.400 --> 0:56:05.719 God has put you in contact with. And I want 0:56:05.719 --> 0:56:08.600 to pray that you would have the eyes to see 0:56:08.640 --> 0:56:14.759 other people's need this week, that this week God would 0:56:14.800 --> 0:56:19.000 open your eyes. Oh God, forgive us. We've been praying 0:56:19.000 --> 0:56:21.600 to meet my needs, and you've been trying to open 0:56:21.640 --> 0:56:24.600 our eyes to see the blessing that we already have 0:56:24.680 --> 0:56:27.959 in You. The only way for our needs to be met, 0:56:28.880 --> 0:56:30.640 or to meet the needs of the world that you love. 0:56:30.680 --> 0:56:34.839 And God, we ask you now to use us. We 0:56:34.880 --> 0:56:37.839 want to see what you can do through us. We've 0:56:37.880 --> 0:56:40.719 seen what you can do for us, and we lose 0:56:40.719 --> 0:56:42.480 sight of it when we close our hearts. And so 0:56:42.520 --> 0:56:49.800 we offer ourselves to you as instruments. God puts somebody 0:56:49.840 --> 0:56:51.799 on their heart this week, somebody that they work with 0:56:51.920 --> 0:56:55.040 or live next to, or something in Maybe they'll have 0:56:55.080 --> 0:56:57.040 to ask a few times, but which you bring people 0:56:57.080 --> 0:57:00.960 here next week for this new series who need you 0:57:01.040 --> 0:57:04.680 and use us to meet those needs. We can't save them, 0:57:04.680 --> 0:57:07.279 that's not our job, but we can be a link. 0:57:08.320 --> 0:57:11.400 We could be a Lydia. We ask right now that 0:57:11.440 --> 0:57:13.680 you would do a great work through us in this series, 0:57:16.400 --> 0:57:19.560 that you would supply and meet every need according to 0:57:19.600 --> 0:57:24.200 your glorious riches. Well, I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. 0:57:24.360 --> 0:57:26.480 If you did, there are just a couple things I'd 0:57:26.560 --> 0:57:29.880 love for you to do. Number One, subscribe to our show. 0:57:29.920 --> 0:57:33.000 That way, the most recent episode will always be in 0:57:33.040 --> 0:57:37.120 your feed, waiting for you ready when you are. And Secondly, 0:57:37.160 --> 0:57:39.600 if this ministry has impacted you and you'd like to 0:57:39.640 --> 0:57:42.040 help us continue to reach others, you can click the 0:57:42.080 --> 0:57:44.480 link in the description and you can give now and 0:57:44.680 --> 0:57:48.040 I'll see you next time on the Elevation Podcast