WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.344 The other one's going to just welcome Austin as he preaches. 00:00:01.344 --> 00:00:03.669 Thank you, thank you. 00:00:03.669 --> 00:00:12.217 It's only formal and this is what you do when you speak at someone else's church. 00:00:12.217 --> 00:00:18.265 After they say thank you for coming, then you turn around and you say, hey, church, can we give it up for your pastor this morning? 00:00:18.265 --> 00:00:21.666 I think that's what I'm supposed to do. 00:00:21.666 --> 00:00:23.001 I think so. 00:00:25.140 --> 00:00:31.760 Aside from being just a great friend, nate is probably the strongest pastor in Solano County. 00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:36.923 He can probably squat the most weight. 00:00:36.923 --> 00:00:38.387 And I'm jealous. 00:00:38.387 --> 00:00:54.110 I will say I was not going to wear my coat, and then Nate came up in his t-shirt and I said let me put this thing on because, man, sheesh, I'm here with my wife Mercy, who is absolutely incredible. 00:00:54.110 --> 00:00:57.228 My kids are in your kids' ministry right now. 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:01.581 I got three boys right there Micah Hendricks and Kyle Micah's nine. 00:01:01.581 --> 00:01:02.863 He plays hockey. 00:01:02.863 --> 00:01:10.129 I had him watch Mighty Ducks one day and he was like I want to do that. 00:01:10.129 --> 00:01:13.340 I said, great, let's try it, hendricks. 00:01:13.340 --> 00:01:15.126 And that is Hendricks, like Jimmy Hendricks. 00:01:15.126 --> 00:01:17.385 Yeah, that's right. 00:01:17.385 --> 00:01:24.343 He plays soccer and probably has the most infectious laugh that you'll ever witness in your life. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:29.150 Our youngest Kyle, not Kyle, kyle, he's four years old. 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:30.463 Kyle is Portuguese. 00:01:30.463 --> 00:01:33.022 For rejoice, we're not Portuguese. 00:01:33.022 --> 00:01:40.581 You guys know, when you name your kids, it just sounded good in the moment, so much pressure. 00:01:40.581 --> 00:01:43.930 They're like give your kid a name, they're just going to carry it for the rest of their lives. 00:01:43.930 --> 00:01:47.025 No pressure, but make sure you pick the right one. 00:01:47.025 --> 00:01:50.927 And so we say Kyle, rejoice. 00:01:50.927 --> 00:01:57.525 We're not Portuguese, but hey, I'm grateful to be here. 00:01:57.799 --> 00:02:07.046 Number one, let me say this there's a lot of churches that you could be at today in Solano County and you're here, and that's important that you guys are here. 00:02:07.046 --> 00:02:11.609 When I walked in, I would tell you this you guys probably have the biggest. 00:02:11.609 --> 00:02:16.870 In church language you would call it like first impressions team or hospitality team. 00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:20.146 You guys probably have the biggest team I've ever seen at a church. 00:02:20.146 --> 00:02:26.805 I walked in and I think just about every person smiled and said good morning, even if you weren't scheduled to serve on the team. 00:02:26.805 --> 00:02:31.388 I felt like I was being hosted well and you guys have some pretty good coffee back there. 00:02:31.388 --> 00:02:36.230 So thank you guys for just for hosting me and my family well today. 00:02:36.879 --> 00:02:37.264 Here's my hope. 00:02:37.264 --> 00:02:42.568 My hope is today that you would know that God is not looking for perfect people. 00:02:42.568 --> 00:02:49.689 God can move through perfect people, but God is not looking for perfect people. 00:02:49.689 --> 00:03:02.491 He's looking for everyday, ordinary people like you and me to go out and to proclaim the gospel and to affect change in Sassoon and Solano County. 00:03:02.491 --> 00:03:14.806 He's looking for a group of people who would show up on New Year's Eve at church at 10.30AM, who would gather here in this place to worship God, when most of the other churches are mine included are at home. 00:03:14.806 --> 00:03:21.907 Because we did church online, you know we're like staying in your pajamas, but God is looking for a group of people who would just come. 00:03:21.907 --> 00:03:26.850 He's not looking for your, your accolades or your degrees. 00:03:26.850 --> 00:03:32.391 He's not looking for your Bible knowledge or how many years of seminary you went through. 00:03:32.391 --> 00:03:36.705 He's looking for people, just everyday, ordinary people. 00:03:36.705 --> 00:03:42.127 It's kind of like if you've read the Bible at all, you know Jesus. 00:03:42.127 --> 00:03:47.367 He picks like 12 people, just ordinary people. 00:03:47.367 --> 00:03:49.742 They didn't know which way to go. 00:03:49.742 --> 00:03:52.204 They're just ordinary people. 00:03:52.204 --> 00:03:54.883 Maybe they should take it slow. 00:03:54.883 --> 00:03:57.931 Take it no John Legend fans. 00:04:02.406 --> 00:04:07.693 Okay, we're going to be reading today from the book of Acts, acts 4. 00:04:07.693 --> 00:04:09.115 Acts is in the New Testament. 00:04:09.115 --> 00:04:11.407 The Bible is split into two parts, the old and the new. 00:04:11.407 --> 00:04:22.673 The Old Testament speaks to our need of a Savior and gives us all of the prophecy, to kind of frame what happens in the New Testament, which is Jesus coming and fulfilling that prophecy. 00:04:22.673 --> 00:04:32.471 And so Acts 4 finds us in the place after Jesus has already ascended to heaven, and now the disciples and everyone else has gathered in what we would call today church. 00:04:32.471 --> 00:04:45.170 This is kind of like the first experience of modern day church as we get into the book of Acts after Jesus has ascended, and so we're going to do a little bit of reading today, acts 4. 00:04:45.170 --> 00:04:47.240 1 through 12. 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:52.185 And it reads as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them. 00:04:52.185 --> 00:04:55.043 This is Peter and John. 00:04:55.043 --> 00:05:07.007 After Jesus ascends to heaven, they go out and they just do the stuff that Jesus told them to do they heal someone, and now they're in trouble because they've healed someone. 00:05:07.007 --> 00:05:24.591 The Sadducees were greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening, but many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about 5000. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:32.035 I think it's so cool, passenet, that you were just talking about numbers, because you'll hear a lot in churches today. 00:05:32.035 --> 00:05:33.163 It's not about the numbers. 00:05:33.163 --> 00:05:38.026 It's not about the numbers and while I agree it also is about the numbers. 00:05:38.026 --> 00:05:43.346 5000 people were saved. 00:05:43.346 --> 00:05:47.810 If it wasn't about the numbers, we wouldn't pay attention to that. 00:05:47.810 --> 00:05:53.851 We wouldn't care that 5000 people repented of their sin and turned to Jesus as their Savior. 00:05:53.851 --> 00:05:59.343 If it wasn't about the numbers, we wouldn't care that 5000 people experienced freedom and liberty. 00:05:59.343 --> 00:06:10.982 If it wasn't about the numbers, we wouldn't care that 5000 people, instead of going to hell, which is a very real place, have now decided, and made a conscious decision, to go to heaven. 00:06:10.982 --> 00:06:14.980 If it wasn't about the numbers, we wouldn't even read about this Verse five. 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:31.370 On the next day, the rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Annas, the High Priest, and Caiaphas, and John and Alexander and all who were of the High Priestly family, and when they had set them in the midst, they inquired by what power or by what name did you do this? 00:06:31.370 --> 00:06:32.392 I love this. 00:06:32.392 --> 00:06:34.761 Peter is one of my favorite people in the Bible, verse eight. 00:06:34.761 --> 00:06:39.911 The Bible says then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:06:39.911 --> 00:06:45.708 We're just going to stop there and pray really quick, and I know we've prayed like 14 times, but that's okay. 00:06:45.708 --> 00:06:48.348 By the end of today we'll probably pray 22 times. 00:06:49.079 --> 00:06:52.449 So let's just pray for the word and what we receive today. 00:06:52.449 --> 00:07:00.608 Father, we thank you today that your word is alive and active, that it is not dead, but it wields power to transform lives. 00:07:00.608 --> 00:07:15.129 We pray today, god, that you would open the eyes of our hearts to see the revelation that we can find in this book, that it is not just a book, but it is revelation of God's heart for his sons and daughters and the pointing to Jesus, our Savior. 00:07:15.129 --> 00:07:16.982 And so we pray today. 00:07:16.982 --> 00:07:23.867 Would you speak to us, would you penetrate the layers and the depths of our hearts? 00:07:23.867 --> 00:07:33.161 Would you soften our hearts to receive your word, to know that, god, you can move through every day, ordinary people and God. 00:07:33.161 --> 00:07:34.326 Would you be glorified today? 00:07:34.326 --> 00:07:35.502 Would you receive this? 00:07:35.502 --> 00:07:42.269 Coming to church as worship to you In Jesus' name, amen. 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:49.345 I heard a commentator once say this no one attribute is more needful today for Christ witness than Holy Spirit boldness. 00:07:49.345 --> 00:08:02.142 Due to Holy Spirit fullness, there's nothing more necessary today in the church than Holy Spirit boldness, because we've been so filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:02.142 --> 00:08:06.331 But I know the temptation. 00:08:06.331 --> 00:08:11.793 The temptation is to think no, the thing that we actually need is my seminary degree. 00:08:11.793 --> 00:08:15.228 I know the temptation in church. 00:08:15.228 --> 00:08:19.591 In order for me to make a difference for the kingdom of God, what you need is my church attendance. 00:08:19.591 --> 00:08:24.394 Man, I'm going to do something for God. 00:08:24.394 --> 00:08:28.492 Okay, I know what God needs for me to make an impact. 00:08:28.492 --> 00:08:33.225 He needs my 401K. 00:08:33.225 --> 00:08:43.193 God needs my middle class suburban family with the perfect smiles, engaged in all the community activities on the board of the PTA at my school. 00:08:43.193 --> 00:08:47.592 This is the temptation that we have, but here's the reality. 00:08:48.544 --> 00:08:51.373 What God needs from you is not any of those things, although they're great. 00:08:51.373 --> 00:09:01.553 What God needs from you is to be so filled with the Holy Spirit that it overflows and shows as boldness and courage in the eyes of everyone else. 00:09:01.553 --> 00:09:06.073 It is not about a degree or what you've achieved or accomplished. 00:09:06.073 --> 00:09:15.549 It is about a heart yielded to Jesus, our King, and a spirit inside of us that says send me, I'll go, and whatever you ask of me, lord, I'll do it. 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:18.230 This is what the world needs. 00:09:18.230 --> 00:09:25.929 The world doesn't need your good character and being a kind person, although it's good it's good to wave to people and say good morning. 00:09:25.929 --> 00:09:33.951 The world doesn't need your doing of good deeds and community service, although it's good and it looks good on social media when you post about it too. 00:09:33.951 --> 00:09:37.229 The world doesn't need any of that. 00:09:37.229 --> 00:09:39.951 What the world needs is for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:09:39.951 --> 00:09:43.913 The world needs you coming to Jesus with a broken and contrite heart. 00:09:43.913 --> 00:09:51.226 The world needs you coming to Jesus with a poor spirit that says yet, not as I will, but as you will. 00:09:51.226 --> 00:10:00.530 What the world actually needs is not for you to sing all the words that were on the screen, although there's some great words that we just sang together. 00:10:00.530 --> 00:10:07.249 The world actually needs you knowing that without Jesus we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. 00:10:08.384 --> 00:10:09.309 I love what Paul says. 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:12.332 There's this prayer that he prays for the Church of Ephesus in Ephesians 3. 00:10:12.332 --> 00:10:22.916 He says that you would have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. 00:10:22.916 --> 00:10:26.333 That you would be filled with all of the fullness of God. 00:10:26.333 --> 00:10:34.846 I want you to pause as we look at that verse that you would be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:10:37.465 --> 00:10:41.695 What I like to do when I read the Bible is it's actually pretty challenging for me. 00:10:41.695 --> 00:10:44.048 At the same time, I like to ask questions. 00:10:44.048 --> 00:10:49.434 And when you read the Bible, it's important to ask questions because not everything's black and white. 00:10:49.434 --> 00:10:50.347 I wish it was. 00:10:50.347 --> 00:10:54.808 I wish it would just be like hey, do this, don't do that, go this way, don't go that way. 00:10:54.808 --> 00:11:01.772 You know, the kind of gray area of the Bible where I have to interpret what it actually means is kind of hard and challenging for me. 00:11:01.772 --> 00:11:05.611 But this is very clear. 00:11:05.611 --> 00:11:10.836 Paul says my prayer is that you would be strengthened to be filled with all of the fullness of God. 00:11:10.836 --> 00:11:14.527 Well, if that's the case, paul, that means that there's some things that I might not be filled with. 00:11:14.527 --> 00:11:19.889 There might be some of God that I've yet to experience. 00:11:19.889 --> 00:11:32.910 Let me convince you for a second, because some of you are like well, I'm pretty sure I'm full and filled with all of God. 00:11:34.405 --> 00:11:38.133 Mark five there's a story where Jesus is coming. 00:11:38.133 --> 00:11:39.735 They bring a child to heal. 00:11:39.735 --> 00:11:41.889 They bring a child to Jesus to heal. 00:11:41.889 --> 00:11:46.910 The child is almost dead and they say hey, why bother the teacher? 00:11:46.910 --> 00:11:53.052 Isn't it interesting that they didn't say hey, why bother the healer? 00:11:53.052 --> 00:11:55.609 They said why bother the teacher? 00:11:55.609 --> 00:11:58.912 Isn't it interesting that they didn't say why bother the redeemer? 00:11:58.912 --> 00:12:00.669 They said why bother the teacher. 00:12:00.669 --> 00:12:05.336 Isn't it interesting that they said why bother the teacher instead of why bother the savior? 00:12:05.336 --> 00:12:08.190 Here's what I found in my life. 00:12:08.330 --> 00:12:10.936 Many of us have experienced a part of God. 00:12:10.936 --> 00:12:15.274 You may know God today as comforter, but you've yet to experience him as healer. 00:12:15.274 --> 00:12:21.596 You may know God today as provider, but you've yet to experience him as hope. 00:12:21.596 --> 00:12:29.886 You may know God today as friend, and that's great, but you've yet to experience him as redeemer. 00:12:29.886 --> 00:12:36.094 There is a fullness of God that we ought to experience. 00:12:37.465 --> 00:12:38.970 I told God at the beginning of this year. 00:12:38.970 --> 00:12:40.133 We were at our prayer. 00:12:40.133 --> 00:12:42.028 We do a prayer conference every year in the city. 00:12:42.028 --> 00:12:49.548 I said God, I don't just want to know a part of you, I don't just want a piece of you, I want the whole thing. 00:12:49.548 --> 00:12:54.551 I said God, I'm not coming for just the forgiveness, I'm coming for the whole bag. 00:12:54.551 --> 00:12:55.729 Give me everything, god. 00:12:55.729 --> 00:13:03.850 I don't want to just know you on Sunday morning at 1030 in Sassoon City at First Christian Church, I want to know you Monday through Saturday. 00:13:03.850 --> 00:13:05.971 I want to know every part of you. 00:13:06.293 --> 00:13:09.008 And this is the vision that I think we ought to have as Christians. 00:13:09.008 --> 00:13:19.870 What a vision for your life of knowing who God is and receiving revelation of who God is for eternity. 00:13:19.870 --> 00:13:22.269 Can you imagine this? 00:13:22.269 --> 00:13:25.985 A life where every day you wake up and you experience something new from God? 00:13:25.985 --> 00:13:38.347 Can you just imagine every day I get to wake up and he reveals something to me that I'd never known about him? 00:13:38.347 --> 00:13:48.457 No matter how many years I've been in church, no matter how many Bible studies I've been a part of, no matter how many Sunday services I've served in? 00:13:48.457 --> 00:13:53.971 Can you imagine that every morning you can wake up and experience something new from him? 00:13:53.971 --> 00:14:01.049 New Lamentations 3 says his mercies are new Every morning. 00:14:01.049 --> 00:14:11.171 Every morning, that means the revelation of mercy I get from him today is going to be different from the revelation of mercy I get from him tomorrow. 00:14:11.171 --> 00:14:18.448 Every morning that was my surprised voice. 00:14:18.448 --> 00:14:20.110 Every morning. 00:14:20.110 --> 00:14:33.172 What Every morning, acts 4 goes on to read the members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and this is what I love. 00:14:33.284 --> 00:14:48.788 We love to talk about the boldness of Peter and John because, especially as we're in a church, we love to talk about how can we preach the good news outside of this building, and then oftentimes our prayers are something like this God give me boldness to be a good witness at work. 00:14:48.788 --> 00:14:54.115 God, give me courage to say something and to preach the good news. 00:14:54.115 --> 00:15:01.455 And when I say preach, we're not saying that you would stand on a pulpit with a microphone and preach, but you would proclaim the good work of Jesus. 00:15:01.455 --> 00:15:09.327 And so our prayers oftentimes revolve around make me bold and give me courage, and those are great things. 00:15:09.327 --> 00:15:14.388 But I want you to see what it says. 00:15:14.388 --> 00:15:36.649 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John for they could see that they were ordinary people with no special training and they recognized that they had been with Jesus they saw their boldness and courage. 00:15:36.649 --> 00:15:43.092 And here's what they noted these were ordinary people with no special training and they had been with Jesus. 00:15:46.384 --> 00:15:49.813 I remember when I first started going to church I was 17 years old. 00:15:49.813 --> 00:15:52.570 A senior in high school Went to a Southern Baptist church. 00:15:52.570 --> 00:15:55.647 Because he lives. 00:15:55.647 --> 00:15:59.174 I can face tomorrow, come on, I know there's someone in here. 00:15:59.174 --> 00:16:01.888 You know the song Where's my piano at? 00:16:01.888 --> 00:16:05.249 Because he lives. 00:16:05.249 --> 00:16:07.249 Oh, I love that song. 00:16:07.725 --> 00:16:08.227 Southern Baptist Church. 00:16:08.227 --> 00:16:14.474 I remember I would go there and the pastor was like he would say things like this God can use regular, ordinary, everyday people. 00:16:14.474 --> 00:16:22.697 My thought was always but you don't know me, I get it. 00:16:22.697 --> 00:16:23.498 I get it, pastor. 00:16:23.498 --> 00:16:23.958 You're up there. 00:16:23.958 --> 00:16:25.389 You're supposed to say things like this. 00:16:25.389 --> 00:16:35.229 You're supposed to tell me that God can use everyday, ordinary people, but you don't know what I did, you don't know what I've experienced, you don't know what I've been through. 00:16:35.229 --> 00:16:38.029 And maybe you're saying the same thing today. 00:16:38.029 --> 00:16:40.470 Hey, you don't know. 00:16:40.490 --> 00:16:42.375 2023 was the hardest year of my life. 00:16:42.605 --> 00:16:43.708 Don't tell me that God can use me. 00:16:43.708 --> 00:16:46.928 You're in the room today and you're like man. 00:16:46.928 --> 00:16:53.394 I feel the weight and the heaviness of this last year and you want me to come in and expect God to use me. 00:16:53.394 --> 00:17:05.909 I barely got out of bed this morning and here's what I would say You're right, I don't know what you've been through. 00:17:05.909 --> 00:17:12.689 I don't know the challenges, I don't know the grief, I don't know the pain, I don't know the confusion. 00:17:12.689 --> 00:17:19.930 I don't know any of it and I would never make light of those things either. 00:17:22.005 --> 00:17:28.589 And I would also say this and God is all powerful. 00:17:28.589 --> 00:17:41.965 I think we can come into a setting like this and say I've been through all of these things and this year has been hard, and then we use the word but, but God is all powerful, and that kind of. 00:17:41.965 --> 00:17:48.047 That kind of says, like everything you just said before, I said but doesn't actually matter. 00:17:48.047 --> 00:17:51.241 But all that stuff does matter. 00:17:51.241 --> 00:18:04.363 This is our very lives and the things that we've experienced and what we've been through, and so I would never say, but I would say and Because all those things could have been hard and challenging and God is still powerful. 00:18:04.363 --> 00:18:09.343 Those things have been difficult and God is yet sovereign. 00:18:09.343 --> 00:18:14.181 Those things have been challenging and he still sits on the throne. 00:18:14.181 --> 00:18:19.950 I love this verse. 00:18:19.950 --> 00:18:54.102 This has been something that I've been reading all year and what's kind of helped me Negotiate and reconcile how a holy and perfect God can use me in the midst of all of the stuff that I've been through Relations, forces and because you are sons, god has sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, crying Abba, father, let me explain what that means Inside of you, inside of your heart, in the church, in the Pentecostal church. 00:18:54.163 --> 00:19:02.960 My grandfather was a pastor of a Pentecostal church for like 30 years, so in the Pentecostal church I think I found my crew. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:04.018 You guys started laughing. 00:19:04.018 --> 00:19:07.160 Okay, let me, let me just test it. 00:19:07.160 --> 00:19:07.761 God is good. 00:19:07.761 --> 00:19:09.861 Oh, come on. 00:19:09.861 --> 00:19:14.640 And all the time hey, nate, you got a good church here. 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:18.027 Man, here's that. 00:19:18.027 --> 00:19:19.934 Here's what that means in Galatians four. 00:19:19.934 --> 00:19:29.920 The Bible says that in our inner man, which is our spirit inside of us, the spirit inside of us longs to cry out Abba, father. 00:19:29.920 --> 00:19:42.843 So there's this longing on the inside of us that longs to seek out God, and then there's all the stuff that's happened to the outside of us. 00:19:42.843 --> 00:19:45.838 Here's my encouragement for you. 00:19:45.838 --> 00:19:57.606 One of the biggest battles and challenges that we'll have as Christians is to get the exterior of who we are to line up with what the interior already wants to do. 00:19:57.606 --> 00:20:02.365 Listen, the inside of you already wants to cry out to God. 00:20:02.365 --> 00:20:06.522 The inside of you, always, it already wants to worship him. 00:20:06.522 --> 00:20:22.138 On the inside of you, god is set on the inside of you something that longs to know the father more, and our greatest challenge is to get this thing on the outside of us to do what our spirit already wants to do. 00:20:22.138 --> 00:20:36.444 On the inside of you, god has wired you to affect change in this city and in this community, and one of the greatest challenges you'll have is to get the exterior of you to line up with what God already wants to do on the inside of you. 00:20:36.444 --> 00:20:41.904 Listen, there are dreams and prayers that you have prayed and you have thought of. 00:20:41.904 --> 00:20:50.702 There are things that God has set in your heart to do and it's probably been discouraging because you haven't seen those things actually come to fruition. 00:20:50.702 --> 00:20:59.121 But there's a longing on the inside of you that God has placed in your heart to do something for the gospel in this community. 00:20:59.121 --> 00:21:08.863 It's already on the inside of you and we just have to get our bodies to line up with what the inside of us wants to do. 00:21:14.075 --> 00:21:26.804 I love this story in Acts 4 because what it shows us is that God can take the most ordinary of people and do something extraordinary through us. 00:21:26.804 --> 00:21:36.828 All you have to do is bring your ordinariness to him and watch what he does with that. 00:21:36.828 --> 00:21:46.164 You guys remember the story where Jesus and the disciples are on the hillside and there's like crowds and crowds of people and they're like where are we going to feed them? 00:21:46.164 --> 00:21:50.743 And Peter steals this little boy's lunchables and he says here, jesus, take this. 00:21:50.743 --> 00:21:59.205 Jesus can take the most ordinary thing and make it absolutely extraordinary. 00:21:59.205 --> 00:22:07.685 Jesus can take the most ordinary people and do something significant through them. 00:22:07.685 --> 00:22:09.690 Here's what Jesus has done. 00:22:09.690 --> 00:22:12.040 I just want to praise him today. 00:22:13.894 --> 00:22:29.448 Jesus took this Filipino kid out of the middle of the Pacific Ocean who grew up in Hawaii, all the way to the Bay Area from a house that was used to drug abuse and violence and alcoholism. 00:22:29.448 --> 00:22:46.624 He took this little boy out of the Pacific Ocean and brought him here, who endured losing his mom, his sister and grandfather all within 18 months, and called him to come in front of a church and preach the good news of Jesus. 00:22:46.624 --> 00:22:54.276 And all it took was this guy to bring his ordinariness to Jesus and say do something with this. 00:22:54.276 --> 00:22:58.242 And so here's my call to you First Christian Church in Sassoon. 00:22:58.242 --> 00:23:15.218 I know you've been through stuff, I know it's been challenging and I know that he's still seated on a throne and I know he can take all of those things that you've experienced and he can put them in a big slow cooker like some man. 00:23:15.218 --> 00:23:30.344 He puts it in a big slow cooker and just makes it all up and makes something extraordinary out of what you would deem the most challenging and difficult times of your life if you would bring your ordinary to him. 00:23:32.494 --> 00:23:38.082 We're not asking as pastors, we're not asking for you to do everything. 00:23:38.082 --> 00:23:46.836 We're not asking that you be the most educated person on the Bible and you bring your eschatology to the church. 00:23:46.836 --> 00:23:57.976 What we're asking is that you bring your ordinariness in light of a holy and perfect God who can do all things, and you let Him mold you and shape you. 00:23:57.976 --> 00:24:01.086 You want to see the gospel preached in this city. 00:24:01.086 --> 00:24:16.598 You come and you bring yourself as plain as can be Nothing shiny, nothing fancy about us, just us and you watch what God can do with your ordinariness. 00:24:17.826 --> 00:24:20.875 I was praying last night y'all better have a timer up there. 00:24:20.875 --> 00:24:22.688 I told you I went to a Pentecostal church. 00:24:22.688 --> 00:24:23.289 I'll go all day. 00:24:23.289 --> 00:24:25.988 I might keep going. 00:24:25.988 --> 00:24:33.220 I was that's one of my Pentecostal people back there. 00:24:33.220 --> 00:24:45.125 Hey, just in prayer last night and what we were going to be talking about today, I just had this feeling and I could be way off, and that's okay if I am. 00:24:45.125 --> 00:24:49.086 But you know, with Jesus I feel like you just got to shoot your shot and see if it hits. 00:24:49.086 --> 00:25:13.270 And so, in prayer, and I felt like God would say to someone today who's maybe had a really heavy 2023 that in the midst of all of that, that you can still find freedom and liberty, that none of that has gone to waste, that God can use that to create something beautiful. 00:25:13.290 --> 00:25:16.971 There's actually a story in Genesis 27 with Jacob and Esau. 00:25:16.971 --> 00:25:18.294 You guys remember the story. 00:25:18.294 --> 00:25:21.490 Jacob was kind of shady Took his brother's stuff. 00:25:21.490 --> 00:25:25.398 Jacob was shady Stole his brother's blessing. 00:25:25.398 --> 00:25:31.442 And if you read Genesis, you'll see this tension that Esau has. 00:25:31.442 --> 00:25:36.365 He's like kind of trying to move on but he's still holding on to what was supposed to be his. 00:25:36.365 --> 00:25:40.865 But he knows he should move forward but he's still like this was supposed to be mine. 00:25:42.189 --> 00:25:51.056 And the word comes in Genesis 27, verse 40, speaking to Esau when you decide to break free, you will shake this yoke from your neck. 00:25:51.056 --> 00:25:59.346 The word comes to Esau when you decide to break free, you will shake this yoke from your neck. 00:25:59.346 --> 00:26:01.413 And what that speaks to is the weight. 00:26:01.413 --> 00:26:06.088 The yoke was a weight that would be on the neck of the oxen. 00:26:06.088 --> 00:26:10.705 And maybe you're here at the end of 2023 and you feel like man. 00:26:10.705 --> 00:26:13.313 I've just been carrying weight this whole year. 00:26:13.313 --> 00:26:15.946 It's been heavy, pastor. 00:26:15.946 --> 00:26:17.971 You don't understand what I've experienced this year. 00:26:17.971 --> 00:26:21.448 It's been hard, I'm tired. 00:26:23.070 --> 00:26:33.166 And Genesis 27, verse 40, I think, is a word for someone today that when you decide to break free, you will shake off the weight that you've been carrying. 00:26:33.166 --> 00:26:41.911 That freedom is available to be received, but is also a decision that you have to make that you will possess this freedom. 00:26:41.911 --> 00:26:48.871 If I was in the Pentecostal Church today, I would say come on, turn your neighbor, tell him to shake it off, and I would have everyone do this. 00:26:48.871 --> 00:26:50.416 But we're not there today. 00:26:50.416 --> 00:27:00.547 We're not there today, and so I'll tell you this you ought to make a decision to receive freedom. 00:27:00.547 --> 00:27:14.410 You ought to make a decision today that it is for freedom that he has set us free, not so that you can carry that same weight into 2024, but so that you can shake it off today. 00:27:14.410 --> 00:27:19.068 In Jesus name, come on, there were ordinary people who had no special training. 00:27:24.366 --> 00:27:34.115 There's some things that we say in church that I feel like we don't, we don't know that we really mean them, we just kind of say them Like. 00:27:34.115 --> 00:27:50.057 When we say like, like, god can use regular, everyday, ordinary people, and it doesn't matter what you've accomplished or achieved or what you learned, or what college or how much money is in your retirement account, and it can almost sound like God can't use educated, well-offy you know what I mean? 00:27:50.057 --> 00:27:54.998 Like it would make it such a big deal that God uses the least likely and the overlooked. 00:27:54.998 --> 00:27:56.806 Well, god, what about the other people? 00:27:56.806 --> 00:27:57.648 They're people too. 00:27:57.648 --> 00:27:59.192 Like, can he use it? 00:27:59.192 --> 00:28:05.931 It's so weird that we say stuff like this because God did use educated people. 00:28:05.931 --> 00:28:13.190 He used Moses, daniel, paul, st Augustine, martin Luther, billy Graham. 00:28:13.190 --> 00:28:29.374 Like God does use educated and uneducated people, and here's what I want you to know today it's just as wrong to think that formal education disqualifies someone from being effective for the gospel as it is to think that it automatically qualifies someone. 00:28:29.374 --> 00:28:53.287 And so it's not that God overlooks the people who did get their degree and maybe have their finances in order, but that God can use both and he can use them both equally, and that there's actually no prerequisite or requirement in order for God to use you, that he can work through your ordinariness. 00:28:54.410 --> 00:28:56.173 I love what Mark Batterson says. 00:28:56.173 --> 00:29:01.805 If you've ever read the book the Circle Maker, he says God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called. 00:29:01.805 --> 00:29:02.950 And guess what? 00:29:02.950 --> 00:29:14.676 We've all been called, and so what that means is God's qualified you, and so, as you sit in this seat today, without anything extra, you are qualified to go out and proclaim the good news. 00:29:14.676 --> 00:29:20.486 If you've witnessed anything that God has done, is there anyone in this room who's experienced the goodness of God? 00:29:20.486 --> 00:29:21.006 Raise your hand. 00:29:21.006 --> 00:29:24.953 You are qualified. 00:29:24.953 --> 00:29:28.326 You are qualified to proclaim the good news. 00:29:29.749 --> 00:29:30.509 But here's what we do. 00:29:30.509 --> 00:29:31.833 It's Sunday, right tomorrow. 00:29:31.833 --> 00:29:34.907 Maybe some of us have to go to work Tuesday. 00:29:34.907 --> 00:29:35.991 For sure, everyone's gonna be at work. 00:29:35.991 --> 00:29:36.806 Here's what's gonna happen. 00:29:36.806 --> 00:29:39.153 I already know it happens every week. 00:29:39.153 --> 00:29:40.659 You're gonna go to work. 00:29:40.659 --> 00:29:44.164 You're gonna go in your break room, because that's where everyone goes to hide from work. 00:29:44.164 --> 00:29:49.013 You're gonna get coffee. 00:29:50.036 --> 00:29:52.125 Your co-workers are gonna say oh, how was your weekend? 00:29:52.125 --> 00:29:55.153 And you're gonna say it was cool, it was okay. 00:29:55.153 --> 00:29:56.678 You do anything exciting? 00:29:56.678 --> 00:30:04.493 No, hold on, oh girl, you better preach. 00:30:04.493 --> 00:30:09.796 Like, as Christians, can we be honest? 00:30:09.796 --> 00:30:17.077 Like, can we be honest when people say, hey, anything exciting happened over the weekend? 00:30:17.077 --> 00:30:18.887 Can we say you know what? 00:30:18.887 --> 00:30:20.592 I got together with my church family. 00:30:20.592 --> 00:30:29.096 We got to worship the Lord, we encountered Him, we got to hear an encouraging and an edifying word for us to go out and proclaim the God. 00:30:29.096 --> 00:30:30.567 Can we be honest? 00:30:30.567 --> 00:30:31.813 Instead of no, nothing happened. 00:30:31.813 --> 00:30:35.750 Now, it was actually boring, it was a terrible weekend. 00:30:35.750 --> 00:30:39.954 We just got to be honest. 00:30:39.954 --> 00:30:46.990 Listen, we have all been qualified to proclaim the good news because we've witnessed and experienced the Lord in some way. 00:30:46.990 --> 00:31:00.086 And so the call is not to go out there and the call is not and I'm sure Pastor Nate can appreciate this the call is not to go out there and every single person you meet you say hi, my name is Austin. 00:31:00.086 --> 00:31:01.930 The Lord has been so good, I hope that you worship Him with me. 00:31:01.930 --> 00:31:09.645 Like that's not the call, but the call is to be honest hey, how was your weekend, man? 00:31:09.645 --> 00:31:13.788 I got to worship the Lord, I got to encounter Him. 00:31:13.788 --> 00:31:15.534 It was great. 00:31:15.534 --> 00:31:22.655 They had no special training but they were recognized as people who had been with Jesus. 00:31:24.904 --> 00:31:31.626 I remember earlier this year, pastor Nate, you started posting a bunch of videos and pictures of you hiking what was the most difficult hike. 00:31:31.626 --> 00:31:35.435 You did Nothing. 00:31:35.435 --> 00:31:38.904 Did you see his legs? 00:31:38.904 --> 00:31:51.617 Nothing's too difficult for Most difficult one Tilden Park. 00:31:51.617 --> 00:31:57.693 Pastor Nate went to Tilden Park, he experienced it and he went to the top and he walked the whole thing to Tilden Park. 00:31:57.693 --> 00:32:02.329 I've never done it, but I saw a YouTube video on it. 00:32:02.329 --> 00:32:17.586 If Pastor Nate and I were to say, hey, we're going to take groups of people on a tour to Tilden Park and he has been there, he has evidence, pictures, or it didn't happen, he's got the pictures. 00:32:17.586 --> 00:32:19.452 I've never been there. 00:32:19.452 --> 00:32:20.367 I saw a YouTube video. 00:32:20.367 --> 00:32:22.269 Who would you rather follow? 00:32:22.269 --> 00:32:30.607 Because he had been there, because he had experienced it? 00:32:32.565 --> 00:32:39.433 They recognized that they were bold, but they also noted that there were ordinary people with no special training who had been with Jesus. 00:32:39.433 --> 00:32:41.257 You know what's really hard to do. 00:32:41.257 --> 00:32:44.471 It's really hard to proclaim the good news when you've never experienced it. 00:32:44.471 --> 00:32:51.505 You know it's really challenging to tell people how good Jesus is when you've never encountered Him. 00:32:51.505 --> 00:33:01.611 They recognized that they had been with Jesus and, in the same way that Pastor Nate has already been, he's experienced it. 00:33:01.611 --> 00:33:12.510 What he's saying is guys, I've been to the peak, come with me is the same thing that Peter and John are doing right here in Acts 4. 00:33:12.510 --> 00:33:17.073 Them healing someone wasn't because of their courage or boldness. 00:33:17.073 --> 00:33:21.452 Their healing of someone was because they had been with Jesus. 00:33:21.452 --> 00:33:25.653 Their courage and boldness wasn't because they just prayed all day. 00:33:25.653 --> 00:33:26.536 God make me bold. 00:33:26.536 --> 00:33:27.247 God, give me courage. 00:33:27.247 --> 00:33:27.869 God make me bold. 00:33:27.869 --> 00:33:28.613 God, give me courage. 00:33:28.613 --> 00:33:30.410 It was because they had been with Jesus. 00:33:32.164 --> 00:33:44.276 We can talk all we want about evangelism and proclaiming the good news and sharing the gospel, but if we do not talk about Jesus, we will wield no power for the kingdom of God. 00:33:44.276 --> 00:33:48.832 Here's, here's. 00:33:48.832 --> 00:33:49.493 I'm going to slow down. 00:33:49.493 --> 00:33:52.248 You should have gave me a stool to sit down on. 00:33:58.065 --> 00:34:04.885 What's most important when we talk about the good news is that we share our encounter with Jesus. 00:34:04.885 --> 00:34:10.371 If it's not about encountering Jesus, then what are we even doing? 00:34:10.371 --> 00:34:17.394 It's not that Peter and John had been to experienced church or first Christian church. 00:34:17.394 --> 00:34:19.969 It's that Peter and John had been with Jesus. 00:34:19.969 --> 00:34:26.195 It's not that they had been with good people who have good character and are kind. 00:34:26.195 --> 00:34:28.829 It's that they had been with Jesus. 00:34:28.829 --> 00:34:34.987 It's not that they found a good community with a great youth group and an excellent kids ministry program. 00:34:34.987 --> 00:34:38.248 It's that they had been with Jesus. 00:34:39.824 --> 00:34:41.309 If it's not Jesus, then what is it? 00:34:41.309 --> 00:34:46.586 If we're not going to depend on Jesus, then what are we depending on Our programs? 00:34:46.586 --> 00:35:04.985 If it's not Jesus, then who is it Us, our good deeds, our working up of courage and our self righteousness to try to get people to understand who Jesus is? 00:35:04.985 --> 00:35:06.990 Or can it just be Jesus? 00:35:06.990 --> 00:35:09.648 Nothing replaces him. 00:35:09.648 --> 00:35:24.295 Listen, you can read all the books you want, you can listen to all the sermons, you can pray all the prayers, you can go to all the VBSs, but nothing will replace encountering Jesus. 00:35:24.295 --> 00:35:26.447 There's nothing like it. 00:35:26.447 --> 00:35:30.472 I've only been a Christian since I was 17 years old. 00:35:30.472 --> 00:35:41.873 That's 18 years of walking with God, and I will tell you in this year I've encountered him more in this one year than I have in the previous 18 years combined. 00:35:43.943 --> 00:35:46.289 There's nothing like encountering Jesus. 00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:50.710 You can come to a great church service and not encounter Jesus. 00:35:50.710 --> 00:35:55.510 You can be a part of a great community service event and not encounter Jesus. 00:35:55.510 --> 00:36:00.250 You can recite all kinds of liturgy and not experience or encounter Jesus. 00:36:00.250 --> 00:36:07.585 But the moment you encounter Him, there's something inside of you that says I've got to let everyone know. 00:36:07.585 --> 00:36:10.927 There's nothing like it. 00:36:13.322 --> 00:36:18.927 We're going to be closing here in a moment, but I want to speak to this idea. 00:36:18.927 --> 00:36:25.612 I want to speak to all the people in the room who would consider themselves having been churched. 00:36:25.612 --> 00:36:29.347 Like you've been in church for a while, like you get it. 00:36:29.347 --> 00:36:33.550 You can tell me all 66 names of the Bible by memorization. 00:36:33.550 --> 00:36:36.648 You can tell me where each book of the Bible is found. 00:36:36.648 --> 00:36:41.119 You can recite scripture and you can lead us in prayer and all of that is great. 00:36:41.199 --> 00:36:55.786 But I want to speak to that demographic graphic really quick, because there's a temptation for us to believe that when you've experienced Jesus and you've confessed your sin and you've received Him as Lord and Savior, that that's all you'll ever experience of Jesus for the rest of your life. 00:36:55.786 --> 00:37:06.532 There's a lie and a temptation to believe that because I've encountered Him once, I've encountered Him in His entirety. 00:37:06.532 --> 00:37:11.327 I remember my wife and I got married. 00:37:11.327 --> 00:37:14.028 This upcoming year we'll be celebrating 11 years. 00:37:14.028 --> 00:37:14.681 That's right. 00:37:14.681 --> 00:37:24.349 I keep count, I memorized, and what they don't, people don't tell you. 00:37:24.369 --> 00:37:28.318 When you get married, I want to make sure I don't get in trouble. 00:37:28.318 --> 00:37:33.259 So let me think about what I'm going to say. 00:37:33.259 --> 00:37:41.954 First, I'm looking to all the more experienced gentlemen in the crowd for some support here today. 00:37:41.954 --> 00:38:08.532 I'll say it like this when my wife and I stood at the altar and they said, you know, they had us recite all these things, and then I said I do, what I was saying was I'm committing to all those things and I love you, based on what I know to be true about you up until this point. 00:38:08.532 --> 00:38:18.657 Now, hold on, you might have to start a new marriage coaching course in the new year. 00:38:18.657 --> 00:38:34.880 What I was saying was I do love you, based on everything I've known and experienced about you up until this point, because there's going to be more to experience and there's going to be more to fall in love with. 00:38:34.880 --> 00:38:38.184 Y'all trying to get me in trouble today. 00:38:38.184 --> 00:38:41.597 Y'all trying to get me in trouble. 00:38:41.597 --> 00:38:43.818 Uh-uh, I'm going to be in trouble. 00:38:43.818 --> 00:38:45.023 I'm going to be in trouble. 00:38:45.023 --> 00:38:47.804 Y'all trying to get me in trouble? 00:38:47.804 --> 00:38:49.748 Uh-uh, not today. 00:38:49.748 --> 00:38:56.067 There's more to experience. 00:38:57.722 --> 00:39:01.980 Every day I get to wake up to my wife and experience something new about her. 00:39:01.980 --> 00:39:04.327 I learn new things every day. 00:39:04.327 --> 00:39:09.271 I learned that there's different nuances of how she laughs or when she laughs. 00:39:09.271 --> 00:39:15.204 I learned about the different quirks that she has and the things that interest her and don't interest her. 00:39:15.204 --> 00:39:17.525 Every day we've been married for 11 years. 00:39:17.525 --> 00:39:26.309 We've been together for 15 years Like every day, I get to learn new things about her, and the more I learn about her, the more I fall in love with her. 00:39:27.300 --> 00:39:29.347 Here's the temptation for us as Christians. 00:39:29.347 --> 00:39:40.128 The temptation is to believe that, because I've encountered the Lord once, that there's nothing else that I'm going to learn from him, that there's no more of him to discover, that I've already discovered him. 00:39:40.128 --> 00:39:50.329 But when Paul says to the Church of Ephesians that you would be filled with all of the fullness of who God is, he's saying guys, there's more that you can learn. 00:39:50.329 --> 00:39:56.425