WEBVTT 00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:09.919 Hey, I'm Pastor Forrest, and welcome to the Multiply Church Podcast. 00:00:10.160 --> 00:00:15.439 Each week we open God's word together to help you meet God and multiply good in your everyday life. 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:18.879 We're so glad that you've taken time to join us for this week's sermon. 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:24.160 And if you haven't already, be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media so you never miss a message. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:27.120 Now, let's dive into this week's sermon. 00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:37.520 We're in this series, Faithful, and we're looking at the values in this house. 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:45.119 We have 10 value statements here that were discovered of what it's like to be a part of Multiply and the culture here. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:52.960 You can read them out on the wall outside, but this series we're zeroing in on four of those values that center on faith. 00:00:54.640 --> 00:01:11.599 And you know it's kind of interesting for believers sometimes that we can sometimes get embarrassed by things that sound crazy or sound impossible. 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:16.319 But if you think about it, at times it seems like this whole thing is crazy. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.719 We believe that God spoke and there was light. 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:26.879 We believe that the Red Sea was split in two and God's people walked on dry ground. 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:29.200 We believe in a virgin birth. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.319 We believe that Jesus walked on water. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:38.719 We believe that five loaves and two fish fed thousands of families. 00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:44.959 We believe that a guy named Lazarus, a friend of Jesus, got up and walked out of his grave. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:51.519 And at the center of what we believe in our entire faith is that Jesus Christ was executed. 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:54.079 He was buried, and three days later he got up. 00:01:56.799 --> 00:02:06.079 And the apostle Paul knew what this sounded like because in 1 Corinthians 1.18, he says the message of the cross is foolishness for those who are perishing. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:06.959 This is what it says. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:13.520 The message of the cross is foolishness for those who are headed to destruction, for destruction. 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:20.000 But we who are being saved know it's the very power of God. 00:02:22.800 --> 00:02:33.520 It seems like in this passage and in this letter, Paul isn't really interested in making Christianity sound respectable and normal. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:38.080 He says that they think it's foolish. 00:02:40.879 --> 00:03:01.919 And there's a quandary at times with a modern Christian that can believe that Jesus walked on water and believe that miracles happen, and believe that God delivered his people out of Egypt and miracles that have happened. 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:13.439 And for us to believe all that, but then for us to construct a life where almost nothing happens that we cannot explain ourselves. 00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:19.680 What I'm asking is this what happens when people actually expect God to act? 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:22.960 When we have that level of expectation. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.120 And it's our value, we know it's crazy. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:31.840 This is what it says. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.479 Multiply, it's crazy in all the best ways, and we know it. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:35.199 Amen. 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:41.360 We are crazy enough to believe God wants us to do more than we can even imagine. 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.039 We will trust God to provide something from nothing. 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:52.879 We will dream big and pray bigger, knowing Jesus is waiting for us to ask Him to do what only He can. 00:03:53.199 --> 00:03:58.240 We know it's crazy, Matthew 17, which is where we're going today. 00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:12.000 You know, for us to be accepted by polite society and for us to, you know, have stature and standing, as believers, a lot of times what we are, what we feel like we need to do is be reasonable. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:14.400 We need to be reasonable people. 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:16.879 We need to have a great plan. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:19.680 We got to know all the risks beforehand. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:23.600 We got to know all the variables that we have to have all the resources before we do something. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.480 We got to get it right, we got to know the right people. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:28.959 And I mean, you all know me. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:30.480 I like it, I love a plan. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:31.920 I'm a planner. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:47.360 But there's times when the plan, the wisdom can become our preference of an explanation to never actually have to depend on God. 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:57.680 That we could just, if we could just see the entire path and have the plan and how it all worked out, then what exactly are we trusting God for? 00:05:00.800 --> 00:05:16.399 And we're gonna we're gonna see in Matthew 17 today, in this chapter, and talking about Jesus and some stories of Jesus, does some bizarre things happen that people aren't able to do things that can't explain it? 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:26.399 It was a reminder of earlier this week, I got to speak to 10 Southland church planters who are now planting churches across the state over the last few years. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.319 Of multiply, which was the first one of the bunch. 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:39.279 And even one of them on the call this week was uh Dylan, who's in two weeks gonna launch at Moorhead University. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:06:01.439 And I was talking about church planting and starting a church and the crazy faith that it takes to begin a work, and I was reminded of that crazy faith because I went back and I listened to a podcast interview I did back in 2022. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:04.800 I think it's the only podcast interview I've ever done, actually. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:34.079 And it was a few months after we launched in the movie theater, and I was reminded because I was listening back to the stories that I was talking about at the time, and it reminded me when we first moved to Frankfurt in the beginning of 2021, and we had dinner with Jordan and Leslie Burke, and there was just a handful of people who at that time were a part of the launch team, literally, like I don't know, maybe five of us at the time or less, people who were moving to Frankfurt. 00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:37.279 We knew two families in Frankfurt, one of them being the Burks. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:48.160 And Emily and I were like, I played football with Jordan, we grew up with Leslie, and Emily and I, when we moved to town, we were praying, God, please let the Burks be a part of this church. 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:53.519 And we asked them to go have dinner at Goodwood, 2021, early 2021. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:59.199 And we were sitting in the car, Emily and I, we were like, okay, now we're gonna go in there and have dinner. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:02.319 But we are not gonna bring up the church. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:04.720 We are just gonna be friends. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:07.279 We're just gonna get to know what's going on. 00:07:07.519 --> 00:07:19.680 And we sat down for dinner, and the Berks brought the church up three times, said they'd been praying for something like this to start in Frankfurt and basically pitched themselves and recruited themselves onto the launch team. 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:32.639 And as the months went by, there were many times as God was providing in crazy ways that Jordan would look at me and say, Multiply, it's crazy. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.560 And we'd say it back and forth to each other. 00:07:36.720 --> 00:07:43.680 You know, this morning, now five years later, uh, their oldest daughter, daughter Nora, is gonna be baptized today. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:45.519 But we're gonna get to witness that. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:47.839 Praise God. 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:52.079 Something from nothing. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:54.399 Something from nothing. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:59.920 We believe in a God like that, but there's a tension. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:06.639 Because we believe that God can do the impossible, but then we build lives that barely require him to do it. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:18.720 You know, we we as good Christians, we can say, well, you know, you know, I believe God can do anything, but then don't actually expect him to do it. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:29.600 We believe Jesus rose from the dead, but then we're getting nervous about believing if God might intervene in the situation that we're going through right now. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:42.080 And so we're going, where we're going today is this question for all of us, which is what does it actually look like to believe God is able? 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:44.799 Everybody say able. 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:48.799 This is my question for us today, and where we're going. 00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:53.919 What does it actually look like to believe God is able? 00:08:54.960 --> 00:09:04.480 Matthew 17 begins with a father who has a son that is in really rough shape, is in terrible shape, needs healing, needs deliverance. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:13.919 Disciples go and are trying to help him and trying to deliver him from this evil, and they can't do it. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:18.559 And Jesus shows up and he intervenes, and Jesus heals the boy. 00:09:18.720 --> 00:09:24.960 And the disciples go to Jesus on the side privately and they say, Well, why couldn't we do it, Jesus? 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:28.240 And he responds, because you have so little faith. 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.159 And that's where our text starts today. 00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:33.919 Jesus in Matthew chapter 17. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:36.399 If you have your Bible, turn to Matthew 17, you want to see it. 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:39.919 If you have the Bible on your phone, I hope you do, pull up Matthew chapter 17. 00:09:40.080 --> 00:09:42.879 We got uh a few verses for you to highlight. 00:09:43.120 --> 00:09:47.360 Jesus says, You don't have enough faith, Jesus told them. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:56.799 I tell you the truth, that if you had faith, even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it would move. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.399 Nothing would be impossible. 00:10:01.120 --> 00:10:13.600 Jesus gives an example of something gigantic, this mountain and this tiny little seed of a mustard seed, just to prove the point that the size of the obstacle doesn't determine the ability of our God. 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:18.879 But we struggle. 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:25.200 We struggle to have that kind of faith because we're trying to, we're wondering, oh, you know, we want to move, but it's like, ah, I need more clarity. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:31.919 I need to make sure all the I's are dotted, the T's are crossed, gotta have all the resources, gotta have the confirmation. 00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:34.480 God, just tell me what to do. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.799 God, I want you to show me how this turns out. 00:10:36.960 --> 00:10:39.200 Can you show me where the money's gonna come from? 00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:42.559 Can you show me what's gonna happen in five years? 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:44.879 Show me how it's not gonna fail. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:46.799 Then, God, I'll move. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.519 Then, God, I'll plant it. 00:10:50.080 --> 00:10:52.720 Well, except that's that's entirely backwards. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:58.320 Because the seed that's still in your hand doesn't produce a tree. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:14.080 And and faith doesn't mean that we have to walk in this certainty, but instead that we're certain of our God who is faithful to us day in and day out. 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:25.679 Of what God's called us to do, what God has told us to do, that we're actually gonna do it, what God says in his word, we're actually gonna do it, what God's leading us to do in our lives, that we're actually gonna do it. 00:11:27.360 --> 00:11:34.480 But y'all know that can lead some good places, but also some weird stuff is stuff has happened when people say, God told me. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:39.440 Like, God told me you're gonna be my wife. 00:11:39.759 --> 00:11:42.320 And she says, God didn't tell me that. 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:49.840 You got you gotta watch out for people who are attaching God's name to their own ambition. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:58.480 The TV preachers send the money, claim the Bugatti, declare the promotion. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:03.679 If you just believe hard enough, God owes you. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:19.919 But what we're talking about today is the faith in alignment with God's will and what he's called us to do, genuinely called us to do, not just good ideas, but God ideas. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:26.720 The supernatural that we believe from the scripture and that we sing about here on Sundays and then we forget about on Monday. 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:30.159 This this mustard seed. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.679 This mustard seed that Jesus is talking about. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:35.120 He shifts the focus. 00:12:35.279 --> 00:12:41.200 It's not about the seed, it's not about the person, it's about the God and what he can do with it. 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:45.279 God's ability. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:51.279 My inability does not determine God's ability in the situation in my life. 00:12:52.639 --> 00:13:00.720 It's God and what he's leading us to do and being obedient to what he actually said. 00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:16.639 I had a real encouraging call with a pastor friend of mine a couple weeks ago, Pastor Josh Roberts, who's an all people's church in Boston, and I was telling the story and multiply to him, and I kept using this particular word in the story, and he kept uh correcting me. 00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:18.159 I kept saying risk. 00:13:18.399 --> 00:13:19.200 It was a risk. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:24.639 We start when we started multiplying, we moved, we took the risk, and to come to the gross takeover to save a lot. 00:13:25.200 --> 00:13:28.240 It was this risk, risk to do it. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:30.480 And Josh interrupted me. 00:13:30.639 --> 00:13:32.720 He said, Hey, force, you keep saying risk. 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:34.399 Did God call you to do it? 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:36.000 I said, Yeah. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:38.240 He said, Well, why do you keep calling it risk? 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:39.840 It was obedience. 00:13:41.120 --> 00:13:43.039 Hit me like a ton of bricks. 00:13:47.840 --> 00:14:04.480 And probably the reason I I say the word risk is because of all the fear that I can walk in and I can go worst-case scenario, and in the times that I was supposed to be in faith, and I need the Lord to help me. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:09.120 And when he said that, it's obedience, it just reminded me, it like bothered me. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:12.000 I was like, oh man, God, grow my faith. 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:13.919 Grow my faith, God. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:22.159 Because there are times where I just want that seed to grow without ever dropping it in the dirt. 00:14:28.399 --> 00:14:30.480 The seeds that God has given to you. 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:51.919 Things you've been thinking about for years, or the forgiveness that you've been holding back, or that conversation that you know that you need to have, or using your gifts in a way that God's blessed you with, or walking in the generosity that God's calling you to. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:15:02.480 Whatever that seed is, we gotta have enough faith to actually act on it in obedience. 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.879 And what you gotta do is you gotta put the seed in the ground. 00:15:07.600 --> 00:15:09.440 Put the seed in the ground. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:12.559 You gotta plant the thing. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:22.799 You gotta make the move, take the step, put the seed in the ground, and let God be God. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:28.000 This series is kind of nostalgic. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:32.879 I keep thinking of these old stories of faith in our church. 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:39.440 Also in the beginning of 2021, Haley and Jonathan Zeman, call him Jay-Z. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:41.440 Jay-Z just led you in worship. 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:43.440 Haley's hosting our service this morning. 00:15:43.519 --> 00:15:57.360 Back in the beginning of 2021, Jay-Z and Haley, they got married, did their wedding in Charleston, our friends from Charleston, and then three days later they moved to Frankfurt to begin the work on Multiply. 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:00.159 We were praying so hard that they would move with us. 00:16:00.320 --> 00:16:02.720 And they had all these options in front of them. 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:06.080 They got married three days later, they moved to Frankfurt. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:09.600 Started just busting it. 00:16:11.200 --> 00:16:20.559 For years, for years, Jonathan drove from Frankfurt to Louisville to work in property management to then help build the church. 00:16:20.639 --> 00:16:29.679 And while Haley, who's a nurse, drove to University of Kentucky and Lexington, weren't getting paid by the church. 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:38.320 Literally week in and week out, going different directions before they had their kids. 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.480 God provided a place for them to live. 00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:48.879 Last year, Jonathan came on staff full time with operations and with creative. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:17:06.720 But because they put their seed in the ground in Frankfurt, I'm telling you this story because the other day somebody uh somebody out and about saw Jay-Z and they said, Oh, there's the keyboardist. 00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:11.200 There's a keyboard player multiply. 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:21.680 And I just I just laughed because I thought to myself, if they only knew, if they only knew the faith of this couple, if they only knew what God had done. 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:30.880 Jesus goes on to predict his death in the next two verses. 00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:36.720 After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, The Son of Man is going to be betrayed by the hands of the enemies, of his enemies. 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:41.200 He will be killed, and on the third day, he will be raised from the dead. 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:44.480 And the disciples were filled with grief. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:49.920 And then Matthew 18 gets weirder, or Matthew 17 gets weirder. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:53.440 They arrive in Capernaum. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:17:55.519 There's an issue with the temple tax. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:56.720 This is a weird story, y'all. 00:17:56.799 --> 00:17:58.079 Y'all ready for it? 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:01.039 The temple tax needs to get paid. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.039 Peter's got to pay it. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:08.400 And Jesus gives Peter one of the strangest financial plans you've ever heard. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:11.920 24. 00:18:13.119 --> 00:18:22.079 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and asked him, Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax? 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.319 Yes, he does, Peter replied. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:33.200 Then he went into the house, but before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, What do you think, Peter? 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:36.799 Do kings tax their own people or the people who have been conquered? 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.839 The tax they tax people they have conquered, Peter replied. 00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:42.079 Well then, Jesus said, the citizens are free. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:52.000 However, we don't want to offend them, so go down to the lake, throw in a line, open up the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.160 Take it and pay the tax for both of us. 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:03.759 How's that for some Edward Jones financial advice? 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.839 Go down the lake. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:10.079 Throw in a line. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:13.519 First fish, open up its mouth. 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:14.880 The money's gonna be in there. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.559 Peter says, Excuse me? 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:20.640 Peter is a fisherman, remember? 00:19:20.799 --> 00:19:22.880 He's caught a lot of fish. 00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:29.519 Jesus tells him to get out there. 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:38.319 And Peter, before Peter could even see it, Jesus had already provided. 00:19:42.480 --> 00:19:44.319 Jesus is like, you want me to pay taxes? 00:19:44.559 --> 00:19:46.160 I actually made all this. 00:19:47.119 --> 00:19:47.759 So you know what? 00:19:47.839 --> 00:19:51.680 Yeah, we'll get a coin, but go get it out of a fish. 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:59.200 Peter couldn't see it. 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.759 He couldn't see the provision that Jesus was about to provide. 00:20:06.000 --> 00:20:08.400 He just got the instructions. 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:13.599 But just because Peter couldn't see it, doesn't mean that it didn't exist. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:18.000 You know, God has resources that you don't know about yet. 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:28.000 He's got people and opportunities and relationships and ideas and open doors and provision for you, and you're not even able to see it yet. 00:20:28.319 --> 00:20:34.000 You got to open up your hand, you got to put that seed in the ground, and you got to go fish. 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:35.599 Go fish. 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:38.000 There's a lot of fishing in the scripture. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:45.039 This one in particular, Jesus gives the ultimate instruction. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:50.720 He gives the ultimate instruction and tells him exactly what to do. 00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:56.960 And Peter goes and does it, and what is produced is something that he cannot have done on his own. 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:02.559 He gets the instruction, not all the details, not the whole plan, how it's all gonna work out. 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:07.359 Literally, just a miracle of catching a fish with the coin already in its mouth. 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:27.599 You know, things get really dangerous when we can't see the rest of the story or we don't have a good answer for what's happening, and then we assume that God doesn't either. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:32.079 God knows. 00:21:32.640 --> 00:21:45.920 And he's calling for us to obey him, to follow him, to have the faith, to have big faith in God. 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:56.079 We would pray and know and believe, and have some crazy faith. 00:22:03.519 --> 00:22:14.160 One of the lines in that value is that people believe God for more than we could even think, even ask. 00:22:14.480 --> 00:22:17.279 That comes directly from the scripture. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:19.839 Ephesians 3 20. 00:22:21.359 --> 00:22:23.039 Please memorize this verse. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.039 Please highlight this verse. 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:28.559 Verse 20. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:32.079 Now him, now to him who is able, everybody say able. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:44.160 Him to is a who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. 00:22:45.279 --> 00:22:52.400 To him be all glory in the church and in Christ throughout all generations, forever and ever. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:53.839 Amen. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:04.000 Paul says, God is able to do immeasurably more than we could even ask or imagine. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:07.200 All that you could ask of God, he's able to do more. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:10.559 Everything that you can imagine right now, God can do more. 00:23:10.720 --> 00:23:13.039 God's able to exceed both. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.240 And how does he do it? 00:23:18.160 --> 00:23:20.480 By his power at work within who? 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:21.599 Us. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:25.279 To him be glory in where? 00:23:25.599 --> 00:23:26.720 The church. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:34.319 God's plan A, to bring his power and his love through his people. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:42.480 So we better not be the ceiling on what we think God's ability is around here. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:50.960 What if the greatest thing that comes out of multiply church we have not even thought of yet? 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.000 We've not even dreamed of yet. 00:23:54.480 --> 00:23:56.960 We're not even known to think of it yet. 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:07.279 Exceedingly more, immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine. 00:24:09.279 --> 00:24:11.759 What could God do through our church? 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:16.000 What could God do through our church if we expected him to ask? 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:24.400 How many families could be saved, transformed? 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:32.079 How many hundreds of kids could meet Jesus in spaces that we're preparing right now? 00:24:44.319 --> 00:24:49.920 At K-State on Thursday, I met a young lady who has come to K-State, a wonderful young lady. 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:51.440 She's brand new to K-State. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:24:53.759 She's from the Ivory Coast in Africa. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:57.519 She hasn't seen her family in three years. 00:24:58.079 --> 00:24:59.680 She's transferred here. 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:03.359 She's as sweet as can be. 00:25:03.839 --> 00:25:04.640 Athlete. 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:11.440 Here she is from the Ivory Coast, shows up to Frankfurt. 00:25:15.440 --> 00:25:17.680 What in the world could God do through her? 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:23.599 And the years and times that she has in this city. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:25.519 What could God do? 00:25:28.880 --> 00:25:30.480 What could God do through students? 00:25:30.799 --> 00:25:33.279 Could God raise up pastors out of this room? 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:40.799 Could God make one church into five or ten or fifty? 00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:44.720 Churches planted in capital cities across the country? 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:56.640 Now I can tell you what I can imagine, but how about we believe that God is able to exceed it? 00:26:01.440 --> 00:26:04.640 That he's able to do abundantly more. 00:26:06.960 --> 00:26:09.920 And now you say, Forrest, well, Forrest, this is all well and good. 00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:13.759 This is a great message, but tomorrow I gotta go back to work. 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:16.079 I gotta go to school. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:17.839 I gotta deal with the kids. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.839 I got bills to pay. 00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:24.000 I got difficult situations in my family I'm dealing with. 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:26.559 I've got money problems. 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:29.039 I've got difficult things. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:31.440 Listen to me. 00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:34.880 In the image, Jesus doesn't hand you the mountain. 00:26:35.519 --> 00:26:37.200 He hands you the mustard seed. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:45.279 He said, would you have faith? 00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:51.119 Would you have faith to act on what I've told you to do? 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:53.200 Would you have the faith? 00:26:56.160 --> 00:27:00.160 And I know some of you right now, you're you're you're hard-hearted. 00:27:01.119 --> 00:27:04.160 You're like, church, I can't stand it. 00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:06.240 I'm just here because somebody drug me here. 00:27:09.119 --> 00:27:13.759 Maybe there was a time in your life you used to expect God to ask, but something happened. 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:25.839 You prayed for something, you believed something, you asked for something, and the marriage still ended, or the person still died, or that door was closed, the answer was no. 00:27:26.000 --> 00:27:32.720 And now what you've done is by self-protection, you're just expecting less from God. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:39.039 Because if you expect less, well, your disappointment doesn't hurt as bad. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:41.279 If you expect less. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:43.839 Can I tell you? 00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:45.200 Can I tell you? 00:27:45.519 --> 00:27:53.039 And all love, faith isn't God doing what you say, faith is doing what God says. 00:27:57.680 --> 00:28:06.880 We get to walk out in the call that he has over our life and the impossible things and the power that he can do, but we don't get to do anything outside of his will. 00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:15.119 What's obedience for us to walk with God in? 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:27.279 We have the authority in Christ to walk in what he's called us to walk in, to be obedient to what he's called us to do, and for us to put the seed in the ground. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:42.319 And for those of you who've been disappointed, or maybe you're expecting less, or you think, man, how about you recognize that this isn't about you? 00:28:44.960 --> 00:28:59.440 How about you recognize right now, no matter what you think of God, for the person right now who is in this space and you can't stand God because of something that happened in the past, you know what's way less important than what you believe about God? 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:01.599 It's what God believes about you. 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:06.799 You can believe all the things you want about God, but what truly is important is what God believes about you. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:08.319 And you know what he believes about you? 00:29:08.559 --> 00:29:34.720 He loved you, he died for you, he knows that you're dead in your sin, and instead of him leaving you in that state, to go into destruction, into eternity, and literally die in your place that he did not deserve so that you can fucking alive that it's humanly more than you can ever ask you. 00:29:38.559 --> 00:29:40.480 Whatever you believe about God. 00:29:42.000 --> 00:29:43.279 What does God believe about you? 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:43.839 Guess what? 00:29:43.920 --> 00:29:47.599 He loves you, he loves you. 00:29:49.759 --> 00:29:53.839 And you can close your mind off to that as long as you want. 00:29:55.680 --> 00:29:58.720 God's a gentleman, he's not gonna force himself on you. 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:06.160 If if you want to have a life without God, he'll let you have that all the way into hell, apart from him. 00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:15.680 If you want a life separated from God, he'll allow you to have that exactly what you want, all the way into eternity away from him. 00:30:16.079 --> 00:30:25.920 But instead, he interrupted your story and sent his one true son to die in your place. 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:34.559 What's God calling you right now in obedience to do? 00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:40.160 What needs to be planted in the ground? 00:30:51.759 --> 00:31:00.319 And really, just what I I want to call us now to is to have a mindset of say, God, increase my faith. 00:31:01.279 --> 00:31:02.880 Grow my faith. 00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:14.079 Because I was thinking about this morning and thinking about our people, and thinking about the seeds been put in the ground now for four years, five years, and I think about now, I'm like, God, what more do you want to do in this house? 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:26.240 Last Sunday, there were six people who indicated they wanted to begin follow Jesus or be baptized last Sunday across both services. 00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:27.440 Six totally. 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:42.880 Don't you? 00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:44.160 Man. 00:31:45.359 --> 00:31:45.680 Man. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:55.039 We gotta go fish collectively with our faith. 00:31:58.400 --> 00:32:01.119 So, what I want to do now is I want us to exercise faith. 00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:04.000 I want you to stand to your feet right now as we pray. 00:32:06.160 --> 00:32:15.279 And I want you to bow your head with me right now. 00:32:16.640 --> 00:32:24.799 If you're in the room today and you're saying right now, and it's in your heart, that God would increase your faith and grow your faith today. 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:35.359 You're a follower of Jesus, you know Christ, you gave your life to Him years ago or two weeks ago, but you want faith to grow inside of you. 00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:36.960 You want more faith. 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:40.640 I want you to just shoot your hand up in the room. 00:32:40.720 --> 00:32:43.519 If that's you, you're a believer, you want more faith. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:50.240 God, right now, I thank you, Father. 00:32:50.480 --> 00:33:05.920 And God, I ask you right now, and in the name of Jesus, God, to tear down walls and barriers that keep us from trusting you and believing you and giving our all to you and stepping into what you've called us to, God. 00:33:06.000 --> 00:33:14.400 And Lord, right now, for every believer who's holding their hand up right now, God, I pray that faith would grow and increase in the mighty name of Jesus in their life. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:16.960 God, I pray that you would give them opportunities. 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:26.000 Lord, that you would show them, Father, that you would give them places to exercise faith and trust and belief in you, God. 00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:30.079 Because God, we know that you're faithful. 00:33:30.880 --> 00:33:32.559 You can put your hands down. 00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:54.079 You're in the room today and you've not yet received Jesus as your Savior, today is your day for you to be saved, to be set free, for you to finally believe what God believes about you, and for you to ask and receive in return. 00:33:55.599 --> 00:34:06.160 And so, if that's you, I ask you now, if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior right now, I pray that you would ask God in your heart and mind, Jesus, save me. 00:34:06.880 --> 00:34:11.679 I believe that you're the Son of God and that you died on the cross for my sin. 00:34:13.679 --> 00:34:20.320 Forgive me, cleanse me so I can be in heaven with you one day. 00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:26.559 I give you my life as you gave yours for mine. 00:34:27.039 --> 00:34:29.199 I repent and turn to you. 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:31.840 Now and into heaven. 00:34:32.880 --> 00:34:34.639 Thank you for saving me. 00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:38.320 We're so grateful you joined us for this week's message. 00:34:38.400 --> 00:34:41.840 At Multiply, we believe life was never meant to be lived alone. 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:46.880 If today you made the decision to follow Jesus, we'd be honored to walk with you on this journey. 00:34:47.039 --> 00:34:50.159 Visit multiplyky.com to let us know. 00:34:50.320 --> 00:34:52.719 We love you and we'll see you again soon.