WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:03.439 Thank you for listening to the Kelowna Christian Center podcast. 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:08.080 Our desire is that today's message will be fresh and encouraging to you. 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:13.599 For more information on KTC and how to connect, visit us at KT.net. 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:15.199 Wasn't that good? 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:16.480 Wasn't that great? 00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:19.760 Let's give them a hand, the team a hand this morning. 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:27.120 It's great to have worshipers. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:41.119 Number one, it like it's one thing to have the worshipers that are on point in terms of like they're they've been praying, they've been seeking God, they're choosing the right songs and everything. 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:46.560 But you know what's also great is when you come to church ready to worship, right? 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:53.359 When you come ready to worship, so turn to your neighbor, give them a high five, say thank you for coming to church to worship this morning. 00:00:53.840 --> 00:00:55.600 Your heart was ready. 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:56.560 Amen. 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.560 So your heart's ready for worship. 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.280 Your heart ready to receive the word this morning. 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:04.400 Amen. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:14.159 Uh, you know, the word it cleans us, it keeps us on this on the path, on the narrow path, it keeps us on the straight and narrow. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.519 Uh it keeps us from being misled. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:32.319 We want to be uh tracking with where God is going and where he's taking us because we don't want to be tricked or deceived into thinking that the way the world is moving is the right way. 00:01:32.640 --> 00:01:34.959 Just because the world's moving that way. 00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:47.280 In fact, we need to, I believe, even now more than ever, we need to be tracking with what God is saying to the church, what God is saying to us, so that we don't get off track. 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:54.079 We stay on that track and his word becomes a light to our feet and a lamp into our a lamp into our path. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:57.599 Like it just keeps us on that, on that track. 00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:00.799 So today, let's open up our hearts to receive from him. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:05.200 Holy Spirit, we thank you for your presence with us today. 00:02:05.439 --> 00:02:15.120 We thank you that you're teaching us and instructing us and counseling us and leading us into ways that that are intended to bring life to us. 00:02:15.280 --> 00:02:19.599 And today we open up our hearts to receive from you all that you have for us. 00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:29.439 We thank you, Lord, that uh your word it has power to act like a hammer and break chains that bind us. 00:02:29.759 --> 00:02:42.719 Lord, one word, one one uh moment of revelation can can set us free from mental bondage, it can bring relationships close and reconcile people. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:49.919 And Father, today we just ask that you would do what you're gonna do and you always do in Jesus' name. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:50.879 Amen. 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:52.240 Amen. 00:02:52.719 --> 00:03:04.879 So, number one, uh, the first uh point I have this morning is uh, and this would be a miracle if this happens, is that no one tells us the score of the World Cup, okay? 00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:06.080 Or who won. 00:03:06.319 --> 00:03:09.039 It's a horrible place to be between. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.680 Like, do I come to church at the right time? 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:13.280 No, don't even look at me. 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:18.639 All those who know the score, you just put your head down and just listen with your ears. 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:24.960 You have my full permission today just to be sitting there pretending you're on your phone or whatever it may be. 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:27.039 Just don't give it away, okay? 00:03:27.120 --> 00:03:31.360 That God gives grace to you, but forgiveness may be difficult for me, okay? 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:35.199 At this point, you can tell Malachi who won. 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:36.560 No, no, no. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:41.360 Those of you have it recorded at home, it's an exciting morning. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:45.599 Um, the world is getting smaller. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:54.240 And I'm not talking about like I'm not a theorist in terms of like the flat earth or the world is shrinking, etc. 00:03:54.639 --> 00:04:00.719 I just mean like people are connecting in a greater level, in a greater degree. 00:04:00.960 --> 00:04:02.560 The world is getting smaller. 00:04:02.639 --> 00:04:26.639 There was a time where we may not have uh been informed as to what was happening on the other side of the world, and today we're actually, we know in every morning I can get up and with a flick, quick flip of my thumb, I can scroll through uh what God is doing in churches all over the world, what is happening in people's lives. 00:04:26.879 --> 00:04:30.319 I can see live what God is doing. 00:04:30.399 --> 00:04:34.240 There are people who are joining us on Facebook right now. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:43.279 There are people who are joining us uh on our live stream from all over the world at this moment, even though they're not connected with us, they're on holidays. 00:04:43.439 --> 00:04:52.639 Some of them stayed home to watch the World Cup and decide, hey, I'll just throw Brody a text and uh tell them what who won. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:55.600 But you know, they're watching, they're connecting. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.439 The world in itself has actually become a small place. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:01.759 We're informed what's happening. 00:05:01.839 --> 00:05:06.879 Um, not just in our country, not just in our city, but in people's lives personally. 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:13.680 And the world is watching what's happening around the globe uh on all different levels. 00:05:13.759 --> 00:05:21.040 Uh this last uh month we've had summits, uh, major summits, you had the NATO meetings. 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:26.560 Uh they're asking this, and people are asking the same questions because they're aware of the same problems. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:31.279 They're saying, what can we do to actually make a difference in the world? 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:45.839 And it's kind of a discouraging and disheartening place to be in because when you look at our system, our system doesn't actually allow us the opportunity to actually impact the world. 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:49.040 Like we just look at it, we see it as so big. 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:51.519 How can I make a difference? 00:05:51.839 --> 00:06:04.160 Brody Calluman living on Kloppenberg Court in Kelowna, just in with on my in my house, just how can I make a difference? 00:06:04.480 --> 00:06:06.399 How many of you have ever felt that? 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:12.000 Like, just man, what can I do to make a difference in the world today? 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:16.639 So we look at Canada and we look at all the challenges that are happening in Canada. 00:06:16.800 --> 00:06:23.519 We look at the culture that we're living in, we look at the global culture, and we say, what can I do to make a difference? 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:36.480 And because there is something inside of us, and I believe God has put it there, that we're as Christians supposed to see the problem because we're called to be the answer to that problem. 00:06:37.600 --> 00:06:45.920 The church is intended to not just see problems, talk about problems, recognize it, point a finger at it. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:54.560 We're called to be those who actually are engaging in areas of uh change. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.639 So being in church is actually a really uncomfortable place to be. 00:07:00.959 --> 00:07:15.040 Because every time you come to church, your ears are open, your heart is open, your emotions are opened, and you're you're informed with something that needs to change, and that change lands on your lap. 00:07:15.600 --> 00:07:19.920 And now you have to question, what am I gonna do with this? 00:07:21.120 --> 00:07:22.399 It's uncomfortable. 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:34.240 I I I can give you nice seats to sit on, I can make sure the air conditioning is working, I can make sure the lighting, the music is all prepared, and our our our vocals aren't straining on you. 00:07:34.399 --> 00:07:48.879 Like I can do our but we can do our best to make you as comfortable as we can, but nothing will make you like comfortable internally until you commit to actually be a part of the solution. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:54.480 You commit to to realizing, hey, the church is here to make a difference. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.600 The world is looking. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:02.800 And believe me, I I hear it from our city, I hear it from our nation. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:12.879 They're saying, you know, government isn't the answer, money isn't the answer, all these challenges that we're facing, all we're gonna do is put little band-aids on the problems. 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:19.120 But the church actually has a solution to what the world is going through. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:21.360 But what it takes is engagement. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:22.800 Would you say that word with me? 00:08:22.959 --> 00:08:23.759 Engagement. 00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:25.759 Engagement is key. 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:27.839 Engagement is critical. 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:44.399 It's critical in order to engage culture, and the church has to connect in some way, has to put the ring on the finger of the world and say, you know what, I'm committed to engaging with you as culture. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:59.919 And the challenge with the church in history has been the church has built four walls, and it says, this is our place of solitude, this is our our um our our place of refuge. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:26.639 This is our high tower, this is our place where it's impenetrable, where God is in this area, but God and we can feel safe, it's a safe space here, but outside, God isn't there, and that leaves the church in a place where it's impotent because the church is impotent because it doesn't have that engagement factor. 00:09:27.279 --> 00:09:32.879 We're not actually taking what we have in the church today into the world, and I get it. 00:09:33.759 --> 00:09:42.000 Taking things into the world is not an easy step, but it is the model that Jesus had for the church. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:43.200 It was the model. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:51.120 Jesus' model of ministry is that he engaged culture and people when others were avoiding. 00:09:52.320 --> 00:10:00.399 The role of the church isn't to come to church on a Sunday morning and just learn how to avoid culture, cultural uh evils. 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:04.799 Because no matter what, we're gonna face it. 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.279 Children are gonna face pornography. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:13.200 They say the average age right now is eight years old, where they see that they're introduced to pornography for the first time. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:19.279 Children are gonna face bullying, children are gonna face moral dilemmas. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:33.600 Children uh like at an early, early, early age, they're gonna face that there's no way we can create a bubble in society today because the world has become smaller, the world has gotten close. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:35.840 So, how do we face it? 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:49.440 Jesus connected with culture because he cared about culture, he cared about people, he knew that it was the Father's heart for the world, and that therefore it was his heart to actually connect with culture. 00:10:49.600 --> 00:11:07.759 He was driven by this love, and that we read today, how wide that you would just grasp, how wide, how deep, how how uh how uh how the breadth of it, this love that God has for those who are after him, who actually are looking for him. 00:11:08.080 --> 00:11:11.200 And so God loved us before we could even love him. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:17.919 That was how big his love was, that was searching after us before we could actually turn to him. 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:20.879 So we were engaged in culture. 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:30.879 One of the areas that I um was impactful for me was a time I was uh had the opportunity to actually go to Israel. 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:37.600 And it was uh someone who would come to the church and said, Hey, there's an opportunity for you to come to Israel. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:40.799 And I was like, Oh yeah, sounds like a great opportunity. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.559 I don't know if it'll ever happen. 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:48.000 And supernaturally, it's just like money fell into line, and I just I was able to go. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:53.679 Everything worked out, and one of the areas where we went to was this place called Caesarea Philippi. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.240 And it was a place that was uh an evil place. 00:11:58.720 --> 00:12:07.919 There were sacrifices done in this area, and uh there were uh pla they would like children, sacrifices of children. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:16.080 It was an evil place, and Jesus as a rabbi should never have gone to this area, but he actually rallied his disciples at one point. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:28.399 It was on the outskirts, like it was quite a ways away as a journey uh for Jesus, and he actually came and he rallied them all together and he took them on this journey to Caesarea Philippi. 00:12:28.720 --> 00:12:43.200 And he says to them at this point, when he gets there, he says, This is what Jesus says, his lesson to his disciples in Matthew 16, 19, says this, I'm gonna give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:45.759 Would you say keys to heaven? 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:54.480 Keys to heaven, keys to heaven, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 00:12:54.799 --> 00:12:59.279 He said this the keys are going to be in your hands. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:08.480 The keys for change, the keys for cultural impact will be in your hands. 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:20.000 And these keys are going to whatever you loose here, whatever you determine here, whatever you say here will be, will have an impact in heaven. 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:25.279 Whatever you say in intercession in heaven will have an impact here on earth. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:28.639 You have the power to change the world. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:40.000 Jesus was saying to his 12 disciples, don't look at the devastation, don't look at the evil, don't look at the confusion or the chaos. 00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:45.759 God has given you the ability to make a change and to make a shift. 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:55.919 So when you look at a kingdom person who's been given these keys, Jesus says, uh, I want to tell you, he goes through the different lessons. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.720 He says, I want to tell you what they look like. 00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:03.200 What does a kingdom person look like who's carrying these keys? 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:05.039 He uses this example. 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:07.519 He says, they're like a farmer. 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:15.279 A farmer, they're like a soldier, and they're like an athlete. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.799 Now, I'm I know the World Cup is here, right? 00:14:19.279 --> 00:14:20.720 Again, shh. 00:14:21.679 --> 00:14:22.639 Thank you. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:30.720 But I know that either of those three, my grandpa came from a heritage of farming. 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:33.759 He was one of the toughest guys I knew. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.639 Solid, up early, out late. 00:14:36.799 --> 00:14:38.320 He would knew how to work hard. 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:50.159 He knew that the harvest was based on his his aggression toward uh like his his actual uh intensity and his seriousness about the harvest. 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:52.559 He just didn't let it let it go. 00:14:52.720 --> 00:15:01.679 I know a soldier doesn't sit back and isn't lazy because they know that that lives and freedom are on the line. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:06.399 Uh an athlete knows that their title is on the line, so they don't step back. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:15.600 He's saying, listen, this kingdom person that you're you're called to be is not a person that just is disengaged from culture. 00:15:15.840 --> 00:15:26.399 Instead, you're you're one that's actually acting like that athlete, act to win, acting like that farmer to harvest, acting like that soldier to conquer. 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:33.600 You're going out with an attitude that's saying, I'm going to captivate, I'm going to possess land. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:38.000 I'm going to possess the world. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:42.639 I'm going to engage culture and I'm going to change something about the culture. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:51.200 So the keys are in our hands, and each week, each Sunday, there's life and death on the line. 00:15:52.159 --> 00:16:04.320 Each Sunday, and sometimes people like, I know I grew up with my my dad speaking, and one of his uh the the challenges with my dad is that he's so intense. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:06.879 Do you ever get that? 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.840 It's just like he gets intense. 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:11.279 Now I see a different side of him. 00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:19.200 I see the side of him that's fun, you know, and and jokes, but he just has kind of like approached life from an intense level. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:24.080 He he fishes intensely, he hunts intensely. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.799 Now I I said, Dad, I'm gonna hunt smart. 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:32.320 I'm gonna fish smart and intelligently, but and he goes, but he takes it both in. 00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:37.200 He's like, I'm hunting hard and I'm hunting intense and smart. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:38.879 He's going after it. 00:16:39.120 --> 00:16:54.240 And if there's ever a critical uh thing about my dad is that he's so serious, but it's because he realizes what's on the line, he realizes the gravity of our of the nature of the church. 00:16:54.399 --> 00:17:07.839 He realizes that there might be someone in church today, it's your first time at church, and you're in a position where you're like, life or death, you're hearing this message for the first time, and you've got a choice to make. 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:18.240 He realizes that there may be someone in the room today that that is going through a relational challenge, and your choice is either to split or to stay together. 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:21.759 And he wants to make sure you make that right choice. 00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:31.119 Well, the same intensity has got to be in our hearts together for our world, for the people that we engage with in our culture. 00:17:31.279 --> 00:17:34.079 Where is, hey Sean, good to see you, buddy. 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:36.319 Good to see Sean today. 00:17:39.039 --> 00:17:41.599 Yeah, come on, bring it up, yeah. 00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:46.160 We love Sean. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.759 You have to fight, you have to fight for it. 00:17:49.839 --> 00:17:52.559 Some people are dealing with health challenges. 00:17:52.799 --> 00:17:54.079 We're fighting. 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:57.119 There's an intensity, that farmer intensity. 00:17:57.279 --> 00:17:59.200 How many of you know a tough farmer? 00:17:59.359 --> 00:18:06.640 Like, I I I trained jiu-jitsu for about five years, and my partner was Al Kirschner. 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:12.799 This guy grew up like throwing bay, hay uh um hay bales. 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:17.920 Bale, hay bales, with like just picking up and throwing them. 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:21.440 He got his wrist, his hand around you, you were done for. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:23.200 You had to fight for your life. 00:18:23.279 --> 00:18:24.559 He just like grabbed you. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:28.559 I just knew I was like, they had that farmer's strength. 00:18:28.799 --> 00:18:31.839 And I knew that this was not just an average man. 00:18:31.920 --> 00:18:34.160 It's like this guy's a tough guy. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:39.039 My my respect for these individuals is high. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:44.000 And likewise, Jesus said, Listen, you gotta have that intensity. 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:46.000 So Jesus made it very clear. 00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:48.799 He said, This, I'm gonna build my church. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:55.759 So he goes to the Caesarea Philippi and he says, Listen, you have the keys to heaven, you have the keys on earth. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:02.319 Now I'm going to build my church on a revelation that I am the Son of God, and you understand that. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:15.519 You know you're the church, and I'm gonna build my church, and the gates of hell will not stand up against it, will not prevail against it. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:29.440 Now, this this attitude of impact, gates are an interesting uh image because gates aren't an offensive uh power, they're not an offensive tool. 00:19:29.680 --> 00:19:32.799 Gates are a defensive mechanism. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:35.759 You don't approach, gates don't attack you. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.599 You attack gates. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:42.559 You don't, and the way you attack them has to be intense. 00:19:43.440 --> 00:19:48.799 To tear down a gate, it had to happen from close quarters. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:52.000 You ever remember seeing those movies with the battering ram? 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:55.359 They weren't doing it from a long range long ways away. 00:19:55.519 --> 00:20:08.960 They weren't battering, they had to get up close, they had to get cover over their head, and the church has to get close to the gates, touching the gates in order to take them down. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:16.960 It's not a long range, the church can't distance itself from culture and say, Okay, we're coming after you. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.759 The gates aren't gonna fall down on their own. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:23.519 The gates aren't gonna fall off their hinges, they're gonna stand there. 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:30.640 The gates require you to get in close and just start to just to wear them down. 00:20:30.799 --> 00:20:33.440 And it's where you'll take the greatest casualty. 00:20:33.519 --> 00:20:42.000 It's probably one of the dangerous places, one of the most dangerous places where you could have been in this form of warfare in Jesus' day. 00:20:42.160 --> 00:20:46.559 But he was saying to the church, church, you can't be comfortable. 00:20:46.799 --> 00:20:57.039 You have to get up close and not be afraid of what the gates are gonna do to you, but you have to be intense in what you're gonna do to the gates. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:01.680 That challenge has to be in your heart. 00:21:01.839 --> 00:21:06.240 It's not a long-distance engagement, it's close in nature. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:09.759 The best example for this is of a rhinoceros. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:11.920 I have a picture of a rhino here. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:21.440 This rhino is dangerous, it's the most dangerous animal in Africa, like, because it is intense. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:27.440 The problem with rhinos is that they can only see 15 feet ahead of them. 00:21:27.599 --> 00:21:29.839 Their eyesight is really poor. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:33.279 Too bad for others, right? 00:21:33.519 --> 00:21:37.200 It says, but its impact is incredible. 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:41.279 You don't want to be in the path of a rhino. 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:43.920 They have uh the strength. 00:21:44.880 --> 00:21:46.799 I was I looked it up this morning. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:54.319 The strength is unfathom one person wrote this way the strength of these creatures is unfathomable to us. 00:21:55.039 --> 00:21:57.680 Compared to them, we're literally ants. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:22:06.640 Rhinos can weigh upwards of 8,000 pounds can still run close to 40 miles an hour despite their immense weight. 00:22:06.720 --> 00:22:10.160 The average car weighs about half as much as this giant beast. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:21.599 So if your math is correct, getting hit by a full speed, getting hit at full speed by a full-sized rhino would be like getting hit by a car going 80 miles an hour. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:28.559 If its horn doesn't manage to gore you, your entire body would essentially just shatter and explode. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:33.039 You'd probably be dead before you even registered the pain. 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:40.480 A rhino has that intensity that's like I'm gonna smash something. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:48.640 And what happens is these rhinos get in the way, and I, you know, this is the this is the culture of YouTube. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:54.160 I just like I was studying, I was like, man, I'm going on YouTube. 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:56.880 Has anyone ever been charged by a rhino? 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:59.200 Of course, there's a video for that, right? 00:22:59.599 --> 00:23:01.599 And it was a scary video. 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:17.119 It was like this one little hunter with two little tribesmen on each side of them with like arrows going through the woods, and then all of a sudden the camera catches like the trees just like splitting, and the tribespeople are like, get out of here, let's go. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:23.039 As they just this rhino just made a beeline and just took out a car and just like smashed this car. 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:33.599 And I thought, where's the intensity of the church to say, you know what, it doesn't matter what what the what the what the culture is saying? 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:40.480 If the culture is saying something that is in opposition to the word of God, then we just tear it down. 00:23:41.039 --> 00:23:49.119 We've got the keys on to take down the door, to open the doors, to to to bring freedom to people who are in trouble. 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:51.920 We need to be that type of people. 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.799 So, how do we do this? 00:23:56.160 --> 00:24:00.480 There are some limitations that we feel at times. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:06.079 And first, we need to overcome the idea that people are looking for perfect people. 00:24:06.720 --> 00:24:13.039 Sometimes our own obstacles are selves, because who knows yourself better than you? 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:21.200 And you when you look at yourself, do you see someone who can be used by God to make an impact in society? 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:31.680 Oftentimes when we look at ourselves, all we see is our error, all we say is our inability, all we see is our weakness. 00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:38.720 Even when Aaron, when Moses approached, when God approached them, they came up with an excuse. 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:43.839 I'm a stutterer, I can't speak well, I've made these mistakes, I've murdered. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:47.519 Uh Joshua, I'm young. 00:24:48.079 --> 00:24:49.839 Jeremiah, I'm young. 00:24:50.400 --> 00:25:00.640 These are people who are like always excuses on our mind, and God always has to like affirm you that no, you may not be perfect, but that's okay. 00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:03.359 Turn to your neighbor and say, that's okay. 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:09.440 God uses perfect imperfect people. 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:23.839 And the reality is this, the reality is this, is that people would rather follow a Christian who is real than a Christian that is perfect. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:34.240 Real people are better to follow in terms of their authenticity than perfect people. 00:25:34.799 --> 00:25:37.839 Because we all know we're not perfect. 00:25:38.880 --> 00:25:42.400 I know it, you know it, let's just agree together. 00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:44.160 We're imperfect. 00:25:44.640 --> 00:25:45.839 We're imperfect. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:52.559 Imperfect people should not stop engaging. 00:25:53.599 --> 00:26:03.519 Imperfect people need to realize that the enemy will use your flaw and make your magnify your flaws to make you look like you're weak. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:06.319 To make you look like you can't do it. 00:26:06.559 --> 00:26:09.519 And but that's what gives power to our testimony. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:11.839 That's what gives power to our ability. 00:26:12.160 --> 00:26:17.839 Secondly, our authenticity is the best currency that we have as a leader. 00:26:18.319 --> 00:26:23.759 Being real, if you lead with a limp, God looks great and man looks small. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:25.920 This is what grace looks like. 00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:30.000 It's saying, in my weakness, God, you can become strong. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:34.559 In my inability, God, I'm leading on your ability. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:36.319 Making that known. 00:26:36.480 --> 00:26:40.720 The fact is, men and women make crummy gods. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:43.519 We're just terrible. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:47.200 We some of us can't even hold a budget. 00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:51.039 Like we can't, we can't do things well. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:58.400 We can't manage small things, and yet we want God, God says, I've got big things in store for you. 00:26:58.720 --> 00:27:02.559 And when we look at our lives, we're like, man, we don't know how to do this. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:04.960 And God says, it's okay. 00:27:06.160 --> 00:27:08.640 That's why my grace is there for you. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:12.000 And that's why your salvation isn't based on your work. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:19.200 It's based on my ability in you, my grace in you, my capability in you. 00:27:19.759 --> 00:27:30.000 So when we we work together, God and you, you can just step back, and our job is just to get out of the way and let God do what God is wanting to do. 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:30.799 Amen? 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:32.400 Amen. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:37.119 Thirdly, engagement is risky. 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:43.039 They shouldn't uh keep you from going to a place where there's risk factor. 00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:46.160 I'd like to ask God what he wants from me. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:28:02.240 Um, I like to ask God what he wants from me, and and sometimes I have to actually say, okay, God, whatever you want, um, and I'm gonna remove myself from the situation in terms of how I feel. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:10.319 Because your feelings can't determine what God's saying to you, and actually what your destiny is to accomplish. 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:19.200 If God says, Hey, I want to use you in a certain area of influence, then we need to step into that place of influence. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:23.920 Our message is this that Jesus gets what you deserve. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:27.839 His grace gives you what you don't deserve. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:31.279 And that's really the message in a nutshell. 00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:36.799 The fact is, KCC did not start so that we could have more friends. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:52.880 KCC started so that we could reach people and bring people who are distancing farther and farther from God, and a community that was distancing farther and farther from God and bring people closer to Him. 00:28:53.200 --> 00:29:08.480 KCC, our body, uh who we are together collectively, are a tool to be able to reach out to people and become the bridge between God and men through Jesus in us and bring people close. 00:29:10.480 --> 00:29:13.279 So we all know someone who needs God. 00:29:13.759 --> 00:29:20.160 We all know someone who's drifted, and we need to be the people who are bringing people close. 00:29:20.400 --> 00:29:24.319 Each Sunday we do this, we we equip you. 00:29:24.480 --> 00:29:31.680 Each connect group we're a part of is equipping you to go out and reach people for Him. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:38.319 So realize this engaging culture isn't safe or always nice. 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:45.519 In fact, uh, as a reminder, create uh Christianity was actually very difficult. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:52.480 The first church, many people and leaders, families were thrown in jail. 00:29:52.799 --> 00:29:59.440 Some of them were assaulted, beaten, uh, some of them were killed for what they believed. 00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:03.440 They were thrown into arenas for the entertainment of the masses. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:06.880 It was uh it was real persecution. 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:11.759 And the church overcomes the expectation and and and continues to grow. 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:25.920 Uh, before the bamboo curtain was lifted in in uh China, there were two million um believers in China, Christian believers. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:50.160 And when the bamboo curtain was up and and the Christians were having to survive in China inside that wall, uh inside that nation, when the bamboo curtain lifted and Christians were actually able to share that they were actually Christian and were allowed to announce their faith, they found out that 68 million people registered as Christians. 00:30:51.039 --> 00:30:55.599 So the persecution is a part of the plan. 00:30:56.319 --> 00:30:58.960 The persecution was a part of God's plan. 00:30:59.119 --> 00:31:03.680 And in Matthew 9, God's model of the church is really kind of crazy. 00:31:03.839 --> 00:31:07.680 He says this, I send you out as sheep among wolves. 00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:09.920 It's not a very good plan. 00:31:10.079 --> 00:31:12.319 It's actually like the worst plan ever. 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:18.640 It's like, I'm gonna send you out as sheep among wolves. 00:31:20.960 --> 00:31:27.440 And you look at like the logic in that, and it's hard to find it. 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:31.119 Like, where is the logic in this? 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:35.119 Because we're vulnerable, we're weak. 00:31:35.440 --> 00:31:40.799 A sheep doesn't can't can't defend itself against the wolves. 00:31:41.039 --> 00:31:46.960 A sheep doesn't have any attack mechanism, the sheep is just a sheep. 00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:58.160 Um, but the wolves are ferocious, the wolves are scary, the wolves are the walls, the gates in front of us, the enemy that's on the front line. 00:31:58.319 --> 00:32:06.400 But God says, I'm sending you out there like that, but don't worry, I'm not gonna send you out that way, not empowered. 00:32:06.559 --> 00:32:09.839 I'm gonna send you out there with something called my Holy Spirit. 00:32:10.559 --> 00:32:25.200 And my Holy Spirit is gonna be there and it's gonna empower you, it's gonna give you the ability to actually go through this dark valley and come out the other side, to go through where the wolves are and step out on the other side. 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:34.720 So it doesn't matter if you're if you are a big sheep, are surrounded by wolves, I'll be there with you. 00:32:34.960 --> 00:32:49.599 So you can trust in me, lean on me, uh, lean into me, don't forget about me in them in the process, and let me actually make a difference in your life and in your in your ministry. 00:32:50.400 --> 00:32:54.960 So when it comes to our nation, what do we do? 00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:01.680 We have to engage, we have to engage our culture. 00:33:02.480 --> 00:33:27.920 Um we all know the challenges, we all know the the vulnerabilities in our nation right now, we all know where the the difficulties are, but the church has got to rally together, the church has got to stand together, and the church has got to say, you know what, I'm not gonna just stay inside, I'm actually gonna step outside of the walls of the church today and make a difference. 00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:38.000 And so this is this is the plan, and it it's gonna be require us to like actually maybe even step on toes moving forward. 00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:42.720 And it's more than just telling people, hey, it's okay to be a good person. 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:45.119 It's not okay. 00:33:45.440 --> 00:33:48.160 Good people just won't make a difference. 00:33:48.400 --> 00:33:55.440 It's gotta be, we've got to step into that arena where we're like challenging the world, saying, you know what, it's not good, isn't enough. 00:33:55.599 --> 00:33:59.920 You have to actually trust in God to actually make a difference. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:03.279 So we would you just stand with me for a moment? 00:34:03.440 --> 00:34:25.519 I just feel like we're in church, and uh the scripture says this it says, Don't forget, at one point you were enslaved in darkness, you were enslaved in the world, you were dead in your trespasses, you were dead in your sin, you were in trouble, but God came in. 00:34:25.840 --> 00:34:26.480 Amen. 00:34:27.119 --> 00:34:43.760 God came in into your darkness, God came in when you were bound up, God came in when you were chained up, God came in and he came in on purpose to actually take you out of the place where you're in into a different place. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:35:01.440 The scripture says it's this you're translated from a kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light, from a place of slavery into a place of freedom, out of a kingdom of lies into a place of truth. 00:35:01.840 --> 00:35:04.320 And that's where we want to be today. 00:35:04.639 --> 00:35:06.400 But we can't do it alone. 00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:08.159 We need the Lord's help. 00:35:08.320 --> 00:35:31.920 So if you just would just bow your hearts with me, bow your heads with me, and just open up your heart to be able to allow God to fill you with a heart that cares for our community, a heart that cares for Canada, a heart that cares for the people in our in our in our community that's local. 00:35:32.159 --> 00:35:36.400 I just ask, Father, that you would do something in our spirit today. 00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:49.280 Lord, that you would raise us up, Lord, to be able to see above the culture and to be able to see with your eyes, Lord, what you see. 00:35:49.840 --> 00:36:08.000 Lord, you said you've brought us to a place where we're seated in a heavenly realm where we can actually access the gifts of heaven, the keys of heaven, and bring down to earth the things that uh the world needs. 00:36:08.480 --> 00:36:23.840 Freedom from depression, freedom from anxiety, freedom from physical pain, freedom from broken relationships, freedom from self-abuse and narcissism. 00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:29.920 And Father, I just thank you that you've given us the keys, Lord, to be able to help the world. 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:35.840 Today, Father, we just don't see the problem, we see the solution. 00:36:36.159 --> 00:36:44.400 We see, Father, that you are uh the God who gives the church the ability to impact the world. 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:55.039 And today, Lord, we stand in that hope that we that you're with us and that there's no weapon that's formed against us that can prosper against us. 00:36:55.199 --> 00:36:57.280 So we trust in you today. 00:36:57.599 --> 00:36:59.440 We hope in you today. 00:36:59.760 --> 00:37:03.360 We lean into you today, Lord, for your help. 00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:23.599 We ask for your spirit, your Holy Spirit to empower us, to give us the words in our gut, to be able to speak, Lord, into our culture, to be able to write in blog and influence into our culture, Lord, the words that will impact our nation. 00:37:23.840 --> 00:37:30.079 We thank you, Lord, for your message, Lord, that it's not by our strength, but it's by your strength. 00:37:30.320 --> 00:37:33.519 It's not by what we've done, it's by what you've done. 00:37:33.760 --> 00:37:37.039 It's not by our ability, it's by your ability. 00:37:37.360 --> 00:37:41.119 We were enslaved and you set us free today. 00:37:41.280 --> 00:37:48.559 And we just reflect back to you, Thanksgiving, Lord, for the for the opportunity to serve you. 00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:51.679 In the name of Jesus, we thank you. 00:37:52.079 --> 00:37:52.719 Amen. 00:37:53.760 --> 00:37:54.320 Amen. 00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:55.360 God bless you. 00:37:55.519 --> 00:37:57.840 Let's give the Lord a hand this morning.