WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:06.559 Hey, I'm Pastor Steve Holt. 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:11.119 I want to empower you today to walk in your true identity as a worshiper and warrior. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.400 Embrace the power of God's Word and the Holy Spirit. 00:00:14.640 --> 00:00:17.920 Today, be encouraged with a word from my guest speaker. 00:00:18.160 --> 00:00:21.280 Welcome to the Born for War podcast. 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:28.960 Well, guys, my name is Matthew Rupert. 00:00:29.120 --> 00:00:36.320 I'm the children's pastor here at the road, and it is my privilege and honor to have the opportunity to share the message with you today. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:42.719 So most of you guys are aware that Pastor Steve has written a new book called Breakthrough Courage. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:54.880 And it's all about seeing the perceived fear boundary or the fear barrier in front of us and breaking through that to go forward in a life of impact. 00:00:55.200 --> 00:01:02.399 And today I am going to be covering chapter one of that book, which is putting the first thing first. 00:01:02.719 --> 00:01:07.760 In kids' ministry, we actually talked about this concept, and we we have these boxes. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:10.480 They're empty boxes, but they're painted to look like bricks. 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:18.799 And so imagine there's this wall of bricks in front of you, and it is fear, and it looks big and it looks heavy and it looks intimidating. 00:01:18.959 --> 00:01:29.599 But what God is calling us to do is to break through that boundary, to break through that barrier of fear so that we can do what it is God has called us to do. 00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:37.120 But I love how Pastor Steve starts the book because the first chapter is all about laying the foundations. 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:42.319 What is the most important thing for us to endeavor towards? 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:46.239 How do we know what our number one priority is? 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:50.879 As Christians, we can seek a number of things in our lifetime. 00:01:51.040 --> 00:02:01.760 We can seek a life of pleasure, where we're using greasy grace as an excuse to do things, or an excuse to sin, or an excuse to hide secret sins. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:04.079 Well, God loves me, He'll forgive me. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:07.040 So I'm not too worried about that right now. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:14.560 We can choose to seek a life of Christian ease where comfort and security are our number one priority. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:20.240 We can choose to seek a life of adventure and of influence and making a difference. 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:24.719 And out of the three, that one sounds probably like the best option. 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:33.439 But when we seek the first thing first, it aligns our life to know what the number one priority is. 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:44.879 It lays aside the temptations of this life, it lays aside our own personal ambitions of this life, and it focuses us in on what truly matters. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:53.680 So if you would open your Bible with me, we're going to turn to Matthew chapter 6, starting with verse 25. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:03:05.280 Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on. 00:03:05.439 --> 00:03:09.520 Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:11.120 Look at the birds of the air. 00:03:11.280 --> 00:03:16.960 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:20.159 Are you not more value than they? 00:03:20.719 --> 00:03:25.680 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to the span of your life? 00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:28.400 And why are you anxious about clothing? 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.960 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:38.319 They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:47.759 But if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you? 00:03:48.159 --> 00:03:50.800 O you of little faith. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:56.879 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What will I eat, or what shall I drink, or what will we wear? 00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:03.439 For the den Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:11.840 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:18.720 This message is really honing in on worry, on fear, on anxiety. 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:23.759 And as Pastor Steve has said multiple times, we are in a culture that is consumed by this. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:30.399 We're consumed by the worries and the cares of this life, by the fears that are that are holding us back. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.079 We can worry about our own selfish desires. 00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:39.120 We can worry about the things related to our own comfort and enjoyment. 00:04:39.360 --> 00:04:54.800 We can worry about the legitimate stressors in life when our family encounters a tragedy, when our children are experiencing hardship, when our job stress is becoming too much to bear. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:00.800 We can worry about all of these things, but God is saying, stop worrying. 00:05:01.439 --> 00:05:03.120 Stop being fearful. 00:05:03.439 --> 00:05:05.279 Easier said than done, right? 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:09.040 I know everything that you need. 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:14.480 And if you seek me first, I will provide all of those things. 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:20.399 It's funny how I kind of came alive or came to realize the power of this passage. 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:25.279 It comes from a funny story in my life when I was uh probably 17. 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:27.120 Well, I was 17 and 18. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.160 This happened for two years. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:31.279 I had this terrible crush on this girl. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:40.480 And I was at Bible college and it was complicated because at this Bible college you're supposed to do what's called ratio, so you can never be alone with a girl, so you had to have another guy there. 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:47.279 So to pursue a girl, which was also, you're not supposed to do that, but to pursue a girl, you had to kind of have a wingman, right? 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:48.800 And you'd be like, hey, can we hang out? 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:49.680 blah, blah, blah. 00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:54.000 And so I experienced so much stress over this situation. 00:05:54.160 --> 00:06:02.959 And I remember coming to the Lord with my journal and my pages filled with all of these love letters to this person. 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:07.600 And I was like, God, should I be this worried about it? 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:09.279 Is this really your will? 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:10.879 Is this gonna happen? 00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:14.399 Is is this something that I should be so concerned about? 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:21.040 And I remember God showing me this passage and saying, Matthew, remember where you are. 00:06:21.439 --> 00:06:23.279 You were at Bible college. 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:26.079 You came here to seek me first. 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:32.160 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and I'll take care of the rest. 00:06:32.480 --> 00:06:44.000 It turns out God had a much better plan in store for me, and I could not be more happy with my incredible wife Kristen and my daughter Amelia and the family that we're building together. 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:48.560 For many of us, we need to stop worrying about all the factors in life. 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:52.959 You know, the the passage says, don't worry about what you will wear. 00:06:53.120 --> 00:06:54.079 What will I wear? 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:59.040 Is that not just like the cliche for like girls or even some guys? 00:06:59.199 --> 00:07:01.279 Like, oh, I have nothing to wear. 00:07:01.600 --> 00:07:13.680 But God is saying, don't worry about your clothes or your finances or these relationships, but instead remember that seeking first the kingdom of God is what takes care of all of those needs. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:18.160 So, what is seeking first the kingdom of God? 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:20.399 Let's dive into this together. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:26.560 We first have to define the kingdom, the word kingdom, or the kingdom of God itself. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:30.480 You know, this is a concept that is a theme all throughout the New Testament. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:33.839 Jesus spoke about it a hundred times during his ministry. 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:37.759 He spoke about it extensively through his Sermon on the Mount. 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:44.319 He talked about it through many parables, and yet many people throughout history have really struggled to define the kingdom of God. 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:56.560 And oddly enough, even myself, having gone to uh several years of Bible college, up to a few months ago when we began a book study as a staff, I wouldn't have been able to define the kingdom of God. 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:04.560 But the kingdom of God is a place where Jesus Christ has power, dominion, and rulership. 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:08.399 Where he has power, dominion, and rulership. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:10.079 That's you and me. 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:12.720 That God can actually have power. 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:20.160 When we when we ask Jesus to take our sins away and we choose him to be the Lord of our life, he fills us with his power. 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:27.519 The Holy Spirit comes and takes up residence within us, and we have his power. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:30.879 He takes up dominion. 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:33.600 Now he is the ruler of our life. 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:35.759 Now he is calling the shots. 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:39.519 Now he is telling us what it is we should do. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:46.559 Seeking first the kingdom allows God to rule and reign over every element of our lives. 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:49.200 So what does that look like for us today? 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:51.440 If you're taking notes, I have three points. 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:59.279 Number one is seeking the kingdom, is seeking God's will over our own comfort. 00:08:59.679 --> 00:09:02.159 God's will over our own comfort. 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:30.000 If I had to assume, I don't, I haven't done any studies, I haven't researched this at all, but if I had to assume the struggle or the temptation of the American church today, I would say that it is comfort, that that is our idol, that we seek after that, having the perfect ottoman, actually not ottoman, but lazy boy chair, whatever, having the perfect show, having all of the things, the commodities for our life to help us be comfortable. 00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:33.200 We're so consumed by this, and it's good reason. 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.639 I mean, there's there's so much inundated within our culture. 00:09:36.799 --> 00:09:41.200 Every advertisement is about you having a comfortable or enjoyable life. 00:09:41.440 --> 00:09:54.639 But it says in Luke chapter 9, verse 23 through 24, and he said to all, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 00:09:54.879 --> 00:10:01.679 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.320 You know, that sounds very uncomfortable. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:06.960 In Florida, I would see, I guess it was a movement or something. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:17.120 I'm not exactly sure, but you would see people walking down the side of the road with a cross on their shoulders, and the cross even had this nice little wheel on the back of it, so they could like roll it down the road. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:25.600 It was pretty funny, but it was a very harsh realization, even for Christians, to look and be like, that's what it looks like to bear a physical cross. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:35.840 And God is saying that if we're going to follow Him, we have to deny ourselves and pick up a uncomfortable, heavy cross and follow him. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:43.600 The Christian life is not about comfort, but it's seeking God's will, his kingdom over our own comfort. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:49.360 Number two is seeking his righteousness over our own pleasure. 00:10:49.840 --> 00:11:00.559 Romans 14, 17 says, For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 00:11:01.279 --> 00:11:06.799 We have to seek first his righteousness over our own pleasure. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:18.720 And that will become very convicting to things in our life that we hold on to as the pleasureful things in our life that maybe are taking center stage, that maybe are becoming a priority. 00:11:18.879 --> 00:11:21.039 We talk about this all the time in kids' ministry. 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:26.639 We're like, video games aren't necessarily bad, even though I personally really dislike video games. 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:41.679 But when that becomes the most important thing and we r orien our entire life around our time to play video games, then maybe we should take into consideration if that is more important than our relationship with God. 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:50.799 And you use a bunch of other examples with kids, you know, that, but that one's probably the best one because every child, almost every child, relates to that. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:54.879 But we have to seek his righteousness over our own pleasure. 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:59.759 It's not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness of peace and joy. 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:03.120 I love how this verse also says peace and joy. 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:06.080 Because isn't this what the entire world is looking for? 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:13.360 Like, oh, I'm just, I'm tired of the stresses in my in my country and in my job and in my work, and I just need peace. 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:19.519 And they book this exotic trip to Haiti just to try and escape it because they so desperately want peace. 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:20.720 And guess what? 00:12:20.960 --> 00:12:23.200 Without God, they're not gonna find that. 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:24.399 Or they want joy. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:25.600 I just want to be happy. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:33.279 I just, I just want to live a life that's exciting and adventurous, or I just want to live, you know, I just want to be happy and have this joy. 00:12:33.759 --> 00:12:36.159 And without God, they will never find it. 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:45.279 So, yes, seeking first the kingdom is laying aside our own pleasures and our own comfort, but it's only then that we truly have peace and joy. 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:49.600 Because this peace and joy is in the Holy Spirit. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:58.240 This is a peace and joy that is not relying on the circumstances around us, but it's relying on the Holy Spirit. 00:12:58.320 --> 00:13:06.240 That even though our life could be going through so much trouble, we can have peace knowing God is in control. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:11.360 We can have joy knowing that this suffering is producing something good in us. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:15.759 In kids' ministry, we do the ABCs of salvation. 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:17.440 I want everyone to do this with me, okay? 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:18.960 Just humor me for a second. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:23.039 This is A in sign language, B in sign language, C in sign language. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:24.799 Can everyone do A with me? 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.600 A is admit that we are a sinner. 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:30.000 B is believe in Jesus. 00:13:30.240 --> 00:13:37.759 Believe in Jesus, that he died on the cross, he came back to life, or believe what the Bible said, and C is confess and choose. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:39.120 You guys did fantastic. 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.240 Thank you very much. 00:13:40.559 --> 00:13:41.840 Confess and choose. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:43.279 We have to confess our sins. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:47.440 God, I'm sorry for my sins and for what I have done. 00:13:47.679 --> 00:13:49.600 But then we have to choose. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:54.320 We have to choose to make him the Lord of our lives. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:00.399 And I think so many times us as Christians, we get through A, B, C, and we forget to choose. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.000 It's like, great, now I'm saved. 00:14:02.159 --> 00:14:08.399 I'm just gonna go about my daily business and you know, now I got the get out of hell free card to go to heaven. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:17.519 No, we have to choose to make Jesus the Lord of our lives, and that is a daily choice. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:21.679 Number three is seeking first the kingdom is replication. 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:25.759 Now, I love this, and this is what really gets me fired up. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:39.120 Because if we are laying aside our own comfort, laying aside our own pleasures, and we're seeking first the kingdom of God to receive his joy and his peace, then that can be kind of like discouraging, like, ah, this life is just gonna be miserable. 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:39.679 No. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:51.440 God has incredible things in store for you, things that would far surpass any material possession, any type of exotic vacation. 00:14:51.840 --> 00:14:59.679 No, God wants you to replicate, He wants you to duplicate the kingdom in other people's lives. 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:06.879 Pastor Steve uses the example of DNA, and DNA is the biological code that duplicates cells in our bodies. 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:15.840 That's why our skin is able to heal itself and it duplicates cells for the cells that are dying or the cells that are uh injured or whatever. 00:15:16.080 --> 00:15:36.159 And so it's really important for our body, and so when we align ourselves to the DNA of the kingdom, which is relationship with God, which is seeking to fulfill his greatest commandment, which is to love God with all heart, soul, and mind, and strength, he begins to duplicate the kingdom through us. 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:37.360 This is so exciting. 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:52.480 When we ask Jesus to take away our sins, his Holy Spirit comes inside us, we're alive and we're active and we're receiving words from God and we're moving out in faith and in boldness, and God wants to do the same thing in the people around us. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:57.360 He wants to duplicate the kingdom of God through us. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.679 He wants to do that through all of our influence. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:19.039 I think of an example where my brother Ben is the fire chief for the city of Hopewell, Virginia, and he has lived a life of righteousness, has lived a life of being an example to the point where I, as a young person, was just like, oh, I just want to be like my big brother. 00:16:20.240 --> 00:16:22.960 And that became visible to other people. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:32.559 They saw his character, they saw his level of righteousness over his own pleasure, or cheating the system, or getting the job done in a sleazy or whatever way. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:41.200 And he upheld that, and people began to come to him when they had questions of spirituality or when they were going through a hard situation in life. 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:50.720 And one such story was really funny when uh someone came to him and was like, Yeah, I'm going through this situation, and I know you're a Christian, so like, what do you do you have any thoughts or ideas? 00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:54.000 And my brother was like, I barely even know this person. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:59.600 I had one conversation with him because he's in a completely different department or something. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:11.759 And but people were talking about my brother, and they were talking about his standard for righteousness, and that they knew because it was visible, the kingdom of God was visible in his example. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:23.279 My mom has always uh demonstrated this really well, also, where she is the kingdom of God on the town council in our small town, where she is the kingdom of God to the neighbors. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:29.920 And through being the loving arms of God to our neighbors, she met one of these neighbors who was actually a Muslim. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:40.640 Her and her son were immigrants from Egypt, and they eventually built really great relationships and ended up talking about uh their faith and the the differences in their faith. 00:17:40.799 --> 00:17:49.680 And though this person never converted to Christianity, when when their sister came visiting from Egypt, they're like, you have to meet Shirley Rupert, she's amazing. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:52.160 And so they come, they have coffee or whatever. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:18:00.559 This sister from Egypt gives her heart to the Lord and is now back in Egypt serving God and making an impact there. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:02.960 And this is what's so exciting. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:17.599 What's so exciting is that my mom, being the kingdom in a 400-member small town, it's a very small town, is now having an impact in Egypt when she has never even left the country. 00:18:18.240 --> 00:18:25.519 Like, that is the power of the duplication of the kingdom if we can choose to seek God first. 00:18:26.559 --> 00:18:28.400 There are so many rewards. 00:18:28.480 --> 00:18:30.960 It's like, oh, I gotta lay this down and I gotta lay that down. 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:32.319 Well, do I get anything fun? 00:18:32.559 --> 00:18:33.759 Oh, yeah, you do. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:42.960 You get the fun, the enjoyment of seeing lives change and impact, expand far beyond your own realm of influence. 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:47.839 We have to catch the vision of the duplication. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:54.720 So then I ask myself this question, and this may not be a question for everyone, but it's been something that I've really been struggling with in my life. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.200 Okay, we're laying all these things down, we're seeking God first. 00:18:57.359 --> 00:18:58.160 What does that look like? 00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:59.200 What does that mean? 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:03.920 What am I supposed to do with all the profound dreams that I have? 00:19:04.160 --> 00:19:10.400 Dreams for accomplishment, dreams for reaching these goals, dreams for increasing my finances. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:14.880 We live in a generation that is very consumed by this. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:17.279 And we it is it's amazing, guys. 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:21.519 We live in the most opportunistic time in human history. 00:19:21.759 --> 00:19:32.640 Because of the internet, because of the investment options, we have incredible opportunity for personal growth, for growing, all of these different material things in life. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:33.920 And I have dreams. 00:19:34.000 --> 00:19:43.039 I personally have dreams for that, and I want to be an inspirational person that encourages young people, encourages children, that they can do some incredible things in life. 00:19:43.359 --> 00:19:46.960 But it has to be grounded and focused in the right thing. 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:50.960 What am I supposed to do about all of these dreams? 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:57.440 And it comes down to this question: what is all this striving really for? 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.400 What is all this striving really for? 00:20:01.359 --> 00:20:06.079 In Matthew, the the passage that precedes the one we've just read. 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:13.440 So I'm going kind of a little backwards here, but it's so powerful because it's talking about not laying up for yourself treasures on earth. 00:20:13.599 --> 00:20:26.480 And what's so profound about this is that this whole worry passage precedes the striving passage, which means that don't worry is also in context to striving and working hard, right? 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:29.680 He's telling us to not worry but seek first the kingdom of God. 00:20:29.839 --> 00:20:33.279 Let's read this passage together, starting in verse 19. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:48.640 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.480 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 00:20:53.200 --> 00:21:00.720 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. 00:21:00.880 --> 00:21:04.400 You can't serve both God and money. 00:21:05.279 --> 00:21:06.960 Where is your treasure? 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:13.839 Is it being amassed and built up here on earth, or are we laying up treasures in heaven? 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:22.240 If we pour our energy and our passion and our time into things that won't last, we will have nothing to show for it in eternity. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:33.359 You know, I think of the story in Luke chapter 16, where you have the poor man and you have the rich man, and the poor man's like, please just give me some bread, and the poor man's like, no, go away, you stink, or whatever. 00:21:33.599 --> 00:21:38.640 And he refuses to cave, he refuses to give even the crumbs from his table. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:49.519 So they both end up in eternity, and the poor man is in heaven, and the rich man is in hell, and the poor man or the rich man is like, oh, please let me go and just tell the people about this terrible fate. 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:55.839 It's like this terrible story, but a very great image of salvation versus not salvation. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:21:59.440 But imagine it a little bit different when we're talking about two Christians. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:12.079 One Christian accepts Jesus as a Savior, he's got the get out of hell free card, and he goes on pursuing his own life's passions and dreams to get to heaven and feeling very lonely. 00:22:12.319 --> 00:22:13.839 Now, you don't feel lonely in heaven. 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:17.279 Heaven is perfect, so there is no lonely feelings. 00:22:17.599 --> 00:22:21.759 But having no ability to see the impact that he had. 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:28.160 Now we have another person who instead of seeking his own things, he's like, God, I've asked you to be my savior. 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:32.640 I give you every treasure, every ability, every talent that I have. 00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:33.839 I committed to you. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:38.319 Would you lead and guide me in pursuing what you would have me do? 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:40.400 And this person has a very similar outcome. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:43.279 He has lots of money and influence and this, that, and the other. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:57.279 But he gets to heaven, he walks through the gates of heaven, and he is greeted by perhaps hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe millions of people who come up joyfully saying, Hey, because of you, I get to be here today. 00:22:59.359 --> 00:23:09.759 God wants to use every part of us, every skill, every talent as a platform to glorify Him. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:21.440 When we put the first things first, it aligns all of these tools and resources for the purposes of God's kingdom. 00:23:21.839 --> 00:23:25.440 It becomes a platform to proclaim the goodness of God. 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:31.519 No longer are we chasing achievement just for self-satisfaction, comfort, or pleasure. 00:23:31.680 --> 00:23:40.160 Instead, we begin to see our success as a tool for the kingdom of God, a means for glorifying God. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:51.279 I remember going to a Christian entrepreneurs' conference, and they did a wonderful job of painting the picture of how your finances can be kingdom finances. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:58.640 They showed a real estate development, it was a strip mall with several storefronts, and they said, This funds this. 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:02.319 And they showed the next picture, which was an orphanage in India. 00:24:03.279 --> 00:24:10.960 Where these financial investors they were choosing, they were saying, God, you have given us the most opportunistic time in history. 00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:14.960 We have wisdom about finances, we have wisdom about investment. 00:24:15.119 --> 00:24:21.519 Would you use us right now to be kingdom members, to multiply your kingdom around the world? 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:47.440 And God took a real estate development, probably the one one of the most carnal things in our society, and he's using it to impact hundreds of children who have never encountered the love of the Father, who have never understood who God is, and now they are welcomed into the family of God, receiving biblical education and practical education, receiving three meals a day and loving caretakers. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:56.079 How something so carnal, money, can be used for the kingdom of God in profound ways. 00:24:56.640 --> 00:25:02.960 Receiving financial freedom or retirement is no longer about having the time to lay back and relax. 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:10.720 It's about having the time to invest into eternity in the people around us, in our family, and the people that we love. 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:19.279 It's not about acquiring the dream home just so that we can have that place to stay that feels really cozy. 00:25:20.240 --> 00:25:34.480 It's about using that as a resource to gather people for the kingdom of God, like your community group leaders in this room, using the resource that God has given them to gather the people of God and to invest into eternity. 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:39.519 I remember that was one thing that my wife and I were really longing for. 00:25:39.680 --> 00:25:40.559 It was actually crazy. 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:44.799 I won't go into the story because it's a long story, but we were$12,000 in debt, school debt. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:58.880 We had$1,000 in the bank, and we're like, God, we really want a house because we're really anxious to have a place that the neighbor isn't bumping the roof so that we'd be quiet because we had a game night, and they're like bumping the roof, like, shh, you guys are being too loud up there. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:04.160 We're like, we really want a place where people can come and gather and feel loved and feel at peace. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:07.839 $12,000 of debt,$1,000 in the bank. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:16.559 God allowed us to purchase a house, and it was through the bizarre purchasing of this house that all of our debt was paid off and that we renovated the entire interior. 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:20.160 Absolutely bizarre, and we still had$1,000 in the bank. 00:26:21.359 --> 00:26:23.839 Only God can do that, right? 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:28.480 But it's using the resources we have for eternity. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:38.400 We hear the stories of people all the time that have accomplished all of the things they ever wanted, just to find themselves feeling empty and unfulfilled. 00:26:39.279 --> 00:26:56.160 In my story, about seven, six, seven years ago, I began to face my shame and to come to my wife and to reveal the shame in the light, to surround myself by bloodstained allies, to receive counseling for myself and for my marriage. 00:26:56.640 --> 00:27:04.880 And it was when I began to face the shame, like Pastor Steve was talking about last week, that my whole being became alive. 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:15.839 I was saved since I was a child, but it was like I experienced a new salvation experience where my heart, soul, mind, and body were expanding and coming alive. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:20.559 And I began to have these dreams that I had never even anticipated. 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:22.799 In fact, my wife was always the dreamer. 00:27:22.960 --> 00:27:28.160 She, I was like, Oh, yeah, I think I want to write this VBS, and she's like, Yes, and we'll sell it all over the world. 00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:29.680 And I was like, No. 00:27:30.079 --> 00:27:32.559 I actually told her, I said, Stop dreaming for me. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:34.079 That's not my dream. 00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:38.640 Or the two mission trips my wife took me on, I say it that way. 00:27:38.960 --> 00:27:43.440 Because I was so terrified of leaving America. 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:47.519 I was so scared that I would lose my passport and be stuck there forever. 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:51.119 I had no context of the impact that I was making. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:54.160 I was just focused on that fear. 00:27:54.480 --> 00:27:59.359 But God began to give me dreams and ambitions that this sermon is birthed out of. 00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:01.920 This question, what about my dreams? 00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:03.200 Because this is a thing. 00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:17.279 When you align your body, when you face your shame and you align your heart, mind, soul, and body to God's will, your spirit, your heart comes alive, and and my heart started having these dreams that some of which seemed bizarre, some very spiritual. 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:19.759 You know, like we pray for revival. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:22.880 And we pray, now I I'd never prayed for those things before. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:24.480 So that was a big deal for me. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:28.160 But some very what appeared to be carnal. 00:28:28.559 --> 00:28:32.160 I had the dream of becoming a millionaire through my lifetime. 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:34.400 I had the dream of being a pilot. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:39.680 I had the dream of becoming an extreme adventurer like Indiana Jones and traveling the world. 00:28:40.400 --> 00:28:47.599 And all of these things were weighing down my mind and like, what should I seek after? 00:28:47.759 --> 00:28:48.960 What should I pursue? 00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:57.920 But because my grounding was in the foundation that I had received to seek God first in his kingdom, I knew that all these things were secondary. 00:28:58.319 --> 00:29:11.440 There are some things today that I am pursuing, some of those dreams, but I know because of my foundation that if one of these things were to be taken away, or no longer God was allowing my focus there, that it wouldn't matter. 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:16.319 Because I'm called to seek first the kingdom of God. 00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:21.359 But this foundation and this grounding didn't happen overnight. 00:29:21.599 --> 00:29:31.039 It was consistent people in my life, my parents and my Sunday school teachers who were consistently investing into me, investing the kingdom into me. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.599 They didn't just talk about their faith, but they lived their faith out. 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:45.359 I remember my parents at 4 30 every day, they would come downstairs, and our bedroom was right against the stairwell, so we were hearing them. 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:51.839 And then they would walk on the wraparound porch, which actually cornered our room. 00:29:51.920 --> 00:29:52.799 So they're walking around. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:59.759 And we're, you know, you'd imagine it's like, oh my gosh, can I please just sleep? 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:01.359 It's 4 30 in the morning. 00:30:01.599 --> 00:30:05.440 But it was actually the most comforting thing to us because we knew what they were doing. 00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:09.359 We knew that our parents were praying and we knew that they were praying for us. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:12.160 They invited us into that prayer ministry. 00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:17.119 They it would, uh many summers they would invite us to wake up at 5 a.m. 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:22.960 and come with them to prayer, either at the elementary school or at our church or walking around town. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:30.160 And we got to experience the power of prayer as children because God doesn't always move right away, right? 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:37.680 So praying for these things as children, we'd be teenagers or young adults, seeing God answer the prayers of a child. 00:30:37.920 --> 00:30:39.920 And it was so powerful. 00:30:40.079 --> 00:30:43.119 I remember my brother Jonathan was wayward for 21 years. 00:30:43.279 --> 00:30:49.519 My entire childhood, and then most a lot of my, well, my my whole teen years and then some of my young adulthood was wayward. 00:30:49.759 --> 00:31:00.640 And when he finally came back to the Lord and gave his heart to the Lord and God turned his life around, I remember weeping because I was like, God, you heard the prayer of a child. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:04.319 Practical things like seats for our sanctuary. 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:05.440 It was a very small church. 00:31:05.519 --> 00:31:07.039 We had very limited funds. 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:10.240 And seeing God provide these types of things. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:16.720 Bible reading, I remember the thing I couldn't wait for the most about school was learning how to read. 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:20.319 Because I was like, I want to read the Bible just like my dad. 00:31:20.640 --> 00:31:32.559 And I was so excited that when I finally learned how to read, and I got my first Bible, which was King James Version, so I didn't understand anything, but I highlighted every single line that I read. 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:35.839 So I had like a whole page of highlights, and I was like, Mom, look what I read. 00:31:36.079 --> 00:31:37.440 It's like, that's great, honey. 00:31:37.519 --> 00:31:39.920 Maybe we don't need to highlight everything. 00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:43.359 But they modeled that to me. 00:31:43.519 --> 00:31:46.319 We had family devotions nearly every day. 00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:47.279 Or worship. 00:31:47.440 --> 00:31:51.680 My mom would play the guitar for us for the entire church. 00:31:51.759 --> 00:31:59.519 That was our worship team, was my mom on the guitar and singing those songs, and my dad was like, hey, you guys are gonna practice 10 minutes a day, instrument of your choice. 00:31:59.759 --> 00:32:00.960 Like, okay. 00:32:01.119 --> 00:32:03.200 It's like, because one day you're gonna be doing that as well. 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:06.960 And it ended up that our family was the worship team for our church for a time. 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:12.240 They still are, actually, but I'm unfortunately not able to be a part of that. 00:32:12.559 --> 00:32:21.519 But I also thank God for Summit International School of Ministry, the school that I went to, which really grounded me in grace versus performance. 00:32:21.680 --> 00:32:24.079 I don't perform to earn God's righteousness. 00:32:24.240 --> 00:32:26.000 He's given all of it to me. 00:32:26.079 --> 00:32:30.480 And from that place of grace and acceptance and love, then I can perform. 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:34.880 But if I fail, I'm falling back on a foundation of love. 00:32:35.200 --> 00:32:44.880 In our kids' ministry, our motto is partnering with parents to disciple children who are deeply rooted in the truths of God's word and who walk boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:59.759 It was very intentional that we put this first, being rooted and grounded in the truths of God's Word, because even though it can seem like a really grand thing to walk boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit, it can be subjective. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:09.839 We could mistakenly raise a generation who is passionately seeking after achievement and accomplishment and pursuing these things because they think it's gonna honor God. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:17.759 When they could actually miss what truly matters, their foundation in the love and the truth of God's word. 00:33:18.880 --> 00:33:20.319 So, how do we do this? 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:23.039 How do we seek the kingdom first? 00:33:23.759 --> 00:33:24.960 Well, I have good news for you. 00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:26.079 It's actually really simple. 00:33:26.240 --> 00:33:28.160 Yes, we have to recalibrate our mind. 00:33:28.319 --> 00:33:31.039 Our mind has to start thinking kingdom instead of self. 00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:34.079 But how we do that is we begin consuming God's word. 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:38.240 We begin taking time to spend it in his presence. 00:33:38.960 --> 00:33:41.519 And we develop a habit of doing that. 00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:49.599 Pastor Steve calls it PBJ, prayer, Bible, and journal, where we open God's word, we say, God, would you right now speak to me through your word? 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:51.440 And we're writing those things down. 00:33:51.599 --> 00:33:57.200 I wanted to show you a few pictures from the kids' ministry of us doing just that. 00:33:57.440 --> 00:33:59.920 Of us do practicing prayer, Bible, and journal. 00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:02.480 My six-year-old nephew was saying, That was my favorite part. 00:34:02.640 --> 00:34:03.440 I said, Really? 00:34:03.599 --> 00:34:06.240 We did incredible games, we had lots of fun. 00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:10.320 It's like, no, it was so calming and just reading God's word. 00:34:11.360 --> 00:34:12.800 It was so powerful. 00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:20.000 We have the opportunity, like my parents and like my Sunday school teachers, to raise up a generation that has their foundations right. 00:34:20.079 --> 00:34:26.320 In my life, I could have easily swayed to these ideas or these concepts that Satan was trying to put on me. 00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:29.760 These identities saying, You are this, you are that. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:34.639 I could have gotten to a new place in my life and sought after all these dreams and ambitions. 00:34:34.960 --> 00:34:44.880 But because I had my foundation solid, set on God, knowing that I should seek Him first, none of those identities stuck to me. 00:34:45.280 --> 00:34:48.239 None of those dreams became priority to me. 00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:52.159 And I thank God for the impact my parents had on me. 00:34:52.239 --> 00:34:58.800 I thank God for the impact my Sunday school teachers had on me, and we can choose to have this impact as well. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.159 I want to read for you in closing just a passage from Pastor Steve's book. 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:10.800 When you make the kingdom of God your primary, God begins to move in power in every area of your life. 00:35:11.039 --> 00:35:18.159 If you aim for the highest possible good, the things you need to survive and thrive will be close at hand. 00:35:19.280 --> 00:35:32.880 When we seek the kingdom first as our primary, God fills us with power to duplicate his kingdom through our talents, through our giftings, through our success, through our job, through our workplace, through our family. 00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:40.639 The kingdom begins to multiply, and we arrive in heaven one day saying, look at what God has done through a willing vessel. 00:35:40.800 --> 00:35:49.920 Hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe millions of people coming up to you and saying, Because you were my Sunday school teacher, I accepted Christ as my savior. 00:35:50.079 --> 00:35:55.440 Because you were a loving neighbor in a time of need, I knew that God loved me. 00:35:57.039 --> 00:36:02.559 We can choose to seek first the kingdom, and when we do, everything falls into proper place. 00:36:03.039 --> 00:36:07.360 When we seek the first things first, God's passion becomes our own. 00:36:07.599 --> 00:36:13.119 When we seek the first things first, his divine wisdom informs our decisions. 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:18.320 When we seek the first things first, his power becomes our resource. 00:36:18.559 --> 00:36:25.280 When we seek the first things first, success becomes a tool for eternal impact. 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:33.519 I invite you as we go into worship to examine your heart and say, God, is there anything that I am putting before you? 00:36:33.840 --> 00:36:39.519 Is there anything that is more important to you in this, to me in this moment? 00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:47.440 Thank you for listening to the Foreign for War podcast. 00:36:47.599 --> 00:36:51.039 We hope today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world. 00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:57.039 To connect with Pastor Steve's sermons, books, and blog, visit steveholtonline.org. 00:36:57.199 --> 00:36:58.159 God bless.