WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:12.000 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holmes. 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:21.120 I mean, the reality is this, men and women, that his blood flows through and courses through your bloodstream. 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:24.800 Your spiritual bloodstream has Jesus' blood. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:42.640 And when Jesus walked on this earth, when he came, and when he ministered in power to those around him, he modeled something as a spirit-filled man that you and I have the capacity through the Holy Spirit to illustrate to our world around us. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.000 Isn't that exciting? 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:49.840 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:54.399 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:59.679 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:13.040 Imagine Colorado Springs the way God always meant it to be. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:21.120 We're instructed to pray, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:31.599 Imagine a city where the very feeling in the atmosphere is righteousness, peace, and joy. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:40.000 Imagine a city where people celebrate life, think creatively, and dream imaginatively. 00:01:40.959 --> 00:02:00.640 Imagine a city where every life, whether born or unborn, whether born with defects or born as we classically might call healthy, is valued and celebrated. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:08.719 Imagine a place where you would feel safe on any city street at any time of night. 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:21.919 Imagine a city where doctors, hospitals, and clinics that have the conviction that every life is protected and fought for, whether born or unborn. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:32.960 Imagine a city where there is hope in the schools because the kids are excited about their future and desire to dream dreams of changing the world. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:49.680 Imagine a place where there's prosperity throughout every sphere of influence, whether it's media, government, health care, education, business, military, church, or family. 00:02:50.639 --> 00:02:57.199 Where people love what they do and they feel like whatever it is they're doing is the calling of God. 00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:03.360 Imagine Colorado Springs being a model city to the rest of the nation. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:24.479 Imagine a city where the community, both Christian and pre-Christian, come together, work on issues, and figure out what's best for everyone in the community, but especially the most vulnerable, which are our children. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:34.240 Imagine the Colorado Springs that we live in starting to look a lot like Zechariah's vision. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:36.400 Zechariah 8. 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.400 This is what the Lord Almighty says. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:50.479 Once again, men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem. 00:03:50.639 --> 00:04:00.879 Will sit in the streets of Colorado Springs, each of them with cane in hand, because of their age. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:07.039 The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. 00:04:07.199 --> 00:04:08.960 What a beautiful vision. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:17.839 What about Jeremiah when he was prophesying to Israel while they were captive in Babylon? 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:19.680 Jeremiah 29. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:28.160 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those they carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:33.360 Build houses and settle down, plant gardens and eat what they produce. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:36.800 Marry and have sons and daughters. 00:04:37.120 --> 00:04:44.160 Find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:46.399 Increase in number there. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:48.720 Do not decrease. 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:55.600 Also seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:03.439 Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:13.759 Men and women, God wants to bring a kingdom of God revolution in our nation, a revolution of righteousness, peace, and joy. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:15.680 It's not going to come through the Republican Party. 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:17.839 It's not going to come through the Democratic Party. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:22.160 It's not going to come through economic changes that occur. 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:28.240 It's not going to come primarily from any of those things, though, listen, all those things are hugely important. 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:38.560 It will come through a mighty move of God's Spirit, working through individuals that have had their own kingdom of God revolution. 00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:41.040 I love praying for our nation. 00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:46.959 I go to website after website after website, talking about revival, revival, revival. 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.439 Everybody's praying for revival. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:53.680 Everybody's praying for revival in our nation. 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:58.160 May I hasten to say that's beautiful, it's wonderful. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:05:59.279 We should do it. 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:02.240 But what about revival in our own family? 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:05.199 What about revival in our own marriage? 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:17.759 What about revival in the lives of those nationals, Americans, that live in our living room and in our bedrooms and come to church together? 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.680 What about a kingdom revolution in our own homes and in our own neighborhoods and in our own city? 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.360 It's easy to pray for the nation. 00:06:30.800 --> 00:06:35.519 America is going to hell in a handbasket. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.000 No, it's not. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:44.240 God has called us to the America that we rub shoulders with. 00:06:44.480 --> 00:06:45.519 And that's right here. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:48.160 And it's not going to hell in a handbasket. 00:06:49.120 --> 00:06:55.600 God wants to bring a kingdom revolution through us at the road. 00:06:55.839 --> 00:07:09.600 Several weeks ago, we as a team went to the Hideaway Retreat Center and spent 24 hours there as a team, and we prayed and we worshiped and we knocked out a new vision statement. 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:11.600 And here's how you view a vision statement. 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:23.839 A vision statement is that, and it's different than a mission statement, but a vision statement is if we could be launched into the future, that that would be what we see. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:27.279 That would be what we see in the future. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.639 That's a vision statement. 00:07:28.879 --> 00:07:42.720 What do we want to see the road being used to do and be that 5, 10, 15, in our case we thought a hundred years in the future? 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:52.800 If the Lord tarries, what does God want to do through the road a hundred years from now that if we could come into the future and be dropped here, what would we hope God has done? 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:58.319 And here's what it is: bringing a kingdom of God revolution to the Rockies. 00:07:58.720 --> 00:08:01.120 Bringing a kingdom of God revolution to the Rockies. 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:05.600 Bringing a kingdom of God revolution to the Rockies. 00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:10.720 Because that is why Christ came. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:19.199 So turning your Bibles to what I think is one of about a dozen powerful passages, but I want to focus on Jesus. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:22.000 And that's Matthew chapter 4. 00:08:22.319 --> 00:08:26.879 Let me just say this in the synoptic gospels, which are Matthew, Mark, Luke. 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:29.360 All of them say basically the same thing. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:44.240 In other words, this was so important to Matthew, and so important to Mark, and so important to Luke, that they all captured this scene, this particular scene, in their own unique ways as authors of those books. 00:08:44.559 --> 00:08:53.759 But it was clear to Jesus, and it's clear to us at the road that the thesis of Jesus is what we're about to read. 00:08:53.840 --> 00:09:01.039 This is the thesis, it's not his mission statement, but it is his thesis of the ministry of Christ. 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:06.240 Thus, listen, folks, what we've seen him doing, we also shall do. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:10.720 It's the thesis of the church, in my opinion, and hardly anybody teaches on it. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:12.480 Hardly anybody preaches on it. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:19.360 I've been doing this pastor thing for 25 years, and before that, 10 years as a missionary, and I can tell you, you hardly ever hear about it. 00:09:19.440 --> 00:09:21.360 It's called the Kingdom of God. 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:23.120 It's called the Kingdom of God. 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:38.879 And I'm gonna uh push back on the definition that the kingdom of God is just simply the gospel, in that I think that the gospel is contained within the kingdom of God, and we're not ready to go there yet as a church because I want to finish the series on worship or warrior. 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:41.840 I'll get back to that in the weeks ahead. 00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:53.919 But in 2019, we're gonna go chapter by chapter and verse by verse through the book of Matthew, and we're gonna look at a Kingdom of God revolution inaugurated by Jesus. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:55.440 It's gonna be really exciting. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:15.279 But I felt like I wanted it start 2019 this way, with an understanding of where we're going, and if we were to be blessed by God, to still be here in the city a hundred years from now, if the Lord tarries, what would we hope that we accomplished? 00:10:15.600 --> 00:10:20.320 What would we hope that was the reason for the road less traveled? 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:23.600 Which God spoke to us seven times. 00:10:23.759 --> 00:10:26.000 Look at Matthew 4, 17. 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:28.799 This is the thesis statement of Jesus. 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.399 He repeated it again and again and again. 00:10:33.519 --> 00:10:42.000 From that time, Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:45.200 The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.679 The kingdom of God is at hand, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:55.919 One hundred times, over one hundred times, Jesus taught on the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:11:03.919 He prayed, and then he asked us to pray, and we might not call it the Lord's Prayer. 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:08.399 Some have called it the disciples' prayer, we might call it the kingdom prayer. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:18.320 Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:25.120 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:35.279 Do you think that in God's heart, everything that I read that we might imagine for our city is not his heart of his kingdom in this city? 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:39.200 So over a hundred times he spoke on the kingdom. 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:40.159 He told us to pray the kingdom. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:41.679 He said, Seek first what? 00:11:42.080 --> 00:11:43.519 The kingdom of God. 00:11:43.679 --> 00:11:48.720 Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and everything else that you worry about will be added unto you. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:55.840 I mean, that's like the greatest blue pill you could have ever gotten for worry. 00:11:56.639 --> 00:12:01.440 I've said it in many a counseling session, much to the chagrin of the counselee. 00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:06.639 Are you seeking the kingdom of God first in your life? 00:12:06.879 --> 00:12:08.240 In your marriage? 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:13.200 Well, Pastor, I kind of knew you were gonna say that. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:15.840 Yeah? 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.519 What do you want me to say? 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:19.600 Read Mad Magazine more. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:46.240 I mean, I don't know what you want me to say, but all I'm saying is that with all the psychology that we have out there, all the neuroscience that we have out there, all the brain science, all the counseling courses you can take, all the marriage and family counselors there are, at the end of the day, church, I've rarely met a husband and wife, and this is not, I'm not talking on counseling here, but I'm just I'm off a little bit. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:49.279 I'll bring it back in 30 seconds. 00:12:49.600 --> 00:12:53.679 So if this is, if some of you are feeling really like, what is he talking about? 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:54.960 Then that's okay. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:13:06.559 But when you show me a husband and wife that are both seeking the kingdom of God first, does it alleviate all your problems? 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:07.759 Of course not. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:12.000 Many godly, wonderful Christian couples do get divorced. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:16.639 But I will say this it covers about 90% of your problems. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:23.759 Can you show me anything out there that covers about 90% of our problems? 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:33.200 Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said, seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness. 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:42.480 And he's just been talking about all the things we worry about in Matthew 6 clothes, cars, boats, investments. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:46.960 We've had a few things to worry about the last three months in investments, haven't we? 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:50.480 For you that don't have any investments, you're really in good shape. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:53.279 We've lost a lot in the last few months, you know. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:14:03.440 But if we seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, he says, and I believe Jesus does not lie, he'll take care of those things in our lives. 00:14:03.600 --> 00:14:04.720 Isn't that awesome? 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:06.159 Kingdom of God. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:08.000 So what is the kingdom of God? 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:13.600 The kingdom of God, men and women, is the reign and the rule of Christ. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:15.120 That's what the kingdom of God is. 00:14:15.360 --> 00:14:22.960 The kingdom of God is that wherever he reigns and he rules, that becomes his kingdom and he becomes the king. 00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:26.639 So the question always for all of us is who's on the throne of our lives? 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.159 Who's on the throne of your life and my life? 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:35.360 And it's it's never functionally always the same. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.600 There's always this battle going on, right? 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:40.320 Everybody go like that if you know what I'm talking about, okay? 00:14:40.639 --> 00:14:42.720 Because it's a flesh and spirit thing. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:44.000 We're always battling there. 00:14:44.080 --> 00:14:45.600 It's called spiritual warfare. 00:14:45.759 --> 00:14:48.000 And the battle is usually between our ears. 00:14:48.159 --> 00:14:54.960 But the reality is, is he came announcing that in him was the kingdom. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:15:02.080 So look what he says next, because I see a pattern here for our church and for a revolution of the kingdom. 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:06.639 Is repeat, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:07.759 Verse 18. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:16.639 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.720 Then he said to them, Follow me. 00:15:18.879 --> 00:15:20.080 Now just stop right there. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:23.519 It always starts with the person of Christ. 00:15:23.679 --> 00:15:24.960 It starts with him. 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:27.919 We repent to something. 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:32.080 We don't repent just from something, we repent to something. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:33.440 It's a 180. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:36.960 But here's the thing: a revolution is a 360, right? 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.480 So repent only gets you halfway. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:52.720 Repent is we turn from our ways and our thinking and our desires to his way of thinking, his desires of the kingdom of God in our life. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:54.399 But it doesn't stop there. 00:15:54.639 --> 00:16:01.360 Actually, as God begins to transform us, we continue in this revolution and we become changed. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.080 We become revolutionized. 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:14.320 But then you put on him. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:17.279 It's all about him. 00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:21.759 The kingdom's all about him, it's not about you. 00:16:22.399 --> 00:16:23.759 Worship's about him. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:30.639 When we worship, we are we are modeling kingdom life. 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:36.960 Because as we become worshipers, we become warriors. 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.399 Because as we become worshipers, God's changing us. 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:42.720 He's bringing a kingdom revolution. 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.919 He's taking over the throne of our heart. 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:47.279 Listen up. 00:16:48.960 --> 00:16:51.120 And then we go out with it. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:16:56.480 You can't preach the good news if you're the bad news. 00:16:59.120 --> 00:17:00.159 I'm from Georgia. 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:01.600 I figured it out. 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:12.240 What happens is you who used to proclaim the good news, but you were the bad news, actually start proclaiming and living the good news because you're the good news. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:15.920 Because you're getting revolutionized in your heart. 00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:21.759 It's not about revival in America, it's about first revival in you. 00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:24.559 Get revived. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:35.039 We have a lot of talk about the illumination, but we need more talk about the illustration. 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:36.000 Let me explain. 00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:39.200 The illumination of God's word is beautiful. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:40.559 I love God's word. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:51.759 That's why we go C by C and V by V, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, because this is the living, active, inerrant, infallible Word of God. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:53.359 It's our illumination of Christ. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:55.200 We couldn't know Christ without God's word. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:56.640 We elevate it. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:05.119 But it means nothing out there if we don't become an illustration of the illumination. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:15.279 We can be proclaiming till the cows come home, but if our lives are not an illustration of a kingdom of God revolution, nobody's going to listen. 00:18:15.599 --> 00:18:20.160 The church, in and of itself, loves the illumination. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:23.039 The world couldn't care less. 00:18:24.559 --> 00:18:32.880 But when they see an illustration of the kingdom, then they want the illumination because they say, What in the world is going on in that guy's life? 00:18:33.119 --> 00:18:35.920 There is no way they should act like that. 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:38.720 There's no way they should respond that way. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:42.240 There's something transformational in their life. 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:46.559 It really helps when you lay hands on them and they get healed too. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:51.920 So it starts with Jesus, the kingdom's about him. 00:18:52.799 --> 00:18:54.720 What about righteousness, peace, and joy? 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:57.680 Well, the righteousness and peace and joy is the kingdom of God. 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:01.920 And the more Christ is elevated in our lives, think about it. 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:07.519 500 or so of us going out this week and being the kingdom. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:09.920 Just be the kingdom at King Supers. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.079 Just be the kingdom at Safeway. 00:19:12.480 --> 00:19:14.319 Just be the kingdom as a doctor. 00:19:14.559 --> 00:19:16.240 Just be the kingdom as a mechanic. 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:20.880 Just be the kingdom as a painter and your job and as a housewife. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:30.880 And when you take your kids, just be the kingdom and start asking the question, Lord, you embodied the kingdom, and now I embody you because you're in me. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:32.400 Hello? 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:34.240 He's in us. 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:35.839 Isn't that cool? 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:44.880 I mean, the reality is this, men and women, that his blood flows through and courses through your bloodstream. 00:19:45.200 --> 00:19:48.559 Your spiritual bloodstream has Jesus' blood. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:20:06.400 And when Jesus walked on this earth, when he came and when he ministered in power to those around him, he modeled something as a spirit-filled man that you and I have the capacity through the Holy Spirit to illustrate to our world around us. 00:20:06.559 --> 00:20:07.759 Isn't that exciting? 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:36.640 So that as we start to take off the eyes of Steve Holt or take the eyes of as Christie or Susan or Joe, and we start to put on the eyes of Christ to see what he sees, and we start saying, Lord, would you help me when I drop my kids off at school, when I see the counselor, when I go to work, when I operate, when I get up underneath that engine, when I paint that house, whatever it is, I'm available to you. 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:40.640 I want to bring a kingdom revolution wherever I go. 00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:44.319 God's up in heaven, going, what a stupid prayer. 00:20:45.119 --> 00:20:46.640 What an idiot. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:51.279 Man, he's jumping for joy. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.519 So I'm gonna bless that guy. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:56.400 I am going to open doors that no man can shut. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:11.440 I am going to begin to cause that person and that person that nobody will talk to to cross their path because I trust that brother, I trust that sister, as children of God, that if they cross their paths, they're gonna encounter the kingdom. 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:15.599 I think that deserves an amen, at least a little one. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.960 A little amen. 00:21:19.519 --> 00:21:20.960 Let me just say this. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:29.519 I believe that the most vulnerable members of our community are babies and children. 00:21:30.960 --> 00:21:33.200 I think we need to minister to the homeless. 00:21:33.920 --> 00:21:39.519 I think when we do Springs Initiative, we've got paint houses, we need to double that, triple that what we're doing there. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:46.880 But this is what I believe more than anything else, men and women, is we've got to capture the children. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:49.200 80%. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:58.960 If I had a show of hands in here, 80% of your hands would go up that you gave your heart to Christ or had an experience with Christ before you were 12 years old. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.759 Some kind of experience. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:00.319 Experience. 00:22:00.400 --> 00:22:01.119 It's true in my life. 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:16.000 Now, I would say I got born again at 18, but there was a transformative encounter with God that I wouldn't say quite saved me, but it got me set up to be saved right around 11 or 12 years old. 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:26.400 And almost all of us in this room would say the same thing because there's something about God's pattern and his way that we covered last week of children. 00:22:26.640 --> 00:22:29.279 What does he say in the Passion Translation? 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:43.680 Jesus says, learn this well, unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable and learn about heaven's kingdom rim with the wide-eyed wonder of a child, you'll never be able to enter in. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:52.400 Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this gentle child which he had standing next to him is the greatest in the kingdom of God. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:23:00.480 And if you listen, and if you tenderly care for this little one on my behalf, you are tenderly caring for me. 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:02.960 He doesn't say that about anybody else. 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:09.839 He doesn't say it about the cripples, he doesn't say it about the homeless, he doesn't say it about the best leader in the city. 00:23:10.079 --> 00:23:14.400 He says, This child represents to me the kingdom of God. 00:23:14.559 --> 00:23:24.160 And when we start acting and being teachable and learning the way a child tends to do in those early years, that's the greatest in the kingdom. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:32.160 Men and women, we have got to build one of the most powerful children's ministries in the city. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:35.039 And I told Liz this the other day. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:42.640 I want our motto to be every child in every class, every week, encounters God. 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:53.759 That means we lay hands on the babies and we pray blessing upon them all the way up to the 11-year-olds, into our junior high, and then into our senior high and into the well. 00:23:56.400 --> 00:24:01.039 Because God wants to build a church here that lasts for a hundred years. 00:24:02.240 --> 00:24:06.640 And the pushback sometimes is people's eschatology. 00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:08.799 Does anybody know what eschatology is? 00:24:09.200 --> 00:24:10.400 Big, big word. 00:24:10.480 --> 00:24:11.680 It means last days. 00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:13.519 Last days. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:16.240 It means the final things. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:24.960 And there can be, in some circles, kind of this hunker down, everything's gonna get worse mentality. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.960 And I don't know if that's true. 00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:28.799 I'll read Matthew 24, too. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:35.680 I knew Matthew 24 and 25, but listen, men and women, don't read Matthew 24 without reading Matthew 25. 00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:43.519 Because in Matthew 24, it talks about the coming of the Antichrist in the end times, and I've taught on an ad nauseum. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:52.720 But Matthew 25 talks about us being prepared and that we use what God's given us and we actually double and triple our talents. 00:24:53.359 --> 00:25:02.319 That says to me that the greatest mission feel, listen everybody, the greatest mission feel is right where you are right now. 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:08.160 God somehow sovereignly called you to be in Colorado Springs. 00:25:08.319 --> 00:25:11.759 Somehow He called you sovereignly to be in this church. 00:25:12.240 --> 00:25:15.519 Because he wants you to be a part of a kingdom revolution. 00:25:15.839 --> 00:25:17.200 Not just a revival. 00:25:17.359 --> 00:25:19.200 Revivals are short-lived. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:20.480 A love revival. 00:25:20.559 --> 00:25:23.519 I think you need a revival for a revolution, quite frankly. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:28.160 But it's repentance, it's revival. 00:25:29.440 --> 00:25:30.559 Both of those things. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:32.000 Then it's reformation. 00:25:32.319 --> 00:25:34.319 God begins to reform structures. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:42.319 But what a revolution literally means when you look it up is that the society and culture is transformed. 00:25:44.000 --> 00:25:50.720 That was the vision of the pilgrims and the Puritans when they came to America. 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:55.039 They had a vision for a nation that would be a light on a hill. 00:25:55.279 --> 00:26:03.440 They had a vision for missions going out from this country like no nation ever in the history of the world, and that's what's happened. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:08.720 You know why God has staved off judgment upon America with all of our sin and stuff? 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:12.319 I believe it's because of the generosity of our nation. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:30.480 Whatever those pundits say, and all the pundits and their opinions out there have to say, the reality is the one thing, there's many things, but one of the main things that stands out as unique to America is not a republic and a democracy necessarily, but what it's done. 00:26:30.559 --> 00:26:37.039 And what it's done, it's created a beautiful, generous people because we've been so blessed by God. 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:40.960 So God still needs America. 00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:43.359 And God still needs missions. 00:26:44.000 --> 00:26:48.079 But I'm challenging us, church, that missions begins right here. 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:50.880 And God wants to move in a mighty way. 00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:55.519 If the worship team would come up, I'm I'm only a third of the way through my message. 00:26:56.319 --> 00:26:58.160 So we'll pick it up. 00:26:58.319 --> 00:26:59.759 And we'll pick it up. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:02.960 Look what he says next. 00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:06.400 There's a team's coming up, and we'll cover this the next time we're together. 00:27:06.559 --> 00:27:09.680 Look at verse 19. 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:13.519 He said to them, Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. 00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:17.680 They immediately left their nets and followed him. 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:26.400 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their nets. 00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:27.920 He called them. 00:27:28.720 --> 00:27:32.799 And immediately they left the boat and their father and they followed him. 00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:33.759 They followed him. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:34.880 They followed Christ. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:41.119 So here's the first part of a kingdom of God revolution is we follow Christ. 00:27:41.279 --> 00:27:42.480 We repent, we follow him. 00:27:42.720 --> 00:27:57.279 By the way, if you're here today and you're not convinced at the deepest level of your heart that Jesus Christ lives in you, that the King of the Kingdom lives in your heart. 00:27:58.079 --> 00:28:03.759 And when we come to the end of the service, I'm going to give you that opportunity to pray to receive Christ. 00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:07.680 To get into the kingdom, get into the family. 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:09.920 Best decision you'll ever make. 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:15.839 And if you haven't made it yet, maybe today's the day. 00:28:16.160 --> 00:28:21.920 Maybe today is the day to seal the deal of a new contract. 00:28:22.559 --> 00:28:24.480 We call it a covenant. 00:28:24.720 --> 00:28:26.640 A covenant, a new contract with Him. 00:28:26.799 --> 00:28:33.359 You sign your name, just like when you got married, if you've gotten married, you signed that contract. 00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:39.200 You said before the people, I'm coming to know her as my wife, and then you do. 00:28:39.440 --> 00:28:42.640 And then you find out what you got yourself into. 00:28:42.880 --> 00:28:43.519 Right? 00:28:44.480 --> 00:28:47.759 Well, there's a covenant relationship with Christ where we come in. 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:56.079 But then the second thing, the second thing is that God has a pattern called becoming a disciple. 00:28:56.640 --> 00:28:58.240 Becoming a disciple. 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:08.799 Every disciple who finds the treasure in the field and sells all that he has and buys the field becomes a leader. 00:29:08.960 --> 00:29:12.079 And when you become a leader, that means you lead. 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:15.039 And when you start leading out, guess what? 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:16.400 People follow you. 00:29:16.559 --> 00:29:22.240 And when they follow you, you're creating in your wake a kingdom revolution. 00:29:22.400 --> 00:29:24.640 They get to surf on your wake. 00:29:25.599 --> 00:29:31.759 Watch a commercial the other day and it showed a jet boat, man, taking off, and it showed this guy surfing the wake. 00:29:32.079 --> 00:29:34.480 Man, this guy was surfing the wake. 00:29:35.359 --> 00:29:38.160 A lot of people have surfed my wake. 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:44.079 A lot of people will surf your wake, but you gotta become a disciple first. 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:50.960 And so Jesus is always on the hunt, looking for disciples. 00:29:51.039 --> 00:29:56.480 And maybe today is your day to become a disciple. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:03.279 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:06.319 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:30:06.559 --> 00:30:10.400 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:14.400 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:30:14.640 --> 00:30:21.759 Go to theroad.org, click on the Ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:29.759 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.