WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:09.439 This podcast is a ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:14.640 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:17.839 Let's pray together. 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:24.960 Father, I thank you so much for your grace, for your goodness, and for your mercy. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:28.480 Thank you, Father, that you are our God. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:31.280 But you're not just our God. 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:37.439 The Bible says that you are a friend that sticks closer than even a brother. 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:49.119 Now we would ask that you would encourage us this morning so that when we leave this place, we leave having experienced an encounter with the risen Christ. 00:00:49.520 --> 00:00:54.240 And that we would leave much, much differently than the way we entered. 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.439 We thank you in advance for what you're going to do. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:00:59.600 Speak by your spirit. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:01.679 We ask this in the name of Jesus. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:02.640 Amen. 00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:28.400 As a young teenager, growing up in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, my parents moved to a neighborhood where there was a ballpark. 00:01:30.319 --> 00:01:34.239 Not even a block away from our home. 00:01:34.719 --> 00:01:38.400 And it's where I love to spend time with my friends. 00:01:39.200 --> 00:01:50.079 At the park, we played baseball, basketball, football, and sometimes we just would sit around and tell stories and tell jokes. 00:01:50.959 --> 00:02:02.319 Now, one of the things that's important for you to know that when you're a teenager having fun with his friends, the last thing that you want to hear is something like this. 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:16.639 And so oftentimes my sister Renee, that's seven years younger than me, she would come to the park and she would say, Willie, Mama said it's time to come home. 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:21.360 To which I would reply, Well, I will when the game is over. 00:02:22.719 --> 00:02:29.759 And so I'd go on and play and have some more time with my friends, and about 15 minutes later, she would come back again. 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:34.000 Willie, mama said, Come home. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:37.520 And I would say the game's almost over. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:53.599 Until one day, this lady with a very kind of high-pitched voice, with this Texas draw, came to the park personally. 00:02:54.800 --> 00:03:05.680 Now, I don't know if you know much about the South, but in the South, if your mother says your whole name, you're in trouble. 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:11.199 So she said, Willie Joe Bowden, I said, Come home. 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:13.120 It's time for dinner. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.800 To which I replied, Yes, ma'am. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:21.599 You don't play around with mama. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:23.840 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:27.120 Daddy's alright, but you don't play around with mama. 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:39.280 Why is it that I didn't respond to my sister in the same way that I responded to my mother? 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:44.080 Because in my mind, she didn't have much authority. 00:03:45.199 --> 00:03:47.360 She was just the messenger. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:04:04.639 But what I was too young to understand, that even though you're the one that's carrying the message, you're carrying the message with authority from the ultimate messenger, which was my mother. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:14.000 It's one thing to have mama call, but it's quite another thing to have your heavenly father call. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.879 So what I want to do this morning, I want to encourage you with this thing this morning. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:20.480 Write it down somewhere. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.480 We're going to be talking about when God calls. 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:28.639 When God calls. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:36.319 And the text we're going to use this morning is from the book of Galatians, chapter 1, beginning at verses 11 through verse 24. 00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:38.399 Galatians chapter 1. 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:49.759 Many of you who know, have studied maybe this book in depth, you know that what Paul is doing, Paul is taking time to defend his message. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:58.240 And what you're going to see throughout the book of Galatians is this whole contrast between the law of Moses and grace. 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:09.040 So what happened is that his accusers were accusing Paul of preaching an easy gospel. 00:05:10.160 --> 00:05:15.600 Preaching a gospel that was not attached to obeying, observing the laws of Moses. 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:18.000 Which, if you were a good Jew, that's what you did. 00:05:18.160 --> 00:05:21.519 If you want to please God, obey the law. 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:24.240 Paul's coming with this whole new message. 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:31.279 He's saying that even though the law is important, the law was never really intended to save anyone. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:37.680 The law was intended to be a mirror to show us just how messed up we were. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:47.759 The law was intended to be, as Paul says in the book of Galatians, as a schoolmaster leading us to Christ, the Savior. 00:05:48.399 --> 00:05:52.319 And so in this text, we see something that's very, very critical from Paul. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:54.720 Let's begin our reading in verse 11. 00:05:54.959 --> 00:06:01.439 Paul says, For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel, please underscore that in your Bible. 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:08.879 The word gospel is whereby we get our verb, our word, our word ewangelion in the Greek, which means to evangelize. 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:11.040 So it's where we get our word evangelism from. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:14.000 The gospel or the good news. 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:18.879 And oftentimes I'm asked at the seminary, what makes this good news? 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:22.560 Well, the good news is that you and I were pretty messed up. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:25.120 We needed redemption. 00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:30.000 And the good news is that someone died in our place. 00:06:30.959 --> 00:06:33.040 Doesn't that sound like good news to you? 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:42.160 I mean, it's one thing for a friend to die for another friend, but it's another thing to have someone die for his enemies. 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:48.000 And the Bible says that we were God's enemies, Romans chapter 5, verse 8 and verse 10. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:49.519 So that's good news. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:07:00.879 And Paul said, for I would have you know, brothers, that you on Gellion, the good news that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.120 That's what they were accusing him. 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:06.879 Paul, you've created something that uh you must have talked to some people. 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:12.160 Uh you guys got together and concocted this whole, this, this, this, this, this lie, this thing that's not right. 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:14.000 And Paul says, No, no, no. 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.480 My message didn't come from men. 00:07:17.040 --> 00:07:20.399 He says, verse 12, for I did not receive it from any man. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:28.639 Now was I taught it, again, lest we could add by any man, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:32.879 For you heard of my former life in Judaism. 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.120 Paul says, you know, this what I'm preaching, it's not like me. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:46.800 You know about my past, how I persecuted the church of God violently, and I tried to destroy it. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:54.800 And I was doing such a good job, Paul says, I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:08:01.360 So extremely zealous, Paul says in the model vernacular, I was so fired up to persecute these Christians. 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:03.199 He says, why? 00:08:03.360 --> 00:08:05.279 Because of the traditions of our fathers. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:16.240 He says, but when, like when my mother came to the park, but when he who set me apart before I was born. 00:08:17.199 --> 00:08:27.600 And when you think of the whole idea of being set apart, I think of this special place that my mother would put these special dishes. 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:30.000 She called it her china cabinet. 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.480 You open it up and it had this beautiful smell. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:33.679 Anybody remember that? 00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:38.320 It just had this great smell, had these felt-looking things and glass. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:44.320 And she would put dishes that we could not use for everyday use. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:55.200 Christmas time, Thanksgiving, special occasions, she'd pull out these things and she'd have the silverware in these drawers that were lined with felt, and we had to take time to polish it. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:56.879 Anyone remember polishing the silver? 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:02.159 But we were not allowed to use those on a regular basis. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:02.480 Why? 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:04.960 She had set them apart. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:09.200 They were special to be used for special occasions. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:10.960 Guess what, guys? 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:14.639 God has set us apart. 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:20.240 To be used only in his hands. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.120 That makes us special. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:29.279 If you're here today and you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you are special. 00:09:29.440 --> 00:09:37.440 But it's interesting that Paul says this specialness took place in his life even prior to his own birth. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:42.639 When you go home today, I want you to look at the book of Ephesians, chapter 1, verse 4. 00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:44.240 You're going to read these words. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:54.559 Paul says, we were called, we were chosen before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him in love. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:55.759 Watch this, everyone. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:07.840 That means before there was a sun, the moon, and any stars, God had already sovereignly chose you to be used by Him. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.080 Can I give you a surprise? 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:13.360 You didn't choose to come to church today. 00:10:14.080 --> 00:10:15.519 God chose you. 00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:20.879 God sovereignly decreed, He made it happen. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:24.000 You just thought you just woke up today and decided to come. 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:24.399 No. 00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:42.879 God sovereignly chose that you would be at this place, at this moment, in this time, and this age, because God wants you to hear something that is extremely important for the rest of your life, and that is that He super, He supernaturally chose you. 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:44.320 Think about this now. 00:10:44.879 --> 00:10:51.360 Out of all the millions and maybe billions of people on the planet, He chose you. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:54.559 He set you apart. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:59.200 And you say, Willie, I'm not that smart. 00:11:00.240 --> 00:11:02.080 I'm not that skilled. 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:07.600 God likes to use people that are not that smart and are not that skilled. 00:11:07.679 --> 00:11:08.000 Why? 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:12.639 So that in the end he can get all the glory. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:14.799 Listen to me, my brothers and sisters. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:16.960 He called me. 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:23.279 And when he called me, I had graduated from high school and I couldn't read. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:24.720 Did you hear me? 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:27.840 Young people, I couldn't read. 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.120 How do you graduate from high school and you couldn't read? 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:33.759 I could shoot a 20-foot jump shot. 00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:41.759 So the teachers kept me eligible so I could play on the team. 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:46.080 But if you had put a book in front of me, Dick and Jane, I would have stumbled. 00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:49.679 It would have taken me forever to read. 00:11:50.639 --> 00:11:53.440 So how is he going to use someone? 00:11:53.759 --> 00:12:01.039 How is it that he's going to have me to preach his gospel, especially in the King James Version? 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:07.440 The withers and the thithers and the hiters. 00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:12.879 And I can't read. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:16.000 Guess what he had to do? 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:21.120 He had to do a sovereign, supernatural work in me. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:26.639 He took me from nothing to almost 300 words a minute. 00:12:28.559 --> 00:12:30.159 I never could have gone to college. 00:12:30.399 --> 00:12:32.879 How am I gonna pass the entrance exam? 00:12:34.320 --> 00:12:39.200 As one person said, he took me from the guttermost to the uttermost. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:42.320 Is our God a good God? 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:45.039 Someone gave him a hand praise right now in this place. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:54.559 So listen, God called you. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:13:04.799 With all of your past, with all of your hangups, with all of your difficulties, with all of your challenges, he called you. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:13.600 And when he calls you, he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:23.440 I am a living witness of what he can do with someone who will surrender his or her life in the hands of the Master. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:28.960 So several things I want to show you from this text. 00:13:29.840 --> 00:13:33.759 When God calls, do like I did with my mama. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:35.440 Say, yes, sir. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:37.600 What do you want me to do? 00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:39.360 Where do you want me to do it? 00:13:39.600 --> 00:13:41.519 How long do you want me to do it? 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:45.679 Whatever it is, I will say yes. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:50.000 I encourage you if you haven't read this book. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:53.279 There's a book by a man, it's an older book now. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:13:55.440 His name is Henry Blackerby. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:58.320 And the name of the book is called Experiencing God. 00:13:58.399 --> 00:13:59.440 It's an older text. 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:04.320 I started reading it in the 90s, and now there's a workbook that comes along with it. 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:15.279 One of the things I love about Blackerby, he says, whenever God was about ready to do something, he had already made the decision to enter a space. 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:22.879 Then what he does, Blackerby says, he invites people to join him in whatever it is that he's going to do. 00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:25.039 Let's go all the way back to Noah. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:27.519 God knew that he was going to destroy the world. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:28.080 Am I right? 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:29.440 You've read the text. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:30.559 So what does he do? 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:34.240 He chooses Noah and says, Noah, I want you to build this ark. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:35.440 He makes a decision. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:37.519 He invites Noah to join him. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.440 We come to Abraham. 00:14:39.600 --> 00:14:40.879 He knew what he was going to do. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:45.039 He was going to use Abraham to bless not only the nation of Israel, but all the world. 00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:46.720 Genesis chapter 12. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:49.919 He says, Abraham, I'm going to bless the world through you. 00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:51.279 He makes a decision. 00:14:51.440 --> 00:14:52.720 He chooses someone. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:54.000 We come to Moses. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:58.159 The children of Israel have been in bondage for 400 years. 00:14:58.399 --> 00:14:59.679 God hears their cry. 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:01.519 He's going to come down and to deliver them. 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:02.240 What does he do? 00:15:02.399 --> 00:15:06.559 He chooses Moses to join him in what he's going to do. 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:09.679 Saul is not living the way that God wanted him to live. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.320 So he's going to bring someone up. 00:15:12.559 --> 00:15:14.879 He's going to exalt someone else to the throne. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:17.679 So while David is out dealing with the sheep, what does the Lord do? 00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:22.799 The Lord speaks to David and says, David, I'm going to place you at the head of the throne. 00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:24.320 So listen to me. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:35.360 What God has already done even before you were born, even before you knew it, God had already chosen you for such a time as this. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:40.559 But in order for him to use you, let me tell you what he's got to do. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.799 He's got to first change you. 00:15:43.440 --> 00:15:45.440 Listen to what Paul says. 00:15:45.679 --> 00:15:47.440 Back again to verse 11. 00:15:47.679 --> 00:15:52.639 If I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached to me is not of man's gospel. 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:58.159 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:15:58.399 --> 00:16:04.320 For you've heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church, how violently and I tried to destroy it. 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:05.120 14. 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.720 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond my own age among my people. 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:12.879 So extremely zealous was I for the traditions of the Father, verse 15. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:28.159 That when he who had set me apart before I was born and had called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles. 00:16:29.039 --> 00:16:31.120 Paul said, I had my own agenda. 00:16:31.679 --> 00:16:36.799 And Paul says, I was busy doing what I knew was right. 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:50.960 My brothers and my sisters, before the Lord spoke to me, supernaturally called me, I was doing my own agenda, doing my own thing. 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:57.200 But I'm almost embarrassed to tell you the thing that I was doing was not anything that would have ever pleased God. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:04.640 I'd done my time in the military and the Air Force, and I was discharged and discharged in California. 00:17:04.720 --> 00:17:11.279 And so one of my high school buddies, one of those guys I used to spend time with in the park, I met him. 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:14.480 He told me he had embraced this new group. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:27.680 He said it was a new religious group, but the truth was religion was kind of the underpinning, but the real truth was that this was a racist organization. 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:32.079 This was an organization that said anyone that was white was the devil. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:33.839 All white people were devils. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:40.000 It was our obligation in life to do our best to deal with these devils. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:43.759 And if we had to rid the world of these devils, that's what we were supposed to do. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.720 And I wish I had time to tell you my story. 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:52.799 The reason why I could easily embrace this kind of religion, because some things happened to me when I was a teenager. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:55.680 Some things happened to me even when I was in the military. 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:58.960 And so I began to think, oh, yeah, well, this is right. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:08.000 And the day before I was about ready to kind of make the pledge to this group, this insurance man talked to me on the phone. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:10.319 He talked to me about Jesus. 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:19.279 But the Jesus that I had been taught about when I was a kid, it wasn't really the Jesus of the Bible. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:24.880 And so I had, for many, many years, once I left home, I had rejected that Jesus. 00:18:25.599 --> 00:18:29.119 He showed me the Jesus of the Bible that I had never seen. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:34.799 And that night, September the 10th, 1973, at 9.20 p.m. 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.839 on the phone with this prudential insurance man, I said, Jesus, I'm not sure. 00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.559 But my mother taught me back to mama again. 00:18:42.960 --> 00:18:52.000 Any religion that preaches hate, to hate a group of people just because of the color of their skin, any religion that preaches that would not be of God. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:54.240 And that night I rejected that religion. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:57.759 I trusted Jesus as my personal savior because God is good. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:19:00.319 Someone give him a hand praise right now. 00:19:05.279 --> 00:19:12.079 Because I would have never been here in front of you to preach the gospel. 00:19:12.559 --> 00:19:17.359 But God knew that I needed to change my own agenda. 00:19:18.240 --> 00:19:25.359 And now before I take my seat, I'm gonna give you three words, and all the words start with the letter P to help you to remember them. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.000 Why did the Lord call me? 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:30.240 Why did the Lord call you? 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:33.920 Why has the Lord been spending time changing you? 00:19:34.240 --> 00:19:41.839 Because He has a purpose, first P, has a purpose for you that only you can do. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:47.599 Has a purpose for your life that you are uniquely gifted. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:50.240 You have been uniquely talented. 00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:54.799 He's given you certain treasures that only you can do. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:00.720 Yes, there are many other preachers in the world, but no one preaches like me. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:01.279 Why? 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:02.799 Because I'm me. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.359 There's only one of me. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:13.039 And so God says, Willie Bolton, I'm gonna give you something that's not better than someone else, but I'm gonna give you something that's different. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:20.960 I'm gonna give you a different way of making the presentation because I want you to speak, I want you to address a certain segment of society. 00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:29.119 Listen, guys, the Lord has told me that my ministry is a ministry of bridge building, especially building our cultures. 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:31.039 It's too often that we're separated. 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:32.400 Amen, somebody. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:38.480 We work together, we play together, we live next to each other until Sunday. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:48.000 Go off to our separate camps, to our separate groups, and we have great worship, and then we come back and wave each other on Monday morning when we go back to work. 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:56.640 Seems to me, everyone, since there's not gonna be a railroad track in heaven, you know what I mean by that. 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.039 You know exactly what I mean. 00:20:59.359 --> 00:21:01.200 Where those people live. 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:09.920 Since there's not gonna be a railroad track in heaven, we might as well start learning to sing together and live together and worship together and play together. 00:21:10.160 --> 00:21:10.720 Amen. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:21.119 But if we're not intentional about it, it will never happen. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:24.559 Because we have a tendency to gravitate to people what? 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:26.319 That are like us. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:30.799 Listen, y'all, I don't love watermelon. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:35.119 You'll get that joke later when you get to the house. 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:44.079 It's not one size fits all. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.960 And I can't eat fried chicken. 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.759 Does something to my stomach. 00:21:52.480 --> 00:21:54.079 Not that I don't like it. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:21:59.680 But what's the purpose? 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.880 That he called you to. 00:22:04.160 --> 00:22:14.880 Has he called you to minister to those young women who are involved in the sex trafficking trade? 00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:23.279 Has he called you to minister to those men and women that stand on those street corners and that are homeless sleeping under the bridge? 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:26.240 I don't know about you. 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:33.839 When the flood came, I started asking myself the question: what did all those homeless people that sleep under the bridge, where did they go? 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:42.160 Has he called you not to drive by and pass them one more Monday? 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:50.960 But this time he's called you to pull over and minister to that man, that woman and her children? 00:22:51.519 --> 00:22:55.680 Has he called you to minister to teenagers, maybe even trouble teens? 00:22:55.839 --> 00:23:01.839 Has he called you to minister to those that are heavily involved in drugs because that's where you used to live? 00:23:02.799 --> 00:23:07.599 Has he called you to go to the prisons because either you were there or you know somebody that's there? 00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:09.200 Maybe someone even in your family. 00:23:09.359 --> 00:23:11.119 Is that what he's called you to? 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:18.559 And have you just been sitting on the sidelines, sitting on your hands, applauding the rest of us and encouraging us? 00:23:18.720 --> 00:23:19.839 Thank you for that. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:23.920 But it's time for you to get in the game and play. 00:23:24.880 --> 00:23:28.799 We love to applaud others. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:32.720 But guys, it's time for us to play the game ourselves. 00:23:32.880 --> 00:23:33.279 Amen. 00:23:34.160 --> 00:23:37.440 I didn't tell them this morning, but I'll tell you because I like you better. 00:23:41.519 --> 00:23:44.799 Billy Graham was telling a story, the great Billy Graham. 00:23:44.960 --> 00:23:49.759 And Billy Graham said that there was this there was this tightrope artist. 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:52.240 And man, the guy was good. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:24:11.599 So he went out someplace uh near the Grand Canyon and and they and they shot some kind of a gun and and shot the tightrope to the other side, and someone was over there and they wrapped it around a rock, and and everyone was watching this great guy, and he turns to the crowd and says, How many of you that think that I can walk across this rope? 00:24:11.759 --> 00:24:13.359 I mean, that's what they were there for. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:14.960 This guy was famous. 00:24:15.200 --> 00:24:21.200 And so, man, this guy walked across that type rope with this little thing, and you know, and he spun around and walked on the other side. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:22.480 Man, the people just corrupted. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:27.119 They'd never seen anything like this, especially over the Grand Canyon with no safety net. 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:31.440 So the person that was working with him had this wheelbarrow. 00:24:31.519 --> 00:24:35.680 A wheelbarrow, you know what a wheelbarrow is, and it has this little thing, the little wheel in the front, right? 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:37.599 And so the guy gets on the typerope again. 00:24:37.759 --> 00:24:40.960 He's got this wheelbarrow, and he's doing the very same thing. 00:24:41.039 --> 00:24:46.079 I mean, I'm telling you, the place just I mean, they almost just fell out with excitement. 00:24:46.240 --> 00:24:51.039 So he turns to the crowd and says, How many of you know you believe me? 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:52.960 You try, you know I can do it again. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:56.319 And they erupt and say, Yes, yes, we know you can do it. 00:24:56.400 --> 00:25:01.359 So he turned to people in the crowd and says, Well, who will be the first person to sit in the wheelbarrow? 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.240 And there was a hush, y'all. 00:25:13.519 --> 00:25:14.960 There was a hush. 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:16.640 You know why? 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:25.279 We love to applaud the faith of others, but we don't want to sit in the wheelbarrow. 00:25:27.359 --> 00:25:30.319 If God's gonna use you, guess what you got to do? 00:25:31.599 --> 00:25:32.559 Sit in the wheel. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.440 Stop just applauding what we do. 00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:37.359 It's time for you to get in the game. 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:38.000 Amen. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:41.920 So when God calls, what do you do? 00:25:42.000 --> 00:25:43.119 Say yes, sir. 00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:47.119 When God calls, understand that he's going to change you. 00:25:47.200 --> 00:25:50.640 And when he begins this change process, it may hurt. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:55.200 He may have to remove some friends in your life. 00:25:55.920 --> 00:25:58.880 He may have to remove some habits in your life. 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.880 We may have to discipline you, as Jesus says in John 15. 00:26:02.960 --> 00:26:06.799 He may have to cut away, he may have to prune some things in your life that may hurt. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:13.279 But I promise you, it's not because he doesn't love you, it's because he loves you and he wants you to bear much fruit. 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:16.160 But watch this. 00:26:16.319 --> 00:26:23.519 Paul says, it's not enough to know what your purpose is, but you've got to prepare yourself. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:28.400 Watch what he says again in verse 17, verse 16. 00:26:28.880 --> 00:26:37.440 He says, I was pleased, rather, he was pleased to reveal his son to me in order that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles. 00:26:37.599 --> 00:26:44.480 I did not immediately consult with anyone, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:48.319 But I went into Arabia and returned again to Damascus. 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:50.160 Watch this, everyone, verse 18. 00:26:50.400 --> 00:26:58.079 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him 15 days. 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.680 I'll make a note somewhere. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:09.279 He spends three years one-on-one with Jesus himself. 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:12.720 Three years of preparation. 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:22.160 Most of the young men and women at the seminary where I teach Dallas Seminary here in Houston, they spend three years on their masters. 00:27:22.480 --> 00:27:32.640 Some spend six or seven years working on what they call their THM in Greek, in Hebrew, preparing themselves for ministry. 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:34.319 Why? 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:40.799 When I think about the why do they need to prepare themselves, I think of something that I really enjoy doing. 00:27:41.039 --> 00:27:44.240 How many of you enjoy barbecue? 00:27:44.559 --> 00:27:46.720 You consider yourself a great barbecue person. 00:27:46.880 --> 00:27:50.799 Can I tell you guys, look, there's a difference between grilling and barbecue. 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:54.960 Grilling. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:56.960 Thank you, brother. 00:27:57.039 --> 00:27:57.839 Thank you. 00:27:59.839 --> 00:28:03.519 Grilling is high heat and it's fast. 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:07.519 Barbecue and it's slow and steady. 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:09.279 It's not unusual. 00:28:09.440 --> 00:28:15.519 Guys will tell you, ladies will tell you, that sometimes a piece of meat, it may take 10 or 12 hours to cook. 00:28:15.759 --> 00:28:17.359 200 degrees, 250. 00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:19.839 So I have this big, beautiful piece of brisket. 00:28:20.160 --> 00:28:26.480 I dressed it properly and I put it in there, and it's been on there, and it's been on the grill about maybe 10 hours, and I know it's time. 00:28:26.559 --> 00:28:27.519 I stick my fork in it. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:30.640 I've got my little thermometer in there, and I know it's time for it to come off. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:36.160 I take it off the grill, I bring it in the house, I put it on my cutting board, and you guys know you have to give it a little time to rest. 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:41.920 And I went and grab my knife and I'm beginning to cut on this brisket, and I'm having all kinds of difficulty. 00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:46.240 And I'm wondering what I know I didn't get it off too soon. 00:28:46.400 --> 00:28:49.680 I know it's spent 10 to 12 hours, so it should be tender. 00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:52.000 But you guys know what really happened. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.480 There really was nothing wrong with the meat. 00:28:55.519 --> 00:28:57.440 It was my knife. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:09.039 So I went to the cupboard, got my sharpener, and I spent time sharpening that knife. 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:14.880 And y'all, after I sharpened that knife and cleaned it off, man, I cut through that brisket like butter. 00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:17.599 Man, I begin just to slice that thing. 00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:19.119 I was able to slice it real thin. 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:20.559 My wife likes it real thin. 00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:23.680 So I'm just slicing that thing and I'm just having a good time. 00:29:23.839 --> 00:29:26.480 Slicing, I'm just feeling so good because it's just sharp. 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:27.440 Listen to me. 00:29:29.039 --> 00:29:34.160 When you and I trust Christ, we are dull. 00:29:37.200 --> 00:29:39.440 He can't use us when we're dull. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:43.680 He can only use us when we're sharp. 00:29:45.039 --> 00:29:53.680 And so, in order to sharpen ourselves, we must take time to prepare for service. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:03.119 I don't know what you've done, but one of the ways that you prepare, one of the ways you sharpen yourself is by coming to things like this. 00:30:03.279 --> 00:30:05.759 We call them worship services. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:16.079 Instruction time, where you can not only hear from the preacher, but there are other times when you can sit around with a group of women, with a group of men, and you can sit around and someone can teach you the word of God. 00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:19.680 But listen to me, just don't depend upon someone to feed you. 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:23.519 The Bible says we need to learn to feed ourselves. 00:30:25.440 --> 00:30:30.720 What we call quiet time, devotional time, time spent in the word of God. 00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:35.839 He's already set you apart, but he's called you. 00:30:36.079 --> 00:30:40.319 But before he can use you, he's got to begin to change you. 00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:42.880 He's got to begin to sharpen you. 00:30:43.920 --> 00:30:44.799 Then last. 00:30:46.240 --> 00:30:50.000 This is the part of the text that just really ministers to my soul. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.160 Look at verse 19. 00:30:52.640 --> 00:31:00.480 But I saw none of the other apostles, Paul says, except James, the Lord's brother, in whom I'm writing to you before God. 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:02.000 I do not lie. 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:03.119 Verse 21. 00:31:03.279 --> 00:31:10.960 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and I was still unknown in person. 00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:12.319 Watch this. 00:31:13.119 --> 00:31:16.240 To the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:19.440 They only were hearing it said. 00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:25.680 Paul says, they didn't know me, they hadn't never met me personally, but they were only hearing it said. 00:31:25.839 --> 00:31:26.559 Watch this. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:34.000 He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he tried to destroy. 00:31:34.400 --> 00:31:35.039 Wow. 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:44.720 The very guy who was racist is now preaching against racism. 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:54.160 The very person who said get them people is now one of the people he said to get. 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:01.599 Some haven't met me. 00:32:02.640 --> 00:32:05.200 But some have heard of me. 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:08.799 I had a church here in Houston that I'd never met. 00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:15.839 They went online to our website, the Dallas Seminary website, and they heard a sermon. 00:32:16.160 --> 00:32:17.359 Never met me. 00:32:18.319 --> 00:32:19.920 Invited me to their church. 00:32:20.240 --> 00:32:23.680 Very young, very fast-growing church. 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:27.359