1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,240 Thank you for listening to the Riverbend Church Podcast. 2 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,920 Riverbend Church exists to lead all people to know, love, and 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,320 live new life in Jesus Christ. We hope that you enjoy this 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:21,080 message. Well, those of you that ask if I 5 00:00:21,080 --> 00:00:23,920 was preaching this morning and I said no, I have the microphone 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,360 on just because I'm doing announcements a lot. 7 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:29,520 I'm sorry, I thought it was funny. 8 00:00:30,380 --> 00:00:31,780 Good morning Riverbend. How y'all doing? 9 00:00:33,020 --> 00:00:34,420 All right, you got you got to help me. 10 00:00:34,420 --> 00:00:36,220 Of all people. You got to help me. 11 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:39,460 Good morning, Oakwood. Good morning. 12 00:00:39,460 --> 00:00:41,420 We love you guys. We're glad that you are tuning 13 00:00:41,420 --> 00:00:43,940 in with us. Those that are watching online, 14 00:00:44,460 --> 00:00:46,540 drop us a note. Tell us how you're doing and how 15 00:00:46,540 --> 00:00:49,660 we can pray for you. Listen, I'm excited to be here. 16 00:00:49,740 --> 00:00:51,940 I don't know what that means, but I'm excited to be here. 17 00:00:53,140 --> 00:00:56,620 I have had a a great time of prep this week. 18 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,080 I understand the gravity of doing what I'm doing. 19 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,920 I want you to know that. But man, at the same time, 20 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,080 because I've been in the word this week, God reminded me, 21 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,000 Scott, this could be every week. It doesn't have to be just 22 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,400 because I'm preparing to preach that's that's on me. 23 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,920 And so I thought, okay Lord. And on top of that man Satan's 24 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:23,360 been attacking Jennifer and I. We've had a long week and and 25 00:01:23,440 --> 00:01:26,200 things going on with her and work and me and work and I'm 26 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,440 like no, no, no. Not, not today. 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:29,400 Not today. Satan. 28 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:33,040 We we we've got a we've got a word to proclaim. 29 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:35,920 This may be the first and last time I get to preach because 30 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,680 it's a challenging word, but it's something that I can't get 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,640 away from and it's something I think we all need to hear. 32 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:46,840 But I will tell you this, I am thankful for our staff here at 33 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,240 Riverbend Church. Man, we are blessed to have the 34 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:50,760 staff that we have. Go ahead. 35 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:58,510 And I have a new found appreciation for our pastoral 36 00:01:58,510 --> 00:02:05,030 staff because you, me, I'll preach to me a lot of times I 37 00:02:05,030 --> 00:02:09,229 get into just checking off boxes and I come into church and I sit 38 00:02:09,229 --> 00:02:13,030 down and I sit here and I go okay, Jared Preston being 39 00:02:13,030 --> 00:02:19,270 whoever, bless me and I don't take, I take for granted what 40 00:02:19,270 --> 00:02:22,990 happens Monday through Thursday while they're at work. 41 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:29,800 For this all to take place. And so I'll be honest and say in 42 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:33,960 the past when I was way more immature than I am now, I would 43 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,520 have roast preacher for lunch. I'm sure I'm the only one that's 44 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,600 ever done that. But then you go to a week like 45 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,280 this week and Lord is talking to me and stepping on my toes and 46 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,400 I'm going, Lord, you really want me to say that and go through 47 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,960 that? And it's yes, I do, Scott. 48 00:02:52,890 --> 00:02:56,330 And we have to be obedient. But I I'm thankful. 49 00:02:56,330 --> 00:02:58,570 I'm thankful for our pastors. And what about Preston Graham? 50 00:02:58,570 --> 00:03:01,210 Last week he did not give a word. 51 00:03:03,810 --> 00:03:06,090 Preston is out of town. He's watching online. 52 00:03:07,050 --> 00:03:11,770 Unbeknownst to Preston, what he preached is going to go hand in 53 00:03:11,770 --> 00:03:13,970 hand. Has to be a God thing of what 54 00:03:14,290 --> 00:03:17,170 we're going to do today with our time together. 55 00:03:17,370 --> 00:03:19,210 We're going to take a short break. 56 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,040 From unfamiliar Rd. We're going to kind of do a one 57 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,320 off this morning. I'm going to chase a rabbit like 58 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,560 the camera men are going to be doing chasing me because I don't 59 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,880 stand in one spot. But I have enjoyed the time that 60 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:34,120 we have spent in the book of acts. 61 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:37,760 Jared, my nephew, has done a pretty good job and if I had a 62 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,680 dollar for every time I was asked that question, I'd be a 63 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:41,480 rich man and I'm going to keep you guys guessing. 64 00:03:41,990 --> 00:03:44,510 But it's been a while since we have gone through a book of the 65 00:03:44,510 --> 00:03:47,470 Bible and it to me it has helped kind of paint a picture in my 66 00:03:47,470 --> 00:03:50,470 mind of the early church and what all they went through. 67 00:03:50,990 --> 00:03:54,310 So I appreciate that. But it also makes me ask the 68 00:03:54,310 --> 00:03:57,590 question, you know, man, why did they grow so quick like that? 69 00:03:57,670 --> 00:04:00,590 Well, number one we obviously know is the Holy Spirit, but I 70 00:04:00,590 --> 00:04:03,550 think it was something else that we're going to go over today 71 00:04:03,550 --> 00:04:06,670 that I think we can do as a church, actively participate. 72 00:04:07,510 --> 00:04:09,550 Today's not just a check off the box moment. 73 00:04:10,310 --> 00:04:13,670 I want you to take notes, write a couple of steps down because 74 00:04:13,670 --> 00:04:17,149 you're going to have homework and that homework is going to go 75 00:04:17,149 --> 00:04:20,829 along with the three questions that Preston asked last week. 76 00:04:20,990 --> 00:04:23,950 If you haven't had a chance to listen to that message, I want 77 00:04:23,950 --> 00:04:27,310 you to go back and find it online and listen to it because 78 00:04:27,310 --> 00:04:31,270 it'll make today click. So we're going to go over the 79 00:04:31,270 --> 00:04:33,790 three questions first that Preston asked last week. 80 00:04:34,150 --> 00:04:36,070 And you know, I'm not a tech savvy guy. 81 00:04:36,150 --> 00:04:40,070 I don't have a cool iPad or tablet like everybody else. 82 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:46,080 I have a piece of paper or papers with an 18 font, so I I 83 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:48,160 may not have to read these. I didn't know, I didn't realize 84 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,040 I I put it that big. But I'm kind of glad I did. 85 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,800 So the questions he asked last week were, would you recognize 86 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:58,560 the voice of God? Do you trust God? 87 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:04,600 And what's the assignment? Another thing that he hit on. 88 00:05:05,010 --> 00:05:08,450 That we have to I think get in our minds and or again I'm 89 00:05:08,450 --> 00:05:10,370 preaching to me. So another thing that I have to 90 00:05:10,370 --> 00:05:13,570 hear over and over again is God wants to use us. 91 00:05:15,130 --> 00:05:18,490 God wants to use you, God wants to use you. 92 00:05:18,490 --> 00:05:21,330 Oakwood if we're believers, we're. 93 00:05:21,490 --> 00:05:23,530 If we're followers of Christ, God wants to use us. 94 00:05:23,530 --> 00:05:25,090 I think. I think Preston said if he can 95 00:05:25,090 --> 00:05:27,690 use filthy rags like me, he can use anybody. 96 00:05:27,930 --> 00:05:32,810 And I feel the same way. God wants to use us, but would 97 00:05:32,810 --> 00:05:37,380 we recognize the voice of God? Do we trust him after he tells 98 00:05:37,660 --> 00:05:40,220 us to go? And what's the assignment? 99 00:05:40,980 --> 00:05:44,740 Well, this morning I'm going to give you the assignment we're 100 00:05:44,740 --> 00:05:47,060 going to pick up. We're pressed and left off, and 101 00:05:47,060 --> 00:05:48,500 I'm going to give you the assignment. 102 00:05:48,500 --> 00:05:51,780 It's for us to start thinking this question. 103 00:05:51,780 --> 00:05:55,380 Who's my one? Start thinking now and 104 00:05:55,380 --> 00:05:59,940 meditating on that during our next 30 minutes together of who 105 00:05:59,940 --> 00:06:03,500 is my one? So listen, several years ago 106 00:06:03,980 --> 00:06:07,260 there was a place that me and my buddies would hang out a lot of 107 00:06:07,260 --> 00:06:11,420 times on a Friday or Saturday night or sometimes if if we 108 00:06:11,420 --> 00:06:14,060 weren't busy doing anything with sports, it was Friday and 109 00:06:14,060 --> 00:06:16,140 Saturday night. And listen, it wasn't the mall. 110 00:06:16,140 --> 00:06:18,020 It wasn't Lake Shore Mall. I'm fixing to really dating 111 00:06:18,020 --> 00:06:20,380 myself. It wasn't Lake Shore Mall or I 112 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:22,500 think it's called the Small now or I don't even know if it's. 113 00:06:22,900 --> 00:06:25,820 I don't even know if you can call it a small now, but with 114 00:06:25,820 --> 00:06:28,760 the lack of stores there. But it wasn't the arcade, 115 00:06:29,440 --> 00:06:31,840 although we went there to. You might remember a place 116 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,720 called Planet Earth on Shallowford Road Arcade. 117 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:38,320 Man, I put a lot of quarters in those machines out there, but it 118 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,240 wasn't there. The place we we hang out was 119 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:48,760 Blockbuster. Now listen, young folks, if you 120 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,400 haven't been to a Blockbuster and experienced the excitement 121 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:58,260 of a release date. Of driving 20 minutes to get to 122 00:06:58,260 --> 00:07:00,860 a Blockbuster, into rushing into that store. 123 00:07:00,860 --> 00:07:02,860 And I'm, I'm telling you our we would hang out. 124 00:07:03,020 --> 00:07:04,940 We would get the candy out of the bins and start eating it 125 00:07:04,940 --> 00:07:06,660 right there. And we would talk and goof off 126 00:07:06,660 --> 00:07:10,500 on people, watch make fun of folks and and then we would run 127 00:07:10,500 --> 00:07:13,700 over to this, to the, you know, Goonies, Indiana Jones, 128 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:15,140 whatever. And we would see the box and we 129 00:07:15,140 --> 00:07:19,020 go and we get the box. There's no tapes behind it. 130 00:07:19,540 --> 00:07:22,460 It was checked out. Now listen, back in the day, 131 00:07:22,580 --> 00:07:26,160 young people. These these movies weren't 1995 132 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:29,720 or they weren't $5 in the big COVID bin at Walmart. 133 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:33,560 They were three and four and $500 apiece. 134 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,920 That's why it took Blockbuster to buy 10 copies of it and to 135 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,480 rent it out. And so, man, the nostalgia of 136 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:43,200 doing that and hanging out was was was awesome. 137 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,720 But then the agony of defeat when that movie wasn't there. 138 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:51,880 So now we get to cheat. We sit in a chair. 139 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:59,640 We press a button Amazon Prime or Netflix and we get to watch 140 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,320 the movie. We had to walk to a Blockbuster 141 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:07,600 uphill both ways on a chance to get a movie and now you just go 142 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:15,640 click Netflix. In 2000, Netflix was struggling. 143 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:21,720 They offered to sell their company to Blockbuster for $50 144 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:25,340 million. They said we're struggling, $50 145 00:08:25,340 --> 00:08:26,740 million. You can have this. 146 00:08:27,060 --> 00:08:28,540 You know, we we don't know we're going to make it. 147 00:08:28,540 --> 00:08:32,220 Blockbuster goes, you know what, That's a fad streaming. 148 00:08:32,340 --> 00:08:34,380 That's not good. We're Blockbuster. 149 00:08:34,820 --> 00:08:37,860 We're the pinnacle. We don't need you. 150 00:08:38,780 --> 00:08:46,580 Fast forward to today, Netflix is worth 194 billion with a B 151 00:08:46,580 --> 00:08:50,100 dollars. Blockbuster is no more. 152 00:08:51,290 --> 00:08:54,010 Blockbuster failed and we have to ask the question why? 153 00:08:55,370 --> 00:08:59,290 Next we have Yahoo. I wasn't a Yahoo guy. 154 00:08:59,290 --> 00:09:04,210 I was an AOL guy. Didn't know much about Yahoo, 155 00:09:04,290 --> 00:09:07,050 just are looking it up. And in 2016 they were. 156 00:09:07,050 --> 00:09:09,370 They were a powerhouse in the Internet revolution. 157 00:09:09,490 --> 00:09:13,530 In 2016 they were the sixth most visited site in the world. 158 00:09:13,890 --> 00:09:17,330 Not America the world. In 2011 they were the third 159 00:09:17,330 --> 00:09:26,260 largest e-mail provider. In 1998, Yahoo refused to buy 160 00:09:26,260 --> 00:09:33,460 Google for $1,000,000. After all, Yahoo was the giant. 161 00:09:33,660 --> 00:09:35,620 Google was the Ant. There was no need. 162 00:09:35,620 --> 00:09:38,620 Hey, we're not changing. We're going to do it. 163 00:09:38,620 --> 00:09:40,420 It's proven what we're doing is right. 164 00:09:40,420 --> 00:09:41,940 We're going to keep on that road. 165 00:09:42,580 --> 00:09:43,740 We're not going to veer off on that. 166 00:09:43,740 --> 00:09:45,380 We're not going to change. There's no need for that. 167 00:09:45,380 --> 00:09:48,370 But in 2002. They go, wait a minute, Google, 168 00:09:48,370 --> 00:09:50,250 man, they are growing leaps and bounds. 169 00:09:50,250 --> 00:09:51,650 You know what? We need to go back to the table. 170 00:09:51,770 --> 00:09:57,170 Google will buy you. We'll buy you for $3 billion. 171 00:09:58,010 --> 00:10:01,410 Google says Ain't no way we are growing. 172 00:10:01,450 --> 00:10:02,810 We're the next thing. But you know what? 173 00:10:03,290 --> 00:10:08,050 We still we'll sell, but we want to sell for $5 billion. 174 00:10:08,690 --> 00:10:10,850 Yahoo goes. That's the overestimate of the 175 00:10:10,850 --> 00:10:12,410 company. We don't need you. 176 00:10:12,490 --> 00:10:16,010 We're going to keep going. They refused to buy Google for 177 00:10:16,010 --> 00:10:21,680 five. Billion dollars Today Google is 178 00:10:21,680 --> 00:10:29,120 the giant and Yahoo is the Ant. Google is worth 1.5 trillion 179 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:33,720 with a T dollars. Yahoo failed. 180 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:35,960 Why? We don't want to change. 181 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:37,640 We're going to keep going. All right. 182 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,680 Last down memory lane. Y'all are not listening quick 183 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:41,240 enough. Last down memory lane. 184 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:46,080 Who knows what this is. OK, yeah, just the old people. 185 00:10:47,110 --> 00:10:49,070 So, all right, young people, listen. 186 00:10:50,550 --> 00:10:56,990 This is a Kodak photo shack. Kodak invented or or they came 187 00:10:56,990 --> 00:11:01,030 up with the They developed the first digital camera in 1975. 188 00:11:01,790 --> 00:11:07,870 Kodak did young people. You would get film out of an 189 00:11:07,870 --> 00:11:12,270 actual camera. You would put it in an envelope. 190 00:11:13,110 --> 00:11:14,630 You would write your information down on it. 191 00:11:14,990 --> 00:11:16,910 And you would give it to a young lady or a young man in this 192 00:11:16,910 --> 00:11:18,430 building. I don't know how do they use the 193 00:11:18,430 --> 00:11:19,310 bathroom? It doesn't matter. 194 00:11:19,830 --> 00:11:23,110 So you would give them the film and they would say come back in 195 00:11:23,110 --> 00:11:25,950 two weeks and you can have your film developed. 196 00:11:26,070 --> 00:11:29,270 And we're like awesome. And so again, anticipation, 197 00:11:29,270 --> 00:11:32,470 we're waiting and because we want like any Great American, we 198 00:11:32,470 --> 00:11:36,430 want that the the photos of the Great Smoky Mountains when we 199 00:11:36,590 --> 00:11:40,430 went on vacation and put the quarter in the bed and then we 200 00:11:40,430 --> 00:11:44,820 would the Panama City Beach. Half the crowd didn't get that. 201 00:11:46,260 --> 00:11:49,140 And so two weeks later, we would drive back to the photo shack, 202 00:11:49,140 --> 00:11:52,900 Kodak Shack, and get the film or get the pictures and take them 203 00:11:52,900 --> 00:11:54,740 out of the envelope. They were dark, They were out of 204 00:11:54,740 --> 00:11:57,100 focus. And you missed that moment. 205 00:11:58,260 --> 00:12:00,180 And now you can get your smartphone. 206 00:12:00,700 --> 00:12:03,180 Smartphones make us dumb, but you can get your smartphone. 207 00:12:03,180 --> 00:12:04,980 You can take a picture, you can see it right then and there. 208 00:12:06,460 --> 00:12:10,060 Kodak filed for bankruptcy in 2012. 209 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:13,880 And you can name other companies. 210 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,640 You can name BlackBerry. You can name Sears. 211 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,000 Man, I love Sears. You can get a tie, a lawnmower, 212 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,840 a wrench, a shirt all at the same store, Toys-R-Us. 213 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,520 Why did all these companies file for bankruptcy? 214 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:32,120 close their doors, or they're struggling today. 215 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:35,240 And I think it's because they forgot their purpose. 216 00:12:37,720 --> 00:12:40,240 They forgot their purpose. They forgot why they were 217 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,080 founded. And they forgot why they existed 218 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:46,280 and they and they didn't want to change. 219 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,920 So the question has to be asked, what about the church? 220 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:55,000 An alarming rate. Churches are closing their doors 221 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:56,720 and it's. Is it because we're forgetting 222 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,520 our purpose? And my Sing River bends there? 223 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:01,480 Absolutely not. Absolutely not. 224 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:03,880 But I think it's important to talk about history so we don't 225 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,840 fall into that. So we have to find out what our 226 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:10,360 purpose is. Let me first tell you what our 227 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:11,520 purpose is. Not. 228 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:15,480 Our purpose is not to have really awesome small groups. 229 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,080 And I love my small groups. Groups, plural. 230 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:21,440 I go Tuesday morning to the men's group. 231 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,040 I don't get to stay as as much or as long as I used to because 232 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:28,480 of work driving to Atlanta Wednesday nights. 233 00:13:29,510 --> 00:13:32,830 I get invited to go to the one at Long St. haven't been there 234 00:13:32,830 --> 00:13:36,070 yet. Sunday nights I go to Greg's 235 00:13:36,070 --> 00:13:39,430 house, Pastor Greg and Oakwood. That's my main small group. 236 00:13:40,510 --> 00:13:44,070 But that's not our main purpose. Our main purpose is not to love 237 00:13:44,070 --> 00:13:47,710 on people while they go through trials and tribulations, but 238 00:13:47,710 --> 00:13:51,030 that's a good thing. Our our main purpose is not to 239 00:13:51,030 --> 00:13:56,190 have an awesome car show on Father's Day, to reach Dad's. 240 00:13:57,380 --> 00:13:59,820 Although that's a good all those things, by the way, are good 241 00:13:59,820 --> 00:14:02,340 things, and we need to do them. In fact, we need to do more of 242 00:14:02,340 --> 00:14:04,980 them. We need to do more of them. 243 00:14:05,300 --> 00:14:10,140 But those are extras. Those are outpourings of our 244 00:14:10,140 --> 00:14:11,780 main purpose. Our main purpose. 245 00:14:12,140 --> 00:14:16,340 We're going to start up where Preston left off, and it can be 246 00:14:16,340 --> 00:14:19,100 found in scripture. Therefore, go and make disciples 247 00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:21,940 of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and 248 00:14:21,940 --> 00:14:26,380 the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We're starting off, or Preston 249 00:14:26,380 --> 00:14:29,260 left off. That is our purpose. 250 00:14:30,420 --> 00:14:33,860 That is the purpose for me as a believer, as a follower of 251 00:14:33,860 --> 00:14:37,580 Christ. All those other things are great 252 00:14:37,580 --> 00:14:38,940 and we need to continue doing them. 253 00:14:40,780 --> 00:14:43,140 The Great Commission is our purpose. 254 00:14:43,140 --> 00:14:48,980 Why would God give us as believers the Holy Spirit and 255 00:14:48,980 --> 00:14:51,460 expect us not to share? He wouldn't. 256 00:14:52,540 --> 00:14:55,540 Why would God give us a lot to shine and us not shine it? 257 00:14:55,920 --> 00:14:58,360 He wouldn't expect that. He expects us to do that. 258 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:05,400 We can't lose our focus and we can't lose our purpose because 259 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:08,480 if we do, we're not going to reach the next generation. 260 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:13,600 Some of you know what I do on a daily basis for a job with our 261 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,960 youth in our great state. And I'm telling you right now, 262 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,080 because I see it every single day, if we don't reach them, 263 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:27,120 somebody else is going to. I don't want this to be toast 264 00:15:27,120 --> 00:15:29,200 up, and I want this to be challenging because I'm fixing 265 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,760 the to remind you that you can do this. 266 00:15:32,360 --> 00:15:35,960 We have to remember who we are in Christ, because if we rely on 267 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:40,320 ourselves, we can't do it. If I rely on myself right now, 268 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:43,800 it will be done in about two or three minutes. 269 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,000 So you can go get in line, get something to eat. 270 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,160 I've got to rely on Christ. We can do this. 271 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:52,120 If we don't reach the next generation, somebody else is 272 00:15:52,120 --> 00:15:53,280 going to. It could be a gang. 273 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,320 It could be a group of people that that we don't want hanging 274 00:15:56,320 --> 00:16:00,080 around our youth. Here's the point. 275 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,600 We have a If you're a believer, if you're a follower of Christ, 276 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:08,440 if you said yes to Jesus, don't you realize you have a life 277 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:14,200 changing story within you? You have a story inside you that 278 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:18,040 can save a life. Now it's not that story that 279 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,520 saves a life, but it's that story that points them to Jesus 280 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,120 and they get saved as a firefighter. 281 00:16:24,120 --> 00:16:26,400 I've pulled somebody out of a burning house before, but that 282 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:31,320 doesn't hold a candle to the story that I can tell to save a 283 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:33,880 soul. Not me, but Jesus. 284 00:16:33,880 --> 00:16:35,560 All I have to do is point people to Jesus. 285 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:39,880 We make this way harder than this has to be. 286 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:47,440 So Oakwood, Gainesville Online. Now that we've been reminded 287 00:16:47,480 --> 00:16:51,280 what our purpose is, how can we participate? 288 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,160 We can participate by starting and asking the question, who's 289 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:55,800 my one? Who's my 1:00? 290 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:58,120 There's importance to one. Remember what we heard on 291 00:16:58,120 --> 00:17:00,760 Father's Day. One person led a person to 292 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,600 Christ, and that person led a person to Christ, and that 293 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,640 person led a person to Christ, and that person led Billy Graham 294 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:11,000 to Christ. And Billy Graham today is still 295 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,079 touching lives because of his story. 296 00:17:15,290 --> 00:17:19,089 Is going on and on and on. Doctor James Merritt says it 297 00:17:19,089 --> 00:17:21,930 like this. Pretty elementary thought here. 298 00:17:22,210 --> 00:17:27,410 People who find Jesus find people who need to find Jesus. 299 00:17:29,970 --> 00:17:32,770 If I have found Jesus and Jesus in my heart, I'm going to start 300 00:17:32,770 --> 00:17:36,370 finding people that need to find Jesus and start pointing people 301 00:17:36,370 --> 00:17:37,850 to Jesus. We're going to go through a book 302 00:17:37,890 --> 00:17:41,490 or a story in the Bible today that someone much smarter than 303 00:17:41,490 --> 00:17:43,730 I. Had to point out because I would 304 00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:48,290 have read over the story and not got the meat out of it. 305 00:17:48,290 --> 00:17:53,130 And so it's going to be in the book of John and Jesus is just 306 00:17:53,130 --> 00:17:56,450 coming on to the scene. John the Baptist is there. 307 00:17:56,490 --> 00:17:59,370 Preacher, a prophet. He's making the way, Preston 308 00:17:59,370 --> 00:18:00,770 said last week. Making the way, getting the 309 00:18:00,770 --> 00:18:03,610 spider webs out of the way. John the Baptist is paving the 310 00:18:03,610 --> 00:18:06,010 way for Jesus. Lamb of God is coming. 311 00:18:06,130 --> 00:18:12,270 Prepare now and so. All he does is point people to 312 00:18:12,270 --> 00:18:16,470 Jesus and guess what? That person. 313 00:18:17,910 --> 00:18:21,950 Point somebody else to Jesus and a chain reaction begins. 314 00:18:21,950 --> 00:18:23,910 Now listen, they didn't have to go to a class. 315 00:18:23,910 --> 00:18:26,710 They didn't have to learn. The Romans Rd. to salvation. 316 00:18:27,150 --> 00:18:30,510 They didn't have to memorize at least 10 scriptures. 317 00:18:31,590 --> 00:18:35,670 They just got involved, told a story and pointed somebody to 318 00:18:35,670 --> 00:18:37,350 Jesus. And these were ordinary people. 319 00:18:37,430 --> 00:18:38,950 I think we heard that last week as well. 320 00:18:39,820 --> 00:18:43,540 When we hear Jesus wants to use you, These weren't pastors. 321 00:18:43,700 --> 00:18:45,180 These weren't professional speakers. 322 00:18:45,260 --> 00:18:48,660 Listen to me this morning. They were just ordinary people. 323 00:18:50,380 --> 00:18:54,020 The first thing that we have to do is involve one. 324 00:18:54,820 --> 00:18:57,780 Now listen, let's take off the pressure right now. 325 00:18:58,860 --> 00:19:01,500 One. Just one. 326 00:19:02,460 --> 00:19:04,580 Not ten. Not 5. 327 00:19:05,020 --> 00:19:06,300 Not three. You guys. 328 00:19:06,300 --> 00:19:07,620 Wait a minute, Scott. Just one. 329 00:19:08,340 --> 00:19:09,700 We we've got to reach this community. 330 00:19:09,700 --> 00:19:11,140 We do. But look at the number of people 331 00:19:11,140 --> 00:19:12,820 in here and then the next service. 332 00:19:13,260 --> 00:19:17,540 What would this room look like if everybody involved one? 333 00:19:17,900 --> 00:19:22,980 And listen, here's your time frame over the next year, one 334 00:19:22,980 --> 00:19:30,180 person can reach one person in a year involve 1. 335 00:19:31,820 --> 00:19:36,180 You know, in January we had our annual time of prayer and 336 00:19:36,180 --> 00:19:38,980 fasting and we there was a list, we made a list of seven things 337 00:19:38,980 --> 00:19:43,260 that we would be praying for during those 21 days, probably 338 00:19:43,260 --> 00:19:47,060 marriages, finances, jobs. But I guarantee you at least one 339 00:19:47,060 --> 00:19:51,060 of those items was a person. So you may not have to think too 340 00:19:51,060 --> 00:19:54,420 long to start asking the question, who's my one. 341 00:19:55,020 --> 00:19:58,380 And now listen, if you want to be don't don't say 10 and this 342 00:19:58,380 --> 00:20:01,200 turn into you know. New Year's resolution. 343 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:06,880 It though that 10 turned to 0. Just go after one over the next 344 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:11,840 year, guys, this is doable. And then we're commanded to do 345 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:16,840 it. Matthew 28, who is that for? 346 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,480 Everybody. Everybody that calls themselves 347 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:24,040 a Christian, a cross follower, A believer. 348 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,920 We're all command to do that. Not just pastors, not just the 349 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,320 Riverbend staff. Not if you're 10 years old or 350 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:32,960 nine years old or a certain level. 351 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:38,920 No, no, no, everybody. So John chapter one, we're going 352 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,880 to start in verse 35 and verse 35. 353 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,840 The following day, John was again standing with two of his 354 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:46,760 disciples. Now these are disciples of John 355 00:20:46,760 --> 00:20:50,200 the Baptist. As Jesus walked by, John looked 356 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,360 at him and declared, look, there's the Lamb of God. 357 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:58,560 When John's 2 disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. 358 00:20:59,510 --> 00:21:02,270 Now again, John the Baptist, the spokesperson, is making the way. 359 00:21:02,710 --> 00:21:05,110 These two guys were Jews. They understood that language. 360 00:21:05,110 --> 00:21:06,750 Lamb of God. There's the Lamb of God that 361 00:21:06,750 --> 00:21:08,230 takes away all the sins of the world. 362 00:21:08,230 --> 00:21:09,150 And they thought, oh, wait a minute. 363 00:21:10,830 --> 00:21:13,150 Plus, they were involved with John the Baptist. 364 00:21:13,150 --> 00:21:15,150 John the Baptist was pouring into them. 365 00:21:15,670 --> 00:21:18,150 And like any good leader, you know what his job was, his job 366 00:21:18,150 --> 00:21:21,110 was to point people to Jesus and what John the Baptist do, He 367 00:21:21,110 --> 00:21:26,390 started kind of fading away in the background and letting Jesus 368 00:21:26,390 --> 00:21:30,570 do his thing. The chain reaction had begun. 369 00:21:30,890 --> 00:21:34,650 So what does Jesus do? How does Jesus respond to this? 370 00:21:34,650 --> 00:21:38,450 In verse 38 it says Jesus looked around and he saw them 371 00:21:38,450 --> 00:21:41,770 following. And Jesus, what do you want now? 372 00:21:41,770 --> 00:21:43,770 This is not what do you want of 2023. 373 00:21:43,770 --> 00:21:46,650 What do you want? Another way of saying that back 374 00:21:46,650 --> 00:21:49,050 then is what do you want? What do you seek? 375 00:21:50,090 --> 00:21:52,250 What can I help you find? What can I help you with? 376 00:21:53,090 --> 00:21:54,890 Jesus was just starting a conversation. 377 00:21:56,940 --> 00:22:00,660 That's all he was doing. What do you seek? 378 00:22:00,820 --> 00:22:03,820 What can I help you with? How can I get involved? 379 00:22:04,620 --> 00:22:08,420 Guys, we can do the same thing. And in fact, you do it on a 380 00:22:08,420 --> 00:22:11,940 daily basis. And sometimes you do that with 381 00:22:12,140 --> 00:22:14,900 complete strangers, you know? What are you talking about? 382 00:22:15,180 --> 00:22:18,100 You asked complete stranger. Hey, you passing? 383 00:22:18,780 --> 00:22:21,740 How are you doing? You may know them a little bit. 384 00:22:21,740 --> 00:22:22,940 You go. Hey, how's the family? 385 00:22:23,140 --> 00:22:25,780 How's your family in the South? How's your mom and them? 386 00:22:27,310 --> 00:22:29,830 We do it every day. We ask people questions. 387 00:22:30,550 --> 00:22:33,750 There's a pastor that when he feels that he wants to take the 388 00:22:33,750 --> 00:22:36,950 conversation a step further. Now, this may be a complete 389 00:22:36,950 --> 00:22:38,710 stranger. This may be somebody he's known 390 00:22:38,710 --> 00:22:42,950 for for a while, and he calls them permission questions. 391 00:22:44,350 --> 00:22:48,390 And his permission questions are, Hey, do you mind if I ask 392 00:22:48,390 --> 00:22:52,110 you a spiritual question? Okay. 393 00:22:52,820 --> 00:22:54,380 That that's the way of him, him doing it. 394 00:22:54,660 --> 00:22:59,460 Or he says, do you mind if we talk about spiritual things and 395 00:22:59,460 --> 00:23:01,860 then he lets that person drive the conversation? 396 00:23:01,860 --> 00:23:05,860 He says Now very rarely they turn him down, but sometimes I 397 00:23:05,860 --> 00:23:06,820 do. They go, you know what, that's 398 00:23:06,820 --> 00:23:09,660 kind of personal that, you know, I want to keep that. 399 00:23:09,700 --> 00:23:12,220 And he go, OK, that's fine. And they keep talking about 400 00:23:12,220 --> 00:23:14,140 baseball or whatever it is they're talking about. 401 00:23:14,540 --> 00:23:16,260 No harm, no foul. Don't make it weird. 402 00:23:16,260 --> 00:23:19,780 They don't have to be. Here's the one that I use. 403 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:24,960 And I'll tell you, I have never ever been turned down. 404 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:28,120 Zero. It's even easier than those two. 405 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:35,880 And I'll use it last Thursday. So I'm in a store in Atlanta and 406 00:23:35,880 --> 00:23:36,960 I have a birthday cake in my hand. 407 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,880 I'm taking it back to the office and I'm fixing to leave the 408 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:41,320 store. And I passed this lady that says 409 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:45,640 have a good day and I get about 5 or 6 paces past her and I go, 410 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,840 Are you serious? Lord, been there. 411 00:23:51,310 --> 00:23:52,470 And she's going to think I'm an idiot. 412 00:23:53,230 --> 00:23:54,350 But it's happening more and more. 413 00:23:54,350 --> 00:23:59,750 I go, So I go back and I go, ma'am, you're going to think I'm 414 00:23:59,990 --> 00:24:02,110 may think I'm a complete idiot, but that's okay. 415 00:24:02,190 --> 00:24:05,430 Is there anything I can pray for you about? 416 00:24:06,950 --> 00:24:08,430 Are you going in? Are you going through anything I 417 00:24:08,430 --> 00:24:13,590 can pray with you over. And she goes, well, matter of 418 00:24:13,590 --> 00:24:18,990 fact, yeah, she was probably about my my age and she said if 419 00:24:18,990 --> 00:24:22,570 I got this fulltime job here. I've I'm going back to school. 420 00:24:23,210 --> 00:24:26,410 I got a family at home to take care of out anxiety is built up 421 00:24:26,410 --> 00:24:30,930 and I'm laughing on girl preach. You know my life right now and I 422 00:24:30,930 --> 00:24:34,530 said okay you mind if I pray for you? 423 00:24:34,530 --> 00:24:39,970 She said please that particular moment is not the time to catch 424 00:24:39,970 --> 00:24:42,530 up on your prayer life. Remember this young lady's 425 00:24:42,530 --> 00:24:46,290 working so I said a simple prayer and I got done and I said 426 00:24:46,290 --> 00:24:49,680 ma'am, hope that blesses you. Have a great day. 427 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:52,440 And if nobody else tells you today, I appreciate what you do. 428 00:24:54,000 --> 00:24:57,680 And I walked away. Now, did that mean something to 429 00:24:57,680 --> 00:24:58,960 her? I don't have a clue. 430 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:00,560 Did she think I was a religious idiot? 431 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:02,560 I don't know. Did it? 432 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:04,280 Did it? Did it turn her day around? 433 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:06,840 I don't know. But I'll tell you this. 434 00:25:06,840 --> 00:25:08,280 It was what I was supposed to do. 435 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,120 I recognized the voice of God. I trusted God. 436 00:25:11,120 --> 00:25:13,520 And I knew what my assignment was at that particular moment. 437 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:15,040 And I did it. Now listen. 438 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:18,400 Does that happen every time? No. 439 00:25:19,150 --> 00:25:23,510 I wish I could say that, but there are times where I have 440 00:25:23,510 --> 00:25:25,830 something in my hands. Usually it's probably my 441 00:25:26,230 --> 00:25:32,430 smartphone if it's not a cake. And I I say to myself, I'm too 442 00:25:32,430 --> 00:25:35,110 busy. I'm listening to everything else 443 00:25:35,110 --> 00:25:38,910 around me and I'm, I'm too busy, you know, Lord, I know you said 444 00:25:38,910 --> 00:25:40,710 that, but I I got to go. I got to go back to the office. 445 00:25:40,710 --> 00:25:43,430 I got things to do. I'm driving our camera people 446 00:25:43,430 --> 00:25:47,970 crazy right now. It doesn't happen like it's 447 00:25:47,970 --> 00:25:52,170 supposed to every time. How can I pray for you? 448 00:25:52,610 --> 00:25:55,490 Are you going through anything? Isn't that showing somebody that 449 00:25:55,490 --> 00:25:59,490 they matter? There's probably people in this 450 00:25:59,490 --> 00:26:01,690 room. Yeah, I know for a fact There's 451 00:26:01,690 --> 00:26:08,610 people in this room that is going through a battle and they 452 00:26:08,610 --> 00:26:13,170 need to hear from you. Not a preacher, not a staff 453 00:26:13,170 --> 00:26:15,130 member. They need to hear from you. 454 00:26:15,370 --> 00:26:17,490 You know what, dude? Been there, done that. 455 00:26:17,490 --> 00:26:24,330 Let me tell you what I did involve one who is my one. 456 00:26:25,770 --> 00:26:28,250 So Jesus said, what do you want? That was a long point right 457 00:26:28,250 --> 00:26:29,090 there. Sorry about that. 458 00:26:29,610 --> 00:26:31,090 What do you want? What are you seeking? 459 00:26:31,330 --> 00:26:35,330 What can I help you with? And so the reply they say, 460 00:26:35,330 --> 00:26:37,650 Rabbi, which means teacher, where are you staying? 461 00:26:38,050 --> 00:26:43,490 Come and see. Jesus has come and see. 462 00:26:46,050 --> 00:26:47,690 You know what he was doing? He was just getting involved. 463 00:26:48,930 --> 00:26:53,490 Jesus was getting involved. You know, a lot of times it is 464 00:26:53,490 --> 00:26:55,450 like seeing a car wreck. You turn. 465 00:26:56,770 --> 00:26:58,810 I don't want to get involved. I don't know what to do. 466 00:26:59,090 --> 00:27:04,450 Or again, the phone comes out, Jesus is getting involved right 467 00:27:04,450 --> 00:27:06,890 here. If we want to be a You Matter 468 00:27:06,890 --> 00:27:11,370 church, we're commanded to get involved. 469 00:27:13,370 --> 00:27:16,590 Who is my one? Involve one. 470 00:27:17,470 --> 00:27:19,190 We've got to get off the sideline, folks. 471 00:27:20,390 --> 00:27:23,310 I don't care how old you are, how young you are, what's your 472 00:27:23,310 --> 00:27:27,710 level of experience? We're called to be on the field, 473 00:27:27,710 --> 00:27:30,430 not in the grandstands. So back to the chain reaction. 474 00:27:30,430 --> 00:27:33,990 John the Baptist says look, the Lamb of God, the two disciples 475 00:27:34,710 --> 00:27:36,990 of John the Baptist that start following Jesus. 476 00:27:37,830 --> 00:27:40,390 They ask where you stay in. Jesus says come and see and we 477 00:27:40,390 --> 00:27:42,510 pick up in verse 40. Verse 40 says. 478 00:27:43,930 --> 00:27:48,130 Andrew Simon Peters brother was one of these men who read what 479 00:27:48,130 --> 00:27:50,450 John said and then followed Jesus. 480 00:27:50,450 --> 00:27:55,010 Andrew went to find his brother Simon and told him we have found 481 00:27:55,010 --> 00:28:01,850 the Messiah, which means Christ Andrews first reaction was to go 482 00:28:01,850 --> 00:28:05,170 tell his brother. Andrew asked the question who's 483 00:28:05,170 --> 00:28:10,170 my one? And Andrew goes my brother some 484 00:28:10,170 --> 00:28:11,810 of you. When I said who's your one, you 485 00:28:11,810 --> 00:28:13,690 automatically thought of a family member. 486 00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:19,820 A sister, a brother, a mom, dad, sisterinlaw, brotherinlaw, aunt, 487 00:28:19,860 --> 00:28:23,860 uncle, your spouse. For some of you, it could be a 488 00:28:23,860 --> 00:28:25,260 neighbor. It's going to be somebody that 489 00:28:25,260 --> 00:28:29,100 you have lived near or next to for years. 490 00:28:29,380 --> 00:28:33,060 It could be a coworker. And again, we feel like, Oh my 491 00:28:33,060 --> 00:28:34,660 God, it's going to make kind of weird. 492 00:28:34,660 --> 00:28:36,420 It's a coworker. I've been with it for 10 years. 493 00:28:37,340 --> 00:28:47,170 No people are searching in 2023. This is the easiest time to say 494 00:28:47,170 --> 00:28:49,770 what can I pray for you? Over and with? 495 00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:53,930 We've got to get out of our comfort zone. 496 00:28:53,930 --> 00:28:57,250 That's what it boils down to. There was a book written in 2012 497 00:28:57,530 --> 00:29:01,410 by Bill Hybels called Just Walk Across the Room. 498 00:29:02,530 --> 00:29:05,290 That book was purchased for me by secretary when I worked at 499 00:29:05,290 --> 00:29:08,530 the fire department years ago. Listen to part of the 500 00:29:08,530 --> 00:29:12,770 description of the book What If You Knew? 501 00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:17,740 That by simply crossing the room and saying hello to someone, you 502 00:29:17,740 --> 00:29:20,140 could change that person's life forever. 503 00:29:24,180 --> 00:29:28,060 Just a few steps to make an eternal difference. 504 00:29:29,260 --> 00:29:32,980 It has nothing to do with methods and everything to do 505 00:29:32,980 --> 00:29:35,740 with taking a genuine interest in another human being. 506 00:29:35,740 --> 00:29:39,140 I'm going to read that part again. 507 00:29:40,970 --> 00:29:45,330 It has nothing to do with methods i.e. scripture. 508 00:29:45,730 --> 00:29:50,890 I don't know enough scripture and everything to do with taking 509 00:29:50,890 --> 00:29:53,490 a genuine interest in another human being. 510 00:29:54,930 --> 00:29:58,970 All you need is a heart that is in tune with the Holy Spirit and 511 00:29:58,970 --> 00:30:04,650 a willingness to venture out of your circle of comfort and into 512 00:30:04,650 --> 00:30:09,930 a person's life. In other words, involve. 513 00:30:10,420 --> 00:30:15,220 One who's my 1:00? So after step one, we go to Step 514 00:30:15,220 --> 00:30:20,020 2, which is influence. One influence one we're going to 515 00:30:20,020 --> 00:30:24,820 pick up in verse 43. The next day Jesus decided to go 516 00:30:24,820 --> 00:30:27,500 to Galilee. He found Phillip and he said to 517 00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:30,740 him, come follow me. Phillip was from Bethesda, 518 00:30:31,140 --> 00:30:35,980 Andrew and Peter's hometown. Philip went to look for 519 00:30:36,020 --> 00:30:39,540 Nathaniel and told him we found the very person Moses and the 520 00:30:39,540 --> 00:30:45,700 Prophets wrote about his name is Jesus the son of Joseph from 521 00:30:45,700 --> 00:30:50,380 Nazareth. So how does this show influence 522 00:30:50,860 --> 00:30:58,700 involvement always brings influence everybody in here 523 00:30:59,740 --> 00:31:02,220 under the sound of my voice in an Oakwood. 524 00:31:03,150 --> 00:31:04,670 You have influence over somebody. 525 00:31:06,630 --> 00:31:08,870 Is it a good influence? Is it bad influence? 526 00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:13,670 Why not use our influence for the Kingdom? 527 00:31:15,470 --> 00:31:18,750 So Andrew started at home while Phillip went to a neighbor. 528 00:31:18,870 --> 00:31:21,510 Andrew went to his brother. Phillip went to his buddy 529 00:31:22,030 --> 00:31:25,910 Nathaniel. And I say again, Scott, get out 530 00:31:25,910 --> 00:31:28,190 of your comfort zone. You know, it would be easy for 531 00:31:28,190 --> 00:31:32,070 me to check boxes like I mentioned earlier, I mean. 532 00:31:32,670 --> 00:31:38,470 Just to be real personal here, I get here really early, before 533 00:31:38,470 --> 00:31:41,310 any of you get here. I help unlock doors. 534 00:31:41,790 --> 00:31:46,630 Sometimes I help with the tent. I'll make sure the the ladies 535 00:31:46,630 --> 00:31:49,190 and and guys at the cafe have everything that they need. 536 00:31:49,190 --> 00:31:50,870 Sometimes I have to go get the Donuts. 537 00:31:50,870 --> 00:31:54,750 Sometimes I do a lot of churchy things and it will be easy for 538 00:31:54,750 --> 00:31:55,590 me to go. You know what? 539 00:31:57,070 --> 00:31:58,470 And I stay for the second service. 540 00:31:58,470 --> 00:32:01,070 I'm here for both services and sometimes I'll stay at one here. 541 00:32:01,070 --> 00:32:04,460 Then I go to Oakwood. You, Scott, are you trying to 542 00:32:04,460 --> 00:32:05,700 talk yourself up? Absolutely not. 543 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:08,980 I'm telling you, none of that is my main purpose. 544 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:12,500 None of that. What's my purpose? 545 00:32:14,540 --> 00:32:17,340 If I'm not careful, I can check off boxes and say, you know 546 00:32:17,340 --> 00:32:19,300 what? I've done my job, but I haven't 547 00:32:19,300 --> 00:32:22,900 even begun to do my job. Our job as believers begin when 548 00:32:22,900 --> 00:32:26,860 we walk out of this building. We are called in here to help 549 00:32:26,860 --> 00:32:29,330 get equipped. And by the way, if you're going 550 00:32:29,330 --> 00:32:32,490 to get equipped by just a 30 minute message from somebody 551 00:32:32,490 --> 00:32:35,130 bringing it to you, you need more equipment. 552 00:32:36,130 --> 00:32:38,850 You got to spend. You got to die to self daily, 553 00:32:39,330 --> 00:32:42,170 pick up the cross, spend time with the Lord. 554 00:32:42,290 --> 00:32:45,330 You know, we've heard an old concept of how would your 555 00:32:45,330 --> 00:32:49,210 relationship be with your spouse if you communicated with them 556 00:32:49,210 --> 00:32:53,810 once a week Wouldn't be very good. 557 00:32:55,790 --> 00:32:58,190 One time a week, 30 minutes on a Sunday morning is the only time 558 00:32:58,190 --> 00:32:59,750 you would talk to your spouse or communicate. 559 00:33:01,350 --> 00:33:04,150 And I have a great week of prep time because I'm with the Lord 560 00:33:04,150 --> 00:33:06,270 and I'm saying, Lord, I've got to have you for Sunday. 561 00:33:06,270 --> 00:33:08,270 Lord, I need you. And the Lord's going, dude, I'm, 562 00:33:08,270 --> 00:33:10,550 I'm here. I'm here every week. 563 00:33:12,030 --> 00:33:13,630 Jared's preaching next Sunday, Scott. 564 00:33:13,630 --> 00:33:15,750 And you know what? Monday morning, I'm going to be 565 00:33:15,750 --> 00:33:18,870 here for you again. You can still spend time with me 566 00:33:18,870 --> 00:33:22,590 like you did this week. Toe stepping on me. 567 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:26,240 It had nothing to do with the sermon. 568 00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:34,360 We have influence church. Our job begins when we walk out 569 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:35,920 of this building. Staff. 570 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:39,120 That means you too. Don't get caught up on churchy 571 00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:40,280 things. Monday through Thursday, 572 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,480 ministry happens outside the walls of this church. 573 00:33:43,000 --> 00:33:48,720 It's a challenge to us all. So after we involve one and we 574 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:53,160 influence one, we yeah, y'all got to hurry. 575 00:33:55,390 --> 00:34:01,430 We invite one. Let's go in verse 46, Nazareth, 576 00:34:01,590 --> 00:34:04,470 exclaimed Nathaniel. Can anything good come from 577 00:34:04,470 --> 00:34:07,030 Nazareth? Come and see for yourself, 578 00:34:07,710 --> 00:34:10,310 Phillip replied. Now, first of all, I think it's 579 00:34:10,310 --> 00:34:13,030 kind of funny we we thought we invented the joke. 580 00:34:13,030 --> 00:34:14,790 Alabama. Can anything good come out of 581 00:34:14,790 --> 00:34:17,909 Alabama or Tennessee? Can anything good come out of 582 00:34:17,909 --> 00:34:21,070 Tennessee? Sorry, Stacy, they were using 583 00:34:21,070 --> 00:34:23,030 that joke way back when. But no, really. 584 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,800 He was using that because at that time Nazareth was 585 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:30,840 insignificant in a small village. 586 00:34:31,040 --> 00:34:33,080 But history would change all that, Of course. 587 00:34:35,159 --> 00:34:39,840 All of this chain reaction leads up to invitations. 588 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,440 John the Baptist points people to Jesus. 589 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:48,639 Jesus invites Andrew. Andrew invites Peter. 590 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:51,159 Jesus says I'm going to do this again. 591 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,760 Jesus invites Phillip. Phillip invites Nathaniel. 592 00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:01,880 They don't get into a debate about theological questions. 593 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:03,440 Do you sprinkle? Do you dunk? 594 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:09,160 King James and I, he they point people to Jesus. 595 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:12,640 Period. We are the ones that are making 596 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:16,280 this too difficult. Should we know scriptures? 597 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,800 Yeah, absolutely. But a lot of times it just takes 598 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:24,600 telling your story. You know, in closing, how do we 599 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,680 wrap this up? What is our response? 600 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,920 And we think about the three things that I want to start 601 00:35:29,920 --> 00:35:33,400 asking you to to think about and to pray over is involving 1 602 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:36,520 influencing one and inviting 11 matters. 603 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:43,040 One can lead to another, can lead to another. 604 00:35:43,320 --> 00:35:50,320 That leads to a revival right here in this church in our city. 605 00:35:50,590 --> 00:35:53,270 In our community, we don't have to have a revival service in 606 00:35:53,270 --> 00:35:54,670 spring, in the fall. We don't have to have an 607 00:35:54,670 --> 00:35:57,230 evangelist come in. All we've got to do is remember 608 00:35:57,230 --> 00:36:00,630 who we are in Christ. That's what we've got to do. 609 00:36:00,670 --> 00:36:02,550 And one matters and let me tell you why. 610 00:36:03,950 --> 00:36:08,310 Couple weeks ago we had 26 people in the new members class 611 00:36:09,270 --> 00:36:10,590 and 20. Three of those have already 612 00:36:10,590 --> 00:36:14,510 joined Riverbend Church. Four to six more are on the 613 00:36:14,510 --> 00:36:17,710 docket for next time. We have baptisms coming up I 614 00:36:17,710 --> 00:36:23,240 think next Sunday. A couple of months ago at United 615 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:27,840 weekend, 3 youth got saved, 1 mattered to them. 616 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:32,160 Somebody poured into them. Last Sunday, we heard that two 617 00:36:32,160 --> 00:36:35,880 people got saved at a nearby apartment complex. 1 mattered to 618 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:40,280 them, somebody shared to them. It was a share in their story. 619 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:46,560 Share your story. You know I've only got 24 hours 620 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:48,870 in the day. And my wife has to remind me 621 00:36:48,870 --> 00:36:53,790 that all the time, my true accountability partner, Scott, 622 00:36:53,790 --> 00:36:55,630 how are you going to do all these things that you say you're 623 00:36:55,630 --> 00:36:57,230 going to do? And some of them don't even 624 00:36:57,230 --> 00:36:59,990 matter. And I get all puffed up and go, 625 00:36:59,990 --> 00:37:00,870 what do you mean they don't matter? 626 00:37:00,870 --> 00:37:03,950 But they don't. They don't matter with this. 627 00:37:04,150 --> 00:37:05,670 They don't matter for my main purpose. 628 00:37:05,670 --> 00:37:08,030 I don't want to end up like one of those companies. 629 00:37:08,430 --> 00:37:10,910 And if I'm not careful, I will because I'm listening to 630 00:37:10,910 --> 00:37:15,070 everything else. How many of us can fall into 631 00:37:15,070 --> 00:37:18,700 that category? You made it. 632 00:37:18,780 --> 00:37:20,940 You may be at a place this morning where you don't feel 633 00:37:20,940 --> 00:37:23,820 like you matter, that you haven't heard it or that you 634 00:37:23,820 --> 00:37:27,180 haven't felt it. Let this be the place, Let this 635 00:37:27,180 --> 00:37:29,820 be the starting point to know what Preston said last week. 636 00:37:29,820 --> 00:37:32,540 You have a father that is running after you. 637 00:37:32,820 --> 00:37:36,580 You may feel like, you know, I'm a billion steps away from God. 638 00:37:36,580 --> 00:37:39,980 A billion steps. That's a lot that you walk away 639 00:37:39,980 --> 00:37:41,660 from God. A billion steps. 640 00:37:42,140 --> 00:37:45,620 But you are one step back in his presence because he's been 641 00:37:45,620 --> 00:37:55,750 following you the whole time. One step back, if you're looking 642 00:37:55,750 --> 00:37:58,590 looking for purpose this morning, here is where you're 643 00:37:58,590 --> 00:38:01,390 going to find it. Pastor Greg, we're going to toss 644 00:38:01,390 --> 00:38:04,750 it off to you at Oakwood to lead everybody down there. 645 00:38:04,750 --> 00:38:06,750 We love you. We hope and pray that you have a 646 00:38:06,750 --> 00:38:14,900 great week here. What is our response going to be 647 00:38:14,900 --> 00:38:16,740 this morning after listening to this message? 648 00:38:19,620 --> 00:38:24,060 It could be obviously praying and let me give you 3 prayers. 649 00:38:25,180 --> 00:38:26,740 One prayer could be who's my one? 650 00:38:28,180 --> 00:38:31,900 What person are you going to tell me to go after over the 651 00:38:31,900 --> 00:38:35,620 next year? And we would have to have two or 652 00:38:35,620 --> 00:38:37,300 three services. We'd have to open up the 653 00:38:37,340 --> 00:38:39,660 overflow downstairs. Not for COVID but for 654 00:38:39,660 --> 00:38:43,180 overcrowding. Who's my one? 655 00:38:44,940 --> 00:38:47,700 Or the prayer could be Lord, I've been walking away. 656 00:38:48,720 --> 00:38:53,280 A billion steps away this morning, I need to turn back to 657 00:38:53,280 --> 00:38:58,960 you so I could recognize the voice of God, so I can trust God 658 00:38:59,440 --> 00:39:03,440 and pick up my next assignment. Or the prayer is saying yes to 659 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:10,160 Jesus for the very first time. Some of us may need to come down 660 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,000 to this altar and pray this morning and listen. 661 00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:16,040 I am not trying to bring about an emotional response. 662 00:39:16,040 --> 00:39:21,430 I don't want emotion. I want relational You can pray 663 00:39:21,430 --> 00:39:23,190 right where you're at. We say that all the time. 664 00:39:23,790 --> 00:39:26,150 But you know what? There's just something about 665 00:39:26,150 --> 00:39:30,910 coming to an altar and praying and feeling the hand of somebody 666 00:39:30,910 --> 00:39:32,670 else. Pray with you. 667 00:39:32,670 --> 00:39:35,710 And I'll say right now, if you come down here and pray, you 668 00:39:35,710 --> 00:39:38,390 will not be by yourself. Prayer warriors, listen to me. 669 00:39:39,390 --> 00:39:44,150 If somebody comes down here, hands on you. 670 00:39:44,150 --> 00:39:50,110 Matter is a lifestyle. I'll wear it on my shirt as a 671 00:39:50,110 --> 00:39:52,350 reminder that now I've got to live it. 672 00:39:53,830 --> 00:39:55,230 So that could be our prayer this morning. 673 00:39:55,230 --> 00:39:58,030 Who's my 1:00? AM I turning back to you? 674 00:39:59,230 --> 00:40:02,150 Or am I saying yes to Jesus for the very first time? 675 00:40:02,150 --> 00:40:03,150 You Lord? I don't know. 676 00:40:03,310 --> 00:40:05,110 People are. People are going to wonder why 677 00:40:05,110 --> 00:40:09,550 I'm coming down there. If we can't be real with the 678 00:40:09,550 --> 00:40:11,950 people in this room, we can't be really anywhere else. 679 00:40:11,950 --> 00:40:14,070 Listen, let me go ahead and take the pressure off. 680 00:40:14,230 --> 00:40:16,710 We are all messed up and we are all broken. 681 00:40:22,110 --> 00:40:26,270 If God is stirring move this morning let's pray. 682 00:40:29,750 --> 00:40:36,510 Heavenly Father we come to you this morning only the way that 683 00:40:36,630 --> 00:40:44,590 that we know how just broken and we're tired of trying to fix it 684 00:40:44,590 --> 00:40:47,310 ourselves. We need you. 685 00:40:48,670 --> 00:40:54,640 There could be someone in the. The the room this morning that 686 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:56,760 they need to say yes to Jesus for the very first time. 687 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:58,800 They may have a story. They may have a story like mine 688 00:40:59,640 --> 00:41:01,640 that I walked down the aisle at 16 years old. 689 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:03,320 But I walked down for the wrong reason. 690 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:07,560 I did because my friends did. It took several years later to 691 00:41:07,560 --> 00:41:13,480 go, oh, I'm lost. I have fooled everybody around 692 00:41:13,480 --> 00:41:17,520 me. I was a counterfeit and I 693 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:19,000 wouldn't even have a real good counterfeit. 694 00:41:19,000 --> 00:41:22,390 I would like a monopoly. Dollar it was out of good 695 00:41:22,390 --> 00:41:28,510 counterfeit. I didn't fool you, Father. 696 00:41:28,510 --> 00:41:33,230 Who's who's my one? Who's the person that I'm going 697 00:41:33,230 --> 00:41:37,270 to go after to involve influence and invite over the next year, 698 00:41:40,270 --> 00:41:42,590 Father, for that person that has walked away from you, that needs 699 00:41:42,590 --> 00:41:45,630 to turn back around, be with him this morning. 700 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:50,440 Help them come back to you, Father. 701 00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:57,120 If there's somebody here that needs Jesus, I pray that today 702 00:41:57,120 --> 00:41:58,600 is the day of salvation for them. 703 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:05,320 Let revival start today for Riverbend Church only because of 704 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:08,880 who you are and what you have done and what you've done for us 705 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:10,680 in Christ. And we pray. 706 00:42:11,600 --> 00:42:12,600 Amen. Let's stand together. 707 00:42:16,580 --> 00:42:19,060 Thank you for listening to the Riverbend Church Podcast. 708 00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:21,980 Learn more about who we are as a church and how to connect. 709 00:42:21,980 --> 00:42:24,980 You can head over to our website Riverbendchurch dot Life.