1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,440 So I'm going to start in the opening scripture, Matthew 2026 2 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,760 through 28, it says, yet it shall not be so among you, but 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:11,120 whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your 4 00:00:11,120 --> 00:00:15,080 servant, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:18,160 to serve. I was thinking about something 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:22,280 as I was in 8th grade. I, I, it's crazy the little life 7 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:25,240 situations that they don't seem significant to you in the 8 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:28,440 moment, but they have a really big impact on your life. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,560 When I was in 8th grade, I was sitting in our science lab. 10 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,960 And why this situation happened in science, I have no clue. 11 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,560 Probably because we go to a, we went to a Christian School. 12 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:39,240 So we're sitting in our science lab. 13 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:42,240 And I will never forget in 8th grade, our teacher asking us, 14 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,440 what is it that you want to be when you're older? 15 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:47,640 What is it that you want to do? What is it that you want to 16 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,760 accomplish? And she gave us, you know, a few 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,560 moments to think about it. I remember laying my entire life 18 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,040 plan out there in my science class when I was about 13. 19 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,240 But I as I was thinking about this and I was reading the. 20 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:00,560 Scripture and just preparing for. 21 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,320 Today, I'm sure many of us have probably went through a 22 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:05,800 situation in our life where someone asked us at a young age. 23 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,120 What do you want? To do when you're older, you 24 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,040 know, they have career day and you know, all these spirit week, 25 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:11,800 my kids, I was like, what do you want to be when you're older? 26 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,560 And they get to dress up for what they want to be. 27 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:17,200 And as I was thinking about today's scripture, I thought to 28 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,800 myself, most people when they're in middle school and someone 29 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,320 says, what do you want to be when you're older? 30 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:27,600 Someone's not like I know I want to be a loser. 31 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,600 That's exactly what I want to be, right? 32 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:33,720 No one sets out. They're not like I want a 33 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,120 horrible job or I want a horrible car. 34 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,280 You know, when you're 16, those are the things that you're 35 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,320 thinking of or 13 or whatever age maybe you're, you know, I 36 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:44,080 just want the worst husband in the whole world. 37 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:48,080 That is what I want, right? No one sets out to be that 38 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,280 person. But most people, when they're 39 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:53,760 asked from a young age what they want to be, they're given some 40 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:57,320 pretty awesome aspirations about their life because most people 41 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,120 set out to become great. Can we all agree on that? 42 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,240 Amen. So here the scripture is talking 43 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,560 about being great. So he says many of you here 44 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:12,000 desire to become great. But if you have this desire 45 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:18,240 inside of you, what must you do? Serve it says the Son of man did 46 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,000 not come to be served, but the Son of Man came to serve. 47 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,400 So if you desire to become great, it's as simple as this. 48 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,240 We serve. We somehow, you know, get it 49 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,080 through our mind, you know, through whether it be just 50 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,520 natural situations or what the world is trying to teach us to 51 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:40,040 do and maybe experiences that we've been through this desire 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,720 to become great. There's like this checklist that 53 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,840 we come up with and I, and I'm nothing wrong with checklist 54 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,080 whatsoever, right? But sometimes we come up with 55 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:56,920 these checklists of what we need to do to accomplish greatness 56 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,760 right now. I, I would have at 8th grade 57 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,320 thought of myself as a checklist person. 58 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,360 And I think what happens with life is you just kind of like 59 00:03:07,640 --> 00:03:11,160 you get married and you just. I think it's just like in you to 60 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:12,680 become opposite. It's crazy. 61 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:15,920 I don't even know because I considered myself a checklist 62 00:03:15,920 --> 00:03:19,160 person at a very young age and then I got married and I became 63 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:22,240 a mom and all of a sudden my husband's the checklist person 64 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,080 and my life is just scattered. I don't even I. 65 00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:27,640 It's. Crazy to explain. 66 00:03:27,640 --> 00:03:30,440 I don't know where the shift came, but you know, he has like 67 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:34,720 his like Trello app and he has even checklist on I'll be like 68 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:36,760 he's looking at his phone and when I'm like scrolling 69 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:37,920 Instagram like what are you looking at? 70 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:39,320 And he's like my checklist. For the day. 71 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,400 And I'm like, I love that. I love that. 72 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,880 We were at some dinner one time and it was some one of the 73 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,240 siblings from the Duck Dynasty. And they sat there and we're 74 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:50,720 sitting at the table. They didn't sit there. 75 00:03:50,720 --> 00:03:52,240 They were standing on stage with a microphone. 76 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,560 And they said, you know, there's something about me and my wife. 77 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:58,640 He said we have. Nothing in common except we love 78 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,280 Jesus and we love our kids. And I looked at my husband. 79 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,880 I was like, no truer statement has ever been said. 80 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,160 It's just it's crazy, right? So nothing wrong with checklist, 81 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:14,040 naturally speaking, but if we have this checklist on how we 82 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:18,000 can become great and fill in these natural aspirations in our 83 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,280 lives, we have to ask ourselves, are these check these things 84 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:26,880 that we're checking off our list helping us to become a greater 85 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,720 servant in life? Or are they just getting us to 86 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,800 the place that exalts us? So a lot of times we spend our 87 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,720 days trying to accomplish this and accomplish that. 88 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,440 And again, it may be great according to the world 89 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,440 standards, but we have to understand when we are set out 90 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,160 to accomplish something, the number one thing that has to be 91 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,560 in our minds is how can we serve? 92 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:58,760 How can my life be a life of service unto the Lord? 93 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,880 A great according to the world has its standards of what the 94 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:05,760 word great is. I looked up the definition of 95 00:05:05,760 --> 00:05:09,120 great according to the world 'cause I just wanted to see, you 96 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:11,600 know, their thoughts on it. And it all boiled down to this. 97 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,880 The world's definition of great is all about you. 98 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,120 The Bible's definition of great is all about other people. 99 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,880 And we have to, we have to, at the beginning of time, we have 100 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:26,680 to just kind of solidify that in our lives that if we want to 101 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,640 become great, our life cannot be about ourselves and building 102 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,640 ourselves up. But if we want to become great, 103 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:38,720 our life has to be in service to other people. 104 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,280 Because the biblical definition basically is what can I do for 105 00:05:42,280 --> 00:05:44,360 other people? And again. 106 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,160 All Christians, it can't be just like you can walk out of here 107 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,560 today and be like, oh, I didn't want to be the one to serve. 108 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:53,840 Right. This is for all of us. 109 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,360 We are all called as Christians to serve. 110 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,800 And the greater the call because how many of you believe that God 111 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,000 has a call on your life? The greater the call that we 112 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:08,680 have in our life is the greater responsibility to serve. 113 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,520 In First Samuel 1732 to 33, it says then David said to Saul, 114 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:16,760 let no man's heart fail because of him your servant will go and 115 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,720 fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, you are 116 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,960 not able to go against the Philistine to fight with him, 117 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:26,800 for you are a youth and he a man of war from his youth. 118 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:32,000 I love the story of David. I have always loved the stories 119 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,360 of David. There's something that even as a 120 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,240 young, young person, every time I heard a story of David, I was 121 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,800 just like in awe of this person. Obviously, when the Bible calls 122 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,680 him a man after God's own heart, we know that he lived a life 123 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:53,320 that God loved. We knew that his heart was after 124 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,160 the Lord. So whether it be him fighting 125 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,480 Goliath, whether it be the stories about him being a 126 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,760 shepherd boy, whether it be the story about him becoming king 127 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,560 and or even the crazy stories when he's like instantly running 128 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:07,520 from Saul. I mean, David's life is just 129 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,920 something that I've loved to study. 130 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:14,280 And when I felt that the Lord was speaking to me about talking 131 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,560 about being a servant today, I really obviously Jesus the 132 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,160 number one, but I really thought about the story of David and how 133 00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:26,160 his life was a life of service. So David was called, if we can 134 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,320 all agree on that, he was called from a very young. 135 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,560 Age. But not by his own strength. 136 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:37,000 God had been training David from the very beginning. 137 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,040 All of his natural situations that he went through in his life 138 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:46,800 was all a training ground to fulfill the call that God had on 139 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,440 his life. And God is training all of us. 140 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:53,240 But the crazy thing that I love about David is from a young age 141 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:58,720 he knew that God was using his natural situations to train him 142 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:01,800 and equip him for the call that God had on his life. 143 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,400 Now he didn't know the call that God had on his life. 144 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:07,840 David never set out to become king. 145 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,720 He just knew while he was a shepherd boy that he had a call 146 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,080 on his life. In whatever situation that he 147 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,720 was presented with, he was going to use it for the good, for 148 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,560 giving God the glory. Amen. 149 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,320 So here in this scripture, David comes up to Saul and, you know, 150 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:27,400 he decides that he's going to fight Goliath, right? 151 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:31,160 Because he knew that God was using his natural situation to 152 00:08:31,160 --> 00:08:35,240 prepare him for life. So it wasn't like he was trying 153 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:39,280 to outperform his brothers and it wasn't looking or it wasn't 154 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:43,200 like he was trying to, you know, gain recognition for slaying the 155 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,560 giant. But he just knew that God had 156 00:08:45,560 --> 00:08:48,760 been preparing him for such a time as this. 157 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,680 But in his preparation, we know that David was a shepherd. 158 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,800 A shepherd is someone who tends in a rear sheep and one who 159 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,480 directs them in a particular direction. 160 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:02,960 A shepherd's job was physically demanding. 161 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:06,960 It was dirty, it was low paying, it was risky. 162 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:12,320 By all means, a shepherd's job and a shepherd vocation was not 163 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:16,640 a prestigious job. Being a shepherd, it wasn't like 164 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:18,760 being a shepherd. You're like next in line to 165 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:21,840 become king, right? So it's not like he's walking up 166 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,760 this ladder knowing like, hey, I'm going to become king. 167 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:27,680 But he was a shepherd not knowing that he was going to be 168 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:30,360 a king. But he knew that as he was 169 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,040 guiding the sheep in certain directions, and when he lost his 170 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:35,840 sheep, he would go find his sheep. 171 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:39,600 When, you know, a predator would come in to take the sheep. 172 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,880 He had decided that he was going to use the supernatural strength 173 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,000 of God to fight off the. Lion and the Bear in. 174 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:51,600 All of these situations, David was taking and tending care of 175 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:56,560 these sheep, but again, he knew in his heart that all of these 176 00:09:56,560 --> 00:10:00,680 things that he was going through was in preparation for the call 177 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:05,280 that God had on his life. So his call was one of a 178 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:07,720 servant, and he started a servant. 179 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:14,480 And although David became king, he was still a servant of God 180 00:10:14,720 --> 00:10:18,160 through it all. So we have to understand that it 181 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,720 wasn't being a shepherd that made him a king, it was being a 182 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:22,320 servant that made him a. King. 183 00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:25,200 Right. So this verse here, when he's 184 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,960 talking to the king, so here they are, they're at battle, 185 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:29,240 they're all wondering. Who in the? 186 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,160 World is going to fight this giant. 187 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,440 No one is willing to fight him. King Saul's like, I don't even 188 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:36,480 know what we're going to do because he called on like the 189 00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:38,360 people who you would have thought that would fight the 190 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,360 giant and no one was willing to fight this giant. 191 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:46,960 So here David's talking to the king and he says your servant 192 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:53,720 will go, your servant will go. So David again walking out, a 193 00:10:53,720 --> 00:10:58,920 natural circumstance in life was constantly in the state of 194 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:02,280 knowing he was a servant. So whether or not he was serving 195 00:11:02,280 --> 00:11:04,040 his sheep or whether or not he was. 196 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:07,080 Serving his king. He was walking out that life as 197 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:08,400 a servant. See a lot of people. 198 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:12,800 What we do is we wait to become king until we're ready to serve. 199 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,040 So we say, oh, we know that God has a call on my life, and when 200 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:18,520 I get there, I. Am going to just be. 201 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:24,000 So ready to serve, David. Wasn't waiting to become king to 202 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:27,560 serve because again, he didn't know right he didn't grow up 203 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:32,320 knowing he was not next in line to become king but he was a 204 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:37,200 servant and his heart of a servant is what made him king so 205 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:38,800 we. Can't sit back and just say, 206 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:42,280 well, you know, when God's call comes to pass on my life, that's 207 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,960 when I'm going to serve. You have to serve with what you 208 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:48,160 have in your hands. If you're at home, you're 209 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:50,840 serving at home. If you're in your job, you're 210 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,000 serving in your good job. If you're at the grocery store, 211 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:58,480 wherever it is, you have to be the one that has a heart of 212 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:03,040 being a servant because David's heart of service is what made 213 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:07,120 him king and help to fulfill the call that God had on his life. 214 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,080 Second, Samuel 7 says, Then King David went in and sat before the 215 00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:16,240 Lord, and he said, Who am IO Lord, and what is my house that 216 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:22,640 you have brought me this far? This comes at a time where David 217 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:28,720 was now king and he had in his heart to build God a house. 218 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:32,560 So at this point, the Ark of the Covenant had been traveling to 219 00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,640 and fro. It had a tent that it would live 220 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,360 inside of and it was a beautiful place. 221 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:39,720 It's exactly what God had asked them to do. 222 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,200 And David becomes king. So he builds himself a house and 223 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,320 he has this beautiful house and he loves this house and he has 224 00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:47,600 it in his heart. He's like, you know what? 225 00:12:47,920 --> 00:12:52,040 This doesn't make sense that I have a house and God's present 226 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,160 doesn't have a house. So he says I'm going to build a 227 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,200 house for his presence, that he may dwell in this house. 228 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,520 And it sounds like a great idea. He gives this idea to a prophet 229 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:05,440 and the prophet's like, yes, that's it. 230 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,640 And the prophet walks away and God's like, that's not it. 231 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:11,160 And the prophet's like, oh. Man, I mean. 232 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,240 Even the Prophet's probably thinking this is this is a 233 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:14,600 great. I mean how? 234 00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:16,560 Could there ever be a better idea than this? 235 00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:18,560 Like he has a house, you should have a house. 236 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,560 And God speaks to the prophet and he says, you tell David that 237 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:23,920 he is not going to build me a house. 238 00:13:23,960 --> 00:13:28,080 I didn't ask for a house. And not only is David not going 239 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,840 to build me a house, but when I'm ready to have a house, he's 240 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:33,720 not going to be the one to build me the house. 241 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,760 So the prophet, he goes back and he talks to David and he said, 242 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,920 listen, this is all the words that the Lord has spoken to me 243 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,680 about you building a house. So this is where David comes in. 244 00:13:44,680 --> 00:13:47,080 He says, then King David, he went in and he sat before the 245 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,000 Lord. He hears this word of the Lord 246 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:51,960 from a prophet. And he goes in, and he sits. 247 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,400 Before the Lord and this is what he says. 248 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:59,640 He says who am IO, Lord God and what is my house? 249 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:07,520 You have brought me this far. So when he hears this news that 250 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:10,960 he's not going to be the one to build a house, he says who am I? 251 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,440 He remembers who am I? I didn't bring myself this far. 252 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,800 I didn't make all of this stuff happen in my life. 253 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:23,040 The Lord is the one that directed my steps. 254 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,160 The the Lord is the one who gave me this supernatural strength to 255 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:31,280 fight off the bear and the lion. The Lord's hand is the hand that 256 00:14:31,280 --> 00:14:35,960 killed Goliath, and the Lord is the one who chose to anoint me 257 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:39,360 with oil and make me king. Amen. 258 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,920 So he sits in the presence of the Lord, and he reminds 259 00:14:42,920 --> 00:14:48,600 himself, humility. I didn't make myself king. 260 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,160 I didn't do this. I didn't get me to this place, 261 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:52,800 the Lords, the one who build my house. 262 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,600 And if he doesn't want me to do this, I'm not going to do it. 263 00:14:56,960 --> 00:15:01,360 So he had to come to this place of humility in this situation in 264 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:06,840 his life that reminded him, I am but a servant in the House of 265 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:09,640 God. I am but a servant. 266 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,040 And that's how I became king. Nothing of my my own doing, but 267 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,240 the Lord's call on my life and my willingness to be a servant 268 00:15:17,240 --> 00:15:22,120 has led me to this place. So even when his situation went 269 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,560 from shepherd boy to king, he remembered he's still a servant. 270 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,640 He kept his humility. And a lot of times in our lives, 271 00:15:31,640 --> 00:15:36,680 we start out as a servant. But like I said, the how many of 272 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:38,920 you know, the more responsibility, the more of a 273 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:41,160 responsibility we have to be a servant. 274 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,920 So a lot of times when we, we start gaining things in our 275 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:50,200 lives, maybe, you know, you gain a new job or, you know, a title 276 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,800 or a platform or influence or money or the things in life or a 277 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:57,040 completed checklist or whatever it may be. 278 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,840 A lot of times when we go through lives and these things 279 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:02,760 start changing in our lives, although we set out to be a 280 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:04,800 servant, these things can creep. In. 281 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,800 And they can change us and they can change us from within. 282 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:14,240 And it changes our view on the greater I want to become, the 283 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:16,640 more service that is required of me. 284 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,240 The greater the servant, the more responsibility. 285 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:22,040 We. Have to be a servant. 286 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,720 So we have to be reminded. And sometimes when we need to be 287 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,360 reminded, God will place us in situations that are going to 288 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,360 remind us. And that's David. 289 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:36,040 He was reminded in this place humility service. 290 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:43,040 I am a servant to the most High king in first Corinthians 9 it 291 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:47,080 says and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in 292 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:50,440 all things. Now they do it to obtain a 293 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,400 perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 294 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,960 They sang this song today and it's a song that I've asked them 295 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:01,720 to do at altar call because as I've been, you know, preparing 296 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:06,359 for this this sermon today, as I was preparing for today, the 297 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:08,160 song really resonated inside of me. 298 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:10,960 And then I was like, Oh my gosh, we do the schedule so far in 299 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:12,960 advance. It just so happened that it was 300 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,480 scheduled today. And I love the way God works on 301 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:17,440 things like that. But it says. 302 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:24,240 Here on the altar, I lay myself down, my gifts, my treasures, 303 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,760 and all of my crowns because I just want you. 304 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:33,600 And I've been singing that song over and over again. 305 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,680 And you know, as I just, you know, walk around and pray and 306 00:17:36,680 --> 00:17:39,840 just seek the Lord for you know what it is that he wants me to 307 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,960 speak on when I, you know, preach on these Sundays. 308 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:46,040 This song just really was just resonating inside of me. 309 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:50,560 How many times in life that we live our lives for, for crowns. 310 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,960 And it might not be the physical crown, but it's a perishable 311 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,320 crown because we have it in our mind to become great. 312 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,440 We must have something to show. For it, we must have a crown or 313 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:05,240 jewels on our crowns or all these different crowns or 314 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:09,600 accolades or trophies or whatever accomplished checklist, 315 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:13,080 whatever it may be in our lives. And we have to ask ourselves, 316 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:17,880 what are we competing for? What are we living each and 317 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:21,920 every day for? Because we can only one run one 318 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:26,160 race. We can only run one race. 319 00:18:26,280 --> 00:18:31,320 You may try to run 2, but the Bible is very clear, you cannot 320 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:35,880 serve God and mammon. So we have to pick the race that 321 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:40,080 we are willing to run and run that with everything that we 322 00:18:40,080 --> 00:18:43,480 have inside of us. Because what race are we want 323 00:18:43,480 --> 00:18:47,120 running to achieve? What are we running to achieve? 324 00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:51,120 Something temporal in nature, Something that's man made or man 325 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:57,520 given or man recognized. That's a huge one because a lot 326 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,080 of times the things that we're doing in life is for the eternal 327 00:19:01,440 --> 00:19:06,520 crown, but we like man to recognize our crown. 328 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,960 So we have to ask ourselves, what are we running for? 329 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:13,840 A quote that my husband uses all the time. 330 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,320 I love this. Has anyone ever like you quote 331 00:19:17,320 --> 00:19:19,800 something all of your life and then you realize that it's in 332 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,000 the Bible. It might not be that exact 333 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:24,640 quote, obviously, but it's like totally Bible based. 334 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,040 One the the other day that even my brother and his my 335 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,520 sister-in-law, we said something. 336 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:34,400 Oh, layout, she said it. She said what? 337 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,680 No, I can't even think about it. Something about red sky. 338 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:39,760 Oh, red sky in the morning is a sailor's warning. 339 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,800 Red sky at night is a sailor's delight. 340 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,160 And they're like, who taught you that? 341 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,040 And I was like, it's in the Bible and we looked it up. 342 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,720 It's again, it doesn't say that exactly, but it's in the Bible. 343 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,240 But the quote I want to talk to you about today is 1 about this. 344 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,720 This what we're talking about right here, the perishable, 345 00:19:57,880 --> 00:19:59,960 perishable verse, imperishable crown. 346 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:02,760 It says you will never see a U-Haul. 347 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:08,360 Behind a hers. And that is tough stuff when you 348 00:20:08,360 --> 00:20:12,320 think about that, you don't, you don't see it because you could 349 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:17,200 spend your entire life working on a perishable crown, but it's 350 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:20,240 perishable. It will never be an imperishable 351 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:22,000 crown. It will always remain A 352 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,480 perishable crown. And in Psalms 49, I love the 353 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:25,840 Lord. He's so good. 354 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:30,840 He's so, so good because I have had this, my notes, I've had 355 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:35,360 these for two weeks. And I have my reading that I do 356 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:38,800 when I'm preparing for a sermon, but I also have my personal 357 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:41,960 reading that I do each and every week, and I'm reading the Bible 358 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,800 in order again. So I've been in Psalms. 359 00:20:45,160 --> 00:20:47,760 And I was reading in Psalms and I already have this scripture 360 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:49,760 picked out. I already have this quote here. 361 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:53,600 And in Psalms 4917, it says for when he died, he shall carry 362 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:56,640 nothing away. And I'm like, gosh. 363 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,360 What an. Impact, that is, we can spend 364 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:04,960 our whole life without being a life of a servant or having a 365 00:21:04,960 --> 00:21:08,320 heart as a servant, doing our own thing and trying to achieve 366 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,320 greatness. All for man recognized greatness 367 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:18,560 only to be carried away in hers. And EU Haul is not following 368 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,320 behind us. And I, and I know that that's 369 00:21:21,320 --> 00:21:25,120 some tough stuff to swallow today because we really have to 370 00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:28,800 look into our hearts and say, what is it that I have in my 371 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:31,240 heart? And am I setting out on a race 372 00:21:31,360 --> 00:21:34,560 that is not the race of the imperishable crown? 373 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,480 Am I setting out on a race because you can't run 2? 374 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:41,120 You can't be good at both, right? 375 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:43,440 The Lord says you either be hot or you cold. 376 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,480 If you're lukewarm, I'll spit you out of my mouth. 377 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:49,400 And that's something that we have to be. 378 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:53,720 Have this confidence in. When we choose the life that we 379 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,200 want to live, David wasn't living his life to become king. 380 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,800 That's the craziest part. That's why I wanted to point out 381 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,720 that being shepherd wasn't a prestigious job. 382 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:07,280 Being a shepherd boy was not, you know, like a shoo in for 383 00:22:07,280 --> 00:22:10,160 becoming king. David was not living his life to 384 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:13,320 become king, he was living his life as a shepherd. 385 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,760 And God saw him and God saw his heart and that's what made him 386 00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:21,440 become king. We have to remind ourselves, if 387 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:27,520 you want to become great, serve. A servant is living the life for 388 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,520 the imperishable crown, and a life lived for in an 389 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:35,800 imperishable crown looks much different than a life lived for 390 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:40,120 a perishable 1 And we have to decide today what life. 391 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:44,400 Are we living in Luke 1038? And Pastor Lauren used this 392 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:47,120 scripture last week and it was just coincidence that he used 393 00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:51,160 this last week because I have an amazing story that goes with 394 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:53,680 this scripture that I want to share with you guys today. 395 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:57,600 Says now what happened is he went in and he entered a certain 396 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,520 village and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into 397 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:04,160 her home. She had a sister called Mary who 398 00:23:04,160 --> 00:23:07,080 also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word. 399 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,240 But Martha was distracted with much serving and she approached 400 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:13,360 him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me 401 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:16,720 to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help. 402 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,840 Me and Jesus answered and said to her. 403 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,160 Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, 404 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:29,320 but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part which 405 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:33,280 will not be taken away from her. This story, although it is a 406 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:41,200 very, very short snippet in this amazing book called the Holy 407 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:42,600 Bible. It's a short story, right? 408 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,200 How many? How many scriptures is it? 409 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:52,840 4 There's so much packed in to this story. 410 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:58,000 We have to understand that a life of service, a life and 411 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:02,400 being a servant, there is a work to that life. 412 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:04,600 And I want to use the word ministry. 413 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:07,920 I'm not talking about full time ministry. 414 00:24:07,920 --> 00:24:10,600 I'm talking about each and every one of us and the call that God 415 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:14,920 has placed on our lives. There is a work that has to be 416 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:18,320 done, but there's another side to it. 417 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:23,360 There's a personal devotion that we have to have, and you cannot 418 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:26,760 have one without the other. The personal devotion is the 419 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:31,640 part that sits at the feet of Jesus drinking it all in. 420 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,200 And what this Scripture shows us is there's this balance. 421 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,080 A lot of people look at the Scripture and think that Martha 422 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,640 was just doing it all wrong and Mary was doing it all right. 423 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,280 But that's not what was happening here. 424 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,760 We have to understand that both of them served. 425 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,080 It says in the scripture that Martha was serving. 426 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:51,040 They both served, but they were both serving in different ways. 427 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:53,920 Both of them had a servant's heart. 428 00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:58,160 But what this Scripture shows us is when Jesus was in the room, 429 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,880 when Jesus was in the room. The number one most important 430 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:06,000 part is not missing out on what He is speaking because we are 431 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,760 too caught up on our acts of service. 432 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:15,040 When God calls us to be and have a servant's heart, there is a 433 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,720 work that has to be done. But how many of you know that 434 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:23,120 you cannot pour out to people if you are not filled? 435 00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:29,840 So we can get so caught up on being busy and forget that we 436 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:35,400 have a personal devotion that is filling us up so we are able to 437 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,040 serve. There's two sides. 438 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,360 We have to be a servant, but we also have to serve in the area 439 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:44,040 of having this personal devotion to the Lord. 440 00:25:44,040 --> 00:25:47,440 And it's so easy for some of us to get caught up on this 441 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,320 practical side and miss out on the spiritual. 442 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:56,480 And it can happen in the church. It can happen in your home in 443 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:02,560 about, let's see, when I was 17. I'm not good at math. 444 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,240 I'll just throw that out there. I was really good in high 445 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:06,680 school, but then I haven't done math since I was 16. 446 00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:09,000 I'm like, what the heck? My daughter comes home. 447 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,680 I'm like, I don't know, ask Chad or your dad. 448 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:13,600 We just got a she's only in 3rd grade too. 449 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:23,040 But when I was 17, many years ago, I'm 39, so 22 years ago, I 450 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:27,400 hope I said that right when I was 17, there was a time. 451 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:32,600 When we had three services all happening in Auditorium A, this 452 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:34,720 place was not. Here and what? 453 00:26:34,720 --> 00:26:37,360 Happened was is someone didn't I was not. 454 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:39,720 I wasn't even like on the. Scene at this point. 455 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,400 Right. I was like I was. 456 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,200 A praise coach for the kids ministry and someone didn't. 457 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:48,280 Show up from for altar call. This is the way God works, 458 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:50,480 right? And Pastor Lauren, he's ready to 459 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:51,920 do. Altar call and there's no. 460 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:55,560 One on stage and he. Comes down after that service. 461 00:26:55,560 --> 00:27:02,120 And he's like, I'm like, OK, you know, right, that was you now 462 00:27:02,120 --> 00:27:05,880 that's what I was mouthing. And he's like, you're, you're 463 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,360 starting to do altar call. I always use the word Vol and 464 00:27:08,360 --> 00:27:10,960 told I was Vol and told that I was going to start doing altar 465 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:13,840 call. But I like to do anything that I 466 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,000 was asked to do, so I had no problem doing it. 467 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:19,440 However. I wasn't asked to do altar call, 468 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:22,840 just altar call. I was asked to sit on the stage 469 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:27,760 for all three services. So I would sing and then I would 470 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:30,800 not like backstage, I would sit on stage. 471 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:33,960 There's a chair, I pointed it to it at our 9:00 AM service and I 472 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,560 sat in that chair. Then I would sing altar call. 473 00:27:36,560 --> 00:27:42,000 Then I would sing, sit on stage and sing altar call then three 474 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,840 times every Sunday, and I would do that every single Sunday 475 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,200 until Pastor Lauren learned to trust me. 476 00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:53,040 I was like, I promise you I will not be late. 477 00:27:53,320 --> 00:27:56,120 I promise you I'm going to show up, right? 478 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:00,320 I'm like please. God let him trust me. 22 years 479 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:06,040 later, I have never once I I'm saying it with confidence, I've 480 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,840 never once been late for an altar call we might be on. 481 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:12,680 Stage trying to figure out a key change because he he like throws 482 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,240 A wrenching thing and changed the song. 483 00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,000 Last minute, but I am here and I will do that because that is my 484 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:23,320 service that I have been asked to do. 485 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,520 I've never missed it. I've never been late, right? 486 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:30,080 And when we get? Involved in the church, a lot of 487 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:34,280 us have things that we have. To do, you might have a door, 488 00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,880 you might have a classroom, you might have an offering. 489 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,160 Bucket that you pass. You might be putting the 490 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:42,640 communion in the chairs. And a lot of us have something 491 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:46,360 that we have to do. I like to say we get to do, but 492 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,200 right, we have this service side, but then there's the side 493 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,080 that I'm singing the altar call. So for 22 years, I don't get to 494 00:28:54,840 --> 00:29:00,320 go to the altar call physically. So I'm standing on stage and as 495 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,480 to not miss a beat. I'm like, if you're new, I 496 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,400 usually lead worship. So I'm standing here while 497 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,920 Pastor Lauren's walking back and forth and my eyes are just like, 498 00:29:12,760 --> 00:29:14,680 I'm giving you all the tips. Now you're you're going to be 499 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:16,360 like, watch me next time. You're like, Oh my gosh. 500 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:21,120 And I literally follow him because I wait for his body to 501 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,240 just. Like I know, right? 502 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:25,480 Like I know when he wants us to start singing. 503 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:27,600 I, I tried to read his body language. 504 00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:29,240 I mean, we're like locked in now, right? 505 00:29:29,240 --> 00:29:33,400 22 years of doing this. But that's my service side. 506 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:37,640 But someone said to me one time, isn't it weird that you never 507 00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,080 get to attend to altar call? I said, I attend to altar call 508 00:29:40,080 --> 00:29:42,560 every single service. Like, what do you mean? 509 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,280 I was like, my heart is down there so I could sit up here and 510 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,600 I could sing a song and you guys. 511 00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,920 Maybe at first would never even know that my heart's not 512 00:29:53,920 --> 00:29:56,960 prepared because I know the lyrics That's I always say I was 513 00:29:56,960 --> 00:29:59,240 blessed with. Just like I can listen to the 514 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:03,520 song one one time and I know the song so I could live a life of 515 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:07,800 service on stage. I could sing the songs. 516 00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:11,600 I can raise my hand, I can jump. I know when they're everyone's 517 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:12,480 supposed to. Do what? 518 00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:16,040 But if my heart's not in it, I can't take. 519 00:30:16,160 --> 00:30:19,240 It's called leading worship. I can't take you to a place that 520 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,000 I haven't been myself. So we have to understand that 521 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,040 there's a personal devotion to this. 522 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:30,640 So although our life may be walking around serving, my eyes 523 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:33,880 are on him, but my heart is at the altar call. 524 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:37,720 I listen intently to what the pastor is preaching every single 525 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:41,240 week to make sure that we're picking out a song that matches 526 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,160 his sermon. So we can take you to the place 527 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,800 that God has for you. So we have to understand, I have 528 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:51,840 which one was the servant? Both you have a service 529 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:56,680 physically that you have to do, but your heart has to be one 530 00:30:56,680 --> 00:31:01,120 that's willing to sit at the feet of Jesus and drink it all 531 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:04,360 in. Come on, can I get a Amen? 532 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:13,320 Imagine, imagine the Lord is coming to your house. 533 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,080 I I get it. Like Martha girl, I got you. 534 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,400 I know how you feel. We're having friends over today 535 00:31:21,400 --> 00:31:23,400 and I'm like. Pick that paint brush up off the 536 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:25,120 floor. Wrap the vacuum. 537 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,840 Cord, you know, I'm like, you know. 538 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,120 And they're just friends. Imagine Jesus coming to my 539 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:29,760 house. I'd be like. 540 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:32,240 Oh my, I'm like dust and everything. 541 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,520 You know, you're just, that's just like what it is. 542 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:40,440 Jesus is here in this place. Come on. 543 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,760 Can I get an Amen? We got to believe that Jesus is 544 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,520 here in this place, so we're going to prep it all up. 545 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:55,520 But when Jesus is here, we got to have our hearts attentive to 546 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:59,000 what He's saying. We have to live our lives 547 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:03,960 sitting down at the feet of Jesus, not worried about if 548 00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,600 there's dust. I know before service, I'm 549 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:08,760 texting maintenance. There's footprints on the stage, 550 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,520 but once I start, not always, they're amazing. 551 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:13,920 We have an amazing maintenance crowd. 552 00:32:13,920 --> 00:32:15,240 I'm just saying it was actually me. 553 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,960 I I was barefoot one rehearsal and I was like, Oh no, but once 554 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:23,760 we start service, we got to lock in. 555 00:32:23,960 --> 00:32:28,280 We have to be at the feet of Jesus and John. 556 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,000 It says I can of myself do nothing. 557 00:32:31,960 --> 00:32:35,760 As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is righteous because I 558 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:42,520 do not seek my own, but I seek the will of the Father who sent 559 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,360 me. This verse is so amazing to 560 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,760 myself. It says I myself can do nothing. 561 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,720 We have a stewardship when we are a servant of the Lord. 562 00:32:54,840 --> 00:32:58,600 He places things in our hands, which means we have a 563 00:32:58,600 --> 00:33:02,640 stewardship of what is in our hands. 564 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:08,160 But we cannot let that stewardship turn to ownership 565 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,240 because in that stewardship we have to remember God is the one 566 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,360 that placed it in your hands, right? 567 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,440 So a lot of times when serving, we can take ownership of 568 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:22,960 something. My team, my door, my bucket, my 569 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,960 class, my kids, my nursery, my seat. 570 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:35,600 A lot of times when serving what happens is our service can go 571 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:40,520 from stewardship to ownership. And there is a fine line between 572 00:33:40,520 --> 00:33:44,320 stewardship and ownership. But the only thing that lies on 573 00:33:44,320 --> 00:33:46,640 the line of stewardship and ownership is your. 574 00:33:46,640 --> 00:33:53,960 Heart, our heart, if it's one of a servant, says I did nothing of 575 00:33:54,120 --> 00:34:00,480 myself. I am here to do the will of my 576 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,840 father, the will of the one who sent me. 577 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:09,280 There's a stewardship that comes with the responsibility of 578 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:12,960 service, and that stewardship is important, but we have to be so 579 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:14,840 careful to not let our stewardship. 580 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:21,120 Turn to ownership. And he goes on to say I do not 581 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:26,080 seek my own. If our heart is to remain as one 582 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:30,880 of a a servant, our stewardship will turn very quickly into 583 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:34,199 ownership if we don't. Allow our heart. 584 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:40,560 To be in the right. Place Now I shared this with our 585 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:46,159 singers on the Thursday before our Easter rehearsal because God 586 00:34:46,159 --> 00:34:49,159 did something awesome in my heart last week. 587 00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:53,320 So we have a team of people who really prep for all of our 588 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:56,880 services obviously. But obviously, as you all know, 589 00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:59,200 Easter's like the most attended service, which is crazy. 590 00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,360 I'm like, it's so good every week. 591 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:01,480 Why are we not all here every week? 592 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:05,000 However, that's your service. Go out and preach the gospel, 593 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:07,920 right? So anyway, we prep for Easter 594 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,200 and we spend all these months prepping for Good Friday and 595 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,000 Easter and a lot of stuff goes into it. 596 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,040 You're picking out the songs, you're picking out the soloist, 597 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:16,240 you're picking out the look and. 1. 598 00:35:16,240 --> 00:35:20,680 Part that I'm a part of is the graphic design and what are like 599 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:23,200 theme is. Going to be. 600 00:35:23,880 --> 00:35:26,800 And then I just designed that and then we pump it up on social 601 00:35:26,800 --> 00:35:29,760 media and we put it on our background and. 602 00:35:30,880 --> 00:35:33,400 Whatever it may be, the pamphlet, we try to match our 603 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:37,000 photo wall to the theme of what Easter is going to be. 604 00:35:37,000 --> 00:35:38,960 And man, this year I was like, this is good. 605 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:41,880 You know, I'm like, this is awesome. 606 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:44,880 I love this and it's great. And everyone in the office, they 607 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:46,160 looked at it and they're like, it's great. 608 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:51,640 So I pop it up on the LED screen and I'm like, this is awesome, 609 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:53,960 this is it. So I go and I like create all 610 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:57,280 the different sizes that we need for reels and social media and 611 00:35:57,280 --> 00:35:58,560 backdrop, all this kind of stuff. 612 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:00,160 I send it all out and there it is. 613 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:04,200 Here we are working with Easter and Thursday before Easter comes 614 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:07,160 the day before Good Friday and my husband I. 615 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:11,320 Love him, he does a lot of the most of the. 616 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,720 Production in here and kind of like puts it all together, 617 00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:17,240 whatever. So he pops the graphic. 618 00:36:17,240 --> 00:36:18,520 Up on the screen and he calls me. 619 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:20,720 He's like, hey, I need you to come down. 620 00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:23,080 I was like, we already looked through this and it's awesome, 621 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:24,640 but whatever, I'll come down, right? 622 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,840 So I come down and I'm just like, he's like, I don't know if 623 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:28,920 Pastor Lauren's going to like this. 624 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:32,800 I was like, yes, he is. And he's like, I don't think he 625 00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:34,160 is. And I was like, why? 626 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,760 You know, and I am just. Like, you know, and he's like, 627 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:39,760 well, for this reason, there's a little whatever. 628 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:41,400 And I was just like, it's Thursday. 629 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:43,920 We've already posted this on social media. 630 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:47,400 We've already made our backdrop out in the lobby. 631 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:49,040 We've already done all this stuff. 632 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:54,600 It is finished, right? And I'm like, whatever, we'll 633 00:36:54,600 --> 00:36:56,320 call Pastor Lauren, so I call Pastor. 634 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,400 Lauren, he comes down and. He kind of stands up here. 635 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:00,680 I was like. Look, you can't look at the 636 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:02,800 backdrop from right here. No one's sitting right there. 637 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:06,680 You got to like, sit out there. And Mike kind of thought like 638 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:08,440 people would feel like they're tilting over. 639 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:10,120 And Pastor Lauren's like, you know what? 640 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:12,760 I don't think that, But I don't like it. 641 00:37:15,120 --> 00:37:18,040 I'm like, well, we didn't ask you down here to see if you 642 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,840 liked it or not. And he's like, I don't want it. 643 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:24,320 It doesn't work for the church. I'm like, what do you mean it 644 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:27,120 doesn't work for you know, so we get into it, you know, it's like 645 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:30,000 me and my husband and my dad and I'm just like, ah, it's like 2 646 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,360 verse one and I'm just like. I have to design something 647 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,080 before Sunday. Like this is so like we, you 648 00:37:37,080 --> 00:37:39,720 know, I'm and I'm getting all mad and I'm just like, whatever, 649 00:37:39,720 --> 00:37:41,720 I'll just OK, bye. I'll, I'll just do it. 650 00:37:41,720 --> 00:37:44,720 And I walk out and I'm just like, this is so ridiculous, you 651 00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:48,960 know, and that's, you know, like 1. 30 or something, and then our 652 00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:52,040 next rehearsal is at 7 and sometime in between there God 653 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:56,200 was like ownership. This is not your ownership. 654 00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:58,920 And I was just like, oh. And I was like. 655 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:01,520 You know, you want to be like, I am not owning this. 656 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:08,200 It is just good. But Pastor Lauren, when I could 657 00:38:08,200 --> 00:38:13,520 actually take, you know, my, my defensive walls down, he said. 658 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:14,360 This doesn't. Work. 659 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:16,400 For the good of the congregation. 660 00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:19,720 And I was not even think I'm just being real with you guys 661 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:21,720 today. I wasn't even thinking about you 662 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:24,520 guys. I was just thinking about how 663 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:26,800 great our wall looked. When you all walked in, you're 664 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:28,240 going to be like, oh man, that's so good. 665 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:34,760 But God spoke to me. Stewardship, not ownership, You. 666 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,520 Work with what I, the Lord has placed in. 667 00:38:37,520 --> 00:38:39,720 Your hands. And ultimately, it's not your 668 00:38:39,720 --> 00:38:42,080 call to make. It's the pastor's call to make. 669 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,760 And the pastor, who's a servant, is looking out for his sheep. 670 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:49,920 And I was just like, Oh my. I'm like the. 671 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:55,160 Lord just worked in me that day. That's your heart is the only 672 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:58,920 thing that can take stewardship to ownership. 673 00:38:59,240 --> 00:39:01,800 So that's why it's so. Important that our heart stays 674 00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:05,640 in check because we're only working with what God has placed 675 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,760 in our hands. And we have to understand that 676 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,360 when we're working with what God placed in our hands, no matter 677 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:13,680 what we do with it, it's still not ours. 678 00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:18,280 It's still stewardship over what God has placed in our hands 679 00:39:18,320 --> 00:39:19,680 looking. At him loved him, and said to 680 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:22,160 him, one thing, you let go your way, sell whatever you have and 681 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,000 give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. 682 00:39:26,080 --> 00:39:28,440 Come take up the. Cross and follow me. 683 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:34,560 And he was sad at this word, and he went away sorrowful, for he 684 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:37,440 had great possession. This. 685 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,200 Scripture wraps up what ownership? 686 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:44,000 Looks like when what you. Have in your hand changes. 687 00:39:44,360 --> 00:39:47,440 And you go away sorrowful because of the loss of 688 00:39:47,440 --> 00:39:49,120 something. That you had in your hands. 689 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,200 When it was never yours to begin with, and I'm not talking about 690 00:39:53,200 --> 00:39:55,720 just a loss. Of like a change of scenery or 691 00:39:55,880 --> 00:40:00,400 you know when you are in ministry your your you know job 692 00:40:00,400 --> 00:40:02,520 or whatever you. Want to say or your ministry, 693 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:05,840 this ministry you steward, it changes constantly, right? 694 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:07,800 Because there's just we're doing. 695 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:09,720 What's best for the body of Christ? 696 00:40:10,280 --> 00:40:11,920 So I'm not talking about just being sad. 697 00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:13,800 Like. Oh man, so many fond memories of 698 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,720 that. But when you feel like what I 699 00:40:16,720 --> 00:40:18,400 steward has been taken. Away. 700 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,040 From me, and you asked me to give it up. 701 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:25,000 That's when your stewardship has become ownership, and that's 702 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:27,240 when the ownership has become attachment. 703 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:29,680 And that's at the point where you don't feel like you're 704 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:34,560 willing to give up what God has asked when God asks. 705 00:40:34,560 --> 00:40:37,480 Us to leave something. Behind, but we've built an 706 00:40:37,480 --> 00:40:40,520 attachment to it. This is where we forgot that 707 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:44,600 it's not ours in the 1st place. So we have to be so careful of 708 00:40:44,600 --> 00:40:48,200 our attachment to the things that the Lord gives us a call, a 709 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:53,600 title, a hope or dream, a you. Know an accomplished checklist 710 00:40:53,600 --> 00:40:56,680 or a position or a job or you know, whatever it looks like for 711 00:40:56,680 --> 00:40:59,520 you. We can't attach ourselves to 712 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:03,080 those things because those are things that man recognize as 713 00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:06,760 perishable crowns. But we're in it to be a servant 714 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:09,520 and walk with the imperishable crown. 715 00:41:09,800 --> 00:41:13,520 So our attachment really should be attached to the the 716 00:41:13,520 --> 00:41:17,600 fulfillment of the call that God has on our lives. 717 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,240 If I could have the musicians and singers and. 718 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:22,920 Band. And all that come forward. 719 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:29,080 We have to realize. That this guy, right? 720 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:31,600 That we're just talking about when he he was. 721 00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:33,560 A good man, it says. He was a good man. 722 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:39,760 And he loved the Lord. But he was not willing to. 723 00:41:39,760 --> 00:41:43,800 Give up his. Possessions and that's where we 724 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:47,960 come so near sighted when we look at what we have. 725 00:41:47,960 --> 00:41:49,920 Naturally. Speaking and think that that's 726 00:41:49,920 --> 00:41:54,440 going to fulfill us and God. Shows us here in the scripture. 727 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,240 It says go sell whatever you have give. 728 00:41:57,240 --> 00:41:59,360 To the poor and you. Will have treasure in heaven 729 00:41:59,920 --> 00:42:03,440 because our lives are but a vapor I. 730 00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:07,640 Know when we're here. They seem long and fulfilling 731 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:11,520 and you know, a pastor Rich said something Wednesday night that 732 00:42:11,520 --> 00:42:14,800 really spoke to me. And he said, you know, Pastor 733 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:15,520 Lawrence said to. Him. 734 00:42:15,520 --> 00:42:18,280 He said what? If the call that God has on your 735 00:42:18,280 --> 00:42:18,640 life. Your. 736 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:22,280 Entire life was to have kids and the call. 737 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:25,520 Is you know for your. Child and I think about. 738 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,960 David King. David when he said I want to 739 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:28,600 build. Him. 740 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:30,920 A house. And God said. 741 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:32,200 When I'm ready for a house, it's. 742 00:42:32,200 --> 00:42:35,680 Not going to be you, it's. Going to be your child, But 743 00:42:35,680 --> 00:42:37,320 David was willing. Because he. 744 00:42:37,320 --> 00:42:40,320 Humbled himself and he said, You know what, I know it's not going 745 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:43,200 to be in by my name that the house was built, he says. 746 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,720 But I'm going to come up with plans and I'm going to come up 747 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:47,640 with all. Of this stuff to make you an 748 00:42:47,640 --> 00:42:50,240 awesome house. Not in my name, but I'll help my 749 00:42:50,240 --> 00:42:52,520 son do it. And that's where we have to come 750 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:54,480 to this place. That we realize what God has 751 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:57,520 placed in our hands is not ours, but we're just stewards of it. 752 00:42:57,520 --> 00:43:01,560 We're servants in the House of the Lord, whether it be at your 753 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:06,400 home, whether it be at your job. We have to remember if we want 754 00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:10,400 to become great, we are called to serve. 755 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:15,440 The Son of Man did not come. Here to be served. 756 00:43:16,160 --> 00:43:19,720 But he came to serve. And it all comes down to our 757 00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:22,880 heart. This is Pastor Lauren Coverbius 758 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:25,440 from Mount Zion Church. We thank you for joining us 759 00:43:25,440 --> 00:43:28,480 today and invite you to connect with our church family by 760 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,200 visiting mountzion.org and following us on social media. 761 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:33,200 God bless you.