1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,720 Thank you Jesus, thank you, Jesus. 2 00:00:04,360 --> 00:00:08,840 Amen. That's what I was feeling today 3 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:14,920 in my office, none different, none different, Amen, than what 4 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,440 I was experiencing today. Amen. 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:20,960 Thankful for the Lord, thankful for the Lord. 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,440 Shoo spirits here. Listen, you'll have to wait for 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,480 a Sunday for God to intervene in your life. 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,560 You have to wait for Sunday for a prayer to be answered, or for 9 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,480 a need to be met, or for you to just somehow find a spiritual 10 00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:37,800 spot that you've been needing to get back to. 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,680 That can happen on a Wednesday. That can happen on a Wednesday. 12 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,320 Amen. He knows no bounds. 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,040 Amen. This evening, no bounds at all, 14 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,160 man. If you want to continue with 15 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:53,760 that, come tomorrow night to power hour, tomorrow night's 16 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,960 power hour starting at 7:00. Amen to 8. 17 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:00,400 This power hour will be corporate LED. 18 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,240 All right. Our, our, our thematically, 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,680 we're doing spiritual warfare. We're praying through the armor 20 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,920 of God and, and a few additional things because there's not 1010 21 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:12,680 items. We're the armor of God from 22 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:14,560 Ephesians 6. So we got some additional things 23 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,440 tacked on there. But with that in mind, 24 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,000 succumbing, it'll be corporate LED. 25 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:19,960 Again, it'll be an hour. Amen. 26 00:01:19,960 --> 00:01:24,280 You come to be a part of that. Also got to make sure I get all 27 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:30,000 these things right, Amen. So that that is tomorrow night 28 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:32,680 fall conference for those that are going to fall conference in 29 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,080 Carmel, IN, that is this weekend, Friday and Saturday. 30 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,640 Sunday we'll be back here, of course, with services. 31 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,920 All right, if you're truly right here also on October the 12th is 32 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,160 the youth bake sale. That's that's October the 12th 33 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:51,680 at Bilo from 8:00 to 12:00. And so if anybody is going to 34 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,880 donate goods for selling, you can see a brother and sister 35 00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:59,360 Mason, brother Alex and sister Grace Mason for that. 36 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:00,680 So they'll be coming up very soon. 37 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,320 Tonight is our Last Night for Self Worth series, OK. 38 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,600 And so next week we're starting them for the criteria of finding 39 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:10,280 the Mate series. All right, going to start that 40 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,800 next week. And then about a few weeks after 41 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,120 that, we'll finally go back and we'll shake hands with Genesis 42 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:19,440 and get a few slid in. Amen before we go Amen to any 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:22,760 type of connect groups again in in the winter months. 44 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:27,360 So just be mindful that also we have coming up within this month 45 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:31,800 because we are now in October, we have coming up on October the 46 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:38,360 18th, 19th and 20th. The 18th and 20th is Revival 47 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,320 with Evangelist Michael Maupin. He'll be here those three days. 48 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:45,960 But services will be the 18th at 7:00 and then the 20th, regular 49 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:50,240 service times at 10:00 and 6:00. And then that Saturday, the 19th 50 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:53,600 is the annual chilly supper and hayride that takes place around 51 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,040 here that will begin at 4. And so there's going to be some 52 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,280 things forthcoming. We just had a meeting last night 53 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,440 to try to tie down all the particulars, will try to 54 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,760 actually have a schedule for when things happen for like the 55 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,080 hay rides and when all of all will be played and when the 56 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,840 train for the kids will happen, when the obstacle course will be 57 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:13,200 up. We'll have time slots. 58 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,640 So it sets your expectation of knowing when things will happen. 59 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,880 As far as all of those particulars, I know it's no big 60 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:22,200 deal to us always come, but to those that might come that are 61 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,280 not a part of us, they might like to have expectation to know 62 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,040 when things are going to take place and happen. 63 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:28,920 And so that's going to all be out there. 64 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:32,800 Also something new this year that I thought maybe we would 65 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:34,680 try. We're going to try it in house 66 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:40,080 is a cornhole competition, a cornhole competition. 67 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,520 And so it's $10 per team, which is basically $5 per person. 68 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:48,760 If you want to participate, the team consist of two all right, 69 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:50,800 we're going to have three different sets of pornhole set 70 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:52,920 up. So six teams can play at the 71 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:56,920 same time. And basically your, your, your 72 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,120 money going toward being a part is going into a pot that whoever 73 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:05,000 wins ultimately gets everything that came in. 74 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:08,600 And we have trophies that will be awarded to to the team. 75 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:13,240 And so again, simple, just $10. Good, good, good cling fun. 76 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,000 Sister McGee has a sign up sheet. 77 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,680 If you want to sign up, pay money, you can see her. 78 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,680 You got to have a team name. All right. 79 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:23,760 If you're not creative, ask someone to make it for you. 80 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,560 You know, don't let it just be Don and Paul, the Don and Paul 81 00:04:27,560 --> 00:04:30,240 team, be creative, have fun with it, Amen. 82 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:32,920 Whatever you want to do. And so that's coming up also 83 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:37,800 that same same hayride and and chilly supper night. 84 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,960 And so we're going to have fun, hopefully have fun, Amen, With 85 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:43,720 all of that, Amen. You can turn in your Bibles to 86 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:48,160 the book of Ephesians, The book of Ephesians. 87 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:53,360 We're going to go to chapter #2 I'm just going to read one 88 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:54,680 verse. We've already touched on this 89 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,400 verse once. After this, I have some books 90 00:04:57,400 --> 00:05:00,160 I'm going to give away. One always went through my hand. 91 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,280 My daughter grabbed it. And what it is is some of the 92 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,200 books that I read leading up to the series, and I'm not going to 93 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:07,720 hold on to them. I'm going to be giving them 94 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,960 away. These are the three that's left. 95 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:12,400 She took one. She said maybe after she 96 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:14,200 finishes with it, I can give it away again. 97 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,840 So nonetheless, so some books that I'll give away there toward 98 00:05:17,840 --> 00:05:21,680 the end of someone that anyone that might be interested in 99 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:24,040 those Ephesians chapter #2 and verse 10. 100 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,080 All right, glad to have each one of you, Megan, glad to have you, 101 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:29,000 Jessica, always glad to have you. 102 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,640 Amen tonight and verse #10 Ephesians 210 For we are his 103 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:36,840 workmanship. Everybody say workmanship 104 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,640 created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before 105 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:48,400 ordained, that we should walk in them a little on tonight. 106 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:53,240 I want to teach this to us this evening, this 4th lesson of self 107 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:59,000 worth. The art of purpose, the art of 108 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,960 purpose. You were a workmanship created 109 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:06,800 in Christ Jesus unto good works, so the art of purpose. 110 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,840 Let us pray right now, God. We're so thankful, Lord, for 111 00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:13,320 your spirit that we have felt in this place, God, we acknowledge, 112 00:06:13,600 --> 00:06:16,200 Lord, that you have come, Lord, and visited us. 113 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,800 Lord, even this evening, I pray, O God, open our hearts and our 114 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,640 minds to your word. Let someone be encouraged, Lord, 115 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,440 let someone, Lord, I pray, O God, be boasted, Lord Jesus, in 116 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,960 their recognition, Lord, of value in the eyes of God 117 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,360 tonight, Lord. And we'll fail not to thank and 118 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:36,800 praise you, Lord, for what you accomplish in this place in the 119 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,800 lovely name of Jesus Christ. I pray a man, you may be seated 120 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,440 in Jesus name. I have already stated it more 121 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,920 than one time in some of the lessons that we've already had. 122 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,440 And this has been a short series for me, but nonetheless, what 123 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:53,080 I've stated is this, and you should know this by now, that 124 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,120 there are two facts. There are two facts that should 125 00:06:56,120 --> 00:07:00,640 bolster your worth or should increase in and, and give you a 126 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,440 sense of value concerning your worth #1 and as it's found here, 127 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,080 even in this solitary verse of Ephesians 210. 128 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,640 Number one, that God created us, right? 129 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:13,680 For we are his workmanship. God created us. 130 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:16,960 And then secondly, that Christ redeemed us, that we were 131 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,440 created or even said maybe even better, that we've been 132 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:25,600 recreated in Christ Jesus. And so Ephesians 2 and 10 says 133 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,440 very plainly that we are God's workmanship. 134 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:35,440 The Amplified Bible says it like this, that we are God's work of 135 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,440 art. Now here's the thing about works 136 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,800 of art. I'm only a artist in certain 137 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,000 modes, all right? I know we have maybe some very 138 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,400 creative people in here that are artists that can do something 139 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,640 with a canvas or with charcoal or paint, or maybe you can do it 140 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:52,280 with spit from a straw. I don't know. 141 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:53,920 You know, everything's art nowadays. 142 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,840 But what I'm getting at is this. Not everyone, everyone does not 143 00:07:57,840 --> 00:08:00,080 understand another's piece of art. 144 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:08,440 Some people don't care for art, so they're inclined to reject it 145 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:11,600 from the beginning. Others don't want to take the 146 00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,840 time to understand it, so it's their loss. 147 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,320 Others don't want to take time, if you will, or they, they like 148 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,880 experiencing maybe the art, but they don't really understand how 149 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:26,200 that piece came to be or why it is as it is. 150 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,320 And I met you over my 46 years of life. 151 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:34,280 I have been, I've been to a few art museums in my life. 152 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:37,400 And there are sometimes that I've been going through those 153 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,640 art museums, it's very quiet, you know, and they have these 154 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,840 things, you know, on the wall or displace the sculptures. 155 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,280 And there have been sometimes that works that I've looked at 156 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:53,000 that I've just stared at with no idea what the artist was 157 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,120 conveying. As a matter of fact, I've stared 158 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,080 at them sometimes. And I've had my theories and I, 159 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:02,680 I've even tried to make attempts about what is this saying to me, 160 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:06,600 right? And there's sometimes that as 161 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,400 I've went along, I may have even been critical, critical 162 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,480 sometimes over a few pieces with statements like they call that 163 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,920 art. I got seen a three-year old that 164 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,000 could do, you know, I can do that with my toes. 165 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,040 You know what I'm saying? They call that art. 166 00:09:23,320 --> 00:09:24,600 Yeah, they may have done it with their toes. 167 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,880 I don't know. But many museums accompany the 168 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:34,000 art with what's known as a Waltec that describes or 169 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:39,040 interprets the artwork. And what that does for me or for 170 00:09:39,040 --> 00:09:44,760 any of us is that when you have the artist's explanation of the 171 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:49,360 work, it gives you a better appreciation for something that 172 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:51,080 maybe previously you didn't understand. 173 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:56,360 And so with that, I realized that some of the things that I 174 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:59,040 saw, there was nothing wrong with that piece of art. 175 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,960 The problem was, is that I and others have tried to attach 176 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,600 meaning to something that I saw and experienced. 177 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,760 And what I realized was this. There was nothing wrong with 178 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:13,600 that. There is meaning to it, but I 179 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:16,840 need to consult the artist to know what the meaning is. 180 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,000 I can be very judgmental about the piece, but if I don't 181 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:24,520 understand the purpose of the artist behind the piece, then it 182 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:28,000 may just seem very, very lacking as far as having any type of 183 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,320 impact on my, my, my life and what I'm saying today. 184 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:35,560 You are God's work of art tonight. 185 00:10:35,560 --> 00:10:38,440 I want to say emphatically this evening that there's nothing 186 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:42,200 wrong with you. It's just other people's 187 00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:48,320 interpretation of you. We need to really tap in into 188 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:53,960 the one who created the work and ask him, what's the meaning of 189 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:56,200 this? What what? 190 00:10:56,240 --> 00:11:01,040 What is the purpose of this? It reminds me of a stanza out of 191 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:02,720 this book, a poem that's in here. 192 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,120 I, I, I guess I can keep these up here and I can flash them up, 193 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,960 you know? But a stanza that's after a poem 194 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:11,120 that Jamie Kern Lima wrote said that you're not crazy, You're 195 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,840 just first, there was a stanza there that said this. 196 00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:19,040 And what I know is, yeah, you hurt me, but I'm not rejected. 197 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:23,640 See, God just hid my value from you because you're not assigned 198 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:28,280 to my destiny. People that are missing your 199 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:31,200 worth are probably not a part of your story. 200 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:37,120 Said a little differently, people that are missing your 201 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,680 work probably shouldn't be a part of your story. 202 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:45,280 Brother, Brother Alex or whoever's up there running media 203 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,120 tonight. Can you put my, can you put my 204 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:50,040 picture up there this evening? Does anybody remember this from 205 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,480 a few years ago? Anybody. 206 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:56,200 Nobody. Sister Jen, you need some 207 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:59,600 culture. I mean, look how culture that 208 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,880 is. This was a piece of art back in 209 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:12,680 2019. A banana duct tape to a wall in 210 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:17,040 a Florida museum. There were three renditions of 211 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:22,760 this banana tape to a wall. I know you all laughing, but 212 00:12:22,760 --> 00:12:26,480 this is back in December 2019. This is why we went into COVID. 213 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:31,880 No, this was back in December of 2019. 214 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,680 There were some Miami residents, Billy and Beatrice Cox. 215 00:12:35,680 --> 00:12:37,480 I don't know if they were related to Sister Cox, same 216 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:44,080 spelling who bought this piece of art for $120,000. 217 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:46,600 Again, there were three renditions of it. 218 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,240 There was another rendition of it that another couple bought 219 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:50,640 for right around the same amount of money. 220 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,000 And then there was another rendition of it that went on 221 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,600 display in the Gundenheim Museum. 222 00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,320 It was an actual banana. A real banana. 223 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:05,880 Duct tape to a wall. He generated a lot of attention. 224 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:10,760 I can't believe you didn't see this Mr. Jacob Hermit live under 225 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,840 a rock. There are a lot of debates over 226 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,880 this. The artist was an Italian 227 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:21,520 artist. His name was Mauricio Catalans. 228 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:23,880 He had an interpretation of his artwork. 229 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:25,920 This work, a lot of times they're named, this work is 230 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:30,120 called comedian. It's rooted in satire and a 231 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,560 commentary on the art world, consumerism, the value placed on 232 00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:37,440 simple objects. According to the artist, the 233 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,280 banana is a symbol of global trade. 234 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,880 It's a comedic prop, a metaphor for the unpredictability of 235 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:46,840 life. And when you think of this, this 236 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:49,920 is quite absurd. Folks, that banana, I don't 237 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,400 know, was the last time you bought bananas, but they're 238 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:58,080 perishable. I mean, it's got some age spots 239 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:03,440 on it now, but the longer she stays duct tape to the wall, she 240 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:07,880 going brown, she going black, she might have some leakage. 241 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:16,280 It's absurd, but the artist did it with the intention to just 242 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:23,280 prove the fleeting nature of material things and also bring 243 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:27,520 the absurdity to the art world about how much money they spend 244 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:31,480 on art pieces. I think the point was proven. 245 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:37,880 Someone spent $120,000 for a perishable banana that's taped 246 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,560 to a wall. This was not a movable wall. 247 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:45,080 This was a wall in the museum. Do you understand what I'm 248 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,680 talking about right now? But the artist Catalan raise 249 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:51,240 questions and please hear me very carefully tonight. 250 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:54,960 Raise questions then about the value assigned to art and this, 251 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:59,520 please listen to this, whether art is defined by the object 252 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:07,640 itself or the concept behind it, whether it's the object itself 253 00:15:08,280 --> 00:15:11,840 or the concept behind it. Now, there were a lot of phrases 254 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:14,160 that were said during that time that this thing came about. 255 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:16,520 I tested them all. My daughter, I was studying, she 256 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,280 was sitting on the opposite end of the couch this week doing 257 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,720 some college work. And I showed her that picture 258 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:23,240 all over again. I said, what do you think about 259 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:25,560 that? She's like, that's stupid. 260 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:30,600 I said yes, that's exactly what I was expecting. 261 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,840 I said that's stupid. I said, well, why is it stupid? 262 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,760 She said because anyone can duct tape a banana to a wall. 263 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:43,040 I said yes, that's exactly what I was expecting you to say. 264 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,720 And I remember saying that. I remember saying that brother, 265 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,080 brother Trowell, I remember saying that's stupid. 266 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:52,840 I remember saying anybody if you got dictating banana, you can be 267 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,240 that artist. Just, you know, flap that thing 268 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:57,280 up on there. But here's the question that I 269 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,440 present to you tonight. While those statements mean seem 270 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,720 to be true that it's stupid and that anybody could do that, I 271 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:07,200 ask you, could you have taped it there with the same purpose the 272 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:15,560 artist did? He had a point to prove a 273 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,800 purpose just to show how elaborate art had been selling 274 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,920 for and how how just, you know, perishable are just material 275 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:26,640 things. What brought the value to the 276 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,120 artwork and we'll talk about it more. 277 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,960 Wasn't just a banana taped, but it was the purpose of the banana 278 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:35,240 being taped. Someone say Amen. 279 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:39,840 This artwork. I know folks, this is bizarre. 280 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:44,520 It was exhibited at another museum called the Leon in its 281 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,840 original form, baked on the wall. 282 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,200 As a matter of fact, the banana could be replaced every day for 283 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,120 every few days. And then here's the thing, 284 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:56,200 right? Not every banana is the same. 285 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,560 They're not all the same size, same shape. 286 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:03,600 Some have different pigment and dark spots, different from other 287 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,119 bananas. All right, as a matter of fact, 288 00:17:06,119 --> 00:17:10,079 with this was a certificate of authentication for this artwork, 289 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,720 detailed instructions to how to properly display it. 290 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,960 I guess the banana be in a certain way and the tape be in a 291 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,880 certain way so it could be displayed. 292 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,240 And so both the banana and the duct tape could be replaced as 293 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:26,839 needed. The statement was made that the 294 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:29,640 physical representation of comedian, this is what this is 295 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:35,200 called, is not the work itself. Not what you see is the work 296 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,920 itself. Well, you've done all this 297 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:39,440 tonight, Brother McGee. Yeah, it's been fun. 298 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,440 But sometimes we get sucked into the same reasoning about 299 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:50,200 ourselves or others. We might say that's nothing 300 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,120 special. It's a banana tape to a wall. 301 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:58,520 Speaking about yourselves may see yourself. 302 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,240 Well, I'm just I'm just an average individual or an average 303 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:05,760 person. But God has enabled you to live 304 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:11,080 in the generation. You are living with a purpose 305 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,160 for your life. In other words, God has 306 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:20,080 purposely had you born in this generation with a reason. 307 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:24,400 And so we are more than how we appear. 308 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:31,280 God has a particular purpose for us, and the importance is what 309 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,360 is our purpose? According to an article even by 310 00:18:34,360 --> 00:18:37,720 the Guardian, Catalan, the artist, said whenever he went, 311 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:40,120 he'd again had three different renditions of this, that he 312 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:43,040 purchased the bananas down in Miami at just a grocery store 313 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,480 for about 30 cents. Went for 122 different works, 314 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:52,320 240, just $0.30. Can you imagine that the article 315 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:54,240 of the Guardian read like this? One banana. 316 00:18:54,240 --> 00:19:00,360 What could it cost? Question mark $120,000 if it's 317 00:19:00,360 --> 00:19:05,640 art, because I think that captures than the essence of 318 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,360 every individual setting in here tonight. 319 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,960 Over 800 billion people in the world, over 8 billion people in 320 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,440 the world. Everyone's somewhat different, 321 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:18,720 yet at the same time somewhat similar to one another. 322 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:24,200 And as common as we are, each though is a piece of art. 323 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,840 We are God's workmanship. We are God's accomplishment. 324 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:31,800 And so it's not just what's on display, it's what is the 325 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:35,200 concept behind you? What is the purpose behind you? 326 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:37,920 What is the intention behind you? 327 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:40,880 You say I'm just a banana, duct tape to a wall. 328 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:43,440 But God has purpose. God has meaning. 329 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:48,640 God has intention for your life. And so the value of a piece of 330 00:19:48,640 --> 00:19:51,560 art is influenced by a few different things, but its 331 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:56,800 characteristics, its purpose, and the artists who created it. 332 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,880 We know this today. We've lived long enough on the 333 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,080 earth that we know this, that if there is an artwork that is done 334 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:05,320 by a well known artist. Guess what, it demands a higher 335 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:09,400 price if it's a da Vinci, if it's a Picasso, if it's a Monet, 336 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,880 regardless of what it is because of the the the notoriety of the 337 00:20:13,880 --> 00:20:18,640 artist, it's already going to garner a higher price as the as 338 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:22,320 the Philip Bible version of the same Ephesians 210 says it says 339 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:26,000 it like this. He said we what we are, we owe 340 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,800 to the hand of God upon his folks. 341 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:32,800 There is purpose behind you, but even more so, it's not just Joe 342 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:36,360 Blow here on 2nd and 3rd that has pieced you together and 343 00:20:36,360 --> 00:20:39,160 woven you together and made you who you are with your 344 00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,200 personality. Know the creator of the 345 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,200 universe, the one that caused the stars to appear and cast the 346 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:48,280 luminaries in the sky, that's made, Amen. 347 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,960 All of the planets, their distance away from the sun, 348 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:55,080 those hands are the hands that have formed you and fashion you 349 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:59,000 and have given purpose for your life. 350 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,520 Amen. So anyone, unbelievers, people 351 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,800 that are born again, believers, everybody should have a sense of 352 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,440 belonging #1 again, due to our origin, that we have been made 353 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,960 by God. But if you've been born again 354 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,880 and everybody can be, but if you've been born again and 355 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:20,160 you're a Holy Ghost still, then you even more so because there's 356 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,360 a, there's a added layer to your origin story. 357 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,600 It's just not that he's created you, but he's recreated you. 358 00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:33,760 You have a double imprint of God's Word on your life. 359 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,280 Last week we discussed Moses a little bit about his insecurity 360 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,480 of his speech. I'm not eloquent, God. 361 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:45,000 I speak slow, right? All of that back in Exodus 362 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:51,920 chapter #4 well, in Exodus 3 and 11, as he and Moses asked, and 363 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,200 we have it up here tonight. Here, we'll start with verse 10. 364 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,880 Moses asked, who am I? Let's start with verse #10 shall 365 00:21:56,880 --> 00:22:00,440 we? He says, Come now therefore, and 366 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:03,760 I will send thee unto Pharaoh. God is speaking to Moses, I will 367 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:07,440 send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my 368 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:10,120 people, the children of Israel out of Egypt. 369 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,120 With verse 11. And Moses said unto God, So 370 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,320 after all that this is Moses response, Moses said unto God, 371 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:23,320 Who am I that I should go into Pharaoh, and that I should bring 372 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,600 forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 373 00:22:26,600 --> 00:22:31,240 Moses is feeling inadequate for the task. 374 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:35,320 No, he's feeling inadequate for the task. 375 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:44,560 Despite having been reared under a pharaoh in the House of a 376 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:51,840 pharaoh, despite being educated with the knowledge of the 377 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,000 Egyptians, he has this inadequacy. 378 00:22:55,440 --> 00:23:00,960 And so God answers Moses, but he doesn't directly answer Moses. 379 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,480 He indirectly answers Moses, as he typically does in his God 380 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,080 fashion. And he responds to Moses by 381 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:13,160 saying, I will be with thee. Seems kind of weird, kind of a 382 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,840 weird response to the question that Moses asks. 383 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:19,920 Moses asks, who am I? God says I will be with the What 384 00:23:20,080 --> 00:23:23,080 kind of answer is that to my question, Who am I? 385 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:24,960 I tell you the kind of answer it is. 386 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:28,080 It's the answer that says we can't define ourselves apart 387 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:32,200 from God. Who am I? 388 00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:34,400 God says, wait a minute, I'll be with you. 389 00:23:34,400 --> 00:23:38,000 That changes the definition that everything changes whenever God 390 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:40,240 is included in the equation and formula. 391 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:43,120 You're struggling with who you are and adequate about who you 392 00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:45,160 are. But remember, I'm with you. 393 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,080 That gives definition to you. That gives definition to your 394 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:51,240 purpose. That gives definition to your 395 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:58,160 trajectory. Yes it does so we must we can't, 396 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,120 we must not define ourselves apart from God. 397 00:24:01,240 --> 00:24:03,080 Whether that be and this is not a word. 398 00:24:03,160 --> 00:24:04,520 I looked it up. I wish it was. 399 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:09,160 I want to use it whether that's creationally, it's not a word or 400 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,560 redemptively can't define ourselves without God. 401 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:17,040 I read an article some time ago that's like the common phrase 402 00:24:17,040 --> 00:24:18,560 from my mouth. I read all right. 403 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:22,200 I read an article some time ago in National Geographic, December 404 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:26,640 2018 issue, and it was an article about biblical 405 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:29,760 antiquities. And that when I was reading this 406 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:34,040 article, there was a statement made in there that I believe is 407 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:36,680 relevant, that I believe can be metaphorical for what we're 408 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:38,920 talking about tonight. But the statement that was made 409 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:43,160 concerning these biblical antiquities was this, he said, 410 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,680 the author said, he said the price of anything connected to 411 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:48,640 the lifetime of Christ goes way up. 412 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,840 All these antiques and archaeological facts that they 413 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,280 are anyway connected to the lifetime of Christ, their value 414 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:02,000 goes, you could have it before he walked the earth, after he 415 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,280 walked the earth, whatever. But if it is connected with the 416 00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,080 time that he was around, then it goes up. 417 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,760 If I can just suggest it just slightly tonight for our 418 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,560 purposes, the price of anyone connected to the life of Christ, 419 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,920 the price of anyone connected to the life of Christ goes up. 420 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,480 What does that mean? That means you do and you do. 421 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:25,080 You all are connected in some way, if not by creation. 422 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:27,760 He also wants you to be connected by regeneration. 423 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:33,520 But whenever you are connected to Him, it's not saying you have 424 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:36,280 value to begin with, it just means it just increases. 425 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,120 Amen to some work issues that we have. 426 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:47,120 Stem from where or who we derive our identity from. 427 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:52,880 People assume their identity sometimes in this life from 428 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,360 various places. For instance, some people allow 429 00:25:56,360 --> 00:25:59,240 themselves to be identified by how their parents were. 430 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,080 They put that on almost like a cloak. 431 00:26:05,240 --> 00:26:09,480 It's like however their parents were acted, lived their life, 432 00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:14,000 good, bad, ugly, whatever. Then they put that on as their 433 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:16,440 identity. And then there's other people 434 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,600 that identify themselves by their education. 435 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:21,600 They have certain level of education. 436 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:24,960 They put that on as a cloak. That's their identifier, this 437 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,240 thing that identifies and some of them by the job they have, 438 00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:30,600 the type of job they have putting on their cloak, that's 439 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:32,880 their identity. Then there's others if they've 440 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:34,640 made certain achievements in life, right. 441 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:37,280 How many times their name was mentioned in the paper type of 442 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:38,600 wards and medals that they received. 443 00:26:38,760 --> 00:26:40,560 They cloak in the self other people's opinion. 444 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:43,960 We've already talked about this. Some people assume that as their 445 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:46,680 identity. But the common question you've 446 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,600 heard this question you've asked before or statement even rather 447 00:26:49,880 --> 00:26:55,120 it's not who you are but whose you are. 448 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,160 Jamie Kern Limas said this. She says you might say you have 449 00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:05,000 self doubt when really what you have in those moments is God. 450 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:16,200 The psalmist wrestled with that in Psalms chapter #8 and verse 451 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:21,160 #3 we see this struggle in wrestling that he has with this 452 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:28,040 and verse 3 says, when I consider thy heavens, the work 453 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:34,120 of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou was ordained 454 00:27:34,120 --> 00:27:37,320 right he's he's starting to recount all of these created 455 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:42,480 things of God. He says in verse 4 here begins 456 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:46,920 to struggle. What is man, that thou art 457 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:54,240 mindful of him, and the Son of Man that thou visitest him? 458 00:27:54,920 --> 00:27:58,800 For Thou has made him a little lower than the angels, and has 459 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,400 crowned him with glory and honor. 460 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,400 Thou has made him to have dominion over the works of Thy 461 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,880 hands. Thou has put all things under 462 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:09,520 his feet. So the psalmist has entered into 463 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:13,720 a little place of struggle about where he is in the grand scheme 464 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,320 of things. What, what is his worth, his 465 00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:19,400 value, his meaningfulness in the grand scheme of things. 466 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,480 He, he's feeling somewhat unimportant as he begins to 467 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,520 contemplate all of these celestial bodies, these, these 468 00:28:26,520 --> 00:28:30,240 celestial bodies of the sky, this, this visible grandeur. 469 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,160 I mean, who's not all struck. Whenever you're in a dark enough 470 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:37,360 place, you can see the countless stars and the, the sky and, and 471 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:39,720 the moon. And, and he knows, he's no doubt 472 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:42,960 reflecting that that my life is, is very immaterial. 473 00:28:42,960 --> 00:28:46,000 My life is just but a vapor. It's here today. 474 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,280 It's it's gone tomorrow. And so he's wrestling in this 475 00:28:49,280 --> 00:28:53,040 moment with with his significance and maybe even more 476 00:28:53,040 --> 00:28:57,120 so wrestling with the fact of God's possible notice and 477 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,680 attention of him. Right. 478 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:04,520 Who am I that you right? Why? 479 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,640 Why would God be mindful? The word mindful there is Why 480 00:29:07,680 --> 00:29:10,880 would God mark? Why would God mark me as 481 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:14,400 something significant? Why would Why would God Remember 482 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:15,880 Me? Why would God mention me? 483 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,400 Even the word means Why would God memorialize? 484 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:24,840 Why would God memorialize man and the word he uses for man is 485 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,480 not the same Hebrew word that we have in in the man's weakness, 486 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:31,160 which gives us insight really to how the psalmist is feeling at 487 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,120 this moment. He's he's not using the word 488 00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:35,360 Adam as man. He's looking at himself as that 489 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:40,400 frail, mortal, weak human being. Why would God remember and 490 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:44,200 mention and mark me, why would God visit such a man? 491 00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:47,560 When he talks about why would God visit him, it's it's 492 00:29:47,560 --> 00:29:50,720 alluding to the fact why would God visit him for any occasion 493 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,000 not not just to bless. Why would God even give him a 494 00:29:54,000 --> 00:29:57,840 visit if he wanted to judge Why, why would he even be, you know, 495 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:00,960 to a place that God would even visit him with judgment. 496 00:30:01,200 --> 00:30:04,240 I mean, God shouldn't even waste his time on that because this is 497 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,440 just man. Man isn't even even worth a 498 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:11,320 hostile visitation from God. And yet as he describes the 499 00:30:11,320 --> 00:30:14,440 heavens as the work, notice what the psalmist said. 500 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,080 He said the heavens being like the work of God's fingers. 501 00:30:18,080 --> 00:30:21,080 We got to understand that man is too. 502 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:28,200 And as he begins to recognize man is is made, he's created 503 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,880 just slightly lower than the angels or or more specifically 504 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,360 slightly lower than the heavenly bodies. 505 00:30:34,360 --> 00:30:38,920 And he begins to talk about and God has crowned him with glory, 506 00:30:39,120 --> 00:30:44,000 a man in honor, or if I can say God has ascribed to man worth. 507 00:30:46,040 --> 00:30:49,720 Why? He tells us, Because that man 508 00:30:50,360 --> 00:30:56,400 has been created with a purpose. I've given man dominion. 509 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:02,560 Can I tell you today that there is a concept behind the artwork? 510 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:08,720 Before Jeremiah was born, he said I was ordained a prophet 511 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:13,800 before he was ever born, before John the Baptist's mother, 512 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:18,360 Elizabeth even conceived him. Before she even conceived him, 513 00:31:18,600 --> 00:31:23,000 the Bible declares that he was determined as being great in the 514 00:31:23,000 --> 00:31:27,440 sight of the Lord, consecrated and controlled by the Holy Ghost 515 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,880 before he was even conceived. Does someone hear me? 516 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,880 He's not forming yet, and his mother's womb, not the first 517 00:31:34,880 --> 00:31:38,520 cell, has split. And God has purpose for John the 518 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:45,360 Baptist before the conception, the Bible says even of Samson, 519 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:50,320 the Bible tells us before he was conceived, he was projected to 520 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:55,600 be a Nazarite from birth, and he was declared to be a deliverer 521 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,160 for the children of Israel from the Philistines. 522 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:04,120 Before one bit of bone, sinew, or heartbeat happened, God had a 523 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:09,080 purpose for him, the Bible says in Isaiah 49, and one that God 524 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:12,840 called Isaiah from his mother's womb. 525 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,960 What are all these things saying, John the Baptist, 526 00:32:16,080 --> 00:32:17,920 Samson, what are all these things saying? 527 00:32:17,920 --> 00:32:20,680 I tell you what they're saying. They're telling me that all 528 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:25,760 these things point to purpose. Before there was a body, before 529 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,040 there was a disposition, before there was a countenance, before 530 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,880 there was a big head and little feet, before there was any, if 531 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:34,880 you will, identifier of a sin physical body. 532 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:39,840 God was speaking purpose over them because God had a purpose 533 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:43,360 for them before their bodies and their personalities were even 534 00:32:43,360 --> 00:32:52,360 constructed, before they were introduced to the world, before 535 00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,960 the opinions of me and Kang, before the performance of that 536 00:32:55,960 --> 00:32:58,680 individual happened. God says I got purpose. 537 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,080 I got a concept behind my artwork. 538 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:10,320 I know you think it's a banana tape to a wall, but it's so much 539 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:15,440 more than that. Come on, Say man. 540 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,880 So then other people, others of us, I don't mind taking this 541 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:23,560 jacket off and on because I'm up here sweating. 542 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:29,440 Others of us for the reefs. We cloak ourself. 543 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:34,480 We go back to the achievements with what we've done, good or 544 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:36,680 bad. But seems like when we have low 545 00:33:36,680 --> 00:33:44,160 self worth, it's with the bad. We identify ourselves according 546 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:50,120 to what we've done. Listen to pastor tonight. 547 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:55,600 Just because you've made a mistake, does it make you a 548 00:33:55,800 --> 00:34:07,410 mistake? And the evidences of us cloaking 549 00:34:07,410 --> 00:34:11,409 ourself in these negative things, I think then are are 550 00:34:11,409 --> 00:34:14,690 revealed in in the power of forgiveness. 551 00:34:16,050 --> 00:34:19,650 Because whenever we receive forgiveness of our sins, 552 00:34:19,650 --> 00:34:24,480 transgressions, mistakes, XYZ, when we receive forgiveness of 553 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:28,719 those, the Bible tells us that God takes those and cast them 554 00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:34,679 into the depths of the sea. So if all of those mistakes had 555 00:34:34,679 --> 00:34:39,080 been my cloak of identity, hear me, all those have been my cloak 556 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:43,040 of identity and forgiveness comes, you know, here's Hattie 557 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,239 over here. Whatever horrible things she's 558 00:34:45,239 --> 00:34:51,360 done in life, it's her identity that you know, her mistakes of 559 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:55,639 she's been, she's a mistake. Then when forgiveness comes, God 560 00:34:55,639 --> 00:35:00,720 says, I'm taking all of that. I'm unveiling, I'm unveiling the 561 00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:05,280 real you behind all of that. And I'm casting this over here 562 00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:08,960 in the depths of the sea not to be remembered again. 563 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,960 And so we lose the very things that we used and allowed and 564 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:17,240 permitted to identify us. And people didn't feel very 565 00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:24,240 vulnerable because having been covered and known by those 566 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:28,120 things for so long, there's a vulnerability now that happens. 567 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,000 But that's why you don't stay uncloaked. 568 00:35:35,200 --> 00:35:40,360 The Bible says that when we take on Christ, we've been as many 569 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:45,680 have been baptized in Christ, have put on Christ, He gives us 570 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:49,000 a new identity. The apostle Paul said in 571 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:53,240 Galatians 220, he says in a phrase there, the life which I 572 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:57,760 now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God. 573 00:35:58,040 --> 00:36:01,280 Here's where I find we are sometimes even as a church, and 574 00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:03,840 it grieves my heart. But today's church is vulnerable 575 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:09,800 because society at large has been conditioned to be built up 576 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:14,760 and propped up. And, and, and I don't have 577 00:36:15,280 --> 00:36:17,760 nothing against biblical scriptural edification. 578 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:20,440 The Bible says even the gifts of the Spirit need to be used for 579 00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:22,840 edification or for building up the body or building up one 580 00:36:22,840 --> 00:36:24,600 another. But there's a difference in that 581 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,520 and also Christ's identification. 582 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:31,840 Come and hear me. We can't come to church and then 583 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:37,120 just barter with identity from the church people that we attend 584 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:41,360 with for our identity. No, I can't. 585 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:43,640 I can't. Like Sister Sheila, you know, 586 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:46,200 for a good price, or maybe you'll be good to share. 587 00:36:46,200 --> 00:36:49,800 Just share the identity you have so I can cook. 588 00:36:49,800 --> 00:36:52,320 No, it don't work. Like you can't barter identity 589 00:36:52,320 --> 00:36:54,080 from somebody else or from the church for you. 590 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:58,600 What you need is an experience you need. 591 00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:01,120 You've had the creation experience, but you need the new 592 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:03,760 creation experience. Satisfied them belonging and the 593 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:05,160 belonging. Amen. 594 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:08,040 That being loved and appreciated for who you are. 595 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:11,800 Pastor Antonio, Yeah, I work in cahoots with him. 596 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:15,040 When I, I do book reviews, some people don't know that, but I do 597 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:17,520 book reviews for a company called the Apostolic Review. 598 00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:23,440 And Pastor Antonio Mancino is known as the book mentor. 599 00:37:23,440 --> 00:37:25,800 That's his name. And so he shared this the other 600 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:26,880 day. That's probably been some time 601 00:37:26,880 --> 00:37:28,680 ago now. He said if you're looking for 602 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:32,280 some good sections of scripture to determine your identity in 603 00:37:32,280 --> 00:37:35,760 Christ, he said, check out Ephesians one because it's 604 00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:38,080 there. We find that we're chosen, we're 605 00:37:38,080 --> 00:37:42,800 loved, we're adopted, we're redeemed, we're forgiven by God, 606 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:45,160 we're seen as holy and blameless. 607 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:49,640 He said, Ephesians chapter #2 that we're alive, we're saved, 608 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:53,480 we're raised up, we're seated with Christ in heavenly places, 609 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:58,040 and 1st Peter chapter #2 that were a chosen race, a royal 610 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,400 priesthood, a holy nation, a people that's for God's own 611 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:07,040 possession. It's the art of purpose. 612 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,720 It's the concept behind you. What's the purpose, what's the 613 00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:15,320 meaning, what's the intention that God had behind devising you 614 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:19,640 to live in this time among these people in this era? 615 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:27,080 And I won't hold you much longer, but we are more than 616 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:33,360 what we or other people see. There's going to be people and 617 00:38:33,360 --> 00:38:35,360 they're going to fail to they're they're they're going to 618 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,640 misunderstand and fail to appreciate your value. 619 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:44,160 Listen to Pastor Knight, their interpretations do not diminish 620 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,600 the design that God has placed behind. 621 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:56,240 People may not always understand who we are, why you were 622 00:38:56,240 --> 00:39:00,280 created, but that doesn't change the truth that say the psalmist 623 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:03,160 said. We are fearfully and wonderfully 624 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:09,120 made with a purpose ordained by God before even time, before we 625 00:39:09,120 --> 00:39:11,200 were even created in our mother's womb. 626 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:14,280 God has imprinted you. You need to understand this 627 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:17,800 tonight. God has imprinted you with His 628 00:39:17,800 --> 00:39:19,120 worth. Amen. 629 00:39:19,240 --> 00:39:23,600 He's given you value that is beyond what the world can see. 630 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,040 Why? Because you're connected to the 631 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,600 life and the purpose of Christ. If you'll stand with me tonight. 632 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,080 So what we need to do is we leave this place. 633 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,440 This is this is number 4 lesson of all this. 634 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:36,360 So you haven't heard the other three go back and encourage you 635 00:39:36,360 --> 00:39:38,800 to listen to them. But what we need to do tonight 636 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:41,080 and we can just close our eyes right now in this moment. 637 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:45,880 We need as we leave, we we need to focus on the one true source 638 00:39:45,880 --> 00:39:50,520 of value and that that is our God, our creator, our Redeemer. 639 00:39:50,520 --> 00:39:53,280 And you need to ask yourself this question as you leave here 640 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:56,120 tonight. Am I walking in the purpose that 641 00:39:56,120 --> 00:40:00,920 God has for me? How am I walking in the purpose 642 00:40:00,920 --> 00:40:04,560 that God has for me? And if you're not, you need to 643 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:08,560 commit tonight that I'm going to walk in the good works that God 644 00:40:08,560 --> 00:40:15,640 had prepared for me. We talk, I think about this all 645 00:40:15,640 --> 00:40:17,960 times. And God could have had you born 646 00:40:17,960 --> 00:40:22,800 in any generation. God could have had you born in 647 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:28,560 any time, but God had you born today in this generation. 648 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:33,440 With purpose and reason. And So what I'm challenging you 649 00:40:33,440 --> 00:40:39,760 to do is to step into that purpose, knowing that the one 650 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:43,640 who has created you, he's got all the tools necessary for the 651 00:40:43,760 --> 00:40:49,200 equipping or the empowering of you to fulfill the concept 652 00:40:49,200 --> 00:40:53,040 behind you as his artwork. You need to embrace who you are 653 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:55,960 in Christ Jesus. Embrace who you are as a 654 00:40:55,960 --> 00:40:58,720 creation of God. You need to walk confidently out 655 00:40:58,720 --> 00:41:03,600 here tonight with value. Value that not you've assigned 656 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:06,400 to you, Not value what other people have assigned to you. 657 00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:10,000 Not value that your performance have assigned to you, but value 658 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:16,760 that God has assigned to you. There's purpose behind this 659 00:41:16,760 --> 00:41:21,400 workmanship and that workmanship is these altars are open 660 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:23,480 tonight. Maybe someone wants to be a 661 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:26,000 psalmist tonight and wrestle on this altar and say, God, will I 662 00:41:26,000 --> 00:41:29,680 consider this of you and that of you and all of these things that 663 00:41:29,680 --> 00:41:30,880 are the workings of your fingers. 664 00:41:30,880 --> 00:41:33,960 Maybe someone needs to wrestle around with that, ponder with 665 00:41:33,960 --> 00:41:36,200 that, as you say, God, why would you visit me? 666 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:37,840 Why would you be? Why would you mark me? 667 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:40,400 Why would you mention me? And you come to the conclusion 668 00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:44,320 and understand it's more than just about how I appear and how 669 00:41:44,320 --> 00:41:47,600 I function. It's God has purpose embedded in 670 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,760 me. God has concept and desire. 671 00:41:51,960 --> 00:41:56,600 He has intention in me. God worked that intention out in 672 00:41:56,600 --> 00:41:59,000 my life. God help me, Lord, to walk. 673 00:41:59,320 --> 00:42:03,040 Lord, in the purpose that you have placed upon my life, God, 674 00:42:03,040 --> 00:42:06,240 that you even placed there for some God, and I say no doubt, 675 00:42:06,240 --> 00:42:09,720 probably most of us, God, before we were ever conceived. 676 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,600 God, you had Paul McGee, Lord on your mind before he existed in 677 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:16,640 his mother's womb. You had purpose for him. 678 00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:23,640 God values you tonight. Reject the reject the narratives 679 00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:27,040 heavens try to place on you. Reject the negativity you try to 680 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:30,280 place on yourself. You've been created of God. 681 00:42:31,120 --> 00:42:34,200 You've been born again. You've been recreated by God. 682 00:42:36,080 --> 00:42:38,640 Hallelujah. You're his hand. 683 00:42:38,640 --> 00:42:41,360 You're the you're the worth of his hand, so to speak. 684 00:42:42,200 --> 00:42:46,280 You're the work of his mind and the intense You're here right 685 00:42:46,280 --> 00:42:49,200 now for a purpose. You're here right now in the 686 00:42:49,200 --> 00:42:52,640 service for purpose. You're hearing from this world, 687 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:57,600 serving in your life right now with intentions of heaven down 688 00:42:57,680 --> 00:43:00,200 upon you. Hallelujah. 689 00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:05,400 Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. 690 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,840 Hallelujah, Brother Mason. I love you, Jesus. 691 00:43:15,880 --> 00:43:17,440 Come on, quit beating yourself down. 692 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:23,600 Why I'm not fixed by quit Quit short selling your value.