1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,400 I'm very excited to be here by excited. 2 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:14,700 I mean extremely terrified. And like Glenn called out the 3 00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:18,100 life group is a life group and friends are here tonight to 4 00:00:18,100 --> 00:00:20,300 support. And I just want to make mention. 5 00:00:20,300 --> 00:00:21,900 Most of them are yet to support me. 6 00:00:22,100 --> 00:00:23,400 There's a few that just take joy. 7 00:00:23,400 --> 00:00:28,000 In seeing me in an uncomfortable position, but I appreciate it. 8 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,600 Nonetheless. Yeah. 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:34,000 So I want to start with one scripture. 10 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:38,700 If we can put it up at Psalm, 34:18 that says, he is close to 11 00:00:38,700 --> 00:00:40,500 the Brokenhearted and saves those. 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,200 Those who are crushed in spirit and I just want to keep it up 13 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,400 there for the majority of this preach. 14 00:00:48,300 --> 00:00:52,400 And I want to share with you. One of the first encounters I 15 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,000 had with Rory about six years ago and I'm pretty sure he has 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:59,600 no recollection of it. But I was in Brooklyn Mall. 17 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,800 One day with a colleague of mine having coffee. 18 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,099 And we were in a very heated discussion about what was going 19 00:01:05,099 --> 00:01:10,900 on in the business and Rory kind of walked behind my Fourth. 20 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:13,700 And I didn't notice him at first, and, like, at the Apex of 21 00:01:13,700 --> 00:01:16,500 my frustration. In this conversation, I just 22 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:21,400 belted out this certain four-letter, word, and it wasn't 23 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:27,000 fluffy are, but funny enough, as that word rolled off my tongue. 24 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,400 I looked up and I just locked eyes with Rory. 25 00:01:30,900 --> 00:01:34,200 And in the movies like everything just went slow motion 26 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,200 and the one half of me is thinking my pasta. 27 00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:42,100 We I've just joined the church a couple of weeks, a couple of 28 00:01:42,100 --> 00:01:44,900 months, the other half of me is thinking while you've committed 29 00:01:44,900 --> 00:01:46,400 so you know, just see it through. 30 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:52,400 And so, the word rolls off my tongue, he walks by, he has his 31 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:55,400 coffee and a couple of minutes later, he just comes over 32 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,600 shakes. My hand gently and we have a 33 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:02,800 chat and we go our ways and Six years ago, in that moment, if 34 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,800 you told me that he would call me up and ask me to come preach 35 00:02:06,300 --> 00:02:09,300 over here in front of you, I probably would have told you to 36 00:02:09,300 --> 00:02:17,600 flip off, you know, butt in that 2 seconds 3 seconds, that I 37 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,300 locked eyes with Rory and that happened. 38 00:02:19,300 --> 00:02:23,000 That was a moment of weakness in my eyes, right? 39 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:25,800 That he witness. And every time I've seen Rory 40 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:28,200 for the past six years, the first thing I think of when I 41 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:33,000 see him is that moment And I'm reminded of that moment and 42 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:36,500 every time I feel shy and I feel insecure about it and he might 43 00:02:36,500 --> 00:02:39,000 not even remember it or even notice that it happened for that 44 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,300 matter, but it took hold of me for six years. 45 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:46,100 And it's been with me. And every time I see him, I've 46 00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:49,900 got this notion that he's got a negative opinion about me about 47 00:02:49,900 --> 00:02:53,200 that moment. So when I started preparing for 48 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:56,800 what I would say tonight that got me thinking I started 49 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:01,200 thinking as far back as I could about all the moments and Events 50 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,900 in my life that I could remember that had the same effect on me. 51 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,200 We're moments of weakness have stayed with me for so long that 52 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,300 it deceived me into believing what type of person I was or 53 00:03:13,300 --> 00:03:17,800 would become So I started thinking about high school, high 54 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:19,400 school was an amazing time for me. 55 00:03:19,500 --> 00:03:23,100 Probably five best years. I could ask why I attended one 56 00:03:23,100 --> 00:03:24,500 of the best schools in the country. 57 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,300 I played a team rugby all the way to my trick. 58 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:31,200 Played first team rugby, 18 water, polo First Team Water, 59 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,900 Polo water, polo captain, my grades were good ish, they were 60 00:03:34,900 --> 00:03:39,100 good enough. I had great friends, I dated the 61 00:03:39,100 --> 00:03:41,600 popular girls but they had nothing on you, babe. 62 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,700 You know I got along with the teachers the parents and I was 63 00:03:49,700 --> 00:03:53,300 very confident in who I was and everything that I did extremely 64 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:55,900 confident. Then I started thinking about 65 00:03:55,900 --> 00:03:58,900 the next phase of my life high school went by and I went to 66 00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:02,200 University and it wasn't quite the same story. 67 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:05,600 I stopped playing sport at some point. 68 00:04:05,600 --> 00:04:07,800 I stopped going to my classes at one point. 69 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,000 I didn't even bother showing up for my taste. 70 00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:14,500 I faked report cards. I started partying way too much. 71 00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:17,600 I got in car accidents, I got arrested relationships with 72 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,300 friends, broke down, and eventually I dropped out of 73 00:04:20,300 --> 00:04:23,300 University. I took on odd jobs part time, 74 00:04:23,300 --> 00:04:26,400 jobs that friends gave me, but nothing promising of a real 75 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,600 future. But even though that was going 76 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,800 on, I was still confident in who I was and what my beliefs were, 77 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:32,600 you know? I had this. 78 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,500 Nothing could phase me mentality. 79 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:40,100 That life was just going to work out, so I was happy but as I was 80 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:42,200 saying. So from this One Direction in my 81 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,000 life, All the friends that I knew over a couple of years from 82 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:48,800 school, they were kind of on the straight and narrow. 83 00:04:48,900 --> 00:04:51,300 They all moved forward. They finished University. 84 00:04:52,100 --> 00:04:55,200 They got jobs, they moved into their own places. 85 00:04:55,900 --> 00:04:58,300 Some of them got married, early, some of them turning to sports 86 00:04:58,300 --> 00:05:01,000 stars, which you all know very well, and they were all making a 87 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,600 success of themselves. And this is where that 88 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:06,500 confidence. I had in myself started changing 89 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:10,300 within me and I fell into a trap like, some of us do throughout 90 00:05:10,300 --> 00:05:13,700 our life because I started looking at everyone Around me 91 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,400 and I started placing more value on other people's opinions than 92 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,700 I did on the only opinion, that really matters, the only one 93 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:23,400 that ever has mattered and it never will matter. 94 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,800 And that's the opinion of God on me. 95 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,000 And the worst thing about it is, I didn't even place value on 96 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:32,100 other people's opinions of me, because I'm pretty sure they 97 00:05:32,100 --> 00:05:34,000 didn't really have opinions about me. 98 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,700 The opinions. Were I placed value on perceived 99 00:05:37,700 --> 00:05:41,700 opinions because of what the world led me to believe was the 100 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:45,100 standard or the norm. So in my mind, I started 101 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:47,500 believing that people judge me because I was in achieving the 102 00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:50,500 same successes as they were and it wasn't their opinion. 103 00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:54,900 It was an opinion that I decided on their behalf and I started 104 00:05:54,900 --> 00:05:58,000 believing it pretty much the same way that day in Brooklyn, 105 00:05:58,100 --> 00:06:00,400 you know, it's probably gone over his head, the past six 106 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,500 years, but I've always believed that he has an opinion about me 107 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:06,800 about it, so it was a lie that I believe because the world wanted 108 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,200 me to believe it and there's a saying that goes comparison is 109 00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,100 the thief of joy. And this is our clever. 110 00:06:14,100 --> 00:06:17,400 The enemy is that I thought of we don't need actual people or 111 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:19,700 events to tell us or show us things to trigger our 112 00:06:19,707 --> 00:06:24,700 insecurities because it's easily accessible every single day, 113 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:26,900 right? If you think of yourself own 114 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:29,900 Instagram, Tick-Tock Facebook, YouTube, all of that stuff. 115 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,100 When we look at that, always sees the best of the best. 116 00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:36,800 The prettiest, the funniest, the wealthiest, the most athletic, 117 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:38,700 the most talented, the most successful. 118 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,200 And the more, we look at that, we kind of go from. 119 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,900 Wow, look at that. That I wish that was me to 120 00:06:44,900 --> 00:06:47,700 eventually going. Wow, look at that. 121 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:50,900 That will never be me. And that light takes a hold of 122 00:06:50,900 --> 00:06:58,900 us and At some stage, I started to believe that and we believe 123 00:06:58,900 --> 00:07:02,000 that because we are not that we are the lesser the weaker, the 124 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:05,800 uglier, the poorer, the untalented, the failures, the 125 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:10,300 Unworthy, and the unqualified. And we place more value on 126 00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:13,500 perceived opinions, than on God's opinion of us. 127 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:17,100 And I did this for many years and started molding me into this 128 00:07:17,100 --> 00:07:19,000 person that I didn't want to be a person. 129 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,700 I never was, I became shy. I became fearful doubtful 130 00:07:24,900 --> 00:07:30,600 extremely introverted, and I too became brokenhearted and crushed 131 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,700 in spirit. And I feel like so many of us 132 00:07:33,700 --> 00:07:36,000 are sitting here with one or many moments that have 133 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:38,600 wrongfully and deceitfully defined. 134 00:07:38,700 --> 00:07:44,100 Us. and that has broken us and crushed Us in spirit and it's 135 00:07:44,100 --> 00:07:48,700 taken us down a path further and further away from God, And 136 00:07:48,700 --> 00:07:51,700 because we walk around holding on to those moments just like I 137 00:07:51,700 --> 00:07:54,300 did. And still do we feel unworthy 138 00:07:54,300 --> 00:07:58,900 and unqualified? Especially unqualified to be 139 00:07:58,900 --> 00:08:02,900 called on by God or even unqualified just to approach God 140 00:08:03,300 --> 00:08:09,000 or unworthy to accept God. Even just unworthy to let God 141 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,900 in, right? We sit behind closed doors. 142 00:08:11,900 --> 00:08:14,500 While God is knocking it. We feel too broken to open the 143 00:08:14,500 --> 00:08:20,100 door to unqualified and unworthy to sit in his presence now. 144 00:08:20,100 --> 00:08:24,000 Fast-forward, six years from that day, in that moment with 145 00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:29,800 Rory and Brooklyn, we read Royal Danish one evening and I bump 146 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:32,200 into Rory. Once again, and I'm walking out 147 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,000 feeling extremely guilty about my three scoops of ice, cream, 148 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,100 and caramel. Source dreams, but then, as soon 149 00:08:39,100 --> 00:08:41,700 as I see, Rory, pull up. I'm like, well, the past is your 150 00:08:41,700 --> 00:08:43,299 so ice cream must be good for the soul. 151 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,700 So, I didn't feel guilty about that anymore, and we started 152 00:08:48,700 --> 00:08:51,700 chatting and randomly Roy asked me. 153 00:08:51,700 --> 00:08:53,000 Have you ever thought about preaching? 154 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,700 And I'm like, wow, so I say to him funny enough, I have been 155 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:00,900 for a very long time for many years but it's not something 156 00:09:00,900 --> 00:09:04,100 that I would do out of my own. I'd never pursue it because of 157 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,600 how insecure and shy and doubtful, and fearful I've 158 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,300 become because it's way out of my comfort zone, so it's never 159 00:09:12,300 --> 00:09:16,500 going to happen. And besides that, I look at 160 00:09:16,500 --> 00:09:19,800 people every week of year. We have Rory, and Stephen, and 161 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,100 Clinton Mel, we have these Godly men and women standing here 162 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:27,600 sharing the Of God. So I'm not as qualified as they 163 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:28,600 are. You know? 164 00:09:28,900 --> 00:09:30,600 How am I going to live up to that? 165 00:09:30,700 --> 00:09:32,600 Never going to happen. Another things. 166 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,600 Enjoy your ice cream chairs. Okay. 167 00:09:35,900 --> 00:09:44,800 So A few moments shortly after that while I was still being my 168 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,600 soul is being nourished by my third scoop of Copenhagen. 169 00:09:48,300 --> 00:09:53,200 God, put something on my heart and what he put was God doesn't 170 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:58,300 use the qualified. He uses the willing the sea God 171 00:09:58,300 --> 00:10:00,600 doesn't only call a select few of us. 172 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,100 He calls all of us. He's placed a calling in your 173 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:06,800 heart, in all of your hearts in some shape or form, it's 174 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,100 different for all of us, but it's there. 175 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:13,700 And we think God only calls on the qualified or the worthy to 176 00:10:13,700 --> 00:10:18,000 share his gospel. God doesn't call the qualified. 177 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,700 He calls the willing And we suppress that calling from God 178 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:25,600 because through certain moments of weakness in our past, we've 179 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,200 been led to believe. We are not good enough to live 180 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,800 up to that. We compare ourselves to those 181 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:34,100 who have been called and we say that will never be us because of 182 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:37,900 my broken heart, my crush Spirit my damaged goods. 183 00:10:38,100 --> 00:10:42,500 I'm not equipped to be cold. But here's the kicker. 184 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,400 God doesn't use the qualified, he uses the Willing, he doesn't 185 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,100 call the equipped, he equips the cold. 186 00:10:52,300 --> 00:10:55,100 And you don't need to be perfect to be used by God because he 187 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:58,200 says through your own path, imperfections, he will perfectly 188 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,100 equip you. And here's a few examples of how 189 00:11:01,100 --> 00:11:05,300 God uses broken things. He uses broken soil to produce, 190 00:11:05,300 --> 00:11:10,200 crops broken clouds to give rain broken grain to give bread 191 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:14,500 broken bread to give strength and broken people to do great 192 00:11:14,500 --> 00:11:20,900 things. So throughout the Bible, we see 193 00:11:20,900 --> 00:11:23,500 God using imperfect people for the sake of his mission, to 194 00:11:23,508 --> 00:11:26,600 bring hope to the world. And sometimes it's difficult to 195 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:30,700 understand, why he used the certain people that he did. 196 00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:36,600 And he didn't call the popular, the reach, the successful, you 197 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:38,800 know, the funniest of Base to further his ministry. 198 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,900 But he called the poor. He called the broken, he called 199 00:11:42,900 --> 00:11:47,100 the faithful and I can only imagine how confused like the 200 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:50,000 Pharisees and religious leaders must Have been while looking at 201 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,300 the team of people that the Proclaim savior had gathered 202 00:11:53,300 --> 00:11:55,800 together. They were a team of Misfits with 203 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,500 nothing to lose, but everything to gain for God. 204 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,800 And from an outside perspective, we can see it didn't matter. 205 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,900 What the past was, you know, it didn't matter where they were 206 00:12:06,900 --> 00:12:10,900 from, what they've done who they were used to be, Jesus used all 207 00:12:10,900 --> 00:12:14,900 people for the good of his will and if you don't believe me, we 208 00:12:14,900 --> 00:12:18,400 can have a look at it together. I found a few examples of people 209 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:22,600 that were used for the greatness of his glory and I tied for the 210 00:12:22,600 --> 00:12:24,500 gods broken soldiers, if you will. 211 00:12:25,100 --> 00:12:28,200 So Abraham was old. Elijah was depressed and 212 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,400 suicidal. Joseph was abused job went 213 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:34,400 bankrupt. Moses had a speech problem 214 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:37,100 Gideon was afraid. Samson was a womanizer. 215 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:40,700 Rahab was a prostitute. The Samaritan woman that Jesus 216 00:12:40,700 --> 00:12:44,500 met at the well was divorced? Noah was a drunk. 217 00:12:44,500 --> 00:12:47,100 Jeremiah Was Young, Jacob was a cheetah. 218 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:50,300 David was a murderer Jonah ran from God. 219 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:55,300 Naomi was a widow Peter denied Christ, three times, Martha 220 00:12:55,300 --> 00:12:58,500 worried about everything, Zacchaeus Was small and 221 00:12:58,500 --> 00:13:01,600 money-hungry. The disciples fell asleep while 222 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,300 praying and Paul was a Pharisee who persecuted Christians before 223 00:13:05,300 --> 00:13:08,400 becoming one. These are the type of people 224 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:14,200 that God used and called upon And Romans 8:28 says and we know 225 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,000 that in all things, God works for the good of those who love 226 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,100 him, who have been called according to his purpose. 227 00:13:21,500 --> 00:13:24,400 And if you ever feel like you aren't worthy enough to be used 228 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:26,800 by God, let alone loved by him. Just remember that. 229 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:29,700 Jesus used a bunch of floor people to share hope with a 230 00:13:29,700 --> 00:13:34,900 flawed world. In God, we find renewal we find 231 00:13:34,900 --> 00:13:38,800 mending, we find purpose. Jesus didn't call on the 232 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:42,100 equipped. He equipped the cold and no 233 00:13:42,100 --> 00:13:44,300 matter where you've been through, what you've been 234 00:13:44,300 --> 00:13:46,000 through in life. Remember that the same power 235 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:51,100 that conquered the grave lives in each one of us You are worthy 236 00:13:51,100 --> 00:13:54,600 of life. You are worthy of God's love, 237 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:59,000 you are worthy of joy. You are worthy of fulfilling 238 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,500 purpose that will take you to places. 239 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,200 You've never imagined of reaching God doesn't use the 240 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:11,400 qualified, he uses the willing. So a few years ago by, after all 241 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,300 of my partying and dropping out of University and so forth and I 242 00:14:15,300 --> 00:14:18,000 get to a place eventually in my life 12 years ago where I 243 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:23,400 decided to get baptized. And again, this was a pivotal 244 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,700 moment in my life, where things inside of me, started to change. 245 00:14:27,800 --> 00:14:30,200 But things didn't change overnight for me, it didn't go 246 00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:32,600 from all this chaos in my life to getting baptized. 247 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,200 And now all of a sudden everything was just perfect. 248 00:14:35,200 --> 00:14:38,800 And it also didn't happen that after my baptism, I got rid of 249 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,200 all of these things that kind of held me captive. 250 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:44,700 You know, I didn't get rid of being shy and introvert being 251 00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:46,500 fearful and doubtful and all of that. 252 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:51,700 But on that day, when I got baptized, I did make a decision 253 00:14:52,500 --> 00:14:54,900 saying to God. I might not feel qualified and 254 00:14:54,900 --> 00:15:01,900 equipped, but I am willing. And that was 12 years ago, as 255 00:15:01,900 --> 00:15:05,000 Rory, and Clint mentioned and some way around the same time 256 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,100 that I got baptized. Somebody had a pray for me, and 257 00:15:07,100 --> 00:15:10,100 they prayed over my life, saying that there's a big calling that 258 00:15:10,100 --> 00:15:14,100 God has on my life, and I felt it in that moment and then I 259 00:15:14,108 --> 00:15:18,500 didn't know what it was. And I might not know right now 260 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:21,900 100% stole what it is, but I do know it's there, right? 261 00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:25,500 That's there. And I'm in a place in my life 262 00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:28,300 where I'm still not confident enough to take the first step or 263 00:15:28,300 --> 00:15:30,400 put up my hand or Take a leap of faith. 264 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:37,000 I won't be the first one to step onto a dance floor, but what I 265 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,200 came to realize a very long time ago, is that I don't have to be 266 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:44,000 that person. See it's not easy to let go of. 267 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,600 All those years of moments and weakness, that tie us down and 268 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,900 hold us back. But when we are willing God can 269 00:15:49,900 --> 00:15:55,700 do that for us. And I also want to make mention 270 00:15:55,700 --> 00:15:58,800 because this is something that came up probably more than a 271 00:15:58,808 --> 00:16:04,000 year ago with these four gentlemen, Dimitri re Gary and 272 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:08,600 Dean one of my favorite quotes is that may need other men to do 273 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:12,600 what God has called main to do. And you for guys have been 274 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:19,300 amazing. Support structure and influence 275 00:16:19,300 --> 00:16:22,300 in my life individually and collectively that has led up to 276 00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:24,800 this moment right now. And what I shared with them one 277 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:28,300 night is we were sitting around a fire and I just had this 278 00:16:28,300 --> 00:16:30,600 feeling where I said and I think about it. 279 00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:32,900 Like I don't know if you've ever been bungee jumping or 280 00:16:32,900 --> 00:16:36,700 skydiving, but I'm that person in the airplane, when they open 281 00:16:36,700 --> 00:16:39,400 the door I'm out. Like they have to hold me back 282 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,200 and say, hey, whoa! Just you know, I'm there but 283 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,900 taking this step of I know God, Is called me. 284 00:16:46,900 --> 00:16:51,100 I'm not that person. I'm too reserved and being held 285 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:55,800 by everything to do that on my own and I said to them I can't 286 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,800 do that in my own strength. But what I am willing to do is 287 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:03,000 walk to the door and just accept to be pushed. 288 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:07,000 I won't jump out of My Own Strength, but I'm willing to let 289 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:11,200 it go and say, God, if you want me to jump, I'm willing for you 290 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,500 to push me. And I would have never 291 00:17:15,500 --> 00:17:18,300 approached Rory and said, hey Rory, I'd like to preach one 292 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:21,800 Sunday night never, never never, but because I was willing to be 293 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,900 pushed. He worked through Rory and he 294 00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:27,099 called me out by name. And that's why I'm standing 295 00:17:27,099 --> 00:17:30,000 here, not because of my own strength, but because I was 296 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:37,600 willing, And I want to encourage you guys tonight. 297 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:41,600 If you feel broken hearted or crushed in spirit tied down, and 298 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,100 held captive by moments of weakness in your past. 299 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:48,300 If you feel unworthy, you feel unqualified and you feel 300 00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:53,400 unequipped, just be willing because God will do the rest. 301 00:17:56,100 --> 00:17:59,400 He's close to the Brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed 302 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:01,600 in spirit. He doesn't call the equip 303 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:03,900 equips. The cold, he doesn't use the 304 00:18:03,908 --> 00:18:09,000 qualified, he uses the willing, I'll tell you how amazing God is 305 00:18:09,100 --> 00:18:13,200 when we are willing because on that moment in my life, when I 306 00:18:13,208 --> 00:18:17,200 decided, I know out of My Own Strength, I cannot do this, but 307 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,000 I'm willing for God to push me, this is what he gave me. 308 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:25,100 After all that chaos dropping out of University, he gave me a 309 00:18:25,100 --> 00:18:28,300 job. He gave me a law degree, he gave 310 00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:30,700 me an amazing wife and a beautiful family. 311 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:36,200 He gave me multiple businesses. He gave me the best friends I 312 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:39,700 could ever ask for, he gave me Community, he gave me 313 00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:47,400 leadership, he gave me healing and he gave me joy. and I want 314 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:51,000 to close with this, we're in a season and a series of feasting 315 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:56,700 And in the season of feasting together, we are invited to sit 316 00:18:56,700 --> 00:19:01,000 around tables with each other to enjoy fellowship and to Feast on 317 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,500 God's promise for us. But some of us here feel that we 318 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:08,700 are to broken and too unworthy to be invited to the table. 319 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:13,600 We feel that we are too crushed in spirit to even contribute to 320 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,700 the table. So we shy away, we retract we 321 00:19:17,700 --> 00:19:25,000 placed perceived opinions of ourselves that tires down. 322 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,600 See when we sit around the table and we drop a plate or a glass 323 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,900 and it shatters, we quick to sweep it up, throw it away, and 324 00:19:33,900 --> 00:19:38,700 we replace it with something that is new and whole, we throw 325 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:41,700 it in the bin and we replace it because that moment that it 326 00:19:41,700 --> 00:19:43,500 breaks, it serves no more purpose. 327 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:47,800 It cannot hold the food or drink, we need to Feast on and 328 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:50,500 get nourished. So we throw it away and in the 329 00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:54,200 same way, we throw ourselves away because we are broken and 330 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,400 we believe we have no more purpose. 331 00:19:58,000 --> 00:19:59,400 You guys can put that picture up. 332 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,200 I don't know if you've ever heard of Kentucky, it's a 333 00:20:03,208 --> 00:20:06,700 Japanese art of repairing, broken pottery by mending the 334 00:20:06,700 --> 00:20:10,000 areas of breakage with liquid, gold silver or platinum. 335 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:14,000 And as a philosophy, a treats breakage and repair as part of 336 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:18,200 the history of an object rather than something to disguise, its 337 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:22,500 an embracing of the flawed or imperfect at values marks of way 338 00:20:22,500 --> 00:20:25,900 from the use of an object. And this can be seen as a 339 00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:28,100 rationale for keeping an object around. 340 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:32,000 Even after it has broken can also be understood as 341 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,700 highlighting, cracks and repairs as a vents in the life of an 342 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:40,100 object, and rather than allowing its surface to end at the time 343 00:20:40,300 --> 00:20:45,300 of its damage or breakage, It's believed that when broken items 344 00:20:45,300 --> 00:20:48,400 are repaired with gold or silver like this, that the floor 345 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:54,200 becomes unique, A Unique Piece Of The Objects history and the 346 00:20:54,200 --> 00:20:59,200 uniqueness adds to its beauty. Instead of being defined by 347 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,700 whatever cause you to be brokenhearted and crushed by 348 00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:05,900 spirit, I want to tell you that God creates Beauty through your 349 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:10,800 Brokenness, a uniqueness in you to be used. 350 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,500 And instead of throwing us away like a broken plate, that serves 351 00:21:14,500 --> 00:21:16,800 no more purpose. When we go through life and 352 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:20,600 encounter events that breaks us God walks behind us and every 353 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:24,200 time we break or something, chirps, he picks up those broken 354 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:28,000 pieces one by one. And he just Just waits for the 355 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,700 day until we are willing. Because we cannot repair 356 00:21:33,700 --> 00:21:37,400 ourselves any more than a broken plate, can repair itself. 357 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,500 But when we are willing to be repaired, God shows up with all 358 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:45,000 those broken pieces and he mends them back together with the 359 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:48,700 skill of a Kentucky artist laced with gold. 360 00:21:48,700 --> 00:21:52,100 He will restore our imperfection so that we can be placed back on 361 00:21:52,100 --> 00:21:55,900 the table, and hold the food and drink that not only, we can 362 00:21:55,900 --> 00:21:58,300 Feast on. But also that we can hold the 363 00:21:58,308 --> 00:22:02,100 food and drink to serve others. So that they may eat and drink. 364 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:07,500 Can be nourished. He's close to the Brokenhearted 365 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:09,400 and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 366 00:22:10,100 --> 00:22:13,700 He doesn't call the equipped equips the cold. 367 00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:19,900 It doesn't use the qualified, he uses the willing So I want to 368 00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:22,800 encourage you tonight. Let go of events weaknesses 369 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,700 opinions and false beliefs that are dragging you down. 370 00:22:26,500 --> 00:22:29,800 They have wrongfully defined you through the world. 371 00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:33,900 Believe that you are worthy, believe that there is a calling 372 00:22:33,900 --> 00:22:36,700 on your life. You don't have to take the first 373 00:22:36,700 --> 00:22:39,200 step out of your own. I can testify to that. 374 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,000 You just have to be willing to be pushed. 375 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:48,000 Just open your heart and be willing to let God work in you. 376 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:52,500 It doesn't use the qualified, he uses the willing. 377 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:54,600 God bless you. God bless you.