1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,960 Welcome to the Illuminate Church podcast. 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:05,440 We hope today's message is encouraging to you. 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:13,640 When we started this series, I've been saying this throughout 4 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:14,800 the series. A little bit nervous. 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,840 About how this would go, would y'all stick? 6 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:18,640 Around for a 12 week. Series on mental. 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,920 Health or would you tap out when people leave the church but not 8 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:22,960 should? Not be to our. 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:26,480 Surprise, God has done amazing. Things during this series if. 10 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,200 It's been helpful to you. Would you just put your hand and 11 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,760 say me yes, Hallelujah me too, Hallelujah, Hallelujah Yeah. 12 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,720 In the middle of a mental health series, the Kingdom of God has 13 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:36,920 grown. Illuminate Church has grown 20% 14 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:38,960 attendance. Almost 20% attendance has grown. 15 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,720 But the most important number is that 73 people in the middle of 16 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:46,120 a mental health series got baptized into the faith and the 17 00:00:46,200 --> 00:00:48,240 by Jesus Christ. That's amazing. 18 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:51,480 Glory to God. Hundreds were safe. 19 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,560 It's an incredible thing. I want you to to also. 20 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,520 Know. Before we leave the series, we 21 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,640 have a resource page that will live on beyond the. 22 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:00,760 Series so that I was telling the 1st. 23 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,880 Service Hamilton. You know, Hamilton, I'm not 24 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,280 giving away my. Shot. 25 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,120 You that one, they show it every night, right? 26 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:10,480 He wrote it once. It took him 7. 27 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:12,400 Years he wrote it. Once and they show it every 28 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:13,840 night. We write these messages and they 29 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:15,120 go once. And they're done forever. 30 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,920 And we're like, that can't be. So we made a resource page for 31 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:20,600 you so that they live on an eternity. 32 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:21,520 Here. You got all these things. 33 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,200 You got local numbers. National numbers, you got 34 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,720 biblical. Encouragement right here in the 35 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,480 church that you can take some. Videos you can watch here, some 36 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:31,960 helpful scriptures to pray stuff about suicide is all here but 37 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:35,080 then at the top you say view all messages on YouTube and when 38 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,200 you. Click that button, it goes. 39 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,040 To this page right there and then you. 40 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:39,560 Have all the messages there. For you? 41 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,400 As resources, maybe for you, but maybe also for somebody else, 42 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,440 you're having a like. Dinner or lunch with them and 43 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,040 like, man, I'm really struggling with depression. 44 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,200 Like Oh my goodness, Pastor Christine preached the best 45 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:53,680 message ever preached on depression last Sunday. 46 00:01:53,920 --> 00:01:59,360 If you were here, I'm saying it the staff. 47 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:08,440 Is like that is yes Lord. I don't know what that was. 48 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,160 We'll go on. Anyways, these are all here for 49 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:12,000 you as resources. Don't let them just. 50 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:13,280 Be gone if you have. A friend. 51 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,120 If you have a need, go back and watch them again. 52 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:16,280 There's biblical. Truth in there. 53 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,000 That's meant to bring life in the middle of a mental health. 54 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:19,920 Crisis. Amen. 55 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,880 Well, at the very beginning of this. 56 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:26,000 I mean, this was August when we started y'all? 57 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,560 When we walked to this. The series we began with a 58 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,680 chorus of a song that inspired the series I want to. 59 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,680 Re bring those lyrics. Back up in front of you so that 60 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:38,400 you can see them again. The song. 61 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,840 Goes the chorus. I tell you that I'm whole. 62 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,280 But I'm still healing. I tell you that I'm. 63 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:47,400 Happy, but actually I'm grieving. 64 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:50,040 Thought I was a. Fighter, I'm still in the fire, 65 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,520 but if I'm being honest, I'm not being honest. 66 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,160 I'll give you roses just. Hoping you don't see the. 67 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,680 Weeds in my garden and if I'm being. 68 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:01,440 Honest, I'm at my darkest. I'm. 69 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:02,760 Sitting here waiting and praying. 70 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:05,560 For someone to show me. What love is? 71 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:12,360 I'm just being honest. Is there anyone here who's 72 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,080 spouse or your children or your grandchildren or your Co 73 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,360 workers, your employer, your boss, your neighbors, you think 74 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,920 they could relate to these words? 75 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:27,280 Or maybe you can relate to these words. 76 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,200 You're waiting for someone to show you what love is. 77 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,720 And I pray and I hope that somewhere through the. 78 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:36,040 Series you bumped into the. Steadfast love of God, no matter 79 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:38,880 what you're walking through, you turn, you see He's never left 80 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:41,080 your side. Never will I leave you never 81 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,000 means never will I leave you. Never. 82 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,680 Will I forsake? You never means never. 83 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,760 I'm with you, I'm with you going through this. 84 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:51,840 All in week one we talked about the idea that it's. 85 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:55,160 OK to say you're not OK. The problem with the church is 86 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,800 we fake and put on these masks of Christianese with the 87 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:00,800 pressure of everyone else looking beautiful and wonderful 88 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,680 around us. Wow, you're everything. 89 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,680 Everything's great for you. So I'm going to fake like 90 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,760 everything's great for me. Blessed and highly favored. 91 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:10,960 You know you heard the. Words. 92 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,960 I got rainbows and unicorns pouring out my nose. 93 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:16,800 Everything's great. And it's all a lie. 94 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,480 And we're trying to say in the Church of all places, take off 95 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,240 the mask and just be honest. I'm struggling. 96 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:25,160 I'm in the fight of my life. I need to be surrounded. 97 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:29,560 Or I see you're struggling and I'm going to surround you. 98 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:32,840 The next three weeks we talked about these lies. 99 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,480 The enemies like the. Enemy likes to put on us like 100 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:42,440 your life has no meaning. Or this devilish lie that if the 101 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:44,720 truth about what you're going through got out. 102 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,960 You would not be accepted, or worse, you would not be loved, 103 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:51,320 not just by the church. But. 104 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:55,160 Your fear is maybe, if God knew what he knows already, would he 105 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:56,520 love me? Would he accept me? 106 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,200 And the answer is yes. Yes. 107 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:01,720 Yes. Then we went on from there and 108 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:03,280 did deep dive into issues like self. 109 00:05:03,280 --> 00:05:06,040 Esteem, suicide, anxiety, stress, depression, burnout. 110 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,600 We also brought in Doctor. Wes Beavis, who taught us that 111 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,880 if you will marinate your brain in the scriptures, like put your 112 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,760 head in the Word of God, your brain, physiological brain, will 113 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:21,320 actually literally be rewired. And these old ruts, these old 114 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,440 patterns that walk you down in these dark places can be 115 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,840 rerouted now into the truth of God's Word. 116 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:31,040 It can. Be done, it has been done and 117 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,960 for you it will be done. So those. 118 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:37,760 Are a lot of great messages, but I've been most excited about the 119 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,400 last one. Today's message. 120 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:43,680 I've been looking forward to preaching it in this what I'm 121 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:44,960 calling. No one else is calling it but 122 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:47,000 me. Hope weekend I found out I'm the 123 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,520 only one calling it that. But hey, hope weekend because I. 124 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:52,760 Believe there's so much hope for you, for your family, for your 125 00:05:52,760 --> 00:05:56,040 friends, for your future. Indeed. 126 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,960 Is there anyone here today, or maybe you're watching online, 127 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,680 who would be honest and admit that somewhere through the 128 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:04,480 series I recognize I got weeds in my garden? 129 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:06,640 Come on, if we're going to be candid and. 130 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:08,960 Honest in the church can you just raise your hand with me and 131 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:12,360 say yeah, yeah, I've had some stuff yeah, there's stuff in 132 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:13,920 there I. Told the greeters at the. 133 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,880 Beginning of the series and the ushers. 134 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:18,000 And the parking. Lot team to use. 135 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,360 This phrase hey. Come on in and we'll. 136 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:26,080 Help you pick your weed? It got downvoted. 137 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:31,320 And nobody said anything. But the truth is, as we've been 138 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:33,480 saying throughout the series, Christine talked about it last 139 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:35,160 week too. Some of us might be tempted to 140 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:38,600 think that if we were more spiritual that we would not have 141 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,200 weeds in our garden. However, if you just look 142 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:44,680 through the Bible, it shows us that even what we would consider 143 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,160 the Super spiritual have from time to time had to navigate. 144 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:50,400 Some weeds. Deep down in their garden, just 145 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,000 because you are spiritual doesn't mean you're exempt. 146 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,240 If only I spent more time praying and reading my Bible, I 147 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:02,680 wouldn't have these problems. I got news for you, I am 148 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:04,400 witness. Just because you are listening 149 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,480 to his voice doesn't mean there are no wolves. 150 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:09,840 And just because you are. Reading the Bible and doing what 151 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,160 it says doesn't mean that there aren't any storms. 152 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,120 Here's the difference. And what this whole series I'm 153 00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,680 hoping would teach us all is that when the storms come, not 154 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,480 if, when they come and when they pass, you will find yourself 155 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,680 still standing in Jesus name. Amen. 156 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,320 Just because you're doing. Spiritual things like we can. 157 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:37,760 Be spiritual and we can do spiritual just because you do 158 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,560 spiritual. Things also doesn't mean. 159 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,600 You exist, you think maybe if I did more for God, serve more, 160 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,960 saying more gave more than there would be no weeds, I'd be weed 161 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:50,360 free. But scripture shows us. 162 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,720 Plainly, that some of the most. Spiritually capable and 163 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,160 effective people in the Bible still had weeds in their garden. 164 00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:57,760 You. Know a man named? 165 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:03,840 Jonah Jonah preached a Holy Spirit empowered message on 166 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:09,760 repentance and check it out. 120,000 people responded to the 167 00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:11,200 message. And repented. 168 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,160 We're up here like 73 got baptized. 169 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:19,040 Woo Jonah's like 120 thousand with one message. 170 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,200 Wow. Jonah chapter 4 verse 3. 171 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:26,760 Right after this, Jonah says, God, would you kill me? 172 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:36,280 Moses, mighty man of God, he who ushered in the 10 plagues 173 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:39,799 against Egypt, against Pharaoh, for they had held God's people 174 00:08:39,799 --> 00:08:45,880 for 400 years in slavery, He who parted the Red Sea with his 175 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:48,520 staff and woven they walked on dry land. 176 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:51,480 Numbers Chapter 11 verse 15, Moses says. 177 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:56,320 To God, would you just kill me? I'm overwhelmed. 178 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,160 I'm distraught. Take my life. 179 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:02,720 These are mighty men of God. It's too hard now. 180 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:05,240 We read the Bible. We read it like history. 181 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:08,080 And we forget that these are people who. 182 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,680 Actually felt the depths of despair that they would cry out 183 00:09:10,680 --> 00:09:13,160 to Almighty God. To be killed. 184 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,880 What's going on? John chapter 16, verse 35. 185 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,280 Famous verse in the church. Jesus made a. 186 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:23,600 Promise that nobody likes. This is the promise in this 187 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:26,520 world I promise you will have. Trouble. 188 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:29,920 No matter your spiritual stature, no matter you're the. 189 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:34,000 Amount of significance that you think you have, you will have 190 00:09:34,280 --> 00:09:35,280 trouble. Then he goes. 191 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:36,720 On to say. Thanks be to God. 192 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:41,800 That he's overcome the world and as a result we should take. 193 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,440 Heart all is to say that when you find weeds. 194 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:47,640 In your garden? Not if. 195 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,240 It's not a. Sign that you're not spiritual 196 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:51,520 enough. It's not a sign that you're not 197 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:53,240 significant. Enough or that you are terrible, 198 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:57,440 no good, very bad person. Instead, it's a sign that you're 199 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,760 human or that you're living in a fallen world. 200 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:04,800 But take heart. This is the world that Jesus 201 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,400 came to die for. This is the world that Jesus 202 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,160 came to redeem. This is the world that Jesus 203 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,200 came to give life. To and since you're part of the 204 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,960 world, it means Jesus. Came to die for you. 205 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,080 Jesus came to redeem you. Jesus came to give life. 206 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,320 To you, no matter your mental health status. 207 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:27,000 That deserves a Hallelujah today. 208 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:28,840 Our message is this. It's. 209 00:10:29,240 --> 00:10:31,560 Not over. I made a T-shirt. 210 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:33,240 It's. Not actually. 211 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:34,480 I didn't make it. Natasha made it. 212 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:36,840 Thanks, Natasha. Are you in here? 213 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:38,320 Natasha. Nope. 214 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,120 OK, bye. This message is for all those 215 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:45,160 who have weeds in their garden. This message is for anybody in 216 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:47,880 here who has loved ones who has weeds in their garden. 217 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,120 This message is for anybody in here right now going through a 218 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,840 troubling situation. You're coming to terms with some 219 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:57,120 sort of past trauma, you're navigating A devastating 220 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:59,880 diagnosis, or you're just dealing with the noise between 221 00:10:59,880 --> 00:11:02,600 your ears. This message is for you. 222 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:06,480 Turn to your neighbor and say it's not over. 223 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:10,480 Turn to the other neighbor who you don't like as much and say 224 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:16,080 it's not over. It's clear. 225 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:21,400 Let me tell you why I know when it's not over. 226 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,680 I may have weeds in my garden for sure, Jesus promised. 227 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:27,680 But the good? News. 228 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,280 I have and you have a good gardener. 229 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,720 You picking up what I'm putting? Down we serve a God. 230 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,920 Who can turn things around? We serve a God who's caring 231 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:41,560 enough. Caring enough to notice the 232 00:11:41,560 --> 00:11:45,160 little things and he's strong enough to handle. 233 00:11:45,160 --> 00:11:48,600 All of our troubles. And he's wise enough that he. 234 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,240 Can repurpose and redeem any pain that you are or will walk 235 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,720 through. Because of who he is. 236 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:56,920 I came today to preach a message of hope. 237 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,720 You may have weeds in your garden, but you have a good 238 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:03,520 gardener. And because you have a good 239 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,440 gardener, it means it's not over. 240 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:08,840 They didn't hear me. Let me come. 241 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,600 Over here I came to preach a message of hope. 242 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,560 Today. You may have weeds in your 243 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:19,240 garden, but because you have a good gardener it means y'all 244 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:23,080 want a second chance. OK, over here you may have weeds 245 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:28,360 in your garden, but God's a good gardener, which means mezzanine 246 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:35,520 online. Hallelujah. 247 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:37,760 Second Corinthians chapter 1. Don't turn there if you want. 248 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:39,640 To turn in your Bibles, turn to Acts chapter 16. 249 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:40,760 We'll get there in just a second. 250 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:42,920 But I want to. Pit stop in Second Corinthians 251 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:45,040 chapter 1. Where Paul writes to the. 252 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,400 Church in Corinth, praise be to God and. 253 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:49,360 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of. 254 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,880 Compassion. And the God of all comfort, who 255 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,160 comforts us. Put your hand right here on you. 256 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:58,640 He comforts us in all our troubles. 257 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,640 So that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we 258 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:04,320 ourselves receive from God. Notice this. 259 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,320 God does care. God does. 260 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,120 Comfort. He comes near to those who are 261 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,240 broken hearted, He revised those who are crushed in spirit, and 262 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:14,840 He's moved to action to come alongside you. 263 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,120 And then God does something that only God does. 264 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:23,800 God builds a bridge between our pain and the pain that somebody 265 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,400 else is carrying. In the same way that we've been 266 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,000 comfort, then we can comfort one another. 267 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:30,960 You might have thought that because of what you have gone 268 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,800 through or what you are going through that God couldn't use 269 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:36,120 you, that you are no help to another person. 270 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:41,280 But little did you know that your pain was preparing you for 271 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,080 something. Because it's not. 272 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:50,760 Over, but it is raining. Your troubles just might be the 273 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,360 intro to your testimony. Can I get preachy? 274 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,240 Pastor here. Your struggle is just the 275 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:01,400 beginning of your story. Your pain is the building of 276 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:05,080 your platform. Your hurt might just be what is 277 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,760 the healing for somebody else. Your diagnosis might be your 278 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:10,960 open door to someone's spiritual destiny. 279 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:13,600 Your trauma might be the ticket to be able to speak into 280 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,040 someone's life. Your oppression might be your 281 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:19,240 opportunity to show that God is still good. 282 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:26,080 Hey listen, am I saying to you that the pain is worth it? 283 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,080 No, I can never say that to you. I don't know the pain you're 284 00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,400 feeling. I don't know how deep it goes. 285 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,800 What you've lost, What you've. Suffered what you're suffering, 286 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,880 but I can say this to you, God, because it's not over. 287 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:49,040 God, because of hope, can redeem and repurpose the pain so that 288 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,360 it makes sense and has effect and it's not just wasted. 289 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:56,800 Amen. Again, you may have weeds in 290 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,120 your garden, but you have a good gardener. 291 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:02,560 And because you have a good gardener, it's not over. 292 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:07,840 Remember the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis where we 293 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:11,560 learned that what the enemy meant for evil, God uses for 294 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,400 good. It means it's never over. 295 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,960 Remember when Romans chapter 8 verse 28, when God says I'm 296 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:22,200 going to take all things good and bad and use them for good, 297 00:15:23,320 --> 00:15:26,200 that means it's never over. It's never over. 298 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:27,760 Second Corinthians chapter one verse 8. 299 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,520 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and 300 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,440 sisters. About all the weeds that we. 301 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:35,080 Experienced in the province of. Asia, we were under great. 302 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,960 Pressure far beyond our ability. To endure so that. 303 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,880 Here we go again. We, the spirit of life. 304 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,560 Itself. They don't want to live. 305 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,800 Indeed, we felt we have received the sentence of death, but this 306 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:51,560 happened that we might not. Rely on ourselves, but on God. 307 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,600 Who raises the dead? Check that out. 308 00:15:55,440 --> 00:16:00,600 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver 309 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,440 us again. On him we have set our hope that 310 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,520 he will continue to deliver us. Paul is. 311 00:16:06,520 --> 00:16:12,560 Saying God removed our weeds. All of these weeds that we. 312 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:15,680 Experienced in the province. Of Asia, he has LED us. 313 00:16:15,680 --> 00:16:17,200 Through it, he has done it. Before. 314 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,000 And so the promise is he will do it. 315 00:16:19,160 --> 00:16:23,120 Again, because it's not. Over God can redeem the pain of 316 00:16:23,120 --> 00:16:26,840 having weeds in your garden and what he does is he teaches us to 317 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,520 move from self dependence to dependence on Him. 318 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,240 Without pain we don't learn these great words like He is our 319 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:40,120 rock, He is our shelter, He is our great defender, He is our 320 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,880 Redeemer. We know that because we were in 321 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:44,720 pain and then God redeemed the pain. 322 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,680 He defended us from the pain. He built a rock under our feet 323 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:49,480 when we thought we were going to collapse. 324 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:53,600 The power that God. Has put in your life. 325 00:16:54,400 --> 00:16:56,040 To. Redeem the pain of your life, 326 00:16:56,440 --> 00:17:00,080 Romans chapter 8 verse 11 tells. US is the very same power. 327 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:07,119 That raised Jesus from the dead. Think about that if. 328 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:12,160 Jesus has handled your sin. If Jesus has redeemed you as 329 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,040 Jesus has given you new life, from death to life, from 330 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:19,880 darkness to light, if Jesus has handled your eternity, certainly 331 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:25,720 he can handle the weeds in your. Garden, it's not over. 332 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:28,600 Can I read this verse? I hope again maybe didn't know 333 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:29,560 this verse. Existed. 334 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:33,880 It is fabulous. 2nd Corinthians chapter one verse 10 He, God has 335 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:38,000 delivered us from such a deadly peril and He will deliver us 336 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,520 again. On Him we have set our hope that 337 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:48,960 He will continue to deliver us. Now Acts chapter 16 in Acts 338 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,440 chapter 16. We're walking with Paul. 339 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,360 And Silas. They're both missionary church. 340 00:17:53,360 --> 00:17:55,440 Planners of the original Church way. 341 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,960 Back 2000 years ago. They travel to 1. 342 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:01,200 Town and there they realize, man, we need to pray some. 343 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:03,440 We need to get away from these people. 344 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:05,000 Ever know what ever felt like that? 345 00:18:05,360 --> 00:18:06,840 I need to pray and get away from these people. 346 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:08,760 No one raised their hand. OK. 347 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,160 I do so they decided to go outside of the. 348 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:16,360 Town to find a place to pray, and on their way there they meet 349 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:19,680 a woman named. Lydia and the scripture notes 350 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,720 that Lydia is a. Worshipper of God, but she knows 351 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:24,480 nothing of Jesus. She's stuck in the religious 352 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,880 cycle. And the Scripture records that 353 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,920 the Lord opens her heart to receive. 354 00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,080 Paul's message and Paul's message is the message of the 355 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:38,200 cross, the message of Jesus. And we read that. 356 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:42,720 She gets saved, she gets baptized, and not just her, but 357 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,160 her entire household. I pray this over. 358 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,400 Your household if you're the. First one to be saved there that 359 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:52,280 your family is following after you soon in Jesus name Amen 360 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:58,560 another. Time they're going out to the 361 00:18:58,560 --> 00:18:59,560 place. Of prayer and they come. 362 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:02,240 Along another woman. This woman is demon. 363 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:06,840 Possessed and a slave. The possession that she has, the 364 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:08,200 spirit that she has, gives her the. 365 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:11,760 Ability to tell the future and so her slave owners. 366 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,080 Pimp her out, they say. Hey listen, you're going to make 367 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,840 money for us. We want you to stand on the 368 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,560 street corner and we'll people pay some shekels and then you'll 369 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,240 tell them the future. This is our gravy train, this 370 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:28,880 demon possessed slave girl. But Paul and Silas come walking 371 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:29,880 by. And because she can. 372 00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:32,560 See in the spirit realm. She begins to confess. 373 00:19:32,560 --> 00:19:35,480 This she says. These men, Paul and Silas, I'm 374 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:36,760 using Disney fingers. Did you see that? 375 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:41,720 That just happened. These men are from God, listen 376 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:46,320 to everything they tell you and she don't say it once. 377 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,240 She says it incessantly. These men are from God. 378 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:52,680 Listen to everything that they're saying to you. 379 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:54,360 These men are from God. They're speaking the truth. 380 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,200 These men are from God. These men are from God. 381 00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:57,800 These men are from God. And Paul's like I'm trying to 382 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,120 pray I'm. Trying to get away from people 383 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:01,680 and this lady keeps everywhere they went. 384 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,640 These men are from God. Listen to everything they tell 385 00:20:04,640 --> 00:20:05,520 you. And I don't know if Paul was in 386 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,040 the spirit or in the flesh, but he turned around. 387 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,800 Finally he's like demon come out in the name of Jesus rebukes 388 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,840 her, the demon comes out. And then she's normal. 389 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:18,720 She's. Whole. 390 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:23,280 She's just sitting there and the slave owners are like, what did 391 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,760 you just do? You stole our Piggy Bank. 392 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:29,200 What? The money train is over. 393 00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:30,920 So what do they do? They take. 394 00:20:31,120 --> 00:20:33,840 Paul and Silas in front of the city judges, the officials, the 395 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:36,880 magistrates there, and they put on a fake trial, fake news, this 396 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:41,320 whole thing unjustifiably, unceremonially declared guilty. 397 00:20:41,320 --> 00:20:44,200 They stripped them, beat them and put them in prison, which is 398 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,280 all you read in the scripture. But have you thought about that 399 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:51,360 scene for Paul and Silas? Have you slowed down to take it 400 00:20:51,360 --> 00:20:54,160 into your spirit? They did nothing wrong. 401 00:20:55,120 --> 00:20:58,120 And here they are stripped, beaten and not just put in 402 00:20:58,120 --> 00:20:59,120 prison. They're put into like the 403 00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:01,240 dungeon of the prison. It says the inner part of the 404 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,280 prison. And once there, they lock their 405 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:07,320 feet in stocks. Yeah, stocks are those things 406 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:09,040 when you go to a. Miniature puck puck course 407 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:12,600 pirates Cove you stick your head and arms through you know like I 408 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:14,080 don't know why I'm doing this but take a picture you. 409 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,960 Know what I'm talking about? Because nobody's saying nothing. 410 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,400 I'm just. Looking like a fool, but these 411 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,760 were for their feet and then so they kind of sit up off the 412 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:22,920 ground. So you can imagine sitting on 413 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:24,160 the ground with. Your feet up and you're locked 414 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,280 in these wooden stocks. And then the scripture tells us 415 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,120 about midnight, Paul and Silas begin to speak to God, and they 416 00:21:32,120 --> 00:21:35,960 say, God, we've done so much for you. 417 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,600 We have served you. We have led people to Jesus in 418 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,600 the face of beatings and whippings. 419 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:48,240 We have given you our all and here we are in prison. 420 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:53,120 Make this make sense, Daddy. It shouldn't be like. 421 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,720 This we are. Spiritual and we've done 422 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,160 spiritual things. How could we be in prison for 423 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:02,560 you? Is that how the story goes? 424 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:05,440 Maybe like I don't. Know I've never heard the story. 425 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,280 I'm on the edge of my seat. Tell me more, what actually 426 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,320 happens at midnight? Is Paul and Silas raise their 427 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,920 voices and begin to sing a worship song to the Lord? 428 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,560 Covered in weeds, enshrouded by darkness. 429 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,000 It's so dark, you. Can't even see in this place. 430 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,520 Dark, dark. And you know what they saying? 431 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,480 Our God is an awesome gardener. He reigns. 432 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,440 Yeah. I mean, I just made that up. 433 00:22:34,440 --> 00:22:37,800 Of course they begin to worship the Lord. 434 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:40,920 The Spirit of God comes on that place and shakes it. 435 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:44,600 There's an earthquake on the prison and the doors fly off of 436 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,360 their hinges and their. Shackles burst off of their 437 00:22:47,360 --> 00:22:49,680 feet. Let's pick it up in the 438 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:53,680 scripture verse 27, the jailer wakes up. 439 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:55,840 I wonder why their whole building shaking. 440 00:22:56,200 --> 00:22:58,560 And when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword. 441 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:02,120 And was about to kill himself. He became suicidal in a moment. 442 00:23:03,360 --> 00:23:05,000 Because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 443 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,000 But Paul shouted. Don't harm yourself. 444 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,280 We're all here. It's so dark. 445 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,400 You can't see, right? The jailer called for lights. 446 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,320 Rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 447 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:16,960 He brought. He then brought them out and 448 00:23:16,960 --> 00:23:22,280 asked Sirs what's what must. I do to be saved he's. 449 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:25,280 Put it all together like these guys are in prison. 450 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,560 They've been beaten and whipped and they're in here. 451 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,040 And then they started worshiping. 452 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:34,000 I can hear a worshipy. They're singing to this God. 453 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:38,280 They're singing to Jesus. And the prison went boom and 454 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,040 their feet went pagged and all of a sudden, right. 455 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,680 And he's like, Oh my goodness, these guys are connected to 456 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:46,880 Jesus. Sirs, what must I do to be 457 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:47,640 saved? They replied. 458 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,480 Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. 459 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,240 Look at this again, you and your household. 460 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,360 Then they spoke the word. Of the Lord to him, and to all 461 00:23:57,360 --> 00:23:59,160 the others in this. House at that. 462 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:00,800 Hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their 463 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:04,040 wounds, and immediately he and all his household were baptized. 464 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:09,680 What a story. Instead of complaining, they're 465 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:11,680 praising God, right? And the jailer? 466 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:13,200 Gets saved and his family you'll meet. 467 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:15,320 The jailer one day in. Heaven be like. 468 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:21,720 What was it like? Like it was amazing later in his 469 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,120 life. Follow me here. 470 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:25,320 Maybe you've drifted away, locked back in. 471 00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:29,400 Later in his life. Paul writes a letter to a brand 472 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:34,120 new church plant. In this church plant are lots of 473 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:44,680 people including 31 Lydia, 2 the slave girl who was demon 474 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,440 possessed and three the suicidal jailer. 475 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,320 All of these happened in Philippi and the letter that 476 00:24:54,320 --> 00:24:54,960 Paul. Wrote. 477 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:57,240 We still have to this. Day it's. 478 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,080 Called the letter to the Philippians found in your 479 00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:01,160 Bibles. If you want to turn there now 480 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:02,600 would be good. Just flip to the right. 481 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,000 If you're already in Acts, you'll run into Go eat popcorn. 482 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:09,680 Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. 483 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:16,080 You're welcome. Paul writes a letter of weed 484 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:20,840 killer to these people who have had some weeds. 485 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,400 The weed of religion, the weed of demonic oppression, the weed 486 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,360 of fear and suicide. And he writes. 487 00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:29,680 This letter that to. This day still stands, by the 488 00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:30,480 way. Raise your hand if you need a 489 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:31,440 Bible. I should have said something. 490 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,800 Sorry, Allison. She's about to throw a Bible at 491 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,000 me. If you need a Bible, we'll bring 492 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,000 you one. You can have that Bible. 493 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:43,960 But Paul writes this. Letter and to this. 494 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,240 Day worldwide. Christians find strength and 495 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,320 hope in this letter. Some of these. 496 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:51,080 Verses you've heard before didn't know where their 497 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:53,160 addresses. Are they turn out to be in the 498 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,840 book of Philippians that Paul writes to these three people and 499 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,760 more and he writes to us. Today verses like this. 500 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,160 Philippians chapter one, verse 6. 501 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:03,680 Being confident of this that he who began a good work in you 502 00:26:03,800 --> 00:26:06,920 will carry it on to. Completion Lydia carried on to 503 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:08,560 completion. Demonic slave girl, now 504 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:10,200 redeemed, carried on to completion. 505 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:13,480 Suicidal jailer who's now walking free with Jesus. 506 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:18,320 In other words, Paul says weeds won't stop what God has started. 507 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,680 Eventually you will find. Your victory in Jesus name 508 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:25,800 Philippines chapter one, verse 12. 509 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:28,320 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has 510 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,760 happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 511 00:26:33,120 --> 00:26:35,480 As a result, that has been come clear throughout the whole 512 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:36,720 palace. Guard and to everyone. 513 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,360 Else that I am in chains, in these weeds for Christ, and 514 00:26:40,360 --> 00:26:43,320 because of my chains most of the brothers and sisters have become 515 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,400 confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the 516 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,760 gospel without fear. Hallelujah. 517 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:53,920 Paul tells the church here that God is repurposing his. 518 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,480 Pain God is. Repurposing His chains. 519 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:02,200 God is repurposing our weeds. It's what He does. 520 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,240 This whole scripture here in this whole series is really 521 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,040 about perspective. How am I seeing what I'm going 522 00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:11,480 through? And who is on my? 523 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:17,640 Side to help me Philippians chapter 3 but whatever regains 524 00:27:17,640 --> 00:27:21,520 is verse 7, but whatever regains to me I now consider loss for 525 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,360 the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider. 526 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:27,240 Everything a. Loss because of the surpassing 527 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:30,760 worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost 528 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:33,520 all things. I consider them garbage, that I 529 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,360 may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness 530 00:27:36,360 --> 00:27:40,320 of my own that comes from the law doing everything right, but 531 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:44,040 that which is through Christ, through faith in Christ, the 532 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,120 righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 533 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,560 I want to know. Christ yes, to know the. 534 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:54,360 Power of his resurrection and the participation in his weeds, 535 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,880 becoming like him in his death, and so somehow attaining to the 536 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:03,440 resurrection from the dead. Not that I've already attained 537 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,040 all this, or I've already arrived at my goal, but I press 538 00:28:07,040 --> 00:28:09,640 on, says Paul in the middle of his weedy garden. 539 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,240 To take hold of that for which Christ Jesus has taken hold of 540 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:17,000 me. Brothers and sisters, I do not 541 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:18,920 consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. 542 00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:22,000 But one thing I do Forgetting what is behind and straining 543 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:25,880 toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize 544 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:27,680 for which God has called me heavenward. 545 00:28:27,840 --> 00:28:33,200 In Christ Jesus, Paul's telling us, press on. 546 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,760 You may be in the middle of it right now, but keep walking. 547 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:42,320 The Lord will either remove the weed or He will redeem the weed. 548 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,080 Make purpose from it Philippians chapter 4 verse 11 I'm. 549 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,440 Skipping over the most famous verse, the truth, the. 550 00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:52,240 Peace that passes understanding. I'm going straight to verse 11 551 00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:55,520 for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances, 552 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:03,280 Paul. I know what it is to be in need, 553 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:04,640 and I know what it is to have punty. 554 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:08,240 I've learned the secret of being content in any and every 555 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:10,760 situation, whether well fed or hunger, whether living in plenty 556 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:13,040 or in want. I can do all things through him 557 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:15,000 who gives me strength. Paul is saying. 558 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:19,240 No matter how many weeds I'm going to make it, I am content 559 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:22,760 in the strength of God because he's a good God. 560 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:24,880 He's a good good. Gardener, and he's a. 561 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,560 Good God too, I keep saying. Good God I'm from Boston, 562 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:33,000 Philippians 4. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will. 563 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:34,560 Also supply. All your needs from his. 564 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:38,240 Glorious riches which have. Been given to us in Christ Jesus 565 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:40,920 everything you need to endure a can and will be provided to you 566 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:46,920 Philippians back up to Philippians chapter 2 last 567 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,840 verse. You're not going to like this 568 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:57,600 one. Do everything everything without 569 00:29:57,600 --> 00:29:59,800 grumbling or arguing. Lord help us. 570 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:10,120 Lord, help me so that you may become blameless and pure 571 00:30:10,400 --> 00:30:14,080 children of God without fault. In a warped and crooked 572 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,440 generation. Then you will shine among them 573 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,600 like stars in the sky. Are we in a? 574 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:27,360 Crooked and warped generation Jesus if you want to, stick out 575 00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:31,120 if you want to. Shine the light of. 576 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:36,720 My son Jesus. Right then as you're walking. 577 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:41,640 Through your valleys. Don't grumble and don't argue. 578 00:30:45,960 --> 00:30:50,160 I don't like this verse. It's a hard verse. 579 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:51,920 Verse 16, I won't have it on the screen. 580 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,480 It says you can do this if you. Will hold fast to the word of 581 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,680 life. God, I'm struggling. 582 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,920 I will hold fast to your word and I'm not going to complain. 583 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:03,600 I'm not going to argue. I'm going to shine. 584 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:06,520 Like a bright light. In the midst of this darkness, 585 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:13,360 because you're a good gardener, I'm going to endure for the sake 586 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:15,720 of your name. No matter how dark the night, no 587 00:31:15,720 --> 00:31:19,120 matter how long the night, I will endure. 588 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,840 Maybe instead of asking God to remove our weeds, we could pray 589 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:26,880 that God would use our weeds for His glory. 590 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:39,280 That'll redeem it. I want to show you a man who did 591 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:41,000 not have the weed removed that he hoped. 592 00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:46,480 And yet he shines like a star in the dark sky. 593 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,920 On Wednesday at 11:53, AMI got a call from Jenny Call. 594 00:31:58,200 --> 00:31:59,880 She's the wife of one of our elders, Matt Call. 595 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:11,840 Here's their family here. And she said, Tim, she's almost 596 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:17,800 breathless. She said Matt is finally with 597 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:23,680 Jesus. Matt Call is one of our elders 598 00:32:23,680 --> 00:32:26,280 here for 13 years. Really seven years, six years. 599 00:32:26,280 --> 00:32:27,720 As a board. Of directors we were, and then 600 00:32:27,720 --> 00:32:38,040 we became elders. Two years ago, he was diagnosed 601 00:32:38,040 --> 00:32:48,760 with duodenal cancer and he went to fighting, went to praying and 602 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:50,800 believing. We did as well. 603 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:54,240 You all here have prayed with me for Matt, Jenny, and that's 604 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:56,720 Adeline up top in Austin down below. 605 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:07,520 I want you to know in the entire time that I've known Matt and 606 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:13,760 the last two years, never once. And when I say never once, you 607 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:19,520 mean like never what? Never once did I hear him argue 608 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:25,920 or complain. Bible says elders should be 609 00:33:25,920 --> 00:33:31,760 temperate, self disciplined. You're looking at a self 610 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:35,360 disciplined, temperate man. I never heard him raise his 611 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:39,320 voice in 13 years, not once, just even killed. 612 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,160 Remember when EF Hutton speaks, people listen. 613 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,120 You remember that And maybe I'm aging myself. 614 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:48,760 When Matt call spoke what we listen. 615 00:33:49,680 --> 00:33:53,240 A bunch of the elders and I went a couple weeks ago over to visit 616 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,880 Matt. He's in the hospital and we were 617 00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:01,160 laughing, talking, sharing and at the end I said let's pray and 618 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:03,840 we went around and prayed and it got to me. 619 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:06,200 We're all standing around his hospital bed and he's here and 620 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,280 he's holding my hand is like strong as an ox. 621 00:34:09,480 --> 00:34:14,520 It's like 2 weeks ago. And I say. 622 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:15,639 Amen. And that's like. 623 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:17,360 Yo, well. He didn't say that. 624 00:34:17,360 --> 00:34:21,400 He would never say yo, but he said can I pray? 625 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:27,400 And we all looked at him and said, no, yeah, he prayed. 626 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,360 This is the first time and the only time I've ever heard Matt 627 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:38,120 call, raise his voice, shouting in his hospital bed saying 628 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,400 Jesus. I. 629 00:34:41,400 --> 00:34:47,679 Cannot wait to meet you, Jesus. I cannot wait to see you face to 630 00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:51,560 face no longer in a mirror. I can't wait to sing my praise 631 00:34:51,719 --> 00:34:55,080 to you. He's shouting it in the hotel 632 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:56,679 the. Hospital room, we're all shook. 633 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:03,680 I felt like the whole. Hospital shook this past Sunday. 634 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:08,560 Pastor Kim and I went and visited, spent the afternoon 635 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:10,280 into the late evening with him there. 636 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:13,080 He at this point was unresponsive. 637 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,840 In fact, the only thing that he would say occasionally was Ouch. 638 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:19,480 And really, the doctor said, he's not in pain. 639 00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:21,800 He's he has so much medication, he's not in pain. 640 00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:24,120 It's just his. Brain and it's an outlet. 641 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:25,880 He has nothing else. That's just. 642 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:29,880 All he has to say Ouch, almost like a child. 643 00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:38,520 We said goodnight to him. The next day Jenny gives me a 644 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:44,360 call and she said Tim, I was playing a worship song for Matt. 645 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,080 It's called Good Plans by Red Rocks Worship. 646 00:35:47,760 --> 00:35:49,640 I'm like, I love this song. It's my favorite song right now 647 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,240 happening. He has good plans. 648 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:56,480 He has good plans. So I will take heart in deserts 649 00:35:56,480 --> 00:36:00,120 and gardens. These are the words and Matt who 650 00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:01,600 at this. Point had been unresponsive. 651 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:03,520 For multiple days hadn't been speaking. 652 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:07,280 For multiple days said 2 words out of nowhere. 653 00:36:09,040 --> 00:36:17,000 He said good plans and those are his last words. 654 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:27,000 Wow, on his way. To heaven, people got saved. 655 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:30,840 They would come and visit Matt and Matt would lead him to 656 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,000 Jesus. People have rededicated. 657 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:36,360 Themselves to following Jesus based on what they. 658 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:38,800 Saw in Matt Call as he travelled this. 659 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:42,160 Journey with cancer. No arguing, no complaining. 660 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:43,840 A bright light in the midst of the. 661 00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,800 Darkness, even while darkness was crouching at his door. 662 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:56,040 Then on Wednesday, Jenny, who's APA, she understands medical 663 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,400 things. She saw that he was his 664 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:02,000 breathing was slowing. And she gave me permission to 665 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:04,720 share all this because she wants it to be used for God's glory. 666 00:37:06,200 --> 00:37:11,280 She walked over and she put her hand on Matt's chest and she 667 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:14,360 simply said, Matt, That's how she always talked. 668 00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:18,600 This is hopeful tone. Matt, go to Jesus. 669 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:29,640 He took one singular more breath, and his next breath was 670 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:36,640 in heaven. It blessed Jenny so much that 671 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:38,760 she knew that she knew that she knew that Matt had slipped 672 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:43,240 peacefully and with the Lord's blessing right into the Father's 673 00:37:43,240 --> 00:37:48,000 presence. Later that day we were talking 674 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:51,960 on the phone and we recalled Psalm 1/16/15 that says how 675 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,440 precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of the 676 00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:59,560 Saints. That could sound weird, like if 677 00:37:59,560 --> 00:38:02,520 he's happy we died. No, Think of it this way. 678 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:06,680 When you have a relative that's coming to visit you and you know 679 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:09,600 they're coming to visit you, like you already know what's 680 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:11,040 going to happen. They're going to walk off that 681 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:13,400 airplane and come down there. They're going to see you. 682 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:16,960 You've been anticipating it. It still doesn't matter how much 683 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:19,280 you thought about it when you actually finally see them, 684 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:26,000 right? And I just imagine Matt arriving 685 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:34,360 to heaven through God's eyes and him saying, Matt, so good to see 686 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:38,360 you come. Here oh. 687 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:43,480 Good job. You did so good it. 688 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:48,040 Was so hard and you cling to me. Cling, cling, cling. 689 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:55,720 And I'm holding Matt. Matt really wanted to meet 690 00:38:55,720 --> 00:38:59,600 Moses. Matt has met Moses. 691 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:05,360 Wow. What I'm trying to tell you is 692 00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:11,840 that in his life, in his death and now booming, echoing from 693 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:16,280 heaven, Matt is saying to us, no matter your situation, believe 694 00:39:16,280 --> 00:39:23,000 me, it is not over. This is his testimony. 695 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:27,480 And we would do well to honor one of our elders and a dear 696 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:35,200 friend and a husband and a father to live like it's not 697 00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,560 over. In fact, at the end we were 698 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:42,800 talking football with Matt and he said he leaned over in his 699 00:39:42,800 --> 00:39:45,040 bed. He's like, guys, it doesn't 700 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:49,040 matter. None of it matters. 701 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:53,080 I sure needed that last night when the Gators were getting 702 00:39:53,080 --> 00:40:00,240 blown out. To those of you who don't know 703 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:06,360 Jesus yet, I want to gingerly tell you, you have a garden 704 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:11,360 without a gardener, and the weeds of that garden will choke 705 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:16,920 out your life. Choke out your fruit, Choke out 706 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:19,920 your future. Choke out your purpose. 707 00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:22,800 Choke out your identity. You need a gardener. 708 00:40:22,800 --> 00:40:25,160 The reason that this is called Hope weakened is because hope 709 00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:27,520 has a name, and its name is Jesus. 710 00:40:37,310 --> 00:40:39,550 To those of you who still have. Weeds in your garden. 711 00:40:39,790 --> 00:40:41,670 I get it. I just want to tell you, don't 712 00:40:41,670 --> 00:40:44,390 you dare give up because it's not over. 713 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:46,720 God still has a purpose for your life. 714 00:40:46,720 --> 00:40:50,160 He can still redeem it. Your weakness is an invitation. 715 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:55,880 For the power of God. To show up in your life, believe 716 00:40:55,880 --> 00:41:00,320 it. And I'll finish by saying this 717 00:41:00,320 --> 00:41:02,200 to those of you who call this church home. 718 00:41:04,160 --> 00:41:07,760 I'm praying that we will be so close to the plans and purposes 719 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:09,880 of God that we will have the testimony of Paul and. 720 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:15,880 Silas that though they were surrounded by their weeds, yet 721 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:19,800 they decided to praise the Lord. And when they praise the Lord, 722 00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:24,240 others took notice. And when the door hinges blew 723 00:41:24,240 --> 00:41:27,560 off and the shackles blew. Off of their feet, it wasn't so 724 00:41:27,560 --> 00:41:28,880 that. They could get out. 725 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:33,560 It was so the jailer. Could come in, think of that. 726 00:41:40,640 --> 00:41:43,000 I'm not praying that your weakness, your weeds, your 727 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:45,600 season will go on forever. But while it's going on, 728 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,480 reposition it to say, I'm not getting out of this. 729 00:41:49,800 --> 00:41:52,120 I see it. So I'm going to use it for God's 730 00:41:52,120 --> 00:41:55,080 glory so that others can come in. 731 00:41:57,440 --> 00:41:59,880 In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, let's pray. 732 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:11,320 Lord, we bless your holy name and we say that you are a good 733 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:16,040 gardener, that you have the ability to do what no one else 734 00:42:16,040 --> 00:42:19,880 can do, to heal what no one else can heal, to redeem what no one 735 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:23,080 else can redeem. To save us when no one else and 736 00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:31,600 nothing else can save us. It's just you, only you in 737 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:33,560 church with your head bowed and your eyes closed. 738 00:42:33,560 --> 00:42:36,800 If you've never received Jesus, you have no gardener in your 739 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,840 garden. You can change that today. 740 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:44,240 And I invite you, the Lord invites you to change it today. 741 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:46,880 The Bible says if you will confess with your mouth and 742 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,920 believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved. 743 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:55,600 Saved from death eternally, saved from darkness and sin and 744 00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:59,080 shame, and saved to the glorious riches of heaven. 745 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:02,800 Best of all, the presence of the everlasting Father forever and 746 00:43:02,800 --> 00:43:05,840 ever. And all you need to do is 747 00:43:05,840 --> 00:43:09,400 confess and believe. So all the church together, 748 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:10,640 would you confess this out of your mouth? 749 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,400 Nice and nod, Father. In the name of Jesus. 750 00:43:15,240 --> 00:43:18,280 I recognize that I'm a weedy person. 751 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:22,360 That I am a Sinner in need of a Savior. 752 00:43:23,120 --> 00:43:30,120 And I confess and I believe that Jesus is Lord, that He is my. 753 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:33,120 Savior, I receive you into my heart. 754 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:37,240 And ask that you would live your life. 755 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:44,040 Through me all the days of my life, you prayed that prayer for 756 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:46,760 the first time. You are now a born again 757 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:49,560 believer in Jesus Christ and I'm going to ask you to do one thing 758 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:52,640 boldly so that I can get something to you that you need 759 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:54,880 desperately on the count of three. 760 00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:56,520 I'm going to have you. Raise your hand as a new 761 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,320 believer the first time praying this prayer. 762 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,800 As high as you can. So that we can bring something 763 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:04,040 to you. Let this be a House of faith and 764 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:09,840 not fear. 123 Anyone believing on Jesus today, Come on all the 765 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,440 way up front here, ushers, Anyone else? 766 00:44:12,520 --> 00:44:14,600 It's hard for me to see. So if someone around you is 767 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,480 raising their hand, let me know. Let an usher know. 768 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,200 Up in the mezzanine. Half the lights are out. 769 00:44:20,200 --> 00:44:25,120 I don't know what happened over there, but anyone else right 770 00:44:25,120 --> 00:44:26,840 back here? Did we get you, Allison? 771 00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:30,200 There you go. Come on, Church. 772 00:44:30,200 --> 00:44:31,760 Would you celebrate with me what God is? 773 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:34,600 Doing thanks for joining us today. 774 00:44:35,240 --> 00:44:37,680 We hope God is speaking to your heart through this message. 775 00:44:38,000 --> 00:44:40,680 If you'd like to connect with us, you can text connect to 776 00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:47,200 407-588-0115 or visit Illuminate dot church. 777 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:48,880 Have a great week.