Well, we're going to start in Hebrews chapter 10 once we get
started, Amen. If you want to turn over there,
Hebrews 10, we'll be in 23. Thank you, Jesus, Hallelujah.
Thank you, Father. Thank you, Father.
Hmm. Oh, glory to his name.
Glory to his name. Thank you, Jesus.
The Lord is good. Hallelujah.
Well, let's read it. Let's see what happens.
Let's let us hold fast the profession of our faith without
wavering. For he who is faith, for he is
faithful, who promised the Lord will do what he said.
Verse 24 And let us consider one another.
Let us what consider one another to provoke to love and to good
works. So let us consider one another
to provoke to what love and good works.
Verse 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together. As is the manner of some is but
exhorting. But what?
Exhorting one another. What are we doing?
Exhorting one another? And so much, so much, so much
less, So much what more, so much the more as you see the day
approaching. What day is that?
That's the return of the King, I said.
That's the return of the King. We are closer to the return of
Jesus today than we've ever been in our lifetime.
And there are many signs that are that are pointing towards
that. It's highly, highly probable.
I mean highly probable. And ministers that are more
known than I am in the earth are, are equally communicating
that they believe it very well can be in their lifetime or
their children's lifetime based upon some very clear signs that
have taken place. My wife and I were listening to
a podcast by John Previer on The End Times.
And he said on that podcast, he says I have been ministering for
four decades and not one time have I ever ministered on the
End Times in four decades. He said, I'm ashamed of that.
He said the reason is, is because obviously during his
tenure of being in ministry that there are things that are off
and things have had gotten off. And then people had said things
concerning the end times that he says, you know, it's a little
too controversial. It's a little too, you know,
subject for, you know, failure or misinterpretation.
So they just stayed away from it all together.
But he said, you know, once I started getting into it, I
realized I was wrong. You know, just because someone
or or the majority may teach something wrong, does that mean
you should stay away from a subject?
You shouldn't do that. And so in that, he ended up
speaking concerning some trees. And I had never heard this
before. I thought, wow, this is really
amazing. You know, obviously I know that
Israel became a nation again in 24 hours overnight, became a
nation again in 1948. But what I did not realize was
the nations around after World War One that came into existence
around the same time. And he ends up using a
particular scripture, cannot remember right now off the top
of my head, which Old Testament prophet spoke, but he talked
about trees being fruitful, that this is something you would be
able to see. I think it was actually in
Matthew when Jesus was saying, you know, you can determine the
signs of the Toms. He said, but look at the fig
tree. He says, you see the bud, you
know, and you know that season, you're going to know the season.
And then he ends up talking about trees in general, not just
the fig tree. OK, are you hearing what I'm
saying? And so he ends up then talking
about how Saudi Arabia came into exist in 1932, I think it was.
And then Lebanon came to existed, but the names of those
nations actually have a tree associated with it.
Lebanon has cedar associated with it.
I think. Saudi Arabia, I can't remember
what it is off the top of my head now, but there was about 5
nations and then Israel itself was a fig tree and all.
He said once you start seeing all of them starting to produce
fruit, you know the end's coming and within a 10 year period
these nations pop up as nations after the Ottoman Empire was
dismantled and all of a sudden these nations started to form.
Well, it talks about when the nation of Israel comes back,
which 1948 that they would not see death before the return of
Christ. Hallelujah.
Now a generation as he said was either 4080 or 120 years.
Well, if you put 120 years on 1940.
Eight. That's 2068.
That's in my lifetime because I will be 98 in 2068 and man, if I
believe Jesus was coming back, I'm like, why would I want to go
to the grave? I want to be in the generation
where you change in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
Hallelujah. Glory to God.
Amen. Well, we should be expecting it
all right now. Could it be 200 years?
Sure, that's plausible. I get it, no one's giving you a
date. But man, there's a season.
And it's more accurate today than ever before, because we're.
Seeing things that never have been seen, nor the acceleration
of things that have never been seen before.
And it says so all the more as we see a day approaching that
really it can be. Unless you want to be a mocker
and say all. They've been saying that forever
because that's what the mockers say.
I'm not a mocker. I'm like the Lords coming, he's
coming. And might as well be my
generation. So I'll just believe it's in
mind. Amen.
I'll just go ahead and he's going to come in some
generation. So Lord, I'll just believe it's
in mind based upon the signs. And man, you can change me in
the moment to twinkle another eye.
I'll put on immortality and then witness to people before I go
Hallelujah. So put that verse back up and
said all the more as you see the day approaching, not the less.
Yet in the USA right now there is less assembling there and
there is more. Had a minister friend of mine
that came into the state and was looking to minister during the
midweek only to find out no one was doing midweek.
We do midweek but they weren't up here.
Amen. And we do more than midweek.
We do a Monday night. We do a Sunday night.
Are you hearing me? We do all the we're just being
scriptural. Hallelujah.
All the more. So let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful who
promised. And let us what?
Consider one another to love and to good works, not forsaking
ourselves together, not forsaking ourselves, not
forsaking the assembling of ourselves, not the assembly of
you and God, but the assembling of ourselves.
What together? As the manner of some is so some
have a manner. Oh, I don't have to assemble.
That becomes an attitude within the culture before Jesus comes
is I don't have to come to church.
It's really optional. It's not something I need to do.
Are you hearing what I'm saying? Amen.
Whoo. I can't wait till the Lord lets
me release this other service. Amen.
Yeah. OK.
Not forsaking the assembling, you know, just 'cause you're
here doesn't mean you're here. Hey, man, Hallelujah.
So the Lord told me over there. He said, son, I've been in many
rooms that it was crowded, so crowded people couldn't even get
in. But everyone assembled didn't
care about what I said. He said they were in the rooms
just waiting for me to say something wrong.
To fit their narrative that they're sitting was not to grow
by me, but was to continue to be hardened by me because they had
a preconceived idea of who I was or who they wanted me to be
based upon outside influences. And those outside influences
dictated to them who I was or who they said I was.
This is why Jesus said, who do people say that I am?
You know, somebody's talking about you.
And he said, and based upon them hearing that, they come into a
crowded room and they're not united with the rest.
But they, I don't need unity to move.
I can move anyway even when there's people in the room that
are just looking for areas to find fault.
However, even when I demonstrate.
Power because which room was he showing me?
He was showing me the room of the house that he was in and the
guy that was lame they couldn't even get in so they tore the
roof and you can't brought him down and see in their faith.
He says your sins are forgiven. Shocked the room, but shocked
the Pharisees, the religious. And he says, why do you say
among yourself now why does he say that?
Because you are only look listening to me to try to find
fault with me. You're just waiting for me to do
something to fit your narrative. So you.
Can leave and say, see I told you.
And the same people say work us a miracle, show us an anointing.
He said, I worked a miracle that day to let you know that I have
authority not only to forgive sin, but also to heal, get up
and walk. And the man picked up his mat,
walked out the room, But he said, notice the miraculous and
the anointing. I told them to let you know that
I have the authority on both arenas to let you know that God
has anointed me, to let you know that God has appointed me, to
let you know that God has assigned me that even when I
worked the miracle, they didn't change.
They just. Became more hard, he said.
They come into the room and they say where's the anointing even
when it manifests because they already have an idea of what
they want to see instead of what is being said, he said.
The ministry moved in this way for so long that eventually I
wouldn't even do stuff in towns that I used to do.
It's not because I couldn't, but because all they wanted to do
was seek a sign, and they really didn't want the signs.
They just kept looking for a reason to hate me.
Hallelujah. So when we assemble, are we
assembling because we want to hear?
Are we assembling because we want to grow?
Are we assembling because we want to know from the King?
Are we assembling because we are hungering and thirsting for
rights? Are we assembling because we are
confident that we have found our fit and because we know where we
are fitted at? Then we have the freedom to
really enjoy our King. Because being fitted is knowing
what God has assigned you to do, and you rejoice with others in
their assignment. That you would provoke them for
what good works you would promote, love, you would edify,
you would build up, you would not bring division or strife,
you would not try to bring in questions in or doubting.
No, you would be always be promoting the betterment of
someone else. Yes, Amen.
Hallelujah. So don't forsake the assembling
of yourself together. But when you assemble, come with
the right heart. The heart to want to love God,
the heart to want to follow God, the heart to value everyone
that's around. Hallelujah.
So we are not to forsake the
assembling, which means that I told our staff years ago, I said
it's for us. It's not going to be less
church, It's going to be more church because that's what the
Bible says. I don't care what traditional
trends are happening. We're following the head of the
church. Amen.
Now, why is this? Because John 14 tells us we're
not orphans, but modern Western Christianity is.
You're the orphan. And that year, God's alone.
He's your personal Savior. He said, Now if you love me,
you'll keep my commandments, and I'll ask the Father.
He'll give you another helper, that he may be with you forever.
That is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive
because it did not see Him nor know him.
But you know him because He abides with you and will be in
you. I will not leave you as orphans.
I will come to you. Will not leave us as what?
Orphans. That's plural.
Which means he's not going to leave us as orphans.
He's not going to leave us in the care of another estate to be
an orphan is taking the thought well, you know what?
I asked Jesus in my heart and save me.
But the reality is world's tough down here and it's rough.
We're just holding on till we get there because God's not
doing a whole lot. But saving me, He saved me so I
don't didn't go to hell. But you know, he's not providing
any other way. And that's not true.
God provides, but more importantly, he changes your
household. I said he changes your
household. And we're going to see this.
So if you're, if you're not an orphan, then that must mean
you're in a house. And if you're in the house,
you're not the only child there. He doesn't have an only child.
I'm going to say that again. He does not have an only child.
Now you say this is my begotten Son, and that is Jesus.
It is God in the flesh, but he never intended to only have
Jesus as his child. We're going to see this.
So he didn't leave us as orphans.
God never intended us, tended us to be orphans.
An orphan by definition here in the Greek means bereaved.
Bereft means you do not have of a father or parents.
It means this that you are without a teacher, a guide or a
guardian. Well, the Holy Spirit is the
teacher. Glory to God and the Holy Spirit
will teach you how to function in the house.
Oh man, this is good. First Timothy chapter 3, verse
15. Look what it says here.
It says this, but in case I am delayed and I write so that you
will know how one ought to conduct himself.
Where, where? In the household of God.
I mean, I could go to many of you and I said, well, tell me
about your household and you would describe what's going on
in your home address. And there's very few people here
that are living alone, but there are some that are living alone.
I understand that. But but you didn't always live
alone. I mean, you could have been
given up for adoption, right? And and been in foster care or
in the system we call it. That's true.
But the majority of people were raised in a home where there was
one at least one parent or some guardian.
Are you hearing me? So when we say household, we
typically don't think by ourselves anyway, even if we are
an only child. So here we are.
This is the household of God. And with the household of God,
he says, know how one ought to conduct himself.
Now what is the household of God, which is the church?
So the church is the household of God.
And yet, and, and the church talks about man, people need to
be saved, right? We need to win the lost.
Well, what are we doing with that?
We're supposed to get them born again so they can come home.
Home is not heaven. Home is the church.
It's the household of God, which is the Church of the living God.
And the church is by definition or what it responds it, it's the
pillar and support of the truth. And there's a lot of truth that
the church carries. Why?
Because Jesus Christ, who's the head of the church, we'll see
here in a moment, He is the way, the truth and the life.
And he has a lot more to say than just be born again.
Amen. So the church is the pillar and
support of the truth, the truth that all of humanity needs to
discover. We are a household, I said we
are a household. The AFV translation, I I'm just
going to read it to you. It says this.
But if I should delay, you have these things in writing so that
you may know how one is obligated to conduct oneself in
the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the
pillar and foundation. Of the truth this this
translation actually does a better way to translate because
if you if you click on the word ought in the Greek, it has a
more emphatic. It's not like it's optional.
It's more like. You must.
It's required. It's the standard now.
Again, your old way of thinking is don't tell me what to do but.
Jesus is telling you when you come into the Kingdom, I'm going
to need to tell you what to do, OK?
Because what you've been doing is not working.
OK, Your nature's all jacked up. And I'm going to change that.
And then I'm going to renew your mind.
I'm going to give you a different thinking.
I'm going to wash your mind with my word.
I need you to check because my thoughts are higher than your
thoughts. So God's all about changing your
things. So he said.
So in essence, the Scripture saying you're obligated to
behave this way in my house. Oh, come on now, parents, you
know that you've been like the father sometimes when you've
looked at your child and you're like, now you understand this is
my house now when you move. Out you can do whatever you, but
as long as you're under this roof, you're in my house, then
you're going to do what? Just say Amen.
Now Pastor Marshall said we reap what we sow So again, if you
having a hard time in your father's house conforming to the
conduct, if you may realize why your child's having a hard time
conforming in the oh y'all don't want to hear, that's fine
Father. I always yield to the behavior
you want me to have in your house so that my natural kids
are go. I can reap that from my
chitlins. Right.
I know there's there's not different parenting, there's
wordly parenting, and then there's always God's parenting.
OK, God's words are eternal, His ways are eternal, His ways are
life. So you want to do it his way.
Amen. Well, I don't want to make my
child go to church. Will you make him go to school?
You make them go to school. I do not know of any parent that
does not make their child go to school.
Seriously, parents, how many times your child say I don't
want to go to school? Oh, you're not even going to
raise your hand? OK, seriously.
You know that your kid like, I don't want to go today.
I don't want to go. You're like, you're going to
school, but yet you're like, give them an option to go to
church because you don't want to force religion on you.
Force education on them. I mean, you see how silly those
narratives are, but you know why?
It is because we've developed a Society of non thinkers.
We don't have critical thinking, so we just accept.
Anything that's being said, if it sounds good.
Instead of saying that sounds kind of crazy because I make my
child go to school all the time, why would all of a sudden I give
them an option, go to church where there's life because at
the end of the day I can't make them study at school.
Nor can I make them have good grades.
I mean, we'll whip our kids for bad grades.
You'll ground them if they don't make the grade, if they pop off
to your teacher, do something wrong at school.
But yet, you know, they're like, well, I don't want to go to
church. OK, Honeywell, I don't want to
force God on you. You better get to church.
I'm gonna whip your butt. All right.
Amen. Hebrews chapter 3 verse four and
six says this, for every house is built by someone.
But the builder of all things is who?
Verse 6 But Christ was faithful as a son over his He's over a
house. Come on to you in his house.
I'm in his house. I said I'm in his house.
And listen, if you're in his house, then you need to find
your fit in his house, whose house we are.
We are his house. If you hold fast our if we hold
fast our confidence and boast of our hope firm until the end.
You understand, men, there are many runaway Christians right
now. We can say it that way.
They, they're, they're forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together as the day's getting closer.
In essence, they want to be a runaway from the house.
You don't want to be a runaway. You want to stay in the house.
So we see here that we're not supposed to fake.
We are supposed to come together as one.
And when we come together, we're supposed to consider one
another, not to fight with one another, bicker with one
another, question one another. I mean, I'm just reading
scripture here. You can identify yourself pretty
quick because listen, in a house again, how many pay your life?
You tell them to love their siblings.
We're going to get along. You don't like it when your
children are fighting amongst each other?
Well, the Lord doesn't like it when his kids are fighting
either. And he tells us don't do it.
And then he also says you don't have to do it because I've given
you the greater one anyway. Amen.
It's the best house to be in. Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
So it's a house and we're not orphans, which means we're a
family. Families are not perfect.
The Lords will be one day once we put off immortality and we
get into the new heaven. It's going to be perfect.
But yet we have enough working for us now that we can do what
the Bible says for one another. Are we children of God?
Come on John chapter one verse 12 says this Amen.
I mean, I've made my. Kids apologize to one another.
Now go tell your sister you're sorry.
Amen. I've had my children have mercy
for one another. I mean one time Sean was out
riding the go Kart and Brianna was on it when we in Oklahoma
and he threw her. Off and ran over.
Yeah. I mean, like, turned the corner,
she fell off, ran over. Well, I mean, he was upset, OK?
And Brianna had mercy kick in. He carried her all the way home.
Now, Brianna's first response to me was, don't be mad at him,
Dad. I mean, she was throwing Mercy
out there, all right? I mean, she's all marked up.
Sean felt bad. Don't get me wrong, felt bad.
You know, I don't know what was all going on there.
But at the end of the day, Mercy was extended.
He did not get grounded. He did not get in trouble.
But we were like, you need to drive safer at the end of the
day. Amen.
But you understand there, but there were other times that they
would argue with each other and you're like, you go to them and
then we do crazy things like hug them.
You know, you hug your brother and when two brothers are
hugging, you know, that's gets awkward sometimes, you know,
because they're they're too busy competing with each other.
But we're children, it says. But as many as received him.
He to them, he gave the right to become what?
Children of God, even to those who believe in his name.
Do you believe in His name? Come on, do you believe in the
name of Jesus? Then you've been given the right
to be a child of God. And guess what?
God doesn't have only children. He has a house full.
I said he has a house full. Amen.
And they're the best siblings ever because they've been born
of God. Haven we got to keep that
perspective. First, John chapter 3 verse 9
and 10 says it this way. He says no one who was born of
God practices sin because his seed abides in him.
And he cannot sin because he is born of God.
By this, the children of God and the children of the devil.
You know the devil has children. You know, the devil has
children, OK? Because again, we say
everybody's God's children. Not everybody's God's children.
The devil has children. Now, everyone was created in the
image of God originally, but all have now sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God, which means some people are in a different
house. All right, But we know the
difference between children of God and children of the devil.
They're obvious, I said. They're obvious.
And you know what they're not obvious in?
They're not obvious in physical look, but they are obvious in
behavior. I said they're obvious in
behavior. Come on.
Have you been to a restaurant and you watched one child sit at
a table with some parents and you know they're obeying them.
You know, they're still being a little kid, but the parents say,
hey, don't do it. And they're like.
Yes, ma'am. Or, you know, yes.
And but then you get another one.
It's like running all over the place and crawling underneath.
And the parent can't eat because they're constantly running after
the child because the parent don't have authority, but the
child does. And it's pretty, yes, it's
obvious which one is mannered and which one is not.
Now, to look at him, you would know that until you saw their
behavior. All right.
He said anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of
God nor the one who does not love his.
His what? Go ahead.
Look to your neighbor. Say I love you.
Yeah. Amen.
Come on, say it again. Say I love you.
Now, there's a way to love. It's not your definition of
love. It's God's definition of love.
But again, there is. If we call ourselves children of
God because we've called on the name of the Lord, then we are to
love one another, not to fight with one another, not to accuse
one another, not to slander one another, not to.
Be offended with one another. Hallelujah.
No, we are to love one another. Amen.
I said we're to love our brother.
Well, it goes on and says it this way in First John, just
another term that we are called because we are to love our
brother. First John 313 and 14 says do
not be surprised brethren, if the world hates you.
We know that we have passed out of death into life because we
love. Now that's a very interesting
phrase, isn't it? And I'm talking about finding
your fit. I'm talking about the church and
where everyone is to come together.
But you understand, when you come to the church, you're
coming to the family of God. And there is a way that the
family of God is to function, is to behave, is to act, is to
conduct itself in the house. And we're supposed to be home.
We're not supposed to be runaways.
We're not orphans, we're not estranged, so he says we we know
that we have passed out of death in the life.
Is it because we confess Jesus as Lord, although that's
required. OK, but what's he say here in
first John because we in essence there is an action following
your confession a behavior because there's a new nature in
you and the new nature in you does not send the new nature
wants to respond only like God would respond and God's respond
to his own kind is love, acceptance encouragement
building each other up champion one another preferring one
another serving one another right.
He who does not love abides in so we are brothers and sisters
in Christ. We are children of God.
We're in a household we we are brethren.
You know what else we are Look at this particular passage of
Scripture. We are also called in John
chapter 13 verse 34 and 35. He says a new commandment I give
you that you love one another even as I loved you that you
also love one another. By this all men will know that
you are my disciples. How they going to know 'cause
you asked Jesus into your heart and saved you, 'cause you went
to church? No, if you have what?
Love for one another, I said, if you have love for one another.
So again Jesus, which is pretty powerful, he says a new
commandment. Now we always quote this
commandment, you know, it says do unto others as you'd have
them do unto you. We understand that.
We've talked about that. I mean, the Scripture
communicates that. But however Jesus says, I'm
going to give you a new one because in this dispensation
called the new birth, the age of the church is the expected
behavior of the child of God. Now why does he have to command
it? Because he knows once you're
born again, your mind is still not renewed to the new behavior.
And that's going to take a little time.
This is why he called new believers babes in Christ.
So again, we're in the house. And when if someone came down
today and got born again, we could say, woo Hoo, the Holy
Spirit has given birth to a new child and they're a babe.
And when there's a baby in the house, well, there's some
conflict, right? Because babies before, as
they're moving to maturity initially are wanting everyone
to respond to it and its needs, right?
So what a cry when it's hungry, it'll poop on itself.
And we let that go. We're like, I understand, no
problem. I mean, you just got born again.
I realize you're going to continue to do some things
today. That's from the place you left.
However, the expectation as you continue to come home and be
home and and be with your brothers and sisters, we're
going to grow you up past this. And we see this from older
siblings down to younger ones, you know, pulling it along.
My sister, my sister takes credit for my brains.
She does academically. I was.
I did better than my sister, but she said was because I taught
you everything when you were just when I was coming out of
school, you know, kindergarten, I would come home, play school
with you and I would teach you things, you know.
And she did. I was ahead of the game before I
even got into kindergarten because my sister.
Played school with me and taught me colors and numbers and ABC's
and even mathematical equations prior to me even going in.
Are you hearing me? Because she had learned
something she wanted to instill in her sibling.
Hallelujah. Now that doesn't mean there
wasn't days I resisted, but there were other days I just
yielded because I wanted to play with my sister.
And as a result of that, I grew. Hallelujah.
So we have babes that are in the church, but ultimately they are
to grow up. Why?
Because we are disciples. Disciples are those who are
enlisted as students. So all of God's children are
expected to grow and to develop. And you do not do that outside
of the house. This is part of the environment
that comes when you find your fit.
Look at what it says in first John chapter 3 verse 32 or 23 to
24. It says this.
This is this is his commandment that we believe in the name of
his Son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he commanded
us. The one who keeps his
commandments abides in him and he in in him.
We know by this that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has
given us. So notice this command that we
love one another, because again, it wasn't.
Do the best you can while you're in the planet and when you get
born again. I realize it's very difficult to
get along with people, especially your own house.
That's not what Jesus said. Jesus knew we would be in close
proximity and this is what else he knew.
He knew that you know what? You're not all the same because
I didn't make cookie cutters. I made everyone unique in their
own way for my glory and my expression.
However, your differences do not make you difference.
It makes you fit because with a puzzle, it's the differences
that actually make it fit. Because as he said, if everybody
was an I, where would the hearing be?
And if everyone was a nose, where would And it kept on.
We are different by design. But our difference by design
doesn't mean we should have conflict.
It means we should resolve to love one another and embrace the
differences. Hallelujah.
Because when we recognize in our household, thank God for you and
for what you bring and what you bring and what you bring,
because nobody's better than anyone.
I mean, which puzzle piece is the best piece?
The only time a puzzle piece seems more important than the
rest if it's the last piece. But here's the.
Thing hold on Yeah it was lost and we had to find it right if
we don't want to talk about the 99 right now but we frustrated
with you we're like where's this last piece No, what I'm saying
is if you put a puzzle together there's going to be a last piece
tear that thing up throw it in the box shake it open it back up
and do it again the chances of you having the exact same piece
the last piece the probability of that is obviously based upon
the size of the. Puzzle.
The point is, is that God's not trying to make you better.
He's just making you you. And there are times in a service
that all of a sudden he decides to you.
Like today he decided to say, let me use April as a piece of
my puzzle to encourage the body. But that's not every service.
Sometimes another piece of the puzzle comes up and does an
encouragement or it comes through some other way.
Why? Cuz God's using US in so many
different ways. And aren't you glad that people
can actually play instruments unlike others who can't?
And we're like, thank God you play cuz I don't.
And you get to receive the benefit of someone's uniqueness
because it makes a better expression of the.
House Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus.
So we are to love one another. You know what else we are?
We're sons of God. Come on, look at this.
In Romans chapter 8 verse 14 to 17 it says this.
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God. For you have not received a
spirit of slavery leaving leading to fear again, but you
have received a spirit of adoption as sons which by which
we cry out ABBA father now notice says spirit of adoption
because why he'll never leave you as an orphan.
However, we are not really just adopted.
That translation could say it this way.
It says he we've received the ability to find our place.
Because we're actually born of God.
We're not adopted into the family.
We are born of God. We are a new creature in Christ.
So God's not. Adopting us, He's making us his
own. By nature, However, there is a
place for us. I said there's a place for us.
You know what? God rallies.
As a pastor and apostle, in the 21 years I've been here, come
April, but been in ministry longer than that, one of the
most grievous things that I experienced is when a member of
the body cannot rejoice in their own and who they are by
themselves because then they can't connect with no one.
And it's sad because their potential never is fulfilled
because they isolate themselves. It's tough, it's grievous, and
your heart goes out, especially when turmoil starts to happen
because you know you're missing your fit, you're competing with
other pieces that you don't have to because you're unique, your
own, but yet you're connected. And it brings grief and it
brings the Father grief because he has a way for his family to
function. And here's the thing, if he says
it, it is obtainable. That's what's so amazing.
It is obtainable if you aspire by faith.
You understand, again, what have we relegated faith to?
We relegated faith to personal, personal wealth, personal
health, personal relationships. But how about putting faith
towards, I'm believing God for your church that you're building
that, that everyone will find their fit and rejoice with one
another. And I'm going to be, I'll be one
of the ones that won't fall into the trap of not encouraging
building up, walking in love. I'm going to be that piece that
always stays in the right, right position.
And it's obtainable because the Lord says it's obtainable.
He goes on to say verse 16, the Spirit himself testifies with
our Spirit that we're children of God, and if children, heirs,
also heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we
suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
So again, the church is not this religious exercise.
It is a household, it is children, it is sons, it is
brothers and sisters, it is disciples that have a specific
way they are to function and behave with one another.
Yes. Amen.
Hallelujah. Amen.
Because, Dad, our father knows how well you're doing as a child
based upon how you're treating your siblings.
Come on, that's good, because notice, he says.
Now the world's going to realize your mind because how you treat
your family, because the children of the devil, they
kill, steal and destroy each other.
They use and manipulate each other.
Hallelujah, but man, when they're like, how in the world
do you get? Did you you didn't get upset
about that. You're not going to get mad
about that. You're not going to.
Now, I'm not when I'm talking about walking in love towards
one another. I'm also talking in love because
the brethren is going to say as some of my children did and my
daughter learned a lot from her brothers.
Well through example. Don't do that, right?
But I know that periodically my children would say, if you do
that, you're going to be in trouble.
Now, that's not being mean, ugly, divisive.
It is. That's not the standard of the
household. And some of my siblings didn't.
Some of my children did not participate with their own
siblings because they knew if I do what you're doing, I'm going
to be in trouble. You own your own.
I've warned you. I've told you the standard,
which means I do not go and participate with you with that
behavior. You understand the body would
grow way faster if the believers would say, hold on a minute,
that's not our behavior. Don't suck me into that.
I'm not doing that. You need to change.
I'm not going with you down that road.
And sometimes the siblings would do this because, you know, they
would be burdened by the choice of their family member, that
they would come to the parent and say.
We call them tattle tales, but God calls them people.
Who's trying to bring reconciliation?
I mean, you cannot. Assemble as often as we do and
not have conflict, but conflicts easy to overcome.
When you have the Spirit of God in you and your nature is of
God, and you renew your mind and you yield to it, it's pretty
simple. Amen, Hallelujah, say Amen.
Anyway, so we're sons of God. Look at this in Colossians
chapter one. We are the body.
But Jesus is the head, for he rescued us from the domain of
darkness and transferred us to the Kingdom of his beloved Son.
In essence, our dad went to the tyrannical ruler devil and told
all of those kids that were in a home they never should have been
in. He never desired them to be in.
He says to them, you can come to my house forever.
And when we accept Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, where we
leave that household and we come into a different home, we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sense.
He is the image of the the invisible God, the first born of
all creation, who's the first born Jesus is.
For by him all things were created both in the heavens and
on earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or demeans or
rulers or authority, all things have been created through Him
and for Him. He is before all things, and in
Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, and
the body is the Church, and He is the beginning, the first born
from the dead, so that he himself might have, might, will
come to have first place in everything.
Who has first place? Who is the head of the body, and
the body is the Church. Now you cannot call yourself the
body of Christ or the church if the head has been amputated.
So this brings this thought when it comes to finding your fit.
The first aspect in order to find your fit is that you have
to recognize that once you're born again, God never intended
for you to be isolated or alone. He always wanted you to collect
upon the same place with other brothers and sisters because he
knew greater power is demonstrated because it his his
body. So when people say I love Jesus
but do not love his church, this is a conflict because how can
you love Jesus and hate his body?
Well, I hate church. Well, you may hate people who
call it church and it's not, and that may be true.
However, even in the Book of Revelations, his body has
challenges of which he, the head, will correct.
He will correct. He said.
They have tolerated the spirit of Jezebel and I've given her
time to repent, which means Jezebel can be in the church for
season, which means the pastor could allow that to occur per
the head because he's wanting her to repent.
But if she doesn't, he will address it, deal with it,
eliminate it, and any that are following that voice will be
eliminated as well. It's going to happen.
God is not mocked. He's the head of the church and
again, you cannot say that you are part of Christ and never
attend church or a symbol and act like he is fine with that.
You cannot find that in Scripture.
That's right. Can't find it.
Now you know what people say. People say, well, what about in
these countries where you know they can't have church?
Well, I'm glad you asked because in most, most of those places
that cannot have church, they do a better job of actually
assembling because they figure out ways and they can't wait to
get together, even at the risk of their own lives.
Had one missionary that we support.
He went to China to minister there.
And so they told people he was coming to minister.
And so people started showing up to an undisclosed location and
it took them 8 hours to get there.
And the reason I took them 8 hours #1 because of travel #2 is
because how they brought them in little by little so that it
would not be noticeable, the crowd.
And it was in a warehouse that had no heat, no air condition.
It was during the winter so it was snow on the ground.
Then he came into the building they had some had been there for
8 hours or longer waiting for him to come just to hear the
word of the Lord. He preached for three hours
where you could see your breath. Then he left and it took them 8
hours to leave because they had to trickle out.
They wanted to go to church so bad.
And here in the West, man, we have climate control times.
Police are not lined up out here ready to shoot us when we go and
we'll wake up and and let I feel a little tired.
And then we're like, Lord use me.
He's like, well, you're not doing the basic.
The basics is just coming home every time.
The place I assigned you to. Are we going to see this?
The place that I appointed you to be, How often they come
together, You would be there. Hallelujah.
My children had no problem showing up at the table every
night. Not one time.
In fact, they would actually show up early sometimes.
We'll be eating tonight. See, when you realize you're
getting spiritual food and you're hungry for God, you're
like, I can't wait to get to church, can't wait to sit, can't
wait to be with my family, can't wait to hear what the meal is
going to be. See when you still value the
word because again, it can be steak and potatoes again.
Somebody like, praise God, let's have steak and potatoes again
tomorrow night. I am a steak and potato guy.
Well, you know what, I like steak as much as anyone else.
And once I've had it once doesn't mean I can't have it
again. It's your approach to it that
brings. And God says I'm going to build
a group of believers that their approach is all about me loving
one another, being connected. They're going to assemble.
So Colossians 113 to 18 again
says that we've been rescued. We're the body of Christ, He is
the head. So Jesus says this in Matthew
chapter 16, verses 15 to 19. Everybody doing all right.
I mean, you're in the most powerful thing on the planet
right now. It's the church.
Now, look, just because some places aren't functioning well
doesn't mean God's not doing something.
So don't be one of the rebellious.
Children of God. Who make fatalistic statements
that are not birthed in reality. I mean, my kids would be
extravagant about some things. Like, really?
I mean, seriously, Are you saying this right now?
I mean, that is, like, way out of context.
Because, you know, it seems like in the West everybody's like,
man, there's no church. And he said to them, but who do
you say that I am? Simon Peter says you are the
Christ, the Son of the living God.
Jesus said, blessed are you Simon Barjona, because flesh and
blood has not revealed this to you.
But my Father who is in heaven, I say to you that you are Peter
and upon this rock, not upon Peter, but upon the revelation
that Jesus is the Christ the King, I'll build my church and
the gates of hell are at Hades will not overpower.
Verse 19 says, and I'll give you the keys of the Kingdom.
That's why we know that it's built on the Christ or the King,
because why would it be built on religion?
And he's given Kingdom keys. It's been on the Kingdom.
I said it's been on the Kingdom. I said it's been on the Kingdom.
You know, I'm amazed at how many people are already bored with
the word Kingdom. That's like getting bored with
the name. Jesus, 'cause I'm here to tell
you the King's coming and he's not bringing a white church with
a steeple in in the new heaven and new earth.
We are not going to see a crucifix.
I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven, and whatever
you bound on earth shall have been bound in heaven.
Whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in
heaven. Notice Jesus in verse 18.
I will build my church. That word my is of me.
That means Jesus is personally involved.
Jesus did not delegate the building of the church to the
apostle, the prophet, the pastor, the teacher, or the
evangelist, although he did give those gifts a very specific
instruction for his church and a layer of responsibility.
Then you have the Saints. The Saints are not building the
Church and in the US many Saints have have developed boards that
they vote their fivefold ministry.
In. Under the pretense that they've
heard from. God, all right, it's fine.
I mean many. People use God as a manipulative
tool to advance their own cause. It's true.
And when you say that they try to put it on those who aren't.
But it's it's noticeable by the behavior of the individual and
how they talk about others. Very noticeable.
So Jesus said I'm going to build my church, which tells me I
don't care how many bad church experiences you've had, Jesus
today is building his church. There is the existence of it in
the planet. Because he said once he comes
in, there'll be no end to the increase of his government or of
peace, because the government will rest on his shoulders.
The shoulder is in the body. That is the church.
The church is like the embassy. We are the ambassadors.
And he is building those embassies all over the world
where his children are coming together, hearing from the home
country, encouraging one another, champion one another,
wanting each other to find their fit and do their part.
Because when we all do it together, we can accomplish
amazing things. And that's happening in the
earth today. It's happening.
And when people say, well, you know, I'll try to, I'm never
going to go to church again, well then you're unscriptural.
Hallelujah. No, we need to find our fit.
Jesus is building the church. Ephesians chapter 4.
We're closing down here, it says, and he gave some as now
I'm going to come back and reiterate this point in the
eighth verse, it said, and God gave gifts to men.
That's every one of us. Say I'm a gift.
Come on, say I'm a gift. You are a gift.
You know what good gifts are? Gifts are only good if they're
opened. So unless you let U.S.
Open you, what good is your gift?
Most of you are trying to be like Santa Claus.
You want to keep yourself as a gift underneath your own tree
called the cross and wait for Jesus to come and open you.
Jesus like I've been trying to open you.
So he gave gifts to man. Some of these gifts are
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.
Not all are those gifts. Now here's the big problem and
I'm going to go into this in more detail.
God does not call them titles. That's.
Right. And I get it.
I understand what why people do that.
They're like, man, I'm not about a title, brother.
I'm just like you, you know, and they want to maintain this sense
of humility that they're not trying to be something, you
know, I'm not into titles. Well, you know what?
God wasn't into titles because he didn't make it a title.
He called it a gift. And what we've done is we've
used a human term, brought it into the church, and now we've
changed something that all of a sudden, if one of these gifts
are in operation, we're seeing it as title, we're seeing it as
controlling, we're seeing it as controlling me, when none of
those gifts can control you. And they were never designed to
control you, but they are designed to equip you.
And equipping you is not just telling you you look beautiful
today. Because when Paul told Timothy
to equip, he says you're going to instruct, but you can also
rebuke, you're going to correct. In fact, 2/3 of the ministry of
the fivefold ministry has to do with you're going to have to
change the way you think. And we've developed such a soft
US church, but again, even in the softest of churches, that
they do not want to hear correction one time.
They will be the first believers that will stand on a sideline
and let a secular lost person cuss out their child at a game
in order to perform better. And then we'll re reaffirm this
lost person who's been yelling at our child and giving them all
kinds of obscenity and say if you don't do it, you're not
going to make it to the next level in college.
You better listen to your coach. But Jesus building his church.
So all who are sensitive, please change your thinking.
If not, you'll leave, I can't help it.
We're here to equip the Saints. Why?
So that they know they go to heaven when they die.
See, the assembly is not just so we can have a pepper rally,
although there are some pepper rally services.
Amen. I like a good pepper rally too,
but pepper rallies don't have you winning.
You have a pep rally because the whole week you've been
practicing, you've been on the field, blood, sweat, tears,
exhaustion, going without water when you know you want it and
the coach won't let you take a water break and says do another
one. Then the pep rally comes and
you're like, thank God we're in the air conditioned gym and we
get to go rah rah re and everybody gets excited because
we're going to beat the team tonight.
But we can only win tonight because we executed Fiona, our
only hope of winning. Hey, ma'am, so we equipped the
Saints. I wish some of you get more
excited in this. That's all right.
Hallelujah, some of you. Are a lot more mature than this
and you could really help the whole flow of service if you
would just go ahead and act on what you're thinking instead of,
you know, being reserved. For the equipment of the Saints,
for the worker service to the building up of the what body of
Christ? Because again, you come to
church not just for you. The assembly is not about you.
It's not about you. Again, because we have made him
our personal Savior and church is an option because all we
really care about is where we're going to go when we die.
Then the church can't function like it was because you're
coming for you and you're not coming for someone else because
you're really supposed to grow so that you can help build up
someone else. Now you're not building someone
so that you can make someone follow you because you need your
part to do your part. Oh, I can't wait till our team
rally night. Hallelujah.
Speaking of Team Rally night, all of you that are in our
Elevate orientation or Elevate ministry have been sent a thing
on Planning Center to accept one of the dates that is not
optional. Your desire to be in your fit
and to continue to grow and give yourself means I'm coming not
does it fit in my schedule. So at the last I heard there's
about 100 that had not out of 300.
Let's go to work. All right, 'cause man, it's
going to be worth your while until we all attain to the what?
Well, we can agree to disagree. No, we can't.
We need to unify the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the
Son of God to a what? Mature man?
The reason some people struggle is because they want to stay
immature. But the mature will require
people to mature. Come on, you need to mature now.
And I'm not being mean to you. I'm just saying let's mature.
And that's not mean. That's not mean spirited.
That's like, come on, maturity is a pretty awesome thing
because when you're mature, it ain't about you anymore.
It's nothing about you. It has nothing to do with you.
Because it had to do with me, man.
I'd have left a long time ago. I am self-sustaining.
I know how to feed myself. The problem is when I started to
feed myself, I realized I cannot be cut off from the rest of the
body. So what keeps me and is not my
calling, it's my obligation to my King.
That's why I keep showing up and assembling.
This is why many of you when you're on vacation, you find a.
Don't let the Westernized church make it a department or
something that we just do on the side.
It's who we are. The church is not a building,
it's who we are. How do I take this off?
How do I take vacation from who I am?
It's called amnesia, OK. As a result, we're no longer
children to be children, tossed here and there by waves and
carried around by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of
men, by the craftiness and deceitful scheming, but speaking
the truth. And love.
We are to grow up in all aspects into Him who was the head, even
Christ. Whom?
The what? Whole body, Not one part of the
body, not just the leg parts. The torso doesn't need to show
up today. Whom the whole body?
Whom? The whole body being what being
what? What are they fitted?
Find your fit being fitted and held together by what every
joint supplies according to the proper working of each
individual part. So they're each individual has a
part and you have a proper part. We'll talk about this next week
because some are trying to be in a part that they're not proper
to be in. You were never designed to be
there. That's good.
And you're mad at God because you want to pick your spot.
I'm glad my fingers aren't mad at my toes.
I've never woke up my my fingers were trying to break my toes
off. It's never happened.
Never once did I have this issue
inside me because my stomach was trying to become my heart.
Although sometimes I've had heartburn because it's something
too spicy somewhere. But, you know, my organs are not
competing against each other. If they do, it's called an
abnormality and something's wrong.
It's not. We're evolving, all right.
Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus whom the whole
body being fitted and held together by whatever joint
supplies according to the proper working of each individual part
cause of the growth of the body for the building up of itself.
How in love. Sure wish I could talk about
that. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19
last scripture here we go. This is the assembly.
It's time to find your fit. The reason why many people are
struggling today is not because it's not because they don't make
enough money. It's not because you know they
don't have it. They they have they do not have
an education multiple things. The problem is is because they
have not found their fit. Jack Myers, who's in plant city,
he said this you'll never truly feel connected to a church until
you begin to serve in it. Attending helps you grow
spiritually, but serving allows you to fulfill your God-given
purpose. God never intended his church to
be an instructional institute. He expected it to be a household
of family members who served one another and the community they
were in. That they brought the light of
God to A to a place of darkness. And we would be so different
that darkness would want to run and get inside.
But in order to do that, you cannot come to church only for
yourself. You know, the assembly is not
just about you, it's about building up the other one.
And do you understand some services God did more, not just
he. God is doing so much.
We don't even know all that He's doing right.
And I know this as a minister, as as the pastor and the apostle
of this church. I know that there are people
working in the parking lot that are saying things to other
people in the congregation that is genuinely helping them
continue to stay the course and stay connected to the church
body. That's pretty amazing thing.
OK, Now, that doesn't mean there isn't other stuff that happens
in churches. It does where people are trying
to pull people out, right? Those are absaloms.
That's what they do. But you know, the Lord
recognizes that and He deals with that and God's
long-suffering and He's merciful and He wants people to change.
But when it's functioning right, you understand, every one of us
are going to be doing something towards someone else.
And we're not competing for attention.
We're just complementing each other based upon the assignment
He asked for us when we come together, and we can't wait for
the next one and for the next one and for the next one.
Because when he uses me, great. When he uses someone else,
great. Because we're all doing
something great together. We are the most selfless
individuals on the planet and it's demonstrated in our
connection with one another. Ephesians 219 to 22.
So then you are no longer slaves or.
Aliens, you're strangers. You're no longer strangers.
You know what? You shouldn't be a stranger to
the church. Well, you know, I haven't been
to church in five years. What?
I haven't seen you in three months.
You're like a stranger. We are no longer strangers.
We're no longer aliens. But we are what fellow citizens
with the Saints and are of God's household having been built on
the foundation of the apostles and prophets.
Notice those two gifts had an assignment in the building of
his church, and those two gifts are still in the planet today.
Christ Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.
He's obviously the the head of the church in whom the whole
body, say whole body, not part of the body, not partial body,
but whole body. When we get this in our psyche
that anytime you're not here, when you can be here, you're
affecting the assembly. I know here at the church, we
monitor when people become vision partners and then to get
on, do our supportive ministry class on how to serve the church
because you're serving Jesus, not us.
And then when people get on the schedule, we begin to realize
that. Sometimes people just come when
they serve and not come to be fed and we correct that because
that's like saying to like an athlete saying I'm not coming to
practice, all I'm going to do is come to game day.
That don't work like that. No, we come together because
coming to service like this and not serving anywhere else is
vitally important as serving all of it is OK.
And so the whom? The whole body being fitted
together again, this not being fitted, separated from one
another. Oh, I'm with you even though I'm
not there. Now Paul, through a different
constraint, says although I'm not with you, I'm there in the
spirit. But you understand he wanted to
be there. I mean, sometimes Paul couldn't
be in the church because he was in prison.
Now, if you're in prison, I understand why you're not here.
OK, Pastor, I couldn't make it to church Sunday.
How come while I was in jail? OK, what happened?
And which one is it 'cause I can visit?
All right, I'm in the system to visit, right?
However, I mean, that was Paul's reason for not assembling
because even Paul on his travels was to go from church to church.
And as we said in another service that if you are the one
and God comes after you, the many defines you.
The reason we rejoice is because he can take you back to the 99.
He doesn't bring you back and say now you stay over here, this
is the 99, you're so special. That never happens.
He's only finding you to put you back in the flock where the
greatest protection is. I said where the greatest
protection is. The greatest protection is not
isolation, not individualism. It's not being separated.
Or on your own. The biggest protection is being
the whole body being fitted together is growing into a holy
temple in the Lord, in whom we also are being built together
into a dwelling of God in the spirit.
You know, we should be so champion, man.
I'm so glad to see so and so here because because they're
here, they're making us better. Because they've assembled.
We are becoming better. Because they've assembled with
us, man, let me look. We're so and so.
They need to get here. Why?
Because they don't understand the assembling is a big deal.
We need to whole body needs to get here.
The whole body needs to get here.
The whole body, you understand, you can't even be used unless
the whole team shows up. In some athletics, if the team
didn't show up, but you'd have to forfeit the game.
And I'm wondering if some communities are being forfeited
to the devil because everybody won't show up on and then we're
saying, Lord, do something in our city, he said.
I'm trying to. Would you please get together?
Would you get together? We have to change our thinking
and understand the ascent. It's not.
Oh, your pastor, you want people to come to come here?
Listen, they don't want them to come hear me.
I want them to come hear God. That's why we stay in Scripture.
But I have an assignment. And if that's bothering you,
that's your problem, not mine. We all have to do our part.
You don't want to be like Cora. We hear God too.
OK, go ahead. Hear God too, then.
Didn't work good for Cora to rebel against the assignment.
He had a place, he had a fit, and God was pleased to have him
there. And he couldn't have done any
better than that part. But he wanted another man's.
In the ground swallowed him and his family.
Wow, that's not among us. We're not like.
That Amen. Come on, shout Amen.
I'm helping you by faith because a lot of times when you get into
message like this, this is what grows you, right?
And it's real simple. I mean, you just do a quick
evaluation. How am I doing?
Am I, Do I love being here? Do I love assembling?
Do I love doing this? Because again, no one made you
come today anyway. And if you don't love it, then
there are other places in the planet where there's 8 billion
people of which they say 2 billionaire believers.
So find the place God is assigning you or appointing you
to be. But if you are assigned here,
then it should be everything to get here.
It should be #1 on your mind, not what you're doing Monday,
not what you're doing this weekend, not movie you're going
to watch. What are we doing at church?
How do we get connected? What can I do there?
How can I find my fit? What am I doing?
What's the church doing? Because that's Jesus.
He is the head of the body. I want to serve Him.
Lord, what are you doing in your church, The one that you're
building? I've come to assemble.
I want to do my part. I want to build up the brother.
I want to be with my family. I want to encourage them.
I want to strengthen them. I want to champion, I don't want
to leave myself out so that we can do all that we're supposed
to do in the community that you've placed me in and the
vision that you assigned me to. This is why we love to assemble.
Let's huddle up because we're running a play for the Kingdom
and we are guaranteed to win. And as everyone does their part,
we cannot fail and we advance faster.
Hallelujah. Come on, stand to your feet.
I just want you to change your position for a second.
Amen. The first way you find your fit
is you have to commit to assembling period.
Any position that you're going to take, it requires you to
develop a commitment. When it comes to a job, you
either going to be employed. And when I say that that's even
if you own the company, because if you own the company, if
you're not partnering with someone who's purchasing or
utilizing your resources or what you have to give to society, you
don't have a business. You're not a business by
yourself. No one makes money by themselves
because if you are trading in stocks and you're not making
money by yourself, you are investing that other people are
selling a product that's allowing that stock to grow so
that you Because if that doesn't work, then guess what?
The stock plummets and your money and investments gone.
Everyone has to have somebody else and you got to commit to
it. Yet for some reason in the
Western church after World War 2, we decided that the only
thing we had to do is know that Jesus came into our heart and
save us so that when we die we go to heaven and for whatever
reason, this. Was just an option.
It's not an option. God never called you to himself
to be alone. No, didn't do it.
Listen, there are men and women of God that are in the fivefold
ministry who have gone to other nations, not to see people born
again, but to establish churches by which people would be born
again. To develop assembly halls called
the Body of Christ and they may not ultimately stay in that
nation. They may turn it over to
someone, but they started with a group and they all came together
and they began to minister. That was the intent the whole
while now we've like let's just go tell some about Jesus, get
them born again, leave and don't ever put them to church isn't is
not necessary. You're not even reading
scripture. It was never designed that way
ever. We have to commit to the church.
God's assembly and when we do that then He'll give you an
appointment. Being born again doesn't is not
your place in the church. It gives you access to the
place. In the church.
Being born again gets you in the house so that now the Father can
give you an assignment. Being born again doesn't make
you the church. It gives you access to the
assembly where you can now find your fit.
Of which the one who's authorized to tell you what it
is is him, the builder of the church, who was the architect.
And we'll talk about that next week.