Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Hey. Thanks so much, Tim. Hey. Good evening, everybody. Good to see you guys. I know it is a busy season, so we're really grateful, especially you guys at, at home as well. Can we just say welcome to our, church family online? Hey. Good evening, guys.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:15]:
Hope you are enjoying your Christmas season as well. This evening. We're actually concluding the series we began, on the kingdom of God and understanding your role in it. And we we started actually the series by by talking about what the gospel was that Jesus preached. Because the gospel that Jesus preached, I think, sometimes it's it's so mischaracterized in in modern days because Jesus didn't talk about just the fact that he would, die in the cross and, rise again so that that you and I could be saved. Although that is part of what he did, but he talked about that the kingdom of God was near. And and so we started to preach about the kingdom, the gospel of the kingdom of God. The rule of God, not just simply on heaven, but on on earth, and that that heaven wanted to break out in on Earth.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:10]:
And so God is not just creator and sustainer, but he is presently working on Earth. And then we started about the basics of citizenship, how that the gospel of the kingdom talks about the fact that we we live under a different rule, that we have a different sovereign than than just the the sovereign of a a a political leader or the sovereign of a a a kingdom of, an earthly kingdom. And so, you know, we don't have the time to go over all of this, but we we did have some time where we talked about the culture of the kingdom we saw displayed in, the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes and then talking about how it's a different kind of a a standard that that maybe the world says and maybe even religion says, hey. As long as I I see, but I don't touch, but Jesus said something different. Right? He said it it starts in the heart. It does matter what you do, but it starts in the heart. And so we talked about some of the basics in the training of citizenship. That his ways are higher than our natural ways, and just like his odds are higher than our thoughts.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:20]:
And then we talked about the fact that why why is it then sometimes so difficult as a believer? Why is it sometimes so difficult to, to to to talk to people or minister, and we talked about the fact is that if you only focus on the physical, you will always be stymied. If you only focus about what you can do or what others can do in their efforts, you will find it very difficult to extend the kingdom because we find that there is kingdoms in conflict, that there really is is is unseen spiritual world that affects our physical world, not simply heaven, but that there are forces of darkness as well. And that God is in the midst of reclaiming the lives of of men and women, boys and girls who under to him, but that there is a spiritual enemy as well. And if we don't know how to fight that battle, then you gen tend to get kind of ambushed every time. And so we talked about that aspect and how you and I, like, God equips us then to change the spiritual climate in your family to change the spiritual climate in wherever you work that God allows us that possibility. And then we talked about what do we do now. In that because if we are called then to rule and reign with Christ, that you're not just called to to get through life and to get to heaven. That's not really the call.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:47]:
The call is is to get that when we get to heaven, that we will rule and reign with Christ. So we need to learn how to do that now, that we need to learn how overcome now. We need to learn how to stand strong spiritually now, and that as a result, that we present him in this world. That we we learn how to represent him in our different cultures. And we talked about the different spheres, the 7 spheres of of of influence in any culture that, you know, things like we talked about government and family and faith and business in, technology. We talked about those kinds of education. We talked about those things, and so that you needed to be an in per a person of influence wherever you're at, whether it's in your family or whether it's in your workplace or where you go to school. And then we talked about the last week was the directives and the provisions.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:41]:
Is that Jesus really does do have does have something. As king, he has given us some directives. He's given us a a commission to follow. Hello. And so in order for us to fulfill the commission, though, you you have to be in the word because you cannot obey what god has called you to unless you're in the word, then you don't can't fulfill what you don't know. And so there's this aspect of being in the word and at the same time being empowered by the spirit. Because it god is not telling you to just do it in your own power. Aren't you glad? God doesn't ask you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:14]:
In your own strength, go and change the world. He doesn't say that. He says go in my power. Go in my provision. So it's not your power. Or it's not my power, it's his power. And so we talked about that last week. But this evening, we're gonna just kinda close by just talking about, well, how is it that we kinda express the the kingdom in an on going basis then, in our lives.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:39]:
Because part of that is what is our role. Right? What is our role? And and I'm I just just have 3 things that we wanna talk about this this evening. But the first one is this, that you're gonna learn to trust and Obey. There's an old hymn that says trust and obey. There's no other way that God calls it's not simply to believe him or believe in him, but to trust him and then obey him. That's the part of lordship. And we're gonna read together in Ephesians chapter 4 about this first point. And would you be kind enough? Stand in reverence for God, reverence for his word, and let's read this together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:23]:
This is what it says. Ready? Begin. With the lord's Authority. I say this. Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused, for their minds have Yes. Okay. Thank you. I did I skipped it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:41]:
I don't know where I reading. They have no we're reading something. We're reading something. So I'm just gonna continue on in verse 19, because their hearts have been hardened. Right? So they have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. And so either it's probably a combination. My hearing is bad, but the other Art of It is, I got lost in here too.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:18]:
But the thing is that it's calling us. What he's talking about is that that the world is is in darkness. Right? And so he's called us out of that. He's called us out of the world, and so that our hearts should no longer be hardened. Right? But that we and that we don't just live for the lustful pleasures because he's calling us today to have faith and obedience to him. Now that this is not necessarily natural because it's a supernatural life that God is calling us to. You don't have to do it on your own. So do do me a favor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:55]:
Turn to your neighbor and says, God wants you to trust him, but he wants you to obey as well. Right, it's one thing to trust God. It's one thing to trust God. It's it's it's a great thing to trust God. It's a great thing to have Faith. Right? But does God just simply do that? Jesus doesn't just give suggestions. He gives commands. And sometimes in those commands that God has for us, he tells you when he says to stop, he wants you to learn how to stop.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:27]:
And when he tells to go. He wants you to learn how to go. Right? And so, how many of us have been in that place that you had great plans, you had some things that you wanted to do, and then the lord put a break on that, right, and that we learned. Maybe you struggled in that process, and we're not saying it's bad to struggle. Struggle's a natural part for every person, but what we learn is that we learn how to obey. That when God says go, we go. When God says stay, we stay. If God tells you say something, say something.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:00]:
If God tells you to be quiet, be quiet. I've been I've heard all those things before. Right? That there's sometimes I've been in a conversation, and that, wanted to say. You guys ever wanted to say something and you hear the spirit of God telling, and it it could be, you know, an argument with your your spouse. It could be, something maybe it's just something else. Maybe it's not even an argument, but you hear the Lord say, I want you to be quiet. Yeah. I've heard the Lord tell me, shut up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:29]:
And and so I said, oh. And I kept on talking. No. I was kidding. That's not what we're doing. But, you know, you you have to learn. Now why does God do that? Because he's training us. He's training us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:42]:
And and one of those things is that I want you to obey him when it's convenient and when it's not convenient. Right? He wants you to obey him when it's easy, and he wants you to obey him when it's hard. It's it's not a a suggestion. I love what it says in Psalm 1, Psalm 154. It says it like this. He swears to his own hurt and does not change. You know, there's some things that you'll say you made a promise at times. God will tell you to do something.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:12]:
And you might say, god, I'm gonna do this thing, and then you know what? It's gonna get hard to do that thing. Right? Lord, I I'm gonna give to this thing. And then all of a sudden, you have a you have a unexpected bill. Right? There's gonna be something that's gonna happen that, god, I I said I'm gonna reach out to that person, and then you have an argument with that person, and then maybe you don't wanna do that anymore. And God says, no. No. No. No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:33]:
This is not the sign to not do it. This is the sign to obey me. I've been in that position. You know? I've been in that position a bunch of times where different things will happen and and and it's not easy to fulfill. And sometimes there's reasons that it's not easy. I I remember, one of those times, and I I know I've shared this before or where, I was doing sales, and and I was learning how to do the job, to be honest, still, and learning how to write things up. And one of my Bosses. My manager, told me clearly.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:06]:
He says, if you ever write this the the the sale up just and and you have a question. It says leave it alone. They already just leave it. And and, I remember doing this contract, and and, I felt like the lord said give them the discount, but I just didn't know how to do it, to be honest. It was I was new. I didn't know how to calculate that in the thing, and so, I I charge a price that I I just I wrote it out just the way it is and because I didn't know how to do it. And I didn't wanna look like I didn't know what I was doing with the people. And and then I went back and I told my boss at the same time, it's like, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:42]:
I need to calculate how to do the thing and then go back to that client. And then he told me that same thing, Glenn. They signed. They already paid on that. Don't worry about it because they were willing to do it. And there was a part in me just was thinking. No. That's not right.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:58]:
God told me to give him a discount, but because he said my manager said, just leave it alone. That's not how you do business. And this is the thing. God was god was testing whether I'm gonna learn how to do my business by what my manager said or by what god said. Right. Now I forgot about that. I I listened to my manager at that point. Right? Until, like, 6 months later 6 months later.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:28]:
It's actually even longer than close to a year, I think, later. I'm doing my devotions. And I say, god, is there anything that you want to tell me today? Is there anything that you're trying to communicate to me? And I heard the voice of god say, remember that family I told you to give a discount? And I got like, oh my gosh. I had a sinking feeling. And the thing is that if I had just giving them the discount at the at that time. You know, it would have been nothing. And and the reason I didn't give it wasn't of what it was gonna cost me. I just didn't know how to do it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:02]:
But because I processed the contract, and I did these things, and calculated what the difference was to them. I felt like my call was to make them whole. And so so I had to write a check for, like, $1,000. And I talked to my wife. I said, hon, and Scott has told me. I guess I gotta make this thing right. I gotta make this thing. I gotta make that family whole.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:30]:
I didn't obey at that time. And I said, it's gonna cost us a 1,000. And she says, why didn't you listen the first time? No. I was kidding, but I she didn't. But she said, you know what? Let's just obey the Lord. And I wrote a I wrote a letter, and I sent the check. And I got a letter response back, and they said, we have no idea what you're talking about, the family. We have no idea what you're talking about, but we understand that you felt compelled by I got to do this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:04]:
Now you know why was God doing that? Because he wanted to punish me? No. God wanted to train me. Right? Because you see the kingdom is about me being able to respond to the king. And this is one of the things I've learned about obedience as a result of that. It's almost always cheaper to obey the 1st time than later on. Right? And so it would have been, you know, like, a $150 or something like that. It was a it was a really small amount compared to what I ended up doing. Now this is why.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:40]:
You see, God, we think so often, can I trust God? Right? And when you before you become a believer, that's the thing that you're are wrestling with. After you become a believer, you realize you can trust God. You know what God is doing? He's checking. Can he trust you? Can he trust you? If I tell you to do something, will you do it? If I tell you to stop, will you stop? Right? Or you're gonna just say, I know what god is saying, but never mind. I just gonna do what I wanna do. This is what god says. Well, then then I guess that we gotta we gotta keep you in this grade for a little while till you learn how to obey me. Right? That control your tongue.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:21]:
Right? Control your Action. Right? Control your attitude. And he's saying these things because how can he give us more if I won't obey him. How could God give me more when I was doing business if I cannot obey him there? Right? And so that's what God was teaching. You find this in the book of Joshua when Joshua is leading the people into the promised land. And it they thank god. Are you for us? And then he sees he he he's been told, be strong and courageous for the Lord is with you, and then he sees this warrior at night when he's gone out to to to view out the land and he's gone to to pray and he sees this thing and he says is to that person. Are you for us or against us? And he says, that's a wrong question because I am the angel of the Lord, the commander of God's army, and the question is, are you for him? Becomes a question.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:24]:
You see, god, sometimes we learn how to trust and obey because god's looking at our hearts whether we obey him or we whether we just have him, god, would you be on my side? And god is asking, are you on my side at times. And and so this is one of the things about the kingdom. In order to have kingdom authority to Steward, greater authority. God needs to know that he can trust you. If you want greater sense of responsibility, if you want a greater sense of of leadership. If you want a greater sense of he's saying material things. He says this like this. If you cannot be faithful in the little things, then how can I trust you with more? And one of the things that God said is that financial things, that's a little thing god.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:14]:
If you you cannot stand on it, how can I interest people to you? How can I trust lives to you? And so this is what he's saying. Learn to trust Enomay. The second thing I'd say is this, is that God wants you to be faithful Be Faithful. Right? But but not to the rules and the regulations. Right? It's not to the rules and regulations. It's to say the do's and the don'ts. It's not saying, hey. I did all the right things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:42]:
I'm doing all the right things. Leave me alone. I'm following what the word says, but God is saying this, to be faithful to your father and your king. You know, the apostle Paul talking about what that's like, says it like this in Galatians chapter, chapter 2 verses 20 and 21. And he says it like this. Would you be kind enough? Let's read this together. Ready? Can we read? My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:16]:
So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the son of God who loved me and gave himself when he says says this, pause obedience isn't based because I have a set of moral principles, and I don't violate my moral principles. He doesn't see it because he you know, the the law says this. Although the law may say those things. He doesn't see it that way because he's responding to the god who gave his for him. He wants to be faithful to the one who rescued him, to the one who loved him, it says. And that, man, I sense this Aspect that God's that Paul's response is one of love and faith, not of so I can say I did the right thing. Right? It it's it's not so he can say I followed the rules. When you respond to people you love, it isn't necessarily because you have to.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:25]:
Just because you want to. Right? I don't cheat on my wife not because I have to not do it, because I don't want to do it. Right? It's not like I I I handle, my responsibility so that nobody complains. It's so that I please the one who called me to the responsibility. You see, wherever God places you and whatever the the moment that that God has in your life. And he's saying this, would you see it as a sacred responsibility? Some of us we have a position of responsibility in your, in your family. It's a sacred position as a father, as as a mother. Right? For some of us, you're you have that place in the workplace that a responsibility maybe for some of over kids.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:20]:
For some of us, I see it's like over your staff. For some of it's and one of those things, it's a sacred responsibility. Why? Because it came from God. It didn't just come from your job. God gave you the job in the 1st place. Now one of those things is is that as a result, he's saying, I want you to be faithful in the relationship with me and not just the things that I've told told you to do, but be just literally be faithful in the relationship with me. In Exodus 23, the first the first command the first of the 10 commandments is you find it in verse 3. In You Living.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:05]:
It says it like this. You must not have any other god but me. Right? You must have any other god but me. And why is he saying that? I mean, he talks about the fact that when the people of the land would would, or when the people of Israel would follow and they would they start worshiping the the gods of the the the surrounding nations. They would they would worship Baal or they would worship Molech or Kimosh or whatever it is. They would they would follow another faith 8th. The god called it adultery. And it is not that because they were doing physical adultery with someone other than their spouse.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:49]:
It's because it was a spiritual adultery, he's saying. It's like you're cheating on me like you would cheat cheating your spouse. That's how that's how god calls it. And so he says, you must have no other god but me. And, you know, today that, at, you know, it's just so many things that are out there. You we might tend to think you know, like, one of the biggest spiritual movements that's happening, in our country, they say in the west, is the rise of paganism. It's the rise of of people who worship the spirits of the land or, like, that for some in Hawaii, what we we find is people going back to the Old Gods. Right? That what we find in some places that, you know, that people go to some of their cultural heritage.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:39]:
You you know, like, I was talking with, my kids and about in Japan and and they, going to Japan. And one of my kids said, well, maybe we can go to this temple. And I said, you know, the thing is that when you go to 1 temple, you've been to a mall. Right? You go one shrine. You've been in Oman. And then my my son said, but, dad, we never went to 1 yet. Right? And, because I've been on, like, mission trips and different things. And so you go to these places.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:08]:
I've been to a bunch of them, and the reality is that it feels like that to me. But but here's the thing, and and I laughed, and I kinda liked it that that's the way it's been. Because I don't wanna introduce them to say, hey. You know, because culturally, you know, like, my grandparents came from Japan or that my wife came from Japan. And and so this is what they did on this kind of a holiday. This is what they did in this kind of a season. And so hey. Let's not go back to the old ways.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:38]:
Right? I I I believed, like, firmly believe. And that maybe those of us who are here, whatever you think about, whatever ethnic heritage you come from. But if I know if I was born in Japan, less than 1% chance that I would be a Christian today. I remember standing in the, in a crowded subway going through Tokyo one day, and there's just I mean, it's like you guys you know, that packed like sardines kind of a time. And I was just thinking, you know, if Jesus came back and the rapture happened Reddit this moment. You know, like, America would be, in many places, would be unfunctioning because, you know, how does as it work. If it looked like the the movies or the TV thing. Right? Like, the plane just flying a no pilot or whatever it is.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:27]:
But you know what? I just thought occurred to me when I was there. I said, you know, this train is gonna be just basically just as full. And I believe that god had my grandfather come to United States. It wasn't you know, it's so long ago. It wasn't the United States when he came. Right? But when he came to Hawaii and that that my father was born and then I was born, and I came to know Jesus so that I could share with him. I could share with my grandmother. I could share with my family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:02]:
I could share with my mom. I could share with my brother. And the missions that we go to Japan is you know what, to go back and bring the faith there. Right? Extend the kingdom there because god had a purpose and a plan. Right? And so here's one of those things is just be careful. Would you stay as far away from those things that, to be honest, God would consider spiritual adultery. We see it in Leviticus like this. He says, do not defile yourselves by turning to mediums, to those who consult the spirits of the dead.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:42]:
Ed. He says, I am the lord your god. You know, I was talking to some brothers this week and, in a in our small group, and in one of those things who was talking about this kind of a stuff. Like, not that what we did, but, like, I just I just said this. Hey. Everybody's had like, if you grew up in Hawaii. And maybe not just in Hawaii, but if you grew up here, I bet most of us, we have either had direct experience with some spiritual thing that wasn't God, right, or in your family. Right? And, you know, most of the guys, we raise their hands.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:19]:
Right, and different people and different things. I have had things directly happen to me before I was believer. That was spiritual in nature, but it wasn't God. You know? It was dark. And, you know, the scripture says this, but part of that is because of what I did before I was a believer. Says, don't visit astrologers or origin tellers or basically play with Ouija boards or call on spirits or do incantations or practice magic whether you call the black magic or white magic. Right? Don't don't chase those things. Don't don't chase talking to the spirits of your ancestors.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:59]:
It says instead that the scripture is saying, seek me. Now why? It's because don't get caught up in that in the past. If you've had that, you know, God's forgiven that at the cross. Right? But at the same time, he's saying this. Don't get caught up in again, stay as far away from it as you can. And and I think that for for most of us that I understand if there's people that they they said that they they've seen people. Right? I I understand. I had spiritual experiences, but this is one of those things I learned was that when I became a believer, it didn't people didn't tell me, Glenn, you just made that up when you got when you felt like that thing that couldn't was stuck on your chest, or when this thing happened that where we were in, you know, in the car with all my friends going through the graveyard, and nobody said that didn't really happen because those things actually happened.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:02]:
But this is what I needed to learn how to do. I needed to learn how to interpret my experience by the word of did not interpret the word of God by my experience. And people have spiritual experiences. I'm not telling you that you're not you've never had a spiritual experience that wasn't God. I'm just gonna say, would you interpret that experienced by the word of God. Because the the scriptures often gonna be saying that, yes, that there there are dark spirits. There are forces of wickedness. There are things.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:35]:
Scripture calls familiar spirits that seem to come to you like something that you know or someone you know. And so I think this that's what he's saying that that learn how to be faithful to God. Don't try to change the word of God to fit what you've gone through. Would you look at what God has said? To be honest, I thought I knew. How many of us thought we knew before we came to the Lord? I thought I knew, and then I came to the Lord, and I go like, oh gosh. This is it's like a whole different world open. That makes sense? And and so today, you know, with all this stuff, it's it's not just a harmless thing. You open a spiritual portal in some sense.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:19]:
You open a door that the enemy is looking for ways to to access your life, to influence you. So let's let's just close Door. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and says, hey. Let's close the door. Right? Don't let the enemy in. In don't let the enemy into your house. To be honest, even those things, I don't take things that have been blessed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:41]:
I remember when I was on staff at Campus and we're at and there were these, Hare Krishnas on campus. And they were giving out you guys all remember Govinda cookies? They used to make this giant cookie. And they were given them out on campus, and they said, hey. Virtual thoughts. And I was hungry, so I took the cookie and it just said, well, thank you, Jesus, for this cookie, and I just ate the cookie. Right? So I'm gonna think about Jesus. Right? But and and I I think that that's fine. But, you know, I don't take things that that people have got, like, I they went to the temple.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:20]:
They got this thing, and it was blessed, and go hang this in your car. And I said, you know what? Jesus is with me when I'm in the car as well as when I'm at my house. Right? And so just there's things I I don't even take those kind of things into my home. So that we learn why because there's kingdoms at work, and he's always looking for inroads against the kingdom of light. And here's the last last major point. The last major point just keep growing to maturity. Right? Keep growing to maturity. And I love what it says in first Peter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:58]:
1st Peter says it like this. He says, but you are not like that for you are a chosen people. You are a royal you are a royal priest, a holy nation, God's very own Eshin. And as a result, you can show others the goodness of God for he called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Right? And so as a as God's chosen people, do me afraid, but turn to your neighbors as you're chosen by God. Right? And it's saying as a result you know what? That it's it's saying that you are priests. You and I as because I was chosen. I'm not a priest because I have a position in the church as a pastor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:41]:
That there's a priest what does a priest do? The priest inter seeds for for God on behalf of the people. Right? And and so you're a priest that when what? When you tell somebody about Jesus, when you pray for someone. Yeah. You're not a priest in the sense, like, you know, you gotta bow down and all that stuff like that, but you're you're functioning in that sense. Jesus is the 1 high priest, but he's saying this, that when you pray for someone. When you share the gospel and you're trying to reach people because you want people to experience something from God, guess what? That's kind of like the priestly function. And that saying that you and I were that Christians followers of Jesus it's a kingdom of priests, it's saying, that we're a holy nation, God's very own possession, so we can display the goodness of God out in the world. And so it's it's great.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:41]:
So how do we keep growing in this aspect? You know, we grow in our character. Right? We grow in our honesty and our faithfulness. We grow in our patience and our our justness and our compassion. Right, we we grow to not be a slave to our flesh or our feelings. We go beyond our feelings. Now here's one of the rate Waze. I think that the enemy tries to combat us growing is is that he tries to change the narrative in which you're living. So you look at a situation, and he tries to get you messed up.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:17]:
He tries to get me messed up by by showing me by when we by telling me a different story. Now what do I mean by that. Because the Bible tells us first is that you gotta know that you're part of a bigger story. You gotta know that you're part of a bigger story. Right? So I've said this before. The Bible is not just a simply a collection of stories and instruction. It's not just simply a history of the Christian in faith. It's not simply of doctrines and and things like this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:49]:
It doesn't just tell us about ancient Israelites and Christians and what they believe and how they acted. This, if you are a believer, is your history. This is your faith history. This is where we get the connection of our faith. Right? This is for you and for me. So here's the thing. This is our if this is our faith history, this is my heritage. This is your Do me a favor.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:14]:
If you have your bible with me, would you just hold it up and say, this is my heritage. Right? This is my heritage that that every promise he says in the scriptures is yes and amen based on what? Because where you were born? No. By your faith in Christ. Right? Is it because you you had all these gifts? No. But because you have Christ. Right? It's it's this is all that belongs to you so that we don't know. And that's why we said we cannot obey, we cannot believe for if we don't know what this says. This.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:45]:
Right? But here's the thing, this this book is written. The book is closed. The book has been written. There's no more New Testament being written or a newer testament. I'm glad that you don't have to keep getting the update. What's a newer testament? Is there a 2 point o? Alright. But but here's the thing that is this although this book is written because it tells us all the way to the end, the story of God is not completely written. Right? We see the record till about the 1st century AD when you read this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:23]:
But the story was written. We kept being written. Right, and guess what? You and I, we're the part that God's writing right now of the story. Your life, my life, our Collective Efforts. The church around the world that God is writing the story of God, and we're right at that point. There's not a period yet in your life. The period happens when you die. Right? But right now he's writing that story.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:57]:
And so we are at the end so far, at the end of the story. Is that can the on beyond this. Yeah. Possibly. Absolutely. Who knows, though, whether it ends ends in our generation? And to be honest, that's my sense of it. But but here's this part. Know that you're part of a bigger story and that God has written this fabric on the universe.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:25]:
And the privilege that we have to be at this part. Like, know that you're chosen for this time. It's not an accident. You're not an accident. It's not a it's not a weird thing that you're born when you were born. Right? And and so if that's the case, would you know that you're a person of calling? You're a person of destiny? Right? Your person who is called for this season. You understand that? Then you you know that there's a lot that that God wants to do in you and through you. Right? Know that you're part of a bigger story.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:09]:
God is writing this even now, it's an amazing story about people who surrender your life. People who get pulled out of darkness. People who were dead and come alive spiritually. People whose lives were broken and marriages were broken. And what happened is they came from a long line of horrible things. And then you know what happens for some of you, like, for like, for me, who is first believer in his family. We get to create a different lineage in some sense. We get to change the arc of the story in my family, in your family.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:51]:
Right? And some of that is the spiritual story. Right? Some of it is gonna be about the kids that happen or whatever happens. Now why do I say that you gotta understand this part? Because the culture is trying to change the narrative that you live. That if you see all the things that are happening and all the the the the cultural things that are happening right now, the vast majority of the cultural upheaval is because there is a narrative that the world wants you to live, and that you just interpret the world by oppressed and oppressor. Right? And then all of a sudden, what happens? Then all of a sudden, I start looking at different in issues or political issues or or sexual identity issues. And I start thinking of it, and I get I get caught. I why is that? Because it's a different narrative than the narrative that I'm part of this bigger story that God has written. And is it because God doesn't love those people of other races or god doesn't love those people of other religions or god doesn't love those people of different politics or god to love those people who have, you know, confusion of sexual identity or whatever it is.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:13]:
No. Of course, they're loved. Aren't you glad they're loved? Right? And it says that, hey. Such were some of us. Right? That so God loves them, but this is the this is the beauty that God wants to do. You were confused, but then I showed you who you are. Right? You you you didn't love different people because of their backgrounds, but I filled your heart with love and that you can embrace your neighbor. Right? That you you were so political that you you you just saw it so black and white but I I changed your heart that it didn't matter what left or right or political party.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:59]:
We we we'll live differently if we understand we're part of a bigger story. And we don't get caught up in the enemy, the the current of the world. They just want you to Interpreted by Oppressed and Oppressor. Which to be honest, where did it come from? It came from Marx. That's where that came from. And so why do I say that? Because this didn't it didn't actually come from Car Mart. It came from the serpent in the garden. Has God really said this not to eat of the tree.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:41]:
God's the oppressor because he doesn't want you to eat. Because on the day that you do, you're gonna be just like God, but God wants to hold you down. This oppressor and oppressed, that's the devil's line. Right? Is that they're making that up, or is that what it says? I think that's what it says. And so this is what 2nd Corinthians tells us. Let's read what it says. Ready? Begin. We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:19]:
We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of what? Human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. Recapture the rebellious thoughts and teach them, what, to obey Christ. You see, the battle is for your mind and what story you're gonna live. If you can live that story of the of the current the store current stories, current narratives. It's about it's about how we feel. It's about, you know, how we elevate what we think regardless of what God thinks. It's about what everybody else is doing, not about what God has told us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:09]:
But god says this. No. You're part of a much bigger story. When you understand that it helps to immunize you against the current stories. And that what we find then that part of that is that God wants us extend to become more and more like Jesus. Jesus is the person who embrace the the the unembraceable. Jesus is the one who Avated Women. Jesus is the one who who crossed cultural barriers.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:41]:
He's the one that cared for those, for the for the orphan. We find him sharing the good news. We find him opening the things, but this is what he's saying. Let's let's not just look at Jesus as a hero. Let's lean into doing what Jesus did. Why? Because he told us to. In John 14 verses 12 to 13, it says this. Let's read this together.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:11]:
I tell you the truth. Anyone who believes in me will do the same works. Let's say those towards the same works. Same works. The same works. I have done an even greater works because I am going to be with the father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it so that the sun can bring glory to the father. Yes.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:36]:
Ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. He says this. You're gonna do the same words. Right? And he says, like, let's let let me just tackle this thing, though, in verse 14. I think that it says that, yes. Ask me for anything in my name, and I'll do it. So, but if this aspect is leaning to what Jesus did. Did Jesus ask the father to, like, give me the Mercedes Chariot and, you know, like the thoroughbred racehorse to carry.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:11]:
Did he ask for that? Or give me a palace and no. That's not what asked for. Right? So it's not talking about those kinds of it's talking about the things that Jesus asked for. Right? He heal people. Right? He he cast out spirits. Right? He, he spoke life. He had influence. He he expanded the kingdom.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:32]:
Now you can ask things along the way that things in your personal life that the scripture tells us that, hey. You know, ask for whatever it is that you need. That's part of the whole thing in Matthew 6, right, about give us this day our daily bread. Right? The Lord's prayer or it's not really the Lord's prayer. It's the Lord's instruction how to instruction how to pray. But but this is what he's saying, that you and I will do the same works. I I believe that same works is what I had talked about in Luke 10 a few weeks ago when Jesus sent out the 72. When he said, hey.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:05]:
Go out there and spread the gospel of the kingdom. And he said, go and and, heal the sick. Right, go and and and preach the kingdom of God is near. It's it's the same thing that Matt he says in Matthew 10 where he said this, go heal the sick, raise the dead. He says freely, cast out demons, prophecy. He says all of these things. He says, freely, you have received. Freely freely, you have received.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:38]:
So freely would you give. Now lean into doing what Jesus did. So what does that mean? That that you can pray for people when they get healed? Exactly. That prayed that people who have demonic influence in their life, pray that it would be be broken, and they'll leave. Is that what I'm saying? Exactly. Speak the things that God would say that's not humanly knowable. Like, you never told anybody else. Right? Nobody ever said this, but you say it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:13]:
Why? Because God says it to you. Now why don't we do that? Like, when I first read that, I go like, what is the application of this? Okay. I'll just go out and do all this stuff. And I didn't think it was possible. So guess what happened? I never did any of it because I didn't think it was possible. When I was younger in the faith and I was actually that, already in ministry because I I went into the ministry 2 years after it became the lord, came to the lord. And I was leading this group, and one of the guys I used to go to workout with and, go to the gym. We would go work out in the evening, and, we're driving home.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:46:55]:
We're just talking Orient Away. And, you know, sometimes people just tell you stuff that's going on in their life and it's like, man, you complain about, like, yeah. I don't know. Sometimes I drink too much and this and this. And, you know, college student. Right? And so I just said, yeah. Well, hey. You know, like, let's let's just, you know, give that to the lord.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:12]:
Right, so they are. Yeah. It's kinda normal. Yeah. And then sometimes, you know, women are struggling, and this and this, like, well, you're a man. You're gonna you know, just this thing. And then sometimes I cut myself, and I just said, What was that again? Right? And I started, like, oh, well, something is on. And I as I got to know him, I kinda found out his story in in different things, and and that he's he was just a heavy metal kind of a, you know, like, crazy rock satanic music kind of a thing, and he stopped basically listening to that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:47]:
But I I never saw these things happening. I didn't I didn't understand them, but I did I'd understand him saying stuff like there's times that he couldn't come into worship. When worship would be happening, he he just I don't know. I just feel uncomfortable. I gotta stay outside. You know what I thought? I thought it was he wasn't comfortable with the music. Later I find out that wasn't the reason. That's not what he was really he didn't know what he was saying.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:15]:
I just couldn't see it, though. You know what I mean? I just thought it must be the music. You don't like the music or he didn't like something. And that's not what he was talking about. Because later we as we talked, you know, I I understood that after a severe a death in his family, a death of a family member, death of a parent that although he had been a believer that he started dabbling in witchcraft. And not the 1st guy who's who's done that that I knew. You know? 1 of the guys I grew up with. That's what happened to him after his dad died, my dad's best friend.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:48:55]:
And, I know this guy my whole life. He just happened to not be a believer, but he was dabbling in all those things too. Same thing. And I just said, hey. Can we just can we just say, hey. That was an old me. You did what you did, and you didn't. Whether you knew better, you didn't know better.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:15]:
Let's just say that that's the old you. Right? We don't wanna do that anymore. Right? The scriptures tells us that we we had to repent of that, and let's just get rid of that stuff. And he goes, yeah. I need to get rid of that. Like, I just this thing just drags me down. He's talking about all this stuff. And then one day, he came to my house, and he brought all this stack.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:49:36]:
And back then, it was CDs of all this kind of a, you know, Rush and Kiss and ACDC and all these other bands, whatever. It looks like it kind of like magnify the devil, Motley Crue, all this kind of stuff. Any we just threw it in the trash. He just threw it in the trash, and we just say, oh, okay. And then he went way I went in my my way, and I I didn't think about it. And then I got I had a bunch of stuff to do, and I came back in the evening. And then I was all by myself in my house in where I was living in Kaimuki. And I thought, well, I should pray.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:11]:
Right? I you know, so and so brought this stuff, and he he put it in the trash. And, I know he's struggling and all this stuff, but I should pray over that. So I'm standing in my place all by myself, and the windows are all closed because I just got home. And I just said, in the name of Jesus, to just take authority over every spirit that was influencing so and so by this music that's in the trash. As I'm praying that, I just feel an evil presence enter the room. My hand, just chicken skin. Like, you just would think, wait. I felt a wind, and the windows are all closed.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:50:51]:
And then I realized, this thing is not a joke. Man, I prayed every single prayer I could pray. I spoke in time. I whatever it is at that moment. Right? Because I realized at that moment that when we say that the enemy uses these things, it wasn't tent. Like a story. I mean, I I knew that this wasn't a story, but that's what really got me to start to say, you know what? We have authority, and that some of this influences that after that happened, guess what? He could be in worship because the enemy didn't like being him being in worship. He was just a quirky, weird guy, kinda still a little odd, a little quirky, but but he's a man of god today.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:51:46]:
He's a great dad today. He serves the lord today. He's a man of the word today. This is he's a he's a strong strong man of faith. But you know what? Before that time, he was bound. Guess what? So this is what he's saying, that you can do this. Why? Because on the moment that you say yes to Jesus, this is what he says, and we learn to trust him and obey him. Right, when we learn to trust him and obey him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:20]:
And then we say, hey, god. I'm part of a bigger story, and and I learned to say that, god, you're doing something bigger. Wanna be part of what you're doing. This is what he says. And you do it not in your power, but you do it through the spirit of God, then you realize he'll give you the authority. He'll give you the authority to he's already given you the authority. Because so why did we say? Like, healing is what? Is it I'm the healer? No. I'm just a waiter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:52:46]:
I listen to the order, and I bring it to the Chef. And at the end, I just return and give what he gave. That's it. I do nothing. It's God who doesn't. Right? And same spiritual things. God will tell you things. Now all I all I noises.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:09]:
Just takes practice. You gotta lean into it. You gotta try it. Now there's some people when you hear this kind of story, I know there's some people that's like, I don't know. I never seen that before. You know why? Because you were like me. Because you didn't believe it was possible, so you never saw it. You go and you confront it in that moment.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:53:31]:
And you know what you're Fine. That thing will show itself right at that moment. Guess what? You just have the authority. And so we're to be if we're to be the people of God, let's steward the power that God gave. Right? Let's not just be people of the word who tells about God. Let's be people of both the word and the spirit so there can be the manifestation of God. And that in the middle of all that, I think that God gets the glory, and people's lives get changed. People get freed and things they never thought about, never cut himself after that, never all of these kinds of things just because God began to work in a mighty way.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:54:17]:
That makes sense? You're not gonna be perfect, neither am I, but let's lean into it. Amen? Barhead's just closing a word of prayer. Lord Jesus, we thank you that you are king. We thank you that as king, you have all authority on heaven and earth. And, Lord, you have said to us that I am sending you just as you were sent into the world. And so, father, lord Jesus, we just say, god, send me today. Send me as a representative of your kingdom. Lord, send our church as a representative of the kingdom.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:07]:
That empower us. So, Lord, that we're not just gonna be telling our story. We're not just gonna be telling our odds, but we're gonna hear your thoughts. Lord, we're gonna speak your word. We're gonna come with your authority. And, lord, sometimes when we we wanna tell people about Jesus. There's a part of us or maybe people might even tell you. Who are you to tell me? Who are you to tell me about this thing and say I need to believe in lord, we're who are we we're people under direction.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:55:45]:
Lord, we're people who are commanded. We're people who were instructed. So, lord, we don't wanna get into arguments, but we do wanna tell people that the God of the universe cares for them, that he died in their place. That he came because in their brokenness and in their sin, he has seen that they were that they were lost. But thank you, lord, that you came to save. You came to renew. You came to heal. You came to empower.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:56:23]:
God, would you empower us empower us with the power of your spirit. Thank you that you are with us, you said, till the end of this age till you wrap all those things up, you not leaving us and not abandoning us. Thank you, spirit of god that you live within us. Thank you, Jesus. Your presence through the spirit of god. We received that. If that's you today, you're saying, god, I receive that you're authorizing me to represent you today. Would you just raise your hand to god? Say, god, that's me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:02]:
I just I'm receiving that today. I'm believing that today. And I understand you may not know how. You may not have it perfectly, but let's lean into that. Bless your people, lord. And if you're here today and whether you're in the house or you're online and you've never said yes to Jesus, would you know that he loves you just as you are. And he knows all that you've been through, and this is what he says to you. You're loved.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:57:39]:
You're cared for just as you are, and you don't have to change clean up your act or do all these things to for him to love you and accept you. He already loves you and already accepts you. He just says this. Change your mind. Change your mind or Bible says repent so that you can trust in him rather than trust in yourself. You can trust in what he's done for you rather than what you're doing for you. You can trust in him because he's the one that can forgive you. He's the one that can get you in heaven.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:19]:
He's the one who can be with you always. He's the one who can lead you and guide you, and all you have to say is, god, I wanna be led. God, I I wanna be loved. Would you come live inside me today? Would you forgive me today? And he will. And we pray a very simple prayer and just invite you to join me. Lord Jesus, thank you for dying in my place. Thank you for loving me. I receive you today.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:58:53]:
Come live inside me today. I turn away from what I know is wrong. I turn away from my sin, and I put my trust in you. Would you heal me and strengthen? Would you set me free today? I trust in you. Thank you. I belong to you. And you are my lord. You are my savior, and you are my friend.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:59:23]:
In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer or something like it, guess what? He heard you today. Can we just say congratulations to those folks? Hey. God bless you guys. Thanks for joining