1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,700 But God is good, God is faithful. 2 00:00:03,700 --> 00:00:05,300 How many of you know God's faithful? 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:11,840 And well, this is like one of the second pastor's days 4 00:00:12,020 --> 00:00:13,140 that I preach. 5 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:16,820 I didn't think I'd be preaching a pastor's day, 6 00:00:16,820 --> 00:00:19,580 but here we are. 7 00:00:19,580 --> 00:00:24,580 And as I was studying or as I, with me, 8 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:26,940 when somebody asked me to preach, 9 00:00:26,940 --> 00:00:28,880 God gives me a thought immediately 10 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,840 and I usually go with that thought. 11 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,160 I never try to doubt the Lord 12 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:36,000 because I believe that's the way He speaks to you 13 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:39,480 in a thought, giving you this thought for this message. 14 00:00:39,480 --> 00:00:42,480 But when I started to study it, 15 00:00:42,480 --> 00:00:47,480 I felt that this is actually a message 16 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,680 that your dad should be preaching. 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,200 This is what I thought when I started studying this, 18 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,080 this portion of the scripture. 19 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:55,920 You're gonna find out in a minute. 20 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,560 But then I said, the Lord said, 21 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,280 no, I chose you to speak this. 22 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,600 I chose you to speak this. 23 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:04,520 So if I could speak this message, 24 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,360 it's from one colleague to another. 25 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,280 It's from one friend to another, 26 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,440 to the first family here at this church. 27 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,520 And right there as you're seated, 28 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:20,720 if you can go to the book of 2 Timothy chapter three 29 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:22,440 and 12 through 14. 30 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:26,680 And I'm very grateful as you're finding 31 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:30,360 this scripture that my wife, Roseanne, is with me. 32 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,080 She's my rock. 33 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,240 She keeps me in line. 34 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:35,520 So I appreciate her. 35 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,240 Bishop Andy Lopez said that she's going to heaven 36 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,760 solely based on the fact that she married me. 37 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:47,080 So I said, at least you're getting in. 38 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:50,560 Well, I'll be following you, honey. 39 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:54,560 So I appreciate her for just being there, 40 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:55,720 being the rock that she is. 41 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,680 2 Timothy chapter three, verse 12 through 14 says, 42 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,680 indeed all who desire to live a godly life. 43 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,720 How many of you desire to live a godly life? 44 00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:13,920 Well, in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 45 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:17,840 You got quiet. 46 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:20,480 Right? 47 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,040 Verse 13 says, while evil people and imposters 48 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:27,600 will go on from bad to worse, 49 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,000 if you're waiting for the world to get better, it's not. 50 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,080 It's going from bad to worse, the scripture says. 51 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,080 Deceiving and being deceived, 52 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:42,080 but as for you, continue in what you have learned 53 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:47,240 and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it. 54 00:02:48,920 --> 00:02:53,440 Next chapter, chapter four of 2 Timothy 55 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:56,360 and verse five says this. 56 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:01,360 And as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, 57 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:08,560 do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 58 00:03:09,640 --> 00:03:10,480 Why don't we pray? 59 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:12,760 Heavenly father, I come before your throne of glory, Lord, 60 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:16,880 just thanking you for this opportunity to speak, 61 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,840 to give you all the honor and to give you all the glory. 62 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:21,880 And bless my lips of clay, mighty God, 63 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,640 use me as a vessel of honor and not a vessel of dishonor. 64 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:30,520 In the precious name of Jesus, I pray. 65 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:32,080 Hallelujah. 66 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:37,080 As I begin to study it, it feels like a bit intrusive 67 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:41,040 to read this intimate letter because this is what it was, 68 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:43,800 a mentor to a mentee. 69 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:47,640 It's almost kind of too personal. 70 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,160 It's like leaning down and listening in 71 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:56,160 on a dying father's whisper of a few last words to his son. 72 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,520 And he knows he's about to die in execution 73 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,600 for the crime of what? 74 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,440 Practicing an outlawed faith. 75 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,960 This is what he was about to die for. 76 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,120 Practicing an outlawed faith. 77 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,760 The world ain't gonna like it when you stand up for Jesus. 78 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:20,880 They'll stand up for anything else and everything else, 79 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,440 but try to take a stand for Jesus. 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,920 And it almost seems like it's an outlawed faith. 81 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,040 But I'm here to tell you, Pastor Jacob, 82 00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,480 keep standing for Jesus. 83 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,040 Don't give up the fight. 84 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:34,240 Don't give up preaching. 85 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:35,640 Don't give up teaching. 86 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:37,400 Stand on what you've learned on. 87 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,480 So he writes this one last letter to a young man 88 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,560 he loves like a son, to Timothy, 89 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:48,040 the pastor of the church in Ephesus. 90 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:52,200 And he says in Timothy chapter four, six and seven, 91 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,240 I'm ready to be poured out like a drink offering. 92 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,680 And the time of my departure has come. 93 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:03,000 And he said, I have fought the good fight 94 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,000 and I have finished the race and I have kept the faith. 95 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,760 I don't think the Lord has done with me yet, 96 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,960 but I can tell you that I'm ready to keep fighting 97 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:16,840 the good fight of faith. 98 00:05:16,840 --> 00:05:19,160 And as co-laborers in the gospel, 99 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:21,720 I wanna encourage you that if you don't think 100 00:05:21,720 --> 00:05:23,200 nobody's by your side, 101 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,640 I'm by your side in the city of Morgan Hill. 102 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:27,320 We're praying for Mountain View. 103 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:30,000 We're praying for all the churches in this sector 104 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:31,800 and all the churches in our district 105 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:35,880 that we don't lose sight of what God has shown us 106 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:37,320 and what we have learned. 107 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,600 It's time for the apostolic church to stand up 108 00:05:40,600 --> 00:05:44,440 and say, I live for Jesus and I die for Jesus. 109 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:46,960 And I am not ashamed of the gospel. 110 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,520 There's a lot of things that you can be ashamed of, 111 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,560 but the gospel of Jesus Christ is not one of them. 112 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,160 And Paul knows he's being persecuted at this time 113 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:03,160 and he's facing something that after he's gone 114 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:07,000 might spread like a wildfire throughout the Roman Empire. 115 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:07,840 And what was that? 116 00:06:07,840 --> 00:06:09,640 Hurting Christians everywhere, 117 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,160 especially leaders like Timothy. 118 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:13,000 Like Timothy. 119 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:17,400 The devil don't play. 120 00:06:19,280 --> 00:06:22,280 I'm telling you, he will lie and he will wait. 121 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:25,600 And he will wait for you to slip up 122 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:27,400 just that one little bit. 123 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,040 And once you slip up on you, he's pouncing. 124 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,200 Oh, he's patient too. 125 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,280 He'll wait and he'll wait and you might think, uh-uh. 126 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:42,080 So this is what the apostle Paul is trying to tell Timmy. 127 00:06:42,080 --> 00:06:43,560 Watch your faith. 128 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,040 Guard what you have been taught. 129 00:06:47,040 --> 00:06:49,200 Don't stray away from the doctrine. 130 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:53,640 He doesn't want Timothy to give in to fear 131 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,320 and give up the faith. 132 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,280 Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace 133 00:06:59,280 --> 00:07:01,480 that God has given you in what? 134 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:03,560 In Christ Jesus. 135 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,080 We can't do this on our own. 136 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,000 You might think you can walk on your own, talk on your own, 137 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,360 live this life for God on your own, 138 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,640 but you ain't doing it without the grace of Jesus Christ. 139 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,960 You ain't doing it without the Holy Ghost. 140 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,600 The Bible says that the spirit is willing, 141 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:21,440 but the flesh is weak. 142 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:23,840 And I like it the way it says in Spanish, 143 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:25,800 la carne esta enferma. 144 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:28,560 I'm practicing my Spanish. 145 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:34,600 I like in Spanish, it doesn't translate that way in English. 146 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,920 Spirit is weak with the, you know, the spirit is willing, 147 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:38,760 but the flesh is weak. 148 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:42,680 But in Spanish, it translates to the flesh is sick. 149 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:48,920 And we can't live this life 150 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,960 without the grace of Christ Jesus. 151 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:56,200 Paul's main point to Timothy in this book here 152 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,400 is never to be ashamed to tell others about the Lord 153 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,520 with the strength that God gives you. 154 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:06,040 And then the next thing he says, be ready. 155 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:08,040 Ready for what? 156 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:09,240 To suffer with me. 157 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:18,440 Timothy wasn't afraid to roll up his sleeves. 158 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,040 You got a pastor who's not afraid to roll up his sleeve, 159 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:22,120 but how about the congregation? 160 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:23,080 Are you behind him? 161 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:29,120 You ready to grow this congregation 162 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,320 because I know it's going to take work. 163 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:37,000 I know you got a pastor who's willing and ready to do it, 164 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,320 but he needs leaders. 165 00:08:38,320 --> 00:08:41,520 He needs laity that he can count on 166 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,680 to be right there by his side. 167 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:45,280 I don't know about you, but pastor, 168 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:46,280 I'm right there with you. 169 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:47,760 And then where are they? 170 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:49,920 Where's everybody at? 171 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:56,480 Right, and I know sometimes it feels lonely, 172 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,480 but I know that God is with us. 173 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:03,720 And if God is with us, who can be against us? 174 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:05,520 Never be ashamed to tell others 175 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:08,280 about what the Lord has done with the strength 176 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,600 that God has given and be ready to suffer 177 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,520 for the sake of the good news. 178 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:17,560 People don't want to hear the good news. 179 00:09:17,560 --> 00:09:19,280 And I started doing it in the church. 180 00:09:19,280 --> 00:09:21,360 I started to say, who wants to invite somebody to church? 181 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:22,680 Everybody raise their hands and stand up. 182 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:24,720 We're going to pray for you. 183 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:25,920 We pray for everything else. 184 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:27,520 We pray for God to give us a car. 185 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,880 We pray for God to give us a good bank account. 186 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,720 We pray for God to give us the house on the hill. 187 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:34,720 Why don't we pray so that the Lord 188 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:36,560 will help us invite somebody to church? 189 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:39,640 Why do I say that? 190 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,840 Because there's two kingdoms at war. 191 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,760 And they're both fighting for the soul. 192 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:50,640 There's the kingdom of the Lord, 193 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:52,080 and then there's the kingdom of heaven. 194 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,560 And God's surely not going to let go of you. 195 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:57,240 And Satan doesn't want to release his grip on you. 196 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,920 So it takes the church to be here in the midst. 197 00:09:59,920 --> 00:10:02,400 It takes a man of God to be here in the midst. 198 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,920 It takes, oh, I feel the Holy Ghost in this place. 199 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,120 We got a bad, we're not just here to feel the goosebumps. 200 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:11,920 The music is nice and the music is great, 201 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:13,520 but I want to roll up my sleeves 202 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:16,080 and I want to tell somebody about Jesus 203 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:18,880 because we need to win the city of Mountain View 204 00:10:18,880 --> 00:10:21,360 for the honor and for the glory of the Lord. 205 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:27,360 Some of you members see your pastor getting weary. 206 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,360 You better start to hold up his hands. 207 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:32,000 You better start praying the right prayer. 208 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:33,920 Pray the right prayer for your pastor. 209 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:47,240 2 Timothy 3 and 1, you should know this, Timothy. 210 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:48,880 This is what he's telling him. 211 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,480 You should know this, that in the last days, 212 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:53,800 there's going to be difficult times. 213 00:10:55,280 --> 00:10:57,280 There's going to be difficult times. 214 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,160 Nobody's going to want to go to church. 215 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,000 I don't know about here. 216 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,640 We got some people who don't show up to church 217 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,040 for a couple months and then come right in like, 218 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:10,280 you're in my seat. 219 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:15,320 He ain't been here in two months. 220 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:21,480 And what are you going to do? 221 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:24,880 Because we want to win people and we want to be merciful, 222 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,440 but at the same time, we got to tell him, 223 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:30,360 hey, missing this much service is not good. 224 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:35,360 Look at, in verses two through five 225 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,360 of the third chapter of 2 Timothy, 226 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,880 there's 19 characteristics of manmade 227 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:46,080 during the last days that are given. 228 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:47,720 I ain't got time to go all through them. 229 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,760 So if you need some homework, go check out these 19 things. 230 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:54,000 They're going to be lovers of their own selves. 231 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:57,080 Starts to name all kinds of things 232 00:11:57,080 --> 00:12:02,080 about the characteristics of man or this flesh. 233 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,080 I can guarantee you this flesh didn't want to get up 234 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:05,280 and go to church today. 235 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:09,400 I'm going to be honest, 236 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:12,440 I didn't want to get up and go to church today. 237 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,400 But the flesh doesn't want to have anything 238 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,240 to do with Jesus. 239 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:17,720 This is why he says in Ephesians 5, 240 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,240 walk in the spirit that you don't fulfill 241 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:25,240 the desires of the flesh. 242 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:29,200 And he says, there are going to be difficult times. 243 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,200 You know, if you study this, 244 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,000 you notice he doesn't even mention anything 245 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:34,280 about the devil in here. 246 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:38,880 He's just talking about us. 247 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,280 We go along blaming everyone. 248 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:44,960 I don't want to go to church because the devil, 249 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:49,960 the devil's not even here, I'm sorry. 250 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:51,680 He's not omnipresent. 251 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:52,800 He's not omnipotent. 252 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:54,840 He can't be in Mountain View and Morgan Hill 253 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:56,640 at the same time. 254 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:58,680 Only God can be that. 255 00:12:58,680 --> 00:13:02,440 So chances are it's this person that you're looking right at 256 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:04,640 in the mirror that doesn't want to do anything 257 00:13:04,640 --> 00:13:06,520 for the honor and for the glory of God. 258 00:13:10,680 --> 00:13:12,760 And if Mountain View is going to succeed, 259 00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,920 City Light is going to succeed, 260 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:16,960 pastor needs you as a church. 261 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:20,840 You can't have him and the first lady doing everything. 262 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,360 Doesn't work like that, right? 263 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:26,280 This is why we're leaders. 264 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:27,400 Check out these things. 265 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,120 In verse 11, Paul excludes in the fact 266 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,480 that the Lord had delivered him. 267 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,240 He says, Timothy, I've been through some things. 268 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:37,960 You've been with me at Listeria 269 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,080 and you've been with me at all kinds of places. 270 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,080 And you see how I was persecuted. 271 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:48,640 You've seen the things that I've endured, Timothy. 272 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,440 But then he says, just as God has delivered me, 273 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:54,320 he's going to deliver you. 274 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,200 Just as God was with me, he's going to be with you. 275 00:13:58,200 --> 00:13:59,760 And I'm here to tell you, Pastor Jacob, 276 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:03,200 just as God has been with me, he's going to be with you. 277 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,760 Sister Cherie, just as God has been with us 278 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,720 through difficult times when we thought 279 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,640 that we couldn't walk on anymore. 280 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,840 When we thought that maybe we made a mistake 281 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,720 in taking the pastorship, it's no mistake. 282 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:16,960 God has you right where he has you. 283 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,480 You've endured the things that you've endured 284 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,960 so that we could learn how to be faithful in God. 285 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:25,640 What does Peter say? 286 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,360 Don't think it's strange when you go through a fiery trial. 287 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:34,800 Don't give up when we go, temptation is something different. 288 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:35,920 Tribulation is something different. 289 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:37,360 That's what we put ourselves through. 290 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:39,000 But when the trials from the Lord, 291 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,240 what I'm looking, what am I going to learn from this God? 292 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:45,000 I know you're putting me through this for a reason 293 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,680 is so that I can grow my faith. 294 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:48,000 You know, you got to grow your faith 295 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:49,480 before you grow the church. 296 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:55,640 Why am I saying that? 297 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:58,280 Because sometimes you look out and the chairs are empty. 298 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,520 And not everybody's on time. 299 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:03,480 Hello. 300 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,760 So you got to grow your faith. 301 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,160 You got to encourage yourself like David. 302 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:10,480 I'm not doing this for the people. 303 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:12,680 I'm doing this for the honor and for the glory of the Lord. 304 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,120 I'm doing this so that we can go out into the highways 305 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:17,360 and into the byways and reach somebody 306 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,520 for the honor and for the glory of the Lord. 307 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:24,800 There is a reminder to us that we are not promised 308 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,720 freedom from difficulties. 309 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,600 That's why I don't like it when they tell newcomers, 310 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:32,600 don't worry, everything's gonna be all right. 311 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:34,800 You ain't ever gonna go through anything again. 312 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:35,640 What? 313 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:46,400 We find ourselves chapter three, verse 12. 314 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,640 Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ, 315 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,280 you will be persecuted. 316 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:55,960 You're gonna be persecuted. 317 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:03,280 Persecution is an integral part of a devout Christian life. 318 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:07,440 And Jesus said in John 16, 33, 319 00:16:07,440 --> 00:16:11,640 I have said things to you that you might have peace 320 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,520 because in the world you will have tribulation, 321 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:17,960 but take heart, I have overcome the world. 322 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:19,560 If anybody knew about persecution, 323 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,600 if anybody knew about going through things, 324 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:23,320 it was the master. 325 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,520 And he says, if you wanna take my yoke upon you, 326 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:27,520 don't worry, I'll make the yoke easy, 327 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:29,120 but you're gonna go through some things, 328 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:32,120 you're gonna have to suffer for my name sake. 329 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:33,920 Suffer for my name sake. 330 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:40,080 And it's a good thing that Timothy is reminded of this, 331 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,880 otherwise when he's called to go through deep waters. 332 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:47,140 I don't know about you, 333 00:16:47,140 --> 00:16:49,160 but I don't wanna stay in the shallow end. 334 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:52,160 I wanna get into some deeper things. 335 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:54,600 What does Ezekiel say that some of us started off 336 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,240 at the ankles and then the water went to the knees 337 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,480 and then it went to the waist and then it went up 338 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,280 to the chest and then all of a sudden you're swimming 339 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:04,640 in waters that you can't touch the floor anymore. 340 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:07,040 And pastor, that's when the Lord has you. 341 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:08,920 When you can't touch the floor anymore 342 00:17:08,920 --> 00:17:10,840 and you're just going with the flow of the river 343 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:12,880 and you're going wherever God directs you, 344 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,200 if he directs you here, he directs you there. 345 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,760 See, the reason why we don't like to jump in waters to swim 346 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:19,760 is because we can't touch the ground anymore 347 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,320 and we're not in control of what we're doing. 348 00:17:25,220 --> 00:17:28,280 But I'm telling you, the Lord, Bishop Rodriguez, 349 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:32,100 you confirmed it, the Lord has you right here at this spot, 350 00:17:32,100 --> 00:17:34,620 at this hour, because there's gonna be some waters 351 00:17:34,620 --> 00:17:37,800 that you're gonna have to not be able to touch the ground 352 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:40,560 because God's got you and he's taking you in a direction 353 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,320 that you never thought possible. 354 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:43,440 You've been through some things 355 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:45,440 and you've learned how to keep the faith. 356 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,180 You have fought the good fight, you persevered, 357 00:17:48,180 --> 00:17:50,360 you endeared, now it's time to. 358 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:55,360 I don't know, look at this building, it's half empty. 359 00:17:58,320 --> 00:17:59,840 I look at it as a spool 360 00:17:59,840 --> 00:18:01,840 because that's the way the Lord sees it. 361 00:18:06,620 --> 00:18:09,060 The fact is, is that persecution is inevitable 362 00:18:09,060 --> 00:18:12,320 for all who desire to live in a godly manner. 363 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,000 And the reason for this persecution is simple. 364 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,720 It's simple, it's simple. 365 00:18:17,720 --> 00:18:19,380 If you don't hear anything, hear this. 366 00:18:19,380 --> 00:18:23,260 A godly life exposes the wickedness of others. 367 00:18:26,020 --> 00:18:29,600 I'll say it again, a godly life exposes 368 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:31,440 the wickedness of others. 369 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:36,720 You ever go to some family houses that don't have Jesus 370 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:40,100 and all of a sudden you walk in and they start to, 371 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,340 they start to disappear? 372 00:18:43,340 --> 00:18:44,480 What happened to so-and-so? 373 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:46,880 Well, you know what they got uncomfortable 374 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:50,080 that the Holy Ghost walked in. 375 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:51,920 Oh yeah, devil, that's the way city light 376 00:18:51,920 --> 00:18:54,320 is gonna make you uncomfortable 377 00:18:54,320 --> 00:18:57,600 because we got the power, we got the Holy Ghost. 378 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:02,320 And it's not to make somebody feel bad, 379 00:19:02,320 --> 00:19:03,640 it's to make somebody, well, 380 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:05,800 they're a little bit different. 381 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:10,320 You ever had anybody tell you that at your job? 382 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,300 Hey, I don't know what, I don't know what, 383 00:19:12,300 --> 00:19:14,340 but there's something different about you. 384 00:19:14,340 --> 00:19:15,880 When you walk in, I got a sense 385 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:16,960 that everything is gonna, 386 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,400 they're sensing the godly life that you have. 387 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:23,680 And all of a sudden they begin to compare their life 388 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:25,020 to the goodness of Jesus 389 00:19:25,020 --> 00:19:28,060 and it just doesn't seem to fit right anymore 390 00:19:28,060 --> 00:19:30,720 and they gotta ask you what's going on? 391 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,160 What is with you? 392 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:39,700 And we don't like being exposed. 393 00:19:41,200 --> 00:19:44,040 All right, none of us like being exposed. 394 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,720 That's somebody come up to me, the pastor, 395 00:19:46,720 --> 00:19:47,740 why are you preaching on me? 396 00:19:47,740 --> 00:19:48,880 I haven't been here in two months 397 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:50,560 and all of a sudden you're talking about me. 398 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:53,520 I said, I'm sorry, I studied this message two months ago. 399 00:19:57,660 --> 00:20:01,200 If it's getting you, that's the power of the Holy Ghost. 400 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:02,960 I'm telling you, a godly life 401 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:06,320 exposes the wickedness of others. 402 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:08,040 Instead of repenting, 403 00:20:09,160 --> 00:20:11,800 instead of repenting of their ungodliness 404 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,160 and turning to Christ, they seek, 405 00:20:15,280 --> 00:20:18,040 I'm gonna say this slowly, cause I'm excited. 406 00:20:18,040 --> 00:20:21,580 When I get excited, I talk fast, right? 407 00:20:21,580 --> 00:20:25,100 They seek to destroy the one who has shown up, 408 00:20:25,100 --> 00:20:27,480 shown them up for what they really are. 409 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:35,240 That's why people are gonna lie on you, pastor. 410 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:37,400 That's why they're gonna pick on your family. 411 00:20:39,460 --> 00:20:41,680 They're gonna try to persecute you, 412 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,920 make it like you're alone in this thing, 413 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:46,320 like you don't have anybody. 414 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,360 But that's a lie from the pits of hell, 415 00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:50,240 because you are a godly man. 416 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,440 You're a godly woman of Christ 417 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,120 that had been called to save this city. 418 00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:59,160 And because of that, people don't like you. 419 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,000 The world is not gonna like you. 420 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,900 And try to talk about you and try to blast you on Facebook 421 00:21:05,900 --> 00:21:11,900 and whatever else is out there, Instagram and Snapchat. 422 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:15,200 Don't let them talk about your pastor. 423 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,320 If you start talking about your pastor, stop right there. 424 00:21:18,320 --> 00:21:20,800 You wanna continue to be friends with me? 425 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:23,160 That's it. 426 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:24,360 Don't say nothing more. 427 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:28,400 Don't curse yourself by talking about the man of God. 428 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,120 Don't even agree with the person that's talking about. 429 00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:34,720 Don't even matter. 430 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,120 If the man of God is wrong, God will deal with him. 431 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:38,400 It's not up to us. 432 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,120 But you protect your pastor. 433 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:42,720 You protect the first family. 434 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,400 You protect the first lady. 435 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:46,060 They got enough to deal with. 436 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:54,280 And he says in 2 Timothy 4, 1 through 2, 437 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,960 he says, I charge you in the presence of God 438 00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:02,700 and in the presence of Christ Jesus, 439 00:22:02,700 --> 00:22:06,060 who is to judge the living dead 440 00:22:06,060 --> 00:22:08,960 and by his appearing and his kingdom. 441 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:11,040 What does he say in verse 2, chapter 4? 442 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:16,040 Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, 443 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:21,040 reprove, rebuke, exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 444 00:22:24,060 --> 00:22:27,760 This is what the mentor tells the mentee. 445 00:22:29,120 --> 00:22:30,520 First thing he says, what? 446 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,840 Preach the word? Preach the word. 447 00:22:36,680 --> 00:22:38,080 I don't know if you remember Bishop Rodriguez 448 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:39,700 when he first handed us the church 449 00:22:39,700 --> 00:22:41,480 and we had to move out of the building, 450 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,120 we rented right there at the Community Cultural Center. 451 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:47,600 And you think everything's gonna be easy 452 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:48,720 when you first start. 453 00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:51,620 Yeah, they're beating to the pastors, they'll be here. 454 00:22:51,620 --> 00:22:54,920 We called a Bible study that we still have to this day 455 00:22:54,920 --> 00:23:01,920 on a Thursday night and only me and my wife showed up. 456 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:03,200 And she said, well, what are we gonna do? 457 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:05,520 I said, sit down, I got a word. 458 00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:06,840 We're gonna keep going. 459 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:10,120 She says, why are we gonna keep going? 460 00:23:10,120 --> 00:23:12,000 Can we just get some coffee, do something? 461 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,920 I says, no, because if we stop and somebody shows up, 462 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:18,640 oh, they will blast you. 463 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,360 Oh, pastor called that he wasn't even there 464 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:23,560 and I showed up a half hour late and everybody, 465 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:28,560 no, that, uh-uh. 466 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,900 I'm not gonna give nobody room to talk about my God. 467 00:23:34,940 --> 00:23:36,120 Oh, you ain't hearing me right now. 468 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:37,900 I said, I'm not gonna give nobody room 469 00:23:37,900 --> 00:23:39,600 to talk about my God. 470 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,220 I gotta preach the word in season, out of season 471 00:23:43,220 --> 00:23:45,440 if there's only one person here, 472 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,280 if there's only two persons here. 473 00:23:48,460 --> 00:23:50,220 We started our friendship groups 474 00:23:50,220 --> 00:23:52,560 and one of them got the bright idea, 475 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,960 well, I only had one show up, so I'm gonna merge a group. 476 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:56,160 I said, don't do that. 477 00:23:57,960 --> 00:23:59,400 We gotta preach to that one. 478 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:01,280 That was your time, I told the leader, 479 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,420 that was your time to be intimate and to be small, to be. 480 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:11,720 If nobody shows up, 481 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:13,920 you better start preaching to yourself then. 482 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:20,100 I had a pastor named Pastor Richard Mendez. 483 00:24:20,100 --> 00:24:21,100 Where's Josh? 484 00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:22,700 I played the bass for many years. 485 00:24:23,780 --> 00:24:24,940 Josh, I showed up to church 486 00:24:24,940 --> 00:24:26,940 and none of the musicians showed up. 487 00:24:26,940 --> 00:24:28,740 So I went and sat down on the bench. 488 00:24:32,940 --> 00:24:35,060 Pastor Mendez comes up from the back, 489 00:24:35,060 --> 00:24:36,460 what are you doing, fat boy? 490 00:24:37,620 --> 00:24:39,060 And I was a lot skinnier then. 491 00:24:43,580 --> 00:24:44,580 I said, I'm sitting down. 492 00:24:44,580 --> 00:24:46,300 He says, why are you sitting down for? 493 00:24:47,580 --> 00:24:48,420 Why ain't you playing? 494 00:24:48,420 --> 00:24:50,540 I said, the keyboard player ain't there, 495 00:24:50,540 --> 00:24:52,300 the organ player ain't there, the drummer ain't there, 496 00:24:52,300 --> 00:24:54,020 there ain't no singers, what do you want me to do? 497 00:24:54,020 --> 00:24:56,620 He said, I want you to get up there and play that bass. 498 00:24:59,140 --> 00:24:59,980 I said, why? 499 00:24:59,980 --> 00:25:02,780 He said, is it for your glory or is it for God's glory? 500 00:25:02,780 --> 00:25:03,620 Wow. 501 00:25:03,620 --> 00:25:04,460 Wow. 502 00:25:04,460 --> 00:25:05,300 Wow. 503 00:25:05,300 --> 00:25:06,140 Wow. 504 00:25:06,140 --> 00:25:06,980 Wow. 505 00:25:06,980 --> 00:25:07,820 Wow. 506 00:25:07,820 --> 00:25:08,660 Wow. 507 00:25:08,660 --> 00:25:09,500 Wow. 508 00:25:09,500 --> 00:25:10,340 Wow. 509 00:25:10,340 --> 00:25:11,180 Wow. 510 00:25:11,180 --> 00:25:12,020 Wow. 511 00:25:12,020 --> 00:25:13,100 So Ricky, I got up, I started playing the bass, 512 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:14,180 and then he said, what are you doing? 513 00:25:14,180 --> 00:25:15,020 I said, playing the bass. 514 00:25:15,020 --> 00:25:16,780 He said, why ain't you singing? 515 00:25:16,780 --> 00:25:18,620 Why ain't you singing? 516 00:25:18,620 --> 00:25:19,460 I'm like. 517 00:25:19,460 --> 00:25:20,300 Come on. 518 00:25:27,220 --> 00:25:29,020 He was teaching me in season, 519 00:25:29,020 --> 00:25:31,780 when there's musicians you better play, 520 00:25:31,780 --> 00:25:34,460 and without musicians you better play. 521 00:25:34,460 --> 00:25:37,140 If you broke one string, you better play. 522 00:25:37,140 --> 00:25:39,540 If you broke two strings, you better play. 523 00:25:41,220 --> 00:25:43,300 And if you break all four of them on that bass, 524 00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:46,860 you better start clapping your hands and do something, boy. 525 00:25:46,860 --> 00:25:51,540 I mean, we gotta preach it when we're supposed to preach it. 526 00:25:51,540 --> 00:25:54,100 It doesn't matter who's there, who doesn't there. 527 00:25:54,100 --> 00:25:55,980 This is for God's glory. 528 00:26:05,460 --> 00:26:06,980 He says, preach it and preach it 529 00:26:06,980 --> 00:26:08,780 the way that I tell you to preach it. 530 00:26:09,940 --> 00:26:11,140 Don't sugarcoat it. 531 00:26:11,140 --> 00:26:13,220 We got too many sugarcoated messages now. 532 00:26:15,060 --> 00:26:16,620 Too many sugarcoated messages, 533 00:26:16,620 --> 00:26:18,940 and the world is going to hell in a handbasket 534 00:26:18,940 --> 00:26:21,980 while we're trying to preach something that, 535 00:26:21,980 --> 00:26:23,660 you know, I'm not gonna name any names, 536 00:26:23,660 --> 00:26:26,100 but there's a church that said they're taking Jesus 537 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:28,380 out of Easter, because he might offend somebody. 538 00:26:32,100 --> 00:26:34,380 I'm like, isn't he the reason for the season? 539 00:26:35,460 --> 00:26:36,860 Oh, but you know, we're gonna take it out, 540 00:26:36,860 --> 00:26:39,540 because we're not calling it, you know, Resurrection Sunday, 541 00:26:39,540 --> 00:26:41,260 we're not calling it, none of that. 542 00:26:41,260 --> 00:26:43,060 We don't wanna offend nobody. 543 00:26:43,060 --> 00:26:45,780 Blessed are they that are not offended in me, Jesus said. 544 00:26:47,780 --> 00:26:51,620 Don't get mad when the word hurts you, when it cuts you. 545 00:26:52,900 --> 00:26:54,660 I mean, your pastor is here to guide you 546 00:26:54,660 --> 00:26:55,900 to truth and eternal life. 547 00:26:55,900 --> 00:26:59,340 Don't be upset the word that God give him for you. 548 00:26:59,340 --> 00:27:00,660 It's for you. 549 00:27:00,660 --> 00:27:05,660 Sometimes as a pastor, you gotta tell people of their faults. 550 00:27:07,660 --> 00:27:10,140 This is what he tells them, be in season, out of season, 551 00:27:10,140 --> 00:27:13,140 rebuke, exhort. 552 00:27:13,140 --> 00:27:14,740 That's scriptural. 553 00:27:14,740 --> 00:27:18,460 Do this work with all fervency of spirit. 554 00:27:24,060 --> 00:27:25,740 Sorry, your pastor's not your friend. 555 00:27:25,740 --> 00:27:27,180 He's here to guide you. 556 00:27:27,180 --> 00:27:30,820 Sorry, your pastor's not your friend. 557 00:27:30,820 --> 00:27:32,220 He's here to get you to heaven. 558 00:27:37,020 --> 00:27:39,060 Could you imagine standing before the King 559 00:27:39,060 --> 00:27:42,100 and the Kings and Lord of the Lords, Pastor Jacob, 560 00:27:42,100 --> 00:27:43,940 why didn't you preach my word? 561 00:27:47,060 --> 00:27:48,460 I did, God, I encouraged everybody. 562 00:27:48,460 --> 00:27:50,980 Well, what about the rebuke, exhort? 563 00:27:50,980 --> 00:27:53,620 What about telling them how? 564 00:27:53,620 --> 00:27:54,460 How's that? 565 00:27:57,460 --> 00:27:58,300 How's? 566 00:28:01,860 --> 00:28:04,460 But then he must direct, encourage, quicken those 567 00:28:04,460 --> 00:28:09,460 who begin to fall or to begin to get weary. 568 00:28:10,740 --> 00:28:13,660 He has to persuade them with all his long suffering. 569 00:28:13,660 --> 00:28:16,460 And I mean, as a pastor, you gotta be patient. 570 00:28:18,220 --> 00:28:20,900 Patient with people, right? 571 00:28:20,900 --> 00:28:23,820 Patient with people who are suffering. 572 00:28:25,820 --> 00:28:28,180 Gotta smile sometimes when you wanna bite your teeth 573 00:28:28,180 --> 00:28:31,820 and bite your tongue, right? 574 00:28:34,380 --> 00:28:36,700 He must watch in all things. 575 00:28:37,980 --> 00:28:38,820 This is what he tells to me. 576 00:28:38,820 --> 00:28:40,900 You gotta be watchful in all things. 577 00:28:40,900 --> 00:28:44,900 Watch over the souls who I've committed to your charge. 578 00:28:45,860 --> 00:28:48,460 Pastor's gotta watch you, he's gotta watch his flock. 579 00:28:48,460 --> 00:28:52,900 The sheep sometimes are led astray, right? 580 00:28:52,900 --> 00:28:55,260 But the Bible says that he is the good shepherd. 581 00:28:55,260 --> 00:28:57,500 That Jesus is the good shepherd. 582 00:28:57,500 --> 00:29:00,420 And Paul says that he's given the opposite 583 00:29:00,420 --> 00:29:05,500 of the pastures to be watchful for the sheep. 584 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:07,180 He told Peter, do you love me? 585 00:29:07,180 --> 00:29:08,460 Yes, I love you, Lord. 586 00:29:08,460 --> 00:29:09,900 Then feed my sheep. 587 00:29:11,020 --> 00:29:12,900 He's gotta feed you, he's gotta take care of you, 588 00:29:12,900 --> 00:29:16,180 he's gotta take care of this, he's gotta take people. 589 00:29:16,180 --> 00:29:18,860 And you as a congregation, you gotta let him. 590 00:29:21,980 --> 00:29:24,420 Because sometimes we're too stubborn headed. 591 00:29:26,180 --> 00:29:27,860 And we think we know better than the pastor. 592 00:29:27,860 --> 00:29:30,100 I tried that one time in my life. 593 00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:35,220 But Ricky, he called us in the office and he says, 594 00:29:35,220 --> 00:29:37,780 look it, is this okay? 595 00:29:37,780 --> 00:29:41,980 He says, look it, service starts at seven o'clock. 596 00:29:41,980 --> 00:29:46,980 You waltz in here at seven o'five, seven ten. 597 00:29:47,260 --> 00:29:49,220 You could ask my wife, she's right here. 598 00:29:52,180 --> 00:29:55,060 Well, I thought I was big and bad and married already. 599 00:29:57,260 --> 00:29:59,020 I don't know about these guys. 600 00:30:01,420 --> 00:30:03,860 But I'm married, I got a family, I got a wife, I have kids. 601 00:30:03,860 --> 00:30:05,300 He said, so what? 602 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:09,500 You should be showing these younger ones how it is 603 00:30:09,500 --> 00:30:13,860 to live a life of ministry being, why did I open my mouth? 604 00:30:13,860 --> 00:30:15,220 Why did I say that? 605 00:30:21,260 --> 00:30:24,460 But I thank God for the man of God that was watching for me. 606 00:30:28,220 --> 00:30:30,540 It's not that we wanna be in your lives, 607 00:30:31,620 --> 00:30:33,940 is that we can see things before they happen. 608 00:30:33,940 --> 00:30:36,460 The Lord shows you, I mean, my God, 609 00:30:36,460 --> 00:30:38,300 I was a young person in charge of the choir. 610 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:39,540 I said, if they didn't learn their part, 611 00:30:39,540 --> 00:30:41,300 I'd send them home, go home, get out. 612 00:30:42,340 --> 00:30:43,580 And this was recently. 613 00:30:49,580 --> 00:30:51,380 Pastor said, you can't send them home. 614 00:30:51,380 --> 00:30:53,140 I can and I will, you will not. 615 00:30:55,980 --> 00:30:58,500 Oh yeah, God wasn't through with me yet. 616 00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:03,500 I'm not the perfect, I had to learn, right? 617 00:31:03,500 --> 00:31:06,740 I had to learn, right? 618 00:31:06,740 --> 00:31:10,020 But I did learn that the pastor watches. 619 00:31:10,980 --> 00:31:12,420 He watches for you. 620 00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:17,140 A friend of mine said, I don't think Pastor Mendes loves me. 621 00:31:17,140 --> 00:31:19,140 He's always yelling at me. 622 00:31:19,140 --> 00:31:20,660 Then he called me up, he says, 623 00:31:20,660 --> 00:31:23,780 well, I'll share my nickname with you. 624 00:31:23,780 --> 00:31:24,900 He called me Sapo. 625 00:31:24,900 --> 00:31:27,220 Sapo, I said, what? 626 00:31:27,220 --> 00:31:29,780 He said, the pastor loves me. 627 00:31:29,780 --> 00:31:31,500 I said, I told you that a month ago. 628 00:31:31,500 --> 00:31:34,100 No, no, you don't understand. 629 00:31:34,100 --> 00:31:35,500 I heard him praying for me. 630 00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:41,140 I heard him praying for me. 631 00:31:41,140 --> 00:31:46,140 I heard him talking about bless the family, bless his kids, 632 00:31:46,180 --> 00:31:49,060 protect them, your pastor, he watches for you. 633 00:31:49,060 --> 00:31:50,340 He prays for you. 634 00:31:50,340 --> 00:31:54,180 Church, if you don't think that he does, believe me, he does. 635 00:31:54,180 --> 00:31:56,700 You don't call him on a Sunday, he's sitting there wondering, 636 00:31:56,700 --> 00:31:57,860 I wonder what happened. 637 00:31:57,860 --> 00:31:59,020 Are they okay? 638 00:31:59,020 --> 00:32:00,540 I don't know why they didn't call me. 639 00:32:00,540 --> 00:32:02,460 I don't know why they didn't show up to Sunday, 640 00:32:02,460 --> 00:32:05,860 but whatever it is, God bless them, protect them, help them. 641 00:32:05,860 --> 00:32:07,980 You know their needs, not me, God. 642 00:32:07,980 --> 00:32:10,380 Your pastor will watch for you. 643 00:32:14,100 --> 00:32:16,460 And we sometimes think he's just being nosy. 644 00:32:16,460 --> 00:32:17,900 He just trying to run my life. 645 00:32:17,900 --> 00:32:20,380 He just, no, he's not. 646 00:32:20,380 --> 00:32:21,820 God didn't call him to do that. 647 00:32:21,820 --> 00:32:31,180 God called him to watch. 648 00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:34,980 And then he tells Timothy, what we stated earlier, 649 00:32:34,980 --> 00:32:39,980 count upon afflictions, endure them and make the best of them. 650 00:32:41,700 --> 00:32:43,420 Pastor Jacob, make the best of them. 651 00:32:44,500 --> 00:32:46,700 All the afflictions, everything that going through, 652 00:32:46,700 --> 00:32:47,900 make the best of it. 653 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:50,820 God's got it all under control. 654 00:32:50,820 --> 00:32:53,700 Pastor Jeff Arnold said, sometimes we need to learn 655 00:32:53,700 --> 00:32:56,900 how to live with unfulfilled expectations. 656 00:32:56,900 --> 00:32:58,740 God doesn't answer all of it. 657 00:33:01,940 --> 00:33:03,100 He doesn't answer all of it. 658 00:33:03,100 --> 00:33:06,140 He doesn't heal all the people that we pray for too. 659 00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:11,980 That's his sovereign will. 660 00:33:11,980 --> 00:33:13,620 We gotta learn how to accept that. 661 00:33:15,140 --> 00:33:17,020 Sometimes he doesn't give us the building. 662 00:33:17,020 --> 00:33:18,060 Sometimes he doesn't. 663 00:33:20,980 --> 00:33:22,540 But that's no reason to quit. 664 00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:24,940 Right? 665 00:33:24,940 --> 00:33:27,860 And this is what the apostle Paul is telling Timothy, 666 00:33:27,860 --> 00:33:30,860 that count and make the best of these afflictions, 667 00:33:30,860 --> 00:33:34,860 be not discouraged by the difficulties that you meet with, 668 00:33:34,860 --> 00:33:38,820 but bear them with the evenness spirit. 669 00:33:38,820 --> 00:33:43,820 Endure the hardships. And one of the last things he tells them 670 00:33:47,180 --> 00:33:50,980 is this, that he must remember his office 671 00:33:50,980 --> 00:33:53,900 and discharge its duties. 672 00:33:53,900 --> 00:33:58,900 He says, do the work of the evangelist. 673 00:34:00,020 --> 00:34:01,660 Do the work of the evangelist. 674 00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:06,940 The office of the evangelist will be your office. 675 00:34:06,940 --> 00:34:11,420 The office of the evangelist was as the apostles, 676 00:34:11,420 --> 00:34:15,460 the deputies, they were to water the churches, 677 00:34:15,460 --> 00:34:17,580 these Timothy, they were to water the churches 678 00:34:17,580 --> 00:34:20,940 that the apostle Paul had planted already. 679 00:34:20,940 --> 00:34:24,660 And it was his duty to evangelize that city. 680 00:34:24,660 --> 00:34:25,500 Look at it. 681 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:28,140 They were not settled pastors, but for some time, 682 00:34:28,140 --> 00:34:30,580 they resided in and presided over the churches 683 00:34:30,580 --> 00:34:33,220 that the apostles had planted till they were settled 684 00:34:33,220 --> 00:34:34,940 under a standing ministry. 685 00:34:34,940 --> 00:34:39,940 This was the work of Timothy that he was to take care of 686 00:34:41,380 --> 00:34:45,180 some of the churches that the apostle Paul had planted. 687 00:34:47,260 --> 00:34:49,500 And this is, Paul was writing to him, 688 00:34:50,580 --> 00:34:52,180 I'm at the end of my life now. 689 00:34:53,580 --> 00:34:56,620 I'm about to die in this prison. 690 00:34:57,980 --> 00:35:02,140 And Timothy, I need you to take care of the church. 691 00:35:02,140 --> 00:35:05,220 I need you to pastor this church, Timothy. 692 00:35:06,300 --> 00:35:08,700 Do the work of the evangelist. 693 00:35:08,700 --> 00:35:12,180 You have seen me in action. 694 00:35:13,020 --> 00:35:15,820 And I say to you, Pastor Jacob, you have seen the things 695 00:35:15,820 --> 00:35:17,540 that your father has gone through 696 00:35:17,540 --> 00:35:19,300 and that your mother has gone through. 697 00:35:21,100 --> 00:35:24,220 The things that they've had to endure. 698 00:35:24,220 --> 00:35:27,060 And as a pastor's son, you've had to watch 699 00:35:27,060 --> 00:35:29,820 how people not only attack the pastor, 700 00:35:29,820 --> 00:35:32,300 but the family as well. 701 00:35:33,420 --> 00:35:34,580 And you've seen some of the things 702 00:35:34,580 --> 00:35:35,700 that they've had to endure. 703 00:35:35,700 --> 00:35:38,180 You've seen some of the things that they have had to endure 704 00:35:38,180 --> 00:35:40,900 since they've given up pastoring 705 00:35:40,900 --> 00:35:45,020 and moved to a higher position within our organization. 706 00:35:47,260 --> 00:35:49,620 This is why I felt, Bishop, maybe you should be preaching, 707 00:35:49,620 --> 00:35:52,220 but the Lord said, no, this is for you to preach. 708 00:35:54,940 --> 00:35:57,820 Although he's not my father, I've seen some of the things 709 00:35:57,820 --> 00:35:59,940 that he's had to endure. 710 00:35:59,940 --> 00:36:02,660 I've talked to him, oh, brother, I'm taking over 711 00:36:02,660 --> 00:36:04,420 all the districts that you're in charge of 712 00:36:04,420 --> 00:36:06,420 and then the church over here and then church over there. 713 00:36:06,420 --> 00:36:08,860 I says, ooh, good God Almighty. 714 00:36:08,860 --> 00:36:10,420 I thought I had problems. 715 00:36:12,860 --> 00:36:17,180 But you've seen mentors and friends 716 00:36:17,180 --> 00:36:21,340 and people that have pastored before you endure hardship. 717 00:36:21,340 --> 00:36:23,580 We were just having a conversation earlier with them. 718 00:36:23,580 --> 00:36:28,020 Like how did the older pastors deal with this situation? 719 00:36:31,580 --> 00:36:35,700 He says, continue to do the work of the evangelists. 720 00:36:36,700 --> 00:36:37,660 This is where we end. 721 00:36:37,660 --> 00:36:39,700 This is where we end, 2 Timothy 4 and 5, 722 00:36:39,700 --> 00:36:42,100 and that's where you be sober minded. 723 00:36:43,980 --> 00:36:46,660 Don't let the enemy come in and cloud your judgment. 724 00:36:47,980 --> 00:36:50,540 Sisters, don't let them cloud your judgment. 725 00:36:50,540 --> 00:36:52,940 You're in the position that God give you 726 00:36:52,940 --> 00:36:54,580 and work that position. 727 00:36:56,020 --> 00:36:57,380 Work it in Jesus' name. 728 00:36:58,340 --> 00:37:00,700 Don't let no sister in the church take your position. 729 00:37:00,700 --> 00:37:01,820 You're the first lady. 730 00:37:04,060 --> 00:37:05,500 Well, sometimes they ain't listening. 731 00:37:05,500 --> 00:37:08,740 Well, get on them and get on them. 732 00:37:09,780 --> 00:37:12,060 Hopefully none of you ministers try to take the position 733 00:37:12,060 --> 00:37:13,740 of the pastor, you're gonna hear it. 734 00:37:14,780 --> 00:37:17,540 God didn't, we all wanna be pastors until, 735 00:37:17,540 --> 00:37:18,380 what did Mike Tyson say? 736 00:37:18,380 --> 00:37:20,980 Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face. 737 00:37:22,380 --> 00:37:24,180 Y'all wanna be the pastor until you're the pastor 738 00:37:24,180 --> 00:37:26,740 and then all of a sudden you get punched in the face. 739 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:31,900 That's not for you. 740 00:37:32,860 --> 00:37:34,060 That's his calling. 741 00:37:36,900 --> 00:37:40,540 Don't get spiritual leprosy by doing something 742 00:37:40,540 --> 00:37:42,860 in the temple that doesn't belong to you. 743 00:37:42,860 --> 00:37:44,940 I think I can do better than my pastor. 744 00:37:44,940 --> 00:37:47,300 No, you can't, because God didn't call you for that. 745 00:37:48,220 --> 00:37:50,140 And if you'll go out and make your own church, 746 00:37:50,140 --> 00:37:54,140 then I just pray that God has mercy upon you. 747 00:37:56,780 --> 00:37:58,220 But your pastor is here. 748 00:38:00,060 --> 00:38:02,340 I say, always be sober-minded. 749 00:38:04,660 --> 00:38:06,900 How many of you seen your pastor endure? 750 00:38:08,140 --> 00:38:10,500 How many of you have seen your pastor endure? 751 00:38:10,500 --> 00:38:12,340 How many of you seen your pastor endure? 752 00:38:14,740 --> 00:38:15,700 Endure suffering. 753 00:38:17,940 --> 00:38:20,340 It doesn't always go right for us. 754 00:38:20,340 --> 00:38:22,900 As soon as Bishop Rodriguez installed us, 755 00:38:22,900 --> 00:38:24,300 as soon as he installed us, 756 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:26,860 they kicked me out of my house, Bishop. 757 00:38:26,860 --> 00:38:27,700 They evicted me. 758 00:38:29,420 --> 00:38:30,260 Get out. 759 00:38:30,260 --> 00:38:32,540 And then you gotta stand up there in front of the church 760 00:38:32,540 --> 00:38:33,700 and encourage the church. 761 00:38:35,780 --> 00:38:37,580 And the enemy is messing with you, 762 00:38:39,740 --> 00:38:41,100 attacking your children. 763 00:38:44,460 --> 00:38:46,660 Children, he's gonna attack you as well. 764 00:38:48,780 --> 00:38:52,060 But learn from what your mom and dad have taught you. 765 00:38:54,060 --> 00:38:56,460 And then you gotta stand up there in front of the church 766 00:38:56,460 --> 00:38:57,900 and encourage the church. 767 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:00,900 And learn from what your mom and dad have taught you. 768 00:39:02,580 --> 00:39:03,420 Love the Lord. 769 00:39:06,540 --> 00:39:07,380 Love the Lord. 770 00:39:08,540 --> 00:39:11,740 With all your heart, watch them when trials come. 771 00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:15,700 Watch them when they're being attacked, 772 00:39:15,700 --> 00:39:18,540 how they respond to where I'm just gonna pray. 773 00:39:20,060 --> 00:39:21,140 I'm just gonna pray. 774 00:39:22,300 --> 00:39:24,700 I'm just gonna pray because I know God has us here 775 00:39:24,700 --> 00:39:25,540 for a reason. 776 00:39:25,540 --> 00:39:27,740 I'm gonna continue on in the faith. 777 00:39:30,220 --> 00:39:33,340 I'm gonna work like the evangelists. 778 00:39:33,340 --> 00:39:35,340 I'm gonna grow the church. 779 00:39:38,140 --> 00:39:41,900 And I'm gonna fulfill my ministry. 780 00:39:43,620 --> 00:39:45,940 And that's what the apostle Paul tells Timothy, 781 00:39:47,700 --> 00:39:49,700 the pastor of Ephesus, he tells him, 782 00:39:50,580 --> 00:39:52,140 fulfill your ministry. 783 00:39:52,140 --> 00:39:57,140 Do the work that God has called you to do.