WEBVTT 00:00:00.460 --> 00:00:02.040 I'm going to invite you if you can't join with 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:04.040 me in the book of John chapter 1. I'm beginning 00:00:04.040 --> 00:00:08.039 a new series today entitled Called. And this 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:11.619 series will follow some of the defining stages 00:00:11.619 --> 00:00:16.160 in the life and calling of Peter. The great disciple 00:00:16.160 --> 00:00:19.719 and apostle of Jesus Christ. Great man of God. 00:00:19.820 --> 00:00:22.179 It's going to show us what God can do with an 00:00:22.179 --> 00:00:25.379 ordinary life that answers an extraordinary call. 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:29.679 So we're going to... begin today in the book 00:00:29.679 --> 00:00:34.200 of John chapter 1 and verse 40. Somebody say 00:00:34.200 --> 00:00:39.539 called. Every one of us have been called of God. 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:45.240 And it reads as follows. One of the two who heard 00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:49.960 John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon 00:00:49.960 --> 00:00:53.979 Peter's brother. He first found his own brother 00:00:53.979 --> 00:00:56.799 Simon and said to him, we have found the Messiah. 00:00:58.219 --> 00:01:02.640 which is translated the Christ. And he brought 00:01:02.640 --> 00:01:08.900 him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, he 00:01:08.900 --> 00:01:15.379 said, you are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall 00:01:15.379 --> 00:01:21.780 be called Caiaphas, which is translated a stone. 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:27.019 Amen. I'm going to preach today, you shall be 00:01:27.019 --> 00:01:30.709 called. You shall be called. Someone say amen. 00:01:31.090 --> 00:01:33.870 You can be seated in God's presence. Thank you. 00:01:33.909 --> 00:01:41.170 You shall be called. Michelangelo once said of 00:01:41.170 --> 00:01:50.129 his statue of David, I saw the angel in the marble 00:01:50.129 --> 00:01:57.530 and carved until I set him free. The story goes 00:01:57.530 --> 00:02:01.810 that the massive stone had already been worked 00:02:01.810 --> 00:02:08.250 on and abandoned by two other sculptors. Considered 00:02:08.250 --> 00:02:13.330 too damaged and difficult to work with, it sat 00:02:13.330 --> 00:02:19.969 neglected for decades, many years until Michelangelo 00:02:19.969 --> 00:02:27.270 selected it and accepted the challenge. And so 00:02:27.270 --> 00:02:29.770 with a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the 00:02:29.770 --> 00:02:34.889 other, he spent nearly three years bringing his 00:02:34.889 --> 00:02:40.409 vision to life, carving the angel out of the 00:02:40.409 --> 00:02:46.530 stone, turning a rejected stone into a priceless 00:02:46.530 --> 00:02:52.669 work of art. And I want you to know that something 00:02:52.669 --> 00:02:59.120 similar happens when God... calls you. When he, 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:04.520 like a sculptor, sees beyond your rough edges 00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:12.360 and raw material, beyond what time, neglect, 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:21.199 and misuse have covered, he too sees the angel 00:03:21.199 --> 00:03:26.590 in the stone and wants to carve. until it is 00:03:26.590 --> 00:03:33.009 set free. Because in the hands of God, the ordinary 00:03:33.009 --> 00:03:40.729 becomes extraordinary. The rejected becomes the 00:03:40.729 --> 00:03:46.389 selected. Amen. The outcast becomes the called. 00:03:46.550 --> 00:03:52.669 Somebody say amen. And perhaps no figure in the 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:57.090 Gospels illustrates this more colorfully and 00:03:57.090 --> 00:04:02.389 beautifully than Simon Peter, the unsteady stone 00:04:02.389 --> 00:04:07.610 who became the pillar of Pentecost. Simon's story 00:04:07.610 --> 00:04:11.770 does not begin in the chambers of power or the 00:04:11.770 --> 00:04:15.770 courts of religion, but on a humble shoreline 00:04:15.770 --> 00:04:22.730 filled of emptiness and washed -up dreams. Although 00:04:22.730 --> 00:04:26.439 a proud... a successful commercial fisherman, 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:33.220 his life was predictable at best, miserable at 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:38.019 worst. Because like all Jewish men in his culture, 00:04:38.100 --> 00:04:43.000 Simon grew up with the hopes of one day becoming 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:48.060 something more than just a fisherman. He grew 00:04:48.060 --> 00:04:52.730 up instilled with the idea that... he could possibly 00:04:52.730 --> 00:04:58.250 become a rabbi. Jewish boys in the first century, 00:04:58.389 --> 00:05:02.829 Palestine and Jerusalem, did not dream of being 00:05:02.829 --> 00:05:05.930 doctors and lawyers and wealthy businessmen. 00:05:07.209 --> 00:05:11.370 They dreamed of impressing a religious ruler, 00:05:11.689 --> 00:05:16.149 enough to be called into rabbinic discipleship. 00:05:16.730 --> 00:05:20.689 That was the hope of every parent and the dream. 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:24.810 of every young boy. But the reality was that 00:05:24.810 --> 00:05:30.709 most could not measure up and did not make the 00:05:30.709 --> 00:05:35.110 cut. And while many accepted their fate in life 00:05:35.110 --> 00:05:38.129 and made the best of it, earned an honest living, 00:05:38.350 --> 00:05:41.069 and attempted to make something of themselves, 00:05:41.490 --> 00:05:45.709 a respectable life, a good life, a moral life 00:05:45.709 --> 00:05:52.019 even, some must have wrestled deeply. With the 00:05:52.019 --> 00:05:57.899 what if. Like what if I had made the cut? What 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:02.899 if I had been chosen? What would my life look 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:06.199 like? If I had been one of those fortunate young 00:06:06.199 --> 00:06:09.620 boys. That found favor in the sight of a rabbi. 00:06:10.259 --> 00:06:14.279 To be chosen as one of his students. And ultimately 00:06:14.279 --> 00:06:19.279 to become a rabbi myself. I wonder if Jewish 00:06:19.279 --> 00:06:22.310 men. and that time wrestled with those types 00:06:22.310 --> 00:06:25.949 of questions, it seems reasonable that they might 00:06:25.949 --> 00:06:28.850 consider what their life could have been like, 00:06:28.930 --> 00:06:35.649 especially if they see one of their friends as 00:06:35.649 --> 00:06:39.170 a child, now a rabbi themself, and say, maybe 00:06:39.170 --> 00:06:43.310 that could have been me. Maybe those what -ifs 00:06:43.310 --> 00:06:46.889 enter the mind of Simon from time to time as 00:06:46.889 --> 00:06:50.939 he... Like many of his counterparts ran every 00:06:50.939 --> 00:06:55.600 day on the hamster wheel. Running and running 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:59.160 and running and getting nowhere. The hamster 00:06:59.160 --> 00:07:02.560 wheel of unfulfilled desires. The hamster wheel 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:07.639 of constant motion with never really arriving 00:07:07.639 --> 00:07:10.860 at a place of true fulfillment and satisfaction 00:07:10.860 --> 00:07:14.779 in life. Maybe, just maybe, Simon longed for 00:07:14.779 --> 00:07:19.480 more. Maybe there was... An itch that no amount 00:07:19.480 --> 00:07:22.220 of money could scratch. Maybe there was a part 00:07:22.220 --> 00:07:25.759 of him that no amount of respectability and morality 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:30.139 and good fortune could feel. Maybe there was 00:07:30.139 --> 00:07:33.660 an aspect of Simon's life that just always seemed 00:07:33.660 --> 00:07:36.480 to be bent one way, that just could never quite 00:07:36.480 --> 00:07:39.899 find his rhythm, never could quite find his place 00:07:39.899 --> 00:07:42.720 in the world. And if that's the case, then I'm 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:45.329 sure there were others. Who wrestled with those 00:07:45.329 --> 00:07:47.610 things and thought those things about their life. 00:07:47.709 --> 00:07:50.329 But what is certain is that in the midst of his 00:07:50.329 --> 00:07:53.769 ordinary life. His brother Andrew interrupted 00:07:53.769 --> 00:07:57.449 his day. The routine of his day with these words. 00:07:57.529 --> 00:08:02.189 We have found the Messiah. We have found the 00:08:02.189 --> 00:08:06.589 Messiah. We have found the one who holds the 00:08:06.589 --> 00:08:09.850 key to our future. We have found the Messiah. 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:14.839 And his brother, Andrew, was the one. He was 00:08:14.839 --> 00:08:19.300 the link. He was the bridge. He was the conduit 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:24.639 that God used to initiate the calling of Simon. 00:08:24.959 --> 00:08:30.019 And this sheds light in my mind and in our hearts 00:08:30.019 --> 00:08:33.179 today on one of the very first important lessons 00:08:33.179 --> 00:08:36.919 about being called of God. What God wants to 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:40.019 do in all of our lives. And I pray that today 00:08:40.019 --> 00:08:42.419 and throughout this series, you will open up 00:08:42.419 --> 00:08:44.820 your hearts and you will entertain the possibility 00:08:44.820 --> 00:08:48.139 that there is more that God wants to do in your 00:08:48.139 --> 00:08:52.080 life. Amen? You've got to be willing to first, 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:55.580 number one, understand that the call of God will 00:08:55.580 --> 00:09:01.460 first reveal who your true friends are. Someone 00:09:01.460 --> 00:09:06.200 say your true friends. Simon would have never 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:09.779 known the Lord or his true purpose if it had 00:09:09.779 --> 00:09:13.980 not been for an Andrew in his life who brought 00:09:13.980 --> 00:09:20.059 him to Jesus. This might be the purest definition 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:25.379 of a true friend. Not somebody who simply listens 00:09:25.379 --> 00:09:29.059 to you, agrees with you, or who has earned your 00:09:29.059 --> 00:09:32.860 trust in some way. Not somebody who simply likes 00:09:32.860 --> 00:09:37.519 you. Not somebody who matches you or has a meeting 00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.700 of the mind with you. Not just somebody who is 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:45.580 agreeable. But someone who pushes you closer 00:09:45.580 --> 00:09:51.440 to Jesus. There are people in life that may agree 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:54.620 with you. Rub you the right way. Say what you 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.759 want to hear and not push you any closer to Jesus 00:09:57.759 --> 00:10:02.639 than you were a year ago. But the first truth 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:06.059 that we must come to terms with in our life is 00:10:06.059 --> 00:10:09.480 that people, someone say people. Come on, say 00:10:09.480 --> 00:10:15.620 it again, people. In your life can either pull 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:19.200 you back or push you towards your calling in 00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:23.139 Christ. And I want to make it very simple for 00:10:23.139 --> 00:10:25.700 you today. I want to break it down and make it. 00:10:25.980 --> 00:10:28.539 as practical and as simple because oftentimes 00:10:28.539 --> 00:10:33.200 we are in the habit of making things so spiritual. 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:36.720 And what I mean by that is we make it so lofty, 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:41.000 so high and so beyond our basic understanding. 00:10:41.059 --> 00:10:43.360 I want to make it simple for you to understand 00:10:43.360 --> 00:10:47.139 that simply who you associate with and who you 00:10:47.139 --> 00:10:50.600 allow into the inner circle of your life can 00:10:50.600 --> 00:10:55.000 have a very direct effect on Where you get into 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:59.519 your calling and who God ultimately creates you 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:02.580 to be. As you get closer to Christ, you will 00:11:02.580 --> 00:11:05.440 understand and closer to your calling that who 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:07.980 you allow into your circle becomes more and more 00:11:07.980 --> 00:11:10.919 important. And for that reason, your circle must 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:16.039 get smaller. Amen, somebody. Your circle gets 00:11:16.039 --> 00:11:19.919 smaller, not bigger, the closer you get to God. 00:11:20.379 --> 00:11:22.759 The closer you get to his purpose, the closer 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:26.340 you get to seeing the fulfillment of his plan 00:11:26.340 --> 00:11:28.820 and his calling in your life, it gets smaller, 00:11:28.899 --> 00:11:32.899 not bigger. Can't just let everybody in your 00:11:32.899 --> 00:11:36.500 circle. Come on now. Who you allow into your 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:39.039 circle will, whether you care to admit it or 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:41.679 not, will affect your growth. And so you've got 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:44.259 to be careful who you let into your circle. Thank 00:11:44.259 --> 00:11:47.879 God that Simon had somebody in his circle that 00:11:47.879 --> 00:11:50.820 he could trust. Somebody who was not in competition 00:11:50.820 --> 00:11:54.330 with him. Hello now. Somebody that was not jealous 00:11:54.330 --> 00:11:56.950 of his success. Somebody that was not competing 00:11:56.950 --> 00:12:00.009 with him. But somebody who loved him enough to 00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:03.970 show him we have seen the Messiah. Somebody who 00:12:03.970 --> 00:12:11.129 was okay with interrupting his life and his daily 00:12:11.129 --> 00:12:14.110 routine and said, Hey, Simon, I need to show 00:12:14.110 --> 00:12:17.429 you about this man. Somebody who loved him and 00:12:17.429 --> 00:12:21.269 was willing to talk to him and help him see that. 00:12:21.360 --> 00:12:23.779 there is something greater beyond where you are 00:12:23.779 --> 00:12:26.639 and this was the kind of person that that was 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.240 willing to grow and so you've got to evaluate 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:32.799 your life today evaluate not with the flesh but 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:36.379 in the spirit evaluate your life today on who 00:12:36.379 --> 00:12:39.200 it is that is that is going with you because 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:41.620 uh i want to put it to you simply that if they 00:12:41.620 --> 00:12:44.620 cannot grow with you they cannot go with you 00:12:44.620 --> 00:12:47.720 come on now if they're gonna walk with you they've 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:50.649 got to be qualified to grow with you they got 00:12:50.649 --> 00:12:53.309 to be tough as nails. They got to have thick 00:12:53.309 --> 00:12:57.009 skin. They got to have a spiritual mindset. They 00:12:57.009 --> 00:12:59.190 got to be spiritually and emotionally mature. 00:12:59.509 --> 00:13:02.250 If they're going to go with you to the places 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:06.250 that God is calling us to go in his glory and 00:13:06.250 --> 00:13:08.710 in his purpose, then they've got to be willing 00:13:08.710 --> 00:13:12.549 to grow and change and develop. I've come to 00:13:12.549 --> 00:13:15.029 tell you, number one, and very basically, that 00:13:15.029 --> 00:13:18.210 every Simon needs an Andrew. Somebody that's 00:13:18.210 --> 00:13:20.549 not trying to compete with you. Somebody that's 00:13:20.549 --> 00:13:23.809 not trying to hold you back and normalize. Because 00:13:23.809 --> 00:13:26.750 there are people in your life that want to keep 00:13:26.750 --> 00:13:29.710 you where you are. So that it normalizes their 00:13:29.710 --> 00:13:32.690 mediocrity. And so they are not comfortable with 00:13:32.690 --> 00:13:34.830 you going to the next level. Come on. They're 00:13:34.830 --> 00:13:37.509 not comfortable with you increasing your spiritual 00:13:37.509 --> 00:13:40.210 intensity. They're not comfortable with you getting 00:13:40.210 --> 00:13:42.990 more fanatical about your faith. Because there 00:13:42.990 --> 00:13:45.830 are people like the crabs in the pot that want 00:13:45.830 --> 00:13:48.350 to pull you down to where they are. So you got 00:13:48.350 --> 00:13:50.740 to make sure. that you're surrounded with an 00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:53.639 Andrew in your life. Somebody that's not tied 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:56.600 to the past. Somebody that's not refusing to 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:59.740 change. But somebody that, like you, has got 00:13:59.740 --> 00:14:02.460 their sights set on something greater. Somebody 00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:05.120 that's ready to serve God with everything that 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:07.539 they have. Come on, somebody. We've got to get 00:14:07.539 --> 00:14:09.980 some people like that in our life. Amen? Hallelujah! 00:14:11.019 --> 00:14:13.580 We got to get people like that. And I don't care 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:16.700 how you want to dice it. Those that you allow 00:14:16.700 --> 00:14:19.399 into your inner circle can help you or hurt you. 00:14:19.519 --> 00:14:23.679 You see, Andrew was initially a disciple of John 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:27.179 the Baptist. Andrew was initially not even a 00:14:27.179 --> 00:14:30.460 follower of Jesus. But here's what happened when 00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:33.860 he met Jesus. This is how you qualify somebody 00:14:33.860 --> 00:14:36.659 as being an Andrew in your life. Somebody that 00:14:36.659 --> 00:14:39.220 is worthy to walk with you in friendship, in 00:14:39.220 --> 00:14:42.360 relationship. Is that when Andrew recognized 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:45.460 that it was no longer good enough to follow John 00:14:45.460 --> 00:14:49.399 the Baptist. He followed Jesus instead. And he 00:14:49.399 --> 00:14:52.340 recognized that God was moving in another direction. 00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:55.799 You've got to connect with people like Andrew 00:14:55.799 --> 00:14:58.159 who can discern the move of God. Can I preach 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:00.940 like I want to here today? You've got to put 00:15:00.940 --> 00:15:03.820 yourself around people who can recognize where 00:15:03.820 --> 00:15:07.100 not God has been. But where God is going. People 00:15:07.100 --> 00:15:09.340 who are ready to step out with you in faith. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:12.299 People who are ready to connect with you in faith 00:15:12.299 --> 00:15:16.220 and believe with you and pray with you. And people 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:18.679 that are not stuck in the past talking about 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:21.720 what God did and reminiscing over how it used 00:15:21.720 --> 00:15:24.679 to be. You got to get around people in your life 00:15:24.679 --> 00:15:27.440 that are talking about the promises of God. Come 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.519 on now, somebody. Who's going to pray with me 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:32.019 here today that are focused on the future and 00:15:32.019 --> 00:15:35.080 where God has taken us? I don't want to be stuck 00:15:35.080 --> 00:15:37.820 in the past. I don't want to be stuck under the 00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:40.940 ministry of John the Baptist. That was good for 00:15:40.940 --> 00:15:43.700 yesterday. But I need to be connected to people 00:15:43.700 --> 00:15:47.320 that realize that the Messiah is in our midst. 00:15:47.500 --> 00:15:51.419 The Messiah is in our presence. The Messiah is 00:15:51.419 --> 00:15:54.019 on the move. And I need to wake up and smell 00:15:54.019 --> 00:16:11.889 the coffee and realize. Andrew said, hey, look 00:16:11.889 --> 00:16:15.309 it, that was good for yesterday, huh? That was 00:16:15.309 --> 00:16:17.889 good for yesterday. But I've recognized God's 00:16:17.889 --> 00:16:22.029 on the move. We're not careful we can get stuck 00:16:22.029 --> 00:16:24.350 in the past and get stuck in where God was and 00:16:24.350 --> 00:16:26.470 get stuck in how he used to be and get stuck 00:16:26.470 --> 00:16:29.409 in a cycle of repetition and never move on and 00:16:29.409 --> 00:16:31.850 go from glory to glory and from faith to faith 00:16:31.850 --> 00:16:34.629 simply because we're connected to the wrong people. 00:16:34.789 --> 00:16:37.230 People who don't pray. People who don't fast. 00:16:37.429 --> 00:16:39.570 People who are not in the word. People who are 00:16:39.570 --> 00:16:42.090 not connected or submitted to authority. People 00:16:42.090 --> 00:16:44.970 who have more gossip than they do gospel. And 00:16:44.970 --> 00:16:48.789 we've got to cut these people out of your life. 00:16:48.870 --> 00:16:50.750 You're saying, Pastor, That sounds kind of rude. 00:16:50.870 --> 00:16:54.330 Are you telling me to absolutely cut them off 00:16:54.330 --> 00:16:57.350 if they're depriving you, if they're stopping 00:16:57.350 --> 00:17:00.629 you? Come on. I'm not talking about sinners that 00:17:00.629 --> 00:17:02.830 need to be saved. I'm not talking about cut off 00:17:02.830 --> 00:17:05.750 all your unconverted friends. I'm talking about 00:17:05.750 --> 00:17:09.269 church people and religious people who are satisfied 00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:11.849 with where they are, and they don't really want 00:17:11.849 --> 00:17:14.569 revival. They don't really want to see God. Not 00:17:14.569 --> 00:17:17.309 everybody who goes to church on Sunday wants 00:17:17.309 --> 00:17:21.809 revival. Not everybody wants revival. Not everybody 00:17:21.809 --> 00:17:24.210 wants growth. You'd be surprised how many people 00:17:24.210 --> 00:17:26.450 in the church, come on, hello somebody, talk 00:17:26.450 --> 00:17:29.170 to me now, want to keep things the way they are. 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:35.369 If I move the piano from the right to the left 00:17:35.369 --> 00:17:38.130 side, they'll have a heart attack. Don't move 00:17:38.130 --> 00:17:40.670 the piano. I'm used to seeing it right there. 00:17:42.250 --> 00:17:43.970 Some of you say, oh, they're not people like 00:17:43.970 --> 00:17:47.150 that. Oh, yes, there are. They get offended. 00:17:47.230 --> 00:17:49.349 I had a brother one time get offended at me because 00:17:49.349 --> 00:17:55.589 I moved his favorite seat. Like, man, he almost 00:17:55.589 --> 00:17:57.890 backslid because I moved his favorite seat. He 00:17:57.890 --> 00:17:59.549 said, hey, brother, how about you sit in a new 00:17:59.549 --> 00:18:01.150 seat? Maybe God's trying to do something different 00:18:01.150 --> 00:18:05.490 in your life. You know? I'm sorry, but there's 00:18:05.490 --> 00:18:07.210 some people, they don't want things to change. 00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:10.730 But I want to be connected to those that want 00:18:10.730 --> 00:18:14.880 to see where's the Messiah. Can I tell you something? 00:18:14.920 --> 00:18:16.859 I'm not looking for religion. I'm looking for 00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:19.400 the Messiah. Anybody else out there? Come on. 00:18:19.420 --> 00:18:21.160 Somebody say, I'm not looking for another church 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:23.420 to go to. Hello. If you want to find another 00:18:23.420 --> 00:18:25.960 church to go to, just go. It used to be the yellow 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:28.160 pages. Amen. You could just do a Google search 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:30.519 and you're going to find it. It's 31 flavors. 00:18:30.759 --> 00:18:32.839 Baskin -Robbins. You can find any church you 00:18:32.839 --> 00:18:35.099 want with the pastor that says exactly what you 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:36.960 want. And they sing the right songs that you 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.240 want and all of that. It's not about finding 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:42.930 another church or another. It's about keep. your 00:18:42.930 --> 00:18:47.029 eyes on Jesus, and you'll never backslide. You'll 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:50.289 never be able to be run out of the church. Don't 00:18:50.289 --> 00:18:53.170 get your eyes on the pastor, on the assistant 00:18:53.170 --> 00:18:57.390 pastor, on the bishop, on that brother. Get your 00:18:57.390 --> 00:19:07.299 eyes on the Messiah. on the Messiah. Even when 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:10.380 man fails or disappoints you, you say, I'm going 00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:12.619 to keep serving the Lord because I'm following 00:19:12.619 --> 00:19:16.180 the Messiah. Oh, hallelujah. And so I've got 00:19:16.180 --> 00:19:18.160 to move on to my second point, is that the call 00:19:18.160 --> 00:19:20.819 of God not only reveals your true friends, but 00:19:20.819 --> 00:19:26.140 it reveals your true worth. Someone say my true 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:30.400 worth. Let's remember that Simon had no religious 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:36.190 pedigree. Like the other men Jesus invited into 00:19:36.190 --> 00:19:39.109 discipleship, he was not known for his education, 00:19:39.309 --> 00:19:44.170 social rank, or political stature. Simon was 00:19:44.170 --> 00:19:46.970 a part of a hardworking but rag -tied crew of 00:19:46.970 --> 00:19:50.130 misfits who had been overlooked by society and 00:19:50.130 --> 00:19:54.410 formal religion. But everything changed with 00:19:54.410 --> 00:19:57.430 the simple words that we read in our text today. 00:19:57.730 --> 00:20:05.660 And the simple words were this, I know some of 00:20:05.660 --> 00:20:07.019 you Bible scholars are thinking, well, what's 00:20:07.019 --> 00:20:11.220 so fancy about that? What's so deep about that? 00:20:11.259 --> 00:20:14.000 I'll tell you why that's deep. For somebody who 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.880 has gone unnoticed all of his life. For somebody 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:20.920 who couldn't get the right attention of man. 00:20:21.220 --> 00:20:23.759 For somebody who had been overlooked and unheard 00:20:23.759 --> 00:20:26.539 for the majority of his life. For somebody who 00:20:26.539 --> 00:20:29.220 has flown under the radar. For somebody who felt 00:20:29.220 --> 00:20:31.599 like he couldn't get a second look or a chance. 00:20:32.000 --> 00:20:34.940 All of a sudden, the King of Kings and the Lord 00:20:34.940 --> 00:20:38.099 of Glory, the Messiah, looked at him. Someone 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:41.680 say, he's looking at me. Oh, after a lifetime 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.420 of being prejudged and unseen and unnoticed and 00:20:45.420 --> 00:20:50.359 under the radar, finally been seen and he hasn't 00:20:50.359 --> 00:20:53.559 been seen just by any man of the cloth or in 00:20:53.559 --> 00:20:56.640 political position but he's been seen by God 00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:59.720 almighty and in that moment I've come to tell 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:03.980 you that his existence was validated his persona 00:21:03.980 --> 00:21:09.440 was healed oh his worth was restored just by 00:21:09.440 --> 00:21:13.220 Jesus looking at him oh maybe you don't know 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:15.640 what I'm talking about but some of us in this 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:18.329 place know what it's like to be overlooked. Come 00:21:18.329 --> 00:21:20.609 on now. You know what it's like to be passed 00:21:20.609 --> 00:21:23.789 up for somebody else. You know what it's like 00:21:23.789 --> 00:21:27.910 to be not chosen because somebody else. You know 00:21:27.910 --> 00:21:30.410 what it's like to be passed by. You know what 00:21:30.410 --> 00:21:33.289 it's like to not be preferred. You know what 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:35.289 it's like to go from the first to the back of 00:21:35.289 --> 00:21:37.630 the line. You know what it's like to be skipped. 00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:41.230 You know what it's like to be going around. Oh, 00:21:41.369 --> 00:21:43.410 and if you've ever experienced that feeling, 00:21:43.509 --> 00:21:47.069 then you know that it will break. you. It will 00:21:47.069 --> 00:21:50.650 sadden you. It will disappoint you. It'll make 00:21:50.650 --> 00:21:54.029 you feel like you're a nothing and a nobody. 00:21:54.490 --> 00:21:57.789 It'll make you feel like your life has no meaning 00:21:57.789 --> 00:22:01.029 and no value. It'll make you feel like you're 00:22:01.029 --> 00:22:03.589 never going to be good enough to measure up to 00:22:03.589 --> 00:22:06.710 people's standards. It'll make you feel like 00:22:06.710 --> 00:22:09.410 your best is not good enough. It'll make you 00:22:09.410 --> 00:22:12.230 feel like you're just a speck of dirt on the 00:22:12.230 --> 00:22:16.099 planet. But when the Lord puts his eyes on you. 00:22:16.299 --> 00:22:21.019 It restores who you are. It restores your identity. 00:22:21.319 --> 00:22:24.099 It restores your work. Come on, am I preaching 00:22:24.099 --> 00:22:27.640 to somebody here today? Ah, come on now somebody. 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:30.839 Do you remember where you were when the Lord 00:22:30.839 --> 00:22:33.579 looked at you? Come on, somebody better preach 00:22:33.579 --> 00:22:37.480 with me here this afternoon. I said, do you remember 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:43.240 where you were when the Lord looked at you and 00:22:43.240 --> 00:22:49.069 you felt like I've been seen my life has meaning 00:22:49.069 --> 00:22:55.430 my life has value my life is worth saving I've 00:22:55.430 --> 00:23:25.839 come to tell you today Thank you for seeing me. 00:23:25.960 --> 00:23:29.160 Some of you have this little old me mentality. 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.319 Oh, little old me. Would God use little old me? 00:23:33.500 --> 00:23:36.799 Would God look at little old me? Poor me. Nobody 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:42.299 likes me. Be quiet with all of that kind of talk. 00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:45.900 Your God likes you when he loves you. And if 00:23:45.900 --> 00:23:49.519 God raises you up, there's no man that can pull 00:23:49.519 --> 00:24:00.160 you down. When God sees you. Hallelujah. I feel 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.720 the Holy Ghost right now. I feel the Holy Ghost 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:05.519 right now. God sees you, Brother David. God sees 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:08.220 you, Brother Isaac. God sees you, Brother Jose. 00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:11.619 He sees you. I said he sees you. He said me right 00:24:11.619 --> 00:24:16.740 here I am. Yes, Brother Kevin. He sees me. I 00:24:16.740 --> 00:24:18.880 wonder what you would do for the next minute 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.640 if you really believe that God sees you. He's 00:24:22.640 --> 00:24:25.140 watching you right now. How are you going to 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:30.039 worship me? Praise me. How are you going to respond? 00:24:30.539 --> 00:24:38.279 Because I see you. Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah, 00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:42.380 God. I'm talking to you today from somebody who 00:24:42.380 --> 00:24:45.079 has been overlooked in my past. And some of you 00:24:45.079 --> 00:24:47.119 might think, oh, not you, Pastor Jacob. Like 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:49.339 you're a pastor and you've done this and you've 00:24:49.339 --> 00:24:51.559 done that. The devil is a liar. You don't know 00:24:51.559 --> 00:24:54.799 all the things that I've had personally to deal 00:24:54.799 --> 00:24:57.200 with in my past. How many times I've been overlooked. 00:24:57.420 --> 00:25:00.539 How many times I've been dismissed and disregarded. 00:25:00.839 --> 00:25:03.119 Oh, I can tell you. But I don't want to come 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:06.059 up here and play a sad song for you. I don't 00:25:06.059 --> 00:25:08.579 want to come up here and play a violin for you. 00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:11.559 could all sit around here, cry, play violins, 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:14.140 and talk about how bad it's been, but I've come 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:18.440 to tell you about a God that sees. Oh, every 00:25:18.440 --> 00:25:21.420 man can turn their back on you, but if God sees 00:25:21.420 --> 00:25:24.259 you, it'll turn everything around. Come on now, 00:25:24.259 --> 00:25:27.599 somebody. Everybody can close their eyes to you, 00:25:27.660 --> 00:25:33.880 but if God sees you, if God sees you, it don't 00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:36.660 matter. man turns a blind eye to you. If God 00:25:36.660 --> 00:25:39.920 sees you, whatever God looks at, he validates. 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:45.960 He validates. He validates. And God is validating 00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:47.880 somebody right now. I feel this in the Holy Ghost. 00:25:48.019 --> 00:25:50.640 He's validating somebody right now. And he's 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:52.920 trying to tell you, I see you. What does God 00:25:52.920 --> 00:25:55.000 see exactly? Can I keep preaching? Is that all 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:56.700 right? I'll tell you what somebody say. Go ahead. 00:25:56.799 --> 00:25:59.759 I'll tell you what he sees. He sees uncarved 00:25:59.759 --> 00:26:02.720 potential. He sees the diamond in the rough. 00:26:03.019 --> 00:26:06.779 He sees the angel in the marble. And God sees 00:26:06.779 --> 00:26:09.779 you that way today. And that means if he sees 00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:15.009 you, ah, someone say he sees all. of me oh come 00:26:15.009 --> 00:26:17.849 on I want to preach this thing so bad he sees 00:26:17.849 --> 00:26:21.069 all of you some of you have become so good at 00:26:21.069 --> 00:26:23.690 portraying only the best of yourself and that's 00:26:23.690 --> 00:26:25.329 why when you go through trials and tribulations 00:26:25.329 --> 00:26:28.089 your life crumbles and falls apart because you're 00:26:28.089 --> 00:26:30.690 fake and you don't tell it like it really is 00:26:30.690 --> 00:26:32.890 but you got to understand in the presence of 00:26:32.890 --> 00:26:37.190 God he sees all of you you can fool your pastor 00:26:37.190 --> 00:26:39.829 you can fool your brother or your sister but 00:26:39.829 --> 00:26:42.890 honey you ain't fooling God God's sees the good. 00:26:42.950 --> 00:26:46.910 He sees the bad. And he sees the ugly. He sees 00:26:46.910 --> 00:26:48.670 the things that you've been saying in your heart. 00:26:48.789 --> 00:26:51.710 He sees the dirt and the grime and the filth. 00:26:51.789 --> 00:26:55.190 He sees the habits you can't break. He sees the 00:26:55.190 --> 00:26:58.230 emotions you can't check. He sees all of that. 00:26:58.430 --> 00:27:02.150 He sees the entirety of who you are. And yet 00:27:02.150 --> 00:27:06.809 he still wants to work in your life. And yet 00:27:06.809 --> 00:27:11.670 he still wants to bless you and anoint you and 00:27:13.160 --> 00:27:18.339 My God. He sees all of it. He sees all of it. 00:27:19.160 --> 00:27:21.920 Nothing is hidden. The eyes of the Lord are upon 00:27:21.920 --> 00:27:25.500 the righteous. There's all. He sees me. And I 00:27:25.500 --> 00:27:28.180 don't got to pretend with God. I don't have to 00:27:28.180 --> 00:27:32.019 act with God. God sees it anyway. God sees it 00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:36.519 anyway. Oh, someone say he sees. He sees. He 00:27:36.519 --> 00:27:40.519 sees. And even when he sees, he doesn't dismiss 00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:43.940 us. Can you imagine if your boss knew what you 00:27:43.940 --> 00:27:45.839 did, he would have fired you a long time ago. 00:27:46.340 --> 00:27:48.160 Y 'all ain't saying nothing to me right now. 00:27:48.420 --> 00:27:51.519 If your boss would know half the stuff that you 00:27:51.519 --> 00:27:53.519 have thought, he would have fired you a long 00:27:53.519 --> 00:27:55.960 time ago. If he knew that you almost quit on 00:27:55.960 --> 00:27:57.759 your way to work, he would have said, don't bother. 00:27:57.819 --> 00:27:59.240 Come and turn around and go home. I don't need 00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:01.400 your help. But yet, that's the way some of us 00:28:01.400 --> 00:28:03.779 are with God. We're talking ourselves this way, 00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.400 and God says, yeah, I hear all that, but I still 00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:11.349 love you, and I still want to use you. How many 00:28:11.349 --> 00:28:13.690 of you are thankful to God that he doesn't judge 00:28:13.690 --> 00:28:16.809 you and cast you off for the thoughts you think 00:28:16.809 --> 00:28:19.710 and for the emotions you feel and for the stuff 00:28:19.710 --> 00:28:25.589 you've been through? Thank you, Jesus. God. Thank 00:28:25.589 --> 00:28:28.869 you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus. And so he sees 00:28:28.869 --> 00:28:32.369 me. And Simon, Simon is feeling like, wow, I 00:28:32.369 --> 00:28:34.829 finally have been seen. Someone is finally paying 00:28:34.829 --> 00:28:36.470 attention to me. Someone is finally watching 00:28:36.470 --> 00:28:39.250 me. Someone is finally watching. And God says, 00:28:39.390 --> 00:28:41.640 yeah. I don't just see the bad stuff, Simon. 00:28:42.220 --> 00:28:49.059 I see the good stuff, too. I see the good stuff, 00:28:49.160 --> 00:28:51.740 too, Simon. I'm not here to condemn you, Simon. 00:28:51.900 --> 00:28:53.900 I'm not here just to talk about, you know, all 00:28:53.900 --> 00:28:55.960 the bad that's going on in your life. I'm not 00:28:55.960 --> 00:28:58.480 here to air your dirty laundry, Simon. I'm also 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:00.819 here to tell you what you're made of. I'm here 00:29:00.819 --> 00:29:02.960 to tell you there's something in you. I don't 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:05.720 just see a fisherman, Simon. I see a fisher. 00:29:06.170 --> 00:29:10.650 Of men. I don't just see a man. I see a future 00:29:10.650 --> 00:29:14.170 man of God. Oh this brings me to my next point. 00:29:14.250 --> 00:29:16.269 And I got to preach this for a little while longer. 00:29:16.529 --> 00:29:18.819 Is that the. call of God doesn't just reveal 00:29:18.819 --> 00:29:21.880 your true friends and your true worth, but it 00:29:21.880 --> 00:29:25.880 reveals your true identity. Someone say my identity. 00:29:26.339 --> 00:29:33.180 Oh, yes. Simon. Oh, if there was anybody probably 00:29:33.180 --> 00:29:36.640 vote as least likely to succeed in the religious 00:29:36.640 --> 00:29:40.559 realm, it had to be Simon because Simon was the 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:44.579 opposite of patience. His name is synonymous 00:29:44.579 --> 00:29:49.660 with impulsiveness. He was synonymous with being 00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:54.819 impulsive and hot -headed and loud -mouthed. 00:29:54.819 --> 00:30:00.420 And he had a short fuse and a long tongue. He 00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:04.900 was a ready -fire -aim kind of guy. And that 00:30:04.900 --> 00:30:08.240 must have at times cost him friends, cost him 00:30:08.240 --> 00:30:10.940 business that he don't even know he'd lost because 00:30:10.940 --> 00:30:14.380 he couldn't keep his impulsiveness and his hot 00:30:14.380 --> 00:30:17.319 -headedness together. Oh, he couldn't keep his 00:30:17.319 --> 00:30:20.599 emotions in check. And when a leader or when 00:30:20.599 --> 00:30:24.500 somebody is getting ready to build a team, they 00:30:24.500 --> 00:30:26.819 might look at those attributes and say, you know, 00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:30.599 that's just too risky. That's just a liability 00:30:30.599 --> 00:30:32.819 to have this. You know what I'm saying? It's 00:30:32.819 --> 00:30:36.480 a liability to have this person on my team because 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:38.519 he's going to cost me at some point. You know 00:30:38.519 --> 00:30:41.599 what I mean? And when you read through the story 00:30:41.599 --> 00:30:44.619 of Simon Peter, he did do some things that Jesus 00:30:44.619 --> 00:30:47.279 said, oh, boy, I got to fix. He was fixing things 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:51.059 that Simon thought he was helping. I'm helping 00:30:51.059 --> 00:30:53.740 Jesus. I got your back. He was really hurting 00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:55.980 Jesus. Jesus had to tell him, get behind me, 00:30:56.019 --> 00:30:58.720 man. You're getting in my way because of his 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:02.000 impulsiveness. And everybody knew. this about 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:05.799 simon everybody knew that that simon was a he 00:31:05.799 --> 00:31:09.500 was a a hard working he was he was driven he 00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:12.500 was diligent but he was also easily bothered 00:31:12.500 --> 00:31:15.500 and opinionated and that would be his achilles 00:31:15.500 --> 00:31:18.779 heel that would be his downfall at some point 00:31:18.779 --> 00:31:20.740 in the future when he would fail i'll get to 00:31:20.740 --> 00:31:23.119 that in another sermon but it was because of 00:31:23.119 --> 00:31:25.880 that impulsiveness because of that that that 00:31:25.880 --> 00:31:28.900 just the way he was easily just you know brash 00:31:28.900 --> 00:31:31.230 and the way that he responds to things that From 00:31:31.230 --> 00:31:33.849 day to day, you had to guess. Everybody around 00:31:33.849 --> 00:31:35.809 Simon had to guess what kind of Simon are we 00:31:35.809 --> 00:31:39.309 going to get today. That's the definition of 00:31:39.309 --> 00:31:42.109 instability. Some people think instability is 00:31:42.109 --> 00:31:45.269 like, you know, you're showing up one way wearing 00:31:45.269 --> 00:31:46.789 black. The next day you're wearing green. Man, 00:31:46.890 --> 00:31:50.170 that person is unstable. No, instability is defined 00:31:50.170 --> 00:31:52.789 as people around you never knowing what version 00:31:52.789 --> 00:31:56.880 of you they're going to get. That's instability. 00:31:57.539 --> 00:32:01.819 Instability is like people having to play rock, 00:32:01.819 --> 00:32:06.240 paper, scissors with you, you know. What are 00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:12.240 we getting today? Oh. Stability is people knowing 00:32:12.240 --> 00:32:15.019 exactly what they're going to get. Doesn't matter 00:32:15.019 --> 00:32:17.640 come hell or high water, the rock is going to 00:32:17.640 --> 00:32:22.380 be a rock. Amen. But up to this point, Simon 00:32:22.380 --> 00:32:25.640 had a reputation. And everybody was playing rock, 00:32:25.660 --> 00:32:28.759 paper, scissors with him. It's very hard to build 00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:31.380 something with somebody like Simon who was always 00:32:31.380 --> 00:32:34.859 playing rock, paper, scissors. But when Jesus 00:32:34.859 --> 00:32:39.000 laid eyes on him, he put all that stuff to side. 00:32:39.259 --> 00:32:41.400 And he said, you know what I see? Forget the 00:32:41.400 --> 00:32:44.759 scissors, forget the paper. I see a rock in the 00:32:44.759 --> 00:32:50.460 making. I see a rock in the making. And so Jesus 00:32:50.460 --> 00:32:54.289 declared a word over his life. Just give me a 00:32:54.289 --> 00:32:56.349 few more moments. He declared a word over his 00:32:56.349 --> 00:33:01.349 life. And he said, you are Simon, the son of 00:33:01.349 --> 00:33:05.829 Jonah. You are Simon, the son of Jonah. Now, 00:33:05.849 --> 00:33:10.690 you see, I think it's interesting. Like, how 00:33:10.690 --> 00:33:12.289 many of you think Simon already knew his name? 00:33:13.410 --> 00:33:14.930 This is not a trick question. How many think 00:33:14.930 --> 00:33:18.049 Simon knew his name? Amen. You think Simon knew 00:33:18.049 --> 00:33:21.009 his name was Simon? That's a no -brainer, right? 00:33:21.450 --> 00:33:23.250 So why did God have to tell him, your name is 00:33:23.250 --> 00:33:25.029 Simon? Like, duh, I know what my name is. He 00:33:25.029 --> 00:33:28.269 didn't have to tell me. The reason why God says 00:33:28.269 --> 00:33:31.890 your name is Simon before he moves on is because 00:33:31.890 --> 00:33:35.430 you can't move on to becoming Peter until you 00:33:35.430 --> 00:33:39.130 first recognize the Simon in you. Many of us, 00:33:39.130 --> 00:33:41.049 we want to grow, but we're unwilling to deal 00:33:41.049 --> 00:33:43.069 with the fact that many parts of our life are 00:33:43.069 --> 00:33:49.170 still very much Simon. God has to locate us. 00:33:50.240 --> 00:33:53.519 God has to pinpoint us. And this is not going 00:33:53.519 --> 00:33:55.559 to be comfortable. It's not going to be easy. 00:33:55.720 --> 00:33:58.000 It's not going to feel good. This is not the 00:33:58.000 --> 00:34:01.599 feel good part of the message today. You missed 00:34:01.599 --> 00:34:02.720 that. We already covered it. You should have 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:04.220 shouted when you had the chance, right? God. 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:09.980 We want to grow. But in order to grow, in order 00:34:09.980 --> 00:34:13.840 for God to do his work, his will in our life, 00:34:14.019 --> 00:34:19.539 when he calls us, he first confirms who you are. 00:34:22.009 --> 00:34:23.909 Today. We all want to be just about who we're 00:34:23.909 --> 00:34:26.349 going to be tomorrow. Don't you know who I'm 00:34:26.349 --> 00:34:28.510 going to be? God said, you need to know who you 00:34:28.510 --> 00:34:34.650 are today. Someone say today. Who am I today? 00:34:35.909 --> 00:34:39.570 God said to Simon, look, I got plans for you. 00:34:40.250 --> 00:34:43.429 Plans to use you, to raise you up. Don't worry 00:34:43.429 --> 00:34:46.070 about that. That's coming. But for right now, 00:34:46.170 --> 00:34:53.679 you're still Simon. You're still Simon. And that 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:58.059 must have felt like a bit contradictory. Like, 00:34:58.099 --> 00:35:01.659 wait, maybe he turned to Andrew and said, hey, 00:35:01.659 --> 00:35:03.480 man, I thought this guy was going to tell me 00:35:03.480 --> 00:35:06.559 good things about me. I didn't come here to be 00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:08.320 put down. I didn't come here to be told I'm Simon. 00:35:09.099 --> 00:35:12.139 You told me we found the Messiah. He's over here 00:35:12.139 --> 00:35:14.400 telling me what. Everybody knows him. I could 00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:17.920 have told him who I am. This is not revelation. 00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:22.739 But before you have a revelation, watch this, 00:35:22.900 --> 00:35:26.559 you need to have a realization. You can't get 00:35:26.559 --> 00:35:29.579 revelation without realization. Realization is 00:35:29.579 --> 00:35:32.119 the beginning of a revelation. And before God 00:35:32.119 --> 00:35:34.179 gives him a revelation, he's first got to have 00:35:34.179 --> 00:35:41.059 a realization that I am still Simon. I'm a work 00:35:41.059 --> 00:35:45.019 in progress, but I'm still Simon. I've got things 00:35:45.019 --> 00:35:47.650 to work on, but... In order for me to pursue 00:35:47.650 --> 00:35:50.909 my calling, listen, everybody today, you cannot 00:35:50.909 --> 00:35:58.590 be in denial about who you are today. If I'm 00:35:58.590 --> 00:36:03.489 going to make you into Peter, if I'm going to 00:36:03.489 --> 00:36:07.949 make you into a fisher of men, you first have 00:36:07.949 --> 00:36:12.869 to accept that you're Simon. You still got to 00:36:12.869 --> 00:36:15.900 accept that you're impulsive. Still got to accept 00:36:15.900 --> 00:36:18.079 that your emotions are running wild. You still 00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:20.269 got to... You still got to accept that you're 00:36:20.269 --> 00:36:22.610 a ready, fire, aim person. You still got to accept 00:36:22.610 --> 00:36:24.449 that there are things in your life that are out 00:36:24.449 --> 00:36:26.690 of order and out of balance. You still got to 00:36:26.690 --> 00:36:28.809 accept that you're still the student and not 00:36:28.809 --> 00:36:30.849 the teacher. You still got to accept that you 00:36:30.849 --> 00:36:33.210 have ways to go. You still got to accept, Simon, 00:36:33.210 --> 00:36:34.869 that you don't know it all yet. You still got 00:36:34.869 --> 00:36:37.090 to accept that there are things about you that 00:36:37.090 --> 00:36:38.949 I'm not fond of, things about you that got to 00:36:38.949 --> 00:36:41.210 change. Because ultimately, Simon, I've called 00:36:41.210 --> 00:36:43.670 you, but you need to accept where you are. And 00:36:43.670 --> 00:36:46.110 accepting where you are can bring us to the second 00:36:46.110 --> 00:36:48.369 point, which is when God calls you, he does. 00:36:48.400 --> 00:36:50.860 He doesn't just confirm who you are today. He 00:36:50.860 --> 00:36:54.420 affirms who you'll be tomorrow. Someone say tomorrow. 00:36:57.239 --> 00:37:00.780 He doesn't just tell me who I am today. All you 00:37:00.780 --> 00:37:02.760 got to do is look at a clock to tell you what 00:37:02.760 --> 00:37:05.659 time it is. I know what time it is right now. 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:07.820 I know I've got these things in my life. I know, 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:15.619 but he says, you shall be, you shall be called 00:37:15.619 --> 00:37:21.289 Caiaphas. As I close, you shall be called Caiaphas. 00:37:23.070 --> 00:37:27.909 Here's what you have to catch. Simon's name change 00:37:27.909 --> 00:37:32.170 was valid. If you can put up the verse before 00:37:32.170 --> 00:37:39.010 that. His name change was valid. When Jesus looked 00:37:39.010 --> 00:37:42.769 at him and said, you are Simon today, he said, 00:37:42.889 --> 00:37:45.610 and you shall be called. Someone say, you shall 00:37:45.610 --> 00:37:52.860 be called. You shall be called Caiaphas. His 00:37:52.860 --> 00:37:59.280 name change was official. He didn't have to contact 00:37:59.280 --> 00:38:02.519 Social Security to get his name changed legally. 00:38:02.559 --> 00:38:06.719 You know, his name was changed. God said it, 00:38:06.780 --> 00:38:11.400 and that settles it. His name change was valid, 00:38:11.639 --> 00:38:20.840 but he still had to grow. Into Peter. You know 00:38:20.840 --> 00:38:24.500 why? We read in scripture that it continues to 00:38:24.500 --> 00:38:28.360 call. You read in the word. He's continued to 00:38:28.360 --> 00:38:33.840 be referred to even after this moment. He continues 00:38:33.840 --> 00:38:39.900 to be called Simon. And then he's called Simon 00:38:39.900 --> 00:38:48.050 Peter. It was progressive. And then he's called 00:38:48.050 --> 00:38:55.210 just Peter. The brother can come to the keys. 00:38:55.710 --> 00:39:03.849 He's progressing. He's progressing. So guess 00:39:03.849 --> 00:39:09.150 what happened? Jesus said, your name is going 00:39:09.150 --> 00:39:13.269 to be called Caiaphas. That's pretty cool, huh? 00:39:13.880 --> 00:39:15.760 I mean, when you get a word like that, that's 00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:17.780 got to make your day, right? Someone say amen. 00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:21.500 That's got to make your day. Like, from now on, 00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:25.239 everybody, there's a new sheriff. It's Caiaphas. 00:39:25.340 --> 00:39:28.639 Let it be known. It's Caiaphas. That's got to 00:39:28.639 --> 00:39:32.320 feel great. The only problem is the next day 00:39:32.320 --> 00:39:37.420 he woke up still feeling like Simon. The only 00:39:37.420 --> 00:39:41.960 problem is the day after that. Looked himself 00:39:41.960 --> 00:39:44.179 in the mirror. He's like, you know, I heard what 00:39:44.179 --> 00:39:47.760 Jesus said about me. But why do I still feel 00:39:47.760 --> 00:39:53.300 like Simon? And there would be times and points 00:39:53.300 --> 00:39:57.699 in Peter, Simon Peter's calling, where he acted 00:39:57.699 --> 00:40:02.480 more like Simon than he did Peter. But God was 00:40:02.480 --> 00:40:07.159 so gracious. Because in the gracious, patient, 00:40:07.440 --> 00:40:13.760 loving, building hands of God, Even though we 00:40:13.760 --> 00:40:19.300 act like Simon or sometimes a combination of 00:40:19.300 --> 00:40:27.960 Simon Peter, God never takes back his word. So 00:40:27.960 --> 00:40:32.500 in God's eyes, like Michelangelo looking at the 00:40:32.500 --> 00:40:36.420 rough edges of that unfinished block of marble 00:40:36.420 --> 00:40:41.139 and stone. In God's eyes, he looks at you and 00:40:41.139 --> 00:40:44.760 he looks at me and he says, I see the angel in 00:40:44.760 --> 00:40:51.679 the marble. I see the Peter in the Simon. I see 00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:56.480 not just who you are, but who you shall be called. 00:40:58.119 --> 00:41:00.360 I feel the Holy Ghost in this place right now. 00:41:01.340 --> 00:41:07.000 Oh, God, I feel God. What you shall be called. 00:41:08.199 --> 00:41:12.480 What you shall be called. What you shall be called. 00:41:13.400 --> 00:41:19.019 You know what God is calling you? A stone. You 00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:22.300 know what a stone is? Something that's solid. 00:41:23.820 --> 00:41:28.539 Something that's steady. Something that's unmovable. 00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:32.679 Unshakeable. Always abounding in the work of 00:41:32.679 --> 00:41:36.480 the Lord. Something that is rooted. Something 00:41:36.480 --> 00:41:43.030 that is planted. Can I just break it down for 00:41:43.030 --> 00:41:45.829 you? Can I give you a clear picture? He's calling 00:41:45.829 --> 00:41:51.050 you a rock of a servant of God. He's calling 00:41:51.050 --> 00:41:58.349 you a stone, a rock solid soul winner. A rock 00:41:58.349 --> 00:42:05.269 solid prayer warrior. A rock solid servant. A 00:42:05.269 --> 00:42:07.550 rock solid. solid leader. He said, but pastor, 00:42:07.730 --> 00:42:10.469 I don't feel like that right now. Things aren't 00:42:10.469 --> 00:42:13.289 like that in my life right now. Things are a 00:42:13.289 --> 00:42:16.250 bit shaky at work. They're a bit shaky in my 00:42:16.250 --> 00:42:18.809 marriage. They're a bit shaky in my heart. Things 00:42:18.809 --> 00:42:21.949 are not as quite stable as I want them to be. 00:42:22.010 --> 00:42:26.469 But that's not how God sees you. He sees you 00:42:26.469 --> 00:42:32.079 as the solid rock. He sees a solid rock. He sees 00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:38.480 a strong husband. He sees a strong wife. He sees 00:42:38.480 --> 00:42:44.219 a strong mother and a strong father. He sees 00:42:44.219 --> 00:42:48.119 a strong young man and woman. He sees somebody 00:42:48.119 --> 00:42:52.460 that rocks solid. Rocks solid. servant in the 00:42:52.460 --> 00:42:56.860 house of God. He sees it. He sees it. And God 00:42:56.860 --> 00:42:59.900 wants you to see that today. But this is all 00:42:59.900 --> 00:43:02.659 that I've come to tell you today. It's what you 00:43:02.659 --> 00:43:05.179 shall be called. Would you stand with me at this 00:43:05.179 --> 00:43:07.460 hour? And as you stand there, I invite you to 00:43:07.460 --> 00:43:10.000 close those eyes. I want you to pray with me 00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:13.579 right now. God is working in this place. God 00:43:13.579 --> 00:43:16.760 is moving in this place. Let me tell you something. 00:43:16.900 --> 00:43:20.420 God has called you. God has appointed you to 00:43:20.420 --> 00:43:24.260 reach the world. to reach the lost to lead your 00:43:24.260 --> 00:43:27.420 family into the kingdom of heaven he's called 00:43:27.420 --> 00:43:30.539 you to stand strong in this hour come on church 00:43:30.539 --> 00:43:34.639 he's called you to stand tall in this hour he's 00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:38.219 called you to be a Pillar in the church. Every 00:43:38.219 --> 00:43:41.079 single one of you under the sound of my voice 00:43:41.079 --> 00:43:44.320 has got pillar potential. Hear me when I'm saying 00:43:44.320 --> 00:43:47.639 this today. You have got pillar potential. I 00:43:47.639 --> 00:43:49.500 don't care what your employer thinks of you. 00:43:49.619 --> 00:43:52.619 I don't care what your in -laws or your outlaws 00:43:52.619 --> 00:43:55.619 and in -laws say of you. I'm telling you, you've 00:43:55.619 --> 00:43:59.340 got pillar potential. God sees it in you. He 00:43:59.340 --> 00:44:02.500 sees the angel in the marble. He sees the diamond 00:44:02.500 --> 00:44:05.619 in the rough. He sees what he called you to be. 00:44:05.900 --> 00:44:09.699 and the word of the Lord shall not return to 00:44:09.699 --> 00:44:12.460 him void but it will accomplish that which it 00:44:12.460 --> 00:44:16.679 has been set to do but here's the thing your 00:44:16.679 --> 00:44:19.519 character has got to catch up to your calling 00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:23.119 oh pastor what is this series all about this 00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:25.960 series is all about your character being caught 00:44:25.960 --> 00:44:29.440 up to your calling your maturity has got to catch 00:44:29.440 --> 00:44:32.780 up to your calling your emotional and intellectual 00:44:32.780 --> 00:44:35.860 and spiritual maturity has got to catch up to 00:44:35.860 --> 00:44:40.800 your calling ah hallelujah your attitude has 00:44:40.800 --> 00:44:44.719 got to catch up to your anointing oh your spirit 00:44:44.719 --> 00:44:48.360 has got to catch up to your gifting God is saying 00:44:48.360 --> 00:44:52.539 I did not calls you I did not make a mistake 00:44:52.539 --> 00:44:54.860 when I looked at you and I say you're the one 00:44:54.860 --> 00:44:57.480 that I want to use at City Light Church you're 00:44:57.480 --> 00:44:59.639 the one that I want to use to spread the gospel 00:44:59.639 --> 00:45:02.079 you're the one that I want to use to save your 00:45:02.079 --> 00:45:05.440 family but hear me today while you work on you 00:45:05.440 --> 00:45:08.679 while you work on that Simon while you work on 00:45:08.679 --> 00:45:22.420 that area is for somebody today. You say, I'm 00:45:22.420 --> 00:45:24.840 not petered yet. That's all right. I don't think 00:45:24.840 --> 00:45:27.940 any of us in this place are. But if you can open 00:45:27.940 --> 00:45:31.340 up your heart today to the word of the Lord, 00:45:31.559 --> 00:45:35.699 if you can say, God, here I am, God. Let your 00:45:35.699 --> 00:45:39.320 word come to pass. Let it come to pass. I wonder 00:45:39.320 --> 00:45:41.719 if there's somebody right now that can receive 00:45:41.719 --> 00:45:44.840 it by faith. You can come to this altar, brother. 00:45:44.940 --> 00:45:47.679 Sister, you can come here right now by faith. 00:45:49.139 --> 00:45:53.579 By faith. You can claim it today by faith. You 00:45:53.579 --> 00:45:56.940 can claim your inheritance by faith. You can 00:45:56.940 --> 00:46:00.860 claim your calling by faith. You can say, I am 00:46:00.860 --> 00:46:05.480 who God calls me to be. That's who I am. That's 00:46:05.480 --> 00:46:07.619 who I am. Is there somebody right now? Is there 00:46:07.619 --> 00:46:09.380 somebody that just wants to grab a hold of that 00:46:09.380 --> 00:46:12.119 right now? Is there anybody who wants to grab 00:46:12.119 --> 00:46:15.420 a hold of that word? Grab a hold of that word 00:46:15.420 --> 00:46:18.369 for your life today? Come on, God. God's not 00:46:18.369 --> 00:46:21.590 done with you. God's just starting. God's just 00:46:21.590 --> 00:46:24.190 beginning. God's just getting started in your 00:46:24.190 --> 00:46:26.510 life. Come on, is there somebody right now?