WEBVTT 00:00:00.040 --> 00:00:01.679 I'm going to invite you, if you can, just remain 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:03.220 standing for a few more moments, and then you 00:00:03.220 --> 00:00:06.839 can sit down and relax in this not -so -cool 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.980 weather. Praise God. Mark chapter 1, verse 16. 00:00:10.519 --> 00:00:13.220 Mark chapter 1. We're in part 2 of our Called 00:00:13.220 --> 00:00:16.739 series. Everybody say, Called. Mark chapter 1, 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:20.320 verse 16, reads as follows. And as he walked 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:24.059 by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:27.820 his brother, casting a net into the sea, for 00:00:27.820 --> 00:00:31.489 they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, 00:00:31.690 --> 00:00:37.310 follow me and I will make you. Someone say, I 00:00:37.310 --> 00:00:41.409 will make you. I will make you become fishers 00:00:41.409 --> 00:00:46.490 of men. They immediately left their nets and 00:00:46.490 --> 00:00:50.609 followed him. I'm going to speak today on the 00:00:50.609 --> 00:00:54.670 making of a disciple. The making of a disciple. 00:00:55.090 --> 00:00:57.929 Somebody say amen. You may be seated in God's 00:00:57.929 --> 00:01:01.789 presence. Amen. I know everybody here likes a 00:01:01.789 --> 00:01:05.549 finished product. Isn't that right? How many 00:01:05.549 --> 00:01:08.530 of you like a finished product? Amen. Unless 00:01:08.530 --> 00:01:11.129 you're into Legos, then the whole point of buying 00:01:11.129 --> 00:01:12.989 it is so that you can make it when you get home, 00:01:13.049 --> 00:01:16.569 right? But for the most of us, we like a finished 00:01:16.569 --> 00:01:20.810 product. When we buy something, we want it to 00:01:20.810 --> 00:01:25.670 be complete and ready to go. Add batteries if 00:01:25.670 --> 00:01:28.959 it needs to be charged, but... I like it when 00:01:28.959 --> 00:01:31.079 it's already charged as well. I don't want to 00:01:31.079 --> 00:01:32.980 have to charge it. I want it to be ready to go 00:01:32.980 --> 00:01:34.980 when I turn that thing on, whatever it is, that 00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:38.579 gadget, that phone. Because there's an expectation 00:01:38.579 --> 00:01:41.280 that when you purchase something with your hard 00:01:41.280 --> 00:01:44.760 -earned money that it ought to do what it's supposed 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:49.680 to do. But rarely do we stop to consider the 00:01:49.680 --> 00:01:52.799 ingenuity or the process that it takes to create 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:56.469 these things that we enjoy. or that we depend 00:01:56.469 --> 00:01:58.849 on from day to day. I'm not talking about cars 00:01:58.849 --> 00:02:00.750 necessarily or cell phones. I'm talking about 00:02:00.750 --> 00:02:04.430 basic things, things that we probably take for 00:02:04.430 --> 00:02:08.210 granted from day to day. There's a documentary 00:02:08.210 --> 00:02:11.409 I used to love to watch. It might still be around, 00:02:11.629 --> 00:02:14.469 but I know you can catch it on YouTube and things. 00:02:14.550 --> 00:02:18.330 It was called How It's Made. I don't know if 00:02:18.330 --> 00:02:22.210 there's anybody here who is... All right, you 00:02:22.210 --> 00:02:24.110 got to be kind of a geek to know that you are, 00:02:24.169 --> 00:02:26.909 you know, so I'm a... I like this stuff. I nerd 00:02:26.909 --> 00:02:28.490 out on some of these things. You say, that's 00:02:28.490 --> 00:02:30.789 the boringest thing. But this is what happens. 00:02:30.889 --> 00:02:35.150 It takes viewers inside the manufacturing process 00:02:35.150 --> 00:02:39.050 of everyday items, right? From light bulbs to 00:02:39.050 --> 00:02:44.009 work boots, hand soap, tortilla chips, amen? 00:02:45.509 --> 00:02:47.550 They don't just grow on trees like that, you 00:02:47.550 --> 00:02:51.389 know? Toothbrushes. How about the paper clip? 00:02:51.930 --> 00:02:54.370 Amen? How many of you thank God for the paper 00:02:54.370 --> 00:02:59.259 clip? Just holds things together. Amen. And all 00:02:59.259 --> 00:03:04.400 these little things that we enjoy and need from 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.819 day to day. And the show would offer an interesting 00:03:06.819 --> 00:03:09.800 behind -the -scenes look at how these things 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.080 were made. And it takes you through that step 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:16.080 -by -step process. Again, some people find this 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:18.719 incredibly boring, like watching paint dry, right? 00:03:18.759 --> 00:03:20.800 It's just like, I don't care how it was made 00:03:20.800 --> 00:03:23.439 and just as long as it works. But I've always 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.120 been fascinated by how things are made and how 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.379 it came to be because behind every object, every 00:03:29.379 --> 00:03:35.879 invention is a story, an idea, a necessity. Someone 00:03:35.879 --> 00:03:39.919 once said that invention, right, is the, or excuse 00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:44.069 me, necessity is the mother of invention. It's 00:03:44.069 --> 00:03:48.030 the process that I enjoy looking at. And if there's 00:03:48.030 --> 00:03:50.789 one thing that this show reminded me of was two 00:03:50.789 --> 00:03:54.770 things, is that nothing just appears. Something, 00:03:54.889 --> 00:03:58.110 it had to be made. Didn't just fall out of the 00:03:58.110 --> 00:04:02.770 sky. And nothing makes itself. And I want to 00:04:02.770 --> 00:04:05.310 tell you that there's no difference in the kingdom 00:04:05.310 --> 00:04:11.069 of God. Somebody say amen today. Nobody just 00:04:11.069 --> 00:04:16.050 appears. They went through a process. And nobody 00:04:16.050 --> 00:04:21.029 just makes themselves. There are no self -made 00:04:21.029 --> 00:04:27.350 disciples. There's no such thing. No self -made 00:04:27.350 --> 00:04:32.170 ministers or preachers, soul winners and prayer 00:04:32.170 --> 00:04:35.410 warriors. There's no such thing as a self -made 00:04:35.410 --> 00:04:40.410 thing in pretty much every aspect of life and 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:44.410 certainly in the kingdom of God. Nothing is self 00:04:44.410 --> 00:04:46.449 -made. In fact, I would stand before you today 00:04:46.449 --> 00:04:50.810 and tell you that who you see today, with all 00:04:50.810 --> 00:04:53.389 my flaws and blemishes, I'm not a finished product 00:04:53.389 --> 00:04:55.689 by any stretch of the imagination, but I am not 00:04:55.689 --> 00:05:01.009 here because of myself. I'm not up here because 00:05:01.009 --> 00:05:04.350 of myself, because I trained and poured into 00:05:04.350 --> 00:05:08.189 myself and made me who I am. I am, and I say 00:05:08.189 --> 00:05:10.149 this with all due respect, I am the product. 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:17.819 Of discipleship. I'm the product of. Somewhere. 00:05:17.939 --> 00:05:26.939 Someone. Taking an interest. In me. And. In response 00:05:26.939 --> 00:05:30.899 to that. Me submitting myself. Through accountability. 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:35.720 Through submission and respect. To the one who 00:05:35.720 --> 00:05:38.769 was molding me. And discipling me. So it was 00:05:38.769 --> 00:05:41.350 definitely a two -way street. But I am not here 00:05:41.350 --> 00:05:46.350 on my own. And neither are you. Amen. This was 00:05:46.350 --> 00:05:50.790 the case for Simon Peter, whom this whole series 00:05:50.790 --> 00:05:57.389 is based on. And any disciple of Christ. Last 00:05:57.389 --> 00:06:00.110 week we heard about the new name that he was 00:06:00.110 --> 00:06:03.589 given, right? When the Lord first met him. He 00:06:03.589 --> 00:06:06.529 said, your name is Simon, but you shall be called. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.199 Caiaphas, which is also the same name for Peter, 00:06:10.360 --> 00:06:15.420 a rock. But that was just the beginning. When 00:06:15.420 --> 00:06:19.399 he changed his name, it was just the start of 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:23.399 a process of making him into the man that we 00:06:23.399 --> 00:06:28.019 would come to know as the Apostle Peter, the 00:06:28.019 --> 00:06:32.980 first preacher of Pentecost. But it was a process. 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:38.180 Some would say it's a process. Now when you look 00:06:38.180 --> 00:06:43.379 at Peter's origin story and how God began to 00:06:43.379 --> 00:06:46.720 work in his life, you may wonder why in the scene 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.519 that we're reading today, this is after his initial 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:55.759 encounter with Christ, why he is fishing again. 00:06:57.160 --> 00:07:00.899 If he had already met Jesus, why is he fishing? 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:04.600 And the answer is very simple, is that Peter, 00:07:04.699 --> 00:07:08.259 or Simon Peter, had not yet received his formal 00:07:08.259 --> 00:07:15.220 or his official call to be a disciple. When he 00:07:15.220 --> 00:07:18.480 met Jesus, obviously he heard a word that changed 00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:23.180 his identity over his life. But that's all Jesus 00:07:23.180 --> 00:07:25.240 did in that moment. He just changed his name. 00:07:25.279 --> 00:07:30.560 He did not yet change his assignment. His name 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:34.170 was changing. But if you read very carefully, 00:07:34.250 --> 00:07:36.509 go back to last Sunday and read that verse again. 00:07:36.629 --> 00:07:39.149 He didn't change his assignment. He didn't tell 00:07:39.149 --> 00:07:43.350 him to follow me in that first meeting. He didn't 00:07:43.350 --> 00:07:47.250 change his occupation. In fact, he didn't tell 00:07:47.250 --> 00:07:50.449 him to do anything. He didn't tell Simon to leave 00:07:50.449 --> 00:07:54.050 anything behind or to do anything or to go anywhere. 00:07:55.089 --> 00:07:57.730 And that first encounter was just about changing 00:07:57.730 --> 00:08:06.600 his name. But in this... episode, Jesus now takes 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.579 him one step further. But I believe that this 00:08:09.579 --> 00:08:11.980 order is important for us today when we think 00:08:11.980 --> 00:08:15.180 about what God is wanting to do in our lives. 00:08:15.699 --> 00:08:19.220 This series is all about being called and being 00:08:19.220 --> 00:08:22.379 molded as a disciple. This is all about discipleship. 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:27.050 Amen. And so I want you today to consider how 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:29.569 important it is to follow the order that we see 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:32.049 in Peter's life. First, his name was changed. 00:08:32.789 --> 00:08:37.169 You have to first discover who you are before 00:08:37.169 --> 00:08:40.769 you start to do what you think you're supposed 00:08:40.769 --> 00:08:45.269 to do. Oftentimes, what we want to do is we want 00:08:45.269 --> 00:08:47.350 to cut to the chase. You know, we want God to 00:08:47.350 --> 00:08:50.730 tell us what to do before we really understand 00:08:50.730 --> 00:08:56.570 who we are. We want God to send us somewhere 00:08:56.570 --> 00:09:01.549 to do something with us without being solidified 00:09:01.549 --> 00:09:05.669 and established and rooted in the identity that 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.610 he's given us. And this is what will happen is 00:09:08.610 --> 00:09:12.570 if we skip that part, if we skip over the identity 00:09:12.570 --> 00:09:15.409 and straight to the assignment, eventually the 00:09:15.409 --> 00:09:20.570 assignment will kill us. Because all the enemy 00:09:20.570 --> 00:09:24.659 has to do is get us to question who we are. Which 00:09:24.659 --> 00:09:27.360 is why when Jesus was tempted in the desert during 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:31.340 those 40 days, Satan began those temptations 00:09:31.340 --> 00:09:33.379 with the question, if you are the son of God. 00:09:33.940 --> 00:09:35.960 He was trying to poke holes in his identity. 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:38.539 But of course, Jesus already knew who he was. 00:09:41.639 --> 00:09:46.240 And so knowing who you are will lead you to what 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:49.639 you're supposed to do. I'll put it this way. 00:09:49.720 --> 00:09:58.049 Your who determines your do. And so now Simon 00:09:58.049 --> 00:10:01.210 Peter, he knows that his name is being changed. 00:10:01.809 --> 00:10:04.929 He's in a process. And now that he knows that, 00:10:05.009 --> 00:10:09.809 he is in a position to hear the formal call of 00:10:09.809 --> 00:10:15.210 God upon his life. Jesus meets him along the 00:10:15.210 --> 00:10:21.070 Sea of Galilee and says, follow me and I will 00:10:21.070 --> 00:10:25.909 make you. And those words, I will make you, I 00:10:25.909 --> 00:10:28.870 haven't been able to get away from them in my 00:10:28.870 --> 00:10:31.070 reading and my meditation of this text. Because 00:10:31.070 --> 00:10:34.929 what Jesus was telling him is that to become 00:10:34.929 --> 00:10:37.750 the man, to become the person that I have called 00:10:37.750 --> 00:10:42.110 you to be, Peter, that preacher, that soul winner, 00:10:42.210 --> 00:10:45.750 that bridge builder, that apostle to the Gentile, 00:10:45.789 --> 00:10:48.570 that man that you were born and destined to be, 00:10:48.710 --> 00:10:52.289 you're not just going to become him because you 00:10:52.289 --> 00:10:55.009 are called. You're not just going to become him 00:10:55.009 --> 00:10:57.529 because I changed your name. You're not going 00:10:57.529 --> 00:11:00.230 to become him because of who you know and what 00:11:00.230 --> 00:11:02.830 connections you have. You're going to become 00:11:02.830 --> 00:11:06.429 him through a process of me making you. I must 00:11:06.429 --> 00:11:13.230 make you. And the first thing that we must understand 00:11:13.230 --> 00:11:16.850 in the making, in order for the making to begin, 00:11:17.090 --> 00:11:20.070 number one, my first point today is that we must 00:11:20.070 --> 00:11:24.139 leave the nets. Someone say, leave the nets. 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:31.320 So Jesus approaches him and says, follow me. 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:36.240 And I'm going to make you a fisher of men. I'm 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:39.919 going to make you a bridge builder. You're going 00:11:39.919 --> 00:11:42.279 to be a soul winner. You're going to be a disciple 00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:45.879 maker. And in response to that call, without 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:51.120 Jesus having to tell him to do this. and point 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:53.899 it out for him and spell it out for him in detail, 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:59.620 something within Peter understood the gravity 00:11:59.620 --> 00:12:04.840 of the call of God upon his life. And he realized 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:08.139 that if I'm going to follow this man, if I'm 00:12:08.139 --> 00:12:10.159 going to be his disciple, if I'm going to walk 00:12:10.159 --> 00:12:13.960 with him, live with him, shadow his every movement, 00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:18.440 I cannot do that and hold on to my old life at 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:23.070 the same time. Come on now, somebody. He said, 00:12:23.090 --> 00:12:26.909 I've got to let go of these nets. Sometimes we're 00:12:26.909 --> 00:12:30.549 waiting on God to tell us or a preacher to tell 00:12:30.549 --> 00:12:33.289 us and spell it out. ABC, this is what you have 00:12:33.289 --> 00:12:35.909 to let go of. But don't you know that you've 00:12:35.909 --> 00:12:37.850 got a voice inside of you that's already telling 00:12:37.850 --> 00:12:42.110 you this is what you need to let go of. It's 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:44.750 not complicated. We understand that there are 00:12:44.750 --> 00:12:47.690 things that are tying us up. Come on. Things 00:12:47.690 --> 00:12:50.370 that are holding us back. Things that if... We 00:12:50.370 --> 00:12:52.230 try to take them with us. They'll eventually 00:12:52.230 --> 00:12:54.909 pull us back into the life that we were living. 00:12:55.110 --> 00:12:57.370 And so this statement may sound like just another 00:12:57.370 --> 00:12:59.850 footnote in the story, but I can assure you that 00:12:59.850 --> 00:13:02.950 this action was no small matter. He had to leave 00:13:02.950 --> 00:13:06.129 these nets behind. And in those nets represented 00:13:06.129 --> 00:13:09.669 everything about what his life was prior to that 00:13:09.669 --> 00:13:12.929 moment. In those nets, if I can just point out 00:13:12.929 --> 00:13:15.750 a couple of things for you, in those nets represents 00:13:15.750 --> 00:13:20.940 his financial stability as a fisherman. You've 00:13:20.940 --> 00:13:23.480 got to understand that by leaving those nets, 00:13:23.700 --> 00:13:27.279 Peter was leaving money on the table. Why? Because 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:32.019 he made a living catching and selling fish. That 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:35.059 was his job. That was his paycheck, a predictable 00:13:35.059 --> 00:13:38.539 paycheck. I'm sure that there were good seasons 00:13:38.539 --> 00:13:41.580 and bad seasons in the fishing industry, but 00:13:41.580 --> 00:13:44.460 he always knew that this is how I could make 00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:48.080 a buck. This is how I could put food on my family's 00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.759 table. This is how I can make a living, put a 00:13:50.759 --> 00:13:54.120 roof over my family's head and do nice things 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.100 with my children and provide for them. So he 00:13:57.100 --> 00:13:59.759 knew that this was a financial thing for him. 00:13:59.860 --> 00:14:02.700 And so those nets represented financial security 00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:06.179 and a predictable future that he could build 00:14:06.179 --> 00:14:08.840 on. And so by leaving those nets behind, what 00:14:08.840 --> 00:14:11.419 he was essentially saying, whatever it was that 00:14:11.419 --> 00:14:14.679 I was depending on before to put food on my family's 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:16.940 table and clothes on their back, I've got to 00:14:16.940 --> 00:14:19.240 put my trust in somebody. that is greater than 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:23.919 all of that it also had personal implications 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.299 because being a fisherman was more than just 00:14:27.299 --> 00:14:30.639 a job that you clock in and clock out of it was 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.940 a whole lifestyle it was a it was a culture it 00:14:33.940 --> 00:14:38.100 was an ecosystem that that Simon Peter had identified 00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:41.240 with for so many years. Trades like this were 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:44.159 often passed down from one generation to another. 00:14:44.299 --> 00:14:47.259 It was a family thing. This wasn't just a job, 00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:49.879 you know, a side hustle that he did to earn a 00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:52.480 couple of bucks. This was like a family institution. 00:14:54.899 --> 00:14:57.340 People were invested into this thing. People 00:14:57.340 --> 00:15:00.639 were connected to this thing. It was a family 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:05.779 thing. It was ingrained in who he was. And Peter, 00:15:05.980 --> 00:15:08.480 this is all the life that he knew. He didn't 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:12.679 know anything else. It wasn't another trade school 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:14.779 in town, you know, that he can get like an online 00:15:14.779 --> 00:15:18.399 degree from. You know, and walk out and start 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.490 applying for new jobs. This was it. This was 00:15:22.490 --> 00:15:25.169 everything. This was his whole world. Everything 00:15:25.169 --> 00:15:27.809 kind of had come down to this right here. You 00:15:27.809 --> 00:15:30.090 hear what I'm saying? And so he had to make a 00:15:30.090 --> 00:15:33.029 very calculated decision in that moment that 00:15:33.029 --> 00:15:35.769 I'm going to leave all of this behind and follow 00:15:35.769 --> 00:15:38.629 this man so we can sit here today and argue, 00:15:38.750 --> 00:15:41.129 ah, it's just a bunch of nets. No, no, no. Those 00:15:41.129 --> 00:15:45.120 nets represented everything to Peter. And it 00:15:45.120 --> 00:15:47.960 wasn't so easy just to walk away, just like it's 00:15:47.960 --> 00:15:50.580 not easy for us to walk away from things that 00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:55.000 we have poured our heart and souls into. Oh, 00:15:55.059 --> 00:15:56.480 we can walk away from things we don't really 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:59.220 care about, right? That feels like a relief, 00:15:59.299 --> 00:16:01.460 like, whew, finally someone took this away from 00:16:01.460 --> 00:16:04.620 me, my gosh. Walking away from that car payment 00:16:04.620 --> 00:16:06.759 I don't want anymore, finally sold the car, amen. 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:09.480 Got rid of it. I'm not talking about things you 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:12.039 want to get rid of on your own. I'm talking about 00:16:12.039 --> 00:16:14.740 things that you're attached to, things that you're 00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:17.820 invested into. And it's not so easy. It's complicated. 00:16:18.259 --> 00:16:22.000 There's multiple layers involved. It's not so 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.700 easy. But these are the very things that could 00:16:24.700 --> 00:16:27.720 prevent you from fulfilling God's call in your 00:16:27.720 --> 00:16:30.539 life. So I got to ask you today, what are those 00:16:30.539 --> 00:16:33.059 nets in your life you need to let go of? Because 00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:36.679 the making begins when the nets hit the ground. 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:39.820 ground. It will not start before that. It will 00:16:39.820 --> 00:16:43.019 not start one millisecond before. I'm talking 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.679 about the making. Someone say the making. I'm 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:48.759 talking about the making of you being the disciple 00:16:48.759 --> 00:16:52.559 that God wants you to be will not start officially 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.879 until you're willing to drop those nets. When 00:16:55.879 --> 00:16:59.799 the nets hit the ground, you are now ready for 00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:02.539 the next phase that God wants you. I don't know 00:17:02.539 --> 00:17:04.799 if I'm talking to somebody here today, but I 00:17:04.799 --> 00:17:07.059 need to address some of the nets in your life 00:17:07.059 --> 00:17:09.559 that have been holding you back, that have been 00:17:09.559 --> 00:17:13.059 depriving you and tying you up. Oh, I can preach 00:17:13.059 --> 00:17:16.119 all day long just about the nets. I'm talking 00:17:16.119 --> 00:17:19.140 about the safety nets. Some of you got to say, 00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:21.859 you know what your safety net is? It's your backup 00:17:21.859 --> 00:17:25.839 plan. Some of you need to burn up, tear up, shred 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:29.420 in the paper shredder your backup plan. If this 00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:31.900 whole thing doesn't work out for you, you need 00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:35.369 to shred that backup plan. Shred, plan, Some 00:17:35.369 --> 00:17:37.970 of you got plan B. Well, in case city light don't 00:17:37.970 --> 00:17:40.549 work out, I got plan B over here. In case this 00:17:40.549 --> 00:17:42.990 thing don't work out, I got a backup plan. In 00:17:42.990 --> 00:17:45.309 case serving God is not what I thought, I got 00:17:45.309 --> 00:17:48.190 a backup plan. You need to put that backup plan 00:17:48.190 --> 00:17:51.089 in the shredder and say it's Holy Ghost or it's 00:17:51.089 --> 00:17:54.690 nothing. It's Holy Ghost or it's bus. It's Jesus 00:17:54.690 --> 00:17:57.789 or it's Jesus or nothing at all. Come on, somebody 00:17:57.789 --> 00:18:03.180 give them some praise today. The safety net. 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:05.839 Some of you, it's a net. You know what? It's 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:07.359 a net that looks like a hammock. How many of 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:11.119 you like a hammock? Oh, you go on vacation. You 00:18:11.119 --> 00:18:13.880 get on one of them hammocks, huh? And the ocean 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:16.599 island breeze is hitting you. And you're swinging 00:18:16.599 --> 00:18:19.240 from one side to the side. And you're all up 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.259 in your hammock. And man, this life is good. 00:18:21.380 --> 00:18:23.700 And some of your spiritual life looks like that. 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:27.059 Come on. Hey, hello, somebody. Are you going 00:18:27.059 --> 00:18:28.500 to preach with me here today? I'm just getting 00:18:28.500 --> 00:18:31.579 started. Hallelujah. You got a hammock spiritual 00:18:31.579 --> 00:18:34.099 life. You're so comfortable. You're all tied 00:18:34.099 --> 00:18:38.579 up in your nets. And your official making process 00:18:38.579 --> 00:18:41.700 will begin when you decide that comfort is no 00:18:41.700 --> 00:18:45.259 longer your king. my God that swinging from one 00:18:45.259 --> 00:18:48.339 side is no longer the God of your life because 00:18:48.339 --> 00:18:51.400 for some of you comfort is your God and ease 00:18:51.400 --> 00:18:54.859 and convenience is what you worship but God said 00:18:54.859 --> 00:18:57.119 if I'm going to make you if I'm going to mold 00:18:57.119 --> 00:19:00.059 you if I'm going to produce glory in your life 00:19:00.059 --> 00:19:02.599 come on somebody preach with me here today you 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:04.460 got to be willing to put your comfort to one 00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:07.700 side and follow me all the way hallelujah somebody 00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:13.309 somebody someone say leave the nets That's right, 00:19:13.369 --> 00:19:15.849 leave those nets. Leave them where they are. 00:19:16.170 --> 00:19:18.390 And once you leave the nets, you can do number 00:19:18.390 --> 00:19:22.750 two, is that now you can start to learn from 00:19:22.750 --> 00:19:27.710 him. I don't know about you, but I got some things 00:19:27.710 --> 00:19:31.609 I still need to learn. I didn't hear any amens 00:19:31.609 --> 00:19:34.289 out there. I said, I got some things I still 00:19:34.289 --> 00:19:39.150 need to learn. How about you? After Peter left 00:19:39.150 --> 00:19:41.750 his nets. Now, the order's important. Don't try 00:19:41.750 --> 00:19:45.549 to learn with your nets. Let those things go 00:19:45.549 --> 00:19:49.809 first. This order is divine. Now you can start 00:19:49.809 --> 00:19:53.069 to learn from him. Watch what happens in verse 00:19:53.069 --> 00:19:56.130 21. After Peter left his nets, he began to follow 00:19:56.130 --> 00:19:58.470 Jesus. The Bible says he entered the synagogue 00:19:58.470 --> 00:20:03.450 and taught. Jesus did. And they were astonished 00:20:03.450 --> 00:20:05.890 at his teaching. For he had taught them as one 00:20:05.890 --> 00:20:10.140 having authority, not as the scribes. So the 00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:11.920 people are there gathered in this synagogue, 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:15.839 and now Peter finds himself sitting under the 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.759 teaching of Jesus Christ. And he, like everybody 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:21.940 else in the room that day, realized that the 00:20:21.940 --> 00:20:24.519 one who was teaching was more than a man. This 00:20:24.519 --> 00:20:28.640 was someone teaching with authority. He wasn't 00:20:28.640 --> 00:20:31.220 just teaching something he had learned. He was 00:20:31.220 --> 00:20:35.299 teaching because he is the teacher, the lawgiver, 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:40.119 the word maker. Amen. God in flesh, the word 00:20:40.119 --> 00:20:43.500 made flesh, is now teaching them. And being a 00:20:43.500 --> 00:20:49.119 disciple, what it means is enrolling in Jesus 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:55.220 University. I wonder if you've enrolled in Jesus 00:20:55.220 --> 00:21:02.140 University. But Jesus University is not a university 00:21:02.140 --> 00:21:06.339 that you enroll in, pay tuition, get your credits. 00:21:07.029 --> 00:21:09.410 Complete your coursework, and then you're done. 00:21:10.250 --> 00:21:13.849 You graduate, walk across the platform in four 00:21:13.849 --> 00:21:18.829 years or more. Hallelujah. I heard someone say, 00:21:18.910 --> 00:21:23.490 how about another couple years of that? No, because 00:21:23.490 --> 00:21:26.390 it's not over. We don't walk across the stage 00:21:26.390 --> 00:21:30.349 until we get there. And he says, well done, my 00:21:30.349 --> 00:21:34.240 good and faithful servant. So it's a lifelong 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:38.240 journey of learning how to love him. Can I tell 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:40.220 you something? You don't become a Christian, 00:21:40.359 --> 00:21:42.220 I don't care how long you've been one, and just 00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:45.599 automatically know how to love God. You have 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.420 to learn. Someone say, I got to learn. You got 00:21:48.420 --> 00:21:52.400 to learn how to love him. You don't just get, 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:54.160 my God, I'm going to mess with someone's theology 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:56.740 now. I'm going to mess with some of the things 00:21:56.740 --> 00:21:58.400 you've been hearing in the non -denominational 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:01.099 world and everywhere. You don't get to love him 00:22:01.099 --> 00:22:04.920 any way you want. This isn't just love him like 00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:07.200 you want to love him. No, God's got a way that 00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:08.539 if you're going to love him, you've got to love 00:22:08.539 --> 00:22:11.980 me my way. With all of your heart, with all of 00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:14.720 your soul, with all of your strength. My God. 00:22:15.819 --> 00:22:18.400 So you've got to learn how to love him, and it 00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:24.279 takes years. It takes years to learn how to love 00:22:24.279 --> 00:22:26.079 him. You know you've got to learn how to worship 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.819 him. You don't just get baptized like you did. 00:22:31.259 --> 00:22:33.240 A couple of weeks ago, Brother Mikey, he's a 00:22:33.240 --> 00:22:35.559 worshiper. I've seen him worship. But when you 00:22:35.559 --> 00:22:38.599 get baptized, brother, you're not just an expert 00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:41.599 worshiper. You've got to learn how to worship 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:43.910 him. You know why? Because in the beginning, 00:22:44.089 --> 00:22:46.849 man, anybody can worship the Lord when you're 00:22:46.849 --> 00:22:49.170 riding on a spiritual high, when you're still 00:22:49.170 --> 00:22:52.109 wet from the baptismal tank, amen, and you're 00:22:52.109 --> 00:22:53.750 still speaking in tongues on the way to work. 00:22:53.849 --> 00:22:55.549 I mean, you should do that even now, hallelujah. 00:22:55.670 --> 00:22:57.549 But when you got drunk in the Holy Ghost and 00:22:57.549 --> 00:23:00.190 you didn't care, anybody can worship him like 00:23:00.190 --> 00:23:02.849 that. But you learn how to worship him when the 00:23:02.849 --> 00:23:05.190 going gets tough. Come on now. You learn how 00:23:05.190 --> 00:23:08.910 to worship him when life gets hard and the bills 00:23:08.910 --> 00:23:12.410 are due and the kids are sick. losing your mind. 00:23:12.490 --> 00:23:14.750 Anybody know how to worship him like that? In 00:23:14.750 --> 00:23:17.009 fact, why don't you give him some praise right 00:23:17.009 --> 00:23:19.630 now? Why don't you open up your mouth right now? 00:23:19.789 --> 00:23:21.650 Why don't you love him right now? Why don't you 00:23:21.650 --> 00:23:25.829 say, Jesus, I love you, God. I worship you, Lord. 00:23:25.930 --> 00:23:28.769 You're my all and all and my everything, and 00:23:28.769 --> 00:23:33.210 I'm nothing without you. Blessed be the name 00:23:33.210 --> 00:23:36.890 of the Lord. Somebody shout hallelujah. You got 00:23:36.890 --> 00:23:39.690 to learn how to serve him. You don't just get 00:23:39.690 --> 00:23:43.700 born. and again and know how to serve him. You 00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:47.480 got to learn how to serve him. This is what discipleship 00:23:47.480 --> 00:23:50.400 is all about. It's learning how to serve him, 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:53.299 how to be obedient, how to be submissive, how 00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:56.119 to be responsive, how to be repentant. Oh, we 00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:58.339 got to learn how to pray without ceasing. And 00:23:58.339 --> 00:24:00.700 I can go down the list of what we've got to learn 00:24:00.700 --> 00:24:03.720 how to do. But it's a process where you don't 00:24:03.720 --> 00:24:07.240 just become more educated. The goal of God is 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:11.119 not to educate you in all religious matters so 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:13.599 that you just become a walking book. The goal 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:17.420 of God is that you learn how to live and be like 00:24:17.420 --> 00:24:21.240 him. Oh, Jesus is not interested in just merely 00:24:21.240 --> 00:24:24.720 making more students. God's not interested in 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:27.640 filling a lecture hall full of students. God 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:31.000 wants to make disciples who imitate his every 00:24:31.000 --> 00:24:34.819 move. In Ephesians 5 and verse 1, the apostle 00:24:34.819 --> 00:24:38.359 Paul says, therefore, be imitators. Someone say 00:24:38.359 --> 00:24:42.769 imitators. Be imitators of God. dear children 00:24:42.769 --> 00:24:46.089 in the same way that a child mimics the actions 00:24:46.089 --> 00:24:49.029 of his parent his mother or father which is why 00:24:49.029 --> 00:24:51.630 parents we got to watch what we do and say right 00:24:51.630 --> 00:24:54.349 because we got little eyes that are watching 00:24:54.349 --> 00:24:57.309 us and they try to be like us and do like us 00:24:57.309 --> 00:24:59.910 and so whatever it is that we do they try to 00:24:59.910 --> 00:25:03.410 copy us and do the same thing this is what a 00:25:03.410 --> 00:25:06.609 christian education is really all about this 00:25:06.609 --> 00:25:10.269 is what christian formation is all about is us 00:25:10.269 --> 00:25:13.029 learning not just through head knowledge, but 00:25:13.029 --> 00:25:16.230 learning how to imitate him. And this is why 00:25:16.230 --> 00:25:20.529 Paul also said in 1 Corinthians 11, imitate me 00:25:20.529 --> 00:25:28.950 just as I also imitate Christ. The goal of Jesus 00:25:28.950 --> 00:25:34.069 is not simply to transfer knowledge, but to reproduce 00:25:34.069 --> 00:25:38.170 himself in all of you. Are you hearing me today? 00:25:39.720 --> 00:25:45.480 So in Jesus' university, you don't advance to 00:25:45.480 --> 00:25:48.279 the next level simply by completing the coursework. 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:54.180 But when you start thinking like Christ, oh, 00:25:54.180 --> 00:25:56.819 hallelujah. That's why the Bible says, put on 00:25:56.819 --> 00:26:02.380 the mind of Christ. When you start acting more 00:26:02.380 --> 00:26:06.740 like Christ, that... is the measure of growth. 00:26:06.980 --> 00:26:12.079 Not how much you know but how closely to him 00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:18.420 you look. The making continues as you walk in 00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:21.339 his footsteps. It begins when the nets hit the 00:26:21.339 --> 00:26:26.339 floor and it continues as you walk in his footsteps. 00:26:27.240 --> 00:26:35.769 Somebody say amen today. It's been said that 00:26:35.769 --> 00:26:43.349 imitation is the highest form of flattery. Highest 00:26:43.349 --> 00:26:46.789 form of flattery is somebody to copycat what's 00:26:46.789 --> 00:26:50.509 been done. Right? The highest form of flattery 00:26:50.509 --> 00:26:54.250 is to somebody to imitate. And it's the same 00:26:54.250 --> 00:26:57.549 in the kingdom of God. Imitation is the highest 00:26:57.549 --> 00:27:02.250 form of growth. Nothing makes God, nothing pleases 00:27:02.250 --> 00:27:05.970 him more. Not just the volume, hear me, of our 00:27:05.970 --> 00:27:09.690 praise. Not just the repetitions of our prayers. 00:27:10.730 --> 00:27:13.430 But nothing pleases. I don't think anything puts 00:27:13.430 --> 00:27:16.650 a smile on God's face more than when he sees 00:27:16.650 --> 00:27:23.269 us trying to be like him. When he sees us trying 00:27:23.269 --> 00:27:26.869 to talk like him. Love like him. Forgive like 00:27:26.869 --> 00:27:35.859 him. Serve like him. Minister like him. And Peter, 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:40.019 as an official student now, enrollee of Jesus 00:27:40.019 --> 00:27:44.240 University, being made into the man that God 00:27:44.240 --> 00:27:47.859 has called him to be, we will see from time to 00:27:47.859 --> 00:27:52.119 time in his life how it wasn't really the notes 00:27:52.119 --> 00:27:55.640 he was writing or the books he was reading, but 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:58.259 the actions that he was replicating in his life. 00:27:58.440 --> 00:28:01.319 When we see Peter, for instance, stepping out 00:28:01.319 --> 00:28:05.150 of the boat and walking on the water, We read 00:28:05.150 --> 00:28:07.829 that story and we go, wow, what great faith Peter 00:28:07.829 --> 00:28:12.190 had. I want to be like Peter. No, the goal is 00:28:12.190 --> 00:28:14.809 not to be like Peter. It's to be like Jesus. 00:28:16.609 --> 00:28:19.269 Because the only reason why Peter was out there 00:28:19.269 --> 00:28:22.890 was to imitate what he saw his master doing. 00:28:24.329 --> 00:28:27.549 And so that's why he said, Lord, if it's you, 00:28:27.950 --> 00:28:31.450 bid me to come. Hallelujah. I wonder what things 00:28:31.450 --> 00:28:34.589 God would do in our life if we say, Lord, I want 00:28:34.589 --> 00:28:37.490 to do it just like you. I want to step out into 00:28:37.490 --> 00:28:40.849 the waters. I want to step out in faith, believing 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:45.490 that it's your word that is holding me up. When 00:28:45.490 --> 00:28:48.670 we see Peter lifting that lame man in Acts chapter 00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:51.829 3 at the temple gate called beautiful. We focus 00:28:51.829 --> 00:28:53.990 on how powerful it was. And we preach about, 00:28:54.109 --> 00:28:56.650 well, man, he lifted him up. And he jumped up 00:28:56.650 --> 00:28:58.430 and down. And they leaped. And yes, that's all 00:28:58.430 --> 00:29:02.509 wonderful. But all Peter did was imitate what 00:29:02.509 --> 00:29:06.190 he saw his master do. Oh, when he would heal 00:29:06.190 --> 00:29:09.789 the sick and raise the dead. He was just imitating 00:29:09.789 --> 00:29:12.529 what he saw him do. And this is my final point 00:29:12.529 --> 00:29:14.869 today. But this might be the most. important 00:29:14.869 --> 00:29:18.369 one because for Peter to have issued or to have 00:29:18.369 --> 00:29:21.230 been a facilitator a channel through healing 00:29:21.230 --> 00:29:24.089 to flow to the life of others he first had to 00:29:24.089 --> 00:29:26.970 let that healing hit his own house and his life 00:29:26.970 --> 00:29:29.470 and this brings me to my my last point which 00:29:29.470 --> 00:29:33.269 is that you have to lead Jesus home someone say 00:29:33.269 --> 00:29:36.390 lead him home come on say it again lead him home 00:29:36.390 --> 00:29:41.130 the question today is not whether you found Jesus 00:29:41.130 --> 00:29:45.049 in this church the question it is Will you take 00:29:45.049 --> 00:29:49.970 him home? Peter followed Jesus to the synagogue. 00:29:50.410 --> 00:29:53.609 But watch what happened afterward. After Jesus 00:29:53.609 --> 00:29:55.730 followed, or excuse me, after Peter followed 00:29:55.730 --> 00:29:59.470 Jesus to the synagogue, afterward, after they 00:29:59.470 --> 00:30:02.589 dismissed service and everyone fellowshiped like 00:30:02.589 --> 00:30:07.069 we love to do and talk, guess what happened? 00:30:07.589 --> 00:30:10.450 Peter said, hey, I need you to come to my house 00:30:10.450 --> 00:30:16.559 now. I need you to come over. To my home. The 00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:19.720 Bible says that Jesus went to his home. And there. 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:22.799 His mother -in -law. Peter's mother -in -law. 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:26.940 Was laying sick with a fever. Probably unto death. 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:33.140 It was critical. It was a situation. That needed 00:30:33.140 --> 00:30:39.200 a miracle. A situation. That needed. Divine intervention. 00:30:40.400 --> 00:30:43.339 I bet you they tried everything they could. To 00:30:43.339 --> 00:30:46.400 reverse that fever. I bet you they did everything 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:50.500 within their power. To get mom back well. I bet 00:30:50.500 --> 00:30:52.720 you they tried everything they could. To try 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:56.880 to heal her. And try to get her back on her feet. 00:30:56.940 --> 00:30:59.279 They did all they could. But nothing else worked. 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.779 So Peter says. If this all is what it is supposed 00:31:03.779 --> 00:31:08.700 to be. If this man is who he says he is. And 00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:11.980 if this life is worth giving up all of my life. 00:31:12.269 --> 00:31:15.990 To live. Then I'm going to see if this is really 00:31:15.990 --> 00:31:19.470 worth it all. So he brings Jesus back to his 00:31:19.470 --> 00:31:23.690 house and he shows him, okay, Jesus, here I have 00:31:23.690 --> 00:31:28.690 a problem in my home that needs healing. One 00:31:28.690 --> 00:31:31.869 would think that of all the places Peter would 00:31:31.869 --> 00:31:34.609 want to go, it would be anywhere but back home. 00:31:35.309 --> 00:31:38.190 You would think that if Peter was now following 00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:41.289 Jesus, we're going on to bigger and better things. 00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:44.720 Maybe he would have thought, like some people, 00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:47.019 where's the next venue we're going to visit? 00:31:47.079 --> 00:31:49.539 Where's the next town? And what's coming next? 00:31:49.660 --> 00:31:53.000 He did not imagine, though, that he would be 00:31:53.000 --> 00:31:57.190 right back in his home in his own reality. But 00:31:57.190 --> 00:32:00.329 this is the way that God works. And I want to 00:32:00.329 --> 00:32:02.990 tell somebody here today, as I prepare to close, 00:32:03.130 --> 00:32:06.329 that no matter how great your calling is in this 00:32:06.329 --> 00:32:09.769 life, and no matter who God has assigned you 00:32:09.769 --> 00:32:12.190 to be, your marriage and your family and your 00:32:12.190 --> 00:32:16.089 home and your ministry, you will never be greater 00:32:16.089 --> 00:32:19.450 or never accomplish those things at the expense 00:32:19.450 --> 00:32:23.690 of the health and the condition of your home. 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:30.359 If you don't hear anything I say today, you better 00:32:30.359 --> 00:32:33.599 not miss what I'm about to say right now. If 00:32:33.599 --> 00:32:35.940 you don't let God heal what's going on in your 00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:38.400 home, you have no business offering it to anybody 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:43.539 else. Don't tell me about a God who forgives 00:32:43.539 --> 00:32:46.700 while you haven't forgiven. Don't preach to me 00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:49.980 about a God who heals and you won't open up the 00:32:49.980 --> 00:32:52.779 hurting areas of your life so that he can heal 00:32:52.779 --> 00:32:56.559 it. Don't you tell me and preach about a God 00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:00.059 who can do miracles and yet you're still trusting 00:33:00.059 --> 00:33:02.400 in man and you're still trusting in your employer 00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:04.500 and you're still trusting in your degree and 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:06.619 you're still trusting in who you know. Don't 00:33:06.619 --> 00:33:09.160 you tell me about a God who can do all those 00:33:09.160 --> 00:33:12.180 things and yet there are doors and rooms in your 00:33:12.180 --> 00:33:17.680 own house that you have not yet God get in. I 00:33:17.680 --> 00:33:20.519 want revival as much as anybody else. Come on, 00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:22.859 preach with me here right now. I said, I want 00:33:22.859 --> 00:33:25.319 revival as much as anybody else. I want to see 00:33:25.319 --> 00:33:27.559 these pews filled up as much as anybody else. 00:33:27.640 --> 00:33:30.160 But it's not going to happen until I let the 00:33:30.160 --> 00:33:33.200 healer and the restorer and the miracle worker 00:33:33.200 --> 00:33:36.980 do what he's got to do in my own life. so that 00:33:36.980 --> 00:33:40.660 I can be the conduit that God uses to bless and 00:33:40.660 --> 00:33:43.660 help somebody else. Give God some praise right 00:33:43.660 --> 00:33:46.839 now. Come on, somebody magnify him. Somebody 00:33:46.839 --> 00:33:50.259 glorify him. Somebody bless him. I'm talking 00:33:50.259 --> 00:33:53.279 about the real power of God. I'm talking about 00:33:53.279 --> 00:33:56.019 the real goodness of God. I'm talking about the 00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:58.880 faithfulness of God. But God is saying, if you 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:01.799 want me to show you what I can do through you, 00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:10.500 you've got to first let me do it in you. And 00:34:10.500 --> 00:34:14.099 if we let him do it in us, let me ask you, what 00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:16.159 area of your home, you see, the making becomes 00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:21.260 real when Jesus comes home. When his presence 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:26.360 follows you into every part of your life. Where 00:34:26.360 --> 00:34:29.039 things are still hurting. And things are still 00:34:29.039 --> 00:34:32.920 broken. But can I tell you today, as the musicians, 00:34:33.059 --> 00:34:34.960 come get ready. Just the keys for right now. 00:34:35.300 --> 00:34:39.139 Can I tell you? That's your first ministry. Brother 00:34:39.139 --> 00:34:43.559 Isaac, your first ministry is at home. Sister 00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:47.380 Abby, your first ministry is at home. Brother 00:34:47.380 --> 00:34:52.000 David, it's at home. Brother Mike, it's at home. 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:55.139 Pastor, I thought my ministry was right here 00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:59.480 at City Light. No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't 00:34:59.480 --> 00:35:02.079 you come in here preaching and wanting things 00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:10.489 you're not doing at home. Someone say it's at 00:35:10.489 --> 00:35:15.230 home. You know, it's at home where there's no 00:35:15.230 --> 00:35:18.570 Instagram to capture it. Oh, I just lost some 00:35:18.570 --> 00:35:21.210 of you right there. You just say, oh, Lord. I 00:35:21.210 --> 00:35:23.489 can't post it on Instagram? Well, maybe you can. 00:35:26.849 --> 00:35:31.570 But it's at home. Someone say it's at home. That's 00:35:31.570 --> 00:35:34.650 where your ministry is at. Husbands, your ministry 00:35:34.650 --> 00:35:37.650 first is to your wives. Hear me. And those of 00:35:37.650 --> 00:35:38.849 you who are not married, you better hear me too. 00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:45.219 To your wives. Do I have everyone's attention 00:35:45.219 --> 00:35:50.619 right now? Husbands, your ministry is to your 00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:56.460 wife. Don't depend on a preacher or a pastor 00:35:56.460 --> 00:35:58.420 or someone else to do the ministering to your 00:35:58.420 --> 00:36:03.119 wife that God assigned you to do. If she's hurting, 00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:05.840 minister to her. If she needs encouragement, 00:36:06.059 --> 00:36:10.840 minister to her. And by golly, even if it's your 00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:17.000 mother -in -law. I heard some who's out there. 00:36:18.679 --> 00:36:20.420 He healed the mother -in -law, Brother Rico. 00:36:24.460 --> 00:36:29.679 All kidding aside, you see, it's at home. Wives, 00:36:29.679 --> 00:36:34.099 it's to your husband. You have no business. And 00:36:34.099 --> 00:36:37.079 I say this respectfully going out, praying and 00:36:37.079 --> 00:36:41.989 ministering. When your husband's depressed, you 00:36:41.989 --> 00:36:44.349 got to stop everything else you're doing and 00:36:44.349 --> 00:36:49.090 get well at home. Don't step on the devil's turf 00:36:49.090 --> 00:36:53.250 until you first have healed yours. I feel the 00:36:53.250 --> 00:36:56.449 Holy Ghost right now. I'm operating. I'm operating. 00:36:56.789 --> 00:36:58.849 I'm operating. I'm operating. I'm operating. 00:36:58.949 --> 00:37:00.250 I'm going to close my nose so you don't think 00:37:00.250 --> 00:37:01.829 I'm not planning on saying anything I've said 00:37:01.829 --> 00:37:03.630 in the last 10 minutes. I didn't plan on saying, 00:37:03.710 --> 00:37:05.289 but it's the Holy Ghost talking to somebody right 00:37:05.289 --> 00:37:08.420 now. Your children are sick. It's not the pastor. 00:37:08.579 --> 00:37:10.539 It's not the bishop. It's not the president of 00:37:10.539 --> 00:37:12.860 the apostolic assembly. It's nobody else's job 00:37:12.860 --> 00:37:15.699 to minister to your children but you. All you've 00:37:15.699 --> 00:37:17.980 got to do is bring Jesus into the kids' room. 00:37:21.500 --> 00:37:24.480 You need to do, Brother David, you need to practice 00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:27.179 laying hands on your children. You got a child, 00:37:27.239 --> 00:37:29.630 you practice laying hands on them. At night, 00:37:29.690 --> 00:37:32.489 you rebuke that fever in the name of Jesus. You 00:37:32.489 --> 00:37:34.750 rebuke that condition in the name of Jesus. You 00:37:34.750 --> 00:37:37.429 rebuke it. Don't wait for the evangelist to come 00:37:37.429 --> 00:37:39.590 and make a special altar call. No, honey, you're 00:37:39.590 --> 00:37:41.269 going to be waiting all your life if you do that. 00:37:41.949 --> 00:37:44.090 You have been anointed. You have been empowered. 00:37:44.269 --> 00:37:45.909 In fact, stand up right now. I feel the Holy 00:37:45.909 --> 00:37:49.210 Ghost in this place. You have been anointed and 00:37:49.210 --> 00:37:53.139 appointed by God. Take Jesus into those places. 00:37:53.199 --> 00:38:01.739 And with authority. Say sickness, you're no longer 00:38:01.739 --> 00:38:05.420 allowed here anymore. Depression, you're no longer 00:38:05.420 --> 00:38:13.380 allowed here anymore. Anxiety, I'm serving you 00:38:13.380 --> 00:38:18.019 an eviction notice as of now. Depression, I'm 00:38:18.019 --> 00:38:22.579 serving you in eviction notice as of now. Diabetes, 00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:25.320 I'm serving you in eviction notice as of now. 00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:29.739 Because God has been too good to me. And his 00:38:29.739 --> 00:38:33.199 plan is too great for me to be handicapped and 00:38:33.199 --> 00:38:37.039 sidelined by this issue in my heart, in my marriage, 00:38:37.139 --> 00:38:47.309 in my life. So in the name of Jesus, I... Rise 00:38:47.309 --> 00:38:49.949 up with faith in this house. Somebody needs to 00:38:49.949 --> 00:38:54.329 rise up with courage and boldness in this place 00:38:54.329 --> 00:38:57.530 right now. Lord, I feel the Holy Ghost. I feel 00:38:57.530 --> 00:39:08.949 his fire right now. Oh, hallelujah, hallelujah. 00:39:09.690 --> 00:39:12.610 If you live by yourself, you say, Pastor, I'm 00:39:12.610 --> 00:40:43.139 a single man or a woman living alone. sickness, 00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:46.920 sick and tired of the doubt, oh, sick and tired 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:49.960 of the disabilities, sick and tired of what the 00:40:49.960 --> 00:40:52.760 doctor told you, sick and tired of what the economy 00:40:52.760 --> 00:40:56.860 told you, sick and tired of the anxiety you feel, 00:40:56.900 --> 00:41:00.840 the anxiousness in your gut, oh, the questions 00:41:00.840 --> 00:41:03.940 and the doubts and the uncertainty, and you're 00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:07.619 ready to take back your life today and say, God, 00:41:07.719 --> 00:41:11.500 I want you to use me, but first I want you to