WEBVTT 00:00:00.750 --> 00:00:05.190 In the name of Jesus, in the name of Jesus. I 00:00:05.190 --> 00:00:07.209 wanna move quickly to the word of the Lord today. 00:00:07.889 --> 00:00:10.609 If you'll join me in Romans chapter eight, verse 00:00:10.609 --> 00:00:28.170 28. Romans chapter eight, 28, familiar passage 00:00:28.170 --> 00:00:30.460 of scripture. In fact, if they have it on the 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:32.920 screen, let's just read it together. And we know 00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:36.240 that all things work together for good to them 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:39.840 that love God, to them that are the called according 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:44.640 to his purpose. One more time. And we know that 00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:48.259 all things work together for good to them that 00:00:48.259 --> 00:00:51.280 love God, to them who are the called according 00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:56.020 to his purpose. Tonight, or this afternoon rather, 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:58.820 we're gonna use the same title that Pastor Linder 00:00:58.820 --> 00:01:01.179 used on Wednesday night when it takes some time 00:01:01.179 --> 00:01:05.019 to celebrate kingdom purpose. Kingdom purpose. 00:01:05.480 --> 00:01:07.420 Let's take another moment and surrender to the 00:01:07.420 --> 00:01:10.319 Lord in this place. I believe God's got a word 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:12.920 for somebody in this place. Would you help me 00:01:12.920 --> 00:01:16.060 pray against any kind of distraction or hindrance, 00:01:16.060 --> 00:01:21.219 any barrier, any doubt or fear? Would you help 00:01:21.219 --> 00:01:23.700 me pray today against any kind of distraction, 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:28.140 any weariness that may be here? God, we're setting 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:31.200 all of that aside. We're moving past all of that. 00:01:32.040 --> 00:01:34.560 Out of the realm of our flesh, into the realm 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:38.000 of the supernatural, we surrender to your spirit, 00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:41.500 mighty God. I pray in the name of Jesus that 00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:44.219 we would all receive your word today, that we 00:01:44.219 --> 00:01:47.040 would be changed today, that we would draw closer 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:51.810 to you. In the name of Jesus Christ. In the name 00:01:51.810 --> 00:01:55.189 of Jesus Christ. The Lord bless you. You may 00:01:55.189 --> 00:01:59.530 be seated today. It's been a week and a half 00:01:59.530 --> 00:02:02.409 ago now. I had the privilege to teach ILEAD Senior 00:02:02.409 --> 00:02:05.769 High. This was not this past Wednesday, but the 00:02:05.769 --> 00:02:07.269 previous Wednesday, which would have been February 00:02:07.269 --> 00:02:10.330 the 4th. And just the way it worked out, there 00:02:10.330 --> 00:02:12.849 was a schedule change. I had just a few hours, 00:02:12.889 --> 00:02:15.729 really. to put something together, no curriculum, 00:02:15.990 --> 00:02:18.129 nothing like that. I just wanted to hear from 00:02:18.129 --> 00:02:20.229 God. And I felt God really give me some direction 00:02:20.229 --> 00:02:24.110 for our students. And the amazing part was, of 00:02:24.110 --> 00:02:26.689 course, God did give me direction for our students. 00:02:27.189 --> 00:02:32.150 But it was cool because in the moment, my lesson, 00:02:32.189 --> 00:02:35.530 my message to our students became something very 00:02:35.530 --> 00:02:38.539 different immediately. I had prepared a lesson, 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:40.740 a much needed lesson on obedience. That's what 00:02:40.740 --> 00:02:42.780 I thought God wanted me to speak. And I did speak 00:02:42.780 --> 00:02:45.680 about obedience. But in the middle of that, no 00:02:45.680 --> 00:02:51.419 notes, no notice, no heads up. Immediately, God 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:56.180 led me to speak about purpose. And in the past 00:02:56.180 --> 00:03:00.080 week and a half, boy, I mean, it's been 11 days 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:03.129 since, I guess 12 days total. that just every 00:03:03.129 --> 00:03:06.189 day I cannot get past this concept of purpose. 00:03:06.610 --> 00:03:08.830 And if it's all right, I'm going to work this 00:03:08.830 --> 00:03:10.090 up in a minute. I'm just going to go ahead and 00:03:10.090 --> 00:03:12.729 get right to the point today. I believe that 00:03:12.729 --> 00:03:15.490 somebody in this room needs to hear that what's 00:03:15.490 --> 00:03:17.949 keeping you from who you need to be in the year 00:03:17.949 --> 00:03:22.469 2026 is a sense of purpose. Purpose is absolutely 00:03:22.469 --> 00:03:25.270 everything. I need somebody to grab a hold of 00:03:25.270 --> 00:03:28.500 this today. There are many different concerns 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:30.479 in life. There are things that can discourage 00:03:30.479 --> 00:03:33.139 you or distract you. Maybe there are things that 00:03:33.139 --> 00:03:35.759 are outside of your control. But I came here 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.099 today to let you know if you will latch on to 00:03:39.099 --> 00:03:42.039 this idea of purpose and you will make it your 00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:45.699 goal to get a purpose, a destiny, a calling, 00:03:45.740 --> 00:03:49.120 meaning, significance straight from God, then 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:51.319 that is the difference between where you are 00:03:51.319 --> 00:03:54.259 now and where you know that God is calling you. 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:58.740 It is purpose. We know that all things work together 00:03:58.740 --> 00:04:00.840 for the good of them that love God, yes, but 00:04:00.840 --> 00:04:05.259 also those that are called according to his purpose. 00:04:05.539 --> 00:04:08.680 We all need purpose. We all need fulfillment. 00:04:08.979 --> 00:04:11.340 It's not a tangible thing. It's not something 00:04:11.340 --> 00:04:14.139 you can calculate. It's not something you can 00:04:14.139 --> 00:04:17.100 manipulate or artificially create. Not at all. 00:04:17.139 --> 00:04:19.779 No, no, no. Purpose comes directly from God. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:22.540 And what you so desperately need, whether you 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:25.420 know it or not, please trust me today, you need 00:04:25.420 --> 00:04:30.100 purpose. straight from God. In the book of the 00:04:30.100 --> 00:04:33.029 Bible, we read the sermon on the mount. This 00:04:33.029 --> 00:04:36.230 spans three chapters. It begins Matthew 5 and 00:04:36.230 --> 00:04:39.889 3 all the way to Matthew 7 and 27. So basically 00:04:39.889 --> 00:04:42.629 three full chapters. I counted it up the other 00:04:42.629 --> 00:04:47.350 day. It's 107 verses of Jesus' own words, completely 00:04:47.350 --> 00:04:50.629 uninterrupted. One of my Bibles, in fact, it's 00:04:50.629 --> 00:04:53.689 the Bible I have today. It shows the words of 00:04:53.689 --> 00:04:57.250 Jesus in red letters. And so for these 107 verses, 00:04:57.430 --> 00:05:01.829 there is no black ink. It is 107 verses of complete. 00:05:01.899 --> 00:05:05.040 read letters. It is the Sermon on the Mount. 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.420 You could call this Jesus' longest sermon. I 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:10.579 would take up all of my time today if I tried 00:05:10.579 --> 00:05:13.279 to even scratch the surface of what's included 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:17.240 in this one sermon from Jesus Christ. Chapter 00:05:17.240 --> 00:05:19.879 5, it begins with the Beatitudes, but there is 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:22.879 so much more. In chapter 6, he teaches us how 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:25.060 to pray, our Father which art in heaven. It's 00:05:25.060 --> 00:05:27.160 the Lord's prayer, but there is so much more. 00:05:27.420 --> 00:05:30.740 In chapter 7, I think it's verse 12, that's where 00:05:30.740 --> 00:05:33.639 we... Read the golden roll. That is a great premise 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:36.439 to live by. It is so profound and so deep. Do 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.339 unto others as you would have them do unto you. 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:41.860 But Jesus, this is only one verse in a sea of 00:05:41.860 --> 00:05:45.160 107 verses. That should give you a little bit 00:05:45.160 --> 00:05:48.240 of perspective about how really rich and profound 00:05:48.240 --> 00:05:50.639 this Sermon on the Mount is. That's just one 00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.439 verse of 107. And it's all gold, and we all need 00:05:53.439 --> 00:05:55.699 it. I can't scratch the surface today, but it's 00:05:55.699 --> 00:05:58.120 profound. And you could call it the longest sermon 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:00.569 that Jesus preached. It is some of the... most 00:06:00.569 --> 00:06:04.110 familiar and foundational teaching in the Bible, 00:06:04.170 --> 00:06:07.110 and it's all in the same sermon. And most people 00:06:07.110 --> 00:06:09.649 that do public speaking, and I guess definitely 00:06:09.649 --> 00:06:12.629 preachers, would recognize that the most important 00:06:12.629 --> 00:06:14.649 part of your sermon would really be the conclusion. 00:06:15.029 --> 00:06:17.029 Because that's when you have the opportunity 00:06:17.029 --> 00:06:20.170 to kind of wrap everything up, kind of contextualize 00:06:20.170 --> 00:06:22.470 everything. Hopefully you're able to present 00:06:22.470 --> 00:06:24.769 it in such a way that encourages people to pray 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:27.470 in the altars and to apply it to their life and 00:06:27.470 --> 00:06:30.689 to change their life to be more in line with 00:06:30.689 --> 00:06:33.790 the purpose of Jesus Christ. And so I find it 00:06:33.790 --> 00:06:37.920 very telling how Jesus... chose to conclude this 00:06:37.920 --> 00:06:40.120 longest sermon he ever preached, this profound 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:43.459 message, the Sermon on the Mount. When you skip 00:06:43.459 --> 00:06:45.860 all the way to the end, this is Matthew chapter 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:48.600 seven, verse 24. I'm gonna read this in the New 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:51.439 International Version. It says, therefore, everyone 00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:55.680 who hears these words of mine, the context obviously 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.060 would be he's just preached for hours and hours 00:06:58.060 --> 00:07:00.420 and hours. He's saying, if you have just heard 00:07:00.420 --> 00:07:03.519 the preached word of God, If that's you, everyone 00:07:03.519 --> 00:07:05.839 who's heard it, but there's one more step. If 00:07:05.839 --> 00:07:09.379 you'll put it into practice, if you apply what 00:07:09.379 --> 00:07:11.560 you have heard from the pulpit to your life, 00:07:11.759 --> 00:07:14.980 that's like being a wise man who built his house 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:18.699 on the rock. Verse 25 tells us that the rain 00:07:18.699 --> 00:07:22.240 came down and the streams rose and the winds 00:07:22.240 --> 00:07:25.339 blew and beat against that house, yet it did 00:07:25.339 --> 00:07:30.839 not fall because it had its foundation on the 00:07:30.839 --> 00:07:33.970 rock. That's the people who hear the preached 00:07:33.970 --> 00:07:36.550 word of God, but then apply it to their life. 00:07:36.709 --> 00:07:38.850 Those are the people that hear pastor preach 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:41.149 on Sunday, but on Monday when they're going through 00:07:41.149 --> 00:07:43.569 a situation, they look back and say, I know what 00:07:43.569 --> 00:07:45.569 the word of God says. And it's not something 00:07:45.569 --> 00:07:48.709 I leave on Sunday at 1410 West Clemensville Road, 00:07:48.889 --> 00:07:50.629 but it's something I take to school with me. 00:07:50.730 --> 00:07:53.129 It's something I take back home with me. When 00:07:53.129 --> 00:07:56.550 I'm at work on Thursday, I'm going to rely on 00:07:56.550 --> 00:07:59.629 the word of God to give me direction and guidance 00:07:59.629 --> 00:08:02.759 in my everyday life. would do that, Jesus says, 00:08:02.819 --> 00:08:06.540 you are wise. Your house is built on the rock. 00:08:06.939 --> 00:08:09.779 But then he contrasts that with what he calls 00:08:09.779 --> 00:08:12.579 a foolish man. Let's look at verse 26. Everyone 00:08:12.579 --> 00:08:15.720 who hears these words of mine and does not put 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:18.240 them into practice. Somebody who comes to church, 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:20.399 they hear the preached word of God, and it feels 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:22.439 really good in the moment because it's emotional, 00:08:22.579 --> 00:08:25.199 it's exciting, the music's just right, everybody 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:27.819 else is surrendering to God, but it's an emotional 00:08:27.819 --> 00:08:30.500 decision in the moment. But emotions won't get 00:08:30.500 --> 00:08:32.899 you through because you could very easily hear 00:08:32.899 --> 00:08:35.700 the preached word of God today and then on Tuesday 00:08:35.700 --> 00:08:38.419 around a different crowd in a different location. 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:41.419 Just because you heard it does not mean you're 00:08:41.419 --> 00:08:43.559 going to surrender to it. Just because you heard 00:08:43.559 --> 00:08:45.340 the word of God does not mean that you're going 00:08:45.340 --> 00:08:47.860 to apply it to your life. And Jesus says that 00:08:47.860 --> 00:08:50.200 if that's the case, if you hear the word of God 00:08:50.200 --> 00:08:52.879 but you don't put it into practice, that is just 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.679 like a foolish man who built their house on sand. 00:08:57.370 --> 00:09:00.789 Verse 27 is very telling. The rain came down, 00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:03.129 the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against 00:09:03.129 --> 00:09:07.549 that house, and it fell with a great crash. This 00:09:07.549 --> 00:09:10.929 is a story that is so very simple, a child could 00:09:10.929 --> 00:09:13.690 understand it. But at the same time, it is so 00:09:13.690 --> 00:09:16.870 profound that we can find endless applications 00:09:16.870 --> 00:09:19.970 even years later. We're almost 2 ,000 years later, 00:09:20.029 --> 00:09:23.289 and the application, the principles of this parable 00:09:23.289 --> 00:09:26.669 are just as true now as they ever have been. 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:29.870 Jesus told this crowd, and I believe that he's 00:09:29.870 --> 00:09:33.470 telling us today, that your foundation matters. 00:09:34.490 --> 00:09:37.169 Because there are storms. There's rain. There's 00:09:37.169 --> 00:09:41.029 wind. He says that there are floods in our life. 00:09:41.190 --> 00:09:44.169 But notice, it's the exact same storm. The same 00:09:44.169 --> 00:09:47.230 storm that merely inconvenienced the wise man 00:09:47.230 --> 00:09:50.710 who built on rock was entirely devastating to 00:09:50.710 --> 00:09:54.429 the foolish man who built on sand. In this life, 00:09:54.490 --> 00:09:56.330 we know it's true. There are disappointments 00:09:56.330 --> 00:09:58.850 and there are discouragements and there are distractions. 00:09:59.309 --> 00:10:01.509 Everybody in this room can say, I've been through 00:10:01.509 --> 00:10:03.960 trials and tribulations. Life has a way. have 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:07.039 taken us up and down, and it's beyond our control. 00:10:07.159 --> 00:10:09.360 There are so many parts of life that are beyond 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:11.980 our control, but can I preach to somebody today? 00:10:12.080 --> 00:10:15.000 Can I challenge you today? You absolutely can 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.179 control your foundation. You can't control everything 00:10:18.179 --> 00:10:20.779 that happens to you. You can't control everything 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:24.820 that everybody else says, but you 100 % can control 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:28.700 your foundation, and that's why Jesus tells us 00:10:28.700 --> 00:10:32.399 we must build on the rock. The rock is a sturdy 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:37.500 and strong. and level and firm foundation. But 00:10:37.500 --> 00:10:40.259 I want to point out today that the wise man and 00:10:40.259 --> 00:10:43.200 the foolish man, they are not as different as 00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:45.860 you would think. Obviously, wise and foolish 00:10:45.860 --> 00:10:50.340 are opposites, but their stories are eerily similar. 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:52.700 And it's kind of scary if you think about it. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.519 They basically did everything the same except 00:10:55.519 --> 00:10:58.840 for one element. Both men heard the words of 00:10:58.840 --> 00:11:07.039 Jesus. Both men built something. Both men experienced 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.320 the same storm. It was the same wind. It was 00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:13.639 the same rain. The same flood. Both men, their 00:11:13.639 --> 00:11:15.799 houses looked the exact same on the outside. 00:11:17.100 --> 00:11:19.419 And the storm was the same as well. So there's 00:11:19.419 --> 00:11:21.299 so many similarities. There's only one difference. 00:11:21.539 --> 00:11:24.580 And that difference is the foundation. Jesus 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:27.539 said that the wise man... took his words, took 00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:29.899 the gospel, took the truth, and applied it to 00:11:29.899 --> 00:11:32.840 his life. He put it into practice. The only difference 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.419 is that the foolish man heard the word of God. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.019 but didn't do that final, most important step. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.940 He did not put it into practice. He did not apply 00:11:40.940 --> 00:11:44.700 the word of God to his life and to his actions 00:11:44.700 --> 00:11:47.559 and to his decisions. But this is what we must 00:11:47.559 --> 00:11:50.460 understand. I need you to get this today. The 00:11:50.460 --> 00:11:53.519 foolish man did not wake up one day and just 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.139 declare, I want to rebel against God. That's 00:11:57.139 --> 00:12:00.820 not where the wise man was. Eerily similar. Eerily 00:12:00.820 --> 00:12:05.840 similar. The foolish man was not out there just 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:08.000 completely out of church doing everything he 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:10.019 knew he shouldn't be doing. The wise man sat 00:12:10.019 --> 00:12:11.840 beside the foolish man in church. They were on 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.320 the same pew. They heard the same exact sermon. 00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:17.440 The only difference was who applied it to their 00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:21.220 life. The foolish man did not despise the teachings 00:12:21.220 --> 00:12:24.779 of Jesus. The foolish man heard the word of God 00:12:24.779 --> 00:12:27.620 and likely he agreed with it and I'm sure he 00:12:27.620 --> 00:12:30.299 even admired it. That's not the concern. He sat 00:12:30.299 --> 00:12:32.480 on a pew and he said amen because that's right 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:34.620 and he knew it was right and he knew it would 00:12:34.620 --> 00:12:38.080 make a difference. But James 1 and 22 tells us 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.940 that we have to be doers of the word and not 00:12:40.940 --> 00:12:44.360 just hearers only. And James is more blunt than 00:12:44.360 --> 00:12:47.100 I would be. He says, if you hear the word of 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:49.440 God, but you don't do it. That's not a small 00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.899 thing. You are deceiving yourselves. It is that 00:12:52.899 --> 00:12:54.960 big of a deal that, yes, you need to hear the 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:57.440 word of God, but the most important thing is 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:00.259 that you do the word of God. Yes, you need to 00:13:00.259 --> 00:13:03.340 be in church on Sunday, but the most important 00:13:03.340 --> 00:13:06.019 thing is that on Monday, your life is different 00:13:06.019 --> 00:13:08.620 because of the spirit of God and the word of 00:13:08.620 --> 00:13:11.769 God. And the authority of God that you felt on 00:13:11.769 --> 00:13:14.389 Sunday. That's what makes the difference. We 00:13:14.389 --> 00:13:17.309 cannot be hearers of the word only. But God tells 00:13:17.309 --> 00:13:20.409 us it's so important we have to be doers of. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.460 The word. I want you to know that the foolish 00:13:23.460 --> 00:13:27.720 man did not choose disobedience on purpose. He 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.120 didn't actively choose. Okay, well, that sounds 00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:32.639 good, but I'm going to disobey. That thought 00:13:32.639 --> 00:13:35.639 never crossed his mind. It was not a conscious 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.200 decision. Just subconsciously, he simply chose 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:44.059 convenience. And convenience became his downfall. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:48.320 The storm did not reveal his intentions. I believe 00:13:48.320 --> 00:13:50.740 that the foolish man had great intentions, but 00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:54.600 the storm revealed his priorities. It's very 00:13:54.600 --> 00:13:57.919 likely that the foolish man may have intended 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:02.139 to obey eventually. Perhaps the foolish man decided 00:14:02.139 --> 00:14:05.100 that, well, I will plan to deepen my foundation 00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:09.580 later. Maybe the foolish man just thought, well, 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:11.940 now's not the time, I'm kind of busy, but I know 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:14.500 it's important and I'll get to it. But the problem 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:17.600 here is that the storm does not wait for good 00:14:17.600 --> 00:14:20.940 intentions. And when the pressure came, there 00:14:20.940 --> 00:14:25.820 was nothing beneath the surface at all. And the 00:14:25.820 --> 00:14:29.120 lack of foundation beneath the surface is what... 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.320 dictated that the entire thing collapsed. What 00:14:33.320 --> 00:14:35.899 was beneath the surface determined what remained 00:14:35.899 --> 00:14:39.960 above it. This is my point today. Convenience 00:14:39.960 --> 00:14:44.559 may seem, it may appear to be harmless or innocent, 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:47.340 but I want you to know today that there is a 00:14:47.340 --> 00:14:53.919 hidden danger to convenience. That's where the 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:56.519 foolish man found himself. He did not actively, 00:14:56.659 --> 00:14:59.399 consciously choose to, okay, well, that sounds 00:14:59.399 --> 00:15:02.039 good, whatever. I don't care about that. I will 00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:04.019 disobey the word of God. That was never in his 00:15:04.019 --> 00:15:07.179 thought process. The foolish man heard the word 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:12.840 of God and simply chose convenience. Let's talk 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:15.580 practically for a minute. The foolish man, the 00:15:15.580 --> 00:15:17.360 wise man, foolish man built his house on sand. 00:15:17.460 --> 00:15:20.360 Wise man built his house on the rock. Why would 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:23.629 you build on sand? It's because it's easier. 00:15:24.049 --> 00:15:26.350 If you've ever paid attention to any kind of 00:15:26.350 --> 00:15:29.309 construction, you would know that building on 00:15:29.309 --> 00:15:33.549 rock requires excavation. You have to dig. You 00:15:33.549 --> 00:15:36.470 have to break ground. You have to drill. It requires 00:15:36.470 --> 00:15:40.669 specialized equipment. It costs more. It takes 00:15:40.669 --> 00:15:44.269 longer. It is loud, and it is messy, and it is 00:15:44.269 --> 00:15:48.340 exhausting. Rock fights back. But the beauty 00:15:48.340 --> 00:15:50.539 of that is the resistance that the rock gives 00:15:50.539 --> 00:15:52.860 you when you're trying to dig into it is the 00:15:52.860 --> 00:15:55.779 same resistance that will resist the storm and 00:15:55.779 --> 00:15:59.379 keep you steady. But it's not convenient. The 00:15:59.379 --> 00:16:03.299 rock fights back, but sand just cooperates. It's 00:16:03.299 --> 00:16:06.340 very flexible. Sand is ready -made. There's no 00:16:06.340 --> 00:16:09.159 digging. There's no blasting. There's no delay. 00:16:09.980 --> 00:16:13.720 Convenience always offers speed, but obedience 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:18.049 always demands surrender. And so we read here 00:16:18.049 --> 00:16:21.049 that the foolish man, he was able to build very 00:16:21.049 --> 00:16:25.929 quickly, but the wise man built deeply. And Jesus 00:16:25.929 --> 00:16:29.370 makes it very plain for us. What you build quickly 00:16:29.370 --> 00:16:33.370 can collapse just as quickly. And we all know 00:16:33.370 --> 00:16:35.070 that's true because we've seen it in everyday 00:16:35.070 --> 00:16:39.730 life. Convenience builds something that's impressive 00:16:39.730 --> 00:16:42.389 in the sunshine. When everything is just fine, 00:16:42.409 --> 00:16:45.190 convenience can play the part. You would never 00:16:45.190 --> 00:16:47.549 know the difference. When there's no storm, you 00:16:47.549 --> 00:16:49.769 see two houses. You're not taking pictures of 00:16:49.769 --> 00:16:51.990 the foundation. Who cares? You see two beautiful 00:16:51.990 --> 00:16:54.669 houses, and that's all you see. And convenience 00:16:54.669 --> 00:16:57.389 can totally get you through when it's easy. But 00:16:57.389 --> 00:17:00.690 unfortunately, it is obedience that has to be 00:17:00.690 --> 00:17:03.070 there to build something. that is immovable in 00:17:03.070 --> 00:17:06.109 the storm. Convenience will reveal who you are 00:17:06.109 --> 00:17:09.150 on the inside. Convenience will reveal your foundation 00:17:09.150 --> 00:17:12.250 in the storms of life. Some everyday examples. 00:17:13.230 --> 00:17:15.430 Let's say there's a couple. They rushed into 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:17.829 marriage because it felt right. It was all emotions. 00:17:18.049 --> 00:17:20.930 But they never built spiritual habits together. 00:17:21.289 --> 00:17:24.150 We've all seen examples of this. When conflict 00:17:24.150 --> 00:17:27.849 came, there was no foundation. What about a leader? 00:17:28.440 --> 00:17:31.140 who they have influence among people even in 00:17:31.140 --> 00:17:33.960 church. And they grow a platform quite quickly 00:17:33.960 --> 00:17:36.059 because they have the gift of speaking. They're 00:17:36.059 --> 00:17:39.000 very personable. They have a natural smile. They're 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:41.200 just a people person, if that makes sense. And 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.799 they grow a platform and they grow influence 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:46.559 just so quickly. But behind that, there's no 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:49.500 foundation of cultivating private character. 00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:52.200 And so we've all seen that. That kind of person, 00:17:52.259 --> 00:17:55.099 when scrutiny comes, everything falls apart because 00:17:55.099 --> 00:17:58.420 there's no foundation. They took shortcuts. Their 00:17:58.420 --> 00:18:01.500 influence was built on convenience instead of 00:18:01.500 --> 00:18:04.380 obedience. What about a believer who attends 00:18:04.380 --> 00:18:07.660 church weekly? They never miss a service, but 00:18:07.660 --> 00:18:10.700 they never dig into prayer and they never dig 00:18:10.700 --> 00:18:13.500 into the word of God. Well, then there's no foundation. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:16.279 And so when life, the storms of life come and 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:18.539 they're messing you up, it's very easy for your 00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:20.960 faith to fill thin. If you don't have a foundation, 00:18:21.220 --> 00:18:23.200 it's very easy to give up and say, well, this 00:18:23.200 --> 00:18:26.660 wasn't worth it anyway. That's the problem with 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:28.720 convenience. That's the problem with shortcuts. 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:31.779 That's the problem with not doing the hard work 00:18:31.779 --> 00:18:35.700 of digging a foundation on the rock because on 00:18:35.700 --> 00:18:39.059 the surface, everything can look solid, but storms 00:18:39.059 --> 00:18:43.900 expose foundations. This is something very sobering, 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:47.700 incredibly sobering. It was almost hard for me 00:18:47.700 --> 00:18:50.900 to even type it on my computer. I just, it's 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:56.750 so sobering. 90 % obedience. is still disobedience. 00:18:58.269 --> 00:19:01.750 There's nothing in the Bible that allows for 00:19:01.750 --> 00:19:05.369 delayed obedience. Delayed obedience is disobedience. 00:19:06.410 --> 00:19:10.980 Partial obedience is disobedience. And so when 00:19:10.980 --> 00:19:13.380 we read this parable, we understand that the 00:19:13.380 --> 00:19:17.099 foolish man's sin was not hostility. He was not 00:19:17.099 --> 00:19:19.539 closed off to the word of God. He sat on a pew 00:19:19.539 --> 00:19:22.420 and he heard everything that was preached. The 00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:25.900 foolish man's sin was hesitation. What messed 00:19:25.900 --> 00:19:28.720 up the foolish man was a shortcut, was compromise, 00:19:29.019 --> 00:19:32.119 was this idea, well, it's good enough. That's 00:19:32.119 --> 00:19:34.420 what messed up the foolish man. He wasn't wrong 00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:36.339 from the very beginning. He did everything right. 00:19:36.440 --> 00:19:39.619 But that very final, most important step of applying 00:19:39.619 --> 00:19:43.240 the word of God to his life. The foolish man 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:48.059 did not hate the truth. The foolish man did not 00:19:48.059 --> 00:19:50.680 hate God and the things of God. The foolish man 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:54.960 just prioritized ease and comfort and convenience. 00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:58.559 And it was that convenience that became erosion. 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:03.000 On the other hand. The wise man obeyed and he 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:05.680 was blessed. But this is what I want you to understand. 00:20:05.940 --> 00:20:09.400 The blessing is not the material possession. 00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:13.220 In our world today, we are trained in our culture 00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:15.640 in the United States of America in the year 2026. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.640 We are trained to see material possessions and 00:20:19.640 --> 00:20:23.140 view that as blessings. But that is not the blessing 00:20:23.140 --> 00:20:25.319 that really truly matters at the end of the day. 00:20:25.500 --> 00:20:28.180 When you read this parable, it was not the blessing. 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:30.279 You could say, oh, well, he was blessed because 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:32.180 he had a house. The foolish man had a house. 00:20:33.079 --> 00:20:35.759 The material possession is not what delineated 00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.250 the two. The blessing is the stability. The blessing 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:43.670 is the fulfillment. The blessing is knowing that 00:20:43.670 --> 00:20:46.349 you have a purpose straight from Almighty God. 00:20:46.910 --> 00:20:49.309 It's not what people can see. It's not what will 00:20:49.309 --> 00:20:51.670 go viral on Instagram. It's not what will give 00:20:51.670 --> 00:20:54.410 you influence or make you popular. The blessing 00:20:54.410 --> 00:20:57.670 is the stability and the fulfillment and the 00:20:57.670 --> 00:21:05.029 purpose. And so this is my main point today. 00:21:05.130 --> 00:21:07.630 If you don't get anything else, I say. I need 00:21:07.630 --> 00:21:13.529 you to get this. Convenience is overrated. Convenience 00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:17.470 is overrated. Convenience is not the way from 00:21:17.470 --> 00:21:20.109 you to get where you are now to where God is 00:21:20.109 --> 00:21:23.670 calling you. Convenience is overrated, but purpose 00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:27.150 is everything. If you have a purpose from Almighty 00:21:27.150 --> 00:21:30.630 God. You can get through any kind of mess. It 00:21:30.630 --> 00:21:33.170 doesn't matter the storms of life. It doesn't 00:21:33.170 --> 00:21:35.130 matter all the discouragement and the distraction. 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:38.490 If you know that God has called you for a purpose, 00:21:38.650 --> 00:21:41.289 if you know that you are in the center of God's 00:21:41.289 --> 00:21:43.849 will, that's all you need to know. It doesn't 00:21:43.849 --> 00:21:46.190 matter about the blessings, the material blessings. 00:21:46.430 --> 00:21:48.430 It doesn't matter what other people think. If 00:21:48.430 --> 00:21:51.890 you know deep down in your heart, I have a purpose 00:21:51.890 --> 00:21:55.309 straight from Jesus Christ, that is all you need 00:21:55.309 --> 00:21:58.009 to make it. That's all you need. need to get 00:21:58.009 --> 00:22:00.650 through another day, another year. That's all 00:22:00.650 --> 00:22:02.869 you need to get through the storms of this life. 00:22:03.589 --> 00:22:06.930 Convenience is overrated, but purpose is everything 00:22:06.930 --> 00:22:10.190 and God has a purpose for every single person 00:22:10.190 --> 00:22:12.730 in this place. Do not leave this place today 00:22:12.730 --> 00:22:15.230 without saying, God, I need to hear from you. 00:22:15.369 --> 00:22:18.930 I need a purpose tailor made for me. I need a 00:22:18.930 --> 00:22:21.750 purpose straight from you to my heart and to 00:22:21.750 --> 00:22:25.750 my mind and to my life. Purpose is what you need. 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:30.859 When I say convenience is overrated, I feel like 00:22:30.859 --> 00:22:33.119 I can get you to agree with me because we all 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:36.039 would agree with this statement. The things worth 00:22:36.039 --> 00:22:40.299 having are the things that you work for. I was 00:22:40.299 --> 00:22:42.059 using this example with somebody the other day. 00:22:42.740 --> 00:22:45.420 You appreciated it 100%. Hypothetically speaking, 00:22:45.619 --> 00:22:47.400 your parents were blessed enough to give you 00:22:47.400 --> 00:22:49.579 a car when you turned 16 years old. That may 00:22:49.579 --> 00:22:51.400 not be everybody's case. It wasn't my case. But 00:22:51.400 --> 00:22:54.329 hypothetically speaking. You got a car from your 00:22:54.329 --> 00:22:56.309 parents at 16 years old, and you appreciated 00:22:56.309 --> 00:22:58.789 it, and you took care of it because, wow, my 00:22:58.789 --> 00:23:02.170 parents are great. This is a real blessing. But 00:23:02.170 --> 00:23:04.650 at the end of the day, five years later when 00:23:04.650 --> 00:23:06.450 that car, you had to sell it, and now you're 00:23:06.450 --> 00:23:08.470 21 years old, and you have your own job, and 00:23:08.470 --> 00:23:10.569 you have to buy the car yourself, it just hits 00:23:10.569 --> 00:23:13.589 different. And hypothetically speaking, because 00:23:13.589 --> 00:23:15.809 when you were 16, your parents were, let's say, 00:23:15.829 --> 00:23:19.109 50. And now you're only 21. So in theory, you 00:23:19.109 --> 00:23:21.529 actually had a nicer car when you were 16 because 00:23:21.529 --> 00:23:23.250 your parents have more resources than you do 00:23:23.250 --> 00:23:27.970 at 21. But who cares? I bought it myself. Because 00:23:27.970 --> 00:23:30.009 I remember all the Friday nights where I could 00:23:30.009 --> 00:23:32.069 have gone out and hung out with my friends, but 00:23:32.069 --> 00:23:34.730 instead I picked up extra hours. Instead of spending 00:23:34.730 --> 00:23:37.490 money, I saved money. And now the benefit is 00:23:37.490 --> 00:23:39.829 that I have a car that I worked for and that 00:23:39.829 --> 00:23:43.440 I paid for myself. When you were driving your 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:45.240 parents' car, and again, you appreciate it. I'm 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:47.039 not saying you just took it for granted or you 00:23:47.039 --> 00:23:49.799 trashed the thing. But when you had your parents' 00:23:49.940 --> 00:23:52.420 car, if you noticed, oh my goodness, I should 00:23:52.420 --> 00:23:54.599 have got the oil changed 500 miles ago. Let me 00:23:54.599 --> 00:23:56.480 look at my schedule next week and see if there's 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.799 a convenient time. That's just a fact of life. 00:23:59.220 --> 00:24:02.059 But then when it's your car that you know I worked 00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:04.759 all that overtime and saved all that money for 00:24:04.759 --> 00:24:07.019 this car, you're watching the odometer like a 00:24:07.019 --> 00:24:09.640 hawk. I got to get the oil changed. You never 00:24:09.640 --> 00:24:11.720 got your tires rotated on your parents' car. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.339 I already know. Don't even pretend. You had to 00:24:14.339 --> 00:24:17.079 change, get new tires once in those five years 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:19.480 probably, but you've never rotated them. Let's 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:22.380 not pretend. But when you have your own car and 00:24:22.380 --> 00:24:24.859 you know what went into it, when that odometer 00:24:24.859 --> 00:24:26.700 says, how many ever miles is it supposed to be? 00:24:27.069 --> 00:24:28.710 Somebody doesn't get their tires rotated as often 00:24:28.710 --> 00:24:31.170 as they should. When that odometer turns around 00:24:31.170 --> 00:24:32.910 and you know it's time to get your tires rotated, 00:24:33.130 --> 00:24:35.430 you understand there's a cost to this thing. 00:24:35.630 --> 00:24:37.569 There was a lot of work that went into this. 00:24:37.710 --> 00:24:40.470 So I'm not just going to take it for granted. 00:24:40.589 --> 00:24:42.349 I'm just not going to do the least to get by. 00:24:42.589 --> 00:24:45.990 There's a lot of work and dedication, blood, 00:24:46.109 --> 00:24:48.470 sweat, and tears that went into this. What about 00:24:48.470 --> 00:24:50.990 that degree that you stayed up late nights to 00:24:50.990 --> 00:24:54.569 earn? What about that marriage that it was hard 00:24:54.569 --> 00:24:57.059 and you felt like quitting? worked hard and you 00:24:57.059 --> 00:24:59.660 got back to have a healthy marriage, that's something 00:24:59.660 --> 00:25:01.519 you had to work for. That's something you're 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:03.700 not going to take for granted. What about that 00:25:03.700 --> 00:25:06.099 ministry that you've developed over the years 00:25:06.099 --> 00:25:08.380 and you labored behind the scenes when nobody 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:11.500 else knew what you were doing? That's what means 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:13.400 the most are the things you have to work the 00:25:13.400 --> 00:25:16.200 hardest for. What about that character that you 00:25:16.200 --> 00:25:20.079 developed by saying no to temptation when nobody 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.210 else in the world would have known? You could 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:24.529 have done anything you wanted, but you did the 00:25:24.529 --> 00:25:27.130 right thing and you've developed character. That's 00:25:27.130 --> 00:25:29.210 something you had to work for. And at the end 00:25:29.210 --> 00:25:31.190 of the day, that's what means the most to you. 00:25:32.349 --> 00:25:34.930 Pastor said on Wednesday, when you get into heaven, 00:25:35.049 --> 00:25:36.529 you're never going to look back and be like, 00:25:36.609 --> 00:25:38.869 my goodness, why did I give all that money to 00:25:38.869 --> 00:25:41.069 missions? I could have gone on an extra vacation 00:25:41.069 --> 00:25:43.089 every year. I think that was the example he used. 00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:46.119 But I'll kind of rework that example just a little 00:25:46.119 --> 00:25:49.480 bit. I don't think anybody would say in this 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:52.579 context, let's say they're nearing the end of 00:25:52.579 --> 00:25:54.799 their life and they don't have all the flexibility 00:25:54.799 --> 00:25:56.279 they used to have. They're just hanging out at 00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:58.339 home and they know they're in the final chapters 00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:01.019 of their life. When they reflect on their life, 00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:03.000 they're never going to say, man, I wish it were 00:26:03.000 --> 00:26:05.940 easier. Nobody's ever at the end of their life 00:26:05.940 --> 00:26:09.019 is going to say, man, I wish I didn't work as 00:26:09.019 --> 00:26:11.599 hard to be the best I could be. Nobody is ever 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.400 going to say, man, I wish I had taken more shortcuts 00:26:14.400 --> 00:26:16.920 or made compromises. Nobody ever will because 00:26:16.920 --> 00:26:19.420 we know even in our flesh that the things we 00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:22.019 work the hardest for are the things that mean 00:26:22.019 --> 00:26:24.500 the most to us. Those are the things that define 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:27.359 who we are. Well, if that concept works in the 00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:30.500 physical, can I tell you today that concept doubly 00:26:30.500 --> 00:26:33.319 works in the spiritual. Those things that you 00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:35.339 have to go through, that temptation you have 00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:38.799 to say no to, that discipline that you have to 00:26:38.799 --> 00:26:41.609 develop in terms of prayer. and fasting and giving 00:26:41.609 --> 00:26:43.710 and reading the word and every other spiritual 00:26:43.710 --> 00:26:46.029 discipline, that's what makes you who you are. 00:26:46.130 --> 00:26:48.509 And you'll never look back and say, oh my goodness, 00:26:48.609 --> 00:26:51.650 I wish I chose convenience. I wish I didn't go 00:26:51.650 --> 00:26:54.410 all in. I wish I kind of lived half in the world 00:26:54.410 --> 00:26:56.869 and half out. Because when this is all said and 00:26:56.869 --> 00:26:59.950 done, your purpose, your destiny, your fulfillment 00:26:59.950 --> 00:27:02.329 is going to come from those times that you decided 00:27:02.329 --> 00:27:04.569 it may be hard, but I'm going to do it anyway. 00:27:04.869 --> 00:27:07.670 Nobody else is doing it, but I want to be right 00:27:07.670 --> 00:27:10.609 in the sight of God. Because that's what makes 00:27:10.609 --> 00:27:13.250 you who you are. What you work the hardest for 00:27:13.250 --> 00:27:17.849 is what defines who you are. No one brags about 00:27:17.849 --> 00:27:20.869 what was handed to them effortlessly, but they 00:27:20.869 --> 00:27:24.049 cherish what costs them something. But I want 00:27:24.049 --> 00:27:25.970 to be clear, and I'm moving quickly. I'm way 00:27:25.970 --> 00:27:29.690 behind time. Convenience, ease, and comfort are 00:27:29.690 --> 00:27:32.589 nice. And I am not saying that it's wrong to 00:27:32.589 --> 00:27:34.529 enjoy convenience. Please understand me today. 00:27:35.190 --> 00:27:38.849 What I'm saying is if your motivation is convenience, 00:27:39.049 --> 00:27:41.509 you will miss out on the purpose of God every 00:27:41.509 --> 00:27:45.589 single time. Convenience and purpose do not belong 00:27:45.589 --> 00:27:48.150 in the same sentence, except the sentence I just 00:27:48.150 --> 00:27:51.630 said. But convenience and purpose do not go together. 00:27:51.869 --> 00:27:56.049 They do not belong in the same timeline. Convenience 00:27:56.049 --> 00:27:59.109 and purpose are not related. They are fighting 00:27:59.109 --> 00:28:01.309 against one another, and you have to choose. 00:28:01.329 --> 00:28:03.769 Am I going to choose the convenient path, or 00:28:03.769 --> 00:28:06.910 am I going to choose the purposeful path? Here's 00:28:06.910 --> 00:28:09.869 an example. If convenience, it can be a blessing 00:28:09.869 --> 00:28:13.450 if it saves you time and energy and effort, and 00:28:13.450 --> 00:28:16.569 then you take that extra time and energy and 00:28:16.569 --> 00:28:19.809 effort to invest in things that matter. Then 00:28:19.809 --> 00:28:21.930 I would say convenience has been a blessing. 00:28:22.460 --> 00:28:24.359 But it's still up to you what choice you're going 00:28:24.359 --> 00:28:26.599 to make. Because at the same time, you can say, 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:29.900 okay, well, convenience has saved me a bunch 00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:32.440 of time and a bunch of energy and a bunch of 00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:34.940 effort. And now with all that surplus of time, 00:28:35.039 --> 00:28:37.319 energy, and effort, I'm going to invest it in 00:28:37.319 --> 00:28:39.480 things that don't matter. That could cause a 00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:42.259 lack of focus. That could cause a complacency. 00:28:43.849 --> 00:28:46.950 cause laziness almost. So I'm not saying, don't 00:28:46.950 --> 00:28:48.269 go home and throw your microwave away. You're 00:28:48.269 --> 00:28:50.789 gonna need that later this week when you don't 00:28:50.789 --> 00:28:52.529 have enough time and you gotta heat up leftovers 00:28:52.529 --> 00:28:54.670 from the night before. Convenience is not a bad 00:28:54.670 --> 00:28:57.309 thing, but please do not let convenience be your 00:28:57.309 --> 00:28:59.809 motivation. Please do not go into this year, 00:28:59.890 --> 00:29:03.130 2026, and say, what's the least I could do? What's 00:29:03.130 --> 00:29:05.470 the easiest way to do it? What's the path of 00:29:05.470 --> 00:29:08.029 least resistance? At what point have I done enough 00:29:08.029 --> 00:29:10.690 to just barely get by? If you do that, you will 00:29:10.690 --> 00:29:13.410 miss the purpose that God has for you. for you. 00:29:13.490 --> 00:29:15.710 There's something that's so much more important 00:29:15.710 --> 00:29:20.109 than convenience and comfort and ease. It's purpose. 00:29:20.690 --> 00:29:23.049 I'm trying to preach to somebody today. You have 00:29:23.049 --> 00:29:27.009 to have purpose. You have to have purpose. You 00:29:27.009 --> 00:29:29.470 will never be happy and fulfilled in your life 00:29:29.470 --> 00:29:35.170 if you do not have a kingdom purpose. I told 00:29:35.170 --> 00:29:37.150 somebody this the other day. I'm so far off my 00:29:37.150 --> 00:29:39.309 notes. Please forgive me. I told somebody this 00:29:39.309 --> 00:29:42.390 the other day. And I meant it. And maybe 10 years 00:29:42.390 --> 00:29:43.769 ago, I wouldn't have meant it. And maybe even 00:29:43.769 --> 00:29:46.150 five. Maybe it's because I'm now a father. Imagine 00:29:46.150 --> 00:29:51.029 that. But I told them, and I mean it 100%. And 00:29:51.029 --> 00:29:52.289 it wouldn't have been the case five years ago. 00:29:52.609 --> 00:29:54.650 And I worked hard for my house. And it was a 00:29:54.650 --> 00:29:56.230 miracle. And I don't have time to get all to 00:29:56.230 --> 00:29:59.329 it. But I have a house I'm so grateful for. Really. 00:29:59.869 --> 00:30:02.859 I'm blessed of God. but I know now, even though 00:30:02.859 --> 00:30:05.160 I didn't know it five years ago, if I'm not trying 00:30:05.160 --> 00:30:06.500 to lose my, I'm not saying that would be a good 00:30:06.500 --> 00:30:08.640 thing, but if I lost my house tomorrow, but I 00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:10.799 had my wife and my two daughters, I wouldn't 00:30:10.799 --> 00:30:13.599 care what kind of weird place we're living and 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:15.799 what kind of dingy apartment or anything. I wouldn't 00:30:15.799 --> 00:30:19.259 care one bit because I have purpose. I can go 00:30:19.259 --> 00:30:21.119 to bed at night and lay my head on the pillow 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:24.180 and know that my wife needs me. My daughters 00:30:24.180 --> 00:30:27.039 need me. I don't have to worry about what my 00:30:27.039 --> 00:30:30.619 life amounts to. I have purpose. It's not about 00:30:30.619 --> 00:30:35.519 the material possessions. If I lost every material 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:37.819 blessing tomorrow, but I still have a relationship 00:30:37.819 --> 00:30:40.779 with Jesus Christ, if I still call heaven view 00:30:40.779 --> 00:30:43.700 my home, I'm going to be just fine. I don't want 00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:46.000 to lose my house in this example. I don't want 00:30:46.000 --> 00:30:48.940 to go through struggles. But at the end of the 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:52.079 day, what I need more than anything is not convenience, 00:30:52.240 --> 00:30:55.279 but it's purpose. I so desperately need purpose. 00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:58.019 That is the difference between where you are 00:30:58.019 --> 00:31:00.619 now and where God is calling you. It's purpose. 00:31:00.740 --> 00:31:04.900 You have to have purpose. straight from God. 00:31:05.819 --> 00:31:08.339 Convenience can keep you from purpose. You can 00:31:08.339 --> 00:31:11.039 build a convenient life and still lose eternal 00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:14.039 impact. You can build a comfortable life and 00:31:14.039 --> 00:31:18.400 still miss kingdom purpose. And so the story 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:21.579 of the wise man and the foolish man is not merely 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:25.079 about surviving hardship. It is about building 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:28.420 a life that participates in the kingdom of God. 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:31.920 I want to quickly share a biblical example. If 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:36.220 you want in the Bible a story that really, in 00:31:36.220 --> 00:31:38.519 my opinion, explains purpose more than anything, 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:43.380 you've got to go to the life of Moses. The first 00:31:43.380 --> 00:31:46.059 part of Moses' life was very convenient, but 00:31:46.059 --> 00:31:49.720 it was void of purpose. Moses was raised in Pharaoh's 00:31:49.720 --> 00:31:53.210 palace. He had absolutely everything he ever 00:31:53.210 --> 00:31:55.670 needed. He was born with a silver spoon in his 00:31:55.670 --> 00:31:58.789 mouth. He had education, influence. He had security. 00:31:59.049 --> 00:32:02.769 He had political access. And from a worldly perspective, 00:32:03.009 --> 00:32:05.769 anybody would agree Moses had arrived. It could 00:32:05.769 --> 00:32:08.069 not be better than this. But I want you to know 00:32:08.069 --> 00:32:11.650 that heaven measures differently. In Egypt, Moses 00:32:11.650 --> 00:32:14.490 could have built wealth. He could have built 00:32:14.490 --> 00:32:17.349 power. He could have built influence, but he 00:32:17.349 --> 00:32:20.349 would not have been building kingdom purpose. 00:32:20.730 --> 00:32:23.650 The palace was convenient. It was awfully nice 00:32:23.650 --> 00:32:27.509 to have, but the palace was not. fulfilling and 00:32:27.509 --> 00:32:31.009 he could have lived comfortably. And even when 00:32:31.009 --> 00:32:33.210 he died, it could have been historically significant. 00:32:33.329 --> 00:32:35.329 I don't know, but it would not have mattered 00:32:35.329 --> 00:32:39.150 one thing as far as eternity is concerned. He 00:32:39.150 --> 00:32:41.650 could have had the perfect life here on earth, 00:32:41.809 --> 00:32:43.710 but at the end of his life, there would be no 00:32:43.710 --> 00:32:46.529 impact. There would be no impact on eternity 00:32:46.529 --> 00:32:51.069 if he had chosen convenience over purpose. And 00:32:51.069 --> 00:32:55.210 many people today live in modern palaces. I'm 00:32:55.210 --> 00:32:58.509 talking about high paying jobs, but that schedule 00:32:58.509 --> 00:33:02.230 in this example does not allow time for prayer 00:33:02.230 --> 00:33:04.670 and for reading the word and for faithful church 00:33:04.670 --> 00:33:07.470 attendance. Many people today in their modern 00:33:07.470 --> 00:33:10.529 palace, they get that promotion at work, but 00:33:10.529 --> 00:33:13.329 it's at the cost of a real relationship with 00:33:13.329 --> 00:33:15.849 Jesus Christ. There are people today that have 00:33:15.849 --> 00:33:18.789 all these social approval they could ever want, 00:33:18.970 --> 00:33:22.130 but that getting there has required compromise 00:33:22.130 --> 00:33:24.980 and shortcuts that is completely. robbed them 00:33:24.980 --> 00:33:27.940 of their purpose in Jesus Christ. And so at the 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:30.440 core, the palace is not wicked. Please do not 00:33:30.440 --> 00:33:32.819 misunderstand me. The blessings of God, I would 00:33:32.819 --> 00:33:35.400 take every blessing God has for me. The blessing 00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:38.039 is not the problem, but the temporal blessings 00:33:38.039 --> 00:33:41.339 in this life are insufficient. The temporal blessings 00:33:41.339 --> 00:33:43.960 in this life is not where your purpose comes 00:33:43.960 --> 00:33:47.380 from. And Moses sensed that. There was a, what 00:33:47.380 --> 00:33:50.500 I would say, maybe a holy dissatisfaction within 00:33:50.500 --> 00:33:54.529 him. He could not enjoy luxury. and comfort and 00:33:54.529 --> 00:33:57.970 convenience while having no fulfillment and purpose 00:33:57.970 --> 00:34:01.910 and destiny. Hebrews 11, 24, it says that Moses 00:34:01.910 --> 00:34:05.410 refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. 00:34:05.569 --> 00:34:07.990 He chose rather to suffer affliction with the 00:34:07.990 --> 00:34:10.670 people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of 00:34:10.670 --> 00:34:14.949 sin for a season. He esteemed the reproach of 00:34:14.949 --> 00:34:18.630 Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. 00:34:18.909 --> 00:34:22.690 And I want you to know when Moses chose to identify, 00:34:22.829 --> 00:34:25.369 with the people of God. That's when he had his 00:34:25.369 --> 00:34:28.389 purpose. When he said, forget the riches of Egypt, 00:34:28.570 --> 00:34:31.090 I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my 00:34:31.090 --> 00:34:34.010 God than to dwell in the tents of unrighteousness. 00:34:34.050 --> 00:34:37.289 When he made that decision, he had purpose. He 00:34:37.289 --> 00:34:39.610 made a difference, not just in his own life, 00:34:39.650 --> 00:34:41.949 but in the life of other people. The difference 00:34:41.949 --> 00:34:44.489 between where you are now and where God is calling 00:34:44.489 --> 00:34:48.590 you in the year 2026 is a sense of purpose directly 00:34:48.590 --> 00:34:55.090 from the Lord Jesus Christ. Moses' acquiescence 00:34:55.090 --> 00:34:59.170 of status and comfort and security, that is literally 00:34:59.170 --> 00:35:03.670 what secured his purpose. Let's quickly continue 00:35:03.670 --> 00:35:08.010 his life. After fleeing Egypt, Moses spent 40 00:35:08.010 --> 00:35:10.869 years in Midian. These were 40 years that he 00:35:10.869 --> 00:35:13.329 was tending sheep, 40 years without applause, 00:35:13.550 --> 00:35:16.610 40 years without recognition. And if you evaluate 00:35:16.610 --> 00:35:20.210 his life by convenience, you would say this was 00:35:20.210 --> 00:35:23.070 wasted potential. But I want you to know, if 00:35:23.070 --> 00:35:24.849 you are living your life according to the purpose 00:35:24.849 --> 00:35:28.659 of God, nothing is wasted. Nothing is wasted. 00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:31.340 If 40 years in the backside of the desert was 00:35:31.340 --> 00:35:34.039 not a waste for Moses, then there is nothing 00:35:34.039 --> 00:35:36.699 in your life that will be a waste. If you know 00:35:36.699 --> 00:35:38.619 you're in the will of God and you will trust 00:35:38.619 --> 00:35:41.699 God's timing and God's way, you will get exactly 00:35:41.699 --> 00:35:44.440 where you need to be, exactly when you need to 00:35:44.440 --> 00:35:48.320 get there, because purpose is everything. If 00:35:48.320 --> 00:35:52.059 you evaluate life by kingdom purpose, this wasn't 00:35:52.059 --> 00:35:55.599 a wasted potential. This was divine preparation. 00:35:56.139 --> 00:35:59.079 The desert was inconvenient. It was lonely and 00:35:59.079 --> 00:36:02.280 obscure. It was quiet, but he needed the desert 00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:05.260 because the desert is what shaped him. He learned 00:36:05.260 --> 00:36:08.539 patience. He learned endurance. Moses and the 00:36:08.539 --> 00:36:14.480 desert learned humility. The desert was excavation. 00:36:14.969 --> 00:36:17.309 Because building on the rock requires digging, 00:36:17.409 --> 00:36:20.429 but that's what the desert was for him. You may 00:36:20.429 --> 00:36:22.690 be in a season today that feels inconvenient. 00:36:23.070 --> 00:36:25.510 You may say, man, I'm in a job that is beneath 00:36:25.510 --> 00:36:28.250 my ability. I'm in a certain delay in my life 00:36:28.250 --> 00:36:31.050 that completely seems unfair. You might feel 00:36:31.050 --> 00:36:33.590 that in your life you have a responsibility that 00:36:33.590 --> 00:36:37.030 is just so exhausting. But what if God is digging 00:36:37.030 --> 00:36:40.750 deeper? What if that situation right there is 00:36:40.750 --> 00:36:42.929 you digging in the rock to build a foundation 00:36:42.929 --> 00:36:46.050 that will stand firm and strong in the storms 00:36:46.050 --> 00:36:48.449 of life? What if what you're going through is 00:36:48.449 --> 00:36:51.190 what is defining the purpose that God has for 00:36:51.190 --> 00:36:54.199 you in your life? I'm asking somebody today to 00:36:54.199 --> 00:36:56.679 trust in the Lord, not to do it your own way, 00:36:56.739 --> 00:36:59.139 not to think about convenience and ease and comfort, 00:36:59.239 --> 00:37:01.340 not to think about what everybody else is doing, 00:37:01.420 --> 00:37:04.119 but if you'll allow that perfect work of patience 00:37:04.119 --> 00:37:06.579 in your life, if you'll allow God to move on 00:37:06.579 --> 00:37:08.500 your heart and your mind, if you'll surrender 00:37:08.500 --> 00:37:10.980 to him no matter what the cost, you will have 00:37:10.980 --> 00:37:16.140 purpose. And kingdom purpose is everything. Convenience 00:37:16.140 --> 00:37:20.099 avoids discomfort, but purpose embraces formation. 00:37:20.579 --> 00:37:23.280 And so when God met Moses at the burning bush, 00:37:23.460 --> 00:37:26.639 he did not offer comfort. He offered calling. 00:37:26.780 --> 00:37:30.360 Exodus 3 and 7, he says, I have seen the affliction 00:37:30.360 --> 00:37:34.300 of my people. Verse 10, he says, Moses, I am 00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:38.579 sending you. Kingdom purpose is not self -centered, 00:37:38.699 --> 00:37:43.389 but kingdom purpose makes a lasting. And Moses, 00:37:43.489 --> 00:37:46.489 once again, had to choose. Yet again, he had 00:37:46.489 --> 00:37:49.989 to make the right decision one step at a time. 00:37:50.150 --> 00:37:53.389 We walk by faith and not by sight. Moses, yet 00:37:53.389 --> 00:37:55.710 again, after all of this, had to make yet another 00:37:55.710 --> 00:37:59.829 choice. And Moses argued and he resisted. Moses, 00:37:59.989 --> 00:38:03.309 probably like many of us, felt inadequate. But 00:38:03.309 --> 00:38:06.670 obedience is not about feeling ready. Obedience 00:38:06.670 --> 00:38:10.420 is being surrendered to the purpose of God. And 00:38:10.420 --> 00:38:13.280 when Moses surrendered, that's when his purpose 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:16.630 was activated. Continuing the story of Moses, 00:38:16.929 --> 00:38:19.510 he did what God had called him to do, and he 00:38:19.510 --> 00:38:22.590 led the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was 00:38:22.590 --> 00:38:25.769 not glamorous. It was very exhausting. The people 00:38:25.769 --> 00:38:28.429 of Israel complained, and they doubted, and they 00:38:28.429 --> 00:38:31.710 resisted. And at the Red Sea, all of that pressure 00:38:31.710 --> 00:38:34.449 peaked. This was a very pivotal moment. This 00:38:34.449 --> 00:38:38.010 was probably the lowest point of the journey 00:38:38.010 --> 00:38:39.969 so far, worse than being in the backside of the 00:38:39.969 --> 00:38:42.630 desert. Now he's taken them out of Egypt, and 00:38:42.630 --> 00:38:44.869 they're right at the precipice. their deliverance 00:38:44.869 --> 00:38:47.670 and the very people he is serving they're complaining 00:38:47.670 --> 00:38:51.190 behind them stands the armies of Egypt in front 00:38:51.190 --> 00:38:53.849 of them is water and the people literally wanted 00:38:53.849 --> 00:38:56.389 to go back the people said it's going to be kind 00:38:56.389 --> 00:38:57.929 of embarrassing but it's a lot more convenient 00:38:57.929 --> 00:39:01.190 just to go back right back to change right back 00:39:01.190 --> 00:39:04.590 to bondage right back to slavery But Moses, because 00:39:04.590 --> 00:39:06.949 he had heard from God, because God had developed 00:39:06.949 --> 00:39:09.070 something in him, he said, no, no, no. If I was 00:39:09.070 --> 00:39:10.489 going to choose convenience, I would have done 00:39:10.489 --> 00:39:12.550 that 40 years ago. I'm not choosing convenience. 00:39:12.670 --> 00:39:15.269 I'm choosing purpose. And God has given us a 00:39:15.269 --> 00:39:17.369 promise. And we're going to claim that promise. 00:39:17.570 --> 00:39:20.309 And we're going to stand in faith. And that's 00:39:20.309 --> 00:39:23.769 right here, Exodus 14 and 15. God says, speak 00:39:23.769 --> 00:39:25.829 unto the children of Israel that they go forward. 00:39:25.969 --> 00:39:29.110 Verse 16, lift thou up thy rod and stretch out 00:39:29.110 --> 00:39:31.610 thy hand over the sea. And when he stretched 00:39:31.610 --> 00:39:34.820 out his rod, that is. when the sea parted. The 00:39:34.820 --> 00:39:37.619 sea did not part in the palace, and there's nothing 00:39:37.619 --> 00:39:39.420 that he ever did in the palace that would have 00:39:39.420 --> 00:39:41.699 caused the sea to part. It wasn't because of 00:39:41.699 --> 00:39:45.099 the palace. It parted when he obeyed. It parted 00:39:45.099 --> 00:39:49.139 when he surrendered to his purpose. Purpose does 00:39:49.139 --> 00:39:52.619 not eliminate storms in your life, but purpose 00:39:52.619 --> 00:39:55.320 will produce miracles in the middle of those 00:39:55.320 --> 00:39:58.179 storms. And Moses has the greatest testimony 00:39:58.179 --> 00:40:00.380 you could possibly have, and that's that his 00:40:00.380 --> 00:40:03.800 life was bigger than he was. He made a difference 00:40:03.800 --> 00:40:06.440 for generations. How many people want that kind 00:40:06.440 --> 00:40:08.880 of influence in the kingdom of God? You're not 00:40:08.880 --> 00:40:11.539 going to make a difference in the life of somebody 00:40:11.539 --> 00:40:14.199 on your street. You're not going to make a difference 00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:16.760 in the life of your coworker if you're choosing 00:40:16.760 --> 00:40:18.619 convenience, if you're choosing the path of least 00:40:18.619 --> 00:40:21.579 resistance. God is calling somebody today. Purpose 00:40:21.579 --> 00:40:24.719 is everything. It's not just going to change 00:40:24.719 --> 00:40:27.019 your life. It's going to change the life of people 00:40:27.019 --> 00:40:29.320 around you. It's going to change the life of 00:40:29.320 --> 00:40:31.320 your family, those kids that you're praying for, 00:40:31.440 --> 00:40:34.239 that backslidden loved one, that person that's 00:40:34.239 --> 00:40:36.760 on your heart, you have a burden for them. That's 00:40:36.760 --> 00:40:40.860 purpose. Purpose is what gets that done. It's 00:40:40.860 --> 00:40:42.699 not self -centered thinking. It's not convenience. 00:40:42.820 --> 00:40:45.659 God is calling us today. Purpose is everything. 00:40:47.239 --> 00:40:49.400 Convenience is overrated, but kingdom purpose 00:40:49.400 --> 00:40:52.500 is everything. I ask you to stand in this place 00:40:52.500 --> 00:40:56.340 tonight. I'll come quickly to a close. I want 00:40:56.340 --> 00:40:59.719 you to know today that kingdom purpose is objective. 00:41:00.260 --> 00:41:03.440 That does not mean that we each don't have different 00:41:03.440 --> 00:41:05.219 details in our life. We don't have different 00:41:05.219 --> 00:41:07.260 variables we're working with. Of course we do. 00:41:07.420 --> 00:41:09.360 But I want you to know that at the end of the 00:41:09.360 --> 00:41:12.949 day, while God has like... a different exact 00:41:12.949 --> 00:41:16.889 design for you, the overarching purpose of your 00:41:16.889 --> 00:41:20.070 life is actually the same for all of us. I heard 00:41:20.070 --> 00:41:22.449 a preacher say before, just like truth is objective, 00:41:22.650 --> 00:41:25.610 not subjective, truth is objective, and so is 00:41:25.610 --> 00:41:29.389 purpose. It's the purpose of God. Let's read 00:41:29.389 --> 00:41:33.960 down here to 2 Timothy 1. Verse 9, who hath saved 00:41:33.960 --> 00:41:36.780 us and called us with a holy calling, not according 00:41:36.780 --> 00:41:39.699 to our works, but according to his own purpose 00:41:39.699 --> 00:41:42.519 and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus 00:41:42.519 --> 00:41:46.969 before the world began. Before you earned anything, 00:41:47.150 --> 00:41:50.630 before you built anything, before you succeeded 00:41:50.630 --> 00:41:52.869 or maybe you failed, whatever it was, before 00:41:52.869 --> 00:41:55.989 you were even a person, God had a purpose for 00:41:55.989 --> 00:41:59.789 you. Purpose existed with you in mind. You were 00:41:59.789 --> 00:42:04.469 not saved because you were impressive. This verse 00:42:04.469 --> 00:42:06.690 says that it's not according to our works. You 00:42:06.690 --> 00:42:09.599 were not called because it was convenient. In 00:42:09.599 --> 00:42:11.860 fact, calling and convenience, they don't belong 00:42:11.860 --> 00:42:14.199 together. Purpose and convenience, they're working 00:42:14.199 --> 00:42:16.659 against each other all the time. You were called 00:42:16.659 --> 00:42:20.440 according to his purpose. Ephesians 1 and 11, 00:42:20.679 --> 00:42:23.280 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance 00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:26.300 being predestinated according to the purpose 00:42:26.300 --> 00:42:31.179 of him who worketh all things after the counsel 00:42:31.179 --> 00:42:36.619 of his own will. I want you to know God's not 00:42:36.619 --> 00:42:39.800 winging it. God's not improvising with your life. 00:42:39.900 --> 00:42:42.300 You are not a guinea pig in some grand experiment 00:42:42.300 --> 00:42:46.199 that God is running. That's not at all what's 00:42:46.199 --> 00:42:49.860 happening. The seasons of your life that are 00:42:49.860 --> 00:42:51.780 like the palace or maybe they're like the desert. 00:42:52.119 --> 00:42:54.360 Maybe there's a season of your life that is a 00:42:54.360 --> 00:42:59.460 storm. God works all of that for your good. If 00:42:59.460 --> 00:43:01.420 you love him, if you're called according to his 00:43:01.420 --> 00:43:05.119 purpose. God works all of that according to his 00:43:05.119 --> 00:43:09.329 will. You cannot resist purpose. You cannot delay 00:43:09.329 --> 00:43:16.349 purpose. But, or excuse me, you can resist purpose 00:43:16.349 --> 00:43:19.090 and you can delay purpose. That's your choice 00:43:19.090 --> 00:43:21.730 if you'll surrender or not. But you do not have 00:43:21.730 --> 00:43:24.489 the option to redefine purpose. Your purpose 00:43:24.489 --> 00:43:28.349 comes directly from Jesus Christ. And ultimately, 00:43:28.349 --> 00:43:30.730 one more scripture. Pastor Linder closed with 00:43:30.730 --> 00:43:32.530 this scripture as well and I feel to do it again. 00:43:33.030 --> 00:43:39.630 Revelation 4 and 11. The elders, the angels, 00:43:39.750 --> 00:43:43.309 heaven is all rejoicing. They say, thou art worthy, 00:43:43.429 --> 00:43:46.750 O Lord, for thou has created all things, and 00:43:46.750 --> 00:43:51.289 for thy pleasure they are and were created. You 00:43:51.289 --> 00:43:54.369 were created for his pleasure, not primarily 00:43:54.369 --> 00:43:56.409 your own. I'm thankful for the blessings of God, 00:43:56.469 --> 00:43:59.489 but that's not the point. The point is his pleasure. 00:43:59.630 --> 00:44:02.449 The point is that I'm pleasing and acceptable 00:44:02.449 --> 00:44:06.639 in his sight. That means... That your career, 00:44:06.699 --> 00:44:10.699 as great as it is, is not ultimate. Your comfort 00:44:10.699 --> 00:44:13.719 is not ultimate. Your convenience is not ultimate. 00:44:13.780 --> 00:44:18.719 Nothing in this life is ultimate. This is John 00:44:18.719 --> 00:44:23.079 the Revelator telling us about heaven. When we 00:44:23.079 --> 00:44:27.639 are there in heaven and we are... saying ourself 00:44:27.639 --> 00:44:30.380 when we join with the elders and we say, thou 00:44:30.380 --> 00:44:32.320 art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor 00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:34.440 and power. For thou has created all things and 00:44:34.440 --> 00:44:38.059 for thy pleasure are and were created. That's 00:44:38.059 --> 00:44:40.960 in heaven. That's in eternity. And there's nothing 00:44:40.960 --> 00:44:44.539 from this life that gives, that means the same 00:44:44.539 --> 00:44:47.639 thing. There's nothing from this life that's 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:51.039 gonna matter in that moment. Our own pleasure, 00:44:51.179 --> 00:44:54.840 our own way of doing things, it dies when we 00:44:54.840 --> 00:44:58.039 die. Our purpose, and it's the same for everybody 00:44:58.039 --> 00:45:01.099 in this room, is to bring God glory. And not 00:45:01.099 --> 00:45:03.420 only to bring him glory, but to literally bring 00:45:03.420 --> 00:45:07.880 him pleasure. That's your purpose. What can you 00:45:07.880 --> 00:45:10.360 do in your life that literally brings a smile 00:45:10.360 --> 00:45:13.400 to God's face, if you will? So let me ask you 00:45:13.400 --> 00:45:17.699 plainly. Are your daily decisions driven more 00:45:17.699 --> 00:45:21.820 by ease or by obedience? Let's ask ourselves 00:45:21.820 --> 00:45:25.650 these questions today. If a storm hit your life 00:45:25.650 --> 00:45:29.769 tomorrow, would your foundation hold? One more 00:45:29.769 --> 00:45:33.329 question. Are you structuring your schedule around 00:45:33.329 --> 00:45:38.269 convenience or around calling? Because in the 00:45:38.269 --> 00:45:41.010 parable we opened with, the houses looked the 00:45:41.010 --> 00:45:44.630 same, but only one endured. And the difference 00:45:44.630 --> 00:45:47.510 was not appearance. The difference was alignment. 00:45:47.710 --> 00:45:51.809 The difference was foundation. Here's the truth. 00:45:52.349 --> 00:45:55.110 When the storm hits, it's not your resume that 00:45:55.110 --> 00:45:58.130 will hold you up. When the floods rise, it is 00:45:58.130 --> 00:46:00.510 not your comfort that will hold you up. When 00:46:00.510 --> 00:46:03.210 the winds blow, it will not be convenience that 00:46:03.210 --> 00:46:06.429 would keep you standing strong. Only obedience 00:46:06.429 --> 00:46:10.909 will. Only the purpose of God. Convenience is 00:46:10.909 --> 00:46:13.750 temporary, but kingdom purpose was established 00:46:13.750 --> 00:46:17.619 before the world began. It is sustained by the 00:46:17.619 --> 00:46:21.280 will of God and it ends in his glory. That's 00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:23.320 what you have to build on. You have to build 00:46:23.320 --> 00:46:25.780 deep. You have to build to last. You have to 00:46:25.780 --> 00:46:29.380 surrender to kingdom purpose. I wonder if you 00:46:29.380 --> 00:46:31.760 come and join me tonight, this morning rather, 00:46:31.920 --> 00:46:34.599 in the front here and let's surrender to the 00:46:34.599 --> 00:46:36.440 Lord. Would you come and join me for a time of 00:46:36.440 --> 00:46:36.679 prayer?