I thank you for this moment to come and to bring
your word to your people. We are asking your
Holy Spirit to be with us in this moment, leading,
guide us through your truth. Father God, this
moment is new to us, but it's a moment you've
already been in. And so we're asking for all
that you desire to take place in this moment,
that we yield ourselves to your word, to your
truth. And we just expect to hear something from
you in this moment that just changes the trajectory
of our future. reminds us that we are loved by
you, we are forgiven by you, and we're just thankful,
God, that we can hear these precious promises
and receive them as ours because of the sacrifice
of your son. And so we say thank you, God, for
sending your word, leaving your word, and just
giving us the ability to hear what's on your
heart and mind concerning us. In your precious
name, I pray the name above all names, y 'all
say it with me, Jesus. Amen, amen. We'll love
on the person next to you, tell them you're glad
to see them. And I am incredibly excited to be
here with you guys today. Father's Day, believe
it or not, is one of my favorite times of the
year to come and to preach. I love preaching
on Father's Day. And I can tell you why it's
because we get to do two things, right? We get
to honor fathers as well as prayerfully by the
end of this message, create more space in our
life to honor fathers. You know, it's something
that we know we should do, but it ain't always
the easiest thing to do. And so I love just creating
space for what it means to be a father, why we
have fathers, why you should seek to want to
be a father or a father figure to somebody. And
then likewise, how we can treat our fathers just
a little bit. Look at me and say, could we treat
daddies just a tad bit better? And some people
like, you know, some people look at me, I don't
like my daddy. Well, find one you like. I don't
know what to tell you. Find one you like and
treat him a little better. But the title of my
message today, and this really hit my heart,
right, is Everywhere But Here. Everywhere. But
here and truthfully, this message stretches beyond
fatherhood. It speaks to really people who know
who they are and know who God has called them
to be. And you'll find yourself oftentimes and
sometimes in a moment to where you feel as though
you're accepted everywhere but here. And here
during this message represents the place you
wanna be accepted. Normally it's a home, it could
be a relationship, it could be a church, it can
be. where you work, but it's like I can feel
as though I'm accepted everywhere but here. And
if you're not careful, if you're not mindful,
you'll want to be everywhere but there at the
end of the day. And what we don't want is we
don't want fathers to find themselves wanting
to be everywhere but here. Here may be their
home, here may be a relationship, but we want
them to be honored. We want all leaders to be
honored, truthfully, where they are called to
be. So if y 'all would turn me to Luke, right?
Luke 4, and we'll start at verse, I was finna
skip down from 14 to 16, and I realized as I'm
thinking about it, I could already read 14 and
15. So we'll start at verse 14. And it says,
and Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit,
to Galilee and a report about him went out through
all of the surrounding country and he taught
in their synagogues being glorified by all and
he came to Nazareth where he had been brought
up and as was his custom he went to the synagogue
on the Sabbath day and he stood up to read and
The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to
him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place
where it was written, the spirit of the Lord
is upon me. because he has anointed me to proclaim
the good news to the poor. He has sent me to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery
of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those
who are oppressed to proclaim the year of the
Lord's favor. And I always stop right there because
at this point, everything Jesus says is good,
right? everything he's saying is something that
you would truly believe people would want to
hear. But as you come to find out in life sometimes,
you can be the wrong person saying the right
thing. A lot of times we find ourselves being
the wrong person saying the right thing. So Jesus
is saying the right thing. He's saying the right
thing. and he rolled up his scroll and gave it
back to the attendant and sat down and the eyes
of all the synagogue were fixed on him. And he
began to say them, today, this scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing. All and all spoke
well of him and marveled at the gracious words
that were coming from his mouth. And they said
to him, is this not Joseph's son? Right there
becomes a big turning point in this passage because
up to this point, they had really not placed
any context or any confines, I would say, around
what Jesus is saying. You know, to this point,
he is speaking, he's declaring what the word
of God says. It even says all their eyes were
fixed on him. Other translations say that they
were amazed at the things he was saying, but
then they recognize he was Joseph's boy. Everything
kind of turns right there. And all spoke well
of him and marveled at the gracious words that
were coming from his mouth. And they said, is
this not Joseph's son? And he said to them, doubtless
you will quote to me this proverb, physician,
heal yourself. What have we heard you did, what
we heard you did in Capernaum, do here in your
own hometown as well. And he said, truly I say
to you, no profit. is acceptable in his hometown.
And right there, I'm gonna pause because I've
heard this passage preached many times. And my
prayer today is that we come to it with a little
different lens. Look at your neighbor and say,
hey neighbor. There's two ways you can approach.
What Jesus just said said let's together approach
it a new way What are you saying pastor Brian
there's this term called narcissists right and
it's a term that is combining a Narcissist and
a person who always looks at the text just to
find themselves And so they take everything they
hear and they make it for their own validation
And so when they read this one, a Narcissus,
which if you like, I don't want to be one of
those, you don't want to be. What a Narcissus
does, look at them and say neighbor, hopefully
this ain't you. A Narcissus reads this and says,
I know what it feels like to be Jesus. I know
what it feels like to be rejected. I know what
it feels like to be overlooked. I know what it
feels like when people do not see my value. I
am that prophet. that is not being accepted in
their own hometown. The problem with that is,
is many people are closer to the people of Nazareth
than they are to Jesus at this point in the text.
And truthfully, if you see yourself as Jesus
in this text, you'll walk away and most people
just conforming and forming more pride from reading
this than cultivating compassion. which is the
true design of this text. The design of the text
isn't for someone to walk away and say, nah,
I get it. I see why don't nobody get me where
I'm from. I see why my kids talk to me this way,
and this is why my mom... I'm gonna have to mess
with the M's just a little bit. I know this is
Father's Day. This is why my mama don't listen
to me. My wife don't listen to me. My kids don't
listen to me My staff my employees don't nobody
listen to me because a prophet is not Accepted
this is Jesus talking not me the problem with
doing that is and many people have done this
is You're using the scripture to validate your
own issue instead of using the scripture to enlighten
you to why we have an issue with people giving
honor to people where they belong. So y 'all
supposed to raise y 'all hand with me. We supposed
to all recognize that pastor, you right. You
right, cause we all from somewhere. And it's
not a thing we want to continue to see happen.
That I believe that we have been called out of
a world that does this but we don't conform to
a world that perpetuates it that we are part
of a group of believers that I believe can be
one of the y 'all with me Community to where
you can feel honored at home Anybody want to
feel honored where they belong That you don't
want to feel rejected overlooked or devalued
in the place you've been called To be that you
truly want to be your most fruitful in around
the people that means the most to you Am I by
myself with that? I think so boy, but y 'all
y 'all giving hands real hard right now Because
here's the truth we have all had moments where
we have failed to honor what God has placed right
in front of us. We have all, myself included,
failed to honor what God has placed right in
front of you. Boy, some of y 'all look at me
like you trying to tell me I'm gonna have to
love my husband when I leave here. But I wanna
draw your attention back to Luke 4 and 14. It
says, in Jesus' return and the power of the Spirit
to Galilee, Jesus comes back to Nazareth full
of the Spirit, clearing his identity and confident
in his assignment. I wanna point this out because
a lot of times we believe that discovery doesn't
always lead to acceptance. That Jesus didn't
come back to his hometown wondering who he was.
He came back full of power full of truth declaring
who he was he knew exactly Who he was and a lot
of times we think our belief are entering to
places Just simply because we know who we are.
We think people should accept us because we've
discovered that but truthfully one of the one
of the most Controversial five words anyone can
speak anywhere is I know who I am When you start
saying I know who I am, a lot of people who don't
know who they are become intimidated. A lot of
times people who are wondering what their purpose
is become intimidated. Unfortunately, some people
become jealous of you being centered in your
identity. Some people become literally, they
become controversial to the fact that you are
walking in the confidence that you know who you
are. And I'm saying this because a lot of fathers
a lot of leaders, a lot of mentors, a lot of
people have felt this first form of rejection.
And I want you to know, it's not a strange thing
that discovery doesn't always lead to acceptance.
We think because we know who we are, people should
accept who we are. But unfortunately, identity
is an intimidation factor in most people's lives.
When you walk into a space and say, I know who
I am, everybody who doesn't know who they are,
look in... Eyes of envy and jealous thinking
you think you somebody I don't think I'm somebody
I just know who I am I Didn't declare superiority
I declared identity I Didn't declare myself to
be more more more more confident smarter. I wasn't
trying to boast I was just trying to occupy my
space clearly And clarity amongst the confused
causes problems Confused people love confusion.
You ever been in a room? We do this every Monday,
and it's hilarious to me, at the CC on Monday
nights. We start off by doing this roll call.
We have been doing this for years now. And we
start off and we ask everybody, why are you here?
What are your gifts? And it never ceases to amaze
me that people who have been coming here for
a year get nervous when it's their turn. And
it's like, we've done this so many times. And
you go around the room, any of y 'all ever been
that person in the room? And it was just, the
teacher was saying, everybody say your name.
And you see the, it's going around the room.
You are next. But then for some reason, when
it's your turn, something happens in your stomach,
and it's something you just nerves move over
you like, why am I getting nervous about saying
my name? Why am I getting nervous about declaring
who I am and just saying why I believe I'm here?
Because we've all learned that discovery doesn't
always lead to acceptance. And some people, they
perpetuate a false sense of humility just because
they don't want to be intimidated. They don't
want to be welcoming to people, right? But look
at your neighbor. Say, hey, neighbor. I got a
secret. I know who I am. And truth is, right,
honor says. I see more than your imperfections,
I recognize your assignment. That was their challenge.
When they recognized it was Joseph's boy, you
have to remember now they can recall a life lived
before he declared himself as the Messiah, that
they saw him grow up. They saw the things Jesus
did. They saw who he hung out with. They saw
him. And that alone caused a conflict in them
receiving him. And oftentimes we allow our greatest
asset to become our greatest liability. What
do you mean by that, Pastor Brian? We allow our
proximity to become a problem. And because we
are close to people, we see the nuances of their
development. And when you see the nuances of
someone's development, it becomes very difficult
to acknowledge or honor the outcome of that development.
Y 'all rocking with me. This is seen in a lot
of experiences of people, you know, have any
of y 'all ever been on a weight loss journey
recently? Have any of y 'all accomplished that
weight loss journey? That was personal I shouldn't
have said that I Seen the hairs that was raised
and I was thinking I can't use that person. They
still on their way Anybody accomplish their weight
loss journey, no, no, okay, so So something that
happens if you've ever been on a weight loss
journey, right is that you know, there's people
that you see every day And sometimes those people
are right there in your home. And they saw the
times you cheated. They saw the mornings you
hit the snooze before actually going to the gym.
They saw the days you skipped. They saw the meals
you was not supposed to eat that you end up eating.
And so they weren't as quick, let's just say
that, to acknowledge the five pounds you lost.
But then you run into a complete stranger. Ain't
seen you in a minute. First words out their mouth,
boy, you looking good. Did you lose some weight?
And immediately you realize, wait a minute. I
did lose some weight. You know, it ain't the
cut of the jacket. It's the few meals I skipped.
But what has happened, right? You didn't get
that same acknowledgement at home. Why not, Pastor
Brian? Because we allowed our proximity to become
a problem. In us, we knew that if we validated
progress, that means we almost might have to
acknowledge and look over some imperfections
in their journey. That if I acknowledge that
you're progressing, I might have to be okay that
you missed a few days. that sometimes it's just
difficult for us to overlook the imperfections
and so we hold back the appreciation. Because
we feel like our appreciation will lead to more
misbehavior. But y 'all know what ends up happening?
You end up being celebrated everywhere but. And
if you continue being celebrated everywhere but,
you'll desire being everywhere but, some of y
'all already catching it. I'm saying here, some
of y 'all saying home, you got the message. And
so we have to learn that honor doesn't say, it
sees more than imperfections. It sees the assignment.
They couldn't see him as Savior. They couldn't
see him as Messiah. They refused to see him as
Messiah. They refused to see him as Savior. Y
'all rocking with me. And I love this, right?
Because here's the truth. Truth is people can
be amazed by what you carry and still dishonor
who you are. Verse 22 says, and they spoke well
of him in Marvel. the gracious words that were
coming from his mouth and they said is this not
Joseph's son at this moment they are amazed at
what he is saying But yet not willing to honor
who he is if this isn't a place that many people
have felt in there here Like man that was right
what you said y 'all have one of them long talks
Everything went good in the talk you leave the
talk and nothing was applied from the talk That
people were amazed by the things you said but
didn't have enough honor for who you were to
apply it Because people can be amazed by your
words, but if they like honor for your assignment,
they will never apply what you're saying Why
are you saying this pastor Brian because here's
the truth what we have is an honor problem We
have an honor problem And we have an honor problem
because we are, we're so fast to acknowledge
that something good was said while withholding
doing the good that was said. But when you withhold
the doing, it leaves that person feeling, yeah,
everywhere, but here. And I'll go anywhere. that
I know that who I am is being accepted. Can I
say something to you that might be shocking?
I'm gonna have y 'all say it to y 'all neighbors
so y 'all ain't looking at me. Say hey neighbor.
You try a lot of things. You read from the internet.
It might be okay. To try something you hear from
someone you do know It's so amazing we'd be so
easy to scrub like man that sounds good and we
will change our whole week Based upon a quote
that resonated But spend that same week saying
while we cannot honor What someone so critical
to our lives has said to us. I ain't gonna say,
boy, I keep going. Cause here, you wanna hear
this truth, right? Truth is honor is recognizing
God's design despite human limitations. Honor.
beyond the human limitations and says, who is
this person? Where has God placed them in my
life? What assignment do they occupy? What role
have they been given? I'm honoring the position.
I'm honoring the assignment. I'm honoring what
it represents. The truth is I have to get over.
who it is. I'm gonna say it to this side. So
we honor the role. We honor the assignment. We
honor the position. We just have to get over
who it is. And they couldn't get over that it
was Joseph's boy. They couldn't get over it.
They couldn't see past. that this was Mary and
Joseph's boy. But the Bible even encouraged us
to no longer know each other after the flesh.
That truthfully, we should carry a perspective
that is heavenly concerning each one of our brothers
and sisters. that we should really look at each
other through the lens of this person is being
transformed by Christ. This person is in a process
which God is Lord over their life and he's Lording
over their life. Y 'all rocking with me. Because
here's the point of today that I just wanna make
clear. that we can't ignore from this text. He
says, but in truth, verse 25, I tell you, there
were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah.
When the heavens were shut up there three years
and six months and a great famine came over all
the land and Elijah was sent to none of them.
but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon to
a woman who was a widow and there were many lepers
in Israel in the time of prophet Elijah and None
of them was cleansed, but only name of Syrian
when they heard these things All in the synagogue
were filled with wrath Why were they all of a
sudden going from being amazed at what he was
saying to becoming filled with wrath? Because
Jesus began to make it plain that dishonor blocks
the blessing. That dishonor blocks the blessing.
That you may not like who it is, but you still
have to honor What is on their life? That dishonor
blocks the blessing. That dishonor blocks the
flow of what God can do. That dishonor puts a
cap on the possibilities of how God can function
in an environment. That it's very difficult for
the Holy Spirit to flow where honor isn't present.
Boy, I was I was honestly thinking I was gonna
be a lot more excited at this point. Oh Well
Because a lot of times we complain about here
Not realizing we're blocking how here can function.
Well That we're complaining about what isn't
happening while not realizing we're playing a
part in why it can't happen. That a lot of times
we are quick to blame the outcome, not realizing
we are a part of what was inputted. That we're
looking for there to be this blessing to flow
where honor has been blocked. And Jesus was making
it very clear. You block the honor, you block
the flow. You bring the dishonor, there can be
no activation of what the Holy Spirit wants to
do. The Holy Spirit will never impose himself
upon a people. This is Jesus, y 'all, standing
before him, the land who was slain. He can heal
all the infirmities, all the diseases. He can
open up blind eyes. He can cause the sick to
be healed, cripple people to walk. This is Jesus,
full of power and truth, standing before the
people who know him best, saying, I cannot function
here. Y 'all know what Jesus did he went everywhere
Packed up his stuff So I got something for y
'all You know what they say we got something
for you And they rose up And drove him out of
the town Brought him to the brow of the hill
on which their town was built so that they could
throw himself down the cliff But passing through
their midst he went What do you say pastor Brian?
I'm saying that they got filled with so much
wrath at the Reality of what they had caused
they were about to kill Jesus These are his people
Came here today to stop a murder too. I feel
like Don't kill them don't kill them don't hurt
them don't choke them you might need them Say
some daddy lies today Some y 'all had them right
there on that cliff y 'all had y 'alls right
right here You ain't doing no good for us and
many y 'all done spoke to each other the same
way They was going off at each other that day
right that that's Joseph boys I'm gonna show
you what Joseph boy can do I'm Joseph boy know
some stuff Let me bring back some things to your
remembrance that Elijah y 'all had a problem
with him y 'all had a problem with all of us
It's never been about who we had to honor, but
Satan knowing what honoring could release. Because
get this, if you're just wondering, even for
those people that think they're Jesus in this
text, Jesus was sinless. So they had no reason
to hate on Jesus. You ain't sinless, so we got
a lot of reasons. You may have done some things
and said some things to why you were receiving
what you receiving. But what am I saying? What
I'm trying to get you to see that their offense
couldn't be in what he had done to them. Their
offense is in the position he took up amongst
them. And our flesh hates when someone takes
up a place of authority. Our flesh hates when
someone raises their hand and says, I'm the leader
today. What we love when it's our hand raised
and we're the leader. But it's another thing
when someone else raises their hand and says,
I have the vision. I know the way. I've been
anointed for this. I was called for this. God
brought me here for this. I believe he's shown
me the way. That's when we start to get the bubbles
again. Y 'all all right, we finna go home anyway.
I'm about to run up out of here. But here's the
truth. And I don't say this lightly. Honoring
a human is hard. Our humanity blocks us from
seeing our holiness. That we were made righteous,
not one of us earned our righteousness. That
if you just look at me on a day -to -day basis,
you will see a lot of things that need help.
You will see a lot of things that need improvement.
My ask today is let's not let our proximity become
our problem. Let's just allow the word to be
true and understand that there are certain things
that people have been called to lead There are
certain things that God wants to do in your life
that actually flow through someone other than
you That there might be a who you have to honor
that you don't like That may do things that you
disapprove of but you don't honor the person
you honor the position and you honor the position
because God says that's done and God says listen
I get the humanity I get that it's hard we get
that it's difficult to see somebody on a daily
basis and still honor who God says they are but
understand we have to do that for each other
you're not that easy to love either And if you
want there to be an honoring for you when it's
your turn to lead, there must be a seed sown
that you're an honorable person. And so even
if this is just your seed sowing season, don't
worry, baby. There will be a harvest. There will
be a harvest. And one day you'll have to raise
your hand and say, you know, God gave me the
vision for this one. But prayerfully, we've been
submitting one to another. So this doesn't become
a point of conflict. It becomes how the community
that we don't see leadership as a place of just
supreme. No, we all have the same Holy Spirit,
but the same Holy Spirit don't be sharing everything
with everybody. Someone has the vision. Someone
has the strategy. Someone has the heart. Someone
has the passion. Someone has the wherewithal.
Someone knows how we need to adjust. Everybody
just get in your place and let's honor who God
has called us to be. Maybe you like your daddy,
maybe you don't. Maybe you're just gonna be an
example to someone else of what you do, even
when you have no reason to. Maybe you're just
a stepping stone so the next generation knows
how to do it right. Maybe you didn't get the
honor of loving someone who's lovable. But we
don't love because we've been loved. We love
because we've first been loved. But maybe things
aren't going right. Because honor isn't flowing.
I gotta thank you for today. I just thank you
for the opportunity to come and to bring your
truth. I pray that people, your people go and
are stirred up about honoring again and as they
walk out that truth, that they experience all
the fruit and the blessings. that come with doing
what is pleasing to you. I pray that you give
them the strength to look past people's missteps.
And I pray that you give them the strength to
look past their shortcomings. And I pray that
you give them eyes to see what you are doing.
And I pray against any turmoil or strife that
is existing in people's homes. existing in people's
places that God has called them to lead. I pray
that you bring healing to those places and healing
to those people. I pray that you mend all the
broken parts and pieces so they can walk together
in harmony and walk together in unity and align
themselves to how you do. what you do. I know
it won't be easy, but I pray that they remember
that the race isn't given to the swift. It isn't
given to the strong. It's given to the one who's
endures till the end. I pray for a fresh spirit
of endurance to be in your people, to run this
race, run their race, run your race. That's your
husband. That's your father. That's your mentor.
That's your pastor. That's your prophet. Run
your race. And I pray that honor returns and
the fruits of it abound much more. Amen. Well,
I love you guys. I thank God for you guys. Listen,
we'll receive today's offering. Here at Reveal
the Truth Ministries, we believe in cheerful
givers. What does that mean, Pastor Brian? We
believe that as a man, purpose in his heart,
so let him give, that this moment isn't a moment
where you should be prompted or prodded, but
it should be a moment to where you're asking
God, God, what is it that you have to give? And
in response to what he speaks, you sow. But know
this, that God is an loving God. He's an awesome
God. He can't be manipulated. He can't be forced
into doing anything, but he's a loving father.
And so give cheerfully, give in excitement. And
I do say thank you for you giving. Thank you
for being faithful in your giving. It gives us
the opportunity to go and preach the word. And
we're just thankful for all of the things we
get to do as a result. Amen. Amen. Well. Y 'all
get anything out of the word today? I tell you
what, the daddies, the fathers, the mentors are
singing for second service. Hey, even if you
just stick around to hear these men saying, you
know, it will be sight to be seen. Like a good
sight, a good sight, not a show. It's a good
sight. But I love you guys. I thank God for you
guys. You can stay until you're feeding. And
I do. A lot of times these messages are difficult
because I know that there are people who have
lost their father. I've lost my father, but the
truth still remains. And I find men whom I can
honor, men who I can look up to. And I pray that
if you are still just battling the grief of losing
your father that I can promise you, Jesus can
heal your heart. He's healed mine, and I can
boldly speak and declare that, I'll never forget,
I was told, I was like, his physical body left
his earth, but his assignment to you never did.
You may have to have a few conversations to find
out where it remains. And it may be in more than
one person, but God didn't leave you unattended.
He hasn't left any of us unattended. Amen. But
now unto him who is able to present you faultless
before the presence of his glory with exceeding
joy to the only wise God, our savior, be glory
and majesty, dominion and power both now and
forever. Amen.