version of it someplace there. But a lot of the
reason for that is because what takes place in
Matthew chapter 6 is actually why I have a reason
to praise. It's why I continue to have a reason
to praise. Amen? So I'm gonna start there. Let
me see what kind of time I got to make sure.
See if I don't do a good job of finishing when
I'm supposed to finish, y 'all. I'm gonna do
my best, amen? So I'm gonna read Matthew, Matthew
chapter six. Yes, I'm gonna read the whole of
Matthew chapter six. Don't tap out. You gotta
stay with me. What's in the Word is good. It's
good for us. It's good to us, amen? So here in
Matthew chapter 6 starting at verse 1 says is
beware of practicing your righteousness before
men to be noticed by them Otherwise you have
no reward with your father who is in heaven and
you're gonna see a theme here at the top of Matthew
chapter 6 that Look, we do what we do, but we
don't do it for others In verse two it says this
so when you give to the poor Do not sound a trumpet
before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues
and in the streets So that they may be honored
by men Truly I say to you they have their reward
in full But when you give to the poor do not
let your left hand know what your right hand
is doing That is a crazy way of operation, right?
I'm doing my do I'm doing such a such a job Trying
not to be the pardon putting myself in front
of something. I ain't even letting what's happening
across my body get me in trouble Well, that's
a way of thinking any Verse four says so that
your giving will be in secret and your father
who sees what is done in secret will reward you
Verse five, when you pray, you are not to be
like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and
pray in the synagogues and on the street corners
so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say
to you, they have their reward in full. Verse
six, but you, when you pray. Go into your inner
room, close your door, and pray to your Father
who is in secret. And your Father who sees what
is done in secret will reward you. And when you
pray, do not use meaningless repetition as the
Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will
be heard for their many words. How many of y
'all know people got some words today? Got some
words, boy. So do not be like, verse eight, so
do not be like them uh for your father knows
what you need before you ask instead in verse
nine it tells us pray then in this way in this
way i know some of you all have probably been
doing this prayer forever and you have thought
to yourself this is The prayer but it says only
to pray in this way, but it says it's our father
who is in heaven Hallowed be your name your kingdom
come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
verse 11 give us this day our daily bread and
forgive us our debts as we also For have forgiven
our debtors and do not lead us into temptation
But deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom
and the power and the glory forever a man For
if you forgive others for their transgressions
your heavenly father will also forgive you verse
15 But if you do not forgive others, then your
father will not forgive your transgressions So
we got a practice forgiveness. Amen It's a lot
of good stuff in here. We're gonna we're gonna
chew it up in a moment But I want to lay this
out before we get into that In verse 16 it says
whenever you fast do not put on a gloomy face
as the hypocrites do For they neglect their appearance
so that they will be noticed by men when they
are fasting truly I say to you they have their
reward There's a theme coming along here. Don't
you see it? But when you fast anoint your head
and wash your face So that your fasting will
not be noticed by men But by your father who
is in secret and your father who sees what is
done in secret will reward you. Do not start
up for yourselves, store up, excuse me, for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal, but store
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves
do not break in and steal, for where your treasure
is, there your heart will be also. Verse 22 tells
us this, the eye is the lamp of the body and
so, So then your eye is clear. Your whole body,
if your eye is clear, your whole body will be
full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole
body will be full of darkness. If then the light
that is in your darkness, if then the light that
is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?
No one can serve two masters for either he will
hate the one and love the other or he will devoted
he would be devoted to the one and despise the
other you cannot serve God and Some scriptures
say mammon some scriptures say money mine says
wealth Verse 25 for this reason I say to you
do not be worried about your life as to what
you will eat, or what you will drink, nor your
body as to what you will put on. Is not life
more than food and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air that they do not
sow, nor reap, nor gather in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth
much more than they? And who of you, by being
worried, can add a single hour to his life? How
many of you have done that before? You worried
up so much that you added to your life. If you
figured out how to worry and add to your life,
bottle that and sell it. And why are you worried
about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not twirl nor do they spin.
I know that's a little interesting sometimes
in Florida. We don't have Valors like that, but
you know take a look on the internet It'll give
you what you need yet. I say to you that not
even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself
like one of these Here almost done y 'all we
right there but if God so clothed the grass of
the field which is alive today and Tomorrow is
thrown into the furnace. He will not much more
won't he excuse me? Will he not much more clothe
you, you of little faith? Do not worry then,
saying, what will we eat or what will we drink
or what will we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles
eagerly seek all these things. Your for your
heavenly father knows that you need all these
things. What does he tell us to do in 33? But
seek first the kingdom and his righteousness
and all these things what things everything that
came before we got here will be done what to
you added Unto you so do not worry about tomorrow
for tomorrow will care for itself each day has
enough trouble of its own each day has enough
trouble of its own. Now, I didn't read all of
that just to be reading all of that. I read all
of that with purpose because it foundations where
we're going today, okay? Let me do this real
quick. Everybody in here may not know who I am.
I am Pastor Greg Poe, Gregory Poe if you ask.
I am Pastor Brian's brother or Pastor Deborah's
son. and one of the pastors here at Revealing
Truth Church. So I'm not a random person that
showed up to talk to you today. I've actually
been coming to this building for many, many,
many a year. And I am a part of the pastoral
team here. So don't worry. I ain't a weirdo.
I ain't gonna do nothing crazy. But if you feel
like I've done something weird or crazy, just
come back next week. Pastor Brian will be here.
He'll make it right, amen. So in this truth collection,
we're talking about having a reason to praise.
Oftentimes our life doesn't give us what we want
in relation to that praise that we might be looking
for, you know? But we praise God not just for
the visible victories, right? That's not it.
We... I believe that our praise should align
us with the Father. Align us with the Father.
Align us with his heart. Bring us into a place
where what we see no longer becomes the reflection
of what I need. I don't care what I see. I just
care what he said. So I look at it like this
my praise today isn't born out of an ideal circumstance,
right? It's born out of an audience of one Being
God I praise now Same way. I praise years ago
same way. I praise Forever because of who God
is and what he's already done You know second
service pastor damage is gonna be teaching, right?
And one of the fun things about Pastor Gamage
and I is we've known each other for a good little
minute. And one of the first things that we did
that actually connected us was I would do this
thing. I'd get up, especially if things had become
stressful, a lot was going on. I'd just get in
my car and drive. And I would drive and drive
and drive. I'd never leave the Tampa Bay area.
but I would just drive, put three, 400 miles
on, going absolutely nowhere. Granted, gas was
cheaper back then. Let's be clear. There were
no three digits in the numbers that it was on
my gas. It was under a dollar. So back then again
fill it up and just go for a ride, right? Welcome
to today. Things are very different I don't know
if you could do it like that now, but um, but
I would I would get my car and just go Put on
some worship music and just let God do a work
that needed to be done And I says, uh, I don't
know how he ended up in the car But he ended
up in the car with me windows down top open and
we just riding I later on found out he thought
it was one of the weirdest things in the world
to him because Like, who do this? Who just gets
in a car, driving with people, don't say no words
for just a long, just driving? They ain't said
nothing. Amen? This is my worship. This is what
I do. This is how me and God get realigned. Amen?
But it also is what solidified a bond between
he and I, because it came through a time of worship.
You know, when we... When we look at Matthew
chapter six, there's a big thing that's taking
place here, and it's basically telling us, beware
of practicing your righteousness before other
people, right? You don't do it with the purpose
of being seen. That's not the deal. It has nothing
to do. I mean, I'm glad you might be able to
see me do whatever it is I do, and that's wonderful,
but even with the people that worship here on
these stages, they're not here for your entertainment.
Not at all. not to offend anybody. So if you
get offended, just know it wasn't my intention.
Boom. I put my, what do they call that? Disclaimer
is in the wind. One of the greatest worship leaders
we have ever had the privilege of experiencing
in this church was, is, ain't the was cause it's
still here, is Adrian Moore. That man. That man,
that boy, he will praise God like nobody's business.
As if not a single person was even around. Him
and God had a thing going on. And it's beautiful
to watch. I even see him every night again. I
ain't gonna tell you, you may not know who he
is, so I don't wanna make it awkward. But he'd
be in his spot. And he'd still be going in. And
I'd be like, that's my worship leader right there,
y 'all. But there was something about his praise
that pointed to heaven like nobody's business.
And here's the deal, it could change an atmosphere.
It could change an atmosphere. Now here's the
beauty. I love this part. I'm going a little
off script, but I'm gonna say it anyway. Y 'all
gotta remember, our church, the church, this
church is a place where we come to Be prepared
so that we can go out there and do the work.
Come in here, we get right. Yeah, we come broken,
we come hurt, we come feeling a type of way,
we come with all the stuff. But it's so that
we're prepared to go out there and deal with
whatever's coming in life, amen? So yes, people
do some interesting things in church sometimes.
They're getting it off, they got to. They can't
do none of this wherever they're going. Some
people can't even say God in the places that
they reside. They can't do nothing that points
towards heaven at all. They're getting it all
out right here. So leave them alone while they
praise, amen? But look at this, in the Greek
theater, a hypocrite was an actor wearing a mask.
Jesus exposes the difference between internal
devotion and external performance. That's what
he's talking about when he's talking about a
hypocrite there. Praise happens when we take
off the mask and realize God saw you in secret.
He sustained you in secret. But because he did
it all in secret, he now deserves the praise
in public. See, I love when we're in certain
scenarios and people will say, well, why are
you able to be whatever it is you're able to
be? Because see, as a believer in the world that
we reside in, we should be a representation of
Christ, amen? And in being that representation
of Christ, it should look like something that
they can't do. In other words, when they walked
in and they told everybody in the company, Ain't
gonna be no more raises, ain't gonna be no this,
ain't gonna be no that, and you over there rejoicing.
Matter of fact, the Lord said, go out and buy
a new car. They said, wait a minute, why are
you buying a new car? They told you they're taking
the money away. Man, what are you talking about?
That ain't got nothing to do with what God told
me to do. This was never my source. My father
was always the source. Amen? Because that is
the case, people will look and ask. I mean, why
you ain't bothered like I'm bothered? Why you
ain't worried about the changes in the, what
do you call it, in the stock market? Why you
ain't shifting and moving weird? Oh man, I can
answer this, right? Because maybe you're in a
place where they don't do too good with the God,
right? But if they ask, simple answer, I can
tell you, but do you really wanna know? Because
I'll open the door and let you know just how
good my God has been to me It ain't got nothing
to do with what they're doing over here these
places out Those are great moments to spread
the gospel a man just just in case you were wondering
great moments to spread the gospel You know,
it's interesting life brings us seasons where,
you know, human promises can sometimes fall short,
where platforms shift and where people change
and expectations crumble. You know, the world
that we live in is exactly that. It is always
something that is moving in a way that you probably
did not expect it to move. Always. Every one
of us, I'm sure, has been promised something
and it did not come out like you thought it was
going to come out. Matthew chapter six through
19 through 21, Jesus is warning us against storing
up treasures where moths and rusts destroy, right?
When we anchor our hope in human commitments
and unfulfilled promises, it leads to a broken
faith. Why does it lead to a broken faith? Because
I'm looking at the wrong thing, right? If I'm
looking at you to be the fulfillment of anything
that God promised, I'm already looking in the
wrong. Now, it's interesting because, you know,
to give those who may not be aware a bit of the
back story on Greg Poe, this one, not the one
before me, not the one after me, because that
joke will run around here somewhere. I am my
parents' first child, right? you know as first
children go they did all that they knew to do
the best way they knew how to do it and uh that
came with a lot of ups and a lot of downs but
it was i would say more ups and downs right my
my parents were and are well my mom is just absolutely
amazing right and the thing about that is is
because they are who they are and they they functioned
and have continued to function the way they have
what is a parent is that there were times where
God would use them as the source, right? The
source of that blessing that I might have thought
was coming. But I remember hitting a point in
life where I was like, yeah, yeah, I don't care
what any person has done, I am the source. If
it didn't come through me, it didn't come, period.
That's the way this works, I am the source. And
I remember distinctly saying to my mom, man,
it was so awesome when God did whatever this
thing was at a particular time. She looked at
me and she said, God didn't do that, we did that.
I said, true, you were the conduit, but it was
from him. For all I know, God blessed you with
whatever the whatever was so that it would come
through you. I don't care that it came through
you, I'm just glad God did the blessing. Why
is that important? Because now I take a man,
a woman, a person out of the seat of God and
I put God back where he belongs. Amen? See, I
have to praise God because it wasn't anything
that a man could have done to see the fulfillment
of what I am getting to enjoy today. Right because
if you really want to know the truth about it
man made promise and not all of them could be
fulfilled But everything God promised It's always
right there Let's talk a moment about the danger
of misplaced trust In Matthew 24 tells us what
no one can serve how many masters two masters
nobody can serve Two things at the same time.
This is just what it is, right? The Bible tells
us you would love the one and despise the other,
or you hate the one and love the other, but you
cannot love God and what? Man, more mammon money.
Misplaced trust happens when we expect people
to deliver what God can guarantee, right? Now,
we're talking about what God guarantees, not
what man guarantees. There's an interesting thing
about contentment. You know, I remember being
at a point, a lot of stuff was not going as I
had desired it to go. And at this point, my dad
was like, hey, instead of coming to the church
to do your job, come to my house every day. It's
like, all right, I'm gonna come to the house.
And when I get to the house, what am I gonna
do? You're gonna do whatever it is I give you
to do when you get there. Okay, cool, no problem.
For the first, mom. It was always something to
do. Go do, fix this, change that, move this,
blah, blah, blah. I'm out there. I'm like, man,
this is great. I don't have to go to the office.
I can be here. Now, it was a little weird. He
wanted me to be there no matter what. Come in
like I was coming to the office, 830 to 430,
regardless of what I did. After a month, like
anybody else's house, he started to run out of
stuff to do. So now I'm showing up 830 in the
morning. He may or may not be at the house. Because
to know my father is to know, he ain't changing
nothing he doing just because of anything you
supposed to be doing. So I'm showing up. I mean,
what am I supposed to do? He ain't here. He ain't
answering the phone. I'm just at the house. Now,
he will show up no matter when, sometimes 3,
3, 4 o 'clock. Hey, man, what you been doing
all day? I mean, what have I been doing all day?
You ain't give me nothing to do all... I mean,
I've been kind of just, you know... Swept and
uh, yeah, I miss you been lazy all day. You waste
some you wasting my money. Wait, wait, I Feel
there should be some Responsibility to what I'm
supposed to do a yo house. Hey, man, it's cool
I now you say those words out loud by the way
kept that to myself. Oh Ain't trying to get fired
out here. You feel me You know, so I just yes,
sir. Yes, sir. Yes, sir after another a couple
of weeks of emptiness, I started to get mad then.
Brought me from over there, I had stuff to do
now, I'm sitting at their house, I ain't doing
nothing. I mean, I'm complaining. At some points,
actually audibly loud, I was by myself, wasn't
nobody there. I was hot, I'm livid. God don't
work like this, got me out here this kind of
way. It was all the stuff. And it was in one
of those moments. God says, you know, contentment
is not complacency. You have to land at a place
wherever you are and become content with whatever
is happening because I'm working something through
you. I'm trying to create a person in you that
I need you to be for where I'm taking you and
you worried about why you ain't being praised
and why, because mind you, I'm out here, I'm
working. It's folks over here going man, Greg
don't come to work every day no more man. I sure
wish I could do what he was doing Show what you
I ain't doing nothing. I Want to be doing something
This was this was fun at first. This ain't fun
no more, you know until again know my father
whatever he had going on he had going on like
People thought it was the greatest thing in the
world. I mean, you get to fly with Pastor when
he go to do the whatever. I'm like, man, it was
cool, but it was work. If that plane landed at
4 o 'clock in the morning, you know where he
expected me to be at 5 30 in the morning? At
the gym with him doing whatever he was doing.
It was like that. I'm like, yeah, but then and
then look at this. He gonna go home, take a shower,
do whatever he gonna do. Probably take a nap.
I got to go to the job. and do whatever other
work needed to be done, because that was the
expectation. I'm working five, six, ten times
more than everybody else, but they thought, some
people thought it was just the dream. It was
like, my man, a plane is a plane is a plane.
I had to get from here to there, and boy oh boy,
all this did was just increase the schedule,
right? But it set me in a place. That period
of time set me in a place where I stopped looking
at man as the source You know when we talk about
mammon or wealth It really deals with this this
issue of status, you know, it's a it's really
it really comes to a place of external validation
and if you're looking for external validation
I can promise you it will create anxiety. It
has to. It will. Because people will always do
something that don't fit your way. I promise
you, people will always do something that don't
fit your way. One of the things I learned was
that when human promises fall through, God's
presence still remains. Ultimately, through those
periods of time, my focus shifted from the disappointment
of what didn't happen to the quiet sufficiency
of God. You know, we were getting taught some
really powerful things during those times. And
one of the great things that was being taught
that is just a linchpin to our current understanding
of the faith was grace. And one of the statements
that was made constantly throughout our services
was God's grace is sufficient. It's sufficient,
period. God's grace is sufficient. The value
of that became great when I get a call one day,
this was shortly after Gregory was born. Roshonda
was at home taking care of him, and our then
administrator calls me and says, Greg, I got
this thing in the mail that these people sent
the thing, they're gonna garnish your wages.
They're gonna garnish my wages. I'd never heard
the term, I didn't even know what that meant.
Okay, cool, they're gonna garnish my wages. What
does that mean? Well, they're gonna take a portion
of your check. Okay, how much of my check are
they going to take? Oh, they're gonna take that
much? Hey, that's, wait a minute. I just looked
at it, I said, okay, do whatever you need to
do. I'll figure out how to work this out another
better. So I called Rashaan and I said, hey,
you know, this is what I've been told. The only
word she used was God's grace is sufficient.
It had become the verbiage of our home. God's
grace is sufficient. It was all, like the only
way we talked about anything, God's grace is
sufficient. It became such a vital part of how
we communicated that even though we were facing
a situation that complete insufficiency was imminent.
They was taking a lot. They was taking like 40%.
So, you know, everything was necessary. And I
told you I had a new baby and this little joker
didn't want to drink regular milk. He had had
that little special milk, you know, the kind
that come in the real color that's only one size
at a time, and they was hitting, look, whoo,
Jesus. I remember we were sitting at the doctor,
they says, well, you know, we're gonna have to
give him this milk, and so and so and so. I said,
okay, I'm, whatever, I don't know. Lady said,
hey, anytime you need some, just come by, we'll
give it to you. They give us the samples, we'll
just give them to you. I was like, man, get out
of here, it's just milk. And then I went to that
store, I was like, oh, my God. What time they
close down? Good grief. And then that joker hit
one of them, I'm just gonna drink everything
spurs? I was like, oh no, I think it's time for
this one to get on some real food. Grandma, where
you at? Come on down here and take my mans over
to the other side. But what we learn is truly
God's grace. was sufficient. We actually lacked
for nothing. During that period of time, we lacked
for nothing. Just like them folks offered us
that milk, everything we needed was there. And
to this day, I can't tell you how, but everything
we needed was there. But there was an important
thing that I think needs to be brought out. because
it was a part of this transition as well. In
verse five through 18, Jesus confronts those
who use long prayers, religious fasting, and
public displays to prove how spiritual they are,
right? I believe it's too easy to over -index
spirituality, right? Especially in the church.
And if you don't know what I mean by that, people
tend to Just overdo it You're giving God things
that he's actually given you You know God created
this world and in the creation of the world who
did he give it to man? He's worked through man
to Perfect and make things well in the earth.
That's why we have doctors That's why we have
all these engineers and all these people that
are creating the better world that we get to
live in He's anointed them just like he's anointed
you. And oftentimes, one of the things we try
to do is we go, well, I'm gonna pray my way,
so to say, out of this. Well, you can pray all
you want, but if the thing that needs to happen
is a natural thing, you still gotta do the natural
thing. You know, I live in this body. This body
functions in this world. I can spend 30 hours
up here at this altar, and all the problems are
still out there. The difference comes when I
realize my father has an answer, regardless of
what I see. Yes, I live by the spirit not to
mask the reality of my world, but to understand
there's a greater source than what I'm dealing
with. I know, it ain't, Pastor Brian's done a
great job of helping us understand we have to
live through what we live through. If the bank
account is low, the bank account is low. Now,
the truth is, I don't have to have anything in
that bank for God to be a blessing to me. It
could be absolutely zero and God will still do
the work that he promised to do. I don't have
to miss a meal. Amen. Don't have to come up short
on nothing gas will still be in the tank even
though it costs way more than it did when I started
driving God knows how to handle all those things
But the problem becomes I'm gonna pray pray pray
pray pray pray pray pray pray pray God's given
answers and you're not doing any of the work
And then who do you blame God? You know, that
is part of the problem with, I hate to use that
word that way. That's what I believe brings us
sometimes into these positions of anxiety, right?
We get into these places of anxiety because we're
trying to get God to do something he's already
fulfilled the promise of doing. He already said
you were whole. He already said you were healed.
He already said you had what you needed. He already
promised you all that he's promised you. It's
just you wanted to come the way you wanted to
come. Whole time he's saying none. I got you
But but if you allow me to work this thing the
way I want to work this thing when you get whatever
it is You think it is you supposed to have you
won't lose it? Because you will be built to the
to the person that I've designed you to be capable
of all that is there But see here's the problem
if you're not capable of all that that's that's
that's the equivalent of me giving you a hundred
foot yacht. As good as it sounds, unless I also
gave you the money to operate that yacht, it
is a burden. First of all, the tax man coming
to see you before you get up out of here. You're
like, wait, wait, you gave me this and now all
of a sudden I owe? How did that happen? Because
that's how the laws work, right? So you're sitting
out here trying to enjoy stuff or thinking that
you need stuff to be something, and the whole
time God said, no, I got it. Don't worry about
the stuff. I'll take care of it all. Don't be
anxious, right? This is important. Don't be anxious.
It basically tells us that four times through
the latter part of Matthew chapter six. Jesus
doesn't ask us to deny reality, right? He points
us to who? The birds and the lilies. How many
of y 'all remember the message? Look at the birds.
Look at the birds. Look at the birds. Look at
the birds. Sometimes I get out there and you
go, God, oh, they kinda in the way. They living
their own life. They doing what they wanna do.
Then you gotta remember, look at the birds. This
is where I'm supposed to be, amen? Look at the
birds to show us that the Father who manages
creation manages us. Real faith doesn't ignore
the painful realities of life. Real faith brings
us those realities to an all -knowing Father
in the secret place. Look, I don't care what
I see. I take it to the Father in prayer. I don't
care what I see. I take it to the Father in prayer.
I had a great conversation with somebody the
other day, and we were just talking about the
fact that what we were taught as young people
has had to adapt to the day, right? What worked
at a time don't work today. We've all heard the
saying, our parents could tell us, sit down,
shut up, and do it, because I said so. I mean,
I can say it, but Lord knows that legend. First
of all, we shouldn't be saying words like, shut
up. That's kind of mean. Why is it that you'd
like me to sit down? Is there something that
I'm sitting down to do? Is this like, bro, what's
up? Just sit down. I had an administrator, one
of his administrators one time tell me, she said,
you know, These are horrible qualities for children,
but great qualities for adults. And I watch him
and I think to myself, this is a wonderful trait,
that one day, if I don't kill it, it will keep
him from making some horrible decisions. Because
how many of us have signed something just because
we was tired of signing stuff, and then signed
away something that you didn't intend to sign
away? It's okay, it's cool, we ain't gotta go
too far. So I'm saying these things because I
want us to understand, I personally worship through
it all. I praise and worship through it all.
My reason to praise is not because of what I
see. Man, I started working here at the church
27 years ago. And the interesting thing about
my start here, my dad goes, hey, we ain't gonna
be able to pay you. Like, you know, you should
be paid, but I promise you won't lack for anything.
And I'm like, all right. I mean, I was young.
What, 18, 19? Oh, whatever, man. It's all good.
Obviously, by the time I got married, that mattered.
Oh. But also, you can ask anybody who's been
in administration here. I've never one time asked
for a raise, ever. I just come and do the work.
I come and serve because I believe this is what
God has called me to. And I'm not saying somebody
should never ask for anything. I'm that way because
I believe that if God knew that there was a need,
he also knew how to supply it. I don't look for
my supply to come through this church. I'm grateful
when it does, but I don't look for it. My God
knows how to supply all of my needs. And not
just according to what I desire, but according
to what he says, his riches and his glory. Amen.
And so I don't look over the past 27 years and
go, hey man, you know, economy's changing, you
know, I got extra kids, hey, you know, no. God
knew that today would be today before today was
ever today. And his supply can be greater to
me than anything that anybody could ever. So
I'm not looking for man to fulfill anything God
already promised. So when I serve this church,
I serve it with a heart of praise. I serve it
with a heart of worship. I look out here, I told
Pastor Gamers, I said, one of the things that
I am appreciative of from our time was that these
walls, these doors, this church remained open
all the time for us. anybody from background
that time knows we would be here to God awful
times of the night, long throughout our days.
Why? Because there was nowhere else to be. Not
like you couldn't go somewhere, but there was
nowhere else you wanted to be. There was nowhere
else. I got life here. I got life here. Now,
I got somewhere to be today. You know what I'm
saying? I got kids. I got my wife. I love going
home. But there are people that are coming through
these doors now who were just like we were then.
I ain't got nowhere to be. If I don't get life
here, there will be no life given. And it becomes
so important. That's why I serve. That's why
I give what I give. That's why I behave the way
I behave. That's why I can walk through that
parking lot in the morning and picking up stuff
and come in here and stand on this stage, because
I'm here for all that God is doing here. My reason
to praise is because God has been so good to
me. Period. I'm like, yeah, I had expectations,
right? And they were in man at a early time.
But as God reshaped me, molded me into the person
he needed me to be, it changed in a great way
how I present my own life to the Father. Man
my worship in secret Ain't nothing like what
you may ever see in public because it's between
me and him It's between me and him It is it is
I say I'm Actively working to even present that
side of worship to my own my wife and my kids
Because this is a me and God thing But I have
to I have to make sure I'm teaching my people
too. I'm not out here willy -nilly. Yes, I do
read my Bible. Yes, I do pray. Yes, I just don't
do it in front of you. Because it was, you gotta
understand, my dad told me something years ago.
Greg, your greatest victories will come through
humility. And he didn't tell me that because
it was fun to say. He told me that because pride
was at the door at all times. looking to overtake
me in any chance it could. So man, I've worked
heavily to keep the issue of pride away. So when
I look into a Matthew chapter six and Matthew
chapter six tells me, think on these things and
tells me how to operate, no, I literally feel
that way. My work is to the Father. My work is
to the kingdom. I'm not looking to garner anything
that God hadn't promised. You can ask me to do
anything, man. Over my time here, I remember
the first two weeks I was here, I was under the
stage pulling wires or something. I can't do
it today because I'm too fat, but it is what
it is. The way them Joy star under there. I tried,
I had tried to go through that one more. The
boy ain't what he used to be, but God is still
good. You can still find me in all the corners
doing as much as I can because I was here and
have always been here with a heart to serve.
A heart to serve the assignment of the church.
Heart for you all as people. That's why I believe
God wanted me to read out of What was that Galatians
when we started was a Galatians. It was Galatians
We're not here For our own benefit my dad would
say it this way I got one, but I only need one
chair Everything you see is the direct result
of what God was brought has brought you here
to do What I hate to see is people get off of
what God has brought them here to do because
it's not looking like they thought it was going
to look. Man, I'm gonna tell you guys this, and
I hope it lands where it's supposed to. My dad,
I remember going to my dad, I had heard from
God about something that I believe I was supposed
to do. And I was excited. Everybody in the five
-fold class has heard me tell this story before,
but I'm gonna tell you guys this story. I was
excited because here it is, I believe I'd heard
from God to go run and do something. And so I
walk in, he was in his office. This was, I guess,
unannounced, so maybe I should've got what I
deserved. But anyhow, I knock on the door, hey,
Dad, I got something I wanna talk to you about.
Oh, okay, cool, what you wanna talk about? Man,
I wanna. I want to tell you what God showed me,
what he wants me to do. And I go through this
whole thing. And I'm laying it out there. I'm
excited. You know how we all get when we believe
we heard from the Lord. And so I'm laying it
on him. God is my witness. My father never addressed
what I said. He was like this whole time. He's
sitting at his desk. He looks up and he goes,
hey, aren't we supposed to be going out of town
tomorrow to go do the blah, blah, blah, blah,
blah. I said to myself, man, I know what I just
told you. That thing, you know how you be when
you be by yourself and it be hitting you real
good. And you like, man, I'm on 10, I'm excited,
I'm ready to run. Now I done came and told you
and my man didn't even acknowledge it. He didn't
even hit me with the, oh man, good hearing from
God, nothing, nothing. Where we going? And that
was it. I was like, all right. Well, I guess
we ain't talking about this no more. We leave
the conversation. I can't even remember how many
years later. It was many years later. About three
months before he passed away, he calls me up,
and we're chit -chatting about whatever. And
Rashaunda happened to be there, and I'm like,
man, I'm trying to get him off the phone, because
we was doing whatever we was doing. I'm like,
hey, man, I'm here with Rashaunda. We got a blah,
blah, blah. Man, let me talk to her. He then
picked up the phone, talked to her for. I don't
know, 10, 15 minutes, whatever they had going
on. Then he gets back on the phone and he goes,
hey, that thing you told me about, back so and
so and so, it's time to start that. And I'm like,
huh? Man, I thought you didn't even listen. He
was like, no, God told me not to say anything
because there was nothing to be done. There was
work in you that still needed to be perfected
before you could touch that. So there was nothing
for me to say. But I heard it all and now it's
time to move. I'm saying that because oftentimes
we find ourselves hearing well from God, bringing
it to places and wondering why it seemed like
it didn't land. And it didn't land because it
may not be time. But God has a way through our
praise of settling our heart. understanding that
I continue to put one foot in front of the other,
and what I'm looking for is for his approval
only. I want God to nod at me well. I like to
say it this way these days, everything I'm doing,
I'm doing with the idea that it's for the glory
of the Lord. It's for his glory. Amen? And I
implore you, to live out your days through your
reasons to praise, whatever they may be, for
the glory of the Lord. Find yourself at peace,
not because you're doing a thing. Man, I done
did all the things, all of the things. I wrote
a resume some 10 years ago, and it was like,
you did all that stuff. I was like, sure did.
And I've done so much more since then, but none
of it marks who I am. None of it, don't even
care. More often than not, you wouldn't know
I've done most of the things I've done, because
I'm not gonna tell you. And it's not because
I'm ashamed of them or there's a problem with
them, but I've only been after one thing in my
adult life, and that's to preach the gospel.
All this other stuff was just stuff that was
a supporting cast to preach the gospel Amen and
so I Have a reason to praise I pray you examine
your life and realize you have a reason to praise
and it stretches beyond Beyond well beyond a
Physical like a thing a job title a position
or any of that stuff, and it is always going
to be about the people he's called you to reach,
amen? Amen. Stand up with me if you don't mind.
I always pray that something that was said is
a blessing to you. You know, it's funny, I went
to Bible school and there was a, they taught
you all kind of stuff. And in my messages, I
always have these points where I feel like it's
about to be like that moment. But ever, oh, all
the way back since Bible school, God has always
tempered that moment with me and sobered the
delivery. And I always wonder why. But I've come
to the understanding that it's because of what
he wants you to hear. Gettin' excited is wonderful.
And we do that well at church. But more importantly,
you gotta go live some stuff. You gotta put action
to whatever's being said. So I pray that your
ears... of understanding have been opened and
your heart is well prepared to receive what it
is God wanted you to receive today. I don't ever
pray that prayer half -heartedly that we are
where we're supposed to be, that we're doing
the things we're supposed to do God knew ahead
of time that I would be here and you would be
here and you would be next to this person and
all the things that are taking place God is aware.
And so, Through this time, I pray that there's
something that's been imparted into you and that
it impacts something that God has for you to
do in your life. Amen. In these moments, we always
want to take the opportunity to give anybody
that's not saved a chance to be saved. Man, it's
one thing to know that there is a Jesus. It's
a whole other thing to receive him in your life
and allow him to dictate how you live. Man, when
you stand with your father, in your place of
prayer, in your place of worship, in your place
of praise, knowing that you're in a relationship
with one that loves you well, has all the best
set out and laid out for you, man, it changes.
It changes everything. Salvation is not just
a word we throw around. Salvation is literally
our relationship, the words we choose to use
to talk about our relationship with the Father.
If you haven't received Christ, we always want
to give you an opportunity to do so. If there's
anybody here that's not saved, if you'll raise
your hand, man, we'll wrap our arms around you.
We'll do that in love, as we like to say. Amen.
Is there anybody that's not saved? Anybody? 8
a .m. service ain't exactly the one where a whole
lot of unsaved people come in, but... What'd
I say? 8 a .m. There are 9 a .m. It used to be
a 6 a .m., so hey, do with that what you will.
If you do desire to be saved, if you want a prayer
for anything, if you want to receive the baptism
of the Holy Spirit, if you would go out... When
you leave out of the sanctuary, there is a set
of glass doors on your left -hand side. You go
in there, there are some people that will love
on you, help you understand what it is that is
going on, that pray with you, and make sure you
leave here full. Amen? Amen, amen, amen. Hey!
In the last four minutes, now you know exactly
how much longer we gonna be here. We want to
give everybody an opportunity to give, amen?
We believe in giving here at Reveal in Truth
Church. We believe in giving because it's a response
to how good God has been to us, amen? Like, if
God has been good to you at all, like, no one
here is going to try to get something out of
you. We ask that you only respond to how good
God has been to you If he's been good to you
be good to the church Yes, the money goes to
the church, but the beautiful thing about this
church is man We're gonna do everything under
the Sun to increase the kingdom of God. I absolutely
love our pastors their heart for for the people
of this church and and the people of the kingdom
of God because They're always open to whatever
it is God is saying. So when you sow into this
ministry, know that your seed is going to impact
the lives of many in every area that we're able
to touch. Amen. I can attest them folk ain't
taking your money to do nothing weird. I've watched
them all for many, many, many, many years. More
than that, I told Pastor Brian, I said, man,
you can't be like your daddy, man. You can't
give it all back to the church and be slim on
your end. God knows how to take care of you and
take care of the church. You deserve it. Amen.
I truly believe it. I pray for, I sow into, you
know, my wife and I believe in what God has called
us to do here at this church. Amen. Amen. Well,
take your time, give, do as you will. information
is on the screen for those who digitally do their
work. Tap the thing in front of you if that's
your jam. And we're gonna move into our benediction.
They're gonna put it on the screen. What? Nope,
there's a finger up. I'm supposed to do something
else. So yeah, they're gonna put the thing up.
Are we all locked in? We ready? I love it. I
know what they're doing. It is cool. It's cool.
It's cool. It's cool. Are you guys blessed? Listen.
Next service, Pastor Gamage, who is the executive
pastor of Revealing Truth Church, will be here
ministering to you what God has put in his heart.
I know it's a blessing. I know you will be blessed.
I look forward to what God is going to say through
him. Again, you know, you kind of got the tag
team today. If it don't work out for you, dismiss
this whole day, come back next week. Pastor Brian
will be back. Pastor Deborah will be locked in.
You'll be good to go, amen? Y 'all good? Thank
you, ma 'am. Thank you, ma 'am. Thank you, thank
you, thank you. Well listen I I absolutely appreciate
you all as we all do Hey, it's time to do the
thing y 'all ready time to go now into him that
is able to Keep you from falling and 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. Have a phenomenal week.