Sharing the Sublime
by Sam Hodum
September 6, 2026 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
Kind: sermon
Scripture: 1 Kings 19:15-16, Genesis 30:1, Genesis 30:22-24, Genesis 30:2

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/sam-hodum--sharing-the-sublime
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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God has been kind to us, CAC. God's been good to us. >> There is a there's a word that encapsulates all inspiring, astonishing, wonderful, amazing, miraculous, surprising, stunning, marvelous, incredible, staggering, and extraordinary. It's called the sublime. The sublime. The primary emotion of the sublime is all. When God settles into a room, the all inspiring awesomeness of his glory is overwhelming. It's extraordinary. It's astonishing. It's amazing. It's miraculous. It's inspiring. It's marvelous. It surpasses all circumstances. It surpasses all education. It surpasses all IQ. It surpasses all monies. It surpasses all life situations. It surpasses everything. It surpasses doubt. It surpasses understanding. It surpasses our our ability to describe. It is simply a sublime the sublime. Thank you. Thank you singers. Thank you teachers. Thank you tech. Thank you security. Thank you for everyone that's that works in and allowing the the gospel to go forth.

Thank you those that clean. Thank you those that pray and read and study your Bible because I'll just tell you it's really hard to preach to people that do not understand the Bible. Thank you. Thank you for being here today. Thank you. As you're being seated, I want to make note George is sick today from heat exhaustion, but it's not from the car wash. That was from work on Friday, so blame Dylan, not me. The sublime is causing wonder or astonishment. the sublime beauty of the firmament. When looking at vast and majestic landscapes like the Amazon, the feeling is often accompanied by specific psychological and emotional states. Uh it's the classic a classic philosophical or emotional concept describing a sense of grandeur so immense that it borders on overwhelming mixing immense beauty with a touch of reverence or intimidation.

Uh though ordinarily it's it's also connected to the overview effect. Though ordinarily used to describe to describe astronauts looking at the earth from space, psychologists al often use this term for prop profound cognitive shift and deep emotional connection to nature felt when witnessing massive interconnected ecosystems. In psychology, we in experiencing awe typically shrinks our self, our sense of self, a phenomenon called small self, making us feel deeply connected to the larger world around us. You guys, I'm I I love traveling. Okay, I'm going somewhere with this today. I love traveling. One of the and and and one of the things that I chase the most is that feeling of the sublime. Guys, I' I've talked more about it than I've rode it this year, but I have a motorcycle. You rode on it. You sure did. And in that, I'm not chasing sunsets.

I'm chasing the moments or the views or the things that take my breath away. I was I was traveling one time through I I got in trouble the other week, my sister Bonita because she's from West Virginia, but I was traveling through West Virginia one time on some random trail that had was even even a trail. I don't even know like from I I don't even know how I got there. I couldn't get back there if my life depended on it. I was I was just for hours. I don't know how long if id have wrecked and broke my leg, I'd be dead right now. Like I don't even know where no one knew where I was at. And I I was out there and and if you guys have this picture, the first picture I sent you, this this was in West Virginia.

I emerged out of the middle of nowhere and I came upon this most gorgeous, beautiful valley that absolutely is not captured in that photo. It does absolutely nothing for you to see this. But I tell you what, when I came ac I came out of like the deep dark woods of the jungle of West Virginia and I came out, I was like, "Oh my lord, where am I? The sublime. I I'm I'm tell I think of that valley way more way more than I should. Beautiful captures. I mean, it just that's what I chase when I travel. I mean, Presley, you just you just did an Alaskan cruise, dude. Oh my lord. I heard about some of those selfies you took, so I didn't put those up there. Don't worry.

I I I noticed here's something though, is is then I I love traveling and then Lauren and I got married and she loves traveling. I'm not really sure why she loves traveling, but what I what I noticed is is when I try and share that with with you, you don't experience it the same way. So, what I what I noticed is, you know what, I try to take her to those same places to recreate those same feelings and share those. And she's like, why are we in the backwoods of West Virginia? But in in this video, now this video's got audio to it. And this in video, the first video I sent you guys, her and I had an awesome experience. We were able to travel to Copenhagen. That's not that's more than just a dip can. Okay. >> Sorry. That was from the country.

So everybody, you guys have that video ready? Turn it on. No, you got to have audio with it. >> >> That guy's just playing that music sitting there. There's hundreds of people around. Thousands of people around. It's so quiet. Probably about All right. Thank you guys for sharing showing that video. That music wasn't played over by Instagram. That was real. I know. I was like, I think of that often. And the beauty of it is I got to share that. It was even better than going to West Virginia, believe it or not. You know, just just that over you look at it. The be it was it was June, mid mid to late June. It was supposedly hot, but like it was like 80 degrees. Here it was 108. So it was like I mean it was wonderful.

And then it just that that feeling that emotion that comes with it, the sublime of that that's that's that overwhelming feeling even though there's for hundreds of years that's an old harbor. Hundreds maybe even thousands of years people have been there going through that. But in that moment, I'm just connected to a piece of time and it's mine that I get to share. And then you guys are going to like this video better. This next video. All right. It's also got audio. All right. You ready? If you guys will play this, y'all listen. Can you see it? Awesome. Wow. Whoa. That is AG on his first airplane ride. He goes as we were taking off right there. Now, that video doesn't mean a whole lot. You can't see a whole lot, but there's a whole lot in that video.

The sublime, something that simple, that that moment that that thou that pilot hopefully had done hundreds if not thousands of times. But for little man, whoa, the first time his feet had left the left the earth, um what I've noticed is that I experienced my own instances. I experienced that, but then there was a desire within me to share those. It also changed from grandeur to simplicity. I I couldn't help but think of Elijah encountering the sublime in the cave. In first Kings, God comes to him and there's all the the grandeur of all these things and all the all the big happenings and and the earthquakes and the wind and all that. And God comes to him in the still small voice in the quiet and and he tells him some things.

He says, he says, "And the Lord said unto him, first Kings chapter 19, verse 15, the Lord said unto him, go return on thy way to the wilderness of Damas Damascus, when thou comest anoint Haziel to be king over Syria, and Jahu the son of Nishma shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Sheaphat of Abelum shalt thou anoint to be the prophet in thy room or in thystead? couldn't help but notice if you keep reading the only of those things that he accomplished was to anoint Elisha. That was it. And then Elisha had to complete that work. But in that Elijah's experience with the sublime with the the overwhelming encapsulating experience all inspiring move of God was to share it. This is the month of revival. God has visited CAC more than we even care.

We could not contain it. And and we could not guys, it's really hard to put what we've experienced into a bag and carry it. But God didn't give it to us to keep it. Very simply put, sharing the sublime is what God is calling us into. He is calling us as a church body. There's there's a there's there's a philosophy around shallow end and deep end of a pool. There's a lot of people that are okay with the shallow things of God. God is pulling us and allowing us to experience some of the deepest moves of God that I've ever seen in my entire life. He's allowing us to feel his glory almost palpable on a regular instance. That is, he is doing that for a purpose. He is pulling us out of where we are into a deeper realm with him.

And the reason that he is doing that he is making room in the shallow end where some of us are very comfortable operating in we're very comfortable living and we're we're we're okay experiencing by ourselves but God's saying you've got to make room. You've got to move out of where you're at to where I'm calling you to. There's a verse in Psalms that says deep cries out to deep. The deep crying out to deep is not just hello. It is God pulling us into the deep with him. It is God calling us out of what we're comfortable with, out of just just selfabsorption >> into a deeper walk and realm with him. It calls and cost us more than we can pay and more than we can bear. But God is requiring it of us.

He does not allow us to experience his pre his presence without requiring more of us to get more into his presence. God as a church body is transitioning us church. I know some of you feel this and you know that he is we have transitioned buildings. We have transitioned locations. We are comfortable with that. But this one is wildly different than what than where we have been. He is pulling us individually and collectively into a deeper place with him. >> Amen. >> What I have found though is in that deeper place with him, I am no longer comfortable just being there. It requires more of me. It requires me. Hang on. Hey, deep end, shallow end. Anybody ever just jumped off in the deep end and tried to tread water? >> Wear you out pretty quick. He can't bounce off the bottom nearly as quick.

It requires more of me. >> God is pulling us, some of us kicking and screaming, into a deeper place with him. When we get there, that means the shallow end is now empty. >> And he is preparing a whole bunch of people, a whole bunch of souls to start filling THE SHALLOW END. WHEN THAT OCCURS, we are now no longer just RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEEP END. We have to sh we have to share the sublime with those in the shallow end. >> God and IT IS NOT BIRTHED OUT OF US BECAUSE OF OUR COMFORT. IT'S hard for us to do. >> IT'S VERY HARD FOR US TO DO. GENESIS chapter 30 verse one. IT IT THIS THIS WHOLE chapter reads like a like a soap opera. >> If you're a fan of soap operas, I don't even know if that's still a thing, y'all.

I didn't even know it was a thing. All right. It doesn't, but I have at least heard of it. If you're a fan of this or reality TV, there that's that's soap operas now, right? Re sorry this whole chapter, you read this. This is like sisters fighting. All right. And those that have sisters, just keep reading. Verse one says, "When Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister and said unto Jacob, give me children, or else I die." When God calls us into the deep, when deep cries out to deep, our soul must yearn for children. >> Our soul must cry out, "Give me children or less I die." Can I tell you, apostolic are incredibly good at making sure that Jesus is present.

I I heard I heard a guy I may I may hear Listen, I if y'all see this video, fine. He was like doing some church leadership stuff. That's fine. I don't know who this guy from Adam. All right. And I may not agree with anything else he he says, but he said something. Pentecostals are always good at making sure that God is present. He said evangelicals are good at making sure people are present. And I was like, "Oh, oh, well, all its importance is God's there. Why did he create us? He's been in existence longer than the earth. He created mankind to be worshiped. So we must pair the earning and the deep and uncctioning move of things of God with a deep and a guttural earning urgency and earning and yearning for the things of people to be present with the things of God.

When when Rachel looked at Jacob's and said, "Give me children lest I die." She wasn't just being dramatic. It was coming from the deepest recesses of her soul. It was coming from years of of whatever strife that was happening in her and her and she realized if I am going to to share this sublime this life I may have love but love isn't enough. It didn't come from just the love of Jacob. It didn't fulfill her. It came from the sublime. It came from her trying to share that with someone. Hey, some of you ladies probably know this and know how to relate to this at a much deeper level than I have because I know that you have prayed for some of your children that they would be born. And it did not come from a place of ease.

It did not even come from a place of love. It did not come from a place of just it came from a deep guttural groanings and earnings and and and what it groanings that that could not be uttered. A desire lease I die. Can I tell you we as a church, God is calling us from the shallow to the deep. And in that, he is calling us to cry for children, souls to be born in the IN THE ALTAR OF ALMIGHTY GOD, LEST WE DIE. THIS IS THE PLACE THAT GOD WILL SHINE UPON US. HE WILL POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT UPON US. BUT CAN I TELL YOU, WE MUST HAVE CHILDREN LEST WE DIE. WE MUST WE MUST GO INTO THE HIGHWAYS AND TO THE BYWAYS INTO THE HEDGES LEST we die. THIS IS NOT FOR us to consume.

THIS IS NOT FOR US TO STAY PUT ON. THIS IS THE This is the labor and delivery room RIGHT HERE THAT GOD IS CALLING US TO PULL, TO PUSH, TO GROAN, TO UTTER, TO BUR SOME SOULS IN HIM. OH, SOMEBODY HEAR ME. SOMEBODY GRAB A HOLD OF WHAT I'M SAYING TODAY. THERE HAS GOT TO BE A DEEP GOAL, INSTINCTUAL CRY FOR CHILDREN IN THE CHURCH. THERE'S GOT TO BE LOST THAT WILL BE SAVED. THERE'S GOT THERE ARE PEOPLE DYING AND GOING TO HELL. THERE'S SOULS EVERY DAY DRIVING BY THIS PLACE THAT NEED TO KNOW THE POWER OF JESUS. AS GOD IS CALLING US, AS HE IS PULLING US, IT PULLS US OUT OF A PLACE OF COMFORT OF WHAT WE ARE AND what we're doing. And it calls us into the deeper part with him.

says, "And God remembered Rachel, and he hearkened unto her, and he opened her womb, and she conceived and bare a son, and said, God hath taken away my reproach, she called his name Joseph, and the Lord shall add to me another son." It was not in the one verse in the moment she identified it, but it was some time that she had to get her heart and her mind and her house in order for her to it cost her, her pride to have a child. >> The very next verse in Genesis 30:2, you find she gave her handmaidaden to her husband so that she could at least have a child. Well, it's not my own duty to be CLOSE ENOUGH. >> IT COST her to have a child AND THEN LATER IT COST HER HER OWN LIFE TO HAVE A SECOND CHILD.

CAN I TELL YOU THE DESIRE TO share the sublime CANNOT BE BIRTHED OUT OF JUST A MERE FAT PASSING shallow in love for the things of God. It cannot be birthed OUT OF JUST A JUST A OH, YOU KNOW, I CAME TO CHURCH. I PUT I TOOK A SHOWER AND I HOPEFULLY AND I PUT my clothes on and I AND I AND I SHOWED UP. Don't have to let me catch my breath. Rachel's grief and Rachel's despair. Ra Rachel's desperation >> was not passing. It was deep. It was pouring. It was all consuming. It overshadowed. Don't ask me why I'm not a lady. I'm This is not It's not my territory, guys, okay? But it overshadowed the relationship. It overshadowed everything in her life to the point that it was the only it was that or death.

Can I tell you, we're the bride of Christ. And sometimes we think, well, God's just going to do what God's going to do, and he will. But can I tell you, we can move heaven and earth with our cries and our prayers. You may not know how. I don't know how I'm not up here saying this is this is six ways to seats filled Sunday or whatever. I'm not that's not it. But what I can tell you, I have seen what happens when a church grabs a hold of >> grabs a hold of the desire, the desperation. when this is not just an altar, but it's a labor and delivery room for each and every soul. I've seen what happens when when we get tired of just experiencing the sublime by ourselves and consuming it of ourselves AND ON OURSELVES.

BUT WE SAY, "I'VE GOT TO SHARE THIS WITH SOMEONE. GOD, DIRECT ME. GOD, HELP ME. GOD, IT'S ON ME. IF THEY'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE IT, IT'S ON ME. I CAN'T DO IT ON MY OWN. I can't There's not enough evangelistical departments in this world to reach INTO OUR LOST AND DYING WORLD. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PROGRAMS AND AND AND PRESCRIPTIONS AND PLANS. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH OF THAT. BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN IT GETS A HOLD OF US, WHEN IT GETS DEEP DOWN IN OUR soul and it wrenches US AND IT TWISTS US AND IT TURNS US AND WE CAN'T SLEEP, WE CAN'T EAT, BUT WE SAY, "I'VE GOT TO HAVE CHILDREN LEST I DIE. >> I'VE GOT TO I'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT I'VE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN TO PULL THEM OUT OF HELL.

I'VE GOT TO KNOW THAT MY WORLD IS LOST AND DYING AND I NEED TO IT'S GOT TO BE A GUTTURAL EXISTENCE. IT'S GOT TO BE A PAIN SO DEEP THAT WE'RE WILLING TO GO THROUGH THE BIRTHING PROCESS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> God I I I'm sorry here. God is not calling us to be a passive church. I'm I'm going to speak to the church here today. God is not calling us to just be a good hop along hop along Cassidy CHURCH HERE. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT A GOOD WORSHIP SERVICE. He is calling us out of us into him. He uh church, I'm telling YOU, GOD'S GOT US where we're at right now for a reason. If you'll LET ME WALK IN THE VEIN OF THE HOLY GHOST TODAY, IT'S ON US. IT'S ON ME. IT'S ON YOU. I'VE GOT TO BIRTH CHILDREN.

I'VE GOT TO BRING IN THE LOST. I'VE GOT TO REACH A LOST AND DYING WORLD. GIVE US CHILDREN LEAST WE DIE. >> This is not for ME TO CONSUME. THIS IS NOT for me to JUST SAY, I YOU KNOW WHAT? MY CIRCUMSTANCES ARE BETTER. NO, THIS IS THIS IS HEAVEN OR HELL. >> Give me children LEST WE DIE. I'VE GOT TO SHARE THE GOODNESS OF GOD WITH SOMEONE. I'VE GOT I I God, what does it take OF ME? PULL ME OUT OF THE SHALLOW END. I KNOW I'M JUST BOUNCING AROUND, >> JESUS. I know this is a heavy sermon today. I understand that I understand the the hand that I'm bringing to us today. I understand where we are as a church today.

And I AM TELLING YOU, GOD IS CALLING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US OUT OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD >> OUT OF OUT OF THE SAME OLD. AND LISTEN, I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO TALK ABOUT SUNDAY church or Wednesday church. HE IS CALLING US OUT OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND SOME COFFEE ON SUNDAY. HE'S CALLING US OUT OF THAT. And he's saying, "Listen, it's going to cost you something, buddy. IT'S GOING TO COST A LITTLE WORK. IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE SWEAT. IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE SACRIFICE." >> BECAUSE IT'S NOT BIRTHED IN CONVENIENCE. IT'S NOT EVEN BIRTHED IN LOVE. >> COME ON. >> In desperation. in desperation. Joseph was born out of desperation. Guess what Joseph was? He was the saving of her whole household.

Of the whole hand of Israel, the whole household of Israel. He was he was he was born Not for the good times but for the bad. He was born not he his his conception was not easy and his life was not easy. But God shaped and formed it out of her desperation. I do not know what God has in store for us, but I do know where we're at and where he's calling us to. He has sifted us and shook us. He has tested us and he has tried us. But it's not for us. It's so that we can find our sea legs out of the shallow and into the deep. Some would look at this and call it the milk and the meat of the word. Would you stand with me?

I've done my best today to not deliver a pretty sermon, to not deliver, but to deliver a deep and utter guttural wretching feeling that I have. guest. I understand that this is not a guest message, but God knew who was going to be here today and he knew when he put this in me that it was going to cost us something. CAC, I don't know what it is. If I had stepby-step instructions, I absolutely would tell you. I do not know. But what I do know is God is calling us to share the sublime. He is calling us to share his awesomeness, his wonder, his grace, his mercy. He's calling us to share what settled in upon us at the end of worship. That's not common. The world does not get to experience the kindness and the peace of God.

The world does not get to experience that. He's calling us to share some blood. I don't know what steps need to be taken, but I do know they can be found in an altar. And can I offer you this? Give us children lest we die. Give us children lest we die. I've seen it happen. I know it can happen. What I am asking of each and every one of you today is that you would allow your soul to well up within you and you would allow a deep, desperate burden to grab a hold of you. God, give us children lest we die. God, would you find a place to pray? Heat. Heat. Lord, use me cuz I'm yours. Send me. Take my hands, take my feet, and use them for your glory. I'm yours. Send me. I hear you.

I hear you say, "Who will I send?" I hear you. I hear you say, "Who will go? For the harvest is plenty, but the laborers few. And souls are hungry, hearts are ready. Let them see you. So send me here. Here I am. Send me. Here I am. Lord, use me cuz I'm yours. Send me. Take my hands. Take my feet and use them for your glory. cuz I'm yours. Send me >> >> God, whatever it costs me, God, whatever I've got to leave behind, God, I've got a whole city, God, of people that need to hear the gospel. I've got I've got neighbors. I've got friends. I've got co-workers that need to know who you are, God. God, whatever I need, God, I ask you, God, to help me, Lord.

God, I pray Lord that you would help me God to to step into the vein of what you have. But God, Lord, as I'm doing that, help me God to know what I need to leave behind, what I need to pick up, where I need to go, the the prayers I need to pray, the conversations I need to have. God, I pray, God, that you would help me just to be your instrument, just to be your vessel, God, just to be just to just to walk where you would have me to walk, God, to say what you would have me to say, God. Lord, help me, God, to lay down myself, God. Lay down in all the things that I would bring to the table, God, but help me, God, to walk after you. Jesus, >> Jesus, >> give us children, Lord.

>> Jesus, >> let them see you. Send me to the broken. Send me to the lost and lonely. Send me to the hurting. >> Jesus. >> Let them see you. Let them see. Jesus. Send me to the glory. Send me to the hurting. God, let them see you. Send me to the broken. Send me to the lost and lonely. Send me to the hurting and let them see you. Send me to the broken. Send me to the lost and lonely. Send me to the hurting, God. Let them heal. Send me to the broken. Send me to the lost and lonely. Send me to the hurting. And let them see you. Let them see you, >> God. Let them see you. >> Only you. And let them see you. Only you. Let them see you. Oh Jesus. Let them see you. Let them see you, Jesus.

God, let them see you, >> Jesus. Lord, here I am. Send me. Here I am. Lord, use me cuz I'm yours. Send me. And take my hands, take my feet and use them for your glory. Cuz I'm yours. >> >> Send me. Oh, send me. Here I am. Send me. Here I am. Lord, use me. Cuz I'm yours. Send me. Take my hands, take my feet, and use them for your glory. Cuz I'm yours, oh Jesus. For you ladies that have prayed for a child, I'm going to ask of you that you would help teach some of us. I have never seen someone more focused, more prepared, more honed in, more attuned than the lady that was praying for a child. Tell me I'm wrong, ladies. You know the day, the minute, what to eat, what not to eat.

It doesn't even matter how dumb it may sound or may look. You've done your research on it. Somewhere along the line, God honors it. You've never been more attuned to prayer, to fasting, to hearing the word of God. Can I ask of you take that and help us birth some songs? Can I ask of you take that and help us birth some souls? Most of us men look about like Jacob. What in the world? What can I do? I don't know. But can I tell you when the bride of Christ yearns for children? When Zion prevails, Jesus God, as we go today, God, I pray that you would interrupt our lives. you would interrupt our cadences. You would interrupt our day today.

And God, I pray, God, that a guttural longing and groanings for the lost and the dying would get a hold of us, God. God, you've been good to us. You have blessed us. You've been so good, and we love you, Lord. But God, we must have children or we will die. God, I pray that as we orient and we we rotate our focus, we focus on producing children, God, that you would guide us and you would direct us. You would call us into the deep with you, God. God, I pray Lord that as a church body, we shift our mindset, we shift our heartbeat, we shift our focus, God. Oh my Lord, my God, my Lord, my God. We would shift our focus, God, out of desperation. Give us children lest we die, God. Jesus, it's in your lovely name we pray.

I don't want to hold you hostage today. I feel like some of us are starting to understand the need and the desperation that should be in our spirits and in our soul. Jesus. I'm going to dismiss us. Herb's going to continue to play. Continue to pray. If you're a guest with us, I want to invite you to pastor's social. Be right over across in the coffee shop in the cafe. Continue to pray. Please, as you exit, please please be mindful of those praying. Please, you're dismissed in Jesus name