Follow to Lead Session 2: Lives Worth Reproducing

if you have the book followed to lead if you have it last week we went over chapters 1 & 2 tonight we're going to go over chapter 3 and 4 that's the basis if you will of of the study and of course next week 5 & 6 7 & 8 and so forth the concept that brother Gleeson is going into here is quite honestly it's very simple alright it's probably something that we all should already have an understanding of but for some reason because we're humans with human DNA we forget things all right and so because of that brother Gleeson and you'll notice tonight even in his video when he goes into the next lesson here it's pretty basic stuff but I think it's a clear reminder of the condition of our world think about this before we go any further what if is anybody here ever studied the book of Acts in the beginning of the church and I know we have from this podium we've talked about it in multiple times in various ways what if at that initial outpouring and the church began to grow and things begin to happen and move for what if that would have just maintained to 2019 what do you think our world would look like what would be different that's a hard question in there but honestly the truth of the matter is as if it would have there's probably a lot of things that we would have we would have just not had to do I mean prisons jails would there be a reason for those big whips maybe I'm joking things would be very different if that apostolic movement would have taken hold and move forward as it was in the first century church suffice it to say that if you run the numbers now I'm not the smartest guy when it comes to numbers I do know where my calculator is on my phone I get to it pretty quick but if you run the numbers by enlarge if we would simply follow this plan that we're going over in these six weeks and each one of us would disciple somebody doesn't matter who it is but make friends with them connect with them become close to them where they can begin to see Jesus in us to them and they begin to follow and perceive the same things that you are if we were to do that it would take just a very short time to actually reach the whole United States because the numbers would begin to multiply the 1 would reach 1 the 2 then would reach to the 2 would reach 4 the 4 to 8 the 8 you understand ten um that's all the fingers I got but uh the thing could happen at a really rapid rapid pace that's why tonight last month as I spoke last week we talked about finding our purpose I believe that all of us want to feel like we've accomplished something in our life we don't want to die at the end of it all and and sit there and say what did I do did I make a difference in anybody or did I leave a legacy or or my finger prints in the spirit and in growth or they found in my kids or my neighbors or whatever happens to be tonight we're going to let's go to the book of Acts I want to begin here Acts chapter number five verse number 42 there's one verse that I want to read here let me give Josh some time to make sure the video works again somebody somebody read that for me please Acts chapter five verse 42 very good they they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ every day as the old timers would say every day brother GA Mangan's word every day every day they would they would continue they would be in the church the temple or they would be in houses and they would be talking about the good things of God that's that's first century church it wasn't a passing thought it was them in emboldened with desire to say this is what we're talking about we're not Dave we're not talking about if I'm a college football we're not talking about who's better at what game we're not talking politics we're not talking educational things we're talking Jesus Christ how many know that there's a whole lot to be said when it's Jesus okay that said daily they were there doing that the temple would have not been a church like we have here this would have been an already established place where people were in the mode to worship and the mode to make sacrifice okay you with me what we find here though is that God in beginning the church poured out his spirit to give people what they needed to make a difference in all the lives of people around them now I don't want to get sidetracked here but how many would have been in Jerusalem that day the day of Pentecost would there have been more than 3000 yeah there would have been thousands upon thousands there but it was the 3,000 that's mentioned in the first portion of Acts that says came and what do we do and this is what you do and they were filled with the Holy Ghost there was power and anointing there was incredible things that began to happen but with that small spark if I may things begin to expand the next thing it wasn't long after that that letters began to be written you can find in 70 or 65 ad or any of the particularly that by the hand of Paul or Peter or one of the one of the smart guys they would say I won't encourage you with this I want to help you with this the church was growing and we only have a short snapshot a really small picture of it all right tonight we're going to continue forward here daily they were in the temple house-to-house teaching preaching Jesus first Corinthians 11 first Corinthians 11 verse number one be he followers of me even as I also am of Christ this letter was written by Paul to the Corinthians and he said you follow what I'm doing because I'm following him in other words I have a relationship with him I had an experience with him I'm doing what he is leading me to do and as I do that I want you to follow me and in doing so say with me you'll not stumble and fall because you'll notice I'm not lifting me up I'm lifting him up and you'll begin to take and begin to follow and pursue after him see part of the problem with humanity is is trust confidence that somebody actually knows what they're talking about truth of the matter if the Lord help me stay on track if we truly believe that God could do anything then we would ask him for everything and we would not settle for anything but what he says agreed agreed because we know he could and so that said we're gonna go in - is it ready Josh is it working lesson - I was at a piece there working alright let's let's watch this and we'll get get into our lesson tonight we're going to be talking about lives worth reproducing and as children of God and disciples of Jesus Christ our lives are worth reproducing Paul said imitate me as I imitate Christ so several years ago I was preaching a camp meeting in the state of Illinois and a total stranger walked up to me after I had preached two or three services and he said have you ever heard of a missionary named Kenny Cantrell well what he didn't know was that 25 years ago I had met Kenny Cantrell he came to our church he'd been raised in an Apostolic Church but he never got saved we built a relationship with him after five Bible studies he asked me if he could be baptized the next Sunday he ran to the altar during the middle of my message lifted his hands you can see the Holy Spirit come on him God feeling what the Holy Ghost right there in front of the entire congregation and so he was a he was a manager of a sporting goods store one of the top stores in the country so I thought hmm manager successful store maybe he's a good leader so I got him on my leadership team he then came on my pastoral staff the only mistake I made was when I took him with me on a mission to Africa and Africa got into him and so today Ken and Jenny Cantrell are doing a fabulous job in making disciples in Burkina Faso West Africa well this guy didn't know this backstory of Kenny Cantrell so I thought you know what I'm gonna play a little dumb and see what he says so I said can't trail yeah it kind of rings a bell why do you ask he said well I've been listening to you preach for three services now and you preached a whole lot like Kenny Cantrell and I wanted to say dude he didn't get awesome all by himself you know and so I would like to think that in my lifetime that I've got my fingerprints on somebody our lives are worth reproducing so who is going to have your fingerprints on their life welcome to our small group video series entitled follow to lead the journey of a disciple maker this is session 2 today we want to talk about how to live our lives intentionally and more specifically a life worth reproducing Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 11 verse 1 in the New King James imitate me as I imitate Christ when you study the New Testament and you read the New Testament through the lens of a disciple maker we realize that this idea of imitation is all through the narrative of the New Testament so our lives are worth reproducing and this is the essence of disciple making me leading my disciple but that's not the end game the end game is is that my disciple will then turn around and begin leading their disciple so I want to ask a question today in your local church what are the expectations that are placed upon the members of the congregation is it simply to just live good lives is the expectation as that will just you know get sin out of people's lives and that they'll come to church and you know sing in the choir and pay their tithes and you know become more than a CEO a Christmas and Easter only Christian is that our expectations I think one of the difference between the 21st century church in the first century church is that the expectations are much different in the first century in the language of disciples the expectation was to sacrifice everything to take up your cross to forsake all other relationships this doesn't sound much like the 21st century Church in the 21st century church we have lots of options but in the first century Church they didn't have any options if you wanted to be a follower of Jesus Christ you had to have a cross because Jesus said unless you take up your cross follow me you cannot be my disciple and so there's a major difference I think in how we live our lives today and how they live their lives in the first century the Bible says in the book of Acts chapter 2 that the first century believers were daily in the temple and in every house so this basically describes corporate worship daily in the temple and private living and worship and in every house in the first century they had no dedicated ministry space you know there was no Welcome Center in the church there was no sunny school classroom there was no uh sure 's and greeters area there was no choir loft there was no pulpit they didn't have this literal square footage where they did ministry space they did ministry everywhere they went daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to preach and teach Jesus Christ so we're talking about what are the expectations of the members of your church I think one of the things that will help us is that if we consider redefining what it means to be spiritually mature let me give you an example of this in mark chapter 11 when the Bible says Jesus came by a fig tree that was by the wayside this means that it was not in the vineyard it perhaps a seed had you know blown off a tree and fell in a crack somewhere of a hundred feet away so this was sort of a rogue fig tree and Jesus comes to it because it has leaves and he's expecting to the tree to bear fruit and when he searches the leaves but he finds no fruit the Bible says that he cursed the tree now I got to tell you that my whole life when I've read that story it sort of upset me and I've had a bone to pick with Jesus about that well well you know the Bible even says that the time of figs was not yet and so I want to say Jesus why would you curse the fig tree but the answer is very simple when you study the fig trees especially those that grown in the nation of Israel the leaves the figs come together and so the tree was advertising something on its menu let's say that was not in the kitchen and this is like some believers today who who perhaps look like they're mature when the wind of the spirit blows their leaves rustle and make a lot of noise but when the fruit inspector Jesus comes looking for produce it finds none and so I think we need to redefine spiritual maturity in our churches not just you know paying ties and coming to church and being in the prayer room and all of those things are fine but what about redefining spiritual maturity the way Jesus to find it for example in John 15 and in mark chapter 11 not just being faithful to church but what about redefining spiritual maturity as us reproducing ourselves let me ask you a question when is a fruit tree mature is it mature when the sprig pops up out of the ground is it mature when it has enough shade to give you a break from the from the heat and the Sun and sip of lemonade under it no no the tree is fruitful when it for example if it's an apple tree when it starts reproducing apples and so we are not fruitful the way that I see fruitfulness in the New Testament until we start reproducing disciples just like us let me give you a verse to think about it's in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12 and this is what the writer said how long do you have to be in church and this is my paraphrase until you start teaching someone else now when we read the word teach in the New Testament in most cases we could substitute the phrase and make disciples so the writer of Hebrews says how long do you have to be in the church until you start teaching someone else but then he says because you're not teaching anyone we cannot give you meat but we have to feed you like a baby with just the milk of the word and so this is a mandate for every New Testament believer to turn around and start teaching someone else when Jesus said go make disciples the literal rending of this verse could be as you go make disciples in other words don't be a hero don't do something spectacular once a year but every day as you go as you live your life every day go make disciples now to be sure making disciples can be spiritual in other words God could poke his head through the sky just like he did Philip and send you out to the desert as the Ethiopian eunuch is coming by but most disciple making encounters are gonna be as we go like the scripture says the steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord and so God wants to direct our steps now I want to talk to you and just use a little illustration about making disciples and I want to compare two kinds of birds that how they take care of their young so let's talk about storks and penguins now Hans Christian Andersen is attributed to the mythical the mythical made up story of where babies come from ostensibly to explain this question to curious children and so the stork you know goes to the baby cloud and it brings the baby down to the doorstep it raised the doorbell with its beak and then it then it flies off and this is sort of like how some churches do do conversion you know somebody gets the Holy Ghost somebody's baptized well they'll want to be back at church on Wednesday because I want to be back at church on Wednesday you know why don't they want to be back at church I want to be back but nobody's going home with them nobody's nurturing them nobody's building a relationship with them and this is why many of our new believers fall through the cracks and yet on the other hand a a female penguin an emperor penguin lays her then she assigns it to her husband the father of the chick and she goes to the water to heal and to bring back food and she's gone for 64 days and that male penguin is assigned to watch over that egg until the mother comes back and then the chick is hatched and then the parents spend the first 100 days with that newborn to make sure that it can function it can swim it can find food and this really is a picture of how the church should make disciples so I think that one of our challenges is the soul winning model Jesus never said go win souls he could have but that's an Old Testament concept it's not talking about bringing people to God jesus said go make disciples and the problem was soul winning is that when you win it's over you know we baptize 12 people today let's go to lunch but who's going home with those people so this is what we're called to do we're not called to win anything we're called to go build relationships with lost people as a pastor of 35 years when I talked about soul-winning through the years I noticed this glazed look that would come into people's eyes and it was a big turn-off because they don't have the personality they don't have the time but when we talk about making disciples this is as we live our lives Jesus is saying go build relationships with lost people so let me ask you a question today how many of you have a friend come on raise your hand if you have a friend okay everybody's got a friend if you don't have a friend take more showers brush your teeth come on and make friends okay we need to make friends with lost people this is what Jesus did in Matthew 11 19 he turned sinners into friends and friends into disciples now here's what's exciting we can reach the world it's mathematically theoretically possible listen to this if we will stop winning souls and start making disciples who make disciples who make disciples if we will take one year to make one disciple we can literally disciple the entire world in eight years that's using 34 million oneness apostolic s-- if we start the penguin model and start reproducing ourselves and spending time we can reach this world in our lifetime let's go make disciples you gentlemen help me please guess what I have a handout Ross would you help me please it's paper and pen gives you something to do soul-winning how many times have we talked of that now please understand please understand mmm brother Gleason in this study that he's done the book that he's written this particular series that he's doing he's apostolic he's a great preacher a great pastor he's one of the assistant general superintendents of the organization has a lot of respect in the organization what he is saying is not stop doing what you do and go sit down and be quiet he's simply referencing first-generation apostolic Churches groups and what he's talking about here is making a friend bottom-line making a friend because if you can connect with somebody and show Jesus to them through you you're more able to make a difference in their lives now I've been in church and in the church if you will in the way for over 40 years full of Holy Ghost baptized in Jesus name so I'm relatively new at this but I remember vividly as a child growing up in church one of the greatest things that that was was thought was taught was instructed was assumed is that we don't want the world to off on us I remember sitting through lessons sometimes you know when you go out into the world you got to put up your guards you got to make sure that that you don't let them influence you and make negative impact on your life I remember her sitting through classes sometimes at youth camps and them talking about how you're gonna go to school you're gonna have a job you're gonna go out the world but make sure that that doesn't rub off on you what happened was quite honestly is it became an us and them mentality so the hopes would be to invite somebody to come to your church was an incredible deal was an incredible deal because if we get get them in the door and they see that we're not weirdos how many's heard messages like we're not snake handlers or things of that nature then we have more of a chance to make an impact on them well the fact of the matter is if that were true every church in America would be full because I don't know about you the more I know about Jesus the more I love him right the more the more I understand him the more I want to know about him and so my life continues - every Church will be full but that's not the case is it so what's happened is somewhere along the line a mentality began to take over and say let's have more events let's have more promotional things more productions if you will and that way we are giving them something for what they're looking for you know I've talked when I talk to our leadership or we're not even teaching lessons sometimes I'll say you know we're competing against NFL we're competing it's ESPN we're competing against this particular something or that and that's not true I'm sorry I apologize for that because that's not true we're not competing against anything why is that why why is that true why are we not competing because it's not the same Jesus is already one he's not competing against anyone now I understand the mindset means well what we're doing is we're trying to make it as good and stuff as others but the truth is is I don't have the budget that the NFL has to put on production there are times when our livestream for an example doesn't sound good there are times that you can only work with what you got and so it's it's may or may not be be good now we're now in Deron's up here and all of his glory it's different but for me it's just what it is sorry but the truth is I can't compete against the Grammys I can't compete against even even Netflix I can't compete against Hulu so there's not a competition here what I'm simply trying to do as a pastor is I'm just trying to say look guys I want to I want to help us make kevin and i want you to be able to help someone else make kevin so we're not competing technically against the things of the world because the world is not our home our home is a place that he is making for those who love him and are his disciples you with me so daily they were in the temple act says first corinthians be followers of me as i'm following christ now here's something on asking what does the word intentional mean to you besides looking at the definition i put there what is the word intentional mean to you on purpose very good what else planned out certainly what else with intent no you can't say that because that's part of that's the root of the word what does the intentional mean to you so i'm going to give me an example of intentional every day in your life talk about exercise she said exercise lord now i got to go walk it has to be intentional does it just happen i do something almost every morning not every morning but most mornings I am intentional with the coffee pot I know what's about to happen I know I'm intentional with that you may know I'm talking about okay stay with me intentional by the definition is done with intention or on purpose intended I have a plan for this I know why I am doing what I'm doing when you parents have children that that disobey you well what is typically the thought that goes through your mind when you're trying to figure out how to discipline them did you intentionally do that did you did you disobey me that means there was some thought there that means there was an intent I am NOT going to listen to you parent parent unit I am going to do what I want instead of what you want so what happens come on 2019 what happens what happens when kids intentionally disobey parents today what happened everybody's looking at because nobody wants to answer because the truth is it's the funniest thing there were anything I did intentionally that was contrary to my father I had one response that I knew I was gonna get I knew my dad sat at the head of the table with a flyswatter in his lab it was not for flies there was no question why dad had that fly swatter it could reach the other end of the table and all around it so guess what I respect I got a flyswatter at home it's in my closet I never used a fly swatter on my kids did a long dinner no they had a paddle my wife was intentional with the paddle see we live in a different age today because now when kids intentionally disobey you I wish he wouldn't do that now I've told you for the 72nd time not to and I'm telling you not don't go oh don't you go over there he went over there if I'm lying tell me huh I say it a thousand times and I say it walking through Walmart pushing the buggy they are winning they are winning you can't let them win if it was wrong yesterday it's got to be rough you told him now you what do I know about raising kids right I mean anyway the truth of the matter is what is something in your life that you are intentional about anybody what is something in your life that you're intentional about a career you're intentional about it what else very good meals yeah you're intentional on how you prepare or what you're gonna have to eat what else anyone work coming to church what else school yeah what else what are you intentional about keeping what keeping the house clean is that true was that true look here just look right here just just just keep your eyes out here you got to be intentional does your house clean itself Ross you didn't make one of those self-cleaning house I got you I got cuz you have to be intentional about things agreed you have to be intentional about things there are some things in life that are not worth letting it right out Cayce said I set out whatever will be just let it happen oh you have to be intentional if your kids are going to be smart it's because you intended as a parent for them to get an education is that okay you intended on that if you're going to have retirement to be able to retire when you get two ripe old age guess what you're gonna have to do you're gonna have to intentionally save money put it back have it invested why otherwise when you get to that ripe old age of retirement you're gonna look and say I can't retire I have to keep working because I didn't intentionally save money intentional question have you ever knocked or have you ever had somebody knock on your door of your house anybody what did they want anyone sell your security system yeah someone else what did they want what yes yeah like FedEx UPS yeah okay very good need a signature for yeah what else have you ever knocked on someone's door what did you want so nice trick very good thank you anyone else wanted to pick them up for an event whatever okay has anybody ever knocked on your door have you ever knocked on someone's door yes I don't know stop it's door thought it'd be me just walk away I don't make sense does it doesn't make sense at all now I've had that happen before but it wasn't it was I didn't know what else to do don't buy strawberry but it was in Spanish and I went I don't know how to help you I have no idea why I got standing with straw baby I don't know about took four anyway sorry story another day fact is when your knock on door when Sully knocks on your door there's there's an intent there's a reason there's there's a reason that y'all right now your minds are just rampantly running aren't they I'm gonna try that somebody's gonna try it and get arrested but the truth of the matter is nobody knocks on a door for no reason you want to come in or you want to deliver or you want to to pick somebody up or you've got a question or whatever happens to be you're trying to get their attention and there's an only opportunity is for you somehow to get them from there to here so they can you can interact with them truth of the matter is you always knock with a purpose selling something need help want to borrow some whatever it happens to be now here's another question then how well do you know your neighbors where you live how well do you know them is that a fair question how well do you know them Sam you how well you know your neighbors wait me about you Christian oh boy the can of worms and first of all they just know their name no many kids they have you know many times they pick up toys right here anybody else grace what's your neighbor's name okay you know too you know a couple of them so so most of us is move out by herself in the house middle of nowhere she'll have to answer don't have to know your neighbor no we live in a very closed society now right I mean you go to work you're next to people you're at job you're where you live standing in this line at Walmart so forth fact is is that if I could ask why don't why is it difficult sometimes for us to to know our neighbors time what else why is it sometimes almost odd to know things about your neighbors city folk don't do that country folk do city folk don't there's a difference sir temperaments yeah nobody wants to know herb I'm joking the different family they have dynamics that are different yeah sure what else they get freaked out why why is this person even care my name are you what are you with the government suspicious yeah I mean there used to be as when we were growing up for an example I know I'm talking too many years back but neighbors were neighbors I don't know why I remember this but one time we got to church and on a Sunday and my mom she's I don't know if I unplugged the iron May I don't remember so mom goes in the church and there used to have some of you used to have one of these things that was on the wall it was about this big and in you'd run your hand in into it and you grasp this thing called a a handset and there's a cord cord came from this to that it's a cable why your wire you know wires you got it was even in a coil so it wouldn't be so long until you added the 30-footer so you could go over here it's called a telephone so my mom goes to the phone calls the neighbor it says a gene I'm sorry to bother you do you mind going next door see if I unplugged the iron well sure I'll be glad to so she hung up walked across the yard crossed the drive across the yard cross the drive back doors open went in went to the iron board checked it yeah it was he unplugged it mom had forgot to unplug it thought nothing of that never even concerned she'd do the same she'd call us can you go next door let dog out and that was the dog that told us the owner said that she don't buy but she bit my wife but anyway that was old days now what do you do how do you leave your house now get out the door sit in your car okay nobody saw me leave I can I'm on my lying tell me stop me please it's where we are it's where we are now if they wanted to get in your house could they so I mean all right I don't mind telling when we my wife and I recently built our house and our dear friend Ross come over he you know they kick that door in why don't even put the door up then and it's going to be blue and they'd be why then maybe your screen right in them like okay how do I not have them do this for the security system and so now they just noise in the background poop they're still doing a my life I'm a this is humorous because we understand it fact of the matter is what it has done to us as human as the church is we've now had to protect ourselves box it in and we even teach our kids don't you trust nobody and then we get mad when they won't go to Sunday School class well I can't just don't want to go well you know why are you scared it's not out of them don't trust nobody don't listen to nobody don't go with nobody just help me stay with me stay with me are you willing as Apostolic full of the Holy Ghost baptized in Jesus name if you were to die right now beyond a shadow of a doubt you would go to heaven right are you willing to make friends with your neighbor at any cost I just want to and I'm not talking besties I'm not talking just to know their name just to let them know you're not weird you're not strange I don't mind telling you I'm learning things the neighborhood that the last neighborhood that we were in we knew one of our neighbors the other neighbor he had to go up the hill and we knew but it was a lot more work I had to trudge up the hill to get to them I thought they'd meet me first just come around back and come down the other guy was down so I could do that but now I'm learning lessons I was moving a piece of furniture in my garage week or so ago and my wife les her heart she says I'm not nice sometimes and she was trying to help me so she don't and my neighbor saw it and he said hey can I help you with that what did I say remember so now I got it my wife we yes you can I went honey no that guy go come over here and beat me up steal this thing I'm trying to move that I can't move by myself oh hey I'll be right there so he said take comes over there and we pick it up got anything else oh I said huh we got this right here like yeah we got this hit down we get out there and I ease him back out on the drive don't want him in the during the garage you may check out my tools you know and a borrow that one day I never see it again am I am I being too real Oh y'all don't do that do ya now you just got it all together so we stood there and talked I know his name I know where he works I know his kids my wife and I've determined somehow some way to break the fear factor in our lives and just try to make a difference are you willing to develop relationship with your neighbors not simply to get them to come into the church but just a relationship until Jesus can show himself to them cuz I'm I am 100 percent convinced if they'll just get to know me they'll probably like me now they may not but they most likely will because I'm a real likable person and I'm learning new magic tricks and well if I get to know them I may actually like them or may not but I was one thing that I am 1000% convinced of if they'll ever meet Jesus he's the best thing that'll ever happened to them if they'll ever see Jesus he can change every thing in their world what does it mean I'm watching the clock we're okay what does it mean to have a membership in a church what does that mean in today's vernacular does that mean I have a membership faithful member what's that mean though what does it mean to have a membership to a church doesn't matter just a membership of a church what you say somewhere you go and fellowship is that kind of like Planet Fitness you have a membership there's only ten dollars them well how many use their membership at Planet Fitness but have one keep your hand yeah I'm a member of a gym when's the last time you was there Oh pizza night that's always blew my mind I got pizza I'm gonna work out no you're not you're gonna eat well pay for it oh we have tootsie rolls on the counter too Oh herb I walk by yeah I'm here here I'm on a treadmill y'all laughing cuz you do don't tell me I'm lying you do the same thing and when you leave you're like man that bucket don't ever go down god where's this whole job is just to feel that right fact is to be a member of a church quite honestly in today's terminology it's not a whole lot it's not any church now you to become a Catholic you have to go through their rituals but then once you've done the rituals what happens after that do you have to keep going technically no you can make up for it once in a while and go and are you with me how does somebody mature then when they become a member of a church how do they mature what are we expecting to see in them Christ okay how how would you know that really I mean honestly that's a very honest answer but I don't mind can I be very honest with you as pastor there's probably several in here that come to the altar probably pray probably pay it put money in the offering or swipe the card but when you leave here I don't go home with you you go home with you so does that mean you're maturing waiting full people any any day that we can't win come on we know if you've been in church any length of time at all you know how it is when you come to the altar come on I remember one time years ago God told me said I was at camp and my friend told me said man you want people gather around you just start start just raise your hands and start spelling motorcycle mor TR so that's it that's it I went yeah they said that way people left me alone because they thought I had to oligos don't laughing but well I see it every Sunday come on you want God to use you and minister in your life and man people Gobind a cry squall and boohoo and God changes and touches them again and then they the next week it's almost there's a space right here that's for them am I am I saying am I being mean is pastored no I'm telling you there's a lot of battles that you should win at home and your prayer closet there's a whole lot of things that we bellyache and moan and groan about as as people when I've shared this a multitude of times if I'm in the molle grubs down on myself mad upset hurt whatever I figured out a long time ago if I go begin to talk to somebody else about their pain and what they're going through many times I forget mine I told you last week about visiting that family in the hospital on one of the stories that comes to mind a thousand times is when my little boy was born and in three days old we had to put him in banger because he was turning blue my wife had just delivered and we're at Vanderbilt they got 30 a battery of 30 tests they have to run on him cuz he can't use this big I'd look for instructions and all done they're not there so the doctors are doing all these tests and man I'm just freaking out Lord God why me what's going on boohoo squall rightfully so I was hurt and I walked out of the room she was asleep on that little big couch and he's laying in the incubator thing with the worm on him the glow thing because he was jaundice at the same time and I walk out in the hallway at Vanderbilt and I took a right just to go catch some air when I did the guy in the room next to me was a little baby that had been burned and I looked in there and saw mom and dad just crying and weeping and this little guy was just burnt kept walking there was a little guy in there that had his arm had to be surgically removed because of something all these things I saw looking in these rooms I just don't mind telling you Christian I turn and walk back to my room and said thank you lord I could be what are the signs of spiritual and physical maturity in another person what are we looking for what are we looking for until they're at my level they're not mature is that what we're thinking now they don't know Jesus because look at them they don't have a relationship now they talk that's a lot of times as humans we may not let the words come from our mouths but that's what generated in our brain you know years ago I had a guy complaining about not preaching holiness enough and the long conversation I'll condense it down to this right here his complaint to me was he was sitting at the back of the church that altar service and some girl got up came to the front to the altar to pray she had a split in her skirt so you can't let that in a church what he said he was a preacher can't have that the church split all the way up no I said really let me ask you a question buddy yeah where were you again I was in the back where was she she was walking down the aisle headed to the altar I know he was talking about I said let me tell you something in your righteous indignation right now do you have any idea where she was last week well no uh-uh I said yeah that's why I thought cuz you know what last week she was strung out on drugs out here this week she's in the church first skirt she's had and all she wants to do is come to the altar and get close to God and all you're doing is stand at the back judging her you should have been here before she got here maturity I'm gonna be honest I'm done do you know why there's no chairs on this platform now wall we'll have a room right drunk we'd have to fold him put him away but you know why when I've designed this when the Lord gave this to me I didn't want it to sit up here and look out across the crowd and judge you before I got up here to preach to you you want to our pastor walks in the altar I come out of that booth Oh Josh you got it you got it you got okay I come around I come up here cuz I want to be I want to see you through this cuz if I sit back there I don't mind telling you I get really upset well she's evil worship she just lifts her head I could I could tap her on the shoulder you know what your problems is but this afternoon cuz he's mad at her you can tell by looking at him day that's why I don't like the back if I go to another service another Church best I can I'm gonna get as close as I can I don't want that distraction cuz that may be my last time in the house of God now I'm gonna finish with this other areas in your life that you need help with to grow what brother Gleason's talking about in this series is probably to change some vocabulary and it's true probably need to relook at some definitions I think that our church cornerstone Apostolic Church we are on the edge of an explosion but I think that somehow someway we have to get to a place that we are willing to submit to God's will and growing in him to say Lord I'm tired of going to church and helping everybody else that's already there and then walking out with the same stress worry I'm a pastor I don't mind telling you I'm I take account for you if you're not in church on Sunday or on Wednesday don't think I don't know because that's how I spend my trip going home in the car so and so they weren't they don't know where they were today I'm not wow that's so when another pastor says how many do you have in church on Sunday I said well I don't know but I know 32 that weren't there yeah I have the same thing you man if I can get them all there at the same time you know I do that because I've been tricked into thinking that's how I test maturity when the facts are this if I may be so very just honest with you as pastor if you make heaven if you go through heaven's gates it's gonna be because you decided to do it you made that choice you now I can help I can peer preach teeth my wife can pray for you and love you but invariably it's gonna be your choice you're going to sell out to God and 100% love him mature and grow and let fruit show in your life that's your choice I cannot beat you into it I cannot make you mad enough to just do it no it's gonna be because you and Jesus have a relationship the same thing with all your friends co-workers neighbors loved ones you're gonna have to have something so why don't we then as the church I'm telling you this is on purpose the last month I talked about finding purpose this month in the next month I'm talking about we're going to change some things why because you can make a difference in somebody's life if you'll just befriend them just just just befriend them stand with me would you please this is what I want to ask you to do begin the process of looking for ways to get to know your neighbors that could be a co-worker somebody lives on the street with you a neighbor somebody you rub shoulders with once in a while somebody in your life and then look for ways to mature as you grow to be a fruit producing tree planted in God's let's pray together Jesus I know Lord that this series the way we talk this vocabulary the things that we're looking at I realize Lord that some are going to be convicted some Lord are going to realize that there's more to living for you than just showing up on Sunday or Wednesday but that every day there's some Lord that's going to embrace it and realize that's what they're missing in their life is reproducing fruit Lord and showing somebody else the good things of God and then there are others Lord that are going to cross their arms and simply say you just be satisfied that I'm here and Lord I am praying right now that somehow someway as a church body we would fall in love with you because if we truly love you then you will work in our lives and we will desire to help someone else want to know you as well give us a passion for you a hunger a desire for you for the good things that you do that the blessings and the miraculous everyday that you do and you represent in our lives and in drawing close to you we're going to see other people Lord and we're going to be drawn to them I pray this week Lord that somehow you would turn on the light of Revelation and everybody's heart and mind that we would just begin to want to develop relationships with people outside the walls a relationship Lord not not expecting to to save them but expecting only to serve them so that they can come and fall in love with you they can develop a relation they can come to the foot of the cross and fall in love with you I plead your blood lord over each one of us Jesus we want to grow drawn closer we want to grow we want you Lord to say of us well done good and faithful servants that's what we hunger for Lord we're gonna leave this place tonight I pray that you would put something within us that we would reach beyond ourselves I pray Lord for our community I pray Lord that somehow in the eyes of our community that we would find favor that you would lead us Lord to people that are hungry and thirsty for you we would get to know them and show your love through us we're gonna come back this weekend as a church body we're gonna celebrate together loving and worshipping you and everything we give you things in Jesus name come on would you pray right now in Jesus name in Jesus name in Jesus name in Jesus name hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah in Jesus name we pray amen