WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.000 Welcome. Just hand away tagalog sermon podcast Your Daily does 2 00:00:09.039 --> 00:00:13.439 some inspiring, heartfelt tagalog sermons from different pastors and speakers 3 00:00:13.480 --> 00:00:16.480 all over the Philippines. We hope that this podcast finds 4 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:22.920 you in good shape. And now here's your message. I 5 00:00:23.039 --> 00:00:26.039 believe that a person who is going places is driven 6 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:32.159 by three things. They are driven by character, they are 7 00:00:32.359 --> 00:00:41.320 driven by purpose, and they are driven by expectancy. And 8 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:46.600 when I say that VCF Victory Christian Fellowship is going places, 9 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:51.280 it's not just a catchy sermon title. It's because we 10 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:55.920 are going to be a church that is driven, that 11 00:00:56.119 --> 00:01:00.399 is compelled, that knows what we are about, and we 12 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:06.480 are headed there with intentionality. The church is meant to 13 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:15.519 be a living, breathing representation of Christ. Following Jesus is 14 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:20.439 not just a casual commitment to claim Him as part 15 00:01:20.519 --> 00:01:24.159 of our lives. No, it should define us. It should 16 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:31.200 refine us when people look into our lives. A relationship 17 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:39.079 with Jesus Christ should produce character. Character is defined as 18 00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:47.599 the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. What 19 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:54.640 are the mental and moral qualities distinctive to Victory? What 20 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:59.640 makes us different in one year from now, in three 21 00:01:59.719 --> 00:02:03.319 years in five years, in ten years, what will people 22 00:02:03.480 --> 00:02:09.080 say about victory Christian fellowship? What will be said of 23 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:13.719 those who gather here in this building, in this local assembly, 24 00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:20.120 who are part of this local church. As I have 25 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:23.199 prayed over the last few months and asked God to 26 00:02:23.719 --> 00:02:27.919 give us a clear direction, a clear vision, I believe 27 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:32.719 that He has called to my attention five characteristics that 28 00:02:32.759 --> 00:02:38.199 will define our church as we go forward. Five characteristics 29 00:02:38.199 --> 00:02:42.560 that will set us apart. Five characteristics that will lead 30 00:02:42.639 --> 00:02:45.360 us down the path and drive us to the place 31 00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:51.879 where Jesus is leading us. The first of those characteristics 32 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:59.800 is unconditional love. We will be a church driven by 33 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:07.759 a culture of love, love for God and love for others. 34 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:14.520 Matthew twenty two, thirty seven through thirty nine reads. Jesus replied, 35 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:17.919 you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, 36 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:21.520 all your soul, in all your mind. This is the 37 00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:28.280 first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important, love 38 00:03:28.479 --> 00:03:34.400 your neighbor as yourself. The first commandment is to love 39 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.960 God with all our heart, and the second is equal. 40 00:03:39.759 --> 00:03:44.439 We like to list things, we like to prioritize. We 41 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:48.120 live in a nation where we are fast paced and 42 00:03:48.199 --> 00:03:51.719 continually moving, and we like to put things in order. 43 00:03:51.759 --> 00:03:54.439 But the Word of God says these two things are 44 00:03:54.479 --> 00:03:57.120 not one greater than the other, but they are of 45 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:02.560 equal importance. They go side by side, hand in hand. 46 00:04:02.919 --> 00:04:07.319 You can't have one without the other. Jesus said that 47 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:11.960 if a man claims to love God but hates his brother, 48 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:17.199 the love of the Father is not in him. And 49 00:04:17.240 --> 00:04:20.160 if a person claims to love God, then they have 50 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:26.199 to love other people, because God loves people. Love for 51 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:31.639 God and love for others go together. And this love, 52 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:36.560 this word that is used, is sometime lost to us 53 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:41.160 because we have one word for love, and we characterize 54 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:44.639 it by a bunch of other descriptors. But in the 55 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.920 Greek language, the word that is used here is agape love, 56 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:54.560 which is an unconditional love. It is a love without end. 57 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:58.839 It is a love without restriction. It is love without qualifications. 58 00:04:58.879 --> 00:05:03.240 It is a love that flew freely to the life 59 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:08.839 of each and every person breathing air on this planet. 60 00:05:10.040 --> 00:05:14.879 It is a love described in First Corinthians thirteen, verses 61 00:05:14.920 --> 00:05:18.600 four through eight. I love this passage of scripture. I've 62 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.519 mentioned it several times over the last few weeks. This 63 00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:27.480 passage of scripture has seemingly been reduced to a citation 64 00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:34.399 of scripture performed at marriage ceremonies. And while it's powerful 65 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:38.680 advice for newly married couples, that is not the context 66 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:41.480 in which that verse of scripture was written. It was 67 00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:46.920 written to a church, showing them how to love, how 68 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:52.439 to live in love in a gape love, a love 69 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:59.360 that never fails, a love that always protects. It always 70 00:05:59.720 --> 00:06:05.720 trust it always hopes, It always perseveres. It does not 71 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.680 delight in evil, but rejoices with truth. It does not 72 00:06:09.839 --> 00:06:15.920 dishonor others. It is not selfish, it is not easily angered. 73 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:21.000 It keeps no record of wrong love vi agape love, 74 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:23.319 the love we're commanded to have of the world is 75 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:26.319 not keeping a list of every time they've wronged us. 76 00:06:26.480 --> 00:06:29.120 It's not keeping a list and saying, well, they don't. 77 00:06:29.160 --> 00:06:32.399 They rejected us, they rejected my testimony. I've tried time 78 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:34.639 and time again, and they've turned me away. The love 79 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.160 the Father gives us is not keeping a list or 80 00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:40.639 a record of any of those things. That love tries 81 00:06:40.759 --> 00:06:45.680 again and again and again despite what people do to us. 82 00:06:47.839 --> 00:06:54.279 It's patient, it's kind, it's not envious, and it's never 83 00:06:54.439 --> 00:07:01.839 boastful and never proud Jesus said that we would be 84 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:07.319 known by our love for one another. That what would 85 00:07:07.360 --> 00:07:12.120 set the church, his church, his gathering, his assembly of 86 00:07:12.160 --> 00:07:15.920 the believers, That what would set us apart from the 87 00:07:15.959 --> 00:07:21.160 rest of the world would be our love for one 88 00:07:21.160 --> 00:07:29.199 another and for everyone who is our neighbor. Love compels 89 00:07:29.360 --> 00:07:35.639 and drives, love pushes. It takes us out into the 90 00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:40.040 highways and the byeways to share the gospel message of 91 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:46.079 Jesus Christ. Because if we truly love as God loves, 92 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.279 and if we truly believe that he is the son 93 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.360 of God and that he's sitting at the right hand 94 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:54.399 of the Father making intercession for us, if we truly 95 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:56.920 believe that he came to this life, died on the 96 00:07:56.959 --> 00:07:59.680 cross for our sins to make a way for us 97 00:07:59.720 --> 00:08:02.639 to be forgiven. If we truly believe that, and we 98 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:05.199 possess the love of God, then there should not be 99 00:08:05.319 --> 00:08:09.279 a force of hell that could keep us from stepping 100 00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:12.759 out and sharing that testimony with the world. There should 101 00:08:12.839 --> 00:08:16.360 not be a demon. They should quake when I come, 102 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:20.199 The ground should rumble as I walk. The enemy should 103 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:23.600 begin to shake, because I'm walking in the anointing and 104 00:08:23.639 --> 00:08:27.279 the calling and the power and the authority of God Almighty. 105 00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:32.360 I pray that the enemy begins to flee in terror 106 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:35.159 as I walk out and begin to share the Gospel 107 00:08:35.399 --> 00:08:38.039 with the world. As I begin to take the Gospel 108 00:08:38.360 --> 00:08:42.559 Putnam County, as we go out into the highways and byeways, 109 00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:45.960 and we share with those who are bound in drug addiction, 110 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:52.720 bound and alcohol addiction, bound in sinful lifestyles, bound in depression, 111 00:08:52.960 --> 00:09:02.480 bound in abusive cycles. God came to set them free. 112 00:09:02.679 --> 00:09:06.120 It is love that drives us to share. It is 113 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:09.399 love that compels us. And if we want to be 114 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.840 the church who Jesus called us to be, we must 115 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:21.559 be a church that is driven by love, a church 116 00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:27.960 that is driven by love. I've heard so many people 117 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:32.240 who have come to attend here over the last couple 118 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:35.399 of years and how they shared their testimony. They walked 119 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:39.240 through the door and something was different. People welcomed them. 120 00:09:39.240 --> 00:09:42.120 They didn't look down on them, but they welcomed them 121 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:45.720 with loving arms. And I can tell you that that 122 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:50.000 is the heart that we want to continue, that we 123 00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:54.799 want to go out from this place. That when people 124 00:09:54.960 --> 00:09:59.440 speak of victory Christian fellowship, the words we want to 125 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:02.639 come off their mouth is that is a church of love. 126 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:09.840 That is a church of love. The second characteristic that 127 00:10:09.879 --> 00:10:14.879 we must have is that we are unified in community. 128 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:19.799 That we are a unified community, we will be a 129 00:10:19.960 --> 00:10:24.159 church of community and unity. We are all part of 130 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:29.559 one body, one fellowship, one Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. 131 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.879 How many of you know that you can possess community 132 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:39.679 without unity. You can be part of a group of 133 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:44.720 people and there be discord. You can be part of 134 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:48.159 a group and there be fighting and bickering. How many 135 00:10:48.200 --> 00:10:50.159 of you know you can be part of a family 136 00:10:51.600 --> 00:10:54.440 and there be bickering and fighting. If you don't know that, 137 00:10:55.080 --> 00:10:59.759 come watch my kids for a few hours. I promise 138 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:05.039 you you'll see it played out. One Corinthians twelve twelve 139 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:08.919 through thirteen says the human body has many parts, but 140 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:12.159 the many parts make up one whole body. So it 141 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:14.679 is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, 142 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:17.440 some are gentile, some are slaves, and some are free. 143 00:11:17.799 --> 00:11:22.279 But we have all been baptized into one body by 144 00:11:22.399 --> 00:11:28.120 one spirit, and we all share the same spirit. I'm 145 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:31.639 here this morning to tell you that Heaven will not 146 00:11:31.960 --> 00:11:36.559 be divided when we get there, neither should our church be. 147 00:11:38.879 --> 00:11:43.480 In Revelation seven nine, the Apostle John says, after this, 148 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.480 I looked, and there before me was a great multitude 149 00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.399 that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, 150 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:53.799 and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb. 151 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.679 They were wearing white robes, and we're holding palm branches 152 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:01.840 in their hands. Will not be divided by nation. We 153 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:04.559 will not be divided by color. We will not be 154 00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:09.399 divided by denomination, not by income level, not by possessions. No, 155 00:12:09.559 --> 00:12:12.320 we will all be clothed in white. We will all 156 00:12:12.360 --> 00:12:14.840 stand before the throne of God, and we will all 157 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:21.519 give him glory. We will stand before the throne united 158 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:27.440 in the sun, Jesus of Nazareth. The belief that one 159 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:31.120 person is better than another is the same hate filled 160 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:34.480 belief that fueled World War II and led a nation 161 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:41.559 to attempt to assassinate a race of people. And you say, well, Pastor, 162 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:46.360 I've never wanted to kill anyone. Pastor, I've never wanted 163 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:56.399 anyone to die. But Jesus said that if you hate 164 00:12:56.440 --> 00:13:03.360 your brother, if you have in your heart, you've already 165 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:11.159 committed murder in your heart. We are going to see 166 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:16.960 people amongst us who have different views, different opinions, come 167 00:13:17.039 --> 00:13:22.799 from different backgrounds, whatever our differences are, whether they're political, mental, 168 00:13:23.080 --> 00:13:26.879 or physical. When we get together, the only thing that 169 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:30.480 matters is that we believe. We were all created by 170 00:13:30.600 --> 00:13:37.919 Jesus Christ, and that God breathed life into humanity. And 171 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.480 if God breathed life into humanity, whether or not that 172 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.320 person serves the Lord, whether or not that person agrees 173 00:13:44.360 --> 00:13:46.559 with you, whether or not that person is like you, 174 00:13:46.679 --> 00:13:49.600 there is a piece of God inside of them. And 175 00:13:49.679 --> 00:13:53.840 if you don't live accordingly and honor that piece of 176 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:56.559 God that is inside of them accordingly, then you are 177 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:06.519 dishonoring the father God came to bring unity. We are 178 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:12.840 all unified by Jesus Christ. Whether we believe now which 179 00:14:12.879 --> 00:14:17.080 makes us family, because the scripture tells us that we 180 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:22.080 are adopted as sons and daughters of the Most High, 181 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:28.480 or we are someone who is going to believe. Every 182 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:35.720 person deserves the love of God, every person deserves the 183 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:42.039 heart of God, and every person deserves to belong. We 184 00:14:42.080 --> 00:14:44.720 will not look down on one another for our differences, 185 00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:49.799 but rather we will rejoice in them, because it is 186 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:56.399 our differences that gives us our strength. Because you can 187 00:14:56.519 --> 00:15:05.080 join any group across this nation and you will find differences. 188 00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:08.639 And the way they segregate and push those things out 189 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:10.919 and like to pull everybody in that looks the same 190 00:15:11.080 --> 00:15:20.080 as them. But the Church was meant not to look alike, 191 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.919 but for each person to be uniquely and beautifully different, 192 00:15:25.960 --> 00:15:30.399 so that we can fulfill the call and the purpose 193 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:35.960 that God has given us, which brings me to the 194 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.879 third characteristic. Because we will be a unified community, and 195 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:45.320 we will operate and unconditional love, but we will also 196 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:52.519 be intentional in discipleship. We will be a church that 197 00:15:52.600 --> 00:15:57.200 proclaims the gospel, teaching God's word, leading ourselves and others 198 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:01.440 to obey God's decrees, training up every remember to find 199 00:16:01.799 --> 00:16:05.080 their calling within the body of Christ, and sending out 200 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:08.399 those who were called to reach our city, our county, 201 00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:14.759 our country, and our world. And Matthew twenty eight, Jesus said, therefore, 202 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.879 go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in 203 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.200 the name of the Father and the Son and the 204 00:16:21.240 --> 00:16:27.120 Holy spirits. We were commanded to go and make disciples, 205 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:33.240 to go and lead people to a committed relationship with Jesus. 206 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.519 We were never called to believe and go to church. 207 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.799 We were never called to get together and sing a 208 00:16:39.799 --> 00:16:42.720 few songs and clap and pat each other on the 209 00:16:42.759 --> 00:16:44.799 back and tell each other what a good little Christian 210 00:16:44.840 --> 00:16:48.360 we've been this week. We were called to something more, 211 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:54.559 to something deeper. We were called up as an army. 212 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:59.879 We were called up to lay war, to lay sieged 213 00:17:00.039 --> 00:17:03.559 to the strongholds of the enemy. How does the scripture go? 214 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:07.119 The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by violence, and the 215 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:11.160 violence take it by force. The Kingdom of God is 216 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.680 pressed forward. When we have a heart and a zeal 217 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:22.559 to go and make disciples, we have to do it intentionally. 218 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:29.319 It cannot be accidental. Intentional means to do something on purpose. 219 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:34.440 We're not going to leave discipleship to chance. We're not 220 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:38.599 gonna leave people's salvation to chance. We're not gonna leave 221 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:42.319 people's walk with the Father to chance. No, we're going 222 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:51.480 to pursue it intentionally, sharing the gospel, leading them to 223 00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:57.720 obey God's commands. We should live our lives in such 224 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.720 a way that others take notice and want to know 225 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:07.480 about the God we serve. But we are not going 226 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:12.160 to just go to church and use the cop out. Well, 227 00:18:12.720 --> 00:18:17.200 I'm living my life and others will notice because brother 228 00:18:17.319 --> 00:18:23.759 or sister, if they haven't noticed yet, if they haven't 229 00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:28.759 noticed yet. If people don't stop you and ask you 230 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:36.119 and want to know what's different about you, then it's 231 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:43.119 time to pause and evaluate within ourselves. I'm talking as 232 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:47.720 much to myself as everyone else this morning. It's easy 233 00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:51.799 to go through the motions when you've had a long day, 234 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:54.960 when things have been difficult for a long season in 235 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.720 your life. It's easy to just go through the motions. 236 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.000 It's easy when things are going our way to just 237 00:19:03.480 --> 00:19:06.400 revel in the excitement and the joy and forget to 238 00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:09.079 stop and give God the glory for that which He 239 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:13.000 has blessed us with. Oh, we put on our Christian hat, 240 00:19:13.160 --> 00:19:16.000 just like the Pharisees put on their robe. We know 241 00:19:16.160 --> 00:19:18.680 all the right things to say. We know when to 242 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.920 pray and when to give God glory. We have a 243 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:25.400 form of godliness, but we deny the power of Him 244 00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:31.319 who created the earth and the heavens and life itself. 245 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:39.880 We have become like people who praise God with our lips, 246 00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:49.000 but whose hearts are far from him. To intentionally disciple 247 00:19:49.160 --> 00:19:53.759 means that each and every person is being discipled, just 248 00:19:53.920 --> 00:20:00.279 as they are discipling, And to disciple means to take 249 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:03.920 someone by the hand and say let me show you 250 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:08.359 the way, let me show you the way. Walk with 251 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:11.920 me today. We don't like to do that. We don't 252 00:20:12.039 --> 00:20:16.440 like to invite people into deep intimate relationship. And if 253 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:19.279 the truth is known, it's because we don't want them 254 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:24.119 to see the other side of us. Because we all 255 00:20:24.279 --> 00:20:29.559 talk about how Facebook has caused degradation of society and 256 00:20:29.599 --> 00:20:33.240 how everyone wants to put out a highlight reel and 257 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:35.480 put out the best image of themself and no one 258 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:38.720 ever sees the bad anymore. But that was going on 259 00:20:38.799 --> 00:20:41.440 a long time before Facebook, and it was going on 260 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:46.319 right here in the church because we stopped letting people 261 00:20:46.440 --> 00:20:49.880 into our lives. We stopped welcoming them to do life 262 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:53.799 with us because we didn't want them to see us 263 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:57.960 yell and scream at our wives, because we didn't want 264 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:01.839 them to see us share our fist at the person 265 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:04.079 down the road and tell them that they're number one 266 00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:08.079 when they cut us off. We didn't want people to 267 00:21:08.200 --> 00:21:12.720 see that we don't have a prayer time, we don't 268 00:21:12.799 --> 00:21:16.079 open our Bible and study it. We don't want people 269 00:21:16.200 --> 00:21:19.599 to see that our Bible collects dust in our house 270 00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:22.759 and we're living off the same food that we were 271 00:21:22.799 --> 00:21:26.880 fed twenty years ago in a sermon in a move 272 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:29.599 of God and the Altars, when God impacted our life 273 00:21:29.599 --> 00:21:32.640 and spoke to us. We're living off that same dry, 274 00:21:32.680 --> 00:21:35.480 stale word that we got twenty years ago, rather than 275 00:21:35.559 --> 00:21:38.559 looking for something fresh and something new in the presence 276 00:21:38.599 --> 00:21:45.920 of God. We have to have a hunger, We have 277 00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:50.519 to have a desire for the things of God, because 278 00:21:50.519 --> 00:21:54.119 it has to start with me first. I have to 279 00:21:54.240 --> 00:21:58.519 want to go deeper in my relationship with God. If 280 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:01.400 you have no desire to get any closer to God, 281 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:09.960 then it's time to reevaluate, because it should drive us, 282 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:19.880 and then we should look to lead others to spend 283 00:22:20.119 --> 00:22:26.240 time with others to invest in their lives. One Corinthians 284 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:32.079 twelve eighteen says, but our bodies have many parts, and 285 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:35.839 God has put each part just where He wants it. 286 00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:42.799 You see, when we disciple, when we lead others to 287 00:22:42.920 --> 00:22:48.839 a deeper relationship with Jesus, we help them find their 288 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:54.599 purpose and their calling in the Kingdom of God. We 289 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:59.279 are leading them to become part of the community. We 290 00:22:59.400 --> 00:23:03.079 spend so much time in this life and in this 291 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:09.880 culture as a nation desiring everybody else's talents and gifts. 292 00:23:11.000 --> 00:23:13.400 The person with straight hair wants curly here. The person 293 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:15.519 with curly hair wants straight here. The person who's tall 294 00:23:15.559 --> 00:23:17.640 wants to be short. The person who's short wants to 295 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:20.759 be tall. The person who's outspoken wants to be funny. 296 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:23.160 The person who's funny wants to be outspoken. The person 297 00:23:23.200 --> 00:23:27.279 who's wise wants to be well liked. The person who's 298 00:23:27.319 --> 00:23:29.759 well liked wants to be wise. We spend all of 299 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:32.920 our time looking at everybody else around us, looking at 300 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:35.759 what they are, what they've done with their life, and 301 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:39.440 we want to be them, rather than being happy with 302 00:23:39.599 --> 00:23:46.599 who we are. Because if I believe that God is 303 00:23:46.640 --> 00:23:50.119 inside of each and every person, that He breathed life 304 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:52.480 into them, and I love that piece of them, then 305 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.960 I have to believe that there's a peace of God 306 00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.359 inside of me and that God designed me intentionally. And 307 00:24:00.839 --> 00:24:03.119 what I would propose to you this morning is that 308 00:24:03.200 --> 00:24:07.880 the reason why we struggle to love people, why we 309 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:12.559 struggle to love others, is because we don't love ourselves 310 00:24:12.599 --> 00:24:15.920 because we're not happy with who we are. We're not 311 00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:18.839 happy with who God created me to be, because I've 312 00:24:18.880 --> 00:24:22.359 spent my whole life wishing to be someone else. So 313 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:25.720 rather than walking in the calling, walking in the anointing, 314 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:28.680 walking in the strength and in the weaknesses, that God 315 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.400 created me to be, that he knit me together in 316 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:34.359 my mother's womb, and that he was intentional when he 317 00:24:34.440 --> 00:24:36.920 did it. I was not an accident, but I was 318 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:40.119 on purpose. If I believe that, then I have to 319 00:24:40.200 --> 00:24:43.839 begin to walk a walk of joy, a walk of peace, 320 00:24:44.039 --> 00:24:47.759 and I begin to walk a walk that is driven 321 00:24:49.160 --> 00:24:54.759 because I know who I am. I know who I 322 00:24:54.799 --> 00:25:03.079 am in Jesus. God created each and every one of 323 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:08.720 us specifically. It is time to stop wishing that we 324 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:14.000 were someone or something else and instead rejoice in who 325 00:25:14.000 --> 00:25:17.880 God has made us to be. He's called us to 326 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:23.680 be a church of unconditional love, to be a church 327 00:25:24.119 --> 00:25:30.559 of unified community, to be a church of intentional discipleship. 328 00:25:32.880 --> 00:25:36.319 And as I come to a close, some of you 329 00:25:36.359 --> 00:25:39.440 may remember back to the beginning of this message and say, well, Pastor, 330 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:42.359 you said you had five. Come back next week. We 331 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:49.359 got two more. Just a little teaser for you, We 332 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:53.279 got two more. But this morning I wanted to focus 333 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:56.960 on these three and give them adequate attention and allow 334 00:25:57.039 --> 00:26:05.519 them to sink into our spirits over the week. Every 335 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:12.319 value on this list, every characteristic directs our tension, our 336 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:20.440 attention from ourselves to others. It takes our focus off 337 00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:24.400 me and mine and my wants and begins to ask 338 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:30.480 what everyone else needs. We live in a society today 339 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:35.000 of what I call church hoppers. We go from church 340 00:26:35.039 --> 00:26:38.039 to church, from place to place, looking to be fed. 341 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:39.920 We go and we say, well, I didn't like the 342 00:26:39.960 --> 00:26:42.400 worship here, I didn't like the preaching there. Well, I'm 343 00:26:42.519 --> 00:26:45.359 just not being fed. How many of us know someone 344 00:26:45.359 --> 00:26:52.519 who said that we move from place to place because 345 00:26:52.519 --> 00:26:57.599 we're always focused on our selves because we're not walking 346 00:26:57.720 --> 00:27:00.880 in the love of God, because the love of God 347 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:05.839 is not selfish. The love of God doesn't ask what 348 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:09.799 do I get? Love of God asks what can I give? 349 00:27:13.640 --> 00:27:17.240 John F. Kennedy, on his inaugural speech, looked at the 350 00:27:17.319 --> 00:27:21.039 nation and said, ask not what your country can do 351 00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:24.480 for you, but rather what you can do for your country. 352 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:28.799 And I say to you that those are some of 353 00:27:28.839 --> 00:27:33.880 the most powerful words, not because they sparked national pride, 354 00:27:33.880 --> 00:27:38.480 but because they are biblical, because we should ask not 355 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:42.160 what the church can do for you, Rather we should 356 00:27:42.240 --> 00:27:47.000 ask what we can do for the church. How do 357 00:27:47.319 --> 00:27:52.359 I fit? What can I give? What role do I play? 358 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:57.440 Is this where God has called me to be? Is 359 00:27:57.480 --> 00:28:00.599 this what God has called me to do? Do I 360 00:28:00.759 --> 00:28:04.359 believe with all my heart that God has placed me 361 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:08.599 in Victory Christian Fellowship for such a time as this? 362 00:28:10.279 --> 00:28:12.759 Do I believe that God has called me here? And 363 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:18.240 if I believe that, then it has to be for 364 00:28:18.279 --> 00:28:21.480 some other reason than simply for me to be fed. 365 00:28:22.279 --> 00:28:26.240 Don't get me wrong. I want you to be fed. 366 00:28:26.640 --> 00:28:29.079 I want you to be equipped. I want you to 367 00:28:29.079 --> 00:28:31.519 be trained up and ready to go so that when 368 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.519 you walk out those doors. I want Victory Christian Fellowship 369 00:28:35.559 --> 00:28:38.000 to be a force to be reckoned with. I want 370 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:43.079 the enemy to quake. But the only way that happens 371 00:28:43.599 --> 00:28:48.240 is when we redirect our attention to Him and to 372 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:56.559 everyone else around us. Do we live our lives in 373 00:28:56.599 --> 00:29:02.559 the love of Jesus? Do we simply go to church 374 00:29:02.920 --> 00:29:09.920 or are we part of the church? And do we 375 00:29:10.160 --> 00:29:17.839 intentionally lead others to a committed relationship with Jesus? Or 376 00:29:17.880 --> 00:29:21.440 have we just been going through life expecting others to 377 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:36.599 somehow know it? Because the answer to those questions defines 378 00:29:36.680 --> 00:29:44.119 our response. Because if we ask those questions and we 379 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:48.359 are honest with ourselves, and we find ourselves to be lacking. 380 00:29:51.200 --> 00:29:58.400 The answer is not to go out and work harder. 381 00:30:00.440 --> 00:30:03.039 The answer is not seven steps to a better you, 382 00:30:04.680 --> 00:30:07.720 not eleven steps to a deeper walk with Jesus. No, 383 00:30:07.880 --> 00:30:13.519 the answer is Jesus. The answer is the King of 384 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:17.240 kings and the Lord of lords. And when we recognize 385 00:30:17.279 --> 00:30:20.599 that something is out of line in our life, then 386 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:24.880 the scriptures tell us that we need to confess those 387 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:28.680 things to him. Confess those things to one another if 388 00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:31.880 you're comfortable with him, and trust that he is faithful 389 00:30:31.960 --> 00:30:40.559 to forgive you, faithful to forgive us. We're not perfect. 390 00:30:41.559 --> 00:30:44.039 There's not a person sitting in this room right now 391 00:30:44.079 --> 00:30:49.759 that's perfect. Every one of us make mistakes. Every one 392 00:30:49.799 --> 00:30:57.599 of us mess up. Even people who are going places 393 00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:02.839 have their share of mistakes alone. The way, The question 394 00:31:03.160 --> 00:31:07.319 is do we let the mistakes become our identity and 395 00:31:07.480 --> 00:31:13.759 transplant our character or does our character usurp the mistakes 396 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:19.359 and define us? Does our character change who we are? 397 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:22.960 Does our character alter our step when we step out 398 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:26.160 of line? Does our character change our course? Does our 399 00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:33.720 character define our direction? I believe with all of my 400 00:31:33.920 --> 00:31:39.880 heart that God is going to use this church to 401 00:31:40.039 --> 00:31:43.559