Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the World Changers Church Gold Coast podcast. Join us as we listen to today's message.
[00:00:06] Hey, I'm excited about today. Are you excited?
The one thing I'm excited about is if, you know, there's a-we need to pray. I'm not excited about what we need to pray for, but I'm excited about what I'm going to tell you at the end of this.
I'm excited because if everybody showed up today, we wouldn't have had no room. So praise the Lord.
[00:00:25] Amen.
[00:00:26] That's a good thing.
What I'm not excited about is that Pastor Tina is home this morning.
There is a lot happening in her life, so I'm going to take time just to pray for her and others for their family and people's well-being this morning. So Pastor Tina is fine, but she sends her love to you this morning, but she's staying at home, getting some much needed rest.
[00:00:49] Amen.
[00:00:50] And that's okay. I don't think. I think God still loves her.
Is that all right?
[00:00:56] Amen.
[00:00:57] I think God still loves her and he's okay with you, too. So. But let's pray this morning for all those that are having family needs and for all those that are having sickness in their bodies. And because we know that we fight from healing, not for healing. So let us pray. Father, we thank you this morning for your goodness, for your grace, for what you're doing in and around our lives. We thank you this morning, God, that our families, we just pray over them, that we know that we have a covenant with you and that covenant that is with us extends to their lives and that they have a covenant with you, Lord Jesus, that they are the healed of the Lord. And so, Father, I thank you right now in the name of Jesus, that our family members are whole and well and healthy. We thank you right now for all our friends and family that are needing rest, that have caught this thing called a flu bug. But let's be reminded that our bodies, all sickness and disease that touches these bodies fall off and die because we are the healed of the Lord, protected by the Lord. And so we thank you for that in Jesus name. And we all say amen.
Now, we're on part three of this unbroken series we've been talking about for, I don't know, about two or three weeks now.
Alex, you may have to go help him take it off a flashing dimmer and just get it solid.
That's going to distract me the whole time. But we've been talking about unbroken and last week we talked about embracing your freedom.
[00:02:39] Amen.
[00:02:40] This week, we're going to talk about complete in Christ.
Now, I bought this shirt because I normally don't wear white, because how many knows you wear white pants, a white shirt, they're going to get dirty. So I bought this shirt because they told me at the store, this is one of them wrinkled, stylish shirts that are meant to be wrinkly, and you apply a little bit of water to it and it'll unwrinkle itself. Well, I don't think they, you know, I don't think so.
But one of the things they said that wrinkle was stylie.
This is a fashion thing to be wearing a wrinkled shirt. Okay? This must mean a lot of people forgot to iron their clothes, and then everybody else decided they want to copy it.
Yeah, that's probably what really happened. But when I thought about this shirt, I thought about how Christ looks at us. We try and walk in life being perfect and being wrinkle free, but you apply just a little bit of Jesus to us, and those wrinkles let loose. Those problems and imperfections go away.
But the shirt is still wrinkly.
The shirt is not perfect, and neither are we. Unbroken lifestyle, embracing your freedom or being complete in Christ does not mean we're walking around being perfect. Because Christ didn't call us to perfectionism. He called us to sanctification.
[00:04:13] Amen.
[00:04:14] Now, if you don't know what the word sanctification means, sanctification means set apartheid for his purpose, meaning, I will serve no other gods, and I am your person, and you are my God. When God called the Israelites, he called them as his people, and they would have no other gods before them, and they would be God's people. Does that make sense?
So we are not called to perfectionism. We are called to God's grace. So today we're gonna look at a profound truth. We're gonna look at the fact that we are complete in Christ. I didn't say perfect in Christ. I said, we are complete in Christ. Growing daily, somebody look at your neighbor and say, I'm growing daily.
So some of you might want to look at your neighbor and say, and that's a good thing.
Okay, so as believers, as believers, our identity, our worth, our fulfillment is found in Christ alone. It's not found in how many likes we have on social media. It's not found in whether people like whether we're skinny or fat, tall or short. It's not found in the style of our clothes or how many followers we have or if we're an influencer or not, it's found in the thing that transcends the physical, the emotional and social measures. It's found in the value of our eternal life in Christ. That is unchangeable.
[00:05:39] Amen.
[00:05:40] Is that good? So the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, writes, for in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. Look at this. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in the human body. So you. Somebody say, me? So you also are complete through the union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority. Now, let's leave that up there for a second. In Christ is the fullness of God and Christ in you. In Christ, in union with Christ, means you are complete because of Christ, not because of you, not because of what you believe, not because of what you gave, not because of what you did or what you did last summer, because of Christ and Christ alone.
So for the past few weeks, because I wanted everybody to get this, I've been putting my notes on the screen. This is not how we always preach, but I want you to be able to read what I'm saying so that you can take in and survey the words that God gave me as a revelation for about 22 years now. So let's look at this a little bit further. Christ embodies the fullness of God, and through our relationship with him, we partake in divine fullness.
Do I feel full today?
I wanna embrace my freedom.
I wanna feel unbroken. I wanna feel better.
You know, the problem about feelings and the problem about the pursuit of happiness is happiness is fickle.
It's always up and down. You know, it's like, you can be happy walking out of the house, but get behind the wrong people on the M1 and you're not happy no more. Cause now you're late. Traffic jams, pay raise, pay calls, cuts, all these things. Happiness changes by the environment, but fullness is founded on the joy we have in Christ.
[00:07:48] Amen.
[00:07:49] Because joy and to rejoice is to find, is to stand firm on something eternal. Happiness can change by the environment, but joy is founded in Christ. And therefore, if I depend on my Christ like fullness, I can be joyful even when the world's not presenting me a happy environment.
[00:08:14] Amen.
[00:08:17] And I think that's the thing we look at, is we look for feeling. We look. I didn't feel the Lord. Well, because you came in looking for an experience.
You know, when you go to church and you look for an experience or you look for, you know, like, I had someone tell me one time, they said, you know, you don't have a good teen ministry. And I was like, well, okay, tell me in the Bible where it says teen ministry, I will have one and we will have one and we will do like all the churches do. But I said, if I'm coming to look for the experience or the amenities of church, am I really following Christ or am I wanting to be served instead of served?
[00:08:57] Amen.
[00:08:59] Does that make sense? I come to church to serve, not to be served. I come to church to see how I can serve my brother, to see how I can serve and serve up an offering to praise to God, a sacrifice of praise. I'm not coming to church to be entertained. This ain't the gladiator. Are you not entertained?
Amen. So what this means to have this partake of divine fullness, it means that everything we need in life, godliness and fulfillment, is found in him. We are not lacking anything spiritually because Christ has already supplied it to walk in completeness, to walk in fullness, to walk in freedom, to walk free from our emotions. Not meaning we don't have emotions, but they just don't have us.
To walk in Christ. In Christ means that I am not looking for fulfillment externally. I'm looking for fulfillment eternally, both in me in Christ and in him in heaven.
[00:10:02] Amen.
[00:10:03] This makes sense. So one of the things that we got to do today, and I'm not going to speed through my notes, is we've got to receive a revelation of completeness.
Now let's look at the word revelation. A lot of people are new Christians here.
We've had some amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing things. And people are looking for a deep thing too, at the same time. So for a moment, for us, they're eating meat. Let me help out for a second. Revelation means to reveal.
We need to receive what God has revealed to us about completeness. Does that make sense? So when I'm looking for a revelation, if I'm looking for a deeper revelation, I'm wanting God to reveal to me.
I'm wanting him to reveal to me my completeness in Christ. Now can I ask an honest question in the room for all our super saints? Because some of you can be like, I feel good all the time. Listen. And, you know, everybody's asking you when to come church. How you doing? I'm feeling good. You know, fit as a frog, happy as a June bug. I don't know. That's just hillbilly for feeling good.
But people come to church and they say, I'm fine. When they've had a hard week, people come to church, they have ailments. They say I'm good. But we're not talking about how you feel. When I ask you, are you full? Are you complete? I'm asking, are you brimming over with the goodness of God?
[00:11:32] Amen.
[00:11:34] And a lot of people, if we wanted to be honest, would say, nah, I haven't had a lot of time to spend with the Lord this week. I went to a couple Bible studies. It was an amazing experience. But I don't know if I'm feeling good. I don't know if I'm full. Well, if you're feeling down or empty, that means your inner man needs to rise up. You need to be built up in your spirit. So when we want to receive a revelation of completeness, that means that we need to recognize something in Christ.
So to be complete in Christ means recognizing and embracing the sufficiency of Jesus, work on the cross and our salvation. Stop the sufficiency.
Did we just get saved?
Hallelujah, we got saved. We had a prayer. The pastor told me, I met Jesus and I'm going to have a good day.
Does salvation just mean I'm going to heaven? No. Salvation means that my wreckage has been salvaged, reconciled and rebuilding Christ so that I am a new creation in him.
All my brokenness has been given to God and all his completeness has been given to me.
And anywhere I lack, he fills me up. Anywhere I'm weak, he gives me strength. So salvation isn't just heaven, isn't just knowing Jesus. Salvation is a complete transformation and an exchange of heavenly goods for earthly goods.
[00:13:23] Amen.
[00:13:25] That means God took my earthly goods that were worth nothing and gave me everything of himself.
And then all I got to do in response to that, listen, listen, listen, listen. All I got to do in response to that is say, you are mine, I am yours, I'm going to live for you and take on that identity that we now have in Christ.
But see, we still identify with progression, we still identify with promotion, we still identify with approval. We still identify with who likes us and who doesn't like us and what church we go to and what church we don't go to and what church family he came from before I listened to him preach. And does he have a book? I mean, come on, I'm not going to go there. So the reality is we need to stop looking at all the superficial things to equate to our salvation and we need to get below the surface and receive our identity in Christ. And it's an acceptance. Somebody say, I accept that his grace is enough.
I accept that his grace is enough to change me and that if I surrender and submit to him, I can walk in completeness.
His grace is enough. So I'm feeling blue today. I need to go talk to somebody. I need to have them encourage me, give me wisdom and tools to work with and direct me towards Christ.
Not a little pill towards Christ.
And that we are made whole through his love and redemption.
We are made whole through what? Your works, your actions, your faith, your deeds, your words? No. We're made whole through Christ's love and redemption.
[00:15:26] Amen.
[00:15:27] First Corinthians 1 and 30 confirms this. God has united you with Christ Jesus for our benefit. God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us with, made us right with God. He made us pure and holy and freed us from sin. Let's stop right there. Let's break that down. God has united you, intertwined you, mingled you, tied you to, made you a joint heir with Christ for your benefit, you know? And for our benefit, God made him to be wisdom itself. So through this revelation, we receive the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in fullness, completeness, uprightness with God.
Do you reveal that? Do you receive that today? Oh, this sounds foundational. I already know that. You may know it head knowledge, but are you living it? Heart knowledge.
See, you can know a lot of things, but you need to start living the things you know. You need to start living the things you say, because Christianity is not on a decline. Faith in God is on a decline.
Christianity is not in decline. God didn't get weaker.
[00:16:49] Amen.
[00:16:50] God didn't get weaker.
Christianity is not on a decline. Faith in Christ is on a decline.
Belief in who we are in Christ is on a decline. We started making Christ an idol and what we receive from Christ an idol, instead of making God, God and us his servants.
[00:17:12] Amen.
[00:17:13] Christ made us right with God. He made us pure and holy and freed us from sin. I do not have to do what my intrusive thoughts say.
I don't.
You ever had the spirit of slap? Come on, you.
Somebody's talking to you. And the spirit is stupid. And you get the spirit of slap.
[00:17:37] Amen.
[00:17:37] And you gonna need the Holy Spirit to counter the spirit of stupid and the spirit of slap.
[00:17:43] Amen.
[00:17:45] I'm not-you just safe to look at, son.
[00:17:49] Amen.
[00:17:52] So do we sin because of what we think, or do we sin because of how we act?
Well, Jesus said, if a man thinks it in his heart, he's already done it. If a man perceives it in his heart, he's already done it. He didn't say what a man the Bible says, as he thinks, so is he. Now, I tend to believe that once something's entered in your heart, it's become a philosophy, a way of thinking and a way of acting. You can think something that is a moment. And that's why we take every thought captive, because those thoughts can become philosophies. Those philosophies can become directions. Those directions can become actions.
[00:18:32] Amen.
[00:18:33] So when I am complete in Christ, I'm taking thoughts captive because I know that those thoughts are not of my own, they're not of his, and I can walk pure and holy in him.
So it's not about talking holy. It's about living holy, a sanctified life.
My thoughts tell me to do stuff all the time. Speed up and go around that person, eat a donut at midnight. I mean, I'm telling you, my thoughts be talking to me. Don't go to the gym, you know, you tired today? You don't have to do it. Get someone else. Do it. Your thoughts will be talking, talking, talking. The discipline or mentorship, discipleship or maturity is when you look to Christ on how to respond to. To your thoughts.
[00:19:26] Amen.
[00:19:28] We are freed from sin. And here's a greater fact.
Philippians 4 and 13 tells us, for I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Our ability to navigate life's challenges and thrive is powered by Christ's strength within us. Somebody said to me one day, they said, you got some willpower.
You've been doing this for a while. I ain't got willpower. I got surrender power.
I've just learned how to give things to God.
Why are you not freaking out that you only got, like, $10,000 in the bank account? I'm jewish. $10,000 is broke.
[00:20:12] Amen.
[00:20:13] Why are you freaking. Why aren't you freaking out? Well, because I know that God will meet all my needs according to his riches and glory. I ain't got. If he takes care of the lilies in the fields and the birds of the air, he'll take care of me. I ain't broke yet, because broke ain't a part of what God gave me.
That's why I'm unbroken. Because I don't have to fear broke. I don't have to fear what's missing. I know that whatever I lack, God will usher in and fulfill.
[00:20:38] Amen.
[00:20:40] I lack for nothing.
Most people spend most of their life fighting demons when they're fighting their thoughts.
Half the things you fight are the fact that you have not completely redeemed all areas thinking.
Because you haven't redeemed all areas of your thinking, there's unredeemed areas of your heart that are still countering the word of God. And because those areas live in you and those philosophies are fractured, the way you think, you're constantly questioning everything, and you're gaining new truths. But listen, you just can't believe what I believe. You got to get a revelation from God about you.
[00:21:19] Amen.
[00:21:21] And so if that means that I got to redeem some areas in my thinking, now, some people, I may need to unchurchify that, okay, so when I'm talking about completeness or freedom in Christ, redeemed. Okay, let's look at the word redeemed. Anybody got a voucher or a coupon before?
You know what a voucher or a coupon is?
Yes, for my coupon savers, 30% off. Buy one, get one free. You cannot get. Buy one, get one free without that voucher. Okay, so store. So when you go and you become a. I don't know, what's a Coles member? Coles Express member. You see that you have the retail price and the Coles price.
When you have members rewards, you have the non member price. Right. And you have the member price.
Right. Okay, so what the world pays for, we don't pay for anymore, because we have been redeemed for in Christ. That doesn't mean we don't still pay our bills. That doesn't mean we don't have a job. No, no. I'm talking about the way the world thinks and looks for approval. We've been redeemed from that way of thinking. We have a voucher in Christ that says, you no longer need man's approval. You're going to be prosperous because of Christ. Does that make sense? So when you have those areas that are unredeemed, that means you have not yet applied the word of God to those ways of thinking.
Does that make sense?
So as we come to the end of this series of unbroken, that doesn't mean that the study of it stops.
We have strength within us, that is in Christ.
So, Ephesians one and three reveals to us that the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Look at that word. United, union in Christ.
Now, everybody always looks at the first part. In the King James version, it says, he has blessed us with all spiritual blessings. And I used to focus on what? That we've gotten all the spiritual blessings. I used to focus and emphasize that we've been given everything in heavenly realms because of Christ. Well, if we're focused on what we receive so much, we'll forget the blesser because of the blessing.
[00:23:48] Amen.
[00:23:49] I think the church world is in struggle today because we are so focused on what we receive instead of who we already have, who gives us everything we receive.
[00:23:59] Amen.
[00:24:00] So one of the things I want to look at is because I am in union with Christ.
Because I am united with Christ.
Because I am in Christ, every spiritual blessing needed for life and godliness is given unto us in Christ, underscoring our completeness in him.
If you could realize that nothing is missing and nothing is broken in you right now, you have shalom, peace. Nothing missing. You know, when someone says, shalom be upon you, it's more than just peace. The furtherance of that word. In context, shalom means nothing missing. Nothing broken. When they say, may shalom be upon your home, may nothing be missing or nothing be broken. May Shalom be upon you. May nothing be missing. May nothing be broken, so that you may be at peace. Shalom means more than peace. Shalom means completeness.
May you be in shalom, in peace, which means you are complete. Let me explain that a little further. Am I going too deep here, guys? Is this all right? Am I going too fast? Am I going too fast? So we're compared as sheep in the Bible, right? Yeah. Now, I like when we're called eagles. Big talons, big wings. You know, stuff like that. Mount up on. But it says mount up on wings of eagles. Not that you are an eagle.
When you get in Christ, you become an eagle.
[00:25:34] Amen.
[00:25:35] But we're referenced as sheep. You know, the funny thing about sheep, they'll bite the people they love.
Just wanna let y'all know that.
But we're not gonna focus on that. But the beautiful thing about sheep, listen, is that for them to lay down in green pastures, they have to feel no threat of harm.
They have to have perfect conditions to lie down in green pastures. They have to feel protected. They have to have all the right atmosphere, the right scenery, the right music in the background are so needy.
But he says.
He says that I will give you peace. Nothing missing. Nothing broken. So that you may lie down in green pastures, that your life can be at peace.
Now, let's go a little bit further. In Psalms 23, we've been to the place. A couple of my friends have been to the place that. Where that psalm is wrote from. Now, when you I will make you lie down in green pastures. And we imagine this big green field surrounded by other green fields. No, that place in Jerusalem is surrounded by two rocky cliffs.
There is a itty bitty creek flowing through the middle of it that has a little bit of green on each side. And at the end of that is a small pasture with a small pond with greenery about the size of this parking lot.
So he brings you in from the cold, dark, rocky desert, follows you by living water, and causes you to rest by living water so that you may be at peace. When he says, I'll cause you to lie down, when he says, I'll give you completeness, when he says, I'll satisfy you, he doesn't mean that they won't be things on your right and left that will trouble you. He doesn't mean that they won't be wolves on the hills. He doesn't mean they won't be weapons formed against you. He means that no, no weapon formed against you shall prosper. Because if God be for you, who can be against you? He gives you peace because you're in him.
[00:27:54] Amen.
[00:27:55] He gives you completeness because you're in him. And the God and creator of the universe can stay back. All the things that are coming to kill you.
[00:28:08] Amen.
[00:28:09] So if you're looking for a perfect life, if your level of identification in Christ is by the persecutions or the promises you have, you have missed Christ.
[00:28:23] Amen.
[00:28:26] Our level of relationship as Christ is not by how many blessings we have or how many persecutions. We, in our revelation of Christ is because we are in him and we are blessed in heavenly realms and from heavenly realms.
[00:28:40] Amen.
[00:28:41] So society, it often pressures us to find our worth and achievements, relationships and possessions. We just talked about that. However, Colossians 3:3 says, for you died to this life.
Now, I like things.
I have money.
I have a truck. My wife has a car. Does this mean that I'm meant to have nothing?
No. This means I'm not supposed to be in love with the things of this life. It doesn't mean I won't have those things.
You are, for you have died to this life, and your real life is hidden in Christ. In God. You are pilgrims in a strange land. You're not storing up treasure for here for your sins. You're storing up treasure and legacy for the next generations.
[00:29:35] Amen.
[00:29:37] Oh, man, I could keep going. This means our true identity is grounded or rooted in him, liberating us from the world's validations and approval. My wife, she gets so nervous around new people. I love it. I used to, I think, like, maybe ten years ago, when I meet somebody, I'd worry about my first impression. I'd worry about what I was wearing, what I said. I text him, great seeing meeting you, brother. Hope we can connect and do kingdom business, you know, all those things that we do.
But if you meet me and God doesn't connect us, I'm not going home worrying about it.
I wonder if so and so likes me. I wonder if so and so is meant to be in ministry with me.
I wonder if so and so is coming to the church. I wonder if so and so is leaving the church. I'm not worried about all those things because my validation and approval is not in you, it's in him.
So if I meet you and God connects us, that's because me and you are in God, not because me and you decided to do something. If God connects us, that means we both decided to get in God and we decided to focus on our true identity, and we put ourselves aside to work for God.
[00:30:55] Amen.
[00:30:56] Is that good? Does this make sense today?
So, understanding our completeness in Christ brings profound contentment and peace. Let's look at this.
I think it's in.
Let me look at this one more time.
We got different notes. All right, let's go. For being complete in Christ doesn't mean we no longer grow. Instead, it means our growth stems from a place of security and his love, John 15 and 5, emphasizes on dependence on him. Yes, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing. Now, look at this.
Isn't this beautiful?
Does it say we won't be successful?
Does it say we're going to suffer our whole life?
It says that because we are connected to him, we will bear fruit.
Oh, we forgot a word. Much fruit. It says, you will know them by the fruit on their lives. And I look at people and they go, oh, you know, the devil's beating you up. That must mean that you don't bear fruit of the word of God. No. Let's look at how that person's responding to the problems in their life. That's the fruit. Faith is the fruit. If that person, if someone gets a diagnosis of cancer and they say, I know I'm going to be well, because I have God's report. That's the current doctor's report. I have a miracle manifesting in me.
[00:32:31] Amen.
[00:32:32] That. That is the fruit of faith. So cancer is not the fruit. The response is the fruit.
[00:32:39] Amen.
[00:32:41] If that person has been bad mouthed and backstabbed all throughout the community, yes, we need to look at their character. Yes, we need to look at their consistency. But we also need to look at, are they just a truthful person saying things that people don't like?
[00:32:54] Amen.
Amen.
[00:32:58] I mean, even stoics said that a truthful man will be the most loneliest man. You won't have very many friends when you're truthful. But the Bible tells us faithful are the wounds of a friend.
I don't want a friend that's just going to make me feel good. I want a friend that's going to lead me to stay connected to the branch so I bear much fruit in Jesus.
[00:33:20] Amen.
[00:33:20] Don't make me feel good. Give me a revelation.
So understanding our completeness in Christ brings confound contentment and peace. Because two, Peter one, three reminds us, by divine power, somebody say, by divine power, that means by God. God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. Our spiritual life in Christ becomes source of all of our lasting peace.
Now let's look at this for a second.
I hope you catch bits and pieces of this and something speaks to you throughout this whole message.
The emphasis is, by his power, you have everything you need to live a godly life. You know what I used to say?
I used to say, if I'd have been born in a different family or if I'd have been born with money, I could have done more.
I found that out not to be. I found that not to be true. Later on, because I came from poor. I bought the r and then God gave me rich.
[00:34:28] Amen.
[00:34:30] I came from poor, couldn't afford oodles and noodles with hot dogs or as you call them, snags. I couldn't even. I couldn't even afford a can of tuna I could buy. I could get a loaf of bread and maybe put some butter on it. And God took me from pole to poor and made me rich, wealthy. And now given me the ability to leave a legacy.
It's not about where you come from or what you were born in. It's about what you believe and who you believe in.
[00:34:56] Amen.
[00:34:59] I believe in Christ.
When Christ is your source, not people's approval. When Christ is your source, not the size of your house. When Christ is your source, not what people think about you. Listen, you ain't going to make everybody happy. You're going to make somebody madden.
[00:35:14] Amen.
[00:35:16] Christ is your everlasting peace because he's given you nothing missing, nothing broken.
[00:35:24] Amen.
[00:35:26] So, pastor, why do I still feel bad?
Pastor, why do I still get attacked by demons?
Pastor, why do I get depressed?
Pastor, why do I go through things?
Well, the reality is, is that you're part of a falling world and life is still happening from a fallen world, and you're going to be. Unfortunately, you might get traumatized. You might even. You know that the word triggered wasn't even a word until, like, four or five years ago.
You know, you might even get triggered. I just called that getting angry, you know?
Any kids in here? We got kids, a little baby. Yeah, we got kids that can repeat the words I say, so, amen. So I just called that getting angry. I just called that getting upset, but now it's getting triggered. You hurt my feelings, and I'm going to have to go have a session with my doctor.
Was that low? That was a little low.
Listen, I make that joke because I was that guy. Amen. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I have PTSI. That means I have an injury, not a disability.
[00:36:40] Amen.
[00:36:41] Paddy gave me that one. Appreciate you, Paddy.
[00:36:43] Amen.
[00:36:44] And so the reality is, is that when I was diagnosed, I'd get upset. And I have to call my sponsor, and I have to do this and that. And then one day, this Christian counselor-listen and-listen to word Christian counselor. He was in Christ.
[00:36:57] You ready?
[00:36:58] This Christian counselor who was in Christ said to me, you have all that you need in Christ Jesus to move forward. You just got to move past what you've done and move in what he's done.
You got to move past what you've done and move in what he's done.
[00:37:21] Amen.
[00:37:23] And I thought for a second, and I got up, my countenance changed. He looked at me, Dr. Green, and name like Dr. Green. I guess he's making some money in America.
[00:37:33] Amen.
[00:37:34] He looked at me, said, you all right? I said, I don't think I'm coming back.
And he goes, did I do something wrong? I said, no. You said everything right. I don't need to keep coming. I don't need to keep coming and telling you all my problems. I got to move past what I've done and move in what Christ has done.
So I just didn't get this revelation because I thought about it one day and I thought it'd be a good message, a little sermonette over 22 years ago, over 22 years ago, trying to move past the things I'd done in my life before Christ, I decided that I needed to move in Christ, not in me.
[00:38:20] Amen.
[00:38:25] So.
So being complete in Christ is a transformative realization.
Come on, son. We're going to be here for a minute, so play something good.
[00:38:41] Amen.
[00:38:42] So being in Christ means I'm in transition. I'm in transformation.
I have not arrived, but I surely have left.
[00:38:54] Amen.
[00:38:56] And I think that means is that for me, I'm no longer sitting in who I was.
I'm moving towards who I am in Christ.
And every day brings a new revelation of who I am. And every time I get with believers that are speaking the deepness of the Lord, the deep calls the deep.
I'm past the superficial, you know, even our milky words here are a little deep and, you know, but that's not because we're better than everybody. Our job description is the equipping of the saints. See, one church's job description may be to get them saved and get them on their journey. And then they come here and my job is to equip them and mature them and get them ready to go out and minister and someone else's job made to be established ministry with them. We look at churches and think, this church, that church, that's because of our worldly perspective of consumerism. I have a job description and a calling to identify the anointing on people's lives, to equip them, to mature them, to walk in life successfully, and to send them out to do God's word.
There's people in here that have a calling to plant seed. There's people in here that have a calling to water the soul. And there's people in here that have a calling to harvest and to see people saved.
So yes, we may be a fully equipped church, but that doesn't make us better.
That just makes us currently following Christ.
[00:40:37] Amen.
[00:40:38] So I'm in transformation.
I'm in transition. And that shifts my perspective from seeking fulfillment in a transient thing, to rest in an eternal thing.
Life is full of transitions.
Life is full of ebb and flows. But I'm resting in the fact if I have an eternal God that will complete the work that he started in the me.
[00:41:05] Amen.
[00:41:07] I have a state of being and a continual journey of faith. That has dependence on God.
And so me too. Me too, you too. We have a responsibility that we have not arrived yet. Because the day that we arrived, the Bible says, is when we take off this corruptible seed, this mortal body, and put on immortality.
I don't care how much you know, you have not arrived.
I don't care how much you've studied, you have not arrived. I don't care how old you are, you have not arrived. I don't care how many prophecies you get, you have not arrived. We're all still on a journey together to a destination that is in Christ.
So no matter what the world tells you, no matter the circumstances we face, the divine completeness anchors us.
So I make my last point. Your storm of your life may be raging. It's time to stop rowing against.
[00:42:08] The.
[00:42:08] Tide, and it's time to pull the oars in and throw the anchor down and trust God.
And trust God for this storm to end. A lot of times we get in a storm and we're just trying to get out of it, and we're just rowing and rowing and rowing. My completeness is not in my strengthen. My completeness is not finishing this or doing that. My completeness is sometimes pulling the oar in and throwing the anchor down. I'm reminded of Jesus was asleep in the belly of the boat when the greatest storm was hitting. The disciples as they were crossing a body of water and they frantically came down and said, master, master, you not care for our lives? And he said, o ye of little faith, and told the storm to peace. Be still. The same God that raised Jesus from the dead is the same God that lives in you, the same authority that you have. Pull your oars in, stop trying it with self effort and start resting in God's ability in you.
[00:43:12] Amen. Amen.
[00:43:18] That word. Amen. Everybody ever wondered what amen means? Raise your hand. Anybody not know what amen means? All right, raise your hand. Cool. You know what amen means? So be it.
So be it. When you say amen at the end of prayer, you're saying, so be it. When someone agrees with your prayer, they're saying, so be it. That's like a stamp. I'm adding my faith to your faith. When I say amen, when we say amen at the end of a sermon, we're saying, so be it. Maybe we should start saying, so be it. That'd be a little strange. That might freak some people out. So be it. But that's what we're doing.
So let's live boldly let's live joyfully.
Let's live purposefully, knowing that in Christ we lack nothing.
[00:44:08] Amen.
[00:44:16] Now, this isn't about me preaching a good sermon and you saying my pastor preached today, because half of you say, my pastor preached today, but won't remember what I talked about.
I'm just kidding. Y'all don't do that. Y'all know every word. But that's why we put it up on podcast, so you can listen back to it. If you didn't, if you missed the past two sermons, you can go back and listen. But before I jump in all that stuff, can we bow our heads and close our eyes?
I heard we had a salvation today during worship. Come on, give the Lord a hand clap of praise.
In the past two weeks, we've had somewhere around ten salvations.
[00:45:01] Amen.
[00:45:02] By various people in the church because we've empowered people to minister.
It's not just about me. We are a plurality of ministers here.
But this morning, if every head bowed and every eye closed, I just want to ask you a simple question. Now, if you've received salvation and you know that you know that you know and someone's led you in that prayer, you are saved. You're redeemed to the day of redemption. But maybe you are here today and you don't know the Lord Jesus. Can you raise your hand and say, I'd like to know him. I want to know that I know him, that I know. That I know.
[00:45:33] Amen.
[00:45:36] Thank you for the hands.
Praise God this morning, if maybe like me, that one time in a sermon, my heart was pounding and I said, well, if he just asks one more time, I'll raise my hand. I'm going to do that. But it's not pressure on you. It's just. So if you're asking that question, you can know that God hears your prayer. If you just want to accept him in your life right now, every head bowed, every eye closed, you want to receive Jesus Christ as your lord and savior. Can you raise your hand?
Amen.
Amen.
Amen.
For those of you raised your hand, we want you to meet with Patty or Jeremy or Claire after service to confirm. But we're going to pray with you right now.
We do this every time someone raise their hand for salvation. Because we once prayed this prayer. We're not going to bring you up to the front. We're not going to embarrass you. We're not going to make it an event. We're going to make it a family thing, because you're a part of a family now. So pray this prayer with me. Lord Jesus, I receive you as my lord and savior.
I confess that I need you for forgiveness of my sins and to walk in completeness, in freedom, in security, in hope and joy in you for all the days of my life.
And we all say amen. Give the Lord a hand clap of praise.
We've had a salvation for just about every week. And you know, when you have seasons when that's not happening, you're just so blessed when it is happening. Cause that's what we're here for. We're not here for our great children's church or our teen ministry or our young adults or our bible studies or connect groups. We're here so that people can get the revelation that is Christ.
So I'm gonna ask for one more prayer. Thought if you haven't. Every head bowed and every eye closed, if you haven't been walking in completeness, if you've been walking in some form of justice, I don't feel full.
Please, every head bow, every eye closed here.
Can you just lift your hands so I can pray for you? Amen. Thank you for the hands. Thank you for the hands. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the hands. You may put your hands down now, folks, that's quite a few people that have raised their hands.
So we have a responsibility to pray this week for our brothers and sisters in Christ. But let's pray now. Father, you don't have to repeat after me. You can pray your own prayer. Father, we just thank you for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for their families. We pray for their businesses. We pray for their relationships. And we pray that in this day, all their needs will be met in Christ Jesus.
We pray that in the name of the Lord that all things be made whole in their lives, and that they walk in fullness, peace, and serenity in you and continue to receive that revelation, that in Christ I have all that I need, that I have an open heaven before me to be able to not beg, but to receive from God what is already mine because I am a joint heir with Jesus. May we walk in fullness, joy and hope. And, Father, may we pray this week with a fervent prayer, not just an empty prayer, but a prayer, lord, to know that we are interceding on the behalf of our brothers and sisters. It's in Jesus name we pray and we all say amen.
Come on, you can give the Lord a hand clap of praise.
Amen.
[00:49:32] I thank you for tuning in to today's message. To connect or find out more, you can reach us online at worldchangers.life. Remember to subscribe for more uplifting messages from our pastoral team, and may you continue to walk in faith and transformation until we meet again.
