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The Vision Needs A Vehicle | Pastor Trev Evans · Koinonia Christian Center

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  Come on, let's grab our Bibles as we get
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  ready to go into the word of God today.
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  And we're going to make our confession.
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  Whether you have a paper Bible,
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  electronic Bible, cell phone, tablet,
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  whatever you have, you hold it up. If
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  it's the Bible with the praying hands on
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  it, just two hands, hold it up. There
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  you go. Yeah. Come on. Say, "This is my
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  Bible.
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  >> It is God's word.
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  >> It reveals to me.
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  >> It reveals to me
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  >> God's will.
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  >> Therefore,
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  >> therefore,
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  >> it's the final authority.
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  to which I submit
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  >> which I submit
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  >> to settle all the issues
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  >> all the
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  >> of my life
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  >> of my conduct
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  >> it's the standard
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  >> the standard
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  >> of my conduct
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  >> of my
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  >> and the basis
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  >> of all my expectations all
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  >> shout it out I am
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  >> I am
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  >> what it says I am
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  >> it says
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  >> I possess
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  >> what it says I possess
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  >> and I can do
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  >> I am
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  >> absolutely everything
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  >> absolutely
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  >> it says I can do
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  >> it says
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  >> I'm a believer
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  >> not a doubter
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  >> not a doubter I'm a doer.
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  >> I'm a doer.
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  >> Not just a hearer.
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  >> And my life
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  >> my everyday life
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  >> My everyday life
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  >> is the better.
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  >> Is the better.
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  >> After having heard
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  >> the word of faith.
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  >> Word of faith.
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  >> Faith comes by hearing
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  >> faith comes by
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  >> and hearing
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  >> and hearing by
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  >> the word of God.
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  >> Let's rise.
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  >> You may be seated in the presence of the
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  Lord.
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  Amen.
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  Go with me to First Corinthians chapter
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  15.
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  First Corinthians, we gonna make this
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  switch. Yeah, boy. Nobody like the sound
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  ministry. I love y'all. Yeah. First
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  Corinthians chapter 15.
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  >> Verse 58.
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  >> 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 58. Talk
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  Bible.
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  >> Yes, sir. I I'm going to I want to read
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  it out of the NIV, but but I just can't
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  skip over in and without reading it in
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  the King James first. Just something
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  about
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  >> reading it in the King James just
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  quicken your spirit.
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  It says, "Therefore, my beloved
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  brethren,
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  >> be ye steadfast,
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  unmoved." Do you remember that used to
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  tear the church up? You hardly get
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  through unmovable FOR HEY, BE GONE IN.
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  My God. Therefore, my beloved brethren,
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  be ye steadfast,
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  >> unmovable,
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  always abounding in the work of the
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  Lord. For as much as you know that your
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  labor is not in vain
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  >> in the Lord.
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  >> Uh let's read it out of NIV for the new
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  school in the house. It says,
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  "Therefore, my dear brothers and
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  sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move
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  you.
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  >> Always give yourselves fully to the work
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  of the Lord because you know that your
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  labor in the Lord is not in vain."
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  I want to talk to us from the subject
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  today that the vision needs a vehicle.
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  >> That the vision
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  >> needs a vehicle. Just tell your neighbor
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  real quick. Say the vision.
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  >> The vision
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  >> needs a vehicle.
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  >> Needs a vehicle.
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  >> Turn to the other one. Say the vision.
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  >> The vision
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  >> needs a vehicle.
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  >> Needs a vehicle.
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  >> Yeah.
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  >> What an absolutely amazing vision Sunday
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  we had last week.
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  I mean, absolutely amazing. From the
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  beautiful vision builder, shout out to
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  our creative team. Amen.
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  >> To the presentation to all those who
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  dressed up to make the experience what
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  it was. And my apologies for not
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  explaining while we were in suits
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  because many thought we were the Blues
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  Brothers.
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  Thank God for Bishop on the senior call
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  straightening it out for the seniors
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  that it was the men in black. That's
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  what we were going for.
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  Last week we talked about our theme is
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  kingdom identity.
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  >> And we said that kingdom identity uh
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  when we say that we are talking about
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  the distinguishing traits that define
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  our worth, our purpose and our
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  belonging. And these things derive
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  solely from our relationship with Jesus.
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  >> Yeah. We are learning who we are in
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  Jesus and who we are as a local church.
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  Amen.
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  >> We have heard the vision and we have
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  also heard and can catch this. I need
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  you to catch how we're saying it. We
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  heard our kingdom assignments.
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  >> We listed them in the vision builder as
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  goals, but I need us to catch it. That
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  we heard our kingdom assignment.
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  >> Yeah. Our assignment is that we want to
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  see more than 100 life group and
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  disciplehip group leaders.
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  >> Yeah. We want to see more than 500 first
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  and second time guests.
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  We will see more than 700 people give
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  their lives to Jesus.
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  >> And we will raise more than $600,000
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  toward our outreach.
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  >> Amen. That is our assignment.
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  >> But I need you to hear the truth that we
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  must face today.
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  That a vision without a vehicle is only
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  a daydream.
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  >> A vision
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  without a vehicle
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  >> is only a daydream.
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  It's not enough to simply hear the
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  vision.
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  >> We cannot just nod our heads at the idea
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  that found people find people.
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  >> Yeah. We cannot just agree in theory
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  that God's people give. There must be a
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  response.
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  My first line, if y'all would give it to
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  me, the vision is only brought to pass
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  in the vehicle of my personal
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  commitment.
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  >> That's what that's what that's the
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  bullseye for today.
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  >> Is that the vision is only brought to
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  pass in the vehicle of my personal
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  commitment.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Understand? When we say commitment,
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  commitment is the individual taking up
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  of your specific part of the vision to
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  help it come to pass.
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  >> Yeah. Yeah. A a commitment when we talk
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  about the vehicle of commitment,
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  commitment is the individual taking up
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  your specific part.
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  >> See, this is this is specific. This is
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  not a generality. You and I cannot just
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  clap last week and not commit this week.
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  Amen.
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  >> There is a part that you and I must take
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  up specifically.
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  >> That's why we have commitment cards
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  because we want to be specific.
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  >> Yeah. We we want to how much are we
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  planning to give toward resurrection
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  seed?
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  >> We want to be specific.
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  >> Who am I going to witness to in THE NEXT
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  30 DAYS? WE WANT TO be specific.
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  >> Yeah. Because what commitment is is the
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  spec is is when I specifically take up
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  my part. I'm not going to have you touch
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  your neighbor the whole time, but just
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  at least bump it one time. Say, "You got
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  a part to play."
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  >> Yeah. Commitment is the individual
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  taking up of your specific part of the
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  vision to help it come to pass.
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  >> Oh, this this this this this my
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  definition right here. Give Give me my
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  next definition. My third give me my
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  third slide. My third slide.
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  Uh-huh. Catch this. Commitment is the
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  stubborn refusal to let your feelings
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  dictate your faithfulness.
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  >> Yeah, that's right.
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  >> Commitment is the I refuse.
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  >> See, STUBBORNNESS IS SOMETIMES LOOKED AT
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  AS A NEGATIVE THING. But when IT COMES
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  TO MY COMMITMENT, I NEED TO BE STUBBORN.
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  >> OH, SEE, some people are stubborn about
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  where they sit on Sunday. YOU WON'T EVEN
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  SLIDE DOWN WHEN USHER ASK YOU TO SLIDE
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  DOWN. I need you to have that kind OF
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  STICK TUITIVENESS TO THE VISION, NOT TO
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  A SEAT.
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  >> YEAH. YEAH. WE NEED TO HAVE THAT KIND OF
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  STUBBORNNESS
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  THAT I DON'T CARE IF IT IS RAINING
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  OUTSIDE,
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  >> I'mma be on post.
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  My commitment is the stubborn refusal to
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  let my feelings
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  let my dictate how fateful I'm going to
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  be.
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  >> See, it is deciding today. Oh, I love
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  this. What you will do tomorrow,
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  regardless of how you feel when tomorrow
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  comes.
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  >> It it is DECIDING TODAY. I make a
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  decision today
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  >> on what I will do tomorrow,
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  >> regardless of how you feel when tomorrow
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  comes.
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  >> Oh, Jeff, I can't tell you how many
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  times I remain committed to the gym
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  >> until I got sore.
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  >> NO, NO. SEE, BECAUSE IT IS IT IS
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  necessary for us to to pause to make a
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  commitment
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  >> because again, it's not enough for us to
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  just look at the vision builder. IT'S
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  NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO JUST hear the
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  vision. IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO CLAP
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  FOR THE UNTO HIM OUTREACH CENTER. YOU
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  AND I MUST make a commitment.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Yeah.
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  My commitment says that I'm not just a
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  spectator, but I'm a participant.
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  Now, I hear some OF YOU SAY, "NOW, WHY
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  WHY DOES COMMITMENT MATTER? Why why why
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  does commitment even matter?" We must
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  first understand what commitment really
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  looks like from the lens of scripture to
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  see why it matters.
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  >> Yeah. See, because in the day in which
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  we live, our commitments only last as
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  long as it's convenient.
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  >> I remember SAYING, "I'M I'MMA START THIS
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  YEAR. I'MMA EAT RIGHT." And I was
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  committed until the pizza showed up.
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  >> I was committed. I'm gonna start running
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  just as sure. And then I was committed
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  until I got up and saw it was 19°
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  outside.
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  You and I must be committed. And see, we
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  have to look at what commitment is
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  through the Bible. Turn with me to
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  Psalms chapter 15 verse 4.
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  Psalm 15:4
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  speaks of biblical commitment. It speaks
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  to persevering over challenges.
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  >> Psalms 15.
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  Yes, Lord. Talk Bible. Psalms 15 verse4
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  is where we're going. But let me let me
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  just read let me start at verse one
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  because here uh David is describing what
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  a righteous person looks like. It says,
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  "Lord, who may abide in your tabernacle?
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  Who may dwell in your holy hill? He who
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  walks uprightly and works righteousness
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  and speaks the truth in his heart. He
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  who does not backbite, my God, with his
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  tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor,
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  nor does he take up a reproach against
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  his friend." Verse four, in whose eyes a
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  vow person is despised, but he honors
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  those who fear the Lord. He who swears
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  to his own hurt and does not change.
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  >> THAT THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE BIBLE
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  CALLS a commitment that I'M GOING TO
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  STICK to what I said even if it hurts.
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  >> I'm going to STICK TO WHAT I SAID even
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  when it's not convenient.
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  >> Yeah. See the the the Bible, this is the
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  biblical standard of what it means to be
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  committed. It means that when we say
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  save people, serve, we serve even when
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  we're tired.
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  >> Yeah. If I serve on parking ministry,
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  I'M NOT CHECKING THE WEATHER to see if
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  I'm going to come today.
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  >> When we say growing people change, it
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  means that I commit to whatever the
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  process is that's going to cause me to
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  change and I don't quit when it gets
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  challenging.
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  Understand that commitment is not about
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  the initial excitement of the start.
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  >> Thank you, Lord. But it's about the
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  integrity of the stay.
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  >> Commitment is not about the initial
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  excitement of the start, but it's about
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  the integrity of the stay. We see it in
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  marriage.
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  >> Everybody can get anybody can get
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  excited about the start of the wedding.
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  >> Oh, and we should. IT'S A CELEBRATION.
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  AND I get it. But but YOU AND I CANNOT
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  JUST be excited about the start of the
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  wedding. We must be interested in and
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  committed to and invested in the stay of
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  the marriage.
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  >> Boy, the claps just faded. My god.
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  Why? Why? Why making a commitment is
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  necessary?
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  Who do I need to make a a formal why?
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  Why do I need to make a formal
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  commitment? Can't I just go with the
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  flow?
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  Can I just do as I feel? Like, do I
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  really have to make a commit? Do I
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  really have to say how much I'm gonna
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  give? Can I just Can I just, you know,
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  see what it look like in April?
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  There's two reasons why you could do
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  that, but I want to give you two reasons
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  why you shouldn't do that. Number one,
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  the reason why you should make a
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  commitment is is because commitment
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  creates stability.
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  >> Yeah. Commitment creates stability.
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  James chapter 1 vers8, write it down. It
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  says that a double-minded man,
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  >> is unstable in all of his ways. That
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  when you and I don't make a commitment,
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  we live in a state of double-mindedness.
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  >> Amen.
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  >> Yeah. I I I can remember Caleb uh
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  putting up uh a a tent one time and uh I
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  put the tent up, got all the stuff
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  together, got it put up, and it took a
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  little work. Now, you know, I'm I was a
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  Boy Scout, but it took me a little work
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  to put the tent up. And I was happy
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  about putting the tent up. And I put it
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  up and I went in the house.
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  THEN I CAME BACK out
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  and the tent was across the yard.
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  CALEB, I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT, BUT THERE
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  WAS SOMETHING IN THE BAG THAT WAS STILL
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  JINGLING. AND I'M ADMIT TO YOU, I'M NOT
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  ALWAYS THE ONE THAT'S GOING to read all
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  the directions.
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  See, I can admit that cuz there's too
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  many of us in here.
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  >> SO, THE BAG WAS JINGLING, CALEB.
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  >> Cuz I put the tent up, but I didn't put
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  any stakes down.
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  >> THE TENT WAS UP. I COULD GO IN IT, BUT I
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  DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING DOWN TO HOLD it when
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  the winds blow.
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  I DIDN'T PUT NOTHING DOWN TO HOLD IT
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  WHEN I WOULDN'T FEEL LIKE GOING.
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  >> I DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING DOWN TO HOLD IT
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  WHEN SOMEBODY WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO ME
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  SIDEWAYS AND I DIDN'T SHOW UP FOR THREE
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  MORE MONTHS.
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  >> MY COMMITMENT CREATES STABILITY. IT
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  CAUSED ME TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN.
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  >> I'm not I'm not I'm NOT GOING TO JUST
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  SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN APRIL. I'M
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  GOING TO COMMIT IN JANUARY what I'm
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  going to give in April.
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  I'M GOING TO PUT SOMETHING DOWN THERE TO
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  SAY I'M I'M NOT I'M I'M not just going
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  to, you know, just come to church and
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  get be the first one here, last one to
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  leave. No, I'm going to sign up for a
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  ministry.
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  >> I'm going to put something down.
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  >> So, why? Because commitment creates
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  stability.
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  >> All of us know people who don't commit
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  to anything
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  >> and you couldn't trust them with
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  anything. Amen.
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  >> See, because this, SEE, IF IT WAS JUST
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  ONE AREA that it stayed in,
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  >> then it would be one thing. BUT BUT A
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  LACK OF COMMITMENT bleeds
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  >> into other areas.
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  >> NOT ONLY AM I NOT COMMITTED in the
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  kingdom, BUT IF IT IT'LL BEGIN TO SHOW
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  UP IN HOW I KEEP MY WORD AT WORK,
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  >> it begin TO SHOW UP HOW I KEEP MY WORD
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  TO MY FAMILY.
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  >> I have to commit. K.
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  >> Why? Because it creates stability.
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  >> Yeah. Secondly, secondly, why why do I
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  need to commit? I need to commit because
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  God is committed to us.
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  >> No, I I need I need to commit because
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  God is committed to us. UNDERSTAND
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  SOMETHING. OUR KINGDOM identity is
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  derived solely from our relationship
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  with Jesus.
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  >> And that relationship is based on God's
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  unwavering commitment to us.
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  Write down Deuteronomy chapter 7:E9
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  because it talks about how God is
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  committed to keeping his covenant to a
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  thousand generations.
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  >> If God is committed to keeping his
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  covenant to us,
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  the Bible says in Ephesians 5 that we
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  ought to be imitators of God. Yes.
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  >> HOW CAN I BE? HOW CAN I SERVE A God who
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  keeps his word to a thousand generations
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  >> and I say that I'm following him
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  >> but I have all these have commitments in
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  my life or no commitments at all
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  >> THAT NOBODY CAN DEPEND ON ME
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  >> BUT I SAY I FOLLOW HIM
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  >> WHO is faithful AND JUST. WE SHOUT about
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  that. HE MAY NOT COME WHEN YOU WANT HIM,
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  BUT HE'S ALWAYS,
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  >> but we won't even sign up to serve for a
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  ministry.
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  >> Now, come on, y'all. Ain't nobody ain't
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  nobody mad. Ain't no say ain't nobody
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  mad but the devil.
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  >> This is not throwing rocks. This is just
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  a moment for us to look at ourselves and
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  evaluate and say, "Hey, where am I in
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  this thing?"
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  You and I must commit to God. You and I
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  must be committed to God.
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  >> Understand something. If our identity
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  comes from him and he is a God of
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  commitment, then we cannot claim kingdom
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  identity while living our lives with
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  casual commitments.
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  >> That's right.
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  >> Because everybody matters to God. God,
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  catch this. God has committed everything
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  to us
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  >> because everybody matters to God. He has
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  committed everything to us to make sure
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  that don't you know that we have been
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  given the ministry
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  >> of reconciliation
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  >> THAT GOD LOVES EVERYBODY SO MUCH THAT HE
• 18:44
  IS COMMITTED TO US
• 18:45
  >> going to tell others about the love that
• 18:48
  he has.
• 18:50
  >> YOU AND I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE A CASUAL
• 18:52
  COMMITMENT BECAUSE ETERNITY hangs in the
• 18:54
  balance.
• 18:56
  Yes.
• 18:59
  >> You mean to tell me that I'm not going
• 19:01
  to come to church BECAUSE I GOT FAMILY
• 19:04
  COMING INTO TOWN.
• 19:06
  >> NOW, BISHOP ALWAYS THEY THEY KNOW YOU GO
• 19:08
  TO CHURCH.
• 19:11
  >> NOW, if y'all going to come to town, you
• 19:12
  just come at 1:00. I'LL MEET YOU AT
• 19:13
  CRACKER BARREL. But you know WHAT I DO.
• 19:17
  >> YOU KNOW MY COMMITMENTS.
• 19:21
  Here's
• 19:25
  here's my my other statement.
• 19:27
  I'll repeat this statement. The vision
• 19:29
  is only brought to pass in the vehicle
• 19:32
  of my personal commitment.
• 19:35
  So let's take a moment and look at what
• 19:38
  what are the things that challenge our
• 19:40
  commitment?
• 19:41
  What are some of the things that
• 19:42
  challenge our commitment? See, because
• 19:44
  we have to take a minute minute and go
• 19:45
  here because if commitments were easy,
• 19:48
  everybody would do them.
• 19:52
  No, no. We we we have to take a minute
• 19:53
  and look at this because you and I, we
• 19:57
  we know that as soon as you complete
• 19:59
  your commitment card,
• 20:01
  >> JU JUST AS SOON AS YOU MAKE YOUR VOW to
• 20:05
  what it is you say you going to do,
• 20:07
  resistance is going to come.
• 20:10
  >> Now, I hear some of you see that why I
• 20:12
  don't commit right there. See, cuz that
• 20:13
  bring all that kind of stuff. No.
• 20:20
  No, I I I I would rather make a
• 20:23
  commitment and fight through the
• 20:25
  resistance than spend MY WHOLE LIFE NOT
• 20:28
  BEING COMMITTED TO ANYTHING.
• 20:31
  >> And it bleeds and caused me to be a
• 20:33
  person that can't be depended on.
• 20:40
  >> Challenges. Let's take a moment and look
• 20:42
  at some of the challenges that that try
• 20:44
  to kill our commitment. My God.
• 20:46
  >> Yeah. Challenge number one is the
• 20:49
  challenge of distraction.
• 20:52
  >> Yeah. Distraction. See, understand
• 20:54
  something. This is the good thing.
• 20:57
  >> Yeah. See, distractions are not
• 20:58
  inherently bad. They often involve
• 21:01
  things that are good or appealing, but
• 21:04
  misalign with our priorities.
• 21:09
  >> See, understand something. I I'll say it
• 21:11
  again. I'll say it again. Distractions
• 21:13
  are not bad with in and of themselves,
• 21:16
  >> but they often involve things that are
• 21:19
  good or appealing, but they don't align
• 21:22
  with our priorities.
• 21:24
  >> So, you understand something? A
• 21:25
  three-piece Supreme from Bojangles
• 21:28
  >> with a Mountain Dew with light ice,
• 21:30
  barbecue, and hot sauce on the side.
• 21:34
  It's not inherently bad,
• 21:37
  >> but it it it's not good for me if my
• 21:40
  priority is to get my health together
• 21:42
  and to drop a few pounds.
• 21:48
  >> Yeah. See, sometimes it's not the sin
• 21:51
  that kills commitment.
• 21:54
  >> NO, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT THE SIN. NOW,
• 21:56
  THAT SIN CAN KILL COMMITMENT,
• 21:58
  >> but sometimes IN OUR LIVES, IT'S NOT THE
• 22:00
  SIN that kills commitment.
• 22:02
  Sometimes, Lord help me through here.
• 22:04
  Sometimes success.
• 22:10
  >> YES. THERE SOMETIMES IT'S SUCCESS. YOU
• 22:11
  GET THAT PROMOTION AND NOW NOW YOU CAN'T
• 22:13
  COME TO CHURCH at all on a Sunday.
• 22:21
  >> I hear some of y'all right now. See,
• 22:23
  people will pull up a a word when they
• 22:25
  trying to trying to, you know, defend
• 22:27
  what it is. Didn't bishop say we
• 22:30
  supposed to be dy placed
• 22:36
  >> and you should be duly placed.
• 22:38
  >> What this message is asking you to do is
• 22:40
  to make sure that your foot is still in
• 22:42
  the church realm as well as
• 22:45
  >> that's right.
• 22:47
  >> See, BECAUSE GOOD THINGS CAN CAUSE US TO
• 22:49
  LIFT OUR WEIGHT AND BEFORE WE KNOW IT,
• 22:52
  WE NO LONGER HAVE THE FOOT IN THE CHURCH
• 22:54
  ANYMORE.
• 22:56
  >> That's right. I UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF
• 22:58
  MY WEIGHT MAY BE IN THE SECULAR IN WHAT
• 23:00
  I DO, BUT I STILL NEED TO HAVE SOME TO
• 23:02
  SOME SORT OF TOUCH POINT IN MY LOCAL
• 23:05
  CHURCH.
• 23:10
  >> DISTRACTIONS,
• 23:12
  >> DISTRACTIONS, the things that can pull
• 23:14
  us away. THAT WORD DISTRACT MEANS TO
• 23:16
  PULL US AWAY. Write down Luke 8:14.
• 23:19
  Because Jesus warns us of the worries of
• 23:23
  life, the riches and the pleasures that
• 23:25
  will come to try to pull us away.
• 23:28
  When something distracts you, the word
• 23:31
  distract at its core means to pull your
• 23:33
  attention away from what it is you
• 23:35
  should be focusing on.
• 23:37
  >> It's the act of being pulled in multiple
• 23:40
  directions, which can lead to a loss of
• 23:42
  focus on what really matters.
• 23:46
  When I get distracted, I GET PULLED
• 23:49
  AWAY.
• 23:52
  >> I get I GET PULLED AWAY FROM MY
• 23:54
  COMMITMENT TO SERVE.
• 23:56
  >> I GET PULLED AWAY FROM MY COMMITMENT TO
• 23:58
  GIVE.
• 23:59
  >> I GET SO DISTRACTED WITH WHAT IS GOING
• 24:01
  ON THAT I LOOK UP AND I HAVEN'T INVITED
• 24:03
  ANYBODY TO CHURCH.
• 24:07
  >> I CAN GET SO DISTRACTED. BUT CATCH THIS.
• 24:09
  NOT BAD THINGS,
• 24:12
  >> good things,
• 24:14
  great things, PHENOMENAL THINGS, BUT YOU
• 24:18
  AND I MUST RUN A CHECK on the things in
• 24:20
  our lives
• 24:21
  >> to make sure that they're not
• 24:23
  distractions.
• 24:25
  >> Yeah. Commitment killer. Number one is
• 24:27
  distraction. Number two, the second
• 24:29
  commitment killer
• 24:31
  is the challenge of discouragement.
• 24:35
  >> These are hard things. Yeah.
• 24:39
  >> See, that's that's when you invite
• 24:40
  somebody to church and they reject it.
• 24:45
  >> You've been praying and getting up the
• 24:46
  courage and say, "You know what?
• 24:49
  I want to invite them this week." And
• 24:51
  you invite them and they almost come out
• 24:53
  the bag on you.
• 24:56
  And then if you're not careful what you
• 24:57
  say, you know what? See, that's right
• 24:58
  there. Right there. That's why I don't
• 24:59
  even talk to people right now. That's
• 25:00
  why I don't invite them. Right there.
• 25:02
  and you will allow discouragement
• 25:05
  >> to keep you from being committed
• 25:08
  >> because you ran up on a hard thing.
• 25:11
  >> Yeah. Some some of you have made THE
• 25:13
  COMMITMENT. YOU SAY, "YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M
• 25:14
  GOING I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS YEAR. It's
• 25:16
  been kind of shaky, but I'm I'm going to
• 25:17
  give. I'm going to give. I'm starting
• 25:19
  out. I'm tithing and I'm giving."
• 25:21
  >> Giving my offering. It ain't all like
• 25:23
  what I want it to be, but but but I'm
• 25:25
  giving something.
• 25:26
  >> PUT A LITTLE SOMETHING IN PASTOR'S
• 25:27
  OFFERING. I'M DOING IT.
• 25:29
  >> AND THEN AS SOON AS YOU START DOING IT,
• 25:32
  Here comes A LITTLE DISCOURAGEMENT. A
• 25:34
  HARD thing comes.
• 25:36
  >> That tire had been hadn't gone flat and
• 25:39
  in two years.
• 25:41
  >> IT'S BEEN BALD FOR FOR 18 MONTHS, BUT IT
• 25:44
  AIN'T GONE FLAT.
• 25:52
  AS SOON AS YOU MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT,
• 25:56
  >> the tire goes flat. And if YOU'RE AND I
• 25:59
  NOT CAREFUL, WE'LL ALLOW DISCOURAGEMENT
• 26:03
  TO CAUSE US TO BACK UP FROM OUR
• 26:04
  COMMITMENT.
• 26:06
  >> BUT I HEAR MY GRANDMAMA IN MY HEAD.
• 26:08
  BEFORE I TAKE DOWN, I'LL ADD MORE TO IT.
• 26:13
  >> WHY? Because discouragement comes TO TRY
• 26:15
  TO CAUSE US TO PULL BACK.
• 26:18
  >> YEAH. you you decided, I'M GOING TO
• 26:20
  SERVE in a ministry
• 26:22
  and then somebody SAYS SOMETHING TO YOU
• 26:24
  THAT that's just, you know, a little
• 26:26
  rough.
• 26:28
  You know, they make a correction. They
• 26:29
  don't say it hard, but they correct you
• 26:31
  cuz they're trying to help you
• 26:33
  >> and you take you take feedback in a
• 26:35
  negative way.
• 26:37
  >> Say, you know what? You know, that's why
• 26:38
  right right there. See, I'm giving God
• 26:40
  I'm coming here do my best. I'm doing my
• 26:42
  best. They don't even act like they want
• 26:44
  my best.
• 26:46
  Well, we want your best. We just want
• 26:48
  your best to be done the right way.
• 26:52
  >> Amen.
• 26:54
  >> I I want us to have Oh, let me just
• 26:56
  insert this. I want us to have a
• 26:58
  feedback culture.
• 27:00
  >> I want us to be the kind of culture that
• 27:02
  we appreciate feedback.
• 27:06
  >> No, because when we understand how much
• 27:09
  it took for that PERSON TO COME TO US
• 27:11
  AND give us that feedback,
• 27:13
  >> that wasn't easy. AMEN.
• 27:15
  >> NUMBER ONE, THEY CARE ABOUT YOU ENOUGH
• 27:17
  TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU.
• 27:19
  >> NUMBER TWO, THEY WERE THEY HAD TO
• 27:20
  OVERCOME WHATEVER FEELINGS THEY had
• 27:23
  >> to come and say something to you. You
• 27:24
  should AT LEAST STEP BACK AND appreciate
• 27:27
  that they had enough G and had enough
• 27:30
  love for you to say something to you.
• 27:35
  >> I appreciate that one clap.
• 27:38
  >> Yeah. Yeah. You you so you and I cannot
• 27:40
  take criticism as a hard thing and get
• 27:43
  discouraged by it and then back up from
• 27:45
  our commitment.
• 27:46
  >> When you have a personal failure,
• 27:49
  YOU HAVE A PERSONAL FAILURE. YOU SAY,
• 27:50
  "YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M I'm I'mma be
• 27:52
  celibate this year cuz I've been, you
• 27:55
  know what I mean? I've been here, there,
• 27:56
  and everywhere, but I'mma hold that
• 27:58
  thing in the middle of the road and ask
• 28:00
  the Lord to help me."
• 28:03
  >> And you and and you had you done good
• 28:05
  for three months,
• 28:07
  >> right? Lord have mercy.
• 28:10
  >> And something happens.
• 28:13
  >> Can I tell you something? I I don't want
• 28:15
  it to happen.
• 28:16
  >> You didn't want it to happen. But if it
• 28:18
  happens, don't spend three months away
• 28:21
  from church.
• 28:25
  >> No. If it if it happens, COME COME BACK
• 28:27
  TO THE COME GET YOU SOME PRAYER. COME
• 28:29
  LAY DOWN. DO SOMETHING.
• 28:32
  BUT I BUT I'M NOT GOING TO ALLOW
• 28:34
  DISCOURAGEMENT to cause ME TO PULL BACK
• 28:36
  FROM MY COMMITMENT.
• 28:39
  >> If I did mess up, I'm not going to go on
• 28:41
  an escapade and then just the next THREE
• 28:42
  MONTHS I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
• 28:46
  >> Oh Lord.
• 28:48
  >> NO. WHY? WHY? WHY? NO. BECAUSE THIS IS
• 28:50
  WHERE WE LIVE.
• 28:52
  >> This is where we live. BECAUSE THE MIGHT
• 28:54
  AS WELL SYNDROME gets you.
• 28:57
  >> You say, "Well, I done this.
• 28:59
  >> I might as well.
• 29:04
  That is DISCOURAGEMENT
• 29:06
  >> THAT IS TRYING TO CAUSE YOU TO BACK UP
• 29:08
  FROM YOUR COMMITMENT. NO, YOU DIDN'T DO
• 29:10
  IT THE RIGHT WAY OR NO, YOU DIDN'T DO IT
• 29:12
  THE WAY YOU HOPED FOR, THE WAY YOU
• 29:13
  WRITTEN IT DOWN ON YOUR VISION BOARD.
• 29:15
  BUT DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL.
• 29:20
  >> The killer,
• 29:23
  >> the killer of commitment is distraction.
• 29:26
  It's discouragement. Catch this third
• 29:28
  one.
• 29:30
  is the drifting.
• 29:32
  >> This is the gradual things in our lives.
• 29:35
  >> Yeah. This this is the slow fade.
• 29:39
  >> Yeah. This is this is when I I I I miss
• 29:41
  a Sunday and my one miss of a Sunday
• 29:44
  turns into three.
• 29:47
  >> And my three turns into a month and a
• 29:49
  half.
• 29:50
  >> It's when I say I'm I'm I'm just sit I'm
• 29:53
  just this season of my life right now.
• 29:54
  It's so hard right now. You know, it's
• 29:56
  really hard. And I get it. There are
• 29:57
  seasons of your you go through seasons
• 29:59
  of life.
• 30:02
  >> Yeah. YEAH. YOU THIS THAT'S WHY WHENEVER
• 30:04
  YOU CAN serve and and be committed AND
• 30:07
  BE ALL IN, YOU NEED to do it
• 30:08
  >> because there will come a season OF YOUR
• 30:10
  LIFE WHERE YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT
• 30:12
  AS MUCH AS YOU DID IN A PREVIOUS SEASON.
• 30:16
  >> God knows I am teaching good.
• 30:20
  >> But but what WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU'LL PULL
• 30:22
  BACK SAY I'mma serve I'm not going to
• 30:24
  serve right here. Yeah, I'm going just
• 30:25
  take I'm going to take a month and a
• 30:26
  half off
• 30:28
  and a month and a half turns into six
• 30:31
  months
• 30:32
  >> turns into a year and a half
• 30:34
  >> and you look up and it's been three
• 30:36
  years since you served anywhere
• 30:38
  consistently in the house of God.
• 30:41
  >> It's the drifting.
• 30:43
  >> It's the GRADUAL THINGS IN OUR lives
• 30:46
  where where we we you know one morning
• 30:48
  we get up and we so busy and we don't
• 30:50
  pray.
• 30:51
  >> You're not going to hell if you don't
• 30:52
  pray one morning.
• 30:55
  But then that one morning turns into
• 30:57
  three mornings.
• 30:59
  >> And then I look up and I haven't spent
• 31:01
  any real quality intentional time with
• 31:04
  God.
• 31:05
  >> And and and I'm trying to figure out
• 31:07
  what's GOING ON AND WHY THINGS ARE NOT
• 31:08
  NOT going the way they should. It's been
• 31:10
  a dri it's a drifting.
• 31:14
  >> It's gradual.
• 31:17
  >> And see, this is where the enemy gets
• 31:18
  us. Yeah,
• 31:19
  >> I always tell you about the story. Uh I
• 31:21
  always tell you about the story of when
• 31:23
  I went to uh a great lodge with my kids
• 31:26
  and I'm not going to all these other
• 31:27
  kind of rides to LA and got too old. I
• 31:29
  don't do that. Not anything that's going
• 31:30
  to take my pressure up
• 31:32
  and I don't have blood pressure issues
• 31:33
  but I uh I ain't going way up there. No,
• 31:37
  the scripture said low. I'll be with
• 31:39
  you.
• 31:43
  talk Bible.
• 31:51
  SO, SO I SAID, "I'LL GO IN THE LAZY
• 31:53
  RIVER." AND I GOT MY TUBE AND I GOT IN
• 31:56
  THE LAZY RIVER AND BOY, it was so nice
• 31:59
  and they they playing a damn, you know.
• 32:01
  I said, "Y'all go ahead. Let me just let
• 32:03
  me just lay right here." And I closed my
• 32:06
  eyes and about 60 seconds later, I hear
• 32:09
  their voice faintly in the distance. And
• 32:12
  I looked up and what happened was we
• 32:15
  drifted apart. No intentional effort on
• 32:18
  my part.
• 32:19
  >> IT WAS JUST THAT I STOPPED DOING
• 32:22
  >> OR CONTROLLING OR HANDLING MY BUSINESS
• 32:25
  AND I LOOKED UP AND THERE WAS SPACE
• 32:27
  BETWEEN US.
• 32:30
  >> OH, I hear THE MARRIAGE RETREAT IN MY
• 32:33
  HEAD.
• 32:34
  THIS IS WHY YOU GOT TO HAVE INTENTIONAL
• 32:36
  TIME WITH YOUR SPOUSE
• 32:38
  >> BECAUSE BILLS AND CHILDREN AND THE
• 32:40
  BASKET OF CLOTHES CAN CAUSE YOU TO
• 32:41
  DRIFT.
• 32:45
  >> Shout somebody say it's gradual.
• 32:47
  >> It's gradual.
• 32:47
  >> But these are commitment killers.
• 32:50
  >> Distraction and discouragement and
• 32:52
  drifting. These things are commitment
• 32:54
  killers.
• 32:58
  >> God is good to me. Drifting is gradual.
• 33:02
  So, how do we keep the vehicle of our
• 33:04
  commitment on the road, navigating
• 33:08
  around the obstacles of distraction,
• 33:10
  discouragement, and drifting? I'm glad
• 33:13
  you asked. In our text,
• 33:15
  >> 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 58, it
• 33:19
  says, "Therefore,
• 33:20
  >> my dear brothers and sisters, stand
• 33:23
  firm. Let nothing move you. Always give
• 33:28
  yourselves fully to the work of the Lord
• 33:30
  because you know that your labor in the
• 33:33
  Lord is not in vain. Understand that
• 33:36
  Paul writes that at the end of a long
• 33:39
  chapter about the resurrection. It's the
• 33:42
  Corinthian church that was facing major
• 33:44
  challenges with false teachers coming in
• 33:46
  and telling them that there wasn't no
• 33:48
  resurrection. AND SO THAT WAS CAUSING
• 33:50
  THEM TO WANT TO JUST GIVE up and JUST
• 33:52
  THROW IN THE TOWEL. THEY THEY WAS
• 33:54
  TALKING TO PAUL AND SAID, "WELL, WHY WE
• 33:55
  WHY ARE WE SACRIFICING?
• 33:56
  >> COME ON HERE.
• 33:58
  >> WHY WHY ARE WE DOING ALL THE THINGS YOU
• 34:00
  SAID WE NEED? WHY ARE WE COMMITTED
• 34:02
  >> TO THIS JESUS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
• 34:04
  IF IF IF ALL THERE IS TO this life is
• 34:07
  all we see?
• 34:10
  >> If it really is yolo,
• 34:13
  >> that you only LIVE ONCE, THEN WHY WOULD
• 34:16
  I BE COMMITTED
• 34:19
  >> TO SERVING? WHY WOULD I BE COMMITTED TO
• 34:21
  INVITING SOMEBODY? WHY WOULD I BE
• 34:22
  COMMITTED TO SEWING MY RESURRECTION SEED
• 34:24
  IF I ONLY LIVE ONCE?
• 34:27
  >> And Paul grabbed the Corinthians and
• 34:29
  said, "Wait a minute. THERE'S MORE THAN
• 34:31
  JUST WHAT YOU SEE.
• 34:35
  >> There's coming a DAY
• 34:37
  >> THAT THE DEAD IN CHRIST SHALL RA BE
• 34:39
  raised from the dead.
• 34:42
  >> And we're going back to be with him."
• 34:45
  AND HE EXPLAINS THIS WHOLE THING SO
• 34:46
  BEAUTIFULLY IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15. AND
• 34:49
  THEN HE SAYS, "BECAUSE OF ALL OF THAT,
• 34:52
  THEREFORE,
• 34:54
  >> WHEREFORE, WHY? BECAUSE ALL WE SEE IS
• 34:57
  NOT ALL THERE IS.
• 34:59
  >> THEREFORE,
• 35:01
  >> JESUS IS COMING AGAIN. THEREFORE,
• 35:04
  >> THE DEAD IN CHRIST IS GOING TO BE
• 35:05
  RAISED. THEREFORE, WHAT I DO IN TIME
• 35:08
  MATTERS IN ETERNITY. THEREFORE,
• 35:11
  >> my beloved brothers and sisters,
• 35:14
  >> WHAT DO WE DO? HOW DO WE STAND AGAINST
• 35:16
  commitment killers?
• 35:18
  He said number one.
• 35:20
  >> Yes sir. He said stand firm.
• 35:23
  >> Talk Bible.
• 35:25
  >> He said stand firm. Be steadfast.
• 35:28
  >> SEE UNDERSTAND BEING STEADFAST THAT'S AN
• 35:31
  INWARD RESOLVE.
• 35:32
  >> That's right.
• 35:34
  >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. When we TALK ABOUT
• 35:35
  STANDING FIRM, BEING ESTABLISHED, PAUL
• 35:38
  IS TALKING TO THEM ABOUT BEING SETTLED.
• 35:40
  >> SEE, if you and I are going TO BE
• 35:42
  COMMITTED, IT DOES NOT BEGIN ON THE
• 35:44
  OUTSIDE.
• 35:47
  NO, THAT MY MY COMMITMENT BEGINS ON THE
• 35:50
  INSIDE.
• 35:51
  >> YEAH. YEAH. IF YOU AND I ARE GOING,
• 35:53
  THAT'S WHY I HEARD SOMEBODY SAID THE
• 35:54
  OTHER WEEK, IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME OUT
• 35:56
  OF THAT SITUATION, YOU GOT TO COME OUT
• 35:57
  HEAD FIRST.
• 35:59
  >> WHY? BECAUSE THE CHANGE, MY RESOLVE
• 36:02
  BEGINS ON THE INSIDE.
• 36:04
  >> OH, I'M SO GLAD BECAUSE I DON'T NEED THE
• 36:06
  OUTSIDE TO MANIFEST CHANGE FIRST IF I
• 36:08
  CAN GET IT ON THE INSIDE. I WANT TO be
• 36:11
  settled
• 36:13
  >> in my commitment,
• 36:16
  >> MAKE MY RESULT. THIS WHY THAT'S WHY THE
• 36:18
  COMMITMENT CARD IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE
• 36:19
  YOU MAKE THE DECISION ON THE INSIDE.
• 36:23
  >> This is where I'M GOING TO BE SETTLED.
• 36:25
  >> HE SAID, "THIS IS HOW YOU FIGHT. THIS IS
• 36:27
  HOW YOU go against the commitment
• 36:29
  killers. First, you have to decide.
• 36:34
  >> You have to decide.
• 36:36
  >> You have to be settled in what it is
• 36:38
  that you're going to do. Don't be
• 36:39
  picking on NOBODY ELSE COMMITMENT CALL.
• 36:41
  YOU DECIDE.
• 36:43
  >> YEAH. LORD, you decide what you going to
• 36:45
  do. ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT, LORD, WHAT DO
• 36:47
  YOU WANT ME TO DO?
• 36:48
  >> WHO IS IT THAT YOU WANT me to talk to?
• 36:51
  >> And you settle that and you decide.
• 36:54
  >> That's an inward resolve.
• 36:58
  >> God, I
• 37:01
  >> Let me go here. When you This calls for
• 37:05
  a decision.
• 37:07
  >> The inward resolve. This settling calls
• 37:10
  for a decision. The word decision by
• 37:12
  definition, let's back into it. Homicide
• 37:16
  >> is the killing of someone else.
• 37:19
  >> Germicide is the killing of germs.
• 37:22
  Herbicide is the killing of plants. You
• 37:26
  got homicide.
• 37:28
  her homicide, germicide, and and
• 37:31
  herbicide. All of it requires killing.
• 37:35
  >> How can we get to the word decide
• 37:38
  >> and NOT THINK THAT SOMETHING DOESN'T
• 37:40
  HAVE TO DIE?
• 37:43
  >> SOMETHING HAS TO DIE.
• 37:45
  >> WHEN YOU AND I DECIDE, WE KILL THE
• 37:48
  THINGS AROUND THAT THREATEN OUR WHAT IT
• 37:51
  IS THAT WE THE CHOICE WE'RE MAKING.
• 37:54
  That's the word.
• 37:55
  >> When we decide, Jordan,
• 37:58
  >> it's not just that I choose to be
• 38:01
  faithful.
• 38:02
  >> I KILL THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT THREATEN
• 38:04
  MY FAITHFULNESS.
• 38:07
  >> Good God Almighty.
• 38:10
  >> THAT WHY I I HAVE TO SETTLE THIS. I GOT
• 38:12
  TO DECIDE.
• 38:14
  >> NOT JUST CHOOSE IT,
• 38:16
  >> BUT WHAT has to die?
• 38:21
  What has to die
• 38:24
  >> IF I'M GOING TO GIVE MY RESURRECTION
• 38:25
  SEAT? WHAT HAS TO DIE?
• 38:27
  >> IF I'M GOING TO INVITE THAT PERSON TO
• 38:28
  CHURCH, WHAT HAS TO DIE?
• 38:30
  >> IF I'M GOING TO SHARE MY FAITH, WHAT HAS
• 38:32
  TO DIE?
• 38:35
  >> I got to settle that.
• 38:41
  >> IF I KILL IT,
• 38:43
  >> GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY,
• 38:45
  >> that's half the battle.
• 38:47
  NO, I I I have to kill it.
• 38:50
  >> I HAVE TO GIVE UP SOMETHING.
• 38:53
  >> OH, THANK YOU, JESUS.
• 38:55
  >> NO, THAT'S WHAT COMMITMENT IS. I HAVE TO
• 38:56
  GIVE UP SOMETHING.
• 38:58
  >> ONE OF THE THINGS. OH, IN EVERY IN EVERY
• 39:00
  RELATIONSHIP. HERE I GO. Here we go.
• 39:02
  Right, Lord. My last two minutes.
• 39:04
  >> Every relationship.
• 39:06
  >> IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE CHOICE.
• 39:09
  >> IT'S ABOUT KILLING THE OTHER OPTIONS
• 39:11
  THAT THREATEN THE CHOICE.
• 39:16
  IT. WHAT? LET ME TELL Y'ALL SOMETHING.
• 39:17
  Y'ALL DATING SOMEBODY RIGHT NOW. LET ME
• 39:19
  TELL YOU ABOUT sister girl right here.
• 39:21
  22 years July 24th of this year.
• 39:24
  >> Let me tell you something.
• 39:26
  I was bringing flowers and cards and
• 39:28
  talking all that kind of stuff. It was
• 39:30
  just coating. That's what old people
• 39:31
  call it.
• 39:32
  >> Going after what I want.
• 39:35
  Diane, the cards and the notes wasn't
• 39:39
  enough.
• 39:40
  >> What she wanted was a commitment.
• 39:44
  She wanted me to make a decision.
• 39:48
  >> Not just a choice, but a decision.
• 39:52
  >> I know YOU BRINGING ME CARS, BUT BROTHER
• 39:54
  MAN, I WANT A DECISION. I NEED YOU TO
• 39:57
  SETTLE ON THE INSIDE THAT THIS IS WHAT
• 39:59
  YOU WANT.
• 40:02
  >> OH, SEE LADIES. OH, GOD HELP ME. JESUS.
• 40:06
  >> SOME OF SOME LADIES, I LOVE YOU. COME
• 40:08
  ON. SINGLE NIGHT. WE TALK REAL STRAIGHT.
• 40:09
  YOU UNDERSTAND? BUT BUT BUT BUT YOU
• 40:11
  GIVING UP SOME STUFF BECAUSE THEY MADE A
• 40:13
  CHOICE BUT THEY DIDN'T MAKE A DECISION.
• 40:17
  >> YOU GIVING UP THE THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD
• 40:19
  HOLD ON TO BECAUSE THEY MADE A CHOICE.
• 40:21
  BUT I NEED YOU, BROTHER MAN, MAKE A
• 40:23
  DECISION.
• 40:24
  >> I NEED YOU TO KILL SOME OTHER THINGS.
• 40:28
  >> Good God almighty.
• 40:31
  >> Lord have mercy.
• 40:34
  >> I got to BE SETTLED.
• 40:37
  HE SAID, "BE STEADFAST."
• 40:40
  >> STEADFAST.
• 40:41
  >> That's an inward decision.
• 40:43
  >> I got to decide.
• 40:45
  >> He said, "Be steadfast."
• 40:47
  >> NUMBER TWO, MOTHER HALL, HE SAID, "BE
• 40:49
  STEADFAST, but be unmovable."
• 40:52
  >> IF STEADFAST IS THE INWARD,
• 40:55
  >> then unmovable is the outward.
• 40:59
  >> THAT THAT THAT'S THAT'S THE OUTWARD.
• 41:01
  THAT THAT ONCE I'VE SETTLED ON THE
• 41:02
  INSIDE,
• 41:05
  >> I'm not going to allow anything
• 41:08
  >> to move me.
• 41:10
  >> I'm not going to let what they post on
• 41:12
  social media
• 41:13
  >> move me. I'M NOT GOING TO LET WHAT THEY
• 41:16
  SAID move me. I'M NOT GOING TO LET WHAT
• 41:19
  THEY DIDN'T SAY.
• 41:24
  >> THEY DIDN'T TELL ME THANK YOU. I STOOD
• 41:26
  OUT THERE AND HANDED OUT 50 BOXES OF
• 41:28
  CHICKEN YESTERDAY AND THEY LOOK LIKE TO
• 41:29
  ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE SAID I'M NOT
• 41:31
  GOING TO LET NONE OF IT.
• 41:36
  >> WOO! I'M NOT GOING TO LET NONE OF IT.
• 41:39
  >> GOD SAW WHAT I DID.
• 41:42
  >> WOO! HE TAKE GOOD RECORDS.
• 41:46
  >> I'M NOT GOING TO LET ANY OF it
• 41:48
  >> move me.
• 41:52
  >> Unmovable.
• 41:54
  >> Unmovable. I'm not gonna even let my own
• 41:56
  mind.
• 41:58
  >> Oh, I GOT TO SHUT DOWN THOSE THOUGHTS.
• 42:01
  >> THAT'S TELLING ME THAT IS IS IT WORTH
• 42:03
  IT?
• 42:04
  >> I GOT TO SHUT THAT STUFF DOWN BECAUSE
• 42:06
  IT'S TRYING TO MOVE ME OFF MY
• 42:08
  COMMITMENT.
• 42:10
  >> MY FEELINGS
• 42:12
  >> WILL TRY TO MOVE ME
• 42:14
  >> OFF OF MY COMMITMENT.
• 42:16
  >> FAMILY
• 42:18
  >> WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND YET WILL TRY TO
• 42:20
  MOVE ME
• 42:21
  >> OFF MY COMMITMENT.
• 42:24
  CONVENIENCE,
• 42:27
  >> good things
• 42:29
  >> will try to move me
• 42:31
  >> off my commitment. SEE, SEE, TURN DOWN
• 42:33
  TUESDAY is this Tuesday.
• 42:35
  >> Uhhuh. Some of the saints were wondering
• 42:36
  if it was going TO START IN FEBRUARY.
• 42:37
  NO.
• 42:44
  >> Starts this Tuesday.
• 42:46
  >> And I can go on tell you, you going to
• 42:47
  have to you going to have to make an
• 42:48
  inward resolve.
• 42:51
  >> Inward. Gotta be steadfast
• 42:54
  >> because on Tuesday
• 42:56
  >> sir,
• 42:56
  >> you gonna need to be unmovable
• 42:59
  >> because they hadn't brought you lunch
• 43:00
  all year long
• 43:04
  >> and on Tuesdays just as sure as we
• 43:06
  sitting here.
• 43:07
  >> E church, I hope you hear me. Just as
• 43:09
  sure as we sitting here.
• 43:11
  >> Somebody going to invite it's going to
• 43:12
  be the person that you least expect.
• 43:15
  >> And let me tell you what your flesh
• 43:16
  going to do. Your flesh going to say now
• 43:17
  you know you need to receive that seed
• 43:19
  from them.
• 43:21
  You've been praying and asking God now
• 43:22
  you know you need to go to lunch. No
• 43:25
  >> say now you know what I appreciate that
• 43:27
  catch me tomorrow.
• 43:29
  >> Catch me on Thursday. I got you. I so
• 43:31
  appreciate you
• 43:32
  >> but I'm not going to let anything
• 43:35
  >> move me. He said be steadfast
• 43:38
  >> unmovable.
• 43:40
  >> Catch this. Number three. He said always
• 43:43
  abounding
• 43:45
  >> in the work of the Lord. Always ab that.
• 43:48
  What is he saying there? I'M NOT JUST
• 43:49
  going to do the minimum.
• 43:52
  >> Yeah. My my vehicle of commitment speaks
• 43:54
  to I'm not just going to do the minimum.
• 43:56
  >> That's right.
• 43:57
  >> No, I'm going I'm going to do the the
• 43:59
  most that I can do in whatever season
• 44:02
  I'm in.
• 44:02
  >> That's right.
• 44:04
  >> See, I saw a single mom a single mom. Oh
• 44:06
  my god. We had a a phenomenal
• 44:09
  listening tour and one of the members in
• 44:11
  one season was serving AND SHE WAS HERE,
• 44:14
  THERE, AND EVERYWHERE. AND NOW SHE'S in
• 44:15
  a season now where she got four little
• 44:18
  children
• 44:20
  >> and she works like two jobs. And I mean
• 44:23
  she's handling her business.
• 44:25
  >> Yes, sir.
• 44:26
  >> And so in this season that she's in,
• 44:28
  >> she is she is doing uh as an eurch host.
• 44:32
  >> And she was about to feel bad about only
• 44:36
  being a east church host.
• 44:38
  >> See what what what I love ABOUT GOD IS
• 44:40
  GOD IS NOT JUST LOOKING AT JUST WHAT you
• 44:42
  do. He also sees the context in which
• 44:44
  you're doing it.
• 44:49
  >> Oh God, just the the the woman that GAVE
• 44:52
  TWO MICS, IT WASN'T JUST THAT SHE JUST
• 44:54
  GAVE just two mics. IT WAS ALL SHE HAD.
• 44:58
  >> It wasn't just the amount. IT WAS ALL
• 44:59
  SHE HAD. THAT SINGLE MOM WITH FOUR
• 45:01
  CHILDREN, SHE'S SHE'S HOSTING THE E
• 45:03
  CHURCH CHAT. SHE'S GIVING ALL SHE HAS.
• 45:05
  RIGHT?
• 45:07
  >> SEE, SEE AS AS A MEMBER, WHAT WE GOT TO
• 45:08
  ASK IS WE DON'T WANT TO ASK THE
• 45:10
  QUESTION, WHAT'S THE least I can do and
• 45:12
  still be on the road.
• 45:15
  >> So that mean if I I just need to serve
• 45:17
  one time a year, so I'm going just go
• 45:18
  I'm going just do daff and then and then
• 45:21
  I'm going just do that. Then that way I
• 45:22
  can say I serve somewhere and they just
• 45:24
  get off my back. No, that's not
• 45:25
  abounding.
• 45:27
  >> No. No. He said be steadfast, unmovable,
• 45:29
  always abounding. Abounding. Abound.
• 45:32
  Doing the most. We do the most on social
• 45:34
  media. Can we do the most in the
• 45:36
  kingdom? Uh, WE DO THE MOST ON
• 45:38
  INSTAGRAM,
• 45:40
  >> BUT BUT I WANT TO DO THE MOST FOR JESUS.
• 45:45
  >> I didn't get my picture up, but God
• 45:46
  knows this thing tore me up on this past
• 45:49
  week. One of the members said, "Pastor
• 45:51
  Trey, uh, my my my sister got saved."
• 45:56
  Catch this. She said, "My sister got
• 45:59
  saved on Sunday
• 46:00
  >> and and on tag me Wednesday. She said
• 46:03
  yesterday she fasted.
• 46:08
  >> She fasted for 24 24 hours.
• 46:11
  >> Oh my god. Then she sends me a picture.
• 46:14
  >> And she sends the picture. Oh, she sends
• 46:16
  the picture. Oh, little no. I need I
• 46:18
  need to read this. Just give me one
• 46:19
  second. Yes, sir. I want to read this.
• 46:23
  Oh, yeah.
• 46:25
  Just give me one second.
• 46:27
  Sit right there. Sit right there. She
• 46:31
  sends me a picture of a handwritten
• 46:34
  sticky note.
• 46:36
  She says she's passing these out to
• 46:38
  people this week.
• 46:42
  >> It says, "Found people, find people."
• 46:46
  >> She said, "I would like to extend an
• 46:48
  invitation for you to join me in church
• 46:50
  this Sunday. What he has done for me, he
• 46:53
  can do for you, and I'm still a work in
• 46:55
  progress. Let's worship together and
• 46:58
  grow together.
• 47:02
  SHOUT. SHE DOING THE MOST.
• 47:05
  >> SHE NOT WAITING FOR US TO MAKE A CALL TO
• 47:07
  INVITE SOMEBODY. SHE GOT HER STICKY
• 47:09
  NOTE. LORD HAVE MERCY.
• 47:12
  >> ALWAYS ABOUNDING.
• 47:14
  >> YOU'RE NOT WAITING ON GOD. GOD IS
• 47:16
  WAITING ON YOU.
• 47:18
  >> That's right.
• 47:22
  >> Yes, sir.
• 47:23
  >> ALWAYS ABOUNDING.
• 47:24
  >> ALWAYS.
• 47:25
  >> WHAT CAN I DO? YES.
• 47:27
  >> Who can I impact?
• 47:29
  >> WHO CAN I TALK TO?
• 47:32
  >> He said, "Be steadfast,
• 47:34
  >> unmovable,
• 47:35
  >> always abounding
• 47:38
  >> in the work of the Lord." Catch this.
• 47:40
  Fourth, and finally
• 47:42
  >> because there's a promise.
• 47:46
  >> There's a promise.
• 47:48
  >> I'm not just setting a resolve for
• 47:50
  nothing.
• 47:52
  >> I'm not deciding for nothing. I'm not
• 47:55
  letting go of certain things. So it
• 47:57
  doesn't threaten the choice that I'm
• 47:58
  making for nothing. I'm not standing and
• 48:00
  withstanding the outward things for
• 48:02
  nothing. I'm not doing the most for God
• 48:04
  for nothing.
• 48:06
  >> He said, "For as much as you know
• 48:08
  >> that your labor
• 48:10
  >> is not in vain in the Lord." Can I tell
• 48:14
  you something?
• 48:15
  >> The seed that leaves your hand
• 48:17
  >> never ever leaves your life,
• 48:20
  >> but it enters into your future and it
• 48:22
  prepares for your arrival. It is not
• 48:25
  just the seeds of money, but it is the
• 48:27
  seed of my time and my talent and my
• 48:30
  treasure.
• 48:31
  >> That's right.
• 48:32
  >> It's not in vain.
• 48:35
  >> You showing up early to make sure the
• 48:37
  HOUSE OF GOD IS IN order is not in vain.
• 48:40
  >> You serving on different ministries is
• 48:42
  not in vain. You standing out there in
• 48:44
  the parking lot making sure the cars get
• 48:46
  securely placed is not in vain.
• 48:50
  >> You being a part of our children's
• 48:52
  ministry.
• 48:52
  >> That's right. It's not in vain.
• 48:54
  >> Not in vain.
• 48:56
  >> You making sure the programs and we have
• 48:58
  all the literature and things that we
• 48:59
  need. It's not in vain.
• 49:01
  >> You on the social media team making sure
• 49:03
  that we're impacting and reaching and
• 49:05
  connecting other people. It's not in
• 49:06
  vain.
• 49:08
  >> The intercessory prayer team that comes
• 49:09
  and prays every single solitary SUNDAY
• 49:12
  WITHOUT ANYBODY SEEING YOU. CAN I TELL
• 49:14
  YOU IT'S NOT IN VAIN.
• 49:20
  The person that God wants you to speak
• 49:22
  to and talk to, it's not in vain.
• 49:26
  >> Zone leaders, every phone call that you
• 49:28
  make, every hospital visit that you
• 49:30
  make, every funeral that you attend,
• 49:33
  it's not in vain.
• 49:36
  >> He said, "Be steadfast,
• 49:39
  >> unmovable,
• 49:40
  always abounding
• 49:42
  >> in the work of the Lord. For as much as
• 49:44
  you know,
• 49:47
  >> this is one thing you got to know.
• 49:48
  >> Yes, sir.
• 49:50
  >> That my work, my effort, my labor, sir,
• 49:53
  >> my commitment,
• 49:55
  >> is not in vain in the Lord.
• 49:57
  >> If you and I are going to bring to pass
• 50:00
  the vision that God has given us, it
• 50:02
  needs the vehicle of our personal
• 50:05
  commitment.
• 50:06
  >> Let's pray.
• 50:09
  Father, in Jesus name, we thank you for
• 50:11
  this opportunity that you've given us
• 50:13
  around your word. Father, we thank you
• 50:15
  for this moment because you've given us
• 50:18
  the vision. It's been written. It's been
• 50:21
  made plain and all of that has been done
• 50:24
  so that they that read it can run with
• 50:28
  it.
• 50:30
  Father, we are the vehicles that move
• 50:33
  the vision.
• 50:35
  So father on this commitment Sunday we
• 50:37
  take a moment to step back
• 50:40
  and ask you Holy Spirit to lead us and
• 50:44
  to guide us to direct us to speak to our
• 50:46
  hearts so that Lord as we make this
• 50:48
  commitment we don't do it casually we
• 50:51
  don't do it haphazardly
• 50:54
  but father we do it as unto you
• 50:58
  we do it as as a response to your
• 51:01
  goodness
• 51:03
  that as you are committed to us, Father.
• 51:05
  We want to be committed to you and we
• 51:08
  thank you for it now in Jesus name.