You are invited to examine your heart and decide where your treasure and time truly belong. Commit to following Jesus not just in big moments, but in the daily choices that build His church. Take the next step in your walk by signing the covenant or simply deepening your relationship with God.
You know what's gonna be interesting? We got a shovel and a cup. The analogies are gonna be crazy. Let's just put that right there for now. Well, good morning.
Good morning. Church, you look great today. Thank you. It's an honor to be here. My name is David John Phillips.
I have the joy and pleasure of getting to be the pastor here. There's no place I'd rather be, nothing I'd rather be doing. And I say it every time because I mean it. Amen? Amen.
**God is just good** and I love you. I love that you chose to come here today. I love those of you that call real church home and and if this is your first time, I love you too. And our prayer is that you experience the "love of Jesus" in a real way. From the moment you drove into the parking lot to this very moment and you leave changed because when you really encounter Jesus and you receive his love, it changes you from the inside out.
Amen? Amen. It's just that good and that real. So, I usually start with dad jokes just because I'm I'm I'm kinda serious when I preach, you know, a lot of times and and 1 of my mentors starts with dad jokes because he's serious too. So, figured, you know what?
Just to lighten the load, you know, and lighten the atmosphere, start with a joke or something and I just took up dad jokes. Well, I didn't have any prepared today. And *God* had other plans. Somebody gave me a shirt today, you know, congratulations for for recent accomplishment. I did praise the lord.
Glory to god. I did finish my school. As of Friday, It's been 10 long years. You'll hear a little a little bit more about the process in the message but man, praise the lord. To god be the glory.
He pulled me through when I wanted to quit. Multiple times and and now I'm Doctor David John Phillips. So, whoo. But Yeah. That's a that's a dad joke.
So so, you know, this amazing family gave me this shirt, you know, congratulating me and and thank you so much but of course, it would they would have a dad joke on it, right? So, I just took that as a sign from the lord that I should start with a dad joke today. So, where do dads store their dad jokes? In their database. Oh, you know what's really good when people go, oh.
If I don't put that back there, it'd it'd fall on the ground, get dirty. So, well, I am we're we're taking a brief break from the Corinthians series for the last few weeks since Christmas. I'm excited to get back into the Corinthians series. If you guys enjoyed that, you remember it? It's been a few weeks.
But Gabe preached a powerful message last week. Whoo. And we we we did get that up on podcast yesterday. So, if you didn't get to hear the message last week, Gabe's 1 of my favorite preachers and I'm not just exaggerating. I I love the way that he speaks and so I would encourage you to search the real church Podcast on on Apple Podcast or Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcast and if you don't like podcast, guess what?
We have it on YouTube too. You can listen to the audio on YouTube and so I would encourage you to do that. He preached the first message of last year 2022 and it kind of set the tone for the year and he did the same for 2023 and I'm very thankful and it's amazing thing. So, today, I think is 1 of the most important days for our church because I think it's gonna set the direction and it's gonna set the buy in and and what it looks like moving forward for our church because we're we're talking about *covenant* and and and we'll get into that but before I do, I wanna share just a story of what happened to me Friday night. Friday night, Friday was the big day.
It was the day that everything was official and everything was final. You know, it's a a 7 year journey for that aspect but 10 year journey since I actually started, you know, went back to school and everything. So, 10 years of stuff and it to be finalized. I wanted to celebrate. So, we came and we we set up everything here and because what's what we do on Friday nights and and got back home and it's 09:45 and I said, you know what?
Dang it. I'm going to get some Culver's. I'm going to get some ice cream. Alright. And so so you know, everybody's everybody's all tucked in and stuff and I'm sitting in the bed and like, you know, I'm I'm going to get ice cream.
So, I get my my keys and I go and I figured if they close at 10, could make it because it's only 5 minutes down the road and so, I make it 09:50, 09:51, I walk in and on the little plaque it says they close at 11. I said okay, great. So I walk up to the cooler and they have all of their flavors of the day, they put in little tubs and so you can pick from whatever the flavor of the day was for the last 2 weeks and it's a pint of custard really that's mixed in all kinds of amazing stuff. This is not just a commercial for Culbers but you should go check it out. I enjoy their flavors of the day.
So, I found my mint explosion ice cream which is not normal but I that's what I got that time and I walk up to the counter and I look over and I see this guy with colored hair like green hair like a little streak in it and something in me which you know is god. It's the holy spirit. He speaks to us and leads us to love other people, leads us outside of ourselves, told me, the holy spirit said, to tell that man that Jesus loves him. And you know, your pastor, all holy and stuff, made excuses not to. I was like, no, no, no, no, that, you know, he's busy and and whatnot and I'm celebrating.
I'm going home. Where was the focus was me? When the focus is you, you're more likely to disobey. In any area of your life. Because he saved us from us to follow him.
Not to do what we want. He's our lord. Amen? Amen. So, I check out and it was so strong that as I'm walking out, I look back and I still feel go, he's walking back towards the window now.
The the the drive thru window and I still feel it and I still ignore it but it's so strong. I don't walk out the door. I walk to the bathroom and I'm like, alright, lord. I didn't go to the bathroom to go to the bathroom. I went to the bathroom to argue with god a little bit more.
*Lord*, if he's in the lobby, when I get back out I'll talk to him. I go out of the bathroom, guess what, he's not in the lobby. I walk out the door, and the Lord's like, did you really need him to be in the lobby to obey me the first time? So you know me being super holy, I keep going to my car. I keep ignoring him.
I'm just being transparent, being real with you guys. Okay? Anybody ever done that before? I get in my car and I'm making excuses now. As I'm driving away, I'm saying, oh, this will be a great testimony to share how the pastor fails.
I'm serious. That went through my head. I drive home. I get my cup of ice cream. I I scoop about half of it out into a paper bowl.
I put milk in it because that's what I do. My wife thinks I'm weird but I like it like that. I go back to the bed and sit down by my wife and I start eating my ice cream and my guts are turning inside of me. Because for some reason, he just won't let that guy go. Yeah.
And I have the choice in that moment to finally disobey, eat my ice cream, go about my night, go to sleep. And I knew I just couldn't. You know why? Because Jesus is my lord. And I've disobeyed enough in my life to know.
1, he's a good father so he disciplines me when I disobey. Not to hurt me but to train me on who I am in him. So that I live out of my identity as his son instead of selfishness. Amen? So, I turn over my wife.
I said, baby, I gotta go back to Culver's. I said, there's some guy that I gotta go tell about Jesus. Good thing, yeah. Good thing they close at 11. I noticed it for a reason, didn't I?
So, I get back in my car and I drive back to Culver's. It's about 11:05 at this time, 11:10. I mean, not 11:05, 10:10. 10:05, 10:10. Which they're still open.
I get out of my car, park, go to open the door, and the door is locked. Because they close the inside at 10 but the drive thru's still open. *God gives me mercy and grace* even in in the disobedience. And it was delayed obedience is what it was but man, thank, I'm thankful for his mercy and my delayed obedience. So, guess what I do?
I go through the drive thru and wouldn't you know there's 3 cars in front of me? So, I skipped. I I don't wanna tell em what I'm doing in the in the you know, the ordering things. So, I skipped through it but there's 3 cars in front of me. So, I gotta wait longer which is another excuse I coulda had to drive away but I didn't.
By his grace and his mercy. But it took my obedience. So about 10, 15, 10 minutes, 10 minutes. I get to the window and wouldn't you know it's that guy at the window? So I look at him and I say, excuse me, sir.
I I was here 30 minutes ago and I had to come back to tell you something. He said, did you order the onion rings? I said, no. No. I did not.
But I drove home. I when I was here 30 minutes ago, I saw you and something was in my heart I had to tell you and I drove home and and it's 30 minutes later, I had to come back because it was so important. And he said, what is that? I said, I looked at him in the eyes. I said, Jesus really loves you.
And he looks and he, like, you could see a little little his eyes get a little glassy and he says, you don't effing know what happened today. I needed to hear this. My faith was radically or no, he didn't say radically. That's my word. My faith was shaken today and I needed to hear this.
I'm like, confirmation. You don't always get confirmation when you obey, but it's beautiful when you do. So I said, do you wanna know Jesus? He said, I know. I said, do you believe you can have a relationship with God?
He said, yes. I said, do you want to have a relationship with Jesus? I said, yes. Or he said, yes. I said, have you been "born again"?
He's like, And I explained what being born again is. This is at the window. I'm hanging out my car, and he's kinda listening. So I said being born again means you believe Jesus died for you, rose again, and you confess him as Lord. Meaning you don't want to live for you anymore.
You're gonna live for him as Lord. And you're gonna follow him. And when that happens he puts his spirit inside of you, gives you a new heart and a "fresh start". Do you want that? He said, yes.
I said, grab my hand. He reaches it. There's 2 cars behind us. He reaches his hand out the window. And I said, say this with me.
It's not a prayer that saves you. It's the position of the heart and the belief. Are you ready? He said, yes. And I said, say this.
Say Jesus. He said, Jesus, I believe you love me. I believe you love me. I believe you died for my sin. I believe you died for my sin.
I believe you rose again. What'd you say? I believe you rose again. I believe you rose again. And right now I ask you to forgive me of my sin.
*Forgive me of my sin. I ask you to come into my heart, make me new. Come into my heart, make me new. I will I I choose to follow* you. And here's what he said, I will follow you.
I said, amen. I told him to to download *John-3 and read it and he'll see what I was talking about. God* touched him. I can't wait to go back to Culver's and talk to him. You know, but praise god for mercy.
Praise god for grace and yeah, I will invite him to church. It's important. Him getting connected to a body of believers. It's a big deal. Now, we get to pick up the shovel because here's the real deal It's my hope and my prayer that that was authentic belief And that it that because if it's authentic belief, it will **produce fruit**.
It will. It will produce fruit and I've done this analogy before but Imma do it again because it's important for today's message but it's important for you to understand. Man, it's like, It's like a guy comes to me Scenario 1 and he says, hey, here's "X marks the spot". Right there and I buried 1000000000000 dollars below that X. $1,000,000,000,000.
That'll change your life, won't it? That'll change a whole lot of people's lives, won't it? And here's your shovel. You make it to that trillion dollars, it's yours And I say, man, that's awesome. Smile.
Said, you would do that? I smile. I might even have a tear because of what I'm going through. I pick up the shovel. I'm like, wow.
Thank you. I put the shovel in the thing. That's awesome. And the guy walks away and the feeling goes away. And I walk away.
Did I really believe him? If I really believe there was 1000000000000 dollars, what would I have done? I would have started digging. Scenario 1, the guy had an emotional experience but he didn't really believe. I pray that's not that guy.
I don't believe it's that guy. Time will tell. Amen? Amen. Scenario 2, *God* comes to me.
See that "red X" right there? Yeah. I put 1000000000000 dollars under it and it's got your name on it. It's for you. I did all the work for it, but I'm giving it to you.
It's under that red X. Here's your shovel. You get to it, it's yours. Thank you sir, that's amazing. Smile, no tear this time, it wasn't that emotional but at the same time, I'm excited.
Man walks away, I start digging. Now, I don't know this but the treasure's 10 feet down. So, I start digging. I get 6 inches and I find a dollar. I'm like, woah, a dollar.
That's awesome. I put it in my pocket. I keep digging. I get a foot. I get 2 feet and I find a $100.
Man, that's so cool. I get a $100. I put it in my pocket. I start digging. I get 3 feet.
Nothing. I get 4 feet, nothing. I get 5 feet, nothing. I say, Is it faith? What do you think?
Is it faith? You don't know yet. It looks like faith. I've made it 5 feet. I got a "blessing or 2".
I got I got a $101 in my pocket for digging. Man, that that blessing made me keep digging a little bit. But you don't know if it's faith yet. You know why? Because "faith finishes".
It's been dry. It's been 3 feet and I ain't got nothing yet. I take my $101 and walk away. Wasn't faith because I never came back. Next guy, same thing.
Got 1000000000000 dollars, put it under that red X, it's yours. I worked for it and I put your name on it. It's for you. I purchased it for you. Here's the shovel.
For me, thank you, sir. That's awesome. I start digging. Got 6 inches. Walk away.
But man, it it just kept dragging me back. So about 6 years later, I come back. Start digging some more. I get 3 feet, and there's $500. Wow.
$500 put in my pocket. That's a blessing. Praise the Lord. That's amazing. I'm excited.
Get 5 feet. There's $5,000 at 5 feet. I get the blessing, man. I put it in my pocket. It's an amazing thing.
I get 6 feet. Now, I'm starting to get consistent. 6 feet. I get $60,000 I put it in my pocket. That's amazing thing.
7 feet, 8 feet. At 8 feet, I get $600,000 and that's an amazing thing. I put it in my pocket. Now I got some momentum, boy. Let me tell you.
I get 9 feet and and 9 inches, and there's 1000000 dollars there. 1000000 dollars. Wow. And I walk away. Was it faith?
Or was I just in it for the blessing? What I just was I just in it for the next promise? And once I got that promise, I walked away because it was enough for me? Or did I really believe his word? Now, the reality is he does this with us and he's in it, and it's a relationship.
It's not just the reward, but the reward is his presence with us. But if we really believe his word, faith finishes. Amen? And of course, the last guy is the guy digs a couple of feet, gets some blessing, but walks away because life gets hard. 6 years later, comes back.
5 feet, life gets hard. Walks away 10 years, comes back. 6 feet, 7 feet, 8 feet, gets some more blessings and it's amazing. But he just never could forget that original word. So every time he walks away, he's drawn back and keeps coming back.
The 9 feet 9 feet 11 inches, and he makes it 10 feet. He makes it all the way, and he gets the trillion dollars. He gets the prize because his eyes was on the prize, and he actually believed the word so he never stopped no matter the circumstance, no matter the process, no matter how hard it was, he finished and he finished and he got the prize. That's faith. Faith always finishes.
*Faith* comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the Lord. Faith requires belief. But then the completion of faith is the completion of obedience. And without that, you didn't really believe what you thought you heard. *God* is faithful.
And his nature, you're born again, part of his nature, the fruit of his nature is faithfulness. And as a people, when God gives you a word, his word is his covenant. When he speaks, it has to happen. So when you see his word on the page as a promise, or you see and you hear in relationship his word what he's going to do in your life. The Bible says, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free but before it says that, if you remain in my word, then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
It takes remaining for you to experience the fruit. The fullness of the fruit. Let me show you scriptures so you believe me. Which is good. I'm glad.
You should you should wanna see it. Saw another man yesterday and he's here. I'm not gonna point you out. Don't worry about it but I'm glad he's here but he said, I told him something. He said, can I see that in scripture?
I said, yes. That's amazing. *Hebrews-3:12* says, see to it. I hear some pages flipping. I'll wait a second.
If you pull out your phone so you can see it too. So, you can look at it. Hebrews-3. You guys good? I'm about to speed up a little bit.
I got some stuff to tell you. *Hebrews-3:12* says, see to it brothers and sisters that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living god but encourage 1 another daily as long as it's called today so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ. We have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold to our original conviction firmly to the very faith finishes. Everybody say it with me.
*Faith* finishes. Amen. Guess what? That's for salvation. But that's not just for salvation.
That's for everything that God tells you. In relationship, walking with him, every big and every little thing when we know it's the voice of God. God's word is his oath. It's his covenant because he is truthful and he is good. When he speaks, it has to happen and if it doesn't happen, it wasn't him speaking.
And sometimes when he speaks, a covenant requires relationship. A covenant with someone, there's 2 parts to a covenant. 2 people in relationship. And sometimes when he speaks, Like in salvation, you know what it requires us to believe it and receive it. And when we really believe it and receive it, we're transformed by it and walk it out.
In that relationship with him, sometimes he gives you a word as you're like, I tell my son to go and do something. I wanna bless him when he gets that done because I know he's developing the character and the skills required for the next thing I want to give him. And so he's got to hear my word, believe me, and go obey it. And at the finality of his obedience, that's when I give him the keys to the car. That's when I do this.
Why? Because I know he's ready for what's next. And it requires faith. Hearing, believing, remaining in the word, and walking it out day in and day out. Faithful to what he said because my father's faithful and I'm a born again son of God, therefore I am faithful because he's my father.
Amen? Amen. I'll prove it to you. *Galatians-6*. We'll start in verse 7.
See, aren't y'all glad I started with a dad joke? Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh from the flesh will reap destruction.
Whoever sows to please the spirit from the spirit will reap eternal life. We walk in relationship with the Holy Spirit, following his lead day in and day out as we obey, as we follow him, we experience the fruit of the spirit in and through our life as we walk with him in relationship. Watch this. Verse 9. Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will **reap a harvest** if what?
If we do not give up. A lot of people that start a lot of good things, but they don't get all of the good fruit of that good thing because they don't remain faithful and stay till the end. Amen? Oh, it's gonna get hard. The enemy wants to test your faith.
He doesn't believe that you really believe. So he's gonna come at you and try to steal the word of God. Think about the the parable of the seed. The the bird picking up the seed is trying to steal the word of god before it takes root. Or bring all kinds of distractions to make you think that it's better over there or it's better over there.
The the weed choking the life out of the plant is all of the distractions the enemy brings at you to try to choke you away to show and test your faith and show that you really don't believe what you say you believe because if you did, you would remain and bear fruit. Amen? Amen. In everything that God calls you to. 11 o 2.
I got time for this story. You know, Abraham Abraham is called the father of our faith, right? He's he's almost like the prototype of our faith if you will. *God* promised to Abraham and made a covenant with Abraham and because of that covenant in Abraham's faith, we're by faith, children of Abraham and we get the blessing of Abraham. It says it in Galatians-3.
Galatians-3:6, so also Abraham believed god and it was credited to him as righteousness. Understand then that those who have faith are children of Abraham. That's what I just told you. There's the verse for it. Scripture foresaw that god would justify the Gentiles through faith, justify the Gentiles through faith, and announce the gospel in advance to Abraham.
All nations will be blessed through you. So, those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. So, Abraham shows us his life, shows us what it's like to live a life of faith. God wants to speak to you in the same way he spoke to Abraham. As a matter of fact, the Bible says even greater because the Holy Spirit wasn't in Abraham, but when you're born again, the Holy Spirit's in you, and you have the capacity to hear him day in and day out, moment by moment, and walk by faith.
It's not a religion, guys. It's a relationship. A religion follows a code of rules and list of laws in order to be good enough and feel good about themselves, and the focus is self and what I do. Relationship with God is because God put His spirit in you, came to you, now we hear Him and listen to Him out of love, Following him day in and day out out of a relationship, knowing his voice. Christianity, real Christianity is all about knowing the voice of God.
And learning like an infant baby learns to hear the voice of their father. Us when we're born again, infants spiritually, know his presence but not his voice yet. And we learn to day in and day out, hear and walk and know the voice of God. And so when he leads us in a moment and says, ah don't do that, ah do that. We can say yes Lord and reflect his character and nature.
It's a relationship. I'm calling you forth. Some of you have been infants for 50 years, 30 years, 20 years, 10 years, or 2 years. Some of you been infants because you've been enjoying his presence but not following his word. You mature when you obey what he says and day in and day out, as you obey what he says, he leads you by his presence and his word and you grow to hear his voice here and day in and day out more clearly.
And it's time I'm calling you forward out of infancy into obedience and holiness because you understand your identity. Children of God, righteous and holy because of what he did. Amen? Amen. Praise the *lord* So, Abraham I'll be quick about this 1.
Let's go to *Genesis-11* Just kind of want to show you the process of faith. It's kind of for salvation but also *god* told you to start that business or if god told you to marry that girl or god told you to do this or god told you to do that. God told you to, you know, he's going to give you a baby. He's, I mean, whatever it is like, god told you to be kinder to your brother or your sister or to go forgive that person like, you hear his voice, believe, and obey and there's a process towards obedience and sometimes that process is shorter or longer. Sometimes, it's a whole lifetime but a lot of times, it resembles this process.
First, let's start in the in in chapter 12 verse 5 Says, he took his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot, missus Abraham. It was called Abraham at the time. All all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they acquired acquired in Haran and they set out for the **land of Canaan** and they arrived there. Everybody say they arrived there. They they arrived there.
They finished that that their journey. They made it. They arrived. In this leg of his life, he did what god told him to do. Now, there's more process and more journey because that's just the faith walk.
That's how we every, every ounce and every moment of our life is a process of faith. But we know that god told Abraham to leave his father's household to go to a land that he would show him and we know because of later in the Bible that land was Canaan, right? The promised land. God told Abraham that he would give everywhere he stepped his foot but that started with the process. It started by Abraham hearing god.
And following him. As a matter of fact, just because you guys wanna see it in the word. In Acts, Stephen's preaching *Acts-7:2* and he's talking about Abraham. He says, to this he replied, brothers and fathers, listen to me. The glory of god appeared to our father, Abraham, while he was still before he lived in Haran.
Leave and go leave your country and your people. God said, and go to the land I will show you. So, that's important. Just for those of you that like the details, god told Abraham to leave and he spoke to Abraham before he was in Haran to go to this country. Now, back to Genesis-11.
I'm getting in the weeds a little bit in the details. Just stay with me, please. Abraham's family. Verse 27, This is the count of Terah's family line. Terah is Abraham's father.
Terah became the father of Abraham, Nahor, and Haran and Haran became the father of Lot. While his father, Terah, was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans in the land of his birth. We can skip down to '31, 11/31. Tara, that's Abraham's father, took his son, Abraham, his grandson, Lot of Haran, and his daughter-in-law, Sarah, the wife of his son, Abraham, and together, they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan but when they arrived in Haran, they settled there. So, god told Abraham which we saw in Acts-4 or Acts-7, to leave his family and go to the land he would show you which we know was Canaan.
*God* told Abraham that. And terror and he was supposed to leave his father's household but Abraham ended up going with Terah which is his father on the journey to the land of Canaan and because he had Terah with him, they stopped in Haran and settled there. In Joshua-24, we find out that terror served other gods. So, let's just piece all this together. God told Abraham to go to Canaan and to leave his father's household but Abraham, Tara ended up coming with Abraham either Tara insisted or Abraham invited.
Bible says, Tara took Abraham. So, Tara was a part of this. Tara didn't serve god but it looked like he did because he was on the same journey. Interesting. He was 1 of the ones digging.
Wasn't he? Got some of the benefit of the journey because they got some flocks and stuff in Haran. But he didn't finish because he didn't really serve god. It just looked like he did for a while and because he was on the same journey and it was disobedience from Abraham, Abraham settled where terror settled. For a while, and it delayed Abram's getting to the promise.
Do you know the the meaning of Tara's name is delayed? Isn't that interesting? In everything god tells you to do, there will always be things or people who try to delay you Saying you should never go in the first place, you should never do it in the first place, it ain't worth it. Or there will be people that come along and maybe they don't even realize it. They're not trying to be, but they don't really serve God and they're just they're a distraction a distraction from you accomplishing what God's called you to do.
In your faith journey, we love people but we follow him more than we follow what other people think In everything. *Jesus* said, you gotta love him more than you love your family. He said, your love for him will look like hate for your mama, your daddy, your grand pama, your brothers, your sisters. It will even look like hate for yourself to the world. You know why?
Because loving Jesus is death to self. It requires obedience and obedience is not my will but your will be done. It's trusting him over how we feel and how we think. Amen? I don't know about you but I wanna make it to the promise without delay.
Am I the only 1? I don't wanna settle. I wanna stand in what's promised even when it gets hard. You know that journey was hard. That's a long journey.
Thousands of miles. You gotta get food. You gotta get all kind of stuff. I'm sure there's a lot of stuff that came against him on the journey. But he had to stand in what god said, follow me.
And not just salvation but everything in your life is a journey of faith. Are you going to stand? Are you going to hear him and obey him to take the first step? And are you going to finish or settle? Man, I wanna finish.
Amen? Amen. You know, you're structured to finish. You're born again. God gave you the right structure.
Didn't know that was there, did you? Peek a boo. God gave you the right structure. I'm going tell you a couple of phrases. Number 1, the greater level of surrender, the greater level of freedom.
With more surrender in your life, more surrender, there's more freedom. More surrender to his lordship, you have more freedom. You know why? Because he created you and gave you a certain structure. And your structure defines your function.
Gabe preached about this the first Sunday of last year. The structure of this cup defines its function because it's made in the way that it is, it's not made to be a bouncy ball. You can throw it around and try to bounce it all. It may bounce a little bit. Oh, it did.
But it was kinda flippy and floppy and it just wasn't like a bouncy ball which will bounce right back or a basketball bounce right back, do exactly what it's supposed to do. If this tried to be a basketball, it would fail. Because it's made to be a cup. It's made to hold water and give drink. It's what it's made for.
So many people say, no, Jesus. I don't wanna do what you structured and you created me to do. I don't wanna read the instructions about my life. I don't wanna know you. I wanna do what I wanna do.
And I know I'm designed or no, I don't even know that I'm designed to be a cup, but I'm gonna try to be a basketball anyway and heck with you and heck with what you say. And they just keep trying to be a basketball or a bouncy ball. And they keep trying and they're bouncing all over the place, But they're limited by their rebellion. Because they won't surrender to the way that God created them. Nothing works right.
Nothing goes straight. It's all crazy. Because they don't surrender. And so they can't ever really do and really be fulfilled with the way that they were created. So they bounce around in life because they're rebelling rebelling against their creator and the structure they were designed to do.
But when you surrender to your lord, he leads you towards your purpose and in surrender, you find out your structure. You find out the purposes that he created you for before the "foundation of the world" And as you find out them and you begin to obey and and and do what he says to do, you realize, oh my gosh, I'm not a bouncy ball. I always thought I wanted to be a bouncy ball. I felt like I was a bouncy ball. Everybody always told me I was a bouncy ball.
But Jesus says, I'm a cup. So, Imma surrender to his lordship and I'm a dang cup and Imma do what cups do because that's what Jesus tells me to do. So, as I do that, guess what? Man, he starts to fill me up with my purpose. He just gives me a little at first because he wanna makes make sure I don't try to bounce ball again and spill it everywhere.
But as I'm faithful and I'm obedient, not only do I get filled up. Man, I fill others up too. So then as he knows he can trust me to be faithful to his word, he begins to fill me up even more and now, I'm free to walk in my purpose because I surrendered to his lordship. And not only am I free but I'm full. And not only am I full but I start to overflow.
Whoo. And my life begins to fill others up. But it takes *faith* and surrender and standing in the word that he said because it ain't easy to do away with all of the lies that people have always told you Because we live in a world where it was filled with lies. So, we gotta believe his truth, *Jesus' truth over our truth, and every else's truth and surrender our life to his lordship* so we can walk in freedom. Amen?
Amen. It's just good. And I was legitimately thirsty. So, he's made a covenant with us through Abraham *Jesus* fulfilled the old covenant and set us back under the promise that he gave to Abraham, new covenant. He'll never leave us or forsake us And in him, we become new.
He puts his spirit in us. And he's a covenant, not a consumer god. You know, "covenant, not consumer". You've heard that message before. I'll give you the brief brief aspect of it.
Consumer is, I'm only in a *relationship* or in a place for what it can do for me. And as long as I'm fulfilled, and as long as doing what I'm wanted to do, as long as it makes me happy, I'm good. I ain't going nowhere. A lot of people approach marriage and friendships that way, right? Like going to a restaurant, consumer based relationships.
Amen? Ain't that ain't that the truth? Yes. The covenant says, he's a covenant god. He's not in it for him.
Even if you fail, even if you mess up like I did. Last night, Friday night when I tried to disobey him and not share *Jesus* at Culbers. He was still in it and still pulling me forward toward the purposes because I'm his son. He's covenanted with me. He'll never leave me or forsake him even if I mess up and leave him and forsake him a few times.
Amen? Amen. That's covenant. That's a marriage. That's what what marriage is supposed to be like.
It's covenant. You're not just in it as long as your husband or your wife is good to you. No. When you say yes, I do, you're laying your life down so that they can experience the love of god through you and even when they fail you, you remain because your marriage is supposed to reflect god's covenant relationship with us. There's no option to leave.
Of course, there's unfaithfulness. That shouldn't even happen in believers relationship. Amen? Amen. So, we're in covenant with god.
When we give our life to *Jesus* and it's a relationship. So, not only is he in covenant with us but by saying, yes, lord, you're my lord. Like, the good news is is is freely I receive that and I'm washed clean and here's here's the real deal after that. Is it requires your life. You lay your life down to say, yes, lord for the rest of your life and you covenant back with him.
So, even in certain times where it gets hard and I'm not getting those little benefits and blessings for a season. It gets dry. I'm not a consumer in this relationship with you, Jesus. I'm not just a consumer. Yes, I receive but I'm not just a consumer.
I'm not in it just so that I can feel good and have a better day today. I'm in it because I know how much you love me. And I and I and I'm going after your presence and I trust your word and if all you ever did was save me and die on the cross and rise again, that's enough for me to stay faithful to you. So, so no matter how hard it gets, I'm going to keep digging. No matter how hard it gets, I'm going to keep walking and keep because because if it's too hard, if it gets to that place where everybody else says it's too hard and you should quit, I'm not going to do it because I'm in covenant with you, god.
Amen? Amen. Okay. So, we're in covenant with the head. That's Jesus, right?
But don't you know if you're in covenant with the head, you're in covenant with the body? 3 people said that's right. You know why? Because the a major percentage of the American church doesn't know that.
He calls the church the body of *Christ* and if you're in *covenant* with Jesus, the head, you're in covenant with his body. The question is, which part? Which local church has he called you to? And if he's called, if he's if you're a
born again Christian, stop being a consumer and just church shopping for what feels good and serves all your needs. And if it doesn't serve your needs, you
get offended and leave. That's not Christianity. You're in it for you instead of being in it for him and expanding his kingdom if that's been your mindset. And lovingly, I tell you to repent. We're not in it to consume.
We're in it like Jesus to "lay our lives down" to expand his kingdom and to make his body bigger and greater for his glory. So when you covenanted to Jesus as your Lord, you covenanted to his body. The question is, which 1 is he calling you to be a part of? And when you know, you lay your life down for that body. Because that's what covenant does.
*Covenant says, even to the extent that you don't do what I think you need to do, I'm going to continue to lay my life down to serve as unto the lord*. And that's my covenant to you, church. *God* sent me here, my wife, and my kids 5 years ago to lay our lives down for Clearwater and from the Pinellas County in order to start a church. And it ain't always been this many people.
Ain't always been serve teams that are full of people that wanna do stuff. It started with just me and her but we didn't we didn't do it so you could smile. It's great when you smile. It's great when you say amen. It's like a 100 it's like picking up a $100 at the second foot.
You know what I'm saying? Like, it's a blessing and it makes our heart joyful, but we did it because Jesus is our Lord and he said do it. And so our covenant was with him and because it's with him, it's with you. If you were all to leave here today and say you don't wanna run our name in the mud, which has happened Over and over and over, you'd be amazed. We're still gonna do it and lay our lives down because Jesus laid his life down for us.
And he gave us a mission.
And my ask to you today is if this is your local church, I'm asking you. If you know God sent you here, I'm asking you to covenant with us.
To be a covenant member, is
this a part of your this is be the the body of Christ God's called you to be. I'm gonna share with you something I've never shared with our church. Shared aspects of this. I'm a
share the vision. I've never shared what I see the church being in 20 years ever. Completely. But I'm a share it with you. Today.
And I'm a share why. The organization, the heart of the organization follows the heart of the leader. That's how you read leadership books that just that's what makes sense. So you should know my heart. You should know how this thing is birthed inside of me and really who I am.
And I think that's very important and really now, we have more of a leadership team and I'm very thankful for that because their strengths build in for my weaknesses and so together, we're stronger. We're all under the same vision and mission and values that god has called this church to be but I'm a tell you where I see the church being. I gave my life to Jesus as a young kid. My dad led me to Jesus. But in in middle school, my youth pastor who was on drugs and just a couple years before was just on fire for the lord because how radically saved he was and I saw that passion for Jesus lived out and overflowing out of his life.
And I wanted the same thing, man. And so that fire in his life impacted me. And so evangelism be became a major part of my heart and who I am. That's why like you hear stories of me leading people to Jesus because I think everybody should be leading people to Jesus. It's it's part of the great commission but some people are better at it than others and that's okay.
We build 1 another up in their weakness with our strengths. Amen? It's where the body does. So, I'm eighth grade because of what my youth pastor showed into me. I'm Sharon leading a Bible study in eighth grade in a room full of 40 kids at a school of about 170, 180 and 39 of the 40 come forward to give their life to the at the chalkboard altar.
I mean, Jesus is awesome and evangelism has been a part of my heart. So, don't you think evangelism is gonna be a major part of this church? Sharon Jesus, getting outside, that's why I'm so thankful for Jerry Hunter and and and the ministry that he's starting and and it's a major part. So, evangelism is is deep in my heart. I've been a part of worship team since I was 12, 13, 14 years old.
Traveling and and worshiping Jesus. Worship is deep in my heart. So, I love it when our church worships together and I love it. You heard the story of my daughter last night. Like, this isn't just a Sunday morning thing and I don't think it should be for any of you.
I think what we do at church should be a a little bitty particle of our life and it's the overflow of what happens in the closet and what happens at home and what happens when the way that we talk to our kids and the reason we structure church that way because if it's not, it's to encourage you and spark fire in you so that you go home and act the same way. Worship is a major part. My mentor, that youth pastor, he's 1 of 1 of my mentors was 1 of the people that's discipled me and that discipled me, man. When I went back home, I was working at at the church with my dad in Louisiana. We got to travel the world together and preach the gospel all over.
I mean, all over Africa, Central America, doing pastors conferences, and preaching crusades and I mean, just amazing. So, don't you know that cross cultural ministry is a major part of my life. I wanna see this church full of people from multiple different ethnicities. Every ethnicity that's in Pinellas County. Multiple different generations, man because I've learned from my mentors honor those that are above me, that are older than me because they got life experiences that that we don't have and and at the same time, I understand the the newness and the the importance of the the the freshness of the younger generation.
So, teaching the younger generation to honor the older generation while teaching the older generations that they're they're really mature and they're really older in Christ Jesus. They should lead and lay in their lives down to sacrifice themselves to serve the younger generation so they learn the same thing and stop making it all about your preferences and more make it all about laying your life down to serve because that's called maturity. And so man, if the younger generation honors the older generation, the older generation serves the younger generation, man, it's unified and then we get the best of both worlds and it's a beautiful church. Amen? Amen.
Multicultural, multi generational, unified across denominational lines because Jesus is the only truth. That mentor of mine as we were in Malawi. He prophesied. He said, and this was before we even moved here to plant the church. It was we had already committed to do it.
He said, David John, and this man is special to my heart. As a matter of fact, last year in May, he died on the mission field in Burundi preaching the *gospel* He had some health stuff and knew the risk of COVID and went anyway and died in Burundi but in Malawi, he said, David John, I see this church that you're planting it's a church of at least 5,000. At least. Some people say, well, wait a second. I don't like big church.
Guess what? It's called the global church. It's big. Maybe you need to repent of that mindset too because here's the reason it's important for multiple people to come together. You ready?
*God* created in nature symbiotic and synergistic relationships. Symbiotic means mutually beneficial. So, if we're in relationship together, there's stuff in you that god put in you that I need and without knowing you, I'm gonna be lacking but there's stuff in me that god put in me that you need and without knowing me, you're gonna be lacking but together, it's mutually beneficial and we do better. But then also, the principle of synergy. This finger, let's imagine it can only lift 10 pounds by itself.
But man, when it gets in relationship with this finger, you would think 10 pounds and 10 pounds, it should be lift 20 pounds. It's not what synergy says. Synergy says, 10 pounds and 10 pounds but in unity, 50 pounds. Oh, 10 pounds, 10 pounds, 10 pounds, 30 pounds, but in unity, a 150, 200 pounds. The principle of synergy.
Can you imagine? The more unified we are in serving the lord, laying our lives down to follow Jesus, getting unified. Can you imagine the multiplied synergistic effect of splash of amazing kingdom of *god* happening in Pinellas County? The splash will make for the kingdom but not just for the kingdom, for the world. Guys, I wanna build a building.
I wanna buy a building. 1 of them, I don't care. I think it's beneficial for our church. It's a beautiful thing but that'll take millions of dollars. And I just don't want to try to stretch the church beyond what we can.
I also know that we're going to start a fresh start 1 day which is a drug rehab that my dad started which is part of the reason we came because of a drug addict and gangbanger that went through it and was set free and asked me to mentor him. Like that drug rehab 70 percent success rate because it teaches identity in Christ. 1 of the largest in Louisiana. Well, we're ready to multiply it now. We have all of the knowledge but we don't have the people and we don't have the money.
We have to buy a nursing home to do it or build 1, something similar. That would take millions of dollars. You know, because of the what we've been doing overseas in Pakistan, like there's over 10 to 13,000 believers right now that started from 1 family and we pioneered that church in 2 unreached people groups and right now, I could make a call and say, do this and in March, we could do a crusade, an evangelistic event for 100,000 people because we have the discipleship structure to do it and have tens of thousands of people come to know *Jesus* but we can't. You know why? Because we don't have the base here because we operate 10% of everything that comes in goes to the global church.
It's the church's tithe and we don't have the base here, the finances to be able to do that without stretching to our church too much. So, we're not. Unless god gives it some other way. But man, how many tens of thousands of people could we be reaching now? Building fresh start, drug rehab, and hundreds of other ministries are in my heart, guys, to start.
Not that I'm gonna start them all. There's gonna be mighty men and women of women of God that are raised up right here as part of our mission, empower the ready. With all kinds of different thrift store and this and that, all kinds of stuff. Not so we can say, look at us, but so we can say, look at Jesus and what he's done and the splash that we're making for the kingdom. But it takes covenant, guys.
It takes people covenanted together for the mission that god's given a local body and if if this vision is is not what you are supposed to be a part of, go somewhere where you can get under the vision and get a get a part of it and dedicate your life to it. I'm good with that. It's the body of Christ. But this is what he's called us to. And so I'm asking you today to be a covenant member.
Now let me let me read what that means. And if you're like, that's not me. It's I'm not ready for all that. That's okay. You can attend until you're ready but if you know that this isn't the church where you're supposed to be a part of that, go somewhere where you can be a part, lay your life down, and help them accomplish the mission so the kingdom of god can expand.
I just wanna play the role that God's asked me to play in his body and be the cup he's designed me to be, and I want you to do the same. Amen? Yeah. Hold on. Oh snap.
He's bringing up a red folder. Because we're in covenant with Jesus. We're in covenant with the body of Christ. So it's time for us to do this, and I'm inviting you to be a part. There's no pressure.
I just want you to "walk in obedience" to the Lord wherever he puts you. This is a member's covenant. Having been and it says this, having been led by the Holy Spirit of God to profess my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal savior and having followed that decision in obedience of my lord in baptism which means to really be a member of a church, you need to be saved and baptized. If if you're saved but not baptized, you're walking in disobedience. Jesus said, be water baptized.
Right? So, if he's your lord, get baptized. Amen? Amen. That's a smiling kick in the butt.
It's good. I do now in the presence of god and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with real church as a part of this local body of Christ. I agree and affirm and understand the beliefs, purposes, calling, and vision of real church. By the way, part of being a member of of the body, you can sign this first or we have a class called establish, which goes through all of the beliefs, the purposes, vision, answers all questions. And we're doing that.
When's the next establish, baby? February 5, our next establish. You're invited. You can sign this first or you can sign it after or if god's calling you to go somewhere else, that's okay. It's a beautiful thing.
I engage therefore by the leadership of the Holy Spirit to grow together in Christian love, making every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, to make disciples, and to lead a life worthy of the calling I have received by adhering to a lifestyle consistent with the teachings of scripture. Why? If you you mess up, you're forgiven but we fall forward and move forward and the beauty of being in the body of Christ is we encourage and admonish 1 another forward in his righteousness, not condemning and judging. No, reminding of our identity and pushing forward in who Christ is and who we are in him. Amen?
I can and this goes on. I contribute cheerfully and regularly in the purposes and functions of the church with my time, talent, and treasure by attending, serving, and tithing. Woah, you would say that? Yeah, absolutely. You know why?
Because we have a mission and vision to accomplish and if you're not willing to attend, serve, tithe, your heart's not here. Tithing where you where your money is, your your heart is. Where your treasure is, there your heart is also. You know when somebody's really in is when they start tithing and you know when somebody's really about to leave is when they stop because their heart's no longer there. That make sense?
And man, we can't accomplish it without the finances behind it. So, we're not gonna move and do things before we're financially ready because that means we don't have the people that have the heart to help us do it. Make sense? But wait a second, my season of life doesn't allow me to serve. Well, that will be worked out in *relationship* because man, I, Chuck Grossman, faithful, amazing, and he works most Sundays at 11:00.
I think it's 11. Is that right, brother? 11:00. His wife, faithful, and his family is faithful to serve diligently. So knowing his circumstance and relationship, man, praise the lord.
There's there's there's mercy and grace in all of it. It's not this code of laws and written rules but it's what it takes to accomplish a mission and vision. So, praise the lord. Man, I believe Chuck is a covenant member if I never see him again on Sunday morning because I know that some of the people that are here in this church, he's been inviting from his from his his job and man, he served our church so faithfully outside of Sundays. It's a beautiful thing.
But it happens in relationship. Like, if you can't wait to not come on a Sunday, then maybe this isn't a church for you. That's why attending's in there, you know? Maybe you should go to somewhere where you enjoy going or if god's called you to be here and you can't wait to not come here, you need to work that out with him and his lordship. You know?
Okay. I willingly and joyfully participate in preparing people for the works of service so the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and the knowledge of the son of god and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ and it's got a signature. Now, here's what I would say. We put this as individuals because I think, sure, you can do it as a family but if the wife isn't really in it, it's really hard for the husband. The husband didn't really in it.
It's really hard for the wife. So you can individually *covenant* within your children as teenagers. Walk them through what it means and let them decide for themselves. Amen? Makes sense?
So I'm gonna put this here and here, and I know I went 10 minutes late. I'm sorry. This is or actually 15. This is not a normal Sunday. Probably the most 1 of the most important Sundays we've ever had.
So, I really apologize and Imma put it there and here's what we're gonna do. Imma turn on worship music and we didn't do tithing, giving, and communion. Today, so far. So, Imma put the covenants there and I wanna invite you. If you gotta go, you gotta go.
That's fine. We love you. Praise the lord and and let's say you're not ready to sign a covenant yet or to be a part to this level. Please keep coming. Please keep letting us sow the gospel into you.
That's why we're here. And then when you're ready or you know, god calls you and send you somewhere else, that's okay. But man, I'm on mission. And this journey of faith that god spoke in my heart, I'm not stopping. By his grace, I'm not stopping until we accomplish everything that God put in his heart for real church to accomplish together.
And I'm asking you to be in and not stop with me. To be in and be faithful with me. To see it come to pass. Does that make sense? You're invited, not forced.
You're invited, but it's up to him and you. And so what we do as far as communion goes, we invite people to take it with themselves or with their families or friends. We believe the the **body is broken** so that we could be whole and that what he did 2,000 ago matters for us today. The blood was poured out so that we could be "forgiven and washed clean", and what he did 2000 years ago matters today. So we take it personally to remind ourselves of that relationship and and that we can walk with with him freely.
So, if Jesus is your lord, I'd encourage you to take communion. If you don't know how, get with somebody else and do it with them or just do it with your friends anyway and we have tithes and offerings. We got the giving boxes here and back there but then also, you can give online obviously. Please don't feel forced if it's in your home church or even if it is. Nothing's forced.
It's all out of love, right? And so, Imma pray. Imma put this down. Is Robert here? I actually, I'll just I'll put on some music.
It'll be fun. And if you guys need to leave, if you wanna do business here with the Lord in that, the rest of the time is yours. So, father god, I just thank you for your goodness and I thank you for your love. I thank you for who you are. Lord god, I just I pray that You're the 1 that **grows your church** and so lord, those that are supposed to be covenant members.
Lord, I pray that it happens. If it ain't time yet, lord god, I pray they wait and lord, if there is another "body of Christ" that they're supposed to do this with. Lord, let them go and let this charge them to go and be a part and I thank you for what you're gonna do. Lord god and we "give our lives" to expanding your kingdom. In Jesus name, I pray.
Amen.