You are called to embrace the refining fire of community rather than avoiding conflict or pain. As you allow God to purify your character through relationships, you will be equipped to carry His presence and heal others wherever you go. Embrace the process today so you can step into the next season with confidence.
Amen. Random question. How old are you how old are you guys? You're not supposed to be young. How how what's your age?
76. "76 years young". I asked that on purpose. So it'd be a challenge to all of you. They're given their lives to go into the calling that God has for their life.
They didn't think that it was over. They're retired, and they're done. No. When you retire from your job or whatever, that's the that's just the beginning. God has so much more for you than you could ever ask, think, or imagine, and don't ever count yourself out from what God wants to do.
I don't care if you're 80 years young or 86 years young. God wants to use you. You are part of this generation that God has specifically called to equip and to make disciples in the world, and stop telling yourself less. Amen. Amen?
Amen. Alrighty then. So it being the the 6 year anniversary, I I do have a message planned. I don't think I'm gonna get to get to 75% of it because, you know, we did some stuff. But I wanna tell you this.
In 2014 in 2014, *God* showed me something. He showed me a crucible. You know what a crucible is? A crucible is a container that is built for heating metal or other substances to the boiling point so that the impurities inside of them can come to the surface. You can scrape it off the top, and it causes them to be more pure so that they can be ready to be used in the Master's hands.
That's what a crucible is. You know, a crucible is interesting. It's usually you I mean, it could be other substances, but a lot of times a crucible is made out of clay because of the high heat resistance or ability to take heat. Clay. You know what clay represents?
People. You know what the crucible represents or the crucible is that God uses to develop people? People. Relationships. He throws you into the church, which is full of people and relationships, and it's through relationships that God brings about the testing and the the hard circumstances of life that causes things in you to bubble to the surface to purify you, so he can scrape the junk off the top.
Why? Because when metal has impurities in it, it's more brittle. And you might have been ready for something in 1 season, but you needed to go back into the crucible so that you could be more pure and more ready for what's coming into the next season. Because what I've been preaching about is glory. What is glory?
*Glory* is *God* putting himself and what he does on display for all to see, and he's created you to manifest his glory. You were created in the image of God to be a representation of him. You are created in his likeness. In Ephesians-4:22-24, it talks about us putting on the new self and putting off off the old by the renewing of our mind. And then it says created in his likeness in true righteousness and holiness.
You know what likeness means? I'll like him. A reflection of him. Bearing, likeness means bearing his resemblance. You're not capable of bearing the resemblance of God in and of yourself.
He put the Holy Spirit in you when you were born again. He made you new, and then he's taking you through a process of purifying you to prepare you for each season, and that purification process is the crucible. And he puts you in that crucible to get you ready for the next season, because there is a weight of glory. Remember, glory from last week means the it comes from the Hebrew word meaning chabad, or the Hebrew word chabad, which means wakefulness, or weightiness. There's a weight of glory, and if you have impurities in you that that keep you from being as pure as necessary for the next season, when the weight of glory is put on you, if you didn't properly walk through the process, then you will be, your life will be too brittle to be able to handle the pressure of the responsibility he wanted to put on you, and you will crumble.
In 2014, he showed me that. In 2016, when he gave me the vision of real church, and 2017, he told me, Real Church is gonna be a crucible for leadership development. I'm gonna send my leaders there to prepare them for the next season. This is before we even moved here. We didn't plant the church until 2018.
So what my prayer is for every single 1 of you when you come here is whatever it takes, God. Why? Because that's my prayer for myself. Whatever it takes, Lord, to develop the character necessary to walk in the call. Lord God, don't press us into the next season.
I don't even care how hard it hit. It hurts. Sorry, I'm spitting now. I don't even care. I mean, because Romans-5:3 2 5 says, suffering produces perseverance, which produces proven character.
And I'm willing to go through all of the suffering necessary to my flesh, so that I can say, yes, Lord, in every aspect of my life. Lord, bring it on because I wanna be a clear reflection of you, and I wanna walk in every good purpose that you have for me, and not wimp out because I wasn't ready to go through the process. The crucible sucks to your flesh, to your pride, to mine. I've walked through it and walked through it every time God wants to take me into the next season. Every single time.
*God*'s relentless. Relentless. He's a good father. And if you promote yourself before you're ready, guess what? You're gonna get broken and then demoted until you're ready.
That's why I'm I'm not willing to step into what's next until he does it, and you shouldn't be either. Whatever it takes, Lord. Whatever it takes till every aspect of my life looks more like you. You tell me I'm ready, I'm stepping forward in obedience, 1 step at a time, because I love you and I'm ready. Real church is a crucible of leadership development.
That's what we are. And most hopefully, up to him, I'm good, will be sent from here into back into their jobs, into their families, into your jobs, into your families, into your recreational activities as leaders for his kingdom, changing the atmosphere everywhere that you go. Amen. But many, maybe most, I don't know, it's in his hands, will be sent from here around the world. Some to The Philippines, some to Texas, some to Timbuktu, and I'm good with it.
As a matter of fact, I want to. You know why? Because when he showed me that, I don't know how many of you guys saw the original video, vision video that we put out in 2018 when we were planting the church. But there was a line in it that I that I said that was my favorite. And I'll tell you where it comes from.
And it's part of our mission statement, by the way. Our mission statement is the how that we do what we do. It is "engage the culture" with the love of Jesus, establish the believer in the body of Christ, because once you've been engaged with the love of Jesus, hopefully you choose to be a believer, and then you need to get established in a local body, and we think this is the best 1. However, God sends you somewhere else, so so so be it. Go go establish somewhere in a local body because it's only when you're established can you really develop roots and grow and bear fruit.
And if you keep making excuses, well, I don't need the church, you know that's a lie that you're making excuses about because the church is the body of Christ. And to separate yourself from the body of Christ, separate yourself from Christ, and it's called pride. And you will keep circling the drain and never fulfill the glory that God's put on the inside of you until you do it in the context of relationships. And don't just do it in the context of relationships, but stand in it through the crucible so that all the impurities are broken out of you and you can love like Jesus loved. Amen?
So many people, oh, they hurt my feelings, and then they go to the next place, and oh, they hurt my feelings, and then they go to the next place, and oh, they hurt my feelings. If that's your MO, then the problem is you. You're the 1 that needs to be changed. You're the 1 that needs to die to self and learn what it looks like to be consistent in relationships with people, so God can continue to develop him, to look like him, to be a reflection of him, and Jesus, who is the exact replication of the Father in bodily form, the exact imprint of his nature, Jesus **died to self* so much that he followed in obedience* to a cross saying, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing. He never made the excuse, oh, you know what?
I've man, I've I've given them everything and now they're spitting on me, I'm done. I'm just done, Father. I can't do this anymore. You know what? I'm going to the next people to die for them.
Does that sound like Jesus? Why does it sound like so many in the church then? Selfishness and pride because the church is supposed to be a reflection of Christ. And so if that's in your heart and I'm stepping on your toe, that's a great thing. Move your toe out the way and never put it back there again.
Amen? Because God loves you so much that you're supposed to be a reflection of his love, laying your life down for others and going through the crucible over and over as often as he wants to put you through it because he's a good father. So good. Well, okay. So engage the culture with the love of Jesus, establish the believer in the body of Christ, equip the believer to engage the culture with the love of Jesus because when you get established, you start getting equipped.
You're letting, you're opening yourself up to relationships to learn how to love with the power of God. In that process, eventually you will be ready to live out the next part of your God given purposes. And this is my favorite part, I kinda looked weird and funny when I said it, I was so excited on the video, and "empower the ready" to live their God given purpose. That's a minute, that's my favorite thing in the world is seeing people be ready to step into the next thing that God has for them. Like seeing Todd City get up here and preach.
I'm like, I was like a little kid at Christmas when he's preaching. I mean, was, and I've felt that way for many of you that have walked through processes, and you started walking in the aspects of your purpose, because it's my call. It's what gives me like the most joy in the world. It really is. But you know why?
That came out of this. *2 Corinthians-9*. Verse 6, I'm so sorry, I didn't give her any of these verses for the TV because I only had 12 minutes to preach, so I figured I'd just change the message on the fly. We'll go back to part 2 of the Glory of Living next week. It won't be like the Corinthians series, I promise.
*Lord* willing. *2 Corinthians-9:6*. This is where my passion for Empower the Ready came out of. It says, the point is this, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Now the context of this is money, correct.
And if you are a sparing if you if you if you hold on tight to your money, then your money's got you held on tightly to as well. And and God can't trust you with more for his treasure and his kingdom. If that's your fear, amen, you gotta let that stuff go. Money's a great tool, but it's a terrible master. Good.
It That was real. Amen? Yeah. But that's I didn't read this about money. When I was reading this, I was just thinking about resources.
So when I read this, I was thinking leaders. If you sow sparingly leaders, you'll reap them sparingly because I was thinking in the context of real church. If I sow bountifully leaders, then I'll reap bountifully leaders as well. Oh, there's a promise here too. And whoever verse 7, each 1 must give as they decided and in their heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
So I ain't gonna be pressured into it, but man, I'm gonna be obedient to the Lord out of cheer, out of like gratitude. I get to do this. Watch this. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, he distributed freely.
He has given to the poor. He distributed freely. He has given to the poor. His righteousness endures forever. Verse 10, he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing.
I want you to catch this. This isn't any resource God's entrusted to you. This isn't just money. Okay? Any resource God has entrusted to you to use as a resource for his kingdom.
You hold onto it, guess what? It's probably holding onto you and it's a terrible master. Every resource is a terrible master. Yeah. That's good.
But when you give it generously, here's what happens. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way. The NIV says on every occasion, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. What that tells me is if I'm obedient to sow my best, God will see that he can entrust me with his best to develop, grow, and sow again on every occasion.
And what did he tell me in 2014? Crucible. What did he tell me in 02/1618 '17? Crucible, real church is a crucible for leadership development, which means the greatest resource that God's gonna give us is you. You are a leader in training.
That's what you are. Every single I'm not a leader. Yes, you are. You're called by God to be a disciple maker, and you can't make disciples without leading them. That's your commission, every single 1 of you.
If you haven't been born again yet, it's your commission. You just gotta get born again first. You gotta give your life to Jesus. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory. The only way that you're gonna walk in the glory that God has for you is receiving the fact that Jesus paid the price for your sin, and then receiving the Holy Spirit that comes when you surrender your life to the Lord.
He puts the Holy Spirit inside of you so you can know him like a father knows a son, and he's gonna develop you into the leader he's called you to be in any area of your life. I'm spitting again. Thank the Lord we don't have a front row right here. It would it would be terrible. In every area of your life to cause you to be discipled and a disciple maker.
So my favorite thing is, man, you're a leader. God's called you to be a leader. I wanna do whatever it takes, and I'm praying for you, whatever it takes for you to know his love and live out the purposes he's put on your life. Whatever it takes. I pray it doesn't take much.
*Suffering does produce perseverance, and then that does produce proven character, but you only suffer as much as your flesh* is holding onto yourself. Otherwise, you ain't gotta suffer much. If you're if you're just willing to say, yes, Lord, whatever the process, surrender to whatever whatever you say, then then it's a lot less suffering because you've already developed the character necessary. But man, that's what real church is. It's a crucible of leadership development.
If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen, baby. Go to a church where you can just be comfortable, sit on a pew and go home. Because we're gonna make you into **disciples** who make disciples who make disciples for his kingdom. Because that's the only place that you're gonna be fulfilled and then we're gonna empower the ready. I'm gonna we're going to send you, maybe not officially like this, but most of you, you'll be just sent back into your daily job to go transform the culture of where you are, back into your gym where you hang out and workout, back into your recreation, back into your family reunion, to go "change the atmosphere" because you've been changed, and now you're a leader, and you can't help but influence people around you to Jesus.
Let me give you an example, and I'll be done. This past Tuesday, I've been I've been going to play basketball for the last, like, 4 Tuesdays because I I was walking around, spending some time with the Lord, and I walked by a basketball court at Highland Rec, the outside 1, and he said, hey, there's somebody who needs to hear the gospel. I just knew it in my spirit because I know his voice because I'm a Christian. FYI, you're if you've if you're a Christian, you can know the voice of God. Just need to mature and grow into it like a baby growing into maturity.
Okay? So what happened as I walked by, there was a young man walking out. I walked up to him, shared the gospel with him, he was born again. I said, man, you got a healthy church? He's like, no, work a lot on Sundays, I can't, I can't, just got a lot going on.
I said, well, you come here on Tuesday nights? He said, yeah. I said, I'm gonna come to you. You let me play, I'll play basketball with you, you give me 10 minutes in the Bible. He said, deal.
The next week, he had a "7 day streak" in the Bible lab. I got to share about how a baby grows in the Lord with him, you know, and every baby has to learn to breathe, and breathing is like praying. Breathing out, it's just an analogy. But breathing out, I'm I'm speaking to him, but I'm breathing in, I'm learning to hear my father's voice. And I taught him about how to get in the word and learn how he speaks, what that looks like by by knowing the Bible.
Next week, he's still growing in the Lord. The next week, I think it was this past week, this last Tuesday. So I go on Tuesday to go play basketball. I've been running a little bit because I was really out of shape the first couple Tuesdays, so I actually played on the big court where the good guys were playing this past Tuesday. I was a little little insecure about my shape to play over there the first couple.
And about midway through the game, the other team's best player bows out, his chest is hurting and he's over the fence, like, and everybody's stopped and concerned about him. He starts walking back across the court. I walk up to him. I said, hey, man. I laid my hand on his shoulder.
I said, can I pray for you? He goes, yeah, please. I put my hand on his chest, and I'd noticed this cross thing that he had on. I put my hand on his chest, and I said, the name of Jesus, "pain leave", heart be made whole, tightness go away. In Jesus' name, he looked me and said, thank you.
And he walked he walked away. We played. 10 minutes later, he joins the game again. When it's done, I say, hey. Walk over to him.
I said, hey, dude, what happened with your chest? He goes, when you prayed, the pain left. I said, really? I said, dude, I noticed the the cross thing you got on your chest. What is that?
He goes, you know, my mom bought it for me. I don't really know. I said, can I explain it to you? He said, sure. I shared the gospel with him, he gave his life to Jesus right there.
I told him the same thing I told the other guy. And I said, hey, other guy. His name is Zechariah. I said, hey, him too. Now this is the fourth 1 in the last 3 weeks.
Why? Because I'm sent by God everywhere that I go, carrying the kingdom of heaven and shifting the atmosphere. I'm carrying the presence of God that he put on the inside of me, the environment of glory, which we're gonna be talking about next week. And you, if you're a Christian, are commissioned to live like that everywhere you go. Maybe not exactly.
There's different scenarios and different situations where you gotta learn to hear the voice of God and obey him obey him in the moment. But if you read the book of Acts, what's happening in Acts? It's happening in my life. And it's also happening in many of the leaders' life. Hey, if you've led somebody to Jesus, or you've prayed for somebody and seen them miraculously healed in the last month, I want you to stand up.
Right now. Now, why did I do that? I'm not trying to shame anybody, but I'm trying to spur you on as a Christian. Guys, there's more. Guys, we are called to make disciples.
You can be seated. We're called to minister to the lost. We're called, we're called to heal the broken, to cast out demons. We are called to live like the Bible said, and I'm not gonna be a dead church that just talks about what happened 2000 years ago and makes excuses for why it doesn't happen in my life today. And guess what?
If I'm gonna be your pastor, then this is going to be a crucible of relationships that's going to spur you on every single time you're around us to look more like Jesus. Not because we don't love you or because we're mad at you, not we have a good time. The motto of real church is I'm a real person living a real life for a real Jesus having a "real good time". It's been my motto since I was 14. But because we're authentically in love with Jesus and in passionate pursuit of him and want the whole world to know it and don't want the whole world to look at us, but we want them to look at Jesus.
And if you if you do that, if you really look at Jesus, Jesus said, follow me and I will make you a "fisher of men". So the more that you're looking to Him, the more every single day you're gonna becoming a better fisher of people in your daily life. Do you have to be an evangelist and do kinda crazy stuff every single day? No. But you do have to learn to be obedient to the Holy Spirit in your life.
And if you're the only 1 in a room that can heal a broken person beside them, guess what? The Holy Spirit is gonna ask you to do it. And you gotta be ready. You understand? I hope this makes your heart burn for more.
Because guess what real church? *Revival* is happening. In the month of August alone, outside of real church, just officially counted, because these numb these numbers weren't really counted, a 110 people were born again. Just officially. There's been thousands.
And revival, as Gabe preached on Friday night, is not for the lost. Revival is to revive the church. And a product of the church being revived is the lost coming to know him, the broken being healed, the depressed finding joy because the church is going to the broken. Jesus said, the Father anoint I've been anointed. What Jesus said when he read from the book of Isaiah to heal the hurting, to mend the broken.
I forget all of you said. To free. Set the He was anointed for such a time as this, then he put that same anointing on us by the Holy Spirit. Not so you can sit in church and have a good time. Amen.
But so you could come to church, be refueled, then go live your daily life for the kingdom. I hope you come back next week. Because I'm telling you, the best is yet to come, and the crucible is worth walking through. It's the only way you're really gonna walk out your purpose.