You are called to be a minister of the gospel rather than a passive consumer of ministry. Commit to establishing yourself in this local body so you can equip others and engage the world around you with Jesus' love.
Well, good morning, Real Church. Come on. My name is David John Phillips. I have the joy and honor of getting to be the pastor here. No place I'd rather be, nothing I'd rather be doing than this right now with you guys.
So thank you so much for choosing to come. Thank you for being here today to worship with us and enjoy his presence. Man, you know, I just wanna tell you a couple little things. We have we have a special, very special service planned today. We're doing something that we don't get to do very often, but I think we'll get to do more as time comes.
And you'll see what I'm talking about. Our why is exactly what you heard in worship. Our vision, whatever it takes for you to know the love of Jesus and live out your God given purpose. Jesus did whatever it took for us. He laid his life down for us, so we could experience his love and live out the purposes that he created us for.
And when we see him and know him, and walk into relationship and surrender our life, we learn to do the exact same thing. To do whatever it takes to lay our life down. To follow him at his word. To love him with all of our heart. And to love others as he loves us.
Amen? I mean, that's Christianity. It's just what we do. How do we do that? Engaging the culture with the love of Jesus.
Number 1. Engage the culture with the love of Jesus. Step outside of ourselves to impact the world around us with what Jesus put in us. Amen? Number 2.
Once people are engaged with the love of Jesus, now they have a choice to make. They either choose to follow him or follow their selves. That's it. And we wanna we wanna place his love before them in such a way where they're they're forced into the "valley of decision". Where they see his goodness and his love.
They either choose themselves or they choose Jesus. Man, unapologetically, if they choose themselves, man, I wanna continue to love them and continue to call them forward. But the ones that choose Jesus, man, I want them established in the body of Christ. Engage the culture with the love of Jesus. And once they're engaged and they choose him, man, I
want them established in the local body of Christ.
Which is a big deal. Because to be in covenant relationship with the head, how can you not be in covenant relationship with the body? Amen? I mean, it's a big deal. And that's why we have the covenant membership forms and everything.
And, it's more than just a form. It's it's the heart posture. Because we just saw that. Wait a second. Growing up in the American church, so many people go somewhere and they Man, if they don't like something or it doesn't fit their fancy, they don't like this preference or whatever, they get offended and they run and they leave.
And go from church to church to church and never experience the fruit of constant, good, strong, "ironing, sharpening iron", encouraging people forward in relationship with 1 another. That's what we're called to. It's a beautiful, amazing thing. But being in covenant with the body doesn't mean you're stuck there for the rest of your life. No, it means it's a healthy thing that if God calls you to leave in 6 months, 6 years or 60 years, You leave healthy in relationship.
God blesses the sent man, not the leaving man. Amen? So if God calls you to go to another church and help and and and covenant with them, man, I want our our leadership team, we wanna be a part of helping to bless you and send you on the way and expand our relationship, getting to know that church and that place too. It's a ever increasing, ever unifying body of global body of Christ. Amen?
I mean, that's just how church is supposed to be done. I see it as biblical. Then number 3, is equip the believer to engage the culture with the love of Jesus. Man, once you establish here, this is
your local body, you're gonna realize real quick.
Because we say it all the time. You're a minister of the gospel.
Our role as the leadership of this church is not to do a bunch of ministry. Our role as disciples of Christ is to do ministry. Our role as leaders in the church is to lay our life down to equip you to do ministry in your daily life. Once you establish yourself in the local body of Christ, you're giving license to discipleship. You're becoming a part of the discipleship process, and you're giving license to the church to disciple you as you grow and encourage it, and the church encourages you forward in Christ.
And part of that discipleship is showing you that what God's put in you, you're not gonna grow until you let it come out of you. When you start learning, when you're everything that you're taking in is not meant to stay stagnant in your heart, but it's meant to go in and come out. And as you give it out, God keeps filling you up. But if you don't give it out, it just gets stagnant and becomes pride and you fall over. Big headed, full of knowledge, but no life knowledge.
So that's why I'm constantly saying, hey, you are a minister of the gospel. If you gave your life to Jesus yesterday, you are equipped to share your testimony and lead others to Jesus. Go do it. If you've been living for Christ for 20 and 30 years, guess what? You're equipped more than anybody else to love.
Love means *sacrificing* yourself for the sake of another. Meaning laying your life down and giving out all of that knowledge to the generation around you, to the people around you. Uh-oh. I might not be equipped to say this well Because I'm not 50, 60, and 70 years old, so you're gonna have
to hear my heart in this. But, I told somebody this today in prayer. We were praying for the congregation, praying for the service. You know, teenagers and young people, you probably see it more than ever in the younger generations like a rebellious heart. Do you know why?
And I'll I'll be able to say it more strongly when I'm 60, 50, 60, and 70 years old. But when the 50, 60, and 70 year old Christians who's been living for Jesus for 30 and 40 years learn to lay their life down for the younger generation. The younger generation will learn to honor the older generation. But the mature ones should should learn to love first. And, man, as I grow in 20 years, I hope I don't forget that.
But, man, I want to see a unified *church* generationally, 60 and seventies, with the teenagers in the twenties and the thirties who are learning to honor and serve. And the ones that honor are learning to serve too, and and can grow in their relationship with Jesus much faster because the sixties and seventies are learning that it's not all about their preference and how it was done 20, 30 years ago. But it's it's it's about laying my life down to serve and disciple the younger generation where they're at so they can see Jesus and do the same things we did and "even greater". So equip the believer to engage the culture with their with the love of Jesus. And then number the third 1, or the fourth 1, engage, establish, equip, is my favorite.
It's empower the ready to live their God given purpose. And, that's my favorite. Because once once you become a disciple of Jesus, and you're learning to give out and minister, you're in process. God has you in process. And, you're learning the process.
Learning the character necessary to walk out the purposes that God has for you, that God's planned for you. And that takes time. It takes failing sometimes. Learning to fall forward, get back up, and keep walking. It takes, you know, getting it wrong and getting it right and and learning by his grace and mercy that there's a new day tomorrow and getting back up and and God developing the character.
*Romans-5:3 through 5, suffering produces perseverance*, produces proven character, which produces hope that doesn't disappoint. Man, there's suffering in part of the the character building process that we need brothers and sisters around us to encourage us forward so we don't quit, but keep moving forward in our relationship. And in that process, he's developing in us, making us ready to live out every aspect that he created us for, every purpose that he has planned for you. And today, we're gonna get to ordain 3 people. Because they're ready.
I wanna explain to you at Real Church in this culture what ordination is. Because it's important. We're a 4 and a half year old little baby church plant. But about 5 years they say you're an established church. So, we got 6 months to to be established.
But part of that is setting the culture of how we do things, know talking with 1 of my overseers, know he was coaching me through some of this. What is ordination? Really we don't have the right to ordain anybody that God hasn't already ordained. **God anoints first**. We're just recognizing what he's already done.
I'll give you biblical example. David, King David. Before he was king, as he was still a shepherd boy, God sent Samuel to anoint him. He was being anointed by God as king. You realize that was 15 years before he stepped into his first role as king.
About 22 years, some scholars would say, before he was king over all of Israel. First was just king of Judah, then king of Judah and Israel. So there was a God anointed him as king, and then there was a process of 15 to 22 years of walking out what God had already spoken by faith until he saw the reality in his life. Man, I don't want to quit in the process. I wanna stand by faith in the promise of what God has spoken till I see the reality of my life.
That's called walking by faith. You're not a bunch of quitters, are you? Me either. Let's spur 1 another on so we help each other not quit. Come on.
So God anointed him king, and then 15 years later, the people anointed him as king. *Ordained* him as king. He didn't get to walk out the full aspect of what God anointed him as until the people anointed him. Until the people recognized the call. You know why?
Because what you honor, you're able to receive from. Jesus said, in Mark-6, And, he was in Nazareth, and it says, Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor. The bible can get away with double negatives. A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives, in his own home. He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith. Remember, faith comes by hearing. They couldn't hear him because they dishonored who he was and his word because they were so familiar with him. I don't wanna dishonor the familiar if God says it's supposed to be it's God says it's more than just familiar. Does that make sense?
If they would have honored *Jesus for who he was and honored his words*, honor means to give value and give weight to, they would have been able to receive much more from him. Prophet is not without honor except in his own town. He was saying they were dishonoring him and because of that they couldn't "receive from him". Probably didn't even come to him. Well man, I want to go over and above.
I wanna, as the bible says, "outdo 1 another" in showing honor. And when people are ready, bring them forward to demonstrate what God has done in their life to our congregation, so that you guys can honor them for what we see them doing and receive from the gifting God has put in them. Does that make sense? That's the purpose of ordaining. God has already anointed it.
They've walked it out by faith and showed in their lives what God's doing in those specific areas and those specific giftings and callings. And so we're ordaining them into a life of full time ministry using the giftings that God has has already put in them, already shown, and they've demonstrated, in order to show our congregation what God has called them to be, so you guys can receive from them in the way that we see it. Does that make sense? I know it's a lot of words, but was it clear? Yeah.
Alright. Cool. So, Miss Deasia Rawls, would you come up here? I met De Asia at Radiant Church about 5 and half, 6 years ago. And, I was serving there for 6 months before they sent me to plant a church.
Praise the Lord. Plow another man's field before you plant your own. It's a good thing. If you get it, you get it. And, 1 of the things that I got to do was find places that they needed and build teams.
And so, they needed a children's worship ministry. And, I had a little experience there, and acting crazy in front of kids. So, I was like, hey, pastor Aaron, can I build a team there? He said, sure. I said, great.
And, I saw her. And, I saw in her a passion for kids. Did you see that at that time? As leaders, man, you just you see stuff in people and you call them forward. You wash them in the water of the word.
It's just part of it. I recruited her and for that. But then later we moved here to plant a church. And we needed a children's director, somebody in charge of kids. It was about 2 years in, and we had this big need.
And God put her on my heart. This was like 3 and a half years in between, you know, when that happened. So I call her. I say, hey, we need a children's director, and I believe you're you're you're it. Would you pray about it?
And if God confirms it in your heart, let me know. And she said, well, we're in between churches right now and our and we kinda feel planted and feel called to do this. I said, that's fine. Praise the Lord. I just want you to know, even if it takes 6 months, I feel like you're the you're this is the spot for you.
So we're gonna leave it open and and we'll see what happens. She said, okay. And, no I said, you know, no pressure obviously. 6 months later, they end up at our church. They end up serving.
You know, I didn't specifically say, okay, you're the children's director. "Next thing you know", they're serving in kids. Next thing you know, praise the Lord, she's the children's director. It's awesome. But, it's more than that.
She's get she's a gifted leader. She took some coaching that I gave her about building a team, and it was hard coaching. She listened to it. She put it into practice and the team began to flourish. Next thing you know, she she started building a team with the wrecking crew.
Next thing you know, she's building a security team. Next thing you know, she's a gifted leader, and she knows that she's called by God to "lay her life down" for the rest of her life, whether or not she's paid full time or not. But, lay her her life down for the rest of her life to equip his local body, wherever that is. And, man, want you, as our church, to see what we, as a leadership team, see in her. And I want to lay hands on her, to anoint her, so that that ministry and that gifting, ordination to help pastor our church is multiplied for years to come.
Amen? Jerry and Heidi, would you come? They're our first elders. Been pillars in the church since day 1. Got my oil.
Oh, you're did you agree with what I said?
Or I do.
I hope so. Heidi, we're gonna lay hands on her, and and and I'd love for you to just to lead the prayer and pray for her.
I gotta really grace them down. Oh, we praise you. I thank you for this mighty woman of god. I thank you, lord, that age really isn't a thing when you're in complete control because, Lord, you you go beyond it. You've created to do exactly what you called her to do, Lord.
And I praise you, number 1, for vision that when we are in you, we can have vision, and we can see things, and we can call those things out. And, father, even when she didn't know it, it was there. It was established before the foundation of the world. And so, God, I just we just anoint her right now in Jesus' name, Lord, for I think agree. I think it goes well beyond pastor.
I think that there are some very strong calling and gifts in her, Lord, that that she is anointed for, and we just publicly acknowledge that, Lord. We publicly honor her, Lord. We honor her in you. Lord, I thank you that this is gonna set. I just see a long line of just "fire exploding", almost like when you set a big igniting line to blow up a building or something, Lord.
We this is starting that thing, and it will go and it will explode for your glory. Thank you, Lord, for protecting her, her family. Thank you, Lord, for the those that she is called to go on and go after and minister to and call those those things forth with such a strong anointing in Jesus name.
Amen. Amen. Deja would you pray over our congregation?
Father God I just thank you so much right now. I thank you for your presence in this place God. We honor and recognize that you are here, God. Thank you so much for this church, Lord. Thank you, father.
Father, thank you just for the "unity that's happening", father, that there is no division, that we are laying down our preferences to unify for you, father. Father, thank you for just thank you for loving us. Thank you for sacrificing your son for us, father God, It's showing us the ultimate feeling, the ultimate just well, just love, father. Love is sacrifice, and we honor and recognize that, father God. If you could just hold the hand of the person next to you right now, everybody.
This is a body. This church is a body. This is the bride of Christ. We are united as 1. Every person in this room has giftings and talents and just ability that goes far beyond what you can see.
Let's lay down your preferences. Lay down yourselves to love, Outdo each other in love. Father, right now, I just thank you for each and every single person in this room, that they're able to just surrender their selves to you, that we're able to be unified as 1 father. We honor and we love you. In here we pray, amen.
Amen. Thank you, Deja. Mister Daniel Mannix, could you come here? Not yet. They'll be back.
Yeah. Actually, you might as well stay up there. Yeah. My bad. I met Daniel at Radiant Church as well, actually.
And, don't worry guys, when I was leaving Radiant Church, pastor Aaron prayed that anybody that's there that he wanted to go and help pastor David start real church. It was blessing. I was a sent man. Okay? But I became I became friends with him and over the next about 2 years, I would call him just because God put him on my heart every couple weeks, once a month, couple times a month, and just ask him how he's doing, how I could pray for him.
And it was just a good relationship that developed. And and, you know, just tell the story like it is. He was he was praying. He was wanting his family to be in church with him. So we were praying for his family.
And his family started coming to Real Church, but he wasn't there. And so then, God put it on his heart. I didn't say anything. Don't. God put it on his heart.
Next thing you know, he's calling Real Church his home. He's a part of it. But I see something in him. And you've seen it if you've been here any amount of time. He's a teacher.
It's what he is. God has anointed him as a teacher. And he's faithfully over time handled the word with *truth* and love and clarity. Not just from the stage, but in multiple different small groups, multiple different places, and in his daily life, he disciples people by the way that he teaches the word, and teaches them. This man's a teacher anointed by God.
And I recognize that anointing a long time ago. But now, it's time to ordain it before you guys so that you can better receive from the gifting, so he can use his gifting to equip you as ministers of the gospel. Ephesians-4:12. Amen? Pastor Ray Mannix, would you come up?
Surprise. Ray is a mighty man of God and a pastor. He he leads a jail ministry and has done so for over 20 years. 35. 35 years.
Just kidding. And, discipled him as his dad. So this is just a generational discipleship beautiful thing. It's what happens. And so it's a joy not just to get to ordain Daniel, but to have mister Mannix be the 1 that prays over his son as we do it.
Pretty perfect. Right? Alrighty.
He's got it good.
Sounds good. In the name of Jesus, father, the fire of heaven, the oil of heaven, we continue to flow over my son, Lord. It's been an amazing feat to watch this man develop in the things of God. We've had our discussions, our long discussions, always fantastic, always deep and profound in the things of God, meditating in God's word. And I've seen this man on the street minister and love people and preach the word.
He's a man that has studied and been approved by God and man, rightly dividing the word of truth with all integrity and purpose. I've seen him in the funeral parlor preach and bring hope to those after we suffered loss of family members. I've seen him in the hospital rooms, in the intensive care wards where we prayed and we've seen miracles. And I would say that it's God in me, in him, and what a treasure we have. As the pastor said, this being a "generational blessing", I am honored to bless you and ordain you in Christ to recognize the giftings and the callings that god has put in you, my son.
A deeper anointing. A deeper anointing. Go in deeper. In the name of Jesus, father. Thank you for crowning him with your loving kindness.
We bless you and give you praise for it all today, father. In Jesus name, amen.
I figured since we're doing this, he might as well give a short word. Know, so.
It's time. Let me give you a hug first.
It's that kid over. Yeah.
Let me say let me say that again.
As I told Daniel, this is such a blessing to be able to get to stand here before the father, with the father, and as a father to this man who, as his father said, is a wise counselor with the word in his business life, in his friend's life, and he is a true disciple, a true follower, a true learner of God. Praise him in Jesus' name.
Wow.
I was not expecting that. Nice surprise. Good morning, church.
Good morning.
Wow. What a day. I am leading a men's bible study right now, and we're talking a lot about identity. Identity is powerful, isn't it? There's peace in identity, there's comfort in identity, And that's why I love reading the introductions to New Testament letters.
The most of them have a greeting. It's it's basically an "elevator pitch" from the different apostles and disciples saying, hi. My name is, this is who I am, this is what I do, and here's why I do it. And 1 that I love very much so is Paul's letter to Titus. So if you guys could flip with me there, that would be great.
I promise not to bore you too long here, but I gotta teach. Right? I mean, all this talking about teaching. Teaching on identity. Teachers are gonna teach.
Right? *Titus-1:1*. Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the sake of the faith of God's elect, and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness and hope of eternal life, which God who never lies, praise God, promised before the ages began, and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our savior. To Titus, my true child and a common faith, grace and peace from God the father and Christ Jesus, our savior. Amen.
Paul, a servant of God. Now keep in mind that the apostles, the disciples, these were regular people. I mean, were fishermen by trade. They were tent makers. Some of them were even brothers of Jesus.
And they all had their shortcomings. Right? I mean, they they had all struggled with different sins throughout their lives, I'm sure, but they didn't use any of those things to identify themselves. Their identities were first and foremost in Christ. As Paul talks about not looking to the left or to the right or or what's behind, implying that there are things on the left and the right and behind.
But looking forward to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. Right? So Paul, notice how he is first giving himself a title of servant of God, even before the title apostle. That's how important it was for him to be known as a servant of God. This is how he introduced himself.
How do you introduce yourself? What's your identity? What's what's the first and foremost thing when you introduce yourself to someone that that describes who you are and your identity. The Greek word there for servant is actually doulos. And doulos means a slave, a bondservant, 1 who would give their lives completely to the call and ministry of Jesus Christ.
That was Paul's first and foremost identity. He then calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ, and, David spoke briefly here about Ephesians-4:11, where Paul talks more about what that means. Let's flip there really quick. Ephesians-4:11 through 13. When you have it, say amen.
Quick, Audi. Is that on your phone? And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God. To the "unity of the faith", the faith of God's elect, right, which you talked about in Titus. And the knowledge of the son of God.
Well, the son of God is Jesus, and Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. So knowing the son is knowing truth and the knowledge of truth. To mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the I'm sorry. To the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine. This is why it's important to have those pieces to equip the church.
We can't be tossed to and fro. That's the importance of this book of Titus. It teaches sound doctrine. It teaches how to qualify elders, but it teaches sound doctrine. That's so important, and I feel that that is my calling as a teacher, to build up the faith of the elect and to teach sound doctrine.
Right? With love. Knowing the son. Knowing truth is knowing the son. Which accords with godliness.
*Godliness* meaning of God. This book is of God. Right? It is God. *John-1:1*.
In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. Right? And then the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus is the word. This is truth.
What what I teach here has to accord with what's in this word. It's a responsibility I take very, very seriously. James says that not many of you should be teachers because you will be judged with greater strictness. It's a great responsibility, as my dad talked about rightly dividing the word of truth. There there is there is a a great importance on that.
Why? Because you are his bride. Because I am washing you with the water of the word. You are his bride, and Jesus is very protective of his bride. He is very protective of his church.
Just as a husband is protective of his wife, So God is protective of you. Amen? That's good news, man. Okay. Which God who never lies?
God is not a man that he should lie, or a son of man that he should change his mind. He never lies. He promised it before the ages began. You were called before the foundations of the world. You were called as his.
We hear about it in Genesis that God's spirit would be inside of us, that the seed of Eve would crush the head of Satan. Right? Ultimately, defeating sin and death and hell and the grave. This is great news. He promised it before the ages began, and at the proper time manifested in his word.
"God's timing" is proper. God's timing is perfect. Don't forget that. Look at look at 2 Peter-3. Look at what Peter talks about as God's timing.
*2 Peter-3:9* says, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you. God is patient toward you. Not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Yes, the day of salvation is now, but God is patient in your sanctification as you're becoming more and more like Jesus. He is patient.
He's not early, he's not late, he's always on time. If you're still breathing, God is still working on you, and he is patient with you. Be patient with yourself. Remember your identity. That's number 1.
You're a servant of God. Be patient with yourself. Through the preaching which which I with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our savior, not the request, the command of God our savior. Paul says in 1 Corinthians-9 that "necessity is laid upon me". Woe to me if I don't preach the gospel.
Woe to me. That goes for all of us. Right? I mean, as believers, we are all entrusted with the great commission to preach the gospel. But for me, specifically, you know, I by man's standard, I don't feel qualified to be a teacher.
I talked to David about this a little bit. This is all really crazy to me and for me, just so you know. It was never really my intention per se. I didn't go to formal religious education, seminary, anything like that. But God doesn't call the equipped, he equips the called.
And God has clearly called me into this. He has commanded me into this. So woe to me if I don't do this. Necessity is laid upon me. And his spirit empowers me to accomplish all things that he will put me to.
And I am patient because God is patient toward me. Amen? So I'm gonna take a page out of Paul's book and greet you like this. Daniel, a servant of God and teacher of Jesus Christ. Grace and peace from God the father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen. Amen.
Amen. And last but not least, Courtney, would you come here, baby? 1, it's her birthday tomorrow. I'll let her tell you how old she is. God called us together.
We met.
We match.
Oh, we do. Met in sixth grade. I kissed her on the cheek at recess. She doesn't remember it. Started dating in high school for 3 months.
Did I break up with you? I don't remember. I don't remember either. Then started dating in the end of my junior year in high school, dated 3 and a half years, got married at 20. She was 21.
We've been married 16 years, so you can do the math. I've always been called into ministry. Took me a while to realize it and surrender to that call. And, I'm thankful that God called me here to plant this church. But I couldn't have done and couldn't do and wouldn't be who I am without her prayer.
First. But then she stepped out from behind the scene and joined me in ministry. She helped carry the *church* from day 1, us planting it. It was a short season where God kinda pulled her back and she just focused on mothering about a year, something like that, year and a half. While we were here?
Yeah. While she was having a baby. At least that's what she told me for a year and a half, but really she was helping push it forward.
I'm always working.
But more and more and more and maybe that's bad on me. But more and more and more, she has has leaned into helping to pastor this church and carry this church forward. To the point where our elders and leadership team hired her. She's now the executive pastor of our church. But she's never been *ordained*, *anointed* by God from a young age.
We went on our first mission trip, I was 18, she was 19. And I was so selfish, I don't even remember God doing much that trip, I remember some stuff, but man she was so full of Jesus, like a kid in a wheelchair got up when she prayed for it. The pastor that we were there serving back was healed and opened his eyes to the power of the *Holy Spirit* at the hands of her prayer as a 19 year old. Because Jesus is in her, and it's an amazing thing. And so I'm literally the product of her prayers, but man, it's way past time to recognize the anointing and the call of God that God's put on her heart as a pastor and leader.
And so, Jerry and Heidi? Last but not least. And here's the thing. *Jesus said these words in John-16*. He was talking about relationship with the father, talking to his disciples, and he said, you'll do the same things I do and even greater.
We've always taken that to be miracles, and it is. It's also love, the the the fruit of Jesus multiplied through us to impact the world around us. But also, you gotta realize Jesus was talking to the disciples. Disciples of Jesus are his bride. The bride of Christ, and we're supposed to love our bride as Christ loves us.
And, what did he say to us? You'll do the same things I do and even greater. So, as a husband, we don't domineer Lord over our wives. But, like Jesus, we take on the form of a servant. And, love her and lay our life down for her.
And, look at her and say, you'll do the same things I do and even greater. To whatever extent God's anointed and called you with purposes and things that he's put on you. And, that's the way I lead in my home. And that's why it's a joy to get to lay hands on you with my dear friends. *Ordain* you in that way.
So. Go ahead. It's on your fingers. Father, it's just a joy and privilege and an honor. And Lord God, thank you for this mighty woman of God that you have called here.
And you put a pastor's heart in her. Lord God, and I'm just thankful that you gave her to me as my wife. And Lord, first, Lord, let me always see her as you see her. Let me always speak to her in the way that you say about her. Let me say your word over her and wash her by the water of your word.
Lord God, let me always have the heart. You'll do the same things I do and even greater. Lord God, and I just, I thank you. Lord, she's she's been anointed by you for years. Lord God, we we ordain her publicly, so that the *church* can further and better receive the giftings and the talents and abilities and the anointing that you've already placed on her.
Thank you Lord God for the opportunity. Pastor Courtney.
As Daniel was talking and everything that's happened this morning, none of it was coordinated to happen the way that it happened. The things that we've talked about, the the issues with the lyrics not working, and all of these things, it was a setup. And as Dan was talking about the bride of Christ, I looked over at David. I even texted, someone last night about talking about the bride of Christ and how I'm passionate about the local body of Christ. I looked over, I said, this is a setup.
Because on Thursday, pastor David said, hey, I want you to share about a 10 minute word on Sunday. And if you know me, I'm a planner. I have everything organized. And when I speak, like, I wanna I can ramble. I talk I can my mom used to tell me I could talk to a brick wall.
I could argue with a brick wall. So I like to have all my thoughts, like, compiled. And so on Thursday, I was like, okay. I gotta give a message. I gotta give 10 minutes.
I I can talk for 10 minutes, but I want it to make sense. And I'm, like, racking my brain about what to share. And I had this little thing planned out, and then yesterday, I was like, you know, you didn't talk to me about this. That's happened a couple of times in the last few months where I was doing something good, but God was like, maybe you should have chatted with me. So yesterday, I was like, I I take sharing with you seriously because before we launched the church, I never put a whole lot of thought into what it would look like to lead a church.
And actually, as we were starting, I was so in the throes of everything, of getting all the practical aspects of the church set up that I wasn't really thinking about leading and pastoring, and the weight, the spiritual weight that God says, hey, like, you're gonna be held accountable for how you lead people. It never hit me. So so about, I would say, 6 months into to leading and helping him carry the church, I was like, I should probably take this really seriously. So I really started seeking the Lord and reading the word, kinda centered around his plan for the church and how he wants to do things, and and my passion for the local body grew exponentially. I'd always belonged to church, and even when I didn't belong to the church, I was always drawn back, but I never had a passion for it.
And I think what the Lord is wanting us to understand is that he is passionate about his bride. So he told me, I want you to share what I told you a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, are you sure? So here it goes. Number 1, this is not meant to be condemning because God doesn't condemn his beloved. But if there is something in you that's like, oh, 0, that stings, Lord.
Like, is this something that you're wanting me to walk in? Is there something that you're trying to teach me? Do you want me to obey something? Like, just be obedient to what he says and walk forward in love. It's the enemy that comes to condemn the beloved of Christ, not God.
So, this could be challenging to some of you, and I kinda hope that it is because the Lord says the Holy Spirit to comfort us, and then when he pushes us out of our comfort zone, he's there to comfort us a little more. So it's just a beautiful picture of the Lord. Couple of weeks ago, I was setting up the girls' room. I was cleaning out some of their stuff. We have 3 daughters.
And and I was kind of, like, in the throes of it, and I just said, Lord, I know a lot of people who who love you. They they love you, but but they won't have anything to do with your bride, or they maybe they go, but, like but they're not a part of something. They don't belong. This all was all spurred on by a conversation I had with a woman who who goes to another church in the area, and I asked her, you know, how are things going? How's your relationship with the Lord?
Just kinda "iron sharpening iron", and that was my intent. And and she said, I've been, you know, I've been going to this church for it's, like, 20 years or something. She said, but the way that the pastor's teaching is just not my favorite anymore, so I think I'm gonna look for another church. And I thought, oh, so you go to that church, but you don't belong to that church. Because when you belong to something because when when something happens that doesn't really suit you, you don't run.
Just like I I belong in marriage with my husband. And if he is a jerk sometime, like, I'm not gonna be like, you know what? I'm a dip out because I didn't sign up for this. Like, I'm covenanted with him. Like, I belong with him.
So I'm like, Lord, how do you feel about people who who don't belong to your body? Because you you you've made it clear that you're the body of Christ is the bride of Christ. The local church is the hope of the world because the local church is the hands and feet of Jesus on this earth, communally, together. And he I felt in my heart this I was angry, and I was like, almost like, Lord, are you trying to show me how you feel about this? And it was almost as though Jesus was in front of me and saying, the bride of Christ, that's my wife.
And if someone loves me but they don't love my wife, then they really don't love me. I was talking to someone yesterday with my husband, and I looked at him and I was like, if someone came to you and was like, I wanna talk to you like a guy. I wanna get to know you. I wanna hang out. I wanna be more like you.
Like, I like I like being in your presence because of how you make me feel and how you spur me on to do good things. And he's like, yeah, man. Come along with me. Let me introduce you to my wife. And they're like, she's not really my cup of tea.
I don't really wanna be around her. I don't wanna be with her. Like, when I'm with you, like, I'd rather keep her separate. What would you say? Be like, wait a minute.
We're a package deal here. And that's what Jesus is saying about his bride. He's saying, this is my this is my beloved. So if if real church is not your home, that's okay. But if you are a born again follower of Jesus, not only does the church that God has called you to need you, you need that body.
Like, this is something that Jesus is passionate about. You know, there are so many who are just kinda flailing around trying to figure things out on their own, and God set up Daniel was talking about it about the 5 fold ministry is what we call it in Ephesians, like the different leaders in the church. He set this up to help you live out the minister of the gospel that God has called you to be in your life. We need each other. So there was a challenge to to change my wording instead of asking someone, hey, where do you go to church?
Because I'm from the South. Everybody goes to church in Louisiana. Everybody goes. But instead to say, hey, where do you belong? Where is your local body?
How are you guys carrying out the great commission of making disciples? And and in this local body, if you will have us, we want to disciple you. We want to train you. We want to equip you and empower you to be everything that the Lord has called you to be if you'll have us. And so I want you to pray about it and put it at the feet of Jesus and say, Lord, if this is what you have for me, okay.
And if not, let us help you find the place where you do belong because you deserve it as his beloved. So David told me, share a little bit. This is something that this is the the "mama heart". He told me to share, like, just share what the Lord shows you, and I was like, yeah, this is the I feel like the mama bear of my church, of my people. We love you, and we wanna see you thrive in your relationship with the Lord and in your relationship with the world.
We wanna see you being everything that God has called you to be. So if you'll allow us, we will. And that's all I've got. But he said, you know, let's let's close out the service, so I'm gonna do that. I want to actually is there a way to get some music rolling in the background?
Hey. She's got me. Because I'd like to ask everyone to stand. We're gonna take a few moments and and worship a little bit more with just background music. If this is your church home, we invite you.
Don't feel compelled or pressured or anything, but this is a time that we're gonna we're gonna take tithes and offerings, and you can give on our website, realchurch.us or in the giving boxes, wherever you see fit. I want to to encourage you that that is an act of worship, so just be faithful to what God has asked you to do in that. And I also want to invite you to discern the body of Christ as we take communion together. You can take it with your family, your friends, you know, the people that are around you. I usually just grab people who are near me and pull them in, and we take communion together.
You can come forward and get the cups in a moment. They're on the tables up front. But but as we're talking about being a part of the the body of Christ, as we're talking about worshiping together and settling in on our first love, as Dolores said, it was him who loved us first, and he displayed it through what we're about to remember right here. And so as we take communion, there's a little cup. If you are a born again believer, then you are eligible and welcome and invited and encouraged to think about and remember what Jesus did for you.
And if you say, you know, I haven't really made that decision yet. I'm still just trying to figure out this whole Christianity thing if I even wanna be a part of it. That's okay. Just just take it all in and listen and pay attention and ask questions. We challenge you to.
So we're gonna we're gonna come forward and get these communion cups, and and in those cups, there's a little wafer on top. And as you as you eat that wafer, just think about the body of Jesus that was broken for your healing, for your physical, mental, emotional healing. And if you're not seeing healing in your body and you're dealing with you're dealing with physical, infirmities or something, like like, discern the body of Christ. Don't discern what's going on here. Lord, I recognize that you were broken for my healing, and I thank you for it.
And until I see it in the natural, I'm gonna trust it in the spiritual. Thank you and remember what he did for you. And when we take the juice that represents the sweet blood that was shed for us, remember that the only reason that we are able to come into the throne room of heaven is because of that blood. Because Jesus shed his blood on our behalf. He hung on that cross as us.
He took our sin. He was our sin on that cross, and when we drink that that juice, we're recognizing, Jesus, thank you for making a way for me to come back to the 1 who loves me. Lord, thank you for the sacrifice that you made so that we even have the right to become children of God. Thank you for loving us first, for demonstrating your love in us that you sent your only son to die for us so that we can become children of God. We can become the righteousness, the standing in your in your sight as right with you because of Jesus.
We love you, and in the holy name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. Let's take communion together, and then I'll give a few closing announcements, and then we'll be dismissed. I'm gonna just share a few things that are happening at Real Church coming up. 1, I'm really, really excited about.
If you don't know, we have a women's ministry at Real Church called Women at the Well. We're gonna We meet once a month, and we do something different every single month. And in this month, we are going to have a movie night. It's going to be a ladies night. You can wear your pajamas.
You can bring your snacks, but you do have to register. There is no cost, but you will have to register. So that's something coming up on March 25. We've also got groups that are going on right now. You can you can sign up for all of these things on our website.
Our small groups are where a big group this size becomes small, where you build relationships with with people outside of just Sunday morning where we visit just a few moments where we really get to know people in the body. And so there are still a few spaces left in those small groups. So I encourage you to visit realchurch.us, and you can get connected there. And tonight, we have our monthly membership meeting, which is basically a dinner where people come together, we share a meal together, we share, kind of the vision, mission, and values of real church so that you can get to know who we are before you commit, if that makes sense. Like, you can get to know who we are a little bit by hanging out with us, but but establish the dinner really is to help you get established and to know kinda what you're getting yourself into.
It's a it's an important thing. We have that tonight, but sign ups are closed. Praise God, we're maxed out on space tonight. That's a
**[Speaker 1]* [01:00:39]* good
[Speaker 8] [01:00:39] thing. But this is a monthly dinner that we have, and sign ups are open for our April 2 established. I don't care if you have been at Real Church since day 1, or if today is your first day. If you wanna come and really get to know the nitty gritty, that's that's really, a great place to ask your questions. Bring good questions, like, we we welcome them.
This week, I've been thinking through as as we close, I've been thinking through the the revivals that are going on all around the world. I'm sure you've seen them on online. You've seen, like, Asbury. You've seen Lee University, Uganda. Like, the Lord is moving in great ways.
And last week about it was last Sunday at about 10:01, I was out in the lobby, and I thought, oh, man, *church* is about to start. I was visiting with people, and and I knew that Heidi was hosting last week. I was like, don't I don't wanna miss what what the Lord has told her to say. Like, I don't wanna miss because I know that that just like God orchestrated every single aspect of today to bring forth the message that he wanted to bring forth, that happens every week. And I thought of the what's that movie?
Nacho Libre, where he's like he's like, I wanna see the glory. I wanna see what it tastes like. Like, that happens at revivals and that happens here. So so I encourage I was saying, you know, if you wanna get in the nitty gritty, if you know, you know. But I don't wanna miss out what God on what God is doing, here and in the global body.
And so I encourage you that if this is the place that the Lord has has, told you to call home, then really dig your heels in because there's a work that the Lord has called to us, and, I don't wanna miss out. I wanna "taste that glory". Amen? You guys are dismissed. Y'all have a wonderful week.
And for those of you coming to establish, we will see you tonight.