WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:04.020 Today is part three of our series of lowliness of mind. 00:04.420 --> 00:06.100 I'm going to do a quick overview. 00:06.460 --> 00:08.540 For those that maybe you weren't here last Sunday, 00:08.580 --> 00:09.520 I'm going to do a quick overview. 00:09.960 --> 00:12.280 We're going to pray and we're going to get into part three. 00:13.320 --> 00:18.000 Last Sunday, Pastor already mentioned that we really... 00:19.000 --> 00:22.160 It's like the Lord pulled the parking brake when it came to the cross. 00:22.780 --> 00:26.540 And being us as we are worthless without the Lord. 00:26.680 --> 00:28.900 That was something that I really hit last Sunday, 00:28.900 --> 00:34.080 that I felt the Holy Spirit really just pause me on that and hold me on that 00:34.080 --> 00:37.520 to really drill it in our heads, to really see it in our hearts, 00:37.700 --> 00:41.920 to really have us understand that seriously without the Lord we are worthless. 00:42.620 --> 00:46.100 If He doesn't come to our services, I don't want to do it. 00:47.220 --> 00:48.640 I honestly, I don't want to do it. 00:48.700 --> 00:50.780 I don't want to be up here just to waste your time, 00:50.820 --> 00:52.760 nor do I want to be up here to waste my own time. 00:53.180 --> 00:56.080 If God is not convincing us, 00:56.080 --> 00:58.480 if God is not moving on our hearts, 00:58.920 --> 01:04.520 if God's manifest presence and glory is not showing up on our Sunday services, 01:04.900 --> 01:07.380 I don't want to keep doing this Sunday after Sunday after Sunday. 01:08.060 --> 01:10.380 Just going to be honest with you. As a pastor, I don't want to do it. 01:10.580 --> 01:12.800 That's my heart. That's my heart. 01:12.960 --> 01:18.220 I want to maintain and hold the thoughts. 01:18.480 --> 01:21.020 I want to hold the heart posture of Lord, 01:21.200 --> 01:22.880 I am worthless without you. 01:22.880 --> 01:25.040 I can't speak without you, Lord. 01:26.240 --> 01:29.940 We also hit on having a vertical life over a horizontal life, 01:30.600 --> 01:36.800 of how important it is for us to actually serve the Lord more than we're serving each other. 01:37.840 --> 01:41.240 Our priority should be to serve Him, to seek Him, 01:41.620 --> 01:44.420 to know Him over even serving each other. 01:45.500 --> 01:46.620 I'm going to tell you a little secret. 01:47.240 --> 01:50.120 As a pastor, as your pastor, 01:50.120 --> 01:56.500 I am doing you no good if I am first serving you before I'm serving the Lord. 01:58.700 --> 02:03.740 Everything that I do up here is, first of all, through obedience. 02:04.160 --> 02:05.800 It's by obedience and through obedience. 02:06.340 --> 02:10.980 And second of all, it's the overflow of what you guys don't see the rest of the days of the week. 02:12.280 --> 02:13.840 And that's how our lives should be. 02:14.980 --> 02:16.660 That's literally how our lives should be. 02:16.960 --> 02:18.420 Our lives should be vertical. 02:19.140 --> 02:24.180 One of the most common questions that are asked in Christian circles is this. 02:24.900 --> 02:27.240 What is my calling? What is my destiny? 02:27.860 --> 02:31.340 What has God called me to? What has God destined me to? 02:32.040 --> 02:35.360 And you can go at that and you can answer that question in many different ways. 02:35.780 --> 02:40.320 I have found the best way to answer that question when people ask is seek the Lord. 02:42.160 --> 02:43.460 This is what I mean by that. 02:44.200 --> 02:50.940 Seek the Lord and in the seeking and knowing who he is, it's like looking at a mirror. 02:51.200 --> 02:55.680 You will actually discover who you are and you will actually find yourself. 02:55.980 --> 02:59.920 Naturally, you will actually find yourself where the Lord wants you to be. 03:03.340 --> 03:05.680 Seriously, that's literally, that's the vertical life. 03:06.120 --> 03:10.940 That's me pursuing him and not worried about, okay, what should I do? 03:11.040 --> 03:13.180 Should I be a drummer? Should I be a pianist? 03:13.180 --> 03:17.260 Should I be a preacher? Should I be an usher? Stop worrying about that stuff. 03:18.440 --> 03:21.000 Focus on the Lord. Lord, who are you? 03:21.960 --> 03:27.620 Lord, what are you like? What do you talk like, Lord? What do you think like? 03:27.800 --> 03:30.120 Father, show me, show me yourself. 03:31.100 --> 03:41.980 And in doing that, friends, I guarantee you in doing that, you will actually discover the laying, the vein, whatever you want to call it, the call, the destiny that God has you to be. 03:44.580 --> 03:53.860 It'll come so naturally to some of you, you won't even realize that you are actually in your destiny and you're in your vein because you're just caught up and looking at Jesus. 03:56.020 --> 04:09.240 See, some of us, I just feel like I need to say this, some of us are troubled even in this season right now because some of you are feeling that one season is ending and God is transitioning you into a new season 04:09.240 --> 04:16.820 and it's almost like you're losing your identity. I'm speaking to somebody here. I'm speaking prophetically to somebody here. 04:17.980 --> 04:29.300 God is transitioning some of you from one season to another and you're so caught up and so afraid of this new season because your identity was actually found in this season. 04:30.080 --> 04:39.420 What you need to do in this new season is not worry, okay, I let go of that. Now I got to go do this thing, but what do I got to do? What do I got to do? Here's what you got to do. 04:39.740 --> 04:53.080 Seek Him. Seek the Lord. Seek His face. Live a vertical life. Don't worry about the horizontal. It'll come. I told this to somebody that was troubled. 04:53.080 --> 05:02.380 This is years ago. Somebody was so troubled. They knew that there is a call on their life for the public ministry. They knew that they were called to preach, to prophesy. 05:02.500 --> 05:10.940 They knew that they were called to that. And this is some years ago. My wife and I, we were talking to this person and you could tell as they were talking to us, they were troubled. 05:11.820 --> 05:18.680 Well, how? How is the public ministry going to come? How is it going to come? I told this person, I said, listen, don't worry about the public ministry. 05:19.420 --> 05:28.980 If that's the call on your life, don't worry about it. Seek God. He will bring you into the public when your time is right. You with me? 05:29.680 --> 05:39.040 That's a quick overview from last week. And all of this, friends, again, this is all founded. The foundation to these series is that of Philippians chapter 2, verse 1 to 11. 05:39.660 --> 05:48.880 This is where all, I mean, there is so much scripture I can bring into you. But again, I'm reminding you, this is the foundation to lowliness of mind is what the apostle Paul writes to the Philippians. 05:49.560 --> 06:02.120 Okay, part three. Let us pray before we get into today's message. So Father, we thank you. We thank you for your word, God. We thank you that your word is a lamp unto our feet. 06:03.380 --> 06:19.260 We thank you that your spirit, Holy Spirit, you make the word alive in us. Holy Spirit, you are the one that enlightens our eyes and our minds and our hearts to see the very scriptures for what they are. 06:19.260 --> 06:41.840 As the very breath of God, the very breath of the Genesis one God. And Holy Spirit, I'm asking you today that as we step into the third part, Lord, that you would convince our hearts, that you would convince our minds, oh God, that you would enlighten our hearts, our eyes, Lord, to see the scriptures and what is being taught this morning. 06:42.680 --> 07:05.860 Holy Spirit, I'm asking you that you would cut us deep, cause us to look at each other, cause us to measure ourselves to the word, that we would leave this place, that we would leave this place, not the same, Lord, but we would leave this place with a new revelation, with new knowledge, something, Lord, that we would chew on and get into a conversation with you about. 07:06.700 --> 07:21.600 So Lord, we love you, we bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. I'm going to read you the definition, I told you I'm probably going to read this every Sunday, cause I want this definition of a lowliness of mind to really sear your hearts. I really do. 07:22.420 --> 07:24.580 The definition in the Greek, this is what it is. 07:25.640 --> 07:43.440 This virtue, a fruit of the gospel exists when a person through most genuine self-evaluation, pastor already touched on that a little bit today, Sarah touched on that last Sunday. How good was it what Sarah shared last Sunday, amen? 07:44.300 --> 07:49.940 Wasn't that good? Sarah, thank you for sharing that last Sunday. It's... I just want to pause it for a second. 07:49.940 --> 08:01.480 This is the time for us not to look at each other and say, okay, he or she is doing that wrong, look what they're doing, look what their family is involved in. Stop doing that and just look at yourself. 08:04.550 --> 08:14.570 Do you know that doing that actually creates unity in the body? If I am looking at myself, I'm actually cultivating unity amongst us. Do you know that? 08:15.770 --> 08:22.070 So if you can stop pointing fingers and saying, well, only if they correct that, then there will be unity. Stop looking at them. 08:22.270 --> 08:28.150 Because actually looking at yourself will create a unity amongst our local body even more. 08:32.180 --> 08:39.700 Most genuine self-evaluation. And then it continues to say, deems himself or herself worthless. 08:39.700 --> 08:46.200 It involves evaluating ourselves as small because we are so. Amen. 08:47.620 --> 09:03.380 The humble person is not stressing his sinfulness, but his creaturelessness of absolute dependence of possessing nothing and of receiving all things from God. Amen. 09:05.000 --> 09:08.500 That's the Greek definition of what lowliness of mind is. 09:09.840 --> 09:19.940 And reading that definition and coming out of Philippians 2, I'm going to read a few things here, a few different definitions of words, just quick little descriptions of these words. 09:20.500 --> 09:32.560 But reading that definition and coming out of Philippians 2, I've said this before, but lowliness of mind is a blueprint to the end time revival. It is. 09:33.440 --> 09:44.920 Seriously, think of it this way. I don't know how many of you are builders in this place, but coming from a carpenter background, when you're reading a blueprint at the top, you usually have the architect's name or the builder's name. 09:45.720 --> 09:56.760 Well, lowliness of mind is like the architect's name of a blueprint. It's up there. And then when you keep reading the blueprint, you begin to understand, okay, the trusses, they go this way. 09:56.760 --> 10:08.780 I need a king stud, a cripple, a header has to be X amount. And you go through all these things, there's details within a blueprint. So lowliness of mind, think of it this way. It's as if though it's the name of the architect. 10:09.040 --> 10:22.860 And it's at the top. And then within that blueprint, we will begin to discover all the things that are actually the characteristics, the attributes and the ways it's the very natures of God within that blueprint. 10:24.500 --> 10:32.820 Like listen to me, like seriously, listen, humility, what is humility? You will find all of these descriptions and many more within lowliness of mind. 10:33.940 --> 10:43.720 Literally everything, all these other things that I'm about to read, you will find them in Philippians two, starting at verse one, all the way to verse 11, you will find these characteristics. 10:44.120 --> 10:49.980 You will find these principles. You will find these attributes all within these few verses of Philippians two. 10:49.980 --> 10:55.980 And then taking the definition of lowliness of mind is you will literally find all this. You following me? 10:56.380 --> 11:07.320 So listen to this, humility, what is humility? A modest or low view of one's own importance. It's being, it's humbleness. 11:07.940 --> 11:13.020 Now I actually want to open up Peter five, first Peter to be more exact. Let me read this to you here. 11:13.020 --> 11:28.260 This is first Peter chapter five, verse five and six. So let me read that again. So humility, what is humility? A modest or low view of one's own importance. 11:29.360 --> 11:36.540 See now, when we talk about, because I want to hit this again because a lot of people think that lowliness of mind is just being, is just being humble. 11:36.780 --> 11:42.520 It's walking in humility. It is, but it's more than that. And I want you to understand that. 11:43.460 --> 11:52.080 Lowliness of mind, yes, it's being humble. It's walking in humility, but it's more than that when we look at Philippians two and what the Apostle Paul covers there. 11:52.700 --> 12:05.200 So again, humility, a modest or low view of one's importance. It's humbleness. And this is what the Apostle Peter writes in chapter five, verses five and six. 12:05.200 --> 12:17.960 He says, likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility. 12:18.200 --> 12:29.880 For God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. 12:29.880 --> 12:40.520 And then verse seven, casting all your cares, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you. So humility is part of lowliness of mind. 12:40.900 --> 12:51.320 But then you look at the definition of meekness. What is meekness? It's quiet. It's gentle, easily imposed. It's to be basically submissive. 12:51.320 --> 13:02.020 All these different characteristics, all these different attributes that we can find of who God is, literally all fall under the camp of lowliness of mind. 13:02.020 --> 13:09.800 Death to self, choosing to restrain, literally you'll find all these in Philippians chapter two starting at verse one. 13:10.660 --> 13:21.220 Denying self or death to self, choosing to restrain or fargo personal desires, pleasures or needs often for a greater purpose or benefit. 13:22.560 --> 13:31.960 You see, you read Philippians two and you read what Jesus did. It says that he was obedient on to death and even death on the cross. 13:32.780 --> 13:40.800 It falls under lowliness. Pastor touched on that this morning. For us to live a lowly life, it's not just, okay, I'm going to be humble. 13:41.360 --> 13:49.360 I'm going to be meek, but I have to choose to say no to this flesh. 13:51.120 --> 14:00.960 If we want to live a life that is lowly, if we want to be a part of what Joel two talks about, if we want to be a part of what Acts two talks about, 14:01.280 --> 14:08.940 the great outpouring, the great harvest, we as a church, friends, we as a church have to choose to say no to our flesh. 14:10.060 --> 14:21.010 It's a choice. Can I be really honest with you? Doesn't come natural. It doesn't come natural. 14:22.830 --> 14:30.830 I mean, just think about it. A baby is born, okay, a newborn baby comes. A baby is born. What does a parent do? 14:31.290 --> 14:39.390 Everything the baby wants, it's given to it. The baby needs a diaper changed. We attend to it. The baby is hungry. 14:39.990 --> 14:46.610 You go and you attend to it. We have grown up and we've been cultured. I'm not saying ignore your babies. Let me just pause there for a second. 14:49.390 --> 14:57.910 I'm not saying ignore your babies. I'm trying to draw you a picture of we have literally been cultured of when we want something, we get it. 14:58.930 --> 15:09.130 And when we don't get it, we cry about it. And when we cry about it and people don't notice our cry, we begin to kick and we begin to shout 15:09.130 --> 15:16.570 and we begin to throw tantrums. Yes, adults, I've seen adults throw tantrums. Just saw it this week. Literally just saw it this week. 15:18.010 --> 15:26.030 There was a situation that happened this week. I literally saw a grown adult throwing a tantrum because they didn't get something that they thought was the right thing to get. 15:27.570 --> 15:36.410 But that's what our society has been cultured in. We have been so self-indulged with what I want, with what I get. 15:36.410 --> 15:47.510 Everything is an emergency to us. I mean seriously, think about it. Everything is an emergency to us. If we don't get something when we need it right now, that's it. 15:48.290 --> 15:54.510 It's the end of the world. I told my wife this literally just last night. Me and my wife were sitting and talking over our table. 15:55.250 --> 16:03.010 I said, the things that people call an emergency, I don't know, maybe it's because I've been in the ministry for some years now that I maybe look at emergencies a little bit different. 16:03.770 --> 16:13.530 But I'm like the things that people call emergencies are actually non-emergencies. Do you know what I call an emergency? You ready for this? This is an emergency for me. 16:13.610 --> 16:21.290 Now I'm not saying that this has to be your definition. This is the emergency for me. If somebody's on the deathbed, now I'm coming from a minister's perspective. 16:21.650 --> 16:29.230 If somebody's on the deathbed and they have not received Jesus, that to me is an emergency. That to me is an emergency. 16:33.030 --> 16:41.050 That's how I look at emergencies. Now I'm not saying you have to look at it the same way I am. I'm just simply drawing you, I'm drawing you something. 16:41.250 --> 16:48.890 If somebody is dying and they don't know the Lord Jesus, that to me is like, my God, give me some time, please Lord. 16:49.230 --> 16:57.170 So that this precious soul would be saved and I'd have to be doomed to hell for eternity. But we've been cultured in it. 16:57.170 --> 17:06.370 So do you see? I'm showing you these negatives so that you can recognize how much the church, not even talking about the world, let's talk about the church. 17:07.190 --> 17:15.630 The world, let God deal with the world. God's dealing with them. God has given ministers and pastors to the church. He has set them. 17:15.710 --> 17:21.370 This is Ephesians 4, to bring the church, the five-fold. So let me just talk about the church. 17:22.150 --> 17:31.410 I'm trying to show you these negative things so that you can have like a notification that goes off in your head of, oh my goodness, I'm actually not living a lowly life. 17:31.510 --> 17:41.710 I'm throwing a tantrum. I'm choosing not to deny this flesh. To live a life that's lowly is to say no to the things that you desire. 17:41.970 --> 17:52.800 To the things that you feel entitled to. I was talking to somebody again this week. There's a lot that happened this week. 17:52.800 --> 17:59.640 I was talking to somebody again this week. And the conversation I was having with this person, the response the person was giving me. 18:00.140 --> 18:04.280 My wife is like, whoa, that person is really entitled to what they think they should have. 18:06.320 --> 18:13.140 But I'm like, see, that's what we've been cultured in. And we think we're lowly. We think we're going low. 18:13.140 --> 18:27.180 But in reality, we're up here where God is trying to bring us down here under the radar and to do things that only people that are lowly, dead to self and allowing the image of Christ to be conformed in them. 18:27.760 --> 18:33.400 You still with me? Another aspect is righteousness or another characteristic, I'm sorry, is righteousness. 18:34.720 --> 18:45.500 Righteousness is found in lowliness. Why? Because when you read the definition of what lowliness of mine is, it says we look at ourselves. 18:45.640 --> 18:53.020 We're not even looking at our sinful nature. We're looking at ourselves that we are a created being, realizing I'm small. 18:53.500 --> 19:01.980 And everything I have, everything I possess is because of him. My righteousness that I carry is because of him. 19:01.980 --> 19:11.740 That's living a life of lowliness. It's recognizing that even when I stumble and I fall and I'm working through things, that doesn't mean that I've now become unrighteous. 19:12.000 --> 19:26.600 That doesn't mean that. There's a process of sanctification. Just because the Lord is teaching me something, just because the Lord is leading me through something to overcome something does not mean that I am now an unrighteous person. 19:26.600 --> 19:38.400 I am righteous because he is righteous. I'm going to say that again. I am righteous because he is righteous. And that's a life of lowliness. I'm dependent on him. 19:39.000 --> 19:49.220 Jesus, if you become unrighteous, I'm done. Jesus, if you were not a righteous man, I would have no opportunity to be righteous. 19:49.220 --> 19:57.480 But I'm righteous and that's a lowly life because he's righteous and because I'm depending on him and on his righteousness. 19:58.340 --> 20:09.620 Watch this grace. This actually ties into what Peter writes. First Peter chapter five. God resists the proud. This is verse... where is it? 20:09.820 --> 20:16.760 Verse five. The end of verse five. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. 20:16.760 --> 20:27.300 What does that tell us? If I choose to go low, there is a sufficient amount of grace for me in this level. More than enough. 20:29.300 --> 20:38.360 I said more than enough. If I choose to go low, God promises me grace in everything that I'm doing. 20:40.700 --> 20:56.980 If I choose to go low, if I choose to put on and live by the characteristics and the principles of lowliness of mind, the Bible tells us, not what Igor tells us, the Bible tells us, God will give us grace in that. 20:57.860 --> 21:04.640 Grace that's more than enough. He told that to the Apostle Paul. He said, listen, my grace is sufficient for you. 21:05.700 --> 21:08.740 He says, when you are weak, you're actually strong. 21:11.520 --> 21:17.040 Can I share something with you? That I've seen a lot of... and this is going to tie in, so just follow me here. 21:17.620 --> 21:31.440 I've seen this amongst pastors and leaders. I've sat in groups and in meetings and other gatherings with other pastors and leaders of different places, of different types of backgrounds and on and so forth. 21:31.440 --> 21:42.280 And one thing that I've learned is that when pastors get together, when pastors get together, no pastor ever wants to share his weakness. 21:45.900 --> 21:54.160 No pastor ever wants to share the things that are challenging for them because people are afraid. See, now this is a lowly life. 21:54.440 --> 22:01.840 Follow me here. People are afraid. If I share with you my weakness, that means that I'm going to become a lesser than. 22:03.560 --> 22:11.840 We're afraid. We're afraid in our society to be a lesser than somebody else. But what if that's the way of lowliness of life? 22:13.760 --> 22:16.340 What if that's the way that the Lord actually showed us? 22:18.780 --> 22:26.680 What if that's the way that we actually, as a church, need to look at things? What if I look at you and esteem you greater than myself? 22:27.780 --> 22:31.640 Even though I'm a pastor and I'm leading you, but isn't that what Jesus did? 22:33.580 --> 22:40.780 Did not the Lord become lowly and stooped down and prefer the people, his disciples, over himself? 22:42.980 --> 22:49.440 Did not Jesus say, I have come not to be served, but to serve? 22:51.760 --> 22:53.540 It's a lowliness of mind. 22:55.200 --> 23:02.040 What if I told you that the secret to unity is sharing our weakness with one another? 23:07.910 --> 23:12.310 See, now some of you are thinking and you're saying, well, hold on pastor, hold on a second, man. 23:13.110 --> 23:14.590 Pull them reins back on that horsey. 23:16.130 --> 23:22.710 Some of you are thinking, well, I've shared my weakness with other people and it backfired and it exploded in my face. 23:23.310 --> 23:28.050 Sure it has. I'm sure it has. But can I tell you a secret? God will deal with that person. 23:32.430 --> 23:37.450 Again, I was talking to somebody this week. A lot happened this week, friends. A lot happened this week. 23:40.150 --> 23:45.550 I was talking with somebody this week and they were, they were so, this is the person that felt very entitled. 23:47.850 --> 23:51.170 And they were telling me somebody wronged them. 23:51.630 --> 23:56.210 So they were telling me how, you know, this person needs to see justice right here. 23:56.330 --> 24:02.890 Like, come on, like, come on, we got to show justice, you know, that's not what they said, but it was in that context is what they were saying. 24:04.010 --> 24:06.690 And I told this person, I said, why are we always seeking? 24:06.690 --> 24:13.410 Yes, God is just and justice will be shown. But why are we always seeking justice here on earth? 24:13.570 --> 24:19.770 What if God's mercy is covering this person and they will see the full justice when they get to heaven? 24:20.490 --> 24:22.690 This is what I mean by that. Follow me here. Follow me here. 24:22.890 --> 24:26.970 Okay, follow me here. I'm going to touch on this because I feel the Lord is wanting me to park on something today. 24:27.330 --> 24:28.390 This is what I mean by that. 24:28.910 --> 24:35.850 What if the justice in fullness that God wants to show us is actually the mistakes that we've made here 24:35.850 --> 24:43.030 that will actually, not saying that you're not going to make heaven, but it'll actually abrupt your closeness to the throne of God in heaven. 24:44.050 --> 24:50.330 Did you know that we, when we get to heaven, we will have different proximities of how close we are going to be to heaven? 24:50.450 --> 24:57.350 Did you know that? God, the Bible actually tells us that God will set people as governors over cities on and so forth. 24:58.530 --> 25:03.970 So what if the full justice of God in some people's lives will be shown when they get to heaven? 25:06.410 --> 25:08.510 Just food for thought. Think about that for a second. 25:13.590 --> 25:15.810 Forgiveness is living a life of lowliness. 25:17.130 --> 25:29.130 This is what it is. A gracious act of pardoning or remitting in offense, debt or obligation, and letting go of the resentment towards the offender. 25:30.030 --> 25:37.710 It involves releasing the wrongdoer from a... I can't pronounce that word, but that's alright. 25:38.450 --> 25:41.390 Legal consequences associated with the offense. 25:42.290 --> 25:45.190 Excuse me. Forgiveness is a part of living lowly. 25:47.030 --> 25:52.830 To live a life of lowliness, you have to. You have to. Listen, you have to be able to forgive people. 25:54.750 --> 25:57.090 I'll even go further. Follow me here. 25:57.970 --> 26:05.410 If we choose to not forgive people, we are actually closing the door, or let's put it this way. 26:05.410 --> 26:09.450 We're shutting the forgiveness that we can actually receive from the Lord. 26:09.870 --> 26:13.330 This is the Lord's prayer. This is what the Lord is teaching his disciples. 26:13.830 --> 26:19.590 He says forgive us our debts as we forgive others. 26:20.970 --> 26:28.730 So if I remove that part, if I remove the part of I don't want to forgive people, what I'm actually doing is not that the Lord doesn't want to forgive me. 26:29.050 --> 26:32.250 I myself am actually shutting the door of forgiveness that he has for me. 26:33.710 --> 26:38.130 These are all guys. These are all characteristics, principles of what it means to be lowly. 26:39.170 --> 26:40.710 Go with me to Ephesians 4. 26:42.650 --> 26:47.530 So see, lowliness of mind is more than just, okay, I'm going to be humble. 26:48.290 --> 26:51.490 It's more than just, well, you know, I'm going to go unnoticed. 26:51.830 --> 27:00.430 It's more than all these things. It is literally a blueprint to what God is trying to establish within the body of Christ in what's coming. 27:01.330 --> 27:02.110 In what's coming. 27:03.730 --> 27:06.610 Ephesians 4 verses 1 to 4. 27:07.510 --> 27:12.850 This is, again, now talking about unity and how actually lowliness of mind produces unity. 27:13.310 --> 27:16.830 Listen to what the apostle Paul writes. Verse 1 out of chapter 4. 27:16.830 --> 27:26.010 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of the call with which you were called. 27:26.830 --> 27:40.370 With all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. 27:40.370 --> 27:47.410 Verse 4, there is one body, one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling. 27:47.890 --> 27:57.650 Verse 5, one Lord, one faith, one baptism. Verse 6, one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and is in all. 27:58.410 --> 28:06.410 So what the apostle Paul is basically saying here, he said, hey, listen, if you can walk in lowliness, we can connect this with Philippians 2. 28:06.410 --> 28:13.890 If you can walk in lowliness, you will actually cultivate such a unity among the brethren that you've never seen before. 28:16.230 --> 28:22.870 Because what he writes in Philippians 2 of how unity even comes about in a body. 28:23.050 --> 28:26.250 And I've touched on this before, so this is nothing new. I've touched on this before. 28:26.910 --> 28:32.290 But if we would prefer one another, the word that he uses there is esteem. 28:33.030 --> 28:40.390 If we can esteem one another greater than ourselves, we can create a level of unity like we've never before. 28:41.690 --> 28:45.210 I had a question once for God. I've shared this with some of you, maybe some of you haven't heard this. 28:45.770 --> 28:50.790 I had a question for the Lord once when he was teaching me this years ago. 28:51.390 --> 28:54.210 When he was showing me Philippians 2 and he was talking to me about it. 28:54.650 --> 28:58.610 I asked the Lord, I said, Lord, and I said this with all humility, so hear me correctly here. 28:58.610 --> 29:06.970 I said, Lord, I said, how can I, how can I esteem somebody who is less in the kingdom? 29:07.130 --> 29:10.770 What I mean by that, less in the kingdom, they're not as advanced in the things of God. 29:10.870 --> 29:17.870 They're a baby Christian, so to say. I said, Lord, I said, how can I esteem this person greater than myself 29:17.870 --> 29:22.990 when I clearly see that there's a lot of things they're not catching, they're not understanding on and so forth. 29:22.990 --> 29:28.830 Do you know what the Lord told me? He said, son, you esteem them for the lane that they run. 29:29.450 --> 29:34.050 Because the lane that they run, the vein that I have them set on, he said, you can't run it. 29:34.470 --> 29:35.570 That's their lane to run. 29:38.210 --> 29:39.070 I said, wow. 29:40.050 --> 29:44.130 So even as a pastor, I have to abide by Philippians 2. 29:44.530 --> 29:49.410 I have to prefer you, I have to esteem you as greater than myself. 29:49.610 --> 29:52.490 Why? Because the lane that you're running, I can't run it. 29:53.970 --> 29:57.250 I can't fulfill what God is asking you to fulfill. 29:57.530 --> 30:01.730 I have my own task that I have to obey the Lord on and I have to run that lane. 30:02.910 --> 30:09.390 See, so unity comes about is where we can recognize each other's lanes and we're not overstepping each other 30:09.390 --> 30:12.610 and we're not trying to get in each other's lane, but I'm running next to you. 30:12.670 --> 30:16.750 This is what the apostle Paul writes, running the race of faith together. 30:17.530 --> 30:22.090 We're moving in our lanes, encouraging one another, esteeming one another, 30:22.090 --> 30:26.350 recognizing what you're doing I can't do and what I'm doing you can't do. 30:26.510 --> 30:29.690 And this is where a saying comes out of it, I need you and you need me. 30:30.550 --> 30:34.790 This is the body of Christ. This is the members of the body of Christ. 30:35.250 --> 30:38.930 Some are an arm, some are a finger, another is a leg, another is a toe. 30:39.290 --> 30:41.830 I can't be a toe and an eye all at the same time. 30:42.370 --> 30:43.990 I'm just going to be honest with you, you can't. 30:45.130 --> 30:47.110 Do you see the importance of a church? 30:47.110 --> 30:52.450 And oftentimes as a congregation, we put all this weight on pastors 30:52.450 --> 30:55.570 and we say, you got this man, run with it. 30:56.330 --> 30:59.330 And we're like, no man, we need you. I need you. 31:00.010 --> 31:04.550 What God wants to fulfill this vision right here, what God wants to do 31:04.550 --> 31:07.670 is going to require all of us and even more. 31:09.710 --> 31:12.270 So there is a lane that you're running that I can't run. 31:13.430 --> 31:17.050 And to live a life of lowliness, to live an abide by that 31:17.110 --> 31:22.910 is to say, Lord, open my eyes so that I can recognize my brothers and my sisters' lanes 31:22.910 --> 31:24.610 and I can esteem them greater than myself. 31:25.910 --> 31:27.470 That should be a prayer that we should have. 31:28.530 --> 31:33.150 That should be a prayer that we have, that we can recognize everybody that's sitting here 31:33.150 --> 31:36.510 and even those watching online and those that are yet to come 31:36.510 --> 31:41.870 that we can recognize each other's lanes and recognize and esteem and honor. 31:42.230 --> 31:44.430 Honor them because I can't do what you're doing. 31:44.970 --> 31:49.030 And vice versa, that person honors the other person and says, I can't do what you're doing. 31:49.850 --> 31:51.230 So let's do this thing together. 31:51.810 --> 31:53.710 And then we hold hands and we skip. 31:57.980 --> 32:00.620 That's the day that they'll see me, you holding hands and skipping pastor. 32:01.100 --> 32:03.660 That'll be great, man. Wouldn't that be great? 32:04.320 --> 32:05.660 We can make a short out of it. 32:06.160 --> 32:07.600 We got our whole social media team. 32:10.240 --> 32:11.680 It'll be the pastor's special. 32:13.440 --> 32:15.220 I'm sorry, I'm done. I'm done. 32:18.440 --> 32:20.260 That's good. You got to have a good laugh. 32:23.240 --> 32:28.340 So lowliness of mind is more, I'm just, I'm trying to pick at your brain. 32:28.440 --> 32:31.800 I'm trying to have you go deeper and expand and stretch your thinking. 32:32.160 --> 32:36.180 Lowliness of mind is more than just me being humble. 32:36.540 --> 32:38.440 It's me choosing to die to myself. 32:38.720 --> 32:42.120 It's me choosing to walk in unity. 32:42.300 --> 32:44.220 It's me choosing to esteem others. 32:44.220 --> 32:49.640 It's me choosing to receive the grace because I'm resisting the pride in my life. 32:49.760 --> 32:52.980 I'm resisting the pride because I want grace. 32:53.180 --> 32:57.660 I want to go low because I want to have the sufficiency of God's grace in my life. 32:58.200 --> 32:58.860 Now watch this. 32:59.560 --> 33:02.740 Lowliness of mind is a characteristic and a principle. 33:03.300 --> 33:04.320 What is a characteristic? 33:04.960 --> 33:12.600 A feature or quality belonging typically to a person, place or thing and serving to identify it. 33:12.600 --> 33:13.740 That's a characteristic. 33:14.700 --> 33:18.640 A characteristic is something that does not come natural to us. Can I be real with you? 33:20.400 --> 33:23.060 Certain characteristics do not come natural to us. 33:23.460 --> 33:25.060 We actually have to cultivate. 33:25.700 --> 33:30.860 We actually have to work on ourselves to develop a certain character. 33:32.180 --> 33:34.180 And let me be even more real with you. 33:34.560 --> 33:38.880 We as a church, now when I say as a church, I'm not just regarding our local body right now. 33:39.040 --> 33:41.400 I'm talking about as the bride of Christ as a whole. 33:41.400 --> 33:47.800 We are so far from the characteristic of lowliness that it's going to take some work. 33:49.260 --> 33:55.220 Faith without works is dead. We can believe all we want for it. I'm going to be lowly. I'm going to be lowly. 33:55.340 --> 34:00.180 But if you're not putting the work to it, you're never going to live a life of lowliness. 34:01.140 --> 34:03.840 And you will actually miss the outpour of the spirit. 34:06.970 --> 34:12.690 A characteristic is something that we actually have to cultivate and work out in our life. 34:12.870 --> 34:15.930 And we have plenty of scriptures. I'm going to shoot them out for you real quick here. 34:17.690 --> 34:19.250 Matthew...actually let's open up to Matthew 5. 34:19.490 --> 34:20.950 Because I want to show you some of these things here. 34:22.010 --> 34:24.710 I'm jumping the gun here. Open up to Matthew chapter 5. 34:25.990 --> 34:27.610 Oh man, time is against me today. 34:30.950 --> 34:31.670 Matthew 5. 34:35.640 --> 34:44.720 Now this is...this is the greatest sermon preached by the the greatest preacher. 34:45.580 --> 34:47.960 This is the beatitudes. This is the sermon on the mount. 34:48.760 --> 34:51.620 The greatest sermon preached by the the greatest preacher. 34:51.880 --> 34:54.720 He's got Billy Graham schooled a hundredfold. 34:57.080 --> 34:59.860 So before I start reading some of these verses here. 35:00.000 --> 35:03.780 So lowliness of mind is a characteristic that we have to work out. 35:03.800 --> 35:06.600 And it's also a principle that we can live by. 35:07.380 --> 35:09.120 Watch this. What is a principle? 35:09.700 --> 35:20.240 A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior for a chain of reasoning. 35:21.080 --> 35:27.360 In other words, there's principles that we have to abide by and we'll find it here in Matthew 5. 35:27.360 --> 35:35.620 It's principles that then I believe will create and cultivate a characteristic of lowliness of mind within us. 35:36.240 --> 35:41.340 So we choose both. So lowliness of mind, I'm sorry, is both a characteristic and there's principles to it. 35:41.440 --> 35:42.880 You following me? Does that make any sense? 35:44.280 --> 35:46.480 Okay, maybe it didn't. Let's go through some of these here quick. 35:47.480 --> 35:50.640 Matthew chapter 5 starting at verse 1. These are the beatitudes. 35:50.720 --> 35:51.920 I'm just going to read just a few of them. 35:51.920 --> 36:01.020 And literally in these few verses, you will find both the characteristic and principles that we must live by to live a lowly life. 36:01.920 --> 36:09.200 And seeing the multitudes, he went up on the mountain and when he was seated, his disciples came to him. 36:09.780 --> 36:13.000 Then he opened his mouth and taught them saying... 36:13.600 --> 36:14.760 Now I want to pause the rule quick. 36:16.780 --> 36:21.800 We read the word multitude, right? In the scriptures in the first verse, we see the word multitude. 36:23.460 --> 36:28.460 To me, what's amazing about the Lord is that he lived such a lowly life. 36:29.260 --> 36:31.840 Usually, now I'm talking about modern-day preachers, usually. 36:32.760 --> 36:39.620 When a multitude of crowds comes and a preacher begins to preach, do you know what oftentimes a preacher will talk about? 36:40.380 --> 36:44.020 Something that's very encouraging, something that the crowd is going to accept them about. 36:44.760 --> 36:47.060 He's not going to preach something usually, I said, usually. 36:47.820 --> 36:50.740 He's not going to preach something that's going to make people feel uncomfortable. 36:51.200 --> 36:57.460 And what I love about the Lord, that he didn't care if there was thousands of people listening to him, 36:57.720 --> 37:00.160 or if there was only his disciples that listened to him. 37:00.380 --> 37:02.460 He gave them what they needed to hear. 37:03.260 --> 37:07.040 So here we got the multitudes and Jesus begins to teach a very hard teaching. 37:07.860 --> 37:13.360 Verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 37:13.360 --> 37:14.620 Pause for a second. 37:15.180 --> 37:17.460 To be poor in spirit is to live a life of lowliness. 37:19.280 --> 37:23.140 To be poor in spirit is, think of it this way, 37:23.840 --> 37:29.240 is to understand that my spiritual life, my whole spiritual life is dependent on the Lord. 37:29.380 --> 37:30.480 That's why we're poor in spirit. 37:33.000 --> 37:37.540 Meaning that I can't gain any kind of spiritual wealth without the Lord. 37:40.440 --> 37:46.920 So to be poor in spirit is to realize again that definition of being dependent on the Lord 37:47.280 --> 37:51.660 and knowing that I'm poor without you God, I'm nothing without you Lord. 37:52.240 --> 37:57.600 Verse four, blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. 37:59.060 --> 38:02.720 Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. 38:03.080 --> 38:06.720 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. 38:07.540 --> 38:08.900 For they shall be filled. 38:09.940 --> 38:13.180 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. 38:13.320 --> 38:17.300 I'm just reading these off quick. I don't have time to get into pause on each one of them. 38:17.520 --> 38:26.340 I'm just simply reading them for you, for you guys to understand both the characteristics and the principles that can be found in the be attitudes to live a life that's lowly. 38:27.860 --> 38:30.940 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. 38:31.660 --> 38:34.840 Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God. 38:34.840 --> 38:39.220 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. 38:39.640 --> 38:43.180 For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Now here's one of my favorites. 38:44.240 --> 38:53.160 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. 38:53.540 --> 38:54.540 Pause for a second. 38:57.220 --> 39:01.100 To live a life that's lowly, the Lord makes it clear here. 39:01.600 --> 39:04.780 He says you're going to be persecuted, but blessed are you because you're persecuted. 39:06.740 --> 39:12.000 I've shared this. I think I share this at open heavens. I can't remember where or when I share this, but I know I've shared this off the pulpit. 39:13.420 --> 39:29.000 I believe, I believe that when the church is going to go low and it's going to look like we're losing because persecution, accusation, all these other things are going to arise against the church. 39:29.000 --> 39:38.000 It's going to say how the church is, is helpless. The church can't help you. There is no hope there. Their God is not alive. All these things will be brewing. All these things will be brewing. 39:38.320 --> 39:45.720 And the church is going to go low. It's going to go low. I believe in that we're going to see one of the greatest revivals in this, in our time. 39:46.540 --> 39:54.980 When we go low and we're actually being persecuted, the Bible says, or Jesus even says, he said, blessed are you because you're persecuted for my name's sake. 39:58.120 --> 40:06.500 You still with me? Open up to Matthew six because I want to read something. This is where I want. This is where I wanted to park, but time might be against me. 40:06.540 --> 40:17.700 So we'll see how we go into this. Matthew six, verse 19 to 21. Let me read it here quick and then I'll elaborate on this. 40:18.560 --> 40:27.020 This is again, speaking about living a lowly life or yeah, living in lowliness of mind, living a lowly life. This is Matthew six, verse 19. 40:28.080 --> 40:37.600 Jesus says, do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 40:38.300 --> 40:47.300 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. 40:47.700 --> 41:00.700 This is verse 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also to live a life that's lowly first and foremost is tucked away with God. 41:04.280 --> 41:18.660 If you remember in the first message when I was talking about this is part one of the message I was talking about to be lowly is to go unnoticed, no reputation, even doing things that will bring of no benefit to you. 41:19.540 --> 41:28.560 I was talking about all those things. To live a life that's lowly is first and foremost tucked away with God. That's where that's where it begins. 41:31.160 --> 41:48.480 You know, oftentimes we look at people and we gauge people's ministry, we look at evangelists and we think, man, when that evangelist or when that preacher, when that pastor, when they get to heaven, they're probably going to be really close to the throne room and the proximity of God. 41:49.540 --> 42:05.000 Is there something? I think we will be shocked when we get to heaven and who we actually see in the close proximity of the throne room. I think we will be utterly shocked when we get to heaven. 42:06.640 --> 42:12.360 We're going to look and we're going to see a bunch of no names being the closest to Jesus and the throne. 42:16.080 --> 42:23.460 So what if we were to live a life of lowliness where we would actually store up our treasures in heaven? 42:26.810 --> 42:38.930 What if we lived a life of lowliness that we actually pursued the things that are in secret that nobody else saw, nobody else sees and we actually carry that treasure with us to heaven? 42:41.950 --> 42:49.210 I believe we will be utterly shocked when we get to heaven and we see certain people in the close proximity of the throne room. 42:51.030 --> 42:56.170 You know, we oftentimes, we talk about as this life being a test and it is so. 42:57.650 --> 43:02.950 But what if the test is more than just, are you going to make heaven or are you not going to make heaven? 43:02.950 --> 43:12.410 What if the test is how much of Jesus are you going to have here so that when you get to heaven, you know him in a way like nobody else knows him? 43:15.450 --> 43:18.550 What if that's the life of lowliness that God is wanting us to live? 43:19.850 --> 43:25.170 What if the Lord is actually wanting us to tend to his wounds? This is talking about serving him. 43:25.630 --> 43:30.210 To actually tend to his wounds and not even share what we're doing in secret. 43:32.210 --> 43:37.310 That's the treasure that will not rust, moth will not get to, none of these things will touch it. 43:38.310 --> 43:43.810 He says, store up your treasures where in heaven. What is the treasure Lord? What is it? It's knowing you. 43:46.650 --> 43:54.450 We oftentimes, we look at the pulpit and we think, wow, God is rewarding him. Do you know where my reward is? It's not up here. 43:55.070 --> 43:58.930 My reward is when God visits me when nobody else sees me. That's my reward. 44:00.610 --> 44:04.730 I said, that's my reward. That's what I get to carry with me to heaven. 44:06.190 --> 44:10.290 I want to live a life. Listen to me here. Listen, I want to live a life. 44:10.810 --> 44:20.170 So tucked away with the Lord to know him in such a degree that when I get to heaven, everybody else will see, wow, 44:21.070 --> 44:25.130 Igor actually really did know the Lord. Look how close he is. 44:26.510 --> 44:34.010 We're constantly, friends, listen to me. Listen, this literally applies to every human being and we have to renew our minds in this. 44:34.610 --> 44:39.430 We are constantly looking for our exaltation here on earth. 44:40.970 --> 44:46.610 We are looking. We say, well, the scripture says that, you know, those who humble themselves, God will exalt him. 44:46.850 --> 44:52.710 My question is where? Where is God going to exalt you here on earth? 44:53.270 --> 45:02.530 If so, then you've received your reward in full because when I read the scriptures, Jesus, the Son of God, did not receive his full exaltation here on earth. 45:03.230 --> 45:11.490 The Lord received his full exaltation in heaven where every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that he is Lord. 45:11.750 --> 45:13.910 It wasn't when he was walking planet earth. 45:14.710 --> 45:24.290 The Father did not exalt the Son until he was crucified, until he was buried, until he was raised from the dead. Then the exaltation came. 45:25.410 --> 45:32.730 So why are we seeking our exaltation here? Why are we running to the platform? Why are we running to be noticed? 45:33.050 --> 45:39.490 Why are we running for good reputations? Why are we chasing things that are not even the treasure? It's going to rust. 45:39.490 --> 45:41.990 It's going to be like moth are going to eat at it. 45:42.530 --> 45:53.130 What if I could be so tucked away with the Lord and live a life of loneliness that when the day comes that I get to be in eternity with the Lord, then God will exalt me. 45:54.150 --> 45:57.370 Then God will lift you on high and say, that's my friend. 45:58.250 --> 46:02.350 He or she was tucked away with me when nobody else wanted to be. 46:04.010 --> 46:07.390 They were with me when nobody else wanted to be with me. 46:07.390 --> 46:13.170 They woke up when nobody else wanted to wake up. They prayed when nobody else wanted to pray. 46:14.030 --> 46:19.890 They sought me when nobody else was seeking me. They were too busy caught up in the eyes of man. 46:21.270 --> 46:24.870 See, that's lowly. That's living a life of lowliness. 46:25.250 --> 46:30.850 It starts with me being tucked away with the Lord and saying, God, that's where I want to be. 46:30.850 --> 46:38.890 And I cannot allow this right here. This right here cannot allow and overrule what I have with him alone. It can't. 46:39.850 --> 46:47.590 It can't. Friends, I've been there. I've been to a place in my life where this overruled what was happening then. 46:48.170 --> 46:57.370 Trust me, when the dust settles, when the people stop looking at you, when the people stop clapping for you, when the people stop cheering for you, you feel empty inside. 46:58.470 --> 47:06.770 You feel disappointed inside. You think, but God, look, the spirit of God moved and people were happy and da-da-da and this and this. 47:06.950 --> 47:10.330 But then you go and you're alone and God's not there. Why? 47:11.690 --> 47:16.090 Because you are only doing this. You are only doing this for the sake of this. 47:19.480 --> 47:26.140 To live a life that's lowly is to be tucked away with the Lord and in due time, don't seek your exaltation here on earth. 47:26.140 --> 47:34.000 Trust me, don't seek your exaltation here on earth. You will be disappointed when you get to eternity. 47:36.040 --> 47:38.240 He will show you what you could have had. 47:39.060 --> 47:46.600 And yes, you'll be happy that you made heaven, but can you imagine getting to heaven and seeing I could have that? 47:47.420 --> 47:51.740 But because I chose to have my reward and full here on earth, I miss that? 47:54.980 --> 48:01.160 Friends, all of this is good. Preaching is important. It's needed. Worship teams, all this, it's important. 48:01.360 --> 48:03.940 All this stuff is good. The way that we run church is good. 48:04.980 --> 48:12.320 But what's been happening over the years, what the church has adapted to, that if you're not up here, then you're not important. 48:13.900 --> 48:16.920 If you're not serving, then you're not important. 48:17.540 --> 48:22.560 If you're not doing, quote, unquote, what the pastor is asking you to do, you're not important. 48:22.880 --> 48:29.240 Friends, listen, what's important in the life that God calls great is the life that's tucked away with him. 48:29.800 --> 48:38.980 And trust me, listen to me, listen to me. Trust me on this. If you are actually tucked away with the Lord, the oil that's within you... 48:38.980 --> 48:47.540 Oh my God, you cannot contain that oil. It's going to cause to affect the horizontal. You're going to want to serve. 48:47.900 --> 48:52.820 But you're not going to step your way into serving to be noticed. It's going to come from a pure heart. 48:53.540 --> 48:58.880 It's going to come from a place of, Lord, you showed me something and your people need to hear. 48:59.120 --> 49:04.420 Lord, you showed me something. Let me go unnoticed. Let me tell somebody else. I don't even want to say it, Lord. 49:04.420 --> 49:14.520 But your people need to hear it. That's a lowly life. That's living in lowliness. And that is what the Lord is trying to develop within the body of Christ. 49:15.480 --> 49:20.300 This is what I mean, is that God is going to tuck away the church. It's going to be tucked away. 49:20.700 --> 49:25.840 And when all chaos is breaking loose, remember when I say this, all chaos is going to break loose. 49:26.000 --> 49:29.360 And it's going to look, it's going to look like the church is losing. 49:30.100 --> 49:35.300 It's going to look like we're losing every battle. It's going to look like we're losing the war, so to say. 49:35.840 --> 49:41.720 But in due time, God will begin to exalt the church and he will lift it on high and we'll see Jesus coming. 49:42.340 --> 49:48.220 Friends, this is what God is trying to develop in us as individuals yet as a body. 49:50.120 --> 49:53.000 Is to once again prioritize what is more important. 49:54.160 --> 49:55.700 What is more important to us? 49:59.820 --> 50:03.760 Jesus received his full exaltation in heaven, not here on earth. 50:04.400 --> 50:05.100 Remember that. 50:06.780 --> 50:12.540 Stop seeking your exaltation here. Stop seeking the approval of men here. 50:12.880 --> 50:15.760 Stop seeking all of these things. I promise you. 50:15.860 --> 50:19.760 And if you don't believe me, go ahead and try it. I promise you I've been there. 50:20.660 --> 50:26.180 And when the dust settles, when the eyes stop looking at you, when people stop cheering and all this stuff, 50:26.180 --> 50:28.500 you feel empty and it's gut wrenching. 50:30.340 --> 50:34.660 Because when you're alone with him and he's not visiting you there, what's the point? 50:37.140 --> 50:38.220 What's the point? 50:39.280 --> 50:40.940 What's the point of all of this? 50:42.040 --> 50:47.220 What's the point that I just preached to you a message if God is not visiting me when I'm alone with him? 50:48.600 --> 50:53.600 This is not going to sustain you. Why do so many pastors and preachers burn out? 50:54.420 --> 50:55.720 Why do they burn out? 50:56.180 --> 51:00.680 Because they're running off of the fumes and the fuel that's coming off of their congregation. 51:01.120 --> 51:03.880 I don't want to run off the fumes and the fuels of the congregation. 51:04.340 --> 51:08.300 I want to be sustained by the Spirit of God when nobody else is watching me. 51:10.560 --> 51:15.420 That will sustain us. It'll sustain you as a Christian. It'll sustain you as a disciple. 51:15.860 --> 51:19.500 It'll sustain you as a follower of the Lord. Listen to me. 51:20.160 --> 51:22.620 This public stuff will not sustain you. 51:22.620 --> 51:28.400 It's the hidden life with Christ that is lowly, that our churches don't preach. 51:29.440 --> 51:33.000 We have pastors always encouraging people, you got to go do something. 51:33.320 --> 51:37.340 If you're not doing something in church, then you're not good enough. Why do we teach that? 51:39.800 --> 51:42.760 Do we need people to serve in this house? Most definitely we do. 51:43.020 --> 51:47.580 I'm talking as a pastor, but I want to make sure that you, to the measure that you know how, 51:47.840 --> 51:52.380 are seeking the Lord in private before I can even allow you to get behind a pulpit and preach. 51:56.060 --> 51:58.500 That's the life that God calls great. 52:00.060 --> 52:06.940 That's the life and that's the characteristic that God is trying to bring into the body of Christ once again. 52:07.100 --> 52:10.620 It's to be lowly, unnoticed, unrecognized. 52:11.000 --> 52:13.820 The only one that's noticing and recognizing us is the Lord. 52:14.780 --> 52:18.460 And he's saying, oh, you're doing good. Thank you. You're doing great. 52:19.120 --> 52:22.660 Let me give you something. And he talks to us and he shares his heart with us. 52:25.600 --> 52:30.400 Did I ever share this with you? Listen, I had this one time. Maybe I shared this with you. 52:31.560 --> 52:34.320 I was with the Lord. This is some years ago. I was with the Lord one time. 52:35.940 --> 52:39.600 I don't know how long it was. It was for a while because I started yawning and I was falling asleep. 52:39.760 --> 52:45.180 And as I was closing my Bible, I was getting ready to leave and I heard the Lord just very briefly speak to me. 52:46.140 --> 52:47.660 He said, stay with me for a little bit more. 52:48.940 --> 52:53.260 So I said, okay. So I sat down. I already had my instrumental music off. Thank you so much. 52:53.340 --> 52:57.660 I'm telling you, I got to get one of those. I actually looked on Amazon and I found some of those handkerchiefs. 52:58.280 --> 53:01.060 Like Philip Anthony Mitchell has. I was like, I got to get me one of those. 53:04.630 --> 53:05.890 I got to order that this week. 53:08.030 --> 53:09.230 And just drop it or something. 53:10.930 --> 53:13.070 I was with the Lord and I was very tired already. 53:13.290 --> 53:15.730 And the Lord spoke to me. He said, just stay with me for a little bit more. 53:16.290 --> 53:18.870 And I'm sharing this with you because I'm trying to stir your hearts to something. 53:19.410 --> 53:23.550 Of how important that life tucked away. Of how important it is for us to go low in that measure. 53:23.670 --> 53:24.990 This is why I'm sharing that story with you. 53:25.710 --> 53:27.710 And the Lord said, stay with me for a little bit more. 53:28.630 --> 53:33.190 So I sat down. My Bible was already closed. I had the instrumental music off. 53:33.770 --> 53:39.050 And I just leaned back and I put my head back on the couch, on the seat of my couch at our home. 53:39.610 --> 53:41.030 I don't know how long I was laying there. 53:41.830 --> 53:43.870 But the Lord said something to me. He said, son. 53:45.350 --> 53:47.890 He said, I show my heart publicly. 53:48.630 --> 53:50.350 But he said, I share it privately. 53:51.450 --> 53:52.870 I said, Lord, I said, what do you mean? 53:53.610 --> 53:54.650 He said, look at the cross. 53:55.910 --> 54:00.530 He said, I showed my love. The cross is me showing my heart. 54:01.550 --> 54:04.790 But he said, now pay attention to how I spoke to the disciples. 54:05.650 --> 54:09.370 Jesus would oftentimes in crowds, he would speak in parables. 54:09.530 --> 54:11.790 Parables that were very hard to understand. 54:12.130 --> 54:17.870 But behind the scenes, he would actually explain and share the parable to me. 54:18.550 --> 54:23.770 In other words, Jesus was sharing his heart with his disciples. 54:25.070 --> 54:29.130 Even more, you can take what happened on the mountain of transfiguration. 54:29.250 --> 54:30.070 The Lord brought me there. 54:30.530 --> 54:35.990 He said, son, he said, look, even out of the 12, I took three with me up to the mountain of transfiguration. 54:36.070 --> 54:37.030 And they saw the Lord. 54:37.890 --> 54:39.830 They saw the Lord in his resurrected body. 54:40.110 --> 54:41.390 He was sharing his heart. 54:41.470 --> 54:46.990 He was being vulnerable with them in the upper room, washing their feet. 54:46.990 --> 54:52.070 The Lord was becoming vulnerable. He was sharing himself with his disciples. 54:53.250 --> 54:58.910 He wasn't just showing them, hey, I love you, but he was actually sharing himself with them. 54:58.990 --> 55:01.910 But where did it happen? That's the question. Where did it happen? 55:02.030 --> 55:02.630 It was private. 55:04.450 --> 55:05.310 It was private. 55:06.770 --> 55:10.690 So I'm stirring you to something that if we can live a life of lowliness, 55:11.230 --> 55:15.630 the Lord will not only show his heart, but he will actually share his heart. 55:15.630 --> 55:21.010 And can I be real with you? He will share things that you can't even share publicly. 55:23.610 --> 55:29.270 I have things that the Lord has shared with me privately that I don't have grace to share publicly. 55:29.570 --> 55:31.710 Why? Because it's an intimate relationship. 55:32.710 --> 55:36.650 Husbands, you don't go and share the things that your wife shares with you privately. 55:37.010 --> 55:39.730 If you do, you're probably sleeping outside, bro. 55:40.230 --> 55:41.690 You're probably sleeping in a tent. 55:42.480 --> 55:46.170 Or there's a divorce paper laying on your countertop. 55:46.890 --> 55:49.770 It's the same way with the Lord. It's a relationship. 55:50.310 --> 55:54.730 And he will share things with us privately, but it only happens privately. 55:55.690 --> 56:02.050 There is things, I believe, there is things that God will only do privately with individuals. 56:02.590 --> 56:04.230 That he won't even do corporately. 56:05.990 --> 56:07.030 I believe that. 56:08.010 --> 56:09.450 But I'm stirring you to something. 56:09.990 --> 56:22.270 I'm stirring you to understand that a life that is lowly in the Lord is far more valuable to the eyes of God than man has made it known to be, that pastors have made it known to be. 56:24.390 --> 56:26.490 Do you see how important it is to be lowly? 56:28.310 --> 56:32.470 I'm saying that if you live a lowly life, God will share things with you. 56:33.770 --> 56:37.210 He will share things with you that he's probably never shared with anybody else. 56:40.430 --> 56:41.390 You still with me? 56:43.890 --> 56:44.610 It's 1209. 56:49.450 --> 56:51.050 God is trying. 56:51.810 --> 56:52.730 And I said trying. 56:53.330 --> 56:54.330 Like pastor said today. 56:54.390 --> 56:55.250 I felt that by the way. 56:55.350 --> 56:55.630 Right on. 56:56.010 --> 56:57.070 God is wooing us. 56:57.130 --> 56:57.890 Let me not say trying. 56:58.290 --> 56:58.850 Wooing us. 56:59.470 --> 57:01.830 He is wooing us to something that is greater. 57:03.270 --> 57:04.490 I don't want us to miss it. 57:07.030 --> 57:08.950 I don't want us to miss it as individuals. 57:09.390 --> 57:10.290 Let me say it this way. 57:10.430 --> 57:11.330 I don't want to miss it. 57:11.330 --> 57:12.810 I don't want to miss it. 57:14.930 --> 57:18.490 I am looking at myself before I'm looking at you as your pastor. 57:20.590 --> 57:26.930 I am looking at myself and I'm dealing with things that God is asking me to deal with first and foremost. 57:29.270 --> 57:31.370 There is things that God is asking of me. 57:32.210 --> 57:38.230 And if I want to live a life that's lowly, I have to respond and I have to obey to those things. 57:40.910 --> 57:45.190 God is wooing us to something and I don't want us to miss it as a church either. 57:49.530 --> 57:50.170 Let's pray. 57:52.090 --> 57:53.190 Father, we thank you. 57:54.910 --> 57:56.570 We thank you, Lord, for your word. 57:58.610 --> 58:00.310 Father, we thank you for your son. 58:01.390 --> 58:05.270 Jesus, we thank you that you have showed us the way, Lord. 58:06.210 --> 58:07.650 You have set an example. 58:07.830 --> 58:10.550 You have set a trail, a blaze for us to follow. 58:12.310 --> 58:15.370 We thank you, Lord, that you lived a life of lowliness. 58:16.690 --> 58:18.390 You chose to go low. 58:19.170 --> 58:23.550 It's not something that came natural to you, but you chose to go low, Lord. 58:25.150 --> 58:27.890 We thank you, Lord, that you have esteemed us, Lord. 58:28.450 --> 58:29.870 You have looked at us, God. 58:32.910 --> 58:34.130 And you have chosen. 58:34.330 --> 58:35.330 You have counted us worthy. 58:35.650 --> 58:40.530 You have counted the cost and you have found us worthy to die for, Lord. 58:40.530 --> 58:41.630 We thank you for that. 58:42.890 --> 58:45.790 Holy Spirit, I'm asking you that you would convince our hearts. 58:46.050 --> 58:48.350 That you would convince our minds, Lord, of this. 58:49.530 --> 58:52.150 Though it may feel like we are swimming against the current. 58:52.510 --> 58:57.190 Though it may feel like we are going against all of church culture in this day and age. 58:57.430 --> 58:58.570 Help us, Holy Spirit. 59:01.510 --> 59:03.970 Give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation. 59:05.210 --> 59:07.570 A spirit of knowledge, Lord, and understanding. 59:08.630 --> 59:11.830 A spirit of the fear of the Lord, God, to walk this thing out. 59:14.770 --> 59:16.630 We love you, Lord, and we bless you. 59:17.850 --> 59:20.150 Holy Spirit, I'm asking you that you would... 59:20.590 --> 59:25.490 that you would stir in the hearts of these people, Lord, as you've stirred in my heart. 59:25.530 --> 59:27.290 Would you stir in their hearts, my God? 59:28.290 --> 59:30.550 That they would live a life tucked away with you, Lord. 59:31.750 --> 59:33.710 A life that you call great God. 59:35.210 --> 59:39.250 You call this life great, Father, not just I, but you call this life great. 59:39.550 --> 59:45.130 A life that is tucked away, unseen, for the human eye, but only you see God. 59:46.170 --> 59:48.370 I'm asking you that you would stir our hearts to that. 59:48.790 --> 59:50.030 May we pursue that. 59:50.790 --> 59:54.750 May our hearts be stretched and our minds be stretched and lived by that God. 59:55.610 --> 59:59.330 Help us in the places where there is weakness and things that we need to overcome 59:59.330 --> 01:00:02.790 to be able to cultivate and develop this kind of lifestyle. 01:00:04.750 --> 01:00:08.570 We love you and we bless you in Jesus' name. Amen. 01:00:09.430 --> 01:00:11.450 Pastor, you want to say anything or can I dismiss him? 01:00:16.650 --> 01:00:17.590 We'll give you a minute. 01:00:18.390 --> 01:00:20.310 Usually you're not here, so I don't ask that. 01:00:26.230 --> 01:00:27.530 But I'm esteeming you, brother. 01:00:29.610 --> 01:00:30.750 I'm esteeming you, brother. 01:00:33.710 --> 01:00:34.370 One minute. 01:00:34.910 --> 01:00:38.210 I just want to give you something that he just gave me. I've never seen this before. 01:00:39.250 --> 01:00:40.210 Let's talk about it. 01:00:41.750 --> 01:00:45.170 Matthew 7, 21, he jumped me over here. 01:00:45.330 --> 01:00:47.170 When you were in Matthew 5, he jumped me over here. 01:00:49.210 --> 01:00:54.710 The big question is, and you touched it, so that cued this verse in my mind, so I went to read it. 01:00:55.210 --> 01:00:57.370 Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. 01:00:58.690 --> 01:01:01.130 Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. 01:01:03.270 --> 01:01:04.630 Does he know us? 01:01:07.630 --> 01:01:10.190 Well, the question is, how do we know if he knows us? 01:01:12.330 --> 01:01:15.050 Well, an easy answer to that is, do you know him? 01:01:17.930 --> 01:01:21.650 That would be, how do I know if Richard knows me? 01:01:22.010 --> 01:01:22.890 Why know Richard? 01:01:24.310 --> 01:01:26.150 And if I know Richard, Richard knows me. 01:01:27.370 --> 01:01:30.370 But he pointed something out here. I never saw this before. 01:01:32.050 --> 01:01:37.690 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, verse 21, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 01:01:37.730 --> 01:01:39.670 but he who does the will of my father. 01:01:41.050 --> 01:01:44.910 So there's a stipulation to getting to heaven, which is doing his will. 01:01:45.230 --> 01:01:49.950 Then you've got the defense in verse 22, which doesn't amount to anything. 01:01:50.170 --> 01:01:55.950 And then verse 23, and then he will, then I will declare to them, I never knew you. 01:01:56.090 --> 01:01:58.490 So you're not going to get into heaven of verse 21. 01:01:59.330 --> 01:02:00.490 I never knew you. 01:02:01.550 --> 01:02:03.470 You who practice lawlessness. 01:02:03.470 --> 01:02:10.710 Verse 21, the person who gets into heaven is the one who does his will. 01:02:11.910 --> 01:02:19.910 The person he doesn't know, verse 23, is the one who is doing their own thing. 01:02:20.530 --> 01:02:21.050 Lawlessness. 01:02:22.270 --> 01:02:28.170 So if we're not obeying him, he doesn't know us. 01:02:29.470 --> 01:02:31.530 I've never seen that before. 01:02:31.530 --> 01:02:32.450 It's interesting. 01:02:35.150 --> 01:02:36.730 Just food for thought. 01:02:37.210 --> 01:02:38.150 Food for thought. 01:02:39.170 --> 01:02:42.730 Which goes along with, while I was gone, the Lord asked me a question. 01:02:43.190 --> 01:02:46.390 Did you make the right choice? 01:02:46.390 --> 01:02:49.310 This was something I asked. 01:02:50.890 --> 01:02:54.670 The word believe in John 3, where it says, 01:02:56.530 --> 01:02:59.230 Nicodemus came and said, what must I do to have eternal life? 01:02:59.310 --> 01:03:01.150 And Jesus said, you need to believe in me. 01:03:01.530 --> 01:03:10.390 That word believe is the exact same Greek word used in James where he says the demons believe and tremble. 01:03:12.630 --> 01:03:17.670 And I spoke on this a while back and I didn't touch that part because I didn't have an answer for that. 01:03:17.770 --> 01:03:21.610 But why would God use the same word believe? 01:03:22.230 --> 01:03:25.010 This is how you get to heaven, Nicodemus. 01:03:25.910 --> 01:03:28.870 When the demons are doing that and they're not going. 01:03:31.490 --> 01:03:38.350 Why wouldn't he, I expected James to have a different word, different Greek word for believe, not the same one. 01:03:38.970 --> 01:03:40.790 That had bothered me the whole way through. 01:03:41.550 --> 01:03:43.850 It's like, I don't get it. 01:03:45.370 --> 01:03:50.730 Because if we get to heaven by believing, and of course that's what opens the door, is our believing. 01:03:51.170 --> 01:03:56.130 If we get to heaven, but people are putting all their marbles in that basket saying, well I believe in God so I'm going to heaven. 01:03:56.810 --> 01:04:00.030 Well, the demons believe in God, same Greek word, they're not going. 01:04:00.710 --> 01:04:04.030 So why are you going and they're not going? Is God unjust? Is he unfair? 01:04:07.960 --> 01:04:09.260 He answered that question. 01:04:09.960 --> 01:04:14.300 This, when I was up north, thinking about being here in a good service. 01:04:17.140 --> 01:04:20.480 But I'm up north being faithful to what he asked me to do. 01:04:21.720 --> 01:04:22.900 That's why I'm never here. 01:04:28.160 --> 01:04:29.600 Should we dismiss them? 01:04:31.280 --> 01:04:33.880 He said, he asked me this question. 01:04:34.040 --> 01:04:40.780 He said, do you know what the difference is between your belief, speaking to me, your belief and demons' belief? 01:04:42.200 --> 01:04:43.460 I said, I don't. 01:04:45.600 --> 01:04:49.960 He said, your belief produces submission and obedience. 01:04:50.600 --> 01:04:51.380 There's does not. 01:04:54.860 --> 01:04:57.800 Which is exactly what he just said in Matthew 7. 01:04:57.800 --> 01:05:03.340 If you will obey me, do my will. 01:05:04.000 --> 01:05:04.760 You'll go to heaven. 01:05:05.000 --> 01:05:11.460 Verse 23, the people, I don't even know these people, are the ones who chose not to obey him. 01:05:12.180 --> 01:05:13.760 They still could believe in him. 01:05:14.700 --> 01:05:19.540 Verse 22, well, but we cast out demons and we prophesied and they believed in him. 01:05:20.260 --> 01:05:23.280 He said, I don't even know who you are. I don't care how many demons you cast out. 01:05:23.280 --> 01:05:32.800 The disqualifier was, you didn't do what I asked you to do. You lived your own law. You were lawless to me. 01:05:32.880 --> 01:05:36.000 Would you then say that that happens when we're tucked away with him? 01:05:36.160 --> 01:05:38.620 And not corporately and publicly? Because that's where it starts? 01:05:39.280 --> 01:05:41.500 That's where it's decided is right there.