WEBVTT

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So Father, we just ask that Your Spirit, that Your Spirit, God, today would give us what we need to hear.

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Give us today our daily bread, Lord. Today, Father, that we would leave this morning, like Pastor said, a little different.

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Holy Spirit, these are Your people.

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Father, these are Your people, and I am honored and privileged that You would allow me to even speak to Your people this morning.

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I pray that Your Word, as it sounds in this building, Father, that it would go past just the mental ascent of we heard something, but it would go deep.

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Deep into their hearts, Father, I pray, not by might, not by power, but Your Spirit, God.

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Would You confirm it with signs, wonders, and miracles, God, this morning in our hearts?

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Cut us deep this morning, Holy Spirit. Cut me deep. Cut me deep this morning, Lord.

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We thank You that You love us. We thank You that You love us.

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Friends, I'm not going to move on here quick. I'm going to let the Lord just do some things here.

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Friends, oh, Father, we thank You that You love us.

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Holy Spirit, make known Christ to us this morning.

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The risen one. Let us see the cross of Calvary.

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Let us see the crucified Lamb of God. Let us see the risen one who was and is and is to come.

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Jesus, You are coming back for a bride that is without spot.

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You are coming back for a bride that is without blemish and defect, but perfected in Your Spirit and by Your Word.

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Washed in Your Word, my God. That is who You're coming back for.

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So help us, Lord. Help us this morning. Help us this morning to allow the Word of God to wash over us.

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Help us this morning, Holy Spirit, that the Word of the Lord would wash over us.

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That the blemishes of our lives would be removed. That the wrinkles would be ironed out by the Word of God.

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That we would be seared in our hearts. I said seared in our hearts by the very Word of God that it would imprint us this morning.

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In Jesus' name. In Jesus' name.

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Put your hand on your neighbor if you agree with me this morning.

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And just pray this, say, let the Word of God sear your heart this morning. Only if you agree with me.

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Let the Word of God sear us this morning. Let the Word of God burn out. Burn it up, Holy Spirit.

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Let the preaching of the Word burn out everything that is unclean.

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Let the thinking of our mind be renewed that we would receive a new pattern of thinking that is a blueprint from heaven.

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That would be deposited into our hearts and into our spirits.

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That we would see Christ and Him crucified and Him exalted in our lives and in our hearts.

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In the mighty name of Jesus. I said in the mighty name of Jesus.

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I said in the mighty name of Jesus who is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

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And He is seated high above the heavens next to the Father.

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He is the Lamb of God that is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering.

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That, that is who we serve. I said that is who we serve.

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And this morning Jesus is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering friends.

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I said Jesus the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is worthy to receive the reward of His suffering.

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He did not die in vain. He did not suffer in vain.

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But He suffered and He died for a purpose.

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I said Jesus suffered and died for a purpose.

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And that is to produce to Himself, unto Himself an eternal companion that is the bride of Christ.

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And that is you and me this morning. I said that is you and me this morning.

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He did not shed His blood in vain to have you go to hell.

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My God friends. You know sometimes, and I'm putting myself into this category.

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Sometimes I don't even think we know who we're talking to when we pray to Him.

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Sometimes I don't even think we know the holiness of God.

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So quick to criticize.

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Did you hear me? We are so quick to criticize.

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Not knowing who we're actually talking about.

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I heard a story recently. I need to share the story with you.

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I heard a story recently of a Baptist man.

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A devote Baptist. I'm talking about he was a modern day apostle Paul.

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He would preach at churches and his sermons would be more about criticizing

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the speaking in tongues, criticizing the move of the spirit.

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This man preached at hardcore.

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He said these people that do this, he goes, I don't even think they're saved.

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They are doomed to hell.

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Until one day this man, I just heard this is a true story.

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This is a true story I heard from the mouth of my father.

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My father knows this guy. He talked to him.

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Until one day this man was done preaching on a Sunday.

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He came home.

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And he said when he came home, he was grieved inside.

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And he went to his room and he said, I began to pray.

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And he said, when I began to pray, he goes, I felt the Holy Spirit begin to convict me.

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And this is what the Holy Spirit told him.

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He said, who gave you the right to criticize?

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Who gave you the right to even preach what you're preaching?

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And this man, this is the words of this man.

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He says the conviction was so hard and the spirit of repentance came on him

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to the point that the Holy Spirit baptized them in the Holy Spirit.

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The conviction came upon so hard on this man

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that the Holy Ghost baptized them and he began to speak in new tongues.

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And he recently just came into my father's church and he was sharing this with my dad.

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We are so quick to criticize yet we don't even know who we're talking about half the time.

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Why don't we be like James?

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Be slow to speak but quick to listen.

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Did you hear me this morning?

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That's wisdom.

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I said that's wisdom.

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Be slow to speak but be very quick to listen.

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You're with me this morning?

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See that wasn't even the message yet.

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I'm not even in today's message yet.

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But there was so much right here that the Holy Ghost is lighting up in me and I'm like help me Holy Spirit.

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Guess if I give it to you, you'll be here past two o'clock.

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And then the joke will remain in our church.

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Oh, we're used to that.

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Amen?

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Show of hands, who is here?

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Who is here for part one of the Forerunners lifestyle and vision series?

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Okay, if you were not here, I gave a very soft introduction which was now technically two Sundays ago Pastor.

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It wasn't last Sunday, it was the Sunday before.

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Go back and listen to that if you haven't.

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I'm going to do a quick overview because I like to do that.

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But we are in a series currently that is called Forerunners vision and lifestyle.

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And I'll explain why we call it a Forerunner vision and lifestyle as the series goes.

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I'm going to be unpacking it.

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But this is something for those that weren't here.

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This is something that is very dear to my heart.

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I am sharing with you as a church, as a people that are listening, even those online that are listening.

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I am sharing with you a very large piece of my heart.

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And I say that because this is something that God years ago, for almost a decade now.

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I'd say probably about a decade now.

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This is a lifestyle and something that my wife and I have been living like and living with.

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This is our lifestyle.

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And I'll talk a little bit about it here.

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This is a quick overview from last Sunday.

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But when we begin to talk about vision,

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if you're committed to a vision, whether it's something that's for your business,

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whether it's something that's for your family,

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whether it's something that's for a church, a local body,

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when you are actually committed to a vision,

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your life begins to look like it.

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Seriously.

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You can say all day long how committed you are to a vision.

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You can.

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And they can be just words.

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But until your life actually begins to look like it

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and you begin to grow and process in these things,

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then you're actually committed.

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So when we talk about vision,

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when we're talking about the word of life vision,

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that which God has entrusted us,

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which God has entrusted Pastor Vernon Mary that they've established

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back in 2004 here in Minnesota,

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the vision of the Lord that not only...

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Now listen to this. Listen.

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You've got to listen to me very carefully.

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Not only did God ask them to do it,

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but he is actually partnering with them to do it.

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There's a difference.

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Both consciously and subconsciously,

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many people when God asks them to do something,

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they have an employee mindset.

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This is what I mean.

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When we feel God is asking us to do something,

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we almost feel like our employer or our manager is like,

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I need you to go and clean up aisle seven.

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And we say, yes, sir.

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And then we end up going and we do it ourselves.

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In God's kingdom, when the Lord is asking us to do something,

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he is not one that is like an employer and says, go and do it

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and you're by yourself.

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No, God is actually, when he's asking us to do something,

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he's asking, would you partner with me?

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Because I want to partner with you in cleaning aisle seven.

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Did you hear me this morning?

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I said, did you hear me this morning?

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So when we talk vision and we begin to talk lifestyle,

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that means that God says, listen,

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I am invested by my spirit to make sure

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that your life begins to look like the vision

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that I have entrusted for you to carry.

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Are you following me this morning?

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Are you with me this morning?

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When we talk vision, we have to talk lifestyle.

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Or else you're not, you don't have a vision.

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Tell me one businessman that has a successful business

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that has not committed his life to that business.

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You won't have a successful business.

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I've been in the business realm.

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If you're not putting in 14 hours a day,

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when the people that you've hired are only putting in eight

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because that's it.

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Try putting in five hours a day

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in building an empire of a business.

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Just try it.

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Come back to me in six months

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and tell me how it's working for you.

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It ain't gonna work for you, my friend.

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So we are committed to the vision,

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to word of life vision.

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Okay, I'm speaking to those that are covenant partners

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that are regulars here at the church.

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I'm speaking to you right now.

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Don't tell me that you're committed

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unless your life looks like it.

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Vision and lifestyle goes hand in hand.

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You can't have a vision if you don't have the lifestyle.

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You can't have the lifestyle unless you have a vision.

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Did you hear me?

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Here's something that I touched last part one of it as well.

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Don't measure yourself to other people of how committed they are

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rather than how committed you are.

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You'll hit a ditch quicker than you can say Mississippi.

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You will hit a ditch quicker than you can say Mississippi.

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If you begin to compare yourself,

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well, I'm not as much committed as Pastor Vernon Mary.

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I'm not as much committed as Pastor Igor and Pastor Tanya.

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I'm not as much committed as the board members.

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I'm not as much committed as Jesse the worship coordinator.

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You know why you're not as committed?

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Because that's not your lane to run.

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That's not what God has asked you to do.

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We can glean from one another.

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We can learn from one another.

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We can be encouraged from one another,

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but we don't compare ourselves.

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Oh man, I'm not as committed as they are.

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You'll hit a ditch.

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You'll hit a ditch because if there's anybody that is more committed

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to the vision of God for this house, it is our pastors.

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It is them. Why?

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Because God asked them first.

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If people of Israel were more committed than Moses was,

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we'd have things backwards.

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We would have things backwards.

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If the people of Israel were asked committed to the...

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or I should say we're more committed to the word of the Lord

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than Moses, we'd have things backwards.

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God picks an individual.

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He says, I want to partner with you.

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Let's build this thing together.

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And then all of a sudden, God begins to bring people around them.

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It's not because the person that God called is the special one

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and the chosen one and everybody worships them.

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No, no, no, no, no.

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That's just their lane to run.

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That's their lane to run.

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We oftentimes look at pastors.

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We look at speakers.

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We look at evangelists.

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We look at worship leaders and we're like, oh man,

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why do they get to be upon platforms?

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First of all, if that's your question,

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your heart already is corrupt.

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I said, your heart already is corrupt

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if that's the way that you're thinking.

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But here's the thing.

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Do you not think that sometimes,

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you're about to laugh at me when I say this,

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do you not think that sometimes I ask the Lord

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when things get hard, God, why didn't you just choose me

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to just be a janitor and just clean the bathrooms?

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Why did you choose me to be a preacher, Lord?

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The grass is always greener somewhere else.

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You know what's funny is that people are like,

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well, I want platforms.

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God gives them a platform.

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They're like, well, hold on, God.

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I didn't realize this type of persecution

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was going to come my way, Lord.

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Let's back up here.

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Don't compare yourself to other people.

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Run your lane, glean, be encouraged,

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learn, but run your lane.

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You following me this morning?

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We talked about how the forerunner vision

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and lifestyle, I'm going to quote

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Pastor Vern is hand in glove with word of life vision.

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And part one I came out of,

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literally I came out of the vision book of this house.

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If you haven't gotten a vision book, please,

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when you exit the foyer to the left,

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you'll see a little booklet shelf hanging.

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Grab a vision book. They're free.

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And if it's not full, talk to Kevin Murray,

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because Kevin said he's going to restock it every time.

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Is that right, Kevin?

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Amen.

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Grab yourself one. They're free.

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It's gold.

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It's gold.

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It's hand in glove with the forerunner's vision

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and lifestyle as hand in glove.

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And as I unpack it, as the days go ahead,

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as some days go ahead, and I'll be talking about this

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in this series, you'll see it.

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But here are some of the things that I touched on

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is that forerunners has always been,

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the forerunner vision and lifestyle

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has always been for now and for the end times.

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When you read our vision book,

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God has spoken to this church, and he says,

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you're an end time church.

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That was like back in 2005, if I'm remembering correctly,

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right, Pastor?

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I didn't know Pastor Verne back in 2005.

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The other thing is that the attitude

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and the lifestyle that we always carried

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and went after at forerunners was

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we are a bride of Christ church.

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We, and forerunners for as many years

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as my wife and I have lived this

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and have walked this and still do,

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our attitude and our aim was

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we want to be a bride of Christ.

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We want to be one that is without blemish,

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without defect, without wrinkle, perfect,

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saturated in the spirit of God,

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in the fragrance and the anointing of the Holy Spirit

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that we would look and walk and talk

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and smell like the bride of Christ.

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That's been our attitude for over a decade now.

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I can say over a decade now because

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but realistically the way that my wife and I

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since we've been married, it's been about a decade.

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That's been our attitude.

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And according to the vision book,

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the Lord spoke to you back in 2009, right?

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I think it's 2009. He said you were a bride church.

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Was it not 2009?

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It was before that. There you go.

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Forerunners is...

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Pastor, I'm actually going to have you come up here if you don't mind.

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Can you grab a mic because I want you to speak into this.

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Join me here on the platform. Isn't our pastor wonderful?

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Isn't he wonderful? There you go. Thank you.

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That's right. That's right. I honor this man of God.

19:25.100 --> 19:26.520
I'm going to have you speak into this a little bit.

19:27.040 --> 19:28.780
Forerunners is... and I've said this before.

19:28.900 --> 19:32.760
Let me say it again. Forerunners is not a home group.

19:33.320 --> 19:37.160
Though it is done in homes, it is not a home group.

19:37.800 --> 19:39.960
I know many of you have been a part of home groups

19:39.960 --> 19:43.180
and Bible studies and you already have like a...

19:43.880 --> 19:46.740
Am I saying the right word? You've perceived something in your mind?

19:47.200 --> 19:48.960
Perceives. I see my English. I'm working on it.

19:49.260 --> 19:52.020
You've perceived something in your mind and you have a certain expectation.

19:52.560 --> 19:54.740
Can I just, with all grace, I say this.

19:55.100 --> 19:57.760
Whatever you've perceived in your mind, just crumple it up and throw it away.

19:58.060 --> 20:01.300
Not that it's bad. Not that it's bad of what you've experienced.

20:01.580 --> 20:04.260
But I want you to come in with...

20:04.260 --> 20:05.820
Okay. Forerunners is something different.

20:05.940 --> 20:07.240
It's not your typical home group.

20:08.000 --> 20:11.680
So forerunners is something that is done in homes and you said...

20:11.680 --> 20:14.160
When did the Lord give you that vision?

20:14.320 --> 20:17.340
Or when did he speak to you about revival around coffee tables?

20:17.460 --> 20:18.340
Can you speak into that, please?

20:18.780 --> 20:21.020
This would have been around 1990.

20:21.800 --> 20:22.520
Oh my goodness.

20:23.620 --> 20:24.500
He was...

20:24.500 --> 20:25.260
He wasn't even born yet.

20:25.580 --> 20:26.980
There was a few people.

20:28.520 --> 20:29.960
I shouldn't have said that out loud.

20:32.780 --> 20:33.740
I'm so sorry.

20:33.920 --> 20:34.600
That's all good.

20:34.600 --> 20:36.940
I shouldn't have even said that out loud.

20:38.580 --> 20:39.960
I'm good with my age.

20:40.380 --> 20:40.620
Are you?

20:40.740 --> 20:41.360
Okay, I'm fine with it.

20:41.380 --> 20:41.880
You're secure?

20:42.120 --> 20:42.600
I'm secure.

20:43.080 --> 20:44.020
No problem with it.

20:45.160 --> 20:46.520
I've accepted the fact.

20:47.160 --> 20:48.320
We're headed that way.

20:50.760 --> 20:52.300
It was around 1990.

20:53.900 --> 20:56.320
Kevin and Bonnie might remember this.

20:59.760 --> 21:02.480
We were ministering in Colorado.

21:04.420 --> 21:07.620
And it was really difficult gaining traction.

21:10.440 --> 21:17.340
As far as growth and people's lives changing and so forth.

21:17.920 --> 21:20.720
It was slow, I'd say it that way.

21:21.260 --> 21:22.380
And it was really bothering me.

21:22.560 --> 21:24.920
So I was praying about it.

21:24.960 --> 21:26.480
I was praying about it for a long time.

21:26.680 --> 21:28.200
What do we have to change?

21:28.360 --> 21:31.980
What do we have to do so that people want God?

21:32.640 --> 21:33.920
You know, what is it?

21:33.960 --> 21:38.140
And of course, Bill Heibalds and some of these other people

21:38.140 --> 21:39.560
tried to solve that issue.

21:39.940 --> 21:44.580
And now we're late to see in church in America because of it.

21:44.900 --> 21:46.460
Because you don't...

21:46.460 --> 21:47.380
I don't know those guys.

21:47.380 --> 21:48.280
Let me explain that.

21:48.480 --> 21:49.520
I was going to say, I don't know those guys.

21:51.960 --> 21:52.840
You don't...

21:55.020 --> 22:00.340
You don't survey the people to find out what they want

22:00.340 --> 22:02.040
so they will come to church.

22:03.220 --> 22:07.060
You hear from God and give him what he says

22:07.060 --> 22:08.620
whether they want it or not.

22:10.260 --> 22:16.060
Because what's real is we're living in a fallen container.

22:17.180 --> 22:20.160
And the things that we really need from God

22:20.160 --> 22:23.380
most of the time we don't want in our flesh.

22:23.980 --> 22:26.740
And they were the ones who kind of started that

22:26.740 --> 22:28.700
let's see what the people want.

22:28.700 --> 22:31.380
And then we'll bring in the coffee and the entertainment

22:31.380 --> 22:35.160
and the 45-minute service and all the stuff

22:35.160 --> 22:37.100
that makes the flesh feel good.

22:38.380 --> 22:39.540
That started then.

22:40.660 --> 22:43.360
And we weren't wanting to go down that road.

22:43.920 --> 22:46.060
We were wanting to see God move by spirit.

22:46.780 --> 22:49.960
So I had been praying about this for a couple years.

22:50.640 --> 22:53.660
And one day the Lord spoke very directly to me

22:53.660 --> 22:55.140
and he gave me a real short vision.

22:56.940 --> 23:04.040
He said the reason people are not wanting me.

23:04.460 --> 23:06.480
Now he wasn't... this is God speaking.

23:07.060 --> 23:09.800
The reason in America people don't want me

23:09.800 --> 23:12.400
is because they have it too good.

23:13.560 --> 23:15.660
They have a good paycheck.

23:16.100 --> 23:17.220
They've got a nice house.

23:17.800 --> 23:19.200
They've got nice vehicles.

23:20.040 --> 23:21.600
They've got health insurance.

23:21.940 --> 23:23.700
They've got food. They've got clothes.

23:24.560 --> 23:29.480
The people in America, even those who are on subsidies

23:30.460 --> 23:32.120
live like kings and queens

23:32.120 --> 23:34.100
compared to much of the rest of the world.

23:35.500 --> 23:37.200
He says they don't need me.

23:38.680 --> 23:41.120
However, he said the day is coming.

23:42.480 --> 23:44.620
They will need me.

23:45.460 --> 23:47.920
And some of these things are going to be removed

23:48.620 --> 23:51.040
out of love for his church

23:51.040 --> 23:55.660
because if he leaves us in this lukewarm, stupor condition

23:56.260 --> 23:58.740
it won't be for our best eternally.

23:59.740 --> 24:01.460
So the day is coming.

24:02.160 --> 24:03.780
There's going to be some tough times coming.

24:04.160 --> 24:05.960
And of course Scripture says that's not news.

24:07.280 --> 24:10.800
And it's going to be for the benefit of the Christian church

24:10.800 --> 24:12.960
because it's going to wake us up to the fact

24:12.960 --> 24:15.640
we actually need God.

24:16.960 --> 24:18.860
So he said that to me

24:18.860 --> 24:20.120
and then he gave me a picture.

24:20.520 --> 24:22.520
It would be like I was hovering up here

24:22.520 --> 24:25.120
and there was a brown coffee table

24:25.120 --> 24:26.100
and it was round.

24:26.300 --> 24:28.680
It wasn't an oblong or square one or rectangle

24:28.680 --> 24:30.600
or whatever. It was a round coffee table

24:30.600 --> 24:33.480
and all he let me see was like mid-thigh down

24:33.480 --> 24:37.120
and there was people gathered all the way around that coffee table.

24:37.180 --> 24:38.500
It was full of people

24:38.500 --> 24:42.980
and he said there will be what the next move looks like.

24:43.820 --> 24:45.740
It will be gathered around the coffee table.

24:46.960 --> 24:48.620
Now stay up here.

24:48.900 --> 24:51.060
So Forerunners is something that has been done in homes.

24:51.200 --> 24:53.480
We've been doing it in our house for many, many years.

24:54.300 --> 24:56.360
The first time that you and I sat down

24:56.940 --> 24:58.340
I shared some of this with you

24:58.340 --> 25:04.040
and you used a statement that you and Pastor Mary call it

25:04.860 --> 25:05.660
spiritual adoption.

25:06.280 --> 25:07.500
Speak in a little bit into that

25:07.500 --> 25:08.900
to give our people a little bit of understanding.

25:10.120 --> 25:11.960
In the early years of starting this church

25:11.960 --> 25:13.100
when we were still in the modular

25:13.100 --> 25:16.360
the Lord said try to move the people

25:16.360 --> 25:17.860
towards spiritual adoption.

25:18.440 --> 25:22.180
So adoption is when you take someone

25:22.180 --> 25:26.300
into your life, into your family

25:26.300 --> 25:29.020
into who you are to raise them

25:29.020 --> 25:31.020
to help them become adults

25:31.020 --> 25:34.640
to take children and raise them up

25:34.640 --> 25:37.160
to become adults because they need input

25:37.160 --> 25:38.680
and they don't have someone else or whatever.

25:38.680 --> 25:42.900
Spiritual adoption is when God puts someone

25:42.900 --> 25:46.120
in your life to raise them

25:46.720 --> 25:48.440
and you're committed to them

25:48.440 --> 25:51.200
and you're going to help them grow

25:51.200 --> 25:52.500
and you're going to stick with them

25:52.500 --> 25:54.540
through the good times, through the bad times, whatever

25:54.540 --> 25:56.940
and you're going to be a parent to them

25:56.940 --> 25:58.220
and raise them.

25:58.900 --> 26:00.140
That's spiritual adoption.

26:00.740 --> 26:03.100
That's what Forerunners is and I've shared that with you.

26:03.220 --> 26:05.220
That's why I said when you shared the vision

26:05.220 --> 26:05.980
that first night

26:05.980 --> 26:08.400
and anybody who goes to Igor's house

26:09.880 --> 26:12.000
it's two in the morning before you leave.

26:14.180 --> 26:15.020
We love it.

26:15.120 --> 26:16.240
And that's fun when you're young

26:16.240 --> 26:18.860
but when you get to Kevin in my age it's like...

26:18.860 --> 26:19.780
You'd be alright.

26:20.200 --> 26:21.740
Kevin survives. You survived.

26:21.860 --> 26:22.760
Keep the eyes open.

26:23.700 --> 26:25.780
Man, this just goes on and goes on.

26:26.040 --> 26:28.040
But it was really good because it was probably

26:28.040 --> 26:30.160
after midnight you got into explaining

26:30.160 --> 26:31.100
some of this stuff.

26:31.460 --> 26:32.220
You can't sleep then.

26:32.220 --> 26:33.900
You can't sleep. No, I'm awake.

26:34.200 --> 26:36.300
It's like, wow, listen to what he's saying.

26:36.660 --> 26:37.960
That's spiritual adoption.

26:38.440 --> 26:40.300
And that's why I said Forerunners

26:40.300 --> 26:42.680
goes hand in glove with what God told us.

26:43.260 --> 26:44.280
Amen. Thank you.

26:44.520 --> 26:45.520
Thank you for speaking into that.

26:46.180 --> 26:47.440
And by the way, next time pastor

26:48.540 --> 26:50.220
Brazilian tea, if you ask Kevin

26:50.220 --> 26:52.480
Kevin will tell you what Brazilian tea does to you.

26:52.700 --> 26:54.180
He keeps you up till two in the morning

26:54.180 --> 26:56.260
and he's smiling because he's looking at me

26:56.260 --> 26:57.600
and so is his wife.

27:00.820 --> 27:01.960
So Forerunners is something

27:01.960 --> 27:02.900
that is done in homes.

27:03.140 --> 27:05.640
Though it may look like a home group,

27:05.820 --> 27:07.060
I want us to come at this

27:07.060 --> 27:08.280
with a very open mind.

27:08.460 --> 27:10.500
This is something that is different

27:10.500 --> 27:11.780
than has been done before.

27:12.780 --> 27:13.780
I don't want us to come with

27:15.540 --> 27:16.260
preconceived notions.

27:16.600 --> 27:17.380
Is that a good word to use?

27:17.740 --> 27:19.680
Man, my English. See what happens

27:19.680 --> 27:21.240
when I become a pastor in an American church?

27:21.800 --> 27:23.180
It's like all of a sudden my grammar

27:23.180 --> 27:25.180
and my vocabulary gets better. Praise the Lord.

27:25.180 --> 27:26.320
He's so good.

27:27.160 --> 27:29.420
I don't want us to come with preconceived notions

27:29.420 --> 27:31.020
of like, okay, I know what to expect.

27:31.180 --> 27:32.480
I know how this thing is to run.

27:32.860 --> 27:35.380
Because you will see as I unpack this series,

27:35.760 --> 27:37.120
there is a format

27:37.120 --> 27:39.120
to Forerunners that may

27:39.120 --> 27:41.480
kind of look like something that you're used to.

27:41.960 --> 27:43.700
But personally in my life

27:43.700 --> 27:45.420
I've been part of many different home groups,

27:45.540 --> 27:46.620
been part of many different things.

27:47.060 --> 27:49.080
I've never seen anything like this

27:49.080 --> 27:51.380
until the Lord asked us to do it.

27:52.180 --> 27:52.540
And

27:53.060 --> 27:55.300
for those that were here last time,

27:55.340 --> 27:56.680
I'll just share for those that were not,

27:59.000 --> 28:00.740
when we were full blown

28:00.740 --> 28:03.140
in Forerunners, when we were hosting this,

28:04.420 --> 28:06.840
we had a, in a seven day,

28:06.940 --> 28:09.120
I just, I just, I want you just to hear this.

28:09.820 --> 28:11.620
In a seven day week period,

28:12.120 --> 28:13.160
out of the seven days,

28:14.080 --> 28:15.500
minimum, let me say that again,

28:16.680 --> 28:17.920
minimum four days

28:17.920 --> 28:19.640
out of the week, we had somebody

28:19.640 --> 28:21.060
at our house.

28:22.400 --> 28:24.320
We had somebody at our house.

28:24.400 --> 28:25.720
And you're saying, well, why are you saying that?

28:26.380 --> 28:27.220
I'm saying that,

28:27.740 --> 28:29.720
not saying that you have to have that,

28:30.040 --> 28:31.660
I'm just simply telling you

28:32.620 --> 28:34.460
the cost, and I'm going to get into it

28:34.460 --> 28:35.940
a little bit more, the cost of what it means

28:35.940 --> 28:36.660
to be a Forerunner.

28:38.100 --> 28:39.580
And I'll get into that more today

28:39.580 --> 28:41.200
because I want to, I want to answer

28:41.200 --> 28:43.100
the question today of, what does it mean

28:43.100 --> 28:44.180
to be a Forerunner?

28:44.200 --> 28:45.520
That's what I really want to answer today,

28:45.540 --> 28:46.680
and we'll see how much time I have

28:46.680 --> 28:48.060
to answer that.

28:48.400 --> 28:50.980
But the Forerunner, the three main

28:51.560 --> 28:52.080
Scriptures

28:52.080 --> 28:54.600
or the foundations to Forerunner

28:54.600 --> 28:56.600
is, we call them banners.

28:56.960 --> 28:58.860
We just call them banners, I don't know why.

28:58.960 --> 29:00.500
We just, we're like, it's a banner because it's

29:00.500 --> 29:01.860
something that you hold over yourself.

29:02.600 --> 29:04.480
And they were based on

29:04.480 --> 29:07.040
three main Scriptures, that is Luke 7.

29:08.080 --> 29:09.040
That's one of the banners.

29:10.060 --> 29:10.880
John 3

29:10.880 --> 29:12.520
and Luke 7 is ministering

29:12.520 --> 29:14.880
onto the Lord. And that's, that's one of the

29:14.880 --> 29:16.720
points that I'm going to be hitting

29:16.720 --> 29:18.100
towards the end of the series,

29:18.820 --> 29:21.080
that to minister onto the Lord,

29:21.580 --> 29:22.740
believe it or not, is

29:22.740 --> 29:24.760
a very foreign concept

29:24.760 --> 29:26.220
in the church today.

29:27.480 --> 29:28.840
Let me say that again.

29:29.980 --> 29:30.880
To minister

29:30.880 --> 29:32.820
onto Jesus

29:32.820 --> 29:35.000
to tend, let me use this type

29:35.000 --> 29:37.040
of verbage, to tend

29:37.040 --> 29:38.520
to the wounds

29:38.520 --> 29:41.060
of our Savior Jesus

29:41.640 --> 29:43.080
is a foreign

29:43.080 --> 29:45.780
concept in our church

29:45.780 --> 29:46.600
today.

29:47.340 --> 29:49.280
It is foreign language.

29:49.560 --> 29:51.200
It is a foreign format.

29:51.440 --> 29:53.100
It is a foreign type of

29:53.100 --> 29:55.240
ministry that our churches

29:55.240 --> 29:57.140
today don't even know.

29:57.240 --> 29:58.540
They're like, what are you talking about

29:59.820 --> 30:01.120
ministering onto Jesus?

30:01.380 --> 30:02.900
I thought Jesus only

30:02.900 --> 30:05.000
ministers to us. Yes, He does minister

30:05.000 --> 30:06.920
to us. He sure does

30:06.920 --> 30:08.420
and He will continue to.

30:08.800 --> 30:10.760
But did you know that

30:10.760 --> 30:11.780
we have a privilege?

30:12.440 --> 30:13.580
We have an honor

30:13.580 --> 30:15.400
and we have the right

30:15.400 --> 30:18.240
to actually minister onto Him

30:18.560 --> 30:19.500
as His bride.

30:23.080 --> 30:24.360
We have a privilege.

30:25.600 --> 30:26.620
We have the

30:26.620 --> 30:28.580
honor and we have the

30:28.580 --> 30:29.080
right.

30:29.720 --> 30:31.620
You say, why do we have the right?

30:31.820 --> 30:34.440
Because He paid the price for His bride.

30:37.560 --> 30:38.740
We don't have the

30:38.740 --> 30:40.120
right because we're so good.

30:40.520 --> 30:42.140
We have the right because

30:42.140 --> 30:44.360
our Savior Jesus,

30:44.620 --> 30:45.420
our bridegroom

30:46.360 --> 30:48.340
paid the price. And then you know what He says?

30:48.520 --> 30:49.440
Husbands, listen to me.

30:50.720 --> 30:52.460
Ephesians 4 or Ephesians 5.

30:52.600 --> 30:54.400
Sorry, Ephesians 5 about verse 24

30:54.400 --> 30:54.920
or 25.

30:56.040 --> 30:58.120
The apostle Paul writes to us husbands

30:58.640 --> 30:59.540
and He says husbands,

31:00.240 --> 31:01.800
love your wives. How?

31:02.200 --> 31:04.020
As Christ did. What did He do? He died for her.

31:07.270 --> 31:08.050
And some of

31:08.050 --> 31:10.050
your husbands are sitting and thinking, man, why isn't

31:10.050 --> 31:11.570
my wife ministering on to me?

31:12.830 --> 31:14.130
Are you dying for her?

31:15.570 --> 31:16.050
Are you lying?

31:16.290 --> 31:17.770
It's funny, but it's not funny.

31:19.870 --> 31:21.490
It's funny, but it's not funny.

31:23.310 --> 31:24.470
Can I give some marriage advice?

31:24.770 --> 31:25.950
Pastor, can I give some marriage advice?

31:26.070 --> 31:27.170
I have the authority to do that, right?

31:30.190 --> 31:31.390
You ready for this?

31:32.430 --> 31:34.030
Some of your husbands are complaining

31:34.030 --> 31:35.870
why your wife is not submitting to you.

31:35.870 --> 31:38.150
Start loving her the way that Christ

31:38.150 --> 31:39.470
loves you.

31:40.850 --> 31:42.330
You say, what are you talking about, pastor?

31:42.490 --> 31:43.070
Let your life down.

31:45.450 --> 31:47.170
If there's one thing a woman wants,

31:48.350 --> 31:50.510
I don't have them figured out yet, but I'm getting there.

31:52.930 --> 31:55.130
But if there's one thing a woman wants,

31:55.350 --> 31:56.510
she wants to be loved.

31:56.970 --> 31:58.010
And all the women said?

31:59.630 --> 32:00.770
Even a few men said that.

32:00.870 --> 32:01.430
Do you guys hear that?

32:03.470 --> 32:04.630
You still with me this morning?

32:04.630 --> 32:05.830
Praise God.

32:06.450 --> 32:09.610
So four runners, three basic foundations

32:09.610 --> 32:11.670
or three main scriptures.

32:12.070 --> 32:13.970
Luke 7 ministering on to the Lord.

32:14.510 --> 32:16.250
John 3 is

32:16.250 --> 32:17.750
being and becoming,

32:18.130 --> 32:18.750
let me say that,

32:19.190 --> 32:20.730
being and becoming

32:20.730 --> 32:22.950
friends of the bridegroom.

32:23.090 --> 32:24.210
I said this in part one.

32:24.610 --> 32:26.530
There are very, very,

32:26.790 --> 32:28.670
very few slim pickings

32:28.670 --> 32:30.670
of people that are actually friends of Jesus.

32:30.950 --> 32:31.530
Did you know that?

32:33.310 --> 32:34.350
There are

32:34.350 --> 32:35.510
very few people

32:35.510 --> 32:37.070
in our day and age.

32:37.190 --> 32:39.270
Let me even make it more personal to myself.

32:39.630 --> 32:41.410
There is very few

32:41.410 --> 32:42.450
pastors,

32:43.250 --> 32:45.190
apostles, prophets,

32:45.690 --> 32:47.150
evangelists, teachers

32:47.150 --> 32:48.950
that are actually

32:49.430 --> 32:50.890
friends of Jesus.

32:51.570 --> 32:53.350
Very few. Slim pickings.

32:54.190 --> 32:55.850
I said slim pickings.

32:58.390 --> 32:59.510
John 3

32:59.510 --> 33:02.730
becoming friends, being and becoming friends of the bridegroom.

33:03.090 --> 33:04.190
Ephesians 4

33:04.190 --> 33:05.790
is the five fold.

33:05.970 --> 33:07.410
It is the equipping.

33:07.630 --> 33:09.230
It is the bringing a

33:09.230 --> 33:11.670
maturity to the body of Christ.

33:12.430 --> 33:13.510
I am all about

33:13.510 --> 33:15.570
maturing the saints. I am all about it.

33:16.570 --> 33:17.730
I am all about

33:17.730 --> 33:18.990
raising up people

33:19.270 --> 33:21.170
to become mature in the things of God.

33:21.490 --> 33:23.430
I never want to be a pastor

33:23.430 --> 33:25.910
that people are constantly running to

33:25.910 --> 33:27.650
and are saying, what is God telling

33:27.650 --> 33:30.030
you about me? I never want to be that person.

33:31.350 --> 33:33.870
We are no longer living in the Old Testament.

33:34.530 --> 33:35.690
We are now living in the

33:35.690 --> 33:37.610
New Testament. We heard Dean

33:37.610 --> 33:39.550
this morning quote the

33:39.550 --> 33:40.850
author in Hebrews.

33:42.410 --> 33:43.790
In former days

33:43.790 --> 33:45.930
he spoke to us through the

33:45.930 --> 33:47.270
fathers, the prophets.

33:47.650 --> 33:49.730
But now he speaks to

33:49.730 --> 33:51.550
us through who? His son

33:51.550 --> 33:53.630
Jesus. Doesn't Jesus live

33:53.630 --> 33:53.930
in you?

33:55.390 --> 33:56.510
Which means

33:56.510 --> 33:58.150
that if he can speak

33:58.150 --> 34:00.110
to me, he can speak to you.

34:01.790 --> 34:03.830
I am about maturing a

34:03.830 --> 34:05.630
people in the things of God.

34:06.070 --> 34:08.230
I am about maturing

34:08.230 --> 34:09.850
the first love

34:09.850 --> 34:11.450
in every saint.

34:11.890 --> 34:13.930
That's what I'm about. And that's

34:13.930 --> 34:15.470
what Ephesians 4 is about. It is

34:15.470 --> 34:18.050
maturing the saints. It is

34:18.050 --> 34:19.810
bringing to the fullness

34:19.810 --> 34:21.550
that we would see the fullness

34:21.550 --> 34:23.150
and walk in the fullness

34:23.150 --> 34:24.630
of who we are in Christ.

34:25.510 --> 34:27.530
It is to be sons and daughters.

34:28.550 --> 34:29.610
I said it is to be

34:29.610 --> 34:31.510
sons and daughters

34:31.510 --> 34:33.130
in God.

34:34.910 --> 34:35.590
It's not

34:35.590 --> 34:37.250
to be a bastard child.

34:37.670 --> 34:39.550
Am I saying that right? It is

34:39.550 --> 34:40.890
to be an adopted,

34:41.450 --> 34:43.390
not even just adopted, but to be

34:43.390 --> 34:45.530
grafted in. It is to be

34:45.530 --> 34:47.290
I am a son because

34:47.290 --> 34:48.950
Jesus paid the price

34:48.950 --> 34:50.850
for me to be a son. That's what

34:50.850 --> 34:52.430
I'm about. I'm about maturing people

34:52.430 --> 34:54.250
and that's what Ephesians 4 is about.

34:55.030 --> 34:56.730
That's why the five fold was

34:56.730 --> 34:58.790
given. The five

34:58.790 --> 35:00.870
fold was given, not for

35:00.870 --> 35:02.230
us to walk around with the

35:02.230 --> 35:04.130
to feel entitled and in

35:04.130 --> 35:06.390
title. I'm an apostle. I'm a

35:06.390 --> 35:07.790
prophet. I'm a teacher. I'm a

35:07.790 --> 35:09.810
cool man. Who cares?

35:12.690 --> 35:14.650
One man of God said it this way.

35:15.210 --> 35:15.970
He said, listen.

35:16.630 --> 35:18.090
He said, I'm just like you.

35:19.550 --> 35:20.330
He's a pastor.

35:20.670 --> 35:22.430
World renowned. World renowned guy.

35:22.910 --> 35:24.370
Loves the Lord and I've

35:24.370 --> 35:25.990
gleaned and I've learned from this man of God.

35:26.330 --> 35:28.170
And he said, I'm just like you. He goes,

35:28.310 --> 35:30.030
you know why? He goes, because when I

35:30.030 --> 35:32.010
go home and I close

35:32.010 --> 35:33.930
the door behind me, Matthew 6, and I

35:33.930 --> 35:35.830
pray to God. He goes, I don't come

35:35.830 --> 35:38.150
there with my title of pastor

35:38.150 --> 35:40.130
or evangelist. He goes, I come

35:40.130 --> 35:41.510
just like you. I'm a child of God.

35:42.130 --> 35:42.150
Amen.

35:44.850 --> 35:46.150
When I go home,

35:47.690 --> 35:48.850
I'm just like any other

35:48.850 --> 35:50.870
believer. I'm a child

35:50.870 --> 35:51.610
of God. That's it.

35:53.470 --> 35:55.110
He didn't pay a greater price

35:55.110 --> 35:56.350
for me than he did for you. He

35:56.350 --> 35:57.890
didn't. He paid the same price.

35:58.230 --> 35:59.730
The same blood that was spilled for

35:59.730 --> 36:01.550
me was spilled for you. The same

36:01.550 --> 36:03.490
spirit that is given to me

36:03.490 --> 36:05.690
is given to you. You with

36:05.690 --> 36:07.790
me this morning? I'm

36:07.790 --> 36:08.830
not even in the message today

36:08.830 --> 36:10.270
yet. Praise God. Look at that.

36:12.430 --> 36:13.230
Isn't that great

36:13.230 --> 36:14.030
that we can do that?

36:14.890 --> 36:16.750
So these three, the way that

36:18.070 --> 36:18.710
forerunners basically

36:18.710 --> 36:20.430
looks like, and it's really interesting. I'm

36:20.430 --> 36:22.150
going to tell you a little story here that when God

36:22.150 --> 36:24.130
gave us this vision, when he said, I want

36:24.130 --> 36:25.710
to partner with you in this vision,

36:26.750 --> 36:28.450
it was weighty. It still is weighty.

36:28.570 --> 36:30.050
When God is telling you that he wants to

36:30.050 --> 36:31.710
partner with you in something,

36:32.950 --> 36:34.190
I don't know if the Lord's ever spoken

36:34.190 --> 36:35.830
to any of you like that, but when I remember

36:35.830 --> 36:37.930
when he told that to me and my wife, it's

36:37.930 --> 36:40.170
weighty. It's like, whoa, hold on a second.

36:41.490 --> 36:42.050
The God

36:42.050 --> 36:43.690
of heaven and earth, the creator of all

36:43.690 --> 36:45.730
things, the father, the one like we heard

36:45.730 --> 36:47.570
today that generates everything

36:47.570 --> 36:49.730
comes through him. He comes and he says, I

36:49.730 --> 36:51.870
want to partner with you in doing

36:51.870 --> 36:54.270
this thing. That's like, whoa,

36:54.930 --> 36:55.910
better not screw this

36:55.910 --> 36:56.330
thing up.

36:58.530 --> 36:59.950
Better not mess this thing up.

37:00.450 --> 37:00.910
You know what I'm saying?

37:06.260 --> 37:07.040
When the Lord

37:07.620 --> 37:09.160
chose to partner with us, he

37:09.160 --> 37:11.220
chose us. We didn't choose him. He chose us

37:11.220 --> 37:12.640
to partner with this.

37:13.000 --> 37:15.040
The format that he really laid it out, and this

37:15.040 --> 37:16.360
is the way that we lived it, is

37:17.340 --> 37:18.980
forerunners looks like this in a nutshell.

37:19.160 --> 37:20.900
Let me just quickly explain to you before we really

37:20.900 --> 37:22.980
get into it. Forerunners, the way that it looks

37:22.980 --> 37:24.720
like practically how it lays out.

37:25.800 --> 37:26.760
Three components remain

37:27.280 --> 37:28.740
or remain, I'm sorry, there's three

37:28.740 --> 37:30.680
components that always are there.

37:31.720 --> 37:33.220
It is to minister on to the Lord

37:33.220 --> 37:34.700
and what does that look like? Prayer,

37:35.400 --> 37:35.760
worship,

37:37.140 --> 37:37.620
praise,

37:38.680 --> 37:39.940
and I'll get more deep into that.

37:40.220 --> 37:41.720
The second part, the John 3,

37:42.180 --> 37:43.760
the being and becoming friends of

37:43.760 --> 37:45.740
the bridegroom, that actually has to do

37:45.740 --> 37:47.780
with breaking bread. And I'll explain to you

37:47.780 --> 37:49.700
that when we get to that portion of the series.

37:50.140 --> 37:51.260
It is incredible

37:51.800 --> 37:53.480
what happens when you get around

37:53.480 --> 37:55.840
with people around a table and you begin

37:55.840 --> 37:57.560
to break bread and you begin to

37:57.560 --> 37:59.720
talk about Jesus. It is

37:59.720 --> 38:01.640
incredible what the Holy Spirit

38:01.640 --> 38:02.040
does.

38:03.260 --> 38:05.320
Did you know that Jesus actually did that

38:05.320 --> 38:06.660
often in his ministry?

38:07.700 --> 38:08.800
On a weekly basis,

38:08.940 --> 38:10.140
I said on a weekly

38:10.140 --> 38:12.300
basis, the Lord

38:12.300 --> 38:13.580
would break bread

38:13.580 --> 38:16.240
with the people that were

38:16.240 --> 38:16.760
his followers.

38:19.120 --> 38:20.660
And the third part, the

38:20.660 --> 38:22.220
Ephesians 4, that is the teaching,

38:22.340 --> 38:24.260
that is the equipping, that is praying

38:24.260 --> 38:26.000
for one another, that is

38:26.000 --> 38:27.720
giving a word, that is learning,

38:27.900 --> 38:29.180
that is serving one another.

38:29.180 --> 38:31.420
Those three components always

38:31.420 --> 38:32.780
remained when we did four runners

38:32.780 --> 38:35.120
at our home. Does that make

38:35.120 --> 38:37.040
sense so far? All right.

38:37.540 --> 38:39.480
And here is the interesting part.

38:39.600 --> 38:41.140
When the Lord gave us this, I never

38:41.140 --> 38:43.020
paid attention to it until my

38:43.020 --> 38:44.820
friend pointed it out to me. When I

38:45.980 --> 38:47.880
shared this with one of my

38:47.880 --> 38:49.060
friends some years ago,

38:49.420 --> 38:50.700
I shared this vision with him.

38:52.160 --> 38:53.340
He's like, oh, he goes,

38:53.480 --> 38:54.780
did God tell you that out of

38:54.780 --> 38:57.140
Acts 2, starting at

38:57.140 --> 38:57.700
verse 40?

38:58.600 --> 39:00.420
And I was like, no, I was like, God didn't

39:00.420 --> 39:02.260
tell me that out of Acts 2. Let me

39:02.260 --> 39:03.060
read it to you here.

39:05.080 --> 39:06.680
Acts 2 verse

39:07.260 --> 39:07.740
40.

39:09.660 --> 39:10.960
This is the early church.

39:14.360 --> 39:16.540
And with many other words, they

39:16.540 --> 39:18.280
testified and exhorted them saying,

39:18.380 --> 39:20.260
be saved from the perverse

39:20.260 --> 39:22.680
generation. Then those

39:22.680 --> 39:24.220
who gladly received

39:24.220 --> 39:26.100
His word were baptized

39:26.100 --> 39:28.220
and that day about 3,000

39:28.220 --> 39:29.560
souls were added to them.

39:29.880 --> 39:32.220
So this is just a little bit for

39:32.220 --> 39:34.100
those that don't know their Bibles. This

39:34.100 --> 39:36.300
is when basically the Apostle Peter stood up. Jesus

39:36.300 --> 39:37.840
already ascended into heaven. The

39:37.840 --> 39:40.220
Apostle Peter stood up, preached probably

39:40.220 --> 39:42.040
one of the best messages that the Apostle

39:42.040 --> 39:42.960
Peter has ever preached.

39:44.300 --> 39:46.320
3,000 get added to the church. Boom,

39:46.460 --> 39:48.540
just like that. And here's

39:48.540 --> 39:50.120
I never paid attention to this until

39:50.120 --> 39:51.680
my friend pointed it out to me.

39:51.680 --> 39:53.620
He said, oh, he goes, God gave you that vision

39:53.620 --> 39:55.500
from here. And after I read it, I'm like,

39:55.580 --> 39:57.640
huh, look at that. The early church did

39:57.640 --> 39:59.280
it too. Verse 42.

40:00.260 --> 40:01.280
And they continued

40:02.820 --> 40:03.620
steadfastly in the

40:04.580 --> 40:05.380
Apostles' doctrine.

40:05.760 --> 40:07.560
This is Ephesians 4. This is the teaching

40:07.560 --> 40:09.600
of the word. This is the imparting.

40:09.720 --> 40:11.480
This is the praying for. This is the giving

40:11.480 --> 40:12.480
to, okay.

40:13.700 --> 40:16.140
And they continued steadfastly

40:16.140 --> 40:17.400
in the Apostles'

40:17.560 --> 40:19.680
doctrine and fellowship

40:19.680 --> 40:21.640
in breaking of bread.

40:23.440 --> 40:25.720
That was the second part. And the third part

40:25.720 --> 40:27.300
and in

40:27.300 --> 40:27.960
prayers.

40:29.500 --> 40:31.680
So these three components

40:31.680 --> 40:33.820
are literally what built

40:33.820 --> 40:34.680
the early church.

40:35.940 --> 40:37.840
The teaching of the word, the doctrine

40:37.840 --> 40:38.640
of the Apostles.

40:39.380 --> 40:41.220
The breaking of bread, the fellowship.

40:41.660 --> 40:43.680
Let's talk about the Lord. Let's

40:43.680 --> 40:45.620
share testimonies. Let's share

40:45.620 --> 40:47.700
revelations. This is not empty

40:47.700 --> 40:49.260
talk. You don't get around a table

40:49.260 --> 40:51.360
to have empty talk. You get around the

40:51.360 --> 40:53.080
table with the goal

40:53.080 --> 40:55.160
that I want to know him more.

40:56.240 --> 40:57.520
I want to be a friend

40:57.520 --> 40:59.780
of the bridegroom. And I want

40:59.780 --> 41:01.500
to learn what you know

41:01.500 --> 41:02.040
about him.

41:03.680 --> 41:05.320
You know what's interesting is that

41:05.320 --> 41:06.540
like for an example.

41:08.260 --> 41:09.200
I can say this.

41:09.940 --> 41:11.040
I can say I know

41:11.040 --> 41:12.720
Pastor Verne a little bit more than maybe

41:12.720 --> 41:15.340
a greater majority in this place. I can say

41:15.340 --> 41:16.700
that's a truthful statement, right?

41:17.100 --> 41:19.140
Now let's say me and you sit down.

41:19.340 --> 41:21.220
Just somebody here that doesn't know Pastor Verne that well.

41:21.380 --> 41:23.240
We sit down. And I begin

41:23.240 --> 41:25.220
to talk about Pastor Verne in

41:25.220 --> 41:27.300
the facet that I know Pastor Verne.

41:28.160 --> 41:29.480
And usually it's good stuff.

41:30.560 --> 41:31.000
Usually.

41:31.960 --> 41:33.120
A few of them are going to all

41:33.120 --> 41:33.800
sneak in.

41:36.140 --> 41:37.360
When I begin to talk

41:37.360 --> 41:39.400
about Pastor Verne and I begin to share the good

41:39.400 --> 41:41.300
stuff. Do you know what that does

41:41.300 --> 41:43.500
to the hear that is listening

41:43.500 --> 41:45.120
to me talk about Pastor Verne.

41:45.400 --> 41:47.500
That literally lights you up and it

41:47.500 --> 41:48.840
wants you to get to know him more.

41:50.680 --> 41:51.680
That's what it means

41:51.680 --> 41:53.560
to sit around the table, break

41:53.560 --> 41:55.640
bread and be and become friends

41:55.640 --> 41:56.340
of the bridegroom.

41:57.380 --> 41:59.420
To the facet that I know

41:59.420 --> 42:01.280
the Lord, I can talk about him.

42:01.860 --> 42:03.500
To the facet that

42:03.500 --> 42:05.540
you know the Lord, you can talk

42:05.540 --> 42:06.020
about him.

42:07.680 --> 42:09.340
And when people that are

42:09.340 --> 42:11.500
far more advanced in the things of God

42:11.500 --> 42:13.380
than I am, I want to get around

42:13.380 --> 42:15.120
those people. Do you want

42:15.120 --> 42:17.380
to know why? Because they know

42:17.380 --> 42:19.580
facets of God. Let me say this.

42:20.060 --> 42:21.520
They have paid a

42:21.520 --> 42:23.420
cost. Let me say that again.

42:23.960 --> 42:25.500
They have paid

42:25.500 --> 42:27.700
a cost to know

42:27.700 --> 42:29.400
the Lord in a greater

42:29.400 --> 42:31.640
facet. And me being around

42:31.640 --> 42:33.440
them actually expedites my

42:33.440 --> 42:35.380
growth in knowing him. They paid

42:35.380 --> 42:37.420
the cost. I didn't even pay

42:37.420 --> 42:37.940
for it.

42:39.460 --> 42:40.600
It's like Amazon

42:40.600 --> 42:42.300
shipping. Boom! One day

42:42.300 --> 42:42.680
it's there.

42:43.880 --> 42:45.740
That's literally what breaking

42:45.740 --> 42:47.900
bread looks like. When you get

42:47.900 --> 42:49.700
around people that have paid

42:49.700 --> 42:52.140
the cost to know Jesus.

42:52.700 --> 42:54.120
And they know him in ways

42:54.120 --> 42:55.880
that an average person doesn't

42:55.880 --> 42:57.500
know him. And I want to be around

42:57.500 --> 42:59.240
those people. That has been my life.

42:59.520 --> 43:01.560
That has been my wife's life. We have always

43:01.560 --> 43:03.920
desired to surround ourselves

43:03.920 --> 43:05.780
with a people that know

43:05.780 --> 43:07.900
Jesus more than we know Jesus.

43:08.360 --> 43:09.820
Why? Because they paid

43:09.820 --> 43:11.940
a cost. And the things

43:11.940 --> 43:13.620
that has taken them 10,

43:13.680 --> 43:15.620
15, 20 years can

43:15.620 --> 43:17.300
take me in 20 minutes.

43:17.840 --> 43:19.380
Did you hear me?

43:20.480 --> 43:21.980
What has taken a people

43:21.980 --> 43:23.740
10, 15, 20

43:23.740 --> 43:25.880
years? They've paid it. They've

43:25.880 --> 43:27.740
walked it out. They've embodied

43:27.740 --> 43:29.360
it. They've

43:29.360 --> 43:32.040
mourned. They've weaped. They've rejoiced

43:32.040 --> 43:33.760
all these expressions

43:33.760 --> 43:35.400
over the 15, 20 years.

43:35.940 --> 43:37.080
And here I have the privilege

43:37.080 --> 43:38.960
to sit with them at a table

43:39.640 --> 43:41.520
and they begin to talk about the Lord.

43:41.660 --> 43:43.020
And it's like, boof!

43:43.780 --> 43:44.600
My God!

43:45.900 --> 43:46.320
Wow!

43:47.180 --> 43:49.200
I didn't even know the Lord spoke like that.

43:50.620 --> 43:51.840
I didn't even know the Lord

43:51.840 --> 43:53.000
moved like that.

43:53.960 --> 43:55.240
I didn't even know the Lord

43:55.600 --> 43:57.500
expressed his way like that. And in

43:57.500 --> 43:59.620
20 minutes I can learn

43:59.620 --> 44:01.680
what took them 20 years.

44:02.880 --> 44:03.500
That's

44:03.500 --> 44:04.920
breaking bread.

44:06.340 --> 44:08.100
What did Jesus do

44:08.100 --> 44:09.860
when they sat around the table?

44:09.940 --> 44:11.220
I'm going off on a tangent here.

44:11.560 --> 44:12.820
What did Jesus do?

44:13.580 --> 44:14.960
He talked about who?

44:21.940 --> 44:23.000
Jesus comes

44:23.000 --> 44:25.060
Oh my God, I love you Lord. Thank you so much.

44:25.260 --> 44:26.220
Jesus comes

44:26.830 --> 44:27.760
from eternity,

44:28.700 --> 44:30.600
incarnated God. He's been

44:30.600 --> 44:31.540
with the Father.

44:33.240 --> 44:34.700
He's been with him.

44:34.700 --> 44:36.380
And now this Jesus

44:36.380 --> 44:37.960
comes lowly,

44:38.640 --> 44:40.480
incarnated into flesh

44:40.480 --> 44:41.940
to be like us.

44:42.180 --> 44:44.660
And now he begins to tell his disciples

44:44.660 --> 44:46.380
who the Father

44:46.380 --> 44:48.000
is. Can you imagine

44:48.000 --> 44:49.800
what that did to the disciples?

44:50.320 --> 44:51.940
Now, understanding that,

44:52.300 --> 44:53.760
now I'm like, well no wonder

44:53.760 --> 44:56.400
the disciples missed certain things.

44:56.660 --> 44:58.940
When Jesus is talking about him being crucified,

44:59.360 --> 45:00.620
they're still worried about

45:00.620 --> 45:01.940
who's going to sit at the right hand

45:01.940 --> 45:03.420
or at the left hand of the Father.

45:04.360 --> 45:05.880
Because it went over their heads.

45:08.520 --> 45:09.460
You with me?

45:10.180 --> 45:11.780
This is what the early church did.

45:13.180 --> 45:15.160
This is what the early church did.

45:16.120 --> 45:17.960
They stayed steadfastly

45:17.960 --> 45:19.880
with the teachings of the apostles.

45:20.900 --> 45:22.060
They learned.

45:22.460 --> 45:23.220
They grew.

45:24.380 --> 45:25.540
They devoured.

45:26.040 --> 45:27.100
They devoured.

45:28.440 --> 45:30.160
What was given on to them

45:30.160 --> 45:32.640
by the Spirit of God through the apostles.

45:33.360 --> 45:34.640
They would get together.

45:35.020 --> 45:36.040
They would break bread.

45:36.380 --> 45:37.380
They would discuss.

45:37.980 --> 45:39.040
They would have discussions.

45:40.320 --> 45:41.960
I'm sure there was maybe even like debates.

45:42.200 --> 45:43.680
I don't know, but it was healthy debates.

45:44.000 --> 45:45.100
Not all debates are bad.

45:45.900 --> 45:46.880
And then they prayed.

45:48.840 --> 45:50.060
I said, and then they prayed.

45:51.040 --> 45:52.080
And I'm sure

45:52.080 --> 45:53.720
when prayer was there,

45:54.000 --> 45:55.740
I'm sure there was a worship

45:55.740 --> 45:56.980
that was there.

45:58.840 --> 46:00.380
I'm sure that there was worship

46:00.380 --> 46:01.040
that was there.

46:01.260 --> 46:02.260
You know why I say that?

46:02.440 --> 46:03.660
Because when you read the life

46:03.660 --> 46:05.160
of the apostle Paul,

46:05.380 --> 46:06.800
when he was in the jail cell,

46:07.140 --> 46:08.520
he did what?

46:09.060 --> 46:09.840
He worshipped.

46:10.960 --> 46:11.760
He worshipped.

46:14.260 --> 46:15.900
I'm sure there was a worship

46:15.900 --> 46:17.560
and there was a ministry

46:17.560 --> 46:19.280
on to the Lord

46:19.280 --> 46:20.720
when they gathered together.

46:22.580 --> 46:24.300
So my friend goes, oh, did you pull that

46:24.300 --> 46:24.540
from

46:26.340 --> 46:28.420
Acts chapter 2 starting at verse

46:28.420 --> 46:30.440
40, what is it?

46:30.660 --> 46:32.460
Verse 42 and down? I said, no, I did

46:32.460 --> 46:34.180
not, man. I said, I did not,

46:34.240 --> 46:35.400
but you just confirmed to me.

46:36.840 --> 46:37.040
Amen?

46:38.220 --> 46:39.200
You still with me this morning?

46:41.200 --> 46:42.420
Let's get into today's message.

46:45.640 --> 46:46.520
Praise God, man.

46:46.580 --> 46:48.040
I love you guys. You guys

46:48.040 --> 46:49.300
are so good to me.

46:50.920 --> 46:52.280
Here's the question I want to answer.

46:52.280 --> 46:54.720
What does it mean to be a forerunner?

46:55.580 --> 46:56.960
Let me back it up a little bit.

46:57.760 --> 46:59.220
Why did we call it

46:59.220 --> 46:59.900
forerunners?

47:00.800 --> 47:02.960
Honestly, it came so naturally.

47:03.740 --> 47:04.700
I'm not going to say that

47:04.700 --> 47:06.580
an angel of God came to me in the middle

47:06.580 --> 47:08.260
of the night and he said, son of

47:08.760 --> 47:10.480
Vasily, you shall call this

47:10.480 --> 47:12.540
ministry forerunners. That's not

47:12.540 --> 47:14.380
what happened. I'm not going to get spiritual on you.

47:15.360 --> 47:16.380
It just literally

47:16.380 --> 47:17.560
flowed naturally.

47:18.560 --> 47:20.580
And the reason why it flowed naturally in

47:20.580 --> 47:22.140
today, I'm going to be talking about mainly

47:22.140 --> 47:23.960
out of two people from the Bible.

47:24.300 --> 47:26.440
It flowed so naturally because when I spent

47:26.440 --> 47:28.440
time studying the life of

47:28.440 --> 47:30.560
Jesus, and when I spent time

47:30.560 --> 47:32.240
studying the life of John the Baptist,

47:32.600 --> 47:34.480
there's one component that

47:34.480 --> 47:36.580
stood out to me and still stands out to me.

47:36.900 --> 47:38.420
Both of those individuals.

47:38.600 --> 47:40.660
Now, I'm not even talking about all the other

47:40.660 --> 47:42.340
people in the Bible. I'm not even talking

47:42.340 --> 47:44.380
about the Apostle Paul. I'm not even talking

47:44.380 --> 47:46.280
about the Apostle John, the Apostle Peter,

47:46.520 --> 47:48.380
or any of the others, or any of the others

47:48.380 --> 47:50.040
that follow them. Timothy

47:50.040 --> 47:52.360
and so forth. I am just coming out

47:52.360 --> 47:54.260
to you from the life of Jesus

47:54.260 --> 47:55.820
and John the Baptist.

47:56.260 --> 47:57.500
They were forerunners.

47:58.940 --> 48:00.440
They were forerunners.

48:00.680 --> 48:02.260
So the name came naturally

48:02.260 --> 48:04.440
to us. We just started calling

48:04.440 --> 48:06.500
ourselves forerunners because we were

48:06.500 --> 48:08.720
so captivated

48:08.720 --> 48:10.560
by the way that the Lord did life.

48:11.280 --> 48:12.440
We were so captivated

48:13.000 --> 48:14.520
by the way that John the Baptist

48:14.520 --> 48:16.260
did things. Because John

48:16.260 --> 48:18.500
the Baptist is somebody who Jesus

48:18.500 --> 48:20.120
refers to as

48:20.120 --> 48:22.260
the greatest example of what it

48:22.260 --> 48:23.780
means to be a friend of the bridegroom.

48:23.940 --> 48:25.380
More than even Abraham.

48:26.160 --> 48:28.140
Let me say that again. John

48:28.140 --> 48:30.080
the Baptist is a greater

48:30.080 --> 48:32.020
example of what it means

48:32.020 --> 48:34.100
to be a friend of God

48:34.100 --> 48:35.800
more than even

48:35.800 --> 48:38.160
Abraham. You say

48:38.160 --> 48:40.240
where'd you pull that from? Read the gospel.

48:40.840 --> 48:42.260
Listen to what Jesus says

48:42.260 --> 48:46.240
when he talks about John the Baptist. I

48:46.800 --> 48:47.200
don't know.

48:47.200 --> 48:49.480
Like Luke 7? No, it's not Luke 7.

48:49.580 --> 48:51.580
Maybe Luke 11. Don't quote me on that.

48:51.740 --> 48:53.520
It's in there. I know it's in there. Trust me.

48:53.900 --> 48:56.140
I'll pull it up to you sometime. Trust me.

48:57.000 --> 48:58.180
So forerunners came

48:58.180 --> 49:00.380
to us not because an angel of God

49:00.380 --> 49:02.060
said you shall be forerunners.

49:02.380 --> 49:03.640
It was natural

49:04.160 --> 49:06.020
because the way our attitude, the way

49:06.020 --> 49:07.260
that we carry things, we just

49:07.980 --> 49:10.460
started calling it forerunner prayers. That's how it started.

49:11.360 --> 49:12.100
People would come

49:12.100 --> 49:14.380
to our house and we're like, oh, we're here for forerunners prayer.

49:14.380 --> 49:16.000
I'm like, oh, praise God. Me too.

49:17.140 --> 49:18.360
And we just go at it.

49:18.860 --> 49:20.780
But what does it mean to be a forerunner?

49:20.840 --> 49:22.440
I want to bring the definition

49:22.440 --> 49:24.580
of the word. So from Strong's and the Greek

49:24.580 --> 49:26.400
the word forerunner is pronounced

49:26.400 --> 49:28.860
and I'm butchering this, but I'm not a Greek, so forgive me.

49:29.260 --> 49:30.380
But it's prodormous.

49:31.600 --> 49:32.320
That's what the word

49:33.040 --> 49:34.100
sounds like in Greek.

49:34.440 --> 49:35.740
And the meaning of it

49:35.740 --> 49:37.360
is to go ahead.

49:39.260 --> 49:40.860
To be a forerunner

49:40.860 --> 49:42.100
is one

49:42.100 --> 49:44.020
who goes ahead.

49:46.000 --> 49:47.800
To be a forerunner

49:47.800 --> 49:49.700
or what does it mean to be a forerunner?

49:49.900 --> 49:51.220
It is to be a runner

49:51.220 --> 49:54.300
that is willing to go ahead

49:54.300 --> 49:55.700
to run harder

49:55.700 --> 49:57.720
to run longer

49:57.720 --> 49:59.880
to beat their body

49:59.880 --> 50:01.740
to discipline their body.

50:02.600 --> 50:04.040
That's a forerunner.

50:05.200 --> 50:06.520
A forerunner

50:06.520 --> 50:08.320
is somebody who says, hey, you know what?

50:11.200 --> 50:12.760
This song just comes to me.

50:12.840 --> 50:14.680
I'm not going to sing it, but I'll speak it.

50:15.880 --> 50:17.160
I don't remember the melody.

50:17.360 --> 50:18.880
Jesse, maybe you know the melody a little bit.

50:19.220 --> 50:19.640
But it's

50:21.180 --> 50:22.860
No turning back

50:22.860 --> 50:24.440
No turning back

50:24.440 --> 50:26.180
I have decided

50:26.180 --> 50:28.440
to follow Jesus.

50:28.800 --> 50:29.340
That song.

50:29.920 --> 50:31.480
I have decided

50:31.480 --> 50:34.140
to follow Jesus.

50:35.000 --> 50:36.880
I have decided

50:36.880 --> 50:38.300
to follow Jesus.

50:38.300 --> 50:39.640
Follow Jesus.

50:40.420 --> 50:41.960
No turning back.

50:43.140 --> 50:45.340
See, that's a song a forerunner sings.

50:46.260 --> 50:47.400
The cross before me,

50:47.640 --> 50:48.940
the world behind me.

50:49.960 --> 50:50.720
The cross

50:50.720 --> 50:52.020
before me,

50:52.380 --> 50:54.040
the world behind me.

50:54.280 --> 50:55.580
Hands to the plow,

50:56.040 --> 50:58.460
I will till this uncultivated ground.

50:59.260 --> 51:00.460
Now that can be a rap song

51:00.460 --> 51:01.500
for the next open heavens.

51:05.350 --> 51:06.790
A forerunner

51:06.790 --> 51:08.350
is one that goes ahead.

51:08.590 --> 51:09.450
He runs. He goes.

51:11.470 --> 51:12.670
Even if that means

51:12.670 --> 51:14.170
I'm losing my friends.

51:15.330 --> 51:16.610
Even if that means

51:16.610 --> 51:19.170
I'm losing the reputation that I have built

51:19.170 --> 51:21.270
for the 30 years of my life.

51:22.070 --> 51:23.650
Even if that means

51:24.810 --> 51:25.930
I will be criticized.

51:26.510 --> 51:27.430
I will be persecuted.

51:28.050 --> 51:28.810
I will be hated

51:28.810 --> 51:31.010
by my fellow brothers, by my family

51:31.010 --> 51:32.090
on and so forth.

51:32.570 --> 51:34.350
A forerunner is one that runs ahead.

51:34.350 --> 51:34.990
Amen.

51:36.330 --> 51:37.590
And they don't look back.

51:38.770 --> 51:39.870
They don't stop and say,

51:40.050 --> 51:41.670
maybe I made a mistake.

51:42.790 --> 51:43.850
The cross before me,

51:44.190 --> 51:45.410
the world behind me,

51:45.750 --> 51:48.290
there ain't no turning back. Jesus, help me. Take the wheel.

51:51.270 --> 51:52.330
See, a forerunner

51:52.330 --> 51:54.730
is not just one that runs ahead

51:54.730 --> 51:56.490
and then leaves everybody else

51:56.490 --> 51:58.610
in the dust, though it seems like it.

51:58.950 --> 52:00.390
A forerunner, according to the

52:00.390 --> 52:02.290
Greek definition, is a scout.

52:03.630 --> 52:05.450
A forerunner is a scout.

52:05.770 --> 52:06.890
He runs ahead

52:06.890 --> 52:08.710
not for the sake of

52:08.710 --> 52:10.170
how-how losers you're slow.

52:10.630 --> 52:11.810
He runs ahead

52:11.810 --> 52:14.250
and then when he gets to a certain area

52:14.250 --> 52:15.610
he turns around

52:15.610 --> 52:17.750
and like a scout, he says,

52:17.850 --> 52:20.270
listen, it's better over here.

52:20.470 --> 52:20.910
Come on.

52:24.800 --> 52:26.180
It's like a Joshua.

52:26.520 --> 52:28.760
You go and you scan the land.

52:30.920 --> 52:32.740
Joshua was a forerunner.

52:33.280 --> 52:34.740
And I'm not even going to get into

52:34.740 --> 52:35.860
the life of Joshua today.

52:36.040 --> 52:37.800
But Joshua was a forerunner.

52:37.980 --> 52:39.260
He went ahead

52:40.160 --> 52:42.600
from all his brethren. There was a lot of them.

52:42.700 --> 52:43.400
He went ahead

52:43.980 --> 52:46.420
and he said, I'm willing to pay the cost

52:46.420 --> 52:47.580
to go ahead.

52:47.820 --> 52:49.940
What nobody else is willing to pay,

52:50.240 --> 52:52.640
I'm willing to pay the price

52:52.640 --> 52:53.620
to go there.

52:55.860 --> 52:56.820
But he's not

52:56.820 --> 52:58.900
he's not just like, alright, see you guys later.

52:59.080 --> 53:00.240
Y'all didn't want to pay the price.

53:00.240 --> 53:02.360
Deuces, he went

53:03.420 --> 53:03.960
scouted

53:03.960 --> 53:05.920
came back and said, listen,

53:06.520 --> 53:08.700
yo, y'all got to know what's up there.

53:12.000 --> 53:14.140
A forerunner is one. Let me make it

53:14.140 --> 53:15.780
very more practical than our modern day.

53:16.120 --> 53:18.000
A forerunner is one

53:18.000 --> 53:19.440
who goes ahead

53:19.440 --> 53:22.620
when nobody else wants to. Everybody else loves this.

53:23.360 --> 53:24.340
Laodicean age

53:24.340 --> 53:26.720
of comfort. And I got my boat.

53:26.880 --> 53:27.940
And I got my cabin.

53:27.940 --> 53:29.820
And I'm living the American dream.

53:30.120 --> 53:31.640
You know, even Ukrainians

53:31.640 --> 53:33.520
have fed into that junk.

53:34.420 --> 53:36.000
We got even foreigners

53:36.000 --> 53:38.100
that have come here to this nation

53:38.100 --> 53:40.460
and it's a spirit that's over this nation.

53:40.840 --> 53:42.040
And we got foreigners

53:42.040 --> 53:43.460
that have come here

53:43.460 --> 53:45.440
and they've fed in to this

53:45.440 --> 53:47.420
spirit that's over this nation

53:47.680 --> 53:49.580
of I'm living the American dream.

53:49.820 --> 53:51.980
I got a thick accent, but I don't care.

53:52.360 --> 53:53.720
I'm living the American dream.

53:54.420 --> 53:55.520
I got my house.

53:55.520 --> 53:57.660
I got my dog. I got my truck.

53:57.880 --> 53:59.420
I got my shotgun. Let's go.

53:59.540 --> 54:00.180
We're gonna go hunting.

54:03.380 --> 54:05.520
Even foreigners have fed

54:05.520 --> 54:06.060
into that.

54:06.860 --> 54:09.580
But a forerunner in our modern

54:09.580 --> 54:11.420
day and age is one who is

54:11.420 --> 54:13.400
willing to pay the cost

54:13.400 --> 54:14.980
to seek the Lord

54:14.980 --> 54:16.640
when nobody else is seeking

54:16.640 --> 54:18.780
to learn the things

54:18.780 --> 54:21.580
of God, to know Jesus

54:21.580 --> 54:23.200
and then come back

54:23.200 --> 54:24.980
and say, listen, it's

54:24.980 --> 54:26.720
better over here.

54:28.420 --> 54:28.760
This

54:28.760 --> 54:31.380
right here produces eternity.

54:32.020 --> 54:33.280
This American dream

54:33.280 --> 54:34.500
it is temporary.

54:35.520 --> 54:37.040
It'll fade.

54:37.900 --> 54:39.420
Our lives are

54:39.420 --> 54:40.860
what? But a vapor

54:40.860 --> 54:43.000
here today gone tomorrow.

54:43.400 --> 54:44.980
Friends, but

54:44.980 --> 54:45.940
a vapor

54:45.940 --> 54:48.860
are here today gone tomorrow.

54:50.900 --> 54:52.540
I just recently learned

54:52.540 --> 54:54.300
about one of my relatives

54:54.300 --> 54:55.800
out of nowhere

54:55.800 --> 54:57.500
has stage 4 cancer.

54:58.120 --> 54:58.800
Out of nowhere.

55:00.320 --> 55:01.140
Healthy man.

55:01.640 --> 55:03.180
Served the Lord. Loves the Lord.

55:03.600 --> 55:05.200
Literally just found out this week

55:05.200 --> 55:07.600
he has stage 4 cancer. The doctors basically said

55:08.060 --> 55:09.300
he's got maybe a day,

55:09.440 --> 55:10.680
maybe a week to live. We don't know.

55:11.740 --> 55:12.600
Here today

55:12.600 --> 55:13.720
gone tomorrow.

55:14.620 --> 55:16.580
Did you know that actually, and if you don't believe me

55:16.580 --> 55:18.640
study your scriptures, did you know that the scriptures actually

55:18.640 --> 55:19.860
don't even promise us tomorrow?

55:22.240 --> 55:23.140
Did you hear me?

55:24.060 --> 55:24.940
Let me preach this again.

55:25.560 --> 55:26.820
Did you know the scriptures

55:27.360 --> 55:28.940
don't even promise us tomorrow?

55:30.040 --> 55:31.520
Today could be the last Sunday

55:31.520 --> 55:32.740
that you're sitting in the sanctuary.

55:34.100 --> 55:35.840
You're saying, why are you trying to scare me, pastor?

55:36.220 --> 55:37.180
I'm not trying to scare you.

55:37.240 --> 55:38.140
I'm preaching to you the Word.

55:39.900 --> 55:41.600
My tactic is not to scare you.

55:41.840 --> 55:43.740
I'm preaching to you the Word of God.

55:44.340 --> 55:45.880
Today could be your last

55:45.880 --> 55:46.640
opportunity

55:47.260 --> 55:48.260
to repent.

55:49.440 --> 55:51.340
Today could be the last day

55:51.700 --> 55:54.040
that God has given you a chance

55:54.040 --> 55:55.700
to receive His Son

55:55.700 --> 55:57.440
as your personal savior.

55:58.160 --> 56:00.180
Yet, because of your stubbornness,

56:00.340 --> 56:01.040
because of your

56:01.620 --> 56:03.680
feeding into this laodicean spirit

56:03.680 --> 56:05.580
of, ah, pastor,

56:05.760 --> 56:06.720
what you talking about man?

56:07.100 --> 56:08.820
I was at a church last Sunday

56:08.820 --> 56:10.700
and that pastor said the same thing.

56:11.040 --> 56:13.620
This could be the last day. What you talking to me friend?

56:13.620 --> 56:15.460
How long is that going to linger

56:15.460 --> 56:17.540
until cut? You're done.

56:17.960 --> 56:19.460
And then you stand before God.

56:19.940 --> 56:21.660
Well God, well God, he's going to say

56:21.660 --> 56:24.080
but I gave you. I gave you.

56:24.720 --> 56:26.180
I said I gave you

56:26.180 --> 56:27.760
the opportunity yet

56:27.760 --> 56:28.640
you didn't seize it.

56:31.740 --> 56:33.120
Seize the opportunity

56:33.120 --> 56:35.700
while the window is still open for you.

56:35.920 --> 56:37.100
Did you hear me this morning?

56:38.940 --> 56:40.060
I said, did you hear me

56:40.060 --> 56:40.600
this morning?

56:43.240 --> 56:45.500
While you still got breath in your lungs

56:45.500 --> 56:47.280
seize the opportunity

56:47.280 --> 56:48.920
to receive the Lord

56:48.920 --> 56:49.680
today.

56:50.280 --> 56:52.220
And I'm even going to give you an opportunity

56:52.220 --> 56:53.840
at the end of service today.

56:54.040 --> 56:55.780
If you're somebody here that you're not even sure

56:55.780 --> 56:57.700
if you're saved, I'm going to give you an opportunity

56:57.700 --> 56:59.300
to get saved this morning.

57:00.340 --> 57:00.860
Did you hear me?

57:03.160 --> 57:04.000
A forerunner

57:04.000 --> 57:04.840
in our modern day

57:04.840 --> 57:06.400
is somebody who goes ahead.

57:06.840 --> 57:08.340
They're willing to pay

57:08.340 --> 57:10.520
the price to live a

57:10.520 --> 57:11.200
lifestyle.

57:12.160 --> 57:14.140
I said to live a lifestyle

57:14.140 --> 57:16.220
that very few

57:16.220 --> 57:17.720
will do.

57:18.480 --> 57:20.360
And I'm not even talking about unbelievers.

57:20.460 --> 57:22.740
I'm talking about believers. I'm talking about church

57:22.740 --> 57:24.340
going spirit

57:24.340 --> 57:26.260
filled, Holy Ghost

57:26.260 --> 57:27.760
speaking people

57:28.340 --> 57:29.980
aren't even willing to pay this price.

57:30.720 --> 57:32.720
You're saying, what are you talking about? If I got the Holy Spirit

57:33.400 --> 57:34.160
that's great.

57:34.340 --> 57:36.260
I'm about it. But I know people

57:36.260 --> 57:38.400
that speak in tongues. I know people

57:38.400 --> 57:40.240
that prophesy. I know people that

57:40.240 --> 57:42.440
operate in words of knowledge, words of wisdom

57:42.440 --> 57:44.320
yet they're not willing to pay

57:44.320 --> 57:46.360
the price to go somewhere where nobody

57:46.360 --> 57:47.140
else is willing to go.

57:50.220 --> 57:52.260
It's happening in our Pentecostal circles

57:52.260 --> 57:54.000
that's happening in our Charismatic

57:54.000 --> 57:55.780
circles. This is happening

57:55.780 --> 57:58.300
in our spirit filled churches

57:59.260 --> 58:00.300
or quote on

58:00.300 --> 58:02.240
quote spirit filled churches.

58:04.020 --> 58:05.140
A forerunner

58:05.140 --> 58:06.140
goes ahead

58:07.120 --> 58:08.740
doesn't just leave everybody in the

58:08.740 --> 58:10.460
dust, but then as a scout

58:10.460 --> 58:12.760
he comes back and he says

58:12.760 --> 58:13.560
it's better.

58:14.420 --> 58:15.520
I've been there.

58:16.300 --> 58:18.560
I've lived it. I'm telling

58:18.560 --> 58:20.520
you, you got to come here.

58:20.820 --> 58:21.820
There is more

58:21.820 --> 58:24.380
for you here. There is food

58:24.380 --> 58:26.600
for you here that you do

58:26.600 --> 58:28.440
not even know of. Who does that sound like?

58:28.500 --> 58:29.300
That sounds like the Lord.

58:30.240 --> 58:31.520
That sounds like Jesus.

58:31.940 --> 58:33.160
They said Lord, did you eat?

58:34.300 --> 58:35.740
I mean all day Lord, did you

58:35.740 --> 58:36.840
eat? He says listen

58:37.340 --> 58:39.060
I have food that you don't even know

58:39.060 --> 58:41.780
of. That's forerunner

58:41.780 --> 58:43.560
talk. I said that's

58:43.560 --> 58:44.460
forerunner talk.

58:46.180 --> 58:47.600
Listen to what the Apostle Paul

58:47.600 --> 58:48.920
writes. Open up your Bibles to 1st

58:48.920 --> 58:50.020
Corinthians chapter 9.

58:51.580 --> 58:53.220
I'm not going to send too much

58:53.220 --> 58:54.940
time on the Apostle Paul's life, but he

58:54.940 --> 58:56.900
is a forerunner. And if you've ever studied

58:56.900 --> 58:58.420
his life or have even read his letters

58:59.820 --> 59:00.860
the Apostle

59:00.860 --> 59:02.440
Paul is and was

59:02.440 --> 59:04.920
a forerunner. Listen to this

59:04.920 --> 59:07.120
starting at verse, let's go verse 24

59:07.120 --> 59:09.100
1st Corinthians 9 verse 24

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He says do you not know that those

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who run in a race

59:14.480 --> 59:16.880
all run, but one

59:16.880 --> 59:18.820
receives the prize. He's talking about

59:18.820 --> 59:19.720
the natural right now.

59:20.400 --> 59:22.840
We have the Olympics coming up, or I

59:22.840 --> 59:25.080
should say they already started, didn't they? They already started.

59:25.620 --> 59:27.080
Many have trained.

59:27.720 --> 59:29.400
Many have put in hours

59:29.400 --> 59:30.660
and they're going to compete.

59:31.100 --> 59:33.040
But there's only one that's going to be a winner.

59:33.440 --> 59:35.180
And do you know what that really means? Do you know

59:35.180 --> 59:37.240
if you really shake it out, let's say

59:37.240 --> 59:38.720
you got five snowboarders.

59:39.040 --> 59:41.300
If you really shake it out, who won?

59:41.860 --> 59:42.860
It is the one

59:42.860 --> 59:45.300
that was willing and paid the cost

59:45.300 --> 59:47.420
when the other four chose

59:47.420 --> 59:49.280
not to. Yet all of them

59:49.280 --> 59:50.700
I said yet all of them

59:50.700 --> 59:52.300
worked hard. I'm sure they did.

59:53.480 --> 59:55.120
But there's only one winner.

59:55.380 --> 59:56.880
And it really boils down to

59:56.880 --> 59:58.880
what type of cost or to what

59:58.880 --> 01:00:00.740
measure of a cost did you actually pay

01:00:00.740 --> 01:00:02.360
to make sure that you get a gold medal.

01:00:02.920 --> 01:00:04.380
So the apostle Paul is

01:00:04.380 --> 01:00:06.480
he's talking more about the natural here. He says

01:00:06.480 --> 01:00:08.220
do you not know that those who run the race

01:00:08.220 --> 01:00:10.660
all run, but one receives the prize.

01:00:11.400 --> 01:00:12.580
Then he says run

01:00:12.580 --> 01:00:14.160
in such a way

01:00:14.160 --> 01:00:16.400
that you may obtain it. So he's

01:00:16.400 --> 01:00:18.440
encouraging us. Run

01:00:18.440 --> 01:00:20.560
that you're the one that gets the prize.

01:00:21.860 --> 01:00:22.880
Let me make

01:00:22.880 --> 01:00:24.160
a spiritual application.

01:00:25.360 --> 01:00:25.900
Run

01:00:26.560 --> 01:00:27.920
to the Lord

01:00:28.420 --> 01:00:30.340
as often as

01:00:30.340 --> 01:00:31.100
you can.

01:00:35.330 --> 01:00:36.730
You may have sinned

01:00:36.730 --> 01:00:37.330
yesterday.

01:00:38.130 --> 01:00:40.090
You may have sinned on Monday

01:00:40.090 --> 01:00:41.930
and you're condemning yourself.

01:00:42.290 --> 01:00:44.150
I told myself I would never do it

01:00:44.150 --> 01:00:46.370
and here I am doing it again. Run to

01:00:46.370 --> 01:00:46.670
him.

01:00:48.030 --> 01:00:49.630
Run to the Lord.

01:00:50.710 --> 01:00:51.430
Run

01:00:51.430 --> 01:00:52.310
to Jesus.

01:00:54.950 --> 01:00:55.670
Let

01:00:55.670 --> 01:00:57.670
him receive the reward

01:00:57.670 --> 01:00:59.730
of his suffering. Run to

01:00:59.730 --> 01:00:59.970
him.

01:01:02.370 --> 01:01:03.670
There's not one

01:01:03.670 --> 01:01:05.590
that spilt his blood, but

01:01:05.590 --> 01:01:06.890
Jesus himself

01:01:06.890 --> 01:01:09.570
that spilt his blood for you to

01:01:09.570 --> 01:01:10.810
run to him regardless

01:01:10.810 --> 01:01:13.770
how many times you've stumbled, sinned

01:01:13.770 --> 01:01:15.050
and falled

01:01:15.050 --> 01:01:15.610
and fallen.

01:01:15.610 --> 01:01:16.590
Amen.

01:01:17.830 --> 01:01:19.790
So the Apostle Paul, he's exhorting.

01:01:19.830 --> 01:01:21.590
He's saying only one gets

01:01:21.590 --> 01:01:23.510
the prize. So he says run

01:01:23.510 --> 01:01:25.170
in such a way

01:01:25.170 --> 01:01:27.550
that you may obtain it. Would you

01:01:27.550 --> 01:01:29.570
be this morning like that

01:01:29.570 --> 01:01:31.590
woman who had the 12 years

01:01:31.590 --> 01:01:33.690
of bleeding? And would you run

01:01:33.690 --> 01:01:35.690
to him this morning and touch

01:01:35.690 --> 01:01:37.310
the edge of his cloak

01:01:37.310 --> 01:01:39.510
and say, my God, unless

01:01:39.510 --> 01:01:41.570
you touch me today, I don't

01:01:41.570 --> 01:01:43.550
want to leave this place. Would you have

01:01:43.550 --> 01:01:45.190
that type of attitude this morning?

01:01:46.830 --> 01:01:47.470
Would

01:01:47.470 --> 01:01:49.370
you be a forerunner and run

01:01:49.370 --> 01:01:51.350
this morning and say, I want

01:01:51.350 --> 01:01:53.050
to be as that woman.

01:01:53.410 --> 01:01:55.650
She ran and she received

01:01:55.650 --> 01:01:57.390
her healing because she

01:01:57.390 --> 01:01:58.870
ran to the Lord.

01:02:01.410 --> 01:02:03.550
She ran to him as

01:02:03.550 --> 01:02:05.450
a forerunner. Nobody else

01:02:05.450 --> 01:02:07.150
even dared. Why?

01:02:07.810 --> 01:02:08.690
Because crowds

01:02:09.510 --> 01:02:11.310
circled the Lord. Crowds

01:02:11.310 --> 01:02:12.730
circled and she said, I don't care.

01:02:13.270 --> 01:02:14.490
I don't care

01:02:14.490 --> 01:02:17.170
as long as I touch. See, that's

01:02:17.170 --> 01:02:18.950
a form of running. As long

01:02:18.950 --> 01:02:20.910
as I touch the edge of

01:02:20.910 --> 01:02:23.150
the Lord's cloak, then I'll be healed.

01:02:24.110 --> 01:02:25.270
Run in such

01:02:25.270 --> 01:02:27.150
a way that nobody else is

01:02:27.150 --> 01:02:29.170
willing to run. Look around.

01:02:29.370 --> 01:02:31.210
Look at your peers. Figure out

01:02:31.210 --> 01:02:33.290
what they're not willing to do and say, Lord,

01:02:33.650 --> 01:02:34.870
I'm willing to do it.

01:02:38.210 --> 01:02:39.450
You're with me this morning.

01:02:39.450 --> 01:02:41.430
Is this still good this morning?

01:02:41.670 --> 01:02:41.790
Yes.

01:02:42.930 --> 01:02:45.230
Verse 25, and everyone

01:02:45.230 --> 01:02:47.050
who competes for the prize

01:02:47.050 --> 01:02:49.790
and everyone who competes

01:02:49.790 --> 01:02:51.310
for the prize is

01:02:51.310 --> 01:02:52.750
temperate in all things.

01:02:53.370 --> 01:02:55.010
Now they do it to obtain a

01:02:55.010 --> 01:02:57.170
perishable crown. Again, the context

01:02:57.170 --> 01:02:59.390
here that the Apostle Paul is talking

01:02:59.390 --> 01:03:00.550
about is the natural.

01:03:01.210 --> 01:03:03.290
He says, so those who race like the Olympics

01:03:03.290 --> 01:03:05.390
cool, you got a gold medal, but listen,

01:03:05.530 --> 01:03:07.070
that gold medal is going to perish

01:03:07.070 --> 01:03:09.290
here on earth. It will perish

01:03:09.290 --> 01:03:11.430
here on earth. Awesome. I'm glad that you obtained it.

01:03:11.710 --> 01:03:12.910
I think Olympics is good.

01:03:13.490 --> 01:03:15.170
I'll say it this way. The Apostle Paul

01:03:15.170 --> 01:03:17.410
says it this way. He says physical

01:03:17.950 --> 01:03:19.050
exercise or physical

01:03:19.050 --> 01:03:21.030
gain is of some value,

01:03:21.150 --> 01:03:22.850
but he says godliness

01:03:22.850 --> 01:03:24.990
is of value for this

01:03:24.990 --> 01:03:26.950
age and for the age to come.

01:03:27.570 --> 01:03:28.970
I have nothing against working

01:03:28.970 --> 01:03:30.990
out. I have nothing against sports.

01:03:31.290 --> 01:03:32.830
I have nothing against competing

01:03:32.830 --> 01:03:35.170
and doing all this stuff. I'm a very competitive

01:03:35.170 --> 01:03:37.410
person. Don't come at me on the basketball

01:03:37.410 --> 01:03:39.310
court, bro. Pastor Igor is gone

01:03:39.310 --> 01:03:41.110
wearing the hoops, bro. I'm not playing with

01:03:41.110 --> 01:03:43.110
you. Ask Alan. Alan will tell

01:03:43.110 --> 01:03:45.350
you. That's right. He's got

01:03:45.350 --> 01:03:46.850
evidence. Listen,

01:03:47.190 --> 01:03:48.530
I'm about that stuff,

01:03:48.730 --> 01:03:51.230
but I never allow that stuff

01:03:51.230 --> 01:03:53.290
to outweigh my godliness

01:03:53.770 --> 01:03:55.210
in God or to live

01:03:55.210 --> 01:03:56.790
or to strive and to live

01:03:56.790 --> 01:03:58.030
a godly life.

01:03:58.690 --> 01:04:01.190
Because that has value in this

01:04:01.190 --> 01:04:03.330
age and

01:04:03.330 --> 01:04:04.230
forever.

01:04:05.090 --> 01:04:07.410
Did you hear me? I said

01:04:07.410 --> 01:04:08.010
forever.

01:04:09.310 --> 01:04:10.870
That means for eternity.

01:04:11.650 --> 01:04:13.310
It'll benefit. It'll be to my

01:04:13.310 --> 01:04:15.410
benefit. If I can sow a seed

01:04:15.410 --> 01:04:17.250
right now and water it and

01:04:17.250 --> 01:04:19.470
water it and water it and water

01:04:19.470 --> 01:04:21.150
it, God will make it grow and it'll

01:04:21.150 --> 01:04:23.290
benefit me now and for the age

01:04:23.290 --> 01:04:23.670
to come.

01:04:25.450 --> 01:04:26.890
Somebody got to say amen to that.

01:04:27.410 --> 01:04:29.210
I said somebody got to say amen to

01:04:29.210 --> 01:04:29.430
that.

01:04:29.430 --> 01:04:29.910
Hallelujah.

01:04:32.530 --> 01:04:33.570
That's right. Thank you,

01:04:33.590 --> 01:04:35.850
Lord. Listen to this, verse

01:04:35.850 --> 01:04:37.410
26. Therefore,

01:04:38.010 --> 01:04:39.150
okay, now he's referring to

01:04:39.150 --> 01:04:41.210
himself. Therefore, I run

01:04:41.210 --> 01:04:43.810
thus, not with uncertainty.

01:04:44.830 --> 01:04:46.090
Thus I fight,

01:04:46.450 --> 01:04:47.730
not as one who beats

01:04:47.730 --> 01:04:49.190
the air. So here, here the

01:04:49.190 --> 01:04:51.330
Apostle Paul, he's given a comparison. He says, listen,

01:04:52.190 --> 01:04:53.450
if I'm not mistaken,

01:04:53.530 --> 01:04:55.230
I think scholars said that the

01:04:55.230 --> 01:04:57.470
Apostle Paul, he did like boxing

01:04:57.470 --> 01:04:59.450
where he was a sportsman or something. I heard that from

01:04:59.450 --> 01:05:01.010
one of the scholars or somebody that mentioned that.

01:05:01.510 --> 01:05:03.370
Don't quote me on it, but just listen

01:05:03.370 --> 01:05:05.470
to me here, okay? Let's go there. Let's

01:05:05.470 --> 01:05:07.330
just say the Apostle Paul was like the Michael

01:05:07.330 --> 01:05:09.250
Jordan of his age, okay?

01:05:10.050 --> 01:05:11.010
He says, listen.

01:05:11.690 --> 01:05:13.510
He says, that's all good stuff, man. Cool beans.

01:05:13.650 --> 01:05:14.730
You can shoot threes all day.

01:05:15.810 --> 01:05:17.290
But I know that what I'm

01:05:17.290 --> 01:05:19.350
aiming for is not just in the natural realm.

01:05:19.470 --> 01:05:21.110
I know that what I'm aiming for as a

01:05:21.110 --> 01:05:23.310
forerunner, I am going somewhere

01:05:23.310 --> 01:05:24.310
and I am running.

01:05:24.950 --> 01:05:26.570
Therefore, I run thus

01:05:26.570 --> 01:05:28.350
not with uncertainty,

01:05:28.610 --> 01:05:30.150
meaning I am certain

01:05:30.150 --> 01:05:32.570
that what I'm doing right now

01:05:32.570 --> 01:05:34.890
in knowing who Jesus is,

01:05:35.210 --> 01:05:36.630
I'm going ahead. I'm

01:05:36.630 --> 01:05:38.450
willing to minister on to him when nobody

01:05:38.450 --> 01:05:40.330
else is willing. That means that two in

01:05:40.330 --> 01:05:42.450
the morning, that means that five p.m.

01:05:42.510 --> 01:05:43.790
That means that I'll miss

01:05:43.790 --> 01:05:46.130
birthday parties. I'll miss events

01:05:46.130 --> 01:05:48.430
if God is asking me be with

01:05:48.430 --> 01:05:50.290
me. That's what he's saying.

01:05:50.430 --> 01:05:51.750
And he says, I am certain

01:05:51.750 --> 01:05:54.170
that if I do that, listen, listen.

01:05:54.830 --> 01:05:55.910
He says, I am certain

01:05:56.630 --> 01:05:58.030
that if I do that

01:05:58.030 --> 01:06:00.090
it'll benefit me, not just

01:06:00.090 --> 01:06:02.330
now, but for the age to come.

01:06:03.630 --> 01:06:04.370
That's what he's saying.

01:06:04.730 --> 01:06:06.730
He says, I run, therefore I run thus

01:06:06.730 --> 01:06:08.930
not with uncertainty, thus

01:06:08.930 --> 01:06:10.270
I fight not as one who

01:06:10.270 --> 01:06:10.970
beats the air.

01:06:12.110 --> 01:06:13.990
So he says, when I'm doing this, I know

01:06:13.990 --> 01:06:15.690
it's not just me for no reason

01:06:15.690 --> 01:06:17.610
swinging my arms and beating my body

01:06:17.610 --> 01:06:19.610
in the shape and disciplining it on

01:06:19.610 --> 01:06:20.930
and so forth. He goes, I know

01:06:21.450 --> 01:06:23.510
that what I'm doing right now, I may

01:06:23.510 --> 01:06:25.150
not see the full benefit of it,

01:06:25.210 --> 01:06:27.410
but in the age to come, I'll see it

01:06:27.410 --> 01:06:27.770
all.

01:06:29.630 --> 01:06:31.730
I will see it all in its fullness.

01:06:34.430 --> 01:06:36.610
Can I share something? This is one

01:06:36.610 --> 01:06:38.250
of the reasons, this is one of the reasons

01:06:38.250 --> 01:06:40.630
why so many few Christians

01:06:41.370 --> 01:06:43.190
engage in a forerunner ministry

01:06:43.190 --> 01:06:44.470
or in a forerunner lifestyle.

01:06:45.410 --> 01:06:46.610
You ready for this?

01:06:47.990 --> 01:06:49.290
Because we have been

01:06:50.770 --> 01:06:51.130
cultured

01:06:51.130 --> 01:06:53.250
of seeing a result now. I want it

01:06:53.250 --> 01:06:55.070
now. Come on. I want it now.

01:06:56.210 --> 01:06:56.990
I want it now.

01:06:58.550 --> 01:06:59.230
Let me get

01:06:59.230 --> 01:07:00.690
let me get real personal with you.

01:07:01.270 --> 01:07:03.170
This year, my wife and I were building a house

01:07:03.170 --> 01:07:05.350
here. And I told my wife

01:07:05.350 --> 01:07:05.590
this

01:07:07.030 --> 01:07:08.690
few months ago. I told her this. I said,

01:07:08.750 --> 01:07:10.930
I would love to

01:07:10.930 --> 01:07:12.530
in the snap of my finger

01:07:13.410 --> 01:07:15.150
and let it be December and we're moved

01:07:15.150 --> 01:07:17.210
in, hallelujah, praise the Lord. I would love

01:07:17.210 --> 01:07:19.050
to do that. Why? Because that's the flesh

01:07:19.050 --> 01:07:19.390
in me.

01:07:21.290 --> 01:07:23.150
That's the flesh in me. We want to see

01:07:23.150 --> 01:07:23.930
results now.

01:07:25.050 --> 01:07:26.310
God, I fasted once.

01:07:27.070 --> 01:07:28.410
God, I prayed once.

01:07:29.370 --> 01:07:30.450
God, it's been three months.

01:07:31.310 --> 01:07:33.210
It's been three years, God. Come on,

01:07:33.450 --> 01:07:34.690
God. What's going on, God?

01:07:34.910 --> 01:07:36.950
We have been cultured in this

01:07:36.950 --> 01:07:38.710
society of results,

01:07:39.070 --> 01:07:40.590
of results, of results.

01:07:40.930 --> 01:07:42.670
And I'm about seeing

01:07:43.210 --> 01:07:43.610
results.

01:07:44.850 --> 01:07:45.870
But here's

01:07:46.210 --> 01:07:47.410
why very few

01:07:47.410 --> 01:07:48.830
engage in

01:07:48.830 --> 01:07:51.030
forerunner ministry or live a

01:07:51.030 --> 01:07:53.270
lifestyle of forerunner ministry is because

01:07:53.270 --> 01:07:55.530
when you live a forerunner

01:07:55.530 --> 01:07:57.470
lifestyle, you won't even see your

01:07:57.470 --> 01:07:58.130
full result

01:07:58.130 --> 01:08:00.250
until in the age to come.

01:08:02.010 --> 01:08:03.610
And we hear

01:08:03.610 --> 01:08:05.190
that and we're like, well, that's not encouraging,

01:08:05.370 --> 01:08:06.830
pastor. Boo-hoo.

01:08:09.680 --> 01:08:10.740
Boo-hoo

01:08:10.740 --> 01:08:12.780
to you, that that's

01:08:12.780 --> 01:08:13.340
not encouraging.

01:08:15.520 --> 01:08:16.920
I am more concerned

01:08:16.920 --> 01:08:18.240
about your, as your pastor,

01:08:18.700 --> 01:08:20.680
I am more concerned about your eternal

01:08:20.680 --> 01:08:22.960
state than I am about your temporary

01:08:22.960 --> 01:08:23.360
state.

01:08:25.320 --> 01:08:26.740
I'm more concerned

01:08:26.740 --> 01:08:28.920
if you're saved, praise God.

01:08:29.140 --> 01:08:30.700
You're saved. Now to you,

01:08:30.800 --> 01:08:33.000
I say, I desire you to mature

01:08:33.000 --> 01:08:34.640
and to lay up your

01:08:34.640 --> 01:08:36.780
treasure in heaven where rust,

01:08:37.020 --> 01:08:38.540
moth, and thief cannot

01:08:38.540 --> 01:08:39.000
steal.

01:08:40.460 --> 01:08:43.360
And if you're not saved, I pray.

01:08:43.760 --> 01:08:44.860
And if you're unsure about your

01:08:44.860 --> 01:08:46.440
salvation, I pray

01:08:46.440 --> 01:08:48.360
that today before service ends,

01:08:48.760 --> 01:08:49.540
you run to Jesus.

01:08:51.540 --> 01:08:52.240
You run to

01:08:52.240 --> 01:08:52.460
him.

01:08:55.980 --> 01:08:57.500
Thus I fight not as one who

01:08:57.500 --> 01:08:59.000
beats the air. Verse 27.

01:08:59.800 --> 01:09:00.860
But I discipline

01:09:00.860 --> 01:09:03.140
my body and bring

01:09:03.140 --> 01:09:04.560
it into submission

01:09:05.900 --> 01:09:06.500
lest

01:09:07.200 --> 01:09:08.980
when I have preached to others,

01:09:08.980 --> 01:09:10.820
I myself should

01:09:11.740 --> 01:09:13.040
become disqualified. Now that's

01:09:13.040 --> 01:09:13.400
scary.

01:09:14.940 --> 01:09:16.220
I said, now that's scary.

01:09:16.940 --> 01:09:18.500
You and I have talked about this before,

01:09:18.600 --> 01:09:20.860
do you remember that? Now that's the fear

01:09:20.860 --> 01:09:21.280
of the Lord.

01:09:25.960 --> 01:09:27.260
You see, I could be up here. Let me

01:09:27.260 --> 01:09:28.940
get real personal with you. Ready for this?

01:09:29.660 --> 01:09:31.240
I could be up here and

01:09:31.240 --> 01:09:32.840
I could be preaching to you what it means

01:09:32.840 --> 01:09:35.040
to be a forerunner. But if I

01:09:35.040 --> 01:09:37.220
myself don't implement this in

01:09:37.220 --> 01:09:37.780
my life,

01:09:38.840 --> 01:09:39.200
if

01:09:40.300 --> 01:09:42.020
I can be disqualified

01:09:42.020 --> 01:09:43.600
though I'm preaching it to you, but

01:09:43.600 --> 01:09:44.900
that's a fear of God on me.

01:09:46.820 --> 01:09:47.880
I can say all the right

01:09:47.880 --> 01:09:49.680
things. I can do all the right things

01:09:49.680 --> 01:09:51.640
in front of your eyes. But if at home,

01:09:51.960 --> 01:09:53.680
if at home, this

01:09:53.680 --> 01:09:55.700
is not who I am. This is not

01:09:55.700 --> 01:09:57.640
how I live. I can be

01:09:57.640 --> 01:09:58.180
disqualified.

01:10:00.740 --> 01:10:01.700
See, you and me

01:10:01.700 --> 01:10:03.560
we're on the same playing field.

01:10:06.320 --> 01:10:07.780
My wife says it this way.

01:10:09.040 --> 01:10:10.380
She says, we oftentimes

01:10:10.380 --> 01:10:12.160
look at men and women of God that are

01:10:12.160 --> 01:10:13.840
pastors and are in leadership positions

01:10:13.840 --> 01:10:15.920
and we think, man, it's so easy for them

01:10:15.920 --> 01:10:17.600
to die to themselves. It's probably

01:10:17.600 --> 01:10:19.120
so easy for them to fast.

01:10:19.540 --> 01:10:21.380
It's probably so easy for them to have

01:10:21.380 --> 01:10:23.160
a prayer closet. Everything's

01:10:23.160 --> 01:10:24.640
probably so easy for them.

01:10:25.380 --> 01:10:27.120
And they make it look so easy.

01:10:27.980 --> 01:10:29.820
Do not our pastors make it look

01:10:29.820 --> 01:10:31.000
easy to be a Christian?

01:10:31.720 --> 01:10:32.340
You know why?

01:10:32.340 --> 01:10:34.380
Because there's a measure of themselves

01:10:34.380 --> 01:10:35.520
that they've already died for.

01:10:36.020 --> 01:10:37.840
But the same things, friends,

01:10:38.120 --> 01:10:39.400
let me just get real personal here.

01:10:39.860 --> 01:10:41.920
I've been living a lifestyle of prayer

01:10:41.920 --> 01:10:44.100
and fasting for 10 years now.

01:10:44.180 --> 01:10:46.120
Can I be truthful with you? Fasting

01:10:46.120 --> 01:10:47.000
is still hard for me.

01:10:48.580 --> 01:10:49.900
I fast, I'm not saying this

01:10:49.900 --> 01:10:51.420
boastfully. I'm just sharing this with you

01:10:51.420 --> 01:10:53.960
as a testimony. I

01:10:53.960 --> 01:10:55.520
fast a minimum of once a week.

01:10:55.820 --> 01:10:57.880
It's just our lifestyle. This is the way that my wife

01:10:57.880 --> 01:10:59.760
and I have lived, have been living

01:10:59.760 --> 01:11:01.560
that we've asked the Lord to live us. Because

01:11:01.560 --> 01:11:03.500
that is a forerunner lifestyle.

01:11:04.780 --> 01:11:06.120
And I've been doing this

01:11:06.120 --> 01:11:07.020
for 10 years.

01:11:07.640 --> 01:11:09.920
And fasting is still hard for me.

01:11:12.360 --> 01:11:13.820
It's still hard. Why?

01:11:14.100 --> 01:11:14.620
Because it's the flesh.

01:11:15.620 --> 01:11:16.880
The flesh don't like it.

01:11:17.840 --> 01:11:19.520
And it's even crazy, you know, like

01:11:20.000 --> 01:11:21.600
you could like wake up in the morning

01:11:21.600 --> 01:11:23.260
and you're just so busy and you haven't eaten.

01:11:23.440 --> 01:11:25.420
And you're not even hungry. But then you wake up

01:11:25.420 --> 01:11:26.980
one morning and you're like, I'm going to fast today.

01:11:26.980 --> 01:11:27.800
All of a sudden,

01:11:29.160 --> 01:11:31.040
you're hungry. You want breakfast. I'm like,

01:11:31.220 --> 01:11:33.100
I don't even eat breakfast. I have a cup of coffee.

01:11:33.220 --> 01:11:35.020
That's my breakfast. But your belly's like, hey, man,

01:11:35.380 --> 01:11:37.200
that cheeseburger over there looks real good, man.

01:11:37.340 --> 01:11:39.080
Woo. That Egg McMuffin

01:11:39.080 --> 01:11:40.820
at McDonald's is going to be real good for you.

01:11:41.000 --> 01:11:42.380
It's like, nah, my friend, we ain't doing that.

01:11:43.860 --> 01:11:44.980
Bring it to sub...

01:11:44.980 --> 01:11:47.160
Bring it into sub... I can't even speak anymore.

01:11:48.380 --> 01:11:49.280
Submission. Thank you.

01:11:49.700 --> 01:11:50.980
I was going to say subjection.

01:11:51.260 --> 01:11:52.280
But submission is better.

01:11:52.280 --> 01:11:52.320
Submission is better.

01:11:54.840 --> 01:11:55.200
Submission is better.

01:11:55.200 --> 01:11:56.740
So the apostle Paul is a forerunner.

01:11:57.180 --> 01:11:59.820
Okay. I'm going to come to a close here pretty soon.

01:12:00.640 --> 01:12:01.300
I didn't...

01:12:01.940 --> 01:12:02.300
Wow.

01:12:04.060 --> 01:12:05.660
I got a few more Sundays, right, pastor?

01:12:08.160 --> 01:12:08.760
Two more.

01:12:10.560 --> 01:12:11.740
Can we meet on Wednesday?

01:12:13.120 --> 01:12:14.400
Can we meet on Wednesday?

01:12:14.500 --> 01:12:15.020
Listen to this.

01:12:15.580 --> 01:12:17.080
I want you to understand something.

01:12:17.200 --> 01:12:18.580
And I just kind of want to quickly reiterate.

01:12:19.860 --> 01:12:20.740
A forerunner.

01:12:21.540 --> 01:12:22.780
Just like the apostle Paul.

01:12:22.860 --> 01:12:24.740
Because the apostle Paul is, he's a forerunner

01:12:24.740 --> 01:12:26.980
and he's writing to us here in 1 Corinthians 9.

01:12:27.520 --> 01:12:29.600
He's saying to compete to run in a way.

01:12:30.080 --> 01:12:31.020
But he's also

01:12:31.680 --> 01:12:32.340
exhorting us.

01:12:32.480 --> 01:12:35.000
He's also doing the scout portion

01:12:35.000 --> 01:12:36.280
of what it means to be a forerunner.

01:12:36.740 --> 01:12:39.160
He says, listen, I've been here.

01:12:39.700 --> 01:12:40.680
I've paid the price.

01:12:41.080 --> 01:12:42.880
I've gone here and I'm willing to pay

01:12:42.880 --> 01:12:43.860
even a greater price.

01:12:43.960 --> 01:12:45.580
But he's not saying deuces.

01:12:45.580 --> 01:12:48.180
See you later, y'all. I'm doing my own thing.

01:12:48.280 --> 01:12:49.300
He's saying, listen,

01:12:50.200 --> 01:12:51.340
discipline your body.

01:12:52.480 --> 01:12:54.300
Bring it into what?

01:12:55.440 --> 01:12:56.000
Submission.

01:12:56.000 --> 01:12:56.200
Submission.

01:12:57.080 --> 01:12:59.900
Die to the desires of your flesh.

01:13:00.020 --> 01:13:01.740
Because he says, I am certain

01:13:02.320 --> 01:13:03.640
that what I'm doing

01:13:03.640 --> 01:13:05.640
is far more beneficial

01:13:05.640 --> 01:13:07.400
not just for this age,

01:13:07.500 --> 01:13:08.980
but for the age to come.

01:13:10.160 --> 01:13:11.720
A forerunner ministry

01:13:11.720 --> 01:13:13.860
is one that goes ahead

01:13:13.860 --> 01:13:15.800
and when they arrive

01:13:15.800 --> 01:13:17.820
at a certain place, they turn around

01:13:17.820 --> 01:13:18.640
and they say, come.

01:13:19.680 --> 01:13:20.880
You got to come with me.

01:13:21.260 --> 01:13:23.640
This is where the portion

01:13:23.640 --> 01:13:25.960
that the pastor shared this morning

01:13:25.960 --> 01:13:27.360
of spiritual adoption.

01:13:27.760 --> 01:13:30.040
This is where that facet comes in so heavy.

01:13:31.000 --> 01:13:32.300
It comes in so heavy.

01:13:32.440 --> 01:13:32.960
Do you know why?

01:13:33.660 --> 01:13:35.120
It's because when you've gone ahead,

01:13:35.640 --> 01:13:37.760
listen to me, when you've gone ahead

01:13:37.760 --> 01:13:39.080
and you turn around

01:13:39.080 --> 01:13:41.320
and you begin to tell people, come

01:13:41.320 --> 01:13:43.340
and they're like, oh, yeah,

01:13:43.380 --> 01:13:45.120
they run and then they're there

01:13:45.120 --> 01:13:46.780
for about a month and then they're back here.

01:13:48.360 --> 01:13:49.460
That's when a majority

01:13:49.460 --> 01:13:52.000
of people that are forerunners,

01:13:52.160 --> 01:13:52.720
that's where they quit.

01:13:53.440 --> 01:13:54.600
I'm done with you.

01:13:55.420 --> 01:13:55.900
Deuces.

01:13:58.140 --> 01:13:59.560
As a forerunner,

01:13:59.640 --> 01:14:00.720
we got to have

01:14:01.400 --> 01:14:03.160
the perseverance of, yes,

01:14:03.300 --> 01:14:04.500
people are going to run to us,

01:14:04.800 --> 01:14:05.840
they're going to run away,

01:14:06.060 --> 01:14:07.960
but this is spiritual adoption.

01:14:08.780 --> 01:14:10.900
This is walking it out with them.

01:14:12.200 --> 01:14:13.860
This is discipleship.

01:14:14.520 --> 01:14:16.080
Do you not think that the Lord,

01:14:16.240 --> 01:14:17.140
I mean the Lord showed

01:14:17.140 --> 01:14:18.220
some of his frustration.

01:14:19.080 --> 01:14:21.400
How long do I got to put up with you?

01:14:22.960 --> 01:14:24.500
That's okay to say that.

01:14:26.240 --> 01:14:27.620
It's okay for us

01:14:27.620 --> 01:14:29.100
to be like, bro,

01:14:29.600 --> 01:14:31.480
listen, I told you,

01:14:31.960 --> 01:14:33.660
but yet you're stepping on the same rake.

01:14:37.180 --> 01:14:38.240
But we want to

01:14:38.240 --> 01:14:39.500
detach ourselves. Ah,

01:14:39.700 --> 01:14:40.800
they're holding me back.

01:14:41.160 --> 01:14:43.560
I know I need to go, God's like, no, they're not holding you back.

01:14:43.920 --> 01:14:44.980
You're holding yourself back.

01:14:48.700 --> 01:14:49.860
That's spiritual adoption.

01:14:50.800 --> 01:14:51.620
Forerunner ministry.

01:14:52.120 --> 01:14:53.660
I go ahead, yet I'm

01:14:53.660 --> 01:14:55.040
willing to be a scout,

01:14:55.480 --> 01:14:57.260
turn around, call people

01:14:57.260 --> 01:14:59.600
with me, and I'll walk it out with them.

01:15:01.420 --> 01:15:02.380
Even if that means

01:15:02.380 --> 01:15:03.400
I got to pick you up

01:15:03.400 --> 01:15:04.660
and I got to carry you.

01:15:05.080 --> 01:15:06.840
I'm willing to do it. And guess what?

01:15:07.140 --> 01:15:07.780
I've done it.

01:15:08.640 --> 01:15:10.360
The reason why I can say it

01:15:10.360 --> 01:15:12.620
with such confidence is I've done it

01:15:12.620 --> 01:15:14.280
for 10 plus years.

01:15:15.080 --> 01:15:16.320
I told you,

01:15:16.700 --> 01:15:18.120
out of a week of seven days,

01:15:18.300 --> 01:15:20.100
a minimum of four

01:15:20.100 --> 01:15:21.720
days out of the week,

01:15:21.960 --> 01:15:23.640
my house was not empty.

01:15:24.100 --> 01:15:25.900
And guess what? Tanya was very

01:15:25.900 --> 01:15:27.500
pregnant. We had a toddler.

01:15:27.920 --> 01:15:29.940
Then we had two. Then she was pregnant

01:15:29.940 --> 01:15:31.760
with James. We did this

01:15:31.760 --> 01:15:33.500
in the midst of having small kids.

01:15:33.720 --> 01:15:35.720
We did this in the midst of having

01:15:35.720 --> 01:15:37.560
a business, a successful business.

01:15:37.780 --> 01:15:39.660
We did this in the midst of a ministry

01:15:39.660 --> 01:15:42.240
being associate pastors at my father's church.

01:15:42.600 --> 01:15:43.460
I was there.

01:15:44.020 --> 01:15:45.960
What excuse do you have? You have it?

01:15:46.040 --> 01:15:47.380
I'd love to hear you say it.

01:15:48.220 --> 01:15:49.080
I've been there.

01:15:49.740 --> 01:15:51.980
That's why I say very few

01:15:51.980 --> 01:15:53.860
are willing to engage

01:15:53.860 --> 01:15:55.420
in this type of lifestyle.

01:15:55.760 --> 01:15:57.220
Because when we hear this,

01:15:57.380 --> 01:15:59.100
all of a sudden our flesh is like,

01:15:59.200 --> 01:16:01.860
no man, I can't do that. Then you're not committed.

01:16:05.720 --> 01:16:06.800
You're not committed then.

01:16:07.360 --> 01:16:09.600
Or you're only wanting to commit yourself

01:16:09.600 --> 01:16:11.560
to just a little bit. That's fine.

01:16:12.760 --> 01:16:13.960
You commit yourself

01:16:13.960 --> 01:16:16.060
to whatever measure. First let me say this.

01:16:16.380 --> 01:16:17.500
You commit yourself

01:16:17.500 --> 01:16:19.580
to whatever measure God

01:16:19.580 --> 01:16:21.020
is asking you to commit yourself.

01:16:21.280 --> 01:16:22.300
Start there.

01:16:23.840 --> 01:16:25.060
Don't do something

01:16:25.060 --> 01:16:26.780
if God ain't asking you to do it.

01:16:27.300 --> 01:16:29.660
You'll hit a ditch quicker than you can say Mississippi.

01:16:35.960 --> 01:16:36.820
Very few

01:16:36.820 --> 01:16:38.940
are willing to engage

01:16:38.940 --> 01:16:40.900
in forerunner ministry. Let me end with this.

01:16:41.080 --> 01:16:42.200
Brian, can I get you on the keys please?

01:16:43.560 --> 01:16:44.760
Let me say it this way

01:16:44.760 --> 01:16:46.940
and then I'll continue this next Sunday.

01:16:48.300 --> 01:16:49.020
I believe

01:16:49.960 --> 01:16:51.100
that's why the pastors

01:16:51.100 --> 01:16:53.720
Pastor Vernon Mary are having me teach on this

01:16:53.720 --> 01:16:55.600
this year. Because I believe

01:16:56.140 --> 01:16:57.420
I believe God

01:16:57.420 --> 01:16:59.160
is actually inviting

01:16:59.160 --> 01:17:01.220
us as a corporate body

01:17:01.220 --> 01:17:03.060
to begin to engage

01:17:03.060 --> 01:17:05.660
in a lifestyle of forerunners.

01:17:06.480 --> 01:17:07.700
Can I say that again?

01:17:09.920 --> 01:17:12.200
I believe God is asking us

01:17:12.200 --> 01:17:13.680
and it's not just an asking

01:17:13.680 --> 01:17:15.780
it's actually an invitation.

01:17:18.120 --> 01:17:20.080
He's actually inviting us.

01:17:20.320 --> 01:17:21.600
He says, I see your hunger.

01:17:22.520 --> 01:17:23.820
I see your desire

01:17:24.280 --> 01:17:25.680
for the things of me.

01:17:26.060 --> 01:17:27.820
And this right here

01:17:27.820 --> 01:17:30.000
is a compliment. This is not

01:17:30.000 --> 01:17:31.720
let me say this. This is not a

01:17:31.720 --> 01:17:32.820
replacement vision.

01:17:33.600 --> 01:17:35.160
We're not removing

01:17:35.160 --> 01:17:37.240
or throwing away the vision

01:17:37.240 --> 01:17:38.740
that God is giving our pastors

01:17:38.740 --> 01:17:40.940
to plant here. This

01:17:40.940 --> 01:17:42.620
is a compliment

01:17:42.620 --> 01:17:44.620
to this body

01:17:44.620 --> 01:17:46.560
to now launch us

01:17:46.560 --> 01:17:48.520
into even deeper things.

01:17:53.960 --> 01:17:55.760
This is not a division.

01:17:56.080 --> 01:17:58.020
Hear me here. This is not a division.

01:17:58.260 --> 01:17:59.780
This is not me and pastor.

01:17:59.980 --> 01:18:01.820
He's going this way and I'm going

01:18:01.820 --> 01:18:03.920
this way. This is us running

01:18:03.920 --> 01:18:05.400
together lane by lane.

01:18:05.620 --> 01:18:07.380
He looks at me. I look at him.

01:18:07.560 --> 01:18:09.700
We bounce things off of each other. This is not

01:18:09.700 --> 01:18:11.520
a division. This is, hey,

01:18:11.560 --> 01:18:13.720
we understand what God is asking

01:18:13.720 --> 01:18:15.220
us and we want to go there.

01:18:15.760 --> 01:18:17.740
Though none come with me

01:18:17.740 --> 01:18:19.580
still I will follow.

01:18:21.020 --> 01:18:22.860
Though none come with me

01:18:22.860 --> 01:18:24.340
still I will follow.

01:18:25.180 --> 01:18:26.260
I've been there.

01:18:27.840 --> 01:18:29.380
Friends, I've been there.

01:18:32.740 --> 01:18:33.820
I've been there.

01:18:34.320 --> 01:18:35.580
When the Lord asked me,

01:18:35.620 --> 01:18:36.600
he said, you got to go.

01:18:37.340 --> 01:18:38.080
I said, God,

01:18:39.120 --> 01:18:40.400
he said, you want more of me?

01:18:40.580 --> 01:18:42.240
Right there. That's the price

01:18:42.240 --> 01:18:43.720
you got to pay. You got to go there, son.

01:18:46.700 --> 01:18:48.040
You got to go there, son.

01:18:48.720 --> 01:18:49.960
You got to do what I'm asking

01:18:49.960 --> 01:18:51.420
you to do. And if you choose

01:18:51.420 --> 01:18:52.980
not to do it, I'll still love you.

01:18:53.120 --> 01:18:54.720
But you're going to miss out

01:18:54.720 --> 01:18:56.880
on the things that I have

01:18:56.880 --> 01:18:57.600
for you.

01:18:59.660 --> 01:19:00.940
Listen, I'm going to say this

01:19:00.940 --> 01:19:02.740
again confidently. Some of you,

01:19:02.920 --> 01:19:05.100
when we begin to implement this in our church,

01:19:05.360 --> 01:19:06.760
some of you are going to be this,

01:19:07.080 --> 01:19:08.620
be on this like butter on bread.

01:19:09.600 --> 01:19:11.120
You're going to be like, I want to do it.

01:19:11.320 --> 01:19:12.580
And if that's you right now,

01:19:12.780 --> 01:19:14.840
I want you to be very careful with how

01:19:14.840 --> 01:19:15.780
quick you're making a decision.

01:19:17.680 --> 01:19:18.980
Be very, be very

01:19:18.980 --> 01:19:20.720
careful with how quick you're making a decision.

01:19:22.260 --> 01:19:22.820
I would

01:19:22.820 --> 01:19:24.860
hate to see you commit yourself

01:19:24.860 --> 01:19:27.300
to this. And then you're saying, that's too much, man.

01:19:28.320 --> 01:19:29.020
I got to

01:19:29.020 --> 01:19:30.580
wake up to work at six in the morning

01:19:30.580 --> 01:19:32.780
and people are at my house till one a.m. on a Sunday.

01:19:33.140 --> 01:19:34.040
I can't do that.

01:19:37.200 --> 01:19:38.640
Though none go with me,

01:19:39.180 --> 01:19:40.180
still I will follow.

01:19:40.860 --> 01:19:42.780
I've been there and I will remain

01:19:42.780 --> 01:19:44.860
there. When God

01:19:44.860 --> 01:19:46.900
called us out, we

01:19:46.900 --> 01:19:47.840
left everything.

01:19:51.340 --> 01:19:52.440
Everything we left.

01:19:53.040 --> 01:19:54.340
What? For the

01:19:54.340 --> 01:19:55.840
sake to know Him. That's it.

01:19:57.280 --> 01:19:58.320
That's why I did

01:19:58.320 --> 01:20:00.060
it. It's because I recognized

01:20:00.060 --> 01:20:01.840
how much He loves me,

01:20:01.980 --> 01:20:04.320
which propelled me into a first

01:20:04.320 --> 01:20:06.000
love like never before

01:20:06.000 --> 01:20:07.840
which caused me to go.

01:20:11.520 --> 01:20:12.400
Though none go with

01:20:12.400 --> 01:20:13.940
me, still I will follow.

01:20:16.680 --> 01:20:18.280
I said, though none go with

01:20:18.280 --> 01:20:19.800
me, still I will follow.

01:20:19.980 --> 01:20:21.660
Even if it's just the four of us.

01:20:21.660 --> 01:20:23.860
And I pray that it's not just the four of us.

01:20:23.980 --> 01:20:25.040
But I will keep going.