WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Stance_acts29 Publishing Date: 2019-02-24T05:00:44-08:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/stance_acts29/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.120 About three weeks ago we started talking about standing. 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:08.120 How Ephesians 6 talks about stand in the day of evil. 00:00:08.920 --> 00:00:11.460 So that was what we talked about three or four weeks ago. 00:00:11.460 --> 00:00:14.320 Then from standing we moved to 00:00:18.080 --> 00:00:21.520 the sound of marching on the top of the trees 00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:26.080 which is from 2 Samuel and our conclusion was that 00:00:26.080 --> 00:00:28.720 when you stand here on earth, 00:00:28.720 --> 00:00:32.280 you fuel battles in the heavenlies 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:35.320 and that just as God said to David, 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:37.920 when you hear the sound of marching on top of the trees, 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:39.000 then I'll tell you to go forward. 00:00:39.000 --> 00:00:40.240 We talked about that. 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:41.600 And so we talked about standing, 00:00:41.600 --> 00:00:43.560 we talked about the sound of marching 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:45.840 and how standing here on earth fuels battles. 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:48.920 Today we talk about this whole idea of taking a stance. 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:50.360 Taking a stance. 00:00:50.360 --> 00:00:52.040 And if you wanna define stance, 00:00:52.040 --> 00:00:57.040 stance is basically the way in which someone stands. 00:00:58.800 --> 00:01:00.600 It's a deliberate posture. 00:01:00.600 --> 00:01:05.600 The way in which someone stands. 00:01:10.280 --> 00:01:12.560 It's a deliberate posture. 00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:14.480 It's a deliberate posture. 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:20.320 It's a deliberate posture. 00:01:20.320 --> 00:01:23.040 So it's one thing to stand, 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:25.480 but it also matters how you stand. 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:27.980 It matters how you stand. 00:01:27.980 --> 00:01:30.260 And so everyone has stances. 00:01:30.260 --> 00:01:33.440 I don't know if you're old enough to remember Hulk Hogan. 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:37.200 Oh, you remember him? 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:39.200 I mean, Hulk Hogan had this stance. 00:01:40.680 --> 00:01:42.280 Usain Bolt had this stance. 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:44.100 John Travolta had this stance. 00:01:45.000 --> 00:01:47.120 The maple leaves have this stance. 00:01:47.960 --> 00:01:49.400 It just depends, right? 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:54.400 So the point is, different people have different stances 00:01:54.760 --> 00:01:56.560 and the reason you have a stance is 00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:01.440 it begins to show people the kind of stand you're taking. 00:02:01.440 --> 00:02:02.720 It's not enough to stand. 00:02:02.720 --> 00:02:05.680 One must have a posture that begins to betray 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:08.720 the intent of your heart in terms of how you stand. 00:02:10.260 --> 00:02:15.260 And so in the kingdom, our stance must portray three things. 00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:17.060 Portray three things. 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:20.020 One, it's our stance in the kingdom 00:02:21.100 --> 00:02:25.540 must portray our ability to steward things well, 00:02:25.540 --> 00:02:28.500 must portray our ability to advance well, 00:02:28.500 --> 00:02:32.380 and must portray our ability to be fruitful. 00:02:32.380 --> 00:02:34.980 That's the kind of stance that we take here on earth. 00:02:34.980 --> 00:02:37.540 If you are someone who's been transferred 00:02:37.540 --> 00:02:40.860 from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the sun, 00:02:40.860 --> 00:02:43.780 then the stance you take on earth, 00:02:43.820 --> 00:02:45.460 the posture you adopt on earth, 00:02:45.460 --> 00:02:47.300 the readiness that you display 00:02:47.300 --> 00:02:49.180 must display these three things. 00:02:49.180 --> 00:02:51.020 That I am someone who takes a stance 00:02:51.020 --> 00:02:52.980 that lets the world know that I'm here 00:02:52.980 --> 00:02:54.980 to steward things on God's behalf. 00:02:54.980 --> 00:02:57.460 Two, I'm here to advance things on God's behalf. 00:02:57.460 --> 00:03:01.140 Three, I'm supposed to be someone who bears fruit for God. 00:03:02.660 --> 00:03:07.660 And it's a posture that takes us back to Genesis 1, 26 to 28, 00:03:08.860 --> 00:03:11.820 where it says in the Genesis mandate that, 00:03:11.820 --> 00:03:13.780 listen, I want you to steward, 00:03:13.780 --> 00:03:15.820 I want you to advance and subdue, 00:03:15.820 --> 00:03:17.380 and I want you to be fruitful. 00:03:17.380 --> 00:03:20.940 Those were things that were said to Adam right off the bat. 00:03:20.940 --> 00:03:23.460 It's a posture that fulfills the Genesis mandate. 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:28.940 And if there is one thing common to 00:03:28.940 --> 00:03:31.340 what God wants us to do here, 00:03:31.340 --> 00:03:34.240 then it is the ability to be faithful. 00:03:35.700 --> 00:03:37.480 Our stance has to be faithful. 00:03:37.840 --> 00:03:40.320 And faithfulness releases tons of things. 00:03:40.320 --> 00:03:42.440 When faithfulness releases joy, 00:03:42.440 --> 00:03:44.340 faithfulness releases life, 00:03:44.340 --> 00:03:47.440 faithfulness releases trust from God, 00:03:47.440 --> 00:03:50.920 faithfulness releases domain, 00:03:50.920 --> 00:03:55.000 faithfulness releases dominion or rule. 00:03:56.720 --> 00:03:58.800 Faithfulness releases these things. 00:03:58.800 --> 00:04:01.420 Our stance is one that stewards faithfully, 00:04:01.420 --> 00:04:03.800 our stance is one that advances faithfully, 00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:05.920 our stance is one that bears forward 00:04:05.920 --> 00:04:11.760 is one that bears fruit faithfully. And as we go into this further you'll 00:04:11.760 --> 00:04:19.760 realize why this is so critical to our standing here guys. Faithfulness 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:24.460 increases your joy. Matthew 25, 21 says that because you were faithful he says 00:04:24.460 --> 00:04:29.180 to the servant enter into my joy. Faithfulness increases trust. In 1st 00:04:29.180 --> 00:04:34.180 Corinthians 4, 2 it says that one must prove himself faithful and when he does 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:39.060 he wins the trust of God. Faithfulness releases life. Revelation 2, 10 says 00:04:39.060 --> 00:04:42.500 that if you are faithful to the end I will give you the crown of life. 00:04:42.500 --> 00:04:48.500 Faithfulness increases your domain. He says to the servant who traded with five 00:04:48.500 --> 00:04:52.180 minnows and made them ten minnows he says to them listen I'll give you ten cities 00:04:52.180 --> 00:04:55.540 that you are charged over. Faithfulness gives you power over the nations. 00:04:55.540 --> 00:05:00.820 Revelation 2, 26 if you are faithful to the end I will give you power over 00:05:00.820 --> 00:05:05.780 nations. One of the things that this church just thrives at is power over 00:05:05.780 --> 00:05:11.040 nations. Not that we have anything of our own to do but God will give us the 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:16.940 nations. We'll talk about that some more and it applies to everybody here. The 00:05:16.940 --> 00:05:20.980 strange thing about any church is what is given to the church actually belongs 00:05:20.980 --> 00:05:26.860 to its people. So if God says I give you nations then it means that listen if you 00:05:26.860 --> 00:05:31.180 so choose you can have the nations in Vancouver or you can have the nations 00:05:31.180 --> 00:05:34.500 outside Vancouver because this is the inheritance I'm giving you. We'll talk 00:05:34.500 --> 00:05:38.700 about that a little later but the point is guys once we are faithful these are 00:05:38.700 --> 00:05:42.940 the things that are released to us. My faithful stance will release to me joy 00:05:42.940 --> 00:05:48.140 which is strength. My faithful stance will release to me life so that I have 00:05:48.140 --> 00:05:53.440 more time and more vibrance to be faithful. My faithfulness will release to 00:05:53.440 --> 00:05:58.200 me his trust or approval. My faithfulness will release to me domain 00:05:58.200 --> 00:06:02.680 over which I have influence. My faithfulness will release to me dominion 00:06:02.680 --> 00:06:07.240 or the ability to rule and steward things on God's behalf. This is the 00:06:07.240 --> 00:06:11.000 critical importance of faithfulness in my stance and what are we saying our 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.160 stance should be? Our stance should be one that's faithfully stewards, that 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:19.760 faithfully advances, that faithfully bears fruit. Remember these three things 00:06:19.760 --> 00:06:24.960 critical as a Christian there is no question of me not stewarding things 00:06:24.960 --> 00:06:31.320 well. It's expected of me that Jacob you're my son my son Jesus Christ 00:06:31.320 --> 00:06:35.240 stewards things well now I expect you to steward things well. What I placed in 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:39.400 your hand steward it well and it'll give you more faithful stewarding. Second 00:06:39.400 --> 00:06:44.040 faithful advancement there is nothing called a stagnant Christian it is 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:50.280 impossible for a Christian to stand still. He's always advancing. Any 00:06:50.280 --> 00:06:53.280 Christian who's standing still is a Christian who is just on the verge of 00:06:53.280 --> 00:06:58.640 backsliding. You cannot stand still. Stagnation and Christianity don't go 00:06:58.640 --> 00:07:09.920 hand-in-hand and so we cannot use our age, our jobs, our busyness, our physical 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:16.240 financial conditions as an excuse for stagnation. None of them stagnate 00:07:16.240 --> 00:07:23.740 spiritual life. Finally there's a faithfulness in bearing fruit as in 00:07:23.740 --> 00:07:26.720 it's not enough that I'm stewarding things well it's not enough that I'm 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:33.040 advancing in the causes and the desires of God. I must then show evidence by 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:38.080 bearing fruit and it goes back to the Genesis mandate. Any questions on that 00:07:38.080 --> 00:07:48.960 before we go on? It's advancing is to take territory that is not yours yet but 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:54.320 has been given to you. Once you step into that territory in that territory you 00:07:54.320 --> 00:08:00.160 must be fruitful. So in the Genesis mandate God says to Adam listen I want 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:05.160 you to go subdue but after you subdue I want you to replenish the earth 00:08:05.240 --> 00:08:10.280 and be fruitful. It is not enough to take what God has given you. Now that you have 00:08:10.280 --> 00:08:17.240 taken what God has given you it must be fruitful. It must bear the God kind of 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:22.120 fruit and so it all begins with what do you have in your hand right now Moses? 00:08:22.120 --> 00:08:26.480 Or what do you have in your hand right now woman of Zarephath? What do you have 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:31.000 in your hand right now little boy with five loaves of bread and two fish? What 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:35.080 do you have in your hand right now? Show me how you faithfully steward it. We are 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:40.840 always asking for more so that we can show God how well we could do if we had 00:08:40.840 --> 00:08:45.480 more and God is saying what do you have in your hand right now? Show me what you 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:49.800 got in your hand right now and show me how you can steward it well and see what 00:08:49.800 --> 00:08:55.000 I'll do with it. Which is great because then no one's exempt eh? You don't need to 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:59.080 have stuff to show him that you are able. You start with what you have in your 00:08:59.080 --> 00:09:04.120 hand and you might have very little in your hand right now so what? Since when 00:09:04.120 --> 00:09:10.280 did you need ten loaves of bread and four fish? He could have done it with two 00:09:10.280 --> 00:09:14.800 loaves of bread and one fish. It just so happened that the kid's mom was 00:09:14.800 --> 00:09:19.840 generous that afternoon but the whole question is what do you have in your 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:29.280 hand right now? And then with that you begin to advance and once you begin to 00:09:29.760 --> 00:09:35.160 have to show fruit. This is our stance. Standing is one thing you can just stand 00:09:35.160 --> 00:09:40.520 but what kind of posture are you standing in? This must be a posture 24-7. 00:09:40.520 --> 00:09:44.700 With everything this doesn't just apply to spiritual life it applies to every 00:09:44.700 --> 00:09:55.440 area of life. Every area of life and age, busyness, jobs, your lack or your plenty 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:02.400 does not determine this. A guy who has lack can show himself faithful and be 00:10:02.400 --> 00:10:11.640 put in charge of more than a guy who has plenty. Any questions? And guys nobody 00:10:11.640 --> 00:10:16.320 can stop it. Nobody can stop faithfulness. If you're faithful, let's 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:21.320 assume you're faithful and I really don't like you. I'll stop you. I can put a 00:10:21.880 --> 00:10:26.000 block in your path saying Wayne's showing himself faithful. I don't like his glasses. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:30.320 I'm not going to allow him any room in this church. Guess what will happen? 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:33.720 Either God will give him another church to grow in or he'll remove me but 00:10:33.720 --> 00:10:38.240 faithfulness will not be stopped. It is impossible for someone who's faithful 00:10:38.240 --> 00:10:47.320 not to increase. Impossible. Impossible. God will either plant you elsewhere or 00:10:47.480 --> 00:10:53.160 he'll remove the one stopping you. That's how certain this thing called 00:10:53.160 --> 00:10:59.960 faithfulness is. It's a secret to successful Christianity guys. And it's the 00:10:59.960 --> 00:11:03.320 hardest thing to do because faithfulness means consistency in the 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:10.720 things that you're doing when you have very little to start with. Any questions? 00:11:10.760 --> 00:11:21.440 Yep. Any questions? Okay. Guys the opposite of faithful and good is wicked 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:29.320 and slothful. The opposite of faithful and good is wicked and slothful because 00:11:29.320 --> 00:11:35.040 he says well done good and faithful servant but he also says wicked and 00:11:35.040 --> 00:11:43.200 slothful servant. And when you go to Matthew 25 14 to 30 you read that parable 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:49.720 where it talks about that. And here's the thing. Wicked and slothful is someone, 00:11:49.720 --> 00:12:03.240 this really bothered me, wicked and slothful is someone who maintains 00:12:03.520 --> 00:12:17.560 instead of stewarding, who maintains instead of stewarding and preserves 00:12:17.560 --> 00:12:27.880 instead of multiplying and preserves and preserves instead of multiplying or 00:12:28.040 --> 00:12:36.080 gaining. That's what God calls someone who is slothful and wicked. He says one 00:12:36.080 --> 00:12:40.560 who is slothful or wicked maintains. He doesn't steward. He just maintains what's 00:12:40.560 --> 00:12:45.000 been given to him. Who does God call slothful and wicked? He calls the guy who 00:12:45.000 --> 00:12:51.320 took the bag of gold he had and buried it. He maintained it. He didn't transact 00:12:51.320 --> 00:12:55.720 business with it. He just maintained it. And so he calls the one who maintains 00:12:55.800 --> 00:13:01.360 and does not steward it, he calls him slothful and wicked. He calls the one who 00:13:01.360 --> 00:13:06.480 preserves and does not multiply slothful and wicked. Scares you because you think 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:09.920 that if you maintain and preserve that should be good enough but it ain't 00:13:09.920 --> 00:13:17.560 because he wants you to multiply anything that's put in your charge. And 00:13:17.560 --> 00:13:21.640 then he also calls wicked and slothful those who have a wrong image of him. 00:13:21.680 --> 00:13:25.920 Those who have a wrong image of him because he tells a servant you thought I 00:13:25.920 --> 00:13:30.880 was a hard master. You had a completely twisted image of me. Wrong image of him 00:13:30.880 --> 00:13:34.800 and the problem with having a wrong image of God is if you have a wrong image 00:13:34.800 --> 00:13:40.640 of God you have a distorted identity of yourself. You have a distorted identity 00:13:40.640 --> 00:13:44.600 of yourself because if we are made in the image of God and your image of God 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:49.280 is wrong then your identity is distorted. If you're made in the image of God and 00:13:49.320 --> 00:14:02.920 your image of God is wrong then your identity is distorted. So one of the 00:14:02.920 --> 00:14:07.560 things Acts 29 should just take to heart or anyone listening to this forget Acts 00:14:07.560 --> 00:14:14.040 29. One of the things we need to take to heart is that we cannot live life. None 00:14:14.040 --> 00:14:20.640 of us sitting here can live life that preserves or maintains. Our lives must 00:14:20.640 --> 00:14:27.320 show gain multiplication stewardship. And by stewardship all I mean is if he's 00:14:27.320 --> 00:14:31.120 put you in charge of something he expects you to be responsible and he 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:35.320 expects you to transact with it and increase it and distribute it. 00:14:35.320 --> 00:14:39.040 Stewardship takes care of all those things. Being responsible for what you've 00:14:39.040 --> 00:14:44.480 been put in charge with. Being able to multiply it, being able to distribute it. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:49.920 Always for the sake of someone else. Never for your own sake. And so here we 00:14:49.920 --> 00:14:53.880 have one who is wicked and slothful. Let's assume God called me wicked and 00:14:53.880 --> 00:14:57.400 slothful. What he would mean is hey Jacob you've been maintaining things 00:14:57.400 --> 00:15:00.400 that are stewarding it. You've been preserving things into them multiplying 00:15:00.400 --> 00:15:04.000 it. You have a wrong image of me and therefore you have a distorted identity 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:11.960 of yourself. And none of us can say but I'm old I'm this I'm that I don't have 00:15:11.960 --> 00:15:22.560 much. Great start with what you have. Start with what you have. Anybody who 00:15:22.560 --> 00:15:26.560 grows by any other method than faithfulness will one day either 00:15:26.560 --> 00:15:31.200 collapse under its weight or will be found incapable of handling what has 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:35.960 been placed in his hand. Faithfulness is the only way to handle the things that 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:39.080 God places on you because God will always place on your things you can't 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:48.200 handle. Faithfulness is the only way. Any questions? 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:54.800 Because guys in the kingdom of God you can only steward or multiply by giving 00:15:54.800 --> 00:15:59.040 your life away. In the kingdom of God you can only steward or multiply. This was 00:15:59.040 --> 00:16:02.800 the if you thought that was the bad news here's the bad news. The bad news is if 00:16:02.800 --> 00:16:07.360 you want to steward things and multiply things in the kingdom of God you've got 00:16:07.360 --> 00:16:15.000 to give your life away. So it's not just that God is saying hey I want you to 00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.160 steward and multiply. He says but if you want to steward and multiply Jacob it is 00:16:19.160 --> 00:16:26.960 impossible to do that without giving your life away. But if you want to 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:35.400 maintain and preserve ah then you can keep your life. John 12 24 unless a seed 00:16:35.400 --> 00:16:43.040 falls to the ground it cannot bear fruit. Conversely you can maintain and preserve 00:16:43.040 --> 00:16:46.680 by keeping your life but if you want to steward and multiply you have to give 00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:49.600 your life away. And what do we mean by giving your life away? Giving your 00:16:49.600 --> 00:16:52.920 reputation away, giving your finances away, giving your security away, giving 00:16:52.920 --> 00:16:58.120 your pride away, giving all the things that the world asks you to hold on to 00:16:58.120 --> 00:17:02.720 you are now willing to lay down and the moment you decide to lay it down you 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:06.640 find your life multiplying and you find that you don't care much for what you're 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:14.240 laying down. It's odd how this works eh? On one hand you are laying down the most 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:17.200 important things that the world says your life is about you're laying it 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:20.520 down. The more you lay it down the more it multiplies but you couldn't care too 00:17:20.520 --> 00:17:24.920 hoots about the fact that it's multiplying because you're continuously 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:31.760 laying it down. This is the only way forward in Christ. Every other way of 00:17:31.760 --> 00:17:39.800 going forward in Christ is a distortion, is a mixture, is dilution. Challenge me if 00:17:39.800 --> 00:17:45.200 I'm wrong in this if what I'm saying is wrong but there is no other way. My God 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:50.360 how dare we dilute his ways right? If this is the way he walked what choice 00:17:50.360 --> 00:18:10.880 do we have guys? Any questions? Feel free to ask. Yeah like let's assume that I'm 00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:18.080 I've not been faithful but you have placed me in charge because because I 00:18:18.560 --> 00:18:21.920 did you a favor so you placed me in charge of something big and now I 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:26.320 haven't proven my muscle through faithfulness I've earned it because you 00:18:26.320 --> 00:18:30.080 placed it on me and at some point I won't be able to handle this because 00:18:30.080 --> 00:18:35.240 everything in God requires an ability that I don't have and the ability that I 00:18:35.240 --> 00:18:43.200 don't have can only be developed through faithfulness. I mean Joshua had 00:18:43.240 --> 00:18:48.240 absolutely no ability to bring Jericho down but he had one thing faithfulness I 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:52.680 will do what you tell me to I will go around that city seven times I will just 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:58.920 be faithful otherwise he can't bring the city down. David did not have the 00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:02.280 ability to bring Goliath down but he had proven himself faithful with the lion 00:19:02.280 --> 00:19:07.600 and the bear but Goliath was a whole different ballgame but he had to prove 00:19:07.600 --> 00:19:11.520 his faithfulness. He did not have the ability to be a king he was a shepherd 00:19:11.520 --> 00:19:17.440 boy who is singing the wilderness and yet he then had to spend two years 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:21.440 running around from Saul and in the process built his leadership built up 00:19:21.440 --> 00:19:25.760 men built up the mighty 30 had people trust him he took on something he was 00:19:25.760 --> 00:19:31.760 not able to but he proved himself faithful through the desert. Time and 00:19:31.760 --> 00:19:35.200 time again you take anybody in Hebrews chapter 11 or any person in the Bible 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:39.080 that was worth his salt and he always ended up doing something that was beyond 00:19:39.080 --> 00:19:44.320 him but he did it because he proved or she proved herself faithful over a 00:19:44.320 --> 00:19:49.040 period of time and they were old and young they were poor and rich they were 00:19:49.040 --> 00:19:55.240 able and unable. You had 84 year old 85 year old Caleb and you had 80 year old 00:19:55.240 --> 00:20:07.200 Barzilai. You had 120 year old Moses because as we get sorry go ahead no I'm 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:11.200 saying that everybody had to prove themselves faithful for 40 years Moses 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:25.600 had to prove himself faithful 40 years. Any questions? Okay so this then raises 00:20:25.600 --> 00:20:28.520 two questions for us guys and here are the two questions that we need to deal 00:20:28.520 --> 00:20:37.520 with. Remember we said that one we have to steward what we have two we have to 00:20:37.520 --> 00:20:41.520 advance you cannot separate this please remember you cannot separate this there 00:20:41.520 --> 00:20:46.160 is a tendency in good churches to steward things well there is a tendency 00:20:46.160 --> 00:20:52.340 in good churches to advance but what we require is not just stewarding things 00:20:52.340 --> 00:20:56.480 well or advancing it has to be both I must steward what I presently have I 00:20:56.480 --> 00:21:01.120 must advance into what God presently has I must steward what I presently have I 00:21:01.120 --> 00:21:06.360 must advance into what God presently has and when that happens then you're 00:21:06.360 --> 00:21:10.120 fruitful so here are the two questions we need to ask that it raises two 00:21:10.120 --> 00:21:21.400 questions on one hand on one hand what and how am I doing what and how am I 00:21:21.400 --> 00:21:43.040 doing with what with that which I have been given I have to ask this question 00:21:43.040 --> 00:21:47.920 father how am I doing and what am I doing with what you've already given me 00:21:48.520 --> 00:21:52.040 how am I doing with that what and how am I doing with that which you have already 00:21:52.040 --> 00:21:56.560 given me how am I doing with that am I stewarding it properly am I paying it 00:21:56.560 --> 00:22:02.720 enough attention am I nurturing it am I being responsible about it am I actually 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:08.240 pouring my sweat and blood to make sure that it grows am I asking you for how I 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:12.880 must deal with cumin and how much deal with caraway seeds and how I must deal 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:17.440 with different things like Isaiah 28 says am I finding out how things need to 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:22.680 be ground how things need to be separated am I doing that and if I don't 00:22:22.680 --> 00:22:29.800 do that and just look at what God has in the future then it ain't Christianity so 00:22:29.800 --> 00:22:40.720 that's the first question the second question is on the other hand am I 00:22:40.720 --> 00:22:58.320 asking him for my inheritance and what is my inheritance Psalm 28 the nations 00:23:00.200 --> 00:23:07.040 this is not specific to pastors this is specific to every child of God every 00:23:07.040 --> 00:23:13.680 child of God must ask this thing so on one hand father given where I'm at given 00:23:13.680 --> 00:23:20.840 my age given my job given where I'm living what do I presently have how am I 00:23:20.840 --> 00:23:23.800 stewarding that how do you think I'm doing with that and the second thing is 00:23:23.800 --> 00:23:27.880 father what about the inheritance that you want to give me and what is the 00:23:27.880 --> 00:23:31.560 inheritance that you want to give me across this room the inheritance that 00:23:31.560 --> 00:23:35.920 you receive is the same inheritance that your elder brother received nations 00:23:36.800 --> 00:23:42.560 ask of me and I will give you nations as your inheritance some to it why is it 00:23:42.560 --> 00:23:47.280 that we think that that only belongs to a few missionaries pastors speakers and 00:23:47.280 --> 00:23:50.080 not to the rest of us it was given to all of us it was given to our elder 00:23:50.080 --> 00:23:55.120 brother and we are co-heirs with him how we go about it may be different but how 00:23:55.120 --> 00:23:59.120 could you and I ask for anything less it's like King Xerxes stretching out his 00:23:59.120 --> 00:24:03.720 scepter towards Esther and saying to her ask of me half the kingdom she doesn't 00:24:04.680 --> 00:24:08.680 ask for half the kingdom she asked for her people what are we asking for we 00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:13.120 don't want half the kingdom that's a prosperity gospel what we are asking is 00:24:13.120 --> 00:24:17.120 give me people oh god give me the people give me nations it's the same thing I 00:24:17.120 --> 00:24:24.520 elder brother asked for how we go about it we can flesh out but please understand 00:24:24.520 --> 00:24:26.520 that all of us ask for the same thing 00:24:26.520 --> 00:24:31.760 questions 00:24:39.760 --> 00:24:49.760 no questions any disagreements do you think perhaps that asking for the 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:56.480 nations is not your thing it's something less but then you must admit to you that 00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:00.320 you're asking for something less if you are to imitate Christ you have to ask 00:25:00.320 --> 00:25:08.800 what he asked for if you are to imitate Christ you are to ask for what he asked 00:25:08.800 --> 00:25:13.640 for and God says to him at his coronation ask of me and I will give you 00:25:13.640 --> 00:25:18.000 the nations for your inheritance 00:25:19.760 --> 00:25:35.000 absolutely yeah but ask for the nations I'm not talking about going somewhere 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:40.520 we'll come not I can assure you all of us will not go to the nations it's not 00:25:40.520 --> 00:25:43.600 the way God works God doesn't make bricks he makes stones they are 00:25:43.600 --> 00:25:47.520 different so I'm not talking about all of us going off to different nations no 00:25:47.520 --> 00:25:53.040 but ask him for the nations at the end of the day when we talk about nations 00:25:53.040 --> 00:25:57.880 we are talking about the thing we sang in that song 8 billion different what's 00:25:57.880 --> 00:26:06.120 that line 8 billion I can see your heart 8 billion different ways I love that line 00:26:06.120 --> 00:26:12.480 and what's the next line every precious one a child you died to save I can see 00:26:13.040 --> 00:26:20.600 8 billion different ways and these 8 billion are spread across nations and so 00:26:20.600 --> 00:26:24.760 some of us may not go some of us may go but the point is 8 billion different 00:26:24.760 --> 00:26:30.800 ways that his heart has expressed itself must now be gathered in and that is your 00:26:30.800 --> 00:26:35.400 inheritance that is your inheritance we are his portion he's our portion but 00:26:35.400 --> 00:26:39.680 this is our inheritance guys and this is the only thing that the church and 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:43.240 Christians are supposed to aim for everything else is what has been 00:26:43.240 --> 00:26:47.520 brought in over the last few hundred years 00:26:55.360 --> 00:27:01.920 questions okay guys and you'll see this pattern throughout in scripture in 2nd 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:08.280 Corinthians 10 12 Paul will say we will confine ourselves to the sphere of 00:27:08.280 --> 00:27:12.440 service assigned to us so he'll say that in one breath and in the next breath 00:27:12.440 --> 00:27:18.160 he'll say but we plan to expand and go beyond our presence sphere of activity 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:24.240 as your faith grows Matthew 25 15 each one was given according to his 00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:30.280 present ability Matthew 25 verse 21 I will put you in charge of many things 00:27:30.280 --> 00:27:35.120 because you have shown yourself faithful 1st Corinthians 4 2 now it is required 00:27:35.120 --> 00:27:38.880 that those who have been given a trust must prove themselves faithful Joshua 00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:43.200 14 10 give me that hill country where the anach live so that I can go with God 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:47.040 and drive them out the point is each scripture shows that on one hand God is 00:27:47.040 --> 00:27:51.240 saying hey Jacob be faithful in what I've given you stay within the sphere of 00:27:51.240 --> 00:27:54.840 influence that I've presently given you show yourself faithful in that and hey 00:27:54.840 --> 00:27:57.640 Jacob while you're being faithful in that I'm sorry you've been so faithful 00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:04.960 I've got to give you more so advance into greater territory it's like 00:28:05.440 --> 00:28:11.080 two steps at the same time you can't but do this every morning one should get up 00:28:11.080 --> 00:28:14.840 and say father I will be faithful in what you have given me father but what 00:28:14.840 --> 00:28:21.680 have you to add to what you already have given me hear that again this is a daily 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:26.560 cry father I will be faithful in what you have given me father what do you 00:28:26.560 --> 00:28:30.200 want to add to what you have already given me given that I have been faithful 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:43.600 in what you have given me oh my god may age not stop you may age not stop you 00:28:43.600 --> 00:28:48.640 because I'm telling you something faithfulness gives you life I'm talking 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:55.240 about real physical quickening life faithfulness gives you life faithfulness 00:28:55.240 --> 00:29:03.800 gives you joy and if you have life and joy it's a potent combo man 00:29:11.280 --> 00:29:15.840 so evaluate your life over the last two years evaluate your life over the last 00:29:15.840 --> 00:29:23.000 two years 2017 2018 how did you do all these last two years did you preserve 00:29:23.040 --> 00:29:29.240 and maintain life or did you gain and multiply it for the sake of others did 00:29:29.240 --> 00:29:34.640 you preserve and maintain life or did you gain and multiply it did you steward 00:29:34.640 --> 00:29:39.160 it well and if we haven't done well praise God we got an opportunity to 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:48.320 start today did you preserve and maintain life over the last two years or 00:29:49.040 --> 00:29:53.440 did you gain and multiply it for the sake of others 00:29:59.320 --> 00:30:08.720 guys this church God will shut it down if we don't steward in advance he'll 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:16.040 shut it down if this church ever goes into maintenance mode he'll shut it down 00:30:16.080 --> 00:30:20.120 because he's put far too much in this for us to go into maintenance or 00:30:20.120 --> 00:30:25.760 preservation mode he'll shut it down and I would rather that he shut it down 00:30:25.760 --> 00:30:34.920 because we have to both steward and advance and be fruitful and none of us I 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:39.760 exempt from this I love the fact that this applies to all of us none of us are 00:30:39.760 --> 00:30:47.200 exempt you know today or actually day before yesterday Feb 22nd is the day 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:53.600 that acts 29 this church enters into its 14th year we were officially 00:30:53.600 --> 00:30:59.400 recognized as a church on Feb 22nd 2006 we had been around in 2005 to so 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:04.560 whichever way you cut it this is we're at that point in our life where we're 00:31:04.560 --> 00:31:08.800 entering the 14th year and I'm not going I'm not trying to make much out of the 00:31:08.840 --> 00:31:14.200 14th year thingy but the question we need to ask as we go into the 14th year 00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:18.560 of our life is what is our stance what is our stance what is our stance and our 00:31:18.560 --> 00:31:24.720 stance has to have both this and this so let's look at how we need to be going 00:31:24.720 --> 00:31:27.400 into the future 00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:36.680 so here are some things that we can't let go of a what is our stance the first 00:31:36.680 --> 00:31:43.440 stance we have is steward steward faithfully what has been given steward 00:31:43.440 --> 00:31:52.840 faithfully what has been given steward faithfully what has been given and what 00:31:52.840 --> 00:31:55.800 have we been given here are some of the things that we already know that we have 00:31:55.800 --> 00:32:00.380 to hold on to we must live the teachings of Christ and his Apostles live the 00:32:00.380 --> 00:32:09.140 teachings of Christ and his Apostles if you want to figure out what the 00:32:09.140 --> 00:32:14.980 teachings are second Peter 3 verses 1 & 2 will give you an idea where it says go 00:32:14.980 --> 00:32:18.500 back to that with the Holy Prophet said uttered and that Christ had commanded 00:32:18.500 --> 00:32:22.220 and that was given to you through the Apostles basically is the epistles and 00:32:22.220 --> 00:32:27.540 the Gospels and some of the sayings that prophets of old had spoken of that 00:32:27.540 --> 00:32:31.300 pointed towards Christ and what he would build here on earth and what is he 00:32:31.300 --> 00:32:34.540 building here on earth the church the only thing that he's still building here 00:32:34.540 --> 00:32:38.980 on earth is a church so the first thing steward faithfully what has been given 00:32:38.980 --> 00:32:42.300 these are some of the things we have to steward faithfully can never back off 00:32:42.300 --> 00:32:46.940 on this live the teachings of Christ and his Apostles live the teachings of 00:32:46.940 --> 00:32:54.900 Christ and his Apostles to teach the teachings of Christ and his Apostles 00:32:54.900 --> 00:32:59.020 teach the teachings of Christ and his Apostles Christ put it this way teaching 00:32:59.020 --> 00:33:04.580 them to observe everything that I have taught you Matthew 28 so live the 00:33:04.580 --> 00:33:07.820 teachings of Christ and his Apostles teach the teachings of Christ and his 00:33:07.820 --> 00:33:19.580 Apostles why so that we may bear accurate witness in a watching world so 00:33:19.580 --> 00:33:24.460 that we may bear accurate witness these are things guys if we miss out on then 00:33:24.500 --> 00:33:28.500 we've lost what has been gained over the last 13 years so it's my 00:33:28.500 --> 00:33:32.900 responsibility and your responsibility as leaders and parts of this church part 00:33:32.900 --> 00:33:38.260 of part of the sure that we will continuously learn to live effortlessly 00:33:38.260 --> 00:33:44.140 the teachings of Christ openly and we will teach the teachings of Christ 00:33:44.140 --> 00:33:49.580 anywhere and everywhere we go beat one person or 20 people or a hundred people 00:33:50.420 --> 00:33:55.500 people why because we want to cultivate an accurate witness because the world is 00:33:55.500 --> 00:34:11.580 watching three rally your life and your family around the teaching around the 00:34:11.580 --> 00:34:24.980 teaching so that we can participate in this beautiful thing called the church 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:38.140 which is his temple and his family rally your lives around the teaching so we can 00:34:38.180 --> 00:34:46.780 be the church yeah yeah yeah one of the things that's required of us as we go 00:34:46.780 --> 00:34:50.900 forward is not to forget these things that we've established since 2015 that 00:34:50.900 --> 00:34:55.380 we'll rally our lives we'll rally our jobs we'll rally our possessions we'll 00:34:55.380 --> 00:35:03.340 rally our monies we rally as in we bring everything and center it around put the 00:35:03.540 --> 00:35:08.340 focus on the tea on the one thing that we are supposed to become here on earth 00:35:08.340 --> 00:35:12.900 which is the church which is a temple and his family the temple of God and his 00:35:12.900 --> 00:35:18.900 family remember talking about this right for those of us who missed out on it 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:25.060 quick diagram that will bring us back to reality and which will shock us and 00:35:25.540 --> 00:35:36.060 perhaps cause us not to come back here is the usual formula is me and my family 00:35:36.060 --> 00:35:44.660 are at the center we will occasionally serve the church we will use 10% of our 00:35:44.660 --> 00:35:56.340 monies to help God's business we will give some time after our jobs are done 00:35:56.340 --> 00:36:05.140 to the church and we will perhaps leave a sum of our possessions for God me and 00:36:05.140 --> 00:36:11.220 my family at the center we will serve God will give him some time and we serve 00:36:11.220 --> 00:36:14.260 God back so that's one picture that's the usual picture but here's a real 00:36:14.260 --> 00:36:23.300 picture Christ and the church at the center me and my family exists for one 00:36:23.300 --> 00:36:30.220 reason alone to serve Christ and the church all my wealth is at his disposal 00:36:30.220 --> 00:36:39.340 not just 10% my job is a method of causing God to enter the world and the 00:36:39.940 --> 00:36:48.500 world to enter God and my possessions are also available at his disposal this is 00:36:48.500 --> 00:36:54.380 real Christianity this is diluted Christianity in diluted Christianity me 00:36:54.380 --> 00:37:00.460 and my family are at the center and we do serve God and we do give him 10% and 00:37:00.460 --> 00:37:06.540 after our jobs are done we do put in some time and our possessions we do part 00:37:06.580 --> 00:37:10.140 with it every now and then but real Christianity is when Christ and church 00:37:10.140 --> 00:37:14.580 at the center me and family my family exists for one reason alone to serve him 00:37:14.580 --> 00:37:19.560 our wealth exists for one reason alone to serve him our jobs exist for one 00:37:19.560 --> 00:37:23.300 reason alone to serve him and our possessions exist for one reason alone to 00:37:23.300 --> 00:37:34.180 serve him if you don't believe this check out Matthew 10 and Luke 14 I'm 00:37:34.220 --> 00:37:47.260 giving you the good news Jesus spills it out even more aggressively this is 00:37:47.260 --> 00:37:50.260 giving your life away 00:37:53.500 --> 00:38:03.500 this is giving a little to the kingdom 00:38:04.180 --> 00:38:16.420 any questions we've been through this before so I'm assuming you don't have 00:38:16.420 --> 00:38:19.420 any questions you should have asked them two years ago 00:38:19.420 --> 00:38:37.860 ok guys when truths are difficult to handle don't collide with them and fall 00:38:37.860 --> 00:38:42.740 down bend yourself so that you can carry it and let it work its way through 00:38:42.740 --> 00:38:46.740 you sometimes and truth are hard to handle and you collide with it you're 00:38:46.860 --> 00:38:51.180 broken instead of that when truths are difficult to handle just bend a little 00:38:51.180 --> 00:38:55.620 carried on your back work on it and over a period of time let it work into 00:38:55.620 --> 00:38:59.780 you so that you become what it needs you to become if you try to take it on 00:38:59.780 --> 00:39:06.260 straight away it sometimes breaks you can rally your life and your family 00:39:07.260 --> 00:39:27.540 the last one is rally the church around mission rally the church around mission 00:39:27.540 --> 00:39:32.580 we rally our families and our lives around the church and then we rally the 00:39:32.580 --> 00:39:37.580 church around mission and the moment we rally the church around mission it means 00:39:37.580 --> 00:39:41.900 that we begin to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel 00:39:49.540 --> 00:39:53.700 we begin to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel I don't mind going over this at 00:39:53.700 --> 00:39:57.580 least 52 times a year because this is the one thing that church has forgotten 00:39:57.580 --> 00:40:07.260 any questions on this so my responsibility as a pastor is very simple I must encourage us and 00:40:07.260 --> 00:40:13.580 model what it is to live the teachings of Christ and his apostles I must teach the teachings of 00:40:13.580 --> 00:40:20.860 Christ and his apostles and must practice them myself so that we may bear accurate witness in 00:40:20.860 --> 00:40:26.980 the community third I must rally my life and my family's life and encourage you to rally your 00:40:26.980 --> 00:40:31.940 life and your family's life around the teaching so that we can participate in this beautiful thing 00:40:31.940 --> 00:40:35.780 that Christ has made which is called a church which is the temple of God as in where he dwells 00:40:35.780 --> 00:40:41.660 and the family of God where he is father and we are children but it is a profitable family business 00:40:41.660 --> 00:40:48.300 this is not some family business where prophets don't come in like I've said before we have a 00:40:48.300 --> 00:40:56.580 Godfather and he runs a profitable family business and then we rally the church around God's mission 00:40:56.580 --> 00:41:02.180 what's God's mission I've come to restore the world and you are the voice through which I will 00:41:02.180 --> 00:41:07.220 restore it so therefore proclaim and demonstrate the gospel guys I don't mind going over this 00:41:07.220 --> 00:41:11.740 again and again because after having gone over this at least a hundred times we still sometimes 00:41:11.740 --> 00:41:17.860 struggle with this right so it's worth going over again and again any questions on that 00:41:17.860 --> 00:41:31.700 okay now the second part this is what we already have learned so this is what we must nurture we 00:41:31.700 --> 00:41:40.500 must do it it as people come in we must teach them what we are learning but now comes the other part 00:41:40.500 --> 00:41:45.780 what about the inheritance that God has for us what about the inheritance that God has for us 00:41:45.780 --> 00:41:58.020 that's the second part how do we advance how do we advance into what is being given to us and what 00:41:58.020 --> 00:42:08.700 are we being given we are being given the nations so we got a very simple mandate guys everybody here 00:42:08.700 --> 00:42:16.180 has a very simple mandate from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth that's 00:42:16.180 --> 00:42:22.260 your mandate doesn't matter who you are the mandate is common that's the only mandate we have from 00:42:22.260 --> 00:42:26.540 Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and the ends of the earth everything else we do your job your vocation 00:42:26.540 --> 00:42:31.340 your salary your family everything serves a simple mandate from Jerusalem to Judea to the Samaria to 00:42:31.340 --> 00:42:35.140 the ends of the earth there is no other mandate if there is another mandate please raise your hands 00:42:35.140 --> 00:42:44.940 and let me know and if it is biblical I'll wipe this off the board there is really no other mandate 00:42:44.940 --> 00:42:53.020 Acts chapter 1 8 I've sent the Holy Spirit so that you may carry the news from Jerusalem to 00:42:53.020 --> 00:42:59.620 the ends of the earth Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 14 so that my glory may cover the earth as the 00:42:59.620 --> 00:43:05.460 waters cover the seas as for acts 15 verse 15 and 16 rebuild the temple tabernacle of David so 00:43:05.460 --> 00:43:16.100 that the Gentiles may seek my name right to the ends of the earth Matthew 28 20 go preach the gospel 00:43:16.100 --> 00:43:22.900 to all nations at the end of the day this is your mandate whoever you are whatever you do serves this 00:43:22.900 --> 00:43:29.700 purpose it must grab our insides eh I have the advantage of being a pastor so it grabs my 00:43:29.700 --> 00:43:34.980 insides because that seems to be one of the main things I'm doing for you it might be a little 00:43:34.980 --> 00:43:39.540 more difficult to grab grab it just because there are 20 other things that you do besides what I'm 00:43:39.540 --> 00:43:59.340 doing acts 1 8 Psalm 2 8 acts 15 17 Matthew 28 20 acts 1 8 acts 15 17 Psalm 2 8 Matthew 28 20 00:43:59.340 --> 00:44:10.980 so one of the questions that we should ask is what is the apostolic map that has been given to 00:44:10.980 --> 00:44:22.860 this church guys think of this way if you were in Israel and you were one of the tribes and so 00:44:22.860 --> 00:44:28.740 there was this famous Israelite tribe called the Bergmans and another famous Israelite tribe 00:44:28.780 --> 00:44:34.460 called the Callahan's and so when they come into the land God says Callahan's you shall get this 00:44:34.460 --> 00:44:39.340 part of land and then the Callahan's had their clan and so each clan got a certain amount of 00:44:39.340 --> 00:44:42.980 land the same with Bergmans the Bergmans would get a piece of land and they would have to cultivate 00:44:42.980 --> 00:44:49.540 their own little plots in the same way what is the apostolic map that has been given to this church 00:44:49.540 --> 00:44:56.820 because once we have a look at it you can decide which part of the land God wants you to have and 00:44:56.860 --> 00:45:02.060 which part of the land you would desire to have God likes both he likes to give you and he also 00:45:02.060 --> 00:45:09.380 asks you what do you want with Caleb it was Caleb going and asking Moses hey Moses can I have that 00:45:09.380 --> 00:45:14.140 that was not allotted to him but he was asking for that he also got land allotted to him God 00:45:14.140 --> 00:45:20.020 does it two ways Jacob what do you want I'll give you that and Jacob by the way I also have something 00:45:20.020 --> 00:45:30.900 for you you get both you get what you want and you also get what he is giving and if you have an 00:45:30.900 --> 00:45:35.540 idea of what this church has been given then I would suggest to you that you can begin to pick 00:45:35.540 --> 00:45:41.980 look at the map that is before us Ryan you want to go to the next slide guys what's your pick here 00:45:41.980 --> 00:45:48.740 what do you want do you want the households in Vancouver do you want Delta do you want Maple 00:45:48.740 --> 00:45:54.740 Ridge do you want Abu Dhabi or do you want Cardiff do you want India do you want Hong Kong do you 00:45:54.740 --> 00:45:59.420 want New Zealand do you want Sao Paulo do you want South Africa do you want Lithuania do you 00:45:59.420 --> 00:46:05.020 want Hanoi do you want Izmir do you want Tokyo Jodhpur Cairo Naples and New York the ones in 00:46:05.020 --> 00:46:16.220 italics are the ones that are already done so you can't have them the one in white is just to show 00:46:16.220 --> 00:46:20.380 you the countries that are at work in these places the churches we've planted in Vancouver 00:46:20.380 --> 00:46:25.140 in Bahrain in India and UK now service these different cities some of them we haven't gone 00:46:25.140 --> 00:46:29.780 to yet Naples hasn't been gone to Cairo hasn't been gone to Izmir hasn't been going to Lithuania 00:46:29.780 --> 00:46:34.100 hasn't been gone to Hong Kong hasn't been gone to the rest of the place places we've already gone 00:46:34.100 --> 00:46:43.820 to which do you want I mean don't think that this church is capable of doing this revelations 3 8 I 00:46:44.220 --> 00:46:49.220 see that you have little strength but behold I place before you an open door we must worship 00:46:49.220 --> 00:46:55.420 God that he thinks that he can take a bunch of nobodies like you and me and send us into 00:46:55.420 --> 00:46:58.900 these different places because we don't have the resources for it we don't have the manpower for 00:46:58.900 --> 00:47:09.620 it we don't have the smarts for it we don't have the skill for it but we got this great big wonderful 00:47:09.900 --> 00:47:18.140 and he's saying I'm giving you a map what do you want where what would you like from this 00:47:18.140 --> 00:47:27.420 besides the fact that I'm gonna allot stuff to you blows my mind when I write it down I think to 00:47:27.420 --> 00:47:31.260 myself but father we don't have the money for it yeah I know father we don't have the manpower 00:47:31.260 --> 00:47:46.260 for it yeah I know father we don't know what to do that yeah I know what does he want from us 00:47:46.260 --> 00:47:52.260 faithfulness in stewarding faithfulness in advancing and if we do he'll make us fruitful 00:47:52.420 --> 00:48:01.300 some of us may not go to these places there are different ways this can be support I'm 00:48:01.300 --> 00:48:06.740 not talking about finances guys finances are the least of the problem me finances have never 00:48:06.740 --> 00:48:18.060 been the problem in mission any questions before we conclude some of us may have an outward mobile 00:48:18.420 --> 00:48:24.260 where the intent is go to different nations some of us are meant to establish things locally praise 00:48:24.260 --> 00:48:29.860 God that we have both in this church some of us are meant to establish things in the households 00:48:29.860 --> 00:48:33.660 that are in Vancouver in the church that will be starting in Delta in the church that will be 00:48:33.660 --> 00:48:38.140 starting in two weeks in Maple Ridge we have the ability to build things here what about this 00:48:38.140 --> 00:48:44.700 meeting here that we have here at Pilgrim people are needed to locally establish things because 00:48:44.740 --> 00:48:49.220 we have to steward what we already have been given but then there'll be some that have outward 00:48:49.220 --> 00:48:58.540 mobility where some of us will actually go places where at the drop of the hat you have the ability 00:48:58.540 --> 00:49:11.980 to say okay I'm coming money is never the problem I don't mean it I'm not just shrugging it up saying 00:49:11.980 --> 00:49:17.100 money is not the problem I realize everything needs money to run but money has never been the 00:49:17.100 --> 00:49:26.260 problem I pray God that you take time to figure out where you want to go if you have a desire 00:49:26.260 --> 00:49:32.180 to go but once you have desired that you want to go to one of these fields that have been given to 00:49:32.180 --> 00:49:38.500 acts 29 then you need to muscle up and present yourself ready willing and approved muscle up 00:49:38.540 --> 00:49:44.740 and present yourself ready willing and approved it is not enough for me to say I want to go once 00:49:44.740 --> 00:49:54.420 I say I want to go hey there's a reason I don't go hiking with you up the grouse grind I'm not 00:49:54.420 --> 00:50:06.020 ready to do it I don't have the shoes for it and those are the smaller excuses but if I say that 00:50:06.020 --> 00:50:13.060 yes I want to take the top of grouse mountain then I'll have to muscle up I'll have to present 00:50:13.060 --> 00:50:19.540 myself ready willing and approved it's one thing to desire something it's another thing to be 00:50:19.540 --> 00:50:26.860 approved for it because you're ready so here are four categories that I pray God we'll remember 00:50:27.060 --> 00:50:37.620 and one in every church there are people who are able and available this is a rarity in most 00:50:37.620 --> 00:50:44.020 churches they able and available but fortunately in this church I'm surprised at how many are both 00:50:44.020 --> 00:50:56.260 able and available this is usually a rarity the second category is able and unavailable this is 00:50:56.300 --> 00:51:03.220 the most common category in churches and there are valid reasons perhaps but valid reasons aren't 00:51:03.220 --> 00:51:09.260 right reasons they are just valid able and available is one category able and unavailable 00:51:09.260 --> 00:51:15.380 is the second category where you are able you really want to you're able but you're not available 00:51:15.380 --> 00:51:26.300 that's the most common category the third category is unable and available and if you're 00:51:26.300 --> 00:51:33.700 unable when available then it is the responsibility of the leadership to make you ready responsibility 00:51:33.700 --> 00:51:40.540 of the pastor and the leaders to make you able what normally happens in churches where people 00:51:40.540 --> 00:51:45.180 are not able is that pastors just frown at them put them on the side make them do the ushering and 00:51:45.180 --> 00:51:50.060 then move on with guys who are better and that is completely wrong if I'm available and I'm 00:51:50.060 --> 00:51:56.940 unable it is then the leaders responsibility to make me able and then there's the last category 00:51:56.940 --> 00:52:09.300 and the last category is unable and unavailable this is not Christian and if this is someone's 00:52:09.300 --> 00:52:13.780 condition then someone was questioned whether they're Christians because as a Christian you 00:52:13.820 --> 00:52:20.220 can't be unable and unavailable they just don't go with your Christianity these are the four 00:52:20.220 --> 00:52:30.820 categories that we fall into all these three can be worked with this one can't be worked with 00:52:43.780 --> 00:52:54.500 guys in Luke 14 28 when Jesus says count the cost he wasn't really saying count the cost and once 00:52:54.500 --> 00:53:00.460 you decide then you can follow me his intent was to convey that no matter the resources that you 00:53:00.460 --> 00:53:05.580 have and that you may lay down I want you to know that your assets are insufficient to do what I'm 00:53:05.580 --> 00:53:11.340 asking you to do that's more along the lines of what he was saying he wasn't saying Jacob count 00:53:11.340 --> 00:53:14.660 the cost and then decide if you can follow me you're saying count the cost and you'll find out 00:53:14.660 --> 00:53:22.260 that regardless of how much you laid out what you have just ain't enough to follow me and therefore 00:53:22.260 --> 00:53:29.580 alternative action is required and what is that alternative action that of considering everything 00:53:29.580 --> 00:53:37.500 in life of less worth compared to following him I remember saying this long ago live as though 00:53:37.500 --> 00:53:42.900 condemned to death unaffected by the things that the living cr Sor live as though contempt 00:53:42.900 --> 00:53:51.700 to death unaffected by the things that the living crave for live as though condemned to death unaffected 00:53:51.700 --> 00:53:58.700 by the things that the living crave for live as though condemned to death unaffected by the things 00:53:58.700 --> 00:54:08.180 that the living crave for. Where one begins to renounce one's primary allegiance and rearranges 00:54:08.180 --> 00:54:13.500 one's loyalties. That father this is the thing that I was taught to pursue but this is who 00:54:13.500 --> 00:54:24.220 I now pursue. Then this category becomes alive, able and available. I'll stop here. We'll 00:54:24.220 --> 00:54:31.300 conclude with that song which says in the crushing in the what's that song called? Yeah, 00:54:31.300 --> 00:54:38.780 New Wine. New Wine. Yeah. And True Wine. Both are fine. Yeah. So any questions before I ask my last 00:54:38.780 --> 00:54:58.580 question? Any questions? Can you speak a little louder? Yeah. Okay, if you fall into the third 00:54:58.580 --> 00:55:04.180 category then it's my job to make sure that you're made able. If you fall into the second 00:55:04.180 --> 00:55:11.140 category where you're able and unavailable then all you can do is try to take the horse to the 00:55:11.140 --> 00:55:16.740 water, sprinkle salt in the oats and see if it'll feel thirsty at some point. Because if you're 00:55:16.740 --> 00:55:21.220 unavailable there's nothing one can do to make you available. It's a decision that you have to 00:55:21.220 --> 00:55:25.580 make. Guys the only reason we are unavailable for something is one because we are physically 00:55:25.580 --> 00:55:33.140 not capable or two because we have other priorities. I wish there was some other spin I could put on 00:55:33.140 --> 00:55:40.820 this that would make it more palatable. And there's nothing wrong with other priorities. Remember 00:55:40.820 --> 00:55:45.220 we are not talking about going out to different nations. All of us will not go to different 00:55:45.220 --> 00:55:50.340 nations. I'm just saying that one must be available for one simple thing through our jobs, 00:55:50.340 --> 00:55:54.340 through our motherhood, through our work in the kitchen, through our work throwing out the garbage, 00:55:54.340 --> 00:56:00.380 through our work in our lawns, through everything that we do. We have just one mandate that is 00:56:00.380 --> 00:56:06.620 common. Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth. I will live the teachings of Christ 00:56:06.620 --> 00:56:12.860 out. I will proclaim and demonstrate the gospel and I will rally everything in my life to serve 00:56:12.860 --> 00:56:23.740 Christ and the church. If this grabs us then you don't have to go to Timbuktu. And if that grabs 00:56:23.740 --> 00:56:35.580 you, perhaps you are one who should go to Timbuktu. So we're not saying that if you make yourself 00:56:36.220 --> 00:56:40.380 able and available we are going to pack you off to Izmir, though I'd love to send you there rather 00:56:40.380 --> 00:56:47.900 than me go there because I heard it's not a very nice place. But the point is it's not to pack you 00:56:47.900 --> 00:56:53.660 off somewhere. It is to say Jacob this is the only thing I live for. This is the only thing I live 00:56:53.660 --> 00:57:01.340 for. This guy just got a job right? He just got a job in a new country, came and talked about it, 00:57:01.340 --> 00:57:06.460 testified to how good God is. Now that he has testified to how good God is he says father now 00:57:06.460 --> 00:57:10.940 that you've given me this job that seems impossible and I start off at the same place that I left 00:57:10.940 --> 00:57:16.380 and earn more I just want to lay down and let you know that if the wind can go where you send it so 00:57:16.460 --> 00:57:27.660 will I. Count your blessings, renounce them one by one. Not recount them one by one, 00:57:27.660 --> 00:57:34.620 renounce them one by one. This is what is being asked of us guys. I just thrill at the fact 00:57:34.620 --> 00:57:42.460 that we cannot escape this. That's okay Joan. 00:57:50.300 --> 00:57:56.940 Guys any questions please? Ann does it answer you? I mean if you're able and available there's 00:57:57.500 --> 00:58:02.380 let's assume you are the one you're talking about and I know it's not but let's assume for a second 00:58:02.380 --> 00:58:06.860 that you're guilty so you're able and you're unavailable there's nothing I can do about it 00:58:06.860 --> 00:58:12.700 nothing Kamal can do about it we just have to wait till your priorities will shift so that you become 00:58:12.700 --> 00:58:20.300 available and the great thing is we do not have the ability to do this. When I look at that list 00:58:20.300 --> 00:58:25.180 on one hand I can pat myself on the back and say wow what a great church and then on the other hand 00:58:25.180 --> 00:58:29.820 realize immediately that we do not have the ability to do this. We are too small in numbers, 00:58:29.820 --> 00:58:31.820 we don't have the money, we don't have the smarts. 00:58:35.100 --> 00:58:40.860 And then you have to worship saying oh god you are the one who opens doors that nobody can shut, 00:58:40.860 --> 00:58:42.940 you're the one who shuts doors that nobody can open. 00:58:47.500 --> 00:58:52.300 Any thoughts any questions guys? I pray god that it grips your heart man. 00:58:52.300 --> 00:59:08.860 I think anyone who is available and available becomes very evident. You know you have those kids 00:59:08.860 --> 00:59:14.460 in your class they don't know a thing but their hand goes up. All the teachers started laughing 00:59:14.460 --> 00:59:23.020 immediately. Every teacher in this room just because there are these kids who don't know the 00:59:23.020 --> 00:59:28.060 answer but their hands go up immediately. You know there is a willingness they desperately want to be 00:59:28.060 --> 00:59:34.460 available but they're absolutely unavailable. They don't know any they don't know and then it's the 00:59:34.460 --> 00:59:37.420 job of the teacher to help them. 00:59:44.460 --> 00:59:49.020 Like they're just waiting to be out so no need to go outside. 00:59:49.020 --> 00:59:54.380 Then it's your responsibility to support it and encourage them. Guys leaders have a tremendous 00:59:54.380 --> 01:00:00.300 part to play in this where one has to go by not what you see but what you see inside someone 01:00:00.300 --> 01:00:07.100 and extract it and raise them. We're starting the church in Delta on March 31st. 01:00:07.260 --> 01:00:16.460 It's starting the church in Maple Ridge March 14th. I'm going to Hanoi March 17th. 01:00:17.500 --> 01:00:24.460 Going to Lithuania April 2nd. Going to Izmir not me you. 01:00:28.140 --> 01:00:33.740 If you think that this is something god has for you let me know. Just because you let me know 01:00:33.900 --> 01:00:39.340 doesn't mean you'll be going you'll have to muscle up and prove yourself approved. 01:00:41.340 --> 01:00:46.140 But it would be so awesome if some of us went some of us established things at home 01:00:47.180 --> 01:00:53.660 because your mandate is very simple Jerusalem Judea Samaria ends of the earth. Our stance is 01:00:53.660 --> 01:01:00.300 very simple we steward what we have and we keep advancing so that we may be fruitful. 01:01:00.940 --> 01:01:07.820 Yeah cool. Hey do you want to just sing that song and as we sing the song I want you to 01:01:07.820 --> 01:01:12.540 ask this question are you able to rearrange your heart and your head so that 01:01:16.700 --> 01:01:22.220 these things grip you more than your job your security your possessions. 01:01:23.340 --> 01:01:28.220 Can you rearrange your heart and your head your feelings and your thoughts so that what 01:01:29.180 --> 01:01:35.180 grips you is Jerusalem Judea Samaria and the ends of the earth. What grips you is Delta Maple Ridge 01:01:35.180 --> 01:01:42.300 Izmir. Can you rearrange your priorities so that these things that we talked about grips you. 01:01:46.780 --> 01:01:52.620 Can you and I say father for this I live and for this I die. Your purpose your pleasure. 01:01:59.180 --> 01:02:04.620 That you no longer live for yourself you live for Christ and for others. 01:02:17.020 --> 01:02:21.820 The intent is oh God can I proclaim and demonstrate the gospel so that others too 01:02:22.060 --> 01:02:28.860 8 billion others made in your image can get to experience what I presently live. 01:02:30.940 --> 01:02:34.140 I just start singing guys because I won't stop talking.