Storyboarding - Week 3 (Ordination Sunday)

Is when the the ecclass Sea at the Gathered Church

recognizes the call of ministry on someone's life. It's our

stamp of approval that says we have seen the fruit

of your life and we want to endorse that with

with our complete confidence and covering and partnership in ministry.

And today it's even more special because today we actually

are gonna ordain four amazing people into the ministry. And

it just so happens today that these are gonna be

all women that we're ordaining in the ministry today. So Kathy, Wanda,

Beth Amber, if you guys would come on up to

the stage with me at this time, you know I

will as they give them a hand and as they come,

I want to just share some UH. I want to

share some scripture with you. You know in the UH,

in the Church, in the the Body of Christ, women

in ministry has been a battle that has been fought

for as long as the Church has been in existence.

And I want to address.

Some of that, UH, some of that theology and some

of those scriptures today. I want to start by and

if you have a Bible, you can go there. We're

not going to read UH. We're not I'm not going

to read all those sixteen verses of scripture to you.

But in in in Romans, chapter sixteen, verses one through sixteen,

there's a list of people that that.

That Paul did ministry with while he was in Rome.

And of that list, ten of the people in that

ministry list that that Paul is introducing to ministry, introducing

to the Body of Christ, putting his endorsement. Ten of

those names are women, including Junia Junia, who Paul calls

by by specific title of apostle, others that he called pastor,

and others that he called workers in the church. And

Paul himself put his stamp of approval on the ministry

of women because ministry have a women have a vital

ministry role in the Body of Christ. Now there's also

some other passion. Now y'all listen, y'all, don't worry. I'm

going somewhere, Okay, So I'm gonna read. I'm gonna read

some passages scripture. We're gonna put some contextual Uh. They

don't know what the scriptures that I'm reading faces may

contort because it's those traditional scriptures that the church is

always used to exclude.

Women from ministry.

One album is in First Corinthians, chapter fourteen, starting in

verse twenty nine, that says, let two or three prophets

speak and let others judge.

But if anything is revealed to another who.

Sits by, let the first keep silent, for you can call.

For you can call all prophecy one by one, that

all may learn and all may be encouraged. And the

spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets, for

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace,

as in all the churches of the Saints.

Let your women keep silent in.

Churches, for they're not permitted to speak, but they are

to be submissive, as the law also says. And if

they want to learn something, let them ask their own

husbands at home. Pretty shameful for women to speak in church,

and we've used this for a lot of for a

lot of years to disqualify women for ministry. But literally,

this specific context that is given is given in prophecy.

And see, here's the thing that we miss about prophecy

is that the prophet doesn't just speak, but someone that

is called to the office of prophet, they also judge

prophecy that is spoken and Paul is in the Corinthian Church,

and as a matter of fact, his entire letters to

the Corinthians churches are letters of correction of things that

they're doing wrong. That's the whole letter is about what

they have just completely lost their mind about.

The Corinthian Church because of all of the perversion.

That was happening in that community, was divided into male

and female section. So all of the women sat on

one side, all the men sat on the other side,

and as prophecy was given. The trouble that was happening

is a man would stand up and prophesy, and he

would give a word from the Lord, and then his.

Wife, who lives with him at home, Come on, somebody.

I mean, how many of you know that our wives

know us not on our best days.

Amen.

You know It's like I stand up here sometimes and

I preach by faith and Angel say you was crying

at home in the bed.

Now, I'm just kidding. She don't do that.

You like a little baby crying. Now, that doesn't really happen.

I'm always in faith. And what was happening is because

of this rule of judging the prophets, women were standing up,

wise were standing up and they were rendering that prophecy

involid in the body of believers.

Which was diminishing the headship of the home.

Listen, I'm going to say it again today, like I

have said it many times, the spiritual point of origin

in our lives is not the church.

It's our homes.

Our homes are the place of spiritual revelation and direction.

God has always valued the Christian home and Christian.

Family, and these judgments of prophecy, they were causing a

conflict in the headship of the home. Because it is

clear that God has created men to be the head

of the home.

If we're willing to live in the.

Headship, some men need to stand up today and be

the head of their home. The priest of your home

carry the spiritual mantle, not just the billfold, but the

spiritual mantle of your home. Just because you make the

money doesn't mean you're the head of your home.

It's a spiritual headship.

And Paul is addressing this issue in Prophecy, and in

the First Timothy chapter two, verse eight, it says, I

desire that I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting

up holy hands without wrath and doubting in like manner.

Also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel and propriety

and moderation, not with braided hair, gold or pearls, or

costly clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness

with good works. But a woman learning silence with all submission.

And I do not permit a woman to teach her

to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

For Adam was formed first and then Eve, and Adam

was not deceived, but the woman being deceived fell into transgression.

So it's y'all's fault. We twothies first of all saying

lady's fault. But anyway, but when he ties this back

to Adam and Eve, it's clear that he's talking about

in the home. He's talking about the marriage relationship, that

the man should carry the mantle of headship and authority

in the home. As a matter of fact, this doesn't

address church anywhere in this passage of scripture. This is

talking about our personal ministry outside the four walls of

the church. I believe that women have a place in ministry,

and I believe that women have a place in ministry

because there have been women who have proven their value

to ministry, and people look at their lives and they

see the call of God on their life. And today

we're here to recognize four women who have certainly proven

themselves and we have seen the call of God on

their lives.

Just for.

Just for clarification, I want to I want to tell

you that both Kathy and Miss Wanda have both been

saved and functioning in ministry far beyond the years that

I've been serving and functioning in ministry. Came in far

beyond those years. And I'm sure Beth has also. Ambers

She's still a spring chicken, so she hasn't. But I

will tell you that Beth and Amber actually have education

qualifications that make them better prepared to pastor this church

than my educational qualifications prepare me to pastor this church.

They have dedicated.

Their lives to the Lord, and time after time after

time have proven their sincerity and proven their love for Jesus,

his local church and Cornerstone Tabernacle. So it's with great

honor today that each of you that I have an

opportunity place my stamp of approval on each of you today.

And we're just going to stay in order right here.

But Cathy, if you'll come right here and place your

hands over this bowl. Throughout scripture, oil is representational of

the anointing, and today we're releasing you into the full

anointing of God in your life. It's with our hands

that we serve Him. It's with our mouth that we

praise Him. And I want to anoint your hands for

the work of ministry today.

Father. I pray that as this oh flows over.

Kathy's hands, Father, that you continue to do miracles in

her and through her. In Lord, would this recognition allow

her anointing to deepen into a depth she never thought possible.

Swing wide doors of opportunity as she continues to minister

to the hearts and lives of the people you have

sent her to. In Jesus' name, Amen, it's good for you.

Stay up here, Kathy said, that's good for my hands. Ms.

Beth.

You know I met with Beth and I had no

idea that she had had the.

Education, the men industry education that she had until I

met with her for a team captain position. I've been

impressed watching your life since you've been here, but even

more in that meeting, hearing your heart in a way

that I never have For ministry and also the brokenness

that we all experience through ministry as we move from

glory to glory and place to place and level to level.

And I want you to know that you are valued

here and that there is a place for you right here.

And we thank you for your gifts, your passions, your

talents and Father as we pray. As we pour this,

I pray that you touch Beth from the top of

her head to the bottom of her feet. Lord, that

you reveal yourself to her in ways that you never

have Lord, use her gifts in greater ways than she

could ever imagine, give her favor with people that she

never dreamed she could have favor with.

Lord.

As we place our stamp of approval, I know you

already have and that you will continue to do signs

and wonders and miracles through her.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Swanda, you are one of the most sincere, authentic

people I have ever met in my life. And your

heart for people is unmatched. And I know that it's

not there for any other reason, that the Lord put

it there. And it is your anointing to love people

and care for people in the Kingdom. And I have

waited for a long time to be able to put

my stamp of approval on you as well as let

me just ask you how many of your lives have

been touched by Miss Wanda in some way?

She'll look.

You know, she'll never know how many times that I've

been having a hard day and you just say something

that encourages me and you don't even know it. Because

that's what the anointing does. It makes room for the gift.

And I'm so excited today to be able to ordain

you in the ministry. If you would, Father, as says

this oil flows over Wanda's hands, that you awaken an

even greater and deeper call of ministry into her life. Father,

I pray that you open doors of opportunity. Lord, that

it's not just the validation of today, but life after

life that's been changed. Lord, would speak to her, Father,

I pray that you allow her to do more in

the next year than she's done in all of her

years combined, because of an acceleration of anointing and the

collapsing of time parameters. Lord, I release her in your

anointing to love your people like only she can.

In Jesus' name, Amen, what am I doing?

Thank you can you not play the piano. I'm just kidding.

Listen for some of you, listen. Joy is our thing here,

Laughter is our thing here. This is by no means

diminishing the importance of the day in the moment. And

I love you, and I believe that God sent you

here for a purpose as you came in a tough

season of life. And I saw the anointing in your

life grow as you took head on every challenge that

you faced, and that you lived an example before our

people of one that is filled with the anointing and

the grace of Jesus Christ. And I know, yeah, and

I know that God has so much more for you.

And I want to put our stamp of approval on

you today, not just through music, but through all of

the gifts in your life. If you would, Father, as

we pour this ail over Ambers, Lord, I pray that

you give her revelation. Lord, that you speak to her, Lord,

that you call her to deeper and greater things. Lord,

surround her by those people Lord that can continue to

pour into her.

Father.

I asked that as we put our stamp of approval, Lord,

that people see the miracles, the signs and the wonders

that are done through her ministry and her service. Lord,

we love you and we thank you in Jesus's name. Amen, Amen,

and Amen. I've asked Chase Thomas, one of our board members,

to come and lead you guys in prayer. So if

you would, everybody stretch your hands this way towards these

incredible women of God.

As we go to pray.

I just wanted to highlight something in most of our lives.

Those that are compassionate, those that are gentle, those that

are carrying, those that are the soft, tender love of God.

We can probably attribute that to the women who have

been key players in all of our salvations. I know personally,

for me, it has been the first time I experienced

the love of Jesus was through a ex girlfriend's mother

who had nothing to gain by trying to love on me.

And I literally wrote her and said, why are you

writing me? What's your angle? As she said, is because

Jesus told me to love you. And that was the

first time in my life I had ever heard a Christian,

a true Christian, actually be genuine in their love. The

love from you all to all those that you impact

and influence is so much greater than you understand, and

we are extremely grateful and as a bored as a congregation,

we are extremely humbled that you serve with us and

for us.

So as we pray, please.

Be intentional to genuinely pray, not just raise a hand,

but genuinely intercede that they may be impacting not only

our community but our world for the Gospel. Father, we

thank you so much for this day. God, We thank

you for these women. God, we thank you for the

impact that you are going to continue to have in

their lives and through them, in the lives of those

around us. But Jesus, we pray more than anything, God,

that you would strengthen them, Lord, that you would use

them in mighty and magnificent ways to be able to

draw so many more souls into the Kingdom of God. Lord,

that it's not by might, it's not by strength, but

it's by your spirit and your power that they will

overcome the obstacles in their way. And God, I pray

that we would be humbled and that we would serve

just as they have. Lord, Fill them with your Holy Spirit,

give them strength, give them hope. Got to pray that

you give them eyes to see, give them minds of

understanding and give them hearts of compassion in hands of

healing in Jesus' name.

Amen, ladies, thank you so much for the work, then

the dedication that you have here to our local church.

And I can't wait to see all that God is

going to do through you.

Guys. I love you all very much, and we'll be

getting your certificates. Don't worry that out. We're on my certificate.

Now.

We'll give you something to hang on the refrigerator.

Amen.

Love you guys. Let's give them one more hand. Thank

y'all so much. Take them not. I want to.

I want to continue in our series. Gonna be very

short today, but I want to continue in our series storyboarding,

talking about sharing our story, building our story, putting our

story together. If you have a Bible, go to Hebrews

chapter twelve, Hebrews Chapter twelve. We're going to start reading.

In verse one Hebrews twelve. Verse one, it says, therefore

we also, since we are surrounded by so great a

cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and

the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us

run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Looking under Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,

who for the joy that was set before him, and

Drone of God Father, we thank you for your word.

It's the only change agent on the face of the planet,

and today help us see the reality of who we

are and what you're doing in Jesus' name.

Amen, Jesus the author and the finisher.

He's the writer of the story and the finisher of

the story.

You know, I think that.

A lot of times we get lost in the details

of the story. But the reality is our lives submitted

to God are God's.

Beautiful work of art through us.

That building our story is something that is crafted not

in a moment, but over a lifetime. Realizing that wherever

we are right now, we're not at the end of

the journey. We're just in the journey. That it doesn't

matter if you're two or ninety two. That God is

still very much alive and working in you and through

you and has a plan for you, and he's waiting

on you to step in the totality of what that

plan is and continue to allow him to write that story.

You know, I think that that a lot of times

we we forget the amazing stories that we have right

here in Cornerstone.

But we have some amazing stories. Miss Katie.

Will you stand up back there, sweetheart, for just a second,

Miss Katie, stand up.

I want to introduce you to somebody. This is Katie and.

A few years ago Katie was diagnosed and not given

a very good prognosis. She was diagnosed with leukemia and

she was given, a matter of fact, a poor prognosis.

And she just has gotten.

Another doctor's report that says she is absolutely one hundred

percent cancer free. And not only that, but the doctor

had told him other things through the whole process that

they have now gone back and said, hey, we were

wrong about those things too. She's gonna be able to

have children one day, She's gonna be able to do

all those things. And girl, that is the story that

God has written through your life.

And here's the reality. We think.

That's her testimony. That's just the opening chapter. That's just

the beginning of the story that God is writing through her.

Thank you so much, sweetheart, you could sit down. Heyt

we got Barry sitting back there. He's the loud one,

Amen who cancer healed, gone dealt with those those magnanimous,

those those bigger than life, healings that we celebrate.

And then I see the lives of other people.

I see the lives of those slow progressions come on somebody,

those things that God brings us through, and it seems

like it's a long journey. I think of people like Kayla,

who has come so far that God met her at

a place in her life and in a point of

need where she really just she didn't know which way

was up.

And then the Lord began to work in her life.

And as she stepped into obedience, and then she stepped

into obedience again, and then she stepped into obedience again,

and listen.

I want you to understand the story.

The reason I say she stepped into obedience again is

because there was some times of disobedience. And you're like,

oh my gosh, I can't believe you're saying that about her.

It's okay, she's Cayla. We have we can do this, Amen,

we can do this. I was Kayla's kids Church pastor

when she was just a tiny little thing, and she

didn't listen.

To me back then either.

But I've seen that story that God is building and

writing through her life, and what an incredible story it is.

Becoming and has become. And it's because God is who

he says he is, and He is the author and

the finisher of our faith. And some of you are

in the middle of something right now and you want

to get the pen and you want to start writing.

But let me just encourage you to allow God to

continue to bring you through it and stop asking him

take you out of it, because when you come through it,

you're going to be in a better place than if

he just takes you out of it. You know, I'm

reminded of a of someone that I somewhat I can

relate to, not because of his situation, but because of

the attitude that he had through most of it.

And that's a guy named Job. In Scripture, and in Job.

Chapter one, verse one, this is how Job is described.

It says there was a man in the land of

us whose name was Job, and that man was blameless

and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

In some of your translations, it may say a man

who was perfect in all his ways.

Job.

And then the enemy saw Job and he said, hey,

you know this guy.

You know, the only reason he's the.

Way he is is because you you're protecting him Lord.

And the Lord said, hey, try him.

Try him.

And Job went through this devastating story of loss.

Where everything positive.

In his life fell apart, his children, his wealth, his possessions,

his health, everything taken from him. God surrounded him with

people who didn't have Job's best interest at heart, and

they kept speaking into Job and bringing hurtful, painful things

into Job's life. And it's whose to surround himself with.

This was a man who was.

Blameless and upright, who feared God and shunned evil. Some

people write perfect in all his ways. But through this

incredible story that we read in scripture, this narrative of

this man's life, as he allowed God to continue to

write this story, as he suffered in pain and emotional turmoil.

Every way he could suffer, he suffered. We come to

chapter forty two in the Book of Job, and we

read something here that.

Is life changing. Throughout all of this story, throughout all of.

These struggles, Job was going going through what I call

his vehicle of change, a transformation that for Job took

some seven years. And in Job chapter forty two, verse five,

it says, now, first of all, let me give you

some context here up until this point, Job had been

talking to his friends, and his friends had been talking

to Job, and then Job switches gears and he begins

to have a conversation with God. And when he has

this conversation with God, this is what he says to God.

He says, I've heard of you by the hearing of

my ear. He said, in other words, I've heard these stories,

and these stories shaped my life. I've heard these things,

and these things helped me be who I am. I

heard about you, but I heard about you the way

i've heard other stories.

Is literally what Job was saying.

I heard these things about you the way I've heard

these things about other things.

But but now my eye sees you, he says.

Listen, it's not I don't now.

I don't just hear about you the way I've heard

about these other things.

But now the window of my soul, my eyes.

I have seen you with my eye, and I have

a new level of revelation about who you are. And

because I have a new revelation about who you are.

Now I understand the things that I.

Went through, the things that I'm still struggling with a

little bit. Now I have context. I have some context

around those things. So now it makes a little more sense,

and listen, it doesn't hurt, It still hurts. I want

you to understand that the things you go through that

are the shaping of your story and the building of

your testimony, they still hurt, and they're still painful on

our human level.

I don't want to diminish your pain. I don't want

to diminish your struggle, and neither does the Lord.

Those things are hurtful, but once we have some context

around it, we can see why the struggle was the struggle,

and then we can actually have joy through the struggle

because we understand who God is and we know that

he'll never let us down, that he brought us through,

and when he brought us through, brought us through so

we could impact so many other people, so that we

could bring other people along in the journey and along

for the ride, because we're not meant to do this

thing life alone. We're meant to bring other people in

the journey with us. It's not enough just to climb

the mountain. We have to climb the mountain with other people,

even if it means pulling them behind us with a rope.

Storyboarding is about realizing who God is in the midst

of our hurt and in the midst of our pain,

saying listen, that doesn't define you.

It's temporary, it's not who you are.

Come with me, follow me, draw a little closer, run

a little faster, get a little slower, get a little louder,

get a little quieter. But I'm interacting with you. And

if you'll just listen, and if you'll just come, when

you get on the other side, it's going to be

transformative to you and everybody around you.

And that's the story of job. God was the author

and the finisher of his faith.

Clay, you guys can come and get ready and in

the midst of what you're going through.

Right now, and listen. I can. I can. I don't

even have to.

I don't even have to operate in word of knowledge

to know that some of you are battling health conditions.

Some of you are.

Man, you're you're so worried about your finances that you

don't know what to do.

You're worried about your kids, you're worried about your parents.

You've got stressors on your job, and then you've got

stressors at home.

And listen, let me, let me. I just want to

give you just a little glimpse.

This past week, I have a big walk in freezer

at my house, walking in Fridger went out. All my

meat spoiled. Chase came and got everything running for me.

So it's cold again now. But it's too late. But

he got there too late, and he let everything spoil

before he got there. So now now listen, in the

midst of all that, I walk into my I walk

into my kitchen, and that the freezer door was stuck.

You know, I got one of those you know, fancy

Refriver's got two doors up here, and then it got

the drawer, which is a terrible idea to bend over

to get ice cream. I mean, that's just crazy. So

it wouldn't come open. So I yanked that thing as

far as I could and yank the door all the

way off the front of my freezer. So I had

to buy a new refrigerator. Come on, somebody made a

perfect shot on the deer, couldn't find the deer, and

then just the normal busyness that goes over, like you

know what.

That's just life. It's just life.

I could choose to stress out over that stuff, where

I can just choose to say.

Hey, you know what, life's life.

Life is life and refrigerators that you know what, they

don't affect my story at all, because my story's being

written by the Master.

And if I just keep my eyes.

On him, He's going to lead me to a place

where other people can guide their life by the grace

and the peace that I feel. And he wants the

same thing in your life. And I want to challenge

you that if you're here today, and maybe you were

stirred by these ladies being ordained today, or.

Maybe you were stirred.

Contextualizing what Job went through, the impact that he had

after that story stopped being written.

The rest of his testiny. Maybe you're just here.

You don't know why, but you just feel the Holy

Spirit just kind of tugging at your heart today. I

believe God's calling some people up to a new level today.

I believe God's calling some people out of the mundane,

mediocre ordinary part.

Of life into life and life.

More abundantly an alter team. If you had come.

Again real quick, if you're here today and you just

feel like, hey, God's doing something in me.

I don't know what, but I want to find out.

I'm gonna count to.

Three, and if that's you, I want you to stand

up from where you're sitting. I want you to step out,

and I want you to make your way down to

the front. I believe somebody's gonna get clarification. I believe

God's gonna show somebody a new vision. You dream, and

somebody's gonna have an old dream awakened reignited. So if

you hear today and that's you, and you just feel

the Lord tugging on you in some way, I'm gonna

ask you to step out and come on the count

of three, one, two, three, step out and come right now?

Come on?

Is there anybody I want more? I need more? I

know there's I know there's something else.

I know God's calling me to a higher place, that

there's purpose and destiny like I've never experienced before. I

want to be on the other side where I hadn't

just heard about him with my ears, but I've seen

him with my eyes. Come on, step out and move

right now. The band's gonna sing, and our ushers are

gonna serve you communion and we're gonna come in just

a moment and take communion together.

But let's worship together.

Church