Imitate Part 2 - Spiritual Fathers & Sons

Would you stand with me as we read the first passage of

Scripture again? We do this and I won't do it

every time, but you know, just here at the at the beginning,

just to remind everyone why we do this.

This is not a religious tradition we are established in.

This is an honor of the reading of the Word of God for Ezra,

Ezra, Ezra. When he pulled out the word and

began to minister it to the nation of Israel who had been in

captivity for 70 years, they had recognized their rebellion

against God were God's word was absence from God's Word.

And when the reading of God's word took place, they stood

while he read. We know that the Bible says that

in the beginning was the Word in the Word was with God, the Word

was God. And we know that John 114, it

says in the Word became flesh, which means then Jesus Christ is

the Word. And would we not honor our King?

And you know, when I was in the service, they did a thing called

attention to orders. And so, you know, even though

the commanding officer or whoever spoke this, it could

have been the governor for that matter, because I was in the

Florida National Guard, could have issued orders to our unit.

And so they would read on the on behalf of that person's name.

And even though they weren't present, we were at attention to

hear what we are being commanded to do.

And do you understand? So we are exercising this by

saying we honor the King who sits at the throne of God, who

is the Lord of our lives. And Lord is not a religious word

that means supreme and authority.

And so Jesus is Lord, Amen. And so we do it just for the

first passage, then you do not have to do it for every time, or

you would stand the whole service, Amen.

And that would not cause me to preach shorter just 'cause

you're standing. So for your benefit, we allow

you to sit down, Amen. In First Corinthians Chapter 11,

1 Corinthians 11 · chapter mention

verse one and two, it says this be imitators of me just as I

also am of Christ. Now I praise you because you

Remember Me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions

just as I delivered them to you. You can be seated.

Now Paul, we use this scripture last week when we were talking

about spiritual fathers that Paul was having a conversation

with his church concerning you. You you have many tutors, but

you do not have many fathers. And so we qualified who actually

can be a spiritual father. Not everyone can be a spiritual

father. And this is one of those

statements that is thrown around within the church so casually,

yet we do not have discernment of what it really means.

And so we took the time to dissect that last week.

And one thing we concluded at the end is that ultimately Paul

is saying, if I am the one who planted you as a congregation,

I'm the one who's labored the most to see Christ formed in

you. And I'm the one that is saying

I'm following Christ, follow me, imitate my example.

And so he says here to the Corinthian church that once

again, my life is to to, to live in such a way that you imitate

me. And I'm going to tell you that

is a powerful statement that Paul would say.

I believe by faith that I can walk with the Lord so well that

you could imitate my life. You know, there's a lot of

people today that do not want to put themselves out like that.

Can we make mistakes? Absolutely.

But you understand, Paul lived at such a level that any mistake

that he's made is is. So what's the word I want to

use? It's not often right.

One of his mistakes was this, he said I did not bring collect an

offering from you. I worked outside of you.

You know, I did this so that you know, you wouldn't, you know,

say certain things about me concerning finance.

He later on said, forgive me of this wrong because there was a

spiritual principle of sowing and reaping that he in essence

was saying do not sow to me. And he recognized that that

principle was more important than the persecution that's

going to show up from some people when they will say, well,

he's only there for an offering. Because you understand that is

the testimony of a lot of people about churches today.

And are there churches that are just trying to get your money?

Absolutely. But not every church is trying

to do that, nor every minister. You know, just cause one person

doesn't do it right does not mean not everyone's doing it

right. Amen.

Hallelujah. And so, you know, has anyone

encountered a bad employer? Well, we do not quit working

because, you know, well, I have this.

You'll change. John.

I left that one because they were no good.

Well, don't think there's not going to be some bad people over

here, but you don't you don't quit pursuing certain things

just because you had one bad experience are multiple ones for

that matter. In fact, I would say with the

body of Christ, you know, you may run across some things less

because there is a remnant. Not everyone is aspiring to

spiritual maturity and in our and in our society, meaning the

Western society, the majority of us only hear about Jesus in the

perspective of where will I go when I die?

And that's the extent of the relationship is I just want to

know where I'm going to go when I die instead of hearing Lord,

how do I live for you today? I'm serving you right now and

you know when I die takes care of it because you're my Lord and

you're my Lord today, not only in heaven.

So receiving Jesus was not about where you go when you die.

Receiving Jesus was about becoming someone now, and

walking into that, Paul was so confident that you could imitate

me because I am going to imitate Christ.

Which tells us something about spiritual fathers is they really

walk in the fear of the Lord. They're so concerned about doing

something that would not please the Father and so they're very

careful with their life. However, you know, we spent time

talking about that. We're going to talk about the

sons today. And so I find it interesting

because I did not use verse two last time that he goes on and

says, I praise you talking to the church, which are his

children, the one he planted in Corinth.

He says, because you Remember Me and everything he goes on to

say, you hold firmly to the tradition.

Now Paul is obviously not saying traditions like we talk about

traditions with Jesus. Jesus said this about religious

leader. He said, why do you forsake the

commandments of God for the sake of your traditions?

So when Paul's saying traditions here, he is saying the tradition

of you following closely the word of God.

This is the tradition he's establishing is that you're

going to follow God, you're going to follow his words,

you're going to live the behavior, the culture, the

again, behavior of the Kingdom of God.

Our tradition is that we are fully submitted to the to the

king of glory. So that's what Paul's saying.

He's not replacing the word of God with a tradition.

He has modeled a lifestyle in front of them that they can say,

I can do this. I'll use Pastor Mike as an

example. As you know, Pastor Mike is

extremely disciplined in his health.

And so, you know, he can model a tradition for you how to be

healthy. He can model it in how you eat.

He can model it in how you go to the gym.

He can model it in muscle growth and grow muscles again what he

you may not look like him, but you can model the tradition of

the truths concerning physical well-being and you would have a

result yourself. Now that's just in the natural,

how much more Paul was saying, listen, I have a habit by which

I am seeking first the Kingdom of God.

And if you watch me and model it, you can grow like I grew.

And this is really important. You know, sometimes I wish we

would do a reality TV and it wouldn't be a goofy one.

It'd be a real one of how we actually deal with stuff because

we're not different here than we are everywhere.

We want you to follow the example.

So again, sons be remember, it's really important.

They remember what they're being taught and they want to model

the spiritual Father. Now, when I say this, let's say

it in its very clear form. So you understand, even though

we're going to use humans on the earth that walk as spiritual

fathers, none of them are replacing the Heavenly Father.

In fact, a true spiritual father will have you following only the

Heavenly Father. Even though you're following

that person and the way they live life, you're only doing it

because they're modeling how to actually do do it with the

Father. And when that person's actually

not around your, that example has allowed you to stay closely

connected to your heavenly Father in heaven.

Because when I say spiritual sons, we are all spiritual

children of the Father in heaven, Amen.

But let me tell you this, they're identifiable what they

look like. You can't just claim sonship

unless you model sonship. All right?

Now why do I say that? Look at what it says in Hebrews

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12. And I read this only in

excerpts. Last time I think I started

maybe in verse nine. It was verse 9.

I think I went 9:00 to 11:00 or 9:00 to 9:00 and 10:00.

But we're going to start in verse 5 and it says this.

And you have forgotten the exhortation, which is addressed

to you as what? Now?

This is exhortation. Are you ready, my son?

Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor

faint when you are reproved by him.

What is that? Is exhortation.

OK, everybody, smile me help you.

This means, you know, because this happens to me sometimes.

You know, I say, hey, I need to meet with you.

Oh, I feel like I'm in trouble. Why?

And even if you were in a place that I need to reprove you, you

should see that as exhortation. I mean, he literally says, have

you forgotten the exhortation? Now, nobody sees exhortation as

negative. Oh, they're exhorting me.

You know, they're, they're helping me.

Oh, they're lifting me up. You know what?

When discipline and reproof comes, it's lifting you up.

It's actually not putting you down.

It's lifting you up. Why?

Because discipline and reproof is coming because you're already

somewhere that we're trying to get you out of.

It's not to push you down more because if I if my correctional

reproof is pushing you down more, well then I'm in error.

But pointing out issues and then communicating A pathway to come

out is actually an exhortation or lifting up out Say Amen

anyway. So I need all my mature ones to

connect with me right now in service.

Please do so for those whom the Lord what for those who the Lord

he, what does he do? He does not let you do whatever

you want to do in His house. Now in the world you can do

whatever you want to do, but you will be accountable to whatever

you do. And the Lord is the standard.

See, when you get into His house, when you willfully submit

to Jesus as Lord, when you say Lord, I was lost, dead without

you. I want to be in a relationship

with you. I want you to be Lord of my life

saved me from this life of sin, this place that would keep me

separated. Listen, receiving Jesus not

about staying out of hell. That's not the intent.

I don't want to go to hell. Well, who wants to go to hell?

It's about relationship. Why would someone say, well, I'm

going to hell? It's because they do not want

the relationship with God because you cannot have a father

without relationship. And there are many absentee

fathers in our nation in the natural.

There are those that have divorced and never followed up

and they're like, I don't even have, you know, someone helped

you be in the earth. And many of them, even though

they've never been around, still want their approval in the

natural. How much more a Heavenly Father

that's never been absent. Just 'cause you don't see him

doesn't mean he's not around. Always, always and man, He's

doing everything he can to get you into his family.

Do you understand? Jesus said this just so we can

qualify because in God's original intent, God made man in

his image according to his likeness.

Romans or Genesis 126. However, when Adam ate the

fruit, he was no longer of the nature of God and he produced

after his own kind of which Jesus said to the religious

people, You are of your father the devil.

He didn't say we're all God's loving people.

He did not. He did not qualify everyone as

God's loving people. What he qualified is your

daddy's the devil, but you can have a new dad.

You can have the original dad. In order to have the original

dad, you must be born again. So again, when we say God is

everywhere, he is, but not everyone's in his family.

In fact, right now on the planet more not in his family that are

in his family. So presently speaking on planet

Earth, the father has less children here than the devil

does. OK, So Jesus, when you come into

the family, he's saying now you cannot live like you want to

live. There's a standard in the house.

And here's the thing, I've made you so you can meet the

standard. And this is not earned because

you're in the house. By the grace of God, through

faith and the finished work of Jesus, He gave you the Spirit

you could have never acquired on your own.

You become a new creature in Christ.

But once you become a new creature in Christ, then he puts

the Holy Ghost on the inside of you.

It bears witness with your spirit.

You are a child of God. Then the Holy Ghost says, now we

go get your mind to act like a child of the King.

It's time to turn it all around. And there's no excuse for you

because I have given you the best tutor ever, the greatest

instructor. I have given you the one who

knows the Kingdom inside and out and how the Kingdom functions.

And we're going to change your whole life.

But you have to yield and submit.

You cannot be a defiant child of God.

And Dad, be OK. Well, they're just acting out.

I mean, in the Kingdom of God, there is no terrible twos.

I've been born again for two years.

God's not letting you get away with that stuff.

He is going to discipline you. Why 'cause he, love does not

allow you to do whatever you want to do.

Love does not allow you to do whatever you want to do.

Love disciplines and discipline is set to a standard.

A standard he sets, not us. Same in anyway for whom the

Father loves, He disciplines, and he scourges every son whom

he receives. Well, how does he receive you?

Because you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and

rose from the grave, and you've met you call him Lord of your

life. It is for discipline that you

endure. God deals with you as sons.

For what son is there whom his Father does not discipline?

So it would be a wrong idea to think the Heavenly Father is

hands off. Well, I don't care how they do.

As long as they've asked Jesus in their heart, I don't really

care. That's not scriptural.

That's not how our Heavenly Father is.

Just make sure they ask you to come in their heart and save

you. So when they die, they come see

me. That's all that really matters.

I don't care how they live down there.

They couldn't do anything to earn what I'm about to give them

anyway, and they sure can't live it afterwards.

Don't say that. He's like, they couldn't earn

it. So you're, you're, you've done

the work. Now once they receive you, now

the real fun begins because the ability to conquer and overcome,

they're my child now. They are a totally different

species of being. They're not of this world

anymore. Just like son, you're not of

this world, all right. And it says it's for this we

endure because of discipline. Look at verse 8.

But if you are without discipline, of which all have

become partakers, then you are illegitimate children, not sons,

Sayla. I mean stop and think on these

things. So that means if we are thinking

as a child of God that I should never hear anything that would

correct me, then really what you're saying is I'm

illegitimate. If you want to be in the

congregations that only tell you how awesome you are and will can

never give a word of correction or reproof or rebuke, then

you're qualifying yourself as illegitimate.

OK, Hallelujah. I hear Port St.

Joe shouting loud right now, louder than Saint Augustine.

Thank you, poor Saint Joe, for screaming right now.

Thank you for that. Thank you for that joy of God

that you want to be sons and not illegitimate children.

Amen. I mean, I want the Lord to say,

So what are you doing? What's that?

That's not your nature. That's not how we act.

That's not how we function. Hold on for a minute.

I didn't tell you to go there. I didn't ask you to do that.

You're with me now. I'm life.

Come stay with me. You don't have to do this on

your own. My paths are the best paths.

My yoke is easy. My burden is light.

Are you hearing me OK? So he goes on and says,

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers, we talked about this

last week, who disciplines us. We respect them.

Shall we not much rather be subject to the fathers of

spirits and live, for they discipline us for a short time

as seen best of them. But He disciplines us for our

good, so that we may share his what?

So who's defining what's holy? He is, He defines it.

I do not define it. I have no opinion in the matter.

I always go to my father. What is the thing we're supposed

to do? He said all discipline for a

moment seems to not be joyful. And sure, when you find out that

you just acted away that the Lord's like, yeah, you could

have done better than that. Yeah, I didn't really want that.

Yeah, you're going to have to ask him to forgive you.

That doesn't seem joyful, say, but yet those who have been

trained in it afterwards, it yields the peaceful fruit of

righteousness. Well, who's righteous?

He is. Who sets the standard of what's

right? He does because He is

righteousness. Hallelujah.

And so He disciplines us. And again, why is it that we

think, and many of us, we know what we came out of?

Come on, can I get an Amen? We know what we came out of, and

yet the minute we ask, she's in a heart we like.

We've arrived and he cannot tell us anything else, that he

wouldn't find anything else. We need to adjust, correct,

navigate, give us something different.

It's his responsibility as a father to help navigate us

because his words are to give us life and keep us from harm.

That's what they are now Pastor Mike use this and and when he

was talking about healing in in the realm of obedience and he

was communicating, you know that when you tell a child not to

touching a stove, there's a reason behind that.

But you understand, if I was a father, say I don't care what my

kids do. I don't train them how to handle

knives. I don't train them about the

stove enough. I mean, I would be considered an

abusive parent. That's good.

Well, they'll figure it out on their own.

They cut themselves one too many times.

They'll know. Don't touch the knife there.

Don't run with it. I mean, who does this?

No one does this that has any sanity, right?

The devil does stuff like this, but our father does not do it.

So we have to understand. Our father's like, don't touch

that. It's hot.

Are you trying to control my life?

No. I'm trying to keep you from

harm. This is not control, I'm just

giving you life and if you submit to me, you'll walk in

pathway of right. Because guess what?

He's never been wrong, He's never been unjust, He's never

sinned, He is righteous. Can I get an Amen?

So you understand then in if natural dads and our Heavenly

Father, then obviously spiritual fathers are going to be making

corrections with their children, which means as as long as we are

around each other, there's going to come someday that I'm going

to say we're going to have to switch that up.

And if you get offended at that, then what you're saying is

you're illegitimate to the relationship we're in.

Because when I'm asking to adjust is what he's asking you

to adjust. What does the Bible say?

Yeah, But this is how I feel, Pastor.

You know, Apostle, this is what was going on in my life.

Elliott, can I share a little bit?

You know, very minor. Elliott was going through a

particular season in his life, and he was a little bit

emotional and. And there was a particular

occasion where I was addressing him, and it was loud between us

both because he was intense. He was telling his brothers and

they were laughing about it. And he was laughing about the

situation with someone that he was going through this emotional

moment with. And now they're all laughing

about it because he realized, you know, he was helping me

through this time when I was just being emotional.

But that was a season for offense because he felt

justified for his feelings. However, when you line those

feelings up to the word, it says, quit feeling that way and

do this instead. And thank God Elliott does that.

Isn't that amazing? So what's important about that

is that all of us may have had conversations.

Amen. And again, sometimes you may

leave and say, hey, they're they're my daddy.

I'm not your daddy. You haven't have a father.

But I have spiritual oversight that is to point you towards the

word and whether you are 80 something which some men came up

and that was extremely humbling and full of responsibility to

see them say I'm older but and I could be your natural father,

but you are my spiritual father. That means it's very important

that I keep speaking the word of God into their lives.

So we're going to talk about spiritual sons things you'll see

out of a real spiritual son. You can say that you are, but if

you do not have these qualities, you are not all right because

there is a responsibility with the son as much as there is with

the father. Now let me say this because I

need to fix a couple of false doctrine.

Can I do that? This still is touted in places

and it's, it's a little mind blowing to me, but it is.

And I know where the church gets it, but we're missing the point

of it. We pulled a corporate analogy

into the church. And there's a part in the BA and

in the Bible it talks about in Psalms, I think it's 133 about

the anointing on Aaron. It flows down in it from his top

of his head and it goes down his beard.

It goes all the way down, right? And so how many of you ever

heard this leadership flows down from the top to the bottom?

Now, in the corporate world, there's something really big.

And that means this. If there's something wrong in

your employees, you need to go up to the managers.

So that's where the problems at. So in essence, if there's

something lower, it's because there's a problem higher.

And so that sounds good. And in fact, maybe in the world

that's true. In the flesh, most likely, but

in the spirit that does not always equate as truth.

That's right. Now, why do I say that?

Because Adam eats the fruit and now the administration of the

planet has gone to bad. I mean, it's not hell.

That's a different place, but it's definitely gone bad, right?

It's it's gone to darkness. Let's say it that way.

Did that flow from the head? Well, if there's something going

wrong in the church, you got to go to the leadership.

Well, the leadership of the church is Jesus.

He's the head of the church and he's never wrong.

Which means then the apostle, the pastor, the teacher, the

evangelist, the prophet, they may not be wrong and there can

be congregation people that are wrong and there's no flow.

They could be stopping a flow because they're not doing their

part as spiritual children in the body of Christ.

So this is not a true statement that anytime something's wrong,

get a lower level, it's because something up higher.

But man, people will say this often, They'll say this often.

I'm going to give you another one.

Amos, 33, says. How can two people walk together

unless they are agreed? OK, Are you ready?

Submission begins where disagreement starts.

The minute you disagree, now you submit.

And this is widely held belief that I have to disagree with you

about something, and if I do it your way, I'm submitting.

Well, how can you then be in agreement?

Because people say, well, if you agree with them, you're not

submitting. Now, it sounds good.

But again, it reminds me of this little story of Melvin who kept,

you know, standing up in class and the teacher says sit down

and then she forced him to sit down.

He said, I may be sitting down, but I'm standing up on the

inside. We understand God's dealing with

the inside. So how can you be doing

something someone's ass and being rebellion in your heart

and tell me you're in faith. How can you disagree with God's

way of doing something and say I'm submitting because then that

scripture would be submit therefore to God, disagree with

him, but do it anyway. Well, you know what he said

about that? He said with their lips, but

their heart. So if your position is, oh, I'm

really submitted to God because I don't want to do nothing.

He says that's where my submission show because I I

identify. I don't want to do Jack

anything. God says I am the most submitted

person. Well, you're the most you're the

you're a person that's completely out of faith.

Submission is here's my way, he says, but here's my way.

And you said, you know what? Your way is better.

So I get rid of my way and I agree with your way.

And that's submission. That is biblical submission.

So again, when we talk about sons, sons are sons not because

they disagree with their fathers and do it anyway.

It's because they're watching the example of the Father and

they're saying your way is the way and I don't have a way.

And Jesus modeled this the best. He said I don't do anything.

I'm on accord what I hear I do. So why do we as children think

that we do not? One of the qualifications or

fruits of our sonship is that we are submitted through agreeing

with God's way of doing, and we get rid of ours.

We, If you're doing it and you don't want to do it, that's

called rebellion. And you get no reward for

rebellious niceness because that's not good.

It's nice, but it's not good. So let's look at a couple of

things here. The first thing, I have 15

actually. So we most likely will not

finish this today. I have 15 things that and this

is not an exhaustive list, but I'll give you 15 things that

show that you are a spiritual son if these qualities are in

your life. Because again, a lot of sons get

out there and tout a spiritual father, but yet they do not

actually model spiritual sons. And many people say they have

spiritual fathers they've never met, but there's no

relationship. You cannot have a YouTube

spiritual father. You cannot attend their

conference and be in a balcony and there be your spiritual

father. They are tutor, they're helping

teach you some things, but they're not a father.

All right, Ephesians chapter 6, verse one through three.

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

The first one is this. It says, children, obey your

parents and the Lord for this is right.

Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment

with a promise so that so that it may be well with you and that

you may live long on the earth. Now, obviously we read this

particular passive Scripture and there's a natural aspect of

this, right? For sure.

Obviously we are to honor. And the question is, is what

does it even mean to honor, right?

And that's a whole nother subject in love itself.

But honor is demonstrated towards a father.

Well, if this is in the natural, we know that we are to honor our

heavenly Father. The Bible tells us that Paul

said when it came to elders in the church, when he was talking

to Timothy, said they're worthy a double honor.

Those who work diligently in preaching and teaching.

Well, if that elder, that overseer can be a spiritual

father to the flock and they should receive double honor.

Now, that didn't mean they get more honor than the father.

The father gets the most honor. You understand this.

The point is, is that if you should honor your natural

parents, you should honor those that are spiritual parents over

your life, specifically the church you're assigned to.

Right? But not just honor.

He says to obey. Same in anyway.

Thank you. Thank you for reminding me

you're in the US. Cause in the US we are

independent, right? Which breeds rebellion.

Nobody's going to tell me what to do.

Well, I'm not telling you what to do, but I'm telling you what

you should obey 'cause it's life that's good.

Hallelujah. In fact, the Bible tells us this

in Hebrews. It says very specifically, obey

your leaders as they will give an account over your soul.

Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for it would not

be profitable for you, not for the leader.

Now, how do you cause a leader to grieve and not have joy?

Well, don't obey what they told you to do when they pulled the

scripture out in the meeting and say, well, what's the Bible say?

You need to do this. Love your husband this way, love

your wife this way. Take care of your employees this

way, Treat your children this way.

You know, attend church this way, give this way, serve this

way. It is written well.

They make so many demands. No demand.

It's just life and everybody wants to pass, to come and go

and do whatever they want to do. Everybody wants to pick their

own stuff. Everybody wants to live in

convenience. Yet we have a responsibility to

communicate truths to you that you should obey.

You know, what's really sad for me and grievous is when I get

around some of our spiritual children and you're like, man, I

would love to say this, but you know what?

I know they're not going to do it.

And what's even more grievous is the ones we've trained through

our schools and we know they know the subjects.

Yet to hear them talk, you would think they never graduated and

you want to say something, but every time you do that child

rebels and don't want to do the word.

So the first couple of things that we see here that a

spiritual son, daughter will do is they will honor and they will

be obedient. These are attributes.

They will honor and be obedient. Now listen, remember, all of

this is in a context of the Father.

The reason why people struggle with these types of teaching is

because you don't want to submit to a man and you don't have to

submit to man. You're only supposed to submit

to God. However, God has placed some

things in order within the church that when those

individuals are functioning in the grace of God, it's easy to

submit there because you're actually submitting to God.

And that's what Paul's saying. If you're imitating me, you're

really not imitating me. We're imitating Christ, but

that's what I'm imitating. So again, if I'm saying, hey, do

this, it's not because I'm saying do this.

I'm saying that's what God said. So if I wouldn't be here, if I

wasn't here to have this conversation with you until you

do this, God would have told you this anyway.

And the reason you came to me is because you wanted an answer.

There's an issue in your life. But did you have a premeditated

way of me responding? I had a situation with that,

that this particular family doesn't even come to the church,

but it's been connected to the ministry through other outlets

that we have. And as a result of that, they

were not satisfied with one of the outlets of how something was

going well. They wanted to meet with me and

I came to the conclusion before they got to me that I'm not

meeting with them. Number one, I have no spiritual

oversight to you #2 you're not submitted to the things we've

already done on multiple meetings, and you're just not

satisfied that you're not getting an answer.

And I know I'm not going to say something different than what's

already been given. So you're a waste of my time.

Now that sounds offensive to people.

Say, well, you don't have time for people.

Well, Nehemiah didn't have time for some people that wrote a

letter say, hey, let's meet. He said I don't have time to go

meet with you because I know your intent, what you're doing

and when I knew their intent and what they were doing.

Like it's a waste of my time and pulling me off the assignment.

I'm called to just so you can continue to complain.

I have a deaf ear to complain and you're not even part of this

body. So I don't need your independent

thinking. I've already seen the cameras.

I've seen the scenario. There's nothing you're going to

say to convince me otherwise. Are you hearing me?

Why? Because there's a thing called

honor and obedience, and children are supposed to honor

and obey. And let me say it this way, Paul

said. Some sleep before their time

because they don't judge the body rightly.

So you may honor your natural father, but you cannot honor

your spiritual parents and still go to sleep early.

Same in anyway, Hallelujah. And again, we could break this

down even more, but we want #3 because I gave you the 1st 2

honor and obedient #3 led by the Spirit.

Romans 814 says it this way. For all who are being led by the

Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Hallelujah. Now, this is really important,

passive scripture. This Scripture right here is so

powerful and is one of the most misinterpreted scripture on the

face of the planet, right? I remember a particular couple

that was in our church years ago, I'm talking year before we

ever moved to this location. So it's been a decade or more,

and they came to me after a Wednesday night service to

inform me they were leaving the church and then they were going

to be moving somewhere out of the state, you know, because

they've heard God. Well, I knew they had not heard

God. That's tough situation because

you're like, no. Right.

And so, you know, I'm like, well, I don't think so.

And they were shocked. They just wanted me to give him

a blessing and go on. You know what have been easy to

say? Whatever.

Yeah. Enjoy your life and go on.

I mean, it's easy. But sometimes it's not easy.

Sometimes it's life and death and you better say something.

And so I did. And I communicated why I didn't

think it was God's will. Because again, you're saying

you're child of God and you can hear God too, but yet that

spirit in me is not saying the same thing.

Now I can't control your life, but I'm telling you, probably

not right? And didn't honor wasn't going to

walk in obedience did leave and the wife divorced the husband

six months later only had an agenda pulled him out of the

place that they were rising to become a man of the house.

So they pulled him out and then left a note.

That person's life was decimated for a season, and rightly so.

Scripture says if someone divorces, you know, it causes

them to commit adultery and that's not sexual immorality,

it's apostasy. It pulls away from God.

They're like Lord, I don't understand this, but the Lord

restored them. They remarried, have a great

family, they're thriving. The wife or ex-wife still to

this day can't say they're doing good yet They're telling me

they've heard God. They're telling me, well, those

who are led by the Spirit of God, then the Spirit should be

saying the same thing now, just like God, just like us.

We can say, well, I don't believe it's true, but you know

what, I'm not going to stop you. And all I can say is if you get

out and find you were wrong, come home.

I've done that before. Come home then you know, because

you know, moving somewhere in convenience doesn't make it the

will of God. And again, if we believe God's

the God of more than enough can he provide for you to to bring

you here even if you're having to drive from Crescent City,

Ocala, thank you from Ocala. How many hours is that 2 hours

every Sunday? Thank you Jesus.

But again, when you know you're where you're at, the other stuff

doesn't matter. And it didn't matter how much

gas cost, we just kept showing. And you know what?

God kept providing, didn't he? Wow, isn't that amazing?

So you'll be led by the Spirit, which tells us there can be

conflict. And again, a father and son can

get in conflict. But when both of them are

aspiring to hear God, we will come to an agreement.

And again, if the sons honorable and choose and wants to be

obedient to the plans and purpose of God, when the

spiritual oversight says, hmm, I don't know if what you're saying

is accurate, then you're like, well, you know, I know it's for

my well-being. Let's reconvene.

I want to make sure I'm here in the spirit, right?

And I wanted to make sure you're here in the Spirit, right?

Because it's honorable, not we immediately get offensive and

you're trying to control my life and I'm out of here because the

spiritual son wouldn't do that. A real one.

In fact, a spiritual son isn't making decisions without

including the Father in the 1st place.

I can't tell you how many times through the year people say,

well, the Lord's told me and they just tell me I was never a

part of the process. I couldn't even be a part of the

prayer process of the whole transition.

I just cut out. Why?

Because we don't need you. I hear God myself.

We don't want your insight. We don't want your covering.

We don't want the grace in your life to help us so that we don't

make mistakes. Because I'll be the first to

admit, if I don't have it, I don't have it.

I said, well, I don't have it, you know, And if you're here and

go, great. I mean, I don't, at the end of

the day, I know what I'm called to do.

I'm going to continue in that. But if I'm hearing something

which, you know, doesn't happen often in a negative sense,

saying don't do that per SE, well then you might want to say,

you know what, I honor you enough, respect you enough.

Let's stop and recalibrate because a promotion to another

city doesn't mean that's the plan of God for your life or the

blessings. Are you hearing me?

Amen. We've done 3.

Can we do a couple more? Now we're going to jump into

some things very specific to Timothy.

So in Second Timothy chapter one, verse 2, in fact, I would

encourage you since we're going to break this up, to read first

both books of Timothy. Because in both books of

Timothy, you will hear a father speaking to a son and what he

expects to see out of his son, what he expects to see out of

his son. In second Timothy chapter one,

verse 2, it says to Timothy, my beloved son, grace, mercy and

peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So here he clearly acknowledges that Timothy's a son to me.

Now Timothy is not his natural son.

He is his spiritual son. And so there's this relationship

where he has his spiritual father.

Timothy is his spiritual son and Timothy is an amazing son to

aspire to be, amazing child of God to aspire to be.

OK, and let me just say it this way.

Nowhere in Scripture are you having a relationship with God

without somebody else because we're jointed and fitted

together. God never intended it to be

these one line streams, right? It's just me and you, Brandon,

just me and you. The Lord says just me and you.

That's all that matters. No, he's like, Brandon, you

better get over here with your brother here and just sit here

and you better get connected with your sister here because

this is what the family does, son.

And we'll do this and natural stuff all the time.

Natural reunion. So, well, that's my family.

And they can live like heathens, man.

They can be completely out of the will of God, not even in

your family. And you're like, man, we got to

get hooked up with them. You know, they are family.

Got to believe the best. I love my family.

Yeah. Then we get to the body of

Christ and we're like, don't talk to me.

Jeez. I am his favorite.

It's like Jesus only talked to me.

You're you are the estranged 1. I don't I don't know why we get

this way. Well, it's because we don't

understand how the church we bring independent thinking into

an organization that is fully dependent upon everyone.

Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus.

So Timothy is his son. Let me give you this last one

and then we'll we'll come back next week.

Philippians chapter 2 verse 19 to 22 says this Paul right into

Philippians 2:19–22

the Philippian church concerning his spiritual son.

He says this he said about a hope in the Lord Jesus to send

Timothy to you shortly. Now let me say this real quick

before I finish this scripture. Timothy is not his favorite, so

get that out of your head. Timothy has proven himself as a

son and anyone could prove themselves as a son.

It's just unfortunately with the the group he's running with

currently, Timothy is the only one who's done it.

Let's go on, but I hope in the hope in the Lord Jesus to send

Timothy to you shortly so that I may be encouraged when I learn

of your condition, for I have no one else of kindred spirit who

will generally be concerned for your welfare.

That word kindred means like mindedness.

It means same in mind and spirit.

It means he is only concerned with what I'm concerned about.

He said he's the only one and then he qualifies the others

that are with him. He says for they all seek their

own interests. So everyone who's on staff with

Paul is not actually with Paul. All right, let me go over here.

Everyone who was on staff with Paul is actually not with Paul.

Paul is a pass through. Paul is a means to a different

end. Paul was just someone that I'm

running around with because I see something that I want for

myself independent of Paul. Actually because my spirits not

really connected with Paul. In fact they would have the

belief I'm submitted to Paul because I never agree with him

anyway. But I do it, and they're not

going to honor me of all that I've done.

Well, half the stuff you've done was in rebellion and with some

on Staffs, they've done it only because of the paycheck.

Put that back up there. So he said the rest of them seek

their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus, he said.

But you know of his what? Proven worth That he served

what? Not for me.

Oh man, you better get this. That he served what with me in

the furtherance of the gospel, like a child serving his father?

Yes. If all you're doing is serving

me, that's a problem. But if you're serving with me

where I'm saying, son, we have something to do.

We're doing the dad's business. I need you to do your part.

I'm going to do my part. Let's do this thing together and

we'll accomplish it. You.

I'm releasing you. I'm going to release you.

I'm going to release you. I'm going to release you.

I'm going to release your gift. Why?

Because you're not working for me.

You're not serving me. We're serving him, we're all

working together to accomplish this thing.

But there are many that are serving or working for somebody

and if they see the relationship that I'm working for them, it's

because they have selfish ambitions.

But a true son says, I'm not working for you, I'm working for

the Lord. I'm just serving with you.

And you're the example of what it looks like to serve the Lord.

And I can learn from you, and you're investing in me.

And you're telling me more about who I am than I even knew.

And you're pulling things out of me I didn't even think was

there. And you're releasing me in ways

that I've never been released before.

But I'll not forget you. And when I go somewhere I don't

push myself, I represent you and you alone.

Because a spiritual son will be like minded and have no

self-interest. So they're they, they're, they

honor, they walk in obedience, right?

These are the things, they're led by the Spirit, but they're

also like minded and they have no self-interest.

You know what, you're going to be different than me.

You're going to see things different than I see because God

made us that way as a body. And I'm going to release you

just like I said on Wednesday, I said where are my evangelists?

Because on Friday and Saturday there is an opportunity for you

to get in front of the community at the summer thrift and all you

got to do is walk around and talk to people and talk to them.

And through that you're going to pray for them.

You can invite them some you could lead to Christ.

We're giving you a whole Ave. to touch their lives.

And again, you're serving with us.

Well, I don't see apostle there. That's not my part.

Now Apostle Marcy was there. She was there on what was that

Friday, all day, she said All day.

I text her, I said, what you doing?

She said they just keep coming. They just keep showing up.

I mean, this place is full, you know, I'm like, well, praise the

Lord, that's good. Sell something, bless their

lives, talk to him. Right, man?

I went in there with myself. Had to pick up something, drop

something off, pick something up.

And there's people walking around.

I'm like, let's serve together because we're not doing

something because we're bored. We do stuff because we're

called. Are you hearing me?

But you've got to decide. Not my will, but his will be

done. Because I've decided not my will

but his will be done. And then when I communicate His

will for us, it's not because I wanted to do it.

Because I'm like a lot of you, I like my weekend too.

If I just thought about myself, I'd be 3 shades darker in my tan

right now. If that was true, I would have

had hit the beach way more times.

I'd have no projects at the house. 0 Because every weekend I

go to Port St. Joe as a weekend, I don't do

something at my own home. But my life's not my own.

And I imitate what it means to follow Jesus so that you

yourself can say, you know what? God always takes care of those

who follow him. Hallelujah.

How many we get done today? 5 All right, we can give you 10.

Next week we'll have a few less things to do and you don't want

to miss next week. And I know it's July 4th

weekend. Don't let the US holiday keep

you out of church. All right?

Can we do this then for Tom, since I'm doing this next week,

let me lay hands on people next week, OK?

And so anyone that I haven't laid hands on to be a blessing

because Jesus laid hands on the children just to bless them, He

says, suffer not the little children.

And we do that as an act of saying, hey, we recognize this

relationship we're in, that we have an oversight as planting

the church. And we want to be an example to

you, but we want to bless you as spiritual sons and daughters of

the King. And together we're more than a

family. We're the church.

We're not just a family. We're the church.

And the church is the most powerful thing on the planet.

All right.