Why Small Steps Lead to Something Bigger Than You Think

Good morning, Illuminate Church. I want you just to imagine with

me for a second that you are an Irish man or an Irish woman and

living in Ireland and the Lord speaks to you and says, I want

you to drop everything and move to Florida.

I'm going to show you a ministry there to be involved with, and

you do it. And you show up to Florida and

you go to the Crossing Church in Tampa, FL, just to make some

connections. And the very day that you show

up, that team of people at the Crossing had been praying.

Lord, send us somebody to lead our Spanish campus.

The problem is you're Irish, but surprise, you grew up as a

missionary kid on the Canary Islands and you are fluent in

Spanish. And that very day that you

arrive to the crossing church, they hire you to be the Spanish

campus pastor. Well, this is not an

imagination. This is a dear friend of mine,

Doctor David Murphy. He's here this morning to lead

us in the second part of our new series called The Kingdom

Unveiled. As we're studying Jesus's

parables, I would love for you to please stand to your feet and

give a huge illuminate church welcome to Doctor David Murphy.

Sit down. I haven't done anything yet.

I'm so, so glad to be here. Thank you.

Thank you for the invite. Thank you for the warm welcome.

What a joy. It was already the first

service. And now you guys, you've had

your breakfast. You slept in, you're ready to

rock'n'roll. Well, my name is David and, and

yes, as Pastor Tim has said, I, I, I served with him at the

crossing Church and, and now I serve further down the the coast

in Bradenton, FL Actually parish Florida, but parish doesn't even

turn up in a weather map. But but what God is doing there

is is is just humbling and I was I came to well, I mean obviously

when Tim and Christine started the church way back then and

they birthed illuminate in the school I was able to teach those

years ago and what a joy to see what God is doing.

Yes, the accent is not from Alabama safety, but I but I grew

up in Spain and Espana I aliena que entiend El espanol que

Levante la mano yo-yo prede car en espanol.

I'm going to speak in Spanish. How are you, honey?

Well, I'll tell you what. For the rest of us, let's learn

the language of heaven in a minute.

OK, Follow me. OK.

Just repeat after me. Ah, men.

Amen. You know you're preaching.

Amen. Here you go.

OK, Mezzanine. You're with me.

OK. Repeat after this.

Ah Le Lu. Yeah.

Hallelujah. I I you told me they were smart.

They're really smart. One more.

One more. Go, California.

Go. La Coca-Cola.

You, you speak Spanish too. Humbled is a word that's used

many times, but I truly am honoured to stand here to see

what God has done. When faithful people follow God,

give it time and see the impact it can have.

That's what we're going to be studying today.

So let me pray and then we'll open goes word.

Lord, thank you. What an honour it is to have

Your word in a language that we can understand.

And we thank you for the faithfulness from generation to

generation so that the inherent word of God in the original form

can now be in a language that we we understand.

But Lord, I pray you'll take the words in a book and Holy Spirit,

I pray you will sow it in our souls that it will bring forth

much fruit for your glory. We love you and we thank you in

Jesus name, Amen. We are in a series talking about

the the parables. If if you're a guest with us, if

you're watching online, you're going to have to come back the

next few weeks to hear the pastor of this church.

He is for sure a better preacher, but not so good

looking. That's me, but you.

So you have to come back. You've got to have come back.

And actually, if you didn't listen to last week's message,

you've got to listen to Pastor Tim.

He sets up a really good foundation of what we're going

to be dealing with. Power bells stories, earthly

stories with a heavenly meaning, spiritual insight through normal

natural story. As we see this, Jesus is

teaching. He's teaching the disciples,

He's teaching the people who are listening.

What does it look like to have the Kingdom of God in life?

He's teaching people. When you live a life of service

to God, what does it look like? And I'm glad he didn't give us a

lecture. He gave a story because story

captures the imagination. This story tells us how what God

is doing in Matthew 13. So open your Bibles, your apps,

your whatever it is that you use.

It's actually a good thing to bring your Bible to church.

Just saying. If you don't have a Bible,

there's a team coming down the hall the the aisles, and they

would love to give you a paper Bible.

How many of you are paper Bible? How many of you like put them

up, Brian and Blair. OK, good.

Well done. And the rest of you need Jesus.

OK? No, I'm joking.

I'm joking. I'm joking.

I'm joking. You get to go to translations.

OK, in Matthew 13 we started to look at it last week, but

Matthew 13 we have 7 different parables, 7 different stories,

insights into the Kingdom of God.

When Jesus prayed, May your Kingdom come, may your will be

done on earth as it is in heaven.

We can have a bit of heaven on earth as we live in the Kingdom

of God. So as Kingdom representatives,

you live in the United States. But as I scan this auditorium,

oh, there's people from nations and tribes and tongues,

wonderful countries. But if you're a follower of

Jesus Christ, we become, we are part of God's Kingdom, the

Kingdom of heaven. So as we set the scene, I know

you've been taught well at this church that context is king.

If you don't have a context of what you're reading, you can

make what you're reading say whatever you want.

I do it all the time. I read the Bible and I read eat,

drink and be merry. And as an Irishman, I love that

verse. Until someone comes along in a

biblical community and say, hey, you idiot, read the rest of it

for tomorrow we die. See, the contest is important.

So the first 23 verses of chapter 13 talks like we saw

last week about the Sower and the seed.

Now remember, Jesus is teaching his disciples and in those few

verses we're going to see a realistic expectation.

He wants to have a show expectation of what the Kingdom

of God is going to be like. Why do I say that?

Well, because as you saw last week, not everybody will respond

to the gospel of Jesus Christ immediately.

There'll be those who will be hard and resistant.

There'll be those who show immediate enthusiasm, but

there'll be no roots. And when tough times come, they

will walk away from the faith. There'll be those who show signs

of growth and and fruitfulness. But it we're told that the

deceitfulness of wealth will choke the life of God in a

person. And only one falls on good soil.

And that soil is only evident by the fruit it produces.

So Jesus, in the context of his disciples, you want to live a

life in the Kingdom of God. OK, There's an expectation.

Not everybody will respond immediately.

You keep sowing. It's faithfulness that we're

encouraged. Then he moves to the second

section and the second section, from verses 24 to 30, we

actually see a challenge because we're told another parable of an

owner who has a harvest. But in the harvest the enemy

comes along and sows weeds, and the weeds grow at the same time

as the wheat. And the workers want to go and

get pull out the weeds and the harvester, their owner says no,

no, no, no, no, no, no. Let them grow together and in

time it says, I will tell the harvesters to go out and then

they will separate. The wheat and the weeds we're

seeing in the story form that in the world where we are serving

Christ, there will be weeds, they'll be evil that will live

right beside us in our workplaces, in our homes, in our

neighborhoods, maybe in the church.

And we want to live in this utopia.

But Jesus is reminding us to be faithful to Jesus Christ.

You're going to have to blossom where you are in spite of the

circumstances around you. You're going to blossom and bear

fruit in spite of what TikTok says, your friend says school

says mum and dad say Uncle DoD or whatever says you've blossom

where you're sitting. Now listen, if I was a disciple

at that time listening to these Powerballs sitting there, what

on earth is Jesus talking about all of a sudden?

He's told me that only one in four people may respond to the

sowing of the seed. He actually is telling me that

even when I saw the seed and the fruit is produced and in the

middle of it, there's going to be evil as well.

Like, I mean, talk about discouraging.

And then he tells us the 2 parables that we're going to

look at today. There's only three verses.

It's we're actually going to see it in, in, in Matthew 13

version. But Mark mentions it, Mark four

and Luke 13 mentions it again. So hey, blossom soul and

blossom, soul and blossom, don't be discouraged.

And then Jesus brings us this beautiful parable, the story

that gives us an insight into heaven, into the heavenly

Kingdom. Let's read it together.

Matthew 13, verse 31. I'm reading from the New Living

Matthew 13:31

Translation that says this. Here is another illustration

Jesus used parable. The Kingdom of heaven is like a

mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds,

but it becomes the largest of garden plants.

It grows into a tree and birds come and make their nests in

it's branches. Jesus also used this

illustration. The Kingdom of heaven is like

the yeast a woman used in making bread.

Leaven. Maybe in one of the

translations, same same word, yeast leaven.

Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures

of flour, it permeates every part of the dough that Jesus is

teaching. By the way, those two parables

are always together and the three gospels are always

together. Why?

Because even though Jesus is telling them, hey guys, have the

right expectation to live for Christ, it's hey, it's not going

to be easy. People may not respond.

There will be evil around you. But in this, in these parables,

we're we're told, we're reminded, we're taught.

And in Kingdom of God, there's always promise of progress.

There's always promise of growth progress.

The seed, the mustard seed was the smallest seed that was used

in those days and farming it was the smallest of seeds.

In those smallest of seeds when it is planted it we're told

Jesus says it will grow into the largest tree.

Now if you know anything about gardening that I don't, so I

have to go and research it. Actually, mustard seeds grow

into bushes, I'm told, not trees.

But I love the way that in the Kingdom of God, God can do

supernatural things with small beginnings.

So the first thing I want you to realise in this section is never

don't underestimate small beginnings.

Don't ever estimate small beginnings.

The Kingdom of God is that like small seed that was planted?

I, I love studying reading history.

Anybody with me studying history?

OK, the rest of you need Jesus listen to me.

If you do not know where you come from, you do not know why

you're what's going on right now.

If you do not know the past you we will actually repeat the

past. Actually one of my sharing just

my thesis as I was studying, I've had the privilege to study

the last 50 years of church history, modern church history

and now we are where we are today because of that which the

past happened. So I want to encourage you.

You think maybe you were taught history is boring.

No, it's fascinating how people used to live.

Let me tell you a little bit of church history, the 1st 300

years of our church history. You know, the people who heard

this, the people that were there, those first believers,

they were nobodies. They lived on the fringes of

society. They weren't the decision

makers. They were fishermen and

homemakers and bakers and slaves and small business owners.

Nobody cared about them and nobody cared about the person

they said they worshipped. This guy called Jesus.

Actually, in those early days they persecuted those them.

But those early believers believed what Jesus said and

their vertical faith had an horizontal action.

It was just not a vertical thing they did on a Sunday.

It affected their Monday. And in doing so, even in

persecution, it affected their word, their work, and their

walk. I won't say that again because I

can't say that three times in a row.

Their word, their work and their walk, it affected society.

And in those first 300 years, the church saw the biggest, most

rapid explosion in, in, in, in believers anywhere in our church

history in the last 2000 years of those in the middle of

persecution. Why?

Because a small seed. God said do the Kingdom thing,

do the Kingdom work. There's promise of progress.

Many people, thousands of people, you and I are here today

because people behind us, prayed for us, served us, told us about

Jesus. You're living in the days today

that we somebody else prayed for.

So when you look back in history, never underestimate the

power of small beginnings. Never underestimate the season

of life that you're in that in your workplace, you think in

your business, you're like, should I start that branch?

Should I start that business? But I don't know, you know,

like, you know, I wanted to be like Elon Musk, You know, he

started with something small. Something powerful happens in

the Kingdom of God when you do it God's way, parenting.

See when they, they're that size and they're, and you know,

they're little brats and you know what, when I'm becoming a

parent, I realized original sin is a thing.

I used to look at them and musical.

Wow. At least that was from your

family. That's my wife's family.

Did you teach them that? Did you teach them that?

But you know what? Faithfully loving your children

and seeing them as a gift from God.

If you don't fight for them and teach them at 3 year old, you'll

lose them at thirteen years old. If you don't teach them the word

of God and seven-year old when they're 17, they're walking

away. And I see a lot of young people

in this place. I'm so glad you're here

worshiping the Lord, but get the word of God into your soul.

Why? Because your school, your

friends, TikTok, Insta, whatever face, whatever, Facebook,

whatever, we'll all tell you what to do.

They algorithm will disciple you.

Algorithms will disciple you. So depends what you feed will

come out. So church don't ever estimate

parents invest in your children. Spend time with them.

Don't let just the scream lead them.

We're involved in their life. They're a gift from God in your

business, in your workplace, in your travelling, in your

talking, even a small word, a kind word, a text message, a

prayer, a gift, all, all has ricochets in the Kingdom of God.

Never underestimated that day after, just after that, a few

years later, 120 people with 11 disciples who were scared

senseless, the Holy Spirit started a movement that you and

I are here today because of it. Something small grew in God's

Kingdom. Let me tell you about the impact

that it's had. You know, the healthcare and

hospitals in this world can have the roots, the roots in

followers of Jesus Christ, The Red Cross, Salvation Army all

started because of believers. The early hospitals in Europe

were monks and nuns caring for the sick.

Schools and universities were birthed to teach pastors,

clergy, actually what you and I call Ivy schools today.

Yale, Harvard, Oxford were all founded on Christian principles

to teach clergy about God. It was our our humanitarian and

relief organizations, World Vision, Samaritans First

Compassion International all began by Jesus followers that

that our justice system and the social reform Christians led the

way William Wilberforce with slavery, Elizabeth Frye with

Christian reform, Prison Reform Doctor King social reform.

Today it's the Christians that are fighting for the children

inside the womb and outside the womb are the Christians that are

who were the stars of Hospice to care for those who are dying.

I was listening to a church historian and she was talking

about they could nearly track the roots of modern hotels.

Do you guys in Florida and Orlando know what a hotel is?

Do have you, have you got a few around here?

Maybe You know those hotels actually they they were able to

track in the early days, believers would add an extra

room in their home for travelling friends and

travelling missionaries and travelling pastors.

And in doing so, then they start to rent out those rooms.

The modern hotel was birthed because of Christians.

I thought that was fascinating, missions and global impact

missionaries that are going into parts of our world that they

don't even have a written language or they only have a

spoken language. But because of their push to

tell people about Jesus, they have created alphabets and they

have written the language so that the people could have the

word of God in their original language.

It's amazing the impact of Jesus Christ in this world and in the

marketplace, the impact, the inventions, the businesses,

godly values, godly Kingdom financially, practically being

an impact in the world. You know, one of the famous

ones, you know, we can't even have chicken on a sundae because

of one of them. But you know what the impact

they're having in the world. Chick-fil-A is incredible.

Hobby Lobby. I was able to listen to David

Greene and one of the things, what a godly man, he's in his

80s and the passion for the Lord he sees.

He says, I'm just a merchant. Hobby Lobby.

Do you know what Hobby Lobby is? He says, well, the ladies go,

yeah, of course I know. And the guys go, I meander

around doing thing. I don't know, you know, he was

saying I'm just a, I'm just a Stuart, I'm just a merchant.

But for the Kingdom of God, the impact.

If God removed the people of God, this place would be hell.

But he hasn't. And he calls the people of God

like that little mustard seed. He promises you live for the

Kingdom of God and if their progress will happen.

Never underestimate the power of something small.

Small beginnings. The teachers of Jesus didn't

stay in sermons. It built hospitals, it freed

slaves, it educated nations, it changed the world.

There's actually a ministry here.

I didn't share this in the first service.

Friends of ours in this area, they live in this community and

they pray, walk the parks and then they open their home to

the, to the, to the people who serve in all the parks and they

share like 4th of July Thanksgiving.

And in doing so, then they share the Christian background on what

Jesus has done. You know, you live in an area of

the world, guys, that literally every nation, tribe and tongue

comes to this area. You're, you're, you're, you're,

you're positioned in an incredible place to be able to

reach nations for Jesus Christ. People that don't look like you

act like you think like you're a cook like you and you think,

well, what can we do? You can pray, you can sow, you

can blossom and then you can share.

And when you do so, leave the consequences to the Lord because

in the Kingdom of God, when you sow seed of the word of God into

people's life, when you live the word of God, that Kingdom is

impactful. Let me tell you about what you

illuminate church. You know, let me tell you what

you did. I asked Pastor Tim to send me

some of the stories of what you guys do.

You know that your church last year you went to this is just

some examples. You went to a mission trip to

Guatemala and when you were in Guatemala, some of you were

there that you you, you shared the gospel with people who would

never had never heard of an evangelical church.

Evangelical means that we teach the word of God.

Salvation is through Christ alone.

And during that trip a man witnessed what was going on,

what was happening. He gave his life to Jesus.

He was moved by God. What God was doing that he

donated a piece of land and on that piece of land, with your

help, they built a church to this day is proclaiming the word

of Jesus Christ in that area. Isn't it amazing what you've

done? A little seat, a little mission

truth. Two years ago you you had a

training on on evangelism. And I'm told that after the

training session, there's a family or a little illuminate

church family that went to Walmart and start to talk to

people about Jesus and in the Walmart parking lot LED another

family to Jesus Christ. Isn't that amazing?

Not across the world, that's in Walmart.

You as a church, as you as a church financially give to

missionaries that are serving in countries that I cannot publicly

even mention the name because they're closed countries where

the gospel of Jesus Christ is not accepted.

But they go in as English teachers and not only do they

sow the seed in the English, but they show it in their lifestyle

and people are coming to Jesus Christ with through their

testimony. Why?

Because you sat in your seat and one day someone said we're going

to do something for Jesus. And you, you may have, you may

even have done it as a tip to Jesus, but in Jesus hands, it's

impacting people. A small prayer, a kind word, a

text message, a phone call, an invite to a church, a small

conversation, the potential for explosion in God's hands.

Never underestimate the power of something small.

I can't wait till the day when I get to see Jesus.

Do you, by the way, do you guys, do you know we live in the land

of the dying going to the land of the living?

We're doing everything we can to make sure we're fine here.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is but just a little part

of eternity. What we do here echoes in

eternity. How we Live Today impacts

eternity. And I can't wait when we get to

heaven. And in my mind, and I'm a bit

like, I love visual, I think there's going to be this nerdy

Angel. He's going to go name David

Murphy. I don't know why he sounds like

the Monsters Inc girl, but. And he said, do you remember?

Do you remember when you were serving in the kids ministry and

a child came up to you and you smiled and you listened and you

prayed and you loved and you were like, Oh yeah, I do

remember that. Here, let me show you what your

little sowing of God's seed impacted in eternity.

Do you remember when you served at VBS and this week and there

was special needs and there was kids coming and remember you

just you just opened the door and closed the door or you just

made the coffee or you were in the park.

And I remember that. And you're like, yeah, I don't

like kids, but I like to serve the Lord.

And I just came here that week to serve because I don't like

kids. I said, yeah, but that little

sign that nerdy, the nerdy Angel will say, well, let let let me

show you what happened in the life of that child because of

your faithfulness. Remember.

Remember when you prayed and you were praying for those

missionaries in closed countries?

And remember when you prayed for the persecuted church and you

said, yes, Lord, I prayed, but I can't remember.

But let me tell you what your prayers did in eternity.

Remember when you led the small group and everybody loved your

small group and you were pontificating about all the

things that theology? You remember that?

Oh yes, Lord, I remember that. Well, you're not getting any

credit for that because you did that in your own strength.

Because was it about your name being known or not about my name

being known? Remember in your, in your

business that the Lord had given you a business and you were in

the marketplace and you're investing in something or

leading something. And you thought that that job

was just a mundane job and you just did your thing.

But hey, because the way you did it, because you were faithful in

your stewardship of your finances and your time and your

words, Let me show you what God did.

Never underestimate the power of the Kingdom of God and the word

of God. Young person, please hear me.

Do not compromise God's values. I have 30 year olds and 40 year

olds looking at me today and they Dave, I wish at 17 I should

never have done that. I wish I would have listened to

my parents when they said, you know, thank God that there's

people in your life that are fighting for your soul.

Parents, if we don't fight for that for their soul, somebody

else will. Every prayer, every word.

Never, ever, ever underestimate the power of small beginnings.

The second thing I want you to notice here is that you had to

give it time. Give it time.

Seeds don't blossom into trees overnight.

I am, I am such a like, I want it.

No, I want my parking spot. No.

I want to go to the restaurant and have it.

No, I want my food. No.

But the microwave. No.

Everything has to be now like now.

So I'm saying no, now some of you are gone.

So you speak in Spanish again. We're so like 7, you know, 7

seconds. That's all our concentration

these days. We're so programmed by these

reels, which are really funny sometimes, but but before I know

it, 3 hours later. Give it time.

You know what? I grew up in Spain.

When I buy a Yeah, buy a yeah. Is it like a dish?

You know, you put the budget 1 arrow bonehel queso, buna El

pollo, buna El chorizo. You put it in there and just do

two or three hours. You're just simmered away.

Just simmers in there and the and the juices.

I tell you what, every neighbor in the area, every dog, cat,

every donkey will come out looking for that thing.

And there's something about and of course, because it's Paella,

Spain's going to win the World Cup.

Be Espana, by the way, just let me know.

I want the US to do well. I'm an American citizen now, OK?

So I want you guys, Brazil, you need a World Cup.

You need a midfield, OK. Oh, you know, Tim, I'm not going

to be invited back after that. I know It was just anyway it is,

you know, but there's there's the let the let let it simmer

takes time. A good meal takes time.

How many of you know that a good meal takes time, You know, you

know, it's just like, oh, father, no, let's, let's, let's

say it, let's say it the same with the word of God.

Let it simmer in your soul. Give it time.

For the last five years, my wife and I in our kids, we have 4

kids and we let we, we, we were living on five acres.

We lived on land. And some of you like, wow, 5

acres. That's exciting.

You don't know how much work it takes for five acres.

You know what? When we arrived at the on the

property, I thought, yeah, I'm going to be green fingers.

I'm going to farm my own thing. I'm going to be all thing.

I'm going to. And if we planted these weed,

what we, I was told we're mango trees, I would be planted them

and I would go over every day and, you know, water, we bet

here and we bet there and I, you know, over time I would come

over them the next day and I was like, nothing's changing.

And week after week I would look at this thing and I'm like, wow,

not a lot of changing. See, I didn't know then.

But God was the plant was working in the invisible, in the

unseen, in the root system. Before it could be seen in the

visible, there was things that are happening in the invisible

before going to affect the visible and overtime, then it

started to grow and overtime there was he's like leaves

started to appear. And four years later there was

this mango. And then we sold the property.

I'm not joking. So the new owner is going to

benefit from my sewing and they will benefit even though I sold.

They will enjoy the fruit because I sold and because I

sold. They will enjoy the mangoes just

like people have done before you got here that they set up and

tear down in the high school for 12 years, faithfully giving,

praying, setting up so that you and I could come into this

beautiful building now and this beautiful.

And don't forget your history. Don't don't forget where you

come from church because the sacrifices of those gone before

us that were not seen, it was in the unseen, but God was in time.

The fruit will come. But now it's our responsibility

not to sit back and have our latte and hope we're OK on a

Sunday morning not to decide to go to Disney before we come to

church to commit to saying I'm part of the Kingdom of God.

I'm going to not ever underestimate small beginnings.

Guys, young people, do your homework, learn your your

classes. Do your classes.

Why? Because someday we're going to

need the doctors, the lawyers, the homemakers, the business

people. And if you don't learn it, then

we're in trouble there, especially if you're going to be

a pilot or a surgeon. OK, if you're one of those two

and I'm in your plane, you better not miss class, but give

it time. Give it time because even though

we don't see it, he's working. Even though that we don't feel

it, he never stops, never stops. Someone should write a song

about that never stops working. I'm glad you know the song.

Give it time. Be consistent.

See that business idea? They got it.

See, raising your godly kids takes time.

You know what if you have a godly man who's seeking godly

the Kingdom of God and doing a God's way, there will be weeds

around you who are saying look at you, why you do this?

Why don't you sleep there? Why don't you try that?

But you keep you be a godly man because a godly man will then

meet a godly girl and a godly girl does a God's way.

Not what TikTok is telling you what God's saying.

Not with that pin, rest pin, Crest pin, Pinterest, Pinterest.

As you, as you can see, I frequent the place very often.

No, no, no, no, no, no, you're doing a God's way because when

you have a godly man and a godly woman who have a Kingdom

mentality and they get together, they become a godly home.

And then in a Kingdom home, when you have a godly man, a godly

woman, usually they have godly children doing a God's way, not

perfect God's way. And when a Kingdom home is

established and you have a lot of those Kingdom families

gathering together, it's called a Kingdom church and we have a

Kingdom church at the foot of Disney.

It doesn't matter how big they are, the Kingdom of God will

prevail. So keep being faithful.

Never underestimate that what God can do with faithful people

who are sowing God's word. Just give it time, give it time,

give it time. And lastly with the second

parable that we see is the parable of the the 11 or the

parable of the sower. Just let it permeate all.

Let it permeate this. The illustration, the story here

that gives us a heavenly insight is when leaven, when yeast is in

a batch of dough, it it actually influences the entire thing.

If there's no yeast in the dough and you put it in the oven, it

usually comes out brittle, fast, flat, hard and dry.

But if you lie that yeast to sit in that dough, the leaven, the

yeast will change the nature of the dough.

And when it change the nature of the dough and you put it into an

oven, it comes out like fresh baked bread.

Oh, I don't know about you guys. Even if I'm stuffed, if I smell

fresh baked bread, anybody with me, there's another stomach

develops. It is fluffy, it is appetizing,

it is just delicious. And I know the Bible says man

shall not live by bread alone, but with a little bit of Irish

butter, I'm in. Hallelujah ciento senora

quidentro confito bank. I was speaking Spanish, by the

way. Let it permeate.

Just like when Jesus saved your soul, someone invited you,

someone said something, someone invited you to church someone's

life when you were, then you heard the good news, the seed

that Jesus is God, that he is who he says he was.

He did exactly what he said he did that geographically,

archaeologically, philosophically, all the

ologies, whatever you want, he is who he says he is and he did

exactly what he said he did. And you realize that salvation

is not, I choose Jesus. No, that salvation was that

Jesus opened a way for you and I to get to heaven.

It's not religion. It's not like take a box.

It's not like I have to make sure it's all clean and right.

That's why I love that the you're, you're everybody's

welcome, but everybody's welcome to Jesus because it was religion

tells you what you have to do to get right with God.

The Bible tells us what God did to reach your soul and that

light little seed that was planted in your heart.

And you realize that God Forgives you and God has plans

and purposes. And you realize that that little

seed starts to permeate your dough, your life.

How does it do it? By reading God's word.

How does it do it? By allowing the gift of Holy

Spirit in your life, that God gave you the GPS system, that

God gave you himself to live in you, that you don't have to go

looking for the presence that you carry, the presence that you

don't have to go to like all kumbaya.

I need to raise my hand. No, that, that, that when you're

in Publix shopping, when you're in Disney walking, when you're

in your workplace and when you're playing jiu jitsu,

playing the violin in classes, in the car line, wherever that

is, that you Kingdom people carry the Kingdom of God.

So when that happens, it permeates.

But then you have to do it in godly community.

Why? Because I can make this word of

God say whatever I want so that I need God.

I need godly community. You need godly community.

That's why at the church we talk about life steps and it's a

process of people. I don't matter.

I don't care if you were a pastor and I don't care if you

were your background. If you're part of this church,

your leadership are saying, hey, enter the enter the journey with

us so they can grow. Some of you been coming for a

while. You sit there, you drink your

latte, you go home, you take a box, and then you wonder why God

doesn't permeate your life. Then you blame the God.

You say you do worship, but you've created that God.

That's not the God of the Bible. That's the God that you've

made-up. So with boldness, I need to tell

you, no, no, no, Jesus says, Jesus said.

Jesus said like the yeast that permeates the dough, let him

change your nature. Once you were arguing and once

you responded and man, pride and anger.

No, not anymore. Why?

Because you allow the word of God to permeate your biblical

community. You open the door and you smile

at someone on the way to church. And because your little smile at

changes our day. Don't ever underestimate small

beginnings. Don't ever under me.

Just give it time and let it permeate the Kingdom of heaven

is like a small seed that overtime grows and let it

permeate your life. A text message, a kind word, a

Sunday school lesson, a financial gift, a listening ear,

all of it. My wife prayed for her parents

for 20 years so that come to know Jesus 20 years.

Dennis grew up in a poor area of a city that was divided by

hatred in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

He was the perfect candidate to end up one of the terrorists

until a grandmother prayed for him and took him to church.

And he give us life to Jesus and then he give us life to tell

other people about Jesus. Marie was born in another part

of the city. She was born in a middle class

farming family and at the age of 17, she went to Bible college

because she wanted to learn how to share the good news of Jesus

with people who don't look like her, act like her, think like

Laura Cook, like her. They met, they got married and

they went to a nation, a nation at the time that was under

dictatorship and a nation at the time called Spain in the 70s was

ruled by Franco. They had to go undercover for 40

years. They were fearful to the

children for 25 of those years, Dennis would go to the prisons

to tell people about Jesus. For 25 years.

There was a high rise community being raised and they moved

their small family. They had seven children.

They had seven children and moved the family to this area of

of the Canary Islands. In that area is where

prostitution and gangs and drugs and everything was there.

But they said if someone has to tell them about Jesus, there is

their family there. They were laughed at.

You know, actually in in Marie's story, she said for the first

two years of her time in in in the Canary Islands, nobody spoke

to her in public because she was different and she was a

foreigner until she had her first baby and the first baby

was over 10 lbs. Another woman go.

But because of that baby, people then realized, they realized

they had, they learnt afterwards, they tell us in

their story that in that time, if you had a healthy baby, it

means God is with you. They served the church and after

40 years they returned to Belfast and in their 70s they're

still serving the Lord. But many of the leaders of the

church in the Canary Islands today have their birth

spiritually in camps and kids ministries, in VB, s s and

conferences. And many of the elders and the

teachers in the church today was because of their investment all

those years ago. Let me tell you about their

children. They didn't have everything they

wanted, but we are told in the story that they had everything

they needed. We're told that Janice was seen

praying in the mornings for his family, the church, and the

area. Marie would walk half the night,

praying and preparing the home while the kids slept.

One of their kids today is a seminary professor impacting

thousands. He's a pastor.

Actually, he's a pastor here in the in the United States.

One of the daughters is a medical doctor, so she's in the

marketplace sharing Jesus as a doctor.

Another one is a pastor of a church in Belfast.

Actually he's one of one of the biggest churches in Belfast, and

that means one of the biggest churches in Ireland.

The other daughter is an optician in the marketplace.

The other one is a youth director.

The other one takes missionary teenagers on mission trips.

And the eldest son, actually the eldest son is me.

My parents, my brothers and I, we speak to more people in any

given Sunday than my parents ever did in their entire

ministry life. But they were faithful.

And because they were faithful, she's my mom used to say she

just prayed for us and didn't know.

What on earth are these three rascals going to do one day?

And she fought for our soul and then God did the rest.

Grandparents, parents. Never underestimate the power of

something small businessman and woman.

Even a small business dude. God's way king read it.

It's a manual for life. How to do your finances, how to

steer your business. It's unbelievable.

No, nobody can do what this is actually the world is taking the

principles from the word of God. They don't even know what I want

to show you guys. I want to show you a quick

video. And in this quick video, it was

is by a guy called Josh Howerton.

He's a pastor in Texas. And I wanted, I wanted to say

this, that the illustration and I wanted to share it.

And then I thought I'm not going to steal from him.

We pastor steal illustrations all the time.

Not your pastor, obviously not him.

No, no way. So I want you to listen about

the the well, just listen. I'm getting ready to tell you

the story of the most spiritually significant man in

our nation's history. You have never heard of this

guy. His name was Mordecai Ham, not a

famous guy. He was a he was a an American

tent revival preacher in the late 1800s, early 1900s.

In 1934 he was preaching a tent revival in Charlotte, NC and 214

year old boys saw the tent and they saw the commotion of people

and they heard this bold love of the father preaching.

They just happen to be walking by and they're like huh?

But as they walk up they see there are no seats available.

But as they walk away, an usher whose name no one knows to this

day, an usher, ran after these two 14 year old boys and grabbed

one of them and he said, hey, we can find 2 seats for you boys

together. And he walked them back, asked a

couple people to scoot over and found those 214 year old boys

seats that day. They ended up giving their lives

to Christ and consecrating themselves for the purposes of

God in their generation. One of those boys was a man we

now know as Billy Graham. Billy Graham ended up preaching

the gospel to more people than anyone else has ever preached to

in the history of the world. 10s of millions of people were

caught up into the Kingdom of God under the preaching of Billy

Graham. The other boy's name was Grady

Wilson, and he was the man that ended up helping Billy Graham

organize all of his evangelistic crusades.

He changed the world. Not Billy Graham, not Grady

Wilson, not Mordecai Ham the usher, that one man that saw 214

year old boys walking away from the faith and said not on my

watch, you get back to your voice.

Not on our watch. Let me talk to you about the

marketplace. You're in the marketplace.

Do it in the Kingdom way, whatever that is.

Plumber, do God's way. Electrician do God's way.

You clean hotel rooms, do God's way.

Just sow the seed in prayer, sow the seed with your life and it

will impact but a church, the usher, the unnamed person that

just opened the door and found two seats for two boys.

But because of those two seats and those two boys and thousands

were issued into the Kingdom of God.

You're a pastor in this place. Don't give up.

Do not compare yourself with other places.

Be fearful to the people that God has put in front of you

because small beginnings. God says progress is a promise

is a promise of progress. Some of you are like, well, I

don't I don't know what do I do? Let me talk about the church.

You know, you're growing in such a way, which is wonderful to

see, but that comes with part be part of the team.

Some of you need to be challenged to be part of what

God is doing here about being consumers.

The church is not a place of consumption.

Be participators in the Kingdom of God.

Aren't you glad there's people in the parking lot welcome you

in and helping you out? Apart rail rain.

Well, not hail because there's no hail in Florida, but hot

storm lightning. They're out there so that you

can have a seat here. You know, there's people down

that hallway right now that are telling your kids about Jesus

that are literally looking after your brats so that you can be in

here and listen to Jesus Christ. Why?

Because they love Jesus and some of you.

It's time to step into what God's doing in his Kingdom here.

Do the life steps. I know my time is gone, but I

want to challenge the church and in light of eternity, do you

like technology? There's a space for you.

You don't need to have a pH D in hospitality.

Open a door and smile at someone.

But if you don't like the smile, let's not put you on the door.

Middle schoolers? Who puts up a middle schoolers,

but there's people who love middle schoolers and tell them

about Jesus. Praise the Lord for you.

But you know what you don't have to be in the kids.

You cannot walk. See if these you know you can do

the background administrative. There's you see in the Kingdom

of God, God gives talents and gifts to people so that his body

grows so that his Kingdom grows and like a little mustard seed,

you know, I don't know, but what if the next pastor Tim is

walking through our doors and you take them to their seat?

What if the next Billy Graham or whatever got you?

What are Elon Musk who would walk in through the door?

But because of your faithfulness.

So don't give up. Give it time.

I, I, I challenge you is the Kingdom of God is like not the

Kingdom of David. Building your Kingdom will not

have God's hand. Building God's Kingdom will have

his hand. And for some reason when God

builds his Kingdom through you and I, you can rest your head at

bed at night and sleep. Things happen unexpected.

A little Irish family from nowhere meets this church and I,

you know what? And then that someday I'll have

to come back and tell you this, tell everybody the story.

I was just talking to the girl, a Colombian girl because she,

they weren't even talking to me. I was talking to her, I hope.

Just be faithful. Would you close your eyes and

bow your heads for a second? And this is not just to be a

religious thing. This is not to be a religious.

This is just so you can concentrate.

Holy Spirit, what do you want us to learn from the message from

Your Word today? Don't get distracted.

Lean into what the Holy Spirit's telling you.

Is there a small thing that you have to do?

A phone call? A text?

Is there a visit? Is there going to see someone?

Is there something you need to invest in?

Is an is it a generous gift you need to do?

What is that small thing that the Holy Spirit's been asking

you to do, but you've been ignoring it?

Lord, thank you for your word. Give us an opportunity this day,

this week to tell someone about Jesus.

But give us an opportunity this week also, Lord, to show the

love of Jesus in our life. May your Kingdom come, may your

will be done. It's not about our name, it's

about your name. And in a world of self

promotion, Lord, I pray that we promote you.

Amen. There's so many things rich and

wonderful teaching stirring around in our heart today.

But there is one thing that we don't want you to wait on.

And that is the decision or the answer.

That if the gospel were presented to you today in a way

that you understood for the very first time that coming to church

is not what makes you a Jesus follower, being good, giving

extravagantly, none of that makes us a Jesus follower.

The Bible is explicitly clear, and we want to make it really

clear and invite as we sow the seed today in all of these rich

contexts. If you haven't first chosen to

follow Jesus, you have nothing to give away.

And so today the gospel is clearly this.

The wages of sin is death. What we earn when we do it our

way is death. But the good news is that Christ

died for us while I was sinning actively in the middle of my

sin. Christ gave his life for me, not

as a anything that I earned or anything that you earned.

So if you're sitting here today and you're saying I'm having a

revelation for the first time ever that I've relied upon

myself or something I've understood about religion or

Christianity, but I've never known that what I was earning

was death and Jesus took my place.

And so clearly today we're offering you something.

Do not wait on, because this is what Romans 10 tells us.

It says the Word of Faith. It's in your mouth and it's in

your heart, and it's right there ready to birth.

And what you do is you give your agreement to the truth that

Jesus is Lord, that Christ raised him from the dead and you

believe in your heart. Confess with your mouth that

Jesus is Lord and listen to this promise.

You will be saved. This is good news.

And so the invitation for you today is to say don't wait on

this one. If God is stirring in your

heart. I believe there are people here

today that the Holy Spirit is saying this is you.

Make it undeniable. The commitment of the decision

to follow Jesus, to give your life over to him.

We're going to pray a prayer together.

We're going to partner with you by saying it out loud with you

to help you have the courage and the faith to speak it boldly.

If everyone take a posture, a prayer, close your eyes so we

can focus and we're going to say this together.

If you are making this decision and commitment today for the

first time, you just declare it boldly out loud and we will join

you. Jesus, I believe that you are

Lord, that you were crucified for me, that you are dead and

buried and raised again so I could have new life.

I put my faith, my trust, am I hope in you, and I declare you

are my Lord. Yes.

And for anyone making that decision here today, we would

love to walk with you and to stand with you as you take these

steps of faith. We're not going to ask you to do

anything weird, just to raise your hand so our ushers can

bring you a card and put it in your hand.

So if you're taking that step today for the first time, would

you raise your hand on the count of three?

And we're going to go crazy for you. 12 three God, we rejoice

with those who are being saved. Raise your hand nice and high.

Let our ushers bring this to you.

Father, we thank you for those that are being saved.

And we rejoice if you would stand to your feet as we close

our service. If you received one of those

cards today, your best next step is to bring it to one of our

prayer encouragers that are about to appear right here.

Anybody can come forward for prayer.

They're ready to receive you, to pray with you, encourage you,

especially if you made that decision of faith today.

As you go about this week, would you remember and join us in

continuing to pray for Vacation Bible School?

If you would commit to that, would you say I will?

And then if you would open your hands and receive a blessing,

that just says, I want everything God has for me.

And so by the word and by the life giving spirit, I say over

you according to the word, you have everything that you need,

that God finishes everything that he starts, that he is the

author and perfector of your faith.

And that as you give him the smallest seed and step of faith,

he will do what only he can do to produce a hundredfold harvest

in your life. And if you're willing to receive

that, would you say Amen, Amen. If you have children in kids

ministry, go out these doors, turn left, left and left.

You'll find them. God bless you.

We'll see you this week.