HINDSIGHT: LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD | Part 3 | The Metanarrative

Praise

God.

Hallelujah.

So, uh, we need to pray for our

announcements team.

>> They're kind of fun, aren't they?

>> Yeah. Uh, Pastor Mark, wherever you

went, I think we I think you should

continue doing announcements. Uh, all in

favor, say, "I."

>> I.

>> Motion carried. There it is.

Praise the Lord. Hey, if you're a first-

time guest with us, uh, my name is Ben.

I have the opportunity to serve as lead

pastor here. And, uh, we're going to dig

into the word of God. Is that all right?

>> Good. Because I'm going to do it anyway.

>> Hallelujah. Uh, pray with me. Father, we

thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank

you for your written word, but Father,

we thank you right now in this moment

for your spoken word. And Lord, we pray

above all else, God, that you would

speak a fresh revelation into our

spirit, into our heart. Father, that

when we leave here, we'll know that

we've heard from heaven. And God, I

thank you for the anointing upon the

preaching of your word today, God. That

Father, you'll cut through all of the

distractions, Father. all of the

oppositions, all of the things, Lord,

that would try to fight us from

receiving from you today, God, by the

authority you've given me in Jesus name,

I bind every distraction in this

atmosphere.

>> And Lord, I thank you that your Holy

Spirit prevails.

>> So Lord, we trust you

in this hour in Jesus name. Amen.

>> Well, hey, we're in a series called

Hindsight. And uh if you've been with us

the last couple of weeks, uh week one we

uh kind of unpacked uh the initial kind

of setup of looking back to move

forward. We said this week one, my past

is not my prison. It's my weapon. Isn't

that good news? Uh a lot of times we

become a prisoner of our past instead of

a product of our past. Uh we also said

this week one we said your past victory

is the down payment on your future

deliverance.

That's good news. Uh last week we kind

of continued uh the idea and talked

about romanticizing our past. Uh

sometimes we look back through

rosecolored glasses at those seasons of

sin or those seasons that we weren't

really serving God faithfully and uh we

tell ourselves something about that

season that makes it all sound good

rather than looking back and telling the

truth about that season uh of really the

devastation that comes with a sin life

or whatever it is. And this is what we

said. We said never romanticize what God

says destroys you.

We also said this, stop giving the

former things power over your future

things.

So this week we're going to continue to

move forward and uh want to uh really

take us deeper today. Uh anyone in here

familiar with any of the shared universe

movie series? Marvel uh the Star Wars uh

series, you know, you guys familiar with

those? Uh really they're interesting

because you can watch a lot of

individual episodes or movies, right? Uh

but you have to really if you really

want to get everything out of it,

there's an overarching story. They call

it a meta narrative, right? Uh that kind

of uh each individual

movie is pulling from the larger story,

the overarching

story

uh meta narrative.

It's uh

in the movies we have separate stories

but collect collectively tell a bigger

story. Uh we see it in all sorts of

films. Um Mission Impossible, right? The

ones that have way too many uh numbers

like Rocky, like how many Rockies were

there?

>> Yeah, like a gazillion. Uh Fast and

Furious. There's kind of a meta

narrative with that. haven't seen them

all, but but understand enough about it

to know that there's an overarching

story that each of these individual

stories are kind of fitting into. And uh

the where we're at uh with that is that

God in the the in the world of theology

has a meta narrative. Theologians talk

about it. It's the overarching story

uh told through thousands of individual

biblical stories,

right? And so, man, if we just read our

Bible and and we're looking at each of

the individual stories, uh, that's

great. But really, when you look from

Genesis to Revelation, there's an

overarching

story of God that God is telling, and

each of the individual stories support

the larger story. You guys with me so

far? It's a meta narrative. The

revelation that I hope you catch before

you leave today is that your story is

part of God's bigger story. the meta

narrative.

If you're in Christ, you're living

inside of God's story.

Your life,

I want to kind of come against the way

that our normal mindset is, the way that

we think about life. Your life is not

just a bunch of random episodes.

It's not just this. And sometimes this

is the way that we tell ourselves the

story that this happened and then that

happened and and man, I'm hoping 2026 is

going to be better, right? And so we

look back and we go, man, last last

year, you know, we went through this.

This was kind of a tough season or we

went through this, man. This was a great

blessing. So we went through this, we

went through that, then we're hoping

that this year is better,

right?

The revelation that I hope you catch is

that God

is overarching

the story of your life. Psalm 37 and

verse 23 says this. It says the Lord say

the Lord

>> Lord

>> the Lord directs the steps of the godly.

Are you godly?

That phone's not godly.

Just playing. The Lord dist directs the

steps of the godly. It says this, he

delights in every detail of their lives.

Now, think about this. We give our life

to Christ. We get in right alignment

with with God. It doesn't mean that

we're perfect. It means that God's

forgiven us from our past, from our

sins, and now we're standing on the

platform of salvation. This is this is

the godly lifestyle. It says that God is

intimately interested and involved in

every little detail

of your life.

Verse 24 I really like it says though

they stumble. Anyone in here ever

stumble.

Though they stumble, they will never

fall for the Lord upholds them

by the hand. Proverbs 16:9 says this,

Proverbs 16:9

"The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps."

We make a lot of plans, don't we?

And God's bringing this up now because

the first of the year, man, we're kind

of looking my my calendar's full all the

way through next Christmas already. I

mean, I just I got a lot of stuff. And

so, I get in that mindset of, man, we're

trying to navigate uh family vacation

this summer and all the all the

different things. When are we going to

do this? How are we going to do that?

And while we get in that mindset of

making a lot of plans, we all make plans

in our heart. God is going to ordain

every step. Establishes your steps.

Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans

Proverbs 19:21

in a person's heart, but it is the

Lord's purpose that prevails."

If you're taking notes this morning,

write this down.

You're not living a random life. You're

living a guided life.

That's the sovereignty of God. And

that's how much the father wants to be

involved with his sons and daughters.

You're part of God's meta narrative.

I'll say this. Every scene, every

chapter, every twist,

everything that you didn't see coming,

he saw coming. Every part of it is part

of God's bigger story for your life. So

today, I want to look at three things.

Number one is that your past is

producing.

Your past is producing. Number two, your

present is purposeful.

Present tense. What you're doing here

today that has purpose. And number

three, your future is pending.

Say pending.

>> Let's dig in. Number one, your past is

producing.

Your past is producing. 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in verse 17. For our momentary light

affliction

is producing. Say producing. Our

momentary light affliction is producing

for us an eternal weight of glory far

beyond all comparison.

New Living Translation puts it this way.

It says, "For our present troubles are

small and won't last very long." Can I

can I say this? What feels heavy to us

in the moment in the lens of heaven is

very small and momentary,

right? And so, man, we get in those

seasons where it feels like everything's

coming against us and we're going, "God,

this is too big for me. This is too much

for me." And God says, "No, I got you.

>> This isn't very big at all." Uh, matter

of fact, you know, we we look at uh God

versus the devil sometimes and we and we

think about this battle of of God and

his angel army, and then we think of the

devil and his demons and all this stuff,

and we think that they're somehow

equally compared. Uh that's radically

not the truth because the devil is a

created being that got himself kicked

out of heaven. We kind of talked about

this last week. And when we're talking

about God, the eternal nature of God, I

mean, God always has been. When we're

talking about God and how big he is, and

we look at the devil, the devil is is

this little

>> Amen. Yeah.

>> But when the devil shows up in your

life, he presents himself as this big

opposition.

When you're in Christ, these afflictions

that we go through,

they're light and momentary.

Paul is saying this really, what you

walk through and what you're walking

through, it's not just something that

you survive, but it's producing in you

an eternal weight of glory.

2 Corinthians 3:18 talks about us being

2 Corinthians 3:18

transformed from glory to glory. Say

glory.

>> Glory.

>> So our light and momentary afflictions

are producing for us an eternal weight

of glory. And we're being transformed

from glory to glory. I'm thankful that

my spiritual maturity didn't end after

year one of becoming a Christian.

>> But I'm thankful that I've been through

a few things and that God continues to

transform me. Even though that season of

salvation was a season of glory, God has

transformed me from glory to glory.

Now I'm starting to creep into that old

part. We're getting a lot of glories

under our belt, right?

from glory

to glory. There's transformation.

That breakup that you went through

wasn't just pain.

It was producing discernment.

Remember our light and momentary

afflictions are producing in us that

financial collapse.

Anyone ever been through one of those or

five of those?

Remember that season? and it just didn't

didn't go your way, man. And you're

going, "Wow, how are we going to survive

financially?"

That financial collapse wasn't just

loss. It was producing dependence on

God.

Amen.

>> It was producing something in you. That

delay

wasn't just frustrating,

it was producing patience

and depth. Remember years ago people

used to say don't pray for patience.

Don't don't pray for that man. Well, I I

heard this my pastor preached a an

amazing sermon about uh waiting on the

Lord, right? Mounting up with wings as

eagles. You'll run and not be weary.

You'll walk and not faint. Really drove

home that that idea of man that that

attribute of patience. It's a fruit of

the Holy Spirit. And and I evaluated my

own life and I said, "Man, I don't have

a lot of that cuz I'm I'm one of those

guys, right?" And uh, man, I want what I

want when I want it. Anyone else?

>> Yeah. And I see something and I think

it's good, man. I just go. I just go and

I go, "Man, I I think I need some

patience." So, I prayed for patience.

>> You guys have done it, too. Yeah. All of

a sudden, I'm waiting

everywhere.

>> Everywhere. I don't know how many times

I would just my God God and I would just

have this chuckle together uh because

and I've got time and I'm I'm one that

puts backtoback uh schedule and all this

stuff and and I walk in what should be a

a really quick thing and there's a line

and the machine's broke and all this

stuff and I'm just like man it has to be

done and so I get to sit here and wait.

Yeah. You guys ever been in a traffic

jam,

>> you know? And I'm not just saying like a

couple minutes. Like you've been in a

traffic jam and you realize how much

patience you don't have.

Yeah. I'm like serious. Uh confession

time.

Traffic jam so bad. My wife can tell I

was that guy that went over the rumble

strips and went on the side and said, "I

can see my exit. I can see it. I It's

right there and I'm not going to wait

another hour and a half to get up there.

and

it's a long time ago.

Thanks for listening. I feel closer to

you now.

Pray for patience. You know, sometimes

we get in that place. We're going, "Uh,

God, I know you want to bless me and I

believe that you know that God spoke

that. This is a good thing for you." And

God says, "Yeah, I I I agree with that,

but why don't you wait a little while?"

And while it's frustrating, it's

developing something in you that cannot

come any other way. You can't read about

it in a textbook. You can't uh do

disciplehip classes and and learn all of

that. There's some things that you have

to go through in order to get you where

God wants you.

You have to feel it.

Your trouble

is not wasted. It's working.

Write this down if you're taking notes.

What you walked through yesterday

is producing what will carry you

tomorrow.

It's the way I look at it. Every chapter

counts.

Every season is valuable. Romans chapter

Romans 8 · chapter mention

8 28 says, "We know that for those who

love God," do you love God?

>> Yes,

>> man. If you do, you're in the right

place. For those that love God, all

things, say, "All things."

>> All things work together for good.

for those who are called according

to his purpose.

Not all things are good. Uh you guys

ever read the Bible and uh want to write

your own translation? Because I would

like that a whole lot better. You know,

man, if you're in Christ, all things are

good. I'd be like, "Woo, we we we won,

man. This is easy."

>> No, it says all things work together for

your good. Amen.

That means there's going to be some

things that don't feel so good, don't

seem so good,

>> aren't real comfortable, but somehow

that's working together

for good.

Your past isn't

just your story.

When we give it to God, God redeems

every part of it. Every scene, every

chapter, every trial, every opposite,

every failure.

When we really surrender ourselves to

his lordship and we give it to him, God

redeems every part of it and makes it

valuable for your present and valuable

for your future. Not for your glory, but

for his glory.

There's a tension though

that happens when things get rough.

I've been there too many times where uh

where God has me starts to get

uncomfortable.

I mean, we started out, I knew God

called me and and we get going through

it and all of a sudden the honeymoon

phase wears off

and now I find myself in a place where

I'm really struggling just to stay where

God wants me to stay.

had some tough seasons. Anyone in here

ever had some tough seasons,

man.

Long time ago, my wife and I, we almost

got a divorce,

separated from each other, no sin in our

life. I'm a senior pastor of a church,

struggling in our relationship, and

somehow we just couldn't figure out how

to how to make it work. And divorce

really was outside of my theology. It

wasn't even on the table. It was

something that I really stood

biblically. I stood against it. Like,

hey, we're that's just not okay. Unless

there's biblical grounds, there was no

biblical grounds. And I'm going, man, I

don't know. I can't I can't go home. I

don't know how to live. We don't know

how to do this thing right.

Can I tell you that was a tough season.

Can I tell you the enemy played on me in

that season? Even though I made covenant

with God and covenant with her, God

called me to it. And I'm standing in

that moment where the when it things got

a little bit rough and I'm thinking

about running.

Oh, you guys have never been there.

God carried us through.

>> Yeah. Praise God. I'd be a bum without

her.

>> Yeah. And I wouldn't look this good. I

just got to say,

>> mama keeps me looking good.

Yeah.

Rather than stay where you're planted

and endure,

we want to leave. We talk ourselves

out of the trial and into comfort.

Number one is that your past is

producing.

Number two is your present

is purposeful.

Your present pain has purpose.

Not only taking all of the stuff from

the past and giving it to God and and

letting God redeem it, but where you're

standing right now, what you're up

against right now, what you're feeling,

what you're thinking, that that present

pain, it has purpose. I want to give you

a little bit of a story out of the Old

Testament. Uh many of us are familiar

with Abraham, uh father in the faith,

celebrated in scripture. I mean really

uh all the way all of Israel, all of

Christianity really kind of goes back uh

to Abraham and his faithfulness. Amen.

And in Genesis 12, it's where God uh

calls Abram and God says, "Go to the

land and I'll show you." And and he

gives a promise with this, right? Uh he

says, "Through you, I'll make you a

great nation." In other words, man, I'm

going to bless you. I'm going to bless

your family. I'm going to bless your

land. Don't we all like when we get that

message from God? And I love the details

that God gives Abram, right? This nice

detailed plan of how all this is going

to happen. He says, "Go to the land and

I'll show you."

God, can I get a little more a little

more how this is going to kind of unfold

and how this is going to happen. And a

lot of times, God will just give us that

little nugget. And the Bible says it's

impossible to please God without faith.

God has the whole story. God has the

whole plan for your life. And it's not

about you knowing the plan. And it's

about you trusting the planner.

>> Amen.

>> And so he says, "Go to the land and I'll

show you, man. I'm going to bless you.

I'm going to make you a great nation."

And so Abraham obeys. He goes uh he gets

there and God Abraham honors God and

builds this altar at a place near Bethl,

calls on the name of the Lord. And Bethl

is a place that represents a time where

Abram heard from God clearly.

where Abram said yes to God.

So they're there, they set up, man,

God's blessing them.

Some seasons pass and a new season

comes. And the Bible talks about this

famine that hits the land.

You ever live through a famine

spiritually and emotionally?

Rather than stay

in the famine, rather than turn to God

to see God, what are you doing in this

season,

Abraham gets uncomfortable in the place

that God has called him?

And Abram takes his family, they uproot

everything, and they run to Egypt. It's

quite a journey south to go to Egypt

because he had heard that, hey, there's

no famine down there. Pharaoh kind of

sets over the land and they're they're

doing good. Let's let's pack up and go

there.

So,

they travel to Egypt.

Reading the story, it seems like Sarah,

his wife, she must have been a hottie.

She must have been quite a looker

>> because man, they're approaching this

and and obviously Abram's heard some

stuff about uh Pharaoh and kind of how

he operates and there's a little bit of

fear and so uh Abram comes up with some

some lies about uh his wife uh so

Pharaoh doesn't steal her.

Right.

So now he's uprooted himself from the

place that God called him to. And even

as they're approaching this wrong place

that they think is going to be a

blessing,

he starts compromising

in his relationship with God.

Starts lying,

forfeiting his integrity.

He steps out of alignment

with God. Does any of this sound

familiar to your own life?

I mean, I've lived this story. Sometime

I read through the Bible like, "Oh,

yeah. No, that was me. things got tough

and I I uprooted and I bailed and I went

I went the other way and thinking that

God's not going to provide for me and

and God you didn't bring me this far

just leave me hanging and I start

turning into th those children in the

wilderness going you're not even going

to feed us you're not even going to take

care of us and you guys ever complain

with God

yeah God why did you even bring me here

if this is what how you're going to

treat me

you guys know that we're spoiled little

brats in our sunship to God right?

Brought me here. Just you got me

married. He's a jerk. He's just a jerk

all the time. This is why you told me to

marry this man.

Yeah.

Stepping out of alignment.

Sometimes life gets hard. The calling on

your life gets hard.

The place that God has you gets hard.

And we drift. We compromise.

really we start leaning on our own

understanding. But watch what happens in

Genesis 13

verses three and th three and four from

the Ngev he went from place to place

until say until

>> until he came to Bethl.

So man he kind of kind of finds it's a

symbol of sin. He goes to Pharaoh and

he's lying and all this stuff and and

not really trusting God in this season.

Says, "Man, he's he's going back. Let's

let's go back to this area." He gets

back to to back going from place to

place and he finds Bethl. And the Bible

says this to let the peace of God rule

and reign in your heart that it's the

standard. It's the rule for your life

and it's the supreme authority. Let it

rain.

Let the peace of God rule and reign in

your heart. And I picture kind of that

that season that Abram's in and as he's

uh been through this situation with

Egypt and Pharaoh and and kind of the

anxiety and the you know he he led his

whole all of his people there

and I'm sure he's leaving there in shame

and turmoil. I'm sure the people that

are following him are looking at him

some kind of way

going Abram, this was not a good

experience.

Not even sure why we're why we're

following you now. We're going, you're

taking us right back to where the famine

is now.

He's going from place to place and he

ends up back at Bethl. That place where

he had built the altar, that place that

he had connected with God, that he had

heard from God, where things made sense.

And I picture him with all of his

anxieties and turmoils and struggles

showing up at that place and finding

that sense of peace once again,

getting back to the place that he needs

to be in order to move forward

with God.

Someone in here has drifted.

Someone in here has gotten away from

where God called you to and you've been

feeling that angst,

that place you've been compromising in

that season. And God wants to say to you

to get back to Bethl,

get back to that last place that you

connected with heaven

that God spoke to you.

That wasn't in my notes. that was free

from place to place until he came

to Bethl

to the place where his tent had been at

the beginning

to the altar he had made at first.

And there Abram called on the name of

the Lord.

There Abram called on the name of the

Lord. But I've been through seasons

where I got out of place with God. I got

out of bounds with God and couldn't even

bring myself to talk to God.

Have you been there?

Get sat back to that place of

realignment, that place of peace.

Finally feels the freedom to talk to

God.

He made it back to Bethl.

If you're taking notes, you can write

this down.

If you always escape what God wants you

to endure,

you'll never become who God called you

to be.

If you always escape

what God wants you to endure,

you'll never become

who God called you to be.

I was kind of studying this this last

week and praying through it and I go,

"Man, what if the story was changed a

little bit? What if what if Abram didn't

go to Egypt and run from the famine?

What would Abram have benefited if he

just stayed in the famine?"

I found a couple things.

Number one, he would have discovered

found God as provider.

He would have been able to expand his

faith in such a way as to say, "God, you

called me to this place. God, you said

that you're going to bless us in this

place, and you haven't said to leave

this place, and so, Father, I'm staying

put. I'm staying right where you called

me. And Lord, I don't know how you're

going to do it, but I'm trusting you to

to provide for your people."

He would have leaned on God with faith

in such a way as to learn to know God as

provider.

And he would have never

gotten to know Pharaoh as provider. When

you're reading the Bible,

the Old Testament, Pharaoh is a type of

devil. Amen. It's a it's a it's a

symbol. It's an idea of the enemy forces

that come against God's people. Excuse

me.

God had already said, "Go to the land

and I'll show you." God already promised

to bless them

there.

Here's what

he could have learned

and maybe that we'll learn. That God can

sustain you in the place that he called

you.

God can sustain you in the place that he

called you. Even when the conditions

look bad,

you don't have to run to Egypt every

time the resources get light.

Look at your neighbor and say, "Stay

where you're planted."

I mean, too often we trade character in

the famine for compromise in Egypt.

for Abram that

character in the famine. He's kind of

thinking about the long story because we

know Abraham's future.

God promises him a son and that son

doesn't come in the time frame that him

and Sarah thought it should come, right?

And instead of staying the course and

say, "God, I I know that I know you said

this and so I'm going to trust you with

it." Abraham decides he's going to help

God out and go sleep with his mistress

and birth get a child that way. And so

he birthed this son named Ishmamail

instead of waiting for his Isaac. I

wonder if Abraham would have stayed in

the famine and learned to trust God as

provider and learned that patience piece

and and got everything in that season.

I'm almost sure that he would have had

the faith to endure

waiting for his Isaac.

If he stayed, his faith would have grown

under pressure

instead of shrinking and compromise.

Sometimes my experience is

that the famine is where God will grow

you the most.

You have to stand on the promises of

God. Jeremiah 29:11,

Jeremiah 29:11

we know it. says, "For I know the plans

I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans

for welfare and not for evil, to give

you a future and a hope."

I build a little context. This is kind

of a cliche scripture that we have on

bumper stickers and t-shirts and hats

and all over the place. And can I say

that this scripture was never really

designed uh to be in a kid's graduation

card?

When God spoke this, he was speaking to

a people in exile. Uh people that were

far from home,

people that weren't in the place that

they really

hoped that they would be.

God's speaking to them going, "Hey, you

know, you might not be where you think

you should be right now, but know this.

I have a plan for you. I have a hope and

a future for you. and stick with me

because I will get you there. Amen.

So, Abram goes back to Bethl

to recalibrate.

I wrote this down.

If you only obey when the land looks

good, the world never never gets to see

what your God can do when it doesn't.

Some of the ways that my faith has been

expanded is

watching what my pastor went through,

watching how he endured great

opposition,

great struggle.

My pastor in full-time ministry lost

lost his first wife at a fairly young

age to cancer.

They had 12 children.

watched him not get bitter at God, but

watched him learn to depend on God in a

way that he never could have

experienced.

Now, was that God's plan for her life or

for his life? I don't know. I'm not God.

But I do know that what he walked

through in that season made him a

powerhouse in the faith.

And it wouldn't have come any other way.

And if

we walk through this season and things

get rough and we bail out on God, we'll

never receive what God has for us.

Some things you can't just hear about.

You have to go through.

You have to feel it. You have to

experience it. Revelation chapter 2,

Revelation 2 · chapter mention

Jesus is speaking to the church at

Ephesus

2:5 says this. He says, "Remember the

height from which you have fallen.

Repent." Say, "Repent."

>> Repent.

>> "And do the works you did at first."

Jesus at one point was talking to one of

his disciples about coming back to their

first love.

I think about this. You know, we get in

this place that we get so far from God

and then we feel the shame to even come

back to God. Have you been there?

He says, ' Remember the height from

which you fallen. Remember that that

platform, that place that you were at

and then look back at that and he says,

repent.

Repent means turn around. Stop going the

direction that's causing destruction and

get yourself back to the place. Really,

I see three words, three ideas in the

scripture. Remember,

repent,

and then repeat,

do the works that you did at first.

Sometimes the only way forward is back.

Let me say this. You don't get to God's

next word by ignoring the last word you

walked away from.

You got to get back.

What has God spoke to you?

What calling are you running from?

What place got a little too

uncomfortable for you to sit still?

Number three in your notes is your

future is pending. Say pending.

>> Anyone in here do Facebook marketplace?

Buy or sell stuff? Yeah. Yesterday I

actually sold a uh motorcycle seat on

Facebook Marketplace.

Bought it. Didn't like it. Trying to

recoup some of my money. Just collecting

dust in the garage, right? find this

guy, man. Going down there to sell it to

him. I gotta say, man, some of the biker

dudes. Pretty intimidating. This was a

huge, very scary man. He's one of the

1enters.

Lincoln went with me. So, we're in this

parking lot, right? Get out. And he was

a nice guy, but I was just like just

this monster. I was like, "You're one of

the most intimidating looking humans

I've ever seen in my life." He turns

around, he's got the outlaws thing on.

That wasn't in my notes.

The marketplace. You guys ever seen the

status turn pending? All right. Or use

that that pending status. What it says

is, "Hey, uh, you're expected to come

get it. It's pending right now, but the

deal isn't done until you show up.

Your future

is pending.

The sale is assumed, but not yet

finalized."

Meaning basically

the blessings that God has spoke over

you, the peace of God that spoke over

you, the provision of God that spoke

over you is all yes, but it's pending.

The fact that you show up where God's

calling you to show up or that you stay

in the uncomfortable place that God says

stay, I've got you. It's pending.

It's basically yours.

just waiting on you to show up.

The promise is real. The blessing

blessings are real.

But there are steps that we have to take

to get there.

Here's what I want you to catch. What

you build today becomes your tomorrow.

Say build.

>> Let me say it another way.

What you do today,

what you choose today

paves the way for your tomorrow, whether

in the right direction

or the wrong.

Sometimes we get so focused on what

we're going to get from God this year,

we haven't even thought about what we're

going to build for God this year.

Serving God isn't about receiving

>> from God. It's a byproduct of being

faithful.

It's really God, what am I going to do

for you this year? How can I be faithful

even when it's uncomfortable? How can I

be a blessing to you even when I don't

feel like being a blessing?

How can I give generously even when I

don't have it to give? How can I step up

and offer my time to you, God, when I

don't feel like I have the time?

Daily devotions. You guys ever been in

that war? My schedule gets so crazy and

man, I go, "Well, I I got an early

morning thing, so I can't really knock

it out this morning." Uh, and so I'll do

it later. And then and then all of a

sudden later something else comes up.

And then later something else comes up

and I'm going, "Why? Why aren't I giving

God my first fruits?

Amen.

>> Why is God getting the scraps off the

table of when I can fit it in?

>> What am I offering to God?

The prayer life that you build today

becomes the breakthrough you walk in

tomorrow.

Man, you can write that down.

The boundaries that you set today

become the peace and the security that

you live in tomorrow. The generosity you

practice today becomes the provision

that chases you down tomorrow.

The obedience you choose today becomes

the testimony that you share with others

tomorrow.

I've learned this.

What you do daily becomes you

permanently.

In Matthew 7 and verse 24, and I'll try

to close with this

idea,

Jesus said this. He said,

"Everyone then who hears these words of

mine, catch this, and does them."

Everyone who hears these words of mine

and does them.

There is a epidemic in Christianity

that we come Sunday after Sunday after

Sunday and we hear and we know exactly

what we're supposed to do. But somehow

we don't end up doing them. I know that

I'm supposed to be reading my Bible. I

know that I'm supposed to have a healthy

prayer life. I know that I'm supposed to

do this. I know that I'm supposed to I

know this, but somehow I don't do it.

I'm preaching this way because I preach

this way to myself.

Amen.

Sometimes I got to preach myself

straight.

Give myself a little kick in the rear

and say, "No, that's not enough just to

know what you're supposed to do." The

Bible says to know the good you ought to

do and don't do it to you is sin.

Almost started preaching.

Jesus said, "Everyone who hears these

words of mine and does them will be like

a wise man who build his house on the

rock."

The rain fell, the floods came, the

winds blew and beat on that house,

but it did not fall

because it had been founded on the rock.

The storms are coming

some point. It's not all cupcakes and

roses till you get to heaven.

There's more trials to be had,

more wars to fight,

more spiritual opposition

that's coming your way. And what you

build on today will determine, let me

say this, what you do today will

determine if you stand tomorrow.

I watched too many fall away from the

faith when things got hard.

God says, "I know the plans I have for

you,

declares the Lord.

Plans to prosper you and not to harm

you. Plans to give you a hope

and a future."

He says, "I know the plans I have for

you. Not

I will bless your plans." God says, "I

have a plan for you."

Some of you in here might not know this.

Before I was in full-time ministry,

I was a professional chef.

It's a long time ago. Feels like a

different life.

I've been in ministry 20 plus years now.

But as a professional chef and not just

a cook in a kitchen, but I'll say this,

a lot of times I talk to people and they

go, "Well, I've been to good restaurants

before. I I worked at fourstar

restaurant. I don't know if you know how

hard it is to get the stars and actually

be recognized."

We have this system in uh in America,

the way that our restaurants are kind of

designed. It's kind of that alleart

mentality, isn't it? Hey, you show up

and you get the menu and you go, "Man, I

think I'm in the mood for this and hey,

I'll take a side of that and if you can

bring it." So, you kind of pick and

choose. It's all a cart.

There's another mentality at very

expensive, very fine dining restaurants

called tab doi

means host table. It's French because

all good things cuisine

come from France. Can I just say this?

My last name is Leu. That's French,

baby. Come on. Le

Yeah. My family's been in America since

the 1600s. So,

French by name only.

Todd,

the restaurant. I'll give you a little

context of one of the restaurants I

worked at.

Uh, you don't order off of a menu. The

chef is so amazing.

And some of you know Chaz. Chaz attends

our church. He's the chef that trained

me. Uh, much better chef to me. He made

a life out of it. Platinum plate of

Warren winner. I mean, this guy's can

cook anything amazing. So, when you go,

the chef is so amazing. The restaurant

has such uh notoriety that when you show

up, you know that whatever the chef

makes is going to be absolutely amazing.

Uh we would do seven course or we would

do 12 course and and in between each

meal they would get served sorbet to

cleanse your pallet. Yes. And we had

those those waiters, you know, the ones

they come out. They they'd let you smell

the cork of the wine

and they would

Oh, I served some really snoody people.

Yeah. They do the the little swirl.

They would just look up and go. And I'm

like, "It's a $300 bottle of wine, dude.

Get your life together." Like, "You

already opened it. I'll take it home."

You know, golly. Don't let that thing go

to waste. Sheesh.

Is he talking about wine in church?

There was stuff on the menu. I was a

small town kid from rural Michigan. And

I find myself in this world of upper

class. And man, I used to make good

money. And there would be things on this

menu I'd never heard of. Goose liver

pate.

>> I mean, there is not a day in my life

I'd walk into Jo-Ann's and be like, "You

got any goose liver pate?

could you grind up some goose livers and

put that on my plate? Like that just

sounds vile, right? And they always

these fancy names. So, hey, you're not

looking at the menu say goose liver p

some fancy, you know, all the stuff and

es cargo and caviar and all these

things. And the way the chef would

prepare it, he'd say, "Take a little

taste." I'm like, "I don't know, dude.

It's not my jam. Take a little taste."

And I would taste it and I'm like, "Uh,

heaven in my mouth."

>> Like flavor explode. like this is the

most delicate, incredible, amazing. And

so people would come in and they would

never order goose liver pate, but

somehow the way the chef prepared any I

mean it was just amazing, right?

Can I tell you that our relationship

with God is not alikart?

Yeah, we like to make it that way. We

like to look at the menu for 2026. I'd

like to get a raise at work. I'd like to

if you could strengthen uh strengthen

this relationship. I would really like

if you could bless me over here. And and

you know what? My motorcycle's getting a

little old. If I could get a new one

this year, that'd be great, God. And we

we start we start picking off the menu

and we start putting in our order to God

like he's our like he's our waiter. Like

he came to your spiritual table and

said, "How can I serve you this year?"

Can I tell you what salvation is?

Salvation is making him lord of your

life. That means he's the master chef.

He's the one that calls all the shots.

He's the one that's making your menu for

2026 and 27 and 28 and 30 and 40 and 50.

Some of the boomers looked at me like, I

don't know if I'll be around 50,

man. Uncle Art set the standard. You can

make it to 2050, baby. Come on.

Can I say this? The steps of a good man

are ordained by God.

The devil doesn't have the authority in

your life you think he has.

You're a child of God.

>> You're a son or daughter of the most

high God.

And God already has a plan. I have a

plan for you, declares the Lord. It's a

plan to prosper you and to give you a

hope and a future.

Amen.

So Lord, whatever's on the menu this

year,

goose liver or not,

I'm going to eat it. I'm going to like

it.

Never would have ordered goose. Never

would have ordered the diagnosis. Never

would have ordered the financial

struggle. Never would have ordered it.

Never would have ordered it. But can I

tell you that if God's in it, this light

and momentary affliction is producing

something in you.

I'm not preaching a popular gospel

today, but I'm telling you the truth.

God's for you, not against you. I'm

going to ask the worship team to join me

up here.

Anyone

in here get rebellious at the

restaurant? You ever order dessert

first?

It's one of my favorite things about

going out with Pastor Larry. Good one.

For those of you that know him, we go to

these big banquetss and all this stuff

and he's not waiting for the entree,

doesn't he, Karen? He's always grabbing

the dessert and he's asking if you're

going to eat yours.

And I'm like, we're at the black tie

event. I'm like, "You're breaking all

the rules, Pastor Larry. We're not

supposed to do that." But you know what?

Hand me that cake, too, cuz

I'm about to get down. That sounds

pretty good.

And I say this in in in the life that we

live with God, we're not always going to

get dessert first, even when you want

it.

God's curated a menu for you.

You wanted dessert, he brought you

discipline.

You wanted comfort. He served you

character.

Look at your neighbor and say, "God's

got you."

Stand to our feet all over this house.

Praise you, Jesus.

Thank you, Lord. Father, we receive of

you today.

Lord, we pray that our heart's cry would

be, "It is well with my soul. It is

well,

Father. You're at the helm of our

lives."

And God, we trust you with it. And

Father, we believe that everything you

bring to us, God, if you bring us to it,

you're going to take us through it.

So, Father, we thank you, Lord, for this

season that you have us in right now.

Father, I speak over those that are in a

season of struggle and opposition.

Father, I pray that they stay the

course.

I pray that they stay where you've

planted them, God. That they'll receive

from you. That God, what they can only

receive in this season. Father, I thank

you for blessing them. And Father, I

pray today, God, that we're more

intentional than we ever have been about

building today for our future with you

tomorrow,

God, that we allow ourselves

to be fully surrendered to your

lordship.

And Father, whatever's on the menu this

year, we receive it from you.

Thank you, Lord. Whatever's on the menu

this year, Father, I receive it from

you. Thank you, Lord. Could you just say

that in your own way to God? Could you

just make that confession, Father,

whatever you bring me this year,

Lord? I I'm going to walk through it,

Lord. I'm thankful for it. Let me

receive in that season, Lord. What the

things that only I can receive from you.

Thank you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Could we

worship the go the Lord together? Thank

you, Jesus. We lift up your name today,

God. We worship you, Father. You're

above all things, Lord. Thank you,

Jesus. You're worthy today.

Thank you, Father. So, Father, I thank

you for releasing blessing on every soul

in this room in Jesus name.

Amen. We're going to close with a song

of worship. Our prayer team is going to

come forward. If you need prayer for

anything,

whatever that is, I want to ask you to

take a step of faith today. If it's

salvation,

if you're hearing this message and

going, "Man, I don't think I've ever

really trusted him. I don't know if I've

ever really made him Lord of my life. I

want to encourage you to step out in

faith and come forward and

let one of our incredible people pray

with you salvation. And maybe you're in

a season that you're going, "Man, I'

I've thought about bailing. I've thought

about I'm struggling,

but I want to stay where God has me." I

want to invite you to come pray.

If you just need a touch of God in your

life, a fresh touch of heaven in your

life, I want to invite you to come and

let us pray with you and believe God for

your miracle.

We serve a good God. Amen.

>> We serve a faithful God and God's going

to see you through.

Praise the Lord. Let's worship the Lord

together.

All

right.