Stewarding the Impossible

So, stewardship, we defined it last time. To summarize it, it's the responsibility of managing

God's agenda, God's intent, God's purpose, and God's property in a way that causes it

to increase with accountability but without ownership. We can't own it, we can't exert

control over it, but we will be accountable for it. And so it's managing the responsibility

of managing God's agenda, His intent, His purpose, His property in a way that causes

it to increase with accountability. And sometimes the accountability has to be to the person

who gave you the responsibility. Sometimes it's not an invisible God, it's a visible

person but without ownership. So that's how we defined it last time. And so when it comes

to stewarding the impossible, we start with Jeremiah 12.5. Jeremiah 12.5 says, if men

wear you down, how will you compete with horses? If men wear you down, how will you compete

with horses? As in, if things that are in the realm of the seen, of the visible, of

the tangible, if that is something you can't handle, then how are you going to handle doing

the impossible? And so these are statements we made long ago but I just wanted to bring

them out again. Because we are made in the image of God and because He's supernatural,

here's a strange statement which we find hard to believe but which is true. Because

we are made in His image and because He's supernatural, it is unnatural for a believer

to not have an appetite for the impossible. That's not how we think, that's who we are.

It's unnatural, meaning it's not natural for a believer to not have an appetite for

the impossible. Because that's the realm that He operates in. He's supernatural, we are

made in His image, so it is unnatural for a believer to not have an appetite for the

impossible. That we avoid it, that we don't think like this is different, but it's not

the truth about us. And he pushed back on that, anything you want to challenge on that

statement. Because it goes against the grain of everything that we humans believe about

ourselves. But as believers, like it or not, you're a different species. And if that statement

is true, then the next statement applies too. What impossible divine enterprise are you

presently engaged in? What impossible divine enterprise are you presently engaged in? Not

necessarily on a solo trip, but even corporately. The word engaged is important there. One

can be in a boxing arena and not be engaged. You can be sitting on the sidelines or one

can be court-side and, I mean, you're going this way too. Yesterday, when you were watching

baseball, there were moments when you were engaged and then it would be up and down.

The point being, what impo... And so here's the question we all have to ask. What impossible

divine enterprise are you presently engaged in? And the question is just meant to unearth

sometimes the fact that we are not, or we are, or we aren't really engaged, we are on

those sidelines. But that truth must be faced. Any questions? Go ahead. How do you know that

there's a divine enterprise appointed to you? Either it's appointed to a people that you

belong to, or it's appointed to you through a dream, a prophetic word, God saying it

to you in some fashion or the other, or it's part of what people are doing together. Can

you imagine being one of the Gideons, one of Gideon's 300? I mean, all you were doing

with Gideon's 300 was carrying the extra ammo. You weren't even fighting, but you were one

of the 300. But now you were engaged in something that was a divine enterprise that was impossible.

What about Erin and her? All they had to do was prop up Moses' arms, but if those arms

are not propped up, an entire nation loses a battle. So sometimes it's not the role,

but it's the degree of engagement in something impossible. And to not have an appetite for

it is unnatural for a believer. It's there because we are made in his image. How do you

distinguish living like this versus living in denial? That's the rest of the sermon.

Yeah, honest, I'm not trying to avoid the question. Yeah. How do we know that it's a

divine enterprise? So that it's not our own little whimsical rabbit trail that we're going

down. Yeah. So stewarding the impossible, stewarding the impossible, is the way that

stewarding the impossible requires putting what God reveals to work. Stewarding the impossible

requires putting what God reveals to work. Because if you don't move into the experience,

if you don't move into the experience, because very often we kind of know God has spoken

to us, there have been things that have been said to us or said to us as a body, we know

what's afoot. But if you don't move into the experience of it, if you don't move into the

experience of it, then the revelation that you have received or the promise you have

received or the enterprise you have received from God remains locked in your mind. But

we have the tendency to think it's active in our lives. This is a dangerous place to

live. There are many people, and I've been in this funk often, where there's, you know

the divine enterprise or the, you know the revelation that God has given you for something

that you need to do either as a church or as a couple or as a group or as leaders or

as individuals, however it be, you know it and you understand it. But the revelation remains

locked in your mind. You talk about it. You're able to explain it. You're able to write it

out but you won't step into it. And in not stepping into it, it gets locked in your mind.

But you actually think you're being active about it when it's not. It's just an idea.

Do you know how many ideas people have that never see dragons then or get paid money?

Unless an idea takes form, it's just an idea. It would be wonderful if God thought, hmm,

would be a good idea to send my son down to die for them. Great idea, the Holy Spirit

says. How would they leave it at that? An idea that does not at least attempt to get

sent, feed, you think it's active but it's not. And whenever an idea or a revelation

is locked in one's mind, it begins to rust and it loses its power. It begins to rust

and it loses its power. Some of the richest places on earth, and this is not my quote,

it was quoted by someone else. Some of the richest places on earth are graveyards because

you'll find tons of people with tons of ideas that are now dead. So when a revelation or

when something God has said to you is not actually worked out but remains locked in

your mind, it begins to rust and it begins to lose power. Hearing without doing locks

or rusts power. But when you put it to practice, when you put it to practice, when you put

it to practice, the impossible begins to look logical. The impossible begins to look logical.

Logical. Beautifully. You have to put it into practice. And you're never too old to not

begin. Let's say you're 85 and you're beginning now with something God gave you when you were

45. That's okay. Someone else will take and run with what you have started, but it will

be completed. And if you look at Matthew 13, 19, when God gives me something, when God

gives the church something, when God gives the group of people something that they are

supposed to sow or run with or dig and practice, if you don't, then Matthew 13, 19 says, some

seed was strewn on the soil and the birds come and took it away. So what is given to

you is robbed. You're robbed of what could happen with it because nothing was done about

it. And as much as we like saying that the gifts of God are not just for the sake of

God are irrevocable, which is true, you're running out of time. And at some point, even

though the gifts may be irrevocable, you don't have time to cultivate it. I just went looking

for chocolates last week and I did find them, about five boxes of chocolates, but even chocolates

have an expiry date. Like, it's more than one Christmas ago. They look different now.

So some things that God gives, one must put into practice and if you haven't, start because

someone else will finish it. Any questions? You're talking about stewarding, you're talking

about impossible. Go ahead. Yeah, so if I let something lie, there's a timeframe that

God does most things in. He loves working with this thing called kairos. Kairos is the

fullness of time. In the fullness of time, if someone responds, it's great. If not, the

moment when it... There's a window of time that he points to you. He'll bring it back

later, but if you don't, a perfect example is Israel. Israel was asked to go up out of

its camp and go into the promised land, but they say they will not. And so they stay.

When they stay, God says to them, well then we'll take you around a circuitous route.

It's not going to be two months anymore. It's going to take 40 years. Guess what they do?

They decide, nope, we're going to go. Sorry, Lord. We really repent and they begin to go.

What happens? They get beaten. Let's forget that. Let's go to the New Testament. In the

New Testament, we hear Peter saying that it didn't matter that Esau repented with tears.

There was a timeframe appointed to Esau to get things right. When he missed that, it

didn't matter that he repented with tears. There was no recourse for him. So at the

end of the day, things lose their power in terms of this is the window through which

this should happen. Are you going to step up, Jacob, or are you going to let it go?

And if I let it go, it might come back years later because God loves giving you a second

chance, but it is not as if the perfect time was not to be capitalized on. And in that

sense, it loses its... Then he has to take the clay, put it back on the potter's wheel

and make another vase. The vase will still be beautiful, but there was the first option

and then there is a second option. The second option is still as beautiful, but the first

one was first. That's the amazing thing. God knows... You know, more than a thousand

of us, most of the time we are his second or third choice. Yeah. You were supposed to

have an amazing pastor for this church. Guy didn't turn up. You got stuck with me. We

are usually the second or third choice. But guys, another example, Moses and Aaron. Aaron

was not supposed to be part of the equation. He got dragged into the equation and he ended

up building a golden calf that destroyed a huge part of Israel. King Saul, King Solomon.

You know, in God being father and God being gracious, we've now decided that he has to

be some kind of a domesticated cat. He's a blooming lion with fangs. And there are

things that he wants done at certain times. He's particular about that. It doesn't mean

he loves me less, but he also has to say, take up... There was a time. Move on. I mean,

you should hear the words he says to Moses. I said this two or three Sundays ago. Moses

says, but God, I really want to go into the promised land. I brought them all the way.

I did everything you said. Please, can I go into the promised land? And God's response

is, enough of that, Moses. Let's move on. And he was as much a father then as he was

when he would meet Moses and see him face to face. Any other expression of the father

that exists in your mind is convoluted because you'll end up raising brats, not young men

and women. Hey, do you know that 6-7 was actually in the Bible? I just found out. 6-7? It's

in scriptures. Proverbs 6, verse 16. Go figure. Everyone's turning to Proverbs 6, verse 16.

Proverbs 6:16 Proverbs 6:16

Okay, please come back. Okay, send, read it out. I'm going to read it out. I'm going

to read it out quickly. Either 6-16 or 16-6. Go ahead. 6-7. There you go. All right, moving

on. The principles of stewarding the impossible are very different from managing the natural.

So let's look at that now. When you steward the impossible, and just so we have an idea

of the impossible, what do we mean by stewarding the impossible? So let me give you a quick

run through impossible situations. Nehemiah, chapter 1. Derizalem's walls are burnt out.

Nehemiah 1 · chapter mention

He's just a cup bearer in the king's court. He ends up being provided all the means to

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem sent by the king who notices that his face is sad and

provides him everything. He faces opposition, but it doesn't matter the opposition. He ends

up building the walls of Jerusalem. Esther. Esther is a woman who's been selected into

the harem of a king whose intent is to sleep with her and then decide whether he wants

to sleep with her again or just get rid of her. That Esther then goes on to become someone

to whom provision is given, even though there are obstructions and obstacles, she's able

to convert it and bring it to a place where she's able to save the Jewish nation, so much

so that Purim is celebrated even today. Ezra. When you read Ezra, chapter 4, chapter 5,

Ezra 4 · chapter mention

chapter 6, his task is can you rebuild the temple? Can you rebuild the most precious

thing to the Jewish nation? And what does he have? Squat. And then he goes about through

dreams, through a king saying, I found records saying Cyrus said that he will help you rebuild

the temple, so here is everything you need. Joshua at Jericho, he's a new commander. He

has to take a city. It's a closed city. It's a fierce city. It's not easy to take. It's

impossible. And Joshua has the ability, as you know in Joshua 6 and 7, to take Jericho.

You go to this place called Gerar. There's a guy living in Gerar. His name is Isaac.

Isaac is living in Gerar. In Genesis 26, it says, a famine hit Gerar. And here is, that's

verse 1, verse 2, and God said to Isaac, stay in Gerar. Do not go to Egypt. Isaac stays

in Gerar. The impossible happens. In verse 12, it says, he had a hundred fold in a time

of famine. Moses, is there an end to the impossible that he did? He takes the blood of bulls and

goats, puts it on doors, and the death passes them. He opens up the Red Sea. He strikes

a rock and water comes. He promises manna. Stewarding the impossible, if there was anyone

who pastored the impossible almost to perfection, it was Moses. Other than striking the rock

when he was told not to, that man did amazingly. And he was in the Old Covenant. Gideon, I

mean, isn't it bad enough that you're going up 30,000 against 200,000? Do you really have

to whittle me down to 300? And then from that place, he begins to move and steward

the impossible for God where they win. Caleb, 84, give me those hills where the Anak dwell.

We talk about David having slain one Goliath. Caleb took on an entire nation of giants.

The Anak were giants. We write songs about David. We never write songs about Caleb.

Caleb defeated a tribe of giants. Elijah, Elisha, stewarding the impossible for a nation

that was away from God and drowning in apostasy, and then he brings them back to God. Tuesday,

who you will serve? Yahweh or Baal? Paul, stewarding the impossible in a storm where

a ship will be wrecked. But he says to them, listen, I'll tell you something. This ship

may go down, but not one soul will be lost. There's so many stories of stewarding the

impossible. Why? Because the God we serve is supernatural. And it is unnatural for us

not to have an appetite for the impossible. As those words are heard, may it stir up something

within you and I saying, I will not live another day without you. I will not live another day

without you. And I'm saying, I will not live another kind of life. You see Peter in prison.

How in the world does gate after gate in a prison open? Can you imagine what that did

for a church? You want to talk about real life stories in the last little while? The

two old ladies, 80 plus, on an island called Hebrides, and they began to pray. And God

provided them one man who wasn't very famous. His name was Campbell, started the Hebrides

revival. Another guy called Reece Howell. Some of you may have read his book. Amazing

intercessor. He would go specifically to places where the Catholics would be trying to get

land to build a church. And God would send him there and say, hey, I want you to go up

against them and get the land that they're paying more for. You make sure you pay at

least 3000 less and I'll make sure you get it. Everywhere he would go, he would pay 3000,

4000, 5000 less than what was being offered for property. And every time God would grant

him that property. Want to come to our own stories? Mongolia, a man who does not know

us, does not know me saying, you know, two years ago, someone came to our church and

said, there will be a guy coming from a city that's on the same latitude as Ulaanbaatar.

When he comes, do whatever he tells you to. Indonesia, a man sitting in a room being prayed

for, prophesied on, everything that is prophesied on comes true. And he then begins to fund

everything we did in Indonesia for four or five years. Hebrides 2.0, a tiny church like

this, look at yourself, just hold your head and hand like this and look at yourself. And

you realize how totally in equipped and inadequate you are. And we are being asked to revive

the earth in terms of 20s and 30s coming back to life. 20s and 30s behaving like Prosper,

like Ali, like Chirmi, crazy. This is what stewarding the impossible looks like. It's

not so much about getting my life together, it's so much bigger than that.

Gosh, man, you better have, we better have something that's so impossible to do. So it's

sensible to count the cost when you steward the impossible, it's sensible to count the

cost. It's sensible to count the cost, but realize that if you count the cost, you're

doing it for two reasons. One, you quickly conclude you can't pay it. And two, you recognize

or you gauge what God will have to do. When Jesus said count the cost, he wasn't

saying count the cost and decide if you want to follow me. He was saying count the cost

and realize you don't have what it takes. And once you realize you don't have what it

takes, look at me and see what I can give you. Have an idea of what you want from me.

These are precious truths, guys. Counting the cost is not so that we step back. Counting

the cost is to see that it's impossible to do this. I don't have what it takes. Now that

I don't have what it takes, let me look at you, O God, because you're the only one who

can give me what I need and here are the things that I think I need. It's like a child coming

to their dad. They had a bike, the chains come off. Do chains still come off on bikes?

Okay. The chains come off and the child doesn't know how to fix it. Each divine enterprise

that you're given will have its share of impossibilities. Each divine enterprise you're given will have

guaranteed its share of impossibilities. How do you smell whether something is God? There'll

be something in it which is impossible. A few things in it that will be impossible.

Each divine enterprise will have its share of impossibilities. And God is very interested

in showing you how to convert that into something that he and you can work on. And so here are

a few things we need to know. Dreams and impossibilities are not fulfilled by the divine enterprise

by sensible, conventional thinking. Conventional thinking is not sinful. It's not a sinful thing

to think conventionally. It's not sinful. It's not kingdom either.

Hello, Ax 29. Is the only way to go about this? Conventional thinking is not sinful,

but it's not kingdom either. Conventional thinking wants to receive everything in advance.

Conventional thinking, conventional thinking, let's call it CT, wants everything in advance.

Ain't gonna happen. You can even pray for it, eh? Ain't gonna happen. So what it does

is conventional thinking can take an invitation from God and reduce it to rational deduction.

How does this work? What can I do? What do I have in my hand? Okay, a little bit of oil.

This won't work. So the woman says, all I have is a little bit of oil and this shouldn't

work. Elijah says, oh, you got some little bit of oil. Go get vessels from all over.

Let me show you what I can do. This is what we are heading for or aiming for. So sometimes

it's better to just cut your head off and stick a cabbage there because it gets easier

to think then. Because sometimes we're so used to thinking a certain way it becomes

difficult. Any questions? All invitations from God, all invitations from God, all invitations

from God will be divine enterprises that will involve the impossible. Always. So either

we end up partaking in it or we will reduce it, compromise it, dilute it and make it doable

without God. Don't be discouraged by this guys. It may be missing in your life but all

you have to do is start tomorrow and say, oh God, please, too many things that I have,

almost everything I have I can do. Everything I have, I have enough resources to at least

start. Give me something that is impossible. Please, oh God, include me in who you are.

Oh God, stir within me that which is so desirous of the supernatural that I don't even know

it though it's still a part of me. And if we don't, this God can become quite uninteresting.

Yep. The right way of going forward would be first an admission that, oh God, I seem

to step away from things that, I'm talking about myself now, I seem to step away from

things that are impossible. It's not like I'm running towards it. So could you change

how I am? Second, oh God, you're a God who, when I look at the Bible, any story in the

Bible, you're a God who had divine enterprises, all of which had enough obstacles and enough

impossibilities. Oh God, please give me a taste of what it is like. Start there. Once

you start there, the rest of the sermon will help. What is the point of reasoning? The

reasoning came in, rational and reasoning came in only after the fall, man. They didn't

have any problem with faith and obedience before that. They didn't even need faith.

They just knew how to obey. And once their eyes were open, rational kicked in, reasoning

kicked in, skepticism kicked in, ways of thinking kicked in. Before it wasn't a problem. The

moment doubt entered, reasoning and rational had a role to play. We're trying to trace

our way back and we'll never get there fully, but we want to get back to a place where it's

natural to function and think like God. Yes, but just because I have a friend who may take

me down a rabbit trail, am I to abandon the adventure of a lifetime with my father, who

is far more powerful than the devil? I mean, I had one bad McDonald's burger 18 years ago.

You think that stopped me? It should have. Sorry. Mike, talk to your wife. Okay, bad

analogy. Yes, Satan can deceive. It's not like he can deceive at will. Yes, he can deceive,

but my God, why would I miss out on an adventure with my father because I'm scared of a creator

lesser being than God deceiving me? He would throw everything out then. We are trying to,

while we wait for everything to be made new, we keep going back to the beginning. As in,

what was it like when God walked with Adam before the fall? What was it like? Because

that's where God is going. There will be a tree there and that tree will have leaves

for the healing of the nations. There will be a tree there and that tree will give life.

There will be a God there and we will see him face to face. His dwelling will be with

his people. There will be no sorrow. There will be no tears. There will be no pain. There

will be no fears. If that's where we are heading, then how does the world taste it before it

happens except through us? How can a God be shown as powerful and amazing and able and

willing if there is nothing to prove that, that doesn't smell and taste like God? You

know people should have, off view people should have the aroma of Yahweh. He didn't ask them

to row across the Red Sea. He didn't ask them to build a bridge across the Red Sea. He blew

me part of the Red Sea. Why? Because he's Yahweh. When he does something, it's so obviously

him. And you have no doubts. If guys like Musk and Steve Jobs can do stuff like that,

surely God can put on the riz. God loves obstacles. This is unfortunate about our God, but here

are three things He likes that you don't like. God loves obstacles, impossibilities, risks.

Hallelujah. Not a whisper. God loves obstacles, impossibilities, and risks. He loves it. You

know, if you're a Christian, you're a Christian, you're a Christian, you're a Christian, you're

a Christian. Hallelujah. Not a whisper. God loves obstacles, impossibilities, and risks.

He loves it. You know why He loves it? Because in the process, you get to discover Him. Everything

that God does is not functional. It's relational first. Everything God does is relational.

It's functional second. It's relational first. God loves obstacles. God loves impossibilities.

God loves risks. Because that is where we discover what He wants to be. In heaven's

language, risk must be present if fate is to grow. In heaven's language, risk must be

present if fate is to grow. In heaven's language, risk must be present if fate is to grow. If

there is no risk, there is no need for faith, and there is no need for growth. How can we

get into this place except it be a divine enterprise that is beyond you? Crazy, eh?

What a God. You half want to applaud Him and then you think, no, don't encourage Him.

Guys, you know, we have this amazing thing called passion. And one of the ways passion

is killed is when it partners with conventional thinking. Passion does not partner with conventional

thinking. But when we force it to, we begin to lose our passion. So passion is not a thing

that we can control. Often when I think of Dennis' wife Sharon, she's a woman with passion.

So can we just stretch our hands towards her and pray for her right now? Father, we just

declare upon Sharon that the passion that is within her, that the passion that attracted

Dennis to her, that the passion that might be dormant now, today in the name of Jesus

Christ, that it be stirred up not by us but by the Holy Spirit as we pray, that this volcano

that has been dormant begin to now start brewing above, for the time has come for it to once

again become active. So in the name of Jesus Christ right now, we stir up the passion with

this woman today in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. You know, one of the things I remember them

telling me, Dennis and Sharon telling me is that when I met their pastor in Dubai some

time ago, same guy who pastored Jonathan also, one of the things that was prayed over them

when they were sent to Vancouver was, I tithe you to Canada. And so they came here that

way. Well then, you know what Elisha did with the tithe, right? He took it and he multiplied

it and he fed a lot. Time to multiply these two fellows and distribute them. So I think

that's the way it is. So let's define three things. Passion, trust, faith. Passion is

a strong delight in the nature of God. And the second thing is that passion is a strong

delight in the nature of God that governs you in your connection with him in certain

areas or in all areas. In your relationship or your friendship or connection with God

in areas or in all areas. Trust. Trust is confidence in the very words of God that he

has spoken to you through the written word or through Ramah. Confidence in the very words

of God. You have such confidence. That's trust. Then there's faith. Faith is the expectation

and the certainty. Expectation and the certainty you have that his words are true. That his

words are true even though there's no visible evidence. Even though there is no visible

evidence, no evidence. Passion is a strong delight in the nature of God. Some of us have

the ability to strongly delight in the entire nature of God. Some in a certain area. Some

may have a strong delight in the healing of God. Some may have a strong delight in the

provision of God. Some may have a strong delight in the generosity of God. Some may have a

strong delight in many different areas. That's passion. You combine that with conventional

thinking and it begins to die. It's like sucking the oxygen out of your passion. And then there's

trust. Trust is the words that God has spoken to you. Words that he's spoken to you through

the word. Words that he's spoken to you in dreams. Words that he's spoken to you prophetically.

Words that he's spoken to you directly. However it be. Be the written word or words that you

have received. It's the words that have been spoken to you. And you have real confidence

in them. And then faith. Faith is the expectation or the certainty that the words he spoke are

absolutely true. And you begin to do things even though there is no evidence of it. Here's

a crazy thing about Abraham. Abraham believed his inheritance and began to go looking for

it even though he did not know where he was going. That's crazy man. Abraham believed

his inheritance. Hebrews 11 verse 8. God told him I'm giving you an inheritance. Abraham

Hebrews 11:8

believed his inheritance and then went out to find it even though he did not know where

he was going. Something's wrong with that sentence. How do you believe something and

start going out to find it even though you're not, you don't know where you're going? That's

a principle of stewarding the impossible. Someone put it this way. I love this little

line that someone wrote. If you do before you get it, you have to be a good steward.

If you do before you get it, what you would do if you had it, you will be sure to get

it. That's basically what Mark 11.23 says in other words. Whatever you ask for, you

ask in prayer. Believe that you have received it and it shall be yours. This is just another

way of saying it. If you do before you get it, what you would do if you had it, you will

be sure to get it. Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it and it shall

be yours. This is what Abraham did. He believed his inheritance and then went out to find

it even though he did not know where he was going. But he found it. Come on man, we've

got to live like this. Where we begin to show evidence of the faith we have even before

we receive it because we know what's going to happen. Any questions?

Developing faith, developing trust into faith is crucial to you and crucial to the Father.

Every time he gives you a large enterprise to deal with, be it Hebrides 2.0, be it Richmond,

every time God gives you something big to deal with, it is crucial to him and crucial

to us that the words he speaks go from trust to faith even though there is no evidence

for it. Because now that we know that we have been moved into Richmond to affect the city,

we must therefore go and find it even though we do not know where we are going. And it's

in that process that you stumble across maybe Trinity Western University or you stumble

across a mayor or a former mayor who then opens up another door. It's in the going out

that this happens. Any questions?

This is the life you are being invited to. There is no other life besides this that God

is inviting you to. We can settle for another life but it ain't got nothing to do with God.

Any questions? Any difference of opinion, challenges? Or, yeah, do something like growl

or something just so I know you are receiving. I can teach you. The growl or the teaching?

Okay, thanks. Yeah. Sorry. Sorry, Diana, go ahead. Stop it.

Yeah, if God has asked us to do something and we decide not to, here is the way a father

deals with things. There are children who don't do something because they are scared.

The children who don't do something because they didn't understand. The children who don't

do something because they did not have someone else to walk with. And then there are children

who don't do something because they were disobedient. It's the last category that usually misses

out on stuff. Every other category usually finds something that can be redeemed, recovered,

restored and restarted. But there is that fourth category of people that are stubborn

and refuse out of disobedience, laziness. Those are the reasons that usually miss out.

Not the other four or the other three categories. It's like any parent, right? And so if there

are things that I have squandered, I go back and say, Father, can I have another shot at

it? And I wait to see what he will say. And my, one of my responsibilities as the one

shepherding this church is, can I make sure we don't miss it? And can I not care what

people may say about the ridiculous things we take on? Because there are enough people

saying that, saying other stuff. Okay, let's conclude. The vision of the church is to be

vision is always bright and shiny. But it's in the process that you find confusion and

chaos. Process can be confusing and chaotic. God is not the author of confusion or chaos,

but it can still feel that way. The vision is always bright and shiny, but the process

can be confusing and chaotic. And so in that process, he has one intent. Can I cultivate

the joy of dependency in you? And so, in that process, he has one intent. Can I cultivate

the joy of dependency in you? So one of the things I have to learn, I have to learn to

receive under pressure. When things are being subtracted, to still receive under pressure.

Instead of being discouraged. You know, we all know Exodus 33. In Exodus 33, there's

an amazing conversation between Moses and God. But we don't realize that in Exodus 32, a

golden castle is built. That the golden castle is torn down. That God is really upset. That

he is saying to Moses, listen, I'm not even going with you. Or he's making statements

to Moses like, Moses, let me start a new group of people through you. Let's just not deal

with these stiff neck people. That's what God is saying. I'm not going with you. And

Moses, instead of coming under pressure, that our shucks, everything is broken. Everything

is undone. I was up the mountain and Israel was worshiping an idol. Instead of being undone,

look at what he does. He begins to, he still is in a place where even under pressure, he's

receiving from God. And what is he saying? He goes further. When things are being subtracted

from him, he goes further. He says, it's not enough that you come with me. I'm glad that

you're coming with me, but I want to push it a little further. Can you show me your

glory? Who does that at a time like that, man? Believers do. When things are being taken

away from me, when the very vision that was bright and shiny is not looking shiny. In

fact, it's looking exactly the opposite. Things are not working out. Things are being taken

away. Everything that was supposed to be glorious is being subtracted. At that time, know how

to receive under pressure and say, oh God, now I am not satisfied with you just coming

with me. Please, can I have a glimpse of your glory also? It's an increase instead of a

decrease. Even the circumstances are decreasing. Man, if we had two or three people like that

and if I could be one of those three people, this church would change. Which is to say

I'm not, but I want to. But why would we have pressure if we don't have an impossible task?

I'll stop in eight or nine minutes. I'm going to ask Matt to come up and share something.

Guys, when you receive an initial idea from God, it's seldom the real one. The initial

idea will excite you, but it's actually preparation for more. He does this very often. He'll give

you an initial idea and it'll really be amazing, but just know that that's just drawing you

in because it's much bigger than that. Israel had no clue that leaving Egypt on Passover

would end up with so much land being given to them. They had no clue. Gideon did not

know that if he tore down the altar of Baal in his father's garden that he would end up

leading Israel into victory after victory after victory. Saul did not know that when

he was struck off the horse that what awaited him was going to be very different. Yes, Ananias

came and prophesied over him, but even that was not the end of it. Whatever we think we

have right now is an invitation into more. So we want a plan forward whenever God invites

us to do something, we want a plan forward. Here's the plan we need. We want a plan forward.

Is there a God enterprise in the life of this church or in your life right now? Here's the

plan. Plan Thanksgiving, plan rejoicing. We want a plan forward. We want a plan forward.

Plan prayer. These three things will keep you at the center of its affection. It's the

safest place when you're taking on a big divine assignment. We want a plan forward. Every

time I want to plan a service at X-Many on a Sunday, I always remember this, that I don't

want to plan forward that will make the service look good. My God, if I planned the service,

do you think I'd call up Prosper and Chomi and these two girls and all these other young

people? I wouldn't. God knows what they'll say. The plan is Thanksgiving, rejoicing and

prayer because it brings you into alignment with God and puts you at the center of his

affection. Anyone at the center of his affection functions well with him. Anyone at the center

of God's affection functions well with him. That's what you should aim for. That's what

Tuneer should aim for when he goes for his conference. That's what anybody going to do

anything should aim for. Oh God, can you keep me at the center of your affection? A high

plan, not how I'm going to schedule things. That can come second. What I plan is Thanksgiving,

rejoicing and prayer. When you're at the center of the affection of God, it's very hard for

people to shake you away. Two more principles. See the end from the beginning. If you want

to steward the impossible, see the end from the beginning. What does that mean? Guys,

miracles will only occur on the way. Moses did not need the Red Sea to open till he got

to the Red Sea. Israel did not need manna till they got to the desert. But what normally

happens is obstacles that appear at the beginning are threats to keep you from starting. Obstacles

that appear in the beginning are threats to keep you from starting. Don't fall for it.

Miracles happen after you begin to walk. They don't happen before. Conventional thinking

wants things in advance. But miracles happen as you begin to walk. When you get to the

Red Sea, then it will part. But the fear of the Red Sea not parting is what freezes me

where I am. I freeze where I am because I can see the Red Sea at a distance. I have

no guarantee that it will part. Give me a guarantee that it will part and I'll begin

my walk. It does not work that way. These external threats are meant to prevent us from

stepping out. In the Book of Proverbs it says, the lazy man does not go out because he thinks

there's a lion in the streets. As you step out, it's not like the Red Sea will disappear.

It will become even more real. Don't think that because you step out, the obstacle will

disappear. No, the obstacle will become very real, but so will the provision. That's the

crazy thing. It's not that the obstacle disappears. It's that the provision appears. You look

at Elijah's life. Brook, Cherith dried up. It's not like water started flowing again.

He was sent to a woman. There was a famine. It was not like the famine recovered. Ravens

came with meat. Last point. The Red Sea is not part of the Red Sea. It is part of the

Red Sea. Learn to exchange stuff. If you want to attempt the impossible, which is the only

way God fortunately works, then learn to exchange things. When fear is present, because that's

the one thing that is always present when we take risks, when we have obstacles, when

things are impossible, when fear is present, know that God is waiting to attach you to

perfect love. That's John 4.18. He's waiting to attach you to perfect love. Why? Because

faith is a consequence of being loved. Anyone who is loved trusts easily. Where do you go

when you're afraid? Return to first love. So what are we saying? Don't fight fear. Don't

fight fear. Don't fight fear. Don't fight fear. Don't fight fear. Don't fight fear.

Embrace his love. Isn't this what kids do always? What do you do when your kid is scared?

You say, stop being scared. Psalm 139. It says that it doesn't matter that arrows fly

at the right and the pestilence flies at the... Why are you so scared? You don't do that.

As soon as the child is scared, what do you do? You help the child be embraced by love

so that the fear begins to disappear. In impossible situations, always go for the exchange. Always

go for the exchange. Whatever is said, if they say, ah, you're acting proud and pompous,

exchange it for humility. If they say you're inadequate, go for 2 Corinthians 12. When

I'm weak, then I'm strong, exchange it. There's plenty to exchange. When it's fear, he's waiting

and here's the strange thing. God is waiting with the attachment. You just lost your arm,

he's going to put a bionic arm on you. And it just so happens that the bionic arm is

from 1 John 4, 18, which says, perfect love casts out fear. Come, Jacob, come into first

love again. And as I go into first love, it's not even like I'm fighting fear. I'm embracing

someone who now I'm able to trust because faith is a consequence of being loved. To

walk in faith without being loved is so strenuous. Love is what makes someone able and willing.

Without love, you only know he's able. You're not sure he's willing. Cool, we'll stop here.

At the end of the day, my deep prayer is that, oh God, could you turn this church into a

church that only does things that are impossible enterprises sent by you? And when you send

them, is there a way, oh God, that I, Jacob, and other leaders here can get everybody,

everybody engaged in tasting a supernatural God and the impossible so that we don't know

any other way of living, but this becomes a preferred method of living. Go home, and

take a hammer, shatter conventional thinking. Don't hit yourself on the head. It could

be dangerous, but just shatter conventional thinking. Repent of it. Actually, don't repent

of it. Exchange it. It's not sinful, but it's not kingdom. You know what happens when a

group of people begin to march and some resist by preserving conventional thinking? It becomes

a drag.