Profitable Servants

The topic would help in terms of having a measure for 2020 to figure out if we are heading that way.

If you look at Luke 12.35, Luke 12.35, Luke 12.35,

Luke 12.35. Hey guys, one of the things that sometimes happens when I'm teaching is we go through different scriptures

and then you look at one scripture and you get really interested in it and then you start reading it and thinking

and you miss out on the rest of the teaching. So try not to let that happen because it's wonderful that you get

intrigued with the scripture but perhaps there's a time for it to be dug up when you go home.

So don't get caught up here otherwise you miss out on the rest of it.

Luke 12.35.36. Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for their master

to return from a wedding banquet so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him.

Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning like men waiting for their master to return from playback

so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him.

So the idea of this teaching is, hey, what does it look like to be a profitable servant?

And if we use this measure, we might have a good idea of whether we are actually maturing or growing in 2020.

And as I was looking at it, I could see areas where I haven't grown much in the last few years.

And I'm hoping that it'll change. Titus chapter 3 verse 8, Titus chapter 3 verse 8, Titus chapter 3 verse 8.

Titus 3:8 Titus 3:8 Titus 3:8

Titus 3 verse 8. Where's Titus? Okay. Titus chapter 3 verse 8.

Titus 3:8 Titus 3:8

It says, this is a trustworthy saying and I want you to stress these things so that those who are trusted in God

may be careful to devote themselves to doing that which is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

So some of the things we are talking about is very profitable for you if you actually decide to go down this route.

And it applies to all walks of life. It applies to all vocations.

This is not something that's specific to people who work in a church.

This is not something specific to people who are employed or are employers, have jobs or are jobless, single-married.

It applies to all walks of life and to all vocations.

And you can use it as a measure of your growth in 2020.

Am I really maturing? Am I being profitable? Am I growing? Am I being profitable?

God is a very profitable God. And so in our maturity, he expects us to be profitable.

And so the first one, first point that I want to make is if you're profitable, if you are growing, if you're mature,

then one of the things that you will see happening in your life is that you would have embraced your priesthood by now.

You would have embraced your priesthood by now. You would have embraced your priesthood by now.

If you're maturing, one of the signs of maturing is you embrace your priesthood more and more.

As in you no longer can bear the thought of coming to church, sitting and going.

You can't bear the thought of that.

You can't bear the thought of some people doing things while you sit and just listen and take it in.

If you go to 1 Peter 2.5, 1 Peter 2.5, and depending on which version you read, 1 Peter 2.5, 1 Peter 2.5.

Let's start with the NIV and then go to the message.

1 Peter 2.5. Here's what the NIV says.

You also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood,

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

You also like living stones. I remember teaching this ages ago at Acts 29.

In Hebrew understanding, a living stone is a stone that is connected to another.

And so it didn't matter how brilliant a rock looked like or a brilliant stone looked like.

If it stood alone, it wasn't living. It was dead.

To be a living stone, you had to be connected to another stone.

And so this idea in 1 Peter 2.5 where it says you also like living stones are being built into a spiritual house

to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

So the idea of embracing a priesthood is to desperately want to be part of constructing this thing called a church.

If you go to the message version of the same verse, you'll see how it talks about construction.

Go to the message and here's what it says.

Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary,

vibrant with life in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ approved lives up to God.

Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary,

vibrant with life in which you'll serve as holy priests offering Christ approved lives up to God.

Guys, I'm not talking about roles in church.

I'm talking about vibrantly desiring to do things that will build up the church.

So it's not leading worship or it's not playing the piano or it's not playing the bass or it's not...

Those are not what God is talking about.

That kind of priesthood is an old levitical priesthood where one had to carry the vessels of gold,

one had to carry the ark, one had to carry the tents.

That's not what we are talking about.

This is...

And it's like an impossible thing to put down.

You are so desperate to keep growing and becoming all that you need to do

to build up this beautiful thing called the church here on earth.

It's a passion.

Embracing the priesthood means that.

Pastors must allow it and thank God in this church pastors allow it.

Am I explaining this clearly enough or is it not?

Because when I look at you it sounds like it is not,

but then that doesn't mean anything because I know you guys well.

So, would you...

Do you want to talk about... Do you understand what I'm saying?

What's another example?

It would be like...

My first real job, where I really enjoyed it,

was with this guy who was a designer.

He still is in Bahrain.

And I started working for him.

We used to work out of his study.

I'd go to work at 9, I'd work till midnight, 1 o'clock, 2 o'clock,

because I liked what I was doing.

It was copywriting. We had just started the company.

He would sweep the floors, he would deliver material, he would design,

and I would do the same. Why?

Because there was something in me that wanted this company to succeed.

I was so not satisfied with doing a role.

All I was supposed to do was write copy.

I could easily work from 9 to 5, finish the job he had given me and go.

But my God, I didn't want to just write copy, make some money and go.

He and I would sit together for hours talking.

He was a Muslim, I was a Christian.

We'd talk about different things.

But midnight, 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, till the job was done and you would go home.

Why? Because there was something inside you that desired that this company

that he had started from his study would become something that he dreamt of

and that I would be able to help him do it.

And he didn't increase my salary because I worked double time.

But my God, I wasn't working for a salary, nor was I fulfilling a role.

This is what I mean by embracing your priesthood.

People who embrace their priesthood cannot be kept down.

It is impossible for the capstone and the cornerstone of this church called Christ.

It is impossible to become like that and not step into growing roles of construction of the church.

I don't want to be a priest who carries golden vessels whenever the church falls and moves.

I don't want to be a pianist. I don't want to be a worship leader.

Those are roles. Those are roles I satisfy.

I want so much more than that.

I don't even know how big it is because it keeps growing and extending.

These are measures of maturity, guys.

Use them to figure out how to do it.

Any questions?

In this church, this will not be curbed. You will be allowed.

Why not use an accurate measure?

Any questions?

In this church, this will not be curbed. You will be allowed.

And this kind of desire becomes very obvious.

You will be allowed.

And you will be asked to go into areas that you are not specialist at.

If you haven't heard this before, then hear it.

God is not into specialization.

It is the world that is into specialization.

Where you have a doctor who is a specialist at the pimple on the right ventricle of the left auricle of your heart.

Now, that only happens in the world.

But in Christianity, that is not the way.

You are not a specialist at something.

You are slaughtered in where the king of the universe wants to slaughter you in.

And he gives you the ability.

That is why it says in 1 Corinthians 14,

the Holy Spirit gives gifts according to his will to each.

The second measure of growth is you should be...

We want to aspire to this.

When I say you should be, I am not saying if you are not, you are not mature.

No, I am saying this is what we aspire towards.

You should be teachers by now.

You should be teachers by now.

Paul says that in Hebrews 5, 12-14.

Hebrews 5, 12-14.

While we do recognize that there is a grace gift that the Holy Spirit appoints in the church called teachers,

there is also this other thing that all of us are supposed to become.

Hebrews 5, 12-14.

Hebrews 5, 12-14.

And it says there, in fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers,

you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food.

So this idea that many of us should by now be able to convey what we have learned

to anybody who comes along the way to be able to teach them well.

To be able to teach them well.

And if that is where you are heading, great.

It's a sign of maturity.

Paul found when he was writing this letter, he is saying,

listen guys, after all this time you are still fumbling on the fundamentals

and I'm sorry but you should be teachers by now but you are slow in learning.

He starts off a little more crudely when he says that, what did I say, chapter 5, verse 12.

11 says this, we have much to say about this but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

2 Timothy 2, 2.

And when we add both together you get an idea of what maturity should look like.

2 Timothy 2, 2.

These are measures you must use in 2020 and keep working towards them.

2 Timothy 2, 2.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses

entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses

entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.

So besides the fact that there is a gift called teachers in the Bible,

as it says in Ephesians 4, there is this idea that all of us should grow in the maturity of understanding the Word

and should be able to convey the truths we have learned easily to the ones that are coming after us

or the ones who are seeking.

And besides being able to teach, one must be found reliable.

One must be found reliable, trustworthy.

One must be found reliable and trustworthy to convey accurately what has been taught.

One of the problems I often run into, which is fascinating,

is I'll find people who are able to understand what is being taught and even practice it,

but they will not teach it faithfully.

When they teach it, they'll take some of what they think, add it to the mix and teach it.

And so what happens is the next generation gets what you have taught them diluted.

So I might teach you that the world is round and you might go and say, it's round like a pear.

And so did you say it is round? Yes. Do you believe it's round? Yes.

Do you know you won't fall off the side of the earth once you cross Abbotsford? Yes.

But having known that, you still, when you teach it, go and say,

Yeah, the earth is round, but more pear-shaped than really round.

And what have you just done? You've taken something that you, for whatever reason, want to add to it.

And when that happens, you're no longer reliable or trustworthy to be entrusted with the deposit to teach others.

Don't do that. Some very, very fine people do that.

I don't know why they do that, but they do that.

So it's not enough to understand the teaching. It's also important that you understand the teaching and convey it faithfully.

If you add anything to it, let it add to it, not dilute it or take away from it or throw in your little pet peeve or hobby horse.

Any questions?

Adding something as in adding something that maybe you know that is even better than the teacher,

but may it not be some idea of yours that is not proven, it's just a pet peeve of yours.

Guys, when that happens, it doesn't matter how well you understand.

It's one of the saddest things in life, when you meet somebody who's understood what you've taught.

They even practice it, but they will not teach it faithfully.

You know how difficult that makes it for the one who is teaching?

Because you want to send this person out to do what you have told, equip them.

But having understood it and having practiced it, they will not teach it faithfully.

And what they produce then is diluted next generations or slightly distorted next generations.

You don't want that, man.

Any questions?

Third, these are biblical measures for growth.

These are not Jacob's measures for growth.

And so please don't think I'm imposing a plumb line.

These are from the Bible.

Maybe we all try and use this as the plumb line to measure our growth this year.

We won't all become anywhere near it.

I'm struggling with some of them after all these years.

The next one, which is one of my struggles, is the passion to proclaim.

The passion to proclaim.

The passion to proclaim, as in passion to proclaim to the lost, passion to proclaim for the lost, passion to proclaim.

Second Corinthians 5, second Corinthians 5.

Hey, Mark, there's a string you have to pull and if you pull that string it drains.

It's right here, right at the beginning.

How did I know Mark didn't pull that string?

Well, second Corinthians 5.

No, I know because he texted me.

Just in case.

Second Corinthians 5.

You found it?

Okay, just one sec, guys, while we pull the string.

So, this will come out so odd when people listen to it.

Okay, you can turn it back on.

Okay, the third one is passion that proclaims.

Guys, second Corinthians 5.14.

Second Corinthians 5.14.

For Christ's love compels us because we are convinced that one died for all and therefore all died.

Go to verse 20.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as so God were making his appeal through us.

We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors as so God were making his appeal through us.

We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

Guys, one of the signs that shows up in the Bible is that the Bible is the only way to be reconciled to God.

One of the signs that shows that I'm growing or I'm maturing is that there's an increasing passion in my life to proclaim the Gospel.

And proclaim to whom? Not to the ones that are saved, proclaim to those that are lost.

And this is something that I find that I'm not growing enough in.

I have a passion to teach, I have a passion to plant churches in different places or locally, but my God, I don't have a passion to proclaim like I should.

And I find it such a, I mean, if there was a weak link or if there was a low bar, then I find that this passion is missing.

I don't know about you, but I'm struggling with this.

And yet it is a sign of maturity. It's a sign of growth.

Before anything else, Paul was a proclaimer. He was a herald. He says, I am a herald of the Gospel.

And this is something that hasn't become natural for me. I don't know about you.

But it's an area that I would love to increase in.

The fourth one is have a clear, let's look at another scripture. Go to Philippians 1.14.

Philippians 1.14. Philippians 1.14.

Mission accomplished. Who did it? Mark?

Because men usually don't pull strings. I'll just leave it at that.

Philippians 1.14. Philippians 1.14.

Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

The reason I picked that verse is because this thing of being courageous and fearless about the proclamation of the word is something that I don't think many of us have gotten.

Some of you are very good at it. I am not. And I really want to increase in this because it is a measure of growth and it's an area that hasn't been working clearly in my life.

Next one is have a clear, have a clear grasp, have a clear grasp of your giftedness.

Have a clear grasp of your giftedness.

Ephesians 4.1 says walk worthy of your calling.

1 Corinthians 12.7, 12.11 says, hey, all of you have been gifted.

How does the Holy Spirit show the activity of God through your life?

Do you have a clear grasp of your giftedness?

What does your life work really involve? What is your life work? It doesn't matter what you do.

Pastor, businessman, pauper, prince, plumber, pilot. I'm not talking about occupation. I'm talking about what is your life work?

What is the sum total of all the things that God has put in you that makes you a certain kind of person who does a certain kind of thing, whether you have a job or not?

Have a clear grasp of your giftedness. If you're not there, we've got 11 months to try and measure up using this plumb line because this is how God created us.

You were created a certain way. If you didn't have a job, didn't have a business, didn't have a church, it still wouldn't change.

It really has nothing to do with what you're doing. It has everything to do with who you are.

Find those gifts, man. I'm talking about spiritual gifts and abilities. And again, I'm not talking about roles.

Any questions on that?

Any questions? And life work evolves. You'll find what you're passionate about evolving. Praise God for that. Sometimes it dovetails. Sometimes it evolves.

Where two or three things dovetail together and you're able to find that niche where you are so uniquely doing two or three things that come together and help you get there.

And other times it doesn't dovetail. It follows one after the other, where it keeps evolving.

Next one. Stewardship of the season of your life. Stewardship of the season of your life. Stewardship of the season of your life.

Stewardship of the season of your life. Stewardship of the season of your life. This catches people by surprise.

Where once they used to have jobs and now they don't have jobs, what do you do? Once they used to go to work and now they don't go to work, what do you do?

Once they were single and now they're married, what do you do? Once they were married and didn't have kids and now they have kids, what do you do?

Once you had a two-year-old, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, now they're all 20 and 22. What do you do?

Once you had a cute little baby for a day and then for the next 18 years that cute little baby doesn't leave home, what do you do?

Yeah, just so you know. 18 years.

So how do you steward the season of your life? How do you steward the season of your life?

Ephesians 4, 12 and 13. Ephesians 4, 12 and 13. Ephesians 4, 12 and 13.

To prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith.

Go ahead and read it in the message. Ephesians 4, 12 and 13. Ephesians 4, 12 and 13.

I love it. To train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we are all moving rhythmically and easily with each other,

efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ, beautifully.

And so one of the things is we are caught unaware when this happens.

The second thing is when that season begins to change, we don't know how to move into the next phase.

And we still hold on to the old rhythms when we should be moving on.

And sometimes all you need is a push, and when that push comes and someone pushes you,

grab the momentum that comes from the push and launch out, because once you launch out, you will find fish on the right side of the boat.

Any questions? It's not abstract at all. Let's assume I am a single dad.

Oh, no, not what I meant is I'm married and I have only one child. That's what I meant by single dad.

So, sorry. So I am a dad with a single child. Yeah. Sorry, that's what I meant to say.

So, and so now I've spent the last 18 years taking care of this child, and now this child has left home.

And there's a pattern that has been established in my life. And now that the child has left, I don't know how to step into the new freedom I have.

I just don't know. And when that happens, go. If you don't know how to and you're trying and it doesn't, then you need a push.

And then push you and the momentum is enough to get you going. And then cast the net.

Once that push happens, cast the net on the right side. Don't keep doing the familiar. Do the unfamiliar.

I know I've said this before, but the only way you break into the next place in God is when you are stepping into the unfamiliar.

The unfamiliar is so critical to break the mold. The mold does not break without stepping into the unfamiliar.

The mold is always the same until the unfamiliar happens. Take any guy in the Bible.

The unfamiliar had to happen before the person changed. And that's what we're most scared of, right? The unfamiliar.

So as much as I hate the word season, it is a real word.

The next one.

Maturing so that you can be part of the apostolic thrust from Jesus Christ.

You can be part of the apostolic thrust from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth.

Every church that is growing is a church that is outreaching out from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the ends of the earth.

It's never Jerusalem, it's never Judea, it's never Samaria, it's never the ends of the earth.

It's this continuous outward movement. And so as you mature, the strange thing that happens is regardless of what you do,

as you mature you find that you become part of this apostolic thrust. And what do we mean by apostolic here?

In its essence, apostolic means, not in its essence, one of the easier ways to define apostolic is to say that it is a people that have been set apart

to be sent so that they can represent Christ accurately. A people that have been set apart to be sent so that they can represent Christ accurately.

So every church is supposed to be apostolic. A people that are set apart to be sent so that they can represent Christ accurately.

So it is expected of every member in a church, because we have a common priesthood now, it's not clergy lady, it's not missionaries and non-missionaries.

So part of the process of maturing this year will be, am I preparing myself to be fit and ready when I'm called to be part of that apostolic thrust that this church has?

My God, there are some advantages of being at Acts 29. Will I be called, because I'm readying myself, to be part of the apostolic thrust that this church has

so that should they ask me to go to Jerusalem or Judea or Samaria or the ends of the earth, I will be ready and when they call me, I will go.

Ready yourself, guys, the call is from God. Even if I didn't think much of you, eventually God will win.

Even if I didn't think much of you, God will remove me out of the way if I stop His plans through you.

Questions? Use these measures to measure yourself.

The next one adds an extra layer to it, where having readied yourself, you join the process.

This is something we are just beginning. You join the process by opening homes, shifting cities, relocating,

taking jobs so that in other places churches can be planted, taking jobs, buying homes in places so churches can be planted.

So churches can be planted. Not by you becoming a pastor, but by you becoming part of a people that can show that area how God works.

So, I don't know whether you know it or don't know it, but Mark and Rhonda will shortly be moving to Vernon.

And so they are relocating to Vernon. They are relocating from this beautiful isolated island paradise called, I don't remember the name of the place, Quadra Island,

where they used to eat dolphin burgers and stuff like that. Sorry? Crab burgers and stuff like that. Oh, sorry.

Dolphins are single dad dolphins. They are all messed up today. So they used to eat crab burgers and send me photographs of these crab burgers.

Amazing island paradise where it was like that's where Castaway was shot. Tom Hanks is the only other inhabitant.

And so that's the kind of place they relocated from and they came here to learn. And now that they've learned quite a lot, now they move on to Vernon.

And this idea of relocating just because God wants to start something new somewhere is not a new idea. It's been in the Bible forever.

There was one Babylonian king who did something amazing. He found that when he went and occupied Israel that too many animals were ravaging the land.

So he calls one of his generals and says, send the children of Judah back into this land to teach the people there the laws of their God.

And perhaps the beasts will stop attacking. A Babylonian king knew that since the God of Israel was the God of the land,

if he sent a few people from Judah back into the places that we dispossessed from them, maybe they'll teach the law of the God and the lions will stop ravaging the land.

This was a Babylonian king thinking like that. Why? Because he knew the law of God would help.

So this relocation, this is what was happening in Chennai. My God, out of the 700, there must be at least 20 or 30 that are now going to be relocated to different parts of India.

Some are leaving for Calcutta, some are leaving for Pune, some are leaving for different, they're leaving the jobs man.

They're leaving their homes, they're relocating. And it's not that they'll end up being pastors, they'll start another job in another city.

But there are three, four families going and now those three, four families form a hub.

In Acts chapter 18, we see this happening, Acts chapter 18. First, if you want a scripture for this one,

Acts 18 · chapter mention Acts 18 · chapter mention

maturing so that you can be part of the apostolic team that goes from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and the ends of the earth, read Acts 13, 1-3.

Acts 13, 1-3. These were guys who had regular jobs, these were not pastoral staff.

Acts chapter 13, 1-3.

Acts 13 · chapter mention

In the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon, Colnager, Lucius of Cyrene, Mananean, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.

While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

That is the idea of maturing to a place where suddenly God says, Hey, these guys, you need to take them with you.

Now we're talking about joining the process by opening homes, shifting cities, relocating, taking jobs, buying homes in places so churches can be planted.

I remember, what are your names? Josh and Charlene.

I remember Josh and Charlene, when they were looking for a home, one of the things they wanted was this large hall in their home.

Not a large hall, they wanted space so that that place could be a place where if necessary, a few 20, 30, 40 people could be seated.

That was one of the desires. They didn't express it in so many words, but they kept saying it.

And now when you look at their place, they've still refused to furnish that place downstairs so that there's enough room where you begin to choose your home based on how you want to use it.

Acts 18 was 18 and 19. You realize that this is so difficult, and yet these are the measures of maturity.

Acts 18, 18 and 19.

Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time, then he left his brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.

Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Sankray because of a vow he had taken.

They arrived at Ephesus where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the synagogues and reasoned with the Jews.

What I wanted to show you here was that Aquila and Priscilla were businessmen who used to make tents.

That was their favorite thing to do. And tenting was a big thing then. Everybody wanted tents. It was like wanting Starbucks.

Is that the best you could come up with, Derek? So tent making was a profitable business.

These guys who used to have a tent making thing in Corinth now sail with Paul to another city called Ephesus, which wasn't going from Delta to Surrey.

There's really no division between Delta Surrey and White Rock. It's all Surrey.

These guys travel from Corinth to Ephesus, but Delta people and White Rock people hate being called Surrey, by the way.

So they moved from Corinth to Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla shut down their business in Corinth and relocated to Ephesus to start there again.

I pray God that it will soon happen here.

Where you move cities because you strongly feel God calling you to a particular city.

These are the ways you must decide where you move next, where you buy your house next.

Think like this. Any questions?

It will cost you money, by the way. These things cost money. And thus far it still doesn't grow on trees.

But you'll find that there will be supply. Because after all, the whole nature of the apostolic is the sender is responsible for the one he sends.

The sender is responsible for the one he sends. That's the very nature of an apostolic sending God.

The sender is responsible for the one he sends.

Three more points and we're done.

Where's the pen?

The next one is, guys.

Dano and I were talking about this last week. Where most of the things that we desire from God, Bill Gates and a low level Steve Jobs could provide.

Most of the things we desire from God, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs could easily provide.

Because most of our desires from God are usually for money or some help with something that is not working.

And between Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, we could have God.

But what if God didn't provide anything? Would it be possible to follow him passionately, like Reni was saying before she sang?

Would it be possible to passionately follow him, even if there was nothing else provided?

One of the hardest things for me during this trip was when I was in pain in different parts of the world, in different parts of the body.

One thing I decided is, Father, I've got to not cast any suspicion on your name.

I've got to approach you not with an attitude of why.

Because initially that's how it's done. Why aren't you doing this? I'm out here doing stuff for you.

Or did I do something wrong? And then you take the guilt upon yourself. Did I do this wrong? Did I do that wrong?

And you make God out to be such a monster.

And I remember someone telling me halfway through the journey,

the God you are at present trusting ain't the kind of God you talk about.

And I had to immediately stop and say, Father, but you are good. But you are good.

You know, there's much strength to the simple word, even though you slay me, yet I will praise you.

In our conversation, the other comment I made was that the young guys in this church are running strong and running well.

But if you were to go and sit with some of the older people in this church,

you will see that the amount of shaking that they have gone through and come out still trusting God is worth listening to.

If you young ones went through that shaking, I am not sure you have developed the substance to standard.

But some of the older ones here, that's just the noise with the thing draining like crazy now.

Mark, what have you gone and done?

This sermon comes with sound effect.

Some would say this is a mighty rushing wind, but it is not.

I was in a church once where there was worship happening. Joan was there when this happened.

And suddenly there was this aroma that began to spread, especially in the back of the church.

Everyone thought it was the fragrance of the Lord during worship.

It was just that someone had tilted a eucalyptus bottle by mistake.

And so there was a strong smell of eucalyptus.

And it was a little church down in Steveston.

People, Christians are very gullible.

They say that the smell of eucalyptus is very strong.

And I was like, oh, I am going to go and get some eucalyptus.

And I was like, oh, I am going to go and get some eucalyptus.

So this is not the mighty rushing wind.

So guys, if you were to take the lives of the older ones here,

you would find that they have withstood great shaking.

And one of the things the younger ones in this church have to learn

is to be able to stand when things are not working out,

when God seems a mile away,

when the Lord is not around,

when God seems a mile away,

when the mountain is not disappearing,

when things are taking time,

you have to learn how to stand.

Otherwise, all the zeal and the enthusiasm you have will be a roller coaster.

And sometimes I am afraid of that.

Sometimes I am afraid of that.

That it will take very little to cause you to stumble.

I know the stories of some of the older people here.

Wow, this really gets nasty, huh?

I guess that's why they told me to do this after church ends.

I was given specific instructions before you leave the church.

Maybe you should play the sax.

Okay, the next one is...

Internal, eternal versus external, temporal.

Guys, the way I've written it is,

everything that I do in my life

must be from heaven or must be towards heaven.

The prosperity gospel is about using faith, using God,

using scriptures, using promises of God for external, temporal.

That's what the prosperity gospel basically is.

Amazing, who thought of that?

That's what the prosperity gospel is.

The prosperity gospel is,

can I, with God's blessing,

get everything that is external and temporal?

Can I use faith? Can I use the promise of God?

Can I use the word? Can I use the goodness of God?

Can I use these things to gain external, temporal things?

That's what the prosperity gospel is.

And the true gospel is,

can I use faith, can I use the promises of God, the word of God,

the nature of God to internally focus on those things which are eternal,

at sometimes the expense of those things that are temporal?

Everything that I do here on earth must not be anything but that which comes from heaven

and that which fulfills the purposes of heaven and that which is sourced from heaven.

So I would go so far as to say that the security of my life, of my family,

monetizing God's promises by using them to create my own security

is not eternal, it is temporal.

Once you begin to think like that, then your job, your home and stuff like that becomes less important.

And once those things become less important,

you become highly mature and usable in the hands of the king.

I'm scared of those that are scared of their retirement.

I'm scared for those that are scared of their retirement.

I am scared for those that are scared of their retirement.

I'm scared for those that have private lives that prevents God from telling his story through you.

I'm scared for when I do not hate with a passion those things that are temporal

because if I do not hate it, I will tolerate it.

I'm scared when people want to establish security before they will launch out in God

because Satan will keep them insecure throughout their lives so that they never launch out in God.

These are plumb lines and measures of growth, man, and these are things I'm struggling with

because it is so easy to fall into the external, temporal and forget the internal, eternal.

Everything that I do in my life must be to fulfill the purpose of heaven

and must come from heaven and must return to heaven.

Houses I buy, security that I try to create on earth, everything must be God-sourced and returned to God.

Security that can be given away at the drop of a pin because it is no longer dependent on external temporals.

Any questions?

Any questions?

I mean each of these can take a sermon so any questions?

A mind shift will happen, guys. My words are going through. It doesn't matter.

You could fall asleep now and the words would still go through.

Really, I mean that.

There's something about the way the Holy Spirit is saying things right now that it will go through even if you fall asleep.

Don't because I only have two points left or one point left.

Two points left.

2 Corinthians 4, 17 and 18.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

We must fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen.

For what is seen is temporal, what is unseen is eternal.

What is seen is temporal and what is unseen is eternal.

Guys, do this. Do this.

The church is eternal.

Christ is eternal.

Souls are eternal.

The kingdom is eternal.

His promise is eternal.

Let me tell you what is temporal.

Safety, security, homes, places here on earth, jobs.

These things are so temporal and yet it is what we spend most of our time on.

One last statement before I move on to the next point.

80% of our life is spent on work when 80% of our life should be spent on life work, not work life.

65 years from now when you retire you will look back and think,

ah shucks, I spent so much time on work and got what I deserved.

What if Don and guys as young as that could stop making the mistake that we are making

by choosing to engage in life work now so that it is continuously storing things in eternity.

Guys, here's the thing.

You start thinking eternal and internal you will find that treasures are being stored in heaven.

And these treasures are accrued to your account and now you bless the generation after you.

You bless the generation after you.

Two more points because we are out of time.

This one everybody is familiar with.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

Use that as a measure this year.

May you give more.

May you give more.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

May you give more and may you get more to give more.

Giving for the building of the kingdom.

Acts chapter 2 verse 42 onwards and so they had everything in common they

Acts 2:42

shared things together they brought what they sold and laid it at the Apostles

feet why did they laid at the Apostles feet to show respect no it is from Isaiah

52 how lovely are the feet of them that bring good news the idea of laying money

at the Apostles feet was not some kind of ritual or traditional reverence given

to the head honcho it was here is the money now would you begin to use it to

shod those that take the good news how lovely are the feet of them that bring

good news or for that matter Romans 16 2 of all the recommendations that Paul

could give a person he talks about this woman called Phoebe and he says hey take

good care of her not only does she help me by taking the gospel across borders

but she's been a patron she's been someone who gives towards the spreading

of the kingdom these are measures of maturity and the last one breaking

breaking yolks breaking yolks and stepping into mark 16 17 and 18 breaking

yolks is from Isaiah 58 verse 6 is this not the fast that I desire that you

Isaiah 58:6

undo injustice that you undo oppression you know there's a guy called Shalom who

leads worship at Chad's church he's a main worship leader he and his wife came

up for prayer they first took my phone and hid it and then they said if you

want your phone back you'll have to pray for us so I decided to pray for them

and then as God began to show what he was going to use for them I said I wish

you hadn't come for prayer because God is going to break your heart and what I

meant by that was that God was going to send him and his wife to Cambodia and

places close to Cambodia like Vietnam to deal with brutally abused babies and

kids and just seeing what would happen I thought to myself it's gonna rip their

hearts apart rip their hearts apart from seeing what was physically happening

rip their hearts apart from seeing how God cries I was listening to Ravi

Zechariah's preaching and he was in a plane with a lady I don't know why I'm

telling you this maybe it is supposed to stir someone up here to do or become

something he was in a he was going from one nation to the other sitting next to

a lady in a plane and both of them were refusing to tell each other what they do

because they were traveling through certain sensitive areas and so finally

they find out that they were both committed Christians and her job was

rescuing young children and she had just come out of this country where there's

an alley called Snake Alley where men go and drink a mixture of snake venom and

some drug and she was telling Ravi Zechariah's that the previous night she

had rescued an 18 month old baby from man who was abusing that child and Ravi

Zechariah said he wanted to turn and throw up

there's far too much brutality and injustice and oppression in this world

that a mature church must begin to stand up against a fat church will not

mature church will a fat church will collapse like Eli did under his own

weight but a mature church will have people who begin to undo injustice and

oppression Isaiah 58 verse 6 breaking yokes that's one side of it and the

Isaiah 58:6

other side of his mark 16 17 and 18 and those that believe in me shall lay hands

upon the sick they shall cast out demons they shall heal the lepers leprosy was

uncurable it was like cancer today and so heal the lepers raise the dead these

are this is the mark 16 movement measure yourself by this standard measure

yourself by the standard this is what maturity will look like and young guys

I'm telling you please I love your enthusiasm but show me substance show me

substance because when storms hit and they will if your tree is rotting from

within your tree will fall

I pray God that the things spoken today will really affect you and that if you're

not there desire it because these are not my measures these are God's measures

and if you go down this route you're unstoppable you suddenly become the 3%

and that will be enough yeah let's just pray hey father there's a certain

sobriety to this message that I didn't expect certain things have been