Set Apart

Talk about, you know, sometimes I think to myself,

I wish I could come back and preach something else

that's not the same thing that I keep preaching again and again.

It's not that I'm preaching the same thing,

it's the same topic, but I just feel bound by the Lord

to keep going down this track.

So we go back to the whole idea of what is the church

supposed to do and meant to do,

and part of this will help us pray later on.

And trust me, it won't take an hour to pray,

it'll be much shorter.

So you'll get home much sooner than you thought.

So, first thing is guys, here is another way to phrase

what God wants you and me for.

I love this phrase.

We have been set apart by Christ.

This is so easy to remember.

It is so simple, so beautiful,

I don't think any of us will forget this.

We have been set apart by Christ to assist him

in setting others apart.

That is it basically, guys.

We have been set apart by Christ to assist him

in setting others apart.

This is the sum of what the church is supposed to do,

what you and I are supposed to do.

And we have been set apart by Christ in many different ways

based on our functions, the phases of life that we are in.

But at the end of the day, this is it.

I have been set apart by Christ to assist him

in setting others apart.

This is the whole idea of being a coworker.

This is the whole idea of the function of the church.

Such a simple sentence, such a simple sentence.

I have been set apart, we have been set apart by Christ

now to assist him in setting others apart.

Calling them aside for him.

Any questions on that?

This is so easy to remember that,

and it's so beautiful somehow,

that this is what Christ is doing.

Come, help me, assist me in setting others apart.

Just as you were set apart.

I mean, look at how your life has been changed, hey?

Through a very difficult week for some of you.

Some of you had small accidents, some of you fell,

some of you had sicknesses and diseases,

some of you had other situations.

Through all that, what would you do if Christ wasn't there?

I just can't imagine how I would manage simple crisis.

I don't know how the world manages.

Where do they go, man?

Where is hope?

And so this is what we are after.

Any questions or any comments on that before we go on?

No?

Do you think it's as simple and beautiful

as I'm making it out to be,

or do you think I'm overdoing it?

Yep.

Yeah.

Which is why I kind of liked it,

because I could so easily remember this.

Because other ones are pretty complex,

you really have to memorize them.

This you can't do,

but I think it's a good thing.

Complex, you really have to memorize them.

This you can actually think through.

So this is what we are aiming after in this church,

both for you as an individual and for me

and for us as a body.

So all of us that are at different phases

or have different functions in doing this,

but the intent is the same.

So we may have different functions and different phases

that we are in, but the purpose is the same.

Purpose is the same.

And what's the purpose?

This.

We have been set apart by Christ

to assist him in setting others apart.

And when a church fails to do this,

or when a church sidelines it or sidesteps it,

or when I as an individual or a pastor sideline

or sidestep it, then really we're not fulfilling

the function of a church,

and the church becomes a monstrosity,

because it's not engaging in the one thing

that the church is supposed to engage in.

And it should excite us a little,

because this is Christ's call on our life as a church, right?

This is Christ's call on Christians.

So, how do we do this?

This is where those big words come in,

which Diana was talking about.

We proclaim.

We penetrate.

We progress.

We proclaim.

It is impossible to set people aside.

It is impossible to help Christ set others aside

without proclaiming what Christ proclaimed.

It is not possible.

And the church in the West has learned how to avoid it,

but it is impossible to do it without proclaiming.

And so, find ways to proclaim Christ.

Find ways to proclaim Christ.

Penetrate.

Why penetrate?

Guys, most churches go only to the same places

that have been visited by hundreds of other churches.

I saw a map in India,

which showed the places that have been approached

by the gospel,

and the big cities have been approached by the gospel

for 200 years now, so often, that it's saturated.

But the rest of India, about 70% of India,

70% of 1.2 billion.

That's what?

Of 1.2 billion.

You're a banker.

Sorry?

840 million.

Out of the 840 million, about 600 million

still haven't heard.

Because most of the proclamation,

most of the proclamation does not penetrate places

where it hasn't been heard.

So, these three words are not too difficult.

I'm trying to memorize these words myself

so that I don't forget that one, Jacob,

it's not enough to teach in a church,

it's important to proclaim

and use every opportunity to proclaim.

Two, that you must penetrate places

that the gospel has not gone into

or is not welcome in.

Because if you only preach where it is welcome,

then it's already been there before.

And third, it must progress.

It is not enough to say it now that you've said it,

what are you doing about the seed that you have?

Soon, one must water it.

Why is this important, guys?

Because this is really what Seek First is about.

This is what Seek First is about.

Seek First, His Kingdom.

This is what the Kingdom is about.

Really, I'm not exaggerating, I'm not adding,

I'm not trying to make two and two equal to five.

I'm just telling you that this, at the end of the week,

Kingdom is the rule and reign of Christ.

The rule and reign of Christ,

if it has to be sought first,

these are, this is what it is.

It's impossible to avoid this.

And everyone must be involved in it.

Everyone must be involved in it.

And we'll talk about the different ways of involvement.

Any questions, any thoughts, any disagreements?

Come on, guys, any thoughts on this?

This is the essence of who you are.

Do you agree?

Oh, it should be the essence of who you are.

The different ways of proclaiming,

we'll leave that aside for now,

but this is who you are.

If this is not your first definition,

then everything else is just gravy.

I have been set apart by Christ

to assist him in setting others apart.

Different functions and phases exist,

but the purpose is the same.

I can only do it by proclaiming what Christ is proclaiming.

Hey, Christ penetrated your life, guys.

Some of us were from Mongolia,

some from Pakistan, some from India,

places that the gospel may have gone initially

in the first century, but after that, what happened?

Dried up.

But Christ kept sending people into nations

that were blocked, that were walled,

so that the light of the gospel may pierce the darkness,

and you and me and our children and our children's children,

think of how, because of the penetration of the gospel,

through someone, it did come through someone.

You are the result of it.

How can I hold back now,

so that someone else's children and children's children

also bear what I have borne?

This is the essence of who we are, guys.

For far too long, for far too long,

when I say we, I'm not necessarily talking about Acts 20,

and for far too long, we've been about so many other things,

as churches.

It pains my heart when I go around the world

and see how off-kilter it has been.

These are simple truths.

Thoughts.

Thoughts, guys.

Go ahead, guys, any thoughts?

Okay.

Sure.

I have been, as an old man, following the royal family.

I kind of enjoy Prince Harry,

and William and Kate and all that stuff.

I don't know why, but I just kind of do.

But it illustrates, for us, the kingdom.

Right now, in the last few years,

Kate has become, who was a commoner, has become royalty,

and we've got Meg and Marko, who's going to become royalty.

And you know, they have to learn how to fit into the kingdom.

And the kingdom has traditions and things they follow,

traditions and things they follow and learn.

Well, we're part of a kingdom, too, and we're all royalty.

You get adopted into the family,

and you become part of the kingdom.

You're called a king and a priest.

And the kingdom is supposed to have traditions and ideas

and things we learn and follow,

and we meet in church here to do all that.

So I think everything Jacob is saying

fits into that whole idea.

And if you look at the royal family

and the learning that a person who is part of the family

has to go through, that speaks to us about our learning.

There's traditions, there's ideas, there's things to do.

If you happen to be called by the queen,

like one of her children, like Kate or Harry or whatever,

to be involved in things, they go out,

they start new ideas, they promote things, they create.

And I think, I was thinking about it just last night,

and it kind of pictures to me us.

If you look at the way the royal family functions,

we're a part of the royal family.

We've been adopted, and we've gotta be learning

the methods and the things that are part of it.

I give traditions.

Thank you, Wayne, makes sense.

Guys, so then, like Wayne is saying,

I serve at the pleasure of the king.

However he wants to use me to set others apart,

I'm gonna assist him.

Do not look at your job, do not look at your work,

do not look at your family, do not look at any of these

things as the primary thing.

This is first.

Your job and work and everything else is an avenue

that God has provided for you to function this way.

That is why we have jobs, that is why we have homes,

that is why we have social circles,

that's why we have cities that we live in.

They live in Langley, some of you live in Richmond,

some in Vancouver, why?

Because these are areas where the king has appointed us

to carry out a simple purpose, that listen,

I set you apart so that you can assist me

in setting others apart.

When this becomes front and central,

when this becomes front and central,

you are living the purpose that you were meant to live on

here in the earth.

Nothing else is important, everything else is

far, far secondary, it's nowhere close.

When one thinks like this, one does not have to give up

one's job, when one thinks like this,

one functions well in one's job.

The land blesses you, the job blesses you,

and persecution may come, because now a stance

is being taken, because as long as we proclaim

and nothing else, we'll be fine.

But the moment you penetrate into places that you

may be resistant, that's when the problem begins.

It's odd that for all these years we haven't

thought like this, so when I say this,

it's not like, this is, yeah, of course,

this is the way it is, it's not the way it is,

it's not the way I've been thinking,

and it's certainly not the way you've been thinking

from what I've seen and heard.

And if I'm wrong, then I'm glad to be wrong.

Any thoughts?

Anyone else?

Okay.

So then, what are the different ways that we can

work towards this, different phases of functions?

One of the first ones mentioned in the Bible

is the ministers of the gospel, ministers of the gospel.

These are different phases and functions

that all of us can be involved in,

it's not permanent, it's not that if I'm doing this now,

I can't do another, maybe there'll be a time

that comes when you'll shift from one to the other.

Ministers of the gospel were guys like Paul,

guys like Timothy, guys who had decided that

they had such a distinct call on their lives

to be ones who go minister the gospel

in different parts of the world as the Spirit of God

opens doors and to teach the teachings of Christ

to establish and multiply churches.

So ministers of the gospel, Paul is an example,

Timothy is an example, Barnabas is an example.

And so what Paul would do then is he would identify

people who had the ability to be ministers of the gospel

and he would take them on trips with him.

Why?

So that the apprentice could become a master builder.

So that the apprentice could become a master builder.

This was Paul's reason for taking people with him,

saying, hey, come.

And on the journey in the mission field,

Timothy, who had a Greek dad and a Jewish mom,

now gets to learn the ways of Paul.

And so if you think that that is something that you fit in,

if that is either something you've known for years

and it's awaiting you or it's something

you're supposed to function in now

because that's a phase of life you've entered,

begin to ponder on that, begin to wrestle with God on that

before you even volunteer for it, wrestle with God in it,

saying, oh God, I've always sensed this.

Maybe the time in my life has come for it.

Oh God, I have the beginning of the sense.

Maybe I should talk to you about it more.

Where you know that the calling on your life

is so distinct in terms of I want you to spend

the rest of your life ministering the gospel

and the teachings of Christ to establish

and multiply churches.

That may or may not be some of our call.

That's definitely what I'm called to.

It's not that I haven't worked a regular job.

I did it for a while, till 1997 or 98.

Okay, next one.

The next one is...

Coworkers, coworkers.

This is a...

Coworkers.

This is a really amazing category of people.

And as I was going through these categories,

I was thinking of some of you for each of them,

which obviously I won't talk about right now.

Coworkers, coworkers are guys like Aquila and Priscilla.

Coworkers are guys like Aquila and Priscilla.

Aquila and Priscilla.

These people have the ability to start businesses

and start households for a while in a city,

and they'll run it well, and then two or three years later,

when the household and the business is produced enough,

they'll shut it down and move to the next city.

So you had Aquila and Priscilla start something in Rome,

and then when they finished Rome, they went to Ephesus,

and they'll raise up people.

They have the DNA that is required to find an Apollos.

An Apollos is someone who seemed to have a lot of knowledge,

but it wasn't complete, so they would come alongside Apollos.

The ability to start businesses in some cities and nations

where it would be impossible for someone to enter.

But you have this ability to go in there, start something,

build up a household, raise people,

and your intent is not to become a pastor there.

Your intent is not that I have to now call this church

by a name.

You're just raising it up so that you identify an Apollos,

or you identify someone, and you set them in place,

and then you decide that three years,

this business is running well,

I'm moving on to the next one.

So you run a business both in terms of financial

and in terms of the father's business.

I was thinking of a couple of you in this church

who actually have the ability to do this.

We'll talk to you about it later.

But many of us in this church are in such a phase

of our life where this is just so ideal for some of us.

Thank you for your tremendous excitement.

Trust me, today if an ambulance came in,

looking for someone dead, they would have a problem.

Hey, you gotta respond a little more, guys.

You gotta respond a little more.

You're gonna be in trouble.

True, but at least let it show on your face

that your wheels are turning.

Because I'm searching, I'm going around the room

searching for one face to bounce things off

and not finding anybody.

So maybe it's a 17 hour flight.

I wouldn't mind some encouragement.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Pardon?

Okay.

So thanks, that was a response enough.

Now you can go back and be normal.

Hey guys, this is the same problem.

This is the same problem everywhere.

So it's not specific to us.

I definitely don't want rara,

but in Chennai, 800 people,

my God, they wouldn't move a muscle.

So when 800 people don't move a muscle,

that's a massive non-moving muscle.

And so then Chad would make them say stuff like,

say, say, and everybody will say, say.

And so after a while,

he has to make them say things to keep them awake.

So finally, even by the time you go to the 14th repeat,

people aren't even repeating.

So then he'll make them do actions.

Don't worry, I won't go there today.

He made them do actions for proclamation,

penetration, progression.

He had to do stuff like this to keep them going.

So we won't go there today, unless you want to try it.

Oh no, thank you.

We'll stay awake and prong them.

Okay, so yeah, like Diana was saying,

you have to examine it in your head,

but go like, hmm, and stuff like that.

So I know there is something happening.

Yeah, oh, like Mary, you're pondering it in your heart.

Okay, great.

And you guys are full of nice, excuse me.

This is true.

Messengers, then there are messengers.

I'm just picking up words from the Bible,

sorry, the da suddenly came up by mistake.

Messengers, messengers are guys like epiphros, it is,

who had the ability to assist and help carry

the message faithfully, assist and help carry

the message faithfully.

What does that mean?

Where you can be sent to any place in the world

with a message from this church,

and by message I don't mean a telegram,

but with a teaching from this church,

and you will go there, carry it faithfully,

deposit it faithfully so that it produces results.

This was the kind of guy epiphros it was.

So in the first case it was guys like Paul and Timothy

and Barnabas, second case was guys like Quillen and Priscilla

and I really believe there are people like that here.

The third one was messengers to assist

and help carry the message faithfully.

Which, EPA, PHRO, DITUS.

How do you play?

That would be a cool trick to play on your kid, huh?

Yeah, so is that who you are where you begin to,

like some of you were saying, ponder like Mary in your heart,

am I to step up now and say,

okay, begin to send me to different places

because there are certain teachings

that have been taught here,

and not teachings of Jacob,

but teachings of Christ that you recognize,

that you have so understood, so practiced,

so lived out, so fruitful,

that you want now to be sent to places

where these teachings can be deposited.

Where your life bears the teaching out.

What a cool thing that'll be.

These are the ways that Christ who set us apart

seeks to be assisted in setting others apart.

So instead of waiting for a tap on your shoulder

and suddenly coming into the realization

that, ah, so this is what Jacob may want me to do

or someone else may want me to do,

you've been pondering on it for so long

that when you get the tap on your shoulder,

you're thinking, boy, finally, that's how you think.

Because you've been thinking about it.

The more we think about it with God and wrestle with him,

the quicker the tap on the shoulder comes.

Because there's nobody on earth,

nobody on earth who can prevent you

from functioning in what God is calling you to.

Nobody.

No pastor, no nothing,

regardless of whether the pastor likes you

or doesn't like you, he cannot stop you

from coming into the fruition of who you are.

Your advantage, even if I dislike you,

maybe that I'm more obedient,

so even if you don't like you, I'll still send you.

The things that get your attention.

Fourth one.

Benefactors.

Benefactors.

Oh man, I had some really bad crab soup

the day before yesterday night.

Oh, it was terrible.

Did you eat it?

It tasted good when I was eating it.

And then for the next 15, the context,

just to keep you guys awake.

And then the next 15 hours was so miserable

and I could feel crab.

Pardon?

And then at some point, just when I was getting over it,

the guy next to me ordered seafood.

Oh.

Benefactors.

No.

Benefactors aid financially.

Benefactors aid financially

by providing the funds required

for trips for new areas.

They create pathways.

They create financial pathways by creating financial.

And creating financial pathways.

They also help.

They also help to open borders.

So for instance, there was a guy called Erastus.

Erastus was the chief, like what's a,

not the mayor, the chief planning officer of a city.

Erastus was a guy who was a chief planning officer

of a city.

So he would create for Paul,

he would create pathways into cities

because he was a guy who was very high up.

Then there was another amazing lady called Phoebe.

Phoebe was a benefactor.

She was a patron.

She would go ahead and prepare things for Paul

so that he could enter into cities.

Romans 16, she's applauded by Paul

in the first two verses saying,

here is a lady who's a patron.

And so these were people either of good,

who had means or knew how to create a financial pathway

and help open borders, open doors, open access to places.

This is something that some of you have had prophetic words

based on this.

I mean, anytime I've met anyone of importance,

it's not because I went knocking on their door

and they opened it.

It was because someone who had access opened the door.

They were the ones who did this.

There are at least two people like this at Acts 29

based on prophetic words that have been spoken

over you in the past and based on words,

based on what you will do in the future, at least two.

Any questions on the benefactor bit?

Okay.

Next one.

Is mature ministers, five mature ministers.

As in guys who have learned how to do things

learned how to take their skills and gifts and graces

and now can use it to minister to people,

often locally or sometimes outside.

But you're believers who are matured in the use of,

okay, I have this gift of healing.

I have this gift of faith.

I've nurtured it over a period of time.

I've looked for every opportunity to step up.

I've grown in faith.

I've learned the word.

I have a knowledge of the word.

And now that I have all this,

I've come to a place of mature ministry

where I can be trusted in a local body or in a city

to go out and minister and cast out demons,

heal the sick, cleanse the leper, and even raise the dead.

Guys, all these things are in the Bible,

but I'll tell you what my desire is

that in this small church,

that this church be packed with people like this.

In this small church,

that this church be packed with people like this.

Because there's no dearth of teaching in this church.

We can never complain that we're not taught in this church.

And now there's even opportunity for ministry

over the last one and a half years.

So you become an influence locally and in the local body

because the Spirit of God,

you've learned how to operate in the Spirit of God.

Healings happen.

People recover.

You pray and you see things.

There's a word of knowledge,

word of wisdom operating from you.

People are just blown away

that here are simple people

who God uses to change lives locally and in the local body,

locally and in the local body.

Guys, if nothing else, guys, Christ is looking for this.

Christ is looking for this.

I don't want to be a little drummer boy

with my little drumstick standing in front of him

saying this is all I have to give.

That's good for Christmas.

Parampampampam won't cut it in heaven.

Parampampampam won't cut it in heaven.

Here's another category.

Mature elders and leaders.

Mature elders and leaders.

Is that actually different?

If you have the completely new investigation,

In a sense, because mature elders and leaders are people who know how to run their families well.

Their families are places that are run well.

Their homes, if you go into their homes, you'll find that it's a godly home.

And they have this ability now to be leaders.

Because at the end of the day, if you don't have a mature Christ-reflecting leader,

you cannot have a mature Christ-reflecting church.

If you don't have a mature Christ-reflecting leader,

you cannot have a mature Christ-reflecting church.

So if my life doesn't keep increasing in Christ-reflecting characteristics,

then this church will suffer.

And a maturity isn't a hallmark of my continuous growth,

then this church will suffer.

And the same applies to you, whether you're a household leader or

leading a small group of kids downstairs, it's the same principle.

It's always trickled down. It's never grassroots in the kingdom.

There's no grassroots movement in the kingdom.

It's a kingdom, not a democracy.

That's why congregational ways of governing in a church are actually contrary to the Bible.

So mature leaders and elders who can...

And these guys, the last two, the mature believers and the mature...

Are these lights necessary?

Just checking, because...

Let's try it without the lights.

Still glowing?

Anything to keep us on our toes?

Is the glow still there?

All the good people can see the glow.

Mike, good man.

Guys, so between the mature ministers and mature elders, you have now the ability to

deconstruct strongholds that people have, deconstruct strongholds.

When people come to you, it's not just that they get healed, you'll actually go and figure out,

why is it that you're going through this sickness again and again?

You help deconstruct strongholds, you bring wholeness, you know how to counter the attacks

of the enemy. Mature leaders and elders admonish the unruly. There are three things that elders

and leaders are supposed to do. Admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak.

The Bible talks about that. If you're an elder, your job is, or if you're a leader or an elder,

admonish the unruly. Because every church, I pray, I'm so blessed and fortunate that we don't have

unruly people here. The worst we get is dawn and that's about it. So, hardly any unruly people.

So, admonish the unruly. How blessed we are, huh? How blessed we are, guys. I mean, stand in my shoes

and you suddenly realize what an easy job I have. Most churches struggle with unruly people.

But we don't. This is the work of Christ in you.

So blessed, so difficult for other pastors, guys. You have no idea. I'm not afraid to say this

because the Lord will keep it that way, huh?

Elders are supposed to admonish the unruly, encourage the faint-hearted and strengthen the weak.

So, these two categories, some of us must aspire for. These are things supposed to be aspired for.

The Bible says, aspire for gifts. The Bible says, aspire for positions of eldership. But prove

yourself as being good for that kind of leading and eldership positions. The Bible says, aspire for

grace. So, reach out for these things because this kingdom is a kingdom of rewards and promotions.

Please understand that the kingdom of God is a kingdom of rewards and promotions.

This kingdom always promotes, this kingdom always rewards. And both promotion and reward is based

on one simple thing, faithfulness. That's all it's based on. Can you show yourself faithful with the

little that I have given you and I will keep promoting you and keep rewarding you? What a cool kingdom.

The last one.

Short-term teams. Short-term teams. Any of the above categories

can aspire for this. Short-term teams where you make it a point as long as you know it is God who's

asking you to, and you keep asking, Father, is there a short-term team that I can travel with to a place

of your calling? Not necessarily to India or to Mongolia, but when the time is right, can I go with

a short-term team? Because what's a great thing about short-term teams? They have the ability to

go somewhere and deposit like Messengers mentioned earlier. And that aside, you get opportunities

to excel in compassion. One of the things that happens with short-term teams is the opportunity

to excel in compassion, besides depositing the teachings that you have, the opportunity to excel

in compassion, and you get a taste of mission. You get a taste of mission. You get a taste of mission.

And whenever someone goes on a short-term team mission, the leader always benefits. So let's

assume that Heidi and Jillian and Jane are going to Nandigama in Feb. They will go there and deposit

what they've learned here. Are they the best preachers, the best ministers in this church? No.

But will they find out what it is to be on a mission? Yes. Will they be stretched? Yes. Will

they deposit what they've learned here? Yes. Will they have opportunity to show compassion?

Yes. And in the process, when they come back, they will be changed people, and we will benefit

as a church. The leaders benefit and they get processed. The great thing about Acts 29 is that

from its very foundation, without even knowing it, this church has always had one simple word

attached, two simple words attached to it, sent and nations. These words are tied together in the

very core of this church. It is impossible to escape that. No one made it happen. It's just natural.

So think about these categories, because all of us fit in these.

But Jacob, if all of us do this, then who will be ministered to? The fields are

white and ready for harvest. They may not come into Pilgrim Baptist where we meet, but

it doesn't mean that there aren't people out there.

So think along the lines early this year as, okay, so Father, which of these should I begin to wrestle

with you on? Because I so want to assist you, O Christ, who set me apart, now to assist you in

setting others apart. This is the only reason I live, O God. See, I'm convinced at Acts 29 that we

believe that. That that doesn't need to be drummed again and again. That we live for one reason alone,

to assist Christ in setting others apart. This we know now. We're not here for prosperity. We're

not here for blessing. We're not here to excel in the gifts. We're not here to be a blessing. We're

not here to excel in the gifts. We're not even here for, oh, Holy Spirit, fall. The Spirit of God

falls when the people of God engage in the activity of the Spirit of God. Before Acts 2 had to happen,

people gathered together in Acts 1 and then Acts 2 happened because they were gathered together to

follow what Christ said in Matthew 28, which was, go and make disciples of all nations.

Spirit of God doesn't need any coaxing or any waiting upon to fall when a people desire to

do exactly what he wants. You fall into one of these categories, guys. This is the ministry of the

saints. Out of these guys, come, I don't know, out of all these, you have a people in a local church called

people, equipers, equipers, drawn out of all these, drawn out of the ministers of the gospel,

drawn out of co-workers, drawn out of messengers, drawn out of benefactors. You have these people

called equipers. What is their job? They come alongside and equip you. And what do they equip you in?

Three things.

Teachings of Christ.

Sorry, first the gospel, gospel and teachings of Christ. You can put that together. Gospel and

the teachings of Christ.

Gospels and the teachings of Christ.

That's one thing you're equipped in. Second, good works, as in how do you take your job,

your talents, your life work,

your skills, your place in life,

how do you take all this and cause your works to so shine that let your good works shine,

let your light so shine before men that they shall see your good works and glorify Christ.

And then the third one, raising

inter, raising leaders in every generation. This is what equipers do. And out of all those

categories on the back of the board, there are people who God has given them the grace to do this.

And if you fall into one of those categories, begin to ponder with God, father,

do I have the grace of a prophet, a pioneer or an apostle, a teacher, an evangelist or a prophet,

and if that is a grace in me or God, I come to wrestle with you. I come to wrestle with you,

not like Jacob wrestled, but wrestle with God in terms of how to think this through.

Because equipers equip you in the gospels and the teachings of Christ. Equipers

equip you in good works as in how do you take your job, your talent, your life, work, your skills,

your present phase in life, how do you take all that and make it shine wherever you are.

And the third one is raising leaders in every generation. Guys, the joy I had of spending a day

and a half with the young adults at that place in Chilliwack was phenomenal. It was so good to see

Pastor Jim, who's from Richmond Pentecostal and who has maybe 500 or 600 people in that church

was saying, Jacob, it's a rarity to have these many financially and spiritually mobile young adults.

It's a gift. We've been given strange gifts for a church that hardly can cut 70 on a super good day.

It's very odd.

Any questions before I close?

Yes, they can help us become those seven things too. Yeah.

No, I think at this present stage, what I want us to look at is,

of these categories, where, oh God, do I fit? That's where I want us to look at. Father,

sorry, of these things, where do I fit? Where do I fit in all these things so that I can begin

to ponder on them so that you can tap me on my shoulder because the tap is coming.

Go ahead. Yeah. Yeah, you can be just one thing for a while and then you can be two things. Then

you can be three things. Yeah. I mean, I always use the example of Barnabas, who was just a devout

believer from Cyprus. He was a Levite whose name was Joses. And then he goes and gets Saul from

Tarsus when nobody else wanted to touch Saul because Saul was a murderer of Christians. And

so he goes and gets Saul from Tarsus. And therein now he begins to be called Barnabas because he's

now the son of encouragement. He also sells all his land and comes and places it at the feet of

the disciples. So he's a bit of a benefactor there where he sells everything and places it for

mission. How lovely are the feet of them that bring good news. And then he's counted among the

teachers and the prophets in the church of Antioch in Acts chapter 13. And then finally,

Acts 13 · chapter mention

in Acts chapter 13, verse four or five, the Holy Spirit says, set apart for me, Barnabas and Saul,

Acts 13 · chapter mention

and they are sent off as apostles. So you see a man moving in a matter of maybe just a couple

of years or three years, he moves through such a large spectrum. Must have been a very faithful man.

And so sometimes when someone prophesies something on you which seems impossible now,

it is true. It does seem impossible now,

but it is for the future and that future awaits.

So any other questions?

We might even be able to pray here.

Show yourself faithful guys. Show yourself faithful in these things and exert your,

I mean, at the end of the day, what is all this saying that your heart must be involved because

that's where spiritual formation takes place. Your head must be involved because you've got to learn

the teachings of Christ and your hands must be involved because it's with your hands that you

minister. Heart, head, hands, all three. Read, read a lot guys. The head must be involved. We

must process truths. That's why big words like proclamation, penetration and progression.

Proclamation, penetration, progression. He could do it like a moonwalk. When I do it,

feels like I'm stepping on stuff. But big words like that sound big and are difficult to remember

because we don't necessarily go home and process it, right? For me, the biggest word to process

that is not the proclamation. I understand that. The progression, I understand the penetration part

where go into places where this is not heard and accepted. That is the hard part. That's the part

the church avoids.

And so the head is involved, the heart is involved because that's where Jesus Christ is formed.

Christ is formed in our hearts and then the hands are involved in our ministry.

And at the end of the day guys, when you leave the earth, having done all this,

you should have nothing left. The very nature of the apostolic and I'm not saying apostles,

I'm talking about the nature of the apostolic. As in a church that is apostolic is a church that

has been set apart to assist Christ by him sending us out to set others apart.

We have nothing left because we poured everything out.

I mean, what do you think Mark and Rhonda want to do? At the end of their years, they want to pour

everything out into their children. They don't want to take an inheritance or keep an inheritance

for themselves. How do you, I mean, so where are you pouring it out? It goes as an inheritance

into somebody else. When I leave the earth, I want to be so spent that there is nothing left.

Then you can say like Paul that you have been poured out like a libation, like a offering. You've

been poured out. There's nothing left. Leave the earth empty and you will get such rewards in heaven

because this is a reward oriented religion and you will not thrill at the reward. You will thrill at

the reward giver.