Fight the Good Fight of Finishing Faith - Part 5 (Pastor Terrance Richmond)

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Love Quest International

Church podcast, where we seek to love all nations, equip the

church, mobilize the equipped and serve all.

We're super glad you're joining us from whenever and wherever

you're at in the world. Welcome to the family to get

your Bibles ready, get some water, get some coffee, maybe

some tea and get ready to receive.

It's go time. Let's get into it.

Let's let's turn our attention to the video screens, please.

That was an. Absolute disaster.

He has eased up far, far, far too early, and half the field

swept past him before the finish line.

This is going to be a lesson learned the very, very hard way.

After what was for 150 meters a masterful display of sprinting,

the Speaking of not fun, we move on

to the women's 20K race walk, European Championships and

devastating 3rd place finish. Devastating.

We got Laura Garcia Caro here, Spanish racer #103 just twisting

them hips, walking, not running, walking, not running behind her

Ukrainian racer you Dumina Orano Bosta.

So the two Italians, they've already got first and 2nd.

Now there's a race for 3rd, a race walk.

She already pulled the flag out. She starts.

Oh my goodness. Watch the replay here.

The Spanish racer all smiles. The tongue's out.

She's excited, she's enjoying life.

She pulled a flag already. She's going to get the flag off

her shoulder. She's celebrating.

Oh. It's like how they get blessed.

So the first one we see a young man who was winning fashionably,

fashionably, like he was about to crossover and he just pulls

up like, yeah, we got this remedy project over here and

that's the corporate effort. But Lord, when he gave me this

finishing faith message, the good fight of finishing faith,

He gives us a corporate assignments to handle really big

things. But as you are involved, how

many people know the spotter still carries weight as you?

What happens when God gives us these things corporately?

You're able to give maximum effort with minimal loss because

you're covered. And most of us practice

independence more than we practice corporate, not

understanding that the strength is in the corporate.

Jesus couldn't get to the finish line without Simon carrying his

cross. And there are things for your

individual bloodline, not just you, but your bloodline with

every corporate assignment God gives us.

It is not meant to bless this building.

It's meant to bless your life. So yeah, we're going to talk

about finishing there, but even deeper.

There's some things in here, people we just not finishing.

The grave is full of great starters, but how they end.

A lot of the legends, we celebrate how they life and

Whitney, Michael Marvin, like you can go down the line and

then an NBA player, a great athlete, they'll retire and we

celebrate them. And then years later we see in

an interview and because of depression and all these

different things, alcohol, suicide, drugs, whatever, and

let's go into the church. Within just even the last couple

of years, we have seen great gargantuan churches.

We sing their songs. We know they're pastors, but the

founders couldn't finish. There's marriages that started

off like, whoa, I do honeymoons, 10s and 10s of thousands of

dollars. Only to come to years later.

Can't finish, don't want to finish, can't see a finish.

How does it start here? Bible says you started off in

the Spirit. The Spirit is the one that saved

you years ago and then all of a sudden you have lost your way

because of church hurt, because of of some kind of failure,

whatever it may be. How did you get started here?

And you have ended up way over here.

God did not save you to not finish.

He finished the outcome. He didn't finish your part.

So although there is a safety net, we don't live by safety

net, we live by faith. And you barely, rarely find

people who actually have the goal to finish.

And if I asked you where do you want to finish?

Where do you want to finish? Most people want to finish with

a certain amount of money, with a certain amount of land, with a

certain amount of. Mammon, but what are your kids

left with? Your kids?

You can leave your kids broke. They can get rich.

A lot of us in here are way better off than where we

started. Our provision is not based on

where our parents left us. But don't you leave your kids.

Where you don't want to be left. And.

Here's what the enemy understands is he cannot stop

us. He cannot contend with a

fighter. He can't contend the enemy.

Knows the outcome more than us some of us believers the enemy

actually has more faith in the outcome than.

Some of us, he know he's defeated.

How is a defeated foe going to convince you?

You defeated? How does he continuously get us

to entertain that it ain't going to work, that we're defeated?

Or maybe God don't see me. Maybe God don't hear me.

How does a defeated foe convince a victor?

How does an orphan tell you? How?

Good it is to have biological parents.

This is what this is what the prodigal son says.

How am I in this pig pen and their slaves back home eating?

Better than I am in my father's house.

How are all these people out here that don't follow Jesus

winning seemingly? So we're chasing their patterns.

We're believing politics, politicians more than prophets.

Where do you want to finish? How?

Are you going to? Finish and what do you want to

finish is. Your greatest goal is to retire

with a certain amount of. Is that your goal?

There's a book out there called God's Generals.

The. Book talks about what God.

'S generals, but it talks about a lot of generals that don't

finish. Do you?

Really want to get to the end of your life and.

Still have a God To Do List. And.

You want to see checks by yo-yo To Do List and then God show you

his To Do List and it's like. No bubbles filled.

Now, right now, you might be young.

You might be, so you might like I got time.

No, you don't. Give.

Me, one person in here that could tell me how long you going

to live. One person in here you tell me

how long you going to live. I ain't talking about my faith

because according to where long life, Yeah, I got, I declare

long life too. But who in here can tell me when

it's over? Nobody.

In his life it's way too many sudden deaths and death ain't

after just old quite. Frankly, it's more younger

people dying than death. They they grandparents is

burying their kids, their grandkids.

Like. The sobering thought, the

thought that we avoid. But what I do understand is

Jesus wasn't afraid of death so much to the point that he tells

us to die. As.

An analogy he uses. You need to die to yourself.

Because there's a reality. If you can, in a healthy way,

understand the reality that you will die someday, then it can

put context to the urgency of your life.

You don't have time to be doing work that will prosper you today

but leave you dead tomorrow. You don't have time to be in

relationships with people that do nothing but drain you and

steal from you and doubt you. You don't have time to to to

hold grudges in and be angry at people.

That person that you won't apologize to.

That person that you OK. Plan the silent treatment.

I guarantee you if you love them, if you got that phone

call, your words that you got to live with the rest of your life,

I wish I said I love you. One more time I.

Wish I spent more time with you now.

All of a sudden overtime ain't worth it.

Now all of a sudden a second job ain't worth it.

Why are you willing to sacrifice now?

And God's calling us out of the temporary into eternity in this

hour. All.

Of God's work is eternal. All.

The world's work is temporary. And.

Over 50% of the people in this room is stressed out.

Over. Stuff that ain't giving you no

life back, even if it was good. While you wait on the money,

worship disciple, you getting the church, being disciple,

getting accountability, getting mentors, working on your soul.

Wealth is as is is a top tier priority because what you find a

lot of people, they spend their younger, healthy, vibrant lives

grinding and forgetting God. When they get older, they want

to be close to Jesus. God's calling us in this season

to finish some stuff. It's not just the building.

Lord says. There's some relationships that

he's asked you to get out of, that you keep letting linger.

There's some addictions that he's asked you to lay down that

he. Said I need them finished.

There's anger issues that he says I need.

No, the excuse season is over. God working on me.

He been working on you, now you working on you.

There. There, there's some, there's

some, there's some hobbies that it's like it's, it's finished.

It in in the in the way. Here's what you got to

understand. I'm a Hooper.

I do music, but certain things are finished in the way that I'm

not going to miss out on the main thing trying to fit into

the old thing. That stuff got to fit into the

new me. I can't keep trying to pull old

tea into the new tea. No, no, no, no.

You don't need the same kind of man.

Throw your elementary dream list away you.

Didn't know who you was when you wrote down what you wanted for a

spouse? And.

You holding on to that dream and I tell you all the time, some of

y'all spouse is coming in a way different package than you, you,

you you won't. I don't want to go to because

that's not what the word is about, but but you got to finish

some mindsets. Can I help you you?

Got to finish some mindsets and stop asking God to send you

people who will cater to your mindsets.

Let me tell you, you deserve. An upgrade in your friendships,

whoever that's for. Yeah.

Yeah, some of y'all know who. If you want to shame, just say

holla at me. Just say holla at me.

You. You.

Yeah. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You deserve. No, I didn't say you need.

I. Say you deserve an upgrade.

You. Holding on to certain friends

because it's familiar. And.

I promise you some of the people that you will never be revealed

to, some of the people that you hang out with.

Some. Of y'all got lid friendships lid

LID friendships lid. They won't let you grow.

They're intimidated by your growth.

Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus to the Lord

Almighty, King of Kings, to the Lord of Lords.

It's easier to finish a fight when it's a good fight.

I. Heard I heard LeBron James say

something the other day in the Olympics.

It was during the like, like before they got I think this is

the trial game. I forget it was, but the team

that shouldn't have took him to to the edge, took him to the

edge. You know what I'm saying?

And look right. Yeah, Jay took us to the edge.

Look, look, look, look. LeBron was walking through the

tunnel with with with Curry and he said I love them type of

games. I love them type of games.

Those the games right there that I live for, those the games that

make me better and those the games that helped me discover

stuff about me, my teammates. And he said, no, I love the nail

biters. I love the pressure.

You don't get greatest of all time without nail biters,

without scars, without persecution, without hate,

without cutting stuff off. You don't become the GOAT.

Without cutting your social media off during playoffs.

You, you don't. You don't become the GOAT

without switching friend groups and let them call you bougie.

So many people mad at I'm about to call him Jehovah Jay-Z.

They they like really hating on this billionaire, old friends

and all of that, but he does not get to where he's at without

saying bye to some friends that don't even have a plan to be

where he's called. No, you got to get rid of the

friends that you keep hearing saying hold up, wait for me.

Some of y'all could be honest. You've been waiting.

Some of y'all been waiting on your Mama.

You've been waiting on your daddy.

You've been waiting on your spouse.

The wait is over WEIGHT the. Wait is over, I see some of

y'all in bondage right now. You like PTI don't want to do

that. I like bondage.

Hey, you like bondage, like you know what I'm saying?

That type that like like that tight, that tight, uncomfortable

dress. But it's super cute so you just

going to endure for a few. Hours to walk because you just

want to you hold your stuff and then you, you ever, I've been

there. You ever forget to hold your

stomach in and he's like, take that picture over.

Take that picture over that's. How we like bondage because we

love, we love the clothes of bondage.

So we'll, we'll, we'll we'll alter to the to the outfit

instead of making the outfit. Hey, I maybe I need some new

custom suits because I'm changing.

Come on, I can't wear this no more.

Maybe you need to some of y'all need to get resized in this

season. Come on my measurements are

changing. God is expanding my territory.

I don't think the same no more Come on somebody say my

measurements is changing. Now look back at your neighbors,

say show is. Look, look, look, look.

I ain't going to lie. I ain't going to lie.

Am I preaching yet? Am I preaching yet?

All right. Like I'm not going to lie.

Look. I was some of y'all seen me on

social media yesterday and and if you.

Didn't you lying, you just didn't like it.

You just you just kept scrolling.

I thought you so I was wearing this suit.

I love this. This suit is cold.

The jacket is cold, but I've been on the road for a month.

Don't look at me like you don't eat vacation snacks.

Right, I went to. America, I didn't go like the

Switzerland and nothing like I. I went to where like you.

The. Options ain't slim.

Hey man, let me tell you that. So look, I know how to manage,

and thank God I'm tall, right? So when you tall.

You got, you got, you got room. You got a little room to work it

OK, right? Thank God.

Oversized teas is in in. In in all right now anyway.

Listen, listen, listen. I'm good.

I'm good. But.

Boy, I, I, I messed up. I went all the way to

Victoria's. The only suit I took, I was

officiating a wedding. It was in the sun.

It was like with a bunch of amazing people.

And when I went to go put my suit on I was like I forgot to

try it on. Like, I know I'm I'm good, but

you know when it's just tight? Thank.

God it what if it was a worship service I for sure would have

been like. So I have my iPad here just

right, right around here and I tried it on.

I was like, we for sure wearing the vest.

And it looked good, but my. Shirt kept riding, my shirt kept

rising a little bit, so I just kept having to pull it down a

little bit. Kept having to pull it down a

little bit. Some of y'all like PT really

vulnerable right now. I am, I am, I am because some of

y'all be trying to tuck it in too.

You know what I'm saying? Come on and it was hot Now look,

if I would have just let it go. I play with my wife sometime and

I'll go like this. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

You can I can expand I can expand, but I'm.

This is my normal size. Look at you some of y'all like.

Wow. You got ashamed of me for a

second. He was like, don't do that,

babe. Don't do that.

Don't do that. Wow.

All right. Anyways, so she she.

I. Was up there and I was just

like, like I was good. But.

I felt the whole time I I felt like conscious.

I was like this is too tight. Like I had.

No room for error. Now that's where some of your

bondage is. Like you, you you one poke from

the enemy. You.

One rub up against that bruise you keep living with.

The enemy like you losing your mind.

Are you flipping out on somebody?

And I was just like, but this suit though, and I'm just, I'm

just being vulnerable with y'all because I'm like, some of us is

like that every day we choose to put that suit on.

And just like, I'm going to live with it.

I'm going to tuck it in. I'm going to suck it in and

ain't nobody going to know I'm struggling.

I'm going to take pictures on this side because it's my good

side. Right, hurry up.

The Lord says. Why are you settling?

For a temporary fix, temporary moments of happiness when we

could just cut it. And.

Let's trim. This is what Hebrews 12 says is

get rid of the unnecessary weight.

Why? Are we OK with just our

household on knowing we got anger issues but then when we

come to church our whole family is like that is not him at home?

How? He talked to me and then you,

you mess it up with your with your spot, you mess it up

because then everybody know that's not how nice you really

are. Won't you just finish it?

Because here you is if you can come here and be.

Then. This is in you if you can come

to church and not cuss, why you not cussing here?

If you can not cuss for two hours, sometime three, sometime

4. You.

Cannot cuss. What is it in US that when we

get in a certain part of our world, we want to let it all

hang out? But.

Then there's something in us that says there's a way to act

or I wouldn't go nowhere where I had to alter to good.

Something's in you that's saying this is the way I'm called to

be. Look, I encourage you, you

smoke, you smoke weed, you smoke it, smoke it here.

Julie, stop looking. Stop.

Keep that saying no, I'm saying here's what I'm saying.

This is not a pastor encouraging smoking.

What I'm trying to do is what is that in you saying that is not

cool and what is that in you that's saying?

But I still want it if it's good behavior.

And. If it's God approved and he made

it then then bring it to his house.

Now rather we tell you you can't smoke on the premises.

That's another thing. But I'm saying you can't live in

total freedom with secrets and you can't live in total freedom

with a compartmentalized life to where you're this over here and

you're this over here and the excuse that I just won't come to

church because I don't want to be fake.

I think your fallen nature is the fake nature.

Who you come here and you are, That's your real nature.

You just fighting against that person fully awakening person

you trying to be for the world is the fake you.

It's the lowlife you. It's the lesser part of you we

don't have time to. Cut ourselves in half.

When he died for wholeness. We.

Love. Great finishes.

We. Love a great comeback story.

As humans we saw in that second film this brother was exhausted.

I'm coming for some of y'all. This.

Brother was cramping, ready to pass out.

You saw him did y'all? Did y'all saw him y'all?

See him? OK, He was ready.

He was limp. And his teammates, who, if he

won it, would have counted for his win.

He stopped, compromised his victory, let another nation go

by him. That's how the enemy is.

He just like. How you feel?

Good on that win. I get like in competitive sports

it don't matter if I win is a win.

OK, But he was just like, Oh no, you was beat homeboy.

This dude was just about to die. OK, his.

Teammate picks him up and this is the kind of people I'm

looking for in this, in these last six months of this year,

this is who I'm looking for. His teammate comes and picks him

up. And.

He's exhausted. I.

Don't know if y'all noticed the one that went limp.

He was just like. He.

He. Got some strength from

somewhere. This this I all know about

y'all. That's why I can't miss church,

because you don't know when I walk in, maybe I don't tell you

how weak I'm feeling, but when I walk in, your, your, your faith

and your singing and your dancing, your hello and your

thank you is you. Be you.

Don't see me in the Spirit like this.

You don't see me in the Spirit, Barely.

Crossed so you need the friends that don't need to be before

you. They can sometime bring you to

the finish line and say you go first.

Because when you win, I win. When you down, I'm down.

When you up, I'm up. So unfortunately for some of us

in here, this is bad news. To finish this race you need

help and you also need to be submitted to your help because

homeboy could have been like no you go.

I don't want your help. I'm.

Dead. He was like, well, if you

believe I could finish, then I'm going to believe your faith

because right now I can't even believe.

I'm so exhausted. Anybody ever been so exhausted

they couldn't even believe? As.

Sports fans, we live for great finishes.

As movie critics we live for great dramatic endings, and as

foodies, we live for the dessert.

Have you ever had a good meal? And then that dessert came or

something gave you a bad experience, right?

They was killing it. Were you ever had a waitress

that was on top of it? Then all of a sudden, they

disappear. They don't come back to the

table for a long time, right? We all live for happy endings.

As romantics, we live for happy endings.

How something ends determines. I need you to hear this.

How something ends determines the value of the weight.

See, see, Hell has to pay for messing with me.

See, see, see my my uncle's in here.

My uncle's 70 years old, my uncle still who been my uncle

was addicted to drugs for a long time and then he got free.

But understand it wasn't God's goal to just get him off drugs.

The. Brothers, since he been off

drugs, have been pursuing God, he's been in the Word and now

his wounds have crossed the finish line.

Now when he testifies he say I was young now I'm old.

He can say I was lost now I'm frown.

I was blind now I see. Here's the story.

It's not good enough to say I was blind.

Now I got a cane. Now I got a a walking stick.

Some of y'all ain't hear what I just said.

You you happy blind with a walking stick and the city put

some some some beats on the thing so you know when to walk

across. You happy with being assisted

blind instead of being broken free?

What I mean, some of the friends understand you're blind.

They blind too. And.

Y'all love hanging out because y'all both understand each

other's blindness. Jesus says the blind that.

Ain't good, but then we're too insecure about our blindness

that we don't want to hang out with people that got 2020 but.

But how many people know? Don't None of us got 2020?

Only Jesus do. Only God does.

Only the Holy Ghost do. But.

It's probably good for you to hang out with people who can see

higher than you, further than you, wider than you, and deeper

than you. I don't know about you, but I've

hung out with some blind folks. Whole pack of us.

You. Asked where they at now, Some of

them still blind. Some of them got one one eye,

that's good. Some of them got two walking

sticks and some of them is getting beat up by their sin.

Still. Committing the same sins.

What is it you need to finish before the year is over that you

had in your New Year's resolutions?

Was it worth the wait? Some of y'all waiting on a man

and when he show up it ain't worth it.

Some of y'all waiting for a wife and when they show up it ain't

worth it, right? I don't know.

You've been there. You've been waiting for some of

you got it and two years later you like I want to redo on the

waiting. What are you fighting for every

day? What are you praying for?

What are you fasting for? Is it worth it?

Because at the end of the thing, you're going to find out if it

was worth it. At.

The end of the relationship at the end of your life, We're

going to find out. Was it worth being prideful?

Was it worth not? Going to church and spending

Sundays doing all these other things was.

It worth not getting involved in the church.

Is. It worth it.

How it finishes for us or for you is up to you because.

He's already finished his. Work.

There's. Happy endings, frustrating

endings, confusing endings, very dumb endings.

You ever watch a movie that's like.

And the credits? Just pop up out of nowhere you

like. What kind of ending was this?

There's bitter endings, but The thing is, is in the Kingdom all

finishes. Are.

To be continued until the author and finisher returns for the

final finish. In Christ, there's no wasted

finishes. There's no bad finishes, you

just got a what finish? Forget how ugly the last leg of

the race is, but watch how beautiful it is when you finish.

How? Many people have sabotaged

finishes. 4 people See you got a bunch of liars in here.

Sabotage finishes too afraid to get in the relationship.

You didn't came this far and you like I'm going to get out while

while I got time. You prayed, you sowed, you was

faithful in the church and then you got offended and then you

know what? I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm cool.

You're sabotaging finishes. That.

Relationship could be very prosperous if you can work

through the obstacles. But you don't want to finish.

Finish the argument, finish the conversation, Finish digging for

what is in the root of the destruction of your life, your

spouse's life, your family. What?

Is it that we need to finish? I remember I got to the .1 day I

was like man I've been smoking for some people I.

I started smoking I think 10th grade summer school just want to

try it. And I kept trying it for for I

think like 20 years till I was 2930 something like that.

And I was like man, 15 years smoking is a long time.

At what point am I done? I'm grown, I got kids, I need my

brain, I'm getting older and naturally some stuff going to

start not working possibly. I'm not going to help my down

spiral. I want to be healthy.

God didn't make me dependent on nothing else but Him.

What do I? Need this for that's the issue.

What am I afraid of? That's the issue.

What are you putting off? Do the work.

No, it's not good to just have a therapist.

You don't need to just talk about it.

You need to get free from it. Can I help somebody to this

therapist, this acknowledgement of mental illness generation?

Just because we're now creating space to talk about it don't

mean it's finished. How long we going to talk about

it? When the narrative going to

change? When am I going to not need help

talking? When am I going to rise above my

stronghold? Get therapy, we need it.

Did y'all hear me say this on record?

We need and can use it's beneficial therapy.

Some of us in here depend on therapy more than the word

you're. Going.

To need a therapist at your funeral if you don't add the

word into your life what a lot of people may use therapy for.

Is to be understood. Not necessarily to be delivered.

I didn't say everybody some. Because.

Here's what I understand. If you want to be delivered,

then where's your spiritual advisors?

When's the last time you talked to Pastor Elder?

When the last time you had brought the word to the root of

your issue versus talking about the scientific side of it and

the history of your trauma, Let's talk about the history of

the blood. Let's talk about the history of

the cross. Why?

Aren't we willing to have that come?

Why aren't we willing to spend 150 an hour for that?

Hallelujah. I'm just telling you guys, the

world system, it's prophets. God said it's destructing.

It's. Getting darker you We can't

change God's word. We can't keep depending on a

world. That.

Has no bottom. Come on, say I got to finish a

good fight. Is well worth it fight like

fighting for my marriage was a good fight.

Great payoff. When we were fighting, fighting,

we didn't know that this person was in that person.

Was it worth it? Yeah.

Because guess what? Our kids got both their parents

in the house. Thank the man they.

See their parents have a great relationship.

They see their parents sometime beefing, but they see their

parents also talk it out. They go to bed feeling safe, but

the work started back then we could have terminated.

The. Journey to the finish.

But there was some things in me and some things in her that had

to. Be.

Finished. A good fight is an honorable

fight. A good fight is a memorable

fight. All God fights are good because

all God fights are one. They're one before I enter the

fight. All God fights result in

salvation. They result into freedom,

reconciliation, healing, deliverance, nations being

saved, walls being rebuilt, cities being reclaimed.

A good fight. A God fight.

Always finishes with Mama's embracing their sons again and

fathers embracing their daughters again.

All good fights. All good God fights in with

prison doors opening and demons fleeing, cancer reversing,

poverty being broken. A good fight Always finishes

with testimonies that will transcend the times and leave

the enemy's plans demolished, destroyed, obliterated.

Void canceled, failed, frustrated.

All I got to do is get to the finish line.

There's a joy that only comes through going through suffering.

Not staying and suffering, but going through suffering.

As. A result of having finishing

faith in God. We.

See the salvation of the Lord at work in our daily lives.

The Kingdom is advanced. A good fight is an excellent

fight. A good fight, it does include

some some scars. Can I talk to you?

A good fight does include some scars.

It does include some embarrassments.

It does include some pain. But that pain, that

embarrassment in those bruises, aren't signs of defeat or

weakness. But signs of endurance and

perseverance in overcoming. It's just why you got it man.

If you going to go through bumps and bruises, why wouldn't you

finish? Like I've been through too much

to not finish. I'm not going to go through all

that I've been through and not see a harvest for it.

I'm. Not going to pray, I'm not going

to do 24 hour prayer just to quit.

It was finished at the cross, but quickly we see hell lost.

If. You can just get to the finish

line you. Will see the glory of the Lord

like never before. I don't know who this is for,

but you've sown too much not to see a harvest.

You've cried too much not to experience joy, you've forgiven

too much not to encounter love. You've stood too long not to see

the hand of God, and you've endured too much to not taste

and see your due season. The next generation will not

have to slow down or turn back or break stride to receive the

baton. We.

Will finish our leg of the race. He's doing a new thing, say

that, yes, but the new thing is a finished thing.

Don't get it twisted thinking God's just up there just

creating new stuff like world. It's.

Going to be awesome. Let me get this.

Let me roll this idea out. God is not apple.

Everything God reveals to us is a finished thing.

Everything he asked us to go through and endure, it's a

finished thing. Can you wrap your mind about

around this? That you and I were God's

finishing touch and creation. OK, OK.

If you read your Bible, he got to the 7th day and he said I

deem it very good. It was not very good until you

were finished. Who are you that he couldn't

rest until you were finished? There's no authority and

dominion without the ability to finish.

We can't be in the generation where I'm going to go, this

ain't working. I'm just go try a new thing.

Oh, this ain't working on me. Just go try a new thing.

When are you going to see it through?

When are you going to see it through?

Until God says He's finished, finishing leaves trails and

traces of evidence to victory. No, testimony is not a testimony

unless what you're testifying about is over.

You. Don't have a testimony till it's

finished. This is why God's keeping you

out of some places, because He's saying if you can finish it, we

can have a testimony. You.

Think you need money? No.

You need a testimony. Your testimony is going to draw

that. Testimonies do draw resources.

You have the DNA of a finisher I need some finishing partners say

that. See.

I need, I need, I need some partners around me.

That was when I'm cramping, dehydrated and ready to give up.

They going to pick me up, not lay on the ground with me and

say what's wrong? Let.

Me pray for you. Oh, did pastor just say praying

for people is wrong? No, even God told Moses, get

your butt up, stop praying and just go.

I. Need some friends in this season

that's going to say PT. See you.

Guys blessed my heart. A lot of times when I remember

the tents tore down and it was destroyed and I had to walk up

in here and I kept the faith. But watching Troy and watching

some of you others, that was just like, we got this PT.

Oh. You mean I don't have to carry

you through this? When I don't have to carry, you

hear me? When I don't have to carry you,

you're carrying me. See.

I need some friends that's like, I know I'm going through

something, but I'm just going to have to get my deliverance

through helping you. OK, OK, OK.

I'm I'm not about to sit here and wait for help when I can

help you. Don't you don't think that boy

was tired too? They both were in the same race,

but he says there's no finish if we don't finish.

Am I talking to somebody? There's no finish this why God

will send men and women who are patient what you may not like

the way they do it, but. They're that friend that's like,

I can't finish without you. But then it comes a season where

God says we just going to have to finish and they're going to

have to come later. This is season for some of

y'all. You can't drag people to the

finish line. You notice homeboy didn't drag

him to the finish line. He said if we going to finish, I

know your legs wobbly, but we just don't need you to pick them

up and move them. Some of y'all just want to drag

your toes to the finish line. And have you ever tried to carry

dead weight? The season of carrying dead

weight is done. If they don't want help, leave

them alone. Some of y'all codependent people

can I tell you if they don't want, they keep telling you they

don't want to read the Bible. Stop reading the Bible and stop

being manipulative about it. Or stop sliding scriptures and

hiding little sticky notes in places.

No, no, no, no. They.

Don't want it? You've tried, you've prayed, and

they have communicated to you what they want and what they

don't want. And I'll tell you this one.

Believe them. I was that person that was like,

somebody be like, I can't do this and I'll be like, yes, you

can. And for three years I can't do

this. I'll be like, yes, you can.

And to me, I'm a good leader because I'm not giving up on you

and God like, no, you're, you're a silly leader.

He was like, I even left folks alone that didn't want to follow

me so. Maybe God's asking some of you

to end codependence and be dependent on him.

I need some partners that will finish with me.

Do I have a few? I have a few.

I don't. I don't want the head bomber.

No, a head bomber can get can get talked out of it because

it's like they had no verbal commitment.

They're just like, yeah, because you can go like this.

No, I don't need circle commitments.

I don't need that. Well, I'll tell you this,

whether you with me or not, I'm going to finish with you.

I'm going to fight for you. I'm going to fight with you.

All right, You have John 20 on there.

And for Samuel 17, you have those lights.

All right, we'll read those two. We'll go to the cafe.

So the disciples informed him. We have seen the Lord with our

own eyes. I've seen it with my own eyes.

I've seen it with my own life. Now pause.

Because they're like I seen it with my own eyes.

But still unconvinced, Thomas replied.

This is the side of the Scripture I want to preach today

is that there are some people around you that are unconvinced

that this God you keep talking about is alive and real and is

the only way. There's no way I'm going to

believe this unless y'all got to hear me.

I personally see the wounds of the nails.

Y'all y'all got to see this. You got to see this.

I'm gonna explain it, but I want you to get no go back.

I just want you to see this real quick.

They're like I seen it with my own eyes.

They're boasting in their experience.

But then there's someone else who wasn't there.

He says you know what? There's no way I'm going to

believe unless I personally see the wounds.

And how many of us in here are always trying to hide our flaws?

Once you see this next verse in His hands, touch them.

I want to touch them with my finger and put my hand into the

womb of his side, where he was pierced, where he was afflicted,

where he was traumatized. There's.

Some of y'all in here have not yet been able to share the

depths of your trauma as a young person.

Why? Why have you been so afraid of

telling what you have been through?

Are you really healed because you not communicating what

you've overcome? Is a sign you have not overcome.

You're standing at the finish line, but you have not crossed

it. Someone needs to hear the story.

Of a finished work, Thomas said that's good y'all was there

that's good he touched you but I need to see it for myself for

some people the the the verbal God is good is enough but.

There's some folks that just won't believe until they see the

evidence of Jesus in your life. The world is full of fake.

The church is full of fake. Can I see some real overcoming?

What have you been through? Let me see it.

Let me touch it. Let me walk, Paul said.

Follow me. You.

Going to see my. Change.

You going to see my scars? You going to see me cry?

I'm not just giving instructions to the Church of what to do and

how to be a perfect Christian. I'm letting you know I'm broke.

Down. I'm sad.

I'm ready to give up, but I won't.

Look how vulnerable his letter was.

It just wasn't. Get saved.

Read your Bible, go to church, lift your hands.

It was man. I want to give up.

I was down, but I wasn't out. I was crushed, but I wasn't

giving up, Right? That's what he said.

I can't just leave you at man. I was raped.

No, I was raped. Now I'm free.

I'm not angry. I'm not in unforgiveness.

I'm not bitter. I'm a child of God.

I'm a daughter. It's not enough to just be

relatable. You don't need to overcome to be

relatable. People need to see a finished

work in your life. The eight days later Thomas

Thomas and all the others were in the house together and even

though all the doors were locked meant Elder John.

I feel like we heading into a season where every door that was

locked, I ain't going to say it was the devil.

Some doors was locked by God the master key he he kept it locked

because he closes doors that no man can open and you like the

devil is a lot you going to open the devil It is a lie and

Godzilla. The devil ain't got nothing to

do with this closed door I. Shut it.

What if I told you in the season you've been in, some of your

frustrations have not been the devil and it has not been your

sin? What?

If the father loves you so much, he's saying not yet.

It says Jesus suddenly stood before them.

Peace to you, he said. And.

Looking in Thomas's eyes, he said put your finger here, since

that's what it's going to take. Here put.

Your hand into the wound in my side here, touch it.

You said that's you said you'll believe.

See God, He know when you're bluffing, you know when you

saying God break me through and I promise I'll serve you all the

days of my life. Why you ain't showed up because

he sees something in your heart you ain't for real Lord heal my

child and I promise you I'll follow you, Thomas said.

I'm not going to believe unless you show me and what Jesus do,

he said. Here, touch it, because that's

what you asked for, Thomas. Don't give in to your doubts any

longer. Just believe.

Just believe, somebody say. Just believe.

Watch. This finishing.

You ready say? Finishing validates my scars.

Finishing. OK, finishing.

Validates my scars. You ready my scars.

On the other side of the finish line are my receipts.

It's my receipts that God is who he says he is.

It's my receipts. I'm actually really strong.

It's my receipts. I'm actually, it got to go from

declaration to receipts, right? See what you got to understand

about this building next door when this church finishes that.

We're. Going to have receipts that

we're for real to whoever that needs to be a receipt for.

Oh, you guys are really leaders. Like you guys would be surprised

how many conversations, how many doors, how many meetings

happened because people saw they made it through the pandemic.

Oh, they worshipped and nothing stopped them.

They're made different. Those are receipts.

But you got to understand there's blessing out there for

you, but people need to see receipts.

Can I trust you with tough times?

Just because you're standing doesn't mean you're still alive.

Yeah, Mannequin Stand. My scars.

This bless me, my scars don't mean nothing if all it did was

scar me. I got a burn on my chest from

when I was one years old and I pulled down some really, really

hot grease. They burn me, but if two years

later I went back and grabbed the grease again, all that did

was scar me. It didn't teach me.

What good is your scars if all you are are scarred, not

matured, not free? Like, like, like you got to make

the rapist pay. You.

Got to make the abuser pay. And you don't make them pay by

being bitter. You make you pay by being

bitter, right? Because you can't take it

personal. You got to take it personal on

hell. Who?

Used a vulnerable person to hurt you and the last thing you know

how you pay hell back? First stage.

Be healed. Secondly testify thirdly.

Help. Other people to their healing I.

Got any competitive people in here like you going to pay?

For not messing with, for messing with me like.

I don't like losing, but I love the lessons.

I love the lessons. Lose and teach.

There is no champion who have not lost well.

A true champion will take a loss and use it as gasoline to come

back better. A true champion has to

reorganize their planned offseason.

Oh, I was going to go to the Bahamas in this offseason, but

we lost game seven and I don't like that feeling.

So I'm going to stay home and I'm going to get in the gym.

Because this time next year I'm going to go to the Bahamas

because I won. Not because I need a break.

Take a picture of this. A failure is when a person who

has failed, fumble and fallen but haven't been able to cash in

on the experience. How many people been through

something in their lives? Raise your hand and put your

hand down. How have you cashed in on that

pain? How has that pain LED you to

your freedom? Here's where we will leave you

at first. Samuel 17.

David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked

what's in it for the man who I want to throw this towel at

somebody who kills that Philistine and gets rid of this

ugly blot on Israel's honor? Who does he think he is anyway,

this uncircumcised Philistine taunting the armies of God

alive? David.

Ended. A stronghold for an entire

nation. If David didn't decide me and

Elder John was talking about this.

David's father didn't send him to go fight.

David wasn't looking for a fight ready.

He saw an opportunity next door. Is just an opportunity they're.

Tagging our building. They're breaking in.

They broke a window. They're tearing our, our, our,

our, our, our, our electrical panel down.

Right now it's over there, torn down.

I'm like devil. You really taunting me and some

of us would be like God, build your church, build your church.

And. He's like, let's do it.

Let's. Do it See, I look at stuff like

that and I'm like, Goliath, you are we're we are kicking you out

of this neighborhood and I'm like David, I'm showing up and

I'm like, what's in it for me? Number one, it's OK to say God

if I'm going. To go through all.

This to see victory for your people.

What's in it for me? Do you find it worth it to

finish? David said.

Is there not A cause? Do you find it worth it working

out your marriage, working out your relationship?

Do you find it worth it getting sober?

Is it worth it, God? 'S not asking you to go through

it. For nothing.

What's in it for the man or the woman who kills that philistine?

You know what the philistine is in the New Testament?

It's. A stronghold, spiritually

speaking, for the same way Goliath was taunting David and

his and the children of Israel. The same way.

Whatever you got going on up here, the lies the insecurities

how long when you going to get aggressive about when you going

fast about it when you going like I'm talking about fast like

you know what I ain't drinking no juice until like some of

y'all is just juice like you just addicted to grape juice.

Like you just won't punch Snickers coffee.

Something like I am going to take this one thing in my life,

create an altar and I'm not going back to it until.

I. Have the trophy in my hand.

What did David do? Why is that important?

Clearly, it looks like God. Wants you to finish it.

And walk through the city, walk through your job and say look

what I've overcome, right? Not just look what I've been

through. Look what I've overcome.

And it's over. It's dead.

My mental illness, I'm free from it.

Yeah, I was bipolar, but no, in the name of Jesus, I no longer

need those. There's people giving

testimonies. I'm not on that medication no

more. I'm not on that high blood

pressure. No, you no forget it.

Like leave fried food alone if it means you can get off your

medication. We.

Don't want medication so I can eat chicken.

I'm going to give you a couple minutes to just write it down.

What are you tolerating in your life?

You ready? I'm going to come down

somebody's street. I'm saying, and I'm not sorry.

There's a few of you in here. Don't need to sip.

You know why? Forget is do you go to hell if

you drank? No, you go to hell for rejecting

Jesus. OK, here you go.

My. Question is why you do it?

And let's remove. Oh, it's just, it's just a nice

little recreational thing. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Why do you do it? And.

If you have made a sip, your Lord, your healer.

Your. Taker the edge off if you have

replaced substance. For Rafa then.

Your substance is your God for that area of your life so.

That's why you need to put it down, so God can come in and

take the place. Then let's see if you need it.

God does not need your assistance in that area.

What He needs is your obedience and your willingness.

You'd. Be surprised how many Christians

will fight to keep sipping. Why is it a fight?

You're not going to hell. You could.

You can sip all the days of your life.

But I'm not going to be that guy.

We got too many drunk Christians, way too many.

And it's a mockery to God because what we're saying, cool,

I can still be with you one day and still do me today.

Why? Are we still trying to find out

what we could do, how close we can get to the line and then you

got pulpits afraid to tell you, you tripping.

No, I love you, you groan. The Lord wants to finish some

things in your life. Question is, are you, are you

willing and Are you ready since we're in that vain starting?

Your church is going to help you out.

August 12th we. Are doing a fast call the good

fight. I want y'all to read up there

how long the fast is till we walk in that door.

And like I told the first service, if you going to put

down porn the day after we walk into the building, that's the

one. You just need to let it go, OK?

There's just some stuff that God's like, get rid of it.

It's not going to work at all. But if it's like I love sugar.

This. Is A to me, an easy one, but it

requires A level of discipline. It is simply no sugar, no

processed food, no junk food, no fried food.

What else in Italia? That's it.

You. Like I love my red meat, eat all

the red meat you want to and take your blood pressure

medicine. You.

Do your chicken. You can do all that but the.

Chips and what they baked, but they process.

OK, here it is. Here's the here's the fun part.

The discipline with food is only Monday through Friday, Saturday,

Sunday. You can do all you want to.

If you got a birthday on Monday. Do your thing man, it's not

religious. But I want you to, I want you to

observe the behavior of wanting to cut corners.

I want you to observe the behavior of looking for a reason

to break discipline. Oh, it's my, it's my cousin from

back in the day. Birthday, you know, you don't

even know that when the last time you seen them, August 12th.

You could do it. Not do it, but corporately, as a

church on waging war on however hell has its hands.

In the completion of this project, we are standing with

God and we're taking it serious and I hope I got a few people

with me. And.

Then the other part of it is you are going to deal with something

that God's been telling you to finish for a long time, and

that's personal. It could.

Be shopping, it could be. Eating habits, it can be.

Anger it could be so I'm just like this.

I'm going to do the silent treatment with my spouse.

I'm it could be secrets. You.

Are going to fight like hell, even if it brings you a little

bit of embarrassment and you are going to uproot these things.

And when we walk through those doors on that day, we're not

just celebrating the finished work of this building, we're

going to walk in there with a finished work within this

building. Hey, man, the personal thing is

not Monday through Friday. It's seven days.

We will have a full little situation information, sorry,

Wednesday, and we will post it online.

But I'm waging war and I'm telling you first hand, you can

ask my wife. She ain't going to give you all

the details. But there's some things in my

life I want to finish. It's some, it's some things in

my life. I will tell you, man, I'm like

good. Like I've overcome so much,

grown so much, evolved so much. But there's still things like I

want to be done. I want my marriage to get keep

getting better. It's good, but I want it to get

sweeter. I want to be a better pastor.

I want to be a better communicator.

I want to be a better son. I want to be a better father.

Like there's so much to keep growing in.

And so we're about to finish this year strong in Jesus name.

We're starting a new series on Wednesday.

Dealing with open heaven and dealing with how do we walk with

God, What does that look like? What does it look like to walk

in the blessing, to walk in favor, to walk with God, not

just call on him, but walk with him.

And so we're going to deal with that starting Wednesday evening.

And I hope you were blessed today.

I would like to say I said it this morning, but these people

spoke, they held it down for two services while we were gone for

a month. I had a pastor say son.

It. Is rare for a pastor to be able

to leave his church for a month and it's standing and healthy

and thriving. You don't know how proud I was

to First off, see the people come up here and I'll say it

like this. See, the women come up here as

well, because if you can go to a church where the women's mouths

aren't muzzled, but also the women aren't trying to prove

something, they're just walking in their anointing.

That's a healthy church, man. There was not one person that

got up here. That.

Didn't keep me listening when I was listening to the word and

you can't just feed me anything and I saw the DNA taking.

I. Was like look at this them.

Our children, that's them, them, them as our disciples.

If you understand the Kingdom, these are signs that when it's

time for PJ and I and the elders to go on with whatever God is

calling us to, this church will stand.

The next generation is going to thrive.

There's some children that's going to have some mighty women

of God as Mamas, and you can give a pastor anything is the

fruit of their labor to see that.

Oh, finally, I don't mind getting in the pit with you, but

can we see some fruits? And I'm telling you, as we were

watching and listening, we saw nothing but Rich fruits.

Super. Proud of Love Quest Church.

Super. Proud and although they fall in

this bunch. It's.

A blessing to us to be able to have elders that love us, that

care for us, that a snitch on some of y'all to know that God

will call us from another country only knowing our family.

And then to find out our family is here and our friends.

And thank you for everybody that love us enough to carry the

vision. Trust me when you understand

that we have laid our entire lives down to follow this

assignment. There is no Plan B for our

lives. So if it doesn't work, it's on

us, not y'all. It's kind of on y'all.

But you get what I'm saying. Y'all could leave but we still

here. Y'all can get offended but we

still God saying but but love them, love them.

So stand to your feet mighty men and mighty women to God.

Can we give it up for our first time attendees one time?

Thank you so much for tuning into this week's sermon.

We pray you were challenged, equipped, and encouraged.

Make sure to follow us on all platforms.

That's Lovequest Intl church. We out here for real.

We're really doing it. That's Facebook, Instagram,

YouTube, and TikTok. You can find us anywhere you

need to find us. But until next time, you know

the drill. You know the motto.

Get. Your.

Love fixed man and we'll see y'all real soon.