The Stewardship Collection | Heart of The Father | Father's Day

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

Such a cool video, and we're gonna get a chance to hear a little bit more about uh One Child and just all the amazing things that um we're seeing God do through generosity and through us um getting involved, man.

But before we get started, would you mind helping me welcome our online audience?

We're so so thankful for you guys.

We're so so glad that you're here worshiping with us today.

Um and and we're really expected.

I'm I'm such, I'm so excited for where we are, and and and by we I mean collectively, all of us.

Something that God's really been speaking to me as of late is just about the the season that I think collectively we all find ourselves in.

And the best way to summarize that is I think that we all are in that place where God is really transforming us.

I I think we all can probably agree to that, that there's there's this transformation that God is doing, and ultimately the best way for me to define it is transforming, it simply means going from one state to the next, going from one thing to the next.

And we all understand that that's God's desire for all of us, for all of us to kind of go from where we are to ultimately what he's calling us to be, and never to get content with where we are, and sometimes situations and seasons come that that stretch us and challenge us, but we can see often in a rearview mirror what God was doing the entire time.

So all of us pretty much know how to accept this concept of transformation.

We understand the idea of God wanting us to level up.

What I think we often challenge with is what happens in between, and that's what I call that season of transition.

You know, that that place where I'm not quite what I want to be, and that's the place where it gets a little uncomfortable.

And I believe that the season that we find ourselves in probably sounds a little bit familiar for some of us where I recognize that God is doing something, I'm going from where I am to ultimately what he's calling me to be, but it's uncomfortable right now.

That's that season of transition.

I I like to I like to describe it this way because it's it's really in my heart.

How many, how many of my 80s babies are in the house?

Who remembers the Transformers?

There's a couple of us.

For those of you that don't know, Google it, it'll certainly change your life.

But but watch this.

I used to I used to love watching Transformers.

I used to love watching this idea of this of this superhero character, Optimus Prime, going from being this truck to being this giant leader and a soldier.

So but but here's here's the thing that I know about that whole idea of transformation.

When he begins to transform, and we all know that sound, like Autobots roll out.

Like we we we know that sound.

It's my best rendition.

Um, but but we know that sound, but you know what would happen?

If you were to like pause the screen in the middle of the transformation, it would look like a twisted mess.

Uh oh.

I'm talking to somebody right now.

If if you if you were to look at it, you would say, like, man, that that looks an absolute mess.

That looks a hot mess, it's uncomfortable right now.

But if you uh if you just push play and allow that thing to play out, you can see that that transition that was happening was actually a transformation that God was birthing in.

I believe right now, for somebody, I don't know who I'm talking to, right now you feel a little uncomfortable this morning.

You're in that transition season where some things feel a little uncomfortable.

But let me tell you something.

You're in the optimal season in the prime of your life, and God is transforming you into something else.

I'm not even supposed to be talking about none of this today.

But but I believe that's a prophetic word for somebody, and I'm excited because we are all transformers in transition.

I believe that all of us are going from one thing to the next.

And as I look at what God has been doing in our amazing community, just last week we had such a powerful worship night.

The Spirit of God moved and we saw God heal and restore and do some incredible things, and then we were able to celebrate it with baptisms and people taking that public declaration of their faith.

It was it was such a powerful moment.

I'm just seeing this momentum that God is birthing through his church.

But I'm also grateful as we've been in this this series about stewardship and how do we how do we handle and navigate through the things that God has given us.

I'm so grateful that he's given us amazing relationships.

I want to read this passage of scripture to us, and then I want to invite Pastor Dixon to come up, but but this is what the Bible says in 1 Timothy chapter 3.

1 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

It's speaking about speaking about the qualifications of a leader, qualifications of of an elder.

And it says this um this saying is trustworthy.

If anyone aspires to be an overseer or a pastor or a leader, he desires noble work.

An overseer therefore must be above reproach.

Uh, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker.

Doesn't say not a drinker at all, just not excessive, not an excessive drinker.

Just messing with somebody's theology right now, like, what is what is happening?

Calm down.

Um not I literally lost my place.

Somebody, somebody pray for your pastor.

Um, okay, so above reproach, a husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.

He must manage his own household competently, um, having his children under his control with dignity.

If anyone knows how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the house of God?

He must not be a new convert, um, he must not be conceited or incur some condemnation as the devil.

Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil's trap.

What an amazing description that God's word establishes for what it means to be a pastor in his church.

These are the qualifications.

So whenever you're looking to leaders and pastors, this is not like a suggestion.

This is God saying, these are the people that I have chosen, and these are the qualifications for them.

And what I've learned the longer I've done this is that whenever I find myself connected to people that exhibit these characteristics, I always want to hear from them because I feel like we can all learn from one another.

And what I'm happy to announce is that Pastor Dixon meets these qualifications.

He he's a man that I have known for years.

And literally, if this was a checklist, there's not a single item that would be left unchecked because of the life and the legacy that he has lived.

And so you're going to get a chance to hear more about what God has done through him as a result of him fulfilling what God called him to do with these qualifications.

So, Celebration Church, would you mind doing this?

Would you mind standing on your feet?

And let's honor Pastor Dixon as he comes up to share with us.

Come on, this is for you, man.

Take a bow of something.

All right, you guys can go ahead and take your seats.

Pastor Dixon and I are gonna just gonna chop it up for a few minutes, have a quick conversation, and then we're gonna encourage you and pray and then wrap up the day because I know some dads are already hungry because I'm one of them.

Um but but Pastor Dixon, I want to thank you so much for being with us today.

I want to thank you for um creating the space and and and being with us today.

Well, thank you very much.

It's it's wonderful to be here uh finally.

Uh we're so glad to be here.

Thank you.

Okay, so I want to say happy Father's Day to you, first and foremost, because I know that you have such an amazing family.

So before we get into all the logistics, tell me what is your favorite thing about being a dad?

Just watch those kids grow, man.

They they just um they have taught me, stretched me, and helped me to really be a better person.

Yeah.

Um, just seeing them grow and what they've become, you know.

I I I think the greatest learning has been raising our children with my wife Chippo there.

In fact, we we celebrate 30 years of marriage.

30 years of marriage.

Come on.

Yeah.

Hey, Pastor Chippo, he shouted you out.

You gotta stand and wave to the people.

You gotta, you gotta, you gotta get the people what they want.

Pastor Chippo is with Pastor Dixon.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Y'all y'all just hear how I just asked him, what does it feel like to be a father?

And it just sounded like wisdom, just watching them grow.

Like, I mean, it's just it's just it's just it's just on you, man.

It's just on you.

It's just on you.

So I I remember um being being a young pastor at Celebration Church and um like just beginning to get to know people.

And and I remember like there was this moment where like I remember we were in the back and I was talking to some other pastors, and they began to like whisper, like, hey, Pastor Dixon's here.

Like you were like some kind of mythical legend.

And and I and I didn't I didn't have context.

I didn't understand.

I'm like, okay, but I'm here too.

I mean, what's up?

Like I didn't fully understand it.

And I think you preached that Sunday, and that was the first time that I had an opportunity to meet you and to hear your heart.

And and I understood the legend is true.

And over the years I've got an opportunity to see like more and more of your life up close, and I understand why people say, they don't even say your name out loud.

It's like Valtimore, like, don't say it.

But I mean, it's it's like Pastor, Pastor Dixon's here and the grace that you carry.

Would you mind sharing with us for a couple of minutes?

Like, what is what has been your journey on becoming a pastor?

Tell us a little bit about your background and and how you got to the place where people whisper your name now.

Pastor Keith.

I have so much to say, but um I'm gonna I'm gonna really just um I grew up in the village and I um and life in the village in Zimbabwe is very different to probably the men of you would know and um when I was about six years old with four of us, my father left.

My mom was not educated at all, so she then began to struggle taking care of us, and eventually we had to leave at the farm that we were staying because my father just had a problem with alcohol, and so we knew that whenever he got paid, he would take a little longer coming back home.

The only reason he kept his job, he was very good.

So the owner of the farm, he it was multiple farms, he was responsible for all these big pieces of equipment for harvesting and all that, and so we had to leave.

So my mom had to give us to different family members, and I went to her brother who had five wives, and so you can imagine I'm I'm staying there, and um, so I would move from one, they all had their houses around, their hearts around, so I would move from so that kind of twisted my thinking about life, and um I just began to hear about this father.

That's why today is very special.

That there's a father that actually loves me.

At first I thought, fathers, they just I didn't ask to be born.

I I didn't go and sign up to say, uh, can I be born now?

I didn't do that, and then the person who brought me here just walks away.

So I thought, fathers are bad, bad people.

I I don't want anything to do with them.

But I this teacher also started telling me about you know, God the Father, He's a loving, He is amazing, He will never leave you.

If somebody's gonna leave, it's not Him, but it's you, and I just began to learn more and more, and He began to do something to my heart, Pastor Kidd.

I began to find that I could actually pray and talk to Him.

And there were moments when I was praying and I could almost feel His presence right in the room, and so I gave my life you know to Jesus, and this has been the most awesome relationship that I've ever had.

And I said, God, I know you're there, and I want to give my whole life to you.

And so I remember when when I was at college, I I desired to be, and he has been do everything that I've been asking him.

You know, he is is a village boy.

I I I wanted to be an engineer, and that's what I eventually became.

And then I and then he I would go to anything.

If they wanted somebody at church to do anything, I would be there.

And I was I was an asher, I would teach, I even learned to play, I began to lead worship in the church.

Are you saying that you're gonna lead us in worship at the end of the service?

That's what I that's what I heard.

I mean, come on, I mean.

Wow, I can play the guitar, not that.

Yeah, so you know, so I remember one time I turned up at the women's meeting, and they they they they welcomed me in, but I looked, they were all women in there.

And that's how I just if there was something going on at church, I wanted to be there, you know, and uh that's how much I loved the father, you know, and um so for me coming to be a pastor, I I can see um God working it.

I didn't hear a voice that said, Dixon, now you're gonna have to leave your job and be here.

It was just very progressive.

And and because I loved him more, I was so hungry for him.

It was like when the time came, you know, I was married then, and and and I said, I said my wife, I said, this is what I just feel this is time, but I'm not gonna do it until we are both ready, you know.

And when we were ready, you know, I quit my job and you know, I went to Bible school for three years.

She took care, she's awesome, she took care of us, me and the children, and um, yeah, here I am.

So it's been a wonderful journey, you know, uh, but it came started right then.

I I love that because I think a lot of times, specifically when we come to church and we have conversations with people and we we we summarize these movements of God.

Like sometimes we forget that when you turn a page of a Bible, that literally may be hundreds of years.

So a lot of times our anticipation or expectation is it's immediate, it's immediate, and some things are.

But but I love how you mentioned it was progressive.

Yeah.

Um, and and and hearing your story about um growing up in the village, Megan and I was um incredibly privileged enough just two years ago to to come and and and be with you guys and see some of the villages that you were talking about.

And and I was blown away.

I was blown away because I feel like um that a lot of times God prepares us by allowing us to walk through some things.

We see that in the life of Moses, we see that in so many instances.

So your ability to navigate through the villages as well as being in a city, like there's a grace on your life that allows you to really have access.

And so I think it's encouraging for someone here that you may be wondering, why am I at the place that I am?

I think it's not meant to define you, but it develops you.

Yeah, and and God, and God will absolutely use it.

So I that's what I that's what I noticed with you.

But here's one of the things that I that I love about your character, and I want I want to hear you talk about this a little bit, um, is that you just have this this boldness, like this, this, this, this like true, insatiable boldness.

And and and one of the things I'm speaking of specifically, Megan, you remember this.

Um, so Zimbabwe is is vastly different than America, and and ultimately I want to kind of hear you talk about some of the distinctions.

Um, but one of the things that that we had saw was like there's actual cults there, very visible cults.

And and I remember as we were driving, and you were like, okay, so these are different cults that are set up all around.

And and the reason why I said you're bold is because you just pulled up right in front of one of the cult gatherings, pointed like, yeah, that's one of the cults there, and talking about spiritual warfare.

And I'm like, man, like I ain't from these Zimbabwe streets, man.

You could tell me this at the red light.

Um I don't know where this thing's gonna go, man.

But but but seriously, what I love was that your your boldness and even how you've been able to show love, um, even in in moments where people have been resistant.

So can you share um with us a little bit um how you've been able to boldly step into these places where you do face some very strong oppositions, opposition to poverty, opposition from the government times, opposition even from cults.

Like, can you encourage us around how to navigate through that opposition with the boldness that you believe that God has given you?

One of the scriptures that have really um my greatest hero is Jesus.

When I look at his life, uh, I just see somebody who had a mission and a purpose.

And so Acts chapter 10, verse 38 how God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power who went about doing good.

Acts 10:38

That just right there, who went about doing good, and we know the reason was because you know God was with him.

And I want to say, you know, to each one of us, and I and I want to actually how that applied God God has anointed you.

He has got his his his love is upon you, his his mantle is upon you, and he he's setting each one of us to do some good stuff.

Don't don't worry about the bad stuff sometimes that you do.

I I did that too.

All of us do, but but God is always taking us away from the bad to the good.

So that's what has uh driven me.

When I started serving him, I said this hunger that I talked about, I said, God, you what do I want to do?

What do what do you want me to do, rather?

And and and and and and I just uh I just I just go in that flow.

Uh whatever he he wants me to do, I'm gonna do it.

Now you you know when when Jesus did stuff, he faced opposition all the time.

You know, you know, in fact, you know, even the people that he did good to they they uh they attacked him, they uh left him.

You're gonna have that.

You know, you do good stuff to people, they will leave you, they will talk about you.

So the tendency is to focus on them.

But when you do that, you will stop progressing to what God wants you to do.

So you gotta just kind of, you know, the the scriptures tell, therefore, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.

He finishes what he starts in your life and in my life.

So so that's what is given me, you know.

In fact, at one of our locations, um when we go to the space, there was a big tree and one of those clouds, they were actually meeting there.

And so I walked to their leader, they dress in white, all of them.

They don't use the Bible, they just, you know, their leader is a prophet who just really misleads them into things that are so far away from God.

That was their uh shrine.

So I walked up to him and I told him, Look, we we we go to this place now, we're gonna do a church here, and uh, you know, I just want to know you.

He looked at me and says, No, this is our place.

God gave us to us, he's a different God.

I said, Well, the true God who I worship gave this to us, you know, and I'm hoping that you will come to be part of us.

So we fenced it up, they still kept coming there, and um, they were very mad, you know, with us.

You know, we we now have a few of their members, they've been, you know, saved, now they are worshiping, but they moved to the next tree outside, you know.

So it's because Jesus went about doing good.

Doing good is loving on people, drawing people, helping them see that God can open their hearts and open their eyes to see that there's a God who is great and awesome, who loves them.

And even though they struggle to understand him, but if they keep on searching and looking, they will find him.

Can we can we give it up for that?

Um the the preacher in me can't let this one part go by.

So so like y'all gotta give me a second.

You you said that that you had this land that was given to you, some ground that was for you to take, but some opposition was occupying that.

And so you you stepped to the opposition and said, This this now belongs to me.

But the opposition said, No, like God gave it to me.

And so it became this moment where whose voice are you going to believe, whose report are you going to believe?

It became a matter of making a decision and saying, I know what God has told me, and I know what you say that your God has told you, but it's almost like an Elijah moment where it's like, let's pray and see whose God responds.

And you were able to take the ground that was given to you.

I want to encourage somebody right now, because what I firmly believe is that there's some things that God has promised to you, and all you're facing is the voice of opposition telling you that it's not yours.

There may be some documents that may even say that it's not yours, but I want to let you know that we serve the true God and He has to follow the word in Jesus' name.

Yes.

I I told you that the preacher and me just couldn't let it ride, man.

That was that was too good.

That was that was too good.

Okay, so uh I wanna I wanna hear, we're gonna wrap up in just a minute, but I want to hear like uh what we have is like once a month, we have like these these pastor meetings where all the pastors that are connected to celebration, we hop on a Zoom call.

Um and and one of the things that I've learned is that even though we know that that comparison is terrible, um, I just learned that I don't want to be the guy that goes after Dixon.

When we're sharing testimonies.

Because every time they're like, hey, like, what's going on in your cities?

And we're all talking about what God is doing, and everything is doing so amazing.

Every time you get on, you begin to talk about what God is doing in Zimbabwe, and you're like, man, I must not be praying right.

Like we're we're we're praying and saying, like, man, like we we moved into a new building, and Dix is like, okay, cool, the government gave me a whole bunch of land.

Like, I mean, it's it's and they're paying me now.

Like, it's like, it's like these crazy, like, book of acts miracles, man.

So it's I love you, but it's frustrating being your friend.

Um, I feel like I've missed God sometimes.

Um but if but if you could, just really quick, what would you say are some of the the biggest things that you've seen God do in the church throughout the course of a couple of years?

Just I know that's a big thing coming from you, but just what are a couple of things that are just major milestones that can be an encouragement for for God's people?

Oh, the greatest things that I've seen God do is touch and change people that I just did not in my mind think he would change.

You know, as I stood there and I just together with our team, you know, proclaimed the word of God, and some of them are those colours.

We have different people that are just so deceived.

They they they meet outside when when on on they they start on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday are meeting everywhere.

There's so much freedom of worship in Zimbabwe that look, you know, people just uh but that's our ground to really harvest.

At least the first thing is they are looking for someone, and we know our God is the real God.

So I've seen people just giving their lives to the Lord, people that had a reputation.

And I I've when I've seen that, it has made my faith stronger that God is able to change people.

And and I want to even say that if you are here and you have even people that you really have wanted to see God change you, don't stop praying for them, don't stop loving them, don't stop reaching out to them.

Because this God is awesome.

If you would change a person like Saul who was killing Christians, you know, you know, he can change you and I, you know, and and and we are testimony of what he can do.

So that's one of the greatest things that I've seen God do.

Um but I've seen him also his favor as we have reached out.

You know, I remember when we we started, we we started, you know, celebration church at our house.

Uh there was just 12 of us.

Um, you know, it seems as if you know uh God just loves to use trees.

Most of our churches start under trees, you know, before we move into a building because it's it's it's kind of cool, and I mean cool as in the shade.

You know, uh, under trees.

And and and so so I've seen God help us be a part of a great um great family, celebration church here in in Jacksonville and and and Orlando and you know, you know, DC.

You know, uh you were the legend, Pastor Keith, you and Pastor Megan.

We I mean you have great pastors.

Let me tell you this.

If you did not know, these these guys love you and they love God.

And and and you you know, he has said a lot about us, but look, you're a great.

When when I came, I was I was saying, I need to get to knowing this.

So you you you can imagine what's going on right here, right now.

I'm sitting here with Pastor Keith, and we we we so I've been learning a lot of things from you.

So God has allowed us to to plant a number of churches, um, um, you know, with four expressions of celebration church.

We've got the village church, which which these there's mad hearts, and you've been to some of them, and then we've got the uh the the growth point.

This is like your western town.

You know, you've got one street with the stores on one side and a few cars there, and some donkey carts and cows grazing all around.

Then we have the township churches, which is a cluster of churches, lots of uh of houses, and then we have the city, you know, church.

God has allowed Chipo and I to be able to really reach to some of the communities.

We are in Region 5, which is uh the the the the driest part of our country, you know, and uh but God has also allowed us to really partner with one child and really be able, you know, to see God just raise so many people across here to help us, you know, you know, take care of some of those.

Um, you know, Lionel that you saw uh the the the church that you were seeing there is was was the second church that we we actually started.

Um and and and and he is in high school now.

Uh yeah, he's in high school now, and um you know um he he calls me you know grandpa and my mom, grandma, you know, and sometimes I drive to his house, pick him up, go for an ice cream, and he is he wants to be a pilot, by the way.

And so we're gonna we're gonna see you know if if if the Lord and ourselves, you know, can help him reach to his dream, you know.

We we're gonna yeah.

I I I love that.

I don't want I want to talk about one child in just a second, but I don't want to move past this because um you referenced the different types of churches that that we have in Zimbabwe.

And and again, Meg and I had an opportunity to kind of visit a a little collection of all of them.

How how how many locations do we have in Zimbabwe now?

We have 20 locations.

We just 20 locations.

Yeah.

That is that is amazing.

I I'm I'm I'm so so honored to have been able to witness and and seeing how um even out in the villages, which again, I think we can all probably grasp the concept of it, but just literally seeing out in the villages, mud huts and and and and those environments, if we can just put it plain, like those are not environments where where the people can give to sustain it.

You know, we're we're fortunate enough with your generosity, you're able to give to help us to sustain and do the ministry we're called to do.

But but yet you're called to go to the place where people literally can't give you anything back, but yet you know that God has a calling on those individuals as well.

So I want to commend you for going into the to the wilderness, to the to the to the less-inspiring environments, but still recognizing because you yourself came from that.

It's just it's just it's so beautiful.

Um, but I do want to ask a little bit about um One Child because I do see the the incredible impact that um that our partnership with One Child has had and being able to reach um the children there, um, such as Lionel.

Megan and I got an opportunity to meet our sponsor child when we were there, um, Abino.

And um, and and it was it was absolutely amazing and truly seeing the the impact um that that our generosity has.

So can you explain our relationship with with one child a little bit?

Yes, so uh one child, they are incredible.

Uh they're incredible.

In fact, um, you know, uh you know Pastor Rachel represents you know one child here, you know, for us in the United States, and and Pastor John, you know, who um from our worklinic alliance, you know, helps connect the dots.

And and and Chipo, uh, my wife, she uh is the steward of um um child care ministries, which is uh really a child, if I can say, of celebration church in Zimbabwe that really works with the different partners, and one child is one of those.

So our relationship is is one child is uh is is responsible for really reaching out together with Celebration Church now to different churches where we give an opportunity uh to people to really connect with a child in Africa.

Um so we would have would have um uh them uh pick a child that they would like to sponsor, and they would talk to that child uh through letters, they letters that they write every year, you know, they would um give towards that child.

And and and that child would go get medical, they will get education.

We actually, through the Shine conference that we did, uh my wife started a factory that they we use some of the single mothers and some of the widows, they work in that factory.

It's called Shine Sewing Project.

So all the sponsored children that anyone sponsors, we will get a uniform, two uniforms a year for each one of them.

But they get, I mentioned medical, they get education.

But the greatest part, Pastor Keith, is this every one of our locations is a hope center.

What I mean by that is whilst we can give them all these things, we believe that to set them up for the future.

Like Lionel loves Jesus so much.

When you're talking to him, some of his questions about Jesus.

And I I think that he he he most likely is going to be a pastor, not a pilot.

But, you know, they all start with a P, so I'm sure, you know, he could probably do both.

You know, he he's asking a lot about about you know, you know, Jesus.

And his his mother is a single mom who had who had him when she didn't want to.

And so um, but both of them, the way they love God, and and and when I look at all that, I'm saying to myself, hey, um, we we can really just be able to really change so many people through what one child is doing.

And so so our relationship with them is they facilitate in this in the United States for people to be able to actually give um uh a small amount of money every month.

And then we work together with our church, Celebration Church, is the one that has been appointed in the United States to really be able to send that to our team and we make sure that that goes in there.

So there's a very great relationship that we have, and I want to honor you know, Pastor John, you know, for stewarding that relationship in the United States.

You know, so it's it's our people that are actually working with our church, celebration church in the United States to be able to help us to take care of all those you know sponsored children.

That's amazing.

And and the last time I was there, I I lost count.

How many how many children do we reach per day with feeding and providing education and all those things?

There are 3,000, she's the director.

How many?

3,500.

3,500.

You see, she knows everything.

3,500.

3,500 children.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

I love it.

I love it.

So I realize that um that that COVID, the pandemic, specifically with with everything really being connected to people's generosity, and and the season that we hit obviously adjusts all of us and and and things like that.

What would you say is the the biggest thing that you guys are praying for right now as as hopefully mission trips begin to open back up, people can come over and visit their um the child that they're sponsoring, be a part of the church in celebration.

What what are some of the things that you're praying for right now?

The pandemic to go.

Yes.

Yeah.

We we're really praying that um, you know, God can continue to uh help us take care of each one of those, you know, kids.

Some of them are very bright.

What they have not gotten is the opportunity that many of us have have had that we could be able to really see the ones that God really, you know, um would like to just lift.

Because we see leaders there.

There's a lot of leaders, so we're praying for that.

But we're also praying, we are also praying for uh our country.

We have 95% unemployment.

So when when when I walk around and I see this sign now hiring, I'm saying, wow, if that was in Zimbabwe, they would break that store because everybody will be lining up to get in there.

So I'm praying for just Zimbabwe's economy uh because everybody's buying and selling.

Um, you know, but uh above everything else, I'm praying that you know all the children that we have, if if they could be strong in their relationship with the Lord, because they are little evangelists, they go back from what they get from the hope centers to their families.

Some of those children have actually been able to help people to do Shabbat and communion in their homes.

You know, some of them they actually lead that, some of those children.

So that's that's my prayer.

You know, that's my prayer.

If they can get every home they come from, you know, come and find out why their children are doing so well, that would be awesome.

Okay.

Well, that's what we're gonna do.

I'm gonna ask uh Pastor Chippo if you can come up here and Megan.

Um Mike, I want you to come up here as well.

I want to um I want to pray for Pastor Dixon and the team as we um as we prepare to to kind of transition and get ready to wrap up the service.

Um Big John, why don't you come up here as as well?

Um I I believe in in the power of prayer, and I I truly am thankful for the incredible work that you guys have have done, the the legacy that you all have established.

Um and so I want to um I want to I want to pray for you guys.

In fact, um Big John, can you can you pray for?

I would I would love for you to do it.

Big John, you you you've overseen and literally have been um in the mission field uh for several years in our Northern Ireland location.

And so um if you can just impart some some words of encouragement and and pray for the Dixons, man, I think that'll be powerful.

Thank you, Pastor Keith.

If everybody would just stretch a hand forward an agreement and just a way of also imparting this, they leave tomorrow morning, flying back.

And um, you know, when they heard they could come to Orlando and be here with Pastor Keith, they're like, what pandemic?

We're coming.

But we just love them and uh we thank you for your support.

Let's pray together.

Father God, we thank you for Pastor Dixon and Pastor Chipo, the Shangara family, even their daughter Faith's out preaching today at a child sponsorship event, and their son Tanashi back home ministering in church.

We just love them.

We ask you bless their family.

And as Pastor Dixon's just brought this to us, these um 3,500 kids in the program, that they would be evangelists throughout their nation.

Lord, we pray that you would meet their needs.

We pray, God, you would fill them up every time they step on the site of a hope center, just like we do on a Sunday, come into a celebration church.

We pray that same kind of blessing on them.

Lord, we pray you meet their every need.

We pray, God, that you meet their dreams, God.

Their dream right now is to take this land that they've been given by the government and to actually start to grow the food and actually feed the kids right there, not have to buy it from other countries and be able to feed over a hundred thousand kids a day.

That's their prayer right there out of Zimbabwe.

So, Lord, this is a huge vision.

We know there's opposition in the transition.

So, Lord, right now we pray you give them faith, give them strength, and let them know we are with them.

We believe in them, Lord, we know you're with them.

We pray you bless today, Lord, and you move on our hearts, Lord, what all of us can do to be a part of one kid at a time, one dream at a time.

And we thank you for this family.

We thank you for them, Pastor Dixon as a father over all of our celebration church houses, and we bless them in Jesus' name, and we are with them.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen and amen.

Thank you guys so much.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you so much.

I appreciate you.

God bless you.

Um, we're gonna we're gonna um prepare to to close.

So I'm gonna invite the worship team to come back and to join me now.

Um, as we prepare to wrap up, I want to close out um our time together just with a couple of simple thoughts.

You know, with this being Father's Day and all the things that we've talked about, even Pastor Nate mentioning earlier just about um the emotion of trying to figure out how to have a proper perspective of the love that God truly gives us.

Um and I'm hoping that we're we're sensing that, that the God's heart for his people is to reach them.

God's heart, and I believe people like Pastor Dixon, um, you represent an aspect of that.

God's desire to diligently go out and to pursue people.

You know, scripture says go out into the highways and the byways.

That's what the King James Version says, but go out into the places that are that are obscure and uncomfortable, but those are the people that God has called us to reach.

I I want to read a passage of scripture to us really quick, um, just to kind of close out and encourage us um so that we can have a healthy perspective of of who God is as it relates to us.

Um, in Luke chapter 15, looking at verse number 11 through 24, it's it's a parable that Jesus shares.

Luke 15 · chapter mention

Um, and it's a very powerful parable because he's trying to help the people of God to understand God's posture towards them.

It's a familiar parable, and it says this at verse number 11.

He also said, Um, a man had two sons, the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me a share of the estate that I have coming to me.

So he distributed the assets to them.

Um, not many days later, the younger son gathered together all that he had, traveled to a distant country where he squandered his estate in foolish living.

He had spent everything, a severe famine had struck the country and he had nothing.

Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country who had who sent him into the fields to feed pigs, which was completely anti to that culture.

It was it was a it was a big deal to be around that.

Um he longed to eat his fill of the pots with the pigs that he were eating, and he he had a desire to eat the very things that something that was detestable um was eating from.

That's when you know he had came to what we would define as his um his breaking point.

Um, but no one was giving him anything.

Verse number 17 it says, But when he came to his senses, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have more um than enough food?

And here I am dying of hunger.

I'll get up, I'll go to my father and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired workers.

So he got up and went to his father.

Um, and while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion and ran to him and threw his arms around his neck, he kissed him.

The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father told his servants, Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet, then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let's celebrate the feast.

Because this son of mine was dead and is now alive, he was lost and he is now found.

So they began to celebrate.

I think that's such a a different vision than what that son had anticipated.

He probably expected to be met with wrath and and anger and outrage, but instead he was met with something a little bit different.

You know, I remember many years ago um when Megan and I were still serving at our Jacksonville location, and it's it's a it's a large location.

There's a lot of rooms, a lot of people, and I remember specifically this one time, probably uh my son Caleb was about six or seven years old.

Um and at that time we're we're we're we're serving, and and and you know, when you are a child who works for a staff member at a church, it's like it takes a village, literally.

So I'm out doing something, and I just knew that as long as he was with these group of leaders, he would be perfectly fine.

Well, time went on and and and I began to look for Caleb and I couldn't find him.

I I still remember it vividly where I had anticipated where he was supposed to be, but I saw the leaders that I thought that he was with, and I said, like, hey, have you have you you seen Caleb where he's at?

They're like, We we haven't seen him.

And and in my mind, I'm thinking to myself, I I know I saw you in the distance.

I told Caleb to go over to you, um, and somehow there was some kind of a disconnect.

And and I gotta tell you guys, like it's it seems so it seems like such a small thing, but in a church of that size with that many people, I could not find my son.

I began to get filled with so much anxiety and stress.

It's a it's amazing the roller coaster that your mind can go on in just a matter of seconds.

I I literally went from all five stages of grief, which was flooding my emotions at the exact same time.

I went from disbelief to to anger to negotiating and even all within one minute trying to accept the reality that my son's gone.

I'm running around to security, I'm running around everywhere, I'm I'm on the verge of getting ready to run into the service and take the mic out of the preacher's hand and say, Listen, nobody's going anywhere until I find my son.

We're about to shut this place down like a missing kid at Disney.

Like that's that's kind of that's what I thought I was gonna have to do.

And and and as I was trying to navigate through it, and I was filled with emotions, and and my wife wasn't even aware at the time.

And I just began to say, How can I, how can I tell her?

What am I gonna what am I gonna say to her?

And as I was mustering up the the strength to go and and tell her, I turn a corner, and what do you know?

There is young Caleb standing in front of the Nintendo.

Just playing the game like nothing ever happened.

I had security on high alert.

I was collaring up people, old people, young people.

You see, my son, like it was, I was like Liam Neeson and Taken without the skills.

My set of skills is prayer.

That's all I got.

But but I remember I remember the emotions of that, and when I saw him, like this flood that just hit me.

And here's what I know.

I know that he didn't go where I told him to go.

I know that he wasn't at the place that he was supposed to be.

But when I saw him and I saw that he was safe, I didn't respond in anger, I didn't respond with frustration.

I just walked up to my son and gave him the biggest hug, and he had no idea what was going on.

But here's the thing in my mind, I was thinking, I thought my son was lost, but he's found.

See, I I'm I'm confident that many of us have lived lives where we've made mistakes, we've had setbacks, we've had some challenges.

And if we're honest, we think of God as being this God who's sitting on the purple hills of Mars with a lightning bolt in his hand, ready to just judge us and smite us for every little mistake that we've made.

See, I over the past couple of years, I think people's view of God has been shifted.

I think that we've contorted it a little bit, and I am convinced that there are two different Jesuses.

I am, I'm convinced.

I believe that there is the Jesus that fits people's agenda, and then there's a Jesus in the Bible.

And unfortunately, people have been projecting something that fits their image that's not a reflection of the Bible that I read.

And in fact, the Bible that I read it tells me that Jesus is perfect theology.

If you ever want to know how God feels about you, look at Jesus.

If you ever want to know how God sees you, look at Jesus.

If you ever want to know what God is speaking about you, look at Jesus.

Jesus is perfect theology.

And I believe that this passage that we just read is a beautiful description that Jesus wanted to deliver to you to let you know that the Father has a heart for you.

And no matter what environments you may have found yourselves in, no matter what environments that you may stumble into, whether self-inflicted or things were imposed upon you, that God has a burden for you.

And the things that I want us to walk away with this is this is that the Father, he will pursue you.

He will pursue you.

I want you to notice in the text where it says that the son came to himself and that when he began to go home to his father, that his father saw him off in the distance and he ran to him.

I want you to know that God sees that you showed up here today.

God sees every time that you pray, God sees you in every place that you may find yourself and that you have a loving father that pursues you.

He's not looking for perfection, he's not looking for you to have it all together.

All he's doing is looking for you to take a single step.

The Bible says if you draw near to God, he will draw near to you.

If you take one step, he will take a thousand.

All it takes is taking a single step.

The beautiful thing about God pursuing us and meeting us where we are is also this understanding is that God knows how to provide exactly what we need.

This young man was filled with so much shame because of where he was.

This young man felt so defeated and deflated because of the self-imposed decisions that he made.

He literally came to his father, smelling of the stench of where he was from, smelling of the aroma of being in a pig's pen, literally, smelling of the aroma of desperation and brokenness and decay.

And as he begins to go with his rehearsed speech, Father, I've I've I've made so I'm not even worthy to be considered your son.

His father interrupts him and he says, Get me the best robe.

Get me some sandals, give me a ring to put on his finger.

See, the father knew how to provide exactly what the son needed.

The son lost his dignity in the world, but God gave him his dignity back.

His father gave him exactly what he needed to hear.

And what I believe some of us need to understand, I want you to recognize the order of things.

He crowned him before he cleaned him.

Let me say that one more time.

He crowned him before he cleaned him.

That means that even though he still smelt like where he was from, he was still placed right back in the family's position.

Even though he still had the stench of the past, the Bible doesn't say that he had to clean himself up, get himself together, but the Bible says that the best robe was placed on him exactly where he was, that he was then given sandals to change his shoes out to say that you have a new destination and a new direction that I'm leading you.

You can leave those things behind, and then he gave him his ring.

I'm talking to somebody in here right now that he will clean you up right where you are, but you are accepted as you are.

He crowned him before he cleaned him, and then that beautiful thing is that he just he knew how to provide and he knew how to position him.

That God knows how to position us.

See, for him, when he gave him that ring, that was signifying that you are a part of my family.

Every family of prominence had a ring, and that ring was like a signet.

And when people saw you, they knew what family you belonged to.

This young man who already had a ring, sold the ring, lost the ring, lost his identity.

But when he came back to his father, his father knew how to reestablish his dignity, but also how to give him his identity back and positioned him at his table.

I believe for some of us in here today that that maybe you feel like you've lost some things.

God knows how to provide for you, but he wants to position you right where you're supposed to be.

You have a seat at his table, you are welcome as you are.

And even though you may smell like where you came from, you don't have to work for it, all you got to do is take a step and show up.

You know, as we prepare to wrap up, and I want to go into a moment of prayer really quick.

You know, the father's heart is to pursue you, the father's heart is to provide for you, the father's heart is to position you.

But there's another thing in this text that I believe that we can sometimes miss.

You see, after they have this big celebration, there's the other son that was there.

And that other son was feeling some type of way.

He was feeling some type of way because he's like, Man, I've been here the whole time.

I didn't go out, I didn't waste the money.

I've been here the whole time being faithful.

I was the one that was doing all the work.

It's like those really smart kids who get upset when a teacher gives the other kids like the same type of grade.

Like, I'm the one who did the homework.

How'd he get in the same grade as like, you know, it's that moment where the kid who who did all the work didn't like the idea of his brother being someone who was being treated as an equal.

In fact, when he talks to his father, he says, This son of yours to separate himself from him.

He brought it on himself.

If he would have stayed here and grinded like me, then he would be the same.

But then the father lovingly turns to him and says, Like, man, everything that I have is yours.

Like you've lost nothing.

Me showing attention to him doesn't take attention from you.

Me being able to care for him because he's in the moment of crisis doesn't take away the fact that I love you.

Me showing attention to him because he's suffering doesn't take away that I value you as the same.

And then he said, Your brother was lost, and now he's found.

Here's the crescendo of all of it the father's heart is unity.

When a brother wanted to separate himself from his brother, he said, No, y'all both are my kids.

The ones who got it together and the ones who are jacked up.

And what I need you to do is not look at each other despairingly, but to link arms and recognize that you are both my children.

That's the kingdom, that's the message of the gospel.

That's God's heart for his people, for us to recognize that we're all in this together.

What I recognize in moments like this, and even if you're joining us at home online, is that there's a stirring that begins to take place.

And and I believe that stirring is that part of us that says, similar to the sun, man, look at look at where I'm at.

I I would do so much better in my father's house.

And what the Bible says is that he came to himself.

That means there was something in his mind that allowed him to recognize that where I am is not where I'm supposed to be.

That that God's called me for more than this.

I believe that every person who's surrendered their life to Christ has come to that conclusion at some point where you come to yourself, where you recognize that there is more for me.

And what I believe is that there's some people in this room with us today that God is stirring you and saying that where you are, I have so much more for you.

Come to yourself, recognize that there is more for you in the Father's house.

With every head bowed and with every eye closed, I want to just lead us in a in a quick prayer.

If you're in here with us today, and and maybe some of the things that we hit on sounds a little bit like you, you're away from the Father.

Or there's this moment where you just recognize that where I am is not God's best for me.

I want to pray for you.

I want to pray for those who are ready to come home.

So if you're in here with us today and you know that your next step is to surrender your life to Christ, to return to Christ, to get to that place where you can get closer to the Father.

I want to include you in a very simple yet powerful prayer.

On account of three, would you mind lifting your hands up with every ounce of boldness that you have?

One, two, three.

I'm coming home to the Father.

I'm coming home to the Father.

Amen.

I'm coming home to the Father.

See those hands in the back.

Amen.

God bless you.

I'm coming home.

I'm coming home.

I'm coming home.

Church, can we put our hands together for every person that is coming home to the Father?

Here's what I want us to do.

I want us to stand on our feet and we're going to go back into a time of worship.

And I want to pray.

I want to pray for the people that have just said yes to coming home.

We are so proud of you.

I am personally so proud of you.

I want to welcome you back home.

We're going to have a team that's going to come and give you some instructions on some next steps for you.

We want to meet you out in the lobby, give you a Bible, give you some resources that we believe can truly help you.

But I want to pray for you.

So so can you repeat this prayer after me, helping along those who may be praying it for the first time?

Just repeat after me.

Lord Jesus, I give you my life.

I repent of my sins.

I believe that you died on the cross and that you rose from the dead.

And I am saved.

Fill me with your spirit and order my steps.

In Jesus' name.

Let me pray for the rest of us.

God, I thank you.

I thank you for what you're doing, what you have been doing.

I thank you for people like Pastor Dixon, God, who has modeled what it looks like to have the Father's heart by pursuing those who are lost.

God, I pray in the name of Jesus for every individual in here as we're on our journey that you continue to stir our hearts to draw closer to you.

So, Father, as we go back into this time of worship, I pray that you meet us where we are, that you encourage us, that you strengthen us, and allow us to know that you are providing for us, that you've positioned us, Father, and that you are all for us in Jesus' name.

Come on, church, let's worship one more time.

Thanks again for listening.

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