This is Your Time to Shine

Open your Bibles to John chapter 16 and meet me at verse 33.

John 16 · chapter mention

John chapter 16 and verse 33.

John 16 · chapter mention

Jesus says, these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation.

But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Now, in this passage of scripture, I want you to understand that Jesus is declaring

unto us that in him, if you are in Christ,

if you have given your life to Christ, if you are a part of the body of Christ,

if you are a son and daughter of God and Jesus being your champion,

your big brother, you are in him.

You are not in darkness. You are in the light. You are in him.

And if you are in him, then you are in peace.

And that word peace means security. That word peace means stability.

And that word peace also means undisturbed composure. Somebody say undisturbed composure.

That means that you're going to be unaffected. You're going to be unharmed.

You're not going to be troubled.

You're going to be poised during this season of your life for the rest of your

life because you are in him.

So in him, you are undisturbed. You are composed.

You have poise. You're not emotional. You're not up one day and down the next.

External factors don't change who you are. External factors don't change your position in Christ.

You are in him and you are poised and you are unaffected and you are unharmed

and you are standing strong in Christ.

Where We're my help today, Kerr, praise the Lord. Amen, somebody say amen. Amen.

And so we understand that in him,

We have peace. Now, we are simultaneously also in the world.

So we are in him and we are in the world. Now, we are not of the world because we're in Christ.

We're in the world. We're in Christ and we're also in the world.

And in the world, there's going to be tribulation.

There's going to be trouble. There's going to be frustration.

There's going to be distress.

There's going to be pain. There's going to be heartache. There's going to be broken relationships.

There's going to be all these negative things that can take place in the world.

Jesus said that in the world, you're going to experience these things,

but we are to be in peace with undisturbed composure,

poised, even though we are in the world and all chaos is breaking around us.

We are in him and none of that is affecting us. None of that is troubling us.

We are stable and safe and secure in him. Somebody shout amen.

Now, Jesus said, though, at the end of that verse, but guess what?

Be of good cheer. Have a lot of joy.

Be full of joy about this. I have overcome the world.

That literally means that he has declared us victorious over all difficulty

and opposition. Come on, somebody.

We are victorious over all difficulty and

opposition you are not under your problems you are above your problems you are

not unbeneath some of your trials and tribulations you are above you are not

the tail you are the head you are not beneath you are above somebody say I'm

above now when you are in peace.

All this external stuff around you, don't even let it affect you.

Matter of fact, in the Amplified Classic, I love what it says,

John 16, 33, in the Amplified Classic, Jesus said, I have told you these things

so that in me you may have perfect peace and confidence.

In the world, you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration.

But, somebody say but. But. Anytime you see that word but, you can just wipe everything out.

Hey, how do I look today, honey? You look good, but I wouldn't wear that shirt.

Well, that just means don't wear that shirt.

But be of good cheer. Why? Take courage. Be confident, certain, undaunted. Why?

For I have overcome the world. Thank God.

Now watch this. I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.

Glory be to God. Somebody say, thank you, Jesus.

Now understand Jesus is telling us here

that we can have undisturbed composure

in this world and how many you know there's a

lot going on in the world today I wrote some things down a couple days ago in

thinking about what's going on in our world and obviously in our region we've

experienced Hurricane Helene and all the devastation and destruction that has

taken place that's why we We rallied together to help our neighbors in Western North Carolina.

Understand as well that our ally Israel is in a war, in a war,

and we have sent troops over there. So we're in a war too.

When your ally's in a war, so are you. And so we have wars going on right now.

We have a volatile presidential election coming up in a short period of time.

What, 30 days or so in a volatile election.

Somebody say, I'm undisturbed.

Say, I don't care who wins.

I'm undisturbed.

I'm undisturbed. Now, I'm going to vote, and I'm going to do what God tells

me to do, but I'm undisturbed.

I'm unaffected. I'm unharmed. I'm untroubled. I'm full of poise, no matter who wins.

And how many know we're not going to find out right away anyway? Glory to God. Okay.

We also have Ukraine and Russia going on, which is affecting oil and economies

and all type of chaos is happening.

The port strike. How many of you heard about the port strike?

Now, I know it got postponed, but they said they're going to strike anyway on January 15th, okay?

And so a port strike is going on, and USA Today reports that could cost the

economy $5 billion a day.

That's outrageous, $5 billion a day.

I want to say this to you because this is literally my imagination.

I can't even comprehend this. but one

million seconds is 12

days okay one million seconds

is 12 days one billion seconds is 32 years so somebody say I'm a millionaire

okay great I'm a billionaire that's a whole nother and then I have 10 billion I have 120 $20 billion?

We're talking about a whole another level, okay?

And so we're saying $5 billion a day? That's a lot of money that that strike could pose.

I read this quote the other day. It said, the middle class life has gotten more

expensive and wages have not kept up, so it's gotten harder.

And I mean, you can attest to that. Things are more expensive than they are before.

Some things I buy for essentials, it went up $8. I almost didn't buy it. It went up $8.

I was like, I don't want to buy it just because it went up $8.

But I had to have it, you know what I mean?

And so what's going on in the world? The world is getting harder,

a tougher place to be and to live.

And things appear like they're going to get worse.

I'm not saying to you to not pray.

I'm just saying become to the point that you're so much thinking about who you are in Christ.

That you develop into this. I am undisturbed by all of this news.

God is my source and he's going to provide for me. He's going to take care of me.

He's going to handle the situations for me. He's going to supply for me.

He's going to heal my body.

He's going to take care of my finances.

He's going to pay my bills. He's going to take care of my children.

He's going to help my husband stop being so rude. He's going to be the one.

Somebody say amen to that.

Isaiah chapter 60, this is what the Lord impressed me this week.

Isaiah 60 · chapter mention

Isaiah chapter 60 and verse 1 and 2.

Isaiah 60 · chapter mention

This has been on my heart all week. I had no intention of sharing this,

but the Lord has this on my heart the entire week.

So I said, Lord, this is what you want to say. Look at verse 1.

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Look at verse 2. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

and deep darkness the people.

But the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you.

Somebody say amen to that.

Now this passage serves as both a challenge and a call to action.

In a world full of confusion, division, and uncertainty.

As you know, we live in a time filled with the pressures of life,

relationships, career ambitions, personal challenges, a lot of pressure in this life.

And so when we see that darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness,

the people, it represents brokenness every single day.

And darkness also takes the form of pain, whether it's emotional,

relational, financial, physical, spiritual, pain.

And I believe this is a prophetic word here today that darkness is covering

the earth and you can see it. Darkness is covering the earth.

And the scripture goes ahead there in verse 2 and says, and deep darkness is

covering the people. people are trapped in deep darkness.

But God gave a remedy that was prophesied through the prophet Isaiah to you and I today.

And Jesus even said the same thing in Matthew chapter 5 verse 14.

Matthew 5:14

The remedy is you and I are called to arise and shine for your light has come

and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

Now that word arise means to wake up

to get up to get out of bed it's a call to action it's to start something arise

my my mother used to do this and I hated it I I don't do it to my kids because

I hated it so much more than me she there you there was a song out there how

many heard this song, rise,

shine, give God the glory.

Rise, shine, give God the glory. You heard that song?

And so my mom used to wake me up and she would flicker the light on and off

and she would say, rise, shine, give God the glory. I was like, oh.

I don't do that to my children, but there was something that I do to my children.

I'll tell them myself. So if I say get up, and if they don't get up,

I come in with my belt, okay?

And as soon as they peek in, they see that belt, they off already,

because I will start swinging it. Get on out that bed.

I don't care what you think about me. I'm a good father.

Somebody say, pastor's a good father.

And so we're going to have to arise.

It's time to wake up. It's time to get up. It's time to get to action, get to moving.

It's time to look at this deep darkness in this earth that's among the people

and say, I've got a light on me

that's shining bright that's going to help someone that needs it the most.

Too often, we are asleep.

We are living day by day. Today we are getting up, brushing our teeth,

turning, looking at a social media, going to work, complaining about our job,

going home, eating, going back to bed.

Before we go to bed, we have to watch TV, right? And then we go to bed and then

we do it again and again as if we have no purpose in this life,

as if we are not called to do anything in this life.

God says, arise, get up, rise up.

I'm calling you to action. I'm

calling you to do something because there's deep darkness in the earth.

In Matthew 5, 14, Jesus said, you are the light of the world,

a city on a hill to shine bright.

The next thing he tells us in Isaiah is to shine.

That means to sparkle. That means to ignite a fire.

Shine also means to give light, to shine, to give light.

And I was meditating over this last night, and I started to think that you cannot

truly shine until you really know who you are in Christ and know your God-given

purpose and mission in life.

You and I have to inquire of the Lord as to why do we exist.

You're not going to shine if you don't have purpose.

You're not going to shine if you don't know your assignment.

You're not going to shine if you don't know your mission.

And I want to challenge you today. You and I need to find out what am I here for?

Now, generally speaking, Romans 8, 29, you can answer that. that this is why

you're here, to be conformed to the image of his son.

You are on this earth to look like Jesus.

This is why you were privileged to hear the gospel,

give your life to the Lord, so that you can in turn conform into his image,

to look like him, to do what he would do, to think like he would think,

to act like he would act, and to say what he would say, and to give what he would give,

you're conformed to do that.

That is your primary calling in life is to look like Jesus.

But then there's some things that God has called you to do specifically,

and I'm not talking about an occupation.

Well, you know, I work as a manager, but they fire me. I don't know who I am.

You were never a manager. That's just what you did.

Who are you for example I

know that I am called to pastor

people whether all y'all lead the church and I'm not standing up here preaching

I'm still going to pastor the people I'm still going to love on the people I'm

going to encourage them I'm going to strengthen people in their faith I'm going

to strengthen people in their relationships and I'm going to help people prosper

in every area of their life.

I'm called to do that whether I'm standing up here preaching or I'm talking

to the sinner at the airport.

I'm going to help them strengthen their faith some way, somehow.

I'm going to talk to them about their relationships with God and other people,

and I'm going to help them prosper in every area of their life.

What are you called to do?

Some people are called to be a mother. That's a literal calling, by the way.

That's a calling. I mean, I'm called to be a mother and even when their kids

grow up and they move out the house and they can't mother them the same way they used to,

they'll find other children to help be motherly too.

Being a father to the fatherless, looking for someone to father because they

don't have one or to mother because they don't have one, that's a calling in life.

My wife is called to be a mother and she loves children and children love her

and it's it's amazing when I see her interact with children how children interact

with her they just love her it's a calling,

It's a calling. And so when you operate in your calling and your gifting, you're going to shine.

I didn't say you're going to be famous.

And I need to say this. I think there's something ungodly about wanting to be famous.

I don't think that's a godly aspiration. I want to be famous.

I don't know how godly that is. That sounds very, very selfish to me. I want to be impactful.

I want to be influential. But I just want to be famous.

There's a lot of flesh in that statement. And so I didn't say you're going to

be famous. I said you're going to shine.

And when you don't know who you are or what your assignment is,

you're not going to shine.

And I love the next verse. He says, arise, shine, for your light has come.

The next passage in verse one. Your light, that means it is your season. It is your opportunity.

This is your moment. This is why God has placed you on the earth.

Did you know that you were born for such a time as this?

You could have been born in the 1600s, but God placed you now in 2024 for such a time as this.

All of your ability, all of your enablement, all of your capacity,

all of your gifting, all of the purpose that God has crafted for you before

you were even put on the earth, exited through the matrix of your mother.

God gifted you for such a time as this.

This is your time because the earth has darkness in it and the people are trapped

in deep darkness. People are in pain.

People are broken. People are losing their intelligence because of the deep darkness.

Don't know if they're males or females. Don't know if they're tall or short

or black or white. They don't know any of that.

Because of deep darkness. Don't get mad at them. They're trapped.

And you and I are walking around carrying the light.

Stop trying to be like other people and carry the light.

Well, I know, girl, you know, girl, I'll tell you what.

I hate the boss too. You hate the boss. I hate the boss. We all hate the boss.

You're just being like everybody.

Somebody shine a light and say, you know, I'm going to pray for the boss.

Come on. Somebody say amen to that.

I'm going to pray for the boss. Will you pray? Oh, you're going to pray? Yeah, I'm going to pray.

Will you pray with me? More often than not, people will not decline your invitation to pray.

They will not. I was at the airport and I ended up praying over my family to

fly out. I think they were, I think Stacy and somebody was flying out and I

was praying over them to fly out.

And somebody looked and said, will you pray over me? I said, yeah.

Prayed over them. And then somebody else, right, will you pray over me?

So I just stood there and just prayed for people. Amen.

Hallelujah. Do anybody need prayer today? People started coming.

I'm telling you, when you're the light, you shine, they will come to the light.

It's time to shine turn your neighbor and say it's time to shine turn your other

neighbor and say it's time to shine,

you gotta be the light because that's who you are you're not trying to manufacture

something that you're not light just simply shines and dispels darkness and

brings clarity into the situation somebody say amen,

there's deep darkness in the earth deep

darkness people are in pain they're broken

hearted they're trapped they don't know what to do and

God said I have a solution I'm going to

get an army and family of believers and I'm

going to put my light on them and all they have to do is shine and people will

come to the light somebody shout amen the glory of the Lord it says in verse

one for the glory of the Lord is risen upon you The glory of the Lord is all of his presence.

Think about that. You right now carry the Holy Spirit on the inside of you. All of God is in you.

He didn't give you a little portion. Now you get a portion, John and Sierra, you get a portion.

And we just all get a little portion of God. We got all of him on the inside of us.

And not only is he in us, his glory is on us. What does that mean? His presence is on us.

Years ago, I used to get upset until I realized when I'm preaching,

I could be in Home Depot, Walmart.

I could be anywhere and people would walk up to me and start telling me their story.

And I'm like, I got places to go. My goodness. Why did you walk up on me?

And they begin to just tell me what's going on.

And just I'm like, oh, Lord, I got to go. And the Lord said,

I'm bringing them to you.

What are you in a hurry for?

I'm bringing them to you and I thought,

that's it and when I married Stacy she started saying she

said now she's so used to it she'll just kind of walk off because people will

come up and start talking to me and she'll move on she's like that's just

the anointing on your life and I'm cool with it I know how it happens it's what's

on you it's who's on you people are going to come and you know what I do now

I forget the clock when it happens now I do I just say well what's going on

here what's going on with that let me pray with you Let me tell you what the

Lord is saying to you. Listen, now take this to heart.

Your job being the light when you're interacting with people in darkness,

your job is to take God's word to them.

And then take their problems to God. Your job is not to hold on to their problems.

Stacy and I will do this. We'll hear about some horrific problems and we'll

talk about it. And we say we got to take that problem to God.

Because if we hold on to it, we're going to be crying and we're going to be

bent over too. Because there's some bad stuff going on.

And we are, we can feel what people feel.

That's what compassion is all about. Sympathy is all about feeling what someone

else feels. Empathy, I should say, is all about.

And so our job is to take the people's problems to God.

So when someone comes to us and they share a problem, immediately that's when it's time to shine.

It's time to rise up in that moment, shine, and say, let's take this to the

Lord. where they don't believe in God, I don't care.

And you shouldn't either because now we're inviting God on the scene.

One particular time I was praying for someone and it was a public prayer and

I was, it was this, you know, everybody there was unsaved, but they asked me

to say a couple things. I said, I want to pray.

And somebody said, well, someone's over there, it's an atheist.

I don't care. I don't care.

Well, I don't care about that. We're going to pray to Jesus in the name of Jesus.

I'm not trying to offend. He think one thing. I believe another thing that none of that matters.

Now, when he experiences Jesus, then then man, when you prayed, I felt something.

What? Why? Because we brought God on the scene.

And that's all they lack. They lack an experience. experience that's all

they lack is an experience with Jesus so you

you have the glory of God you have his

presence on you you have his goodness on

you and you have his prosperity on you this is the glory of God all of all of

his character and integrity is on you as you leave this place he's not just

on you in church this is where you come fellowship get encouraged encourage

each other get strengthened,

you walk out the thresholds of this door, it's time for you to give the glory to somebody else.

I want to get you thinking about somebody else today. I want to get you thinking

about somebody that's hurting today. Who are you discipling?

Who are you encouraging? Who are you helping?

I'm talking about being intentional about this. Who are you saying,

let me strengthen you with the word of God.

People are hungry out here, desperate.

Desperate. There's this unsaved person that I talked to, and I've invited him

to church, and he said he don't want to come to church. Well,

I can't make him come, but I invited him, whatever.

Well, then I was recently, this week, by God's grace, I was asked to be on a

television television show to share a testimony in our home,

and he didn't found the show, watched it. Now, we're talking about unsaved God.

I watched it, called me up, said, my goodness, that was an amazing testimony.

Let's talk about the Lord. I don't know how she got out of there.

I just don't know. I said, well, it was the Lord.

He was, I couldn't see a road. I said, it was the Lord. I was trying to figure

out which way they went. It was the Lord.

You're listening to me now.

My goodness, there's an encounter right there. An encounter.

Rise, shine, give the glory of God because there's deep darkness amongst people.

And people are more hungry now than I believe ever before.

They're searching, looking for some truth.

They're looking for an encounter with the Lord.

I was in the barbershop. This was during the COVID days. Oh,

you like that? The COVID days.

And the barbershop had just opened back up, and they were asking about what's

going on in our society, and the barber set me up. I knew he did this on purpose.

He said, pastor? Now, he never calls me pastor.

Pastor, what's going on in everything?

Because remember, at that time, not only was COVID, we had all type of uncivil

unrest, we had presidential election, we had a lot going on during that period of time.

He said, what's going on with this I said people lack a real genuine authentic

experience and encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ and they look they looked

at me and it's okay I said let me stop you because I think what you heard me

say was people lack Christianity that's not what I said.

Most people think they're Christians. You know that, right? They say something

like 85% of Congress calls themselves Christians. We know that's not true.

I said, I ain't talking about Christianity. I said, people lack a real,

authentic, genuine experience with Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God.

If people had an experience with Jesus the Christ, the son of the living God, they will change.

Just like Zacchaeus said, I have to give my money away because he experienced

Jesus. Just like Paul on the road to Damascus, Saul, I should say,

and say, Lord, Master, what shall I do? God changed his name.

When you have an experience with Jesus, you can't remain the same.

And part of your mission and calling is to create the encounter that someone has with Jesus.

The reason why you're going to work is not just to make money.

Is to create an atmosphere, an encounter that someone can have with Jesus the Christ.

And they say, oh my gosh, I felt something that I've never felt before.

Come on, somebody say amen. Now, I'm always leery to tell this story,

but I feel comfortable this morning. I'm going to tell this story.

Stacey brought it up this week, and I thought I'll tell it. I was working at

Corporate America, and I was in cubicles.

At the time, it's called vubicles, which are just Vs. They're not squares like

cubes. They're Vs. you get more people in with a cubicle.

So we were walking through, and this call center had lines of cubicles, right?

And so I was just one of the herd, you know, just kind of going to work.

And I was going, and I made good money, I shouldn't say that.

I was doing very, very well financially and had a good career.

And so I was going through, and I touched the dude on the shoulder.

I said, good morning, and I kept going through and kept on walking by.

I went to my desk, and nothing, you know, brother, nothing, nothing,

you know, just good morning, kept going. He comes to my desk two hours later.

He said, I want you to know something. I said, well, okay. What do you want

me to know? He said, I'm not gay.

I said, well, brother, I'm not gay either. I mean, I don't know why you said

that to me. That's good to know.

And there was a lady sitting by, and she looking too, and I was like,

yeah, he said, I'm not gay. I said, I'm not, I'm good. I'm not either.

I didn't think he was gay. He said, when you touched me, I felt something.

I said, well, it wasn't gayness. I can tell you that.

He said, I felt something. Then I started getting a little agitated.

I said, brother, I didn't touch you because I'm not gay either.

I just said good morning.

He was like, well, I just want you to know that. I said, I want you to know I'm not gay.

And then he went to his seat. And I was upset, a little upset.

Like, what you come over here with all that for?

And the Lord began to talk. This is why you got to come on somebody.

You got to keep your emotions in check.

The Lord said he felt something when you touched him. What you should have said

was that was Jesus touching you because he felt something good.

You know, when someone touched Jesus in scripture, it said virtue came out of them.

I bet. I think he experienced some virtue, but only could equate it with gayness.

He doesn't have the knowledge to understand something good touched me.

And if I wasn't so upset in the moment, I could have told him in the moment,

Jesus touched you when I walked by. Are you listening to me?

This is the power we carry. Every time we step out of this place,

you are empowered to go and take deep darkness away from people.

That was an opportunity right there. I actually tried to talk to him later about

it, and he was so far gone, he didn't know what I was talking about. But that was a moment.

That was a moment I had right there that I could have said, you know what?

Man, actually, virtue touched you.

That was the hands of Jesus. You think it's gay, but it was goodness.

Jesus loves you. We carry, you and I carry the glory of God with us.

And I want to challenge you. Isaiah the prophet was challenging you and I today.

He's saying it's time to arise.

It's time to shine for your light has come. This is the time.

I'm not talking about it's time for you to get a new job.

That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about it's time for you to rise

up and to take deep darkness away because the earth is getting worse and worse,

but deep darkness is amongst the people for you are the light.

Put verse two up there. I want to read verse two again, guys,

on the screen. Look what it says.

Behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people,

but the Lord will arise over you.

Glory to God and his glory, watch Watch this will be seen upon you.

Somebody say I receive that.

I receive it. I receive it. His glory shall be seen upon you,

but you can't act like everybody else at.

You can't be cussing like they cussing. You can't say all the crazy stuff they saying.

You can't be cheating on your spouse like they doing.

You can't be doing other silly stuff. So let me say this. And since I mentioned,

sometimes people get off because they don't know their purpose.

And they're too, how can I say it, Lord?

They're too distracted and lost sight of their purpose. Then they're cheating.

Listen, I don't have time to cheat. I'm busy. I got a purpose on my life.

You know how much energy it takes to be cheating?

I mean, a lot of energy. I don't have time for that. I've been to call her Stacy.

You know, I don't have time.

I'm focused on what God's called me to do. Now, I'm not saying you're perfect

and you're not going to miss tomorrow.

I'm saying if you stay focused, you don't have time for all that other stuff.

You stay focused on this is what God's called me to do. And I'm going to do

what God's called me to do.

And Sally Sue, get thee behind me, Satan. I am doing what God's called me to

do. Somebody say amen to that.

When you stay focused, understanding the light is on you and his glory is on

you, you're going to be more impactful than you've ever been before.

And all this is about soul.

You are saved so that you can reach souls.

You are been redeemed so that you can help people.

And there's various different ways. Obviously, financially, you can.

When you give to a ministry like this, we're reaching hundreds,

if not thousands of people. Glory to God, we're helping people.

And your money can help people. And your time can help people.

And your words can help people. And your encouragement can help people.

We're here to help people.

Change your mindset. said well I'm here to ignore everything

going on no I'm undisturbed by everything that's

going on but I'm thinking about people my heart

is beating people people are hurt people are broken people are in pain and you

too busy thinking about your pain if you get your mind off your pain and get

it on someone else your pain will leave that's called sowing and reaping right

there somebody Somebody say amen to that.

I'm preaching better than y'all saying amen. Somebody shout amen.

Now, I want to give you four steps. This is my challenge to you today.

Four ways I want to see you shine this week. Four ways I want to see you shine. Number one, love.

I want you to be patient and kind to people this week and the weeks thereafter.

I want you to listen to their story.

I want you to ask them questions. Don't be about you all the time.

Let me tell you about me, me, me, me, me, me. No, no, no, no.

Let me hear about what's going on in your life. Listen to their story. Help them.

Show kindness this week.

Be attentive. And when you're listening, be attentive to what they're saying.

And then when you respond, say what they say, and then pray. Bring God on the scene.

Love people this week. Somebody say love. Love.

Step number two, I want you to live. No, I'm sorry. I want you to learn.

I want you to learn. Learn, learn everything you can.

About how to help people in whatever situation they're in.

As you're interacting with people, they're telling you they're struggling in their oblique.

Google it. What is an oblique?

Find out. Learn what's going on. Do a little Google search.

Find out what's going on so that you can know a little bit, and then as you

are learning through the Word and through knowledge and experience of what somebody's

going on, you can begin to help them a lot better.

Somebody shout, learn. Learn. I want you to live.

Live. What am I saying? Live with purpose. Live with destiny.

Live a life on a mission.

Live like God sent you to that place to help somebody. You should be walking

in a place like, who am I here to help?

God sent somebody in this place the same time I'm here, and everything's a divine appointment.

I'm here to help somebody because there's a light shining on me.

Somebody say amen to that. and I'm here to help somebody live on purpose.

See, if you live like that, you ain't looking around for Bob.

Yeah, I'm ready to cheat. Where Bob at? Oh, there he is. See,

your whole mindset's changed.

When you live on purpose to be a blessing to someone, to take deep darkness

from them, and then I want you to lead them to Jesus.

Somebody say lead. Lead. Influence them. Bring God on the scene.

Bring Jesus on the scene. offer to

pray lead them bring him

on the scene uh talk about jesus

share an encouraging word one of the reasons you're spending time with the lord

in the mornings before you go to work is so you can share what the lord share

with you to somebody man just this morning i was reading this and this applies

to your principle jesus said don't be ashamed they're looking looking.

They're looking. And you can do it. Even if you've been acting like a heathen,

wherever you are, and they don't know you saved, you can change it tomorrow.

You can say, I rededicated my life to the Lord at church yesterday.

I'm a new person today. I'm bringing Jesus on the scene. Somebody say amen to that.

I'm bringing Jesus on the scene. There was one particular time I feel comfortable

to tell this story. I was not married.

I was not married. okay but I was saved

I was not married and I was talking to this

girl and I got so fired up about the things of God and I had met her in the

club okay man in club I'm talking to her I was not saved I'm sorry I was saved

but I was not married okay yeah I got so fired up I started talking to her about

Jesus she was talking about trying to go to another club together I said Jesus he,

said that he came to give us life I didn't I wouldn't even do that it was just

coming out of me I was fired up she's like why are you keep talking I said,

Jesus has saved me, he want to save you too. She never called me again.

Hey, I introduced, planted a seed.

Somebody else is going to come water it, but God's going to get the increase.

Come on, somebody say amen.

You just called the plant. Some of you are just planting seed.

Some of you are going to water the seed, and some of you are going to harvest.

They're going to say, I'm ready to get, here's how you get it. Just say, Jesus is Lord.

Jesus, man, listen, I'm going to get you a Bible. going, listen,

once a week, I'm going to meet with you, and I'm going to encourage you,

and I'm going to talk to you. We're going to Zoom. We're going to FaceTime.

Whatever it needs to take place, this is what we're going to do. Somebody say amen.

Amen. I was playing pickup basketball. This was a few years ago.

I've retired from playing basketball.

I got hurt one time, Kirk, and it took me like a year to recover.

I said, I'm done. I'm not playing anymore.

But I used to play a lot, and I was at this gym one particular time,

and these two guys were whispering,

just kind of whispering to each other, and we were waiting on the next

pickup game and I was on their team and and I turned to

him and I said what are y'all whispering about and one

of the guys turned to me he said Devon I smoke I drink I sin I kind of got pushed

back like whoa wait a minute I just I didn't okay he said again I smoke I drink

I sin okay brother brother?

And I said, you know, it felt like 24 hours, but it was like 10 seconds.

I said, Lord, what do you want me to say? He said, tell him none of that will send him to hell.

I said, none of that will send you to hell. He was like, what?

I said, smoking and drinking and sinning doesn't send you to hell.

He's like, what? He goes, I said, the only way you go to hell is rejecting Jesus.

He said, I want to know Jesus. Now, we're about to play basketball.

He said, I want to know Jesus.

Jesus. I said, all you have to do is say, Jesus, come into my life. Be the Lord of my life.

He did. I began to meet with him once a week, just phone call,

just encouraging him about the things of God.

He called himself, I forget, I remember this because it was always funny.

He goes, I'm a spiritual infant.

I said, yes, you are, brother, but I'm going to help you growing to a grown spiritual man. Amen.

People are looking.

See, what you want to do, I smoke, I drink, I sin. Well, brother,

listen, I smoke and drink and sin too. No, no, you're going to have to be different.

Amen. I said you're going to have to be different.

I said you're going to have to be different. I said you're going to have to be different.

You're going to have to be different because people are not looking for someone that looks like them.

They're looking for an encounter with the the Christ Jesus the Son of the Living

God this is how you experience true life.