Delusional | Pastor Caleb Thomas

hello hello listen I know you want to

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then check out this message I want to

talk to you this morning about this idea

of being

delusional have you ever been delusional

before okay so um so so so I heard this

story about this this young man um he he

he would go to this coffee shop pretty

consistently I don't know if it it was

probably rooted he he went to this

coffee shop pretty consistently and

there was a cashier that was at the

front and she always always made his day

and was very bubbly and just had a lot

of energy always said it's nice to see

you and it made this young man feel

fuzzy

inside and he he always ordered the same

drink and but he he had this running

joke with the cashier that she acts like

she doesn't remember my name but she

knows me come on look at this she knows

me and he gets up there he he goes to

order his drink and he actually changes

he sees that there's a special that's on

for today and so he's like you know what

let me get a latte she says okay he

tells the young lady his name and as he

gets his drink back he looks at it and

there's foam on top of his latte in the

shape of a

heart so for him it was a sign from

Heaven this is it she's the one it's the

whole reason I've been com to this

coffee shop so he just forgot about the

coffee and just asked her out on a date

right then and there will you be my

girlfriend

Point Blake she didn't even remember his

name she's like will you be my

girlfriend and she said what what are

you talking about where is this coming

from he said I see the heart that you

put on my latte like that means our

hearts are connected

right no everybody who gets a latte gets

a foam heart on their cup of coffee

here's the thing things aren't always as

they

appear my man was delusional about the

situ ation that he was in I wish life

was always like a Hallmark

movie where you can anticipate the

ending from the beginning sorry Pastor

Sydney I wish it actually let me say

this I I say I wish it was but actually

I'm also glad that it's not I enjoy the

es and the flows and the ups and the

downs and the thing that makes a plot

fun is you don't know what to expect but

that's also what makes life scary is I I

don't always know what to expect which

has gotten me in places of being

delusional delusional believing

something untrue about reality even when

there's clear proof that it's

wrong believing something

untrue even though all the evidence is

there there's proof there to say that

what you're believing is

false uh some examples of being

delusional okay so everybody knows I'm

6' s but when I get to church I turn

into 5' 7 it's to make all of you feel a

little bit more comfortable um and so we

listen I we have this joke at the house

that like I genuinely sometimes think

I'm 6' s and so I'll be putting my shirt

on in the room and if the fan is on I

like move over to the side she's like

what are you doing I don't want to hit

my hand on the

ceiling and I wish that that was a joke

like I'm being straight up serious like

that was it U maybe you've been

delusional about these pants should

fit okay next one um maybe maybe you was

that dude in high school and your mama

told you baby you going

D1 you going div going go play division

one football no no you can go watch

division one football may maybe not

playing it up um okay here's some

delusion here's some delusion students

have been teaching me this there is a

new type of math that is out there

today girl

math girl math is

different girl math says this I recently

just got got say I bought a one uh a

$100 dress but when I went to go pick up

that dress I also return some shoes

those shoes was

$50 and so even though that dress was

$100 I only had to pay

$50 so it was a great deal girl math I

only spent 50 I didn't spend a 100 girl

math I just wish that word for us at

Bass Pro us guys at Bass Pro they they

they they don't let it there there's

different types of delusions that we've

been in and but but there's also been

some spiritual delusions that I've been

in um felt at one point in time God's

out to get

me I believe something about my reality

that was untrue and there was proof that

it wasn't true but my head was so

wrapped around this idea that Jesus

doesn't actually love me that everything

that these people jump around and say

really really loudly on a microphone

they are the ones that are delusional

come back to

reality cuz how can you say that about

me if you don't even know anything about

me been delusional that Jesus doesn't

have anything actually planned for for

me life is a series of events and if

you're lucky it turns in your favor

thinking that it's all about the luck of

the

draw been delusional that I am worse off

than I actually am when it comes to my

relationship with Jesus feel like I'm

always behind feel like I'm always

having to play catch up when I wake up

in the morning I'm already out of breath

because I feel like I'm five six steps

behind I should have been further this

year my relationship with God I should

have been further in my business I

should have been further with my family

this relationship should have been

further down the line to where when I

wake up I'm already tired and exhausted

and it makes me want to not even try

because what for I'm going to be behind

again tomorrow these delusions that run

through our mind that then start to

dictate what we do and how we do things

it affects my mentality of how I see the

world and the engagement that I have in

it so let me ask you this what lie has

2024 told you about

2025 what lie has this year told you

about next

year CU if we're not careful a delusion

past will Cloud our

future disillusionments that we've gone

through in this year can make it so

cloudy and so blurry that I can't even

see the reality of what is able to come

because I'm too busy looking backwards

and remembering on some of the things

that had happened before that's exactly

what happened in Luke chap 24 Luke

Luke 24 · chapter mention

chapter 24 this is this is after Jesus

uh man they they had taken him captive

They Crucified him he was buried this is

after all of that and there's there's

this this the story is about these two

guys they call them apostles of Jesus

they rolled with Jesus and they were on

the road to emus okay this is after the

crucifixion Jesus has already been

buried and this is after the third day

this is on the third day these guys that

they're walking and they are distraught

they are disappointed what does that

mean unmet

expectations thought he was the savior

of the world couldn't even save himself

he said that he was going to be the

king he's buried he ain't ruling

nothing he said we we believed that he

was going to help us be

free but now I feel like I've just

wasted my time and was I under a spell

what what what was I tied to the was I a

slave for these past years what was

going on he said he would rise on the

third day but homie it's the third day

and had nobody seen

him what is going on they had even

gotten word that his grave site was

empty but nobody had even seen the body

and so they're like yep he dipped out

he's gone ain't nobody around here they

they lived in this mindset of this is

our

reality the pain of their

past had begun to Cloud their future CL

Cloud their present they were they they

were so torn up and so torn apart about

what had happened that they weren't even

able to fully be present and in the

moment have you ever been troubled by

your past that it started to affect your

present or your future maybe you've had

a past relationship where someone abused

the word love and so now whenever people

tell you love that word scares you that

word is a trigger because I it my

pastors told me that that is not a good

word and so now I push back from the

very thing that I'm wanting and

Desiring may maybe you've maybe you've

gotten something and you you've learned

your past has taught you that if

somebody gives you something there's

always strings

attached and so now whenever somebody

does something out of the kindness of

their heart whenever somebody is trying

to be there for

you you don't take it I don't take the

blessing I I I don't take the help

because nah I ain't gonna owe nobody

nothing a nobody gonna have nothing on

me because at some point you probably

gonna come and call and collect and I'm

not wanting to pay that cuz it always

comes to collect at the worst time like

my January

bills after Christmas worst time may

maybe maybe your pastors told you I've

never been chosen ain't nobody going to

choose me if somebody picks me it's

going to be because of default cuz I'm

the last man standing

PE all over again I got picked last for

Dodgeball and so I got defaulted onto a

team maybe I feel like that's how my

life has been that that's what these

guys were dealing with the pain of their

past started to Blind them and started

to limit them for what they could see in

their present and in their future and

here's something that I am learning I

haven't learned it haven't mastered it

but but I'm learning this our past is a

teacher and sometimes it teaches us the

right thing

my past sometimes teaches me the right

thing my my past taught me very early on

uh that an iron plugged in gets very

hot you ever touched one

before yeah don't do it again uh it's ve

very very hot my past tells me that

chipotle is

wonderful my past tells tells me that I

need coffee in the

morning my my past tells me that I could

get stabbed in the

back my my past tells me that I'm not

good

enough and and and if we're not careful

we'll think that our past or what we

have experienced is the only true

reality when we we need to remember that

sometimes our past lies to us maybe it

was the state that I was in maybe it was

the circumstances maybe it was my

perspective of how I'm viewing it but

not all experiences Teach You and I the

Right

Thing these guys they they had to decide

what am I going to go off of am I going

to go off of my expectations and put

them on God or am I going to go with the

expectations that my past has taught me

which level of expectations are you

living on you're going to walk into this

next year with

expectations but are you going to be

limited to the ones of your past or

you're going to be motivated by the ones

that God says are about your future

which ones do you decide to put in the

Forefront of your mind these guys on the

road to emus they they did not have they

did not have a future in mind they they

were distraught looking lost and here's

the crazy part about this story it

wasn't just those two guys walking by

themselves early on in the walk there

there was a guy that came up to them and

he was asking him hey man what what's

going on and they said are you the only

homie that's in po County that doesn't

know what just happened like they just

crucified Jesus they buried him like bro

get with the program get on Tik Tok like

figure out what's happening bro they

freaking out at him and then and then he

just continued to walk with them here's

what they didn't know they were so in

their head they were so in their past

they were so distraught about everything

that had happened that they didn't even

realize that the the man that they were

mourning was walking right beside them

it was Jesus that was with them the

whole time and and while they're

expressing their hurts and while they're

expressing their questions and while

they're talking about how frustrated

they were while they're talking about

their disappointment Jesus stayed

walking with them the whole time he

didn't just bail out he didn't just say

oh that's how you feel all right didn't

play he he he didn't just walk out and

go he stayed through out that whole

process he listened to the pain and then

he here's what happened he ended up

walking with them all the way to their

Airbnb it got really late at night and

and he was about he act like he was

going to keep going and the guy said hey

how about you come and hang out with us

come eat Jesus said I I can eat you

going to invite me to eat free food I

could do that I mean Jesus didn't say

free food but that's my interpretation

you invite me to eat

here's what the Bible says Luke 24:

30-31 read this first part with me he

sat down at the table with them talking

about Jesus with these two guys taking

the bread he blessed and broke it and

gave it to them and at that moment open

eyed wide eyed they recognized him and

then he

disappeared it wasn't until they stopped

and they sat down

and they were looking at who was in

front of them that they began to

recognize who was it that had been with

them this whole entire time it wasn't

like this was the first time he didn't

just randomly come in they had been

walking I don't know about you but they

probably weren't walking Bonnet Springs

there was a little bit of time that it

took there was a couple hours that were

involved in this walk never did they

recognize him because they were only

focused on their past and what had

happened they were delusional they were

disillusioned by the events that had

happened that they couldn't even see the

blessing that was walking beside them

see here's the thing that I love didn't

Jesus didn't just leave them because

they didn't recognize him he didn't flip

out on them he he he did not get annoyed

with their questions like are y'all

going to shut up anytime soon he didn't

do any of that he he didn't count them

out he stayed long enough for them to

recogn recogniz who he

was what questions have you had about

Jesus what delusion have you bought

into that he's gone he's dead he he

ain't that same God that might have been

cool back then but New World new

problems homie you you got to you got to

do something different like that might

have been good for back then but in

today's world it's more complicated now

there's more things going on or I they

didn't have my issues but I haven't read

my exact issue in the Bible and so maybe

he can't help me in that area I've been

so

disillusioned that I've had these

questions come up about who God is what

he could do and then and

then I question if he's even there

around or loves me and just like in this

story he he didn't dip out on them he

wasn't trying to be a ninja like to

where he couldn't be found he he's not

over here trying to play hide and seek

with these guys he's walking face to

face wanting them to see him interact

with him encounter him and by that they

were able to know exactly who he was

Jesus was with them Hope was with them

Joy was with them their strength was

with them the future was with them the

purpose was with them but they were too

disillusioned to see the blessing that

was was right next to

them Pastor right after worship this

morning having us take a second and say

hey God we just want to thank you for

what you have stopped in our life this

year we we want to thank you for for

what you have done in our life this

year for honest maybe

maybe there was some of us that had a

hard time answering that

question what you mean thank him you

don't know what happened to

me you don't know what just happened to

my marriage you don't know what's going

on with my kids you don't know what I've

lost what do you mean you want me to

thank

him that's that's exactly the kind of

set mindset that these guys were going

through and here here's what they had to

learn it's easy to focus on what's wrong

to the point where you don't even see

what's

right right whatever you focus on owns

your life it it Masters your mind so if

I focus on my problems all I'm going to

ever see are my problems but if I focus

on my God if I focus on his the plans

that he has for me if I focus on him

saying I know all this don't look like

what he said but I'm just going to keep

focusing I'm going to keep trusting I'm

going to keep leaning into to what he

has said and our perspective completely

completely

changes the death that they were mour

was breathing right next to them the

hope that was buried was risen right

next to them the dream that had died was

walking in moving with

them but the delusion of the past kept

them from seeing the blessing of the

present that would then take them into

their

future what is it that wraps our minds

and and and makes us get to the point

where we can get disillusioned or

delusional I tell you something that

that I have to work on for

me it's my heart it's my

emotions anybody else

emotional I'm emotional I cry about

everything I'm being so s my son right

now so we're we are in the um 90s and

early 2s Disney era the best

ERA and um Lion King is the movie We're

watching we all pause it at the same

scene when Simba goes down

I can't watch that to this day I can't

watch it I can't watch it I will cry

groan man tears six foot seven tears

coming down his F I cannot handle it I'm

emotional my my emotions I'm so inclined

but but here comes the thing emotions

are a beautiful thing they add color to

this life emotions are a gift given to

us by God emotions are not bad they're

terrible drivers to our life but they're

amazing companions inside of our life

here's what happens I can get so fixed

emotionally on the circumstances that

I've gone through that I am no longer

thinking from a perspective focus on God

I'm thinking how do I

feel how does this make me I don't like

this feeling I feel mad I feel angry I

feel like there's another way that could

have gone that should have happened

another way and I start unlisting the

should have would have could have

because my emotions w't in check my

emotions were the thing that were tying

me and I think that's exactly God God

knows that we're emotional beings that

have a hard time handling our emotions

and that's exactly why Proverbs chapter

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

3 veres 5-6 here's what this encourages

us read this first part trust in the

Lord with all your heart do not depend

on your own understanding seek his will

in all that you do and He will show you

which path to take here's what I have

learned while I read the Bible if God

tells me to do something it's probably

because that's not what I'm thinking to

do if he says trust me it's probably

because I'm not trusting if he says do

it with all your heart he didn't say

just just know it no Caleb I needed to

get from here ahead knowledge to where

you can quote it you can recite it you

can have conversations about it to where

you feel it it it's something on the

inside that begins to transform what

Pastor Scott talked about last week

listen to the podcast I have to go just

from an information to transformation in

my life which means it has to get into

here trust the Lord with your heart

don't lean to your own understandings

just because I don't understand it

doesn't mean that God isn't in it

doesn't mean that God can't use it I

don't get how God can use LW I don't

understand why tragedy happens I don't

understand things but that doesn't mean

that that is a limiting factor to God it

limits me but nothing can limit him so I

got to trust that he is God and he is

him and and so here's what we get into I

got to trust that he's my provider that

whatever it is that I need Jesus is the

one that will be able to give it to me I

got to trust that he's my protector that

he's shielding things he he sets a hedge

of protection around us in order to for

if I that he is a Healer he can heal my

mind he can heal my heart he can heal

your marriage he can heal you physically

he can heal whatever it is that you're

going through that he is a friend

someone to listen to you someone to

encourage you someone to do life with

that he's a good father someone who

shows you what perfect love is somebody

who has a warm embrace that isn't out to

get you but out to set you up with an

inheritance that you could not have

earned on your own he's a peaceg giver a

hope dealer a sin forgiver a way maker

and a miracle

worker that is who Jesus

is when I think things this

way but when I allow myself to get

disillusioned all of that is

false what mindset are you walking into

this upcoming year with

shake off the disillusionment sake shake

off the delusion shake off the things

that have happened and it might take

some time and so here's what I say all

y'all come on with me we're we we're

going I can't allow myself to be limited

based off of my past I want to continue

to pursue the things that Jesus has

already set in store for

me he here would be the

encouragement don't let the delusion of

your past dictate the truth of your

future who is it that has written your

future it's

God Jesus is is all up inside of your

future the he's already into your March

April May June July of next year we

we're we're sitting here thinking about

how am I going to get through this he's

like I'm I'm already way past that

because I've taken care of it I just

need you to trust me with your heart and

stop limiting yourself to Your Capacity

cuz I've given you something bigger than

your capacity my capacity I've given you

access to something that is beyond what

you could achieve on your own I just

need you to use it and do something with

it yesterday was at P County's finest

store

Russel getting some boots if you hear

hear Malachi running down the hallway

it's cuz he's got new boots on he likes

the sound of the heels hitting the

ground while while we were there Liz tah

Malachi and I we were walking towards

the checkout and made eye contact with

this gentleman and knew immediately that

we knew each other from somewhere but

couldn't really think of where like out

of context it had a hard time putting it

together Pastor Caleb it is good to see

you was like we know each other from

church how you doing Randon g g gave

them a hug and and as we were talking he

like man it's been a tough

year used we were coming to church we

were faithful we were good we were on it

we had things secured we had our

routine but then you know the five

losses that we've experienced this year

inside of our family has made things

tough I'm in the middle of Russell

holding some boots in my hand my son in

the other hand and I don't know what to

say you're talking about five L what do

you you say to somebody let experienc

five losses one of them being a week

before

Christmas what do you say to that I'm

I'm stuck I'm kind of just waiting to

hear are they going to continue are they

not going to say what what's going to

happen the lady that was with him

continued saying this but you know what

I have a piece about it cuz I know where

they're

at I know I'm going to see them again

again I'm I'm just sitting here quiet

like thank God you just said that I I I

don't know what else I would have said

she said I know exactly where they're at

I know I'm going to see them again it

doesn't make it easier right now like

I'm still getting emotional with it but

but I know we're going to be good and I

know I'm going to be able to have life

with them

again somebody who's not focused on

their problems which it would be so easy

to

right says I'm dealing with my problems

I'm just not focused on my my problems

I'm going to recover from them I'm in

process but they're not the things that

are owning my life right I choose to set

my mind on God and it dictates how I now

handle the things that have happened in

the past her perspective yesterday

challenged

me what how have I been thinking about

past scenarios and how have they been

limiting my viewpoint of God

do I still see him as all powerful do I

still see him as a miracle worker or

does he need a certain amount of time

left in the year in order for something

to happen have I already wrote off this

year like nope this year's done it's

it's completely over what says

who maybe for me in my capacity what I

could do but mind you this is the dude

who spoke life into this world who

created everything that you and I see

who created you who created me who

created us in this world don't tell me

what my God can't

do he he had already done it reminds me

of this verse Romans 8:

37-39 here here's what the Bible says

I'm absolutely convinced that nothing

nothing living or dead Angelic or

demonic today or tomorrow high or low

thinkable or Unthinkable abs absolutely

nothing can get between us and God's

love why because of the way that Jesus

our master has embraced us stand to your

feet I don't know what this year may

have brought to you maybe this has been

the best year for you in the world think

higher of God think more he could do

more than what you give him credit for

this might have been the worst year that

you've experienced

God can still do more God can still grow

God can still increase God can still men

there is no limitation to him and watch

this I love that this says it is because

of the way that Jesus has embraced

us these two guys two Apostles on the

road to

Emmas really what they were grieving was

the Embrace of Jesus I felt that he had

left me felt like he was

gone I have bought into him thinking

that he'd be here but now he's he's

distant he's not present that's that's

not true B says that he's a present help

in our time of trouble so here's what I

want you to know this morning Jesus has

not stiff armed you he has not ran you

into the ground he has not run past you

he has not forgotten about you he has

not thrown you out those are delusions

those are lies those are things that are

not true of this current reality that

there is proof that he loves you cuz

look where you are you're still

breathing you're still here you're still

fighting you still have a grit you still

have something that you're able to reach

towards which is proof that God loves

you Jesus has and always will embrace

you but here's the thing about an

Embrace takes two people that are

willing to come together in order for

that

Embrace Jesus is running after

you are you running after

him are you accepting this

Embrace or am I letting my shame my

guilt or my past stiff arm cuz no I I

don't want to get you dirty I don't want

what's on me to get on you that none of

that scares Jesus Jesus said I took all

that on on the cross homie I don't see

nothing on that I just want this Embrace

I want us to do this thing of life

together don't be delusional going into

this next year don't believe the lies

that have come up in your head don't

believe the things of your past that

have happened believe on the promises

and the goodness that this book has said

over your life and let this be the thing

that guides leads and directs your steps

father God we love you so much Jesus

we're so grateful for your Embrace we're

grateful for how you love and and for

how you run after us you that you don't

stiff arm us you don't tell us to get

our stuff together and then come to you

but rather you just say man you you walk

with us while we're in the dirt while

we're in the mud while we're in the

gutter you are still alongside of us and

so God I pray that you help our mind

help us when our we fix our minds so

much on our problems our past the things

that have happened to us the things that

we've done maybe that we're not even

proud of that we can't even fix our eyes

on you God I pray that you help us

forgive ourselves help us look forward

and look past P those things and start

focusing on who you are and what you've

done forgetting the lies discrediting

them and believing wholeheartedly with

our own heart of who you are and what

you have done for us God I pray that we

remind ourselves that there is no

limitation to what you can do this year

next year or at any point in time and

while we are alive there is still

purpose and that you are still working

inside of our lives in Jesus name we

pray am amen

amen we hope you enjoyed this message to

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